24: The Gallery of Maps

Spoiler Notice: This page reveals key events from The Way of Kings Chapter 29 and minor context from earlier chapters. Proceed with caution if you haven’t read through this point.

Summary

Dalinar Kholin meets Highprince Roion in the Gallery of Maps, a domed chamber housing detailed maps of the Shattered Plains. Against a backdrop of shalebark and illuminating diamonds, Dalinar points out the stagnation of the war—no one has even seen the center of the Plains after six years. He proposes a joint plateau assault, arguing that combining their armies’ strengths (Dalinar’s infantry, Roion’s archers) could yield new tactics and break the cycle of competitive gemheart hunts. Roion is skeptical: plateaus are small, mobility is paramount, and he fears losing his autonomy. Dalinar offers to split gemhearts evenly and even promises the first captured Shardblade or Plate to Roion, but Roion remains wary and says he will think about it, though Dalinar senses a refusal.

Dalinar reflects on Gavilar’s dream of a united Alethkar and the pattern he feels hidden in the plateaus. He is frustrated by highprinces treating war as a game, quoting the Sunmaker. Adolin arrives and reports that Sadeas has requested permission to interview grooms about the king’s horse, a move Adolin fears is a pretext to undermine House Kholin. Adolin confronts Dalinar, challenging his reliance on visions and attributing his lapses to age or guilt. The argument escalates; Adolin shouts that Dalinar’s visions are delusions, and Dalinar coldly dismisses him. The chapter closes with Adolin feeling sick for his outburst but convinced he spoke truth.

Key Events

  • Dalinar and Roion meet in the Gallery of Maps and discuss the war’s lack of progress.
  • Dalinar proposes a joint plateau assault; Roion declines, fearing subordination and loss of independence.
  • Dalinar offers Roion the first set of Shards captured in a joint attack, but Roion remains noncommittal.
  • Dalinar contemplates the futility of endless competition and the need to unite the highprinces.
  • Adolin informs Dalinar of Sadeas’s investigation into the king’s horse, interpreting it as a potential threat.
  • Adolin confronts Dalinar about his visions and mental health, accusing him of delusion and damaging the house’s reputation.
  • Dalinar sends Adolin away, insisting he must trust the visions’ guidance.

Character Development

  • Dalinar: His desperation to break the war’s stalemate is evident, but his diplomatic efforts fail because highprinces prize personal autonomy over collective victory. He remains torn between his strategic mind (seeing the Tower as a potential trap for Parshendi) and his spiritual conviction that the visions are real. The confrontation with Adolin underscores his isolation; even his son doubts his sanity.
  • Adolin: Driven by love for his father, Adolin forces a long-avoided conversation about Dalinar’s mental state. His outburst reveals deep fear that the family is being ruined by what he sees as irrational behavior. He believes simple, unglamorous truths—like a worn strap or age-related decline—are being ignored in favor of mystical explanations.
  • Roion: The weakest highprince exemplifies the parochial mindset Dalinar must overcome. He is more afraid of losing his current position than interested in gaining more through cooperation, reflecting the fragmented nature of Alethi politics.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • The Gallery of Maps: The room itself symbolizes the Alethi perspective on the war—a detached, godlike view that reduces the Plains to a game board. The Prime Map’s detailed west and blank east mirror the Alethi’s superficial engagement: they control the near plateaus but have learned nothing about the Parshendi or the Plains’ center.
  • Competition vs. Unity: The list of gemhearts won per highprince reinforces the war-as-sport mentality. Dalinar’s proposal challenges this, echoing Gavilar’s vision for Alethkar.
  • Light and Revelation: Diamonds illuminate the maps, suggesting knowledge, but the true center remains dark. Dalinar’s repeated “stretching” toward a pattern he cannot see parallels the search for truth that the visions tease.
  • Faith vs. Reason: Adolin’s argument pits empirical evidence (no one else sees the visions, Dalinar’s lapses) against Dalinar’s internal certitude, a conflict that will intensify.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 29 crystallizes the political and personal obstacles to Dalinar’s goal. It shows that the highprinces’ competition is deeply entrenched, and that even a generous offer cannot overcome ingrained suspicion. More crucially, it brings the father-son conflict to a head: Adolin’s challenge goes to the heart of Dalinar’s reliability as a leader. This moment sets the stage for future tests of Dalinar’s authority and foreshadows the consequences if he cannot prove the visions’ validity.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. Why does Dalinar propose a joint plateau assault, and why does Roion refuse?
    Dalinar wants to break the stalemate by combining armies to surround plateaus or let the Parshendi arrive first, gaining tactical advantage. Roion refuses because he fears becoming subordinate to a stronger highprince and losing his autonomy, even though his princedom is the smallest. The highprinces’ distrust and emphasis on individual glory prevent cooperation.

  2. What argument does Adolin make against Dalinar’s visions?
    Adolin argues that the visions are likely a product of Dalinar’s aging mind, guilt over Gavilar’s death, or an attempt to rationalize his lapses. He points out that men see what they want to see, comparing Dalinar’s situation to Elhokar’s paranoia. Adolin believes simple explanations—like a worn strap or mental decline—are more plausible than supernatural messages.

  3. How does the Gallery of Maps setting underscore the themes of the chapter?
    The gallery’s dual nature—beautiful yet functional, with map and list of gemhearts—mirrors the Alethi view of war as both art and competition. The blank eastern section of the Prime Map symbolizes how little has been truly achieved, while Dalinar’s focus on the Tower plateau hints at a desire for decisive action. The map’s divisions into colored territories reflect the fractured political landscape.