74. A Symbol

Venli, eight years ago, is manipulated by Ulim (a Voidspren) into orchestrating a plan to show her people the power of humans. She receives new rhythms and is promised forms of power, though her true motivation remains ambiguous—whether helping her struggling mother or pursuing greater ambition. She arranges for human agents to invite the listeners to visit the Alethi palace to demonstrate human military might.

The chapter is a flashback eight years prior to the main narrative. Venli possesses a gemheart housing both a normal spren and Ulim, a Voidspren who speaks to her privately, revealing knowledge of the Unmade, Ba-Ado-Mishram's imprisonment, and plans to pull Odium's storm from Shadesmar through a coordinated effort involving gemstones and agents. Ulim flatters Venli while belittling her people's fighting capabilities compared to organized human armies. He explains that the Fused and other singers exist as slaves to humans worldwide. Venli gathers scholars to research nimbleform but is frustrated that her sister Eshonai receives credit for unifying the listener families. As Ulim discusses the strength of human forces with interlocking shields, cavalry, and archers, Venli acknowledges her people lack equivalent military sophistication. Venli visits her mother Jaxlim, who is distressed and forgetful while trying to weave. Listening to Jaxlim sing the ancestral song about the listeners leaving their gods and striking out alone, Venli is briefly moved by her heritage but ultimately convinces herself that conflict with humans is inevitable and her people must be shown this truth. She proposes that Ulim use his human agents to arrange an invitation to the Alethi palace, where she can overwhelm her people with demonstrations of human military power, frightening them into accepting forms of power and preparing for Odium's arrival.