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============================================================================= |\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\/| |//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\| |/\\ A EEEEE SSSS SSSS EEEEE DDDD A IIIII /\\| |\\/ A A E S S E D D A A I //\| |\// AAAAA EEE SSS === SSS EEE D D AAAAA I \//| |/\\ A A E S S E D D A A I \\/| |\\/ A A EEEEE SSSS SSSS EEEEE DDDD A A IIIII /\\| |/\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\| |\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//| ============================================================================= "Ages when men ruled the heavens and the stars, and Ages when man roamed as brother to the animals. Ages of wonder and Ages of horror. Ages ended by fire raining from the sky, and Ages doomed by snow and ice covering the land and sea." 'JUST THE FAQS'...Sgt. Friday CONTRIBUTORS. Active Contributors & Articles Plundered From: Erica Sadun Mark Looi Courtenay Footman Michel Forget Eugene Hung Kevin Samborn John S. Novak III Emmet O'Brien Heikki Poso Emma Pease Elayne Thompson Tony Zbaraschuk S. Hillyard Jeff Smith David Wren-Hardin Ruchira Datta Damien Cole Don Harlow Judith Ghirardelli John C. Hansen Bob Hofmann Roy Navarre Christian M Gadeken John Hawkinson Luke Mankin Will Baird Arthur Bernard Byrne Bob Gibson Don Morgan Mike Lemons Stephen Graham Jon Vessey Chris Russo Amish S. Dave George D. Phillies Robert Kelley Chris Flora Pam Korda Michael J O'Malley Randy Cerveny Dash Wendrzyk Michael Arnett Jeff P. Schneiter Carl Traber Thomas Petersen Greg Wheatley Joseph Shaw Helmut Geyer Brian Sullivan Kelley Miles Sven Venema Tony Yoder Stephen J Hardy Ken Warkentyne Jeffrey Scott Raglin Jim Mann Martin Terman Melissa A. Horn Windsor Williams Michael Guenther Bill Garrett Keith Aschinger Alice M. Bergmann Chris Barrera Jim Phillips Jacob Kesinger Mike Sir MPS Macchione Chad C. D'Amour Orzel Daniel John Kelly-Harrity Patrick Nielsen-Hayden Christopher Lee Cavender Abigail Ann Young Jocelyn Who Is NOT Kathleen (Did I forget anyone?) PROOFREEDER IN CHEEF: Crhis Russo REFERENCE CHECKERISSIMO DUDES: Joe Shaw (Official Net Jordan Librarian), Jeff P. Schneiter KEEPER OF THE FLAME OF TAR FTP: Viren R. Shah <viren@cy.cs.olemiss.edu> cy.cs.olemiss.edu (130.74.96.19) available by anonymous ftp. /pub/jordan/Jordan.FAQ.<month> [NB: 'Survey Says' sections are from the Novak/Ghirardelli Survey] [NB: Standard Reference Format: <Book Abr.: Chapter #, paperback pg#, Chapter name, hardcover pg#>] ACRONYMS TWoT = The Wheel of Time TEotW = The Eye of the World TGH = The Great Hunt TDR = The Dragon Reborn TSR = The Shadow Rising TFoH = The Fires of Heaven FAQ = WMAK, Wonderful Masterpiece of Assembled Knowledge, but FAQ is easier to say (and makes for better puns) r.a.sf.w = rec.arts.sf.written AS = Aes Sedai (or Amyrlin Seat) BA = Black Ajah DO = Dark One DS = Darkfriend Social Eg/Egw = Egwene El = Elayne Ish = Ishamael LTT = Lews Therin Telamon MPS = Mad Passionate Sex, (c) Mike Macchione Ny = Nynaeve OP = One Power SS = Siuan Sanche T'A'R = Tel'aran'rhiod WCs = Whitecloaks CONTENTS: (* = new this faq, + updated this faq, - same as last faq) ADMINISTRIVIA + 0.0 Contents/Acronyms/Humor Section * 0.1 Announcements, etc. - 0.2 What are these Jordan Wheel of Time Books? - 0.3 What are the Conan books? - 0.4 How do I post to rec.arts.sf.written about these books? + 0.5 Why don't we start a new Jordan-only newsgroup? + 0.6 Mis-steps. (Errors along the way) * 0.7 What should I do if I've become obsessed? ALL ANSWERS GREAT AND SMALL * 1.0 Jordan-speak. Words from the man himself. + 1.1 Why do we think that LTT=Beidomon, or not. - 1.2 Why do we think that Thom may have fathered Elayne and/or Gawyn - 1.3 Why do we think that Thom will marry Moiraine? - 1.4 Why is Moiraine not dead? - 1.5 What was up with Gawyn during the coup? - 1.6 What is the Tamyrlin? - 1.7 Who will marry Mat? * 1.8 Who will take Callandor from the Stone? - 1.9 What does Mat being 'free of the one power' mean? - 1.12 Why isn't Elaida Black? - 1.13 Who will Lan be bonded to now? + 1.14 Who killed Asmodean? - 1.15 Who is Moghedien, really, in Salidar - 1.16 Where the *$%*# is Perrin? - 1.17 Is Aram Black? * 1.18 What is all this sniffing business? + 1.19 What's up with Mat and the dice Ter'angreal? - 1.20 What does a Dragon look like? + 1.21 Is Aviendha pregnant? + 1.22 Is Nynaeve still blocked? - 1.23 Where is Gaidal Cain now? - 1.24 What's with the Seanchan and Salidar? - 1.27 Where is the Last Seal? - 1.28 How did the A'dams start? - 1.29 Is ISH still alive? - 1.30 Who's Who in the Families? + 1.31 Tigraine: An Analysis + 1.32 Slayer + 1.33 The Severed Hand + 1.34 How old is everyone? - 1.35 What does each Ajah do (and want)? + 1.36 The Green Man and the Song (Who is the Green Man, What is the Song, Who will find the Song, Who were the Aiel?) + 1.37 Countries of Rand-Land + 1.38 VERIN: Black or Not - 1.39 Is there Religion in RandLand? - 1.40 Who are the Forsaken? Where are they now? + 1.41 All the Aes Sedai (was BA) + 1.42 Why Lanfear may be Good (not just in bed, Roy) - 1.43 Who are the Aelfs & Eelfs? - 1.44 What's with Saldaea? - 1.45 Who was Mat (in his past lives)? + 1.46 Where have we seen ironic foreshadowing? - 1.47 Why are we sure that Ba'alzamon is really Ishamael? - 1.48 When was Rand's Power Acquisition Fever Syndrome? - 1.51 Sad Bracelets, Mazrim Taim/Logain - 1.52 What are the Songs (not >the< Song) - 1.53 What's with Mat dying and living again and again and again - 1.54 What am them icons? - 1.55 Thought and Memory: Take Two - 1.56 What did Ogier do of old? TRIVIAL Pursuits - 3.0 Arthur and the Holy Grail - 3.1 Trolloc Tribes - 3.2 Is the world of Rand a future Earth? - 3.3 Christian Parallels - 3.4 Various Names - 3.5 Dragon Legends - 3.6 Norse Mythology * 3.7 Misc additional references IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME, BABY - 4.0 Timeline HANGIN' LOOSE - 5.0 Loose Threads: Unresolved Stuff SOME "SWEET" COVER ART - 6.0 What is it with those stupid Darrel Sweet Covers? PROPHECIES : Everything you wanted to know about the future, but were afraid to ask. - 7.1 Egwene's Dreams + 7.2 Min's Viewings - 7.3 Various Prophecies - 7.4 Dark Prophecy - 7.5 Moiraine in Conversation - 7.6 Perrin's Dreams PUBLISHING STUFF * 99.0 How many books will there be? + 99.1 When Is The Next Book Out? AH, HUMOR (FROM RECENT MONTHS. IT WAS GETTIN TOO LONG. FOR MORE AMUSEMENT, TAKE A LOOK AT THE HUMOR IN THE NOVEMBER FAQ.) <Bill Garrett:> Oh, a darkfriend Aiel, I see... the book says Natael opened the pantry door, trying to find a good bottle of wine. Unfortunately for him, the Queen's palace only had ale. --------------------------------------- <Bill Garrett: (re Michael Robert Jordan)> The Shot Clock winds down, leading to shots that become memories. Memories become legends and legends fade to myth, but even myth is long forgotten when the Matchup that gave birth to it comes again in the Next Season. In a Period called the Third Period by some, a Period yet to come, a Period long past, the sound of a buzzer was heard across the parquet floor. It was not the beginning, for there are neither beginnings nor endings to the Game of Basketball, but it was *a* beginning. <Joe Shaw adds:> The only thing [the above] lacked was an overt reference to Lanfear. "Cheerleader of the Night, she walks again." :-) --------------------------------------- <edmund wong> > Judy G. > "I am no easy meat, Aes Sedai" - Piglet to Verin Sedai Gee, I like that sig, but for the life of me, I have no idea what it's supposed to mean. <Judy G.> In case anyone saw Outland yesterday, it is quite clear that 1. Berk Breathed is a Darkfriend and 2. Outland is a tool of the DO, and 3. Mr. Breathed clearly lurks on the Jordan net - where else would such viciousness for poor little Piglet come from? (For those who did not see it, Winnie the Pooh walks out of Binkley's closet of fears, and upon returning, peeks in and says - "Oh no. Beavis and Butthead just roasted Piglet". <David Wren-Hardin> Beavis and Butt-head go to Rand-Land and are made Dreadlords: huh, huh, huh...Balefire's cool...huh, huh, Yeah-Yeah, Cool, Yeah... Sorry, I don't know what happened ;-) ------------------------------------------- <Emmet O'Brien & Mike Macchione> Emmet> Why do I have a sinking feeling that this is an excuse for Emmet> more mad passionate sex ? > MPS> Sorry, If I had the time to write the sequel to TFoH: _The Flaming MPS> Passions of Heaven_ I would submit it, but (gasp :) I barely have time to read MPS> any Jordan posts. Emmet> [*Duke Leonardi mode on*] Emmet> It's-a not-a easy being-a Sex-a Macchione.. Emmet> [*Duke Leonardi mode off*] -------------------------------------------- A PUBLIC APOLOGY POEM FOR PAM (Sorry again!) Daughter of the FAQ She writes from now. The ongoing opus, she yet writes Her new public she seeks, who shall read her and delight, yet read still. Who shall get out with her coming? The Georgia Tech Walls shall kneel. FAQ feeds FAQ. FAQ calls FAQ. FAQ is, and FAQ was, and FAQ shall ever be. The man who loves lanfear stands alone. He gives her for the sacrifice. Two roads before him, one to lanfear beyond dying, one to Nynaeve, eternal. Which will he choose? Which will he choose? What lust shelters? What humor slays? Hair feeds Hair. Hair calls Hair. Long Hair is, and Long Hair was, and Long Hair shall ever be. Judy came to the Mountains of UMCP. Tom waited in the High Passes. The hunt is now begun. The coursework now hounds and kills. One did study and one did work, but both are. The time of midterms has come. Grade feeds Grades. Grade calls Grades. GPA is, and GPA was, and GPA shall ever be. The Jordanites wait on r.a.sf.w. The split of the newsgroup burns the ancient rn tree heirarchy. Flames will fly and email burn before the great split comes. Flames will reap and votes will fail before the great split comes. Now the great split comes. Now the great split comes. Postings feed postings. Postings call postings. Posting is, and Posting was, and Posting shall ever be. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- AH, RUMOR Rumor has it that RJ's .real. first name starts with 'J'. Could his name simply be Jordan Roberts, of South Carolina? :) +.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+ ****SECTION 0.1--FAQ NEWS**** Well, I spent my vacation going through the FAQ and trying to get it down to a somewhat manageable size. Yes, I realize that it will grow again, but at least it has room to do that, now. I took out a lot of the "Humor," since we have probably all seen it many a time, and it was getting way too big. I took out some of the topics that seemed to engender more questions than answer them, and those that seem out-of-date; I will probably regret this next time somebody suggests that Moiraine is BA or that Berelain is the Daughter of the 9 Moons, but what can I say? Other sections I compressed and/or organized. For example, the Verin is/isn't BA can now be easily followed. If you have complaints about the re-organization, mail me, and I'll deal with them as I see fit. Oh, and "Ironic Foreshadowing" now only contains stuff which can be proved to be foreshadowing. So sue me. Submission Requests: [Looking for more humor! Please send as you find it.] [What topics have been discussed to death and should I include as 'calls-for-submission' for next month?] [Prophecy Fulfillment: help me with the ones I can't decide on: ???] [Please help fill out the countries of RandLand] [The timeline is really really awful. Will someone volunteer to fix it up? This is your chance to get your name in the FAQ!] [Something about Padan Fain would be nice: What is he? What was he? Is he the DO in disguise? etc.] +.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+ ===========================ADMINISTRIVIA====================================== 0.2...............................WHAT ARE THESE JORDAN WHEEL OF TIME BOOKS? The Wheel of Time, by Robert Jordan: Hardcover editions: THE EYE OF THE WORLD, ISBN 0-312-85009-3, $24.95 THE GREAT HUNT, ISBN 0-312-85140-5, $22.95 THE DRAGON REBORN, ISBN 0-312-85248-7, $22.95 THE SHADOW RISING, ISBN 0-312-85431-5, $24.95 THE FIRES OF HEAVEN, ISBN 0-312-85427-7, $25.95 Paperback editions: THE EYE OF THE WORLD, ISBN 0-812-51181-6, $5.99 ($6.99 CAN) THE GREAT HUNT, ISBN 0-812-51772-5, $5.99 ($6.99 CAN) THE DRAGON REBORN, ISBN 0-812-51371-1, $5.99 ($6.99 CAN) THE SHADOW RISING, ISBN 0-812-51373-8, $6.99 ($7.99 CAN) Published by Tor Books Ask for them at your favorite bookstore, or order the paperback editions directly from: Publishers Book and Audio Mailing Service PO Box 120159 Staten Island NY 10312-0004 To cover postage and handling, add $1.25 for the first book and $.25 for each additional book. Check or money order only; no CODs. ----- Patrick Nielsen Hayden, senior editor, Tor Books pnh@panix.com * CIS: 72701,1344 * opinions minend If you are in Europe, it may be more expedient to pick up the British Editions published by Orbit (prices are listed in pounds). Thanks to Helmut Geyer for this information: THE EYE OF THE WORLD, ISBN 1-85723-076-0 5.99 THE GREAT HUNT, ISBN 1-85723-027-2 5.99 THE DRAGON REBORN, ISBN 1-85723-065-5 5.99 THE SHADOW RISING, ISBN 1-85723-121-X 5.99 The covers stick on better too! 0.3..............................................WHAT ARE THE CONAN BOOKS? Jeffrey Scott Raglin reports: Well, a little bit of research at a local Used Book Store has uncovered for me the fact that Robert Jordan wrote, not one, not two, not even four, but rather Seven "Conan the Barbarian" books-one of which was the Novellization of "Conan the Destroyer" (the second Arnie Conan Movie). Having skimmed parts of several, I can conclude that this is definitely the same Robert Jordan we know here. As evidence: the opening sentences of five of the books: Opening Sentence, Conan the Invincible <CtI, I, 9> "The icy wind whipping through the brown, sheer-walled chasms of the Kezankian Mountains seemed colder still around the bleak stone fortress that grew from the granite flank of a nameless mountain in the heart of the range." [NOTE: not only does Jordan begin this book with a wind blowing, but he manages to string an amazing total of four consecutive prepositional phrases at the end of the sentence.] Opening Sentence, Conan the Unconquered <CtU, 0,9, Prologue> "Storm winds howling off the midnight-shrouded Vilayet Sea clawed at the granite-walled compound of the Cult of Doom" Opening Paragraph, Conan the Magnificent <CtM, 0,11,Prologue> "Icy air hung deathly still among the crags of the Kezankian mountains, deep in the heart of that arm of those mountains which stretched south and west along the border between Zamora and Brythunia. No bird sang, and the cloudless azure sky was empty, for even the ever-present vultures could find no current on which to soar" Opening Two Sentences, Conan the Victorious <CtV, 0, 1, Prologue> "The Vendhyan night was preternaturally still, the air weighty and oppressive. No slightest breeze stirred, leaving the capital city of Ayodhya to swelter." Opening Sentence, Conan the Triumphant <CtT, 0,11, Prologue> "The great granite mound called Tor Al'Kiir crouched like a malevolent toad in the night, wearing a crown of toppled walls and ruined columns, memories of failed attempts by a score of Ophirean dynasties to build there." [Allright, nothing about the wind here. But I include it anyway, because A. It's just such a ridiculous image, and B. Tor Al'Kiir is very reminiscent of Kari Al'Thor, which makes the image even more ridiculous. Besides, the next paragraph goes on to describe black clouds of a storm that included, among other things "lightning streaking the dark like dragons' tongues", so there's our weather reference. [The Opening Sentences of CtDef and CtDes are not nearly as distinctively Jordanesque, describing the sun rather than the wind.] 0.4.................HOW DO I POST TO rec.arts.sf.written ABOUT THESE BOOKS? Make sure you put the word 'JORDAN' (upper or lower case, your choice) in the subject line so that kill files can be specialized to catch all the Jordan/Wheel of Time related posts. For example: Subject: JORDAN: Is Verin Black? Subject: JORDAN: What's with Gawyn's weird behavior? Subject: JORDAN: Why did Lanfear and Roy do that? 0.5......................................WHY DON'T WE START A NEW NEWSGROUP Every so often, a rash of posts appear along the lines of "Hey you loony Jordan fans! Get off my newsgroup!" Or, if they are polite, "Could it be possible for all the Jordan posts to be moved to a seperate forum?" Well, there are reasons. Many alternatives have been discussed, and none have been found to be satisfactory: 1) An alt.robert.jordan group. Many of the people who participate in the Jordan discussions do not have access to the alt.* hierarchy. Others, myself included, only get a few alt.groups, and there would be no guarantee that we would get an alt.rj group if it were created. Thus, all the jordan posters who don't get the alt.* stuff would continue posting on r.a.sf.w, and those who do get alt.* would cross-post to r.a.sf.w, so as ot to miss out on the discussion. Hence, the result would be a totally useless group (alt.rj) which might as well be rmgrouped. (Which, in fact did happen to the alt.rj group that some fool created in spite of the arguments against it. 2) A Jordan mailing list. I admit that there is less of a logical argument against this one, but it doesn't really matter. People, in general, do not want a mailing list. Since the people who would, in theory, be subscribing to this list are not interested in doing so, there is no reason to make a list. 3) A rec.*.jordan newsgroup. The general consensus among the Jordan-type-people is that if a rec.*.rj group is ever created, then we will move there. There was recently a RFD on news.groups for such a group. It died out fairly quickly, and, as yet, no CFV has appeared. (There is much to be said on the topic of whether such a group should be created, but this is not the place to discuss it. However, I will toss in my $0.02: I do not like the fracturing of r.a.sf.w into various alt.fan.* groups. The authors who have their own alt.groups rarely are discussed on r.a.sf.w. When was the last time you saw a thread on Anne McCaffrey, or MZB? Such fracturing detracts from the interesting-ness of r.a.sf.w. If there is a topic that you do not want to read, you can create a killfile that will kill those articles automatically, or you can just type 'n' when such a thing comes up. I do not participate in the Heinlein arguments, but I do not want to see RAH sent off to an alt.group, because I might want to read an article about him at some point.) And that, my friends is why there is not an RJ newsgroup. 0.6.........................................MIS-STEPS (ERRORS ALONG THE WAY) >>THE EYE OF THE WORLD<< *It seems to me that early in the first volume Jordan took some time to decide whether the marsh-forest in the east of the Two Rivers was the Riverwood or the Waterwood. <Don Harlow> *<TEotW: 31, 455, Play for Your Supper, 382> "I don't know what you're running from," he had said with an anxious frown, "and I don't want to. You understand? My family." Abruptly the farmer had dug two long scarves out of his coat pocket and pushed the tangle of wool at them. "It's not much, but here. Belong to my boys. They have others. You don't know me, understand? It's hard times." <TEotW: 33, 495, The Dark Waits, 416> "If I was a good man," Mull said, "I'd offer a couple of lads soaked to the skin a place to dry out and get warm in front of my fire. But it's hard times, and strangers.... I don't know what you're running from, and I don't want to. You understand? My family." Suddenly he pulled two long, woolen scarves, dark and thick, out of his coat pocket. "It's not much, but here. Belong to my boys. They have others. You don't know me, understand? It's hard times." [WHILE THIS IS STILL A CONTESTED ERROR, IT WILL REMAIN IN THE FAQ. I THINK IT WAS A CUT/COPY/PASTE GOOF--Erica] RE::Jain Farstrider: From <TEotW: Glossary, 790, entry "Farstrider, Jain", 663> Farstrider "vanished in 994 NE, after returning from a trip into the Great Blight which some say had taken him all the way to Shayol Ghul." While <TDR: Glossary, 696, entry "Travels of Jaim Farstrider, the"> says that he disappeared shortly after the Aiel War, which is about 20 years ago. Why the differences in spelling? Note that even in TEotW, all other indications are that Farstrider disappeared 20 years ago, just after the Aiel war: Ba'alzamon tells tells Rand <TEotW: 51, 760, Against the Shadow, 638> "Jain Farstrider, a hero, whom I painted like a fool and sent to the Ogier thinking he was free of me." The man that Loial said came to Stedding Shangtai telling them the story about blinding the Eye of the World came just after the Aiel War. Twould seem to be Farstrider since Ba'alzamon's comments followed a reference to the Aiel that told the story to the Tuatha'an. So, it seems that the 994 number is wrong. <Joe Shaw> There also sees to be some confusion as to whether the guy's name was Jain or Jaim. >>THE GREAT HUNT<< *Ba'alzamon's goals: <TGH: 47, 665, The Grave Is No Bar To My Call> "But this time I will destroy you to your very soul, destroy you utterly and forever." Maybe he forgot <TGH: 41, 588, Disagreements> "Fool, you will destroy your- self!" 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 and TDR and on her right hand in TGH? I can think of four possible reasons: a) a cunning plan by Jordan to make us believe sweet, innocent Moiraine was at the Darkfriend social. b) Moiraine has an evil, identical twin sister who wears her ring on the other hand. c) It's Moiraine's ring and she can wear it on whatever hand she damn well pleases. d) none of the above. <Damien Cole> *<TGH: 7, 102, Blood Calls Blood> "How will this affect matters? Moiraine wondered. He is not necessary with the Horn gone, and yet...." She is referring to Mat: they are all in Fal Dara, several weeks after finding the Horn at the Eye of the World. How did she know at this point that Mat and the Horn are linked??? She seems at the same time to be planning for Rand to take the Horn to Illian, and use it himself. Is this a Jordan mis-step, or is Moiraine more cunning that I thought? <Amish Dave> >>THE DRAGON REBORN<< *In TDR, in the beginning at-camp scene, Perrin tells Min that he loves her like a sister--and that he has no sisters of his own. In TSR, his two sisters and his brother are killed. <TDR: 6, 99, The Hunt Begins, 63> and <TSR: 29, 466, Homecoming, 333> <Erica Sadun> *Metallurgy Mistake, from John Palmer & Don Harlow JP: 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 mistakely notes the three quenching media, and notes that oil gives a harder quench. 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) DH: Half right (about what Jordan said -- I couldn't comment on the correctness of what you said). "As soon as he had made the hot-cut,he tossed the glowing metal into the salted quenching barrel. Unsalted gave a harder quench, for the hardest metal, while the oil gave the softest, for good knives." <TDR: 50, 595, The Hammer, 506> JP: Thanks for finding the quote, Don. I knew Jordan had stated it wrong, I just misremembered what he said. Saltwater quench is definitely a harder quench than fresh water. Its due to the higher boiling point of salt water precluding the formation of an insulating vapor layer over the steel which slows heat transfer from the steel to the water. *Hey, what's the scoop with Shadowman steel? First, Thom Merrilin runs into a Fade and it left him "a little present of a stiff leg." Then after the fight where the Aiel come to the rescue of the girls: <TDR: 39, 455, Threads in the Pattern, 382> "Shadowman steel kills," Aviendha said, "it does not wound." The older man looked at her, a slight surprise in his eyes - Egwene decided, like Lan, for this man that flicker of the eyelids was the equivalent of another man's open astonishment - and Aviendha said, "They know little of some things, Rhuarc." Finally, Rand's thought while fighting a Fade: <TSR: 10, 188, The Stone Stands, 132> "That black metal could make wounds that festered, almost as hard to heal as the one that ached in his side now." Is there something that I'm missing, like it just kills Aiel, or does this qualify as a Jordan mis-step?<Dash Wendrzyk> {NB: the obvious explanation is that the Fade did not stick Thom with its sword; the Fade just hit him, or something --pam} >>THE SHADOW RISING<< *A typographical error <TSR: 33, 539, A New Weave in the Pattern, 377> Perrin calls Tam al'Thor "Master al'Vere"; Master al'Vere being miles away at that time. <Courtenay Footman> *<TSR: 35, 576, Sharp Lessons, 401> "Egwene realized Nynaeve's blankets were empty." Unfortunately, at this particular time, Nynaeve was in Tanchico with Elayne. It should be Moiraine's blankets that are empty......Correct? <Jeff Smith> *<TSR: 54, 913, Into the Palace, 633> "If only Egwene had not run into any trouble, they might make it out of here [the Panarch's Palace] safely after all." It should be Elayne instead of Egwene. >>THE FIRES OF HEAVEN<< *In TFoH, on the Cover, we are told that "FLAIDA" (sic) is now Amyrlin. *Something very strange happened between 10 and 20 years ago. In <TGH: 4, 58, Summoned, 49> the Amyrlin says to Morraine "I am the fifth in a row raised to the Amyrlin Seat from the Blue." Two pages earlier, we learn that Siuan Sanche has been Amyrlin for ten years. In <TFoH: 15, What Can Be Learned in Dreams, 214>, Moiraine says to Egwene: "In a few months it will be twenty-one years since we began the search for the Dragon Reborn. Sieren Vayu was raised to Amyrlin shortly after, a Gray with more than a touch of Red in her." Were there really SEVEN different Amyrlins in the space of a dozen years? (The Blue who held the seat when Rand was born, Vayu, and then the five Blues who ended with Siuan Sanche.) Or is this just a Jordan mistake? *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 Nyneave afterwards. <TFoH: 55, The Threads Burn, 672-3> <Sean Hillyard> 0.7........................................WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I'M OBSESSED? Judy G. gives us intelligent advice on treatment of Jordan fanaticism: 1. Stop calling the nice lady at you local bookstore, and harassing her about when the next book will be out. 2. Lay down. 3. Stay laying down. 4. Try to not think about things like wheels, knives, spears, swords, doorways, Piglets, fire, severed hands, plucked out eyes, tatoos, 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 ...) ======================USEFUL INFORMATION (SHORT ANSWERS)====================== 1.0 JORDAN-SPEAK RJ recently gave a talk at Trinity College in Dublin. Our man on the Scene, Emmet O'Brien reports: Robert Jordan arrived at 6:00 this evening in Trinity College for his talk.. this being Ireland, the talk didn't start for a further ten minutes, but in the meantime he signed books for those of us who actually turned up on time. The turn out was pretty disappointing considering TFoH is no. 2 on the best-seller lists here: only about thirty people were there including SF society mafia. He didn't have any prepared speech but took questions from the floor. He still isn't sure how long WoT will go on for, saying probably seven books but adding that when TEotW first came out he saw the series as four books.. he does however know what the ending will be and how all the major storylines will resolve. He expressed vague dissatisfaction with the covers but didn't seem too upset about them. He talked for a while about 'reverse engineering' various mythos, removing the culture-specific elements and combining the stories, giving the example of the wolfbrother idea, which was derived partly from the Native American Coyote trickster/saviour figure, of whom both Mat and Perrin reflect aspects. He does not intend to speed up as the end of the series approaches: the books are planned to come out at the same rate until the end.. He raised the point that Rand's creeping insanity may manifest in much more subtle ways than the people of Randland expect.. which leads one to wonder about Rand's increasing withdrawal and possible megalomania.. I think he is aware of the net discussion: he expressed surprise at the amount of analysis and comparison with Tolkien, Dune etc. [ I felt tempted to mention A. A. Milne ] and somebody in the audience compared WoT to _Atlas Shrugged_, which really seemed to surprise him. His attitude is that once he has written one book [ and publicised it ] it is time to move on to the next.. The only deliberate connection between WoT and any other modern fantasy was giving the first 100-odd pages of TEotW a Lord of the Rings-esque flavour, to start people off in familiar territory. Specific questions: Lews Therin Telamon's suicide was emphatically _not_ balefire, but an overload of the Power. And when Verin was mentioned, he just said he hoped he kept surprising people. There was also some discussion of Conan and of his younger days as a voracious reader, but this lab is about to close so I will post on those tomorrow if there is any interest. As if there wouldn't be.. :-) His first Conan novel he wrote because there was money offered. Having discovered that it was fun to write Conan, he wrote five more including the novelisation of the second movie, and then spent a year convincing people that he was not going to write any more Conan.. he was quite adamant on this point. His first _novel_ was accepted and then rejected, sold and then rights reverted to him.. he says he will never publish it as it is not very good, but keeps it as it seems to be lucky for him.. He regards being taught to read at an early age and reading anything and everything he could get his hands on as being very important to his decision to write, and to what he writes and how he writes it.. he writes Fantasy because it allows more straightforward discussion of good and evil than fiction set in the modern world. [ I got the impression that learning to read at age three is considered precocious in the USA.. just another example of how far you colonials have fallen.. :-) ] He also spoke for quite some time on the splitting of the One Power into male and female halves, and on the disharmony produced when they don't work together.. this came across as one of the core elements in the origin of WoT. [ re: yin/yang - leaving out the little dots in the symbol is an intentional representation of the lack of harmony between male/female Power in RandLand ] That was about it.. a lot covered for half an hour. There was a strong impression that more of the books are made up as he goes along than a reading of all the foreshadowing etc. might lead you to expect.. A thought that occurred to me afterwards.. if at book one he expected to finish the series in three more books, and at book five he expects to take two more books, then logically the series should actually end up as thirteen books.. - Emmet 1.1 WHO WAS BEIDOMON? 1) One of the male Forsaken. 2) Somebody who is dead. 3) LTT (Why? From TEotW Prologue: "Dragon is he who brought the shadow." Was lover of Meiran/Lanfear at some point, maybe when the Bore was created. And, <TEotW: 4, 51, The Gleeman, 44> "I will tell you of the end of the Age of Legends, of the Dragon, and of his attempt to free the Dark One into the world of men." But, then again, why would LTT have another name?) 1.2 WHY MAY THOM HAVE FATHERED ELAYNE AND/OR GAWYN Elayne denies that Galad is her brother. Thom was around at the right time. Thom clearly had something to do with Taringail's disappearance. Thom was Morgase's lover. In <TFoH: 19, Memories, 252>, Morgase thinks about Taringail, and how the only good to come of the marriage were "two beautiful children." This could be Elayne and Gawyn, or she could mean Galad (adopted) and Gawyn. 1.3 WHY DO WE THINK THAT THOM WILL MARRY MOIRAINE AND THAT SHE'S NOT DEAD Moiraine says she knows the face of the man she will marry. After going through the Aelf/Eelf ter'angreal, which only answers personal questions, she immediately tells Thom that he will live through the next set of adventures. Thom keeps referring to Moiraine as a good looking woman with more and more sincerity as time progresses and discovers he no longer loves Morgase. 1.4 WHY IS MOIRAINE NOT DEAD? Well, we don't know what happened after Moiraine & Lanfear fell through the twisted doorway into the land of the Foxes. Lacking such information, the only evidence we have is: 1) the breaking of Lan's bond, which could mean anything, and 2)Egwene's vision <TFoH: 15, What Can Be Learned in Dreams, 214> of Thom pulling Moiraines blue jewel out of a fire. Pretty suggestive, eh? 1.5 WHAT WAS UP WITH GAWYN DURING THE COUP Perhaps he was involuntarily bonded to a Black or to a Forsaken. His eyes were glazed and he was not necessarily in control of himself. Alviarin says that "Gawyn is under control" even though Morgase's stepson (Galad) is not. Personally, I think he was in full control of his faculties during the coup. By that time, he had developed a good & solid hatred for SS, due to Elayne and Egwene's mysterious disappearance. 1.6 WHAT IS THE TAMYRLIN Probably some sort of leader of the Ancient Aes Sedai. The Tamyrlin had a ring just as the Amyrlin has a seat. From <TEotW: Prologue, xi, Dragonmount, xi> Elan Morin grimaced. "Look at you," he said scornfully. "Once you stood first among the Servants. Once you wore the Ring of Tamyrlin, and sat in the High Seat. Once you summoned the Nine Rods of Dominion. Now look at you!" Possibilities--1) Tamyrlin==Male Amyrlin, 2) Amyrlin==corrupted form of Tamyrlin 1.7 WHO WILL MARRY MAT? Daughter of the Nine Moons indicates the heir to the throne of the Seanchan. This is most likely Tuon, the second daughter of the Seanchan Empress who is mentioned by the High Lord Turak in Falme. <TGH: 34, 497, The Wheel Weaves>. 1.8 WHY MAY SOMEBODY BESIDES RAND PULL THE SWORD? The prophecy: "Into the heart", etc. (see section 7.3) suggests that maybe somebody besides Rand is going to remove the Callandor from the Stone. Maybe Logain (His future glory)? 1.9 WHAT DOES MAT BEING FREE OF THE ONE POWER MEAN? His foxhead amulet prevents direct access to saidar/saidin on him <TFoH: 6, Gateways, 117>, although not indirect results of saidar/saidin (such as the thunderbolt from the end of TFoH). <TFoH: 54, To Caemlyn, 649> 1.12 WHY ISN'T ELAIDA BLACK? <TEotW: 40, 606, The Web Tightens, 508> : Elaida doesn't like Rats. <TSR: 1, 38, Seeds of Shadow, 29-30> "Whatever Siuan was up to, she had to be stopped. Turmoil and chaos multiplied on every side. The Dark One was sure to break free-- the very thought made Elaida shiver and wrap her shawl around her more tightly--and the Tower had to be aloof from mundane struggles to face that. The Tower had to be free to pull the strings to make the nations stand together, free of the troubles Rand al'Thor would bring. Somehow, he had to be stopped from destroying Andor. [since Andor, and its royalty, are the key to defeating the DO.]" <TFoH: Prologue, The First Sparks Fall, 13-21> and <TFoH: 19, Memories, 260>: Elaida is pretty clearly a dupe. 1.13 WHO WILL LAN BE BONDED TO NOW? Lan & Moiraine's conversation in <TGH: 22, 322-4, Watchers> tells us that Moiraine has arranged for Lan's bond to pass to Myrelle, a Green who is currently in Salidar. It may be that Moiraine has made further arrangements for Myrelle to pass him on to Nynaeve, once she is ready. ("She will have him if I die, but not before" Whether Moiraine is dead or not, it seems that she _expected_ to die in her attack on Lanfear) 1.14 WHO KILLED JoaR (ASMODEAN)? Whoever did it, it was somebody he a) wasn't expecting to see, and b) was very afraid of. 1. Lanfear (but she's missing, presumed dead) 2. Ishamael (but he's dead, although maybe "split" in two). 3. Mesaana. We don't know anything about her, so we don't know what kind of surprise & dread she would inspire in Asmodean. 4. Demandred : everyone talks about him but no one has seen him yet. His hatred of Rand is obsessive. Asmodean went over to Rand. 5. Semirhage : Ditto more or less but she probably would not be so quick about it. 6. Sammael: might as well get all the unaccounted-for Forsaken in here 7. The Dark One (Shai'....): The seals on the wagon broke when Lanfear and Moiraine tussled. 8. Other, unlikely, suggestions include Padan Fain, Slayer, Keille, Kadere (but he's dead), Lan, and Egwene. 1.15 WHO IS MOGHEDIEN, REALLY, IN SALIDAR Ny made her drink Forkroot (suppresses channeling) in T'A'R. It seems very likely that the 3 refugees who came with Ny, El, & Birgitte are Mog and the two BA who were with her. <TFoH: 49, To Boannda, 569-70> There were three refugees: Nicole, Marigain (the mother), and Ariana Nicole is described as having "big eyes"; I think she's Temaile Kinderode, who was described as having "big blue eyes". Marigain, who describes herself as an Amadician "wise-woman" equivalent, and whom Nynaeve thinks is rather ignorant, is, IMO, Chesmal Emry, the Yellow. She's good enough to fake being only semi-knowledgeable. (As for her kids being silent and afraid, they're afraid of someone they know is pretending to be their mother; no further explanation required. That, or Moghedien turned their brains to mush before bringing them along to complete the disguise.) Note that Chesmal and Temaile were the only ones _with_ Moghedien when she learned where Nynaeve was (aside from the new scullery maid Liandrin, heh heh heh). That leaves Ariana to be Moghedien, and at one point (I think when they've just disembarked before heading through the woods to Salidar) she is described as staring intently at Birgitte... something only Moghedien would be likely to do. (The two Black Ajah don't know her from Eve).<Tony Z> 1.16 WHERE'S PERRIN? We don't know but we MISS him. Looks like Aram is going to get him in trouble and that the Two Riversians are building him a castle. 1.17 IS ARAM BLACK? There is definitely something up with Aram: Egwene's Dream <TFoH: 15, What Can Be Learned in Dreams, 214> indicates that Aram is going to get Perrin into trouble: "...the tinker. Every time he moved closer to Perrin it was if a chill of doom shot through everything." Jeffrey Raglin counters: Doom, yes. Bad things, yes. But not necessarily a Darkfriend. I think the problem with Aram is more linked to his being a Tinker with a Sword than to any supposed allegiance to the Dark. 1.18 WHAT IS ALL THIS 'SNIFFING' BUSINESS? Do all the women in TWoT have colds? Sean Hillyard tells us: Now call me illiterate as I didn't realize this definition, but after seeing this entry in the dictionary, it seems that Jordan is quite correct in his usage: sniff 2. To indicate doubt, ridicule, or contempt by or as if by sniffing <Nynaeve sniffed at their bad manners.> Okay, maybe Nynaeve wasn't there, but the rest was. 1.19 IS THERE A CONNECTION BETWEEN MAT & THE STOLEN DICE TER'ANGREAL? Not bloody likely. 1. The dice ter'angreal was stolen by the black sisters. 2. It is made up of >SIX< not five dice stuck together 3. You must be able to >CHANNEL< to use it 4. Mat says he has >ALWAYS< been lucky. This is referred to even before he got the dagger. The dagger may have influenced this or forced him into his ta'verenhood 5. Mat can win at dice with you using >YOUR< dice. 1.20 WHAT DOES A DRAGON LOOK LIKE? The dragon is a mythical beast. Although it does not exist in reality, it appears in most mythos cross culturally. It is agreed to be a fire-breathing serpent. (In no way to be confused with my advisor). The Dragon of Randand has five toes and is closest to the Chinese dragon of myth. [Someone claim credit for this:] Just to send the argument around once more, if no one knows what a dragon looks like how come they needed to hide the banner. Can you imagine the following exchange? Typical Peasant 1: "The light burn me! It's the Dragon! Typical Peasant 2: (Quickly hides in the nearest barrel) "Where?" TP1: "That tall man who I feel mysteriously compelled to follow. HE HAS THE DRAGON'S BANNER!" TP2: "Light, you're right. It is the dragon. But what's that scaly beast on the banner?" TP1: "Don't know, but it's definitely the Dragon's banner." 1.21 IS AVIENDHA PREGNANT? Possibly. The WOs have a plot to make Rand "know (the Aiel's) blood for (his) own." Aviendha has "been more successful than [the WOs] know," according to Amys. <TFoH: 54, to Caemlyn, 643> Then again, they could just be meaning for him to fall in love with and marry Aviendha, and are congratulating her on "gettin into Rand's pants," as Sean Hillyard so eloquently puts it. 1.22 IS NYNAEVE STILL BLOCKED? Well, she was working on it in Salidar. We have discovered that it is somehow tied to fear. (In part, fear of Moghedian. In general, I think it is a fear of not being strong enough/good enough/something like that.) We saw her overcome this fear at the end of TFoH, and at one point, Nynaeve was surprised to find herself "drinking deeply of the Source," or something like that. This could indicate that she had finally brought down the block, or it could just be her channeling through Moghedien and the a'dam. Even if she is still blocked, she's getting there. 1.23 WHERE IS GAIDAL CAIN NOW? 1. a baby 2. pulled out bodily and an adult 3. time runs differently: Uno 1.24 WHATS WITH THE SEANCHAN AND SALIDAR Looks like they'll capture Salidar early next book. "Hmm.. Unless they land at Ebou Dar and go north, the Seanchan will have to go through Amadicia to get to Salidar, meaning that Pedron Niall is in for the (shortest) fight of his life. Perhaps Geofram Bornhald's failed attack on Falme is a foreshadowing of this greater debacle?" Tony Z. What do we have here in Salidar? The renegade Aes Sedai, Gareth Bryne and some Andor soldiers, Nynaeve, Elayne, Thom, Juilin, and some Shienarans, Moghedien (maybe) and a few BA (maybe), other BA (probably) Rand, who might travel to Salidar or ask Ny&Elayne to Caemlyn, Morgase and company arriving soon (or so I think) Whitecloaks stomping through sometime soon, Seanchan coming through after they finish in Tanchico?? What else could happen? Any Aiel in the vicinity? Maybe Perrin and Faile have decided to go on a honeymoon to small towns in Altara. Maybe Valan Luca will arrive soon, having been so smitten by Nynaeve that he followed them south. That would truly make the place a circus. ;) -- Bill Garrett 1.27 WHERE IS THE LAST SEAL? Probably in Seanchan and probably broken or breaking. Alternate theory: it is the 'treasure' hidden in the Mountains of Mist. 1.28 HOW DID THE A'DAMS START? According to the _sul'dam_ Rena <TGH: 40, 572-3, Damane> the first _a'dam_ was made by an Aes Sedai in Seanchan, who thought she could do better for herself serving Luther Paendrag [Artur Hawkwing's son, leading the armies he'd sent across the Aryth Ocean] than remaining one of the Aes Sedai who contended among themselves for position in those lands. (Evidently, across the Aryth Ocean, the Three Oaths were never sworn, and the Aes Sedai made themselves rulers there; also evidently, poor Deane didn't realize the opinion that one of Hawkwing's sons would hold of _any_ Aes Sedai, even one who tried to serve him.) Deane chained one of her fellow Aes Sedai with the _a'dam_, and served Luthair. Then Luthair found out that some women (the _sul'dam_) could hold a leash who _didn't_ channel (little did he know...) Deane ended up leashed herself. <Tony Z> 1.29 IS ISH STILL ALIVE? Read the end of TDR. Notice that he has split in two? (Similar to Asmodean splitting TSR, but Asmodean was re-joined.) Does this mean anything? This seems >very< troubling. <TDR: 55, 666, What is Written in Prophesy> NB: Everybody (all the Forsaken) seems to think he is dead. 1.30................................................WHO'S WHO IN THE FAMILIES T R A K A N D S / A N D O R D A M O D R E D S/ (rumored to have Aiel blood) C A I R H E I N -=---------------------- +-----------=LAMAN--=BARTHANES | | | | | (cousin) | LUC* (JANDUIN) -+- TIGRAINE m TAIRINGAIL MOIRAINE | clan chief | (Daughter Heir (heir?) (half sister | of Taardad | of Andor ---+---------+ of Taringail) | | AKA SHAIEL) | | | | | | | | GALADEDRID | | RAND | | | MORGASE------------------------+--------------+ | GAWYN ** & ELAYNE** (Daughter Heir of Andor) M A L K I E R I --------------------------------------------- | | LAIN m. BREYAN allied with COWAN AL'AKIR m. EL'LEANNA | | ISAM LAN * Merges with ISAM, son of BREYAN to form SLAYER ** Possibly bastard of THOM MERRILIN, the gray fox = Exact links unknown 1.31......................................................TIGRAINE, AN ANALYSIS <Ruchira Datta> It is a certainty that Tigraine was Rand's mother, Shaiel. Tigraine was the Daughter-Heir of Andor, and was married to Taringail Damodred. They had a son, Galad. Tigraine and her brother Luc were sent to Tar Valon, in the usual tradition of the royalty of Andor. Tigraine vanished mysteriously from Tar Valon, never to be heard from again. <TEotW: 34, 525-6, The Last Village, 441-2> In <TSR: 34, 562, He Who Comes With the Dawn>, we learn about Rand's mother, Shaiel. Her tale corresponds marvelously with Tigraine's. Add to this the fact that so many people comment on how Rand looks like the Royal Family of Andor (Lord Barthanes, Perrin after meetin Luc), and there you have it. Finally, TFoH left off with a bunch of Aiel hanging around the Palace in Caemlyn, where one of the older ones can conveniently take a stroll through the Royal Portrait Gallery! 1.32..................................................................SLAYER <John Novak> Q: Who is Slayer? What is he up to? Slayer seems to be a some sort of mix of Luc (brother of Tigraine) and Isam (cousin of Lan): Luc was Tigraine's brother. When she disappeared, he went wandering and was lost in the Blight. Isam is Lan's cousin. His mother conspired with Cowin (a Darkfriend), and thereby brought about the fall of Malkier. Baby Isam and his mom were ridden down by Trollocs as she fled. <TEotW: 47, 710, More Tales of the Wheel, 596> The next we hear of Isam is in the Dark Prophecy. It is said that Isam ambushed Luc in the high passes near the Mountains of Dhoom, that one lived, one died, but both are. _Now_, go reread everything about Slayer and Luc in TSR. You'll see that Slayer, in the world of dreams, had a very _very_ close resemblance to Lan. Like, maybe, could be, cousins...? You'll also notice that when Perrin shot Slayer in the World of Dreams, Luc was the one physically hurt in the real world. <paraphrase from John Novak> Actually, in TFoH, there is a minor scene which may give a real clue as to the Luc/Isam thing. At one point when Rand is in the T'A'R, the memories of LTT are threatening to overwhelm his mind, and his body starts shifting to look like that of LTT. <TFoH: 55 The Threads Burn, 664> It may be that Isam took over Luc's body totally. Thus in the real world he looks like Luc. In T'A'R, where his mind is totally that of Isam, he looks like his original body. <Martin Terman> As for his mission, it seems that Slayer was originally sent to the Two Rivers to hunt down Padan Fain <TSR: 42, 687, A Missing Leaf>, and to stir up trouble in general. We don't know what happened to him after Perrin shot him in TSR. Additional Slayer tidbit: He frequents the Tower of Ghenjei. 1.33.....................................................THE SEVERED HAND The "Severed Hand" controversy centers around several of Min's visions. For Elayne, she has seen: 1)A severed hand, not hers <TGH: 24, 362, New Friends and Old Enemies>, 2)A red-hot iron and an axe <TGH: 43, 605, A Plan>. For Rand, we have: A bloody hand and a white hot iron <TEotW: 15, 216, Strangers and Friends, 181>. Here are the theories: 1)In <TFoH: 16, An Unexpected Offer, 224> we learned that the punishment for stealing in Amadicia is: First Offense--branding (with a red-hot iron?) Second Offense--Right hand chopped off. Scenario: somebody Elayne knows gets accused of stealing in Amadicia (Morgase?Galad? Lini?) and is branded. gets into more trouble, and has their hand chopped off. Rand has nothing to do with it. His bloody hand is something else. <Pam Korda> 2)Elayne gets captured and leashed by the Seanchan. Rand, or somebody else, is somehow forced to wear the bracelet (recall that little Seanchan game?). Somebody then chops of Rand's hand (with an axe) to save the two of them. The wound is then cauterized with a hot iron that happens to be lying around. <Judy G., Arthur Bernard Byrne> 1.34......................................................HOW OLD IS EVERYONE? <Courtenay Footman, Sean Hillyard, Pam Korda> RAND: In TFoH, Moiraine notes that it has been almost 21 years since the search began for the Dragon Reborn. <TFoH: 15, What Can Be Learned in Dreams, 214> That puts Rand's age at about 21. EGWENE is two years younger than Rand, so about 19. ELAYNE is about the same age as Egwene (19). MIN I peg as about 27, the definite is she has some years on Rand. GAWYN is about Rand's age(21). GALAD: Tigraine disappeared in 972 when he was an infant. Puts him at 27. NYNAEVE has a few years on Rand, probably about 25. MOIRAINE was Accepted (and about to be raised Aes Sedai) at the end of the Aiel War. Age approx. 25 (older Accepted Age) + 18 = low forties LAN was an infant when Malkier fell. I don't think we have a date on that, but he has a couple years on Moiraine I believe, mid forties. LIANDRIN is referred to as young, not just young seeming as are all Aes Sedai, about 27. ELAIDA has about 5 years (was one of the Accepted who watched over her when she was a Novice) on Moiraine, late forties-early fifties. MOGHEDIEN, she claims she was a couple centuries, and young for Aes Sedai, when bound. 1.35...................................................WHAT DOES EACH AJAH DO? [Aes Sedai may be translated as 'Servant to All' although they were called at times 'Servants of the Light'] Color Purpose ======================================================= Blue Meddle in causes Red Prevent another Breaking (i.e., hunt down men who can channel) White Philosophers -"Consider the questions of truth with implacable logic" Green The Battle Ajah - "love men" Brown Seekers of old knowledge, librarians Yellow Healers Gray Arbitrators/Mediators. Black Do ya' really need to ask? 1.36................................................THE GREEN MAN AND THE SONG (tinkers, soldiers, warriors, dragon) Q: WHO IS THE GREEN MAN? A: He is the last of the Nym, a type of creature which was made of vegetable matter. He is described first in <TEotW: 49, 739-40, The Dark One Stirs, 621>. However we find out exactly who he is in the fourth book. <TSR: 26, 432, The Dedicated, 303> "A stir at the end of the field told him one of the Nym was approaching. The great form, head and shoulders and chest taller than any Ogier, stepped out onto the seeded ground, and Coumin did not have to see to know he left footprints filled with sprouting things. It was Someshta, surrounded by clouds of butterflies, white and yellow and blue...Each field would have its Nym, now...the Nym were older than anyone. Some said the Nym never died, not so long as plants grew..." Many years later, after the breaking, we see him again, this time with the characteristic fissure in his face. He is being set to the task of guarding the Eye of the World, the Horn, the dragon banner and one of the seals. <TSR: 26, 428, The Dedicated, 300-1> Q: WHAT IS THE SONG? The Tinkers, an early offshoot of the Aiel, decided to give up their duty of hiding xxx-angreal and instead dedicate their lives to refinding the safety and peace of their past. <TSR: 26, 423, The Dedicated, 296> They believe this will come about through finding the "growing song," described in <TSR: 26, 432, The Dedicated, 303> "The Ogier began it, as was fitting, standing to sing, great bass rumbles like the earth singing. The Aiel rose, men's voices lifting in their own song, even the deepest at a higher pitch than the Ogier's. Yet the songs braided together, and Someshta took those threads and wove them into his dance...The song caught him up, and he almost felt that it was himself, not the sounds he made that Someshta wove into the soil and around the seeds." The Song is not to be confused with the Ogier Tree-Songs. The Ogier songs may be the Ogier part of the growing ceremony described above, or they may be something similar, but different in purpose. The Tinkers' Song is the human part of the ceremony. Q:WILL THE SONG BE FOUND, AND IF SO, BY WHOM? Personally, I don't think the Song will be found. It is a thing of a past Age, not of the coming one. However, since people seem to think it will be found, we shall continue: The primary contenders are Aram, Perrin and Rand. Aram's stated life goal had been to find the song until he took up the sword in defense of Emond's Field and became 'Lost' to his people. To find the song would reinstate him and justify his choice of giving up the peaceful 'way of the leaf'. Perrin on the other hand keeps getting faced with the choice of ax or hammer: that is, the choice of creation or destruction, war or peace, way-of-the-warrior or way-of-the-leaf. Furthermore, Perrin is a contender to find the song because of Min's viewing of Perrin standing among the flowering trees. Rand, is the outlier and remains one of the contenders primarily because of the following quote. He alone has demonstrated any predilection towards the talent of the Voice. <TGH: 15, 236, Kinslayer> "Rand was not sure what it was Loial did, or how; soft as the song was, it caught him up hypnotically, filling his mind almost the way the void did..Rand opened his mouth, but the song quieted him. It seemed so familiar, that song, as if he should know it. " Further Evidence that Rand will find the song: <TEotW: prologue, xv, Dragonmount, xv> ages past and will be in ages to come. _Let the Prince of the Morning sing to the land that green things will grow_ and the valleys give forth lambs. Survey says: Who will discover the Song? 04 - Perrin 05 - Loial 07 - Aram 03 - Elyas 04 - other 03 - a group 03 - Rand 05 - No one Survey says: Will Perrin pick the ax or the hammer (whatever that means)? Ax 07 Hammer 25 Both 01 Undecided 01 Q: WHO WERE THE AIEL? The Aiel (formerly the Da'shain Aiel) were the 'Dedicated' who worked for the Ancient Aes Sedai. The group was hereditary and had feature of light skin, gray or blue eyes and mostly reddish or blond hair. All Aiel could be identified by their particular hair style which was cut short with a tail hanging in the back. They were dedicated to a life of non-violence, following the 'way of the leaf'. The male Aiel worked with the Ogier and the Nym in planting as they had the gift of the 'Voice', the seed singing. Although the Ogier continue to have 'tree singers', the voice of the Aiel seems to be a talent that has disappeared. When the Aiel did their work in the fields, they wore light gray and brown 'working clothes' (_cadin'sor_). The clothes, the hair style and the avoidance of the use of weaponry which cannot be used for other purposes remains today, but the talent of the Voice is currently unknown. 1.37....................................................COUNTRIES OF RAND-LAND <Contributors: Sean Hillyard, Pam Korda, Courtenay Footman. Song by Ruchira and Rupa Datta> This land is Rand-Land, this land's Egwene-Land, from Arad Doman to the Aiel Waste-Land. >From Kinslayer's Dagger, to the Dragon's Fingers, this land was made by LTT. >Andor< General: Capital city, Caemlyn. Oldest city-state in RandLand, established not long after the breaking, with Queen of Andor the oldest title in RandLand. Unique traditions of sending the heir and expected first prince to train in the White Tower, and having an open Aes Sedai advisor. Rulers: Matriarchy, with a male advisor and head of the army called the First Prince of the Sword. Ruled for the last twenty years by Queen Morgase of House Trakand. Heir to the throne (Daughter-heir), Elayne. Current events: Queen Morgase missing, presumed dead. Lord Gaebril, aka Rahvin dead. The Dragon Reborn is holding the throne for the Daughter-Heir, Elayne. The Two Rivers district has seemingly declared independence Symbol: White lion on a red field Home of: Morgase, Elayne, Gawyn, Galad, Gareth Bryne, "Lord Gaebril," Tigraine/Shaiel, Lord Luc Tourist Attractions: Palace gardens, reached by climbing Palace wall. Map: <TEotW: (before) 13, 172, Choices, 144> (partial map of Andor) <TFoH: (before) 54, To Caemlyn, 642> (map of Caemlyn) >Cairhien< General: Capital--Cairhien. National Pastime--Game of Houses, played by everyone from the king to Commoners. The previous king, Laman, caused the Aiel War by chopping down the Tree of Life sapling to make a throne. Highly dependent upon grain imports from Tear & Andor. Symbol--rising sun (golden) on field of blue Gov't: Monarchy. Last king: Galldrian of House Riatin. The Cairhienin political process consists of the nobles scheming for position, playing the Game of Houses. Current Events: The recent assassinations of Galldrian and the strongest contender for the throne (Lord Barthanes) have left the other Houses fighting one another in a random war of succession, leaving the country in a state of anarchy. Andor was beginning to look at the Cairhienin civil war as an opportunity to expand its borders. To make matters worse, the country was recently invaded by a bunch of renegade Aiel. The Dragon Reborn has taken power, defeating the Aiel, but has yet to name somebody to sit upon the Sun Throne for him. Tourist Attractions: Largest (& most powerful) male-oriented sa'angreal, Royal Library--largest collection of knowledge outside Tar Valon. Home of: Moiraine, Taringail >Illian< General: Capital--Illian. Starting point for the Great Hunt for the Horn. Traditional enemy of Tear. Climate--Hot and Humid Gov't: Mixed government, with a King, a House of Lords (the council of Nine), and a House of Commons (the Assemblage) Current events: Outset of the Great Hunt. Escalating hostilities between Illian and Tear (closing of borders, trade forbidden). Council of Nine dominated by Lord Brend, aka Sammael. Tourist Attractions: King's Palace, and its copy, the Hall of the Council Home of: Bayle Domon >Malkier< General: _Was_ one of the borderlands, located N of Shienar. Destroyed due to treachery of the last king's sister-in-law (Breyan) and Cowin Fairheart (Great Lord & Darkfriend). Symbol: golden crane. Gov't: Monarchy. Last king--al'Akir Mandragoran. Uncrowned heir-- al'Lan Mandragoran. Current Events--Doesn't exist anymore, has been swallowed up by the Blight Tourist Attractions: Ruins of the Seven Towers, the 1000 Lakes Home of: Lan, Isam, Jain(m) Farstrider Map: <TEotW: (before) 46, 688, Fal Dara, 578> (with Shienar) >Shienar< General: Capital city--Fal Moran. Due to its location (borderlands),its society has a strong militaristic streak. Quaint local fashion--fighting men shave their heads, except for a topknot. Symbol--black hawk Gov't: Monarchy, current king--Easar of house Togita Current events: Held off Trolloc hoard at Tarwin's Gap (with a little help from their friends). Unspecified troubles, probably over news of the Dragon Reborn carried North by Hurin, the sniffer. Tourist Attractions: Lotsa military stuff, nice signal towers Home of: Ingtar, Lord Agelmar, Lady Amalisa, Uno, Masema, Hurin Map: <TEotW: (before) 46, 688, Fal Dara, 578> >Two Rivers< General: Collection of farming communities bounded by the Mountains of Mist, the R. Taren, and the White River. Products--tabac & wool. The people have a reputation of stubbornness. Quaint local fashion--girls wear their hair loose, women wear it braided. Gov't: Although it is officially part of Andor, it "has not seen a tax collector in six generations, nor the Queen's Guards in seven." Each autonomous village is run by two elected bodies--the Women's Circle (women), headed by the Wisdom, and the Village Council (men), headed by the Mayor. If there is a need for inter-village action, it is negotiated by the mayors or Councils of the villages Current events: Hunting ground of Slayer (aka Lord Luc). Overrun by Trollocs & Whitecloaks as part of Ordeith's plot against Rand. Trollocs & Whitecloaks alike dealt with under the leadership of Perrin, who may be on his way to becoming "lord" of the Two Rivers, by popular demand. Improvised symbol: Wolf's Head. Tourist Attractions: Eldrene's Veil, Master al'Vere's clock Home of: do ya have to ask? Map: <TEotW: (before) 1, xviii, An Empty Road, xviii> Historical Note: In ancient times was Manetheren, destroyed in the Trolloc Wars. Sign of Manetheren: Red Eagle >Saldaea< Gov't: Monarchy Sign : silver fish on dark blue 1.38.................................................IS VERIN BLACK???? VERIN: BLACK OR NOT? <Sean Hillyard, Mike Lemons, Judy Ghirardelli, Emma Pease, Erica Sadun, Pam Korda, many others whose names have been lost in the mists of FAQ> 1) In TGH, Verin tells the boys that Moiraine sent her to look after them: <TGH: 14, 231, Wolfbrother> "Moiraine Sedai sent me, Lord Ingtar," Verin announced with a satisfied smile. "She though you might need me." Moiraine later says that she did NOT send Verin: <TGH: 49, 675, What was Meant To Be> "I did not send Verin." Moiraine frowned. "She did that on her own. It is pretty obvious that Moiraine is not BA, so that implies that Verin lied, and hence must be BA. DEFENSE: Verin could have been tricked by somebody masquerading as Moiraine, maybe Lanfear. Or, perhaps she managed to find an interpretation of her words that could be taken as the truth. (Moiraine wanted somebody to watch over you guys, but she couldn't be here...) 2) Verin does not give Corianin's notes to Egwene along with the dream ring. Relevant passages: <TDR: 21, 241-2, A World of Dreams, 187>. Maybe she wanted Egwene to get killed, or caught by some Forsaken? DEFENSE: Four reasons that Verin wouldn't want to show the manuscript to Egwene: 1) Verin is afraid that Egwene would not continue if she knew how dangerous it is. 2) Verin is afraid that Egwene would not continue if she knew who or what must be sacrificed. 3) The very nature of prophecy requires that it be vague or kept secret. 4) Maybe Verin was afraid that _Egwene_ was a darkfriend. Also, note that she _considered_ giving the notes to Egwene, but decided not to. If she was witholding the notes for a nefarious purpose, she wouldn't have even considered it. 3) Her suspicious behavior in the 2 Rivers: a)Misleads Perrin as to why she and Alanna are there <TSR: 31, 493-4, Assurances, 345-6>. b)Tells Perrin not to trust Alanna, perhaps laying a false trail? <TSR: 33, 533, A New Weave in the Pattern, 373>. c)She also knows Luc is the missing Lord Luc, Tigraine's brother who disappeared in the Blight. She knows he is mentioned in the Dark Prophecy, yet she does not warn anyone about him? Or tell them who he is? DEFENSE: a) & b) are typical Aes Sedai behavior. As for c)... 4) Only three characters have referred to Perrin's choice of hammer or axe: Ishamael, Lanfear and Verin. This puts Verin in very suspicious company. DEFENSE: Verin is Brown Ajah, and thus is likely to know all sorts of obscure things. (Also note that the above statement is somewhat false: Egwene also knows about the hammer/axe choice. She dreamed it.) 5) Was observed in deep converstion with Ingtar, a known Darkfriend, at Lord Barthanes's party in <TGH: 33, 478, A Message From the Dark>. When Rand approached them, Verin waved him away. Perhaps they were discussing "business matters?" 6) In <TFoH: 53, Fading Words, 638> Moiraine mentions to Rand in her last letter not to trust Alviarin, who is definitely a Darkfriend, and Verin. Additionally, Siuan mentions that Verin never told her about giving Egwene a ter'angreal. DEFENSE: The former is just an exercise in contrasts. Moiraine is saying: "Don't trust ANYBODY. You are rightly suspicious of Alviarin, but you should be equally suspicious of those you think you can trust, like Verin." As for the latter, why should she tell SS? 7) Draghkar Attack on Moiraine. <TGH: 22, 331-3, Watchers> Executed at least with Aes Sedai help (the warding on them so they couldn't be sensed). Moiraine seemed to think that pretty much everyone in the Tower had forgotten about these old hermit Aes Sedai. However, we do know one individual old enough to remember them who could have ordered the attack --Verin. DEFENSE: This is totally wimpy speculation, and wouldn't even be here, except that somebody might bring it up again. Liandrin (known BA) could have easily followed Moiraine there. And a final warning from Chris Russo: Here's the scenario: Erica is all alone at her home/apt/dorm/cardboard box (whatever). Sensing a well armed criminal nearby, she quickly hides. The criminal enters her room, confused that no one is there. Having cased Erica for some time now, however, he says, "Is Verin black?" >From under the bed comes a resigned but excited, "No! She's not black!" Game over, Erica is kidnapped. The previous was a fictitious dramatization. Don't fall into the same trap yourself in real life. [Kind of like the Roger Rabbit "Pop Goes the Weasel" scene.]--Chris Russo 1.39............................................IS THERE RELIGION IN RANDLAND? "By the Light and my hope of salvation and rebirth, I swear to serve you in whatever way you require for as long as you require, or may the Creator's face turn from me forever and darkness consume my soul." <TFoH: 1, Fanning The Sparks, 39> A: YES, but not much. It is pretty secular. It may be closer to many pagan religions or in some cases to Judaism rather than Christianity. However, like x'ty, there is a dualism between the light and the creator who are often spoken of separately and together. Like Judaism, burials are as simple as possible to encourage return to the earth. Like the religions of old merry England, the maypole is a fertility ritual. Like Catholicism, children are taught catechism. Wisdoms act as priestesses. Like Judaism, marriage is a public announcement to the community. This does not even begin to touch on the religious aspects of the Aes Sedai. They have novices (like nuns), they are considered to be 'servants of all', the rituals of acceptance and joining the sisterhood are rigid with many religious overtones. They are expected to serve the Light and the will of the creator when they join the Aes Sedai. They are almost Buddhist in certain ways: in particular the view of the time serpent, the wheel of time and the age lace. The Children of Light are another religious organization, in this case a religious organization in turmoil with inappropriate goals and methods. Finally, we have the Tinkers, a religious cult more or less who follow the early Xtian/Calvinist 'Way of the Leaf', a cross between pacifism and acceptance of fate. -- Erica Q: How do we know about organized religion? A: Glad you asked: <TEotW: 1, 14, An Empty Road, 12> Rand took a deep breath. As much to remind himself as for any other reason, he said by rote, "The Dark One and all of the Forsaken are bound in Shayol Ghul, beyond the Great Blight, bound by the Creator at the moment of Creation, bound until the end of time. The hand of the Creator shelters the world, and the Light shines on us all." <TEotW: 1, 10, An Empty Road, 8-9> Near the Winespring, a score of older women sang softly as they erected the Spring Pole...the slender trunk of a fir tree stood ten feet high even in the hole they had dug for it. A knot of young girls...watched enviously, occasionally singing snatches of songs the women sang...at noon the unmarried women would dance the Pole...while the unmarried men sang. <TGH: 10, 178, The Hunt Begins> [Loial Says:] "Shienarans believe we all came from earth, and must return to earth. They never use coffins or shrouds, and the bodies are never clothed. The earth must hold the body. The last embrace of the mother, they call it. And there are never any words except 'The Light shine on you, and the Creator shelter you. The last embrace of the Mother welcome you home.'" <TSR: 53, 890-1, The Price of Departure, 618> Which is how he found himself not a half an hour later kneeling opposite her in the common room, in front of Daise Congar and Marin al'Vere....and all the Women's Circle. Loial had been roused to stand for him with Aram, and Bain and Chiad stood for Faile... Marin tucked a long red wedding ribbon around his neck, and Loial threaded another through Faile's dark hair..."I, Perrin Aybara, do pledge you my love, Faile Bashere, for as long as I live"... <TEotW: 27, 412, Shelter from the Storm, 346> "Peace be on you always," Elyas replied, "and on all the People." He hesitated, then added, "I will find the song, or another will find the song, but the song will be sung, this year or in a year to come. As it once was so shall it be again, world without end."..."Peace be on you," Elyas said. "And on you," Raen said sadly. OTOH, in Randland, the Creator _is_. The DO _is_. No one disbelieves in their existence; they are _there_. They are far more concrete and present in everyday life than our God(s) is/are in our lives. If you cross the Blight to Shayol Ghul, you will find a mountain with a hole in its side and evil leaking out. Thus, many of the rituals and other trappings of _organized_ religion are unnecessary in Randland. Just because we don't see worship going on very often doesn't mean it's not being done. Scratch a Randlander, and you'll find a quite religious person 9 times out of 10, would be my guess. There just isn't quite the need to formalize it the way we do, except on occasions which, by their nature, are already formal... i.e. funerals, weddings, harvest, etc. Just my humble opinion. -Jocelyn 1.40..... .......................WHO ARE THE FORSAKEN? WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Q: Who are the Forsaken and where are they at the moment ? The Forsaken were 13 of the most powerful Aes Sedai of the Age of Legends. They went over to the Dark One's side during the War of the Shadow. Legend has it that they were sealed with the Dark One when the Dark One's prison was re-sealed. The 13 Forsaken (in alphabetical order) are *AGINOR (M): killed at the Eye of the World (by drawing too much of the One Power) <TEotW: 51, 756-9, Against the Shadow, 634-5> *ASMODEAN (M): real name: Joar Addam Nesossin, aka: Jasin Natael. captured by Rand and shielded by Lanfear at Rhuidean <TSR: 58, 973-8, The Traps of Rhuidean> Toast at the end of TFoH...Twice! *BALTHAMEL (M): killed by the Green Man at the Eye of the World <TEotW: 50, 751-2, Meetings at the Eye, 630-1> *BE'LAL (M): aka High Lord Samon of Tear, balefired by Moiraine in the Stone of Tear <TDR: 55, 651-2, What is Written in Prophecy> *DEMANDRED (M): believed to dislike Rand/LTT intensely. <TSR: 58, 975, The Traps of Rhuidean> Reasons unknown but not as well based as Sammael's. <TFoH: Prologue, The First Sparks Fall, 29>. Whereabouts unknown. *GRAENDAL (F): known to currently have a long string of young men and women. In the habit of taking aristocrats and making them serve in some demeaning aspect, using enough compulsion to fry their brains to make them useless. Though a conservative player for all that. In a position of power somewhere, maybe Seanchan. *ISHAMAEL (M): real name: Elan Morin Tedronai, aka Ba'alzamon. probably killed by Rand in Tear <TDR: 55, 666, What is Written in Prophecy> *LANFEAR (F): real name: Mierin <TSR: 58, 973, The Traps of Rhuidean> aka: Selene. former lover of LTT (Rand). May be toast or in Aelfland. *MESAANA (F): nothing is known *MOGHEDIAN (F): captured by Nynaeve in Tanchico, but escaped <TSR: 54, 909-13, Into the Palace> believed to be the strongest Forsaken in T'A'R <TSR: 52, 864, Need> Captured by Nynaeve again in T'A'R in TFoH, forced to drink forkroot tea there. Known to be in Salidar, where Nynaeve is going to try to track her down. <TFoH: 55, The Threads Burn, 674-5> *RAHVIN (M): aka: Lord Gaebril, was active in Caemlyn <TDR: 46, A Message Out of the Shadow> Is now toast by Rand. <TFoH: 55, The Threads burn, 672> *SAMMAEL (M): real name: Tel Janin Aellinsar <TFoH: 45, After the Storm, 516> aka: Lord Brend of Illian <TDR: 43, 507, Shadow Brothers> Was given scar by LTT. Hates Rand. Wanted always to be taller. <TFoH: Prologue,The First Sparks Fall, 29> *SEMIRHAGE (F) Has a penchant for gruesomme torture. Whereabouts unknown. -- Mark Looi mark@traceyanne.brisnet.org.au 1.41.................................ALL THE AES SEDAI (WAS BLACK AJAH) >From Emma Pease Jul. 6, 93 11:39:19 am PDT emma@Russell.Stanford.EDU *Black Ajah 2 of each ajah except red (1) for a total of 13. Still unknown are the 1 gray, 2 blues, 1 yellow. ?? means either former ajah or country unknown NAME AJAH ORIGIN COMMENT ============================================================================== Liandrin red Tarabon leader Joiya Byir white ?? eldest and dead at Tear Rianna Andormeran white Kandor white streak in hair Marillin Gemalphin brown ?? likes cats Eldrith Jhondar brown ?? arranges for cats to go away Jeaine Caide green Arad Doman Asne Zeramene green Saldaea Chesmal Emry yellow Ghealdan (one of the best healers known) Temaile Kinderode gray Cairhien blue eyes,dark hair,vulpine,cruel Amico Nagoyin ?? ?? youngest and dead at Tear Berylla Naron ?? ?? lean, manipulative Falion Bhoda ?? ?? long-faced Ispan Shefar ?? Tarabon dark-haired *Elaida's council consists (to start with) of 4 reds, no blues, 1 each of yellow, green, and brown, 2 or 3 each of gray and white. [not sure whether she is including herself and Alviarin in the count] Elaida, Amyrlin Seat (red) Alviarin, Keeper (white, Black) Teslyn, red Javindhra, red Danelle, brown Joline, green Shemerin, yellow (to be "arrested and reduced to Accepted", according to paper's in Elaida's study <TFoH: 49, To Boannda, 581>) Andaya, gray Evanellein, gray *The council at Salidar seems to be Sheriam, leader, blue Carlinya, white Myrelle, green Anaiya, blue Movrin, brown Beonin, gray *Other Aes Sedai, current & former (stilled/dead/disappeared/etc) *BLUE AJAH Siuan Sanche, formerly blue, Tear, Amyrlin Seat, Warder Alric (dead, TSR), stilled (TSR), at Salidar (TFoH) Leane Sharif, blue, Arad Doman, Keeper of the Chronicles, Warder unknown, stilled (TSR), at Salidar (TFoH) Moiraine Damodred, blue, Cairhien, vanished(TFoH), Warder (was) Lan Aeldene, blue, heads the Blue Ajah's eyes and ears network, missing in TFoH. *RED AJAH Memara, red, sent to Saldaea by Elaida's council *BROWN AJAH Verin Mathwin, brown, very old, Warder Tomas, in Two Rivers (TFoH) Serafelle, brown Andeleas, brown, very old lives in Arafel with her sister, Vandene, Warder Jaem? Takima, brown, teaches history Phaedrine, brown, at Salidar *WHITE AJAH Brendas, white, part of the group that healed Mat *GREEN AJAH Alanna Mosvani, green, Arafel, same age as Sheriam, Warder Ihvon Vandene, green, very old lives in Arafel with her sister, Andeleas, Warder Jaem? Myrelle, green, on the council ruling at Salidar (TFoH), Warders are Nuhel Dromand (Illian), Croi Makin (Andor), Avar Hachimi. Rumored to have Married all three of her Warders against custom. New Warder--Lan Kiruna Nachiman, green, Arafel, rumored to be the sister of the king of Arafel. At Salidar, Sent to the waste to find Rand Bera Harkin, green, at Salidar, Sent to the waste to find Rand *YELLOW AJAH Ryma, yellow, caught by the Seanchan Another slender yellow was part of the group that went to Fal Dara. Ananda, yellow, Min sees her dying Edesina, yellow, slender, Min sees a silver collar around her that shatters Therva Maresis, yellow, slender, at Salidar Nisao Dachen, yellow, short Dagdara Finchey, yellow, tall, wide, grey haired, very skilled healer Narenwin Barda, yellow, heads yellow ears and eyes network *GREY AJAH Sierin Vayu, gray, Amyrlin before Siuan, dead *RANDOM AES SEDAI Marras, unknown, probably in charge of the gardens since Faolain was sent to her to do some gardening. Silviana, mistress of novices under Elaida (TFoH) Saroiya, mentioned as an Aes Sedai that someone played a trick on some 20 plus years ago. *ACCEPTED: Pedra, Irella, Faolain Orande (at Salidar), Theodrin (at Salidar), Nynaeve, Egwene, Elayne, Emara (either novice or accepted, at Salidar), Verine (dead TFoH [killed by Fain]) *NOVICES: Sahra (dead TSR), Else (no longer), Tabiya (at Salidar) *IMAGINARY: Sharina (mentioned to Nynaeve in the ter'angreal) Beldeine, green, Keeper to Egwene inside the ter'angreal Gyldan, black, seen by Egwene in the ter'angreal -------------------------------------------- SURVEY SAYS: Are the following Black Ajah?? Yes No Maybe - Moiraine 00 30 04 - Verin 09 21 04 - Alanna 10 16 08 - Anaiya 05 16 13 - Elaida 07 24 03 - Alviarin 11 09 14 - Danelle 10 12 12 - Sheriam 08 20 06 1.42................................................WHY LANFEAR MAY BE GOOD <The pro-Lanfear case is made by Ruchira Datta, and some random net.opinions. The anti-Lanfear lobby is led by Pam Korda, but also holds some net.opinion> Lanfear presents a bit of an enigma. Many of her actions have led some people to believe that she is not 100% Evil. The argument is that she & Beidomon drilled the Bore into the DO's prison by accident, and only became Forsaken after that either due to the DO's direct action, or out of pride. Moreover, everyone would link her with all the DO's ravages that followed, thinking she released him on purpose, no matter what she did. Being an extremely proud person, it would be hard for her to admit that she had just made a colossal mistake. EVIDENCE: In the "Eyes of Charn" sequence, Charn perceives Mierin as a good person, and maintains this belief even after she became Lanfear. Up to TFoH (see refutation), it can be claimed that she hadn't done any inarguably evil acts. She has been deceptive - but what would one expect from an Aes Sedai? She is jealous and possessive of Rand - but note that she had not done anything to harm her competition, which would probably be very easy for her to do. (She met Egwene in Tel'aran'rhiod, if I recall correctly, but anyway Egwene had been eliminated from the category of "competition" by this time.) She told Ishamael in TDR that she was loyal to the Dark One and no other. But in TSR, she suggested to Rand that they supplant the DO together. As for the scene at the end of TFoH, she was insane and not responsible for her actions. (She dislikes being called "Mierin" in the extreme. This could be taken several ways. One way to take it is that she wants her former self to be disassociated from her current evil ways - she does not want to be reminded of what she once was, it is too painful.) REFUTATION: I have always believed that Lanfear was evil, starting way back when we first meet her as Selene in TGH. She made my skin crawl. LTT, an "honest man," even the Forsaken admit, said that Lanfear, _even when she was Mierin_, loved power more than anything else. What is the DO but the ultimate temptation of power? All of her actions in "helping" Rand have not been to further his cause against the DO, but to gain his trust and lust, so that she could control him. She does not love Rand/LTT; she wants him to be her obedient lap-dog, and to serve him up on a platter to the DO, so that she can be the most powerful of his servants. She would supplant the DO AND the Creator in a second if she could, and then be disappointed that she wasn't powerful enough. Having deceived Rand and all you r.a.sf.w-jordanites for so long, it would have been simple for her to deceive Charn, a follower of the Way of the Leaf. (It is obvious from looking at the Tinkers and the Ancient Aiel that Leafers cannot believe that the world is a Bad Place with Bad People in it.) But anyway, evidence in TFoH closes the case for good. I do not refer to the skinning of Kadere, torturing of Egwene & Aviendha, killing of many, and attempted killing of Rand scene, although that provides plenty of evidence in itself, insanity or no. I refer to Moiraine's vision in the Rings of Rhuidean. <TFoH: 53, Fading Words, 637> If Moiraine had not jumped Lanfear, and let her have her way, Rand would be a)dead, or b)Lanfear's love-slave, with the crippled mind of LTT. These were Lanfear's plans. They are not the plans of a good person. Oh, and if you need further proof, recall the ecstasy with which she describes bathing in the DO's presence at Shayol Ghul. 1.43...............................................WHO ARE THE AELFS AND EELFS <Erica Sadun, Sean Hillyard> Strange tricksy critters who live in other dimensions. They are also known as the Snakes and Foxes for their appearances and have long-standing tricksy relationships with humans: giving gifts and answers... at a price. <TSR: 28, 462, To the Tower of Ghenjei, 323> Birgitte arrives to chat up Perrin and talks about the Tower of Ghenjei and the game of Snakes and Foxes. "...there's no way to win." "Except to break the rules," she said. "'Courage to strengthen, fire to blind, music to daze, iron to bind.'" Poor Mat should have known about these rules, but he's tricky and he cheats. Notice that every time Mat is using his "luck", he seems to be humming. This may be related. We know that The tower of Ghenjei is a route to the realms of the Aelfinn & Eelfinn. We also know that the Seanchan, the offspring of the "hammer" (Pendrag) hold their symbols to be the tower and the raven. And WOULDN'T YOU JUST KNOW, Mat who is due to marry the Daughter of the Nine Moons, the heir to the court of Seanchan and who is already mixed up with the snakes and foxes just happens to have a magic spear with ravens on it. In fact, if you re-regard the inscription on the spear, it just may have to do with the Seanchan's bargain and not that of Mat. "Thus is our treaty written; thus is agreement made. Thought is the arrow of time; memory never fades. What was asked is given. The price is paid." <TSR: 26, 439, The Dedicated, 307> Remember also, that those marked with the raven are property of the court of the Seanchan empress. The other object given to Mat was the foxhead. And ITS eye is the symbol of the Aes Sedai. <TSR: 37, 606, Imre Stand, 426> Boy, this gets complicated, doesn't it? When Mat arrives in the Rhuidean door (foxes), he is greeted and asked about the "old treaty". The snake people back at Tear were very insistent that he show up at Rhuidean -- insistent enough to answer a whole lot of extra questions. Once he gets there, he's given an object which directly mentions something about the treaty. What we know from the Tear doorway. There seems to be some kind of agreement concerning the use of the door. Anyone may enter who does not bring a way to make light, iron or instruments of music. The snakes will then answer three questions. What do they get out of it? According to Moiraine: 'Sensations, emotions, experiences. They rummage through them; you can feel them doing it, making your skin crawl. Perhaps they feed on them in some manners. The Aes Sedai who studied this ter'angreal spoke of a strong desire to bathe afterward.' In addition, the presence of two ta'veren seemed about to shake down the whole place. What we know from the Rhuidean doorway. The foxes also speak of a treaty in using the doorway. Again, no iron or musical instruments, or ways to make light. Again, there is the prickling of the skin as memories are rummaged through. However, for the foxes this does not seem to be payment enough for their services. Apparently a 'price' has to be negotiated before 'agreements' are made. Mat lucks out (of course) and asks for a way out as one of his agreements (It seems extremely likely that he would still be there without that), but they still exact a price out of him, and from what we can infer of it, it was not pleasant. Aludra: I have finally figured out Aludra's entire raison d'etre: the matches. Now how can Mat/Thom get over to Nynaeve to get some matches before he heads off to A/Eelfland? ************************************ 1.44......................................................WHAT'S WITH SALDAEA There could be some major plot development coming up, with regards to Saldaea. We have been getting hints for five books now. In TEotW, in Baerlon, there are rumors about trouble up in Saldaea. But they say, oh--that's the borderlands-- there is always trouble in the borderlands. When we first meet Bayle Domon, he is running from Trollocs and Saldaea <TEotW: 20, 312, Dust on the Wind, 262-3>. Then again in TGH and TDR Saldaea is mentioned that something is going on there. Plus that is where Mazrim Taim was operating...Then in TSR, someone in a tavern in Tear says something like Taim was so powerful when he fought the Lord of Bashere's army. Then SS thinks that with all the trouble there, Tenobia might be pushed off the throne--Tenobia is Faile's cousin. And finally, at the end of TFoH, Bashere shows up in Caemlyn and makes an agreement for Saldaea's support of the Dragon Reborn. (Furthermore, the BA had a plan to release Taim, and make him commit atrocities under the name of the Dragon Reborn. I doubt this plan will come to much now, since Bashere has met the REAL Dragon, but it could still come to something.) 1.45.............................................................WHO WAS MAT? <Don Harlow, Joe Shaw, somebody else> It may be that Mat was Aemon of Manetheren, although there is little direct proof. It is certain that, in all his lives, he was a military genius. There has been a lot of speculation that Mat is the reincarnation of an ancient king of Manetheren. It seems to me fairly evident that Mat is the reincarnation of a fairly large number of personalities (I would say "different" personalities, except I suspect that they were all fairly similar). This is evidenced by Mat's pseudo-memories that emerge when aka Jasin Natael is singing a song about a battle at a river and how the king of Manetheren had mercy on his defeated foe. Mat remembers himself, the king's advisor, being killed by that foe's treachery; and then he remembers himself, somebody else, seeing that foe, older and grayer, being killed in another battle somewhere else. <TSR, 37, 610-1, Imre Stand, 424-5> Additionally, he forms the Band of the Red Hand near the end of TFoH, which was supposedly a band of heroes who went down defending Aemon himself.This looks like another marker, though there's nothing directly of Aemon's memories that Mat has. TFoH also gives details on the span of his memories, from about four or five hundred years before the Trolloc wars and nothing after Artur Hawkwing. What this signifies is another question entirely. It's clear that Mat was not King of Manetheren in his first memory, at least. I agree that Mat is remembering several lives. IMHO, Mat is one of the Heroes that the Pattern spins out every so often, and he is remembering his previous incarnations. Mat was just a brilliant military advisor for the Manetheren kings, not the King. 1.46..................................WHERE HAVE WE SEEN IRONIC FORESHADOWING? <TEotW: 12, 171, Across the Taren, 143> Moiraine tells Egwene: "Now you are behaving like a foolish village girl. Most who come to Tar Valon must study for months before they can do what you just did. You may go far. Perhaps even the Amyrlin Seat, one day, if you study hard and work hard." <TEotW: 19, 278, Shadow's Waiting, 234> "Aemon's warcry, she said - right? Maybe you're Aemon come back again." <TGH: 10, 169, The Hunt Begins> Mat says: "You put this Aiel nonsense in his head, on top of what's already there, and the light knows what we'll have. An Aiel lord maybe." Nynaeve, just before entering the first arch a Novice must pass through to become an Accepted <TGH: 23, 336, The Testing>: "Vaguely, Nynaeve thought about her nervousness concerning spiders" Moghedien is also known as 'the Spider'. Perrin, looking at Ingtar <TGH: 28, 407, A New Thred in the Pattern>: "Sometimes, to Perrin's eyes, the crescent crest on the Shienaran's helmet looked like a Trolloc's horns." Ingtar is revealed at the end of TGH to be a Darkfriend seeking to walk in the Light (he sought the Horn for his personal salvation). <TGH: 32, 464, Dangerous Words, 392> "I am not Aiel, Lord Barthanes, and I am not of the [Andor] royal line, either." (Rand to Lord Barthanes, at Barthanes' manor) <TSR: 52, 864, Need> I was re-reading the part in TSR where Ny talks to Birgitte and Cain is around. He reminds Birgitte how mad Spider was when she found out Birgitte would fight on the side of LTT. She told Birgitte then something like "I will make you weep alone for as long as the wheel turns". Birgitte says that Spider said it as just a fact that had not happened yet. We know in TFoH that Spider makes good on this threat, but un-binding her to the Wheel. <TFoH: 10, Figs and Mice, 162> At one point, early in the book, Ny wishes she could have SS alone for just 5 minutes when SS could not channel - she gets her wish with her little scuffle in tel'aran'rhiod. <TFoH: 25, Dreams of Galad, 307> Elayne told Egwene in T'A'R' : "Egwene, you will be Amyrlin when I am Queen of Andor!" 1.47...................WHY ARE WE SURE THAT BA'ALZAMON IS REALLY ISHAMAEL All the Forsaken seem to think that Ba'alzamon was Ishamael. e.g. see Mog's thoughts in <TSR: 46, 759-60, Veils>. <TDR: 21, 237, A World of Dreams, 187> Verin reads a scrap of paper to Egwene when giving her the twisted stone ter'angreal. "Heart of the Dark. Ba'alzamon. Name hidden within name shrouded by name. Secret buried within secret cloaked by secret. Betrayer of Hope. Ishamael betrays all hope. Truth burns and sears. Hope fails before truth. A lie is our shield. Who can stand against the Heart of the Dark? Who can face the Betrayer of Hope? Soul of shadow, Soul of the Shadow, he is -" <TDR: 56, 672-3, People of the Dragon, 575-6>, Eg, Ny, Mat, El and Moiraine are discussing that Rand could not have killed the Dark One himself because a _man's_ body was left. They speculate that Ba'alzamon was Ishamael. <TEotW: 14, 204-5, The Stag and Lion, 171>: Ba'alzamon tells Rand: "I stood at Lews Therin Kinslayer's shoulder when he did the deed that named him. It was I who told him to kill his wife, and his children, and all his blood, and every living person who loved him or whom he loved. It was I who gave him the moment of sanity to know what he had done." Lanfear makes some comment that "Ishamael thinks he controls events, but I do, really" or something like that. The only other forsaken taking an active hand in events is Ba'alzamon. the rest are either still bound, or are skulking around in various kingdoms. <TSR: Glossary, 987, entry "Ba'alzamon"> "In the Trolloc tongue, 'Heart of the Dark.' Believed by most, erroneously, to be the Trolloc Name for the Dark One." ^^^^^^^^^^^ 1.48.........................WHEN WAS RAND'S POWER ACQUISITION FEVER SYNDROME 1. OP use: cleansing Bela <TEotW: 11, 149, The Road to Taren Ferry, 125> Reaction: Baerlon encounter w/Children of the Light, <TEotW: 15, 221-6, Strangers and Friends, 186-90> Time: about a week. 2. OP use: Hitting Trolloc with the boom of Domon's boat. <TEotW: 24, 306-7, Dust on the Wind, 258-9> Reaction: Mast/trapeze stunt on Bayle Domon's ship <TEotW: 24, 357-9, Flight Down the Arinelle, 301-3> Time: about four days. 3. OP use: calling lightning to escape Howal Gode. <TEotW: 32, 484, Four Kings in Shadow, 407> Reaction: fever/chills at the inn in Market Sharan. <TEotW: 33, 504-8, The Dark Waits, 423-6> Time: about two days. 4. OP use: at the Eye of the World. Reaction: Forgetfulness, others? Time: nearly instantaneous. 1.51............WHY WILL THE BRACELETS WILL BE USED ON LOGAIN OR MAZRIM TAIM? We assume that they will be used on a faux dragon because the real one isn't available. Luke Mankin tells us more about the bracelets: I think that the collar and bracelets are not all one piece, and that they will enable a women to control a male channeler for a distance! Here are all the places where it is physically described that I could find. Notice that they never mention a -leash-! <TSR: 55, 920, Into the Deep> "Egeanin touched the collar, pushed the bracelets away from the collar. If she felt the emotions trapped in them ... ability to channel. `It is not a'dam,` the Seanchan woman said. `That is made of a silvery metal, and all of one piece." <TSR: 52, 866, Need> "...-a necklace and two bracelets of jointed black metal-..." <TSR: 54, 905, Into the Palace> " ...dull black collar and bracelets... ...wide jointed collar..." Since we assume that the Seanchan will get the collars, what will they do with their male channeler? OR, will the BA get the collar and bracelets through the darkfriend connection? Wouldn't the best means of destroying them be separating them and throwing them in say the sea, a volcano, and such? 1.52....................................WHAT ARE THE SONGS (NOT >THE SONG<) Jeffrey Scott Raglin reports: The Songs of the Wheel of Time: Berin's Retreat==The Wind from the North==Hard Rain Falling Blue Sky Dawning Cock o' the North Colors of the Sun==Jolly Jaim==Rhea's Fling Coming Home from Tarwin's Gap Dance With Jak 'o the Shadows Darling Sara==Ferry O'er the River Drawing Water From the Well Ferry O'er the River==Darling Sara Goodman Priket's Pipe==River Iralell? Hard Rain Falling==The Wind from the North==Berin's Retreat Heron on the Wing I Have Loved a Thousand Sailor Men I'm Down at the Bottom of the Well Jolly Jaim==Rhea's Fling==Colors of the Sun Midean's Ford Mistress Aynora's Rooster My Love is a Wild Rose Old Jak's Up a Tree Only One Boot Only One Bucket of Water A Pocket Full of Gold Pretty Maids Dancing==Three Girls in the Meadow Rhea's Fling==Jolly Jaim==Colors of the Sun River Iralell?==Goodman Priket's Pipe Rose of the Morning She Wore a Mask That Hid Her Face The Lugard Girl?==The Dancing Lass The Dancing Lass==The Lugard Girl? The Fool Who Thought He Was a King The Song of the Three Fishes The Old Gray Goose The March of Death==The Grand Passions Cycle, Movement 4 The Grand Passions Cycle, Movement 4==The March of Death The First Rose of Summer The Wind That Shakes the Willow The Old Black Bear The Road to Dun Aran The Old Two Rivers Leaf The Tinker Has My Pots==Toss the Feathers The Wind from the North==Hard Rain Falling==Berin's Retreat The Drunken Peddler==Tinker in the Kitchen Three Girls in the Meadow==Pretty Maids Dancing Tinker in the Kitchen==The Drunken Peddler Toss the Feathers==The Tinker Has My Pots Two Horses Running=Two Kings Came Hunting Two Kings Came Hunting==Two Horses Running Wash the Spears? We're Over the Border Again What He Said to Me==Will You Dance With Me Wild Geese on the Wing Will You Dance With Me==What He Said to Me Key: ==:These songs have the same tune, but different lyrics and or names in different areas. ?: No title is actually given; the title is inferred from the lyrics 1.53..............WHAT'S WITH MAT DYING AND LIVING AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN Habit, I suppose. Is he still linked to the horn? John Novak adds: Firstly, in Tear, <TSR: 15, 253, Into the Doorway> "Abruptly, a dozen yellow-clad men were around Mat, seeming to appear out of the air, trying to pull him toward the door. He fought with fists, elbows, knees. 'What fate? Burn your hearts, what fate?' It was the room itself that pealed, the walls and floor quivering, nearly taking Mat and his attackers off their feet. "The three were on their feet atop the pedestals, and he could not tell which shrieked which answer. "'To marry the Daughter of the Nine Moons!' "'To die, and live again, and live once more a part of what was!' "'To give up half the light of the world to save the world!' Secondly, in Rhuidean, <TSR: 26, 437-8, The Dedicated> "Letting sword and Power go, he ripped the rope away from Mat's neck and pressed an ear to his friend's chest. Nothing. Desperately, he tore open Mat's coat and shirt, breaking the leather cord that help a silver medallion on Mat's chest. He tossed the medallion aside, listened again. Nothing. No heartbeat. Dead. No! He'd be all right if I hadn't let him follow me here. I can't let him be dead! "As hard as he could he pounded his fist against Mat's chest, listened. Nothing. Again he hammered, listened. Yes. There. A faint heartbeat. It was. So faint, so slow. And slowing. But Mat was still alive despite the heavy purple welt around his neck. He might yet be kept alive. "Filling his lungs, Rand scrambled around to breathe into Mat's mouth as strongly as he could. Again. Again..." If that wasn't a performance of CPR and mouth to mouth on a dead man, I don't know what it is. (Although in mouth to mouth, aren't you supposed to suck the CO2 out and let the lung and diaphragm use the resultant low pressure zone to automatically reinflate the lungs with fresh air? Still, a quibble.) He had no heartbeat! He wasn't breathing! We was clinically dead. On that evidence, I really don't see how anyone can doubt, at the very least, that Mat actually died. I do grant that we can disagree and quibble over the binding of the Horn, but that's a different matter. And on that note, Judy is correct-- the phrasing that the Amyrlin used at any rate was "So long as you live." I just wonder if anyone ever actually linked themselves to the Horn before, then died and then came back to life. In other words, is their knowledge absolute in this matter, or is this just a turn of a phrase? 1.54............................................WHAT ARE THOSE CHAPTER ICONS? 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. Dice (FIVE): Mat "(Note the five sixes..Yahtzee!!)" -- Joe Shaw Dragon's Fang: Darkfriends or Rand Dragon, Heron Blade: Rand "Is it just me, or does this 'dragon' look like a jolly, happy-go-lucky salamander?" -- Joe Shaw Female sihouettes (One Black, One White): Black Ajah White Flame: Aes Sedai Wolves: Perrin Dream Ring: Tel'aran'rhiod Sunburst: Whitecloaks Leaves/A Leaf: Ogier, Loial, Waygates, Nynaeve, Wise Women, Tinks Portal Stone: Portal Stone Harp: Thom Lion on hindlegs: Andor or Elayne. Horned skull, trident and a paw: Trollocs Serpent: Aes Sedai, Wheel of Time, Ta'veren Horned helmet: Seanchan Dagger: Earlier books: Mat's dagger; Later: Padan Fain A scroll: Prophecy Horn: The Horn of Valere Ravens: Darkfriends Rising Sun: Cairhien Gnarled, Withered Tree: The Blight Bull: Gareth Byrne Elephant: Valen Luca's traveling menagerie Full Aes Sedai symbol of old: Rand, the Dragon Reborn--"under this sign will he conquer" 1.55.............................................THOUGHT AND MEMORY TAKE TWO Just another thought while re-reading. Our favorite heros all seem to have unusual memories available to them. Meaning : 1. Rand has memories of the past through the experience at Rhuidean, plus LTT lurking inside his head. 2. Mat has memories of the past through the past lives he has had, which he can now remember. 3. Perrin has the memories of the wolves. In TEotW, Elyas tells him that wolves remember from the first wolf on, so I think that means that wolves have the memories of all wolves ever. So conceivably, Perrin would have access to these memories. 1.56.............................................WHAT DID OGIER DO OF OLD? Windsor Williams reports: Basically, I'm wondering about the role of the Ogier in pre-Breaking society. From what we know in general, the stedding did exist during the period, but the Ogier were not bound to them by the Longing as they are at the time of the series. So it seems reasonable to assume that they were fairly common everywhere, although most common in and around the stedding. We know they were involved with the seed singing (as per the "through the eyes of Coumin" scene <TSR: 26, 432-3, The Dedicated>), but what other roles did they have? Some clues exist: Ogier soldiers - also from the Coumin sequence, right at the beginning <TSR: 26, 431, The Dedicated, 302> "He could see the next field, lined the same way, beyond the soldiers with their shocklances sitting atop armored jo-cars. A hoverfly buzzed overhead in its patrol, a deadly black metal wasp containing two men. He was sixteen, and the women had decided his voice was finally deep enough to join in the seed singing." "The soldiers fascinated him, men and Ogier, the way a colorful poisonous snake might. They _killed_." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The "men and Ogier" phrase seems to imply that there were Ogier soldiers as well as humans. (At least, it does to me.) Ogier as police or enforcers - again, from the Coumin sequence <TSR, 26, 434, The Dedicated, 304> "Abruptly something struck Coumin in the mouth and his legs buckled; he was pushing himself to his knees before he realized he was down. A hand put to his mouth came away bloody. He looked up to find an angry-faced townsman standing over him, nursing a fist. 'Why did you do that?' he asked. "The townsman spat at him. "The Forsaken are dead. Dead, do you hear? Lanfear will not protect you anymore. We will root out all of you who served the Forsaken while pretending to be on our side, and treat the lot of you as we treated that crazy old man. "A woman was tugging at the man's arm. 'Come away, Toma. Come away, and hold your foolish tongue! Do you want the Ogier to come for you?' Suddenly wary, the man let her pull him away into the crowd." "Do you want the Ogier to come for you?" and the man's response argue that the Ogier were enforcers of peace/police of some sort, and effective ones as well. I'm guessing that they would come for him for the killing of Charn ("that crazy old man"), but maybe it's his statements, instead? I hadn't thought of Ogier in terms of soldiers or police before, but these passages caught my eye while re-reading the series. We've been told at one point or another that old tales refer to Ogier as bad opponents, who rarely get angry but are very dangerous when they do. (I can't recall the exact place...something about Perrin and some line about Ogier and mountains. Anyone else recall where this is?) We've seen Loial play an important role a couple of times already (knowing the Ways, closing the Waygate in the Two Rivers), but I'm starting to think we may see quite a bit more of the Ogier before the series ends. ****************************** ==============================TRIVIAL PURSUITS================================ Jordan says: "There are elements from Norse, Chinese, Japanese, and American Indian mythologies, to name just a few. I think it adds resonance to the story, although I've taken great care not to follow the older material in any slavish way. Occasionally, I will add in details here or there, and then discover that I have done something that is absolutely authentic to the myth I was working from." <From Waldenbooks 'zine _Hailing Frequencies, issue #4, courtesy of Edmund Wong> ............................. ARTHUR & THE HOLY GRAIL : 3.0 ............................. * MOIRAINE = MORGAINE/MORGAN DE FAY * MORGASE = MORGAUSE * TIGRAINE = YGRAINNE * EGWENE = GUINEVERE * ARTUR = ARTHUR * CALLANDOR = SWORD IN STONE * GALAD = GALAHAD _or_ MORDRED * GAWYN = GAWAIN * GREEN MAN = GREEN KNIGHT or GREEN MAN (worshiped by Celts) * SA'ANGREAL = HOLY BLOOD and HOLY GRAIL * WOUND IN SIDE = FISHER KING (via BIBLE) * NYNAEVE = NYVIAN/VIVIAN/NEMESIS OF MERLIN * PERRIN = PARCIVAL * MERRILIN = MERLIN * LAN = LANCELOT * DAMODRED = MORDRED * ELAYNE = ?ELAINE? (Lancelot's Wife) * TAR VALON = AVALON * LUTHAIR PAENDRAG = UTHER PENDRAGON (Now Artur's son vs. his Father) * SA'ANGREAL = SAN GREAL, Holy Grail or SANG REAL Holy Blood * Tar Valon = Avalon Min's vision of Rand's funeral bier: in the Arthur legend (or at least the version I've read) Arthur is severely wounded and on his deathbed and Bedivere witnesses his being taken away on a funeral boat and ferried to Avalon to await the time when he is needed again. the only others on the ship are three women: 1)Arthur's half-sister Morgan Le Fay (the sorceress) 2)The Queen of North Galys 3) The Queen of the Waste Land. It is doubtful that RJ means for Rand's women to mirror Arthur exactly. It is probable that the women will be Elayne, Min, and Aviendha. And, of course, the fabulous Sword in the Stone .................... TROLLOC TRIBES : 3.1 .................... <TEotW: Glossary, 798, entry "Trollocs", 668> Ahf'frait=Afrits, Bhan'sheen=Banshees, Dha'vol=Devils, Dhai'mon=Demons, Dhjin'nen=Djinns, Ghar'ghael=Gargoyles, Ghob'hlin=Goblins, Gho'hlem=Golems, Ghraem'lan=Gremlins, Ko'bal=Kobolds, Kno-gmon=Gnomes Al'ghol=Ghouls. .................. FUTURE EARTH : 3.2 .................. Survey says: Is Jordan's world under the Wheel our future earth? Yes: 24, No: 09, Maybe: 01 <TEotW: 4, 51, The Gleeman, 43> John Glenn: "Tell us about Lenn," Egwene called. "How he flew to the moon in the belly of an eagle made of fire. Tell about his daughter Salya walking among the stars." (Eagle has landed.../Lenn may be a merger of LEM (lunar module) and Glenn) Salya: Salyut (Russian for star) OR Sally Ride Moscow, ICBMS: Mosk the Giant, with his Lance of Fire that could reach around the world. America: Merk the other giant. Queen Elizabeth: Alsbet, queen of all. (Remains of British Empire/Commonwealth?) Mother Theresa: Materese the Healer, Mother of the Wondrous Ind Anne Landers: Anla, the wise counselor <TSR: 24, 396, Rhuidean> Gautama Buddha: Ghoetam under the tree of life <TSR: 11, 209, What Lies Hidden, 146-7> In Tanchico Museum at the Panarch's Palace: 1. Stylized Three-Pointed Triangle (reeking of greed & pride) Mercedes Benz logo OR (dissenting opinion) Star Trek Logo 2. Skeletons of Giraffe and Elephant <TGH: 49, 678, What Was Meant To Be> Loial is reading 'To Sail Beyond the Sunset' <TGH: 47, 660, The Grave Is No Bar to My Call> "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.... .......................... CHRISTIAN PARALLELS : 3.3 .......................... (Compare) the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve clans of the Aiel. In fact, Jordan mentions that there is (maybe) a thirteenth clan. This clan is credited with building Rhuidean -- the holy place (temple if you will) of the Aiel. The Israelites also had a people charged with taking care of the Ark of the Covenant as well as the religious ceremonies within the temple (especially within the Holy of Holies) and those people were the Levites. A tribe not counted among the twelve, so in effect a thirteenth tribe also. <??? contributor needed> Rebirth/Reborn notion of the Savior. (Although this savior is going to do major damage before defeating the evil one). The blood of the lamb versus Rand's blood on the rocks of Shayol Ghul.Wound in the side a la the Cross. Sea Folk saying Aes Sedai would wash Dragon's feet with their hair Masema = Saul/Paul: Anti-Rand to rabidly pro-Rand. Seven Seals = Seven Seals of Solomon? (revelation) "Peace be on you always," Elyas replied, "and on all the People." He hesitated, then added, "I will find the song, or another will find the song, but the song will be sung, this year or in a year to come. As it once was so shall it be again, world without end."..."Peace be on you," Elyas said. "And on you," Raen said sadly. <TEotW: 27, 412, Shelter from the Storm, 346> The former reminds me of the Catholic (maybe Christian in general - I'm not sure) prayer called the Glory Be. It goes: "Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen." The latter quotes are reminiscent of the closing of a Catholic Mass, where the priest pronounces "Peace be with you" and the people respond "And also with you."<J.Vessey> At Easter mass this past spring, I saw an adult baptized for the first time in the Catholic faith. They get the person to kneel, pour water over their head, and say something like "Now you are sealed". I don't recall the exact words, but "sealed" was in it for sure and I recall thinking Jordan must be Catholic. Sounds a lot like becoming Accepted to me.<Judy G.> In <TGH: 26, 387, Discord> we have the prophecy: "twice dawns the day when his blood is shed. once for mourning, once for rebirth." This is very similar to the darkening of the sun when Christ is crucified: from <Luke 23, verse 44-5>: "And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst."<pam korda> <zach simpson> Matthew 10:34-36 (TEV) Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the world. No I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. I came to set sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers......a man's worst enemies will be the members of his own family. Bears some resemblance to the prophecy at the beginning of TDR. '...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.' <TDR: Header prophesy, ix> I think there's another piece of prophecy that's much closer in actual wording, but I couldn't find it right offhand. .................... RANDOM NAMES : 3.4 .................... [Thanks especially to D.J.K-H] Ba'alzamon = Ba'al or Baelzebub Sammael = Member of Lucifer's host of rebel angels Graendal = Grendal from Beowulf Rahvin = Raven harbinger of evil (Native American Loki figure?) Lanfear = French l'enfer--name for hell. Shai... . = (well you KNOW who this is) : Satan [Will Baird notes:Shai...is the Muslim name for Satan literally.] Be'lal = Belial, Biblical demon, Old Testament Asmodean = Asmodeous, Biblical demon, Old Testament Tarmon Gai'don = Armageddon, Book of Apocalypse Paaren Disen = Paradise, Biblical Genesis Wild Hunt = Wild Hunt, of Christian or Celtic legend Bel Tine = Beltane, a Druidic holiday Shayol Ghul = Sheol, Hebrew for hell; Ghul->Gol or Gul, Arabic for Demon. Semirhage = Legendary Assyrian queen Semiramis, noted for her depravity (see Herodotus) [thanks Tony Z!] LTT/Lord of The Morning = Lucifer--the morning star Myrddraal = ?Murder All? Lothair Mantelar = (Founder of Children of Light)= ?MARTIN LUTHER? Aginor = "Recently, a friend of mine had to read the _Iliad_. (Homer's story of the Trojan War) In Book 21, a character named Agenor attacks Hektor, and is defeated. Not much is said about him (Agenor) other than that he is "blameless and powerful", and knew that Hektor was stronger than he was. He attacked anyway, figuring that while Hektor was much more combat-capable, Agenor had the gods on his side, not to mention the fact that even the powerful make mistakes. In a few minutes, Hektor defeats Agenor, and Apollo surrounds the loser "in a thick mist", and transports him back to Troy. Some interesting parallels between this an TEotW's final battle: Both Aginors knew that his opponent was more powerful Both were full of pride Both attacked anyway." Mike O'Malley Birgitte = Brigit, Celtic goddess of fire and something else... .................... DRAGON LEGENDS : 3.5 .................... <Randy Cerveny> Taken from Man, Myth and Magic (volume 5, pages 693-4): "The most striking of these is that the dragon in China is not, as in the West, a representative or symbol of the powers of evil. On the contrary, according to the old Chinese Book of Rites, the dragon as the chief of all scaly animals is one of the four benevolent spiritual animals. This reflects the general principle stated by Jung that 'every psychological extreme secretly contains its own opposite,' which is expressed in Chinese thought through the classical doctrine of Yang and Tin. That this principle underlies the dragon's transformation into a beneficent being is confirmed by Wang Fu's statement that the dragon's scales number 117, of which 81 are imbued with Yang and 36 with Yin, because the dragon is partly a preserver and partly a destroyer. Yang is also the male element and, as its representative, the dragon also became at an early period a symbol of the Emperor, and appeared on the Chinese flag. During the Manchu dynasty, the dragon was held in especial esteem, and everything used by the Emperor was described in terms of it: there was the dragon throne, dragon bed and so on. "Although Chinese dragons appeared at favorable moments to presage periods of prosperity, and had been known to emit foam which had supernatural powers of fertilization, they could also, when offended or disturbed, cause a drought by gathering up all the water of a district in baskets, or they could eclipse the sun. To propitiate them, the Chinese flew dragon kites, especially at the mumming parade in the New Year." ...................... NORSE MYTHOLOGY : 3.6 ...................... <Greg Wheatley, Chad Orzel, Jonathan Vessey, Erica Sadun, Pam Korda> 1) MAT & ODIN: Has anybody failed to notice that Mat is being set up as Odin, complete with wide brimmed hat, a spear with ravens drawn on it which are named "Thought" and "Memory", coincidentally enough the names of Odin's ravens and will in the future almost certainly lose an eye? Also, it seems to me there was a Norse myth involving Odin agreeing to be hung from Yggsdril (or some other unpronounceable Norse thing like that) in order to gain wisdom or power or both (he really went in for this self-sacrifice thing...)- a definite parallel to Mat being hung from the Tree o' Life in Rhuidean. 2) MIDGARD SERPENT: wound around the roots of above tree, often envisioned as a symbol of eternity--a large serpent swallowing its own tail. Sound like any famous Aes Sedai jewelery we know? 3) HEIMDALL'S HORN: Heimdall's job was to guard the Rainbow bridge into Asgard against the Giants. During the Last Battle (Ragnarok), he was to blow the horn to signal the arrayed gods and _dead heroes_ that it was time to fight. cf. Horn of Valere. Granted, there are differences - the Heroes are bound to the Horn and not to a specific cause, and they live in T'A'R rather than the afterlife as such (where they'd fight all day, cutting each other to pieces, then get healed at day's end. Always got a kick out of that - sounds like a real heavenly afterlife to me), but the concept of dead heroes waiting around for the final battle stays the same. 4) BAD GUY UNDER THE MOUNTAIN: Here is the origin of the archtypal Evil Dude Imprisoned in a Mountain. Loki, the Norse "Evil God," was chained up in a cave after he killed the god Baldur. The legend was that he would escape or be freed just before Ragnarok. 5) PERRIN = THOR??? Is it just coincidence that Perrin is impressively muscled and has a big hammer, just like a certain Norse god of thunder? 6) MISSING HAND: If Rand is going to lose a hand, then we have the following. Losing a hand correspond to Tew/Chew. Tew's arm was snarfled off by the monstrous wolf Fenri (Perrin?) whom he attempted to chain. Tew turns out to be the god of strife and that is what Rand is bringing into the world. ......................... MISC ADDITIONAL REFS: 3.8 ......................... Birgitte: Maerion: Maid Marion Mathena: Athena/Artemis Zheres: Teirasias? Orion? Actually, it was the goddess Artemis who turned the hunter into a stag so he would be killed by his dogs, after he saw her bathing. Athena was also surprised by Teiresias while bathing, but she blinded him and gave him the gift of second sight in return. 4.0========================================================================== T I M E - L I N E ============================================================================= Day 1: Mierin Sedai and Beidomon make a big mistake at Sharom. Charn Aiel is 25 years old. Highly technological society. Ending of the Age of Legends. About Year 80: Charn is murdered, his great grandson Coumin is about 16. The Nym are still around and most technology, but war is established way of life. The Trollocs and Halfmen have been introduced to the world at large. Apparently, Mierin has been protecting the family of her former servant. Lews Therin, seen as a great leader, leads the Companions on a strike at Shayol Ghul. The bore is sealed with "most of the Forsaken" on the other side. <TSR: 26, 433, The Dedicated, 304> About Year 150: Jonai, son of Coumin, is age 63. The world is in chaos. Technology is failing. Lews Therin has gone mad, created Kinslayer's dagger. The Aes Sedai have his sword and banner. Jonai is given the task of taking all the Ter'angreal away from possible Aes Sedai abuse. The Da'shain Aiel get all the many thousands of wagons together and start out on their journeying. They take cuttings of the Chora trees. Jonai has children Willim (15), Adan(10), and Esole (maybe 5) and wife Alnora. The wagons head out of Paaren Disen. The Aes Sedai task the last Nym (the green man) with hiding the horn and the banner of the dragon. The sword is to be dealt with elsewise. The island of Tar Valon is created at the same time as Kinslayer's dagger. About Year 160: The wagons of Jonai reach the west coast and surprise they have run out of land. The male channelers have been devastating the countryside. The land of Comelle (?land of the Seanchan?) is out at sea and instead we have Toman head. About 90% death rate over the last 10 years. We find Ogiers, bedraggled, searching for stedding. Jonai decides to turn to the south but dies and leaves the wagons in the hands of Adan, about 20. We can assume that there are still Aes Sedai with the expedition, but they too are dying rapidly. About Year 195: Adan is now a grandfather, say 65. His grandchildren include Maigran(5) and Lewin(6) and Siedre(infant, named after the Aes Sedai who sent them on the mission). His children are all dead of pretty horrible attacks and diseases and suicide. Sulwin breaks off from the Aiel and forms the Tinkers. He believes that the need to search for the song that his grandfather had told him so much about. The losses have been hard and Sulwin wants to look for something hopeful. The Tinkers leave behind their Ter'angreal looking for safety, looking for the songs. About Year 205 More years of hardship have passed. Lewin is now about 16. Adan is less and less effective influencing the youth who have grown up only with the hardship. Lewin saves his sister's life by using a spear, is forced to live separately from the main group. However, he keeps the "way of the leaf" by using only weapons which are not solely for killing. The new Aiel group will live in tents near the main wagons. About Year 255 Lewin is about 66, graying, solemn. His ?grand?son is Jeordam, eighteen years old at this time. There is a definite split between the Jenn and the new, more successfully adapted "Aiel". The Maidens are formed by Morin, trying to save her daughter. She "weds the spear" in the attempt. The shortened spear is introduced as the main Aiel weapon. Morin is a dream walker and will probably found the Wise Women as well. About Year 320 Jeordam is old, probably in his eighties. The Aiel have wandered south and east to the spine of the world. It is believed that there are still Aes Sedai with the Jenn or they have rejoined up with Aes Sedai along the way. They go to east to the three-fold land to build Rhuidean to store the Ter'angreals. They have found Ogier to build it. This is when the 'sharing of the water' occurs. Carbine will be granted trading privileges through the Aiel waste because of this early hospitality. The pledge will be made with a cutting of a Chora/Avendesora tree and Laman's sin which starts the Aiel war will be to cut it down to make a throne of it. The consequences start the prophecies of the dragon in motion although the first prophecies are not announced until about 420. About Year 335-336 Raolin Darksbane is a False Dragon About Year 420 at most. Mandein Aiel becomes the first clan chief by walking through the Ter'angreal at partly-completed Rhuidean. The Chora tree is about 18 feet tall at most. The Aiel prophesy is announced by the Aes Sedai Mordaine and Narisse. Work stops on Rhuidean. The Aes Sedai have had a vision which reshapes the purpose of the Aiel. The Jenn have basically withered away and only the Aiel are left. About Year 1000: The Trolloc wars start and last for over three hundred years. About Year 1300-1308 Yurian Stonebow is a false dragon. About 1600: Davian is a false dragon About 1939-1943: War of the Second Dragon, featuring Guaire Amalasan. Artur Hawkwing rises to prominence. About 1943-1994: Artur Hawkwing rules. About Year 2000: Empire of Hawkwing dissolves. Hundred Years war starts. About Year 2125: Hundred Years war ends. Children of Light founded. About Year 2526: Corianin Nedeal dies. About Year 2980 (or so): Moiraine and Lan are born. Malkier is lost. About Year 2990 (or so): Tam leaves two rivers to seek his fortune. About Year 2994 (or so): Travels of Jaim Farstrider published. About year 2996 (or so): Galadedrid born. About year 2997 (or so): Luc disappears into the waste. Merges with Isam. About Year 2998 (or so): Tigraine is sent away by Aes Sedai foreseer. Joins the Aiel as Shaiel (she who is dedicated). About Year 3000 (or so): Laman chops down Avendoraldera. Min is born. Succession woes in Andor. Taringail marries Morgase. About Year 3001 (or so): Gawyn is born. About Year 3002 (or so): Aiel approach the gates of Tar Valon and kill Laman. Rand is born. Mat is born. Perrin is born. About Year 3004 (or so): Egwene is born. Elayne is born. About Year 3006 (or so): Thom kills Taringail. About Year 3020 (or so): Logain is false dragon. Rand is REAL dragon. Thom kills Galldrian. Green Man dies in struggle with Balthamel. Aginor is toast. NOTE: About the Aiel: I am not sure that the first/final scene in Rand's memories (the Agreement at Rhuidean) falls as early as placed in the FAQ (around 500 or so); Mandein recalls that his greatfather defeated the "men in iron shirts" who crossed the Dragonwall. This may be a reference to Artur Hawkwing's failed attempts to conquer the Aiel. In case, by that time the Aiel have been in the Three-Fold Land for at last (least) a century (Mandein recalls names five generations back) and probably much longer, given that a lot of septs and clans show up at Rhuidean, not counting the others who didn't. Tony Zbaraschuk *********************************** ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5.0......................................................UNRESOLVED PLOT STUFF <jocelyn> Perhaps a list of all the plot threads currently being juggled would be a handy item to have in the FAQ, eh Pam? Help us keep up with things! :) okay, fine. here is a list of main plots under development, prophecies which have a direct bearing on them (for more prophecy, see the prophecy section.), certain unresolved questions, and other stuff that may occur, or may not. <from Tony Z.> I felt that the following might be interesting. It's an extraction of material from GEnie (posted with poster's permission), listing all the loose ends and so forth that still need to be tied up, ---begin extract---{edited at my discretion--pam} {"Marcus says:"} * Mat keeps trying to get away and has yet to set himself any real objective. {I think this was resolved during his little chat with Rand in TFoH--pam} And he is supposed to marry the Daughter of the Nine Moons (sounds a lot like a Seanchan linkage). * The Seanchan have so much potential (for good or bad) that they need a lot more attention than they have received. * Perrin & Faile with the Two Rivers Rebellion could (and should) lead to an alliance with Rand & Co. {& also Faile & her dad: "hey, look, daddy! I married a blacksmith!" --pam} * The White Tower in Tar Valon problem with the Salidar Aes Sedai needs to be resolved. * Masema the Prophet needs to attended to. {and the WC-Prophet war--pam} * Morgase headed to Amadicia to gather help from the White Cloaks (or so it seems to point at the end) will lead to her and Galad teaming up to try something irritating (but interesting). {or her running into Salidar and meeting up with her daughter, her ex-lover, Gareth Byrne, and all those AS; AND someone in their party getting trouble for stealing(see my theory on The Severed Hand)--p} * The wars on the west coast of the continent (I forget the countries names) [Arad Doman and Tarabon <TZ>] needs to be settled down. {Here's your Seanchan connection, well, Lady Suroth, at least--p} * There are still Shaido wandering around loose that might end up on the Dark One's side. * The Cairhienin play the Game of Houses in there sleep... so what are they going to do when Rand ain't in town? {probably the same as the Tairens: be terrified of him, and all his Aiel/Tairen forces hanging around their country. not to say some individuals won't get up to mischief...--p} * What will Berelain do when she can't catch up with Rand? How big is her army? She was headed for Cairhien, right? ---end extract--- <Jocelyn adds> * The tinkers and the way of the leaf (poss including the rebirth of the nym) {possible finding of the Song, Perrin choosing Hammer/Axe--p} * Berelain and her vow to "get" Perrin * Rand and Elayne, Min, & Aviendha * Lan and Nynaeve & Valan Luca * Egwene becoming Amyrlin (and her relationships with Galad and Gawyn) * (possibly) Cleansing the taint * Birgitte and Gaidal Cain * The rest of the heroes of the horn, the horn itself * The Sea Folk and their Coramoor * A woman using the awful big sa'angreal * Callandor, and this unknown more powerful sa'angreal (for men) {possibly may not exist--p} ---- <don't have the name, here.> * Don't forget to add Bayle Domon and Egeanin speeding off to drop the sad bracelets in the ocean. --------- <Pam Korda> * is Verin Black? * what happened to Moiraine & Lanfear in A/Eelfland? * Who killed JoaR? (sorry, couldn't resist :) * Thom & the Red Ajah (Moiraine's letter) * Padan Fain/Mordeth/Ordeith * Moghedien in Salidar (i really hope they catch her next book. i don't want to see the usual Rand/Ba'alzamon battle get replaced by Nynaeve/Moghedien) * possible re-appearance of Liandrin * Perrin & Slayer * Perrin's wolf vs. human internal conflict (possibly related to hammer/axe), and possible re-appearance of Elyas Machera * Aram, The Tinker with the Sword * The destruction of the Aiel * The rest of the Forsaken: Mesaana, Semirhage, Demandred, Graendal, Sammael ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 97.0........................WHAT IS IT WITH THOSE STUPID DARREL SWEET COVERS? <Roy Navarre (or Davis)Thomas Petersen, John Hansen, Joe Shaw, Erica Sadun, Pam Korda, etc.> Patrick Nielsen-Hayden (pnh@panix.com) wrote: : Darrell Sweet is a careful reader and an intelligent man who skillfully : paints what his clients ask him to paint; please don't blame him for the : decisions of others. Well, who can we blame for the cover fiasco, then? :) -- Geoffrey Wiseman TEotW: THE GANG HEADS OFF TO TAREN FERRY 1. Moiraine the Midget and Moiraine's Horse the Dwarf Pony (The text refers to the lad being amazed at the sight of the huge horses (plural) ridden by Lan and Moiraine--the biggest he had ever seen. 2. Moiraine's dress is supposed to be a darker blue than her cloak. 3. Lan with a Mustache and Goatee? 4. Lan in Seanchan armor? Lan isn't wearing his color-fading cloak and instead is wearing platemail. Lan should not be wearing platemail. 5. Lan with TWO swords? 6. Moiraine is really UGLY and is wearing White eyeshadow to boot - ugh! 7. Moiraine's hair is light brown--not dark. 8. All the horses are wearing ornamental bridles/saddles-what nonsense! 9. No saddle bags on any of the horses. 10.Everyone is wearing particularly STUPID clothing -- Rand with that weird Robin Hood collar, Moiraine in that awful blue cloak, Perrin's feather!?, etc. 11.Rand's face changes from the cover to the inside picture. 12.Egwene on the outside cover is blond. (Everyone except Rand from 2 rivers has dark hair, dark eyes). 13.The Draghkar is just a bat. 14.The moon is portrayed with far too many degrees of arc for the sky. 15.Thom (little itty bitty Thom) is wearing multicolored clothing but NOT a cloak! 16.Perrin's ax (see inside picture) is the wrong shape. (See the description in the first chapter: two/halfmoon-blade counterweighted). 17.Egwene's hair is wrong (should be braided), and so is Moiraine's (should be loose, not in that elaborate 'do). 18.There's an extra guy in the party! Who is that fellow way at the end? Jain Farstrider? TGH: RECAPTURING THE HORN 1. Rand (changing his face again) is way way too short and stocky. He is also wearing a really gaudy swordbelt. His hair, for some reason has gotten a lot of body (perhaps all that Clairol) and seems almost curly,and it is not red. His clothes are totally wrong, too. The sword is supposed to be curved, as is the Shadar Logoth dagger. 2. Loial's ears are not hairy, way too large and Loial himself is only about four feet tall!. His boots are just awful: what if it rains? He'd walk around with about a gallon or four of extra water in the decorative birdbaths of those boots. 3. Selene (Lanfear) is wearing one of those dopey dresses -- this one with a ton of elastic banding. Do they have elastic in the third age or is this another lost art of the Age of Legends. She is not very good looking. 4. Assuming that this is the scene where Rand steals back the horn from Fain, (a) where is the sniffer? (b) why isn't the horn in a box? (c) where is the (big enormous) box? (d) why has Loial brought some pleasure reading for fighting off Trollocs (maybe its Dickens) (e) Why are the Trollocs humans with horns on their helmets? C'mon! (f) Why are Trollocs so short, well armed and well armored? (g) Isn't it the wrong time of night to have just gotten the horn back anyway? [John Hansen adds: This can only be the scene where Rand steals back the horn. When he and Loial arrive back at their camp, Rand sends Hurin off the "outcrop" to look at the activity down below. The horn is in a large ornate gold chest that is strapped to the saddle of Loial's huge fetlocked horse. Selene reaches up and opens the chest pushing the lid up and letting it fall open. On her tip-toes she reaches into the chest and Rand quickly reaches over her shoulder and lifts the horn out of the chest. It is full night and the moonlight glimmers on the horn (which looks like it was drawn correctly). No Trollocs are anywhere near at this point. After a moment Rand returns the horn to the chest and after further discussion about the curved dagger, he puts it in as well and closes the chest. So, the scene (if accurate) should have a large horse and a gold chest in it.] TDR : RAND PULLS THE SWORD FROM THE AIR 1. Rand (hair and face changed once AGAIN) is standing in the middle of a large hallway where Callandor hangs mid-air. Isn't this just a little inconvenient? What about dusting the sword or people wandering by every now and then? Don't you think it deserves a room or a niche of its own rather than hanging in the middle of the hallway?{Actually, this is right. It is described as hanging right in the middle of the Heart.--p} 2. Perrin (straight hair now, hair too light, held back in Rambo style but muscles correct) is holding yet ANOTHER ax -- this a little more correct. Mat in really sissy clothing and wrong hair is looking on as well. Pardon me, but weren't these guys doing something else when Rand was picking up the sword? Weren't Be'lal, Moiraine and Ba'alzamon on hand for the Young-Arthur imitation? 3. The Aiel here look pretty classy, but the buckler in the book is strictly leather and not this copper stuff. Also, this Aiel has black hair! C'mon: Perrin with light hair, Aiel with black hair and dark complexion? 4. On the very side of the book is a picture of I suppose Ba'alzamon. Boy is he ugly or what? And wearing that Blue and Purple hat? I wonder what he had to do to pick out something that matched his glowing teeth so well. Why would anyone's teeth glow? Too much fluoride? TSR : BREAKFAST AT RHUIDEAN 1. Rand's now wearing Perrin's headband and has tied his jacket to his shoulder. Boy that must be uncomfortable! And must keep those orthopedic and reconstructive surgeons real busy. He is again really way too short. 2. Mat has picked up archery again along with a different face. Archery? 3. The peddlers seem to have stolen a tinker wagon. 4. Who's the ugly babe making dinner? Aviendha? Wrong hair. Who else would wear a dress? A blue dress? NO! SAY IT ISN'T MOIRAINE!?!!!! Cooking dinner for the Boys?! Sheesh. (It could be Isendre but she is way way way too ugly for that). Anyway, she looks like a monkey. 5. Who's that leather guy on the left of the wagon? Where did all that leather come from out there in the desert? And check out the toy Trolloc that someone has stuck in the rocks above Rand's right hand shoulder. TFOH: FUN IN THE SUN AT CAEMLYN Erica S: Well look at TSR. Mat & Rand seem to have switched roles again. At least Aviendha does look pretty pretty but her hair is way way too long. What's the DEAL with the foxhead. Only one eye please and about the size of the palm of the hand. Worn against the skin too so we're not seeing it. Rand is way too short and he's been at the Prell or VO5 again... Mat does NOT have red or reddish hair. EVERYONE (except Rand) from 2-rivers has dark eyes, dark hair. Why are tricksters always supposed to have red hair? Does Mr.Sweet ever read a book? Pam K: Of course the cover art is truly awful; although Mr. Sweet finally got the coats right(ish). Rhuidean doesn't look TOO bad; and the Trollocs actually look beast-ish, as opposed to men-with-horns-on-their-helmets (TGH). but, all the people look goofy, esp. Matt w/ his Clint Eastwood hat. Ah well, I suppose I can take the paper bit off. Back to reading! Jenny Foss: What is that hat Mat is wearing? He looks like Crocodile Dundee. "That's not a spear! THIS is a spear!" Tony : This whole cover art thing has been bothering me since I first layed eyes on the cover of TEotW. Darrell K. Sweet had always been my favorite cover artist! He's done covers for the Lord ot Rings (2 different editions, both which I liked), 2 editions of Thomas Covenant series (all 6), she second of which I thought were incredible; he's done all of Terry Brooks' stuff (i think--most of it anyway). My point is, what's with him? I can hardly tell it's by the same guy! Does anyone know anything about him, and why his work is degenerating so? 7.0================================================READERS GUIDE TO PROPHECY 7.1..........................................................EGWENE'S DREAMS <TDR: 25, 290, Questions, 233-4> She had dreamed of Seanchan, too, of women in dresses with lightning bolts woven on their breasts, collaring a long line of women who wore Great Serpent rings, forcing them to call lightning against the White Tower.(NO) That had started her awake in a cold sweat, but that had to be just a nightmare, too. And the dream about Whitecloaks binding her father's hands.(NO) <TDR: 25, 290, Questions, 234> There had been a dream of Rand, reaching for a sword that seemed to be made of crystal, never seeing the fine net dropping over him.(YES) And one of him kneeling in a chamber where a parched wind blew dust across the floor, and creatures like the one on the Dragon banner, but much smaller, floated on the wind, and settled into his skin.(YES) There had been a dream of him walking down into a great hole in a black mountain, a hole filled with a reddish glare as from vast fires below,(NO) and even a dream of him confronting Seanchan.(NO) <TDR: 25, 290-1, Questions, 234> Perrin with a falcon on his shoulder, and Perrin with a hawk. Only the hawk held a leash in her talons--Egwene was somehow convinced both the hawk and falcon were female--and the hawk was trying to fasten it around Perrin's neck.(YES, but maybe more to come) That made her shiver even now; she did not like dreams about leashes. And that dream of Perrin--with a beard!--leading a huge pack of wolves that stretched as far as the eye could see.(???) Those about Mat had been even nastier. Mat, placing his own left eye on a balance scale.(NO) Mat, hanging by his neck from a tree limb.(YES) There had been a dream of Mat and Seanchan too but she was willing to dismiss that as a nightmare.(NO) It had to have been just a nightmare. Just like the one about Mat speaking the Old Tongue.(YES) That had to come from what she had heard during his Healing. <TDR: 37, 423, Fires in Cairhien, 352-3> She had dreamed of Perrin with a wolf, and with a falcon, and a hawk -- and the hawk and falcon fighting(YES) -- of Perrin running from someone deadly,(SLAYER?) and Perrin stepping willingly over the edge of a towering cliff while saying, 'It must be done. I must learn to fly before I reach the bottom.'(???) There had been one dream of an Aiel and she thought that had to do with Perrin too, but she was not sure.(YES) And a dream of Min, springing a steel trap but somehow walking through it without so much as seeing it.(??? the Tower Coup?) ... Mat with dice spinning 'round him ...(???) Mat being followed by a man who was not there ... or maybe more than one, but in some way there was no one there ...(YES) Mat riding desperately toward something unseen in the distance that he had to reach(YES), and Mat with a woman who seemed to be tossing fireworks about(YES). An Illuminator, she assumed, but that made no more sense than anything else. Men and women breaking out of a cage, then putting on crowns.(YES) A woman playing with puppets, and another dream where the strings on puppets led to the hands of larger puppets, and their strings led to still greater puppets, on and on until the last strings vanished into unimaginable heights.(???) Kings dying, queens weeping, battles raging. Whitecloaks ravaging the Two Rivers(YES). She had even dreamed of the Seanchan again. <TDR: 48, 553, Following the Craft, 468-9> Perrin with a falcon on his shoulder(YES), choosing between ax and hammer(NO); A Whitecloak putting Master Luhhan in the middle of a huge, toothed trap for bait(YES); Mat dicing with the Dark One(YES), shouting "I am coming!" at her(YES); Rand sneaking through utter darkness toward Callandor, while all around him six men and five women walked, some hunting him and some ignoring him, some trying to guide him toward the shining crystal sword and some trying to stop him from reaching it, appearing not to know where he was, or only to see him in flashes(YES). One of the men had eyes of flame, and he wanted Rand dead with a desperation she could nearly taste; Rand in that dry, dusty chamber again, with those small creatures settling into his skin.(YES) <TDR: 48, 553, Following the Craft, 468-9> Rand confronting a horde of Seanchan.(NO) Rand confronting her, and the women with her, and one of *them* was a Seanchan.(NO) <TSR: 11, 207, What Lies Hidden, 145> Rand as tall as a mountain, walking through cities, crushing buildings beneath his feet, with screaming people like ants fleeing from him.(???) Rand in chains, and it was he who was screaming.(NO) Rand building a wall with him on one side and her on the other, her and Elayne and others she could not make out. "It has to be done," he was saying as he piled up stones. "I'll not let you stop me now."(NO) ... Aiel fighting each other, killing each other, even throwing away their weapons and running as if they had gone mad(YES). Mat wrestling with a Seanchan woman who tied an invisible leash to him(NO). A wolf - [Perrin] - fighting a man whose face kept changing(YES). Galad wrapping himself in white as though putting on his own shroud(YES, but more to come), and Gawyn with eyes full of pain and hatred.(???) Her mother weeping. <TFoH: 15, What Can Be Learned in Dreams, 214> Rand sitting down in a chair, and somehow she knew that the chair's owner would be murderously angry at having here chair taken (???) ... Perrin, lounging with Faile on his lap, kissing her while she played with the short-cut beard that he wore in the dream. Behind them tow banners waved, a red wolf's head and a crimson eagle. A man in a bright yellow coat stood near to Perrin's shoulder, a sword strapped to his back; in some way she knew that he was a tinker, though no tinker would ever touch a sword. And every bit of it except the beard seemed important. The banners, Faile kissing Perrin, even the tinker. Every time he moved closer to Perrin it was if a chill of doom shot through everything. (NO) ... Mat throwing dice with blood streaming down his face, the wide brim of his hat pulled down low so she could not see his would, while Thom Merrilin put his hand into a fire to draw out the small blue stone that now dangled on Moiraine's forehead. (NO) Or a dream of a storm, great dark clouds rolling without wind or rain while forked lightning bolts, every one identical, rent the earth. (??? - similar to Fain's desc. of SG?) 7.2...........................................................MIN'S VIEWINGS <TEotW: 15, 215-6, Strangers and Friends, 181> *LAN: Seven ruined Towers/A babe in a cradle holding a sword(YES) *THOM: A man--not him--juggling fire/The White Tower(??? either of these could refer to his nephew Owyn) *PERRIN: A wolf(YES)/A broken crown(NO)/Trees flowering around him(???)/ An Aielman in a cage(YES)/A Tuatha'an with a sword(YES)/ A falcon and a hawk, perching on his shoulders, both female.(YES) A darkness swirling around him.(???) *MAT: A red eagle(YES)/A eye on a balance scale(NO)/A dagger with a ruby(YES)/ A horn(YES)/ A laughing face(NO) *RAND A sword that isn't a sword (YES), A golden crown of laurel leaves (NO), A beggars staff (NO), Him pouring water on sand(YES) Three woman standing over a funeral bier with him on it:(NO) A bloody hand and a white hot iron(NO) Black rock wet with blood:(NO) <TGH: 24, 362, New Friends and Old Enemies> <TGH: 43, 605, A Plan> *ELAYNE The Rose Crown of Andor(YES), A severed hand, not hers(NO), A red-hot iron and an ax.(NO) <TGH: 43, 605, A Plan> *NYNAEVE: Man's ring of heavy gold.(YES) <TGH: 24, 362, New Friends and Old Enemies> *EGWENE A white flame(NOT YET) [Survey says: Will Egwene be next Amyrlin? Yes:30, No:04] <TSR: 17, 284, Deceptions, 198> *LOGAIN A halo of gold and blue, signifying glory to come.(NO) [Survey says: Will Logain get the Power back? Yes:21, No:11, Maybe:02 Will Logain pull the Sword from the Stone? Yes:25, No:07, Maybe:02 Will Logain turn out to be good or bad? For Rand: 34, Against Rand: 00] <TSR: 1, 25, Seeds of Shadow, 21> <TSR: 47, 786-7, The Truth of a Viewing, 544> *GAWYN A heron marked sword, his or threatening(NO)/ His banner with a field of green rather than white(NO)/ Either breaking Egwene's neck or kneeling to her(NO) RANDOM AES SEDAI IN WHITE TOWER <TSR, 1, 18-21, Seeds of Shadow, 16-23> A silver collar, similar to, or actually, a damane's.(NO) [also lots of death and suffering/bones etc.] <TFoH: 26, Sallie Daera, 317> SHERIAM: "Rays of silver and blue flashed about her fiery hair, and a soft golden light; Min could not say what it meant."(NO) <TFoH: 26, Sallie Daera, 320> *EDESINA: "[...] a silvery collar suddenly appeared, snug around the woman's neck, and as suddenly seemed to shatter. Min shivered. She did not like viewings connected to the Seanchan. At least Edesina would escape somehow."(NO) <TFoH: 28, Trapped, 343> *SS/Gareth Bryne: " When Bryne came in, I had a viewing. An aura, and a bull ripping roses from around its neck(YES), and ... None of it matters except the aura. I didn't even really understand that, but more than anything else.' 'How much did you understand?' 'If you want to stay alive, you had better stay close to him.' Despite the heat, Min shivered. She had only ever had one other viewing with an 'if' in it, and both had been potentially deadly. It was bad enough sometimes knowing what would happen; if she started knowing what might ... 'All I know is this. If he stays close to you, you live. If he gets too far away, for too long, you are going to die. Both of you. I don't know why I should have seen anything about you in his aura, but you seemed like part of it.'"(NO) <TFoH: 50, To Teach and Learn, 592> *FAOLAIN: "'A nasty woman,' Min murmured, squinting after Faolain as she hurried the other across the common room. 'You'd think, if there was any justice, she would have an unpleasant future ahead of her.'"(NO) <TFoH: 50, To Teach, and Learn, 598-9> *Morigan, Nicola, and Areina "Those three you brought with are trouble, and that is a viewing" "I only caught glimpses of aura, and just out of the corner of my eye. Never when I was looking right at them, where I might have made something out."(NO) <TFoH: 50, To Teach, and Learn, 598-9> *RAND,ELAYNE, MIN, AVIENDHA: Elayne leaped off the cliff. "Min, you had a viewing about Rand and me, didn't you?" [...] "Yes." It was a wary word. "You saw that we were going to fall in love." "Not exactly. I saw you'd fall in love with him. I don't know what he feels for you, only that he's tied to you some way." [...] " Ana you saw there would be someone else. Someone I'd have to ... share ... him with." "Two, " Min said hoarsely. "And .... And I'm one." [...] "Who is the third?" "I don't know," Min mumbled. "Only that she has a temper. Not Nynaeve."(YES) 7.3.......................................................VARIOUS PROPHECIES <TEotW: prologue, xv, Dragonmount, xv> "O Light of the Heavens, Light of the World, let the Promised One be born of the mountain(YES), according to the prophecies, as he was in ages past and will be in ages to come. Let the Prince of the Morning sing to the land that green things will grow and the valleys give forth lambs. Let the arm of the Lord of the Dawn shelter us from the Dark, and the great sword of justice defend us. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time."(NO) The prophecy for the Horn of Valere: <TEotW: 26, 389, Whitebridge, 327> In the last, lorn fight 'gainst the fall of long night, the mountains stand guard, and the dead shall be ward, for the grave is no bar to my call.(NO) <TGH: 26, 387, Discord> <TSR: 9, 180, Decisions> Twice and twice shall he be marked,YES) twice to live, and twice to die,(???) Once the heron to set his path. (YES) Twice the heron, to name him true.(YES) Once the Dragon for remembrance lost.(YES) Twice the Dragon for the price he must pay .(???) <TGH: 26, 387, Discord> Twice dawns the day when his blood is shed. Once for mourning, once for birth. Red on black, the Dragon's blood stains the rock of Shayol Ghul. In the Pit of Doom shall his blood free men from the Shadow.(NO) [Survey says: Will there be an eclipse when Rand spills his blood? Yes:20 No:14] <TDR: Header Prophesy, ix> And his paths shall be many, and who shall know his name, for he shall be born among us many times, in many guises, as he has been and ever will be, time without end. His coming shall be like the sharp edge of the plow, turning our lives in furrows from out of the places where we lie in our silence. The breaker of bonds; the forger of chains. The maker of futures; the unshaper of destiny. <TDR: Trailer Prophesy, 675, 578> And it was written that no hand but his should wield the Sword held in the Stone, but he did draw it out, like fire in his hand, and his glory did burn the world. Thus did it begin. Thus do we sing his Rebirth. Thus do we sing the beginning.(YES) <TSR: 3, 99, Reflection, 71> His blood on the rocks of Shayol Ghul, washing away the Shadow, sacrifice for man's salvation.(NO) <TSR: 6, 131, 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, (YES) from the city, lost and forsaken, leads the spears to war once more,(YES) breaks the spears and makes them see, truth long hidden in the ancient dream.(YES) <TSR: 15, 253, Into the Doorway, 177> ANSWERS TO MAT'S QUESTIONS: [What fate?] To marry the Daughter of the Nine moons(NO)/To die and live again, and live once more a part of what was(YES)/To give up half the light of the world to save the world.(NO) _Coramoor_ (Jendai Prophecy): <TSR: 19, 315-6, The Wavedancer, 220-1> He can wield the One Power ... and he holds the Sword That Cannot Be Touched. The Aiel have come over the Dragonwall to his call. ... The Stone of Tear has fallen, and war breaks over the nations of the land. Those who once ruled have returned, and been driven back for the first time. ... The White Tower shall be broken by his name(YES), and Aes Sedai shall kneel to wash his feet and dry them with their hair. (NO) <TSR: 21, 349, Into the Heart, 244> Into the heart he thrusts his sword, into the heart, to hold their hearts.(YES) Who draws it out shall follow after, What hand can grasp that fearful blade?(NO) >From Rhuidean: <TSR: 25, 408, The Road to the Spear, 285-6> The stone that never falls will fall to announce his coming.(YES) Of the blood, but not raised by the blood, he will come from Rhuidean at dawn(YES), and tie you together with bonds you cannot break(I GUESS SO...). He will take you back(YES), and he will destroy you(NOT YET). <TSR: 24, 402, Rhuidean, 281-2> MAT'S WISHES: Holes in memory restored/a way to be free of Aes Sedai and the Power/Away and back to Rhuidean(YES to all) 7.4.........................................................THE DARK PROPHECY <TGH: 7, 105-6, Blood Calls Blood> Daughter of the Night, she walks again.(YES) The ancient war, she yet fights. Her new lover she seeks, who shall serve her(NOT!) and die(NOT YET), yet serve still. Who shall stand against her coming? The Shining Walls shall kneel.(NO) Blood feeds blood. Blood calls blood. Blood is, and blood was, and blood shall ever be. The man who channels stands alone. He gives his friends for sacrifice. Two roads before him, one to death beyond dying, one to life eternal. Which will he choose? Which will he choose? What hand shelters? What hand slays? Luc came to the Mountains of Dhoom. Isam waited in the high passes. The hunt is now begun. The Shadow's hounds now course, and kill. One did live, and one did die, but both are. The Time of Change has come.(YES) The Watchers wait on Toman's Head. The seed of the Hammer burns the ancient tree.(YES) Death shall sow, and summer burn(YES), before the Great Lord comes. Death shall reap, and bodies fail, before the Great Lord comes. Again the seed slays ancient wrong, before the Great Lord comes. Now the Great Lord comes.(YES) 7.5.................................................MOIRAINE IN CONVERSATION <TDR: 6, 93, The Hunt Begins, 57> He has yet to break the nations, or shatter the world. Even scholars who have studied the Prophecies for their entire lives do not know how to interpret them all. What does it mean that he shall 'slay his people people with the sword of peace, and destroy them with the leaf'(YES)? What does it mean that he 'shall bind the nine moons to serve him'?(NO) Yet these there are given equal weight with Callandor in the Cycle. There are others. What 'wound of madness and cutting of hope' has he healed?(NO) What chains has he broken, and who put into chains?(??? Asmodean, maybe?) 7.6...........................................................PERRIN'S DREAMS <TDR: 43, 504, Shadowbrothers, 426> Egwene and Nynaeve and Elayne stood looking at a huge metal cage, with a raised door held on a heavy spring. They stepped in and reached up together to loose the catch. The barred door snapped down behind them. A woman with her hair all in braids laughed at them, and another woman all in white laughed at her.(YES) <TDR: 43, 504, Shadowbrothers, 425> Mat, rattling a dice cup. His opponent stared at Mat with eyes of fire. Mat did not seem to see the man, but Perrin knew him. "Mat!" he shouted. "It's Ba'alzamon. Light, Mat, you're dicing with Ba'alzamon!"(YES) <TSR: 28, 458, To the Tower of Ghenjei, 320-1> Rand stood amid swirling stormwinds, laughing wildly, even madly, arms upraised, and on the winds rode [dragons](NO); hidden eyes watched Rand, and there was no way of telling whether he knew it(???); Nynaeve and Elayne stalking cautiously through a demented landscape of twisted, shadowed buildings, hunting some dangerous beast(YES). Mat, standing where a road forked ahead of him. He flipped a coin(???), started down one branch, and suddenly was wearing a wide-brimmed hat and walking with a staff bearing a short sword blade(YES). Egwene and a woman with long white hair(AMys?) were staring at him in surprise while behind them the White Tower crumbled stone by stone.(YES) <TSR: 53, 882, The Price of a Departure, 612> Egwene stood among a crowd of women, fear in her eyes; slowly the women knelt around her, Nynaeve was one of them, and he believed he saw Elayne's red-gold hair.(NO) That window faded and was replaced. Mat stood naked and bound, snarling; an odd spear with a black shaft had been thrust across his back behind his elbows, and a silver medallion, a foxhead, hung on his chest.(YES) Mat vanished, and it was Rand. Perrin thought it was Rand. He wore rags and a rough cloak, and a bandage covered his eyes.(NO) =================================PUBLISHING STUFF=========================== 99.0..........................................HOW MANY BOOKS WILL THERE BE? At least seven; maybe more. 99.1.............................................WHEN IS THE NEXT BOOK OUT? October-November, 1994. That's 10 months kids. Word is it will be called _(The?) Lord of Chaos_ or something like that. *Sniff* Sounds like a bloody Amber book. ### #### ##### ###### ####### ######### ########### ################ ###################### ######################## ######################## ####################### ###################### ################### ############## ########