Chapter 217

This chapter is a flashback prologue revealing the Stormfather's true nature and origins. Two thousand years ago, Tanavast (the previous vessel of Honor) betrayed the spren Mishram, leading to catastrophic consequences that corrupted the Radiants and caused Honor's power to reject him. After Rayse kills Tanavast, a fragment of Honor's power survives by merging with the storm spren, creating the Stormfather, who then resolves to find a worthy champion to defeat Odium and reclaim the Shard.

The chapter opens with Tanavast recounting his decision to trap Mishram in a gemstone as part of a plan against Rayse (Odium). Though Tanavast believed this was necessary, the act devastated the singers who were aligned with Mishram and caused the power of Honor itself to reject him, recognizing that his actions were neither good nor honorable. Tanavast's betrayal corrupted all Radiants through their bonds with him, spreading revulsion and hatred. In desperation, Tanavast projected a vision of a destroyed world to the Radiants without explaining it was merely a possible future, then fled. As the power of Honor separated from him, he fell from the sky into a forest. Rayse confronted the fallen Tanavast, mocking his weakness, and prepared to kill him. However, Tanavast realized that their binding agreement would hold even after his death, preventing Rayse from leaving the system. Honor's power offered Tanavast one final chance to fight, but recognizing the cycle of destruction he had perpetuated, Tanavast refused to make things worse. Instead, he asked only for protection, and Honor's power extracted a portion of his soul containing his memories and gave it to the storm spren he had created, while Rayse destroyed the rest. Tanavast died but lived on as the Stormfather, carrying the burden of his choices and memories. The Stormfather and the remnant of Honor's power resolved to find a perfect champion—honorable yet merciful, a warrior yet a leader, and someone who would prove worthy without knowledge of their reward—to defeat Rayse and become Honor's next vessel.