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0.1: The Wheel of Time FAQ: Introduction, Copyright Information, and
Contents
_________________________________________________________________
"I of course have zero evidence for this, but since when has that
stopped any of us?" -- David Wren-Hardin
"Just the FAQs, ma'am." -- Sgt. Joe Al'Friday
_________________________________________________________________
This version of the WOTFAQ was initially published in May, 1999.
Copyright Information
The Wheel of Time FAQ (WOTFAQ) contains writing by many authors. The
individual authors hold copyright to their respective contributions,
as cited in the text. The Wheel of Time books, and all quotations
therefrom, are Copyright 1990-1998 by Robert Jordan. The Wheel of Time
chapter icons are by Matthew C. Nielsen, and are Copyright 1990-1998
by Tor Books. Unattributed material in the WOTFAQ is Copyright 1999 by
Pamela Korda and Erica Sadun. This version of the WOTFAQ is Copyright
1999 by Pamela Korda and Erica Sadun.
What does all that mean? You may not distribute the WOTFAQ in any
form, in whole or in part, without written permission from Pamela
Korda. You certainly may not claim any part of the WOTFAQ as your own
work, unless, of course, you wrote that part. You may print out a copy
of the WOTFAQ for your own personal use. You may keep a copy of the
WOTFAQ on your own computer for your personal use, provided that you
don't distribute it. For example, you may not make the WOTFAQ
available on your web page without permission. You may quote short
portions of it as reference material, provided that you provide proper
citation and credit.
For more information about Copyright law, see:
* Copyright on the Internet
* The Copyright FAQ
* Ten Big Myths about Copyright Explained
Introduction to the WOTFAQ-- a Word from the FAQueen
This is the Wheel of Time Wondrous Masterpiece of Assembled Knowledge,
Theories, and Discussion (a.k.a. Frequently-Asked Questions
compendium). 'Tis edited and maintained by me, Pamela Korda, based
upon discussion of The Wheel of Time series on the Usenet group
rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan, as well as some personal
correspondence, and a few other sources on the Web. This version of
the WOTFAQ contains lots of SPOILERS for all books of The Wheel of
Time, up to and including book 8, The Path of Daggers, The World of
Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, and Robert Jordan's story, "New
Spring," in the anthology Legends. If you haven't read, don't read.
There are versions of the WOTFAQ from before TPOD (i.e. no spoilers,
but some out-dated theories), which you can find links to in the Wheel
of Time Index (See Section 0.08).
This version of the WOTFAQ (v5.0) has been updated to include
information and theories from The Path of Daggers, the Guide, and "New
Spring." I have also done some major re-organization, so hopefully it
will be easier to find what you're looking for. To that end, we've
created a new keyword index. (Thanks Matthew Hunter!) Survey results
have been deleted, since the most recent GN (Ghirardelli-Novak) survey
predates TPOD. If the GN survey team does a TPOD survey sufficiently
far in advance of the next book, I will add in the results to the
relevant sections of the WOTFAQ.
Standard Reference Format: [Book Abbreviation: Chapter Number, Chapter
Name, Tor HC page number]
Credits
=============================================================================
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=============================================================================
Keeper of the Chronicles (FAQ Maintainer): Pam Korda (kor2 @
midway.uchicago.edu)
Master of the Blades (HTML Implementation Maestro): Matthew Hunter
(mhunter @ andrew.cmu.edu)
Advertisement-free Web space courtesy of: Rick Moen (original site),
Alistair Young (UK mirror).
Beta-testers/Proofreaders: Tons of thanks to Kate Nepveu, John Novak,
and Steven Cooper for doing a great job of checking this thing over.
Thanks also to Trent Goulding and John Hamby for doing a bit of
proofreading.
FAQing awesome people: Kevin Bartlett, Richard Boye', Steven Cooper,
John S. Hamby, Karl-Johan Noren, John S. Novak III (These are people
who either wrote new sections for me, or whose web pages I plundered
mercilessly for good analyses of Asmodean's murder.). Also Erica Sadun
for recommending the new organization of sections 1 and 2.
Mother of the FAQ (Originator of the WOTFAQ): Erica Sadun.
All Contributors Great and Small
Dylan Flynn "Easing the Badger" Alexander * Chris Anderson * Michael
Arnett * Hugh Arai * Sandy Armstrong * Keith Aschinger * R. Nathanial
Azinger * Will Baird * Maia Bakroeva * Glen Justin Balmer * Charles J.
Barbec * Chris Barrera * Kevin Bartlett * Tony Bartling * Daniel
Bartlett * Brian Bax * Lara Beaton * Aaron Bergman * Alice Bergmann *
John Walter Biles * Richard Boye' * Chris Bradley * Maggie Brazeau *
Bill E. Brooks * Jean-Luc Brouillet * Timothy S. "Timmy" Bruening * J.
P. Bryan * Charles Buckley * Jason Burrone * Stewart S. Bushman *
Arthur Bernard Byrne * Paul W. Cashman * Keith Casner * Christopher
Lee Cavender * Kenneth Cavness * Randy Cerveny * Dennis Hohn-Chong Cho
* Alistair Chiu * Damien Cole * Mary Conner * Steven Cooper * Jennifer
Cross * Mike Dady * Ruchira Datta * Amish Dave * Kyle Davis * Yancy
Davis * Steve Deffeyes * Dave "Walls of Books" DeLaney * Tobias Denig
* Chris Dewey * Trevor Dewey * Jean Dufresne * Roderick Easton * Eric
Ebinger * Richard Edwards * Mark Erikson * Tony Evans * Jain
Farstrider * J. R. Feehan * Colin Fishy * Chris Flora * Courtenay
Footman * Jim "Robin Jim" Ford * Michel Forget * Susan Frager * M.C.
Friddle * Jeff Fullmer * Carolyn Fusinato * A. M. Gabutero * Christian
M. Gadeken * Konrad Gaertner * Devin L. Ganger * Bill Garrett * Helmut
Geyer * Judy "Very Small Animal" Ghirardelli * Bob Gibson * Drew
Gillmore * Joel Gilmore * Steve Ginter * Alfred Glass * Jocelyn "who
is not Kathleen" Goldfein * Michael Gonzalez * Stephen Graham * Amy
Gray * Gary Greenbaum * Michael Guenther * Johan Gustafsson * John
"JSH" Hamby * Chris Hammock * Michelle Haines * Jeff Han * Michael
Hanneman * John C. Hansen * Kay-Arne Hansen * Stephen J. Hardy * Don
Harlow * Hawk * John Hawkinson * Mark Hazen * Walter Hedges * Nathan
Hendrix * Clint Hepner * Matthew Heslin * Keith Higginson * Captain
Commander Sean Hillyard * John Hills * Bob Hofmann * Dave Holman *
Melissa Horn * Thomas Howard * Justin Howell * James Huckaby * Eugene
Hung * Matthew Hunter * John Ireland * James Jen * John Johnson *
Robert Jordan (duh.) * Christopher Kane * Robert Kelley * Mike Kelly *
Daniel John Kelly-Harrity * David "Wee Dave" Kennedy * Jacob Kesinger
* Paul Khangure * Tanya Koenig * Pamela Korda * Paul Krasicky * Lars
Kremers * Tyler Langenkamp * Evan "Skwid" Langlinais * Mike Lawson *
Hank Lee * Andrea Leistra * Mike Lemons * Craig Martin Levin * Shen
Kiat Lim * Bo Lindbergh * Edward Liu * Mark Looi * Mark "Robe Thrown
Recklessly Open" Loy * Mike "Sir MPS" Macchione * Shayne Macfarlane *
Benjamin Magno * Ted Maire * Cameron Majidi * Luke Mankin * Jim Mann *
Michael Martin * Stephanie Mason * Bill McCarthy * Tom McCormick * Sam
McGee * Edward Measure * Roxanne Meida * Kelley Miles * Shane Miller *
Craig Moe * Kurt Montadon * Kevin P. Mooney * Don Morgan * Joe Morris
* James Morrison * David Mortman * Michael Mueller * Roy Navarre *
Kate Nepveu * Michael Nielsen * Patrick Nielsen Hayden * Karl-Johan
Noren * John S. Novak III, The Humblest Man on the Net * Emmet O'Brien
* Sean O'Hara * Michael J. O'Malley * Chad "Oil'Ba'alzamon'Can" Orzel
* Daniel "Zippy" O'Toole * Alex Outhred * Anthony Padilla * Alex
Paradi * Laura M. Parkinson * Rimesh Patel * Simon Patterson * Emma
Pease * Mark Perry * Rhonda Peters * Thomas Petersen * Teri Pettit *
George D. Phillies * Jim Phillips * Piglet * Eric C. Piquette *
Richard Pistole * Greg Pobst * Heikki Poso * Jeffrey Scott Raglin *
Bret C. Rediker * Brian Ritchie * Joseph Rosenfeld * Dave Rothgery *
John Rowat * Chris Russo * Burr Rutledge * Erica Sadun * Kevin Samborn
* Jared Samet * Marc Sanders * Eric Saunders * Ulrich Schade * Jeff
Schneiter * Morgan Donald Scott * Rafael R. Sevilla * Viren Shah * Joe
"Uno" Shaw * Vivienne Shen * Zach Simpson * Jimmy Sj÷berg * Peter
Smalley * Will Smit * Jeff Smith * Daniel "Ford" Sohl * Vic Stallion *
S. Stark * Michael "Darkelf" Steeves * Brian Sullivan * Charles L.
Stuart * Martin Terman * Aline Thompson * Elayne Thompson * Ilya
Tillekens * J. Tinney * Preston Toliver * Carl Traber * Fred Van Keuls
* Jonathan Vaught * Sven Venema * Jonathan Vessey * Ville Virrankoski
* Paul Ward * Ken Warkentyne * Bryon Wasserman * Warren Way * Olaf
Weber * Michael Werle * Dash Wendrzyk * Katrina Werpetinski * Greg
Wheatley * William Whitesman * G. Williams * Windsor Williams * Aaron
Wong * Edmund Wong * Bill Woolsey * David Wren-Hardin * Jonathan
"Nelno the Amoeba" Wright * Donal Wyckoff * Tony Yoder * Tim Yoon *
Alistair Young * Sydo Zandstra * Tony Zbaraschuk *
_________________________________________________________________
Contents
Note on changes since the last version:
* Items marked "NEW" are sections which are, well, new.
* Items marked "UPDATED" are sections which include significant new
information and/or discussion.
* Items marked "REVISED" are sections which have been re-worked to
be easier to read and understand, and which may contain some minor
new info or discussion.
_________________________________________________________________
*
0 Administrivia
* 0.01 Introduction, Credits, and Contents revised
* 0.02 RJ says the FAQ is only 1/3 right. Why should I bother
reading it? new
* 0.03 Acronyms and Abbreviations revised
* 0.04 What are these Jordan Wheel of Time books? revised
* 0.05 What should I do if I've become obsessed?
* 0.06 What's the deal with those shoddy Tor covers that keep
falling off?
* 0.07 Who is Robert Jordan, really? What else has he written?
* 0.08 What other resources are out there, besides the FAQ? revised
* 0.09 How can I contact Robert Jordan? revised
* 0.10 Is there a downloadable version of the FAQ? new
1 The Dark Side
*
1.1 The Forsaken: The Old Guard
* 1.1.1 Who are the Forsaken? Where are they now? updated
* 1.1.2 Who is Mesaana, in the Tower? updated
* 1.1.3 Who was Silvie?
* 1.1.4 Why did Sammael claim he had a truce with Rand?
* 1.1.5 What was Sammael doing in Shadar Logoth, or Did Sammael Plan
that Whole Thing to Fake his Death? revised
* 1.1.6 Is Mazrim Taim really Mazrim Taim? Is he Demandred? updated
* 1.1.7 Death of Asmodean updated
* 1.1.8 Could Lanfear be Good? (not just in bed, Roy)
* 1.1.9 Was Ishamael really bound? new
1.2 The Forsaken: New Kids on the Block
* 1.2.1 Who are Aran'gar and Osan'gar? revised
* 1.2.2 Is Dashiva Osan'gar? updated
* 1.2.3 What is the deal with Halima and Egwene's headaches? updated
* 1.2.4 Who is Moridin? Why do we think that he is the Watcher and
the Wanderer? updated
* 1.2.5 Who is Cyndane, and where did she come from? new
* 1.2.6 Moridin's Nine Sha'rah players new
1.3 How's that work for the Dark?
* 1.3.1 What are those black threads on the male Forsaken? revised
* 1.3.2 Fifty Ways to Kill a Gholam updated
* 1.3.3 The True Power
* 1.3.4 Where do Trollocs and Myrddraal come from? revised
* 1.3.5 Are Black Ajah bound by the Oath Rod? updated
* 1.3.6 Are the Seals connected to the Taint? new
* 1.3.7 What is the deal with BA and Warders? new
1.4 What's up in the Dark? Who's who?
* 1.4.1 Who ordered Melindhra and why?
* 1.4.2 Slayer (Isam and Luc)
* 1.4.3 Can Slayer channel? new
* 1.4.4 Shaidar Haran, Superfade updated
* 1.4.5 Who will be the new dreadlords?
* 1.4.6 The 'Aiel' Attack on Demira Sedai -- What's the deal with
that? revised
* 1.4.7 Did Shaidar Haran violate Moghedien? new
* 1.4.8 Who killed Adeleas and Ispan? new
1.5 Black? Or Not?
* 1.5.1 Is Aram a Darkfriend?
* 1.5.2 Why Moiraine is not Black Ajah
* 1.5.3 Why Elaida isn't Black Ajah
* 1.5.4 Is Sheriam Black Ajah? Who's beating her up? updated
* 1.5.5 Is Chesa a darkfriend? new
* 1.5.6 Who is not a darkfriend? revised
1.6 Shadar Logoth, Mashadar, and Fain
* 1.6.1 More of the Fain
* 1.6.2 Mordeth, Mashadar, and Machin Shin revised
* 1.6.3 What was up with Liah in Shadar Logoth?
Things not (necessarily) of the Dark
*
2.1 The Ta'veren
* 2.1.1 What's up with Mat's new ring?
* 2.1.2 Is there a connection between Mat's luck and the dice
ter'angreal?
* 2.1.3 Is Mat still linked to the Horn?
* 2.1.4 When was Rand's Power-Acquisition Fever Syndrome?
* 2.1.5 What's up with Mat and his memories? revised
* 2.1.6 LTT -- is he for real, or is Rand loony? What happened to
him in ACOS? revised
2.2 The Rest
* 2.2.1 Can Thom channel?
* 2.2.2 What was up with Gawyn during the Tower Coup?
* 2.2.3 Who was the geezer on the barrel? revised
* 2.2.4 What's the deal with Setalle Anan? Is she the one who is no
longer? updated
* 2.2.5 Where is Gaidal Cain now? revised
* 2.2.6 How do we know that Moiraine is not dead? updated
* 2.2.7 Verin: Black, Brown, or Purple? (What's up with Verin, how
old is she, is she bound by the Oath Rod?) updated
2.3 The Power and Power-related objects
* 2.3.01 What's up with the male-female a'dam link where they both
die screaming?
* 2.3.02 The Sad Bracelets / male a'dam
* 2.3.03 Effects of the Oath Rod: Binding, Agelessness, and Death
updated
* 2.3.04 How do One-Power-forged blades work?
* 2.3.05 What is the range on sensing other channelers? updated
* 2.3.06 Can you make horizontal gateways?
* 2.3.07 How does balefire work? updated
* 2.3.08 What is the difference between Skimming and Travelling?
* 2.3.09 What do Dreamers and Dreamwalkers do?
* 2.3.10 How does Mat's medallion work?
* 2.3.11 What are 'involuntary rings'? new
* 2.3.12 What caused the One Power weirdness in Ebou Dar? new
* 2.3.13 Is Cadsuane's hair-thingy a ter'angreal? new
* 2.3.14 The Seven Seals: Status Report
2.4 Days Of Yore
* 2.4.01 Who was Beidomon? updated
* 2.4.02 Did LTT balefire himself?
* 2.4.03 The Green Man and the Song (Who is the green man, what is
the song, who will find the song, who were the Aiel?) revised
* 2.4.04 Jain Farstrider: Where is he now?
* 2.4.05 The Old Tongue and the New Tongue revised
* 2.4.06 Who or what was (the) Tamyrlin? revised
* 2.4.07 What did Ogier do of old? revised
* 2.4.08 Were there Ajahs in the Age of Legends? updated
* 2.4.09 Was the Sharom the Dark One's prison? revised
* 2.4.10 Tigraine = Shaiel: An analysis
* 2.4.11 What was the Vileness after the Aiel War? new
2.5 True Love and Families
* 2.5.1 Who's Who in the Families?
* 2.5.2 Who is Juilin's honey?
* 2.5.3 Who is the Daughter of the Nine Moons? How will Mat meet
her? updated
* 2.5.4 Why do we think that Thom will marry Moiraine?
* 2.5.5 Is Thom the father of Elayne or Gawyn? revised
* 2.5.6 Kari al'Thor: What do we know about her?
* 2.5.7 Is Aviendha Pregnant? updated
2.6 What's up? (Non-dark section)
* 2.6.1 What is the deal with Callandor? Who will use it? updated
* 2.6.2 The Severed Hand
* 2.6.3 Who are the Aelfinn and Eelfinn? revised
* 2.6.4 Where do the Aes Sedai get their money? new
* 2.6.5 The Mystery of the Salidar Sitters new
* 2.6.6 What was going on at the end of POD? new
2.7 Absurd Trivia and Generalities
* 2.7.1 How does one sniff, anyway? What about snorting? revised
* 2.7.2 How tall is everybody? revised
* 2.7.3 How old is everyone? revised
* 2.7.4 Is there religion in Randland?
* 2.7.5 Iconography revised
* 2.7.6 MisSteps (Errors along the way) updated
* 2.7.7 When Rand and Mat are travelling to Caemlyn in TEOTW, why
does the scene with the scarves happen twice? new
3 Sources of Knowledge
* 3.01 King Arthur and the Holy Grail revised
* 3.02 Trolloc tribe names
* 3.03 Is the world of Randland a future Earth?
* 3.04 Christian and Biblical Parallels
* 3.05 Random Names updated
* 3.06 Dragon Legends
* 3.07 Norse Mythology revised
* 3.08 The Fisher King new
* 3.09 The Aiel, Native Americans, and the Zulu
* 3.10 Greek and Roman Mythology
* 3.11 Miscellaneous References updated
* 3.12 Similarities between The Wheel of Time and other SF
(including Dune)
* 3.13 Real Nation's influence on Randland new
4 Prophecy
* 4.01 Egwene's Dreams updated
* 4.02 Min's Viewings updated
* 4.03 Various Prophecy revised
* 4.04 The Dark Prophecy revised
* 4.05 The Karaethon Cycle revised
* 4.06 Perrin's Dreams revised
* 4.07 Fourth Age Histories revised
99 Publishing Stuff
* 99.1 When is the next book going to be out? updated
* 99.2 What is the Guide? What is 'New Spring'? new
XXXXXXXXXXXX
0.2: RJ says the FAQ is only 1/3 right. Why should I bother reading it?
_________________________________________________________________
RJ's standard comment on the FAQ is that it's "about one-third
correct, one-third close but not quite, and one-third dead wrong."
[e.g. post-ACOS signing in Charleston, South Carolina, 21 June 1996,
report by Brian Ritchie] If it's so incorrect, why bother reading it?
Bill Garrett explains:
1) The FAQ isn't intended as a benchmark of absolute truth. It's a
collection of frequently asked questions and our best answers to them,
right or wrong. It's there so people with questions can find out what
our answers and ideas are, all organized in one convenient place.
2) Of course the FAQ isn't 100% correct. Much of it is devoted to
describing opposing viewpoints on key questions. For example, consider
the "Who killed Asmodean?" entry. Numerous theories are presented, but
at most one of them is correct and the rest are wrong -- unless
Asmodean was killed by a posse consisting of various Forsaken,
Myrdraal, darkfriend Aiel, Padan Fain, and Bela.
You should read the FAQ because it will give you an idea of what has
been said before by many people. Chances are, if you want to know what
people think about a given theory, it's in here. Familiarizing
yourself with other people's arguments will help you make your own
more interesting and persuasive.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
0.3: Acronyms and Abbreviations used in the FAQ
_________________________________________________________________
Abbreviations referring to books, newsgroups, etc.
* TWOT/WOT: 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
* LOC: Lord of Chaos
* ACOS: A Crown of Swords
* TPOD: The Path of Daggers
* L:NS: Legends: "New Spring"
* Guide: The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time
* RAFO: "Read and Find Out." This is RJ's most common response to
questions which fans ask him.
* RJ: Robert Jordan
* FAQ/WOTFAQ: WMAKTD, Wonderful Masterpiece of Assembled Knowledge,
Theories, and Discussion, (but FAQ is easier to say and makes for
better puns)
* rasfw: rec.arts.sf.written
* rasfwrj: rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan
Abbreviations and Jargon Referring to Stuff in TWOT
* AM: Asha'man
* AOL: Age of Legends
* AS: Aes Sedai
+ SAS: Salidar Aes Sedai (Egwene's faction)
+ TAS: Tower Aes Sedai (Elaida's faction)
* Asm/Asmo: Asmodean
* BA: Black Ajah
* BF: Balefire
* BT: Black Tower
* Dashivan'gar: Dashiva/Osan'gar, if they are the same person
* Dem: Demandred
* DO: Dark One
* DF: Darkfriend
* DFS: Darkfriend Social
* DotNM: Daughter of the Nine Moons
* Eg/Egw: Egwene
* El: Elayne
* Finn: A/Eelfinn (Snakes and Foxes)
* Finnland: the world(s?) where the Finn live
* Gars: Aran'gar and Osan'gar
* Ish/Ishy: Ishamael
* Mog/Moggy: Moghedien
* Moi/Moir: Moiraine
* MPS: Mad, Passionate Sex, Mad Purple Stegasaurus, Many Purple
Straws
* MT: Mazrim Taim
* Ny/Nyn: Nynaeve
* OP: One Power
* OR: Oath Rod
* Randland: 1) The world where the series takes place, 2) The
portion of the world shown on the Map.
* Sam/Sammy: Sammael
* Sem: Semirhage
* SG: Shayol Ghul
* SH: Shaidar Haran
* SS: Siuan Sanche
* Taimandred: Taim/Demandred, if they are the same person
* TAR/T'A'R: Tel'aran'rhiod
* TP: True Power (Dark One's Power)
* TV: Tar Valon
* WCs: Whitecloaks
* WOs: Wise Ones
* WT: White Tower
* YKYBRTMRJW: You Know You've Been Reading Too Much Robert Jordan
When...
XXXXXXXXX
0.4: What are these Jordan Wheel of Time books?
_________________________________________________________________
The Wheel of Time, by Robert Jordan: U.S. Hardcover editions, from Tor
Books:
* The Eye of the World ISBN 0-312-85009-3
* The Great Hunt ISBN 0-312-85140-5
* The Dragon Reborn ISBN 0-312-85248-7
* The Shadow Rising ISBN 0-312-85431-5
* The Fires of Heaven ISBN 0-312-85427-7
* Lord of Chaos ISBN 0-312-85428-5
* A Crown of Swords ISBN 0-312-85767-5
* The Path of Daggers ISBN 0-312-85769-1
Related Books, all from Tor:
* The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, by Robert Jordan
and Teresa Patterson. ISBN 0-312-86219-9
* Legends, ed. Robert Silverberg. ISBN 0-312-86787-5 (Contains the
WOT novella "New Spring," by RJ.)
U.S. Paperback editions, from Tor:
* The Eye of the World ISBN 0-812-51181-6
* The Great Hunt ISBN 0-812-51772-5
* The Dragon Reborn ISBN 0-812-51371-1
* The Shadow Rising ISBN 0-812-51373-8
* The Fires of Heaven ISBN 0-812-50974-9
* Lord of ChaosISBN 0-812-51275-4
* A Crown of Swords ISBN 0-812-55028-5
The first two books in the series were initially issued as trade
paperbacks; for the sake of completeness, here they are:
U.S. Trade Paperback editions, from Tor:
+ The Eye of the World ISBN 0-812-50048-2
+ The Great Hunt ISBN 0-812-50971-4
XXXXXXXXXXXX
0.5: What should I do if I've become obsessed?
[Judy Ghirardelli]
_________________________________________________________________
Judy G. gives us intelligent advice on treatment of Jordan fanaticism:
1. Stop calling the nice lady at your local bookstore to harass 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 ...)
XXXXXXXXXXXX
0.6: What is the deal with those cheap Tor covers that won't stay on?
[Eric Ebinger]
_________________________________________________________________
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 have a go at
repairing them yourself, Eric Ebinger provides instructions:
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
Instructions:
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 (where the spine of the book would
be, if the book was still in its cover) until 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.
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.
I've also heard that applying heat, to re-melt the glue, works.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
0.7 Who is Robert Jordan, really? What else has he written?
_________________________________________________________________
"Robert Jordan" is actually a pseudonym for James Oliver Rigney, Jr.,
under which he has written the "Wheel of Time" fantasy series as well
as several books of the "Conan" series (Conan the Invincible, C.t.
Unconquered, C.t.Magnificent, C.t.Victorious, C.t.Triumphant,
C.t.Destroyer, C.t.Defender). Other pseudonyms which he has used are
Reagan O'Neal (the "Fallon" series of historical novels), Jackson
O'Reilly (Cheyenne Raiders, a Western), and Chang Lung (contributions
to various periodicals including Library Journal, Fantasy Review,
Science Fiction Review). [Source: Contemporary Authors vol. 140].
Many, if not all of the Conan books are still in print. Tor Books has
re-released the Fallon books under the "Forge" imprint, with covers
done by infamous fantasy artist Darrell K. Sweet.
RJ has told several people, at signings and in letters, that if^H^H
when he completes TWOT, he plans to write another fantasy tale set in
a Seanchan-like culture. The main character will be a more mature
figure than Rand, and the tale involves him being shipwrecked in
pseudo-Seanchan, where whatever is cast up on the shores of one's
estate becomes one's property, even people. Doubtlessly, there'll be
many changes from RJ's description to the actual story, but it gives
us something to look forward to.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
0.8: What other resources are out there, besides the FAQ?
_________________________________________________________________
With so much time in between books, we need something to occupy our
time, right? Fortunately, there are many, many WOT-related web sites,
newsgroups, chat rooms, mailing lists, ftp sites, fanzines, MUDs, and
so forth. Since this FAQ is updated about as often as RJ puts out new
books, I won't list URLs here, they'll just become outdated. Instead,
I will list one URL, for the Compleat Wheel of Time Index -- the
original (and still the best, if I say so myself) index of WOT-related
stuff on the Net. The site is updated much more frequently than this
FAQ. The URL is:
http://student-www.uchicago.edu/users/kor2/WOT/WOTindex/
XXXXXXXXXXXX
0.9: How can I contact Robert Jordan?
_________________________________________________________________
RJ is not on the net.
You can send mail to RJ in care of his publisher, Tor Books. The
address is given on the copyright page of the books:
Robert Jordan
c/o Tor Books
175 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10010
Tor forwards mail which they receive for RJ to him. They've been known
to forward printed-out copies of e-mail which they've received for RJ.
However, the Tor Books FAQ specifically says, "Don't send us email
meant for our authors." So, you're taking your chances if you try to
contact RJ that way. (You can read the Tor Books FAQ on their web
site: http://www.tor.com/.)
XXXXXXXXXXXX
0.10: Is there a downloadable version of the FAQ?
_________________________________________________________________
If you would like a copy of the HTML version of the FAQ to keep on
your own computer, there is a zip file you can download. There is also
a text version of the FAQ which you can download. You can download
either version for personal use only. This means that you can keep the
files on your personal computer and look at them whenever you want.
You may not distribute it. Among other things, you may not put it up
on a web site. If you are interested in maintaining a mirror site for
the FAQ, contact P. Korda and Matthew Hunter.
If we find bootleg copies of the FAQ on the web, we will reconsider
our decision to distribute the FAQ in this way. Don't ruin things for
everybody else.
The HTML version of the FAQ can be downloaded from: (Not yet
available, be patient).
The text version of the FAQ can be downloaded from: (Not yet
available, be patient).
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Section 1.1: The Forsaken: The Old Guard
_________________________________________________________________
This subsection contains information on and discussion of the thirteen
Forsaken, in their original guises.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.1.1: Who are the Forsaken? Where are they now?
[Mark Looi, Erica Sadun, P. Korda]
_________________________________________________________________
During the AOL, many Aes Sedai turned to the Dark Side. The Guide
tells us that "the best of them were given power and ability beyond
that of others....Among themselves they were known as 'Those Chosen to
Rule the World Forever,' or simply 'the Chosen.'" [Guide: 5, The Dark
One and the Male Forsaken, 49] In the Third Age, the term "Forsaken"
is used to refer to the thirteen who were caught in the sealing of the
Bore. According to the Guide [Guide: 5, The DO and the Male Forsaken,
50], those thirteen were the most powerful of the Chosen.
The 13 Forsaken (in alphabetical order) are
* AGINOR (M): Alias: Osan'gar. Real name Ishar Morrad Chuain. Before
turning to the Shadow, he was a very famous biologist. He was the
second most powerful of the Male Forsaken. He created the various
Shadowspawn, and was apparently never involved in military
operations (RJ said that the guy who created the Trollocs had no
combat experience [Correspondence]). Killed at the Eye of the
World by drawing too much of the One Power during a confrontation
with Rand. [TEotW: 51, Against the Shadow, 634-5]. He has been
recycled into the body of a middle-aged Borderlander by the Dark
One, and is now called Osan'gar. Current whereabouts are unknown,
but one popular speculation is that he is Dashiva. (See section
1.2.2.)
* ASMODEAN (M): Real name Joar Addam Nesossin [TFoH: 45, After the
Storm, 516]. Alias: Jasin Natael. Before turning to the Shadow, he
was a composer and musician. Thought by many to be the weakest and
most cowardly of the Forsaken. Captured by Rand and shielded by
Lanfear at Rhuidean [TSR: 58, The Traps of Rhuidean, 674-7]. Toast
at the end of TFoH...Twice! No body was found, so most people in
Randland do not know he is dead, just that he has vanished. The DO
is likely either unwilling or unable to recycle him, since THOSE
WHO BETRAY [the DO] WILL DIE THE FINAL DEATH. Claimed to have
joined the Shadow for the promise of eternal life, in which to
practise songs and music. The identity of his killer is unknown.
(See section 1.1.7)
* BALTHAMEL (M): Real name Eval Ramman. Aliases: Aran'gar, Halima.
In the AOL, he was a historian before turning to the Dark Side.
The Guide [Guide: 5, The DO and the Male Forsaken, 54] indicates
that he may have run a spy network for the Shadow during the War
of Power. He was notorious for being an utter lecher. He was
killed by the Green Man at the Eye of the World [TEotW: 50,
Meetings at the Eye, 630-1]. He has been recycled into the body of
an attractive woman, and is called Aran'gar. Currently, she has
infiltrated the Salidar Aes Sedai, and is acting as Egwene's
masseuse.
* BE'LAL (M): Real name Duram Laddel Cham. Aliases: Netweaver, High
Lord Samon of Tear. He was a lawyer in the AOL. After turning to
the Shadow, he served as a general and governor. He was balefired
by Moiraine in the Stone of Tear [TDR: 55, What is Written in
Prophecy, 557].
* DEMANDRED (M): Real name Barid Bel Medar. During the AOL, played
second fiddle to LTT until he went over to the Shadow, where he
served as a general. He hated and envied LTT intensely, and has
transferred that feeling to Rand [TSR: 58, The The Traps of
Rhuidean, 677]. He turned to the Shadow because he got tired of
being second-best to LTT [TFoH: 3, Pale Shadows, 76-7], [LoC:
Prologue, The First Message, 56-7], who he considered to be his
intellectual inferior. Possibly involved with the Seanchan [LoC:
6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 135], also possibly masquerading as
Mazrim Taim (See section 1.1.6). Knows how to block gateways.
* GRAENDAL (F): Alias: Lady Basene. Steven Cooper notes, "The
nickname 'Maisia,' used by Sammael in ACOS, should perhaps be
mentioned here. I don't know the source, but apparently RJ
explained it was a name commonly given to pets in the AOL (no
wonder Graendal was not amused)." Real name Kamarile Maradim
Nindar. In the habit of taking aristocrats and making them serve
in some demeaning aspect, using enough Compulsion to fry their
brains and make them useless. Currently in Arad Doman, having
taken over somebody's palace. She has one of the World's Greatest
Generals, Lord Rodel Ituralde, working for her, and it seems as
though all the reported chaos in Arad Doman might not be quite as
chaotic as it first appears. She appears to visitors as a feeble
old lady. Before turning to the Shadow, she was a celebrated
psychiatrist in the AOL [LoC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 130-9],
and an ascetic. She seems to be underestimated by all the other
Forsaken, besides Sammael. Was duped by Sammael, for a short time,
into following him, due to his claim of being Nae'blis. She has
recently been "reined in" by Moridin and his minions.
* ISHAMAEL (M): Real name Elan Morin Tedronai, aka Ba'alzamon. The
most philosophically-minded of the Forsaken, he came up with many
theories on the nature of the battle between the Creator and the
DO [LoC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 133]. Believed by many to be
the most powerful Forsaken. Was partially or totally free during
the Third Age. )See section 1.1.9.) Believed by the other Forsaken
to be partially or totally mad. Frequent user of the "True Power."
Killed by Rand in Tear [TDR: 55, What is Written in Prophecy,
570]. He has been recycled into the body of a dark, handsome young
man, and calls himself Moridin. He has reassumed his pre-death
position as Big Cheese in the Shadow's hierarchy, and is in the
process of getting the other Forsaken under his control.
* LANFEAR (F): Real name: Mierin Eronaile. Aliases: Selene, Keille,
Silvie, Else Grinwell (in TDR). She was the most powerful of the
female Forsaken, and was maybe the second-strongest of all. Former
lover of LTT, who believes she was rudely tossed over for Ilyena.
She was not famous in the AOL [Guide: 6, The Female Forsaken and
the Darkfriends], when she was a researcher into the One Power.
She was one of the AS who opened the Bore, apparently unwittingly.
Known for interfering in others' plans, twisting them to her
advantage. Tackled by Moiraine in TFOH, and fell into Finnland. It
is very likely that she has a new body, either from dying and
being recycled, or from a wish to the Finn, and is called Cyndane
(See section 1.2.5), who is mindtrapped by Moridin.
* MESAANA (F): Real name: Saine Tarasind. Was rejected by the Collam
Daan (a major research institution during the AOL), so instead of
being a researcher, she ended up a teacher, until she found a way
to Teach Them All! MUAHAHAH! She is currently the power behind the
power behind the throne in the White Tower (See section 1.1.2,
running Elaida through Alviarin. She has been known to plot with
Demandred and Semirhage.
* MOGHEDIEN (F): Real name Lillen Moiral. Aliases: Gyldin, Marigan.
During the AOL, she was a shady "investment advisor." During the
War of the Power, she ran a spy network. She was captured by
Nynaeve in Tanchico, but escaped [TSR: 54, Into the Palace,
631-3]. She's believed to be the strongest Forsaken in
Tel'aran'rhiod. Captured by Nynaeve again in Salidar and forced to
teach her and Elayne. Released by Aran'gar and summoned to SG,
where she was severely punished, and was fitted with a mindtrap.
Is now a lackey of Moridin.
* RAHVIN (M): Real Name: Ared Mosinel. Alias: Lord Gaebril.
Previously held Queen Morgase in thrall via Compulsion. Balefired
by Rand at the end of TFOH.
* SAMMAEL (M): Real name Tel Janin Aellinsar. Alias Lord Brend of
Illian. During the AOL, he was an athlete. Served the DO as a
general. Was given scar by LTT, hates Rand. Always wanted to be
taller. He'd managed to get ahold of a number of AOL goodies from
stasis boxes, and some stuff from the Kin's stash in Ebou Dar.
Vanished during the fight with Rand in ACOS. Presumed dead by
Rand, Graendal, Moggy, and Cyndane.
* SEMIRHAGE (F): Real name Nemene Damendar Boann. Has a penchant for
gruesome torture. Whereabouts unknown. Hates Lanfear. Is very
tall, with dark skin and eyes, and likes wearing black. Was a
brilliant healer who took payment and pleasure in extracting extra
pain from her patients. Knows how to block open gateways. Turned
to the Dark Side to avoid being stilled or bound by an Oath Rod
for her sadism. Current whereabouts unknown. Our only clues are 1.
that she has a "willful" female charge [LOC: 6, Threads Woven of
Shadow, 141], and 2. Demandred's comment in [LOC: Prologue, The
First Message, 58]: "When I think where you two (Mesaana and
Semirhage) have placed yourselves, I wonder. How much has the
Great Lord known, for how long? How much of what has happened has
been at his design all along?" Mesaana is in the Tower; Semirhage
is likely in a similarly convenient place.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.1.2: Who is Mesaana, in the Tower?
[Tony Zbaraschuck, Marc Zappala, Pam Korda]
_________________________________________________________________
In LOC, we find out that Mesaana is hiding out in the White Tower
[LoC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 138]. Naturally, this leads to the
question of who she is pretending to be. Some folks think that she has
taken the Rahvin/Sammael/Be'lal/Graendal route, and is posing as a
high-ranking AS in the Tower. ACOS and TPOD make it very clear that
Mesaana is NOT Galina or Alviarin, by letting us see their thoughts.
(Not to mention, Alviarin talks to Mesaana, and Mesaana would not have
had the lack of skill that led to Galina getting captured by Sevanna.)
It is unlikely that Mesaana is anybody that anybody knows. None of the
Forsaken (except possibly Demandred) have copied an already- prominent
identity. Rather, they take a little-known or unknown identity and
then promote themselves rapidly. This is probably because supplanting
someone is not easy, requiring a total control of oneself, and the
ability to copy the tiniest habits. This is especially true in the
Tower, where Aes Sedai can doubtless read meaning in the tilt of an
eyebrow or the tapping of a finger. For example, the head of the Red
Ajah would be someone well-known to a lot of Reds, and Alviarin was
also an influential White (she convinced her Ajah to side with
Elaida). There's no real easy way to replace either one.
In [ACOS: Prologue, Lightnings, 41], Alviarin thinks "She [Mesaana]
must be one of the sisters; surely she was not among servants, bound
to labor and sweat. But who? Too many women had been out of the Tower
for years before Elaida's summons, too many had no close friends, or
none at all." Thus, Mesaana could be posing as one of the long-gone
sisters, somebody who'd been gone so long that differences in
personality, etc. would not seem too amiss, or one of the AS who is
not known very well. Note that Danelle, the Brown who assisted in
Elaida's coup, is one of the latter (no friends, see [ACOS: Prologue,
Lightnings, 38]).
Alviarin's opinions notwithstanding, it is possible that Mesaana is
posing as a maid or some other servant.
It has been suggested that Tarna, the Red emissary to Salidar, is
Mesaana in disguise. There's not a lot of evidence for this, except
that in the chapter where Tarna talks to Ny and El [LoC: 13, Under the
Dust, 232] the chapter icon is the Forsaken icon, and there is no
other obvious candidate in there to be Forsaken. Of course, the
chapter icons don't always apply 100%, but every other chapter in the
books with that icon has a Forsaken, or reference to one, in it. Tarna
is good friends with Galina [LoC: 13, Under the Dust, 237], a known BA
and head of the Red Ajah, so this could be an extensive way to control
the Tower with a Red Amyrlin. There are arguments against this, too--
why would Mesaana run her own errands? The problem of a previous
history raises its head, here, too.
In [ACOS: Prologue, Lightnings, 41], Alviarin notes that Mesaana taps
her lip with her finger while thinking. This is not a useful trait in
identifying Mesaana, since numerous Aes Sedai do this, among them
Leane, Alviarin herself, Nesune [LOC: 27, Gifts, 395], Theodrin [ACOS:
11, An Oath, 210], Moiraine, and Vandene.
In a similar vein, in [TPOD: 25 ,An Unwelcome Return, 497] when
Alviarin is groveling before Mesaana, she catches a glimpse of
Mesaana's skirt: "Seizing the hem of Mesaana's dress, she rained
kisses on it. The weave of Illusion...did not hold completely, with
her frantically shifting the skirt's edge. Flickers of bronze silk
with a thin border of intricately embroidered black scrollwork showed
through." Alviarin thinks she could use this info to identify Mesaana
in the Tower. Readers have tried to use the clue to find Mesaana, as
well. However, this is about as futile as using lip-tapping as an
identifier. Some people wearing bronze or bronzish dresses are Romanda
and one of the Tower Brown Sitters named Shevan (her dress was "dark
gold") [TPOD, 25, An Unwelcome Return, 489]. Given the habit of so
many AS to wear clothes which color-code their Ajah, the bronze skirt
could point to any Yellow or Brown sister.
A caveat about the skirt, as Dennis Higbee notes: "Am I the only
person who thinks Mesaana, who was a researcher/ teacher, would know
enough about the weaves she was using to take some precautions about
her disguise? All she has to do is take a few seconds to change into
the gaudy dress that Alviarin sees, and she has another level of
disguise and another way to test her loyalty: If Alviarin is searching
too hard for the dress in question, Mesaana knows she's disloyal and
can zorch her at leisure."
If the bronze silk dress is actually Mesaana's, it is a point against
her being disguised as a scullery (maid), or some other menial
servant. She could still be some sort of higher-level non-AS-type,
such as a secretary. We know that AS can have non-AS secretaries;
Halima is accepted as Cabriana's ex-secretary, and as Delana's
secretary, without comment.
Another important thing to note is that if Mesaana is masquerading as
an Aes Sedai, there must be a way for channellers to disguise their
channelling ability, that is, to appear to be a weaker channeller than
one really is. Otherwise, Mesaana's super strength would be a dead
giveaway that she wasn't who she claimed to be. In fact, John Nowacki
reports that RJ said, at a post-POD booksigning in Washington, DC,
that a channeller can hide strength as well as ability to channel, but
added that few people know how to do it and the AS don't even know
these tricks are possible.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.1.3: Who was "Silvie"?
[P. Korda, Joe Shaw]
_________________________________________________________________
"Silvie" is the name given by the "old woman" Egwene meets in TAR in
[TDR: 27, Tel'aran'rhiod, 257-9]. Most likely, she was 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,
Shadowbrothers, 426] which matches Egwene's dreams about "puppets" in
[TDR: 37, Fires in Cairhien, 352-3]. Lanfear was playing along with
Ish, but working towards her own goals. Another possibility is that
Lanfear sent them to mess up Be'lal and Mesaana's plan.
There's no doubt that Silvie was Lanfear. The reason for ripping off
Egwene's ring ter'angreal to throw her out of T'A'R was just her cruel
streak; Lanfear knew she was a Dreamer 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 driven Lanfear bonkers.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.1.4: Why did Sammael claim he had a truce with Rand?
[Carolyn Fusinato, John Novak, Don Harlow]
_________________________________________________________________
1) Andris died in a pool of blood, delivering the message to Sammael
that there would be no truce. Sammael lied to Graendal. Why would
Sammael lie? All the Forsaken want to be Nae'blis. All the Forsaken
think that Rand stands a chance at becoming Nae'blis if he caves to
the Dark One. Therefore, all the Forsaken want Rand dead. The Dark
One, on the other hand, most explicitly does not want Rand dead. He
will punish any Forsaken who kills Rand. Therefore, all the Forsaken
want to make the other Forsaken paranoid enough to bump Rand off on
their own. This eliminates two contenders to the title of Nae'blis--
Rand, and whichever idiot kills him.
2) Andris died in a pool of blood, delivering the message to Sammael
that there would be a truce because someone else intervened to put
Sammael off his guard while Rand readies his counter-stroke from Tear
and the Plains of Maredo. Someone who knew that Sammael's emissary was
meeting with Rand at that moment. Who was present? Bashere, a Saldaean
named Hamad, some Aiel, and Aviendha. The evidence against this option
is that Rand should have been able to feel another man channelling or
have experienced goosebumps if a woman channelled, and Sammael's
thoughts about manipulating Graendal [LOC: 23, To Understand A
Message, 349] don't make sense if he isn't lying.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.1.5: What was Sammael up to in Shadar Logoth? Did he really die?
_________________________________________________________________
After the fight in SL, Rand assumes that Sammael has died, consumed by
Mashadar. Here is the sequence of events:
1. Rand goes to the SL Waygate, where Sammy is waiting for him (off
to the side of the square).
2. Mashadar starts creeping into the square.
3. Rand spots Sammy, who has not noticed him, and prepares to
balefire him.
4. He's interrupted by a scream from Liah, who has been caught by
Mashadar. Both Rand and Sammy are distracted, and turn to look at
her.
5. Rand balefires Liah, then loses control and sweeps a beam of BF
towards the square. He stops when he sees that the square is now
covered with Mashadar, and Sammael is nowhere to be seen.
Rand assumes that Sammael has been buried and consumed by Mashadar:
"There had not been time for him to run, no time to weave a gateway,
and if he had, Rand would have felt saidin being worked. Sammael was
dead, killed by an evil almost as great as himself." [ACOS: 41, A
Crown of Swords, 661]
Furthermore, in [TPOD: 12, New Alliances, 263], Cyndane asks Graendal,
"Do you know that Sammael is dead?" Graendal replies that she had
suspected that to be the case, because Sammael's frequent ("every few
days") visits to her had ceased. From this, we know that Sammael has
stopped visiting Graendal; this cessation of contact is probably
coincident with the fight in SL. Cyndane's comment doesn't tell us as
much as one might think. Taken at face value, it means that Cyndane
thinks that Sammael is dead, and possibly that Cyndane's master,
Moridin (who lent Rand a hand in SL), thinks that Sammael is dead.
Given that Moridin seems to be the head honcho of all things Shadowy,
one might suppose that if Moridin thinks Sam is dead, then he must be.
After all, Moridin had been keeping pretty close tabs on Sammael.
However, can we really take Cyndane's question at face value? She may
have asked simply to make Graendal think Sam is dead, or Moridin may
want Cyndane and Graendal to believe he is dead. Since Graendal was
Sam's ally (to some extent), Moridin may have believed that news of
Sam's death would make her more likely to fall under his command.
Another alternative is that Sammael fooled them all, including
Moridin.
Now, we know that Sammael could have escaped without detection by
using the True Power. This would have required the DO's permission,
and that implies that if Sam is alive, the DO must know. Since Moridin
is the DO's "golden boy," Moridin would probably know of Sam's
continued existence.
Sammael supposedly died from Mashadar. We have seen two other cases of
Mashadar catching people: Liah in ACOS, and some Trollocs and a Fade
in [TEOTW: 20, Dust on the Wind, 251]. From both accounts, being
caught in Mashadar is an extremely painful way to die. Liah screams
like crazy from just a tendril touching her leg. The shadowspawn in
TEOTW also try to scream, but their mouths are blocked by Mashadar, so
no sound comes out. It is reasonable to suppose that if Sammael had
indeed been caught by Mashadar, he would have screamed. Rand heard no
scream. However, this doesn't absolutely prove that Sam escaped,
because he could have had his mouth blocked, like the Trollocs.
So if didn't die, what really happened?
Prior to TPOD, we had no reason at all to suppose that Sam was
actually dead. The question still remains, if he didn't die, then what
did happen? The following analyses date from before TPOD.
Why Sammael's Death in Shadar Logoth was a Ruse
[John Novak]
There exists the strong possibility that Sammael led Rand to Shadar
Logoth as the culmination of a plot, not to kill Rand, but to convince
Rand that he had killed Sammael. This section will discuss Sammael's
motive, Sammael's means, the evidence which supports the idea, and a
few notes.
Sammael's Motive
As a recap of Forsaken activities in previous books, it is quite
possible that the combined plot of Lanfear, Graendal, Sammael and
Rahvin in TFOH was the first serious attempt to kill Rand al'Thor.
Aginor and Balthamel seemed more intent on the Eye of the World than
on Rand. Apart from the occasional outburst, Ishamael seems never to
have wanted to kill Rand, but to use him. Lanfear wanted to convert
him to her slave. Be'lal's plan did not require Rand's death, and
Asmodean ran away from Rand as soon as he was discovered.
In TFOH, however, a plan existed to draw Rand into the middle of a
four-person link of Forsaken, Rahvin certainly seemed to want to kill
Rand when he was surprised in Caemlyn, and Lanfear went absolutely
insane and tried to kill him at the docks in Cairhien.
After TFOH, the explicit order came down from the Dark One through
Demandred that Rand al'Thor should not be killed. Also, Sammael was
left as the only visible member of the quartet which tried to kill
Rand. Rahvin was dead, Lanfear dead to all appearances, and Rand never
knew of Graendal. Sam had been the lure before, and was even more a
lure now. Further, Rand knew where Sammael was based-- in Illian.
It seems that the Dark One's prohibition against killing Rand included
even killings in self-defense. Graendal seems to think so [ACOS: 20,
Patterns Within Patterns, 357]. Sammael is then left with only two
choices if he wishes to avoid the wrath of a disobeyed Dark One. He
can either convince Rand not to attack him until such time as the Dark
One changes his mind, or he can convince Rand that he is dead, so Rand
won't follow him and look for him.
Sammael's Means
Surely, Rand is not going to be fooled simply because Sammael
disappears from view, and probably will not believe Sammael is dead
unless he sees good evidence in person.
Aside from another Forsaken, the only forces Rand is likely to believe
could kill Sammael are Mashadar, Machin Shin, and Rand himself. Machin
Shin is dubious, because even in his untrained state in TGH, Rand was
able to force the thing back into the Ways. This leaves Mashadar, so
Sammael heads to Shadar Logoth, possibly as early as LOC, and inspects
and prepares for his hoax. Since Moiraine is capable of constructing
weaves and wards which prevent Mashadar from harming her, it is a
certainty that Sammael can do the same. Sammael can operate in Shadar
Logoth with little danger to himself.
Note that when Sammael went to Shadar Logoth, he positioned himself
directly at the Waygate in Shadar Logoth, and note that in LOC Rand
had the opportunity to close that gate permanently, but didn't. When
Rand saw Sammael, he also could not tell if the gate was open or
closed; he was too far away. This is one way Sammael possessed to
remove himself from the theater, after Rand might think him dead-- run
through an open Waygate.
Other ways include Sammael simply putting an invisibility cloak over
himself, Sammael's image near the Waygate being nothing but an
illusion, Sammael having created a pre-existing Gateway out of sight
with inverted weaves, Sammael creating a Gateway with the True Power
which Rand could not detect, and Sammael ducking around a corner.
Regardless, there are a number of ways Sammael could have left the
arena without Rand knowing about it.
Evidence for the theory
The direct evidence for the theory is fairly thin, but it is there.
First, from Sammael's wards and plans inside the city of Illian, he
seems not to have ever planned to put up a serious fight against Rand,
if Rand ever got into the city.
Win or lose, Illian ceased to become important to Sammael from a
military standpoint as soon as Rand attacked him personally. If Rand
won such a confrontation, Sammael would be dead. If Sammael won such a
confrontation, Rand would be dead but the Dark One would be very angry
with Sammael.
It should be clear that Sammael could have put up a serious fight
against Rand in Illian, had he wanted. He should have been aware of
Rand's transporting six thousand Aiel from Cairhien to Caemlyn in one
night. He should have been aware of the dramatic, Gateway-ridden
rescue mounted by the Asha'man, and thus aware that Rand can Gate.
It is mentioned in several places that Sammael is an extremely
competent military leader, and in one place that no one knew how to
ward a box (i.e., protect a military strongpoint) like Sammael.
Surely, he could have made plans for a Gateway assault. Something
simple but murderous, like the razor-ribbons Asmodean used in TSR, but
showing up automatically in front of Gateways.
That he did not indicates that Illian was not as important to Sammael
as Rand thought. Surely, he had another plan.
Second, after Sammael is finished chewing out Carridin in [ACOS: 15,
Insects, 289] he opens a Gateway into a location filled with grey
columns and thick mist. This doesn't sound much like Illian, but it
does sound something like Shadar Logoth.
Third, when Rand does manage to attack Sammael's fortifications (such
as they were) and wards in Illian, even the wards don't give anyone
much trouble. They are showy, flashy, and expansive, but not one of
them even challenges Rand or his accompanying Asha'man. They don't
seem to be serious attempts to hurt anyone or anything, but rather
wards for the sake of show.
Fourth, there is an immense time lag between the time Rand mounts his
assault and Sammael's ultimate response. Several hours, it would seem,
enough time for the sun to set. It is worth noting, that in waiting
for sunset in Illian, Sammael would also be waiting for about dusk in
Shadar Logoth, which is about the time Mashadar would come out to
play. Coincidence?
Notes
There is some question as to the role of Liah in the showdown, and
whether she was Sammael's tool, an illusion of Liah, or an independent
entity. At signings, Robert Jordan has stated fairly clearly that
Liah's survival was due to her slowly being absorbed or subsumed by
the spirit of Shadar Logoth. This implies that she was truly there and
that her presence was not entirely of Sammael's making.
It is still possible, though it seems unlikely, that Sammael used
Compulsion on her to make her appear and distract Rand. It is not
impossible, though there is no direct evidence, that Sammael knew
(perhaps by testing her reactions on other surveys of the location)
that Liah would investigate any disturbance in the city.
Sammael was acting as a loose cannon and got slapped down for it
[Mark Loy]
I think that RJ likes symmetry. Male half of the TS counterbalanced
with the female half... good balanced with evil... the Asha'man and
the Aes Sedai... etc. Moghedien fucked up in that she got captured and
was forced to aid the DO's enemies. She was treated very rudely by
Moridin. Asmodean fucked up because he too got captured and used by
the DO's enemies. Similar crimes... counterbalanced.
Lanfear, on the other hand, openly acted against the DO's wishes. This
seems to me to be far worse than the crimes of Moggy or Asmo. And
since we have a woman betraying her commitment to the DO I believe
that RJ will have/has had a male doing something similar-- working
against the explicit orders of the DO.
Look at the "evidence" that Sammy has been acting in this way. First,
he doesn't go to Dem's meetings. Dem, we know, is following the
explicit orders of the DO. Sammy's actions regarding Dem lead me to
believe that he doesn't want to provide Dem.. .and consequently, the
DO... with any clues to his agenda. Openly he appears to be following
exactly what the DO has ordered. But secretly, his personal agenda
includes killing or capturing Rand and making it look like he did not
do it.
Further evidence concerns the fact that Moridin and SH have been
watching Sam covertly. I think that he is being watched because the DO
isn't completely convinced that one of his guys isn't going to do
something that he doesn't want done.
I believe that Moridin was watching Sam at the time that Sam sprung
his trap on Rand. Sam's plan was to maneuver Rand to a place that was
not monitored by the DO's minions, aid in letting Mashadar
croak/capture him, and then go back to Illian and reclaim his city
sanctuary. It would be a perfect crime on Sam's part and would
eliminate one of the strongest obstacles to his being made Nae'blis.
Moridin, a complete unknown to Sam, saw Sam's actions regarding his
plan and went to SL to intercede/intervene to insure that the DO's
plans were not compromised by Sam. Reread his conversation with Rand
and you will get the impression that he didn't give a rat's ass if Sam
died... just that he wasn't willing to kill Sam for Rand.
With the wildcard, Moridin, there...Sam's plan went a little off. And
at the end, Moridin took/captured Sam and departed by a TP gate--
hence Rand could not sense it. If I'm right, Sam is now in Moridin's
clutches.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.1.6: Mazrim Taim-- Is he Demandred?
[Written by P.Korda. Contributors: Bill Garrett, William Smit, John
Schwegler, John Novak, OilCan, Fred Van Keuls, and lots of other
folks.]
_________________________________________________________________
So, is the Mazrim Taim who appears in LoC the real Mazrim Taim, the
Saldaean False Dragon, or is he the Forsaken Demandred in disguise?
Here, MT=the character who appears in LoC, general of the Asha'man.
Taim=the False Dragon we heard about first in TGH, captured after
Falme. Demandred=the Forsaken.
How could MT be Demandred?
The idea is that the BA, or a Forsaken, or some Trollocs, broke Taim
free from where he was being held in Saldaea. They took him to
Semirhage, or someone else who could extract every bit of information
from his skull (a la the AS Cabriana who Semirhage tortures) and
drained him dry. Then they killed him. Demandred either 1) Looks kind
of like Taim in the first place, or 2) Looks very different from Taim
and is using an illusion (or maybe some kind of partial illusion) to
look like the real Taim. This is why Bashere isn't sure that MT is
Taim, and why MT says that he shaved his beard. This also explains why
it is MT who brings up the things only he and Bashere know--to
convince everybody that he is Taim.
Then again, MT may really be the original Mazrim Taim. The reason we
think of Demandred when we see him is not because he is Demandred, but
because he is similar to Demandred in personality--he wanted to be the
Dragon, he doesn't like being second-best, etc. Taim could have the
ultimate plan of supporting Rand as much as he can, helping him to win
the Last Battle. Since Rand is expected to die in the Last Battle,
Taim plans to bide his time and take control in the aftermath. After
that, well, as MT says, the winners write the histories.
Finally, there is the possibility that there never was a "real" Taim;
only Demandred. The first mention of Taim is at the beginning of TGH
[TGH: 5, The Shadow in Shienar, 55], and "trouble in Saldaea" is
mentioned in TEOTW. At that point, at least some of the other Forsaken
are loose, so it is possible that Demandred was, too. We don't know
enough about the timing of events to decide for sure.
Arguments in favor of MT being Demandred
Now, we will present the arguments for the "Taimandred" theory, and
counterarguments.
1) MT knows too much: knowing how to test for channelling ability, how
quickly he "learns" gateways, how well he teaches the Asha'man, etc.
It's a little hard to believe that he figured all this out on his very
own. Look at how much trouble Rand had learning before he got Asm as a
proper teacher.
Counter-argument: He's supposedly been channelling for 15 years. He
had to have learned something in that time. Plus, MT mentions to
Bashere that he used Compulsion on two people [LoC: 2, A New Arrival,
76]. Since the real Taim did that, the real Taim DID know stuff. (Note
that this does not apply if Demandred was always MT.) As for Gateways,
maybe Taim is just a fast learner, like Rand, or Nynaeve. In fact,
one's ease of learning seems to be a direct function of how strong one
is in the Power. (examples: Rand, Ny, El, Eg are all fast learners,
and even SS and Moiraine, who are stronger than your average bear,
spent a relatively short time as Novices (3 years?).) This probably
has to do with the fact that, the stronger you are, the easier it is
for you to see the flows required for a particular action, and thus
can more readily duplicate it. (Note that that doesn't explain Taim's
learning curve; he wouldn't have had anybody to observe and learn
FROM.)
2) The Seal. The story about finding it in a Saldaean farmer's house
is pretty fishy. Could it be that Demandred (posing as Taim) gave it
to Rand in order to try to gain his trust?
Counter-argument: If MT is Demandred, why would he, and the DO, give a
seal to Rand? If the minions of the Shadow had a seal, wouldn't they
break it? Maybe the DO could predict that Rand/LTT would try to break
the seal, but Demandred couldn't have. MT was certainly shocked when
it looked like Rand was going to smash it [LoC: 2, A New Arrival,
80-1]. As mentioned, it could be that Demandred would want to give it
to Rand to get him to trust him, but that failed utterly. MT's seal
story is somewhat backed by Bashere's story to Perrin about a farmer
in Saldaea who claimed to be the descendant of the kings of an ancient
Kingdom. If MT Farmer == Bashere Farmer it would be plausible that the
seal was the last item of inheritance. And who better for the farmer
to give it to than the Dragon Reborn (MT's claim before Rand declared
himself)?
Rebuttal: It could be that Taim was shocked when Rand looked like he
was going to break the Seal because he was worried that Rand was
already totally gone. It's clear that the DO has plans for Rand, and
that the DO told Demandred something about a plan for Rand (not
necessarily the REAL plan) in the "Let the Lord of Chaos rule" speech,
and that Demandred liked it. If Rand was too loony to perform his
role, Demandred would be worried. As for why he gave the Seal to Rand
in the first place, why not? The seals have been steadily weakening,
and will break on their own in time. Why not give the seal to Rand in
an attempt to gain his trust?
3) MT claims to not be affected by the Taint, after (Rand estimates)
15 years of channelling [LoC: 2, A New Arrival, 76]. This seems pretty
unlikely. Consider Owyn, who was going mad after only 3 years of
hardly ever channelling at all. Many of the Asha'man have a few screws
loose after only a few months of intensive channeling. The only Taint
protection we know of is linking to the DO. Plus, the Red Ajah seems
pretty adept at tracking down male channellers. In 15 years, one would
have thought that the AS would have heard of him long before they did.
Counter-argument: Unless Taim was a raving lunatic when he was leading
his armies as a False Dragon, he must have still been somewhat sane,
even after 15 years. (Again, note that if MT was always Dem, this does
not apply.) Same argument applies for him not getting caught by the
Reds. Plus, Logain, who is not a Forsaken, has been channelling for
about six years (minus about a year or so of being gentled), and isn't
going mad. It seems likely that the ease with which one succumbs to
the Taint varies widely with the person. Owyn went under in 3 years,
MT mentions some other guys who lasted for 2 years [LoC: 2, A New
Arrival, 79], and Logain has lasted for 6 [LOC: 51, The Taking, 647].
3.5) More on Taim's age: Rand estimates Taim's age as 35, or a few
years older [LoC: 2, A New Arrival, 76]. However, Rand doesn't know
about the "slowing" effect of using the OP. According to RJ, a man
with the spark doesn't slow until 25, usually closer to thirty. He
says one can go past thirty, but that probably depends on how early
they start channelling and how much they channel [Post-TPOD Signing,
New York, 20 October, 1998, report by Ryan R.]. Thus, the only way
Taim could be the age he looks is if he started channelling at an
unusually late age, and didn't channel much for the first few years.
Since, if he's legit, he'd have to be a wilder, he must have started
channelling young, at around Rand's age. The depth of his knowledge of
channelling, and his career as a False Dragon demonstrate that he must
have channelled a great deal prior to his arrival in Caemlyn.
Therefore, Taim must be even older than 35. Let's postulate that men
slow at a rate similar to women. We know that Garenia ran away from
the Tower 70 years ago, and presumably she slowed before then, or soon
afterwards (in her early 20s, as is usual for women). Garenia looks
like she is Nynaeve's age, around 26. That corresponds to about five
years of physical aging in 70 years. Now, if Taim started slowing at
30, then his actual age should be around 100 or so. Thus, the problem
of Taim's age is even more extreme than it first appears.
Counter-argument: The same type of arguments apply as discussed above.
Maybe Taim is miraculously immune to the Taint. Also, maybe Rand
overestimated Taim's age; maybe he's only thirty or so, in which case
he needn't have begun slowing noticeably yet.
4) MT's reaction to Rand's badges and awards: he's not pleased to be
seen as subservient to Rand [LoC: 42, The Black Tower, 543], just like
Demandred [LoC: Prologue, The First Message, 56-7].
Counter-argument: It is entirely possible that Taim is just plain
arrogant. Nothing says the Forsaken have a monopoly on excessive
pride.
5) LTT often raves about Demandred, and killing him, every time MT is
around. Is there a method in his madness? LTT raves, "Sammael, oh,
yes, but Demandred first. First of all I rid myself of him, then
Sammael." [LoC: 51, The Taking, 635] LTT and Rand know where Sammael
is. But why does LTT insist on killing Demandred if he doesn't know
where he is? Therefore, they do know where Demandred is; i.e., he's
MT. [Dash W.]
Counter-argument: Again, it could just be that Taim is similar to
Demandred in many ways, and LTT thinks he will betray him like
Demandred did in the AoL. Anyway, LTT is loony and wants to kill all
male channellers [ACOS: 7, Pitfalls and Tripwires, 139]. Furthermore,
one shouldn't take anything LTT says too seriously. He's a total loon.
He wants to die forever and end his suffering [LoC: 18, A Taste of
Solitude, 299], but he doesn't want to die [LoC: 46, Beyond the Gate,
560]. He says "trust no one" and "the man who doesn't trust is dead"
or words to that effect. LTT could be confusing Taim and Demandred.
6) The epilogue: "Have I not done well, Great Lord?" The DO's orders
were to "Let the Lord of Chaos Rule," which seems to refer to "sowing
chaos" in general, and to promoting divisiveness among the enemies of
the Shadow. Demandred and Mesaana (and Semirhage) were working
together on a plot in LOC to "let the Lord of Chaos rule." One of the
main plot threads in LOC was the interactions of Rand with the SAS and
TAS embassies. Rand ended up getting kidnapped by the TAS, and was
rescued with the assistance of the Asha'man. The events of the battle
to free Rand led to a great deal of mistrust and enmity among the SAS
embassy, the TAS, the Aiel who follow Rand, the Shaido, and the
Asha'man. The current state of affairs among Rand's allies (his Aiel,
the Asha'man) and potential allies (the TAS and SAS) can only be good
for the Shadow. We know that Mesaana was central to setting up this
situation, from her place in the WT. Assuming Demandred had a hand in
it as well (as is implied by his visit to SG at the end of the book),
the most logical place for Demandred to be, among those factions, is
the AM.
Counter-argument: From Sammael's speech with Graendal [LoC: 6, Threads
Woven of Shadow, 135], we know that Demandred may be involved in the
Seanchan invasion in Tarabon. Maybe this has something to do with it.
Furthermore, if Demandred is MT and is also involved with the
Seanchan, wouldn't it be necessary for him to "disappear" from the
farm in order to manage his other project? Nobody's mentioned anything
about MT vanishing. Finally, if the final mess in LOC was set up by
Dem, Sem, and Mesaana, what was Semirhage's role?
7) MT kills the Gray Man. If he hadn't, Rand might have gotten
information out of it. Alternatively, it could've been a set-up:
Taimandred ordered the Gray Man, and killed him to "prove" his loyalty
to Rand.
Counter-argument: It's doubtful Rand could get much information from a
Gray Man. The Gray Men have no souls--they're basically walking
killing machines. They probably have some sort of self-destruct
mechanism, too. Jared Samet remarks: "If I were designing a perfect
assassin, I'd set him up so that he could never point the finger at
me. Remember, the Gray Man who comes after Nynaeve in the Tower has a
knife in him the moment they find him. Besides, the Gray Man could
only tell Rand anything damaging to MT if Demandred had sent him
(possible I suppose, but why can't Demandred do it himself if thats
what the DO wants?) A Gray Man with a story implicating Sammael or
some other Forsaken (easy enough for a channeller to set up) could
help MT more than a dead one." As for how conveniently MT showed up,
recall that strange and oddly convenient things happen around Rand all
the time.
8) MT's remark on "These so-called Aiel". If he hadn't been around in
the AoL, why are they "so-called"? [LoC: 11, Lessons and Teachers,
215] The only other person to use this (exact same) phrase is Moridin
(who used to be Ishamael) in [ACOS: 20, Patterns Within Patterns,
356]. Only somebody from the AOL would have cause to call the modern
Aiel "so-called."
Counter-argument: This is the hardest piece of evidence to explain
away. People have suggested rationalizations, though. For example, if
Taim knew the old tongue, he might be simply saying that he doubts the
Aiel are truly "dedicated" to Rand. Another possible explanation is
that, if Taim is about 35, which seems reasonable, then he was alive
for the Aiel War, although possibly too young to go east to fight. He
probably heard tales about Aiel--10 feet tall, breathing fire, etc.
Here he sees some in Caemlyn peacefully patrolling the streets. Not
what an average wetlander would expect of Savages From the Waste.
Rebuttal: As to the first suggestion, it hardly seems in character to
for Taim to be making puns in the Old Tongue. As for the second, even
if the Aiel Taim meets aren't the monsters he's heard about, they are
undeniably Aiel. Nobody else in Randland regards them as "so-called."
8.5) Another Aiel reference. There is second suspicious Taim quote
about the Aiel. During the fight at Dumai's Wells, Taim has the
Asha'man raise a defensive barrier of Air around Rand's position. Many
of the people Perrin led from Caemlyn (Aiel fighters and WOs,
Mayeners, Cairhienin, and Two Rivers folk) are trapped outside, among
the Shaido. Rand asks Taim to lower the barrier, presumably so that
the fighters could be informed of Rand's safety, and an orderly
retreat could begin. [LOC: 55, Dumai's Wells, 692-693] Taim argues
against this, saying, "There are casualties in battle. I lost several
soldiers today, nine men who will be harder to replace than any number
of renegade Aiel." He is clearly talking about Rand╣s Aiel, not the
Shaido. So why are they "renegade"? The only convincing explanation
that I see is that they are renegades against the Way of the Leaf, the
code of the Da╣shain Aiel. [Fred Van Keuls]
This makes not one, but two instances in which Taim expresses doubts
about the legitimacy of the modern Aiel. In this case, in the middle
of a heated battle, there is no reason for Taim to doubt the
"dedication" of the Aiel to Rand's cause.
Counter-argument: Taim may be referring to the vast numbers of Shaido.
As far as each side's battle strength is concerned, it will be easier
for the Shaido to replace a few dozen or hundred spears than it will
for Taim to recruit and train nine men. [Matthew Heslin]
Rebuttal: The context of the above quote is that Taim is arguing
against raising the 'Dome of Air' to save Rand's Aiel, Mayeners and
True Rivers folk from the Shaido. He is saying that Rand's Aiel
(outside the Dome) are expendable compared to the Asha'man (inside the
Dome). Given the discussion before the quote, it seems highly unlikely
to me that Taim could be referring to the Shaido as the 'renegade
Aiel'. I suppose one could argue that Taim is confused about what is
going on. However, Taim has never given me that impression. [Fred Van
Keuls]
9) Strength: MT is very strong in the Power. Forsaken-class, even
(almost as strong as Rand himself). [LoC: 3, A Woman's Eyes, 92]
Counter-argument: The real Taim was thought to be very strong. [TSR:
5, Questioners, 85] Just because he's strong doesn't mean he's evil.
(And just because he's evil, doesn't mean he's Forsaken.) Nynaeve is
Forsaken-class, but she's on the Good Guys' side.
10) Smile: In the prologue, it is said that Demandred never smiles
[LoC: Prologue, The First Message, 15], [LoC: Prologue, The First
Message, 58]. MT doesn't either-- at the end of LoC, before "Kneel, or
you will be knelt", Rand says something like "His expression was as
close to a smile as he had ever seen it." [LoC: 55, Dumai's Wells,
695]
Counter-argument: Once again, it could just be that Taim and Demandred
have similar personalities.
11) Min's viewing: of an invisible man holding a knife to Rand's
throat. This could indicate that Demandred is the "serpent in the
bosom," masquerading as Taim.
Counter-argument: The vision could be the Gray Man, as Rand thinks.
Or, it could be MT, who is not to be trusted, even if he isn't
Demandred.
Rebuttal: Since when has Rand ever interpreted Min's visions
correctly?
12) Location, Location, Location: Demandred takes a gateway directly
out of TAR while in the Royal palace in Caemlyn. Unless Demandred
knows some sort of combination traveling/leaving TAR gateway, then he
must be somebody, or pretending to be somebody who comes to Caemlyn
regularly, and somebody who can channel his way into the palace
without inviting immediate destruction upon himself. We know that MT
has been visiting Rand in Caemlyn because Rand's thoughts comment on
how MT has taught him to block out heat, and a few chapters later Rand
tells MT that his visits to the city would have to stop because Alanna
and Verin have shown up.
Counter-argument: Maybe he went out of TAR to someplace that was not
Caemlyn. Also, maybe Demandred is gutsy enough to enter into Rand's
turf.
Rebuttal: We've never seen anybody enter/leave TAR in the flesh via
any means except gating to the spot in the real world corresponding to
the spot one is in in TAR. As for Dem blatantly entering into Rand's
turf, it's not likely that he'd do that unless he had a cover story--
too dangerous, especially with Rand becoming more and more paranoid.
13) MT's behavior: Bill Garrett says: Something that should maybe be
added as a separate point is MT's whole challenge/submit behavior.
He'll argue with Rand about something, telling him it has to be done
another way, then suddenly he'll agree and say "As my Lord Dragon
commands." I think it's Demandred trying to do things his way, but
suddenly remembering the Dark One's orders to do what Rand says (or at
least to not go directly against him). And MT sometimes disobeys Rand
and frequently does things Rand doesn't expect, as with the Asha'man.
Counter-argument: How is this different from the way the Tairen lords
behaved? Or the Andoran nobility? Or Davram Bashere? Hell, even the
Aiel tend to do this. Everybody tries to convince Rand to do things
their way, but when you get right down to it, he's going to do as he
damn well pleases, and all you can say is "As my Lord Dragon
commands."
14) Another slip of the tongue: When Rand shows MT how to make a
gateway, he calls it a "gateway." A little further in the same
chapter, MT says, "You can Travel, but you don't know how to test for
the talent." How does MT know that a Gateway = Traveling? AFAIK, Rand
didn't mention anything about "traveling," only "gateways."
Counter-argument: Maybe MT heard the term described during his 15
years as channeller, and added 2 and 2 to make 4.
Rebuttal: Once more, this raises the question of how Taim got to know
so much about channelling, with (supposedly) nobody to teach him.
15) Sammael and Graendal in conversation: In [ACOS: 20, Patterns
Within Patterns, 355], Sammael and Graendal are discussing their
comrades. Sammael says, "I didn't arrange [Rand's]
kidnapping....Mesaana had a hand in it, though. Maybe Demandred and
Semirhage as well, despite how it ended...." Note the despite-- there
is a strong implication here that Sem and Dem somehow had a hand in
the conclusion of the Rand-kidnapping episode, i.e. in his rescue. Who
was instrumental in the rescue? Taim and the Asha'man, Perrin and the
Two Riversians, the Wolves, the Mayeners, and the Aiel. We all know
that the most likely place for Demandred is with the Asha'man, as
their leader, in fact. Note that this interpretation implies that Sam
knows where Dem and Sem are situated. We do not know that he knows
this, in fact, as of [LOC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 138], Graendal
doesn't know where they are. Of course, Sam could have known, without
telling Graendal, or they could always have discovered it in the
intervening time.
Counter-argument: A totally different spin can be put on the passage.
As Mark Loy explains, "To paraphrase...'I didn't arrange Rand's
kidnapping... Mesaana had a hand in arranging Rand's kidnapping...
Maybe Dem and Sem had a hand in arranging Rand's kidnapping as well,
despite how the kidnapping ended. This interpretation means that they
might have had a hand in arranging the kidnapping...in the
planning..." despite the fact that it ended all messed up.
16) Yet another slip of the tongue: MT has taken to calling himself
"The M'Hael," which means "leader" in the Old Tongue, and giving OT
designations to his lieutenants. MT knows an awful lot about the Old
Tongue for a modern-day Randlander.
Counter-argument: Well, maybe he does know the Old Tongue. Maybe he
was a scholar or something before he became a False Dragon. Of course,
that is pure speculation.
17) Black Tower: MT has pretty much built the Black Tower on his own.
Rand has made little effort to be involved in it, and has left the
recruiting, training, and testing of Asha'man to MT. MT, in turn, has
done a fine job-- in just a few months (between LOC and POD) he's
created an unconventional military force which can take on anybody in
Randland, including Aes Sedai and Seanchan. Just a handful of Asha'man
have proven to be the decisive factor in many battles, some of them
against opponents with channelling capability. So, we must ask
ourselves, if MT is so efficient at turning out combat channellers,
why didn't he do it when HE was claiming to be the Dragon Reborn? He
claims to have tried training other men to channel [LOC: 2, A New
Arrival, 79], so the thought must have occurred to him. Granted, since
he lacked Rand's ta'veren-power to attract recruits, he would have had
a much smaller force than the 400 or so at the BT. However, given that
two or three percent of people can learn to channel [Guide: 2, The One
Power and the True Source, 18], and that Taim's army of followers was
of a "normal" Randland size (on the order of a couple thousand), he
should have been able to get at least 10-20 men who could have been
useful. Even ten male channellers is nothing to sneeze at, and yet
Taim the False Dragon had no channelling followers. This can be
explained easily if one supposes that Taim did not have the knowledge
to identify and train channellers. MT is not Taim, but Demandred, who
certainly has all that knowledge. He told Rand the story about
identifying male channellers in an attempt to allay Rand's suspicions
about MT knowing how to do the test.
Counter-argument: There are other possible reasons Taim didn't train
any other channellers. Perhaps he didn't have time. Perhaps he was
worried that they'd turn against him. Perhaps when he saw his first
experiments in training go mad in two years or so [LOC: 2, A New
Arrival, 79], he gave the idea up.
Rebuttal: As for time, he supposedly spent 15 years or so as a
channeller before declaring himself the Dragon. He didn't seem to be
in any big hurry. Taim isn't the sort of guy to worry about most of
his subordinate channellers betraying him-- he's shown himself to be a
master at inspiring admiration and loyalty in his troops; he's got a
regular cult of personality among the Asha'man. As for the ones he
didn't feel he could trust, he's not the sort of guy to be shy about
killing them outright. As for the madness, he is known to be a totally
ruthless fellow. He'd have no problem using his followers for the year
or two they had of sanity and then killing them. Of course, this
argument doesn't apply if Taim has always been Dem.
Arguments against MT being Demandred
There doesn't seem to be anything about MT which is inconsistent with
him being Demandred, only ways to explain away the evidence in favor
of it. One point that has often been mentioned is that Rand sees MT
channelling, but he does not see the black cord connecting him to the
DO and filtering out the Taint. However, this is NOT A VALID ARGUMENT!
The black cords are only seen/sensed under very special circumstances.
Rand has only seen them in two places-- T'A'R and the in-between space
used for Skimming. Rand has never seen MT in either of those places.
Note that Rand has seen male Forsaken without seeing the cords: Aginor
and Balthamel at the Eye and Be'lal in the Heart of the Stone. Thus,
the fact that Rand hasn't seen the black threads on MT shows nothing
one way or the other. (See section 1.3.1.)
MT's behavior in TPOD
RJ doesn't seem to be ready to reveal whether MT is Demandred or not.
While it is clear that MT was up to something in TPOD, everything he
did or is suspected of having done in that book could be consistent
with either scenario.
What was MT up to in TPOD? Through his lieutenants Torval, Gedwyn,
Kisman, and Rochaid (or some subset thereof), he set up the Illianer
rebels to attempt to assassinate Rand, supposedly at the instigation
of Aes Sedai. Through Torval, he tried to make Rand suspicious of
Egwene's army which was, at the time, marching towards Caemlyn and the
BT. Possibly, Gedwyn tried to subvert or cause problems with High Lord
Weiramon. At the end, Taim possibly set up his lieutenants as
"deserters" who tried to kill Rand, thus producing a coterie of male
channellers who were clearly loyal to MT, and whose actions he could
disavow. He was angry when he learned that Dashiva, NOT one of his
favorites, had gotten in on the attack.
None of this points one way or the other. Both Demandred and a real
Taim would be interested in exacerbating the tensions between Rand and
the Aes Sedai. Taim would do so because he'd fear that if Rand allied
with AS, the BT could be threatened or at least become less important.
Not to mention, since Taim was captured by AS, he'd have no love for
them. Demandred would also want to increase Rand's dependence on the
BT (and thus on Taimandred) for all his channelling needs. He'd want
to widen the chasm between Rand and the AS, so that Rand would have
less support, and to sow general chaos.
Similarly, both the real Taim and Taimandred would benefit from having
a force of channellers who worked independently of the BT, and whose
loyalty he could count upon, and whose actions he wouldn't have to
justify to Rand. Dashiva was obviously not in on the Plan, and thus
received MT's ire (whoever he really is) when he joined in. He
represents an element of which MT doesn't have control.
In conclusion, nothing in POD lent strength to either side of the
Taimandred question.
Any other possibilities?
One more thing that has been discussed is that Osan'gar is MT.
Osan'gar could have been substituted for the original Taim shortly
before he turned up in LOC. However, MT's personality is much more
consistent with what we know of Demandred's than that of
Aginor/Osan'gar.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.1.7: The Death of Asmodean (Who killed JoaR?)
[Karl-Johan Noren, Kevin Bartlett, P. Korda]
_________________________________________________________________
[Asmodean] pulled open a small door, intending to find his way to
the pantry. There should be some decent wine. One step, and he
stopped, the blood draining from his face. "You? No!" The word
still hung in the air when death took him. [TFOH: 56, Glowing
Embers, 682]
Note: Tons of thanks to Karl-Johan Noren and Kevin Bartlett, whose
comprehensive analyses of Asmodean's death I plundered in order to
give this section the thoroughness it deserves. Their original pages
are linked from the Wheel of Time Index (See section 0.8).
Did Asmodean really die at the end of TFOH? Did Moridin ("death") take him?
Yes, he's dead. No, Moridin did not kidnap him. First of all, RJ
clearly takes this series too seriously to use such a dastardly pun.
Secondly, RJ told Yancy Davis at a post-POD signing in Northern
Virginia that Asmodean is "road kill." "He also used the line, 'He's a
cat that tried to cross the tracks and didn't quite make it.' Also,
when I said, 'so he won't be back' he responded, 'No, he will not be
coming back.'" [Yancy Davis] Third, Aaron Bergman asked this question
at a post-POD book-signing in New York: "In particular, I asked
whether "death" was just a pun on "Moridin". He said "oh, god no"
quite disgustedly." Thankfully, that's the end of that theory.
General Considerations
Now that that's out of the way, let's get on to serious discussion.
First, we will consider what the general requirements are for
Asmodean's murderer. Second, we will round up all the usual suspects
(and some unusual ones). Then, we will examine all the general
requirements in detail, and see if we can draw any conclusions from
them. Next, we will eliminate suspects who couldn't possibly have done
it, and those who theoretically could have done it, but who probably
didn't. Finally, we will examine the cases for and against the
remaining suspects.
Requirements which must be satisfied by the murderer:
1. Means: be able to kill Asmo (a channeller) near-instantaneously
2. Motive: have a motive
3. Opportunity: be able to be in the Caemlyn palace at the time of
the murder
4. Be a person who Asmodean recognised, who he didn't expect to see,
and of whom he was terrified
5. Be able to dispose of the body
6. Must know Asmodean's fate
7. There must be a reason why it's kept a secret, by the author and
the killer
8. Be "obvious" from the instant he died (and we use the term
loosely.)
Suspects (overly-complete list):
* Aran'gar or Osan'gar
* Demandred
* Graendal
* Ishamael/Moridin
* Lanfear
* Mesaana
* Moghedien
* Padan Fain
* Sammael
* Semirhage
* Shaidar Haran
* Slayer
* some random minion of the DO (a Gholam, Myrddraal, common DF etc)
Now, on to discussion of particular requirements. We'll start off with
the classic three requirements for solving any murder mystery: means,
motive, and opportunity. Then, we'll consider other requirements for
the particular "case" at hand.
Means: How was he killed?
Any good murder investigation begins with determining how the victim
died. We are at a slight disadvantage, because there is no body to
examine. The possible murder weapons are: channelling, a gholam
(which, from another POV, can also be considered a suspect), the
Shadar Logoth dagger, and some purely physical means, such as a knife
or sword.
What we do have is a (very short) description of his death: "the word
still hung in the air when death took him." This indicates that he
died very quickly. He did not get a chance to even try to run away or
defend himself, even with the OP. Remember, channelling is fast: Rand
plucks daggers and spears out of thin air. We know that a Warder vs a
Fade is usually an even fight, but the Fade is dead meat against even
the weakest channeller (except possibly Sorilea). Because of this, it
seems unlikely that he was killed by purely physical means. The Shadar
Logoth dagger poses the same difficulty, to some degree, although
unlike a normal dagger, a victim doesn't have a chance to get away
once he's been touched by it. Since gholam are super-duper fast and
OP-resistant, this constraint doesn't necessarily apply if one of them
was the assailant.
The Shadar Logoth dagger has another problem. Once a person's been cut
by it, they don't die instantaneously. There is enough time for the
stabbed one to gasp, fall to the ground, writhe around a bit, and
finally die once the Mashadar-taint spreads through his body. See the
scene in TFOH where Fain kills the Accepted [TFoH: 19, Memories, 259],
and the part in TGH where Mat kills the Seanchan guy [TGH: 45,
Blademaster, 538]. While the latter seems to die much faster than the
Accepted, he still does some writhing in agony which is not consistent
with the quickness of Asmodean's death.
Since, as discussed below, it is unlikely that he was killed by a
gholam, the most probable murder weapon is channelling. The absence of
a body lends more credence to the idea that the killer was a
channeller, and that channelling was used in the murder (see below).
The personalities of the Forsaken (the channelling suspects) lead us
to believe that they wouldn't use conventional means to kill a person;
they'd channel. Furthermore, since, of the channelling suspects, only
Ishy/Moridin prefers the TP over the OP, the most likely murder weapon
is the One Power.
Was Asmodean balefired?
This is definitely a possibility. Certainly, any channeller (read
Forsaken) who could have killed Asmo could have wanted to ensure that
his thread was burned out of the Pattern.
When Demandred visits the DO in [LOC: Prologue, The First Message,
13-16], the DO lumps Asmodean in with Rahvin as having "died the final
death." In Rahvin's case, this means he was balefired, and the DO
cannot "step outside of time" to recycle him. Of course, there are
other ways in which Asmo could have died with no possibility of
recycling. For one thing, the DO may have the power to recycle Asmo,
but chooses not to, because he was a traitor. Also, remember that Rand
severed Asmo's link to the DO, and thus the DO might not have had the
power to save Asmo's soul even if he'd wanted to.
Another point in favor of the balefire idea is the similarity between
RJ's description of Asmo's death and that of Be'lal in [TDR: 55, What
is Written in Prophecy, 557]:
Moiraine had not stopped or slowed while he spoke. She was no more
than thirty paces from him when he moved his hand, and she raised
both of hers as well.
There was an instant of surprise on the Forsaken's face, and he had
time to scream `No!' Then a bar of white fire hotter than the sun
shot from the Aes Sedai's hands, a glaring rod that banished all
shadows. Before it, Be'lal became a shape of shimmering motes,
specks dancing in the light for less than a heartbeat, flecks
consumed before his cry faded.
In particular, note the similarity between "flecks consumed before his
cry faded" with "the word still hung in the air when death took him."
This is certainly suggestive.
If Asmodean was killed by channelling, why didn't anybody sense it?
A common argument against the idea that Asmo was killed by channelling
is that, if it was a man, Rand would have sensed the channelling, and
if it was a woman, Rand or Aviendha would have sensed it. This isn't
really a valid objection.
The range at which channelling can be sensed seems to depend on many
different things: proximity, amount of OP being channelled, how much
attention the senser is paying, the strength and experience of the
senser, and any number of other variables. (See section 2.3.5 for
further analysis.) In the case of Asmodean's death, we have many
unknowns. We don't know how far he was from Rand and Avi when he died.
He'd been walking through the palace, thinking about his situation,
and there is no indication of how far he walked before opening that
fateful door. It is entirely possible that he was too far away for the
channelling to be detected by Rand and/or Aviendha, who were both
distracted by other business. We don't know what form of channelling
was used to kill him (if channelling it was)-- balefire, fireballs,
inverse healing, or something we don't know about, or how easy any of
those things are to sense at a distance. There are too many unknowns
and uncertainties to eliminate either half of the OP as the murder
weapon. Furthermore, while most of the Forsaken don't choose to use
the TP as a matter of course, any of them could have received the DO's
permission to use it for this assassination, especially if the deed
was done at the DO's direct order. As we know, the TP cannot be sensed
by anybody.
Motive: "When I know why, I'll know who."
The question of why Asmo was killed is perhaps the most complicated
issue related to his death. Indeed, as the saying goes, if we knew why
he was murdered, we could very likely figure out who did it. Here are
the possible motives:
1. Ordered assassination from the DO, as punishment for treachery.
All the Forsaken, Slayer, and the different random minions could
be acting under this scenario.
2. Enterprising person, deciding to kill Asmodean on their own
accord, in accordance with some unknown (by us) plan. This
requires that the murderer has gained knowledge that Jasin Natael
really is Asmodean, in effect leaving only the Forsaken as
possible killers.
3. Asmodean stumbled upon his murderer by chance, i.e. the murderer
was in Caemlyn and the Palace for an entirely different reason and
eliminated Asmo because he discovered him/her.
4. Ordered assassination, in order to allow Demandred to appear as
Taim. This, of course, only works if the Taimandred theory is
true. (See Section 1.1.6.)
5. Plot to cause confusion for Rand by killing his minions.
Note that 1, 4 and 5 can all be classified under "ordered by the DO,"
and 5 could also be a special case of "personal enterprise."
Generally, 1, 2, 4, and 5 all involve premeditation, while 3 is just a
crime of opportunity.
Any of the Forsaken could have acted under any of these motives. A
random minion or Slayer would have been acting under orders, either
from a Forsaken, or the DO. Fain could only have been acting under 3
or 5. We will now discuss the various motives:
Ordered assassination, as punishment for treachery
Now, it makes perfect sense that the DO and the various Forsaken would
want to punish Asmodean for going over to Rand's side. However, if
this was the motive for the murder, several things don't add up. In
general, people who betray the cause of the Shadow are killed in very
visible, painful, messy ways, in order to send a message to others who
might consider giving up the Dark Side. Examples of this are Amico and
Joiya in TSR, and Ispan in TPOD. Asmodean's remains were not left
behind as a lesson. Furthermore, he was killed quickly, with none of
the gruesome torture experienced by other failures. The only way the
method of the murder makes sense for it as a punishment is if it was
done with balefire-- more than just dying, his thread would have been
burned out of the pattern totally. This still doesn't make perfect
sense, because if it was punishment why wasn't the fact that he was
balefired shared with the other Forsaken, as a warning?
Timing
With this motive, we must also address the issue of timing. Why was
Asmodean killed when he was? Given that Asmodean had been "on Rand's
side" for at least two months when he was killed, the question of
timing must be considered, at least if the murderer is one of the
Forsaken. Couldn't he have been killed far earlier? It could be argued
that because Asmodean hadn't spent much time in Caemlyn (less than one
day) before he was murdered, the murderer wasn't working under a
carefully rehearsed plan, but acting more on a sudden opportunity.
However, any Forsaken who had set out to kill Asmo would have gone to
Cairhien, found out about Rand's raid, and Traveled to Caemlyn.
If Asmodean was killed as punishment, why did the DO (or somebody
speaking for it) wait so long to give the order? It possible that
changing circumstances forced the DO or a Forsaken to act.
From the DO's or the Forsaken's point of view, the two big events were
Lanfear's disappearance and Rahvin's death. The killing of Asmodean is
likely connected with one or both of these events. Another possibility
is that Asmodean was killed in order to facilitate putting up
Demandred as Taim in LoC, something that would have been hard or
impossible to do with Asmodean still alive. (This is discussed
separately, below.) Yet another possibility is that Asmo's death
heralds Moridin's resurrection.
Personal Enterprise
Perhaps Asmodean was killed by somebody who had been planning it for a
while, and had held off because he was a pet project of Lanfear's.
When Lanfear died/vanished, whoever it was took the opportunity to
remove him. (Problem with this: Lanfear claimed to her fellow Chosen
that Asmo had gone over to Rand entirely of his own free will, not due
to any scheme of hers.) Alternatively, the killer could have had some
plan which required Asmodean's removal, and done so. This raises the
question of why did they kill him when they did, rather than earlier?
(See the discussion of timing, above.)
Accidental Discovery
One possibility is that Asm was not the specific target of the killer;
he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Perhaps the killer
was/is spying/plotting/etc from within the court of the Dragon Reborn.
Asmodean bumped into him on his way to the wine closet, recognized
him, and got killed to protect his secret. Quoting from the relevant
passage: "He pulled open a small door, intending to find his way to
the pantry. There should be some decent wine." Then we have, "You?
No!" He was going to look for wine. He probably opened a door to an
empty storeroom or hallway. It was not a wine pantry. He hadn't found
it yet. If you reread the passage yourself, it seems that it may have
even been an accident he ran into his killer (i.e. the killer wasn't
planning on it, but since Asmodean saw him...). This motive fits well
with the body being removed/destroyed. If the killing was for
punishment, it would have made more sense for the body to be left, and
the death widely publicized, to set an example.
So how could the body being discovered disclose something about the
killer (to the other characters)? There are 3 possibilities. 1) the
killer is part of Rand's entourage, and a dead Asmo could make people
suspicious that there was a traitor in the ranks. 2) there is a hole
in Rand's security, and a dead Asm would inspire people to find it and
patch it up. 3) the killer is hiding (not necessarily only from Rand--
could also be from the Forsaken) and a dead body could start folks
thinking the killer was active.
Tie-in to Taimandred
If Taim is Demandred, there is a very good, concrete motive for
Asmodean to be killed. Namely, Asmodean could have recognised
Demandred--by looks, or personality, or strength in the Power--and
betrayed him to Rand. In order for Taim to work his way into Rand's
organization, Asmodean had to be eliminated.
One might object that Demandred was not informed of the supposed plan
to kill Asmodean on his behalf. However, this is not a problem.
Demandred wasn't even told about the plans the DO had for him until
after Asmodean was killed. And if the plan was to play Taim, he had
one month between being informed of the plan and his appearance on
Rand's doorstep.
Simple plot to cause confusion
The killer may have killed Asmo as part of a plot to annoy or confuse
Rand. The problem with this is that there are many better targets for
a person with that motive. Why not go after somebody Rand actually
cares about, like Mat, Avi, or Egwene? The only way this motive makes
sense at all is if the killer knew Asmo's value to Rand as a teacher.
In other words, the killer knew "Jasin Natal" was really Asmodean. The
only suspects who would know that would be the Forsaken, and they all
have much better motives than causing confusion.
Opportunity
Needless to say, the murderer either was already in Caemlyn when Rand
made his surprise raid, or had a way to get there at will.
Furthermore, the killer must have been able to get into the Palace
(and out again, with the body-- see below). Now, any of the Forsaken
could have done that easily, by Traveling. Shaidar Haran could have
used the shadow-travel trick to get there. Neither Fain nor Slayer
were known to be in Caemlyn at the time. In Fain's case, it is known
that he was in Tar Valon (some long way from Caemlyn) about 25 days
before Asm's death. It's not that likely that he could have made it in
that time by conventional travel, although he could have used the
Ways; there are known Waygates in both TV and Caemlyn. Since Slayer's
been unaccounted for for some time, he too could have been in Caemlyn,
although there is no real reason to think he was. There is a further
problem with Fain and Slayer: if they'd had any actual plan to kill
Asmo, they wouldn't have been in Caemlyn; they'd have been in
Cairhien. The Caemlyn attack was a snap decision on Rand's part, and
could not have been expected by ANY of the suspects. Thus, if the
murderer went to the Caemlyn palace with the purpose of killing
Asmodean, he/she must have some method of speedy traveling, such as
Traveling.
"Then I saw her face..." The Recognition Factor
Recognised by and terrified Asm: again, any FS would be recognised.
The extreme reaction implies it was somebody he never expected to see,
like somebody he thought was dead. However, since Asmo was a weaselly
coward, it's conceivable that any FS would terrify him, especially if
he/she was about to kill him. However, point is raised why a FS would
be walking around Rand's stronghold w/o a disguise. If the killer
dropped disguise to show Asm who was killing him, why bother? Dramatic
effect?
"Oh, I ain't got no bodeeee."--Where is it?
No body was left behind at the murder scene. This is evidenced by the
fact that nobody (except the killer, duh) seems to know he's dead.
Rand certainly doesn't. He thinks Asmo ran away: "If they discovered
that he had held one of the Forsaken prisoner and allowed him to
escape... He would deal with Asmodean himself if the man ever turned
up again." [LOC: 3, A Woman's Eyes, 92] In TPOD, Rand still thinks
Asmo's alive; he initially thinks that the attack at the end is
Asmodean and/or Demandred [TPOD, 29, A Cup of Sleep, 565]. From this,
we can conclude that he was either killed in such a way that no
remains were left, or that the body was removed in order to hide the
murder.
Either way, this points to a channeller being the killer. Channelling
is the only way we know of to kill a person while leaving no remains
at all. Even the Shadar Logoth dagger leaves something. If there were
remains, a channeller would have had no problem removing them, via a
gateway. A nonchanneller would have had more than a little difficulty
walking out of the Royal Palace carrying the corpse of the Lord
Dragon's gleeman.
In fact, we should ask why the body (if there was one) was removed at
all. The only possible reason for the corpse to be removed would be to
hide the fact that the killer was around. For many of the killers, the
supposed motives would have been better served by leaving a
recognizable body behind. We've seen that those who betray the Dark
are generally killed in ways that serve as examples to others (e.g.
Joiya and Amico in TSR, Ispan in POD). If the goal was simply to
terrify Rand, leaving the body behind would have done a better job
than removing it. The "cover-for-Taimandred" motive does give a
possible reason for removing the body-- a dead Asmo might make Rand
suspicious.
Knowledge of Asmo's fate
Needless to say, the person who killed him must know that he's dead.
This condition can be used to eliminate quite a few suspects. Any
character whose thoughts indicate that he/she thinks Asmo may still be
alive can't be the killer. Likewise for any character who expresses
ignorance of his fate in a situation where she/he wouldn't lie.
Secrecy: Why?
Despite RJ's comments to the contrary, it is not at all obvious who
did the dirty deed. One question to ask ourselves is, "WHY is RJ
keeping it a secret?" The lack of action on this front in LOC, ACOS,
and TPOD pretty much demonstrates that the murder in and of itself is
NOT a major plot thread, so there is no point in keeping it secret for
the sake of keeping the reader in suspense. So, why is RJ keeping it
secret?
One answer is that Asmo's killing is itself a clue to something else
that is going on, which we don't know about yet. This could be the
return of Lanfear, or the Taimandred idea.
We are not the only ones ignorant of the culprit. All of the
characters (except one, obviously) are also ignorant of whodunnit (if
they're Forsaken), or of what actually happened (if they're Good Guys
or rank-and-file DFs). So, whoever killed Asm must have a reason for
hiding it. After all, it's not like anybody would condemn them for
punishing a traitor. For any of the Forsaken, this could be as simple
as keeping the other Forsaken on their toes by causing uncertainty.
Obvious to the most casual observer: Say what?
RJ has repeatedly said that we should be able to figure out who the
killer is. In fact, at a post-TPOD signing in NYC, he talked to Aaron
Bergman about this:
I asked about Asmodean again. He said that yes, we should be able
to figure it out the instant he died. He said that he thinks it's
obvious now and we should definitely be able to figure it out by
the end of [TPOD].-- A. Bergman, report from NYC book signing, 20
October 1998.
Well, RJ is obviously using the same definition of "obvious" that
physics professors are wont to use. That is, it's obvious if you know
the answer, and know which information is useful and which is
irrelevant. It isn't "obvious" in the usual meaning of the word. Note
that RJ "also claims that very, very few of the fan letters he gets
are correct about [who killed Asmo]." [Post-TPOD signing, Northern
Virginia, 21 November, 1998, report by John Novak.] This clearly shows
that RJ's idea of "obvious" and his readers' idea of "obvious" don't
really mix, do they?
However, this statement by RJ is useful in eliminating possibilities.
Not even RJ could stretch "being able to figure it out the instant he
died" to encompass people or things we didn't know a thing about
before the killing, such as Shaidar Haran, Mesaana, or gholam.
Note that RJ's comment also implies that something in POD should
clarify the issue. The only thing which is applicable to any of the
suspects is the appearance of Cyndane, which does nothing but throw
more fuel on the fire in the Lanfear vs. Graendal debate (see below).
It DOES let us argue even more strongly against some of the
less-likely suspects like Slayer or Fain, who were largely irrelevant
to events in POD. (Fain is mentioned in passing, but nothing which
connects him to Asmodean.)
Elimination of suspects:
Which suspects can be eliminated beyond any loony shadow of a doubt?
Demandred
From [LoC: Prologue, The First Message, 15-16], we see that Demandred
doesn't know what happened to Asmodean: "Lanfear has vanished without
a trace, just as Asmodean did." Hence, Demandred didn't kill him.
(Dem. would have no reason to lie about such a thing, and it is
doubtful whether he _could_ lie outright to the DO, under those
circumstances (bathing in the DO's presence at SG.)
Semirhage
In [LOC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 141], Semirhage thinks to
herself, "Asmodean. A traitor, and so doomed but he really had
vanished..." and later, "If the Great Lord moved her here secretly,
might he not be moving Moghedien or Lanfear, or even Asmodean?" This
seems to imply that Semirhage doesn't know that Asmodean is dead, and
thus, she couldn't have killed him.
Moghedien
She was Nynaeve's prisoner in Salidar-- either forkroot-drugged, or
bound by the a'dam, when Asmo was killed. Hence, she couldn't have
been in Caemlyn.
Aran'gar, Osan'gar
They weren't recycled until the beginning of LOC, and thus were busy
being dead when Asmo was killed.
Which suspects can be eliminated beyond reasonable doubt?
Mesaana
Mesaana visited the Pit of Doom twice in the period between Asmodean's
death and her appearance in LoC, but with the DO never appearing. If
she had killed Asmodean, wouldn't she have made some sort of report to
the DO, especially since the DO approved of the murder? Also, in
conversation with Semirhage, she has expressed doubts about whether
Asmodean is really dead [LoC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 143]: "More
troubling were the Chosen who had vanished. Demandred insisted they
must be dead, but she [Semirhage] and Mesaana were not so sure". She
doesn't mention Asmo specifically, and so it is possible that she's
only referring to Lanfear and Moggy. However, while it's not
conclusive, it is circumstantial evidence against Mesaana being the
murderer.
Furthermore, prior to LOC, we had not heard or seen a single thing
about Mesaana. Thus, she fails the "obviosity" test--there is no way
we could even suspect her from the instant he died.
Slayer
Conceivably, he could have reached Caemlyn from the Two Rivers in
time, but his motive would have had to be a direct order from a DO or
a Forsaken, and how would he have known to go to Caemlyn? Not to
mention, one would think that the Royal Palace in Caemlyn would be the
last place on earth "Lord Luc" would show his face. Furthermore, why
would the DO send him towards a possible confrontation with a former
Forsaken and Rand? As discussed above, any non-channeller would have
great trouble harming a channeller if he or she was discovered first.
(Slayer cannot channel-- See Section 1.4.3.) Plus, he'd have had to
sneak the body away with no OP help. He was badly hurt in TSR, and
it's not certain that he would be in any condition to sneak into the
Royal Palace, kill a guy, and sneak back out with the body.
Slayer also fails the "obvious" test. He doesn't appear in TFOH at all
(before Asmo's death, at least), nor does he appear in LOC, ACOS, or
TPOD. There is no particular reason to suspect him, and quite a few
reasons not to.
Shaidar Haran
First, there is no reason to think that Asmo would recognize the
Superfade. It is a possibility that Shaidar Haran told Asmodean in his
dreams that it would come after him, but that would almost require
that Ishamael was resurrected as SH, which we know not to be the case
(unless you want to get really loony and say that Moridin is Shaidar
Haran). We say this since Myrddraal don't dream. Second, his motive
would have had to have been a directive from the DO, and the missing
body is not consistent with that. He could have gotten to the Palace
quickly, using the Fade Shadow-Travel trick, and destroyed the body
using the "black fire" trick he used to burn the spear in [ACOS: 40,
Spears, 637] (although he'd have no motive for destroying the body--
quite the opposite). However, it doesn't seem likely that a Fade would
be wandering around the Palace in broad daylight. He'd hardly be
inconspicuous. Again, this suspect fails the "obvious" criterion,
because we didn't even know he existed before LOC came out.
Sammael
We are given very few hints in Sammael's thoughts in LOC and ACOS, and
the issue is made even muddier by the game of deception he plays with
Graendal. But in [LoC, 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 133] we have:
"Rumors! Lanfear has been aiding al'Thor since the beginning, if you
[Graendal] ask me. I would have had his head in the Stone of Tear
except that someone sent Myrddraal and Trollocs to save him! That was
Lanfear; I am certain. I'm done with her. The next time I see her,
I'll kill her! And why would he kill Asmodean? I would if I could find
him, but he has gone over to al'Thor. He's teaching him!" This is in a
Sammael POV section. He is also trembling with anger, which makes it
quite unlikely he's feigning ignorance of Asmo's fate. Thus, it's
unlikely that Sammael did the deed.
Gholam
The only point in favor of this idea is that Asmo probably would have
recognised a gholam, and been scared of it. However, there are more
problems with this idea than there are conveniences. Firstly, it would
have to have been sent by a Forsaken, which means we have to look
among them anyway. Secondly, we've seen how gholam kill (Herid Fel),
and it is way messier than the quick, clean way Asmo died. Since we
didn't know about gholam before LOC, the gholam-as-killer theory fails
the "obviosity" requirement. There's also the question of whether Asmo
would call a gholam "you."
Padan Fain
The basic argument for Fain as the killer is this: He could have been
in Caemlyn at the time (via the Ways, if nothing else). He would want
to kill any Forsaken because they would interfere with his plans to be
Rand's personal hell. However, that presupposes that Fain knew Jasin
Natal was a Forsaken, which seems a very unlikely thing for Fain to
know, given that he'd never seen Asmo/Natal before supposedly killing
him. An alternative motive which has been proposed is that Fain killed
Natal because he was trying to cause confusion and stress for Rand by
disappearing a member of his retinue. However, this does not fit in
with everything else we've seen of Fain's MO, which has mainly
involved ingratiating himself with highly-placed people and planting
the seeds of Mashadar in their minds. Plus, killing Rand's gleeman and
splitting doesn't really make for much of a dastardly plot to
undermine Rand's confidence. It would have been much more effective
for Fain to try to kill somebody closer to Rand--one of his friends,
or even one of his Maiden bodyguards. The "mistake" motive doesn't
work for Fain, because we'd have to have a reason for Fain to be in
the Palace, and there is zero evidence that he was doing anything in
the palace--no reference to anything of the sort in TFOH, LOC, ACOS,
or TPOD.
Furthermore, as we discussed in the "means" section, Fain would have
had to have killed Asmo with the dagger, and that isn't consistent
with the way Asmo died, or the lack of a body.
Round up the usual suspects: the viable possibilities
Having eliminated most of the suspects, either by showing that they
couldn't possibly have done it, or by showing that there are many
arguments against their guilt and only slim evidence for it, we can
settle down to the three most likely suspects: Graendal, Lanfear, and
Ishamael/Moridin. (Note: most of the evidence discussed centers on
Graendal and Lanfear. I've included Moridin in the list of possible
suspects mainly because we don't know enough to really eliminate him.
The two front-runners for Asmo-killer are Lanfear and Graendal.)
Ishamael/Moridin
TPOD makes it clear that Moridin is Ishamael recycled. At this point,
we don't know when he was created, and as far as we know, his first
step in regaining control over the Shadow forces was killing Asmodean.
In any case, there isn't really that much to discuss about him. He
definitely satisfies means, motive, and opportunity (provided he
wasn't dead at the time). He could have made himself recognised to
Asmodean by using a OP disguise, although why would he bother? Body
disposal wouldn't be a problem, and we have no way to know if he knows
Asmo's fate (although even if he didn't kill him, it's likely that Mr.
Nae'blis knows exactly what happened to the fellow). It would make
sense for it to be a secret, since Moridin's existence and identity
have been unknown by us and by the other Forsaken. Obviosity is not
obvious, but it's within the realm of twisted possibility (Moridin is
Ishy, who has come back from the "dead" twice before, so we might
suspect he did so again).
On the other hand, there is absolutely no evidence in favor of him
having done it, either. Note that RJ's rejection of the "pun" theory
could encompass Moridin killing Asmo, as well as kidnapping him.
Lanfear
Up until the appearance of Cyndane in TPOD, Lanfear looked like a very
good suspect. The case against her is very strong. She's a channeller,
so she had the means to kill him, the ability to enter and leave the
Palace undetected, and a way to dispose of the body. Since Asmo had
just seen her "die" earlier in the day, he would certainly have been
shocked and terrified to see her strolling around the Palace.
Lanfear's Motive
Lanfear also had the strongest motive to kill Asmo. Lanfear gave Asmo
to Rand "to teach him," knowing that Asmo was about the worst (and
hence the safest) Forsaken you could pick as a teacher. But he was
also the one who she could be sure would react the way she wanted him
to once she shielded him. It would seem that she wasn't too interested
in giving Rand all the secrets of the AoL. More likely, she just
didn't want him gentling or killing himself because of his ignorance
(see her reaction when he draws saidin through the sa'angreal in TGH--
though that could simply be fear for her own life). Here's Asmo's take
on it:
"Do you think Lanfear really intended me to teach you everything?
If she had wanted that, she would have contrived to stay close so
she could link us. She wants you to live, Lews Therin, but this
time she means to be stronger than you." [TFOH: 3, Pale Shadows,
75].
When she confronted Rand at the docks, it is unlikely that she knew he
had an angreal. Although she would certainly be hard pressed to shield
him alone, it should have been no problem with an angreal, especially
since he is untrained in her opinion, despite whatever he might have
gleaned from Asmo. After she picked up the angreal, she attacked Rand,
and he resisted. She increased her attempts to shield and hurt Rand,
probably to her limit even with the angreal. But Rand (with his own
angreal) held his ground. He even believed "He could end it, finish
her. He could call down lightning, or wrap her in the fire she herself
had used to kill..." [TFOH, 52, Choices, 631]. If Lanfear did not know
that he had an angreal (she probably didn't), then she would have
taken this as a very bad sign for her. Knowing that Asmodean was still
"teaching" him stuff, and that she was the one who put him there, it
is very likely that it would be a high priority to remove him, if Rand
can foil even her strongest attempts to shield him.
Furthermore, she would have blamed Asmodean's teaching for her defeat
and humiliation, and thus she'd have wanted to get revenge. She's that
type of gal.
She SAID she was going to kill him
In TSR, in the Stone of Tear, Lanfear comes to Rand as Selene, and
reveals herself as a Forsaken . During that conversation, she proposes
that Rand allow a male Forsaken to become his teacher. She continues
in her old tack of seducing Rand with power (not The Power, just
power), by describing how she and he will rule the world once he has
knelt to the DO. She describes her entire plan in [TSR: 9, Decisions,
129]:
"Kneel to the Great Lord, and he will set you above all others. He
will leave you free to reign as you will, so long as you bend knee
to him only once. To acknowledge him. No more than that. He told me
this. Asmodean will teach you to wield the Power without it killing
you, teach you what you can do with it. Let me help you. We can
destroy all the others. The Great Lord will not care. We can
destroy all of them, even Asmodean, once he has taught you all you
need to know. You and I can rule the world together under the Great
Lord, forever." (emphasis mine)
The relevance of this quote to the matter at hand is obvious. All
along, Lanfear has been planning to kill Asmodean, after he was done
teaching Rand. Obviously, after the encounter at the docks, Lanfear
has every reason to believe that Asmodean has taught Rand more than
enough, more than she really wanted him to. In fact, if Lanfear did
kill Asmodean, then this quote means that it really IS obvious who
killed him. His fate corresponds exactly with Lanfear's plans for him.
The "You? No!" evidence, and how it points to Lanfear
It is obvious that Asmodean was indeed terrified of the person he saw.
There are many people that Asmo would be afraid of, but it is doubtful
that anyone but Lanfear would elicit quite this response from Asmo.
Although Asmo may have reason to be afraid of many people, we know
that Lanfear is the person he fears the most:
"Even if he manages to convince the others that he has been a
prisoner, they would still tear him apart, and he knows it. The
weakest dog in the pack often suffers that fate. Besides, I watch
his dreams on occasion. He dreams of you triumphing over the Great
Lord and putting him up beside you on high. Sometimes he dreams of
me." Her smile said those dreams were pleasant for her, but not so
for Asmodean. [TFOH, 6, Gateways, 124]
Even though Asmo knows all the Forsaken would rip him to shreds given
the chance, the one he has nightmares about is Lanfear.
Furthermore, just before getting whacked, Asmo was just thinking to
himself about Lanfear being dead and how glad he was: "He was hardly
sorry Lanfear was dead. Rahvin either, but Lanfear especially, for
what she had done to him. He would laugh when each of the others died,
too, and most for the last." [TFOH, 56, Glowing Embers, 681] Not
thirty seconds after these thoughts pass through his mind, he opens
the door and sees ... who? And he is shocked/terrified (big surprise).
The combination of these things makes it seem likely that Lanfear was
indeed the killer. (This scenario also plays into the "obvious"
argument.)
"Obviousity" and secrecy
As discussed above, if any suspect can be said to be obviously the
killer, from the moment he dies, it's Lanfear. She said she'd kill
him, and he was (ironically?) thinking of her right before he died.
Furthermore, the fact that his killer is still a secret, three books
later, makes sense if Lanfear did it. Knowing that she killed Asmo
would be a dead giveaway that she was active.
The big problem
Of course, there has to be a stumbling block. With all the great
evidence in favor of Lanfear, there is a correspondingly large problem
with her. Namely, as far as we know, she was extremely indisposed at
the time of Asmo's death. As in dead. The "new" character Cyndane,
introduced in TPOD, is almost certainly Lanfear in a new body (see
section 1.2.5). The only way we know of for a person to get into a new
body is to be killed and then reincarnated by the Dark One. The most
likely time for Lanfear to have died is when she fell through the
exploding doorway with Moiraine. If this happened, there is no way she
could have been alive to kill Asmodean.
However, there are ways (loony ways) to get around this. First, the
new body could have come from the Foxes as the (possibly
unintentional) result of some wish. Second, she could have gotten
killed sometime after leaving Foxland. See section 1.2.5 for more
details.
Another point raised against Cyndane/Lanfear being the assassin is
that Asmodean would not have recognised "Cyndane," let alone have been
terrified of her. However, this objection can be applied to any of the
channelling suspects. Lanfear would certainly want Asmo to know who
was killing him, even if she wasn't her old self. Thus, she could have
used a OP disguise to make "Cyndane" look like the old Lanfear.
Likewise, any of the other Forsaken would have been wearing a disguise
while walking around the Palace. Remember, this was right after Rand
balefired one of their number with extreme prejudice. All of the
Forsaken known to be alive at that time (Graendal, Sammael, Demandred,
Semirhage, Mesaana) are cautious enough to not go trouncing through
the Palace undisguised. Thus, in order for Asmo to recognise one of
them as the killer, the killer would have had to remove her/his
disguise. This is essentially the same as Lanfear/Cyndane donning a
disguise to freak him out. (Also note that Lanfear is crazy enough to
go walking around the Palace in a recognizable form.)
Graendal
Finally, we are left with Graendal. Graendal has some evidence working
for her. For one thing, she has tried to assure Sammael that Asmodean
is dead, which makes her one of the only Forsaken to express a belief
that Asmodean was toasted.
"`You [Sammael] know as much as I do,' Graendal said blithely,
pausing for a sip from her goblet. `Myself, I think Lews Therin
killed them [Asmodean, Lanfear, Moghedien]. [...] There are rumors
out of Cairhien about Lanfear dying at Lews Therin's hands the same
day he killed Rahvin.'" [LoC, 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 133]
(Sammael PoV)
Graendal says: "So many of us has died confronting him. [...] And
Lanfear and Asmodean, whatever you believe. Possibly Moghedien"
[LoC, 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 134]
"`Asmodean and Lanfear are dead, and I [Graendal] am sure Moghedien
must be, too.' She was surprised to hear her own voice, hoarse and
unsteady." [LoC, 23, To Understand a Message, 348] (Graendal PoV)
On the other hand, it should be noted that Graendal expresses as much
certainty about Lanfear's demise as Asmodean's, and she sure didn't
kill Lanfear. Her statements that Asmo must be dead could either be
simple opinion, or she could have found out the same way that
Demandred did-- from the DO.
In fact, we know that Graendal has visited the DO:
"Only she [Graendal] herself knew that she had made her own journey
to Shayol Ghul and down to the lake of fire. Only she knew that the
Great Lord had all but promised to name her Nae'blis" [LoC, Threads
Woven of Shadow, 138]
This memory includes no mention of Shaidar Haran, and furthermore,
when SH appears to Graendal in [TPOD, 12, New Alliances, 266], she is
not familiar with him. Thus, we know that SH was not present when
Graendal made this trip to the Pit of Doom, and therefore, this trip
might have occurred before the Super-Fade appeared. We first saw SH
at the start of LOC, so Graendal's visit could have been before
Asmodean's death. The idea is that the DO may have used the reward of
Nae'blis to motivate Graendal to kill Asmo.
There are other points in favor of Graendal being the killer. She's
cautious and will thus probably plan well. She's also somewhat
expendable. Sammael's required to fix Rand's attention, Demandred is
needed to act as Taim. Mesaana is in too good a position (the White
Tower) to endanger, and there are indications that Semirhage is
working directly on the DO's order in another matter.
The strongest argument in favor of Graendal, though, is that she is
the only suspect without any major points against her. The only
requirements which she seems to fail are 7 and 8. Namely, there is no
reason for RJ to have kept it a secret for over five years, and there
is no way Graendal is obviously the killer-- the case in her favor is
mostly a process of elimination over the three books following TFOH.
One thing which doesn't quite fit in with Graendal as the murderer is
the bit in [TPOD, 12, New Alliances, 266] when SH talks to her. He
tells her, "The Great Lord thought you might not take [Moggy's and
Cyndane's] word, Graendal. The time when you could go your own way has
passed." This implies that Graendal HAS been going her own way, not
rubbing out fellow Forsaken at the DO's order. This leaves personal
initiative and accidental meeting as the only motives for her to kill
Asmo. From what we've seen of Graendal, she seems to be pretty happy
to stay entrenched in Arad Doman. (Note, however, that she has
ventured onto Rand's turf at least once, when she had sufficiently
strong motivation. After Rand took Illion, she went there to remove
evidence which would tie her to Sammael's schemes. [TPOD: 12, New
Alliances, 262])
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.1.8: Could Lanfear be good?
[Ruchira Datta, Korda, Carolyn Fusinato, and Roy Navarre as the
Lanfear Pin-up of the Month Club]
_________________________________________________________________
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
and 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 [TSR: 26, The Dedicated,
303-6], 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, who even the Forsaken admit was an "honest man," 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 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 Way-of-the-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 and Aviendha, killing
of many bystanders, and attempted killing of Rand, 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. She LIKES it.
Note that Lanfear did NOT send the trollocs who fought Sammael's
trollocs in TSR. They were sent by Semirhage, on order of the DO. The
DO, it seems, has been giving Rand aid for some time now, probably in
the hopes of eventually turning him to the Dark Side. Any "help"
Lanfear has done for Rand was probably in view of this end. Taking
credit for rescuing him is certainly not past her.
Carolyn F. adds, that in a letter she got from RJ, he said that
Lanfear was fixated on possessing a man who never loved her. (I guess
LTT was just using her for sex, eh?) Her desire for Rand is as much
desire for power as for him personally. She could get her hands on the
remote-control ter'angreal for the kick-ass sa'angreal and get credit
for turning the Dragon Reborn over to the DO. She wants power for
power's sake, not for Rand's sake.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.1.9: Was Ishamael really bound?
_________________________________________________________________
The widespread belief in Randland is that all thirteen Forsaken were
imprisoned with the DO when the Bore was sealed by LTT and the Hundred
Companions. However, this doesn't seem to be entirely true. Ishamael
appears bodily to LTT in the prologue to TEOTW. We know that he must
really be there, because he cures LTT's insanity so that he will
realize what he has done. From what we know of how channelling works,
he could not have done this if he was only some kind of astral
projection. That scene takes place shortly after the sealing of the
Bore. So, Ishy was not bound right when the DO and the other Forsaken
were sealed away.
Furthermore, many events throughout the Third Age bear Ishy's
fingerprints-- the Trolloc Wars (the Trollocs invading Manetheren
carried the banner of Ba'alzamon), the creation and continued
existence of the Black Ajah, the War of the Hundred Years. Ishy
claimed to have influenced Hawkwing [TEOTW: 14, The Stag and Lion,
172].) The Third Age shows a pattern of humanity being kept in a state
of disarray. Whenever the people showed signs of becoming unified
(Compact of Ten Nations, Hawkwing's empire), some cataclysmic event
occurred to split things up again. This worked out too well for the
Shadow to be mere coincidence. Clearly, Ishy was active and in control
of the Shadow's forces for quite a bit of, if not all of, the Third
Age.
Furthermore, we have the research of the post-breaking historian Aran
son of Malan son of Senar (presumably an Ogier), as described in
[Guide, 5, The Dark One and the Male Forsaken, 52]. This person claims
that "there were sightings of, even encounters with, Ishamael after
the Bore was sealed, in fact perhaps as much as forty years after."
The proposed theory is that "it may have taken some years for Ishamael
to be drawn fully into the trap with the other Forsaken.... Ishamael
might well be thrown out of the prison holding the others and drawn
back again on some regular cycle."
Finally, there is the bit in [Guide: 12, The Reign of the High King,
114-5] about Hawkwing's advisor Jalwin Moerad. Moerad was a
mysterious, shady character who insinuated himself into Hawkwing's
court in FY 973. Moerad exhibited, "frequent long absences, a volatile
temper, and a temperament that more than one observer recorded as
'more than half insane.'" Shortly after Moerad became a counselor
(late summer FY 974), Hawkwing abruptly turned against the AS (who had
previously had a very close relationship with Hawkwing). Moerad was
contemptuous of AS. After Hawkwing's death, Moerad advised the three
nobles who "came the closest to seizing the whole of Hawkwing's
empire," and all three of them met untimely deaths. Finally, "Moerad
never aged from the day he first appeared to the day he vanished,
abruptly, some forty years later." The personality, the lack of aging,
and the forty years business, along with Ishy's claim that he
influenced Hawkwing make it clear that Moerad was Ishamael.
So, it seems like Ishy was somehow "partially bound." That is, he was
not completely locked away in the Dungeon Dimension with the rest of
the Forsaken and the DO. He was definitely free right after the
sealing of the Bore, and was most likely free at various points during
the Third Age. Obviously, he was also the first of the Forsaken to be
completely freed of the seals, by a long shot.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Section 1.2: The Forsaken: New Kids on the Block
_________________________________________________________________
This subsection contains information on and discussion of characters
who are or who may be Forsaken who are no longer in their original
bodies.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.2.1: Who are Aran'gar and Osan'gar?
_________________________________________________________________
We've been told since TEOTW that the DO is Lord of the Grave. It is
about time he started acting it. In [LoC: Prologue, The First Message,
59-61], we see "Aran'gar" and "Osan'gar," two minions of the Shadow
brought back from the dead and put into new bodies. Osan'gar, at
least, is one of the Forsaken; when he tells SH to stop choking
Aran'gar, he thinks, "The thing had to obey one of the Chosen." [LOC:
Prologue, The First Message, 60]. It is a good first approximation to
assume that they are both reincarnated Forsaken, and not some random
Dreadlords. So, what Forsaken are available for reincarnation (i.e.
are dead)? Aginor and Balthamel, Ishamael, Asmodean, Rahvin and
Be'lal, and possibly Lanfear. Well, Rahvin and Be'lal died of
balefire, and their souls are beyond even the reach of the DO.
Asmodean was a traitor, and the DO apparently lumps him in with Rahvin
as having "Died the final death" [LoC: Prologue, The First Message,
15]. Even if Asm isn't dead, it is doubtful that he'd be in as high
standing as the Gars, more likely in a situation like Moggy's, so it
probably wasn't him.
Furthermore, both the Gars were originally male. When Osan'gar tries
to channel, he naturally reaches for saidin, not saidar. As for
Aran'gar, she is extremely upset at being put into a woman's body, and
Osan'gar thinks it is a "fine joke." Furthermore, in [TPOD: 16,
Unexpected Absences, 333] Aran'gar thinks, "It was difficult now to
really remember what life had been like as a man." This eliminates
Lanfear. The remaining candidates are Aginor, Balthamel, and Ishamael.
Since the appearance of the Gars in LOC, we've met another recycled
Forsaken, Moridin. From ample evidence in ACOS and TPOD, we know that
Moridin was Ishamael (See section 1.2.4). Therefore, the Gars must be
the Toxic Twosome, Aginor and Balthamel. Now our only question is
which is which.
Osan'gar thinks to himself about having helped make the Trollocs and
not liking the Halfmen who were an unexpected result of that
experiment. We know that Aginor was very involved in creating the
various Shadowspawn, and that he was unnerved by Fades, spending lots
of time trying to discover how they "fade." In fact, from the Guide,
we know that Aginor was the only one of the thirteen Forsaken to have
worked on creating Shadowspawn [Guide: 5, The Dark One and the Male
Forsaken, 50-60]. Therefore, we can conclude that Osan'gar is Aginor.
By a process of elimination, we can immediately conclude that Aran'gar
is Balthamel. We have other evidence. From TEOTW and the Guide [Guide:
5, The Dark One and the Male Forsaken, 54], we know that Balthamel
enjoyed "the pleasures of the flesh." That is to say, he was a real
lecher. Thus, it would be a great joke to put him in a female body.
Even more interesting, Aran'gar (Halima) now has a job "kneading young
girls," as Mark Loy puts it-- something right up Balthamel's alley.
Finally, if all this wasn't convincing enough, we have a report from a
post-ACOS book signing [Cincinnati, Ohio; 12 October, 1996]:
Someone asked RJ about the 'gars, and mentioned that he'd seen
theories that Lanfear was one of the 'gars. I was expecting a RAFO,
but RJ gave the guy a disgusted look, and said that "No, Osan'gar
and Aran'gar are Aginor and Balthamel." The guy said, "You're
confirming this, and not hinting about it?" RJ replied (I'm
paraphrasing here), "I'm confirming. After all, it's pretty obvious
in the books that it's those two. After all, that's what Aginor
thought was so funny; Balthamel, the lecher, was stuck in a female
body." [Mike Lawson]
The recycling of Aginor and Balthamel into new bodies did not come
totally out of the blue. In [TEOTW: 50, Meetings at the Eye, 628],
Aginor says, "Some of us are bound no longer. The seals weaken, Aes
Sedai. Like Ishamael, we walk the world again, and soon the rest of us
will come. I was too close to this world in my captivity, I and
Balthamel, too close to the grinding of the Wheel, but soon the Great
Lord of the Dark will be free, and give us new flesh..." (emphasis
mine)
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.2.2: Is Dashiva Osan'gar?
[Contributors: Michael Gonzalez, Chad Orzel, Pam Korda, Dylan
Alexander, John Novak, Maia Bakroeva, Bryon Wasserman, Donal Wyckoff,
Sean O'Hara, Konrad Gaertner, Brian Ritchie, Colin Fishy, Bill
Woolsey, Kay-Arne Hansen, Aaron Bergman, Mark Loy, Christopher Kane,
Alex Paradi, Emma Pease, G. Williams, Bill McCarthy, Chris Dewey, Fred
Van Keuls]
_________________________________________________________________
Corlan Dashiva is, to all appearances, a nasty, Taint-maddened
psychopath of an Asha'man. However, many people think this is simply a
cover for a Halima-type infiltration of the Black Tower by the DO's
other Gar. In the case of Taim and Demandred (see Section 1.1.6),
there are many arguments for why the character under suspicion could
be a Forsaken, and little, if any, evidence which appears to be
inconsistent with that idea. This is not the case with Dashiva. There
are many good arguments in favor of him being Osan'gar. There are also
many good arguments against that proposition. There are even some
pieces of "evidence" which can be argued either way. Here, we present
the arguments in favor of Dashiva=Osan'gar, and rebuttals, then we
present the evidence which, depending on one's interpretation, can
support or undermine the proposition. We end with arguments against
Dashiva=Osan'gar, and rebuttals.
Evidence that Dashiva is Osan'gar
After LoC, I was certain that Osan'gar was an Asha'man. Now I believe
that it must be Corlan Dashiva. I base this idea on the following
circumstantial evidence, each piece of which alone proves nothing, but
the totality of which, I believe, is best explained by Dashiva being
Osan'gar. [Michael Gonzalez]
1) Similarity of appearance: Dashiva is a middle-aged man from the
Black Hills [ACoS: 2, The Butcher's Yard, 84], parts of which are
near, if not in, the Borderlands. Osan'gar has the body of a
middle-aged Borderlander. Osan'gar has an "ordinary" face while
Dashiva has a "plain" face [ACoS: 36, Blades, 571].
Rebuttal: Looking at the map, the Black Hills region is bigger than
some countries. It starts SE of Saldaea, and extends SE to just SW of
Tar Valon. Granted, the Black Hills region is sparsely populated, and
given that people live there at all, it is reasonable to suppose that
the most populous parts are those near established nations, or trade
routes. One would expect people to live in the NW part, near Saldaea
and Kandor, the SE part, near Tar Valon, and along the River Luan,
which stretches down the southeastern two-thirds of the hills, and
along the Maradon-Tar Valon road, which stretches along the whole
length of the hills. This leaves a great deal of leeway for Dashiva's
origins. There is no evidence that Dashiva is a Borderlander, only
that he MIGHT be. Furthermore, the physical descriptions we have for
both men are rather sketchy, and the validity of noting similarities
between such minimal descriptions is questionable.
2) Swordsmanship: Dashiva seems to Rand to be physically awkward
(getting used to a new body?) and unfamiliar with wearing a sword; to
Rand, he "did not seem to know one end from the other." One wonders
how many Borderlanders growing up on isolated farms have never learned
to use a sword, given that the Trollocs have been more of less
constantly raiding Borderland farms for the last couple thousand years
or so.
Rebuttal One would expect very few Black Hills farmers to know how to
use a sword. For one thing, even the northern portions of the Black
Hills have the Borderland countries of Kandor and Saldaea between them
and the Blight. It's doubtful that many Trolloc raids come so far
south, through the armed opposition of the Borderlanders. Even if our
Black Hills farmer did worry about being attacked, it's doubtful that
he'd use a sword for home defense. As we know from many references,
such as people's reaction to Rand's sword in TEOTW and Mat's fight
with Galad and Gawyn in Tar Valon, swords are not farmers' weapons.
For one thing, they are expensive and require training. The Black
Hills is an impoverished, sparsely-populated area. Where would a Black
Hills farmer get the money for a sword, let alone training? Secondly,
as the Aiel are so fond of pointing out, swords aren't useful for any
other purpose. A farmer who fights is more likely to use a
quarterstaff, a bow, or, at most, some sort of pike or spear.
3) Horsemanship: Dashiva is a lousy rider: "Dashiva, slumped in his
gray's saddle like a man who had never seen a horse before..." [TPOD:
13, Floating Like Snow, 287]. If Dashiva really was a farmer, wouldn't
he know how to ride a horse? He'd have to use horses to get his crops
to market, plough his fields, etc. Note that none of the Two
Riversians have problems with riding. Poverty can't be used as an
excuse, because Dashiva claims that he was a great buyer of books (see
below).
Rebuttal: Maybe Dashiva used all his money for books, and thus
couldn't afford a horse? Seriously, though, assuming that he had
enough money to afford books and animals, he needn't be very practiced
at riding. For one thing, Dashiva could have used oxen instead of
horses for ploughing, etc. In addition, there is a difference between
using a horse for pulling a cart or a plow and actually riding one--
the skills are definitely different. Also, there's a difference
between sitting bareback on your plowhorse as it ambles down the path
and riding an animal that's trained for war, or at least to be active.
4) The Great Outdoors: Dashiva doesn't like the outdoors: "Despite
being a farmer, Dashiva disliked being out-of-doors unless the skies
were clear." [TPOD: 13, Floating Like Snow, 287] This isn't exactly
consistent with his story.
Rebuttal: Maybe, maybe not. A farmer may be used to being outside in
bad weather, but that doesn't mean he has to like it. Doing farm
chores in the rain and snow is hardly a pleasant pastime.
5) Old Tongue: Dashiva is fluent in the Old Tongue, and talks to
himself in it all the time. "Dashiva... muttered angrily under his
breath. In the Old Tongue, which he spoke and read as fluently as a
scholar. Rand knew a little, though not enough to understand what the
fellow was mumbling." [TPOD: 13, Floating Like Snow 287] Dashiva
claims that this ability is self-taught: "I read a great deal on the
farm. Every book the peddlers brought by." [ACOS: 2, The Butcher's
Yard, 89]. The Old Tongue is not very common. Not to mention, you
can't speak a language fluently if you've only learned it by reading.
Even weirder is that Dashiva talks to himself in the Old Tongue-- how
many people do you know who carry on a continual monologue in Latin?
This is one of the strongest indications that there is Something Up
With Dashiva, if not the strongest.
Rebuttal: Dashiva's story could conceivably be true, although it's
really a stretch. However, if Dashiva was a Forsaken, why would he do
something which is such a giveaway?
6) Strength in the OP: When Rand awakens after being stabbed by Fain,
Dashiva is holding almost as much saidin as Rand himself could have
[ACoS: 41, A Crown of Swords, 639]. In TEoTW, Aginor (who is now
Osan'gar) is described as supposedly being not much less powerful than
Lews Therin or Ishamael. Furthermore, remember how in the beginning of
LOC Rand orders Taim to report any man who learns too quickly? And how
in the middle of LOC Taim appears and reports Narishma? As of TPOD
Narishma is still significantly weaker than Flinn and Rand. But
Dashiva never gets reported. Strange, wouldn't you say?
Rebuttal: Dashiva could just be a strong channeller. Many of the
Asha'man are very strong. Other possible explanations are: 1) Dashiva
is the one who took Rand's fat-man angreal which he couldn't find
after the battle at Dumai's Wells. Thus, Dashiva + angreal = Rand, but
Dashiva by himself is weaker than Rand. Recall that a man can only
sense how much power another man is holding at the moment, not what
his natural potential is. 2) Rand was in a weakened state then, and
was not able to draw as much Saidin as he normally could. When RJ says
"Dashiva held almost as much as Rand could have," he means he held as
much as Rand, at the moment, could have. Tired channellers cannot hold
as much of the OP, so that would make the amount Dashiva held seem
less spectacular. As for Taim not reporting Dashivan'gar as a fast
learner, if this is to be counted as evidence, then one must suppose
that Taim (be he Demandred or not) knows that Dashiva is Osan'gar. If
Taim=Dem, then this implies that the two of them are cooperating,
something which doesn't fit with Taim's general disapproval of
Dashiva, or his anger at Dashiva joining the staged "defection" at the
end of TPOD. It also doesn't fit with the idea that Dashivan'gar was
placed in the Black Tower to keep an eye on Demandred (See below).
7) Speech Patterns: Dashiva talking to Rand about the danger of riding
up to the palace in Cairhien in [ACOS:4, Into Cairhien, 108]: "All it
needs is one man with a... a bow or a knife, and you don't see him in
time." Did he need to think a moment for the word "bow?" Was he
thinking "shocklance" or some other AoL weapon? When asked by Rand if
he believes Rand's enemies have been asleep while he was away, Dashiva
says, "I...grew up on a farm" ... "I don't know much about having
enemies." Someone having to pause a sec to remember his cover story?
Rebuttal: This, and Dashiva's other incidents of mindwandering, are
easily explained by Dashiva being "a daydreamer, and maybe the taint
on saidin is touching his brain already." [ACOS: 2, The Butcher's
Yard, 84]
8) More Dashiva talking: Talking about healing: [ACOS: 36, Blades,
573] "Flinn knows what he is about. Already he can do things you Aes
Sedai never dreamed of." (emphasis in original) Standard Forsaken
derogatory emphasis on "Aes Sedai"; When Sammael mentions Aes Sedai to
Carridin in [ACOS: 15, Insects, 289] the emphasis is presented
identically.
Rebuttal: That could be arrogant contempt for Aes Sedai in general,
which seems to be a common trait among the whole Black Tower crowd.
Not to mention, consider who the Asha'man have been learning from.
Taim certainly has no love for AS, he has undoubtedly instilled his
dislike in his students.
9) Still More Dashiva Talking: While Flinn Heals Rand in [ACOS: 36,
Blades, 573]: '"Get on with it, Flinn," Dashiva muttered. "If he
dies...." Nose wrinkled as though at a bad smell, he seemed unable to
look away from Rand. His lips moved as he talked to himself, and once
he made a sound, half sob, half bitter laugh, without his face
changing one line.' Sounds like someone who doesn't like Rand and
wouldn't mind seeing him die, but is charged by someone fear-inspiring
with making sure Rand doesn't die too soon.
Rebuttal: Or someone who is about three minutes from stripping naked
and howling at the moon, confronted with the thought of the one man
powerful enough to protect him and the other channelling men from
dying a wretched death at Aes Sedai hands, not to mention keeping the
Dark One from taking over the world. Furthermore, the concern for
Rand's life which this argument ascribes to Dashivan'gar is utterly at
odds with the fact that he tried to turn Rand into a crispy critter at
the end of TPOD.
10) Reaction to Saidin-cleansing: When Rand speaks of cleansing Saidin
everyone looks hopeful, EXCEPT Dashiva, he looks "poleaxed". The exact
quote is, "Rand had not realized he had spoken any of his thoughts
[about cleansing saidin] aloud. Narishma's eyes, and Morr's, and
Hopwil's, belonged in one face, shining with sudden hope. Dashiva
looked poleaxed." [TPOD: 14, Message from the M'Hael, 306]
Rebuttal: Note that it doesn't say, "Dashiva looked horrified."
"Dashiva looked poleaxed" doesn't necessarily mean that he's upset by
the prospect, only that he's shocked and amazed that such a thing
could be possible. Note that Torval, who quite possibly is a
Darkfriend, has a decidedly positive reaction: "'That would be
wondrous,' Torval said in a near whisper."
11) Reaction to killing of Forsaken: In [TPOD: 24, A Time for Iron,
483], Rand is boasting, '"Nobody stands nose-to-nose with the Dragon
Reborn.... The Forsaken could tell him [The Seanchan commander] that,
whoever he is. Right, Flinn? Dashiva?" Flinn nodded uncertainly.
Dashiva flinched.' Dashiva could be flinching because he has faced
Rand "nose-to-nose," and lost badly.
Rebuttal: He could just as well be flinching at Rand's unbridled
arrogance.
12) Sudden Lucidity? In [TPOD: 24, A Time for Iron, 467-469], Dashiva
"breaks character":
More often, [Dashiva] hardly seemed aware of anything past his own
nose... It was something of a shock when Dashiva awkwardly booted
his slab-sided mount ahead of the rest.... It was more than
something of a shock when he seized saidin as soon as he reached
Rand and wove a barrier around them against eavesdropping....
"There's something askew with saidin here, something amiss,"
Dashiva said, sounding not at all vague. In fact, he
sounded...precise. And testy. A teacher lecturing a particularly
dense pupil.
Rand then thinks that Dashiva is pretty loony, but usually has a
better grip on himself. He says, "I've been channeling longer than
you, Dashiva. You're just feeling the taint more." Dashiva's response:
Instead, he [Dashiva] opened his mouth angrily, then snapped it
shut... "I am well aware how long you have channeled," he said in
an icy, almost contemptuous voice, "but surely even you can feel
it... I don't want to die or... or be burned out because you're
blind! Look at my ward! Look at it!" Rand stared. Dashiva pushing
himself forward was peculiar enough, but Dashiva in a temper?
Even Rand notes that this degree of lucid behavior is very
uncharacteristic for Dashiva. If he was really as loony as he usually
acts, it's doubtful he'd be capable of such clarity of thought. It
seems more like the extreme circumstances forced him to stop his
"insane" act, and take Rand to task for his foolishness, even though
it meant risking discovery.
Rebuttal: After the Old Tongue, this piece of Dashiva=Osan'gar
evidence is the hardest to explain. Perhaps the extreme circumstances
forced Dashiva to pull himself together, and assert himself, taking
Rand to task for his foolishness. If Dashiva's looniness is all an
act, why spoil it with the OT mutterings?
13) Aesthetic meta-reason: Since Halima/Aran'gar, the right-handed
dagger, is with the female Aes Sedai (Salidar faction), there's a
certain attractive symmetry to Osan'gar, the left-handed dagger, being
with the male Asha'man.
Rebuttal: It would be just as, if not more, symmetrical for Osan'gar
to be with the Tower Faction. After all, the Tower AS have actually
engaged in a confrontation with the BT, unlike the SAS. Or, the
"symmetry" may not exist at all.
Evidence which Goes Both Ways
1) Perrin's Nose: Perrin gets a whiff of Dashiva after Rand rejects
Dashiva's idea of gating into the palace at Cairhien: '"As my Lord
Dragon commands." The fellow inclined his head, but he sounded sour,
and he smelled... Perrin rubbed his nose. The smell... skittered,
dodging wildly through fear and hate and anger and a dozen more
emotions almost too quickly to make out. He no longer doubted the man
was mad, however good a face the fellow put on.' [ACOS: 4, Into
Cairhien, 108]
How this fits with Dashiva=Osangar: Perrin attributes it to
straightforward saidin madness, but that particular sequence of
emotions looks like the sequence that the women felt through Moggy's
a'dam whenever they made her do something she considered demeaning or
below her rightful station. The emotional instability also fits with
Osan'gar/Aginor being a little loony himself [LOC: Prologue, The First
Message, 59]. In other words, we have no evidence that Perrin can
smell the special insanity odor, but rather insanity is a conclusion
Perrin draws from what he does smell.
How this fits with Dashiva not being Osan'gar: Dashiva's behaviour is
also easily explained by Perrin's analysis, i.e. that Dashiva is
crazy. The description of quickly-changing emotions is very similar to
the description of how Perrin perceives Rand's quickly-changing
emotions when LTT is acting up. In fact, just a few pages before the
quote in question, we have:
His [Rand's] scent made Perrin's ears try to lie back. Razor-sharp
rage abruptly vanished in curiosity and caution, the one thin and
probing, the other foglike; then slashing, murderous fury consumed
both.... Nobody's scent changed that fast. Nobody's. [ACOS: 2, The
Butcher's Yard, 83]
Furthermore, Aginor isn't any crazier than many of the other Forsaken
(unstable, but not utterly mad). We are privy to Osan'gar's thoughts
in [LOC: Prologue, The First Message, 59-61]; Osan'gar seems
reasonably sane, and quite alert and observant. It's one thing to act
a bit scatterbrained, but can a channeller fake smells, and why would
he even think to do so? If Dashiva's craziness is all an act, then
Perrin shouldn't have smelt madness. Perrin hasn't ever been mistaken
about what the smells he smells mean: confused, yes, but not
incorrect. The nose knows.
2) Healing: Dashiva suggested to Flinn that he learn Healing: "I have
no Talent for Healing," Dashiva said, twisting his mouth wryly. "You
are the one who took my suggestion and learned." [ACOS: 36, Blades,
572] "Then one day, Dashiva here - pardon; Asha'man Dashiva - says he
wonders why it's all the same, no matter if the man's got a broke leg
or a cold, and we got to talking, and...Well, he's got no feel for it,
himself, but me, seems I got the knack you might say. The Talent."
[ACOS: 36, Blades, 573]
Is Osan'gar: Dashiva knows that he himself doesn't have the Talent for
Healing, yet it seems that Dashiva was able to recognize that Talent
latent in Flinn well enough to suggest that Flinn in particular try
it. This is knowledge Dashiva shouldn't have.
Is not Osan'gar: i) It is not true that the Asha'man had no Healing
abilities before Flinn. They had a less-sophisticated method used for
field medicine. Apparently, Flinn had a talent for it, and Dashiva
didn't: this was known from experience, not some sort of a priori
evaluation on Dashiva's part. When the question of trying to improve
Healing methods arose in conversation, it's only reasonable that
Dashiva would recommend that Flinn experiment, rather than trying
himself.
ii) This actually provides more of an argument AGAINST Dashiva being a
Forsaken than the other way around. Thus far, none of the Forsaken
have been wont to share knowledge with anybody, unless it could
benefit them. For example, while Alviarin has been in contact with
many Forsaken, none of them offered to teach her anything before
Mesaana did, and Mesaana only offered after Alviarin swore to be her
particular flunky. Furthermore, Mesaana forbade Alviarin to share the
knowledge she gained [ACOS: Prologue, Lightnings, 43]. Graendal
straight out refused to teach any of the Shaido WOs [ACOS: 20,
Patterns Within Patterns, 355]. Moggy and Asmo only taught Our Heroes
under extreme duress. Assuming Taim = Dem, he provides more evidence;
he only wants the Asha'man to learn what he dictates; he doesn't want
them going outside his curriculum. It is thus not reasonable to
suppose that a Forsaken would teach some random guy how to Heal, or
even lead him in teaching himself, out of the goodness of his heart.
What would Osan'gar gain by teaching Flinn?
iii) Furthermore, Osan'gar is Aginor, who was a top biological
researcher during the AOL. 'He understood "the most basic structures
of living things" better than anyone else in the Age.' [Guide, 5, The
Dark One and the Male Forsaken, 53] He created the various
Shadowspawn. This shows that he was skilled at manipulating biological
material with the OP. That's what Healing is all about. Why would he
pretend to be so bad at it? Since Aginor died right before Rand's
eyes, and since Osan'gar has a completely new body, he'd hardly have
to pretend to be totally incompetent at it to avoid suspicion. Why not
just pretend to be as good as, say, Flinn is?
Arguments against Dashiva being Osan'gar
1) He tried to kill Rand: During the attack on the Cairhien palace by
the rogue Asha'man, the only one who takes a direct shot at Rand is
Dashiva:
The only warning he had was the sudden snarl that contorted
Dashiva's face. Dashiva channeled, and with no time to think Rand
wove... Air and Fire and Earth woven around himself just so. The
fire that leaped from Dashiva erupted, shattering marble, flinging
Rand back down the hallway, bounding and rolling in his cocoon.
[TPOD: 29, A Cup of Sleep, 568]
Dashiva's weave, had it hit Rand, would have certainly been lethal.
The parts of it which bounced off the shield "shattered marble," and
knocked the protected Rand far down the hallway. The shield was
something dredged up from LTT's memories, and Dashiva could not have
expected that Rand would know it, or that he'd use it in time
(especially considering the scorn Dashiva showed toward's Rand's
mental acumen during the Ebou Dar campaign). Because of this, it is
extremely doubtful that Dashiva was "faking" trying to kill Rand.
Furthermore, the "sudden snarl" on Dashiva's face right before he
attacked shows that there was real emotion behind the attack. If he
was faking it, such an extreme grimace would imply a degree of
dramatic ability which is not consistent with the rest of Dashiva's
behavior (Old Tongue muttering, a cover story which doesn't seem to
hold up, and so forth). Now, the Dark One has given out the order that
Rand must not be killed. One might expect one of the original,
uncontrolled Forsaken (like Sammael) to disregard that order if a good
opportunity presented itself. However, Osan'gar is one of the "reined
in" Forsaken. He's already gotten his second chance, so disobeying a
direct order like that should be the farthest thing from his mind.
Right after he was resurrected, and is forced to submit to the will of
Shaidar Haran, Osan'gar thinks, "It abraded, humbling himself before
something that could be said to be as much his creation as the
Trollocs, but he remembered death too clearly. He would grovel before
a worm to avoid that again." [LOC: Prologue, The First Message, 60-61]
In a few months, he's forgotten all about it?
Rebuttal: While it's not very likely, Dashiva could have been faking
trying to kill Rand, or he could have assumed Rand would be able to
block it. Alternatively, he could have gotten "caught up in the
moment." Perhaps he fell victim to either momentary panic or momentary
hatred overcoming instructions.
2) Whatever his mission, he's utterly failed: If Dashiva is Osan'gar,
then he must have been sent to the Black Tower for a reason. If Taim
is not Demandred, then Dashiva must have been sent to infiltrate the
Black Tower, and gain some measure of control over it, as Aran'gar has
done in Salidar. Getting chosen for Rand's personal guard essentially
made that mission impossible. Before Rand chose him, Dashiva wasn't
doing a very good job of infiltration. Dashivan'gar's first job would
have been to get in good with somebody in power in the BT, but Taim
doesn't think much of Dashiva [ACOS: 2, The Butcher's Yard, 84], and
he isn't well-connected with the rank-and-file Asha'man, either.
If Taim is Demandred, then it gets more complicated. Dashivan'gar must
have been sent to the Black Tower to keep tabs on Taimandred. If it
was to just spy on Taimandred, then the same problems arise as we
described in the previous paragraph. It's a lot easier to spy on
people if they like you and trust you. We could suppose that
Dashivan'gar's mission was to get into Rand's confidence, rather than
Taimandred's. However, this doesn't make sense, either. Under normal
circumstances, the way an Asha'man would have gotten into Rand's
entourage would be by being assigned by Taim, or by impressing Rand in
some way. Either way would have necessitated Dashiva to act like a
normal guy, not an unreliable lunatic. Rand used his ta'veren luck to
pick Dashiva for his entourage. There is no way that could have been
planned upon. If Dashiva is Osan'gar, why didn't he find a more
predictable way to get close to Rand?
Perhaps the mission which makes the most sense is if Dashivan'gar was
assigned to go deep undercover in the BT, with the goal of making sure
Rand didn't get killed in case Taimandred decided to "pull a Sammy."
However, this just brings us back to the question of why did
Dashivan'gar a) try to kill Rand, and b) abandon his post by running
away with Gedwyn et al?
Rebuttal: See explanation for 1, since that's what we've come back
around to.
3) Comparison with Aran'gar: One of the major arguments in favor of
Dashiva being Osan'gar is that the background he claims to have
(humble farmer) doesn't agree very well with his actions. This, in and
of itself, casts doubt on the theory. Osan'gar's counterpart,
Aran'gar/Halima, was set up with an impeccable cover, founded upon the
information wrung from Cabriana Mecandes by Semirhage, and backed up
by the Black Sitter Delana. Are we to believe that so much effort was
put into placing Aran'gar, but Osan'gar was given a flimsy cover story
which he couldn't live up to? This isn't consistent.
Rebuttal: Perhaps the body that Aginor/Osan'gar was "stuffed" into
actually was a humble farmer from the Black Hills and for the sake of
simplicity, authenticity, and/or against the remote possibility that
someone from the area, perhaps another recruit of Taim's, would
recognize the shell, they--Shadar Haran, Moridin, the DO...those in
charge of the plan to place Aginor in the enemy camp--decided it was
just best to tell the truth as to where the Dashiva flesh was from.
Perhaps those in charge figured that the taint would be enough cover
for any strange, but benign, behavior on Dashivan'gar's part. Taim
even mentions that he thinks that Dashiva has already been touched by
taint when we are first introduced to Dashiva. Another argument is
that somebody infiltrating the Asha'man wouldn't need as much of a
good alibi as somebody infiltrating the AS. The AM are a motley crew
of boys, mercenaries, fanatics, criminals, etc. hastily snatched from
all over the continent in the last few months. They probably have many
secrets and tell each other untruthful or no personal histories, with
no way of checking the facts. The tight organization of ancient
suspicious women of the White Tower is a much more difficult group to
infiltrate.
4) The "Limper" argument: If we assume that Dashiva is Osan'gar, then
we must conclude that Osan'gar/Aginor is a Big Fat Loser. He's the
Limper of the Forsaken. (This will only make sense if you've read Glen
Cook's Black Company books. If you haven't just accept Limper = Big
Fat Loser.) Dashivan'gar couldn't maintain a simple cover story. He
constantly spoke to himself in the Old Tongue. He made no effort to
make himself liked by anybody he could be hoping to influence. He
slipped up by revealing his superior skills and knowledge during the
Ebou Dar campaign. Finally, he screwed over his second chance at life
by trying to kill Rand, in front of witnesses who are probably
Demandred's agents. This shambles is one of "those chosen to rule the
world forever"?
Rebuttal: Maybe he cracked due to the strain of being raised from the
dead?
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.2.3: What is the deal with Halima and Egwene's headaches?
_________________________________________________________________
In ACOS, Egwene came down with a spate of nasty headaches. The only
way she can manage to get rid of them is for the lovely Halima to give
her a massage. Halima just happens to be one of the DO's recycled
agents, Aran'gar. Coincidence? I think not.
It's one of the oldest tricks in the book-- cause problems so you can
win somebody's confidence by fixing them.
The evidence: Eg's headaches started the day after Logain escaped, and
the day Eg and Halima had their first conversation [ACOS: 12, A
Morning of Victory, 249]. Aran'gar had been trying very hard to get
rid of Logain, either to gentle him again, or to kill him. In [LOC:
52, Weaves of the Power, 651]. Egwene says, "They will gentle him,
Siuan... That, or someone really will do what Delana has been hinting
at. I won't allow murder!" Delana is by now only a pawn, voicing
Halima's wishes. To Halima Logain is dangerous, being the only one
around who can sense her ability to channel saidin, or rather, her
actual channelling. As soon as Logain is gone, Halima's free to make
her move on Egwene.
It's entirely possible that something more sinister than a Forsaken
gaining Eg's confidence is going on. As Halima rubs Eg, Eg answers
questions in her mind. Halima says, "Just put yourself in my hands."
Eg's sleepy response to this is, "That will be nice." Granted, the
first interpretation of this is Halima's offer of a full-body massage,
and Eg thinking of "bringing Sheriam to heel." Even so, it's a rather
ominous exchange, considering who the parties are. Could Halima be
poking poor Eg with a bit of Compulsion?
If she is, it doesn't seem to involve much. In TPOD, Egwene certainly
seemed to be in full control of her faculties. If Halima isn't doing
any mind-control stuff on Egwene, then what is she up to? Elizabeth
Cornwall points out, "given Halima's access to Egwene, I can't imagine
that she wants Egwene to fail in her current plans. The proof of this
being a negative one: that if Halima wanted to bring Egwene down, she
certainly could have already done so in any number of ways. (Two
possibilities: direct compulsion during the headache sessions to
brainwash Egwene into seeing some other plan as better; having had
Delana "reveal" to the SAS Hall that Egwene was Siuan's dupe and that
the attack on Elaida was being pursued because of Siuan's influence)."
John Novak adds, "Just killing her outright would have sufficed, too.
I'm sure Halima could manage something that would leave no trace of
foul play."
Since no serious ill has befallen Egwene since she's been open to
Halima's influence, we must conclude that either Halima is woefully
incompetent, or that (at least some of) Egwene's goals coincide with
Halima's, at the moment. One such goal is the AS civil war. Continued
conflict between the TAS and the SAS is definitely in the DO's best
interest-- the two groups of AS are tied up fighting each other,
instead of fighting the Shadow, or aiding the Dragon Reborn. So long
as the conflict between the two factions continues, the DO's interest
is served. Halima's methods may change if it starts to look like
Egwene's plans for reuniting the Tower are coming to fruition. To that
end, Halima may be content to simply increase her access to and
influence over Egwene so that when she has to act, it will be easier.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.2.4: Who is Moridin? Why do we think the Watcher and Wanderer are him?
_________________________________________________________________
Why are we sure that Moridin is Ishamael returned from the grave?
[John Novak]
Evidence from ACOS:
It is fairly obvious from multiple references that Moridin is a
reincarnated Forsaken. He makes many references to the Age of Legends
as though he were there. He has personal knowledge of the other
Forsaken. His sobriquet translates to 'Death.'
Aginor and Balthamel, though reincarnated, are accounted for as
Osan'gar and Aran'gar respectively. Be'lal and Rahvin were Balefired,
and as such are beyond the Dark One's ability to restore. Asmodean, in
Robert Jordan's own words, is roadkill. Sammael, though possibly dead,
did not die until well after the introduction of Moridin in the
narrative. No other male Forsaken have been killed in action. (And
from [TPOD: 2, Unweaving, 81], we know that Moridin is and was male,
since he remarks that he would be able to use an angreal tuned to
Saidin.)
The Toxic Twins (Aginor and Balthamel) were recycled, and all they did
to merit it was getting killed at the Eye of the World. Ishy kept the
faith alive for 3000+ years, AND kept the other Forsaken somewhat in
line before he died. Surely, that merits some consideration in the
"bring back from the dead" competition; Ishy was overdue for a
reappearance. Ishamael had been a particularly loyal servant of the
Dark One, as well as the most effective. If any of the thirteen would
deserve reincarnation, it would be Ishamael, for he seemed not only to
serve the Dark One, but to serve him faithfully. It is likely that
Ishamael knew that the Dark One's plans were not for conquest but for
total destruction, and still he served. (In the AOL, he "called for
the complete destruction of the old order-- indeed, the complete
destruction of everything." [Guide: 5, The Dark One and the Male
Forsaken, 51]
Moridin uses the True Power to the exclusion of the One Power. In
fact, he uses it for "routine" things for which the OP would be fine:
like picking up chess pieces, Balefire, and Travelling. The True
Power, according to Moghedien, is used only extremely rarely, even by
the Forsaken. Of the original Forsaken, Ishamael is the only one who
we've seen use the TP.
Both Moridin and Ishamael display strange visual effects about their
eyes. Moridin has the saa, while Ishamael had those odd bursts of
flame. It has been speculated that the flames are an advanced version
of the saa, or that the flames were a method to disguise the saa.
New evidence from TPOD:
The Prologue of TPOD is particularly revealing.
* Moridin's blank-faced servants are identical to Ishamael's
servants from the prologue of TGH. Similarly, the chamber in which
he sits contains a fire that gives no heat and consumes no logs.
It has no physical means of egress. This is identical in tone to
the description given of Ishamael's chambers through TEOTW and
TGH.
* (Also in the Prologue) while Moridin is musing over his
re-creation of an historical game of sha'rah, it becomes extremely
clear that the game is a metaphor for the struggle between the
Dark One and the rest of the world, with Rand (or the Dragon)
embodied in the Fisher piece. One can win by either controlling
and moving the Fisher piece to a particular location, by allowing
your opponent to hold the Fisher and leaving him only legal moves
which similarly result in victory for you. The style of the game
parallels Ishamael's actions through the first three volumes very
well, always manipulating Rand even though he was in the hands of
other powers. The final method of victory is simply to be the last
man standing. Moridin muses that he had only attempted that
strategy once, with very painful results. This is almost certainly
a metaphorical reference to his desperate assault on Rand at the
end of tDR, the painful results being his own physical death.
* The final observation from the prologue of TPOD is that Moridin
becomes angry as he muses over the fact that he does not
understand the origins of the name or the traditional shape of the
Fisher piece on the game board. He becomes angry because he
regards that knowledge, likely lost from some previous turning of
the Wheel, as his right. Ishamael is the only other villain to
worry seriously over events from other cycles, as he asserts in
the prologue of tEotW that he and Lews Therin have fought again
and again since the beginning of time. According to [Guide: 5, The
Dark One and the Male Forsaken, 50], Ishamael believed "the war
between the Shadow and the soul of Lews Therin had gone on since
the creatio, an endless war between the Great Lord of the Dark and
the Creator using human surrogates."
* In [TPOD: 3, Unweaving, 81], Moridin notes several modern
developments of the Aes Sedai and other channellers which had been
unknown and/or considered impossible in the Age of Legends. Among
them, he lists the Warder bond and notes that he had known about
that for a long, long time. Of all the Forsaken, only Ishamael
could possibly have known about the Warder bonds for more than a
few years, since only Ishamael had been active at all since the
Strike at Shayol Ghul. This piece of evidence alone proves that
Moridin is Ishamael.
Objections to the Moridin/Ishamael theory from before TPOD included
the suggestion that Ishamael did not work well behind the scenes and
that Ishamael might be expected to exert more influence on the
remaining Forsaken. However, since we now know the general shape of
Ishamael's activities during his rare periods of activity (as hinted
at throughout the series and almost spelled out in the Guide) as well
as his care in creating a cell structure for the Black Ajah, it is
clear that Ishamael excels at behind the scenes manipulations.
Furthermore, in TPOD, it becomes clear that Moridin is indeed exerting
more direct control over the remaining Forsaken. In ACOS, he takes
direct control of Moghedien through one mindtrap, and is known to
control another. In TPOD, it is revealed that 'Cyndane' (most likely a
reincarnated Lanfear) is the other mindtrap victim.
It is also clear that Moridin and Shaidar Haran are cooperating. In
[ACOS, 25, Mindtrap, 417], it is Shaidar Haran who delivers Moghedien
to Moridin, and Moridin who controls her mindtrap. In [TPOD: 12, New
Alliances], it is Moghedien and Cyndane (both under Moridin's control)
who visit Graendal to tell her to accept Moridin as Nae'blis. Shaidar
Haran later appears to convince her.
So we have three Forsaken under Moridin's control, which alone is
significant. Extrapolating this pattern, we also note that when Aginor
and Balthamel return as Osan'gar and Aran'gar in LoC, it is Shaidar
Haran who first greets them. It is not at all unlikely that they also
encountered Moridin offstage sometime thereafter. If true, this would
place five Forsaken directly under his control.
The Watcher and the Wanderer
[Korda, Paul Khangure]
In addition to Moridin's overt appearance in ACOS, there were two
other appearances by mysterious men of the Dark persuasion in that
book. First, we met the Watcher, i.e. the guy watching Graendal and
Sammael in [ACOS: 20, Patterns Within Patterns, 356]. Then, we met
Moridin in [ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 417]. Finally, there is the "wanderer"
that Rand met in Shadar Logoth during his fight with Sammael in [ACOS:
41, A Crown of Swords, 656]. Even before TPOD, it was reasonable to
assume that all three were the same person. After all, how many
mysterious True Power channellers do we need? Given that neither the
"Watcher" or "Wanderer" appear as distinct individuals in TPOD, we
have even more reason to believe that both are Moridin, who is
Ishamael. Let us consider the specific bits of evidence.
The Watcher
We meet the Watcher in [ACOS, 20, Patterns within Patterns, 356-358]:
1. Obviously a Forsaken from the AOL. He knows about AOL technology -
callboxes, Mask of Mirrors and fancloth, knows the Forsaken by
name and appearance. He definitely knew Sammael, as opposed to
knowing of him. Just a guy from the AOL is not enough; he has to
be someone who interacted and got to know Sammael's strengths and
weaknesses. Notice there was no fear of interfering with not just
two of the Forsaken, but with a potential battle between them!
Furthermore, he uses the phrase "so-called Aiel" which we have no
reason to expect anybody except a relic from the AoL to use; the
Forsaken are the only AoL relics in action, except Birgitte and
"LTT."
2. Senses saidin being held by Sammael, skin prickles when Graendal
channels. This indicates that he has the ability to channel
saidin.
3. He uses the TP. Note that he does so even though he can use the
OP. This indicates that he's probably uses it more than your
average Forsaken--he could have Travelled with the OP, but he used
the TP instead. Note that by the time he left, Sam had left the
vicinity, so there was no chance of him being detected.
4. He has eyebrows and eyes. (i.e. He is not Shaidar Haran.)
5. He has "expertise in many areas Sammael scorned. In some he
favored, too."
6. He doesn't seem to have the same attitude as the "normal" Forsaken
towards Nae'blis-ness. In [ACOS: 20, Patterns Within Patterns,
358], Sammael mentions (lies) to Graendal that he "will be
Nae'blis." Graendal then stops arguing with Sam and follows him
through his gateway. We then have: "The watcher smiled crookedly
behind his fancloth skulker's mask. Nae'blis. That explained what
had brought Graendal to heel, what had stayed her from killing
Sammael. Even she would be blinded by that." It seems as if the
Watcher is NOT blinded by the "Nae'blis" carrot, unlike the
"normal" Forsaken.
7. Obviously, he has an interest in what Sammael and Graendal are up
to, since he is spying on them.
What can we conclude from these observations? From 1 and 2, we can
conclude that the Watcher is Moridin/Ishamael, Osan'gar/Aginor, or
Demandred. Aran'gar/Balthamel is out, because she thinks of herself as
"she," as indicated in [TPOD, 16, Unexpected Absences, 332-333]. The
relative lack of interest in Sammael's supposed Nae'blis-hood rules
Demandred out. (Recall Demandred's reaction to "WOULD YOU BE
NAE'BLISS?" in the LOC Prologue.) Nothing completely rules out the
possibility that the Watcher is Osan'gar/Aginor, but that is mostly
because we don't know much about Osan'gar at all. From the description
of Aginor's activities during the AOL (Shayol Ghul's resident Mad
Scientist), it is somewhat doubtful that he'd have expertise in ANY
areas Sammael "favored." The last, and overwhelmingly most likely,
possibility is Moridin. This is indicated by the Watcher's use of the
TP in a circumstance where the OP would have sufficed. Given the
general attitude of the Forsaken towards the TP, it is unlikely that
there are TWO such TP addicts around, and that Osan'gar is one of
them. Unlike Moggy, Osan'gar didn't even consider using the True Power
when he found himself shielded by Shaidar Haran. The fact that the
Watcher was keeping tabs on Sammael and Graendal connect him to both
the Wanderer (who interfered with Sammael and Rand's fight in SL--
something he could have only done if he knew what Sammy had been up
to) and Moridin. We know Moridin was watching Sammael, because he
thinks about how foolish Sam's plans are in [TPOD, 2, Unweaving,
81-82], and his minions Moggy and Cyndane seem to know about
Graendal's connection with Sam when they visit her in [TPOD, 12, New
Alliances, 262-268]. Thus, everything points to the Wanderer being
Moridin.
The Wanderer
We see the Wanderer in [ACOS: 41, A Crown of Swords, 656-659]:
1. Description: Big fellow. Has a deep voice. Little older than Rand.
Black coat, Black hair. Rand doesn't recognise him.
2. He's most likely not a Third Age person. Knows Sammael, including
how Sammael thinks. He clearly knows Sam fairly well, and thus is
probably from the AOL. Furthermore, he has "never been afraid of
Aes Sedai." Everybody in Randland proper (i.e. not Seanchan, not
Aiel, and not Sea Folk) grows up hearing stories of Aes Sedai like
those the Emond's Fielders did. Such stories engender some sort of
awe in the listener, yet this guy acts like AS are no problem, and
has never thought otherwise. This comment is easily understandible
if he's from the AOL-- back then, he WAS an Aes Sedai, and modern
AS are but "untrained children" to him.
3. He uses the TP instead of the OP (Balefire and disappears without
Rand sensing Saidin or Saidar). This is a situation where using
the TP instead of the OP could be dangerous-- it might make Rand
suspicious-- and yet the Wanderer uses it. This is evidence that
the Wanderer is a TP addict.
4. Even apart from his TP use, he is clearly a Minion of Darkness. He
calls Rand a fool, he doesn't "care to see [Rand] die today," he
doesn't "intend to carry [Rand] on [his] shoulders, or kill
Sammael." He's clearly only helping Rand because it coincides with
some plan of his, not because he particularly cares about Rand's
wellbeing. He certainly doesn't like Rand; when he falls down
after the crossed-streams BF incident, Rand offers him a hand, but
the Wanderer refuses "with a grimace."
5. [From the RJ aol.com chat, 27 June 1996]: "Question: There is a
mystery man who helps Rand in the last chapter of ACOS...is this a
new character, or have we seen him elsewhere. RJ: Well, we've
certainly seen him earlier in CROWN OF SWORDS."
Given that the Wanderer must be a Forsaken (#2, #3, #4), we are left
with the same three suspects we had for the Watcher-- Demandred,
Osan'gar, and Moridin. The physical description (#1) does not match
Demandred or Osan'gar (neither are young). In fact, the description
matches Moridin quite well. From [ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 417-418]:
"The speaker was a tall, broad-shouldered young man in black boots
and breeches, and a flowing white shirt unlaced at the top, who
watched her with startlingly blue eyes ..." He has a deep voice. He
has a strong chin, else he'd be worthy of Graendal's collection. He
looks to be just a little older than Rand, "Not many years past
twenty."
The Wanderer's size, hair color, age, voice, and fashion sense all
match with Moridin's, as does his TP addiction. The attention to and
interference with Sammael's plans also agree with what we know Moridin
(and the Watcher) have been up to. RJ's remark that the Wanderer is
somebody we saw earlier in ACOS certainly works if he is Moridin.
Furthermore, his remarks to Rand, which indicate that he regards Rand
as a tool or a piece in a game, bring to mind Ishamael's comments to
Rand in the first three books, and also Moridin's analysis of the
sha'rah game in [TPOD: Prologue, Deceptive Appearances, 42-44]. All of
this indicates that the Wanderer is Moridin.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.2.5: Who is Cyndane, and where did she come from?
_________________________________________________________________
Cyndane is a "new" character in TPOD. She appears in [TPOD: 12, New
Alliances, 262-268], when she and Moghedien visit Graendal to bring
her into the fold. Of course, we must immediately ask, "who is she
really?" First, let's look at the facts we have about her:
What do we know about Cyndane?
Her name means "last chance" in the OT. She is "a short young woman
with long silver hair and vivid blue eyes" and has an "impressive
bosom," of which, in Graendal's opinion, she doesn't make very
effective use. Although she is short, she appears to be "striving for
every inch of height."
Cyndane works with Moghedien in Moridin's service. She appears wearing
the same red-and-black dress sported by Moggy, which we know from
[ACOS: 30, The First Cup, 483] is Moridin's "livery." Between Moggy
and herself, Cyndane is the leader, although her "place in [Moridin's]
eyes is not far better than [Moggy's]." Cyndane and Mog's identical
reactions to some unknown stimulus (gasping and shuddering) also
parallel Mog's description of her feelings when Moridin plays with her
mindtrap [ACOS: 30, The First Cup, 484]. Cyndane and Moghedien hate
each other with a passion. We also know that Cyndane was already
mindtrapped when Moggy met Moridin; Mog glimpsed a second mindtrap
when Moridin pulled hers out in [ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 419].
Personality-wise, she has a haughty attitude: "By her demeanor, she
might have been a Prime Counselor forced to endure the company of
common laborers and intent on ignoring their existence." Outwardly,
she's cool and collected, but inside, she has a temper; Graendal
describes her as "a beautiful doll carved from ice, with hidden
fires." Cyndane is not the least bit cowed by the Forsaken; Graendal's
analysis is: "The girl knew she spoke to one of the Chosen, and yet
her tone remained frost. Even given her strength, this was no simple
Friend of the Dark. Unless she was insane." She disapproves of
Graendal's use of strong Compulsion on her "servants," and has no
compunction about expressing her scorn of this practice to Graendal's
face.
Finally, Graendal can sense her strength in the OP, which means that
Cyndane channels Saidar, and she is stronger then Graendal.
What can we conclude about Cyndane
What conclusions can we draw from all this? Quite a few, actually. For
one thing, she's almost certainly not a random DF from the Third Age;
it is likely that she is a Forsaken. This conclusion can be reached by
considering her situation. The fact that she is mindtrapped indicates
that she is somebody who, like Moggy, is very valuable and useful to
the DO/Moridin, but whose past actions have shown that she cannot be
relied upon to do the "right" thing without direct supervision and
control. She's also powerful and valuable enough that the usual
methods of control-- simple intimidation, torture, Compulsion, etc.--
would not produce the desired result of her being in control of her
abilities, but totally under the thumb of an overseer. No Third Ager
we've seen thus far has been given such consideration. Furthermore,
trained channellers of Forsaken-level strength are almost unheard of
in the Third Age. Finally, given Moridin's utter contempt for the
Third Age, it is unlikely that he'd place a Third Ager over an AOLer,
even if that AOLer was Moghedien. Add to this her complete lack of
fear, or even caution, when confronting and insulting Graendal, and it
seems that Cyndane (or at least the mind controlling her body) must be
from the Age of Legends.
Since we have such slim knowledge about the conditions under which the
DO can recycle a person, we can't absolutely rule out the possibility
that Cyndane is some AOL dreadlord who we've never heard of before.
There are some arguments against this, though. First, we have no other
evidence of the DO bringing back anybody else who died in the AOL or
after the Bore was sealed. The only other resurrectees we've seen have
died in the Third Age, and were recycled within a few years of their
deaths (Aginor/Osan'gar, Balthamel/Aran'gar, Ishamael/Moridin,
Isam/Slayer (possibly)). Secondly, according to the Guide [Guide: 5,
The DO and the Male Forsaken, 49-50], the thirteen Forsaken were the
strongest of the AS who turned to the Shadow; during the AOL, they
managed to finish off anybody who "equaled or approached [them] in
strength." Apparently, the DO did not deem those who failed to survive
the winnowing process to be worthy of resurrection during the War of
Power, why would he deem them worthy now? Finally, one must consider
the fact that it has been over 3000 years since these Dreadlords died;
they could have been reborn during the interval, possibly multiple
times. If that were the case, it is far from certain that the DO could
resurrect them with their old AOL personalities.
If she is an unknown AOL resurrectee, there is no point in discussing
the question any further. So, henceforth, we will assume that she is,
in fact, somebody we've seen before.
Who is she, then?
The only Forsaken who are unaccounted for when we first meet Cyndane
are Lanfear, Sammael, and Asmodean. Cyndane cannot be Sammael, because
Sammael was still alive and in his own body when Moggy was
mindtrapped. As mentioned above, at that time, Cyndane was also
mindtrapped (and Sammael definitely was not). As for Asmodean, he's
probably permanently dead; in [LOC: Prologue, The First Message, 15],
the DO associates Asmo with Rahvin, who has "DIED THE FINAL DEATH."
Furthermore, Asmo is a worse traitor than Moggy-- there was more free
will in his decision to help Rand than in Mog's a'dam-compelled
teaching of El and Ny. It is unlikely that he'd be set above Mog. This
leaves us with only one option: Lanfear.
Further evidence that Cyndane = Lanfear, rather than Asmodean, is that
she channels Saidar, not Saidin. Granted, we only have one example of
a man recycled into a woman's body (Aran'gar), so we can't really say
if Aran'gar's channelling of Saidin is the rule, or an exception.
However, it is the only thing we have to go on, and that example
indicates that a recycled Asmodean would channel Saidin, regardless of
the sex of the body he was put into. Furthermore, a man, remembering
everything about his life as a Saidin-channeller, would not be
immediately be able to channel Saidar, if he was put into a
Saidar-channelling body. We've been told time and time again about the
vast differences between how the Power works for men and women. It
follows that a man would have to go through lots of training before he
could channel Saidar with any skill. Thus, Cyndane's soul ought to be
female, as well as her body.
Even more evidence arises from Cyndane's personality and behavior. The
juxtaposition of a cool demeanor and a fiery temper match Lanfear very
well. She "strives for every inch of height," implying that she's used
to being taller. We know that Lanfear was tall from [TSR: 9,
Decisions, 127].
So, the best guess for Cyndane's former identity is Lanfear.
If she is Lanfear, how did she come to this state?
The last we saw of Lanfear, she was knocked through the doorway to
Foxland by Moiraine, and the doorway melted. The big question is what
happened to her that she ended up with a new body (and a mindtrap)?
There are two basic ideas. One is that she died "off-screen" and was
recycled by the DO in the same way as the Gars and Moridin. The other
idea is that the new body is a consequence, possibly unintentional, of
one the wishes she made in Foxland. Since we have absolutely no idea
what happened to Moir and Lanfear after they fell through the door, it
is difficult to choose one of the many options. We'll just look at the
various possibilities, and point out any points in favor of or against
them.
Lanfear died, and was recycled by the DO
If she was killed at some point, and recycled by the DO in the usual
fashion, we must ask, "when did she die?" The possibilities are:
* She died when she went through the doorway.
* She was killed in Finnland, by Moiraine or by the Foxes.
* She escaped from Finnland, but died when she got back to Randland.
How could Lanfear have died when she went through the door? One option
is that the destruction of the doorway itself killed her. However, if
that was the case, then one would expect that Moiraine would have been
killed as well. Since we know Moiraine is not dead (see section
2.2.6), this scenario is unlikely.
Another possibility is that she was killed by drawing too much Power.
"Koby Kobia" explains: "If we recall the incident in TFOH, Lanfear was
drawing deeply on the bracelet angreal when Moiraine struck. She was
probably drawing every particle of the OP she could stand through the
angreal, and it must have been a humongous amount because she was
winning against Rand and his angreal, when Moiraine cannoned into her
and clawed away the angreal as the two of them fell through the
doorway. Now, an angreal allows a person to channel a lot more of the
OP than the person can channel unaided. What happens if the angreal is
suddenly stripped away while is person is straining to draw as much OP
as he/she can?" If she wasn't able to release the Source quickly
enough, she would have been stilled at the very least, and it's quite
possible that she'd have been "burnt to a crisp" like Aginor at the
end of TEOTW.
If Lanfear didn't die from the Power, there are other ways she could
have perished. Moiraine could have got a lucky strike in, and finished
her off on the other side of the doorway. This is improbable because
Lanfear was much more powerful and skilled than Moiraine. The Forsaken
would have had every advantage in a fight between the two of them.
Moiraine has only been able to take Forsaken down by surprise (Be'lal,
tackling Lanfear), and if she didn't kill or incapacitate Lanfear
right off, it's unlikely she'd have any defenses in the long run. The
exception, of course, would be if Lanfear was stilled, and Moiraine
wasn't. On yet another hand, Moiraine might have been stilled in the
doorway's destruction, as well.
If Moiraine didn't kill her, Lanfear might have been killed by the
Foxes, if she didn't deal with them wisely. Mat's experience with them
certainly would have been lethal if Rand hadn't known CPR. When
Moiraine told El, Eg, and Ny about the Snake doorway in Tear, where
one can get three questions answered, she said, "Questions touching
the Shadow have dire consequences. If you asked about the Black Ajah,
you might be returned dead, or come out a gibbering madwoman, if you
came out at all." [TSR: 7, Doorways,95] It has been suggested that the
Foxes might have a similar reaction to wishes "touching the Shadow."
Given who Lanfear is, it's possible that anything she wished for would
be connected to the Shadow. This idea that Lanfear was killed by the
Foxes presupposes that she was stilled by drawing too much Power or by
the doorway explosion. If she still had channelling ability, she could
have defended herself from the Foxes like Rand defended himself from
the Snakes in TSR.
On the other hand, there are reasons to believe that the Foxes
wouldn't have immediately killed Lanfear for being Forsaken. Firstly,
we don't know that the Foxes have the same problem with the Shadow
which the Snakes have. Secondly, Lanfear could have asked for personal
things which didn't directly involve the Shadow, for example, having
channelling ability restored if she was stilled, or having Lews Therin
love her, or having Moiraine detained, or getting back to Randland.
One might want to consider that Lanfear might have known as much about
the doorways as Moiraine, and possibly more. The doors, like (almost)
all ter'angreal, date from before the Breaking, and Lanfear was a
OP-scientist during the AOL. It's not that unlikely that she'd be
aware of the doorways and at least some of their properties, and know
enough to avoid getting killed. Another question which has a bearing
on this issue is whether the DO can retrieve the souls of dead
Forsaken from other dimensions.
A final possibility for Lanfear's death is that she survived and
escaped from Finnland, and died at some later point. This idea is
sketchy in that it begs the questions of how did she manage to die,
and why did it happen "off-screen." None of the primary Good Guys
killed her; they'd have noticed. This leaves either assassination by
somebody on the Dark Side, or an accidental death. Most of the "loose"
Forsaken (i.e. those not tied to Shaidar Haran and/or Moridin) have
expressed ignorance of Lanfear's whereabouts. This leaves a direct
order from Moridin/SH/the DO, and if that was the case, why bother
killing her just to get her in a mindtrap? Surely it would have been
just as easy to send her to SG for the same treatment as Moggy. One
could always suppose that she tripped, fell down some stairs, and
broke her neck, all off-screen, but that would just be incredibly
lame.
Lanfear did not die; the new body is the result of a wish
Just because Lanfear has a new look, we shouldn't immediately assume
that she got it in the same way (from the DO) that the other "new"
Forsaken got theirs. The TPOD Glossary entry on "Forsaken" has
something a bit weird to say on the matter: "Moridin... may be yet
another of the dead Forsaken brought back from the grave by the Dark
One. The same possibility may exist regarding the woman calling
herself Cyndane, but... speculation as to the identities of Moridin
and Cyndane may prove futile until more is learned." [TPOD: Glossary,
entry "Forsaken," 598]. Clearly, this is RJ making fun of us, but it
could also be a signal that Cyndane might not be wholly what she
seems: Lanfear resurrected by the DO. (Moridin is obviously Ishamael.
(See section 1.2.4)).
So, what alternative is there? If she is Lanfear, and wasn't
resurrected by the DO, she had to have gotten the body someplace else.
The most likely source is the Foxes. We know that they grant wishes in
ways which are often not quite what the wisher expected or desired
(witness the restoration of Mat's memory). We also know that they
demand a "price" for the granting of wishes, and will exact one of
their choosing if the wisher does not negotiate one. In Mat's case,
the "price" was for him to be hung from the Tree of Life when he was
returned to Rhuidean. Now, while Lanfear would never voluntarily
change her legendary looks, might have wished something which
unexpectedly resulted in a change of body. For example, if she was
stilled after falling through the door, she certainly would have asked
for her channelling ability to be restored. This could have been
granted, in a twisted way, by putting her mind into a new body which
could channel. Another idea is that she asked for Rand/LTT to love
her, and she was put into a body which was reminiscent of the
long-dead Ilyena. Of course, this idea depends on Cyndane looking like
Ilyena. The only thing we know about Ilyena's looks is that she was
blonde. Cyndane is also blonde, although she is described as
silver-blonde, while Ilyena was golden-blonde. An objection to that
idea is that Ilyena was the wife of a very famous, prominent Aes
Sedai, and as such, her appearance would have been widely known (like,
say, Hillary Clinton's is today). Surely Graendal would have commented
upon Cyndane's resemblance to Ilyena, if such a resemblance did indeed
exist.
If Cyndane is Lanfear, why was she mindtrapped?
Moghedien was mindtrapped for betraying the DO by teaching those who
would oppose the Shadow. What did Lanfear do to merit the same
treatment? It's simple: like Moghedien, she demonstrated that she
could not be relied upon to put the DO's interests over her own
personal desires and needs, if a conflict arose. She offered to ally
with Rand to supplant the Creator and the DO both. While this may have
been just talk, she did enable, even cause, Asmodean's defection.
Essentially, she committed the same transgression as Moghedien, albeit
in a less direct fashion-- she helped somebody opposing the Shadow
learn skills which would make him more likely to succeed. The
conversion of Rand to the DO is a Shadow priority. If Rand had
remained ignorant of channelling, his lack of control could have
served as a powerful motivation to turn to the Dark Side. Providing a
non-Shadow-controlled tutor for Rand removed that motivation. Finally,
her psychotic episode at the Cairhien docks, where she tried to kill
Rand, and made a general hash of things, was a clear indication that
she could not be relied upon to act in the Shadow's best interests,
without strong supervision.
What about the body?
[John Hamby, Steven Cooper]
It has been proposed that the origninal owner of Cyndane's body was
Cabriana Mecandes. This is the AS who was tortured by Semirhage in
LOC, to get information for Halima's infiltration of the SAS. The
evidence is scant, but suggestive:
From [LOC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 188-190]:
* "A pale-haired silk-clad woman..."
* "The woman's blue eyes bulged."
* "...her head flung from side to side, flailing her hair..."
Cyndane is described as having "long silver hair and vivid blue eyes"
[TPOD 12, New Alliances, 262]. The blue eyes and long hair match, and
silver hair and pale hair could be considered as matching also.
On the other hand, there are missing pieces in the description of
Mecandes. Cyndane is unusually short, and apparently has "huge tracts
of land." (If you don't understand that last bit, proceed to your
local video store and rent Monty Python and the Holy Grail.) Neither
of these distinguishing features is noted by Semirhage.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.2.6: Moridin's Nine Sha'rah Players
_________________________________________________________________
In [TPOD: Prologue, Deceptive Appearances, 42-43], Moridin is playing
his favorite AOL strategy game (against himself):
"A complex game, sha'rah, ancient long before the War of Power.
Sha'rah, tcheran, and no'ri ... each had adherents ... but Moridin
had always favored sha'rah. Only nine people living even remembered
the game. He had been a master of it."
This section, in particular the "nine people living" bit, could be
very important, or it could mean nothing. People have interpreted that
bit in two ways: 1) "Only nine people living even remembered the game
[existed]." 2) "Only nine people living even remembered [how to play]
the game." The former interpretation means that we can, conceivably,
count off which of the Forsaken are alive, to Moridin's knowledge. The
latter interpretation does not give us so much knowledge, although it
still tells us a little. So, who could these "nine" be?
Since the game is unknown in the Third Age, the nine must be from the
AOL. The only people around from the AOL are the Forsaken. The ones
who are around who we know that Moridin knows about are: Moridin,
Moghedien, Mesaana, Graendal, Semirhage, and Demandred. That's six. We
also have the Gars, possibly Sammael, and possibly Lanfear, who is
probably Cyndane-- the occupant of Moridin's second mindtrap. (Rahvin,
Be'lal, and most likely Asmodean are permanently dead, so they are not
in the counting.) Including all of the viable possibilities, the total
reaches ten, which is one more than the nine enumerated by Moridin. If
we cannot eliminate one of those last four, then we must conclude that
Moridin was referring to nine people who could play the game, and that
one of the Forsaken simply wasn't into board games. So, let us examine
the possibilities:
Sammael: Sammael apparently died at the end of ACOS. This makes him a
good candidate for not being counted among the nine, or does it? Note
that Moridin's second scene in TPOD is in [TPOD: 2, Unweaving, 81-84],
where he watches Elayne and Nynaeve's party depart the Tarasin Palace
via gateway. This scene occurs the same day that they use the Bowl of
Winds. From [TPOD: 7, A Goatpen, 160], Perrin thinks that "more than
half a week" (over five days in Randland) has passed since "a lace of
OP streaking high across the sky had created quite a stir among the AS
and WOs. And with Grady and Neald.... Neald said it made him think of
wind." This description matches with that of the Bowl's action. The
next day, Perrin meets Queen Alliandre, and she mentions that "four
days ago Illian fell to the Dragon Reborn." [TPOD: 10, Changes, 228]
This matches with the timing as figured from data in ACOS: The
using/finding of the Bowl occurs the day after the Festival of Birds,
when Nynaeve meets and marries Lan. The Festival of Birds is six
nights before the half-moon [ACOS, 29, The Festival of Birds, 454].
Rand's attack on Sammael takes place two days after his injury at the
hands of Fain [ACOS: 41, A Crown of Swords, 617], and the injury took
place on the day Min assures Rand that their "comforting" was mutually
voluntary. This is four days before the half-moon. Thus, we can
conclude that the Moridin scene in Chapter 2 to TPOD takes place two
days before Sammael "dies" in Shadar Logoth.
There is no indication that Moridin's timeline flows backwards in TPOD
between the scene in the Prologue and the scene in Chapter 2. The
reasonable conclusion is that the Chapter 2 scene occurs after the
Prologue scene, and thus, both occur before the fight between Rand and
Sammael. This implies that Sammael was definitely alive when Moridin
pondered about the nine players.
Aran'gar and Osan'gar: The Gars are definitely Balthamel and Aginor,
respectively, and thus they both must be aware of the game's
existence. The only way for only one of them to be eliminated from
Moridin's count is for Moridin to be ignorant of one of the Gars'
existence, or at least of his/her identity. However, if he knew that
Balthamel had been resurrected as a person named "Aran'gar," he'd
suspect that there was an "Osan'gar" out there, and that it was
Balthamel's old pal Aginor. The only other alternative is that Moridin
is ignorant of both the Gars, and that there is yet another AOLer
wandering around who we don't know about, but who Moridin does. This
could, conceivably, be Asmodean, but the probability of him having
been resurrected and not mindtrapped is so vanishingly small that it
isn't worth considering seriously. Note that this argument implies
that Moridin knows about the Gars, no matter how the "nine" remark is
interpreted.
Cyndane/Lanfear: Cyndane was mindtrapped even before Moghedien, so she
is definitely alive when Moridin makes the "nine" count. If she is
indeed Lanfear in a new body (see section 1.2.5), then she must be
included in the number of people who know of the game's existence. The
only way for her to not be counted as a person who knows of sha'rah is
if she is a totally new character, from the Third Age.
So, if Moridin meant "only nine people living even remembered the game
existed," then we must conclude one of the following:
1. RJ did some extremely poor writing, and the scene with Moridin in
the Prologue of TPOD occurs after the scene with Moridin in
Chapter 2 of TPOD, even though there is absolutely no indication
that this is the case.
2. Moridin does not know of Aran'gar and Osan'gar, and there is an
unknown AOL person wandering around in Randland. It has been
suggested that this could be LTT (which would have interesting
implications about the LTT situation), or Birgitte.
3. Cyndane is not Lanfear, or any other AOL person, just an
unprecedentedly powerful female channeller from the Third Age who
ran so afoul of Ishy/Moridin that she was mindtrapped, and yet
we've never heard of her.
Most of those options imply that RJ can't plot his way out of a paper
bag, but they are within the realm of conceivability.
One other option is that Moridin is not including himself in the nine
people who remember the game, but if that were the case, it would have
made more sense to say "Only nine other people even remembered the
game."
On the other hand, if Moridin meant "Only nine people living even
remembered how to play the game," then the sentence doesn't mean much.
It does imply that Moridin knows about Aran'gar and Osan'gar, since
without them, the total number of potential players doesn't even reach
nine.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Section 1.3: How's that work for the Dark?
_________________________________________________________________
This subsection contains information on and discussion of the nature
of various things from the Dark Side (e.g. the Taint, the Black Ajah,
Shadowspawn, etc.).
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.3.1: What are those black threads on the male Forsaken?
[Hawk, Korda]
_________________________________________________________________
When Rand has battled the male Forsaken, he has sometimes seen black
threads, wires, or cords running off from them. This is seen when Rand
battles Ishy in [TEOTW: 51, Against the Shadow, 637-40], and Asmodean
in [TSR: 58, The Traps of Rhuidean, 671-675]. So what's the deal with
these strings?
The thick black threads are the Forsaken's connection to the DO. The
connection with the DO is what keeps the male Forsaken from falling
prey to the madness from the taint on Saidin (see Asmodean's
statements to Rand in TSR after his black "thread" was severed).
Rand's thread in TEotW was silver and thinner because it was from that
pure pool of saidin that was the Eye of the World.
We've never seen the threads on a female Forsaken, so it is possible
that the threads are themselves the protection from the taint. Perhaps
they act as a kind of filter on Saidin, or a conduit through which the
DO siphons off the taint when the Forsaken draws upon the Source.
It's also been suggested that the threads are a connection for
channelling the True Power. This isn't very likely. The problems with
this idea are: 1) the female Forsaken can use the TP, but nobody ever
sees the black cords on them, 2) the black cords were seen on
Asmodean, and of all the Forsaken, the one who we'd least expect to
use the very dangerous TP in an instance where the OP would serve just
as well (Skimming) is Asmodean, and 3) From [ACOS book signing,
Dunwoody, Georgia; 9 October, 1996, report by Erica Sadun], "Access to
the TP is a matter of wanting it and the dark one letting you. NOT
black cords."
Another suggestion is that the presence or absence of the threads
could be used to identify male Forsaken. Unfortunately, this is not
the case. The black cords are only seen/sensed under very special
circumstances. Rand has only seen them in two places--T'A'R and the
in-between space used for Skimming. Note that Rand has seen male
Forsaken without seeing the cords: Aginor and Balthamel at the Eye and
Be'lal in the Heart of the Stone. Furthermore, he doesn't ALWAYS see
the black threads when he's in TAR with a Forsaken--he never saw them
on Rahvin. So, the black threads are not a reliable way to identify
Forsaken under any circumstances, even those under which the threads
have been seen in the past.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.3.2: Fifty Ways to Kill a Gholam
_________________________________________________________________
The Gholam seems to be the hardest-to-kill monster RJ has introduced
thus far. What, exactly, is it? We have information on it from
Birgitte, who has some memories of the War of Power, [ACOS: 40,
Promises to Keep, 606-607], from Elayne, Mat, etc's encounter with one
in [ACOS: 39, Six Stories, 598-600], and from the short gholam POV
scene in [TPOD: 2, Unweaving, 84-85].
Gholam were created by Aginor [LOC, 23, To Understand a Message, 347]
for the express purpose of killing channellers, although they're
pretty handy at killing non-channellers, as well. The OP can't touch
them; the effect of channelling at a gholam is exactly the same as
channelling at a person wearing Mat's foxy medallion (i.e. the flows
break apart on contact). Furthermore, they are immune to conventional
weapons, too: nobody is able to harm the one who Mat fights with
swords, etc, and the gholam itself thinks "it had never encountered
anything that could harm it. Until that man with the medallion" [TPOD:
2, Unweaving, 84]. They can sense the ability to channel at a distance
of about 50 paces, and they can detect use of the OP at greater
distances (it felt the channelling at the Kin's farm). They look like
normal human beings on the outside. Inside is another matter. They
have no bones, and can squeeze under a door, and are very strong, and
very quick. (Think the T-1000 from Terminator 2: Judgment Day.) Only
six were ever made; three have a masculine outward appearance, three
feminine. They have at least a rudimentary intelligence (Mat chats
with the one he fights in Ebou Dar), and they are living things, not
some sort of machine. (Mat surmises (actually, Birgitte surmises) that
the one they met was "kept alive" since the Breaking in a stasis box.)
They feed on blood. There is some way to control a gholam, and force
it to do one's bidding. The Ebou Dar gholam thinks: "The one who
commanded it wanted [Mat] dead.... for the time being, it was
constrained. For its entire existence it had been compelled to obey
one or another human, but its mind held the concept of not being
constrained [TPOD: 2, Unweaving, 84-85].
We can draw some further conclusions, namely, that unlike the T1000,
they don't have the ability to assume any form, only liquid form and
their humanoid form. (If not, why specify that 3 are male-shaped, and
3 are female-shaped?)
Where have we seen gholam? We've seen two for certain, namely the one
in Ebou Dar, and the one that killed poor Herid Fel in Cairhien at the
end of LOC. There is one previous possible gholam encounter, which
took place "off-screen." This is the killing of Lord Barthanes in TGH.
Barthanes was clearly killed at Ishy's instigation because he helped
the renegade DF, Padan Fain, get away with the Horn of Valere.
Barthanes died in a very similar fashion to Fel, i.e. he was ripped
limb-from-limb. Furthermore, this took place in the same building as
Fel's demise. Again, this may or may not be a gholam-induced death,
but it is worth mentioning as a possibility.
How can you hurt/kill/dispose of a Gholam?
The only thing we know for certain that can injure a gholam is Mat's
foxy medallion. When Mat smacks the Ebou Dar gholam with it in [ACOS:
38, Six Stories, 598], the gholam was burned-- "The medallion fell
across the man's cheek. The man screamed. Smoke rose around the edges
of the foxhead, and a sizzle like bacon frying....A raw red brand
marked where the foxhead had fallen." What we do not know is why the
medallion hurt the gholam. There are two possibilities:
It's the magic, stupid
Both the medallion and the gholam have the unusual property that they
somehow neutralize flows of the OP. (Note that the actual mechanism
employed by each may be different.) It is possible that some kind of
adverse reaction occurred when the medallion came into contact with
the gholam's body. While the medallion didn't get characteristically
cold, it did seemingly get hot.
It is difficult to be more precise, because we don't know how either
the medallion or the gholam actually work. Perhaps it is because the
gholam are made with/are held together with/have some connection with
the OP, and the medallion negates the OP. Or, perhaps it's a "like
charges repel" sort of deal. Or, maybe the gholam is a kind of "living
ter'angreal," and the effect is due to an adverse reaction between
similar ter'angreal, as described in [TDR: 23, Sealed, 217]. If it is
the case that the magic is the key, then a gholam could probably be
killed by prolonged contact with some weapon/ter'angreal made to copy
the medallion's effect. This is problematic, bc the medallion is
currently buried under a wall, along with its wearer.
An argument against the theory that the medallion's ability to negate
flows is the key, is that then the gholam probably would have been
hurt by contact w/ Mat himself, and not just the foxhead. [James
Huckaby] Then again, maybe not. As stated above, we don't really know
how the medallion works. It was pointed out that when Mat was
wrestling the gholam, the foxhead fell out of Mat's "open" shirt:
"Struggling for air, he [Mat] pushed himself up, foxhead dangling from
his open shirt." [ACOS: 38, Six Stories, 597] So, if the medallion
works only when it is in contact with the wearer, then Mat may not
have been in contact w/ it when he touched the gholam. [Jason Wilson]
Of course, this objection does not apply to the idea that the reaction
was due to the "similar ter'angreal interference" effect.
You've got the silver
The medallion is made out of silver [TSR, 26, The Dedicated, 306-307],
and this is the key to its anti-Gholam capabilities. The argument for
silver is more of an argument against the medallion's magical
properties, combined with some cross-pollination from werewolf and
vampire legends. It is not likely that the foxhead works because it is
destroying flows, because the foxhead doesn't get cold after damaging
the gholam, it just has "the cool of silver." [ACOS: 38, Six Stories,
598] Loony idea: When the gholamstuff and silver come into contact,
there is a chemical reaction. This reaction is exothermic--the heat is
produced by the reaction, not by the medallion.
An argument against this theory is that it seems kind of silly. Why
would the Forsaken make such specific, deadly anti-AS assassins if
they have such a common, easily exploitable Achilles' heel? Why would
the Forsaken be so wary of them that they limited their number to six?
[Tim Yoon]--"Oh No! A gholam's chasing us!" "How much money do you
have on you?" [Aaron Bergman] The former question can be rationalized
by saying that the Forsaken counted on the fact that people wouldn't
think to use silver on something the OP can't stop. This idea does NOT
explain the objection that if it was so easily defeated if you knew
the key, the Forsaken wouldn't have been so wary of it that they only
made six. Furthermore, the Gholam thinks to itself [TPOD: 2,
Unweaving, 84] that "it had never encountered anything that could harm
it" until it met the medallion. In all of its existence it never
encountered a common metal like silver? Unlikely.
Got any more bright ideas?
Many. Here are some of the more popular ideas for how to get rid of a
Gholam:
1) Indirect effects of the OP: The gholam's material breaks up OP
flows just like Mat's medallion, making it immune to the OP. Like the
wearer of the foxhead, it is likely that this immunity doesn't extend
to indirect effects. One could try dropping something heavy on it, or
zapping it with lightning, or something like that. Doubtless, it is
immune to some of these (considering its oozey nature, I doubt
dropping a safe on it would have much permanent effect), but something
might work. Balefire probably won't work; it is very likely a direct
effect.
2) The T-1000 Effect: Melt it. If one channelled enough heat into it,
or dropped it into a volcano, it might lose all molecular cohesion.
Furthermore, we know it is vulnerable to heat: the heat generated when
the medallion touches it cooks its "flesh" (I use the term loosely.).
3) One of These Days, I'm Going to Cut You Into Little Pieces: while
stabbing a gholam doesn't hurt it, it may be that if you dismember it,
and separate its pieces far enough (perhaps by the judicious use of
Gateways), it won't be able to reassemble itself. Then again, maybe it
would. Using a Gateway to cut it (like Graendal's poor servant in
[LOC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 137]) probably wouldn't work-- the
edges of the Gateway are made of Power, and so the Gate would dissolve
upon touching the gholam.
4) Out of This World: Open a Gateway to the Skimming Place. Knock the
gholam through (throw a big rock at it, or something), and close the
Gateway. According to Egwene, the chances of ever opening into that
bit of Skimming Space are very low, so chances are the gholam will be
permanently Lost in Space.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.3.3: The "True Power"
[Khangure and Korda]
_________________________________________________________________
What do we know about the "True Power"?
* It is the power of the Dark One. [ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 412]
* The ability to use it is granted specifically by the DO [ACOS: 25,
Mindtrap, 419]. It may be that one must get permission each time
one uses it ("The True Power was denied her [Moggy], of
course--that could be drawn only with the Great Lord's blessing...
[ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 416]). This seems like a somewhat awkward way
to run things, so maybe Moggy just means that she can't use it
while she's on the DO's shit list.
* "What can be done with the True Power is very similar to what can
be done with the One Power." [RJ, aol.com Q and A session, 27
June, 1996]
* One sign of extensive TP use is the black dots in the eyes, which
Moggy calls "saa." The dots are visible from both the outside
[ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 418] and from the inside [ACOS: 20, Patterns
Within Patterns, 356]. We do not know whether the frequency at
which an outside observer sees them is the same as that at which
the user sees them. It seems likely that they come more frequently
when one is actually using the TP, since the Watcher's dots come
faster just before he uses it to "Travel": "The black flecks
filled his eyes, a horizontal blizzard....To his ears, the world
screamed as he used the TP to rip a small hole and step outside
the Pattern." [ACOS: 20, Patterns Within Patterns, 358]
* The TP is much more addictive than the OP. "In the long run, the
TP was far more addictive than the OP; a strong will could hold
down the desire to draw more saidar or saidin, but she [Moggy] did
not believe the will existed strong enough to resist the TP, once
the saa appear." [ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 418]
* The TP is very dangerous, and has a high price. "The final price
[for using the TP] was different, but no less terrible." [ACOS:
25, Mindtrap, 419] "There was a price, to be sure, one that grew
with each use, but he [the Watcher] had always been willing to pay
the price when it was necessary." [ACOS: 20, Patterns Within
Patterns, 356] We don't know what this "price" is.
* As far as Moggy knows, only 30 or 31 people have ever been granted
the use of the TP. ("Only twenty-nine others have ever been
granted..." [ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 419]. I dunno if Moggy is
counting herself in the 29 (i.e. only 29 others besides Moridin),
or not (only 29 others besides the people in the room).
* The Forsaken have the ability to use the TP. "Among the living,
only the Chosen knew how to tap the TP..." [ACOS: 25, Mindtrap,
412]
* Even among the Forsaken, "few are foolish enough to [use the TP]
except in case of dire need" [ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 412]
* The TP can not "be detected except by who wielded it." [ACOS: 20,
Patterns Within Patterns, 356] This is worded vaguely, but RJ has
clarified it: "No one can tell if you're using the True Power
except the Dark One, of course." [RJ, Amer. Online chat, 27-6-96]
* If Moggy's knowledge of the TP is reliable, than only people who
can channel the OP can use the TP. We know this from the fact that
as soon as Moggy realizes Moridin is a user of the TP, she
immediately assumes that he can channel: "This Moridin had tapped
into the TP, and more than once. Much more. She knew that some men
who could channel survived in this time aside from al'Thor...but
she had not expected the Great Lord to allow one that particular
honor." [ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 418]
Where have we seen the True Power used, before ACOS?
The TP is not new in ACOS. We've seen it and heard of it before,
always in the hands of Ishamael. In [TEOTW: Prologue, Dragonmount, xi]
Ish uses it to "heal" LTT of his madness. '"I was never very skilled
at Healing, and I follow a different power now....I fear Shai'tan's
healing is different from the sort you know...." He extended his hands
and the light dimmed as if a shadow had been laid across the sun.' In
Rand's fight with Ish in [TDR: 55, What is Written in Prophecy, 570],
Ishy does something at the end which, in retrospect, is almost
certainly TP: '"I cannot be defeated! Aid me!" Some of the darkness
shrouding him drifted into his hands, formed into a ball so black it
seemed to soak up even the light of Callandor. Sudden triumph blazed
in the flames of his eyes.'
In general, a lot of the weird stuff Ishy did can probably be
attributed to the TP. Whenever he was seen, he always had a "seething
blackness" surrounding him, which "boiled up" when he was about to do
something nasty to Rand (example: the fight at the end of TGH when Ish
gives Rand his first unhealable wound). Ish was certainly one of the
"fools" who used the TP in cases other than dire need. His lack of
humanity is probably part of the "price" one pays for using the TP.
His glowing eyes and mouth might be some advanced version of the saa.
In [TSR: 26, The Dedicated, 306], it is mentioned that Lanfear/Mierin
had said she "had found a new source for the One Power," usable by
both men and women. Considering that her "new source" turned out to be
the DO, it is possible that this is a reference to the TP. Whether
Lanfear knew that this was the DO or not is a different argument...
Wild Speculation
* The taint on saidin is due to the TP being mixed into saidin by
the DO.
* The black cords seen on some of the male Forsaken are not
taint-protection, but a connection to the TP. The problems with
this idea are: 1) The female Forsaken have the ability to use the
TP, but nobody has ever seen the cords on a woman, and 2) Asmodean
is one of the people the cords were seen on, [TSR: 58, The Traps
of Rhuidean, 671] and of all the Forsaken, the cowardly Asmodean
is, IMO, the least likely to use the TP, given its dangers,
especially for something (skimming) that could be accomplished via
the much-less-dangerous OP, 3) From [ACOS book signing, Dunwoody,
Georgia; 9 October, 1996, report by Erica Sadun], "Access to the
TP is a matter of wanting it and the dark one letting you. NOT
black cords."
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.3.4: Where do Trollocs and Myrddraal come from?
_________________________________________________________________
[Sources: A letter from RJ in which I foolishly asked whether trollocs
breed, or whether they're grown in a big vat at Shayol Ghul; and
various "monster-of-the-day lessons" sprinkled throughout the books.]
* The original source was a mixing of human and animal genes in an
attempt to produce the "perfect soldier," as envisioned by
somebody (Aginor) who'd never seen actual combat.
* There are female Trollocs, but we don't want to know more than
that.
* Where Myrddraal come from: occasionally, a Trolloc offspring is a
genetic throwback in the direction of the original human stock,
but not all the way back, and twisted. Thus, eyeless but with
super vision, very strong (but not as strong as a Trolloc), and
the shadow-traveling ability.
* Myrddraal take their "pleasures" with human females, who suffer
horribly from the experience; it drives them mad, if they survive
at all.
Of course, the diapers of baby Myrddraal don't wave in the wind. :)
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.3.5: Are Black Ajah bound by the Oath Rod?
_________________________________________________________________
First, we know that BA can violate the three AS Oaths with impunity:
* They can violate the Third Oath: In [TSR: 38, 863, Hidden Faces,
438], Liandrin wishes she had the ability to kill with the Power,
like Chesmal (another BA). This implies that Chesmal can, and has
done so.
* They can violate the First Oath: In [TFOH: 34, A Silver Arrow,
394], Liandrin attacks the wounded Moghedien, attempting to Compel
her. Moggy strikes back, and Liandrin says, "Y-you do not
understand, Great M-mistress...I only wished to help you to have
the good sleep." This was definitely not her intention. Her
intention was to have Moggy be her obedient slave. A few pages
later, Liandrin tells Moggy that she will be Moggy's "faithful
dog," and in the next sentence tries to get Temaile and Chesmal to
try to betray Moggy. If she meant one, the other must be a lie. In
[TFOH: 19, Memories, 260], Alviarin says to Fain, "Now answer my
questions, or two corpses will be found here in the morning
instead of one." (The one being the dead Accepted) Fain thinks to
himself, "There would be two in any case, whether he answered her
with suitable lies or not; she did not mean to let him live."
Obviously Fain thinks she can lie, and do you really think
Alviarin meant to let him go?
* In [ACOS: 40, Spears, 626] Galina makes it clear that the BA are
not bound by the Three Oaths: "She had broken free of the Three
Oaths on joining the Black Ajah, replacing them with a new
trinity..." So, the BA are not bound the the Three Oaths that the
non-black AS swear.
However, the BA still have the Ageless look and the shortened lifespan
which are characteristic of people bound by the OR. They have to, in
order to blend in with non-black AS. So, it is likely that the "new
trinity" of Dark Oaths sworn by the BA are taken on the Oath Rod.
There is further evidence for this. Galina knows that Oath Rods can be
used to remove Oaths: "If [Sevanna's "binder"] was a second Oath Rod,
it could be used to remove any oath she swore now." [TPOD: 11,
Questions and an Oath, 255] This is not general knowledge among AS
(Seaine and Pevara, both high-ranking AS, had to figure that by
themselves.), so we can conclude that she knows it from experience.
That is, the BA are freed from the Three Oaths via the Oath Rod. It
means that the BA induction involves the Tower's OR-- Galina is only
familiar with the Tower's Rod (Number 3). It's therefore reasonable to
guess that the Black Ajah Oaths are administered via Oath Rod.
What sort of Oaths? In TPOD, we have the supposition that there is
some sort of Oath that the BA must take, to not betray the BA or
perhaps their plans. This comes up when the golden girls can't get
Ispan to spill her guts about the BA no matter what they do [TPOD: 20,
Into Andor, 399]. This would also explain Joiya Byar's "confession"
about the supposed BA plan to use Taim as a False Dragon to discredit
Rand. That obviously never happened, and so it appears that Joiya
lied, while her fellow prisoner, Amico, told the truth about the plan
to get something in Tanchico to harm Rand. This fits well with the
idea that the BA swear an Oath not to betray the Ajah. Amico, having
been stilled, was released from any Oaths that she took on an Oath
Rod. Thus, she could spill the beans when pressed. Joiya, however, had
no such release, so had no alternative than to either lie, or to
grovel saying "I'd LIKE to tell you, really, but I can't!!" [Laura
Parkinson]
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.3.6: Are the Seals connected to the Taint?
_________________________________________________________________
Are the Seals the source of the Taint on Saidin? Will the Taint go
away when all the Seals are broken? Here's why the answer might be
"yes."
The idea that the Seals are what allow the DO to Taint Saidin, and
that the Taint will vanish when the Seals break is based upon the
following facts:
1. The Taint appeared when the DO was Sealed away at the end of the
War of Power.
2. The Seals are made purely of Saidin; the Taint only affects
Saidin.
3. Rand asked the *finn about purifying Saidin. He then discussed the
answer with Herid Fel.
4. Herid Fel's note said "Belief and order give strength. Have to
clear rubble before you can build." Then he was killed by a Gholam
before he could explain what he meant by that.
5. Taim, who may be Demandred, appeared to be upset when Rand looked
like he was about to break one of the Seals.
6. Rand's idea of how to remove the Taint is "very dangerous." [TPOD,
14, Message from the M'Hael, 306]
From these facts, we can construct the following idea: The only
connection the DO has to the world is the Seals (in the same way that
a wall is a connection between two rooms). Thus, if the DO was to
affect the world in any way, it would have to be through the Seals.
The Seals are made of Saidin. They provide a connection from the DO to
the male half of the True Source. This is what causes the Taint. It
stands to reason, then, that if the Seals are all broken, the DO's
direct contact with Saidin will be broken, and thus the Taint will go
away.
There are problems with this. First, it supposes that the Taint must
be continually replenished in order to remain active. However, this
needn't be the case. It's possible that the DO did the Tainting just
before/as it was being sealed, and the Taint perpetuated itself,
afterwards. Fel's comment about clearing rubble was incredibly vague,
and could have referred to anything. Furthermore, even if he was
referring to breaking the Seals, it needn't have been connected to the
Taint. It's pretty obvious that the old Seals must be removed before
the DO can be re-Sealed.
Another problem with the scenario for the Seals causing the Taint is
that it doesn't explain why LTT and the Hundred Companions went insane
on the spot. It also doesn't explain why the Taint appeared
full-strength at the moment of Sealing. If the "leakage from the DO"
scenario were true, one would expect the Taint and its effects to
build up gradually, over time. On the other hand, if the Tainting was
a specific, one-time action on the DO's part, the instant effect on
the male channellers fits better.
When Rand was talking about cleansing Saidin in [TPOD: 14, Message
from the M'Hael, 306], he was thinking that his plan would require
lots of the OP (he was hoping to be able to use Callandor, and when he
discovered the problem with the Sword that Ain't, he concluded that
he'd have to use the two Giant Sa'angreal). Later, in [TPOD, 21,
Answering the Summons, 414], he thought that he'd need to talk to
Nynaeve about it (he may need her to use the Giant Female Sa'angreal).
We know that the Seals are very fragile; the foci (and thus the true
seals) could be broken by hand. There would be no need to use the OP
at all, let alone the large quantities that the Giant Sa'angreal
produce. However, Rand's plan may be to use the Giant Sa'angreal to
make a "shield" over the Bore, as Latra Posae wanted to do during the
War of Power [Guide: 4, The Fall Into Shadow, 45].
Another thing to consider is the description of how the Seals "feel"
to people who come near them. In [TFOH, 52, Choices, 627], Rand
thinks, "the two cuendillar seals, packed in wool now that they were
no longer unbreakable. He felt the Dark One's taint strongly here; it
almost seemed to come from the casks, a faint miasma as from something
rotting in a hidden place." In [TFOH, 50, To Teach and Learn, 588],
when the Seal from the Panarch's Palace is found broken, Elayne
comments, '"We didn't look at it... or touch it more than we had to.
It felt filthy, evil" It no longer did. Carlinya had made them each
hold a piece, demanding to know what evil feeling they were talking
about.' This evil feeling coming from the seals is clear evidence that
the Dark One can touch the seals. Furthermore, the "evil feeling" from
the seals is described by Rand as "the DO's taint" (although not "the
DO's Taint"). The evil feeling could be the Taint. However, it could
also just be that the Evil Seals Feeling and the Taint are similar
because they have the same source, namely the DO. Furthermore, the
Seals didn't feel "evil" until they started to seriously disintegrate.
If the Evil Seals Feeling was directly related to the Taint, wouldn't
it have always been present?
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.3.7: What is the deal with the Black Ajah and Warders?
_________________________________________________________________
Can Black Ajah have Warders? Would a Warder know if his AS was Black?
Well, we know BA can have Warders; one the Greens from Liandrin's
posse complained about having to leave her Warders behind when they
fled the Tower [TSR: 38, Hidden Faces, 439]. There has been some
indication that those Warders were actually killed. (More on this
later.) So, given that BA can have Warders, we now need to ask what
the deal with Black Ajah Warders is. RJ has said several things on the
subject. At a post-POD signing in Seattle, he told Kevin Bartlett that
the easiest thing would be to pick a Darkfriend for a Warder. This
tells us that there most likely are Black Warders. At a post-POD
signing in Pennsylvania, RJ "made some comments about how warder of
the BA might sometimes meet with "accidents" so the BA can remain
secret. Alternatively, BA might intentionally bond darkfriends."
(Melinda Yin)
Finally, at a post-POD signing in Northern Virginia, he discussed the
topic. John Novak's synopsis: "If an Aes Sedai becomes Black Ajah, the
Warder would know instantly that something was up, but wouldn't know
exactly what. The Black Ajah has three choices, then-- hope the Warder
is a Darkfriend or amenable to being one, hide the affiliation, or
arrange for an accident. Yes, this would be painful for the Aes Sedai,
but it might become necessary. The process of becoming Black Ajah is
evidently quite painful in its own right and thus probably involves
more than just swearing new Oaths on the Rod. (I submit that this is
why the Red Ajah is rife with Black Ajah-- they have an easier time
actively recruiting from that pool. By the same token, I claim that
the Green Ajah is more pure than the others.)"
Now, the question is, if the Green Warders from Liandrin's group were
indeed killed, why? There are several possible explanations: 1) the
Warders were not DFs, and the Green-Blacks took the opportunity to
kill them off. 2) The Warders were DFs, but they were killed because
if they stayed, they could have been used to track the escaped BA, and
if they left with the AS, the Tower would know that there was such a
thing as Black Warders. (Note that, apparently, this has not been
realised by the AS. For all the talk of Black Ajah, not a single
person has mentioned the possibility of Black Warders.)
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Section 1.4: What's up and Who's Who in the Dark?
_________________________________________________________________
This subsection contains information on and discussion of puzzles and
questions related to happenings and people which are connected to the
Shadow.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.4.1: Who ordered Melindhra, and why?
_________________________________________________________________
[TFOH: 34, A Silver Arrow, 390] Nynaeve and Birgitte were
eavesdropping on the Forsaken Conference in Tel'aran'rhiod. Rahvin
says, "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 (golden
bees are the symbol of Illian, where Sammael was situated), if the
need arose. Mat told her that Rand was going to Caemlyn, instead of
"concentrating of Sammael", and she attacked Mat right away [TFoH: 51,
News Comes To Cairhien, 617], in an attempt to return his attention to
Sammael.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.4.2: Slayer: The Luc-Isam Connection
[John Novak]
_________________________________________________________________
Who are Slayer, Lord Luc, and Isam, and what is their connection?
Isam is Lan's blood cousin. Lord Luc is the brother of Tigraine,
former Daughter-Heir of Andor, and thus Rand's blood uncle. Slayer
seems to be some amalgamation of the two.
Isam is first mentioned late in TEOTW. In [TEOTW, 47, More Tales of
the Wheel, 595], Agelmar begins his tale of the history of the fall of
Malkier. Briefly, it is revealed that al'Lan Mandragoran is the son of
al'Akir and el'Leanna. Al'Akir had a brother, Lain Mandragoran, who
was wed to Breyan. Lain and Breyan were parents to a child named Isam.
Agelmar goes on to explain Breyan's jealousy and grief over her
husband's death in the Blasted Lands, and her plot with Cowin
Fairheart, hero and Darkfriend, to seize the throne for her son Isam.
This plot failed, and Breyan fled south with her infant son Isam, and
was overtaken by Trollocs. Their bodies were never recovered.
It was at this time that el'Leanna and al'Akir sent their own infant
son, al'Lan, south to Fal Moran to safety. The Glossary of LoC places
al'Lan's date of birth in 953 NE, and thus we can surmise that these
events took place no later than 956 NE.
Lord Luc is the brother of Tigraine, former Daughter Heir of Andor. In
[TEOTW: 34, The Last Village, 441] we learn that Luc died in the
Blight while ostensibly in training to become the First Prince of the
Sword. Tigraine later vanished, before she'd properly assumed her
throne.
Later, in [TSR: 34, He Who Comes With The Dawn, 392] we learn that
Tigraine ran off to become a Maiden of the Spear with the Aiel at the
directions of Gitara Moroso Sedai, some four years before Laman's Sin.
The Glossary of TSR places the Aiel War, which began as a direct
result of Laman's Sin, from 976 to 978 NE. Thus, Tigraine disappeared
circa 972 NE.
On the next page, we learn that Janduin, Rand's biological father, was
killed on a venture to the Blasted Lands by a man who looked so like
Shaiel (who was really Tigraine, Luc's sister) that Janduin would not
raise his spear. This is almost certainly Lord Luc, and is in the
third year of the Aiel War, 978 NE.
Finally, in [LOC: 16, Tellings of the Wheel, 277] we learn that Luc
himself may have been sent into the Blight by Gitara Moroso Sedai.
After his disappearance, a year before Tigraine's flight, or about 971
NE, rumors whispered that Gitara sent him to find fame, or fate, or
the Dragon Reborn or the Last Battle. Given her connection with
Tigraine's flight, it seems very likely that the rumors are true.
The first reference tying Luc and Isam together in any way comes from
the Dark Prophecy, scrawled on the walls in Fal Dara after the Trolloc
raid. The relevant stanza [TGH: 7, Blood Calls Blood, 89] says:
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.
The exact interpretation of this stanza is uncertain, but clearly,
Isam survived Breyan's flight south as long as circa 971 NE, when Luc
went north into the Blight. Curiously, Luc and Isam would have been
roughly the same age, as well. Something happened-- one died and one
lived-- but somehow, both still exist.
Now, the only time we know of that Luc or Isam enters the picture in
person, rather than as background, is in those segments of TSR set
around Perrin's trip back home to the Two Rivers.
The middle-aged Lord Luc who arrives in the Two Rivers, claiming to
help the villagers with the Whitecloaks and Trollocs, is that same
Luc. His age and coloring are correct, and Perrin muses that if he
resembles anyone, it is Rand. A cousinly resemblance, no doubt. Luc is
Rand's blood uncle.
Isam appears only in the Unseen World (T'A'R), and only by
implication.
In [TSR: 28, To the Tower of Ghenjei, 320-325] Perrin has several
encounters in the Unseen World. One is with a man who tries to kill
him, a man with a cold, inhuman scent to Perrin's nose. Hopper later
identifies this dangerous creature as 'Slayer,' after Slayer leads
Perrin on a chase to the Tower of Ghenjei. Then Birgitte appears. She
identifies the Tower, connects it with the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn,
and warns Perrin away from it from and Slayer.
Later, Perrin sees Slayer in the Unseen World looking much like Lan,
dressed and styled in the Malkieri fashion [TSR: 42, A Missing Leaf,
476]. He muses that the man looked enough like Lan to be a brother.
In [TSR: 53, The Price of a Departure, 614-615] Perrin faces Slayer in
the Unseen World, and shoots him with an arrow. Slayer disappears from
the Unseen World, and when Perrin wakes up, learns that Lord Luc had
suddenly run off as if wounded.
Here, Perrin connects the two. He notes the simultaneity of the
wounds, and notes the same icy, inhuman smell from both of them.
In [TSR, 56, Goldeneyes, 645-646] the Trollocs in the Two Rivers form
a battle cry out of the name Isam. Clearly, even though his activities
seem limited to the Unseen World, his influence extends to the
physical flesh.
So much for evidence. What the Hell does any of this mean?
The best anyone has been able to do is note that Luc and Isam now seem
to be parts of a single being, aptly named Slayer by the wolves he
kills in the Unseen World.
We know from Egwene's training what some of the properties of the
Unseen World are. Relevant properties here include the loss of one's
humanity (as in, a cold, icy, inhuman scent coming from both Luc and
Isam) after repeatedly going to the Unseen World in the flesh, and the
Unseen World's tendency to reflect the traveler's mental state. Given
that Slayer always appears as Lord Luc in the world of the flesh and
as Isam in the Unseen World, it is a fairly safe to assume that Isam
is somehow piloting Luc's body.
From the Dark Prophecy stanza, it seems likely that Luc is the one who
lived, because his body is still wandering around, twitching and
talking, and that Isam is the one who died. In any other discussion,
we'd just call this a possession, and be done with it. There are no
firm answers on how or why Isam achieved control over Luc's body, nor
how much of the future Gitara Moroso saw when she sent Luc to his
doom.
However, it should be noted that odd phenomena concerning life and
death, the mind, and memory are hardly unknown in the Wheel of Time.
Specifically, channellers of skill and strength are perfectly capable
of forcing spirits bound to wait their next incarnation in the Unseen
World back into the physical world. See Moghedien and Birgitte.
Channellers are perfectly able to directly and powerfully impose their
wills on others through Compulsion. The Dark One is capable of taking
deceased souls and reincarnating them directly into new bodies, as
with Aran'gar, Osan'gar, and Moridin. (In fact, David Wren-Hardin goes
so far as to suggest that Aran'gar and Osan'gar have undergone the
same process as Slayer.)
It does not seem unlikely that Ishamael, perhaps with the counsel or
active help of the Dark One, could have managed this feat for some
obscure purpose.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.4.3: Can Slayer Channel?
[John Novak, P. Korda]
_________________________________________________________________
Hopper says that Slayer is in TAR "in the flesh." Folks have taken
this as evidence that Slayer can channel. There is no reason to
suppose this. In fact, there are many reasons to think that he cannot
channel.
Why Slayer Cannot Channel
First, we will consider the idea that Slayer can channel the TP, but
not the OP. Moghedien believes that you have to be able to channel the
OP in order to channel the TP. While she may be mistaken, there is no
reason to assume so. Of the 30 people Moggy knows who were permitted
to use the TP, all 30 were channellers of the OP. Why should Slayer be
different?
Now, for the question of whether Slayer can channel at all. If Slayer
could channel when he was in the Two Rivers, why didn't he? It would
certainly have aided him in his missions to do away with Fain and
Perrin. Even if we assume that he didn't because he would rather fail
totally than chance anybody getting suspicious, why didn't he channel
at Perrin in TAR? [TSR: 53, The Price of a Departure, 614] The only
person to see would have been Perrin, and Perrin would have been dead.
He used a bloody arrow to try to kill Perrin with. That was the best
he could manage.
In the big battle at Emond's field, the AS, of course, were an
advantage to Perrin's side, but if Isam could channel, he could have
done something to counter that advantage. He clearly didn't (of
course, he'd been shot at that point, but if he could channel, he
could have left, gotten somebody to heal him, and returned for the
fight).
Finally, this question was answered directly by RJ at a signing. From
the post-ACOS signing at Vancouver, 24 August 1996, reported by Lara
Beaton: "Slayer: Can't channel. ... He has certain 'gifts' granted to
him by the DO, but can't channel either the OP or the TP."
In the Flesh
If Slayer cannot channel, then what is up with that "in the flesh"
business?
The time Perrin saw Isam in the flesh was when Perrin met Hopper and
they discussed Slayer. There is another time when Slayer put himself
into TAR the old-fashioned way, by dreaming-- the time Perrin shot
him. How do we know this?
Well, the sequence of events goes like this: Perrin is sleeping.
Perrin dreams the wolf dream, and sees Slayer (looking like Isam). He
shoots Slayer with an arrow, producing a wound in the chest. I now
quote: "Slayer faded, him and his cry together, growing misty,
transparent, vanishing." (NOT like he opened a Gateway and walked out,
like he woke up.) Perrin then wakes up, hears a commotion, asks what's
going on, and finds out that Luc's just run off on his horse, hunched
over like he's got a wound. He was NOT wounded earlier. Now, why would
he have to escape from town if he was PHYSICALLY in TAR? He could just
have run someplace else in TAR and exited there. Much easier, and
safer. The whole scene is consistent with all the stuff we've heard
before about people being wounded while dreaming in TAR, and having
the wounds on their physical bodies.
Thus, we know that Slayer isn't always in TAR in the flesh.
We don't know enough about Slayer, or even about entering and leaving
TAR in the flesh, to say that the only way to do it is via a gateway.
I can think of at least one way to get into TAR in the flesh without
channelling yourself there. Somebody else can open a gateway for you.
There's just as much evidence for this as for him channelling himself
in (that is, none), and it doesn't produce the contradiction that if
Slayer could channel on his own, his Two Rivers strategy would have
been very different.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.4.4: Shaidar Haran, Superfade
[Bryon Wasserman, J. R. Feehan, Korda, Fred Van Keuls]
_________________________________________________________________
What do we know about Shaidar Haran?
1. The DO holds him in high regard (see the prologue of LOC).
2. He has a considerable amount of power in his own right. The DO's
favor can be capricious and the Forsaken sometimes do not obey him
absolutely (for example, Graendal believes she can get Sammael to
kill Rand even though it is forbidden). Since SH taunts and
insults the Forsaken he probably can take care of himself.
3. He has the ability to keep men and women, or maybe just those
sworn to the the Shadow, from channelling. This is from: 1) the
prologue of LOC where Aran'gar and Osan'gar cannot channel. Both
channel Saidin. 2) [ACOS, 25, Mindtrap, 416], where Moggy is
blocked off from the OP while she is SH's prisoner. 3) [TPOD, 12,
New Alliances, 266], where he appears to Graendal, and cuts her
off from the OP. While the first two examples take place at Shayol
Ghul, and thus could conceivably be attributed to the DO, the
Graendal scene occurs far from SG, and thus proves that the
ability is SH's.
4. In addition to the shielding power, and the usual Fade powers, SH
seems to have other unusual abilities. He burned a spear to ash
while watching the Shaido at the end of ACOS. He also seems to
have created the "black globe of light" when bringing Graendal to
heel in [TPOD: 12, New Allinaces, 266]. These abilities may
indicate that SH can use the TP (the only alternative to the OP
that we've seen thus far).
5. The DO trusts him to give directions to the Forsaken and manage
things.
6. He has sufficient knowledge of the world to organize Halima's
scheme in Salidar.
7. He has not been visibly active until recently, yet he seems to act
as the DO's majordomo, keeping the Forsaken in line, etc.
8. Unlike the Forsaken, he is apparently absolutely secure in his
position, whatever that is.
9. He is fundamentally different from other Fades. Apart from size,
he has abilities other Myrddraal do not (see #3), and has a sense
of pleasure, however twisted: "Far more cruel than Trollocs ...
Myrddraal were cold and dispassionate in it. SH often showed
amusement, though." [ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 416] He can tell the
difference between saidin and saidar [ACOS: 40, Spears, 636].
10. He wants to have more freedom of movement than he currently has:
[ACOS 40, Spears, 637] "A faint weakness washed along its limbs.
Too long away from Shayol Ghul. That tie had to be severed
somehow." It is not clear whether the constraint is due to the
DO's control, or whether it is a side-effect of the DO's
imprisonment. In any case, that POV bit shows that SH has some
independent thought, apart from the will of the DO.
11. SH describes his position: "When I speak, you may consider that
you hear the voice of the Great Lord of the Dark.... I am his hand
in this world, Graendal. When you stand before me, you stand
before him." [TPOD, 12, New Alliances, 267]
One possibility that has been brought up is that SH is Ishamael
re-incarnated. This would fit with criteria 1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9 and
possibly 3 (True Power, perhaps?). Ishamael's old Trolloc nickname was
Ba'alzamon, "Heart of the Dark"; while Shaidar Haran means "Hand of
the Dark/Shadow." Pretty similar, although it could very easily be a
coincidence. However, Shaidar Haran has neither done nor said anything
to indicate that he has had a previous existence, and isn't just a new
model of Fade. All of SH's attributes can be explained by assuming
that he was specially created by the DO to have those attributes.
Finally, from the information we get about Moridin in ACOS and TPOD
(See section 1.2.4), Moridin is indubitably Ishamael. To head off the
obvious loony idea at the pass, recall that we've seen SH's thoughts
in [ACOS: 40, Spears, 636-637], and Moridin's in [TPOD: Prologue,
Deceptive Appearances, 42-44] and [TPOD: 2, Unweaving, 81-84], and
they are clearly not the same person. (For one thing, Moridin has
eyes, unlike SH.)
Yet Another SH theory is that SH is a physical/corporeal manifestation
of the DO. This is supported by the fact that the DO refers to SH as
"MY HAND." [ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 414]. This theory would satisfy the
above criteria, although it raises some questions about how the DO can
be in two places at once, i.e. in the Pit of Doom and in Shaidar
Haran. Also, SH seems to have an independent will, as evidenced by his
desire to free himself of his bond to SG: [ACOS 40, Spears, 637] "A
faint weakness washed along its limbs. Too long away from Shayol Ghul.
That tie had to be severed somehow." If SH is simply a manifestation
of the DO, then why would it desire to be free to move around as it
wished? It would instead be wishing to be free of its prison, in no
uncertain terms.
Of course, SH could very well be just what he seems: the DO's
spokesmyrddraal.
One big unanswered question is that of the relationship between SH and
Moridin. Between the two of them, who is the boss? They seem to be
working in cooperation. For example, SH breaks Moggy down prior to her
delivery to Moridin, and he appears to Graendal to send her to meet
Moridin. We haven't seen the two of them (Moridin and SH) interact,
and in the sections from their points of view, they don't happen to
think about each other.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.4.5: Who will be the Dreadlords in the Last Battle?
_________________________________________________________________
Dreadlords: Those men and women who, able to channel the One Power,
went over to the Shadow during the Trolloc Wars, acting as
commanders of the Trolloc forces. [TEOTW: Glossary, 662]
So, the question is, will the Shadow have similar human commanders of
Trollocs for the Last Battle? If so, then who will these commanders
be? Here are some possibilities:
1. Black Ajah. Pro: loads of experience in both channelling and
bossing folks around. Con: not much battle experience, except for
Reds who hunt down False Dragons, and Greens, who do that sort of
thing for fun.
2. Darkfriend sul'dam, with a damane or two as a Power source. Pro:
Battle experience. Con: depends upon a possibly non-loyal damane
for Power. This could cause problems in the middle of a fight. No
experience in using the OP by themselves.
3. Runaway DF damane. Pro: knows how to use OP in battle. Con: No
experience in commanding things, making decisions, or any sort of
independent thought.
4. Asha'man. Pro: big motivation to be sworn to the Shadow--
protection from the Taint. Specifically trained to use the OP in
battle. Possibly, a recruiting agent right in the camp ("Mr.
Taimandred? I'd like to join the Black tower, if you know what I
mean."). Con: Some have less experience in command, and thus would
make poor commanders.
5. DF Windfinders. Not much to say pro or con, since we know next to
nothing about the Sea Folk or Windfinders at all.
6. Male Aiel Channelers: Pro: tradition is to go into the Blight to
fight Shadowspawn until you die. Maybe some don't die, but get
picked up and offered a second chance at eternal life, sans Taint.
Con: the Blight is nasty. It's doubtful even an Aiel could survive
a long time there, if he was bent on fighting. Not likely that
many survive long enough to get recruited or converted. Plus,
nobody has ever seen these supposed Aiel Dreadlords, either in the
Blight, at SG, or in Randland.
7. Random Joe Randlander who finds out he can channel. Pro: Why not?
Again, a great incentive to join up-- no Taint. If Joe is already
a DF when he discovers channelling, all the more reason. Con: With
all those other great candidates, why would the Shadow bother
searching the populace for the 1:10000+ men who channel?
8. Dreadlord Search Program: Darkfriends are screened for the ability
to channel, and then put into a Dreadlord Training Program.
(Liandrin was recruited as a DF before she ever went to the Tower.
She learned some channelling, too. [TFOH: 18, A Hound of Darkness,
303].)
9. Non-Channelers. Pro: In TGH, Bors thinks he has a chance of being
a Dreadlord, even though he cannot channel. Con: You need to be
Fain or a channeler to have enough power over a Fade to command
him. We already know J. Carridin never stood a chance with a Fade.
10. No Dreadlords--the DO has something better. Pro: Look at that
shiny new Myrddraal the DO has! Even the Forsaken are frightened
by it. It can scare channelers, channelers can scare normal Fades,
Fades scare Trollocs. Cut out the middlemen, and make a bunch of
Super-Fades to be dreadlords? What Lord of Evil needs humans
anyway? It's not like he's going to leave them around after he
wins, after all. Con: Shaidar Haran is special, we've only seen
one of his kind. Maybe the DO can't make any more like him. Maybe
the DO doesn't want to. SH is too much of a mystery to assume he
is the first of a new model of Fade.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.4.6: The "Aiel" Attack on Demira Sedai-- What's the deal with that?
[Karl-Johan Noren, P. Korda]
_________________________________________________________________
In [LOC: 46, Beyond the Gate, 580-581], Demira Eriff of the Brown
Ajah, a member of the Salidar Embassy, is attacked by a group of men
dressed like Aiel. The attack occurs after she's been followed from
her inn by the same group of "Aiel." She was going to meet an
informant from the Caemlyn Palace, who does not show up at the
appointed meeting place. Demira concludes that her informant had not
received her message. As she turns to leave, a man on the street leers
at her, and she ducks into an alley. The particular alley she goes
into is deserted. A bit further along the alley, she runs into the men
dressed as Aiel, who stab her with spears. She is severely injured,
but not killed.
In [LOC: 46, Beyond the Gate, 584-586], we learn more about the
attack. Right before Demira was attacked, a man came into the inn
where the Salidar Embassy was known to be quartered, and "said he had
seen Aiel following an Aes Sedai-- he described [Demira] exactly-- and
saying they were going to kill her." Demira's Warder ran with another
AS to save Demira. Demira remembers that one of her attackers told
her, "Tell the other witches to stay away from the Dragon Reborn."
This message, along with the fellow at the inn, and the fact that
Demira's wounds missed vital organs indicate that Demira was meant to
survive, and that the attackers wanted the Salidar AS to believe that
Aiel were behind the attack.
We don't know for sure who ordered the attack, but we can almost be
sure that the attackers were not real Aiel. For one thing, one of the
attackers is "a squat fellow with villainous eyes." From all
descriptions, Aiel (especially the warriors) are tall and lean,
certainly not "squat." Secondly, the Aiel do not refer to the AS as
"witches," nor do they refer to Rand as "the Dragon Reborn"-- that is
a wetlander prophecy.
What was the motive for the attack? We can get ideas about this from
the wide-reaching results: the Salidar Aes Sedai believe that Rand
arranged the attack, and retaliate. The retaliation drives Rand into
leaving Caemlyn for Cairhien, and sets his mind against the group of
Aes Sedai most likely to help him. He turns towards the Tower Aes
Sedai, who trick him, capture him, and abscond with him locked up in a
box, to be rescued by Perrin, the Aiel, and Taim. The overall result
is a great deal of ill-will and distrust between Rand and the SAS,
Rand and the TAS, and the AS and the Aiel. It is reasonable to
conclude that all or part of this was the motive for the attack.
Fomenting discord among Rand's possible allies seems to be a general
goal of the Shadow's agents, so any of the Forsaken could have had a
motive for setting up the attack. The Tower Aes Sedai could have
organized it, in order to drive Rand away from their Salidar rivals.
Taim, even if he is not a Forsaken, has made efforts to turn Rand
against the AS on many occasions. Perhaps Demandred (being Taim)
arranged the attack in order to drive Rand away from the SAS, and make
him vulnerable to the TAS (whose kidnapping of Rand was likely
instigated by Mesaana [LOC: Prologue, The First Message, 58]). This
theory is attractive because Demandred and Mesaana were working
together (with Semirhage, how does she fit in to this theory?) in LOC
on a plan to "let the Lord of Chaos rule." That was, after all, the
final result of the events triggered by the attack on Demira-- chaos
definitely ruled at Dumai's Wells.
Were Taim and the Asha'man behind the attack?
First, it was a very well organized and planned attack. It is done
after Demira is shadowed and possibly lured (or even Compelled) into
small, empty alleys. The attack is done by people meeting her.
Simultaneously, a man appears bringing the message to her Warder at
the Crown and Roses. The interception may mean that other people
directed the "Aiel" to their position and cleared the alleys, giving
10-20 people participating, of which at least a few must know Caemlyn
very well or that some channeler was part of the group. Furthermore,
the attackers must have intercepted the message to Demira's informant
There's reason to believe that Compulsion was used:
"Turning away from the gate, her [Demira's] eyes chanced to meet
those of a tall, lean-faced fellow in a carter's vest who was
gazing at her much too admiringly. When their eyes met, he winked!
She was not going to put with that all the way back to the inn....
She slipped into the narrow shaded gap between a cutler's shop and
a tavern."
It seems like too much of a coincidence that just because some fellow
leered at her, Demira chose to travel back to her inn through a
deserted alley-- the particular alley where the "Aiel" were waiting in
ambush. The point that the ambushing team used channelers is
strengthened by the fact that Demira couldn't reach saidar:
"Frantically she reached for saidar, but something else pierced her
side, and she was down in the dust. That remembered face was thrust
into hers, black eyes mocking, growling something she ignored while
she tried to reach saidar, tried to... Darkness closed in."
Granted, she was injured, but Moghedien was able to channel with an
arrow through her chest, Rahvin while being BBQ-ed and Nynaeve while
about to lose consciousness from asphyxiation.
Now, it is not certain that channeling was used in the attack, either
to force Demira down the alley or shield her. However, the extremely
close timing involved (the message to Demira's warder came right
before she was stabbed) indicated that she did not go down that
alleyway by coincidence. The leering fellow may have had a backup plan
for getting her down the alley if his antics didn't work-- it just
turned out that they did. As for shielding, John Hamby points out that
Demira doesn't feel that she's blocked from the Source, just that
she's having trouble embracing the Source as two spears are driven
into her. Yes, Moggy could do it with an arrow; but Moggy is stronger
and more skilled, and Nynaeve is Wonder Woman.
The attack is done after the embassy had met Rand three times, with no
meeting on the day of the attack. This means that the attackers had
either a maximum of three days of preparation or knew about the
embassy before it met with Rand.
So we have the following requirements for the group who did the deed:
* include male channelers (maybe)
* must be trained in weapons
* have an organization in or close to Caemlyn
* refers to AS as "witches" and Rand as "the Dragon Reborn"
By far the best candidate is Taim, either as "plain" Taim or as
Taimandred. The Asha'man fulfill every demand above, and Taim also has
the political motive and chutzpah to do it. It would be strange if the
Asha'man did not include people from Caemlyn (since they are based
near that city), and they are being trained in the use of weapons, and
they include some men who are already acquainted with weapons. Taim
also knows of the embassy early because Rand tells him of it. He
likely hates Aes Sedai, and is clearly interested in bringing Rand
closer to him and away from all things AS. It's not much of a stretch
imagining the Asha'man referring to the AS as witches either. In fact,
a few days before the attack, Taim suggested arranging "accidents" for
the Aes Sedai in Caemlyn [LOC: 42, The Black Tower, 545].
Other Suspects
Apart from Taim, the other major suspects are the Tower Aes Sedai, the
Whitecloaks, Padan Fain, and Joe Random Forsaken (i.e. not Mesaana or
Taimandred).
The White Tower AS (acting w/o influence from Mesaana) can be ruled
out, because they would be hard pressed to simply reach a decision so
fast. Pigeon to Elaida, Elaida decides, Pigeon back, plan and do
attack. Done in three days? No way. Also, the White Tower lacks people
and organization in Caemlyn.
The Whitecloaks can also be ruled out. They have withdrawn their
organization from Caemlyn, and their lower ranks would be more
interested in killing AS than in subtle political maneuvering. Niall
might try something like this, but the Niall POV scenes we get in LOC
and ACOS show him concentrating on schemes involving Morgase, the fake
Dragonsworn in Altara, and later, the situation in Tarabon-- nothing
involving Rand and his connections with the Tower.
Fain could have some motive to drive Rand towards dealing with the
Mashadar-tainted Tower instead of the untainted Salidar AS. He does
have access to DF's from Caemlyn, and the former Whitecloaks. But, as
he thinks when he is reached by the report of the Gray Man attack on
Rand, his resources are rather limited. He doesn't seem to have access
to the number of followers required to pull off the attack.
Furthermore, everything we've seen of Fain this far has had him
ingratiating himself to one powerful person, and corrupting them. The
attack on Demira doesn't fit his style-- it's too indirect.
An attack from Joe Random Forsaken is the most likely, next to Taim.
As stated above, the Shadow seems to have a general strategy of
creating discord between Rand and his possible allies. Furthermore, as
Bob Kluttz points out, Demira was interested in learning about the
Seals on the DO's prison [LOC: 46, Beyond the Gate, 580-581]. A couple
of weeks after the attack on Demira, Herid Fel is spectacularly killed
for his interest in them. The fate of the seals is somehow critical to
the Dark One's success. If this was the main motive for the attack,
Demira wouldn't have been left alive. However, it could have been an
additional motive for choosing Demira as a target, rather than one of
the other SAS. This idea pretty much requires whichever Forsaken
planned the attack to have had a strong power base in Caemlyn. The
only Forsaken of which we know this to have been true is Rahvin, and
he was dead by the time the Salidar embassy arrived. However, this
doesn't rule out somebody having resources we don't know about.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.4.7: Was Moghedien violated by Shaidar Haran?
_________________________________________________________________
Quick question, quick answer: Chris Mullins writes: 'I asked RJ, at
the Palo Alto signing, if Moggy was raped by Shaidar Haran in ACOS.
His reply was, "Yes. Amongst other things."'
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.4.8: Who killed Adeleas and Ispan?
[John S. Hamby, Craig Moe, Andrea Leistra]
_________________________________________________________________
This is an attempt at looking at all the facts concerning the murders
of Ispan and Adeleas. Here, we present what is known and what can or
cannot be concluded from these facts.
General Considerations
From [TPOD, 28, Crimsonthorn, 545-547], we know that Adeleas had taken
Ispan to the small hut the night before. In the morning, Kirstian
comes to find Elayne. Lan has found the bodies. So, we have the time
frame. It's curious that Lan is the one who found the two. Certainly
Vandene as sister and fellow interrogator would have made more sense.
Presumably, when Adeleas is dealing with Garenia/Zarya and then
Kirstian, Vandene is taking care of Ispan.
Description of the crime scene: "Adeleas lay on her side beside an
overturned stool, a cup on the rough wooden floor not far from her
outstretched hand. Her eyes stared, and a pool of congealed blood
spread out from the deep slash across her throat. Ispan lay on a small
cot, staring at the ceiling. Lips drawn back in a rictus bared her
teeth, and her bulging eyes seemed full of horror. As well they might
have, since a wrist-thick wooden stake stood out from between her
breasts. The hammer that had plainly been used to drive it in lay
beside the cot, on the edge of a dark stain that ran back under the
cot."
Then we get the description of the interior of the hut. "A second
three-legged stool, a rough table holding a flickering lamp, a green
teapot and a second cup, a rude stone fireplace with cold ash on the
hearthstone."
From all this, it certainly seems that the tea was delivered the
previous evening. The fire is out; the flickering lamp suggests the
oil is running low. That a lamp is burning at all suggests that it was
dark outside when the murderer arrived. Though the fact that the two
windows are described as tiny might negate this, as a lamp might be
needed anytime of the day. However, it seems that the scene is viewed
in the light of day and not by the single lamp.
Vandene assumes or directs the line of thought to Ispan being the
primary victim. This assumption is presumed because more time was
taken to kill Ispan.
Nynaeve makes the assumption that whoever decided to use crimsonthorn
did so because they either wanted to make sure that no one came with
an antidote or that they wanted one or the other to know who was
killing them.
The use of crimsonthorn does indicate two things. First, Adeleas was
meant to die. Whether the murder was a hit on Ispan or whether
Adeleas' death was the primary goal, a drug is used, in lethal
amounts, that Adeleas with her penchant for sweet tea is particularly
prone to. This implies that the murderer knew before hand who was
guarding Ispan. In fact it might be that the murderer was waiting when
Adeleas was by herself with Ispan. This means that the murder was not
spontaneous. There was a bit of planning involved.
The second thing that crimsonthorn indicates is that time was not
really of the essence. The murderer took her time. It seems possible
she knew no one would disturb her that night. (This is also indicated
by the method used in killing Ispan: pounding a stake through the
heart is not really the quickest way to kill a person.)
Speaking of the stake, the manner of Ispan's death (being staked
through the chest) raises some questions. Even if one or both women
were immobilized first, pounding a stake through someone is
difficult--there's bones and things in the way, not to mention how
messy it would be. If the killer did the job up close and personal,
she would have been covered in Ispan's blood. There are three
possibilities: 1. The killer could not channel, and used physical
means (herbs and physical violence) to kill the victims because that
was the only way. 2. The killer could channel, and used channeling to
make it look like someone who could not did the deed. 3. (Related to
#2) The killer could channel and needed to do so because he/she was
physically too weak to carry out the deed in the mundane manner. So,
there is at least an even chance that the killer was a channeller, and
used the OP in Ispan's murder, at least. Unfortunately, this doesn't
help much, since most of the suspects (all the Kin, AS, and
Windfinders in the party) can channel. [Genevieve Williams, Dave
Rothgery]
Who drank the tea?
Adeleas has a cup near her hand. Her body position and the fact she
has her throat cut is a definite sign that she fell victim to the tea.
But is there anything that really points to Ispan having drank any of
it?
We have two cups, yes. But one fell from Adeleas' hand as she
presumably fell to the floor. The second cup is on the table still.
The reason this sticks out is that the hammer used on Ispan is left by
the cot. Yet the cup is on the table by another stool. (Note that this
can be explained by positing that the the killer moved Ispan to the
cot in order to stake her more easily.)
The effect of the crimsonthorn, as described by Nynaeve, is "A little
kills pain. This much... This much kills, but slowly. Even a few sips
would be enough. They might have remained conscious for hours. Not
able to move, but aware."
This suggests that perhaps Ispan did not drink any tea. How is this
possible? Quite simple. Whoever killed the two could channel. The drug
was used to take out Adeleas. In fact, it was tailored to take her
out. With Adeleas out of the way, the shield around Ispan would
disappear, no? Well, not if the murderer was a channeller herself (we
can all agree that the murderer is most likely female). Ispan is
always kept shielded.
So the only scenario that lets Ispan's murderer be a non-channeller is
this: A non-Aes Sedai that Adeleas would take tea from brings tea to
the hut, then leaves. Adeleas would not sit and drink tea while
guarding Ispan with someone who was not a sister hovering around the
hut. The murderer waits outside the hut for the tea to take effect on
Adeleas. So in order for Ispan to also be incapacitated a couple of
things would have to have happened.
One is that Adeleas gives tea to Ispan and then drinks some herself.
Ispan is now drugged and so is Adeleas. Murderer enters and does the
deed.
Two, Adeleas can still channel while drugged. She maintains the shield
while the murderer enters and forces Ispan to drink the tea while
still shielded. Then the killer drives the stake through Ispan's heart
and slits Adeleas' throat. A variation on the above is that even if
drugged, Adeleas can channel the whole time, but is somehow locked
into the shield and Ispan is killed. Not until the stake is completely
driven through does the murderer turn to Adeleas.
All these scenarios seem a bit unlikely. Ispan is Black Ajah. I don't
see Adeleas sitting down and sharing a cup of tea with her. (Consider
the vehemence with which the other Aes Sedai in the series react to
the idea of the BA.) So how is Ispan kept helpless if Adeleas loses
the ability to channel when the drug takes hold? We're assuming that
either the drug incapacitates the ability to channel or Adeleas was so
far gone under the influence of the drug that it did not matter by the
time the murders took place.
Furthermore the differences in Adeleas and Ispan's bodies might go
beyond the way in which each was killed. Adeleas clearly was under the
influence of the drug. Yet Ispan's countenance clearly shows the
ability to move her face and feel pain. Her eyes bulge and her lips
are drawn back. If Adeleas is so far gone into the drug that all she
can do is stare while her throat is being cut, how come Ispan is able
to show such reaction; not just in terms of horror but to physically
show it as well? (Especially since crimsonthorn is a painkiller.)
So it is quite possible that if whoever killed the two could channel,
that Adeleas was the only one drugged. Shields can be woven-off and
left in place. They can also be passed from one person to another.
One thing we do know is that Vandene is either the killer or she was
not a part of the shield when Adeleas was killed. Otherwise she would
have felt something was wrong-- she certainly would have noticed when
Adeleas died.
So assume for a moment that Vandene is not the murderer. That means
that Adeleas was capable of maintaining the shield by herself. So it
might also indicate that Adeleas was stronger than Ispan, or even that
once in place the shield could be maintained by anyone.
So the use of crimsonthorn does not prove that the killer was a
non-channeller and there is indication that maybe the drug was not
used on Ispan at all and thus increases the odds of a channeller's
involvement.
The Suspects
Non-Channellers
Considering only those from whom Adeleas might accept tea:
* Jaem - Could he be the murderer and Vandene not be BA? While it
could be possible the two worked together, it's hard to see Jaem
acting on his own, not to mention Vandene would have noticed
something.
* Pol - as a servant of Merilille's she is the most likely suspect
for the single-killer theory. Yet would Adeleas take tea from even
her? The problems of being a non-channeller of course exist
assuming Ispan did not drink the tea. Also from Ispan's facial
expression I don't think we can rule out the possibility of no
sound whatsoever. If Adeleas can no longer channel because she is
either dead or drugged, then regardless of the problems of Ispan
(assuming the drug was used on Ispan), there is the risk of
detection. How much sound does a stake being driven through the
heart make? And if Ispan is able to show expression might a
whimper, a cry or even a scream be completely out of the question?
Also there is the time issue. Whoever did this knew they had the
time for the tea to take affect and then do the actual killings.
Would a maid know that she could remain undisturbed or at least
undetected? Would a non-channeller have the courage to do this
task among so many channellers without the ability herself? Note
that when Forkroot is introduced it is the first time that the
ability to channel is mentioned as being inhibited by a drug. So
Crimsonthorn is not definitely something that is shown to rob a
channeller of this ability. And even Forkroot which left Nynaeve
and Elayne paralyzed allowed them to make sounds.
One argument says that even if the ability was there despite the
crimsonthorn, the common belief shared by most Aes Sedai concerning
the connections between channeling and gesturing would mean that once
paralyzed Adeleas could not channel to defend herself, since she could
not move. But this would mean a foreknowledge of this and I think once
again points away from any non-channeller as the killer.
So while possible I think that it is a bit more improbable that any
non-channeller could have done the deed.
Channelling Suspects
Non-Aes Sedai:
* Any Windfinder - Given that the state of affairs between the Aes
Sedai and the Windfinders, the fact that Adeleas trusted this
person enough to take tea from her eliminates any of these women.
* The Kin - As a general group, the fact that the Aes Sedai consider
the Kin to be so far beneath them, and the general poor relations
between the two groups indicate that they fit the same category as
the Windfinders.
* Asra - This is the Kinswoman who originally attracted El and Ny's
attention in Ebou Dar. In one of the showdowns between the Kin and
the AS, Asra seems almost intent on starting a riot. [TPOD: 28,
Crimsonthorn, 544] The murder needn't even have been BA-related;
Asra might have been fearful/upset over Adeleas' decree that Tower
runaways among the Kin should be disciplined and forced to become
Novices again. [TPOD: 28, Crimsonthorn, 542]. [Bill Brooks].
However, these reasons also show that there is little likelihood
that Adeleas would trust Asra enough to take tea from her.
* Kirstian - now in novice white it is possible that she would take
the opportunity to do away with either Ispan or Adeleas. She did
volunteer herself. She also is quite strong so maintaining the
shield etc., would be no problem.
* Garenia - Same as above. As a novice in Adeleas' eyes, it might be
conceivable that Adeleas would send her for tea. She is very
strong in the One Power as well.
* Reanne - It is possible that as the head of the Kin Adeleas would
trust her but the idea of Reanne killing Adeleas is rather
implausible. Still, because of the tea thing, she is a more likely
suspect than say Chilares or Famelle or even most other Kin.
* Alise - Everyone seems to do what this woman wants. So she too is
a little more likely than most other Kin.
However, it takes a bit of a leap to assume that any level of trust
would exist between Aes Sedai and any of the Kin, especially in the
wake of the "we are many and they are few" business. So like the
Windfinders I think the Kin are very low on the lists of suspects.
Aes Sedai:
* Vandene - Certainly she looks the most guilty. She knows what
Ispan has said and she knows what Ispan has not said. More
importantly she has an idea of what her sister may be thinking or
be on the verge of figuring out. Furthermore, Vandene was the
other person in charge of Ispan, yet it is Lan that discovers the
two bodies. Exactly when was Vandene going to check up on her
sister? And what about the way the shield is described when the
two first question her in [TPOD: 4, A Quiet Place, 105] Certainly
Vandene could not be innocent and a part of the shielding at the
same time. Yet it raises the question of the timing of the deaths
if it was Vandene. Why now? Certainly if Vandene is BA she would
know what if anything Ispan could reveal. More on Vandene as a
suspect later.
* Careane - The weakest of the Aes Sedai. This would make the use of
crimsonthorn to eliminate Adeleas pretty important. In fact of the
AS (excluding Elayne and Nynaeve), Careane is also the only sister
whose strength we know in terms of comparison to the others.
Problem is that Careane has at least two Warders. True, both could
be Darkfriends. But I think this is a stumbling block that at this
point is rather hard to step over. One little note- Careane is the
one who does not hide her face enough and sets the Kin farm on its
ear. A bit odd since Aes Sedai seem to be quite adept at keeping
the one identifying trait under wraps. She could have been trying
to create a panic? Or was she trying to show her face to a DF
among the Kin? Of course it might be that she was just stupid.
* Sareitha - Not much known about her. There are a total of five
Warders among the five sisters. Adeleas has none. Vandene has one.
Careane has more than one but the number is not known, so Sareitha
could have a Warder. If she does not, which is quite likely since
she was raised to the shawl only three years ago, then Careane has
at least three warders. Besides sharing her Ajah, little seems to
indicate that Sareitha has any ties to Adeleas that would indicate
her as the murderer.
* Merilille - Perhaps most damning is the fact that it is possible
that she was picked by the Gray Ajah to lead the Salidar
delegation. And of course Delana as a Salidar Gray Sitter who is
also BA may have played a major role in picking her. Of course
that raises the question of why send a BA to Ebou Dar? The Shadow
does know of the possible cache of angreal even if the Bowl of
Winds is not yet a goal. Also notice that Tylin is rather upset
with the way Merilille has handled matters until Nynaeve and
Elayne show up and tell the truth. So perhaps she is sent to keep
the local ruler from coming to an accomodation with the Salidar
group. Certainly add an unhappy ruler to an independent nobility
plus the constant threat of Whitecloaks and you would pretty much
hamper Salidar from any sort of effectiveness. On the other hand,
she could just be incompetent.
Of the Aes Sedai, then, Careane and Merilille stand out as the most
obvious of the non-obvious killers-- Vandene, of course, being the
obvious.
One problem with any of the Salidar Aes Sedai being the killer is that
they didn't try to prevent the finding and use of the Bowl and didn't
steal it and the rest of the goodies afterwards. However, since the AS
are a very hierarchical organization (and the BA follows that
pattern), and since the Shadow hierarchy was rather disorganised at
the time the embassy was sent (all the Forsaken scheming for
themselves), some low-level BA in the Salidar embassy to Ebou Dar
might not have been informed of the importance of the Bowl, and would
have just followed orders to stick with the party and spy/whatever.
The Prime Suspect: Vandene
[Andrea Leistra, Craig Moe]
Arguments in Favor of Vandene Being the Killer
* She isn't dead. She and Adeleas are nearly inseparable; it's
asking a bit much for her to be out just when her sister and their
prisoner are killed, and to stay gone for the entire time. If
someone had been sent to kill Adeleas and Vandene because they
learned something they shouldn't, she'd be dead now as well.
* The interrogation of Ispan proceeded in a rather unorthodox
fashion. [TPOD: 4, A Quiet Place, 109]: "Then another use hit
[Elayne], and suddenly the silence from within was more ominous
than any shrieks that ward would contain." This other use may
simply be, as Elayne supposes, to prevent screams from being
heard. However, it's also quite likely that Vandene wants to
prevent anyone from hearing what really goes on because it's not
what's supposed to be happening.
[TPOD: 6, Threads, 137]: "Adeleas and Vandene brought out Ispan
between them, firmly shielded and the leather sack back over her
head. She walked quite easily, and nothing visible said that
anything at all had been done to her, except....Ispan kept her
hands folded at her waist, never so much as trying to raise the
sack for a peek, and when she was boosted into a saddle, she held
out her wrists to be corded to the pommel without being told. If
she was that amenable, perhaps they had learned something from
her. Elayne did not want to contemplate how the learning might
have been achieved."
* She [Vandene] is unnaturally calm following Adeleas' death:
[TPOD: 28, Crimsonthorn, 546]: "Vandene's eyes remained on her
sister, calm in a face of Aes Sedai serenity."
(same page): "Her voice sounded serenity itself, but small wonder
if that was a mask."
"Elayne gasped at the brutality, but Vandene simply nodded."
[TPOD: 28, Crimsonthorn, 547]: "The calm of her made Elayne's skin
crawl."
(after the funeral): "Vandene...appeared as serene as she had at
Adeleas' graveside."
Not only does she not mourn, except for one wail after the others
have left, but she isn't even surprised by the deaths.
* She had access to Adeleas and Ispan without attracting comment or
notice, and could have had reason to kill them now -- perhaps her
identity as Black had been/was about to be revealed, or other
important Black secrets would be revealed by Ispan -- rather than
at some other time. Vandene's comment that Adeleas wouldn't take
tea from somebody she didn't trust makes sense, and anybody
unusual wandering around the interrogation site at night would
surely attract suspicion from Adeleas, so the killer must have
been somebody she knew well. (OTOH, if Vandene is the killer, why
would she point this out?)
* The difference in how Ispan and Adeleas died. Ispan was tortured
brutally, while Adeleas was killed quickly. This suggests that the
killer may have had some sympathy for Adeleas and not for Ispan,
since it's unlikely that a random Darkfriend murderer with time on
her hands would take the time to feed Adeleas the crimsonthorn tea
and then merely slit her throat.
* Possible previous misdeeds: Someone warded that Draghkar that
attacked Moiraine in TGH, at Adeleas and Vandene's place.
In defense of Vandene
Here are counter-arguments for the points against Vandene, and
rebuttals:
* Why were the inseparable sisters suddenly separated? Remember that
this is a procession towards Caemlyn, and traveling across Andor
takes up most of the day. Aes Sedai have to sleep as well, and
since the two obviously didn't trust anyone else with Ispan, no
matter how meek she had become, it makes sense that the pair would
alternate interrogation duties. Hence Vandene's absence when
Adeleas complains about runaways amongst the Kin.
* How could Vandene remain so calm? RJ has quite a few characters
retain public composure only to grieve in private. Siuan waited
months to mourn the death of her warder, and Elayne never publicly
grieved for the death of her mother. Aes Sedai are famed for such
composure, and it is certainly in character for Vandene, who has
taken a Draghkar's attack, Elayne's usurping the Ebou Dari
delegation, the Kin, a gholam and the Seanchan all in stride, to
react similarly when faced with her sister's death. Furthermore,
as Sandy Armstrong points out, one could take Vandene's composure
as a sign that she didn't kill Adeleas. If she was covering
something up she'd try to make it plain to everyone else that she
was extremely upset.
Rebuttal: Siuan's grieving was postponed due to her other
problems: being stilled, being tortured, being a refugee with
Logain for company. Elayne hasn't had confirmation that her mom is
dead; she's slowly come to the realization that her mom is most
likely dead over an extended period of time. Not to mention, this
doesn't explain why Vandene didn't show any sort of shock or
surprise when her sister was found with her throat slit.
* But this explains who warded the Draghkar so simply. Of course,
before TPOD we already had a simple answer: Liandrin, a known
Black Ajah, who mysteriously disappeared soon after Moiraine.
She's much more likely to have been behind the attack than
Vandene, who had left Moiraine in the study moments earlier, with
no idea she was about to go outside. Not to mention, Vandene's
Warder, Jaem, would have to be a DF, too, and he helped Lan save
Moiraine.
Rebuttal: That wouldn't matter much. The Draghkar could have been
lying in wait on the valid assumption that Moiraine would go
outside eventually. Warded, the Draghkar would not have had to
fear being sensed. [Vic Stallion] Furthermore, it's not very
likely that Liandrin could manage to trail Moiraine without Lan
noticing. As for Jaem, he could still be a DF. Note that Lan was
conveniently off working the forms in the barn with Jaem in TGH,
rather than by Moiraine's side. When Lan rushed off to save
Moiraine, Jaem would have had to follow suit, or give the secret
away.
Further arguments against Vandene being the killer, and counter-arguments
* How could she have avoided revealing her identity as Black to
Adeleas for all these years?
Counter-argument: This is exactly the sort of thing all Black
sisters have to do -- conceal their identity from close scrutiny
for centuries. It may not always be from a biological relative,
but that doesn't make it any different.
* Her grief seemed genuine. (Her cry of anguish after Elayne left.)
Counter-argument: See above. If she's not damn good at faking this
sort of thing, she'd have been found out long ago. Besides, she
could have been issued orders to kill anyone who discovered
particular information, or that she was Black, so that she had to
kill Adeleas even if she regretted doing so.
* Since the attack was directed at Ispan, why would Vandene kill her
sister in such an equally violent manner?
Counter-argument: Adeleas was not killed in an equally violent
manner. Both victims were drugged, but Adeleas's throat was
cleanly cut. Ispan was impaled with a wooden stake.
* How could two people so close they could finish one another's
sentences end up on opposite sides of an ideological spectrum?
Counter-argument: The fact that Adeleas chose the Brown Ajah and
Vandene the Green shows that, although they thought alike in a lot
of ways, they didn't think alike in every way. [Vic Stallion]
Other thoughts on Vandene as the killer
* There may have been something up between Ispan and both of the
Senior Twins. Clues are that both sisters participated in the
behind-closed-doors "interrogation" of Ispan, which proved
fruitless, and that Ispan seemed to become upset when she thought
that Elayne and Nynaeve might do the interrogation, rather than
Adeleas and Vandene [TPOD: 4, A Quiet Place, 107]. [Jonathan
Vaught]
* It is possible that Vandene did kill Adeleas and Ispan, but that
she is not BA. Perhaps Adeleas was BA, and Vandene discovered this
somehow through Ispan's questioning. She may have killed Adeleas
and Ispan to prevent Adeleas' good name from being ruined, and to
spare her the humiliation and pain of stilling and execution.
Motive: Why kill one or both?
Ispan failed, was captured and that is what happens to BA who fail and
are captured.
This was a precedent set down with the killings of Amico and Joiya.
But there are some pretty major differences. Amico and Joiya both
actually gave out information. Amico told where Liandrin and crew
went. And Joiya told about the BA freeing Taim (although that may have
been a lie). Ispan has not revealed anything important, as far as we
know.
Joiya's and Amico's deaths were also incidental. Someone took
advantage of the attack on Rand and the Stone to kill them. Chances
are had Rand not been attacked, the two would not have been killed
when they were. There really was no risk involved. Killing Ispan and
Adeleas, though, reveals that there is a DF/BA among them. The killer
tipped their hand. So something must have forced them to do this.
Joiya and Amico also were on their way to the Tower. Certainly the
risk of revealing anything of import ran much higher if those two
actually made it there. So removing them when the chance presented
itself certainly makes sense.
But if Ispan was the main target why now? Why not before if she is a
threat? Also consider that if the killer is BA herself, then she would
certainly know how much a threat Ispan is and how much a threat she is
not. There certainly has been time before this to kill Ispan.
Also look at Katerine and Falion. While Falion's death by wicked
keg-bong might be imminent, it is not definite. And Katerine is
allowed to escape and presumably live. So death is not the automatic
sentence for BA who screw up. Certainly Ispan's escape could have been
managed as easily as Katerine's. After all, Katerine's escape pretty
much reveals her to be BA, whereas Ispan is already known to be. Her
escape certainly poses no risks to the killer that killing her did
not.
So was Ispan the prime victim? Perhaps not. Adeleas could have been
the one intended to die all along. Whoever did it wants Adeleas dead.
Knows she will be alone with Ispan so takes tea laced with a poison
specifically chosen for Adeleas' liking for sweet tea. Of course once
Adeleas is down Ispan is killed. Regardless of being a fellow BA, the
Killer has revealed her identity to another. So Ispan takes a stake
through the heart. The killer eliminates a witness, a possible rival
and throws off the scent that Adeleas was the intended victim. Note
that this line of reasoning could be applied the other way around:
Adeleas could have been killed because she was a witness.
So why kill Adeleas? Well, Adeleas discovered two former novices.
Garenia, who was in the Tower seventy years ago. She was a novice with
Careane. Also seventy years ago both Namelle sisters were present.
From Joline's comment about Merilille being an instructor, it is
highly likely that she too was in the Tower at the time. Kirstian, on
the other hand, left the Tower three hundred years ago. It seems a bit
of a stretch that she would possess any knowledge that could reveal
one of the sisters to be a liar and/or BA.
One thing that seems to indicate Adeleas as the intended victim is
that even if Vandene is not the killer, someone went a bit of trouble
to get rid of Adeleas. The poison was designed for her in a sense. It
was her watch. And if Ispan was a threat, then surely if Vandene was
not the killer she could pose a threat as well. If Ispan was the
victim then both Adeleas and Vandene should be removed just in case.
This strengthens the case against Vandene.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Section 1.5: Black? Or Not?
_________________________________________________________________
This subsection contains information on and discussion of whether or
not various characters are Darkfriends.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.5.1: Is Aram a Darkfriend?
_________________________________________________________________
There is a Tinker at the DFS at the beginning of TGH, wearing green
trousers and a yellow coat. Could he be Perrin's little friend?
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: "A man in a
bright yellow coat...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. Aram is a pretty bloodthirsty dude, so it
may be that he'll get Perrin in trouble somehow through his behaviour.
In LOC, ACOS, and TPOD, Aram doesn't do much besides follow Perrin
around. Not much evidence there.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.5.2: Why Moiraine is not Black Ajah
_________________________________________________________________
One might think this was a dead issue, but people keep bringing it up.
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 DFS. Also, she was wearing her ring on a
different finger than she had before (damning evidence, for sure).
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.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.5.3: Why Elaida isn't Black Ajah
[Erica Sadun, P. Korda]
_________________________________________________________________
Read the following references:
[TSR: 1, Seeds of Shadow, 29-30]: Elaida thinks about how Rand al'Thor
must be stopped from causing trouble in Andor, since Andor and its
royalty are they key to defeating the DO. She believes that defeating
the DO is a desirable goal.
[TFoH: Prologue, The First Sparks Fall, 13-21] and [TFoH: 19,
Memories, 260]: Elaida is pretty clearly a dupe.
Finally, from the Elaida-Alviarin interactions in LOC, ACOS, and TPOD,
it is obvious that Elaida is not BA, since Alviarin has to resort to
blackmail to control Elaida. If Elaida was BA, Alviarin, head of the
Black Ajah, would just tell her what to do.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.5.4: Sheriam: Black or Blue?
_________________________________________________________________
Prior to TPOD, there was little reason to really believe Sheriam was
BA. There was some speculation, based mostly on the fact that Mistress
of Novices would be a good position for a Black Sister. Certain
examples of Sheriam's behavior towards El, Eg, and Ny could indicate
that she is BA, but they all are explained equally well by considering
that, in all these instances, she is a high-ranking Aes Sedai (either
Mistress of Novices or part of the original Salidar Cabal) and El, Eg,
and Ny are students. Here are the examples:
* Egwene's Accepted test: she says something like "He said they
could turn him to the Shadow, against his will. Can they?" [TDR:
22, The Price of the Ring, 202-3]. Sheriam then tells her about
the 13 Dreadlords + 13 Fades trick, but she doesn't wonder who
"he" was. On the other hand, why would a Darkfriend tell Egwene
about that trick, so that she'd know to watch out for it? As for
"he," why should she wonder? The "people" who appear in the
testing ter'angreal aren't even always real.
* The incident with the Gray Men in the Tower. One of them is found
dead in Sheriam's bedroom, the other is found killed. Nynaeve
points out that Sheriam never once wonders about who killed the
Soulless. She acts rather suspicious in general during that whole
scene. [TDR: 15, The Gray Man, 142-146]. This can be explained by
saying she was just being brusque with the kids because she wanted
them to keep quiet. Why should she wonder who killed him in front
of the Accepted? To her, they're irresponsible runaways.
* Sheriam's also the perfect operative of the Shadow for the
tower-in-exile in Salidar. There were many suspicious things about
her treatment of Elayne and Nynaeve when they arrived in Salidar.
Sheriam seemed to be the most ardent about confiscating the
ter'angreal. Again, it could very well be that she's just being
Aes Sedai. Why should she let the kids keep the ter'angreal, or
approve of them gallivanting about the glove, instead of studying
like they should be?
* The only maid of Egwene's who wasn't killed by Halima was Chesa.
Chesa was assigned by Sheriam [LOC: 36, The Amyrlin is
Raised,479]. Chesa is possibly a spy for Sheriam, or for Sheriam's
master (see below).
In [TPOD, 16, Unexpected Absences, 345], however, we discover that
Sheriam is definitely under somebody's thumb. In this scene, Sheriam
is tortured for information by a mysterious channeler. It is clear
that this is not the first time that this has happened. What can we
tell from this scene?
* Sheriam's tormenter is a channeler. Sheriam is restrained,
shielded, and stripped with the Power. We can't say whether this
person channels saidin or saidar. One might think that Sheriam
would sense a female channeler in her tent. In fact, she might
have done so, but it was too late to run away: "She had only time
to realize she was not alone when she was shielded..."
* The tormenter is not particularly subtle in her/his use of the OP
in torturing Sheriam. Sheriam is beaten-- "when she was left
alone... it was to lie... whimpering from her welts." This tells
us little, but it is definitely not Semirhage's style. (Sem's
torture of Cabriana in [LOC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 139-143]
is much more complex. Sem stimulates the pain centers of her
subject's brain directly.)
* The tormenter is questioning Sheriam because he/she wants to know
what Egwene was planning: "That girl is up to something, and I
want to know what."
* This has been going on for some time. The torturer says, "you were
supposed to keep me informed."
* Sheriam believes her predicament stems from talking to at least
one of the Sitters. She wishes "that she had never in her life
spoken to a single sister in the Hall."
So, what is going on? Either: 1) Sheriam is BA, and her tormenter is
either BA or a Forsaken, 2) Sheriam is BA, and her tormenter is not
somebody related to the Dark, 3) Sheriam is not BA, but her tormenter
is BA or Forsaken, or 4) Neither Sheriam nor her tormenter is of the
Dark. This all basically boils down to two questions: 1) Who is
Sheriam's torturer? 2) Does Sheriam's predicament mean she is BA?
Who is pummelling Sheriam?
Before attacking the question of specific suspects, let's address a
general question: is the culprit a channeler of saidar or saidin? One
argument in favor of saidin is that Sheriam was easily shielded and
bound before she noticed anybody was in her tent. Female channelers
are supposedly able to sense the presence of other female channelers.
Furthermore, no one else, e.g. Egwene, noticed a lot of the OP being
used in Sheriam's tent.
However, it's not really possible to eliminate saidar-channelers on
this basis. Sheriam may have been able to sense the channeler in her
tent if she'd been looking for one. However, she was not expecting her
visitor. From [LOC: 27, Gifts, 389-390] we know that an AS can't
always pinpoint the location of a channeler she can't see. Thus, even
if Sheriam sensed the presence of another woman channeler, she may not
have thought it was important, since she's surrounded by woman
channelers. Since it is not at all clear she could have pinpointed the
channeler's presence to her own small tent, we shouldn't be too
surprised that she didn't sense her assailant, even if it was a woman.
The question of somebody else detecting the flows is a greater
objection. However, it is not even close to being an insurmountable
obstacle. For one thing, the scene occurs late at night, so most
potential witnesses would have been asleep, or at least inside their
own tents. Secondly, Sheriam's assailant would have taken precautions
to prevent detection-- inverting and tying off the flows which
shielded and bound Sheriam, for example. As for the beating itself, as
Amy Gray points out, it is possible that "it doesn't take a
significantly higher amount of the Power to make clubs of Air and move
them around than it does to, say, move a chair with the Power or
channel your lamp lit-- the sort of things she might actually be doing
in her tent." Furthermore, while it is reasonable to assume that the
beating was done with the Power, nothing in the scene indicates that
it was actually done that way. It's quite possible that Sheriam was
beaten with a stick.
Therefore, we cannot rule out all female channelers as suspects. Let
us now turn to the question of particular suspects. The general
categories are a Forsaken, a Black Sister, or Somebody Not Affiliated
with the Shadow.
Forsaken
General comments: In general, the Forsaken have not shown a
predilection for using physical torture to extract information from
informants. When the informant is a Darkfriend, they tend to rely on
that person's greed, their DF Oaths, and good old-fashioned fear. When
the informant is not a sworn DF, most of the Forsaken tend to use
Compulsion. If the attacker was a Forsaken, it shouldn't have taken "a
long time to convince her questioner that she had already told all she
knew, that she would never hold back a word, not a whisper." A
Forsaken could have simply Compelled her to spill her guts. However,
while this general consideration makes it less likely that the
attacker was a Forsaken, we certainly can't rule it out. There is
evidence that the attacker was a Forsaken; the method used to strip
Sheriam ("Dress and shift burst away from her body like a pricked
bubble.") sounds similar to the method Semirhage uses in [LOC: 6,
Threads Woven of Shadow, 139]: "she wielded Fire and Wind, slicing
away dress and shift." Semirhage then thinks, "she doubted [the
captured Aes Sedai] could duplicate those simple feats even if she had
been able to follow them." Semirhage, at least, thinks that modern AS
don't know how to do the clothes-stripping trick. Among the Forsaken,
the most likely candidates for Sheriam's assailant are Semirhage,
Aran'gar/Halima, and Mesaana.
Semirhage: She is the only Forsaken who has shown or expressed a
preference for torture over Compulsion as a way to gain information
and loyalty [LOC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 140]. However, Sheriam's
interrogation is a far cry from that of Cabriana Mecandes in [LOC: 6,
Threads Woven of Shadow, 139-143]. Physically beating her subject
seems too mundane, too unsophisticated for Semirhage. Sem has mastered
the art of stimulating her subject's brain to feel pain and pleasure
directly, a method much more effective than physical attack, and it
doesn't leave any marks. It's unlikely that she'd stoop to beating a
subject with Air, or Light forbid, a stick.
Aran'gar: There is evidence which provides a connection between
Sheriam and Aran'gar: Egwene's maid Chesa. Chesa was hired by Sheriam.
Eg's other two maids were hired by Romanda and Lelaine, and it's
strongly implied that all three were intended to spy on Egwene for
Sheriam, Romanda, and Lelaine, respectively. (See Section 1.5.5 for
more on Chesa.) Now, Aran'gar killed Romanda and Lelaine's hirelings,
leaving Chesa to attend Egwene 'round the clock. This makes sense if
Aran'gar is Sheriam's master. Either Chesa reports to Sheriam, and
Sheriam to Aran'gar, or Chesa is a DF who reports directly to
Aran'gar, and Sheriam hired her at Aran'gar's instructions. Aran'gar
also explains Sheriam's regrets about talking to Sitters/a Sitter.
Aran'gar attached herself to Delana, a BA who is a Sitter. Delana
could be the Sitter Sheriam is thinking of.
On the other hand, since Halima has direct access to Egwene and should
have no compunction at using Compulsion on her, what info could she
possibly require from Sheriam? Egwene does not confide in Sheriam, and
Halima is unlikely to get better intelligence by this route than by
her own direct efforts. As for acquiring info on other SAS Sitters (as
opposed to info on Egwene or her plans), Halima has Delana. Thus the
problem with Halima is that it is difficult to imagine her needing
Sheriam's information on anything, making the scene make no real sense
with her as the torturer except as a "look, the bad guys are bad
because they do bad things" establishment sequence (in which case, the
author might as well show us the identity of the the bad guy, so we
can shudder and say "wow, s/he's really bad!"). [Elizabeth Cornwell]
Mesaana: "Mesaana (who neither knows about nor is working with
Halima), but who does have a vested interest in all events concerning
the Tower, is a good suspect for the torturer. She does need info on
Egwene's plans and, since Sheriam is Egwene's Keeper, would have every
reason to believe that Sheriam would be a good source of such
information." [Elizabeth Cornwell] However, as far as we know, Mesaana
has never shown any interest in the Salidar Aes Sedai; she seems to be
concentrating her efforts on the Tower.
Black Ajah
General Considerations: The relative lack of sophistication in
Sheriam's interrogation (no Compulsion or other Forsaken-style tricks)
makes the Black Ajah (rather than the Forsaken) a good place to look
for Sheriam's abuser. Narrowing this suspect pool is difficult, since
we only know of one BA in the Salidar group-- Delana. Another Black
suspect is Alviarin, who can Travel, and who may have been out of the
Tower when Sheriam was being beaten up. Apart from these two, the only
other BA we know about are too far away from the Salidar army to be
candidates. (Of course, there is the possibility that an unknown BA in
the Salidar group is the culprit.)
Delana: Delana is a Sitter, which would explain Sheriam's regrets
about talking to a Sitter. Delana could be interrogating Sheriam
either at Aran'gar's instigation or as an independent effort. (She may
be trying to gather information which would put her in good standing
with Aran'gar.) A point against her is that she seems like something
of a wet hen, so far as BA are concerned, and may not have it in her
to torture Sheriam so brutally.
Alviarin: Like Mesaana, Alviarin has a vested interest in keeping tabs
on the SAS. If Elaida were to be deposed by the rebels, Alviarin would
fall with her. Since she can Travel, we know she's not particularly
weak in the OP, and thus could possibly shield Sheriam, who is also
relatively strong. Torturing people for information is not beyond
her-- she is most likely the one who tortured the novice Sahra in
[TSR: 17, Deceptions, 204-205], to gain information which led to the
Tower coup. She also happily participated in the Questioning of Siuan
and Leane. From Elaida, we know that Alviarin may have been out of the
Tower at the time Sheriam was being attacked [TPOD: 25, An Unwelcome
Return, 492], and since she can Travel, she could have easily made a
trip to Salidar. One problem with Alviarin being the attacker is that
it doesn't explain Sheriam's thoughts about Sitters. The only
possibility which comes to mind is if Elaida's secret plan [ACOS:
Prologue, Lightnings, 24-26] involves the SAS Sitters, and Alviarin
knows of it. Needless to say, this is a very tenuous connection.
Non-Dark Person
General Considerations: The nature of the attack certainly seems to
imply that a Person of the Dark was behind it. The OP was apparently
used, and non-Black AS cannot use the OP as a weapon. There are
loopholes, as indicated by Rand's adventures with his TAS kidnappers.
However, the non-Black TAS quickly became unable to participate in
Rand's torture, when they started to believe that it was torture, and
not punishment. However, it is conceivable that a non-Black AS could
convince herself that using the OP to torture Sheriam was not "using
the OP as a weapon." An agent of Elaida's, for example, might regard
Sheriam as a rebel, and thus deserving of punishment. Note that
Sheriam's treatment falls within Tower custom on questioning by
another Aes Sedai [TPOD: 4, A Quiet Place, 106-107]. No blood as far
as we know was drawn and the prohibition of dusk and dawn were also
met seemingly. People who have been suggested as non-Black attackers
are Romanda and Lelaine, mostly because they are Sitters, and they
have an interest in knowing what Egwene is up to. John Hamby points
out, "Both Romanda and Lelaine are caught off-guard by the news of the
Andoran and Murandian armies. I think that Sheriam mentioned something
in the Hall that might have let one of the two gain power over her.
What this may be is of course not known but my suspicions are that it
is the knowledge of the ten spies sent without the Hall's knowing.
This is the only piece of info that comes to mind that could bind
Sheriam and let this person treat her as such. Also both of these two
sisters are considerably older and stronger. So part of her submission
could be deference as well as being blackmailed."
Lelaine: Between the two of them, there is a bit more reason to
suspect Lelaine than Romanda. Rich Boye' points out, "The fact that
Lelaine tries to be sweet and kindly all the time pretty much makes me
distrust her. Something must be swimming in her depths, and I think
she's prone to lashing out in private. Anyway, she is always patting
Egwene and those who deems inferior (Siuan, being the most notable
other one) touching cheeks, stroking hair, etc... Before Sheriam's
assailant lets fly with the OP, he or she strokes Sheriam's hair."
John Hamby adds, "Since Lelaine is Blue and so is Sheriam that might
add another layer to the control that Sheriam's questioner has over
her. Also this would fit with the part about the ten spies as no Blues
were a part of that group. So Lelaine gains much more with Sheriam
under her thumb than she would in exposing a Blue agent."
Does Sheriam's predicament mean she is a Darkfriend or not?
Sheriam's situation has been taken (by different people, obviously) as
an indication that a) she is a Darkfriend, and b) she is not a
Darkfriend. Here are the arguments:
Sheriam is Black
Prior to this incident, there had already been suspicion cast on
Sheriam, most especially from the Gray Men business in TDR.
Darkfriends can treat one another quite badly, especially if revenge
or a reversal of position is involved (for example, Shiaine's
treatment of Falion and Carridin in [TPOD: 28, Crimsonthorn,
553-554]). If Sheriam is not BA, then she must be bound the the Three
Oaths, and cannot lie directly. Because of this, her abuser should
have been able to easily determine that she had told them all she
knew. Of course, her abuser may have thought Sheriam had a poor
memory, or maybe they just enjoy beating Sheriam up. Furthermore,
Sheriam has sworn fealty to Egwene, and should be bound to it by the
First Oath. Spying on Egwene surely violates this.
Sheriam is not Black
Sheriam's thoughts in the torture scene don't seem to be entirely
consistent with the theory that she is BA. Consider her thought to
herself along the lines of "I'll never talk to another Sister."
Clearly her torturer wants her gathering information, so the comment
reflects her regret at getting into this situation in the first place,
not her obedience to her controller.
Elizabeth Cornwell: "If she's BA, the comment would have to indicate
that, at some point, a Sister, working as an evangelist for the Dark
Side, got Sheriam into a conversation about the terrific feeling you
get working for the Dark Lord, and, after shoving a few inspriational
pamphlets at her, converted her to the cause. This doesn't, to me,
really sound like the way BA would be recruited. I paint the scenario
in the way I do because Sheriam's rueful comment doesn't seem to
indicate a dislike for her current position within the Dark hierarchy
(someday I'll be in charge and make her pay), but regret for getting
sucked into the system to start with. Blabbing a blackmailable secret
to the wrong gal-pal in an unguarded moment seems to fit a little
better. If the secret spilling and consequent blackmail date back a
while, it works to explain the Gray Man as well."
One thing which should be noted is that Sheriam's interaction with her
abuser is not typical of Darkfriends. Generally, when DFs and BA are
punished by their superiors, they are given the "opportunity" to do a
lot of grovelling and kissing-up, instead of just getting tied up and
beaten. For example, compare Liandrin and Moghedien to Sheriam and her
abuser. Furthermore, if Sheriam is BA, why didn't Halima attach
herself to her? She was very powerful in Salidar (arguably as powerful
as, if not more so, than any Sitter) even before she became Keeper.
Another piece of evidence in favor of Sheriam's innocence is, oddly
enough, her slacking of her duties as Egwene's Keeper. In [TPOD: 16,
Unexpected Absences, 330], Egwene notes, "The post of secretary
provided [Siuan and Egwene] another reason to be seen talking, and
Sheriam had not minded at all giving up the work." Contrast this with
Sheriam's previous behavior; she was only too happy to take care of
all the paperwork [ACOS: 8, The Figurehead, 158]. Consider that the
secretarial duties of being Keeper give Sheriam access to all of
Egwene's doings, and all the details of what the Amyrlin is up to.
Perhaps she allowed SS to take over the position of secretary to limit
her own knowledge. After all, she can't report on what she doesn't
know. Avoiding her responsibilities as Keeper could be her way of
keeping her oath of fealty while being under the thumb of her abuser.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.5.5: Is Chesa a Darkfriend?
_________________________________________________________________
Why would anybody think Egwene's maid, Chesa, was a servant of the
Shadow?
First, it is very suspicious that Halima killed Meri and Selame, but
not Chesa. The result of this is that Chesa now waits on Egwene 'round
the clock. Meri and Selame were appointed by Romanda and Lelaine
[ACOS: 8, The Figurehead, 160], and they were most likely spying on Eg
for those Sitters. The conclusion that immediately springs to mind is
that Chesa is also a spy, and that Halima killed the other two maids
so that Chesa's spying could be more effective. This implies that
Halima (a.k.a. Aran'gar, a.k.a. Balthamel) has an interest in Chesa's
spying, or works for somebody who does (Moridin or Shaidar Haran).
Furthermore, Chesa was apparently appointed to be Egwene's maid by
Sheriam: "Sheriam might have chosen [Chesa], but she was the Amyrlin
Seat's maid." [LOC: 36, The Amyrlin is Raised, 479], and "Chesa was a
gift from Sheriam." [ACOS: 10, Unseen Eyes, 186]. As we know from
[TPOD, 16, Unexpected Absences, 345], Sheriam (who may be Black
herself) is being controlled by somebody (probably) of the Dark
persuasion. So, it is certainly conceivable that either 1) Sheriam was
ordered to choose Chesa by her controller, and Chesa reports to that
mysterious person, or 2) Sheriam chose Chesa to be her own spy, and
pass Chesa's info on to her controller. Either way, it fits together
well.
However, there are other, less obvious ways to interpret these data.
With respect to the murders, it's possible that Meri and Selame were
removed to eliminate whatever (poor) information they were giving to
Romanda and Lelaine. If Chesa is just a maid and not a spy, there
would be no reason to kill her. As for the connection with Sheriam,
there may be some confusion about that. While Egwene thinks twice, in
different books, that Sheriam assigned Chesa to her, Anaiya may have
had something to do with it, too: 'Anaiya said, "We need to let her
sleep. Tomorrow is almost as important as tonight was, child."
Abruptly she laughed to herself softly. "Mother....We will send Chesa
to help you get ready for bed."' [LOC: 36, The Amyrlin is Raised, 478]
This is right after Eg arrives in Salidar. It sounds as if Anaiya is
the one choosing Chesa to be Eg's maid. This can be resolved in two
different ways: 1) Anaiya sent Chesa to Eg on the first night as a
temporary measure, and Sheriam decided to make it a permanent
appointment, or 2) Sheriam chose Chesa before Eg got to Salidar, and
Anaiya was just suggesting that the pre-appointed servant go take care
of Eg. Finally, there is one piece of evidence which contradicts the
idea that Chesa is a spy for Sheriam. In [ACOS: 8, The Figurehead,
159], Egwene thinks, "[Sheriam] did not understand why Egwene let her
maid be present at these meetings, much less let her chatter away
freely." This indicates that Sheriam has expressed disapproval of Eg's
habit of letting Chesa be present at meetings where secret stuff is
being discussed. If Chesa was spying for Sheriam, Sheriam would not
discourage this practice. However, this consideration doesn't rule out
the possibility that Sheriam is being forced to work against Eg, and
is trying to protect Egwene by discouraging her from having Chesa
around all the time.
Another reason to be suspicious of Chesa is the way she is presented.
As she appears, Chesa is pretty dim-witted. Always chattering inanely
about not eating too fast, dressing warmly, and washing behind one's
ears, she's a caricature of a stupid servant. It's hard to believe
that the woman is as simple-minded as she acts around Egwene. In fact,
Egwene is always thinking about how great Chesa is, how "simple" and
"refreshing." Would RJ be pushing this so strongly if she was actually
a simple-minded serving woman?
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.5.6: Who is not a Darkfriend?
_________________________________________________________________
There are several characters who we know cannot be Darkfriends. We
know because Jordan has shown us their thoughts when they are thinking
about their motivations, their opinions towards the Shadow and the DO,
or something similarly indicative. These people are: Rand, Mat,
Perrin, Egwene, Nynaeve, Min, Elayne, Elaida [ACOS: Prologue,
Lightnings, 16-17], Moiraine, Morgase, Thom [TSR: 17, Deceptions,
191-196], Egeanin, Bayle Domon [TGH: 9, Leavetakings, 134-138], Pedron
Niall [ACOS: Prologue, Lightnings, 47], Dain [TSR: 1, Seeds of Shadow,
32] and Geofram Bornhald, Siuan Sanche, Gawyn [TSR: Prologue,
Lightnings, 50-54], Lan [Just about all of "New Spring"], Queen
Ethenielle [TPOD: Prologue, Deceptive Appearances, 17], Aviendha
[TPOD: 1, To Keep the Bargain, 58-59] and Toveine Gazal [TPOD: 26, The
Extra Bit, 513].
There is a second group of characters who we know are not Black. This
is the group of Aes Sedai who swore on the Oath Rod to not lie, and
then said "I am not Black Ajah/a Darkfriend." This group is: Seaine,
Pevara, Zerah (one of the Salidar agents), Saerin, Yukiri, and Doesine
(Tower Sitters). [TPOD: 26, The Extra Bit, 504-513]
A third group who we know are not DFs is the group of AS Elaida sent
to attack the Black Tower. Alviarin believed the plan was foolish, and
made sure no BA went on the mission. This includes Toveine Gazal and
two other AS named Jenare and Lemai [TPOD: 26, The Extra Bit,
512-514].
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Section 1.6: Shadar Logoth, Mashadar, and Fain
_________________________________________________________________
This subsection contains information on and discussion of the "other
evil" in Randland, that which is connected to Shadar Logoth.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.6.1: 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 the
Dragon Reborn. He 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 renegade minion of the DO. This is basically what the books tell
us.
What is he up to now? Not much, for somebody who is supposedly as
dangerous as the Shadow. He went to the Fortress of the Light and the
White Tower to sow seeds of dissension, and make sure Pedron Niall and
Elaida would never join Rand. He seems to be currently involved in
causing Rand trouble, in little instances which could, admittedly,
build up. He instigated a failed assassination of Rand by his ex-WCs
in Caemlyn. He might also have been responsible for the attack on the
Brown AS in Caemlyn which ended up driving a rift between Rand and the
Salidar AS, and sending him into the hands of Elaida's AS in Cairhien,
but this could just as easily have been part of some Forsaken's plot,
or a plot by the Tower AS and the Shaido to alienate the Salidar AS
from Rand (See Section 1.4.6). Last time we saw him, he was hanging
with Toram Riatin (a Cairhienin rebel) and calling himself "Jeraal
Mordeth." In TPOD, Lord Dobraine reports a rumor that Mordeth has
deserted Toram, who has disappeared.
As far as we know, Fain still has his pet Fade.
Is Fain the Dark One's avatar?
Roy Navarre and Tony Z came up with a loony 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.
(Note that that last option has been known to happen.) Next, Myself
and Tony Z 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." Note that Fain is now calling
himself "Mordeth," which suggests that the Mordeth part is dominating,
which makes it very unlikely that Fain is the DO's avatar.
Furthermore, as John Novak states: "If Fain is now an embodiment of
the Dark One, why in Hell was Slayer hunting him down as a renegade in
tSR? Does the Dark One like being hunted by his own servants?"
Finally, it's pretty apparent that if anybody in these books is the
Dark One's avatar, it's Shaidar Haran. (See section 1.4.4.)
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.6.2: Mordeth, Mashadar and Machin Shin
_________________________________________________________________
Mordeth
Mordeth was the councillor whose evil brought Aridhol to its
doom. As far as we know, he was an actual person at the time of
the Trolloc wars. He was the power behind the throne of Balwen,
and led Aridhol to the policy of "The victory of the Light is
all....while their deeds abandoned the Light." When the city
was consumed by its own evil, only Mordeth remained, bound to
Shadar Logoth. One supposes that at some point he died, leaving
his spirit to haunt the ruins. Mordeth's way out was to
convince someone "to accompany him to the walls, to the
boundary of Mashadar's power, [where he was] able to consume
the soul of that person." That person was Fain, and it didn't
quite work out that way, due to the DO's influence on Fain.
Anyway, Mordeth no longer haunts Shadar Logoth, he is inside
Fain, merged with him. [TEOTW: 19, Shadow's Waiting, 244]
Mashadar
Like Mordeth, Mashadar is connected with Shadar Logoth.
However, Mordeth and Mashadar are NOT the same. Mordeth is/was
a sentient being, an individual. Mashadar is some sort of
physical manifestation of the evil nature of the city: "No
enemy had come to Aridhol but Aridhol. Suspicion and hate had
given birth to something that fed on that which created it,
something locked in the bedrock on which the city stood.
Mashadar waits still, hungering." [TEOTW: 19, Shadow's Waiting,
244] In particular, Mashadar is a slightly glowing fog.
"Mashadar. Unseeing, unthinking, moving through the city as
aimlessly as a worm burrows through the earth. If it touches
you, you will die." [TEOTW: 20, Dust on the Wind, 249] It is
not sentient. It just moves around and kills whatever it
touches, in a rather painful fashion, if Liah's reaction to
being touched by it in [ACOS: 41, A Crown of Swords, 660] is
any indication. Mashadar, or something similar to it, seems may
have existed prior to the Trolloc Wars. In [TEOTW: 50, Meetings
at the Eye, 628], Aginor refers to the Shadar Mandarb, or the
taint on it, as "An old thing, and old friend, an old enemy."
[ACOS book signing: Vancouver, 24 August, 1996; report by Lara
Beaton], RJ said that Mashadar appeared after everybody in
Aridhol had killed one another.
Machin Shin
The Black Wind of the Ways. It is a part of the "Darkening of
the Ways": "About a thousand years ago, during what you humans
call the War of the Hundred Years, the Ways began to
change....they grew dank and dim...some who came out had gone
mad, raving about Machin Shin, the Black Wind." [TEOTW: 43,
Decisions and Apparitions, 545] People who run into the Black
Wind end up mad, or a mindless husk like the Ogier in [TGH, 36,
Among The Elders, 435]. After TEOTW, Machin Shin gained a new
feature: it somehow seeks out Rand. Whenever Rand tries to use
the Ways, Machin Shin is found at the Waygate he is using. Note
that this ONLY happens to Rand. When Liandrin, etc use the ways
in TGH, and when Perrin does in TSR, they do not find the Black
Wind waiting for them at the Waygate. This new effect is
probably somehow due to its encounter with Fain in TEOTW. It
seems to have picked up Fain's drive to seek out Rand. Note
that it is probably NOT under Fain's control; Fain wanted Rand
to follow him to Falme, but Machin Shin prevented him from
doing so.
Where did the Black Wind come from? Nobody really knows.
Moiraine makes some speculation in [TEOTW: 45, What Follows in
Shadow, 576]: "Something left from the Time of Madness,
perhaps....Or even from the War of the Shadow, the War of
Power. Something hiding in the Ways so long it can no longer
get out. No one, not even among the Ogier, knows how far the
Ways run, or how deep. It could even be something of the Ways
themselves. As Loial said, the Ways are living things, and all
living things have parasites. Perhaps even a creature of the
corruption itself, something born of the decay. Something that
hates life and light."
Some people believe that Mashadar and Machin Shin are somehow
connected, that Mashadar somehow got into the Ways through the Shadar
Logoth Waygate and then became the Black Wind. This is very unlikely,
for the following reasons: 1) Mashadar dates from the Trolloc Wars,
Machin Shin from the Hundred Years' War. That is about a thousand
years' difference. Thus, the time scale does not agree. 2) Mashadar is
a slow-moving glowing fog that kills everything it touches. Machin
Shin is a black, howling wind that eats your soul, but doesn't kill
your body. So, there is no similarity of appearance, or effect. 3) If
Mashadar could get into the Ways from Shadar Logoth, logic says it
could get out of the Ways at some other point, and spread itself
across Randland. This clearly hasn't happened.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
1.6.3: What was up with Liah in Shadar Logoth?
_________________________________________________________________
How did Liah manage to stay alive in Shadar Logoth from the time she
got lost in LOC to the end of ACOS?
RJ says:
"She became absorbed into the city. She was left there and she is,
after all, a Aiel, one of the people better at surviving under
harsh circumstances than anyone else in the world. And also her
corruption by Shadar Logoth gave her *some* protection." [America
Online chat session, 27 June, 1996]
What happened to Liah was probably akin to what happened to Mat when
he carried the Shadar Mandarb in TEOTW. Her behavior (attacking all
comers) supports this belief. I guess that being bonded to Shadar
Logoth must give one some protection from Mashadar, although obviously
not enough, since it got her in the end.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Section 2: Things Not (necessarily) of the Dark
_________________________________________________________________
This subsection contains information on and discussion of people,
places, things, and questions which are not necessarily connected with
the Shadow.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Section 2.1: The Ta'veren
_________________________________________________________________
This subsection contains information on and discussion of questions
relating to Rand, Mat, and Perrin.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.1.1: What's up with Mat's new ring?
_________________________________________________________________
In [ACOS: 14, White Plumes, 280] Mat acquires a signet ring, by pure
"luck." The ring is gold with a dark oval carved stone, and is in the
"long style"; the stone is as long as the joint of Mat's finger [ACOS:
14, White Plumes, 279]. Here is a description of the carving: "Inside
a border of large crescents, a running fox seemed to have startled two
birds into flight." [ACOS: 16, A Touch on the Cheek, 300]
The fact that Mat was "forced" into buying the ring by his luck makes
one suspect that the ring will play some important role in his future.
Perhaps it will only be that the ring, along with Mat's new fancy
clothes, will lead whoever finds him under that wall to believe he is
a noble. (Only nobles have signet rings; commoners don't generally
have coats of arms)
One theory is that the birds are ravens, which have special
significance to the Seanchan. He will be dug up by some Seanchan
workers, who will see the ring, and Mat will suffer a similar fate to
the two Seanchan nobles who got themselves tattooed with ravens while
drunk [TSR, 38, Hidden Faces, 441-442].
There is one problem here, in that the stone can only be slightly
larger than 1"x0.5" (the size of Mat's first finger-joint). Squished
onto this small area are a bunch of moons (nine, maybe?), a fox, and
two birds. The birds can't be very large, and it is doubtful that they
are distinguishable as a particular type of bird. However, this
doesn't prevent some Seanchan toady from seeing some indistinct
bird-shape as a raven, if his fancy takes him. Plus, note that if the
images are heraldic and stylized, it could be easier to make a raven
appear in that small area.
Another idea is that there are nine moons on the ring, and that this
will be significant vis a vis the Daughter of the Nine Moons.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.1.2: Is there a connection between Mat's luck and the stolen dice
ter'angreal?
[Erica Sadun]
_________________________________________________________________
Could Mat's phenomenal luck come from the dice ter'angreal described
in [TDR: 25, Questions, 237-8]? Not bloody likely. Here's why:
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, and went to Tar Valon to be Healed of it. The
dagger may have influenced his natural luck, or forced him into
his ta'veren-hood.
5. Mat can win at dice with you using YOUR dice.
Note, though, that the dice ter'angreal could probably be used to
counteract the probability-twisting effect of ta'veren, e.g. Mat's
luck.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.1.3: Is Mat still linked to the Horn?
_________________________________________________________________
In [TDR: 12, The Amyrlin Seat, 118], Verin and SS are discussing Mat
and the Horn of Valere. Verin says, "So long as Mat lives, the Horn of
Valere is no more than a horn to anyone else. If he dies, of course,
another can sound and forge a new link between man and Horn." Later,
SS tells Mat, "For anyone else, it is only a horn-- so long as you
live." There are two points 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]:
[Snakey Answers to "What fate?]:
"'To die, and live again, and live once more a part of what was!'
The first time Mat Died And Lived Again:
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 held
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..."
The Second time Mat Died And Lived Again (maybe):
Mat gets blasted by Rahvin's lightning in Rand's attack on Caemlyn.
He is "brought back to life" when Rand BFs Rahvin. However, this is
treading the knife edge of paradox, as does anything involving BF.
The way BF works is that it "rewinds" time, so that the actions
performed by a BF'd person never happened. Thus, Rahvin never shot
lightning at Mat. Thus, Mat did not die. Thus, he certainly did not
"die and live again." Or did he?
So, is he still tied to the Horn? We can agree 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 the Amyrlin used at any rate was "So long as you
live." [TDR: 20, Visitations, 182] 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 phrase? [John Novak]
If the Caemlyn incident is the only time Mat Died and Lived Again,
then he is probably still linked to the Horn, due to the way BF works:
Mat gets toasted, the link to the Horn breaks. Rand BFs Rahvin, making
Mat not-having-died, and thereby unmaking the destruction of the link
to the Horn. If the Rhuidean incident counts as Mat having died and
lived again, then the question of his being linked to the Horn is
still up in the air-- does restoring him to life restore the link?
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.1.4: When was Rand's Power Acquisition Fever Syndrome?
[Erica Sadun]
_________________________________________________________________
1. OP use: cleansing Bela: [TEotW: 11, 149, The Road to Taren Ferry,
125]
Reaction: Baerlon encounter w/Children of the Light, [TEotW: 15,
Strangers and Friends, 186-90]
Time: seven days.
2. OP use: Hitting Trolloc with the boom of Domon's boat. [TEotW: 20,
Dust on the Wind, 258-9]
Reaction: Mast/trapeze stunt on Bayle Domon's boat [TEotW: 24,
Flight Down the Arinelle, 301-3]
Time: four days.
3. OP use: calling lightning to escape the inn in Four Kings [TEotW:
32, Four Kings in Shadow, 407]
Reaction: fever/chills at the inn in Market Sheran. [TEotW: 33,
The Dark Waits, 423-6]
Time: two days.
4. OP use: at the Eye of the World.
Reaction: Forgetfulness, others?
Time: nearly instantaneous.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.1.5: What's up with Mat and his memories?
[Don Harlow, Joe Shaw, Korda]
_________________________________________________________________
When Mat went into the Red Door of Rhuidean, he asked for the holes in
his memory to be filled [TSR: 24, Rhuidean, 281]. He ended up with
more than he bargained for. The holes were filled with "historical"
memories, memories from people who lived between the time of the
Trolloc Wars and the time of Hawkwing. In every memory, he is a
military man, and most of his memories are of fighting and battles.
Where did they come from?
One idea is that the memories are the memories of Mat's own past
lives, i.e. Mat is one of the heroes that the Pattern spins out every
so often, and he is remembering his previous incarnations. This seems
to be supported by the way the Snakes address Mat when he asks his
questions. They seem to talk to him as if to some sort of archetypical
figure: "Go to Rhuidean, son of battles! Go to Rhuidean, trickster!
Go, gambler! Go!"
An argument against this idea is that the Heroes of the Horn do not
recognise Mat as they recognise Rand when they meet in TGH. On the
other hand, there is no reason why they should. Not every reborn
person is a Hero of the Horn. Perhaps all the continuously-reborn
souls don't "know" one another-- only the Heroes of the Horn, and they
only recognise LTT/Rand, because they are somehow bound to follow him.
Another idea is that Mat's memories are not actually those of his own
past lives, but that when he asked the Foxes to fill the holes in his
mind, they just put in random memories of various battle commanders
through the ages. The immediate question one must ask is "how did the
Foxes get those memories in the first place, then?" They couldn't have
gotten them from other visitors, because the Foxy door has been stuck
in Rhuidean since the Breaking. Unless the Snakes and Foxes talk to
one another and share resources...Another problem with this is that
Mat had historical flashbacks of a military nature before he went to
Rhuidean. (Consider the scene in TDR where he is Healed in the Tower
[TDR: 19, Awakening, 167-168].) So, at least some of his memories are
"genuine."
There is no mention of Mat having memories of being two different
people at the same time. A common misconception is that the sequence
of memories described in [TSR: 37, Imre Stand, 424-5] indicates that
Mat has memories of being two different people in the same battle.
This is not the case! What is actually going on is that these are two
different guys, at different times. In the earlier memory, Mat is an
advisor to a king, and is killed through the treachery of the enemy.
In the later memory, Mat recalls seeing that same enemy, then older
and grayer, die in another battle someplace else. There is enough time
between the two incidents for the enemy to age considerably, and for
Mat to be reborn and grow enough to become a soldier.
The closest there is is [LoC, 5, A Different Dance, 113] "Slices of
other men's lives packed his head now, thousands of them, sometimes
only a few hours, sometimes years altogether though in patches,
memories of courts and combats stretching for well over a thousand
years, from long before the Trolloc Wars to the final battle of Artur
Hawkwing's rise. All his now, or they might as well be."
Courtenay Footman interprets it thusly: "Since we have to fit the
lives of "thousands" of people into a period less than two thousand
years long, it is clear that the average number of those people alive
at any one time during that period numbered in the dozens." If this
were the only interpretation, then Mat's memories could clearly not be
his own. However, this is not the only way to read that passage.
"thousands" could just as well refer to "thousands of slices," as
"thousands of men." Furthermore, the term "thousands" could be
figurative, not literal.
A third theory, which is on the Loony side, but worth mentioning, is
that some of the memories are of Mat's past lives (thus explaining the
pre-Rhuidean flashbacks), but that most of them are from Mat's
ancestors. Warren Way explains: "Mat's non-Mat memories are a
combination of actual past lives plus an effect similar to what Rand
went through in the circle of pillars in Rhuidean. Rand realizes that
what he experienced were the memories of his Aiel ancestors. So when
the finn filled the holes in Mat's memories, they did so with the
memories of Mat's forebears in addition to some memories from actual
past lives. Perhaps the factors of Mat being a ta'veren and the memory
transfer of the finn being imperfect causes the jumble of previous
lives and ancestral memories. Why such a limited time frame? The
Pattern needs to give Rand a superb general, so Mat gets memories from
Randland's bloodiest period. Or maybe, like Johnny Mnemonic, there's
only so much space in Mat's head. Nynaeve would probably agree the
latter." This idea has the same problem as the "random memories" idea:
how did the Foxes get memories of Mat's ancestors? Maybe there is some
sort of genetic memory in Randland.
RJ stated at a post-TPOD booksigning that "Gender/soul rebirth he said
is best illustrated by Mat and Birgitte." (reported by John Hamby.)
Note that this implies that Mat's memories are indeed due to his past
life. (If some of the memories weren't genuine, then Mat would not be
a "best illustration.")
Who was Mat? Was he Aemon?
There has been a lot of speculation that Mat is the reincarnation of
an ancient king of Manetheren. If Mat's memories are due to
reincarnation, and not just shoved in there willy-nilly by the Foxes,
then it is clear 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, Imre Stand, 424-5]. Plus, we have many scenes in which Mat
remembers being guys who were definitely not Aemon.
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.
It's clear that Mat was not King of Manetheren in the memory described
in [LOC: 5, A Different Dance, 112-113], at least. Mat is remembering
several lives. Mat may be one of those souls 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.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.1.6: Is LTT for Real, or is Rand Insane? Where did LTT go in ACOS?
[Carolyn Fusinato, Korda]
_________________________________________________________________
So, Rand is hearing voices. Is Lews Therin a real entity, or is he a
product of Rand's taint-maddened imagination?
What is the cause of the "LTT problem"?
Option 1: Two minds are better than one
One idea is that two minds inhabit Rand's body; Rand and LTT. This
seems to be supported by Min's vision of [ACOS: 33, A Bath, 526] in
which Rand and another man touched and merged into one another. Rand
certainly takes it that way (which should alert the cynical reader to
the distinct possibility that this is probably the wrong
interpretation :). This theory implies that Rand is relatively sane
still and his problems can be attributed to stress, paranoia, fear and
another mind trying to take him over and that Lews is completely
insane.
However, it doesn't make much sense for LTT to be talking to Rand. If
we look at the other people who have lived past lives, we don't see
this happening. Mat's memories of his past life/lives (if those are
really his past lives) are integrated into his own personality. Same
with Birgitte-- she doesn't talk to "Maerion," she says she was once
called Maerion. Furthermore, rebirth happens often to important souls.
That is the way the Pattern works. If everybody who was reborn had the
voice of their last incarnation nattering at them, reborn people would
be widely known, but not as heroes-- as deranged lunatics. As Rand's
case shows, it's hard to be sane when there's a dead person in your
head claiming he owns your body! So, LTT's presence cannot be a simple
consequence of Rand being a reborn person.
If LTT is a separate entity, it could imply that Rand is just some
poor sod who happened to be born into the same body that LTT was
reborn into, and that not Rand, but LTT is the actual Dragon Reborn.
OTOH, it was Rand who pulled the Sword that Ain't, not LTT; he hadn't
even shown up then. There is only one case in which we definitely know
that two entities coexist in one body: the Fain-Mordeth combo, and
they are melding into a single entity over time. (The Gars don't
count, because there is only one mind in the body. Slayer doesn't
count, because we have no evidence that any of Luc's consciousness
survives. In fact, in TAR, we see only Isam.) However, this wasn't a
rebirth.
This theory also neglects to explain the fact that there is no
manifestation of LTT prior to Rand channelling, and that the "LTT
problem" has gotten worse over time. Furthermore, LTT wasn't crazy
when he died. Ishamael had healed him with the TP, in order to torment
him. However, the LTT in Rand's head is definitely loony.
Another argument against this, proposed by Joseph Rosenfeld, is that,
if the Dragon has been reborn over and over through all time (as
claimed by Ish and others), there must have been other "dragons"
before LTT. Why, then, is only Lews Therin Telamon Kinslayer, the Age
of Legends version of the Dragon, inhabiting Rand's head? Why not a
whole committee? Counter to this, also suggested by Mr. Rosenfeld:
maybe LTT is the easiest to access because he was the most recent. If
Rand tried really hard, he could maybe contact the 1st Age Dragon, and
the previous 7th Age one, etc.
Option 2: It's the Taint, Stupid!
Another alternative is that the LTT personality is the manifestation
of Rand's encroaching insanity. "...everybody has been telling him he
is Lews Therin reborn, so he starts perceiving Lews Therin is in his
head. Not only that, but he finds the voice responds to him. Now he's
trying to carry on conversations with this voice. It all seems logical
to us, but then it seems logical (sort of) to Rand, as well. I found
myself thinking he should tell somebody he was hearing a voice in his
head. When I thought how absurd this sounded, it struck me that I had
been fooled into thinking Rand was still completely sane." [James
Beavens] Then, there is also, "He raised the point that Rand's
creeping insanity may manifest in much more subtle ways than the
people of Randland expect..." (from Emmet O'Brien's account of
Jordan's talk at Trinity College in Dublin in 1993).
This theory is supported by Cadsuane's statement that "some men who
can channel begin to hear voices....It is part of the madness. Voices
conversing with them, telling them what to do." [ACOS: 18, As the Plow
Breaks the Earth, 331] If we assume Dashiva is not a Forsaken, but
just a crazy channeller (see section 1.2.2), then Dashiva's reaction
to Cadsuane's statement, as well as some of his other behaviour, seem
to support it.
On the other hand, this doesn't take into account that "LTT" knows
things that Rand could never have known on his own--stuff about the
AoL, the Forsaken, channelling, etc.
Option 1.5: A little bit of both
Both the "rebirth" explanation and the "taint" explanation have points
in their favor. Both theories have problems, too. The rebirth theory
explains why Rand knows things, via LTT, which he couldn't possibly
have known on his own--things about channelling techniques, about the
Forsaken, and about life in the AOL. However, the voice cannot be
solely due to rebirth, because other reborn people don't have the
problem, and Rand has presumably been LTT Reborn all his life, and
he's only started hearing voices recently. The Taint theory, on the
other hand, explains how Rand's LTT problem correlates with Rand's
channelling, and has gotten worse as Rand has channelled more and
more. Not to mention, hearing voices is generally considered a sign of
mental illness, and Rand channels so much that he should be affected
by the Taint in some way.
It seems likely that the LTT voice is due partially to the Taint, and
partially to the fact that Rand is LTT reborn. The big question is,
how are the two factors combining to produce the LTT effect? One
possibility is that the memories and knowledge expressed by LTT are
some sort of past-life leakage, real effects of being somebody Reborn,
but the actual LTT personality is not a separate entity, but something
Rand's subconscious constructed. Another possibility is that the Taint
has a special effect on some reborn people. Perhaps the Taint breaks
down barriers in one's mind between the present life and past lives/a
past life, and causes the past to intrude upon the present's mind,
until the past personality actually takes over. Note that this would
explain a lot about Dashiva, who appears to have many of the same
mental problems which Rand does, but in a more advanced state.
Option Three: From the loony bin.
(This is way out in left field, IMO, but some people do believe it, so
I'll mention it.) There IS a voice in Rand's head, but it is NOT LTT,
or Rand being crazy. Rather, it is the result of some skullduggery on
the part of the Shadow to infiltrate Rand's brain. Variations on this
theme have been Mesaana (disproved by her actual appearance in LOC),
Ishamael, and maybe others.
Where did LTT go in ACOS?
An interesting thing to note is that, as soon as Cadsuane mentions
hearing voices, in [ACOS: 18, As the Plow Breaks the Earth, 331] "LTT"
stops talking to Rand. Another thing to note is that Cadsuane
channelled while making that statement. The obvious thing she did was
fetching the teapot to her, but it is possible that she used the
channelling of the teapot to disguise something else she did.
Furthermore, the voice reappeared in TPOD. So, we're left with the
questions of why did LTT go away? Was it something Cadsuane did? Did
he go away of his own volition (was he in hiding)? Did Rand
subconsciously suppress him? Why did he come back? Also, what do his
disappearance and reappearance signify?
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Section 2.2: The Rest of the Characters
_________________________________________________________________
This subsection contains information on and discussion of questions
relating to characters who are not Rand, Mat, and Perrin.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.2.1: Can Thom channel?
[Arthur Bernard Byrne, P. Korda]
_________________________________________________________________
Here are the reasons why some people think Thom can channel: 1) The
mysterious blue flash in Whitebridge/random burns after the Fade fight
in TEOTW. 2) The White Ajah hypothesis that channelling has a genetic
link, and that Thom has at least one relative who can channel (Owyn).
3) His comment that he "could have done something" for Owyn. 4) In
[TFoH: 9, A Signal, 145] Nynaeve says "she could not channel any more
than Thom". This is taken to be "ironic foreshadowing."
Objections: 1) The blue flash is something that occurs when Fadeblade
meets OP-forged blade (see section 2.3.4). Why Thom had OP-made
daggers, we don't know. As for the fires, it seems likely that there
was some sort of riot after the fight, which is why people didn't want
to talk about it. 2) The genetic basis for channelling is not a simple
matter at all; in the whole series, we've only heard of one channeller
who is closely related to another--Elayne (if she's Taringail's kid,
she's related to Moiraine, if she's Thom's, she is related to Owyn).
3) The "something" comment is just wishful thinking. 4) If Thom was a
channeller, he would have to have the "spark inborn," since until
recently, nobody was teaching men to channel. Thus, he'd have started
channelling at about 20, a la Rand. Even if he had a block, like Ny,
he would have channelled quite a bit in the 30 or so years since then,
more than enough for him to be showing signs of madness and the
rotting disease. 5) Nothing that we have seen of Thom's thoughts or
actions gives any indication of him being able to channel.
From a signing in Seattle, Edward "potato" Liu tells us:
Now, regarding Thom, RJ said a man will not go mad or get sick if
he never channelled. Thus, he agreed that a male channeller who
could be taught to channel (as opposed to having the inborn
ability) and has never channelled would not die from the taint.
BUT, when I asked him if he ever intended to make people think that
Thom could channel, he said no. I brought up the hereditary point
(i.e. Owyn) but he said just because your parents have a particular
gene doesn't mean you'll receive that particular gene. Also he made
a point that Owyn was his nephew so therefore not necessarily very
similar gene-wise. When I pressed him again on it, he said (I'm
quoting) "There is no way in hell Thom can channel." All he offered
for explanations is that Thom is a "mysterious man." Enough said.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.2.2: What was up with Gawyn during the Tower Coup?
_________________________________________________________________
It's been suggested that he was involuntarily bonded to a Black or to
a Forsaken. His eyes were glazed and he was not necessarily in control
of himself [TSR: 47, The Truth of a Viewing, 539-41]. Alviarin says
with some confidence that "Gawyn will be brought under control".
[TFOH: Prologue, The First Sparks Fall, 17]
OTOH, it is perfectly reasonable to assume that he was in full control
of his faculties during the coup. By that time, he had developed a
good and solid hatred for SS, due to Elayne and Egwene's mysterious
disappearance. Furthermore, in his POV scenes in LOC and ACOS, he
never thinks anything that would give the idea that he's bonded to
anything. Plus, he agrees to be Eg's warder; he couldn't do that if he
was already bonded. (Since he'd trained with the Warders, it's not
reasonable to think that he wouldn't know a Warder bond when he felt
one.)
From his behavior in LoC, it seems pretty apparent that he acted under
his own will during the coup, motivated by grief and anxiety over
Elayne and Egwene. He develops a similar fierce hatred for Rand due to
the rumors that Rand killed Morgase.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.2.3: Who was the old geezer on the barrel watching Carridin's Place in
Ebou Dar?
_________________________________________________________________
Quite a few mysterious characters were introduced in ACOS. One of
these was the old man watching Carridin's palace in Ebou Dar. What do
we know about him?
* He's old, and quite worse-for-wear: "A scrawny, white-haired
fellow lounging nearby in the shade. Mat looked at him
questioningly, and he grinned, showing gaps in his teeth. His
stooped shoulders and sad weathered face did not fit his fine gray
coat. Despite a bit of lace at his neck, he was the very picture
of hard times." [ACOS: 14, White Plumes, 282]
* He can't remember parts of his past: "His head felt... peculiar...
sometimes. Most often when he thought of what he could not
remember." [ACOS: 17, The Triumph of Logic, 318]
* He's got a lot of knowledge about local DF activity--he knows
about "Carridin's pretty little killer," and about the two BA in
town. [ACOS: 17: The Triumph of Logic, 319]
* He used to be a fighter of some kind, and he's still proficient
with knives: "His hands no longer possessed the strength or
flexibility for swordwork, but the two long knives he had carried
for well over thirty years had surprised more than one swordsman."
[ACOS: 17: The Triumph of Logic, 319]
* He's working on some kind of deadline: "He did not have much time
left, but it was all he did have." [ACOS: 17: The Triumph of
Logic, 319]
So, is he somebody we've heard of before? Maybe not, but here are some
speculations as to his identity:
1. Jain Farstrider--the age is right, as is the memory problem (when
Jain visited the Ogier, his mind was befuddled). See also section
2.4.4, the Jain section.
2. Elyas Machera--Not likely, Elyas was in good shape when we last
saw him in TEOTW (apart from some flesh wounds). He certainly
wasn't feeble like the old guy. Plus, Elyas doesn't show any
inclination to frequent cities. Unlike Perrin, he is comfortable
with being a wolfbrother; he wouldn't LIKE not being able to feel
the wolves, as would be the case in a city. Furthermore, Elyas
uses one knife, not two. Finally, Elyas appears in TPOD, in
Ghealdan, which is a long walk from Ebou Dar.
3. Geofram Bornhald--If Geofram survived the battle at Falme, he
could certainly have sustained such injuries to make him be in as
bad a shape as the old man in question. Furthermore, he'd have
reason to be paying attention to Carridin, considering the way
their relationship stood when they parted in TGH. OTOH, the old
man seems to have been unable to handle a sword for 30 years.
Bornhald doesn't fit that description.
4. Graendal's Old Man--In [TFOH: Prologue, The First Sparks Fall,
26], when Graendal Gates in to the Forsaken tea party, a "rumpled
old man" can be seen in the room whence she came. Perhaps the
barrel man is spying on Carridin (Sammael's flunky, at that point)
for Graendal. His memory trouble could be explained by Graendal's
usual use of un-subtle Compulsion. This, of course, doesn't
preclude him from being #1-3, although it isn't likely that Elyas
would be keeping company w/ Graendal.
5. Somebody associated with Carridin's late family-- he might just be
some old family retainer or even a relative who escaped the
Myrddraal and came looking for Carridin to exact vengeance for
what he had done to the family. How he found out that Carridin is
responsible is another question. (Maybe he looked for the only
surviving family member.)
6. Old Cully-- One of the local DFs is a murderous old beggar named
Old Cully, and it's been suggested that this Old Cully and the
barrel man are one and the same. This is not possible. Carridin
knows Old Cully by sight, yet when he sees the barrel man in
[ACOS: 15, Insects, 286] standing next to Mat, he doesn't
recognise him. Another reason why the barrel man can't be Old
Cully: Carridin describes Old Cully as having one eye and no teeth
[ACOS: 15, Insects, 284]. But when Mat sees the barrel guy in
[ACOS: 14, White Plumes, 282]: "...he grinned, showing gaps in his
teeth". There is no mention of the barrel guy missing an eye,
either.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.2.4: What's the deal with Setalle Anan? Is she "the one who is no longer"?
[Dylan F. Alexander, Elizabeth Cornwell, Michael Werle, P. Korda, John
S. Hamby]
_________________________________________________________________
"The key to finding the bowl is to find the one who is no longer."
[LOC: 19, Matters of Toh, 312]
Well, they found the bowl. "The one who is no longer" is still a
mystery. So we should be saying, "the key to finding the one who is no
longer is to find the bowl."
Considering the whole Bowl plotline in ACOS, if we look for one single
person who was key to finding the Bowl, a likely candidate is Setalle
Anan, the innkeeper of The Wandering Woman. El and Ny's meeting with
her set off the chain of events that led to finding the Bowl. (Anan
introduced them to the Kin, who they got Mat to spy on, and when Mat
followed one of them, she led him to the six-storied building where
the Kin's stash of *angreal was.)
Here is what the Kin say about Anan:
1. [ACOS 23, Next Door to a Weaver, 393]: Reanne is apologizing to
Anan: "The Anan woman and Reanne Corly entered the sitting room, and
Nynaeve blinked in surprise. From the exchange, she had expected
someone younger than Setalle Anan, but Reanne had hair more
gray....Why would the older woman humble herself so to the younger,
and why would the younger allow it, however halfheartedly?"
From this, we see that Anan is no ordinary innkeeper. The Kin kiss up
to AS, but they're pretty arrogant to everybody else. Yet, they defer
to Anan. True, she has something on them (knowing they are non-Tower
channellers), but that's not enough to treat her as some sort of
superior. Note that Reanne has even less apparent reason to defer to
Anan than it first appears to Ny, since Reanne is actually around 400
years old, and Anan is, to all appearances, 50 or 60ish, and the Kin
defer to one another on the basis of age [TPOD: 1, To Keep the
Bargain, 58].
2. In [ACOS: 23, Next Door to a Weaver, 395] Setalle eyes the newly
arrived Garenia who looks to be in her early twenties and sees a
strong resemblance to Zarya Alkaese. Then Setalle says that when she
last saw Zarya, she was younger than Garenia is now. (Setalle clearly
assumes Garenia is as old as she looks; not as old as we later know
Garenia to be.) Garenia places herself seventy years in the past with:
'"Setalle!" Garenia exclaimed as soon as the innkeeper was gone. "That
was Setalle Anan? How did she-? Light of Heaven! Even after seventy
years, the Tower would-"' Garenia is upset. After all someone came
awfully close to identifying her as Zarya Alkaese.
3. [ACOS: 24, The Kin, 404]: Garenia is carrying on: '"What of this
Setalle Anan, then? Those girls know about the Circle. The Anan woman
must have told them, though how she knows....She's an innkeeper, and
she must be taught to guard her tongue!" Berowin gasped, wide-eyed
with shock, and dropped into a chair so hard she nearly bounced.
"Remember who she is, Garenia," Reanne said sharply. "If Setalle had
betrayed us, we would be crawling to Tar Valon, begging forgiveness
the whole way....She has kept the few secrets she knows from
gratitude, and I doubt that has faded. She would have died in her
first childbirth if the Kin had not helped her. What she knows comes
from careless tongues...and the owners of those tongues were punished
more than twenty years ago." Still, she wished there was some way she
could bring herself to ask Setalle to be more circumspect.'
So, at the same time, Anan is regarded as an innkeeper who must be
taught to guard her tongue, who knows few secrets, and also somebody
who they don't dare offend, even to ask to be more circumspect. From
the "crawling to Tar Valon" remark, we have evidence that Anan has the
ability to betray the Kin to Tar Valon, or at least the Kin perceive
her as having that ability. In this passage, it's possible that Reanne
is reminding Garenia that Setalle is a former Aes Sedai. Garenia no
doubt has heard of the former sister making a new life for herself,
but only by her new name. Garenia seems to want to know who Setalle
was before she took the name Setalle.
Elayne believes Anan has some connection with the White Tower:
After Anan tells Ny and El that they can't be AS because Elayne is too
young-looking, Elayne thinks: "Slowed. Slowing. How did an innkeeper
in Ebou Dar know those words? Maybe Setalle Anan had gone to the Tower
as a girl, though she would not have remained long, since she clearly
could not channel. Elayne would have known even if her ability had
been as small as her own mother's." [ACOS: 22, Small Sacrifices, 383]
Elayne talking to Ny: "I think she went to the Tower once; she knows
things she couldn't, otherwise." [ACOS: 23, Next Door to a Weaver,
390]
Is Setalle Anan an ex-Aes Sedai?
This is very likely. What evidence is there?
1. A burned out or stilled AS would fit the "One who is no longer"
description-- "no longer Aes Sedai." If Anan is an ex-Aes Sedai, she's
probably burned out, because novices are required to learn the names
of officially stilled women, and Elayne doesn't recognize hers.
Furthermore, it is clear that the AS are not keeping tabs on Anan, and
we know that AS tend to avoid Sisters who are severed accidentally. AS
who are stilled for some crime, on the other hand, are often kept
around the Tower to serve as examples.
2. The Kin kiss up to her to an extent not seen except around real AS,
although not quite that bad.
3. Anan's attitude and behavior:
* She's not at all unsettled by being held by the Power [ACOS: 22,
Small Sacrifices, 383].
* As Elayne thinks, Anan knows far too much about AS, and throws
around AS terms far too naturally for her to have had no contact
with AS.
* "Why would the older woman humble herself so to the younger, and
why would the younger allow it, however halfheartedly?" Especially
since Reanne, at 400 or so, is much older than Anan. This is true
even if Anan was AS, since the longest known lifespan of a modern
AS is around 300 years. This deference would make sense if Reanne
knew Anan had been AS.
4. Anan is not native to Ebou Dar. "Her hazel eyes had never been born
in Ebou Dar." Note that this is far from conclusive; after all, Ebou
Dar is a pretty cosmopolitan city. It's mentioned here because it is
brought up quite a bit.
5. We know that the AS are fond of forcibly matching up burned out
women with brand-new spouses, in the hopes that a husband and family
will give her something to live for beyond the OP.
6. The Garenia evidence: When Anan meets Garenia, she says, "Your name
is Garenia? You look very much like someone I met once. Zarya
Alkaese." [ACOS: 23, Next Door to a Weaver, 395]. Garenia puts her off
by saying that Zarya Alkaese was her great-aunt, but we find out in
[TPOD: 28, Crimsonthorn, 542] that Garenia is Zarya Alkaese herself,
and ran away from the Tower seventy years ago. Setalle Anan has only
"a touch of gray in her hair." [ACOS: 22, Small Sacrifices, 381], so
if she were a normal person, she couldn't possibly be ninety or more
years old. Thus, we must conclude that Anan must have channelled at
some point in her past, because she "slowed" at some point-- there is
no way she looks the hundred years old or so she that would be if she
met Zarya when she was "younger than you [Garenia] are now." [ACOS:
23, Next Door to a Weaver, 395]. (Garenia looks "no older than
Nynaeve." )
If we put together the fact that Anan met Garenia when she was still
Zarya (i.e. before she ran away from the Tower), Garenia's fears that
Anan could turn her in [ACOS: 23, Next door to a Weaver, 395],
Elayne's analysis that Anan must have studied at the Tower for at
least a little time, and the fact that Anan currently has zero
channelling ability, we can put together the following picture:
Anan was at the Tower seventy years ago when Garenia/Zarya was a
novice. If Anan was only a failed Novice or Accepted, as Elayne
supposes, then Garenia would not fear that she'd turn her in, and
Reanne would not be so deferential to her, so Anan must have been Aes
Sedai. Something happened to burn her out, and she completely lost the
ability to channel. She moved to Ebou Dar and got married. This must
have been 20 years ago or more, since Anan has grown children.
It has been suggested that Anan is Martine Janata, the AS Vandene
mentions when she warns Elayne about the dangers of fooling around
with ter'angreal.
"She was the last sister to really make a business of studying
ter'angreal... She did it for forty years, almost from the time she
reached the shawl.... Then one day, Martine's maid found her
unconscious on the floor of her sitting room. Burned out.... That
was more than twenty-five years ago.... She vanished once she was
well enough to slip out of the Tower." [TPOD: 2, Unweaving, 75-76]
The timing makes this possible, as explained by John Hamby:
* [ACOS: 24, The Kin, 405] Setalle gave birth to her first child
more than twenty years ago.
* Martine Janata was raised to the shawl over sixty-five years ago
* She was burnt out over twenty-five years ago and left the Tower
* Garenia aka Zarya Alkaese ran away from the Tower seventy years
ago [TPOD: 28, Crimsonthorn, 542]
So Martine was made a sister well over sixty-five years ago. Garenia
ran away seventy years ago. Setalle recognized Garenia as Zarya though
she certainly never considered Garenia to be Zarya. Also it is a bit
too pat that we get the story of one such sister that provides us with
a chronology that fits the criteria to be Setalle Anan.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.2.5: Where is Gaidal Cain now?
_________________________________________________________________
In [TFOH: 14, Meetings, 194], Birgitte tells Nynaeve that Gaidal Cain
hadn't been around in TAR for some time, and that she suspects that
he's been "spun out." Since we never see him in TAR after that point,
it is reasonable to suppose that that is the case. So, of course,
speculation is rife as to where and who he is. Some suggestions are
(in order of ascending age):
* Aviendha's or Faile's unborn kid (although there is no proof that
either of them is even pregnant)
* a baby
* Mat's lil' buddy Olver
* pulled out of Tel'aran'rhiod bodily and an adult.
* Mat
* Uno
Is Olver Gaidal reborn?
One of the most popular ideas is that Olver, the little boy Mat takes
under his wing in LOC, is the reincarnation of Gaidal Cain. Supporting
this are the facts that he didn't like Birgitte when he first met her,
but they have grown very affectionate towards each other. Olver is
very ugly. These are both "trademarks" of the Birgitte-Gaidal
relationship, as described in [TSR: 52, Need, 598]. Furthermore, Olver
is very good at horse-riding (he races and wins regularly in Ebou Dar
in ACOS), and Gaidal shows himself to be a very good rider when he
appears at Falme in [TGH: 47, The Grave is No Bar to My Call, 559]:
"Gaidal Cain dropped his reins and, guiding his horse with his knees,
drew a sword in either hand."
In spite of the similarities, there is a big problem with the idea of
Olver being Gaidal Cain. Olver is nine years old [LOC: 5, A Different
Dance, 122]. Gaidal was last seen in TAR at the end of TSR. That was,
presumably, before GC was spun out. Thus, only a year or less had
passed between GC's "spinning out" and Olver's appearance as a grown
boy. That appearance by Gaidal is not the only one he makes during
Olver's lifetime. He appears numerous times in TAR, as well as
appearing with the other Heroes at Falme. This is a big discrepancy,
and requires some explaining, if the Olver-Gaidal theory is to hold.
Many explanations have been proposed, but none of them are really
consistent with the other information we have about the Heroes of the
Horn and TAR. Here they are:
The "Time Runs Differently" Theory
In [TFOH: 14, Meetings, 194], Birgitte tells Nynaeve that time runs
differently for the Heroes in TAR than it does for living people in
the real world: "Time [in TAR] is not like time in the waking world. I
met you here last ten days gone, as it seems to me, and Elayne only a
day before. What was it for you?" Ny: "Four days and three..."
Birgitte: "The flow of time here can shift in larger ways, too. It
might be months before I am born again, or days. Here, for me. In the
waking world it could be years yet before my birth."
People have used this idea that "time runs differently" to sweep the
timing problem under the rug. However, it is not explained away so
easily. Sure, time runs differently, but there is no indication that
it ever runs backwards, and it would have to do so in order for Gaidal
to have been reborn as Olver. When Birgitte discusses the varying pace
of time in TAR with Nynaeve, all of her examples involve time running
faster or slower for the Heroes, but always running forwards. El and
Ny's meetings with Birgitte occur in the same order for them as for
Birgitte, even if the amount of subjective time which passes between
the meetings is different.
In support of the idea, people bring up the quote by Birgitte in
[TFOH: 36, A New Name, 407]: "Gaidal is out there, somewhere, an
infant, or even a young boy." The "young boy" bit is taken to mean
that Birgitte thinks that time CAN run backwards, and that a
nine-year-old could be GC. In addition, in [TPOD: 1, To Keep the
Bargain, 47] Aviendha comments that "Birgitte worried about [Olver]
even more than [Aviendha], but Birgitte's breast held a strangely soft
heart for small boys, especially ugly ones." This has been taken to
imply that Birgitte is looking for GC, and continues to believe that
GC could be a small boy.
However, this is still inconsistent with the fact that, in every other
instance, time increases monotonically for Birgitte (and presumably
for the other Heroes) in TAR. The first "small boy" comment can be
explained by the fact that the pace of time does vary in TAR, and
thus, that Birgitte, upon awaking in the real world, had no idea how
long has passed (in the waking world) since Gaidal was spun out. For
all she knew, it could have been several years. However, by the
beginning of TPOD, she must have learned how much time had passed in
the real world. So, why is she looking at ugly children? She mourns
her loss of Gaidal. It's not very incredible to think that she has a
soft heart for that which reminds her of him. Furthermore, she may be
deluding herself out of hope that Gaidal isn't quite so young as logic
says he must be.
The "GC Wasn't Born" Theory
Another proposal is that Gaidal was not born, but was somehow bodily
spun out in the form of a nine-year-old boy, was adopted by his
"parents," and lied/misled Mat when he told him about his past. This
theory does at least attempt to get around the timing problem without
resorting to time running backwards for the Heroes in TAR. The "small
boy" comments brought up above are taken to indicate that Birgitte
believes that this is a possibility.
However, this idea has its own problems. Firstly, while in TAR,
Birgitte talks about being born (e.g. [TSR: 52, Need, 598]). Secondly,
when they're incarnated, heroes are supposedly unaware of what they
really are. Never being born is a pretty big hint. Thirdly, if people
can normally be spun out without being born, why would GC have been
spun out as a little kid? Why not make him an adult? It doesn't make
much sense.
The Moggy-did-it Theory
In TSR, Birgitte told Nynaeve that, because she and Gaidal Cain fought
alongside LTT, Moghedien promised to make her "weep alone for as long
as the Wheel turns." So, Moggy's wanted to hurt Birgitte for a long
time. Her ejection of Birgitte from T'A'R in [TFOH: 34, A Silver
Arrow, 393] was probably not it -- that was a panicked, angry reaction
to being shot, striking back at Birgitte and getting away as fast as
she could.
Later, in [TFOH: 54, To Caemlyn, 655], she has Nynaeve and Birgitte at
her mercy in T'A'R again, able to take the time to punish Birgitte
properly -- and what does she do? "Birgitte was gone. A child of
perhaps three or four ... stood there playing with a toy-sized silver
bow." Nynaeve later forces Moggy to reverse the change, but it shows
what Moggy likes in the way of punishments.
Perhaps Gaidal suffered the same fate in T'A'R as Birgitte -- he was
transformed into a small child by Moghedien (she claimed to be able to
make such changes permanent). He was then pushed out of T'A'R into the
real world. She might have left Birgitte in the same condition if not
for Nynaeve -- or maybe, if Moggy belived that the Wheel would not
spin Birgitte out again unless GC was "properly" reborn first, and
turning him into Olver and ejecting him from T'A'R broke his ties to
the Wheel, then she might have just left Birgitte wandering T'A'R,
waiting to rejoin Gaidal Cain forever.
This idea is similar to the "GC Wasn't Born" theory, but by making
Olver/Gaidal a special case, it avoids the problems which would arise
if this was the normal method for Heroes to be spun out. We still have
the problem of Olver having parents. Perhaps they were part of the
horde of refugees in that area who found him and adopted him. (The
time span between Gaidal Cain vanishing from T'A'R and Mat meeting
Olver is about three months.) Another problem is that when Birgitte
was ripped out of TAR, she was dying, and needed to be immediately
Bonded by Elayne to survive. If Gaidal/Olver was ejected in the same
way, he would have died. Perhaps Moggy knows a different way to send a
soul out of TAR, which doesn't cause death. Another problem is that
Moghedien turned Birgitte into a child after Birgitte had been made
flesh. At that point, Birgitte dreamed her way into TAR (via the dream
ring ter'angreal) just like any other mortal. We don't know that Moggy
could affect an un-spun-out soul the same way she can a living soul.
Furthermore, Birgitte was vulnerable to Moggy because she "violated
the precepts," as Gaidal Cain said, by helping Ny and El. Gaidal
didnot show any inclination to put himself in a similar situation-- he
disapproved of Birgitte involving herself in the affairs of the living
[TSR: 52, Need, 598-599].
A final problem with this idea is that it seems like a rather obscure
revenge. Moggy's idea of revenge (as evidenced by her threats to
Nynaeve in TAR) involve humiliation and debasement. Dumping Gaidal out
of TAR as a child might be humiliating for him, if he's aware of his
situation, but it's hardly on the scale of making Birgitte "weep for
as long as the Wheel turns." It seems like Moggy's ideal revenge would
involve forcing Birgitte to serve her, while being separated from
Gaidal. Maybe Moggy had something more extensive planned, but it was
interrupted by her captivity?
The "Dreaming into TAR" Theory
A third attempt to explain the problem of Olver's age involves
supposing that reborn Heroes can dream themselves into TAR in their
"archetypical" form. Shayne Macfarlane explains, "Maybe, when he
dreams, Olver appears as Gaidal in TAR. Birgitte doesn't know that he
has already been born again, and only sees him when Olver is asleep.
Time passes differently in TAR, so she hasn't realized that he has
been born again - after all, a young child sleeps a lot. As Olver gets
older he sleeps less, and Birgitte starts to notice his absences."
While this would indeed solve the problem, it doesn't exactly fit what
we've seen happen. From the way Birgitte described Gaidal's "spinning
out," she saw him on a regular basis, and then she stopped seeing him
in TAR altogether. If the "dreaming" theory was true, we'd expect that
he'd appear less and less frequently as the child grew older and
developed his/her own personality; Birgitte would have noticed a
gradual fading away, not an abrupt disappearance. Also, if that was
the way things worked regularly, Birgitte would have known it, and
explained the Reborn-Heroes business that way.
Is anybody else Gaidal?
Many other characters have been suggested as Gaidal's identity. Two of
the most popular are Mat and Uno. Any such suggestion has all the same
timing problems as the Olver idea, but to a much greater degree. There
is a further problem with the idea of Gaidal being Mat or Uno or
anybody who was present at Falme. That is, Gaidal Cain's soul appeared
in answer to the Horn's summons. Neither Mat or Uno passed out or
exhibited any symptoms of a missing soul. Mat even conversed with
Gaidal.
Another suggestion is that perhaps Gaidal has not been spun out, after
all. Daniel Bartlett explains, 'What if he wasn't [spun out]? Moggy
promised Birgitte to "weep alone for as long as the Wheel turns?" What
if she delivered on that promise and GC isn't around simply because
Moggy got him? Would this explain everything, and Birgitte's looking
out for all those little boys simply be wishful tihnking? Much easier
than explaining how Olver is Gaidal and was somehow born at age nine
with the memories of father killed by the Shaido and a mother dead of
an illness.'
Any conclusions?
We can conclude that, of the characters we've seen so far, Olver is
the most likely to be Gaidal Cain. However, there are some serious
problems with Olver's age. Thus, if Olver is indeed GC, we need an
explanation for how he got to be nine years old, when GC was
supposedly spun out a year ago or less.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.2.6: How do we know that Moiraine is not dead?
_________________________________________________________________
Well, we don't know what happened after Moiraine and Lanfear fell
through the twisted doorway into the land of the Foxes. We do have
various visions that imply that she will return. These are: Egwene's
vision [TFoH: 15, What Can Be Learned in Dreams, 214] of Thom pulling
Moiraine's blue jewel out of a fire, and Min's comment in [ACOS: 35,
Into the Woods, 543] that Rand would fail without "a woman who was
dead and gone," which almost certainly refers to Moir., and her
comment in [ACOS: 35, Into the Woods, 546] that "Moiraine was the only
viewing of hers that had ever failed." She must have had one or more
viewings about Moir. that were not fulfilled, and since WE know that
Min is never wrong, then Moiraine will almost certainly return at some
point.
One piece of evidence which points to her possible death is the
breaking of her bond with Lan. However, we know from [TPOD: Prologue,
Deceptive Appearances, 28] that "being stilled snapped [an AS's bond
to her Warder] as surely as death. One of Irgain's two apparently had
fallen over dead from the shock, and the other had died trying to kill
thousands of Aiel without making any effort to escape." (Irgain is one
of the AS stilled when Rand escaped from the box in LOC.) This quote
shows that stilling an AS has the same effect on her Warder as her
death. Thus, Lan's reaction only indicates that his bond was
"snapped," by death, stilling, or something else.
Besides stilling, the breaking of Lan's bond could conceivably have
been caused by the shutting off of the Red Door into Finnland. When
Moiraine chastises Rand and Mat for using the Tear doorway in [TSR:
15, Into the Doorway, 178-9], she says, "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." If one substitutes
"channelling combatants" for "ta'veren," one has a description of what
happened when Moiraine and Lanfear went through the door. The
"tearing" of the connection between the two universes may have torn
the connection between Moiraine and Lan, as well.
In [LoC: Glossary, entry "Moiraine", 710], it says "She vanished into
a ter'angreal in Cairhien while battling Lanfear, apparently killing
both herself and the Forsaken." That "apparently" definitely leaves
the question open.
Furthermore, she has a "small shred of hope" before attacking Lanfear,
so there IS hope for her future. This "small shred" is probably a
glimpse that Moir. got of her future from a source other than the
Rhuidean rings, either from Min or the Red Door in Tear.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.2.7: Verin-- Black, Brown, or Purple?
[Sean Hillyard, Mike Lemons, Judy Ghirardelli, Emma Pease, Erica
Sadun, Pam Korda, Keith Casner, etc]
_________________________________________________________________
Verin's suspicious behavior
Throughout the series, Verin Mathwin has demonstrated more than her
fair share of suspicious behavior. Clearly, Something is Up with her.
Is she Black Ajah, or is it something else?
1) VERINISM: In TGH, Verin tells the boys that Moiraine sent her to
look after them: [TGH: 14, Wolfbrother, 195] "Moiraine Sedai sent me,
Lord Ingtar," Verin announced with a satisfied smile. "She thought you
might need me." Moiraine later says that she did NOT send Verin: [TGH:
49, 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.
EXPLANATION: Verin could have been tricked by somebody masquerading as
Moiraine. 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...) Now, MAYBE Verin is
using some sneaky thought process to get around the Oath: '"Moiraine
Sedai sent me, Lord Ingtar," Verin announced with a satisfied smile
(recalling how satisfying the beer and pizza Moiraine had sent her for
had been, and also how satisfying it had been to come up with a
literally true statement which would preclude any questions from Rand,
et. al.)' [Edward Measure]
In [TPOD: Prologue, Deceptive Appearances, 39-41], we learn that Verin
has worked out a subtle form of Compulsion which conveniently leaves
the victim forgetful of their "session" with Verin. Perhaps Verin
compelled Moiraine to send her. "Moiraine Sedai sent me (because I
made her), Lord Ingtar." [Tony Evans]
At a signing in Atlanta, RJ said that this discrepancy is not a
mis-step.
2) VERINISM: Verin does not give Corianin's notes to Egwene along with
the dream ring [TDR: 21, A World of Dreams, 187]. Maybe she wanted
Egwene to get killed, or caught by some Forsaken?
EXPLANATION: 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) VERINISM: Her suspicious behavior in the Two Rivers: a) Misleads
Perrin as to why she and Alanna are there [TSR: 31, Assurances,
345-6]. b) Tells Perrin not to trust Alanna, perhaps laying a false
trail? [TSR: 33, 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?
EXPLANATION: a) and b) are typical Aes Sedai behavior. Furthermore,
since Alanna had recently lost a Warder, Verin may have been worried
that she would try to bond Perrin, as she later did to Rand. As for
c)...
4) VERINISM: Only three characters have referred to Perrin's choice of
hammer or axe: Ishamael, Lanfear and Verin. This puts Verin in very
suspicious company.
EXPLANATION: Verin is Brown Ajah, and thus is likely to know all sorts
of obscure things. Perhaps there is a prophecy involving blacksmiths,
hammers, and axes. (Also note that the above statement is somewhat
false: Egwene also knows about the hammer/axe choice. She dreamed it.)
5) VERINISM: She was observed in deep conversation with Barthanes, a
known Darkfriend, at the party in [TGH: 33, A Message From the Dark,
397]. When Hurin approached them, Verin waved him away. Perhaps they
were discussing "business matters?"
EXPLANATION: No, they were just talking about the weather/politics/etc
and Verin didn't want some Shienaran servant butting into her
conversation; it wouldn't look right and might make Barthanes
suspicious.
6) VERINISM: 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.
EXPLANATION: 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) VERINISM: Draghkar Attack on Moiraine [TGH: 22, Watchers, 278-9]
was 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.
EXPLANATION: 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, and one of the sisters
may be BA. (See section 1.4.8.)
8) VERINISM: Verin and the art of Stedding Channeling: in [TGH: 29,
Among the Elders, 435], she inspects an Ogier who lost his mind to
Machin Shin in the Ways. For all intents and purposes, it looks like
she's Delving him with the OP. However, she is in a stedding, where
touching the OP is impossible. Even more, nobody thinks this is weird!
EXPLANATION? Possibly, she didn't do the OP thing; she did something
else to see if there was anybody home. Maybe she spat in his eye, or
something. At a post-ACOS signing [Vancouver, 24 August, 1996], RJ
told Lara Beaton that "we're going to find out something in the next
few books about people without souls and characteristics of them. (he
started out saying that we're going to find out something significant
about Verin, then stopped)."
In the Prologue of TPOD, we get a scene which is from Verin's point of
view. At several points in that section, Verin uses clever thought
processes and tricks of the tongue to avoid telling untruths. This is
consistent with what one would expect of an AS bound by the First
Oath. Now, any intelligent BA would get into the habit of following
the Oath as a matter of course, because being caught lying could lead
to the discovery of the BA. However, consider the bit in [TPOD:
Prologue, Deceptive Appearances, 41], when Beldeine comes out of the
Compulsion-trance. She asks Verin if she fainted. Verin replies, "The
heat is very bad. I have felt lightheaded myself once or twice today."
Then, in her own mind, she thinks that her own lightheadedness was
"from weariness, not heat. Handling that much of saidar took it out of
you." If Verin is not bound by the first Oath, she should not have
needed to justify that misleading statement to herself. It's not
something that anybody could ever have found out about, and is utterly
trivial, besides. On the other hand, it might simply be a habit,
especially if she turned BA after having been AS for a long time.
However, Verin's self-justifications do seem to indicate that she is
bound by the First Oath, and is not Black Ajah (just very dark Brown).
Alternative Verin Speculations
1) Something in those Notes Theory: We know Verin had access to
Corianin Nedeal's notes. There is something in those notes that Verin
doesn't want anybody to know about, something so potentially dangerous
that she'd consider destroying the notes and all the knowledge
contained therein. What if, in those notes, Corianin Nedeal describes
how she discovered how to break the Three Oaths in T'A'R? That would
certainly explain why she wouldn't want Eg to have the notes,
especially after her speech at the start of TDR about how important
the Oaths are. This would also explain how she managed to lie about
Moiraine sending her. However, Verin's mental self-justifications in
[TPOD: Prologue, Deceptive Appearances, 41] seem to indicate that she
is bound by the First Oath, as noted above. However, who knows what
eldrich knowledge is contained in the notes? Who knows what Verin saw
when she tried out the ter'angreal to go to T'A'R? This could explain
all sorts of Verinisms.
2) Verin == Corianin Theory: Verin is Corianin Nedeal herself, and is
thus very, very, old. That is how she got her hands on the ring
ter'angreal. Problem: In [TDR: 21, A World of Dreams, 191], Verin is
thinking on Nedeal's notes, and thinks of Nedeal in the third person.
One doesn't usually refer to oneself in the third person. Another
problem (which is also present in related Very Old Verin (VOV)
theories is that if there was a 400+ year-old Aes Sedai lurking around
the Tower, surely somebody would have noticed by now. Furthermore,
Verin is probably not older than 300 years (see below), and thus
cannot be Corianin.
3) Second Foundation Ajah Theory (aka Purple Ajah Theory): Verin is a
member of a secret society whose members preserve ancient knowledge
for humanity's need at the Last Battle. The existence of the BA shows
that it is possible for a secret group to exist in the Tower-- if
there is a group dedicated to evil, why not a group dedicated to good?
Problem: there have always been rumors of the BA. Nothing can be kept
secret for centuries in a place with so many people in it, and so much
scheming as the White Tower. And yet, we've never heard any hint of
this secret group.
4) Very Old Verin: Verin is very, very old, and pre-dates the lying
Oath, and is thus not bound to it. This theory has been proposed as
part of various Second Foundation Ajah theories, Corianin Nedeal
theories, as well as independently. Problem: Verin would have to be
1000+ years old. We have seen no evidence, even in the AoL, that
anybody lives that long, without help from the DO. Plus, wouldn't
anybody notice that Verin had outlived dozens of Amyrlin Seats?
Furthermore, the upper bound on Verin's age (see below) is ~300. This
is not old enough for her to date from a pre-OR time.
How old is Verin?
Many pet theories hinge upon this question. From [LOC: 11, Lessons and
Teachers, 207], we know that Verin has been working on some plan for
about 70 years. This sets a lower bound on Verin's age. The only other
possible clue is [LOC: 43, The Crown of Roses, 549]. Merana Sedai is
considering the pecking order among the AS in Caemlyn: "Merana had
been Aes Sedai ten years the day the midwife laid Alanna at her
mother's breast...Verin was the problem...Five years as novice for
each, six as Accepted; that was one thing every Aes Sedai knew about
every other if she knew nothing else. The difference was that Verin
was older, maybe almost as much older than she as she was older than
Alanna." We know that the Tower doesn't take women much older than Ny
for Novices, and an average novice starts at about the age Elayne and
Egwene did (17-18). For the Very Old Verin folks, lets say both Merana
and Verin started late-- 24 (Ny was an exception, they only took her
because she was so strong). So if Alanna is about 70 (in [TPOD: 12,
New Alliances, 276], Cadsuane thinks that Alanna has "worn the shawl
almost forty years"), Merana is 24 + 11 years training + 10 years as
full AS = 45 years older than Alanna, that is, 115 years old. If Verin
is as much older than Merana as Merana is older than Alanna, then
Verin is 115 + 45 = 160 years old. So if Merana is right about how
much older Verin is than she, Verin should be around 160. There is, of
course, quite a bit of leeway in our guess of Alanna and Merana's
ages, so Verin could conceivably be nearly 200.
More than once, Cadsuane Melaidhrin is described as "the oldest Aes
Sedai." In [ACOS: Glossary, 671], it says she is "thought to have been
born around 705 NE," which would make her around 300 years old. She's
also the most powerful AS apart from El, Eg, and Ny, which means she
will have gotten maximum amount of life-prolonging benefit of
channelling. In spite of this, she is at the end of her life [ACOS:
19, Diamonds and Stars, 347], so it is reasonable to believe that AS
who are bound by the Oath Rod don't get much older than Cadsuane. If
the glossary is to be believed, that is about 300 years. By
implication, this puts an upper bound on Verin's age. (Assuming that
the Ageless look is caused by the Oath Rod- -Verin is Ageless.)
Is Verin bound by the Oath Rod?
The evidence in ACOS and TPOD tells us that the Ageless Look is caused
by being bound by the Oath Rod. (See section 2.3.3.) Without a doubt,
Verin has the Ageless Look [TGH: 7, Blood Calls Blood, 87]. The
conclusion is, then, that Verin is bound by the Oath Rod. Note that
this means that Verin has taken at least one Oath on the Rod. She may
have found a way to get around the First Oath, but didn't wish to free
herself from the second or third. Maybe she even discovered that the
Oath Rod could be used to release oaths taken on one [ACOS: 40,
Spears, 631].
Furthermore, in [aol.com Chat, 27-6-96], RJ just about said straight
out that Verin has held the Oath Rod. Somebody asked if it was true if
he'd said that Verin had NOT held it, and if so then did Cadsuane also
avoid it. His answer: "No, I did *not* say that Verin had never held
the Oath Rod. Cadsuane has also held the Oath Rod." Cadsuane has ALSO
held it, implying that Verin has, as well.
Is there a connection between Cadsuane and Verin?
Both Verin and Cadsuane are from Far Madding. (Verin: [TPOD: Prologue,
Deceptive Appearances, 42], Cadsuane: [TPOD: 12, New Alliances, 273],
and RJ said at a post-POD signing [LA: 22 October, 1998. Report by Pam
Basham.] that they were from Far Madding. This raises immediate
suspicions of some sort of Far Madding Secret Society. However, in
[TPOD: Prologue, Deceptive Appearances, 30], Verin thinks about
Cadsuane: "What was Cadsuane after? ... Cadsuane herself was a legend,
and even the believable parts of the legend made her very dangerous
indeed. Dangerous and unpredictable." This indicates that Verin
doesn't know Cads. very well, and is wary of her. It seems unlikely
that Verin and Cadsuane are in cahoots, or have been in the past.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Section 2.3: The Power and Power-related Objects
_________________________________________________________________
This subsection contains information on and discussion of questions
about channelling, dreamwalking, the OP, and OP-related objects.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.3.1: What's up with the male-female a'dam link where they both die
screaming?
_________________________________________________________________
In [TGH: 40, Damane, 484], Egwene's sul'dam describes how the Empress
will sometimes make a man wear the bracelet of the a'dam connected to
a damane. Sometimes nothing happens, and sometimes "both die,
screaming." We see something similar happen in [TFOH: 32, A Short
Spear, 370] when Rand tries to free the damane in Seanchan. A third
example is in [ACOS: 8, The Figurehead, 164], when Aran'gar frees
Moggy from the a'dam while Egwene is wearing the bracelet: "A sudden
stab of pain through that pocket of sensations in the back of her
head.... Had she felt it directly, it would have been numbing. As it
was, her eyes bulged in shock. A man who could channel was touching
the necklace around Moghedien's neck; this was one link no man could
be brought into."
What's happening here? Well, it seems as if the men who are affected
by the a'dam are those who can channel, or maybe who have the ability
to learn. According to Elayne's study of the a'dam, it works by
creating an uneven link between channellers, in which the bracelet
holder has complete control. So possible explanations for the "die
screaming" effect are: 1) a male and a female are linked, with the man
in control. A female must control such a link due to the nature of the
OP. So the a'dam link is backwards, which could have a bad effect. 2)
Possibly, they find themselves each touching the wrong half of the
Source, and cannot stand to do this, and consequently experience
immense pain and have their pitiful lives snuffed out by the
overbearing power of the wrong half of the OP pouring through their
frail bodies. 3) Putting a male in the a'dam link somehow creates a
"short circuit" in the One Power, frying both participants in the link
unless they break it pronto.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.3.2: The "Sad Bracelets"/Male A'dam
[Luke Mankin, P. Korda]
_________________________________________________________________
Descriptions of the item:
* [TSR: 55, Into the Deep, 638] 'Egeanin touched the collar, pushed
the bracelets away from the collar.... "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..."
* [TSR: 54, Into the Palace, 630] Moghedien: "[The bracelets are]
not metal, but a form of cuendillar.... Put the collar on a man
who channels, and a woman wearing the bracelets can make him do
whatever she wishes, true, but it will not stop him from going
mad, and there is a flow the other way, too. Eventually he will
begin to be able to control you, too....Or two women can each wear
one bracelet, if you have someone you trust enough; that slows the
seepage considerably, I understand, but it also lessens your
control....Eventually, you will find yourselves in a struggle for
control with him, each of you needing him to remove your bracelet
as surely as he needs you to remove the collar."
* [TSR: 54, Into the Palace, 630] Moghedien: "The collar and
bracelets were made after I was [bound in the Bore]"
The last we saw of the bracelets/collar was Egeanin and Bayle going
off to dump them in the ocean, near the Aile Somera. That just
happened to be where High Lady Suroth was camping out at the time.
Since we assume that the Seanchan will get/have got the collar, what
will they do with their male channeller? 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?
Now, of course, the sad bracelets can be used on any of the poor sods
who signed up to become Asha'man.
Did Sammael somehow get ahold of the Sad Bracelets? In [ACOS: 20
Patterns within Patterns, 354] "What I have will control him once he
is taken, but it cannot overcome him." This description applies to the
Bracelets, but it could also apply to a "binding chair," or something
like that.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.3.3: Effects of the Oath Rod: Binding, Agelessness, and Death
[Daniel Rouk, Burr Rutledge, Andrea Leistra, Korda]
_________________________________________________________________
Binding
In the AOL, there were multiple "Oath Rods." They were apparently
fairly common devices used to discipline criminals who could channel.
The Forsaken refer to them as a type of "binder"; according to Sammael
[ACOS: 40, Spears, 631], Oath Rods only work on channellers, and the
one he gives to Sevanna only works on female channellers. There are
other types of binding devices, such as "binding chairs" that work on
anybody.
One of the first references to "binding" is in [LOC: 6, Threads Woven
of Shadow, 136]. Graendal is showing off her Sharans. While discussing
the Sharan channellers, Sammael asks her if they 'bind themselves like
criminals.' Sammael thinks he's revealing something Graendal didn't
know, but she thinks about how she found out about the AS use of the
Oath Rod from Mesaana [LoC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 138]. We later
find out Mesaana is in the White Tower. The only 'binding' that we
know about that occurs in the White Tower is the bonds willingly taken
by Aes Sedai via the Oath Rod.
Next scene: [LoC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 139-143] Semirhage is
torturing the Aes Sedai, and thinking on how she was 'wronged' because
the Age of Legends Servants didn't understand why she gave a little
pain with her healing. After all, nobody complained when they owed
their life to her. She recollects that she was given two choices, to
be severed, or to accept binding. The actual quote is "to be bound
never to know her pleasures again, and with that binding be able to
see the end of life approach." This illustrates that 'binding' is in
fact as Sammael said, something done to criminals.
In [Guide: 3, The Age of Legends, 37], we learn about the criminal
justice system in the AOL. "When the perpetrators of violent acts were
caught, they were not sent to prison. Rather, they were constrained...
against repeat offenses. This binding made it impossible for the
criminal ever to repeat his crime." In [Guide: 5, The Dark One and the
Male Forsaken, 54], we also find out that this binding was done with
the OP. Describing Balthamel, ne Eval Ramman, it says, " More than
once he supposedly came very close to being bound with the Power
against doing violence."
Finally, we have [ACOS: 40, Spears, 630-631], in which Sammael gives
Sevanna an OR, which he probably got from the Ebou Dar stash. He
explains how it works: "'You might call it an Oath Rod,' Caddar
said...'It only came into my hands yesterday, and I immediately
thought of you.'... 'All you need do is have your AS...or any woman
who can channel, hold the rod and speak whatever promises you wish
while someone channels a little Spirit into the number. The marks on
the end of the rod?'...'It only works on women?' [Sevanna said.]
'Women who can channel, Sevanna,' Caddar said."
We learn a few other things about the OR and binding:
1. It can be used to remove Oaths, according to Sammael [ACOS: 40,
Spears, 631], and from Pevara and Seaine's experiments described
in [TPOD: 26, The Extra Bit, 503]. It makes sense that there
should be some way to remove the Oaths, since it was a method of
punishing criminals. If the criminal was later proven innocent, or
truly reformed, one would want the OR binding removed, considering
its unhealthy effects (see below).
2. It is harder to bind non-channellers than to bind channellers
[ACOS: 40, Spears, 631]. This implies that the OR's binding
mechanism involves the bound individual's channelling ability.
3. The OR is NOT a "Rod of Dominion." The way the Nine Rods of
Dominion were mentioned in TEOTW Prologue, they were something
special. The OR, OTOH, is referred to as a "binder," lower case.
Nothing special. Furthermore, in TPOD, we find out what Sammael
meant by "the number" in [ACOS: 40, Spears, 630-631]-- the Oath
Rods are numbered. The Tower's Rod is number three, while
Sevanna's Rod is number one hundred and eleven [TPOD, 11,
Questions and an Oath, 253]. So, it seems like there are way more
than nine Oath Rods.
Agelessness
The question is: is the "ageless" look attributed to Aes Sedai in the
Third Age something unique to them, or is this appearance attained by
all channellers? If it is only found in modern AS, then it seems
likely that the look is caused by the Oath Rod-- one of the only major
differences between the current Aes Sedai and other channellers.
What is the Ageless Look? It is not mere youthfulness. People looking
at AS with the look are unable to put any age at all to them. Here is
evidence:
1. In [TDR: 3, "News from the Plain," 23] Perrin describes Moiraine:
"She was a slender, dark-haired woman no taller than his shoulder,
and pretty, with the ageless quality of all Aes Sedai who had
worked with the One Power for a time. He could not put any age at
all to her..."
2. In [LOC: Prologue, The First Message, 25-26], Elayne describes
Janya Sedai and Anaiya Sedai: "Janya Sedai was quite neat, every
short dark hair tidy around the ageless face that marked Aes Sedai
who had worked long with the Power.... "You are making great
strides, Elayne," Anaiya said calmly. The bluff-faced woman was
always calm. "Motherly was the word to describe her, and
comforting usually, though Aes Sedai features made putting an age
to her impossible."
3. In [ACOS: 1, High Chasaline, 60] Perrin describes the TAS who were
captured, discounting the ones who were stilled: "The others
looked ageless, of course, maybe in their twenties, maybe in their
forties, changing from one glance to the next, always uncertain.
That was what their faces said, though several showed gray in
their hair." From this, we know that if an observer can put a
definite age to a channeller, then the channeller DOES NOT have
the Ageless Look.
Note: the Ageless Look takes some time to manifest itself after a
woman is raised to full AS. 1) Elaida's spy in Caemlyn is "'A Red
Sister....Newly raised, so she can easily pass for other than AS.' She
meant that the woman had not yet taken on the agelessness..." [TFOH,
Prologue, The First Sparks Fall, 16] 2) In [ACOS: 24, The Kin, 408],
Elayne says, "I don't think anyone has ever reached that [the Ageless
Look] until they've worn the shawl at least a year or two, sometimes
five or more."
Now, let us look at the descriptions of all other channellers, to see
that they do NOT have the Ageless Look.
A Look at non-Aes Sedai Channellers
Aiel Wise Ones
* Perrin describing the WOs after rescuing Rand: "Every Wise One who
had come here from Cairhien was able to channel, though none had
the ageless look." [ACOS: 1, High Chasaline, 64] Amys is one of
these WOs--she appears in [ACOS: 2, The Butcher's Yard, 80].
* Sevanna describing Graendal, lets slip what is perhaps the most
glaring example that the ageless look is actually different from
what the Wise Ones have:
As dark of face and hair as he [Sammael], and beautiful enough to
tighten Sevanna's mouth, she wore red silk, cut to expose even more
of her bosom than Someryn showed.... Right then, she did not care
whether the woman could move mountains or barely light a candle.
She must be Aes Sedai. She did not have the face, yet some Sevanna
had seen did not. [She's probably thinking about Egwene, who was
masquerading as AS]
If the WOs had the same ageless look as Aes Sedai, Sevanna would
not think of "the face" as an identifying feature of AS.
* In [TSR: 23, Beyond the Stone, 262], we have a description of
Melaine from Egwene's point of view, before she knows that Melaine
can channel. "The last of the four, a handsome woman with
golden-red hair, no more than ten or fifteen years older than
Egwene, hesitated." Note that Eg puts a definite age to her.
* Egwene, describing Amys: "Suddenly Amys's youthfully smooth
features beneath that white hair leaped out at her for what they
were, something very close to Aes Sedai agelessness." [TSR, 23,
Beyond the Stone, 262]. "Amys was white-haired, too... but she did
not look old. She and Melaine could both channel -- not many Wise
Ones could -- and she had something of the look of the Aes Sedai
agelessness about her." [TFOH: 5, Among the Wise Ones, 99] Note
that Amys is close to ageless, has something of the look, but NOT
the exact same look.
* In [TGH: 28, A New Thread in the Pattern, 345], Urien meets
Ingtar's party, and says to Verin, "No, Wise One. But you have the
look of those who have made the journey to Rhuidean and survived.
The years do not touch the WOs in the same way as other women."
This seems to tell us that the WOs do have the Ageless look.
However, the huge quantity of contradictory quotes, especially
Perrin's and Sevanna's above, leads us to believe that either RJ
changed his mind, or Urien was mistaken, or Urien only meant that
Verin doesn't look as old as her grey hair would indicate.
Sea Folk Windfinders:
* Elayne and Ny do not recognise Jorin, the Windfinder of
Wavedancer, as a channeller until Elayne actually SEES her
channel [TSR: 20, Winds Rising, 233]. If she had the distinctive
Ageless look, they'd have noted it immediately. This is not merely
a case of Jorin being young; she is not. Her sister Coine has
"gray touches in her black hair and fine wrinkles at the corners
of her...eyes....It was a surprise that the two were sisters.
Elayne could see the resemblance, but Jorin looked much younger."
[TSR: 19, The Wavedancer, 217]. Furthermore, Joine has children
older than Elayne. [TSR: 20, Winds Rising, 234]
* The Windfinders Rand meets in [ACOS: 34, Ta'veren, 535-536] look
young, not ageless:
"Harine did a lot of the talking, and so did a young, pretty woman
in green brocade with eight earrings altogether, but the pair in
plain silk put in occasional comments....Harine turned so calmly
there might never have been any hasty conference. "This is Shalon
din Togara Morning Tide, Windfinder to Clan Shodein," she said with
a small bow toward the woman in green brocade, "and this is Derah
din Delaan Rising Wave....""
"She [Derah] made a small bow toward the fourth woman, in yellow.
"This is Taval din Chanai Nine Gulls, Windfinder of White Spray."
Only three rings hung from each of Taval's ears, fine like those of
the Sailmistress. She looked younger than Shalon, no older than
himself."
Seanchan Damane and Sul'dam
* In [TGH: 40, "Damane," 477] Egwene sees Renna, her new sul'dam:
"With long, dark hair and big brown eyes, she was pretty, and
perhaps as much as ten years older than Nynaeve." Note she can put
a specific age to Renna.
* In [TGH: 40, Damane, 482], a damane is described: "One of the
other sul'dam snorted loudly; she was linked to a pretty
dark-haired woman in her middle years who kept her eyes on her
hands." Again, we have a specific age.
Forsaken and Other Old-time Aes Sedai
* AoL Aes Sedai don't seem to have had the look, although we have
little evidence one way or the other. (Plus, aging was weird in
the AoL. Jonai [TSR: 26, The Dedicated, 300] is 63 years old and
considers himself young. Jonai doesn't mention his Aes Sedai
having an "ageless" look, but he doesn't mention her lack of it,
either. He says she "looked younger than he." None of the Forsaken
are "ageless."
* Many years after the Breaking, when Rhuidean is built, the Aes
Sedai with the Jenn Aiel are described as "ageless." [TSR: 25, The
Road to the Spear, 284]. While one of these AS has the same name
as one of the AOL AS we see in TSR, it is not the same person. At
a post-POD book signing in Dayton, RJ was asked, "Was the Aes
Sedai who initiated the Pact of Rhuidean from the Age of Legends?"
RJ's answer: (Pause)"No." (Pause)"No, she was not from the Age of
Legends." [from Michael Martin] When was the OR first put into
use? The first of the Three Oaths to be put into effect, the
Second Oath against making weapons with the Power, was adopted
after the War of Power [TGH: 1, The Flame of Tar Valon, 5],
[Guide: 24, The White Tower, 213]. However, Sheriam's statement in
[TGH: 23, The Testing, 282] implies that the Oath Rod itself
wasn't put into use until after the Trolloc Wars. Needless to say,
this point needs clarification.
Stilled Aes Sedai
* After being stilled, Siuan and Leane look like young women again,
not "ageless." [TSR, 47, The Truth of a Viewing, 535] They look
different enough that it is hard to recognise them. When they get
the OP back, they don't get the Ageless look back, either: In
[LOC: 44, The Color of Trust, 556], Mat sees SS after she has been
healed by Ny--"He gave her a shallow bow and walked quickly to
where a pretty blue-eyed young woman was tapping her foot to the
music. She had a sweet mouth, just right for kissing, and he
bloody well wanted to enjoy himself."
* The BA stilled in Tear (Amico) looks different: 'Amico looked
young, perhaps younger than her years, but it was not quite the
agelessness of Aes Sedai who had worked years with the One Power.
"You have sharp eyes, Aviendha, but I don't know if this has
anything to do with stilling. It must, though, I suppose. I don't
know what else could cause it."' [TSR: 5, Questioners, 84]
* The TAS stilled by Rand at Dumai's Wells also look young, as
opposed to ageless [ACOS: 1, High Chasaline, 60].
Students in the Tower and the Kin
As noted above, no AS gets the Ageless look until after they've been
raised to full AS [ACOS: 24, The Kin, 408]. This is not a matter of
time spent channelling, or of strength in the OP, but of passing a
certain point-- being raised.
* Elayne mentions an Accepted who is older than 40, (and thus has
been channelling a LONG time, at least as long as some of the
younger sisters) and looks YOUNG-- Ny's age, not ageless [ACOS:
24, The Kin, 408].
* In [ACOS, 31, Mashiara, 497], Elayne and the AS meet the Knitting
Circle: "Most wore Ebou Dari dresses, though only one possessed
the olive skin; most had lines on their faces and at least a touch
of gray; and every last woman of them could channel to one degree
or another." No AS has a lined face; it's part of being Ageless.
* In [ACOS, 23, Next Door to a Weaver, 393], Ny meets Reanne Corly:
"From the exchange, she had expected someone younger than Setalle
Anan, but Reanne had hair more gray than not and a face full of
what might have been smile lines..." Again, Reanne is old-looking.
* It can't be put any clearer than this: "There had to be a reason
why the Kin looked neither ageless nor anything near the ages they
claimed." [TPOD: 3, A Pleasant Ride, 94]
Physical Effects of the Oath Rod
In L:NS and TPOD, we get ample evidence that swearing on an Oath Rod
produces a physical effect-- some kind of "tightening" of the skin:
* [L:NS, 653]: Moiraine, a newly-raised Aes Sedai, thinks, "The
Three Oaths still made her skin feel too tight."
* [L:NS, 662-663]: Merean is describing how Moiraine and SS were
punished for putting mice in Elaida's bed the night before they
were raised: "I doubt any other women have been raised Aes Sedai
while still too tender to sit from their last visit to the
Mistress of Novices. Once the Three Oaths tightened on them, they
needed cushions a week."
* [TPOD, 11, Questions and an Oath, 256]: Galina takes an Oath on
Sevanna's OR, after being tortured by the Shaido WOs: "Galina felt
the oath settle on her, as if she suddenly wore a garment that
covered her far too tightly from her scalp to the soles of her
feet.... it suddenly seemed as if the burning of her skin was
being pressed deep into her flesh..."
* [TPOD, 26, The Extra Bit, 504]: Seaine reswears the Three Oaths:
"Seaine retook the Oaths in turn, each producing a slight
momentary pressure everywhere from her scalp to the soles of her
feet. In truth, the pressure was difficult to detect at all, with
her skin still feeling too tight from retaking the Oath against
speaking a lie.
This "tightening of the skin" could be what causes the Ageless Look,
kind of like a permanent face lift.
Conclusions
* The Ageless look is not the result of anything the AS experience
until the actual raising ceremony. The Kin are made up of women
who trained in the Tower, who flunked out or ran away at various
points in their training. This includes women who have passed the
Accepted Test, and even women who made it through various parts of
the AS Test [ACOS, 24, The Kin, 405-406]. None of them are
ageless.
* The Ageless look is not the result of strength in the OP. The Kin
contain women who are fairly strong channellers: "Of course,
Reanne could channel -- she had expected that; hoped for it,
anyway -- but she had not expected the strength. Reanne was not as
strong as Elayne, or even Nicola -- burn that wretched girl! --
but she easily equaled Sheriam, say, or Kwamesa or Kiruna." [ACOS:
23, Next Door to a Weaver, 394]. So do the WOs and the
Windfinders. The strongest channellers of all, the Forsaken,
definitely do not have the Ageless Look.
* The agelessness is not the result of the total amount of OP
channelled. The obvious example of this is the Forsaken. Certain
members of the Kin are very old (Reanne Corly is older than 400),
and must have channelled as much in their lifetime as any of the
younger AS.
* Here is the part where Elayne starts putting it all together:
After talking about the 40+ Accepted who looks 26, she says, "We
slow, Nynaeve. Somewhere between twenty and twenty-five, we begin
aging more slowly. How much depends on how strong we are, but when
doesn't. Any woman who can channel does it. Takima said she
thought it was the beginning off achieving the ageless look,
though I don't think anyone has ever reached that until they've
worm the shawl at least a year or two, sometimes five or more.
Think. You know any sister with gray hair is old, even if you
aren't supposed to mention it. So if Reanne slowed, and she must
have, how old is she?" [ACOS: 24, The Kin, 408]
Nobody in all of Randland has the Ageless look besides AS raised in
the White Tower. Thus, there must be something done to them in the
raising ceremony which brings about the Ageless Look. The only such
thing of which we know is swearing on the Oath Rod. Given the evidence
that we have, it must be the OR which causes agelessness. The only
other possibility is that there is something else done in the Raising
ceremony which we don't know about and which causes the agelessness.
Any such thing would have to involve the woman's channelling ability,
in order to explain why the Agelessness vanishes when a person is
stilled. There may indeed be other items used in the AS-Raising
ceremony besides the Oath Rod, as indicated by this quote: [LOC: 39,
Possibilities, 513] "Romanda wanted to use gateways to remove the OR
and certain other items...from the Tower so they could make true AS in
Salidar while depriving Elaida of the ability." These items may be
used in the AS TEST, as opposed to the actual final ceremony, though.
Misc. Notes
* Stilling and the Oaths: When an AS is severed from the Source
(i.e. stilled), she loses the ageless look, AND is freed from the
Oaths. This, combined with the fact that the OR only works on
channellers, implies that the OR somehow works by tapping into the
AS's own channelling ability, causing the binding and the
agelessness.
* Egwene's Accepted Test: In one of Egwene's three experiences in
ter'angreal used in the test to be raised Accepted, she is the
Amyrlin seat. She looks in a mirror, and sees that she has the
Ageless Look [TDR: 22, The Price of the Ring, 203]. A few pages
later, she says that she has not sworn on the Oath Rod. If she
never held the OR, then why does she look Ageless?
Richard Boye' explains this nicely: "The reason is that the
ter'angreal weaves illusions and testings from what the subject
knows, expects, and fears. How else would it know that Nynaeve
wants to marry Lan or that her mother's name was Elnore? Egwene
saw herself with the Ageless look because from her knowledge and
point of view, she was supposed to." Note that in that same
vision, Egwene's Keeper, Beldeine, was stilled, but she still had
the Ageless Look. In the real world, we know that stilling removes
the Look. However, at that point in time, Egwene didn't know that.
Death
A final effect of the OR is that it seems to shorten the lifespan of
channellers bound by it. It seems to work this way: use of the OP
increases one's lifespan by a great deal. The more you channel, the
better the anagathic effect. Being bound by the OR decreases one's
lifespan, or perhaps lessens the anti-aging benefits of channelling.
In any case, the net effect is that OR-bound channellers live longer
than non-channellers, but not as long as channellers who are NOT bound
by the OR.
Evidence that Oathbound channellers don't live as long as nonbound
ones:
* Cadsuane Melaidhrin is most likely the oldest living AS, at around
295 years old [ACOS: Glossary, 671]. She considers herself to be
very old, expecting to die RSN: "Over two hundred and seventy
years had passed since she last encountered a task she could not
perform. Any day now might be her last, but young al'Thor would be
a fitting end to it all." [ACOS: 19, Diamonds and Stars, 347].
* Elayne to Reanne Corly: "apparently no Aes Sedai since the
Breaking has lived as long as any of you in the Knitting Circle
claim....In your own case, not by over a hundred years." [ACOS:
37, A Note from the Palace, 577]. Reanne Corly is 411.
From these quotes, we can conclude that the maximum lifespan of modern
AS is around 300 years.
Ages of other channellers:
* The above quote also tells us that the Kin live at least 25%
longer than AS. Since Reanne Corly is hardly on her last leg, Kin
probably outlive AS by an even greater amount.
* In [LOC: 15, A Pile of Sand, 262], we have a reference to an Aiel
WO who died at age 300 of a snake bite, but still looked young.
Since she looked young, she probably still had a good bit of her
natural lifespan ahead of her. So, from this, we know that WOs at
least have the potential to live longer than 300 years, i.e.
longer than AS. In practice, they probably don't live that long
(the WO telling the story of the 300-year-old WO regards it as a
legend, and possibly exaggerated), due to the harsh conditions in
the Three-Fold Land.
* The Forsaken are all way old, and were even before they got locked
up in the Bore.
* We have no evidence as to the longevity of Seanchan or Sea Folk
channellers.
From the evidence that we have, modern-day AS have a shorter maximum
lifespan than other channellers. As with the Ageless look, there must
be something done in the AS-raising ceremony which causes this. The
only such thing of which we are aware is being bound by the OR. Again,
there is a possibility that there is some other thing in the ceremony
which we don't know about, and which causes this effect. However,
there is less chance of this being the case with the shorter lifespan
than with the ageless look.
This is because we have independent evidence from Semirhage. In [LoC:
6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 139-143] Semirhage is thinking about how
the AOL AS wanted to "bind" her to put an end to her medical
malpractice. The actual quote is "to be bound never to know her
pleasures again, and with that binding be able to see the end of life
approach." Now, we know that "binding" of channellers (esp. female
channellers) was done with an OR. Semirhage seems to be thinking that
the binding would cut her life short.
Conclusions
The primary effect of the OR is to compel obedience to oaths sworn on
it. It probably does this by tapping into the oathbound channeller's
own channelling ability in some unknown way. (We know this bc the
binding to the oaths vanishes when the oathbound woman is severed.) It
has some secondary effects, in particular 1) it probably shortens the
lifespan of the bound channeller, and 2) it probably causes the bound
channeller to develop the "ageless look" unique to modern AS. It is
unknown if these secondary effects are deliberate (i.e. a kind of
death sentence and a way of marking criminals, respectively) or if
they are an inherent side effect of the binding mechanism.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.3.4: How do One-Power-forged blades work?
_________________________________________________________________
I asked RJ about Aes Sedai-forged weapons, like Lan's sword that never
needs sharpening: was the Power just used in the manufacturing
process, to change the structure of the steel to make it extra-strong,
or was a flow of the Power somehow incorporated into the steel? "The
Power was used in blending the metals (and other materials...) and
altering the structure. There is no source of the Power in these
weapons, nor do they draw on the Power like angreal...." [from RJ
letter 4/95]
In the same letter, RJ said that when a Fadeblade strikes
Power-wrought metal, the reaction produces blue sparks. This 1)
implies that Fadeblades are Power-wrought metal (The two Fades dueling
during the fight in the Stone in [TSR: 10, The Stone Stands, 135]) and
2) implies that Thom Merrilin had Power-wrought daggers during the
incident in Whitebridge.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.3.5: What is the range on sensing other channelers?
_________________________________________________________________
A channeller can sense another channeller, under various conditions:
1) A female can sense another female, even if neither of them are
holding the Source at the time. This is a skill which takes some time
to learn. If one is really good, it is not necessary to see the other
woman in order to know she is there. For example, one of the Tower AS
senses Eg in the throne room in Cairhien, even though she was
invisible. In addition, a female can tell when another is embracing
the Source, by a great glow surrounding the channeller. Of course,
female channellers can sense active female channeling, as well as the
presence of other female channelers.
2) Females cannot naturally sense male channelling. It may be that
they can do so by using the OP somehow, although Moggy's "technique"
of [LoC, 8, The Storm Gathers, 178] was simply a trick.
3) Male channellers can sense female channelling, by a prickling
feeling on the skin. There is a finite range on this. We can get some
sense of the range from [TFoH, 15, What Can be Learned in Dreams, 213]
where Moiraine is using the OP to eavesdrop on Rand and Asmo.
Moiraine's tent is said to be "not far" from Rand's, let's guess
around 20 meters. Note that the amount of channelling going on is
probably very small; a bigger flow would probably increase the
detection range.
4) Male channellers can sense male channelling, as well as other men
holding the source [LOC: 3, A Woman's Eyes, 92]. The sensing is not as
obvious as when females sense other females. It is likely that it is
more difficult for men to sense other men channeling at a distance. In
[TFOH, 3, Pale Shadows, 75], Rand thinks, "Women who could channel saw
a glow surrounding another woman who had embraced saidar and felt her
channelling clearly, but he never saw anything around Asmodean, and
felt little." This is with Asm is in the same room.
However, there seems to be some confusion of exactly how far the range
on male-male sensing is. Here are some examples:
* [TFOH: 55, The Threads Burn, 664]: When Rand is running around
trying to balefire the hell out of Rahvin, even though Rahvin is
holding saidin, Rand can't feel where he is.
* [TFOH: 55, The Threads Burn, 662]: Rand recalls Asm describing
trying to locate another man channelling as "like trying to find a
lion in high grass." (That is, very difficult.)
* [TFOH: 22, 405, Birdcalls by Night, 287]: After a Draghkar attack
on Rand's camp, Asmodean tells him that he had sensed the
Draghkar, but had not done anything about it, since he thought
Rand could deal with it, which he did. Rand replies: "'Well for
you that you didn't,' Rand cut him off, sitting cross-legged in
the dark. 'If I had felt you full of saidin out there tonight, I
might have killed you.' "The other man's laugh was shaky. 'I
thought of that, too.'" This little snippet of conversation seems
fairly clear. Rand obviously felt capable of sensing Asm from as
far away as Rand was from Asm during the fight, and Asmodean also
thought it was possible.
* [LOC: 42,The Black Tower, 545]: Rand says to Taim: "If I feel a
man channel in Caemlyn...and don't think you can stay far enough
from the Palace that I won't feel it and be safe." (NB: Rand may
just be bluffing, here. Or it might just be something along the
lines of "If I hear you use that sort of language in this house,
young man, I'll wash your mouth out with soap!")
* [TFOH: 44, The Lesser Sadness, 495]: Rand was able to sense
lightning from Sammael (He thinks it is Sammael, at least) during
the battle of Cairhien.
5) For both men and women, the ability to sense channeling seems to
depend on the strength of the particular flow being channeled. For
men, this is implied by Asmodean when he talks to Rand about blocking
Aviendha's gateway to Seanchan: "I felt your weave - anybody within a
mile could have felt it - I never saw anything like it - I didn't know
that anyone but Demandred could block a gateway that was closing."
[TFoH, 32, A Short Spear, 374]. For women, the dependence is implied
by Elayne, Nynaeve, and Sareitha's detection of the Seanchan
channelling in Ebou Dar at [TPOD, 5, The Breaking Storm, 129]-- Elayne
thinks, "Sareitha was not strong enough to sense saidar being wielded
at that distance....She was not strong enough. Unless someone was
using as much as they had on this hilltop." This quote shows that, for
females at least, the ability to sense flows depends on both the
strength of the flow and the strength of the woman doing the sensing.
This may also be the case for men.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.3.6: Can you make horizontal gateways?
_________________________________________________________________
[From the aol.com Q-and-A session with RJ, 27 June, 1996]:
Question: Can gateways be created at non-right angles to the ground?
If not, why not? If yes, why haven't we seen them?
RJ: They can be, and you haven't seen it because there's been no need
to do it. And also some of the people who can make gateways don't know
how to do it.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.3.7: How does balefire work?
_________________________________________________________________
"When anything is destroyed with balefire, it ceases to exist before
the moment of its destruction, like a thread that burns away from
where the flame touched it. The greater the power of the balefire, the
further back in time it ceases to exist. The strongest [Moiraine] can
manage will remove only a few seconds from the Pattern...For as far
back as you destroy [something], whatever it did during that time no
longer happened. Only the memories remain, for those who saw or
experienced it." [TFOH: 6, Gateways, 119]
That pretty much explains it. Something that is BFed is erased
backwards in time; the amount of erasing depends on the amount of
Power put into the BF. Rand, at full power, with an angreal, managed
to erase Rahvin back about half an hour. Note that Balefire does NOT
erase every single action the victim performed in his life. When
Rahvin was BFed, Morgase did not become un-compelled, sitting back in
the Caemlyn palace. If Lanfear were balefired, the Bore would not
cease to exist, since it was created over 3000 years ago, and I doubt
that the capacity for creating that strong a beam of BF exists. (Plus,
if it WAS done, the poor Pattern would probably unravel completely.
See below.)
When a person is balefired, can he be reborn?
The description of balefire leaves us one important question: does
"burning one's thread from the pattern" mean that one's soul is
destroyed forever, and one can never be reborn? John Novak finally got
an answer for this from RJ at a post-POD book-signing [Northern
Virginia-- 21 November, 1998]:
Balefire: I'm right. (This was my question) What this means is, if
someone is Balefired, the Dark One can't reincarnate them. But they
CAN be spun back out into the wheel as normal. Balefire is NOT the
eternal death of the soul. He also made a comment to the effect
that even in the absence of balefire, there may be circumstances
where the Dark One cannot bring someone back.
If this is the case, then why is BF so bad? It must be a question of
scale. If lots of BF is used on many targets, as it was during the War
of Power, the Pattern will become quite ragged and begin to unravel,
like an old pair of jeans. If large quantities of BF are used, then
there will be obvious problems with causality, as there were in the
aftermath of Rahvin's death. Thus, it's not a good idea to use strong
BF, and it's not wise for many people to use it regularly.
John Walter Biles explains: The pattern unravels permanently because
in a war of mass destruction with balefire, you can yank threads out
of the pattern faster than they can be replaced. Yeah, they can
EVENTUALLY be reborn, but unless the total population of all of
creation is static, then they won't be reborn instantly. More
importantly, it screws up causality. That's why the Pattern can
unravel; it's not that you run out of threads, it is that if you nuke
an entire city, every consequence of every action by everyone in the
entire city is suddenly undone back to point X. Given the amount of
balefire nuking a city takes, you can make quite a mess. Do enough
damage to the Pattern faster than it can repair itself, and it still
comes apart.
Why doesn't somebody just balefire the Dark One back to before where the taint
was created?
Read the previous paragraphs about what BF does, and why it is
dangerous to use. Now, supposing that 1) the DO has a corporeal body
which could BE balefired, and 2) enough BF could be produced to zap
the DO back 3500 years (neither of which is at all certain), consider
what would happen to the poor Pattern of All Creation if one of the
prime movers in its weaving was BFed. The end of the world would
probably happen for sure, then.
Remember that the DO is the source of the whole history of the 3rd
Age. Everything everybody has done for the past 3500 or so years has
been affected in some way by the DO. Why is Joe Al'Schmoe of the 2
Rivers a farmer in a forgotten province of Andor, and not a citizen of
one of the most powerful, strongest nations in Randland? It's because
Manetheren was destroyed in the Trolloc wars, which were initiated by
Ishamael, who was the DO's right-hand-man throughout the 3rd age.
Another point (via G.G. Kay) is that maybe the DO doesn't even have a
thread to balefire. After all, the DO's prison exists "outside the
Pattern." Perhaps the DO itself does, too. (NB: the no-body/no-thread
argument applies to "Why doesn't somebody BF the DO," no matter if you
try to BF him back 3500 years or 3 seconds. The "Pattern" argument
does, as well--if there is no DO, what happens the next time the Wheel
comes around to the AOL/3rd Age again?)
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.3.8: What is the difference between Skimming and Traveling?
[P. Korda, John Novak]
_________________________________________________________________
Skimming requires knowledge of destination and Traveling requires
knowledge of origin [TFoH: 6, Gateways, 121]. For example, Aviendha
Travels to Seanchan which she obviously doesn't know a thing about,
but she knew the bathroom real well.
Skimming is what Rand does in [TSR: 58, The Traps of Rhuidean,
670-671] to chase Asmodean to Rhuidean, and in [TFoH: 54, To Caemlyn,
645-646] to bring the Aiel strike force to Caemlyn. It apparently
works by creating a tunnel through some other space from the point you
are at to the point where you want to go. Going through this tunnel
takes a finite amount of time, and one person can chase another
through it, as Rand chased Asmodean. Egwene learns from Moggy that
Skimming (as opposed to Travelling) is "a way to journey from a place
you did not know well to one you did." [ACOS: 9, A Pair of Silverpike,
175]. The above "chasing" thing contradicts something Egwene says
about it in [ACOS: 12, A Morning of Victory, 241]: "If two sisters
wove gateways on the same spot only moments apart, aiming to Skim to
the same place, they would not see one another, not unless it was
exactly the same spot, with the weaves exactly identical." So, either
this is a difference between men's skimming and women's, or Rand
managed to exactly duplicate Asmo's weave, or RJ messed up. The
Skimming place has some similarity to TAR, and may be a part of TAR.
[ACOS: 12, A Morning of Victory, 240].
Traveling is a far simpler, far more direct, far quicker means of
transport. Traveling opens a "gate" from one physical point to
another. Men do this by boring a hole in the Pattern, so to speak,
while women do this by making the Pattern in both locations identical
[LoC, 37, When Battle Begins, 491]. Moghedien and Rand are of the
opinion that using the wrong method would be catastrophically bad.
Stepping through the gate, one instantly changes location. Asmodean
tells Rand that, unlike Skimming, Traveling requires only knowledge of
the starting point [TFoH: 6, Gateways, 121].
Now, it's been suggested that what the 3rd Age Randlanders call
"Traveling" is not the same thing as the old-time, AOL Traveling. The
only evidence to support this theory is the manner in which Ish
manifests himself in the TEOTW prologue. He kind of shimmered and
appeared--no mention of a "gate" or a doorway. We've not seen anybody
else do this, though; all of the other Forsaken use the standard Gate
method. This "other" way of Traveling may involve the TP; we know that
Ishy used it extensively. It is possible to do a Traveling-like thing
with the TP, by "stepping outside the Pattern," as the Watcher does in
[ACOS: 20, Patterns Within Patterns, 358].
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.3.9: What do Dreamers and Dreamwalkers do?
[Emma Pease]
_________________________________________________________________
* Entering T'A'R: We know that regular people can do this, though
are not usually aware that they are doing so. At times the
Forsaken seem to pull people into T'A'R (the dreams the boys have
in TEotW for instance). Also Dem thinks when he sees Elayne in
T'A'R (LoC) that she has a ter'angreal of the sort used in the AOL
to teach students how to enter T'A'R. My guess is this skill can
be taught to any AS and perhaps to anyone.
* Entering other people's dreams: This is what Egwene does with
Gawyn's dream and it's also the skill the Wise Ones use to pass
messages around. This does seem to be specific to 'dreamers'.
* Foreseeing via dreams: This can also be done by Wolfbrothers.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.3.10: How does Mat's medallion work?
_________________________________________________________________
When Elayne tries to use the Power on Mat in [LoC: 38, A Sudden Chill,
504], she describes the effect as "The flows just...vanished." It
seems that the medallion works by dissolving or destroying Power
Flows. At Balticon 30 (April 1996), RJ said that the medallion only
works on direct weavings of the Power (both saidin and saidar) flows
against the wearer. Evidence that the medallion protects against
saidin comes from [LOC: 44, The Color of Trust, 554]: Halima/Aran'gar
channels at Mat and the medallion activates. Halima, being a male soul
recycled into a woman's body, channels saidin.
Indirect effects of the Power, such as picking up a rock with Air and
throwing it, or lightning (lightning was mentioned by RJ as a specific
example), are not blocked. Thus, failure of the medallion to protect
against the lightning strike at the end of TFOH can be explained.
Rand's belief that the medallion didn't protect Mat from a man's
channelling was in error.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.3.11: What are "involuntary rings"?
_________________________________________________________________
In [TPOD: 2, Unweaving, 82], Moridin is waxing wroth on things which
the Third Agers can do which were not known in the AOL:
"A way to Heal being severed.... Involuntary rings. Those Warders
and the bond they shared with their Aes Sedai.... whenever he
thought he had the measure of them, these primitives revealed some
new skill, did something that no one in his own Age had dreamed
of."
Quite a few people have expressed confusion over what "involuntary
rings" are; here is an explanation. A "ring" is a way of referring to
a group of linked channellers (such a group has been more commonly
called a "circle."). In [TPOD: 2, Unweaving, 83], Moridin wonders
about the repercussions of Ny's group using the weather ter'angreal in
"a ring"; the implication being that he's wondering what would happen
if they used it in a circle. Thus, an "involuntary ring" refers to
channellers being linked against their will. We've seen this done, and
know the device which makes it possible--the a'dam. The mention of
involuntary rings is a reference to the damane, who are linked to the
sul'dam involuntarily.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.3.12: What caused the One Power weirdness in Ebou Dar?
[John Novak]
_________________________________________________________________
At various points through TPOD, we are hit in the face with the fact
that something other than the taint on Saidin is wrong with the One
Power in general. It is described by both male and female channellers
in roughly the same terms, and is widespread enough to cover a radius
of hundreds, if not thousands, of miles. When mentioned, the effect of
this weirdness is to make the One Power difficult and dangerous,
unpredictable, and very hard to control.
This effect began showing up during and after the flight of Elayne,
Nynaeve, and their band from the Kin's farm. Two momentous events
involving the One Power occurred at the farm. First, the Bowl of the
Winds was used to return the weather to its normal patterns. Second,
Elayne attempted a dangerous unraveling of her Gateway with disastrous
and incendiary results.
It was the first of these events (the weather weave) which caused the
weirdness, not the disastrous unraveling. Reasons are as follows:
1) Timing. Even though the two events occur very close together in
both time and narrative, the weirdness of the One Power is clearly
evident immediately after the weather weave, but before the
unraveling. In fact, the weirdness shows up while Elayne is weaving
the Gateway, which is clearly prior to her later unweaving [TPOD: 6,
Threads, 139].
2) The weirdness affects not only Saidar, but Saidin as well. In
[TPOD: 24, A Time for Iron, 469], Dashiva describes a similar
weirdness. It is important to note that he uses almost the exact same
words as Elayne does-- a weave that does not want to form, then forms
quickly and violently. It is the same effect.
By definition, Elayne's weaving and unweaving of the Gateway does not
involve Saidin, and it is difficult to see how a Saidar-only weave
could affect Saidin so profoundly. However, the Bowl of the Winds
incorporated Saidin into its weaves as well. Elayne notes this in
[TPOD: 5, The Breaking Storm, 127]. Perrin's Asha'man see a weave of
Saidin flashing across the sky as well, in [TPOD: 7, A Goatpen, 160].
This same phenomenon was witnessed by the WOs with Perrin as a weave
of Saidar.
3) It is known that the Windfinders have a very different style of
weaving Saidar than anyone else, a style that involves thick,
rope-like strands of Power. This style of weaving, and their
unprecedented personal control over the weather, was unknown in the
Age of Legends, when the Bowl of the Winds was created. Furthermore,
the Bowl of the Winds was designed to control only a small region's
weather, not the weather of an entire continent or an entire world
[TPOD: 2, Unweaving, 83]. It seems plausible that such a massive
over-stressing and over-use of a ter'angreal, which may create
permanent standing weaves over an entire continent, might foul things
up on a global scale.
4) Jordan said so. At a post-POD signing in northern Virginia [21
November, 1998], Jordan confirmed outright in plain language that the
Bowl, not the unweaving, was the cause of the One Power weirdness, and
that it was a case of overstressing a ter'angreal. From John Novak's
report from a post-POD signing in Virginia:
He went into a relatively detailed explanation to the effect that
the Bowl was stressed far, far beyond its original design
parameters because of the advanced knowledge of the Windfinders. It
was affecting a global pattern, when it was designed for only a
small region. Men helping would not have changed anything, and the
effects linger most strongly near Ebou Dar, but also along the
"spokes" which radiated from that place. [TPOD book signing,
Northern Virginia, 21 November, 1998, report by John Novak]
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.3.13: Is Cadsuane's hair thingy a Ter'angreal?
_________________________________________________________________
Cadsuane Melaidhrin sports a hair-ornament the likes of which we've
not seen anywhere else in Randland:
"An iron-gray bun decorated with small dangling golden fish and
birds, stars and moons." [TPOD: 27, The Bargain, 536]
This thing is mentioned in just about every scene in which Cadsuane
appears. While it may just be an unusual fashion accessory, it is
quite possible that it is a ter'angreal or angreal. What makes us
think that?
Throughout TPOD, our attention is drawn to the fact that many
OP-related objects are fashioned in the form of jewelry. Of the three
angreal Elayne finds in the Ebou Dar stash, one is a pin [TPOD: 2,
Unweaving, 74] and another is a strange rings-and-bracelet arrangement
[TPOD: 4, A Quiet Place, 111]. Among the ter'angreal Elayne
identifies, there are: "a necklace and bracelets set with colored
stones, a slim gem-studded belt, several finger rings....they all
matched, meant to be worn together...", and a variety of "finger
rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets and buckles " [TPOD: 4, A Quiet
Place, 110-111]. Graendal has an angreal in the form of a ring [TPOD:
12, New Alliances, 262].
When Cadsuane and Alanna have their little tiff in [TPOD: 12, New
Alliances, 275], Alanna embraces the True Source. Cadsuane's reaction
is: "'If you wish to be truly foolish.' Cadsuane smiled, a cold smile.
She made no move to embrace the Source herself. One of her dangling
hair ornaments, intertwined golden crescents, was cool on her temple."
(emphasis mine) This is an odd time to draw the reader's attention to
the temperature of a mere piece of jewelry. Compare the description to
how Mat's Power-blocking medallion reacts when somebody channels at
Mat (hint: it gets cold).
This all leads us to speculate that the hair thingy is some sort of
ter'angreal which activates when channelling is going on nearby. It
may be a Power-blocker, like Mat's medallion, but note that in the
scene described above, Alanna doesn't actually channel at Cadsuane.
Mat's medallion only activates when flows touch him. An alternative is
that the hair-thingy is some sort of Power-detector. This would not be
very useful in dealing with female channellers, since she can detect
them perfectly well by herself. However, it would be very useful in
dealing with male channellers, which Cadsuane has done rather a lot,
with great success. Here is a scene from [ACOS: 18, As the Plow Breaks
the Earth, 330] which possibly provides supporting evidence:
[Cadsuane asked]: "Is that a tea tray? I would like some, if it's
fresh, and hot." Channelling, Rand scooped up the tray... and
wafted it to the three women. Merana had brought extra cups, and
four still stood unused on the tray. He filled three....
Cadsuane... took her cup and sniffed the vapors with a pleased
smile. Nothing could tell her which of the three men (Rand,
Dashiva, or Narishma) had poured the tea, yet she looked across her
cup straight at Rand.... "That's a good boy," she said.
There's at least a hint that Cadsuane could maybe tell which man was
doing the channelling.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.3.14: The Seven Seals: Status report
_________________________________________________________________
Where we found the Seals, and their current state (broken or not):
1. Found in the Eye of the World with the Horn of Valere and Dragon
Banner, broken;
2. Bayle had one, intact, which he'd bought from a Saldaean antiques
salesman. It was taken by Turak; Moiraine found it after the fight
at Falme, and it was broken by then.
3. Turak had one in his cuendillar collection. Moiraine found it
along with (2). Also broken.
4. Moiraine found one in the Stone of Tear's Great Holding, intact.
5. She found another one in Rhuidean, and made a scratch.
6. Nynaeve found one in the Panarch's Museum in Tanchico,
accidentally broken on the way to Salidar.
7. Mazrim Taim gave the last one to Rand, saying it was found in a
farmhouse in Saldaea. It is still intact.
As far as we know, three seals are still intact (4, 5, and 7),
although they are very, very weak. The intact ones are all in Rand's
possession (or the possession of people on Rand's side.)
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Section 2.4: Days of Yore
_________________________________________________________________
This subsection contains information on and discussion of questions
about things in the past, from the Age of Legends to the Aiel War.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.4.1: Who was Beidomon?
_________________________________________________________________
Beidomon was a male channeller in the AOL who worked with Mierin (aka
Lanfear) to create the Bore. The question is, was he somebody
important to the story, or was he just some poor grad student?
We know that he wasn't one of the male Forsaken. In the Guide, we
learn all of their original names, and what they did before turning to
the Dark Side. None of them were named "Beidomon," and none of them
did the kind of research into the One Power which Lanfear did (See
section 1.1.1).
It has been suggested that LTT was Beidomon, based on the fact that he
and Mierin were lovers at one point, and upon a few scanty quotes. One
of these is from [TEOTW: Prologue, Dragonmount, xv]: "he who brought
the shadow...they named Dragon." The other is [TEotW: 4, 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."
However, this idea does not hold water. For one thing, LTT was named
"Lews Therin Telamon," not "Beidomon." Secondly, we know from [Guide:
6, The Female Forsaken and the Darkfriends, 62] that LTT dumped Mierin
"some years before the drilling of the Bore." Thirdly, LTT was a
politician/bureaucrat, the leader of the Hall of Servants, not a
researcher [Guide: 3, The Age of Legends, 31]. Furthermore, the bits
about him that brought the Shadow being named Dragon are from the late
Third Age and the Fourth Ages, long after true details were confused
and forgotten.
The best guess we can make, based on the scanty evidence we have, is
that Beidomon was just some guy who was part of Mierin's research
group, who assisted her in the actual drilling. The Guide [Guide: 6,
The Female Forsaken and the Darkfriends, 63] tells us that Mierin was
"fortunate to be one of the few to survive the backlash that destroyed
the Sharom and most of the Collam Daan." In other words, there were
few survivors from that catastrophe, and it is likely that Beidomon,
whoever he was, died then and there.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.4.2: Did LTT balefire himself?
[Emmet O'Brien, Korda]
_________________________________________________________________
No. He died by ODing on the One Power. RJ said so at the talk he gave
in Dublin in November 1993.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.4.3: The Green Man and the Song (Tinker, Green Man, Soldier, Aiel)
[Erica Sadun, P. Korda, Teri Pettit, Aaron Bergman]
_________________________________________________________________
Who is the Green Man?
He is Someshta, the last of the Nym, a type of creature which was made
of vegetable matter. He is described first in [TEotW: 49, The Dark One
Stirs, 621]. However we find out exactly who he is in the fourth book.
[TSR: 26, 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, during 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, The Dedicated, 300-1].
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 features
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'. Some male Aiel
worked with the Ogier and the Nym in planting as they had the gift of
the 'Voice', the seed singing (this may not be limited to Aiel; in the
TEOTW prologue, LTT asks Elan Morin if he has the Voice). Although the
Ogier continue to have 'tree singers', the Voice 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 than killing people remains today, but the
talent of the Voice is currently unknown.
What is the Song?
The Tinkers, an early offshoot of the Aiel, decided to give up their
duty of hiding *'angreal and instead dedicate their lives to
re-finding the safety and peace of their past [TSR: 26, The Dedicated,
296]. They believe this will come about through finding the "growing
song," described in [TSR: 26, 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.
For the Tinkers, "The Song" has become more than just the human part
of the AOL growing ceremony. The Tinkers' legendary song is something
that will bring back the peaceful lifestyle known by the Dashain Aiel
during the Age of Legends. Teri Petit explains, "The Tuatha'an began
their search looking for a safe haven where they could return to a way
of life in which Aiel singing together worked wonders. That eventually
got distorted into a life of perpetual travel searching for "The
Song", as if there were just one, and it was something a single
traveler could know." [TSR: 26, The Dedicated, 296]
So, when we say "Will the Tinkers find the Song?" we really mean,
"Will the Tinkers rediscover the AoL growing ceremony, plus the talent
of the Voice, and be able to recreate the peaceful existence of their
ancestors, the Da'shain Aiel?"
If the Song will be found, who will find it?
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 axe 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, and
probably some of the Aiel clan chiefs, have actually heard the Song in
the glass columns of Rhuidean.
Further Evidence that Rand will find the Song:
...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." [TEotW: Prologue, Dragonmount, xv]
(Emphasis mine)
It is entirely possible that the Song is lost forever (or at least
until the Age of Legends comes around again). Aaron Bergman explains:
"In the breaking that followed the sealing of the bore, the Da'Shain
were scattered. Some ended up at Rhuidean with the caravans. Some
broke off, eventually becoming the Tinkers. Anyways, during those
times when mountains moved around when they were bored and food and
water were scarce, the memory of the singing survived. This grew to
become linked with the memory of the peace of the Age of Legends. This
easily progressed to the idea that if they could discover this
ephemeral "Song," the Age of Legends would come anew. I think one of
the themes buried in these novels is that the past is dead. You can't
hope to regain the past. Rand can't go back to the Two Rivers and
become a shepherd. The Age of Legends is dead, it will not return for
a very long time; certainly not in the next (Fourth) Age. The
Tuatha'an are seeking to regain the past. The "Song" is a remnant of
the past. Thus, the Song will not be found." There is no Song that
will recreate the Age of Legends, for it is past.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.4.4: Jain Farstrider: Where is he now?
_________________________________________________________________
Jain seems to have a cult following among the Jordanites. "Jain
lives!" they proclaim. So, as promised, here is a list of all the
suspects inthe "who is Jain in disguise" contest.
In [Guide: 15, The World after the Breaking, 147], we have something
about the last time Jain was seen alive: "No one knows if anything
lies north of the Blasted Lands other than the frozen ice of the
northern ocean. Jain Farstrider was said to have willingly traveled
there; however, whatever knowledge he gained was lost when he vanished
within its trackless depths."
One clue we have as to possible Jain suspects is his age. Malkier fell
a little less than 50 years before TEOTW (say 45-50 years), according
to Lord Agelmar [TEOTW: 47, More Tales of the Wheel, 595]. At the
time, Jain was a young man, say between 17 and 20. Thus, at the start
of TEOTW, Jain would be 62-70 years old--pretty long in the tooth.
Who do people think Jain is? Most of these ideas are loony:
1. Elyas Machera: Both Elyas and Jain are Borderlanders, and Elyas is
pretty old. However, this is unlikely for several reasons. For one
thing, there is no mention of Jain ever having been a Warder, and
we know that Elyas was one. Secondly, there is lots of evidence
that Ishy messed with Jain's brain quite a bit. Elyas is a
Wolfbrother, which seems to offer some protection against that
sort of thing, and if Elyas was touched by the DO, it's likely
that the wolves would reject him.
2. Tam al'Thor: Not very likely, since the ages don't match. (I would
put Tam at 50, tops, probably younger. He's definitely not older
than 60.) Plus, RJ has said that Tam spent his time away from the
2 Rivers in Illian, which precludes his running around the
Borderlands and the Blight. At a signing in Atlanta, RJ said that
Tam and Rand were originally the same character-- a soldier come
home to a small town. This pretty much precludes his being
Farstrider, no?
3. Bayle Domon, because he seems to be very well traveled. However,
the ages match even less than for Tam. Plus, Bayle definitely do
be an Illianer. We've had Bayle-POVs, and there is no indication
that he is anybody other than who he seems-- a very unfortunate
ship captain.
4. Graendal's old man in wrinkled coat. (This might also be the
Domani king she displaced, or that famous general she has working
for her, or the barrel man.)
5. Barrel Man: The befuddled old guy we see spying on Carridin in
[ACOS: 17, The Triumph of Logic, 318]. He, at least, seems to have
the appropriate mental state. (See section 2.2.3.)
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.4.5: The Old Tongue and the New Tongue
_________________________________________________________________
RJ on how he invented the Old Tongue:
"The words come partly from Gaelic, Russian, Arabic, Chinese,
Japanese. The grammar and syntax I believe I invented myself,
although it's possible that another language uses the same. Of
course, just as with English, I have deliberately put in some very
illogical inconsistencies." [America Online chat, 27-6-96]
Why doesn't the Old Tongue bear any relation to the New Tongue spoken
by Rand and Company?
It probably does, but RJ has kindly "translated" the New Tongue into
English so that we can read the books and he can make lots of money
:). Old Tongue phrases are not "translated" in order to add "flavor"
to the story. Think of Tolkien, who did create entire languages. Even
he didn't write The Lord of the Rings in Elvish or some other
Middle-Earth language.
Is there an Old Tongue Dictionary?
There are several on the Web. The first, and one of the most complete
(which many unethical people have plagiarised) is The Compleat Old
Tongue, compiled by Aaron Bergman, Andrea Leistra, Don Harlow, "Mark,"
and "BAClubb." It can be found at
http://www.princeton.edu/~abergman/jordan/cot.html.
Why do all the characters speak the same language?
At the East of the Sun con, held in Sweden 16-18 June, 1995, RJ
explained the concept of the unified language. He said there had been
a single language in use all over the world (the Old Tongue), and the
writing and printing of books continued throughout the Breaking,
albeit to a very limited extent. The written word introduced a very
large conserving factor in the language-change mechanism. (report by
Karl-Johan Noren)
Chad Orzel gives a further explanation of why we shouldn't expect a
lot of language drift:
1. Point the first: three thousand years ago, we have the AOL. At
this point, it's pretty safe to assume that everybody speaks the
same language.
2. Then, we have the Breaking. People scatter, keeping what little
knowledge they can intact. Chaos reigns. Whatever is settled upon
at the end of the Breaking will henceforth be called "The Old
Tongue." Presumably, the Old Tongue is spoken primarily on the
main continent. We have no idea what happens in other areas of the
globe (Seanchan and Shara), but this doesn't really matter, as
we've never heard a Sharan talk, and the Seanchan are the product
of an invasion from Randland proper.
3. Languages drift for a while, but it doesn't matter how much, as
Artur Hawkwing pops up, and conquers everybody. A new lingua
franca is established, which shall be called the New Tongue, or
"English" as Jordan has translated the whole thing anyway.
Presumably whatever they speak has clear roots tracing it to the
Old Tongue. Hawkwing conquers the entire main continent, some of
Shara, has dealings with the Aiel, and his descendents conquer
(and become) Seanchan. Again, everybody speaks the same language,
with a few quirks here and there.
4. Almost a thousand years pass, and languages drift. Now, just how
far can we reasonably expect them to drift? For convenience, let's
look at modern Europe, or at least those parts of Europe which
formed the core of the Roman Empire. This gives Spanish, French,
and Italian, plus a handful of others which I'll ignore
completely. It's been fifteen hundred years or so since Rome fell,
how different are these three? And what are the sources of the
differences between them and Latin? Not that much. If one knows
Italian, one can puzzle out a lot of Spanish, if the
Spanish-speaker talks slowly, and vice versa. All four languages
have many similar words. Now, consider what we've had happening in
Europe in those fifteen hundred years: Most of Europe was at one
time or another overrun by those pesky Germanic types, and Spain
got invaded by Moors. We've had Russian-type languages pushed in
from the East, Scandinavian from the North, and I-don't-know-what
from the South.
Now, look at Randland. Who's going to invade? Hawkwing basically
conquered the world, so there's no one who can bring another
language in from outside. And even if there were such an
incursion, the language being brought in would still be pretty
close to the Old Tongue, since everybody spoke the same language
back in the AoL. And what do we have? We have a good number of
funny accents, the Seanchan slur everything, to the degree that
Our Heroes have trouble understanding them, the Aiel have a number
of odd words for things not found in the Wetlands, Bayle Domon do
be using odd verb forms, and the Taraboners they put the words in
the wrong order, yes? Is this really that unrealistic? Given the
utter lack of invasion from outside, or even the possibility of
same, I don't find it hard to swallow the relative uniformity of
language in Randland.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.4.6: Who or what was (the) Tamyrlin?
_________________________________________________________________
In [TEOTW: Prologue, Dragonmount, xi], Ishy visits LTT after he kills
his family: '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!"'
It's probably not too much of a stretch to assume that the term
"Amyrlin" derives from "Tamyrlin." The "Ring of Tamyrlin" was, after
all, worn by the last leader of the AOL Aes Sedai before the Breaking
of the World began. However, we have no idea of who or what "Tamyrlin"
meant to the AOLers. One idea is that "Tamyrlin" was a person, perhaps
some historical figure who was the original owner of the Ring. Another
idea is that "Tamyrlin" was another word for the First Among Servants
(the leader of the AOL AS). In either case, it is likely that the Ring
was a badge of office for the First Among Servants, rather than LTT's
personal property. Otherwise, Ishy would not have mocked LTT with it.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.4.7: What did Ogier do of old?
[Windsor Williams, Korda]
_________________________________________________________________
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, The Dedicated, 302-5]), but what
other roles did they have? Some clues exist:
Ogier soldiers-- from the Coumin sequence, right at the beginning
[TSR: 26, 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.
Ogier as police or enforcers-- again, from the Coumin sequence [TSR:
26, 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?)
From the Guide and TPOD, we know that Ogier in Seanchan are not all as
peaceful as those in Randland:
* "Ogier make up a portion of the Deathwatch, although they are the
only ones not property, and are considered incredibly fierce and
more deadly than their human counterparts. The Ogier of the
Deathwatch are grim in demeanor and action compared to their
brothers and sisters across the ocean." [Guide: 17, Seanchan, 161]
* "Many Deathwatch Guards went without coat or shirt whenever
possible to display [their raven tattoos]. The humans, anyway.
Ogier Gardeners were not marked or owned, but that was between
them and the Empress." [TPOD: 23, Fog of War, Storm of Battle,
443] This implies that the "Gardeners" are members of the
Deathwatch Guard, despite the odd name.
* The Glossary entry for Deathwatch Guards says: "Deathwatch Guards,
the: The elite military formation of the Seanchan Empire,
including both humans and Ogier." [TPOD: Glossary, 596]
The fact that the Seanchan Ogier participate in warfare indicates that
the Ogier may have a history of being fighters which the Ogier of
Randland proper have lost.
Finally, it is possible that Ogier fought in battle during the Trolloc
Wars. When Rand meets Loial for the first time, he tells Loial that he
is from the Two Rivers, which used to be Manetheren [TEOTW: 36, Web of
the Pattern, 465]. Loial replies, referring to the destruction of
Manetheren, "There was a very fine grove there. Your pain sings in my
heart, Rand al'Thor. We could not come in time." The implication is,
of course, that the Ogier could have helped in the battle if they had
come in time.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.4.8: Were there Ajahs in the Age of Legends?
_________________________________________________________________
In short, no. The Ajahs as we know them did not exist during the AOL.
The Guide tells us [Guide: 9, Formation of the White Tower, 90] that
"the organization of AS in the AOL, or perhaps their manner of
functioning, [was as] 'a vast sea of ajah...all constantly shrinking,
growing, dividing, combining, melting away only to be reborn in some
new guise and begin the process once more.'" We are also told that the
term "ajah" meant "an informal and temporary group of people gathered
together for a common purpose of goal, or by a common set of beliefs."
In other words, the AOL Aes Sedai did not consist of fixed groups,
each dedicated to a different purpose, but rather formed factions
based on the issues at hand. In fact, many of the AOL Aes Sedai were
not "dedicated" Aes Sedai, i.e. people whose career was to be Aes
Sedai, but "followed vocations which had little or nothing to do with
the OP or being Aes Sedai. When it was necessary to form a circle to
perform some task, these AS could be summoned... by the Hall of the
Servants." [Guide: 3, The Age of Legends, 30]
The Ajahs of the present-day AS have their roots in the founding of
the White Tower. In short, during and after the Breaking, there were
many autonomous groups of channellers. Eventually, some of these
groups joined together to form the modern Aes Sedai. The Ajah setup
derives from the goals and principles of the various autonomous groups
who founded the Tower [Guide: 9, Formation of the White Tower, 91-92].
However, one can speculate that the colors of the Ajahs were probably
representative of something in the AoL or a previous Age, because the
Ajah colors are the colors surrounding the Portal Stones.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.4.9: Was the Sharom the Dark One's Prison?
_________________________________________________________________
No. Demandred's analysis [LOC: Prologue, The First Message, 15]
implies that the DO is imprisoned OUTSIDE the world/Pattern, in some
sort of "Dungeon Dimension." The Bore is a kind of thinning of the
universe, a weakness in the space-time continuum, by which the DO can
reach out of the Dungeon Dimension to affect/enter the Real World.
From the RJ Online Q-and-A session on Compuserve (19 October, 1994),
RJ says, "The Sharom and the Collam Daan are a university/research
center." The Guide expands on this, saying, "The Sharom was one of the
classic examples of functional beauty. It might seem impractical to
suspend a building high in the air, especially a scientific research
facility that required its visitors to use an airborne transport or
the OP...." [Guide: 3, The Age of Legends, 34]. So, the Sharom was
some sort of HEP (High-Energy Power) research facility, and its only
connection with the DO's prison is that Meirin and Beidomon used it to
create the Bore.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.4.10: Tigraine = Shaiel, 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, The Last Village, 441-2]
In [TSR: 34, 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 many people comment on how Rand looks like
the Royal Family of Andor (Lord Barthanes [TGH: 32, Dangerous Words,
392], and many Andoran nobles [LOC: 26, Connecting Lines, 380]), the
description of Luc [TSR: 33, A New Weave in the Pattern, 368]), and
there you have it.
In LOC at one point in Caemlyn, Rand finally learns about Tigraine's
story and is very upset until he figures out that he is not actually
directly related to Elayne. Thus, he has placed himself in the family
tree (See Section 2.5.1) even if no one else has.
Yes, this means that Galad is Rand's half-brother.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.4.11: What was the "Vileness" after the Aiel War?
[Richard Boye]
_________________________________________________________________
Well, there were several scandalous affairs involving Aes Sedai which
occurred during the years after the Aiel War:
1. The Amyrlin, Tamra Ospenya, died mysteriously.
2. Several prominent sisters died, also mysteriously.
3. The Red Sitters in the Hall were exiled, and the reasons were
sealed to the Flame. (Sealed to the Flame = Officially, "only the
Amyrlin need know," but often the Amyrlin will swear a sister into
her confidence (e.g. Elaida sealing Seaine to the Flame about
Alviarin and the BA))
4. A campaign of murder was instituted against "lucky men."
5. Thom's nephew and quite a few other men were gentled illegally.
Most of the links between the events were given out in various places
throughout the series, but NS finally nailed down some of the events.
This is now what seems to be the sequence of events:
Tamra Ospenya, the Amyrlin during the Aiel War, was murdered by Jarna
Malari in an effort to learn what she knew about the Second Coming
[ACOS: Prologue, Lightnings, 42]. Jarna was the leader of the BA at
this point. Tamra was also the Amyrlin who was present when Gitara
Moroso had her Foretelling about the Rebirth.
Tamra was canny enough to know that there was some Black Ajah activity
afoot and swore Siuan and Moiraine to secrecy. From NS, we learn that
Tamra really wasn't stupid enough to just send two jumped up Accepted
(Moiraine and Siuan) out to find the Dragon Reborn. She had very
carefully and surreptitiously called in and sent out a group of
Searchers, most of whom were later killed by the BA. It is still
unclear whether Cadsuane was among the Searchers, but it's quite
possible she was. The ones that Siuan and Moiraine were aware of were:
Aisha, Kerene Nagashi, Valera, Ludice and Meilyn Arganya [L:NS, 668].
(Side note: Cadsuane gave Kerene and Meilyn as examples of the
strongest in the Tower.)
From her interrogation of Tamra before killing her, Jarna learned
something about the Second Coming, but misinterpreted it, and didn't
realize that he had just been born. Possibly she construed what she
had learned as the Dragon Reborn was ready to announce himself, or
maybe she just learned that he was alive, but had no idea of his age.
It's unlikely that any of the Searchers chosen by Tamra was BA,
because then the BA would have known the same details Moiraine did
(i.e. the Dragon was a baby, born during the final battle of the Aiel
War, on Dragonmount).
In any event, the race to find the Dragon had begun, and the Black
Ajah unleashed a campaign of murder to get to him first, killing
anyone, man or boy, rumored to be "lucky," on the assumption that any
man who seemed lucky might be channeling, since luckiness is one of
the symptoms of unconscious channeling [L:NS, 712].
However, while that was going on, and for a while afterwards, the Red
Ajah was running a second front of the campaign. Later on, after Jarna
herself was Keeper to Sierin Vayu (the Gray with more than a touch of
Red in her), she implemented a program of search and destroy. Working
through Galina Casban, she directed her to use her Red minions to seek
out any man that could channel and gentle him on the spot. It might
have been the work of a selected cadre of Red Sisters who wouldn't
balk at this flagrant violation of Tower law. We know it is illegal to
gentle a man "extra-judiciously," away from Tower [ACOS: Prologue,
Lightnings, 22]. By doing this, Jarna began a process that would
circumvent the Tower's "Dragon-finding Process," which was to bring
all channeling men to the Tower, where they put him to some sort of
inquest to determine if he was the Dragon Reborn, and then gentled
him. One assumes that they would not have gentled the Dragon Reborn.
One of the victims of this 'search and destroy' mission was Thom's
nephew Owyn. Presumably, Owyn is one the gentled men whose names do
not appear in the Tower records. (One supposes that the fact that
these men are not in the records is why it is dangerous to know about
them.) Elaida's comments seem to insinuate that she participated in at
least one of those missions [ACOS: Prologue, Lightnings, 22].
Meanwhile, all hell breaks loose. Ishamael puts Jarna Malari to death
in a pain amplifier for messing with the program. We know that Ishy
had notions of finding the nascent Dragon Reborn intact so that he
could turn him to the Dark Side of the Force. What Jarna had done was
severely reduce the odds of that happening, so it seems that he killed
her for acting as a loose cannon. It is likely that this is what ended
the campaign of murder by the Black Ajah, but the Reds' illegal search
and destroy mission continued [ACOS: Prologue, Lightnings, 42].
Two years later Sierin Vayu died. Ishamael clamped down on the Great
Council of the Black Ajah to determine that none of them had anything
to do with Sierin's death (one assumes that Ishamael had some plans
for her). It is possible that she gave some sort of tacit approval
toward the 'search and destroy sorties' (she was pro-Red) and the Red
Ajah had a hand in killing her to silence her. Alviarin seems to think
that the Reds did have a hand in her death, and disavowed any Black
participation [ACOS: Prologue, Lightnings, 42].
Whoever was responsible, it was to no avail. The secret came out, and
the Red Sitters in the Hall were exiled. Undoubtedly, the rest of the
Hall assumed that they had also exiled the Red Generalissima, because
pretty much all the other leaders of Ajahs were also Sitters. They
exiled Toveine, Tsutama and Lirene, but left Galina untouched.
There is a slight quibble with that last part. We see from Toveine's
POV in TPOD that she recalls her exile on a farm as lasting "twenty
years," [TPOD: 26, The Extra Bit, 513] but that doesn't wash with the
rest of the continuity, since we know that Owyn at least was gentled
only fifteen years ago [TSR: 17, Deceptions, 195]. If Toveine and her
fellow Sitters were exiled twenty years ago, that places their exile
immediately after the War and probably even before Moiraine and Siuan
learn of the BA murder campaign. This doesn't make sense, because if
the murder campaign was the reason for their exile, it seems difficult
to believe that they would have gotten off with mere exile.
Furthermore, in ACOS, Elaida mentions that all three Sitters went into
exile 15 years ago, which fits more squarely into the timeline [ACOS:
Prologue, Lightnings, 21]. It's likely that Toveine was just
exaggerating or rounding off to the nearest decade (or RJ slipped up).
In L:NS, we see that the Aes Sedai are out in force, and so all this
search and counter-searching certainly makes it public knowledge that
the Aes Sedai are up to something, but it is possible that the Tower
put out the story that the reason for this unusually high level of Aes
Sedai activity is the "Grand Coalition," the treaty organization that
was formed to fight the Aiel. In L:NS, we also hear that there is a
rumor of a channeling man in the Borderlands [L:NS, 642]. This story
was probably fabricated by the AS searchers, so that the increased AS
activity wouldn't be considered particularly odd. Another related
tidbit is that the Aes Sedai seemed to have influenced fashion in the
Borderlands by introducing veils, to better conceal their Ageless
faces.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Section 2.5: True Love and Families
_________________________________________________________________
This subsection contains information on and discussion of questions
relating to romantic and filial relationships.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.5.1: Who's who in the Families?
[Family trees by Erica FAQ-Dowager Sadun]
_________________________________________________________________
TRAKANDS (T) and MANTEARS(M) / 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
| | Mondrellein (M) | | (cousin)
| | | | |
| | | | |
| LUC* (JANDUIN) -+- TIGRAINE(M)m TARINGAIL MOIRAINE
| (M) clan chief | (Daughter Heir (heir?) (half sister
| of Taardad | of Andor ---+---------+ of Taringail,
| | AKA SHAIEL) | | niece of
| | | | Laman)
| | GALADEDRID |
| RAND |
| |
MORGASE(T)---------------------+--------------+
|
GAWYN(T)**
and
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
** Speculated to be bastard of THOM MERRILIN, the gray fox, but probably is no
t.
See Section 2.5.5)
= Exact links unknown, we just know they're related.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.5.2: Who is Juilin's honey?
[Michael Gonzalez, Korda]
_________________________________________________________________
From [ACOS: Glossary, 675]:
"Juilin Sandar - A thief-catcher from Tear. A man in love with
perhaps the very last woman he would ever have thought he could
be."
So, who is it? People have suggested an Aes Sedai, Nynaeve, Birgitte,
etc. However, there is only one idea backed by any demonstration of
tender feelings on Juilin's part: ex-Panarch Amathera of Tarabon:
We know from [ACOS: 14, White Plumes, 273], as well as other places,
that Juilin does not like nobles, so a high noble of some sort might
seem to be the last person he would think he'd fall in love with.
How about some quotes?
* [ACOS, 14, White Plumes, 274] "Tarabon must be terrible now for a
woman not used to taking care of herself," Juilin murmured.
* Going back to the group's trip away from Tarabon, [tFoH: 9, A
Signal, 146], we have:
Nynaeve: "Amathera was difficult, but I do not wish her any harm.
Do you?"
Juilin: "A pretty woman, especially in one of those Taraboner
serving girl's dresses, with a pretty smile. I thought she...."
(shuts up when Elayne shoots him a dirty look.)
So, it looks like Amathera's the woman. It just happens that Amathera
could do with some rescuing at the moment, and is in the same city as
Juilin (Ebou Dar), and is wearing a dress that Juilin would really
like to see her in! :)
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.5.3: Who is the Daughter of the Nine Moons? How will Mat meet her?
_________________________________________________________________
Who is the DotNM?
Mat's fate: "To marry the Daughter of the Nine Moons!"
Daughter of the Nine Moons probably 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, The Wheel Weaves, 420]. It has been pointed out that (at least as
of TGH) there is no set heir, and so the DotNM may be the Empress
herself, or one of her daughters (besides Tuon). An outside runner is
Berelain, who is supposedly descended from Hawkwing and thus "of the
Blood," literally. Part of that theory is that "half the light of the
world" refers to Mayene being a great supplier of lamp oil.
In Ebou Dar in [LoC: 52, Weaves of the Power, 641], Mat runs into a
Seanchan guy who recognizes the name "Daughter of the Nine Moons."
This makes it pretty clear that the Daughter of the Nine Moons refers
to somebody Seanchan. The epilogue makes further clarification [LoC:
Epilogue, The Answer, 697]: "Perhaps the Return would come soon, and
the Daughter of the Nine Moons with it." The Daughter is maybe a
leader of the Return. It has been suggested that the Seanchan
themselves don't know who the DotNM is, and that the Return will
reveal her identity to them. (I gather this theory is that the DotNM
is some sort of messiah figure for the Seanchan, or something like
that.) Chances are that Mat is going to meet her RSN, since he's
trapped in a town that has just been invaded by the Seanchan.
How will Mat meet the DotNM?
There's been a lot of speculation about how Mat will fall into the
Daughter's clutches, er, arms. A lot of it has centered around Mat's
signet ring (see section 2.1.1), which has birds (maybe ravens?) and
moons (maybe nine?) on it, and his spear, which has ravens on it.
However, these links are kind of tenuous, and anyway, Mat left his
spear behind in the Tarasin Palace. However, Mat has more than the
ring to point him out to the Seanchan as somebody to pay attention to.
Donald Crankshaw explains:
Has anyone else noticed that Mat still had Tylin's note when the
building fell on him? I didn't notice until a couple of days ago when
re-reading a few of my favorite scenes from ACOS. At the beginning of
the chapter "A Note from the Palace" (there's even a chapter named
after the note), Mat's wearing a green coat. After reading the note:
"'The Queen thinks I need new clothes,' Mat said, stuffing the note
into his coat pocket." [ACOS: 37, A Note from the Palace, 583]. We
know Mat's still wearing the coat later; we're practically hit over
the head with it. At the FCA (Female Channelers Anonymous) meeting in
[ACOS: 39, Promises to Keep, 605]: "He himself was still in his muck,
with his dusty green coat hanging open and the silver foxhead caught
in the neck of his half-undone shirt." And finally, just before the
building fell on him, "[He was] hoping none of the Seanchan would
think he was one of Tylin's soldiers. He should never have worn a
green coat." [ACOS: 39, Promises to Keep, 622]
Now I knew that Mat was wearing the Ring o' the Nine Moons when he was
buried under the rubble, but I hadn't really figured out how the
Seanchan, whom I'm certain will be the ones to find him, would connect
him with the palace. I was pretty sure he had to go back, that's where
he left his ashanderei, but I didn't know how. I wonder what the
Seanchan will make of that note.
Here's a copy of it, just because I have nothing better to do:
Mat, my sweet,
I am having your things moved to my apartments. So much more
convenient. By the time you return, Riselle will be in your old
rooms to look after young Olver. He seems to enjoy her company.
I have seamstresses coming to measure you. I will enjoy watching
that. You must wear shorter coats. And new breeches, of course. You
have a delightful bottom. Duckling, who is this Daughter of the
Nine Moons I made you think of? I have thought of several delicious
ways to make you tell me.
Tylin
Let's see, it mentions Olver, Riselle (I don't think she's really
important), Tylin (this would not have been enough to indicate that
it's the Queen rather than some other Tylin-- except that the letter
has her seal), Mat's name, enough details to give a pretty good idea
what Tylin and Mat's relationship is, and, oh yeah, the Daughter of
the Nine Moons. You know, suddenly this note seems pretty significant.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.5.4: Why do we think that Thom will marry Moiraine?
_________________________________________________________________
Moiraine says she knows the face of the man she will marry better than
El/Eg/Ny know their future husbands [TSR: 6, Doorways, 90-1]. This
could mean that she will never wed, but it could mean that she really
does know who she will end up marrying. Support for the latter case is
that, according to Elayne, Moiraine had some passion in her voice when
she mentioned a husband, despite her attempts to then brush it off.
After going through the Tear twisted doorway, she immediately tells
Thom that he will live through the next set of adventures. This is not
the only example of Moiraine being so sure of Thom's fate; while the
party is traveling through the ways in TEOTW, Moiraine implies that
Min saw something about Thom which makes her think that Thom was not
killed by the Fade [TEOTW: 45, What Follows in Shadow, 568]. She
certainly seems to have some sort of knowledge of Thom's future. Thom
keeps referring to Moiraine as a good-looking woman with more and more
sincerity as time progresses and he 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 a 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
she 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, Deceptions, 195] At this point, she is absolutely certain that she
will see Thom again. This is before she goes to Rhuidean and goes
through the rings that show possible futures. When she did that, she
saw nothing beyond the point where she tackled Lanfear through the
Twisted Doorway. She thus decided that Min (or whatever oracle led her
to think she would see Thom again) had been wrong. [Sean Hillyard]
Note that, right before tackling Lanfear, Moiraine suppresses a "small
bubble of hope," which she feels, even though she is sure she's about
to die [TFOH: 52, Choices, 632].
Add to all this speculation Egwene's Dream of Thom pulling Moiraine's
blue head jewel out of a fire (i.e. Thom rescuing Moiraine from
durance vile in Finnland). Nothing sparks a romance (in stories, at
any rate) like a rescue.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.5.5: Is Thom the father of Elayne 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, entry "Damodred, Prince Taringail", 661]
In [TSR: 17, Deceptions, 194], Moiraine says Thom was "Morgase's lover
for a time, after Taringail died" (emphasis mine). 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. Plus, Thom didn't say or
think anything to contradict Moiraine's statement.
If Morgase had been having an affair with Thom while still married to
Taringail, it is very unlikely that she would have been able to keep
it entirely under wraps; surely some rumor would have been around,
especially in Cairhien. However, we see no evidence of such a rumor
existing. Specifically, in [LoC: 50, Thorns, 628] when Rand mentions
to some Cairhienin that he means to have Elayne rule Cairhien, the
Cairhienin think she'd be a good choice, due to her descent from her
father Taringail Damodred. If Morgase was unfaithful, surely there
would have been some doubt as to Elayne's right to the throne of
Cairhien.
At a post-ACOS signing [Dunwoody, GA, 9 October, 1996], RJ strongly
denied that Thom was Elayne or Gawyn's father. "Thom is exactly who he
says he is."
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.5.6: Kari al'Thor: What do we know about her?
[J. R. Feehan, Anthony Padilla]
_________________________________________________________________
* Tam met Kari sometime before the end of the Aiel War. (ref. Tam's
ranting in the woods)
* Kari is from Caemlyn. [TGH: 8, The Dragon Reborn, 105]
* Kari did not give birth to Rand. [TEOTW: 6, The Westwood, 73] (and
other refs, too numerous to note)
* Kari had red hair. [TEOTW: 16, The Wisdom, 202]
* Kari, supposedly, had gray eyes which Rand was supposed to have
inherited. [TEOTW: 1, An Empty Road, 2] (Rienk Tychon suggests
that she may actually not have had grey eyes, but that Tam just
told him that--not likely, since he was delirious at the time, and
Tam should certainly know the color of his wife's eyes) "Kari" has
dark eyes in Ishy's vision at the end of TEOTW. This might
indicate that the "Kari" in the vision wasn't real (TEOTW near the
end).
* Kari died when Rand was young, perhaps from a disease that made
her "waste away" or something. (There are no refs to a wasting
sickness in TEOTW or TGH, and I don't think there are any refs in
other books, but I leave this in in case I find one.)
* Kari didn't approve of Tam's sword. [TEOTW: 5, Winternight, 56]
All Rand can remember of her was her smile and her hands. Nynaeve said
it was obvious that she loved Rand, and that she was very nice. Even
still, she was only in the Two Rivers for a few years, if all Rand can
remember is her smile. She probably had known Tam for quite a while,
while he was in Andor. At any rate, their relationship went on long
enough for him to say in his fever dream that she "Always said you
wanted to have children." That "always" would imply that her and Tam
didn't get hitched after like a month-long romance, and that maybe
they'd been married a while before they found Rand, and maybe tried to
have kids of their own, to no avail, which would have taken a while to
find out.
At a book signing, RJ is reported to have said that we'll find out a
little more about Kari later.
Loony Kari theories: People have thought that Kari was Tigraine
(somehow still alive after dying on the slopes of Dragonmount) or an
Aiel Wise Woman looking after Shaiel's kid (which cannot be b/c Moir.
said that Kari's from Caemlyn) or an Aes Sedai who'd been stilled
(someone said she was wasting away and that's why she died and Tam was
her Warder, etc. Wouldn't the White Tower have gotten to Emond's Field
faster if Kari had been one?) or a Tinker or she was related to some
Caemlyn noble we know. Don't know why exactly, but she does have red
hair, and the Caemlyn nobles also have red hair.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.5.7: 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]. On the other
hand, the WOs' plot may be to tie Rand to the Aiel via love and
marriage, not fatherhood, and Amys was 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 if I have to lay the..." Aiel
women propose marriage by laying a wreath of flowers at a man's feet;
this implies that their goal is marriage and Aviendha has been quite
successful-- all she has to do now is accept. Surely if the WOs knew
that Avi was pregnant with Rand's kid, they'd be more insistent that
she stay with them, under their influence, toh to Elayne
notwithstanding.
Some people have suggested that Aviendha's barfing on the boat in
[ACOS 13, The Bowl of the Winds, 268] is an indication of morning
sickness. However, there is no indication of her being ill on any
other day, and RJ gives us an explanation for her queasiness on the
one in question--the idea of being in an open boat, surrounded by
water, is too much for her.
If Avi were pregnant, she would surely be showing some symptoms by
now. For sure she would know it, or at least have suspicions, having
missed a few periods. By the beginning of TPOD, it's been about four
months since Rand and Avi did the "Far Snows Dance." In particular,
There were exactly 130 days from the Far Snows Dance to the Seanchan
attack on Ebou Dar. That's 18 (seven-day) weeks and 4 days. However,
by the time of the last scene in TPOD in which Aviendha is involved
(end of chapter 28), another 30 days have passed. So almost 23 weeks
have gone by.
I'm sure that this would give her more toh towards Elayne, and yet she
doesn't say she's pregnant with Rand's child when she confesses to El.
She only says she is in love with him, and has lain with him [LOC: 40,
Unexpected Laughter, 523]. In her POV section in [TPOD: 1, To Keep the
Bargain, 45-66], there is no indication that she thinks she might be
with child, even in the bit where she is thinking about a child
(Olver). Thus, if Avi is pregnant, she has no suspicion of it.
While that seems unlikely, it is not impossible. It's been suggested
that her ignorance of her condition could be explained by: 1) She may
have irregular periods, so missing a few wouldn't sound any warning
bells; 2) Avi's lifestyle is pretty active, and often, a first
pregnancy doesn't "show" until later, especially for a woman in very
good shape; 3) Avi herself has admitted that she doesn't know much
about men and family stuff, so she could be clueless about any signs
of pregnancy which she may be experiencing.
The Nynaeve Evidence
Dave Rothgery points out: "What I find hard to believe is not Avi not
noticing, or even Avi not showing yet. But that Nynaeve, a medical
expert who's dealt with every pregnant woman in Emond's Field for a
dozen years, wouldn't notice is beyond reason." Indeed, as the village
Wisdom (and thus healer and midwife), Nynaeve should have plenty of
experience with pregnancy, and knowing the signs of it. If Avi is
pregnant, Nynaeve should at least be suspicious that something is up.
As a counterargument, it has been suggested that if Ny did know, she
could be respecting Avi's privacy and the consequences that would
follow from her pregnancy being known, consequences such as people
trying to get to Rand through Avi and the unborn kid. This doesn't
really hold up, because Ny has shown a distinct lack of clue with
respect to the Elayne-Aviendha-Rand situation. Furthermore, one might
buy that Ny wouldn't tell other people about any suspicions, but she
would surely inform Aviendha of her possible condition, and that
brings us back to the problem of Aviendha's complete ignorance.
There is the remark Ny makes to Avi: "I'll fix you a tea when I have a
chance. I know several that will soothe your stomach. Or any woman's
troubles." [TPOD: 1, To Keep the Bargain, 55] These "woman's troubles"
are unlikely to be pregnancy, because of the argument above-- if Ny
thought Avi might be pregnant, she would have talked to her about it,
and Avi wouldn't be unaware of her situation. It is more likely that
Ny is referring to cramps and other PMS stuff, especially since
Aviendha was acting cranky right before Ny offered the tea.
Furthermore, as Rich Boye' points out: "'woman troubles' is a very
sexist way to characterize pregnancy and I can't see Uber-Woman
Nynaeve dismissing female reproduction that way."
People have suggested that Nynaeve, experience notwithstanding, would
not necessarily notice that Avi was pregnant, if she didn't show it
much. This would especially be the case since she is so preoccupied
with Lan right now. However, if Avi were pregnant, Nynaeve would know,
without a doubt (you'll see why in a minute). If Nynaeve knew, she
would regard it as her Wisdomly duty to to make sure Avi knew about it
so that she could take care of herself, with several invectives about
no-good men thrown in for good measure. Because of this, it is almost
certain that Avi is not pregnant. Here's why:
In [TPOD: 6, Threads, 144-151], Aviendha and Birgitte stay with Elayne
as she works to unweave the Gateway that the Kin, Seafolk, AS, etc
took to Andor from the Farm. As Elayne unweaves, Birgitte and Aviendha
fight the Seanchan who are trying to come through the gate. During
this fight, Birgitte takes an arrow in the thigh and Aviendha takes
one in her arm. While she is wounded, Aviendha channels fireballs at
the Seanchan. RJ makes clear that this takes a lot of effort. The
three of them finally ride away from the gate, over a crest. One of
the damane comes through the gateway and shields Elayne, causing the
gateway to detonate in a spectacular fashion. The explosion turns the
Seanchan who were at ground zero into fine black ash, kills two of the
three horses the women have, and cause severe injuries to all three
women, all over their bodies. Elayne's description is that they've
been "thrashed within an inch of their lives."
Got it? Aviendha has lots of injuries, all over her body.
Nynaeve and Lan show up, and Nynaeve Heals all three of them [TPOD:
20, Into Andor, 390].
Now, we know that Healing involves "scanning" the patient with the
Power, to find out the nature and extent of the injuries. Since
Aviendha was injured all over, Nynaeve would have had to scan her all
over. If Aviendha was more than four months pregnant, Nynaeve would
have detected it-- that's a big physiological change, even if the
woman isn't showing it externally.
You'll have to go really far out on a limb to claim that Ny STILL
could not know about it, after having given Avi a full-body,
inside-to-out scan.
So, we are left with the only way for Avi to be pregnant is for
Nynaeve to know about it, but NOT telling Avi, and not making any
effort to make sure that Avi takes good care of herself and her unborn
child. It would be VERY out of character for Aviendha to not tell
Elayne if she knew she was pregnant by Rand, especially after the
degree of closeness the two show for each other in the aftermath of
the explosion.
It would be even more out of character for Nynaeve to know Avi is
carrying a child, and not talk to her about it or try to take care of
her. Over the course of 8 books and one novella, RJ has been very
consistent in his characterization. This is not a slip he would make.
If he wanted to conceal Avi's pregnancy, he would have done it via
plot manipulation, not character manipulation (e.g. have Aviendha not
be shot, and have her land on the side of her horse away from the
explosion, and thus miraculously avoid injury).
I guess it is possible that Ny just Healed the three women without
checking them for non-obvious injuries, but that would be sloppier
work than Ny has shown herself capable of in the past.
Fortunately, this is one question RJ can't keep us in the dark about
much longer; another month or so of book time, and it will be obvious
if she is or isn't pregnant.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Section 2.6: What's up? (Non-dark section)
_________________________________________________________________
This subsection contains information on and discussion of questions
and puzzles related to people and happenings which don't (necessarily)
touch directly upon the Shadow.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.6.1: What is the deal with Callandor? Who will use it?
_________________________________________________________________
The "Into the heart" prophecy (see section 4.05), suggested that maybe
somebody besides Rand would remove Callandor from the Stone: "Who
draws it out shall follow after". In TPOD this did happen, although
not in a very dramatic fashion. Narishma went to Tear to retrieve the
Sword That Ain't for Rand. Bo-ring. Fortunately for our active
imaginations, we got lots of new fodder for Callandor theories.
What's the deal with the "flaw"?
In [TPOD: 27, The Bargain, 539-540], Cadsuane tells Rand about a flaw
in Callandor, which she claims to have discovered in some moldy
documents in the Tower Library:
"It is flawed, lacking the buffer that makes other sa'angreal safe
to use. And it apparently magnifies the taint, inducing wildness of
the mind. So long as a man is using it, anyway. The only safe way
for you to use The Sword That Is Not a Sword, the only way to use
it without the risk of killing yourself, or trying to do the Light
alone knows what insanity, is linked with two women, and one of
them guiding the flows."
This not only explains the mess Rand made of things at the end of the
Ebou Dar campaign (which was compounded by the Ebou Dar Power
Anomaly), but also the megalomania displayed by Rand during and after
the attack in the Stone in [TSR: 10, The Stone Stands 136-138]. What
insanity? As John Rowat points out, "He went a little nutso, thought
he could raise the dead, and it took him an hour or so to realize that
he could just fry all the bad guys at once." Also, it explains a
statement by SS in [TDR: 29, A Trap to Spring, 276] in which she
refers to a woman wielding Callandor. In particular, she's talking to
Eg and Ny, and says, "With Callandor in your hands, child, you could
level a city at one blow." Previously, that seemed really silly, since
Callandor was, as far as we knew, a male-only sa'angreal. However,
Cadsuane's statement indicates that Callandor can at least be used by
a circle of two women and one man, with a woman controlling the flows
(and thus, effectively, wielding the Sword That Ain't). Given that SS
has made the Dragon Reborn her life's work, it is reasonable to
suppose that she may have discovered and read the same moldy documents
as Cadsuane.
Now we must ask, why was the thing flawed in the first place? John
Novak gives us some ideas:
"Given that it was made in the shape of a sword and seems to have no
other real purpose than as a weapon, I think it is safe to say that it
was created either during or after the War of Power. In either of
these cases, it was probably the result of one serious-assed QRC
(Quick Response Contract). That alone will increase the probability
that things aren't exactly up to specifications. Further, if it was
made after the war, then by definition it was made after the Taint was
created by the Dark One. I would hazard a guess that men are needed to
make a male-oriented angreal or sa'angreal, so there's another
potential reason for it to be screwed up. Hell, for all we know, that
was the last attempt ever made at creating a male (sa')angreal."
Who will use Callandor?
When Rand finds out about the flaw in Callandor, he decides not to use
Callandor in the future. This means that we can just change all of our
"Who will retrieve Callandor" theories with "Who will use Callandor"
theories.
Logain is still the most popular candidate. This could be the "future
glory" envisioned by Min. Even though Verin said that Logain would be
burnt to a crisp trying to control the sa'angreal, we know by now that
AS don't know everything. Furthermore, any man who would use Callandor
safely needs two trusted female channellers with whom to work. (In
fact, since a woman must control the flows, better to say that any
woman who would use Callandor needs another woman and a man to assist
her!) Conveniently, Logain has started his own personal Green Ajah,
and has bonded two Aes Sedai. Perhaps Logain and his two women will
use Callandor, before all is said and done.
Another candidate for Callandor-using is the same Asha'man who brought
it out of the Stone, Jahar Narishma. He is one of the few Asha'man
under Rand's influence, rather than Taim's, and he demonstrated his
loyalty by bringing the Sword to Rand, rather than taking it for
himself, so Rand might trust him to use Callandor. On the other hand,
given Cadsuane's warning, and Rand's own experiences with the Sword,
it is not certain that he'd be willing to let anybody use it. In any
case, the prophecy does say "who draws it out will follow after."
Narishma drew it out, and perhaps "following after" means that he will
use the Sword.
Eg's dream of a dark young man holding something glowing [ACOS: 10,
Unseen Eyes, 203] could refer to Logain and Callandor or Narishma and
Callandor, although I don't think that Logain exactly qualifies as
young, from Egwene's perspective (26 to her 18).
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.6.2: 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, New Friends and Old Enemies, 305], 2) A red-hot iron and an axe
[TGH: 43, A Plan, 511]. For Rand, we have: A bloody hand and a white
hot iron [TEotW: 15, Strangers and Friends, 181]. Here are the ideas:
1) Elayne gets captured and leashed by the Seanchan. Rand, or somebody
else, is somehow forced to wear the bracelet (recall that little
Seanchan game?) [TGH: 40, Damane, 484]). Somebody then chops off
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]
2) Joe Shaw has suggested: 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, 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.
3) 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. The person gets into more trouble, and
has their hand chopped off. Rand has nothing to do with it. His bloody
hand is something else. Problem with this theory is that Amadicia is
now under Seanchan control, and old Amadician laws probably don't
apply any more.
4) Galad's hand gets chopped for having stolen the boat in Samara 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.]
RJ said, at a signing, that he deliberately made Rand like Tew, the
Norse god of strife, who lost a hand.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.6.3: Who are the Aelfinn and Eelfinn?
[Erica Sadun, Sean Hillyard, P. Korda]
_________________________________________________________________
The Aelfinn and Eelfinn (henceforth referred to as "the Finn") are
strange tricksy critters who live in other dimensions. They are also
known as the Snakes and Foxes, because of their appearances, and have
long-standing tricksy relationships with humans: giving gifts and
answers... at a price.
Most of what we know about the Finn is from TSR. There is also a
little bit in the Guide.
What we know from the Tear doorway (From [TSR: 6, Doorways, 95] and
[TSR, 15, Into the Doorway, 174-180]:
* There seems to be some kind of agreement concerning the use of the
door. Anyone may enter who does not bring sources of light (lamps,
torches), iron, or instruments of music. The snakes will then
answer three questions which pertain to the future of the asker.
"Frivolous questions are punished, it seems, but it also seems
what may be serious for one can be frivolous coming from another.
Most importantly, questions touching the Shadow have dire
consequences." What sort of consequences? Moiraine mentions death
and madness.
* How do they provide true answers? Moiraine speculates, "That world
is... folded... in strange ways.... It may be that that allows
them to read the thread of a human life, read the various ways it
may yet be woven into the Pattern." This explanation seems to fit
with what the snakes said while Mat was in there.
* What do the snakes 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 manner. The Aes Sedai who studied this ter'angreal
... spoke of a strong desire to bathe afterward."
* The presence of two ta'veren placed some sort of strain on the
place, causing it to almost fall apart.
* As can be surmised from their questions upon entering, the snakes
don't like fire: Rand uses a fire-sword to keep them off of him:
"The sword kept them back; they wouldn't even look at it. Shied
away. Hid their eyes."
* The space the snakes live in is very weird, indeed. Moiraine, Mat,
and Rand all enter and exit it through the twisty door around the
same time, but they don't see any sign of one another while
inside.
What we know from the Rhuidean doorway (From [TSR: 24, Rhuidean,
278-282] and [TSR: 26, The Dedicated, 306-307]):
* The foxes also speak of a treaty in using the doorway. The spear
Mat gets from them also mentions treaties and agreements: "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."
* Again, no iron or musical instruments, or ways to make light.
* Instead of answering three questions, the foxes grant three
wishes.
* 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 an unpleasant one, from
what we can infer of it.
What we know from Birgitte's talk with Perrin [TSR: 28, To the Tower
of Ghenjei, 323-324]:
* The Tower of Ghenjei is a route to the realms of the Finn. (The
Tower is a large, metallic tower with no doors which is located in
Andor. Perrin chases Slayer to it in TAR in [TSR: 28, To the Tower
of Ghenjei, 322], and it is seen from Bayle Domon's boat in
[TEOTW: 24, Flight Down the Arinelle, 299-300]) It is "hard enough
to leave in the world of men. Here [in TAR] it is all but
impossible."
* The way to "beat" the snakes and foxes is to break the rules.
"Courage to strengthen, fire to blind, music to daze, iron to
bind."
* The Finn "are not evil the way the Shadow is evil, yet they are so
different from humankind they might as well be. They are not to be
trusted."
From the Guide [Guide: 3, The Age of Legends, 33]:
* "The answers received [from the snakes] are always true, though
not easily understood."
* "The requests are always granted, though not always as intended by
the petitioner."
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 Finnland? [Erica S.]
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.6.4: Where do the Aes Sedai get their money?
_________________________________________________________________
The Aes Sedai, both collectively and individually, never seem to lack
for funds. Where do they get the money? Here are some ideas:
* Private income (e.g. Moiraine's estates in Cairhien)
* Income from property owned by the Tower and/or the Ajahs
* Tar Valon straddles the crossroads of some of the major trade
routes on the continent. The Tower likely collects docking fees,
tariffs, etc.
* Gifts from various nobles/merchants for services (e.g. Healing)
and as bribes
* Donations from various governments who support the Tower (e.g.
Borderlands, Andor)
* Tar Valon is probably a main banking center for Randland: the AS
have incentive for having one and the very stable government helps
it to be formed, and Tar Valon coins are seen commonly around
Randland.
* The Tower probably taxes the residents of Tar Valon and the
surrounding villages.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.6.5: The Mystery of the Salidar Sitters
[P. Korda, John S. Hamby, Karl-Johan Noren]
_________________________________________________________________
In [TPOD: 16, Unexpected Absences, 340-341], Siuan tells Egwene about
a pattern she has noticed about the Salidar Hall:
"Aside from Romanda and Moria, the Sitters chosen in Salidar are...
they're too young.... Escaralde is the oldest, and I'm sure she
isn't much past seventy.... It isn't often the Hall has held more
than one Sitter under a hundred, and here we have nine! ... When a
woman is raised too young, there's a reason.... This time, there
were more than enough sisters of proper age to choose from, and I
can't see five Ajahs deadlocking on all of them. There is a
pattern, and I mean to pick it out."
Egwene doesn't believe that there is anything suspicious going on.
However, SS has been described several times as being very good at
noticing patterns and solving puzzles. From [TPOD: 16, Unexpected
Absences, 340]: "Siuan had shown herself very skilled at detecting
patterns where others saw only a jumble." In [L:NS, 666], Moiraine
thinks, "There were too many questions, and not an answer to be found.
She wished Siuan were there; Siuan was very good at puzzles, and
nothing shook her." So, since SS is so smart, we shouldn't follow Eg's
suit by dismissing Siuan's ideas out of hand.
Now, to try to figure out what the deal is with the Sitters, we'll
consider several things: the factions, who is new, who is "too young,"
how they voted on the War Vote, how they reacted to the result of the
War Vote, whether they stood for Egwene as Amyrlin in the first vote,
and whether they've promoted any hair-brained schemes which could have
proven disastrous for the Salidar AS.
Who's Who among the Salidar Sitters
What information do we have?
1. In [LOC: 35, In the Hall of the Sitters, 472-476] Egwene is
raised: voting occurs, and at the end, the Sitters line up by age.
This last bit establishes Romanda, Lelaine, and Janya as the three
oldest Sitters, and Delana as being one of the nine youngest.
2. From [ACOS: 11, An Oath, 214], we find that all the original
sitters but one follow Romanda or Lelaine. The factions are given
in [TPOD: 16, Unexpected Absences, 327]. Lelaine's followers are
Faiselle, Takima, and Lyrelle. Romanda's followers are Magla,
Saroiya and Varilin.
3. Siuan's explanation of her "too young" theory to Egwene [TPOD: 16,
Unexpected Absences, 340-341]. From this we learn that there are
nine Sitters who are too young.
4. In the same passage, we find that five of the six Ajahs in Salidar
raised Sitters who are too young.
5. Of the Sitters raised in Salidar, only Romanda and Moria are old
enough.
6. Various passages indicate that one or another of the Sitters is
newly-raised, or one of the original ones.
7. In [TPOD: 19, The Law, 385-389], the Hall votes on declaring War
on Elaida. The votes of all the Sitters are given.
8. Given the rarity of young Sitters, it is not too much of a stretch
to assume that all of the young Sitters are newly-chosen. If
nothing else, Siuan would have mentioned a young original sitter
as an exception when she was explaining her theory. This would
mean that there are 11 new Sitters and 7 original ones. (Note that
it is possible that there is a young, original Sitter, but that
just complicates matters, so for now, we'll assume not.)
9. From 1, 2, and 5, we can conclude that Janya is the independent
original Sitter.
10. From 4 and 5, the Blue Ajah is the only one which didn't raise a
too-young Sitter. (Lyrelle is one of the original Sitters.)
11. Seven original Sitters, less Lelaine and Janya, makes five
originals who follow Lelaine or Romanda. Since there are six
followers altogether, only one of the followers is newly-raised.
12. After Delana tosses her cookies in [TPOD: 19, The Law, 388], we
have, "Magla and Saroiya... looked as though they might follow her
example. No others who had been chosen in Salidar, though." This
passage is ambiguous, in that we don't know whether "others"
refers to Delana or to Magla and Saroiya, and thus, we don't know
if this means that Magla and Saroiya are newly-chosen or original.
However, whichever way it is meant, it indicates M and S were
either both chosen in Salidar, or both were not. Since they both
follow Romanda, both of them cannot be newly-chosen (because of
11). So, both of them must be original Sitters.
13. From 2, 9, and 12, we can conclude that the Salidar Sitters who
were members of the original Hall are Lelaine, Lyrelle, Janya,
Takima, Magla, Saroiya, and either Varilin or Faiselle.
From [LOC: 35, In the Hall of the Sitters, 472-476], we know that
Delana, Kwamesa, Janya, and Malind stood for the first vote. Samalin,
Lelaine, and Romanda did not. With respect to hair-brained schemes, in
[TPOD: 16, Unexpected Absences, 331] there is a list of suggestions
from the sitters on how to raise money. Moria proposed to stop paying
the soldiers, which any idiot knows would mean the army would melt
away. Malind suggested hitting up nearby nobles for donations,
something Egwene thought would turn the whole countryside against
them. Salita wanted to levy a tax on villages, which Egwene also
thought was a bad idea. In [ACOS: 11, An Oath, 215], we hear about a
proposal from Delana that Elaida be publicly denounced as Black Ajah,
a move which would cause public confidence in Aes Sedai to plummet.
Romanda suggests that all sisters be interrogated about being BA, and
any who refuse should be shielded and confined, a move sure to cause a
mutiny. In response to Romanda's idea, Lelaine wants Egwene to forbid
mention of the BA as "fomenting discord." This plan "would have every
sister convinced not just that there was a Black Ajah, but that Egwene
was part of it." [ACOS: 12, A Morning of Victory, 247]
Summary:
First
Sitter Ajah Faction New? Young? War Amyrlin Scheme?
Vote
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Romanda Yellow Romanda Y N N N Y
Magla Yellow Romanda N N N - -
Salita Yellow - Y Y Y - Y
Saroiya White Romanda N N N - -
Aledrin White - Y Y Y - -
Berana White - Y Y Y - -
Varilin Gray Romanda ? ? N - -
Delana Gray/Black Halima Y Y Y Y Y
Kwamesa Gray - Y Y Y Y -
Lelaine Blue Lelaine N N Y N Y
Lyrelle Blue Lelaine N N Y - -
Moria Blue - Y N Y - Y
Faiselle Green Lelaine ? ? N - -
Samalin Green - Y Y Y N -
Malind Green - Y Y Y Y Y
Takima Brown Lelaine N N N - -
Janya Brown - N N Y Y -
Escaralde Brown - Y Y Y - -
What is the secret in the Hall?
Siuan thinks that the "pattern" in the hall is connected with the
relative youthfulness of the new sitters. In fact, when the War Vote
is being taken, and Egwene doesn't get as many votes as she and Siuan
expected, Egwene thinks that the discrepancy might be due to Siuan's
pattern.
Here are some ideas for what the Secret of the Salidar Sitters might
be.
1. Egwene is actually right when she thinks "Older sisters were more
likely to be tied to old ways...everything was shifting... Surely that
was why younger women, more open to the new, had been chosen." [TPOD:
16, Unexpected Absences, 341] Conceivably, this could be true, but see
the commentary on Siuan's puzzle-solving ability at the start of this
section.
2.The new young Sitters are sacrificial lambs in case things go wrong,
along the lines of Elaida's thoughts on Egwene being chosen as Amyrlin
over Romanda, Sheriam or Lelaine [ACOS: Prologue, Lightnings, 25].
Note that Elaida is not exactly correct; Siuan and Leane guided the
Salidar Six, and through them the Hall, into choosing Egwene. However,
the people behind choosing the new Sitters (possibly the seven
original sitters, Romanda and Lelaine, or the Salidar Ajah heads?) may
have been of Elaida's school of thought, and so it might still apply
to the choice of Sitters in Salidar. The anomalies of Romanda and
Moria can be explained as exceptions. The Blues have little to nothing
to gain from a re-approachment under Elaida so choosing a traditional
Sitter who will follow Lelaine (so was the idea when Moria was chosen)
and present a strong stable front for the Blues makes sense. Romanda
clearly did not think that the Salidar effort was going to fail or
else she would not have joined, right? After all if she went to
Salidar in hopes of becoming Amyrlin she must have thought it worth
the consequences of failure.
3. All the too-young Sitters are Black Ajah. After all, Delana is BA
and too young. One problem with this is that only Delana upchucks as a
result of the vote. Then again, Delana is probably the only BA who
knows about Halima. Another problem is that this supposes that a full
half the Salidar Hall is BA. While the Hall is disorderly, it sure
doesn't show any evidence of being dominated by Darkfriends.
4. Perhaps the too-young Sitters were all picked by the Six. But for
what purpose beyond the obvious of hoping to control the Hall? Was it
an attempt to have a Hall and yet keep it from becoming effective in
the eyes of the other sisters? That young Sitters would not be taken
seriously or have as much clout? Or perhaps young sisters suddenly
raised would be blinded by the honor and happily let the Six continue
their rule? Was it because they already had an idea of Egwene as
Amyrlin and figured that Sitters who were younger than normal would be
more open to raising an eighteen year-old as Amyrlin?
However, It seems from Siuan's comment [TPOD: 16, Unexpected Absences,
341], that it was the Ajahs that chose the Sitters in Salidar.
Certainly Siuan would have known right away if Sheriam and crew had
gone out and hand-picked nine Sitters, right? Also, as far as we know,
Myrelle is the only Ajah Head among the Salidar Six, and thus the only
one we can expect to have any clout in Sitter-choosing. From Siuan's
statement about the choosing of Moria, it seems that Lelaine
hand-picked Moria, with Lyrelle's tacit consent. It is possible that
Morvrin, Beonin and Carlinya are heads of their respective Ajahs in
Salidar. But even if that is so, it still leaves open the question of
Salita Toranes of the Yellow. No Yellow member of the Salidar Six.
5. The nine were chosen in hopes of never being able to reach a
consensus since they all go their own way (this was anticipated).
6. The nine were chosen in hopes that they would be able to reach the
lesser consensus even if Lelaine and Romanda were filibustering, as it
would only take one or two Sitters to break ranks to accomplish
something.
7. They were chosen as the best possible means of bringing the Two
Towers together. As young go-getters they would be anxious to act. The
fact that the Hall has a tendency to sit on its collective ass seems
to refute this.
8. Chosen because they would have less loyalty and awe for the Tower
as an institution and perhaps be more likely to keep the Tower split?
This would fall back once again on BA influence of sorts. Also their
inexperience might lend to this as they would not be able to come
together to get anything major accomplished. Instead, the Hall in
Salidar ends up with two factions that refuse to compromise and nine
others who all don't want an accord that brings them under Elaida but
don't know what their next step should be. Or if they do, they can't
get it through because Romanda and Lelaine consider them children.
9. Offshoot of 8. Young Sitters were chosen to keep either Romanda or
Lelaine from gaining a clear advantage. Neither would take the young
Sitters seriously, yet could not do so openly as it would undermine
their own positions in the Hall as a legitimate Sitter. At least some
of the young Sitters clearly have issues with being taken seriously as
a Sitter. Might this include how they are treated in the Hall itself
by the venerable Sisters from the Yellow and the Blue?
10. The nine young Sitters are all Elaida's agents. This is not very
likely, since all the young Sitters except the one in Lelaine or
Romanda's faction voted in favor of declaring War on Elaida.
11. Escaralde is the oldest of those chosen in Salidar; she is "not
much past seventy." What if the Sitters were chosen due to their age?
Not so much as they are young; but that their age precludes them from
having been in the Tower at a certain time. What this may have been I
have no idea. But maybe the fallout, while not too major, was enough
to make any of the older sisters reluctant to place themselves in a
'target' position. Or maybe if something did happen it was enough to
prompt avoidance of any who might have been associated with the event.
This hypothetical event would have taken place before Escaralde came
to the Tower as a Novice-- probably between the ages of fifteen and
twenty. That would put the timing of the event at least forty-five to
sixty years ago. We don't know of any significant events involving the
Tower during that time period. The AS might have given themselves a
margin of error, so the event could have happened longer than sixty
years ago. Note that all sorts of things seem to have occurred seventy
years ago.
Looking at the table, the only apparent pattern involving the young
Sitters is that they all voted in favor of War on Elaida, except for
the one who follows Lelaine or Romanda (Faiselle or Varilin). However,
Egwene and Siuan expected more votes in favor of War than they
actually got. This means that more of the older Sitters were expected
to vote for War than actually did. It's reasonable that the Blues all
voted for War. All of Romanda's faction voted against War, as did the
two non-Blues (Faiselle and Takima) in Lelaine's-- much to Lelaine's
surprise and displeasure.
In any case, there seems to be too little information to figure out
the reason behind the youth of the new Sitters.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.6.6: What was going on at the end of TPOD?
_________________________________________________________________
The fight at the end of TPOD raises many questions. Who was behind the
attack? What was the true goal of the attack? What was Dashiva doing
there? As one might expect, there isn't total agreement on these
questions. We'll go over the facts of what happened, and then we will
present various theories and ideas about what was going on.
Just the facts, ma'am
The scene under discussion occurs in [TPOD: 29, A Cup of Sleep,
558-573]. Min, Rand, and Fedwin Morr are in Rand's apartment in the
Cairhien Palace. Sorilea drags the re-educated Aes Sedai in to swear
fealty to Rand. Sorilea then tells him that Cadsuane is in the palace,
and goads him into seeking her out. Sorilea and the AS leave. Rand,
Min, and Morr leave Rand's rooms to find Cadsuane. When they've gone
down the hall a bit, the apartments are smashed with the OP. We know
that Rand et al are a little ways down from the rooms, because they
survive with minor injuries, while the Maidens who were guarding the
doors are killed. Rand charges Morr with taking Min to safety and
guarding her, then sets out to track down his attackers.
Rand skulks around for a while, seeking the male channelers who blew
up his rooms (he thinks it might have been Demandred or Asmodean). He
thinks that the attackers must have spies in the palace, since they
must have known he was in his rooms (or had been) at the time of the
attack. A couple of Sea Folk women see him, and he ties them up,
shielding the Windfinder. He worries that somebody could have detected
the quantity of OP used to do that shielding.
Just after the Windfinder's quarters, Rand comes to a set of stairs
which lead down into a hall of some sort. He sees Dashiva, Gedwyn, and
Rochaid in the hall. Gedwyn says, "I felt nothing. He's dead!" Dashiva
spies Rand at the top of the stairs, snarls, and shoots some
bolt-o-nastiness at Rand. Rand channels a super-shield around himself.
Dashiva's bolt knocks him back down the corridor, and the bits of it
which bounce off the shield do a number on the hallway. Rand sends his
own nasty thing towards where he'd seen the three men. Then, he runs
back up the hallway, and takes an alternate route down to the room
where he'd seen the men. It is clear to him that they'd escaped. Rand
scares some servants, and then feels a man channel "enough of the
Power to make a gateway." Rand wanders around in a killing rage for a
while longer, almost toasting Narishma and Flinn. He searches the
palace for hours, and doesn't find Dashiva, Rochaid, and Gedwyn.
Finally, he finds Min in the company of a now-mad Morr. An odd thing
worth noting is that the Laurel Crown and Dragon Scepter made it
through the attack unscathed, while the Dragon Throne (which they were
sitting on) was reduced to splinters. Taim arrives, claiming to have
come to report deserters: Gedwyn, Rochaid, Torval, and Kisman. Rand
puts Morr down, and tells Taim to add Dashiva to the list of
deserters. Taim is clearly angered and surprised to learn about
Dashiva. Taim leaves, and Rand tells Min that he's planning to go on
the lam. Min declares that she'll go with him.
Some Theories
Disclaimer: Here's how the scene appears, when taken at face value:
Gedwyn, Rochaid, and Dashiva deserted from the BT, and decided to make
a statement by trying to kill Rand. After blowing up his apartment,
they found out that Rand was still alive. Dashiva took a shot at Rand,
but Gedwyn and Rochaid chickened out, and ran off. Later, Taim
discovered Gedwyn and Rochaid's desertion (and Torval's and Kisman's),
and was shocked and amazed. He Traveled to Cairhien to report it to
Rand immediately, and was shocked and amazed to discover that Dashiva,
too, had deserted. If that's all that happened, then there is nothing
more to discuss. The following ideas are reasonable conclusions to
draw, if we assume that everything was not exactly as it appeared in
the scene.
The following discussion attempts to stick with the facts of the
matter, as depicted in the books. To keep things simple, nothing is
being assumed about the possible secret identities of Taim and
Dashiva. That is, we will only discuss things which can be concluded
directly from Taim and Dashiva's actions, and which don't depend on
them being Demandred (or not) and Osan'gar (or not). (However, the
general idea that Taim and/or the attackers are working for the Shadow
is considered.) The reader is invited to consider, for her or his own
personal edification, what these ideas imply for the Taimandred and
Dashivan'gar theories.
Was Taim behind the attack?
Two of the attackers, Gedwyn and Rochaid, were on Taim's list of
"deserters." Now, note that these four deserters (those two, plus
Torval and Kisman) seem to have been Taim's favorites among the
Asha'man. Torval and Rochaid are the two Asha'man Taim recommends to
Rand in place of Dashiva [ACOS: 2, The Butcher's Yard, 84]. The four
deserters are the four men Taim calls for when he prepares to depart
after Rand rejects Torval and Rochaid. During TPOD, we find that Taim
has "created new ranks." Gedwyn and Rochaid are the "Storm Leader" and
"Attack Leader"; they are the commander and second-in-command of the
Asha'man on the Seanchan campaign. Gedwyn and Rochaid kill the
assassin in [TPOD: 22, Gathering Clouds, 428-430], who is found with a
large quantity of Tar Valon coin. Rochaid tries to convince Rand that
Aes Sedai were behind the attack. The whole scene smells bad-- it's
more like Gedwyn and Rochaid set the archer up, so that Rand would
think that AS were trying to kill him. Taim has, on many occasions,
worked to drive a wedge between Rand and the AS. In any case, the four
"deserters" reported by Taim were his right-hand men, the ones with
the least reason to leave the BT.
Now, it just seems too much of a coincidence that Taim showed up in
Cairhien to tell Rand about the "desertion" just a few hours after two
of those deserters blew up the palace in a spectacular fashion. Not
only did he discover their desertion awfully quickly, he knew the
reason for their desertion: "they were malcontented over events in
Altara." Did they give a speech before leaving? March into Taim's
office and tender their resignations? Furthermore, Taim seems very
calm and collected over the desertion of his four most-trusted men.
This isn't very characteristic for a man who has so carefully created
his own cult of personality.
It's much more likely that the whole "desertion" and attack were
arranged by Taim. It's clear that he chafes under the restrictions
Rand has placed on him. It's also clear that Rand doesn't trust him at
all, and that if Taim had simply reported that his four had deserted,
Rand probably would not have believed him. However, after the attack,
Rand doesn't even question Taim's word. Note that the desertion and
attack, if organized by Taim, have produced a group of male channelers
who are loyal to Taim, not to Rand, and whose actions Taim can
disavow. This is just too much of a good deal for Taim for it not to
be the case. Note the difference between Taim's calm reaction to the
desertion of his four favorites, and his anger at learning that
Dashiva (who Taim did not like) had joined the four. He's more upset
at Dashiva's interference than at the desertion of his four most
trusted followers. That doesn't make sense, unless Taim engineered the
desertion in the first place.
Were they really trying to kill Rand? If not, what were they trying to do?
Rand, of course, assumes that the attack on his rooms was an attempt
to kill him. However, it's very likely that the real goal of the
attackers was something entirely different. Taken at face value, the
attack was not orchestrated very well. Blowing up Rand's rooms caused
only minor damage to Rand himself, since he was walking away from them
when it happened. When Rand comes upon Rochaid, Gedwyn, and Dashiva in
the hall, they have a perfect opportunity to gang up on him and finish
him off. The only one who attacks Rand is Dashiva, and that only
happens once. The three just ran away after that. If they were really
out to kill Rand, they didn't seem to put much effort into it.
While Dashiva has a few screws loose, Gedwyn and Rochaid have shown
themselves to be fairly competent at OP combat, plotting, and
scheming. Taim certainly believed they were competent enough to
promote them above the other Asha'man. This lame assassination attempt
couldn't have come from the same careful plotters who set up the
archer "assassin" in Illian. Surely the commanders of the Asha'man
would know how to plan a strategy for hunting Rand down and killing
him, when they had the advantage of three-to-one odds. Note that while
Rochaid and Gedwyn are not nearly as strong as Rand, not even as
strong as Flinn and Narishma [TPOD: 22, Gathering Clouds, 429],
Dashiva is very strong (See section 1.2.2). The three of them should
have been able to kill Rand, if they'd all been out to do so.
As Rand comes upon the three in [TPOD: 29, A Cup of Sleep, 568],
Gedwyn is overheard saying, "[I'm] telling you I felt nothing. He's
dead!" Presumably, this is in reference to Rand. This sentence can be
taken two ways. One is that the three guys were trying to kill Rand,
and Gedwyn thinks that the explosion in Rand's rooms did the job. The
problem with this is that Gedwyn is a pretty competent guy, and if his
goal was to kill Rand, he probably wouldn't blow up a few rooms and
then leave, without getting confirmation that his target was indeed
dead. The other way Gedwyn's words can be taken is that one member of
the party (probably Dashiva-- Gedwyn and Rochaid seem to be joined at
the hip) thought that the goal was to kill Rand when it really was
not. Gedwyn was trying to convince that person that Rand was already
dead, so that that person wouldn't go and try to kill him.
It has been suggested that the attackers were working under the
auspices of the Shadow, and the true goal of the attack (or one of the
goals) was to kill Min, not Rand. What motive would the Shadow have
for killing Min? Paul Khangure proposes two motives: 1) Her death
would affect Rand in many possible ways, none of them good. 2)She's
been studying Herid Fel's work. She could be on the brink of
discovering the same thing which Herid Fel discovered. It got Herid
killed, why not Min also?" Apart from motive, there isn't much
evidence to support this idea. It has a similar problem to the idea
that the attackers were really trying to kill Rand-- apart from the
initial attack, nobody tried to kill her. With three attackers, two
could have kept Rand busy while the third finished Min off, but the
only danger Min faced during the whole episode came from her
"protector," the cracked Fedwin Morr.
Now, Dashiva, at least, took a direct, and very lethal-looking shot at
Rand, right after Gedwyn said he thought Rand was dead. That piece of
channeling was strong enough to knock Rand, in his impervious shield,
all the way down the corridor, and to destroy a good bit of the
corridor itself: "The fire that leaped from Dashiva erupted,
shattering marble..." The aftermath of the blast is described: "the
crash of explosions still ringing in the air, dust still hanging and
bits of broken marble tumbling." Whatever Dashiva shot at Rand, it was
nothing trivial. Since Rand's super-shield was dredged up out of
LTT-memory at that very instant, there was no way Dashiva could have
known that Rand would block it. The reasonable conclusion is that
Dashiva, at least, was really trying to kill Rand. Perhaps he thought
better of it right afterwards, or perhaps Gedwyn and Rochaid convinced
him to leave some other way, but it seems that all three must have
left the area shortly after Dashiva shot at Rand. After Rand feels
"enough of the Power to make a gateway" being channeled, there is no
more sign of the three attackers in the Palace. That channeling must
have been them channeling to leave. This brings us to our last point
of discussion:
What was Dashiva doing there?
At the start of the attack, Rand notes "A man, Demandred, or perhaps
Asmodean come back at last. Maybe both; there had been an oddity, as
if the weaving came from different directions." Rand thinks the
"different directions" possibly came from two attackers. It isn't
unreasonable to suppose that this is the case, since there are indeed
multiple attackers, and, being men, they can't link together to form a
single weave. So, let us suppose that the initial attack was launched
by two men. The third one joined after the attack had begun. The most
reasonable scenario is that Gedwyn and Rochaid Traveled from the BT to
Cairhien and made the first attack on Rand's apartments. Dashiva was
part of Rand's entourage, and Taim didn't like him, anyway, so there
isn't any reason to suppose that Dashiva was at the BT and hooked up
with Gedwyn and Rochaid there. More likely, he was in Cairhien like
the rest of Rand's Asha'man (Morr, Flinn, and Narishma), and joined
Gedwyn and Rochaid after the attack was in progress. The facts 1) that
he's the only one of the three to take a direct shot at Rand, and 2)
Taim was inordinately upset at the news of his desertion support the
idea of Dashiva as "odd man out" among the three attackers. So, the
general idea is that Dashiva joined in unexpectedly, and either didn't
understand that the goal was not to kill Rand, or took advantage of
the situation to launch his own attack on Rand.
Summary
[Bryon Wasserman]
Taim had the fearsome foursome (Gedwyn, Rochaid, Torval, Kisman)
attack Rand and Min for the purpose of causing a formal split within
the Asha'man and/or killing Min. Dashiva latched on after the fact,
not knowing that they were not supposed to kill Rand . You will notice
that that Dashiva is the only one who attacks Rand directly. This
answers the following concerns:
1. Why Taim knew about Torval, Gedwyn, Rochaid , and Kisman, but he
did not know about Dashiva. He is specifically surprised and
outraged when Rand mentions Dashiva's involvement. The fact that a
fifth assassin was involved should not have been so shocking. This
response suggests that he had a general idea what was going on and
Dashiva was not part of the plan.
2. Why Gedwyn would try to talk Dashiva into leaving without seeing a
body.
3. Why Taim's lackeys would all spontaneously revolt together.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Section 2.7: Absurd Trivia and Generalities
_________________________________________________________________
This subsection contains information on and discussion of matters
which don't really fit anywhere else.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.7.1: How does one sniff, anyway? What about snorting?
[Erica Sadun, John Novak]
_________________________________________________________________
Erica explains to us about sniffing:
In Jordan's Wheel of Time universe, women sniff and men (and Siuan
Sanche) snort. While a sniff, read "inhale", can express disdain,
the outward snuff/hmph is more popular an expression. For correct
sniffing posture, turn your head towards the left shoulder, but not
quite. A sixty degree angle is ideal. The posture indicates that
one is removing ones nose from an offensive area. A single sniff
will suffice and may be augmented with a very modest synchronized
shrugging motion. Follow up with a look at the offender and an
optional lift of both eyebrows. These steps comprise the "sniff".
The snuff or hmph is produced by a small vocalization at the back
of the throat, enunciated through the nose and usually is modified
by a slight raising of the chin. This is distinct from the "snort"
which is a guttural, pig-like sound caused by inhalation through
the nose. The mouth must be opened slightly to enable this effect
unlike the sniff and the snuff. (Go ahead. Try it with your mouth
closed). The [snort] when written, should occupy its own line, be
followed by a blank line and then the text following it should be
limited to sixty character lines.
Novak gives us a manly perspective on snorting:
[Sniffing] is distinct from the *snort* sound, characteristic of
male derision. The *snort* is a sharp inhalation of air through the
nose, so powerful that it causes the back of the throat to
constrict and produce a rough, audible sound. It is not unlike the
sound produced before prodigious expectoration. The mouth should
not open during this gesture, but a one-sided sneer is a
recommended option. The *snort* when written should occupy its own
line, be followed by one line of whitespace, and followed by text
formatted to sixty characters or less. (Really, if you open your
mouth during a *snort* you just look stoopid.)
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.7.2: How tall is Everyone?
_________________________________________________________________
Heights given in English feet:
Info from a post-LOC book signing (reported by Erica Sadun)
* Rand: 6'5" to 6'6"
* Perrin: 6'2"
* Mat: 5'11"
* Aviendha: 5'8" to 5'9"
* Elayne 5'6"
* Nynaeve: 5'4"
* Egwene: 5'2"
* Moiraine: 5'0" to 5'2"
Info from another post-LOC book signing (reported by Greg Gruber)
* Rand: 6'6"
* Moiraine: 5'3"
* Egwene: 5'5"
* Nynaeve: 5'5"
* Aviendha: 5'10"
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.7.3: How old is Everyone?
[Steven Cooper, Courtenay Footman, John Hamby, Sean Hillyard, Pam
Korda, John Novak, Katrina Werpetinski]
_________________________________________________________________
* Aram: "about" same age as Perrin [TEOTW: 25, The Traveling People,
311].
* Aviendha: almost twenty in [TPOD: 1, To Keep the Bargain, 50],
which occurs early in 1000 NE, so she was born in 979-980 NE.
* Berelain: at most a year older than Rand [TSR: 2, Whirlpools in
the Pattern, 57]
* Cadsuane: "Thought to have been born around 705 NE." [ACOS:
Glossary, 671]
* Elayne is eighteen in [LOC: 48, Leaning on the Knife, 602]. This
is at the turning of the century, placing birthdate close to
Egwene's in mid to late 981.
* Egwene is two years younger than Rand [TEOTW: 3, The Peddler, 35],
so she was born mid-981. She's also listed as eighteen in [ACOS:
8, The Figurehead, 157].
* Ewin Finngar: born 984 NE [TEOTW: 2, Strangers, 19]
* Faile: Of an age with Ewin Finngar [LOC: Prologue, The First
Message, 35]
* Galad was born prior to 972 NE [TEOTW: Glossary, 668] (probably a
year at most since he is described as an infant when Tigraine
left).
* Gawyn: 22 or 23 in 999 NE [LOC: Prologue, The First Message, 40],
he is listed as being a few years past twenty. The earliest he
could have been born is 975 NE which would make him 25--a little
older than a 'few years.'
* Isam: was a child when Malkier fell, so he is a few years older
than Lan, say b. 945-950 NE.
* Lan: b. 953 NE [LOC: Glossary, 709]
* Logain: born 972 NE [ACOS: Glossary, 676]
* Loial: born 908 NE [TEOTW: 36, Web of the Pattern, 461]
* Mat is the same age as Rand, b.978 NE [TEOTW: 8, A Place of
Safety, 94].
* Min: 'almost' Nynaeve's age [LOC: Prologue, The First Message, 28]
* Moiraine: b. 956 NE [LOC: Glossary, 710]
* Nynaeve is twenty-six at the end of 999 NE, so she was born 973 NE
[LOC: 48, Leaning on the Knife, 602]. She looks to be a few years
younger, due to slowing.
* Perrin is the same age as Rand, b.978 NE [TEOTW: 8, A Place of
Safety, 94].
* Rand was born in 978 NE [TGH: 8, The Dragon Reborn, 109].
* Siuan Sanche: She was raised Amyrlin at age 30 [LOC: 35, In the
Hall of the Sitters, 471], in 988 NE [Guide: 24, The White Tower,
216]. Thus she was born in 958 NE.
* Taim: looks at least 15 years older than Rand, so thus looks about
35 [LOC: 2, A New Arrival, 76]. Note that, due to slowing, he is
probably older than that. (At a post-TPOD signing in New York [20
October, 1998, report by Ryan R.], RJ said that a man with the
spark wouldn't slow until 25, usually closer to thirty. He claims
that they could go past thirty, but that probably depends on how
early they start and how much they channel. Thus, if Rand's
assessment of Taim's apparent age is accurate, the only way Taim
could be the age he looks is if he started channelling at an
unusually late age, and didn't channel much for the first few
years.)
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.7.4: Is there religion in Randland?
[Erica Sadun]
_________________________________________________________________
"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]
The answer is 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 Christianity, there is a dualism between
the Light (goodness) and the Creator (God) who are often spoken of
separately and together. Like Judaism, burials are as simple as
possible to encourage return to the earth [TGH: 10, The Hunt Begins,
151]. Like the religions of old merry England, the maypole is a
fertility ritual [TEotW: 1, An Empty Road, 8-9]. Like Catholicism,
children are taught catechism [TEotW: 1, An Empty Road, 12]. Wisdoms
act as priestesses, in some respects. Like Judaism, marriage is a
public announcement to the community [TSR: 53, The Price of Departure,
618].
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 quasi-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 Christian/Calvinist 'Way of the Leaf', a cross
between pacifism and acceptance of fate [TEotW: 27, Shelter from the
Storm, 346]. -- Erica
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
Randlanders pray to the Creator for favors, such as relief from the
drought. [LoC: Prologue, The First Message, 36]
RJ's take on it, from a Compuserve chat, July 1996:
This is a world where what might be called the proofs of religion
are self-evident all the time. It seemed to me there was no
necessity for the trappings of religion which by and large are to
reinforce us in our faith.. and to convince others... if your
beliefs are made concrete and manifest around you at any given
timethere is not the need for that.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.7.5: Iconography (What are them icons?)
_________________________________________________________________
"I have come here to lick chapter icons and kick ass. And I'm all out
of chapter icons." [Joe "Uno" Shaw]
Serpent and Wheel: Aes Sedai, Wheel of Time, Ta'veren, the Pattern
Ravens: Darkfriends, other minions of the DO
Dragon's Fang: Darkfriends, other minions of the DO, or Rand, Male channellers
Harp: Thom Merrilin
Leafless tree at night: Traveling through woods?
Heron-mark 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: Wolfbrother, 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, Ogier
A'dam: damane, a'dams
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
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"
Snakey square: Forsaken
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.7.6: Mis-steps (Errors along the way)
_________________________________________________________________
NB: Typographical errors are, in general, not listed. There are too
many of them, and they are often corrected in later editions.
The Eye of the World
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. It's certainly not something
somebody could learn in a few weeks. [David Mortman, others]
Q: What about those Warders in Caemlyn around Logain in TEOTW? [TEOTW:
42, Remembrance of Dreams, 535] Didn't Moiraine say that they were all
Red sisters? Reds don't have Warders! RJ's answer, as reported by Tony
Z: Moiraine never mentioned the sisters escorting Logain (not all of
whom were Red). The ones with Logain weren't in Caemlyn at the time
(evidently they stayed with the army, which stayed outside the city).
Moiraine was referring to those that were in Caemlyn.
The Great Hunt
Ba'alzamon's goals: [TGH: 47, 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, 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, Strangers, 22-3] and [TDR: 3, News from the Plain, 26] and
on her right hand in [TGH: 4, 46, Summoned, 39]? I can think of four
possible reasons:
1. a cunning plan by Jordan to make us believe sweet, innocent
Moiraine was at the Darkfriend social.
2. Moiraine has an evil, identical twin sister who wears her ring on
the other hand.
3. It's Moiraine's ring and she can wear it on whatever hand she damn
well pleases.
4. 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, 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]
{NB: In later printings, this has been corrected, with Thom saying,
"At least you were't fool enough to try keeping it tuned."}
The Dragon Reborn
In [TDR: 6, The Hunt Begins, 63], 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: 29, Homecoming, 333], his two sisters and his
brother are killed. [Erica Sadun] {NB: this has reportedly been
corrected in later printings of TDR}
In [TDR: 41, 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. [Joe Shaw] [TEOTW: 2,
Strangers, 22], [TGH: 4, Summoned, 38], [TDR: 6, The Hunt Begins, 55],
[TSR: 3, Reflection, 71] and [TFoH: 2, Rhuidean, 68] all describe
Moiraine as having "dark eyes", and [TDR: 33, Within the Weave, 319],
[TDR: 35, The Falcon, 333], and [TSR: 2, Whirlpools in the Pattern,
40] describe Faile as having "dark, tilted eyes".
Metallurgy Mistake, from John Palmer and 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, 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. It's 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, Threads in the Pattern, 382] "Shadowman steel kills," Aviendha
said, "it does not wound." Finally, Rand's thought while fighting a
Fade: [TSR: 10, 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 smacked him one, instead.--Pam}
The Shadow Rising
[TSR: 47, The Truth of a Viewing, 531]: During the Tower Coup, Siuan's
Warder gets killed. She doesn't notice until she sees his dead body.
[Michael Hanneman] This cannot be because she was shielded, because in
LOC, Cabriana and her warder are being tortured by Semirhage in
different rooms. Cabriana is shielded, but she still feels it when her
warder dies. [Lars Kremers]
Courtenay Footman tells us more about the Siuan's Warder incident:
This has been the subject of extensive discussion here. The consensus
has come down to three possibilities: 1) Jordan screwed up. 2) Being
shielded interferes with the bond. IMHO, this last is refuted because
Jordan gives a different explanation: 3) Siuan was distracted by other
things going on at that moment: [LoC, 30, To Heal Again, 427], Siuan
thinks "Alric, her Warder. Her dead Warder, murdered when Elaida
deposed her. She could lie--the Three Oaths were still gone--but some
part of her bond to Alric, a bond flesh to flesh and mind to mind, had
been resurrected. The pain of his death, the pain first masked by the
shock of what Elaida intended and then buried by stilling, that pain
filled her to the brim."It seems to me that there is no choice but to
accept this statement. Whether one believes that Jordan meant this all
the time, or that this is just an after-the-fact rationalization of a
mistake, seems to me to be a matter of personal opinion.
The Fires of Heaven
Something very strange happened between 10 and 20 years ago. In [TGH:
4, 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." [C. Footman] This has been
admitted by RJ as an error. The correct sequence is: "The correct
sequence is: Kirin Nelway (Brown) 922-950 NE; Noane Mosadim (Blue)
950-973 NE; Tamra Ospenya (Blue), 973-979 NE; Sierin Vayu (Gray),
979-984 NE; Marith Jaen (Blue), 984-988 NE; Siuan Sanche (blue),
raised 988 NE. The correction is being made in the body of TGH and in
the glossary." [Carolyn F., I think] The quick succession of Amyrlins
prior to SS is discussed in further detail in ACOS.
In [TFoH: 36, A New Name, 409], Birgitte tells Elayne "You saved my
life, Daughter-Heir of Andor. I will keep your secret and serve you as
Warder." But later in [TFOH: 47, The Price of a Ship, 550] Birgitte
verbally scolds Elayne for telling Cerandin she was heir to a throne,
and doesn't believe it until Nynaeve makes an offhand comment in
[TFOH: 49, To Boannda, 570].
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] (This is arguably an effect of either
Tel'aran'rhiod or balefire.)
Lord of Chaos
In previous glossaries, it says that the AS cannot sense in what
direction her Warder is. In LOC, Alanna does just that. What gives?
Edward Liu says that, at a signing, RJ said that the ability is not
exact, but something like they can only sense distance (and I guess)
direction in that the feeling of the other person becomes stronger or
weaker. Tony Z. said RJ said the Glossaries are in error, and that
there are references in other books to AS sensing the direction of
their Warders. (Anybody find such a thing? I can't think of one). Joe
thinks RJ changed his mind, to put it charitably.
In [TFOH, 52, Choices, 624] when Moiraine hands Rand two letters, just
before the Big Scene at the docks, their (the letters') seals are
described as having the imprint of Moiraine's Great Serpent Ring.
Later on, in [LOC: 40, Unexpected Laughter, 516], when Thom receives
his letter from Moiraine, the seal is now some sort of wide-spreading
tree topped with a crown. [A.M. Gabutero]
In the LOC Glossary, under linking, it says that in mixed circles less
than 13, a man must control the flow, and that there must be more
women than men in circles greater than two [TFOH: 34, A Silver Arrow,
390]. However, In TFOH Nynaeve overhears Lanfear, Graendal, Sammael,
and Rahvin discussing their plan against Rand. In particular Sammael
is to tempt Rand into attacking and the other three would link to
overwhelm him. [Emma Pease] At a signing, RJ said that the LOC
glossary entry is wrong. It is certainly different in the ACOS entry:
43 vs 34, and the numbers where men can equal or exceed women are
changed. Still doesn't explain the TFOH gaffe. [John Novak]
A Crown of Swords
We encounter more closely two of Liandrin's 13 in this book: Falion
Bhoda and Ispan Shefar and learn Falion was white and Ispan blue. We
also have a mention that Rianna was also white (which had been
mentioned in earlier books). However, Joiya Byir was also white which
means we now have three former whites among Liandrin's 13, yet we are
told that two and only two of each Ajah except red went with Liandrin.
What gives? First could it be a simple typo? I don't think so as both
Falion and Joiya acted as I would expect whites and because Rianna is
mentioned several times as being white. Second, could it be a Jordan
error? Possible, but I would think it a fairly major blunder as I
would hope he would have who is who in Liandrin's group clearly marked
from the beginning. Third could it be deliberate? If so, this means
either Verin is mistaken about who was from which Ajah and I can't see
Verin making this mistake, or she deliberately gave the girls
misinformation. [Emma Pease] {NB: In later printings of TSR Joiya is
transformed from a "cold White" to a "characteristic cool Grey". No
doubt RJ wanted her as a White personality, but when it came out in
the FAQ he had three, he went "Oh shit. Now which one did I kill off
already so I can change her to something else?" At any rate, the
suspicions connecting this with Verin ought to be erased, since it's
been retroactively corrected. [Michelle Haines]}
Timing problem: There is an inconsistency in ACOS regarding
Colavaere's coronation. In [ACOS: 4, Into Cairhien, 117], Dobraine
says, "The ninth sunset after her coronation already. She wasted no
time." However, in [ACOS: 5, A Broken Crown, 125], Colavaere says,
"Nine days ago at sunrise I was crowned Queen of Cairhien." This is a
contradiction because the first statement includes the current day as
one of the nine, while the second doesn't. [Steven Cooper]
In [ACOS: 13, The Bowl of the Winds, 263], Aviendha introduces herself
as "Aviendha of the Nine Valleys sept of the Taardad Aiel." She's
previously been from the Bitter Water sept, from when we first meet
her [TDR: 38, Maidens of the Spear, 361] onwards. Now here's the
interesting bit. The Maiden that Nynaeve heals in [TDR, 38, Maidens of
the Spear, 368] (Dailin) is first referred to as being from Aviendha's
sept and clan; i.e., the Bitter Water Taardad. Later, she's referred
to as being from the Nine Valleys sept. So what gives? Two errors that
are fortuitously similar, or a particularly odd attempt at retconning
an old error? [Andrea Leistra] {NB: This error has reportedly been
corrected in later printings to give Aviendha's sept consistantly as
the Nine Valleys Sept.}
The Path of Daggers
The chronology of the Seanchan attack on Ebou Dar is inconsistent
between ACOS and TPOD. In ACOS, the finding of the Bowl, the Seanchan
invasion, and the wall falling on Mat take place on the day after the
Festival of Birds. In TPOD, chapters 1-6 are described as taking place
two days after the Festival. Since these events must clearly all take
place on the same day, one of the books is wrong. From other evidence,
it's clear that TPOD is the one that's in error. [Steven Cooper]
XXXXXXXXXXXX
2.7.7: When Rand and Mat are travelling to Caemlyn in TEOTW, why does the
scene with the scarves happen twice?
[Steven Cooper]
_________________________________________________________________
In TEOTW, after Mat and Rand split off from Thom in Whitebridge, they
travel to Caemlyn alone. During that journey, there are two scenes
which are exactly the same, even with almost the same wording. These
to passages are [TEOTW: 31, Play for Your Supper, 382] and [TEOTW: 33,
The Dark Waits, 416]. In both descriptions, the farmer asks Rand and
Mat who they are running from. Then he says something about wanting to
help them, but he can't because he might get in trouble for helping
strangers. He feels bad, and offers them two woolen scarves, which he
pulls from his pocket. He explains that he knows it isn't much, but
they are his sons' scarves, and that's all he feels he can give them
safely. He wishes them luck.
Is this an error? What's going on here?
It's a flashback scene, although not a particularly well-executed one,
judging from the amount of confusion it's generated. The confusion
comes partly from the fact that Jordan doesn't do anything special to
mark the flashback as such (e.g. using an italic font, like Mat's
flashback of Mili Skane in COS) -- subtle changes of verb tense are
the only clues. Also, that whole sequence from chapter 31 to chapter
34 contains not only a long flashback, but another flashback nested
inside the first one.
Hopefully, the following table will clarify what's going on. I've
arranged the events of these chapters into their proper, chronological
order. In the left-hand column are indications of the days passing.
Sometimes it's not possible to say exactly how many days Rand and Mat
spend in travelling from place to place, hence the use of A0, B0, C0
etc. to mark different sections of the timeline. The numbers in the
second column represent the order in which Jordan presents the events
in the text. Chapter 31 begins with Rand and Mat travelling down the
Caemlyn Road on day D3, before flashing back to the start of the
journey from Whitebridge. So, scroll down to event number 1 near the
bottom of the table, and just follow the numbers.
A0 6. (457) "For a long time after leaving Whitebridge, Rand would
suddenly find himself staring back down the road behind them...
Hope faded as the days passed."
7. (457) "The first village after Whitebridge looked so much like
Emond's Field..."
8. (458) "Night fell before they found a spot by moonlight..."
9. (459) "That was not the only night they spent with just their
cloaks to protect them... not the only meal they made from nothing
but cold water."
. [An unknown amount of time elapses here, but the quote from p.462
. given below tells us there must be at least three days between A0
. and B0.]
.
. 10. [One afternoon, Rand argues with Mat over selling the dagger.]
.
. 11. (460) "Farms did provide some meals and a few nights out of the
. cold."
.
. 12. (460) "Sometimes Mat tried his hand at stealing eggs, and once he
. attempted to milk a cow left unattended..."
B0 13. [Rand and Mat do some more farm work, but the farmer changes his
mind about letting them stay the night, and they are sent on their
way with some food.]
14. (462) "Three days earlier, while they were still working, they'd
had the dogs set on them."
.
. [More days of travelling.]
.
C0 15. [They arrive at Grinwell's farm. After supper, Rand plays the
flute and Mat juggles. They stay the night.]
16. (463) "...whenever a farmer allowed them to stay, he always played
one tune on the flute after supper."
C1 17. [They arrive at Arien at dusk, where they play at the inn.]
C2 18. [They get a ride from Arien in Eazil Forney's cart.]
. 19. (466) "That became the way of their travelling..."
.
. [More travelling. At least two days, probably three, between C2
. and D0.]
D0 20. (466) "Rand began to think their problems were over till they
reached Caemlyn. But then they came to Four Kings."
21. CHAPTER 32 (FOUR KINGS IN SHADOW) STARTS HERE.
[They arrive at Four Kings in the evening. A storm begins. They
play at The Dancing Cartman. They notice a rich-looking man
watching them (Howal Gode, a Whitebridge merchant). After the
customers leave, they are approached by Gode, a Darkfriend.
Lightning strikes the inn, killing Gode. They escape into the
night, with Mat temporarily blinded.]
** CHAPTER 33 begins with Rand and Mat travelling down the Caemlyn
** Road in Hyam Kinch's cart on day D3 (see event 22 below), before
** flashing back to the aftermath of the events at Four Kings.]
24. [They shelter under bushes from the storm. Rand dreams - encounters
the dead Gode and Ba'alzamon in the Four Kings of _Tel'aran'rhiod_.
Ba'alzamon tells Rand the Eye of the World will never serve him.]
D1 25. [The rain stops. They avoid a village around mid-day. Afterwards,
Alpert Mull gives them a ride, and two scarves. They reach Market
Sheran at dusk, and stay at Rulan Allwine's inn.]
D2 26. [At breakfast, they encounter Paitr, a young Darkfriend. At
evening, they arrive at another small village. At the inn (The
Queen's Man) Rand falls ill [reaction to channelling two days ago],
so they stay in the stable.]
D3 27. [At dawn, a female Darkfriend [Mili Skane] tries to kill them.
They escape, and Hyam Kinch gives them a ride.]
** CHAPTER 33 ends here. CHAPTER 34 starts after Rand and Mat have
** already left Kinch and are passing through Carysford.
22. CHAPTER 33 (THE DARK WAITS) STARTS HERE.
[Rand and Mat are travelling along the Caemlyn Road in Hyam Kinch's
cart. Mat's eyes are much better, Rand is recovering quickly from
being sick. They leave the cart at the turn-off to Kinch's farm.
The next village is Carysford.]
23. (491) "The rain had continued through the night they had staggered
away from The Dancing Cartman..." [At this point, the flashback to
day D0 starts.]
1. CHAPTER 31 (PLAY FOR YOUR SUPPER) STARTS HERE.
[Rand and Mat are on the Caemlyn Road. They see a dust trail and
hide through a hole in the hedge from a group of merchants'
guards.]
2. (455) "A farmer had given [the scarf] to him..." [remembering the
events of two days before -- see event no. 25 above.]
3. (456) "The list of kindnesses he had made in his mind in the days
since Whitebridge had been a short one..."
4. (456) "Once already, cutting a hole through a hedge had almost
given them away."
5. (457) "It had not begun like this, their journey down the Caemlyn
Road." [At this point, the flashback to day A0 begins].
28. CHAPTER 34 (THE LAST VILLAGE) STARTS HERE.
[They pass through Carysford after dark, and sleep in a haystack.]
D4 29. [They join the line of travellers on the Caemlyn Road. They walk
through several villages. At evening, they see a Fade talking to
Raimun Holdwin (innkeeper) outside the Goose and Crown, and Almen
Bunt gives them a ride through the night to Caemlyn.]
As you can see, chapters 33, 31 and 34 (in that order!) all start on
the same day, and both 31 and 33 end chronologically before they
begin. I always have to smile when I read Jordan's smartass comment at
the start of chapter 34: "[Rand] wondered if his whole sense of time
was getting skewed." [TEOTW: 34, The Last Village, 431] Whatever Rand
is feeling, the reader's sense of time should definitely be tied into
a knot by this point.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Section 3: Trivial Pursuits: References, Sources, Allusions and Parallels
_________________________________________________________________
This subsection contains information on and discussion of legends and
myths which RJ may have used as source material and works which share
similarities with TWOT.
"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."
[Waldenbooks' 'zine Hailing Frequencies]
XXXXXXXXXXXX
3.1: King Arthur and the Holy Grail
_________________________________________________________________
Arthurian Names:
* Moiraine: Morgaine/Morgan Le Fay
* Morgase: Morgause
* Tigraine: Ygrainne, King Arthur's mother, seduced by Uther
Pendragon with Merlin's aid.
* Egwene al'Vere: Guenever
* Artur Paendrag: Arthur Pendragon
* Callandor: Sword in stone
* Galad: Galahad the Pure
* Gawyn: Gawain
* Green Man: Green Knight or Green Man
* Sa'angreal: San Greal (Holy Grail)
* Nynaeve: Nyneve/Vivian: who was Merlin's lover and cause of his
imprisonment in the enchanted cave in Cornwall.
* Perrin: Perceval?
* Merrilin: Merlin
* Lan: Launcelot?
* Damodred/Demandred: Mordred? Mordred was Arthur's bastard son by
his aunt Morgawse, and his slayer.
* Elayne: Elayne/Elaine: The first Elayne is sister to Queens
Morgawse and Ygrainne (King Arthur's mother). Another version of
Arthurian legends (not Malory) asserts that she is one of the
three women in Arthur's funeral boat to Avalon... The second
Elaine is Sir Galahad's mother, by Sir Launcelot.
* Luthair Paendrag: Uther Pendragon (Now Artur's son, instead of his
Father)
* Tar Valon: Avalon
* Caemlyn: Camlaan (where Arthur fought his final battle against
Mordred) or Camelot.
* Elyas, Aram, Demandred, Bors: All the same as or similar to names
of Arthurian knights.
Min's vision of Rand's funeral bier: In the Arthurian legend (or at
least the version I've read) Arthur is severely wounded and on his
deathbed. 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. Add to this the visions in LOC involving 3 women
and (probably) Rand on a boat.
The Green Man: Both in the Arthurian version, where Sir Gawain
encounters the Green Man, and the much earlier Irish myths where
Cuchulain encounters a nameless entity that by the description is
obviously the Green Man, the story follows the same pattern: hero
makes deal with Green Man to show how brave he is, hero cuts Green
Man's head off, Green Man reappears three nights later to finish the
deal by cutting hero's head off, hero goes honourably to his destiny,
Green Man stays his hand at the last conceivable instant and
compliments hero on bravery. [Emmet O'Brien]
The Fisher King: a king in the legend of Perceval who had an
unhealable wound corresponding to the woes of his land. cf Rand's side
wound which is not Healable, the COS Header Prophecy, and the "Fisher"
figure in Moridin's favorite game. For a more thorough discussion of
the Fisher King, see section 3.08.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
3.2: Trolloc Tribe Names
_________________________________________________________________
The Trolloc tribes seem to have been named after various mythological
creatures:
* Ahf'frait = Afrit
* Al'ghol = Ghoul
* Bhan'sheen = Banshee
* Dha'vol = Devil
* Dhai'mon = Demon
* Dhjin'nen = Djin
* Ghar'gael = Gargoyle
* Ghob'hlin = Goblin
* Ghraem'lan = Gremlin
* Ko'bal = Kobold
* Kno'mon = Gnome
XXXXXXXXXXXX
3.3: Is Randland a future Earth?
[Erica Sadun, Pamela Korda]
_________________________________________________________________
The characters in the books are the source of many of our myths and
legends and we are the source of many of theirs. You can look two
ways along a wheel. [RJ, America Online chat, 28 June, 1996]
Time is a wheel. If you look in one direction, you are looking at
the past. If you just turn around and look in the other direction,
you are looking at the future. The books are set in our future and
in our past, depending on which way you look... [RJ, America Online
conference, 20 October, 1994]
Here are some possible references to our world:
[TEotW: 4, 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: 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?
[TEotW: 24, Flight Down the Arinelle, 300]: Bayle Domon 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.
[TGH: 47, 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.
[TGH: 49, What Was Meant To Be, 574]: Loial is reading 'To Sail Beyond
the Sunset'-- reference to Tennyson's poem "Ulysses"
[TSR: 11, What Lies Hidden, 146-7]
In Tanchico Museum at the Panarch's Palace:
* Stylized Three-Pointed Triangle (reeking of greed and pride)--
Mercedes Benz logo
* Skeletons of Giraffe and Elephant
[TSR: 24, Rhuidean, 277]: Gautama Buddha-- Ghoetam under the tree of
life
XXXXXXXXXXXX
3.4: Christian and Biblical Parallels
_________________________________________________________________
Twelve Tribes: (Compare) the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve
clans of the Aiel. In fact, there is a thirteenth "clan," the Jenn.
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 their job (theoretically) to care
for the Lord's Temple and other altars across Israel. Which is even
better, since there was the Jenn/Aiel split, and the Jenn's 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 DO.) 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: Goes from being 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 (Revelations)
Virgin Birth: In LOC, some of the rumors about Rand say that he was
born of a woman touched by no man [LoC: 2, A New Arrival, 78].
Stigmata: Rand's unhealing wound in the side is a clear reference to
the Fisher King. However, the Fisher King's wound is often identified
with that which Jesus Christ received while he was being crucified
(See Section 3.08), so Rand's wound can also be considered a reference
to Jesus. This identification is made stronger when one considers that
Rand is also marked by wounds on his hands (albeit healed wounds).
Rand's feet have not been wounded so far, but there are still many
books to go.
Rituals and Phrases
* ' "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, 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.]
Biblical quotes
* In [TGH: 26, Discord, 326] we have the prophecy: "Twice dawns the
day when his blood is shed. Once for mourning, once for birth."
This is very similar to the darkening of the sun when Christ is
crucified: from [Bible: 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]
* "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." [Bible:
Matthew 10:34-36]. 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. [Zach Simpson]
XXXXXXXXXXXX
3.5: Random Names
_________________________________________________________________
Aginor: "Recently, a friend of mine had to read the Iliad. In book 21,
a character named Agenor attacks Achilles, 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 and TEOTW's final
battle: Both Aginors knew that his opponent was more powerful. Both
were full of pride. Both attacked anyway." [Mike O'Malley]
Asmodean: A demon described in the Old Testament book of Tobit, which
is included only in the Catholic canon of scriptures (you won't find
it in Jewish or Protestant Bibles; it's considered apocrypha in those
circles). In the book of Tobit, Sara had been married seven times, but
Asmodeus had slain all of them before they could consummate their
marriage (Tobit 3:7-8). Sara eventually married Tobias, the son of
Tobit, who was able to banish Asmodeus by burning the heart and liver
of a special fish given to him by the angel Raphael in their
bedchamber (Tobit 6:16-17, 8:2-3). Asmodeus fled to Egypt, where
Raphael caught up with him and bound him up. [Rafael Sevilla]
Ba'alzamon: Ba'al, Baelzebub, or Ba'al Shamin (literally, "the lord of
the heavens," an appellation of Ba'al.) Baelzebub, Lord of the Flies,
was an ancient Caananite fertility deity that competed with worship of
Yahweh in Old Testament times. Later became a euphemism for the devil
from the time of Christ on (see Matthew 10:24, 12:24-27, Mark 3:22,
and Luke 11:15-18) from its similarity to Aramaic beeldebaba = enemy,
and from the fact that many ancient pagan gods were demonized in
Christian times anyway. [Rafeal Sevilla]
Be'lal: Belial, literally means "worthless" in Hebrew, "sons of
Belial" is used throughout the Bible to denote evil men. Eventually
becomes the name of a demon in Medieval times. [Rafael Sevilla] Belial
was often noted as commanding legions. Be'lal was one of the noted
generals of the Shadow. [John Novak]
Bel Tine: Beltane, a Druidic holiday
Birgitte: Brigit/Brigid, Celtic goddess of fire, poetry, smithery,
and/or healing.
Cyndane: Cynthia(?), another name for Artemis, the Greek Moon Goddess,
who also was identifed with Selena. [Rich Boye]
Graendal: Grendal from Beowulf
Illian: Ilion, aka Troy, as in the Iliad
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 Abe into exiling Ish
and Hagar into the desert. The name literally means "God has Heard,"
because God is said to have heard of mother and son's plight at
Sarah's hand. Jordan seems to have a taste for irony, methinks, as
Ishamael is called the Betrayer of Hope! The whole quote about "every
hand raised against him" is interesting, and in full:
"You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him
Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery. He will be a wild
donkey of a man, his hand will be against everyone and everyone's
hand against him, and he will live in hostility towards all of his
brothers." [Bible: Genesis 16:11-12]
As a side note, Ishmael is said to be the ancestor of the present-day
Arabs and other peoples who now dwell in the lands around Israel.
Jehennah: Gehennah, a place of fire and torment.
Lanfear: French "l'enfer," the word for Hell.
Lews Therin/Lord of the Morning: Lucifer--the morning star
Lothair Mantelar (Founder of Children of Light): Martin Luther?
Masema: I actually came across a reference to a demon named Mastema,
which seems to have been an apcryphal name for Satan-- Satan in the
sense of Chief Accuser, rather than corruptor. [John Novak]
Mayene: Mayenne (1573, D F): for Charles de Lorraine-Guise, FP. Passed
to Gonzaga 1621. Sold 1658 to La Porte-Mazarin. The title of duke
remained by special clause in the letters patent, and became extinct
in 1738. Essentially, Mayenne was a small, royal land-grant from the
French Crown, that was near the Riviera. [Richard Boye']
Mesaana: Possibly from Messalina, the notorious third wife of Tiberius
Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus, Emperor of Rome
M'Hael: a possible reference to Michael the Archangel who was
Lucifer's chief opponent. (Technically, this shouldn't be in the
"Names" section, but I put it here to provide easy comparison with the
Lews/Lucifer idea.
Paaren Disen: Paradise
Perun: Pre-Christian Slavonic (Balkan) god of thunder. His sacred
animal was the bull. A war god, Perun's weapons were the axe, the
hammer, or "thunder arrows," all which symbolize thunder and
lightning. [Rich Boye]. Fred Van Keuls adds: "He was a god of
defensive warfare and was depicted with a big blonde beard. Jean
Dufresne adds: "Those are his attributes as they had already drifted
away from his original role, following the norse influence on the
slavic peoples. Originally, he also had a strong agricultural
component mixed with the rest. Which makes him even closer to Perrin
than Thor is.
Rahvin: the raven--harbinger of evil. Or, Ravana/Ravan, a demon in
Hindu mythology who abducts Sita, Rama's wife, in the Ramayana. (cf
Morgase and Sita: Both Queens, both fall under the power of a
demon/forsaken, in both cases there are doubts by other characters
about whether they were willing or no) [Emma Pease].
"Rhiannon at the Tower": Rhiannon from Welsh mythology. The closest
connection between her and a tower that I could find is the following
from the story of Manawyddan: Manawyddan, his wife Rhiannon, her son
Pryderi, and his wife Kicva were out hunting. They came upon a
mysterious castle. Their hounds ran into the castle, and didn't come
out. Pryderi went in after them, and saw a large gold bowl. He touched
the bowl, and became frozen. After a while, Rhiannon went in to look
for him, got similarly stuck, and then the castle disappeared. (They
finally got released.)
Sammael: Either a member of Lucifer's host, or another name for
Lucifer himself (depending on one's source).
Selene: Selena, a Greek goddess of the moon, (Hence the icon) merged
in Artemis and Hecate. She loved a youth named Endymion, and put him
into a deep sleep so that he would not be conscious of her caresses.
Semirhage: Legendary Assyrian queen mentioned by Herodotus, wife and
successor to Ninus, mythical founder of Nineveh. Noted for being so
excessively lustful and depraved she even legalized incest within her
realm. Dante Alighieri puts her in the Second Circle of Hell with
those who committed the sin of lust.
Shai...: (well you KNOW who this is) : Satan [Will Baird notes:
Shai... is the Arabic name for Satan literally.]
Shayol Ghul: Sheol: Hebrew for hell; Ghul: Gol or Gul, Arabic for
Demon
Tarmon Gai'don: Armageddon
Telamon: another character in the Iliad who we might recognize is
Aias, (Roman: Ajax) one of the most powerful and respected warriors of
the Greek army. Because there was another, unrelated warrior with the
same name, Aias was also known by his father's name, Telamon. [Peter
Smalley]
Tuatha'an: Tuatha De Danann, "People of the Goddess Danu." A magical
race of beings who were supposed to have inhabited Ireland at the time
of the arrival of the Milesians (i.e. humans).
Wild Hunt:Wild Hunt, of Celtic legend
Heroes of the Horn, from [ACOS: 21, Swovan Night, 362]:
* Mikel of the Pure Heart: Archangel Michael?
* Shivan the Hunter, Calian: He was said to herald the end of Ages,
the destruction of what had been and the birth of what was to be,
he and his sister Calian, called the Chooser, who rode red-masked
at his side.": two Hindu deities: Shiva the Destroyer and Kali,
goddess of death.
* Amaresu, with the Sword of the Sun: Amaterasu, ancient Japanese
goddess of the sun, from whom the Japanese royal family claims
descent.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
3.6: Dragon Legends
[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 Yin. 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."
The parallels with Rand and LTT are obvious.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
3.7: Norse Mythology
[Greg Wheatley, Chad Orzel, Jonathan Vessey, Erica Sadun, Pam Korda,
Karl-Johan Noren, Fred Van Keuls]
_________________________________________________________________
This is just a quick overview. For a more Thor-ough discussion of
Norse parallels in TWOT, see Karl-Johan's page on the subject. There
is a link to it from the Wheel of Time Index (See Section 0.08).
Mat and Odin: Mat has many of the attributes of Odin-- wide brimmed
hat, a spear with ravens drawn on it which refers to "Thought" and
"Memory" (the names of Odin's ravens) and will in the future almost
certainly lose an eye. Also, Odin agreed to be hung from Yggdrasill in
order to gain wisdom and power-- a definite parallel to Mat being hung
from the Tree o' Life in Rhuidean.
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 Gjall 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.
Rand and Tyr: Tyr was a Norse god of war and of justice. This is a
parallel with Rand bringing strife to Randland, and with his
concurrent attempts to rule justly and by the rule of law. (Note: Tyr
is not connected to legality as a maker of peace or a bringer to
justice, but more as the embodiment of laws as power, of the fight
that is fought in court instead on the battlefield. The god of justice
in the Norse pantheon is Forsete, of which next-to-nothing is known.
[Karl-Johan Noren]) Tyr's arm was snarfled off by the monstrous wolf
Fenrir (Perrin?) when the gods chained him. (The gods thus defeated
one of their greatest enemies, at the loss of one of their greatest
assets, Tyr's right (fighting) hand.) If this parallel is valid, then
this could be evidence that Rand will lose his hand-- RJ said at a
signing in Atlanta that he deliberately made Mat like Odin and Rand
like Tyr. Furthermore, Tyr offered to put his hand in Fenrir's mouth
as an assurance that the chains would be removed. Hence, it was a
willing sacrifice. This may be analogous to Rand sacrificing his life
or body parts at Tarmon Gai'don (or before).
Perrin and Thor: Karl-Johan Noren notes: "Even though Perrin does not
share any attribute with Tor other than his strength, his beard and
the hammer, their roles and personalities are remarkably similar. Both
are mostly connected to the common men, both have a good head but are
slow to use it, and both are terrible in their anger, though Tor has
much closer to it than Perrin. Perrin's hammer is a symbol for peace
and building, but this trait is also present in Tor and Mjolnir, even
though it is not readily present in the myths."
XXXXXXXXXXXX
3.8: The Fisher King
_________________________________________________________________
The Fisher King legend appears in TWOT in several guises, the first
and most obvious being the unhealable wound in Rand's side which he
received from Ishamael's staff in [TGH: 47, The Grave Is No Bar to My
Call, 564]. Then, we have the header prophecy from ACOS: "There can be
no health in us, nor any good thing grow, for the land is one with the
Dragon Reborn, and he one with the land." Finally, we have the
"Fisher" piece in Moridin's sha'rah game [TPOD: Prologue, Deceptive
Appearances, 43]: "The Fisher was always worked as a man, a bandage
blinding his eyes and one hand pressed to his side, a few drops of
blood dripping through his fingers. The reasons, like the source of
the name, were lost in the mist of time." Lost to Moridin, maybe, but
not to us!
Steve Deffeyes tells us: "The story of the Fisher King has origins
dating back to Celtic times. Originally it is the tale of a king who
was stabbed through both thighs, or sometimes is it the side, with a
spear thus causing his lands to fall to waste. There's something about
early customs forbidding the rule of a blemished king but the true
origins of the story are lost, which suits our WOT parallel just fine.
Chretien de Troyes introduced it to the Arthurian cycle and everyone
from Malory to T.S. Eliot has used it. He has been called King Pelles,
Parlan, Bron and Anfortas among others. Sir Balin dealt him the
Dolorous Stroke, wounding him with the same spear that stabbed Jesus.
He could not ride or hunt due to his never-healing wound and took up
fishing. Sir Perceval visited him while on the grail quest and saw the
procession of the grail, bleeding lance, candelabra and silver platter
but was a new and shy knight and failed to ask the critical question
that would have cured the king. Later when Sir Galahad achieved the
grail he anointed the king's wounds with the blood of the lance and he
was cured."
Here are some additional details from John Johnson:
The Fisher King is the guardian of the Holy Grail. (In some of the
earliest legends, this was known as the San Greal.) The Holy Grail was
originally brought over from Israel by Joseph of Arimathea, and
contained some of Jesus' blood. This explained the magical abilities
of the Grail. Legends conflict as to whether his wounding was a result
of pride or some other sin. He was directly tied to the land. The land
could not be healthy as long as the Fisher King was wounded. He was a
powerful magician; some people regarded him as being evil, others
good. (Those legends which regard him as being evil cast him as the
archetype of Satan.)
Some legends seem to cast the Fisher King as the archetype of mankind,
with the wound being the Original Sin, while others show the Fisher
King as being symbolic of Christ, with the wound being a
representation of his suffering on the cross, or, in some cases, the
evil of mankind. This is further confused by the title that Chretien
de Troyes gives him. In medieval French it is "Roi des Pecheurs,"
which can be translated either The King of Fishers, or the King of
Sinners, both of which could apply to Jesus Christ.
The quest of the Grail Knights was to seek out the Grail King, and ask
him the Grail Question. When they did this, they were then able to
heal the King, and thus heal the land. The legends have various
knights succeeding to various degrees. Launcelot was able to see it
from a distance, both Perceval and Galad were able to answer the
Question. Some legends have Bors de Ganis also achieving the Quest
with Perceval and Galad, but while they stayed behind, Bors returned
to the world to explain what had happened.
Associated with the Arthurian legend of the Fisher King are four
objects, the Hallows, (there were other Hallows, but these four were
most directly involved in the Arthurian legends) that were essential
to heal the Maimed King. These were sacred objects, capable of great
power. They were:
1) The Sword: This sword was said to have great power. Whoever wielded
it could call down lightning and fire from heaven. This is linked to
the Sword that Arthur pulled from the stone, and in modern times is
represented as the Sword of State. Rand pulled Callandor from the
Stone, and used it to call lightning and fire on the Trollocs.
2) The Cauldron: This provided food and life to those who were able to
possess it. It is described as a wide, but shallow dish. I think that
the Randland equivalent is the Bowl of Winds, which is described in
nearly the same terms. The modern equivalent is the Ampula of Holy
Oil.
3) The Spear: The Spear was unbeatable in battle, and was directly
linked to the healing of the Maimed King. Some legends say that this
spear was the very one that pierced the side of Jesus Christ. The
Randland equivlant could be the Seanchan scepter, or it could be Mat's
spear.
4) The crown: This was the symbol of the king's power. The Crown of
Swords is its equivalent in Randland. When the throne room in Illian
was destroyed, the Crown of Swords was sitting on the throne. The
throne was completely destroyed, but the crown was intact, which
indicates that it has an important role to play.
All of these were directly linked to the Maimed King's sovereignity,
and to the idea of power. When Rand goes into beggar-mode, he will
lose his power, and these will be necessary to restore him.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
3.9: The Aiel, Native Americans, and the Zulu
[Contributed by msteakley@utsi.com, whose real name I never got.]
_________________________________________________________________
"Little tiger who hunts the northern pass" writes:
In reviewing the theories on the Aiel and who they represent, I have
not found any references to any other cultures other than the thirteen
tribes of Israel. At first glance I would also have agreed with this
theory if I had not been initiated into Native American culture, and
in particular the philosophies and history of the plains Indian
tribes.
In reviewing their histories I have come across many similar tales in
various tribes where the people were either forced to move to a new
home or, for some unknown reason, chose to make the move of their own
accord. The most notable would be the forced move of the Cherokee.
This tribe could very easily pass for the peaceful Aiel who were
forced to move to the hot dry lands of the Aiel waste, a very fitting
analogy for Oklahoma. However, due to the fact that they never became
a serious threat in later years I have to discount them unless the
Aiel are considered a blend of various tribes.
The two most notable tribes which I have encountered to date would be
the Cheyenne and the Kiowa. Both tribes have tales which tell of their
people moving from their ancestral home in search of a new home. There
is a line in the Cheyenne tale which specifically says ' where every
hand was raised against us'. This line I also believe was used by the
Aiel in describing their migration. The Cheyenne were also made up of
thirteen clans according to the original histories I have encountered
about them. Having been an integral part of the Algonquin society of
the northeastern tribes they were also a peaceful people until after
their move to the northern plains. Their encroachment into other
tribes' territories and the resulting wars is the most probable reason
they became an extremely efficient warrior society. The Kiowa also
have a tale of their movement from somewhere in the northwest area of
the United States where they had to fight all the way to their current
home, which I believe is in the Oklahoma territory, ending up with
fewer than 300 people in the tribe. They also became an efficient
warrior society due to their move and the expansion of the European
colonists in later years.
The rituals of the Aiel are also distinctly Native American. The sweat
baths taken by the wise ones and other Aiel are a definitive ritual of
Plains Indian culture. (It may also be a part of other native American
cultures but I have only been involved with the plains Indians and the
Crow tribe to be specific.) The sweat lodge was described rather well
by RJ, so I will not go into detail, but I know of no Israelite tales
of sweat ceremonies or baths. The other ritual most notably used is
the vision quest. This entails the seeker of the vision going out into
the wilderness, stripping down to the bare flesh, and fasting for
three to four days until a vision (hallucination from lack of food) is
seen. In some tribes a 'sponsor' goes along as well to let the rest of
the tribe know what is happening. This, of course, sounds just like
Rand and Mat's trip into Rhuidean where they journey into the unknown
without food or water, Rand has his 'vision' of his ancestors (another
typical Indian philosophy), and they return three days later. I am not
surprised if no one else had caught this, having been on a vision
quest I did not catch this until I read it a second time and I was
still unsure of it being one.
The thing that surprised me the most is the fact that no one has, to
my knowledge, mentioned the fact that the Aiel warrior societies all
sound distinctly Native American. I can understand about the clan
names, two of which sound Japanese to me, but with names like Thunder
Walkers, Brothers of the Eagle, Mountain Dancers, and Stone Dogs, I
was surprised the connection had not been brought up before (to my
knowledge). Being a Crazy Dog of the Crow Indian Nation I was pleased
to note the connection between Stone Dogs and my own warrior society.
Of course, Crazy Dogs drive a stake into the ground and tie their left
leg to it in order to show they have no fear while protecting the
tribe. I have yet to see an Aiel do that.
There were also tribe in the Northeast where each clan had a central
meeting house. They also had a female as the leader of the clan. In
order to gain entrance to the house permission was granted by her,
like the Aiel House Mistress.
One last note, The more observant will have realized that the plains
Indians were masters of the horse. But, if you could run as fast as
one too, why bother?
It seems RJ patterned a great deal of the Aiel society after the
Native American Indians
Tony Z. adds, "The thing with spear/shield, and then the Aiel battle
tactics that Lan describes to Rand, for instance, are pretty much
lifted from the Zulus."
XXXXXXXXXXXX
3.10: Greek and Roman Mythology
_________________________________________________________________
1) Birgitte in Conversation:
[TFOH: 47, The Price of a Ship, 540]
Mathena: Athena/Artemis
Zheres: Tiresias? 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 Tiresias while bathing, but she blinded him and
gave him the gift of second sight in return.
2) Birgitte's silver bow seems to have come straight out of Greek
Mythology. Artemis had a silver bow, to match her brother Apollo's
golden one.
3) Oedipus: Doomed king of Thebes who killed his father and married
his mother. When he discovered what he had done, he blinded himself
and exiled himself from his city. He led the life of a blind beggar
until he died near Athens. [Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, by
Sophocles]. Possible connection to the vision of Rand as a blind
beggar.
4)Orpheus: A great musician whose wife, Eurydice, was killed on their
wedding night by a snake. Orpheus traveled to the kingdom of Hades to
try to get her back, and his music so moved the King/Queen(?) of the
underworld that he was allowed to take her back, provided that he
leave, and not look back at her until he had reached the surface. He
couldn't control himself, so he looked, and she went back to Hades.
Orpheus ended up getting ripped to shreds by the Maenads, a tribe of
ferocious women, during a Bacchanale. Possibly a connection to Thom
rescuing Moiraine from the Finn. [D. Sohl] (Hopefully, Thom will fare
better then Orpheus!)
XXXXXXXXXXXX
3.11: Miscellaneous References
_________________________________________________________________
1) Birgitte in Conversation: Mentions a past life named "Maerion":
Maid Marion?
2) Sammael = Napoleon? Sammael is described as a great general. He is
short. Illian's symbol is nine golden bees; Napoleon's symbol was a
golden bee.
3) Yin-Yang symbol/Ancient Aes Sedai symbol: He (RJ) 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] [Emmet O'Brien, Dublin talk, 11/93]
4) The sword forms: It's research (books, not doing), and the forms
come from Japanese sword fighting and some European fencing, before
the advent of well-designed and well-made guns made swords obsolete.
[Matthew Hunter at a signing, also mentioned by others]
5) Tolkien
* "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."
[from Dublin talk, 11/93, Emmet O'Brien]
* The Nine Rings Inn [TGH: 21, The Nine Rings, 258]
6) Wolf-brother: a moosh of various myths from Europe, Native
Americans, and Australian Aborigines. [America OnLine conference,
10/94]
7) Stones/Go: The game of Stones is based on the Asian game Go.
8) Tower of Ghenjei: There is a Japanese novel called The Tale of
Genji. It is generally considered the first piece of work which
qualifies as a novel, as the genre is defined today. Note the name's
similarity to the Tower of Ghenjei in WOT. It was written by Lady
Murasaki Shikibu in the early 10th century, during the Heian Period of
Japanese history. [Jeff Han]
9) Millenarianism: The End of The World will come at the end of the
millennium, or so some folks say. The year in Randland is pretty much
congruent with that used in the West of our own world. Galldrian of
Cairhien was assassinated in 998 NE. Since then, one winter has passed
(taking us to 999) and most of the next year. The Feast of Lights that
scandalized Perrin so much (in LoC) marks the last day of the old
year; the Battle at Dumai's Wells takes place some days after that,
and so must be early in 1000 NE. Tarmon Gai'don is coming soon, folks!
[Don Harlow]
10) Gholam = Golem from Jewish folklore. According Gershon Scholem in
"The Idea of the Golem," the Golem (pronounced goy-lehm), dates back
to the Kabbalah, the ancient book of Jewish Mysticism. The most famous
legend dates back to 16th century Prague, to a famous rabbi, Rabbi
Loew, but it is a bastardization of an earlier, far more appropriate
(from a TWOT persective) story of a Rabbi Elias in Poland, who shaped
clay into a man-shape (very biblical), and then inscribed, in Hebrew,
EMETH, which means TRUTH, on its forehead, granting it life. The Golem
did menial tasks and the like for Elias, but the longer it lived, it
grew in size and consequently in strength. When the Golem grew to an
awesome size, Elias felt threatened by it, and attempted to destroy it
by erasing the first letter (aleph) in EMETH, changing it to METH,
Hebrew for DEATH. Elias succeeded, but was subsequently killed by the
collapse of the creature into a big pile of clay. There are dozens of
variants of the golem legend. In the Loew story, the golem collapsed,
but did not kill Loew. Loew buried the remains in the attic of his
ancient synagogue, where they remain to this day, and make for an
unusual tourist attraction. Additional stories tell of the golem
growing in both strength and lustiness, which added a whole new
dimension of trouble to be caused.[Stewart S. Bushman]
11) Aelfinn/Eelfinn: The Elves/Faerie/Sidhe of Celtic mythology. The
Sidhe were vulnerable to iron ("iron to bind"), and liked music
("music to daze"). There were two subgroups of Faeries, as Matthew
Hunter elaborates: "The Seelie and Unseelie courts, of which one the
Seelie were comparatively "nice" and honorable, although tricksters
and inhumanly magical, while the Unseelie were essentially their evil
counterparts -- delighting in tormenting and the kind of pranks that
have nasty consequences. The spelling is phonetic, and the real
spelling is somewhat different... I think 'Seighlie' is closer but
still not right."
12) Another Celtic Connection: [TSR: 6, Doorways, 95] wrt the Snakes
Doorway: "Elayne's first thought was for the children's tale Bili
Under the Hill, but only because of the three answers." Compare to
various tales of common humans visiting some Sidhe under a hill, and
having various mystical experiences.
13) Nae'blis: Iblis, Another name for the devil in Muslim circles.
14) Asha'man: It has been pointed out that there are many similarities
between the Asha'man and the Nazi SS. SS stands for Schⁿtz Staffeln
(Guardian Group) and was originaly created to protect Hitler. Asha'man
means Guardians, and one of their functions is (nominally) to protect
Rand. Both organizations use black as their color. The leader of the
Asha'man is called "M'Hael," which is "leader" in the Old Tongue. The
leader of the SS was the "Fⁿhrer," which is "leader"in German. Six of
the total 19 officer ranks the Waffen-SS contained the two words Sturm
(storm) and Fⁿhrer (e.g. Sturmbahnfⁿhrer, Obersturmfⁿhrer,
Sturmscharfⁿhrer). This is also seen within the Asha'man in the
Tsorovan'm'hael (Gedwyn's title, from [TPOD: 21, Answering the
Summons, 407]). Also, the SS was nominally created to fight Communism
(color = red). The dedicated enemy of the AM is the Red Ajah. [Jimmy
Sj÷berg]
XXXXXXXXXXXX
3.12: On similarities between The Wheel of Time and other SF (including
Dune)
[Michael Nielsen, Korda]
_________________________________________________________________
People frequently point out similarities between Jordan and other
authors. A common example is to point out parallels between Frank
Herbert's Dune series and The Wheel of Time -- similarities between
Rand and Paul Atreides, for example.
First, note that in a series as large and complex as The Wheel of Time
(or Dune), parallels with such an enormous variety of literature can
be found that pointing out parallels (particularly if they are common
to many sources) can be fairly pointless. In the interest of avoiding
endless "RJ ripped off author X"/"Author X ripped off RJ" arguments,
we present the following:
1. Many of the similarities between Jordan and other authors can be
explained on the basis of the use of common source materials. Certain
motifs, themes, etc. have a very long and rich history in literature.
For example, messiah figures (such as Rand) and powerful mystical /
priesthood castes (such as the Aes Sedai) have appeared in an enormous
number of literary and historical guises over periods of thousands of
years.
2. Jordan is not copying or "ripping off" other authors, as has
sometimes been stated on the group. Using common source materials does
not imply copying: he transforms and embellishes old ideas from a
diverse range of sources (which he has freely acknowledged), and
sometimes innovates. The way all these different elements relate is
unique to Jordan, since no other author uses the same range of
elements.
The only direct influence we know Jordan has acknowledged is that that
he wanted to make the beginning of TEOTW read somewhat like Lord of
the Rings, in order to make readers feel at home.
For example, Rand losing a hand doesn't mean that RJ got the idea from
Tolkien (Frodo and Beren both lose parts of their hand), or George
Lucas, or S.R. Donaldson, any more than Lucas or Donaldson copied from
Tolkien. Rather, all four authors most likely got the idea from the
Norse god Tew.
3. While there are similarities, there are also great differences.
Paul Atreides and Rand may both be Messiah figures, but they are
remarkably different in a multitude of ways, many of them crucial to
the story.
Dune Similarities
Many parallels between Dune and the Wheel of Time have been noted.
Some of the more important similarities include :
Rand / Paul Atreides : Messiah figure from the outside leading great
rising of desert warriors (Aiel / Fremen) in fulfillment of prophecy.
Has powers usually only available to women. There are also
similarities in the way we see both characters develop: a young,
rather naive and powerless adolescent changes into an extraordinary
leader with great powers. Note that this is a fairly common archetype
in SF and other literature.
Aes Sedai / Bene Gesserit : Powerful, secretive and manipulative
female caste with extraordinary powers, sometimes known as witches.
Both go through intensive training and painful rites of passage.
Somewhat similar internal power structures and mindsets. Similar
remarks may also be made about the Aiel Wise Ones, the Kin, and
several other groups in RandLand.
Foretelling the future / dreaming : Appears in various guises in both
books.
Aiel / Fremen: Kick-ass desert warriors who ally themselves with the
Messiah figure. The strong similarity makes perfect sense once one
knows that Herbert's real-world sources for the Fremen were the
Israelites and Zulu (or maybe Native Americans? I lost the relevant
article), and RJ's sources for the Aiel are the Zulu and Native
Americans.
Some common words are used: "Shaitin" and "Mahdi" are two examples.
"Shaitin" derives from an Arabic word which in turn is derived from a
Hebrew (and Arabic) word, meaning "satan". My dictionary tells me that
a "Mahdi" is "any of a number of Muslim messiahs expected to convert
all of mankind to Islam," and that the word is of Arabic origins.
Obviously this is a usage that can easily be adapted to both TWOT and
Dune.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
3.13: Real Nations' Influence on Randland
[Richard BoyΘ, Sam McGee, P. Korda, Trent Goulding, Linda Antonson]
_________________________________________________________________
Obviously, the various countries and nations of Randland draw some of
their characteristics from real-world nations and cultures (both
current and historical). Here's a list of Randland countries and
real-world countries which may have influenced them. The ones labeled
"RJ" are ones which have been stated/confirmed by RJ. The rest are
just reasonable speculations.
* Aes Sedai: AS organization is based on the way convents were
organized between 1000 and 1800 AD. (RJ)
* Altara: Italy; a loose confederacy of semi-autonomous regions
beneath a weak monarch. The capital city contains elements of a
much, much older city (Rome) complete with large public
hippodromes (race tracks), the diet is heavily into seafoods and
cheeses, the culture is outdoorsy and seems evocative of
Mediterranean life.
* Amadicia: The fashions (gathers of ringlets, deep shady bonnets,
bows on the women, high crowned hats and long coats for the men)
seem vaguely suggestive of the Commonwealth Period of England,
when the Puritans held sway. This also meshes with the notion that
Amadicia is a quasi-theocracy, as they are essentially ruled by a
military order of "monks" who seem to encourage a well,
puritanical and pious lifestyle among the populace. They also like
to throw accusations of witchery everywhere, not at all unlike the
Puritans who moved to North America.
* Andor: England, Elizabethan England specifically with its "Cult of
the Queen."
* Arad Doman: Arabic cultures; firstly, the word "arab" is almost
present in the name "Arad Doman." Some of the characters last
names seem Arabic in theme (e.g. Shariff, Eriff, Zeffar), as well
as some of their first names (e.g. Alsalam, Rashad). The lacquered
sticks, sursa, used as eating implements are chopsticks by any
other name, and common throughout Asia.
* Aiel: Elements of Cheyenne, Apache, Zulu, Bedouin, Japanese,
Berbers (RJ). See Section 3.09.
* Cairhien: France; the noblewomen's fashions seem to be somewhat
reminiscent of the clothing from the Eighteenth century; high
curled coiffures, full wide skirts and ruffs of lace. The Court of
Louis XIV was called the Court of the Sun King. Cairhienin
symbology is all about the sun, i.e. Sun Palace, Sun Throne.
Furthermore, the prevalence of Daes Dae'mar calls to mind the
lethal intrigues at the Court of Versailles. The officers and
noblemen wear "con" on their backs, small pennants attached to a
short staff, also seen in feudal Japan. Japan is the "Land of the
Rising Sun," Cairhien is the "Hills of the Golden Dawn," and its
symbol is a rising sun.
* Illian: Illian has something of a "Greek-Mediterranean" feel to
it. Some of the he names certainly follow a Hellenic pattern (e.g.
Stepheneos, Demitrides). The King of Illian wears the "Laurel
Crown," an allusion the crowns of laurels awarded at the ancient
Olympic Games. "Illian" itself is a take-off on "Illium," a name
for Troy during the Classical Age. Lastly, the Illianer Companions
seems to be a reference to the Macedonian hetairoi (meaning
"companions" in Greek), which were a prestigious mounted order of
warriors that served the ruling House. Any decent scholar of
military history such as RJ would know about the hetairoi. The
bees on the flag seem to evoke the bees that were common in the
heraldry of Napoleanic France.
* Land of Madmen: Australia?
* Mayene: Cities of Hanseatic League, Venice, Genoa (RJ); Also, many
of the Mayener names seem to carry a French flavor (e.g. Bertain
Gallene, Evonne), and "Mayene" itself seems to be a take off on
"Mayenne," an extinct French estate.
* Malkier: Tibet, Nepal. A country nestled high in the mountains of
spectacular natural beauty. The ki'san (dots) painted in the
center of the brows of the women could either be an allusion to
the Hindu practice, or to some representations of the Buddha; an
overall thematic feel reminiscent of the countries near the
Himalayas.
* Saldaea: "a number of middle eastern cultures and several cultures
in countries surrounding the Black Sea" (RJ) This is most directly
recognizable in the "horse-culture" of Saldaea, which is evocative
of many nomadic peoples of the Asian steppe. Physically, Saldaeans
can be seen to resemble the Mongols.
* Sea Folk: A combination of allusions. The people were initially
described much as Sub-Saharan Africans (tight, curly hair, dark
skin tones), but later versions have them with long, straight
black hair, which coupled with the dark complexions, silk garments
and the medallions on chains attached to noserings seems to evoke
India more than anything else. The intricately knotted sashes used
to connote rank and station resemble Japanese obi, (kimino
sashes).
* Seanchan: Imperial China, Imperial Japan, Persian Empire, Ottoman
Empire. (RJ); The lacquer work of the Seanchan seems to be
inspired by the Far East, the Emperor/Empress too grand for the
eye is a concept borrowed from Japan. The phrase "Ever Victorious
Army" was actually in use in Japan during one point of its
history. Persian Empire: The Crystal Throne that inspires awe is a
direct allusion to a Persian epic story. Ancient Egypt: pleated
linen clothing, the tonsured heads, the patterns on Suroth's gown
(symbols within cartouche-like ovals) which could be visualized as
resembling hieroglyphics.
* Shara: Africa in a macro-sense. The name "Shara" seems similar to
"Sahara," and another name for Shara, "Kigali" is an actual place
in Africa. Furthermore, the two Sharans we have met were described
as "African" in appearance, with tight, curly hair and dark skins.
The silk production, "Silk Path" (Silk Road) and closed port
cities are allusions, however, to Imperial China.
* Shienar: Japan; the restrained, formal aesthetic, the communal
genderless bathing rooms, the haiku-type poetry recited by Lan,
the topknots of the warriors. Also, a dash of Medieval Feudal
Europe, notably the castle towns and the mounted warriors in full
plate armor (knights by any other name), and the idealized
courtesy and respect toward women, (chivalry).
* : Arabic cultures. The word "arab" is contained in the name
"Tarabon," the veils seem to be reminiscent of certain Arabic
societies, although in Tarabon they are unisex. The architecture
has a Middle Eastern flair; minarets and peaked domes, pointed
arches.
Tear: Spain (nobility); the names of some of the High Lords have a
distinct Iberian flavor (e.g. Estanda, Carlomin, Rosana), their
fashions seem to be reminiscent of Renaissance Spain (full skirted
gowns with wide lace ruffs, puffy sleeved coats, oiled beards and
moustaches). Furthermore, the lower classes seem to be very Asian
in feel; some of the names (e.g. Juilin, Suian, Huan), and some of
their clothing; flattened conical straw hats, ties instead of
buttons, wooden platforms for the feet as well as the usage of
bamboo. But also some of the lower class members' names seem very
Spanish as well (e.g. Sanche [Sanchez], Mercandes [Mercandez]).
* Whitecloaks: Teutonic Knights (RJ).
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Section 4: A Reader's Guide to Prophecy: Everything you wanted to know about
the future, but were afraid to ask.
_________________________________________________________________
This section lists all the prophecies and visions we have seen in
TWOT. After each prophecy, there is some discussion of what it
means/may mean.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
4.1: Egwene's Dreams
_________________________________________________________________
* The Great Hunt
* The Dragon Reborn
* The Shadow Rising
* The Fires of Heaven
* Lord of Chaos
* A Crown of Swords
* The Path of Daggers
_________________________________________________________________
From The Great Hunt
[TGH: 12, 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."
This has been fulfilled. It is where Lanfear takes Rand and co. into
the Portal Stone world in an attempt to bring Rand under her control.
___________________________________
From The Dragon Reborn
[TDR: 25, 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. 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.
The first part seems to indicate that the Seanchan will capture a
number of AS and/or Accepted and use them to attack the Tower. It's
possible that the "Tower" symbolizes AS in general, and thus perhaps
it is the Salidar AS who will be attacked by the Seanchan. In any
case, this has not yet been fulfilled. The second part, with the WCs,
has been fulfilled: Master Al'Vere was powerless to act against the
WCs in the 2R until Perrin came along.
___________________________________
[TDR: 25, 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.
Fulfilled. The sword is Callandor, and the net is the trap Be'lal set.
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.
Fulfilled. This is Rand being marked the Car'a'carn in Rhuidean.
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,
Not fulfilled. By the description, the mountain is SG.
and even a dream of him confronting Seanchan.
Possibly fulfilled. He confronted some Seanchan in TFOH after he and
Avi MPS'd, and waged a campaign against them in TPOD, but there is
surely more to come.
___________________________________
[TDR: 25, 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.
The hawk and the falcon are Berelain and Faile, respectively. It's
interesting that the hawk is the one with the leash, one would think
that Faile is the one who has "leashed" Perrin. In any case, the
conflict is not over yet.
... And that dream of Perrin--with a beard!--leading a huge pack of
wolves that stretched as far as the eye could see.
At least partially fulfilled. Perrin has a beard, and he led wolves at
Dumai's wells, but that was probably not the last time.
Mat, placing his own left eye on a balance scale.
Not fulfilled. The most likely interpretation is that Mat will
sacrifice his eye. This meshes with some of Min's visions, and the
"half the light of the world" prophecy.
Mat, hanging by his neck from a tree limb.
Fulfilled. This happened at Rhuidean.
There had been a dream of Mat and Seanchan, too, but she was
willing to dismiss that as a nightmare.
Not fulfilled yet, but now Mat is in a situation to interact with the
Seanchan, since he is in Ebou Dar.
...Just like the one about Mat speaking the Old Tongue.
Fulfilled many times over. Mat talks Old Tongue all the time.
___________________________________
[TDR: 37, 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
This is the Faile and Berelain thing again. Perrin and the wolf could
be the general "Wolfbrother" thing, or maybe Eg actually caught a
glimpse of Perrin running with Hopper in TAR.
...of Perrin running from someone deadly,
This is very vague; it could be referring to 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."
This is very vague, and could refer to any number of issues Perrin is
facing, from him mastering his wolf-brotherhood, to being a leader, or
taking part in the Last Battle. It could be related to the dream Eg
had about him and Aram hacking their way towards an unseen cliff.
There had been one dream of an Aiel, and she thought that had to do
with Perrin, too, but she was not sure.
Probably refers to Perrin's freeing of Gaul from the cage in TDR.
And a dream of Min, springing a steel trap but somehow walking
through it without so much as seeing it.
Fulfilled. This refers to the Tower Coup: her return to the Tower
started Elaida getting suspicious of what SS was up to, which led to
the coup. Min never realized what was coming. Yet, she got out of the
Tower unscathed.
... Mat with dice spinning 'round him...
Refers to Mat's general luck and ta'verenhood.
Mat being followed by a man who was not there ... or maybe more
than one, but in some way there was no one there
Fulfilled. Mat was stalked by Gray Men in Tar Valon
Mat riding desperately toward something unseen in the distance that
he had to reach
Fulfilled. Refers to Mat racing to save El/Eg/Ny in Tear.
and Mat with a woman who seemed to be tossing fireworks about. An
Illuminator, she assumed, but that made no more sense than anything
else.
Maybe fulfilled. In TDR, Mat met with the rogue Illuminator Aludra,
whence he gets the fireworks with which he busts into the Stone of
Tear. However, later visions indicate that Mat is not done with
fireworks.
Men and women breaking out of a cage, then putting on crowns.
Fulfilled. The Forsaken have broken out of SG and have taken up places
of power in the world.
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.
This is probably just symbolic of the various degrees of manipulation
and plotting going on.
Whitecloaks ravaging the Two Rivers.
Fulfilled and dealt with.
___________________________________
[TDR: 48, Following the Craft, 468-9]
Why should Perrin have a falcon on his shoulder, and what was
important about him choosing between that axe he wore now and a
blacksmith's hammer?
The falcon is Faile. As for the hammer and axe, Perrin's axe vs hammer
choice seems to be a choice between war and peace, the life of a
leader and that of a simple blacksmith. He seems to have currently
chosen the axe, but he may change his mind before all is said and
done.
... A Whitecloak putting Master Luhhan in the middle of a huge,
toothed trap for bait
Fulfilled. The WCs used the Luhhans and Cauthons as bait to catch
Perrin.
What did it mean that Mat was dicing with the Dark One, and why did
he keep shouting "I am coming!" and why did she think in the dream
that he was shouting at her?
Fulfilled. This refers to Mat's "bet" with Gaebril/Rahvin that he'd
save El, Eg, and Ny from the assassin.
And Rand. He had been 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. One of the men had eyes of flame, and he wanted Rand dead
with a desperation she could nearly taste;
Fulfilled. The men and women are the Forsaken who weren't dead at the
time. Fire-eyes is Ishy, and it is interesting that he wants Rand dead
in this dream. Maybe this is a combination between the state of the
game as it is when Eg has the dream (Rand looking for Callandor) and a
prophecy of later in TDR, when Ishamael for once actually decides that
Rand needs to be killed?
Rand in that dry, dusty chamber again, with those small creatures
settling into his skin.
Again, Rhuidean.
___________________________________
[TDR: 48, Following the Craft, 468-9]
Rand confronting a horde of Seanchan.
Has occurred, in TFOH and TPOD, but there's probably more to come.
Rand confronting her, and the women with her, and one of them was a
Seanchan.
Hasn't occurred yet. This will probably come when Rand wants the
Salidar AS to kneel to him. Note that it seems as if at least one
Seanchan will be joining Eg before she meets with Rand again.
___________________________________
From The Shadow Rising
[TSR: 11, 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.
This has not been literally fulfilled (Rand hasn't done much
city-crushing), but if the dream is symbolic, it is in progress, and
refers to the strife Rand leaves in his wake.
Rand in chains, and it was he who was screaming.
Possibly fulfilled; this could refer to his capture and torture by the
Tower AS.
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."
This is in the process of being fulfilled. Rand is deliberately
isolating himself from his friends and allies, and becoming
increasingly paranoid about not trusting anybody.
Aiel fighting each other, killing each other, even throwing away
their weapons and running as if they had gone mad
Fulfilled. This is the aftermath of Rand's revelation of the Aiel's
history.
Mat wrestling with a Seanchan woman who tied an invisible leash to
him
Not fulfilled. This is probably the Daughter of the Nine Moons. Poor
Mat.
A wolf-- she was sure it was Perrin, though-- fighting a man whose
face kept changing.
Fulfilled; refers to Perrin fighting Slayer.
Galad wrapping himself in white as though putting on his own shroud
At least partially fulfilled. The white clearly refers to Galad's
joining the WCs. If the shroud bit is prophecy, and not just metaphor,
it seems as if Galad will die as a result of his joining up.
and Gawyn with eyes full of pain and hatred.
Certainly fulfilled in one respect or another. Possibly refers to the
Tower Coup, or thinking Rand killed Morgase, or just his generally
psychotic state.
Her mother weeping.
This could be anything, really. The Two Rivers residents have had lots
of reasons to weep of late, and doubtless will have more in the
future.
___________________________________
From The Fires of Heaven
[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 her chair taken
The chair is probably the Lion Throne of Andor.
...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 two 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.
Partially fulfilled. Perrin is set up with Faile, has Aram as a
bodyguard, has the wolf banner, and the Manetheren banner, but we
haven't seen any doom related to Aram.
...Mat throwing dice with blood streaming down his face, the wide
brim of his hat pulled down low so she could not see his wound
Not fulfilled. The blood could be another reference to Mat losing an
eye.
while Thom Merrilin put his hand into a fire to draw out the small
blue stone that now dangled on Moiraine's forehead.
Not fulfilled. This is evidence that Thom will rescue Moiraine from
durance vile in Finnland.
Or a dream of a storm, great dark clouds rolling without wind or
rain while forked lightning bolts, every one identical, rent the
earth.
This is kind of vague. It sounds like a general OP battle, perhaps the
Battle of Cairhien, or Rand's psychotic episode with Callandor on the
Seanchan campaign in TPOD. It is also similar to Fain's description of
Shayol Ghul.
___________________________________
From Lord of Chaos
[LoC: 15, A Pile of Sand, 258]
Twice, right on top of each other, she dreamed of taking [Gawyn] by
the shoulders and trying to turn him to face the other way against
his will. Once he brushed her hands away roughly; the other time
she was somehow stronger than he. The two blended together hazily.
Not fulfilled. Will Eg convince Gawyn to join her on Rand's side, or
will he continue to hate Rand because of the chaos he's brought to his
life? Related to Min's viewing of Gawyn kneeling to Eg or breaking her
neck.
In another, [Gawyn] began swinging a door closed on her, and she
knew if that narrowing gap of light vanished, she was dead.
Not fulfilled. Again, this must be related to Min's viewing of Gawyn
kneeling to Eg or killing her-- Gawyn has the power to destroy Eg, if
he chooses not to join her.
___________________________________
[LoC: 15, A Pile of Sand, 258]
Perrin came and stood before her, a wolf lying at his feet, a hawk
and a falcon perched on his shoulders glaring at each other over
his head. Seemingly unaware of them, he kept trying to throw away
that axe of his until finally he ran, the axe floating through the
air chasing him.
Well, the wolf is obvious, and the birds are Berelain and Faile. As
for the axe bit, Perrin wants to give up the axe, but he cannot. We
have yet to decide for sure what the axe symbolizes in general. Maybe
it's the Lordly life Faile has planned for him, and the fighting
inherent therein. On a broader scale, the hammer symbolizes creation,
the axe destruction. Perrin doesn't like it, but it is currently his
duty to destroy and then rebuild. The axe following him could mean
that, since he is ta'veren, he can't run away from his duty.
Again Perrin; he turned away from a Tinker and ran, faster and
faster though she called for him to come back.
The Tinker could be Aram, in light of the "doom" vision from TFOH.
Perrin and Aram's relationship doesn't seem to have degenerated so
far, so likely this hasn't been fulfilled. It's been suggested that
Aram represents the exact opposite of what Perrin wants. Perin wants
to give up fighting for a peaceful life. Aram gave up the Way of the
Leaf to become a soldier.
___________________________________
[LoC: 15, A Pile of Sand, 258]
Mat spoke words she almost understood - the Old Tongue, she thought
- and two ravens alighted on his shoulders, claws sinking through
his coat into the flesh beneath
In light of other visions, this probably has to do with the Daughter
of the 9 Moons and the Seanchan. Raven tattoos on the shoulders mean
"Property of the Seanchan Empress." It's also been suggested that
these ravens could also represent Mat's raven-engraved glaive.
He seemed no more aware of them that Perrin had been on the hawk
and the falcon, yet the defiance passed across his face, and then
grim acceptance.
Maybe the ravens refer to his spear, which he got on his trip to
A/Eelfland, where he also became a battle-master, which he first
fought, and has now accepted? Or maybe he will resist his situation
vis a vis the DotNM, then accept it.
In another, a woman, face shrouded in shadow, beckoned him toward
great danger; Egwene did not know what, only that it was monstrous.
Not fulfilled, I think. Who is this woman? Lanfear? (cf [TGH: 12, 213,
Woven in the Pattern, 180], above). Another Forsaken? High Lady
Suroth? Maybe it is the DotNM?
___________________________________
[LoC: 15, A Pile of Sand, 258]
Several concerned Rand, not all bad, but all odd. Elayne, forcing
him to his knees with one hand.
Not fulfilled. Possibly concerns the throne of Andor, or being Bonded
to her as a Warder.
Elayne and Min and Aviendha, sitting in a silent circle around him,
each in turn reaching out to lay a hand on him.
This has probably been fulfilled to some degree, although this
plotline is certainly not resolved yet. They've all had their turns to
"lay their hands on him." Elayne in Tear, Aviendha in the Seanchan
igloo, Min in Caemlyn and Cairhien. Of course, Min and Avi have done
more laying than Elayne...
Him walking toward a burning mountain, something crunching beneath
his boots. She stirred and whimpered; the crunching things were the
seals on the Dark One's prison, shattering with his every step.
Not fulfilled. The mountain must be Shayol Ghul. The breaking of the
Seals--does it have something to do with LTT wanting to break them,
and Fel's note? It seems likely that Rand will deliberately break the
seals at some point.
___________________________________
From A Crown of Swords
[ACOS: 10, Unseen Eyes, 195]
...that she [Egwene] would bond him [Gawyn], she knew from
interpreting her dreams...
Not fulfilled.
___________________________________
[ACOS: 10, Unseen Eyes, 201]
On bare feet, Gawyn walked [toward her] across a floor of broken
glass, shards breaking at every slow step....she could see the
trail of blood left by his slashed feet.
Partially fulfilled? This seems to indicate that before Gawyn can join
Egwene, he must go through a great deal of pain and difficulty.
___________________________________
[ACOS: 10, Unseen Eyes, 202]
...a man riding on a black stallion. Gawyn. Then she was standing
in the road in front of him, and he reined in. Not because he saw
her...but the road that had been straight now forked right where
she stood, running over tall hills so no one could see what lay
beyond. She knew, though. Down one fork was his violent death, down
the other, a long life and a death in bed. On one path, he would
marry her, on the other, not. She knew what lay ahead, but not
which way led to which. Suddenly he did see her, or seemed to, and
smiled, and turned his horse along one of the forks...
This is pretty self-explanatory--Gawyn's possible futures. Pick one of
each: quick, violent death or long life, marriage or not. Which
combination is the necessary one for Eg to live and win him over to
her side, and which results in him destroying her? (See previous
dreams and Min visions.) Not fulfilled.
___________________________________
[ACOS: 10, Unseen Eyes, 202]
She stood before an immense wall, clawing at it, trying to tear it
down with her bare hands. It was not made of brick or stone, but
countless thousands of discs, each half white and half black, the
ancient symbol of the Aes Sedai, like the seven seals that had once
held the DO's prison shut...the wall stood strong however she beat
at it. She could not tear it down. Maybe it was the symbol that was
important. Maybe it was the AS she was trying to tear down, the
White Tower. Maybe....
No idea what this means, unless it is related to Eg's dream of Rand
building a wall between himself and all his friends and loved ones.
Note that the wall is made of the emblem of Rand's forces.
___________________________________
[ACOS: 10, Unseen Eyes, 202]
Mat sat on a night-shrouded hilltop, watching a grand Illuminator's
display of fireworks, and suddenly his hand shot up, seized one of
those bursting lights in the sky. Arrows of fire flashed from his
clenched fist, and a sense of dread filled her. Men would die
because of this. The world would change.
Not fulfilled. This indicates that Mat will find a way to use
gunpowder as a weapon. In ACOS, recall that he is looking for an
Illuminator. Also recall his use of fireworks to blow a hole in the
Stone of Tear in TDR.
___________________________________
[ACOS: 10, Unseen Eyes, 202]
Straps at waist and shoulder held her tightly to the block, and the
headsman's axe descended, but she knew that somewhere someone was
running, and if they ran fast enough, the axe would stop.
Egwene will get in some dire trouble (possibly through the influence
of her new masseuse?), and will need the help of one or more other
people to get out of it. This could possibly be the thing where Gawyn
will either save her or destroy her. Not fulfilled.
___________________________________
[ACOS: 10, Unseen Eyes, 202]
Logain, laughing, stepped across something on the ground and
mounted a black stone; when she looked down, she thought it was
Rand's body he had stepped over, laid out on a funeral bier with
his hands crossed at his breast, but when she touched his face, it
broke apart like a paper puppet.
This is possibly related to Min's vision of Logain's future glory.
Another dead Rand (cf Min's vision in TEOTW), but maybe a fake. It has
been suggested that the stone is the Black Tower "speaking stone," the
rock that Taim and Rand stand on when addressing the Asha'man. It's
been suggested that this vision indicates that Rand will somehow fake
his death, and Logain will take over his position of power, or get the
credit for defeating the DO. Not fulfilled.
___________________________________
[ACOS: 10, Unseen Eyes, 203]
A golden hawk stretched out its wing and touched her, and she and
the hawk were tied together somehow; all she knew was that the hawk
was female.
The golden hawk is the symbol of Mayene. The female hawk has
symbolised Berelain in many other Egwene-dreams. This indicates that
Berelain and Eg will be connected in some way. Alternatively, the hawk
could refer to a Seanchan noblewoman (the golden hawk is the symbol of
the Seanchan Blood). Either way, not fulfilled.
___________________________________
[ACOS: 10, Unseen Eyes, 203]
A man lay dying in a narrow bed, and it was important that he not
die, yet outside a funeral pyre was being built, and voices raised
songs of joy and sadness.
Absolutely no clue on this one.
___________________________________
[ACOS: 10, Unseen Eyes, 203]
A dark young man held an object in his hand that shone so brightly
she could not see what it was.
Again, very little idea of what's going on here. The glowing thing
could be a *angreal, note that it is similar to some visions of
Callandor. The most prominent dark young men in the series thus far
are Aram and Moridin. This could be Narishma retrieving Callandor from
the Stone.
___________________________________
From The Path of Daggers
[TPOD: 15, Stronger than Written Law, 308]
Rand, wearing different masks, until suddenly one of those false
faces was no longer a mask, but him.
Refers to how Rand acts in wildly different ways, plays different
roles, with different people. This could be Rand trying to be the
ever-hardening Dragon Reborn/dictator on one hand and the man who can
maintain calm in the middle of combat, off three Forsaken with
political skill, and then return home in time to be a loving husband.
Apparently, one of his roles will become the "real" him.
Alternatively, it's been suggested that it refers to Rand wavering
between the Dragon Reborn and Rand himself, and maybe the various
gradations in between. "Masks" implies more variations than LTT.
Perrin and a Tinker, frenziedly hacking their way through brambles
with axe and sword, unaware of the cliff that lay just ahead. And
the brambles screamed with human voices they did not hear.
The Tinker is Aram. The frenzied hacking could refer to an upcoming
rush to rescue Faile. The various signs of impending doom could imply
that they'll be so focussed on saving her that they'll be oblivious to
other factors or situations which will cause them and/or somebody else
big trouble and/or pain. Possibly, Perrin will, perhaps at the urging
of Aram, make a huge sacrifice of life, maybe his group of soldiers,
and that it will turn out to be a bad decision. This vision could be
connected to the vision of Aram and doom, and to the one of Perrin
jumping off a cliff and saying he has to learn to fly before hitting
bottom.
Mat, weighing two Aes Sedai on a huge set of balance scales, and on
his decision depended....She could not say what; something vast;
the world, perhaps.
This sounds like it could be related the eye on a balance scale, and
giving up half the light of the world to save the world. What losing
an eye has to do with choosing between two AS is beyond me. It's been
suggested that maybe the two AS represent the two Towers, but Mat
really doesn't seem likely to be in any situation where he'd choose
Elaida's group over Egwene's. This one is very puzzling.
Recently, all of her dreams about Mat were pale and full of pain,
like shadows cast by nightmares, almost as though Mat himself were
not quite real.
Unknown what this symbolizes. Maybe there is something wrong with Mat,
which makes him "less real." Maybe he has amnesia due to being hit on
the head by a wall.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
4.2: Min's Viewings
_________________________________________________________________
* The Eye of the World
* The Great Hunt
* The Dragon Reborn
* The Shadow Rising
* The Fires of Heaven
* Lord of Chaos
* A Crown of Swords
* The Path of Daggers
_________________________________________________________________
From The Eye of the World
[TEOTW: 15, Strangers and Friends, 181]
LAN: Seven ruined Towers/A babe in a cradle holding a sword
These refer to his Malkieri heritage: Lord of the Seven Towers, and
sworn as a babe by his parents to the fight against the Shadow.
THOM: A man-- not him-- juggling fire/The White Tower
Either of these could refer to his channelling nephew Owyn, who seems
to have been caught up in the "vileness" after the Aiel war. The Tower
could also represent future involvement with Aes Sedai.
MAT: A red eagle, an eye on a balance scale, a dagger with a ruby,
a horn, a laughing face
The eagle is related to his past life/lives as a Manetheren general.
The eye is another reference to him having to sacrifice his eye at
some point, in order to achieve total Odin-hood, and to produce some
greater good. Compare to the "half the light of the world" prophecy,
and Eg's dream about Mat with blood streaming down his face. The
dagger is the Shadar Logoth dagger which Mat was involved with for so
long. The horn is the Horn of Valere, which Mat blew in TGH. As for
the laughing face, it doesn't seem to refer to anything specific Mat's
done so far, although he is a bit of a trickster, or to any other
prophecies.
RAND: A sword that isn't a sword, A golden crown of laurel leaves,
a beggar's staff, him pouring water on sand, three woman standing
over a funeral bier with him on it, A bloody hand and a white hot
iron, and black rocks wet with blood.
The Sword That Ain't is Callandor. The crown is the Crown of Illian,
achieved in ACOS. The beggar's staff vision doesn't relate to anything
which has happened thus far, but the vision ties in to other ones
involving Rand dressed as a beggar. Pouring water on sand probably
refers to Rand making it rain at Rhuidean. The three women over his
funeral bier are probably his three chicks--Min, Avi, and Elayne. No
idea about the bloody hand and hot iron, although there is a similar
vision for Elayne in TGH. (A suggestion that has nothing to do with
Elayne relates Rand's self-inflicted hand wound when Liah is lost in
Shadar Logoth in LOC (the bloody hand) to the balefire he used on her
at the end of COS (the "white-hot iron" is Min's description of
balefire, since she doesn't know what it actually is).) The bloody
black rocks are probably the rocks of Shayol Ghul; this seems to tie
in with "his blood on the rocks of Shayol Ghul" from the Karaethon
Cycle.
PERRIN: wolf, broken crown, trees flowering all around him.
The wolf refers to his wolfbrotherhood. The "broken crown" has to do
with his marriage to Faile. Faile is second in line for the Saldaean
throne, after her father. The meaning of the flowering trees is
unclear; it has been suggested that they refer to Loial singing to the
trees over Perrin's family's grave, or that Perrin will find the Song.
___________________________________
[TEOTW: 16, The Wisdom, 195]
The number of sparks increased when Nynaeve joined the party.
Obviously, Nynaeve is an important part of the group who will fight
the Shadow.
___________________________________
From The Great Hunt
[TGH: 24, New Friends and Old Enemies, 305] [TGH: 43, A Plan, 511]
ELAYNE: The Rose Crown of Andor, a severed hand, not hers, a
red-hot iron and an axe.
The crown is the Crown of Andor, which Elayne claimed in TPOD. The
severed hand, red-hot iron, and axe may be related to the bloody hand
and white-hot iron Min saw around Rand.
___________________________________
[TGH: 43, A Plan, 511]
NYNAEVE: Man's ring of heavy gold.
This is Lan's ring. The vision could symbolize Ny's love connection
with our favorite Warder, or it could refer to some particular
instance, yet to come, in which she'll need the ring for some specific
purpose.
___________________________________
[TGH: 24, New Friends and Old Enemies, 305]
EGWENE A white flame
Duh. Refers to Eg. becoming Amyrlin Seat.
___________________________________
From The Dragon Reborn
[TDR: 6, The Hunt Begins, 62-3]
PERRIN: An Aiel in a cage, a Tinker with a sword, a female falcon
and a female hawk on his shoulders, a darkness swirling around him.
The caged Aiel is Gaul, who Perrin freed. The Tinker is Aram. The
swirling darkness is vague. Possibly, it just means that the shadow
was chasing him, or maybe more specific-- there are Darkfriends near
to him? Maybe this is the same darkness Min sees around Rand and
Perrin, with the fireflies/sparks?
___________________________________
From The Shadow Rising
[TSR: 17, Deceptions, 198]
LOGAIN: A halo of gold and blue, signifying glory to come.
This may have to do with being him being un-gentled, but there is
probably more to this than that. Suggestions include the "Rand fakes
death and Logain takes credit" theory (see Eg's dream), the "Logain
uses Callandor" theory, and the "Logain takes care of Taimandred"
theory.
___________________________________
[TSR: 1, Seeds of Shadow, 21]
GAWYN: A heron marked sword, his or threatening, His banner with a
field of green rather than white, either breaking Egwene's neck or
kneeling to her
The meaning of the heron sword is uncertain. I guess Gawyn could be a
blademaster. "Threatening" could refer to fighting Hammar and Coulin
in the Tower Coup. The banner is that of the Younglings, whom Gawyn
commands.
___________________________________
[TSR: 1, Seeds of Shadow, 16-23]
RANDOM AES SEDAI IN WHITE TOWER: A silver collar, similar to, or
actually, a damane's. Also lots of death and suffering/bones etc.
The bones, death, etc. probably refer to the Tower's current strife
(the coup, etc.). The collar vision agrees with others which show that
at least some AS will be captured by the Seanchan.
___________________________________
From The Fires of Heaven
[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."
*shrug* Could this have something to do with her being Keeper? Could
it be related to Logain's gold and blue aura?
___________________________________
[TFOH: 26, Sallie Daera, 317]
CARLINYA: "a raven floating beside her dark hair; more of a drawing
of the bird than the bird itself. She thought it was a tattoo..."
Carlinya is one of Sheriam's faction with the rebel AS. The raven
tattoo indicates that a person is "property" of the Seanchan empress.
___________________________________
[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."
Meaning is obvious. Note that Edesina is one of the Aes Sedai sent to
Tarabon, which we know to be under Seanchan control.
___________________________________
[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. All I know is this. If
he stays close to you [SS], you live. If he gets too far away, for
too long, you are going to die. Both of you."
The bull ripping off the roses indicates Gareth Bryne severing his
ties to Andor and Morgase. (The crest of House Bryne is a bull with a
wreath of roses, which symbolize the Rose Crown, around its neck.) We
have not yet seen a situation where SS's or Bryne's life depends on
having the other one around.
___________________________________
[TSR: 47, The Truth of a Viewing, 544]
GAWYN: either breaking Egwene's neck or kneeling to her
The either/or vision about Egwene is similar to several of Eg's dreams
which imply that Gawyn will either get over his psychosis and go along
with Egwene, or that he'll end up destroying her, maybe killing her.
___________________________________
[TFOH: 50, To Teach and Learn, 592]
FAOLAIN: '"A nasty woman," Min murmured, squinting after Faolain
... "You'd think, if there was any justice, she would have an
unpleasant future ahead of her."'
By implication, Faolain has a good future. This perhaps will come of
her swearing fealty to Eg.
___________________________________
[TFOH: 50, To Teach, and Learn, 598-9]
MARIGAN, NICOLA, and AREINA: (Three women refugees with Ny et al.)
"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."
Marigan was Moggy, which certainly was trouble. The other two are
possibly the 2 BA Mog had with her. Even if they are not, they are
causing problems among the Salidar AS--they tried to blackmail Eg, and
succeeded in blackmailing Myrelle. Their antics prompted Eg to tell El
and Ny not to return to the army until she deals with them, which will
doubtless cause more trouble.
___________________________________
[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."'
This seems to be in the process of coming true. Elayne, Min, and
Aviendha (the third one, with a temper) are all in love with Rand, and
he with them.
___________________________________
From Lord of Chaos
[LoC: 41, A Threat, 527]
RAND: Countless thousands of sparkling lights, like stars or
fireflies, rushed into a great blackness, trying to fill it up,
rushed in and were swallowed. There seemed to be more lights than
she had ever seen before, but the darkness swallowed them at a
greater rate, too. And there was something else, something new, an
aura of yellow and brown and purple that made her stomach clench.
The sparks and darkness seem to be a continuous indication of the
status of the fight against the Shadow. They're first mentioned when
we first meet Min in TEOTW. The nasty bruise-colored aura could
indicate Rand's (physical and psychological) injury during his
captivity by the Tower AS, or it could indicate that he's growing more
and more susceptible to the Taint.
___________________________________
[LoC: 41, A Threat, 532]
RAND: "I saw an aura around you [Rand] in the throne room. Aes
Sedai are going to hurt you. Women who can channel, anyway. It was
all confused; I'm not sure about the Aes Sedai part. But it might
happen more than once."
Injury at the hands of channelling women has happened once--Rand's
captivity by the Tower AS. It is possible that he'll be hurt by
channelling women again, although not necessarily more AS--after all,
they've had their turn. The most likely groups seem to be Sevanna's
Wise Ones, the Black Ajah, and the Seanchan. Other possibilities are
the Sea Folk, the Sharans, the Salidar AS, and some Forsaken.
___________________________________
[LoC: 41, A Threat, 534]
MELAINE: will bear twin daughters
Melaine is currently pregnant.
___________________________________
[LoC: 46, Beyond the Gate, 578-9]
RAND and PERRIN: "When you two were together, I saw those fireflies
and the darkness stronger than ever.... But with two of you in the
same room, the fireflies were holding their own instead of being
eaten faster than they can swarm, the way they do when you're
alone. Twice he's going to have to be there, or you [Rand]...." "If
he's not, something bad will happen to you." "Very bad." Rand:
"Then I'll just have to keep him around." Min: "I don't know that
that will be enough, it will happen if he is not there, but nothing
I saw said it won't because he is. It will be very bad, Rand."
The sparks indicate the odds in the fight vs. the Shadow. Clearly,
Rand doesn't stand a chance w/o Perrin. The first time Rand needed
Perrin was probably the capture by the Tower AS. The second hasn't
happened, so Perrin better hurry up in Ghealdan.
___________________________________
[LOC: 49, The Mirror of Mists, 616]
RAND: (possible viewing): Rand says, '"Trust me, Min. I won't hurt
you. I will cut off my arm before I hurt you." She was silent, and
he finally looked round to find her peering at him with a strange
expression. "That's very nice to hear, sheepherder." Her voice was
as odd as her face.'
This may or may not be a real viewing. However, it seems like she saw
something related to what he'd just said. Maybe he'll cut off his arm
(or lose a hand!), or hurt her somehow.
___________________________________
[LoC: 50, Thorns,626]
MISC. NOBLES: "Maringil...was going to die by poison. Colavaere...
would die by hanging. Meilan...would die by the knife. ...Aracome
and Maraconn and Gueyam were all going to die too, bloody deaths,
in battle.
Colavaere killed the first two, or had them killed, and then hung
herself when her plan to seize the Sun Throne was foiled. The last
three died in Rand's Seanchan campaign in TPOD.
___________________________________
[LoC: 50, Thorns, 628]
BERELAIN: "a man in white who will make her fall head over heels."
Who is it? The only groups of people who regularly wear white are WCs
and gai'shain. It seems most likely that this mysterious man is
Galad--there's a certain symmetry to the Most Beautiful Woman and the
Most Beautiful Man getting together. Not to mention, Berelain is in
Ghealdan at the end of TPOD, and thus in prime geographic condition to
meet some handsome Whitecloaks.
___________________________________
From A Crown of Swords
[ACOS: 2, the Butcher's Yard, 88]
WHOLE BUNCH O' FOLKS: "Taim has blood in his past and blood in his
future, but you could guess that. He's a dangerous man. They [the
Asha'man] seem to be gathering images like AS....The problem is,
what I can see is all blurry....Kiruna and that lot have all sorts
of things around them, but they stay so close together that it
all...jumbles together....It's even muddier with the [Tower AS]
prisoners....I keep feeling there is something important, if I
could only pick it out. You need to know."
This is pretty vague. There is something important that Rand must know
about Taim, or the Asha'man, or the Aes Sedai sworn to Rand, or the
Tower AS prisoners.
___________________________________
[ACOS: 33, A Bath, 526]
RAND: I saw you and another man. I couldn't make out either face,
but I knew one was you. You touched, and seemed to merge into one
another, and....one of you dies, and one doesn't."
Rand takes this to mean that LTT is a real presence in his mind. That
seems too easy, and Min seems doubtful about that interpretation.
___________________________________
[ACOS 34, Ta'veren, 534]
MERANA, ALANNA, BERA, FAELDRIN, RAFELA: "They will keep their
word....I just saw these five in your hand."
Those five will keep their oath of fealty to Rand. Note that Verin and
Kiruna are not part of this group.
___________________________________
[ACOS: 35, Into the Woods, 543]
RAND: "He would almost certainly fail without a woman who was dead
and gone..."
The most likely person for this to be referring to is Moiraine, who
everybody thinks is dead.
___________________________________
[ACOS: 35, Into the Woods, 546]
MOIRAINE: "it was not as if she had really expected Moiraine to
turn up alive. Moiraine was the only viewing of hers that had ever
failed."
Obviously Min had some viewing of Moiraine which had not been
fulfilled by the time Moir took a header through the Red Door. WE know
Min is never wrong, and thus, Moiraine will be back!
___________________________________
[ACOS: 35, Into the Woods, 549]
DARLIN, CARALINE: Caraline Damodred and High Lord Darlin will get
married.
This has not occurred, but he is courting her.
DARLIN: "To her eyes a crown suddenly appeared on Darlin's head, a
simple golden circlet with a slightly curved sword lying on its
side above his brows. The king's crown he would wear one day,
though of what country, she could not say. Tear had High Lords
instead of a king"
Somebody suggested that this may be a stripped-down version of the
Illianer Crown of Swords, but it is more likely a crown that we
haven't seen before, or of a new country.
___________________________________
[ACOS: 41, A Crown of Swords, 642]
CADSUANE: "It's Cadsuane. She is going to teach you something, you
and the Asha'man. All the Asha'man, I mean. It's something you have
to learn, but I don't know what it is, except that none of you will
like learning it from her. You aren't going to like it at all."
What will Cadsuane teach the Asha'man? Our only clue is her experience
in dealing with male channellers, and that men she has brought to the
White Tower for gentling live markedly longer than usual. So, it may
have something to do with how to decrease or slow down the effects of
the Taint. Another suggestion is that she will figure out how to do
male-female linking. Given her Glossary entry, maybe she will teach
them how to survive without Saidin, which would explain why they won't
like it. Given the general behaviour of the Asha'man, the thing they
really need to learn is MANNERS!
___________________________________
From The Path of Daggers
[TPOD: 29, A Cup of Sleep, 560-562]
FOUR TOWER AES SEDAI PRISONERS WHO WERE COMPELLED BY VERIN:
BELDEINE: "She was going to bond an Asha'man as a Warder!"
SARENE: "A tempstuous love affair, of all things!"
NESUNE: "One red-and-green aura spoke of honors, and fame. A huge
building appeared above her head and vanished. A library she would
found.
ELZA: No specific viewing.
SORILEA: "She had never seen anything really useful around that
white-haired harridan"
ALL FOUR, PLUS SORILEA: '"Suddenly an aura flashed, blue and yellow
tinged with green, encompassing them all. And Min knew its
meaning....'They will serve you, each in her fashion, Rand."....
Sorilea would serve him? Suddenly Min wondered exactly what "in
her fashion" meant.'
This is all either trivial, self-explanatory, or both.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
4.3: Various Prophecies
_________________________________________________________________
* The Eye of the World
* The Shadow Rising
* The Fires of Heaven
* Lord of Chaos
* A Crown of Swords
_________________________________________________________________
From The Eye of the World
[TEOTW: 26, Whitebridge, 327]
The prophecy of the Horn of Valere:
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.
Translation: The Heroes of the Horn will fight against the Shadow at
the Last Battle.
___________________________________
[TEOTW: 40, The Web Tightens, 514]
Foretelling by Elaida:
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.
It's all pretty much occurred as she said.
___________________________________
[TEOTW: Glossary, Dragon Reborn, 662]
...the prophecies say the Dragon Reborn will bring a new Breaking
to the world...
Fulfillment in progress. He hasn't broken it much literally, but he is
doing so in a figurative sense.
___________________________________
[TEOTW: Glossary, Far Dareis Mai, 663]
...it is prophesied that a child born of a Maiden will unite the
clans and return to the Aiel to [sic.] the greatness they knew
during the Age of Legends.
Rand was born of a Maiden, has united the clans (besides the Shaido),
and the "greatness of the AOL" is coming to pass--the Aiel are very
famous in the lands Rand holds.
___________________________________
From The Shadow Rising
[TSR: 1, Seeds of Shadow, 29]
Elaida's first Foretelling:
The very first thing Elaida had ever Foretold, while still an
Accepted -- and had known enough even then to keep to herself --
was that the Royal line of Andor would be the key to defeating the
Dark One in the Last Battle. She had attached herself to Morgase as
soon as it was clear Morgase would succeed to the throne...
Elaida interpreted this Foretelling as meaning that somebody from
Morgase's line would be crucial to defeating the DO. However, since
the timing of the Foretelling is not certain, it may refer to the
previous Royal line of Andor, Mondrellein's line. Rand, of course, is
Mondrellein's grandson, through Tigraine, and Rand is certainly key to
defeating the DO. If Elaida's interpretation is correct, the
Foretelling could refer to Elayne and/or Gawyn.
___________________________________
[TSR: 15, Into the Doorway, 177]
Snakey dudes' answers to Mat's Question (What is the fate which he
must go to Rhuidean to meet?):
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.
Well, he's about to meet the Daughter. He's died and lived again on
two occasions, and the memories he got from the Foxes count as "living
once more a part of what was. In light of other prophecies, "give up
half the light of the world" probably refers to sacrificing an
eyeball.
___________________________________
[TSR: 19, The Wavedancer, 220-1]
Jendai Prophecy (Coramoor)
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, and Aes Sedai shall kneel to wash his feet and dry them with
their hair.
All of this has happened except for the icky foot-washing bit. Perhaps
that's just a figurative way of saying "Aes Sedai will serve him"?
Note that foot-washing occurs during the Amyrlin-raising ceremony.
___________________________________
[TSR: 23, Beyond the Stone, 270]
Wise One Dream (Moiraine, Melaine, and Seana in conversation on
Chaendaer):
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. 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. If Aan'allein had not come, you would
have died. If you did not go through the rings...
Translation: If Rand hadn't gone to Rhuidean, and gained the Aiel
Instant Army, he would have died, and the Aiel would have died out,
too. Since Rand survived Rhuidean, some portion of the Aiel will
survive. If Moiraine hadn't gone, then Rand would have been killed by
Lanfear at the Cairhien docks. There was no on-screen moment where Lan
saved Moiraine, but maybe it happened during one of the Shadowspawn
attacks. What would have happened if Moiraine hadn't gone through the
rings?
___________________________________
[TSR: 25, The Road to the Spear, 285-6]
Prophecy of Rhuidean:
The stone that never falls will fall to announce his coming. Of the
blood, but not raised by the blood, he will come from Rhuidean at
dawn, and tie you together with bonds you cannot break. He will
take you back and he will destroy you.
Rand is of Aiel blood, but not raised by the Aiel. He came from
Rhuidean at dawn. I'm uncertain what the "bonds you cannot break" are,
maybe the bonds of history. He "took them back," revealing their
history, and he is in the process of destroying them. There has
already been a split between the Aiel who follow Rand and those that
don't, and the latter are fraying apart. There are also those who
succumb to the "bleakness." Finally, there are all the Aiel who are
getting killed in battle.
___________________________________
[TSR: 24, Rhuidean, 281-2]
MAT'S WISHES: Holes in memory filled/a way to be free of Aes Sedai
and the Power/Away and back to Rhuidean
He got all three, although not exactly in the way he expected.
___________________________________
From The Fires of Heaven
[TFOH: Prologue, The First Sparks Fall: 20]
ELAIDA IN CONVERSATION: "Or do any of you believe he [Rand] will go
willingly to his prophesized death to save the world?"
Prophecy at least appears to say that Rand will die.
___________________________________
From Lord of Chaos
[LoC: 14, Dreams and Nightmares, 255]
Nicola's Foretelling:
"The lion sword, the dedicated spear, she who sees beyond. Three on
the boat, and he who is dead yet lives." The great battle done, but
the world not done with battle. The land divided by the return and
the guardians balance out the servants. The future teeters on the
edge of a blade.
The sword, spear, and seeress are clearly Elayne, Aviendha, and Min.
Are they the "three on the boat"? Probably. I've yet to see a
satisfactory explanation of the "he who is dead" bit, although it ties
in with the King-Arthur funeral imagery of one of Min's visions, and
the WOs' boat dream. The "great battle" line could refer to the Last
Battle, perhaps saying that even after TG, the struggle between the
Light and Shadow continues, or that there will be more fighting
afterwards, or maybe there'll be a big battle BEFORE TG. The land
divided by the return refers to the Seanchan invasion (Randland is
rapidly becoming divided into Rand-controlled aread and
Seanchan-controlled areas). The guardians and the servants are the
Asha'man and the Aes Sedai. The last line is just metaphorical
melodramatics--this war is crucial, duh.
___________________________________
[LOC: 19, Matters of Toh, 312]
Wise Ones Dreams:
"Melaine and Bair dreamed of you [Rand] on a boat with three women
whose faces they could not see and a scale tilting first one way
and then the other. Melaine and Amys dreamed of a man standing by
your side with a dagger to your throat, but you did not see him.
Bair and Amys dreamed of you cutting the wetlands in two with a
sword. All three had this dream, which makes it especially
significant. Rain, coming from a bowl. There are snares and
pitfalls around the bowl. If the right hands pick it up, they will
find a treasure perhaps as great as the bowl. If the wrong hands,
the world is doomed. The key to finding the bowl is to find the one
who is no longer."
The women in the boat echo the boat imagery from Nicola's foretelling,
and are probably El, Min, and Avi. The scale indicates that everything
seems up in the air now. Rand might win, the Shadow might, who knows?
The unseen man with a dagger clearly means that there is a big threat
to Rand right under his nose, which he is not seeing. This could be
Taim. Some people have suggested that it should be taken more
literally, and that the unseen guy is a Gray Man. Furthermore, it
could be Dashiva, who Rand trusted more than Taim and who tried to
kill Rand at the end of TPOD. The cutting of the wetlands could
indicate how Randland is polarizing into pro- and anti-Dragon
factions, or it could refer to Rand's semi-successful campaign against
the Seanchan in Ebou Dar. He halted their advance into his territory,
but he failed to remove them from most of the territory they already
controlled. This would tie in with Nicola's Foretelling of "the land
divided by the return." The rest concerns the Bowl of the Winds. It
has the power to bring some rain to parched Randland. The "treasure"
is the stockpile of OP objects of which the Bowl was part. Note that
while the good guys got a lot of those things, Sammael's raiding party
may have gotten away with quite a few things as well, such as the Oath
Rod he gave to Sevanna. Does "the wrong hands" refer to Sammael, or
does it refer to Moridin (who sent Moggy to find the stash), or even
the Seanchan? The key to finding the one who is no longer is to find
the bowl. The single person most instrumental in finding the bowl was
Setalle Anan--she led El and Ny to the Kin, who eventually led them
and Mat to the bowl. So, the question remains, "No longer what?"
___________________________________
[LoC: 26, Connecting Lines, 373]
Rand's visit Behind the Red Door (in Tear):
"He [Rand] knew he had a chance to live, if a seemingly impossible
one. If you would live, you must die."
We also know that he asked something about cleansing Saidin.
This has a number of possible meanings. Maybe it means "if you would
live future lives, you must die (physically) in this one. (cf LTT's
wanting to die for good, never be spun out again.[LoC: 18, A Taste of
Solitude, 299].) Or, Rand will die, but will get resurrected. Or, one
of Rand and LTT will die and one will not. Or, Rand will seemingly
die, but won't really.
___________________________________
From A Crown of Swords
[ACOS: Prologue, Lightnings, 26]
Elaida's Foretelling #2:
The White Tower will be whole again, except for remnants cast out
and scorned, whole and stronger than ever. Rand al'Thor will face
the Amyrlin Seat and know her anger. The Black Tower will be rent
in blood and fire, and sisters will walk its grounds."
One of the AS factions will be triumphant, eventually. Either Elaida
or Egwene is going to get pissed at Rand. (That's not surprising, the
way he's treated the AS.) It's probably Egwene, since Elaida has a
definite air of doom about her. This "know her anger" could tie in
with Eg's dream about confronting Rand. The Asha'man will either
undergo a split (followers of Taim and followers of Rand?), or will be
destroyed (depending on how one defines "rend"). There are currently
Sisters walking the grounds of the Black Tower--the members of
Elaida's task force who have been captured and bonded.
___________________________________
[ACOS: 34, Ta'veren, 538]
Jendai Prophecy, pt 2:
Rand: "That is what the Jendai Prophecy says. The Sea Folk will
serve the Coramoor."
Harine: "The Jendai prophecy says you will bring us to glory, and
all the sea of the world will be ours. As we give to you, you must
give to us."
Self-explanatory.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
4.4: The Dark Prophecy
_________________________________________________________________
[TGH: 7, Blood Calls Blood, 89]
This may not be actual prophecy. See Verin's commentary [TGH: 7, Blood
Calls Blood, 90]. Some parts may be prophetic, and others may just be
Shadow propaganda. It is a source of information, though, so here it
is.
Daughter of the Night, she walks again.
The ancient war, she yet fights.
Her new lover she seeks, who shall serve her and die, yet serve
still.
Who shall stand against her coming?
The Shining Walls shall kneel.
The Daughter of the Night is Lanfear, and she was indeed free at the
time this was written, and she was still fighting the ancient war
(i.e. still working for the DO). If "her new lover" is supposed to be
Rand, that line has definitely not been fulfilled. He might die, but
it is very doubtful at this point that he will serve her. "Shining
Walls" is a reference to Tar Valon, and thus the Aes Sedai. To whom
are they supposed to kneel--Lanfear? Rand? Egwene? The Seanchan?
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?
Likely, "the man who channels" is Rand. The bit about giving his
friends for sacrifice is interesting; Rand has been trying to isolate
himself, and focusing on using people as tools. By doing so, he may be
playing into the Shadow's hands. The two roads probably refer to
joining with or fighting against the Shadow. Which one leads to
eternal life, which to eternal death? The Chosen servants of the
Shadow are granted immortality. The last four questions seem to
indicate that all is in a state of confusion, which it is.
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 still are.
The Time of Change has come.
This gives us a bit of history, and is our first clue as to the
identity of Slayer. Luc (Tigraine's brother) was sent into the Blight
by Gitara Moroso. Isam (Lan's cousin) vanished when his mother's party
was run down by Trollocs when Malkier fell. (Isam's mama was one of
the people who betrayed Malkier.) Apparently, Isam's soul got placed
into Luc's body (maybe a la Aran'gar and Osan'gar and Moridin),
creating the person Perrin knows of as Slayer.
The Watchers wait on Toman Head.
The seed of the Hammer burns the ancient tree.
Death shall sow, and summer burn, 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.
This phrase deals with the Seanchan invasion. The "ancient tree"
refers to Tarabon, whose symbol is a tree (supposedly a branch of the
Tree of Life). The "seed of the Hammer" are the Seanchan, who claim to
be Hawkwing's descendents (Hawkwing was also known as the Hammer).
Thus, the Seanchan have invaded Tarabon. The bit about "summer burn"
most likely refers to the recent spate of DO-induced hot weather in
Randland. The "bodies fail" bit doesn't seem to have come to pass yet;
it's been suggested that there will be a plague of some sort. I have
no idea what "ancient wrong" the Seanchan (the seed) are supposed to
slay before the Great Lord comes. Perhaps it will be apparent when it
happens.
___________________________________
[TEOTW 33, Four Kings in Shadow, p434]
Another possible Dark Prophecy, courtesy of Howal Gode: "It is written
that when he (the DO) awakes, the new Dreadlords will be there to
praise him."
XXXXXXXXXXXX
4.5: The Karaethon Cycle
_________________________________________________________________
* The Eye of the World
* The Great Hunt
* The Dragon Reborn
* The Shadow Rising
* The Fires of Heaven
* Lord of Chaos
* A Crown of Swords
_________________________________________________________________
From The Eye of the World
[TEOTW: 13, Choices, 158-159]
Thom in conversation:
One of the Prophecies says that the Stone of Tear will never fall
until the People of the Dragon come to the Stone. Another says the
Stone will never fall till the Sword that Cannot Be Touched is
wielded by the Dragon's hand.
This has been fulfilled. The People of the Dragon are the Aiel, who
attacked the Stone of Tear the night Rand broke in and took Callandor.
___________________________________
From The Great Hunt
[TGH Header Prophecy]
And it shall come to pass that what men made shall be shattered,
and the Shadow shall lie across the Pattern of the Age, and the DO
shall once more lay his hand upon the world of man. Women shall
weep and men quail as the nations of the earth are rent like
rotting cloth. Neither shall anything stand nor abide...
Yet one shall be born to face the Shadow...and there shall be
wailing and gnashing of teeth at his rebirth. In sackcloth and
ashes shall he clothe the people, and he shall break the world
again by his coming, tearing apart all ties that bind. Like the
unfettered dawn shall he blind us, and burn us, yet shall the
Dragon Reborn confront the Shadow at the Last Battle, and his blood
shall give us the Light. Let tears flow, O ye people of the world.
Weep for your salvation.
This is pretty general stuff. Great upheavals will come to the world
when the time for the Last Battle nears, yadda yadda. This is all
obviously happening right now; Rand is "breaking the world"
figuratively, by causing all sorts of social unrest. "His blood shall
give us the Light (at the Last Battle)" is reminiscent of Min's
viewing of "black rocks, red with blood," and of the "Twice dawns the
day" prophecy, below.
___________________________________
[TGH: 22, Watchers, 275]
Vandene talking to Moiraine:
Five ride forth, and four return. Above the watchers shall he
proclaim himself, bannered cross the sky in fire...
This has been fulfilled; it refers to the events at Falme at the end
of TGH. The five who rode forth were Ingtar, Hurin, Rand, Mat, and
Perrin. Rand proclaimed himself the DR after the battle at Falme,
where he and Ish fought in the sky.
___________________________________
[TGH: 26, Discord, 325-6], [TSR: 9, Decisions, 126]
Thom to Rand:
Twice and twice shall he be marked, twice to live, and twice to
die,
Once the heron to set his path. Twice the heron, to name him true.
Once the Dragon for remembrance lost. Twice the Dragon for the
price he must pay.
The Dragon will be marked in four ways, with two herons and two
dragons. He got the first heron in the Portal Stone world. The second
heron was received at Falme, when he named himself the Dragon Reborn.
The two dragons were received at Rhuidean; the "remembrance lost"
refers to the lost history of the Aiel. The significance of the second
Dragon, wrt "the price he must pay" has not been revealed.
___________________________________
[TGH: 26, Discord, 326]
Thom to Rand:
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.
"Twice dawns the day" may indicate that there will be an eclipse when
Rand's blood is shed. Compare this to the Greeting from the the
Amyrlin ceremony when Siuan Sanche arrives in Fal Dara in [TGH: 2, The
Welcome,17]: "Against what do we guard?" "The shadow at noon." The
second line may indicate that Rand will die and be resurrected, or
maybe just that he will die, and the world will be reborn. The
fragment ends with yet another reference to Rand's blood being
necessary to defeat the DO.
___________________________________
From The Dragon Reborn
[TDR: Header Prophecy]
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.
Again, pretty general stuff. Rand is breaking bonds, etc.
___________________________________
[TDR: 6, The Hunt Begins, 57]
Moiraine in conversation, listing bits of the Karaethon Cycle:
He has yet to break the nations, or shatter the world.... What does
it mean that he shall 'slay his people people with the sword of
peace, and destroy them with the leaf'? What does it mean that he
shall bind the nine moons to serve him? There are others. What
'wound of madness and cutting of hope' has he healed? What chains
has he broken, and who put into chains?
The breaking of nations is well underway. The bit about slaying his
people with the sword of peace, etc, refers to the Aiel--by revealing
the peaceful past of the Aiel, he changed them forever, and set them
on the road to the destruction from which only a 'remnant of a
remnant' will survive. "Nine Moons" is a reference to the Seanchan,
and so this indicates that the Seanchan will eventually come under
Rand's control. I don't know what the "wound of madness" is, although
it may refer to the Taint. The breaking of chains could refer to many
things, e.g. the chains binding people to the Shadow (Ingtar, Asmo,
Tear, Andor). It's also been suggested that this refers to the
possibility of Rand freeing the Seanchan damane and other slaves. Rand
has put people in figurative chains, as well--Asmodean, the
Dragonsworn AS, all the nations he is conquering.
___________________________________
[TDR: 41, Threads in the Pattern, 373]
On the slopes of Dragonmount shall he be born, born of a maiden
wedded to no man.
Shaiel, a.k.a. Tigraine, a.k.a. Rand's birth mum, was a Maiden of the
spear, who do not wed. (Technically, maybe she was wedded to
Taringail, but I guess running off into the Aiel Waste counted as a
divorce.)
___________________________________
From The Shadow Rising
[TSR: 3, Reflection, 71]
His blood on the rocks of Shayol Ghul, washing away the Shadow,
sacrifice for man's salvation.
Yet another reference to blood on the rocks.
___________________________________
[TSR: 6, Doorways, 93]
Power of the Shadow made human flesh,
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,
from the city, lost and forsaken,
leads the spears to war once more,
breaks the spears and makes them see,
truth long hidden in the ancient dream.
The "Power of the Shadow made human flesh" could refer to any number
of things--the Forsaken, Fain, Slayer, or the Bubble of Evil at the
start of TSR. "Dances the sword in dreams and mist" could be a
reference to the mirror incident in the Stone in TSR. Rand has chained
the Shadowsworn, in the person of Asmodean. He leads the Aiel spears
to war, and has also revealed the truth of Aiel history, which has
resulted in many Aiel breaking their spears and running off bonkers.
___________________________________
[TSR: 21, Into the Heart, 244]
Into the heart he thrusts his sword,
into the heart, to hold their hearts.
Who draws it out shall follow after,
What hand can grasp that fearful blade?
Rand stuck the Sword Which is Not (Callandor) into the floor of the
Heart of the Stone, partly as a reminder to the lords of Tear that he
was the ruler of their country. The last two lines seem to indicate
that somebody other than Rand will remove Callandor from the Stone.
Indeed, this happened; Narishma fetched it for Rand in TPOD.
___________________________________
From The Fires of Heaven
[TFOH: Header Prophecy]
With his coming are the dread fires born again. The hills burn, and
the land turns sere. The tides of men run out, and the hours
dwindle. The wall is pierced, and the veil of parting raised.
Storms rumble beyond the horizon, and the fires of heaven purge the
earth. There is no salvation without destruction, no hope this side
of death.
The drying and burning are surely a reference to the drought and hot
weather which was going on in Randland until the Bowl of the Winds was
used. The piercing of the wall, and the raising of the veil may refer
to the DO breaking loose. That phrase calls to mind a phrase from the
Bible. This is discussed more thoroughly in Section 3.
___________________________________
From Lord of Chaos
[LoC: Trailer Prophecy]
The unstained tower breaks and bends knee to the forgotten sign.
The seas rage, and stormclouds gather unseen. Beyond the horizon,
hidden fires swell, and serpents nestle in the bosom. What was
exalted is cast down; what was cast down is raised up. Order burns
to clear his path.
The first sentence is fulfilled: the Tower is broken, and some AS have
knelt and sworn fealty to Rand (whose sign is the "forgotten" ancient
AS symbol). The second sentence indicates that all is not well.
Something is rotten in Randland. People are not what they seem. The
serpents in the bosom could be Taim and Halima, among others. The last
sentence indicates the uncertain nature of the world. It could be
referring to the AS and male channellers specifically, but there is
more casting down and raising up than that going on.
___________________________________
From A Crown of Swords
[ACOS: Header Prophecy]
There can be no health in us, nor any good thing grow, for the land
is one with the Dragon Reborn, and he one with the land. Soul of
fire, heart of stone, in pride he conquers, forcing the proud to
yield. He calls upon the mountains to kneel, and the seas to give
way, and the very skies to bow. Pray that the heart of stone
remembers tears, and the soul of fire, love. (From a much-disputed
translation of The Prophecies of the Dragon by the poet Kyera
Termendal, of Shiota, believed to have been published between FY700
and FY800)
This is a clear reference to Rand's increasing self-isolation, hubris,
etc. Also note the 'Dragon is one with the land' stuff matches the
Fisher King legend/reference (see section 3.8).
___________________________________
[ACOS 34, Ta'veren, p533]
Rand's thoughts:
The Prophecies said he would bind together the people of every
land--"The north shall he tie to the east, and the west shall be
bound to the south."
Rand's interpretation: all the world will follow him. Alternative
interpretation: Rand will hold the north and east; the Seanchan will
hold the west and south. This seems more likely, at least for the
present. It also agrees with Nicola's Foretelling ("the land divided
by the return").
___________________________________
[ACOS: Trailer Prophecy]
Master of the lightnings, rider on the storm, wearer of a crown of
swords, spinner-out of fate. Who thinks he turns the Wheel of Time,
may learn the truth too late. (From a fragmentary translation of
_The Prophecies of the Dragon_, attributed to Lord Mangore Kiramin,
Sword-bard of Aramaelle and Warder to Caraighan Maconar, into what
was then called the vulgar tongue (circa 300 AB))
Similar in tone and meaning to the ACOS header prophecy, indicating
that Rand's pride may cause some big trouble.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
4.6: Perrin's Dreams
_________________________________________________________________
* The Dragon Reborn
* The Shadow Rising
_________________________________________________________________
From The Dragon Reborn
[TDR: 43, 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.
This refers to El, Eg, and Ny's Tairen adventures in TDR. Braid-woman
is Liandrin, White-clad-woman is Lanfear.
___________________________________
[TDR: 43, 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!"
This is likely referring to Mat's "bet" with Rhavin/Gaebril in TDR.
___________________________________
From The Shadow Rising
[TSR: 28, To the Tower of Ghenjei, 320-1]
Rand stood amid swirling stormwinds, laughing wildly, even madly,
arms upraised, and on the winds rode [dragons].
Not fulfilled, unless this is some sort of reference to Rhuidean. The
Seanchan Raken and To'Raken are both Dragonesque animals.
hidden eyes watched Rand, and there was no way of telling whether
he knew it
This is possibly general--all the people watching Rand, e.g. Forsaken,
Wise Ones, AS, etc. or it may be 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
This refers to El and Ny going to Tanchico to hunt down the BA.
Compare this description to the way Tanchico looks to Eg in TAR.
Mat, standing where a road forked ahead of him. He flipped a coin,
started down one branch, and suddenly was wearing a wide-brimmed
hat and walking with a staff bearing a short sword blade.
Fulfilled--Mat flipped a coin at the Portal Stone, to get to Rhuidean,
which led to him getting the hat and glaive.
Egwene and a woman with long white hair were staring at him in
surprise while behind them the White Tower crumbled stone by stone.
The woman is Amys. This bit is probably not prophetic, but a chance
meeting in TAR (thus the surprised look). The crumbling of the Tower
has been fulfilled, at least partly--it is broken, but will it be
destroyed even further?
___________________________________
[TSR: 53, 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.
This has been fulfilled; Eg has become Amyrlin of the Salidar AS.
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.
Unknown. This may be the incident in Finnland that got him hung, or
maybe something yet to come.
Mat vanished, and it was Rand. Perrin thought it was Rand. He wore
rags and a rough cloak, and a bandage covered his eyes.
Not fulfilled. Note that this resonates with Min's viewing of a
beggar's staff around Rand. The bandaged eyes are reminiscent of the
bandaged eyes of the "Fisher" figure in Moridin's sha'rah game.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
4.7: Fourth Age Histories
_________________________________________________________________
Are these things written in the 4th age from the Age after the books,
or are they from the previous 4th age (i.e SIX ages ago)? Are they
really prophecy? I think they are supposed to be histories of Rand's
age, written during the age which will start with the end of the last
book. Thus, they are not prophetic in the technical sense-- they are
supposedly written after the fact-- but they are prophetic to us,
because we don't know the end of the story.
* The Eye of the World
* The Dragon Reborn
* The Shadow Rising
* The Fires of Heaven
* Lord of Chaos
_________________________________________________________________
From The Eye of the World
[TEOTW: prologue, Dragonmount, xv]
And it came to pass in those days, as it had come before and would
come again, that the Dark lay heavy on the land and weighed down
the hearts of men, and the green things failed, and hope died. And
men cried out to the Creator, saying, O Light of the Heavens, Light
of the World, let the Promised One be born of the mountain,
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. (From Charal Drianaan te Calamon, The Cycle of the Dragon.
Author unknown, the Fourth Age)
The "Dark laying heavy on the land" and the failing of plants refer to
the two bouts of (Shadow-caused) bad weather we've had in the series
thus far, which have caused crops to get messed up: the super-long
winter in TEOTW, and the recent hot spell. The reference about singing
and fertility could mean that the Song will be found, but it could
just as well be meant figuratively.
___________________________________
From The Dragon Reborn
[TDR: End Prophecy]
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.
Fulfilled--Rand took out the Sword in the Stone.
___________________________________
From The Shadow Rising
[TSR, End Prophecy]
And when the blood was sprinkled on ground where nothing could
grow, the Children of the Dragon did spring up, the People of the
Dragon, armed to dance with death. And he did call them forth from
the wasted land, and they did shake the world with battle. (from
The Wheel of Time by Sulamein so Bhagad, Chief Historian at the
Court of the Sun, the Fourth Age.)
Fulfilled--Rand brought the Aiel out of the Waste to do battle.
___________________________________
From The Fires of Heaven
[TFOH, End Prophecy]
And the Glory of the Light did shine upon him.
And the Peace of the Light did he give men.
Binding nations to him. Making one of many.
Yet the shards of hearts did give wounds.
And what was once did come again
--in fire and in storm
splitting all in twain.
For his peace...
--for his peace...
...was the peace...
...was the peace...
...of the sword.
And the Glory of the Light did shine upon him.
(from Glory of the Dragon, composed by Meane sol Ahell, the Fourth
Age)
General prophecy. Not too informative.
___________________________________
From Lord of Chaos
[LoC: Header Prophecy]
The lions sing and the hills take flight.
The moon by day, and the sun by night.
Blind woman, deaf man, jackdaw fool.
Let the Lord of Chaos rule.
(chant from a children's game heard in Greater Aravalon, the Fourth
Age)
Your guess is as good as mine as to whether this is actually
prophecy/historical or no.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Section 99: Publishing Stuff
_________________________________________________________________
This subsection contains information on and discussion of matters
which relate to publishing and buying the WOT books.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
99.1: When is the next book going to be out?
_________________________________________________________________
When will TPOD be out in paperback?
The mass-market paperback edition of TPOD is due out in August, 1999.
When will Book 9 be published?
There is no official projected release date for Book 9. At a post-TPOD
book signing [San Jose, CA, 25 October 1998, reported by Rick Moen],
RJ said that he'd start working on Book 9 after Thanksgiving of 1998.
From the amount of time taken between the last few installments of the
series, we can guess that Book 9 will come out in mid to late 2000.
What will Book 9 be called?
We don't know. It's doubtful RJ even has a title for it yet. From a
Barnes and Noble online chat with RJ [19 October, 1998]: "I have to do
a little writing before the title becomes clear to me. I don't start
off with a title. That always comes to me at some point during the
writing. Something that seems to fit the specific book."
XXXXXXXXXXXX
99.2: What is "The Guide"? What is "New Spring"?
_________________________________________________________________
The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, more commonly known as
"The Guide," is a "companion book" to TWOT which Tor published in
November, 1997. It is by Robert Jordan and Teresa Patterson, and is
basically a compilation of background and setting material for TWOT.
It contains information about "the world's geography, history, and
sociology." [Guide: Preface, 9] A lot of the information is stuff
which we already know from the series proper. There is also new
information about topics like the AOL, the founding of the White
Tower, Artur Hawkwing, and the Seanchan. The book contains artwork
from the books (icons, maps, and cover art), and some new art (which
is generally considered to be less than stellar). John Novak adds,
"The Guide's framing device (or conceit) is that it is a history
written by someone from within the Wheel of Time. Hence the first
pages claiming that documents are copies of copies, etc. As such, some
readers do not consider the material canon."
"New Spring" is a 79-page novella which RJ wrote for the Tor anthology
Legends, published in early 1998. "New Spring" tells the story of how
Lan and Moiraine met, and the beginning of Moiraine's search for the
Dragon Reborn. It is set shortly after the Aiel War. IMO, it's pretty
good. Legends itself is a collection of "new stories by the best-known
and most accomplished modern creators of fantasy fiction, each one set
in the special universe... that made that writer famous." [Legends,
Introduction by Robert Silverberg] The other writers featured in the
volume are Stephen King (Dark Tower), Terry Pratchett (Discworld),
Terry Goodkind (The Sword of Truth), Orson Scott Card (Tales of Alvin
Maker), Robert Silverberg (Majipoor), Ursula K. Le Guin (Earthsea),
Tad Williams (Memory, Sorrow and Thorn), George R.R. Martin (A Song of
Ice and Fire), Anne McCaffrey (Pern), and Raymond E. Feist (Riftwar).
The ISBN's of both books are given in Section 0.04.