Chapter 87: Epilogue: Of Most Worth

Spoiler Warning: This page contains spoilers for The Way of Kings and the Stormlight Archive series. Read at your own risk.

Summary

The epilogue opens with Wit seated on merchant boxes just inside Kholinar’s closed city gates. He addresses the night watch guards, asking what men consider the most valuable talent. Playing his enthir, he dismisses the common answers—artistic ability, intellect, invention—as beautiful lies. Through a series of examples, he argues that society does not truly revere creativity or genius itself; it rewards only the first to achieve something. A second artist, thinker, or inventor who independently produces the same work receives no praise but is called derivative or a forger. Thus, Wit concludes, the trait men actually value most is novelty—and, more precisely, timeliness.

The guards grow uneasy, especially when Wit asserts that a storm is coming. The gates suddenly shake under heavy blows. Something enormous pounds on them from outside, and a Shardblade rams through the gap, slicing the bar. The doors swing open to reveal a solitary, dark-skinned man with matted hair and a long, spike-like Shardblade. He is dressed only in a wet rag, muscles glistening as if he has just swum a great distance.

The man steps forward unsteadily, dragging his Blade and cutting the stone. When he speaks, his voice is ragged, commanding the guards to run and raise a warning. He struggles to recall his own identity before declaring: “I am Talenel’Elin, Stonesinew, Herald of the Almighty. The Desolation has come. Oh, God… it has come. And I have failed.” He collapses, his Shardblade clattering to the ground without vanishing. The guards prod him in disbelief. Wit, still perched on his boxes, whispers about timeliness, noting that his “confused, unfortunate friend” may have arrived too late.

Key Events

  • Wit engages the Kholinar night guards in a philosophical discussion about what men value most, ultimately pinpointing novelty and timeliness.
  • A formidable Shardbearer pounds on the gates and forces them open with a Shardblade.
  • The intruder is revealed to be Talenel’Elin, one of the ten Heralds, who announces that the Desolation has begun.
  • Talenel’Elin collapses, and Wit muses on the importance of timeliness, hinting that the Herald’s warning may already be futile.

Character Development

  • Wit: The epilogue showcases Wit’s role as a cryptic observer. His conversation reveals a deep understanding of human nature, masked by flippancy. He uses music and paradox to expose the shallow values of society while hinting at his own cosmic awareness. His parting words underscore his ambiguous alignment and knowledge of greater events.
  • Talenel’Elin: The Herald appears in a pitiful state—wild-eyed, drenched, and barely able to stand. His confession of failure adds tragic weight to his millennia-long duty of guarding humanity against the Desolations. His condition suggests immense suffering and hints at the cost of the Oathpact.
  • The Guards: They serve as foils, reacting with confusion and fear, representing ordinary people suddenly confronted by legends and disaster.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Novelty and Timeliness: Wit’s central argument recontextualizes the epigraphs and the entire series’ focus on rediscovery. The emphasis on “firstness” foreshadows the world’s unpreparedness for the returning Desolation.
  • The Desolation: Announced by a Herald, this cataclysmic event has been feared since the Prelude. Its confirmation flips the narrative stakes from political intrigue and personal redemption to global survival.
  • Failure and Responsibility: Talenel’Elin’s admission of failure mirrors the book’s recurring theme of broken oaths and the weight of duty. The Herald, the ultimate symbol of protection, collapses under the burden, reflecting the erosion of divine safeguards.
  • Shardblades: The Blade that does not vanish upon its bearer’s collapse is a unique sight, hinting at the difference between a Herald’s Blade and a typical Shardblade—a clue to the nature of the Heralds and their Honorblades.

Why This Chapter Matters

This epilogue transforms the conclusion of The Way of Kings into a powerful cliffhanger. Until now, the Desolation has been a distant prophecy, but Talenel’Elin’s arrival makes it immediate and terrifying. Wit’s discourse on timeliness gains chilling relevance: humanity has squandered millennia, and the warning may have come too late. The chapter bridges the personal journeys of the main characters with the epic, world-ending conflict ahead, setting the stage for the entire Stormlight Archive.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. According to Wit, what do men truly value in a talent, and why are his examples significant?
    Wit argues that men do not value artistry, intellect, or invention per se, but only novelty—being first. An independent second creator is dismissed as derivative. This exposes the superficiality of acclaim and ties to the book’s broader critique of Alethi culture, which often prizes appearance over substance.

  2. What does Talenel’Elin’s appearance and announcement reveal about the Desolation and the Heralds?
    Talenel’Elin’s ragged, drenched state and his failure to prevent the Desolation suggest that the Oathpact has broken or been betrayed. His presence confirms that the Heralds are real and that their cycle of suffering has been in vain. The Desolation is no myth; it is a recurring apocalypse that has returned.

  3. How does Wit’s final whisper connect to his earlier philosophical monologue?
    Wit’s closing remark that Talenel’Elin may be “too late” mirrors the lesson on timeliness. Just as a great discovery earns no honor if someone else arrived first, the Herald’s warning may be worthless if humanity has run out of time. This creates a parallel between the intellectual and the existential, emphasizing the tragedy of being second even in matters of salvation.

Navigation