S5 : Ep 2 - What you need to know BEFORE Onyx Storm

Summary

Flights of Fantasy
Season 5, Episode 2: "What You Need to Know BEFORE Onyx Storm"
Release Date: January 14, 2025

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Introduction and Overview

In this episode of Flights of Fantasy, hosts Christina, Kim, and Anna delve deep into the intricate world of Rebecca Yarros' Imperium series, specifically focusing on the critical knowledge and background necessary before diving into the highly anticipated sequel, Onyx Storm. Unlike their previous episodes centered around theories and deep dives, this installment serves as a comprehensive guide to the lore, history, and magic systems essential for understanding the unfolding narrative.

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Shout Outs to Patrons

Christina begins by expressing heartfelt gratitude to their patrons, highlighting the vital support from Nicole Martin, Kenny Anja, and Lynn Reed. She emphasizes the importance of their contributions, stating:

"Thank you guys so much for supporting us. Truly. We genuinely wouldn't be able to continue doing this without you guys."
[01:27]

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World Building and History

Kim leads a thorough exploration of the Imperium's world-building elements, outlining the primary kingdoms and their significance.

Navarre and Peromiel:

• Navarre is governed by King Torrey and comprises six provinces, with Moraine (home to Bascaith War College) and Tirindor (stronghold of the Tyr Rebellion) being the most prominent.

• Peromiel, ruled by Queen Marea, distinguishes itself by utilizing griffins instead of dragons. Kim notes the emotional bond between griffins and their riders, highlighting a key difference:

  "In Peromial, a griffin without its rider is dead."
  [05:20]

Isle Kingdoms:

• Former allies with Navarre during the Great War, now estranged and subject to trading bans. The hosts speculate on their potential return as crucial allies in Onyx Storm.

The Great War:

• Occurred approximately 633 years before Fourth Wing.
• Unified Navarre was formed post-war by amalgamating multiple provinces.
• The war saw dragons and griffins unite against General Deramor's Venin army, setting the stage for current conflicts.

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The Magic System

The trio breaks down the complex magic system within the Imperium series, which is central to the plot and character abilities.

Sources of Magic:

1. Dragons:

   • Channel magic through their bonded riders.
   • Each bond grants a unique signet; for example, Teran's magic resembles a "blazing molten stream" ([13:07]), while Darna's feels like a "pearlescent flow" ([13:07]).
   • Signet Control and Limitations: Overusing magic can lead to burnout, risking the rider's life or, in the case of weaker dragons, the dragon's life instead.

2. Griffins:

   • Channel magic without granting a signet.
   • Provide "lesser magic" such as unlocking doors or enhancing emotions.
   • Capable of telepathic communication with riders, other griffins, and dragons.

3. The Source (Ground/Earth):

   • Channeling directly from the earth transforms individuals into Venin, sacrificing part of their soul.
   • Represents a dark and addictive form of magic, often associated with corruption and loss of humanity.

Relics and Runes:

• Relics: Magical tattoos granted by dragons, serving as protective marks or counteracting enemy signets.
• Runes: Geometric patterns woven with strands of magic for specific purposes, such as heating or healing. Kim explains the difference between tempering (creating runes) and imbuing (infusing objects with magic).

Notable Quote on Magic Burnout:

"Burnout consequences reverse, which risks the dragon's life instead."
[14:17]

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The Enemy: Venin and Wyverns

The hosts delve into the primary antagonists of the series, the Venin, and their creations, the wyverns.

Venin Hierarchy:

1. Initiates: Newer members like Zaden.
2. Asims: More experienced, with progressively more pronounced physical alterations.
3. Sages: High-level Venin responsible for training initiates.
4. Mavens: Equivalent to generals, extremely powerful and rarely defeated.

Wyverns:

• Artificially created by the Venin using runes on onyx stones.
• Share a collective mind with their creator, meaning killing a Maven Venin also destroys their wyverns.

Channeling and Powers:

• Venin channel magic directly from the Source, granting them abilities such as enhanced senses, fire manipulation, pain projection, and gravity control.
• They are resistant to dragon fire, though exceptions like Andarna may challenge this norm.

Notable Quote on Venin Creation:

"They created the wyverns by placing complex runes on onyx stones."
[29:59]

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Key Plot Points from Iron Flame

Christina and Kim recap pivotal moments from Iron Flame, setting the stage for Onyx Storm.

Wardstones and the Great War:

• Wardstones are magical pillars protecting Navarre, powered by dragon fire and runes.
• Warwick's and Lira's journals reveal crucial information about the necessity of a seventh dragon breed to fully power the Wardstones.

Significant Events:

• Iron Flame concludes with the Wardstone at Biscaya being destroyed by Jack, a Venin, leading to widespread vulnerabilities.
• Lilith's sacrificial act to restore the Wardstone showcases the themes of maternal love and redemption.
• The shocking revelation that Zaden has become Venin creates new conflicts and alliances.

Notable Quote on Wardstone Sacrifice:

"There's nothing I wouldn't do to keep you safe. Do you understand?"
[43:47]

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Journals and Wardstones

Anna provides insights into the critical journals authored by Warwick and Lira, which uncover hidden truths about the Wardstones and the dragons.

Warwick's Journal:

• Initially believed that only six dragon breeds were involved in powering the Wardstones.
• His omission hints at ulterior motives to centralize power within Navarre.

Lira's Journal:

• Reveals the existence of a seventh dragon breed, pivotal for fully powering the Wardstones.
• Introduces Andarna, the sole representative of this breed, emphasizing her unique role and the significance of her sacrifice.

Notable Quote on Journals:

"Andarna and the other six dragons all agree to use their fire to help raise the war stones at Pesca."
[40:58]

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Conclusion and Looking Ahead to Onyx Storm

As the episode wraps up, the hosts express their excitement and anticipation for the upcoming Onyx Storm. They highlight unresolved mysteries and character developments that promise to elevate the series' stakes.

Upcoming Developments:

• Zaden's transformation into Venin and its implications for his relationship with Violet.
• The quest to find new allies, potentially the Isle Kingdoms, to combat the Venin threat.
• The deepening exploration of the magic system and the true extent of the Wardstones' power.

Christina reflects on the emotional impact of Iron Flame's finale, expressing hope for answers and resolutions in the sequel.

"Our heroes are left in a precarious position, setting the stage for an exhilarating continuation in Onyx Storm."
[46:35]

The hosts conclude by inviting listeners to join their vibrant community on Instagram and TikTok, encouraging engagement and discussions about the Imperium series.

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Notable Quotes Summary

1. Patron Shout-Out:

   "Thank you guys so much for supporting us. Truly. We genuinely wouldn't be able to continue doing this without you guys."
   [01:27]

2. Peromiel's Griffin Bond:

   "In Peromial, a griffin without its rider is dead."
   [05:20]

3. Magic Burnout Risks:

   "Burnout consequences reverse, which risks the dragon's life instead."
   [14:17]

4. Venin Wyverns Creation:

   "They created the wyverns by placing complex runes on onyx stones."
   [29:59]

5. Wardstone Sacrifice:

   "There's nothing I wouldn't do to keep you safe. Do you understand?"
   [43:47]

6. Wardstones and Dragons:

   "Andarna and the other six dragons all agree to use their fire to help raise the war stones at Pesca."
   [40:58]

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Final Thoughts

Flights of Fantasy Season 5, Episode 2 offers an exhaustive and engaging breakdown of the Imperium series' foundational elements, ensuring listeners are well-prepared for the adventures and revelations awaiting in Onyx Storm. Through meticulous analysis and passionate discussion, Christina, Kim, and Anna provide both seasoned fans and newcomers with the tools to fully appreciate the depth and complexity of Rebecca Yarros' fantastical world.

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Join the Conversation!

Connect with the Flights of Fantasy community on Instagram and TikTok to share your thoughts, theories, and favorite moments from the Imperium series. Don't forget to rate and review our podcast on your favorite platform to help us spread the magic of romantasy to more book lovers!

Transcript

[Christina]

Welcome to Flights of Fantasy, your Romantasy podcast book club. I'm Christina, joined by my book besties, Kim and Anna, and together we're diving into the characters, theories, lore and magic behind all your favorite fantasy romance books.

[Kim]

Hi, listeners. We are so excited to be here today. Kim and I are here with what you need to know going into Onyx stuff. So this is not a theories episode. We are not here to chit chat about all of our deep dives and all of our unhinged theories. If you want to hear those, please head to our previous two episodes leading into this. We have two wonderful theories episodes covering all of the Imperium. One special episode with fantasy fangirls.

[Christina]

That's right.

[Kim]

Which was such a blast to do. So this is really going to focus on the facts of the first two books. What we think is going to be important going into Onyx Storm. So this is like, basically one big world building, history, magic, system, lessons. This is a big lesson. So if you, you know, didn't do a reread and you really feel like you just kind of like, want to quickly speed through it. We are your girls. We're here.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

So consider this your spoiler warning for the entire Imperium series by Rebecca Yarros, Fourth Wing, and Iron Flame. But before we dive in, Kim, can you give us some shout outs for our patrons?

[Christina]

I would love to. So if you guys are not familiar, one of the many amazing, if we do say so ourselves, benefits of being our tier two patron is that you get a shout out in one of our episodes. So today we are going to be shouting out Nicole Martin, Kenny Anja, and Lynn Reed. Thank you guys so much for supporting us. Truly. We genuinely wouldn't be able to continue doing this without you guys. And it's just such a dream that we get to do this for our job.

[Kim]

It really, truly is. Yes.

[Christina]

Thank you guys so much. Okay. Okay.

[Kim]

All right, so we are gonna kick off with a history lesson with Anna. You know, of course, as we do gotta do it. Okay, so quickly we're gonna run through the world building and kind of some of the major places that are mentioned in the first two books. So the two known kingdoms in this world are Navarre and Peromiel. Okay. Those are the two ones that we know of right now.

[Christina]

Right.

[Kim]

So Navarre is ruled by King Torrey. It is made up of six proper provinces. But the two main ones that, like, are mentioned the most are Moraine, which is where Bascaith War College is located, and Tirindor. Now, Tirindor this is the stronghold for the Tyrs Rebellion. Remember, the Tyr Rebellion is what happened. That's what Zen, Ryerson's father, was a part of. And all of the marked ones, all the kids with the relic tattoos, obviously, Fen Ryerson is dead, which makes Zaden the heir to. It's like a dukedom. I don't know.

[Christina]

It's. Yeah, it's like a ducal seat, basically, is. If we're going back to our historical romances, I believe that's what it's called. Duke Ryerson, Duke Riordan, Duchess Violet.

[Kim]

That's very historical romance.

[Christina]

Very historical. I love that for her.

[Kim]

Okay, so the main city in Tirandor is Eretia. This is where a lot of events take place in Iron Flame. So a couple things. On Eretia, it's the easternmost city in Tirandor and borders very closely to Peromial. Remember, Pyromial is the other big known kingdom that's kind of, in the first book, what we think of as the rival kingdom to Navarre. It has a natural barrier called the Cliffs of Drowler. This is, if you remember in Iron Flame, when the griffins try to access Navarre, they have to climb over the cliffs because they can't fly because of high altitudes.

[Christina]

Right.

[Kim]

Historically, this is important. Historically, the valley directly above Eretia was the hatching grounds for a breed of black dragons. Now in Iron Flame, as dragons and their hatchlings relocate from the Vale, it begins to have that purpose again. So when this happens, there's a lot more magic that's restored to the area. It basically is like restructuring the existing magic that's there. What that means, what the implications are, we're kind of unclear at this point, but it seems important. Like, why else would Rebecca put that in there, that this used to be this ancient hatching ground, and now all these dragons are coming back, and it's kind of having that purpose again, and it hasn't in centuries. So it's just interesting.

[Christina]

Right.

[Kim]

One more thing about the valley. The magic gives off a thermal type of energy that naturally heats the valley. So although it's, like, very cold and snowy in the surrounding areas, the valley itself is warm. And I think you can kind of remember that when they take their runes classes and some of their magic classes, when a lot of them relocate to Aurea, they're, like, actually kind of like, taking off their layers because it's, like, hot.

[Christina]

So hot. But it's, like, freezing everywhere else outside.

[Kim]

Exactly. Yeah. Okay. So moving on to our second known kingdom in this world. Peromiel. This is ruled by Queen Marea. We have not met her. We've only heard of her. I would be surprised if she isn't on paper in the next book. I think she's probably going to be important. I mean, she is the ruler.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

Okay. So here in Peromial, instead of dragons, they ride griffins. They're half eagle, half lion, but they channel to their bonded riders. Similarly, how dragons channel to their bonded riders. But it's not as much magic. The magic isn't as strong.

[Christina]

Right.

[Kim]

This is interesting, though. We know that a rider without his dragon is dead in Navarre. But in Peromial, a griffin without its rider is dead. She just.

[Christina]

She just swapped it.

[Kim]

She just. She's like. She's too emotionally attached and.

[Christina]

Yeah, exactly.

[Kim]

They're like, we. Well, I can't survive now.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

Another important place in Permial is Cliffsbane Academy. This is the equivalent to Bascaeth for Griffin flyers. Okay. This is where people go to train to become Griffin flyers. The only upside. I mean, not the only upside, but it sounds like a much more lovely, chill place.

[Christina]

Much more chill.

[Kim]

A lot less death.

[Christina]

Yeah, less death. Probably still some death, but much less than Biscayne.

[Kim]

Much less. Just.

[Christina]

I mean, let's just be honest. I. We wouldn't last at the Skyeth. And I think we could have a real fighting chance. At Cliffsbane.

[Kim]

We could have a real fighting chance.

[Christina]

I think so.

[Kim]

Yeah. So here they have something very similar to threshing at Cliffsbane. It's called Harvest, where they jump off a cliff and have to land on the back of a griffin. But see, like, in threshing, a dragon would just let you fall and you would die. Like, that's it. Right?

[Christina]

Yep.

[Kim]

But at Cliffsbane, if you don't land on a griffin, you just fall into water, and then you just swim ashore and choose a different major.

[Christina]

Yep, yep.

[Kim]

And I remember when they're explaining this to Violet, she's like, wa. I'm sorry. You. You just swim ashore like you. You.

[Christina]

What?

[Kim]

What do you mean?

[Christina]

What do you mean? What do you. You don't die.

[Kim]

And they're like, death isn't the only other option.

[Christina]

They were literally like, what is wrong with you? No, we don't die. And everyone at the sky is like, oh, wow.

[Kim]

Well, you guys are soft.

[Christina]

Yeah. Soft. What? Wimps. Like, y'all are insane. Which fair.

[Kim]

Okay, so note about Cliffsbane Academy. It was attacked and destroyed in Iron Flame by the Venin. So Brennan, who is Violet's older brother, if you remember, Brennan, Makes a deal with Viscount Tokarys. Now, Viscount Tocharis, he kind of reigns over a province of Pyromial. We meet him. He's Cat's uncle. He's not a bad dude, per se. He's not nice, but he's, like, probably more selfishly motivated than anything.

[Christina]

Sure.

[Kim]

Okay, so when Cliffsbane Academy is destroyed by the Venin, Viscount Tokaris makes a deal with Brennan that all of the flyers at Clisbane Academy can seek haven. But in return, what Brendan asks for is that Viscount Tokaris has to give him the luminary. Now, the luminary is important. It is very necessary in Iron Flame because it's what they need to use to light the ward to help extend protection. And this is a huge part of Iron Flame. They're trying to get this luminary from Viscount to Karras.

[Christina]

Yes. And because Eredia doesn't have wards, and so that's the big concern is that they need their own wardstone, like Pescaeth has. And if they don't have it, then they are very, very vulnerable to attacks from Venon.

[Kim]

Exactly. Yes. Okay, so moving on. The last place I want to talk about is the Isle Kingdoms. We don't know a lot about them, except that we know that they were allies with the first six during the Great War. But after the Tish uprising in Navarre, Navarre banned trading with the Isle Kingdoms. And Navarre citizens themselves are not welcome in the Isle Kingdoms. I'm interested to know if Navarre put that ban or if the Isle Kingdoms was like, no, you're not welcome here.

[Christina]

Right. And why did they ban trading with them?

[Kim]

Oh, I think Navarre banned trading with them because I think Isle Kingdoms was probably like, we're not keeping the Venin a secret. And also, we think that might be where the seventh breed of dragons live.

[Christina]

Exactly. I'm so interested to find out more. I mean, I think we're definitely going to the Isle Kingdoms.

[Kim]

We have to. Okay, so that's why I'm bringing them up. So this is why I think they're important. They are historically listed as allies with Navarre during the Great War. Okay. On the jacket cover of Onyx Storm, when she released that blurb, it states that Violet is going to have to journey to seek out new allies, which we're inferring means the Isle Kingdoms, because that is constantly how the Isle Kingdoms is referred to in both books as allies during the Great War.

[Christina]

Absolutely.

[Kim]

And I think this is, like, going around everywhere, but like that. If Andarna. Well, Andarna is A seventh breed of dragon. Where are the rest of her breed? Yeah, there's gotta be more. I mean, that's where we think they might be hiding out.

[Christina]

Definitely.

[Kim]

Okay, one more history aspect. The Great War. The Great War was 633ish years before the start of fourth wing. The first Dragon Dragon riders, or as they're called throughout the series. The first six, like we said, allied with the Isle Kingdoms to fight against General Deramor and his army of Venin. Not a lot is known about Daramor, except that his army is responsible for draining the nutrients from the land now known as the Barrens. More on that later. Also important to note that griffins and dragons fought on the same side during this war. Yeah, so we weren't always enemies. I mean, well, and we're not at the end of Iron Flame. The griffins and the dragons are all working together again.

[Christina]

Absolutely.

[Kim]

As we should be.

[Christina]

As we should be. This is. What is it, Anna?

[Kim]

It's war times. It's war times, Kim. Okay, so speaking of war times, the war ended. The Great War ended. And this is when we have the unification of Navarre. So what this means is basically after the Great War, they decided to blend all of these multiple provinces together to create new Navarre. Now Biscaya is created at the same time. And this is where they put the ward stone up. Okay. It's put up near the Vale because that's again, the main hatching grounds. It protects the dragons, the hatchlings, and then the wards extend out. It's also important to note that after unification, Navarre cut itself off from the rest of the world. Like we said, that's why we don't communicate with Peromial. We don't communicate with the Isle Kingdoms. And not only did they unify the provinces, but they also unified the cultures, which is important when we discuss the diaries later. Warwick and Lyra's diary are written in different languages that are non existent anymore. And you have to be able to read this lost language in order to be able to decipher what the diary means. And I think Navarre is doing is basically creating a culture of control, because we know that in Peromeal that a lot of these things are not lost. And we have no idea what's going on in the Isle Kingdoms, but I can only assume.

[Christina]

I hope we find out.

[Kim]

Okay, so we are about to move on to the magic system. I'm so excited for Kim to walk us through this. But before we do, I just want to make a quick mention that. Yes, obviously, normally when we do Our what you need to know episodes, we walk you through all of the major players in the game, all the characters. We started to write out a list and guys, it was lengthy. It's lengthy. And also it was just kind of boring for us to rattle off all of these characters, their signets, their dragons. So what we did was we created basically a master list and it is up for free on our Patreon for everybody. You do not have to be a paid member. You can just go there. You can see it. We've got every character, their dragon, their signet, if they're a griffin, flyer, if they're working for Navarre, if they're a member of the inner circle. So head that way and it's for free on our Patreon. If you're not a member of our Patreon, though, consider joining.

[Christina]

What are you doing?

[Kim]

What are you doing? Because we have so much fun bonus content.

[Christina]

Yes, so much fun bonus content and so much to come with Onyx Storm. It is going to be an extravaganza over on our Patreon.

[Kim]

Our chapter chats are by far, like our biggest hit over there. Whenever a new book is released.

[Christina]

Absolutely, you'll be getting those and just some really fun stuff coming in 2025. So that link will be in our show notes. So just head to the caption or the show notes for this episode and you will be able to click that link and it'll take you straight to the post, like Anna said.

[Kim]

Yes. And so, Kim, will you lead us into the magic system?

[Christina]

I would love to. Okay, so let's chat about the magic system. In the Empyrean series, there are three main sources of magic. Dragons, griffins, and quote unquote, the source also referred to as the ground or the earth, which is how you become Venin. So we're going to break these three down for you. Like Anna said, of course there are dragons and griffins in this world, and the dragons and their riders have a really unique bond. Dragons actually channel their magic through their bonded rider, enabling the rider to use lesser magic. And their unique signet. Signets result from the bond between dragon and rider and are very unique to each rider. The feel of a dragon's magic is very different. So, for example, Teran's power feels like a blazing molten stream, where, as Violet notes and Darna's feels like a pearlescent flow.

[Kim]

Of course it does.

[Christina]

Of course it does.

[Kim]

Of course it does.

[Christina]

Of course, dragons can communicate telepathically with their rider and it creates a really fun group chat. Scenario when mated dragons bond. Because we know Taran and Sigail are mated dragons, and they have a special bond which bleeds into their riders.

[Kim]

I love the group chat.

[Christina]

I love the group chat. Yep. And we know that that is why Zaden and Violet can speak mind to mind when their shields are down, because Taran and Sigale are bonded. So let's go over signet control and limitations. So a writer's control determines the strength and the power of their signet. And over channeling magic can cause burnout, which risks the rider's life. And if you bond to a juvenile or a feathertail dragon, burnout consequences actually reverse, which risks the dragon's life instead. And, of course, we saw this with Sweet Andarna at the end of fourth Wing. She stopped time to save Violet and the crew, and therefore was put into the dreamless sleep early because it was so exhausting. And she almost burned out trying to save them. Sweet Andarna. But speaking of burnout, we saw signs of burnout with Zaden at the Battle of Biscayeth. And it also happened to Violet when Verish is punishing her for not bringing Andara to their lessons in Iron Flame.

[Kim]

Good riddance.

[Christina]

The worst.

[Kim]

Yeah. Worse than Jack.

[Christina]

Yeah, Jack infuriates me for a whole different reason than Verish. It's two separate things.

[Kim]

Verish is a really, really bad dude, and J is a bad dude, too, but Jack is just like. Just go. He's the cockroach.

[Christina]

Go away. For the love of God. Just don't get us started on it. Okay, so signs of burnout are trembling, fever, fatigue, and red skin. Kind of similar to a sunburn. Now, second signet, the most talked about topic in the Empyrean fandom. So we know that second signets are achieved two ways. One is familial bonding, which is when a dragon bonds with a writer from its previous writer's direct family line. Apparently, the risks include the writer being driven to madness. Yeah, so they say. I have questions about this.

[Kim]

I wonder. I think that's.

[Christina]

I think they're wrong.

[Kim]

I think they're wrong. I think that's Navarre being like, we don't want you to have two signets, so don't bond. You'll go crazy. But we'll see.

[Christina]

But we'll see.

[Kim]

We'll see.

[Christina]

And yes, like Anna said, this practice is frowned upon and actually punishable by the Imperion. But some dragons actually bond with distant relatives to create more powerful but similar signets.

[Kim]

Yep.

[Christina]

And then, of course, the other Type of second signet is achieved through dual dragon bonding, which we know because Violet bonded two different dragons. So she will have a signet from Taran which we know is actually pure power, but currently she is wielding it as lightning. We will see what happens with that. And then we do not know at this stage what her second signet is. Through Andarna, it's been quite the topic of conversation. Okay, let's move on to relics. So relics are marks very similar to a tattoo, and they are given by a dragon. And there are two types. We know that there are rebellion relics which are a result of a specific rune which protected the children of the rebellion during their parents execution after the Teish rebellion failed because it was General Melgren's dragon that carried out the execution. That's why the relics of the marked ones, as they're called, counteract his signet, which we know his signet is to see the outcomes of battles.

[Kim]

However.

[Christina]

However, a fun little loophole is that because of that, when three or more marked ones are gathered, General Melgren cannot see the outcome of that situation or battle.

[Kim]

What?

[Christina]

How convenient. And then we also know that of course there are dragon relics which are given to a writer by their dragon after threshing. Now we also have, of course, griffins, and they also channel magic to their flyers, but a flyer does not receive a signet. However, the griffin can give gifts which usually have to do with mind work. Like our friend Kitty Cat can heighten someone's emotions, for example. And we saw that during the scene with her and Violet.

[Kim]

Oh boy, did we.

[Christina]

It twas intense. And griffins can communicate telepathically with their writers, other griffins, and actually dragons, which I thought was really interesting.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Christina]

And last thing about the griffins is that all humans bonded to griffins or dragons have what's called lesser magic. So like unlocking doors, powering, you know, pens, manipulating mage lights, sound shields, and that kind of thing.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Christina]

And then you develop your signet if you have a dragon. Now, the last magic source, which is just called the source or ground earth, all of these three terms are kind of interchangeable. And we know that channeling from the source, you can draw magic from the ground. Or earth if you don't have a dragon, unfortunately, it does turn you into a venom. So unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend it. And Anna brought up a really interesting point in the Fantasy Fangirls Onyx Storm Theories episode that you guys should go listen to about potentially not all ven and being. Being evil.

[Kim]

I stand by that. I think It's a more interesting writing choice if they're not actually all evil.

[Christina]

Absolutely. I think it depends on why you channel, what your reasoning for channeling is.

[Kim]

Exactly. Yes. What is the reason he channeled? For love.

[Christina]

I'm hoping that that matters.

[Kim]

Through love, all is possible.

[Christina]

Through love, all is possible. That's right. So there is, of course, a cost of channeling, as there always is, and that is part of the human soul. The more power taken, the more soul is lost. Now, Rebecca did confirm that Zayden did give up part of his soul. I don't have the exact quote in front of me, but she did say it's not a question of if he did. It's a matter of how much of his soul did he give up and if he's going to have to give more.

[Kim]

Don't love that, Rebecca. Don't love that.

[Christina]

That's terrifying. Okay, Anna, what is next?

[Kim]

Okay, so now that we've run through the basic power structure and the magic system, we're going to break down some of the magical elements, for lack of a better term, in this world. First, we're going to discuss alloy. So alloy is basically in this world, like a metal amalgamation, which. An amalgamation is basically a combination of various metals put together, and it doesn't actually hold innate magic itself like the alloy, but it can be imbued with magic. So it's essentially a vessel for carrying the magic. And a great example of this would be wardstones, which hold the magic. Right. And then project it out to, like, protect Navarre.

[Christina]

Right.

[Kim]

So alloy is actually one of the main materials used in weapons that help to stop Venin. Okay. Example, the war stone stones. Right. Also alloy daggers. This is one of the only things that we know of that can kill a Vettin.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Kim]

There is a second weapon. What that is yet it's been hinted, but we don't know what it is.

[Christina]

We will see. We will see.

[Kim]

We will see. We will see. Also, the more alloy is used, the stronger the magic is. Okay.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

So examples of how alloys are used across the book so far are, like we said in Navarre, they have the war stones, but also they are used under armories and like, outposts outside, far away from Baskaya, because Biscay is where the main wardstone is. So they kind of put alloy, like, underneath various, like, armories and outposts to help strengthen the wards.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

And then again, like we said in the revolution, alloy weapons are what, like, Zaden and his buddies are all working to send over the Promish border to help fight the Venin Here are a few things that are required to create an alloy. You have to have a forge, dragonfire, which we know is obviously very important. At the end of iron flame, a crucible, which is basically a container that's able to withstand extreme heat. You put all the metals in there, and it's used to, like, melt everything together. A luminary, which is the big thing that Brennan negotiates when the cliffsbane fliers come to Eretia. And the luminary basically intensifies the dragon's already extreme flame to, like, make it hot enough to melt the alloy into whatever it is that they need. Now, there are only two known luminaries in existence. One is at Baskaya, but that's why Brennan needs the one from Viscount Dakaris in iron flame, because they can't just go, like, knock on Baskaya's door and be like, hey, can we borrow your luminary to ward up the rebellion sword.

[Christina]

I just don't think that's gonna go well.

[Kim]

Also, this was interesting to note in my reread. So there's a lot of different ores that are used, like metals to make, you know, the alloys. But dragon egg shells were one of the things that are used. And I forgot that dragon eggshells are made of metal.

[Christina]

Yes. Say, I totally forgot that, which is wild.

[Kim]

And I mean, I guess it's a very hard, protective shell.

[Christina]

Yeah. But, like, ouch. For giving birth, like, yeah, it's painful. It's metal. Like, metal. How does that. You know what? I'm not gonna. I'm not gonna question.

[Kim]

We're not gonna. We're not gonna think about that anatomy question right now. That's biology. Sciencey. I don't do science, so Kim doesn't do science, so. But what's interesting to note about the dragon eggshells is that even after a dragon hatches, the eggshell retains magic for like, an extended period of time. Now, I don't think that there's a specific time listed, but it's long enough that they're able to utilize whatever magics in the eggshells into alloys, into things to make, like, ward stones.

[Christina]

Right. So interesting.

[Kim]

Speaking of wards and wardstones, what are wards? Well, if you haven't guessed it already, it's basically an invisible shield powered by magic. Okay, so how are the wards created through a ward stone? These are basically large pillars. Like we said, the Scaeth has one and Auredia has one. They are carved with intricate runes. It's important to know. Well, I don't know if it's important. But it's interesting rather that the runes that are engraved on the Warstone in Bascaya are very different than the runes that are engraved at the one in Eredia. Violet makes note of it. So if Violet's making note of it, I don't know if that's going to.

[Christina]

Be important later, listeners, but probably noted for a reason.

[Kim]

Yes, exactly. So also important to note that we have to use dragon fire from all seven species to get these wards up and running. How do you know that a wardstone is working properly? Apparently there's a black flame coming out the top, which that's actually the big clue that Violet has in Iron Flame because when she gets the already awards up, they only use six dragons because they had the wrong journal.

[Christina]

That's right.

[Kim]

And the fire flame on top of the wardstone was not black. And they're like, well, this doesn't look right.

[Christina]

This looks off a little bit.

[Kim]

Okay, so we're going to move on to runes now, listeners. This was brand new to us in Iron Flame, and I'm going to be honest, it was a little cumbersome to work through.

[Christina]

It's very abstract.

[Kim]

Yes, that's a good word for it.

[Christina]

I felt like it was very confusing, which should surprise nobody, because it's kind of science adjacent. And the first time I read it, it was so distracting to me that it kind of took me out of the story.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Then upon reread, I kind of just let it go more, and I was like, sure, sure, sure. But Anna really breaks it down in a way that I feel like makes it very palatable to everybody.

[Kim]

Hopefully.

[Christina]

Fingers crossed.

[Kim]

Okay, so the runes, again, the reason why we learn about it in Iron Flame and the reason why it's not taught Ipaskayev, is because it originates from Tearsh culture. And you have to remember that after the unification of Navarre, a lot of the cultures were purposefully buried, gotten rid of. Okay.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

So what are runes? Runes, they're basically like a logo, syllabic language. Oh, what does that mean? Think of it as basically like the Chinese written language or Mayan glyphs. They are symbols that represent words. In the case of these runes, they're like geometric patterns. So rather than looking at various letters to make a word, you're using symbols to create a word. And each shape, each geometric pattern has a different meaning. So what are runes? Runes are strands of magic woven into a geometric pattern for specific purpose. So it's like I'm picturing like dental floss, but, like, really Beautiful.

[Christina]

Yes. Like sparkly dental floss.

[Kim]

Sparkling threads of magic. What is it? You know, like, is it in Harry Potter when they do the. Yes.

[Christina]

When they pull the memories to put in the pensive.

[Kim]

The pensive, yes. That's kind of how I think of it. Yes. I think of it as like, strings of magic, but instead of coming from my brain, it's coming. Being channeled from your dragon or from your griffin, whatever. You have to channel directly from your source. And the closer you are to your source, the easier it is to control that rune, like the creation of that rune. Okay, so there was two things about the runes I think that we found the most confusing. And it was these two words. The use of tempering versus the use of imbuing. So the process of, like, embedding magic into an object is called tempering. So when you are creating a rune, you're tempering the rune. That's what tempering is. You're creating the rune itself. Okay, there is a difference. When you are imbuing something, you are literally just taking your magic, your magical force, and putting it inside something. You're not picking strands. You're not trying to create something with a very specific purpose. For example, tempering a heating rune. You're pulling a weave of magic, a strand, a thread, and you're tempering it into a specific pattern to. Then its only purpose is to heat something.

[Christina]

Right.

[Kim]

Whereas imbuing something, you are just putting a bunch of magic. I wouldn't say willy nilly, but it's not specific. Yeah, it is just throwing magic into an object, which we see at the end with the Wardstones. And Lilith, she is literally putting her life force. She is imbuing the Wardstone with power, but it's not a specific power. It's just all magic going in.

[Christina]

Right.

[Kim]

Okay. So runes also tend to be activated when they're triggered to perform their function. So the biggest example is Zaden gives Violet a runed dagger to counteract Catriona's emotional heightening magic. Also important to note that the amount of power you put into the rune has to be very specific. If you put too much power into, like, a healing rune, it could just catch on fire.

[Christina]

Right.

[Kim]

So that's, again, being close to your source is important when channeling. And Violet actually says that she finds it easier to channel from Andarna because Andarna's magic is like an easier flow for her to manage, whereas Taryn's is.

[Christina]

Like a big floodgate, which is interesting.

[Kim]

Okay, so again, runes were banned in Navarre during The unification. But flyers at Cliffsbane Academy in Peromiel were taught the art of like, tempering runes, how to make runes, and it actually allows them to help compete against dragon signet users. Because you can create runes to counteract a person's signet, like we just said with Zaden and the dagger that he made for Violet. Also, runes are a perfect example of what Liam's mom did when she made the relic. The runes on the stones that all of the kids, the marked ones, carried in their pocket when their parents were executed by General Melgren's dragon. So that basically concludes all of the major magical elements, the magic system for the Imperium series. And Kim, can you take us us to the next section?

[Christina]

I would love to. Okay, we are going to be moving on to the main enemy in the series, Vennon. So let's break this down. We are still running on mostly myth and what Violet has pieced together using her book of fables and some new info in Iron Flame. We think and desperately hope that we learn a lot more about the Venn dynamic and power structure in the coming books. Especially since our sweet precious Zaden is now one of of them. Unfortunately, yes. Yikes. Okay, so a reminder, like Anna has mentioned, that most people in Navarre are unaware of Venin and Wyverns due to government censorship. And those that are familiar with the stories believe them to be just that. Stories. Fairy tales, fables. Speaking of fables, the infamous book, the Fables of the Baron. This is a book of folklore that Papa Sorrengail used to read to Violet. And she grew up believing it was just stories, but obviously we know it is the truth. And there is a very, very interesting story about three brothers. And one brother bonded with dragons, another with griffins. And the third became jealous and drew magic directly from the source, losing his soul and waging war on the others. And of course, as we've mentioned, magic needs balance. So not using a magical creature to channel and instead stealing from the earth means you have to give up something. Your soul, your humanity. And therefore, drawing from the source corrupts you. And this third brother became corrupted. Did. And we talk more about this story specifically. And a theory that I have about it.

[Kim]

Yes. Oh, my gosh, guys, you have to go listen to this theory in our first Onyx Storm Theories episode is so great on the Fables of the Barons. I loved it.

[Christina]

Yeah, Christine and I recorded it. It's our Onyx Storm Theories Part one episode. It is out now. It is so interesting. And you guys, when you hear this theory and the wording that is used specifically, you are going to freak out. But not a theories episode. So we know that the Venin are blamed for the lack of life in the Barrens and they are presumed to reside there. And Violet has a dream, and it reveals that at least one Venin, the sage, is centuries old. Interesting. So let's move on to wyverns, which are the Venom's answer to not having their own magical creatures to fly. So they just created them. They are not natural born creatures of this world, which is frankly terrifying. They created the wyverns by placing complex runes on onyx stones.

[Kim]

Oh, fancy that.

[Christina]

Onyx. And these stones can actually be found in the bellies of wyverns. Violet and the crew basically like tear them open to like test this theory, and they find an onyx stone that has runes on it. And they know that that's how the Venin created them. They also share a collective mind with their wyvern. So anything a wyvern sees, the Venon sees. And they are tied to their host Venin. So if a Venin dies, all of the wyverns that the Venin created also die, which is really convenient. Venin math. So if a venin creates 50 wyverns and you kill that one venin, then all 50 of the wyverns die.

[Kim]

So it's very convenient. Venom math.

[Christina]

We love to see it.

[Kim]

We love it.

[Christina]

So let's talk about channeling, which is what the Venin do from the source. So you have to think of it as an addiction. Once you pull from the source, it becomes increasingly hard to ignore the pull to do so again. And this is what we are all very worried worried about with Zaden and what Jack tells him at the end of Iron Flame in Xaden's pov. We also know that once you do pull from the source, the veins in your eyes and temples become red. And the more often you pull from the source, the more red they become. Yikes. Yeah. So let's quickly run through the hierarchy of the Venin as we know it. Going into Onyx Storm. So the lowest level is an initiate. This is what Zaden currently is going into Onyx Storm. Their eyes may have reddish rings depending on how often they drain others or pull from the source. The second level is Asim. Their eyes basically fluctuate in varying degrees of red. And their veins distend past their eyes when riled, but are not spider webbed like a sages, for example. Now, speaking of sages, these Venin are responsible for the initiate Venin. So think of them as like professors. They are teaching the initiate Venin all the ways of to be venom. To be evil Venin.

[Kim]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Their eyes are permanently red and their veins are perpetually distended toward their temples, expanding with. With age. Now, the last level is called Maven, and this is equivalent to generals in Venin hierarchy. No Maven has ever been captured or studied. However, we think that General Daramore from the Great War could be the Maven slash general who is searching for Violet. We absolutely do not think he's dead.

[Kim]

Nope.

[Christina]

And again, we talk about this in our Onyx Storm theories, part one. We know that he was actually held responsible for draining the land that is now called the Barrens. And what do you then and do? Drain the land.

[Kim]

Drain.

[Christina]

Okay. But let's talk about the Venin and wards. Because for a long time it was believed that the Venin could not draw power from the source within the ward's reach. Which explains why Nevarr has been supposedly free of venin attacks for 600 years. However, Jack confirms that it is possible to turn venom within the wards. Why? Because he did. And that actually the wards do not block all power. And the Venin can still channel enough to survive, which is. Is confusing if you think about it for too long.

[Kim]

Yeah, I mean, I guess I just. I'm like, why didn't the Venin just come in then and attack whenever they could?

[Christina]

Right. So Venin can control their dragons and survive even if their bonded dragon dies. We know this because Jack kills Bade at the end of Iron Flame and he unfortunately, very unfortunately survives.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Christina]

So let's talk about powers. So the Venin use a staff or their hands to channel magic, often appearing surrounded by blue flames. Games.

[Kim]

Interesting.

[Christina]

So they have a whole host of powers. They have enhanced senses because it said in one of the epigraphs that the venom responsible for killing the last king, King Grethwile, seemed to have very enhanced eyesight. And they were able to see within even the darkest of shadows. They can also wield fire, project pain, manipulate gravity, create shields, destruct and disintegrate things like violence, conduit at the end of Iron Flame, you know, cause large scale destruction. And we know that they create a dead zone when channeling. So if a person is in that vicinity, they will also shrivel up like the land and die.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Christina]

So their abilities, we know that they can quickly adapt to their opponent's fighting style, which is really unfortunate. And that they are impervious to dragon fire. However, we believe that Andarna, and possibly the seventh breed of dragon, may be the exception to this rule. Because the Asym level venom that Andarna attacks at the end of Iron Flame seems to burn from her fire.

[Kim]

Yes. Smoking head.

[Christina]

Smoking head. Yes. It was decapitated. But why was the head smoking?

[Kim]

Okay, I breathe fire.

[Christina]

What? Like it's hard? So, like Anna mentioned, we know that venom can be killed with alloy weapons or pure power. Like Violet's lightning.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Christina]

So there are a couple things that don't kill venom, but weaken them. The only thing I think is the most important that might come up in Onyx Storm is the serum. Yeah, we know that Misgaeth uses a serum to block Venin from channeling power from the source. This serum is also what's used on Violet in Iron Flame when Verish is torturing her. And it's what denies her access to Taryn and Darna and Zaden. And she was completely cut off from her magic. Now, this is also why Rebecca Yarros has stated in interviews that Violet seeing Liam was not a reflection of her second signet. It was a trauma response.

[Kim]

Yes.

[Christina]

Okay, so let's just get that settled right now. And we also. I know this isn't a theories episode, but we theorize that Zaden might take this serum when inevitably, him and Violet have to travel outside the words to seek allies.

[Kim]

Yeah, which. Oof, that's gonna be hard, because then, yeah, he can't access his shadows. And he's not a shadow daddy if he can't have a shadow.

[Christina]

Yeah, what's a shadow daddy without his shadows?

[Kim]

Right. Okay. So the gods and goddesses, we feel like we need to just mention these because a lot of people have theorized that the gods could end up becoming characters themselves in the coming books. So in case you need a refresher, here are the four ones that are mentioned. We have Amari, she is the queen of gods. Malik, he's the God of death. I feel like that's the one that gets Gets talked about the most. Dun, goddess of war. And Zinal, who is the God of luck. They are so far just mentioned and prayed to, or, you know, used in an expellative type of fashion. But people do think that they might end up becoming a thing, Especially because there's all the talk about having to burn a person's belongings after they die, or you risk Malik's wrath or whatever. We actually don't know what happens. But obviously, Liam's stuff was not burned. Some of Papa sorrengale's stuff was not burned. Brennan's stuff was not burned. But Brennan's not dead.

[Christina]

Well, but everybody thought he was dead, though.

[Kim]

But everyone thought he was.

[Christina]

So we are going to go to the ending of Iron Flame. Now. We're gonna bypass a lot of this stuff because you guys don't need to hear us recount an entire battle. But long story short, Violet figures out that the Venon are planning to attack Bash because if the Venin can successfully destroy the Wardstone, that they will be unstoppable and able to possibly take over Navarre. But when she arrives at the Skyeth, she's too late because just Jack is. Surprise, surprise, Venon. He's Venon. And he beats them to the tower where the Wordstone is located. Again, long story short, basically, because Jack is Venon and still bonded to his dragon, he has also corrupted his dragon, Bade, and he uses Bade's corrupted fire to destroy the Biscaya Wardstone. And he then kills his dragon, which was shockingly, really upsetting to read.

[Kim]

Yeah, it was hard to read because of the way he does it is so gruesome. And it's clear that she's become corrupted. Like his venom somehow tainted the bond. Her fire changes, her eyes are different, and she had no choice. I wonder if he was able to control her somehow.

[Christina]

I'm sure maybe, yeah. Okay, so, yes, so he kills Babe, but surprise, he can survive because he's Venon. Yes, Jack will not die, and it's infuriating. A side note, we also find out that Nolan has been trying to cure Jack of his venom all year, which obviously didn't work. So fantastic job, Nolan. Way to accomplish nothing. And Violet also notes that she actually thinks Jack turned Venin in fourth wing before she, quote unquote, killed him in book one, because she remembers him having red rimmed eyes. Fascinating. Fascinating. But back to the plot. So Violet convinces everyone to fight alongside her, including her mother and a lot of Navarre leadership. And together they work to defend Beskaya from the oncoming van in attack. Again, we're. We're summarizing here. We're just doing what you need to know. So there's a huge, huge battle where they're basically playing zone on zone. Defense is not going well at all, especially for Sawyer, who loses a leg.

[Kim]

Oh, yeah.

[Christina]

But he's not dead, so.

[Kim]

But he's not dead.

[Christina]

Could be worse, could be worse, could.

[Kim]

Be a lot worse.

[Christina]

Meanwhile, Brennan, who if you guys have forgotten, is like a highly skilled mender, is trying to mend the broken Wardstone that Jack took just broke. Now, before we move on, Anna is going to walk us through some key points about the journals and the creation of the Wardstone.

[Kim]

Okay. Yes. So I want to rewind a second to two very important artifacts, Lira and Warwick's journals. One of the big plot points in Iron Flame is that the revolution, like Zaden and everyone in a Redia, are trying to raise awards so that Aurea and the surrounding areas are protected from Venin. Remember, we touched upon that earlier in the episode. That's why they want the luminary from Viscount to carry. Now, Warwick's journal is pivotal in this because he describes how to properly create and raise the wards. The quote from the diary is, the breath of life of the six and the one combined and set the stones ablaze. Okay, so he mentions six meaning referring to dragons.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Kim]

So now there are only six known breeds of dragons. So initially, everyone believes that means that they must have a dragon from each breed to help illuminate, set fire to the Wardstone and. Wrong. Turns out Warwick was a greedy little man who for selfish reasons thought that only Navarre should hold the power of being able to create wards. So he purposely left out a very important fact. Enter Lira's journal. Because who runs the world, girls? She states in her journal the breath of life of the seven combined. And then continues on.

[Christina]

Oh God.

[Kim]

There's a secret seventh breed of dragon. Buckle up. This is where shit gets wild. Because of course everyone is freaking out we don't have a special seventh breed to help raise award. Okay, but wait, we do. Enter Goldie, AKA Andarna. AKA the only known member of the special seventh breed.

[Christina]

Yep.

[Kim]

So this is the quote. She says, Andarna, I waited 650 years to hatch. Waited until your 18th summer when I heard our elders talk of the weakling daughter of their general, the girl forecasted to become the head of the scribes. And I knew you would have the mind of a scribe and the heart of a writer who would be mine. You are as unique as I am. Then Violet asks Indarna if she will help lend her fire to like, raise the wards. And Indarna says it was why I was left behind. At least from what I remember. It has been centuries now, if you guys don't remember. Andarna literally means second honor, which could have double meaning. But she is also probably the only second dragon to help raise the wars since they were first raised centuries ago. I mean, she's been waiting 650 years in an egg. So Obviously there's a lot more going on than just her raising the war.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Kim]

But we deep dive into that a lot more in our theories episode. So if you want to hear more on Andarna, feel free to check those out. But anyways, back to the Wardstone. Andarna and the other six dragons all agree to use their fire to help raise the war stones at Pesca. And all that's needed is just basically a fuckton of magical energy in addition to their dragon fire.

[Christina]

Right.

[Kim]

Also important to note that once a dragon helps raise a ward, that specific dragon can never use their fire again to raise a ward. That's why Taryn can't help raise the Wardstone at the Scaeth. Because he used his fire at Eredia.

[Christina]

Yes.

[Kim]

That's why Violet approaches General Melgryn's dragon at the end in the battle and she goes up to you never approach another rider's dragon and talk to them.

[Christina]

No.

[Kim]

Taryn about loses his fucking mind. And she's like, so listen, I need your help. And Taryn's like, you do not speak to other dragons.

[Christina]

What are you doing? Silver one?

[Kim]

But he's the only other black dragon and they can't use Tarn.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

Oh, that's so interesting.

[Christina]

I forgot about that.

[Kim]

Very interesting. So that's why it's really important. Like Andarna's. Yes, that's why she's there. If it didn't work, well, we're fucking out of seventh breed, truly.

[Christina]

Right.

[Kim]

Unless we venture to the Isle Kingdoms, then maybe.

[Christina]

Maybe, who knows?

[Kim]

Okay, so back again to the Wardstones. The six dragons all agree to use their fire to help raise the Wardstone of a Scaeath. And like I said, all they need is more magical energy. Violet is willing to sacrifice herself to do this, this basic, you know, give everything over. And just as she is nearing burnout, her mother shows up and sacrifices herself instead. And y'all, this moment, I. I don't know why it hit us so hard, especially because it was such a quick redemption moment.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

But it really did hit us.

[Christina]

Oh, I was sobbing. There's actually a video of me on our Patreon. If you go search Iron Flame. I think there's a video of me reading this death scene with Lilith and I was sobbing so hard. It was. It was actually insane.

[Kim]

It's really, it's.

[Christina]

I don't know why it hit so hard because we've. I disliked Lilith throughout the whole series.

[Kim]

I think it's just the mother's love and the epigraph.

[Christina]

Oh, where she's like, you know better.

[Kim]

If I die, it'll be in the. Like. To save our children.

[Christina]

To save our children.

[Kim]

Yeah. And she says it to her husband.

[Christina]

And I'm really hoping that for Violet's sake and Mira and Brennan, I guess that we learn more about Lilith and maybe her true intentions and what she was doing that they didn't know about. Because I really want that for them. I want to see that Lilith was playing a long game and was not on the wrong side.

[Kim]

And listeners, you could play a drinking game with. How many times we said, this is not a theories episode.

[Christina]

Don't. You'd be wasted.

[Kim]

Don't. Don't do it. But I agree with you, Kim. I really think that Violet, Mira and Brennan deserve that. And we theorize Papa Sorrengail was killed for his research. And she's doing everything in her power to protect her children. And she's keeping secrets and they die with her. But hopefully there's journals.

[Christina]

I. I mean, I think we are getting journals.

[Kim]

We are. I mean, those epigraphs, man, I love them.

[Christina]

I love them.

[Kim]

Okay, so anyways, so like we said, she. Lilith ends up sacrificing herself with the help of Sloan, who is Liam's little sister, if you guys don't remember. And Sloan Signet is a siphon. She's able to basically help speed up the process of imbuing the Wardstone with power because she can help act as like a conduit. It's basically like high speed Internet. Yeah, she's able to like get in there really fast.

[Christina]

Exactly.

[Kim]

Exactly. So she drains basically, Lilith of all of her life's force. And the quote while Lilith is dying is, there's nothing I wouldn't do to keep you safe. Do you understand? Everything was to get you to this moment when you'd be strong enough. She falls to her knees, but doesn't let go of Sloane. You're everything we dreamed you would be. Mom says quietly.

[Christina]

That line.

[Kim]

And again, it's beautiful. But I feel like there's double meaning.

[Christina]

Of course.

[Kim]

Of course.

[Christina]

Has to be.

[Kim]

Okay, so anyways. Oh, no. Lilith's dead. It's sad. It sucks. We're all devastated.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Kim]

But Violet also needs to check in with the group chat because Zaden is off fighting a Venin and oh no, he's almost dying. So she freaks out. She turns a tear and he takes her to Zaden. She arrives. Zaden is alive. Thank God. The Venin is nowhere to be seen. Zaden says that he killed the Venin. But, oh, plot twitch. Zaden turns around, we see his eyes. They're red rimmed. Zaden pulled from the source. Zaden is Venon.

[Christina]

Yep.

[Kim]

And it is bombshell dropped on the entire fandom.

[Christina]

100%.

[Kim]

So, Kim, the very last chapter of Iron Flame is from Zaden's pov. Will you take us through that?

[Christina]

Absolutely. I would love to. So, a few very key points here about the big reveal that Xaden has become Venon in the final chapter. Now we learn from Xaden's POV that the Venin he was fighting calls himself a general, AKA a Maven level Venon. And if you all remember from our Venom 101 section earlier in this episode, Mavens are historically nearly impossible to kill. And there's really not much known about them. So while Xaden says he killed the Venin. Did he really?

[Kim]

Yeah, I don't think so. I think he got what he wanted, which was for Xaden to turn Venom.

[Christina]

Exactly. So Zayn infers that this Venon is the one from his nightmares. He's referencing how this Venon is matching him block for block quote, just like my nightmares. Now, the entirety of Iron Flame, aside from this chapter, is from Violet's pov. And she, we know, has been having nightmares about a certain Venin. And these don't seem like normal nightmares, nor do we think that they are. We think that this venom is 100% somehow able to communicate with Violet in her dreams. Now, what's interesting in Xaden's POV is that we find out that he is also having these similar nightmares. So what does that mean? Yeah, I'm very interested to see if this is going to be answered in Onyx Talk Storm.

[Kim]

I am curious too.

[Christina]

Yes. So we know that Zaden wakes up beside Violet, which is a good thing. It means that, you know, even after he reveals himself to be Venon, she loves him enough to not push him away. She's curled up next to him in bed and he whispers, I love you. And then he gets up and he goes to the dungeons to visit our least favorite cockroach, Jack Barlow. And he asks Jack about a Venin cure, to which Jack says, cures are for diseases. What we have is power. And that, dear Ryerson isn't curable. It's inevitable.

[Kim]

Yeah, I don't love that.

[Christina]

And that, listeners, is the end of Iron Flame and where we have left our heroes. Heading into Onyx Storm.

[Kim]

Such a joy of an ending.

[Christina]

Joyful.

[Kim]

What a note.

[Christina]

Hopeful, one might say. Yeah, needless to say we are really, really excited, anxious, nervous. All the emotions for what's to come in Onyx Storm.

[Kim]

Oh gosh. Oh my gosh. What do we have, like two weeks? I think two weeks from today. Today's we're recording this on a Tuesday. Yeah, it's two weeks, right? Oh my God. Two weeks.

[Christina]

Isn't that crazy?

[Kim]

Oh my God. I'd be like sweating.

[Christina]

I know, I know. And then we go to New York to see Rebecca Yarros. It's just gonna be so fun.

[Kim]

I cannot wait.

[Christina]

Yeah. So we aren't entirely sure what the next episode after it's going to be something Onyx Storm related. We might try to do like a wrap up of the Rebecca Yarros event while we're all three together in New York. But if not, then of course you will definitely see us back with Onyx.

[Kim]

Storm episodes full episode Deep dives.

[Christina]

Oh my God, we are so excited. Excited. We are so excited. Well, friends, that wraps up another episode of Flights of Fantasy podcast. Don't forget to join our book club community on Instagram and Tik Tok at Flights of Fantasy Podcast where you can share your thoughts, theories and favorite moments with us and fellow listeners. We'd love to hear from you. If you enjoyed today's episode, please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform. Your support helps us spread the magic of romantasy to even more book lovers. Until next time, keep dreaming, keep reading, and remember, every good story deserves to take flight.