The Blade Itself

Whether literal or metaphorical, keys are potent symbols, for they unlock doors behind which secrets are often kept. They also bestow power on whoever possesses them, allowing such people exclusive access to otherwise forbidden spaces. When Bayaz uses his key to open the House of the Maker, which has been sealed for centuries and is steeped in mystery and rumor, he reveals himself to be the real Bayaz, First of the Magi. In this regard, the key also serves as an identity marker and confirms Bayaz’s authority beyond doubt. In a world in which science and reason have begun to supplant mysticism and magic, the key represents a link to the past, to Juvens and Kanedias, and to a time when magic held a central place in history. Thus far, Bayaz’s excursion into the House yields only a single chest, and Abercrombie has yet to reveal the contents, but if the company’s terrifying trek through the vast darkness should prove worth the risk of oppressive fear, the chest will prove to be immensely important to the still-developing plot.