In Urithiru, Taravangian awakens on a genius day and brusquely completes his daily tests under Dukar and Mrall’s scrutiny, deliberately leaving one hard question unanswered to avoid being deemed dangerously intelligent. He orders his room cleared, a choir to sing, and a copy of the Diagram delivered. With diamonds lighting the corners, he cuts the book into fragments and begins rearranging and pasting pieces on the walls to reveal new patterns.

As he works, Taravangian calculates Urithiru’s potential farming capacity and infers the ancient Radiants likely enhanced growth with Stormlight to achieve self-sufficiency. A brief exchange with Adrotagia clarifies his obscure insult to Mrall, and his curt order to kill the children is corrected to simply stopping their hymns. Adrotagia confronts him for gaming the testing rules; he dismisses her, then feels a flicker of shame but continues.

Taravangian hunts for insights on the Dalinar paradigm. He confirms the prior assassination attempt failed and notes Renarin as an unforeseen variable. He requests the surgeon’s words from his birth, reflecting on a lifelong reputation for diminished capacity that has helped disguise his fluctuating intellect. He doubles down on the Diagram’s mandate, seeking a path that balances ruthless calculus with survivability.

Reassembling the Diagram’s fragments, Taravangian concludes that killing Dalinar now would be counterproductive. Instead, he will bolster Dalinar’s coalition, then force Dalinar to step down using secrets uncovered by Malata’s spren, positioning himself as a nonthreatening replacement. When Mrall asks if Odium can be defeated, Adrotagia and Taravangian state the Diagram’s purpose: victory is impossible; they must save what they can.

Taravangian finalizes instructions to gather leverage against Dalinar and prepares to press him until he collapses, then lead the coalition to negotiate terms with Odium bound by divine laws. He kneels amid the shredded Diagram, determined to preserve a remnant of humanity, accepting the ruthless capacity he once begged for to save them and abandoning the rest.