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Kaladin and Teft go looking for Noril, the missing refugee. The ardent at the first devotary they go to tell them that Noril had tried to kill himself, so they had sent him to the Devotary of Mercy. Following her directions, Kaladin and Teft find the Devotary on the fourth floor. The ardent there refuses to divulge patient information until Teft summons Phendorana and proves that they are of sufficient rank to authorize the request. After looking up the room number, the ardent leads them to Noril. On the way, Kaladin and Teft are both disillusioned by seeing the way that all the patients are locked up in the dark. They convince Noril to come out to a balcony to talk, and when Kaladin and Teft prove that they understand how he feels, Noril begins to open up to them. Kuno, shocked to see Noril speaking, discusses with Kaladin the standard of care for those with mental illness. He admits that they need to do better but sees no way to change the established system; Kaladin asks that Noril be released into his care and warns Kuno that he will be back for the others.
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Kaladin and Teft go looking for Noril, the missing refugee. The ardent at the first devotary they go to tell them that Noril had tried to kill himself, so they had sent him to the Devotary of Mercy. Following her directions, Kaladin and Teft find the devotary on the fourth floor. The ardent there refuses to divulge patient information until Teft summons Phendorana and proves that they are of sufficient rank to authorize the request. After looking up the room number, the ardent leads them to Noril. On the way, Kaladin and Teft are both disillusioned by seeing the way that all the patients are locked up in the dark. They convince Noril to come out to a balcony to talk, and when Kaladin and Teft prove that they understand how he feels, Noril begins to open up to them. Kuno, shocked to see Noril speaking, discusses with Kaladin the standard of care for those with mental illness. He admits that they need to do better but sees no way to change the established system; Kaladin asks that Noril be released into his care and warns Kuno that he will be back for the others.
   
 
{{anchor|Chapter 26}}
  
{{anchor|Chapter 26}}

Revisión del 04:41 15 sep 2021

This page contains a chapter by chapter summary of Rhythm of War. We hope this summary will make it easier to find specific areas of the book, as well as providing a quick plot refresher for anyone who doesn't want to take the time to reread the entire book.

Prologue: To Pretend

Navani Chapters.svg
Characters
Plot Summary
Seven years ago

Navani is occupied with logistics for Gavilar's feast. While managing preparations, she interacts with Aesudan, who is speaking with Rushur Kris, a master artifabrian. She passes through the feast but leaves quickly after seeing Dalinar. Looking for the king, she finds herself outside her study and overhears voices. Her husband is speaking to two men, one a Makabaki and one a Vorin, supposedly ambassadors from the West. On the table between them, she sees strange spheres, which she assumes are meant for fabrials. Gavilar notices her and excuses himself. Navani presses him for answers about the spheres and questions him about missing appointments and responsibilities related to the feast. He, in turn, berates her for rumors of unfaithfulness that have been spreading around the court. They fight about Jasnah's refusal to court Amaram, which becomes a fight about Gavilar's legacy as king. He insults his wife's notion that she is a scholar and says she chose him over Dalinar for power, then leaves. Furious, Navani burns a glyphward which reads, Death. Gift. Death.

After the feast, Navani hears of the assassination. She does not believe that her husband is dead until she personally sees his body. She is stunned, hoping her glyphward did not lead to this outcome. She also feels pity, seeing her husband, who thought he was eternal, dead before her. Remembering the strange spheres from his meeting, she checks his pockets. Finding nothing, she conceals her actions. Navani composes herself and begins the process of picking up the pieces among the chaos of Gavilar's death.

Part 1: Burdens

Chapter 1: Calluses

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First, you must get a spren to approach.

The type of gemstone is relevant; some spren are naturally more intrigued by certain gemstones. In addition, it is essential to calm the spren with something it knows and loves. A good fire for a flamespren, for example, is a must.

Characters
Plot Summary

In occupied Hearthstone, Lirin provides medical treatment to Herdazian and Alethi refugees. Since the coming of the Everstorm over a year ago, Herdaz had been fighting Odium's armies, only to fall two months ago. Lirin treats a traumatized Alethi man--Noril, who is missing an arm. The surgeon directs him to a tent for refugees on suicide watch. Abiajan, the singer citylady, oversees his work, ensuring that each refugee is checked for signs of the plague. Laral, while delivering water, tells Lirin that the man he is watching for, Dieno enne Calah--a Herdazian general known as "the Mink"--is near. Lirin intends to connect the man with Kaladin, who will extract him from behind enemy lines. After inspecting the general and his men, Lirin claims that one of them needs surgery in order to get him away from the watchful Parshendi. Roshone provides a distraction with drunken antics. They are nearly at the surgery room when Abiajan interrupts them and demands that Lirin attend her. A visiting Fused has arrived, and he is searching for a man, a spy, bearing slave brands on his forehead. A soldier removes the hood of a refugee in line, revealing Kaladin.

Chapter 2: Severed Cords

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Next, let the spren inspect your trap. The gemstone must not be fully infused, but also cannot be fully dun. Experiments have concluded that seventy percent of maximum Stormlight capacity works best.

If you have done your work correctly, the spren will become fascinated by its soon-to-be prison. It will dance around the stone, peek at it, float around it.

Characters
Plot Summary

Kaladin

Kaladin, having been spotted, challenges the Fused to single combat with a gesture of his sword. The Fused waves at others to attack, so Kaladin draws him away by lashing himself upward. The Fused is not like others Kaladin has previously fought, he is able to leave his physical body, appear as a line of light, and manifest himself a new body made out of Voidlight. The enormous opponent appears experienced at fighting Surgebinders, severing Kaladin's spine and throat repeatedly. He fights with an unusual style--grappling and wrestling. Kaladin realizes that he can teleport three times before needing to rest or recharge. Kal and Syl challenge him after he discards his third body, but the Fused refuses to engage, leaving them with a threat. Kaladin is exhausted because of the fight and many sleepless nights. He admits to Syl that her suggested approach to Hearthstone would have been more effective.

Shallan

Veil is posing as Chanasha, a lowborn lighteyed merchant, in the warcamp market on the Shattered Plains. She negotiates a deal with a shoe merchant and loudly and publicly denounces Dalinar Kholin as king. Shallan, with Veil and Radiant, are attempting to be kidnapped and initiated into the Sons of Honor, but have long been unsuccessful. Adolin's troops are covertly following her for protection. After her business with the merchant, she stops at a winehouse to reconcile her fictional accounts and orders a drink. As she relaxes, Veil encourages her to remember everything from her past. Shallan protests and soon finds her mind becoming unfocused--the wine was drugged, and her ruse has proven successful. She is finally being kidnapped.

Kaladin

Syl speaks with Kal about his ongoing difficulty sleeping. Kaladin muses on his feeling of disconnect from others, while Syl attempts to cheer him up with impressions of Teft and jokes about toes. They approach Hearthstone again and threaten the singer guards--telling them to retreat until sunset. They engage in a fight, and one singer is killed. The rest retreat. Kaladin reunites with his mother, father, and brother. He goes to meet the Mink but does not find him; the man slipped away, leaving behind a cloak stuffed with rags. The Herdazian general's men explain that he frequently sneaks off. Kal lets them know that he is evacuating the town. He briefly argues with his father, who is displeased that his son caused a violent disruption, but they are interrupted by the arrival of a gigantic floating platform. Navani's newest creation has come to evacuate the people of Hearthstone.

Chapter 3: The Fourth Bridge

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The final step in capturing spren is the most tricky, as you must remove the Stormlight from the gemstone. The specific techniques employed by each artifabrian guild are closely guarded secrets, entrusted only to their most senior members.

The easiest method would be to use a larkin—a type of cremling that feasts on Stormlight. That would be wonderful and convenient if the creatures weren’t now almost entirely extinct. The wars in Aimia were in part over these seemingly innocent little creatures.

Characters
Plot Summary

Navani leans out over the edge of the flying platform to observe the terrain and flora of Alethkar, watching as it is about to land in Hearthstone. The cartographer, Velat, chides Navani for this behavior, but Dalinar says she can do what she wants on her ship. Navani thinks through the design, engineering, organization, and fabrial technology that has allowed them to fly hundreds of miles on this mission. This work has sustained her while mourning Elhokar and she wishes she could share it with him, even if she thinks her contribution is merely guiding people smarter than her. The flying platform has been named the Fourth Bridge in honor of Kaladin's old team and the bridge they used has been embedded in the center of the deck as a symbol. There is a full complement of scientists and engineers on the platform, including the Windrunner scribe, Ka, and the ardents, Falilar and Rushu.

As the Fourth Bridge sets down, a dozen graceful Edgedancers and Lift disembark and head to the town to usher the people to the transport and heal the wounded. The Windrunners are darting through the sky on watch. Navani discusses the benefits and drawbacks of this new military resource with the Thaylen prince consort, Admiral Kmakl, who has joined them for this first test. Navani then heads over to Dalinar as Kaladin and Lirin approach from the town. Dalinar discusses the logistics of the evacuation with a nonplussed Lirin, who then strides away. Kaladin updates Dalinar on the presence of the Fused and requests Stormlight. Dalinar opens Honor's Perpendicularity to renew Kaladin's Stormlight while Navani writes down her observations. Kaladin pays respect to his old bridge before flying off. Dalinar and Navani discuss her notes. Navani is studying Dalinar's bond with the Stormfather, hoping it will offer some clue about the Sibling and the operation of Urithiru's tower fabrial.

Navani and Dalinar are surprised by the sudden appearance of Dieno enne Calah, the Mink. The Mink is wary of Dalinar, the Blackthorn, but is ready to join with him if they will use the flying platform to rescue Herdazian troops. Dalinar quickly agrees, without consulting Navani, which irks her. At this point, the refugees begin to arrive at the "Fourth Bridge", herded by the Edgedancers. Before Navani can start enacting her evacuation plan, the Windrunner, Lyn, lands on the deck and warns of three full flights of incoming Fused. Navani prepares to test the precautions she put in place for this eventuality.

Chapter 4: Architects of the Future

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To draw Stormlight out of a gemstone, I use the Arnist Method. Several large empty gemstones are brought close to the infused one while the spren is inspecting it. Stormlight is slowly absorbed from a small gemstone by a very large gemstone of the same type—and several together can draw the Light out quickly. The method’s limitation is, of course, the fact that you need not merely acquire one gemstone for your fabrial, but several larger ones to withdraw the Stormlight.

Other methods must exist, as proven by the extremely large gemstone fabrials created by the Vriztl Guild out of Thaylenah. If Her Majesty would please repeat my request to the guild, this secret is of vital importance to the war effort.

Characters
Plot Summary

Radiant wakes up being carried over someone's back with a sack on her head. Her captors take the sack off, revealing that she has been carried down into the chasms. Veil takes over as the cultists attempt to initiate "Chanasha" into the Sons of Honor. Veil is disappointed that Ialai didn't show up personally. After Veil questions the cultists, they use a fake fabrial she had sold them earlier to try and detect Lightweavings. It doesn't detect Shallan's Lightweaving, and Veil swears a false oath to follow the cult. Veil then tries to ask for an audience with Ialai, but in the process learns that the Sons have a spy close to Dalinar. Shallan then takes over, stating that she isn't who the Sons think she is.

Chapter 5: Broken Spears

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If the Stormlight in a gemstone is withdrawn quickly enough, a nearby spren can be sucked into the gemstone. This is caused by a similar effect to a pressure differential, created by the sudden withdrawal of Stormlight, though the science of the two phenomena are not identical.

You will be left with a captured spren, to be manipulated as you see fit.

Characters
Plot Summary

Kaladin

The Windrunners hang mid-air, watching as the Heavenly Ones approach. Kaladin directs some to land and guard the civilians while the rest engage the Fused in their customary one-on-one challenges. He watches for Leshwi as the rest pair off, and when they finally spot each other, Kaladin takes pursuit. Dalinar opens a perpendicularity as the groups fight. Kaladin carefully avoids the civilians as he chases Leshwi just above the ground, and Godeke almost scores a hit on her. Kaladin notices that Leshwi wants to observe the Fourth Bridge while he gets Rock to send an ordinary spear up to him. Lashing the spear towards Leshwi, Kaladin loses concentration momentarily when she dodges the weapon and crashes; this ends the confrontation, so Teft flies over and checks on Kaladin. Kaladin, rebuffing Teft's insistent inquiries as to how he feels, orders him to tell the Windrunners to fight defensively before he engages another Fused.

Shallan

Shallan, thinking quickly after promising the cultists that she was more than she appears to be, bluffs her way through an explanation that she sells secret military schematics to other kingdoms. She "proves" it to them by showing them a complicated Lightweaving on her notebook but fails to convince them to bring her to Ialai. As they grab her notebook from her, Red replaces her hood and furtively whispers for instructions. They hear a commotion in the distance, which one of the men identifies as Kholin troops that have followed them.

Kaladin

Kaladin fights the Fused, cutting him to drain away his reserves of Voidlight and then smashing his weapon. After stabbing the Fused so he loses the use of an arm, Kaladin withdraws his weapon and allows his enemy to leave rather than killing him. Lezian darts toward him as a line of red light, but Kaladin evades him. Lyn immediately arrives to check on him, and after a strained conversation he sends her to spread the word about the new type of Fused that moves like a ribbon of light. After landing on the Fourth Bridge, Syl berates Kaladin for his attitude towards Roshone, who is offering to lead some Edgedancers to recover the prisoners at the manor. Kaladin tells Rock about Lezian as well, and he and his family converge on Dalinar to guard him. Kaladin sees Sigzil fighting Leshwi and takes off again.

Chapter 6: A Loose Thread

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With a captured spren, you may begin designing a proper fabrial. It is a closely guarded secret of artifabrians that spren, when trapped, respond to different types of metals in different ways. A wire housing for the fabrial, called a “cage,” is essential to controlling the device.

Characters
Plot Summary

Shallan

Radiant hears a rescue party, headed by Adolin, coming for her. Deciding that she needs to meet with Ialai face to face, she demands to go with her captors. Acquiescing, they steer her along a tunnel and up through a building. Shallan maps their route through the streets as they lead her in a circuitous route to a nearby building. She takes off her hood and has time to think before she is directed into the next room, where Ialai Sadeas sits at a table. Veil intends to assassinate the woman, though she knows Dalinar and Jasnah can never sanction such an act.

Kaladin

Kaladin watches helplessly as Leshwi fights Sigzil. When she stabs him, Kaladin can't restrain himself from flying forward. Seeing Kaladin, Leshwi withdraws her spear just before Sigzil's Stormlight runs out. Knowing that Leshwi was repaying him for having mercy on one of her troops earlier, Kaladin directs Sigzil to drop his spear and bow to the Fused. After telling him to return to the ship, Kaladin accepts Leshwi's challenge.

Navani

Navani is coordinating the evacuation of the Hearthstone refugees onto the Fourth Bridge. Ardent Falilar gives her an update on the progress, noting that fifteen people refuse to leave. Meanwhile, Renarin is entertaining the children with Lightweaving, while it differs from standard Truthwatchers powers, Navani is surprised it isn't even more bizarre as his spren is corrupted. Navani gives tasks to Falilar to keep him busy and then reflects on what procedural changes they should make for evacuations during a battle. Rushu is the only person still in the command station and Navani pulls her away from watching a solitary Windrunner to observe Dalinar opening Honor's Perpendicularity. Rock and Cord are protecting Dalinar as he does this. Navani is able to see into Shadesmar, but Rushu just feels a powerful "thump". Navani thinks understanding what Dalinar does will help to discover how Urithiru works, which will lead to advancing all the other technologies they are working on. Rushu is still distracted by the solitary Windrunner. When Navani finally looks, she notices that he actually has a black uniform with no shoulder patch. This isn't a Windrunner, it's Moash.

Kaladin

Kaladin chases Leshwi through the battlefield, noticing that most of his Windrunners were winning their engagements. He engages the Fused, fighting midair with spear and lance. Realizing that their path was bringing them over familiar territory, Kaladin draws ahead of Leshwi and creates a diversion by emptying his canteen onto some lurgs before ducking around the next hill. Leshwi is distracted by the lurgs dropping from their cocoons, and Kaladin gains the upper hand in a brief confrontation. She escapes into the sky again, and Kaladin successfully manages to stab her just as she stabs him. They withdraw their weapons before either dies, however, and then pause when they hear screaming in the distance. They both spot a Fused attacking civilians at the manor, and Leshwi tacitly grants Kaladin permission to deal with the problem. Before he leaves, Kaladin drops Syl in a gesture of surrender and receives a similar gesture in return.

Chapter 7: The Rarest Vintage

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The two metals of primary significance are zinc and brass, which allow you to control expression strength. Zinc wires touching the gemstone will cause the spren inside to more strongly manifest, while brass will cause the spren to withdraw and its power to dim.

Remember that a gemstone must be properly infused following the spren’s capture. Drilled holes in the gemstone are ideal for proper use of the cage wires, so long as you don’t crack the structure and risk releasing the spren.

Characters
Plot Summary

Shallan

Veil talks with Ialai, trying to get her to admit to crimes or reveal some other knowledge. Ialai reveals she has access to the Kholin's inner circle and talks about the Sons of Honor; she believes the Ghostbloods killed Thanadal and Vamah, with Restares being the next on the list. She is sure she will be killed and tells Shallan to search for the rarest vintage in her room before others do. Adolin rushes in with soldiers and Lightweaver squires. Shallan's personas debate and decide not to kill Ialai, but she is poisoned to death with blackbane.

Kaladin

Using Godeke as hostage, the Pursuer forces Kaladin to fight indoors and activates a fabrial that disables his Lashings and Shardblade. Kaladin manages to defeat the inexperienced singer soldiers. He anticipates the move of the Pursuer and also kills him. Lift comes to get Godeke out and captures the fabrial for Navani to analyze.

Shallan

Shallan contemplates but discards the idea that she herself poisoned Ialai. She then suspects that the Ghostbloods have a spy among her squires who finished off Ialai when Shallan decided not to. Shallan goes on to search Ialai's room herself.

Chapter 8: Surrender

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A bronze cage can create a warning fabrial, alerting one to objects or entities nearby. Heliodors are being used for this currently, and there is some good reasoning for this—but other gemstones should be viable.

Characters
Plot Summary

Kaladin

Kaladin goes toward the manor's cellar, and passes a wall of flames. Arriving, he finds Jeber and another man manacled to a wall. He discovers they have been killed with a Shardblade. He finds Moash at a corner of the room, holding a knife to Roshone's neck. Moash slits Roshone's throat, killing him. Kaladin summons his Sylspear, but Moash surrenders.

Shallan

Shallan thinks about the balance she has reached. She tastes the wines in the room, finding one that tastes different. She takes it to Adolin and he says it's Shin wine. With Pattern's help, she finds carvings on the walls, maps of the Epoch Kingdoms. Behind a stone with a carving of Shin Kak Nish, she finds a notebook.

Kaladin

Kaladin talks with Moash. Moash says he killed Roshone for revenge. He says the people Kaladin loves will continue to die, and that the only way out is to kill himself. Suddenly, a strong light appears. An illusion of Moash steps toward the light, confident, loved, and Radiant. The real Moash screams, asking for his pain to be taken away, and runs away. The light fades, and Renarin grabs Kaladin, telling him the ship is ready to leave.

Chapter 9: Contradictions

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A pewter cage will cause the spren of your fabrial to express its attribute in force—a flamespren, for example, will create heat. We call these augmenters. They tend to use Stormlight more quickly than other fabrials.

Characters
Plot Summary

Kaladin

Kaladin returns to the Fourth Bridge, and is handed a cup of broth by an ardent. The Windrunners are congratulating Laran, who has sworn the Third Ideal, but Kaladin doesn't join them. Syl talks to him about his depression, and helping him. Teft comes and tells Kaladin to congratulate Laran, and they talk about Moash. Kaladin takes off, going to transport Dalinar and Navani to the Shattered Plains.

Navani

Navani is in a wooden sphere, being Lashed toward the Shattered Plains. While stuck in this cramped chamber, she is contemplating the nature of contradictions and studying the Fused's Radiant suppression fabrial. She finds that the fabrial's four garnet design matches a sketch of the Urithiru gemstone pillar. Navani compares her technological fabrials that require trapped spren and clever applications to Soulcasters, that have no technological explanation and manifest as small unresponsive, though seemingly intelligent, spren in Shadesmar.

Anxious to arrive, she is amusing herself thinking of Dalinar's style of travel, when she notices a blinking red light on the wall and finds a spanreed ruby attached to the bottom of her table. She attaches it to a reed pen and sets it to writing as soon as her vehicle lands. The unknown messenger warns that her imprisonment of spren is causing more pain than any living person and that she must stop creating these new fabrials.

Shallan

Shallan and Adolin are in a carriage going toward the Shattered Plains' Oathgate. Shallan thinks about the truths she's suppressing, and about how people would leave her if they knew what she had done. Veil tells Adolin that Ialai was assassinated, and they discuss about whether it would have been right to kill the highprincess. Shallan shows Adolin the notebook, including a list of words containing "Nalathis", "Scadarial", and "Tal Dain", and at the end the name Thaidakar. Shallan think she will have to break with the Ghostbloods.

Chapter 10: A Single Casualty

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A tin cage will cause the fabrial to diminish nearby attributes. A painrial, for example, can numb pain. Note that advanced designs of cages can use both steel and iron as well, changing the fabrial’s polarity depending on which metals are pushed to touch the gemstone.

Characters
Plot Summary

Syl tells Kaladin, on his way to the Shattered Plains, that Yunfah wants to speak to him. She flies off and returns with Yunfah. The spren tells Kaladin he is still choosing his Radiant. Kaladin suggests Rlain, but the spren refuses, angry. Kaladin orders Yunfah to try and bond Rlain for ten days before he picks anybody else.

Kaladin arrives at Narak, and he talks to Dalinar about the one-on-one engagements with the Fused, explaining how they reduce casualties. Dalinar says he'll relieve Kaladin of duty, because Kaladin can't fuction anymore after seeing so many battles and deaths. Kaladin thinks about not being able to speak the Fourth Ideal. Dalinar tells him he'll still be helping with the war effort by teaching and supporting other soldiers. Kaladin says he'll need time to decide what he wants, and Dalinar tells him to report to him in ten days.

Chapter 11: Passion and Courage

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An iron cage will create an attractor—a fabrial that draws specific elements to itself. A properly created smoke fabrial, for example, can gather the smoke of a fire and hold it close.

New discoveries lead us to believe it is possible to create a repeller fabrial, but we don’t yet know the metal to use to achieve this feat.

Characters
Plot Summary

Venli organizes Leshwi's servants to serve her on the spire. Timbre encourages her to go towards the Second Ideal. Venli introduces Shumin as a new servant, and she is accepted after facing the heights. Dul leads in Yokska, a human woman tailor, to design clothing for Leshwi. Leshwi sends her to teach artform singers instead, stating she is already being doubted as being too soft to humans. Venli then discusses running away from the Fused with Shumin, Dul, and Mazish. Shumin, who has newly joined, expresses an over eagerness. Venli reveals her ability to peek into Shadesmar but pretends it is a Regal ability, to Timbre's disapproval. They scramble and pretend nothing is happening when Leshwi comes to gather them and tell them something is happening that will change the war.

Chapter 12: A Way to Help

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One of my pleas is for artifabrians to stop shrouding fabrial techniques with so much mystery. Many decoy metals are used in cages, and wires are often plated to look like a different metal, with the express intent of confusing those who might try to learn the process through personal study. This might enrich the artifabrian, but it impoverishes us all.

Characters
Plot Summary

Arriving at Urithiru, Kaladin feels depressed despite people wanting to cheer him up. He still tries to maintain the strong façade, but collapses and thinks about Moash as soon as he enters his chambers. Syl fetches Adolin and he arrives to pull Kaladin out for a drink. They go to Jez's Duty winehouse, where Adolin has frequented and blended in well. Kaladin chats with Veil and Radiant about the assassination of Ialai and Shallan's personas. They talk about finding a new relationship for Kaladin, who is reluctant. Kaladin talked with Adolin about his battle shock and Shallan's mental stability. Rock tells Kaladin about his departure to his homeland to face the trials for lifting the bow.

Chapter 13: Another Hunt

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Advanced fabrials are created using several different techniques. Conjoined fabrials require a careful division of the gemstone—and the spren inside. If performed correctly, the two halves will continue to behave as a single gemstone.

Note that rubies and flamespren are traditional for this purpose— as they have proven the easiest to divide, and the quickest in response times. Other types of spren do not split as evenly, as easily, or at all.

Characters
Plot Summary

After dealing with her administrative duties, Shallan uncovers a spanreed communication she has received from Sja-anat confirming that the Unmade is sending more of her corrupted spren to the tower. Wanting to visit her brothers, she arrives at their rooms and settles down to sketch by the hearth with Jushu. When memories of her childhood cause her to sketch to become disturbing, she switches to looking through Ialai's notebook. Balat and Eylita arrive with a friend, and they go onto the balcony to talk. Veil finally recognizes the voice as belonging to Mraize, so she protectively lingers in the doorway until Mraize subtly indicates he wishes to speak with her and takes his leave. She asks Balat about his friend "Gobby" and is concerned by the story he tells.

Rather than fetching Adolin, who is off riding Gallant, Shallan approaches Mraize alone, disguised as a guard. Mraize commends Veil on taking down the Sons of Honor and asks her if she is fully committed to the Ghostbloods. After getting distracted by his chicken, Shallan tells him that she can't be committed if she doesn't know what their goal is. Mraize reveals that they are looking for ways to transport Stormlight and guides Radiant into the revelation that they want to take it off Roshar. After Radiant declines Mraize's offer of another job, Shallan tells him of Sja-anat's message and tries to uncover the identity of the spy who killed Ialai. Mraize then mentions that Ialai had to die because they don't want anyone to uncover what Gavilar was truly after; he baits Shallan with further knowledge, and she finally asks for details about the job. He instructs her to find Restares in Lasting Integrity, promising that all of his secrets will then be open to her. Shallan leaves without answering, but she knows she will accept because she wants the knowledge too badly.

Chapter 14: Voice

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All gemstones leak Stormlight at a slow rate—but so long as the crystal structure remains mostly intact, the spren cannot escape. Managing this leakage is important, as many fabrials also lose Stormlight through operation. All of this is tied up in the intricacies of the art. As is understanding one last vital kind of spren: logicspren.

Characters
Plot Summary

Venli accompanies Leshwi throughout Kholinar as she seeks information on the newly returned Fused. The next morning, she is called to a conclave of the most important singers in the city. She and the other Voices to the Fused climb to the fifth floor and take their places by their masters. The Nine open the meeting by humming something Venli can't translate but which indicates that Odium has his eye on their gathering. They begin by discussing their recent conflict in Alethkar, including the workings of the Fourth Bridge and the suppressor device the humans had captured. This leads to an interrogation of Lezian, who claims that the device malfunctioned and states that he will shortly leave to pursue Kaladin. After Leshwi explains to Venli about the Desolations and Lezian's tradition, she goads Lezian into losing his temper and manages to gain the Nine's concession that she has the first claim on Kaladin's life.

Raboniel arrives and directly proposes that they seize Urithiru from the humans. Several others bring up objections, but Raboniel explains her plan and declares that it is time to use Taravangian's inside information, even at the risk of exposing him. Meanwhile, Leshwi explains to Venli why she distrusts Raboniel and is wary of her claim to have found a method of stopping the endless cycle of their war. Vyre speaks up, reminding Raboniel to take Kaladin into account, but she dismisses the threat that he poses in favor of focusing on Dalinar and Jasnah. The Nine approve the proposal, and Leshwi hurries after Raboniel as the latter leaves. After Raboniel accepts the gift of Leshwi's staff of servants, Leshwi directs Venli to report to her in secret. Venli is emboldened to ask if there might be a way for her people to be free of the conflict, and after her frustration at Leshwi's rebuke, Timbre grows excited at the possible opportunity to learn how to harness their Radiant powers while at Urithiru.

Chapter 15: The Light and the Music

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Logicspren react curiously to imprisonment. Unlike other spren, they do not manifest some attribute—you cannot use them to make heat, or to warn of nearby danger, or conjoin gemstones. For years, artifabrians considered them useless—indeed, experimenting with them was uncommon, since logicspren are rare and difficult to capture.

A breakthrough has come in discovering that logicspren will vary the light they radiate based on certain stimuli. For example, if you make the Light leak from the gemstone at a controlled rate, the spren will alternate dimming and brightening in a regular pattern. This has led to fabrial clocks. When the gemstone is tapped with certain metals, the light will also change states from bright to dim. This is leading to some very interesting and complex mechanisms.

Characters
Plot summary

Ten days after the mission to Hearthstone, Dalinar announces Kaladin's change in status, and Kaladin promotes Sigzil and Skar to take over his previous duties. Immediately after the meeting, he goes to the sparring grounds in search of Zahel. Hearing that he is on laundry duty, Kaladin walks toward an outdoor area where they hang clothes to dry. On the way, he passes by a field where Rlain is overseeing rockbud farming with the new listener method that he has revealed to the humans. Kaladin gains Rlain's attention, and they meet in the field to speak. Rlain is at first ecstatic to hear that there is an honorspren that will bond him, but once Kaladin explains that he had told Yunfah either to bond Rlain or leave, Rlain disappointedly refuses the bond. He tells Kaladin about the prejudice he had faced as a parshman that had landed him in Bridge Four, explaining that he wants a spren who will choose him for who he is.

Leaving, Kaladin finds Zahel at the edge of the plateau hanging laundry. He hangs back, and Zahel finally asks him what he wants. When Kaladin explains that he has been forced into retirement, Zahel intuits that he thinks he might belong with the ardentia. Telling Kaladin to prove that he belongs there, Zahel initiates a fight. Kaladin summons Syl as a sword, and Zahel strikes back at him with the laundry; as they fight, Zahel gets Kaladin to search out why he really fights. He asks if Kaladin believes in the Almighty, and they discuss the topic until Kaladin finds himself on the ground with his own knife to his head. Zahel tells him to return when he can truly hate the fight. Kaladin asks him if he is like Hoid, which leads to an explanation of Zahel's understanding of Invested entities before Kaladin finally leaves him.

Chapter 16: An Unknown Song

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My final point of the evening is a discussion of Fused weapons. The Fused use a variety of fabrial devices to fight Radiants. It is obvious from how quickly they’ve fabricated and employed these countermeasures that they have used these in the past.

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Plot Summary

Navani is visiting Szeth in his cell sixteen days after the test of the Fourth Bridge. She compares the sphere that Gavilar gave Szeth as he was dying to a sphere of Voidlight stolen from a singer. While both glow an impossible purple-on-black that Rushu describes as hyperviolet, the air warps around the sphere Szeth had provided, evoking a wrongness. Navani is befuddled as to where Gavilar could have gotten it let alone all the other spheres she saw that night. Since the test, Navani has been working on practical issues in the tower and has not heard again from the spanreed messenger. Navani turns her attention to Szeth and his strange blade; she wants to sink the Blade in the ocean like they'd done to the gemstone imprisoning the Thrill and execute Szeth, but Dalinar wants him alive and thinks the Blade is safest in his possession. Szeth has been granted his simple requests of white clothes, a shaving razor, a blanket, a bath a day, and lots of light. Szeth says he has found a better way by swearing to Dalinar, but this doesn't relieve Navani's fears. Navani asks Szeth about the night of Gavilar's assassination again. Szeth recounts how Gavilar trusted him with the sphere as he was not sent from the men Gavilar feared had sent him, then after writing down Gavilar's last words, Szeth hid the sphere. Szeth had retrieved the sphere a month ago, only after Navani explicitly asked if Gavilar had given him anything. Navani would like to study the Blade, but being around Szeth makes her sick. Szeth is pleased that when he asks Navani if she hates him, she says yes.

An hour later, Navani is up on Urithiru's Cloudwalk. She marvels at the design of the tower and the views, now being enjoyed by many diverse people. Navani meets up with Gavinor and his nursemaid and gives him a big hug. Gavinor has been improving since his trauma in Kholinar, but is still very solemn. He tells Navani about riding horses with Adolin and asks to have sword training with Dalinar. Navani laments that Elhokar is missing out on all of this. Leaving Gavinor with his nursemaid, she goes to the research station. The head scientist, Brother Benneh, tells her about the atmospheric conditions around the tower which adapt to the storms. Navani spots Dalinar walking with Taravangian and notices the tension between them that has been there since it was discovered Taravangian was using Szeth as an assassin. Dalinar's image is also suffering since he released his memoir that detailed the atrocities he committed in the Kholin unification war. Navani moves on to talk with the engineers constructing a set of telescopes, Talnah and Nem. She asks them to inspect the strange sphere, and they note that it is a practically flawless gem that will hold Voidlight for years. The engineers also note the wrongness of the light and ask to study it further. Navani is hesitant, but agrees as long as they keep it secret. Navani heads to the meeting chamber and reviews notes she took of Rlain's observation of the strange sphere. He said it felt painful and that it has a song he has never heard. Adolin and Shallan arrive for the meeting, escorting the Mink and discussing his escapology techniques. Dalinar arrives and squabbles with Shallan over Adolin. The Mink implies that his wife and son died in a war caused by Dalinar. The Mink asks where the maps are, and Dalinar and Shallan summon the Stormlight map.

Chapter 17: A Proposal

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The simplest Fused weapon against us isn’t truly a fabrial, but instead a metal that is extremely light and can withstand the blows of a Shardblade. This metal resists being Soulcast as well; it interferes with a great number of Radiant powers.

Fortunately, the Fused seem unable to create it in great quantities—for they equip only themselves, and not their average soldiers, with these wonders.

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Plot Summary

Navani watches carefully as Dalinar and Shallan form a map of Roshar from Stormlight. The Mink, enthralled, closely examines it and tests out various features that the Radiants can employ. Jasnah and Wit walk in, and Jasnah immediately asks for the Mink's thoughts on their situation. They discuss the status of the conflict while the Mink walks through the areas mentioned. Asking why they are showing him such information, Dalinar admits that they want his help and promises to help free Herdaz in return. The Mink tumbles to the fact that they are preparing for Taravangian to betray them and brings up their planned offensive to retake Alethkar. Declaring that he is willing to help the man who could write a book like Oathbringer, he tells them that it would be a mistake to attack Alethkar. He points them toward Emul instead, and Jasnah agrees to get him more detailed reports to see if his idea is really workable. After dismissing him with Adolin and Shallan so the couple can get him the maps and reports he needs, Jasnah persuades Dalinar that it is best to listen to him and forego Althkar for now. She sends Wit to fetch the Heralds, and they discuss Jasnah's new law to free all Alethi slaves while they wait. When Wit returns with Ash and Taln, Jasnah has Ash tell Dalinar about the possibility of restoring the Oathpact. Then they discuss Shinovar, which Jasnah touts as one more reason to win stability in Makabak.


Chapter 18: Surgeon

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The Fused have a second metal I find fascinating—a metal that conducts Stormlight. The implications for this in the creation of fabrials are astounding. The Fused use this metal in conjunction with a rudimentary fabrial—a simple gemstone, but without a spren trapped inside.

How they pull Stormlight out of a Radiant and into this sphere remains baffling. My scholars think they must be employing an Investiture differential. If a gemstone is full of Stormlight—or, I assume, Voidlight—and that Light is removed quickly, it creates a pressure differential (or a kind of vacuum) in the gemstone. This remains merely a theory.

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Plot Summary

The Fourth Bridge is approaching the Shattered Plains, so Kaladin operates the Oathgate to take himself there, then Lashes himself into the sky, landing on the ship. An hour later, he leads his parents up to the sixth floor to show them the neighborhood that has been arranged for the former Hearthstone residents. Syl, Hesina, and Lirin banter in the hallways before they reach the rooms. Kaladin shows them around the area, assuming that Lirin disapproves of the arrangements because of his silence. Syl excitedly leads the group to the rooms they have prepared for Kaladin's family and gives them a tour of a sitting room with a full bookshelf, Oroden's room, and a fully stocked surgery. Lirin finally admits that he thinks his kind of medical care is obsolete now, but Kaladin is able to explain to him that it isn't. At Syl's prompting, Kaladin tells his overjoyed parents that he has retired from battle and wants to be a surgeon with his father.

Chapter 19: Garnets

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The world becomes an increasingly dangerous place, and so I come to the crux of my argument. We cannot afford to keep secrets from one another any longer. The Thaylen artifabrians have private techniques relating to how they remove Stormlight from gems and create fabrials around extremely large stones.

I beg the coalition and the good people of Thaylenah to acknowledge our collective need. I have taken the first step by opening my research to all scholars. I pray you will see the wisdom in doing the same.

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Plot Summary

Navani visits Rushu in the crystal pillar room, where Rushu informs her that she hasn't made any progress mapping the gems on the pillar to fabrial constructions. She tells Navani that the captured suppression fabrial contains a corrupted spren, and Navani directs her to try to reverse the fabrial's effects. They discuss the tower's security, and then Navani visits the other scholars in the old gem archive room, where Tomor and Falilar show her their personal lifting fabrial prototype. After they convince her to try it out, she takes Falilar to a deep shaft that she has outfitted with several pulley systems. Explaining how this can replace some of the demand for manpower, she tasks him with designing a fabrial that can be linked to the pulleys.

The coalition of monarchs gathers later that day, and Navani immediately runs into Taravangian. He sincerely and terrifyingly, to her mind, explains that he has always been looking out for the future of Roshar before Noura begins the meeting by having Dalinar outline his proposed attack on Emul. Yanagawn shortly adds his support, followed by Taravangian; the latter's agreement causes the Alethi to second guess their idea. When Queen Fen approves the mission as well, she brings up the dearth of honorspren, so Sigzil brings up the idea of sending an envoy to their capital. After discussing their options, Shallan volunteers to lead the mission along with Adolin; they decide to take Godeke, a Truthwatcher, and a Stoneward as well. After dinner with the Thaylen leaders, Navani relaxes with Dalinar by their heating fabrial. They sift through Taravangian's motivations together before Dalinar asks Navani to stay behind to run the tower while he is in Emul.

Interludes

Interlude I-1: Sylphrena

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Plot Summary

Syl is flying through the halls of Urithiru while Kaladin is still asleep. She comes across Cord, who is cooking and who gives Syl an offering. Syl takes note of Cord’s Shardplate, then gets distracted. She reflects on how she constantly has to force herself to not get distracted. Syl moves on to Kaladin’s quarters and thinks about how badly she wants to help him cope with his depression, something she struggled to understand. Soon a highstorm approaches and she asks the Stormfather if he can make her feel like Kaladin does. The Stormfather denies her this wish, insisting that she put Kaladin’s needs above her own.

After the storm has passed, she goes to Dalinar and makes the same request of him, asking him to strengthen the bond between her and Kaladin. Dalinar asks Syl what she knows of the powers of a Bondsmith, and she explains that they can Connect things and indeed that it was this power of Connection that created both the Oathpact and the Nahel bonds between human and spren. Dalinar too denies Syl’s request, but reassures her that she can help Kaladin even so.

Interlude I-2: Sja-anat

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Plot Summary

Sja-anat moves through the Kholinar palace, living on the edge between the Physical and Cognitive Realm. She thinks about how she is only able to keep a few chosen secrets from Odium. As she feels Odium approaching, she meets with two touched windspren (ones the humans would call "corrupted") and sends them away. This is intended to serve as a distraction for Odium: She also sends a touched radiant spren to Urithiru, to observe Mraize and then either bond with him or whomever else the spren chooses.

Shortly after, Odium arrives and questions Sja-anat on the spren she sent away. She keeps up a pretense of working for Odium, even though both know that she wants more freedom. Ultimately, Odium commands her to ignore Urithiru and instead observe Taravangian.

Interlude I-3: Into the Fire

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Plot Summary

Taravangian has gathered his friends to tell them farewell in his chambers at Urithiru. Later that day, he would leave for Emul with Dalinar and Jasnah, while the rest of the Diagram would go back to Kharbranth. In Emul, Taravangian intends to have his armies betray the coalition, doing his part of the agreement with Odium. Jah Keved too will turn against the coalition at that time. He announces to his group that the Diagram has served its purpose and now has to be disbanded. Kharbranth is to distance itself from Taravangian's actions, so that the city may be able to stay out of the war. After his friends have left the room, Taravangian reassures himself that saving a single city was really all he could’ve done, and throws his copy of the Diagram into the fire.

Part 2: Our Calling

Chapter 20: The Unseen Court

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Dear Wanderer,

I did receive your latest communication. Please forgive formality on my part, as we have not met in person. I feel new to this role, despite my years holding it. You will admit to my relative youth, I think.

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Plot Summary

Radiant visits her Lightweavers, who are practicing in the underground chamber they have taken over. Though Radiant disapproves of the mission to Shadesmar, she respects the decision of the other two and tries to ease Shallan's burden by taking control of making the arrangements regarding which of her agents to bring. After giving Beryl and Darcira sparring tips, Radiant contemplates the options and decides to leave the most likely spy behind. As she begins interviewing the Lightweavers, Ishnah asks to go; Radiant asks each of the others their opinions before settling on Ishnah, Vathah, Beryl and Stargyle as the most likely to be a spy. When Radiant and Shallan decide to leave them behind, Veil asserts control with a brief moment of nausea as she walks over to inform Ishnah that she, Vathah, and Stargyle are to come on the mission. Inside herself, Radiant changes her vote to agree with Veil while Shallan pounds weakly at her. Veil remains in control the rest of the day; when she returns to her rooms, she finds a note from Mraize instructing her to keep in communication with him via a strange cube he had left in her dresser.

Chapter 21: The Seething Knot

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I have been fascinated to discover how much you’ve accomplished on Scadrial without me noticing your presence. How is it that you hide from Shards so well?

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Plot Summary

As Adolin is trying to decide what to wear into Shadesmar, Shallan walks in and gives him a hard time over taking so much time to choose. She gives him an hour to be down at the Oathgate, so after he decides on a uniform he had had designed four years before, he goes to visit Kaladin. Circumnavigating the line, Adolin enters the clinic and waits for Kaladin in an empty room. Adolin kids Kaladin about lighteyed women feigning illness to come see him, and Kaladin's reaction shows that not only is this already happening, but Kaladin hadn't caught on yet. Despite Syl saying that she thinks his job as a surgeon is helping, Kaladin reacts instinctively when Adolin makes a sudden movement to test him. He then gives Kaladin a coin that Zahel had given him to remind him that while war should not be necessary, they live in an imperfect world. Syl gives Adolin some last minute advice regarding dealing with honorspren.

Joining those waiting at the Oathgate platform, Adolin gives his armorers instructions on what to do with his Plate should it not transfer. He speaks with Beryl before turning his attention to Gallant. Godeke, walking up, is treated to an exposition of the swords Adolin is bringing; when the Edgedancer makes his escape, Zu contends that Adolin should just get a Shardblade by becoming a Radiant. With the Stump's arrival, the whole team is there. Adolin watches as Jasnah observes the Lightweavers perform one last test by Soulcasting obsidian into lavis grain. After their successful attempts, Dalinar addresses the group. They applaud politely, then listen as Jasnah and Taravangian also speak to them. The group enters the control building, leaving Adolin and Dalinar alone. Dalinar stiffly tries to tell Adolin not to make his same mistakes while Adolin, feeling misunderstood and belittled, avoids giving vent to his blocked-up anger over his mother's death. Dalinar leaves his son with the expectation that he will become a Radiant, and Adolin joins the others. Shallan transfers them into Shadesmar with Pattern.

Chapter 22: No Use Talking

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I have reached out to the others as you requested, and have received a variety of responses.

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Plot Summary

Adolin

Adolin thanks the gatekeepers as the group regards their surroundings. He takes a count of everyone, and then Shallan points out Maya to him. He hurries over and greets her, then takes her around and introduces her to everyone, defending his actions to an inquisitive Dreaming-though-Awake. Afterwards, while redistributing the load on Gallant, Adolin notices that the horse has a slight glowing afterimage. Adolin puts an arm around Shallan as they set off down the ramp. Pattern comes up behind them and hugs them both, exclaiming over having feet again.

Adolin spends the trip down the ramp speaking with the members of the team. He gets a few scant details on Zu's past before having a discussion about the Almighty with Godeke and then speaking with Arshqqam via her spren's translation. After discussing their plan with Shallan for a bit, Ua'pam points out his cousin's barge to Adolin. They pay the peakspren and board the ship. After moving their possessions onto the deck, Adolin grooms Gallant; noticing Maya watching, he teaches her how to groom the Ryshadium.

Shallan

Checking her trunk, Shallan panics after recognizing that someone has used her cube, presumably to communicate with Mraize.

Chapter 23: Binding Wounds

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Much as you indicate, there is a division among the other Shards I would not have anticipated.

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Plot Summary

Kaladin binds Adin's ankle, telling his father to bring him back after a week of staying off it so he can judge its progress. Hawin leads Mil in next, then leaves the room; forgetting that she is gone, Kaladin asks her to read the list of "migraine prodromes." Syl instead finds the right page and begins reading the list to Kaladin while he chats with Mil. After sending Mil away, Kaladin and Syl discuss further uses for their powers that don't have to do with fighting. Kaladin notices that Syl is acting more somber than usual. Walking out to the balcony, Kaladin is spotted by a group of Windrunners, and they salute him before flying down to the Oathgates. He treats patients for the rest of the day, taking special note of Cressa's request to find her uncle. Going to ask Lirin about the man, Kaladin instead encounters Teft speaking with Hesina. Knowing that Teft had been mobilized with the rest of Bridge Four, Kaladin asks why he is still there. When Teft explains that he has gotten approval from Dalinar to step down from active duty, Kaladin tries to tell him to go back. Quickly realizing that Teft is dead set on his decision, Kaladin thanks him for sticking with him and tells him about their search for Noril.

Chapter 24: Full of Awe

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Endowment at least responded to my overtures, though I have not been able to locate Invention again following our initial contact.

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Plot Summary

The second day on the barge, Radiant sets assignments for her Lightweavers, then sits down to look through Ialai's book again. Radiant and Shallan discuss the ramifications of the Ghostblood's search for Ba-Ado-Mishram in conjunction with their goal of taking Stormlight offworld, but when Radiant tries to get Shallan to emerge, Shallan instead votes to end Veil's punishment and lets her take control. Veil immediately starts making terrible attempts at sketching. When she draws Adolin very badly, she finally goads Shallan into taking control.

Shallan draws for five hours, at the end of which Adolin brings her a meal and sits down with her. They talk about Adolin's worries for the mission, which leads into Shallan confessing the real reason she had sought to become Jasnah's ward: to rob her. Adolin just laughs at her incredulously, which lightens her feeling of dread over telling him the truth. They trade bad jokes, and then Shallan asks for help with getting the peakspren's clothing right. When Dreaming-though-Awake approaches, Shallan begins to sketch her. The mistspren investigates her drawing and is disappointed to see it is just her, having overheard their earlier talk of the Unmade. They ask her what she knows about Ba-Ado-Mishram, but she just tells them to ask the Heralds.

Chapter 25: Devotary of Mercy

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Whimsy was not terribly useful, and Mercy worries me. I do think that Valor is reasonable, and suggest you approach her again. It has been too long, in her estimation, since your last conversation.

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Plot Summary

Kaladin and Teft go looking for Noril, the missing refugee. The ardent at the first devotary they go to tell them that Noril had tried to kill himself, so they had sent him to the Devotary of Mercy. Following her directions, Kaladin and Teft find the devotary on the fourth floor. The ardent there refuses to divulge patient information until Teft summons Phendorana and proves that they are of sufficient rank to authorize the request. After looking up the room number, the ardent leads them to Noril. On the way, Kaladin and Teft are both disillusioned by seeing the way that all the patients are locked up in the dark. They convince Noril to come out to a balcony to talk, and when Kaladin and Teft prove that they understand how he feels, Noril begins to open up to them. Kuno, shocked to see Noril speaking, discusses with Kaladin the standard of care for those with mental illness. He admits that they need to do better but sees no way to change the established system; Kaladin asks that Noril be released into his care and warns Kuno that he will be back for the others.

Chapter 26: A Little Espionage

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The deaths of both Devotion and Dominion trouble me greatly, as I had not realized this immense power we held was something that could be broken in such a way. On my world, the power always gathered and sought a new Vessel.

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Plot Summary

On the fourth day on the barge, Shallan is trying to sketch while all four Cryptics crowd around her. She starts to panic as they get excited over a mistake, so Radiant emerges long enough to excuse herself from the spren and wait until Shallan has recovered. Veil wants to walk Shallan through the process of finding the spy, but Radiant insists they make sure the communication cube couldn't have been moved accidentally before they start investigating in earnest. As the three determine that none of them had moved it but that someone must have, Pattern approaches and discusses the nature of Cryptics with Shallan. Veil then decides the best method for them to use is to feed each of the Lightweavers a distinct piece of misinformation and see which one Mraize hears about.

Shallan approaches Ishnah, who is helping the peakspren manifest goods. She overhears Ua'pam and Unativi argue over whether it is best to get involved in the war or not before engaging Ishnah in conversation. Manipulating Ishnah into thinking she already knows the other woman's secret, Shallan discovers that the only thing Ishnah has to confess is how she unwittingly funded illegal enterprises among her former acquaintances in the underground. Mentioning the Ghostbloods elicits no suspicious reaction, so Shallan moves on to Beryl after telling Ishnah about seeing a corrupted windspren. Beryl is practicing Soulcasting obsidian into lavis, and the sunny woman discusses her methods with Shallan. Overheard by Pattern, who comes over to inspect the lavis, they discuss Beryl's past before Shallan feeds her a mention of a corrupted gloryspren. The conversation overwhelms Shallan, so Radiant is the one to approach Vathah. They discuss Vathah's willingness to work aboard the barge, but Shallan emerges again to take over after Radiant's poor attempt to bring the conversation around to corrupted spren. She tells Vathah that the Lightweavers are like a family, then slips into the conversation a sighting of a corrupted fearspren. When Veil tries to bring up what is really bothering Shallan about the conversations that day, Shallan retreats and forces Radiant into control.

Chapter 27: Banners

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That said, the most worrying thing I discovered in this was the wound upon the Spiritual Realm where Ambition, Mercy, and Odium clashed—and Ambition was destroyed. The effects on the planet Threnody have been … disturbing.

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Plot Summary

Dalinar approaches Navani as she contemplates the troops being transferred to Azir. She tells him again to watch for treachery from Taravangian before Gavinor walks in with his governess, ready to leave. Dalinar exits after him, and Navani goes to give her daughter an awkward hug. After a short discussion, Jasnah heads to the Oathgate as well and Sebarial walks up. They talk about Taravangian's inevitable betrayal, and then Sebarial obliquely solicits advice regarding Palona when Navani mentions her. Navani directs him to bring the warcamps back under Alethi control, then suggests that he try to be more sincere with Palona.

Navani and Brightness Anesa go over various reports regarding the tower as they ride to the atrium. Once there, she inspects a hidden room to which a Stoneward has created access. Falilar promises to conduct a thorough study of the scale model hidden in the room as well as to try to uncover the secrets of the gemstone found in the doorway. As she reenters the palanquin, Isabi runs up holding a blinking spanreed that indicates her mysterious contact wants to speak with her again.

Chapter 28: Heresies

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Other Shards I cannot identify, and are hidden to me. I fear that their influence encroaches upon my world, yet I am locked into a strange inability because of the opposed powers I hold.

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Plot Summary

Falilar, Isabi, and the other scholars set up the spanreed, attaching it to a scale so they can measure the amount of decay when the fabrial is activated. Navani converses with the other party regarding the suffering to spren that her fabrial experiments cause while the others take measurements. Falilar, discovering that the writer is close enough to be inside the tower, requests that they move to a second location so they can begin to triangulate their location. Agreeing, Navani and Kalami meet the others on the plateau in front of the tower and reinitiate the conversation. The phantom writer reveals themself to be a spren, but Navani discounts Kalami's suggestion that it is another of the Unmade. The spren severs the connection, and Navani devises a plan to force them to show their hand. On her way back inside, she kicks the spanreed over the edge in such a way that makes it seem like an accident. Though she directs Falilar to search for it, she privately intends to make sure that it is unusable.

Chapter 29: A Cage Without Bars

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I have begun searching for a pathway out of this conundrum by seeking the ideal person to act on my behalf. Someone who embodies both Preservation and Ruin. A … sword, you might say, who can both protect and kill.

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Plot Summary

Adolin

Adolin is with Gallant when he hears that land has finally been sighted; moving up to the prow with the others, he tells them that they need to let a couple of Lightweavers investigate the town before they enter. The humans convene under the tarp, where Adolin wakes a hungover Shallan, who agrees to take Vathah and scout the settlement. While they, Ua'pam, and Unativi are gone, Godeke and Adolin discuss their waning Stormlight stores. Needing to calm his nerves, Adolin begins teaching Maya a new kata. He gets lost in the training exercise until Shallan's group returns and reports nothing unusual.

Shallan

Realizing that this is a chance for her to be alone, Shallan tells Adolin that she wants to rest as the others leave for Nameless. He reluctantly leaves her, so she goes to tell Unativi that she will watch over the barge if he and his crew wish to visit the town. Pattern stays behind and, correctly intuiting her intentions, wishes to hear her conversation with Mraize. She directs him to station himself where he can both hear the exchange and watch for anyone returning to the barge. After confirming that the cube has been moved again since the last time she checked, Shallan asks the cube if she can speak with Mraize and shortly hears his voice coming from the device.

Adolin

As Adolin and Maya enter the town with a small group of his soldiers, he is transfixed by the different varieties of spren. After a brief exchange with Maya regarding why Shallan would choose to stay behind, Adolin realizes that the deadeye is staring at another deadeye standing in front of a shop. Thinking that it would be best for Maya to move on, Adolin tries to leave; however, her insistent focus on the other spren causes him to approach the shop and engage the shopkeeper in conversation. The inkspren tells Adolin the cryptic deadeye's story, disturbing him greatly when he realizes she has been killed recently. As he turns to go, Godeke jogs up to tell him about a caravan of humans.

Chapter 30: The Betrayal

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But this does not get to the core of your letter. I have encouraged those who would speak to me to heed your warnings, but all seem content to ignore Odium for the time being. In their opinion, he is no threat as long as he remains confined in the Rosharan system.

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Plot Summary

Shallan

As Veil begins to speak with Mraize, a sense that she has knelt as she is, communicating via a similar glowing cube, overtakes her. Veil tries to make Shallan remember, but Shallan has Veil take over again. She tries to trade for information on the cube, then reports that they are being watched by some corrupted spren. After telling her that there is nothing to report on events at Urithiru or in Emul, Mraize tells her to keep watching the corrupted gloryspren; in doing so, he confirms to Shallan that Beryl is the spy.

Adolin

Adolin, Godeke, Archinal, and Maya go investigate a caravan of humans camped outside of Nameless. After trying several languages, one speaks to them in broken Alethi to tell them they do not want to talk. Adolin and Godeke agree that the group is definitely Tukari and leave pondering the implications of such a fact. As they approach the barge again, Adolin recognizes Notum speaking to Unativi.

Shallan

Pattern finds Shallan sketching the cube over and over, and Shallan explains to him that she has figured out that Beryl has been using the device to communicate with Mraize. Veil, suspicious that the process was too easy, questions their conclusion. Shallan begins sketching the cube from her childhood memory, and Pattern tells her that he is worried about her. In distress, Shallan forces Veil to take over again; Veil, hearing Adolin's voice, realizes his presence is what they need and goes to him but remains silent so as to avoid causing Shallan more pain.

Adolin

Adolin and Maya step up to speak with Notum. Adolin tells the honorspren about their diplomatic mission, and Notum tries to get him to see how futile he thinks the mission will be. They argue over the Recreance, and Maya growls when Adolin states that the other honorspren should listen to Syl since they think she is so precious. Adolin calls out to Notum as he leaves, referring to him as a ship's captain. Notum in turn tells him about his punishment following his decision to let their group go free prior to the Battle of Thaylen Field. He asks if they at least saved Dalinar, and Adolin is forced to admit that it had actually ended up being the other way around. Notum promises to counsel against their mission should they meet again on the road, but Adolin's resolve is only strengthened.

Chapter 31: Daughter of Traitors

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I do not share their attitude. If you can, as you suppose, maintain Odium’s prison for now, it would give us necessary time to plan. This is a threat beyond the capacity of one Shard to face.

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Plot Summary

As the incursion group hikes towards Urithiru through the mountains, Venli observes the group of makay-im. Noticing her interest, Raboniel approaches and engages her in conversation. She implies that she knows Venli is along to spy for Leshwi and asks her the reason behind her interest in the Deepest Ones. Raboniel explains to Venli about the nine Surges and the mechanics behind that of Cohesion. She and Venli discuss the relative strength of Knights Radiant versus Fused, and then Venli asks why they serve Odium if the Surges come from Honor and Cultivation. After their conversation concludes, Raboniel moves away and Rothan steps up to warn Venli not to get entangled too deeply with the Fused; because Leshwi values Venli, so does the rest of her staff.

Chapter 32: Of Three Minds

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Unfortunately, as proven by my own situation, the combination of Shards is not always a path to greater power.

Characters
Plot Summary

Adolin

Zu points out to Adolin that the Tukari caravan is still trailing them. She proposes confronting them, but as Adolin has already informed Notum of the group and been told that they aren't doing anything illegal, he just gets everyone moving forward again. After noticing Gallant's care for Maya, Adolin finds Shallan to speak with her.

Shallan

With the aim of confirming that Beryl is the spy, Shallan discusses Lightweaving with her for a while, ostensibly trying to help her master the art. After a brief internal argument, Veil takes over just as Adolin comes up and asks to talk privately, soliciting her opinion on how to approach the honorspren. They dismiss a couple of faulty approaches, causing Adolin to realize that the spren will be ready for any argument they can bring up. He hopes to surprise them, but isn't sure quite how. Wanting to speak with Shallan, he asks after her; Veil is relieved that he has noticed something is wrong, but Shallan is panicked. When Veil tries to explain a little of what is bothering Shallan, she causes Shallan to retreat even further even though Adolin is more determined than ever to find a way to help her.

Chapter 33: Understanding

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We must assume that Odium has realized this, and is seeking a singular, terrible goal: the destruction—and somehow Splintering or otherwise making impotent—of all Shards other than him.

Characters
Plot Summary

Taking Lirin's advice, Kaladin begins setting up group therapy sessions only for Noril and six other similarly afflicted men from the sanitarium. They sit on the balcony talking about their lives while Kaladin looks on. Hesina, who is taking notes, remarks on how extraordinary it is to her that this helps them, as it runs contrary to all previous treatment advice. Kaladin grows uncomfortable when he realizes she is pitying him for how he felt as a slave. While he appreciates that she thinks she really understands, he knows that what is helping the group of men is to have a support group who has experienced the same feelings.

Chapter 34: A Flame Never Extinguished

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To combine powers would change and distort who Odium is. So instead of absorbing others, he destroys them. Since we are all essentially infinite, he needs no more power. Destroying and Splintering the other Shards would leave Odium as the sole god, unchanged and uncorrupted by other influences.

Characters
Plot Summary

Adolin conducts a meeting with the Radiants to discuss how they should approach the honorspren. The Stump rejects all the ideas he comes up with, and Godeke and Zu are quick to agree with her. After Radiant asks Beryl if she has an opinion, Arshqqam chips in again to suggest that they somehow appeal to the spren's honor. When Adolin dismisses the meeting, Radiant speaks further with Beryl and concludes that she agrees with Veil's assessment that Beryl is not the spy. While everyone else is breakfasting, Adolin brings Radiant a ration bar and suggests that they take a walk. Veil and Adolin don't go very far before they see a spectacular sight: Notum riding up to them on a brilliant white horse-like spren. Notum bids them goodbye after one last attempt to dissuade them from going to the fortress, as he must turn aside before he gets any closer.

Adolin and Veil continue to walk and talk, climbing onto a ridge that Ua'pam had told Adolin about. Adolin tries to reassure Shallan that he won't leave her no matter what, but it is the emergence of a starspren that finally draws her out. Shallan immediately begins sketching, exclaiming over the sight. They banter for a while, and a mention of Shallan's disastrous relationship with Kabsal leads to Adolin confessing the story of his mishap with Idani as a fourteen-year-old. A comment of Adolin's regarding how Idani treated Renarin causes Shallan to realize that he is feeling a mixture of emotions centered around Dalinar's expectations of him. Shallan shows him that she really understands how he feels, for which he is grateful.

Chapter 35: The Strength of a Soldier

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You say that the power itself must be treated as separate in our minds from the Vessel who controls it.

Characters
Plot Summary

Adolin

Adolin and Shallan return to camp, where they separate to pack up. Adolin loads his gear onto Gallant, then helps Maya up into the saddle. Around midday, Felt brings him the news that the Tukari caravan has split off from trailing them. Calling for a break, Adolin follows the scout onto an outcropping and discusses the situation with him, telling him to keep a watch on them during their break. While on the way back to Gallant, he realizes what they must really be after.

Shallan

After confirming that the cube hasn't been touched and then grabbing a bowl of food from Ishnah, Radiant looks up when Adolin sprints past, making for Felt's outcropping again. She catches up to him on top, and he directs her to get everyone to follow him. After watching Adolin leap up onto Gallant's back as the horse gallops by, Radiant sets Pattern to watch their camp and follows after with the rest of the group.

Adolin

As they gallop past the human's caravan and see only a handful of humans, Adolin's suspicions are confirmed. They approach Notum's group, and, noting the signs of violence ahead, Adolin directs Gallant to stay out of the fight when they get there. After riding in close enough to see the Tukari stabbing Notum repeatedly, Adolin again tells Gallant to stay away and asks Maya if she would be able to cut Notum free if he distracted the assailants. Receiving what he takes as a negative, Adolin confronts the Tukari alone with his greatsword. He drives them away from Notum, using his momentum to intimidate them and thin their numbers. As soon as they back off, however, their leader organizes them so they can surround him. Adolin receives a spear through the abdomen, but he keeps fighting and soon finds that Maya has brought a sword and come to help him. He starts her going through the stances of his morning kata, and with his back now guarded and with Gallant's looming presence helping as well, he is able to kill or scare off the remaining Tukari. A group from the diplomatic mission arrive to find the Tukari gone and the wounded Adolin holding Notum.

Chapter 36: The Price of Honor

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I find this difficult to do on an intrinsic level, as although I am neither Ruin nor Preservation, they make up me.

Characters
Plot Summary

Shallan

While Godeke binds their wounds, a shocked Notum resists the idea of traveling with Adolin and his group. Shallan goes to speak with her Lightweavers, who are searching the dead, and finally admits that she doesn't think Beryl is the spy any more than Veil or Radiant do. They load Notum onto a horse and trek back towards their camp, meeting those who were going more slowly halfway there. Adolin orders them to move out immediately, so Shallan decides to check her cube before leaving. Discovering that it has been touched, she realizes that Pattern is the only one who has had access to it. At the point where they can finally see Lasting Integrity, Veil broaches the subject of Shallan's childhood with Pattern and is shocked to hear him lie to her. As a group of honorspren approach, Veil promises Shallan she will keep her safe.

Adolin

Adolin puts up a strong front as three honorspren arrive on white steeds and immediately dismiss him. He hands over the letters from Dalinar and Jasnah, which the spren tear up without reading. Realizing that he has no options left, Adolin declares that he has come to face the judgement of the honorspren for his ancestors' actions in the Recreance. The spren agree to admit him on those terms and concede that he may bring two others with him, as well as Maya. Conferring with the others, who don't like the plan, Adolin directs a few to take word back to Dalinar and the rest to camp out nearby. He takes Shallan and Pattern with him and enters the fortress in chains.

Chapter 37: Silence From the Dead

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Regardless, I will try to do as you suggest. However, you seem more afraid of the Vessel. I warn you that this is a flaw in your understanding.

Characters
Plot Summary

Navani

Navani checks in on her scholars and tries out the new version of the lift device, which Tomor has now constructed in the form of a glove that will pull the wearer in different directions and at varying speeds. As she and Kristir confer, they are interrupted by a soldier who has captured a person trying to replace the ruby in the spanreed. She sends him to her chamber for interrogation, and one of the soldiers tells her that the person they captured is associated with the Windrunners. The ruby begins blinking, but Navani decides to ignore it; as she leaves, they get notification via spanreed of an explosion.

Venli

Venli and the company approach Urithiru during an Everstorm. They try to breach the security systems that are in place at Urithiru, discovering that some of the systems that had originally been part of the tower are no longer active and that the Sibling still lives, though they are asleep.

Kaladin

Kaladin is speaking with his father about the patients that Kaladin has been working with. Lirin is astounded at the lack of evidence-based methods for working with the mentally ill. Kaladin says that this is partly because people are afraid of those like him, and Lirin takes issue with Kaladin aligning himself with those that are mentally ill. Kaladin says that this is part of the problem; people don't view those that are ill as loved ones, but instead as "others." Lirin thanks him for challenging him. Kaladin thinks about how important it is to get a medical revolution, which includes allowing doctors to read. Teft interrupts, entering and saying that Dabbid has not been found for three days. He and Kaladin leave to go check with Rlain to see if he has seen him.

Venli

Venli and her company have come across a patrol of soldiers in the tunnels below Urithiru, and they kill them. Venli does not handle having to kill a soldier well, and Raboniel is surprised, given her people's involvement in the War of Reckoning. Venli responds by telling her that she had been a scholar, not a fighter. She thinks to herself that she doesn't want to kill anymore and just hopes to get through the situation without doing so.

Chapter 38: Rhythm of the Terrors

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You have not felt what I have. You have not known what I have. You rejected that chance—and wisely, I think.

Characters
Plot Summary

Navani

Navani discovers that the explosion killed the two researchers who were running tests on the dark sphere of Gavilar's she had left with them. She leaves Rushu to catalogue everything from the remains of the explosion.

Venli

Venli and the invaders have entered the chamber in the basement of the tower that contains a large crystal pillar of gems. She and Raboniel approach the structure through the corpses of human soldiers and scholars. Raboniel touches the pillar, and Voidlight surges from her into it.

Kaladin

Teft and Kaladin are in Jez's Duty and are joined by Rlain. They asked him about his experience during the bridge runs when he was being targeted by his own people, and Kaladin apologizes for desecrating the bodies of the dead to create their armor. They talk about how they haven't seen Dabbid in a while, and how they would like him to join the groups that Kaladin has been forming. After prodding, Kaladin agrees to join the groups himself, something he has been avoiding. He admits to himself that the work he has been doing has been helping him put himself back together.

Venli

Venli watches as Raboniel continues to infuse the pillar with Voidlight. Just as Raboniel finishes the first step, succeeding in activating and inverting the tower's defenses to turn them against the Radiants instead of the Fused, an alarm sounds as the humans realize that they are being invaded. Raboniel gives the order to seize the city.

Chapter 39: Invasion

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However, though you think not as a mortal, you are their kin. The power of Odium’s Shard is more dangerous than the mind behind it. Particularly since any Investiture seems to gain a will of its own when not controlled.

Characters
Plot Summary

Kaladin

Teft begins to seize at the same moment that Kaladin feels something strong press on him. He shakes it off and goes to check on Teft, who he presumes had a stroke. They go to take him to a nearby clinic; Kaladin tries to Lash him to make him easier to carry, and it doesn't work.

Navani

Navani is with her soldiers and the Lightweaver Red to talk to the individual who had the gemstone to replace in the spanreed. They discover that it is Dabbid, who makes the Windrunner salute. They try to get answers from him, and he motions to the wall, while indicating in response to queries that he is not working with the enemy. Someone brings Navani the spanreed from the stranger, who writes that the tower is under attack. As the writer introduces themself as the Sibling, the spren of the tower, Red collapses.

Kaladin

Kaladin is stunned at his failed Lashing, and he searches for Syl or Phendorana but can't find either. Rlain says that the rhythms are going crazy, and as they arrive at the Edgedancer clinic, they find the Edgedancers unconscious. They decided to take Teft to Kaladin's father. As they try to find a way to carry him, Kaladin discovers that he can still do full Lashings, which use the surge of Adhesion. As they make their way, they learn that this is affecting all the Radiants except Kaladin, and Kaladin says the effect reminds him of the device that they found in Hearthstone. They arrive at Lirin's clinic and find it full of other Radiants. He calls again for Syl, whom he can feel distantly, and she emerges, describing feeling sleepy. Rlain arrives and says that Fused are in the tower and that spanreeds aren't working.

Navani

The Sibling tells Navani that the Fused are doing something to them, and Navani sends runners with instructions to scouting offices to carry out a predefined defensive plan. She and her scribes go to the map room, bringing an unchained Dabbid with her. Dabbid is able to communicate that he has been talking with the Sibling through garnet veins in the strata of the wall.

Kaladin

Kaladin panics and begins to disassociate and have flashbacks. He studies a scalpel, which he finally picks up. He tries to make his way toward the screams and fighting that he can hear, but he is overwhelmed with a cold sweat and a heavy weight. He is brought out of his detachment by Syl, who says that while she could not go as far as usual from him without losing herself, she learned that they are bringing in troops via the Oathgate. Lirin finds Kaladin and helps talk him down from fighting, saying that he is in no shape for it and that if they discover him, they will likely kill the rest of his family.

Chapter 40: In for All

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My instincts say that the power of Odium is not being controlled well. The Vessel will be adapted to the power’s will. And after this long, if Odium is still seeking to destroy, then it is because of the power.

Characters
Plot Summary

Navani and her scribes reach the map room and find officers there, including a darkeyed Battalionlord named Teofil. They discuss strategy and decide that the best thing they can do is to try to reverse what has happened by getting to the basement. Navani communicates with the Sibling through a garnet vein in the wall. She learns that the Sibling was asleep until they felt a Bondsmith in the tower but has subsequently stayed hidden. The Sibling recognizes Raboniel, calling her the Lady of Pains, and knows that she intends to go farther than just reversing the suppression abilities of the tower, that she wants to change who they are. The Sibling agrees to help Navani prevent that from happening and tells her to gather Stormlight.

Chapter 41: The Most Dangerous

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Of course, I admit this is a small quibble. A difference of semantics more than anything.

Characters
Plot Summary

Venli

Venli and Raboniel make their way through the tower and encounter the Pursuer. Raboniel gives him leave to carry out his tradition and kill Kaladin, though she gives instructions to kill only the humans that resist. Venli feels conflicted; she is part of an invading Fused force while becoming a Radiant, but she really just wants to stay neutral and only help her people. She realizes that Raboniel is primarily there because she is interested in the discoveries of the humans and their fabrials, wanting to partner with them to end the war for good.

Navani

Navani and a group of scholars follow Teofil and his soldiers through the ground level to the location of their planned ambush. A group of human soldiers who had been sent ahead retreat into the room, followed by a pursuing force of Regals. When the Regals enter the room, they notice the soldiers waiting in the room and release lightning at them. However, the humans allow the lightning to be drawn to two metal rods instead and kill the Regals with crossbows. The group then heads down towards the basement.

Kaladin

Kaladin brings blankets and rations to a Herdazian family. On his way to retrieve more, a singer confronts him; seeing Kaladin's build, the singer doesn't believe that he is a surgeon. After automatically blocking the singer's attempt to hit him, Kaladin realizes that the Regal is spoiling for a fight and makes the decision to back down. After knocking Kaladin to the ground and getting no more defiance from him, the singer walks away and leaves Kaladin to continue delivering blankets.

Chapter 42: Armor and Teeth

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In truth, it would be a combination of a Vessel’s craftiness and the power’s Intent that we should fear most.

Characters
Plot Summary

Navani

Navani and her scribes follow instructions from the Sibling, infusing a gemstone found in the wall of a storage room on the first level. Navani convinces the Thaylen artefabrians to reveal their secret method of transferring Stormlight, which makes the process go quickly. Once infused with Light, the fabrial opens a hidden door, revealing a chamber with a large, uninfused sapphire.

Kaladin

Kaladin continues his work, and Syl indicates he wants she wants him to follow her. She leads him to Rlain, who has realized that he cannot stay in hiding. He intends to join the invaders under the pretense of being an ordinary parshman who hadn't known what to do. Syl has a moment where she is depressed at the thought of being left by everyone, but she forces cheerfulness when Kaladin asks her about it.

Navani

While Navani's scholars work to infuse the sapphire, she speaks with the Sibling, who tells them that they have to move quickly and that Teofil is doomed. Navani asks how they are bringing in troops. When the Sibling tells her that there is a human with an Honorblade operating the Oathgates, Navani realizes it must be Moash. Then the Sibling says that something has happened to cause Raboniel to cease her efforts.

Venli

Venli and Raboniel watch the troops fighting Teofil, and Venli is impressed at how well the humans fight them off. Then the Pursuer appears, killing many humans and changing the tide of the battle.

Navani

The Sibling tells Navani that her men have fallen, and that Raboniel will return to kill her. At that moment, the sapphire finishes being infused. The Sibling says that they are safe, though they tell Navani that she has to destroy the gemstone in order to keep it from being reversed.

Raboniel

Raboniel touches the pillar, and she realizes that there is Stormlight in the system; this is odd, as since the Sibling is a child of Honor and Cultivation, it should run on its own Light, not Stormlight. A blue light comes off of the pillar and forms an impenetrable shield that is as hard as glass, blocking them from the pillar. Raboniel is amazed, and Ulim, the first voidspren that Venli ever met, appears, saying that they have found Navani. Raboniel tells him that they are going to take her captive, not kill her.

Navani

Navani makes her way through the corpses of the soldiers who had fought and died to give them the time they needed to protect the tower. They bring her to Raboniel, to whom Navani surrenders. The people in the tower will be allowed to continue living and working, but the unconscious Radiants are to be delivered to the Fused. Raboniel asks Navani about her sketches and praises her remarkable engineering ability. Raboniel offers to hire her to work on fabrial projects, and Navani considers this, as this would both give her the ability to keep an eye on what she is doing and give her the opportunity to uncover some of Raboniel's ancient secrets.

Chapter 43: Men and Monsters

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Regardless, please make yourself known to me when you travel my lands. It is distressing that you think you need to move in the shadows.

Characters
Plot Summary

Kaladin is in the clinic, where a messenger woman tells them that Navani has surrendered, so they are to live under singer law and not resist. Lirin says that it wasn't so bad before, and it won't be so bad now. Kaladin is frustrated at his response and how they have to live under the rule of the enemy. Hesina and Laral go to check on the people, and Kaladin and his father continue to argue about resisting on the way to their rooms. A little later, Syl alerts them to a search party that is nearing, and Kaladin hides. The soldiers enter and say that they are to take the Radiants into custody. Kaladin overhears and cannot bear the thought of them taking Teft. He emerges to find a Regal and a regular soldier, with the soldier carrying Teft. Kaladin pushes his father into another room as he tells them to leave Teft. The Regal refuses, and they fight brutally, with Kaladin leaving the Fused to bleed out. Kaladin tells the other soldier to leave and then checks on his father, who is in shock. Kaladin says that they all need to go into hiding, and Lirin, furious, refuses. He cannot believe that Kaladin murdered someone in his clinic, his home. He tells Kaladin to leave and that he will stay, despairing because he believes his son has become a monster. Kaladin grabs Teft and leaves.

Interludes

Interlude I-4: Vyre

Moash Chapters.svg
Characters
Plot Summary

Vyre is in Kholinar, throwing his Honorblade and trying to get it to respond to him the way he saw Adolin’s blade respond to him on a battlefield. Khen, a singer, talks to Vyre and says that they're leaving because this is not what they want to do. He tells Vyre that though he claims he is not burdened, his obsession with Kaladin suggests otherwise. As Vyre goes to haul some rocks from a quarry, he is taken by a vision with Odium. Odium says that Vyre is becoming something unexpected, and he also orders him to help operate the Oathgates to bring forces to Urithiru. Odium says he is worried about the effect that Kaladin has on him, and asks for Vyre's help to defeat him. Vyre says that Kaladin can't be killed, and when Odium says that he would claim Kaladin as he did Vyre, Vyre thinks to himself that he would rather Kaladin be dead. Odium asks how to hurt Kaladin, and Vyre says that he needs to be isolated from his friends and made to fear. Odium says that he lacks the needed Connection to Kaladin in order to influence him and show him visions; since Vyre has such a Connection to him, they plan on using his dreams to bring Kaladin visions.

Interlude I-5: Lift

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Characters
Plot Summary

Lift has made a home of sorts in the labyrinthine tunnels that make up the ceilings and walls of Urithiru. She continues to steal food, though primarily in the form of baskets deliberately left for her. She continues to grow, which makes her angry. She talks with Wyndle, who confirms that she saw Cultivation, not the Nightwatcher. Lift says that she had specifically asked not to change. She wanted to stay her mother's little girl and is heartbroken by the thought that her mother would not recognize her because she has grown. Wyndle wraps around her to comfort her, but then suddenly realizes that something has happened to the tower. Lift realizes her powers are gone, and they watch a red chicken fight a green one. The red one is defeated, and Lift goes to it and tries to heal it but can't, feeling resistance. She takes it with her, goes inside to a safe place, and tries again. Taking extra effort, she finally pushes through the resistance and manages to heal it. Her "awesomeness", however, is not working at all. The chicken leads her away, and they hear battling in the tower. Eventually, the chicken leads them to a corpse of an old Alethi man in robes who has been killed by a knife and appears to be robbed, missing rings. Mraize, with the green chicken on his soldier, arrives and says that he has always wanted an excuse to hunt her. Lift takes the red chicken and runs.

Interlude I-6: A Boon and a Curse

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Plot Summary

Taravangian is with his armies, waiting for Odium to give him the signal to betray Dalinar's armies. He is having a dumb day, and as he wishes that he were smart, he realizes that smart Taravangian had failed. He considers that, contrary to what he had thought, the curse wasn't that he wasn't smart on some days, but instead that he could not be both smart and compassionate at the same time. He gets out some of the sheets from the Diagram and wonders why the Diagram cannot see Renarin Kholin.

Odium pulls Taravangian into a vision and tells him that is time to send the orders. Odium continues to talk, telling Taravangian that he, Odium, prefers this honest and compassionate version of Taravangian. As he rambles about his plans, Taravangian realizes that Odium also failed, because he had expected Dalinar to turn. Taravangian manages to maneuver Odium into showing him his plans, and he looks for the blacked out place that reveals that Odium, like him, cannot see the future of Renarin and those that are close to him. Taravangian also realizes that Odium is terrified of Szeth and the sword that he carries and, finally, that Odium can be defeated; he commits to not giving up. Odium ends the vision, and Taravangian sends the message to his troops to betray Dalinar's soldiers. Minutes later, he is arrested.

Part 3: Songs of Home

Chapter 44: Tinder Waiting for the Spark

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I find this format most comfortable, as it is how I’ve collaborated in the past. I have never done it in this way, and with this kind of partner.

Characters
Plot Summary

Kaladin, carrying Teft and led by Syl, looks for a place to hide. They narrowly avoid both the Pursuer and a search party. They realize that they are trapped, and Syl notices a faint light coming from a vein in the stone, which they follow to a gemstone embedded in the wall. Kaladin infuses it, and it reveals a door to a hidden staircase. He takes the stairs to the eleventh floor and finds a dark room well away from the search parties, hidden behind another door fabrial. He collapses into sleep.

Chapter 45: A Bold Heart, a Keen and Crafty Mind

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Characters
Plot Summary
Nine years ago

Eshonai

Eshonai is exploring the forest with a gathering party and leaves to wander on her own. She thinks about her people, and how they live in scattered families with hopes limited to conquering ancient abandoned cities. She dreams of discovery and exploration--and then finds the humans.

Venli

Venli is with her mother reciting the listener songs. Their family is the "First-Rhythm" family, and though they have dwindled over years, they dream of claiming one of the cities that their ancestors had once controlled. Venli finds this too small of a goal and believes that their responsibilities shouldn't involve just knowing and remembering the songs, but implementing them. She believes that Eshonai is abandoning her duty by not learning the songs like she does. She tells her mother that she thinks she has discovered a way to take a new form, warform, by bonding a painspren. Jaxlim decides that they need to go seek the blessing of the Five. They do but are interrupted by sounds coming from outside of the town. At first Venli thinks it is a skirmish, but instead learns that it is Eshonai and her discovery of the humans.

Chapter 46: The Weight of the Tower

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I approach this project with an equal mixture of trepidation and hope. And I know not which should rule.

Characters
Plot Summary

Navani

Navani meets with Raboniel and tells her that she has accepted Raboniel's offer to work under her. They discuss the science behind the Fourth Bridge, and in doing so, Navani learns that the soulcasters were spren that chose to manifest themselves as such in the Physical Realm. Raboniel says that they have not been able to convince voidspren to sacrifice themselves that way. Raboniel reveals that her goal is to end the war once and for all using the information they can learn together. Navani goes to check on her scholars. She learns that two of her scholars were killed in the invasion, and tells them that they will be cooperating with the invaders for now. She puts them to work drawing sketches and writing about the experiments they had been doing before the invasion.

Kaladin

Kaladin is in a nightmare, in a dark and stormy landscape. He sees three figures attack him, and he takes the spear from one of them and kills them--and then realizes that Tien was one of them. He drops the spear, turns, and finds himself on the Shattered Plains, his friends fighting and killing each other. His dying friends speak to him and tell him that this is all his fault, and Moash appears, telling him that Kaladin is the reason for their suffering. He wakes in the tower, exhausted. He searches for Syl, and she arrives, letting him know that the guards seem to have given up the search. He asks her if she knows anything about the light that led them there, and she tells him what she knows about the Sibling, that she was the spren of one of the Bondsmiths. He touches the gemstone that opens the door, confirming that it will still work once infused.

Chapter 47: A Cage Forged of Spirits

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I approach this project with inspiration renewed; the answers are all that should matter.

Characters
Plot Summary

Dalinar and the Mink are in a flying platform overseeing the battle between the Alethi and the Vedens. The Vedens are accompanied by some Fused and Skybreakers. A scribe comes with news from Urithiru. The report says that those at the tower accidentally deployed a device that interferes with both Radiant powers and the Oathgates, and that they were only able to deliver this message by hiking out of range. Dalinar and the Mink both suspect that that this is intentionally caused by Taravangian as a way to isolate them during his betrayal, though they both believe that there is more to the matter.

As they continue to survey the battle, Szeth, in disguise at Dalinar's side, grabs and pulls him away as a Skybreaker appears. The Skybreaker turns out to be Nalan, the Herald, who tells Dalinar that he has to submit because his war is unjust. He asks how he has access to the surges of Honor, as this should not be possible. Nale attacks, and Dalinar touches him at the Stormfather's urging. In doing so, he forges a Connection with him and sees flashes of his past, along with eight lines of light extending from him into the distance. He realizes that the lines are the Oathpact; most of them are weak, one is broken, and another is still vibrant and powerful. Nale breaks away and leaves, and Dalinar is left considering the importance of his powers and the kind of work that it would enable him to do--specifically that of reforging the Oathpact.

Chapter 48: Scent of Death, Scent of Life

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Characters
Plot Summary
Nine years ago

Eshonai and the humans try to find ways to communicate with each other, and as they do so, they realize all the ways that they differ. Eshonai marvels that humans are in all forms at all times, as well as that they have singers in dullform that do not speak. She finds the humans so much more advanced than the singers and spends as much time as possible learning from them. The humans ask to see the Plains, and Eshonai escorts them. During the trip, Axindweth asks Eshonai questions about the spren that she can see and whether any have talked to her, which Eshonai thinks is a myth. Gavilar and Eshonai talk about the greatshells, and they misinterpret her and assume that the singers worship them. The party decides to take a break, and as she helps them set up a tent, Axindweth asks if she can see Eshonai's knife. She and Gavilar talk about it and think it must have come from a time around the false desolation. They are interrupted by the sounds of a chasmfiend emerging, and soon after, the group leaves. Eshonai only reveals to Gavilar that the knife was found in the ruins of a city her ancestors built, but Gavilar gets very excited, especially when he realizes that the singers have stories of ancient days that include the Radiants. The humans leave them with a gift of weapons and ask to be able to hear the singer songs the next time they meet.

Chapter 49: Soul of Discovery

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In my fevered state, I worry I’m unable to focus on what is important.

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Plot Summary

Navani

Navani has her scholars doing busy work as they are being watched carefully. She periodically pauses to rest against the wall and speaks to the Sibling in private. The Sibling says that Raboniel does not yet know that she is awake; the Midnight Mother had told the Fused that the Sibling has been dead for a long time. Navani manages to convince the Sibling that they need to work together, though the Sibling is resistant because they are not interested in becoming bonded to a human. The Sibling reveals that there are three other nodes connected to their heart, and Navani needs to find a way to protect them from being corrupted. Navani asks why the Sibling did not activate the defenses that she had earlier, and the Sibling says that when the humans bound Ba-Ado-Mishram, it injured them. It caused them to lose the rhythm of their Light, and the tower stopped working. The Sibling tells her that there are two Radiants still awake in the tower that she can detect. One is Lift, awake because Cultivation gave her the power to use Light differently but in a cage surrounded with aluminum. The other is Kaladin, and she suspects that she can detect him because as a Windrunner he is close to Honor and to the surge of Adhesion. Navani asks the Sibling to contact him.

Kaladin

Kaladin and Syl are trying to get to the sixth floor, where he suspects he can find Stormlight. He avoids singer guards in Alethi uniforms, and Syl manages to make sure that Kaladin's family is safe. They find lanterns filled with infused gemstones left behind by workers, and Kaladin manages to break into them using a reverse lashing. After getting the Stormlight, they make their way to the Devotary of Mercy on the fourth floor, where he hopes to find food and water. He comes across the ardent Kuno, who provides him with various supplies and nervously agrees to help provide more in the future. As Kaladin nears the room where he left Teft, he is guided by a crystal vein in the rock that lights up; once inside, he touches it and hears Navani's voice.

Navani

Navani and Kaladin exchange information, and she tells him that aside from getting their spanreeds working somehow, they need to figure out how the Fused are making the Oathgates work. Kaladin agrees to scout them out and to keep an eye out for nodes before they say goodbye. The Sibling berates Navani for asking after fabrials so cavalierly but concedes that at least the Oathgate spren agreed to their transformation.

Chapter 50: Queen

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When in such a state, detachment is enviable. I have learned that my greatest discoveries come when I abandon lesser connections.

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Plot Summary

Dalinar is in the command tent with the other leaders as they plan their next offensive. They have defeated Taravangian’s troops and have him in prison, but Dalinar still suspects that this is only one part of his plan. The reports coming from the tower indicate that the Radiant powers were knocked out by a device that Taravangian had, one similar to the one that Kaladin had found. The meeting ends, and Dalinar is joined by Jasnah. She questions his decision not to be more active in the battle, and he explains that he wants to focus on learning more about his Bondsmith powers and leave the battle to the Mink. They discuss the importance of pushing Odium to an accord. Wit joins the conversation and says that Odium will not proceed with a contest of champions unless he is afraid, and Dalinar expresses his concern that they are being manipulated. Dalinar expresses frustration at having to work with leaders whose government includes so much bureaucracy, and Jasnah says that she would like to be the end of the Alethi monarchy, which Dalinar does not like.

Jasnah and Wit join the Mink at the war table, where Jasnah begins making suggestions regarding the battle plans. Lyn brings news to Dalinar that the scouting party saw what they thought were Alethi soldiers on the tower. Dalinar asks them to send scouts at night to watch from a distance. Dalinar turns his attention to the conversation of the leaders, and he can tell that the Highprince Ruthar is getting angry at Jasnah's intrusion. He realizes that Jasnah is doing this intentionally to get a reaction out of Ruthar, and it works. Ruthar loudly begins to criticize what Jasnah is doing, and she calls to Wit. He begins to insult Ruthar mercilessly, then reveals the fact that he beats his children. Ruthar challenges Wit to combat; when Wit chooses Jasnah as his champion, Ruthar refuses to fight, so Jasnah stabs him in the throat. Jasnah calls for Renarin, who heals him, and then she names Ruthar forfeit of his title. Dalinar expresses disappointment at how Jasnah handled the situation, and Jasnah announces that she did it in part to justify the elimination of the barbaric practice of trial by sword. Jasnah leaves, and Renarin tells Dalinar that he has had an episode. Dalinar says that he will speak to him about it soon.

Chapter 51: To Sing Hopeless Songs

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This song—this tone, this rhythm—sounds so familiar, in ways I cannot explain or express.

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Plot Summary

Venli is with Raboniel sorting through the work of Navani's scholars, and it is clear to them that Navani is stalling. Venli leaves and meets with Dul, one of his singers in her group trying to create their own singer community. He reports that they have been setting aside supplies and discuss the possibility of joining with the humans, but both express concerns that they would not be treated equally. They nonetheless decide to seed a few of their people among those caring for the unconscious Radiants to watch for an opportunity. When Venli becomes down thinking about the person she believes she is, Timbre convinces her to tell her more about her past.

Chapter 52: A Path Toward Saving

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Plot Summary
Eight and a half years ago

Venli is with her mother, and it is becoming clear that Jaxlim is suffering from an Alzheimer's-type condition, as she continues to forget the songs that she has never forgotten before. Venli leaves and joins her sister on the scouting tower, and Eshonai says that she is leaving with a scout group to investigate some smoke in the distance which they think might be the humans returning for a second visit.

The humans are visiting the listeners, and Venli is frustrated with how much they are hounding her about the songs that they know. The human with the rings, named Axindweth, surprises Venli by speaking to her in the listener language and by questioning Venli about the wisdom of following the path of her ancestors. Axindweth tells her that there are great things that the Listeners could accomplish if they had the right forms of power, including the ability to heal her mother. Axindweth gives Venli a gemstone and tells her to break it in a storm.

Chapter 53: Compassion

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I am led to wonder, from experiences such as this, if we have been wrong. We call humans alien to Roshar, yet they have lived here for thousands of years now. Perhaps it is time to acknowledge there are no aliens or interlopers. Only cousins.

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Plot Summary

Venli is listening to reports from other singers. She learns that Kaladin is awake, has taken Teft, and is running loose in the tower. She also knows that the Pursuer is after him and that his family has been identified, is locked away, and is to be executed. Venli informs Leshwi, who then takes Kaladin's family into her protection.

Chapter 54: The Future Become Dust

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It would have been so easy if Voidlight and Stormlight destroyed one another. Such a simple answer.

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Plot Summary

Dalinar watches Gavinor play with his toy sword, and they talk about his parents. The conversation turns dark, and Gavinor becomes distracted. Dalinar gives him over to his nursemaid and moves on. Earlier in the day Dalinar had spoken with Relis Ruthar and the Azish to smooth over what Jasnah had done with Relis's father. As he walks to the Windrunners' campfire, Dalinar thinks about Jasnah's intent to disband the monarchy and how strange it seems to him.

When he arrives at the campfire, a Windrunner squire hands him a bowl of the stew, and Dalinar realizes that they think he has come to approve of this tradition. Renarin moves to sit next to his father, and they discuss whether or not it is a good idea for Dalinar to see the vision, since it was possible that Odium has influenced it. Dalinar convinces Renarin that it is worth the risk, and the two of them leave the campfire to discuss this newest vision.

Renarin resummons his vision and tells Dalinar that the vision shows Dalinar, in Shardplate pierced by an arrow, facing away from Odium. He tells him that he thinks it means that Odium will delay indefinitely and never agree to an actual contest of champions with Dalinar since there was nothing for him to lose by waiting. Renarin also tells Dalinar that both he and Odium only see possible outcomes and explains how their powers interfere with each other.

At Glys's prompting, Renarin asks Dalinar what he thinks about more Radiants bonding corrupted spren. Dalinar says that he will have to think about it since he is not sure if can trust the Unmade. Glys asks Renarin who he thinks would be a good match for another spren, and Renarin recommends Rlain.

Chapter 55: Kinship with the Open Sky

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We must not let our desires for a specific result cloud our perceptions.

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Plot Summary

Kaladin is feeding Teft, and Syl talks about how she feels when she thinks about her old knight, Relador. Kaladin realizes that she is processing his death the first time, and they talk about how they learn to deal with depressing thoughts. Suddenly, Dabbid appears with broth, having been led there by the Sibling.

Kaladin leaves Dabbid to watch Teft while he goes to learn what he can about the Oathgates and how the fabrials are working. He uses adhesion to climb up and down the side of the tower but is too slow to be able to see the Oathgates in operation. Syl warns Kaladin of some scouts, and they realize that the scouts must be communicating with those operating the Oathgates using spanreeds. Kaladin resolves to steal the spanreed, so he sends Syl to follow them.

Chapter 56: Nodes

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But how can we not, in searching, wish for a specific result? What scientist goes into a project without a hope for what they will find?

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Plot Summary

Venli has put her group in charge of taking care of the unconscious Radiants. In the infirmary with them, she notices that the Windrunners are closer to waking than the other Radiants. They're concerned about their condition, so Venli decides to bring Lirin there to take care of their health. Then Venli goes to translate for a team of Fused trying to come up with a way to find the nodes. Venli learns that their normal methods of detecting powers do not work because of the tower itself, prompting a sense of excitement that she and Timbre might finally be able to practice their powers. The Fused ask Venli where she thinks the nodes would be, and she inadvertently gives them a clue as to where one might be.

Chapter 57: Child of Odium

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Plot Summary
Eight and a half years ago

Eshonai

The humans are visiting the listeners a second time and are going to be leaving soon. Dalinar speaks with Eshonai and warns her against his brother, indicating that he is showing a dangerous degree of interest in them.

Venli

Venli and her family are in their storm shelter, and she decides to take the special sphere into the storm and break it. Those watching think that she is going to take mateform, the only other form available to them. The Stormfather speaks to her and cautions her against taking this action. She chooses to proceed and releases a spren. The spren says that he will live inside her, while also speaking of Shadesmar and a new storm.

Eshonai

Eshonai rejects Thude's notion that Venli has taken mateform, and she is relieved when Venli returns, as she was worried. When she speaks with her sister, Eshonai realizes that Venli, who claims she had been trying for warform, is not attuned to the rhythms. It takes Venli a couple of tries to attune them, and Eshonai is a unnerved by her grin and the confidence in her walk.

Chapter 58: Spanreeds

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I find this experience so odd. I work with a scholar from the ancient days, before modern scientific theory was developed. I keep forgetting all the thousands of years of tradition you completely missed.

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Plot Summary

Kaladin breaks into one of the laundry rooms in the tower by accessing a balcony, and Syl goes to see where they can find spanreeds. She finds a spanreed hub and leads Kaladin there, pretending to be a voidspren to draw guards away. Kaladin finds a ventilation shaft that he can use to get above the room while avoiding detection. He does, and then uses adhesion to pull up a group of spanreeds. Kaladin returns to the hall and finds the Sibling blinking a light at him. They tell him that the occupying force has found another node and that they need him to save them.

Chapter 59: The Lattice of a Growing Crystal

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This point regarding the Rhythm of War’s emotional influence will be of particular interest to El.

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Plot Summary

Kaladin follows the Sibling's light, fighting off guards as he encounters them, having to use different maneuvers than those to which he is accustomed. The Sibling leads him through a hidden passageway between two shops, and he runs into a woodworker. He comes out eventually at an open air tunnel to see Raboniel infusing the node and the Pursuer standing by. The Pursuer and Kaladin fight, and Syl stops the Pursuer from killing him by pretending to be voidspren. Eventually, the Pursuer has to take a brief break, and Kaladin has a short exchange with Raboniel. When the Pursuer returns, Kaladin tricks him into giving chase and enlists the Sibling's help to lock him in a room. Kaladin then returns to the node and destroys it with a rock. Suddenly exhausted, he is taken by surprise and Raboniel stabs him in the chest. As Kaladin realizes that he is unable to heal quickly, Raboniel manipulates him into not killing her and tells him to flee.

Chapter 60: Essai

Venli Chapters.svg

Who is this person? You used no title, so I assume they are not a Fused. Who, then, is El?

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Plot Summary

Venli goes to see Rlain. The guard tells her that he is considered a human sympathizer, but she manages to convince him to let her speak with Rlain alone. Rlain recognizes her, and as they exchange their stories, Venli realizes that they have overlapping goals. She tells him that she has saved Kaladin's family, and she promises to help get him out.

Venli finds Raboniel in Dalinar's former rooms accompanied by some fused, some humans, and Mraize. Mraize is making a deal for access to the Oathgates, and he presents Lift in a cage as a gift. When Mraize is gone, Venli asks Raboniel if Rlain can be released into her care, as he is the only other of her kind left; Raboniel agrees. She leaves and arrives at her room, where she attempts to swear the next ideal. Her words are rejected, which makes sense to her as she realizes that she cannot be true to the ideal, having watched a human child carted away in a cage.

Chapter 61: Oil and Water

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In other circumstances, I would be fascinated by this sand to the point of abandoning all other rational pursuits. What is it? Where did it come from?

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Plot Summary

Navani speaks with Kaladin, thanking him for helping to protect the tower. She reassures him that he did not fail, even though he had to break the node. He tells her that he can no longer fly, but was able to get some of the Fused spanreeds, which Syl has determined work via corrupted spren. Navani goes to check on her scholars, and thinking through her problems, realizes that the lifting glove that Tomor created might be helpful for Kaladin. She arranges for Tomor to leave it in a place where Kaladin can retrieve it. Raboniel then has Navani accompany her to watch some singers testing the shield around the crystal pillar by hacking at it with some Shardblades. Raboniel asks Navani to help her understand the shield, and Navani refuses, informing her that one of the blades had been Elhokar's, something which Raboniel had not known.

Raboniel takes Navani to her former office, which Raboniel has claimed. Inside, Raboniel shows Navani a fabrial that demonstrates how the crystal pillar room is being protected. Navani is distracted by a diamond sphere filled with Towerlight, which is a combination of Stormlight and Lifelight. They discuss ways of mixing different types of Light. Raboniel believes that Voidlight and Stormlight are opposites and can't be mixed, but Navani thinks they can with the right kind of emulsifier. Raboniel leaves Navani, and Navani finds a vein of crystal and speaks with the Sibling, who is convinced they will die soon. Navani tries to convince the Sibling to tell her where the nodes are so that they can protect them, but they refuse. Navani begins her research into the science of light.

Chapter 62: Keeper of Forms

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Plot Summary
Eight years ago

Venli and Eshonai are meeting with the Five, where Venli is telling them that she can create warform because she has trapped a painspren in a topaz. Eshonai is there because she has received word that Gavilar has extended an invitation to establish formal relations with the listeners. Eshonai wants to convince the elders that they should reach out to the other listeners to create a unified people. The elders say they will consider her proposal. She leaves and finds her mother, who can't remember where she is. Jaxlim eventually comes to lucidity and admits that she knows that her life is coming to an end. Venli joins them and tells them that they've been approved to try warform. Venli explains that she wants her mother to try to take on the form because it might heal her, and Eshonai is excited about that, though she is worried because her sister is humming an unusual rhythm.

Chapter 63: Practice

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I am told that it is not the sand itself, but something that grows upon it, that exhibits the strange properties. One can make more, with proper materials and a seed of the original.

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Kaladin wakes from nightmares. Syl tells Kaladin that she asked Dalinar to help her understand Kaladin better, and he seems to have Connected her to her past somehow. She now remembers her old knight who died, and she feels grief for him. She says that she thinks that because spren can choose, they can change, even though they say they can't. Kaladin and Syl agree that they will talk with each other when they feel like they can't change their sadness. Dabbid enters, bringing Kaladin the glove that Tomor had left for him. Kaladin goes to a crystal vein to talk with Navani at their appointed time. She tells him what the glove does, how to get to the weights in the shaft, and how to replace the rubies with those filled with Voidlight. Kaladin and Syl go to the shaft and replace the gemstones there. After Navani talks Kaladin through using the fabrial, he and Syl go to an empty hall and practice using it.

Chapter 64: Personal Reminder

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The sand originated offworld. It is only one of such amazing wonders that come from other lands—I have recently obtained a chain from the lands of the dead, said to be able to anchor a person through Cognitive anomalies. I fail to see what use it could be to me, as I am unable to leave the Rosharan system. But it is a priceless object nonetheless.

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Plot Summary

Jasnah is going into war, thinking of how inadequate the descriptions and depictions of war have been in her studies. She is wearing her Shardplate, dulled so as to not reveal who she is. She at first is determined to confront the enemy without using her powers so that she can fully understand the feeling of war. She fights with a Fused capable of growing carapace vines over her and decides to use her powers after all, Soulcasting the air to oil and slamming steel and flint together to light everyone near her on fire. She loses herself in the battle, and eventually an Edgedancer medic convinces her to rest. Wit brings her fruit, and they discuss her experience and what she is trying to prove to herself and others. They discuss the future of battle, and she returns to war.

When the battle is over, Jasnah arrives at her tent and speaks with the Mink, who assures her she made the right decision and that they won the day. He also tells her that something has disturbed Wit, whom she finds in her tent writing. Wit tells her that one of the Sleepless was disguised in his things, and that their secrets have been compromised. He decides to divulge what he knows of Thaidakar and the Ghostbloods.

Chapter 65: Hypothesis

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As we dig further into this project, I am left questioning the very nature of God. How can a God exist in all things, yet have a substance that can be destroyed?

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Plot Summary

Navani is using prisms to experiment with normal light, Stormlight, Voidlight, and Towerlight. She is able to recombine all of them except for Towerlight, which splits into Stormlight and what she thinks might be Lifelight. She reads one of her accounts of Gavilar's death, looking for her description of the spheres he had had on the table, and suspects that he was involved in this work as well. Raboniel and the insane Fused Essu enter, and Raboniel is amazed at the amount of work that she has achieved. She is fixated on the idea of combining Stormlight and Voidlight, which she believes is necessary to end the war forever. Navani asks if Raboniel has ever heard of spheres that warp the air around them, and Raboniel tells her of the theoretical anti-light which, if combined with light, would cause immediate and violent destruction. Navani suspects this is what happened to her scholars experimenting on Gavilar's strange sphere. When Navani asks Raboniel what Essu is saying, she learns that Essu is Raboniel’s own daughter who has gone insane and no longer recognizes her.

Chapter 66: Bearer of Agonies

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I am not convinced any of the gods can be destroyed, so perhaps I misspoke. They can change state however, like a spren—or like the various Lights. This is what we seek.

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Plot Summary

Dalinar is experimenting with his Bondsmith powers and has learned how to see someone's Connections to others. He leaves to talk to Taravangian. Dalinar asks why Taravangian betrayed them, and Taravangian explains that he knows that they are going to lose and this is the only way he can save at least Kharbranth. He says that Cultivation granted him the capacity to stop what was coming, and on his one transcendently brilliant day this was the path he saw. Dalinar tells him that he doesn't think that Taravangian could have seen the future perfectly and that he, Dalinar, has to believe that it is possible to defeat Odium. Taravangian wishes he were dealing with the Dalinar from before because he believes that that Dalinar would see the necessity of joining Odium. Taravangian believes that monarchs cannot allow themselves to be bound by oaths because they have to be able to engage in the kind of ignoble behavior that he has had to be willing for. He says that he could die happy if Dalinar saves mankind and he knows he was wrong, but Dalinar believes that Taravangian's actions prove that he had just wanted the power. After Dalinar leaves, Szeth's proffered opinion reinforces his feeling that they cannot trust Taravangian.

Chapter 67: Song of Stones

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Do not mourn for what has happened. This notebook was a dream we shared, which is itself a beautiful thing. Proof of the truth of my intent, even if the project was ultimately doomed.

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Plot Summary

Venli is taking the opportunity to practice her Radiant powers while Raboniel is visiting Navani. She goes to a section of the tower that is unoccupied, and after checking in Shadesmar to affirm that there are no watching spren, she presses her hand against the stone. She can’t use Stormlight because of the tower's defenses but is able to use Voidlight instead. She communicates with the stone, and when the stone and her body align in an ancient rhythm set to a pure tone, she feels like she belongs. The stone reshapes to show her images of her ancient people, the Dawnsingers, shaping things with stone. She runs out of Voidlight and suddenly finds that there are three other spren like Timbre there. Timbre says they would like to bond her squires, but she tells them to wait because of the danger it would pose if her friends began using their powers while surrounded by Odium's forces.

Chapter 68: One Family

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Plot Summary
Eight years ago

Eshonai and her mother go out into the storm so Jaxlim can try to take on warform. Instead of entering Jaxlim's gemheart, the captured painspren enters Eshonai, who had only accompanied her mother to hold a shield for her against the storm. Eshonai transforms and discovers that there were about a dozen other listeners who did so as well. As they revel in their new powerful bodies, they hear battle drums, return to their city, and find another family about to attack. Eshonai, after retrieving the family’s Shardbearer, confronts the attacking family. She tells them that they have found warform and that because they cannot win against them, they should join with them to present a unified nation to the humans. They return to the city to show their people the new forms and to train.

Chapter 69: Pure Tones of Roshar

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I leave you now to your own company.

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Plot Summary

Navani continues to experiment with light, using tuning forks to transfer Stormlight between spheres. She feels that Stormlight is something in between a gas and a liquid. She considers the relationship between music and math, musing on the fact that the ancient people used a three note scale that corresponds to the three different kinds of Light. She learns that she cannot infuse Stormlight into a sphere that contains any Voidlight. She pauses to talk with the Sibling and asks for more information about their Towerlight. The Sibling says that the tower lost its defenses when they lost the ability to hear the two pure tones of Roshar, those of Honor and Cultivation. Navani suggests that Odium might have become a third tone and that might be why they lost their abilities. Navani returns to her desk and finds a box with a sphere containing Lifelight that she suspects was taken from Lift. She confirms that the third note of Roshar corresponds to this Light, but continues to fail in mixing the Lights. As she takes a break, she realizes that they might be able to store weapons disguised as broken fabrials in the hallways. She returns to the Sibling, and they discuss the people in the tower she can see: Kaladin, Lift, and another Regal, which the Sibling finds odd. Navani proposes that the Sibling bond a Radiant that is not a human, a singer that serves Honor, and the Sibling is not outright opposed to the idea. Navani tells the Sibling some of the ideas she has for protecting the nodes, and the Sibling reveals that one of them is in the well at the Breakaway market. Just as Navani was getting ready to leave, the Sibling tells her that the Fused have found the node in the well. Navani tells them to contact Kaladin, and she leaves to distract Raboniel.

Chapter 70: Well

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Opposites. Opposites of sounds. Sound has no opposite. It’s merely overlapped vibration, the same sound, but sound has meaning. This sound does, at least. These sounds. The voices of gods.

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Plot Summary

Kaladin

Kaladin wakes from another nightmare to Syl telling him that they’ve received news that the Fused are corrupting another node. They couldn't wake him, so Dabbid has already left. Kaladin catches up to him, and Dabbid hands over his spear and says "Life. Before. Death." Kaladin takes the spear and goes.

Navani

Navani tries to stall Raboniel, but the Fused she goes to seems to be expecting this. Navani believes it’s a deliberate distraction, and she has a terrible realization that they have been able to hear her communications with the Sibling.

Kaladin

Kaladin uses the glove and makes his way to the Breakaway, trying to act as though he is using his normal powers. When he arrives, he finds the Pursuer, and they begin to fight. The Heavenly Ones arrive, and Kaladin deals enough damage to the Pursuer to force him to leave and recover. Kaladin goes to Leshwi and motions for a duel, and she accepts. They fight, though Leshwi questions Kaladin as to why he cannot use his powers like normal. She realizes that the fight is a sham, and they argue about whose people should rule. Kaladin leaves abruptly, follows Syl to the well, and dives in. He finds Raboniel and destroys the sapphire before she can finish corrupting it. He starts to make his way out but gets trapped inside with Syl on the outside of the well. He follows the pipes and eventually comes out at a reservoir in the tower. Exiting the reservoir, Kaladin climbs up to the ground floor of the tower, where he encounters guards. To evade them, he jumps out of the tower and into the highstorm.

Chapter 71: Rider of Storms

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Voice of Lights. Voice for Lights. If I speak for the Lights, then I must express their desires. If Light is Investiture, and all Investiture is deity, and deity has Intent, then Light must have Intent.

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Plot Summary

Dalinar discusses with the Stormfather his need to find out what is happening at Urithiru, and the Stormfather suggests he ride the current highstorm with him. As Dalinar rides the stormwall towards Urithiru, he notices wonders as well as villages destroyed by the Everstorm. He sees two men trapped out in the storm and begs the Stormfather to spare them. The Stormfather declines, stating that he would not be a storm if he did not rage. Dalinar calls him a coward and argues that having sympathy is important and that he should change. They arrive at Urithiru and at first do not see anything wrong. Dalinar pushes back to the tower, insisting he must investigate. He sees Kaladin clinging to the side of the tower, hanging on and badly wounded. Kaladin is able to explain to Dalinar that the forces of Odium now occupy the tower, Navani has been captured, the pillar is partially corrupted, and the Radiants other than himself are all unconscious. Kaladin himself loses consciousness, and Dalinar uses the winds to push him into the tower.

Dalinar wakes from the vision realizing the tower has been occupied by the enemy. He immediately goes to speak with Shalash and Taln to ask after Ishar, determining to go to the Bondsmith so he can learn about his powers in order to fight back.

Chapter 72: Outmatched

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Intent matters. Intent is king. You cannot do what I attempt by accident. You must mean it. This seems a much greater law than we’ve ever before understood.

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Plot Summary

Navani is in her office, angry and humiliated. Raboniel enters, and Navani asks how long she had been listening in on her conversations with the Sibling. Raboniel admits that she has been from the beginning, as she didn’t actually believe the Sibling to be dead. Navani asks after Kaladin and learns that he ran out into the storm and likely didn't survive.

Interludes

Interlude I-7: Szeth

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Plot Summary

Szeth watches Dalinar play with Gavinor, attempting to slouch so as to appear as a normal guard. He reminisces on his past and converses with Nightblood about it. Szeth's highspren shows itself to him, and Szeth moves away from Nightblood to speak to it. It tells him he must begin to progress in his Ideals, both by moving towards his crusade and beginning to rely on his own interpretation of justice rather than Dalinar's. Then he listens to a messenger read off a list of things Taravangian requested, and gets very angry upon hearing a request for a stone matching the description of his Oathstone. Thinking Taravangian plans to kill Dalinar, Szeth decides he needs to stop him.

Interlude I-8: Chiri-Chiri

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Chiri-Chiri listens to Vstim and Rysn having a conversation while musing on how much she has grown. Chiri-Chiri thinks the humans have wet and flappy mouths and strains to make out words, managing to overhear a short exchange about Dawnshards. Chiri-Chiri then senses an ancient rhythm signifying danger. Once Vstim leaves, Chiri-Chiri decides to attempt to communicate this danger to Rysn by talking. She only manages to form the words "Rysn eat food," but this surprises Rysn greatly, as she did not know Chiri-Chiri was capable of talking.

Interlude I-9: The Sword

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Taravangian wakes up on a dumb day and moves around his prison. He reads instructions he left himself about what to say to Szeth, including "Don't talk to Dalinar," and copies them into a notebook. He eats stale bread before realizing fresh food has been left for him. Renarin visits and tries to convince Taravagian to work with them. Taravangian doesn't answer, overcome by emotion, and Renarin leaves. His next visitor is Szeth, who wants to know why Taravangian asked for an Oathstone. Taravangian tells Szeth several things: Odium fears Nightblood, Szeth's father is dead, and Szeth must give Nightblood to Dalinar. Szeth refuses to do it and leaves, thinking it's only more manipulation.

Part 4: A Knowledge

Chapter 73: Which Master to Follow

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Eight years ago

Venli looks in on the listener scholars she is using as a front for the discoveries that Ulim gives her, then wanders through the city, which is unusually busy now that the listener families have united. Ulim complains about the difficulty of bringing over new voidspren, and he mocks Venli for how little she knows about the humans and their capabilities. He also chastises her when she defends her ancestors and then explains how Odium's forces were stuck on Braize, unable to return because of Taln, when the Unmade decided to start a war without them. Ba-Ado-Mishram gave out forms of power to all of the singers, becoming Connected to them so that when the humans captured her, the singers lost part of themselves. Venli arrives home and finds her mother upset because she can't remember some of the songs. Venli comforts her and starts her reciting the first song. She decides to do what Ulim says because she believes she must in order to avoid slavery under the humans. They decide to manipulate Gavilar into bringing the listeners to Kholinar, which Venli believes will be enough to intimidate her people into taking on forms of power.

Chapter 74: A Symbol

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Words.

I used to be good with words.

I used to be good at a lot of things.

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Venli and Rlain are headed to Lirin's infirmary. News of Kaladin's fight has spread, and other fights between humans and singers have been breaking out in the tower. They reach the infirmary where the other Radiants are being cared for. Venli takes notice of Rlain’s comfort and casualness with the humans. Rlain reveals that he had been able to sneak maps of the tower out of Navani's information vault before the Fused learned where they were; though Hesina is grateful, Lirin says that he isn’t certain that the risk was worth it. Venli, on the other hand, believes that the tower’s maps will show them a way out of the tower. Venli and Lirin talk, and Venli realizes that Lirin isn't interested in fighting against the occupation. Some human workers enter, and it upsets Lirin to see that one has a shash glyph on his forehead in honor of Kaladin. Lirin is disdainful of it, and though Venli defends it by saying it gives people hope, Lirin says that it's just going to cause more deaths.

Chapter 75: The Middle Step

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There was a time when others would approach me for help with a problem. A time when I was decisive. Capable. Even authoritative.

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Adolin

Adolin is accompanied by guards through Lasting Integrity as he climbs to the top of the city wall. There, he can see the deadeyes outside the wall that have been gathering for weeks--a lot more than they have ever seen before. Vaiu says that they must be responding to a Connection happening, and he attributes it to the upcoming justice that will be dispensed.

Shallan

Veil and Radiant try to coax Shallan out, but she is still very upset about learning that Pattern has lied to her. They have been trying to find Restares and have only one more human in the city fortress to identify, someone named Sixteen. Pattern finds Veil, and it is clear that Shallan has been avoiding him. Pattern asks Shallan if he remembers the first time they met on the boat with Jasnah, but Radiant says that that couldn't have been the first time they met because Shallan had spoken oaths before that. Pattern reveals that he had once tried to get Shallan to remember her past, but the pain she experienced in doing so convinced him to play along with the deception. Pattern says he doesn't remember the events surrounding her mother’s death. Radiant asks why Pattern wanted to bond a Radiant, given that he was convinced she would kill him. He responds by saying that he knew danger was coming and that those in both the Physical and Cognitive Realms needed to work together to defeat the enemy. He believed that even if he died, it might be enough to get other Cryptics to join. Radiant asks Pattern if he has lied, and he admits that he has. She asks if he's been spying, and he apologizes, saying that he couldn't think of another way. He says that he brought someone to meet Shallan and introduces a deadeye cryptic. Shallan emerges suddenly, locking away Veil and Radiant. She calls Pattern a traitor and a liar and, just then, realizes that Sixteen has emerged from his shelter. Shallan is suddenly convinced she needs to kill Restares, but when she sneaks up on Sixteen and sees what he looks like, she knows it's not him. She starts to leave, and Pattern asks her what's wrong, alarmed that she has suddenly changed. She said she's finally made a difficult decision.

Chapter 76: Harmony

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Such skills, like my honor itself, are now lost to time. Weathered away, crushed to dust, and scattered to the ends of the cosmere. I am a barren tree of a human being. I am the hollow that once was a mighty peak.

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Navani continues to try to get the Sibling to speak to her, repeatedly apologizing for her failure to realize that they were being spied on. Raboniel enters, and Navani is amazed to hear her reminisce about the shadowdays. She is so tired of the war and is dismissive of Navani’s suggestion of peace because their previous attempts had failed. Navani realizes that Raboniel’s desire to combine the Lights is related to her desire to end the war. They discuss her research progress, including Navani's realization that Stormlight responds to sound. She learns that Raboniel can hear the tone of Light, the same tone that she uses to get the Light to transfer spheres. Raboniel explains that there is a rhythm as well as a tone, and that Towerlight has two rhythms that work in harmony. Navani wonders if the rhythms of Stormlight and Voidlight could harmonize, but Raboniel says that Stormlight is too orderly and Voidlight too chaotic. Navani convinces her to try, Raboniel singing the rhythm and tone of Voidlight, and with some effort, Navani doing the same for Stormlight. Their two rhythms eventually come into harmony, and the two kinds of Light successfully mix and infuse the sphere. Raboniel recognizes the rhythm of the Light as the Rhythm of War and is shocked that the Lights did not destroy each other. Navani asks about her motivations, and Raboniel suggests that the discovery might allow them to kill a god--like how Honor was killed. Navani realizes that Gavilar had been looking for a way to kill a god. Even more, she realizes that he had discovered the opposite to Voidlight, and that that is what had been in the sphere that killed her scholars. Raboniel gets ready to leave, thanking Navani for her assistance and telling her that though Navani has earned her gratitude, she is not going to leave Urithiru.

Chapter 77: The Proper Legality

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Seven and a half years ago

Venli is in the palace at Kholinar for the signing of the peace treaty. Ulim is leading her to a secret place where his agents exchange messages and, in this case, where he hopes to find other Voidspren in spheres. Ulim has left Venli’s gemheart, and she is less certain about what they are doing, especially once Ulim reveals that he has lost contact with his agent, Axindweth. They recover the message she left behind--no spheres--and they learn that she had been discovered and left the planet. Ulim is upset and says that they have to come up with another plan. Her people aren't even intimidated by the humans and are instead excited. Venli tries to make her way back on her own, because Ulim left her, but is caught by a guard. He takes her to a room filled with other humans and question her. She says that she got lost, but they aren’t entirely convinced, and say they will hold her until after the treaty has been signed. Ulim returns, shocked, saying that there are Heralds in the palace--Shalash, Kelek, and Nale. Just then, Nale enters, and he takes Venli into his custody. Once alone, it’s clear that Nale recognizes Ulim, and they are not friends. Nale asks Venli how many Voidspren are there, and she tells him that Ulim is the only one. Nale asks how she was able to bring him back, and Venli deflects his question in a way that implied that it was the fault of whatever the Heralds are doing. Nale, in his paranoia, concludes that Gavilar’s plan is working and that he will destroy them all. Nale decides that he has to stop bonds from happening, and tells Venli that Gavilar is planning to betray the listeners, and that she has legal grounds to break their treaty. He tells her of Szeth, that he has an honor blade and is for sale as a slave. Nale leaves, and Ulim convinces Venli that a war with the humans would make them desperate enough to pursue the forms of power that they want them to.

Chapter 78: The High Judge

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So, words. Why words, now? Why do I write?

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Shallan enters her room, pushing away thoughts of the deadeye cryptic and her feelings about Pattern. She says that she is going to contact Mraize, and Pattern trails, saying that she feels wrong. While Shallan gets out the communication cube, Pattern tells her that he had used the cube to talk to Wit but that wit had been overheard by spies for the Ghostbloods. Shallan starts to relax as realizes that none of her friends are spies, which allows Veil and Radiant out, and Veil takes control. She realizes that they still don’t know who killed Ialai, and she calls Mraize on the cube. Veil tells him that Restares is not there and Mraize finds that troubling. He warns Shallan that Restares is one of the most dangerous beings on the planet and that she should be careful. He asks after Shallan's mental health, and Shallan says that it could be better, but they are interrupted by shouting.

Adolin is being tutored by an inkspren ambassador to the honorspren. She tells him that his trial is set for 3 days from then, and that they should motion for a trial by witnesses, though it opens him up to self-incrimination. Adolin is certain that this will be necessary to appeal to their honor. Blended tells him that because the honorspren define what honor means to them, they believe that what they do must be honorable. Adolin realizes that this is how they are able to avoid being convinced using his arguments against their honor. They leave to find the high judge who Blended says is arriving. Adolin sees him and learns that he is human.

Veil is stunned by the appearance of the high judge. She asks one of the honorspren why she had been told that the high judge was a spren, and she tells him that it is Kelek, and because he is a Herald and immortal, he's close enough to being a spren that his command to them to keep his identity a secret was good enough for them. Veil realizes that Mraize may have sent them to kill a herald.

Chapter 79: Open Wound

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Jezrien is gone. Despite being all the way out here in Lasting Integrity, I felt him being ripped away. The Oathpact was broken already, but the Connection remained. Each of us can sense the others, to an extent. And with further investigation, I know the truth of what happened to him. It felt like death at first, and I think that is what it ultimately became.

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As Rlain makes his way through the tower, he is greeted with suspicion, hostility, and dislike from humans, singers, and Fused. He misses how Bridge Four made him feel; while not perfect, he felt that they could see him more as himself and not a stereotype. He arrives to the Radiant infirmary and eventually finds Lirin. Lirin says that he and Hesina have been seen by stormforms and that they don't know how long they'll be able to remain in hiding. Neither is certain if they can trust Leshwi and Venli. Rlain goes over to Hesina and the maps, and they talk. Her attitude towards Kaladin and the occupation is different from Lirin, and they worry over Kaladin, whom the Fused are claiming is dead. As Rlain looks at a map of the Shattered Plains, he sees a note and asks Hesina to read it. It says that a group of people were found way out on the eastern side of the Plains. They are interrupted by Lirin who says that he thinks he recognizes one of the workers. Rlain looks and finds Dabbid, who, after he greets him, tells him that Kaladin is asleep and won't wake up.

Chapter 80: The Dog and the Dragon

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The singers first put Jezrien into a gemstone. They think they are clever, discovering they can trap us in those. It only took them seven thousand years.

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Kaladin is in a violent and hateful nightmare. He is tormented by his friends, who blame him for everything he was unable to do, and by a terrible wind that whispers hatred. He sees a warm light in the distance, and he fights to get there. Falling into a pit of crem, he is saved by the person inside the light: Wit. Wit tells him that he is in a nightmare sent from Odium to torture him and passes over a bowl of Rock’s stew. Wit tells Kaladin that they’ll only have a short time together, and Kaladin admits that he is close to giving up. He asks Wit for a story, and Wit excitedly obliges.

Wit tells of a dog who, after jealously regarding one in the sky, determines to become a dragon. He tries to gain colorful scales like a dragon by planting and watering a crop and rolling in the resulting seeds. In trying to learn to speak like a dragon, he learns only to write. Wishing to learn to fly like a dragon, he rigs up a harness for himself and uses a pulley in the barn to lower himself. The other dogs laugh at him after each attempt, and he realizes he can never become a dragon. Then the farmer's youngest child falls into the well. As the family watches frantically, the dog attaches his harness to the well's rope and writes instructions to lower him. He rescues the child, so the family rewards him well that night with food and a place inside by the fire. Wit ends the story by stating that the dog thought he was an utter failure because he hadn't met his original goal. Kaladin, outraged by the ending, eventually realizes that Wit was making a comment on his unreasonable expectations of himself. He asks for the real ending, but thinks that the dog's sense of satisfaction will never be his to have. Wit reminds him that though things would have to get even worse, they would get better again--then worse again, then better again. Though this is how life goes, the important thing to remember is that there will be sunshine again. Kaladin, revived and hopeful, pushes back into the storm.

Chapter 81: Trapped

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Seven years ago

Eshonai

Eshonai and the listeners have returned to the Shattered Plains after accomplishing the assassination of Gavilar. She, Thude, and Rlain have assumed warform and jump across the chasms to the west where they can see the Alethi war camps. She and Thude talk about why they had to order Gavilar's death and what their strategy is now that they are trapped on the Plains.

Venli

Venli takes out five gemstones with Voidspren trapped inside and shows them to a few of her scholars. She explains to them where the Voidspren came from and how they are going to bring more across from Shadesmar and persuade the other listeners to adopt these forms. She convinces them that this time they won't be ruled by the spren; the listeners will rule them instead.

Chapter 82: Knife

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Oh … Father … Seven thousand years.

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Shallan

Radiant is yelling at Mraize through the cube because he hadn't told them who Restares really is. Veil takes over and tells Mraize that they no longer have an incentive to work with him, as Mraize’s hiding of this information suggests that they may not be able to trust what Mraize has told them. Mraize has Veil open the cube and pull out a metal dagger with a gemstone that he tells her to use on Kelek to capture his soul. He explains that the leader of the Ghostbloods has a similar condition to Kelek and needs to learn more about the Herald in order to avoid his fate. He convinces Veil that Kelek is dangerous must be locked away, and that Shallan can impersonate him in order to rule in Adolin's favor. He tells her that if she does this, she will become a full Ghostblood.

Adolin

Adolin goes to speak to Kelek and tells him why he is there. Kelek is astounded that they would let him in and thinks that his cause is doomed. Adolin stands by his decision and asks for a trial by witness, which Kelek grants, despite saying that it won't matter anyway.

Chapter 83: The Games of Men and singers

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I remember so few of those centuries. I am a blur. A smear on the page. A gaunt stretch of ink, made all the more insubstantial with each passing day.

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Venli is practicing her powers, communicating with the stone and learning of its history while remembering her own. She realizes how much she has lied to herself and feels guilty for all that she has done. She attunes the tones of both Cultivation and Odium in harmony and is able to change the stone.

Venli meets with Leshwi and tells her that the Pursuer has found Kaladin's parents. Leshwi believes they are protected for now by Raboniel, and they discuss Raboniel's complex long-term schemes. Leshwi reminds Venli that the reason they watch is so that they can help ensure that the world will survive Raboniel. Venli goes to see Kaladin's parents and finds Rlain and Lirin in an argument. Dabbid and Rlain have come to report the severity of Kaladin's injuries, but Rlain won't let Lirin go to him unless Lirin promises that he won't turn Kaladin over to the Fused. Lirin stubbornly insists he won't make that promise. Hesina volunteers to go, but Lirin tells her that she lacks the skill to perform surgery if he needs it. Timbre pushes Venli, and Venli speaks up to suggest freeing Lift.

Venli, Rlain, and Dabbid make their way to the cells, and Venli uses her powers to open a hole in the back of Lift's cell. She sends Lift with Rlain and Dabbid after extracting a promise not to speak of the nature of her powers. Venli asks Timbre if she can say the words yet, but Timbre says not yet.

Chapter 84: Scholar

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Midius once told me … told me we could use Investiture … to enhance our minds, our memories, so we wouldn’t forget so much.

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Navani is fully engrossed in her research, something she has never been able to be before. She believes that what they find might allow them to kill Odium, and as she works, she makes fabrial weapons that can be left in the hall appearing to be boxed up half-finished projects. She and Raboniel make more Warlight for her experiments, and she also tries to find a way to rejoin split spren. Upon request, Raboniel delivers some Raysium, which is used to draw Stormlight out of Radiants. After transferring one of the spren halves to the gemstone at the base of the Raysium blade, they learn that putting one half of a spren in a larger gem and moving that gem will cause the other half to move a greater amount. Navani asks Raboniel for a way to measure the strength of Stormlight, and the Fused says that she will get her some sand.

Chapter 85: Dabbid

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Why would I want to remember?

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Dabbid, Rlain, and Lift are making their way to where Kaladin is kept. Dabbid thinks about how he has always been different and that he chose not to speak after he was rescued by Kaladin because he didn't want everyone to know that he was different. They reach Kaladin, who is not well at all. Lift heals him with a lot of effort, but he doesn't wake up immediately. The three talk about why Dabbid hasn't spoken until now, and Rlain tells Dabbid that he wishes that he hadn't felt like he needed to be quiet. Dabbid says that the tower told him that he will be fixed after getting a spren. They are interrupted by Teft, whom Lift heals while they are talking. As they start to explain to him what has been going on, Kaladin wakes as well.

Chapter 86: The Song of Mornings

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A year and a half ago

Venli speaks with Denshil, one of the listener farmers. They are thick in the war with the Alethi, and Venli is increasingly certain that she made the right choice. Venli has Denshil cutting gemstones, presumably so that they can hold more Stormlight, but really so that Venli can have gems to capture stormspren. The farmer is hesitant, but she convinces him that this is necessary for them to survive. As she leaves, Ulim comes to her and tells her that the storm is nearly to Narak. They talk about their plans to bring more stormspren over, but she is interrupted by Eshonai, who takes her to her mother who had been found injured, lost, and confused out on the plateaus. They decide to get her a permanent servant to watch over her and then discuss their past, both as children and during the time leading up to the war. Venli tries to talk to Eshonai about possibly bringing back the gods, and Eshonai shuts her down. They sing together a little before Eshonai drifts off to sleep just as Venli starts to open up to her. That night, Venli goes into the highstorm to hunt stormspren.

Chapter 87: Trial by Witness

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Maybe if I remembered my life, I’d be capable of being confident like I once was. Maybe I’d stop vacillating when even the most simple of decisions is presented to me.

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Adolin

Adolin arrives at his trial, where the judge and the spren audience await. They discuss the terms of the trial, and Sekeir calls his witnesses. The first, Amuna, brings two of her deadeye charges and testifies to the travesty that killed them. The second witness is Blended. She not only says that humans should not be trusted, but that they might even consider bonding with the Fused as the rightful heirs of the land. However, she would rather no bonds happen in order to ensure that no spren will be killed. The third witness is Notum. He appears in uniform, and Adolin realizes that Notum has been told that if he will testify against Adolin, they will end his exile. Notum begins to speak, looking at the paper he brought, but then stops and says, “Honor is not dead so long as he lives in the hearts of men.” The crowd erupts, and Notum continues to bellow this phrase as he is dragged from the room. Adolin goes to speak to Kelek and asks what happened. Kelek tells him that the stakes of this trial are much more than he thought because some spren are considering joining the highspren and the Fused, and Adolin could tip the scales in the opposite direction.

Shallan

After the trial, Shallan climbs a tree and falls to the ground, faking a severe injury. Pattern plays along, and they convince the honorspren to take her to where their Stormlight is kept. They do so, and she steals a sphere, replacing it with a dun one and pretending that she had drained in to heal herself. The honorspren are appalled at how she could consume so much Stormlight, and they shuffle her from the room.

Chapter 88: Falling Star

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A year and a half ago

Eshonai is with her mother, and Venli enters with a gemstone containing a captured stormspren. They discuss the ramifications of this, and Eshonai walks outside and considers all that has happened. She yells into the storm to the Rider, saying that everything she has done has been to preserve their freedom. She turns to leave and is greeted by the sight of a giant chasmfiend. A burst of light appears and follows Eshonai home.

Chapter 89: Voice of Lights

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Instead I think, if I were to remember my life in detail, I would become even worse. Paralyzed by my terrible actions. I should not like to remember all those I have failed.

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Navani is fully engrossed in her work, completely oblivious to everything except her lab as she tries to find the opposite of Light. She uses the sand that Raboniel gave her, which starts black and turns white when exposed to Investiture.

Navani and Raboniel discuss where the sand came from and how you have to travel through Shadesmar to get to other worlds. As they work, Raboniel asks why Navani does not believe herself a true scholar, declaring that she believes Navani to be one. Raboniel gives her the title "Voice of Lights," telling her that she is an equal to herself; Navani, on the other hand, is convinced that she has Raboniel fooled. Navani is getting better at interpreting the rhythms, and she can tell that Raboniel has a different purpose in mind behind this project than to kill Odium. Navani tries to convince Raboniel to negotiate a treaty with her, but she refuses. Raboniel leaves Navani to her work but later returns with metal plates and two singers to help her create the Rhythm of War using an ancient method of music. After Raboniel leaves, Navani tries to speak with the Sibling and finally hears a response. The Sibling says that they are weak and cold and don't want to die, and soon their voice fades away.

Navani looks around her lab and realizes that the music left patterns in the sand. She then realizes that Stormlight and Voidlight are not just illumination or a substance that bears properties of fluid. They are sounds and vibrations, and therefore, she is convinced she can find an opposite vibration.

Chapter 90: One Chance

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Regardless, I write now. Because I know they are coming for me. They got Jezrien. They’ll inevitably claim me, even here in the honorspren stronghold.

Adolin arrives for the second day of his trial and takes the stand. As he speaks on his, he is continually interrupted by the honorspren audience, who are doing everything they can to disrupt him with their own accusations (particularly with Dalinar almost killing the Stormfather). The trial devolves into a full fledged argument, and Adolin finally gives up, inviting the honorspren to continue their attack as it is clear that they did not have honorable intentions in this trial. The audience is initially cowed, but their anger reignites when they learn that Adolin knew about the recently deadeyed cryptic he had found in the market.

Shallan is with Adolin after the trial, and Adolin is certain that he will be locked away and put on display. Shallan says that she'll break him out with the Stormlight she stole, but Adolin says that leaving him would be the honorable thing to do, and may even convince some of the honorspren to bond more radiants. Shallan reflects on whether to impersonate Kelek to save Adolin, and just as she decides to do it, Veil changes her mind to keep her from doing it. Formless surfaces and takes over, and tells Adolin that he may be surprised by what the high judge does.

Chapter 91: Worth Saving

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And so, I’ll die.

Yes, die. If you’re reading this and wondering what went wrong—why my soul evaporated soon after being claimed by the gemstone in your knife—then I name you idiot for playing with powers you only presume to understand.

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Teft thinks about when he first woke up feeling like he usually does after binging on firemoss, but when he saw Dabbid and Rlain he had determined to get up and start over again to try to live clean, for their sakes. It was only when they told him what happened that he understood he hadn't given in to his craving. After a couple of days of healing, he is sitting eating soup with Kaladin and Dabbid when Kaladin mentions losing Syl in the fighting. Phendorana appears to the others and reassures Kaladin that their bond is not broken so long as he can still Surgebind.

As Teft thinks about the grim tidings he had awoken to, Phendorana reminds him by a glance not to be down on himself. Rlain and Lift enter next, the latter of whom heals Teft; he has to be healed regularly or he falls unconscious again. Rlain reports on Navani's forced seclusion, and they discuss what needs to be done. Kaladin asks whether or not it would be better to quit fighting, and in answer Teft gives them a detailed account of what happened when he was eight years old and he reported his parents, who were part of the Envisagers, to the citylord. He encourages them just to do what they think is right with the information they have and be content with the fact that they can't predict the future.

After Teft spurs them to attempt to save the Radiants, they all pitch in and discuss how they might accomplish it. Kaladin suggests that they take a couple of days to consider their options, and they hope to be able to contact Navani and ask for her help. Then they start discussing less consequential things, and Teft finds himself smiling because of all of the good things there still are to enjoy. He admits to Phendorana that she had been right to tell Teft he was worth saving.

Chapter 92: A Gift

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The bond is what keeps us alive. You sever that, and we will slowly decompose into ordinary souls—with no valid Connection to the Physical or Spiritual Realms. Capture one of us with your knives, and you won’t be left with a spren in a jar, foolish ones. You’ll be left with a being that eventually fades away into the Beyond.

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Venli is fulfilling her duty as Voice to Raboniel by interpreting between her and the Regals coming to give reports. She relays instructions to the last one to continue searching for Kaladin, then follows Raboniel to her habitual workstation. The two of them discuss the listeners rejecting Odium's rule, and then Venli admits to Raboniel that she is ashamed of being the one directly responsible for her people's downfall. Venli slips up and uses an old rhythm when she speaks of how she used to be so ambitious, then she asks Raboniel why they must fight and whether they will ever be able to have peace themselves.

Raboniel commends Venli's service despite her true loyalty lying with Leshwi and gives her a reward: a writ of authority and a map. On the map, Venli finds a report of a group of Parshendi living on the Shattered Plains. Realizing that this could be the group of listeners who had fled prior to the advent of the everstorm, Venli takes the papers and runs from the room.

Chapter 93: Strong Enough

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I felt it happen to Jezrien. You think you captured him, but our god is Splintered, our Oathpact severed. He faded over the weeks, and is gone now. Beyond your touch at long last.

I should welcome the same. I do not. I fear you.

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Shallan, as Formless, rises early the day of Adolin's final judgement. Adolin speaks to her about the mistake often made when judging strength and weakness before she convinces him to stay in bed. Formless plans her entry into Kelek's house but is interrupted by both Veil speaking up from deep within her and by Pattern. She Lightweaves an illusion of Lusintia around herself, but then Pattern makes a final attempt to speak with her and she firmly tells him to stay in the house.

Pattern catches up with Formless on the way to Kelek's house, and he delivers a message from Wit: Shallan deserves to be trusted and loved. Formless turns away from him again and goes on alone. Radiant interrupts her by confessing that she killed Ialai Sadeas just as Formless gets to the house, but she musters her determination to go through with her plan and enters anyway. Just after drawing Mraize's knife, Formless feels Stormlight leaving her and looks around to see Veil. Veil accuses her of really just being Shallan, and she admits the truth but still feels like she wants to take this step and join the Ghostbloods. Veil keeps telling Shallan that she really is strong while Shallan admits to killing her parents. Then Shallan accepts Veil's memories and sees that the Cryptic she had bonded as a child was not Pattern at all, but Testament.

As Radiant whispers encouragement to her, Shallan makes one last struggle with herself, reaching for the door to Kelek's room before finally turning away and creating a Stormlight reproduction of the scene when she killed Testament. At the conclusion of the scene, Veil integrates herself into Shallan and Kelek walks into the room. Shallan admits that she had been sent by the Ghostbloods to kill him and asks him to go easy on Adolin in the trial. As they converse, a group of honorspren burst into the house and accuse them of collusion. Despite their denials, Sekeir orders Kelek sequestered.

Chapter 94: Sacrifice

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Nevertheless, I’m writing answers for you here, because something glimmers deep within me. A fragment of a memory of what I once was.

I was there when Ba-Ado-Mishram was captured. I know the truth of the Radiants, the Recreance, and the Nahel spren.

Characters
Plot Summary

Adolin arrives at the forum for the last day of his trial to find out that Sekeir will be sitting as High Judge in Kelek's place. Sekeir begins by giving a speech condemning Adolin and all humans and then calls for the final witness: Mayalaran. Sekeir claims to be speaking for Maya as he accuses Adolin of enslaving her and humans of being murderous monsters belonging to Odium. As he continues with his accusations Maya grows more and more distressed and Adolin keeps asking him to let her go.

Finally, as the High Judge refuses judgement, claiming that Maya's condemnation is all that's needed to judge Adolin, Maya and Adolin share a moment of connection and Maya speaks. She reveals that the ancient spren were not betrayed by their Knights Radiant, but decided together with them to break their bonds.

Most of the gathered spren disperse, shocked by the news, but Blended approaches to speak with Adolin. She tells him that she suggested to the honorspren elders to use Maya as a witness because she wanted to verify his claim that he and Maya were friends and that the deadeye could speak. She is not convinced that the revelation means that the spren should now bond humans, worrying instead what could have convinced spren to choose death instead of letting the Radiance continue.

Chapter 95: What She Truly Was

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Plot Summary
Fourteen months ago

During the battle of Narak Venli realizes the danger the Listeners are in because of her actions in giving them access to the stormform. She tries to get Fariday to retreat with her as the humans approach in their direction but then realizes that the Listeners who are chanting a song of summoning are oblivious, consumed by the new form. As she runs away through the storm, Venli is intercepted by a human soldier, who lets her go after she asks him for mercy. Later she notices Eshonai fighting with a human Shardbearer and falling into a chasm. Venli realizes she might be more affected by the form than she initially thought, as she does not feel any concern for her sister.

Panicked, Venli finds a hiding place between the buildings of Narak and later finds her way into one of them. As she hides from the storm and the battle she admits to herself that she is not deserving of any of the recognition she got for discovering new forms and concludes that she is, and has always been, a coward.

Chapter 96: A Thousand Lies

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I tell you; I write it. You must release the captive Unmade. She will not fade as I will. If you leave her as she is, she will remain imprisoned for eternity.

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Plot Summary

Rlain finds Venli crying, and she tells him that some of the other listeners might be alive, explaining that there was a group led by Thude who refused to take stormform and instead fled Narak the night the everstorm was summoned. When she confesses that she would have had them killed had Eshonai not let them escape, Timbre prompts her to tell Rlain the whole story. She does so, and Rlain draws away from her in anger.

Venli states her intention to escape with her writ from Raboniel and find her people, but Rlain tries to tell her that they need to save the Radiants first. Venli refuses to help, so Rlain storms off after calling her a traitor. Instead, Venli finds Dul and Mazish and informs them that it is time for the group to gather their stores and leave. She plans to use the stir caused by the attempted rescue of the Radiants to cover their escape.

Chapter 97: Freedom

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As one who has suffered for so many centuries … as one whom it broke … please find Mishram and release her. Not just for her own good. For the good of all spren.

For I believe that in confining her, we have caused a greater wound to Roshar than any ever realized.

Navani's work has consumed her to the point where sleeping and eating is a distraction. She obsesses over the tones, the rhythms, the numbers, the patterns. She is seeking an exact opposite of the wave that represents Odium’s rhythm which would nullify it through destructive interference. Finally, the tone is exactly right, and she watches as the sound pushes Voidlight out of its sphere.

She attempts to hide her discovery from those watching her as she seeks a light that would produce the sound. The day after her discovery, Raboniel comes to check on her, asking about the sound that her guards say is so terrible. Initially, Navani manages to deflect Raboniel’s questioning, but as Raboniel goes to leave, she sees the new plates that create the new tone and she tests them. She watches as the sound forces out the Voidlight, and she says she felt the Voidlight in her gemheart respond. Raboniel reviews Navani’s notes while Navani explains what she is doing: Navani believes that Voidlight echoes Odium’s tone, and that by transferring Voidlight from one sphere to another in a vacuum, it will not be able to hear a tone to echo--until it hears Navani playing the anti-Voidlight tone against the new sphere. The experiment works, and the end sphere has a warping to it; Raboniel screams when she touches it, though Navani cannot tell a difference. Navani leaves Raboniel in the room, and soon, as Navani hoped, she hears an explosion as Raboniel tries to mix Voidlight with anti-Voidlight. Raboniel survives and has Navani make another gemstone immediately. Raboniel affixes it to one of the daggers in such a way that it would force the anti-Voidlight outward, not inward, and then uses it to stab her daughter. Raboniel hums as she holds her dying daughter. Navani realizes that this will end the rebirth cycle and that Raboniel didn't want to kill Odium--she wanted to free her daughter. Raboniel takes Navani's notebook, saying that she will make a copy for Navani to keep, but that she needs to do the same for Stormlight. Navani is horrified, but Raboniel says that she has told her all along that her goal was to end the war, and that means killing spren so they can no longer bond more Radiants.

Interludes

Interlude I-10: Hesina

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Plot Summary

Hesina makes notes on the maps Rlain has smuggled to them in the surgery enclosure in the Radiant infirmary. Lirin comes in and discusses her parents with her until the topic causes Hesina to bring up Kaladin. Lirin stiffly defends his attitude towards his son, and the argument grows intense enough that he makes to leave the enclosure. Hesina stops him and, frustrated, tries to point out to Lirin that Kaladin is probably the person they could most want to be a soldier, since there is going to be fighting regardless. When she points to the help in the room that day, all of whom have shash glyphs painted on their foreheads, and asks him what he sees, he says that he sees fools.

In reply, Hesina leads Lirin over to Noril and initiates a conversation between the two of them. Noril tells Lirin that none of the treatment he has ever received from ardents has helped, but the thought of Kaladin does. Hesina asks Lirin to speak with each of the people in the room, asking why they wear the shash glyph and really seeing them.

Interlude I-11: Adin

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Adin is the son of a potter in the tower, and he is determined to be a Windrunner. He knows he has to be brave in order for a spren to choose him, and he's on the lookout for the right moment. He makes his way through the tower with his father toward the shop where his father works, noting a disturbance in the atrium. Once they arrive at the shop, he helps his father with the clay. The shop owner enters and says that the disturbance in the atrium has him worried and that they're going to close the shop today, leaving them to continue to make pots. Once the owner leaves, Adin's father leaves as well, telling Adin to watch the shop. Adin realizes that his father is going to watch over the Radiants, and he asks to go with him, and his father relents.

Interlude I-12: Vulnerable

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Taravangian is having a dumb day, which are apparently increasingly common. He is still trying to figure out how to defeat Odium, but it's increasingly difficult to think. He focuses on Nightblood and what they know about it, which is that it feeds on the essence that makes up all things. Specifically, it feeds on either Stormlight, or the individual’s soul holding the sword if they don't have enough, comparing it to larkin. He thinks about how Odium has a core self, and that while he is intelligent, his humanity means he can be tricked. He realizes that he can't manipulate Szeth into doing what he wants, but he thinks he might be able to get Szeth to come to him during one of Odium's visions. As he thinks on this, he has a vision of Sja-anat. They discuss his condition and how Cultivation is responsible for his, Dalinar’s, and Lift’s gifts. We learned that Taravangian had asked "for the capacity to stop what was coming." Sja-anat doesn't know if that's possible, though she states that, because the mind and the power are not united, it leaves him vulnerable. Taravangian realizes that she seems like she wants Odium to fail, which he finds surprising. He says he wants to draw Odium to him, and Sja-anat says that she will help by sending two corrupted spren to him inside gemstones which should draw his attention. And she leaves.

Part 5: Knowing a Home of Songs, Called Our Burden

Chapter 98: An Unwholesome Shade

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I look forward to ruling the humans.

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Plot Summary

Dalinar walks through the battlefield on the Emuli front with Szeth and several allied generals. He analyzes the battle, remembering the Rift and thinking about Taravangian's advice to stop fighting Odium. After congratulating other groups of victors, the Mink comes to speak with him. They discuss the enemy's tactics before Dalinar again promises to free Herdaz first after they free Alethkar.

Back in the command tent, Sigzil brings Stargyle, Lyn, and Leyten to see Dalinar. Stargyle makes a Lightweaving that plays back a view of what he saw on their scouting trip to Tukar, showing Ishar and his soldiers. Dalinar states his intention to go visit the Herald, telling the Radiants to make one more scouting trip while Dalinar consults with Jasnah.

Chapter 99: Not Bound

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I had my title and my rhythms stripped from me for daring insist they should not be killed, but should instead be reconditioned. Repurposed.

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Plot Summary

Jasnah relaxes in her tent with Wit just after receiving word of the coalition's victory in Emul. She sorts through her notes from interviews with the Heralds, trying to find something to help with the situation at Urithiru, and admits her worry to Wit that Odium can see the future while they can't. Wit replies that they need to make sure Odium can't win even if he is sure not to lose. He presents to her his draft of a contract between Dalinar and Odium, explaining that one of Rayse's weaknesses is that he wants not only to win but to win in a way that shows off his intelligence. Wit states that the contest of champions will be no simple duel, but a matter of the heart of each champion; when asked if she trusts the hearts of those she fights alongside, Jasnah has no answer. She asks Wit who he really is, and he tells her that he is a man who is not bound.

Chapter 100: Watchers at the Rim

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Humans are weapons. We singers revere Passion, do we not? How can we throw away such an excellent channeling of it?

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Plot Summary

Kaladin awakes from his nightmares, disoriented for a bit before remembering that he had tied his own hands to quell his violent reaction from being awoken. The Sibling speaks to him, telling him the enemy had found the final node and were soon going to kill the Radiants before requesting that Kaladin send Rlain down to them. Kaladin wakes Teft, informing him of the situation, and they get dressed in Bridge Four uniforms. Dabbid arrives, and they decide to send him with Rlain down to Navani. After Dabbid leaves, Kaladin tells Teft to run if things go wrong. After pointing out that the Pursuer will be waiting for him, Teft gets Kaladin to promise that he will run too and abandon the tower to the enemy so long as they can escape with as many Radiants as they can.

Chapter 101: Undertext

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I love their art. The way they depict us is divine, all red shades and black lines. We appear demonic and fearsome; they project all fear and terror upon us.

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Plot Summary

Dalinar and Jasnah watch Yanagawn finish his breakfast before sitting at the table for a meeting with him. Jasnah delivers the facts that it would be best to give up Urithiru as a lost cause, pointing out the problems with each strategy that Dalinar proffers. Dalinar and Yanagawn argue in favor of hope, and Dalinar offers to lead a small team there in Shadesmar and open a perpendicularity. He brings up the possibility of recruiting and learning from Ishar, firmly telling them that he is already planning to go himself to Tukar to confront the Herald.

After the meeting, Dalinar promises to let Yanagawn know if they hear anything about Lift and then gives his finished copy of Oathbringer to Jasnah, who asks if she is coming across too strongly while trying to establish herself as a military leader. Despite Jasnah's protests that she will be harsh on a religious text, Dalinar insists that she write an undertext for the book. She accepts, warning Dalinar that her additions will be lengthy and thorough, though respectful.

Chapter 102: Highstorm Coming

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To humans, our very visages become symbols. You find echoes of it even in the art from centuries before this Return.

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Plot Summary

Venli

As Venli and her group of friends wait for an Oathgate transfer to Kholinar, Timbre expresses her disappointment that Venli is abandoning the Radiants. Venli goes to the front of the line to investigate what is taking so long and discovers that Vyre has left, taking the only Blade able to work the Oathgates with him. She convinces everyone that there is a highstorm coming soon, moving them all inside. On the way, Venli determines to smuggle Kaladin and his family out with them; the group agrees that this is a good idea, so she leaves for the atrium.

Navani

Navani, having spent all night listening as the singers discovered the tone for anti-Stormlight, numbly considers her failure in handing such a weapon to their enemies. She paints a glyph for divine direction, contemplating her belief in the Almighty. Moash arrives with the intention of killing Navani, but Raboniel negotiates with him until he agrees to get rid of Kaladin first. Leaving with a sack of sand and a dagger designed to kill a spren as well as instructions to break the final node, Moash halts when Navani calls him a traitor and replies to her coldly. When he leaves, Navani's guard brings her a candle to burn her prayers. After they are burnt, she discovers the dagger Raboniel had used to kill her daughter, still charged with a little bit of anti-Voidlight.

Kaladin

Kaladin strides towards the atrium, determined to live up to his reputation one last time and followed by a crowd of expectant humans and singers. He and Syl reunite near the Breakaway, and they go together to fight the Pursuer. The atrium empties as he arrives, leaving a clear line of sight to the Pursuer, who streaks towards him.

Chapter 103: The Legend You Live

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Watch them struggle. Witness their writhing, their refusal to surrender. Humans cling to the rocks with the vigor of any Rosharan vine.

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Plot Summary

Teft

Teft and Lift covertly make their way to the Radiant infirmary while Kaladin faces off against the Pursuer. Teft distracts the remaining Regal guard so Lift can sneak into the infirmary, then tackles him into the room and subdues him. As Teft seals the door and Lift moves to wake the Radiants, Moash uncovers himself and cuts through Lift's legs with his Honorblade.

Kaladin

The Pursuer streaks forwards to confront Kaladin, and he grabs the Fused in a hold. As they wrestle on the ground, Kaladin begins undermining the Pursuer's confidence by taunting him. He uses Navani's fabrial to slide himself out of Lezian's grasp and draws his scalpel.

Teft

Moash kicks Lift out of the way, then approaches Teft, who draws his knife. Moash feints to give himself room to spread out his sack of black sand before confronting Teft with his Honorblade.

Chapter 104: Full of Hope

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Humans are a poem. A song.

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Plot Summary

Rlain

Rlain and Dabbid are challenged by some guards as they make their way to Navani and the Sibling. The guards don't believe they are delivering water to the scholars once they realize who Rlain is, so they lead the two to their superior for confirmation that they are allowed access to the basement.

Kaladin

Doing his best to project confidence, Kaladin grapples with Lezian's third body. Wrestling on the ground again, Kaladin loudly proclaims that he does not fear the Pursuer because he knows how to face death; the Pursuer, on the other hand, fears Kaladin precisely because Kaladin does not fear him. By pulling out another knife, he tricks Lezian into forming his fourth body.

Venli

Venli makes her way to the front of the crowd in the atrium and watches the contest for a bit before locating Leshwi. As she reaches the Fused, Leshwi points out that Lezian is in his final body and cannot retreat to renew himself because of the pressure of the audience.

Teft

Teft leads Moash on a chase through the infirmary until Moash kills one of the unconscious Radiants. To keep him from attacking Lift next, Teft invites Moash to confront him head-on. Moash easily wounds Teft and sends him to the ground, but Teft stops the next killing blow by straining together with Phendorana and manifesting her partially as a spear shaft. Back up on his knees, Teft prepares to grapple with Moash; Moash instead stabs Phendorana with his anti-Stormlight dagger. Teft, unable to move from the pain and horror of Phendorana's death, tells Moash that he knows he is loved as his former friend first picks him up and then stabs him with his Honorblade.

Chapter 105: Children of Passions

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For ones so soft, they are somehow strong.

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Plot Summary

Kaladin

Kaladin walks towards Lezian and invites him to fight. When Lezian reaches him, Kaladin activates Navani's fabrial and sends him backwards into the window. After waiting for the wounded Fused to extricate himself, Kaladin yells at him to run, and he does. As the crowd chants his name, Kaladin turns towards the infirmary only to see Teft's body drop onto the floor in front of him.

Moash

Moash, after having dropped Teft in front of Kaladin, watches the now insensate Kaladin cradle the body and tells everyone to leave him be. He destroys the final node, then gives a bound Lirin into Lezian's hands with instructions to kill the surgeon should Kaladin somehow recover from Teft's loss. Before leaving again to go kill Navani, Moash explains that Kaladin can now only do one of two things: turn to Odium and give up his emotions or kill himself.

Navani

Navani hears a commotion when the final node is destroyed, leaving the crystal pillar clear to approach. She takes the dagger charged with anti-Voidlight and sneaks towards Raboniel, activating a painrial hidden among the boxes in the corridor on her way. Raboniel tells Navani she should flee, but Navani claims that she cannot abandon the Sibling. She gives Raboniel the dagger and convinces her to wait with her in Navani's room to see if Moash does indeed defeat Kaladin. Raboniel accepts but promptly walks into the painrial trap.

Chapter 106: A Hundred Discordant Rhythms

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For ones so varied, they are somehow intense.

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Plot Summary

Kaladin

Kaladin, clinging to Teft's body, considers all the people he has failed to help and feels his emotions grow numb.

Navani

Raboniel drops the dagger, and Navani grabs it, steeling herself against the pain. She stabs Raboniel, but when the painrial runs out, she realizes the Fused is still alive. Speaking with the dying Raboniel, Navani realizes the whole point of discovering anti-Lights was to find a way to end the war forever. She is suddenly struck in the torso by a knife and looks down the hall to see Moash.

Venli

Venli watches Kaladin grieving and realizes she never felt such deep emotion over her own losses. The Pursuer gives Lirin to Leshwi, who cuts him free and tells Lezian that his legacy is dead. Enraged, Lezian goes to attack Kaladin; Kaladin defends himself viciously, causing Lezian to go through all of his bodies again. They grapple again close to the window, and Kaladin sticks him to the surface with Stormlight. He then Lashes Lezian's head to a spot on the ground, tearing it from his body. Venli fears that Kaladin is coming for her next, but he stalks past her towards the Fused holding Lirin. The Heavenly One panics and flies upwards, pursued by Kaladin. The Pursuer's soldiers move towards the Radiant infirmary.

Kaladin

In a daze, Kaladin chases upwards after the Fused holding Lirin. He follows them to the roof, Syl telling him in his mind that she has forgotten the Words. The panicked Fused pushes Lirin off the tower, and, after climbing to the edge and looking down, Kaladin jumps.

Chapter 107: Uniting

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For ones so lost, they are somehow determined.

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Plot Summary

Navani

Navani stumbles down the hallway, pursued by Moash. Raboniel attacks Moash with the dagger as he walks by, draining his Stormlight. Taking advantage of the distraction, Navani reaches the crystal pillar and speaks to the Sibling; she hears the Rhythm of War in response.

Dalinar

The Stormfather appears beside Dalinar as he flies to Tukar, telling him that Kaladin has jumped from Urithiru into the highstorm.

Kaladin

Syl grips Kaladin's hand as he falls, weeping that she has forgotten the Words. Kaladin, hopeless, whispers that he is not strong enough and lets go of her hand.

Dalinar

Dalinar watches Kaladin fall and asks the Stormfather what they can do. Despite the Stormfather's insistence that they can't help, Dalinar convinces him to give Kaladin more time.

Venli

Venli observes as the humans rush to defend the Radiants against Lezian's troops. Leshwi, having sent a soldier to ask for Raboniel's permission to act against them, calls the slaughter unfortunate. At Timbre's urging, Venli draws in Stormlight and reveals to Leshwi her status as a Radiant.

Kaladin

Kaladin, floating in the dark quietness, speaks with the Stormfather and confirms that although he could say the Words of his next Ideal, they would not mean anything because he doesn't truly believe them. Encouraged by the Stormfather and thinking of Syl, Kaladin makes one last effort. Realizing he is just too weak, he gives up.

Dalinar

Dalinar looks for a way to give Kaladin yet more time, demanding that the Stormfather learn to choose to have compassion. He searches, finding a place of warmth in the Spiritual Realm, and makes a Connection to give Kaladin a vision.

Chapter 108: Moments

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For ones so confused, they are somehow brilliant.

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Plot Summary

Kaladin finds himself in a tent on a battlefield from his time in Amaram's army. Varth walks up to speak with Gor, who tells him that their Brightlord's orders are to hold where they are. Varth directs Kaladin and the other messenger boy to grab spears and get out front, and Kaladin recognizes the scene. He sees Tien volunteer to go with them, and Tien explains to Kaladin that although he had been terrified, he needed to be there to help the others feel brave.

The rest of the vision vanishes, leaving Kaladin and Tien, who now looks fully grown, alone. Kaladin weeps over Teft's death, expressing that nothing matters, since everyone eventually dies. Tien shifts his perspective, telling him that that means that the moments they help each other are what truly matter; instead of focusing on failing to keep Teft alive, Kaladin should think about how lucky they were to have what time they did together. Tien affirms that Kaladin is good and strong enough for him and envisions Odium realizing he has failed to beat Kaladin yet again. After Kaladin asks if the vision is real, Tien gives him a carved wooden horse.

The vision completely disappears, and Kaladin locates Syl among pinpricks of light. Grabbing her hand, he reassures her that he has always known the Words of his next Ideal. He states the Words, addressing the Stormfather, and hears a different, familiar voice accepting them as they reenter the storm.

Chapter 109: Emulsifier

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For ones so tarnished, they are somehow bright.

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Plot Summary

Venli

Leshwi kneels before Venli, overjoyed that the spren have returned to the singers. She asks after Riah, an old honorspren, but Timbre replies that she doesn't know her. Leshwi decides to join the battle going on around them, and her soldiers join her in fighting against the Pursuer's troops.

Navani

The Sibling shows Navani a vision of the fighting going on in the atrium, explaining that they hear the Rhythm of War coming from there. Navani sees Rlain there but, realizing he is too far away to come bond the Sibling, asks the spren to bond her instead. As Moash defeats Raboniel, the Sibling tells her that she is unworthy.

Rlain

Their guards escort Rlain and Dabbid to the atrium to find a battle raging. It ends quickly in favor of the side with the humans, and the two start a triage. Rlain relinquishes command of the triage to Hesina, then follows a group of men over to Teft's body. Rlain mourns Teft with Dabbid and asks after Lift. Then he notices the singers and the humans arguing, so he channels his best Teft and convinces both sides to trust him. He directs the group to gather the Radiants and make for the Oathgates with the hope of escaping to the Shattered Plains. As they start out, Venli confesses to him that she doesn't have a living Shardblade yet and can't operate the Oathgates.

Chapter 110: Reborn

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Radiant.

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Plot Summary

Kaladin

Kaladin Lashes himself downwards through the storm, his Shardplate forming around him, to reach his father.

Navani

Navani remembers Gavilar's words telling her she is not a scholar, and she rejects them as lies. As she pleads with the Sibling to bond her, she begins humming Odium's pure tone and then inverts it to hum the tone of anti-Voidlight, hurting Moash and pushing away the Voidlight in the tower slightly. She tells the Sibling that Honor still lives in men's hearts and begins humming his tone instead; it mixes with the tone of Cultivation that the Sibling is humming, creating the Rhythm of the Tower. The Sibling accepts Navani's bond just as Moash reaches her.

Lirin

Lirin feels himself be slowed to a stop in the storm and opens his eyes to see Kaladin in his Shardplate. Kaladin explains that they both had been right, for themselves, about how to react to the Fused invasion, and then Lirin berates him for cutting the rescue very close. Kaladin discovers the shash glyph painted on Lirin's forehead, and when Lirin uncovers Kaladin's forehead, he finds the glyph there flaking off.

Chapter 111: Unchained

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And so I am not at all dissatisfied with recent events.

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Plot Summary

Dalinar

Dalinar returns from his vision with the Stormfather as he, Szeth, and a group of Windrunners are flying to Tukar. The group hovers over Ishar's pavilion as Sigzil descends to speak with the Herald; detecting no trap, they land and face Ishar. Ishar accuses Dalinar of being Odium's champion despite Dalinar speaking to him reasonably about the other Heralds. As Ishar draws his weapon to attack, Szeth recognizes it as the Honorblade his father had previously held.

Rlain

Rlain waits for those wishing to flee Urithiru to fetch their families while slowly leading the group of rebels through the Breakaway. As a group of Fused and Regals arrive to attack them, he turns to Venli and asks if there are any other Reachers willing to bond singers. Timbre tells Venli that Rlain is spoken for, and Tumi speaks to Rlain, showing him a vision of the future and inviting him to initiate their bond.

Dalinar

The Windrunners do their best to fight Ishar, but the Herald defends himself against the five with ease. When Ishar manages to Connect them to the ground and drain away their Stormlight, Dalinar opens a perpendicularity and tries to reason with him within it. Instead, Ishar begins to transfer the Stormfather's bond with Dalinar to himself. They are saved by Szeth, who cuts the connection between Dalinar and Ishar and collapses the perpendicularity with Nightblood. Ishar tells Szeth how he got his Honorblade back from the Shin, angering him enough that he attacks; when the swords meet, Nightblood chips the Honorblade. Ishar opens a perpendicularity to retreat, but he gains a moment of sanity as Navani bonds the Sibling; he invites Dalinar to come to him in Shinovar and restore his sanity, after which he can help Dalinar. Dalinar and the others watch from the air as Ishar and his forces retreat into Shadesmar.

Navani

Navani and the Sibling create Towerlight together, but Navani realizes they must jettison the Voidlight to return the Sibling's strength. They plan together how to do that, Navani delighted and distracted by all the complex fabrials, until they notice Kaladin coming their direction. Navani contacts him and directs him to the Breakaway instead.

Dalinar

The group from the coalition waits to be sure Ishar is not returning before landing again to inspect his tent. As they wait, Dalinar speaks with the Stormfather about Ishar's Bondsmith abilities and with Szeth and Nightblood about Shinovar and the Honorblades.

Adin

Afraid but still hoping to impress an honorspren, Adin takes his place in the line of defenders with a spear. Despite Dabbid moving to stand in front of him, Adin still finds himself on the ground with a Regal over him moments later. Kaladin's Shardplate forms itself around Adin in time to save him from the Regal, then moves on to form around first Dabbid and then Leshwi in time to save both of them. As the enemy reforms, the Shardplate attaches to Kaladin. Kaladin instructs the Fused and Regals to flee as the Sibling activates all of its fabrials, lighting up the tower; the Radiants wake and the Voidbinders drop unconscious.

Dalinar

Dalinar, Szeth, and the Windrunners enter Ishar's pavilion and find strange corpses that appear to have been experimented on. When the Stormfather recognizes one of the bodies to be a Cryptic, they realize that all of the corpses are from spren in bodies that should only exist in the Cognitive Realm. They find ledgers detailing Ishar's experiments and decide to leave after grabbing everything that looks useful.

Moash

Moash flees the tower as it activates, still feeling shame, pain, and fear since Navani and the Sibling's Towerlight had pushed away his Connection to Odium. He Lashes himself away from the tower but crashes and falls to the snow. Later, some Fused find him and carry him away. As he gets farther from the tower, Odium is able to numb his emotions again and he realizes he is blind.

Chapter 112: Terms

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Roshar will be united in its service of the greater war.

Characters
Plot Summary

Dalinar, Szeth, and the Windrunners return from Tukar just in time to hear news of Urithiru's liberation. After sending a message to Navani and asking to meet with Jasnah and the Prime after the impending highstorm, Dalinar goes to his quarters. As he enters, he walks onto a golden field and realizes that Odium has come to speak with him. As Odium tries to provoke Dalinar into revealing the nature of his relationship with Ishar, Dalinar realizes that Odium is frightened of him and attempts to provoke Odium in turn. Odium looks at the terms Wit has written on Dalinar's behalf and angrily detects the Worldhopper's hand in them. He tells Dalinar that he is incapable of accepting the terms, now that the Everstorm has changed the situation, then explains that his plan has been to use the Rosharans as hardened warriors to fight for him in the cosmere.

Odium expresses interest in making an agreement that day, so he describes his terms: as Dalinar has to give up the idea of Odium restraining the Fused in the event of Dalinar's victory, Odium would give up his designs for Roshar and leave the Rosharan system in the event of his own victory. Dalinar, forewarned by Wit, refuses to make any agreement that will allow Odium to leave the Rosharan system, so they continue to negotiate until they settle on something acceptable, despite Dalinar's horror at the prospect of his failure, to them both: a battle of champions in ten days. Should Dalinar's champion win, Odium will cease all hostilities, return Alethkar and Herdaz to the coalition, and remain bound to the system. Should Odium's champion win, he will still cease hostilities and remain bound to the system, but he will keep what land he has conquered and will gain Dalinar's soul as a Fused.

Chapter 113: Emotion

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And I will march proudly at the head of a human legion.

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Plot Summary

Navani

Navani leaves the pillar and walks back to Raboniel's body in the hallway. She discovers her still alive. Raboniel asks Navani to kill her with another dagger of anti-Voidlight, because her soul has been almost entirely burned away, and any more rebirths would make her insane. Navani does so, with a promise to end the war. She leaves a note on Raboniel's body to keep it from being moved. With the dagger and their notebook, Rhythm of War, Navani leaves to retake Urithiru.

Taravangian

Taravangian wakes up on a dumb day, the dumbest he's ever been. He begins to cry contemplating it. He leaves his bed only when his hunger gets to be too much, and finds a note and two gemstones containing corrupted spren from Renarin in his food basket. The note reads, "I'm sorry." Taravangian begins to eat, but hides in the corner as a highstorm approaches. Szeth breaks into his prison, scaring the guards away. He's there to ask about Taravangian's knowledge of his father and Ishar. As Taravangian pleads, Szeth switches subjects to the murders he committed under Taravangian's orders. Taravangian attempts to run but falls, and Szeth pins him to the wall. Odium approaches. Szeth resolves out loud to kill Taravangian according to his own choice, and pulls out a knife. Odium pulls Taravangian's mind into his realm to interrogate him about his recent failures, and Nightblood is pulled along. Szeth kills Taravangian's body as Taravangian kills Rayse with Nightblood and picks up the power, becoming Odium.

Chapter 114: Broken Gods

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They should not be discarded, but helped to their potential. Their final Passions.

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Plot Summary

Rlain

Rlain, newly bonded to a corrupted mistspren, Tumi, walks with Venli and the listeners she recruited to the Oathgate to the Shattered Plains. Kaladin activates the fabrial and they greet Leshwi and four other Fused who had been transferred earlier. Kaladin offers them asylum if they need it, or if they change their minds. The group of Fused and listeners, aside from Rlain, leave to find the new listeners. Watching them leave, Rlain contemplates the possibility of humans doing again what they did to the Parshendi in the past. He resolves to stay close in order to watch. Rlain and Kaladin leave for Teft's funeral.

Taravangian

Taravangian starts adjusting to the power of Odium. He discovers that Rayse had been weakening for a long time, starting with his battles in the past, then being wounded by Honor, and his failures with Dalinar, Kaladin, and Urithiru. In the Physical realm, Szeth finds Rayse's body in the prison, eaten away by Nightblood, and assumes it to be Taravangian. As Taravangian begins to struggle with his conflicting desires to both save the world and destroy it, he becomes aware of Cultivation approaching.

Kaladin

Teft's body is soulcasted to stone and placed in a room of ancient Radiants given the same treatment after death. All of Bridge Four attends the funeral, drinking and burning prayers to Teft. They go to a tavern afterwards. Kaladin and Syl remain at the statue as the members of Bridge Four drift away and discuss missing Teft and Syl's new feelings. Kaladin hugs the statue and thinks about moving forward and what he would do now.

Taravangian

Taravangian studies future possibilities as he grows more accustomed and capable with the power of Odium. He talks with Cultivation about her gamble in preparing him for this. Having knowledge of the Cosmere at large from Rayse's experiences, Taravangian begins planning to himself to intervene on other worlds, and how to beat Dalinar. He realizes that there are other possibilities Rayse missed. Cultivation offers to teach him to use their powers. Taravangian accepts and resolves to save them all.

Chapter 115: Testament

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Yes, I look forward to ruling the humans.

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Plot Summary

Shallan

Adolin and Shallan, in a room with their three spren, think that Testament looks better since Adolin's talk with her. They use Ala to contact Mraize, and Shallan tells him that, instead of killing Kelek, Veil has reintegrated herself with Shallan. Mraize tries to entice her back to the Ghostbloods with both promises of secrets and threats against her family, but Shallan is adamant and tells him that she will get to Ba-Ado-Mishram before the Ghostbloods can. Before ending the call, she tells Mraize the Ghostbloods had better vacate Urithiru before she returns and gives him messages from herself and from Wit to deliver to Thaidakar when his avatar next visits. Shallan thinks about the other worlds in the cosmere that Kelek had told her about with longing.

Venli

Venli and her group from Urithiru find the listeners on the Shattered Plains. Venli approaches alone; when Thude recognizes her, he at first runs away before he sees Venli draw in Stormlight. The other listeners all look at her with suspicion and hostility, but they allow her into the camp to see her mother. She brings a Reacher with her in the hope that the spren and her mother can bond so Jaxlim's mind can begin to heal, promising Thude that there are hundreds more willing to bond singers. Kneeling before her mother, Venli sings the first song Jaxlim had ever taught her; afterwards, she reasons with Thude about their mutual need for allies. A chasmfiend shows itself, and Venli realizes that that was how the group escaped the chasms the night of the everstorm. Jaxlim suddenly recognizes Venli, and Venli hears a female voice in her mind finally accepting her second Ideal.

Chapter 116: Mercy

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Nearly as much as I look forward to serving you, newest Odium. Who was so recently one of them. You understand. And you are the one I’ve been waiting to worship.

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Plot Summary

Kaladin

Kaladin leaves the gathering after Teft's funeral early to speak with Dalinar. Dalinar tries to say that he had been wrong to relieve Kaladin from command, but Kaladin cuts him off and explains that it does feel like the right thing for him. He asks for permission to continue pursuing the burgeoning field of mental health treatment and receives it. Dalinar tells Kaladin about the contest that is to happen in ten days and asks for him, as a surgeon, to travel to Shinovar and help Ishar so that Ishar can in turn help Dalinar to master his Bondsmith powers. Dalinar returns Wit's flute to Kaladin, explaining that Lift found it in a merchant's bin among other things salvaged from the Shattered Plains.

Lezian

Lezian wakes, angry, back in a body on Roshar after only one day on Braize. He realizes he is in a room with El and asks for the Voidlight in the sphere that El is holding so he can renew his pursuit of Kaladin. El agrees that the Light is for him, tricking him into walking over. In reality, the sphere is anti-Voidlight that has been set into the hilt of a knife; El stabs Lezian with it and permanently kills him.

Kaladin

Kaladin and Syl go to the Breakaway market to search through the merchant's bin where Lift had discovered his flute. After finding some items belonging to Rock and Sigzil, he finds a carved wooden horse that Tien had given him the day they were recruited into the army. Kaladin recounts to Syl how he had lost the horse in Alethkar when he first became a slave. He pays for the horse, then goes to the tavern to keep his promise to Teft and join in the group therapy session.

Dalinar

Dalinar and Navani are spending time alone at the top of the tower at the end of the day. After expressing that he should have known Navani could save the tower by herself, Dalinar brings up the contest and confesses to Navani that he is second-guessing the terms of his agreement. Navani reassures him before people arrive seeking her out to answer some matter about the tower. Dalinar lingers on the tower top, and the Stormfather admits that Dalinar had been right to show Kaladin mercy. Dalinar encourages him to change, and the Stormfather tells him that he has, in fact, shown mercy in the past.

Chapter 117: One Final Gift

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Plot Summary
Fourteen months ago

Eshonai hits the ground of the chasm after her battle with Adolin during the Battle of Narak. After a moment of disorientation, she attempts to climb the chasm wall and manages to get halfway up, but then fails to find proper handholds to continue. Shortly afterwards, the highstorm arrives and the flood rips her off the wall. After being carried in the current and nearly drowning, she manages to pull herself onto a boulder and out of the water.

Realizing that she would die here, Eshonai begins to fight against the influence of Odium and the rhythms of power. The boulder shifts and she falls back into the water, but she summons her Shardblade and rams it into the chasm wall to use as a handhold. While drowning, she hears the pure tones of Honor and Odium and discovers the Rhythm of War. At that moment, Timbre appears to her. She loses her grip and, attuning the Rhythm of War, is carried away. Eshonai continues fighting death until the water slows and she comes to rest at the bottom of the chasm, heavily wounded. She attunes the rhythms of her childhood and closes her eyes to the Rhythm of Victory, only to find herself drifting in the Cognitive Realm.

The Stormfather reveals to her that she had died, but that he accepted her struggle underwater as swearing the First Ideal of the Knights Radiant, and so she would continue to live on as a Cognitive Shadow for a few more minutes. He assures Eshonai that she had not failed in life and then, as a final gift, takes her with him as the highstorm passes over Roshar, so that she could see the world as she had always dreamed. Then the Stormfather wishes Eshonai farewell and she passes into the Beyond.


Epilogue: Dirty Tricks

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Characters
Plot Summary

Wit has left the others and is now at the Pinnacle. He does tricks for an "audience," a group of spren corrupted by Sja-anat, and explains the importance of subtlety in magic tricks and storytelling. Design contemplates that Wit's tricks with a coin don't work that well on Roshar because coins aren't used to trade there. Wit eventually tells Design to go bother someone else and moves to Elhokar's sitting room.

Soon after, Odium arrives, shows his rage at Wit's contract and threatens him. However, Odium also asks Wit what his choice of champion would be, which surprises Wit. As the latter leaves the room and walks in the hallways, he ponders whether or not Rayse is growing more thoughtful. Realizing that Wit might have doubts about his identity, Odium attacks Wit. Odium's voice is thoughtful and soft, and Wit feels true horror as he realizes his enemy isn't Rayse any longer. Odium then destroys some of Wit's memories, held in his Breaths, which isn't in violation of the contract.

Wit regains consciousness in the hallway, unaware of what happened, and returns to Elhokar's sitting room where the scene happens once again, Odium playing the angry brute more convincingly this time. Wit leaves after saying a different quip than the previous time but has trouble whistling, the loss of Breaths preventing him from using perfect pitch. He wonders if something is wrong as the inconsistencies linked to his memory loss piles up. However, he considers that this encounter went exactly as planned.

Endnote

“Burdens, Our Calling.
Songs of Home, a knowledge:
Knowing a Home of Songs, called our burden. ”

—Ketek written by El, Fused scholar of human art forms, to commemorate to restoration of the Sibling

Notes

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