in the rural town of newarre, the waystone inn is managed by an innkeeper named kote and his assistant bast. it is revealed that kote is actually the renowned kvothe: an unequaled sword fighter, magician, and musician, rumored to have killed a king and caused the present war in which the civilized world is embroiled. bast is kvothe's assistant and student and a prince of the fae. kvothe has gone into hiding and assumed the identity of kote in order to keep a low profile. kvothe saves a traveling scribe known as chronicler from spider-like creatures called scrael, whereupon chronicler, recognizing kvothe, asks to record his story. upon consenting, kvothe tells chronicler that this will take three days (corresponding to the planned trilogy of novels).