Warning: SPOILERS forward for onyx storm by Rebecca Yarros.Rebecca Yarros' onyx storm is stuffed with element relating to the world-building, political dynamics, and magical system present in The Empyrean Collection. Nonetheless, the largest and most essential onyx storm the plot revelations revolve round venina – particularly after Iron FlameThe cliffhanger ending despatched readers all over the world on a mission to avoid wasting Xaden. Each Fourth Wing and Iron Flame start to tease readers concerning the internal workings of Venin and its ranks, however it isn't till onyx storm that Yarros reveals extra about how they function internally.
Yarros clues readers into the distinctive nature of venina in Fourth Wing detailing his purple eyes, cobwebbed veins, and enhanced magical skills - however selecting to make use of forbidden magic, your skills go far past what was beforehand believed. Along with exerting gravity, pace and draining life from the earth and different residing beings, venina in The Empyrean Collection share a singular relationship with one another. onyx storm addresses this, in addition to what occurs to them after they grow to be toxic and why they're so troublesome to kill.
Venin can really feel one another
Xaden confirms this within the first chapters of Onyx Storm
Because the starting of onyx stormYarros particulars how the the knights in Basgiath have the accountability of searching down any remaining poison and killing them. Throughout their flying expeditions, a number of cadets, together with Violet and her squadron, situated and expelled a small variety of cadets simply behind Iron FlameThe battle is ending. Nonetheless, Xaden's private kill depend is way larger than the others. Violet notes that he eradicated 17 of the 31 poisons, discovering and killing them himself.
Decrease rating venins, similar to initiates or so, will be tracked all the way down to be educated by larger rating venins, similar to Sages or Professionals.
That is defined throughout a dialog between Violet and Xaden that takes place in onyx stormfirst chapters. By way of some unusual bond or magic the venin can wield, Xaden is ready to sense one other vein close by. This distinctive function is how Jack Barlowe might sense that Xaden was additionally veninating. In a scene the place Violet is interrogating Jack, he confirms that lower-ranking venin, like initiates or such, will be tracked all the way down to be educated by higher-ranking venin, like Sages or Professionals.
Larger ranked Venin can cover their identities
Jack mentions that they may be hiding in plain sight
Though venin possess the flexibility to trace different venin, Jack explains {that a} venin of upper rank, similar to a Sage or Maven, could be tougher to acknowledge. Apparently, within the preliminary phases of transformation into venina, initiates or in any other case aren't as adept at hiding in the identical manner {that a} Sage or a Maven would possibly. This does it's simpler for them to be tracked. This isn't the case for a Sage or Maven and, in response to Jack, they may very well be hiding in plain sight and neither he nor Violet would ever know.
"Initiates, asims - we are able to all be tracked to one another, however the nice corridor may very well be full of Sages and Consultants and I'd by no means know. Neither would you."
- Jack Barlowe, Onyx Storm
Jack's feedback counsel that the high-ranking venins are capable of fully disguise themselves - that they can cover even their most distinctive options, similar to cobwebbed veins, purple eyes and grayish pores and skin, from the unsuspecting public. Such skills would give the venin a simple approach to cover amongst Navarre's ranks, and Violet's dialog with Jack virtually ensures that they are going to.
Venin can develop seals or not lose them after they flip
His powers are extra developed than beforehand believed
This is without doubt one of the greatest revelations of all onyx stormas a result of whoever turns into venin can develop their very own signet expertise, and even preserve them within the case of knights. Whereas this will likely appear unique to pilots who've grow to be venin – as is the case with Xaden – it is usually doable for different venin to develop signets on their very own. The silver-haired venina, Theophanie, for instance, has the flexibility to manage storms. Nonetheless, her origin just isn't that of a knight, however a priestess of Dunne's temple.
Theophanie's life earlier than turning into Venina wouldn't have endowed her with any magical skills, and it's clear that she turning venin was what granted him the ability to wield storms. Nonetheless, there are circumstances the place it appears doable for the venina to achieve multiple signet potential, though Yarros has not but confirmed whether or not that is the case. This ingredient of venin's energy fully modifications the methods that Navarra should implement through the battle. They are going to now want to mix a knight's signet with the venin's potential to stability the scales.
Solely Venin begins the bleeding
They grow to be more durable to kill the upper the rank.
Violet and Jack's argument in the beginning of onyx storm reveals so much about venina. On the one hand, it confirms that solely initiates of venina – the bottom rank of venina – can bleed. This commentary, though by no means mentioned in nice element, provides readers perception into the completely different phases of turning into venin. It's clear from the dialog that after a venin passes the primary stage, they grow to be more and more immortal. Venin has all the time been exhausting to killas they're proof against dragonfire and conventional weapons, and may solely be killed utilizing imbued magical alloy daggers or Violet's rays.
This may very well be used as a check all through the later collection on any captured venin or suspected venin spy - measuring their stage of energy and ability, figuring out their rank and skill to be killed.
Nonetheless, Low-ranking poisons, like initiates, must be simpler to kill. This may be seen all through onyx stormas Xaden is able to hurting himself with conventional weapons and may bleed - proving that he's nonetheless within the early phases of venin transformation all through a lot of the e-book. This may very well be used as a check on any captured venin or suspected venin spy, used to evaluate their energy stage, figuring out their place and skill to be killed.
The Venin are ageless
They might have survived the conflict 600 years in the past
One other massive onyx storm The revelation relating to venina is the truth that they don't age and are someway immortal. This element could come as a shock, however realizing how exhausting they're to kill, this plot growth really makes quite a lot of sense. There are a number of moments within the e-book that time to this, however the first is seen in Violet and Theophanie's dialog in Samara. Throughout this scene, Theophanie questions Violet about Andarna, stating that she is an Irid. When Violet is confused, she states, "Generally I overlook how quick mortal reminiscence will be."
"Surprisingly ageless. Hair as black because the day we had been married, however instead of the age traces I anticipated there have been outstanding scarlet veins that branched from her eyes with purple circles."
—The Resurgence of Evil, a Timeline, by Pierson Haliwell
This remark leads Violet to grasp the true nature of the venins, coming to the conclusion that they're immortal. Theophanie's dialogue additionally means that she has been alive for a very long time - and if she is aware of Andarna's species, it's doable she was alive 600 years in the past, earlier than they disappeared. This concept of an ageless vein may also be seen in onyx stormepigraph to chapter 48 (included above), which quotes a survivor of a poison assault in 472 AU. They point out that the venin, who they most likely knew personally, hasn't aged a day.
The Venin have ties throughout the ranks
Xaden has a mysterious connection to the smart Venin
onyx storm introduces many new components to the venin narrative, however one of the vital stunning is that the venin can create bonds between the ranks. That is most noticeable in Xaden's chapter on the finish of onyx stormas Xaden acknowledges that he's unable to kill Berwynthe venin sage he fought on the finish of Iron Flame. No matter magic the bond between them has, it protects Berwyn from being killed by Xaden. And Xaden even states that "He couldn't deliver a blade to his throat any greater than Violet might."
Nonetheless, this sense can be bolstered by way of the earlier dialogue between Violet and Theophanie. In Samara, Theophanie is making an attempt to get Violet to show round and practice together with her as a substitute of Berwyn - claiming that if Violet educated with him, she could be chained to Berwyn and powerless to withstand his orders. This implies that his place could have energy over lower-ranking venin, and people below his command could be unable to disobey any of his orders.
Venin really feel much less emotion as they get stronger
Their souls are useless and incurable
Throughout onyx stormViolet continues to imagine she will save and remedy Xaden - however As he slowly wields extra of the forbidden energy coursing by way of his veins, it's apparent he's shedding items of himself on the identical time.. There are a number of moments the place Violet acknowledges that Xaden is being managed by his toxic nature, and the icy look in his eyes continues to develop all through the narrative. He can solely be introduced out of his trance state when Violet intervenes. These modifications are later confirmed when Irid management Fourth WingSeventh race of dragons, find Andarna within the Island Kingdom.
After insisting that Xaden's vein nature is an abomination, the Irid verify that there isn't any vein remedy. They declare that Xaden's soul is useless and misplaced endlessly, and say that there isn't any identified remedy to deliver a soul again from the useless. onyx storm additionally constantly describes Xaden's want to not really feel feelings and escape with the liberty of not feeling ache, guilt or struggling. That is explored in additional element in Xaden's chapter, as he provides in to his toxic nature and closes himself off from his emotions - and the one chain he has left is Violet.