Key Points:
- Onyx Storm unveils critical insights about the venin, their hierarchy, and their powers.
- Venin possess unique magical abilities, form bonds among ranks, and can even develop signets.
- The venin’s immortality, stealth, and emotional detachment make them formidable enemies.
Rebecca Yarros’ Onyx Storm, the third installment in The Empyrean Series, delves deep into the secrets of the venin. Building on the mysteries teased in Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, the novel expands on the venin’s nature, powers, and their enigmatic internal hierarchy. These revelations reshape the stakes for Violet Sorrengail and her allies as they confront the growing venin threat.
Onyx Storm: Venin Can Sense One Another

From the outset, Onyx Storm emphasizes the unique bond shared by venin, particularly their ability to sense one another. Xaden Riorson reveals this power early in the novel, explaining how venin’s strange magic connects them. This ability enables higher-ranking venin, such as Sages and Mavens, to track down lower-ranking members, including initiates and asims, for training or reinforcement.
During a critical conversation between Violet and Xaden, it’s revealed that Xaden’s heightened sensitivity to venin allowed him to kill 17 of the 31 venin eliminated after the events of Iron Flame. This bond is not without limitations. While lower-ranking venin are easily traceable, higher-ranking venin can conceal their identities completely, blending seamlessly into society.
Jack Barlowe, a lower-ranking venin, confirms this ability to hide in plain sight:
“Initiates, asims—we’re all traceable to one another, but the great hall could fill with Sages and Mavens, and I’d never know.”
This revelation heightens the tension in Onyx Storm, as it implies that powerful venin could infiltrate even the most secure bastions of Navarre unnoticed.
READ MORE: Onyx Storm’s Silver-Haired Venin Explained: Theophanie’s Role in the Empyrean Series
Higher Ranking Venin Can Hide Their Identities
The venin’s ability to disguise themselves is a key advantage, particularly for those in leadership roles. Sages and Mavens possess advanced skills that allow them to conceal their signature traits, such as red eyes, spider-webbed veins, and graying skin. This makes identifying and eliminating them far more challenging.
Jack’s insights into this ability suggest a strategic advantage for the venin, who can operate covertly within Navarre. Violet’s growing suspicion of those around her is fueled by the knowledge that even seasoned dragon riders might be deceived by a venin Sage in disguise.
Venin Can Develop or Retain Signets
Perhaps the most startling revelation in Onyx Storm is that venin can develop signets or retain those they possessed before turning. This discovery is exemplified by Theophanie, a silver-haired venin who wields the power of storms. Unlike Xaden, who gained his abilities as a dragon rider, Theophanie’s powers emerged after her transformation, marking a significant departure from previously understood magic rules.
This newfound knowledge introduces a new layer of complexity to Navarre’s battle strategies. Matching a rider’s signet to a venin’s ability becomes critical for survival. The possibility of venin possessing multiple signet abilities, though unconfirmed, further escalates the stakes.
Only Venin Initiates Bleed
An intriguing detail revealed through Violet’s interrogation of Jack is that only venin initiates can bleed. As venin progress through their transformation, they grow increasingly invulnerable. Lower-ranking venin, such as initiates, are susceptible to conventional weapons, but higher-ranking venin are nearly indestructible. They are immune to dragon fire and traditional weaponry, leaving magically imbued alloy daggers and Violet’s lightning as the only means to defeat them.
This revelation underscores the critical importance of identifying a venin’s rank in battle. Testing for bleeding could serve as a tool to determine their vulnerability, offering Navarre’s forces a potential advantage in combat.
READ MORE: Onyx Storm: Violet Sorrengail’s Second Signet Power Explained
The Venin Are Ageless
One of the most chilling discoveries in Onyx Storm is the venin’s immortality. They do not age, a trait that makes them nearly impossible to outlast. Theophanie’s interactions with Violet reveal her vast knowledge of ancient history, including references to Andarna’s kind, the Irid, which vanished 600 years earlier.
This agelessness is further supported by epigraphs in the book, such as the account from 472 AU, where a survivor notes that a known venin had not aged in decades:
“Astonishingly ageless. Hair as black as the day we married, but in place of the age lines I’d expected were bulging scarlet veins branching outward from her red-ringed eyes.”
These details suggest that some venin may have survived the war centuries ago, potentially influencing current events from the shadows.
Venin Bonds Between Ranks
Onyx Storm introduces the concept of venin forming magical bonds between ranks, a feature that significantly complicates their dynamics. Xaden’s inability to harm Berwyn, a venin Sage, highlights this bond. Despite his determination, Xaden admits he “could no more raise a blade to his throat than I could Violet.”
Theophanie’s warning to Violet adds another layer to this dynamic. She explains that training under Berwyn would bind Violet to him, making her incapable of resisting his orders. This hierarchical control underscores the venin’s internal structure, with higher-ranking members wielding significant influence over their subordinates.
READ MORE: What Is Andarna in Onyx Storm? Insights Into the Seventh Dragon Breed
The Venin Feel Less Emotion Over Time
As venin grow stronger, they lose their emotional depth, becoming colder and more detached. This transformation is particularly evident in Xaden, whose increasing reliance on forbidden magic strips away his humanity. His trance-like states, marked by an icy demeanor, can only be interrupted by Violet’s intervention.
The Irid leadership confirms that there is no cure for the venin condition. Xaden’s gradual loss of emotion and his desire to escape pain and guilt highlight the irreversible nature of his transformation. Despite Violet’s hope, the Irid’s declaration that “Xaden’s soul is dead and lost forever” leaves little room for redemption.
Source: ScreenRant
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