The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1
The Name of the Wind
by Patrick Rothfuss
Contents
CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT Poison
Overview
Kvothe and Denna watch the denner-addled draccus rampage and realize brute force won’t work. After discarding a cliff trap and dark sympathy, they decide to poison it with denner resin. Kvothe insists they relocate and return toward Trebon, prioritizing Denna’s safety as the resin’s effects linger.
Summary
The draccus erupts into a destructive frenzy, toppling trees, smashing rock, and shrugging off lethal impacts. Kvothe recognizes how futile direct attacks would be. Denna proposes luring the creature over a cliff with a hanging fire, noting its attraction to flames and the advantage of its massive weight in a fall.
They search for rope to rig the trap but find only twine. Denna brings back a draccus scale as a memento. Kvothe considers making a mommet and committing malfeasance to harm the beast at a distance, then rejects the idea as unreliable and morally wrong while innocent lives are at stake.
Realizing they need a surer method, Kvothe proposes poisoning the draccus with denner resin from the farm. Denna agrees despite losing her hoped-for profits, quipping that the creature’s body might still be valuable. Kvothe recommends moving to the greystone hill to light a lure fire, but Denna questions leaving when the draccus will likely return.
Kvothe reveals his true motive: getting closer to Trebon in case Denna’s resin exposure worsens. He verifies her numbness with a sharp ear flick and insists he won’t gamble with her life. Denna accepts his concern, and they prepare to enact the poisoning plan while heading nearer to help.
Who Appears
- KvotheNarrator; assesses the draccus, rejects malfeasance, devises a denner-resin poisoning plan, and prioritizes Denna’s safety by steering toward Trebon.
- DennaEnergetic from resin; proposes a cliff-lure plan, finds a draccus scale, agrees to poison the beast, and flirts while accepting Kvothe’s concern.
- DraccusEnormous, denner-addicted creature; rampages through the valley, largely impervious to impact and fire, target of the poisoning plan.