Difference between revisions of "Summary:Warbreaker"

== Prologue ==

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[[Vasher]] gets thrown in the [[God King]]'s dungeons for striking a priest in a bar. He Awakens a figure he makes from the straw in his cell and Commands it to fetch keys. He uses the keys to escape from his cell while the guards are distracted by his sword, [[Nightblood]]. Vasher goes deeper into the dungeons, finding an emaciated [[Vahr]], evidently the leader of a rebellion, bound and dangling in his cell. After some convincing, Vahr gives Vasher his trove of [[Breath]]s to prevent them from being used by his enemies, the [[Hallandren]]. Vasher kills Vahr with an Awakened scarf to save him from more torture, grabs his sword, and flees.

 

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== Chapter 1 ==

[[Siri]], the youngest princess of [[Idris]], considers her rather unimportant position in the Idrian royal family. She walks in from the countryside to [[Bevalis]], the Idrian capital. She is trailed by children, who are fascinated by the flower she carries because it is a breach of the normal drabness maintained by Idrian followers of [[Austre]]. Siri talks to her friend, [[Mab]] the cook, about how she is tired of the Idrian traditions of austerity.

 

 

== Chapter 2 ==

Siri sits in the carriage taking her to Hallandren, terrified and confused at the last minute switch that means that she must wed the God King.

 

 

== Chapter 3 ==

[[Lightsong]], one of the [[Returned]] in the Court of Gods in Hallandren, considers the fact that he cannot remember his life and heroic death before being Returned and rolls out of bed. He is surrounded by servants, who as always attend to his every need. He recounts his dream of a boat on a red ocean to his priests, who records it as prophecy. Lightsong teases his high priest, [[Llarimar]], calling him “Scoot” and asking for the details of his past life that he is forbidden. He receives a Breath from a child, which will allow him to live another week. Then he judges the poetic and artistic offerings to him, when he is informed of the arrival of the God King's new wife.

 

 

== Chapter 4 ==

Siri arrives in [[T'Telir]], the capital of Hallandren. She is greeted by a field of forty thousand Lifeless soldiers, and is overwhelmed by the huge, colorful, tropical city so different from her humble mountain town. [[Treledees]], high priest of the God King, welcomes Siri to the Court of Gods. Siri is told that there will be no wedding cermony, and is brought to the God King's dark, pyramidal castle.

 

 

== Chapter 5 ==

Vasher stands atop the wall surrounding the Court of Gods and realizes that the fact that the Idrians actually sent Siri complicates his plans. He meets clandestinely with a priest, [[Bebid]], from the Court of Gods in a restaurant. Bebid informs Vasher of a faction among the Court pushing Hallandren to war with Idris. Vasher leaves and retrieves Nightblood from a dead cutpurse who stole it.

 

 

== Chapter 6 ==

Siri is led by servants into the palace. They take her to a bathing chamber, where they scrub her clean. She becomes embarrassed at the appearance of a man, [[Bluefingers]], the head scribe and steward of the Court of Gods. He informs her of the rules of her new life, stressing that she may not speak to the God King lest he order her executed. She is given makeup, a medical examination, and a magnificent gown, which she accepts, thinking that ironically, it will be stripped off given a few minutes. Bluefingers leads her to the God King's sleeping chamber, where she enters with utmost trepidation.

 

 

== Chapter 7 ==

Remembering Bluefingers' instructions and warnings, Siri removes her dress and underthings and bows naked before the God King's bed. She waits for him to call for her, not daring to make a noise and wondering if he judges her inadequate or not beautiful enough.

 

 

== Chapter 8 ==

Siri bathes in the relief of having survived the night untouched and unexecuted. She climbs into the unoccupied bed and goes to sleep.

 

 

== Chapter 9 ==

Vivenna arrives in T'Tellir. [[Parlin]], her friend, goes ahead to scout the area. She arrives in a restaurant, and Parlin leaves because he doesn't like the enclosed feeling of the restaurant and wants to explore T'Telir more. Instead of the Idrian spy, [[Lemex]], that she had planned to meet with, two mercenaries, [[Denth]] and [[Tonk Fah]] arrive and after a bit of joking, announce that they are there to kill her.

 

 

== Chapter 10 ==

The two mercenaries burst out laughing, and tell Vivenna they are joking. They inform Vivenna that Lemex is ill with fevers, and give her a letter written in his hand. The mercenaries eat Vivenna's seafood and lead her to Lemex's house.

 

 

== Chapter 11 ==

Siri begs Treledees to let her leave the palace after the days she has spent trapped inside. He is deeply offended, because her period of isolation is the least she can do to honor the God King. She orders dinner, is scrubbed and primped, and once again brought to the bedchamber of the God King. At the door, Bluefingers gives her a cryptic warning to be careful, but when Siri presses him for more information, he does not tell her anything.

 

== Chapter 12 ==

Lightsong hears petitions, struggling with the dreams he has been having of T'Tellir burning and his own doubts about his usefulness and the [[Iridescent Tones]] religion. A woman presents her dying infant to Lightsong, begging him to heal the child. He refuses, knowing that to do so he would need to give up his divine Breath and die. Suddenly overcome with emotion, Lightsong throws down his cap and storms from the room, a retinue of priests and servants following. He shouts at them to leave, and Llarimar comes in to reason with him. Lightsong asks Llarimar about the reasoning behind the Iridescent Tones theology, especially frustrated with the fact that he doesn't consider his dreams divination, and that he must effectively commit suicide to heal someone and become useful. Llarimar answers his questions with unshakeable calm, teaching him for the first time much of the religion. Lightsong falls again to banter, and asks Llarimar a few more questions about why he Returned and the new queen's effect on court politics.

 

 

== Chapter 13 ==

Vivenna awakes, having fallen asleep in Lemex's house. Despite the fact they are no longer under Lemex's orders, Denth and Tonk Fah insist that their, as well as the third member of their group, [[Jewels]]' contract was paid halfway and that they have a few more weeks of work that they feel they owe to Vivenna. Vivenna decides to give away the Breath she holds, one at a time to [[Drab]]s, but Denth informs her this is impossible, because Breath must be given away all at once or not at all. Tonk Fah suggests she Awaken something to hold the Breath, but this disgusts Vivenna. They ask her what her goal is staying in T'Tellir, and she tells them that she plans to untraceably rescue Siri from the palace, possibly staying in her place. The mercenaries say that this is not their business, but perhaps they could put her in contact with useful people. They then say that they are going to search Lemex's house for valuables and information, and that Vivenna should go see her sister being presented before the Court of Gods, now that she has enough Breath to get in without question.

 

 

== Chapter 14 ==

The light rain falling on the proceedings in the Court of Gods causes Lightsong to banter with Llarimar and Blushweaver about the limits of Returned godly powers. He claims he wants it to be sunny, so the weather should reflect that. Llarimar says that the rain is for the best, and Blushweaver insists she wants a tempest, so the light rain is merely a compromise of their wills. Blushweaver and he continue to talk politics, with Blushweaver seeking Lightsong's support, but they pause for the presentation of the new queen.

 

 

== Chapter 15 ==

Siri is awed by the appearance of the God King, who is more youthful looking than she knew, and also splits white light into the color spectrum by his mere presence.

 

 

== Chapter 16 ==

Arguments for and against going to war against Idris are heard in the Court of Gods. Blushweaver’s priest, [[Inhanna]] argues for war, and [[Nanrovah]], [[Stillmark]]’s high priest, argues against. Lightsong feels uncomfortable, because he has been having dreams of destruction he subconsciously fears will come true with war. Blushweaver asks for Lightsong’s Commands so she can control his part of the [[Lifeless]] army. He dodges her request, and they begin discussing the cleverness of the Idrians sending the wrong princess as a random element into court. Blushweaver worries that she has been sent to influence the God King in favor of Idris.

 

== Chapter 17 ==

Vivenna returns to Lemex’s house, which the mercenaries have ransacked thoroughly. Denth and Tonk Fah show her Lemex’s secret stash of five thousand gold marks and his personal papers, many of which are communications with King Dedelin. Through the letters, Vivenna learns that her father gave Lemex enough money to buy Breath to enter the Court, and that Dedelin felt that war with Hallandren was inevitable and that not sending Vivenna was purely a matter of favoritism. Feeling betrayed, but even more determined to rescue Siri seeing that her father thought of her as good as dead, Vivenna resolves to hire the mercenaries, proved trustworthy because they did not run off with Lemex’s fortune when they had the chance. She believes she must continue Lemex’s work in undermining the Hallandrens’ ability to wage war.

 

 

== Chapter 18 ==

Siri waits nervously outside of the bedchamber door with Bluefingers. She asks him about those spying on her in the bedchamber, and he indicates that they listen, but don’t watch. She resolves to take a stand, thinking that the God King is simply insolent and lazy. She doesn’t strip off her shift, but instead sits on the bed and fakes the noises of sex the best she can. Before she falls asleep, she thinks she sees confusion on the God King’s face but dismisses that as silly. She falls asleep peacefully.

 

 

== Chapter 19 ==

Having relocated to a nondescript house in the rich part of town, Vivenna discusses working with Vahr’s associate revolutionaries to sabotage the war. Denth justifies working with crime lords and sabotaging the supply lines of food by explaining that these are the only people still loyal to Vahr’s cause and that war is inevitable, so all tactics must be used.

 

== Chapter 20 ==

Siri again awaits outside the God King’s chamber door. Bluefingers says that he is worried, because creating a child with the God King would be the worst possible thing Siri could do. He hints at different factions in the palace, and that she is in grave danger. Confused, but knowing full well that she is in no danger of becoming pregnant, Siri enters the God King’s chamber. As she drifts off to sleep after her moaning routine to fool the listening priests, Siri is startled by the God King, [[Susebron]], looming over her. She shrieks but apologizes to a startled Susebron. He tentatively shows her a children’s storybook and wants her to read to him. She is confused, but after he opens his mouth, she realizes that his tongue has been cut out so he can’t use any of his Breath and that this makes him a mere figurehead. She begins to use the book to teach him to read.

 

 

== Chapter 21 ==

Vasher climbs from the God King’s palace, using his Awakened clothes to enhance his strength, into the Court. He pretends to be insane and seeking the blessing of the goddess [[Mercystar]]. He uses his Awakened clothing to strangle and knock out the guards and sneaks into her palace. He stumbles into a group of servants, and uses rope to subdue them. He then Awakens a Lifeless squirrel, commanding it to make a ruckus in the palace. He uses the distraction to find the trapdoor entrance to the tunnels leading from the palace and climbs in.

 

 

== Chapter 22 ==

Lightsong plays an impossibly hard game, Tarachin, with the gods Weatherlove, Truthcall, and Lifeblesser. Despite not knowing the rules, Lightsong wins handily. While playing, they discuss politics. The gods, except for Lightsong, plot about going to war with Idris and using the new queen in their political games. Lightsong, knowing she is naive, worries for her but tries to tell himself there is nothing he can do. However, his dreams of war and destruction haunt him, and he sets off to see Blushweaver in hopes of helping the queen and preventing the war.

 

== Chapter 23 ==

Lightsong approaches Blushweaver, who is being entertained by portable garden arrangements. Through a letter she hands him, he informs her that he is ready to join her political scheming. Blushweaver tells Lightsong that Mercystar’s palace had been broken into the night before and the two go to meet with her.

 

 

== Chapter 24 ==

Siri walks into the palace library to get a history book to enlighten herself on the God King’s succession history. The scribes tell her that she may not take any books out of the room, foiling her plan. Later that night, Siri and the Susebron talk, communicating through writing. Siri teaches him of sarcasm, and he uses it jokingly. Susebron asks of an heir, and Siri realizes he knows nothing of the process of making one. They then discuss whether or not the God King continues living after an heir is produced, because the histories are all unknown to Siri or jumbled, and she is worried about Bluefingers’ cryptic warnings.

 

 

== Chapter 25 ==

Vivenna walks through the streets of T’Tellir. She tries to spot the mercenaries in the crowd, and sees their first distraction, a building on fire. Then Clod, the mercenaries’ Lifeless, clubs high priest Nanrovah’s horse to halt his carriage, making the second distraction: his gold coins spilling onto the street. Vivenna and Jewels return to the house, waiting for the mercenaries. Jewels is irritable, and Vivenna tries to comfort her for being a Drab. Jewels responds vehemently that she believes that giving her Breath to the God King was the right thing to do. Denth and Tonk Fah return, and tell her that their theft of most of T’Tellir’s salt to sabotage the war succeeded. Vivenna asks Denth about his beliefs and origins, causing Denth to dodge her questions and then storm away.

 

 

== Chapter 26 ==

Lightsong awakes a full hour earlier than usual, chipper and ready to go and investigate. He refuses to stop and record his dreams, but instead goes to look at the art offerings. One abstract, red painting makes Lightsong see a battle scene with a sea of fighting Lifeless and people with a woman holding up a terrible, dark sword. He tells Llarimar, who is worried by his prophetic vision in the painting. Lightsong tells Llarimar his dream of a storming sea and a red panther. They arrive at Mercystar’s palace, finding her out visiting [[Allmother]]. Through questioning all witnesses separately, Lightsong determines that there were two intruders, one that took care not to kill, and one that swiftly killed the only witness of his passing. Lightsong sees a trapdoor, and guesses that both intruders left through there. He has a priest fetch the Lifeless squirrel used as a distraction during the break-in, and tells his priests to break its Command. His feelings of curiosity about the crime worry him, so he questions Llarimar about his past life, who does not tell him anything.

 

 

== Chapter 27 ==

Being blocked from reading books, and with Bluefingers avoiding her, Siri returns to the arena to seek out Lightsong to try and get information on what happened to the previous God Kings. Lightsong offers to answer her questions if she answers his own, which she agrees to. Lightsong's priest, Llarimar, helps to answer her questions and she discovers that the previous 2 God King's died shortly after producing a male heir. Llarimar suggests she tries a professional storyteller. To get around the priests trying to block her from getting information, Siri asks Lightsong to summon a storyteller, which he agrees to do. Having fulfilled his part of the bargain, Lightsong then asks Siri about law enforcement, as he tries to discover what he was before he Returned. After getting answers to his questions, Lightsong offers warning and advice to Siri away from their servants, telling her that she needs to come across as average when she plays politics, and to not rely on Lightsong.

 

 

== Chapter 28 ==

Vivenna meets with Thame, discussing the Idrians in Hallandren while she reflects on her situation in relation to theirs. Thame tells her that he's organized for her to meet with the Idrians in three days. After Thame leaves, Denth notes that Vivenna is starting to fit in. The pair, along with Jewels, Parlin, and Clod, leave the restaurant to meet some forgers. Vivenna commissions them to create documents to show the Hallandren priests as corrupt, extorting the Indrian King for years, as well as to show that the Idrians do not want to go to war. After the deal is done, they head off to meet some thieves they'd hired earlier. Vivenna thinks she should send Parlin back to Idris. Denth teases her about being attracted to Parlin, which Vivenna denies.

 

 

== Chapter 29 ==

Susebron asks Siri to tell him about the mountains. She dismisses them as boring as compared to Hallandren, to which Susebron points out all he is confined to the palace, and pampered, winning the argument. Siri starts to tell him about the mountains, but gets sidetracked when she mentions Austre. When Susebron asks about it, she goes on to try and explain her religion, and the existence of other religions, to the God King. After the conversation returns to the mountains, Susebron begins to flatter Siri. He then comments he wished he could let Siri go home so she could see the mountains again, suggesting he could ask the priests. Siri warns that that could be dangerous, as the priests could find out that he's been talking to her. Susebron doesn't agree that his priests are planning to kill him. They briefly discuss how the God King passes on his Breath. Susebron then comments it makes him sad that his wife doesn't believe in his divinity.

 

 

Vasher watches Denth and his party. Nightblood wants to go talk to VaraTreledees (the name by which he knows Denth), as well as wanting to meet [[Shashara]]. Vasher reminds Nightblood that they killed Shashara, along with Arsteel, a long time ago. Vasher worries about the rumors spreading about him, knowing that later he's still going to have to deal with Denth and those with him.

 

== Chapter 30 ==

Blushweaver finds Lightsong trying his hand at being a potter. He quickly discovers that he has no idea how to make pottery. He then grabs five lemons and attempts to juggle them, this time successfully. He asks Blushweaver to grab a guava and throw it to him. She complies, and Lightsong smoothly grabs it and adds it to the fruit he's juggling. Blushweaver wonders if he has lost his mind. Lightsong explains that he's been trying to work out what he did in his past life, having found out that he knows a lot of sailing terms, he's fantastic at mathematics, and has a good eye for sketching. He's also found out he knows nothing about the dyeing industry, horses, and gardening, has no talent for sculpting, and has just found out he's terrible at pottery. They talk while walking to [[Hopefinder]]'s place. They discuss current events with the rumours of the Idrian agents causing a ruckus and a second princess being in the city. While Blushweaver and Hopefinder talk, Lightsong considers the appearance of the gods, how it seemed that a Returned's appearence seemed to reflect how they saw themselves. Blushweaver finally gets to her point. She wants the commands for Hopefinder's Lifeless. He says he'll give them to her if she gives him her vote in social matters. In a move that surprises all present, she agrees to the terms. As Hopefinder prepares to give Blushweaver the codes, Lightsong sees a vision of a prison. Hopefinder tells them the command. As Lightsong and Blushweaver leave, she reveals that Mercystar had also given Blushweaver her Commands, partly due to Lightsong's investigative work. Lightsong wonders if he was a sheriff or an investigator, but can't work out how juggling lemons fits into the picture.