WoK Chapter 59 Death Rattle

[Nashan’Elin he/him]

In chapter 59 of the Way of Kings, it opens with this death rattle:

 

 

Above the final void I hang, friends behind, friends before. The feast I must drink clings to their faces, and the words I must speak spark in my mind. The old oaths will be spoken anew.

 

I don't know if anyone's said this before, but I think this refers to Kaladin speaking the Second Oath of the Windrunners. The "final void" is the chasm, the "friends behind" are the bridgemen, and the "friends before" are Dalinar's army. The "feast I must drink" is Stormlight, and the "clings to their faces" refers to the Parshendi's beards. The "words I must speak" is the Oath.

 

Am I right? Has everyone else figured this out before me?

[Jondesu he/him]

That does make sense of a Death Rattle I wasn't able to make any sense of so far. I can't imagine a better interpretation.

jW

[The Ninja Yodeler he/him]

In chapter 59 of the Way of Kings, it opens with this death rattle:

 

 

I don't know if anyone's said this before, but I think this refers to Kaladin speaking the Second Oath of the Windrunners. The "final void" is the chasm, the "friends behind" are the bridgemen, and the "friends before" are Dalinar's army. The "feast I must drink" is Stormlight, and the "clings to their faces" refers to the Parshendi's beards. The "words I must speak" is the Oath.

 

Am I right? Has everyone else figured this out before me?

I remember someone pointing this out. Can't remember if it was from a comment or from the list of Deathrattles someone made. Good job on putting it together on your own though. I sure as hell didn't lol. I leave that sort of thing up to others, like yourself.

[Patrick Star]

This makes sense.

Don't the parshendi weave spheres into their beards? Fits perfectly with this interpretation.

[Nyali she/her]

What you said is exactly correct and it has been pointed out before. Someone in another thread at one point was trying to use it to suggest the "friends before" referred to the Parshendi, but I strongly agree with you that it's Dalinar's army, not the Parshendi.

 

There are a few death rattles that refer to specific scenes that happen in the books that I'm certain of, this being one of them. The other ones are:

• tWoK ch61: "In the storm I awaken, falling, spinning, grieving." That one's about Kaladin awakening in a highstorm after being hung out to dry by Sadeas

• tWoK ch64: "They come from the pit, two dead men, a heart in their hands, and I know that I have seen true glory." (Spoiler tagged in case someone hasn't read WoR since this is about tWoK) 
  Kaladin and Shallan returning from the chasms after everyone thought they were dead with a gemheart and accompanied by gloryspren.

• tWoK ch69: "All is withdrawn for me. I stand against the one who saved my life. I protect the one who killed my promises. I raise my hand. The storm responds."
  Kaladin at the end of WoR, standing against Dalinar (who saved his life) by supporting the assassination of Elokhar, and then changing his mind to instead protect Elokhar (who, in a way, led to him killing his promises). By making the change and speaking the Words, the storm responds.

• tWoK ch3: "A man stood on a cliffside and watched his homeland fall into dust. The waters surged beneath, so far beneath. And he heard a child crying. They were his own tears." The final vision Dalinar gets in tWoK, where he watches Kholinar turn to dust. Dalinar is the child mentioned since Tanavast is there, and he is a child of Tanavast.

• tWoK ch55: "A woman sits and scratches out her own eyes. Daughter of kings and winds, the vandal."
  This, of course, refers to Shalash, Herald of Beauty, who goes around breaking into art galleries to destroy depictions of herself. She is the child of Jezrien, the king of the heralds.

"He must pick it up, the fallen title! The tower, the crown, and the spear!" might refer to Kaladin at the end of tWoK needing to go back and help Dalinar. He needs to accept the fallen title of Knight Radiant, needs to go back to the Tower (that plateau), take up the spear again, and use it to save Dalinar (whose glyph looks like a crown).

 

I want to know what this one refers to: "I'm standing over the body of a brother. I'm weeping. Is that his blood or mine? What have we done?" There are scenes that have happened that I could think it refers to, but I'm not certain it's already happened.

 

[+Authweight]

I propose a tweak for this one's interpretation:

"All is withdrawn for me. I stand against the one who saved my life. I protect the one who killed my promises. I raise my hand. The storm responds."

I think the one who saved his life is Moash, and the one who killed his promises is Elhokar. Kaladin's number one failed promise was his failure to save Tien, something which Elhokar is ultimately at fault for.

[Nyali she/her]

I propose a tweak for this one's interpretation:

"All is withdrawn for me. I stand against the one who saved my life. I protect the one who killed my promises. I raise my hand. The storm responds."

I think the one who saved his life is Moash, and the one who killed his promises is Elhokar. Kaladin's number one failed promise was his failure to save Tien, something which Elhokar is ultimately at fault for.

 

When did Moash save his life?

[Argel he/him]

Could be this from TWoK:

 

Someone stumbled to his feet on the other side of the bridge. Dunny. The youthful bridgeman had a white and green fletched arrow sprouting from his shoulder. His eyes were wide, dazed. Kaladin cursed, running back. Before he’d taken two steps, a black-hafted arrow took the youth in the other side. He fell to the deck of the bridge, blood spraying the dark wood. The charging horses did not slow. Frantic, Kaladin reached the side of the bridge, but something pulled him back. Hands on his shoulder. He stumbled, spinning to find Moash there. Kaladin snarled at him, trying to shove the man aside, but Moash— using a move Kaladin himself had taught him— yanked Kaladin sideways, tripping him. Moash threw himself down, holding Kaladin to the ground as heavy cavalry thundered across the bridge, arrows cracking against their silvery armor. Broken bits of arrow sprinkled to the ground. Kaladin struggled for a moment, but then let himself fall still. “He’s dead,” Moash said, harshly. “There’s nothing you could have done. I’m sorry.”

 

Sanderson, Brandon (2010-08-31). The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, Book 1) (pp. 743-744). Tom Doherty Associates. Kindle Edition.

 

Someone stepped up beside him. Moash’s now-clean-shaven face exposed a faded scar along his chin. He studied Kaladin. “About Dunny…”

  

“You were right to do what you did,” Kaladin said. “You probably saved my life. Thank you.”

 

Sanderson, Brandon (2010-08-31). The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, Book 1) (p. 748). Tom Doherty Associates. Kindle Edition.

 

Keep in mind Moash was one of the good guys until he got caught up in the conspiracy.

Edited April 25, 2016 by Argel

[Nyali she/her]

Ah right, thank you, forgot about that.

[Jondesu he/him]

"He must pick it up, the fallen title! The tower, the crown, and the spear!" might refer to Kaladin at the end of tWoK needing to go back and help Dalinar. He needs to accept the fallen title of Knight Radiant, needs to go back to the Tower (that plateau), take up the spear again, and use it to save Dalinar (whose glyph looks like a crown).

I suspect his actually refers to Dalinar taking over the Tower (Urithiru), the Crown (Bondsmith and Knight Radiant), and the Spear (leader of the forces against the Voidbringers, or possibly something yet to come).

jW

[Nyali she/her]

I suspect his actually refers to Dalinar taking over the Tower (Urithiru), the Crown (Bondsmith and Knight Radiant), and the Spear (leader of the forces against the Voidbringers, or possibly something yet to come).

jW

 

It could! There are too many towers, crowns, and spears in this book. I could point to like, at least two more scenes that it could refer to.

[Stormgate he/him]

I read the death rattle in this topic... figured it out... and then realized that was the subject of the topic.

I'm a special kind of special.

I forgot about Dalinar's army, though.

[avery]

I suspect his actually refers to Dalinar taking over the Tower (Urithiru), the Crown (Bondsmith and Knight Radiant), and the Spear (leader of the forces against the Voidbringers, or possibly something yet to come).

jW

I suspect his actually refers to Dalinar taking over the Tower (Urithiru), the Crown (Bondsmith and Knight Radiant), and the Spear (leader of the forces against the Voidbringers, or possibly something yet to come).

jW

I don't disagree with you, but I am pretty sure the spear refers to Kalladin (his preferred weapon of choice) Since I am sure Kalladin will be essential to victory and most probably uniting light and dark eyes. Who will need to stand united during the desolation.

[C. James-Mayer he/him]

Good job, everyone for the interpretation. I will add a few things below, my own interpretations, nothing special.

 

 

I'm dying, aren't I? Healer, why do you take my blood? Who is that beside you, with his head of lines? I can see a distant sun, dark and cold, shining in a black sky.”
—Collected on Jesanach 1172, 11 seconds pre-death, by the Silent Gatherers. Subject was a Reshi chull trainer. Sample is of particular note.

~~ This leads me to believe that some/most/all of the death rattles are from proto-radiants. I can't find the reference at the moment, but not every person that dies speak a rattle.(I think) Jasnah/Shallan/Kaladin at some point in their life were able to access very mildly Shadesmar, just to take a peek the the Sun or the reverse shadow.

 

Victory! We stand atop the mount! We scatter them before us! Their homes become our dens, their lands are now our farms! And they shall burn, as we once did, in a place that is hollow and forlorn.”
—Collected on Ishashan 1172, 18 seconds pre-death, by the Silent Gatherers. Subject was a lighteyed spinster of the eighth dahn.

~~ This is probably yet to come reference to what I fear will become at the end of the First 5 books. A statement by a turncloak Herald.
Victory! We stand atop the mount!(possibly Urithiru or antoher Epoch Kingdom Capital).
Their homes become our dens, their lands are now our farms!(obviously they took over the lands)
And they shall burn, as we once did, in a place that is hollow and forlorn. (Who burned in Braize/Damnation? The Heralds between the desolations.)

I think a Herald(or more) forsake the humans as a revenge(or madness), leading the Voidbringers to conquer some of Roshar, with the last statement saying that humans will now burn, as they(Herals) burnt for centuries.

 

I hold the suckling child in my hands, a knife at his throat, and know that all who live wish me to let the blade slip. Spill its blood upon the ground, over my hands, and with it gain us further breath to draw.”
—Collected on Shashanan 1173, 23 seconds pre-death, by the Silent Gatherers. Subject was a darkeyed youth of sixteen years. Sample is of particular note

~~ Possible referece and possible evidence that Nalan/Darkness is right for killing Surgebinders as they bring back the Desolations, thus letting other people draw breath(live more).

 

I wish to sleep. I know now why you do what you do, and I hate you for it. I will not speak of the truths I see.”
—Collected on Kakashah 1173, 142 seconds pre-death, by the Silent Gatherers. Subject was a Shin sailor, left behind by his crew, reportedly for bringing them ill luck. Sample largely useless.

~~ It's a Shin and he talks abouth truths. This rattle always reminded me of Szeth. We know shin has access to the Regrowth and that death rattles happen several seconds before death.
My current theory is that Szeth was almost dead, saw the rattles (but due to Shin being strange overall, somehow he did not speak them like the sailor. He refused.) and he was revived with Regrowth. Subsequently, for some reason he decided to speak of Truth and they made him Truthless instead.

Edited April 26, 2016 by C. James-Mayer

[Nyali she/her]

I'm dying, aren't I? Healer, why do you take my blood? Who is that beside you, with his head of lines? I can see a distant sun, dark and cold, shining in a black sky.”

—Collected on Jesanach 1172, 11 seconds pre-death, by the Silent Gatherers. Subject was a Reshi chull trainer. Sample is of particular note.

~~ This leads me to believe that some/most/all of the death rattles are from proto-radiants. I can't find the reference at the moment, but not every person that dies speak a rattle.(I think) Jasnah/Shallan/Kaladin at some point in their life were able to access very mildly Shadesmar, just to take a peek the the Sun or the reverse shadow.

 

Many people seem to think the "head of lines" refers to a Cryptic, but I always read that as referring instead to Taravangean, who was described by Shallan as having so many lines on his face, he looked like a crumpled piece of parchment. He often stood beside the healers as they drew blood. I read that as a clue to the identity of a major antagonist placed long before a reader could make the right connections, something Brandon does all the time in his books, especially with the epigraphs.

 

But it could totally be read the other way too, especially since the "death rattle" is about Shadesmar, meaning it might not have even been a death rattle at all, but a proto-Lightweaver seeing Shadesmar before they died as their spren tried to save them by taking them there. At the same time, didn't Pattern say he was the first to form a bond since the recreance?

 

 

 

I hold the suckling child in my hands, a knife at his throat, and know that all who live wish me to let the blade slip. Spill its blood upon the ground, over my hands, and with it gain us further breath to draw.”

—Collected on Shashanan 1173, 23 seconds pre-death, by the Silent Gatherers. Subject was a darkeyed youth of sixteen years. Sample is of particular note

~~ Possible referece and possible evidence that Nalan/Darkness is right for killing Surgebinders as they bring back the Desolations, thus letting other people draw breath(live more).

 

When I hear "suckling child," I think of a child who is currently nursing, not just one young enough to nurse. I took that death rattle to be referring to a mother who contemplates killing her own child. But, I can see your interpretation too.

Edited April 26, 2016 by Nyali

[Patrick Star]

When I hear "suckling child," I think of a child who is currently nursing, not just one young enough to nurse. I took that death rattle to be referring to a mother who contemplates killing her own child. But, I can see your interpretation too.

Shallan's mother, maybe? Doesn't make a ton of sense, though, based on the timeline. But possible.

Not sure if any other characters that fit the bill.