Resumen:El aliento de los dioses

Warbreaker Chapter Summaries

Prologue

Vasher gets thrown in the God King's dungeons for striking a priest in a bar. He Awakens a figure he makes from the straw in his cell and Commands it to fetch keys. He uses the keys to escape from his cell while the guards are distracted by his sword, Nightblood. Vasher goes deeper into the dungeons, finding an emaciated Vahr, evidently the leader of a rebellion, bound and dangling in his cell. After some convincing, Vahr gives Vasher his trove of Breaths to prevent them from being used by his enemies, the Hallandren. Vasher kills Vahr with an Awakened scarf to save him from more torture, grabs his sword, and flees.

• Prologue Annotation Part 1
• Prologue Annotation Part 2
• Prologue Annotation Part 3

Chapter 1

Siri, the youngest princess of Idris, considers her rather unimportant position in the Idrian royal family. She walks in from the countryside to Bevalis, the Idrian capital. She is trailed by children, who are fascinated by the flower she carries because it is a breach of the normal drabness maintained by Idrian followers of Austre. Siri talks to her friend, Mab the cook, about how she is tired of the Idrian traditions of austerity.

Meanwhile, King Dedelin discusses the possibility of a disastrous war with Hallandren with General Yarda. Yarda convinces the Dedelin that they could keep the Hallandren at bay for longer if they kept the treaty, which entails sending an Idrian princess to marry the Hallandren God King. King Dedelin cannot stand the thought of sending his oldest, most beloved daughter Vivenna to marry the monstrous God King to bear him a child. Since the treaty does not specify which princess, at the last moment Dedelin sends Siri instead of Vivenna, who has been trained since birth for life with the God King.

• Chapter 1 Annotation

Chapter 2

Siri sits in the carriage taking her to Hallandren, terrified and confused at the last minute switch that means that she must wed the God King.

In Idris, Vivenna begs her father to reconsider his decision and send her as he originally planned. She feels suddenly bereft of purpose, now that her sister is marrying the God King in her stead. Her father argues that he has done what is best for Idris, because in the event of war, the Hallandren could have used Vivenna as a more effective bargaining chip than Siri.

Siri becomes enraged at her father's decision, shouting at her honor guard. She wishes Vivenna were in her stead, because she is sure her relative political experience would make her a better representative of Idris in Hallandren. She decides that she will send her honor guard back to Idris, as they would be adrift in Hallandren.

Vivenna and the middle princess, Fafen, discuss their father's decision to send Siri while picking blackberries. Vivenna begins to get an idea to help Siri.

Chapter 3

Lightsong, one of the Returned in the Court of Gods in Hallandren, considers the fact that he cannot remember his life and heroic death before being Returned and rolls out of bed. He is surrounded by servants, who as always attend to his every need. He recounts his dream of a boat on a red ocean to his priests, who records it as prophecy. Lightsong teases his high priest, Llarimar, calling him “Scoot” and asking for the details of his past life that he is forbidden. He receives a Breath from a child, which will allow him to live another week. Then he judges the poetic and artistic offerings to him, when he is informed of the arrival of the God King's new wife.

Chapter 4

Siri arrives in T'Telir, the capital of Hallandren. She is greeted by a field of forty thousand Lifeless soldiers, and is overwhelmed by the huge, colorful, tropical city so different from her humble mountain town. Treledees, high priest of the God King, welcomes Siri to the Court of Gods. Siri is told that there will be no wedding cermony, and is brought to the God King's dark, pyramidal castle.

Chapter 5

Vasher stands atop the wall surrounding the Court of Gods and realizes that the fact that the Idrians actually sent Siri complicates his plans. He meets clandestinely with a priest, Bebid, from the Court of Gods in a restaurant. Bebid informs Vasher of a faction among the Court pushing Hallandren to war with Idris. Vasher leaves and retrieves Nightblood from a dead cutpurse who stole it.

Lightsong watches the new Queen arrive from his patio. asking information about her. He discusses her possible effects on Court politics with Llarimar, and insists that he have more wine, although as a god he is immune to drunkenness.

Chapter 6

Siri is led by servants into the palace. They take her to a bathing chamber, where they scrub her clean. She becomes embarrassed at the appearance of a man, Bluefingers, the head scribe and steward of the Court of Gods. He informs her of the rules of her new life, stressing that she may not speak to the God King lest he order her executed. She is given makeup, a medical examination, and a magnificent gown, which she accepts, thinking that ironically, it will be stripped off given a few minutes. Bluefingers leads her to the God King's sleeping chamber, where she enters with utmost trepidation.

Chapter 7

Remembering Bluefingers' instructions and warnings, Siri removes her dress and underthings and bows naked before the God King's bed. She waits for him to call for her, not daring to make a noise and wondering if he judges her inadequate or not beautiful enough.

Lightsong watches the celebration of the God King's union, bored with the luxuries and the fireworks. Blushweaver, another goddess, comes to greet him. They talk and flirt, but Lightsong rebuffs her advances. They discuss politics, with Blushweaver in favor of the war and curious as to Lightsong's opinion of the new queen.

Chapter 8

Siri bathes in the relief of having survived the night untouched and unexecuted. She climbs into the unoccupied bed and goes to sleep.

Hours later, she awakes and burns her sheets, as is her duty as the Vessel. Exiting the bedchamber, she is confronted by a group of servants offering many choices of gowns. Somewhat overwhelmed by extravagance, she chooses one and is primped for the day. She asks Bluefingers what her daily duties are, and he tells her she has none other than staying within the palace. He offers entertainments, but she wants to be free from the palace to go explore or horseback riding. He firmly denies this request. Siri sets off to explore the palace.

Chapter 9

Vivenna arrives in T'Tellir. Parlin, her friend, goes ahead to scout the area. She arrives in a restaurant, and Parlin leaves because he doesn't like the enclosed feeling of the restaurant and wants to explore T'Telir more. Instead of the Idrian spy, Lemex, that she had planned to meet with, two mercenaries, Denth and Tonk Fah arrive and after a bit of joking, announce that they are there to kill her.

Chapter 10

The two mercenaries burst out laughing, and tell Vivenna they are joking. They inform Vivenna that Lemex is ill with fevers, and give her a letter written in his hand. The mercenaries eat Vivenna's seafood and lead her to Lemex's house.

Vivenna, Parlin, and the mercenaries arrive at Lemex's house where he is laying deliriously ill, in the care of a nurse. Vivenna excuses the nurse, and asks Lemex for any information that could help her, like how to access the Idrian spy network. Lemex, however, refuses, thinking he is being tortured. Lemex confesses that he has acquired a lot of BioChromatic Breath. He insists that he give it to someone before he dies, and Denth and Tonk Fah refuse to take it. The mercenaries manipulate Vivenna into taking the Breath despite her moral objections, because it would be worth enough sold to buy her whatever resources she would need to help her sister. Lemex gives his Breath to her, and she is amazed at the new life and color awareness it gives her.

Chapter 11

Siri begs Treledees to let her leave the palace after the days she has spent trapped inside. He is deeply offended, because her period of isolation is the least she can do to honor the God King. She orders dinner, is scrubbed and primped, and once again brought to the bedchamber of the God King. At the door, Bluefingers gives her a cryptic warning to be careful, but when Siri presses him for more information, he does not tell her anything.

Kneeling naked on the floor, Siri contemplates her options and becomes completely frustrated. Finally, she shouts at the God King to just “get on with it!” Immediately embarrassed and fearful of punishment, she ducks back into a kneel but soon lifts her head to look the God King in the eye. At the usual time of his departure, he gets up and leaves. She crawls into bed, relieved and unpunished.

Chapter 12

Lightsong hears petitions, struggling with the dreams he has been having of T'Tellir burning and his own doubts about his usefulness and the Iridescent Tones religion. A woman presents her dying infant to Lightsong, begging him to heal the child. He refuses, knowing that to do so he would need to give up his divine Breath and die. Suddenly overcome with emotion, Lightsong throws down his cap and storms from the room, a retinue of priests and servants following. He shouts at them to leave, and Llarimar comes in to reason with him. Lightsong asks Llarimar about the reasoning behind the Iridescent Tones theology, especially frustrated with the fact that he doesn't consider his dreams divination, and that he must effectively commit suicide to heal someone and become useful. Llarimar answers his questions with unshakeable calm, teaching him for the first time much of the religion. Lightsong falls again to banter, and asks Llarimar a few more questions about why he Returned and the new queen's effect on court politics.

Siri looks out the window of the God King's bedroom over the sea. She does not know why she is still unpunished for being rude to the God King, but recognizes that she needs to stop being afraid and start directing her life again.

Chapter 13

Vivenna awakes, having fallen asleep in Lemex's house. Despite the fact they are no longer under Lemex's orders, Denth and Tonk Fah insist that their, as well as the third member of their group, Jewels' contract was paid halfway and that they have a few more weeks of work that they feel they owe to Vivenna. Vivenna decides to give away the Breath she holds, one at a time to Drabs, but Denth informs her this is impossible, because Breath must be given away all at once or not at all. Tonk Fah suggests she Awaken something to hold the Breath, but this disgusts Vivenna. They ask her what her goal is staying in T'Tellir, and she tells them that she plans to untraceably rescue Siri from the palace, possibly staying in her place. The mercenaries say that this is not their business, but perhaps they could put her in contact with useful people. They then say that they are going to search Lemex's house for valuables and information, and that Vivenna should go see her sister being presented before the Court of Gods, now that she has enough Breath to get in without question.

Siri is being prepared to be presented before the Court of Gods. The serving women do her hair and present her with options of dresses, while she excitedly considers the prospect of exiting the palace, if only to go into the Court and see the gods. Getting into the festivities, Siri decides to try on many gowns and enjoy the ostentatious ornamentation in her hair.

Chapter 14

The light rain falling on the proceedings in the Court of Gods causes Lightsong to banter with Llarimar and Blushweaver about the limits of Returned godly powers. He claims he wants it to be sunny, so the weather should reflect that. Llarimar says that the rain is for the best, and Blushweaver insists she wants a tempest, so the light rain is merely a compromise of their wills. Blushweaver and he continue to talk politics, with Blushweaver seeking Lightsongg's support, but they pause for the presentation of the new queen.

Siri is carried in a sedan chair to her place in the Court of Gods. She basks briefly in the rain, feeling how good it is to be outside again. She settles into her seat, and watches the colorfully dressed Hallandren people watching and the different gods arrive.

Vivenna, attended by Parlin, enters the crowded entrance into the Court of Gods without trouble because of her Breath. She worries about being conspicuous in her modest Idrian dress, but then realizes that there is such a variety in dress that nothing she could possibly wear would make her stand out. She resists the urge, like Siri, to kick off her shoes and walk in the grass. Vivenna watches with disgust an arrogant god entering the court through the gods' entrance. She then sees Siri in her low-cut gown and concludes that it is a show to prove that the Hallandren can do anything they want with a modest Idrian girl. She resolves to rescue Siri as soon as possible.

Up on her seat on the balcony, Siri awaits the arrival of the God King. Suddenly, everyone bows and her white serving bowl throws out prisms of color, marking his arrival behind her.

Chapter 15

Siri is awed by the appearance of the God King, who is more youthful looking than she knew, and also splits white light into the color spectrum by his mere presence.

Blushweaver kneels at the entrance of the God King, and tells Lightsong to not hurt their cause by refusing to kneel. Lightsong feels that he owes no allegiance to the God King, and idly wonders how he would be punished if he didn't kneel. He does kneel, however, fearing for the safety of his serving people.

Still amazed by the God King, Siri asks Bluefingers, who has just appeared, about the God King's prism-like effects. Bluefingers explains that his powers are largely results of having a trove of Breath passed on from Peacegiver, who ended the Manywar generations ago. He also mentions that he does not believe in the deity of the God King, as a Pahn Kahl. Siri reflects on the history between the Idrians and the Hallandren, with the original royal family being driven out of Hallandren and into Idris when Kalad started the Manywar. The God King is lifted by Awakened ropes to his throne.

Vivenna sits in the crowd, debating whether the Breath she holds is beautiful because of the pitch and life sense it grants her, or a corruption. She decides it is even more of a corruption than she thought because of its beauty. She sees an unkempt man with a large BioChromatic aura watching her. She notices that the sword he carries also seems to have an aura. She panics, and turns to leave, but Parlin stops her, telling her that she might want to stay because the gods' priests are debating going to war with Idris.

Chapter 16

Arguments for and against going to war against Idris are heard in the Court of Gods. Blushweaver’s priest, Inhanna argues for war, and Nanrovah, Stillmark’s high priest, argues against. Lightsong feels uncomfortable, because he has been having dreams of destruction he subconsciously fears will come true with war. Blushweaver asks for Lightsong’s Commands so she can control his part of the Lifeless army. He dodges her request, and they begin discussing the cleverness of the Idrians sending the wrong princess as a random element into court. Blushweaver worries that she has been sent to influence the God King in favor of Idris.

Siri asks her servant what the Court is arguing about. The servant sends for Treledees, who tells her they are arguing whether or not to go to war with Idris, which they consider a rebel province. Siri contains her objections to this stance, and Treledees says that she could help stabilize the Hallandren kingdom and forestall war if she were to provide an heir as quickly as possible. Siri flushes and says that she is working on it, but Treledees disagrees, hinting that there are spies within the palace who know what is really going on. Siri becomes even more embarrassed at the thought of people watching or listening in on her and the God King.

Lightsong approaches Siri, thinking because of Blushweaver’s reasoning, that she is a dangerous element that the Idrians cleverly introduced to the Court. Siri is awkward speaking to a god, disconcerted by his levity, and Lightsong gradually realizes that her naivete is not an act. He feels sorry for her, knowing that she has been thrown into the thick of Court politics, and tells her to not let other people get to her and leaves.

Chapter 17

Vivenna returns to Lemex’s house, which the mercenaries have ransacked thoroughly. Denth and Tonk Fah show her Lemex’s secret stash of five thousand gold marks and his personal papers, many of which are communications with King Dedelin. Through the letters, Vivenna learns that her father gave Lemex enough money to buy breath to enter the Court, and that Dedelin felt that war with Hallandren was inevitable and that not sending Vivenna was purely a matter of favoritism. Feeling betrayed, but even more determined to rescue Siri seeing that her father thought of her as good as dead, Vivenna resolves to hire the mercenaries, proved trustworthy because they did not run off with Lemex’s fortune when they had the chance. She believes she must continue Lemex’s work in undermining the Hallandrens’ ability to wage war.

Chapter 18

Siri waits nervously outside of the bedchamber door with Bluefingers. She asks him about those spying on her in the bedchamber, and he indicates that they listen, but don’t watch. She resolves to take a stand, thinking that the God King is simply insolent and lazy. She doesn’t strip off her shift, but instead sits on the bed and fakes the noises of sex the best she can. Before she falls asleep, she thinks she sees confusion on the God King’s face but dismisses that as silly. She falls asleep peacefully.

Lightsong refuses to get out of bed. Llarimar comes in, dismissing the servants so he can have a candid discussion with Lightsong. Lightsong tells him that he fears to take any kind of political action, fearing that Blushweaver’s push for war is a path of destruction, based on his nightmares. He is afraid that in her haste for war, Blushweaver will crush the young queen. Llarimar tells him that his inaction would equate to action, and then lets slip that he knew Lightsong before he Returned. This tidbit invigorates Lightsong, who begins asking questions about his past life to no avail. Llarimar is then successful at making him get out of bed.

Chapter 19

Having relocated to a nondescript house in the rich part of town, Vivenna discusses working with Vahr’s associate revolutionaries to sabotage the war. Denth justifies working with crime lords and sabotaging the supply lines of food by explaining that these are the only people still loyal to Vahr’s cause and that war is inevitable, so all tactics must be used.

Clod, the group’s Lifeless, enters with Jewels. Vivenna is disgusted by the Lifeless abomination, but Denth justifies him by saying that all necessary means must be used to save Idris and that if she doesn’t allow Clod, then she will have to find a new group of mercenaries. Jewels informs her partners that Vasher is in the city. Vivenna figures out they are talking about the unkempt man with the mysterious sword that watched her in the Court of Gods and tell them. This makes them very worried, as they say that Vasher wants to kill her in addition to his grudge against them and must know who she is by now.

Chapter 20

Siri again awaits outside the God King’s chamber door. Bluefingers says that he is worried, because creating a child with the God King would be the worst possible thing Siri could do. He hints at different factions in the palace, and that she is in grave danger. Confused, but knowing full well that she is in no danger of becoming pregnant, Siri enters the God King’s chamber. As she drifts off to sleep after her moaning routine to fool the listening priests, Siri is startled by the God King, Susebron, looming over her. She shrieks but apologizes to a startled Susebron. He tentatively shows her a children’s storybook and wants her to read to him. She is confused, but after he opens his mouth, she realizes that his tongue has been cut out so he can’t use any of his Breath and that this makes him a mere figurehead. She begins to use the book to teach him to read.

Chapter 21

Vasher climbs from the God King’s palace, using his Awakened clothes to enhance his strength, into the Court. He pretends to be insane and seeking the blessing of the goddess Mercystar. He uses his Awakened clothing to strangle and knock out the guards and sneaks into her palace. He stumbles into a group of servants, and uses rope to subdue them. He then Awakens a Lifeless squirrel, commanding it to make a ruckus in the palace. He uses the distraction to find the trapdoor entrance to the tunnels leading from the palace and climbs in.

Chapter 22

Lightsong plays an impossibly hard game, Tarachin, with the gods Weatherlove, Truthcall, and Lifeblesser. Despite not knowing the rules, Lightsong wins handily. While playing, they discuss politics. The gods, except for Lightsong, plot about going to war with Idris and using the new queen in their political games. Lightsong, knowing she is naive, worries for her but tries to tell himself there is nothing he can do. However, his dreams of war and destruction haunt him, and he sets off to see Blushweaver in hopes of helping the queen and preventing the war.

Vivenna eats in a restaurant with Denth, Tonk Fah, and their contact, Fob. They convince Fob, a landowner, to harvest his crop early by proving to him that Vivenna is an Idrian princess with her royal color-changing hair. They leave to meet with Grable, a crime lord who attempts to kidnap her. Denth kills two of Grable’s guards almost inhumanly fast and they leave. In an alleyway, a random Idrian, Thame, approaches Vivenna, asking her if she has come to help the oppressed Idrians in Hallandren. She tells him yes, but the mercenaries whisk him away because they think he is a plant from Grable. Later, they meet in a safe location, and they determine after some knuckle-cracking and tough talk on the mercenaries’ part, some kind words on Vivenna’s part, and some investigations on Jewels’ part that he is what he says he is. This gives Vivenna the idea of meeting with the common Idrians in the city. The mercenaries say it is dangerous, but she insists.

Chapter 23

Lightsong approaches Blushweaver, who is being entertained by portable garden arrangements. Through a letter she hands him, he informs her that he is ready to join her political scheming. Blushweaver tells Lightsong that Mercystar’s palace had been broken into the night before and the two go to meet with her.

Mercystar, in a state of flaky distraughtness, is comforted by Blushweaver, who is trying to worm Mercystar’s Lifeless army commands out of her. When Lightsong hears that a servant was killed in addition to those knocked unconscious in the break-in, he becomes intensely curious about solving the mystery. He abandons Blushweaver to go interrogate the servants. He notes a patch of grey wall and determines that if the intruder was not an Idrian as Mercystar said. Although according to oath, they cannot lie to a god, Lightsong senses that the servants are lying about the details they are giving him, which makes him even more curious about the case.

Chapter 24

Siri walks into the palace library to get a history book to enlighten herself on the God King’s succession history. The scribes tell her that she may not take any books out of the room, foiling her plan. Later that night, Siri and the Susebron talk, communicating through writing . Siri teaches him of sarcasm, and he uses it jokingly. Susebron asks of an heir, and Siri realizes he knows nothing of the process of making one. They then discuss whether or not the God King continues living after an heir is produced, because the histories are all unknown to Siri or jumbled, and she is worried about Bluefingers’ cryptic warnings.

Chapter 25

Vivenna walks through the streets of T’Tellir. She tries to spot the mercenaries in the crowd, and sees their first distraction, a building on fire. Then Clod, the mercenaries’ Lifeless, clubs high priest Nanrovah’s horse to halt his carriage, making the second distraction: his gold coins spilling onto the street. Vivenna and Jewels return to the house, waiting for the mercenaries. Jewels is irritable, and Vivenna tries to comfort her for being a Drab. Jewels responds vehemently that she believes that giving her Breath to the God King was the right thing to do. Denth and Tonk Fah return, and tell her that their theft of most of T’Tellir’s salt to sabotage the war succeeded. Vivenna asks Denth about his beliefs and origins, causing Denth to dodge her questions and then storm away.

Chapter 26

Lifesong awakes a full hour earlier than usual, chipper and ready to go and investigate. He refuses to stop and record his dreams, but instead goes to look at the art offerings. One abstract, red painting makes Lightsong see a battle scene with a sea of fighting Lifeless and people with a woman holding up a terrible, dark sword. He tells Llarimar, who is worried by his prophetic vision in the painting. Lightsong tells Llarimar his dream of a storming sea and a red panther. They arrive at Mercystar’s palace, finding her out visiting Allmother. Through questioning all witnesses separately, Lightsong determines that there were two intruders, one that took care not to kill, and one that swiftly killed the only witness of his passing. Lightsong sees a trapdoor, and guesses that both intruders left through there. He has a priest fetch the Lifeless squirrel used as a distraction during the break-in, and tells his priests to break its Command. His feelings of curiosity about the crime worry him, so he questions Llarimar about his past life, who does not tell him anything.