Stormlight Archive Recap: Outstanding Mysteries

Stormlight Recap Series: World and History | Main Characters | Other Notable Characters

Welcome back! If you missed the first two Stormlight Archive recap articles you can find them above. So far we have covered the world and history of Roshar, the three main characters of the Stormlight Archive and Szeth (the upcoming flashback character), and a long list of other notable characters. In this article we will discuss all of the major open mysteries that we were left with at the end of Rhythm of War. This article will have spoilers for the Stormlight Archive, but there will NOT be spoilers for other Cosmere books. Here we go!

Shinovar

The westernmost nation on Roshar has been isolated from the rest of the world, and the story, for the first four books. We've heard very little about it, and only experienced it firsthand in Rysn's interlude in The Way of Kings. Between Szeth's flashbacks and the apparent directly Kaladin and Szeth are headed going into Wind and Truth, the time has finally come to dive in. Everything is different in Shinovar--from the flora and fauna more reminiscent of something you'd find on Earth, to their strange cultural practices regarding the sanctity of stones. Szeth was exiled under falsified or mistaken circumstances, and the Unmade appear to have taken root there. The Herald Ishar has found his own way there, and may be involved in some way. The Assassin in White is returning to cleanse his homeland. But what will he find there?

Ishar's experiments

Speaking of Ishar--the Herald delusional enough to be think himself a god--Rhythm of War did more than simply set up a meeting with him in Shinovar. When Adolin and his party were crossing Shadesmar they came across a band of Tukari soldiers (the army under Ishar's command) apparently attempting to capture the honospren Notum. Then, when Dalinar tried to visit the Herald himself, they found the remains of several Radaint spren who seemed to have been pulled across to the Physical Realm in their Cognitive Realm form. None seemed to have surivived that transition, though notes suggested some handled it better than others. There's a lot of questions that could be asked, and perhaps the most pressing is simply: WHY? What was Ishar--sane or not--trying to accomplish in performing these horific crimes?

The Oathpact

Dalinar sought out Ishar hoping to learn more about his Bondsmith abilities and the Oathpact, and he plans to send Kaladin after the man. This was, in part, inspired by an encounter Dalinar had with the Herald Nale, in which Dalinar visualized the remains of the Oathpact. Ishar specifically claimed to Dalinar that he has the ability to reset the Oathpact--something that has long been a topic of theories. Can the Oathpact be reset as Ishar claimed? And if it can, is there a point to it?

The Listeners

As the Everstorm was summoned, most of the listeners in Narak had assumed stormform and were fighting against the humans. But some small number saw Odium's dark influence in the form and refused it. This group, including Eshonai and Venli's mother, was lost without a trace amid the chaos of battle. While they were assumed dead, human scouts located some survivors in the year that followed, and the news ultimately reached Venli. Venli dreamed of an opportunity to refound the listeners, and with this new discovery she left with her companions and rejoined her people. Joining them was a group of Shanay-im (Heavenly Ones) led by Leshwi, who chose to abandon Odium at the end of their occupation of Urithiru. And let's not forget that Venli found her people in the company of--apparently friendly--chasmfiends! Together, these dissenters represent a growing population of singers who are not necessarily interested in collaborating fully with the human coalition... but who also reject Odium's control over their destiny. What role will the listeners play in shaping the future of Roshar?

The Recreance

When the curtain fell in Oathbringer we were left with the impression that the Radiants abandoned their oaths at the Recreance when they discovered that humankind was responsible for beginning the Desolations. But at the conclusion of Adolin's trial among the honorspren in Lasting Integrity, Mayalaran spoke up on his behalf claiming that the Radiants' spren were also involved in the decision. Maya explained that they expected pain, but did not realize the spren would become "deadeyes". (unaware of the ramifications of trapping Ba-Ado-Mishram) And so, the true reason beyond the Recreance goes deeper than we may have assumed. What could have caused all of the humans and their spren to decide to end the Knights Radiant?

Ba-Ado-Mishram

One of the more mysterious Unmade, Ba-Ado-Mishram, is believed to have been a commander among Odium's forces during the Desolations and a primary instigator of the False Desolation. Most of what we know about this Unmade has come from the epigraphs alone, but she seems to be of incredible importance. During the False Desolation, she granted forms of power to the singers who followed her through some complicated use of Connection. The False Desolation ended when Mishram was captured in a gemstone, and the result had far greater consequences than any who were involved seems to have suspected. Her Connection to the singers caused ALL of the living singers to be affected as well, turning them into the "parshmen"--their Identity and Connection stripped away. The implications are also very heavy that the Radiant spren were directly affected--evident in the way "deadeyes" were not something that existed prior to her capture. The Herald Kalak believes that ALL spren were affected by her capture, and perhaps even the soul of Roshar itself. What exactly happened to Ba-Ado-Mishram? Where is her prison? And will she be freed, as Kalak believes may be necessary?

The Ghostbloods

The Ghostbloods aren't even particularly invested in the outcome of the war, seeking merely to capitalize on current events for their own mysterious ends. Shallan has infiltrated the group to some level, serving under Mraize, but their goals and motivations are still shrouded in layers of mystery. You might say there is always another secret to their schemes. We know that they have some interest in transporting Stormlight off of Roshar. We know that they are interested in the nature of the Heralds. We know that they are interested in the trapped Unmade, Ba-Ado-Mishram. Are these goals as eclectic as they appear to be, or is there more cohesion to their plans than meets the eye? What are they truly after? And how will they respond to Shallan's rejection?

Wit and the letters

Wit is a peculiar character who has a knack for showing up at random times for unknowable reasons. He has shown up in each book so far to share ancient myths and bestow wisdom upon Kaladin, Shallan, and Dalinar. Aside from a handful of other varied appearances, we can always count on Wit to show up in the epilogue. He was present when Taln returned from Braize at the end of The Way of Kings. He was present when Jasnah returned from her unexpected trek through Shadesmar at the end of Words of Radiance. In Oathbringer he was able to rescue and bond the Cryptic (who had planned to bond with Elhokar) from the ruins of the Kholinar Palace. Those new Lightweaver powers came in handy in Rhythm of War, though we did see Odium appear to tamper with his memories during a brief meeting. There's one other important, but extremely subtle, role that Wit has played in the books so far, and it can only be found in the epigraphs. In The Way of Kings Part 2 we saw a letter from Wit concerning the danger Odium poses to Roshar (and the Cosmere at large). In Words of Radiance Part 4 we saw the recipient of that letter dismissing Wit's concerns, and in Oathbringer Part 2 we saw similar letters with a variety of different responses from three others (who presumably received similar warnings from Wit). Finally, in Rhythm of War Part 2 We got a follow up from one of those three others. The gist seems to be that Wit has been looking for help from other powerful entities in the cosmere on dealing with Odium. What can we expect next from this series of communication? Will someone finally rise to Wit's call for help or will he continue to meet reluctance?

And that will do it for this last recap, though it's certainly far from an exhaustive list of things people have their eyes on! If there are any mysteries you're especially curious about, make sure to share with us in the comments!

We hope that reading these articles will prepare you for reading and discussing Wind and Truth this December! If you found this helpful, make sure to tag your friends or share it around. If you feel like something important was left out, or if you have a question, let us know in the comments. If you haven't visited our forums and Discord server, consider this your welcome! We'd love to hear your voice in the conversation. Until next time, Life before Death!

Check out our other articles in our Stormlight Recap Series: World and History | Main Characters | Other Notable Characters

Special thanks to the artists whose work was used in this article!

• Dalinar Wind and Truth Concept Art by Petar Penev
• Kaladin and Szeth Wind and Truth Concept Art by Randy Vargas
• The Recreance by Caio Santos on behalf of The Black Piper
• Ghostblood Agent by Soph Peralta on behalf of Brotherwise Games