AFTERWORD

Chapter 24

19: STARFALLS

Overview

In a mystical vision, the longest yet, the seventeen-century figure of the Knights' discovery and two female warriors armed with mysterious powers is shown to be a prophecy about a coming catastrophe called the "Ten Deaths". A strange voice in the vision tells him to trust the highprince and that uniting the leaders is essential.

Summary

After a brief introductory exchange between two powerful entities discussing the dangerous holder of a particular "shard", a heavily armed figure called "the figure of a knight" appears mysteriously in the background. When the scene opens properly, the vision shifts between multiple versions of what seems to be fragments of a memory or future. The first fragment shows a dark barn where a man (experiencing the visions as a farmer named "heb") encounters a terrified child and protects her from a dangerous black creature that resembles a creature made of tar. After a desperate fight, he flees to a farmhouse with the girl, where a woman named "taffa" greets him. The monsters attack violently, and he fights using a poker and a table leg with surprising skill. The couple and child flee toward higher ground. While trying to escape further attacksof dozens more black creatures (called "midnight essence"), a pair of armored warriors fall from the sky—a male and female shardbearer in glowing blue and amber armor. They fight alongside "heb" and eventually defeat the creatures. The female shardbearer heals the family and speaks of the Knights' radiant standing guard for a coming "desolation". "heb" learns he is in natanatan (ancient alethkar) in the eighth epoch. The voice returns to the man's body, manifesting through the woman "taffa", speaking in a familiar masculine voice. The voice tells him to maintain trust in sadeas and emphasizes unity is necessary. When the vision ends abruptly, he awakens in a barrack and soldiers release him from his involuntary thrashing. After dismissing them, he sits alone reflecting on the impossible commands and the voice's cryptic warnings.

Characters

  • The Being/VoiceA mysterious masculine voice that inhabits characters in the vision and commands the man to trust his allies and unite leaders; speaks of a coming catastrophe.
  • Male Knight/Knight of the OrdersA shardbearer in glowing blue armor with a symbol of the lost Knights' radiant; fights the creatures, heals the group, and tells of the coming desolation and invites the man to join the orders at urithiru.
  • Female Knight/Woman in armorA shardbearer in glowing amber armor who fights alongside the male knight, heals the wounded woman, and speaks of the knights' duty to stay vigilant for the desolation.
  • heb/The Man in the VisionThe body/identity the man experiences in the vision, appearing to be a farmer or peasant who fights the black creatures with a poker and table leg to protect a woman and child.
  • taffa/WomanThe mother of seeli who is protected by heb during the creature attacks; is healed by the female knight and later becomes inhabited by the mysterious voice.
  • seeliA child of about six or seven who is protected by heb throughout the creature attacks and flees with her mother.
  • renarinThe man's son who witnesses the vision sequence and tries to excuse his father's behavior to the soldiers who restrained him.
  • soldiersA group of soldiers holding the man down during his violent vision experience.
  • harkaylainA person mentioned by the female knight as believing the desolation is close; does not appear directly.
  • the man/dalinarThe primary character experiencing the vision; wakes in a barrack and reflects on the cryptic command to trust sadeas and unite the highprinces.
  • sadeasA highprince whom the voice commands the man to trust, contrary to his son's opinions.
  • adolinThe man's son who distrusts sadeas and thinks the visions are delusions.
  • elhokarA figure the man briefly asks about in the vision but receives no clear answer.
  • the first entity/old reptileReferenced in the opening exchange as an ancient being debating with another about intervention and the dangerous holder of a shard.
  • rayseReferenced in the opening exchange as the holder of a frightening and terrible shard.
  • the almightyReferenced by characters as the deity they worship; not appearing directly.
  • battarReferenced in an exclamation by the woman in the vision; not appearing directly.