Difference between revisions of "Summary:Rhythm of War"

* [[GerehKalak]]

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Teft thinks about when he first woke up feelingafter being healed by Lift; he had felt 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 regularlyevery ten hours 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.

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

During the [[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 [[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.

* [[Moash]] (point of view)

* [[Szeth-son-Neturo]]

* [[TimbreKaladin]]

* The [[TumiStormfather]]

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

* [[HonorYunfah]] (mentioned only)

* [[AdonalsiumRenarin Kholin]] (mentioned only)

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.

* [[TaravangianOdium]] (point of view)