Difference between revisions of "Summary:Rhythm of War"

* [[GerehKalak]]

* [[Dieno enne Calah]]

* [[Dor (character)|Dor]]

* [[Dieno enne Calah]] (mentioned only)

* [[Dieno enne Calah]]

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 [[Nalthis|"Nalathis"]], [[Scadrial|"Scadarial"]], and [[Taldain|"Tal Dain"]], and at the end the name [[Thaidakar]]. Shallan thinkthinks she will have to break with the Ghostbloods.

* [[Dieno enne Calah]] (mentioned only)

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 blends 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 talkedtalks with Adolin about his battle shock and Shallan's mental stability. Rock tells Kaladin about his departure to his [[Horneater Peaks|homeland]] to face the trials for lifting the bow.

* [[Dieno enne Calah]]

Navani is visiting [[Szeth]] in his cell sixteen days after the test of the ''Fourth Bridge''. She compares the [[black sphere|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 [[honorbladeNightblood|bladeBlade]]; she wants to sink the Blade in the ocean like they'd done to the [[King's Drop|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.

* [[Dieno enne Calah]]

* [[Dieno enne Calah]] (mentioned only)

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 Rnamdi|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, an Edgedancer, as well as 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.

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.

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.

Kaladin is in the clinic, where a [[Alili|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 FusedRegal 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.

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. HeShe 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.

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 [[aviar|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 [[Gereh|man]] in robes who has been killed by a knife and appears to be robbed, missing rings. Mraize, with the green chicken on his soldiershoulder, arrives and says that he has always wanted an excuse to hunt her. Lift takes the red chicken and runs.

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 shethey waswere the spren of one of the Bondsmiths. He touches the gemstone that opens the door, confirming that it will still work once infused.

* [[Dieno enne Calah]]

* [[Dieno enne Calah]]

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, and reveals to her that Lift is an Edgedancer whom Cultivation made to use Lifelight instead of Stormlight. 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 [[Order of Willshapers#The Second Ideal|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.

* [[Dieno enne Calah]]

[[File: Kaladin's ChaptersKholin_Crest.svg|165px125px|center]]

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.

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 [[Neturo-son-Vallano|father]] is dead, and Szeth must give Nightblood to Dalinar. Szeth refuses to do it and leaves, thinking it's only more manipulation.

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 [[Listener#Families|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.

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)|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.

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.

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 [[Wind's Pleasure|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 [[Shallan's mother|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 crypticCryptic. 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.

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#The_Pure_Tones|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.

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 bladeHonorblade 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.

Veil is stunned by the appearance of the highHigh judgeJudge. She asks one of the honorspren why she had been told that the highHigh judgeJudge 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.

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[[stormform]]s 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.

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.

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 [[Cognitive Shadow|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.

=== Chapter 83: The Games of Men and singersSingers ===

Venli, Rlain, and Dabbid make their way to the cells, and Venli uses her [[Surgebinding#Stoneshaping|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.

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[[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 Raysiumraysium 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 (Taldain)|sand]].

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.

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.

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 init to heal herself. The honorspren are appalled at how she could consume so much Stormlight, and they shuffle her from the room.

Adolin arrives for the second day of his trial and takes the stand. As he begins his carefully laid out defense, he is continually interrupted by the honorspren audience, who are doing everything they can to disrupt him with their own accusations. When they bring up Dalinar almost killing the Stormfather and Kaladin about killing Syl, the trial devolves into a full fledged argument. Adolin finally gives up, inviting the honorspren to continue their attack, as it is clear that they have never had honorable intentions in the trial. The audience is initially cowed at his frankness, but their anger reignites when they learn that Adolin knew about the recently killed deadeye crypticCryptic he had seen in Nameless.

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 everstormEverstorm, Venli takes the papers and runs from the room.

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.

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 RadianceRadiants continue. Adolin muses that in the light of this revelation, the Radiant-spren bond will never be the same again.

During the battle[[Battle of Narak]] Venli realizes the danger the Listenerslisteners are in because of her actions in giving them access to the stormform. She tries to get Fariday[[Faridai]] to retreat with her as the humans approach in their direction but then realizes that the Listenerslisteners, 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, andas concludesall the knowledge was given to her by Ulim, and that she is, - and has always been, - a coward.

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 everstormEverstorm 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.

She attempts to hide her discovery from those watching her as she seeks a Light that would express 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 plate that creates the new tone and she tests it. She watches as the sound forces Voidlight out of a sphere, 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 new 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 kill her daughter. Navani realizes that this will end the rebirth cycle and that Raboniel never wanted to kill Odium--she wanted to free her daughter. Raboniel takes Navani's [[Rhythm of War (in-world)|notebook]], saying that she will make a copy for Navani to keep, but that she needs to do the same process with 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.

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 [[Liganor|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.

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." in his meeting with Cultivation. 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. AndThen she leaves.

* [[Dieno enne Calah]]

Dalinar walks through the battlefield on the Emuli front with Szeth and several allied generals. He analyzes the battle, remembering the [[Rathalas|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 Dalinarhe consults with Jasnah.

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.

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 hadhas found the final node and wereare 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.

* [[Dieno enne Calah]] (mentioned only)

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.

The Pursuer streaks forwardsforward 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 NavaniTomor's fabrial to slide himself out of Lezian's grasp and draws his scalpel.

Kaladin walks towards Lezian and invites him to fight. When Lezian reaches him, Kaladin activates NavaniTomor'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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

* [[Moash]] (point of view)

* [[Szeth-son-Neturo]]

* [[TimbreKaladin]]

* The [[TumiStormfather]]

* [[Sja-anatTimbre]] (mentioned only)

* [[HonorYunfah]] (mentioned only)

* [[AdonalsiumRenarin Kholin]] (mentioned only)

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[[Reacher]]s 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.

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 itstheir fabrials, lighting up the tower; the Radiants wake and the VoidbindersFused and Regals drop unconscious.

* [[Dieno enne Calah]] (mentioned only)

* [[TaravangianOdium]] (point of view)

* [[Sylphrena]] (mentioned only)

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 realmRealm, 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.

Teft's body is soulcastedSoulcast 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 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 Cosmerecosmere 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.

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.

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 [[Trailman's flute|flute]] to Kaladin, explaining that Lift found it in a merchant's bin among other things salvaged from the Shattered Plains.

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.

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.

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[[Breath]]s, 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 pilespile up. However, he considers that this encounter went exactly as planned.

{{summaries|stubdone}}