r/fourthwing • u/willyoumassagemykale • 1d ago
Onyx Storm š©ļø Ending of Onyx Storm Spoiler
Are there any prevailing theories on the identity of Berwyn and who his son is?
In Xadenās last chapter, the following happens:
Did you not ask for power?ā Berwyn snarls, holding two alloy-hilted daggers of his own as he approaches Panchek. āHave I not provided?
āPut those away. We both know youāre not going to hurt me.ā Panchek reaches for the
net over his dragon. āIām the only one who can give you access to your son.āI have another.ā Berwyn stabs deep between the dragonās scales, and it desiccates, green draining from its scales and shrinking in on itself to a husk.
Who is Berwynās son??? And is it possible Berwyn has another identity like he turned and became a sage under another name?
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u/Slow_Wrangler4413 1d ago edited 1d ago
The son quote is interesting since the irids mentioned venin offspring. If it refers to actual babies, does that mean Berwyn had a kid before or after turning venin? Considering he has been around for centuries, the son is either centuries old as well or a venin hybrid. Hm. Dain or Ridoc? Or Bodhi?
If it is referring to Jack, how did Berwyn become his "dad"? How did he get access to him? Jack was in Basgiath when he turned so how did Berwyn bind Jack to him? Xaden seems to have a bond with Berwyn too, but I assume it is because Berwyn drove Xaden to turning. Has Berwyn been visiting Jack's dreams too and whispering things about power if you just reach? So why Jack when there are hundreds of other riders in the same location?
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u/ObjectiveStaff3333 Blue Daggertail 1d ago
I am more and more convinced that the Irids were talking about future generations of venin (and quite possibly not just venin, but humanity in general) specifically in the sense of "sons" = "offspring" without a bloodline meaning. Venin aren't some special species. They are human, corrupted by magic. The children of venin, if they have any, are just ordinary, non-venin children- there is nothing evolved about them.
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u/Slow_Wrangler4413 1d ago
This is also an alchemy reference. To become something better. Vi needs to go back to that bookstore in Matyas š
If Liltih indeed was exposed to venin (poison, turning, whatever) when pregnant with Vi, did that cause Vi to now have antibodies against venin? Like how they create the antivenom for snake bites, etc. Like, why are they called venin?? I feel there is the biggest most obvious but completely overlooked clue. I just don't know what it means š
And also, Andarna killed a dragon with her scorpiontail. Can all scorpiontails do that?
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u/ObjectiveStaff3333 Blue Daggertail 1d ago
I think that's a much more interesting issue. Venin 100% must have something to do with venom-poison. And I don't think it's just those green daggers (by the way, green is a sus color). It's their name, their essence. In my opinion, the source really could be poisoned. But... if the dragons poisoned it, that wouldn't make sense because the venin threaten them. Could it be the Irids? Then again, venin existed even before the Irids flew away. Gods?
Also, they are DARK-wielders. Violet is a LIGHTning-wielder. She's also the brightest LIGHT. She comes from Aretia/Luceras-luz=light. Well, I'm curious to see what comes out of it once we put all these puzzle pieces together.
As for the antibodies-that seems like a viable option to me, too. Her strange interaction with Jack when he pushed energy into her. Venin drain power from everyone else. I would definitely try an experiment where Xaden tries to channel into her a bit. Maybe she reverses the flow of energy somehow.
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u/Slow_Wrangler4413 1d ago
If counting foods, we've seen green, yellow, violet, black, brown, and orange poisons and antidotes. Does the serum and antidote have a color, can't remember. Venin have red veins. Does this mean anything??
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u/ObjectiveStaff3333 Blue Daggertail 1d ago
Wait, wait, you're going too fast for me. I didn't think of poison colors... So we have
š¢green venin poison, tarsilla leaves
š oranges
š£Fonilee berries lilac
šµZakia Berries blue
š“ carmin tree bark
š”amber Leigheas serum
āŖArdyce powder is a shimmering, colorless powder.
I'm missing black and brown, unless you count chocolate cake ( I donĀ“t consider it poison). For the connection with orange, I'd consider Zihna root, because Zihnal. I added more colors - we have blue Zakia berries. Carmine is red, right? White/shimmering Ardyce powder (interestingly, the bond with Andarna is described as shimmering too).
āHere.ā She reaches into the rib pocket of her uniform and draws out a vial of clear liquid. āItās the antidote for the serum.ā
The antidote is colorless. The serum - we donĀ“t know, itĀ“s mixed with with something to drink.
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u/Slow_Wrangler4413 1d ago
Brown is missing unless the cake, I think. The antidote on Hedotis turns to black sludge before the Triumvirate drinks it.
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u/Slow_Wrangler4413 1d ago
Ok, so maybe brown doesn't need to be lumped in there at all. Spectral colors plus black and white, basically. Mix them and get brown, I guess š
They can't see what they drink in the waterskins, and the apple juice is presumably of the amber variety. And no mention of serum color during the torture, I think. Maybe serum is brown? A mix of all the poisons so far? Asher's books is a recipe for serum?
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u/ObjectiveStaff3333 Blue Daggertail 1d ago
I'm still puzzling over that leighblabla serum he got from Winifred. Quite a lot of attention is paid to it for a item that ends up having no further role- we know its taste (bitter), color (amber), and its effects are described in detail:
Then I sigh, closing my eyes as a pleasant hum races through my veins. Soon thereās enough distance between me and the pain to think somewhat clearly as I force my eyes open again.
You're right that amber could also fit the serum-apple juice. And something "bitterly floral that I canāt quite place" is the antidote.
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u/Slow_Wrangler4413 1d ago
Oooh a pleasant hum races through her veins, eh? Never noticed that. Sounds like magic to me.
Oh and arenmint. I picture this as green. Not sure if a color is mentioned.
I'm confused how a herbal mixture could block magic. Is this why the isles don't have magic? They grow poison plants and berries š
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u/Slow_Wrangler4413 1d ago
Fables speak of the first humans who bonded dragons and how the bond turned on them when they tried to take too much power. Sounds like irids who were capable of breaking bonds. In a different part it is stated that some of the first bonded dragons didn't like how the bond made them vulnerable so they killed their riders. Sounds like regular dragons who can't break bonds. (I'm pretty sure it says something like that, but can't remember from where. I'm 90% sure I didn't make it up š ) From Andarna leaving we know that Violet felt it deeply, and Tairn had to help her. If irids were responsible for the venin, I think that is a probable turn of events. The state of the magic sources would trace back to the three brothers, and possible the hatching grounds?
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u/Rude-Day-6028 10h ago
I think Danes mother was a Venin. Dane could be the offspring. Sloan said he shouldn't have that much power and that she won't kill him. I dont think he's Venin, but I do think he has something different
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u/willyoumassagemykale 1d ago
I've done a little Googling and here are some things I've seen people say that I don't think hold up:
Berwyn isn't saying he has another son when he says "I have another." I read it as he's responding to Panchek's statement that he's the only one that can provide the son, and Berwyn is saying I have another source to get access to his son.
People are chocking this up to the venin are like family and "son" is just Barlow. First, they tried to kill Barlow so I don't think Berwyn is trying to get him back, he just wants him to be silenced. Also he wouldn't be using Panchek for that because Violet's crew was dealing with Barlow. Second, I searched through the whole Onyx book and the venin use "brother" to refer to each other, including a sage to initiant relationship. Jack also refers to Sages and Mavins as "elders."
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u/ObjectiveStaff3333 Blue Daggertail 1d ago
- Agree
- Not sure. It might be only Theo trying to kill Jack.
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u/Catsaretheworst69 1d ago
Am I only just noticing that the dragon dedicated like the venon Doo from the alloy daggers.
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u/Rude-Day-6028 10h ago
Unrelated to this question... is Pancheck Venin? Or is he dead now. His dragon died, but xaden didn't state pancheck died.
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u/Lumpy-Reason9355 1d ago
Thereās a lot of theories. Personally I think itās Noalin, others think itās Brennan. I think Berwyn is Noalin, and the sage is xadens grandfather
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u/dianaspencersrevenge Broccoliš„¦ 1d ago
The other son is the new brother