Oathbringer: Epigraphs

Main article: Epigraphs

Following is a list, in chapter sequence, of the epigraphs that appear within Oathbringer. Omitted chapters are those of Dalinar's flashbacks, for which there are no epigraphs. Neither are there epigraphs for the novel's interludes.

Oathbringer

Chapter	Epigraph	Sources
One	I’m certain some will feel threatened by this record. Some few may feel liberated. Most will simply feel that it should not exist.	From Oathbringer, preface
Two	I needed to write it anyway.	From Oathbringer, preface
Four	I know that many women who read this will see it only as further proof that I am the godless heretic everyone claims.	From Oathbringer, preface
Five	I can point to the moment when I decided for certain this record had to be written. I hung between realms, seeing into Shadesmar—the realm of the spren—and beyond.	From Oathbringer, preface
Six	I thought that I was surely dead. Certainly, some who saw farther than I did thought I had fallen.	From Oathbringer, preface
Seven	I did not die. I experienced something worse.	From Oathbringer, preface
Eight	That moment notwithstanding, I can honestly say this book has been brewing in me since my youth.	From Oathbringer, preface
Nine	The sum of my experiences has pointed at this moment. This decision.	From Oathbringer, preface
Ten	Perhaps my heresy stretches back to those days in my childhood, where these ideas began.	From Oathbringer, preface
Twelve	I ask not that you forgive me. Nor that you even understand.	From Oathbringer, preface
Thirteen	I ask only that you read or listen to these words.	From Oathbringer, preface
Fourteen	In this record, I hold nothing back. I will try not to shy away from difficult topics, or paint myself in a dishonestly heroic light.	From Oathbringer, preface
Fifteen	I will express only direct, even brutal, truth. You must know what I have done, and what those actions cost me.	From Oathbringer, preface
Sixteen	For in this comes the lesson.	From Oathbringer, preface
Seventeen	It is not a lesson I claim to be able to teach. Experience herself is the great teacher, and you must seek her directly.	From Oathbringer, preface
Eighteen	You cannot have a spice described to you, but must taste it for yourself.	From Oathbringer, preface
Twenty	However, with a dangerous spice, you can be warned to taste lightly. I would that your lesson may not be as painful as my own.	From Oathbringer, preface
Twenty-one	I am no storyteller, to entertain you with whimsical yarns.	From Oathbringer, preface
Twenty-two	I am no philosopher, to intrigue you with piercing questions.	From Oathbringer, preface
Twenty-three	I am no poet, to delight you with clever allusions.	From Oathbringer, preface
Twenty-four	I have no doubt that you are smarter than I am. I can only relate what happened, what I have done, and then let you draw conclusions.	From Oathbringer, preface
Twenty-five	I will confess my murders before you. Most painfully, I have killed someone who loved me dearly.	From Oathbringer, preface
Twenty-seven	I will confess my heresy. I do not back down from the things I have said, regardless of what the ardents demand.	From Oathbringer, preface
Twenty-eight	Finally, I will confess my humanity. I have been named a monster, and do not deny those claims. I am the monster that I fear we all can become.	From Oathbringer, preface
Twenty-nine	So sit back. Read, or listen, to someone who has passed between realms.	From Oathbringer, preface
Thirty	Listen to the words of a fool.	From Oathbringer, preface
Thirty-one	If they cannot make you less foolish, at least let them give you hope.	From Oathbringer, preface
Thirty-two	For I, of all people, have changed.	From Oathbringer, preface

Letters to Cephandrius

There are three letters in these epigraphs. The first letter is covered from chapters 33 to 41, the second from chapters 42 to 51, and the third from chapters 52 to 57. The letters are addressed to Hoid, or Cephandrius as he is called in Mistborn: Secret History.

Chapter	Epigraph	Sources
Thirty-Three	Dearest Cephandrius, I received your communication, of course.
Thirty-Four	I noticed its arrival immediately, just as I noticed your many intrusions into my land.
Thirty-Five	You think yourself so clever, but my eyes are not those of some petty noble, to be clouded by a false nose and some dirt on the cheeks.
Thirty-Seven	You mustn’t worry yourself about Rayse. It is a pity about Aona and Skai, but they were foolish—violating our pact from the very beginning.
Thirty-Eight	Your skills are admirable, but you are merely a man. You had your chance to be more, and refused it.
Thirty-Nine	No good can come of two Shards settling in one location. It was agreed that we would not interfere with one another, and it disappoints me that so few of the Shards have kept to this original agreement.
Forty	As for Uli Da, it was obvious from the outset that she was going to be a problem. Good riddance.
Forty-One	Regardless, this is not your concern. You turned your back on divinity. If Rayse becomes an issue, he will be dealt with. And so will you.
Forty-Two	Cephandrius, bearer of the First Gem, You must know better than to approach us by relying upon presumption of past relationship.
Forty-Three	You have spoken to one who cannot respond. We, instead, will take your communication to us—though we know not how you located us upon this world.
Forty-Four	We are indeed intrigued, for we thought it well hidden. Insignificant among our many realms.
Forty-Five	As the waves of the sea must continue to surge, so must our will continue resolute. Alone.
Forty-Six	Did you expect anything else from us? We need not suffer the interference of another. Rayse is contained, and we care not for his prison.
Forty-Seven	Indeed, we admire his initiative. Perhaps if you had approached the correct one of us with your plea, it would have found favorable audience.
Forty-Eight	But we stand in the sea, pleased with our domains. Leave us alone.
Fifty	We also instruct that you should not return to Obrodai. We have claimed that world, and a new avatar of our being is beginning to manifest there. She is young yet, and—as a precaution—she has been instilled with an intense and overpowering dislike of you.
Fifty-One	This is all we will say at this time. If you wish more, seek these waters in person and overcome the tests we have created. Only in this will you earn our respect.
Fifty-Three	Friend, Your letter is most intriguing, even revelatory.
Fifty-Four	I would have thought, before attaining my current station, that a deity could not be surprised. Obviously, this is not true. I can be surprised. I can perhaps even be naive, I think.
Fifty-Five	I am the least equipped, of all, to aid you in this endeavor. I am finding that the powers I hold are in such conflict that the most simple of actions can be difficult.
Fifty-Six	I am also made uncertain by your subterfuge. Why have you not made yourself known to me before this? How is it you can hide? Who are you truly, and how do you know so much about Adonalsium?
Fifty-Seven	If you would speak to me further, I request open honesty. Return to my lands, approach my servants, and I will see what I can do for your quest.

Urithiru Library Drawers

Chapter	Epigraph	Sources
Fifty-Eight	As a Stoneward, I spent my entire life looking to sacrifice myself. I secretly worry that is the cowardly way. The easy way out.	From drawer 29-5, topaz
Fifty-Nine	If this is to be permanent, then I wish to leave record of my husband and children. Wzmal, as good a man as any woman could dream of loving. Kmakra and Molinar, the true gemstones of my life.	From drawer 12-15, ruby
Sixty	I worry about my fellow Truthwatchers.	From drawer 8-21, second emerald
Sixty-One	We can record any secret we wish, and leave it here? How do we know that they’ll be discovered? Well, I don’t care. Record that then.	From drawer 2-3, smokestone
Sixty-Two	I wish to submit my formal protest at the idea of abandoning the tower. This is an extreme step, taken brashly.	From drawer 2-22, smokestone
Sixty-Three	I returned to the tower to find squabbling children, instead of proud knights. That’s why I hate this place. I’m going to go chart the hidden undersea caverns of Aimia; find my maps in Akinah.	From drawer 16-16, amethyst
Sixty-Four	The disagreements between the Skybreakers and the Windrunners have grown to tragic levels. I plead with any who hear this to recognize you are not so different as you think.	From drawer 27-19, topaz
Sixty-Five	Now that we abandon the tower, can I finally admit that I hate this place? Too many rules.	From drawer 8-1, amethyst
Sixty-Seven	This generation has had only one Bondsmith, and some blame the divisions among us upon this fact. The true problem is far deeper. I believe that Honor himself is changing.	From drawer 24-18, smokestone
Sixty-Eight	My research into the cognitive reflections of spren at the tower has been deeply illustrative. Some thought that the Sibling had withdrawn from men by intent—but I find counter to that theory.	From drawer 1-1, first zircon
Sixty-Nine	The wilting of plants and the general cooling of the air is disagreeable, yes, but some of the tower’s functions remain in place. The increased pressure, for example, persists.	From drawer 1-1, second zircon
Seventy	Something is happening to the Sibling. I agree this is true, but the division among the Knights Radiant is not to blame. Our perceived worthiness is a separate issue.	From drawer 1-1, third zircon
Seventy-Two	The Edgedancers are too busy relocating the tower’s servants and farmers to send a representative to record their thoughts in these gemstones. I’ll do it for them, then. They are the ones who will be most displaced by this decision. The Radiants will be taken in by nations, but what of all these people now without homes?	From drawer 4-17, second topaz
Seventy-Three	I am worried about the tower’s protections failing. If we are not safe from the Unmade here, then where?	From drawer 3-11, garnet
Seventy-Four	Today, I leaped from the tower for the last time. I felt the wind dance around me as I fell all the way along the eastern side, past the tower, and to the foothills below. I’m going to miss that.	From drawer 10-1, sapphire
Seventy-Seven	Something must be done about the remnants of Odium’s forces. The parsh, as they are now called, continue their war with zeal, even without their masters from Damnation.	From drawer 30-20, first emerald
Seventy-Eight	A coalition has been formed among scholar Radiants. Our goal is to deny the enemy their supply of Voidlight; this will prevent their continuing transformations, and give us an edge in combat.	From drawer 30-20, second emerald
Seventy-Nine	Our revelation is fueled by the theory that the Unmade can perhaps be captured like ordinary spren. It would require a special prison. And Melishi.	From drawer 30-20, third emerald
Eighty	Ba-Ado-Mishram has somehow Connected with the parsh people, as Odium once did. She provides Voidlight and facilitates forms of power. Our strike team is going to imprison her.	From drawer 30-20, fourth emerald
Eighty-One	We are uncertain the effect this will have on the parsh. At the very least, it should deny them forms of power. Melishi is confident, but Naze-daughter-Kuzodo warns of unintended side effects.	From drawer 30-20, fifth emerald
Eighty-Two	Surely this will bring—at long last—the end to war that the Heralds promised us.	From drawer 30-20, final emerald
Eighty-Three	As the duly appointed keepers of the perfect gems, we of the Elsecallers have taken the burden of protecting the ruby nicknamed Honor’s Drop. Let it be recorded.	From drawer 20-10, zircon
Eighty-Four	The enemy makes another push toward Feverstone Keep. I wish we knew what it was that had them so interested in that area. Could they be intent on capturing Rall Elorim?	From drawer 19-2, third topaz
Eighty-Five	Don’t tell anyone. I can’t say it. I must whisper. I foresaw this.	From drawer 30-20, a particularly small emerald
Eighty-Six	My spren claims that recording this will be good for me, so here I go. Everyone says I will swear the Fourth Ideal soon, and in so doing, earn my armor. I simply don’t think that I can. Am I not supposed to want to help people?	From drawer 10-12, sapphire
Eighty-Seven	Good night, dear Urithiru. Good night, sweet Sibling. Good night, Radiants.	From drawer 29-29, ruby

Mythica

Main article: Mythica

Chapter	Epigraph	Sources
Eighty-Nine	My research into the Unmade has convinced me that these things were not simply “spirits of the void” or “nine shadows who moved in the night.” They were each a specific kind of spren, endowed with vast powers.	From Hessi's Mythica, page 3
Ninety	I have done my best to separate fact from fiction, but the two blend like mixing paint when the Voidbringers are involved. Each of the Unmade has a dozen names, and the powers ascribed to them range from the fanciful to the terrifying.	From Hessi's Mythica, page 4
Ninety-One	I should point out that although many personalities and motives are ascribed to them, I’m convinced that the Unmade were still spren. As such, they were as much manifestations of concepts or divine forces as they were individuals.	From Hessi's Mythica, page 7
Ninety-Two	The most important point I wish to make is that the Unmade are still among us. I realize this will be contentious, as much of the lore surrounding them is intertwined with theology. However, it is clear to me that some of their effects are common in the world—and we simply treat them as we would the manifestations of other spren.	From Hessi's Mythica, page 12
Ninety-Three	Traxil mentions Yelig-nar, named Blightwind, in an oft-cited quote. Though Jasnah Kholin has famously called its accuracy into question, I believe it.	From Hessi's Mythica, page 26
Ninety-Five	Yelig-nar had great powers, perhaps the powers of all Surges compounded in one. He could transform any Voidbringer into an extremely dangerous enemy. Curiously, three legends I found mention swallowing a gemstone to engage this process.	From Hessi's Mythica, page 27
Ninety-Six	Yelig-nar is said to consume souls, but I can’t find a specific explanation. I’m uncertain this lore is correct.	From Hessi's Mythica, page 51
Ninety-Seven	Of the Unmade, Sja-anat was most feared by the Radiants. They spoke extensively of her ability to corrupt spren, though only “lesser” spren—whatever that means.	From Hessi's Mythica, page 89
Ninety-Eight	Lore suggested leaving a city if the spren there start acting strangely. Curiously, Sja-anat was often regarded as an individual, when others—like Moelach or Ashertmarn—were	From Hessi's Mythica, page 90
Ninety-Nine	Nergaoul was known for driving forces into a battle rage, lending them great ferocity. Curiously, he did this to both sides of a conflict, Voidbringer and human. This seems common of the less self-aware spren.	From Hessi's Mythica, page 121
One Hundred	I am convinced that Nergaoul is still active on Roshar. The accounts of the Alethi “Thrill” of battle align too well with ancient records—including the visions of red mist and dying creatures.	From Hessi's Mythica, page 140
One Hundred One	Moelach is very similar to Nergaoul, though instead of inspiring a battle rage, he supposedly granted visions of the future. In this, lore and theology align. Seeing the future originates with the Unmade, and is from the enemy.	From Hessi's Mythica, page 143
One Hundred Two	Moelach was said to grant visions of the future at different times—but most commonly at the transition point between realms. When a soul was nearing the Tranquiline Halls.	From Hessi's Mythica, page 144
One Hundred Three	Many cultures speak of the so-called Death Rattles that sometimes overtake people as they die. Tradition ascribes them to the Almighty, but I find too many to be seemingly prophetic. This will be my most contentious assertion I am sure, but I think these are the effects of Moelach persisting in our current times. Proof is easy to provide: the effect is regionalized, and tends to move across Roshar. This is the roving of the Unmade.	From Hessi's Mythica, page 170
One Hundred Four	Ashertmarn, the Heart of the Revel, is the final of the three great mindless Unmade. His gift to men is not prophecy or battle focus, but a lust for indulgence. Indeed, the great debauchery recorded from the court of Bayala in 480—which led to dynastic collapse—might be attributable to the influence of Ashertmarn.	From Hessi's Mythica, page 203
One Hundred Six	I find Ba-Ado-Mishram to be the most interesting of the Unmade. She is said to have been keen of mind, a highprincess among the enemy forces, their commander during some of the Desolations. I do not know how this relates to the ancient god of the enemy, named Odium.	From Hessi's Mythica, page 224
One Hundred Seven	There is very little information about Ba-Ado-Mishram in more modern times. I can only assume she, unlike many of them, returned to Damnation or was destroyed during Aharietiam.	From Hessi's Mythica, page 226
One Hundred Eight	Chemoarish, the Dustmother, has some of the most varied lore surrounding her. The wealth of it makes sorting lies from truths extremely difficult. I do believe she is not the Nightwatcher, contrary to what some stories claim.	From Hessi's Mythica, page 231
One Hundred Nine	Re-Shephir, the Midnight Mother, is another Unmade who appears to have been destroyed at Aharietiam.	From Hessi's Mythica, page 250
One Hundred Ten	The Midnight Mother created monsters of shadow and oil, dark imitations of creatures she saw or consumed. Their description matches no spren I can find in modern literature.	From Hessi's Mythica, page 252
One Hundred Eleven	It will not take a careful reader to ascertain I have listed only eight of the Unmade here. Lore is confident there were nine, an unholy number, asymmetrical and often associated with the enemy.	From Hessi's Mythica, page 266
One Hundred Twelve	I am certain there are nine Unmade. There are many legends and names that I could have misinterpreted, conflating two Unmade into one. In the next section, I will discuss my theories on this.	From Hessi's Mythica, page 266
One Hundred Thirteen	If I’m correct and my research true, then the question remains. Who is the ninth Unmade? Is it truly Dai-Gonarthis? If so, could their actions have actually caused the complete destruction of Aimia?	From Hessi's Mythica, page 307

Eila Stele

Main article: Eila Stele

Chapter	Epigraph	Sources
One Hundred Fifteen	They came from another world, using powers that we have been forbidden to touch. Dangerous powers, of spren and Surges. They destroyed their lands and have come to us begging.
One Hundred Sixteen	We took them in, as commanded by the gods. What else could we do? They were a people forlorn, without a home. Our pity destroyed us. For their betrayal extended even to our gods: to spren, stone, and wind.
One Hundred Seventeen	Beware the otherworlders. The traitors. Those with tongues of sweetness, but with minds that lust for blood. Do not take them in. Do not give them succor. Well were they named Voidbringers, for they brought the void. The empty pit that sucks in emotion. A new god. Their god.
One Hundred Eighteen	These Voidbringers know no songs. They cannot hear Roshar, and where they go, they bring silence. They look soft, with no shell, but they are hard. They have but one heart, and it cannot ever live.

The Way of Kings

Main article: The Way of Kings (book)

Chapter	Epigraph	Sources
One Hundred Nineteen	As I began my journey, I was challenged to defend why I insisted on traveling alone. They called it irresponsible. An avoidance of duty and obligation. Those who said this made an enormous mistake of assumption.	From The Way of Kings, postscript
One Hundred Twenty-	If the journey itself is indeed the most important piece, rather than the destination itself, then I traveled not to avoid duty—but to seek it.	From The Way of Kings, postscript
One Hundred Twenty-One	It becomes the responsibility of every man, upon realizing he lacks the truth, to seek it out.	From The Way of Kings, postscript
One Hundred Twenty-Two	Yes, I began my journey alone, and I ended it alone. But that does not mean that I walked alone.	From The Way of Kings, postscript