Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Index post here. Beware of spoilers.

Chapter 70 (Well)
Icons: Double Shash. Based on my suspicion at the end of the last chapter, I’m going to guess that this indicates a trap or ploy on someone’s part, in line with the illusions created by Lightweavers. (Alternatively it could indicate violence based on the garnet=blood essence connection, but I find that less likely)

Epigraph: I dunno. I got nothing. We’re back to research note mode, but these are clearly in the mode of Navani’s current research, AND have no connection to Venli’s research into forms. Yet, this is in the main text not the undertext. There are apparently only two chapters left in this book, before the epigraph sources will switch, so the answer has got to be coming soon. I am doubtful it will make this mess make any sense together. (Also, this is from the final page of Rhythm of War, so it’s near that culmination as well.)

Is…is Kaladin dreaming of Braize? How? He’s not been doing anything lately that would connect him more deeply to the oathpact than he was before, and I can’t think of a vector for Braize’s tortures to reach him outside of that, since any voidspren would simply alert the singers of his location. It’s not just a regular nightmare, is it? It’s awfully specific for that.

That last nightmare figure–what did it take? A spear, in which case it would be Moash? Something invested, in which case it would be…? I don’t know. Can’t read too much into it yet I guess.

Oh, it was the spear after all, but it was Dabbid taking away the physical spear. Hmm. Don’t die, Dabbid!

Dabbid, I am so proud of you for being willing to try! Kaladin, you’d better respond appropriately to this.

He talked! Yay recovery! (incremental step though it may be)

Oh, good. Navani sees the trap. Now she just has to figure out how it was set and warn Kaladin that it is being sprung.

Why did they time the trap for the middle of a Highstorm? That sounds like a poor choice, even if the tower is largely above the storms.

Kal certainly likes his disadvantaged fights. Is this aggravated protagonist syndrome or something? Or is he just looking for precise million-to-one odds so he can be sure to succeed?

Go Syl! I didn’t think she’d be able to work the fabrial directly like that.

And she’s communicating through drawing glyphs in the air. That’s not something I’d have expected of her either.

Oooh ow. Diving into water under forced acceleration from a counterweight yanking on your arm is not going to be a fun time. Neat to see that it works much better in a neutral buoyancy environment, though. Thinking ahead, would it be effective as an EVA tool in microgravity? The resistance of the water in this scene works better for it since it dampens momentum in an enclosed environment, but in the open reaches of space that might not be a hindrance. Not sure how reference frames would translate “horizontal” motion with this type of device, though. Would it be orbital, moving parallel to the ground of the nearest planetary body? Would it be a true vector of acceleration? Figuring out orbital mechanics under fabrial power sounds like a job and a half.

Putting a lid on the well… smart of them. Not an ideal situation for Kal to be in, here.

It’s okay, Kaladin. I had never considered the problem of inhaling Stormlight while free diving either. In fact, I’m kind of curious to check the forums and see if anyone had speculated about this prior to the release of Rhythm.

This can’t be the first highstorm since the occupation. They come much more frequently than that. So, if the Stormfather passed over/under/around the tower in that time, why was he not able to report the invasion to Dalinar? Did he not bother to look? Is he blinded somehow?

Quote

The Sibling was too far gone toward corruption [for Stormlight to heal Kaladin]. 

I didn’t consider that possibility. Is this corruption analogous enough to what Sja-Anat does for Shen to qualify under both criteria? He gets a corrupted spren, just not one from the Unmade. Rather, he gets one touched by the Lady of Wishes, putting him in yet another category of ambiguous affiliation.