Chapter 85: The Revel
[Warning: This chapter summary contains spoilers for Oathbringer.]
Summary
Shallan, under her Veil persona, arrives at the Oathgate platform with a wagon of stolen food to join the revel cult. The cultists recognize her as “Swiftspren” and permit her to enter, assigning a guide named Kharat. He steers her into the outer ring of revelers—ardents, lighteyes, and soldiers in decayed finery, eating from endless tables of food and indulging in carnal pleasures. A voice whispers to give in and embrace the end, but Pattern’s hum clears her mind.
Using Lightweaving, Shallan creates an illusion of Veil sleeping in an alcove while she adopts a new face, Kishi, and slips deeper inward. She crosses a second ring filled with crawling, maddened people and reaches the center, where a dark, pulsing mass covers the Oathgate control building like a heart. Her shadow points the wrong way and speaks a warning that the heart is a trap. Distant war drums signal a Voidbringer attack; Veil seizes control and flees, leaping off the platform.
Meanwhile, Kaladin dines with Highmarshal Azure. He questions her directly about her identity as a woman, her scars, and her mysterious arrival. Their tense but respectful exchange is interrupted by drums—the wall is under attack.
Key Events
- Veil delivers food to the cult and is allowed to climb to the revel.
- Her guide, Kharat, forces her to stay in the outer ring where people feast and heed the voice to surrender.
- Pattern’s vibrations counteract the corrupting influence.
- Shallan uses a Lightweaving of Veil asleep and becomes Kishi to explore inward.
- The inner ring reveals crawling, glassy-eyed revelers and rotting food.
- At the platform’s center, a massive, throbbing black mass covers the control building; her shadow warns her.
- War drums announce a Voidbringer attack, and Veil leaps off the platform.
- Kaladin challenges Azure about her gender, past, and secrets during dinner; she deflects but shows respect.
- The meal is cut short when drums signal an assault on the wall.
Character Development
Shallan / Veil / Kishi
Shallan grapples with her personas. She considers abandoning Veil but strangles that thought, recognizing Veil as too vital. To navigate the revel, she adopts yet another false face, Kishi, but the experience nearly overwhelms her, demonstrating both her skill and the fragility of her constructed identities. The chapter shows how Lightweaving both shields and endangers her sanity.
Kaladin
Kaladin shows his characteristic refusal to abide by hierarchy, directly confronting Azure. He demands honesty, revealing his own branded past only obliquely. His respect for Azure is genuine, but his need for transparency reflects his ongoing struggle to trust authority figures.
Azure
Azure remains enigmatic, treating Kaladin’s challenges with wry amusement. She admits the men’s pretense about her gender is silly but useful. Her guardedness underscores the secrets she carries.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Corruption and Surrender: The revel is a physical embodiment of giving in to despair and indulgence. The voice urging Veil to let go mirrors the broader theme of the Unmade’s influence paralyzing the city.
- Identity and Masks: Shallan’s shifting faces—Veil, Kishi, and her own shadow—illustrate the theme of fractured selfhood. The white mask of the cultist echoes earlier threats like Iyatil.
- The Heart as Trap: The pulsing black mass covering the Oathgate building resembles a literal heart, symbolizing how Kholinar’s defense has been hollowed out from within by the Unmade.
- Truth and Command: Kaladin’s dinner with Azure mirrors his past confrontations with Amaram, highlighting the need for leaders whose words match their deeds.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is the payoff of Shallan’s long infiltration effort. It reveals the nature of the revel: not a simple cult but a trap fed by an Unmade that has enveloped the Oathgate. The discovery that the control building is consumed sets up the final challenge for retaking the city. At the same time, Kaladin’s confrontation with Azure progresses their relationship, hinting at her hidden nature and preparing both of them for the imminent battle. The simultaneous drum attacks tie their narratives together, signaling that the climax in Kholinar has begun.
Study Questions and Answers
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Why does Shallan create the persona Kishi instead of simply sneaking away from Kharat?
Kharat’s vigilance and the hypnotic pull of the revel make a direct escape difficult. By crafting Kishi and leaving a sleeping Veil illusion, Shallan slips past her guide unnoticed and maintains cover while exploring the deeper rings of the platform. -
What does the throbbing black mass at the Oathgate center represent, and why is it a trap?
The mass is implied to be the work of one of the Unmade, similar to the Midnight Mother’s corruption in Urithiru. It pulses like a heart and overwhelms the control building. The voice from her shadow warns Shallan that the heart is a trap, likely because approaching it would enslave her mind as it has the revelers. -
How does Kaladin’s conversation with Azure reflect his growth and his lingering distrust of authority?
Kaladin speaks frankly about Azure’s gender and secrets, breaking military hierarchy. He respects her command but demands transparency, mirroring earlier betrayals he suffered under lighteyes. His willingness to challenge her shows both his hard-earned confidence and his determination not to be misled again.