Summary:The Bands of Mourning

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This page contains a chapter by chapter summary of The Bands of Mourning 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

Waxillium calls to his sister, Telsin, who is sneaking off to town, skipping out on evening recitation. She refers to him by his Terris name: Asinthew. He trails along and she meets up with three others: Kwashim, Idashwy (girls), and Forch, a tall boy who is also a Twinborn and also a Coinshot. They have to sneak by his Grandmother's office. She has been called there for an emergency, so she probably won't be watching. Forch shows very little emotion. Wax has a crush on Idashwy, which seems to be reciprocated. They all head out through the Tin Gate into a different world. Wax learns that a constable is visiting his Grandmother, and he is compelled to return and find out more. He eavesdrops on the conversation. They discuss a recent arson in the Village. The constable warns that arson often covers up other crimes and that she should accept the constabulary's help. She refuses, insisting the situation is in hand. He leaves behind a bullet, infuriating Vwafendal. She catches Wax eavesdropping, and they discuss his progress in the Village. He is having trouble fitting in. He surreptitiously grabs the bullet as he leaves.

Wax meditates in the evening recitation. Afterwards, he asks Tellingdwar about crime in the Village. There was a murder 15 years back. Tellingdwar admonishes Wax to remember that all people are the same, even Terris. Wax goes to bed and tries to read as it starts to rain. He spies some movement outside and decides to investigate. He follows a trail to an old dormitory. After he enters, Forch attacks him. Wax panics and runs the wrong direction, finding himself in another room where a boy is tied down and bleeding. Forch used the escapade with the girls as an alibi. He again attacks Wax, this time Pushing nails at him. Wax tries to swallow some steel, but the pouch is Pushed away, and Forch continues to attack and wound Wax. Wax manages to swallow a little steel and saves himself after being dropped out a window by Forch. He realizes he still has the bullet, so he runs back upstairs and Pushes the bullet at Forch. Forch Pushes back, but Wax releases some of the metal in the bullet, allowing the bullet to fire. It hits Forch in the head. His grandmother and others arrive, and he knows they will hate him for bringing violence into the Village and for being right. He decides that the Village is not for him.

28 years later Wax and Wayne go on a raid with the constabulary. The gang is no match for their combined powers. Wax heads off to his wedding.

Part 1

Chapter 1

As Wax and Wayne go to an awaiting carriage, a man in a brown suit asks Wax for a moment of his time, so he decides to forgo the slow carriage and Push his way there, enjoying his flight across Elendel. He lands on a water tower next to a Survivorist church, where Steris is waiting. He and Steris talk while his valet Drewton helps him shave and change. Steris plans for disturbances and delays, knowing they will come anyway with a man like Wax, and prepares accordingly. Wax is feeling fond of Steris, especially for the way she helped him heal the last six months. The man in the brown suit shows up again and reveals that he is a Kandra. Wax is still mad at Harmony and refuses to meet with him. He is still struggling with killing Lessie. Steris cries tears of joy. As the ceremony begins, Wax starts feeling sick -- going through with this means giving up Lessie. He's not ready, but he refuses to shirk his duty. The water tower outside tips over and crashes into the glass dome. Wax grabs Steris and Pushes away.

Chapter 2

Everything in the church is soaked. There are no serious injuries. The water tower's legs only broke on one side, but it's not clear that it's an assassination attempt. Wax attempts to console Steris, who has anticipated some disruption of the wedding and has booked another church in two months. Wax cannot avoid admitting to her that he is glad it's put off for now.

Marasi looks for Wayne and finally finds him in the kitchen, masquerading as a chef and terrifying the kitchen staff. Marasi shares that the bolts on one side of the tower were loosened. Wayne admits to arranging an accident at the wedding, although he didn't expect something quite so dramatic. Wayne encourages Marasi to go after Wax, but she's not interested any more. Wayne decides to give up on Ranette, who has had a girlfriend for 15 years, and they drink a toast to moving on. The Kandra shows up again and asks Marasi for help since his first choice has rejected him. He asks her what she knows of Investiture and Identity.

Chapter 3

Wax returns home and sees signs of uninvited guests, so he Pushes himself upstairs, Vindication at the ready. It's the Kandra again, who has been invited there by Wayne. He introduces himself as VenDell of the Sixth generation. Marasi and MeLaan are also present. VenDell has asked Marasi for assistance since Wax refused. He is sets up some sort of device that turns out to be a slide projector they call an evanoscope. He says that Harmony wants to allow mankind to struggle in order to "survive what is coming." Marasi suspects this Trell is involved, but VenDell has no further information on that or Lessie's strange spikes. A chart of the Feruchemical powers is displayed on the wall, and they discuss the lesser-known spiritual properties. Research is underway, but difficult, since there are few Ferrings with those abilities. VenDell explains that everyone has a spiritual aspect or Identity, and that Investiture is the power of Allomancy and Feruchemy. So one possibility would be to store (divest) Identity, making them a "blank slate," and therefore be able to use someone else's metalmind. Another possibility is to store Identity and fill another metalmind with some other attribute, creating a metalmind that anyone could use since it isn't keyed to any one Identity. Other possibilities exist, used in combination with Hemalurgy, to give someone extraordinary powers, maybe even the Lord Ruler's. They discuss the Bands of Mouring, the Lord Ruler's metalminds -- objects of mythology that could supposedly grant someone his powers. Another Kandra, ReLuur, took some photographs of murals depicting the bracers on a pedestal, a statue that resembles the Lord Ruler, and other items bearing script of an unknown language. ReLuur returned from his expedition with a spike missing, so it's unclear what he saw and what happened because missing a spike makes a Kandra somewhat insane. The quest is to find the missing spike to save ReLuur and maybe find the Bands of Mourning while they're at it. Wax initially refuses to go with Marasi until he sees another picture of his sister being held prisoner. In broad daylight. With her head that just happens to be facing the camera.

Chapter 4

Two hours later, Wax decides that he must go for his sister. He can go to New Seran under the pretext of attending a political event. Marasi can find the spike. Steris invites herself along because it would look odd to not bring the fiancee along, but Wax is hesitant because of the danger. VenDell comes back with tickets and information and asks Wayne for his bones after he's dead since Bloodmaker's bones are interesting. Wax invites VenDell along, but the prospect of going into the field alarms VenDell, and he refuses. He offers Wax a new earring, but Wax is still angry at Harmony. Wayne heads off on a quest of his own. Using various disguises and trickery, he acquires a notebook for Ranette and gets to her house. He lets her know that he's done chasing her, and they shake hands. He makes a last-ditch effort by suggesting a -- romantic interlude -- with Ranette and her girlfriend, which Ranette sternly turns down. He hitches a ride to the train station and joins Wax and company. They head to New Seran.

Part 2

Chapter 5

As Wax travels through the southern cities, he's surprised by the level of civilization. He opens a package from Ranette that contains three sphere-and-cord contraptions and a shotgun with huge ammunition meant to take down Thugs or Koloss. He witnesses a protest against Elendel oppression at one station. He and Steris discuss the political situation in the Outer cities. Elendel routes the main infrastructure through the city in order to impose tariffs on all trade. Wax discovers that Steris is reading a book about sex. She's extremely embarrassed, but she's also frustrated that no one will answer her questions, so she researched it herself. Steris invites Wax to help her balance some books that are off by three clips, and he resignedly starts to look through a stack of ledgers.

Chapter 6

Marasi reviews the notes that VenDell had given them. ReLuur describes some sort of beast with red skin and strange eyes. She reads a little from Spook's book regarding Hemalurgy. He warns against experimentation because spike placement can cause unpredictable results. Wayne is nearby, chatting with people and learning new accents. He stops by and they talk about how awesome Wax is. Marasi feels like she's in his shadow. She turns back to the papers and finds a pouch with an earring meant for Wax. She walks back to Wax and Steris's room and finds Wax exulting in finding the last error in the ledger. She gives him the papers and pouch and heads to her room to sleep, when she realizes the rest of the train is heading off down the tracks ahead of their car. A man shoots at her.

Chapter 7

Wax notices that their car has decoupled and instinctively begins a steelpush. The bullet is diverted from hitting Marasi. There are some guys on horseback outside. They take off when they realize an Allomancer is on the car. Wax combines his powers to advance their car and reattach it to the main train. He battles the bandits, which worry him because they don't look like common thieves. He tries to restore his metal reserve but finds his vials broken. Steris provides him with three that she has brought along just in case. On one of the cargo cars, the robbers use some sort of gas to chase out the guards and blow open a safe. Wax bandages up a guard, and he relates that the robbers used Allomancy to get in the car. A small metal cube lands near Wax, and his metal reserves vanish.

Marasi is in a firefight with Steris reloading for her. One bandit tries to take a hostage, but Marasi immediately guns him down without thinking. She considers killing such a waste, that society has failed if it has to come to this point. Marasi loses track of Steris -- she has gone somewhere in a very determined fashion.

A really big dude who is also a coinshot brawls with Wax. Wax's punches are ineffectual. He escapes out a window and on top of the car and sees four bandits on another car bearing some large item. The big dude follows up with Ranette's mega shotgun that he's confiscated from Wax's abandoned gun belt. When he shoots from the hip, the gun drops from his hand and he is wounded. Wax desperately tries to get his other vial, but the brute has him pinned down until Steris shows up and fires the shotgun, wounding him. But the kick of the gun throws her off the train.

Chapter 8

Wax gets to a vial and drinks it down, although their is some delay before he can burn steel. He goes after Steris and they both splash into the river they were passing over. He uses one of the ball and cord devices to get back on the bridge after retrieving the shotgun from the bottom of the river. Steris is delighted with the whole adventure. They get back to the locomotive thanks to a big steelpush. The bandits are installing some sort of device. Wax kills the one at the controls, who slumps down on the brake. They are only minutes from the next town.

Marasi is still looking for Steris, comforting hysterical passengers as she goes. One man with a cane is calmly standing in the hall, and she tells him to get back to safety. He opens his hand and Marasi raises her rifle, but the train suddenly brakes. The man takes off, and he has dropped a small cube. Marasi collects it.

Wax shoots several bandits and deactivates and Pushes overboard the "device," which was really just a case of dynamite. The giant Coinshot reappears, and Wax manages to attach a ball and cord device to him, yanking him off the train. There are still several more bandits, and Wax is unarmed. They suddenly stop moving. Marasi has them trapped in a speed bubble.

Chapter 9

At the train station, Wax gets attended to by a physician. The local captain, Constable Matieu, tells him that the robbery was perpetrated by the Nightstreet Gang, a notorious gang in the area. Wax talks to the captain about the gang as he worriedly searches for Wayne. Matieu asks Wax for help in catching the ones that got away, but Marasi reminds him that he already has a task. Wax finally sees moving blue lines and finds Wayne in an empty compartment, hiding in the luggage compartment in the floor. MeLaan is there with him, topless.

Marasi is incensed at Wayne and MeLaan, but Wayne was just "moving on" from Ranette. With the noise from the tracks (and their own noise), MeLaan and Wayne had no idea there was a fight going on. MeLann asks about the attack, and he tells about the cube that acted as a Leecher would. Marasi reveals the cube she got from the guy with the cane. Wax decides to continue on to New Seran despite the unusual attack. Steris is off doing needlework -- something she does when she's really upset. Wax comforts her.

Chapter 10

The group arrives at New Seran on a cargo train and are impressed by the beauty of the city with its waterfalls, terraces, and streams. Their hotel is on a higher tier in the city, and Wax doesn't want to wait for a gondola, so he steelpushes himself and Marasi to the top tier, intending to go back and get the others. As they walk toward the hotel, Wax spies a headline on a broadsheet. One of his old nemeses, Ape Manton, is apparently in New Seran. He starts to investigate, but then turns back, again remembering their primary goal of the trip. For him, it's finding his uncle.

The owner of the hotel introduces the group to their suite. She becomes quite unnerved at their strange behavior (Wax ripping out windows, MeLaan talking about breast size, etc.) and Steris's list of calamities that may befall the hotel while they're there. She insists that the staff be prepared. Marasi and Wayne prepare to search graveyards for the missing spike, while the others prepare to go to the party.

Chapter 11

Wax rides toward the party given by Kelesina Shores. Steris tries to calm his nerves. Wax doesn't want to wait in the long carriage line, so they get out and walk. Steris has prepared a list of conversation starters and people to use them on so they can get information about the Bands of Mourning. Wax grudgingly looks through the book and is impressed by Steris's thorough preparation. He wonders how she had time to do so. They come across a beggar and Wax gives him a bank note. The beggar tosses back a coin as "change." They enter and Wax has to check his weapons.

Wayne and Marasi enter a bank right before closing time. Wayne goes over his plan with Marasi to distract the employees while she searches the ledgers. She interrupts the performance and throws her weight around as a constable.

The banker, a Mr. Eriola, reluctantly hands over the records to Marasi, but only after getting confirmation from Elendel that they are legit. Her plan is to check the deposits of grave workers against their wages to see if there are any irregularities. She finds that apparently all the cemetery workers are crooked, stealing and selling corpses' personal effects. Marasi goes off to "employ" one of the workers.

Chapter 12

Wax notices that little has changed from his youth in the atmosphere at parties. He doesn't miss his guns very much after all because they aren't the appropriate weapons in this political/social battlefield. He goes to order drinks for him and Steris, and he inadvertently tips with the coin from the beggar. The bartender points out that it's a strange coin, and Wax grabs it back, examining it for the first time. It's made of two different metals, has an inscription of a man with one spiked eye, and has the same symbols from the pictures ReLuur took. He discusses the coin with Steris and contemplates looking for the beggar, but he figures that he's probably already gone. Steris suggests they go talk to Lord Gave Entrone as a way to get warmed up. Entrone is interested in archaeology. He does an excellent job of goading Wax by insulting both him and Steris, and Wax handles it poorly. Next he tries to dance with Lady Felise Demoux, but before he's able to, Khriss cuts in. She seems to know a lot about using metals and about Wax's powers in particular. She quizzes him on what happens when he uses his powers in combination, then suddenly breaks off, leaving him a card with an address in Elendel but no name. He tries to figure out who it is, to avail. He's concerned that it's someone from the Set. Wax tries some "seltzer" that has lemon flavoring and lots of sugar. Steris suggests their next target: an informant named Devlin Airs.

Marasi and Wayne pass through the gates of the Seran New District Cemetery, past a statue of the Survivor depicting the moment of his death. They came here because the gravekeeper, Dechamp, is definitely stealing from corpses and this graveyard is the one that handles unidentified bodies. Wayne convinces Marasi that deception would work better in this setting, so Wayne puts together a quick disguise for both of them. Wayne offers a deal to Dechamp and tells about which body he wants that has an item of "sentimental value." They head off to the grave after Wayne makes a payment. Dechamp starts digging up a fresh grave.

Chapter 13

Wax reminds himself that he is here to address the Set itself rather than stopping its lesser minions. So he has to play by their rules -- going to parties and holding his temper. He waits his turn with the informant and shows him the strange coin. He pretends that he's interested in the monetary value of the coin. Devlin has seen them around on the black market. He reports that many of the nobility are involved in some sort of building project involving Allomancers that's been kept very quiet. He warns Wax that a civil war is coming and moves off. Wax finds himself facing Kelesina. Wax pretends to be a novice to put her at ease. Then he baldly asks about the strange coin. She gets very nervous, and Wax continues to act naive about it, but when he asks her to dance, she makes an excuse and leaves the party. Steris arrives and thinks of a diversion so Wax can follow her. She downs an emetic she had brought along in case someone poisoned them and proceeds to vomit on the table.

Marasi wanders around the graveyard while Dechamp digs. She finds a statue of the Ascendant Warrior in the poor person section. She goes back to the grave site, and it appears that he's almost down to the bodies. Suddenly Wayne grabs her and pulls her into the grave. Then she hears gunfire.

Chapter 14

Marasi and Wayne hide in the grave in a speed bubble. Wayne has been shot four times and takes some time to heal. The gunman, presumably from the Set, are firing everything they've got, probably because they know Wayne is a bloodmaker. Wayne drops the bubble, and they wait until the shots stop, then Marasi fires a couple of shots as a diversion. Wayne moves to the other side of the grave and puts up another bubble just as a stick of dynamite comes flying in. He drops it again and they scramble over to a different grave, hoping for the mists and explosion to cover their movement. Wayne then uses a combination of dueling canes and speed bubbles to defeat the gunmen.

Steris is resting in a guest bedroom. The Terris steward watches over her and offers to send for their carriage. The speech is starting. Wax heads out and Steris insists on going along. They start wandering the halls and stare down a servant. Wax is about to scout ahead when Steris offers him a handgun she smuggled in, taped to her thigh. Wax is surprised and impressed.

Wayne searches gravekeeper's shack and finds a hidden cache of booze. The constabulary has arrived, and an Allomancer among them reports no metal in the grave. Wayne also finds a ledger book, and after Marasi looks through it, she has an idea. They have one more task to do.

Chapter 15

Templeton Fig admires his stuffed animal collection as he waits on word from the graveyard. The flames from his fire in the fireplace stop moving. The door of the room opens and the body of Dechamp is deposited onto the floor. Fig is terrified. "Death" taps on his window and demands the return of his spike. Fig says that "they" demanded he recover the spike and send it to Dulsing. The fire moves again, and the constables come.

Wayne takes off his disguise and asks Marasi how "Death" really sounds. Dulsing is a small, remote village, so they are puzzled why the spike got sent there.

Wax continues to prowl the hallways and finds Kelesina's rooms, which are vacant. He overhears some of the speech in which Lord Severington complains against the oppression of Elendel. Wax hears his uncle through a door talking to Kelesina. He gets closer and hears his uncle encouraging Kelesina to continue to try to distract him with side quests. Wax wonders if everything happening recently were distractions set up by his uncle. His voice sounds strange -- "smaller." They are trying to recover the device (metal cube) from Wax. Edwarn finds out that ReLuur might not actually be destroyed. Wax hears the steward coming and Pushes up against the ceiling to hide. She walks past and enters the room with the voices. He drops to the floor and the two women are shocked to see him, but his uncle isn't there! Some sort of box is on table.

Chapter 16

Edwarn's voice is projecting from the box. Wax picks it up and screams at his uncle about his sister. The steward, apparently tapping Pewter, knocks him over and slaps his gun out of his hand, which she uses to shoot Kelesina. The maid is also there, and she starts running around screaming that Wax has killed her. The steward searches then shoots Kelesina again. Wax grabs the box and flees, but she catches up with him and starts to choke him. MeLaan shows up and punches her, freeing Wax. The steward punches MeLaan but gets a mangled hand in return -- MeLaan is wearing aluminum bones. Then she rips off one arm with a sword attached and runs her through. Wax recovers a gold bracelet from the body. He finds Steris hiding in the bushes and takes her away, complimenting her on her work at the party. He realizes that he is attracted to her, and that brings back thoughts of Lessie. He dismisses them and kisses Steris as they soar over the city.

Back at the hotel, Wayne is reading a novel about a rocket ship while Marasi paces. Wax and Steris arrive through a window and they quickly share some of the information they've acquired. They leave in a hurry. The constables are coming for them.

Wayne sits in the dark smoking a cigar. MeLaan asks if he's going to go back to Elendel. It won't look good that the emissary from there (presumably) killed the host of a political rally. Wax hates Harmony because he betrayed him. He decides to head to Dulsing.

Part 3

Chapter 17

Marasi is enjoying the adventure of a stagecoach ride in uncivilized land. She has moved on from Wax, but still admires him. Wax reveals that he was first a "gentleman adventurer" before becoming a lawman. After no success in finding treasure, he turned to bounty hunting and was eventually credentialed. They discuss whether the Bands of Mourning are real. Wax goes back to sleep, so Marasi finishes her report and fiddles with the cube. She finds a tiny switch and flips it, then burns cadmium to see if anything would happen. This causes the stagecoach to lurch because it isn't massive enough for the speed bubble to follow Marasi. She reports that the cube vibrated while she was burning. They decide to stop and experiment with the cube.

Wax plays around with the cube, burning steel, and they figure out that it somehow extends someone's Allomancy. Wax gives it back to Marasi because the cube's ability would be very handy with a Pulser. Wax remembers the gold bracelet and gives it to Wayne, who marvels that it is indeed a gold metalmind that he can use. However, only he -- as a Bloodmaker -- can use it, so it's not definitive proof of the Bands of Mourning, but does suggest that Mr. Suit is using Hemalurgy. MeLaan spots an innocuous-looking roadblock ahead, and Wax decides that they need to proceed on horseback.

They ride in, not encountering any patrols because the guarded area is so large. They come upon a large, nondescript building, guarded by soldiers and still under construction. Wayne tries to figure out a way in, and Steris agrees to stay behind with the horses. Wax and Wayne decide to use the "Spoiled Tomato" plan, which consisted of Wax Pushing Wayne to the building. Wayne lands as quietly as possible (in rocks) and heals before he dies from the fall. The metalmind has tons of healing in it. He eludes some guards and approaches the building. He makes another guard "trip" over a wire, cutting off some floodlights and causing a commotion. Wax, Marasi, and MeLaan join him in the darkness and confusion. They sneak into the building and see a large ship, damaged. They split up: Marasi and MeLaan are to search for the spike, Wax and Wayne for Mr. Suit.

Chapter 18

Marasi and MeLaan creep around and find some finished rooms. They speculate on where the spike could be. MeLaan thinks the Set still has it somewhere because they would want to study it. Marasi sees the limping guy from the train. She suggests they go inside the ship.

Wax and Wayne decide to climb up onto the construction catwalks to get a birds-eye view of the place. They climb a ladder because Wax figures there is a Seeker there, so he can't just Push up. They run into an engineer, and Wayne knocks him out.

Professor Irich shuffles along in the ship, feeling himself die. He thinks of Suit and "Sequence" desiring weapons, but he wants a miracle. His muscles are growing weaker and weaker. He walks through the ship, discussing its secrets with the academics brought in by the Set. The main problem is they don't know how the ship moves. The crew has been tortured, but they haven't revealed anything. He hears a voice call for him, and searches in vain to find the source. He happens upon a cube device that has apparently fallen out of storage compartment. He can now claim that he had recovered the lost cube and get in better standing with Suit. He leaves the ship.

Marasi watches as Irich leaves the ship and enters a room. They wait to see if he comes back out.

Wax wonders about the ship. It doesn't have a mast. How does it move? He sees the limping man come back out of the ship, looking anxious about something. Wax wonders what the girls did in there. He figures that the limping man is an important underling of Suit and will lead them to him. He goes into a different room, set apart from the rest, and sees his sister in there. Wayne restrains Wax, who wants to recklessly go after her, and suggests another disguise using the engineer's clothing.