Summary:The Well of Ascension

This page contains a chapter by chapter summary of The Well of Ascension. 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. Each section will include epigraph quote, chapter summary and annotation summary.

Part One: Heir of the Survivor

Chapter 1

I write these words in steel, for anything not set in metal cannot be trusted.

Point of View: Elend, Vin

Elend Venture and Hammond stare outwards from the tops of Luthadel's walls at the eve of their siege. Straff Venture and his fifty thousand estimated soldiers have Elend worrying the Assembly will surrender the city to avoid bloodshed. Breeze has disappeared too and Elend is unsure where Vin is.

Vin skulks through the streets to meet OreSeur. Having her suspicions of being followed deflated she suggests returning to the wall, just before a hail of steel Pushed coins hurtle towards her.

Chapter 2

I have begun to wonder if I am the only sane man left. Can the others not see? They have been waiting so long for their hero to come - the one spoken of in Terris prophecies - that they quickly jump between conclusions, presuming that each story and legend applies to this one man.

Point of View: Vin

Vin is ambushed by a group of eight allomancers, consisting of thugs, a coinshot, a lurcher, a smoker and a mistborn. She battles and defeats them with minor assistance from The Watcher, though she has to use her last bead of Atium. OreSeur is gravely injured with broken bones, but Vin doesn't allow him to take one of the bodies of the foes she has just slain.

Chapter 3

My brethren ignore the other facts. They cannot connect the other strange things that are happening. They are deaf to my objections and blind to my discoveries.

Point of View: Elend, Vin

Elend works on a proposal to the Assembly, to prevent them from taking any actions that he feels are rash, before he can parlay with Straff Venture.

Vin watches him from the outside of his palace, while also keeping an eye out for threats. She senses allomantic pulses that seem to be distant, but turn out to be caused by a figure made out of mist that is standing near her on the rooftop. The mist figure vanishes when Vin uses steel to push coins at it.

Vin joins Elend, and tells him of the Watcher, and the mist figure. Vin and Elend discuss the proposal to the assembly.

Hammond arrives, and tells Elend and Vin that the allomancers that Vin killed were sent by Ashweather Cett, a king from the Western Dominance.

Chapter 4

Perhaps they are right. Perhaps I am mad, or jealous, or simply daft. My name is Kwaan. Philosopher, scholar, traitor. I am the one who discovered Alendi, and I am the one who first proclaimed him to be the Hero of Ages. I am the one who started this all.

Point of View: Sazed

Sazed examines the body of a deceased skaa in a village in the Eastern Dominance. Teur tells Sazed that he witnessed daytime mists, and that Jed was standing in some mist, and he began to jerk and twist as if being shaken by something strong, then collapsed and died. Sazed searches his medical coppermind for more information about possible causes of death, due to the suspicious circumstances, but accepts disease as the explanation.

Sazed performs HaDah funeral rites and buries Jed. He stays at the village to teach them to be self-sufficient.

Chapter 5

And I am the one who betrayed Alendi, for I now know that he must never be allowed to complete his quest.

Point of View: Vin

Vin walks through the streets of Luthadel, and reflects on the bustle of the market caused by the siege, on her childhood, and on whether she is a noblewoman. She walks alone heading for the livestock pens but soon is followed by members of the Church of the Survivor, who see Vin as the "Lady Heir", an important leader of their religion, and who ask for her protection and blessing. Vin is flustered by the attention, and rushes away to find solitude from them. She then purchases a wolfhound to be used as OreSeur's new body which she brings to him, though OreSeur protests not being given a human body to use. Vin receives a shipment of duralumin from Terion, a master allomantic metallurgist.

Vin joins Elend in his study. Dockson is also there, having recently returned from a trip to Terris, but he leaves to attend other business. Vin and Elend discuss having OreSeur accompany Vin on her patrols in his new canine form, and about how Elend and Kelsier are different. Hammond shows up and Vin talks about the duralumin alloy that she received, and that she thinks it is important to discover the proper alloy of aluminum, so that she might gain an allomantic advantage in the future. She burns some duralumin, but isn't able to determine its allomantic use, though she also doesn't suffer the side effects of an improper allomantic alloy either. Hammond invites Vin and Elend to spar, but only Vin accepts, while Elend elects to watch instead.

Chapter 6

I write this record now, pounding it into a metal slab, because I am afraid. Afraid for myself, yes - I admit to being human. If Alendi does return from the Well of Ascension, I am certain that my death will be one of his first objectives. He is not an evil man, but he is a ruthless one. That is, I think, a product of what he has been through.

Point of View: Elend

Vin duels with Hammond using staves, and agrees to only burn pewter. Elend watches, along with Clubs, and Spook, and Clubs coerces Elend to bet on Hammond to win, while Clubs and Spook each bet on Vin. As they watch the fight progress, they discuss the siege and rumors that are spreading about an atium cache in Luthadel. Vin uses her dexterity to triumph over Hammond.

Vin and Elend go to her rooms in the palace, and find OreSeur has finished his replication of the wolfhound. Vin takes her kandra out for a walk.

Chapter 7

I am also afraid, however, that all I have known - that my story - will be forgotten. I am afraid for the world that is to come. Afraid that my plans will fail.
Afraid of a doom worse, even, than the Deepness.

Point of View: Sazed

Sazed teaches rural skaa various skills, including writing, farming, governing and medicine, at the behest of the Synod, the Terris governing body. He feels restless, and thinks there are more mysteries to solve even after the Lord Ruler's death.

Marsh appears at the village, having somehow traced Sazed's presence, and urges Sazed to accompany him to the Conventical of Seran, a stronghold of the Steel Ministry, so that they can search through its archives for valuable information while it is vacated. Marsh reiterates the tale that mists are coming during the day. Sazed agrees to his request to follow him.

Chapter 8

It all comes back to poor Alendi. I feel bad for him, and for all of the things he has been forced to endure. For what he has been forced to become.

Point of View: Vin

Vin patrols the city, and OreSeur demonstrates a fair propensity for keeping up with her. She spies the Watcher, and sets out to chase him. During the chase, she accidentally discovers the allomantic use for duralumin, since she burns it while burning another metal, tin. While she was temporarily disoriented due to sensory overload, OreSeur catches up to her, bringing her abandoned metal vial, and the Watcher approaches her to talk, asking why she fell down, and if she had really slain the Lord Ruler, and why she "plays their games", indicating Elend's keep. He tells her he is an insane enemy and departs, and Vin lets him leave without incident, to OreSeur's disgust. Vin asks OreSeur to carry metals for her, and he obliges, opening a cavity in his shoulder for a vial.

Chapter 9

But, let me begin at the beginning. I met Alendi first in Khlennium; he was a young lad then, and had not yet been warped by a decade spent leading armies.

Point of View: Sazed

Sazed and Marsh journey to the Conventical of Seran. Marsh says that Sazed belongs in Luthadel helping Elend and Vin and the others, and that their work supercedes the task that Sazed has been performing in spreading knowledge to the rural areas and that Sazed should go to the capital city when they finish their work at the Conventical. Sazed states that he already sent help but Marsh counters that it is not enough, and Sazed silently agrees with this assessment.

Chapter 10

Alendi's height struck me the first time I saw him. Here was a man who towered over others, a man who - despite his youth and his humble clothing - demanded respect.

Point of View: Vin

Vin and Hammond guard Elend at an Assembly meeting. Elend gives a speech about the army sieging Luthadel, and proposes that negotiations with Straff be attempted before any further votes by the Assembly regarding the disposition of the city are taken. The Assembly accepted his proposal by meeting a two-thirds majority in favor.

Vin notices there is a Terriswoman in the audience, and tells Elend that she never met this woman before, which is unusual since Vin thinks all the other Terris visitors to the city seek out Vin to thank her for freeing them from the Lord Ruler's tyranny.

A messenger arrives, telling Elend and Vin that a second army is now outside Luthadel.

Chapter 11

Oddly, it was Alendi's simple ingenuousness that first led me to befriend him. I employed him as an assistant during his first months in the grand city.

Point of View: Elend, Vin

Elend, Clubs, Vin and OreSeur stand atop the city wall, scouting Cett's army. They notice a rider leaving the army and Vin realizes it is Breeze trying to reach sanctuary in Luthadel while being pursued by archers. Vin uses a duralumin steel-push to intercept the pursuers, buys time for Breeze to escape, then uses another duralumin steel-push to scatter her foes.

Breeze explains that he was one of Cett's advisors, and that he contrived to have Cett attack Luthadel to force a standoff between the two invading armies, and improve Elend's bargaining position.

Guards in the palace find two skeletons that were left behind by kandra, including a very fresh set of bones, and Vin realizes that a kandra is probably impersonating one of Elend's inner circle.

Part Two: Ghosts in the Mist

Chapter 12

It wasn't until years later that I became convinced that Alendi was the Hero of Ages. Hero of Ages: the one called Rabzeen in Khlennium, the Anamnesor.
Savior

Point of View: Sazed

Sazed and Marsh arrive at the Conventical of Seran. They explore the building, and Sazed stores his observations in a coppermind. They find the remnants of a massacre.

Marsh asks Sazed for privacy and goes to the Inquisitor's quarters. Sazed explores elsewhere and finds a descending set of stairs that he follows. Sazed finds a chamber that was used to make new Inquisitors. Exploring further, he finds a steel plate with engravings in an old Terris dialect which he is able to decypher without difficulty as being written by a Terrisman named Kwaan, who had first proclaimed Alendi to be the Hero of Ages, before realizing that he had to stop Alendi from finishing his quest.

Marsh tells Sazed that he isn't able to find anything important left behind by the Inquisitors, but Sazed states that he needs to make a record of the engravings, and takes charcoal rubbings of them.

Notes: The engravings on the steel plate that Sazed found comprise the text of the epigrams at the start of each chapter.

Chapter 13

When I finally had the realization - finally connected all the signs of the Anticipation to Alendi - I was so excited. Yet, when I announced my discovery to the other Worldbringers, I was met with scorn.
Oh, how I wish that I had listened to them.

Point of View: Vin, Elend

Vin notices that the mists are coming earlier. OreSeur does not notice, nor think it strange, but will do so if Vin commands it: she does not. Vin then proceeds to question OreSeur about Kandra society. OreSeur replies that the infiltrating kandra will be fulfilling his Contract. He scoffs at the idea of the kandra being a rogue, saying that no kandra is allowed to enter human society without a Contract. OreSeur states that Kandra cannot be affected by mental Allomancy, nor can they use Allomancy. However, he refrains from commenting on why a Kandra should be kept away from Inquisitors and the Lord Ruler. Vin tries to learn more about OreSeur personally, but he does not answer her questions, and she does not command him.

Vin burns bronze. She feels the same odd pulsing that she felt in Chapter 3. She decides to face her fear of the mist spirit. She finds the spirit on the third floor of an apartment block, with prime vantage point to overlook Vin and OreSeur's prior conversation. Vin yells at the mist spirit, but it merely steps forwards and dissipates. She feels cold grab her arm and a pain pierces Vin, running from her ear (presumably the one with the earring) to her mind, causing her to fall from the window. She flares tin and pewter to ease her fall. Vin begins to fear the mists.

Elend organises a meeting with the 'old crew'. The crew have come up with a solution to form an alliance with one of the two armies surrounding Luthadel. Elend does not like the idea, especially considering that he would be left with a guilty conscious. Instead he recommends sabotaging the food supplies, then set the two armies against each other, liking the three-way stalemate to politics. The crew decide to go ahead with Elend's 'foolhardy' plan.

A Terriswoman is ushered into the room, caught eavesdropping. She wishes to speak to Elend alone. She is a Keeper and Feruchemist.

Chapter 14

And yet, any who know me will realize that there was no chance I would give up so easily. Once I find something to investigate, I become dogged in my pursuit.

The Terriswoman's name is Tindwyl, an acquaintance of Sazed. Her coppermind specialty is biographies - the has studied the lives of great men. She has come to (forcibly) tutor Elend in the arts of being regal. Vin immediately distrusts her.

Chapter 15

I had determined that Alendi was the Hero of Ages, and I intended to prove it. I should have bowed before the will of the others; I shouldn't have insisted on traveling with Alendi to witness his journeys.
It was inevitable that Alendi himself would find out what I believed him to be.

Eight days after leaving the Conventical, Sazed finds himself alone. At the village of Urbene, Sazed finds the bodies of the skaa villagers. They had died from starvation and dehydration. Sazed finds a man still alive, though close to the brink of death. The man is too scared to go outside as there is mist appearing during the day. Some who tried to leave ended up dead from violent shakes (almost like an epileptic fit). Others survived, either untouched by the mists, or had a seizure, but were still alive. The man walks over to a corpse and starts eating it. Sazed uses a pewtermind to pick up the man and take him outside. Once outside the man runs away. Sazed retrieves his bag, pulling out a steelmind, using the stored speed to get to Luthadel faster.

Chapter 16

Yes, he was the one who fuelled the rumours after that. I could never have done what he himself did, convincing and persuading the world that he was indeed the Hero. I don't know if he himself believed it, but he made others think that he must be the one.

Vin pulls apart Alendi's logbook, looking for references to the mist spirit and the Deepness. She realises that the mist spirit watching her was the same one the followed Alendi around. However, Alendi's logbook gives little information regarding the creature, and The Deepness.

Elend stands atop the city's walls, looking down at the invading armies 'digging in'. He is met by Clubs on the wall, where they discuss Elend's ability to lead. Clubs was sent by Tindwyl to tell Elend to meet her.

Tindwyl tries to fix up Elend's appearance. She gives him a uniform, and despite his objections, cuts his hair so he looks like a military man and warrior. He is to wear nothing else but this uniform until the end of the war. He is also given a crown to wear, a symbol of authority. Captain Demoux arrives bearing news from Ham that a messenger has arrived from King Straff Venture.

Chapter 17

If only the Terris religion, and belief in the Anticipation, hadn't spread beyond our people.

Point of View: Vin

Vin starts taking notes on the logbook but she is interrupted by Elend, who says there is a messenger from Straff Venture. Vin, Elend and OreSeur go to meet the messenger, who turns out to be the Watcher, and he identifies himself as Zane and states that Straff would be willing to host a meeting in his own camp, to which Elend replies that he will think about it.

Vin and OreSeur go on patrol, and Vin tells OreSeur that she didn't reveal that she had been sparring with Zane to Elend so as not to worry him even though she did tell Elend that Zane was Mistborn. Vin senses Zane and goes to confront him, and they end up in a steel-pushing contest at Keep Hasting. Zane tells Vin that they as Mistborn belong in the mists, not with the nobles, then leaves.

Vin wonders if she can get Zane to turn against Straff.

Chapter 18

If only the Deepness hadn't come when it did, providing a threat that drove men to desperation both in action and belief.

Point of View: Zane

Zane watches Elend secretly, and listens to a voice inside his head saying to kill him, though he is Zane's half-brother. He ignores the voice and returns to his camp after retrieving a message from a spy he employs in Elend's palace.

Zane reports to Straff that he is gaining Vin's trust but isn't sure if she has a stash of atium. A serving girl tries to poison Straff with tea, but fails and she is ordered killed. Straff drinks the tea but after dismissing Zane, has one of his mistresses provide a general poison antidote.

Chapter 19

If only I had passed over Alendi when looking for an assistant, all those years ago.

Point of View: Sazed

Sazed gets rid of an empty steel metalmind that he used to travel quickly, and estimates he has one week of normal walking to reach Luthadel, but he encounters an army of koloss. As he spies on them, he doesn't see a patrol that detects him, and they take him captive. Sazed is taken to the leader of the koloss, Jastes Lekal, who orders Sazed to become his steward. Sazed declines, stating he has urgent business in Luthadel. Jastes allows Sazed to leave, and says to tell Elend that he will ally his army with Elend and that he will help fight off the other two armies, and coexist peacefully in the capital city.

Chapter 20

It wasn't until a few years later that I began to notice the signs. I knew the prophecies - I am a Terris Worldbringer, after all. And yet, not all of us are religious men; some, such as myself, are more interested in other topics. However, during my time with Alendi, I could not help but become more interested in the Anticipation. He seemed to fit the signs so well.

Point of View: Vin, Elend

Elend, Dockson, Hammond, Clubs and Breeze discuss Elend's plan to parlay with Straff in his military camp as Vin, Tindwyl and OreSeur observe. Elend states his plan is to play Straff and Cett against each other.

Dockson states the Assembly wishes to discuss an issue with Elend regarding counterfeit coins, but Elend says he has more important matters to attend to.

Vin thinks about the impostor, and uses bronze to eliminate Breeze as a suspect, since he is soothing Elend's emotions.

Tindwyl lectures Elend on various mannerisms that he needs to change to rule his kingdom properly.

Lord Cett's daughter arrives in Luthadel seeking asylum, and asking for Breeze.

Chapter 21

He was born of a humble family, yet married the daughter of a king.

Point of View: Elend

Allrianne Cett arrives in the palace, and hugs Breeze, to the surprise of Elend and Hammond. Elend offers her hospitality, and she leaves to wash up.

Vin appears, and Dockson proposes that Allrianne be taken hostage or at least be used as a bargaining chip with Lord Cett.

Chapter 22

He could trade words with the finest of philosophers, and had an impressive memory. Nearly as good, even, as my own. Yet, he was not argumentative.

Point of View: Vin

Vin sits in night mists, fretting over her losing control over changing circumstances. She prepares a trick to check if Hammond is an imposter, by having OreSeur startle him while he is on his patrol route while she uses bronze to see if he burns pewter, which he does. Vin tells Hammond that she is out of atium and asks for tips on fighting a mistborn, and he tells her of two possible methods to win, by either surprising the enemy or setting an unavoidable trap.

OreSeur confirms that Vin's methods will help eliminate suspects in her search for the impostor. Vin tells OreSeur that she resents that he was the only one who know about Kelsier's suicidal plans and that he kept those plans secret because he was following his contract. Vin gets OreSeur to open up about his feelings at being feared that he will break his contract to kill and impersonate his masters, and that Vin had similar feelings when she was in thieving crews. Vin tells OreSeur that he can overcome his mistrust because their crew is trustworthy but OreSeur disagrees because he thinks that no one can trust kandra due to their nature and abilities, even with the contract.

Their discussion is interrupted by the sound of footsteps, and Vin and OreSeur find that Sazed has returned to Luthadel.

Chapter 23

The Terris rejected him, but he came to lead them.

Point of View: Elend, Sazed

Sazed tells Elend, Vin, Hammond, Breeze, Dockson, Clubs and Spook about the twenty thousand koloss in Jastes' army. They discuss contingency plans to deal with alternate possibilities when the third invading army shows up at Luthadel. Sazed also states there is something wrong with the mists, and that they may present a great, though undefined danger, and that they are killing people. Sazed reveals that he will be staying in Luthadel to find out more information about this problem.

Sazed goes to his guest quarters, and encounters Tindwyl. They discuss Elend, and Sazed's ignoring his orders to teach to return to Luthadel. Sazed stands his ground, and reminds Tindwyl that he was right about disobeying the Synod to help defeat the Lord Ruler.

They share a personal moment and Tindwyl departs.

Chapter 24

He commanded kings, and though he sought no empire, he became greater than all who had come before.

Point of View: Vin, Zane

Vin stands watch from her guard post outside Elend's balcony. She burns bronze and detects the mist spirit, as well as a distant source of allomantic power, and reads a page from the logbook that describes a similar mysterious source of allomancy in the Terris mountains.

Zane looks for Vin at Keep Hasting, but she is not there so he searches further and finds her at Keep Venture. He watches her unseen, but she is able to discover him somehow.

Zane asks Vin why she doesn't do anything that she wants to now that she has the power, and she replies that she is mature enough to not abuse her abilities. Zane asks what Vin would do if there were no repercussions and she replies that she would kill the enemy armys' leaders. Zane tells her that they are both tools, but that they could be freed if they help each other, and leaves.

Chapter 25

He fathered no children, yet all of the land became his progeny.

Point of View: Vin, Elend

Vin is invited by Tindwyl to go shopping for a dress to wear for her meeting with Straff Venture, and they are accompanied by Allrianne, Spook and OreSeur. Tindwyl confronts Vin about her relationship with Elend and her refusal of his marraige proposal. Tindwyl encourages Vin to speak briefly to a crowd of members of the Church of the Survivor who gather outside the dress shop.

Vin hears warning drums and rushes to the city wall to help fight off Straff's invading army. Elend's soldiers are ill-prepared, but the attack is a feint to test the city's defenses and is called off quickly.

Chapter 26

He was forced into war by a misunderstanding - and always claimed he was no warrior - yet he came to fight as well as any man.

Point of View: Vin, Elend

Vin and Elend meet with Straff Venture in his military camp to parlay. Elend offers an alliance to Straff to fight off Cett's army before allowing Straff to take Luthadel so that Elend can become heir again, but Straff refuses, until Elend tries to bluff and offer up the supposed atium cache. Straff asks to speak with Elend alone, and everyone else clears out of the dinner tent.

Chapter 27

He was no simple soldier. He was a force of leadership - a man that fate itself seemed to support.

Point of View: Elend, Vin, Straff

Straff and Elend parlay, Elend stating that Straff can't win without his help, but Straff states that he already has a treaty with Cett, and that he would only agree to Elend's demands if Elend accompanies Straff to the city walls and surrenders the city. Elend refuses, and Straff calls for his soldiers to kill Elend. Elend warns Straff that he would not survive if Elend is killed, but Straff counters that he has his own mistborn for protection. As Vin listens to the exchange from outside the tent, Zane appears.

After letting Elend and Vin leave, Straff ponders why he did that, and on how powerful Vin is, and on the intelligence gathered by his kandra spy. Straff changes his plans and orders Zane to kill Vin. Zane agrees, but says he will need allomancers to assist him. Straff agrees to send his half-skaa misting children to help.

Elend and Vin discuss their successful bluff against Straff as they return to Luthadel. Elend receives a note from the Assembly stating that they held a vote of no-confidence, and that Elend is no longer king.

Part Three: King

Chapter 28

He left ruin in his wake, but it was forgotten. He created kingdoms, and then destroyed them as he made the world anew.

Point of View: Vin, Elend

Tindwyl berates Elend for writing the legal code that allows the Assembly to depose the king. Dockson states that Elend should maneuver around the Assembly's vote to retain his throne, and Clubs and Tindwyl urge Elend to use martial law to retain control, but Elend declines to do so. Elend reviews the laws to find a way to regain his throne. Tindwyl advises Elend to not be distracted by Vin.

Chapter 29

There were other proofs to connect Alendi to the Hero of Ages. Smaller things, things that only one trained in the lore of the Anticipation would have noticed. The birthmark on his arm. The way his hair turned gray when he was berely twenty and five years of age. The way he spoke, the way he treated people, the way he ruled.
He simply seemed to fit.

Point of View: Vin

Vin and OreSeur are at Keep Hasting, and discuss Vin's insomnia and Zane's poor character. OreSeur states he does not want to change bodies too often. Vin has a flash of insight about the Deepness.

Chapter 30

but, I must continue with the sparsest of detail. Space is limited. The other Worldbringers must have thought themselves humble when they came to me, admitting that they had been wrong. Even then, I was beginning to doubt my original declaration.
But, I was prideful.

Point of View: Sazed

Sazed transcribes the rubbings that he took at the Conventical of Seran. He realizes that he could spend years studying and analyzing this document.

Vin uses Sazed's window to enter the palace. She reads the transcription and asks what the Deepness is. Sazed replies that there are various theories about the nature of the Deepness, but no concrete explanation. Vin postulates that the mists are the deepness, and that permanent daytime mists could lead to famine due to lack of sunlight. She tells Sazed that she saw the same creature that was following the Hero of Ages. She also speculates that the Hero of Ages may need to return to deal with the mists, though Sazed disagrees with her conclusion. Sazed speaks of how his participation in the rebellion endangered the Keepers, and how he continues to defy the Synod. Sazed talks of Tindwyl's life as a Terris breeder, and that she has over twenty children, which all carry the feruchemy genetics to continue their line, without the Ministry's knowledge.

Chapter 31

In the end, my pride may have doomed us all.

Point of View: Philen Frandeu, Elend, Vin

Philen waits for an Assembly meeting to begin. Elend appears just as the meeting is starting, accompanied by Vin, Breeze, Hammond, Clubs, Spook, Dockson, OreSeur, Tindwyl and Sazed. Elend nominates Lord Ferson Penrod to be the Assembly Chancellor to preside over the meetings in the absence of a king, and the motion passes. Elend addresses the Assembly about his meeting with Straff, stating that Kelsier's legacy in the person of Vin will keep him from attacking the city and incurring her wrath. Elend also states that he is disappointed about being deposed but isn't going to argue to be reinstated. Elend then brings up the issue of nominating a new king. Penrod and Elend receive nominations, as well as Lord Cett, who turns out to be among the onlookers.

Chapter 32

I had never received much attention from my brethen; they thought that my work and my interests were unsuitable to a Worldbringer. They couldn't see how my work, studying nature instead of religion, benefited the people of the fourteen lands.

Point of View: Vin, Elend

Lord Cett addresses the Assembly on why he believes he should be voted into office as king. He argues that his army along with Elend's can hold off the other invaders and that he would rule well and make sure that all the Assembly members were rewarded for supporting him. Cett is allowed to enter the city and take occupancy of one of the abandoned keeps, accompanied by one thousand of his soldiers for protection, and the meeting is adjourned.

Cett's son, Gneorndin Cett, approaches Elend to invite him to parlay, and Elend agrees to do so in one week's time.

Chapter 33

As the one who found Alendi, however, I became someone important. Foremost among the Worldbringers.

Point of View: Vin, Elend

Vin silently wonders if she is the true Hero of Ages, and expresses frustration over the vagueness of the Terris prophecies to OreSeur.

OreSeur inadvertently reveals that the kandra have a religion, surprising Vin who believes that the Lord Ruler destroyed all independent religions during his reign. OreSeur speaks of kandra prophecies that state that humans will kill themselves off since they are of Ruin, while kandra are of Preservation. OreSeur also speaks of a bond between the kandra and the koloss.

Elend investigates a case of mass illness which reveals that one of the city wells that provides drinking water is poisoned, and Elend has Hammond provide soldiers to assist the ill.

Vin and OreSeur go to the palace library to investigate the possibility that Dockson has been replaced by an impostor kandra. She asks Dockson to recall and comment on a random conversation that they had almost two years ago to test his memory and personality for changes. Dockson says that his opinion of the nobility has changed to a more moderate position, and Vin feels confident that his answer proves he isn't the impostor, and that she sees how guilt has changed his formerly more care-free personality.

Vin tells OreSeur that she thinks Dockson is genuine, but OreSeur counters that a kandra could be capable of this degree of impersonation since they are experts at it.

Vin sees a suspicious figure in the palace courtyard, who turns out to be Captain Demoux, and follows him briefly, thinking that she has found the impostor, but deciding to plan before making any accusations.

Chapter 34

There was a place for me, in the lore of the Anticipation - I thought myself the Announcer, the prophet foretold to discover the Hero of Ages. Renouncing Alendi then would have been to renounce my new position, my acceptance, by the others.
And so I did not.

Point of View: Elend, Vin, Zane

Elend, Hammond, Sazed, Tindwyl and a former obligator named Noorden are perusing books to plan a strategy for dealing with the Assembly and keeping Cett from being appointed king. Elend states that it is inevitable that Cett will be appointed king and that he should have allied with Cett earlier since it seems that is the popular opinion, but Sazed says that Elend should focus on his own opinion and not the public's.

Vin enters the library and mentions the poisoned well, but Elend responds that he is already aware of it. Vin starts feeling insecure about Elend and hears Reen's voice telling her to leave Elend before he does the same to her.

Vin hears a noise outside, and goes to investigate, finding Zane. They go to the roof of the keep.

Zane attacks Vin, and she realizes that he is burning atium.

Zane stops the attack, and asks if Vin really has no atium, and she replies that she used her last bead against Cett's assassins. Zane says that Straff wants him to kill her but that he would rather take her away with him, and that he is Elend's half brother. Zane also mentions that the koloss are a day outside of Luthadel, then leaves.

Chapter 35

But I do so now. Let it be known that I, Kwaan, Worldbringer of Terris, am a fraud.

Point of View: Vin, Elend

Vin tries on her new custom-fitted mistborn gown. Tindwyl states that Elend must try to stand on his own without assistance.

Vin and Elend go to meet Cett in Keep Hasting. Over dinner, Elend and Cett discuss Breeze and Allrianne's departure from Cett's camp, and Elend's empty threats to harm Cett's daughter. Cett outlines his plans for Luthadel if he takes the throne. Cett also offers food for the atium cache but Elend states it hasn't been found after a diligent search. Vin wonders why Cett doesn't conceal his allomancers. Cett lets Elend leave since he isn't a valuable hostage.

Chapter 36

Alendi was never the Hero of Ages. At best, I have amplified his virtues, creating a Hero where there was none. At worst, I fear that all we believe may have been corrupted.

Point of View: Sazed, Breeze, Vin

Sazed offers comfort to a newly arrived group of refugees who are being housed in an arms warehouse. Tindwyl asks Sazed to show her the rubbing that he made at the Conventical of Seran.

Breeze uses his allomancy to soothe everyone - the refugees, Sazed and Tindwyl. He feels justified that he is using his powers wisely. Breeze reflects that Sazed and Tindwyl don't hate each other, and in fact they feel the opposite. Elend and Hammond arrive, and Breeze soothes Elend and Hammond as well. Breeze returns to the palace and shares a bottle of wine with Clubs. Breeze states that being a Soother changes his perspective on relationships. They reminisce about Kelsier and how they have stayed to help Elend out of a sense of responsibility. Allrianne shows up to keep Breeze company.

Vin observes Allrianne use allomancy to riot Breeze's emotions. Vin tells OreSeur that Clubs isn't a kandra since he is using a coppercloud to protect himself from manipulation. Vin goes to follow Demoux to confront him, but learns that he has been acting covertly since he is a member of the Church of the Survivor. Demoux preaches that Vin will help restore the world to a strange paradise and for the skaa to urge their assembly representatives to vote to restore Elend as king.

After his speech, Vin confronts Demoux, but promises to keep his secret from everyone in the crew except Elend. Demoux talks about his faith in Kelsier and about rumors of an ash-free sky and a yellow sun. Vin doubts her earlier conviction that Demoux is a kandra.

Chapter 37

And so, I come to the focus of my argument. I apologize. Even forcing my words into steel, sitting and scratching in this frozen cave, I am prone to ramble.

Point of View: Sazed, Elend

Sazed and Tindwyl study a fragment of a biography of King Wednegon, who battled the Lord Ruler early in his reign. The king blamed the Deepness for causing his army to run out of food. Sazed tells Tindwyl that he thinks the Deepness is a change in the mists. Tindwyl debates Sazed's theories about the dangers of the mists and berates him for not standing up for himself with the Synod. Tindwyl states that she is leaving to give advice to Elend's armies but also expresses her desire for Sazed and he asks her not to go, and she stays.

Elend and Hammond patrol the city wall and discuss Elend's desire to remain king so that he can protect the people of Luthadel. Elend has an insight on how he can get enough votes to not be deposed by the Assembly.

Chapter 38

This is the problem. Though I believed in Alendi at first, I later became suspicious. It seemed that he fit the signs, true. But, well, how can I explain this? Could it be that he fit them too well?.

Point of View: Vin, Elend

Vin and Elend attend the Assembly Hall for the election for king. Elend reveals that he has a surprise, but doesn't tell Vin what it is, though she intuits correctly that Elend has joined the Church of the Survivor to try to sway the skaa representatives to vote for him and cause a deadlock which would leave him in power. Vin notices some people acting suspiciously.

Elend announces his devotion to the Survivor and appeals for the votes of the Assembly. He notices that Vin is alert, and a man suddenly attacks Elend but he holds off the attacker by instinct. Vin arrives to help Elend fight off a half dozen allomancers who are trying to kill him and Cett. Vin's ability to fight is constricted by her reluctance to allow bystanders in the crowd to be harmed by flying coins, and she is severely injured though she manages to kill all the enemies with assistance from OreSeur. She sees that Elend is horrified by how brutally she kills the last foe, but falls unconscious as her pewter drains out.

Elend states how he didn't know how disturbing seeing Vin fight could be. Elend and Hammond agree that the assassins were sent by Straff. Elend is informed by a messenger that the Assembly reconvened at Penron's mansion to vote. Elend travels to the mansion along with Hammond.

In the first round of voting, Penrod receives fifteen votes, Elend seven votes and Cett two votes. Lord Habren asks for permission to change his vote, and Elend reveals that it is allowed as long as the results haven't been announced. Habren changes his vote to Penrod, so it can count for something, as does Lord Hue, and Penrod is elected king with a two thirds majority. Elend concedes.

Part Four: Knives

Chapter 39

I know your argument. We speak of the Anticipation, of things foretold, of promises made by our greatest prophets of old. Of course the Hero of Ages will fit the prophecies. He will fit them perfectly. That's the idea.

Point of View: Straff

Straff berates Zane for failing to kill Cett and Elend and for costing the lives of six of his half-breed allomancer children. Straff is also distraught that Vin survived, and that Zane is a madman.

Straff meets with King Penrod and gives him assurances in exchange for Penrod turning over control of the city. Straff also offers to let Penrod rule in Luthadel in exchange for the missing atium stores. Straff is hesitant to move into the city since he fears that Vin will go after him.

As they return to the camp, Zane reveals that he poisoned Straff. Amaranta administers a healing potion in time and Straff decides that Zane must die.

Chapter 40

And yet ... something about all this seemed so convenient. It felt almost as if we constructed a hero to fit our prophecies, rather than allowing one to arise naturally. This was the worry I had, the thing that should have given me pause when my brethren came to me, finally willing to believe.

Point of View: Vin

Vin wakes up in a hospital bed, and Elend is there. He tells her that Penrod is now king, and flinches unconsciously when Vin touches him, thinking of when she killed the assassins. Vin hears Reen's voice saying that everyone will abandon her. Elend tells Vin that OreSeur lived and is consuming a new host body.

Elend leaves and Vin goes back to sleep. When she awakes, Zane is in the room. Zane says the assassins were from Cett, and that Penrod made a deal with Straff. Zane gives Vin a nugget of atium and leaves, after telling her to stay safe.

OreSeur visits Vin, with a new dog host body. OreSeur states he didn't break the Contract by attacking a human, since his actions didn't cause death. OreSeur reluctantly tells Vin some non-confidential information about kandra, such as that they are not immortal, that they did not exist before the Lord Ruler's Ascension, that the Lord Ruler created them, and built in a means to control them. Vin experimentally used a duralumin brass push on OreSeur and succeeded. OreSeur gets upset that he revealed too much and Vin promises not to soothe OreSeur again. OreSeur says that Vin should not have been able to do that, and that she is like the powerful Allomancers of old.

Chapter 41

After that, I began to see other problems.

Point of View: Sazed, Elend

Sazed and Tindwyl debate about the metal plate at the Conventical of Seran and Alendi's logbook. They are confused why Kwaan opposed Alendi taking the power from the Well of Ascension to defeat the dangerous Deepness. Sazed reads the rubbings and Tindwyl says something is wrong but she isn't sure what. They discuss this and ponder why Kwaan sent Rashek to kill or hinder Alendi, since it doesn't make sense based on what they know. They realize that when Luthadel is conquered, many people will be killed, and that further study is needed to determine what Alendi's motives were.

Elend deliberates on his failures to protect Luthadel. He visits Elend and Tindwyl to get advice. They debate about why Elend lost his throne. Sazed and Tindwyl both state that Elend did well to stick to his convictions, and Elend leaves.

Chapter 42

Some of you may know of my fabled memory. It is true; I need not a Feruchemist's metalmind to memorize a sheet of words in an instant.

Chapter 43

The others call me mad. As I have said, that may be true.

Chapter 44

But must not even a madman rely on his own mind, his own experience, rather than that of others?

Chapter 45

I know what I have memorized. I know what is now repeated by the other Worldbringers.

Chapter 46

The two are not the same.

Chapter 47

Alendi believes as they do.

Chapter 48

He is a good man—despite it all, he is a good man. A sacrificing man. In truth, all of his actions—all of the deaths, destructions and pains he has caused—have hurt him deeply. All of these things were, in truth, a kind of sacrifice for him.

Part Five: Snow and Ash

Chapter 49

He is accustomed to giving up his own will before the greater good, as he sees it.

Chapter 50

I have no doubt that if Alendi reaches the Well of Ascension, he will take the power and then—in the name of the presumed greater good—give it up.

Chapter 51

And so, I have made one final gamble.

Chapter 52

My pleas, my teachings, my objections, and even my treasons were all ineffectual. Alendi has other counselors now, ones who will tell him what he wants to hear.

Chapter 53

I have a young nephew, one Rashek. He hates all of Khlennium with the passion of an envious youth. He hates Alendi even more acutely—though the two have never met—for Rashek feels betrayed that one of our oppressors should have been chosen as the Hero of Ages.

Chapter 54

Alendi will need guides through the Terris Mountains. I have charged Rashek with making certain that he and his trusted friends are chosen as those guides.

Chapter 55

Rashek is to try and lead Alendi in the wrong direction, to discourage him, or otherwise foil his quest. Alendi doesn't know that he has been deceived, that we've all been deceived, and he will not listen to me now.

Part Six: Words in Steel

Chapter 56

If Rashek fails to lead Alendi astray, then I have instructed the lad to kill Alendi.

Chapter 57

It is a distant hope. Alendi has survived assassins, wars, and catastrophes. And yet, I hope that in the frozen mountains of Terris, he may finally be exposed. I hope for a miracle.

Chapter 58

Alendi must not reach the Well of Ascension....

Chapter 59

...for he must not be allowed to release the thing that is imprisoned there.

Epilogue