- "You were ready to make a deal with someone ready to beat twelve distinct colors of hell out of you if you were a day late. My way is better. Simpler."
- ―Devi to Kvothe[1]
Devi is a former member of the Arcanum and currently acts as a gaelet in Imre.
Description
Devi is described in the books as petite (pixieish) with strawberry-blonde hair. Her face is described as "cute as a button", and she has prominent dimples. She generally portrays a flirtatious demeanor, however is very serious when it comes to business. She is also known by her nickname "demon Devi", which alludes to her amoral, unsympathetic, and business-like approach she takes to her clients. She is quick to anger and slow to forgive. Before being dismissed from The University, Devi had achieved the rank of Re'lar.
In The Chronicle
Throughout the Chronicle, Kvothe borrows money from Devi several times, and something of a friendship develops between them. Devi has a growing collection of books that prove useful as reference material to students of various subjects at the University. She demonstrates on multiple occasions a ravenous appetite for arcane knowledge. She is accomplished both in Alchemy and Sympathy and is one of the few people depicted as besting Kvothe in a head to head contest of the latter.
Devi claims that her minimum loan amount is four talents, and her interest rate is fifty percent every two months. This is roughly four times the highest rate charged by a legal moneylender. Later, Kvothe establishes that Devi has no minimum loan amount, and her real business is in creating a situation by which the person taking out the loan cannot repay and needs to owe her favors instead. It is implied Devi was removed from the University for malfeasance and Conduct Unbecoming.
In The Wise Man's Fear it is revealed Devi is desperate to access the Archives, at one point attempting to buy the knowledge off Kvothe for an extremely large sum of money, a discount on his loan, and even to sleep with him. When he denies her, she states "I'm getting in there one way or another."
During an argument Sim tells Kvothe it was widely known Devi could do an eight-part binding at the time of her expulsion. When Kvothe accuses her of malfeasance and attempts to attack her with a mommet, the power Sim called attention to is proven when Devi fights back. During the duel, she is able to move despite Kvothe's bindings, and states "My Alar is like the ocean in a storm." To end the duel she uses a pocket warmer/poor-boy to boost her power and wins. During the battle she admits to having trusted Kvothe, even turning down 55 talents from someone who wanted to buy Kvothe's blood.
Later in The Wise Man's Fear it is revealed that Devi is actually close friends with Mola and Fela, the former who convinces her to accept Kvothe's apology and help them get revenge on Ambrose. At this time it is also revealed Devi has a bad history with Ambrose, and she goes as far to say she would have killed him by now if she could have gotten away with it.
Before Kvothe leaves for Vintas, he visits Devi one more time to explain his anger that led to their fight might have been caused by lingering effects of the Plum Bob. Despite initially denying it was her, Devi finally admits she sold the concoction, but not the formula to some "rich tosh who made a stunningly good offer". The offer ended up being a full set of Vautium Tegnostae books. She goes on to say "I'd never do business with Ambrose, and I didn't know it was for you. I swear." It's also at this time Kvothe says, according to Simmon, when it comes to Alchemy, Devi "can't factor worth half a damn," which is why he was suffering from after-effects so long after he ate it.
Devi alleges that she was expelled from The University because they feared a woman who could beat a master of sympathy while so young, not due to malfeasance or Conduct Unbecoming, which is backed by Wil who says there was no evidence of malfeasance when she was expelled.
Speculations
Due to the fact Devi's Alar is described as the "ocean in a storm" which is one of the 3 things a wise man fears, people think Devi has a much larger part to play in the next book, perhaps helping kill the Chandrian or is the one who betrays Kvothe.
Some people speculate due to Devi's flirting and relationship with Kvothe she is or will become his primary love interest.
Fanarts
References
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