Difference between revisions of "Summary:Words of Radiance"

*[[Szeth-son-son-Vallano]]

Shallan sits in her cabin on the Wind's Pleasure reading a book written by Jasnah about [[Vorinism]] and the [[Recreance]] and its effect on the documentation of history, such as the existence of Shadesmar. While studying, Pattern shows up again, this time on the cabin wall, vanishing when she looks directly at it. Shallan notes the similarity between Pattern and the symbol headed creatures she had seen previously. She immediately attempts to sketch the pattern, drawingattracting many creationspren, though she found it difficult to capture the precise pattern. When finished, the pattern seems to leave the paper and move to the floor. Jasnah comes to Shallan's room just as Shallan leaves to find her. Shallan catches a glimpse of what Jasnah explains to her is her own spren, just as she tells Shallan that the pattern is Shallan's spren, a Cryptic. Jasnah explains about the [[Knights Radiant]] and the Orders, explaining that their Soulcasting is a shared surge, but that their Orders are not the same, judging by their different spren. A lengthy discussion of the nature of spren and Jasnah's opinions of the [[Almighty]] and the [[Herald]]s follows.

Dalinar is experiencing another vision. He describes how he is running through what he believes to be the [[Purelake]] along with about a dozen armed and armored men, though he notes that they are clad in ancient leather armor. At first he is unsure if they are running away from something or toward something, until he notices a Fortress apparently made completely out of onyx. His group meets up with another one led by a [[Knights Radiant|Knight Radiant]] in deep red glowing [[Shardplate|Plate]]. Dalinar thus determines that this vision takes place before the [[Recreance]]. The Radiant informs them that [[Caeb]] thought he saw something and tells them to look around. When one of the men hears Dalinar mumbling to himself, as he describes what is happening, he tells Dalinar to look for a [[spren]] that isn't behaving the way it should because spren that were touched by [[Sja-anat]] are different. Dalinar repeats the words quietly, hoping that [[Navani]] will record them, when he notices that the female Knight is talking to apparently nobody. As he looks around he sees a face of shadow with red eyes in the water. When he points this out to the others, the Knight, after noting that this is Sja-anat's spy, sends Caeb to the checkpoint and tells the others to keep watching for the carrier. Dalinar chases after the spren while describing it, when it is suddenly joined by a six-foot-tall spren. As the second one dives into the rock, Dalinar stumbles back. He gets pulled back further by one of the men as the ground starts to tremble. Dalinar watches as the spren, having somehow apparently animated the rock, starts to climb out of the rock with its new rock body. The soldiers, recognizing it as a [[Thunderclast]], start yelling for Hammers.

*[[General Khal]]

*[[Gavilar Kholin]] (mentioned only)

*[[General Khal]] (mentioned only)

*[[Shallan'sTestament|A mothercryptic]] (mentioned only)

Eshonai, Thude, and Bila examine thea gemstone with thea captured [[Stormspren]] inside that Venli believes will allow forthem ato newrediscover formstormform. Bila thinks that anything that will help in the war against the [[Alethi]] is worth it, but Eshonai worries about provoking the old gods. They depart, and Eshonai decides that she will see her mother. On her way, she sees a group of [[Parshendi]] that have chosen the dull-form, the form most like the [[Parshmen]]. Eshonai questions them on the cause of their transformation, and they respond that they do it so the Alethi will not kill them when they come. Eshonai is concerned by this response but understands that the [[Parshendi]] are free to choose their own forms, as they are no longer ruled by the old gods. Continuing on her way, Eshonai eventually arrives to see her mother, who suffers from dementia and believes Eshonai to be her sister, Venli. Despite her mother's declining memory, Eshonai is still able to elicit some information from her regarding Parshendi history. Her mother tells the story of the Last Legion, the Parshendi warrior-people who rejected the old gods, giving up advanced thought and knowledge of the forms of power in exchange for freedom. This left them with only dullform and mateform, but the Last Legion had composed songs as a way to remember the many forms of old in hopes that they would one day be rediscovered. Before Eshonai leaves, her mother gives her a sack of old maps from Eshonai's days as an explorer, which makes her long for the past.

===Chapter 55: The RuleRules of the Game===

Szeth sits inatop athe tower inof Urithiru, haunted by the screams of his victims. He dwells on his oath and errant banishment for being wrong about the return of the Radiants. He leaves the tower to seek answers - or someone to kill of his own choosing.

Szeth screams at Kaladin as red spren zip around in the tempest. Szeth realizes that Dalinar and the armies went to Urithiru, and flies off toward the west, chased by Kal. Kaladin chases with difficulty and they both reach the stormfront and break through it, and Kaladin stabs Szeth in his foot. Kaladin manages to smash Szeth in his shoulder as they fight just ahead of the highstorm. As they fight, Szeth finally acknowledges the truth and says that he was right all along and never Truthless, and that he could have stopped murdering at any time. Szeth stops fighting, and Kaladin is about to make a killing strike, but instead slices his wrist, sending the Honorblade tumbling down. Syl urges Kaladin to grab the sword, and Kaladin dives after it as Szeth falls to the ground, no longer lashed and pummeled by the storm.{{bws ref|three-stories-in-new-formats|Three Stories in New Formats|date=Mar 6th, 2015-03-06}}{{ref|text=In the original release of ''Words of Radiance'', Kaladin severed Szeth's spine with his Shardblade, killing Szeth. Brandon decided to change this in subsequent releases.}} Kaladin stays hovering surrounded by windspren, and Syl says she may keep Kaladin around. Syl demands compliments and a smile.