Chapter 117: The Oathstone – Szeth’s Sentence
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
The chapter opens with Szeth sitting by a fire, still weeping, while the Honorbearers—leaders of the Stoneward army and other camps—discuss his fate nearby. Szeth’s father, Neturo, now carries the Bondsmith Blade, and Szeth struggles to reconcile the gentle administrator he knew with a man who has become a killer. The Honorbearers debate Szeth’s rebellion, with Sivi noting that the Voice (an entity speaking in their minds) could have stopped the conflict earlier but did not. Neturo laments that he was never allowed to explain the truth to his son.
The Voice addresses Szeth directly, mocking his lack of backbone and expressing disappointment that Szeth did not kill Neturo and start a revolution. The Voice claims it will have to “harden” Szeth for the coming war and says it will see him in a decade. Szeth wonders if he imagined the exchange.
The Honorbearers formally declare Szeth Truthless. Despite Neturo’s protests, Pozen insists that Szeth must be punished to prevent further civil war. The group also agrees to redefine Truth by denying the return of Voidbringers and the existence of the Knights Radiant, believing the true threat is war with other worlds. Szeth, still confused, summons his Honorblade and then tosses it away, accepting his guilt. He says that either he was right to attack them (and must kill everyone, including his father) or he was wrong and deserves to be Truthless. He asks them to decide.
Neturo sorrowfully accepts the verdict. Szeth is bound and given the choice of the Oathstone: a small rock that will dictate his actions until he is commanded. Szeth eagerly accepts, saying he no longer wants to make his own decisions. He promises to follow any command except suicide. As he receives the stone, the Voice intervenes, insisting that Szeth keep his Honorblade—an unprecedented allowance for a Truthless. The Honorbearers reluctantly comply, adding a vow that Szeth may never give the Blade away. Szeth is stripped of his name and becomes Szeth-son-son-Vallano. He is banished eastward, eventually sold to a stonewalker. The chapter ends with Szeth resolving never to look back or question again.
Key Events
- The Honorbearers vote to declare Szeth Truthless, with Neturo reluctantly agreeing.
- The Voice (implied to be Odium) speaks to Szeth, criticizing him and promising to return in ten years.
- Szeth accepts the Oathstone vow, surrendering his will and freedom of choice.
- The Voice orders that Szeth keep his Honorblade, against the Honorbearers’ judgment.
- Szeth is renamed Szeth-son-son-Vallano and banished to the East.
- He is sold to a stonewalker, beginning his life as a slave-assassin.
Character Development
Szeth: This chapter crystallizes his core psychological conflict: he cannot trust his own judgment. He willingly embraces the Oathstone because it frees him from making decisions. His self‑identification as Truthless is not forced upon him; he asks for it. This moment shapes his entire future as an obedient killer.
Neturo: A father torn between love and duty. He carries the Bondsmith Blade and has known the truth for years but was forbidden from telling Szeth. His weeping embrace reveals deep guilt, yet he ultimately lets his son be banished. This shows how the Voice and the Honorbearers’ agenda override familial bonds.
The Voice: Likely Odium, the Voice manipulates events from behind the scenes. It allowed Szeth’s rebellion to build momentum for unclear reasons, then ensures Szeth keeps his Blade. The Voice treats people as tools to be hardened for war.
Pozen and Sivi: As Honorbearers, they are willing to re‑engineer the entire religious understanding of Truth to avoid future rebellions. They prioritize stability and the coming war over individual justice.
Themes, Symbols, and Motifs
- Truth vs. Truthless: The chapter directly addresses the definition of Truth. The Honorbearers collectively decide to deny the return of Voidbringers, making Truth a political tool rather than an absolute. Szeth’s crime is not a moral failing but a challenge to their authority.
- Freedom in Surrender: Szeth finds liberation in giving up his will. The Oathstone becomes a symbol of his escape from the burden of choice—a twisted form of freedom.
- Fathers and Sons: Neturo’s failure to protect Szeth echoes the novel’s broader theme of flawed paternal relationships. Szeth declares his “little boy is dead,” severing his identity from his father.
- The Voice as Puppeteer: The unseen Voice (Odium) orchestrates events, allowing the rebellion to escalate and then preserving Szeth as a tool. This underscores the theme of mortals being pawns in larger cosmic conflicts.
- Names and Identity: Szeth loses his patronymic “son‑Neturo” and gains “son‑son‑Vallano,” a name that distances him from his father and marks his new status.
Why This Chapter Matters
This flashback provides the essential backstory for Szeth’s role as a Truthless assassin. It explains why he obeys the Oathstone so rigidly in the present timeline and why he feels he cannot trust his own decisions. The chapter also reveals the Honorbearers’ secret redefinition of Truth and their acceptance of the Voice’s authority—knowledge that recontextualizes Szeth’s later actions and the political landscape of Shinovar. The Voice’s direct involvement here hints at Odium’s long‑term manipulation of Szeth’s life.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Szeth willingly accept the Oathstone? He has lost faith in his own judgment after leading a rebellion that he now believes was unfounded. The Oathstone allows him to abdicate all future decisions, giving him a sense of peace and freedom from the agony of choice.
2. How does the Voice’s intervention change Szeth’s fate? The Voice orders that Szeth keep his Honorblade even though he is Truthless. This is highly unusual and ensures Szeth remains a dangerous asset. Without that order, Szeth would have been disarmed and likely less consequential in the later story.
3. What does the Honorbearers’ decision to deny the Voidbringers’ return reveal about their values? They are willing to alter core religious doctrine to maintain order and prevent future challenges to their authority. Their priority is stability and preparation for a war against other worlds, not absolute truth.