69. Pure Tones of Roshar

A flashback chapter set eight years before the main timeline showing Eshonai's transformation into warform during a highstorm. When she absorbs a gemstone meant for her mother, she becomes the first listener to adopt this powerful new form, subsequently leading a peaceful unification effort among the listener families by demonstrating warform's martial superiority without bloodshed.

Eight years in the past, Eshonai accompanies her mother Jaxlim into a highstorm, carrying a gemstone for her mother to use to adopt a new form. As they shelter from the tempest, the gemstone's light suddenly transfers into Eshonai instead, overwhelming her with a pure tone of Honor and transforming her body into a heavily armored warform. She emerges from the storm to discover about a dozen other listeners have also successfully adopted this form, including Thude and Dianil. As they celebrate their newfound strength, battle drums signal a raid on their city by a rival listener family. Eshonai's group approaches the city and encounters her sister Venli, who directs them to the Shardbearer Sharefel. Despite Venli's suggestion to use the Shards in combat, Eshonai refuses to take them and instead asks Sharefel to stand with them unarmed. When the warforms emerge on the battlefield in full display, including Sharefel in his Shardplate, the opposing family retreats in fear. Rather than fighting, Eshonai delivers a speech urging the listeners to unite as one nation to face the inevitable human threat, convincing the enemy family to stand down without bloodshed. The warforms then enter the city to present themselves to their people, marking the beginning of a new era for the listeners.