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"Till shade is gone, till water is gone, into the Shadow with teeth
      bared, to spit in Sightblinder's eye on the last day!"

"I of course have zero evidence for this, but since when has that stopped
       any of us?" <David Wren-Hardin>

CONTRIBUTORS. Active Contributors & Articles Plundered From:

* Michael Arnett * Keith Aschinger * Will Baird * Chris Barrera *
David A Bergman * Alice Bergmann * Arthur Bernard Byrne * Paul W.
Cashman * Christopher Lee Cavender * Randy Cerveny * Damien Cole *
Amish Dave * Ruchira Datta * Dave "Walls of Books" DeLaney * Roderick
Easton * Eric Ebinger * Jain Farstrider * Chris Flora * Courtenay
Footman * Michel Forget * Carolyn Fusinato * Christian M Gadeken *
Bill "Fain" Garrett * Helmut Geyer * Judy Ghirardelli * Bob Gibson *
Jocelyn "who is not Kathleen" Goldfein * Stephen Graham * Michael
Guenther * John C Hansen * Chris Hammock * Stephen J Hardy * Don
Harlow * John Hawkinson * Nathan Hendrix * Captain Commander Sean
Hillyard * Bob Hofmann * Melissa Horn * Eugene Hung * Matthew Hunter *
John Ireland * Robert Kelley * Daniel John Kelly-Harrity * Jacob
Kesinger * Pam Korda * Hank Lee * Mike Lemons * Craig Levin * Shen
Kiat Lim * Mark Looi * Mike "Sir MPS" Macchione * Tom McCormick *
Cameron Majidi * Luke Mankin * Jim Mann * Kelley Miles * Don Morgan *
Joe Morris * David Mortman * Roy Navarre * Patrick Nielsen Hayden *
John S Novak III * Emmet O'Brien * Michael J O'Malley * Chad "Oilcan"
Orzel, aka Ba'alzamon * Emma Pease * Thomas Petersen * George D
Phillies * Jim Phillips * Piglet * Heikki Poso * Jeffrey Scott Raglin
* Chris Russo * Erica Sadun * Kevin Samborn * Jeff Schneiter * Morgan
Donald Scott * Viren Shah * Joe-win Fairheart Shaw * Jeff Smith *
Brian Sullivan * Martin Terman * Aline Thompson * Elayne Thompson *
Carl Traber * Sven Venema * Jonathan Vessey * Ken Warkentyne * Olaf
Weber * Dash Wendrzyk * Greg Wheatley * Windsor Williams * Aaron Wong
* Edmund Wong * David Wren-Hardin * Tony Yoder * Tony Zbaraschuk *

(Did I forget anyone? Is anyone on here twice? Anybody with a name
starting with Q , U, or X want to contribute?)

KEEPER OF THE CHRONICLES: Pam Korda <[e-mail]>

REFERENCE CHECKERISSIMO DUDE: Joe Shaw (Official Net Jordan Librarian),
               <[e-mail]>

KEEPER OF THE FLAME OF TAR FTP: Viren R. Shah <[e-mail]>
            available by anonymous ftp.
            /pub/jordan/Jordan.FAQ.<month>
            or by gopher--lahs.losalamos.k12.nm.us, dir
            is "Bored out of your Gourd? Take a Romp..."

WWW HOME PAGE: http://faser.cs.olemiss.edu/jordan/jordan.html
       html conversion by Helmut Geyer
         <[e-mail]> good job, Helmut!


[NB: 'Survey Says' sections are from the 2nd Novak-Ghirardelli Survey]
[NB:  Standard Reference Format:
<Book Abr.: Chapter #, paperback pg#, Chapter name, hardcover pg#>]

ACRONYMS
TWoT         = The Wheel of Time
TEotW        = The Eye of the World
TGH          = The Great Hunt
TDR          = The Dragon Reborn
TSR          = The Shadow Rising
TFoH         = The Fires of Heaven
FAQ          = WMAK, Wonderful Masterpiece of Assembled Knowledge,
          but FAQ is easier to say (and makes for better puns)
r.a.sf.w     = rec.arts.sf.written
AOL          = Age of Legends
AS           = Aes Sedai (or Amyrlin Seat)
BA           = Black Ajah
DO           = Dark One
DF           = Darkfriend
DFS/DS       = Darkfriend Social
Eg/Egw       = Egwene
El           = Elayne
Ish          = Ishamael
LTT          = Lews Therin Telamon
Mog/Moggy    = Moghedien
MPS          = Mad Passionate Sex, (c) Mike Macchione
Ny           = Nynaeve
OP           = One Power
SG           = Shayol Ghul
SS           = Siuan Sanche
T'A'R        = Tel'aran'rhiod
WCs          = Whitecloaks
WOs          = Wise Ones

CONTENTS: (* = new this faq, + updated this faq, - same as last faq)

ADMINISTRIVIA
+ 0.0  Contents/Acronyms/Humor Section
+ 0.1  FAQ News
- 0.2  What are these Jordan Wheel of Time Books?
- 0.3  What are the Conan books?
- 0.4  How do I post to rec.arts.sf.written about these books?
- 0.5  Why don't we start a new Jordan-only newsgroup?
+ 0.6  Mis-steps. (Errors along the way)
- 0.7  What should I do if I've become obsessed?
+ 0.8  Wheel of Time Club?
- 0.9  What's the deal with these shoddy Tor covers that keep
      falling off?
- 0.10 Who is Robert Jordan, really?
- 0.11 The RJ Hoax. READ THIS.

ALL ANSWERS GREAT AND SMALL
+ 1.1  Jordan-speak. Words from the man himself.
- 1.2  Who was Beidomon?
+ 1.3  Why do we think that Thom may have fathered Elayne
      and/or Gawyn
+ 1.4  Why do we think that Thom will marry Moiraine?
+ 1.5  Why is Moiraine not dead?
- 1.6  What was up with Gawyn during the coup?
- 1.7  What was the Tamyrlin?
- 1.8  Who will marry Mat?
+ 1.9  Who will take Callandor from the Stone? (Logain stuff)
- 1.10 What does Mat being 'free of the one power' mean?
- 1.11 Why isn't Elaida Black?
+ 1.12 Who will Lan be bonded to now?
+ 1.13 Who killed Asmodean?
- 1.14 Who is Moghedien, really, in Salidar
- 1.15 Where the *$%*# is Perrin?
- 1.16 Is Aram a Darkfriend?
- 1.17 What is all this sniffing business?
- 1.18 What's up with Mat and the dice Ter'angreal?
- 1.19 What does a Dragon look like?
- 1.20 Is Aviendha pregnant?
- 1.21 Is Nynaeve still blocked?
- 1.22 Where is Gaidal Cain now?
- 1.23 Will the Seanchan invade Salidar?
- 1.24 The Seven Seals
- 1.25 How did the A'dams start?
- 1.26 Is ISH still alive?
- 1.27 Who's Who in the Families?
- 1.28 Tigraine == Shaiel (Rand's mum): an analysis
- 1.29 Slayer (Isam & Luc)
+ 1.30  The Severed Hand
+ 1.31 How old is everyone?
- 1.32 What does each Ajah do (and want)?
- 1.33 The Green Man and the Song
      (Who is the Green Man, What is the Song, Who will
      find the Song, Who were the Aiel?)
- 1.34 Countries of Rand-Land
- 1.35 Is Verin Black?
- 1.36 Is there Religion in RandLand?
- 1.37 Who are the Forsaken? Where are they now?
- 1.38 All the Aes Sedai
- 1.39 Why Lanfear may be Good (not just in bed, Roy)
- 1.40 Who are the Aelfs & Eelfs?
- 1.41 What's up in Saldaea?
+ 1.42 Who was Mat (in his past lives)?
- 1.43 Where have we seen ironic foreshadowing?
- 1.44 Why are we sure that Ba'alzamon is really Ishamael?
- 1.45 When was Rand's Power Acquisition Fever Syndrome?
- 1.46 Sad Bracelets, Mazrim Taim/Logain
- 1.47 What are the Songs (not >the< Song)
- 1.48 Is Mat still linked to the Horn?
- 1.49 What am them icons?
- 1.50 Thought and Memory: Take Two
- 1.51 What did Ogier do of old?
- 1.52 More of the Fain
+ 1.53 Jain "McGuffin" Farstrider
- 1.54 Who was "Silvie?"
- 1.55 Were there Ajahs in the Age of Legends?
- 1.56 Who ordered Melindhra?
- 1.57 Why Moiraine is not BA

TRIVIAL Pursuits
- 2.0  Arthur and the Holy Grail
- 2.1  Trolloc Tribes
- 2.2  Is the world of Rand a future Earth?
+ 2.3  Christian Parallels
- 2.4  Various Names
- 2.5  Dragon Legends
- 2.6  Norse Mythology
- 2.7  Steddings & China
- 2.8  Misc additional references

IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME, BABY
- 4.0  Timeline (not actually in here)

HANGIN' LOOSE
- 5.0 Loose Threads: Unresolved Stuff

SOME "SWEET" COVER ART
- 6.0 What is it with those stupid Darrell Sweet Covers?

PROPHECIES : Everything you wanted to know about the future, but
     were afraid to ask.
+ 7.1 Egwene's Dreams
+ 7.2 Min's Viewings
+ 7.3 Various Prophecies
- 7.4 Dark Prophecy
+ 7.5 Moiraine in Conversation
+ 7.6 Perrin's Dreams

PUBLISHING STUFF
 - 99.0  How many books will there be?
 - 99.1  When Is The Next Book Out?

AH, HUMOR (FROM RECENT MONTHS. IT WAS GETTING TOO LONG. FOR MORE AMUSEMENT,
TAKE A LOOK AT THE HUMOR IN OTHER FAQS.)

<Patrick Nielsen Hayden, the Tor Books Man, and Bill "Fain" Garrett>
PNH> No, it's a signal that I don't work for the real Tor, but for Bizarro Tor!
No!  Am Bizarro editor, send unsolicited terrible manuscripts to aspiring
writers! Send huge sales force nationwide to confiscate and hide
bestselling paperbacks!  Force Orson Scott Card to erase only extant
manuscript of fourth Alvin novel!  Go into chain bookstores, turn all
competitors' books face out!  Bizarro editing am big fun!

BG>You forgot the part about sneaking unbidden into peoples' homes at night
and ripping the covers off their Tor paperbacks.

PNH> Cngevpx Avryfra Unlqra : fravbe rqvgbe, Gbe Obbxf : [e-mail]

BG>Ah, yes, the old tongue for "Patrick Nielsen Hayden : senior editor,
Tor Books : [e-mail]".
---------------
<Alex Irvine & David Wren-Hardin on r.a.sf.w>

AR>They [Jordanites] bite not just when cornered, but whenever it is
suggested that Robert Jordan is not the second coming of Shakespeare.
I do not envy you.

DW-H>Jordan is not flamin' Shakespeare reborn !!! Not everyone has to be a
Hero of the Horn you know.
----------------
<CC Hillyard casts the Wheel of Time movie>
Ingtar:  Joe Shaw, Darkfriend Borderlander
Ishamael:  Can there be any doubt the ol'flameface is anybody but 'Oilcan.'
Fain:  Bill Garrett, who else could make such an abrupt 180 in personality?
 First, showing his true colors in a scathing attack on an innocent,
 and then actually winning her over to his side!
Which means
Alviarin:  Emily.  You should have blasted him when you had the chance.
 (and I have it from reliable sources that this private 'apology'
 was actually a description of certain activities at Shayol Ghul)
Perrin:  Novak and a certain metallurgist need to battle it out on this one.
 Contest rules:
 each must sing Coming Home from Tarwin's Gap, one that sounds
 most like a stepped-on frog plays Perrin.
Min:  Pam
Elayne:  Judy (who seems to have been killed by her exam a couple weeks ago)
Elder Bornhald:  Don Harlow
Verin:  Emma Pease
Dena:  Erica.  Anybody who makes available to the net her rendition of
 Jac o' Shadows has some inborn desire to be a Gleeman.  Of course,
 Dena had talent, so somebody who download her rendition needs to
 comment.
Farstrider:  Anybody who I haven't mentioned.  Hell, _everybody_ can play
 him at some point.

<to which Oil "Ba'alzamon" Can adds:>
Child Byar: played with great glee by Sean Hillyard...
Unless of course we can get the guy who played "Mr. Blue" in _Resevoir Dogs._

<And I add:>
Beidomon: Roy Navarre. I am sure he would be thrilled to be Lanfear's partner.
----------------------------
<Joe Shaw>
A couple weeks ago I was at an on-site job interview.  Over
lunch, two employees are explaining to another interviewee
and I the sequence of job titles at said company:  "Associate
MPS, MPS, Senior MPS, Principal MPS, Sr. Principal MPS..."
I don't think I'm going to get an offer....
Oh, their definition?  Member of the Professional Staff.

--------------------------------------------

Well, as Pam points out, when writing grant applications, one would do well
to avoid phrases like "Release into the world the Source of All Evil (tm)."
Use of "Develop a single Power source for both male and female channelers,"
is encouraged, however, because that falls into the category of "directed
research," and hence will be extensively funded...<OilCan>
----------------
<Oilcan & co on the forthcoming release of LoC>
Joe> The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that
> become as legendary as Roy's lust for Lanfear.  Legend fades to myth,
> and even myth is long forgotten, like our real work will be when Lord of
> Chaos is finally released, when the Age that gave it birth comes again....

Bill>That should be Month, not Age.  More specifically, October.

>    "In a month called October by some, a Month yet to come, a
>     Month long past, a breeze rose from the placid shelves of
>     bookstores across the land as crowds sallied forth to procure
>     the Lord of Chaos.  It was not the beginning, for there are
>     neither beginnings nor endings to Fandom, but it was *a*
>     beginning."

OilCan::Or, for another angle on the same thing...

::"In a Month called September by some, a Month yet to come, a Month long
::past, a wind rose from the bookstores of the land, as managers of
::Waldenbooks the world over screamed "NO, IT'S NOT OUT YET!!!!" at the
::vast crowds of Jordanites clogging their stores. The wind was not the
::beginning, for there are neither beginnings nor endings to the travails
::of bookstore owners. But it was _a_ beginning..."
----------------
<Paul Cashman gives us the Robert Jordan Drinking Game>

[The Robert Jordan Drinking Game: begin reading TFoH with a bottle of
your favorite adult beverage nearby.  Every time a woman sniffs in the
book, take a swig.  Winners are those who can finish the book in one
sitting.  Be sure it's a BIG bottle.]
----------------
YOU KNOW YOU'VE BEEN READING TOO MUCH JORDAN WHEN:

When you read about Rogaine and all you can think of is an aura of glory
to come. <Jeffrey Trigilio>

...you accuse that Tolkien guy of ripping off TEotW.
...you add a Jordan nickname to your finger information.
...the "loony ideas" start seeming reasonable.
...you flame someone for posting non-Jordan material in r.a.sf.w.
...you refer to chopsticks as 'sursa', or coffee as 'kaf'.
...your spellchecker's personal dictionary contains Tel'aran'rhiod,
   Manetheren, Cairhien and Alguenya.
......and it never prompts you to correct misspellings of them because
   you never misspell them.
...you hear yourself say "Blood and bloody ashes!"
...you refer to your husband/SO as Warder.
...you refer to your wife/SO as your Aes Sedai.
...you think of David Koresch as a False Dragon.
...you use the word 'goat-kissing' [You know who you are.]
...you enter your favorite bookstore, and the clerks tells you they
   don't have the next WoT book yet, before you open your mouth.
...you threaten to balefire someone.
...you "*sniff*"
...you sign your Jordan nickname instead of your real name. <Joe "Uno" Shaw>

...your first choice for naming a Linux box is 'manetheren'
...when shit happens (as it often does) to you, and you simply
   shake your head and think/say "The Wheel weaves as the Wheel
   wills."  (I've actually said it, and gotten some strange looks.)
...when you start thing of the Caralain Grass as your homeland.<John Novak>


... when your roommate asks you to change the channel and you start
    screaming, "I will dance to your tune no longer, Aes Sedai!  There is
    nothing between us, you hear?  Nothing!" <Richard Wang>

... you code a mud, and the first area you create is the Blight, and as a gag
you send Lanfear after people.<jhall, aka 'grif'--i need a real name here...>

...you change your Organization header to something like "White Tower"
   or "Malkieri Liberation Organization."
...you see the beginning of that sf TV show that starts "it was the dawn
   of the third age of mankind" and you start carrying on about "a wind
   rose in the mountains...the wind was not _the_ beginning, but it was
   _a_ beginning.
...when you start referring to your friend Jen as "the one true."
   (i.e. Jen Smith==the one true smith)
...when you believe that _The Travels of Jain Farstrider_ is a real book that
   you read when you were little. A friend of mine actually did this. I told
   her to go lie down and not think of Roy. She became confused. <Pam Korda>
--------------
Also, check out "The Dark One's Dictionary," by Joe Shaw and Bill
Garrett. It is way too long to put here, but it is absolutely
hilarious, and is worth taking a look at. It is on the archive
and on the WWW page.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+

           ****SECTION 0.1OB--FAQ NEWS****

It's summertimie, summertime, sum-sum-summertime! Not much new in this
FAQ revision. I included the results of the 2nd Novak-Ghirardelli
survey, skillfully carried out by John Novak & Judy Ghirardelli.
Following the trend set by Diderot and D'Alembert (5 points if you
know what I'm referring to), I've decided it would be a good thing to
cross-reference the FAQ. I've started, but have not gotten very far,
so that is what the strange "X-REF" at the end of many sections is.
Just ignore it; it'll be filled in later.

Other Submission Requests:
[Looking for more humor!  Please send as you find it.]
[What topics have been discussed to death and should I include as
'calls-for-submission' for next month?]
[Please help fill out the countries of RandLand]
[Something about Padan Fain would be nice: What is he? What was he?
Is he the DO in disguise? etc.]
[anybody wanna do a bit on the old time zones, etc. discussion?]

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+

===========================ADMINISTRIVIA======================================

0.2...............................WHAT ARE THESE JORDAN WHEEL OF TIME BOOKS?
The Wheel of Time, by Robert Jordan:

Hardcover editions:
THE EYE OF THE WORLD, ISBN 0-312-85009-3, $24.95
THE GREAT HUNT, ISBN 0-312-85140-5, $22.95
THE DRAGON REBORN, ISBN 0-312-85248-7, $22.95
THE SHADOW RISING, ISBN 0-312-85431-5, $24.95
THE FIRES OF HEAVEN, ISBN 0-312-85427-7, $25.95

Paperback editions:
THE EYE OF THE WORLD, ISBN 0-812-51181-6, $5.99 ($6.99 CAN)
THE GREAT HUNT, ISBN 0-812-51772-5, $5.99 ($6.99 CAN)
THE DRAGON REBORN, ISBN 0-812-51371-1, $5.99 ($6.99 CAN)
THE SHADOW RISING, ISBN 0-812-51373-8, $6.99 ($7.99 CAN)
THE FIRES OF HEAVEN, ISBN 0-812-50974-9

Published by Tor Books

Ask for them at your favorite bookstore, or order the paperback editions
directly from:

Publishers Book and Audio Mailing Service
PO Box 120159
Staten Island NY 10312-0004

To cover postage and handling, add $1.25 for the first book and $.25 for each
additional book.  Check or money order only; no CODs.

-----
Patrick Nielsen Hayden, senior editor, Tor Books
[e-mail] * CIS: 72701,1344 * opinions mine

If you are in Europe, it may be more expedient to pick up the British
Editions published by Orbit (prices are listed in pounds).  Thanks to
Helmut Geyer for this information:

THE EYE OF THE WORLD, ISBN 1-85723-076-0 (L5.99)
THE GREAT HUNT, ISBN 1-85723-027-2 (L5.99)
THE DRAGON REBORN, ISBN 1-85723-065-5 (L5.99)
THE SHADOW RISING, ISBN 1-85723-121-X (L5.99)
THE FIRES OF HEAVEN, ISBN 1-85723-209-7 (L5.99)

The covers stick on better too!

0.3..............................................WHAT ARE THE CONAN BOOKS?
Jeffrey Scott Raglin reports:

Well, a little bit of research at a local Used Book Store has uncovered for
me the fact that Robert Jordan wrote, not one, not two, not even four, but
rather Seven "Conan the Barbarian" books-one of which was the novelization
of "Conan the Destroyer" (the second Arnie Conan Movie). Having skimmed parts
of several, I can conclude that this is definitely the same Robert Jordan
we know here.  As evidence: the opening sentences of five of the books:

Opening Sentence, Conan the Invincible
<CtI, I, 9>  "The icy wind whipping through the brown, sheer-walled chasms of
the Kezankian Mountains seemed colder still around the bleak stone fortress
that grew from the granite flank of a nameless mountain in the heart of the
range."   [NOTE: not only does Jordan begin this book with a wind blowing,
but he manages to string an amazing total of four consecutive prepositional
phrases at the end of the sentence.]

Opening Sentence, Conan the Unconquered
<CtU, 0,9, Prologue>  "Storm winds howling off the midnight-shrouded Vilayet
Sea clawed at the granite-walled compound of the Cult of Doom"

Opening Paragraph, Conan the Magnificent
<CtM, 0,11,Prologue> "Icy air hung deathly still among the crags of the
Kezankian mountains, deep in the heart of that arm of those mountains which
stretched south and west along the border between Zamora and Brythunia.  No
bird sang, and the cloudless azure sky was empty, for even the ever-present
vultures could find no current on which to soar"

Opening Two Sentences, Conan the Victorious
<CtV, 0, 1, Prologue> "The Vendhyan night was preternaturally still, the air
weighty and oppressive.  No slightest breeze stirred, leaving the capital
city of Ayodhya to swelter."

Opening Sentence, Conan the Triumphant
<CtT, 0,11, Prologue> "The great granite mound called Tor Al'Kiir crouched
like a malevolent toad in the night, wearing a crown of toppled walls and
ruined columns, memories of failed attempts by a score of Ophirean dynasties
to build there."  [All right, nothing about the wind here.  But I include it
anyway, because A. It's just such a ridiculous image, and B. Tor Al'Kiir is
very reminiscent of Kari Al'Thor, which makes the image even more ridiculous.
Besides, the next paragraph goes on to describe black clouds of a storm that
included, among other things "lightning streaking the dark like dragons'
tongues", so there's our weather reference.

[The Opening Sentences of CtDef and CtDes are not nearly as distinctively
Jordanesque, describing the sun rather than the wind.]


0.4.................HOW DO I POST TO rec.arts.sf.written ABOUT THESE BOOKS?

Make sure you put the word 'JORDAN' (upper or lower case, your choice) in
the subject line so that kill files can be specialized to catch all the
Jordan/Wheel of Time related posts.  For example:
 Subject: JORDAN: Is Verin Black?
 Subject: JORDAN: What's with Gawyn's weird behavior?
 Subject: JORDAN: Why did Lanfear and Roy do that?


0.5......................................WHY DON'T WE START A NEW NEWSGROUP

Every so often, a rash of posts appear along the lines of "Hey you loony
Jordan fans!  Get off my newsgroup!"  Or, if they are polite, "Could it be
possible for all the Jordan posts to be moved to a separate forum?" Well,
there are reasons.  Many alternatives have been discussed, and none
have been found to be satisfactory: 1) An alt.robert.jordan group.
Many of the people who participate in the Jordan discussions do not
have access to the alt.* hierarchy.  Others, myself included, only
get a few alt.groups, and there would be no guarantee that we would
get an alt.rj group if it were created.  Thus, all the Jordan
posters who don't get the alt.* stuff would continue posting on
r.a.sf.w, and those who do get alt.* would cross-post to r.a.sf.w,
so as to to miss out on the discussion. Hence, the result
would be a totally useless group (alt.rj) which might as well be rmgrouped.
(Which, in fact did happen to the alt.rj group that some fool created
in spite of the arguments against it.) 2) A Jordan mailing list. I admit that
there is less of a logical argument against this one, but it doesn't really
matter. People, in general, do not want a mailing list. Since the people
who would, in theory, be subscribing to this list are not interested in
doing so, there is no reason to make a list. 3) A rec.*.jordan newsgroup.
The general consensus among the Jordan-type-people is that if a rec.*.rj
group is ever created, then we will move there. There was, a few months
ago, an RFD on news.groups for such a group. It died out fairly quickly,
and, as yet, no CFV appeared. Bill Garrett mentioned that he might start
up the process again soon, so look out for it.

And that, my friends is why there is not an RJ newsgroup.

0.6.........................................MIS-STEPS (ERRORS ALONG THE WAY)

>>THE EYE OF THE WORLD<<

*It seems to me that early in the first volume Jordan took some time to
decide whether the marsh-forest in the east of the Two Rivers
was the Riverwood or the Waterwood. <Don Harlow>

*In TEoTW, Thom teaches Mat and Rand to juggle.  By the time they reach Caemlyn
Mat can perform "six ball circles", which I interpreted as a six-ball shower.
No way. You could probably count the number of people in the world today who
can shower six balls to a performance standard on the fingers of one hand.
Assuming there are any. I've only twice seen a five ball shower done well.
<Name???, David Mortman>

RE::Jain Farstrider:
>From <TEotW: Glossary, 790, entry "Farstrider, Jain", 663> Farstrider
"vanished in 994 NE, after returning from a trip into the Great Blight
which some say had taken him all the way to Shayol Ghul." While <TDR:
Glossary, 696, entry "Travels of Jaim Farstrider, the", 593> says that
he disappeared shortly after the Aiel War, which is about 20 years ago.

Why the differences in spelling?
Note that even in TEotW, all other indications are that Farstrider
disappeared 20 years ago, just after the Aiel war: Ba'alzamon tells
tells Rand <TEotW: 51, 760, Against the Shadow, 638> "Jain Farstrider,
a hero, whom I painted like a fool and sent to the Ogier thinking he
was free of me."  The man that Loial said came to Stedding Shangtai
telling them the story about blinding the Eye of the World came just
after the Aiel War. Twould seem to be Farstrider since Ba'alzamon's
comments followed a reference to the Aiel that told the story to the
Tuatha'an. So, it seems that the 994 number is wrong. <Joe Shaw>

There also sees to be some confusion as to whether the guy's name
was Jain or Jaim.<Joe "Joe-win Fairheart" Shaw>


>>THE GREAT HUNT<<

*Ba'alzamon's goals: <TGH: 47, 665, The Grave Is No Bar To My Call, 563>
"But this time I will destroy you to your very soul, destroy you utterly
and forever." Maybe he forgot <TGH: 41, 588, Disagreements, 497> "Fool!
You will destroy yourself!" where he stopped Rand from burning himself
out. Ba'alzamon is either forgetful, confused, or trying to appear so.
<Morgan Donald Scott>

*Why does Moiraine wear her great serpent ring on her left hand in <TEotW:
2, 27, Strangers, 22-3> and <TDR: 3, 58, News from the Plain, 26> and on
her right hand in <TGH: 4, 46, Summoned, 39>? I can think of four possible
reasons:
 a) a cunning plan by Jordan to make us believe sweet,
    innocent Moiraine was at the Darkfriend social.
 b) Moiraine has an evil, identical twin sister who wears
    her ring on the other hand.
 c) It's Moiraine's ring and she can wear it on whatever
    hand she damn well pleases.
 d) none of the above. <Damien Cole>

* When Rand returns Thom's harp and flute to the gleeman in Cairhien,
Thom grumbles: "You could at least have kept it (the harp) in tune"
<TGH: 26, 384, Discord, 323> For travel, harps (and many other stringed
instruments) are ALWAYS detuned -- the tension on the strings is
reduced to prevent string wear and possible snapping.<Erica Sadun>


>>THE DRAGON REBORN<<

*In TDR, in the beginning at-camp scene, Perrin tells Min that he loves her
like a sister--and that he has no sisters of his own.  In TSR, his two
   sisters and his brother are killed. <TDR: 6, 99, The Hunt Begins, 63> and
   <TSR: 29, 466, Homecoming, 333> <Erica Sadun>

<TDR: 41, 477, A Hunter's Oath, 388>  Perrin is remembering a confrontation
between Moiraine and Zarine.  "Once she learned the girl thought they would
lead her to the Horn of Valere, ...then her cold blue stare had taken on a
quality that made him feel he had been packed ..."  Which left me wondering
whose cold blue stare?  Both Moir. and Zarine have dark eyes.<Aline Thompson>
The quote continues "The Aes Sedai said nothing, but she stared too often
and too hard for any comfort.", implying that it refers to Moiraine.<JoeS>
<TEotW: 2, 26, Strangers, 22> <TGH: 4, 45, Summoned, 38>, <TDR: 6, 90, The
Hunt Begins, 55>, <TSR: 3, Reflection, 71> and <TFoH: 2, Rhuidean, 68>
all describe Moiraine as having "dark eyes", and <TDR: 33, 386, Within the
Weave, 319>, <TDR: 35, 402, The Falcon, 333>, and <TSR: 2, Whirlpools in
the Pattern, 40> describe Faile as having "dark, tilted eyes".

  *Metallurgy Mistake, from John Palmer & Don Harlow
      Maybe others have noted this metallurgy mistake, as a engineer this
      bugged me. In the Dragon Reborn, when Perrin takes a day at the
      Smithy, he notes the three quenching media: "As soon as he had made
      the hot-cut, he tossed the glowing metal into the salted quenching
      barrel. Unsalted gave a harder quench, for the hardest metal, while the
      oil gave the softest, for good knives." <TDR: 50, 595, The Hammer, 506>
      Wrong.
      In order of resultant hardness, it goes Oil, Water, Salt Water. with
      Salt water yielding the hardest blade because of best heat transfer
      and higher boiling point than plain water. Oil is softer because of
      slower heat transfer but is commonly used for cutlery because it causes
      less thermal stresses and a tougher blade. (won't break from shock)
      Salt water quench is definitely a harder quench than fresh water. Its
      due to the higher boiling point of salt water precluding the formation
      of an insulating vapor layer over the steel which slows heat transfer
      from the steel to the water.

  *Hey, what's the scoop with Shadowman steel?  First, Thom Merrilin runs into
   a Fade and it left him "a little present of a stiff leg." Then
after the fight where the Aiel come to the rescue of the girls: <TDR:
39, 455, Threads in the Pattern, 382> "Shadowman steel kills,"
Aviendha said, "it does not wound."  Finally, Rand's thought
  while fighting a Fade: <TSR: 10, 188, The Stone Stands, 132> "That
  black metal could make wounds that festered, almost as hard to heal as
  the one that ached in his side now." Is there something that I'm
  missing, like it just kills Aiel, or does this qualify as a Jordan
  mis-step?<Dash Wendrzyk> {NB: the obvious explanation is that the Fade
  did not stick Thom with its sword; the Fade just hit him, or something
  --Pam}

  >>THE SHADOW RISING<<

  *A typographical error <TSR: 33, 539, A New Weave in the Pattern, 377> Perrin
   calls Tam al'Thor "Master al'Vere"; Master al'Vere being miles away at that
  time. <Courtenay Footman>

  *<TSR: 35, 576, Sharp Lessons, 401> "Egwene realized Nynaeve's blankets were
  empty." Unfortunately, at this particular time, Nynaeve was in Tanchico
  with Elayne. It should be Moiraine's blankets that are empty......Correct?
  <Jeff Smith>

  *<TSR: 54, 913, Into the Palace, 633> "If only Egwene had not run into
  any trouble, they might make it out of here [the Panarch's Palace]
  safely after all." It should be Elayne instead of Egwene.


  >>THE FIRES OF HEAVEN<<

  *In TFoH, on the Cover, we are told that "FLAIDA" (sic) is now Amyrlin.

  *Something very strange happened between 10 and 20 years ago. In
   <TGH: 4, 58, Summoned, 49>  the Amyrlin says to Moiraine "I am the fifth
   in a row raised to the Amyrlin Seat from the Blue." Two pages earlier, we
   learn that Siuan Sanche has been Amyrlin for ten years. In <TFoH: 15, What
   Can Be Learned in Dreams, 214>, Moiraine says to Egwene:  "In a few months
  it will be twenty-one years since we began the search for the Dragon Reborn.
   Sieren Vayu was raised to Amyrlin shortly after, a Gray with more
   than a touch of Red in her." Were there really SEVEN different
  Amyrlins in the space of a dozen years?  (The Blue who held the seat
  when Rand was born, Vayu, and then the five Blues who ended with Siuan
  Sanche.)  Or is this just a Jordan mistake?<Courtenay Footman>

  *Rand Balefires Rahvin, erasing his actions, etc.  However, none of Rand's
  injuries, all sustained at the hands of Rahvin, disappear--they were
  instead Healed by Nynaeve afterwards. <TFoH: 55, The Threads Burn, 672-3>
  <Sean Hillyard>

  0.7........................................WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I'M OBSESSED?

  Judy G. gives us intelligent advice on treatment of Jordan fanaticism:

  1.  Stop calling the nice lady at you local bookstore, and
      harassing her about when the next book will be out.

  2.  Lay down.

  3.  Stay laying down.

  4.  Try to not think about things like wheels, knives, spears,
      swords, doorways, Piglets, fire, severed hands, plucked out
      eyes, tattoos, leashes, calendars, irons, pincers, still images,
      gentle breezes, FAQs, Towers, wolves, falcons, hawks, hammers,
      axes, Roy, and lastly, DON'T THINK ABOUT RIVERS!

  5.  Now, pick up a copy of _The Tao of Pooh_ and become an uncarved block.

  (p.s. that will be 50 bucks...)
  (p.p.s. The idea of not thinking about Roy while laying down
  is just a generally good practice , and might be applied to all
  the rest of you who won't admit you have a problem ...)

  0.8.................................................THE WHEEL OF TIME CLUB

In case any of you folks want to join a fan club, here is some information:

<From Carolyn Fusinato on Prodigy/America OnLine>

    ->What is the Wheel of Time Club?
THE WHEEL OF TIME CLUB is a forum bringing together
science fiction and fantasy readers for an unbridled
discussion of fictional realms, particularly Robert
Jordan's Wheel of Time world.  The Wheel of Time Club is
purely an amateur and voluntary group; there are no
restrictions to membership, no dues, fees or officers.
Club activities include discussion on most major online
computer services and the publication of its newsletter,
"The Chronicles".

    ->How to receive a free copy of The Chronicles:
Either mail a SASE (self addressed stamped envelope) to The
Wheel of Time Club, P.O. Box 223022, Chantilly, VA 22022-3022 or fill
out this questionnaire and E-mail your answers to
[e-mail]:
--MEMBERDATA QUESTIONNAIRE--
1. your ID # and assumed name with your real name
2. What on-line service are you on?
3. your address (optional)
4. (must have answered #3) Would you like a free sample
copy of the Wheel of Time Club's newsletter, The
Chronicles?
5. (must have answered #1 to be added to the E-mail mailing
list or #3 to the Pen Pal list) What are some of your
interests (5-7 sentences)?
6. Would you be interested in writing an article for the
newsletter?
7. Anything else that you'd like to add?

  0.9..........WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH THOSE CHEAP TOR COVERS THAT WON'T STAY ON?

  No, you are not alone in having the cover fall off of your PB copy of TDR.
  What can you do about it?  Patrick Nielsen Hayden says that you can send the
  book to Tor, and they will send you a new copy. You can also write a (snail-
  mail) letter of complaint to Tor. The address is on the inside of the books.
  DO NOT SEND MEAN E-MAIL TO THE NICE TOR BOOKS MAN!!!! IT IS NOT HIS FAULT!!!
  If you want to repair them yourself, Eric Ebinger provides instructions:

  As a public service (and to annoy the anti-Jordan faction of the
  r.a.sf.w community :^) ), I have decided to publish instructions on how
  to reattach the (hideous) covers to the Tor paperback editions of the
  Wheel of Time books.  This is the way that I did it.  The covers are
  holding up nicely (so far).  No warranty is expressed or implied.
  Your mileage may vary.  Follow these instructions at your own risk.

  Materials needed:

  dry sandpaper 220 grit
  Walthers Goo (available at finer model train stores everywhere)
  one or more Wheel of Time books, Tor edition with loose or detached covers

  1.  If cover(s) are not yet completely detached GENTLY and carefully detach
      them.  A small, sharp knife may be helpful.

  2. Take sandpaper and briskly sand the back of spine of the book (on the
      glue that failed to hold.  Continue until the surface is slightly
      rough (don't over-sand).  This should only take 10-20 seconds of
      sanding.

  3. Lay the cover down on a flat surface with the outside DOWN.  Gently sand
      the inside of the binding (see fig. 1) untill the wax coating is
      removed.  Do not over-sand!  The objective is to remove the wax
      coating so that the glue can get a grip.

       +----------------+-----+-----------------+
       |                | s g |                 |
       |                | a l |                 |
       |                | n u |                 |
       |                | d e |                 |
       |                |     |                 |
       |                |  h  |                 |
       |                |  e  |                 |
       |                |  r  |                 |
       |                |  e  |                 |
       +----------------+-----+-----------------+

  4. Following directions on the package of Goo, spread glue on the binding
      area of the cover.  Orient the book so that it's orientation
      matches that of the cover.  Press the book binding down on the cover,
      lift,wait two minutes,press the book binding back down on the cover,
      and hold for two minutes.

  5. Let dry overnight.  The book should be better than new.

0.10..........................................WHO IS ROBERT JORDAN, REALLY?
 Courtesy of Aline Thompson

 From Contemporary Authors volume 140

 Rigney, James Oliver Jr. 1948-
 (Robert Jordan, Chang Lung, Reagan O'Neal, Jackson O'Reilly
 Personal:  Born October 17, 1948 in Charleston SC, son of James Oliver
 and Eva May (Grooms) Rigney; married Hariet Stoney Popham McDougal,
 March 18, 1981; child William Popham McDougal, Education: The Citadel,
 B.S., 1974
 Address: Home--Tradd St. Charleston, SC 29401
 Career: U.S. Civil Service, nuclear engineer, 1974-78, freelance writer,
 1978-
 Member: Science Fiction Writers of America
 Writings:
 Under pseudonym Robert Jordan; "Conan" Fantasy series; all published by
 Tom Doherty
 Under pseudonym Robert Jordan; "Wheel of Time" fantasy series
 Other:
 Author (as Reagan O'Neal) of books in the "Fallon" series, including THE
 FALLON BLOOD, 1980, THE FALLON PRIDE, 1981, THE FALLON LEGACY, 1982.
 Also as Jackson O'Reilly of CHEYENNE RAIDERS (novel) 1982.  Contributor,
 sometimes under pseudonym Chang Lung, to periodicals, including Library
 Journal.
 Sidelights:
 James Oliver Rigney, Jr, writing under various pseudonyms, is a prolific
 author of genre fiction.  As Robert Jordan, he has produced several
 fantasy volumes featuring the heroic Conan, a powerful barbarian who
 roams a magical land of strange creatures and supernatural villains.
 Among these--which are based on a character created in the 1950's by
 Texas Robert Howard are ===above===.
 Periodicals
 Fantasy Review, August, 1984, p 12; September, 1984, p 30
 Science Fiction Review, February, 1983; p 31; May, 1983 p 55

0.11..................................THE GREAT JORDAN HOAX--READ THIS SECTION!

In March, 1994, a bunch of net.jordanites met in a small restaurant in
Arlington, VA. Collectively, they hatched a scheme to spread chaos and
confusion throughout the internet, and other nets. They were six of
the most powerful posters ever known, who went over to the Dark One.
Their names--Bill "the Fain" Garrett, Chad "Ishamael" Orzel, Joe
"Sammael" Shaw, Mike "Rahvin" Macchione, Judy "Mesaana" Ghirardelli,
and Joe "Demandred" Morris--should be used to frighten children.  As a
result of their crimes, much false evidence was generated.  Following
is a summary of their false claims as to what Jordan said.

Remember--ROBERT JORDAN NEVER SAID ANY SUCH THING:

1) Somebody close to Rand will turn to the Dark Side.
2) There are clues in: _The Westing Game_, "What Lies Hidden," "The Gift
   of a Blade," "The Tinker's Sword."
3) RJ thinks we should get our own newsgroup.
4) RJ will put a character like Roy in the next book.
5) Anything about Cain, Jain, Tam, or Graendal's old man.
6) Aram is a Darkfriend (and was at the DS in TGH).
7) There are hidden references to Conan in The Wheel of Time.
8) RJ said "Verin is more than just a simple, absent-minded librarian."
9) Thom is Elaynes' father.
10) RJ will wrap up the series in the book after _Lord of Chaos_
11) Mazrim Taim is somebody we have already seen, sort of (and related theories
    that Taim == Demandred, Taim killed Asmodean.)
12) Thom, Aviendha, Bela, & Marin Al'Vere are not what they seem.
13) Aviendha == Ilyena reborn.
14) Mat's memories are not real, but the ravings of a madman.
15) Mat and Tam can channel.
16) He would add a reference to our USENET discussions into a later book.
17) Jordan wants to put himself in there somewhere (ala Hitchcock).
18) Thought the lightbulb and telephone jokes were a hoot.
19) likes the cover art


 ======================USEFUL INFORMATION (SHORT ANSWERS)======================

 1.1 JORDAN-SPEAK
    RJ recently gave a talk at Trinity College in Dublin. Our man on the Scene,
    Emmet O'Brien reports:

        Robert Jordan arrived at 6:00 this evening in Trinity
   College for his talk.. this being Ireland, the talk didn't start
   for a further ten minutes, but in the meantime he signed books for
   those of us who actually turned up on time. The turn out was pretty
   disappointing considering TFoH is no. 2 on the best-seller lists
   here: only about thirty people were there including SF society mafia.
        He didn't have any prepared speech but took questions from
   the floor. He still isn't sure how long WoT will go on for, saying
   probably seven books but adding that when TEotW first came out he
   saw the series as four books.. he does however know what the ending
   will be and how all the major story lines will resolve. He expressed
   vague dissatisfaction with the covers but didn't seem too upset
   about them.
        He talked for a while about 'reverse engineering' various
   mythos, removing the culture-specific elements and combining the stories,
   giving the example of the Wolfbrother idea, which was derived partly
   from the Native American Coyote trickster/savior figure, of whom
   both Mat and Perrin reflect aspects.
        He does not intend to speed up as the end of the series
   approaches: the books are planned to come out at the same rate
   until the end..
        He raised the point that Rand's creeping insanity may
   manifest in much more subtle ways than the people of Randland
   expect.. which leads one to wonder about Rand's increasing
   withdrawal and possible megalomania..
        I think he is aware of the net discussion: he expressed
   surprise at the amount of analysis and comparison with Tolkien,
   Dune etc. [ I felt tempted to mention A. A. Milne ] and somebody
   in the audience compared WoT to _Atlas Shrugged_, which really
   seemed to surprise him. His attitude is that once he has written
   one book [ and publicized it ] it is time to move on to the next..
     The only deliberate connection between WoT and any other
   modern fantasy was giving the first 100-odd pages of TEotW a
   Lord of the Rings-esque flavor, to start people off in familiar
   territory.
     Specific questions: Lews Therin Telamon's suicide was
   emphatically _not_ balefire, but an overload of the Power. And
   when Verin was mentioned, he just said he hoped he kept surprising
   people.

       His first Conan novel he wrote because there was money offered. Having
   discovered that it was fun to write Conan, he wrote five more including the
   novelization of the second movie, and then spent a year convincing people
   that he was not going to write any more Conan.. he was quite adamant on
   this point.

       His first _novel_ was accepted and then rejected, sold and then rights
   reverted to him.. he says he will never publish it as it is not very good,
   but keeps it as it seems to be lucky for him..

       He regards being taught to read at an early age and reading anything
   and everything he could get his hands on as being very important to his
   decision to write, and to what he writes and how he writes it.. he writes
   Fantasy because it allows more straightforward discussion of good and evil
   than fiction set in the modern world.

      [ I got the impression that learning to read at age three is considered
   precocious in the USA.. just another example of how far you colonials have
   fallen.. :-) ]

       He also spoke for quite some time on the splitting of the One Power
   into male and female halves, and on the disharmony produced when they
   don't work together.. this came across as one of the core elements in
   the origin of WoT. [ re: Yin/Yang - leaving out the little dots in the
   symbol is an intentional representation of the lack of harmony between
   male/female Power in RandLand ]

       That was about it.. a lot covered for half an hour. There was a strong
  impression that more of the books are made up as he goes along than a reading
   of all the foreshadowing etc. might lead you to expect..

    A thought that occurred to me afterwards.. if at book one he expected
    to finish the series in three more books, and at book five he expects to
    take two more books, then logically the series should actually end up as
    thirteen books..

                   - Emmet

Tom McCormick claims to have received a letter from RJ. I tend to
believe that his claims are authentic, but it wouldn't be the first
time I was wrong. Anyway, here are excerpts:

    I found the compendium fascinating. It is startling how much your
    group has puzzled out correctly, but I have to tell you that some of
     what you worked out is wrong, concerning both me and the books,
    but I have it in mind not to tell you which parts. That way you can
    have the pleasure of figuring out for yourselves where you went
    astray. (Easy to say that when I'm four or five thousand miles away.)
    ...
    [RE: the time zones thing in TFOH when Rand & Aviendha go to
    Seanchan for some MPS] Yes, the timing was calculated. I know how
    far to the west Seanchan lies.
    ...
    I have been a writer for seventeen years now, and have had a
    number of other books published (Westerns, international intrigue,
    historical fiction), as well as essays, dance review and theatre
    criticism, but no other fantasy save the Conan novels. I've written
    only one piece of short fiction in my life, aside from school
    assignments, and it was never published. I will probably write in
    those other genres again from time to time; I enjoy them.  I am
    working on something unconnected with THE WHEEL OF TIME,
    though I have not yet begun writing it. (Books percolate about in my
    head for a long time before anything goes onto paper.) It will be the
    next thing after THE WHEEL is complete. It will be fantasy, in a
    different universe than THE WHEEL.
    My editor says it will be people's chance to see a society like the
    Seanchan Empire, but that is simply because most of the action will
    take place in a culture much like Seanchan. The main male
    character, who is shipwrecked there, comes from a place that might
    he considered a cross between Elizabethan England and the Italian
    city-states of the Renaissance with touches of the seventeenth
    century. I intend him to be a man in his thirties, a man of some
    experience and worldliness in his own culture (though this does him
    only occasional good where he finds himself), in contrast to Rand's
    innocence and naivete. The major female character is a
    noblewoman of the land where he is shipwrecked; by the law,
    whatever is cast up on the shores of her estates belongs to her: the
    ship, its cargo -- its crew. Of course, a good many details will surely
    change between now and the commencement of writing (they always
    do), but that is the general form. No working title yet beyond
    SHIPWRECK. I expect to do the story in two or possibly three books.

    As far as any message to the folks on the net.... It is really quite an
    honour to find out that so many of you want to discuss my books in
    such detail. Frankly, I'm both pleased and amazed that you have put
    so much time and effort into it. Well, I hoped I was writing something
    that would hold people's interest; it seems maybe I have.
    One thing -- don't think you've reached bottom in your digging. I tried
    to make the books fairly simple on the surface, and quite complex
    underneath. You've dug up a number of points that I thought I had
    buried well enough that they wouldn't come to light for some time yet
    (don't expect me to say which ones), and you've also
    dug up one or two that I never buried in the first place (no hints
    there, either). Jordan's Law, I think, can better be stated along these
    lines: "Ah, you think you know how the game goes now? Very good,
    gentlemen. what say we increase the bets just to make it
    interesting?".


 1.2 WHO WAS BEIDOMON?

 1) One of the male Forsaken (Demandred? We know he had (has) a deep hatred
    for LTT, as did Mierin, possibly, at the time the Bore was created.
    Perhaps it was all a revenge plot?)
 2) Somebody who is dead.
 3) LTT (Why? From <TEotW: Prologue, xv, Dragonmount, xv>: "he who brought
    the shadow...they named Dragon." Was lover of Mierin/Lanfear at some
    point, maybe when the Bore was created. And, <TEotW: 4, 51, The Gleeman,
    44> "I will tell you of the end of the Age of Legends, of the Dragon,
    and of his attempt to free the Dark One into the world of men." But,
    then again, why would LTT have another name?)

    Why LTT is not Beidomon:
    It would have adversely affected him after the war broke out.  Secondly,
    he had likely left Lanfear long before and married Ilyena by that time.
    At Cairhien <TFoH: 52, Choices, 629> he does say that he was never
    Lanfear's.  He also says that he had long before lost whatever interest
    in he had her. <TFoH: 6, Gateways, 123>

 1.3 WHY MAY THOM HAVE FATHERED ELAYNE AND/OR GAWYN

 Elayne denies that Galad is her brother.  Thom was around at the right time.
 Thom clearly had something to do with Taringail's disappearance. Thom was
 Morgase's lover. In <TFoH: 19, Memories, 252>, Morgase thinks about Taringail,
 and how the only good to come of the marriage were "two beautiful children."
 This could be Elayne and Gawyn, or she could mean Galad (adopted) and Gawyn.

Evidence from the Glossary: "A Royal Prince of Cairhien, he married
Tigraine and _fathered_ Galadedrid.  When Tigraine disappeared and was
declared dead, he married Morgase and _fathered_ Elayne and Gawyn."
<TEotW: Glossary, 787, entry "Damodred, Prince Taringail", 661>
Although the glossary entries have been misleading before (e.g.
Ba'alzamon), I do not think that RJ has ever lied outright in them. I
personally cannot think of a way that the above could be a sneaky, Aes
Sedai-like twisting of the truth.

Furthermore, Moiraine says, "Thomdril Merrilin. Called the Grey Fox,
once, by some who knew him, or knew of him. Court-bard at the Royal
Palace of Andor in Caemlyn. Morgase's lover for a while, _after
Taringail died_" (emphasis mine) <TSR: 17, Deceptions, 194>. Here,
Moiraine is trying to impress Thom with how much she knows. She wouldn't
include a detail she had any doubt about. To be wrong about something
in such a situation would indicate faulty research, and Moiraine would
not risk showing any gap in her knowledge. If she had any doubt at
all, she wouldn't have mentioned the timing of events.

Survey Says: Is Thom Elayne's da? Yes: 53, No: 28.

 1.4 WHY DO WE THINK THAT THOM WILL MARRY MOIRAINE?

    Moiraine says she knows the face of the man she will marry better
 than the girls know their future husbands. <TSR: 6, 126, Doorways, 90-1>
 This could mean that she will never marry. The reason that seems unlikely
 is because, according to Elayne, Moiraine had some passion in her voice
 when she mentioned husband, despite her attempts to then brush it off.
 After going through the Tear twisted doorway, which only answers personal
 questions, she immediately tells Thom that he will live through the
 next set of adventures.  Thom keeps referring to Moiraine as a good
 looking woman with more and more sincerity as time progresses and
 discovers he no longer loves Morgase.

 Possible scenario: How would she know who it was?  Being Aes Sedai she'd
 likely have a lot of chances, but here's my guess.  When Min describes
 how her viewings work her standard example is this; I see two people
 who have never met and know they will marry--and of course we had both
 Thom and Moiraine in front of her in Baerlon.  So, this would also be
 the reason why 1) Moiraine was so sure Thom hadn't been killed by a
 Fade, despite Rand's and Mat's protestations, and 2) why she tells Thom
 "I will see you again.  You will survive Tarabon." <TSR: 17, 278, Deceptions,
 195> (After her little trip through Rhuidean she may have decided that
 perhaps Min was wrong and that Lanfear would kill her)

Survey Says: will Thom marry Moiraine, if she is alive? Yes: 53, No, 28.

X-REF: Thom--1.3, 1.5; Moiraine--1.5, 1.27, 1.38, 1.57; Twisted
    Doorway: 1.8, 1.10, 1.40,

 1.5 WHY IS MOIRAINE NOT DEAD?
    Well, we don't know what happened after Moiraine & Lanfear fell
    through the twisted doorway into the land of the Foxes.  Lacking such
    information, the only evidence we have is: 1) the breaking of Lan's
    bond, which could mean anything, and 2)Egwene's vision <TFoH: 15, What
    Can Be Learned in Dreams, 214> of Thom pulling Moiraines blue jewel
    out of a fire. Pretty suggestive, eh?

        Ruchira Datta:"One of you would have been bad enough, but two
        *ta'veren* at once - you might have torn the connection entirely and
        been trapped there."<TSR: 15, Into the Doorway, 178-9> This quote
        is the basis for one of the currently held versions of the possible
        fate of Moiraine and Lanfear; just substitute "channeling combatants"
        for "ta'veren".

        More interpretation on Eg's "blue stone" vision:
        <[e-mail]> (need a name here) suggests that it could
        possibly mean that Thom will do something to preserve her dream of
        Rand facing the DO alive and well at Tarmon Gai'don.

Survey says: What happened to Moiraine?

          Dead: 11           Alive: 69 (stilled: 40, unstilled: 29)

          Will Thom rescue Moiraine, if she _is_ alive? Yes--74, No--8

X-REF: Twisted Door--1.8, 1.10, 1.40; Moiraine--1.4, 1.27, 1.38, 1.57;
    Egwene's Dream--7.1;

 1.6 WHAT WAS UP WITH GAWYN DURING THE COUP

 Perhaps he was involuntarily bonded to a Black or to a Forsaken. His eyes
 were glazed and he was not necessarily in control of himself. Alviarin says
 that "Gawyn is under control" even though Morgase's stepson (Galad) is not.

 Personally, I think he was in full control of his faculties during the coup.
 By that time, he had developed a good & solid hatred for SS, due to Elayne
 and Egwene's mysterious disappearance.

Survey says: Involuntary Bondage: 12
             Under Compulsion: 13
             Desire for revenge against SS: 55

 1.7 WHAT IS THE TAMYRLIN

 Probably some sort of leader of the Ancient Aes Sedai.  The Tamyrlin had a
 ring just as the Amyrlin has a seat. From <TEotW: Prologue, xi, Dragonmount,
 xi> Elan Morin grimaced. "Look at you," he said scornfully. "Once you stood
 first among the Servants. Once you wore the Ring of Tamyrlin, and sat in the
 High Seat. Once you summoned the Nine Rods of Dominion. Now look at you!"

 Possibilities--1) Tamyrlin==Male Amyrlin, 2) Amyrlin==corrupted form of
 Tamyrlin

 1.8 WHO WILL MARRY MAT?

 Daughter of the Nine Moons indicates the heir to the throne of the Seanchan.
 This is most likely Tuon, the second daughter of the Seanchan Empress who is
 mentioned by High Lord Turak in Falme. <TGH: 34, 497, The Wheel Weaves, 420>.

Survey Says: Who will Mat wed?
Daughter of Empress: 54
Berelain: 7
The Empress herself: 3

X-REF: Mat--1.10, 1.18, 1.42, 1.48, Seanchan--1.23, 1.25; Twisted
Doorway--1.10, 1.40; Moiraine--1.4, 1.27, 1.38, 1.57; Prophecies:
7.3

 1.9 WHY MAY SOMEBODY BESIDES RAND PULL THE SWORD?

      The prophecy: "Into the heart", etc. (see section 7.3) suggests that
     maybe somebody besides Rand is going to remove the Callandor from
     the Stone. Maybe Logain (His future glory)?

It has been suggested that Logain could somehow get the power back, and
thereby use Callandor.

Survey says: will Logain get un-stilled? Yes: 53, No: 28
             Will Logain pull the sword? Yes: 38, No: 42

How could Logain's taking of Callandor ungentle him? Matthew Hunter
explains this net.theory:

Easy--stilling blocks a channeler from the One Power.  Whenever Jordan
speaks of the OP and angreals, he describes the channeler as drawing
the OP _through_ the angreal. Possibly, someone who can channel but
cannot touch the OP could still channel, if they can get the OP from
somewhere else; they are a mage without a power source, in effect.
Callandor, or any other angreal, would provide the power...  which may
explain why the female Aes Sedai of the Age of Legends didn't simply
sneak up and still all the male Aes Sedai.

X-REF: Logain--, Prophecy--;

 1.10 WHAT DOES MAT BEING FREE OF THE ONE POWER MEAN?
    His foxhead amulet prevents direct access to saidin/saidar(?) on him
    <TFoH: 6, Gateways, 117>, although not indirect results of
    saidar/saidin (such as the thunderbolt from the end of TFoH).
    <TFoH: 54, To Caemlyn, 649>

X-REF: Mat--; Twisted Door--;

 1.11 WHY ISN'T ELAIDA BLACK?

 <TEotW: 40, 606, The Web Tightens, 508> : Elaida doesn't like Rats.

 <TSR: 1, 38, Seeds of Shadow, 29-30>
    "Whatever Siuan was up to, she had to be stopped.  Turmoil and chaos
    multiplied on every side.  The Dark One was sure to break free--
    the very thought made Elaida shiver and wrap her shawl around her
    more tightly--and the Tower had to be aloof from mundane struggles
    to face that.  The Tower had to be free to pull the strings to make
    the nations stand together, free of the troubles Rand al'Thor would
    bring.  Somehow, he had to be stopped from destroying Andor.  [since
    Andor, and its royalty, are the key to defeating the DO.]"

 <TFoH: Prologue, The First Sparks Fall, 13-21> and <TFoH: 19, Memories, 260>:
    Elaida is pretty clearly a dupe.

X-REF: Elaida--

 1.12 WHO WILL LAN BE BONDED TO NOW?

 Lan & Moiraine's conversation in <TGH: 22, 322-4, Watchers, 271-3> tells us
 that Moiraine has arranged for Lan's bond to pass to Myrelle, a Green
 who is currently in Salidar.  It may be that Moiraine has made further
 arrangements for Myrelle to pass him on to Nynaeve, once she is ready.
 ("She will have him if I die, but not before" <TSR: 21, 337, Into the
 Heart, 236> Whether Moiraine is dead or not, it seems that she _expected_
 to die in her attack on Lanfear).  It's been stated that, if one closely
 scrutinizes the wording of the conversation, that Moiraine could've been
 twisting around the truth.  There's one major hole in the theory.  Moiraine,
 talking on about her passing of the bond, a page past all the other things
 she said: "Not a test, Lan. I spoke plainly, not twisting, and I have done
 as I said." <TGH: 22, 324, Watchers, 273> Admittedly, she could have changed
 things between TGH and TFOH, which is where dissenting opinion #1 comes in.

 Dissenting opinions duly noted: 1) Lan is bonded to Ny. 2) Lan is
 still bonded to Moiraine; he detects her to the West at the Tower of
 Ghenjei.

Survey says: who is Lan bonded to:
Moiraine: 2
Nynaeve: 9
Myrelle: 72 (who will: pass it to Ny: 62
                       pass it to somebody other than Ny: 4
                       keep him: 6)

 1.13 WHO KILLED JoaR (ASMODEAN)?

 Whoever did it, it was somebody he a) wasn't expecting to see, and b) was
 very afraid of.

 1. Lanfear (but she's missing, presumed dead)

 Amish Dave makes the case for(against?) Lanfear:

 Whoever killed Asmodean must have:
 1) been recognized by Asmodean
 2) been someone Asmodean did not expect to see
 3) been able to be in Caemlyn at the time
 4) been able to kill Asmodean (I doubt it was Berelain, :->)
 5) had a motive for killing Asmodean

 If Lanfear was alive, where would she go?  She would continue her
 revenge on Rand, I think.  BUT, having possibly lost her angreal,
 and probably facing a more prepared Rand, and having had some time
 to think about things (like Rahvin ceasing to exist), I don't think
 she'd immediately assault Rand again.  Instead, she'd again methodically
 plan to weaken him.  I think that it is very reasonable (but all
 hypothetical) for her to kill Asmodean immediately.

 2. Ishamael (but he's dead, although maybe "split" in two).
 3. Mesaana. We don't know anything about her, so we don't know what
    kind of surprise & dread she would inspire in Asmodean.
 4. Demandred : everyone talks about him but no one has seen him yet.
    His hatred of Rand is obsessive.  Asmodean went over to Rand.
 5. Semirhage : Ditto more or less but she probably would have "played" with
    him, first.
 6. Sammael: might as well get all the unaccounted-for Forsaken in here
       Rand's standard-bearer, Pevin, had a Sammael-like scar--Sammael
       in disguise? the problem with this theory is that Pevin was distinctly
       dead at the end of the Caemlyn fight, and thus was in no position to
       be killing gleemen.
 7. The Dark One (Shai'....): The seals on the wagon broke when
    Lanfear and Moiraine tussled.
 8. Other, unlikely, suggestions include Padan Fain, Slayer, Keille,
     Kadere (but he's dead), Lan, and Egwene.

SURVEY SAYS: Who killed JoaR?
Lanfear: 36             Demandred: 3
Ishamael: 05            Mesaana: 2
Sammael: 04             The DO: 2
Semirhage: 05           Piglet: 1

X-REF: Lanfear--, Ishamael--, Other Forsaken--

 1.14 WHO IS MOGHEDIEN, REALLY, IN SALIDAR

 Ny made her drink Forkroot (suppresses channeling) in T'A'R.  It seems
 very likely that the 3 refugees who came with Ny, El, & Birgitte are
 Mog and the two BA who were with her.

   <TFoH: 49, To Boannda, 569-70>
   There were three refugees: Nicole, Marigain (the mother), and Ariana
   Nicole is described as having "big eyes"; I think she's Temaile
   Kinderode, who was described as having "big blue eyes". Marigain, who
   describes herself as an Amadician "wise-woman" equivalent,
   and whom Nynaeve thinks is rather ignorant, is, IMO, Chesmal Emry,
   the Yellow.  She's good enough to fake being only semi-knowledgeable.
   (As for her kids being silent and afraid, they're afraid of someone
   they know is pretending to be their mother; no further explanation
   required.  That, or Moghedien turned their brains to mush before
   bringing them along to complete the disguise.)
   Note that Chesmal and Temaile were the only ones _with_ Moghedien when
   she learned where Nynaeve was (aside from the new scullery maid
   Liandrin, heh heh heh). That leaves Ariana to be Moghedien, and at
   one point (I think when they've just disembarked before heading
   through the woods to Salidar) she is described as staring intently at
   Birgitte... something only Moghedien would be likely to do.  (The two
   Black Ajah don't know her
   from Eve).<Tony Z>

Survey says--What will happen to Moggy?
Not in Salidar: 01
Collared by Ny & El, without telling the AS: 57
Brought to justice by AS: 9
Escapes: 19

X-REF: Salidar--, Moghedien--,

 1.15 WHERE'S PERRIN?
   We don't know but we MISS him.  Looks like Aram is going to
   get him in trouble and that the Two Riversians are building
   him a castle.

 1.16 IS ARAM A DARKFRIEND?

There is definitely something up with Aram:

 Egwene's Dream <TFoH: 15, What Can Be Learned in Dreams, 214> indicates
 that Aram is going to get Perrin into trouble: "...the tinker.  Every time
 he moved closer to Perrin it was if a chill of doom shot through everything."

This may just mean that there is something doom-filled about Aram
being a tinker with a sword.

Survey says: Is Aram a Darkfriend? Yes: 37, No: 42.

X-REF: Tinkers--,

 1.17 WHAT IS ALL THIS 'SNIFFING' BUSINESS?
 Do all the women in TWoT have colds? Sean Hillyard tells us:

 Now call me illiterate as I didn't realize this definition, but after seeing
 this entry in the dictionary, it seems that Jordan is quite correct in his
 usage:

 sniff   2.  To indicate doubt, ridicule, or contempt by or as if by sniffing
     <Nynaeve sniffed at their bad manners.>

  Okay, maybe Nynaeve wasn't there, but the rest was.

 1.18 IS THERE A CONNECTION BETWEEN MAT & THE STOLEN DICE TER'ANGREAL?

 Not bloody likely.
    1.  The dice ter'angreal was stolen by the black sisters.
    2.  It is made up of >SIX< not five dice stuck together
    3.  You must be able to >CHANNEL< to use it
    4.  Mat says he has >ALWAYS< been lucky.  This is referred to even
    before he got the dagger.  The dagger may have influenced
    this or forced him into his ta'verenhood
    5.  Mat can win at dice with you using >YOUR< dice.

X-REF: Mat--,Black Ajah--,

 1.19 WHAT DOES A DRAGON LOOK LIKE?
 The dragon is a mythical beast.  Although it does not exist in
 reality, it appears in most mythos cross culturally.  It is agreed
 to be a fire-breathing serpent. (In no way to be confused with my
 advisor).  The Dragon of Randland has five toes and is closest to
 the Chinese dragon of myth. [Someone claim credit for this:]
   Just to send the argument around once more, if no one knows what a dragon
   looks like how come they needed to hide the banner. Can you imagine the
   following exchange?
   Typical Peasant 1: "The light burn me! It's the Dragon!
   Typical Peasant 2: (Quickly hides in the nearest barrel) "Where?"
   TP1: "That tall man who I feel mysteriously compelled to follow.
     HE HAS THE DRAGON'S BANNER!"
   TP2: "Light, you're right. It is the dragon. But what's that scaly beast
     on the banner?"
   TP1: "Don't know, but it's definitely the Dragon's banner."

 1.20 IS AVIENDHA PREGNANT?

 Possibly. The WOs have a plot to make Rand "know (the Aiel's) blood
 for (his) own." Aviendha has "been more successful than [the WOs]
 know," according to Amys. <TFoH: 54, to Caemlyn, 643> Then again, they
 could just be meaning for him to fall in love with and marry Aviendha,
 and are congratulating her on 'getting into Rand's pants,' as Sean
 Hillyard so eloquently puts it. Evidence for the latter: Rand has
 asked Aviendha many times now to marry him, and that at one point a
 Wise One comments <TSR: 50, Traps, 570> "I will make you know our
 blood for yours is I have to lay the..." Aiel ask to marry by laying a
 wreath of flowers at a mans feet, ie their goal is marriage and Aviendha
 has been quite successful--all she has to do now is accept.

Survey says: Is Aviendha pregnant? yes--68, no--14

 1.21 IS NYNAEVE STILL BLOCKED?

 Well, she was working on it in Salidar. We have discovered that it is
 somehow tied to fear. (In part, fear of Moghedien. In general, I think
 it is a fear of not being strong enough/good enough/something like
 that.) We saw her overcome this fear at the end of TFoH, and at one
 point, Nynaeve was surprised to find herself "drinking deeply of the
 Source," or something like that. This could indicate that she had
 finally brought down the block, or it could just be her channeling
 through Moghedien and the a'dam. Even if she is still blocked, she's
 getting there.

Survey says: Is Ny blocked? Yes--58, No--25

 1.22 WHERE IS GAIDAL CAIN NOW?
    1. a baby
    2. pulled out bodily and an adult
    3. time runs differently: Uno
    4. Aviendha's or Faile's unborn kid.

Survey says: Cain is...
Uno: 12
Aviendha's or Faile's kid: 46
gone for good: 23

 1.23 WILL THE SEANCHAN INVADE SALIDAR?

    "Hmm..  Unless they land at Ebou Dar and go north, the Seanchan will have
    to go through Amadicia to get to Salidar, meaning that Pedron Niall is
    in for the (shortest) fight of his life.  Perhaps Geofram Bornhald's
    failed attack on Falme is a foreshadowing of this greater debacle?" Tony Z.

    What do we have here in Salidar?
    The renegade Aes Sedai, Gareth Bryne and some Andor soldiers,
    Nynaeve, Elayne, Thom, Juilin, and some Shienarans, Moghedien
    (maybe) and a
    few BA (maybe), other BA (probably) Rand, who might travel to
 Salidar or ask Ny&Elayne to Caemlyn, Morgase and company arriving soon
 (or so I think) Whitecloaks stomping through sometime soon, Seanchan
 coming through after they finish in Tanchico?? What else could happen?
 Any Aiel in the vicinity?  Maybe Perrin and Faile have decided to go
 on a honeymoon to small towns in Altara.  Maybe Valan Luca will arrive
 soon, having been so smitten by Nynaeve that he followed them south.
 That would truly make the place a circus.  ;) -- Bill Garrett

Then again, we have the rumors of somebody taking Tanchico. Could be
High Lady Suroth, back from her south seas vacation.

Survey Says: Did the Seanchan take Tanchico? Yes: 51, No: 31
             Will the Seanchan capture Salidar? Yes: 27, No: 52

X-REF: Salidar--, Seanchan--;

 1.24 THE SEVEN SEALS

 1) in the eye of the world with the Horn, broken;
 2) Bayle Doman has one, intact, taken by Turak; Moiraine found it after the
    fight, and it was broken by then.
 3) Turak had one. Moiraine found it along with (2). Also broken.
 4) Moiraine found one in the Stone of Tear, intact;
 5) She found another one in Rhuidean, and made a scratch.
 6) Nynaeve found one in the Panarch's Palace, broken on the way to Salidar.
 7) Nothing is known about this one. Theories are that it is a) in Seanchan,
    b) the supposed treasure in the Mountains of Mist.

Survey says: Are all the seals broken? Yes: 08, No: 74

 1.25 HOW DID THE A'DAMS START?
 According to the sul'dam Rena <TGH: 40, 572-3, Damane, 483> the first a'dam
 was made by an Aes Sedai in Seanchan, who thought she could do better
 for herself serving Luther Paendrag [Artur Hawkwing's son, leading the
 armies he'd sent across the Aryth Ocean] than remaining one of the Aes
 Sedai who contended among themselves for position in those lands.
 (Evidently, across the Aryth Ocean, the Three Oaths were never sworn,
 and the Aes Sedai made themselves rulers there; also evidently, poor
 Deane didn't realize the opinion that one of Hawkwing's sons would
 hold of _any_ Aes Sedai, even one who tried to serve him.)  Deane
 chained one of her fellow Aes Sedai with the a'dam, and served
 Luthair.  Then Luthair found out that some women (the sul'dam) could
 hold a leash who _didn't_ channel (little did he know...)  Deane ended
 up leashed herself. <Tony Z>

X-REF: Seanchan--

 1.26 IS ISH STILL ALIVE?
 Read the end of TDR.  Notice that he has split in two?  (Similar to Asmodean
 splitting in TSR, but Asmodean was re-joined.) Does this mean anything? This
 seems >very< troubling.  <TDR: 55, 666, What is Written in Prophesy, 570>
 NB: Everybody (all the Forsaken) seems to think he is dead.

X-REF: Ishamael,

 1.27................................................WHO'S WHO IN THE FAMILIES

     TRAKANDS & MANTEARS / ANDOR              D A M O D R E D S/
    (rumored to have Aiel blood)              C A I R H E I N
    -=----------------------                  +-----------=LAMAN--=BARTHANES
    | |                    |                  |         |          (cousin)
    | LUC*  (JANDUIN) -+- TIGRAINE(M)m       TARINGAIL  MOIRAINE
    | (M)   clan chief | (Daughter Heir      (heir?)   (half sister
    |       of Taardad |  of Andor ---+---------+      of Taringail)
    |                  |  AKA SHAIEL) |         |
    |                  |              |         |
    |                  |         GALADEDRID     |
    |                RAND                       |
    |                                           |
  MORGASE(T)---------------------+--------------+
                 |
                   GAWYN(T)**
                 &
                   ELAYNE(T)**
              (Daughter Heir of Andor)

              M A L K I E R I
     ---------------------------------------------
       |                                           |
    LAIN m. BREYAN allied with COWIN         AL'AKIR m. EL'LEANNA
        |                                             |
       ISAM                                          LAN

 * Merges with ISAM, son of BREYAN to form SLAYER
 ** Possibly bastard of THOM MERRILIN, the gray fox
 = Exact links unknown

 1.28.....................................................TIGRAINE, AN ANALYSIS
 <Ruchira Datta>

 It is a certainty that Tigraine was Rand's mother, Shaiel.

Tigraine was the Daughter-Heir of Andor, and was married to Taringail Damodred.
They had a son, Galad.  Tigraine and her brother Luc were sent to Tar Valon,
in the usual tradition of the royalty of Andor.  Tigraine vanished mysteriously
from Tar Valon, never to be heard from again. <TEotW: 34, 525-6, The Last
Village, 441-2>

 In <TSR: 34, 562, He Who Comes With the Dawn, 392-3>, we learn about Rand's
 mother, Shaiel.  Her tale corresponds marvelously with Tigraine's.

 Add to this the fact that so many people comment on how Rand looks like the
 Royal Family of Andor (Lord Barthanes, Perrin after meeting Luc), and there
 you have it.  Finally, TFoH left off with a bunch of Aiel hanging around the
 Palace in Caemlyn, where one of the older ones can conveniently take a stroll
 through the Royal Portrait Gallery!

X-REF: Genealogy--, Luc--,

 1.29..................................................................SLAYER
 <John Novak>
 Slayer seems to be a some sort of mix of Luc (brother of Tigraine) and Isam
 (cousin of Lan):

 Luc was Tigraine's brother.  When she disappeared, he went wandering
 and was lost in the Blight. Isam is Lan's cousin.  His mother conspired
 with Cowin (a Darkfriend), and thereby brought about the fall of Malkier.
 Baby Isam and his mom were ridden down by Trollocs as she fled.
 <TEotW: 47, 710, More Tales of the Wheel, 596> The next we hear of Isam is
 in the Dark Prophecy. It is said that Isam ambushed Luc in the high passes
 near the Mountains of Dhoom, that one lived, one died, but both are.

 _Now_, go reread everything about Slayer and Luc in TSR. You'll see that
 Slayer, in the world of dreams, had a very _very_ close resemblance to Lan.
 Like, maybe, could be, cousins...? You'll also notice that when Perrin
 shot Slayer in the World of Dreams, Luc was the one physically hurt in the
 real world. <paraphrase from John Novak>

 Actually, in TFoH, there is a minor scene which may give a real clue
 as to the Luc/Isam thing. At one point when Rand is in the T'A'R, the
 memories of LTT are threatening to overwhelm his mind, and his body
 starts shifting to look like that of LTT. <TFoH: 55 The Threads Burn, 664>
 It may be that Isam took over Luc's body totally. Thus in the real world
 he looks like Luc. In T'A'R, where his mind is totally that of Isam, he
 looks like his original body. <Martin Terman>

 As for his mission, it seems that Slayer was originally sent to the Two Rivers
 to hunt down Padan Fain <TSR: 42, 687, A Missing Leaf, 477>, and to stir up
 trouble in general. We don't know what happened to him after Perrin shot him
 in TSR.

 Additional Slayer tidbit: He frequents the Tower of Ghenjei.

Survey Says: will Perrin free Luc from T'A'R and kill Isam? Yes: 42, No: 36.

X-REF: Tigraine--, Genealogy--

 1.30.....................................................THE SEVERED HAND

 The "Severed Hand" controversy centers around several of Min's visions. For
 Elayne, she has seen: 1)A severed hand, not hers <TGH: 24, 362, New Friends
 and Old Enemies, 305>, 2)A red-hot iron and an axe <TGH: 43, 605, A Plan,
 511>. For Rand, we have: A bloody hand and a white hot iron <TEotW: 15, 216,
 Strangers and Friends, 181>. Here are the theories:

 1)In <TFoH: 16, An Unexpected Offer, 224> we learned that the
 punishment for stealing in Amadicia is: First Offense--branding (with
 a red-hot iron?)  Second Offense--Right hand chopped off. Scenario:
 somebody Elayne knows gets accused of stealing in Amadicia
 (Morgase?Galad? Lini?) and is branded. gets into more trouble, and has
 their hand chopped off. Rand has nothing to do with it.  His bloody
 hand is something else. <Pam Korda>

 2)Elayne gets captured and leashed by the Seanchan. Rand, or somebody else,
 is somehow forced to wear the bracelet (recall that little Seanchan game?).
 Somebody then chops of Rand's hand (with an axe) to save the two of them.
 The wound is then cauterized with a hot iron that happens to be lying around.
 <Judy G., Arthur Bernard Byrne, John Novak>

3)Joe Shaw has suggests: During Rand's battle with Ba'alzamon at the
end of TGH, we have "Rand screamed as he felt [Ba'alzamon's staff]
pierce his side, burning like a white-hot poker."  At the same time,
he gets a second heron branded onto his hand.  <TGH: 47, 666, The
Grave Is No Bar To My Call, 564> I still think this was the
fulfillment of Min's viewing about Rand, and that Elayne's similar
viewing is completely unrelated.

4) Galad's hand gets chopped for having stolen the boat in
-what was that town?- from the loony Prophet (according to
the Prophet's new law, thieves get their hands chopped).
Problem: I see this having more to do with Ny than with El,
since she was the one who told both Galad and the Prophet to
get a boat for them. <Judy G., again>

Survey says: will Rand lose a hand? Yes: 52, No: 32.

X-REF:

 1.31......................................................HOW OLD IS EVERYONE?
 <Courtenay Footman, Sean Hillyard, Pam Korda>

 RAND: In TFoH, Moiraine notes that it has been almost 21 years since the
   search began for the Dragon Reborn. <TFoH: 15, What Can Be Learned in
   Dreams, 214> That puts Rand's age at about 21, and so he started
   at about 19.
 EGWENE is two years younger than Rand, so about 19, started at 17.
 ELAYNE is about the same age as Egwene (19).
 MIN is older than Rand, younger than Nynaeve, say 23, starting at 21.
 GAWYN, MAT, and PERRIN are the same age as Rand (21).
 GALAD:  Tigraine disappeared in 972 when he was an infant. Puts him at 27.
 NYNAEVE was just old enough to recall Tam bringing baby Rand back to Emond's
   field--say about 5. That puts her at 26 now, 24 at the beginning.
 MOIRAINE was Accepted (and about to be raised Aes Sedai) at the end of the
   Aiel War.  Age approx. 25 (older Accepted Age) + 21 = mid-forties
 LAN was an infant when Malkier fell, which occurred less than 50 years
   from the start of the series. So Lan is something under 50, say mid-40s?
 LIANDRIN is referred to as young, not just young seeming as are all Aes Sedai,
   about 27.
 ELAIDA has about 5 years (was one of the Accepted who watched over her when
   she was a Novice) on Moiraine, late forties-early fifties.
SIUAN SANCHE is about the same age as Moiraine--mid-forties, although she
    looks very young due to stilling.
 MOGHEDIEN, she claims she was a couple centuries, and young for Aes Sedai,
   when bound.

 1.32...................................................WHAT DOES EACH AJAH DO?

 [Aes Sedai may be translated as 'Servant to All' although they were called
 at times 'Servants of the Light']

 Color       Purpose
 =======================================================
 Blue        Meddle in causes
 Red         Prevent another Breaking (i.e., hunt down men who can channel)
 White       Philosophers -"Consider the questions of truth with implacable
        logic"
 Green       The Battle Ajah - "love men"
 Brown       Seekers of old knowledge, librarians
 Yellow      Healers
 Gray        Arbitrators/Mediators.
 Black       Do ya' really need to ask?

X-REF: Aes Sedai--

 1.33................................................THE GREEN MAN AND THE SONG
                     (tinkers, soldiers, warriors, dragon)

 Q: WHO IS THE GREEN MAN?
 A: He is the last of the Nym, a type of creature which was made of vegetable
 matter. He is described first in <TEotW: 49, 739-40, The Dark One Stirs,
 621>.  However we find out exactly who he is in the fourth book. <TSR: 26,
 432, The Dedicated, 303>
    "A stir at the end of the field told him one of the Nym was
    approaching.  The great form, head and shoulders and chest
    taller than any Ogier, stepped out onto the seeded ground, and
    Coumin did not have to see to know he left footprints filled with
    sprouting things.  It was Someshta, surrounded by clouds of
    butterflies, white and yellow and blue...Each field would have
    its Nym, now...the Nym were older than anyone.  Some said the
    Nym never died, not so long as plants grew..."
 Many years later, after the breaking, we see him again, this time with
 the characteristic fissure in his face.  He is being set to the task
 of guarding the Eye of the World, the Horn, the dragon banner and one
 of the seals. <TSR: 26, 428, The Dedicated, 300-1>

 Q: WHAT IS THE SONG?
 The Tinkers, an early offshoot of the Aiel, decided to give up their
 duty of hiding xxx'angreal and instead dedicate their lives to refinding
 the safety and peace of their past. <TSR: 26, 423, The Dedicated, 296>
 They believe this will come about through finding the "growing song,"
 described in <TSR: 26, 432, The Dedicated, 303>
    "The Ogier began it, as was fitting, standing to sing, great bass rumbles
    like the earth singing.  The Aiel rose, men's voices lifting in their own
    song, even the deepest at a higher pitch than the Ogier's. Yet the songs
    braided together, and Someshta took those threads and wove them into his
    dance...The song caught him up, and he almost felt that it was himself, not
    the sounds he made that Someshta wove into the soil and around the seeds."

 The Song is not to be confused with the Ogier Tree-Songs. The Ogier songs may
 be the Ogier part of the growing ceremony described above, or they may be
 something similar, but different in purpose. The Tinkers' Song is the human
 part of the ceremony.

 Q:WILL THE SONG BE FOUND, AND IF SO, BY WHOM?
 Personally, I don't think the Song will be found. It is a thing of a past Age,
 not of the coming one. However, since people seem to think it will be found,
 we shall continue:

 The primary contenders are Aram, Perrin and Rand.  Aram's stated life goal had
 been to find the song until he took up the sword in defense of Emond's Field
 and became 'Lost' to his people. To find the song would reinstate him and
 justify his choice of giving up the peaceful 'way of the leaf'.  Perrin on
 the other hand keeps getting faced with the choice of ax or hammer: that is,
 the choice of creation or destruction, war or peace, way-of-the-warrior or
 way-of-the-leaf. Furthermore, Perrin is a contender to find the song because
 of Min's viewing of Perrin standing among the flowering trees. Rand, is the
 outlier and remains one of the contenders primarily because of the following
 quote.  He alone has demonstrated any predilection towards the talent of the
 Voice. <TGH: 15, 236, Kinslayer, 199>
    "Rand was not sure what it was Loial did, or how; soft as
    the song was, it caught him up hypnotically, filling his
    mind almost the way the void did.... Rand opened his mouth,
        but the song quieted him.  It seemed so familiar, that song,
        as if he should know it. "

 Further Evidence that Rand will find the song:
 <TEotW: prologue, xv, Dragonmount, xv>
     "ages past and will be in ages to come.  _Let the Prince of the Morning
     sing to the land that green things will grow_ and the valleys give
     forth lambs."

 Survey says: Who will discover the Song?
Perrin: 13       Aram: 6
Rand: 13         Some combination of the above: 9
Loial: 13        No one, it is lost for ever: 11

 Survey says: Will Perrin pick the ax or the hammer (whatever that means)?
 Ax              19       Hammer              41
 Both            03       Undecided           17

 Q: WHO WERE THE AIEL?
 The Aiel (formerly the Da'shain Aiel) were the 'Dedicated' who worked
 for the  Ancient Aes Sedai.  The group was hereditary and had feature of light
 skin, gray or blue eyes and mostly reddish or blond hair.  All Aiel could be
 identified by their particular hair style which was cut short with a tail
 hanging in the back.  They were dedicated to a life of non-violence, following
 the 'way of the leaf'.  The male Aiel worked with the Ogier and the Nym in
 planting as they had the gift of the 'Voice', the seed singing.  Although the
 Ogier continue to have 'tree singers', the voice of the Aiel seems to be
 a talent that has disappeared.  When the Aiel did their work in the fields,
 they wore light gray and brown 'working clothes' (cadin'sor). The clothes,
 the hair style and the avoidance of the use of weaponry which cannot be
 used for other purposes remains today, but the talent of the Voice is
 currently unknown.

X-REF: Ogier--;

 1.34....................................................COUNTRIES OF RAND-LAND
 <Contributors: Sean Hillyard, Pam Korda, Courtenay Footman. Song by Ruchira
    and Rupa Datta>

 This land is Rand-Land,
 this land's Egwene-Land,
 from Arad Doman
 to the Aiel Waste-Land.
 From Kinslayer's Dagger,
 to the Dragon's Fingers,
 this land was made by LTT.

 >Andor<
 General:  Capital city, Caemlyn.  Oldest city-state in RandLand,
     established not long after the breaking, with Queen of Andor
     the oldest title in RandLand.  Unique traditions of sending
     the heir and expected first prince to train in the White
     Tower, and having an open Aes Sedai advisor.
 Rulers:   Matriarchy, with a male advisor and head of the army
     called the First Prince of the Sword.  Ruled for the
     last twenty years by Queen Morgase of House Trakand.
     Heir to the throne (Daughter-heir), Elayne.
 Current events: Queen Morgase missing, presumed dead. Lord Gaebril, aka
     Rahvin dead. The Dragon Reborn is holding the throne for the
     Daughter-Heir, Elayne. The Two Rivers district has seemingly
     declared independence
 Symbol:  White lion on a red field
 Home of:  Morgase, Elayne, Gawyn, Galad, Gareth Bryne, "Lord Gaebril,"
     Tigraine/Shaiel, Lord Luc
 Tourist Attractions: Palace gardens, reached by climbing Palace wall.
 Map: <TEotW: (before) 13, 172, Choices, 144> (partial map of Andor)
      <TFoH: (before) 54, To Caemlyn, 642> (map of Caemlyn)


 >Cairhien<
 General: Capital--Cairhien. National Pastime--Game of Houses, played by
     everyone from the king to Commoners.  The previous king, Laman,
     caused the Aiel War by chopping down the Tree of Life sapling to make
     a throne.  Highly dependent upon grain imports from Tear & Andor.
     Symbol--rising sun (golden) on field of blue
 Gov't: Monarchy. Last king: Galldrian of House Riatin. The Cairhienin
    political process consists of the nobles scheming for position,
    playing the Game of Houses.
 Current Events: The recent assassinations of Galldrian and the strongest
     contender for the throne (Lord Barthanes) have left the other Houses
     fighting one another in a random war of succession, leaving the
     country in a state of anarchy. Andor was beginning to look at the
     Cairhienin civil war as an opportunity to expand its borders. To make
     matters worse, the country was recently invaded by a bunch of renegade
     Aiel. The Dragon Reborn has taken power, defeating the Aiel, but has
     yet to name somebody to sit upon the Sun Throne for him.
 Tourist Attractions: Largest (& most powerful) male-oriented sa'angreal,
     Royal Library--largest collection of knowledge outside Tar Valon.
 Home of: Moiraine, Taringail

 >Illian<
 General: Capital--Illian. Starting point for the Great Hunt for the Horn.
     Traditional enemy of Tear.  Climate--Hot and Humid
 Gov't: Mixed government, with a King, a House of Lords (the council of
         Nine), and a House of Commons (the Assemblage)
 Current events: Outset of the Great Hunt. Escalating hostilities between
       Illian and Tear (closing of borders, trade forbidden). Council of Nine
       dominated by Lord Brend, aka Sammael.
 Tourist Attractions: King's Palace, and its copy, the Hall of the Council
 Home of: Bayle Domon


 >Malkier<
 General:  _Was_ one of the borderlands, located N of Shienar. Destroyed due
    to treachery of the last king's sister-in-law (Breyan) and Cowin
    Fairheart (Great Lord & Darkfriend). Symbol: golden crane.
 Gov't:  Monarchy. Last king--al'Akir Mandragoran. Uncrowned heir--
     al'Lan Mandragoran.
 Current  Events--Doesn't exist anymore, has been swallowed up by the
         Blight
 Tourist  Attractions: Ruins of the Seven Towers, the 1000 Lakes
 Home of:  Lan, Isam, Jain(m) Farstrider
 Map: <TEotW: (before) 46, 688, Fal Dara, 578> (with Shienar)


 >Shienar<
 General: Capital city--Fal Moran.  Due to its location (borderlands),its
      society has a strong militaristic streak. Quaint local
      fashion--fighting men shave their heads, except for a
      topknot. Symbol--black hawk
 Gov't: Monarchy, current king--Easar of house Togita
 Current events: Held off Trolloc hoard at Tarwin's Gap (with a little
    help from their friends). Unspecified troubles, probably over
    news of the Dragon Reborn carried North by Hurin, the sniffer.
 Tourist Attractions: Lotsa military stuff, nice signal towers
 Home of: Ingtar, Lord Agelmar, Lady Amalisa, Uno, Masema, Hurin
 Map: <TEotW: (before) 46, 688, Fal Dara, 578>


 >Two Rivers<
 General: Collection of farming communities bounded by the Mountains of
    Mist, the R. Taren, and the White River. Products--tabac &
    wool. The people have a reputation of stubbornness. Quaint local
    fashion--girls wear their hair loose, women wear it braided.
 Gov't: Although it is officially part of Andor, it "has not seen a tax
    collector in six generations, nor the Queen's Guards in seven."
    Each autonomous village is run by two elected bodies--the Women's
    Circle (women), headed by the Wisdom, and the Village Council
    (men), headed by the Mayor. If there is a need for inter-village
    action, it is negotiated by the mayors or Councils of the villages
 Current events: Hunting ground of Slayer (aka Lord Luc). Overrun by
    Trollocs & Whitecloaks as part of Ordeith's plot against Rand.
    Trollocs & Whitecloaks alike dealt with under the
    leadership of Perrin, who may be on his way to becoming "lord" of
    the Two Rivers, by popular demand. Improvised symbol: Wolf's Head.
 Tourist Attractions: Eldrene's Veil, Master al'Vere's clock
 Home of: do ya have to ask?
 Map: <TEotW: (before) 1, xviii, An Empty Road, xviii>
 Historical Note: In ancient times was Manetheren, destroyed in the Trolloc
       Wars. Sign of Manetheren: Red Eagle

 >Saldaea<
 Gov't: Monarchy
 Sign : silver fish on dark blue

 1.35.................................................IS VERIN BLACK????
 VERIN: BLACK OR NOT?
 <Sean Hillyard, Mike Lemons, Judy Ghirardelli, Emma Pease, Erica Sadun,
  Pam Korda, many others whose names have been lost in the mists of FAQ>

 1) In TGH, Verin tells the boys that Moiraine sent her to look after them:
    <TGH: 14, 231, Wolfbrother, 195> "Moiraine Sedai sent me, Lord Ingtar,"
    Verin announced with a satisfied smile.  "She though you might need me."
    Moiraine later says that she did NOT send Verin: <TGH: 49, 675, What was
    Meant To Be, 572> "I did not send Verin."  Moiraine frowned.  "She did
    that on her own. It is pretty obvious that Moiraine is not BA, so that
    implies that Verin lied, and hence must be BA.

    DEFENSE:Verin could have been tricked by somebody masquerading as Moiraine,
    maybe Lanfear. Or, perhaps she managed to find an interpretation of her
    words that could be taken as the truth. (Moiraine wanted somebody to
    watch over you guys, but she couldn't be here...)

SURVEY SAYS: What is going on with that?
A misunderstanding between characters: 33
Verin was lying: 25
Somebody was impersonating Moiraine: 05
Mis-step (won't we feel stupid if this is the case?): 7
Other: 12

 2) Verin does not give Corianin's notes to Egwene along with the dream
    ring.  Relevant passages:  <TDR: 21, 241-2, A World of Dreams, 187>.
    Maybe she wanted Egwene to get killed, or caught by some Forsaken?

    DEFENSE: Four reasons that Verin wouldn't want to show the manuscript
    to Egwene:  1) Verin is afraid that Egwene would not continue if she
    knew how dangerous it is.  2) Verin is afraid that Egwene would not
    continue if she knew who or what must be sacrificed. 3) The very nature
    of prophecy requires that it be vague or kept secret. 4) Maybe Verin was
    afraid that _Egwene_ was a Darkfriend. Also, note that she _considered_
    giving the notes to Egwene, but decided not to. If she was withholding the
    notes for a nefarious purpose, she wouldn't have even considered it.

 3) Her suspicious behavior in the 2 Rivers: a)Misleads Perrin as to why she
   and Alanna are there <TSR: 31, 493-4, Assurances, 345-6>. b)Tells Perrin
   not to trust Alanna, perhaps laying a false trail? <TSR: 33, 533, A New
   Weave in the Pattern, 373>. c)She also knows Luc is the missing Lord Luc,
   Tigraine's brother who disappeared in the Blight. She knows he is mentioned
   in the Dark Prophecy, yet she does not warn anyone about him? Or tell them
   who he is?

   DEFENSE: a) & b) are typical Aes Sedai behavior. As for c)...

 4) Only three characters have referred to Perrin's choice of hammer or axe:
    Ishamael, Lanfear and Verin. This puts Verin in very suspicious company.

    DEFENSE: Verin is Brown Ajah, and thus is likely to know all sorts of
    obscure things. (Also note that the above statement is somewhat false:
    Egwene also knows about the hammer/axe choice. She dreamed it.)

 5) Was observed in deep conversation with Barthanes, a known Darkfriend, at
    the party in <TGH: 33, 470, A Message From the Dark, 397> When Hurin
    approached them, Verin waved him away. Perhaps they were discussing
    "business matters?"

 6) In <TFoH: 53, Fading Words, 638> Moiraine mentions to Rand in her last
    letter not to trust Alviarin, who is definitely a Darkfriend, and Verin.
    Additionally, Siuan mentions that Verin never told her about giving
    Egwene a ter'angreal.

    DEFENSE: The former is just an exercise in contrasts. Moiraine is saying:
    "Don't trust ANYBODY. You are rightly suspicious of Alviarin, but you
    should be equally suspicious of those you think you can trust, like Verin."
    As for the latter, why should she tell SS?

 7) Draghkar Attack on Moiraine. <TGH: 22, 331-3, Watchers, 278-9> Executed at
    least with Aes Sedai help (the warding on them so they couldn't be sensed).
    Moiraine seemed to think that pretty much everyone in the Tower had
    forgotten about these old hermit Aes Sedai. However, we do know one
    individual old enough to remember them who could have ordered the attack
    --Verin.

    DEFENSE: This is totally wimpy speculation, and wouldn't even be here,
    except that somebody might bring it up again.  Liandrin (known BA) could
    have easily followed Moiraine there.

SURVEY SAYS: Is Verin BA? Yes: 12, No: 21, Other/Undecided: 48
             Is Verin Corianin Nedeal? Yes: 11, No: 69.

 And a final warning from Chris Russo:

 Here's the scenario: Erica is all alone at her home/apt/dorm/cardboard box
 (whatever).  Sensing a well armed criminal nearby, she quickly hides.
 The criminal enters her room, confused that no one is there.  Having cased
 Erica for some time now, however, he says, "Is Verin black?"
 >From under the bed comes a resigned but excited, "No! She's not black!"
 Game over, Erica is kidnapped. The previous was a fictitious dramatization.
 Don't fall into the same trap yourself in real life. [Kind of like the Roger
 Rabbit "Pop Goes the Weasel" scene.]--Chris Russo

 1.36............................................IS THERE RELIGION IN RANDLAND?

 "By the Light and my hope of salvation and rebirth, I swear to serve you
 in whatever way you require for as long as you require, or may the Creator's
 face turn from me forever and darkness consume my soul."
 <TFoH: 1, Fanning The Sparks, 39>

 A: YES, but not much.  It is pretty secular.  It may be closer to many
 pagan religions or in some cases to Judaism rather than Christianity.
 However, like x'ty, there is a dualism between the light and the creator
 who are often spoken of separately and together. Like Judaism, burials
 are as simple as possible to encourage return to the earth.  Like
 the religions of old merry England, the maypole is a fertility ritual.
 Like Catholicism, children are taught catechism.  Wisdoms act as priestesses.
 Like Judaism, marriage is a public announcement to the community.
 This does not even begin to touch on the religious aspects of the Aes Sedai.
 They have novices (like nuns), they are considered to be 'servants of all',
 the rituals of acceptance and joining the sisterhood are rigid with
 many religious overtones.  They are expected to serve the Light and the
 will of the creator when they join the Aes Sedai.  They are almost Buddhist
 in certain ways: in particular the view of the time serpent, the wheel of
 time and the age lace. The Children of Light are another religious
 organization, in this case a religious organization in turmoil with
 inappropriate goals and methods.  Finally, we have the Tinkers, a religious
 cult more or less who follow the early  Xtian/Calvinist 'Way of the Leaf', a
 cross between pacifism and acceptance of fate. -- Erica

 Q: How do we know about organized religion?

 A: Glad you asked:

 <TEotW: 1, 14, An Empty Road, 12>
     Rand took a deep breath. As much to remind himself as for any
     other reason, he said by rote, "The Dark One and all of the
     Forsaken are bound in Shayol Ghul, beyond the Great Blight, bound
     by the Creator at the moment of Creation, bound until the end
     of time.  The hand of the Creator shelters the world, and the
     Light shines on us all."

 <TEotW: 1, 10, An Empty Road, 8-9>
     Near the Winespring, a score of older women sang softly as they
     erected the Spring Pole...the slender trunk of a fir tree stood
     ten feet high even in the hole they had dug for it. A knot of
     young girls...watched enviously, occasionally singing snatches
     of songs the women sang...at noon the unmarried women would dance
     the Pole...while the unmarried men sang.

 <TGH: 10, 178, The Hunt Begins, 151>
     [Loial Says:] "Shienarans believe we all came from earth, and must
     return to earth.  They never use coffins or shrouds, and the bodies
     are never clothed.  The earth must hold the body.  The last embrace
     of the mother, they call it. And there are never any words except
     'The Light shine on you, and the Creator shelter you.  The last
     embrace of the Mother welcome you home.'"

 <TSR: 53, 890-1, The Price of Departure, 618>
     Which is how he found himself not a half an hour later kneeling
     opposite her in the common room, in front of Daise Congar and
     Marin al'Vere....and all the Women's Circle.  Loial had been roused
     to stand for him with Aram, and Bain and Chiad stood for Faile...
     Marin tucked a long red wedding ribbon around his neck, and Loial
     threaded another through Faile's dark hair..."I, Perrin Aybara,
     do pledge you my love, Faile Bashere, for as long as I live"...

 <TEotW: 27, 412, Shelter from the Storm, 346>
    "Peace be on you always," Elyas replied, "and on all the People." He
    hesitated, then added, "I will find the song, or another will find
    the song, but the song will be sung, this year or in a year to come.
    As it once was so shall it be again, world without end."..."Peace be
    on you," Elyas said. "And on you," Raen said sadly.


 OTOH, in Randland, the Creator _is_. The DO _is_. No one disbelieves
 in their existence; they are _there_. They are far more concrete and present
 in everyday life than our God(s) is/are in our lives. If you cross the Blight
 to Shayol Ghul, you will find a mountain with a hole in its side and evil
 leaking out. Thus, many of the rituals and other trappings of _organized_
 religion are unnecessary in Randland. Just because we don't see worship going
 on very often doesn't mean it's not being done. Scratch a Randlander, and
 you'll find a quite religious person 9 times out of 10, would be my guess.
 There just isn't quite the need to formalize it the way we do, except on
 occasions which, by their nature, are already formal... i.e. funerals,
 weddings, harvest, etc. Just my humble opinion. -Jocelyn


 1.37............................WHO ARE THE FORSAKEN?  WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

 Q: Who are the Forsaken and where are they at the moment ?

 The Forsaken were 13 of the most powerful Aes Sedai of the Age of Legends.
 They went over to the Dark One's side during the War of the Shadow.  Legend
 has it that they were sealed with the Dark One when the Dark One's prison
 was re-sealed.


 The 13 Forsaken (in alphabetical order) are

 *AGINOR (M): killed at the Eye of the World (by drawing too much of the
      One Power) <TEotW: 51, 756-9, Against the Shadow, 634-5>

 *ASMODEAN (M): real name: Joar Addam Nesossin, aka: Jasin Natael. captured by
      Rand and shielded by Lanfear at Rhuidean <TSR: 58, 973-8, The Traps of
      Rhuidean, 674-7> Toast at the end of TFoH...Twice!


 *BALTHAMEL (M): killed by the Green Man at the Eye of the World <TEotW: 50,
      751-2, Meetings at the Eye, 630-1>

 *BE'LAL (M): aka High Lord Samon of Tear, balefired by Moiraine in the Stone
      of Tear <TDR: 55, 651-2, What is Written in Prophecy, 557>

 *DEMANDRED (M): believed to dislike Rand/LTT intensely. <TSR: 58, 975, The
      The Traps of Rhuidean, 677> Reasons unknown but not as well based as
      Sammael's. <TFoH: Prologue, The First Sparks Fall, 29>.  Whereabouts
      unknown.

 *GRAENDAL (F): known to currently have a long string of young men and women.
     In the habit of taking aristocrats and making them serve in some demeaning
      aspect, using enough compulsion to fry their brains to make them useless.
      Though a conservative player for all that. In a position of power
      somewhere, maybe Seanchan. Other suggestions are Shara, Amadicia, and
      Shienar (despite architectural evidence to the contrary.)

SURVEY: Where is Graendal? Seanchan: 29; Shara: 14, Vegas: 1, Other: 24

 *ISHAMAEL (M): real name: Elan Morin Tedronai, aka Ba'alzamon. probably killed
      by Rand in Tear <TDR: 55, 666, What is Written in Prophecy, 570>

 *LANFEAR (F): real name: Mierin <TSR: 58, 973, The Traps of Rhuidean, 676>
      aka: Selene. former lover of LTT (Rand). May be toast or in Aelfland.

 *MESAANA (F): nothing is known

 *MOGHEDIEN (F): captured by Nynaeve in Tanchico, but escaped <TSR: 54, 909-13,
      Into the Palace, 631-3> believed to be the strongest Forsaken in T'A'R
      <TSR: 52, 864, Need, 599> Captured by Nynaeve again in T'A'R in TFoH,
      forced to drink forkroot tea there. Known to be in Salidar, where Nynaeve
      is going to try to track her down. <TFoH: 55, The Threads Burn, 674-5>

 *RAHVIN (M): aka: Lord Gaebril, was active in Caemlyn <TDR: 46, 534-40, A
     Message Out of the Shadow, 452-7> Is now toast by Rand. <TFoH: 55, The
     Threads burn, 672>

 *SAMMAEL (M): real name: Tel Janin Aellinsar <TFoH: 45, After the Storm, 516>
     aka: Lord Brend of Illian <TDR: 44, 508-9, Hunted, 429-30>
     Was given scar by LTT. Hates Rand. Wanted always to be taller.
    <TFoH: Prologue,The First Sparks Fall, 29>

 *SEMIRHAGE (F)  Has a penchant for gruesome torture. Whereabouts unknown.
 --
 Mark Looi                                [e-mail]

 1.38.................................ALL THE AES SEDAI (WAS BLACK AJAH)
 >From Emma Pease                          [e-mail]

 *Black Ajah

 2 of each Ajah except red (1) for a total of 13.  Still unknown are
 the 1 gray, 2 blues, 1 yellow.  ?? means either former Ajah or
 country unknown

 NAME                    AJAH    ORIGIN       COMMENT
 ==============================================================================
 Liandrin                red     Tarabon      leader
 Joiya Byir              white   ??           eldest and dead at Tear
 Rianna Andormeran       white   Kandor       white streak in hair
 Marillin Gemalphin      brown   ??           likes cats
 Eldrith Jhondar         brown   ??           arranges for cats to go away
 Jeaine Caide            green   Arad Doman
 Asne Zeramene           green   Saldaea
 Chesmal Emry            yellow  Ghealdan     (one of the best healers known)
 Temaile Kinderode       gray    Cairhien     blue eyes,dark hair,vulpine,cruel
 Amico Nagoyin           ??      ??           youngest and dead at Tear
 Berylla Naron           ??      ??           lean, manipulative
 Falion Bhoda            ??      ??           long-faced
 Ispan Shefar            ??      Tarabon      dark-haired

 *Elaida's council consists (to start with) of 4 reds, no blues, 1 each
      of yellow, green, and brown, 2 or 3 each of gray and white.
      [not sure whether she is including herself and Alviarin in the
      count]

 Elaida, Amyrlin Seat (red)
 Alviarin, Keeper (white, Black)

 Teslyn, red, Illianer
 Javindhra, red
 Danelle, brown
 Joline, green
 Shemerin, yellow  (to be "arrested and reduced to Accepted", according
           to paper's in Elaida's study <TFoH: 49, To Boannda, 581>)
 Andaya, gray
 Evanellein, gray

 *The council at Salidar seems to be

 Sheriam, leader, blue
 Carlinya, white
 Myrelle, green
 Anaiya, blue
 Movrin, brown
 Beonin, gray


 *Other Aes Sedai, current & former (stilled/dead/disappeared/etc)


 *BLUE AJAH
 Siuan Sanche, formerly blue, Tear, Amyrlin Seat, Warder Alric (dead,
      TSR), stilled (TSR), at Salidar (TFoH)
 Leane Sharif, blue, Arad Doman, Keeper of the Chronicles, Warder unknown,
      stilled (TSR), at Salidar (TFoH)
 Moiraine Damodred, blue, Cairhien, vanished(TFoH), Warder (was) Lan
 Aeldene, blue, heads the Blue Ajah's eyes and ears network, missing in
      TFoH.

 *RED AJAH
 Memara, red, sent to Saldaea by Elaida's council

 *BROWN AJAH
 Verin Mathwin, brown, very old, Warder Tomas, in Two Rivers (TFoH)
 Serafelle, brown
 Andeleas, brown, very old lives in Arafel with her sister,
      Vandene, Warder Jaem?
 Takima, brown, teaches history
 Phaedrine, brown, at Salidar

 *WHITE AJAH
 Brendas, white, part of the group that healed Mat

 *GREEN AJAH
 Alanna Mosvani, green, Arafel, same age as Sheriam, Warder Ihvon
 Vandene, green, very old lives in Arafel with her sister,
      Andeleas, Warder Jaem?
 Myrelle, green, on the council ruling at Salidar (TFoH),
      Warders are Nuhel Dromand (Illian), Croi Makin (Andor), Avar
      Hachimi.  Rumored to have Married all three of her Warders
     against custom. New Warder--Lan
 Kiruna Nachiman, green, Arafel, rumored to be the sister of the king
      of Arafel. At Salidar, Sent to the waste to find Rand
 Bera Harkin, green, at Salidar, Sent to the waste to find Rand

 *YELLOW AJAH
 Ryma, yellow, caught by the Seanchan
 Another slender yellow was part of the group that went to Fal Dara.
 Ananda, yellow, Min sees her dying
 Edesina, yellow, slender, Min sees a silver collar around her that shatters
 Therva Maresis, yellow, slender, at Salidar
 Nisao Dachen, yellow, short
 Dagdara Finchey, yellow, tall, wide, grey haired, very skilled healer
 Narenwin Barda, yellow, heads yellow ears and eyes network

 *GREY AJAH
 Sierin Vayu, gray, Amyrlin before Siuan, dead

 *AJAH UNKNOWN
 Marras, unknown, probably in charge of the gardens since Faolain was
      sent to her to do some gardening.
 Silviana, mistress of novices under Elaida (TFoH)
 Saroiya, mentioned as an Aes Sedai that someone played a trick on some
      20 plus years ago.
 Gitara Moroso--She had the Foretelling.  She told Tigraine to join
 the Maidens of the Spear, and she died informing the Amyrlin before Sierin
 Vayu, Siuan Sanche, and Moiraine Damodred that the Dragon was Reborn.

 *ACCEPTED: Pedra, Irella, Faolain Orande (at Salidar), Theodrin (at
      Salidar), Nynaeve, Egwene, Elayne, Emara (either novice or
      accepted, at Salidar), Verine (dead TFoH [killed by Fain])
 *NOVICES: Sahra (dead TSR), Else (no longer), Tabiya (at Salidar)

 *IMAGINARY: Sharina (mentioned to Nynaeve in the ter'angreal)
        Beldeine, green, Keeper to Egwene inside the ter'angreal
        Gyldan, black, seen by Egwene in the ter'angreal


 --------------------------------------------
 SURVEY SAYS:  Are the following Black Ajah??
              Yes       No       Maybe
     - Moiraine       00        30        04
     - Verin          09        21        04
     - Alanna         10        16        08
     - Anaiya         05        16        13
     - Elaida         07        24        03
     - Alviarin       11        09        14
     - Danelle        10        12        12
     - Sheriam        08        20        06

 1.39................................................WHY LANFEAR MAY BE GOOD
 <The pro-Lanfear case is made by Ruchira Datta, and some random net.opinions.
 The anti-Lanfear lobby is led by Pam Korda, but also holds some net.opinion>

 Lanfear presents a bit of an enigma. Many of her actions have led some
 people to believe that she is not 100% Evil. The argument is that she &
 Beidomon drilled the Bore into the DO's prison by accident, and only became
 Forsaken after that either due to the DO's direct action, or out of pride.
 Moreover, everyone would link her with all the DO's ravages that followed,
 thinking she released him on purpose, no matter what she did.  Being an
 extremely proud person, it would be hard for her to admit that she had just
 made a colossal mistake.

 EVIDENCE: In the "Eyes of Charn" sequence, Charn perceives Mierin as a good
 person, and maintains this belief even after she became Lanfear. Up to TFoH
 (see refutation), it can be claimed that she hadn't done any inarguably evil
 acts.  She has been deceptive - but what would one expect from an Aes Sedai?
 She is jealous and possessive of Rand--but note that she had not done anything
 to harm her competition, which would probably be very easy for her to do.
 (She met Egwene in Tel'aran'rhiod, if I recall correctly, but anyway Egwene
 had been eliminated from the category of "competition" by this time.) She told
 Ishamael in TDR that she was loyal to the Dark One and no other. But in TSR,
 she suggested to Rand that they supplant the DO together. As for the scene at
 the end of TFoH, she was insane and not responsible for her actions. (She
 dislikes being called "Mierin" in the extreme.  This could be taken several
 ways. One way to take it is that she wants her former self to be disassociated
 from her current evil ways - she does not want to be reminded of what she once
 was, it is too painful.)

 REFUTATION: I have always believed that Lanfear was evil, starting way back
 when we first meet her as Selene in TGH. She made my skin crawl. LTT, an
 "honest man," even the Forsaken admit, said that Lanfear, _even when she was
 Mierin_, loved power more than anything else. What is the DO but the ultimate
 temptation of power? All of her actions in "helping" Rand have not been to
 further his cause against the DO, but to gain his trust and lust, so that she
 could control him. She does not love Rand/LTT;she wants him to be her obedient
 lap-dog, and to serve him up on a platter to the DO, so that she can be the
 most powerful of his servants. She would supplant the DO AND the Creator in a
 second if she could, and then be disappointed that she wasn't powerful enough.
 Having deceived Rand and all you r.a.sf.w-jordanites for so long,it would have
 been simple for her to deceive Charn, a follower of the Way of the Leaf.(It is
 obvious from looking at the Tinkers and the Ancient Aiel that Leafers cannot
 believe that the world is a Bad Place with Bad People in it.) But anyway,
 evidence in TFoH closes the case for good. I do not refer to the skinning of
 Kadere, torturing of Egwene & Aviendha, killing of many, and attempted killing
 of Rand scene, although that provides plenty of evidence in itself, insanity
 or no. I refer to Moiraine's vision in the Rings of Rhuidean.<TFoH: 53, Fading
 Words, 637> If Moiraine had not jumped Lanfear, and let her have her way, Rand
 would be a)dead, or b)Lanfear's love-slave, with the crippled mind of LTT.
 These were Lanfear's plans. They are not the plans of a good person. Oh, and
 if you need further proof, recall the ecstasy with which she describes bathing
 in the DO's presence at Shayol Ghul.

 1.40...............................................WHO ARE THE AELFS AND EELFS
 <Erica Sadun, Sean Hillyard>

    Strange tricksy critters who live in other dimensions. They are
    also known as the Snakes and Foxes for their appearances and have
    long-standing tricksy relationships with humans: giving gifts
    and answers... at a price.
    <TSR: 28, 462, To the Tower of Ghenjei, 323> Birgitte arrives to chat
    up Perrin and talks about the Tower of Ghenjei and the game of Snakes
    and Foxes.  "...there's no way to win." "Except to break the rules,"
    she said. "'Courage to strengthen, fire to blind, music to daze, iron
    to bind.'" Poor Mat should have known about these rules, but he's
    tricky and he cheats. Notice that every time Mat is using his "luck",
    he seems to be humming. This may be related.
        We know that The tower of Ghenjei is a route to the realms of the
    Aelfinn & Eelfinn. We also know that the Seanchan, the offspring of the
    "hammer" (Paendrag) hold their symbols to be the tower and the raven.
    And WOULDN'T YOU JUST KNOW, Mat who is due to marry the Daughter of
    the Nine Moons, the heir to the  court of Seanchan and who is already
    mixed up with the snakes and foxes just happens to have a magic spear
    with ravens on it.  In fact, if you re-regard the inscription on the
    spear, it just may have to do with the Seanchan's bargain and not that
    of Mat.
           "Thus is our treaty written; thus is agreement made.
           Thought is the arrow of time; memory never fades.
           What was asked is given.  The price is paid."
           <TSR: 26, 439, The Dedicated, 307>
    Remember also, that those marked with the raven are property of the
    court of the Seanchan empress. The other object given to Mat was the
    foxhead.  And ITS eye is the symbol of the Aes Sedai. <TSR: 37, 606,
    Imre Stand, 426>  Boy, this gets complicated, doesn't it?  When Mat
    arrives in the Rhuidean door (foxes), he is greeted and asked about
    the "old treaty".  The snake people back at Tear were very insistent
    that he show up at Rhuidean -- insistent enough to answer a whole lot
    of extra questions. Once he gets there, he's given an object which
    directly mentions something about the treaty.

 What we know from the Tear doorway.
      There seems to be some kind of agreement concerning the use of the
      door.  Anyone may enter who does not bring a way to make light, iron
      or instruments of music.  The snakes will then answer three questions.
      What do they get out of it?  According to Moiraine:
      'Sensations, emotions, experiences.  They rummage through them; you
      can feel them doing it, making your skin crawl.  Perhaps they feed
      on them in some manners.  The Aes Sedai who studied this ter'angreal
      spoke of a strong desire to bathe afterward.'
      In addition, the presence of two ta'veren seemed about to shake down
      the whole place.

 What we know from the Rhuidean doorway.
      The foxes also speak of a treaty in using the doorway.  Again, no iron
      or musical instruments, or ways to make light.  Again, there is the
      prickling of the skin as memories are rummaged through.  However, for
      the foxes this does not seem to be payment enough for their services.
      Apparently a 'price' has to be negotiated before 'agreements' are made.
      Mat lucks out (of course) and asks for a way out as one of his
      agreements (It seems extremely likely that he would still be there
      without that), but they still exact a price out of him, and from what
      we can infer of it, it was not pleasant.

 Aludra: I have finally figured out Aludra's entire raison d'etre: the matches.
 Now how can Mat/Thom get over to Nynaeve to get some matches before he heads
 off to A/Eelfland?

 ************************************
 1.41......................................................WHAT'S WITH SALDAEA
 There could be some major plot development coming up, with regards to Saldaea.
 We have been getting hints for five books now. In TEotW, in Baerlon, there are
 rumors about trouble up in Saldaea. But they say, oh--that's the borderlands--
 there is always trouble in the borderlands. When we first meet Bayle Domon, he
 is running from Trollocs and Saldaea <TEotW: 20, 312, Dust on the Wind, 262-3>.
 Then again in TGH and TDR Saldaea is mentioned that something is going on
 there.  Plus that is where Mazrim Taim was operating...Then in TSR,someone in
 a tavern in Tear says something like Taim was so powerful when he fought the
 Lord of Bashere's army.Then SS thinks that with all the trouble there, Tenobia
 might be pushed off the throne--Tenobia is Faile's cousin. And finally, at the
 end of TFoH, Bashere shows up in Caemlyn and makes an agreement for Saldaea's
 support of the Dragon Reborn.(Furthermore, the BA had a plan to release Taim,
 and make him commit atrocities under the name of the Dragon Reborn. I doubt
 this plan will come to much now, since Bashere has met the REAL Dragon, but
 it could still come to something.)

Survey says: Will Faile be the Queen of Saldaea? Yes:58, No: 24

 1.42.............................................................WHO WAS MAT?
 <Don Harlow, Joe Shaw, somebody else>

 It may be that Mat was Aemon of Manetheren, although there is little direct
 proof. It is certain that, in all his lives, he was a military genius.

    There has been a lot of speculation that Mat is the reincarnation of
    an ancient king of Manetheren. It seems to me fairly evident that Mat
    is the reincarnation of a fairly large number of personalities (I
    would say "different" personalities, except I suspect that they were
    all fairly similar). This is evidenced by Mat's pseudo-memories that
    emerge when Jasin Natael is singing a song about a battle at a
    river and how the enemy of Manetheren had mercy on the
        defeated Manetherenites, because they were so brave, etc. Mat
        remembers himself, the king's advisor, being killed by that foe's
    treachery; and then he remembers himself, somebody else, seeing that
    foe, older and grayer, being killed in another battle somewhere else.
    <TSR: 37, 610-1, Imre Stand, 424-5>

    Additionally, he forms the Band of the Red Hand near the end of TFoH,
    which was supposedly a band of heroes who went down defending Aemon
    himself.This looks like another marker, though there's nothing directly
    of Aemon's memories that Mat has.
    TFoH also gives details on the span of his memories, from about
    four or five hundred years before the Trolloc wars and nothing after
    Artur Hawkwing. What this signifies is another question entirely.

    It's clear that Mat was not King of Manetheren in his first memory,
    at least.  I agree that Mat is remembering several lives.  IMHO, Mat
    is one of the Heroes that the Pattern spins out every so often, and
    he is remembering his previous incarnations. Mat was just a brilliant
    military advisor for the Manetheren kings, not the King.

 1.43..................................WHERE HAVE WE SEEN IRONIC FORESHADOWING?

 <TEotW: 12, 171, Across the Taren, 143> Moiraine tells Egwene:
 "Now you are behaving like a foolish village girl.  Most who come to Tar
 Valon must study for months before they can do what you just did.  You may
 go far.  Perhaps even the Amyrlin Seat, one day, if you study hard and work
 hard."

 <TEotW: 19, 278, Shadow's Waiting, 234>
 "Aemon's warcry, she said - right?  Maybe you're Aemon come back again."

 <TGH: 10, 169, The Hunt Begins, 144>
 Mat says: "You put this Aiel nonsense in his head, on top of what's
 already there, and the light knows what we'll have. An Aiel lord
 maybe."

 Nynaeve, just before entering the first arch a Novice must pass through
 to become an Accepted <TGH: 23, 336, The Testing, 283>: "Vaguely, Nynaeve
 thought about her nervousness concerning spiders" Moghedien is also known
 as 'the Spider'.

 Perrin, looking at Ingtar <TGH: 28, 407, A New Thread in the Pattern, 343>:
     "Sometimes, to Perrin's eyes, the crescent crest on the Shienaran's
      helmet looked like a Trolloc's horns."
      Ingtar is revealed at the end of TGH to be a Darkfriend seeking to
      walk in the Light (he sought the Horn for his personal salvation).

 <TGH: 32, 464, Dangerous Words, 392>
 "I am not Aiel, Lord Barthanes, and I am not of the [Andor] royal line,
 either."  (Rand to Lord Barthanes, at Barthanes' manor)

 <TSR: 52, 864, Need, 598>
 I was re-reading the part in TSR where Ny talks to Birgitte and
 Cain is around.  He reminds Birgitte how mad Spider was when she
 found out Birgitte would fight on the side of LTT.  She told
 Birgitte then something like "I will make you weep alone for
 as long as the wheel turns".  Birgitte says that Spider said
 it as just a fact that had not happened yet.
 We know in TFoH that Spider makes good on this threat, but
 un-binding her to the Wheel.

 <TFoH: 10, Figs and Mice, 162>
 At one point, early in the book, Ny wishes she could have SS alone for
 just 5 minutes when SS could not channel - she gets her wish with her
 little scuffle in Tel'aran'rhiod.

 <TFoH: 25, Dreams of Galad, 307> Elayne told Egwene in T'A'R' :
 "Egwene, you will be Amyrlin when I am Queen of Andor!"

 1.44...................WHY ARE WE SURE THAT BA'ALZAMON IS REALLY ISHAMAEL

 All the Forsaken seem to think that Ba'alzamon was Ishamael. e.g. see Mog's
 thoughts in <TSR: 46, 759-60, Veils, 526>.

 <TDR: 21, 237, A World of Dreams, 187>  Verin reads a scrap of paper to Egwene
 when giving her the twisted stone ter'angreal. "Heart of the Dark.
 Ba'alzamon.  Name hidden within name shrouded by name. Secret buried within
 secret cloaked by secret.  Betrayer of Hope.  Ishamael betrays all hope.
 Truth burns and sears.  Hope fails before truth.  A lie is our shield.  Who
 can stand against the Heart of the Dark?  Who can face the Betrayer of Hope?
 Soul of shadow, Soul of the Shadow, he is -"

 <TDR: 56, 672-3, People of the Dragon, 575-6>, Eg, Ny, Mat, El and Moiraine
 are discussing that Rand could not have killed the Dark One himself because
 a _man's_ body was left.  They speculate that Ba'alzamon was Ishamael.

 <TEotW: 14, 204-5, The Stag and Lion, 171>: Ba'alzamon tells Rand:
 "I stood at Lews Therin Kinslayer's shoulder when he did the deed that
 named him.  It was I who told him to kill his wife, and his children,
 and all his blood, and every living person who loved him or whom he
 loved.  It was I who gave him the moment of sanity to know what he had
 done."

 Lanfear makes some comment that "Ishamael thinks he controls events, but
 I do, really" or something like that. The only other forsaken taking an
 active hand in events is Ba'alzamon. the rest are either still bound, or are
 skulking around in various kingdoms.

 <TSR: Glossary, 987, entry "Ba'alzamon", 686> "In the Trolloc tongue,
 'Heart of the Dark.'  Believed by most, erroneously, to be the Trolloc Name
 for the Dark One."                      ^^^^^^^^^^^


 1.45.........................WHEN WAS RAND'S POWER ACQUISITION FEVER SYNDROME
    1. OP use: cleansing Bela
           <TEotW: 11, 149, The Road to Taren Ferry, 125>
       Reaction:  Baerlon encounter w/Children of the Light,
           <TEotW: 15, 221-6, Strangers and Friends, 186-90>
       Time: about a week.
    2. OP use:  Hitting Trolloc with the boom of Domon's boat.
           <TEotW: 24, 306-7, Dust on the Wind, 258-9>
       Reaction:  Mast/trapeze stunt on Bayle Domon's ship
           <TEotW: 24, 357-9, Flight Down the Arinelle, 301-3>
       Time:  about four days.
    3. OP use:  calling lightning to escape Howal Gode.
           <TEotW: 32, 484, Four Kings in Shadow, 407>
       Reaction:  fever/chills at the inn in Market Sharan.
           <TEotW:  33, 504-8, The Dark Waits, 423-6>
       Time:  about two days.
    4. OP use:  at the Eye of the World.
       Reaction:  Forgetfulness, others?
       Time:  nearly instantaneous.

 1.46............WHY WILL THE BRACELETS WILL BE USED ON LOGAIN OR MAZRIM TAIM?
    We assume that they will be used on a faux dragon because the real
    one isn't available.

    Luke Mankin tells us more about the bracelets:
    I think that the collar and bracelets are not all one piece, and that
    they will enable a women to control a male channeler for a distance!
    Here are all the places where it is physically described that I could
    find.  Notice that they never mention a -leash-!
    <TSR: 55, 920, Into the Deep, 638>
    "Egeanin touched the collar, pushed the bracelets away from
    the collar.  If she felt the emotions trapped in them ... ability to
    channel.  `It is not a'dam,` the Seanchan woman said.  `That is made
    of a silvery metal, and all of one piece."
    <TSR: 52, 866, Need, 600>
    "...-a necklace and two bracelets of jointed black metal-..."
    <TSR: 54, 905, Into the Palace, 628>
    " ...dull black collar and bracelets...   ...wide jointed collar..."
    Since we assume that the Seanchan will get the collars, what will
    they do with their male channeler? OR, will the BA get the collar
    and bracelets through the Darkfriend connection?  Wouldn't the best
    means of destroying them be separating them and throwing them in
    say the sea, a volcano, and such?

 1.47....................................WHAT ARE THE SONGS (NOT >THE SONG<)
 Jeffrey Scott Raglin reports: The Songs of the Wheel of Time:

 Berin's Retreat==The Wind from the North==Hard Rain Falling
 Blue Sky Dawning
 Cock o' the North
 Colors of the Sun==Jolly Jaim==Rhea's Fling
 Coming Home from Tarwin's Gap
 Dance With Jak 'o the Shadows
 Darling Sara==Ferry O'er the River
 Drawing Water From the Well
 Ferry O'er the River==Darling Sara
 Goodman Priket's Pipe==River Iralell?
 Hard Rain Falling==The Wind from the North==Berin's Retreat
 Heron on the Wing
 I Have Loved a Thousand Sailor Men
 I'm Down at the Bottom of the Well
 Jolly Jaim==Rhea's Fling==Colors of the Sun
 Midean's Ford
 Mistress Aynora's Rooster
 My Love is a Wild Rose
 Old Jak's Up a Tree
 Only One Boot
 Only One Bucket of Water
 A Pocket Full of Gold
 Pretty Maids Dancing==Three Girls in the Meadow
 Rhea's Fling==Jolly Jaim==Colors of the Sun
 River Iralell?==Goodman Priket's Pipe
 Rose of the Morning
 She Wore a Mask That Hid Her Face
 The Lugard Girl?==The Dancing Lass
 The Dancing Lass==The Lugard Girl?
 The Fool Who Thought He Was a King
 The Song of the Three Fishes
 The Old Gray Goose
 The March of Death==The Grand Passions Cycle, Movement 4
 The Grand Passions Cycle, Movement 4==The March of Death
 The First Rose of Summer
 The Wind That Shakes the Willow
 The Old Black Bear
 The Road to Dun Aran
 The Old Two Rivers Leaf
 The Tinker Has My Pots==Toss the Feathers
 The Wind from the North==Hard Rain Falling==Berin's Retreat
 The Drunken Peddler==Tinker in the Kitchen
 Three Girls in the Meadow==Pretty Maids Dancing
 Tinker in the Kitchen==The Drunken Peddler
 Toss the Feathers==The Tinker Has My Pots
 Two Horses Running=Two Kings Came Hunting
 Two Kings Came Hunting==Two Horses Running
 Wash the Spears?
 We're Over the Border Again
 What He Said to Me==Will You Dance With Me
 Wild Geese on the Wing
 Will You Dance With Me==What He Said to Me

 Key: ==:These songs have the same tune, but different lyrics and or names
 in different areas.
 ?: No title is actually given; the title is inferred from the lyrics

 1.48..........................................IS MAT STILL LINKED TO THE HORN?

There are two point in the story where Mat could be considered to have
died: when he was hung from the tree in Rhuidean, and when he got hit
by lightning in the raid on Caemlyn in TFOH. So, is he still linked
to the horn?

   Firstly, in Tear, <TSR: 15, 253, Into the Doorway, 177>
     "Abruptly, a dozen yellow-clad men were around Mat, seeming to
     appear out of the air, trying to pull him toward the door.  He
     fought with fists, elbows, knees.  'What fate?  Burn your hearts,
     what fate?'  It was the room itself that pealed, the walls and
     floor quivering, nearly taking Mat and his attackers off their
     feet.
     "The three were on their feet atop the pedestals, and he could
     not tell which shrieked which answer.
     "'To marry the Daughter of the Nine Moons!'
     "'To die, and live again, and live once more a part of what was!'
     "'To give up half the light of the world to save the world!'

   Secondly, in Rhuidean, <TSR: 26, 437-8, The Dedicated, 306-7>
     "Letting sword and Power go, he ripped the rope away from Mat's
     neck and pressed an ear to his friend's chest.  Nothing.
     Desperately, he tore open Mat's coat and shirt, breaking the
     leather cord that help a silver medallion on Mat's chest.  He
     tossed the medallion aside, listened again.  Nothing.  No
     heartbeat.  Dead.  No!  He'd be all right if I hadn't let him
     follow me here.  I can't let him be dead!
     "As hard as he could he pounded his fist against Mat's chest,
     listened.  Nothing.  Again he hammered, listened.  Yes.  There.
     A faint heartbeat.  It was.  So faint, so slow.  And slowing.
     But Mat was still alive despite the heavy purple welt around his
     neck.  He might yet be kept alive.
     "Filling his lungs, Rand scrambled around to breathe into Mat's
     mouth as strongly as he could.  Again.  Again..."
   If that wasn't a performance of CPR and mouth to mouth on a dead
   man, I don't know what it is.  (Although in mouth to mouth,
   aren't you supposed to suck the CO2 out and let the lung and
   diaphragm use the resultant low pressure zone to automatically
   reinflate the lungs with fresh air?  Still, a quibble.)  He had
   no heartbeat!  He wasn't breathing!  We was clinically dead.
   On that evidence, I really don't see how anyone can doubt, at the
   very least, that Mat actually died.  I do grant that we can
   disagree and quibble over the binding of the Horn, but that's a
   different matter.
   And on that note, Judy is correct-- the phrasing that the Amyrlin
   used at any rate was "So long as you live."  I just wonder if
   anyone ever actually linked themselves to the Horn before,
   then died and then came back to life.  In other words, is their
   knowledge absolute in this matter, or is this just a turn of a
   phrase?

Survey says: Is Mat still linked to the Horn? Yes: 55, No: 26.

 1.49............................................WHAT ARE THOSE CHAPTER ICONS?

Serpent and Wheel: Aes Sedai, Wheel of Time, Ta'veren
Ravens: Darkfriends, other minions of the DO
Dragon's Fang: Darkfriends, other minions of the DO, or Rand
Harp: Thom Merrilin
Leafless tree at night: Traveling through woods?
Heronmark sword hilt: Rand
Two leaves from the Tree of Life and Moiraine's staff: Moiraine (TEOTW only)
Flame of Tar Valon: Aes Sedai, Saidar
Sunburst: Whitecloaks
Leaves/A Leaf: Ogier, Loial, Waygates, Nynaeve, Wise Women, Tinkers
Horned skull, trident and a paw: Trollocs
Wolf: Wolfbrothers, Perrin
Lion Rampant: Andor, Elayne.
Gnarled, Withered Tree: The Blight
Ruby-Hilted Dagger: Shadar Logoth Dagger, Mat, Padan Fain.
Horn: The Horn of Valere
Portal Stone: Portal Stone
Rising Sun: Cairhien
Insect-Like, Horned Helmet: Seanchan
Tree with lots of leaves: stedding, Ogiers
A'dam: damane
Female silhouettes (One Black, One White): Black Ajah, the hunt for them
Dice (FIVE): Mat   "(Note the five sixes..Yahtzee!!)" -- Joe Shaw
Crescent moon and stars: Lanfear, Daughter of the Night.
      This one is really note worthy.  This icon appears when we
      meet the peddlers (aka Lanfear and Asmodean) in the waste.  Had
      I realized it was Lanfear's icon, I would have realized then that
      one of them was Lanfear disguised.  Also the same when she appears
      to the girls as Else. -- Judy G.
Dream Ring: Tel'aran'rhiod
Waves: A journey over water
Dragon: Rand "Is it just me, or does this 'dragon' look like a
      jolly, happy-go-lucky salamander?" -- Joe Shaw (it's you, Joe --Pam)
8-pointed star and birds: Sea folk
Two spears & a shield: Aiel
Bull: Gareth Byrne
Elephant: Valen Luca's traveling menagerie
Full Aes Sedai symbol of old: Rand, the Dragon Reborn--"under this sign will
       he conquer"

 1.50.............................................THOUGHT AND MEMORY TAKE TWO

 Just another thought while re-reading.  Our favorite
 heros all seem to have unusual memories available to
 them.  Meaning :

 1.  Rand has memories of the past through the experience
     at Rhuidean, plus LTT lurking inside his head.

 2.  Mat has memories of the past through the past lives
     he has had, which he can now remember.

 3.  Perrin has the memories of the wolves.  In TEotW, Elyas
     tells him that wolves remember from the first wolf on,
     so I think that means that wolves have the memories of
     all wolves ever.  So conceivably, Perrin would have
     access to these memories.


 1.51.............................................WHAT DID OGIER DO OF OLD?
 Windsor Williams reports:
 Basically, I'm wondering about the role of the Ogier in pre-Breaking
 society. From what we know in general, the stedding did exist during
 the period, but the Ogier were not bound to them by the Longing as they
 are at the time of the series. So it seems reasonable to assume that
 they were fairly common everywhere, although most common in and around
 the stedding.

 We know they were involved with the seed singing (as per the "through
 the eyes of Coumin" scene <TSR: 26, 432-3, The Dedicated, 302-5>), but what
 other roles did they have? Some clues exist:

 Ogier soldiers - also from the Coumin sequence, right at the beginning
 <TSR: 26, 431, The Dedicated, 302>
 "He could see the next field, lined the same way, beyond the soldiers
 with their shocklances sitting atop armored jo-cars. A hoverfly buzzed
 overhead in its patrol, a deadly black metal wasp containing two men.
 He was sixteen, and the women had decided his voice was finally deep
 enough to join in the seed singing."
 "The soldiers fascinated him, men and Ogier, the way a colorful poisonous
 snake might. They _killed_."  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 The "men and Ogier" phrase seems to imply that there were Ogier soldiers
 as well as humans. (At least, it does to me.)

 Ogier as police or enforcers - again, from the Coumin sequence

 <TSR: 26, 434, The Dedicated, 304>
 "Abruptly something struck Coumin in the mouth and his legs buckled; he
 was pushing himself to his knees before he realized he was down. A hand
 put to his mouth came away bloody. He looked up to find an angry-faced
 townsman standing over him, nursing a fist. 'Why did you do that?' he
 asked.
 "The townsman spat at him. "The Forsaken are dead. Dead, do you hear?
 Lanfear will not protect you anymore. We will root out all of you who
 served the Forsaken while pretending to be on our side, and treat the
 lot of you as we treated that crazy old man.
 "A woman was tugging at the man's arm. 'Come away, Toma. Come away, and
 hold your foolish tongue! Do you want the Ogier to come for you?'
 Suddenly wary, the man let her pull him away into the crowd."


 "Do you want the Ogier to come for you?" and the man's response argue
 that the Ogier were enforcers of peace/police of some sort, and effective
 ones as well. I'm guessing that they would come for him for the killing
 of Charn ("that crazy old man"), but maybe it's his statements, instead?


 I hadn't thought of Ogier in terms of soldiers or police before, but these
 passages caught my eye while re-reading the series. We've been told at one
 point or another that old tales refer to Ogier as bad opponents, who rarely
 get angry but are very dangerous when they do. (I can't recall the exact
 place...something about Perrin and some line about Ogier and mountains.
 Anyone else recall where this is?)

 We've seen Loial play an important role a couple of times already (knowing
 the Ways, closing the Waygate in the Two Rivers), but I'm starting to think
 we may see quite a bit more of the Ogier before the series ends.

 1.52....................................................MORE OF THE FAIN

 Padan Fain was a Lugard peddler, who moonlighted as a Friend of the
 Dark.  When it came time for the Dragon to be reborn, Fain was taken
 to Shayol Ghul and made into the Dark One's Hound, to search out TDR.
 Followed the boys to Shadar Logoth and had a run-in with Mordeth.
 Mordeth tried to devour Fain's soul, but couldn't, because of the hold
 the DO had on him. so, Fain became part Mordeth, part minion of the
 DO. This is basically what the books tell us.

 Roy Navarre, and the late Tony Z (no he's not dead, just gone from the
 Net), came up with a theory that Fain is actually the avatar of the
 DO. Roy says:First, if you check the glossary, you will see that the
 DO is described as the source of _all_ evil.  Hence Mashadar must flow
 from the DO or the glossary is wrong.  (We had pages and pages of
 discussion on this in the past).  Next, Myself and Tony Z, who doesn't
 seem to be around anymore presented detailed evidence suggesting that
 Fain is the avatar of the DO.  With each broken seal, Fain gets
 stronger.  Thus, the DO has been in our midst all this time but we
 just didn't know it.  At first only a trace of him in Fain, but growing
 stronger and stronger until now his presence in Fain seems
 unmistakable.

 Eric Ebinger counters:
 Fain no longer exists.  Padan Fain was summoned to Shayol Ghul, was broken
 and reformed into a bloodhound for the DO, as part of which he was imprinted
 by the DO.  This happened twice at Shayol Ghul and once in a dream.
 Padan Fain/DO bloodhound went to Shadar Logoth and fell prey to Mordeth.
 Normally, Mordeth would just destroy the existing "soul/personality", but
 Padan Fain's having been "remade" by the DO seems to have changed things
 sufficiently so that there was a slow gradual merging of *all* of the
 different personalities (Fain/Mordeth/DO's imprint).  The most accurate
 term for the combination is the name that he took: Ordeith.  Over time, the
 Mordeth portion has gained more and more control over the gestalt.  The DO's
 imprint has given Ordeith the unreasoning hatred of Rand, Perrin, and Mat.
 There doesn't seem to be much of anything of Padan Fain left.  As the
 Mordeth fragment has gained more complete control of the gestalt, Ordeith
 has increased in power.  The seeming relationship between the breaking of
 the Seals and Ordeith's power is due only to the fact that as time passes
 Ordeith gets stronger and as time passes the Seals break.  The same
 relationship is evident with Rand, Perrin, Mat, Elayne, Egwene, Aviendha and
 Nynaeve.

Survey Says: Is Fain the DO? Yes: 01, No: 81. You are all alone, Roy!

When we last saw Fain, he was in the White Tower, getting his dagger,
and planting seeds of suspicion & hatred, as he is wont to do. He then
took off for parts unknown. What is he up to now? John Ireland
suggests, "Fain is on his way to recruit some troops.  I think the
Blight has been so quiet this year because they haven't had a
leader...I think Fain and the dagger would make a dandy one." It has
also been suggested that Fain is going to hook up with the retreating
force of Couladin's renegade Aiel.

 1.53.......................................JAIN FARSTRIDER: WHERE IS HE NOW?

 Jain seems to have a cult following among the Jordanites on r.a.sf.w.
 "Jain lives!" they proclaim. So, as promised, here is a list of all
 the suspects in "who is Jain in disguise" contest.

 1) Elyas Machera
 2) Tam Al'Thor
     (It is very unlikely that Tam==Jain. Malkier fell a little less than
    50 years before TEOTW (say 45-50 years), according to Lord Agelmar.
        <TEotW: 47, 708, More Tales of the Wheel, 595>
    At the time, Jain was a young man, say between 17 & 20. Thus,at the
    start of TEOTW, Jain would be 62-70 years old. I would put Tam at 50,
    tops, probably younger. definitely not older than 60.)

3) Graendal's old man in wrinkled coat
4) Bayle Domon, because he seems to be very well traveled and likes to
        collect old things, and his talk to Mat about it being "the
        strangeness you see that pulls you to the next horizon."
        <TEotW: 24, 356-7, Flight Down the Arinelle, 300>.

 I cannot think of any more, offhand, although I know there are many more.

Survey says: Will we ever see Jain? Yes: 33, No: 48.
             Jain is...

             Dead: 30                        No one we know: 6
             No one important: 12            Elyas Machera: 8
             with Graendal: 11               Jain Farstrider: 8

 1.54..........................................................WHO WAS SILVIE?
 <Joe Shaw>         <TDR: 27, 316-9, Tel'aran'rhiod, 257-9>
 Most likely, Lanfear, it was part of her plot to get Rand and/or Mat to
 go to Tear.  Egwene and Nynaeve were to be bait to draw him there,
 only Rand was already going there to stop their attacks through his
 dreams.  The girls were probably just a backup in case he resisted the
 dreams or learned to shield them on his own.  Egwene and Nynaeve were
 to be Be'lal and Ish.s bait to draw Rand, while Liandrin and Co. were
 the bait to draw draw Egwene and Nynaeve.  See Perrin's dream about
 the trap in <TDR: 43, 504, Shadowbrothers, 426> (see section 7.6) which
 matches Egwene's dreams about "puppets" in <TDR: 37, 423, Fires in
 Cairhien, 352-3> (see section 7.1).  Lanfear was playing along with Ish,
 but working to her own designs.

 There's no doubt (in my mind) that Silvie was Lanfear.  And the reason
 for ripping off the ring ter'angreal to throw her out of T'A'R was
 just her cruel streak; Lanfear knew she was a dream since she had been
 haunting the White Tower as Else, and just wanted Egwene to go to the
 Heart of the Stone in T'A'R to make sure the girls decided to go there.
 Once she had accomplished that, why not send her out the hard way?
 After all, Lanfear claimed T'A'R as her domain (even though Mog. was
 stronger there), so there was no need for Egwene to learn too much
 about "her domain."  Plus, her precious LTT reborn had once loved this
 girl; I'm sure she couldn't resist inflicting a little pain on her,
 especially since the fact that Eg was bait to draw Rand to Tear meant
 that he still cared about her.  That must have drove Lanfear bonkers.

1.55................................WERE THERE AJAHS IN THE AGE OF LEGENDS?
<Bill Garrett>
I see two schools of thought on this.  The first suggests that the
Ajahs were formed after the Breaking.  Perhaps the AS argued about
what was most important... a few said, "we must find and stop all the
male channelers who have gone mad!" while others said, "we must fight
the Shadowspawn and stay ready to fight them should they return."
Others might have placed importance on healing the wounded and
stopping the ravage of disease.  Then some said, "We must manipulate
the governments of the people to make sure they are always ready."  A
few bookish sorts might have thought it was more important to preserve
old knowledge to keep it from getting lost.  "What will happen in
troubles to come if our descendants forget even the meager things
we've learned so far?"

The second school suggests that Ajahs existed before the Breaking, but
some were changed due to it.  For example, the Blue, White, Gray, and
Yellow Ajahs probably all existed before the Breaking.  Their functions
were useful in the Age of Legends, just as they are now.

The Brown may have been responsible for education for everyone -- they
may have been the instructors in universities --  but as all AS were
distrusted (?) at the time of the Breaking, they probably withdrew to
their own studies.

The Red may have served to find those with the spark or the ability to
learn, and educate them in the use of the Power.  When it became imperative
to stop/prevent male channelers due to the Madness, this Ajah would have
been the most likely to do so.  It's only a short change from finding
(educating) channelers to help them, to finding (stilling/killing) them
to help everyone else.

The Green might have been created because of the War of the Power, or it
might have had some other purpose beforehand.  Perhaps it dealt with
human affairs, and when the most important human affair was fighting for
the survival of the human race, they became what was needed most -- military
leaders.

1.56.........................................WHO ORDERED MELINDHRA, AND WHY?

<TFoH: 34, A Silver Arrow, 390> Nynaeve and Birgitte were in T'A'R
eavesdropping on the Forsaken Conference.  Third Paragraph,
Rahvin said, "He [Rand] will concentrate on you [Sammael], ...  If
need be, one close to him will die, plainly at your order. He will
come for you. And while he is fixed on you alone, the three of us,
linked, will take him. What has changed to alter any of that?"  So, It
seems Melindhra was ordered to kill Mat with a golden bee dagger if
the need arose. Mat let slipped to her that Rand's going to Caemlyn,
instead of "concentrating of Sammael", and she attacked Mat right away.

1.57....................................................WHY MOIRAINE IS NOT BA

I thought this was a dead issue, but apparently it is not. sigh. Okay,
why would anybody think Moiraine was BA? well, during TGH, RJ seems to
be putting down clues in that direction. namely, she was missing
during the time of the DS. Also, she was wearing her ring on a
different finger than she had before (oh no! not that!!!!). Well, this
was all a red herring, because since then, we have been privy to
Moiraine's thoughts, which show that she walks in the light. Okay,
maybe she has multiple personalities, but I doubt it.

=======================SECTION 2: TRIVIAL PURSUITS=============================
 Jordan says:

      "There are elements from Norse, Chinese, Japanese, and American
 Indian mythologies, to name just a few.  I think it adds resonance to the
 story, although I've taken great care not to follow the older material in
 any slavish way.  Occasionally, I will add in details here or there, and
 then discover that I have done something that is absolutely authentic to
 the myth I was working from." <From Waldenbooks 'zine _Hailing Frequencies_,
                issue #4, courtesy of Edmund Wong>

 .............................
 ARTHUR & THE HOLY GRAIL : 2.0
 .............................

    * Moiraine = Morgaine/Morgan De Fay
    * Morgase = Morgause
    * Tigraine = Ygrainne
    * Egwene = Guinevere
    * Artur = Arthur
    * Callandor = Sword in stone
    * Galad = Galahad _or_ Mordred
    * Gawyn = Gawain
    * Green Man = Green Knight or Green Man (worshiped by Celts)
    * Sa'angreal = San Greal (Holy Grail) or Sang Real (Holy Blood).
    * Wound in side = Fisher King (via Bible)
    * Nynaeve = Nyneve/Vivian (Nemesis of Merlin)
    * Perrin = Parcival
    * Merrilin = Merlin
    * Lan = Lancelot
    * Damodred = Mordred
    * Elayne = ?Elaine? (Lancelot's Wife)
    * Luthair Paendrag = Uther Pendragon (Now Artur's son vs. his Father)
    * Tar Valon = Avalon
    * Elyas, Aram, and Demandred's names are all similar to names of
      Arthurian knights, but I do not remember the actual names.

 Min's vision of Rand's funeral bier:
  in the Arthur legend (or at least the version I've read) Arthur is severely
  wounded and on his deathbed and Bedivere witnesses his being taken away on a
  funeral boat and ferried to Avalon to await the time when he is needed again.
   the only others on the ship are three women: 1)Arthur's half-sister Morgan
   Le Fay (the sorceress) 2)The Queen of North Galys 3) The Queen of the Waste
  Land. It is doubtful that RJ means for Rand's women to mirror Arthur exactly.
   It is probable that the women will be Elayne, Min, and Aviendha.

 And, of course, the fabulous Sword in the Stone

 ....................
 TROLLOC TRIBES : 2.1
 ....................

 <TEotW: Glossary, 798, entry "Trollocs", 668>
 Ahf'frait=Afrits, Bhan'sheen=Banshees, Dha'vol=Devils, Dhai'mon=Demons,
 Dhjin'nen=Djinns, Ghar'ghael=Gargoyles, Ghob'hlin=Goblins, Gho'hlem=Golems,
 Ghraem'lan=Gremlins, Ko'bal=Kobolds, Kno-gmon=Gnomes Al'ghol=Ghouls.

 ..................
 FUTURE EARTH : 2.2
 ..................

 Survey says: Is Jordan's world under the Wheel our future earth?
          Yes: 24, No: 09, Maybe: 01


 <TEotW: 4, 51, The Gleeman, 43>
 John Glenn:
   "Tell us about Lenn," Egwene called.  "How he flew to the moon
    in the belly of an eagle made of fire.  Tell about his daughter
    Salya walking among the stars." (Eagle has landed.../Lenn may be
    a merger of LEM (lunar module) and Glenn)

 Salya:  Salyut (Russian for star) OR Sally Ride

 Moscow, ICBMS:
    Mosk the Giant, with his Lance of Fire that could reach around
    the world.

 America: Merk the other giant.

 Queen Elizabeth:
    Alsbet, queen of all. (Remains of British Empire/Commonwealth?)

 Mother Theresa: Materese the Healer, Mother of the Wondrous Ind

 Anne Landers: Anla, the wise counselor?

 <TSR: 24, 396, Rhuidean, 277>
 Gautama Buddha: Ghoetam under the tree of life

 <TSR: 11, 209, What Lies Hidden, 146-7>
 In Tanchico Museum at the Panarch's Palace:
     1. Stylized Three-Pointed Triangle (reeking of greed & pride)
      Mercedes Benz logo
     2. Skeletons of Giraffe and Elephant

 <TGH: 49, 678, What Was Meant To Be, 574>
     Loial is reading 'To Sail Beyond the Sunset'

 <TGH: 47, 660, The Grave Is No Bar to My Call, 559>
     "Michael instead of Mikel. Patrick instead of Paedrig. Oscar instead
     of Otarin." St. Michael and St. Patrick? I don't know of a St. Oscar....

 <TEotW: 24, 357, Flight Down the Arinelle, 300> Bayle Domon (yes him again)
 mentions a "mountain hollowed into a bowl, and in its center, a silver spike
 a hundred spans high, and any who comes within a mile of it, dies." This could
 possibly be a big radio telescope, or maybe the Age of Legends equivalent.

 ..........................
 CHRISTIAN PARALLELS : 2.3
 ..........................

 (Compare) the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve clans of the Aiel.
 In fact, Jordan mentions that there is (maybe) a thirteenth clan.  This
 clan is credited with building Rhuidean -- the holy place (temple if you will)
 of the Aiel.  The Israelites also had a people charged with taking care of
 the Ark of the Covenant as well as the religious ceremonies within the temple
 (especially within the Holy of Holies) and those people were the Levites. A
 tribe not counted among the twelve, so in effect a thirteenth tribe also.

Craig LEVIN points out that the Levites are counted in the 12 Tribes.
It's just that Joseph's descendants split into 2 tribes later on, and
the Levites don't get land, it is our job (theoretically) to care for
the Lord's Temple and other altars across Israel. Which is even
better, since there was the Jenn/other Aiel split, and the Jenns' job
was to take care of Rhuidean/the temple.


 Rebirth/Reborn notion of the Savior.  (Although this savior is going to
       do major damage before defeating the evil one).  The blood of the
       lamb versus Rand's blood on the rocks of Shayol Ghul.Wound in the side
       a la the Cross. Sea Folk saying Aes Sedai would wash Dragon's feet with
       their hair

 Masema = Saul/Paul: Anti-Rand to rabidly pro-Rand. Also, Masema =
 John the Baptist--the "voice crying out in the wilderness" proclaiming
 the coming of the savior and all that.

 Seven Seals = Seven Seals of Solomon? (revelation)

 "Peace be on you always," Elyas replied, "and on all the People." He
    hesitated, then added, "I will find the song, or another will find
    the song, but the song will be sung, this year or in a year to come.
    As it once was so shall it be again, world without end."..."Peace be
    on you," Elyas said. "And on you," Raen said sadly.
    <TEotW: 27, 412, Shelter from the Storm, 346>
     The former reminds me of the Catholic (maybe Christian in general -
     I'm not sure) prayer called the Glory Be. It goes: "Glory be to the
     Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is
     now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen." The latter quotes are
     reminiscent of the closing of a Catholic Mass, where the priest pronounces
     "Peace be with you" and the people respond "And also with you."<J.Vessey>

 At Easter mass this past spring, I saw an adult baptized for the first
     time in the Catholic faith. They get the person to kneel, pour water over
     their head, and say something like "Now you are sealed". I don't recall the
     exact words, but "sealed" was in it for sure and I recall thinking Jordan
     must be Catholic.  Sounds a lot like becoming Accepted to me.<Judy G.>

 In <TGH: 26, 387, Discord, 326> we have the prophecy: "twice dawns the day
     when his blood is shed.  once for mourning, once for rebirth." This is
     very similar to the darkening of the sun when Christ is crucified: from
     <Luke 23, verse 44-5>: "And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a
     darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.  And the sun was
     darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst."<Pam Korda>

 <Zach Simpson>
 Matthew 10:34-36 (TEV)
 "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the world.  No I did
 not come to bring peace, but a sword.  I came to set sons against
 their fathers, daughters against their mothers......a man's worst
 enemies will be the members of his own family." cf: TFOH tailer
 prophecy: "And what was once did come again--in fire and in storm
 splitting all in twain. For his peace...was the peace...of the sword.

 ...................
 RANDOM NAMES : 2.4
 ...................

 Ba'alzamon       =  Ba'al or Baelzebub
 Sammael          =  Either a member of Lucifer's host, or another name for
             Lucifer himself.
 Graendal         =  Grendal from Beowulf
 Rahvin           =  Raven harbinger of evil (Native American Loki
             figure?)
 Lanfear          =  French l'enfer--name for hell.
 Shai...   .      =  (well you KNOW who this is) : Satan
             [Will Baird notes:Shai...is the Muslim name for
             Satan literally.]
 Be'lal           =  Belial, Biblical demon, Old Testament
 Asmodean         =  Asmodeous, Biblical demon, Old Testament
 Tarmon Gai'don   =  Armageddon, Book of Apocalypse
 Paaren Disen     =  Paradise, Biblical Genesis
 Wild Hunt        =  Wild Hunt, of Christian or Celtic legend
 Bel Tine         =  Beltane, a Druidic holiday
 Shayol Ghul      =  Sheol, Hebrew for hell; Ghul->Gol or Gul, Arabic
             for Demon.
 Semirhage        =  Legendary Assyrian queen Semiramis, noted for her
             depravity (see Herodotus) [thanks Tony Z!]
 LTT/Lord of
     The Morning  =  Lucifer--the morning star

 Myrddraal =         ?Murder All?

 Lothair Mantelar =  (Founder of Children of Light)= ?MARTIN LUTHER?

 Aginor =            "Recently, a friend of mine had to read the _Iliad_.
             (Homer's story of the Trojan War)  In Book 21,
             a character named Agenor attacks Hektor, and is
             defeated.  Not much is said about him (Agenor) other
             than that he is "blameless and powerful", and knew
             that Hektor was stronger than he was.  He attacked
             anyway, figuring that while Hektor was much more
             combat-capable, Agenor had the gods on his
             side, not to mention the fact that even the powerful
             make mistakes.  In a few minutes, Hektor defeats
             Agenor, and Apollo surrounds the loser "in a thick
             mist", and transports him back to Troy.  Some
             interesting  parallels between this an TEotW's final
             battle: Both Aginors knew that his opponent was more
             powerful Both were full of pride Both attacked
             anyway." Mike O'Malley

 Birgitte =          Brigit, Celtic goddess of fire and something else...

 Ishamael =          Ishmael: In Genesis, Abraham's eldest son (to an Egyptian
             serving girl Hagar) was called Ishmael. Apparently
             Abraham's wife took a disliking to young Ishmael and
             pressured Big Ab into exiling Ish and Hagar into the
             desert. There is a quote about "every hand raised against
             him" some-where but I can't remember it.


 Mesaana =            Possibly from Messalina, the notorious third wife of
                      Tiberius Cladius Drusus Nero Germanicus, Emperor of Rome.
 ....................
 DRAGON LEGENDS : 2.5
 ....................
 <Randy Cerveny>

 Taken from Man, Myth and Magic (volume 5, pages 693-4):

 "The most striking of these is that the dragon in China is not, as in
 the West, a representative or symbol of the powers of evil.  On the
 contrary, according to the old Chinese Book of Rites, the dragon as
 the chief of all scaly animals is one of the four benevolent spiritual
 animals.  This reflects the general principle stated by Jung that
 'every psychological extreme secretly contains its own opposite,'
 which is expressed in Chinese thought through the classical doctrine
 of Yang and Tin.  That this principle underlies the dragon's
 transformation into a beneficent being is confirmed by Wang Fu's
 statement that the dragon's scales number 117, of which 81 are imbued
 with Yang and 36 with Yin, because the dragon is partly a preserver
 and partly a destroyer.  Yang is also the male element and, as its
 representative, the dragon also became at an early period a symbol of
 the Emperor, and appeared on the Chinese flag.  During the Manchu
 dynasty, the dragon was held in especial esteem, and everything used
 by the Emperor was described in terms of it: there was the dragon
 throne, dragon bed and so on.

 "Although Chinese dragons appeared at favorable moments to presage
 periods of prosperity, and had been known to emit foam which had
 supernatural powers of fertilization, they could also, when offended
 or disturbed, cause a drought by gathering up all the water of a
 district in baskets, or they could eclipse the sun.  To propitiate
 them, the Chinese flew dragon kites, especially at the mumming parade
 in the New Year."

 ......................
 NORSE MYTHOLOGY : 2.6
 ......................
 <Greg Wheatley, Chad Orzel, Jonathan Vessey, Erica Sadun, Pam Korda>

 1) MAT & ODIN: Has anybody failed to notice that Mat is being set up as Odin,
      complete with wide brimmed hat, a spear with ravens drawn on it which
      are named "Thought" and "Memory", coincidentally enough the names of
      Odin's ravens and will in the future almost certainly lose an eye?
      Also, it seems to me there was a Norse myth involving Odin agreeing
      to be hung from Yggsdril (or some other unpronounceable Norse thing
      like that) in order to gain wisdom or power or both (he really went
      in for this self-sacrifice thing...)- a definite parallel to Mat
      being hung from the Tree o' Life in Rhuidean.

 2) MIDGARD SERPENT: wound around the roots of above tree, often envisioned as
      a symbol of eternity--a large serpent swallowing its own tail. Sound like
      any famous Aes Sedai jewelry we know?

 3) HEIMDALL'S HORN: Heimdall's job was to guard the Rainbow bridge into Asgard
      against the Giants. During the Last Battle (Ragnarok), he was to blow the
      horn to signal the arrayed gods and _dead heroes_ that it was time to
      fight.  cf. Horn of Valere. Granted, there are differences - the Heroes
      are bound to the Horn and not to a specific cause,and they live in T'A'R
      rather than the afterlife as such (where they'd fight all day, cutting
      each other to pieces, then get healed at day's end. Always got a kick
      out of that - sounds like a real heavenly afterlife to me), but the
      concept of dead heroes waiting around for the final battle stays the same

 4) BAD GUY UNDER THE MOUNTAIN: Here is the origin of the archetypical
      Evil Dude Imprisoned in a Mountain. Loki, the Norse "Evil God,"
      was chained up in a cave after he killed the god Baldur.The legend
      was that he would escape or be freed just before Ragnarok.

 5) PERRIN = THOR?? Is it just coincidence that Perrin is impressively
     muscled and has a big hammer, just like a certain Norse god of
     thunder?

 6) MISSING HAND: If Rand is going to lose a hand, then we have the
     following. Losing a hand correspond to Tew/Chew.  Tew's arm was
     snarfled off by the monstrous wolf Fenri (Perrin?) whom he attempted to
     chain.  Tew turns out to be the god of strife and that is what Rand is
     bringing into the world.


 .........................
 STEDDINGS & CHINA:    2.7
 .........................

 The Ogiers seem to have named their steddings after places in China:

 Shangtai = Shanghai, or Taishan (one of the sacred mountains) backwards.
 Cantonine = Canton (But "Canton" is not really "Canton" -- it's "Guangzhou".)
 Taijing = Beijing, or some combination of any number of places whose
   names start with Tai (Taishan -- see above -- Taiyuan, etc.) and any
   number of capitols/ former capitols (Beijing, Nanjing ...)
   (Above two stedding mentioned in <TGH: 36, 520, Among the Elders, 439>
 Tsofu = ??? An unfortunate tasteless high protein food?

 .........................
 MISC ADDITIONAL REFS: 2.8
 .........................

 1) Birgitte in Conversation:
      Maerion: Maid Marion
      Mathena: Athena/Artemis
      Zheres: Teiresias? Orion?
 Actually, it was the goddess Artemis who turned the hunter into a stag so he
 would be killed by his dogs, after he saw her bathing.  Athena was also
 surprised by Teiresias while bathing, but she blinded him and gave him the
 gift of second sight in return.

 2) Birgitte's silver bow seems straight out of Greek Mythology. Artemis
    had a silver bow, to match her brother Apollo's golden one.

 3) Sammael == Napoleon? Sammael is described as a great militarist. He is
    short. His symbol is the golden bee, same as Napoleon.


 4.0==========================================================================

              T I M E - L I N E

 =============================================================================

>>Under Construction<<

 ***********************************
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 5.0......................................................UNRESOLVED PLOT STUFF

 <Jocelyn>
 Perhaps a list of all the plot threads currently being juggled would be a
 handy item to have in the FAQ, eh Pam? Help us keep up with things! :)

 okay, fine. here is a list of main plots under development,
prophecies which have a direct bearing on them (for more prophecy, see
the prophecy section.), certain unresolved questions, and other stuff
that may occur, or may not.

 <from Tony Z.>
 I felt that the following might be interesting.  It's an extraction of
 material from GEnie (posted with poster's permission), listing all the
 loose ends and so forth that still need to be tied up,
 ---begin extract---{edited at my discretion--Pam}
 {"Marcus says:"}

 * Mat keeps trying to get away and has yet to set himself any real
 objective. {I think this was resolved during his little chat with Rand
 in TFoH--Pam}  And he is supposed to marry the Daughter of the Nine
 Moons (sounds a lot like a Seanchan linkage).

 * The Seanchan have so much potential (for good or bad) that they need a
 lot more attention than they have received.

 * Perrin & Faile with the Two Rivers Rebellion could (and should) lead to
 an alliance with Rand & Co. {& also Faile & her dad: "hey, look, daddy!
 I married a blacksmith!" --Pam}

 * The White Tower in Tar Valon problem with the Salidar Aes Sedai needs
 to be resolved.

 * Masema the Prophet needs to attended to. {and the WC-Prophet war--Pam}

 * Morgase headed to Amadicia to gather help from the White Cloaks (or so
 it seems to point at the end) will lead to her and Galad teaming up to
 try something irritating (but interesting). {or her running into Salidar and
 meeting up with her daughter, her ex-lover, Gareth Byrne, and all those AS;
 AND someone in their party getting trouble for stealing(see my theory on
 The Severed Hand)--Pam}

 * The wars on the west coast of the continent (I forget the countries
 names) [Arad Doman and Tarabon <TZ>] needs to be settled down. {Here's your
 Seanchan connection, well, Lady Suroth, at least--Pam}

 * There are still Shaido wandering around loose that might end up on the
 Dark One's side.

 * The Cairhienin play the Game of Houses in there sleep... so what are
 they going to do when Rand ain't in town? {probably the same as the Tairens:
 be terrified of him, and all his Aiel/Tairen forces hanging around their
 country. not to say some individuals won't get up to mischief...--Pam}

 * What will Berelain do when she can't catch up with Rand? How big
 is her army?  She was headed for Cairhien, right?
 ---end extract---

 <Jocelyn adds>

 * The tinkers and the way of the leaf (poss including the rebirth of the Nym)
  {possible finding of the Song, Perrin choosing Hammer/Axe--Pam}

 * Berelain and her vow to "get" Perrin

 * Rand and Elayne, Min, & Aviendha

 * Lan and Nynaeve & Valan Luca

 * Egwene becoming Amyrlin (and her relationships with Galad and Gawyn)

 * (possibly) Cleansing the taint

 * Birgitte and Gaidal Cain

 * The rest of the heroes of the horn, the horn itself

 * The Sea Folk and their Coramoor

 * A woman using the awful big sa'angreal

 * Callandor, and this unknown more powerful sa'angreal (for men) {possibly may  not exist--Pam}
 ----

 <don't have the name, here.>
 * Don't forget to add Bayle Domon and Egeanin speeding off to drop the
 sad bracelets in the ocean.
 ---------
 <Pam Korda>

 * is Verin Black?

 * what happened to Moiraine & Lanfear in A/Eelfland?

 * Who killed JoaR? (sorry, couldn't resist :)

 * Thom & the Red Ajah (Moiraine's letter)

 * Padan Fain/Mordeth/Ordeith

 * Moghedien in Salidar (i really hope they catch her next book. i don't want
 to see the usual Rand/Ba'alzamon battle get replaced by Nynaeve/Moghedien)

 * possible re-appearance of Liandrin

 * Perrin & Slayer

 * Perrin's wolf vs. human internal conflict (possibly related to hammer/axe),
   and possible re-appearance of Elyas Machera

 * Aram, The Tinker with the Sword

 * The destruction of the Aiel

 * The rest of the Forsaken: Mesaana, Semirhage, Demandred, Graendal, Sammael

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 6.0........................WHAT IS IT WITH THOSE STUPID DARRELL SWEET COVERS?
 <Roy Navarre (or Davis)Thomas Petersen, John Hansen, Joe Shaw, Erica Sadun,
  Pam Korda, etc.>

 Patrick Nielsen Hayden ([e-mail]) wrote:
 : Darrell Sweet is a careful reader and an intelligent man who skillfully
 : paints what his clients ask him to paint; please don't blame him for the
 : decisions of others.

 Well, who can we blame for the cover fiasco, then?  :) -- Geoffrey Wiseman

 TEotW: THE GANG HEADS OFF TO TAREN FERRY

 1. Moiraine the Midget and  Moiraine's Horse the Dwarf Pony (The text refers
    to the lad being amazed at the sight of the huge horses (plural) ridden by
    Lan and Moiraine--the biggest he had ever seen.
 2. Moiraine's dress is supposed to be a darker blue than her cloak.
 3. Lan with a Mustache and Goatee?
 4. Lan in Seanchan armor?  Lan isn't wearing his color-fading cloak and
    instead is wearing plate mail.  Lan should not be wearing plate mail.
 5. Lan with TWO swords?
 6. Moiraine is really UGLY and is wearing White eye shadow to boot - ugh!
 7. Moiraine's hair is light brown--not dark.
 8. All the horses are wearing ornamental bridles/saddles-what nonsense!
 9. No saddle bags on any of the horses.
 10.Everyone is wearing particularly STUPID clothing -- Rand with that weird
    Robin Hood collar, Moiraine in that awful blue cloak, Perrin's
    feather!?, etc.
 11.Rand's face changes from the cover to the inside picture.
 12.Egwene on the outside cover is blond. (Everyone except Rand from 2 rivers
    has dark hair, dark eyes).
 13.The Draghkar is just a bat.
 14.The moon is portrayed with far too many degrees of arc for the sky.
 15.Thom (little itty bitty Thom) is wearing multicolored clothing but NOT
    a cloak!
 16.Perrin's ax (see inside picture) is the wrong shape. (See the description
    in the first chapter: two/halfmoon-blade counterweighted).
 17.Egwene's hair is wrong (should be braided), and so is Moiraine's (should
    be loose, not in that elaborate 'do).
 18.There's an extra guy in the party! Who is that fellow way at the end? Jain
    Farstrider?

 TGH: RECAPTURING THE HORN

 1. Rand (changing his face again) is way way too short and stocky.  He is
    also wearing a really gaudy sword belt.  His hair, for some reason
    has gotten a lot of body (perhaps all that Clairol) and seems
    almost curly,and it is not red. His clothes are totally wrong, too.
    The sword is supposed to be curved, as is the Shadar Logoth dagger.

 2.   Loial's ears are not hairy, way too large and Loial himself is only about
    four feet tall!.  His boots are just awful: what if it rains?  He'd
    walk around with about a gallon or four of extra water in the
    decorative birdbaths of those boots.

 3. Selene (Lanfear) is wearing one of those dopey dresses -- this one
   with a ton of elastic banding.  Do they have elastic in the third
   age or is this another lost art of the Age of Legends. She is not very
   good looking.

 4.   Assuming that this is the scene where Rand steals back the horn from
   Fain, (a) where is the sniffer? (b) why isn't the horn in a box?
   (c) where is the (big enormous) box?  (d) why has Loial brought some
   pleasure reading for fighting off Trollocs (maybe its Dickens)
   (e) Why are the Trollocs humans with horns on their helmets? C'mon!
   (f) Why are Trollocs so short,  well armed and well armored? (g) Isn't
   it the wrong time of night to have just gotten the horn back
   anyway?

 [John Hansen adds:
   This can only be the scene where Rand steals back the horn.  When he and
   Loial arrive back at their camp, Rand sends Hurin off the "outcrop" to
   look at the activity down below.  The horn is in a large ornate gold chest
   that is strapped to the saddle of Loial's huge fetlocked horse.  Selene
   reaches up and opens the chest pushing the lid up and letting it fall open.
   On her tip-toes she reaches into the chest and Rand quickly reaches over her
   shoulder and lifts the horn out of the chest.  It is full night and the
   moonlight glimmers on the horn (which looks like it was drawn correctly).
   No Trollocs are anywhere near at this point.  After a moment Rand returns
   the horn to the chest and after further discussion about the curved dagger,
   he puts it in as well and closes the chest.  So, the scene (if accurate)
   should have a large horse and a gold chest in it.]


 TDR : RAND PULLS THE SWORD FROM THE AIR

 1. Rand (hair and face changed once AGAIN) is standing in the middle of a
    large hallway where Callandor hangs mid-air.  Isn't this just
    a little inconvenient?  What about dusting the sword or people
    wandering by every now and then?  Don't you think it deserves
    a room or a niche of its own rather than hanging in the middle
    of the hallway?{Actually, this is right. It is described as hanging
    right in the middle of the Heart.--Pam}
 2. Perrin (straight hair now, hair too light, held back in Rambo style
    but muscles correct) is holding yet ANOTHER ax -- this a little
    more correct. Mat in really sissy clothing and wrong hair is
    looking on as well.  Pardon me, but weren't these guys doing something
    else when Rand was picking up the sword?  Weren't Be'lal, Moiraine
    and Ba'alzamon on hand for the Young-Arthur imitation?
 3. The Aiel here look pretty classy, but the buckler in the book is strictly
    leather and not this copper stuff.  Also, this Aiel has black hair!
    C'mon: Perrin with light hair, Aiel with black hair and dark
    complexion?
 4. On the very side of the book is a picture of I suppose Ba'alzamon. Boy
    is he ugly or what?  And wearing that Blue and Purple hat?  I wonder
    what he had to do to pick out something that matched his glowing
    teeth so well.  Why would anyone's teeth glow?  Too much fluoride?

 TSR : BREAKFAST AT RHUIDEAN

 1. Rand's now wearing Perrin's headband and has tied his jacket to his
    shoulder. Boy that must be uncomfortable! And  must keep those
    orthopedic and reconstructive surgeons real busy.  He is again really
    way too short.
 2. Mat has picked up archery again along with a different face.  Archery?
 3. The peddlers seem to have stolen a tinker wagon.
 4. Who's the ugly babe making dinner?  Aviendha? Wrong hair.  Who else would
    wear a dress?  A blue dress?  NO! SAY IT ISN'T MOIRAINE!?!!!!
    Cooking dinner for the Boys?! Sheesh. (It could be Isendre but
    she is way way way too ugly for that).  Anyway, she looks like a
    monkey.
 5. Who's that leather guy on the left of the wagon?  Where did all that
    leather come from out there in the desert?  And check out the
    toy Trolloc that someone has stuck in the rocks above Rand's
    right hand shoulder.

 TFOH: FUN IN THE SUN AT CAEMLYN

 Erica S:
   Well look at TSR.  Mat & Rand seem to have switched roles again.
   At least Aviendha does look pretty pretty but her hair is way way
   too long.  What's the DEAL with the foxhead.  Only one eye please and
   about the size of the palm of the hand.  Worn against the skin too
   so we're not seeing it.  Rand is way too short and he's been at the
   Prell or VO5 again...  Mat does NOT have red or reddish hair.  EVERYONE
   (except Rand) from 2-rivers has dark eyes, dark hair.  Why are tricksters
   always supposed to have red hair?  Does Mr.Sweet ever read a book?

 Pam K:
   Of course the cover art is truly awful; although Mr. Sweet finally got the
   coats right-ish. Rhuidean doesn't look TOO bad; and the Trollocs actually
   look beast-ish, as opposed to men-with-horns-on-their-helmets (TGH). but,
   all the people look goofy, esp. Mat w/ his Clint Eastwood hat. Ah well, I
   suppose I can take the paper bit off. Back to reading!

 Jenny Foss:
   What is that hat Mat is wearing? He looks like Crocodile Dundee. "That's
   not a spear! THIS is a spear!"

 Tony Z:
   This whole cover art thing has been bothering me since I first layed eyes
   on the cover of TEotW.  Darrell K. Sweet had always been my favorite cover
   artist! He's done covers for the Lord of the Rings (2 different editions,
   both  which I liked), 2 editions of Thomas Covenant series (all 6), the
   second of which I thought were incredible; he's done all of Terry Brooks'
   stuff (I think--most of it anyway). My point is, what's with him?  I can
   hardly tell it's by the same guy! Does anyone know anything about him, and
   why his work is degenerating so?

For more groovy D.K.Sweet cover art, check out some Piers Anthony
books, L.E.Modessit's "Recluse" books, some barbara hambly books...the
man is everywhere!

 7.0================================================READERS GUIDE TO PROPHECY

 7.1..........................................................EGWENE'S DREAMS

<TGH: 12, 213, Woven in the Pattern, 180>
She saw Rand sleeping on the ground, wrapped in a cloak. A woman had
been standing over him, looking down. Her face was in shadow, but her
eyes seemed to shine like the moon, and Egwene had known she was evil.
Then there was a flash of light, and they were gone. Both of them. And
behind it all, almost like another thing altogether, was the feel of
danger, as if a trap was just beginning to snap shut on an
unsuspecting lamb, a trap with many jaws." <YES, this is where Lanfear
takes Rand & co into the Portal stone world>


 <TDR: 25, 290, Questions, 233-4>
       She had dreamed of Seanchan, too, of women in dresses with
       lightning bolts woven on their breasts, collaring a long
       line of women who wore Great Serpent rings, forcing them to
       call lightning against the White Tower.(NO)  That had started her
       awake in a cold sweat, but that had to be just a nightmare, too.
       And the dream about Whitecloaks binding her father's
       hands.(uncertain--poss. reference to the fact that Master Al'Vere
       was powerless to act against the WCs until Perrin came along)

 <TDR: 25, 290, Questions, 234>
       There had been a dream of Rand, reaching for a sword that
       seemed to be made of crystal, never seeing the fine net
       dropping over him.(YES)  And one of him kneeling in a chamber where
       a parched wind blew dust across the floor, and creatures like
       the one on the Dragon banner, but much smaller, floated on
       the wind, and settled into his skin.(YES)  There had been a dream
       of him walking down into a great hole in a black mountain,
       a hole filled with a reddish glare as from vast fires below,(NO)
       and even a dream of him confronting Seanchan.(NO)

 <TDR: 25, 290-1, Questions, 234>
       Perrin with a falcon on his shoulder, and Perrin with a hawk.
       Only the hawk held a leash in her talons--Egwene was somehow
       convinced both the hawk and falcon were female--and the hawk
       was trying to fasten it around Perrin's neck.(YES, but maybe
       more to come)  That made her
       shiver even now; she did not like dreams about leashes.  And
       that dream of Perrin--with a beard!(YES)--leading a huge pack
       of wolves that stretched as far as the eye could see.(NO)  Those
       about Mat had been even nastier.  Mat, placing his own left
       eye on a balance scale.(NO)  Mat, hanging by his neck from a tree
       limb.(YES)  There had been a dream of Mat and Seanchan too but she
       was willing to dismiss that as a nightmare.(NO)  It had to have
       been just a nightmare.  Just like the one about Mat speaking
       the Old Tongue.(YES) That had to come from what she had heard during
       his Healing.

 <TDR: 37, 423, Fires in Cairhien, 352-3>
       She had dreamed of Perrin with a wolf, and with a falcon,
       and a hawk -- and the hawk and falcon fighting(YES) -- of Perrin
       running from someone deadly,(SLAYER?) and Perrin stepping willingly
       over the edge of a towering cliff while saying, 'It must be
       done. I must learn to fly before I reach the bottom.'(Probably
       not, but may refer to him mastering his wolf-brotherhood, or being a
       battle commander) There
       had been one dream of an Aiel and she thought that had to do
       with Perrin too, but she was not sure.(YES)  And a dream of Min,
       springing a steel trap but somehow walking through it without
       so much as seeing it.(YES--the Tower Coup)
       ... Mat with dice spinning 'round him ...(YES)
       Mat being followed by a man who was not there ... or maybe
       more than one, but in some way there was no one there ...(YES)
       Mat riding desperately toward something unseen in the distance
       that he had to reach(YES), and Mat with a woman who seemed to be
       tossing fireworks about(YES).  An Illuminator, she assumed, but that
       made no more sense than anything else.
       Men and women breaking out of a cage, then putting on crowns.(YES)
       A woman playing with puppets, and another dream where the strings
       on puppets led to the hands of larger puppets, and their strings
       led to still greater puppets, on and on until the last strings
       vanished into unimaginable heights(probably just symbolic of the
       various degrees of manipulation going on). Kings dying, queens
       weeping, battles raging. Whitecloaks ravaging the Two Rivers(YES).
       She had even dreamed of the Seanchan again.

 <TDR: 48, 553, Following the Craft, 468-9>
       Perrin with a falcon on his shoulder(YES), choosing between ax and
       hammer(NO); A Whitecloak putting Master Luhhan in the middle of a huge,
       toothed trap for bait(YES); Mat dicing with the Dark One(YES),
       shouting "I am
       coming!" at her(YES); Rand sneaking through utter darkness toward
       Callandor, while all around him six men and five women walked, some
       hunting him and some ignoring him, some trying to guide him toward
       the shining crystal sword and some trying to stop him from reaching
       it, appearing not to know where he was, or only to see him in
       flashes(YES). One of the men had eyes of flame, and he wanted Rand dead
       with a desperation she could nearly taste; Rand in that dry, dusty
       chamber again, with those small creatures settling into his skin.(YES)

 <TDR: 48, 553, Following the Craft, 468-9>
       Rand confronting a horde of Seanchan.(NO)  Rand confronting her,
       and the women with her, and one of *them* was a Seanchan.(NO)

 <TSR: 11, 207, What Lies Hidden, 145>
       Rand as tall as a mountain, walking through cities, crushing
       buildings beneath his feet, with screaming people like ants fleeing
       from him.(Not literally, if symbolic, then it has started, with
       more to come) Rand in chains, and it was he who was screaming.(NO)
       Rand building a wall with him on one side and her on the other, her
       and Elayne and others she could not make out. "It has to be done," he
       was saying as he piled up stones. "I'll not let you stop me now."(NO)
       ... Aiel fighting each other, killing each other, even throwing away
       their weapons and running as if they had gone mad(YES).  Mat wrestling
       with a Seanchan woman who tied an invisible leash to him(NO).  A wolf
       - [Perrin] - fighting a man whose face kept changing(YES). Galad
       wrapping himself in white as though putting on his own shroud(YES, but
       more to come?), and Gawyn with eyes full of pain and hatred.(Poss.
       refers to the Tower Coup, or could be something yet to come)
       Her mother weeping.

 <TFoH: 15, What Can Be Learned in Dreams, 214>
       Rand sitting down in a chair, and somehow she knew that the
       chair's owner would be murderously angry at having here chair
       taken (YES) ... Perrin, lounging with Faile on his lap, kissing
       her while she played with the short-cut beard that he wore in
       the dream.  Behind them tow banners waved, a red wolf's head and
       a crimson eagle.  A man in a bright yellow coat stood near to
       Perrin's shoulder, a sword strapped to his back; in some way she
       knew that he was a tinker, though no tinker would ever touch a
       sword.   And every bit of it except the beard seemed important.
       The banners, Faile kissing Perrin, even the tinker.  Every time
       he moved closer to Perrin it was if a chill of doom shot through
       everything. (NO) ... Mat throwing dice with blood streaming down
       his face, the wide brim of his hat pulled down low so she could
       not see his would(NO), while Thom Merrilin put his hand into a fire
       to draw out the small blue stone that now dangled on Moiraine's
       forehead. (NO)  Or a dream of a storm, great dark clouds rolling
       without wind or rain while forked lightning bolts, every one
       identical, rent the earth. (probably The Battle of Cairhien)

 7.2...........................................................MIN'S VIEWINGS
 <TEotW: 15, 215-6, Strangers and Friends, 181>
 *LAN:  Seven ruined Towers/A babe in a cradle holding a sword(YES)

 *THOM: A man--not him--juggling fire/The White Tower(Uncertain.
either of these could refer to his nephew Owyn, and the Tower could
also represent future involvement with the AS)

 *PERRIN: A wolf(YES)/A broken crown(NO)/Trees flowering around
       him(Uncertain, poss. refers to Loial singing to the trees over
       Perrin's family's grave, or maybe he will find the Song)/
       An Aielman in a cage(YES)/A Tuatha'an with a sword(YES)/
       A falcon and a hawk, perching on his shoulders, both female.(YES)
       A darkness swirling around him.(Uncertain--poss. just meaning
       the shadow was chasing him, or maybe more specific--there are
       Darkfriends near to him? or maybe something else entirely)

 *MAT: A red eagle(YES)/A eye on a balance scale(NO)/A dagger with a ruby(YES)/
      A horn(YES)/  A laughing face(NO)

 *RAND A sword that isn't a sword (YES), A golden crown of laurel leaves (NO),
       A beggars staff (NO), Him pouring water on sand(YES) Three woman
       standing over a funeral bier with him on it:(NO) A bloody hand and a
       white hot iron(NO) Black rock wet with blood:(NO)

 <TGH: 24, 362, New Friends and Old Enemies, 305> <TGH: 43, 605, A Plan, 511>
 *ELAYNE The Rose Crown of Andor(YES), A severed hand, not hers(NO),
    A red-hot iron and an ax.(NO)

 <TGH: 43, 605, A Plan, 511>
 *NYNAEVE: Man's ring of heavy gold.(YES, she has it, but no, she hasn't
           actually done anything with it besides carry it around.)

 <TGH: 24, 362, New Friends and Old Enemies, 305>
 *EGWENE A white flame(NOT YET)
 [Survey says: Will Egwene be next Amyrlin? Yes:30, No:04]

 <TSR: 17, 284, Deceptions, 198>
 *LOGAIN A halo of gold and blue, signifying glory to come.(NO)
 [Survey says: Will Logain get the Power back? Yes:21, No:11, Maybe:02
    Will Logain pull the Sword from the Stone? Yes:25, No:07, Maybe:02
    Will Logain turn out to be good or bad? For Rand: 34, Against Rand: 00]

 <TSR:1, 25, Seeds of Shadow, 21> <TSR: 47, 786-7, The Truth of a Viewing, 544>
 *GAWYN A heron marked sword, his or threatening(NO)/
       His banner with a field of green rather than white(NO)/
       Either breaking Egwene's neck or kneeling to her(NO)

 *RANDOM AES SEDAI IN WHITE TOWER <TSR: 1, 18-21, Seeds of Shadow, 16-23>
       A silver collar, similar to, or actually, a damane's.(NO)
       [also lots of death and suffering/bones etc.]

 <TFoH: 26, Sallie Daera, 317>
 SHERIAM: "Rays of silver and blue flashed about her fiery hair,
    and a soft golden light; Min could not say what it meant."(NO)

 <TFoH: 26, Sallie Daera, 320>
 *EDESINA: "[...] a silvery collar suddenly appeared,
 snug around the woman's neck, and as suddenly seemed to shatter. Min
 shivered.  She did not like viewings connected to the Seanchan.  At least
 Edesina would escape somehow."(NO)

 <TFoH: 28, Trapped, 343>
 *SS/Gareth Bryne:  " When Bryne came in, I had a viewing.
    An aura, and a bull ripping roses from around its neck(YES), and
    ...  None of it matters except the aura.  I didn't even
    really understand that, but more than anything else.'
    'How much did you understand?'
    'If you want to stay alive, you had better stay close to
    him.'  Despite the heat, Min shivered.  She had only ever
    had one other viewing with an 'if' in it, and both had been
    potentially deadly.  It was bad enough sometimes knowing
    what would happen; if she started knowing what might ...
    'All I know is this.  If he stays close to you, you live.
    If he gets too far away, for too long, you are going to die.
    Both of you.  I don't know why I should have seen anything
    about you in his aura, but you seemed like part of it.'"(NO)

 <TFoH: 50, To Teach and Learn, 592>
 *FAOLAIN:  "'A nasty woman,' Min murmured, squinting after Faolain as
    she hurried the other across the common room.  'You'd think,
    if there was any justice, she would have an unpleasant
    future ahead of her.'"(NO)

 <TFoH: 50, To Teach, and Learn, 598-9>
 *Marigan, Nicola, and Areina
 "Those three you brought with are trouble, and that is a viewing"
 "I only caught glimpses of aura, and just out of the corner of my
 eye.  Never when I was looking right at them, where I might have made
 something out."(NO)

 <TFoH: 50, To Teach, and Learn, 598-9>
 *RAND,ELAYNE, MIN, AVIENDHA:
 Elayne leaped off the cliff.  "Min, you had a viewing about Rand and
 me, didn't you?" [...]
 "Yes."  It was a wary word.
 "You saw that we were going to fall in love."
 "Not exactly.  I saw you'd fall in love with him.  I don't know what
 he feels for you, only that he's tied to you some way."
 [...] "And you saw there would be someone else.  Someone I'd have to
 ... share ... him with."
 "Two, "  Min said hoarsely.  "And .... And I'm one."
 [...] "Who is the third?"
 "I don't know," Min mumbled.  "Only that she has a temper.  Not
 Nynaeve."(YES)

 7.3.......................................................VARIOUS PROPHECIES
 <TEotW: prologue, xv, Dragonmount, xv>
     "O Light of the Heavens, Light of the World, let the Promised One
       be born of the mountain(YES), according to the prophecies, as he was in
       ages past and will be in ages to come.  Let the Prince of the Morning
       sing to the land that green things will grow and the valleys give
       forth lambs.  Let the arm of the Lord of the Dawn shelter us from the
       Dark, and the great sword of justice defend us.  Let the Dragon ride
       again on the winds of time."(NO)

 The prophecy for the Horn of Valere:
 <TEotW: 26, 389, Whitebridge, 327>
    In the last, lorn fight
    'gainst the fall of long night,
    the mountains stand guard,
    and the dead shall be ward,
    for the grave is no bar to my call.(NO)

Elaida's Foretelling:
<TEOTW: 40, 614, The Web Tightens, 514>
  "This I Foretell...and swear under the Light that I can say no
   clearer. From this day Andor marches toward pain and division. The
   Shadow has yet to darken to its blackest, and I cannot see if the
   Light will come after. Where the world has wept one tear, it will weep
   thousands....This, too, I Foretell. Pain and division come to the
   whole world, and this man [Rand] stands at the heart of it."

<TGH: 22, 328, Watchers, 275>
"'Five ride forth, and four return.(YES) Above the watchers shall he
proclaim himself, bannered cross the sky in fire...'(YES)

 <TGH: 26, 387, Discord, 325-6> <TSR: 9, 180, Decisions, 126>
       Twice and twice shall he be marked,YES)
       twice to live, and twice to die,(maybe Rand & LTT?)
       Once the heron to set his path. (YES)
       Twice the heron, to name him true.(YES)
       Once the Dragon for remembrance lost.(YES)
       Twice the Dragon for the price he must pay .(he has been paying,
              but will there be a Real Big Price, i.e. his life & his blood?)

 <TGH: 26, 387, Discord, 326>
       Twice dawns the day when his blood is shed.
       Once for mourning, once for birth.
       Red on black, the Dragon's blood stains the rock of Shayol Ghul.
       In the Pit of Doom shall his blood free men from the Shadow.(NO)
 [Survey says: Will there be an eclipse when Rand spills his blood?
    Yes:56       No:26]

 <TDR: Header Prophesy, ix, ix>
     And his paths shall be many, and who shall know his
       name, for he shall be born among us many times, in
       many guises, as he has been and ever will be, time
       without end. His coming shall be like the sharp edge of
       the plow, turning our lives in furrows from out of the
       places where we lie in our silence. The breaker of bonds;
       the forger of chains. The maker of futures; the unshaper
       of destiny.(General Prophesy, no real judgment needed)

 <TDR: Trailer Prophesy, 675, 578>
     And it was written that no hand but his should wield
       the Sword held in the Stone, but he did draw it out, like
       fire in his hand, and his glory did burn the world. Thus did
       it begin. Thus do we sing his Rebirth. Thus do we sing the
       beginning.(YES)

 <TSR: 3, 99, Reflection, 71>
    His blood on the rocks of Shayol Ghul, washing away
    the Shadow, sacrifice for man's salvation.(NO)

Survey says: will Rand Die? No: 17, Yes: 67 (stay dead: 32, resurrected: 35)

 <TSR: 6, 131, Doorways, 93>
       Power of the Shadow made human flesh,(poss. Forsaken, Fain, Slayer)
       wakened to turmoil, strife and ruin.
       The Reborn One, marked and bleeding,
       dances the sword in dreams and mist,
       chains the Shadowsworn to his will, (YES)
       from the city, lost and forsaken,
       leads the spears to war once more,(YES)
       breaks the spears and makes them see,
       truth long hidden in the ancient dream.(YES)

 <TSR: 15, 253, Into the Doorway, 177>
 ANSWERS TO MAT'S QUESTIONS:
    [What fate?] To marry the Daughter of the Nine moons(NO)/To die and
    live again, and live once more a part of what was(YES)/To give up half the
    light of the world to save the world.(NO)

Survey says: What does it mean for Mat to give up 1/2 the light...?
Lose an eye: 74
Something to do with Mayene and lamp oil: 4
Other: 8

 _Coramoor_ (Jendai Prophecy):
 <TSR: 19, 315-6, The Wavedancer, 220-1>
    He can wield the One Power ... and he holds the Sword That Cannot Be
    Touched.  The Aiel have come over the Dragonwall to his call. ...
    The Stone of Tear has fallen, and war breaks over the nations of the
    land. Those who once ruled have returned, and been driven back for
    the first time. ... The White Tower shall be broken by his name(YES),
    and Aes Sedai shall kneel to wash his feet and dry them with their hair
    (NO)

 <TSR: 21, 349, Into the Heart, 244>
       Into the heart he thrusts his sword,
       into the heart, to hold their hearts.(YES)
       Who draws it out shall follow after,
       What hand can grasp that fearful blade?(NO)

Wise One Dreaming: <TSR: 23, Beyond the Stone, 270> "We did
not see Egwene or Mat Cauthon at all. It was no more than an even
chance that the young man who calls himself Rand al'Thor would come.
If he did not, it was certain that he would die, and the Aiel
too.(ONGOING) Yet he has come, and if he survives Rhuidean, some of
the Aiel at least will survive. This we know. If you(Moiraine) had not
come, he would have died(YES). If Aan'allein had not come, you would
have died(???). If you did not go through the rings..."(Moiraine,
Melaine, and Seana in conversation on Chaendaer)

 From Rhuidean:
 <TSR: 25, 408, The Road to the Spear, 285-6>
    The stone that never falls will fall to announce his coming.(YES)
    Of the blood, but not raised by the blood, he will come from
    Rhuidean at dawn(YES), and tie you together with bonds you cannot
    break(I GUESS SO...).  He will take you back(YES),
    and he will destroy you(YES, BUT MORE TO COME).

 <TSR: 24, 402, Rhuidean, 281-2>
 MAT'S WISHES:  Holes in memory restored/a way to be free of Aes Sedai and
   the Power/Away and back to Rhuidean(YES to all)


 7.4.........................................................THE DARK PROPHECY
 <TGH: 7, 105-6, Blood Calls Blood, 89>
       Daughter of the Night, she walks again.(YES)
       The ancient war, she yet fights.(YES)
       Her new lover she seeks, who shall serve her(DOUBTFUL) and die(NOT YET),
     yet serve still.
       Who shall stand against her coming?
       The Shining Walls shall kneel.(NO)
       Blood feeds blood.
       Blood calls blood.
       Blood is, and blood was, and blood shall ever be.

       The man who channels stands alone.
       He gives his friends for sacrifice.
       Two roads before him, one to death beyond dying, one to life eternal.
       Which will he choose?  Which will he choose?
       What hand shelters?  What hand slays?

       Luc came to the Mountains of Dhoom.
       Isam waited in the high passes.
       The hunt is now begun. The Shadow's hounds now course, and kill.
       One did live, and one did die, but both are.
       The Time of Change has come.(YES TO ALL)

       The Watchers wait on Toman Head.
       The seed of the Hammer burns the ancient tree.(YES)
       Death shall sow, and summer burn(YES), before the Great Lord comes.
       Death shall reap, and bodies fail, before the Great Lord comes.
       Again the seed slays ancient wrong, before the Great Lord comes.
       Now the Great Lord comes.(YES)

 7.5.................................................MOIRAINE IN CONVERSATION
 <TDR: 6, 93, The Hunt Begins, 57>

    He has yet to break the nations, or shatter the world.  Even scholars
    who have studied the Prophecies for their entire lives do not know how
    to interpret them all. What does it mean that he shall 'slay his people
    people with the sword of peace, and destroy them with the leaf'(YES)?
    What does it mean that he shall bind the nine moons to serve him?(NO)
    Yet these are given equal weight with Callandor in the Cycle.
    There are others.  What 'wound of madness and cutting of hope' has he
    healed?(NO) What chains has he broken(poss. chains binding people to
    Shadow--Ingtar, Asmodean, Tear, Andor), and who put into chains?
    (Asmodean, maybe? or all the nations he is binding to follow him?)

Survey says: Will Rand break the world: Physically: 28, Figuratively: 67
             Will the Taint be cleansed from Saidin? Yes: 59, No, 22

 7.6...........................................................PERRIN'S DREAMS

 <TDR: 43, 504, Shadowbrothers, 426>
       Egwene and Nynaeve and Elayne stood looking at a huge metal
       cage, with a raised door held on a heavy spring.  They stepped
       in and reached up together to loose the catch.  The barred door
       snapped down behind them.  A woman with her hair all in braids
       laughed at them, and another woman all in white laughed at her.(YES)

 <TDR: 43, 504, Shadowbrothers, 425>
       Mat, rattling a dice cup. His opponent stared at Mat with eyes of fire.
       Mat did not seem to see the man, but Perrin knew him.
       "Mat!" he shouted. "It's Ba'alzamon. Light, Mat, you're dicing
       with Ba'alzamon!"(YES)

 <TSR: 28, 458, To the Tower of Ghenjei, 320-1>
       Rand stood amid swirling stormwinds, laughing wildly, even madly, arms
       upraised, and on the winds rode [dragons](NO); hidden eyes watched Rand,
       and there was no way of telling whether he knew it(poss. general--
       all the people watching Rand, e.g. Forsaken, Wise Ones, AS,
       etc. or maybe something more specific that we do not know about);
       Nynaeve and Elayne
       stalking cautiously through a demented landscape of twisted, shadowed
       buildings, hunting some dangerous beast(YES). Mat, standing where a road
       forked ahead of him. He flipped a coin(YES--flipped a coin at the Portal
       Stone, to get to Rhuidean), started down one branch, and suddenly was
       wearing a wide-brimmed hat and walking with a staff bearing a short
       sword blade(YES).  Egwene and a woman with long white hair(Amys?)
       were staring at him in surprise while behind them the White Tower
       crumbled stone by stone.(YES)

 <TSR: 53, 882, The Price of a Departure, 612>
       Egwene stood among a crowd of women, fear in her eyes; slowly the
       women knelt around her, Nynaeve was one of them, and he believed he
       saw Elayne's red-gold hair.(NO)  That window faded and was replaced.
       Mat stood naked and bound, snarling; an odd spear with a black shaft
       had been thrust across his back behind his elbows, and a silver
       medallion, a foxhead, hung on his chest.(YES)  Mat vanished, and it was
       Rand.  Perrin thought it was Rand.  He wore rags and a rough cloak,
       and a bandage covered his eyes.(NO)



 =================================PUBLISHING STUFF===========================
 99.0..........................................HOW MANY BOOKS WILL THERE BE?

 At least seven; maybe more.

 99.1.............................................WHEN IS THE NEXT BOOK OUT?

 September/October, 1994. That's 8 months kids.

 <Patrick Nielsen Hayden says>
 Indeed, we ourselves thought the title was to be _THE_ LORD OF CHAOS (as
 someone here pointed out, all the other books have titles beginning with
 the definite article), but Himself has ruminated and brought forth a new
 revelation, viz, that "THE LORD OF CHAOS" is an abomination and that the
 correct and virtuous title shall be LORD OF CHAOS; go thou & adjust your
 FAQs.


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