The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1
The Name of the Wind
by Patrick Rothfuss
Contents
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN His Eyes Unveiled
Overview
After a rare good meal, Kvothe’s unease crystallizes when a hooded Tehlin priest’s shadowed face triggers memories of the Chandrian. He connects Skarpi’s tale to his own trauma, realizing Haliax and Lanre are the same and that the Chandrian killed his troupe over their songs. Unable to seek revenge, Kvothe resolves to confront Skarpi for the truth.
Summary
Kvothe leaves the bar buoyed by the promise of more stories from Skarpi. Even a fruitless day of begging cannot dampen his mood, though a nagging sense of having forgotten something lingers through Mourning and into the next day.
Luck brings food and drink, but as night falls outside an inn, the unease returns. When a hooded Tehlin priest passes with his face lost in shadow, the sight jolts Kvothe’s memory of the Chandrian: Cinder’s empty-eyed smile and the hidden-faced leader by the fire.
On the rooftops, Kvothe pieces together Skarpi’s account with his own memories. He accepts that the Chandrian are real and that Haliax is Lanre from the story. He recalls Cinder saying someone had been singing the wrong songs, and concludes his parents were killed for collecting and performing stories about the Chandrian.
Tempered by Tarbean’s harsh lessons, Kvothe recognizes that revenge is impossible for now. Instead, he fixes on a practical goal: to seek Skarpi the next day and demand the truth behind the stories. He clings to that hope until sunrise, then finally sleeps.
Who Appears
- KvotheHomeless in Tarbean; triggered by a hooded priest to recall the Chandrian and resolve to seek Skarpi’s truth.
- Haliax (Lanre)Leader of the Chandrian; Kvothe links the shadowed figure from his past to Lanre from Skarpi’s tale.
- CinderChandrian with black eyes; remembered threatening Kvothe and implying the troupe’s songs provoked the massacre.
- SkarpiStoryteller whose tale reveals Lanre/Haliax; Kvothe plans to confront him for the full truth.
- Tehlin priestHooded cleric whose shadowed face triggers Kvothe’s traumatic memories and realizations.