Quiz Wind and Truth Brandon Sanderson

Wind and Truth Quiz – 20 Questions on Book 5 of the Stormlight Archive

Welcome to the Wind and Truth quiz! This comprehensive test covers the entire fifth volume of The Stormlight Archive. Use it to check your understanding of the story’s major events, character arcs, and deeper themes. After the questions, you’ll find a complete answer key with brief explanations.

If you need a refresher, visit the main book page, browse questions and answers, or read the ending explained.

Plot and Sequence Questions (8 questions)

  1. Multiple choice: In the Prologue, who kills Gavilar Kholin?
    a) Szeth
    b) A Parshendi assassin
    c) Amaram
    d) Eshonai

  2. Short answer: What mission does Dalinar assign to Kaladin at the start of the book?

  3. Multiple choice: Which character speaks the Fourth Ideal “I am the Law”?
    a) Kaladin
    b) Nale
    c) Szeth
    d) Ishar

  4. Short answer: What does Dalinar do during the Contest of Champions when faced with the champion Gavinor?

  5. Multiple choice: Which Unmade is imprisoned in a heliodor gemstone?
    a) Sja‑anat
    b) Ba‑Ado‑Mishram
    c) Dai‑Gonarthis
    d) Moelach

  6. Short answer: What happens to the Stormfather after Dalinar renounces his oaths?

  7. Multiple choice: Who becomes the new Vessel of Odium after Rayse?
    a) El
    b) Taravangian
    c) Cultivation
    d) Nale

  8. Short answer: What does Kaladin do to reforging the Oathpact at the end of the novel?

Character Motivation Questions (5 questions)

  1. Multiple choice: Why does Szeth accept the Oathstone and become Truthless?
    a) He believes he is a murderer who deserves punishment.
    b) He wants to escape making decisions and follow orders.
    c) He is forced by the Honorbearers under threat of death.
    d) He wants to serve Odium and gain power.

  2. Short answer: What motivates Kaladin to become a Herald in the final chapters?

  3. Multiple choice: Why does Adolin choose not to become a Radiant?
    a) He dislikes the idea of swearing oaths.
    b) He feels unworthy of a spren bond.
    c) He wants to prove himself without supernatural aid.
    d) He hates spren after what happened to Maya.

  4. Short answer: What is Shallan’s primary goal in hunting the Ghostbloods throughout the book?

  5. Multiple choice: Why does Taravangian destroy the entire city of Kharbranth, including his family?
    a) To prove his ruthlessness to Odium.
    b) To eliminate any weakness that could be used against him as a god.
    c) To punish Cultivation for her interference.
    d) To save the rest of Roshar from a greater threat.

Theme and Symbol Questions (4 questions)

  1. Multiple choice: In Wind and Truth, the Wind is best described as:
    a) An ancient spren left behind by Adonalsium.
    b) A manifestation of Honor’s power.
    c) A creation of Cultivation.
    d) A collective of windspren acting together.

  2. Short answer: What does the Wandersail flute song come to represent for Kaladin during his journey?

  3. Multiple choice: Which character most clearly distinguishes between an oath and a promise?
    a) Kaladin
    b) Adolin
    c) Szeth
    d) Dalinar

  4. Short answer: What does the imprisonment and later release of Ba‑Ado‑Mishram symbolize thematically?

Synthesis Questions (3 questions)

  1. Multiple choice: How do Kaladin’s and Szeth’s personal journeys parallel each other?
    a) Both become Heralds by the end.
    b) Both kill their own fathers.
    c) Both learn that their worth is not defined solely by their actions.
    d) Both reject their spren bonds.

  2. Short answer: Explain the purpose of the “Sunmaker’s Gambit” that Dalinar executes in his final confrontation with Taravangian.

  3. Multiple choice: What is the ultimate fate of Roshar after the events of Wind and Truth?
    a) It is completely destroyed by Retribution.
    b) It becomes trapped inside a time‑dilation bubble.
    c) It unites under a single global government.
    d) It is abandoned by all Shards.

Answer Key

1. b) A Parshendi assassin – In the Prologue, the Parshendi hire an assassin to kill Gavilar, ending his attempt to become a Herald.

2. Kaladin must accompany Szeth to Shinovar to find the mad Herald Ishi (Ishar) and help Szeth complete his pilgrimage. Dalinar sends them to deal with Ishar and the Honorblades.

3. c) Szeth – Szeth speaks the Fourth Ideal of the Skybreakers, declaring “I am the Law,” during his confrontation with the Honorbearers.

4. Dalinar refuses to fight his grandson Gavinor, throws down his Blade, and then renounces his oaths, shattering the power of Honor. This breaks the contract and leads to Retribution’s rise.

5. b) Ba‑Ado‑Mishram – The Unmade was captured in a flawless heliodor by Melishi during the False Desolation.

6. Taravangian (as Retribution) vaporizes the Stormfather after Dalinar renounces his oaths, absorbing his power.

7. b) Taravangian – Taravangian becomes the new Vessel of Odium after Rayse is killed, as revealed early in the novel.

8. Kaladin speaks his own Words—“I accept this journey”—and drives a spear into the ring of Honorblades, becoming a Herald and reforging the Oathpact. He does this to protect the spren.

9. b) He wants to escape making decisions and follow orders. Szeth is overwhelmed by the burden of choice and embraces the Oathstone as a way to avoid responsibility.

10. Kaladin becomes a Herald to protect the spren and continue his role as a protector, after the Wind asks for a champion and he learns that the spren need someone to defend them.

11. a) He dislikes the idea of swearing oaths. Adolin criticizes blind oaths and deliberately chooses a non‑Radiant path, relying on his own skills and promises.

12. Shallan wants to stop the Ghostbloods from using Ba‑Ado‑Mishram’s prison, believing that freeing or weaponizing the Unmade would cause catastrophic harm.

13. b) To eliminate any weakness that could be used against him as a god. Taravangian believes a divine being must have no emotional attachments, so he destroys his family and city to become invulnerable.

14. a) An ancient spren left behind by Adonalsium. The Wind is a primordial force that predates the Shards and acts as a caretaker of Roshar.

15. The Wandersail flute song represents hope, joy, and Kaladin’s ability to find happiness beyond his identity as a warrior. It also connects him to the Wind.

16. b) Adolin – Adolin repeatedly distinguishes between the rigidity of oaths and the flexibility of promises, especially when Maya returns with the deadeyes.

17. Mishram’s imprisonment and release symbolize Honor’s betrayal of the singers, the trauma of the parshmen, and the possibility of forgiveness and healing through acknowledging past wrongs.

18. c) Both learn that their worth is not defined solely by their actions. Kaladin’s Fifth Ideal (“I will protect myself”) and Szeth’s decision to live after killing his father both emphasize self‑acceptance.

19. Dalinar forces Retribution (Taravangian) to focus on larger Cosmere threats instead of Roshar, by making himself a target and breaking the contract. This buys Roshar time and redirects Retribution’s attention.

20. b) It becomes trapped inside a time‑dilation bubble. In the epilogue, Hoid realizes that Retribution has surrounded Roshar with a time‑dilation field, isolating the planet.

Ready to explore more? Return to the main book page, check common questions, or dive into the ending explained.