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============================================================================= |\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\/| |//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\| |/\\ A EEEEE SSSS SSSS NNNNN IIII F FFFFF /\\| |\\/ A A E S S N I I F F F //\| |\// AAAAA EEE SSS === SSS NNN I I FFFFF F \//| |/\\ A A E S S N I I F F F \\/| |\\/ A A EEEEE SSSS SSSS NNNNN IIII F F FFFFF /\\| |/\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\| |\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//| ============================================================================= "I of course have zero evidence for this, but since when has that stopped any of us?" <David Wren-Hardin> THE WOT FAQ WAS LAST UPDATED AUGUST, 1996. >-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-< Introduction to this FAQ: COPYRIGHT NOTICE: The Wheel of Time FAQ contains writing by many authors. The individual authors hold copyright to their respective contributions, as cited in the text. The Wheel of Time books, and all quotations therefrom, are Copyright 1990-1996 by Robert Jordan. Unattributed material is Copyright 1996 by Pamela Korda and Erica Sadun. This version of the FAQ as a document is Coypright 1996 by Pamela Korda. Permission is granted to freely copy this document, in full or in part, in electronic form, or to print for personal use, provided that all citations, attributions, and copyright notices are kept. This is the Wheel of Time Wondrous Masterpiece of Assembled Knowledge (aka Frequently-Asked Questions list). 'Tis edited, and maintained, by myself, Pamela Korda, based upon discussion of The Wheel of Time series, on the Usenet group rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan. This version of the FAQ contains lots of SPOILERS for all books of _The Wheel of Time_, up to and including book 7, _A Crown of Swords_. If you haven't read, don't read. There are versions of the FAQ from before ACOS(i.e. no spoilers, but some out-dated theories) in the ftp archive and the WWW page. Please note that this document makes no claims as to the actual truth of any of the speculations in it. (Individual authors, on the other hand, do.) It exists to chronicle, in an organized fashion, the discussions on popular topics in the newsgroup. You should read it because it will give you an idea of what has been said before by many people. Chances are, if you want to know what people think about a given theory, it's in here. So, read before you post, it will help you make your post more interesting and persuasive. (If you simply ask a question in the FAQ, chances are that people will just refer you to this document, anyway, instead of discussing the same ol' stuff again.) This version of the WOTFAQ (v4.0) has been updated to include information and theories from _A Crown of Swords_. Please note that this is NOT a final ACOS version; there is much fine-tuning to be done. In addition, there is some stuff on "old" topics that I haven't gotten around to including or updating. I hope to do this in the near future. In order to make space for new stuff, I have removed several old sections. The timeline is permanently out; an excellent timeline, created and maintained by Emma Pease, can be found at: http://kanpai.stanford.edu/users/emma/jordan-timeline.html I have also moved the cover art commentary to a separate document; it can be found at: http://student-www.uchicago.edu/users/kor2/WOT/cover_art.html The "Loose Plot Threads" section has gotten to be too much for me to handle, so I ditched it. If anybody wishes to take over its maintenance, mail me, and I'll send you the last version of it. In spite of these removals, I have NOT renumbered the sections, since I am considering breaking up the super-sections 1 & 2. +.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+ Other Submission Requests: [What topics have been discussed to death and should I include as 'calls-for-submission' for next month?] [Please help fill out the countries of Randland--Sea Folk, Aiel, Seanchan, Shara] +.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+ >-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-< CREDITS: ALL CONTRIBUTORS, GREAT AND SMALL: Active Contributors & Articles Plundered From: Dylan Flynn "Easing the Badger" Alexander * Chris Anderson * Michael Arnett * Hugh Arai * Keith Aschinger * Will Baird * Glen Justin Balmer * Kevin Bartlett * Charles J. Barbec * Chris Barrera * Kevin Bartlett * Brian Bax * Lara "Caligula would have blushed" Beaton * Aaron Bergman * Alice Bergmann * John Walter Biles * Richard Boye * Chris Bradley * Jean-Luc Brouillet * Timothy Bruening * Charles Buckley * Stewart S. Bushman * Arthur Bernard Byrne * Paul W. Cashman * Keith Casner * Christopher Lee Cavender * Kenneth Cavness * Randy Cerveny * Dennis Hohn-Chong Cho * Alistair Chiu * Damien Cole * Mary Conner * Amish Dave * Ruchira Datta * Dave "Walls of Books" DeLaney * Chris Dewey * Trevor Dewey * Roderick Easton * Eric Ebinger * Richard Edwards * Jain Farstrider * J. R. Feehan * Chris Flora * Courtenay Footman * Jim "Robin Jim" Ford * Michel Forget * Susan Frager * M.C. Friddle * Jeff Fullmer * Carolyn Fusinato * Christian M. Gadeken * Devin L. Ganger * Bill "Cherry Kool-Aid" Garrett * Helmut Geyer * Judy Ghirardelli * Bob Gibson * Jocelyn "who is not Kathleen" Goldfein * Robyn "Hawk" Goldstein * Michael Gonzalez * Stephen Graham * Gary Greenbaum * Michael Guenther * Jeff Han * John C. Hansen * Chris Hammock * Michael Hanneman * Stephen J. Hardy * Don Harlow * John Hawkinson * Mark Hazen * Walter Hedges * Nathan Hendrix * Clint Hepner * Keith Higginson * Captain Commander Sean Hillyard * Bob Hofmann * Melissa Horn * Thomas Howard * Justin Howell * James Huckaby * Eugene Hung * Matthew Hunter * John Ireland * Robert Jordan (duh.) * Robert Kelley * Daniel John Kelly-Harrity * Mark Hazen * David "Wee Dave" Kennedy * Jacob Kesinger * Paul Khangure * Tanya Koenig * Pam Korda * Lars Kremers * Tyler Langenkamp * Hank Lee * Andrea Lynn Leistra * Mike Lemons * Craig Martin Levin * Shen Kiat Lim * Bo Lindbergh * Edward Liu * Mark Looi * Mark "The Loy" Loy * Mike "Sir MPS" Macchione * Benjamin Magno * Ted Maire * Cameron Majidi * Luke Mankin * Jim Mann * Stephanie Mason * Tom McCormick * Edward Measure * Roxanne Meida * Kelley Miles * Shane Miller * Don Morgan * Joe Morris * David Mortman * Michael Mueller * Roy Navarre * Kate Nepveu * Michael Nielsen * Patrick Nielsen Hayden * John S. Novak III, The Humblest Man on the Net * Emmet O'Brien * Michael J. O'Malley * Chad "Oil'Ba'alzamon'Can" Orzel * Daniel "Zippy" O'Toole * Alex Outhred * Anthony Padilla * Rimesh Patel * Simon Patterson * Emma Pease * Mark Perry * Rhonda Peters * Thomas Petersen * Teri Pettit * George D. Phillies * Jim Phillips * Piglet * Eric C. Piquette * Richard Pistole * Greg Pobst * Heikki Poso * Jeffrey Scott Raglin * Bret C. Rediker * Brian Ritchie * Joseph Rosenfeld * Chris Russo * Burr Rutledge * Erica Sadun * Kevin Samborn * Jared Samet * Marc Sanders * Eric Saunders * Ulrich Schade * Jeff Schneiter Morgan Donald Scott * Viren Shah * Joe Shaw * Vivienne Shen * Zach Simpson * Peter Smalley * Will Smit * Jeff Smith * Daniel "Ford" Sohl * Michael "Darkelf" Steeves * Brian Sullivan * Charles L. Stuart * Martin Terman * Aline Thompson * Elayne Thompson * Ilya Tillekens * Preston Toliver * Carl Traber * Sven Venema * Jonathan Vessey * Ville Virrankoski * Ken Warkentyne * Bryon Wasserman * Warren Way * Olaf Weber * Michael Werle * Dash Wendrzyk * Katrina Werpetinski * Greg Wheatley * William Whitesman * Windsor Williams * Aaron Wong * Edmund Wong * David Wren-Hardin * Jonathan "Nelno the Amoeba" Wright * Tony Yoder * Tim Yoon * Tony Zbaraschuk * (Did I forget anyone? Is anyone on here twice? Anybody with a name starting with Q , U, or X want to contribute?) KEEPER OF THE CHRONICLES: Pam Korda <kor2@midway.uchicago.edu> (Ca veut dire, the FAQ-keeper, or, Guardienne des FAQues) BETA TESTERS (i.e. PROOFREADERS): Paul Khangure <khangu-p@cs.uwa.edu.au> & John Novak <jsn@cegt201.bradley.edu>: give these guys a FAQing big pat on the back. KEEPER OF THE FLAME OF TAR FTP: Viren R. Shah <viren@cc.gatech.edu> FAQ available by anonymous ftp. to ftp.cc.gatech.edu /pub/people/viren/jordan/ There's all sorts of fun stuff there besides the FAQ, so check it out. MOTHER OF THE FAQ: Erica Sadun <erica@cc.gatech.edu>. She is retired, but she started the thing, so you probably shouldn't call her a non-entity, or confuse her with Eric Saunders. FATHER OF REFERENCE-CHECKING: Joe "Uno" Shaw. WWW HOME PAGE: http://www.cc.gatech.edu/ftp/people/viren/www/jordan.html html conversion by Matthew Hunter <mhunter@iglou.com>. REC.ARTS.SF.WRITTEN.ROBERT-JORDAN FAQ: Posted regularly to r.a.sf.w.r-j, news.answer and rec.answers, and archived at rtfm.mit.edu in directory /pub/usenet/news.answers/sf/robert-jordan-faq it contains general newsgroup information, general author info, release dates, etc. Please read this document first if you are new to rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan. Keeper is John Novak <jsn@cegt201.bradley.edu> [NB: 'Survey Says' sections are from the 3rd Annual Novak-Ghirardelli Survey (spring 1995, Post-LOC version). Sample size: 224 responses. Discrepancies in % totals are due to people not giving an answer for the question.] [NB: Standard Reference Format: <Book Abbr.: Chapter #, paperback pg#, Chapter name, hard cover pg#>] {NB: References are for Tor editions of the book, not Orbit or SF Bookclub} 0.0==============================ADMINISTRIVIA============================== 0.1......................................ACRONYMS AND TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTENTS: (* = new this FAQ, + updated this FAQ, - same as last FAQ) 0.00 ADMINISTRIVIA + 0.01 Contents & Acronyms + 0.02 What are these Jordan Wheel of Time Books? + 0.03 Mis-steps. (Errors along the way) - 0.04 What should I do if I've become obsessed? - 0.05 What's the deal with these shoddy Tor covers that keep falling off? - 0.06 The RJ Hoax/The Great Hoax, or RJ has never said any such thing. - 0.07 Who Is Robert Jordan, Really? What else has he written? + 0.08 Other "Resources" * 0.09 How can I contact Robert Jordan? 1.00 ALL ANSWERS GREAT AND SMALL + 1.01 Who was Beidomon? - 1.02 Is Thom Elayne and Gawyn's real father? - 1.03 Why do we think that Thom will marry Moiraine? + 1.04 Why is Moiraine not dead? - 1.05 What was up with Gawyn during the coup? + 1.06 Who is the Daughter of the Nine Moons? (Besides Mat's future wife) + 1.07 Who will take Callandor from the Stone? Will it be Logain? + 1.08 How does Mat's medallion work? - 1.09 Why isn't Elaida Black? * 1.10 Who is Juilin's honey? - 1.11 The death of Asmodean. - 1.12 Kari Al'Thor--What do we know about her? - 1.13 Is Aram a Darkfriend? - 1.14 Is there a connection between Mat & the stolen dice ter'angreal? + 1.15 Is Aviendha pregnant? - 1.16 Where is Gaidal Cain now? + 1.17 What are the Seanchan up to? - 1.18 Is Ishamael still alive? - 1.19 Tigraine == Shaiel (Rand's mum): an analysis + 1.20 Slayer (Isam & Luc) - 1.21 The Severed Hand - 1.22 The Green Man and the Song (Who is the Green Man, What is the Song, Who will find the Song, Who were the Aiel?) + 1.23 Verin: Black, Brown, or Purple? (What's up with Verin, How old is she, Is she bound by the Oath Rod?) * 1.24 Who is the Old Geezer on the Barrel Watching Carridin's Place? - 1.25 Why Lanfear may be Good (not just in bed, Roy) - 1.26 What's up in Saldaea? + 1.27 What's up with Mat and his memories? * 1.28 What is the deal with Halima and Egwene's headaches? - 1.29 Why are we sure that Ba'alzamon is really Ishamael? - 1.30 When was Rand's Power Acquisition Fever Syndrome? + 1.31 Sad Bracelets/Male A'dam - 1.32 Is Mat still linked to the Horn? * 1.33 What's Up with Mat's New Ring? + 1.34 More of the Fain + 1.35 Jain Farstrider - 1.36 Who was "Silvie?" - 1.37 Who ordered Melindhra? - 1.38 Why Moiraine is not Black Ajah - 1.39 Can Thom Channel? - 1.40 Is Sheriam Black Ajah? + 1.41 Who is not a Darkfriend? + 1.42 Who are Aran'gar and Osan'gar? + 1.43 Is Mazrim Taim really Mazrim Taim? Is he Demandred? + 1.44 Who is Mesaana? + 1.45 "LTT"--Is he for real, or is Rand loony? What happenned to him in ACOS? - 1.46 Why did Sammael claim he had a truce w/ Rand? - 1.47 Who will be the New Dreadlords? * 1.48 What's the deal with Setalle Anan? Is she the one who is no longer? Is she connected with Verin? + 1.49 Shaidar Haran, Superfade. - 1.50 The "Aiel" Attack on Demira Sedai--What's the deal with that? * 1.51 What was up with Liah in Shadar Logoth? * 1.52 Is Dashiva Osan'gar? * 1.53 What was Sammael doing in Shadar Logoth, or Did Sammael Plan that Whole Thing to Fake his Death? * 1.54 The Mystery Men of ACOS--The Watcher, Moridin, and the Wanderer 2.00 WORLD STUFF: Randland history & geography, Power mechanics, Character facts, etc. + 2.01 The Old Tongue - 2.02 What was the Tamyrlin? + 2.03 How does Balefire Work? Why doesn't somebody just BF the DO? - 2.04 The Seven Seals - 2.05 Who's Who in the Families? + 2.06 How old is everyone? * 2.07 The "True Power" + 2.08 Geography of Randland - 2.09 Is there Religion in Randland? + 2.10 Who are the Forsaken? Where are they now? * 2.11 Effects of the Oath Rod: Binding, Agelessness, and Death - 2.12 Who are the Aelfinn & Eelfinn? * 2.13 Fifty Ways to Kill a Gholam - 2.14 Iconography (What are them icons?) - 2.15 What did Ogier do of old? + 2.16 Were there Ajahs in the Age of Legends? - 2.17 Was the Sharom the Dark One's Prison? + 2.18 What is the difference between Skimming & Traveling? - 2.19 What's up w/the male-female a'dam link where they both die screaming? + 2.20 What are those black threads on the male Forsaken? * 2.21 Can you make horizontal gateways? - 2.22 Did LTT balefire himself? - 2.23 How tall is Everybody? - 2.24 Where did Artur Hawkwing come from? - 2.25 What do Dreamers/Dreamwalkers do? + 2.26 Are Black Ajah bound by the Oath Rod? - 2.27 Where do Trollocs & Myrddraal come from? - 2.28 What is the range on sensing other Channelers? - 2.29 How do One-Power-forged blades work? * 2.30 Mordeth, Mashadar, and Machin Shin - 2.31 How does one sniff, anyway? 3.00 TRIVIAL PURSUITS: References, Sources, Allusions, Parallels, etc. - 3.01 Arthur and the Holy Grail - 3.02 Trolloc Tribes - 3.03 Is the world of Rand a future Earth? - 3.04 Christian Parallels - 3.05 Various Names - 3.06 Dragon Legends - 3.07 Norse Mythology - 3.08 Stedding & China * 3.09 The Aiel, Native Americans, and the Zulu - 3.10 Greek and Roman Mythology + 3.11 Miscellaneous References * 3.12 On similarities between tWOT and other SF (incl. Dune) 4.00 IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME, BABY Timeline (Not here: see http://kanpai.stanford.edu/users/emma/jordan-timeline.html) 6.00 SOME "SWEET" COVER ART: What is it with those stupid Darrell Sweet Covers? (Not here: see http://student-www.uchicago.edu/users/kor2/WOT/cover_art.html) 7.00 PROPHECIES: Everything you wanted to know about the future, but were afraid to ask. + 7.01 Egwene's Dreams + 7.02 Min's Viewings + 7.03 Various Prophecies + 7.04 Dark Prophecy + 7.05 The prophecies of the Dragon. + 7.06 Perrin's Dreams + 7.07 Fourth Age Histories 99.00 PUBLISHING STUFF + 99.01 How many books will there be? + 99.02 When Is The Next Book Out? + 99.03 How about the _Guide to the Wheel of Time_? ---------------------- ACRONYMS TWoT/WOT = The Wheel of Time TEotW/EOW = The Eye of the World TGH = The Great Hunt TDR = The Dragon Reborn TSR = The Shadow Rising TFoH/FOH = The Fires of Heaven LoC = Lord of Chaos 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 (also just "rasfw") r.a.sf.w.r-j = rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan (also just "rasfwrj") AOL = Age of Legends AS = Aes Sedai (or Amyrlin Seat) SAS = Salidar Aes Sedai (Egwene's faction) TAS = Tower Aes Sedai (Elaida's faction) Asm = Asmodean BA = Black Ajah DO = Dark One DF = Darkfriend DFS = Darkfriend Social DotNM = Daughter of the Nine Moons Eg/Egw = Egwene El = Elayne Ish/Ishy = Ishamael LTT = Lews Therin Telamon Mog/Moggy = Moghedien Mo/Moi/Moir = Moiraine MPS = Mad Passionate Sex, Mad Purple Stegosaurus MT = Mazrim Taim Ny/Nyn = Nynaeve OP = One Power OR = Oath Rod RJ = Robert Jordan SG = Shayol Ghul SS = Siuan Sanche T'A'R/TAR = Tel'aran'rhiod TS = True Source TP = True Power (Dark One's Power) TV = Tar Valon WCs = Whitecloaks WOs = Wise Ones WT = White Tower YKYBRTMRJW = You Know You've Been Reading Too Much Robert Jordan When... ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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, $27.95 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 LORD OF CHAOS ISBN 0-312-85428-5, $25.95 A CROWN OF SWORDS ISBN 0-312-85767-5, $27.95 Paperback editions: THE EYE OF THE WORLD ISBN 0-812-51181-6, $5.99 ($6.99 CAN) THE GREAT HUNT ISBN 0-812-51772-5, $5.99 ($6.99 CAN) THE DRAGON REBORN ISBN 0-812-51371-1, $5.99 ($6.99 CAN) THE SHADOW RISING ISBN 0-812-51373-8, $6.99 ($7.99 CAN) THE FIRES OF HEAVEN ISBN 0-812-50974-9 $6.99 LORD OF CHAOS ISBN 0-812-51275-4 Published by Tor Books If you are in Europe, it may be more expedient to pick up the British Editions published by Orbit (prices are listed in pounds sterling). THE EYE OF THE WORLD ISBN 1-85723-076-0 (L5.99) THE GREAT HUNT ISBN 1-85723-027-2 (L5.99) THE DRAGON REBORN ISBN 1-85723-065-5 (L5.99) THE SHADOW RISING ISBN 1-85723-121-X (L5.99) THE FIRES OF HEAVEN ISBN 1-85723-209-7 (L5.99) LORD OF CHAOS ISBN 1-857230399-X (L6.99) 0.3.........................................MIS-STEPS (ERRORS ALONG THE WAY) NB: Typographical errors are, in general not listed. There are too damn many of them, and they are often corrected in later editions. >>THE EYE OF THE WORLD<< *In TEotW, Thom teaches Mat and Rand to juggle. By the time they reach Caemlyn Mat can perform "six ball circles", which I interpreted as a six-ball shower. No way. You could probably count the number of people in the world today who can shower six balls to a performance standard on the fingers of one hand. Assuming there are any. I've only twice seen a five ball shower done well. <David Mortman, others> * Q: What about those Warders in Caemlyn around Logain in tEotW? Didn't Moiraine say that they were all Red sisters? Reds don't have Warders! <TEotW: 42, 637-8, Remembrance of Dreams, 535> RJ answer, as reported by Tony Z: Moiraine never mentioned the sisters escorting Logain (not all of whom were Red). The ones with Logain weren't in Caemlyn at the time [evidently they stayed with the army, which stayed outside the city--TZ]. Moiraine was referring to those that _were_ in Caemlyn. >>THE GREAT HUNT<< *Ba'alzamon's goals: <TGH: 47, 665, The Grave Is No Bar To My Call, 563> "But this time I will destroy you to your very soul, destroy you utterly and forever." Maybe he forgot <TGH: 41, 588, Disagreements, 497> "Fool! You will destroy yourself!" where he stopped Rand from burning himself out. Ba'alzamon is either forgetful, confused, or trying to appear so. <Morgan Donald Scott> *Why does Moiraine wear her great serpent ring on her left hand in <TEotW: 2, 27, Strangers, 22-3> and <TDR: 3, 58, News from the Plain, 26> and on her right hand in <TGH: 4, 46, Summoned, 39>? I can think of four possible reasons: a) a cunning plan by Jordan to make us believe sweet, innocent Moiraine was at the Darkfriend social. b) Moiraine has an evil, identical twin sister who wears her ring on the other hand. c) It's Moiraine's ring and she can wear it on whatever hand she damn well pleases. d) none of the above. <Damien Cole> *When Rand returns Thom's harp and flute to the gleeman in Cairhien, Thom grumbles: "You could at least have kept it (the harp) in tune" <TGH: 26, 384, Discord, 323> For travel, harps (and many other stringed instruments) are ALWAYS detuned -- the tension on the strings is reduced to prevent string wear and possible snapping.<Erica Sadun> *Verin and the art of Stedding Channeling: in <TGH: 29, Among the Elders, 435, REF?>, she inspects an Ogier who lost his mind to Machin Shin in the Ways. For all intents and purposes, it looks like she's doing whatever AS do when they inspect a person using the OP. However, she is in a stedding, where touching the OP is impossible. Even more, nobody thinks this is weird! Poss. explanation: she didn't do the OP thing; she did something else to see if there was anybody home. Maybe she spat in his eye, or something. RJ's answer: "Read and find out." >>THE DRAGON REBORN<< *In <TDR: 6, 99, The Hunt Begins, 63>, the beginning at-camp scene, Perrin tells Min that he loves her like a sister--and that he has no sisters of his own. In <TSR: 29, 466, Homecoming, 333>, his two sisters and his brother are killed.<Erica Sadun> <TDR: 41, 477, A Hunter's Oath, 388> Perrin is remembering a confrontation between Moiraine and Zarine. "Once she learned the girl thought they would lead her to the Horn of Valere, ...then her cold blue stare had taken on a quality that made him feel he had been packed ..." Which left me wondering whose cold blue stare? Both Moir. and Zarine have dark eyes.<Aline Thompson> The quote continues "The Aes Sedai said nothing, but she stared too often and too hard for any comfort.", implying that it refers to Moiraine.<JoeS> <TEotW: 2, 26, Strangers, 22> <TGH: 4, 45, Summoned, 38>, <TDR: 6, 90, The Hunt Begins, 55>, <TSR: 3, 99, Reflection, 71> and <TFoH: 2,95, Rhuidean, 68> all describe Moiraine as having "dark eyes", and <TDR: 33, 386, Within the Weave, 319>, <TDR: 35, 402, The Falcon, 333>, and <TSR: 2, 54, Whirlpools in the Pattern, 40> describe Faile as having "dark, tilted eyes". *Metallurgy Mistake, from John Palmer & Don Harlow Maybe others have noted this metallurgy mistake, as a engineer this bugged me. In the Dragon Reborn, when Perrin takes a day at the Smithy, he notes the three quenching media: "As soon as he had made the hot-cut, he tossed the glowing metal into the salted quenching barrel. Unsalted gave a harder quench, for the hardest metal, while the oil gave the softest, for good knives." <TDR: 50, 595, The Hammer, 506> Wrong. In order of resultant hardness, it goes Oil, Water, Salt Water. with Salt water yielding the hardest blade because of best heat transfer and higher boiling point than plain water. Oil is softer because of slower heat transfer but is commonly used for cutlery because it causes less thermal stresses and a tougher blade. (won't break from shock) Salt water quench is definitely a harder quench than fresh water. Its due to the higher boiling point of salt water precluding the formation of an insulating vapor layer over the steel which slows heat transfer from the steel to the water. *Hey, what's the scoop with Shadowman steel? First, Thom Merrilin runs into a Fade and it left him "a little present of a stiff leg." Then after the fight where the Aiel come to the rescue of the girls: <TDR: 39, 455, Threads in the Pattern, 382> "Shadowman steel kills," Aviendha said, "it does not wound." Finally, Rand's thought while fighting a Fade: <TSR: 10, 188, The Stone Stands, 132> "That black metal could make wounds that festered, almost as hard to heal as the one that ached in his side now." Is there something that I'm missing, like it just kills Aiel, or does this qualify as a Jordan mis-step?<Dash Wendrzyk> {NB: the obvious explanation is that the Fade did not stick Thom with its sword; the Fade just smacked him one, instead.--Pam} >>THE SHADOW RISING<< *<TSR: 47, The Trust of a Viewing, 531> During the Tower Coup, Siuan's Warder gets killed. She doesn't notice until she sees his dead body. <Michael Hanneman> This cannot be because she was shielded, because in LOC, Cabriana and her warder are being tortured by Semirhage in different rooms. Cabriana is shielded, but she still feels it when her warder dies. <Lars Kremers> Courtenay Footman tells us more about the Siuan's Warder incident: This has been the subject of extensive discussion here. The consensus has come down to three possibilities: 1) Jordan screwed up. 2) Being shielded interferes with the bond. IMHO, this last is refuted because Jordan gives a different explanation: 3) Siuan was distracted by other things going on at that moment: <LoC, 30, To Heal Again, 427>, Siuan thinks "Alric, her Warder. Her dead Warder, murdered when Elaida deposed her. She could lie--the Three Oaths were still gone--but some part of her bond to Alric, a bond flesh to flesh and mind to mind, had been resurrected. The pain of his death, the pain first masked by the shock of what Elaida intended and then buried by stilling, that pain filled her to the brim."It seems to me that there is no choice but to accept this statement. Whether one believes that Jordan meant this all the time, or that this is just an after-the-fact rationalization of a mistake, seems to me to be a matter of personal opinion, and should not affect how we think the story will go. >>THE FIRES OF HEAVEN<< *Something very strange happened between 10 and 20 years ago. In <TGH: 4, 58, Summoned, 49> the Amyrlin says to Moiraine "I am the fifth in a row raised to the Amyrlin Seat from the Blue." Two pages earlier, we learn that Siuan Sanche has been Amyrlin for ten years. In <TFoH: 15, 301, What Can Be Learned in Dreams, 214>, Moiraine says to Egwene: "In a few months it will be twenty-one years since we began the search for the Dragon Reborn. Sieren Vayu was raised to Amyrlin shortly after, a Gray with more than a touch of Red in her." <C. Footman> This has been admitted by RJ as an error. The correct sequence is: "The correct sequence is: Kirin Nelway (Brown) 922-950 NE; Noane Mosadim (Blue) 950-973 NE; Tamra Ospenya (Blue), 973-979 NE; Sierin Vayu (Gray), 979-984 NE; Marith Jaen (Blue), 984-988 NE; Suian Sanche (blue), raised 998 NE. The correction is being made in the body of TGH and in the glossary." <Carolyn F., I think> The quick sucession of Amyrlins prior to SS is discussed in further detail in ACOS. *In <TFoH: 36, 578, A New Name, 409>, Birgitte tells Elayne "You saved my life, Daughter-Heir of Andor. I will keep your secret and serve you as Warder." But later in <TFoH: 47, 775-6, The Price of a Ship, 550> Birgitte verbally scolds Elayne for telling Cerandin she was heir to a throne, and doesn't believe it until Nynaeve makes an offhand comment in <TFoH: 49, 803, To Boannda, 570>. *Rand balefires Rahvin, erasing his actions, etc. However, none of Rand's injuries, all sustained at the hands of Rahvin, disappear--they were instead Healed by Nynaeve afterwards. <TFoH: 55, 949, The Threads Burn, 672-3> <Sean Hillyard> [Arguably an effect of either Tel'aran'rhiod or balefire.] >>LORD OF CHAOS<< * In previous glossaries, it says that the AS cannot sense in what direction her Warder is. In LOC, Alanna does just that. What gives? Edward Liu says that, at a signing, RJ said that the ability is not exact, but something like they can only sense distance (and I guess) direction in that the feeling of the other person becomes stronger or weaker. Tony Z. said RJ said the Glossaries are in error, and that there are references in other books to AS sensing the direction of their Warders. (Anybody find such a thing? I can't think of one). Joe thinks RJ changed his mind, to put it charitably. In the LOC Glossary, under linking, it says that in mixed circles less than 13, a man must control the flow, and that there must be more women than men in circles greater than 2 <TFOH: 34, A Silver Arrow, 390>. However, In TFoH Nynaeve overhears Lanfear, Graendal, Sammael, and Rahvin discussing their plan against Rand. In particular Sammael is to tempt Rand into attacking and the other three would link to overwhelm him. <Emma Pease> At a signing, RJ said that the LOC glossary entry is wrong. It is certainly different in the ACOS entry: 43 vs 34, and the numbers where men can equal or exceed women are changed. Still doesn't explain the tFoH gaffe. <John Novak> Aes Sedai certainly are Ageless! In <LOC: 7, A Matter of Thought, 149> *Myrelle* is the youngest Sitter of the Salidar Hall. In <LoC: 35, In the Hall of the Sitters, 473 ref?> *Kwamesa* is the youngest Sitter. <Rienk Tychon?> >>A CROWN OF SWORDS<< * We encounter more closely two of Liandrin's 13 in this book: Falion Bhoda and Ispan Shefar and learn Falion was white and Ispan blue. We also have a mention that Rianna was also white (which had been mentioned in earlier books). However, Joiya Byir was also white which means we now have three former whites among Liandrin's 13, yet we are told that two and only two of each ajah except red went with Liandrin. What gives? First could it be a simple typo? I don't think so as both Falion and Joiya acted as I would expect whites and because Rianna is mention several times as being white. Second could it be a Jordan error. Possible but I would think it a fairly major blunder as I would hope he would have who is who in Liandrin's group clearly marked from the beginning. Third could it be deliberate. If so this means either Verin is mistaken about who was from which ajah and I can't see Verin making this mistake, or, she deliberately gave the girls misinformation. <Emma Pease> * In <ACOS: 13, The Bowl of the Winds, 263>, Aviendha introduces herself as "Aviendha of the Nine Valleys sept of the Taardad Aiel." She's previously been from the Bitter Water sept, from when we first meet her <TDR: 38, Maidens of the Spear, 361> onwards. Now here's the interesting bit. The Maiden that Nynaeve heals in <TDR, 38, Maidens of the Spear, 368> (Dailin) is first referred to as being from Aviendha's sept and clan; i.e., the Bitter Water Taardad. Later, she's referred to as being from the Nine Valleys sept. So what gives? Two errors that are fortuitously similar, or a particularly odd attempt at retconning an old error? <Andrea Leistra> {Maybe the Nine Valleys sept and the Bitter Water sept are the same? :) -pam} 0.4........................................WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I'M OBSESSED? <Judy Ghirardelli> Judy G. gives us intelligent advice on treatment of Jordan fanaticism: 1. Stop calling the nice lady at you local bookstore, and harassing her about when the next book will be out. 2. Lay down. 3. Stay laying down. 4. Try to not think about things like wheels, knives, spears, swords, doorways, Piglets, fire, severed hands, plucked out eyes, tattoos, leashes, calendars, irons, pincers, still images, gentle breezes, FAQs, Towers, wolves, falcons, hawks, hammers, axes, Roy, and lastly, DON'T THINK ABOUT RIVERS! 5. Now, pick up a copy of _The Tao of Pooh_ and become an uncarved block. (p.s. that will be 50 bucks...) (p.p.s. The idea of not thinking about Roy while laying down is just a generally good practice , and might be applied to all the rest of you who won't admit you have a problem ...) 0.5.........WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH THOSE CHEAP TOR COVERS THAT WON'T STAY ON? <Eric Ebinger> No, you are not alone in having the cover fall off of your PB copy of TDR. What can you do about it? Patrick Nielsen Hayden says that you can send the book to Tor, and they will send you a new copy. You can also write a (snail- mail) letter of complaint to Tor. The address is on the inside of the books. DO NOT SEND MEAN E-MAIL TO THE NICE TOR BOOKS MAN!!!! IT IS NOT HIS FAULT!!! If you want to repair them yourself, Eric Ebinger provides instructions: Materials needed: * dry sandpaper 220 grit * Walthers Goo (available at finer model train stores everywhere) * one or more Wheel of Time books,Tor edition with loose or detached covers 1. If cover(s) are not yet completely detached GENTLY and carefully detach them. A small, sharp knife may be helpful. 2. Take sandpaper and briskly sand the back of spine of the book (on the glue that failed to hold. Continue until the surface is slightly rough (don't over-sand). This should only take 10-20 seconds of sanding. 3. Lay the cover down on a flat surface with the outside DOWN. Gently sand the inside of the binding (where the spine of the book would be, if the book was still in its cover) until the wax coating is removed. Do not over-sand! The objective is to remove the wax coating so that the glue can get a grip. 4. Following directions on the package of Goo, spread glue on the binding area of the cover. Orient the book so that it's orientation matches that of the cover. Press the book binding down on the cover, lift,wait two minutes,press the book binding back down on the cover, and hold for two minutes. 5. Let dry overnight. The book should be better than new. I've also heard that applying heat, to re-melt the glue, works. 0.7.....................Who is Robert Jordan, and what else has he written? "Robert Jordan" is actually a pseudonym for James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under which he has written the "Wheel of Time" fantasy series as well as several books of the "Conan" series. (Conan the Invincible, C.t. Unconquered, C.t.Magnificent, C.t.Victorious, C.t.Triumphant, C.t.Destroyer, C.t.Defender) Other pseudonyms are Reagan O'Neal (_The Fallon Blood_, _The Fallon Pride_, _The Fallon Legacy_, which are being re-issued soon), Jackson O'Reilly (_Cheyenne Raiders_), and Chang Lung (contributions to various periodicals including Library Journal, Fantasy Review, Science Fiction Review). [Source: Contemporary Authors vol. 140] Many, if not all of the Conan books are still in print. Tor Books is re-releasing the Fallon books under their "Forge" imprint. (Here's the bad news: the cover art for the Fallon re-releases will be done by none other than our fave SF artist: Darrell K. Sweet!) RJ has told several people, at signings and in letters, that if^H^H when he complete TWOT, he plans to write another fantasy tale set in a Seanchan-like culture. The main character will be a more mature figure than Rand, and the tale involves him being shipwrecked in pseudo-Seanchan, where whatever is cast up on the shores of one's estate becomes one's property, even people. Doubtlessly, there'll be many changes from RJ's description to the actual story, but it gives us something to look forward to. 0.8.........................................................OTHER RESOURCES o FAN CLUBS: If netting isn't fannish enough for you, there are at least two RJ-sanctioned Wheel of Time Fan Clubs. The Robert Jordan/Wheel of Time Fan Club is a snailmail club. They have a bimonthly newsletter, _Threads_. For more information, write to: RJ/WOT Fan Club P.O. Box 463 Mansfield, MO 65704 Net Stuff: ftp: The RJ ftp site, reachable by anonymous ftp to ftp.cc.gatech.edu, directory /pub/people/viren/jordan/ has many amusing and informative things, such as old versions of this FAQ, _The Dark One's Dictionary_, some fan art, a glossary of the Old Tongue, etc. www: o WWW Jordan homepage: http://ftp.cc.gatech.edu/pub/people/viren/jordan/ (maintained by Helmut Geyer) o The Wheel of Time Index: http://student-www.uchicago.edu/users/kor2/WOT/WOTindex.html (Every WOT-related thing on the 'Net, maintained by P.Korda) 0.9............................WHERE CAN I CONTACT ROBERT JORDAN? RJ is not on the net. You can send mail to RJ in care of his publisher, Tor Books. You can send e-mail to <torbooks@panix.com>, or snailmail to the address given on the copyright page of the books: Robert Jordan c/o Tor Books 175 Fifth Ave. New York, NY 10010 1.00===================USEFUL INFORMATION (SHORT ANSWERS)==================== 1.01....................................................WHO WAS BEIDOMON? 1) One of the male Forsaken: Either Aginor, Balthamel, Belal, or Rahvin, since we know the original names of Ish, Asm, Sam, and Dem, and none of them was "Beidomon." (See section 2.10) 2) Somebody who is dead. 3) LTT (Why? From <TEotW: Prologue, xv, Dragonmount, xv>: "he who brought the shadow...they named Dragon." Was lover of Mierin/Lanfear at some point, maybe when the Bore was created. And, <TEotW: 4, 51, The Gleeman, 44> "I will tell you of the end of the Age of Legends, of the Dragon, and of his attempt to free the Dark One into the world of men." But, then again, why would LTT have another name?) Why LTT is not Beidomon: It would have adversely affected him after the war broke out. Secondly, he had likely left Lanfear long before and married Ilyena by that time. At Cairhien <TFoH: 52, 889, Choices, 629> he does say that he was never Lanfear's. He also says that he had long before lost whatever interest in he had her. <TFoH: 6, 172, Gateways, 123> Furthermore, the bits about him that brought the Shadow being named Dragon are generally from the late Third and Fourth Ages, long after true details were confused and forgotten. 4) Bayle Domon--No reason, except the names sound the same. Survey Says: Who was Beidomon? Nobody we know: 66% (147) Lews Therin: 2% (4) One of the Forsaken: 12% (24) Bayle Domon: 1% (2) 1.02...............................IS THOM THE FATHER OF ELAYNE OR GAWYN? Elayne denies that Galad is her brother. Thom was around at the right time. Thom clearly had something to do with Taringail's disappearance. Thom was Morgase's lover. In <TFoH: 19, 356, Memories, 252>, Morgase thinks about Taringail, and how the only good to come of the marriage were "two beautiful children." This could be Elayne and Gawyn, or she could mean Galad (adopted) and Gawyn. Evidence from the Glossary: "A Royal Prince of Cairhien, he married Tigraine and _fathered_ Galadedrid. When Tigraine disappeared and was declared dead, he married Morgase and _fathered_ Elayne and Gawyn." <TEotW: Glossary, 787, entry "Damodred, Prince Taringail", 661> In <TSR: 17, 277, Deceptions, 194>, Moiraine says Thom was "Morgase's lover for a time, _after Taringail died_" (emphasis mine). Here, Moiraine is trying to impress Thom with how much she knows. She wouldn't include a detail she had any doubt about. To be wrong about something in such a situation would indicate faulty research, and Moiraine would not risk showing any gap in her knowledge. If she had any doubt at all, she wouldn't have mentioned the timing of events. Plus, Thom didn't say or think anything to contradict Moiraine's statement. If Morgase had been having an affair with Thom while still married to Taringail, it is very unlikely that she would have been able to keep it entirely under wraps; surely some rumor would have been around, especially in Cairhien. However, we see no evidence of such a rumor existing. Specifically, in <LoC: 50, Thorns, 628> when Rand mentions to some Cairhienin that he means to have Elayne rule Cairhien, the Cairhienin think she'd be a good choice, due to her descent from her father Taringail Damodred. Somebody says something like "Taringail's greatest dream was for his son to be king of Cairhien and his daughter to be queen of Andor." If Morgase was unfaithful, surely there would have been some doubt as to Elayne's right to the throne of Cairhien. In a report from a signing in Seattle, Tony Z. says, "Jordan also strongly implied that Thom was not Elayne's father." Survey says: Is Thom Elayne's da? Yes: 29% (66) No: 62% (140) Undecided: 8% (18) Is Thom Gawyn's dad? Yes: 9% (20) No: 80% (179) Undecided: 11% (25) 1.03.....................WHY DO WE THINK THAT THOM WILL MARRY MOIRAINE? Moiraine says she knows the face of the man she will marry better than El/Eg/Ny know their future husbands. <TSR: 6, 126, Doorways, 90-1> This could mean that she will never marry, but it could mean that she really does know who she will end up marrying. Support for the latter case is because, according to Elayne, Moiraine had some passion in her voice when she mentioned husband, despite her attempts to then brush it off. After going through the Tear twisted doorway, she immediately tells Thom that he will live through the next set of adventures. This is not the only case of such a thing; after the incident in Whitebridge in TEOTW, Moiraine implies that Min saw something about Thom which makes her think that Thom was not killed by the Fade. She certainly seems to have some sort of knowledge of Thom's future. Thom keeps referring to Moiraine as a good looking woman with more and more sincerity as time progresses and discovers he no longer loves Morgase. Possible scenario: How would she know who it was? Being Aes Sedai she'd likely have a lot of chances, but here's a guess. When Min describes how her viewings work her standard example is this: I see two people who have never met and know they will marry--and of course we had both Thom and Moiraine in front of her in Baerlon. So, this would also be the reason why 1) Moiraine was so sure Thom hadn't been killed by a Fade, despite Rand's and Mat's protestations, and 2) why she tells Thom "I will see you again. You will survive Tarabon." <TSR: 17, 278, Deceptions, 195> At this point, she is absolutely certain that she will see Thom again. This is before she goes to Rhuidean and goes through the rings that show possible futures. When she did do that, she saw nothing beyond the point where she tackled Lanfear through the Twisted Doorway. She thus decided that Min (or whatever oracle led her to think she would see Thom again) had been wrong. <Sean Hillyard> Survey Says: Will Thom marry Moiraine, if she is alive? Yes: 67% (151) No: 25% (55) Undecided: 8% (17) 1.04..............................................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, suggesting that she is no longer among the living, and 2) various visions that imply that she will return. These are: Egwene's vision <TFoH: 15, 300-1, What Can Be Learned in Dreams, 214> of Thom pulling Moiraine's blue jewel out of a fire, and Min's comment in <ACOS 35, Into the Woods, 543> that Rand would fail without "a woman who was dead and gone," which almost certainly refers to Moir., and her comment on the next page <ACOS: 35, Into the Woods, 546> that "Moiraine was the only viewing of hers that had ever failed." She must have had one or more viewings about Moir. that were not fulfilled, and since WE know that Min is never wrong, then Moir. will almost certainly return at some point. The breaking of Lan's bond was probably caused by the shutting off of the Red Door into *finnland. Another suggestion is that Moir. was stilled during her fight, and that is what caused the bond to break. Ruchira Datta says:"One of you would have been bad enough, but two *ta'veren* at once - you might have torn the connection entirely and been trapped there." <TSR: 15, 255, Into the Doorway, 178-9> This quote is the basis for one of the currently held versions of the possible fate of Moiraine and Lanfear; just substitute "channelling combatants" for "ta'veren". In <LoC: Glossary, entry "Moiraine", 710>, it says "She vanished into a ter'angreal in Cairhien while battling Lanfear, apparently killing both herself and the Forsaken." That "apparently" definitely leaves the question open. Furthermore, she has a "small shred of hope" before attacking Lanfear, so there IS hope for her future. This "small shred" is probably a glimpse that Moir. got of her future from a source other than the Rhuidean rings, either from Min or the Red Door in Tear. Survey Says: What happened to Moiraine? Alive & unstilled: 38% (85) Alive & burnt out (un-healable): 26% (59) Alive & stilled: 17% (39) Dead: 7% (16) What was in Moiraine's letter to Thom (more than one answer possible): info about the Red Ajah who gentled Owyn: 85% (190) info on how to rescue her: 29% (66) lovey gooey stuff: 28% (63) Survey Says: Will Thom rescue Moiraine, if she _is_ alive? Yes: 83% (187) No: 1% (3) Undecided: 5% (12) 1.05...............................WHAT WAS UP WITH GAWYN DURING THE COUP? It's been suggested that he was involuntarily bonded to a Black or to a Forsaken. His eyes were glazed and he was not necessarily in control of himself <TSR: 47, 779-782, The Truth of a Viewing, 539-41>. Alviarin says with some confidence that "Gawyn will be brought under control". <TFOH: Prologue, 19, The First Sparks Fall, 17> OTOH, it is personally reasonable to assume that 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. Furthermore, in his POV scenes in LOC and ACOS, he never thinks anything that would give the idea that he's bonded to anything. Plus, he agrees to be Eg's warder; he couldn't do that if he was already bonded. >From his behavior in LoC, it seems pretty apparent that he acted under his own will during the Coup, motivated by grief and anxiety over Elayne and Egwene. He develops a similar fierce hatred for Rand due to the rumors that Rand killed Morgase. 1.06.............................WHO IS THE DAUGHTER OF THE NINE MOONS? Mat's fate: "To marry the Daughter of the Nine Moons!" Daughter of the Nine Moons probably indicates the heir to the throne of the Seanchan. This is most likely Tuon, the second daughter of the Seanchan Empress who is mentioned by High Lord Turak in Falme. <TGH: 34, 497, The Wheel Weaves, 420>. It has been pointed out that (at least as of TGH) there is no set heir, and so the DotNM may be the Empress herself, or one of her daughters (besides Tuon) An outside runner is Berelain, who is descended from Hawkwing and thus "of the Blood," literally. Part of that theory is that "half the light of the world" refers to Mayene being a great supplier of lamp oil. In Ebou Dar in <LoC: 52, Weaves of the Power, 641>, Mat runs into a Seanchan guy who recognizes the name "Daughter of the Nine Moons." This makes it pretty clear that the Daughter of the Nine Moons refers to somebody Seanchan. The epilogue makes further clarification <LoC: Epilogue, The Answer, 697>: "Perhaps the Return would come soon, and the Daughter of the Nine Moons with it." The Daughter is maybe a leader of the Return. It has been suggested that the Seanchan themselves don't know who the DotNM is, and that the Return will reveal her identity to them. (I gather this theory is that the DotNM is some sort of messiah figure for the Seanchan, or something like that.) Chances are that Mat is going to meet her RSN, since he's trapped in a town that has just been invaded by the Seanchan. Survey Says: Who is the Daughter of the Nine Moons? a daughter of the Empress of Seanchan: 60% (134) the Empress of Seanchan: 10% (22) Seanchan Messiah Figure: 8% (18) Cerandin from Valan Luca's show 7% (15) Berelain 4% (8) Egeanin 1% (2) 1.07..........WHO WILL TAKE CALLANDOR FROM THE STONE? WILL IT BE LOGAIN? The "Into the heart" prophecy (see section 7.3), suggests that maybe somebody besides Rand is going to remove the Callandor from the Stone: "Who draws it out shall follow after". Maybe Logain (His future glory)? Now that he is un-gentled and at large, he might end up with the Sword That Ain't. Even though Verin said that Logain would be burnt to a crisp trying to control the sa'angreal, we know by now that AS don't know everything. Eg's dream of a dark young man holding something glowing <ACOS: 10, Unseen Eyes, 203) _could_ refer to Logain and Callandor. Another idea is that somebody using Mat's medallion could get the sword, because the Power traps would not affect them. Along these lines, somebody may be able to reproduce the effects of the medallion somehow and thereby get the Sword. Yet another idea is that somebody could physically dig Callandor out, although I dunno how easy it would be to dig a hole into the Stone of Tear. Maybe use fireworks a la Mat in TDR? Finally, Callandor might just sit there until the Fourth Age incarnation of the Dragon comes along. In <LoC: 32, Summoned in Haste, 453> Rand thinks about how he modified his traps after learning to invert weaves, and makes reference to somebody besides himself drawing the sword and "following after." Survey Says: Callandor pulling: Who will pull the Sword from the Stone? Logain: 62% (139) Mat: 2% (5) Rand: 12% (26) Galad: 1% (3) No one 7% (15) Dragon of the next Age: 1% (2) 1.08......................................HOW DOES MAT'S MEDALLION WORK? When Elayne tries to use the Power on Mat in <LoC: 38, A Sudden Chill, 504>, she describes the effect as "The flows just...vanished." It seems that the medallion works by dissolving or destroying Power Flows. At Balticon 30 (April 1996), RJ said that the medallion only works on direct weaving of Power (both saidin and saidar) flows against the wearer; indirect effects of the power, such as picking up a rock with Air and throwing it, or lightning, are not blocked. Thus, failure of the medallion to protect against the lightning strike at the end of TFOH can be explained. Survey Says: Mat's medallion protects against: Both Saidar and Saidin: 84% (188) Saidar only: 16% (35) 1.09..............................................WHY ISN'T ELAIDA BLACK? <Erica Sadun, P. Korda> Read the following references: <TEotW: 40, 606, The Web Tightens, 508> : Elaida doesn't like Rats. <TSR: 1, 38, Seeds of Shadow, 29-30>: Elaida thinks about how Rand al'Thor must be stopped from causing trouble in Andor, since Andor and its royalty are they key to defeating the DO. <TFoH: Prologue, 13-25, The First Sparks Fall, 13-21> and <TFoH: 19, 367, Memories, 260>: Elaida is pretty clearly a dupe. Finally, from the Elaida-Alviarin interactions in LOC and ACOS, it is pretty clear that Elaida is not BA, since Alviarin has to resort to blackmail to control Elaida. If Elaida was BA, Alviarin would just _tell_ her what to do. 1.10.............................................WHO IS JUILIN'S HONEY? <Michael Gonzalez, Korda> >From <ACoS: Glossary, 675>: "Juilin Sander - A thief-catcher from Tear. A man in love with perhaps the very last woman he would ever have tought he could be." So, who is it? People have suggested an Aes Sedai, Nynaeve, Birgitte, etc. However, there is only one idea backed by any demonstration of tender feelings on Juilan's part: ex-Panarch Amathera of Tarabon: Now we know (from <ACOS: 14, White Plumes, 273>, as well as other places) that Juilin does not like nobles, so a high noble of some sort might seem to be the last person he would think he'd fall in love with.... <ACoS, 14, White Plumes, 274> "Tarabon must be terrible now for a woman not used to taking care of herself," Juilin murmured. Going back to the group's trip away from Tarabon, I found: <tFoH: 9, A Signal, 146> Nynaeve: "Amathera was difficult, but I do not wish her any harm. Do you?" Juilin: "A pretty woman, especially in one of those Taraboner serving girl's dresses, with a pretty smile. I thought she...." (shuts up when Elayne shoots him a dirty look.) So, it looks like Amathera. It just happens that Amathera could do with some rescuing at the moment, and is wearing a dress that Juilan would _really_ like to see her in! :) 1.11.............................................THE DEATH OF ASMODEAN WHY DIDN'T RAND NOTICE ASMODEAN WAS DEAD? He noticed Asm was gone. He thinks Asm ran away. Note that this implies there was no body left. "If they discovered that he had held one of the Forsaken prisoner and allowed him to escape...He would deal with Asmodean himself if the man ever turned up again."<LOC, ?, A Woman's Eyes, 92> WHO KILLED JoaR? Whoever killed Asmodean must have: a) been recognized by Asmodean b) been someone Asmodean did not expect to see, and was terrified of c) been able to be in Caemlyn at the time d) been able to kill Asmodean near-instantaneously ("The word still hung in the air when death took him.") e) had a motive for killing Asmodean f) been able to dispose of the body Any of the Forsaken would fulfill b-f, and maybe a. Padan Fain fulfills c, e, and f, maybe d, but a & b are a bit of a stretch. 1) Lanfear (but she's missing, presumed dead) If Lanfear was alive, where would she go? She would continue her revenge on Rand, I think. BUT, having possibly lost her angreal, and probably facing a more prepared Rand, and having had some time to think about things (like Rahvin ceasing to exist), I don't think she'd immediately assault Rand again. Instead, she'd again methodically plan to weaken him. I think that it is very reasonable (but all hypothetical) for her to kill Asmodean immediately.<Amish Dave> 2) Ishamael. Maybe he's been resurrected Aran/Osan'gar style? Problem is how would Asmodean recognize him in a new body? 3) Mesaana. Any Forsaken would have a reason to kill Asmodean. 4) Sammael: might as well get all the unaccounted-for Forsaken in here. 5) The Dark One (Shai'....), via the agency of Shaidar Haran (Shadow's Hand). Same problem as for Ish: why would Asmodean recognize him? 6) Fain: Could have been in Caemlyn at the time (via the Ways, if nothing else). Would want to kill any Forsaken because they would interfere with his plans to be Rand's personal hell. Can use the dagger to kill easily. Problems--How would Asm recognize him, and if he did, why would he be terrified of him? (Possible explanation is that Asm recognized the Mashadar taint on Fain's dagger, as Aginor & Balthamel did at the Eye of the world, and _that_ is what he recognized. Problem is, that Asm was no longer tied to the DO, and could hardly channel, and so how could he recognize Mashadar?) Asm died pretty fast ("The word still hung in the air when death took him."); the dagger doesn't kill that quickly. There is enough time for the stabbed one to gasp, fall to the ground, writhe around a bit, and finally die once the Mashadar-taint spreads through his body enough. (see the scene in TFOH where he kills the accepted <TFoH: 19, 366, Memories, 259>, and the part in TGH where Mat kills the Seanchan guy <TGH: 45, 636, Blademaster, 538> NB: This guy seems to die much faster than the Accepted) Of course, Fain could have just stabbed him through the heart, or cut his throat. 7) Other, unlikely, suggestions include, Slayer, Mat, and Egwene. WHO DIDN'T KILL HIM? From the LoC prologue, we see that Demandred doesn't know what happened to Asmodean: "Lanfear has vanished without a trace, just as Asmodean did." Hence, Demandred didn't kill him. But the Dark One's response seems to imply the DO _might_ be behind what happened to Asmodean: "WHO BETRAYS ME SHALL DIE THE FINAL DEATH. ASMODEAN, TWISTED BY HIS WEAKNESS." <LoC: Prologue, The First Message, 15> In <LOC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 141>, Semirhage thinks to herself, "Asmoden. A traitor, and so doomed but he really had vanished..." and later, "If the Great Lord moved her here secretly, might he not be moving Moghedien or Lanfear, or even Asmodean?" This seems to imply that Semirhage doesn't know what happened to Asm, and thus that she didn't kill him. At a post-LoC signing in Chicago, RJ said that we have all the clues to figure out who killed Asmodean. I look upon this statement with skepticism. Survey Says: Who killed JoaR (Novak-Ghirardelli Survey, 1994)? Lanfear: 24% (53) The DO: 3% (6) Graendal: 1% (3) Fain: 17% (39) Random minion LTT: 1% (3) Shaidar Haran: 7% (15) of the DO: 3% (6) Mesaana: 1% (2) Sammael: 4% (10) Taim: 2% (5) Ishamael: 3% (7) Slayer: 2% (4) WHY DID HE GET KILLED, ANYWAY? If we can figure out _why_ he was killed, we might be able to throw some light on _who_ killed him. One possibility is that he was the target of a pre-meditated assassination. The Shadow (ie the DO and all the Forsaken) would want to do this, because he was a traitor. Fain would want to do this, because either Fain knew Asm was helping Rand or he thought Asm was trying to kill/turn/etc Rand, and didn't want a Forsaken to defeat al'Thor--that is Fain's mission in life. (Then again, Fain might not know anything about Asm's existence at all.) If it was premeditated, then how did the killer know Asm was heading for the wine closet? Maybe Asm was a frequent customer? Maybe the killer was hiding there, and took his chance when Asm walked in? Maybe he was close enough nearby to observe Asm's movements? A second possibility is that Asm was _not_ the specific target of the killer; he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Perhaps the killer was/is spying/plotting/etc from within the ranks of the Dragon Reborn. Asmodean bumped into him on his way to the wine closet, recognized him, and got killed to protect his secret. Quoting from the relevant passage: "He pulled open a small door, intending to find his way to the pantry. There should be some decent wine." Then we have, "You? No!" He was going to *look* for wine. He probably opened a door to an empty storeroom or hallway. It was *not* a wine pantry. He hadn't found it yet. If you reread the passage yourself, it seems that it may have even been an accident he ran into his killer (i.e. the killer wasn't planning on it, but since Asmodean saw him...). This motive fits well with the body being removed/destroyed. If the killing was for punishment, it would have made more sense for the body to be left, and the death widely publicized, to set an example. So how could the body being discovered disclose something about the killer (to the other characters)? I can think of 3 possibilities. 1) the killer is part of Rand's entourage, and a dead Asm could make people suspicious that there was a traitor in the ranks. 2) there is a hole in Rand's security, and a dead Asm would inspire people to find it in patch it up. 3) the killer is hiding (not necessarily only from Rand--could also be from the Forsaken) and a dead body could start folks thinking the killer was active. Think how Asm's death started us thinking that maybe Lanfear had returned, or that Ish was still around/around again, or that there had to be SOME sort skulduggery going on. WHY IS ASM'S DEATH BEING KEPT SECRET, ANYWAY? Despite RJ's comments to the contrary, it is not at all obvious who did the dirty deed. One question to ask ourselves is WHY is RJ keeping it a secret. The lack of action on that front in LOC pretty much demonstrates that the murder itself is NOT a major plot thread, so there is no point in keeping it secret for the sake of keeping the reader in suspense. Some people feel that Asm's killing is itself a clue to something else that is going on, which we don't know about yet; something like the return of Lanfear or Ish or some other "dead" character, or that it is tied into the question of who Mazrim Taim _really_ is, and what he's really up to. Now, we are not the only ones ignorant of the culprit. All of the characters (except one, obviously) are also ignorant of whodunnit (if they're Forsakens), or of what actually happenned (if they're Good Guys or rank-and-file DFs). So, if one of the surviving Forsaken killed Asm, they must have a reason for hiding it. After all, it's not like anybody would condemn them for punishing a traitor. Maybe one of the Forsaken is up to something in Caemlyn that he/she doesn't want any rivals for Nae'blis to know about. Anyway, that is something to think about. 1.12................................KARI al'Thor--WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT HER? <J. R. Feehan, Anthony Padilla> * Tam met Kari sometime before the end of the Aiel War. (ref. Tam's ranting in the woods) * Kari is from Caemlyn. <TGH: 8, The Dragon Reborn, 105> * Kari did not give birth to Rand. <TEOTW: 6, The Westwood, 73> (and other refs, too numerous to note) * Kari had red hair. <TEOTW: 16, The Wisdom, 202> * Kari, supposedly, had grey eyes which Rand was supposed to have inherited. <TEOTW: 1, An Empty Road, 2> (Rienk Tychon? suggests that she may actually not have had grey eyes, but that Tam just told him that--not likely, since he was delerious at the time, and Tam should certainly know the color of his wife's eyes) "Kari" has dark eyes in Ishy's vision at the end of tEotW. This might indicate that the "Kari" in the vision wasn't real. (tEotW near the end) * Kari died when Rand was young, perhaps from a disease that made her "waste away" or something. (There are no refs to a wasting sickness in TEOTW or TGH, and I don't think there are any refs in other books, but I leave this in in case I find one.) * Kari didn't approve of Tam's sword. <TEOTW: 5, Winternight, 56> All Rand can remember of her was her smile and her hands. Nynaeve said it was obvious that she loved Rand, and that she was very nice. Even still, she was only in the Two Rivers for a few years, if all Rand can remember is her smile. She probably had known Tam for quite a while, while he was in Andor. At any rate, their relationship went on long enough for him to say in his fever dream that she "Always said you wanted to have children." That "always" would imply that her and Tam didn't get hitched after like a month-long romance, and that maybe they'd been married a while before they found Rand, and maybe tried to have kids of their own to no avail, which would have taken a while to find out. At a book signing, RJ is reported to have said that we'll find out a little more about Kari later. Loony Kari theories: People have thought that Kari was Tigraine (somehow still alive after dying on the slopes of Dragonmount) or an Aiel Wise Woman looking after Shaiel's kid (which cannot be b/c Moir. said that Kari's from Caemlyn) or an Aes Sedai who'd been stilled (someone said she was wasting away and that's why she died and Tam was her Warder, etc. Wouldn't the White Tower have gotten to Emond's Field faster if Kari had been one?) or a Tinker or she was related to some Caemlyn noble we know. Don't know why exactly, but she does have red hair, and the Caemlyn nobles also have red hair. 1.13...................................................IS ARAM A DARKFRIEND? There is a Tinker at the DFS at the beginning of TGH, wearing green trousers and a yellow coat. There is definitely something up with Aram: Egwene's Dream <TFoH: 15, 300-1, What Can Be Learned in Dreams, 214> indicates that Aram is going to get Perrin into trouble: "A man in a bright yellow coat...the tinker. Every time he moved closer to Perrin it was if a chill of doom shot through everything." This may just mean that there is something doom-filled about Aram being a tinker with a sword. Aram is a pretty bloodthirsty dude, so it may be that he'll get Perrin in trouble somehow through his behaviour. In LoC and ACOS, Aram doesn't do much besides follow Perrin around. Not much evidence there. Survey Says: Is Aram a Darkfriend? Yes: 24% (54) No: 55% (123) Undecided: 21% (46) 1.14........IS THERE A CONNECTION BETWEEN MAT & THE STOLEN DICE TER'ANGREAL? <Erica Sadun, P.Korda> Could Mat's phenomenal luck come from the dice ter'angreal described in <TDR: 25, 294, Questions, 237-8>? 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, and went to Tar Valon to be Healed of it. The dagger may have influenced his natural luck, or forced him into his ta'veren-hood. 5. Mat can win at dice with you using >YOUR< dice. Note, though, that the dice ter'angreal could probably be used to counteract the probability-twisting effect of ta'veren, eg Mat's luck. 1.15...................................................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, 908, To Caemlyn, 643> Then again, they could just be meaning for him to fall in love with and marry Aviendha, and are congratulating her on 'getting into Rand's pants,' as Sean Hillyard so eloquently puts it. Evidence for the latter: Rand has asked Aviendha many times now to marry him, and that at one point a Wise One comments <TSR: 50, 882, Traps, 570> "I will make you know our blood for yours if I have to lay the..." Aiel ask to marry by laying a wreath of flowers at a man's feet, ie their goal is marriage and Aviendha has been quite successful--all she has to do now is accept. If Avi was pregnant, she would surely be showing some symptoms by now. For sure she would know it, having missed a few periods. I'm sure that this would give her more toh towards Elayne, and yet she doesn't say she's pregnant with Rand's child when she confesses to El. She only says she is in love with him, and has lain with him. <LoC: 40, Unexpected Laughter, 523> Some people have suggested that Aviendha's barfing on the boat in <ACOS 13, The Bowl of the Winds, 268> is an indication of morning sickness. However, there is no indication of her being ill on any other day, and RJ gives us an explanation for her queasiness on the one in question--the idea of being in an open boat, surrounded by water, is too much for her. Will Rand get any women pregnant? Yes: 75% (168) No: 16% (36) Undecided: 9% (20) Survey Says: Is Aviendha pregnant? Yes: 49% (109) No: 40% (89) Undecided: 12% (26) 1.16...............................................WHERE IS GAIDAL CAIN NOW? 1. a baby. 2. pulled out of Tel'aran'rhiod bodily and an adult. 3. time runs differently: Uno 4. Aviendha's or Faile's unborn kid. 5. Mat's lil' buddy Olver. (He statrted out hating Birgitte 'cos she is friends w/ Avi, but by ACOS, they are on good terms. He's an ugly little bugger.) There is a problem with anybody over the age of 1 being GC. It would mean Gaidal's soul was in 2 places at the same time when the Heroes of the Horn appeared at Falme--in Olver/Uno/whoever, and in the battle. This would mean that not only does time run differently in TAR, it runs BACKWARDS. Survey Says: Gaidal Cain is... Olver: 38% (84) Somebody we have not yet met, but we will: 26% (58) Nobody. We'll never see him: 12% (27) He'll be born to a major character: 8% (18) Uno: 4% (10) Somebody else (not in the MC question): 1% (3) 1.17.........................................WHAT ARE THE SEANCHAN UP TO? They'd taken Tanchico in LOC. In COS, they moved by sea into southern Altara (Ebou Dar), and by air/land into southwesterm Amadicia (Amador). It happens that a number of Our Heroes are in the region: Mat, Thom, and Juilan in Ebou Dar; Elayne, Ny, Lan, Avi, and Birgitte are at the Kin's farm outside Ebou Dar (assuming they managed to get out of town before the Seanchan attack), Galad with the WCs somewhere in Amadicia; Perrin, Faile, and Berelain in Ghealdan (near Jehanna, I guess). There's also the WCs and the Prophet's army in northern Amadicia, and various bunches of Shaido scattered through the area "from Illian to Ghealdan" by Sammeal <ACOS 40, Spears, 636>. Further away, but still possibly within range of the action, are Egwene's army in northern Murandy, and Rand's forces in Illian. It looks like the next book will finally bring the Seanchan situation to the forefront. 1.18.....................................................IS ISH STILL ALIVE? <Erica Sadun, P. Korda> Read the end of TDR. Notice that he has split in two? (Similar to Asmodean splitting in TSR, but Asmodean was re-joined.) Does this mean anything? This seems >very< troubling. <TDR: 55, 666, What is Written in Prophecy, 570> NB: Everybody (all the Forsaken) seems to think he is dead. And they found a body. Aran/Osan'gar throw a new light on the subject. Even if one of them is not Ishy, there is no reason not to expect that the DO won't resurrect the servant who has done the most for him over the last 3000 years. Now, Ishamael apparently died at the end of TEOTW and TGH, and yet he was back for more in TDR. In TDR it looked like he finally bit it. However, the question remains of how he managed to not die from his mortal wounds in the first two books. If we knew that, we could determine how his third death was different (or, for you conspiracy theorists, IF it was different). See the sections on Moridin and Shaidar Haran for reasons why one of these guys might be Ish reincarnated a la *'gar. 1.19...................................................TIGRAINE, AN ANALYSIS <Ruchira Datta, P. Korda> It is a certainty that Tigraine was Rand's mother, Shaiel. Tigraine was the Daughter-Heir of Andor, and was married to Taringail Damodred. They had a son, Galad. Tigraine and her brother Luc were sent to Tar Valon, in the usual tradition of the royalty of Andor. Tigraine vanished mysteriously from Tar Valon, never to be heard from again. <TEotW: 34, 525-6, The Last Village, 441-2> In <TSR: 34, 562, He Who Comes With the Dawn, 392-3>, we learn about Rand's mother, Shaiel. Her tale corresponds marvelously with Tigraine's. Add to this the fact that many people comment on how Rand looks like the Royal Family of Andor (Lord Barthanes <TGH: 32, 464, Dangerous Words, 392>, and many Andoran nobles <LoC: 26, Connecting Lines, 380>), the description of Luc <TSR: 33, 526, A New Weave in the Pattern, 368>), and there you have it. In LoC at one point in Caemlyn, Rand finally learns about Tigraine's story and is very upset until he figures out that he is not actually directly related to Elayne. Thus, he has placed himself in the family tree even if no one else has. 1.20..................................................................SLAYER <John Novak> Who are Slayer, Lord Luc, and Isam? Isam is Lan's blood cousin. Lord Luc is the brother of Tigraine, former Queen of Andor, and thus Rand's blood uncle. Slayer seems to be some amalgamation of the two. Isam is first mentioned late in tEotW. In <tEotW, 47, More Tales of the Wheel, 595>, Agelmar begins his tale of the history of the fall of Malkier. Briefly, it is revealed that al'Lan Mandragoran is the son of al'Akir and el'Leanna. Al'Akir had a brother, Lain Mandragoran, who was wed to Breyan. Lain and Breyan were parents to a child named Isam. Agelmar goes on to explain Breyan's jealousy and grief over her husband's death in the Blasted Lands, and her plot with Cowin Fairheart, hero and Darkfriend, to seize the throne for her son Isam. This plot failed, and Breyan fled south with her infant son Isam, and were overtaken by Trollocs. Their bodies were never recovered. It was at this time that el'Leanna and al'Akir sent their own infant son, al'Lan, south to Fal Moran to safety. The Glossary of LoC places al'Lan's birthdate in 953 NE, and thus we can surmise that these events took place no later than 956 NE. Lord Luc is the brother of Tigraine, former Daughter Heir of Andor. In <tEotW, 34, The Last Village, 441> we learn that Luc died in the Blight while ostensibly in training to become the First Prince of the Sword. Tigraine later vanished, before properly assuming her throne. Later, in <tSR, 34, He Who Comes With The Dawn, 392> we learn that Tigraine ran off to become a Maiden of the Spear with the Aiel at the directions of Gitara Moroso Sedai, some four years before Laman's Sin. The Glossary of tSR places the Aiel War, which begun as a direct result of Laman's Sin, from 976 to 978 NE. Thus, Tigraine disappeared circa 972 NE. On the next page, we learn that Janduin, Rand's biological father, was killed on a venture to the Blasted Lands by a man who looked so like Shaiel that Janduin would not raise his spear. This is almost certinaly Lord Luc, and is in the third year of the Aiel War, 977 NE. Finally, in <16, LoC, Tellings of the Wheel, 277> we learn that Luc himself may have been sent into the Blight by Gitara Moroso Sedai. After his disappearance, a year before Tigraine's flight, or about 971 NE, rumors whispered that Gitara sent him to find fame, or fate, or the Dragon Reborn or the Last Battle. Given her connection with Tigraine's flight, it seems very likely that the rumors are true. The first reference tying Luc and Isam together in any way comes >from the Dark Prophecy, scrawled on the walls in Fal Dara after the Trolloc raid. A relevant stanza says: Luc came to the Mountains of Dhoom. Isam waited in the high passes. The hunt is now begun. The Shadow's hounds now course, and kill. One did live, and one did die, but both are. The Time of Change has come. <tGH, 7, Blood Calls Blood, 89> The exact interpretation of this stanza is uncertain, but clearly, Isam survived Breyan's flight south as long as circa 971 NE, when Luc went north into the Blight. Curiously, Luc and Isam would have been roughly the same age, as well. Something happened-- one died and one lived-- but somehow, both still exist. Now, the only time we know of that Luc or Isam enter the picture in person, rather than as background, is in those segments of tSR set around Perrin's trip back home to the Two Rivers. The middle aged Lord Luc who arrives in the Two Rivers, claiming to help the villagers with the Whiteclaoks and Trollocs is that same Luc. His age and coloring are correct, and Perrin muses that if he resembles anyone, it is Rand. A cousinly resemblance, no doubt. Luc is Rand's blood uncle. Isam appears only in the Unseen World, and only by implication. In <tSR, 28, To the Tower of Ghenjei> Perrin has several encounters in the Unseen world. One is with a man who tries to kill him, a man with a cold, inhuman scent to Perrin's nose. Hopper later identifies this dangerous creature as 'Slayer,' after Slayer leads Perrin on a chase to the Tower of Ghenjei. Birgitte appears, then, identifies the Tower, connects it with the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn, and warns Perrin away from it, and Slayer. Later, Perrin sees Slayer in the Unseen World looking much like Lan, dressed and styled in the Malkieri fashion <tSR, 42, A Missing Leaf, 476>. He muses that the man looked enough like Lan to be a brother. In <tSR, 53, The Price of a Departure, 614-615> Perrin faces Slayer in the Unseen World, and shoots him with an arrow. Slayer disappears from the Unseen World, and when Perrin wakes up, learns that Lord Luc had suddenly run off as if wounded. Here, Perrin connects the two. He notes the simultanaity of the wounds, and notes the same icy, inhuman smell from both of them. In <tSR, 56, Goldeneyes, 645-646> the Trollocs in the Two Rivers form a battle cry out of the name Isam. Clearly, even though his activities seem limited to the Unseen World, his influence extends to the physical flesh. So much for evidence. What the Hell does any of this mean? The best anyone has been able to do is note that Luc and Isam now seem to be separate parts of a single being, aptly named Slayer by the wolves he kills in the Unseen World. We know from Egwene's training what some of the properties of the Unseen World are. Relevant properties here include the loss of one's humanity (as in, a cold, icy, inhuman scent coming from both Luc and Isam) after going to the Unseen World in the flesh, and the Unseen World's tendency to reflect the traveler's mental state. Given that Slayer always appears as Lord Luc in the world of the flesh and as Isam in the Unseen World, it is a fairly safe to assume that Isam is somehow piloting Luc's body. >From the stanza, it seems likely that Luc is the one who lived, because his body is still wandering around, twitching and talking, and that Isam is the one who died. In any other discussion, we'd just call this a possession, and be done with it. There are no firm answers on how or why Isam was given control over Luc's body, nor how much of the future Gitara Moroso saw when she sent Luc to his doom. However, it should be noted that odd phenomena concerning life and death, the mind and memory are hardly unknown in the Wheel of Time. Specifically, channellers of skill and strength are perfectly capable of forcing spirits bound to wait their next incarnation in the Unseen World back into the physical world. See Moghedien and Birgitte. Channellers are perfectly able to directly and powerfully impose their wills on others through Compulsion. The Dark One is capable of taking deceased souls and reincarnating them directly into new bodies, as with Aran'gar and Osan'gar. (In fact, David Wren-Hardin goes so far as to suggest that Aran'gar and Osan'gar have undergone the same process as Slayer.) It does not seem unlikely that Ishamael, perhaps with the counsel or active help of the Dark One could have managed this feat for some obscure purpose. ------ One further note: Hopper says that Slayer is in TAR "in the flesh." Folks have taken this as evidence that Slayer can channel. There is no reason to suppose this (also, see section 1.54, at the end, on evidence for why Slayer cannot channel). What's up with that "in the flesh" stuff? Let us assume nothing weird like Isam is permanently in TAR in the flesh and controls Luc's body from there. Let us assume that, somehow, Isam put himself into TAR in the flesh by walking through a Gateway. That was the time when Perrin met Hopper and they discussed Slayer. There is ANOTHER time when Slayer was dreaming into TAR--the time Perrin shot him. How do we know this? Well, the sequence of events goes like this: Perrin is sleeping. Perrin dreams the wolf dream, and sees Slayer (looking like Isam). He shoots Slayer with an arrow, producing a wound in the chest. I now quote: "Slayer faded, him and his cry together, growing misty, transparent, vanishing." (NOT like he opened a Gateway and walked out, like he woke up.) Perrin then wakes up, hears a commotion, asks what's going on, and finds out that Luc's just run off on his horse, hunched over like he's got a wound. He was NOT wounded earlier. Now, why would he have to escape from town if he was PHYSICALLY in TAR? He could just have run someplace else in TAR and exited there. Much easier, and safer. The whole scene is consistent with all the stuff we've heard before about people being wounded while dreaming in TAR, and having the wounds on their physical bodies. We don't know enough about Slayer, or even going in and out of TAR in the flesh, to say that the only way to do it is via a gateway. I can think of at least one way to get into TAR in the flesh w/o channelling yourself there. Somebody else can open a gateway for you. There's just as much evident for this as for him channelling himself in (i.e. none), and it doesn't produce the contradiction that if Slayer could channel on his own, his 2R strategy would have been very different. Survey says: Where's Luc? he's now part of Slayer, and will not be seen apart from Slayer/Isam ever: 50% (113) alive, elsewhere: 17% (38) trapped in T'A'R 12% (26) dead 7% (15) Trapped in *finnland 4% (10) Will Perrin free Luc from the Dreamworld? Yes: 22% (49) No: 56% (125) Undecided: 19% (42) 1.21........................................................THE SEVERED HAND The "Severed Hand" controversy centers around several of Min's visions. For Elayne, she has seen: 1)A severed hand, not hers <TGH: 24, 362, New Friends and Old Enemies, 305>, 2)A red-hot iron and an axe <TGH: 43, 605, A Plan, 511>. For Rand, we have: A bloody hand and a white hot iron <TEotW: 15, 216, Strangers and Friends, 181>. Here are the theories: 1)In <TFoH: 16, 316, 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? <TGH: 40, 573, Damane, 484>). Somebody then chops of Rand's hand (with an axe) to save the two of them. The wound is then cauterized with a hot iron that happens to be lying around. <Judy G, Arthur Bernard Byrne, John Novak> 3)Joe Shaw has suggests: During Rand's battle with Ba'alzamon at the end of TGH, we have "Rand screamed as he felt [Ba'alzamon's staff] pierce his side, burning like a white-hot poker." At the same time, he gets a second heron branded onto his hand. <TGH: 47, 666, The Grave Is No Bar To My Call, 564> I still think this was the fulfillment of Min's viewing about Rand, and that Elayne's similar viewing is completely unrelated. 4) Galad's hand gets chopped for having stolen the boat in Samara from the loony Prophet (according to the Prophet's new law, thieves get their hands chopped). Problem: I see this having more to do with Ny than with El, since she was the one who told both Galad and the Prophet to get a boat for them. <Judy G., again> RJ said, at a signing, that he deliberately made Rand like Tew/Chew, the Norse god of strife, who lost a hand. Survey Says: Will Rand lose a hand? Yes: 51% (114) No: 35% (78) Undecided: 14% (31) 1.22................................................THE GREEN MAN AND THE SONG (Tinker, Green Man, Soldier, Aiel) <Erica S., P.Korda, Teri Pettit, Aaron Bergman> 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 *'angreal and instead dedicate their lives to re-finding 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. For the Tinkers, "The Song" has become more than just the human part of the AoL growing ceremony. The Tinkers' legendary song is something that will bring back the peaceful lifestyle known by the Dashain Aiel during the Age of Legends. Teri Petit explains, "The Tuatha'an began their search looking for a safe haven where they could return to a way of life in which Aiel singing together worked wonders. That eventually got distorted into a life of perpetual travel searching for "The Song", as if there were just one, and it was something a single traveler could know." <TSR: 26, ?, ?, 296 REF?> So, when we say "will the Tinkers find the Song?" we really mean, "Will the Tinkers rediscover the AoL growing ceremony, plus the talent of the Voice, and be able to recreate the peaceful existence of their ancestors, the Da'shain Aiel?" Survey Says: Will the Aiel and the Tinkers reunite? Yes: 42% (94) No: 44% (99) Undecided: 14% (31) Q:WILL THE SONG BE FOUND, AND IF SO, BY WHOM? 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, and probably some of the Aiel clan chiefs, have actually _heard_ the Song in the glass columns of Rhuidean. Further Evidence that Rand will find the song: <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." It is entirely possible that the Song is lost forever (or at least until the Age of Legends comes around again). Aaron Bergman explains: "In the breaking that followed the sealing of the bore, the Da'Shain were scattered. Some ended up at Rhuidean with the caravans; Some broke off, eventually becoming the Tinkers. Anyways, during those times when mountains moved around when they were bored and food and water were scarce, the memory of the singing survived. This grew to become linked with the memory of the peace of the Age of Legends. This easily progressed to the idea that if they could discover this ephemeral "song," the Age of Legends would come anew. "I think one of the themes buried in these novels is that the past is dead. You can't hope to regain the past. Rand can't go back to the Two Rivers and become a shepherd. The Age of Legends is dead, it will not return for a very long time; certainly not in the next (fourth) Age. The Tuatha'an are seeking to regain the past. The "song" is a remnant of the past. Thus, the song will not be found." There is no Song that will recreate the Age of Legends, for it is past. Survey Says: Will the Song be found? Yes: 74% (166) No: 18% (41) Undecided: 8% (17) Who will discover the Song? Perrin: 25% (55) Rand: 6% (14) Loial: 12% (27) LTT: 1% (3) No one: 11% (24) Mat: 1% (3) Aram: 8% (19) Elyas: 1% (2) Survey Says: Will Perrin pick the axe or the hammer (whatever that means)? The Axe, then discard it for the Hammer: 57% (127) The Hammer: 19% (43) The Axe: 7% (16) 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'. Some male Aiel worked with the Ogier and the Nym in planting as they had the gift of the 'Voice', the seed singing (this may not be limited to Aiel; in the TEOTW prologue, LTT asks Elan Morin if he has the Voic). Although the Ogier continue to have 'tree singers', the Voice seems to be a talent that has disappeared. When the Aiel did their work in the fields, they wore light gray and brown 'working clothes' (cadin'sor). The clothes, the hair style and the avoidance of the use of weaponry which cannot be used for other purposes remains today, but the talent of the Voice is currently unknown. Survey Says: Are there any Jenn Aiel left? Yes: 29% (65) No: 59% (133) Undecided: 11% (25) 1.23.........................................VERIN: BLACK, BROWN, OR PURPLE? VERIN: BLACK OR NOT? <Sean Hillyard, Mike Lemons, Judy Ghirardelli, Emma Pease, Erica Sadun, Pam Korda, Keith Casner, etc> 1) In TGH, Verin tells the boys that Moiraine sent her to look after them: <TGH: 14, 231, Wolfbrother, 195> "Moiraine Sedai sent me, Lord Ingtar," Verin announced with a satisfied smile. "She thought you might need me." Moiraine later says that she did NOT send Verin: <TGH: 49, 675, What was Meant To Be, 572> "I did not send Verin." Moiraine frowned. "She did that on her own." It is pretty obvious that Moiraine is not BA, so that implies that Verin lied, and hence must be BA. DEFENSE:Verin could have been tricked by somebody masquerading as Moiraine, maybe Lanfear. Or, perhaps she managed to find an interpretation of her words that could be taken as the truth. (Moiraine wanted somebody to watch over you guys, but she couldn't be here...) Now, MAYBE Verin is using some sneaky thought process to get around the Oath: '"Moiraine Sedai sent me Lord Ingtar," Verin announced with a satisfied smile [recalling how satisfying the Beer and Pizza Moiraine had sent her for had been, and also how satisfying it had been to come up with a literally true statement which would preclude any questions from Rand, et. al.]<Edward Measure>' At a signing in Atlanta, RJ said that this discrepancy is not a mis-step. Survey Says: What is going on with that? Verin was misleading, but in a truthful fashion: 38% (84) Verin was lying (violating the Oath): 28% (62) A misunderstanding between characters: 16% (35) A Jordan mistake: 5% (12) One was being impersonated: 3% (7) 2) Verin does not give Corianin's notes to Egwene along with the dream ring. Relevant passages: <TDR: 21, 241-2, A World of Dreams, 187>. Maybe she wanted Egwene to get killed, or caught by some Forsaken? DEFENSE: Four reasons that Verin wouldn't want to show the manuscript to Egwene: 1) Verin is afraid that Egwene would not continue if she knew how dangerous it is. 2) Verin is afraid that Egwene would not continue if she knew who or what must be sacrificed. 3) The very nature of prophecy requires that it be vague or kept secret. 4) Maybe Verin was afraid that _Egwene_ was a Darkfriend. Also, note that she _considered_ giving the notes to Egwene, but decided not to. If she was withholding the notes for a nefarious purpose, she wouldn't have even considered it. 3) Her suspicious behavior in the 2 Rivers: a)Misleads Perrin as to why she and Alanna are there <TSR: 31, 493-4, Assurances, 345-6>. b)Tells Perrin not to trust Alanna, perhaps laying a false trail? <TSR: 33, 533, A New Weave in the Pattern, 373>. c)She also knows Luc is the missing Lord Luc, Tigraine's brother who disappeared in the Blight. She knows he is mentioned in the Dark Prophecy, yet she does not warn anyone about him? Or tell them who he is? DEFENSE: a) & b) are typical Aes Sedai behavior. As for c)... 4) Only three characters have referred to Perrin's choice of hammer or axe: Ishamael, Lanfear and Verin. This puts Verin in very suspicious company. DEFENSE: Verin is Brown Ajah, and thus is likely to know all sorts of obscure things. (Also note that the above statement is somewhat false: Egwene also knows about the hammer/axe choice. She dreamed it.) 5) Was observed in deep conversation with Barthanes, a known Darkfriend, at the party in <TGH: 33, 470, A Message From the Dark, 397> When Hurin approached them, Verin waved him away. Perhaps they were discussing "business matters?" DEFENSE: No, they were just talking about the weather/politics/etc and Verin didn't want some Shienaran servant butting into her conversation; it wouldn't look right and might make Barth. suspicious. 6) In <TFoH: 53, 900, Fading Words, 638> Moiraine mentions to Rand in her last letter not to trust Alviarin, who is definitely a Darkfriend, and Verin. Additionally, Siuan mentions that Verin never told her about giving Egwene a ter'angreal. DEFENSE: The former is just an exercise in contrasts. Moiraine is saying: "Don't trust ANYBODY. You are rightly suspicious of Alviarin, but you should be equally suspicious of those you think you can trust, like Verin." As for the latter, why should she tell SS? 7) Draghkar Attack on Moiraine. <TGH: 22, 331-3, Watchers, 278-9> Executed at least with Aes Sedai help (the warding on them so they couldn't be sensed). Moiraine seemed to think that pretty much everyone in the Tower had forgotten about these old hermit Aes Sedai. However, we do know one individual old enough to remember them who could have ordered the attack --Verin. DEFENSE: This is totally wimpy speculation, and wouldn't even be here, except that somebody might bring it up again. Liandrin (known BA) could have easily followed Moiraine there. Survey Says: Verin is: Basicly good: 75% (168) Neither good nor bad--somewhere in the middle: 18% (40) Basicly bad: 2% (4) ALTERNATIVE VERIN SPECULATIONS: 1) Something in those Notes Theory: We know Verin had access to Corianin Nedeal's notes. There is something in those notes that Verin doesn't want anybody to know about, something so potentially dangerous that she'd consider destroying the notes and all the knowledge contained therein. What if, in those notes, Corianin Nedeal describes how she discovered how to break the Three Oaths in T'A'R? That would certainly explain why she wouldn't want Eg to have the notes, especially after her speech at the start of TDR about how important the Oaths are. This would also explain how she managed to lie about Moiraine sending her. Plus, who knows what eldrich knowledge is contained in the notes? Who knows what Verin saw when she tried out the ter'angreal to go to T'A'R? This could explain all sorts of Verinisms. <Keith Casner, Pam Korda> 2) Verin == Corianin Theory: Verin is Corianin Nedeal herself, and is thus very, very, old. That is how she got her hands on the ring ter'angreal. Problem: In <TDR: 21, A World of Dreams, 191>, Verin is thinking on Nedeal's notes, and thinks of Nedeal in the third person. One doesn't usually refer to oneself in the third person. Another problem (which is also present in related Very Old Verin (VOV) theories is that if there was a 400+ year-old Aes Sedai lurking around the Tower, surely somebody would have noticed by now. Furthermore, Verin is probably not older than 300 years (see below), and thus cannot be Corianin.<Dave Delany, etc> 3) Second Foundation Ajah Theory: Verin is a member of a secret society whose members preserve ancient knowledge for humanity's need at the Last Battle. The existence of the BA shows that it is possible for a secret group to exist in the Tower--if there is a group dedicated to evil, why not a group dedicated to good? Problem: there have always been rumors of the BA. Nothing can be kept secret for centuries in a place with so many people in it, and so much scheming as the White Tower. And yet, we've never heard any hint of this secret group. <Mark Hazen, etc> 4) Very Old Verin: Verin is very, very old, and pre-dates the lying Oath, and is thus not bound to it. This theory has been proposed as part of various Second Foundation Ajah theories, Corianin Nedeal theories, as well as independently. problem: Verin would have to be 1000+ years old. We have seen no evidence, even in the AoL that _anybody_ lives that long, without help from the DO. Plus, wouldn't anybody notice that Verin had outlived dozens of Amyrlin Seats? Furthermore, the upper bound on Verin's age (see below) is ~300. This is not old enough for her to date from a pre-OR time. Survey says: In which of the following Verin Theories do you believe (more than one choice possible)? I really have no clue whatsoever as to what's up with Verin: 35% (78) She's never held the oath rod: 29% (66) she's in the "Secret Ajah": 24% (53) she's Corianin Nedeal (the last dreamer): 8% (19) she is the Creator or an agent of the Creator: 6% (14) she's a member of the Jenn Aiel: 6% (13) Verin is Black Ajah : 3% (6) none of the above (i.e. yet another theory): 19% (40) HOW OLD IS VERIN? Many pet theories hinge upon this question. From <LoC: 11, Lessons and Teachers, 207>, we know that Verin has been working on some plan for about 70 years. This sets a lower bound on Verin's age. The only other possible clue is <LOC: 43, The Crown of Roses, 549>. Merana Sedai is considering the pecking order among the AS in Caemlyn: "Merana had been Aes Sedai ten years the day the midwife laid Alanna at her mother's breast...Verin was the problem...Five years as novice for each, six as Accepted; that was one thing every Aes Sedai knew about every other if she knew nothing else. The difference was that Verin was older, maybe almost as much older than she as she was older than Alanna." We know that the Tower doesn't take women much older than Ny for Novices, and an average novice starts at about the age Elayne & Egwene did (17-18), for the Very Old Verin folks, lets say both Merana & Verin started late--24 (Ny was an exception, I think they only took her because she was so strong). So if Alanna is about 35 (a reasonable guess), Merana is 24 + 11 years training + 10 years as full AS = 45 years older than Alanna, that is, 80 years old. If Verin is as much older than Merana as Merana is older than Alanna, then Verin is 80 + 45 = 125 years old. So if Merana is right about how much older Verin is than she, Verin cannot be much older than 125 years. More than once in ACOS, Cadsuane Melaidhrin is described as "the oldest Aes Sedai." In <ACOS: Glossary, 671>, is says she is "thought to have been born around 705 NE," which would make her around 300 years old. She's also the most powerful AS apart from El, Eg, and Ny, which means she will have gotten maximum life-prolonging benefits of channelling. In spite of this, she is at the end of her life <ACOS: 19, Diamonds and Stars>, so it is reasonable to believe that AS who are bound by the Oath Rod don't get much older than Cadsuane. If the glossary is to be believed, that is about 300 years. By implication, this puts an upper bound on Verin's age. (Assuming that the Ageless look is caused by the Oath Rod--Verin is Ageless.) Survey Says: How Old is Verin? 100-149 years old: 31% (69) 500-3000 years old: 10% (22) 140-199 years old: 16% (36) older than 3000 years: 1% (3) 70 - 99 years old: 12% (27) less than 70 years: 1% (2) IS VERIN BOUND BY THE OATH ROD? The evidence in ACOS tells us that the Ageless Look is caused by being bound by the Oath Rod. (See section ?) Without a doubt, Verin has the Ageless Look <TGH: 7, Blood Calls Blood, 87>. The conclusion is, then, that Verin is bound by the Oath Rod. Note that this means that Verin has taken at least one Oath on the Rod. She may have found a way to get around the First Oath, but didn't wish to free herself from the second or third. Maybe she even discovered that the Oath Rod could be used to release oaths taken on one. <ACOS: 40, Spears, 631> Furthermore, in <aol.com Chat, 27-6-96>, RJ just about said straight out that Verin has held the Oath Rod. Somebody asked if it was true if he'd said that Verin had NOT held it, and if so then did Cadsuane also avoid it. His answer: "No, I did *not* say that Verin had never held the Oath Rod. Cadsuane has also held the Oath Rod." Cadsuane has ALSO held it, implying that Verin has, as well. 1.24......WHO IS THE OLD GEEZER ON THE BARREL WATCHING CARRIDIN'S PLACE? Quite a few mysterious characters were introduced in ACOS. One of these was the old man watching Carridin's palace in Ebou Dar. What do we know about him? He's old, and quite worse-for-wear: "A scrawny, white-haired fellowlounging nearby in the shade. Mat looked at him questioningly, and he grinned, showing gaps in his teeth. His stooped shoulders and sad weathered face did not fit his fine gray coat. Despite a bit of lace at his neck, he was the very picture of hard times." <ACOS: 14, White Plumes, 282> He can't remember parts of his past: "His head felt... peculiar... sometimes. Most often when he thought of what he could not remember." <ACOs: 17: The Triumph of Logic, 318> He's got a lot of knowledge about local DF activity--he knows about "Carridin's pretty little killer," and about the two BA in town. <ACOs: 17: The Triumph of Logic, 319> He used to be a fighter of some kind, and he's still proficient with knives: "His hands no longer possessed the strength or flexibility for swordwork, but the two long knives he had carried for well over thirty years had surprised more than one swordsman." <ACOs: 17: The Triumph of Logic, 319> He's working on some kind of deadline: "He did not have much time left, but it was all he did have." <ACOs: 17: The Triumph of Logic, 319> So, is he somebody we've heard of before? Maybe not, but here are some speculations as to his identity: 1) Jain Farstrider--the age is right, as is the memory problem (when Jain visited the Ogier, his mind wass befuddled). See also section 1.?, the Jain section. 2) Elyas Machera--Not likely; Elyas was in good shape when we last saw him in TEOTW (apart from some flesh wounds). He certianly wasn't feeble like the old guy. Plus, Elyas doesn't show any inclination to frequent cities. Unlike Perrin, he is comfortable with being a wolfbrother; he wouldn't LIKE not being able to feel the wolves, as would be the case in a city. Furthermore, Elyas uses one knife, not two. 3) Geofram Bornhold--If Geofram survived the battle at Falme, he could certainly have sustained such injuries to make him be in as bad a shape as the old man in question. Furthermore, he'd have reason to be paying attention to Carridin, considering the way their relationship stood when they parted in TGH. OTOH, the old man seems to have been unable to handle a sword for 30 years. Bornhold doesn't fit that description. 4) Graendal's Old Man--In <TFOH: Prologue, The First Sparks Fall, 26>, when Graendal Gates in to the Forsaken tea party, a "rumpled old man" can be seen in the room whence she came. Perhaps the barrel man is spying on Carridin (currently Sammael's flunky) for Graendal. His memory trouble could be explained by Graendal's usual use of subtle Compulsion. This, of course, doesn't preclude him from being #1-3, although it isn't likely that Elyas would be keeping company w/ Graendal. It is worth mentioning here that it's been speculated that Graendal's Old Man is General Itulrade. (Why Graendal would have a famous general acting as a spy is beyond me.) 5) Somebody associated with Carridin's late family--He might just be some old family retainer or even a relative who escaped the Myrddraal and cam looking for Carridin to exact vengence for what he had done to the family. How he found out that Carridin is responsible is another question. (Maybe he just found the only surviving familly member.) 6) Old Cully--One of the local DFs is a murderous old beggar named Old Cully, and it's been suggested that this Old Cully and the barrel man are one and the same. This is not possible. Carridin knows Old Cully by sight, yet when he sees the barrel man in <ACOS: 15, Insects, 286> standing next to Mat, he doesn't recognise him. 1.25.................................................WHY LANFEAR MAY BE GOOD <Ruchira Datta, korda, and Roy Navarre as the Lanfear Pin-up of the Month Club, Carolyn Fusinato> 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 <TSR: 26, 432-437, The Dedicated, 303-6>, Charn perceives Mierin as a good person, and maintains this belief even after she became Lanfear. Up to TFoH (see refutation), it can be claimed that she hadn't done any inarguably evil acts. She has been deceptive - but what would one expect from an Aes Sedai? She is jealous and possessive of Rand-- but note that she had not done anything to harm her competition, which would probably be very easy for her to do. (She met Egwene in Tel'aran'rhiod, if I recall correctly, but anyway Egwene had been eliminated from the category of "competition" by this time.) She told Ishamael in TDR that she was loyal to the Dark One and no other. But in TSR, she suggested to Rand that they supplant the DO together. As for the scene at the end of TFoH, she was insane and not responsible for her actions. (She dislikes being called Mierin in the extreme. This could be taken several ways. One way to take it is that she wants her former self to be disassociated from her current evil ways-- she does not want to be reminded of what she once was, it is too painful.) REFUTATION: I have always believed that Lanfear was evil, starting way back when we first meet her as Selene in TGH. She made my skin crawl. LTT, who even the Forsaken admit was an "honest man," said that Lanfear, _even when she was Mierin_, loved power more than anything else. What is the DO but the ultimate temptation of power? All of her actions in "helping" Rand have not been to further his cause against the DO, but to gain his trust and lust, so that she could control him. She does not love Rand/LTT; she wants him to be her obedient lap-dog, and to serve him up on a platter to the DO, so that she can be the most powerful of his servants. She would supplant the DO AND the Creator in a second if she could, and then be disappointed that she wasn't powerful enough. Having deceived Rand for so long, it would have been simple for her to deceive Charn, a follower of the Way of the Leaf. (It is obvious from looking at the Tinkers and the Ancient Aiel that 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 bystanders, and attempted killing of Rand, although that provides plenty of evidence in itself, insanity or no. I refer to Moiraine's vision in the Rings of Rhuidean. <TFoH: 53, 900, Fading Words, 637> If Moiraine had not jumped Lanfear, and let her have her way, Rand would be a) dead, or b) Lanfear's love-slave, with the crippled mind of LTT. These were Lanfear's plans. They are not the plans of a good person. Oh, and if you need further proof, recall the ecstasy with which she describes bathing in the DO's presence at Shayol Ghul. She LIKES it. Note that Lanfear did NOT send the Trollocs who fought Sammael's trollocs in TSR. They were sent by Semirhage, on order of the DO. The DO, it seems, has been giving Rand aid for some time now, probably in the hopes of eventually turning him to the Dark Side. Any "help" Lanfear has done for Rand was probably in view of this end. Taking credit for rescuing him is certainly not past her. Carolyn F. adds, that in a letter she got from RJ, he said that Lanfear was fixated on possessing a man who never loved her. (I guess LTT was just using her for sex, eh?) Her desire for Rand is as much desire for power as for him personally. She could get her hands on the remote-control ter'angreal for the kick-ass sa'angreal, get credit for turning the Dragon Reborn over to the DO. She wants power for power's sake, not for Rand's sake. 1.26.....................................................WHAT'S WITH SALDAEA There could be some major plot development coming up, with regards to Saldaea. We have been getting hints for six 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. In LOC, we learn that Queen Tenobia has gone into seclusion at some country palace, and the leader of the Army and a good portion of said army are thousands of miles away, under the command of the Dragon Reborn. There has been speculation that Semirhage's "willful charge" is none other than Queen Tenobia. (Others say it simply refers to the captured Aes Sedai). Survey Says: Will Faile be the Queen of Saldaea? Yes: 72% (161) No: 15% (34) Undecided: 13% (28) Is Semirhage's "charge" the captured Aes Sedai Cabriana Mercandes? Yes: 48% (107) No: 19% (42) Undecided: 23% (51) 1.27..................................WHAT'S UP WITH MAT AND HIS MEMORIES? <Don Harlow, Joe Shaw, somebody else> When Mat went into the Red Door of Rhuidean, he asked for the holes in his memory to be filled. <TSR: 24, Rhuidean, 281> He ended up with more than he bargained for. The holes were filled with "historical" memories, memories from people who lived between the time of the Trolloc Wars and the time of Hawkwing. In every memory, he is a military man, and most of his memories are of fighting and battles. WHERE DID THEY COME FROM? One idea is that the memories are the memories of Mat's own past lives, i.e. Mat is one of the heroes that the Pattern spins out every so often, and he is remembering his previous incarnations. One argument against this is that the Heroes of the Horn do not recognise Mat as they recognise Rand when they meet in TGH. On the other hand, there is no reason why they should. Not every reborn person is a Hero of the Horn. <REF ?> Perhaps all the continuously-reborn souls don't "know" one another--only the Heroes of the Horn, and they only recognise LTT/Rand, bc they are somehow bound to follow him. Another idea is that Mat's memories are not actually those of his own past lives, but that when he asked the Foxes to fill the holes in his mind, they just put in random memories of various battle commanders through the ages. The immediate question one must ask is "how did the Foxes get those memories in the first place, then?" They couldn't have gotten them from other visitors, bc the Foxy door has been stuck in Rhuidean since the Breaking. Unless the Snakes and Foxes talk to one another and share resources...Another problem with this is that Mat had historical flashbacks of a military nature _before_ he went to Rhuidean. (Consider the scene in TDR where he is Healed in the Tower <TDR: 19, Awakening, 167-168>) So, at least some of his memories are "genuine." There is no mention of Mat having memories of being two different people at the same time. The closest there is is <LoC, 5, A Different Dance, 113> "Slices of other men's lives packed his head now, thousands of them, sometimes only a few hours, sometimes years altogether though in patches, memories of courts and combats stretching for well over a thousand years, from long before the Trolloc Wars to the final battle of Artur Hawkwing's rise. All his now, or they might as well be." Courtenay Footman interprets it thusly: "Since we have to fit the lives of "thousands" of people into a period less than two thousand years long, it is clear that the average number of those people alive at any one time during that period numbered in the dozens." If this were the only interpretation, then Mat's memories could clearly not be his own. However, this is not the only way to read that passage. "thousands" could just as well refer to "thousands of slices," as "thousands of men." Furthermore, the term "thousands" could be figurative, not literal. A third theory, a bit on the Loony side, but worth mentioning, is that some of the memories are of Mat's past lives (thus explaining the pre-Rhuidean flashbacks), but that most of them are from Mat's ancestors. Warren Way (I think this is the right name. The address is <lysander@vnet.net>.) explains: "Mat's non-Mat memories are a combination of actual past lives plus an effect similar to what Rand went through in the circle of pillars in Rhuidean. Rand realizes that what he experienced were the memories of his Aiel ancestors. So when the finn filled the holes in Mat's memories, they did so with the memories of Mat's forebears in addition to some memories from actual past lives. Perhaps the factors of Mat being a ta'veren and the memory transfer of the finn being imperfect causes the jumble of previous lives and ancestral memories. Why such a limited time frame? The Pattern needs to give Rand assuperb general, so Mat gets memories from Randland's bloodiest period. Or maybe, like Johnny Mnemonic, there's only so much space in Mat's head. Nynaeve would probably agree the latter." In short, there is no conclusive evidence one way or the other. WHO WAS MAT? WAS HE AEMON? There has been a lot of speculation that Mat is the reincarnation of an ancient king of Manetheren. If Mat's memories are due to reincarnation, and not just shoved in there willy-nilly by the Foxes, the it is clear that Mat is the reincarnation of a fairly large number of personalities (I would say "different" personalities, except I suspect that they were all fairly similar). This is evidenced by Mat's pseudo-memories that emerge when Jasin Natael is singing a song about a battle at a river and how the enemy of Manetheren had mercy on the defeated Manetherenites, because they were so brave, etc. Mat remembers himself, the king's advisor, being killed by that foe's treachery; and then he remembers himself, somebody else, seeing that foe, older and grayer, being killed in another battle somewhere else. <TSR: 37, 610-1, Imre Stand, 424-5> Plus, we have many scenes in which Mat remembers being guys who were _definitely_ not Aemon. Additionally, he forms the Band of the Red Hand near the end of TFoH, which was supposedly a band of heroes who went down defending Aemon himself. This looks like another marker, though there's nothing directly of Aemon's memories that Mat has. It's clear that Mat was not King of Manetheren in his first memory <REF?>, at least. Mat is remembering several lives. Mat may be one of those souls that the Pattern spins out every so often, and he is remembering his previous incarnations. Mat was just a brilliant military advisor for the Manetheren kings, not the King. 1.28....................WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH HALIMA AND EGWENE'S HEADACHES? In ACOS, Egwene comes down with a spate of nasty headaches. The only way she can manage to get rid of them is for the lovely Halima to give her a massage. Halima just happens to be one of the DOs recycled agents, Aran'gar. Coincidence? I think not. It's the oldest trick in the book--cause problems so you can win somebody's confidence by fixing them. The evidence: Eg's headaches started the day after Logain escaped, and the day Eg and Halima had their first conversation <ACOS: 12, A Morning of Victory, 249>. Aran'gar had been trying very hard to get rid of Logain, either to gentle him again. In <LOC: 52, Weaves of the Power, 651?> Egwene says "They will gentle him, Siuan...That, or someone really will do what Delana has been hinting at. I won't allow murder!" Delana is by now only a pawn, voicing Halima's wishes. To Halima Logain is dangerous, being the only one around who can sense her ability to channel saidin, or rather, her actual channelling. As soon as Logain is gone, Halima's free to make her move on Eg. It's entirely possible that something more sinister than a Forsaken gaining Eg's confidence is going on. As Halima rubs Eg, Eg answers questions in her mind. Halima says, "Just put yourself in my hands." Eg's sleepy response to this is, "That will be nice." Granted, the first interpretation of this is Halima's offer of a full-body massage, and Eg thinking of "bringing Sheriam to heel." Even so, it's a rather ominous exchange, considering who the parties are. Could Halima be poking poor Eg with a bit of Compulsion? 1.29......................WHY ARE WE SURE THAT BA'ALZAMON IS REALLY ISHAMAEL All the Forsaken seem to think that Ba'alzamon was Ishamael. e.g. see Mog's thoughts in <TSR: 46, 759-60, Veils, 526>. <TDR: 21, 237, A World of Dreams, 187> Verin reads a scrap of paper to Egwene when giving her the twisted stone ter'angreal. "Heart of the Dark. Ba'alzamon. Name hidden within name shrouded by name. Secret buried within secret cloaked by secret. Betrayer of Hope. Ishamael betrays all hope. Truth burns and sears. Hope fails before truth. A lie is our shield. Who can stand against the Heart of the Dark? Who can face the Betrayer of Hope? Soul of shadow, Soul of the Shadow, he is -" <TDR: 56, 672-3, People of the Dragon, 575-6>, Eg, Ny, Mat, El and Moiraine are discussing that Rand could not have killed the Dark One himself because a _man's_ body was left. They speculate that Ba'alzamon was Ishamael. <TEotW: 14, 204-5, The Stag and Lion, 171>: Ba'alzamon tells Rand: "I stood at Lews Therin Kinslayer's shoulder when he did the deed that named him. It was I who told him to kill his wife, and his children, and all his blood, and every living person who loved him or whom he loved. It was I who gave him the moment of sanity to know what he had done." cf the EOTW Prologue. Lanfear makes some comment that "Ishamael thinks he controls events, but I do" The only male forsaken taking an active hand in events is Ba'alzamon. the rest are either still bound, or are skulking around in various kingdoms. <TSR: Glossary, 987, entry "Ba'alzamon", 686> "In the Trolloc tongue, 'Heart of the Dark.' Believed by most, erroneously, to be the Trolloc Name for the Dark One." ^^^^^^^^^^^ <TSR: 26, The Dedicated, 301?> "How long since he had seen an Aes Sedai...He was not sure she had been sane. She claimed one of the Forsaken was only partly trapped, or maybe not at all; Ishamael still touched the world, she said." <TSR: 46, 760, Veils, 526> Moghedien says: "The other [Forsaken in Tear beside Be'lal] sounds like Ishamael to me. All his pride at being only half-caught, whatever the price-- there was less human left in him than any of us when I saw him again; I think he half-believed he was the Great Lord of the Dark--all his three thousand years of machinations, and it comes to an untaught boy hunting him down." She states right out that Ish was only half bound, and as well confirms Egwene's guess that Ish=Ba'alzamon. 1.30....................WHEN WAS RAND'S POWER ACQUISITION FEVER SYNDROME <Erica Sadun> 1. OP use: cleansing Bela: <TEotW: 11, 149, The Road to Taren Ferry, 125> Reaction: Baerlon encounter w/Children of the Light, <TEotW: 15, 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 boat <TEotW: 24, 357-9, Flight Down the Arinelle, 301-3> Time: about four days. 3. OP use: calling lightning to escape the inn in Four Kings <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. 1.31.......................................THE SAD BRACELETS/MALE A'DAM Luke Mankin tells us more about the bracelets: * <TSR: 55, 920, Into the Deep, 638> "Egeanin touched the collar, pushed the bracelets away from the collar. If she felt the emotions trapped in them ... ability to channel. `It is not a'dam,` the Seanchan woman said. `That is made of a silvery metal, and all of one piece." * <TSR: 52, 866, Need, 600> "...-a necklace and two bracelets of jointed black metal-..." * <TSR: 54, 905, Into the Palace, 628> "...dull black collar and bracelets... ...wide jointed collar..." The last we saw of the bracelets/collar was Egeanin and Bayle going off to dump them in the ocean, near the Aile Somara. That just happenned to be where High Lady Suroth was camping out at the time. Since we assume that the Seanchan will get the collar, what will they do with their male channeller? OR, will the BA get the collar and bracelets through the Darkfriend connection? Wouldn't the best means of destroying them be separating them and throwing them in say the sea, a volcano, and such? Now, of course, the sad bracelets can be used on any of the poor sods who signed up to become asha'man. Did Sammael somehow get ahold of the Sad Bracelets? In <ACOS: 20 Patterns within Patterns, 354> "What I have will control him once he is taken, but it cannot overcome him." This description applies to the Bracelets, but it could also apply to a "binding chair," or something like that. Survey Says: Who will the Sad Bracelets be used on? Rand: 33% (75) Demandred: 3% (7) No One: 31% (69) Sammael: 3% (7) Taim: 7% (15) Mat: 2% (4) Logain: 5% (13) Will/did Bayle Domon lose the Sad Bracelets in the ocean? Yes: 29% (64) No: 56% (126) Undecided: 12% (26) 1.32........................................IS MAT STILL LINKED TO THE HORN? There are two points in the story where Mat could be considered to have died: when he was hung from the tree in Rhuidean, and when he got hit by lightning in the raid on Caemlyn in TFOH. So, is he still linked to the horn? Firstly, in Tear, <TSR: 15, 253, Into the Doorway, 177> [Snakey Answers to "What fate?] "'To die, and live again, and live once more a part of what was!' The first time Mat Died And Lived Again: Secondly, in Rhuidean, <TSR: 26, 437-8, The Dedicated, 306-7> "Letting sword and Power go, he ripped the rope away from Mat's neck and pressed an ear to his friend's chest. Nothing. Desperately, he tore open Mat's coat and shirt, breaking the leather cord that help a silver medallion on Mat's chest. He tossed the medallion aside, listened again. Nothing. No heartbeat. Dead. No! He'd be all right if I hadn't let him follow me here. I can't let him be dead! "As hard as he could he pounded his fist against Mat's chest, listened. Nothing. Again he hammered, listened. Yes. There. A faint heartbeat. It was. So faint, so slow. And slowing. But Mat was still alive despite the heavy purple welt around his neck. He might yet be kept alive. "Filling his lungs, Rand scrambled around to breathe into Mat's mouth as strongly as he could. Again. Again..." The Second time Mat Died And Lived Again (maybe): Mat gets blasted by Rahvin's lightening in Rand's attack on Caemlyn. He is "brought back to life" when Rand BFs Rahvin. However, this is treading the knife edge of paradox, as does anything involving BF. The way BF works is that it "rewinds" time, so that the actions performed by a BF'd person never happened. Thus, Rahvin never shot lightning at Mat. Thus, Mat did not die. Thus, he certainly did not "die and live again." Or did he? So, is he still tied to the Horn? We can agree that Mat actually died. I do grant that we can disagree and quibble over the binding of the Horn, but that's a different matter. And on that note, Judy is correct--the phrasing that the Amyrlin used at any rate was "So long as you live." <TDR: 20, 233, Visitations, 182> I just wonder if anyone ever actually linked themselves to the Horn before, then died and then came back to life. In other words, is their knowledge absolute in this matter, or is this just a turn of phrase? <John Novak> If the Caemlyn incident is the only time Mat Died and Lived Again, then he is probably still linked to the Horn, due to the way BF works: Mat gets toasted, the link to the Horn breaks. Rand BFs Rahvin, making Mat not-having-died, and thereby unmaking the destruction of the link to the Horn. (non-linear time is a bitch, no?) If the Rhuidean incident counts as Mat having died and lived again, then the question of his being linked to the Horn is still up in the air--does restoring him to life restore the link? Survey Says: Is Mat still linked to the Horn? Yes: 69% (155) No: 21% (46) Undecided: 8% (19) 1.33.......................................WHAT'S UP WITH MAT'S NEW RING? In <ACOS: 14, White Plumes, 280> Mat acquires a signet ring, by pure "luck." The ring is gold with a dark oval carved stone, and is in the "long style"; the stone is as long as the joint of Mat's finger. <ACOS: 14, White Plumes, 279> Here is a description of the carving: "Inside a border of large crescents, a running fox seemed to have startled two birds into flight." <ACOS: 16, A Touch on the Cheek, 300> The fact that Mat was "forced" into buying the ring by his luck makes one suspect that the ring will play some important role in his future. Perhaps it will only be that the ring (only nobles have signet rings, commoners don't generally have coats of arms), along with mat's new fancy clothes, will lead whoever finds him under that wall to believe he is a noble. One theory is that the birds are ravens, which have special significance to the Seanchan. He will be dug up by some Seanchan workers, who will see the ring, and Mat will suffer a similar fate to the two Seanchan nobles who got themselves tatooed with ravens while drunk <TSR, 38, Hidden Faces, 441-442>. There is one problem here, in that the stone can only be slightly larger than 1"x0.5" (the size of Mat's first finger-joint). Squished onto this small area are a bunch of moons, a fox, and two birds. The birds can't be very large, and it is doubtful that they are distinguishable as a particular type of bird. However, this doesn't prevent some Seanchan toady from _seeing_ some indistinct bird-shape as a raven, if his fancy takes him. Plus, note that if the images are heraldic and stylized, it could be easier to make a raven appear in that area. 1.34................................................MORE OF THE FAIN Padan Fain was a Lugard peddler, who moonlighted as a Friend of the Dark. When it came time for the Dragon to be reborn, Fain was taken to Shayol Ghul and made into the Dark One's Hound, to search out the Dragon Reborn. Followed the boys to Shadar Logoth and had a run-in with Mordeth. Mordeth tried to devour Fain's soul, but couldn't, because of the hold the DO had on him. So Fain became part Mordeth, part minion of the DO. This is basically what the books tell us. Roy Navarre and Tony Z came up with a theory that Fain is actually the avatar of the DO. Roy says: "First, if you check the glossary, you will see that the DO is described as the source of _all_ evil. Hence Mashadar must flow from the DO or the glossary is wrong. (We had pages and pages of discussion on this in the past). Next, Myself and Tony Z presented detailed evidence suggesting that Fain is the avatar of the DO. With each broken seal, Fain gets stronger. Thus, the DO has been in our midst all this time but we just didn't know it. At first only a trace of him in Fain, but growing stronger and stronger until now his presence in Fain seems unmistakable." Eric Ebinger counters: "Fain no longer exists. Padan Fain was summoned to Shayol Ghul, was broken and reformed into a bloodhound for the DO, as part of which he was imprinted by the DO. This happened twice at Shayol Ghul and once in a dream. Padan Fain/DO bloodhound went to Shadar Logoth and fell prey to Mordeth. Normally, Mordeth would just destroy the existing "soul/personality", but Padan Fain's having been "remade" by the DO seems to have changed things sufficiently so that there was a slow gradual merging of *all* of the different personalities (Fain/Mordeth/DO's imprint). The most accurate term for the combination is the name that he took: Ordeith. Over time, the Mordeth portion has gained more and more control over the gestalt. The DO's imprint has given Ordeith the unreasoning hatred of Rand, Perrin, and Mat. There doesn't seem to be much of anything of Padan Fain left. As the Mordeth fragment has gained more complete control of the gestalt, Ordeith has increased in power. The seeming relationship between the breaking of the Seals and Ordeith's power is due only to the fact that as time passes Ordeith gets stronger and as time passes the Seals break. The same relationship is evident with Rand, Perrin, Mat, Elayne, Egwene, Aviendha and Nynaeve." As an additional refutation, John Novak states: "If Fain is now an embodiment of the Dark One, why in Hell was Slayer hunting him down as a renegade in tSR? Does the Dark One _like_ being hunted by his own servants?" Survey Says: Is Fain currently the DO? Yes: 0% (0) No: 99% (221) Undecided: 1% (3) Will Fain BECOME the DO? Yes: 14% (32) No: 70% (156) Undecided: 17% (37) What is he up to now? Not much, for somebody who is supposedly as dangerous as the Shadow. He went to the Fortress of the Light and the White Tower to sow seeds of dissension, and make sure Pedron Niall and Elaida would never join Rand. He seems to be currently involved in causing Rand trouble, in little instances which could, admittedly, build up. He instigated a failed assassination of Rand by his ex-WCs in Caemlyn. He might also have been responsible for the attack on the Brown AS in Caemlyn which ended up driving a rift between Rand and the Salidar AS, and sending him into the hands of Elaida's AS in Cairhien, but this could just as easily (and more probably) have been part of some Forsaken's plot, or a plot by the Tower AS & the Shaido to alienate the Salidar AS from Rand. At the last sighting, he was hanging with Toram Riatin (a Cairhienin rebel) and calling himself "Jeraal Mordeth." As far as we know, he still has his pet myrddraal. 1.35.......................................JAIN FARSTRIDER: WHERE IS HE NOW? Jain seems to have a cult following among the Jordanites. "Jain lives!" they proclaim. So, as promised, here is a list of all the suspects in "who is Jain in disguise" contest. One clue we have as to possible Jain suspects is his age. Malkier fell a little less than 50 years before TEOTW (say 45-50 years), according to Lord Agelmar. <TEotW: 47, 708, More Tales of the Wheel, 595> At the time, Jain was a young man, say between 17 & 20. Thus,at the start of TEOTW, Jain would be 62-70 years old. Who do people think Jain is? 1) Elyas Machera--Both Borderlanders, Elyas is pretty old. 2) Tam al'Thor--Not very likely, the ages don't match. I would put Tam at 50, tops, probably younger. definitely not older than 60.) Plus, RJ has said that Tam spent his time away from the 2 Rivers in Illian, which precludes his running around the Borderlands and the Blight. At a signing in Atlanta, RJ said that Tam & Rand were originally the same character--a soldier come home to a small town. This pretty much precludes his being Farstrider, no? 3) Graendal's old man in wrinkled coat. (This is might also be the Domani king she displaced, or that famous general she has working for her.) 4) Bayle Domon, because he seems to be very well traveled. However, the ages match even less than for Tam. Plus, Bayle is _definitely_ an Illianer. 5) The befuddled old guy we see spying on Carridin in <ACOS: 18, The Triumph of Logic, 318>. (See section 1.24) Survey Says: Jain is... No one: 50% (112) Tam: 2% (5) w/ Graendal: 1% (2) dead: 29% (66) Bayle D.: 2% (4) Elyas: 4% (9) Thom: 1% (3) 1.36.........................................................WHO WAS SILVIE? <P. Korda, Joe Shaw> <TDR: 27, 316-9, Tel'aran'rhiod, 257-9> Most likely, Lanfear; it was part of her plot to get Rand and/or Mat to go to Tear. Egwene and Nynaeve were to be bait to draw him there, only Rand was already going there to stop their attacks through his dreams. The girls were probably just a backup in case he resisted the dreams or learned to shield them on his own. Egwene and Nynaeve were to be Be'lal and Ish's bait to draw Rand, while Liandrin and Co. were the bait to draw draw Egwene and Nynaeve. See Perrin's dream about the trap in <TDR: 43, 504, Shadowbrothers, 426> (see section 7.6) which matches Egwene's dreams about "puppets" in <TDR: 37, 423, Fires in Cairhien, 352-3> (see section 7.1). Lanfear was playing along with Ish, but working to her own designs. Another possibility is that Lanfearsent them to mess up Bel'al and Mesaana's plan. There's no doubt (in my mind) that Silvie was Lanfear. And the reason for ripping off the ring ter'angreal to throw her out of T'A'R was just her cruel streak; Lanfear knew she was a Dreamer since she had been haunting the White Tower as Else, and just wanted Egwene to go to the Heart of the Stone in T'A'R to make sure the girls decided to go there. Once she had accomplished that, why not send her out the hard way? After all, Lanfear claimed T'A'R as her domain (even though Mog. was stronger there), so there was no need for Egwene to learn too much about "her domain." Plus, her precious LTT reborn had once loved this girl; I'm sure she couldn't resist inflicting a little pain on her, especially since the fact that Eg was bait to draw Rand to Tear meant that he still cared about her. That must have drove Lanfear bonkers. Survey Says: Who was Silvie? Lanfear: 52% (116) Liandrin: 1% (2) Mesaana: 6% (14) Semirhage: 1% (2) Moggy: 1% (3) 1.37..........................................WHO ORDERED MELINDHRA, AND WHY? <TFoH: 34, 550, A Silver Arrow, 390> Nynaeve and Birgitte were eavesdropping on the Forsaken Conference in Tel'aran'rhiod. Rahvin says, "He [Rand] will concentrate on you [Sammael], ... If need be, one close to him will die, plainly at your order. He will come for you. And while he is fixed on you alone, the three of us, linked, will take him. What has changed to alter any of that?" So, it seems Melindhra was ordered to kill Mat with a golden bee dagger, if the need arose. Mat told her that Rand was going to Caemlyn, instead of "concentrating of Sammael", and she attacked Mat right away <TFoH: 51, 871, News Comes To Caemlyn, 617>. 1.38..........................................WHY MOIRAINE IS NOT BLACK AJAH I thought this was a dead issue, but apparently it is not. sigh. Okay, why would anybody think Moiraine was BA? well, during TGH, RJ seems to be putting down clues in that direction. namely, she was missing during the time of the DFS. Also, she was wearing her ring on a different finger than she had before (oh no! not that!!!!). This was all a red herring, because since then, we have been privy to Moiraine's thoughts, which show that she walks in the light. Okay, maybe she has multiple personalities, but I doubt it. 1.39...................................................CAN THOM CHANNEL? <Arthur Bernard Byrne, P. Korda> Here are the reasons why some people think Thom can channel: 1) The mysterious blue flash in Whitebridge/random burns after the Fade fight. 2) The White Ajah hypothesis that channelling has a genetic link, and that Thom has at least one relative who can channel (Owyn) 3) His comment that he "could have done *something*" for Owyn. 4) <TFoH: 9, 203, A Signal, 145> Nynaeve says "she could not channel any more than Thom". This is taken to be "ironic foreshadowing." Objections: 1) The blue flash is something that occurs when Fadeblade meets OP-forged blade. Why Thom has OP-made daggers, we dunno. As for the fires, it seems likely that there was some sort of riot after the fight, which is why people didn't want to talk about it. 2) The genetic basis for channelling is not a simple matter at all; in the whole series, we've only heard of one channeller who is closely related to another--Elayne (if she's Taringail's kid, she's related to Moiraine, if she's Thom's, she is related to Owyn). 3) The "something" comment is probably just wishful thinking. 4) If Thom was a channeller, he would have to have the "spark inborn," since nobody goes around teaching men to channel. Thus, he'd have started channelling at about 20, a la Rand. Even if he had a block, like Ny, he would have channelled quite a bit in the 30 or so years since then, more than enough for him to be showing sign of madness and the rotting disease. 5) Noting that we have seen of Thom's thoughts or actions gives any indication of him being able to channel. >From a signing in Seattle, Edward "potato" Liu tells us: Now, regarding Thom, RJ said a man will not go mad or get sick if he never channelled. Thus, he agreed that a male channeller who could be taught to channel (as opposed to having the inborn ability) and has never channelled would not die from the taint. BUT, when I asked him if he ever intended to make people think that Thom could channel, he said no. I brought up the hereditary point (i.e. Owyn) but he said just because your parents have a particular gene doesn't mean you'll receive that particular gene. Also he made a point that Owen was his nephew so therefore not necessarily very similar gene-wise. When I pressed him again on it, he said (I'm quoting) "There is no way in hell Thom can channel." All he offered for explanations is that Thom is a "mysterious man." Enough said. 1.40..................................................IS SHERIAM BLACK AJAH? 1) PRO: The scene with the Gray Man in the Tower. Nynaeve points out that Sheriam never once wonders about who killed the Soulless. She acts rather suspicious in general during that whole scene. <TDR: 15, 187-191, The Gray Man, 142-6>. CON: She was just being brusque with the kids because she wanted them to keep quiet. And why _should_ she wonder who killed him in front of the Accepted? 2) PRO: Mistress of Novices would be a plum position for a Black Ajah, in terms of recruiting (voluntarily, or through the assistance of a few Fades). CON: Just because it would be a good position, doesn't mean the Black Ajah got one of their own into the job. 3) PRO: Sheriam's also the perfect operative of the Shadow for the tower-in-exile in Salidar. There were many suspicious things about her treatment of Elayne and Nynaeve when they arrived in Salidar. Sheriam seemed to be the most ardent about confiscating the ter'angreal. CON: Again, she's just being Aes Sedai. Why should she let the kids keep the ter'angreal, or approve of them galavanting about the glove, instead of studying like they should be? 4) PRO: Egwene's Accepted test: she says something like "He said they could turn him to the Shadow, against his will. Can they?" <TDR: 22, 255, The Price of the Ring, 202-3> Sheriam then tells her about the 13 Dreadlords + 13 Fades trick, but she doesn't wonder who "he" was. Could she already know, from the Darkfriend Social? CON: Why would a Darkfriend tell Egwene about that trick, so that she'd know to watch out for it? As for he, Sheriam may have just figured that Eg was babbling. If Sheriam was a DF, isn't it probable that Halima/Aran'gar would've attached herself to her, the Keeper of the Chronicles, instead of a DF Sitter of the Hall? or possibly to both? Survey says: Is Sheriam BA? Yes: 13% (29) 1.41................................................WHO IS NOT A DARKFRIEND? There are several characters who we know cannot be Darkfriends. We know because Jordan has shown us their thoughts when they are thinking about their motivations, their opinions towards the Shadow and the DO, or something similarly indicative. These people are: Rand, Mat, Perrin, Moiraine, Egwene, Nynaeve, Min, Elayne, Elaida (see Section 1.11), Morgase, Thom, Egeanin, Bayle Domon, Pedron Niall, Dain and Geofram Bornhold, Siuan Sanche, Niall, Gawyn, Seaine. 1.42.........................................WHO ARE ARAN'GAR AND OSAN'GAR? We've been told since TEOTW that the DO is Lord of the Grave. It is about time he started acting it. In <LoC: Prologue, The First Message, 59-61>, we see "Aran'gar" and "Osan'gar," two minions of the Shadow brought back from the dead and put into new bodies. It is a good first approximation to assume that they are reincarnated Forsaken, and not some random Dreadlords. After all, if the DO is going to bring people back to life, why not Choose the strongest of his servants? So, what Forsaken are available for reincarnation (i.e. are dead)? Aginor and Balthamel, the Terrible Two from the TEOTW finale, Ishamael, Rahvin and Be'lal, and possibly Asmodean and Lanfear. Well, Rahvin and Be'lal died of balefire, and their souls are beyond even the reach of the DO. Asmodean was a traitor, and the DO apparently lumps him in with Rahvin as having "Died the final death" <LoC: Prologue, The First Message, 15>. Even if Asm isn't dead, it is doubtful that he'd be in as high standing as the *gars, more likely in a situation like Moggy's, so it probably wasn't him. Aran'gar is not Lanfear, because of Osan'gar's statement "Lanfear seemed cautious in contrast [to Aran'gar]." Furthermore, Osan'gar cannot be Lanfear because his Forsaken-name had been "given in scorn and adopted in pride." Lanfear was the only Forsaken to have chosen her own nom de guerre. Finally, when Osan'gar tries to channel, he naturally reaches for _saidin_, NOT _saidar_. This leaves us with Aginor, Balthamel, and Ishamael. Now, Ishamael was not bound like the other Forsaken during the Third Age. He was "partly bound," or maybe not even bound at all. There are references to this throughout the series, starting with the prologue to TEOTW, where Ishamael appears to LTT during the Time of Madness (chronologically _after_ the sealing of the Bore). However, Osan'gar makes reference to "waking from the long sleep" with an aged body. The long sleep is obviously the time spent sealed between the universe and the DO's dungeon dimension. Thus, Osan'gar must be either Aginor or Balthamel. As to which one, all we really have to go on is his comment about having helped make the Trollocs and not liking the Halfmen who were an unexpected result of that experiment. We know that Aginor was very involved in creating the various Shadowspawn, and that he was unnerved by Fades, spending lots of time trying to discover how they "fade." So if we have to choose one or the other for Osan'gar, I'll say he was Aginor. Now for Aran'gar. She is extremely upset at being put into a woman's body, and Osan'gar thinks it is a "fine joke." From TEOTW, we know that Balthamel enjoyed "the pleasures of the flesh." That is to say, he was a real lecher. Thus, it would be a great joke to put him in a female body. Furthermore, it is stated that Aran'gar was always rather rash. I really wouldn't classify Ishamael as "rash," not with his centuries of careful planning. So, it is a good bet that Aran'gar was Balthamel. Even more interesting, Aran'gar (Halima) now has a job "kneading young girls," as Mark Loy puts it. This is hardly an approach I'd expect Ishy to take, and the little we've seen of Aginor doesn't lend anything to the idea that _he_ is Aran'gar. Still, it is not 100% certain; we don't have enough evidence to narrow it down to which of the two is Aginor and which is Balthamel for certain. And even though Ishamael probably isn't either of the two, I would bet that he has been reincarnated in a similar fashion, perhaps as Moridin (see section 1.54). Here is a further hint that Osan'gar and Aran'gar are Aginor and Balthamel: "Some of us are bound no longer. The seals weaken, Aes Sedai. Like Ishamael, we walk the world again, and soon the rest of us will come. I was too close to this world in my captivity, I and Balthamel, too close to the grinding of the Wheel, but soon the Great Lord of the Dark will be free, >>and give us new flesh<<..." (emphasis mine) <TEOTW: 50, 748, Meetings at the Eye, 628> Survey Says: Who is Aran'gar? Balthamel: 57% (128) Asmodean: 1% (3) Aginor: 12% (26) Lanfear: 1% (2) Who is Osan'gar? Aginor: 58% (129) Ishamael: 1% (3) Balthamel: 4% (10) Lanfear: 1% (2) 1.43..........................................MAZRIM TAIM--IS HE REALLY HIM? <reasons nicely compiled by Jared Samet. Contributors Jared Samet, Bill Garrett, William Smit, John Schwegler, John Novak, Pam Korda, OilCan, and lots of other folks.> So, is the Mazrim Taim in LoC the real Mazrim Taim, the Saldaean False Dragon, or is he the Forsaken Demandred in disguise? Here, MT=the character in LoC, general of the Asha'man. Taim=the False Dragon we heard about first in TGH, captured after Falme. Demandred=the Forsaken. A Scenario for MT to be Demandred: The BA, or a Forsaken, or some Trollocs broke Taim free from where he was being held in Saldaea. They took him to Semirhage, or someone else who could extract every bit of information from his skull (a la the AS Cabriana who Semirhage tortures) and drained him dry. Then they killed him. Now, Demandred either 1) Looks kind of like Taim in the first place, or 2) Looks very different from Taim and is using a partial illusion to look like the real Taim. This is why Bashere isn't sure that MT is Taim, and why MT says that he shaved his beard. This also explains why it is MT who brings up the things only he and Bashere know--to convince everybody that he _is_ Taim. Then again, MT may really be the original Mazrim Taim. The reason we think of Demandred when we see him is not because he _is_ Demandred, but because he is similar to Demandred in personality--he wanted to be the Dragon, he doesn't like being second-best, etc. Taim could have the ultimate plan of supporting Rand as much as he can, helping him to win the Last Battle. Since Rand is expected to die in the Last Battle, Taim plans to bide his time and take control in the aftermath. After that, well, as MT says, the winners write the histories. Finally, there is the possibility that there never was a "real" Taim; only Demandred. The first mention of Taim is at the beginning of TGH <TGH: 5, The Shadow in Shienar, 55>, and "trouble in Saldaea" is mentioned in TEOTW. At that point, at least some of the other Forsaken are loose, so it is possible that Demandred was, too. We don't know enough about the timing of events. Here are the indications that MT == Demandred, and arguments against: 1)MT knows too much. The test, how quickly he picks up gateways, how well he teaches the Asha'man, etc. It's a little hard to believe that he figured all this out on his very own. Look at how much trouble Rand had learning before he got Asm as a proper teacher. ANSWER: He's supposedly been channelling for 15 years. He had to have learned _something_ in that time. Plus, MT mentions to Bashere that he used compulsion on two people <LoC: 2, A New Arrival, 76>. Since the real Taim did that, the real Taim DID know stuff. (Note that this does not apply if Demandred was always MT.) As for Gateways, maybe Taim is just a fast learner, like Rand, or Nynaeve. In fact, one's ease of learning seems to be a direct function of how strong one is in the Power. (examples: Rand, Ny, El, Eg are all fast learners, and even SS and Moiraine, who are stronger than your average bear, spent a relatively short time as Novices (3 years?).) This probably has to do with the fact that, the stronger you are, the easier it is for you to see the flows required for a particular action, and thus can more readily duplicate it. 2)The Seal. The story about finding it in a Saldaean farmer's house is pretty fishy. Could be that Demandred (posing as Taim) gave it to Rand in order to try to gain his trust? ANSWER: If MT is Demandred, why would he, and the DO, give a seal to Rand? If the minions of the Shadow had a seal, wouldn't they break it? Maybe the DO could predict that Rand/LTT would try to break the seal, but Demandred couldn't have. MT was certainly shocked when it looked like Rand was going to smash it <LoC: 2, A New Arrival, 80-1>. As mentioned, it could be that Demandred would want to give it to Rand to get him to trust him, but that failed utterly. Or there could be some mysterious reason why the DO _wants_ to stay sealed up, at least for the time being. (The origin of MT's seal story is somewhat backed by Bashere's story to Perrin about a farmer in Saldaea who claimed to be the ancestor of the kings of a ancient Kingdom. If MT Farmer == Bashere Farmer it would be plausible that the seal was the last item of inheritance. And who better for the farmer to give it to than the Dragon Reborn (MT claim before Rand declared himself)) 3) MT claims to not be affected by the Taint, after 15 years of channelling <LoC: 2, A New Arrival, 76>. This seems pretty unlikely (cf. Owyn, who was going mad after only 3 years of seldom channelling at all). The only Taint protection we know of is linking to the DO. Plus, the Red Ajah seems pretty adept at tracking down male channellers. In 15 years, one would have thought that the AS would have heard of him long before they did. ANSWER: Unless Taim was a raving lunatic when he was leading his armies as a False Dragon, he must have still been somewhat sane, even after 15 years. (Again, note that if MT was always Dem, this does not apply.) Same argument applies for him not getting caught by the Reds. Plus, Logain, who is not a Forsaken, has been channelling for six years, and isn't going mad. It seems likely that the ease with which one succumbs to the Taint varies widely with the person. Owyn went under in 3 years, MT mentions some other guys who lasted for 2 years <LoC: 2, A New Arrival, 79>, and Logain has lasted for 6 <LOC: 51, The Taking, 647>. 4) MT's reaction to Rand's badges and awards--not pleased to be seen as subservient to Rand <LoC: 42, The Black Tower, 543>, just like Demandred <LoC: Prologue, The First Message, 56-7>. ANSWER: It is entirely possible that Taim is just plain arrogant. Nothing says the Forsaken have a monopoly on over-weaning pride. 5) LTT thinks of Demandred, and killing him, every time MT is around. Is there a method in his madness? ANSWER: Possibly, but again, it could just be that Taim is similar to Demandred in many ways, and LTT thinks he will betray him like Demandred did in the AoL. Anyway, LTT is loony and wants to kill _all_ male channellers <ACOS: 7, Pitfalls and Tripwires, 139>. 6) The epilogue--"Have I not done well, Great Lord?" The DO's orders were to "Let the Lord of Chaos Rule," which seems to refer to Rand/LTT. MT, in building the Asha'man, has certainly helped Rand in gaining control of the world. ANSWER: From Sammael's speech with Graendal <LoC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 135>, we know that Demandred may be involved in the Seanchan invasion in Tarabon. Maybe this has something to do with it. (If Demandred is MT and is also involved with the Seanchan, wouldn't it be necessary for him to "disappear" from the farm in order to manage his other project? I don't think anybody mentioned anything about MT vanishing. Maybe some of his recruitment trips were to the west coast?) Perhaps Demandred had a major hand in setting up the kidnapping of Rand (see also pt. 16), orchestrating a scenario that puts Rand at odds with the rest of the Aes Sedai(White Tower & Salidar). Neither Egwene nor Elaida will be pleased to hear about how Rand has treated their AS. Or, this could also have been a set up wrt "Let the LOC Rule"--it got the AS to swear allegiance to him, plus it probably helped MT gain some favor in Rand's eyes. 7) MT kills the Gray Man. If he hadn't, Rand might have gotten information out of it. Alternatively, it could've been a set-up, since MT gates in oh-so-conveniently just in time to waste the Gray man. ANSWER: Doubtful Rand could get much information from a Gray Man. The Gray Men have no souls--they're basically walking killing machines. They probably have some sort of self-destruct mechanism, too. Jared Samet remarks: "If I were designing a perfect assassin, I'd set him up so that he could never point the finger at me. Remember, the Gray Man who comes after Nynaeve in the Tower has a knife in him the moment they find him. Besides, the gray Man could only tell Rand anything damaging to MT if Demandred had sent him (possible I suppose, but why can't Demandred do it himself if thats what the DO wants?) A Gray Man with a story implicating Sammael or some other Forsaken (easy enough for a channeller to set up) could help MT more than a dead one." As for how conveniently MT showed up, recall that strange and oddly convenient things happen around Rand all the time. Survey Says: Who sent the Grey Man? Demandred: 25% (56) Graendal: 4% (8) Fain: 1% (2) Sammael: 24% (53) Lanfear: 2% (4) Taim: 4% (9) Osan'gar: 1% (3) 8) MT's remark on "These so-called Aiel". If he hadn't been around in the AoL, why are they "so-called"? <LoC: 11, Lessons and Teachers, 215> The only other (other?) person to use this phrase is the Mystery Man who is watching Sammael and Graendal in <ACOS: 20, Patterns Within Patterns, 356>, somebody who is definitely one of the Forsaken. ANSWER: Well, if Taim knew the old tongue, he might be simply saying that he doubts the Aiel are truly "dedicated" to Rand. Another possible explanation is that, if Taim is about 35, which seems reasonable, then he was alive for the Aiel War, although probably too young to go east to fight. He probably heard tales about Aiel--10 feet tall, breathing fire, &c. Here he sees some in Caemlyn peacefully patrolling the streets. Not what an average wetlander would expect of Savages From the Waste. 9) MT is very strong in the Power. Forsaken-class, even (almost as strong as Rand himself). <LoC: 3, A Woman's Eyes, 92> ANSWER: The real Taim was thought to be very strong. <TSR: 5, Questioners, 85> Just because he's strong doesn't mean he's evil. Nynaeve is Forsaken-class, but she's on the Good Guys' side. 10) In the prologue, it is said that Demandred never smiles <LoC: Prologue, The First Message, 15>, <LoC: Prologue, The First Message, 58>. MT doesn't either - at the end of LoC, before "Kneel, or you will be knelt", Rand says something like "His expression was as close to a smile as he had ever seen it."<LoC: 55, Dumai's Wells, 695> ANSWER: Once again, it could just be that Taim and Demandred have similar personalities. 11) Min's viewing of an invisible man holding a knife to Rand's throat. This could indicate that Demandred is the "serpent in the bosom," masquerading as Taim. ANSWER: This could be the Gray Man, as Rand thinks. Or, it could still be MT, who is not to be trusted, even if he isn't Demandred. 12) LTT says to Rand, (approx. wording), "Yes, we should kill Sammael. But Demandred first, then Sammael." <LoC: 51, The Taking, 635> LTT and Rand know where Sammael is. But how does LTT propose to go about killing Demandred if he doesn't know where he is? Therefore, they _do_ know where Demandred is; i.e., he's MT. (Dash W.) ANSWER: One shouldn't take anything LTT says too seriously. He's a total loon. He wants to die forever and end his suffering<LoC: 18, A Taste of Solitude, 299>, but he doesn't want to die <LoC: 46, Beyond the Gate, 560>. He says "trust no one" and "the man who doesn't trust is dead" or words to that effect. LTT could be confusing Taim and Demandred. 13) Demandred takes a gateway directly out of TAR while in the Royal palace in Caemlyn. Unless Demandred knows some sort of combination traveling/leaving TAR gateway then he must be somebody, or pretending to be somebody who comes to Caemlyn regularly,and somebody who can channel his way into the palace without inviting immediate destruction upon himself. We know that MT has been visiting Rand in Caemlyn because Rand's thoughts comment on how MT has taught him to block out heat, and a few chapters later Rand tells MT that his visits to the city would have to stop because Alanna and Verin have shown up. ANSWER: Maybe he went out of TAR to someplace that was not Caemlyn. (problem here: I don't think we've seen anybody enter/leave TAR in the flesh via any means except gating to the spot in the real world corresponding to the spot one is in in TAR.) Also, Maybe Demandred is gutsy enough to enter into Rand's turf. 14) Bill Garrett says: Something that should maybe be added as a separate point is MT's whole challenge/submit behavior. He'll argue with Rand about something, telling him it has to be done another way, then suddenly he'll agree and say "As my Lord Dragon commands." I think it's Demandred trying to do things _his_ way, but suddenly remembering the Dark One's orders to do what Rand says. And MT sometimes disobeys Rand and frequently does things Rand doesn't expect, as with the Asha'man. ANSWER: How is this different from the way the Tairen lords behaved? Or the Andoran nobility? Or Davram Bashere? Hell, even the Aiel tend to do this. Everybody tries to convince Rand to do things their way, but when you get right down to it, he's going to do as he damn well pleases, and all you can say is "As my Lord Dragon commands." 15) Another slip of the tongue: When Rand shows MT how to make a gateway, he calls it a "gateway." A little further in the same chapter, MT says, "You can Travel, but you don't know how to test for the talent." How does MT know that a Gateway = Travelling? AFAIK, Rand didn't mention anything about "travelling," only "gateways." ANSWER: Maybe MT heard the term described during his 15 years as channeller, and added 2 and 2 to make 4. 16) In <ACOS: 20, Patterns Within Patterns, 355>, Sammael and Graendal are discussing their comrades. Sammael says, "I didn't arrange [Rand's] kidnapping....Mesaana had a hand in it, though. Maybe Demandred and Semirhage as well, despite how it ended...." Note the despite--there is a strong implication here that Sem and Dem somehow had a hand in the conclusion of the Rand-kidnapping episode, i.e. in his rescue. Who was instrumental in the rescue? Taim & the Ashaman, Perrin and the 2 Riversians, the Wolves, the Mayeners, and the Aiel. We all know that the most likely place for Demandred is with the Ashaman, as their leader, in fact. Note that this interpretation implies that Sam knows where Dem and Sem are situated. We do not know that he knows this, in fact, as of <LOC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 138>, Graendal doesn't know where they are. Of course, Sam could have known, and they could always have discovered it in the intervening time. ANSWER: A totally different spin can be put on the passage. As Mark Loy explains, "To paraphrase...I didn't arrange Rand's kidnapping... Mesaana had a hand in _arranging_ Rand's kidnapping... Maybe Dem and Sem had a hand in _arranging_ Rand's kidnapping as well, despite how the _kidnapping_ ended. This interpretation means that they might have had a hand in arranging the kidnapping...in the planning..." despite the fact that it ended all messed up. 17) Yet another slip of the tongue: Taim has taken to calling himself "The M'Hael," which means "leader" in the Old Tongue. Taim knows an awful lot about the Old Tongue for a Randlander. ANSWER: Well, maybe he does know the Old Tongue. Maybe he was a scholar or something before he became a False Dragon. 18) This doesn't apply one way or the other, but it is interesting to note. In <ACOS: 2, The Butcher's Yard, 83> MT is extremely anxious for Rand's entourage of Asha'man to be of his choosing. MT clearly owns the loyalty of some of the Asha'man, and wants some of his boys to spy on Rand. Points raised for Taim not being Demandred and counter-points: 1') Rand sees him channelling he does not see the black cord connecting him to the DO and filtering out the taint. This has been seen on all of the other Forsaken and I there's no reason for there to be anything different about Demandred. ANSWER: This is NOT A VALID ARGUMENT! The black cords are only seen/sensed under very special circumstances. Rand has only seen them in two places--T'A'R and the in-between space used for Skimming. Rand has never seen MT in either of those places. Note that Rand has seen male Forsaken without seeing the cords: Aginor and Balthamel at the Eye and Bel'al in the Heart of the Stone. Thus, the fact that Rand hasn't seen the black threads on MT shows nothing one way or the other. (See section 2.20.) One more thing that has been discussed is that Osan'gar is MT. Osan'gar could have been substituted for the original Taim shortly before he turned up in LOC. Survey Says: Taim is: On the enemy's side: 63% (140) On Rand's side: 23% (51) Who is Taim: Demandred: 51% (115) Aginor: 1% (2) Taim: 33% (75) A Forsaken: 1% (2) Osan'gar: 4% (9) 1.44.......................................................WHO IS MESAANA? <Tony Zbaraschuck, Marc Zappala, Pam Korda) In LOC, we find out that Mesaana is hiding out in the White Tower <LoC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 138>. Naturally, this leads to question of _who_ she is. Some folks think that she has taken the Rahvin/Sammael/Be'lal/Graendal route, and is posing as a high-ranking AS in the Tower. ACOS makes it very clear that Mesaana is NOT Galina or Alviarin, by letting us see their thoughts. (Not to mention, Alviarin talks to Mesaana, and Mesaana would not have had the lack of skill that led to Galina getting captured by Sevanna.) 1. Why Mesaana is Probably Not Anybody That Anybody Knows: None of the Forsaken (except possibly Demandred) have copied an already- prominent identity. Rather, they take a little-known or unknown-identity and then promote themselves rapidly. This is probably because supplanting someone is _not_ easy, requiring as it does almost a total control of oneself, and the ability to copy the tiniest habits. Especially in the Tower, where Aes Sedai can doubtless read meaning in the tilt of an eyebrow or the tapping of a finger. And the head of the Red Ajah would be someone well-known to a lot of Reds, and Alviarin was also an influential White (she convinced her Ajah to side with Elaida). No real easy way to replace either one. (Admittedly, Mesaana could just be a very good actress, but there wasn't really any need for it because of point #4.) 2. From <TSR: 5, 115, Questioners, 82>, we know the way the BA is run: "Before we left the Tower, I knew only Liandrin, Chesmal and Rianna. No one knew more than two or three others, I think." [Amico being questioned by Nynaeve and Egwene.] From this huge amount of secrecy, we can see that it is possible for somebody to run the BA from any position within the Tower. Mesaana (who does seem to be pulling strings there, since it is implied the capturing-Rand-and-bringing-him-to-the-Tower plot was her plan to get her hands on the Dragon Reborn <LoC: Prologue, The First Message, 58>.) could be anybody, an AS, or an Accepted, or a novice, or a maid. Since it would be much easier to pose as a new student or a servant, instead of impersonating somebody else, and possibly being caught out. 3. In <ACOS: Prologue, Lightnings, 41>, Alviarin thinks "She [Mesaana] must be one of the sisters; surely she was not among servants, bound to labor and sweat. But who? Too many women had been out of the Tower for years before Elaida's summons, too many had no close friends, or none at all." Thus, Mesaana could be posing as one of the long-gone sisters, somebody who'd been gone so long that differences in personality, etc. would not seem too amiss, or one of the AS who is not known very well. Note that Danelle, the Brown who assisted in Elaida's coup, is one of the latter (no friends, see <ACOS: Prologue, Lightnings, 38>). As an additional idea, it has been suggested that Tarna, the Red emissary to Salidar is Mesaana in disguise. Not a lot of evidence for this, except that in the chapter where Tarna talks to Ny & El <LoC: 13, Under the Dust, 232> the chapter icon is the Forsaken icon, and there is no other obvious candidate in there to be Forsaken. Of course, the chapter icons don't always apply 100%, but every other chapter in LOC with that icon has a Forsaken, or reference to one, in. Tarna is good friends with Galina <LoC: 13, Under the Dust, 237>, a known BA and head of the Red Ajah, so this could be an extensive way to control the Tower with a Red Amyrlin. There is evidence against this, too--why would Mesaana run her own errands? The problem of a previous history raises its head, here, too. Final point: In the online version of the ACOS prologue, Alviarin notes that Mesaana taps her lip with her finger while thinking. This is not a useful trait in identifying Mesaana, since numerous characters do this, among them Leane, Alviarin, Nesuane, Theodrin, and Vandene. Survey Says: Who is Mesaana? Scullery Maid/functionary: 47% (109) Silviana (new Mistress of Novices): 5% (11) An Aes Sedai: 4% (10) An Accepted: 3% (6) Laras: 2% (4) Danelle: 1% (3) 1.45...............................IS LTT FOR REAL, OR IS RAND INSANE? <Carolyn Fusinato, Korda> So, Rand is hearing voices. Is Lews Therin a real entity, or is he a product of Rand's taint-maddened imagination? OPTION ONE: Two minds inhabit Rand's body; Rand and LTT. This seems to be supported by Min's vision of <ACOS: 33, A Bath, 526> in which Rand and another man touched and merged into one another. Rand certainly takes it that way (which should alert the cynical reader to the distinct possibility that this is probably the _wrong_ interpretation :). This theory implies that Rand is relatively sane still and his problems can be attributed to stress, paranoia, fear and another mind trying to take him over and that Lews is completely insane. However, it doesn't make much sense for LTT to be talking to Rand. If we look at the other people who have lived past lives, we don't see this happening. Mat's memories of his past life/lives are integrated into his own personality. Same with Birgitte--she doesn't talk to "Marion," she says she was once called Marion. If LTT _is_ a separate entity, it could imply that Rand is just some poor sod who happened to be born into the same body that LTT was reborn into, and that not Rand, but LTT is the actual Dragon Reborn. OTOH, it was _Rand_ who pulled the Sword that Ain't, not LTT; he hadn't even shown up then. There is only one case in which we definitely know that two entities coexist in one body: the Fain-Mordeth combo, and they are melding into a single entity over time. (*'gar don't count, because there is only one mind in the body. Slayer doesn't count, because we have no evidence that any of Luc's consciousness survives. In fact, in TAR, we see only Isam.) However, this wasn't a rebirth. This theory also neglects to explain the fact that there is no manifestation of LTT prior to Rand channelling. Another argument against this, proposed by Joseph Rosenfeld is that, if the Dragon has been reborn over and over through all time (as claimed by Ish and others), there must have been _other_ "dragons" before LTT. Why, then, is only Lews Therin Telamon Kinslayer, the Age of Legends version of the Dragon, inhabiting Rand's head? Why not a whole committee? Counter to this, also suggested by Mr. Rosenfeld: maybe LTT is the easiest to get get to because he was the most recent. If Rand tried really hard, he could maybe contact the 1st Age Dragon, and the previous 7th Age one, etc. OPTION TWO-- The LTT personality is the manifestation of Rand's encroaching insanity. "...everybody has been telling him he is Lews Therin reborn, so he starts perceiving Lews Therin is in his head. Not only that, but he finds the voice responds to him. Now he's trying to carry on conversations with this voice. It all seems logical to us, but then it seems logical (sort of) to Rand, as well. I found myself thinking he should tell somebody he was hearing a voice in his head. When I thought how absurd this sounded, it struck me that I had been fooled into thinking Rand was still completely sane." <James Beavens> Then, there is also, "He raised the point that Rand's creeping insanity may manifest in much more subtle ways than the people of Randland expect..." (from Emmet O'Brien's account of Jordan's talk at Trinity College in Dublin). This theory is supported by Cadsuane's statement that "some men who can channel begin to hear voices....It is part of the madness. Voices conversing with them, telling them what to do." <ACOS: 18, As the Plow Breaks the Earth, 331> If we assume Dashiva is not a Forsaken, but just a crazy channeller (see section 1.52), then Dashiva's reaction to Cadsuane's statement, as well as some of his other behaviour, seem to support it. On the other hand, this doesn't take into account that "LTT" knows things that Rand could never have known on his own--stuff about the AoL, the Forsaken, channelling, etc. OPTION 1.5 -- This is a kind of compromise between 1 & 2. Rand's taint-maddened subconscious could be constructing the LTT voice out of past life memories like Mat's. That is to say, the memories and knowledge expressed by LTT are real effects of being somebody Reborn, but the LTT voice is not, Rand has multiple personality disorder. OPTION 3--(This is a bit out in left field, IMO, but some people do believe it, so I'll mention it.) There IS a voice in Rand's head, but it is NOT LTT, or Rand being crazy. Rather, it is the result of some skullduggery on the part of the Shadow to infiltrate Rand's brain. Variations on this theme have been Mesaana (disproven by her actual appearance in LOC), Ishamael, and maybe others. An interesting thing to note is that, as soon as Cadsuane mentions hearing voices, "LTT" stops talking to Rand. Another thing to note is that Cadsuane channelled while making that statement. The obvious thing she did was fetching the teapot to her, but it is possible that she used the channelling of the teapot to disguise something else she did. So, we're left with the question of why did LTT go away? Was it something Cadsuane did? Did he go away of his own volition (is he in hiding)? Did Rand subconciously supress him? Also, what does his disappearance signify? Survey Says: Rand is: Going insane, but not there yet: 54% (121) sane now, and will not go mad, ever: 30% (68) Sand now, but will go bonkers: 12% (27) Totally insane right now: 1% (3) LTT inside Rand's head is: LTT reborn into Rand--he's not really mad, there _is_ somebody in his head: 67% (150) An effect of both Rand being LTT reborn, and going mad: 20% (45) A manifestation of Rand's madness: 8% (17) None of the above: 4% (10) Will Rand lose control to LTT? Yes: 62% (139) No: 31% (69) Undecided: 5% (12) 1.46......................WHY DID SAMMAEL CLAIM HE HAD A TRUCE W/ RAND? <Carolyn Fusinato, John Novak, Don Harlow> 1) Andris died in a pool of blood, delivering the message to Sammael that there would be no truce. Sammael lied to Graendal. Why would Sammael lie? All the Forsaken want to be Nae'blis. All the Forsaken think that Rand stands a chance at becoming Nae'blis if he caves to the Dark One. Therefore, all the Forsaken want Rand dead. The Dark One, on the other hand, most explicitly does _not_ want Rand dead. He will punish any Forsaken who kills Rand. Therefore, all the Forsaken want to make the other Forsaken paranoid enough to bump Rand off on their own. This eliminates _two_ contenders to the title of Nae'blis--Rand, and whichever idiot kills him. 2) Andris died in a pool of blood, delivering the message to Sammael that there would be a truce because someone else intervened to put Sammael off his guard while Rand readies his counter-stroke from Tear and the Plains of Maredo. Someone who knew that Sammael's emissary was meeting with Rand at that moment. Who was present? Bashere, a Saldaean named Hamad, some Aiel, and Aviendha. CON-Rand should have been able to feel another man channelling or have experienced goosebumps if Aviendha channelled, and Sammael's thoughts about manipulating Graendal <LOC: 23, To Understand A Message, 349> don't make sense if he isn't lying. Survey Says: Regarding Sammael and the Truce: He knows Rand rejected the offer, and was lying to Graendal: 80% (180) He thinks Rand accepted the offer: 10% (22) 1.47.......................WHO WILL BE THE DREADLORDS IN THE LAST BATTLE? DREADLORDS: Those men and women who, able to channel the One Pwer, went over to the Shadow during the Trolloc Wars, acting as commanders of the Trolloc forces. 1) Black Ajah. Pro: loads of channelling experience, and bossing people around. Con: not much battle experience, except for Reds who hunt down False Dragons, and Greens, who do that sort of thing for fun. 2) Darkfriend sul'dam, with a damane or two as a Power source. Pro: Battle experience. Con: depends upon a possibly non-loyal damane for Power. This could cause problems in the middle of a fight. No experience in using the OP by oneself. 3) Runaway DF damane. Pro: knows how to use OP in battle. Con: not much experience in commanding things, making decisions, etc. 4) Asha'man. Pro: big motivation to be sworn to the shadow--protection >from the Taint. Very skilled at OP in battle. Possibly, a recruiting agent right in the camp ("Mr. Taimandred? I'd like to join the BLACK tower, if you know what I mean."). Con: Some have less experience in command, and thus would make poor commanders. 5) DF Windfinders. Not much to say pro or con, since we know next to nothing about the Sea Folk or Windfinders at all. 6) Male Aiel Channellers: Pro: tradition is to go into the Blight to fight Shadowspawn until you die. Maybe some don't die, but get picked up and offered a second chance at eternal life, sans taint. Con: the Blight is NASTY. It's doubtful even an Aiel could survive a long time there, if he was bent on fighting. Not likely that many survive long enough to get recruited or converted. Plus, nobody has ever SEEN these supposed Aiel Dreadlords, either in the Blight, at SG, or in Randland. 7) Random Joe Randlander who finds out he can channel. Pro: Why not? Again, a great incentive to join up--no taint. If Joe is already a DF when he discovers channelling, all the more reason. Con: With all those other great candidates, why would the Shadow bother searching the populace for the 1:10000+ men who channel? 8) Dreadlord Search Program: Darkfriends are screened for the ability to channel, and then put into a Dreadlord Training Program. (Liandrin was recruited as a DF before she ever went to the Tower. She learned some channelling, too (?)) 9) Non-Channellers. Pro: In TGH, Bors thinks he has a chance of being a Dreadlord, even though he cannot channel. Con: You need to be Fain or a channeller to have enough power over a Fade to command him. We already know J. Carradin never stood a chance with a Fade. (Beginning of TDR). 10) No Dreadlords--the DO has something better. Pro: Look at that shiny new Myrddraal the DO has! Even the Forsaken are frightened by it. It can scare channellers, channellers can scare normal Fades, Fades scare Trollocs. Cut out the middlemen, and make a bunch of Super-Fades to be dreadlords? What Lord of Evil needs humans anyway? It's not like he's going to leave them around after he wins, after all. Con: Shaidar Haran is special, we've only seen one of his kind. Maybe the DO can't make any more like him. Maybe the DO doesn't want to. SH is too much of a mystery to assume he is the first of a new model of Fade. 1.48....WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH SETALLE ANAN? IS SHE THE ONE WHO IS NO LONGER? "The key to finding the bowl is to find the one who is no longer." <LOC: 19, Matters of Toh, 312> Well, they found the bowl. "The one who is no longer" is still a mystery. As "Skwid" says, "It's more like the key to finding the one who is no longer is to find the bowl." Given the whole Bowl plotline in ACOS, and we look for one single person who was key to finding the Bowl, a likely candidate is Setalle Anan, the innkeeper of The Wandering Woman. El and Ny's meeting with her set off the chain of events that led to finding the Bowl. (Anan introduced them to the Kin, who they got Mat to spy on, and when Mat followed one of them, she led him to the six-storied building where the Kin's stash of *angreal was.) Here is what the Kin say about Anan: <ACOS 23, Next Door to a Weaver, 393> Reanne is apologising to Anan: "The Anan woman and Reanne Corly entered the sitting room, and Nynaeve blinked in surprise. From the exchange, she had expected someone younger than Setalle Anan, but Reanne had hair more gray....Why would the older woman humble herself so to the younger, and why would the younger allow it, however halfheartedly?" >From this, we see that Anan is no ordinary innkeeper. The Kin kiss up to AS, but they're pretty arrogant to everybody else. Yet, they defer to Anan. True, she has something on them (knowing they are non-Tower channellers), but that's not enough to treat her as some sort of superior. She must be in an actual position to betray them to the AS. <ACOS: 24, The Kin, 404> Garenia is carrying on: '"What of this Setalle Anan, then? Those girls know about the Circle. The Anan woman must have told them, though how she knows....She's an innkeeper, and she must be taught to guard her tongue!" Berowin gasped, wide-eyed with shock, and dropped into a chair so hard she nearly bounced. "Remember who she is, Garenia," Reanne said sharply. "If Setalle had betrayed us, we would be crawling to Tar Valon, begging forgiveness the whole way....She has kept the few secrets she knows from gratitude, and I doubt that has faded. She would have died in her first childbirth if the Kin had not helped her. What she knows comes from careless tongues...and the owners of those tongues were punished more than twenty years ago." Still, she wished there was some way she could bring herself to ask Setalle to be more circumspect.' So, at the same time, Anan is regarded as an innkeeper who must be taught to guard her tongue, who knows few secrets, and also somebody who they don't dare offend, even to ask to be more circumspect. From the "crawling to Tar Valon" remark, we have more evidence that Anan has the ability to betray the Kin to Tar Valon. We also have: <ACOS: 23, Next door to a Weaver, 395> '"Setalle!" Garenia exclaimed...."That was Setalle Anan? How did she--? Light of Heaven! Even after seventy years, the Tower would--"' At this point, Reanne cuts her off with a dirty look. This passage is very annoying, since there are dozens of ways the fragments can be interpreted. Does "seventy years" refer to Anan or Garenia? In any case, Garenia apparently has heard of Anan. However, to make it more perplexing, on the next page, we have: '"I still want to know who this Setalle Anan is," Garenia put in.' which implies that Garenia has no clue who Anan is, or why she is important. This is such an obvious contradiction with the previous statement, that I am tempted to believe this is a typo--maybe they meant to type somebody else's name besides Garenia's in one of those sentences. It's also been suggested that Garenia is asking whether the Setalle Anan who brought El and Ny to the Kin is the Setalle Anan she'd heard about. On to the theories: I. Setalle Anan is an ex-Aes Sedai: <Dylan F. Alexander, Elizabeth Cornwell, Michael Werle> 1. The Kin kiss up to her to an extent not seen except around real AS, although not quite that bad. 2. A burned out or stilled AS meets the "Who Is No Longer" tag. Probably burned out, because novices are required to learn the names of officially stilled women, and Elayne doesn't recognize hers. Then again, maybe she changed her name. 3. She's got only a touch of grey in her hair (p. 381), but she's met the AS great-aunt of a woman who appears to be Nynaeve's true age <ACOS: 23 Next Door to a Weaver, 394> when Anan was "younger than you [Garenia] are now." Although we don't know how old Garenia is, since we don't know what the "slowing factor" is, we can make a stab that she is at least 40-50, since G. looks Ny's age, as does the 40+ years old accepted Elayne mentions in <ACOS: 24, The Kin, 408>. If Anan is referring to Garenia's true age, then it implies that Anan is quite a bit older than 40-50 (which happens to be her apparent age). 4. She's not at all unsettled by being held by the Power <ACOS: 22, Small Sacrifices, 383>. 5. She knows far too much about AS, and throws around AS terms far too naturally for her to have had no contact with AS <ACOS: 22, Small Sacrifices, 383>. 6. "Why would the older woman humble herself so to the younger, and why would the younger allow it, however halfheartedly?" Because Anan has some sort of seniority in Reanne's eyes. Former Aes Sedai? 7. We know that the AS are fond of forcibly matching up burned out women with brand-new spouses, in the hopes that a husband and family will give her something to live for beyond the OP. 8. Anan is not native to Ebou Dar. "Her hazel eyes had never been born in Ebou Dar." Note that this isn't really evidence; after all, Ebou Dar is a pretty cosmopolitan city. It's mentioned here bc it is brought up quite a bit. 9. The "seventy years" comment Garenia makes is discussed below. II. Setalle Anan is an AS Eyes-and-ears. 1. An AS spy would be in a better position to snitch on the Kin than a stilled AS; the AS try to avoid contact with stilled women, and thus isn't likely to have a lot of contact with the Tower. 2. Being an AS spy can explain her familiarity with AS terminology, channelling, etc. just as well as her being an ex-AS. 3. This also explains the Kin's deference to Anan. She associates with AS, and is able to squeal on them at any opportunity. 4. Setalle Anan has been in Ebou Dar for at least 20 years. By all accounts, women who have been stilled usually don't live very long. There are lots of eyes-n-ears; there are very few stilled/burned out AS, and even fewer who survive 20+ years after stilling. 5. About Garenia's great aunt (point I.3): Before this, Anan has never met Garenia. Why would she know her true age? It's more likely she was making the natural assumption that Garenia's age is however old she actually looks, i.e. in her mid-twenties. In that case, Anan could have met the aunt 20-30 years ago, which is a reasonable amount of time to refer to as "long ago." 6. The "seventy years" comment is discussed below. Note that this theory has no obvious provision for Anan being "the one who is no longer." DOES ANAN HAVE A CONNECTION WITH VERIN? "Setalle!" Garenia exclaimed as soon as the innkeeper was gone. "That was Setalle Anan? How did she-? Light of Heaven! Even after seventy years, the Tower would-?" Oh, please. What's the only other mention of seventy years in the whole damn series? Yep, Verin's "plans." The Tower would what? Perhaps she's not a burn out, after all. So why would the Tower be interested in a woman who can't channel (anymore?) who left the Tower seventy years ago? <Dylan F. Alexander> Perhaps the 70 years doesn't refer to Anan at all, but to Garenia herself: "If Anan squeals on us, the Tower will kick my butt, even though I've been gone seventy years." In that case, the possible Verin connection is with Garenia, not Anan. <P. Korda> COULD SOMEBODY ELSE BE THE ONE WHO IS NO LONGER? Well, as discussed above, Anan seems to fulfil the requirement of being "the key to finding the bowl." However, we could go further along the trail and pick any of the Kin that they meet while looking for it: Reanne Corly, the first Kin El & Ny meet, or Solain, who Mat follows to the storehouse. All of the Kin are "no longer." (No longer associated with the Tower.) 1.49.............................................SHAIDAR HARAN, SUPERFADE <Bryon Wasserman, J. R. Feehan, Korda> What do we know about Shaidar Haran? 1. The DO holds him in high regard(see the prologue of LOC). 2. He has considerable amount of power in his own right. The DO's favor can be capricious and the forsaken sometimes do not obey him absolutely (Graendal believes she can get Sammael to kill Rand even though it is forbidden). Since SH taunts and insults the forsaken he probably can take care of himself. 3. He may or may not have the ability to keep people, or maybe just people sworn the the Shadow, from channelling. (If the DO had a great ability do it to other male channellers or bestow the ability on someone else, he would not have let them seal the bore. Then again, maybe he CAN keep a few channellers from channelling, but not 101.) (RE: the prologue of LOC where Aran'gar & Osan'gar cannot channel. Both channel Saidin.) Moggy seems to think the ability is SH's <ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 416>. 4. The DO trusts him to give directions to the Forsaken and manage things. 5. He apparently has knowledge of the world to organize Halima's scheme in Salidar. 6. He has not been visibly active until recently, yet he seems to act as the DOs major domo, keeping the Forsaken in line, etc. 7. Unlike the Forsaken, he is apparently absolutely secure in his position, whatever that is. 8. He is fundamentally different from other Fades. Apart from size, he has abilities other Myrddral do not (see #3), and has a sense of pleasure, however twisted: "Far more cruel than Trollocs ... Myrddraal were cold and dispassionate in it. SH often showed amusement, though." <ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 416> He can tell the difference between saidin and saidar <ACOS: 41, Spears, 636>. 9. He wants to be have more freedom of movement than the DO allows him: <ACOS 40, Spears, 637> "A faint weaknes washed along its limbs. Too long away from Shayol Ghul. That tie had to be severed somehow." So, SH clearly has some independent thought, apart from the will of the DO. One possibility that has been brought up is that he is Ishamael re-incarnated. This would fit criteria 1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9 and possibly 3 ("True Power, perhaps?). Furthermore, assuming Aran'gar & Osan'gar are Aginor & Balthamel, this makes us wonder, "If the DO reincarnated those two yutzes, why didn't he reincarnate his greatest servant, Ishy?" Assuming he _did_ reincarnate Ish, then SH and Moridin (see section 1.54) are the only new Evil Dudes, besides Osan'gar & Aran'gar. Ishamael's old Trolloc nickname was Ba'alzamon, "Heart of the Dark"; while Shaidar Haran means "Hand of the Dark/Shadow." Pretty similar, although it could very easily be a coincidence. However, Shaidar Haran has neither done nor said anything to indicate that he has had a previous existence, and isn't just a new model of Fade. All of SH's attributes can be explained by assuming that he was specially created by the DO to have those attributes. Yet Another SH theory is that SH is a physical/corporeal manifestation of the DO. This is supported by the fact that the DO refers to SH as "MY HAND." <ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 414>. This theory would satisfy the above criteria, although it raises some quesitons about how the DO can be in two places at once, i.e. in the Pit of Doom and in Shaidar Haran. Also, SH seems to have an independent will, as evidenced by his desire to free himself of his bond to SG: <ACOS 40, Spears, 637> "A faint weaknes washed along its limbs. Too long away from Shayol Ghul. That tie had to be severed somehow." If SH is simply a manifestation of the DO, then why would it desire to be free to move around as it wished? 1.50.................................THE 'AIEL' ATTACK ON DEMIRA SEDAI In LOC, Demira Sedai of the Brown Ajah, a member of the Salidar Embassy is attacked by a group of Aiel, and is severely injured, but not killed. This incident has wide-reaching results: the Salidar Aes Sedai believe that it was Rand who arranged the attack, and retaliate. The retaliation drives Rand into leaving Caemlyn for Cairhien, and sets his mind against the group of Aes Sedai most likely to help him. He turns towards the Tower Aes Sedai, who trick him, capture him, and abscond with him locked up in a box, to be rescued by Perrin, the Aiel, and Taim. The whole incident is somewhat perplexing. The Aiel who attacked Demira did not seem particularly Aiel-ish. We don't know who ordered the attack, or why, or even if the effects of the attack were what the organizer intended. Karl-Johan: First, it seems to be a very well organized and planned attack. It is done after Demira is shadowed and possibly lured into small, empty alleys. The attack is done by people _meeting_ her. Simultaneously, a man appears bringing the message to her Warder at the Crown and Roses. The interception may mean that other people directed the "Aiel" to their position and cleared the alleys, giving 10-20 people participating, of which at least a few must know Caemlyn very well. The attack team must be well trained and disciplined, appearing to _almost_ kill Demira, but not actually risking it. I think the AS who healed Demira mentioned several spears, just missing vital organs. This, the message to her Warder, and the warning, show that the attackers intended for her to live. Also, the attack is done after, IIRC, the embassy has been in Caemlyn three or four days. It is mentioned that there have been three audiences with Rand before, and no audience at the day of the attack. The attack must thus have been done with only three days of preparation (discounting the day of the attack). The message, "Tell the other witches to stay away from the Dragon Reborn" gives little clue. Whitecloaks call AS witches, but they refer to Rand as Rand or as a False Dragon, and Padan Fain only thinks on Rand as Rand. A Forsaken is the primary indication from the quote, but I think that it is very carefully chosen. This is also a clue that the "Aiel" were not really Aiel--the Aiel do not refer to the AS as "witches," nor do they refer to Rand as "the Dragon Reborn"--that is a wetlander prophecy. If Demandred (or Osan'gar) == Taim, he fulfills these criteria. It would be strange if the Asha'man did not include people knowing Caemlyn among the Asha'man DF (and there have to be some--anyone can be a DF, and male channellers have more reason than most to become DFs), and they are being trained in the use of weapons First, it seems to be a very well-organized and planned attack. It is done after Demira is shadowed and possibly lured (compulsion?) into small, empty alleys. The attack is done by people _meeting_ Demira, intercepting her, and simultaneously a man appears bringing the message to her Warder at the Crown and Roses. The interception seems to imply that other people directed the fake Aiel to their position and cleared the alleys, giving 10-20 people participating, of which at least a few must know Caemlyn very well. The attack team must be well trained and disciplined, as _almost_ killing Demira, but not actually risking it. I think the AS who healed Demira mentioned several spears, just missing vital organs. Also, the attack is done after, IIRC, the embassy has been in Caemlyn three or four days. It is mentioned that there has been three audiences with Rand before, and no audience at the day of the attack. The attack must thus have been done with only three days of preparation (discounting the day of the attack). The message, "Tell the other witches to stay away from the Dragon Reborn" gives little clue. Whitecloaks call AS witches, but they refer to Rand as Rand or as a False Dragon, and Padan Fain only thinks on Rand as Rand. A Forsaken is the primary indication from the quote, but I think that it is very carefully chosen. If Demandred (or Osan'gar) == Taim, he fulfills these criteria. It would be strange if the Asha'man did not include people knowing Caemlyn among the Asha'man DF, and they are being trained in the use of weapons. (But not spears.) Taim also knows early of the embassy b/c Rand tells him of it. Fain does have access to DF's from Caemlyn, and the former Whitecloaks. But, as he thinks when he is reached by the report of the Gray Man attack on Rand, I guess his resources are rather limited. Fain could have some motive to drive Rand towards dealing with the Mashadar-tainted Tower instead of the untainted Salidar AS. I guess the Whitecloaks can be ruled out. They have withdrawn their organization from Caemlyn, and their lower ranks would be more interested in killing AS than political maneuvering. Niall might try something like this, but the Niall POV scenes we get in LOC show him concentrating on schemes involving Morgase, the fake Dragonsworn in Altara, and later, the situation in Tarabon--nothing involving Rand and his connections with the Tower. The White Tower AS can also be ruled out, because they would be hard pressed to simply reach a decision so fast. Pigeon to Elaida, Elaida decides, Pigeon back, plan and do attack. Done in three days? No way. Also, the White Tower lacks people and organization in Caemlyn, apart from all political (Daes Dae'mar) considerations. An attack from Forsaken != Taim is likely, though it would have the same or worse logistical problems as Padan Fain. 1.51..........................WHAT WAS UP WITH LIAH IN SHADAR LOGOTH? How did Liah manage to stay alive in Shadar Logoth from the time she got lost in LOC to the end of ACOS? RJ says: "She became absorbed into the city. She was left there and she is, after all, a Aiel, one of the people better at surviving under harsh circumstances than anyone else in the world. And also her corruption by Shadar Logoth gave her *some* protection." <aol.com chat session, 27 June, 1996> What happenned to Liah was probably akin to what happenned to Mat when he carried around the Shadar Mandarb in TEOTW. Her behaviour (attacking all comers) supports this belief. I guess that being bonded to Shadar Logoth must give one some protection from Mashadar, although obviously not enough, since it got her in the end. 1.52..............................................IS DASHIVA OSAN'GAR? <Michael Gonzalez (MG), Chad Orzel (CO), Pam Korda (PK), others> Corlan Dashiva is, to all appearances, a nasty, Taint-maddenned psychopath of an Asha'man. However, many people think this is simply a cover for a Halima-type infiltration of the Black Tower by the DO's other *'gar. The arguments are all circumstancial, but they've convinced a number of people, so, here they are, along with various rebuttals. After LoC, I was certain that Osan'gar was an Asha'man. Now I believe that it must be Corlan Dashiva. I base this idea on the following circumstantial evidence, each piece of which alone proves nothing, but the totality of which, I believe, is best explained by Dashiva being Osan'gar. <MG> 1) Dashiva is a middle-aged man from the Black Hills, just to the south of Kandor and to the southeast of Saldaea. <ACoS: 2, The Butcher's Yard, 84> Osan'gar now has the body of a middle-aged borderlander. Furthermore, Dashiva seems to Rand to be physically awkward (getting used to a new body?) and unfamiliar with wearing a sword; to Rand, he "did not seem to know one end from the other." One wonders how many Borderlanders growing up on isolated farms have never learned to use a sword, given that the Trollocs have been more of less constantly raiding Borderland farms for the last couple thousand years or so. <MG> CON: It is not true that <ACOS: 2, The Butcher's Yard, p84> says that Dashiva comes from the part of the Black Hills near the Borderlands. It only says that he comes from the Black Hills. Looking at the map, the Black Hills region is bigger than some countries. It starts SE of Saldaea, and extends SE to just SW of Tar Valon. Granted, the Black Hills region is sparsely populated, and given that people live there at all, it is reasonable to suppose that the most populous parts are those near established nations, or trade routes. I would expect people to live in the NW part, near Saldaea and Kandor, the SE part, near Tar Valon, and along the River Luan, which stretches down the SE 2/3 of the hills, and along the Maradon-Tar Valon road, which stretches along the whole length of the hills. This leaves a great deal of leeway for Dashiva's origins. There is no evidence that Dashiva is a Borderlander, only that he MIGHT be. To address the not-knowing-how-to-use-a-sword, if Dashiva is not from the part of the Black Hills near the Borderlands, then it makes total sense that he wouldn't know how to use a sword. Even if he IS from the Borderlands, it isn't so outlandish that he wouldn't use a _sword_. As we know from many references (Our Heroes' Humble Origins, Mat at Tar Valon, etc.), swords are not farmers' weapons. For one thing, they are expensive, and aren't useful for anything else. A farmer who fights is more likely to use a quarterstaff, a bow, or, at most, some sort of pike or spear. <PTK> 2) Osan'gar has an "ordinary" face while Dashiva has a "plain" face <ACoS: 36 Blades, 571> <MG> CON: Moghedian is plain-looking, too. Does that make her Dashiva? A good portion of Randland is ordinary-looking. They can't all be Osan'gar. Furthermore, appearance doesn't much matter, given the ability of the Forsaken to change their appearance at will, as Oilcan points out. <PTK, CO> 3) When Rand awakens after being stabbed by Fain, Dashiva is holding almost as much saidin as Rand himself could have <ACoS: 41, A Crown of Swords, 639). In EoTW, Aginor is described as supposedly being not much less powerful than Lews Therin or Ishamael. (Assuming Osan'gar = Aginor) <MG> CON: Dashiva could just be a strong channeller. It HAS been known to happen. Other possible explanations are: 1) Dashiva is the one who took Rand's fat-man angreal which he couldn't find after his rescue. Thus, Dashiva + angreal = Rand, but Dashiva by himself is weaker than Rand. 2) Rand was in a weakened state then, and was not able to draw as much _saidin_ as he normally could. When RJ says "Dashiva held almost as much as Rand could have," he means he held as much as Rand, at the moment, could have. Tired channellers cannot hold as much of the OP, so that would make the amount Dashiva held seem less spectacular. <Chris Dewey, Brian Ritchie> 4) Dashiva's feelings toward Rand, smelled by Perrin after Rand rejects Dashiva's idea of gating into the palace at Cairhien: '"As my Lord Dragon commands." The fellow inclined his head, but he sounded sour, and he smelled... Perrin rubbed his nose. The smell... skittered, dodging wildly through fear and hate and anger and a dozen more emotions almost too quickly to make out. He no longer doubted the man was mad, however good a face the fellow put on.' <ACoS: 4, Into Cairhien, 108>. Perrin attributes it to straightforward saidin madness, but that particular sequence of emotions looks a -lot- like the sequence that the women felt through Moggy's a'dam whenever they made her do something she considered demeaning or below her rightful station. Plus, if Dashiva really is Osan'gar, then "however good a face the fellow put on" becomes a joke on the reader....<MG> CON: Dashiva's behaviour is also easily explained by Perrin's analysis, i.e. that Dashiva is crazy. The description of quickly-changing emotions is very similar to the description of how Perrin perceives _Rand's_ quickly-changing emotions when LTT is acting up. <PK> 5) Speech patterns: Dashiva talking to Rand about the danger of riding up to the palace in Cairhien: "All it needs is one man with a...a bow or a knife, and you don't see him in time." Did he need to think a moment for the word "bow?" Was he thinking "shocklance" or some other AoL weapon? When asked by Rand if he believes Rand's enemies have been asleep while he was away, Dashiva says, "I...grew up on a farm" ... "I don't know much about having enemies." Someone having to pause a sec to remember his cover story? <MG> CON: This, and Dashiva's other incidents of mindwandering, are easily explained by Dashiva being "a daydreamer who may already be going somewhat mad." <CO> 6)Dashiva is described, by Taim no less, as a daydreamer who may already be going somewhat mad. Perrin notices Dashiva's odd behavior - he sees Dashiva seeming to talk to himself. <ACoS: 3, Hill of the Golden Dawn, 93> However, Dashiva has only been with the Black Tower for, at most, the length of time (a couple of months, perhaps) since the beginning of LoC when the Farm was established. He does not appear to have been there when Rand brings Taim to the farm in LoC. Since Dashiva is middle aged, he is probably not a wilder who has lasted 10+ years on his own...or his survival would be at least as remarkable as Taim's. Given that, it seems unlikely to me, from what we have seen, that he would start going mad so soon after starting to channel. Whence his apparent madness then? We know from Graendal's quote in her LoC meeting at Sammael's place that at least some of the Forsaken considered Aginor to be mad. Our look into Osan'gar's head in the LoC prologue shows him stifling a giggle that belies his own thought that, despite it all, he was not mad. <MG> CON: The Taint affects people at different rates. The more you channel, the more Taint you absorb. If Dashiva is somebody who is naturally very susceptible to the taint, and he's been channelling a great deal, then it is not so unlikely that he could be going loony. As a comparison, consider Thom's nephew Owyn. He started succumbing to the madness after three years of channelling as little as possible. The Asha'man channel a LOT--part of Taim's training is to encourage them to use the OP to do EVERYTHING. So, if Dashiva is only slightly more Taint-prone than Owyn was, then the intense channelling he's been doing could indeed have caused him to get enough Taint to start going mad. <PTK> 7) -Dashiva- suggested to Flinn that he learn Healing. <ACoS: 36, Blades, 572> Dashiva -knows- that he himself doesn't have the Talent for Healing, yet it seems that Dashiva was able to recognize that Talent latent in Flinn well enough to suggest that Flinn in particular try it.<MG> CON: 1) There is no reason to suppose that it happenned this way. The way it was described, Flinn and Dashiva _happenned_ to be talking, and the subject came up. then, Dashiva suggested that Flinn experiment with Healing. There is nothing in the passage that suggests that Dashiva sought Flinn out specifically to discuss Healing. 2) This actually provides more of an argument AGAINST Dashiva being a Forsaken than for. Thus far, none of the Forsaken have been wont to share knowledge with anybody, unless it could benefit them. Witness: While Alviarin has been in contact with many Forsaken, none of them offerred to teach her anything before Mesaana did, and Mesaana only offerred until after Alviarin swore to be her particular flunky. Furthermore, Mesaana forbade Alviarin to share the knowledge she gained <ACOS: Prologue, Lightnings, 43>. Graendal straight out refused to teach any of the Shaido WOs <ACOS: 20, Patterns Within Patterns, 355>. Moggy and Asm only taught Our Heroes under extreme duress. Assuming Taim = Dem, he provides more evidence; he only wants the Asha'man to learn what _he_ dictates; he doesn't want them going outside his curriculum. It is thus not reasonable to suppose that a Forsaken would teach some random guy how to Heal, or even lead him in teaching himself, out of the goodness of his heart. What would Osan'gar gain by teaching Flinn? Furthermore, if we assume Osan'gar = Aginor, why would he pretend to be so bad at Healing? Given the "dead" cover, along with the "new body" disguise, he'd hardly have to pretend to be totally incompetant at it to avoid suspicion. Why not just pretend to be as good as, say, Flinn is? It just doesn't make sense.<PTK> 8) Dashiva quote: <ACOS: 36, Blades, 573> "Flinn knows what he is about. Already he can do things you _Aes Sedai_ never dreamed of." (emphasis in original) Standard Forsaken derogatory emphasis on "Aes Sedai;" When Sammael mentions Aes Sedai to Carridin in <ACOS: 15, Insects, 289> the emphasis is presented identically. I'm surprised Dashiva didn't call them "untrained children"....<MG> CON: That could be arrogant contempt for Aes Sedai in general, which seems to be a common trait among the whole Black Tower crowd. Not to mention, consider who the Asha'man have been learning from. Taim certainly has no love for AS, he undoubtedly instilled his dislike in his students. <CO> 9) Dashiva again seems to talk to himself while Flinn Heals Rand in <ACOS: 36, Blades, 573>. '"Get on with it, Flinn," Dashiva muttered. "If he dies...." Nose wrinkled as though at a bad smell, he seemed unable to look away from Rand. His lips moved as he talked to himself, and once he made a sound, half sob, half bitter laugh, without his face changing one line.' Sounds like someone who doesn't like Rand and wouldn't mind seeing him die, but is charged by someone fear-inspiring with making sure Rand doesn't die too soon.<MG> CON: Or someone who is about three minutes from stripping naked and howling at the moon, confronted with the thought of the one man powerful enough to protect him and the other channelling men from dying a wretched death at Aes Sedai hands, not to mention keeping the Dark One from taking over the world. <CO> 10) Dashiva recognises Taim's title "M'hael" as meaning 'leader' in the Old Tongue. He explains it by saying he read a lot of books on his farm. This seems a little fishy; knowledge of the Old Tongue is NOT very common. This could be a case of "It means leader, you ignorant moron. Uh-oh, there I go again. Quick, explain why you know the Old Tongue." <Dylan F. Alexander> CON: Or, he _could_ have read it in a book. Or, maybe Taim gave some speech along the lines of "Fine, I can't call myself the Dragon anymore, but I'm going to get the respect I deserve. You will call ME the Leader, not that bloody stupid git Lews, um, al'Thor." One could understand why Dashiva wouldn't want to repeat this in front of a man prone to insane rages. After all, Dashiva witnessed Rand attacking his childhood friend, Perrin, for arguing against him. Who knows what he'd do to a flunky who brings news that one of his generals is subverting the troops? <PTK> 11) Aesthetic meta-reason: Since Halima/Aran'gar, the right-handed dagger, is with the female Aes Sedai (Salidar faction), there's a certain attractive symmetry to Osan'gar, the left-handed dagger, being with the male Asha'man. <MG> CON: It would be just as symmetrical for Osan'gar to be with the Tower Faction. Or with a part of Rand's group that is not the Asha'man. Or, the "symmetry" may not exist at all. <PTK> Additional arguments against: 1')Rand picked Dashiva randomly. If Dashivan'gar's goal was to get close to Rand, he didn't get himself in a very good position to get chosen for the task. Even if it was Rand's ta'veren-ness that led him to choose the Forsaken in the crowd, Dashivan'gar couldn't have depended on it. Assuming Rand's ta'veren-ness was in operation there, it could just be that Rand chose the one upper-eschelon Ash'aman in the area who wasn't a Taim-flunky. REBUTTAL: Perhaps Osan'gar wasn't sent to get close to Rand. He may have been sent to spy on the Black Tower, and being chosen for Rand's personal honour guard was simply a bonus. 2') Assuming Taim = Demandred, wouldn't it be overkill for there to be TWO Forsaken in the Black Tower? REBUTTAL: That argument backwards could show that, if Osan'gar = Dashiva, then Taim can't be Demandred. However, even given Taim = Dem, this would not be the first time that the Dark One played the Forsaken off against each other/had them spy on one another. If Taim=Dem and Osan'gar=Dashiva, then I would highly doubt that Taim would have been told about it. Osan'gar, for his part, will do what he's told, up to and including "grovelling before a worm," to avoid displeasing the Dark One. I would not at all be surprised to find out that Osan'gar is there to keep Taim/Dem from doing something nasty to Rand, contrary to the DO's orders, at an inappropriate time. <MG> 3') I find it hard to believe that any Forsaken, no matter how loopy the others think he might be, would submit to disguising himself as a half-mad daydreamer. Aginor certainly didn't strike me as being a humble sort when he popped up in EotW, and the other resurrected Forsaken we know of (Halima/ Asan'gar) has found a far more agreeable position for him/herself...<CO> REBUTTAL: The best disguise is the one that nobody expects you to use... 1.53.....WAS THE WHOLE SHADAR LOGOTH FIGHT A RUSE SET UP BY SAMMAEL? i. Why Sammael's Death in Shadar Logoth was a Ruse <John Novak> There exists the strong possibility that Sammael led Rand to Shadar Logoth as the culmination of a plot, not to kill Rand, but to convince Rand that he had killed Sammael. This section will discuss Sammael's motive, Sammael's means, the evidence which supports the idea, and a few notes. Sammael's Motive As a recap of Forsaken activities in previous books, it is quite possible that the combined plot of Lanfear, Graendal, Sammael and Rahvin in tFoH was the first serious attempt to kill Rand al'Thor. Aginor and Balthamel seemed more intent on the Eye of the World than on Rand. Apart from the occasionnal outburst, Ishamael seemes never to have wanted to kill Rand, but to use him. Lanfear wanted to convert him to her slave. Be'lal's plan did not require Rand's death, and Asmodean ran away from Rand as soon as he was discovered. In tFoH, however, a plan existed to draw Rand into the middle of a four-person link of Forsaken, Rahvin certainly seemed to want to kill Rand when he was surprised in Caemlyn, and Lanfear went absolutely insane and tried to kill him at the docks in Cairhien. After tFoH, the explicit order came down from the Dark One through Demandred that Rand al'Thor should not be killed. Also, Sammael was left as the only visible member of the quartet which tried to kill Rand. Rahvin was dead, Lanfear dead to all appearances, and Rand never knew of Graendal. Sam had been the lure before, and was even more a lure now. Further, Rand knew where Sammael was based-- in Illian. It seems that the Dark One's prohibition against killing Rand included even killings in self-defense. Graendal seems to think so. <ACOS: 20, Patterns Within Patterns, 357> Sammael is then left with only two choices if he wishes to avoid the warth of a disobeyed Dark One. He can either convince Rand not to attack him until such time as the Dark One changes his mind, or he can convince Rand that he is dead, so Rand won't follow him and look for him. Sammael's Means: Surely, Rand is not going to be fooled simply because Sammael disappears from view, and probably will not believe Sammael is dead unless he sees good evidence in person. Aside from another Forsaken, the only forces Rand is likely to believe could kill Sammael are Mashadar, Machin Shin and Rand himself. Machin Shin is dubious, because even in his untrained state in tGH, Rand was able to force the thing back into the Ways. This leaves Mashadar, so Sammael heads to Shadar Logoth, possibly as early as LoC, and inspects and prepares for his hoax. Since Moiraine is capable of constructing weaves and wards which prevent Mashadar from harming her, it is a certainty that Sammael can do the same. Sammael can operate in Shadar Logoth with little danger to himself. Note that when Sammael went to Shadar Logoth, he positioned himself directly at the Waygate in Shadar Logoth, and note that in LoC Rand had the opportunity to close that gate permanently, but didn't. When Rand saw Sammael, he also could not tell if the gate were open or closed; he was too far away. This is one way Sammael possessed to remove himself from the theater, after Rand might think him dead-- run through an open Waygate. Other ways include Sammael simply putting an invisibility cloak over himsef, Sammael's image near the Waygate being nothing but an illusion, Sammael having created a pre-existing Gateway out of sight with inverted weaves, Sammael creating a Gateway with the True Power which Rand could not detect, and Sammael ducking around a corner. Regardless, there are a number of ways Sammael could have left the arena without Rand knowing about it. Evidence for the theory: The direct evidence for the theory is fairly thin, but it is there. First, from Sammael's wards and plans inside the city of Illian, he seems not to have ever planned to put up a serous fight against Rand, if Rand ever got into the city. Win or lose, Illian ceased to become important to Sammael from a military standpoint as soon as Rand attacked him personally. If Rand won such a confrontation, Sammael would be dead. If Sammael won such a confrontation, Rand would be dead but the Dark One would be very angry with Sammael. It should be clear that Sammael could have put up a serious fight against Rand in Illian, had he wanted. He should have been aware of Rand's transporting six thousand Aiel from Cairhien to Caemlyn in one night. He should have been aware of the dramatic, Gateway-ridden rescue mounted by the Asha'man, and thus aware that Rand can Gate. It is mentioned in several places that Sammael is an extremely competant military leader, and in one place that no one knew how to ward a box (ie, protect a military strongpoint) like Sammael. Surely, he could have made plans for a Gateway assault. Something simple but murderous, like the razor-ribbons Asmodean used in TSR, but showing up automatically in front of Gateways. That he did not indicates that Illian was not as important to Sammael as Rand thought. Surely, he had another plan. Second, after Sammael is finished chewing out Jain Carridin in "Insects" (aCoS, chapter 15, p 289) he opens a Gateway into a location filled with grey columns and thick mist. This doesn't sound much like Illian, but it does sound something like Shadar Logoth. Third, when Rand does manage to attack Sammael's fortifications (such as they were) and wards in Illian, even the wards don't give anyone much trouble. They are showy, flashy, and expansive, but not one of them even challenges Rand or his accompanying Asha'man. They don't seem to be serious attempts to hurt anyone or anything, but rather wards for the sake of show. Fourth, there is an immense time lag between the time Rand mounts his assault and Sammael's ultimate response. Several hours, it would seem, enough time for the sun to set. It is worth noting, that in waiting for sunset in Illian, Sammael would also be waiting for about dusk in Shadar Logoth, which is about the time Mashadar would come out to play. Coincidence? Notes There is some question as to the role of Liah in the showdown, and whether she was Sammael's tool, an illusion of Liah, or an independent entity. At signings, Robert Jordan has stated fairly clearly that Liah's survival was due to her slowly being absorbed or subsumed by the spirit of Shadar Logoth. This implies that she was truly there and that her presence was not entirely of Sammael's making. It is still possible, though it seems unlikely, that Sammael used Compulsion on her to make her appear and distract Rand. It is not impossible, though there is no direct evidence, that Sammael knew (perhaps by testing her reactions on other surveys of the location) that Liah would investigate any disturbance in the city. There is also some question as to whether the Wanderer (who helped Rand in Shadar Logoth, and then disappeared from the scene) was Sammael in disguise. While this would allow Sammael a greater degree of control over Rand's actions in the little drama he had set up, there is no evidence for it. If this is true, it utterly destroys the idea that the Wanderer and the Watcher are the same person, and the same as Moridin, which seems likely because of a basic physical resemblance (black hair and build), and because of the Wanderer's use of the True Power in the creation of his Balefire. See the section concerning the Moridin/Watcher/Wanderer question for more deatiled discussion. ii. Sammael was acting as a loose cannon and got slapped down for it <Mark Loy> I think that RJ likes symmetry. Male half of the TS counterbalanced with the female half...good balanced with evil...the Asha'man and the Aes Sedai...etc. Moghedien fucked up in that she got captured and was forced to aid the DO's enemies. She was treated very rudely by Moridin. Asmodean fucked up because he too got captured and used by the DO's enemies. Similar crimes...counterbalanced. Lanfear, on the other hand, openly acted against the DO's wishes. This seems to me to be far worse than the crimes of Moggy or Asmo. And since we have a woman betraying her commitment to the DO I believe that RJ will have/has had a male doing something similar--working against the explicit orders of the DO. Look at the "evidence" that Sammy has been acting in this way. First, he doesn't go to Dem's meetings. Dem we know is following the explicit orders of the DO. Sammy's actions regarding Dem lead me to believe that he doesn't want to provide Dem...and consequently, the DO...with any clues to his agenda. Openly he appears to be following exactly what the DO has ordered. But secretly, his personal agenda includes killing or capturing Rand and making it look like he did *not* do it. Further evidence concerns the fact that someone--Moridin/Watcher or SH--has been watching Sam covertly. I think that he is being watched because the DO isn't completely convinced that one of his guys isn't going to do something that he doesn't want done. I believe that Moridin was watching Sam at the time that Sam sprung his trap on Rand. Sam's plan was to maneuver Rand to a place that was not monitored by the DO's minions, aid in letting Mashadar croak/capture him, and then go back to Illian and reclaim his city sanctuary. It would be a perfect crime on Sam's part and would eliminate one of the strongest obstacles to his being made Nae'blis. Moridin, a complete unknown to Sam, saw Sam's actions regarding his plan and went to SL to intercede/intervene to insure that the DO's plans were not compromised by Sam. Reread his conversation with Rand and you will get the impression that he didn't give a rat's ass if Sam died...just that he wasn't willing to kill Sam for Rand. With the wildcard, Moridin, there...Sam's plan went a little off. And at the end, *Moridin* took/captured Sam and departed by a TP gate--hence Rand could not sense it. If I'm right, Sam is now in Moridin's clutches and is being fitted with a mindtrap. Lanfear may have already been fitted with a mindtrap, but if not, she will think long and hard about returning to SG as her punishment will far exceed Moggy's. Sam is now being controlled, and when next we see him, his demeanor will be somewhat changed. But his hatred for Moridin will now overshadow his wanting to kill Rand. Moridin...the Forsaken controller...will become more and more powerful. Possibly even gaining a few more Forsaken minds in traps. iii. Commentary <Korda> So, there's two theories. I think that which of them you believe depends on how you see Sammael. Novak's theory requires you to believe that Sam is a devious, clever schemer. Loy's theory requires you to believe that Sam is reckless enough to risk the DO finding out that he disobeyed direct orders. Only RJ can say for sure... Oh, yeah, maybe Sammael is actually dead. If you believe that, I have some nice oceanfront property in Andor to sell you... 1.54....THE MYSTERY MEN OF ACOS--THE WATCHER, MORIDIN, AND THE WANDERER In ACOS, we encountered several mysterious characters of the Dark persuasion. First, we met the Watcher, i.e. the guy watching Graendal and Sammael in <ACOS: 20, Patterns Within Patterns, 356>. Then, there was Moggy's new master, Moridin, in <ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 417>. Finally, there is the "wanderer" that Rand met in Shadar Logoth during his fight with Sammael in <ACOS: 41, A Crown of Swords, 656>. So, who are these strangers? Are they all the same person? Well, let us investigate: Mini-contents: * What do we know about the Watcher, Moridin, and the Wanderer? * Are they all the same guy? * Who is the Watcher? * Who is the Wanderer? * Who is Moridin? >What Do We Know About the Watcher, Moridin, and the Wanderer?< <Paul Khangure, Korda, Casner> Moridin - <ACoS, Mindtrap, pp417-419> 1. His name means 'Death' in the Old Tongue. (NB: 'moridin,' uncapitalized, means 'grave' in the OT.) 2. A description of Moridin: "The speaker was a tall, broad-shouldered young man in black boots and breeches, and a flowing white shirt unlaced at the top, who watched her with startlingly blue eyes ..." He has a deep voice. He has a strong chin, else he'd be worthy of Graendal's collection. He looks to be just a little older than Rand, "Not many years past twenty." One could argue that this is a disguise, but there is no reason Moridin would disguise himself in front of Moggy. He owns her soul. Why bother fooling her with a disguise, when it would take less energy to say "describe me to anybody and I'll break your mindtrap."? 3. He spends a lot of time at Shayol Ghul, or visits frequently. 4. He is a heavy user of the TP. His eyes have the _saa_, which only come from extensive TP use. 5. He knows who Moghedien is, and has no concerns about facing one of the Forsaken. 6. He is familiar w/ AOL Power technology, including vacuoles, and the cour'souvra. He also knows some of the old tongue (mia'cova & moridin). 7. His livery is "black and red" according to Moggy <ACoS, The First Cup, p483>, although she is wearing "scarlet silk worked with thread-of-gold and black silk". Also, when Moggy first meets him, the room is decorated with "rugs woven in red and gold arabesques." So I'd say, his colours are black, red and gold. 8. He likes to sit with his leg over the arm of his chair. ---- Watcher - <ACos, Patterns within Patterns, pp356-358> 1. Obviously a Forsaken from the AOL. He knows about AOL technology - callboxes, Mask of Mirrors and fancloth, knows the Forsaken by name and appearance. He definitely _knew_ Sammael, as opposed to knowing of him. Just a guy from the AOL is not enough; he has to be someone who interacted and got to know Sammael's strengths and weaknesses. Notice there was no fear of interfering with not just two of the Forsaken, but with a potential battle between them! 2. He has eyebrows and eyes. (i.e. He is not Shaidar Haran.) 3. Senses saidin being held by Sammael, skin prickles when Graendal channels. This indicates that he has the ability to channel saidin. 4. He uses the TP. Note that he does so even though he can use the OP. This indicates that he's probably uses it more than your average Forsaken--he could have Travelled with the OP, but he used the TP instead. Note that by the time he left, Sam had left the vicinity, so there was no chance of him being detected. 5. He uses the phrase "so-called Aiel" which we have no reason to expect anybody except a relic from the AoL to use; the Forsaken are the only AoL relics in action, except Birgitte and "LTT." 6. He has "expertise in many areas Sammael scorned. In some he favored, too." 7. He doesn't seem to have the same attitude as the "normal" Forsaken towards Nae'blis-ness. In <ACOS: 20, Patterns Within Patterns, 358>, Sammael mentions (lies) to Graendal that he "will be Nae'blis." Graendal then stops arguing with Sam and follows him through his gateway. We then have: "The watcher smiled crookedly behind his fancloth skulker's mask. Nae'blis. That explained what had brought Graendal to heel, what had stayed her from killing Sammael. Even she would be blinded by that." It's almost as if the Watcher is NOT blinded by the "Nae'blis" carrot, unlike the "normal" Forsaken. -------------- >Shadar Logoth Wanderer--<ACoS, A Crown of Swords, pp656-659>< 1. Description: Big fellow. Has a deep voice. Little older than Rand. Black coat, Black hair. Rand doesn't recognise him. 2. Knows Sammael, including how Sammael thinks. He clearly knows Sam fairly well, and thus is probably from the AOL. 3. Uses the TP (Balefire and disappears without Rand sensing Saidin or Saidar). 4. Even apart from his TP use, he is clearly a Minion of Darkness. He calls Rand a fool, he doesn't "care to see [Rand] die today," he doesn't "intend to carry [Rand] on [his] shoulders, or kill Sammael." He's clearly only helping Rand because it coincides with some plan of his, not because he particularly cares about Rand. He certainly doesn't like Rand; when he falls down after the crossed-streams BF incident, Rand offers him a hand, but the Wanderer refuses "with a grimace." 6. He has "never been afraid of Aes Sedai." Yet more evidence that he's not a Third Age person. Everybody in Randland proper (i.e. not Seanchan, not Aiel, and not Sea Folk) grows up hearing stories of Aes Sedai like those the Emond's Fielders did. Such stories engender some sort of awe in the listener, yet this guy acts like AS are no problem, and has never thought otherwise. This comment is easily understandible if he's from the AOL--back then, he WAS an Aes Sedai, and modern AS are but "untrained children" to him. ------------ >Are Moridin, the Watcher, and the Wanderer All the Same Guy?< These guys have quite a few traits in common. Let us examine them: * All three use the TP, even when using the OP would accomplish the same ends with less risk. (The way the Watcher leaves the area, the Wanderer's BF & arrival/departure from SL, and Moridin & the Watcher's saa are all indicative of this.) (NB: Some people do not think the Wanderer channelled the TP; these theories are dealt with below.) Moridin and Watcher both exhibit _saa_, a symptom of serious TP use. Ability to use the TP is quite rare in general, it is even rarer to use it so much that you get _Saa_. (According to Mog.) * Moridin and the Watcher have many of the same physical characteristics. (Moridin Point 2, and Watcher Point 1.) Note that things described about Moridin were _not_ described about the wanderer (pants and boots, eyes), and the things described about the wanderer were not described about Moridin (coat, hair, etc.). It's almost like we get the first half of a description with Moridin, and the second half with the wanderer. * Watcher, Moridin, & Wanderer both know one or more of the Forsaken reasonably well. (Watcher--Sammael & Graendal, Moridin--Moggy, Wanderer--Sammael) * Watcher & Wanderer both seem concerned with Sammael's actions. * Moridin & Watcher both know AOL technology and terminology. * <From the RJ aol.com Q&A chat, 27 June 1996>: "Question: There is a mystery man who helps Rand in the last chapter of ACOS...is this a new character, or have we seen him elsewhere. RobtJordan: Well, we've certainly seen him earlier in CROWN OF SWORDS." The Moridin = Wanderer connection has a strong chance of being true, given the similarity of apperance, and the TP use. (Recall that even those who have been granted the use of the TP tend to only use it in dire situations, with a few exceptions. Thus, if we see two TP users who look alike, chances are they are the same.) He also fulfills the "seen previously in ACOS" requirement. Tying the Watcher in is a more tenuous connection, but entirely possible, especially considering Watcher point 7. It works from a literary viewpoint as well--why would RJ introduce three separate Evil Dudes, when, from a functional POV, they could all be the same person? Why be so mysterious about the Watcher's identity if we've met & interacted with him before (e.g. Demandred)? ---------- Okay, now for specuation as to the specific identities of the Mystery Men: >Who is the Watcher?< Given that the Watcher is from the AOL (Watcher pt #1, 5, 6), there are really only three people he could be: Demandred, Osan'gar, and Moridin. The outright evidence for and against any of these possibilities is slim, since we don't really know much about any of these characters. The most likely is Moridin, but this is only because he's the only one we know of who uses the TP an any other situation than dire emergencies, and if Moridin = Wanderer, then his spying on Sammael is precedented. Next likely is Demandred, but only because if Demandred = Taim, then the phrase "so-called Aiel" is precedented. However, this sentiment (that the Aiel have changed a great deal since the AOL) has been expressed by other Forsaken, although not with those same words. (Plus, if Taim = Dem, there is no evidence of him using the TP.) Furthermore, if the Watcher truly is not concerned with being Nae'blis (Watcher point 7), then he is DEFINITELY not Demandred. Osan'gar is a distant third. Osan'gar is probably Aginor, and Aginor/Osan'gar never showed the acumen for the commando-style recon the Watcher is doing; in fact, RJ has said that the chap who made the trollocs (i.e. Aginor, the DO's resident gengineer) had no combat experience. ---------------- >Who is the Wanderer?< 1) Moridin: Evidence for this is given above. 2) Sammael: The scenario is as follows: Sammael set up the whole SL thing in order to fake his death. In order to do so effectively, he would need to have Rand witness his "death." Since Rand was clearly not doing a great job of this by himself (he was basically wandering aimlessly through the streets of SL), Sammael decided to give him a hand. He disguised himself, and got Rand to work out that Sam would be waiting next to the Waygate. As evidence for this, consider Sam's "Caddar" disguise: Dark coat, tall, black eyes, dark hair <ACOS: 20, Patterns Within Patterns, 352-353>. (Note that we do NOT know the color of the Wanderer's eyes.) Contrary argument: 1) Supposing Sammael WAS the Wanderer, why would he use the TP, and not the OP? From what we've seen of Sammael, he prefers to use the OP, when he has a choice. In the encounter with Rand, there is no reason for him to use the TP for "stealth" reasons; Rand _expects_ a male channeller to use saidin. 2) If the Wanderer WAS Sammael in his "Caddar" disguise, then Wanderer Point 1. tells us that "Caddar" is young. However, Sevanna makes no such notice of this, even though Caddar calls HER a "child." If "Caddar" were so young, one would expect her to carry on about the gall of somebody younger than her (how old is Sevanna, anyway?) calling her a "child." 3) Graendal disguised as a man: The motivation here is similar to the Wanderer = Sammael idea. The only difference is that here we have Greandal helping Sam out by telling Rand where to go, instead of Sam doing it himself. Contrary argument: Rand didn't feel _saidar_ goosebumps, so if it WAS Graendal, she was using the TP. As with Sammael, we have no evidence that she uses the TP when she could use the OP. So, why would she disguise herself as a man, and use the TP, when she could have 1) disguised herself as a woman and used saidar, or 2) disguised herself as a man and used saidar--feeling saidar from a man would have been just as weird as feeling no channelling from a man. 4) Lanfear disguised/in a man's body: Interfering in other Forsaken's plans is her MO. (This assumes, of course, that the Wanderer was not part of Sam's plan.) Again, if it was here, she was using the TP, bc Rand didn't get the _Saidar_ goosebumps. It is more likely that Lanfear would use the TP than Graendal (after all, she discovered it in the first place). On the other hand, while she uses disguises a lot, dressing up as a man isn't really her style; she's always chosen female disguises before. People have argued that she has "helped" Rand in the past, so giving him a hand in SL is consistant with her past actions. However, this is not true. For one thing, the last time she saw Rand, she was trying to terminate him with extreme prejudice. Secondly, the Wanderer's (probably truthful) stated reason for helping Rand is that it would mess up a great many plans if Rand died, not out of any liking for Rand himself. Lanfear, OTOH, has always claimed to be helping Rand out because she liked him, not (the real reason) because helping him coincided with her own plans. A slightly different theory is that she's been recycled a la Aran'gar into a male body. This is even less likely, since it has the "last time she saw Rand, she tried to kill him" flaw, plus the fact that it relies upon an assumption that Lanfear died, which we have absolutely no reason to believe. After all, the fall through the melting Twisted Door didn't kill Moiraine (see section 1.4); why should it kill Lanfear, who's bigger, more experienced, and more powerful? 5) LTT: The arguments for the general idea are that Rand isn't hearing LTT in his head anymore, plus a perception of the bit where the Wanderer pulls LTT out of a pit and they both shoot off some BF as a "mirror image." There are two variations on this theory: i) The Wanderer was never really there; Rand's insanity has gone a step further than "voices in the head"; he's now created his own imaginary Lews Therin friend, body and all. This explains why LTT's voice isn't in Rand's head any more, and why Rand didn't feel the Wanderer channelling. Despite this, it is very unlikely that this theory is true. First, the Wanderer doesn't act ANYTHING like the lovable, loony LTT we've come to know. The Wanderer clearly dislikes Rand and holds him in some contempt. The Wanderer has a good grip on what's going on around him and what he's doing; he doesn't break off and moan and groan about Ilyena, or destroying the world, or anything like that. The Wanderer doesn't want to kill Sammael himself. LTT, when he hasn't been moaning about Ilyena, spends his time ranting about killing his enemies, Sammael foremost among them. The Wanderer doesn't even LOOK like LTT. (LTT description: <TEOTW: Prologue, Dragonmount, x>--tall, middle-aged, white & brown hair, dark eyes. Wanderer is young with black hair.) (Rand has seen LTT's appearance: in TAR at the end of TFOH.) Surely, Rand could do a better job of constructing an imaginary LTT that was consistant with the LTT in his brain. ii) It's really LTT in an actual physical body of his own. (I hate to even mention it, but it seems to have a non-negligible group of supporters, so...) Somehow, LTT managed to manifest himself physically, which is why he's no longer in Rand's head. Evidence against this theory includes (but is not limited to) all the "Watcher doesn't behave like LTT at all" stuff put forth against the "hallucination" theory; I won't repeat it. A further argument is that there is now no explanation for why Rand didn't feel the Wanderer channel. LTT, being a man, couldn't use _saidar_ (which Rand would have felt, anyway). He's not a Darkfriend, either, so he couldn't be using the TP. This, of course, doesn't even TOUCH the question of how LTT would get himself physically manifested in the first place. The only _attempt_ I've seen to explain this is from Richard Edwards: "Now if I'm Jordan and I want to separate Lews and Rand, how could I do this? Well, how about create a neat little paradox that will confuse the hell out of everybody. Lews and Rand cross balefire streams, causing a really strange separation of them backwards in time, allowing Lews to be separated from Rand so that they can cross balefire streams." A noble attempt, but it doesn't agree with anything we know about how BF works. (For one thing, consider the time scale--LTT went out of Rand's head DAYS before the Shadar Logoth thing. A time-warp of that scale would require loads of BF. Nothing suggests that Rand OR the Watcher were using that level of BF. For another thing, Rand should have a memory of things being differently--if LTT left his head due to BF, Rand should STILL remember having LTT in his head, even if reality's been changed so that LTT wasn't in there--just like he remembered Asm, Mat & Avi getting toasted, even though he BFed Rahvin, and they really never were toasted.) Maybe its just a bad idea to pit balefire against balefire. You know. A "Don't cross the streams" thing. Maybe it was the interaction between TP generated BF and OP generated BF. The two sources are opposing, and mixing the two is probably a Bad Thing. >Who is Moridin?< Before considering the specific candidates, let us first ask ourselves this: Is Moridin from the AOL (perhaps recycled into a Third Age body like the *'gars), or is he a Third Ager? If Moridin is the Watcher, he definitely is from the AOL; if he's the Wanderer only, he is almost certainly from the AOL (Watcher points 1, 5; Wanderer points 2, 6). If Moridin is not the Wanderer or Watcher, he may indeed be a Third Ager, although his knowledge of the Old Tongue and of AOL Power technology (vacuoles & mindtraps, among other things) is rather extensive for a Third Ager. (He could have been taught by Ishy, or somebody else.) Now for the suspects: 1) Ishamael The Toxic Twins (Aginor & Balthamel) were recycled (assuming Ag & Bal are Osan'gar & Aran'gar), and all they did to merit it was getting killed at the Eye of the World. Ishy kept the faith alive for 3000+ years, AND kept the other Forsaken somewhat in line before he died. Surely, that merits some consideration in the "bring back from the dead" competition; Ishy is overdue for a reappearance. So, here we have this "new" member of the Dark Elite; it's only natural to consider that he is Ishamael's soul recycled into a Third Age body. So, what's the evidence? * If Moridin is the Watcher and/or the Wanderer, he is an AOLer, and thus probably a Forsaken (see below, however). Rahvin and Be'lal are dead by balefire. They are gone from the pattern. Demandred and Sammael are alive at the time we see Moridin. Aginor and Balthamel are Aran'gar and Osan'gar. This leaves only one male forsaken that could have been brought back. Ishamael. <Dan Rouk> * According to Moggy, who's in a position to know, using the TP to the extent exhibited by Moridin is very rare. <ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 412>. In the whole series, the only people we have seen that use the TP to any large extent are Moridin, the Watcher, the Wanderer (who all three are very possibly the same person), and Ishamael. In fact, prior to ACOS, Ish is the only person we have actually seen using it. * Colors: Moridin's colors are black and red. There are two (tenuous) connections between Ish and this color scheme: 1) Whenever we saw Ish in TEOTW, TGH, or TDR, he was wearing either black or red. 2) The livery of at least some of the Seanchan soldiers in Amador is red and black. Since the Seanchan Return--indeed, the whole Seanchan existence--is a result of Ishamael's long-term plotting, I wonder if those colors may reflect that identity. <Michael Gonzalez> OTOH, Ishy hardly had a monopoly on the colors red and black. Many of the Forsaken use one or both of those colors. Rand uses those colors quite often himself. * Eyeball effects: Both Ish and Moridin exhibit strange optical phenomena--Ishy's Flaming Eyes and Moridin's _saa_. The flaming eyes may be a later stage of the eyeball dots, so that in each body, channeling the TP produces first flecks and then flames, as usage continues. This is thin, since the _saa_ are black, and Ishy's eye condition involved glowing, not darkness. Arguments against Moridin = Ish: * Lara Beaton points out that Ishy failed to "get" Rand three times, and ended up dead. This is not a stunning success; it's a downright failure. Why would the DO "reward" this failure with restoring Ish to a position of power? Counter-argument: Ishy was beaten by Rand when he confronted him directly. Ishy's behind-the-scenes work throughout the entire Third Age, OTOH was quite successful. The Trolloc Wars and the Hundred Years War (both instigated by Ish) caused such widespread devastation, that Randland never recovered the level of civilization and technology it had before the Breaking, or even got close. So, the DO resurrected him and put him to work behind the scenes, spying on Sam, controlling Moggy's mindtrap, etc. Furthermore, being dead is, according to Osan'gar, quite unpleasant <LOC: Prologue, The First Message, 59>--that might have been punishment enough, as it was in the case of the *'gars. Finally, Moridin doesn't seem to be as powerful as Ishy was. Ish was clearly on top of everything. Moridin has some advantage, but he's not the Man in Charge of all Shadow Operations, as he seemed to be before he got killed. * Personality: From what little we see of Moridin, he doesn't seem much like what we've seen of Ishy. Here are some comments: "Ishy was full of pride, and would not fit well into the behind-the-scenes role Moridin plays, IMO."<Alex Outhred>. "I would expect more Ishy domineering and less easy-going whimsy." <Dylan F. Alexander> "I would expect Ishy to be exerting more overt control over the other forsaken." <Bryon Wasserman> Counter-argument: Every sighting of Ishamael that we have had has been filtered through one of the "good guys'" perceptions (except the DFS). Most of them are though the characters' own interactions with Ishy/Ba'alzamon, in which Ish was overbearing and domineering as a matter of course. The same applies for the lowly DFs at the DFS. The only times we saw him interacting with other Forsaken were brief glances in TAR, through the eyes of Perrin or Egwene. So, we don't KNOW if he'd be particularly overbearing when interacting with one of his colleagues (i.e. Moggy). He certainly got amusement out of Mog's predicament. As for Ish not fitting into a behind-the scenes role, that actually seems to be his forte. (See above comments.) Finally, IMO, while Moridin doesn't display any overt Ishy-isms in <ACOS: Mindtrap>, the Watcher and the Wanderer do show some Ish-like behavior. Compare <ACOS: 41, A Crown of Swords, 656>: "'You are a fool,' a man's deep voice [the Wanderer's] said. 'Count yourself lucky I don't care to see you die today.'" and <TGH: 41, Disagreements, 497>: "'Fool!' Ba'alzamon roared. 'You will destroy yourself!'" Also consider <ACOS: 20, Paterns Within Patterns, 358>: "Today's truth need not be tomorrow's. The watcher had seen truth change a hundred times between a single sunrise and sunset. More than once he had changed it himself. He considered...killing the seven women in the clearing..." That passage stikes me as particularly Ishy-like. YMMV, of course. 2) Somebody we don't know from the AOL (poss. Beidomon) If the DO can resurrect newly-dead Forsaken into new bodies, why should he stop there? Why not recycle some of his servents from the AOL who were not shoved into the Bore with him? The basic motivation for this idea is that Moridin (assuming he's also the Watcher and Wanderer) must be from the AOL, but he doesn't seem very much like Ishy, personality-wise. (See above for discussion). A specific suggestion is that he's the fellow who helped Lanfear open the Bore, Beidomon (see 1.1). Of course, this pre-supposes that Beidomon was not one of the 13 Forsaken. Here's the argument, courtesy of Alex Outhred and Jonathan Wright: * Beidomon and Mierin went looking for a new source, which could be used equally by men and women. We have never had Beidomon explained to us. He was a researcher, and that does not seem to match the career paths of any of the Forsaken that we know of. (NB: we still don't know about the pasts of several male Forsaken, e.g. Balthamel.) He worked with Lanfear, and he's never mentioned much. In fact, he's only mentioned in that one passage in tSR (I think...). Why? Did he actually die when the bore was made? Mierin did not. Perhaps Beidomon was killed during the War of Power, but not balefired. A Forsaken-level channeller who, despite his power, didn't get a chance to be sealed in the Bore. There had to be a few of them. * Moghedien would not expect it to be him. Yet we've seen that the DO can raise the dead, though with different bodies. Another reason he would not be recognized. If he is the Wanderer, he speaks with uncanny knowledge concerning Sammael's methods. As if he'd witnessed Sammael's actions during the War of Power. * Beidomon could fit the "Avid True Power User" profile (Moridin point #4); after all, he had the will to go and help Lanfear dig it up in the first place. The counter-argument is that this is all pure speculation. Sure it _could_ be true, but we know next to nothing about Beidomon, and little concrete about Moridin. This whole thing could be settled if RJ ever tells us WHO Beidomon is. (i.e. if he turns out to be Rahvin, we'll know that Moridin isn't him.) 3) Osan'gar The basic argument is that Moridin is probably a Forsaken, but he doesn't seem like Ishy. The only other Forsaken that Moggy wouldn't recognise is Osan'gar. Points in favor are: * We haven't seen Osan'gar (in any obvious capacity) since the LOC prologue. He's got to be somewhere. * If Osan=Aginor, then he would almost certainly have had to be an adept of the True Power to taint the Shadowspawn. CONTRA: However, there's no evidence that Osan'gar uses the TP as casually as Moridin does. His first instinct upon being recycled is to reach for _saidin_, not the TP. Also, we don't know that the Shadowspawn were created w/ the TP and not the OP.} * Osan'gar, we know (or strongly suspect, anyway), is Aginor who in turn we know was a researcher. This fits fairly well with this Moridin bugger being someone who can throw around fancy terms like 'vacuole' at whim, as well as someone who could, say, build a mindtrap on demand if one couldn't be found. CONTRA: We know that Aginor was a researcher in the "life sciences," i.e. he was an expert at genetic engineering and the like. It is doubtful that this has any bearing on expertise in soul-manipulation techniques (mindtraps) or the structure of space-time (vacuoles). Besides, Moridin didn't necessarily make the mindtrap, and he certainly didn't activate it; SH and the DO did that, and apparently most of the Forsaken know what a vacuole is; Moggy certainly does. Evidence against Moridin being Osan'gar: * They don't look alike. In <LOC, Prologue, The First Message, 58>, Osan'gar is described as "not young" and having "an ordinary face." Moridin is young and attractive. Moridin is easily as tall as Rand. There is no direct evidence, but Osan'gar is probably not that tall - that sort of height is apparently rare in Randland, and Osan'gar describes his new body as "ordinary." * If Osan'gar is Aginor, and Moridin is the Watcher, then Osan'gar is probably not Moridin, since RJ has said that the man who created the Trollocs had no clue about the realities of combat (which is why Trollocs are so stupid). The Watcher is clearly adept at commando-style sneaking. 4) Slayer/Isam Here's the argument, such as it is <"Pro" arguments provided by Keith Higginson>: * Possible similarity of appearance. Isam bears a strong resemblance to Lan, who is tall, dark-haired, and blue-eyed, just like Moridin. CONTRA: Slayer does not look like Moridin (a tall, dark, handsome young man). Slayer looks like a middle-aged, red-headed Andoran noble with a vague resemblence to Rand--he looks like Luc Mantear. He only looks like Lan in Tel'aran'rhiod, where one's appearance is strongly influenced by one's self-image. Finally, if Moridin is the Wanderer, and Moridin looked like Isam, Rand would have noted the resemblance to Lan--he didn't. * He meets Moggy in a place where Isam would prefer to look like himself. Examples, "She did not doubt that it [the room] was somewhere close to SG, though; it did not have the feel of TAR, the only other possibility," "--this room must be close to SG--," "...no matter how close SG lay." <ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, pp418-419> Reality is easily altered near Shayol Ghul. It is logical that Isam would look like Isam not Luc. CONTRA: This is unlikely; if one could do this, why did Ishy appear in his burned-up state at the DFS at the beginning of TGH? Showing himself injured made him appear vulnerable in front of his minions--if changing one's appearance is so trivial near SG, why didn't Ishy do it? * Moghedien thinks he is a man from the third Age. Despite knowing about vacuoles, about the Forsaken, and mindtraps, Moggy assumes this. Examples, <ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 418-419> "she knew that some men ... could channel _in this time_," "...facing him with the knowledge of an age that made _his_ little different from times of mud huts." CONTRA: Moggy assumes he is a Third Ager because she doesn't know that the DO has been reincarnating dead Forsaken; she might not even know that the DO has this power. Lacking that knowledge, the only conclusion she can make is that Moridin is a Third Ager. Furthermore, if Moridin is either the Watcher or the Wanderer, he HAS to be an AOLer, and thus not Slayer. * He channels the TP. Moghedien does assume that he must channel the OP as well, but this may not be the case. Isam seems to report directly to the DO (what Forsaken besides Ishamael would order Fain dead?). He is the single character in the series that has the DO's presonal favor and does not channel. CONTRA: 1) We dunno that Isam reports directly to the DO. His "kill Fain" mission was probably initiated before Ishy's demise in TDR. After all, when Perrin gets word of the trouble in the Two Rivers, it's been going on for some time. It started in TDR, when Fain convinced Pedron Niall to send a WC contingent to the Two Rivers. Fain went with them, and Slayer followed Fain. Ishy was still alive and kicking, then. In fact, there is textual evidence that Slayer is _somebody's_ flunky: "But you, Goldeneyes. Your presence was a surprise. There are those who want your head on a pike." <tSR: 42, A Missing Leaf, 477> If he was working directly for the Dark One, he wouldn't give a fig what anyone else thought, or who else wanted Perrin's head. He probably wouldn't refer to the Dark One as a plural, either. 2) We don't know that Slayer IS in the DOs favor, anymore. (See below.) 3) As pointed out, Moghedian believes that you have to be able to channel the OP in order to channel the TP. While she _may_ be mistaken, there is no reason to assume so. Moridin notwithstanding, of the 30 people Moggy knows who were permitted to use the TP, all 30 were channellers of the OP. Why should Moridin be different? * Red and black livery for Moghedien, a joke on Moridin's part (whether of itself or making Moghedien wear it, or both), may symbolize the amalgam of the reddish hued man (Luc) with the dark man (Isam). CONTRA: OR, they just may be Moridin's favorite colors. Further arguments for why Moridin is not Slayer: * Whether you argue that "Isam" is Slayer's true appearance, and Luc is just a disguise, or Luc is Slayer's true appearance, and Isam/Moridin is a disguise, the theory runs into problems. If the Luc-look is not Slayer's true appearance, but a disguise, WHY is he disguising himself as Luc every when he goes out into the world, when the Isam-look would be just as unrecognisable (if not MORE unrecognisable)? He didn't only use the Luc-look in the 2R, he also used it the only other time he was seen by "mundane" witnesses--when he killed Janduin. Why? Furthermore, if Slayer=Moridin=SL Wanderer, then why is he now using his "true" (according to you) appearance to go out in the worrld, when he's only used the Luc-look before. Finally, if Isam/Moridin is in his original Isam-body, why does he look like he's barely over 20 years old. Isam was born around the same time as Lan--he'd be 40+ if still walking around. (No, you can't claim that it's some sort of Power-induced "slowing," because no other male channeller has ever shown himself to slow at such a young age.) If you say that "Moridin" is a disguise, then you lose your single point of actual evidence--a possible physical resemblance. On the other hand, if you argue that the "Moridin/Isam" look is the disguise, and (presumably) the Luc-look is real. Again, WHY is he disguising himself for Moggy? What's the point? Why would he be disguiding himself as Luc whenever he goes out into the world? People would have as much chance of recognising "Isam" as they would have as Luc. * Moridin's star seems to be on the rise in the ranks of the Shadow. Slayer, OTOH, failed miserably on his Two Rivers mission. He failed in his first objective, killing Fain. When Perrin showed up, Slayer's objective shifted to include getting Perrin. He failed in THAT. He even failed to kill everybody in the Two Rivers. In the process, he messed up further, by losing tons of Trollocs and Fades. Moridin's position is not that of a failure. He's been given his very own Forsaken-class slave. He now not only has his own resources, he has all of Moggy's skills and resources at his disposal. He's got his very own utterly loyal, very powerful and skilled minion. Even if the DO regards Mog as a second-hand citizen, she is _still_ an extremely powerful tool, in terms of both raw power and skill. He's also allowed to use the TP with impunity, which is definitely a non-trivial demonstration of the DO's favor. This is not consistant with the way we've seen the Dark Side behave to suppose that somebody who screwed up, even if the screwup was beyond their control, should get ANY sort of increased power and responsibility. The general management style of the Dark is "If you fail, you get punished," and the corollary "If you're still useful, we'll give you another chance, on our terms, which you probably won't like." We've seen this applied to everybody from the lowest-level DF up to the Forsaken themselves. Why should Slayer be an exception? Why should the DO cut him some slack, when nobody else gets any? * Moridin can channel. Whether he can channel the OP and the TP, or just the TP, _he can channel_. If Slayer could channel when he was in the Two Rivrs, why didn't he? It would certainly have aided him in his mission(s). Even if we assume that he didn't because he would rather fail totally than chance anybody getting suspicious, why didn't he channel at Perrin in TAR? <TSR: 53, The Price of a Departure, 614> The only person to see would have been Perrin, and Perrin would have been dead. He used a bloody _arrow_ to try to kill Perrin with. That was the best he could manage. In the big battle at Emond's field, the AS, of course, were an advantage to Perrin's side, but IF ISAM COULD CHANNEL, he could have done something to counter that advantage. He clearly didn't (of course, he'd been shot at that point, but if he could channel, he could have left, gotten somebody to heal him, and returned for the fight. 2.00::::::::::::::::::::::::WORLD STUFF::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 2.01.........................................................THE OLD TONGUE What is the basis for the Old Tongue? "A mix of Gaelic, Russian, Spanish, Japanese. Lots of different sources not traditionally used to make up fake languages. RJ has only a few phrases and a few small guides on usage written down."<Dan Rouk at a book signing, 10/94> RJ on how he invented the Old Tongue: "The words come partly from Gaelic, Russian, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese. The grammar and syntax I believe I invented myself, although it's possible that another language uses the same. Of course, just as with English, I have deliberately put in some very illogical inconsistencies." <Amer. Online chat, 27-6-96> Why doesn't the Old Tongue bear any relation to the New Tongue spoken by Rand & Co? It probably does, but RJ has kindly "translated" the New Tongue into English so that we can read the books and he can make lots of money :). The Old Tongue is not "translated" in order to add "flavor" to the story. Think of Tolkien. (Who _did_ create entire languages.) Even he didn't write The Lord of the Rings in Middle-Earthish. Is there an Old Tongue Dictionary? Kind of. See the Guide to the Old Tongue, at http://pantheon.cis.yale.edu/~abergman/cot.txt Why do all the Characters speak the same language? To make it easy for the readers to read. But, here is a rationalization, courtesy of Chad Orzel: 1) Point the first: three thousand years ago, we have the AoL. At this point, it's pretty safe to assume that everybody speaks the same language. 2) Then, we have the Breaking. People scatter, keeping what little knowledge they can intact. Chaos reigns. Whatever is settled upon at the end of the Breaking will henceforth be called "The Old Tongue." Presumably, the Old Tongue is spoken primarily on the main continent. We have no idea what happens in other areas of the globe (Seanchan and Shara), but this doesn't really matter, as we've never seen a Sharan, and the Seanchan are the product of an invasion from Randland proper. 3) Languages drift for a while, but it doesn't matter how much, as Artur Hawkwing pops up, and conquers everybody. A new lingua franca is established, which shall be called the New Tongue, or "English" as Jordan has translated the whole thing anyway. Presumably whatever they speak has clear roots tracing it to the Old Tongue. Hawkwing conquers the entire main continent, some of Shara, has dealings with the Aiel, and his descendents conquer (and become) Seanchan. Again, everybody speaks the same language, with a few quirks here and there. 4) Almost a thousand years pass, and languages drift. Now, just _how far_ can we reasonably expect them to drift? For convenience, let's look at modern Europe, or at least those parts of Europe which formed the core of the Roman Empire. This gives Spanish, French, and Italian, plus a handful of others which I'll ignore completely. It's been fifteen hundred years or so since Rome fell, how different are these three? And what are the sources of the differences between them and Latin? Not that much. If one knows Italian, one can puzzle out a lot of Spanish, if the Spanish-speaker talks slowly, and vice versa. All four languages have many similar words. Now, consider what we've had happening in Europe in those fifteen hundred years: Most of Europe was at one time or another overrun by those pesky Germanic types, and Spain got invaded by Moors. We've had Russian-type languages pushed in from the East, Scandinavian from the North, and I-don't-know-what >from the South. Now, look at Randland. Who's going to invade? Hawkwing basically conquered the world, so there's no-one who _can_ bring another language in from outside. And even were there such an incursion, the language being brought in would _still_ be pretty close to the Old Tongue, as everybody spoke the same language back in the AoL. And what do we have? We have a good number of funny accents, the Seanchan slur everything, to the degree that Our Heroes have trouble understanding them, the Aiel have a number of odd words for things not found in the Wetlands, Bayle Domon do be using odd verb forms, and the Taraboners they put the words in the wrong order, yes? Is this really that unrealistic? Given the utter lack of invasion from outside, or even the possibility of same, I don't find it hard to swallow the relative uniformity of language in Randland. 2.02..............................................WHAT WAS 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 2.03..........................................HOW DOES BALEFIRE WORK? "When anything is destroyed with balefire, it ceases to exist _before_ the moment of its destruction, like a thread that burns away from where the flame touched it. The greater the power of the balefire, the further back in time it ceases to exist. The strongest [Moiraine] can manage will remove only a few seconds from the Pattern...For as far back as you destroy [something], whatever it did during that time _no longer happened_. Only the memories remain, for those who saw or experienced it." <TFOH: 6, Gateways, 119> That pretty much explains it. Something that is BFed is erased backwards in time, the amount of erasing depends on the amount of Power put into the BF. Rand, at full power, with an angreal, managed to erase Rahvin back about half an hour. Note that Balefire does NOT erase every single action the victim performed in his life. When Rahvin was BFed, Morgase did not become un-compelled, sitting back in the Caemlyn palace. If Lanfear were balefired, the Bore would not cease to exist, since it was created over 3000 years ago, and I doubt that the capacity for creating that strong a beam of BF exists. (Plus, if it WAS done, the poor Pattern would probably unravel completely. See below.) WHY DOESN'T SOMEBODY JUST BALEFIRE THE DARK ONE BACK TO BEFORE WHERE THE TAINT WAS CREATED? Read the previous paragraph about what BF does, and why it is dangerous to use. Now, supposing that 1) the DO has a corporeal body which could BE balefired, and 2) enough BF could be produced to zap the DO back 3500 years (neither of which is at all certain), consider what would happen to the poor Pattern of All Creation if one of the prime movers in its weaving was BFed. The end of the world would probably happen for sure, then. Remember that the DO is the source of the whole history of the 3rd Age. Everything everybody has done for the past 3500 or so years has been affected in some way by the DO. Why is Joe Al'Schmoe of the 2 Rivers a farmer in a forgotten province of Andor, and not a citizen of one of the most powerful, strongest nations in Randland? It's because Manetheren was destroyed in the Trolloc wars, which were initiated by Ishamael, who was the DO's right-hand-man throughout the 3rd age. Another point (via G.G. Kay) is that maybe the DO doesn't even _have_ a thread to balefire. After all, the DO's prison exists "outside the Pattern." Perhaps the DO himself does, too. (NB: the no-body/no-thread argument applies to "Why doesn't somebody BF the DO," no matter if you try to BF him back 3500 years or 3 seconds. The "Pattern" argument does, as well--if there is no DO, what happens the next time the Wheel comes around to the AOL/3rd Age again?) 2.04.......................................................THE SEVEN SEALS 1) in the eye of the world with the Horn & Dragon Banner, broken; 2) Bayle had one, intact, which he'd bought from a Saldaean antiques salesman. It was taken by Turak; Moiraine found it after the fight at Falme, and it was broken by then. 3) Turak had one in his _cuendillar_ collection. Moiraine found it along with (2). Also broken. 4) Moiraine found one in the Stone of Tear's Great Holding, intact. 5) She found another one in Rhuidean, and made a scratch. 6) Nynaeve found one in the Panarch's Museum in Tanchico, accidentally broken on the way to Salidar. 7) Mazrim Taim gave the last one to Rand, saying it was found in a farmhouse in Saldaea. It is still intact. Survey Says? Will the DO be COMPLETELY freed before the end of the series? Yes: 69% (155) No: 20% (44) Undecided: 10% (22) 2.05.............................................WHO'S WHO IN THE FAMILIES <Family trees by Erica FAQ-Dowager Sadun> TRAKANDS & MANTEARS / ANDOR D A M O D R E D S/ (rumored to have Aiel blood) C A I R H E I N -=----------------------+ +-----------=LAMAN--=BARTHANES | | Mondrellein | | (cousin) | | | | | | | | | | | LUC* (JANDUIN) -+- TIGRAINE(M)m TARINGAIL MOIRAINE | (M) clan chief | (Daughter Heir (heir?) (half sister | of Taardad | of Andor ---+---------+ of Taringail) | | AKA SHAIEL) | | | | | | | | GALADEDRID | | RAND | | | MORGASE(T)---------------------+--------------+ | GAWYN(T)** & ELAYNE(T)** (Daughter Heir of Andor) M A L K I E R I --------------------------------------------- | | LAIN m. BREYAN allied with COWIN AL'AKIR m. EL'LEANNA | | ISAM LAN * Merges with ISAM, son of BREYAN to form SLAYER ** Possibly bastard of THOM MERRILIN, the gray fox = Exact links unknown, we just know they're related. 2.06..................................................HOW OLD IS EVERYONE? <Courtenay Footman, Sean Hillyard, Pam Korda, Katrina Werpetinski> AVIENDHA is about the same age as Rand, 20-21ish. EGWENE is about the same age as Elayne, 18.<LOC: 36, The Amyrlin is Raised, 478> 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. ELAYNE is 18. <LOC: 48, Leaning on the Knife, 602> FAILE is a couple of years older than Ewin Finngar, so she's 17-18 now. GALAD: Tigraine disappeared in 972 when he was an infant. Puts him at 27. GAWYN is the same age as Rand (21). ISAM was a child when Malkier fell, so he is a few years older than Lan, say about 50. LAN was born in 953, according to LOC glossary. This fits with him being an infant when Malkier fell. LIANDRIN is referred to as young, not just young-seeming as are all Aes Sedai, about 27. MAT: the far end of 20 years <LOC REF?> MIN is older than Rand, younger than Nynaeve, say 23, starting at 21. MOIRAINE was born in 956, according to LOC glossary. This fits with her being Accepted at the end of the Aiel War. NYNAEVE was just old enough to recall Tam bringing baby Rand back to Emond's field--say about 5. That puts her at 26 now, 24 at the beginning. This agrees with <LOC: 48, Leaning on the Knife, 602> RAND: In TFoH, Moiraine notes that it has been almost 21 years since the search began for the Dragon Reborn. <TFoH: 15, 301, What Can Be Learned In Dreams, 214> That puts Rand's age at about 21, and so he started at about 19. PERRIN: about same age as Rand & Mat. SIUAN SANCHE is about the same age as Moiraine--mid-forties, although she looks very young due to stilling. She was raised Amyrlin at age 30, so we should be able to get an exact age. <LOC: 35, In the Hall of the Sitters, 471> TAIM is at least 15 years older than Rand, so thus is about 35.<LOC: 2, A New Arrival, 76> 2.07.....................................................THE "TRUE POWER" <Khangure and Korda> So, what do we know about the "True Power"? * It is the power of the Dark One. <ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 412> * The ability to use it is granted specifically by the DO <ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 419>. It may be that one must get permission each time one uses it ("The True Power was denied her [Moggy], of course--that could be drawn only with the Great Lord's blessing... <ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 416>). This seems like a somewhat awkward way to run things, so maybe Moggy just means that she can't use it while she's on the DO's shit list. * "What can be done with the True Power is very similar to what can be done with the One Power." <RJ, aol.com Q&A session, 27 June, 1996> * One sign of extensive TP use is the black dots in the eyes, which Moggy calls "saa." The dots are visible from both the outside <ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 418> and from the inside <ACOS: 20, Patterns Within Patterns, 356>. We do not know whether the frequency at which an outside observer sees them is the same as that at which the user sees them. It seems likely that they come more frequently when one is actually using the TP, since the Watcher's dots come faster just before he uses it to "Travel": "The black flecks filled his eyes, a horizontal blizzard....To his ears, the world screamed as he used the TP to rip a small hole and step outside the Pattern." <ACOS: 20, Patterns Within Patterns, 358> * The TP is much more addictive than the OP. "In the long run, the TP was far more addictive than the OP; a strong will could hold down the desire to draw more saidar or saidin, but she [Moggy] did not believe the will existed strong enough to resist the TP, once the saa appear." <ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 418> * The TP is very dangerous, and has a high price. "The final price [for using the TP] was different, but no less terrible." <ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 419> "There was a price, to be sure, one that grew with each use, but he [the Watcher] had always been willing to pay the price when it was necessary." <ACOS: 20, Patterns Within Patterns, 356> * As far as Moggy knows, only 30 or 31 people have ever been granted the use of the TP. ("Only twenty-nine others have ever been granted..." <ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 419> I dunno if Moggy is counting herself in the 29 (i.e. only 29 others besides Moridin), or not (only 29 others besides the people in the room). * The Forsaken have the ability to use the TP. "Among the living, only the Chosen knew how to tap the TP..." <ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 412> * Even among the Forsaken, "few are foolish enough to [use the TP] except in case of dire need" <ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 412> * The TP can "neither be detected except by who wielded it." <ACOS: 20, Patterns Within Patterns, 356> This is worded vaguely, but RJ has clarified it: "No one can tell if you're using the True Power except the Dark One, of course." <RJ, Amer. Online chat, 27-6-96> * If Moggy's knowledge of the TP is reliable, than only people who can channel the OP can use the TP. We know this from the fact that as soon as Moggy realizes Moridin is a user of the TP, she immediately assumes that he can channel: "This Moridin had tapped into the TP, and more than once. Much more. She knew that some men who could channel survived in this time aside from al'Thor...but she had not expected the Great Lord to allow one that particular honor." <ACOS: 25, Mindtrap, 418> The TP is not new in ACOS. We've seen it and heard of it before: * In <TEOTW, Prologue, Dragonmount, xi> Ish uses it to "heal" LTT of his madness. '"I was never very skilled at Healing, and I follow a different power now....I fear Shai'tan's healing is different from the sort you know...." He extended his hands and the light dimmed as if a shadow had been laid across the sun.' * In Rand's fight with Ish in <TDR: 55, What is Written in Prophecy, 570>, Ishy does something at the end which, in retrospect, is almost certainly TP: '"I cannot be defeated! Aid me!" Some of the darkness shrouding him drifted into his hands, formed into a ball so black it seemed to soak up even the light of Callandor. Sudden triumph blazed in the flames of his eyes.' * In general, a lot of the weird stuff Ishy did can probably be attributed to the TP. Whenever he was seen, he always had a "seething blackness" surrounding him, which "boiled up" when he was about to do something nasty to Rand (example: the fight at the end of TGH when Ish gives Rand his first unhealable wound. Ish was certainly one of the "fools" who used the TP in cases other than dire need. His lack of humanity is probably part of the "price" one pays for using the TP. His glowing eyes and mouth might be some advanced version of the saa. * In <TSR: 26, The Dedicated, 306>, it is mentioned that Lanfear/Mierin had said she "had found a new source for the One Power," usable by both men and women. Considering that her "new source" turned out to be the DO, it is very possible that this is a reference to the TP. Whether Lanfear knew that this was the DO or not is a different argument... Wild Speculation: * The taint on saidin is due to the TP being mixed into saidin by the DO. * The black cords seen on some of the male Forsaken is not taint-protection, but a connection to the TP. The problems with this idea are: 1) The female Forsaken have the ability to use the TP, but nobody has ever seen the cords on a woman, and 2) Asmodean is one of the people the cords _were_ seen on, <TSR, 58, The Traps of Rhuidean, p671> and of all the Forsaken, Asm is, IMO, the least likely to use the TP, given its dangers, especially for something (skimming) that could be accomplished via the much-less-dangerous OP. 2.08.................................................GEOGRAPHY OF RANDLAND <Contributors: Sean Hillyard, Pam Korda, Courtenay Footman, Nathan "geographer of Randland" Hendrix, Ulrich "the heraldry guy" Schade, Eric C. Piquette, Justin Howell. <samsyd@ix.netcom.com>, John Biles, 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. For a much more in-depth discussion of the countries of Randland, look at the Wheel of Time Concordance: http://www.d.umn.edu/~knovek/wotc/wotcToC.html >General Notes on Randland/Randworld Geography< o Illian is approximately at the same latitude as the Florida Keys <book signing info, 10/94>. o The timing of Rand & Avi MPS in the Snow <tFoH: 31, ?, The Far Snows, 362> is not an error. It is properly indicative of where (part of) the Seanchan Empire is located. Seanchan has parts in the north & south hemispheres, Rand & Avi were in the south. <book signing info, 10/94> Note on Heraldry: Randland heraldry sometimes violates our heraldic rules. According to our heraldic rules, "white" is the same as "silver." "White" is used if the banners are given in their simple version, "silver" is used in their normal version. The same holds for "yellow" (simple) and "gold" (normal). According to our rules, "silver" and "gold" count as "metallic" in opposition to "red," "blue," "green," and "black," which are colors. In banners metal and color have to alternate. That means if the symbol is metallic, it has to be put on a colored field. If the symbol is in color, the field is metallic. Thus, every banner includes "gold" or "silver." <Ulrich Shade> >Altara< General: Capital: Ebou Dar. Very wild country, with the women running things. Lots of dueling. Neat daggers, which contain a bit of family information on them. Interesting dress styles. Banner: two golden leopards on a field checked 4x4 in red and blue Gov't: Nominal Monarchy. Actually, The monarchy exercises very limited control over the country. Current ruler: Queen Tylin. Tourist Attractions: [What's the name of the Queen's palace?] Home of: Myrelle, Tylin, Setalle Anan, the Kin What's up: Seanchan Invasion. Map: Ebou Dar <ACOS: 13, The Bowl of the Winds, 250> >Amadicia< General: Capital: Amador. Apparently a younger country, as Amador was not built by the Ogier. Fractious relations with Altara, Murandy, and Ghealdan. Participated in the Whitecloak War against the coalition of Altara, Illian, and Murandy. Banner: Six-pointed silver star on a red thistle on a field of blue. Gov't: Technically a Monarchy, in actuality controlled by the Whitecloaks. Current king: Ailron Home of: Pedron Niall, Jaichim Carradin, Jared Byar, Geofram Bornhold, Dain Bornhold, Whitecloaks Tourist Attractions: Dome of the Light What's up: Seanchan invasion of Amador, and probably all of SW Amadicia. Prophet Masema and followers in the north. Large part of WC forces also north, engaging Masema >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. Banner: White lion on a red field. 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: Morgase missing, presumed dead, in actuality abdicated. Currently ruled by Rand through Dyelin in Elayne's name. The Two Rivers district has seemingly declared independence. Home of: Morgase, Elayne, Gawyn, Galad, Gareth Bryne, "Lord Gaebril," Tigraine/Shaiel, Lord Luc Map: <TEotW: (before) 13, 172, Choices, 144> (partial map of Andor) <TFoH: (before) 54, 906, To Caemlyn, 642> (map of Caemlyn) >Arad Doman< General: Capital: Bandar Eban. Previous king: Alsalam. Currently in total civil disorder. Home of: Leane, Graendal. >Arafel< General: Capital: Shol Arbela. One of the Borderlands. Banner: Three white roses on a field of red quartered with three red roses on a field of white. Gov't: Monarchy. Current Events: Clashes between Pro- and anti- Dragon factions. The Blight border is quiet. I believe there was a False Dragon here a few years back. Possible border clashes with Kandor or Shienar. Home of: Alanna >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. Was - Al'cair'rahienallen - Hill of the Golden Dawn. <TEotW, Web of the Pattern, p465> Banner: Many-rayed golden sun rising on a field of sky blue. Gov't: Monarchy. Last king: Galldrian of House Riatin (assassinated 998 NE by Thom Merrilin). Currently run by Rand through Dobraine in Elayne's name. Tourist Attractions: Largest (& most powerful) male-oriented sa'angreal, Royal Library--largest collection of knowledge outside Tar Valon. Home of: Moiraine, Taringail, Dobraine Map: <LoC, (before) 18, A Taste of Solitude, p292> >Ghealdan< General: Capital: Jehannah Gov't: Monarchy; Queen Alliandre. Current Events: The False Dragon Logain ripped through here at the beginning of the series, defeated some AS sent to stop him, and departed, possibly at the instigation of the Red Ajah. Suffered serious riots due to the presence of the Prophet in which thousands died. Alliandre is the fourth monarch on the Ghealdan throne in the last year (two of the previous three are dead, and one is currently married to some businessman), the others having been toppled by the Prophet's followers (in one way or another). The situation is probably still unstable. Alliandre has secretly communicated her support for Rand. Perrin's army has landed near Jehannah. Tourist Attractions: There probably aren't any left standing. Home of: Alliandre, Logain. >Illian< General: Capital--Illian. Starting point for the Great Hunt for the Horn. Traditional enemy of Tear. Climate--Hot and Humid Banner: Nine golden bees on a field of dark green. 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. Now run by Rand, since the king is missing, presumed dead, and Lord Brend (Sammael) is "dead." Tourist Attractions: King's Palace, and its copy, the Hall of the Council Home of: Bayle Domon >Kandor< General: Capital: Chachin. One of the Borderlands. Banner: rearing red horse on a field of pale green. Gov't: Monarchy. Current Events: Clashes between Pro- and anti- Dragon supporters. The Blight border is quiet. Possible border clashes with Arafel. >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). Banner: Golden crane in flight. Gov't: Monarchy. Last king--al'Akir Mandragoran. Uncrowned heir-- al'Lan Mandragoran. 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) >Mayene< General: City State on the Sea of Storms, traditionally oppressed by Tear. Banner: Golden hawk in flight on a field of blue. Gov't: Monarchy-like. Current ruler: ``The First'' Berelain sur Paendrag of house Paeron. Ruling line said to be descended from Artur Hawkwing. >Murandy< General: Capital: Lugard. Very fractious country. Allied with Altara and Illian against Amadicia in the Whitecloak War. Hostile to Andor. Gov't: Loose confederation of lands controlled by various lords. Possibly there is a nominal king? Current Events: Unstable as always. Logain was defeated by the AS in Murandy in the beginning of the series. Hasn't declared for or against the Dragon yet, like Altara. Tourist Attractions: The Nine Horse Hitch Inn :) Home of: Padan Fain >Saldaea< General: Capital: Maradon. Banner: Three silver fish on a field of dark blue. Gov't: Monarchy. Current ruler: Queen Tenobia. Current Events: Has been having troubles all throughout the series. The False Dragon Mazrim Taim ripped through here, gave Davram Bashere a hard time, was captured, escaped, and is possibly supporting Rand in Andor and at Dumai's Wells. Tenobia is still in charge, and appears to have consolidated her position, and there are rumors that she has retired to a country estate. Clashes between Pro- and anti-Dragon factions. Davram Bashere is in Andor with a chunk of the army. The Blight border is quiet. Home of: Faile, Davram Bashere, Mazrim Taim. >Shara< General: Not much is known about the lands east of the Aiel Waste. They produce silk, and have a slave trade. Trading with outsiders is only permitted in walled trade cities. The are has several names (or maybe these are all different countries east of the Waste): Shara, Shamara, Kigali, Co'dansin, Tomaka. Government: At least one area of Shara is ruled by a hereditary class of channellers who live separate from the general populace. the order of succession goes something like this: First the man takes a spouse, rules for 7 years absolutely, then is executed. Then the woman takes a spouse and rules for 7 years absolutely, then is executed. Her husband succeeds her, taking a spouse, etc. The 14-years-then-you-die thing is probably a result of the male channellers going mad from the Taint--they kill them before they get a chance to go mad. (What if they go mad before their time is up?) Current Events: Not much known at all, but, we've heard (from Graendal?) that there is fighting going on in Shara, a sign of the nearness of Tarmon Gai'don: according to Rhuarc there is _never_ fighting in Shara. >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. Banner: Stooping 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). Small-scale battles between pro- and anti- Dragon factions. 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> >Tarabon< General: Capital--Tanchico. Local fashion: women wear their hair in numerous little braids, men and women wear veils. Symbol--tree. Banner: Tree. Gov't: Monarchy-ish. There are two independent monarchs, the King and the Panarch, each has his/her own duties. Current events: Taken over by Seanchan Tourist Attractions: Panarch's museum--artifacts from past ages, Illuminators' Guild Home of: Liandrin, Aludra, Amathera Map: <TSR: 38, 618, Hidden Faces, 429> (map of Tanchico) >Tear< General: Capital: Tear. Other cities: Godan. Traditional enemy of Illian. Banner: Three white crescent moons slanting across a field of half red, half gold. Gov't: Council of High Lords. Now directly ruled by the Dragon. Current Events: Fall of the Stone of Tear to Rand and the Aiel, and the death of Be'lal and Ishamael. Rebellion in Haddon Mirk. Tairen army invaded Cairhien, and part of it is massing for an invasion of Illian. Tourist Attractions: Stone of Tear Home of: Juilan Sandar, Siuan Sanche >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 "Lord" Perrin. Large influx of refugees from the west. 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 Survey Says: Will there be a New Manetheren? Yes: 73% (163) No: 18% (41) Undecided: 7% (16) 2.09..........................................IS THERE RELIGION IN RANDLAND? <Erica Sadun, P.Korda> "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, 51, 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 Christianity, 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. <TGH: 10, 178, The Hunt Begins, 151> Like the religions of old merry England, the maypole is a fertility ritual. <TEotW: 1, 10, An Empty Road, 8-9> Like Catholicism, children are taught catechism <TEotW: 1, 14, An Empty Road, 12>. Wisdoms act as priestesses, in some respects. Like Judaism, marriage is a public announcement to the community. <TSR: 53, 890-1, The Price of Departure, 618> This does not even begin to touch on the religious aspects of the Aes Sedai. They have novices (like nuns), they are considered to be 'servants of all', the rituals of acceptance and joining the sisterhood are rigid with many religious overtones. They are expected to serve the Light and the will of the creator when they join the Aes Sedai. They are almost Buddhist in certain ways: in particular the view of the time serpent, the wheel of time and the age lace. The Children of Light are another 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 Christisntian/Calvinist 'Way of the Leaf', a cross between pacifism and acceptance of fate <TEotW: 27, 412, Shelter from the Storm, 346>. -- Erica OTOH, in Randland, the Creator _is_. The DO _is_. No one disbelieves in their existence; they are _there_. They are far more concrete and present in everyday life than our God(s) is/are in our lives. If you cross the Blight to Shayol Ghul, you will find a mountain with a hole in its side and evil leaking out. Thus, many of the rituals and other trappings of _organized_ religion are unnecessary in Randland. Just because we don't see worship going on very often doesn't mean it's not being done. Scratch a Randlander, and you'll find a quite religious person 9 times out of 10, would be my guess. There just isn't quite the need to formalize it the way we do, except on occasions which, by their nature, are already formal... i.e. funerals, weddings, harvest, etc. Just my humble opinion. -Jocelyn Randlanders pray to the Creator for favors, such as relief from the drought. <LoC: Prologue, The First Message, 36> 2.10..............................WHO ARE THE FORSAKEN? WHERE ARE THEY NOW? <Mark Looi, ETC.> 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>. Probably resurrected as Osan'gar. He was involved in creating the various Shadowspawn. *ASMODEAN (M): Real name Joar Addam Nesossin <TFoH: 45, 727, After the Storm, 516> aka Jasin Natael. Thought by many to be the weakest & most cowardly of the Forsaken. Captured by Rand and shielded by Lanfear at Rhuidean <TSR: 58, 973-8, The Traps of Rhuidean, 674-7>. Toast at the end of TFoH...Twice! No body was found, so most people in Randland do not know he is dead, just that he has vanished. The DO is unlikely to resurrect him, since THOSE WHO BETRAY [the DO] WILL DIE THE FINAL DEATH. Claims to have joined the Shadow for the promise of eternal life, in which to practise songs and music. NB: Maybe is not dead/has been resurrected, and is the prisoner of Moridin's second mindtrap. *BALTHAMEL (M): Killed by the Green Man at the Eye of the World <TEotW: 50, 751-2, Meetings at the Eye, 630-1>. Probably resurrected as Aran'gar. *BE'LAL (M): aka High Lord Samon of Tear, balefired by Moiraine in the Stone of Tear <TDR: 55, 651-2, What is Written in Prophecy, 557>. Was a leader in the fight against the Shadow, but joined the DO because he was envious of LTT. Also known as "Netweaver." *DEMANDRED (M): Real name Barid Bel Medar. Dislikes Rand/LTT intensely. <TSR: 58, 975, The The Traps of Rhuidean, 677>. Turned to the Shadow because he got tired of being second-best to LTT <TFoH: 3, 105, Pale Shadows, 76-7>, <LoC: Prologue, The First Message, 56-7>, whom he considered his intellectual inferior in the AoL. Possibly involved with the Seanchan <LoC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 135>, also possibly masquerading as Mazrim Taim. Knows how to block gateways. *GRAENDAL (F): 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. Currently in Arad Doman, having taken over somebody's palace. She has one of the World's Greatest Generals, Lord Rodel Itruralde, working for her, and it seems as though all the reported chaos in Arad Doman might not be quite as chaotic as it first appears. She appears to visitors as an enfeebled old lady. Before turning to the Shadow, she was a celebrated psychiatrist in the AOL <LoC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 130-9>, and an ascetic. She seems to be underestimated by all the other Forsaken, besides Sammael. Has been duped by Sammael into following him, due to his claim of being _Nae'blis_. Original name is maybe Maisia. *ISHAMAEL (M): Real name Elan Morin Tedronai, aka Ba'alzamon. Probably killed by Rand in Tear <TDR: 55, 666, What is Written in Prophecy, 570>. The most philosophically-minded of the Forsaken, he came up with many theories on the nature of the battle between the Creator and the DO <LoC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 133>. Believed by many to be the most powerful Forsaken. Was partially or totally free during the third age. Believed by the other forsaken to be partially or totally mad. Frequent user of the "True Power." Possibly reincarnated as Shaidar Haran or Moridin. *LANFEAR (F): Real name: Mierin <TSR: 58, 973, The Traps of Rhuidean, 676>, aka: Selene, aka Keille, aka Silvie, aka Else Grinwell in TDR. Former lover of LTT, who believes she was rudely tossed over for Ilyena. Known for interfering in others' plans, twisting them to her advantage. Tackled by Moiraine in TFOH, and fell into *finnland. Was one of the two AS who created the Bore. Survey Says: What happened to Lanfear at the docks? She is alive & still has full Power: 54% (120) She is alive and is burnt out (can't be Healed): 17% (38) She is dead: 8% (19) She is alive and stilled (can be Healed): 8% (17) *MESAANA (F): The long-anticipated Forsaken in the Tower. <LoC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 138>. Was rejected by the Collam Dam, so instead of being a researcher, she ended up a teacher, until she found a way to Teach Them All! MUAHAHAH! Feels uneasy around Semirhage (Don't we all? :). *MOGHEDIEN (F): aka Gyldin, aka Marigan. Captured by Nynaeve in Tanchico, but escaped <TSR: 54, 909-13, Into the Palace, 631-3> believed to be the strongest Forsaken in Tel'aran'rhiod <TSR: 52, 864, Need, 599>. Captured by Nynaeve in Salidar and forced to teach her and Elayne. Released by Aran'gar and summoned to SG <LoC: Epilogue, The Answer, 697-8>, where she was disciplined and fitted with a mindtrap. Is now a lacky of Moridin. Ny thinks she was some sort of con artist or criminal during the AOL. *RAHVIN (M): aka Lord Gaebril. Was active in Caemlyn <TDR: 46, 534-40, A Message Out of the Shadow, 452-7>. Balefired by Rand in tFOH. <TFoH: 55, 948, The Threads burn, 672> *SAMMAEL (M): Real name Tel Janin Aellinsar <TFoH: 45, 727, After the Storm, 516>, aka Lord Brend of Illian <TDR: 44, 508-9, Hunted, 429-30>. Was given scar by LTT, hates Rand. <TFoH: Prologue, 35, The First Sparks Fall, 28>. Always wanted to be taller. A great military leader for the Light before turning to the Dark Side. Claiming (to Graendal) to be _Nae'blis_. Has managed to get ahold of a number of AOL goodies from stasis boxes, and some stuff from the Kin's stash in Ebou Dar. Vanished during the fight with Rand in ACOS. Presumed dead by Rand. *SEMIRHAGE (F): Has a penchant for gruesome torture. Whereabouts unknown. Hates Lanfear. Is very tall, with dark skin & eyes, and likes wearing black. Was a brilliant healer who took payment in extracting extra pain from her patients. Knows how to block open gateways. Turned to the Dark Side to avoid being stilled or bound by an Oath Rod for her sadism. Survey Says: Where is Semirhage? Seanchan: 16% (36) Borderlands: 4% (9) Salidar: 2% (4) Saldaea: 7% (17) Shienar: 2% (5) Tar Valon: 4% (10) Amador: 2% (5) 2.11...........EFFECTS OF THE OATH ROD: BINDING, AGELESSNESS, AND DEATH <Daniel Rouk, Burr Rutledge, Andrea Leistra, Korda> BINDING In the AOL, there were multiple "Oath Rods." They were apparently fairly common devices used to discipline criminals who could channel. The Forsaken refer to them as a type of "binder"; according to Sammael <ACOS: 40, Spears, 631>, Oath Rods only work on channellers, and the one _he_ gives to Sevanna only works on female channellers. There are other types of binding devices, such as "binding chairs" that work on anybody. One of the first references to "binding" is in <LoC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 136>. Graendal is showing off her Shara rulers. While discussing the Shara channellers, Sammael asks her if they 'bind themselves like criminals.' Sammael thinks he's revealing something Graendal didn't know, but she thinks about how she found out from Mesaana <LoC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 138>. We find out Mesaana is in the White Tower. The only 'binding' that we know about that occurs in the White Tower is the bonds willingly taken by Aes Sedai via the Oath Rod. Next scene: <LoC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 139-143> Semirhage is torturing the Aes Sedai, and thinking on how she was 'wronged' because the Age of Legends Servants didn't understand why she gave a little pain with her healing. After all, nobody complained when they owed their life to her. She recollects that she was given two choices, to be severed, or to accept binding. The actual quote is "to be bound never to know her pleasures again, and with that binding be able to see the end of life approach," This illustrates that 'binding' is in fact as Sammael said, something done to criminals. Finally, we have <ACOS: 40, Spears, 630-631>, in which Sammael gives Sevanna an OR, which he probably got from the Ebou Dar stash. He explains how it works: "'You might call it an Oath Rod,' Caddar said...'It only came into my hands yesterday, and I immediately thought of you.'... 'All you need do is have your AS...or any woman who can channel hold the rod and speak whatever promises you wish while someone channels a little Spirit into the number. The marks on the end of the rod?'...'It only works on women?' [Sevanna said.] 'Women who can channel, Sevanna,' Caddar said." We learn a few other things about the OR and binding. 1) It can be used to remove Oaths, according to Sammael. <ACOS: 40, Spears, 631> It makes sense that there should be some way to remove the Oaths, since it was a method of punishing criminals. If the criminal was later proven innocent, or truly reformed, one would want the OR binding removed, considering its unhealthy effects (see below). 2) It is harder to bind non-channellers than to bind channellers <ACOS: 40, Spears, 631>. This implies that the OR's binding mechanism involves the bound individual's channelling ability. 3) The OR is _not_ a "Rod of Dominion." The way the Nine Rods of Dominion were mentioned in TEOTW Prologue, they were apparently something special. The OR, OTOH, is referred to as a "binder," lower case. Nothing special. AGELESSNESS The question is: is the "ageless" look attributed to Aes Sedai in the third age something unique to them, or is this appearance attained by all channellers? If it is only found in modern AS, then it seems likely that the look is caused by the Oath Rod--one of the only major differences between the current Aes Sedai and other channellers. What is the Ageless Look? It is not mere youthfulness. People looking at AS with the look are unable to put any age at all to them. Here is evidence: 1) In <TDR: 3, "News from the Plain," 23> Perrin describes Moiraine: "She was a slender, dark-haired woman no taller than his shoulder, and pretty, with the ageless quality of all Aes Sedai who had worked with the One Power for a time. He could not put any age at all to her..." 2) In <LOC: Prologue, The First Message, 25-26>, Elayne describes Janya Sedai and Anaiya Sedai: "Janya Sedai was quite neat, every short dark hair tidy around the ageless face that marked Aes Sedai who had worked long with the Power.... "You are making great strides, Elayne," Anaiya said calmly. The bluff-faced woman was always calm. "Motherly was the word to describe her, and comforting usually, though Aes Sedai features made putting an age to her impossible." 3) In <ACOS: 1, High Chasaline, 60> Perrin describes the TAS who were captured, discounting the ones who were stilled: "The others looked ageless, of course, maybe in their twenties, maybe in their forties, changing from one glance to the next, always uncertain. That was what their faces said, though several showed gray in their hair." From this, we know that if an observer can put a definite age to a channeller, then the channeller DOES NOT have the Ageless Look. Note: the Ageless Look takes some time to manifest itself after a woman is raised to full AS. 1) Elaida's spy in Caemlyn is "'A Red Sister....Newly raised, so she can easily pass for other than AS.' She meant that the woman had not yet taken on the agelessness..." <TFOH, Prologue, The First Sparks Fall, 16> 2) In <ACOS: 24, The Kin, 408>, Elayne says, "I don't think anyone has ever reached that [the Ageless Look] until they've worn the shawl at _least_ a year or two, sometimes five or more." Now, let us look at the descriptions of all other channellers, to see that they do NOT have the Ageless Look. 1) Aiel Wise Ones: * Perrin describing the WOs after rescuing Rand: "Every Wise One who had come here from Cairhien was able to channel, though none had the ageless look."<ACOS: 1, High Chasaline, 64> Amys is one of these WOs--she appears in <ACOS: 2, The Butcher's Yard, 80>. * Sevanna describing Graendal, lets slip what is perhaps the most glaring example that the ageless look is actually different from what the Wise Ones have: As dark of face and hair as he [Sammael], and beautiful enough to tighten Sevanna's mouth, she wore red silk, cut to expose even more of her bosom than Someryn showed.... Right then, she did not care whether the woman could move mountains or barely light a candle. She must be Aes Sedai. She did not have the face, yet some Sevanna had seen did not. [She's probably thinking about Egwene, who was masquerading as AS, at this point...] * In <TSR: 23, Beyond the Stone, 262>, we have a description of Melaine from Egwene's point of view, before she knows that Melaine can channel. "The last of the four, a handsome woman with golden-red hair, no more than ten or fifteen years older than Egwene, hesitated." Note that Eg puts a definite age to her. * Egwene, describing Amys: "Suddenly Amys's youthfully smooth features beneath that white hair leaped out at her for what they were, something very close to Aes Sedai agelessness." <TSR, 23, Beyond the Stone, 262>. "Amys was white-haired, too... but she did not look old. She and Melaine could both channel -- not many Wise Ones could -- and she had something of the look of the Aes Sedai agelessness about her." <TFOH: 5, Among the Wise Ones, 99> Note that Amys is _close_ to ageless, has _something_ of the look, but NOT the exact same look. * In <TGH: 28, A New Thread in the Pattern, 345>, Urien meets Ingtar's party, and says to Verin, "No, Wise One. But you have to look of those who have made the journey to Rhuidean and survived. The years do not touch the WOs in the same way as other women." This seems to tell us that the WOs _do_ have the Ageless look. However, the huge quantity of contradictory quotes, especially Perrin's and Sevanna's above, leads us to believe that this is either RJ changed his mind, or Urien was mistaken, or Urien only meant that Verin doesn't look as old as her grey hair would indicate. 2) Sea Folk Windfinders: * Elayne & Ny do not recognise Jurin, the Windfinder of _Wavedancer_, as a channeller until Elayne actually SEES her channel. <TSR: 20, Winds Rising, 233> If she had the distinctive Ageless look, they'd have noted it immediately. This is not merely a case of Jurin being young. Her sister Coine has "gray touches in her black hair and fine wrinkles at the corners of her...eyes....It was a surprise that the two were sisters. Elayne could see the resemblance, but Jurin looked much younger." <TSR: 19, The Wavedancer, 217>. Furthermore, Joine has children older than Elayne. <TSR: 20, Winds Rising, 234> * The Windfinders Rand meets in <ACOS: 34, Ta'veren, 535-536> look young, not ageless: "Harine did a lot of the talking, and so did a young, pretty woman in green brocade with eight earrings altogether, but the pair in plain silk put in occasional comments....Harine turned so calmly there might never have been any hasty conference. "This is Shalon din Togara Morning Tide, Windfinder to Clan Shodein," she said with a small bow toward the woman in green brocade, "and this is Derah din Delaan Rising Wave...."" "She [Derah] made a small bow toward the fourth woman, in yellow. "This is Taval din Chanai Nine Gulls, Windfinder of White Spray." Only three rings hung from each of Taval's ears, fine like those of the Sailmistress. She looked younger than Shalon, no older than himself." 3) Seanchan Damane and Sul'dam * In <TGH: 40, "Damane," 477> Egwene sees Renna, her new sul'dam: "With long, dark hair and big brown eyes, she was pretty, and perhaps as much as ten years older than Nynaeve." Note she can put a specific age to Renna. * In <TGH: 40, Damane, 482>, a damane is described: "One of the other sul'dam snorted loudly; she was linked to a pretty dark-haired woman in her middle years who kept her eyes on her hands." Again, we have a specific age. 4) Forsaken & Other Old-time Aes Sedai: * AoL Aes Sedai don't seem to have had the look, although we have little evidence one way or the other. (Plus, aging was weird in the AoL. Jorin <TSR: 26, The Dedicated, 300> is 63 years old and considers himself young. Jorin doesn't mention his Aes Sedai having an "ageless" look, but he doesn't mention her lack of it, either. He says she "looked younger than he." None of the Forsaken are described as "ageless." * Many years after the Breaking, when Rhuidean is built, the Aes Sedai with the Jenn Aiel are described as "ageless."<TSR: 25, The Road to the Spear, 284>. We know from <ACOS: Glossary, 677> that the second oath was the first adopted, after the War of the Shadow. Thus, the agelessness of the Rhuidean AS is consistent with the Oath Rod causing Agelessness. 5) Stilled Aes Sedai * After being stilled, Siuan and Leane look like young women again, not "ageless." <TSR, 47, The Truth of a Viewing, 535> They look different enough that it is hard to recognise them. When they get the OP back, they don't get the Ageless look back, either: In <LOC: 44, The Color of Trust, 556>, Mat sees SS after she has been healed by Ny--"He gave her a shallow bow and walked quickly to where a pretty blue-eyed young woman was tapping her foot to the music. She had a sweet mouth, just right for kissing, and he bloody well wanted to enjoy himself." * The BA stilled in Tear (Amico) looks different: "Amico looked young, perhaps younger than her years, but it was not quite the agelessness of Aes Sedai who had worked years with the One Power. "You have sharp eyes, Aviendha, but I don't know if this has anything to do with stilling. It must, though, I suppose. I don't know what else could cause it."" <TSR: 5, Questioners, 84> * The TAS stilled by Rand at Dumai's Wells also look young, as opposed to ageless. <ACOS: 1, High Chasaline, 60> 6) Students in the Tower & the Kin As noted above, no AS gets the Ageless look until _after_ they've been raised to full AS <ACOS: 24, The Kin, 408>. This is not a matter of time spent channelling, or of strength in the OP, but of passing a certain point--being raised. * Elayne mentions an Accepted who is older than 40, (& thus has been channelling a LONG time, at least as long as some of the younger sisters) and looks YOUNG--Ny's age, not ageless <ACOS: 24, The Kin, 408>. * In <ACOS, 31, Mashiara, 497>, Elayne and the AS meet the Knitting Circle: "Most wore Ebou Dari dresses, though only one possessed the olive skin; most had lines on their faces and at least a touch of gray; and every last woman of them could channel to one degree or another." No AS has a lined face; it's part of being Ageless. * In <ACOS, 23, Next Door to a Weaver, 393>, Ny meets Reanne Corly: "From the exchange, she had expected someone younger than Setalle Anan, but Reanne had hair more gray than not and a face full of what might have been smile lines..." Again, Reanne is old-looking. * There are many references to people putting ages to members of the Kin in <ACOS: 23, Next Door to a Weaver>, <ACOS: 24, The Kin>, and the other Kin chapters of ACOS. 7) Conclusions * The Ageless look is not the result of anything the AS experience until the actual raising ceremony. The Kin are made up of women who trained in the Tower, who flunked out at various points in their training. This includes women who have passed the Accepted Test, and even women who made it through various parts of the AS Test <ACoS, 24, The Kin, pp405-406>. None of them are ageless. * The Ageless look is not the result of strength in the OP. The Kin contain women who are fairly strong channellers: "Of course, Reanne could channel -- she had expected that; hoped for it, anyway -- but she had not expected the strength. Reanne was not as strong as Elayne, or even Nicola -- burn that wretched girl! -- but she easily equaled Sheriam, say, or Kwasema or Kiruna." <ACOS: 23, Next Door to a Weaver>. So do the WOs and the Windfinders. The strongest channellers of all, the Forsaken, definitely do not have the Ageless Look. * The agelessness is not the result of the total amount of OP channelled. The obvious example of this is the Forsaken. Certain members of the Kin are very old (Reanne Corly is older than 400), and must have channelled as much in their lifetime as any of the younger AS. * Here is the part where Elayne starts putting it all together: After talking about the 40+ Accepted who looks 26, she says, "We _slow_, Nynaeve. Somewhere between twenty and twenty-five, we begin aging more slowly. How much depends on how strong we are, but when doesn't. Any woman who can channel does it. Takima said she thought it was the beginning off achieving the ageless look, though I don't think anyone has ever reached that until they've worm the shawl at _least_ a year or two, sometimes five or more. Think. You _know_ any sister with gray hair is _old_, even if you aren't supposed to mention it. So if Reanne slowed, and she must have, how old is she?" <ACOS: 24, The Kin, 408> Nobody in all of Randland has the Ageless look besides AS raised in the White Tower. Thus, there must be something done to them in the raising ceremony which brings about the Ageless Look. The only such thing of which we know is swearing on the Oath Rod. Given the evidence that we have, it must be the OR which causes agelessness. The only other possibility is that there is something else done in the Raising ceremony which we don't know about and which causes the agelessness. Any such thing would have to involve the woman's channelling ability, in order to explain why the Agelessness vanishes when a person is stilled. There may indeed be other items used in the AS-Raising ceremony besides the Oath Rod, as indicated by this quote: <LOC: 39, Possibilities, 513> "Romanda wanted to use gateways to remove the OR and certain other items...from the Tower so they could make true AS in Salidar while depriving Elaida of the ability." These items may be used in the AS TEST, as opposed to the actual final ceremony, though. 8) Misc. Notes * When an AS is severed from the Source (i.e. stilled), she loses the ageless look, AND is freed from the Oaths. This, combined with the fact that the OR only works on channellers, leads me to believe that the OR somehow works by tapping into the AS's own channelling ability, causing the binding and the agelessness. * An important point to note is that the Black Ajah does have the agelessness, but is not bound by the 3 Oaths. However, the situation of the BA vis `a vis the Oath Rod is not clear. It may be that the BA swear their new oaths to the DO on an OR after having their AS oaths removed, and thus are still bound by the OR. Another (less likely, IMO) option is that whatever is done to the BA to free them from the 3 Oaths does NOT free them from the ageless effect of the life-shortening effect (see below). See section 2.26 for further discussion. DEATH A final effect of the OR is that it seems to shorten the lifespan of channellers bound by it. It seems to work this way: use of the OP increases one's lifespan by a great deal. The more you channel, the better the anagathic effect. Being bound by the OR decreases one's lifespan, or perhaps lessens the anti-aging benefits of channelling. In any case, the net effect is that OR-bound channellers live longer than non-channellers, but not as long as channellers who are NOT bound by the OR. Evidence that Oathbound channellers don't live as long as nonbound ones: * Cadsuane Melaidhrin is most likely the oldest living AS, at around 295 years old <ACOS: Glossary, 671>. She considers _herself_ to be very old, expecting to die RSN: "Over two hundred and seventy years had passed since she last encountered a task she could not perform. Any day now might be her last, but young al'Thor would be a fitting end to it all." <ACOS: 19, Diamonds and Stars, 347>. * Elayne to Reanne Corly: "apparently no Aes Sedai since the Breaking has lived as long as any of you in the Knitting Circle claim....In your own case, not by over a hundred years." <ACOS: 37, A Note from the Palace, 577> Reanne Corly is 411. >From these quotes, we can conclude that the maximum lifespan of modern AS is around 300 years. * The above quote also gives us that the Kin live at _least_ 25% longer than AS. Since Reanne Corly is hardly on her last leg, Kin probably outlive AS by an even greater amount. * In <LOC: 15, A Pile of Sand, 262>, we have a reference to an Aiel WO who died at age 300 of a snake bite, but still looked young. Since she looked young, she probably still had a good bit of her natural lifespan ahead of her. So, from this, we know that WOs at least have the _potential_ to live longer than 300 years, i.e. longer than AS. In practice, they probably don't live that long (the WO telling the story of the 300-year-old WO regards it as a legend, and possibly exaggerated), due to the harsh conditions in the Three-Fold Land. * The Forsaken are all way old. Moghedien is ???. <REF ?> So, AOL AS lived longer than modern AS. (Note that _everybody_ lived longer in the AOL.) * We have no evidence as to the longevity of Seanchan or Sea Folk channellers. >From the evidence that we have, modern-day AS have a shorter maximum lifespan than other channellers. As with the Ageless look, there must be something done in the AS-raising ceremony which causes this. The only such thing of which we are aware is being bound by the OR. Again, there is a possibility that there is some other thing in the ceremony which we don't know about, and which causes this effect. However, there is less chance of this being the case with the shorter lifespan than with the ageless look. This is because we have independent evidence from Semirhage. In <LoC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 139-143> Semirhage is thinking about how the AOL AS wanted to "bind" her to put an end to her medical malpractice. The actual quote is "to be bound never to know her pleasures again, and with that binding be able to see the end of life approach." Now, we know that "binding" of channellers (esp. female channellers) was done with an OR. Semirhage seems to be thinking that the binding would cut her life short. CONCLUSIONS The primary effect of the OR is to compel obedience to oaths sworn on it. It probably does this by tapping into the oathbound channeller's own channelling ability in some unknown way. (We know this bc the binding to the oaths vanishes when the oathbound woman is severed.) It has some secondary effects, in particular 1) it probably shortens the lifespan of the bound channeller, and 2) it probably causes the bound channeller to develop the "ageless look" unique to modern AS. It is unknown if these secondary effects are deliberate (i.e. a kind of death sentence and a way of marking criminals, respectively) or if they are an inherent side effect of the binding mechanism. 2.12..........................................WHO ARE THE AELFINN AND EELFINN? <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 when Mat is using his "luck", he often seems to be humming. This may be related. We know that The tower of Ghenjei is a route to the realms of the Aelfinn & Eelfinn. We also know that the Seanchan, the offspring of the "hammer" (Paendrag) hold their symbols to be the tower and the raven. And WOULDN'T YOU JUST KNOW, Mat who is due to marry the Daughter of the Nine Moons, the heir to the court of Seanchan and who is already mixed up with the snakes and foxes just happens to have a magic spear with ravens on it. In fact, if you re-regard the inscription on the spear, it just may have to do with the Seanchan's bargain and not that of Mat. "Thus is our treaty written; thus is agreement made. Thought is the arrow of time; memory never fades. What was asked is given. The price is paid." <TSR: 26, 439, The Dedicated, 307> Remember also, that those marked with the raven are property of the court of the Seanchan empress. The other object given to Mat was the foxhead. And ITS eye is the symbol of the Aes Sedai. <TSR: 37, 606, Imre Stand, 426> Boy, this gets complicated, doesn't it? When Mat arrives in the Rhuidean door (foxes), he is greeted and asked about the "old treaty". The snake people back at Tear were very insistent that he show up at Rhuidean -- insistent enough to answer a whole lot of extra questions. Once he gets there, he's given an object which directly mentions something about the treaty. What we know from the Tear doorway: There seems to be some kind of agreement concerning the use of the door. Anyone may enter who does not bring a way to make light, iron or instruments of music. The snakes will then answer three questions. What do they get out of it? According to Moiraine: "Sensations, emotions, experiences. They rummage through them; you can feel them doing it, making your skin crawl. Perhaps they feed on them in some manner. The Aes Sedai who studied this ter'angreal ... spoke of a strong desire to bathe afterward." <TSR: 15, 257, Into the Doorway, 179>. 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? Survey Says: Who will go to A/Eelfland? (more than one choice) Thom: 62% (138) Nynaeve: 9% (21) Nobody: 5% (12) Mat: 52% (116 Birgitte: 8% (17) Aludra: 4% (9) Perrin: 34% (77) Elayne: 8% (17) Lan: 4% (9) Olver: 12% (26) Egwene: 7% (16) Avi: 4% (8) Rand: 10% (22) Faile: 6% (14) Juilin: 3% (6) 2.13......................................FIFTY WAYS TO KILL A GHOLAM The Gholam seems to be the hardest-to-kill monster RJ has introduced thus far. What, exactly, is it? All the information we have on it comes from Birgitte, who has some memories of the War of Power, via Mat <ACOS: 40, Promises to Keep, 606-607>, and from Elayne, Mat, etc's encounter with one in <ACOS: 39, Six Stories, 598-600>. Gholam were created by Aginor <LOC, 23, To Understand a Message, 347> for the express purpose of killing channellers, although they're pretty handy at killing non-channellers, as well. The OP can't touch them; the effect of channelling at a gholam is exactly the same as channelling at a person wearing Mat's foxy medallion (i.e. the flows break apart on contact). They can sense the ability to channel at a distance of about 50 paces. They look like normal human beings on the outside. Inside is another matter. They have no bones, and can squeeze under a door, and are very strong, and very quick. (Think the T-1000 >from _Terminator 2: Judgement Day_.) Only six were ever made; three have a masculine outward appearance, three feminine. They have at least a rudimentary intelligence (Mat chats with the one he fights in Ebou Dar), and they are living things, not some sort of machine. (Mat surmises (actually, Birgitte surmises) that the one they met was "kept alive" since the Breaking in a stasis box.) Needless to say, they aren't harmed by being stabbed by ordinary weapons, either. We can draw some further conclusions, namely, that unlike the T1000, they don't have the ability to assume any form, only liquid form and their humanoid form. (If not, why specify that 3 are male-shaped, and 3 are female-shaped?) Where have we seen gholam? We've seen two for certain, namely the one in Ebou Dar, and the one that killed poor Harid Fel in Cairhien at the end of LOC. There is one previous possible gholam encounter, which took place "off-screen." This is the killing of Lord Barthanes in TGH. Barthanes was clearly killed at Ishy's instigation because he helped the renegade DF, Padan Fain, get away with the Horn of Valere. Barthanes died in a very similar fashion to Fel, i.e. he was ripped limb-form-limb. Furthermore, this took place in the SAME building as Fel's demise. Again, this may or may not be a gholam-induced death, but it is is worth mentioning as a possibility. HOW CAN YOU HURT/KILL/DISPOSE OF A GHOLAM? The only thing we know for certain that can injure a gholam is Mat's foxy medallion. When Mat smacks the Ebou Dar gholam with it in <ACOS: 38, Six Stories, 598>, the gholam was burned--"The medallion fell across the man's cheek. The man screamed. Smoke rose around the edges of the foxhead, and a sizzle like bacon frying....A raw red brand marked where the foxhead had fallen." What we do not know is _why_ the medallion hurt the gholam. There are three possibilities: 1) It's the magic, stupid: Both the medallion and the gholam have the unusual property that they somehow neutralize flows of the OP. (Note that the actual mechanism employed by each may be different.) It is possible that some kind of adverse reaction occurred when the medallion came into contact with the gholam's body. While the medallion didn't get characteristically cold, it did seemingly get hot. It is difficult to be more precise, because we don't know how either the medallion or the gholam actually work. Perhaps it is because the gholams are made with/are held together with/have some connection with the OP, and the medallion negates the OP. Or, perhaps it's a "like charges repel" sort of deal. Or, maybe the gholam is a kind of "living ter'angreal," and the effect is due to an adverse reaction between like ter'angreal, as described in <TDR: 23, Sealed, 217>. If it is the case that the magic is the key, then a gholam could probably be killed by prolonged contact with some weapon/ter'angreal made to copy the medallion's effect. This is problematic, bc the medallion is currently buried under a wall, along with its wearer. An argument against this theory is if the medallion's ability to negate flows is the key, then the gholam probably would have been hurt by contact w/ Mat himself, and not just the foxhead. <James Huckaby> Then again, maybe not. As stated above, we don't _really_ know how the medallion works. It was pointed out that when Mat was wrestling the gholam, the foxhead fell out of Mat's "open" shirt: "Struggling for air, he [Mat] pushed himself up, foxhead dangling from his open shirt." <ACOS: 38, Six Stories, 597> So, if the medallion works only when it is in contact with the wearer, then Mat may not have been in contact w/ it when _he_ touched the gholam.<Jason Wilson?> 2) It's the silver, stupid. The medallion is made out of silver. <TSR, 26, The Dedicated, pp306-307> The argument _for_ silver is more of an argument _against_ the medallion's magical properties. (Combined with some cross-pollination from werewolf legends.) It is not likely that the foxhead works because it is destroying flows, because the foxhead doesn't get cold after damaging the gholam, it just has "the cool of silver." <ACOS: 38, Six Stories, 598> Loony idea: When the gholamstuff and silver come into contact, there is a chemical reaction. This reaction is exothermic--the heat is produced by the reaction, not by the medallion. An argument against this theory is that it seems kind of silly. Why would the Forsaken make such specific, deadly AS assassins if they have such a common, easily exploitable Achilles' heel? Why would the Forsaken be so wary of them that they limited their number to six? <Tim Yoon>--"Oh No! A gholam's chasing us!" "How much money do you have on you?" <Aaron Bergman> The former question can be rationalized by saying that the Forsaken counted on the fact that people wouldn't think to use silver on something the OP can't stop. This idea does NOT explain the objection that if it was so easily defeated if you knew the key, the Forsaken wouldn't have been so wary of it that they only made six. GOT ANY MORE BRIGHT IDEAS? Many. Here are some of the more popular ones: 1) Indirect effects of the OP: The gholam's material breaks up OP flows just like Mat's medallion, making it immune to the OP. Like the wearer of the foxhead, it is likely that this immunity doesn't extend to _indirect_ effects. One could try dropping something heavy on it, or zapping it with lightning, or something like that. Doubtless, it is immune to some of these (considering its oozey nature, I doubt dropping a safe on it would have much permanent effect), but something might work. Balefire probably won't work; it is very likely a _direct_ effect. 2) The T-1000 Effect: Melt it. If one channelled enough heat into it, or dropped it into a volcano, it might lose all molecular cohesion. Furthermore, we know it is vulnerable to heat: the heat generated when the medallion touches it cooks its "flesh" (I use the term loosely.). 3) One of These Days, I'm Going to Cut You Into Little Pieces: while stabbing a gholam doesn't hurt it, it may be that if you dismember it, and separate its pieces far enough (perhaps by the judicious use of Gateways), it won't be able to reassemble itself. Then again, maybe it would. Using a Gateway to cut it (like Graendal's poor servant in <LOC: 6, Threads Woven of Shadow, 137>) probably wouldn't work--the edges of the Gateway are made of Power, and so the Gate would dissolve upon touching the gholam. 4) Out of This World: Open a Gateway to the Skimming Place. Knock the gholam through (throw a big rock at it, or something), and close the Gateway. According to Egwene, the chances of ever opening into that bit of Skimming Space are very low, so chances are the gholam will be permanently Lost in Space. 2.14.................................ICONOGRAPHY (WHAT ARE THEM ICONS?) "I have come here to lick chapter icons and kick ass. And I'm all out of chapter icons." <Joe "Uno" Shaw> Serpent and Wheel: Aes Sedai, Wheel of Time, Ta'veren, the Pattern Ravens: Darkfriends, other minions of the DO Dragon's Fang: Darkfriends, other minions of the DO, or Rand, Male channellers Harp: Thom Merrilin Leafless tree at night: Traveling through woods? Heron-mark sword hilt: Rand Two leaves from the Tree of Life and Moiraine's staff: Moiraine (TEotW only) Flame of Tar Valon: Aes Sedai, Saidar Sunburst: Whitecloaks Leaves/A Leaf: Ogier, Loial, Waygates, Nynaeve, Wise Women, Tinkers Horned skull, trident and a paw: Trollocs Wolf: Wolfbrother, Perrin Lion Rampant: Andor, Elayne. Gnarled, Withered Tree: The Blight Ruby-Hilted Dagger: Shadar Logoth Dagger, Mat, Padan Fain. Horn: The Horn of Valere Portal Stone: Portal Stone Rising Sun: Cairhien Insect-Like, Horned Helmet: Seanchan Tree with lots of leaves: stedding, Ogier A'dam: damane, a'dams Female silhouettes (One Black, One White): Black Ajah, the hunt for them Dice (FIVE): Mat "(Note the five sixes..Yahtzee!!)" -- Joe Shaw Crescent moon and stars: Lanfear, Daughter of the Night. This one is really note worthy. This icon appears when we meet the peddlers (aka Lanfear and Asmodean) in the waste. Had I realized it was Lanfear's icon, I would have realized then that one of them was Lanfear disguised. Also the same when she appears to the girls as Else. -- Judy G. Dream Ring: Tel'aran'rhiod Waves: A journey over water Dragon: Rand 8-pointed star and birds: Sea folk Two spears & a shield: Aiel Bull: Gareth Byrne Elephant: Valen Luca's traveling menagerie Full Aes Sedai symbol of old: Rand, the Dragon Reborn--"under this sign will he conquer" Snakey square: Forsaken 2.15...............................................WHAT DID OGIER DO OF OLD? <Windsor Williams> Basically, I'm wondering about the role of the Ogier in pre-Breaking society. From what we know in general, the stedding did exist during the period, but the Ogier were not bound to them by the Longing as they are at the time of the series. So it seems reasonable to assume that they were fairly common everywhere, although most common in and around the stedding. We know they were involved with the seed singing (as per the "through the eyes of Coumin" scene <TSR: 26, 432-3, The Dedicated, 302-5>), but what other roles did they have? Some clues exist: Ogier soldiers - also from the Coumin sequence, right at the beginning <TSR: 26, 431, The Dedicated, 302> "He could see the next field, lined the same way, beyond the soldiers with their shocklances sitting atop armored jo-cars. A hoverfly buzzed overhead in its patrol, a deadly black metal wasp containing two men. He was sixteen, and the women had decided his voice was finally deep enough to join in the seed singing." "The soldiers fascinated him, men and Ogier, the way a colorful poisonous snake might. They _killed_." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The "men and Ogier" phrase seems to imply that there were Ogier soldiers as well as humans. (At least, it does to me.) Ogier as police or enforcers - again, from the Coumin sequence <TSR: 26, 434, The Dedicated, 304> "Abruptly something struck Coumin in the mouth and his legs buckled; he was pushing himself to his knees before he realized he was down. A hand put to his mouth came away bloody. He looked up to find an angry-faced townsman standing over him, nursing a fist. 'Why did you do that?' he asked. "The townsman spat at him. "The Forsaken are dead. Dead, do you hear? Lanfear will not protect you anymore. We will root out all of you who served the Forsaken while pretending to be on our side, and treat the lot of you as we treated that crazy old man. "A woman was tugging at the man's arm. 'Come away, Toma. Come away, and hold your foolish tongue! Do you want the Ogier to come for you?' Suddenly wary, the man let her pull him away into the crowd." "Do you want the Ogier to come for you?" and the man's response argue that the Ogier were enforcers of peace/police of some sort, and effective ones as well. I'm guessing that they would come for him for the killing of Charn ("that crazy old man"), but maybe it's his statements, instead? I hadn't thought of Ogier in terms of soldiers or police before, but these passages caught my eye while re-reading the series. We've been told at one point or another that old tales refer to Ogier as bad opponents, who rarely get angry but are very dangerous when they do. (I can't recall the exact place...something about Perrin and some line about Ogier and mountains. Anyone else recall where this is?) We've seen Loial play an important role a couple of times already (knowing the Ways, closing the Waygate in the Two Rivers), but I'm starting to think we may see quite a bit more of the Ogier before the series ends. 2.16.................................WERE THERE AJAHS IN THE AGE OF LEGENDS? <Bill Garrett, Pam Korda> RJ said, at a signing, that there were not Ajahs in the AoL. The Ajahs were formed within a few hundred years after the Breaking. The colors of the Ajahs were probably representative of something in the AoL or a previous Age, because the Ajah colors are the colors surrounding the Portal Stones. A possible, even probable, scenario of the forming of the Ajahs is: Perhaps the AS argued about what was most important... a few said, "we must find and stop all the male channellers who have gone mad!" while others said, "we must fight the Shadowspawn and stay ready to fight them should they return." Others might have placed importance on healing the wounded and stopping the ravage of disease. Then some said, "We must manipulate the governments of the people to make sure they are always ready." A few bookish sorts might have thought it was more important to preserve old knowledge to keep it from getting lost, and to gather more knowledge. "What will happen in troubles to come if our descendants forget even the meager things we've learned so far?" The _term_ "ajah" meant something different in the Age of Legends. In <ACOS, Prologue, Lightnings, 41> Mesaana is laughing at Elaida's machinations, saying, "Watching her play her little games is certainly amusing. You children almost match the _ajah_ at times." The meaning can't really be gotten from the context, here, though. 2.17................................WAS THE SHAROM THE DARK ONE'S PRISON? No. Demandred's analysis <LOC Prologue, The First Message, 15> implies that the DO is imprisoned OUTSIDE the world/Pattern, in some sort of "Dungeon Dimension." (Read Pratchett for connotation.) The Bore is a kind of thinning of the universe, a weakness in the space-time continuum, by which the DO can reach out of the Dungeon Dimension to affect/enter the Real World. From the RJ Online Q&A session on Compuserve (19 October, 1994), RJ says, "The sharom and the collam dam are a university/research center." So, the Sharom was some sort of HEP (High-Energy Power) research facility that Meiren & Beidomon used to create the Bore. 2.18....................WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SKIMMING & TRAVELING? <P. Korda, John Novak> Skimming requires knowledge of destination and Traveling requires origin <TFoH: 6, 169, Gateways, 121>. For example, Aviendha Travels to Seanchan which she obviously doesn't know a thing about, but she knew the bathroom real well. Skimming is what Rand does in <TSR, 58, The Traps of Rhuidean, pp670-671> to chase Asmodean to Rhuidean, and in <TFoH, 54, To Caemlyn, pp645-646> to bring the Aiel strike force to Caemlyn. It apparently works by creating a tunnel through some other space from the point you are at to the point where you want to go. Going through this tunnel takes a finite amount of time, and one person can chase another through it, as Rand chased Asmodean. Asmodean later tells Rand that Skimming requires a good knowledge of the destination point <ACoS,9, A Pair of Silverpike, p175>. The above "chasing" thing contradicts something Egwene says about it in <ACOS: 12, A Morning of Victory, 241>: "If two sisters wove gateways on the same spot only moments apart, aiming to Skim to the same place, they would not see one another, not unless it was _exactly_ the same spot, with the weaves _exactly_ identical." So, either this is a difference between men's skimming and women's, or RJ messed up. The Skimming place has some similarity to TAR, and may _be_ a part of TAR. <ACOS: 12, A Morning of Victory, 240>. Travelling is a far simpler, far more direct, far quicker means of transport. Travelling opens a "gate" from one physical point to another. Men do this by boring a hole in the Pattern, so to speak, while women do this by making the Pattern in both locations identical <LoC, 37, When Battle Begins, p491>. Moghedien and Rand are of the opinion that using the wrong method would be catastrophically bad. Stepping through the gate, one instantly changes location. Asmodean tells Rand that, unlike Skimming, Travelling requires only a knowledge of the starting point <TFoH, 6, Gateways, p121>. Now, it's been suggested that what the 3rd Age Randlanders call "Travelling" is not the same thing as the old-time, AOL Travelling. The only evidence to support this theory is the manner in which Ish manifests himself in the TEOTW prologue. He kind of shimmered and appeared--no mention of a "gate" or a doorway. We've not seen anybody else do this, though; all of the other Forsaken use the standard Gate method. This "other" way of Travelling may involve the TP; we know that Ishy used it extensively. It is possible to do a Travelling-like thing with the TP, by "stepping outside the Pattern," as the Watcher does in <ACOS: 20, Patterns Within Patterns, 358> 2.19...WHAT'S UP W/THE MALE-FEMALE A'DAM LINK WHERE THEY BOTH DIE SCREAMING? In <TGH: 40, 573, Damane, 484>, Egwene's sul'dam describes how the Empress will sometimes make a man wear the bracelet of the a'dam. Sometimes nothing happens, and sometimes "both die, screaming." We see something similar happen in <TFoH: 32, 522, A Short Spear, 370> when Rand tries to free the damane in Seanchan. What's happening here? Well, it seems as if the men who are affected by the a'dam are those who can channel, or who have the ability to learn. According to Elayne's study of the a'dam, it works by creating an uneven link between channellers, in which the bracelet holder has complete control. So possible explanations for the "die screaming" effect are: 1) a male & a female are linked, with the man in control. A female must control such a link due to the nature of the OP. So the a'dam link is backwards, which could have a bad effect. 2) Possibly, they find themselves each touching the wrong half of the Source, and cannot stand to do this, and consequently experience immense pain and have their pitiful lives snuffed out by the overbearing power of the wrong half of the OP pouring through their frail bodies. 3) Putting a male in the _a'dam_ link somehow creates a "short circuit" in the One Power, frying both participants in the link unless they break it pronto. 2.20.....................WHAT ARE THOSE BLACK THREADS ON THE MALE FORSAKEN? <Robyn Goldstein, P. Korda> When Rand battles the male Forsaken, he sees black threads, wires, or cords running off from them. This is seen when Rand battles Ishy in <TEotW: 51, 759-62, Against the Shadow, 637-40>, and Asmodean in <TSR: 58, 965-972, The Traps of Rhuidean, 671-675>. So what's the deal with these strings? The thick black threads are the Forsaken's connection to the DO. The connection with the DO is what keeps the male Forsaken from falling prey to the madness taint of saidin (see Asmodean's statements to Rand in TSR after his black "thread" was severed). Rand's thread in TEotW was silver and thinner because it was from that pure pool of saidin that was the Eye of the World. We've never seen the threads on a female Forsaken, so it is possible that the threads are themselves the protection from the taint. Perhaps they act as a kind of filter on saidin, or a conduit through which the DO siphons off the taint when the Forsaken draws upon the Source. It's also been suggested that the threads are a connection for channelling the True Power. The problems with this theory are: 1) the female Forsaken can use the TP, but nobody ever sees the black cords on them, and 2) the black cords were seen on _Asmodean_, and of all the Forsaken, the one who we'd least expect to use the very dangerous TP in an instance where the OP would serve just as well (Skimming) is Asmodean. 2.21....................................CAN YOU MAKE HORIZONTAL GATEWAYS? <From the aol.com Q & A session with RJ, 27 June, 1996>: Question: Can gateways be created at non-right angles to the ground? If not, way not? If yes, why haven't we seen them? RobtJordan: They can be, and you haven't seen it because there's been no need to do it. And also some of the people who can make gateways don't know how to do it. 2.22............................................DID LTT BALEFIRE HIMSELF? <Emmet O'Brien, Korda> No. He died by ODing on the One Power. RJ said so at the talk he gave in Dublin in November 1993. Plus, if he'd BF'd himself, his soul wouldn't be available for reincarnation, a la Rahvin, I guess. 2.23..............................................HOW TALL IS EVERYBODY? <Erica "nonentity" Sadun, book signing, 10/94> In English feet: Rand--6'5"-6'6". Perrin--6'2". Mat 5'11". Aviendha 5'8"-5'9". Elayne 5'6". Nynaeve 5'4". Egwene 5'2". Moiraine 5'0-5'2". 2.24.................................WHERE DID ARTUR HAWKWING COME FROM? <Emma Pease, John Novak> Artur Hawkwing might have originated in Tear. (Or at least in the area presently known as Tear.) Why? 1. The symbol of Tear is three crescent moons. A symbol of the Seanchan (descendents of Hawkwing's armies) is nine moons. 2. Artur hated Aes Sedai. The rulers of Tear hate Aes Sedai. Not much as a fair number of people do but Tear has a law against channelling which is more than any country except Amadicia. 3. Tear had a king before Artur but doesn't after. Perhaps they chose no king because no king could live up to what Artur did. 4. The Mayene firsts claim to be descendants of Artur. Perhaps a bit of a stretch but Mayene may have been part of Artur's original lands and after his death his surviving heirs retreated to it (as a place where they had many supporters) and split off from Tear. Hence one of the reasons the Tairen high lords are so intent on regaining Mayene is that they consider it part of Tear. We know that Mayene did not exist as a separate country before the 100 years war. 4. Tear has never fallen yet Artur ruled all the land between the sea and the spine. One way would be if he ruled Tear not by conquest but by right of birth or election if the Tairen high lords elected a king >from among their numbers just as lords of the land were raised to be high lords when a high lord died. Note also that Seanchan were also promoted to being lords without necessarily a blood right. 5. Tear and Seanchan are the only countries who use the title "High Lord." 2.25..................................WHAT DO DREAMERS & DREAMWALKERS DO? <Emma Pease> 1. Entering T'A'R. We know that regular people can do this though are not usually aware that they are doing so. At times the forsaken seem to pull people into T'A'R (the dreams the boys have in TEotW for instance). Also Dem thinks when he sees Elayne in T'A'R (LoC) that she has a ter'angreal of the sort the AoL used to teach students how to enter T'A'R. My guess is this skill can be taught to any AS and perhaps to anyone. 2. Entering other people's dreams. This is what Egwene does with Gawyn's dream and also the skill the Wise Ones use to pass messages around. This does seem to be specific to 'dreamers'. 3. Foreseeing via dreams. This can also be done by Wolfbrothers. 2.26............................ARE BLACK AJAH BOUND BY THE OATH ROD? First, we know that BA can violate the three AS Oaths with impunity: * They can violate the 3rd oath: In <TSR: 38, 863, Hidden Faces, 438>, Liandrin wishes she had the ability to kill with the Power, like Chesmal (another BA. This implies that Chesmal can, and has done so.) * They can violate the 1st oath: In <TFoH: 34, ??, A Silver Arrow, 394>, Liandrin attacks a wounded Moghedien, attempting to Compel her. Moggy strikes back, and Liandrin says, "Y-you do not understand, Great M-mistress...I only wished to help you to have the good sleep." This was DEFINITELY not her intention. Her intention was to have Moggy be her obedient slave. A few pages later, Liandrin tells Moggy that she will be Moggy's "faithful dog," and in the next sentence tries to get Temaile and Chesmal to try to betray Moggy. If she meant one, the other must be a lie. In <TFOH: 19, Memories, 260>, Alviarin says to Fain, "Now answer my questions, or two corpses will be found here in the morning instead of one." (The one being the dead Accepted--see? the dagger does leave a corpse.) Fain thinks to himself, "There would be two in any case, whether he answered her with suitable lies or not; she did not mean to let him live." Obviously Fain thinks she can lie, and do you really think Alviarin meant to let him go? * In <ACOS: 40, Spears, 626> Galina makes it clear that the BA are not bound by the Three Oaths: "She had broken free of the Three Oaths on joining the Black Ajah, replacing them with a new trinity..." So, the BA are not bound the the Three Oaths that the non-black AS swear. However, the BA still have the Ageless look and the shortened lifespan which are characteristic of people bound by the OR. They have to, in order to blend in with non-black AS. So, it is likely that the "new trinity" of Dark Oaths sworn by the BA are taken on an Oath Rod (not necessarily _the_ OR; we know that there are more than one in existence. While that is the most likely explanation, there are some other possibilities: 1) The BA are made to swear something trivial on an OR in order to give them the Ageless look and the shorter life, but they take their Dark Oaths without a binder. This is unlikely; if they have access to an OR, it would only make sense for their superiors (Ishy, generally, since he was the only Forsaken around for thousands of years) to force them to be bound by it, if they were going to be using it, anyway. 2) The old oaths are not removed by the OR (as mentioned by Sammael in <ACOS: 40, Spears, 630-631>, and the new ones are not sworn on it, because the BA don't have access to an OR. The 3 Oaths are removed in some unknown manner which removes the oath-binding, but not the agelessness and the life-shortening. This, of course, assumes that the agelessness and the life-shortening are not merely side effects of the binding process, but independent effects. (Who came up with this idea? tell me so I can give you credit.) 2.27...........................WHERE DO TROLLOCS AND MYRDDRAAL COME FROM? <Sources: A letter from RJ in which I foolishly asked whether trollocs breed, or whether they're grown in a big vat at Shayol Ghul; and various "monster-of-the-day lessons" sprinkled throughout the books.> * The original source was a mixing of human and animal genes in an attempt to produce the "perfect soldier," as envisioned by somebody who'd never seen actual combat. * There are female Trollocs, but we don't want to know more than that. * Where Myrddraal come from: occasionally, a Trolloc offspring is a genetic throwback in the direction of the original human stock, but not all the way back, and twisted. Thus, eyeless but with super vision, very strong (but not as strong as a Trolloc), and the shadow-travelling ability. Of course, the diapers of baby Myrddraal don't wave in the wind. :) 2.28.......................WHAT IS THE RANGE ON SENSING OTHER CHANNELLERS? A channeller can sense another channeller, under various conditions: 1) A female can sense another female, even if neither of them are holding the Source at the time. This is a skill which takes some time to learn. If one is really good, it is not necessary to see the other woman in order to know she is there. (One of the Tower AS sensing Eg in Cairhien.) In addition, a female can tell when another is embracing the Source, by a great glow surrounding the channeller. 2) Females cannot naturally sense male channelling. It may be that they can do so through the use of some sort of OP trick, although Moggy's "technique" of <LoC, 8, The Storm Gathers, p178> was simply a trick. 3) Male channellers can sense females embracing the Source, and/or channelling, by a prickling feeling on the skin. There is some range on this, an idea of which we can get from <TFoH, 15, What Can be Learned in Dreams, p213> where Moiraine is using the OP to eavesdrop on Rand and Asm, Moiraine's tent is said to be "not far" from Rand's, maybe <=20m. Note that the amount of channelling going on is probably very small; a bigger flow/more Power being drawn could increase the detection range. Further note that there is evidence that males can only sense when females embrace the Source. When Graendal, Lanfear, Rahvin and Sammael meet in <TFOH: Prologue, The First Sparks Fall, 24>. Rahvin or Sammael had some thought that they could sense the male Gateway opening, but got no warning about the females'. 4) Male channellers can sense male channelling, as well as other men holding the source. <LOC: 3, A Woman's Eyes, 92>The sensing is not as obvious as when females sense other females. The range is less: And here is another quote which contradicts the idea that men can sense men far away: "Women who could channel saw a glow surrounding another woman who had embraced saidar and felt her channelling clearly, but he never saw anything around Asmodean, and felt little <TFoH, 3, Pale Shadows, p75>. This is with Asm is in the same room. However, there seems to be some confusion of exactly _how_ far this range is. When Rand is running around trying to balefire the hell out of Rahvin, *even though Rahvin is holding saidin*, Rand can't feel where he is. <TFOH: 55, The Threads Burn, 664> Also, Asm describes trying to locate another man channelling is "Like trying to find a lion in high grass." <REF ?> After a Draghkar attack on Rand's camp, Asmodean tells him that he had sensed the Draghkar, but had not done anything about it, since he thought Rand could deal with it, which he did. Rand replies: "'Well for you that you didn't,' Rand cut him off, sitting cross-legged in the dark. 'If I had felt you full of saidin out there tonight, I might have killed you.' "The other man's laugh was shaky. 'I thought of that, too.'" <FOH: 22, 405, Birdcalls by Night, 287> This little snippet of conversation seems fairly clear. Rand obviously felt capable of sensing Asm from as far away as Rand was from Asm during the fight. Also, in LOC, Rand says to Taim: <LOC: 42,The Black Tower, 545> "If I feel a man channel in Caemlyn...and don't think you can stay far enough from the Palace that I won't feel it and be safe." (NB: Rand may just be bluffing, here. Or it might just be something along the lines of "If I hear you use that sort of language in this house, young man, I'll wash your mouth out with soap!") Rand was able to sense lightening from Sammael (He thinks it is Sammael, at least) during the battle of Cairhien. <TFOH: 44, The Lesser Sadness, 495> Maybe the ability to sense male channelling is dependent on the strength of the particular flow being channelled. This seems to be implied by Asmodean when he talks to Rand about blocking Aviendha's gateway to Seanchan: "I felt your weave - anybody within a mile could have felt it - I never saw anything like it - I didn't know that anyone but Demandred could block a gateway that was closing." <TFoH, 32, A Short Spear, p374> 2.29............................HOW DO ONE-POWER-FORGED BLADES WORK? wrt Aes Sedai-forged weapons, like Lan's sword that never needs sharpening: was the Power just used in the manufacturing process, to change the structure of the steel to make it extra-strong, or was a flow of the Power somehow incorporated into the steel? "The Power was used in blending the metals (and other materials...) and altering the structure. There is no source of the Power in these weapons, nor do they draw on the Power like angreal...."<from RJ letter 4/95> In the same letter, RJ said that when a Fadeblade strikes Power-wrought metal, the reaction produces blue sparks. This 1) implies that Fadeblades are power-wrought metal (The 2 Fades dueling during the fight in the Stone in TSR <REF>) and 2) implies that Thom Merrilin had power-wrought daggers during the incident in Whitebridge. 2.30.................................MORDETH, MASHADAR, AND MACHIN SHIN Mordeth: Mordeth was the councillor whose evil brought Aridhol to its doom. As far as we know, he was an actual person at the time of the Trolloc wars. He was the power behind the throne of Balwen, and led Aridhol to the policy of "The victory of the Light is all....while their deeds abandoned the Light." When the city was consumed by its own evil, only Mordeth remained, bound to Shadar Logoth. One supposes that at some point he died, leaving his spirit to haunt the ruins. Mordeth's way out was to convince someone "to accompany him to the walls, to the boundary of Mashadar's power, [where he was] able to consume the soul of that person." That person was Fain, and it didn't quite work out that way, due to the DOs influence on Fain. Anyway, Mordeth no longer haunts Shadar Logoth, he is inside Fain, merged with him. <TEOTW: 19, Shadow's Waiting, 244> Mashadar: Like Mordeth, Mashadar is connected with Shadar Logoth. However, Mordeth and Mashadar are NOT the same. Mordeth is/was a sentient being, an individual. Mashadar is some sort of physical manifestation of the evil nature of the city: "No enemy had come to Aridhol but Aridhol. Suspicion and hate had given birth to something that fed on that which created it, something locked in the bedrock on which the city stood. Mashadar waits still, hungering." <TEOTW: 19, Shadow's Waiting, 244> In particular, Mashadar is a slightly glowing fog. "Mashadar. Unseeing, unthinking, moving through the city as aimlessly as a worm burrows through the earth. If it touches you, you will die." <TEOTW: 20, Dust on the Wind, 249> It is not sentient. It just moves around and kills whatever it touches, in a rather painful fashion, if Liah's reaction to being touched by it in <ACOS: 41, A Crown of Swords, 660> is any indication. Machin Shin: The Black Wind of the Ways. It is a part of the "Darkening of the Ways": "About a thousand years ago, during what you humans call the War of the Hundred Years, the Ways began to change....they grew dank and dim...some who came out had gone mad, raving about _Machin Shin_, the Black Wind." <TEOTW: 43, Decisions and Apparitions, 545> People who run into the Black Wind end up mad, or a mindless husk like the Ogier in <TGH, 36, Among The Elders, p435>. After TEOTW, Machin Shin gained a new feature: it somehow seeks out Rand. Whenever Rand tries to use the Ways, Machin Shin is found at the Waygate he is using. Note that this ONLY happens to Rand. When Liandrin, etc use the ways in TGH, and when Perrin does in TSR, they do not find the Black Wind waiting for them at the Waygate. This new effect is probably somehow due to its encounter with Fain in TEOTW. It seems to have picked up Fain's drive to seek out Rand. Note that it is probably NOT under Fain's control; Fain wanted Rand to follow him to Falme, but Machin Shin prevented him from doing so. Where did the Black Wind come from. Nobody really knows. Moiraine makes some speculation in <TEOTW: 45, What Follows in Shadow, 576>: "Something left from the Time of Madness, perhaps....Or even from the War of the Shadow, the War of Power. Something hiding in the Ways so long it can no longer get out. No one, not even among the Ogier, knows how far the Ways run, or how deep. It could even be something of the Ways themselves. As Loial said, the Ways are living things, and all living things have parasites. Perhaps even a creature of the corruption itself, something born of the decay. Something that hates life and light." Some people believe that Mashadar and Machin Shin are somehow connected, that Mashadar somehow got into the Ways through the Shadar Logoth Waygate and then became the Black Wind. This is very unlikely, for the following reasons: 1) Mashadar dates from the Trolloc Wars, Machin Shin from the Hundred Years' War. That is about a thousand years' difference. Thus, the time scale does not agree. 2) Mashadar is a slow-moving glowing fog that kills everything it touches. Machin Shin is a _black_, howling wind that eats your soul, but doesn't kill your body. So, there is no similarity of appearance, or effect. 3) If Mashadar could get INTO the Ways from Shadar Logoth, logic says it could get OUT of the Ways at some other point, and spread itself across Randland. This clearly hasn't happened. 2.31................................................HOW DOES ONE SNIFF? <Erica Sadun> In Jordan's Wheel of Time universe, women sniff and men <snort>. While a sniff, read "inhale", can express disdain, the outward snuff/hmph is more popular an expression. For correct sniffing posture, turn your head towards the left shoulder, but not quite. A sixty degree angle is ideal. The posture indicates that one is removing ones nose from an offensive area. A single sniff will suffice and may be augmented with a very modest synchronized shrugging motion. Follow up with a look at the offender and an optional lift of both eyebrows. These steps comprise the "sniff". The snuff or hmph is produced by a small vocalization at the back of the throat, enunciated through the nose and usually is modified by a slight raising of the chin. This is distinct from the <snort> which is a guttural, pig-like sound caused by inhalation through the nose. The mouth must be opened slightly to enable this effect unlike the sniff and the snuff. (Go ahead. Try it with your mouth closed). The <snort> when written, should occupy its own line, be followed by a blank line and then the text following it should be limited to sixty character lines. 3.00===========================TRIVIAL PURSUITS============================= Diverse references, sources, allusions, parallels, etc... Robert 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, reported by Edmund Wong> 3.01................................................ARTHUR & THE HOLY GRAIL <Erica Sadun, Korda> * Moiraine = Morgaine/Morgan De Fay * Morgase = Morgause * Tigraine = Ygrainne * Egwene = Guenever * Artur = Arthur * Callandor = Sword in stone * Galad = Galahad * Gawyn = Gawain * Green Man = Green Knight or Green Man * Sa'angreal = San Greal (Holy Grail) or Sang Real (Royal Blood) * Wound in side = Fisher King (via Bible) * Nynaeve = Nyneve/Vivian (Nemesis & Mistress of Merlin) * Perrin = Percival * Merrilin = Merlin * Lan = Launcelot * Damodred = Mordred * Elayne = ?Elaine? (Launcelot Wife) * Luthair Paendrag = Uther Pendragon (Now Artur's son vs. his Father) * Tar Valon = Avalon * Elyas, Aram, and Demandred's names are all similar to names of Arthurian knights, but I do not remember the actual names. Min's vision of Rand's funeral bier: In the Arthurian legend (or at least the version I've read) Arthur is severely wounded and on his deathbed. Bedivere witnesses his being taken away on a funeral boat and ferried to Avalon to await the time when he is needed again. The only others on the ship are three women: 1)Arthur's half-sister Morgan Le Fay (the sorceress) 2)The Queen of North Galys 3) The Queen of the Waste Land. It is doubtful that RJ means for Rand's women to mirror Arthur exactly. It is probable that the women will be Elayne, Min, and Aviendha. Add to this the visions in LOC involving 3 women & (probably) Rand on a boat. The Fisher King: a king in the legend of Perceval who had an unhealable wound corresponding to the woes of his land. cf Rand's side wound which is not Healable, and the COS Header Prophecy. The Green Man: Both in the Arthurian version, where Sir Gawain encounters the Green Man, and the much earlier Irish myths where Cuchulain encounters a nameless entity that by the description is obviously the Green Man, the story follows the same pattern: hero makes deal with Green Man to show how brave he is, hero cuts Green Man's head off, Green Man reappears three nights later to finish the deal by cutting hero's head off, hero goes honourably to his destiny, Green Man stays his hand at the last conceivable instant and compliments hero on bravery.<Emmet O'Brien> And, of course, the fabulous Sword in the Stone 3.02.........................................................TROLLOC TRIBES <TEotW: Glossary, 798, entry "Trollocs", 668> Ahf'frait=Afrits, Bhan'sheen=Banshees, Dha'vol=Devils, Dhai'mon=Demons, Dhjin'nen=Djinn, Ghar'ghael=Gargoyles, Ghob'hlin=Goblins, Gho'hlem=Golems, Ghraem'lan=Gremlins, Ko'bal=Kobolds, Kno-mon=Gnomes Al'ghol=Ghouls (Arabic _guhla_, or some such). 3.03.............................................................FUTURE EARTH <Erica Sadun, Korda> The characters in the books are the source of many of our myths and legends and we are the source of many of theirs. You can look two ways along a wheel. <RJ, Amer. Online chat, 28-6-96> Survey Says: Is Jordan's world under the Wheel our future earth? Yes: 52 No: 28 "Time is a wheel. If you look in one direction, you are looking at the past. If you just turn around and look in the other direction, you are looking at the future. The books are set in our future _and_ in our past, depending on which way you look..."<RJ, second America On-line conference, 10/20/94> <TEotW: 4, 51, The Gleeman, 43> John Glenn: "Tell us about Lenn," Egwene called. "How he flew to the moon in the belly of an eagle made of fire. Tell about his daughter Salya walking among the stars." (Eagle has landed.../Lenn may be a merger of LEM (lunar module) and Glenn) Salya: Salyut (Russian for star) OR Sally Ride Moscow, ICBMs: Mosk the Giant, with his Lance of Fire that could reach around the world. America: Merk the other giant. Queen Elizabeth: Alsbet, queen of all. (Remains of British Empire/Commonwealth?) Mother Theresa: Materese the Healer, Mother of the Wondrous Ind Anne Landers: Anla, the wise counselor? <TSR: 24, 396, Rhuidean, 277> Gautama Buddha: Ghoetam under the tree of life <TSR: 11, 209, What Lies Hidden, 146-7> In Tanchico Museum at the Panarch's Palace: 1. Stylized Three-Pointed Triangle (reeking of greed & pride) --Mercedes Benz logo 2. Skeletons of Giraffe and Elephant <TGH: 49, 678, What Was Meant To Be, 574> Loial is reading 'To Sail Beyond the Sunset' <TGH: 47, 660, The Grave Is No Bar to My Call, 559> "Michael instead of Mikel. Patrick instead of Paedrig. Oscar instead of Otarin." St. Michael and St. Patrick? I don't know of a St. Oscar. <TEotW: 24, 357, Flight Down the Arinelle, 300> Bayle Domon mentions a "mountain hollowed into a bowl, and in its center, a silver spike a hundred spans high, and any who comes within a mile of it, dies." This could possibly be a big radio telescope, or maybe the Age of Legends equivalent. 3.04....................................................CHRISTIAN PARALLELS (Compare) the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve clans of the Aiel. In fact, Jordan mentions that there is (maybe) a thirteenth clan. This clan is credited with building Rhuidean -- the holy place (temple if you will) of the Aiel. The Israelites also had a people charged with taking care of the Ark of the Covenant as well as the religious ceremonies within the temple (especially within the Holy of Holies) and those people were the Levites. A tribe not counted among the twelve, so in effect a thirteenth tribe also. Craig Levin points out that the Levites are counted in the 12 Tribes. It's just that Joseph's descendants split into 2 tribes later on, and the Levites don't get land, it is their job (theoretically) to care for the Lord's Temple and other altars across Israel. Which is even better, since there was the Jenn/other Aiel split, and the Jenns' job was to take care of Rhuidean/the temple. Rebirth/Reborn notion of the Savior. (Although this savior is going to do major damage before defeating the evil one). The blood of the lamb versus Rand's blood on the rocks of Shayol Ghul. Wound in the side a la the Cross. Sea Folk saying Aes Sedai would wash Dragon's feet with their hair Masema = Saul/Paul: Anti-Rand to rabidly pro-Rand. Also, Masema = John the Baptist--the "voice crying out in the wilderness" proclaiming the coming of the savior and all that. Seven Seals = Seven Seals (Revelations) "Peace be on you always," Elyas replied, "and on all the People." He hesitated, then added, "I will find the song, or another will find the song, but the song will be sung, this year or in a year to come. As it once was so shall it be again, world without end."..."Peace be on you," Elyas said. "And on you," Raen said sadly. <TEotW: 27, 412, Shelter from the Storm, 346> The former reminds me of the Catholic (maybe Christian in general - I'm not sure) prayer called the Glory Be. It goes: "Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen." The latter quotes are reminiscent of the closing of a Catholic Mass,where the priest pronounces "Peace be with you" and the people respond "And also with you."<J.Vessey> At Easter mass this past spring, I saw an adult baptized for the first time in the Catholic faith. They get the person to kneel, pour water over their head, and say something like "Now you are sealed". I don't recall the exact words, but "sealed" was in it for sure and I recall thinking Jordan must be Catholic. Sounds a lot like becoming Accepted to me.<Judy G.> In <TGH: 26, 387, Discord, 326> we have the prophecy: "twice dawns the day when his blood is shed. once for mourning, once for rebirth." This is very similar to the darkening of the sun when Christ is crucified: from <Luke 23, verse 44-5>: "And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst."<Pam Korda> "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." <Matthew 10:34-36, TEV> cf: TFOH tailer prophecy: "And what was once did come again--in fire and in storm splitting all in twain. For his peace...was the peace...of the sword. <Zach Simpson> In LOC, some of the rumors about Rand say that he was born of a woman touched by no man <LoC: 2, A New Arrival, 78>. 3.05........................................................RANDOM NAMES * Ba'alzamon = Ba'al, Baelzebub, or Ba'al Shamin (literally, "the lord of the heavens," an appellation of Ba'al.) * Sammael = Either a member of Lucifer's host, or another name for Lucifer himself (depending on one's source) * Graendal = Grendal from Beowulf * Rahvin = the raven--harbinger of evil. Or, Ravana/Ravan, a demon in Hindi/Hindu (which one?) mythology who abducts Sita, Rama's wife, in the Ramayana. (cf Morgase & Sita: Both Queens, both fall under the power of a demon/forsaken, in both cases there are doubts by other characters about whether they were willing or no) <Emma Pease> * Lanfear = French l'enfer--name for hell. * Shai... = (well you KNOW who this is) : Satan [Will Baird notes: Shai...is the Arabic name for Satan literally.] * Be'lal = Belial, Biblical demon, Old Testament * Asmodean = Asmodeus, Biblical demon, Old Testament * Tarmon Gai'don = Armageddon * Paaren Disen = Paradise * 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? * Telamon = another character in the Iliad who we might recognize is Aias, (Roman: Ajax) one of the most powerful and respected warriors of the Greek army. Because there was another, unrelated warrior with the same name, Aias was also known by his father's name, Telamon. <Peter Smalley> * Lothair Mantelar = (Founder of Children of Light)= ?MARTIN LUTHER? * Aginor = "Recently, a friend of mine had to read the _Iliad_. 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/Brigid, Celtic goddess of fire, poetry, smithery, and/or healing. * Ishamael = Ishmael: In Genesis, Abraham's eldest son (to an Egyptian serving girl Hagar) was called Ishmael. Apparently Abraham's wife took a disliking to young Ishmael and pressured Big Abe into exiling Ish and Hagar into the desert. There is a quote about "every hand raised against him" some-where but I can't remember it. * Mesaana = Possibly from Messalina, the notorious third wife of Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus, Emperor of Rome. * Selene = Selena, a Greek goddess of the moon, (Hence the icon) merged in Artemis and Hecate. She loved a youth named Endymion, and put him into a deep sleep so that he would not be conscious of her caresses. * Tuatha'an = Tuatha De Danann, "People of the Goddess Danu." A magical race of beings who were supposed to have inhabited Ireland at the time of the arrival of the Milesians (i.e. humans). * Illian = Ilion, aka Troy, as in the _Iliad_. * "Rhiannon at the Tower" = Rhiannon from Welsh mythology. The closest connection between her and a tower that I could find is the following from the story of Manawyddan: Manawyddan, his wife Rhiannon, her son Pryderi, and his wife Kicva were out hunting. They came upon a mysterious castle. The hounds ran into the castle, and didn't come out. Pryderi went in after them, and saw a large gold bowl. He touched the bowl, and became frozen. After a while, Rhiannon went i to look for him, got similarly stuck, and then the castle disappeared. (They finally got released.) Hunters of the Horn, from <COS: 21, Swovan Night, p362>: * "Mikel of the Pure Heart": Archangel Michael? * "Shivan the Hunter....He was said to herald the end of Ages, the destruction of what had been and the birth of what was to be, he and his sister Calian, called the Chooser, who rode red-masked at his side.": two Hindu deities: Shiva the Destroyer and Kali, goddess of death. * "Amaresu, with the Sword of the Sun,": Amaterasu, ancient Japanese goddess of the sun, from whom the Japanese royal family claims descent. 3.06.......................................................DRAGON LEGENDS <Randy Cerveny> Taken from Man, Myth and Magic (volume 5, pages 693-4): "The most striking of these is that the dragon in China is not, as in the West, a representative or symbol of the powers of evil. On the contrary, according to the old Chinese Book of Rites, the dragon as the chief of all scaly animals is one of the four benevolent spiritual animals. This reflects the general principle stated by Jung that 'every psychological extreme secretly contains its own opposite,' which is expressed in Chinese thought through the classical doctrine of Yang and 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." 3.07....................................................NORSE MYTHOLOGY <Greg Wheatley, Chad Orzel, Jonathan Vessey, Erica Sadun, Pam Korda> NB: For a more Thor-ough discussion, see Karl-Johan Noren's document on Norse Parallels in tWOT at: <http://www.dsv.su.se/~k-j-nore/norse.html> 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 Yggdrasil (or some other unpronounceable Norse thing like that) in order to gain wisdom or power or both (he really went in for this self-sacrifice thing...)- a definite parallel to Mat being hung from the Tree o' Life in Rhuidean. 2) MIDGARD SERPENT: wound around the roots of above tree, often envisioned as a symbol of eternity--a large serpent swallowing its own tail. Sound like any famous Aes Sedai jewelry we know? 3) HEIMDALL'S HORN: Heimdall's job was to guard the Rainbow bridge into Asgard against the Giants. During the Last Battle (Ragnarok), he was to blow the horn to signal the arrayed gods and _dead heroes_ that it was time to fight. cf. Horn of Valere. Granted, there are differences - the Heroes are bound to the Horn and not to a specific cause,and they live in T'A'R rather than the afterlife as such (where they'd fight all day, cutting each other to pieces, then get healed at day's end. Always got a kick out of that - sounds like a real heavenly afterlife to me), but the concept of dead heroes waiting around for the final battle stays the same 4) BAD GUY UNDER THE MOUNTAIN: Here is the origin of the archetypical Evil Dude Imprisoned in a Mountain. Loki, the Norse "Evil God," (more properly the god of chaos, but he was the antagonist of the other gods) 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) RAND = TEW/Tyr: Tew was a Norse god of war and of justice. This is a parallel with Rand bringing strife to Randland, and with his concurrent attempts to rule justly and by the rule of law. Tew's arm was snarfled off by the monstrous wolf Fenri (Perrin?) when the gods chained him. (The gods thus defeated one of their greatest enemies, at the loss of one of their greatest assets, Tew's right (fighting) hand.) More evidence for Rand losing a hand. RJ said at a signing in Atlanta that he deliberately made Mat like Odin and Rand like Tew/Chew. 3.08......................................................STEDDING & CHINA <Sadun> The Ogier seem to have named their stedding after places in China: Shangtai = Shanghai, or Taishan (one of the sacred mountains) backwards. Cantoine = Canton (But "Canton" is not really "Canton" -- it's "Guangzhou".) Taijing = Beijing, or some combination of any number of places whose names start with Tai (Taishan -- see above -- Taiyuan, etc.) and any number of capitols/ former capitols (Beijing, Nanjing ...) (Above two stedding mentioned in <TGH: 36, 520, Among the Elders, 439> Tsofu = An unfortunate tasteless high protein food? 3.09..........................THE AIEL, NATIVE AMERICANS, AND THE ZULU <msteakley@utsi.com>--What is the real name? "Little tiger who hunts the northern pass" writes: In reviewing the theories on the Aiel and who they represent, I have not found any references to any other cultures other than the thirteen tribes of Israel. At first glance I would also have agreed with this theory if I had not been initiated into Native American culture, and in particular the philosophies and history of the plains Indian tribes. In reviewing their histories I have come across many similar tales in various tribes where the people were either forced to move to a new home or, for some unknown reason, chose to make the move of their own accord. The most notable would be the forced move of the Cherokee. This tribe could very easily pass for the peaceful Aiel who were forced to move to the hot dry lands of the Aiel waste, a very fitting analogy for Oklahoma. However, due to the fact that they never became a serious threat in later years I have to discount them unless the Aiel are considered a blend of various tribes. The two most notable tribes which I have encountered to date would be the Cheyenne and the Kiowa. Both tribes have tales which tell of their people moving from their ancestral home in search of a new home. There is a line in the Cheyenne tale which specifically says ' where every hand was raised against us'. This line I also believe was used by the Aiel in describing their migration. The Cheyenne were also made up of thirteen clans according to the original histories I have encountered about them. Having been an integral part of the Algonquin society of the northeastern tribes they were also a peaceful people until after their move to the northern plains. Their encroachment into other tribes territories and the resulting wars is the most probable reason they became an extremely efficient warrior society. The Kiowa also have a tale of their movement from somewhere in the northwest area of the United States where they had to fight all the way to their current home, which is in the Oklahoma territory I believe, ending up with fewer than 300 people in the tribe. They also became an efficient warrior society due to their move and the expansion of the European colonists in later years. The rituals of the Aiel are also distinctly Native American. The sweat baths taken by the wise ones and other Aiel are a definitive ritual of Plains Indian culture. (It may also be a part of other native American cultures but I have only been involved with the plains Indians and the Crow tribe to be specific) The Sweat lodge was described rather well by R.J. so I will not go into detail, but I know of no Israelite tales of sweat ceremonies or baths. The other ritual most notably used is the vision quest. This entails the seeker of the vision going out into the wilderness, stripping down to the bare flesh, and fasting for three to four days until a vision (hallucination from lack of food) is seen. In some tribes a 'sponsor' goes along as well to let the rest of the tribe know what is happening. This, of course, sounds just like Rand and Mat's trip into Rhuidean where they journey into the unknown without food or water, Rand has his 'vision' of his ancestors (another typical Indian philosophy), and they return three days later. I am not surprised if no one else had caught this, having been on a vision quest I did not catch this until I read it a second time and I was still unsure of it being one. The thing that surprised me the most is the fact that no one has, to my knowledge, mentioned the fact that the Aiel warrior societies all sound distinctly Native American. I can understand about the clan names, two of which sound Japanese to me, but with names like Thunder Walkers, Brothers of the Eagle, Mountain Dancers, and Stone Dogs, I was surprised the connection had not been brought up before (to my knowledge). Being a Crazy Dog of the Crow Indian Nation I was pleased to note the connection between Stone Dogs and my own warrior society. Of course, Crazy Dogs drive a stake into the ground and tie their left leg to it in order to show they have no fear while protecting the tribe. I have yet to see an Aiel do that. There were also tribe in the Northeast where each clan had a central meeting house. They also had a female as the leader of the clan. In order to gain entrance to the house permission was granted by her, like the Aiel House Mistress. One last note, The more observant will have realized that the plains Indians were masters of the horse. But, if you could run as fast as one too why bother. It seems RJ patterned a great deal of the Aiel society after the Native American Indians Tony Z. adds, "The thing with spear/shield, and then the Aiel battle tactics that Lan describes to Rand, for instance, are pretty much lifted from the Zulus." 3.10...................................................GREEK & ROMAN MYTHOLOGY 1) Birgitte in Conversation: Mathena: Athena/Artemis Zheres: Tiresias? Orion? Actually, it was the goddess Artemis who turned the hunter into a stag so he would be killed by his dogs, after he saw her bathing. Athena was also surprised by Tiresias while bathing, but she blinded him and gave him the gift of second sight in return. 2) Birgitte's silver bow seems straight out of Greek Mythology. Artemis had a silver bow, to match her brother Apollo's golden one. 3) Oedipus: Doomed king of Thebes who killed his father and married his mother. When he discovered what he had done, he blinded himself and exiled himself from his city. He led the life of a blind beggar until he died near Athens. <_Oedipus Rex_, _Oedipus at Colonus_, by Sophocles>. Possible connection to the vision of Rand as a blind beggar. 4)Orpheus: A great musician whose wife, Eurydice, was killed on their wedding night by a snake. Orpheus traveled to the kingdom of Hades to try to get her back, and his music so moved the King/Queen(?) of the underworld that he was allowed to take her back, provided that he leave, and not look back at her until he had reached the surface. He couldn't control himself, so he looked, and she went back to Hades. Orpheus ended up getting ripped to shreds by the Maenads, a tribe of ferocious women, during a Bacchanale. Possibly a connection to Thom rescuing Moiraine from the *finn. <D. Sohl> 3.11.................................................MISCELLANEOUS REFERENCES 1) Birgitte in Conversation: Maerion: Maid Marion 2) Sammael == Napoleon? Sammael is described as a great militarist. He is short. His symbol is the golden bee, same as Napoleon. 3) Yin-Yang symbol/Ancient Aes Sedai symbol--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] <Emmet O'Brien, Dublin talk, 11/93> 4) The sword forms: It's research (books, not doing), and the forms come from Japanese sword fighting and some European fencing, before the advent of well-designed and well-made guns made swords obsolete. He mentioned one book in particular, but I can't remember the title. <Matthew hunter at a signing, also mentioned by others> 5) Tolkien a) The only deliberate connection between WOT and any other modern fantasy was giving the first 100-odd pages of TEotW a Lord of the Rings-esque flavor, to start people off in familiar territory." <from Dublin talk, Emmet O'Brien> b) <TSR: 6, Doorways, 95> wrt the Snakes Doorway: "Elayne's first thought was for the children's tale _Bili Under the Hill_, but only because of the three answers" cf Bilbo Baggins and the Riddle Game under the mountain with Gollum. c) The Nine Rings Inn <TGH: 21, The Nine Rings, 258> 6) Wolf-brother--a moosh of various myths from Europe, Native Americans, and Australian Aborigines. <America OnLine conference, 10/94> 7) Stones/Go--The game of Stones is based on the Asian game Go. 8) Tower of Genjhei--There is a Japanese novel called _The_Tale_of_Genji_. It is generally considered the first piece of work which qualifies as a novel, as the genre is defined today. Note the name's similarity to the Tower of Genjhei in WOT. It was written by Lady Murasaki Shikibu in the early 10th century, during the Heian Period of Japanese history. <Jeff Han> 9) Millenarianism (is this a word?): The End of The World will come at the end of the millennium, or so some folks say. The year in Randland is pretty much congruent with that used in the West of our own world. Galldrian of Cairhien was assassinated in 998 NE. Since then, one winter has passed (taking us to 999) and most of the next year. The Feast of Lights that scandalized Perrin so much (in LoC) marks the last day of the old year; the Battle at Dumai's Wells takes place some days after that, and so must be early in 1000 NE. Tarmon Gai'don is coming soon, folks! <Don Harlow> 10) Gholam = Golem, from Jewish folklore: The Gholam (or Golem, pronounced goy-lehm) dates back to the Kabbalah, the ancient book of Jewish Mysticism. The most famous legend dates back to 14th century Prague, where a famous rabbi, Rabbi Loeb, shaped clay into a man-shape (very biblical), and then inscribed the name of G-d, in Hebrew HASHEM, on its forehead, granting it life. The Golem did menial tasks and the like for Loeb, but the longer it lived, it grew in size and consequently in strength (and, for that matter in "lustiness," for it was flesh and blood, if shaped from clay initially). When the Golem grew to an awesome size, Loeb felt threatened by it, and attempted to destroy it by erasing the first letter in HASHEM, changing it to SHAM, Hebrew for death. Loeb succeeded, but was subsequently killed by the collapse of the creature into a big pile of clay (dust to dust...). <Stewart Bushman> 11) Aelfinn/Eelfinn: The Elves/Faerie/Sidhe of Celtic mythology. The Sidhe were vulnerable to iron ("iron to bind"), and liked music ("music to daze"). There were two subgroups of Faeries, as Matthew Hunter elaborates, "The names you are looking for are the Seelie and Unseelie courts, of which one the Seelie were comparatively "nice" and honorable, although tricksters and inhumanly magical, while the Unseelie were essentially their evil counterparts -- delighting in tormenting and the kind of pranks that have nasty consequences. The spelling is phonetic, and the real spelling is somewhat different... I think 'Seighlie' is closer but still not right." 3.12...........ON SIMILARITIES BETWEEN TWOT AND OTHER SF (INCL. _DUNE_) <Michael Nielsen, Korda> People frequently point out similarities between Jordan and other authors. A common example is to point out parallels between Frank Herbert's "Dune" series and the Wheel of Time - similarities between Rand and Paul Atreides, for example. First, not that in a series as large and complex as the Wheel of Time (or Dune), parallels with such an enormous variety of literature can be found that pointing out parallels (particularly if they are common to many sources) can be fairly pointless. In the interest of avoiding endless "RJ ripped off author X" arguments, we present the following: 1. Many of the similarities between Jordan and other authors can be explained on the basis of the use of common source materials. Certain motifs, themes etc have a very long and rich history in literature. For example, messiah figures (such as Rand) and powerful mystical / priesthood castes (such as the Aes Sedai) have appeared in an enormous number of literary and historical guises over periods of thousands of years. 2. Jordan is not copying or "ripping off" other authors, as has sometimes been stated on the group. Using common source materials does not imply copying: he transforms and embellishes old ideas from a diverse range of sources (which he has freely acknowledged), and sometimes innovates. The way all these different elements relate is unique to Jordan, since no other author uses the same range of elements. The only direct influence we know Jordan has acknowledged is that that he wanted to make the beginning of tEotW read somewhat like "Lord of the Rings", in order to make readers feel at home. For example, Rand losing a hand doesn't mean that RJ got the idea from Tolkien (Frodo and Berek both lose parts of their hand), or George Lucas, or S.R. Donaldson, any more than Lucas or Donaldson copied from Tolkien. Rather, all four authors most likely got the idea from the Norse god Tew. 3. While there are similarities, there are also great differences. Paul Atreides and Rand may both be Messiah figures, but they are remarkably different in a multitude of ways, many of them crucial to the story. DUNE SIMILARITIES Many parallels between Dune and the Wheel of Time have been noted. Some of the more important similarities include : Rand / Paul Atreides : Messiah figure from the outside leading great rising of desert warriors (Aiel / Fremen) in fulfillment of prophecy. Has powers usually only available to women. There are also similarities in the way we see both characters develop : a young, rather naive and powerless adolescent changes into an extraordinary leader with great powers. Note that this is a fairly common SF archetype. Aes Sedai / Bene Gesserit : Powerful, secretive and manipulative female caste with extraordinary powers, sometimes known as witches. Both go through intensive training and painful rites of passage. Somewhat similar internal power structures and mindsets. Similar remarks may also be made about the Aiel Wise Ones, the Kin, and several other groups in RandLand. Foretelling the future / dreaming : Appears in various guises in both books. Aiel / Fremen: Kick-ass desert warriors who ally themselves with the Messiah figure. The strong similarity makes perfect sense once one knows that Herbert's real-world sources for the Fremen were the Israelites and Zulu (or maybe Native Americans? I lost the relevant article), and RJ's sources for the Aiel are the Zulu and Native Americans. Some common words are used: "Shaitin" and "Mahdi" are two examples. Shaitin derives from an Arabic word which in turn is derived from a Hebrew word, meaning "satan". My dictionary tells me that a "Mahdi" is "any of a number of Muslim messiahs expected to convert all of mankind to Islam", and that the word is of Arabic origins". Obviously this is a usage that can easily be adapted to both tWoT and Dune. 7.00========================READERS GUIDE TO PROPHECY======================== Format for this section: <Reference> Prophecy, either quoted or paraphrased {Is it Fulfilled: YES/NO/MAYBE. Analysis.} 7.01..........................................................EGWENE'S DREAMS <TGH: 12, 213, Woven in the Pattern, 180> She saw Rand sleeping on the ground, wrapped in a cloak. A woman had been standing over him, looking down. Her face was in shadow, but her eyes seemed to shine like the moon, and Egwene had known she was evil. Then there was a flash of light, and they were gone. Both of them. And behind it all, almost like another thing altogether, was the feel of danger, as if a trap was just beginning to snap shut on an unsuspecting lamb, a trap with many jaws." {YES: this is where Lanfear takes Rand & Co into the Portal stone world in an attempt to bring Rand under her control} <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. 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. {1. Seanchan capturing AS and attacking the Tower: NO. Note that Eg is not sure whether this is a Dream or just a nightmare. 2. WCs binding her father: YES. Master Al'Vere was powerless to act against the WCs until Perrin came along} <TDR: 25, 290, Questions, 234> There had been a dream of Rand, reaching for a sword that seemed to be made of crystal, never seeing the fine net dropping over him. {YES--The sword is Callandor, and the net is the trap Bel'al set} And one of him kneeling in a chamber where a parched wind blew dust across the floor, and creatures like the one on the Dragon banner, but much smaller, floated on the wind, and settled into his skin. {YES--Rhuidean} There had been a dream of him walking down into a great hole in a black mountain, a hole filled with a reddish glare as from vast fires below, {NO--by the description, the mountain is SG} and even a dream of him confronting Seanchan. {YES/NO--he confronted some Seanchan in TFOH after he & Avi MPS'd, but this is most likely not the last time} <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--falcon = Faile & hawk = Berelain: this conflict is not yet over} ... And that dream of Perrin--with a beard!--leading a huge pack of wolves that stretched as far as the eye could see. {YES--Perrin has a beard, and he led wolves at Dumai's wells, but probably not for the last time.} Mat, placing his own left eye on a balance scale. {NO--Mat will lose an eye, probably voluntarily. cf "give up half the light of the world"} Mat, hanging by his neck from a tree limb. {YES--this happened at Rhuidean) There had been a dream of Mat and Seanchan too but she was willing to dismiss that as a nightmare. {NO--Now Mat is in a situation to meet the Seanchan, since he is in Ebou Dar.} ...Just like the one about Mat speaking the Old Tongue. {YES--He does it all the time} Survey Says: Will Mat lose an eye? Yes: 79% (178) No: 13% (28) Undecided: 8% (17) <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--Faile & Berelain} ...of Perrin running from someone deadly, {MAYBE. Poss. refers to SLAYER} and Perrin stepping willingly over the edge of a towering cliff while saying, 'It must be done. I must learn to fly before I reach the bottom.' {Probably NO, but may refer to him mastering his wolf-brotherhood, or being a leader, or doing part in the Last Battle} There had been one dream of an Aiel and she thought that had to do with Perrin too, but she was not sure. {YES--he freed Gaul from the cage in TDR} And a dream of Min, springing a steel trap but somehow walking through it without so much as seeing it. {YES--the Tower Coup: her return to the Tower started Elaida getting suspicious of what SS was up to, which led to the coup. Min never realized what was coming. Yet, she got out of the Tower unscathed.) ... Mat with dice spinning 'round him... {YES--his luck} 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 was stalked by Grey Men in Tar Valon} Mat riding desperately toward something unseen in the distance that he had to reach {YES-Going to save El/Eg/Ny in Tear} and Mat with a woman who seemed to be tossing fireworks about An Illuminator, she assumed, but that made no more sense than anything else. {YES--Mat's meetig with Aludra in TDR, whence he gets the fireworks with which he busts into the Stone of Tear.} Men and women breaking out of a cage, then putting on crowns. {YES-Forsaken have broken out of SG and have taken up places of power in the world) A woman playing with puppets, and another dream where the strings on puppets led to the hands of larger puppets, and their strings led to still greater puppets, on and on until the last strings vanished into unimaginable heights {probably just symbolic of the various degrees of manipulation and plotting going on}. Whitecloaks ravaging the Two Rivers {YES} <TDR: 48, 553, Following the Craft, 468-9> Perrin with a falcon on his shoulder {YES}, choosing between axe and hammer {YES/NO--Perrin's axe vs hammer choice seems to be a choice between war and peace, the life of a leader and that of a simple blacksmith. He seems to have currently chosen the axe, but he may change} A Whitecloak putting Master Luhhan in the middle of a huge, toothed trap for bait {YES--The WCs used the Luhhans & Cauthons as bait to catch Perrin.}; Mat dicing with the Dark One, shouting "I am coming!" at her {YES--Mat's "bet" with Gaebril/Rahvin that he'd save El, Eg, and Ny from the assassin); 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--The men and women are the non-dead Forsaken}. One of the men had eyes of flame, and he wanted Rand dead with a desperation she could nearly taste; {Ba'alzamon} Rand in that dry, dusty chamber again, with those small creatures settling into his skin.{YES-Rhuidean} <TDR: 48, 553, Following the Craft, 468-9> Rand confronting a horde of Seanchan. {YES--in TFOH, but probably more to come} Rand confronting her, and the women with her, and one of *them* was a Seanchan. {NO, probably to come when Rand wants the Salidar AS to kneel to him.} <TSR: 11, 207, What Lies Hidden, 145> Rand as tall as a mountain, walking through cities, crushing buildings beneath his feet, with screaming people like ants fleeing from him. {Not fulfilled literally, if the dream is symbolic, then it is in progress} Rand in chains, and it was he who was screaming. {MAYBE--this could refer to his capture & torture by the Tower AS} Rand building a wall with him on one side and her on the other, her and Elayne and others she could not make out. "It has to be done," he was saying as he piled up stones. "I'll not let' you stop me now." {YES, Rand deliberately isolating himself from his friends & allies, and becoming increasingly paranoid about not trustin anybody} Aiel fighting each other, killing each other, even throwing away their weapons and running as if they had gone mad {YES--the aftermath of Rand's revelation of the Aiel's history}. Mat wrestling with a Seanchan woman who tied an invisible leash to him {NO--this is probably the Daughter of the Nine Moons. Poor Mat.} A wolf fighting a man whose face kept changing {YES--Perrin fighting Slayer} Galad wrapping himself in white as though putting on his own shroud {YES/No? White==Whitecloak. Shroud: will he die because of his decision to join the WCs}, and Gawyn with eyes full of pain and hatred. {YES--Possibly refers to the Tower Coup, or thinking Rand killed Morgase, or just his generally psychotic state.} <TFoH: 15, 300-1, What Can Be Learned in Dreams, 214> Rand sitting down in a chair, and somehow she knew that the chair's owner would be murderously angry at having her chair taken {YES--Probably the Lion Throne of Andor} ...Perrin, lounging with Faile on his lap, kissing her while she played with the short-cut beard that he wore in the dream. Behind them two banners waved, a red wolf's head and a crimson eagle. A man in a bright yellow coat stood near to Perrin's shoulder, a sword strapped to his back; in some way she knew that he was a tinker, though no tinker would ever touch a sword. And every bit of it except the beard seemed important. The banners, Faile kissing Perrin, even the tinker. Every time he moved closer to Perrin it was if a chill of doom shot through everything. {YES/NO--Perrin is set up with Faile, has Aram as a bodyguard, has the wolf banner, and the Manetheren banner, but we haven't seen any doom related to Aram} ...Mat throwing dice with blood streaming down his face, the wide brim of his hat pulled down low so she could not see his wound {NO--Another reference to Mat losing an eye} while Thom Merrilin put his hand into a fire to draw out the small blue stone that now dangled on Moiraine's forehead. {NO--evidence that Thom will rescue Moiraine from durance vile} Or a dream of a storm, great dark clouds rolling without wind or rain while forked lightning bolts, every one identical, rent the earth. {MAYBE--It sounds like a general OP battle, perhaps the Battle of Cairhien. It is also similar to Fain's description of Shayol Ghul.} <LoC: 15, A Pile of Sand, 258> Twice, right on top of each other, she dreamed of taking [Gawyn] by the shoulders and trying to turn him to face the other way against his will. Once he brushed her hands away roughly; the other time she was somehow stronger than he. The two blended together hazily. {NO. Will Eg convince Gawyn to join her on Rand's side, or will he continue to hate Rand because of the chaos he's brought to his life? Related to Min's viewing of Gawyn kneeling to Eg or breaking her neck.} In another, [Gawyn] began swinging a door closed on her, and she knew if that narrowing gap of light vanished, she was dead. {NO, again related to the above & Min's viewing--Gawyn has the power to destroy Eg, if he chooses not to join her.} <LoC: 15, A Pile of Sand, 258> Perrin came and stood before her, a wolf lying at his feet, a hawk and a falcon perched on his shoulders glaring at each other over his head. {YES, ongoing.} Seemingly unaware of them, he kept trying to throw away that axe of his until finally he ran, the axe floating through the air chasing him. {??? Perrin wants to give up the axe, but he cannot. We have yet to decide what the axe symbolizes in general. I think maybe the Lordly life Faile has planned for him, and the fighting inherent therein?} Again Perrin; he turned away from a Tinker and ran, faster and faster though she called for him to come back. {NO. Perrin and Aram's relationship doesn't seem to have degenerated so far. It's been suggested that Aram represents the exact opposite of what Perrin wants. P. wants to give up fighting for a peaceful life. Aram gave up the Way of the Leaf to become a soldier.} <LoC: 15, A Pile of Sand, 258> Mat spoke words she almost understood - the Old Tongue, she thought{YES} - and two ravens alighted on his shoulders, claws sinking through his coat into the flesh beneath {NO?. probably has to do w/the Daughter of the 9 Moons and the Seanchan. Raven tattoos on the shoulders mean "Property of the Seanchan Empress." These ravens could also represent Mat's raven-engraved glaive.} He seemed no more aware of them that Perrin had been on the hawk and the falcon, yet the defiance passed across his face, and then grim acceptance. {??? Maybe the ravens refer to his spear, which he got on his trip to A/Eelfland, where he also became a battle-master, which he first fought, and has now accepted? Or maybe he will resist his situation vis a vis the DotNM, then accept it} In another a woman, face shrouded in shadow, beckoned him toward great danger; Egwene did not know what, only that it was monstrous." {NO, I think. Who is this woman? Lanfear? (cf <TGH: 12, 213, Woven in the Pattern, 180>, above). Another Forsaken? Maybe it is the DotNM?} <LoC: 15, A Pile of Sand, 258> Several concerned Rand, not all bad, but all odd. Elayne, forcing him to his knees with one hand. {NO. Possibly concerning the throne of Andor, or being Bonded to her as a Warder?} Elayne and Min and Aviendha, sitting in a silent circle around him, each in turn reaching out to lay a hand on him." {??? They've all had their turns to "lay their hands on him." Elayne in Tear, Aviendha in Seanchan Igloo, Min in Caemlyn/Cairhien} Him walking toward a burning mountain, something crunching beneath his boots. She stirred and whimpered; the crunching things were the seals on the Dark One's prison, shattering with his every step." {NO. The Mountain is Shayol Ghul. The breaking of the Seals--does it have something to do with LTT wanting to break them, and Fel's note?} <ACOS: 10, Unseen Eyes, 195> ...that she [Egwene] would bond him [Gawyn], she knew from interpreting her dreams... {NO} <ACOS: 10, Unseen Eyes, 201> On bare feet, Gawyn walked [toward her] across a floor of broken glass, shards breaking at every slow step....she could see the trail of blood left by his slashed feet. {NO. Before Gawyn joins Egwene, he must go through a great deal of pain and difficulty.} <ACOS: 10, Unseen Eyes, 202> ...a man riding on a black stallion. Gawyn. Then she was standing in the road in front of him, and he reined in. Not because he saw her...but the road that had been stright now forked right where she stood, running over tall hills so no one could see what lay beyond. She knew, though. Down one fork was his violent death, down the other, a long life and a death in bed. On one path, he would marry her, on the other, not. She knew what lay ahead, but not which way led to which. Suddenly he did see her, or seemed to, and smiled, and turned his horse along one of the forks... {Pretty self-explanitory--Gawyn's possible futures. Pick one of each: quick, violent death or long life, marriage or not.} <ACOS: 10, Unseen Eyes, 202> She stood before an immense wall, clawing at it, trying to tear it down with her bare hands. It was not made of brick or stone, but countless thousands of discs, each half white and half black, the ancient symbol of the Aes Sedai, like the seven seals that had once held the DO's prison shut...the wall stood strong however she beat at it. She could not tear it down. Maybe it was the symbol that was important. Maybe it was the AS she was trying to tear down, the White Tower. Maybe.... {No idea what this means, unless it is related to Eg's dream of Rand building a wall between himself and all his friends and loved ones. Note that the wall is made of the emblem of Rand's forces.} <ACOS: 10, Unseen Eyes, 202> Mat sat on a night-shrouded hilltop, watching a grand Illuminator's display of fireworks, and suddenly his hand shot up, seized one of those bursting lights in the sky. Arrows of fire flashed from his clenched fist, and a sense of dread filled her. Men would die because of this. The world would change. {Mat will find a way to use gunpowder as a weapon. In ACOS, recall that he is looking for an Illuminator. Also recall his use of fireworks to blow a hole in the Stone of Tear} <ACOS: 10, Unseen Eyes, 202> Straps at waist and shoulder held her tightly to the block, and the headsman's axe descended, but she knew that somewhere someone was running, and if they ran fast enough, the axe would stop. {Egwene will get in some dire trouble (poss. through the influence of her new masseuse?), and will need the help of one or more other people to get out of it} <ACOS: 10, Unseen Eyes, 202> Logain, laughing, stepped across something on the ground and mounted a black stone; when she looked down, she thought it was Rand's body he had stepped over, laid out on a funeral bier with his hands crossed at his breast, but when she touched his face, it broke apart like a paper puppet. {Poss. related to Min's vision of Logain's future glory. Another dead Rand (cf Min's vision in EOW), but maybe a fake. It has been suggested that the stone is the Black Tower "speaking stone," the rock that Taim and Rand stand on when addressing the Asha'man.} <ACOS: 10, Unseen Eyes, 203> A golden hawk stretched out its wing and touched her, and she and the hawk were tied together somehow; all she knew was that the hawk was female. {Golden hawk = Mayene = Berelain.} <ACOS: 10, Unseen Eyes, 203> A man lay dying in a narrow bed, and it was important that he not die, yet outside a funeral pyre was being built, and voices raised songs of joy and sadness. {???} <ACOS: 10, Unseen Eyes, 203> A dark young man held an object in his hand that shone so brightly she could not see what it was. {The glowing thing could be a *angreal, note that it is similar to some visions of Callandor.} 7.02........................................................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 {MAYBE. Either of these could refer to his nephew Owyn, and the Tower could also represent future involvement with the AS} *MAT: A red eagle {YES-Something to do with his past life/lives as a Manetheren general} A eye on a balance scale {NO-losing an eye, again} A dagger with a ruby{YES--The Shadar Logoth dagger} A horn {YES--the Horn of Valere} A laughing face{NO--at least nothing obvious} *RAND A sword that isn't a sword {YES--Callandor} A golden crown of laurel leaves (YES: Crown of Illian} A beggars staff {NO}, Him pouring water on sand {YES--Making it rain at Rhuidean.} 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--"his blood on the rocks of Shayol Ghul"} <TDR: 6, 99, The Hunt Begins, 62-3> and above. *PERRIN: A wolf {YES} A broken crown {NO, but it has to do w/ his marriage to Faile. Maybe Faile is heir to the Saldaean throne?} Trees flowering around him {Uncertain, poss. refers to Loial singing to the trees over Perrin's family's grave, or maybe he will find the Song} An Aielman in a cage{YES--Gaul} A Tuatha'an with a sword {YES--Aram} A falcon and a hawk, perching on his shoulders, both female. {YES} A darkness swirling around him. {Uncertain--poss. just meaning the shadow was chasing him, or maybe more specific-- there are Darkfriends near to him? Maybe this is the same darkness Min sees around Rand and Perrin, with the fireflies? or maybe something else entirely} <TGH: 24, 362, New Friends and Old Enemies, 305> <TGH: 43, 605, A Plan, 511> *ELAYNE The Rose Crown of Andor {YES/NO--she is the Daughter-heir, and technically the Queen, but she hasn't taken the throne} A severed hand, not hers {NO} A red-hot iron and an ax.{NO} <TGH: 43, 605, A Plan, 511> *NYNAEVE: Man's ring of heavy gold. {YES, she has it, and she has its owner, but she hasn't actually done anything with it besides carry it around.} <TGH: 24, 362, New Friends and Old Enemies, 305> *EGWENE A white flame {YES--Amyrlin Seat} <TSR: 17, 284, Deceptions, 198> *LOGAIN A halo of gold and blue, signifying glory to come. {May have to do with being un-stilled, but I think there is more to this.} <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 {uncertain. Threatening could refer to fighting Hammar & Coulin in the Tower Coup} His banner with a field of green rather than white {YES-Younglings' banner} Either breaking Egwene's neck or kneeling to her {NO--see Eg's dreams} <TSR: 1, 18-21, Seeds of Shadow, 16-23> RANDOM AES SEDAI IN WHITE TOWER: A silver collar, similar to, or actually, a damane's. {NO, but surely related to the reappearence of the Seanchan} [also lots of death and suffering/bones etc.referring to the Tower Coup] <TFoH: 26, 446, 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." {maybe has to do w/ her being Keeper? Somehow related to Logain's gold & blue aura?} <TFoH: 26, 447, Sallie Daera, 317> *CARLINYA: "a raven floating beside her dark hair; more of a drawing of the bird than the bird itself. She thought it was a tattoo..." {NO. tatoo==Property of Seanchan royalty.} <TFoH: 26, 452, 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." {MAYBE. Edesina is one of the AS sent to Tarabon, where the Seanchan are.} <TFoH: 28, 484, 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--Bryne leaving Andor and Morgase} 'All I know is this. If he stays close to you [SS], you live. If he gets too far away, for too long, you are going to die. Both of you. {NO. We've yet to see a situation where SS's or Bryne's life depends on having the other around} <TFoH: 50, 835, To Teach and Learn, 592> *FAOLAIN: 'A nasty woman,' Min murmured, squinting after Faolain ... 'You'd think, if there was any justice, she would have an unpleasant future ahead of her.' {NO. By implication, Faolain has a good future. This perhaps will come of her swearung fealty to Eg.} <TFoH: 50, 844, To Teach, and Learn, 598-9> *MARIGAN, NICOLA, and AREINA: (Three women refugees with Ny et al.) 'Those three you brought with are trouble, and that is a viewing.' 'I only caught glimpses of aura, and just out of the corner of my eye. Never when I was looking right at them, where I might have made something out.' {YES, Marigan was Moggy. Maybe the other two are possibly the 2 BA Mog had with her. Even if they are not, they are causing problems among the Salidar AS} Survey Says: Is Nicola one of the BA from Liandrin's group? Yes: 25% (56) No: 42% (95) Undecided: 25% (56) Survey Says: Is Ariena one of the BA from Liandrin's group? Yes: 24% (54) No: 37% (85) Undecided: 29% (66) <TFoH: 50, 844-5, To Teach, and Learn, 598-9> *RAND,ELAYNE, MIN, AVIENDHA: Elayne leaped off the cliff. "Min, you had a viewing about Rand and me, didn't you?" [...] "Yes." It was a wary word. "You saw that we were going to fall in love." "Not exactly. I saw you'd fall in love with him. I don't know what he feels for you, only that he's tied to you some way." [...] "And you saw there would be someone else. Someone I'd have to ... share ... him with." "Two, " Min said hoarsely. "And .... And I'm one." [...] "Who is the third?" "I don't know," Min mumbled. "Only that she has a temper. Not Nynaeve." {YES--Avi, Min, and El are all in love with Rand} <LoC: 41, A Threat, 527> *RAND: Countless thousands of sparkling lights, like stars or fireflies, rushed into a great blackness, trying to fill it up, rushed in and were swallowed. There seemed to be more lights than she had ever seen before, but the darkness swallowed them at a greater rate, too. {The general fight against the Shadow.} And there was something else, something new, an aura of yellow and brown and purple that made her stomach clench. {Rand's injury at the hands of the Tower AS? the Taint?} <LoC: 41, A Threat, 532> *RAND: "I saw an aura around you [Rand] in the throne room. Aes Sedai are going to hurt you. Women who can channel, anyway. It was all confused; I'm not sure about the Aes Sedai part. But it might happen more than once." {YES, but only happened once. Will some non-AS channelers hurt him, now? The Shaido Wise Ones? The Seanchan? The Sea Folk? The Sharans? Some Forsaken?} <LoC: 41, A Threat, 534> *MELAINE: 'You will have two daughters,' Min murmured. 'Twins like mirrors.'{NO, but she's pregnant.} <LoC: 46, Beyond the Gate, 578-9> *RAND and PERRIN: "When you two were together, I saw those fireflies and the darkness stronger than ever.... But with two of you in the same room, the fireflies were holding their own instead of being eaten faster than they can swarm, the way they do when you're alone." {Just a general idea, not a definite event. cf the "sparks" Min sees in the inn in Baerlon. The fireflies vs.shadow thing represents the fight against the shadow. Clearly, Rand doesn't stand a chance w/o Perrin} "Twice he's going to have to be there, or you [Rand]...." "If he's not, something bad will happen to you." "Very bad." Rand: "Then I'll just have to keep him around." Min: "I don't know that that will be enough, it _will_ happen if he is not there, but nothing I saw said it won't because he is. It will be very bad, Rand. {YES/NO. Once was probably the capture by the AS, the second hasn't yet happened.} <LOC: 49, The Mirror of Mists, 616> RAND: (possible viewing): Rand says, "`Trust me, Min. I won't hurt you. I will cut of my arm before I hurt you.' She was silent, and he finally looked round to find her peering at him with a strange expression. `That's very nice to hear, sheepherder.' Her voice was as odd as her face." {This may or may not be a real viewing. Rand will lose a hand? Rand will hurt Min?} <LoC: 50, Thorns, 626> *MISC. NOBLES: "Maringil...was going to die by poison. Colavaere... would die by hanging. Meilan...would die by the knife. {YES, all three. Colavere killed the first two, or had them killed, and then hung herself when her plan to seize the Sun Throne was foiled} ...Aracome and Maraconn and Gueyam were all going to die too, bloody deaths, in battle. {NO, not that we know of} <LoC: 50, Thorns, 628> *BERELAIN: "a man in white who will make her fall head over heels." {NO. Who is it? A Whitecloak? Galad? A Gai'shan? (Rhuarc gets gai'shan-ed and Berelain falls in love with him?) At the end of ACOS, she is in Ghealdan, in prime geographic condition to meet some WCs} Survey says: Berelain's man in white is: Galad: 63% (140) A Gai'shain: 2% (5) Perrin: 1% (1) Rhuarc: 4% (8) A Whitecloak: 1% (2) <ACOS: 2, the Butcher's Yard, 88> "Taim has blood in his past and blood in his future, but you could guess that. He's a dangerous man. They [the Asha'man] seem to be gathering images like AS....The problem is, what I can see is all blurry....Kiruna and that lot have all sorts of things around them, but they stay so close together that it all...jumbles together....It's even muddier with the [Tower AS] prisoners....I keep feeling there is something important, if I could only pick it out. You need to know." {Pretty vague. There is something important that Rand must know about Taim, or the Asha'man, or the Aes Sedai sworn to Rand, or the Tower AS prisoners.} <ACOS 33, A Bath, 526> I saw you [Rand] and another man. I couldn't make out either face, but I knew one was you. You touched, and seemed to merge into one another, and....one of you dies, and one doesn't" {NO. Rand takes this to mean that LTT is a real presence in his mind. It seems too easy, though.} <ACOS 34, Ta'veren, 534> Merana, Alanna, Bera, Faeldrin, Rafela: "They will keep their word....I just saw these five in your hand." {YES. Those 5 will keep their oath of fealty to Rand. Note that Verin and Kiruna are not part of this group.} <ACOS: 35, Into the Woods, 543> "He [Rand] would almost certainly fail without a woman who was dead and gone..." {NO. From the next one, it is likely that this is Moiraine} <ACOS: 35, Into the Woods, 546> "it was not as if she had really expected Moiraine to turn up alive. Moiraine was the only viewing of hers that had ever failed." {NO. WE know Min is never wrong, and thus, Moiraine will be back!} <ACOS: 35, Into the Woods, 549> Caraline Damodred & High Lord Darlin will get married.{NO} "To her eyes a crown suddenly appeared on Darlin's head, a simple golden circlet with a slightly curved sword lying on its side above his brows. The king's crown he would wear one day, though of what country, whe could not say. Tear had High Lords instead of a king" {NO. Somebody suggested that this may be a stripped-down version of the Illianer Crown of Swords, but it is more likely a crown that we haven't seen before} <ACOS: A Crown of Swords, 642> "It's Cadsuane. She is going to teach you something, you and the Asha'man. All the Asha'man, I mean. It's something you have to learn, but I don't know what it is, except that none of you will like learning it from her. You aren't going to like it at all." {NO. What will Cads. teach the Asha'man? Our only clue is her experience in dealing with male channellers, and that men she has brought to the White Tower for gentling live markedly longer than usual. So, it may have something to do with how to decrease or slow down the effects of the Taint. Another suggestion is that she will figure out how to do male-female linking. Given her Glossary entry, maybe she will teach them how to survive without Saidin, which would explain why they won't like it.} 7.03.....................................................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, 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. {YES/NO. He's born, he's riding again on the winds of time, but he hasn't saved the world yet.} The prophecy for the Horn of Valere: <TEotW: 26, 389, Whitebridge, 327> In the last, lorn fight {Tarmon Gaidon} 'gainst the fall of long night, {Victory of the DO} the mountains stand guard, {??? The Mountains of Dhoom?} and the dead shall be ward, for the grave is no bar to my call. {Heroes will fight against the Shadow at the Last Battle} (NO) Elaida's Foretelling: <TEOTW: 40, 614, The Web Tightens, 514> 'This I Foretell...and swear under the Light that I can say no clearer. From this day Andor marches toward pain and division. The Shadow has yet to darken to its blackest, and I cannot see if the Light will come after. Where the world has wept one tear, it will weep thousands....This, too, I Foretell. Pain and division come to the whole world, and this man [Rand] stands at the heart of it.'{YES} <TEOTW: Glossary, ?, REF?> DRAGON REBORN:...the prophecies say the Dragon Reborn will bring a new Breaking to the world... {YES--in progress. He hasn't broken it much literally, but he is doing so in a figurative sense} <TEOTW: Glossary, REF?> FAR DAREIS MAI:...it is prophesied that a child born of a Maiden will unite the clans and return to the Aiel to [sic.] the greatness they knew during the Age of Legends. {YES/NO--Born of a Maiden, has united the clans, besides the Shaido, the "greatness of the AOL" is coming to pass--the Aiel are very famous in the lands Rand holds.} <TSR: 15, 253, Into the Doorway, 177> ANSWERS TO MAT'S QUESTIONS: [What fate?] To marry the Daughter of the Nine moons. {NO--but he's about to meet her} To die and live again, and live once more a part of what was. {YES--He's died and lived again several times, and his *finn memories count as living a part of what was.} To give up half the light of the world to save the world. {NO, but yet another reference to losing an eye...} Survey Says: What does giving up 1/2 the light of the world mean? He loses an eye: 78% (174) The OP won't work in the next Age: 2% (5) Something involving Mayenne & lamp oil: 1% (2) _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, and Aes Sedai shall kneel to wash his feet and dry them with their hair. {YES/NO--YES to all but the icky foot-washing thing. Note that the foot-washing thing happens in the Amyrlin Seat induction ceremony} Wise One Dreaming: <TSR: 23, 385, Beyond the Stone, 270> (Moiraine, Melaine, and Seana in conversation on Chaendaer) "We did not see Egwene or Mat Cauthon at all. It was no more than an even chance that the young man who calls himself Rand al'Thor would come. If he did not, it was certain that he would die, and the Aiel too. {YES--Ongoing} Yet he has come, and if he survives Rhuidean, some of the Aiel at least will survive. This we know. If you(Moiraine) had not come, he would have died {YES-she saved him from Lanfear at the Docks in TFOH}. If Aan'allein had not come, you would have died {??? Lan did not save Moiraine at any point in Rhuidean?}. If you did not go through the rings..." {?} From Rhuidean: <TSR: 25, 408, The Road to the Spear, 285-6> The stone that never falls will fall to announce his coming. {YES--the Stone of Tear} Of the blood, but not raised by the blood {YES--Of Aiel blood, not raised by the Aiel, but in the 2 Rivers} he will come from Rhuidean at dawn, and tie you together with bonds you cannot break {YES for the dawn thing. I am unser what the binding thing is. Maybe the bonds of history?} He will take you back {YES--revealing the true history of the Aiel} and he will destroy you {In progress} <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.} <TFOH: Prologue, REF?> ELAIDA IN CONVERSATION: "Or do any of you believe he [Rand] will go willingly to his prophesized death to save the world?" {NO. Prophecy at least appears to say that Rand will die.} <LoC: 14, Dreams and Nightmares, 255> *NICOLA'S FORETELLING: "The lion sword, the dedicated spear, she who sees beyond. {YES? El, Avi, and Min--do they have something special to do?} Three on the boat, and he who is dead yet lives." {??? I have yet to hear a satisfactory explanation of this one, although it resonates with the WOs boat dream, and the King-Arthur funeral deal in one of Min's vision} The great battle done, but the world not done with battle. {??? perhaps the Last Battle, yet the struggle between the Shadow and the Light continues? There'll be more fighting after Tarmon Gaidon? There'll be a big battle BEFORE Tarmon Gaidon?} The land divided by the return {MAYBE. "return" could be the Seanchan Corenne, which is in progress, and dividing the land, or the Return of the Great Lord, as spoken of by DFs} and the guardians balance out the servants. {YES, the Asha'man and the Aes Sedai.} The future teeters on the edge of a blade {metaphorical melodramatics--this war is crucial}." Survey Says: Does "Land split by Return" refer to the Seanchan? Yes: 80% No: 9% Undecided: 8% (18) <LoC: 19, Matters of Toh, 312> Wise Ones Dreams: "Melaine and Bair dreamed of you on a boat with three women whose faces they could not see {??? probably something to do with Min, El, and Avi}, and a scale tilting first one way and then the other." {YES--everything seems up in the air now. Rand might win, the Shadow might, who knows?} Melaine and Amys dreamed of a man standing by your side with a dagger to your throat, but you did not see him. {??? Poss a Grey Man, Poss. refers to Taim.} Bair and Amys dreamed of you cutting the wetlands in two with a sword. {YES--Randland is polarizing into pro- and anti- Dragon factions. there will soon be no sitting on the fence.} All three had this dream, which makes it especially significant. Rain, coming from a bowl. There are snares and pitfalls around the bowl. {YES/NO--Bowl is found, with some difficulty, but they haven't used it} If the right hands pick it up, they will find a treasure perhaps as great as the bowl. {YES--There was all sorts of stuff in the bowl room--lots of angreal, etc.} If the wrong hands, the world is doomed. {Well, duh.} "The key to finding the bowl is to find the one who is no longer." {YES--they found the bowl, but we still can't really say who the one who is no longer is.} Survey says: Who is the one who is no longer? Moiraine: 25% (56) LTT: 4% (8) Green Man: 2% (4) Luc: 7% (15) Runaway novice: 4% (8) Corianin: 1% (3) Mat: 4% (4) Jain Farstrider: 2% (5) Shemerin: 1% (3) <LoC: 26, Connecting Lines, 373> Behind the Red Door (in Tear): "He [Rand] knew he had a chance to live, if a seemingly impossible one. _If_you_would_live_, _you_must_die_." {NO. Maybe means "if you would live future lives, you must die (physically) in this one. cf LTT's wanting to die for good, never be spun out again.<LoC: 18, A Taste of Solitude, 299>. Or, Rand will die, but will get resurrected. Or, one of Rand and LTT will die and one will not.} Survey says: Rand will Die and come back: 46% (102) Not die, not even fake it: 14% (31) Die and stay dead: 27% (61) Fake his death: 4% (10) <ACOS: Prologue, Lightnings, 26> Elaida's Foretelling #2: The White Tower will be whole again, except for remnants cast out and scorned, whole and stronger than ever. Rand al'Thor will face the Amyrlin Seat and know her anger. The Black Tower will be rent in blood and fire, and sisters will walk its grounds." {None has happenned, but it sounds very interesting, no? One of the AS factions will be triumphant, eventually. Either Elaida or Egwene is going to get pissed at Rand. the Asha'man will either undergo a split (followers of Taim and followers of Rand?), or will be destroyed (depending on how one defines "rend"} <ACOS: 34, Ta'veren, 538> Jendai Prophecy, pt 2: Rand: "That is what the Jendai Prophecy says. The Sea Folk will serve the Coramoor." Harine: "The Jendai prophecy says you will bring us to glory, and all the sea of the world will be ours. As we give to you, you must give to us." 7.04......................................................THE DARK PROPHECY This may not be actual prophecy. See Verin's commentary <TGH: 7, Blood Calls Blood, 90>. Some parts may be prophetic, and others may just be Shadow propaganda. It is a source of information, though, so here it is. <TGH: 7, 105-6, Blood Calls Blood, 89> Daughter of the Night, she walks again. {YES-Lanfear} The ancient war, she yet fights. {YES-she is still working for the DO} Her new lover she seeks, who shall serve her and die, yet serve still. {NO, and it is doubtful that Rand will serve Lanfear, but he might die.} Who shall stand against her coming? The Shining Walls shall kneel. {YES/NO-some AS have kneeled to Rand, but the AS as a whole haven't} 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. {This is actually interesting; Rand has been trying to isolate himself, and focussing on using people. Is this in accordance with the Shadow's plans?} Two roads before him, one to death beyond dying, one to life eternal. {Well, the DO 'offers' eternal life to his minions...} 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 still are. The Time of Change has come. {Isam & Luc are merged into Slayer. The DO's "hounds" are out gathering followers} The Watchers wait on Toman Head. The seed of the Hammer burns the ancient tree. {YES--the Seanchan (who claim to be Hawkwing's descendents) have invaded Tarabon, whose symbol is a tree} Death shall sow, and summer burn, before the Great Lord comes. {YES-there is currently a spate of DO-induced hot weather in Randland} Death shall reap, and bodies fail, before the Great Lord comes. {NO-Possibly there will be a plague} Again the seed slays ancient wrong, before the Great Lord comes. {???-poss refers to the Seanchan's re-invasion?} Now the Great Lord comes. Another possible Dark Prophecy: "It is written that when he (the DO) awakes, the new Dreadlords will be there to praise him." <TEOTW 33, Four Kings in Shadow, p434> 7.05....................................................THE KARAETHON CYCLE <TEOTW, Choices, pb189> Thom in conversation: "One of the Prophecies says that the Stone of Tear will never fall until the People of the Dragon come to the Stone. Another says the Stone will never fall till the Sword that Cannot Be Touched is wielded by the Dragon's hand." {YES, both have happenned} <TGH Header Prophecy> And it shall come to pass that what men made shall be shattered, and the Shadow shall lie across the Pattern of the Age, and the DO shall once more lay his hand upon the world of man. Women shall weep and men quail as the nations of the earth are rent like rotting cloth. Neither shall anything stand nor abide... Yet one shall be born to face the Shadow...and there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth at his rebirth.{YES} In sackcloth and ashes shall he clothe the people, and he shall break the world again by his coming, tearing apart all ties that bind. {YES} Like the unfettered dawn shall he blind us, and burn us, yet shall the Dragon Reborn confront the Shadow at the Last Battle{NO}, and his blood shall give us the Light {NO. cf "his blood on the rocks of SG, and Min's vision of blood on black rocks). Let tears flow, O ye people of the world. Weep for your salvation. Survey Says: Rand will break the world: Figuratively and physically: 52% (116) Figuratively: 42% (95) Physically: 1% (2) <TGH: 22, 328, Watchers, 275> Vandene talking to Moiraine: 'Five ride forth, and four return. Above the watchers shall he proclaim himself, bannered cross the sky in fire...'(YES: the 5 who rode forth were Ingtar, Hurin, Rand, Mat, & Perrin. Rand proclaimed himself the DR after the battle at Falme, where he and Ish fought in the sky.} <TGH: 26, 387, Discord, 325-6> <TSR: 9, 180, Decisions, 126> Thom to Rand: Twice and twice shall he be marked, {YES} twice to live, and twice to die, {maybe Rand & LTT?} Once the heron to set his path. {YES: Portal Stone World} Twice the heron, to name him true. {YES: Falme, where he named himself the Dragon Reborn} Once the Dragon for remembrance lost. {YES: Rhuidean, where he witnessed the 'remembrance lost' of the Aiel} Twice the Dragon for the price he must pay . {he has been paying, but will there be a Real Big Price, i.e. his life & his blood?} <TGH: 26, 387, Discord, 326> Thom to Rand: Twice dawns the day when his blood is shed. {poss. will be an eclipse} Once for mourning, once for birth. {poss Rand will die and be resurrected, poss. Rand will die and the world will be reborn.} 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} cf. "Twice dawns the day..." with the Greeting the Amyrlin ceremony when Siuan Sanche arrives in Fal Dara in <TGH REF?>: "Against what do you guard?" "The shadow at noon." Survey says: Will there be an eclipse when Rand spills his blood? Yes: 58% (129) No: 19% (42) Undecided: 20% (45) Rand "spilling his blood" refers to: the blood of Rand, literally: 62% (139) Galad's blood: 6% (14) the blood of the Aiel: 14% (31) Aviendha's child's: 2% (5) <TDR: 6, 93, The Hunt Begins, 57> Moiraine in conversation: He has yet to break the nations{YES-Rand hass broken quite a few nations}, or shatter the world.... What does it mean that he shall 'slay his people people with the sword of peace, and destroy them with the leaf'? {YES-by revealing the peaceful past of the Aiel, he changed them forever, and set them on the road to the destruction from which only a 'remnant of a remnant' will surviv} What does it mean that he shall bind the nine moons to serve him? {NO, but the Nine Moons is a reference to the Seanchan.)... There are others. What 'wound of madness and cutting of hope' has he healed?{NO--possible reference to healing the Taint?} What chains has he broken{possibly chains binding people to the Shadow--Ingtar, Asmodean, Tear, Andor}, and who put into chains? {Asmodean, maybe? or all the nations he is binding to follow him?} Survey Says: Will the Taint be cleansed from Saidin? Yes: 85% (190) No: 4% (10) Undecided: 9% (20) <TDR: Header Prophecy, ix, ix> And his paths shall be many, and who shall know his name, for he shall be born among us many times, in many guises, as he has been and ever will be, time without end. His coming shall be like the sharp edge of the plow, turning our lives in furrows from out of the places where we lie in our silence. The breaker of bonds; the forger of chains. The maker of futures; the unshaper of destiny. {YES-Rand is in the process of breaking bonds, etc.} <TDR: 41, 445, Threads in the Pattern> "On the slopes of Dragonmount shall he be born, born of a maiden wedded to no man. " {YES-Shaiel was Maiden of the spear, who do not wed} <TSR: 3, 99, Reflection, 71> His blood on the rocks of Shayol Ghul, washing away the Shadow, sacrifice for man's salvation. {NO} Survey Says: Will Rand Die? No: 17 Yes: 67 (stay dead: 32, resurrected: 35) <TSR: 6, 131, Doorways, 93> Power of the Shadow made human flesh,{poss. Forsaken, Fain, Slayer, or the Bubble of evil at the start of TSR?} wakened to turmoil, strife and ruin. The Reborn One, marked and bleeding, dances the sword in dreams and mist,{this could be a reference to the mirror incident in the Stone in TSR} chains the Shadowsworn to his will,{YES-Asm} from the city, lost and forsaken, {Rhuidean} leads the spears to war once more,{YES} breaks the spears and makes them see, truth long hidden in the ancient dream.{YES-revealed the truth of Aiel history} <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?{poss. somebody other than Rand will remove Callandor from the Stone} <TFOH: Header Prophecy> With his coming are the dread fires born again. The hills burn, and the land turns sere. {YES: the draught} The tides of men run out, and the hours dwindle. The wall is pierced, and the veil of parting raised.{The DO breaking loose? This phrase calls to mind a phrase from the Bible. See section 3.} Storms rumble beyond the horizon, and the fires of heaven purge the earth. There is no salvation without destruction, no hope this side of death. <LoC: Trailer Prophecy> The unstained tower breaks and bends knee to the forgotten sign. {YES-the Tower is broken, and some AS have sworn to Rand} The seas rage, and stormclouds gather unseen. Beyond the horizon, hidden fires swell, and serpents nestle in the bosom. {Something is rotten in Randland. People are not what they seem. All is not well. Serpents in the bosom: Taim and Halima?} What was exalted is cast down; what was cast down is raised up. (??? the AS and male channellers, respectively?) Order burns to clear his path. <ACOS: Header Prophecy> There can be no health in us, nor any good thing grow, for the land is one with the Dragon Reborn, and he one with the land. soul of fire, heart of stone, in pride he conquers, forcing the proud to yield. He calls upon the mountains to kneel, and the seas to give way, and the very skies to bow. Pray that the heart of stone remembers tears, and the sould of fire, love. (From a much-disputed translation of _The Prophecies of the Dragon_ by the poet Kyera Termendal, of Shiota, believed to have been published between FY700 and FY800) {reference to Rand's increasing self-isolation, hubris, etc. Also note the 'Dragon is one with the land' stuff matches the Fisher King legend/reference (see section 3.1)} <ACOS 34, Ta'veren, p533> Rand' thoughts: the Prophecies said he would bind together the people of every land--"The north shall he tie to the east, and the west shall be bound to the south." {Rand's interpretation: all the world will follow him. Alternative interpretation: Rand will hold the north and east; the Seanchan will hold the west and south} <ACOS: Trailer Prophecy> Master of the lightnings, rider on the storm, wearer of a crown of swords, spinner-out of fate. Who thinks he turns the Wheel of Time, may learn the truth too late. (From a fragmentary translation of _The Prophecies of the Dragon_, attributed to Lord Mangore Kiramin, Sword-bard of Aramaelle and Warder to Caraighan Maconar, into what was then called the vulgar tongue (circa 300 AB)) {Similar in tone and meaning to the ACOS header prophecy} 7.06.......................................................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: the Tairen adventure in TDR} <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?--this is likely referring to Mat's "bet" with Rhavin/Gaebril in TDR} <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, unless this is a ref to Rhuidean.}; hidden eyes watched Rand, and there was no way of telling whether he knew it {possibly general--all the people watching Rand, e.g. Forsaken, Wise Ones, AS, etc. or maybe something more specific that we do not know about}; Nynaeve and Elayne stalking cautiously through a demented landscape of twisted, shadowed buildings, hunting some dangerous beast {YES: Tanchico, looking for the BA. cfthe way Tanchico looks to Egwene in TAR}. Mat, standing where a road forked ahead of him. He flipped a coin, started down one branch, and suddenly was wearing a wide-brimmed hat and walking with a staff bearing a short sword blade. {YES--Mat flipped a coin at the Portal Stone, to get to Rhuidean, which led to him getting the hat and glaive} Egwene and a woman with long white hair {Amys--probably not prophetic, but a chance meeting in TAR} were staring at him in surprise while behind them the White Tower crumbled stone by stone. {YES, the Tower is broken, but will it be destroyed further?} <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. {YES--Eg becoming Amyrlin} 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. {??? Maybe the incident in *finnland that got him hung, or maybe something yet to come.} Mat vanished, and it was Rand. Perrin thought it was Rand. He wore rags and a rough cloak, and a bandage covered his eyes. {NO} 7.07..................................................FOURTH AGE HISTORIES NB: Are these things written in the 4th age from the Age after the books, or are they from the previous 4th age (i.e SIX ages ago)? Are they really prophecy? I think they are supposed to be histories of Rand's age, written during the age which will start with the end of the last book. Thus, they are not prophetic in that they are supposedly written after the fact, but they are prophetic to _us_, because we don't know the end of the story. <TEOTW: prologue, xv, Dragonmount, xv> And it came to pass in those days, as it had come before and would come again, that the Dark lay heavy on the land an weighed down the hearts of men, and the green things failed {YES--we've had two bouts of bad weather thus far in the series, causing crops to get messed up-- the super-long winter in EOW, and the current hot spell}, and hope died. And men cried out to the Creator, saying, O Light of the Heavens, Light of the World, let the Promised One be born of the mountain {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{NO}. Let the arm of the Lord of the Dawn shelter us from the Dark, and the great sword of justice defend us. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time. (from _Charal Drianaan te Calamon, The Cycle of the Dragon._ Author unknown, the Fourth Age) <TDR: Trailer Prophecy, 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--Rand took out the Sword in the Stone} <TSR, End Prophecy> And when the blood was sprinked on ground where nothing could grow, the Children of the Dragon did spring up, the People of the Dragon, armed to dance with death. And he did call them forth from the wasted land, and they did shake the world with battle. (from _The Wheel of Time_ by Sulamein so Bhagad, Chief Historian at the Court of the Sun, the Fourth Age.){YES} <TFOH, End Prophecy> And the Glory of the Light did shine upon him. And the Peace of the Light did he give men. Binding nations to him. Making one of many. Yet the shards of hearts did give wounds. And what was once did come again --in fire and in storm splitting all in twain. For his peace... --for his peace... ...was the peace... ...was the peace... ...of the sword. And the Glory of the Light did shine upon him. (from _Glory of the Dragon_, composed by Meane sol Ahell, the Fourth Age){YES--ongoing} <LoC: Header Prophecy> The lions sing and the hills take flight. The moon by day, and the sun by night. Blind woman, deaf man, jackdaw fool. Let the Lord of Chaos rule. (chant from a children't game heard in Greater Aravalon, the Fourth Age) {your guess is as good as mine as to whether this is actually prophecy or no} 99.00==========================PUBLISHING STUFF============================= 99.01........................................HOW MANY BOOKS WILL THERE BE? From a public letter from RJ to his fans, posted on the Tor Web page in May, 1996: "A number of e-mail letters have asked how many books the Wheel will contain altogether. There will be at least ten. I do not know the final number. I know the final scene of the final book--I have known where the tale is going since before I started writing The Eye of the World--but I don't see clearly yet every bend and curve in the road from here to there. So the best answer is, there will be some more books. A few. Not too many." 99.02...........................................WHEN IS THE NEXT BOOK OUT? Here is the rough time schedule for book eight. The manuscript should be turned in sometime in fall of 1997. Expect it to go on sale in spring of 1998. He worked 10-12 hours a day, 7 days a week for 20 months, except for a couple days for each Thanksgiving and Christmas and a few single vacation days, to write ACoS. PNH, his wife, and everyone he knows told him he needs to slow down so he doesn't kill himself. Thus, PNH gave him 18 months to do the manuscript. <Brian Ritchie at a post-ACOS signing in SC> 99.03...........................HOW ABOUT THE GUIDE TO THE WHEEL OF TIME? "Also, Jody Lynn Nye, Todd Cameron Hamilton, et. al., are hard at work on a compendium, "Guide to the Wheel of Time." They have already produced similar books for Anne McCaffrey's Pern & Piers Anthony's Xanth. _The Guide to the Wheel of Time_ is scheduled to be released with the paperback of _Lord of Chaos_ sometime next fall." <Roxanne Meida> Well, this obviously didn't happen. The last we heard from PNH, the Guide is still being written, and won't be out until sometime in 1997. Here's a bit of what RJ has to say about the Guide: "There is an illustrated guide to the world of the Wheel of Time in the works. It is planned to have 64 color illustrations and 80,000 words or so of text and it will include a good bit of information that I did not intend to put in the books. There will be a map of the entire world in the illustrated guide." <aol.com chat, 27-6-96> ### #### ##### ###### ####### ######### ########### ################ ###################### ######################## ######################## ####################### ###################### ################# ########