# w_theory

created: 2006-02-22 04:07:07
subject: Transforming the Wheel &amp; Darkstrangers
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<p>This theory will cover the relationship between the Dark One and the Creator, the 'true' nature of the True Power, the origin of the Ogier, and the topic of having Darkstrangers as opposed to Lightfriends. The first half will contain a lot of metaphysics (sorry) while the ending will contain all the juicy bits you're all waiting for.<br /><br />Imagine the ancient symbol of the Aes Sedai, the light and dark halves, Flame of Tar Valon and Dragon's Fang combined. The symbol of the one power, saidin and saidar is formed of two solid halves. However, Robert Jordan's inspiration for the symbol of the Aes Sedai, that is, the Tao or Yin Yang Symbol is formed of two halves black and white just like the symbol of the Aes Sedai, except, that there is a black dot on the white half and a white dot on the black half.<br /><br />Now, imagine if the 'Creator' was dual aspected, or dual minded, having a 'destructive' aspect and a 'creative' aspect, a feminine aspect and a masculine aspect, and like the Tao the Yin Yang, constantly flows and undulates for and against itself, within itself and without itself.<br /><br />Yes, my theory is that 'Creator' we all know of (or as I like to think of her as the 'Radiant One' ) is the currently the feminine creative aspect, while the Dark One is currently the destructive masculine aspect.<br /><br />Looking once more at the image of the Yin Yang you should also know that abstractly dots are masculine and wide open spaces are feminine just as 1's are masculine and 0's are feminine.<br /><br />The Wheel of Time is the wide open white space where the Radiant One currently resides, the black dot is the Dark One imprisoned. Just as the Yin Yang works for and against itself always changing places and forms, if the Dark One won The Last Battle then positions would be switched. The masculine destructive Dark One would become a feminine creative Dark One and the feminine creative Radiant One would become a masculine destructive Radiant One.<br /><br />So we have a 'Creator' role and a 'Destroyer' role being interchanged by the interplay of Light and Dark. The Dark One can' t actually 'break' the Wheel of Time because it becomes enmeshed in the Wheel once it enters expulsing the Radiant One into the Prison. There is also the correlative of someone like the Hindu God Shiva, a destroyer god whose virility is based on his very destructiveness, like a volcano leaving behind fertile ashy plains for trees to grow in.<br /><br />Moridin uses the True Power which stems from the Dark One. But that seems a contradiction, wouldn't the 'True' power lie with the Creator since it created the Wheel in the first place. More on dualism: the Creator is passive having nothing left to do after creating the Wheel, remember 'I WILL TAKE NO PART.' The Dark One Destroyer is the active principle because it's pushing towards the next transformation. It makes sense for the active principle to grant the True Power to the one who would push for the next transformation. And it's the 'True' Power because it stems from the dual-mind aspected Godhead of Destroyer/Creator undergoing a series of transformations. I guess Rand's not the only one with multiple personality disorder.<br /><br />This would also seem to go along with Moridin's statement that 'It's hard to lose when you play both sides of the game.' It makes perfect sense, because him being privy to the true nature of the Wheel, Dark One, and Creator, really IS playing both sides of the game.<br /><br />Now if the Dark Mind and Radiant Mind change positions as creator and destroyer of the Wheel of Time, then there may be patterns where Myrrdraal gained souls and became a people like the Ogier. Likewise in the previous pattern where the bore drilled on the Radiant One's prison, Ogier warriors were bioengineered in the previous War of the Light. Just imagine, an upside-down world where Myrrdraal have a culture all their own and Ogier are a bioengineered fierce horror.<br /><br />Finally: there are no Lightfriends, only Darkstrangers. Light doesn't hide out. It's out in the open. The very nature of a hidden network of 'Light' friends is a contradiction. However, Darkstrangers are more plausible. Imagine if you will, dark 'friends' hidden amongst darkfriends, in essence, Dark 'strangers.' Though they may be dark, they are no 'friends' of the shadow. Darker than shadows, the Darkstrangers are a possible secret society hidden deeper within another secret society.<br /><br />The Darkstrangers would be privy to the secrets concerning the Wheel, Dark One, and Creator and knowing the relationship between Dark One and Creator would not simply work only for darkness but for the opposition as well, playing both sides of the game so to speak.<br /><br />Realistically however, I don't think there is a secret society of Darkstrangers. In the whole series, I think there are only two Darkstrangers: Moridin and Verin. Moridin is more interested in transformation because being Nae'blis he would be rewarded with a life as long as the dark wheel exists. Verin is most likely a Darkstranger simply because she is who she is. Who else is most likely to be a Darkstranger? With all her years of intensive study she very well may have uncovered the truth about the Dark One and Creator. However I don't think she really cares about transformation, and holds a more detached attitude because it will work out no matter who wins in the end.<br /><br />I guess that means The Last Battle is a battle fought not to decide whether the Wheel will go on continuing to exist but rather a battle to determine whether Light or Dark will hold sway over the next Pattern.<br /><br />P.S. I said that the Wheel was the wide open white space and the Dark One's prison was the black dot on the Yin Yang. But, what about the opposite black field and white dot? Could an opposite Wheel exist in a parallel dimension perhaps where the Aelfinn and Eelfinn have similar problems to our heroes and heroines in Rand's World?<br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-02-26 18:14:49
subject: Treasonous Thoughts
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<p>This is a theory I have had in mind for some time while spending weeks compiling a FAQ on the myriad laws and customs of Aes Sedai.<br /><br />Egwene has had a dream of her own impending execution by beheading: <br /><br /><blockquote>Straps at waist and shoulder held her tightly to the block, and the headsman&#8217;s axe descended, but she knew that somewhere someone was running, and if they ran fast enough, the axe would stop. If not&#8230;<br /><br />-<i> A Crown Of Swords</i>, Unseen Eyes<br /><br /></blockquote>Beheading is a punishment in the White Tower. According to White Tower law, treason is one crime that requires the headsman, as do crimes such as the &#8220;vileness&#8221; after the Aiel War (illegal gentling of men and murder of Aes Sedai). <br /><br /><blockquote>&quot;Well, what's one treason more or less? The Hall can put you on your knees from here to Tarmon Gai'don for penance, but they can only take your heads once.&quot; <br /><br />- <i>A Crown of Swords,</i> Diamonds and Stars<br /><br />&#8220;I look forward to seeing your neck stretched on the headsman&#8217;s block for treason,&#8221;<br /><br />- <i>Crossroads of Twilight,</i> A Mark<br /><br /></blockquote>Elaida is about to meet Egwene again after some time. So far Elaida has been merciful to Egwene, despite Egwene's claim to be Amyrlin. Falsely claiming to be the Amyrlin is a crime for which stilling is mandatory: <br /><br /><blockquote>&quot;Any woman who falsely claims the title of Amyrlin Seat must be stilled.&quot; <br /><br />- <i>A Crown of Swords,</i> Prologue  <br /><br /></blockquote>but since one &#8220;cannot refuse a summons to become Amyrlin&#8221; (<i>Lord of Chaos,</i> In The Hall of the Sitters) and further, Egwene was raised from the Accepted, who &#8220;can&#8217;t choose which sisters to obey&#8221; (<i>Crossroads of Twilight,</i> Prologue), Elaida was able to declare Egwene not  at fault. <br /><br />However, since her kidnapping, Egwene has committed another treasonable offence, namely informing the rank-and-file Aes Sedai of the existence of the Thirteenth Depository (the secret histories of the Aes Sedai) and even their contents:<br /><br /><blockquote>Access to those secret histories, hidden deep in the Tower library, was set out in a law that was itself secret, and revealing the existence of either records or law was treason.<br /><br />- <i>A Crown of  Swords,</i> An Oath <br /><br /></blockquote>I think that during Egwene&#8217;s imminent attendance on Elaida, there will be an interruption either of sisters demanding an answer on the Thirteenth Depository, or Sitters or Ajah Heads to complain that the rank-and-file know about it and Egwene&#8217;s actions will be exposed. This will be a crime Elaida will not be able to shift away form Egwene; nor will she desire to, since Egwene&#8217;s aim is to incite the Aes Sedai to rise up and depose Elaida.<br /><br />Though, of course, assaulting the Amyrlin is also considered treason, so hopefully Egwene doesn&#8217;t lose her considerable self-control while she attends Elaida.<br /><br />Probably only the arrival of the Seanchan will prevent the axe falling on Egwene.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-03-07 03:55:58
subject: The Death of the Power
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<p><font size="-1"><b>I believe that at the end of the story, the Power will be gone. It's already starting to waiver. </b></font><br /><br /><font size="-1"><b>KoD Chapter 23 <i>Call to a Sitting</i> Hard Cover pg. 478: Romanda is reading her romance book, and thinking about how she shouldn't be reading such a frivolous book, and instead should be thinking about the food spoilage</b></font><br /><br /><font size="-1"><b><i> She had seen a side of beef kept for months as fresh as the day the cow was slaughtered, but now the Keepings were failing one by one. Some had taken to  muttering that there must be a flaw in Egwene&#8217;s creation, yet that was arrant blather. If a weave worked once, then properly done, it always worked, barring something to disrupt the weave, and Egwene&#8217;s new weaves always worked as claimed. She had to give the woman that. And try as they might, and they had tried very hard, no one could detect any interference. It was as if </i>saidar<i>itself were failing. It was unthinkable. And inescapable. Worst of all, no one could think of anything to do. She certainly could not. A brief interlude with tales of romance and adventure was much preferable to contemplating utter futility and the failure of what was by its very nature unfailing.</i></b></font><br /><br /><font size="-1"><b>This very clearly shows that the weaves aren&#8217;t working as they should.</b></font><br /><br /><font size="-1"><b>KOD Chapter 24 <i>Honey In Tea</i> Hard Cover pg 522. Egwene is doing some chores in the Tower Gardens as part of her novice duties:</b></font><br /><br /><font size="-1"><b><i> A pair of Reds stood on one of the arching pond bridges, leaning on the lacy stone railing and watching her and the fish swirling below them in a flurry of red and gold and white. A half-dozen crows burst up out of one of the leatherleafs and silently winged their way north. Crows! The Tower grounds were supposed to be warded against crows and ravens. The Reds did not seem to have noticed</i></b></font><br /><br /><font size="-1"><b>This shows that not only is the Power not working properly, but that it&#8217;s common place enough that the Aes Sedai don&#8217;t even take notice of it. </b></font><br /><br /><font size="-1"><b>KOD Chapter 25 <i>Attending Elaida</i>  Hard Cover pg 538. Elaida is talking to The Keeper about removing the Southharbor chain, that was still iron: </b></font><br /><br /><font size="-1"><b><i>Elaida had ordered the chain towers dismantled so those huge pieces of </i>cuendillar<i> could be removed. Like the city walls, however, the towers had been built with the Power, and only the Power could disassemble them. It was far from easy. The original builders had done good work, and </i>those<i> wards seemed not to have weakened a hair. </i></b></font><br /><br /><font size="-1"><b>Elaida seems to be frustrated that the wards are failing, but doesn&#8217;t seem to see a connection to Power failing at all. However, she does acknowledge that there is a problem. </b></font><br /><br /><font size="-1"><b>KOD Chapter 25 <i>Attending Elaida</i>  Hard Cover pg 540. Elaida and Tarna are still talking, and Tarna is now talking about her daily reports: </b></font><br /><br /><font size="-1"><b><i> &#8221;The redone wards appear to be keeping rats out of the Tower, Mother, &#8220; for how long was another question; she checked those wards herself every day, &#8220;but ravens and crows have been seen in the Tower grounds, so the wards on the walls must be&#8230;.&#8221;</i></b></font><br /><br /><font size="-1"><b>Ok.. so maybe they aren&#8217;t ignoring it. But Elaina seems a lot less concerned about it than Tarna does. Regardless&#8230;it&#8217;s yet another example of the Power not working when it simply just should. </b></font><br /><br /><font size="-1"><b>So, here are several examples of  serious issues with the Power. I haven&#8217;t even touched on the Seals breaking, though the Power seems to be failing there as well.</b></font><br /><br /><font size="-1"><b>It seems that the Power seems to be fading all in areas that the Dark One will benefit from, and not so much in others. The Food Keepings, these will instill fear. The wards on the Tower, this will help the DO get his Eyes into the Tower. Whereas, the  harbor towers, also built with the Power haven&#8217;t been touched. Losing these wards wouldn&#8217;t benefit the Dark One really in any way. </b></font><br /><br /><font size="-1"><b>Now, I think what might happen is that while the DO is messing with things now, when the &#8220;Last Strike&#8221; comes I think that a side effect will be the loss of the Power. </b></font><br /><br /><font size="-1"><b>So sayeth I <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/biggrin.gif" border="0" />  Can&#8217;t wait to see if I&#8217;m right. <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/smile.gif" border="0" /> </b></font><br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-03-07 04:19:02
subject: Lanfear and how she planned to rule the world
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<p><b><u>Introduction </u></b><br /><br />We know from other Forsaken that they are all trying to kill one another as much as they are trying to kill the good guys. Each of them have plots, some more complex than others. Whereas some plots seem obvious in their making e.g. Semirhage&#8217;s plan to collar Rand, we never get to see the small intricacies behind them. One exception has been Lanfear&#8217;s plot to kill all the other Forsaken and become the prime Forsaken. It is the one Forsaken plot which Jordan has made us privy to. Here&#8217;s my theory of how she planned to do it.<br /><br /><b><u>Lanfear&#8217;s goals </u></b><br /><br />Like all the Forsaken, Lanfear wanted to stand above them too &#8230; Nae&#8217;blis in so many words. It is debatable whether her ambition stopped even there because she sometimes mentions challenging the Dark One and the Creator too. One thing is clear though : she doesn&#8217;t want to rule alone. She wants to rule the world with Lews Therin (Rand) at her side.<br /><br />TDR (Daughter of the Night) - <i>&#8221;Three thousand years, and yet Lews Therin walks the world again, and these Aes Sedai all but have him leashed. Can you control him? Can you turn him? He was mine before ever that straw-haired chit Ilyena saw him! He will be mine again!&#8221; </i><br /><br />One of Lanfear&#8217;s primary goals seems to entail Rand turning to the Shadow. After this, he would rule the world with her. Lanfear implies to Ishamael that she is the only one with any power over him, perhaps suggesting her influence from their past relationship is unique among the Forsaken, or perhaps anyone. She later reiterates her plans to turn him&#8230;<br /><br />TSR (Decisions) - <i>&#8221;I could have you turned to the Great Lord whatever you want or believe. There are ways. </i><br /><br />Perhaps the only reason why she wants to turn Rand is because of the Dark One&#8217;s promise of immortality, something which cannot be granted by anyone else. It is perhaps the sole reason why she is allied to the Shadow, apart from her lust to obtain Lews Therin for herself again. She mentions to Mat&#8230;<br /><br />TSR (Visitations) - <i>&#8221;There is one man I could stand beside, but I do not follow.&#8221; </i><br /><br />&#8230; and again&#8230;<br /><br />WH (With the Choedan Kal) - <i>She would have faced the Great Lord &#8211; faced the Creator! &#8211; with him. She would have shared the power with him, let him rule the world at her side. </i><br /><br />Her allegiance to the Shadow has always been questionable. The first thing Ishamael does when she appears is question her allegiance, and even the other Forsaken mention her notorious treachery which stands out even among them. Her other goal appears to be acquiring the Choedan Kal&#8230;<br /><br />TSR (Decisions) - <i>Two great sa&#8217;angreal were made just before the end, one that you can use, one that I can. Far greater than that sword. Their power is beyond imagining. With those, we could challenge even&#8230; the Great Lord himself. Even the Creator!&#8221; </i><br /><br />She mentions it three times in that book. Some suggest that she really did plan to challenge the Dark One with the Choedan Kal, but I believe that she was merely trying to impress Rand with some large scale boasting. She probably knew that she couldn&#8217;t maintain sovereign power without an advantage like the Choedan Kal, and I doubt it would be reaching to say that she would near-invincible with it. Once again, she implies that he must have one, and she must have the other, a sort of ideal yet twisted union.<br /><br />Lanfear was obsessed with Lews Therin in the Age of Legends, but the Guide states that her love for him was probably due to the fact that she saw him as a path to power, rather than a person whom she loved. I personally believe that she did love him (as implied by her desperate love plea to him at one stage, and her anguish at his final rejection at the Docks), but that her capacity to love was far smaller than her ambition. In other words, love was there, but it took a back seat to ruling the world.<br /><br />To rule the world, Lanfear would obviously need to kill the other Forsaken. There is no chance that they would take a back seat while she and Rand ruled the world with the Choedan Kal. They would do everything in their power to kill them. She proposes the following&#8230;<br /><br />TSR (Decisions) - <i>&#8221;Asmodean will teach you to wield the Power without it killing you, teach what you can do with it. Let me help you. We can destroy the others. The Great Lord will not care. We can destroy all of them, even Asmodean, once has taught you all you need to know. You and I can rule the world together under the Great Lord, forever.&#8221; </i><br /><br />Even Lanfear is not vain enough to think that she could kill all the Forsaken by herself. She needed someone as powerful as Rand, and once again it showed how she saw him as the path to Power rather than her true love. It was not a foolish decision to approach Rand. She believed him to be Lews Therin reborn, and he really did love her for a short time. The chance was there, and even if she failed, she could try and seduce him somehow or even turn him against his will.<br /><br /><b><u>Killing the other Twelve </u></b><br /><br /><b><u>Ishamael, Balthamel, Be&#8217;lal and Aginor </u></b><br /><br />Lanfear was not worried about those four Chosen because they were dead, and the Forsaken themselves are surprised at the reincarnations later in the series. It seems that a second chance was either exceedingly rare in the War of Power, or unknown. However, this does not diminish the fact that Lanfear considered the death of a Forsaken to be a permanent solution. This, I believe, was a serious flaw in her plan. If she did succeed, how would she and Rand have reacted to Moridin, Aran&#8217;gar and Osan&#8217;gar&#8217;s appearances later in the series?<br /><br /><b><u>Semirhage, Demandred and Mesaana </u></b><br /><br />These three Forsaken were in a well known alliance, and Lanfear surely considered the possibility that if she struck at one of them, the others would react. Perhaps they would not, but could she take that chance?<br /><br />I personally believe she decided to leave these three Forsaken for last. Graendal and Aran&#8217;gar have mentioned their failed attempts to break that alliance, and for all purposes, it must be seen as a strong alliance with dangerous consequences if you interfere.<br /><br />It also seems unlikely that she would be able to handle them on her own anyway. Demandred is about as dangerous as Lews Therin, and I doubt Lanfear could have killed him. He would also not fall for a trap due to his renowned intelligence. Semirhage hates Lanfear, a fact I&#8217;m sure Lanfear is aware of. She would therefore be suspicious or dismissive of any attempt by Lanfear to approach her. Lanfear never mentions Mesaana in the series, and probably doesn&#8217;t consider her to be a threat.<br /><br />This alliance would be the last bastion of victory for Lanfear if she allied with Rand. They would kill Mesaana first, then Semirhage and finally overwhelm and kill Demandred, thus cementing their positions as leaders of the world.<br /><br /><b><u>Asmodean </u></b><br /><br />Lanfear has very little respect for Asmodean &#8211; she tells him that he was never meant to be great, and was beaten like the dog he was. As mentioned in one of the above quotes, she obviously planned to kill him after he taught Rand. The fact that Rand captured him first probably only delayed Asmodean&#8217;s inevitable assassination by her treacherous hand. By telling the other Forsaken about his betrayal, she enforced her plan in the unlikely event that Asmodean ditched Rand and ran.<br /><br /><b><u>Rahvin </u></b><br /><br />It is unclear whether Lanfear considered Rahvin to be a serious threat to her plans or not. He was a general, which implied an aggressive personality not willing to debate Lews Therin&#8217;s fate. At the same time, he was also a diplomat more involved in manipulation than anything else. Either way, Lanfear decided to include Rahvin in her little plan to &#8216;catch Rand&#8217;&#8230; a massively bogus plan I have no doubt Lanfear intended using to kill three major Forsaken.<br /><br />Rahvin thinks about Lanfear&#8230;<br /><br />TFoH (Prologue) - <i>Who trusted Lanfear behind him deserved the knife he might well find in his back. Not that she was so very trustworthy even when watched; her temper was uncertain at best. </i><br /><br />Despite his opinion, he actually does walk into her trap. A trap which would have certainly cost him his life. The reason is because Lanfear played on the other three Forsaken&#8217;s fears at the meeting. First, she preyed on Rahvin&#8217;s fear of facing Lews Therin, the man he once said could destroy them all&#8230;<br /><br />TFoH (Prologue) - <i>&#8221;He is Lews Therin Telamon reborn&#8230; and Lews Therin was as strong as any&#8230; And even before Asmodean, four of the Chosen have died confronting him.&#8221; </i><br /><br />Rahvin had a notable lust for power and immortality, and the thought of losing it would scare him. She goes on&#8230;<br /><br />TFoH (Prologue) - <i>&#8221;Once we were thirteen, immortal. Now four are dead, and one has betrayed us. We four are all who meet here today, and enough.&#8221; </i><br /><br />Rahvin recalls the plan which he decides to enter&#8230;<br /><br />TFoH (A Silver arrow) - <i>&#8221;He will come for you. And while he is fixed on you alone, the three of us, linked, will take him.&#8221; </i><br /><br />&#8230; and again&#8230;<br /><br />TFoH (A Silver arrow) - <i>&#8221;Next you will ask to include enough of those Black Ajah children to take the circle beyond thirteen, so you or Rahvin must have control.&#8221; &#8220;If Rahvin trusts us enough to link, when you must allow one of us to guide&#8230; you can display an equal trust.&#8221; </i><br /><br />As we see, Rahvin and Sammael are not happy at all giving over their abilities to Lanfear or Graendal in a circle. One of the women would need to lead the circle, a calculation I&#8217;m sure Lanfear made sure of. It is also unlikely that Graendal would get control, because Lanfear would push for the logical choice : the stronger the leader, the stronger the chances of success. Lanfear&#8217;s plan was probably to use the link to help kill Sammael first, and then kill Rahvin and Graendal. Rahvin possibly worried about this, but Graendal might have had contingency plans against it.<br /><br /><b><u> Sammael </u></b><br /><br />Sammael is one Forsaken Lanfear was concerned about. He was a notable male Forsaken of great power, which posed the initial problem. Worst of all, he was impulsive and would waste no time trying to kill Rand.<br /><br />TSR (Decisions) - <i>&#8221;Some of the others fear you too much to wait. Sammael, Rahvin, Moghedien. Others, perhaps, but those of a certainty. They will come after you. They will not try to turn your heart. They will come by stealth, destroy you while you sleep&#8230;&#8221; </i><br /><br />Sammael is one of the Forsaken she mentions a few times (Moghedien is the other). And again&#8230;<br /><br />TSR (The Traps of Rhuidean) - <i>I mean us to rule together, not to watch Sammael kill you &#8230; </i><br /><br />Sammael seems to be renowned for being impulsive and aggressive. Semirhage hints at this in LoC (Threads woven of Shadow) - <i>Sammael was a hot sofar with warped steering planes, and Graendal not easier to predict. </i><br /><br />Graendal laters speaks about it to Cyndane and Moghedien&#8230; TPoD (New Alliances) - <i>&#8221;He used to visit me, importuning my help in one mad plan or another. I never rejected him outright; you know how Sammael is &#8211; was a dangerous man to reject. </i><br /><br />Sammael is directly confrontational, so much so that the other Forsaken consider him to be unstable. This would cause Lanfear considerable stress, because unlike Demandred or Be&#8217;lal who would think out some convoluted plan, Sammael would go straight for Rand&#8217;s throat and kill him before he had a chance. In fact, Sammael attacks Rand more than any other Forsaken in the series.<br /><br />Lanfear therefore decided to sequester Sammael into her plans from the beginning. She had to dispose of him quickly before he caused any trouble, as well as Rahvin whom she also mentions won&#8217;t hesitate before trying to kill Rand. Of course, to get him involved in the plan, she needed to play on his fears. She plays on all the Forsaken&#8217;s fears by lying that Rand overwhelmed her and was a superior force, but she adds some special titbits for Sammael, especially playing with his pride&#8230;<br /><br />TFoH (Prologue) - <i>&#8221;How many of us will be alive when the Great Lord is freed at last? Four gone already. Will he come after you next, Sammael? You might like that. You could finally get rid of that scar if you defeated him. But I forget. How many times did you face him in the War of Power? Did you ever win? I cannot seem to remember&#8230;</i><br /><br />He would be the hardest of the three to kill, so Lanfear made him Rand&#8217;s target&#8230;<br /><br />TFoH (A Silver Arrow) - <i>&#8221;No one names me coward&#8230; But if we continue as we are, he will come straight for my throat.&#8221; &#8220;That has been the plan from the beginning,&#8221; said a woman&#8217;s melodious voice. Nynaeve could not see the speaker, hidden behind a towering back of a chair that seemed all snow-white stone and silver. </i><br /><br />Sammael was probably going to be Lanfear&#8217;s first victim. She excludes him as a member of the circle, and while Rand is fighting him, she would use the circle to kill him. Thereafter she would kill Rahvin and Graendal. The problem with Sammael is that before he really does die, he changes his mind about Lanfear&#8230;<br /><br />LoC (Threads woven of Shadow) - <i>&#8221;That was Lanfear; I am certain. I&#8217;m done with her. The next time I see her, I&#8217;ll kill her!&#8221; </i><br /><br />Sammael blames Lanfear for attacking his Trollocs in the Stone of Tear, when in fact, Semirhage was responsible. Although Lanfear and Rahvin are dead at this stage, Sammael doesn&#8217;t know this (well, he knows about Rahvin). There is a good chance that if Lanfear ever tried to visit him again, he would have tried to kill her.<br /><br /><b><u>Graendal </u></b><br /><br />Graendal would prove to be one of Lanfear&#8217;s great obstacles on her path to greatness. As mentioned several times in the series, she is masterfully intelligent and equally treacherous. Lanfear knows how dangerous Graendal can be&#8230;<br /><br />TSR (The Traps of Rhuidean) - <i> I mean us to rule together, not to watch Sammael kill you or Graendal add you to her collection of handsome young men.&#8221; </i><br /><br />Graendal was also included in this proposed plan by Lanfear, and Lanfear wasted no time in baiting her&#8230;<br /><br />TFoH (Prologue) - <i>He is reluctant to hurt women for some reason, but you won&#8217;t even be able to make Asmodean&#8217;s choice. You cannot reach him any more than a stone could. Unless he decides to keep you as a pet. That would be a change for you, would it not? Instead of deciding to which of your pretties pleases you best, you could learn to please.&#8221; </i><br /><br />Either way, Graendal agrees, and her outrage at Lanfear&#8217;s comments excludes any alliance between them &#8211; at least on the surface. Lanfear makes it clear that one of the females needs to lead the circle, and a problem could have arisen here. As I said, Lanfear would claim the right to lead because she is stronger than Graendal, and they needed every advantage if they wanted to win.<br /><br />However, I propose that Graendal was planning to stab Lanfear in the back when they finally confronted Rand. Firstly, we see Moghedien spying on the four when they meet in Tel&#8217;aran&#8217;rhiod&#8230;<br /><br />TFoH (A Silver Arrow) - <i>Below them, Moghedien also stood on darkness, garbed nearly as black as what surrounded her, bent and listening intently. And as far below her, four huge, high-backed chairs, each different sat on an expanse of glistening white-tiled floor floating in the blackness&#8230; </i><br /><br />Later&#8230; Moghedien explains what is going on to Nynaeve&#8230;<br /><br />TFoH (To Caemlyn) - <i>&#8221;Do you know they are drawing Rand al&#8217;Thor to attack Sammael? But when he does, he will find the others as well, waiting to trap him between them. At least, he will find Graendal and Rahvin. I think Lanfear plays another game, one the others know nothing about.&#8221; </i><br /><br />Therefore Moghedien knows about Lanfear. Once again Moghedien&#8217;s superior tracking skills have allowed her to outfox Lanfear on more levels than one. Nynaeve captured Moghedien during this chapter, but I believe that Moghedien was in Tel&#8217;aran&#8217;rhiod to sell her information to Graendal. As Demandred says&#8230;<br /><br />LoC (Prologue) - <i>&#8221;And Graendal says Moghedien failed to meet her as they had agreed. Also yesterday, Great Lord. I do not believe in coincidence.&#8221;  </i><br /><br />Therefore Moghedien and Graendal were to meet as planned just before the Forsaken were to ambush Rand. Moghedien would try to gain some influence with Graendal by informing her about Lanfear, or to ally with her so that they could both take down a mutual enemy who was stronger than both of them. In the end, I believe that Moghedien&#8217;s cunning and Graendal&#8217;s intelligence might have been the end for Lanfear. She might well have died instead of Graendal at the meeting &#8211; either losing control of the link to Graendal, or stabbed in the back by Moghedien while Graendal distracted her.<br /><br /><b><u>Moghedien </u></b><br /><br />I still believe that Moghedien was the single biggest threat to Lanfear&#8217;s plans. As shown above, she was already the only Forsaken who detected Lanfear&#8217;s treachery. She also has other Talents. As we know according to Birgitte, Moghedien far outstripped Lanfear in the World of Dreams, and Lanfear couldn&#8217;t track her even there. I&#8217;m sure Lanfear knew this, but she&#8217;d rather die than admit that her domain wasn&#8217;t really hers. Even in the real world, Moghedien is almost impossible to find. Asmodean alludes to it&#8230;<br /><br />TFoH (Pale Shadows) - <i>&#8221;I suspect Moghedien is or was in the west somewhere as well, but no one ever finds the Spider unless she wants to be found.&#8221; </i><br /><br />Semirhage even says in LoC that Moghedien used to vanish for so long that everyone assumed she was dead, before popping up again to prove that she was also Chosen. Like Sammael and Graendal, Lanfear mentions Moghedien&#8217;s danger several times&#8230;<br /><br />TSR (Decisions) - <i>&#8221;Some of the others fear you too much to wait. Sammael, Rahvin, Moghedien. Others, perhaps, but those of a certainty. They will come after you. They will not try to turn your heart. They will come by stealth, destroy you while you sleep&#8230;&#8221; </i><br /><br />&#8230; and again&#8230;<br /><br />TSR (The Stone Stands) - <i>Where is Callandor, Lews Therin? Still up in your bed chamber like some useless ornament? Do you think yours is the only hand that can wield it, now that you have drawn it free?... Even Moghedien would take it to deny you its use; she could gain much by trading it to any male Chosen. </i><br /><br />The problem with Moghedien is that she kills you before you know she&#8217;s there, and Lanfear knows that her chances of stopping that attack are near to zero. It could take place in the real world, or in Tel&#8217;aran&#8217;rhiod. Moghedien was said to be an unequalled assassin. At least Lanfear would be able to see a frontal attack by Rahvin or Sammael, but Moghedien would be another story.<br /><br />I&#8217;m sure Lanfear tried to find Moghedien in the World of Dreams, and I&#8217;m sure she failed utterly. If she came across her, she probably would have killed her outright because Moghedien didn&#8217;t have the strength to stand against Lanfear &#8211; in either world.<br /><br /><b><u>Summary of the Dangers </u></b><br /><br />Lanfear identified the immediate dangers to Rand. They were Moghedien, Graendal, Rahvin and Sammael. Three of those she could snare into a trap where she would eventually kill them. Moghedien, unfortunately, would remain at large until she found a way to kill her (if ever).<br /><br /><b><u>Flaws in Lanfear&#8217;s plan </u></b><br /><br />Lanfear&#8217;s plan was as good as any other Forsaken plan, and bold to the degree of madness. Had it worked, it might have removed three powerful Forsaken from the game. However, there were aspects she never counted on&#8230;<br /><br />1. She assumed that she could turn Rand, and that he would accept standing at her side. We know from his PoV that he would never turn to the Shadow.<br /><br />2. She didn&#8217;t count on the reincarnation of the Forsaken. Would Lanfear have survived if Moridin or Aran&#8217;gar decided to usurp her a few months later? What about if Rahvin, Graendal or Sammael were reincarnated after she killed them?<br /><br />3. Moghedien was one of her prime threats. She couldn&#8217;t find Moghedien, so she couldn&#8217;t kill her. Moghedien might very well have killed or captured Rand if she hadn&#8217;t been intercepted by Nynaeve. Moghedien also probably initiated an alliance with Graendal, or at least sold Lanfear out.<br /><br />4. Lanfear, like all the Forsaken, radically underestimated Graendal. Did Lanfear really think she could kill one of the great minds of the Age of Legends so easily? Graendal certainly had some contingency plans up her sleeve. She might even have initiated contact with Moghedien for the sole purpose of killing Lanfear when the four Forsaken met later to ambush Rand.<br /><br />5. Sammael decided once and for all to kill Lanfear. She never knew this, and might have died at his hand (if she was still alive).<br /><br /><b><u>Summary </u></b><br /><br />a. Lanfear&#8217;s plan was to rule the world with Rand at her side.<br /><br />b. She also wanted to get hold of the Choedan Kal Access Keys to ensure their supremacy.<br /><br />c. Killing the other Forsaken was of paramount importance.<br /><br />d. Her first move was to neutralize Sammael, Graendal and Rahvin. She would then move on to Semirhage, Mesaana and Demandred with Rand at her side. Asmodean would die after teaching Rand. Moghedien would be a problem. She discounted the other dead Forsaken.<br /><br />e. Her principle concerns were Moghedien, Graendal and Sammael.<br /><br />f. Her plan had flaws, some which might have led to her hasty exit from the world.<br /><br />Thoughts welcome<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-03-12 01:45:57
subject: Aran'gar's game
body:
<p><b> I. Introduction: Two Impersonatos </b><br /><br />At the Forsaken Garden Party in KoD, ch.3, Aran&#8217;gar considers that &#8220;she would like very much to know who had begun playing her own game. Or whether Sammael really was alive.&#8221;<br /><br />She refers to what Moridin had just told the present Forsaken: &#8221;Sammael, or someone disguised as him, gave orders to Myrddraal, and they obeyed, so it was one of the Chosen.&quot;<br /><br />RJ stated that &quot;Sammael is toast&quot;. That means it was indeed another Forsaken who disguised himself as Sammael. Later in KoD we learn that the Shadowspawn attacked Rand and his group.  [for more information on &#8220;Sammael's&#8221; identity read kcf&#8217;s theory &#8220;The Impersonator&#8220; &amp; sidious&#8217; theory &#8220;Semirhage sent the Trollocs after al'Thor&#8220;] <br /><br />Thus one can conclude what Aran&#8217;gar&#8217;s game was. Sometime in the past Aran&#8217;gar disguised herself, posed as another Forsaken and probably gave certain orders to Darkfriends or Shadowspawn.<br /><br />The questions are, when did that happen, and as who did Aran&#8217;gar pose? <br /><br /><b> II. Which disguise did Aran&#8217;gar wear? </b><br /><br />It makes sense that Aran&#8217;gar&#8217;s thoughts regarding her &quot;game&quot; refer to a specific scene from the former books or at least to an incident we heard of, not only to something that happened off-screen and was never mentioned.<br /><br />There are two obvious possibilities in my view.<br /><br /><b> a) Slayer&#8217;s patron </b><br /><br />One idea could be that Aran&#8217;gar was actually Slayer&#8217;s patron in WH, ch.22, who commanded to kill Rand and Min. <br /><br />Of course most people believe for good reasons that the patron was either Demandred, Taim or Osan&#8217;gar.[read my theory &#8220;Who is Slayer's Patron?&#8220; for detailed reasons why I think it was Osan'gar]<br /><br />However, there are also two arguments which speak against the notion that Aran&#8217;gar was the patron. <br /><br />Firstly, Slayer couldn&#8217;t recognize the patron&#8217;s appearance and voice because of an One Power disguise. He only seemed certain that the patron is a male Chosen. <br /><br />So, the patron didn&#8217;t pose as any concrete Forsaken. Therefore that scene doesn&#8217;t fit with the criterias of Aran&#8217;gar&#8217;s game, namely that she disguised herself as another Forsaken, like Sammael&#8217;s impersonator did. <br /><br />It doesn&#8217;t make much sense that Aran&#8217;gar simply disguised herself as a man and then created another disguise to conceal just that.<br /><br />Secondly, the character of the patron doesn&#8217;t fit with Aran&#8217;gar&#8217;s manner.  Aran&#8217;gar is described as reckless in LoC, prologue:<br />&#8220;Perhaps Aran'gar did not see it that way. Rage mottled that beautiful face. She was going to do something reckless. Osan'gar knew it; there had always been a problem in that regard. Lanfear seemed cautious by contrast.&#8221; <br /><br />Contrary to that, the patron&#8217;s statements show that he must be a very careful person. In addition, Slayer considers that &#8220;none of the Chosen Luc had met had ever taken such precautions as this.&#8221; (btw, this caution is one big clue that points to Osan&#8217;gar being the patron)<br /><br />For this reasons it doesn&#8217;t seem likely that Aran&#8217;gar was Slayer's patron. That means Aran&#8217;gar&#8217;s game must have been something else in the books.<br /><br /><b> b) &#8220;Demandred&#8221; and the Dark Asha&#8217;man </b><br /><br />I believe that Aran&#8217;gar disguised herself as Demandred. In that &quot;Demandred&quot;-disguise did she order the Dark Asha&#8217;man to kill Rand in Far Madding after they failed in Cairhien at the end of PoD.<br /><br />We hear of that incident in WH, ch.22, when the Dark Asha&#8217;man Kisman remembers: &#8220;&#8217;Kill him,&#8217; the M'Hael had ordered before sending them to Cairhien, but he had been as displeased that they were found out as that they had failed. Far Madding was to be their last chance; he had made that as plain as polished brass. [...] &#8216;Kill him,&#8217; Demandred had commanded later, but he had added that it would be better they died than let themselves be discovered again. By anyone, even the M'Hael, as if he did not know of Taim's order.&#8221;<br /><br />Kisman says that at first only Taim ordered them to kill Rand in Cairhien. Then he gave them a second and last chance.  &#8220;Later&#8221;, that means after Taim gave them the order to kill Rand in Far Madding, also &#8220;Demandred&#8221; commanded the Asha&#8217;man to kill Rand. <br /><br />Note that Kisman observed a discrepancy in &#8220;Demandred&#8217;s&quot; behaviour. Although Demandred should know that Taim already ordered the Asha&#8217;man, this &#8220;Demandred&#8221; behaves &#8220;as if he did not know of Taim's order&#8221;, when he commands that Taim shall not learn of their intent to kill Rand.<br /><br />That discrepancy never made real sense before Aran'gar's PoV in KoD. <br />But if one considers now that Aran&#8217;gar actually posed as Demandred to send the Asha&#8217;man and simply didn&#8217;t know of Taim&#8217;s second order, it suddenly makes a lot of sense.<br />Aran&#8217;gar&#8217;s typical recklessness explains why that slip could happen.<br /><br />Of course we learn at the Forsaken Tea Party in WH, ch.13, that Demandred knows of the Dark Asha&#8217;man and their first attempt to kill Rand. Since no present Forsaken asks what Demandred means when he mentions this event, it seems clear, though, that all of them are aware of those Dark Asha&#8217;man and what they did.<br /><br />In any case, Demandred never indicates in this PoV that <i> he </i> ordered the Asha&#8217;man to kill Rand at the end of PoD. <br /><br />On the contrary, Demandred&#8217;s disbelief at the Cleansing that an &#8220;old man&#8221; like Flinn can be an Asha&#8217;man rather shows that Demandred doesn&#8217;t have so much contact with the Black Tower and the Asha&#8217;man. <br /><br />Therefore I believe Demandred only occasionally received reports from the Dark Asha&#8217;man. Maybe he never even met them. That explains Kisman&#8217;s confusion why Demandred, who should know about Taim&#8217;s orders from a report, seems suddenly unaware of that, when he sends the Dark Asha'man to Far Madding.<br /><br />On the other hand, Aran&#8217;gar could likely have contacted the Dark Asha&#8217;man after the Forsaken Tea Party. <br /><br />In KoD, ch.3, Aran&#8217;gar thinks that Graendal has &#8220;a wider range of contacts among the Friends of the Dark than she herself had&#8221;, implying that she herself has also a certain range of contacts among the Darkfriends. That fits with the information from the Guide that Balthamel &#8220;may have headed an intelligence network, which competed with that run by Moghedien&#8221; in the War of the Shadow.<br /><br />Thus it doesn&#8217;t surprise that Aran&#8217;gar could have found the Dark Asha&#8217;man, especially since, as I pointed out above, all Forsaken seem to know of them and their deed.<br /><br />Furthermore against the idea that it was the true Demandred who ordered the Dark Asha&#8217;man to kill Rand speak Demandred&#8217;s thoughts in WH, ch.13. <br /><br />After Moridin officially allowed to kill Rand if necessary, it's clearly indicated that Demandred indeed wants to kill Rand at the Cleansing, accordingly to Moridin's command:  &#8221;So they would take al'Thor - while he was trying to use the Choedan Kal, no less, he and some woman drinking enough of the One Power to melt continents but there had been no indication that Moridin would be with them.&#8221;<br /><br />Demandred doesn&#8217;t consider that he sent someone else to kill Rand before the Cleansing. No, the plan is to take al'Thor at the Cleansing. <br /><br />This also fits with Demandred's thoughts at the Cleansing which show his desire to kill Rand himself: &#8221;Sooner or later the old man had to tire, and then he could take care of killing al'Thor. If one of the others did not get there first. He hoped fervently they did not.&#8221; (WH, ch.35)<br /><br />There is no indication in Demandred's two PoV at the Cleansing that he is angry that the Dark Asha&#8217;man failed again to kill Rand in Far Madding, though one would expect that, if Demandred really commanded them to achieve that.<br /><br />On the other hand, Aran&#8217;gar acts very different compared to Demandred when she hears that Rand plans to cleanse saidin with the Choedan Kal: &#8216;&quot;I thought the keys were all destroyed!&quot; Aran'gar exclaimed, surging to her feet. Her eyes were wide with fear. &quot;He could shatter the world just trying to use the Choedan Kal!&quot;&#8217;<br /><br />Aran&#8217;gar is obviously afraid; after Moridin commands the Forsaken to attack Rand at the Cleansing she even sounds &#8220;sullen&#8221;. <br /><br />Contrary to that, Demandred is rather glad and satisfied that he finally gets the permission to challenge and kill Rand at the Cleansing.<br /><br />Thus it's more likely that Aran'gar wanted to kill Rand before she had to fight at the Cleansing. To achieve that she disguised herself as Demandred and ordered the Dark Asha&#8217;man to kill Rand in Far Madding.<br /><br />Finally in KoD, ch.3, we learn then that Aran&#8217;gar apparently still wants to kill Rand.  After Moridin explicitly forbids the other Forsaken to kill Rand, Aran&#8217;gar thinks: &#8220;Moridin was going to be terribly disappointed over Rand al'Thor.&#8221;<br /><br />In the same PoV Aran'gar considers that &#8220;Graendal had useful skills, and a wider range of contacts among the Friends of the Dark than she herself had, though the other woman would certainly disapprove of how Aran'gar meant to use them should she learn.&#8221;<br /><br />These two thoughts combined could indicate that Aran&#8217;gar plans to use Graendal&#8217;s Darkfriend connections to find and kill Rand. If they succeed, Graendal would likely be blamed by Moridin. That&#8217;s similar to what I suggest Aran'gar intended with the Dark Asha&#8217;man.<br /><br /><b> III. Why Demandred? </b><br /><br />The last question is why Aran&#8217;gar impersonated Demandred and not another Forsaken.<br /><br />First of all, since Balthamel is the woman Aran'gar now, it was naturally quite clever that she disguised herself as a male Forsaken, especially since she still channels saidin. A perfect disguise to deceive a Dark Asha&#8217;man.<br /><br />Even Aran&#8217;gar certainly wouldn&#8217;t dare to pose as Moridin, though, and Osan&#8217;gar was known as a fellow Asha&#8217;man. That leaves only Demandred among the living male Forsaken.<br /><br />One important reason why Aran&#8217;gar likey <i> wanted </i> to pose as Demandred is explained in KoD, ch.3. Aran&#8217;gar considers that Demandred is a very dangerous man, but also remembers in that PoV that she was responsible for the death of several of her fellow Chosen in the War of the Shadow.<br /><br />It&#8217;s right that Aran&#8217;gar commanded the Dark Asha&#8217;man not to let themselves be discovered again by anyone. That's logical, because she certainly didn&#8217;t want that Demandred might learn that someone posed as him.<br /><br />On the other hand, Aran&#8217;gar might have considered the possibility that one of the Dark Asha&#8217;man is captured by Rand and forced to betray who sent them. In this case, Rand might hear the name Demandred and be aimed at him. That way one of Aran&#8217;gar&#8217;s most dangerous rivals soon would have to face a threat that he likely wouldn&#8217;t survive.<br /><br />Another reason is that Aran&#8217;gar certainly thought that the proud Asha&#8217;man would rather respect and obey a male Forsaken like Demandred.  Plus, Aran'gar probably didn&#8217;t want to show them that she is a woman who is able to channel saidin.<br /><br />Maybe she also didn&#8217;t want Moridin to know of her independent act and thus disguised herself.<br /><br />Aran'gar thinks in PoD, ch.16, that she could destroy the Rebel Aes Sedai, but &#8220;of course, she would not survive them long. That thought made her shiver. The Great Lord gave very few a second chance at life, and she was not about to throw away hers.&#8221;<br /><br />In the same way Aran&#8217;gar could have feared that she might act against the Dark One&#8217;s order if she already kills Rand before the Cleansing, contrary to the Nae&#8217;blis&#8217; command. Therefore Aran&#8217;gar rather posed as Demandred.<br /><br /><b> IV. Conclusion </b><br /><br />I believe that (quite ironically) both *gars, Osan&#8217;gar and Aran&#8217;gar, that means the left- and the right-hand dagger, tried to strike at Rand and failed. <br /><br />They wanted to kill Rand before they had to face him at the Cleansing, but weren&#8217;t sure if that is allowed. Therefore both disguised themselves, Osan&#8217;gar as the unrecognizable patron to send Slayer, and Aran&#8217;gar as Demandred to send the Dark Asha&#8217;man and possibly have a dangerous rival blamed for that.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-03-15 04:00:18
subject: Learning to Fly
body:
<p>It is stated that (in &quot;The World of the Wheel&quot;, I think) that Age of Legends aes sedai could fly whithout help from machines. I have come up with some thoughts on how they did it, and why modern aes sedai can't.<br /><br />1-What's Stopping Them<br /><br />The reason modern aes sedai can't fly (this is my best guess, and will be assumed throughout the rest of the theory) is because channeling needs a &quot;reference point&quot;, and the eyes and position of the channeller serve as that point (it's actually stated that it's harder to channel when you can't see something). Manipulating your own referrence point as you use it would be incredibly difficult if not impossible, especially with the aes sedai &quot;control freak&quot; mindset. however, if a change in the mindset was all it took some wilder would have figured it out.so how did they do it? by one of the following, or some combination of several of them.<br /><br />2.1-Tandem Flight<br /><br />It's possible and easy to lift someone else with the power (we've seen Nynaeve, Sheriam, and Rand, at least, do it, and it should be no harder then lifting an inanimate object of the same weight). Perhaps flight was achieved by 2 aes sedai, each lifting the other and manipulating their &quot;referrence points&quot;. However, as Age of Legends aes sedai didn't have any permanent ties to each other, this would be highly inconvenient.<br /><br />2.2-Ground-Dependent Flight<br /><br />Perhaps the trick is to try to push the ground farther down, relative to your &quot;referrence point&quot;. You would instead rise, and if you kept up the pressure therere would be no reason to fall. However there would be no means of moving horizontally that I can see, and even if there was, anyone underneath would be flattened or at least injured. The only possible use for this would be as a jumping-off point for...<br /><br />2.3-Failure to Fall<br /><br />We've actually SEEN this one, in a manner of speaking. At the menagerie, Elayne created platforms with Air to help her in her tightrope act (Foreshadowing!). Perhaps &quot;flight' was nothing but walking along strings of platforms and staiways created like this. Could be used in conjunction with...<br /><br />2.4-Assisted Flight<br /><br />In most legends, &quot;magical&quot; flight is achieved with the help of some object, such as a broom or a carpet. Manipulating the thing you're sitting on might be easier then lifting yourself and your &quot;reference point&quot;. Perhaps the object could even be a power-created platform (see 2.3)<br /><br /><br />What do you think?<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-03-15 04:04:04
subject: The difficulty of Spirit
body:
<p>I have always been surprised at how easily the detection of shields can sometimes evade channelers. It has been suggested that the channelers were distracted at the time, but I disagree. I believe that Spirit, or possibly shields alone are far more difficult to feel and see than other weaves.<br /><br /><b><u>The Flow of Spirit </u></b><br /><br />If we look at Jordan&#8217;s answer as to the nature of the five flows, he responds&#8230;<br /><br /><i>A channeler sees the flows as colored very faintly, according to which of the Five Powers is involved (red = Fire, Blue = Water, green = Earth, yellow = Air, white = Spirit), although the &quot;feel&quot; of the flows are also different to a channeler, so that a channeler can tell one from another without actually seeing them. (That is how someone can tell that somebody else has channeled, say, Fire and Earth, in their vicinity without seeing the flows.) It isn't a physical feel; you might almost as well say that they have different flavours. They appear to be smooth and nearly transparent, tinged with colour. </i><br /><br />Therefore each flow has a different colour and feel. The fact that Spirit is white, and half-transparent already limits it visibly. If you saw a flow of Spirit coming to you, the odds are that it would be more difficult to see than say, a flow of Fire or Earth. I also believe that the feel of Spirit is less intense or recognisable than the other flows.<br /><br /><b><u>Evidence </u></b><br /><br />There are several instances in the books where shields have passed onto channelers undetected. Naturally a man cannot sense a woman&#8217;s flows, and vice-versa. However, these examples occur between two women, and long before inverting and reversing flows reared its head. Firstly, Nynaeve&#8230;<br /><br />TDR (Bait for the Net) - <i>&#8230;opening to embrace saidar, opening&#8230; It was as if she had run into another wall, wall of clear glass; she could feel the True Source, but the wall stopped everything except the ache to be filled with the One Power. </i><br /><br />It is important to see how it is described as a layer of clear glass. This occurs often in the series, and between men and women too. The women rarely mention a flow of Spirit sitting on them, bur rather a barrier of glass. Siuan experiences the difficulty of Spirit later&#8230;<br /><br />TSR (The Truth of a Viewing) - <i>In a rage she reached for saidar &#8211; and suffered her second shock. A barrier lay between her and the True Source, like a wall of thick glass. </i><br /><br />Notice the glass analogy again, which fits in nicely with Jordan&#8217;s explanation of Spirit having a white semi-transparent form. Amys catches Egwene later&#8230;<br /><br />TSR (Sharp Lessons) - <i>Furious, she opened herself to saidar &#8211; and found herself blocked &#8230; Desperately, she opened herself to the Source, and nearly howled when she found the barrier again. </i><br /><br />As you can see, it takes less effort for Egwene to test for the presence of a shield, rather than to try and look for that misty flow of Spirit. Moghedien catches Nynaeve later&#8230;<br /><br />TFoH (A Silver Arrow) - <i>Desperately Nynaeve reached for saidar&#8230; ran into an invisible wall between her and the warm glow of the True Source. </i><br /><br />Invisible again. Spirit really is quite terrible to try and detect. The Black Ajah catch Nynaeve again (the unwitting victim of the series&#8217; shielding attempts)&#8230;<br /><br />ACoS (Six Stories) - <i>&#8221;They&#8217;re Black ajah&#8230;&#8221; &#8230; Her voice faltered for an instant. &#8220;&#8230; and they have me shielded.&#8221; </i><br /><br />Later Verin tries to shield Graendal&#8230;<br /><br />WH (With the Choedan Kal) - <i>Using the full strength of her circle, she wove her shield, and watched aghast as it rebounded. The woman was already embracing saidar, though no light shone around her, and she was immensely strong!</i><br /><br />Graendal doesn&#8217;t slice the flows, and it is very unlikely that she could judge the shield weak enough to do nothing so quickly, even though she was holding saidar. She would not take such a risk. Therefore it stands to reason that the shield caught her unaware and splintered because it wasn&#8217;t strong enough. An almost identical event occurred when Moiraine tried to shield Merean in NS. The shield also broke when it hit her because it wasn&#8217;t strong enough to shield her. However, Merean doesn&#8217;t even turn around until after the attempt, clearly caught unaware by the channeling behind her (which Moiraine confirms).<br /><br />Now, obviously shields can be seen and detected, but not as easily as other weaves and flows. Shielding and Travelling often attract other channelers, but possibly because they use so much of the One Power, and males use Fire when Travelling too. However, I still believe that a proportional amount of Fire or Air would be far easier to detect than a comparable gateway or shield or equal strength.<br /><br /><b><u>Conclusions </u></b><br /><br />1. Every flow of the Power has a unique feel and appearance. Spirit is not easy to see or detect compared to the other four flows.<br /><br />2. Channelers of the same sex have been snared by shields which were not inverted or reversed, and which cannot be adequately be explained by the distraction of the situation.<br /><br />Comments?<br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-03-22 06:41:25
subject: Deftness is a constant
body:
<p>The intention of this theory is to establish once and for all the separate natures of deftness and skill and thereby the base equality of male and female channelers.  By establishing this distinction of terms I intend to explain the seeming discrepancies evidenced by certain Forsaken concerning male and female channeling ability.  Particularly, I'll show how Rahvin's thoughts of overwhelming Lanfear, the lessons of Asmodean and the haphazard use of the word strong actually support the reality of a constant and logical deftness augmentation.<br /><br />To begin lets look at RJ statements from the blog.<br /><br />&quot;Men can be much stronger than women in the pure QUANTITY of the Power that they can channel, but on a practical level, women are much more DEFT in their weaving and that means the strongest possible woman can do JUST about ANYTHING that the strongest possible man could, and to the SAME degree&quot;<br /><br />&quot;Regarding the levels of male strength, while the weakest man and the weakest woman would be ROUGHLY equivalent, you might say that there are SEVERAL levels of male strength on top of the female levels.  Remember to integrate this with what I've said elsewhere about EFFECTIVENESS, though.&quot;<br /><br />These two quotes provide us with three major points and though it should be apparent in the first quote alone combined they leave no room for doubt that deftness is a constant much like strength (volume) in the OP.  As a constant it is not something that can be increased or honed like skill.<br /><br />The first quote provides us with a very straightforward concept.  Men and women are essentially equal.  Some would dispute this based on the words &quot;just about&quot;.  Unfortunately they would be wrong.  We already have evidence that a woman who is weaker may well outperform the strongest man in making an air bridge and this type of saidar/saidin property is what &quot;just about&quot; refers.  In &quot;anything&quot; but these special instances women and men perform to the &quot;same degree.&quot;<br /><br />So how can we come to a better understanding about what deftness really means?  Well from the above quote we can establish that deftness causes a result higher than the known quantity of the power accounts for.  One question we can ask is if we have we seen anything similar within the books?  The answer is yes, with linking.  A circle's results are greater than the quantity of power accounts for.  This increase in results is referred to by some of us as precision.  Since deftness and precision appear to represent the same phenomenon I will from here on out consider them to be the same thing holding deftness as the personal precision of a channeler.  So how does that help my argument?  Well utmost is the fact that circle precision can be proven to increase results by staggering degrees and derivatively it is completely reasonable to assume that personal precision or deftness could raise individual results to a similar degree.<br /><br />One example of circle precision increasing results is gateway size.  If sidious's measurements of known Gateways, located in his theory &quot;The Comprehensive One Power Strength Theory&quot;, is correct 13 linked AS created a Gateway 62.5 times greater than Rand's largest Gateway.  Sidious measures Rand's largest Gateway as 144 SF and that of the AS as 9000 SF.  This is clearly the result of precision since even 13 females each with a strength of 100 should only have been able to produce one 13 times the size of Rand's.  Now this degree of precision is definitely related to the number of women in the link but consider that even as the number of link members decreases how significant that modification must be. If those women were indeed 100 their strengths would need to be multiplied by a factor of almost 5 to get those results. 9000/144 / 100=4.81  Since we know those thirteen are nowhere near strengths of 100 that factor must be even higher. If I were to agree with sidious for a mere moment that the average AS is a 20 and that percentages of Rand's gateway equal percentage of his strength that would raise this precision factor a little above 24. 9000 / (20x13x1.44)=24.04  That's at least a factor of 2 for each addition to the link. Less the stronger you make the average AS, more the weaker you make the average AS.<br /><br />So lets be clear.  Circles are more effective than the amount of the power accounts for, the larger the circle the higher the increase in effectiveness.  Likewise women are more effective than their strength in the power accounts for, the stronger the woman the higher the increase in effectiveness.  So a woman who opened a Gateway the same size as a man would actually be &quot;weaker&quot; than him but essentially she would be his equal or his counterpart much like thirteen incredibly weak women in a link would be a match for Rand.<br /><br />Since I know some of you out there are still doubtful I'll show how the second quote seals the deal.<br /><br />&quot;Regarding the levels of male strength, while the weakest man and the weakest woman would be ROUGHLY equivalent, you might say that there are SEVERAL levels of male strength on top of the female levels.  Remember to integrate this with what I've said elsewhere about EFFECTIVENESS, though.&quot;<br /><br />For some of you the &quot;equivalency&quot; of the bottom strength layers comes together with the &quot;several&quot; layers of superior male strength and negates RJ's reiteration of the word &quot;effectiveness.&quot; Unfortunately this is folly.  It is intuitively obvious to the most casual observer that deftness/precision as demonstrated above is inherently a multiplicative function of channeling. Therefore it should be expected that small factors should be closer together than large factors.  And I know it is subtle but please notice that female levels are called out separate from male levels. What I am getting at is that the translation of deftness into strength is proven by the &quot;roughly.&quot;  Men and women have separate levels. If they were exactly equal at the bottom end weak women would have to be superior to weak men in order for the highest woman to match the highest man.  Being equal strengths at the bottom would force deftness to be an additive strength instead of a multiplicative one and we've established that the only other description of deftness or precision we have seen is in circles were it is definitely multiplicative.  We can show the truth of this simply by collecting the evidence and constructing a diagram that fits all that we know.<br /><br />1. The strongest Woman can do anything the strongest man can do to the same degree and presumably the weakest woman can do anything the weakest man can do.<br /><br />2. The strongest woman is several levels below the strongest man in &quot;strength&quot;.<br /><br />3. The weakest men and women are ALMOST the same &quot;strength&quot;.  But not THE same.<br /><br />4. Women have a separate level system (proven by 3. otherwise weakest man and weakest woman would have the same strength.)<br /><br />For the sake of expediency I will divide the men and women into 20 levels. The top strength of women I will place at level 5 on the male list. This means the top male is a 100 and the top woman is an 80<br /><br /><br />__M=W__#<br />100=80_1<br />_95=76_2<br />_90=72_3<br />_85=68_4<br />_80=64_5<br />_75=60_6<br />_70=56_7<br />_65=52_8<br />_60=48_9<br />_55=44_10<br />_50=40_11<br />_45=36_12<br />_40=32_13<br />_35=28_14<br />_30=24_15<br />_25=20_16<br />_20=16_17<br />_15=12_18<br />_10=8__19<br />__5=4__20<br /><br /><br />According to this diagram a 25% increase in effectiveness by deftness would account for the rough equivalency at the bottom of the scale and the several levels separating men and women at the top.  This diagram fulfills all four of the above points.  If point three were not true and women and men were exactly equal at the bottom of the scale it would require either that point 1 were untrue or that women be drastically more successful than they are.  Indeed the very points that some try to dress up as discrepancies are the proof that women simply occupy a separate scale and that it is simply inadequate observation procedures that cause the characters and some wotmaniacs to think that men and women are unequal.  The belief that they occupy the same scale is the underlying flaw in evaluating female and male strength.  It is false.  Saidar and Saidin are only the same in having a measurable volume.  They are oil and water.  A cup of water and a cup of oil have different properties most notably density and weight.  Saidar and Saidin have a similar difference.  A cup of saidar &quot;weighs&quot; more than a cup of saidin and weight is what makes that cup effective.<br /><br />Before I go on let me point out the third quantity in channeling, skill.  Skill by definition is the increase in performance due to training and practice.  Our very first channeling lesson showed Nynaeve getting tossed by Siuan because she had no training or practice.  This was our very first lesson on skill and how some of us like to forget it.  Even without a deftness or a strength advantage, Siuan shows us all how significant a factor skill can be.  But she is not our only reference for this appreciation of skill.  We have four significant examples of notable channelers believing or showing that they can overcome clear deficiencies in strength.  Example #1 and #2 are some of our strongest characters Demandred and Sammael.  These competitive men both had a stirring belief that they could surpass LTT even though they should have been well aware that he was stronger.  They clearly thought that enough practice would give them the edge and in doing so they became incredibly good but never good enough.  They are the most representative of the belief in and the possibilities of skill.  Example #3 is from our dear teacher Asmodean in FOH.  He states clearly that Lanfear intended to be stronger than Rand by limiting his skill.  What does this prove?  For one it proves that Asmodean believes that Lanfear, a female, has skill high enough to defeat someone of Rand's strength even if half trained.  Second it proves that Asmodean and presumably other Forsaken, occasionally at least, translate skill into strength. Along this line you'll notice that the Forsaken hardly ever think of how weak the AS are but how untrained they are.  Indeed the Forsaken seem to be very aware of skill at least as much as strength.  And finally #4, confirmed by RJ himself, Cyndane stands toe to toe with a woman more than twice her strength by virtue of her skill.<br /><br />So with this understanding and belief by the characters that skill can overcome strength it is no wonder that we were unable to sift out deftness for the constant that it is.  It is no wonder that the characters cannot separate the two.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am saying that the characters don't know something so vital.  Specifically that the Forsaken, the males in particular, are characters who don't know, even in their advanced society (except maybe Lanfear, researcher of the OP), that deftness is a constant multiplier of female channeling ability.  What's the evidence for this you ask?  Why the supposed points of discrepancy of course.  The two I will be using to assist my case are Asmodean's teachings and Rahvin's belief and/or expectation that he can overwhelm Lanfear.  I will show that Asmodean's description of female strength and my diagram come together to show the basis of Rahvin's belief and why that belief is wrong.<br /><br />Let's look at Asmodean's comment regarding women's strength,<br /><br />FOH: Pale Shadows pg. 104PB<br /><br />&quot;If two women link, they do not double their strength - linking is not as simple as adding together the power of each - but if they are strong enough, they can match a man.  And when they take the circle to thirteen you must be wary.  Thirteen women who can barely channel could overpower most men, linked.  The thirteen weakest women in the tower could overpower you or any man, and barely breathe hard.&quot;<br /><br />The first thing we have to consider in the first sentence is who the two women are and who the man is.  The women are average women; the man is an average man.  So Asmodean&#8217;s statement makes it clear that the average man is a little more than twice as &quot;strong&quot; as the average woman.  But is strong being used here specifically in reference to the volume of the power or effectiveness.  The use of match makes this debatable.  Match can either refer to volume or effectiveness.  In either instance it supports my main point.  Take a moment and look at my diagram.  Notice again that weaker men and women are likely to be within a few units of each other. If the average man was a 20 and the average woman were an 8 her performance would be slightly above a man at 8 but not by a notable amount.  If two stronger women linked and after reduction matched a volume of 20 any advantage they had would be attributed to the link and not their original higher dexterity though both would factor in.  If &quot;match&quot; refers to effectiveness it would mean that the average man is much more than twice as strong as the average woman.  Indeed, since we don't know the precision advantage of a 2x circle the average man could be any number of magnitudes greater, having a strength of 50 or 60 for an extreme example.  It would be suitable to think that Asmodean was only referring to strength (volume) but the context indicates he is speaking about effectiveness, which is especially beneficial to my theory. The context I refer to is when Asmodean considers what it would take to overpower a man with larger circles.  The larger circles are clearly relying on precision more than strength and so it goes to all reason that all matching and overpowering mentioned rely on precision.<br /><br />So with this in mind, the greater the distance between the average man and the average woman the more likely it is that the female deftness advantage would be overlooked and the more likely that the above average women's success would be attributed to skill because they would still be below the level of the average man.  When such incredibly strong women as Graendal and Lanfear show up it is unlikely that they are going to be evaluated separately from the average woman.  It may even be unlikely that they will evaluate themselves separately from the average woman.  Therefore both males and females might attribute the success of high strength women more to their skill than their innate precision.  Therefore strong men and women will likely assume that their relationships will be similar to those of the average man and woman.  Accordingly, most AOL AS will believe that the two or so points of effectiveness that the average woman gains is a universal additive instead of a universal multiplier.  In fact the only knowledgeable person to ever comment on women's ability to match men at the highest levels was the only OP power expert we know of, Lanfear.  In her study of the OP she has come to the conclusion that she is LTT's equal.  It is very possible that her research led to or made her aware of the undervalued properties of female deftness.  From the BWB we know that the AOLers were aware of deftness but, as I have demonstrated, for the average AS that advantage was minor and strongly outweighed by the widely used and more advantageous act of linking.<br /><br />So lets recap before I go on.<br /><br />1.Men and women are equal in effectiveness at the highest level and at the lowest level.<br /><br />2.Neither the highest levels nor the lowest levels of each match up in measurable units.<br /><br />3.The closeness of the bottom layers and the large gap between the top layers indicates that deftness is multiplicative function of channeling. <br /><br />4.The average man is probably much more than twice as &quot;strong&quot; as the average woman.  Much more because Asmodean's evaluation of linking requires us to acknowledge the combination of deftness and precision or in other words two acts of multiplication.  If it were an equation it would read something like 2(female)(deftness)(precision|2)=male<br /><br />5.All Forsaken and AS value training and believe higher skill can beat a stronger opponent.<br /><br />The Alivia vs. Cydane battle is evidence that this is a reasonable belief.<br /><br />6.Forsaken men and perhaps Forsaken women are unaware of the multiplicative effect of deftness.  Female increases in effectiveness are perceived as additive because most comparisons happen at the lower end of the scale.<br /><br />7.Unusual success at a thing will probably be considered a result of skill or Talent.<br /><br />So when we get any male vs. female comparisons I think its important to realize that Forsaken strength females were as rare in the AOL as they are in the third Age.  Lanfear could have been LTT equal but it is unlikely they would have put that to the test when the average man and woman seemed to show that a gap that large couldn't be compensated for.  Another reason could be a simple act of social disbelief.  A scientist can tell you all day that female channelers match up to men in the grand scheme of things but if you can't see the proof in your everyday lives you won't believe it.<br /><br />So lets look at Rahvin's thoughts and words with this in mind.<br /><br />FOH: The First Sparks Fall pg. 33PB<br /><br />&quot;Is he really so strong?&quot;  Rahvin asked quietly.  &quot;This Rand al'Thor.  Could he have overwhelmed you face-to-face?&quot;  Not that he himself could not, if it came to it, or Sammael, though Graendal would likely link with Lanfear if either of the men tried.  For that matter, both women were probably filled to bursting with the Power right that moment, ready to strike at the slightest suspicion of either man.  Or of each other.  But this farmboy.  An untrained shepherd!  Untrained unless Asmodean was trying&quot;<br /><br />Now I know there has been much debate about this paragraph but most of that was before RJ blog came into existence.  How does this misevaluation of deftness play out?  Well first let's establish that Rahvin's first use of the word strong was indeed really about effectiveness.  His references to Rand as a farmboy and untrained shepherd clearly indicate that he is referring to Rand's lack of skill not the volume of the power he can hold.  So only after he negates their shared AOL skill level does he consider that Lanfear can be overwhelmed.  The assumption here is that trained in the same Age they should have equal skill levels and like between trained AS, strength is then the determining factor.  Of course though he believes he can overwhelm Lanfear he is uncertain how much that deftness will come into play.  He knows she is more effective than a man of her strength but he has no real way of estimating how much more effective.  Some have pointed out Sammael's inclusion in the overwhelm as an indicator that Rahvin's statement is not bravado and I am ready to accept that.  However, he also believes that both women are as prepared as himself and Sammael to engage in combat if necessary.  This weakens his use of overwhelm from a certainty to a supposition based on what is typical.  Even the reference to linking is a reference to what is typical of male and female.  Referring to my scale again. If Lanfear was an 80 and Rahvin was a 90 that would make him two levels above her.  If the average man is say 25 and the average woman is a 12 there are two levels separating them on the male scale.  At the bottom of the scale the 25 man would have no more difficulty facing a 12 woman than he would facing a 15 man.  In his mind Lanfear can't gain more than three units of effective strength so he'd be facing an 83 instead of an 80 or an 85 at the most if he actually thought she was more skillful then him.  None of these numbers would be exactly negligible but there is still at least one whole level between them, which would explain his confidence.  However that same confidence is proven to be misplaced by the end of the same book the Fires of Heaven.<br /><br />We see that Rahvin's evaluation of Lanfear falls short as it is clear that in &quot;Choices&quot; Lanfear attacks Rand's connection to the Source BEFORE she climbs onto the wagon to get the angreal.  The attack is certainly sufficient enough to distract him if not to successfully cut him off.  Rand comments that she does come close a few times though.  He even complains about the fact that he can usually handle ten or more weaves but that now he can barely handle two because her shield is a real threat.  Rahvin is as strong as Rand, maybe even weaker, at this time so it goes to reason that Lanfear could have done the same to him.  He certainly could not, according to the quote below, overwhelm her when Rand could barely defend himself.  If he is indeed equal to Rand's strength at this time there is no way even better trained he could have overwhelmed Lanfear.  She cut all of Rand's weaves and then nicked his connection to the source numerous times.  Even if Rand was better trained I doubt he would have been much better at getting his own attacks through.  The proof of Rahvin and Rand's equivalent strengths is located in the quote below.<br /><br /><br />FOH:  The Threads Burn pg 932PB<br /><br />&quot;He had been clever in his attacks, clever in his escapes, but from the moment he fled the throne room he had not faced Rand for more than the instant it took to strike and flee.  Rahvin was strong, perhaps as strong as Rand, and more knowledgeable, but Rand had the fat-little-man angreal in his pocket, and Rahvin had none.&quot;<br /><br />So lets consider all these things together.  Deftness provides women with a constant multiplicative increase in effectiveness.  It is because of the low strength of the average woman that this increase is ignored or overlooked.  Especially since these low strength women can rely on the possible dramatic increases of linking.  Essentially RJ's comment's and the text all point to a singular misunderstanding of the strength of women.  The misunderstanding stems from the fact that saidar and saidin only have one readily comparable quality, volume, a quality that takes nothing into account for density, weight etc.<br /><br />The fact that the men are more likely to have this misunderstanding just lends more support to the notion that their opinions on this matter are flawed.  The females on the other hand have a better understanding of their strength and it is no surprise that nothing they have said supports the notion that they are inferior to their male counterparts.  Comments like the one Graendal makes about not facing Rand's &quot;strength&quot; after he kills Rahvin should be looked at in this light.  In the context of this theory Graendal could very well know that Rahvin was her equal even if by volume he could hold more of the Power.  Ishamael's comments expressing uncertainty over who would die between Graendal and Sammael reinforce this interpretation since Rahvin and Sammael where definitely close in strength.  It is time for us as readers to realize that a cup of saidin and a cup of saidar are not equal and therefore that the discrepancy in possible female &#8220;strengths&#8221; is non-existent.  Deftness is a constant augmentator of female streangth not because of the skill of the woman but because of the properties of saidar. <br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-04-14 19:22:46
subject: The dying man in Egwene's Dream
body:
<p>The meaning of Egwene's Dream about a dying man is still unknown: &quot;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.&quot; (ACoS, ch.10)<br /><br />It was suggested by linda_sedai in the theory &quot;A Man Lies Dying - an interpretion of Egwene's dream&quot;  that the man might be Dobraine.  We learned in KoD, ch.18, though, that Dobraine recovered from the Darkfriend attack on his life. Therefore the man can't be Dobraine.<br /><br />If Egwene sees someone she knows in her Dreams, she always remarks on it. On the other hand, if she doesn't know the person she only gives a general description, e.g. &quot;a dark young man&quot; (ACoS, ch.10) or &quot;a Seanchan woman&quot; (CoT, ch.20). That shows that Egwene didn't meet the dying man before. It can't be Rand, as some suggested in the past.<br /><br />Nevertheless the man is important (apparently for the Light Side) and, as the chorus of voices indicates, known by many other people.  Note that the man's life is <i> important </i>, but not <i> crucial </i>. That's another reason against the idea that the man might be Rand or another crucial male character in the series.<br /><br />The funeral pyre is unusual; normally dead people are buried in the Westlands. However, in KoD, ch.2, it&#8217;s stated that also the corpses of Anaiya and Kairen were burned on a funeral pyre:  &#8220;The novices knew that Anaiya and Kairen were dead - there had been no thought of hiding the funeral pyres&#8221;.<br /><br />The reason is of course that the Salidar Aes Sedai only camp near Tar Valon and don&#8217;t want to burry the corpses there.<br /><br />That could be a clue that the dying man lies in a camp as well. If he dies, he can&#8217;t be buried there but must be burned. Also the &#8220;narrow bed&#8221; could indicate a camp bed in a tent.  This would also explain why Egwene hears inside the voices of many people from the outside, and why a funeral prye can be built nearby.<br /><br />Egwene says that the man is dying, and the fact that a funeral pyre is already built while the man is still living stresses his dire condition on the brink of death. Nevertheless the Dream implies that the man might survive.<br /><br />Considering that the man is important and that some people are saddened by the prospect of his death, it seems unlikely that there are yet Aes Sedai or Asha&#8217;man nearby who can Heal the man. It seems possible that he will be Healed later, though.<br /><br />I believe it&#8217;s likely that the dying man is Ituralde, a character who become more and more important in the series since the prologue of CoT. <br /><br />From the talk between Suroth and Galgan in KoD, epilogue, we know that Ituralde is fighting the Seanchan in Arad Doman with his big army (around 300.000 men) at the moment.<br /> <br />Ituralde might be wounded in a battle with the Seanchan.  Or (and I like this idea better) Graendal will send Darkfriends who attempt to kill Ituralde, like the Darkfriends who tried to kill Dobraine or Bashere.  Since Ituralde seems to be the only real authority among the Domani after he united all forces in Arad Doman, Graendal has a good motive to kill him, thus preventing that he creates there order again after defeating the Seanchan.<br /><br />The &#8220;songs of joy and sadness&#8221; at the same time could represent the Seanchan&#8217;s delight that their new arch-enemy dying, while the Domani moan that their admired leader will most likely die. <br /><br />Furthermore, Rand expresses in KoD, ch.18, that he wants to find a man who can become his Steward in Arad Doman: &#8220;Alsalam was dead, as seemed likely, he would have to appoint a Steward for the Lord Dragon in Arad Doman. But who? It would have to be someone the Domani would accept.&#8221; <br /><br />Regarding this plan Logain reports to Rand in the same scene: &quot;Dobraine and Rhuarc will send a Soldier with a message as soon as they find anyone in charge of more than a village. The Council of Merchants claim King Alsalam still reigns, but they wouldn't or couldn't produce him or say where he is, they seem to be at one another's throats themselves, and Bandar Eban is more than half deserted and given over to the mob.&quot; <br /><br />It seems obvious that they will eventually hear of Ituralde, a man who perfectly fits with Rand&#8217;s description of a good Steward. If Rand hears then that Ituralde is dying, he could gain Ituralde&#8217;s (and his army&#8217;s) gratitude by letting Nynaeve or Flinn Heal him.  This could explain how Ituralde becomes Rand&#8217;s man, and why it&#8217;s important that he doesn&#8217;t die.<br /><br />A meeting between Rand and Ituralde is already foreshadowed in KoD, prologue, where Ituralde thinks that &quot;he always looked ahead, and always planned for every eventuality he could imagine, short of the Dragon Reborn himself suddenly appearing in front of him.&quot;<br /><br />Finally, if my idea is right that Graendal is behind an assassination attempt on Ituralde, all this might also lead to the discovery that she is &#8220;Lady Basene&#8221;, especially since Rand learned from Asmodean that Graendal stays somewhere in Arad Doman.<br /><br />In conclusion, I believe that the dying man from Egwene's Dream is Ituralde, and that Rand will make sure that he survives in order to make him Steward of Arad Doman.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-05-02 05:32:35
subject: How Lanfear earned her Mindtrap
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<p><b><u>Introduction </u></b><br /><br />I have always found it odd that Cyndane was mindtrapped. Her punishment seems incongruent to her crimes&#8230; but then was it? I propose that Cyndane was mindtrapped as part of Ishamael&#8217;s personal revenge against Lanfear, because of her actions against him in the Stone.<br /><br /><b><u>Forsaken Reincarnations and Punishment </u></b><br /><br />It is clear that when the Forsaken die, they are punished in some way for their incompetence. <br /><br /><i>Aginor and Balthamel</i> were reincarnated in new bodies. Osan&#8217;gar is unhappy with his new appearance, having been changed from a strong good-looking man into a scrawny plain-faced one. Clearly this opposed his stature as the supposedly second strongest male Forsaken (according to the Guide). Balthamel on the other hand was furious at first when she was reincarnated as a woman, having once been a womanizer and now being a woman. They also describe the process of death and reincarnation as decidedly unpleasant. <br /><br /><i>Moghedien</i> was not killed and did not die for her failures, but she was mindtrapped. What was Moghedien&#8217;s crime?<br /><br />ACoS (Mindtrapped) - <i>How deep is your failure, Moghedien? The Chosen are always the strongest, but you let yourself be captured. You taught those who would oppose me.&#8221; </i><br /><br />Moghedien&#8217;s chief offence seems to be that she was supposedly teaching the Dark One&#8217;s enemies. It seems that normally she would have been killed for this offence, but because strong channelers are in short supply, she is condemned to a mindtrap instead.<br /><br /><i>Cyndane</i> alludes to her fate &#8230;<br /><br />WH (With the Choedan Kal) - <i>She was stronger than Cyndane had been before the Aelfinn and Eelfinn held her!&#8221; </i><br /><br />This statement implies that Lanfear was not killed by the Finns, but was only imprisoned. This is echoed by the fact that Moiraine was also not killed by them (KoD), but who can say if they treat the Forsaken differently? There seems to be every indication that Lanfear was killed after or during her imprisonment, and not by the Finns.<br /><br />Lanfear lost her life and was mindtrapped. The question is therefore, why was Lanfear&#8217;s punishment so much greater than the other Forsaken? If we look at her deeds&#8230;<br /><br />1. She tried to kill the Dragon Reborn &#8211; this was not forbidden at the time, and Ishamael tried several times himself, as did other Forsaken.<br /><br />2. She captured another Forsaken and forced him to teach Rand &#8211; although Moghedien was punished for teaching the forces of the Light, this is apparently not the same as teaching the Dragon Reborn. Ishamael blatantly wanted to teach the Dragon Reborn in the first three books, and the Dark One would not be upset if Lanfear forced someone to teach Rand. There was always the chance that she would convert him to the Shadow, which she reveals is her plan in TSR anyway.<br /><br /><b><u>A debt repaid </u></b><br /><br />Most of the Forsaken hate Lanfear because she is notoriously treacherous (as mentioned by Rahvin and Semirhage). She already shows her intentions against the other Forsaken&#8230;<br /><br />TSR (Decisions) - <i>Let me help you. We can destroy the others. </i><br /><br />As I mentioned in another theory, Lanfear intends to ally with Rand to destroy the other Forsaken. I believe she started with Ishamael, the strongest of their number. Rand did most of the dirty work using Callandor, but she added the finishing touches.<br /><br />Most people agree that the majority of the battle in the Stone took place in Tel&#8217;aran&#8217;rhiod. Shortly after Rand started attacking Ishamael, they Travelled to a place which looked like the Stone, except without people fighting inside. Ishamael throws everything he has at Rand, but Rand unravels it using Callandor&#8230;<br /><br />TSR (What is Written in Prophecy) - <i>He sprang each trap and ran on; what Ba&#8217;alzamon twisted to destroy him, he made right without being aware of how&#8230; </i><br /><br />I&#8217;m not convinced that Rand did everything by himself. I&#8217;m certain that Lanfear was on the sidelines during this battle and was aiding Rand. Ishamael took a grave risk fighting in Tel&#8217;aran&#8217;rhiod with Moghedien and Lanfear running around. This setting would be perfect for Lanfear &#8211; she could unravel Ishamael&#8217;s weaves without using the One Power (to a degree), detection in this dimension was far less likely, and she was probably stronger than Ishamael here.<br /><br />After Ishamael dies, the following happens&#8230;<br /><br />TSR (What is Written in Prophecy) - <i>Rand pulled Callandor&#8217;s blade free as Ba&#8217;alzamon&#8217;s body sagged and began to fall, the shadow around him vanishing. And suddenly Rand was in another Heart of the Stone, surrounded by columns still whole, and men screaming and dying&#8230; </i><br /><br />I believe that Lanfear trapped Ishamael in Tel&#8217;aran&#8217;rhiod near the end of the battle, preventing any form of escape. When he dies, it is interesting to note that Rand does nothing yet suddenly he leaves Tel&#8217;aran&#8217;rhiod and enters the real Stone again. Once again I believe she pulled Rand out of Tel&#8217;aran&#8217;rhiod, almost certainly because she didn&#8217;t believe he could Travel and because she had attained her goal. It was a taste of what she wanted in the future &#8230; an alliance between herself and Rand. Rand had very little experience with saidin, and none with saidar &#8211; and we know for a fact that he couldn&#8217;t detect saidar at this stage (although Lanfear would surely reverse any flows she used against Rand or Ishamael).<br /><br />Later in that chapter Berelain gives a letter to Moiraine from Lanfear. It is proof that Lanfear was definitely in the immediate area at the time, and surely not just standing around watching. She might actually have arrived to help kill Be&#8217;lal if he got the upper hand against Rand, but ended up aiding Rand against Ishamael. Ishamael was a silent observer in the Rand-Be&#8217;lal conflict, and therefore it is not implausible that other Forsaken were around too. It seems highly unlikely that Lanfear would allow any form of risk to confront her untrained &#8216;lover&#8217;, any more than she would allow Sammael, Demandred or Rahvin to face Rand&#8230;<br /><br />TSR (Decisions) - <i>Some of the others fear you too much to wait. Sammael, Rahvin, Moghedien. Others, perhaps, but those of a certainty. They will come after you.&#8221; </i><br /><br />Lanfear would not risk taking on some of those powerful Forsaken alone, but she would use Rand to help her. If she could make them face Rand, then perhaps she could stand behind them and drive the knife into their backs&#8230;<br /><br />TFoH (Prologue) - <i>Who trusted Lanfear behind him deserved the knife he might well find in his back. </i><br /><br /><b><u>Moridin&#8217;s revenge </u></b><br /><br />I believe that Moridin&#8217;s first plan of action after being reincarnated was to kill Lanfear. Sammael swore to do it too, but he also died. Ishamael probably detected intervention which could not be explained by Rand&#8217;s presence, or perhaps he realized what was happening near the end of the duel. <br /><br />I believe that Moridin killed Lanfear, either while she was a captive or right after she escaped (possibly even in Shayol Ghul after Shadar Haran neutralized her). Right after that she was reincarnated as Cyndane and Moridin used his influence as Nae&#8217;blis to continue her punishment with a mindtrap.<br /><br />Look at how Ishamael dies in the Stone&#8230;<br /><br />TSR (What is Written in Prophecy) - <i>Rand plunged the shining blade into Ba&#8217;alzamon&#8217;s chest. </i><br /><br />&#8230; and look what he does later when talking to Cyndane&#8230;<br /><br />WH (Wonderful News) - <i>Putting a hand over his heart, for all the world like a lover, Moridin tilted up Cyndane&#8217;s chin on his fingertips. Resentment burned in her eyes, but her face might have been a doll&#8217;s unchanging face. She certainly accepted his attentions like a pliable doll. &#8220;Cyndane knows many things,&#8221; Moridin said softly.. </i><br /><br />This interpretation was according to Demandred PoV, but I believe Moridin was alluding to his death again, and reminding Cyndane once again what the awful price of messing with him was. If we consider the Moridin&#8217;s interaction with Cyndane and Moghedien, it appears that he is far more vindictive towards Cyndane than Moghedien. Possible reasons include&#8230;<br /><br />- This is his personal revenge against Lanfear for meddling with him.<br />- Moridin considers Lanfear to be a greater prize than Moghedien.<br />- Moridin would enjoy breaking a once-proud Lanfear rather than a cowardly Moghedien.<br /><br /><b><u>Summary </u></b><br /><br />1. Lanfear&#8217;s punishment was disproportionate to Moghedien, Aginor and Balthamel&#8217;s punishments for betrayal and failure, and for less cause. Moridin seems to have taken a far more personal and severe stance against Lanfear compared to the other three Forsaken who failed to some degree.<br /><br />2. Lanfear may have had a direct hand in Ishamael&#8217;s defeat and death in the Stone of Tear.<br /><br />3. Ishamael was aware of this, and set out for revenge as soon as he was reborn as Moridin.<br /><br />4. Moridin exacted personal revenge against Lanfear for what she did, by killing her (or ordering her death) and mindtrapping her.<br /><br />5. Prediction for AMoL &#8211; Moridin will reveal his hand in Cyndane&#8217;s death, and that her mindtrap was a punishment for her direct intervention against him when he was Ishamael. Of course, this would provide Cyndane an incentive for revenge too.<br /><br />Comments? <br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-05-09 08:45:29
subject: What's Odd about Aviendha's babies!
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<p>I saw the following quote in the FAQ section about Aviendha's babies and it got me thinking.  Please bare with me I don't have the books close at hand, I'm in Afghanistan right now.<br /><br />Aviendha would have Rand's babies, too. Four of them at once! Something was odd about that, though. The babies would be healthy, but still something odd.<br /><br />-Winter's Heart, A Lily in Winter<br /><br />The viewing doesn't say that Aviendha is pregnant with Rand's babies just that she'd have Rand's babies.  I think its safe to say that at the time of the viewing Aviendha was not pregnant.  As far as I can remember Aviendha and Rand haven't been &quot;Together&quot; since the viewing so she's still not pregnant as of the end of KoD.<br /><br />Since Rand and Aviendha are both Aiel, or at least half Aiel in Rand's case, the something odd will be that they will not look like Aiel.<br /><br />I think its safe to say that there's a very popular belief that Rand and Moridin will switch bodies at sometime in the next book.  If the switch is permanent then Rand will look like Moridin after the Last Battle.  At that time Rand will get Aviendha pregnant and the &quot;something odd&quot; is that the babies won't look like Aiel, they'll look like Moridin.<br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-06-01 08:44:53
subject: Atal Mishraile and Mazrim Taim
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<p>I think this guy needs a good reviewing, especially in light of all the Taimandred suggestions.<br /><br />A few things from Encyclopedia WoT:<br /><br />Mishraile receives private lessons from Taim. (WH, Prologue)<br /><br />Atal Mishraile wears the sword and Dragon pins of a full Asha'man. (CoT, Prologue)<br /><br />These are the first two important things. First off, we all know Taim is a Darkfriend. There are only so many reasons he could be giving any of the Asha'men private lessons.<br /><br />1. Mishraile is also a Darkfriend.<br />2. Mishraile is incredibly strong in the power and Taim wants him with him rather than against him.<br />3. Mazrim Taim is a homosexual.<br /><br />Number 1 isn't enough. I doubt Taim would take time to teach a Darkfriend separately in the first place. Also, it is found out that there are other Darkfriends in the Black Tower, yet none of them got Taim's special attention. Number 2 is highly likely as between Winter's Heart and the beginning of Crossroads of Twilight, Atal ascended all the way up to a full Asha'man. Rather impressive in a short amount of time.<br /><br />Another note:<br /><br />Mazrim Taim clubs Mishraile unconscious, fracturing his skull, when he speaks out of turn in front of the Red Ajah sisters. (KoD,Epilogue)<br /><br />Why would Mazrim Taim tell Mishraile information that he doesn't tell anyone else? Mishraile obviously knows some information rather than just Taim being cruel.<br /><br />Before anyone gets any ideas, these are the descriptions of Mishraile and Demandred:<br /><br />Atal Mishraile:He is tall with waves of golden hair to his broad shoulders and a winning smile. He is young and very handsome with a deep voice and bright blue eyes.<br /><br />Demandred:He is hawk-nosed and handsome. He never smiles. (LoC,Prologue) He is hook-nosed. (KoD,Ch3)<br /><br />So they're not the same person, but that doesn't take away from the significance that Mishraile holds.<br /><br />My conclusion:<br /><br />Logain and Mazrim Taim will have their inevitable battle for control of the Black Tower. Logain wins (blue/gold halo of glory from Min's viewing's) and takes control. Taim's Asha'man (those that are still alive) flee to the Blight and the protection of the Dark One led by Mishraile. He comes back to Tarmon Gai'don as the leader of the male dreadlords and is possibly a Forsaken in the next turnings of the Wheel.<br /><br />All speculation, of course, but I just have an itch that he's important.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-06-13 06:19:16
subject: Dark One's War Plan - Part 1: Merging of the Towers
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<p>It's been two days since Tsutama Rath received her summons back to the White Tower.  Riding through the Braem Wood she gets the image of the White Tower appearing over the horizon flashing through her mind once again, and she smiles.  She often dreams of the magnificence of the White Tower, standing tall and glistening in the sun.  She had almost forgotten its magnificence in the 15 years since she had been sent away, but now she can see it clear as day.  Suddenly she is stopped, unable to move, unable to draw the source, and her eyes start to close.<br /><br />&#8220;Blood and Bloody Ashes, Who are you?&#8221; Tsutama demands of her captor.  Confused over what has happened, but with a newfound fury to get back at those who had sent her into exile for so many years.  What she had done was for the good of the tower, those bloody men would have sent the world into madness had she not stopped them!<br /><br />&#8220;I am Moridin, you now serve me.  I have a very important mission for you.&#8221;<br /><br />In part one of my theory on the Dark One's War Plan, I'll lay out how I think Moridin will merge the Black and the White Towers to fight against Rand.<br /><br /><b>Part 1: Working within the White Tower</b><br /><br />To begin, he would have to have sisters in the tower with the capability to push forward his plans.<br /><br />The Red Ajah, although having among the fewest numbers of confirmed Black Ajah amongst the Ajahs*, is often associated most closely with Black Ajah and Forsaken plots.  The highest of the Red Ajah, Galina Casban, was Black Ajah herself.  During the vileness, which was the cause for Tsutama Rath's exile, it was the Red Ajah which was illegally gentling male channelers, a Black Ajah plot**.  Liandrin, the leader of the 13 Black Ajah sent out was also Red Ajah.  It's clear that the Black Ajah and the Forsaken prefer working within the Red Ajah and Robert Jordan has been leading it this way with most of the sympathetic Aes Sedai characters among the Blue Ajah, and their rivals being amongst the Reds.<br /><br />Setting up the Red Ajah as their base of powers, requires them to have sisters in positions of power to exert their influence, such as sitters, heads of the Ajah, Keeper of the Chronicles, or even the Amyrlin seat herself.  During the vileness, Galina was the head of the Red Ajah, Jarna who was a grey with more than a touch of red was Keeper of the Chronicles, and Merean Redhill was the Mistress of Novices.  It is unknown whether any of the red sitters were Black, but we know that Toveine was not.<br /><br />Fifteen years later, we see a similar trend, with Alviarin becoming Keeper of the Chronicles, Galina retaining her position as the Highest of the Red Ajah, and several sitters among the different Ajahs but  both of the formerly mentioned sisters have lost their influence, with Alviarin being replaced by Tarna Feir for failing to be in the tower during the siege and Galina being replaced by Tsutama Rath after her disappearance at Dumai's Wells.  There is little to no control within the tower at the moment for the Black Ajah to work unless some of the questionable sisters are in fact Black Ajah.<br /><br />Continuing with the trend that the Black Ajah prefer to work through the Red Ajah, we are introduced to the latest Red Ajah initiative, to bond Asha'man as warders.  It is debatable whether this is in-fact a Black Ajah plot, or if Mazrim Taim will even accept the offer to be bonded by the Red sisters.  I am not going to debate these issues in this theory but for it I will accept them both.<br /><br />If you can accept that Taim is going to allow the Red sisters to bond his Asha'man, and that this is a plot constructed and executed by Darkfriends, we run into a problem of just who is pushing this through in the White Tower.  Tarna Feir, Tsutama Rath, and Pevara Tazanovni are the three Red Sisters who are involved in the creation, the planning, and the execution of the plot.  We know from many sources that Pevara is most definitely not Black Ajah.  Elaida, the Amyrlin, is deliberately kept in the dark about the plan so it is clear she is not pushing it through behind the scenes.  Alviarin has lost all her control so we can rule her out of this plot.  And we are left with two likely candidates; Tsutama Rath, the newly appointed Highest of the Red Ajah, and Tarna Feir, the newly appointed Keeper of the Chronicles.<br /><br />In Knife of Dreams, we get to see a PoV from Tarna, and it suggests to me at least that she is not Black Ajah, although it is certainly debatable.<br /><blockquote><br /><b>[Knife of Dreams, Chapter 25 &quot;Attending Elaida&quot;]</b><br /><i>Galina had been quite surprised when Tarna refused her advances after gaining the shawl.<br /><br />Tarna had suggested that less flaunting of her former Ajah--she had phrased it more diplomatically, but that was what she meant-- might help bring the Ajahs together again...<br /><br />&quot;I want to hear some good news, Tarna.  Is there any word of the seals on the Dark One's prison?  We must make sure no more get broken.&quot;  As if Tarna did not know that!<br /><br />&quot;The redone wards appear to be keeping rats out of the Tower, Mother,&quot; for how long was another question; she checked those wards herself every day...</i><br /></blockquote><br /><br />She refuses Galina's advances, attempts to foil some plots orchestrated by the Black Ajah (Ajah relations and wards to keep rats out of the tower) and with an exclamation point states that she knows the seals should not be broken.<br /><br />With Tsutama, we have someone who returns to the tower after being sent into exile for 15 years, almost immediately gets unanimously voted in as Highest of the Red Ajah, then pushes through the plan to bond Asha'man.  It seems very suspicious, everything about her.  And we start to notice changes about her, during Pevara's and Tsutama's discussion in the Prologue to Knife of Dreams, Pevara notes several times that something is odd about her behavior, she has hardened. <br /><br /><blockquote><br /><b>[Knife of Dreams, Prologue &#8220;Embers Falling on Dry Grass&#8221;]</b><br /><i>Back then, she had been hammer-hard, yet many had thought her a broken reed when she returned to the Tower.  For a while, they had.  Then everyone who spent any time near her realized that those shifting eyes were far from nervous.  Exile had changed her, only not toward softness.  Those eyes belonged on a hunting cat, searching for enemies or prey...<br /><br />Exile had coarsened her language, too.  The isolated farm she had been confined to must have been... vivid.<br /><br />...yet she was uncertain about Tsutama.  There was something ... wild ... about her, now.  Something unpredictable.  Was she entirely sane?</i><br /></blockquote><br /><br />In Robert Jordan's Question of the Week, he deals with what happens when someone is turned to serve the dark one.<br /><br /><blockquote><br /><b>[Question of the Week, Week 15]</b><br /><i>Question: When a channeler is forcibly turned to the Dark, is his/her former personality lost to eternity? Are they in a permanent state of mindless Compulsion? Furthermore, can a channeler forcibly turned to the Dark return to the Light unaided?<br /><br />Robert Jordan Answers: They are not in a mindless state of Compulsion. Their former personality is twisted, the darker elements that everyone has to some degree elevated while what might be called the good elements are largely suppressed. I don't mean things like courage, which is useful even to villains, but they are unlikely to be very charitable, for example, and forget any altruistic impulses. Call it being turned into a mirror image of yourself in many ways. It is very unlikely that a channeler forcibly turned to the Shadow could find a way back to the Light unaided. For one reason, by virtue of the twisting he or she had undergone, it is very unlikely that he or she would have any desire to do so.<br /></i></blockquote><br /><br />Then, in a chat with Robert Jordan in 2001, Punisher asks him a question about turning channelers;<br /><br /><blockquote><i><br />Punisher:  Have you ever thought about re-instituting some of the old ideas from earlier books? For example, in &quot;The Dragon Reborn&quot; you had a situation with thirteen dark sisters and thirteen Myrddraal to forcibly convert someone to the darker side of things. It seems you have abandoned that. Do you think you might have something like that pop up again at some unexpected moment? It doesn't seem realistic for the Black Ajah to abandon the idea.<br /><br />Robert Jordan: I have not abandoned this notion about a circle of 13 AS and 13 Myrddraal can convert someone to the Shadow. It is not an easy situation to set up, in fact its a very difficult situation to set up. It has to be worth the effort, you don't go to all of this effort to just convert anyone. In fact it might be better for your plans to manipulate someone against their will than as a willing ally.<br /></i></blockquote><br /><br />Robert Jordan says that he has not abandoned the notion of turning someone to the Shadow, just that it is hard to set up.  A sister on a 15 year exile would be easier prey than a sister in the White Tower, and Tsutama as we learn later with her appointment to the head of the Red Ajah, is very important and definitely worth the effort to turn, especially since she is Red Ajah, and probably the strongest of all those returning from their exile, as we see with her being appointed the Highest of the Reds unanimously after Galina's disappearance.<br /><br />Sending the Red Ajah Sisters to bond Asha'man as warders is the first step in a master plan which I will expand upon later in the theory, to get the plan rolling there had to be a sister in the tower able to push it through, the only two likely candidates are Tarna Feir and Tsutama Rath.  Tsutama Rath, with all the suspicions surrounding her is my most likely candidate.<br /><br />* Numbers for Black Ajah were taken from the wotmania.com FAQ found at http://www.wotmania.com/faqtopic.asp?ID=81  The numbers in case you're interested are; White(5), Green(5), Grey(4), Blue(3), Yellow(3), Red(3), Brown(3)<br /><br />** http://www.wotmania.com/theorypostdbtheory.asp?ID=1340&amp;Category=KoD<br /><br /><b>Part 2 &#8211; Accepting the offer</b><br /><br /><blockquote><b>[A Crown of Swords, Chapter 2 &#8220;The Butcher's Yard&#8221;]</b><i><br />&quot;He has blood in his past and blood in his future. He is a dangerous man.&quot;</i><br /></blockquote><br /><br />Mazrim Taim is one of the more mysterious characters in the Wheel of Time.  Some still believe he is Demandred, others believe Demandred is using him as his proxy, others believe he isn't a darkfriend at all, just someone out for his own ends.  For my theory, I am agreeing with the Minion Taim theory and that he is Moridin's proxy.<br /><br />There are quite a few different theories out there dealing with this issue, and I am sure most of you have already come up with what you believe.  I'll just summarize some of the stronger points, connecting Taim to Moridin/Ishamael;<br /><ul><br />1. Taim has been channeling for 15 years, it is unlikely he would have survived so long without some sort of protection.  Ishamael was the only Forsaken around at the time, and he has experience curing insanity.<br />2. Taim often uses terms only people with knowledge of the AoL would know, such as &#8220;so called Aiel&#8221; and referring to gateways as travelling.<br />3. Taim has learned many different weaves that would be unlikely he would have picked up. Being able to test for the ability to channel, new kind of healing, compulsion, picks up gateways quickly, etc.<br /></ul><br /><br />Continuing with Taim being Moridin's proxy, we begin to see what Taim is up to in the epilogue of KoD, being bonded by the red sisters.  So far, much of what he has done has either been building up his private army, random attacks on Rand, but nothing which points to what he is planning for the future, until the epilogue.<br /><br />Accepting that Taim is Moridin's proxy in the Black Tower, you have to got to start to wonder what is his purpose there?  Gathering an army of dreadlords is obviously part of the plan, but for everyone that Taim gains, 2 or 3 are probably loyal to Rand.  He also has a chance to bond 51 sisters and he passes up on this opportunity and has Logain bond them instead.  In PoD we get Toveine's PoV of her attack against the Black Tower which goes wrong.<br /><br /><blockquote><b><br />[The Path of Daggers, Chapter 26 &#8220;The Extra Bit&#8221;]</b><i><br />Abruptly, a tall man in a black coat, dark hair falling to his shoulders, spurred his horse out of the forest into the road ahead of her, spraying snow.  &quot;There's no point struggling,&quot; he announced firmly, raising a gloved hand.  &quot;Surrender peacefully, and no one will be hurt...&quot;<br /><br />She grunted as something struck her across the middle, a branch where there was no branch, snatching her out of the saddle.  She hung there watching Sparrow plow off at as much of a gallop as the snow allowed.  She hung there...<br /><br />&quot;There you are,&quot; another black-coated man said... &quot;Light, Logain!&quot;  the pretty boy exclaimed.  &quot;Did you take a second one?  The M'Hael won't like that!  I don't think he likes us taking any!  Maybe it won't matter, though, you two being so close and all.&quot;<br /><br />Close, Vinchova?&quot; Logain said wryly.  &quot;If the M'Hael had his way, I'd be hoeing turnips with the new boys.  Or buried under the field...<br /></i></blockquote><br /><br />It is interesting to note here that Taim knew of the bondings, and allowed them to continue to happen.  Later in Knife of Dreams, when Jahar tells the rebel Aes Sedai that they are allowed to bond 47 Asha'man, he says this:<br /><br /><blockquote><b><br />[Knife of Dreams, Chapter 23 &#8220;Call to a Sitting&#8221;]</b><i><br />&quot;But how did fifty-one sisters come to be ... bonded to Asha'man?&quot; She leaned forward as if his answer would be pitched as low.<br /><br />The boy shrugged, still angry. It was of no matter to him, Asha'man bonding Aes Sedai. &quot;Elaida sent them to destroy us. The Dragon Reborn has a standing order that no Aes Sedai can be harmed unless she tries to harm one of us first, so Taim decided to capture and bond them before they had the chance.<br /></i></blockquote><br /><br />Taim had a chance to bond 51 Aes Sedai right there, and yet he passed up on this opportunity and later accepts a deal to be bonded by some Red Sisters.  I can only think of one reason why Taim would pass up on an opportunity to bond Aes Sedai, only to accept an offer to be bonded later on.  Taim wanted to place his Asha'man in the White Tower, to do so he would have to go under the guise of subservient serveant.<br /><br /><b>Part 3 - Merging of the Towers</b><br /><br />Tsutama Rath pushes through the plan for Red Ajah Sisters to bond Asha'man in the White Tower.  Mazrim Taim is set up to accept the offer in the Black Tower.  And now the carnage begins.<br /><br /><blockquote><b><br />[The Dragon Reborn, Chapter 37 &#8220;Fires in Cairhien&#8221;]</b><i><br />Rand on a huge stones board, the black and white stones as big as boulders, and him dodging the monstrous hands that moved them and seemed to try to crush him under them.<br /></i></blockquote><br /><br />A major plot line throughout the last few books has been the interbonding of Asha'man and Aes Sedai by all the different camps.  In Path of Daggers, Logain's group of Asha'man bond the 51 sisters sent by Elaida to attack the Black Tower.  Then in Knife of Dreams, Egwene's group of Rebel Aes Sedai receive an offer from Rand to bond 47 Dedicated or Soldiers.  Also in Knife of Dreams, Taim's group of Asha'man receive an offer to be bonded by five Red Ajah Sisters, each taking 3 or 4 warders.<br /><br />Once Taim's Asha'man are in the White Tower, a campaign of lies and half-truths will ensue to try and pit the White and the Black Towers against the Rebel Aes Sedai camp and Logain's Asha'man which are loyal to Rand.<br /><br /><blockquote><br /><b>[Knife of Dreams, Epilogue &#8220;Remember the Old Saying&#8221;]</b><i> A tall, golden-haired man standing near the dais sneered at her.  &#8220;Why should we allow Aes Sedai to take any m---&#8221; Something unseen struck the side of his head so hard that his feet left the floor tiles before he fell in a heap, eyes closed and blood trickling from his nostrils.<br /></i></blockquote><br /><br />Their first step in the campaign of misinformation is to increase the need for an alliance between the Black and the White Towers.  The sisters in the tower know that some Asha'man have bonded Aes Sedai.<br /><br /><blockquote><b><br />[Knife of Dreams, Epilogue &#8220;Remember the Old Saying&#8221;]</b><i><br />&#8220;We want to discuss bonding Asha'man as Warders.  After all, you've bonded fifty-one sisters.  Against their will.&#8221;<br /></i></blockquote><br /><br />but they are still unaware that the sisters in the Rebel camp have been allowed to bond 47 male channelers, and already have which we see from the above passages.  Once in the tower, their will be an outrage among everyone that the Red Ajah have taken it upon themselves to bond Asha'man.  To convince them that not only was it the right thing to do, but further steps need to be taken they will bring up several points;<br /><ul><br />1.The Rebel Aes Sedai have themselves bonded 51 Asha'man as warders, they will be unable to protect themselves from the Rebels without they themselves allying with Taim.<br />2.The taint on the male half of the source has been cleansed, and they are no longer insane.<br />3.Logain has been spreading false lies about the Red Ajah in an attempt to discredit them.<br />4.Logain has a personal vendetta against the White Tower for imprisoning and stilling him and intends to destroy it.<br />5.Logain has allied himself with the Rebel Aes Sedai.<br /></ul><br />Having effectively allied himself with the White Tower, and increased suspicions against the Rebel Aes Sedai and adding Logain's group of Asha'man to their enemy list, they will return to the Black Tower with sisters in hand.<br /><br />There has been a long standing theory that Taim will use the Mask of Illusions to impersonate Rand.  It begins with the Black Ajah plot to have Taim impersonate Rand and cause destruction, then later on with Egwene's dream.<br /><br /><blockquote><b><br />[A Crown of Swords, Chapter 10 &#8220;Unseen Eyes&#8221;]</b><i><br />Logain, laughing, steps over something onto a black stone. It looks like Rand's body, but when she touches his face it breaks like paper puppet.<br /></i></blockquote><br /><br />Upon returning to the Black Tower to bond more Asha'man, I believe the Battle of the Black Tower will take place.  Taim will be impersonating Rand.  Logain, knowing it is not him because he has both hands will start the battle and mayhem will ensue.<br /><br /><blockquote><b><br />[A Crown of Swords, Prologue &#8220;Lightnings&#8221;]</b><i><br />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. This I Foretell.<br /></i></blockquote><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-07-11 08:42:41
subject: massacre of the innocents
body:
<p><b><u>Introduction </u></b><br /><br />It seems that the attack by the huge army of Shadowspawn also created a second devastating effect &#8211; it destroyed the food supply of the world. This theory shall not speculate as to whether this was a deliberate goal of the Forsaken or not, but either way it happened and will have long reaching consequences for Tarmon Gai&#8217;don.<br /><br />I believe Rand, his friends, the Ash&#8217;aman and the Aes Sedai destroyed thousands of sheeps, pigs and cows while defending Algarin&#8217;s manor against the Trollocs.<br /><br /><b><u>The Army </u></b><br /><br />The first news of the Shadowspawn army we have comes from Moridin at the Forsaken meeting earlier in the book.<br /><br />KoD (At the Gardens) - <i>&#8221;&#8230; they sent a hundred Myrddraal and thousands of Trollocs into the Ways. </i><br /><br />He clearly says that there were thousands of Trollocs, <u>not</u> tens of thousands. These Shadowspawn went through the Waygates, and even though hundreds were probably eaten by Machin Shin in the Ways, they appear to have surfaced with even greater numbers. And even after thousands have been sent through Deathgates, Rand comments on the following&#8230;<br /><br />KoD (The Golden Crane) - <i>&#8230; maybe one hundred thousand Trollocs. </i><br /><br />So where did all these extra Trollocs come from? Moridin describes perhaps ten thousand Trollocs in total yet even after the Ways and Deathgates suddenly there are 100,000 corpses. The solution is quite simple my friends&#8230;. <i>farm animals were caught up in the battle. </i><br /><br /><b><u>The Reason </u></b><br /><br />The Trollocs exited the Waygates near the Spine of the World according to Rand&#8230;<br /><br />KoD (The Golden Crane) - <i>There might not be a farmer or villager left alive between the manor house and the Spine of the World. That had to be where the Trollocs had come from, the Waygate outside Stedding Shangtai. </i><br /><br />Once again Jordan inserts a subtle clue into this passage &#8211; farmer! As the Trollocs exited the Ways, they had the farmers for dinner. The farm animals, those being sheep, pigs, cows and potentially chickens and confused squirrels, all followed what they thought were their brethren. Farm animals are not very intelligent and would thus follow a half-human half-pig monster, especially when it smells like a dung too.<br /><br />Thus these animals followed, and as the Shadow army passed farms and pillaged them, more and more animals joined. Eventually this colossal collection of bovine simpletons, now only a minority being Shadowspawn, arrived at the manor house. Loial even comments on the discrepancy&#8230;<br /><br />KoD (Vows) - <i>Something was moving among the tress, all along the line he could see. A herd of cattle? A very big herd, if so. </i><br /><br /><b><u>The Attack and Aftermath </u></b><br /><br />Once the Shadowspawn started charging, it was inevitable that the sheep, pigs, cows and some of the more valiant chickens would charge too. They were caught up in the hysteria of the moment and the herd mentality became very strong. As lightning and hugely destructive weaves fell among them, a sense of betrayal entered their minds and they became temporary allies with the Shadow and ran blindly to their deaths.<br /><br />The account of this battle is riddled with subtle clues which demonstrates their involvement&#8230;<br /><br />KoD (Vows) - <i>rams&#8217; horns and goats horns&#8230;. boars&#8217; snouts&#8230; Horned heads and snouted heads flew into the air&#8230;. legs that ended in paws. </i><br /><br />KoD (The Golden Crane) - <i>&#8230; severed heads bearing horns or tusks or sharp teeth&#8230; </i><br /><br /><b><u>The Consequences </u></b><br /><br />This attack was a disaster for the Light. Whether the culprit Forsaken achieved this goal deliberately or not is a matter of debate, and probably dependent on the Forsaken and their usual methods &#8211; whether militaristic or subversive. Either way, the meat supply of the world was terminated in one swoop of the Shadow&#8217;s blade, bringing down the first curse of famine upon the land. Farm animals or poultry, they never stood a chance and were caught up in a huge misunderstanding &#8211; much like the Breaking of the World where they were persecuted too.<br /><br />The consequences were probably not evident to the Light at first, but within a few days they must have become obvious, and too terrible to behold. As Logain informs us&#8230;<br /><br />KoD (To Make an Anchor Weep) - <i>&#8221;he needs ships to carry food and other supplies to Bandar Eben&#8230;. For more than a million people&#8230;. Bendar Eben itself is starving. The ships must arrive as soon as possible.&#8221; </i><br /><br />And you thought the Seafolk were upset over the Amayar <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/rolleyes.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><b><u>Summary </u></b><br /><br />1. Thousands of farm animals joined the Trolloc army.<br /><br />2. They were destroyed because they cannot fight very well, and most of them cannot channel either.<br /><br />3. Famine ensued &#8211; because the Aes Sedai and Ash&#8217;aman incinerated the meat afterwards. (yeah, I know&#8230;.)<br /><br />4. The Forsaken did a pretty evil thing, but I&#8217;m not sure whether they planned to do it. Could they really be devious enough to anticipate the age-old camaraderie between all smelly furry creatures?<br /><br />Comments? <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-07-17 03:45:03
subject:
Alternative to Sidious' &quot;Resistance Theory&quot; - The Nature of Saidar/Saidin as Energy Forces

body:
<p>I am a huge fan of Sidious&#8217; theories &#8211; in general, there is an amount of facts and direct passages that imply an unprecedented amount of backtracking and research. The posts have been thought provoking, and I&#8217;ve seriously considered that R. Jordans&#8217; notes must look similar to the workings described in the hypothesis. In fact, I often print them out at work, and go back to the books to get back in the 'spirit' of Randland.<br /><br />I have to put forth another possible theory, using mainly support from Sidious&#8217; own &#8220;The Resistance Theory&#8221; to offer an alternative reading of the same evidence.<br /><br />Though I have interest in physics and the high sciences, I&#8217;m liberal arts major by training, a political science journeyman by degree. Please forgive the leaps of logic. I believe there is an error in the assertion that women are imperfect conduits for the Power.<br /><br />Women as Imperfect Conduits for the Power<br />I do agree that the glow of saidar that springs up around women as they channel represents a certain level of &#8216;lost&#8217; energy. But I believe this energy is &#8216;lost&#8217; only in terms of &#8216;not being used for what the wielder of saidar wanted it to be used as&#8217;. <br /><br />Put bluntly, whereas Robert Jordan has always stated that &#8220;Saidin and Saidar are equal in all things&#8221;, some readers have read descriptions by characters to mean something else. There is a section in the books where saidar is described (I think this is Winters Heart): &#8220;Saidar was as powerful as saidin, but smaller&#8230;&#8221; This does not mean that it is smaller because it cannot be utilized effectively by female channelers or any channeler, I contend that it is &#8216;smaller&#8217; because saidar, versus saidin, is a binding force. <br /><br />While saidin, and its users have an ability that seems anti-community, anti-unifying and the ultimate in independence, saidar seems to give its users a stronger impetus to band together, form societies and stay in groups. This is either because of the way it responds to group psychology or whatever elements Fate has deemed necessary to decide who wields which force. Female channelers are stronger in groups, to an extent that males aren&#8217;t, not because an inability on their physicality makes their lesser ability to manipulate large amounts of the Power a weakness to be overcome, but because Saidar itself is drawn towards being a force that facilitates teamwork and joined efforts.<br /><br />If one thinks of the Power as a large collection of energy along the lines of nuclear forces, with saidar taking a position analogous to protons, the lesser amount of Power that is not directly related to either saidar or saidin (in my humble opinion, neutrons or Spirit), and think of electrons as saidin, with the corresponding gender based strengths somehow &#8216;figured&#8217; into the whole of the atom, it can become easy to see exactly WHY ALL female channelers, regardless of training level, power level and skill level, seem to have this fascination with linking. I envision an atom existing along a spectrum of energy, with forces influencing earth, fire, wind, water and spirit wavering along it&#8217;s length&#8230;now, ALL the atoms are interspersed and are submerged in these forces, but the proton, neutron, and electron in the individual atoms act differently around/with them. So, for saidar (protons) existing nearer the center of the &#8216;nucleus&#8217; forces that involve a strong force that retains its malleability, forces that operate on liquids, solids, and gases are closer to their strength, than saidin (electrons), which is high energy, outside the nucleus and capable of being single points of independent movement (in the same way that many of the fire and earth weaves are limited in terms of the form they can take) I.e.: you have &#8216;more&#8217; independent uses of your energy field than the protons. There is frenetic activity among electrons off the periphery of the nucleus &#8211; individual ones jump around, and strike each other constantly, generating a constant energy field. It is not &#8216;expanding&#8217; per se &#8211; it is being created through the excess of movement.<br /><br />I think this is why male channelers have the ability to hold more Power than female channelers. Their energy field by nature is more &#8216;excited&#8217; and exists as a greater &#8216;size&#8217; than the saidar energy field. But while it is larger, saidar has an energy field, that controls principles of &#8216;unifying and contracting&#8217; (sort of like how &#8216;michiru&#8217; means &#8216;full&#8217; in Japanese anime, and is used to connote &#8216;motherhood&#8217; while &#8216;tenou&#8217; signifies, &#8216;sky, the open space&#8217; and connotes &#8216;paternal&#8217; characteristics). <br /><br />A Bit about Linking: Outgrowth of limitation&#8230;or the Epitome of a Force?<br /><br /> TDR (Healing) &#8211; &#8220;Slowly the lights spread, until that which seemed to emanate from one woman touched that which came from one woman touched that which came from the woman beside her merged with it, till there was only one light&#8230;&#8221;<br /><br />&#8220;WH (Snow) &#8211; &#8220;Instinctively, Elayne embraced saidar and reached out to link. Merilille slipped into the circle easily&#8230;&#8221;<br /><br />TDR (Healing) &#8211; &#8220;Egwene fought the urge to open herself to saidar and add her flow to the tide. It was a pull so strong she was about to be jerked off her feet&#8230;&#8221;<br /><br />When you look at all these sections, the image you get is not an imperfect form for handling vast amounts of energy, but the wielders of that energy getting swept up in the form which that energy force naturally exists as.  I think it is very relevant to note that linking is described as instinctive&#8230;gravitational&#8230;a force that seems so natural, primeval and &#8216;right&#8217; that female channelers naturally sympathize with it. Indeed, even Graendal might link with Lanfear against a Forsaken male if it came to it &#8211; if anything, one of the shadows&#8217; greatest weakness is that you see a &#8216;play against type&#8217;. If they linked and came across Rand at any point, they would utterly annihilate him. I have a pet theory, that the Forsaken are the Dark Ones&#8217; play things, and he keeps them around merely because they amuse him. But that is for another day and another forum.<br /><br />When you contrast this with how male channelers get when put together, and apply the same presuppositions I laid out, some other interesting things come to light. For example, when male channelers seize the full amount of the Power they can handle, there is a feeling of &#8216;struggle&#8217; that other males can perceive. This might be because whereas women can be &#8216;swept in the tide of saidar to the point where they lose their minds&#8217;, men have less of an ability to hold the full amount of saidin they draw on. Which is, because, their energy source is more far flung. For whatever reason, saidin does not respond as readily to being called to the maximum safe limit. It is like trying to get a good drink of water out of a natural water source. Whereas the male water source is next to a river, the female water source is near a lake. The river moves fast, so even if you lean down for a drink, you can barely get a good mouthful in before most of it is on your clothes. The lake, moves through underground tributaries and the water cycle, so you have time to sit down and take a long sip. Now, if you were to tap into this water source for other uses, it is more attractive to use the river. It creates a vast amount of mechanical energy that riverboats, dams and other conveniences can use to create power. The lake, however, requires a different approach &#8211; the same technologies cannot be adapted from it so easily. This is a simplified example why &#8220;Saidar can do everything saidin can. But the form will be different.&#8221; Females have the opposite problem &#8211; they get addicted, they can lose their minds or accidentally burn themselves out. While the same is true of men, it is because the female energy field is more conducive to be called. &#8216;Seizing&#8217; energy implies &#8216;grabbing onto; holding on&#8217;, but when you &#8216;embrace&#8217; energy, you just &#8216;let yourself be filled like a vessel&#8217;. <br /><br />Don&#8217;t get me wrong; both channelers grow weary of channeling, and they both get tired after concentrated weaving. But women seem to have an inherent ability developed through training, to grasp their full amount of Power and safely wield it, while males struggle to draw upon this full amount and maintain it. In some ways, you can say that while females can handle less amounts of energy singularly, they get to their maximum much more efficiently than men do. They &#8216;fill the vessel&#8217; to the brim and cut it off, while there is an element of inaccuracy when men attempt this. In my suggestion, this makes sense &#8211; saidar responds more easily to concentration than saidin does, and requires less effort to maintain in ideal circumstances.<br /><br />The Female Glow<br />Sidious mentions that a proportion of females&#8217; total strength is lost due to some physical/metaphysical feminine quality. This &#8216;resistance&#8217; creates the &#8216;halo&#8217; effect around females when they channel.<br /><br />What if, I contend, this is because the energy field that comprises saidar shares elements with other saidar-wielders that saidin does not? For example, if we were to think of saidin and saidar, once again, as existing on a spectrum of energy, we can see some enlightening examples (pun intended). We will envision saidar as producing a form of energy similar to ultraviolet radiation. It is visible, but only to those with eyes and senses that perceive it. Otherwise, it does not show up without sensitive and specialized instruments. Would it be so surprising then to envision two women meeting each other that are familiar with this wavelength being able to not only &#8216;sense&#8217; when that energy field is being actively generated, but also &#8216;sense&#8217; how much of that energy field can be utilized? Males, because their energy field is so differentiated, unconnected and generally more wildly diverse, only sense the output of an &#8216;active generator&#8217;&#8230;they perceive the &#8216;hum&#8217; of the generator being used, but there wavelengths vary so much that all they know is that some form of energy OUT THERE resembles, but is different, than the energy they personally manipulate. It is like two submarines in the ocean registering on each other&#8217;s radar &#8211; they sense someone out there, but it is hard to tell details from this blip. They recognize it when it is being actively used to create an effect (like one sub firing a missile), but &#8216;turning on the generator&#8217; so to speak, resonate only as a &#8216;humming sound&#8217; in the background. I would say that all channelers lose some of their &#8216;full strength&#8217; when channeling, but women can overcome this because their full strength not only accumulates within themselves as individuals, but can also be expressed when combining their energy pattern to &#8216;synchronize&#8217; with other personalized energy patterns. The loss in strength that we see, then, over the course of a link is not because they are imperfect &#8211; it is because the force is such a binding force, that a percentage is contracted into the &#8220;nucleus&#8221; of the link as a &#8220;neutral element&#8221;.<br /><br />Though one maintains the &#8216;link&#8217;, that leader can be thought to be in connection with the &#8216;binding&#8217; force that is common to the entire group. Instead of leeching unto multiple ambient energy fields, she does what is natural and lets her energy field be subsumed into the group&#8230;then, the &#8220;neutral element&#8221; comes into play when she can safely draw upon the combined power without as much danger to herself.<br /><br />In short, I don&#8217;t think women are imperfect vessels for channeling. If anything, it seems external factors affect channeling more than gender. Losing an eye, getting pregnant, getting drunk, drinking forkroot or the externally applied taint seemed to work against the rules of the Power because they were unnatural. The Power itself and some as yet unrevealed aspect of your soul seem to be the main factors involved, rather than some biological composition of your physical gender. I think Tolkien described it best in the Silmarillion &#8211; I&#8217;m paraphrasing: &#8220;All souls were originally as formless as the stars&#8230;. but when they descended unto Illuvatar, some took on the form of males, and some of females, according to their temperament and personality.&#8221;<br /><br />So, I am not trying to necessarily refute Sidious&#8217; argument &#8211; but I like to think mines leaves a &#8216;way out&#8217; for one of my perceived pitfalls in &#8216;Resistance Theory&#8217; &#8211; the reason the female Choedan Kal vs the male Choeden Kal melted. In short, the female ability to Link, acts as a high-energy nuclear conductor. While saidin was the &#8216;passive&#8217; force, saidar was the active force. Saidin was simply drawn through a filter, but saidar was not only pushing saidin, it was also being used in a way that wasn&#8217;t unifying to cleanse a force that repels against it. It&#8217;s like letting lose an oil slicked river into a lake to cleanse out &#8211; the extra energy is exerted on the part of the lake to not only purify the river, but also maintain its own purity.<br /><br />Also, this addresses another qualm of mines &#8211; I think my theory offers a somewhat plausible explanation for why powerful angreal glow when used. Because saidar was involved in the construction, you see a melding of the energies of both saidin and saidar when it is being operated. Whereas females see each other&#8217;s energy fields as ultraviolet radiation, angreal respond with a combined radiation type&#8230;namely, visible light. I believe that both males and females create angreals, so this dual activity could result in a largely invisible source of light suddenly being cast off as a visible effect of the EM spectrum. Whether this is due to an inherent property of the crystalline angreal or produced after being worked on with both sides of the power is debatable &#8211; it is a major hint that Moiraine had a &#8216;trick with stones and lights&#8217; that men couldn&#8217;t duplicate&#8230;could saidar and its unifying/binding principles be a key ingredient in angreal creation? I&#8217;m beginning to think that while Men have this immense field of energy to draw form, Women have an energy field that lends itself more readily to acts of creation &#8211; it may well be the defining force that produced Callandor. If, as I think, saidar would be used to lend its &#8216;magnifying/drawing&#8217; characteristics to this angreal, it is natural that a male using it would suddenly find it easy to overcome the usual difficulty with holding their maximum amount&#8230;the angreal, in short, does it for them, which explains why a woman may be needed to direct the flows safely. This would explain why on one hand Lanfear describes what she COULD do with it&#8230;but Lanfear expresses that it would be useless for her&#8230;unless she could convince Rand to use it with her. We know two women and one man is needed to use it properly, but what is not understood is why this number. It could be that the man contributes the expansive qualities of saidin, while one woman contributes the attractive and gathering qualities of saidar&#8230;the &#8216;head&#8217; of the &#8216;uber link&#8217;, then has the buffer for safe channeling to draw on, while she directs the flows. It is intended for a male&#8230;but not for exclusive male use. Which makes sense, since it was produced as somewhat of an ultimate weapon that needed some safeguards to contain its full potential.<br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-07-21 13:51:16
subject: Resistance--a different perspective
body:
<p>I got this idea from a recently posted theory by Rugbyplayingashaman. Sidious posted a theory on this topic well over a year ago, and I am disputing a couple of key points.<br /><br />First, Sidious asserted that &quot;Men and women channel the Power but men are perfect conduits for the Power whereas women are imperfect conduits.&quot; His support included the glow that female channelers see around other female channelers in the act of channeling. <br /><br />Second, he said &quot;Men and women are equally strong in the Power but women divert a portion of their strength involuntarily into the aura and glow which surrounds them due to resistance to the Power.&quot; He was, again, referring to the glow as lost energy that the women can hold, but can not use to weave.<br /><br />I suggest that neither men nor women are perfect conduits for the Power. I really don't have much support from the books for this, but the only support needed from the books is common knowledge. This is based mostly on electric resistance.<br /><br />Think of the Power as a massive source of energy, like an electric capacitor. No channeler, male or female, could possibly channel all the energy available in the True Source. They each have a certain amount of resistance to the flow, varying between each individual. I believe that men and women are simply different types of resistors, based on the side effects of channeling. These side effects include heat (both men and women) and light (women only).<br /><br />I'm sure everyone remembers that both male and female channelers experience a sensation of heat from channeling the Power, and the women see a glow around each other, so I will regard these as given.<br /><br />Men, I believe, are like simple carbon resistors. They allow a specified amount of energy to flow through, and produce heat as a result of their resistance.<br /><br />Women, on the other hand, are like tungsten. Tungsten also allows a specified amount of energy through, and gives off both heat and light because of the resistance. <br /><br />Based on these analogies, I would say that neither men nor women are perfect conduits for the Power. A perfect conduit would allow all available energy to flow through. Both men and women resist the flow of the Power and allow only a certain amount to pass through.<br /><br />The glow that is present for female channelers does not come from wasted energy that the woman is channeling, but rather from energy that the True Source is &quot;wasting&quot; in forcing itself through the woman. Similarly, the heat experienced by both male and female channelers comes from this wasted energy. Neither women nor men waste energy, but the Source wastes energy on both.<br /><br />Summary:<br /><br />1. Both men and women resist the flow of the Power--neither are perfect conduits.<br /><br />2. The wasted energy caused by the resistance takes the form of heat (for both) and light (for women).<br /><br />More:<br /><br />Building on the idea of electricity and resistance, I think all channelers are like fuses. They are designed to allow a certain amount of energy through, and if too much is forced through, the fuse will blow. And this can't be fixed, except by going inside and bridging the gap between the broken pieces of the fuse. Of course, if it is not done perfectly, the bridge may be more resistant the the original fuse, and thus allow less energy through than before.<br /><br />Angreal and Sa'angrel are like resistors added in parallel to the existing circuit. They are much less resistant, and allow greater amounts of energy to pass through while keeping the original, more resistant member to remain a part of the circuit while actually handling only a fraction of the total energy that it controls.<br /><br />Criticism welcome.<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/biggrin.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-08-01 21:32:08
subject: How to ensure your theory is rejected for the Theory Post
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<p>Here are some points to follow to ensure that your theory is rejected for the theory post. They are infallible &#8211; the only better way to not have a theory accepted, is to not post one at all!<br /><br /><ul><li>1. Choose something trite, trivial or blindingly obvious as the subject of your theory.<br /><br />You could write a theory based on one that someone else submitted some time ago &#8211; but that&#8217;s the easy way and is really only acceptable for novices. </li><br /><br /><li>2. Keep your theory vague. Do not actually state it anywhere in your post and certainly not at the beginning. If your idea has not actually led to a theory yet, this is even better.</li><br /><br /><li>3. Do not summarise the points you have made in a conclusion either.</li><br /><br /><li>4. As for the length of your theory, there are two approaches:<br /><br />One is to write your theory in one sentence and then follow-up with a punchy &#8220;So what do you think?&quot; This is preferred by the purists.<br /><br />The other approach is to write about at least two pages with &#8211; and this is the important bit &#8211; absolutely no paragraph divisions whatsoever. Paragraphs are for wimps and geeks. This option allows the poster scope for rambling incoherently at length.</li><br /><br /><li>5. No actual quotes are to be included in the theory. You may vaguely refer to events that might support your theory, but you must not reread the chapters to check. That way you can either have no supporting evidence at all (preferred by the purists) or else state your evidence incorrectly.</li><br /><br /><li>6. Under no circumstances use spell checker or grammar checker. <br /><br />Better still, don&#8217;t write the theory in Word at all, otherwise you will prepare your thoughts too much &#8211; just bash away at the keyboard. Your theory is so great that you don&#8217;t need to consider your readers in the least. If they can&#8217;t get your drift it&#8217;s because they&#8217;re stupid, that&#8217;s all.</li><br /><br /><li>7. You must not read over what you have written and must certainly not edit it, otherwise you will inadvertently make improvements to your theory that might result in it being posted. Multiple editing sessions are of course for those who actually want to see their work published &#8211; you know, like authors or something.</li><br /><br /><li>8. Make sure that you have at least one major logical flaw in your argument.</li><br /><br /><li>9. Under no circumstances are you to discuss any weaknesses of your theory, or to show how some evidence is inconclusive and so can indirectly support your theory or even can be reinterpreted to support it.</li><br /><br /><li>10. Do not try your theory out on the WOT board first, otherwise posters might suggest evidence you could cite to support your theory or ways you could improve it.</li></ul><br />On the flip side, <b>if you write a theory which is original, important, coherent, logically argued and well written, researched and edited, it will probably be posted. <i>So be careful!</i></b><br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-08-08 08:49:11
subject: Dark One's War Plan - Part 2: Battle of the White Tower
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<p><i>&quot;The Wheel of Time turns around Tar Valon and Tar Valon turns around the Tower.&quot; <br />- saying among Tar Valon residents (TSR, chapter 1)</i><br /><br />In Part 2 of my theory I will explain how I believe the Dark One is going to attempt to destroy the White Tower.<br /><blockquote><b><br />[Crossroads of Twilight, Chapter 20 &#8211; In the Night]</b><i><br />She knew.  For the first time, she knew exactly what a dream meant.  But why would she dream of a Seanchan woman saving her, and then of the Seanchan attacking the White Tower?  An attack that would shake the Aes Sedai to their core and threaten the Tower itself.<br /></i></blockquote><br />The Seanchan attack on the White Tower has been alluded to in the previous books a couple times.  During the Seeker Mor's visit to Karede in Chapter 4 of CoT, Mor questions Karede about his role in Lord Yulan's plans, and Karede rolls up a map of Tar Valon..  Then, in the prologue to Knife of Dreams, Galgan mentions to'raken and a secret plan.<br /><blockquote><b><br />[Knife of Dreams, Prologue &#8211; Embers]</b><i><br />&#8220;So long as you don't want the to'raken, too, I raise no objections.  That plan must go forward.&#8221;<br /></i></blockquote><br />The Seanchan have an interesting circumstance to contend with, half of the enemy is inside the city, while the other half is camped outside.  Instead of splitting up their troops into two contingents, I believe the Seanchan will attempt an all-out assault on the White Tower itself, bypassing the Rebel Aes Sedai completely via to'raken.  Once inside the tower, they will have the advantage of defending a fortress that has not been breached in its history (until now), as opposed to trying to sack the tower after exhausting much of their resources attacking the rebel contingent camped outside.<br /><br />The White Tower has stood  unbreached since its formation in 98 AB, has survived the Trolloc Wars and the War of the Hundred Years.  It has done so because its in a perfect location for defending attacks and it has a permanently large defending force, consisting of both the Tower Guard and the Aes Sedai in the White Tower.<br /><br />The split among the Aes Sedai has made the White Tower the weakest it has ever been.  Pevara speculates in the prologue to Knife of Dreams, that there are only about 200 sisters remaining in the whole White Tower.  Alviarin had Elaida increase the Tower Guard in AcoS to 50000, it is unknown how close they got to that number.  Even with these weakened numbers, the Seanchan are going to have to send a very specialized force to successfully invade and hold the White Tower.  With to'raken, the Seanchan will be able to land 15000-20000 troops before going back for reinforcements, I believe these will be many of the Seanchan's elite forces, consisting of many da'mane and their most battle hardy soldiers.<br /><br />In Knife of Dreams during the Forsaken garden party, Aran'gar and Mesaana get in an argument about events happening among the Aes Sedai.  Mesaana is infuriated that Aran'gar allowed Egwene to be captured, and that the rebellion will fall apart without Egwene.  Aran'gar insists that it is the White Tower which is close to falling apart.<br /><blockquote><b><br />[Knife of Dreams, Chapter 3 &#8211; At The Gardens]</b><i><br />&#8220;Were I you, I'd worry whether the Tower can hold together long enough to keep this conflict going.&#8221;<br /><br />&#8220;They're determined to hold on?&#8221;  Mesaana murmured, half under her breath.  She nodded.  &#8220;Good.  Good.  Then everything is going according to plan.&#8221;<br /></i></blockquote><br />The plan which Mesaana and Aran'gar are arguing over I believe is the initial war plans on the attack of the White Tower.  <br /><br />The shadow has a very large battlefield for Tarmon Gai'don, making it counter-productive to divert large resources to any one conflict, even one as enticing as the White Tower.  With the inability of Shadowspawn to use gateways, it makes it all that much harder.  I believe the plan is to use the Seanchan to attack the White Tower, while a large Shadowspawn army will attack the Rebel Aes Sedai.  If the White Tower were to unite once again, it would make it much more difficult to successfully attack the White Tower.  You wouldn't be able to use the Seanchan in a simultaneous attack as they wouldn't directly fight with the Shadow, and the full united force would be defending an impregnable fortress.<br /><br />The Salidar Aes Sedai have a formidable army, with 50000 soldiers led by Gareth Bryne, 350 Aes Sedai, over 1000 novices and accepted some are which are the most powerful channelers in the land, not to mention 47 Asha'man which Rand has allowed them to bond.  To launch an attack against a force of this magnitude, we will surely see one of the shadow's most powerful attack forces.<br /><br />The Shadow's main attacking force throughout the series has been a combination of Trollocs and Myrddraal, they seem to be the most expendable of their forces, as we see with the attack of over 100,000 Trollocs and Myrddraal against Rand in The Knife of Dreams.  The Shadow has other, more menacing, creatures at its disposal as well, which I believe we will see in this battle.  Darkhounds have been used by the Forsaken in the past, they are impossible to kill by sword and they produce a smell of Sulphur.  The Salidar Aes Sedai have been commenting about the smell of Sulphur in the air during chapter 1 of Knife of Dreams.  Egwene also sees a bat in the air, which she initially thinks is a Draghkar in Crossroads of Twilight.  Etzel wrote a theory going into more details about this attack located at http://www.wotmania.com/theorypostdbtheory.asp?ID=1328.  Along with Trollocs, Myrddraal, Darkhounds, Draghkar, and possibly Gholam and Jumara, I believe the Shadow will use the Black Ajah as well.<br /><br />After Pevara's meeting with Tsutama, Pevara and Yukiri discuss the progress of the hunt for the Black Ajah and how it is going stale.<br /><blockquote><b><br />[Knife of Dreams, Prologue &#8211; Embers]</b><i><br />&#8220;You're late, so let's be brief.  I feel like a hen being watched by a fox.  Marris broke this morning, and I gave her the oath of obedience myself, but as with the others, her 'one other' is out of the Tower.  With the rebels, I think.&#8221; ...<br /><br />Pevara sighed.  It had seemed so encouraging, at the start.  Terrifying and nearly overwhelming, too, yet they had appeared to be making a good beginning.  Talene had only known the name of one other Black sister actually in the Tower at present...<br /></i></blockquote><br />I believe the reason that so many of the Black Ajah are out of the Tower, and their hunt is going stale, is that they are being brought out to be used on the Shadow's attack against the Salidar Aes Sedai.  This prevents the shadow from losing too many resources in the Seanchan attack and is needed to counter-act the Salidar force.<br /><br />If you have not read part 1 of my theory on merging the towers, you should do so at http://www.wotmania.com/theorypostdbtheory.asp?ID=1399.  In The Merging of the Towers, I detailed a plan brought about by the Shadow to place Taim and his group of Asha'man inside the White Tower.  With Taim's help, I believe the plan is to have the Tower repel the Seanchan attack to later be invaded by the Shadowspawn army which attacked the Salidar Aes Sedai.<br /><br />The White Tower is at the weakest it has ever been, with approximately 200 sisters remaining in the Tower and approximately 50000 soliders in the Tower Guard.  The Seanchan have been scouting the White Tower, and before commencing any attack against it, they would predict that they could successfully sack the Tower, and hold it while waiting for reinforcements to arrive.  A powerful army defending the White Tower, be it Seanchan or Aes Sedai, is exactly what the Shadow has been planning to avoid.  This is why I believe the Shadow is going to place Mazrim Taim inside the White Tower.  While Seanchan scouting would have given their generals fairly accurate assessments of the force they are dealing with, the Red Ajah's bonding of Asha'man has only happened recently and will tip the battle in the favor of the White Tower, albeit a bruised and battered one.<br /><br />During the Seanchan attack, Taim's Asha'man are going to fight alongside the Aes Sedai.  Without them, the White Tower would have been over run by the Seanchan and they will prove themselves to be formidable allies.  While it is unlikely that any sister, let alone the Red Ajah, would trust an Asha'man enough to lead a circle, after proving themselves in the Seanchan battle, and with their losses in that attack there will be no other choice during the siege from the Shadowspawn army.<br /><blockquote><b><br />[Big White Book, Chapter 2 &#8211; The One Power and the True Source]</b><i><br />The cumulative strength of a circle depends on its size, the strengths of the individuals linked, whether or not angreal or sa'angreal are used, and the balance between male and female members in the circle.  Although men are stronger than women, the strongest linked circles were those which contained nearly equal numbers of men and women.  A smaller circle with a closer balance can be stronger than a larger, unbalanced circle.<br /><br />In most cases, either a man or a woman can control the link&#8211;this is called leading, focusing, or guiding&#8211;but  in the case of a circle of seventy-two, a circle of only one man and one woman, or in most circles of up to thirteen which contain more than one man, a man must lead.<br /></i></blockquote><br />After successfully thwarting the Seanchan attack on the White Tower, the Tower Aes Sedai will be too weak to mount a serious defense against a Shadowspawn army.  During the Shadowspawn attack on the White Tower, the sisters inside the tower will be forming circles to repel the attack.  With their reduced numbers, they will be hard pressed to form very many circles greater than 13.  During the siege, there will be a need to have many separate defending forces to protect all the different avenues the Shadow would use to attack.  To maximize the effectiveness of the circles they need to have a close balance between male and female channelers, any of these circles less than 13 people would have to be under control of a male, except for 1 male/2 female, and 2 male/2 female circles.<br /><br />If Taim is able to succeed and gain control of several circles, this would in effect place those sisters under the Shadow's control.  They will be unable to leave the circle, and as long as they are in it they are a well of power.  At some point they could place a'dam on them, although without unswearing the three oaths, they will be of less use to the Shadow.  Turning the sisters with 13 Myradaal and 13 channelers would be a time/effort consuming possibility as well.  Alviarin's mark which she received from Shaidar Haran would be necessary at this time, as the Tower will be getting ransacked by the Shadowspawn army.  The mark is only effective on Shadowspawn, and without an eventual plan to have Shadowspawn inside the Tower the mark becomes next to useless.  Seanchan aren't going to see it, and if they did it would be more of a bullseye than any sort of protection.<br /><br />If Taim doesn't succeed, he is still able to finalize the White Tower's doom by turning against the sisters during the attack as well.  Moridin is the great strategist for the Shadow, and alike Ituralde, he has plans for every eventuality.  <br /><br />If the Seanchan were to succeed in attacking the White Tower, you still severely cripple one of Rand's most important would-be allies, and would place added strains on any alliance being made between the Seanchan and Rand.  An alliance between these two groups would most likely involve the Seanchan retaining control of the land they have conquered, it is unknown whether Rand would allow them to retain control of the White Tower or if the Seanchan would be willing to concede control of the White Tower after exhausting so many resources taking control of it. <br /><br />If the Salidar Aes Sedai are able to repel the Shadowspawn force, and reunite the White Tower, they will essentially be placed in full war with the Seanchan, both the Seanchan and the Shadow attacking at the same time would make it appear that they were fighting together which could bring Rand in as well.<br /><br />The Battle of the White Tower will be one of, if not the biggest battle in the Wheel of Time.  For the light to stand any chance, it will have to win a decisive victory.  To do so, it must provide a means to defeat the Seanchan attacking force, the Salidar Aes Sedai have to somehow protect themselves from a situation which they will probably be behind in, and they will have to deal with Taim inside the tower itself.<br /><br />Tuon's involvement in the planning and the execution of these attacks is uncertain.  Now that she has unveiled and sent Suroth to the auctioning block, it is expected that if she was not aware of the plans, she has become aware.  The situation has changed quite drastically for her as well, and victory seems far out of hand.  Semirhage destroyed Seandar by violently disposing of the Empress bringing it into rebellion.  Ituralde has been running large scale raids in Tarabon, cutting off their supply lines.  Mat has been doing similar and, as she knows, he is a formidable force.  Most importantly, Rand has matched and exceeded her invasion force numbers on their next targets.<br /><br />I believe that Rand will meet Tuon before the battles take place, achieve an alliance, but not in time to call back the attack on the White Tower.  This could be how she is the Seanchan which Egwene sees in her dream saving her, while still fulfilling the dreaming of the Seanchan attacking the White Tower.<br /><blockquote><b><br />[Crossroads of Twilight, Chapter 20 &#8211; In The Night]</b><i><br />Suddenly a woman appeared, clambering down the sheer side of the cliff out of the clouds, making her way as deftly as if she were walking down stairs.  There was a sword strapped to her back.  Her face wavered, never settling clearly, but the sword seemed as solid as the stone.  The woman reached Egwene's level and held out one hand.  &#8220;We can reach the top together,&#8221; she said in a familiar drawling accent.<br /></i></blockquote><br />With Tuon's assistance, the Seanchan change targets to the Shadowspawn army which is outside attacking the Salidar Aes Sedai and Egwene is able to reunite the towers.  There are many different possibilities, over what could happen and what will happen, this theory is just trying to provide the plan which the Shadow is using, to summarize;<br /><br />The Shadow has the Seanchan attack the White Tower directly.  This isn't necessarily to have the Seanchan succeed, but to cripple the White Tower.  With the Salidar Aes Sedai having the ability to travel, and a very capable commander in charge of 50000 troops, it is unlikely the Seanchan would be able to succeed in such an attempt.  To prevent Salidar Aes Sedai assistance, the Shadow will unleash one of its largest Shadowspawn armies to defeat the Salidar Aes Sedai.  Once defeated, the Shadow will turn to the White Tower, where it has Taim, who helped repel the Seanchan attack, in a perfect position to open the front door and give control of the Tower over to the Shadow.<br /><br />In one battle, if all goes according to plan, you eliminate the White Tower, cripple the Seanchan, and gain control of the land's most ageless relic which could now be used as a base of operations for the Shadow's dreadlord army.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-08-09 05:57:17
subject: Legends Fading.
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<p>By now, we can start hoping for some actual losses for the Light. It would be a rather poor Tarmon Gai&#8217;don if only the Shadow had losses with names. As to who will die, we cannot be sure, but foreshadowing points towards Rand, Bashere, Lan, Cadsuane&#8230; The latter is the one who concerns us here. For starters, why exactly should she be one of the unlucky few who die? Then we&#8217;ll move on to the how.<br /><br />Bluntly put, she&#8217;s old. Very old. Most Aes Sedai believe she should be dead. She agrees.<br /><br /><i>Any day now might be her last, but young al&#8217;Thor would be a fitting end to it all.</i><br /><b><u>A Crown of Swords</u></b>, <i>Diamonds and Stars</i>.<br /><br />And there we have it. From Min&#8217;s Viewing, what her purpose in aiding Rand is.<br /><br /><i>&#8220;It&#8217;s Cadsuane. She is going to teach you something, you and the Asha&#8217;man. All the Asha&#8217;man, I mean. It&#8217;s something you have to learn, but I don&#8217;t know what it is, except that none of you will like learning it from her. You aren&#8217;t going to like it at all.&#8221;</i><br /><u><b>A Crown of Swords</b>, <i>A Crown of Swords</i>.</u><br /><br />The Last Battle is meant to be fought by the Emond&#8217;s Fielders, and Cadsuane is much too imposing a personality right now to have her meddling with Tarmon Gai&#8217;don, it would simply be unwise from a storyline point of view. Therefore she must be removed, and we&#8217;ve been told she wishes only to achieve this last task before she dies. Fortuitous, to say the least.<br /><br />So the story requires victims for the Light, and here we have a woman who&#8217;s all set to cross the Styx. But how exactly will she die? Will the Aes Sedai just wake up one morning to find her dead? Surely not. With the Last Battle ever closer, most deaths will be due to battle with the Shadow ( or Bubbles of Evil ) and as the Pattern would have it, an adversary has been set up with every reason to hate her, and the means to destroy her.<br /><br /><i>&#8220;Then I heard of Taim, and I was off to Saldaea as fast as I could ride. There&#8217;s nothing for a bit of excitement like a man who can channel.&#8221;</i><br /><b><u>A Crown of Swords</u></b>, <i>Diamonds and Stars</i>.<br /><br />Mazrim Taim, of course, hates all Aes Sedai, and who can blame him, seen as how they were about to gentle him? Of course, he is also a darkfriend, and a powerful one at that. Aside from his considerable strength in <i>saidin</i>, he commands a legion of Asha&#8217;man to serve his bidding. Since Cadsuane was among the Sisters who actually captured him, his hatred of Aes Sedai may well be exceptionally rabid against her.<br /><br />Now, Cadsuane is protected by so many <i>ter&#8217;angreal</i> that it would take an army to defeat her. And as I just said, Taim has an army, an army of channellers, maybe the deadliest force ever assembled since the Trolloc Wars.<br /><br />Well, there&#8217;s the evidence, make up your own minds.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-08-23 05:20:46
subject:
Reality, Gateways, Shadowspawn, Black Wind and Ways, and speculation as to the ultimate fates of Sha

body:
<p><i>I would like to acknowledge the previously posted theory,</i> <a href="http://wotmania.net/theorypostdbtheory.asp?ID=328&amp;Category=DreamWorld" target="_blank">Where Machin Shin is From</a> <i>by Cpt. Sqweky, for positing a similar hypothesis, though I only discovered this theory after my own was worked out.  Still, whatever reasoning he used, he did come to the same conclusion.  I hope this contributes to acceptance of our common answer to the question in his Theory title. <br />Cannoli </i><br /><br /><b>Shadowspawn &amp; Gateways</b><br /><br />It has been established in KoD that Trollocs and Myrdraal cannot survive passing through a gateway such as is used for Traveling.   This explains the apparently ridiculous assertion by Moiraine that the Forsaken with their ability to Travel could not move large numbers of Trollocs.  To the readers of books 5-10, the nature of Traveling suggests that all that is needed to move armies of thousands is holding the gateway long enough to let them run through.  If, however, they cannot pass through a gateway and live, this would explain how a fragment or scrap from the War of the Shadow would be interpreted to mean the quantity of Shadowspawn was the deal-breaker, rather than their inherent qualities as Shadowspawn. Now, as in the first four books, the importance of the Ways and securing the Waygates against Shadowspawn are raised to paramount importance.  Now Rand&#8217;s insistence on warding the Waygates is understandable for their importance, though he perhaps might have been unaware of the significance of his actions (AFTER making his inquiries of Elder Haman, he worries about how to handle a swarm of Trollocs pouring through a gateway, suggesting he had not yet assimilated that aspect of LTT&#8217;s knowledge which taught him about Deathgates and how they work).<br /><br />So why do Trollocs and their kinfolk die upon passing through a gateway, but not the Ways?<br /><br />In the first place, it must be understood that unlike humans and Ogier, Trollocs are unnatural constructs.  They have been engineered to breed and reproduce in the absence of production facilities, but the very evidence of the use of the True Power in their creation is the unexpected and unplanned development of the Myrdraal, who stand out of phase with time and space.  As a result they can mimic vision without eyes, traverse space in unknown ways involving the place where light meets shadows, show an abnormal reflection, and move unaffected by the motion of the air.  It is also implied if not stated outright that they do not possess souls as even Trollocs do.  The spawning of these plainly unnatural monsters from Trolloc parents indicates that the Trollocs themselves share some of these qualities which place them outside nature in some respect in the Pattern.  Though they can biologically interact with the natural world, to the extent of consuming natural creatures for sustenance, or engaging in sexual intercourse with humans, they are still not entirely of this reality (could any creature that belongs in the world truly spawn a Myrdraal? ).<br /><br />We have seen the physical process of creating a gateway to Travel with the One Power involves different methods for men and women.  While men bore a hole between the places they are Traveling to and from, women make the places the same in the Pattern and open a way through the now-insignificant difference.  To both genders, the other&#8217;s method is unnatural and even frightening in its apparent disregard for the Pattern.  The important point is that both of them distort the Pattern to effect the transition from one place to another.  The likely explanation for the deaths of Shadowspawn who attempt to pass through is that their own distortion of the Pattern cannot maintain their biological functions when interacting with the distortion of the gateway.  Passing through a point in the Pattern where it has been changed is too much for the abnormal life-threads of the Shadowspawn to take, and they die.<br /><br />Just as an aside, this might be a way to definitively kill the <i>gholam</i>.  It has been theorized that pushing it into a stedding or Far Madding might kill it, but if it shares the gateway aversion of other Shadowwrought monsters, simply tricking it into passing through a gateway or even scooping it up in a moving Deathgate might suffice, assuming its nature would not disrupt the weaves of a gateway (though that is doubtful, given Mat has taken his medallion <i>ter'angreal</i> through several gateways with no known effects on them).<br /><br />But how can they use the Ways?  Are those not also unnatural?  No.  Though the One Power was used to access the Ways, the Ways themselves are always described in organic terms.  They are &#8220;grown,&#8221; not bored or constructed.  The clear implication is that they possess a kind of life of their own, and however unnatural they appear, it might be better said that they are not UNnatural, just &#8220;differently&#8221; natural.  In their original form they produced food that travelers could eat, which shows more clearly than anything else, that they are part of the natural world, where everyone and everything normal and right can function and interact.  And just as Trollocs were designed to interact with the natural world which they and their master are so clearly apart from, they can enter the Ways and depart once they arrive safely at their destination.  The Ways, like people and Ogier, are part of the normal universe and the natural order of things.  The Trollocs, while capable of interacting with the natural world, of breathing its air and eating its biomass, and entering the Ways which exist within it, cannot stand up to the stresses of passing through a distortion in the Pattern caused by a gateway.  The perfectly normal (even if not completely understood) life-form of the Ways is no such distortion and enables the Trollocs to move through the Pattern without being separated from it or interfered with in a fatal manner.<br /><br /><b>Machin Shin</b><br /><br />But wait!  Isn&#8217;t <i>Machin Shin</i> a product of the taint on <i>saidin</i>?  Is that not proof that the Ways are a product of the One Power, and every bit as likely to be an unnatural distortion as a Traveling gateway?  No again.  There is no evidence that the Black Wind of the Ways is in any way connected to or spawned from <i>saidin</i>, aside from the circumstantial.  On the other hand, there is significant evidence against that notion.  In the first place, there has been no other known instance of the taint similarly affecting any other work of male channelers.  The shield warding Callandor stood for 3,000 years without showing evidence of corrosion or corruption, though it was made after the taint was in place.  Then there is the behavior of the taint relative to Shadar Logoth and Shadowspawn.  Rand describes the taint and Shadowspawn as &#8220;feeling&#8221; identical to his preternatural senses.  Both of which are seen to be consumed by the evil of Shadar Logoth.   Shadar Logoth&#8217;s own evil power is shown to be inimical to those things pertaining to the Dark One and his effects.  In a similar manner, <i>Machin Shin</i> is seen to destroy Trollocs as readily as humanity &amp; Ogier.  By contrast, the one person <i>Machin Shin</i> interacts with in a non-inimical manner is Padan Fain, the carrier of the evil of Mordeth and Shadar Logoth.  While he may be lying to Moiraine about his ability to communicate with the Black Wind, the fact is, it WAS between Rand&#8217;s party and Fain when they left the Ways near Fal Dara, yet he did come through with his mental faculties and soul, to the extent he possesses either, intact.   There has not been any suggestion that he was altered to his present tenuous state by contact with the Black Wind, and the anomalies of the Waygates in Cairhien seem to support his claim to have influence with Machin Shin.  Though it would seem to be counter-productive, with the Wind preventing Rand from following Fain as Fain seemed to want him to, it could also be that Machin Shin merely picked up his hostility to Rand, and thus prevented him from entering the Ways.  Rand has not been near an open Waygate since the one at Stedding Tsofu, so it is unknown if Machin Shin would still be waiting for him should he try.  The two known aberrations to Machin Shin&#8217;s usual behavior both come in close proximity to Fain&#8217;s passage through the Ways, and the majority of reasonable explanations indicate closer kinship to Fain than to Shadowspawn.  Had the Black Wind been born of the taint on <i>saidin</i>, it is possible it would still be inimical to Shadowspawn, since Trollocs eat one another and are ruled by fear of the Myrdraal, but given that the taint and the corruption of Shadar Logoth consumed each other to their mutual destruction, it is highly unlikely that Fain of <i>all</i> people would be able to pass unscathed.<br /><br />In addition to the peculiar interactions or lack thereof, between the Black Wind and the scion of Shadar Logoth, one must also consider the time when the Ways went dark.  According to Loial, the corruption first became noticed around the War of the Hundred Years.  This was a thousand years after the fall of Aridhol and its corruption into Shadar Logoth, but twice as long since the Ways were first grown and the tainted One Power was last involved in their functions.  While there is nothing to indicate anything from the time of the War of the Hundred Years could have caused the phenomena, Loial&#8217;s description implies that the corruption was a gradual process that was first observed during the war.  It could have been happening for years before that without anyone noticing.  Perhaps a traveler or two might vanish, but other causes might be the first assumption, rather than a danger in the Ways, which were &#8220;known&#8221; to be perfectly safe.  Machin Shin also has the appearance of a large number of voices, which might imply an accumulation of components, which again, would have taken a period of time.  <br /><br />The existence of a Waygate in Shadar Logoth itself is evidence enough of a way for the effect to seep into the Ways.  Shadar Logoth is known to corrupt all who have extended contact with it, and the Ways appear to have many of the characteristics of living organisms.  As the nature of Waygates is not understood, there is no way to tell whether or not they would permit the seepage of the evil of Mashadar into the Ways.  With both possibilities being equally true, and the evidence more closely matching Shadar Logoth than the taint on <i>saidin</i>, in my opinion, the cause of the darkening of the Ways and the Black Wind is more likely another corrupting effect of Shadar Logoth on yet another living thing.  This also distinguishes the Waygates from gateways woven of the Power, and supports the original hypothesis explaining why Trollocs can pass through one and not the other.<br /><br /><b>What this means for the Shadowspawn</b><br /><br />They&#8217;re in trouble.  While it is difficult to predict with any sort of reliability what will be the outcome of the Dragon&#8217;s victory at Tarmon Gaidon, the strong implication is that it would involve a more permanent removal of the Dark One from the scene than Lews Therin&#8217;s sealing of the Bore in the Age of Legends.  This means that with the Dark One completely out of touch with the world, as opposed to merely held off, the Trollocs and company who are sustained by his power will not be able to live any more than they can survive passing through a gateway.  They did not die when he was sealed away by the Hundred Companions, but Ishamael was known to have escape complete imprisonment, and it is generally accepted that he was exclusively using the True Power by this time in his career.  Certainly his words to Lews Therin imply as much when he Heals his madness - he claims no great Talent for Healing, and he makes a distinction between the Healing of the Aes Sedai and that which he performs on Lews Therin, calling the latter &#8220;Shaitan&#8217;s Healing.&#8221;  The peculiar appearance of his gateway on Dragonmount describes no gateway seen to be woven of the One Power, but could very well fit the weaving process described by Moridin in The Path of Daggers.  Plainly Ishamael was using the True Power even after the seals were freshly placed on the Bore.  Just as clearly, whatever limitations were placed on the Dark One&#8217;s ability to touch the world, or Ishamael&#8217;s freedom within it, he was out enough to have a direct and tangible effect &#8211; the man who Healed Lews Therin, and wove a gateway to Travel between two places was certainly physically present and not an intangible spirit.  By the same token, the man who was in the world, was drawing the True Power from its originator, who was definitely locked away from that same world.  The Dark One&#8217;s True Power, that essential component that makes Trollocs and the rest <i>Shadow</i>spawn, and not one more set of amazing Age of Legends creations, was still flowing from the Dark One into the world.  If Rand&#8217;s assumed victory does result in either the Dark One&#8217;s death or complete withdrawal, it is highly unlikely the Shadowspawn who survive the combat aspect of Tarmon Gaidon will continue to live.<br /><br />In summation, I believe the inability of Trollocs and other Shadowpawn to pass through a gateway and survive is a side effect of their unnatural existence and dependence of that existence on a continued connection to the Dark One.  Furthermore, this is an additional piece of evidence to support the notion of the Ways as a living organic entity that is part of the Pattern in a way that gateways are not.  In addition, the inability of the Trollocs to pass through gateways woven of <i>saidin</i> and their ability to Travel the Ways safely suggests a lack of correlation between the Ways and the One Power, which in turn, invalidates the notion that the taint on male half of the Power is responsible for Machin Shin and the corruption of the Ways.  Finally, the presumed inability of Trollocs to survive distortions of reality that interfere with their connection to the Dark One suggests that they will be unable to survive his defeat at Tarmon Gaidon.<br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-09-02 20:06:33
subject: Channeler prevalence : the essential factor
body:
<p><b><u>Introduction </u></b><br /><br />Trends in male and female strength have been a topic of discussion among Wheel of Time readers for quite some time now.<br /><br />The first aspect of strength which was investigated was female strength, and thereafter people moved onto the more difficult relative male strengths. With time it was certain that people would try to compare males and females. However, not many theories pay attention to channeler prevalence.<br /><br />Channeler prevalence may fully explain almost every quote regarding strength in the series. So what is it? Instead of seeing a quote as one comparing general strengths allowing us to make assumptions regarding the whole strength tree, we should rather look at quotes as indicators of the rarity of channelers of great strength relative to their average populations. <br /><br /><b><u>Average Strength </u></b><br /><br />Before great strength can be discussed it is important to first establish a baseline for male and female strength. Great strength is after all, exceptional.<br /><br />The Guide provides core knowledge regarding strength in the Power&#8230; Guide (The Wheel and the Power) - <i>In general, men were stronger in the use of the Power than women - that, in the sheer volume of the Power they could handle - though there were certainly individual women who had great strength and individual men who were comparatively weak. </i><br /><br />The Guide later addresses dexterity too. Generally men are stronger in the raw amount of the Power they can handle, but women are more dextrous in their use of the Power. This provides some level of advantage to the women, but it seems that even with dexterity added, the average woman is considerably weaker than the average man.<br /><br />If there is one constant in channeling, it is that you need to possess a certain strength to Travel. Channelers who are below a certain level cannot Travel. Those who can Travel, can weave larger and larger gateways depending on their strength in the Power (there might be other minor factors such as Talent and strength in Spirit). It is important to look at two random groups of channelers, and not a select group of channelers such as the Aes Sedai. Two such groups are the Salidar Aes Sedai and the Ash&#8217;aman. Both groups have started accepting any woman or man who can channel, and with numbers which exceed 1,000 on both sides, they both provide an accurate sample group for channeling in both sexes.<br /><br />Firstly, the Salidar group&#8230; TPoD (Beginnings) - <i>&#8230;a flood anxious to become Aes Sedai, women of every age&#8230; Almost a thousand! Most by far would never wear the shawl, yet the number of them had everyone staring&#8230; </i><br /><br />This quote can be paralleled with Egwene&#8217;s previous comment stating that the vast majority of Aes Sedai in Salidar cannot Travel, and most full Sisters actually need to link to form a gateway of useful size (LoC &#8211; Possibilities). Considering the vast majority of the abovementioned novices and Accepted cannot even reach the strength required to test for the shawl, they join the substantially large group of women who are not strong enough to Travel.<br /><br />If we look at the Black Tower we see evidence of the opposite. Most men can Travel. Travelling isn&#8217;t even limited to full Ash&#8217;aman. We often come across Dedicated and Soldiers who are strong enough to Travel (TPoD &#8211; Gathering Clouds). Not only this, but their gateways are frequently very large &#8211; enough to accommodate wagons and even men on horseback (TPoD &#8211; Gathering Clouds).<br /><br />Therefore let us start with the classical scale from 0 to 100. A channeler of 100 strength has maximum strength and dexterity. In the past this channeler was always postulated to be a male like Lews Therin, who was very strong in the Power. Former theories limited female strength based on quotes from the series, thus precluding any female from reaching this level of strength by quite some margin. However, newer quotes by the author suggest quite the contrary and place a new angle on comments in the series. These quotes will be discussed later. Based on evidence from previous quotes (and references to other theories) let us assume that the average woman has a raw strength of 10, with the average strength ranging from 5 to 15. Dexterity provides her with a bonus and allows her to perform feats disproportionate to her raw strength. In other words, she has the same abilities as a man of 12.5 strength (the multiplier will be explained later), and is more naturally skilled than a man of 10 strength, her raw strength. She is still well below the strength required to Travel &#8211; approximately 25 strength (20 raw strength in women, 25 raw strength in men). <br /><br />The average man meanwhile has a raw strength of approximately 40 (probably 30 to 45). Not only will most men be able to Travel, they will also be able to form large gateways which can be useful. Men don&#8217;t gain a dexterity bonus considering women are relatively far more proficient weavers than men.<br /><br /><i>In summary&#8230; </i><br />- average woman : 12.5 strength approximately<br />- average man      : 40 strength approximately<br /><br />Asmodean makes a comment regarding male-female competition&#8230;<br /><br />TFOH (Pale Shadows) - <i>&#8220;Perhaps in the grand scheme of the Pattern, it&#8217;s a balance for men being stronger&#8230; Some women have stronger arms than some men, but in general it is the other way around. The same holds with strength in the Power, and in about the same proportion&#8230; If two women link, they do not double their strength &#8211; linking is not as simple as adding together the power of each &#8211; but if they are strong enough, they can match a man.&#8221;</i> When two women combine their strengths and form a circle then the singular flow possesses about 25 raw strength (a small amount is lost while linking, but these are averages). Asmodean also hints that two average woman might not have sufficient strength to match a man &#8211; and it might be prudent to assume that the link should have a strength of at least 30 to match a man. If you take this 30 strength and add the huge advantage gained from linking, you can see how two women can match a man of 40 strength. It&#8217;s all very speculative, and Asmodean does remind Rand that linking is not as simple as adding two channeler&#8217;s strengths. <br /><br />As late as KoD we receive hints that women can be profoundly weak on average. We see that four Kin need to link to form a gateway of reasonable size (KoD &#8211; Siege). If these women had a strength of approximately 5, and their combined circle produced a flow of 20 saidar, then the extra precision granted by linking would allow them to Travel with a strength of 30 or more.<br /><br /><b><u>Great Strength </u></b><br /><br />It is easy to see why it was thought that all women are generally weaker than all men. If the average man is so powerful compared to the average woman then it makes sense that the strongest men are also stronger than the strongest women. Unfortunately, there is evidence against this which suggests that women can as strong as these men. There is one proviso, I believe &#8211; they are much rarer than these men. In fact, the numbers are so skewed that I think these women can generally be ignored and considered to be statistical anomalies.<br /><br />Most old theorists believe that women form a bell curve for strength, and that the male curve lies to the right of that. This means that the average man is stronger than the average woman, and that the strongest men can be stronger than the strongest women. This can be refuted from the outset&#8230;<br /><br />If the male curve lies to the right of the female curve then the weakest man should be considerably stronger than the weakest women. However, Jordan clearly says that a man can be as weak as a woman&#8230; <i>Regarding the levels of male strength, while the weakest man and the weakest woman would be roughly equivalent&#8230; </i><br /><br />There is no merit to suggest that the difference is there but immeasurable because they&#8217;re so weak. They author wouldn&#8217;t equate the two if equality wasn&#8217;t really there. With this in mind, it is not a stretch to assume that although the peaks of the two graphs are found at different points, both sexes can be as weak or as strong as one another.<br /><br />You can view the proposed <a href="http://img320.imageshack.us/img320/6992/chartmm9.jpg" target="_blank">Strength Graph</a> <br /><br />All further comments refer to it. All further strengths are considered to be effective strengths from this point onwards i.e. males are equal to their raw strengths and females are equal to their raw strength with an additional multiplier of 1.25 to account for their superior dexterity. I generally refer to strengths from my old strength list in the <i>Comprehensive One Power strength list</i> but have added a multiplier to the women, and retained the old male strengths.<br /><br /><i><u>Female great strength&#8230; </u></i><br /><br />It seems that women experience a rapid peak in their strength at approximately 10 to 20 strength, then rapidly decrease in prevalence. By the time they are at Moiraine strength (31) they are already women of uncommon strength. Elayne mentions that not many women have Reanne&#8217;s strength, and she is about as strong as Sheriam (ACoS &#8211; A Door next to a Weaver).Yet women become stronger than this, but from this point on they become rare. Elayne has met many channelers already and she states that she is accustomed to only the Forsaken and Nynaeve exceeding her in strength (TPoD &#8211; Unweaving). She is astonished to find Seafolk who equal her, and one who exceeds her. Reanne is shocked to meet Elayne and Nynaeve too, and she has measured hundreds of channelers over the years. We even see that Aviendha is considered to be a Wise One of great strength (TFoH &#8211; Among the Wise Ones). Contrast this to the fact that Someryn, another Wise One, has never met a woman who was close to her in strength and is considered a threat by Graendal (ACoS &#8211; Patterns Within Patterns), and it is clear that Someryn is exceedingly rare compared even to Aviendha.<br /><br />In fact, only Sharina has managed to exceed Egwene out of all the women in Salidar. Therefore Elayne / Egwene / Aviendha level should be considered a woman of rare strength. Yet despite this, Elayne herself mentions that she is no match for the Forsaken who are much stronger than her.<br /><br />Therefore we introduce Nynaeve. By all accounts Nynaeve is much stronger than Elayne in the Power. Moiraine mentions that Nynaeve&#8217;s potential compared to Egwene is similar to a bonfire next to a candlelight (TGH &#8211; Summoned). When Egwene and Elayne are overwhelmed by Rand with the Power, they mention that he is profoundly stronger than them, and that maybe Nynaeve could stand against him (TSR &#8211; Playing with Fire). There therefore can be very little doubt that Nynaeve is much stronger than Elayne, Egwene and Aviendha. <br /><br />So what does this all mean? We have women like Elayne and Egwene who are very strong for women, rare in fact. Yet a woman who is much stronger than them exists, which already implies statistical aberration. And still the disturbing trend can go on. Sharina is stronger than Nynaeve (CoT &#8211; Secrets). Alivia is cited as being considerably stronger (WH &#8211; Seafolk and Kin). Nynaeve goes as far to say that Alivia is so strong that she could probably overwhelm Nynaeve no matter what she tried (WH &#8211; Ideas of Importance).<br /><br />To add another scale, Jordan also once answered that Nynaeve could match most of the female Forsaken in raw strength. We know that she exceeds Moghedien in strength, and considering Mesaana and Semirhage have been fairly accurately equated, it seems she sits at their level. Then we have Graendal who is probably stronger than the former three Forsaken mentioned. Then we have Cyndane who is stronger still, strong enough to elicit shock from Graendal (TPoD &#8211; New Alliances). There may have been only a handful of women as strong as Cyndane in the Age of Legends &#8211; especially considering she referred to her as a <i>remarkable find</i> and a strength which was <i>very rare indeed</i> in the Age of Legends. In the same chapter, Graendal also implies that Cyndane is much stronger than Moghedien. The ultimate evidence comes from the fact that Cyndane is weaker than her former self, Lanfear. Thus we have yet another <i>considerable</i> gap between a woman of very rare strength (Graendal) and an even stronger woman (Lanfear).<br /><br />By now a trend in prevalence, rather than a trend in great strength should be visible. Even though Elayne and Egwene constitute rare strength for women, we see time and again that strength in women makes unusual and almost unexplainable leaps to much higher levels. Just as you think you&#8217;ve found a top strength woman, another steps out in the series who considerably supercedes her. As demonstrated, this has happened several times in the series now.<br /><br /><i> Male great strength &#8230;. </i><br /><br />None of this means anything, unless a relative scale is provided. As proposed, males reach a later peak in strength, sitting at 30 to 50 strength before slowly declining. At a stage they start becoming rare, but I believe this stage occurs much later than in women.<br /><br />Consider that Rand al&#8217;Thor is the strongest possible male channeler. Not only has he a counterpart in the form of Ishamael, but he also has many males who are close on his heels in strength. These include Demandred, Taim, Logain, Aginor, Sammael and possibly even Rahvin. These men are often described as being close to him in strength, and most often from his own PoV. One can go even further and see that Ash&#8217;aman such as Narishma and Sandomere are weaker, but not considerably so (KoD &#8211; A Plain Wooden Box ). We even have evidence that Flinn may be at least as strong as Narishma and Sandomere (WH &#8211; With the Choedan Kal).<br /><br />Now contrast this to the women. Lanfear has no counterpart who is close to her in strength, and even with a drop in strength she exceeded Graendal. With Graendal exclaiming that her own strength was almost unparalleled by women in the Age of Legends, the stark contrast between men and women is obvious.<br /><br />It shouldn&#8217;t be a surprise that so many males are strong in the Power. Where males have strength, women have dexterity. This means that statistically males are more likely to be strong in the Power, because they are dependent on strength to function. Unlike women who are dependent on dexterity. Therefore a woman of very great strength is rarely born, because strength is not a prerequisite for female efficiency &#8211; dexterity is. The same is probably true for males and dexterity. A truly dextrous male is probably exceedingly rare, because dexterity is not an inherent condition to channeling with saidin, like strength is. (this will be discussed later).<br /><br /><b><u>Bringing it all together &#8230; </u></b><br /><br />It seems that the average man is much stronger than the average woman &#8211; more than twice as strong probably. Women peak at 10 to 20 strength and men peak at approximately 40 strength.<br /><br />Jordan states his opinion on the two strongest channelers&#8230;<br /><br /><i>Men can be much stronger than women in the pure quantity of the Power that they can channel, but on a practical level, women are much more deft in their weaving and that means the strongest possible woman can do just about anything that the strongest possible man could, and to the same degree. </i><br /><br />He reiterates his position later&#8230; <i>Regarding the levels of male strength, while the weakest man and the weakest woman would be roughly equivalent, you might say that there are several levels of male strength on top of the female levels. Remember to integrate this with what I've said elsewhere about effectiveness, though. </i><br /><br />Therefore the author considers dexterity to be an essential element when judging a channeler. He also equates the two top strength channelers. If males can be several levels stronger in raw strength, then it seems prudent to limit women to at least 80% of the top male&#8217;s raw strength. To allow her to match him in deed and magnitude, a multiplier of 1.25 floats her up to his strength. Conversely one could also provide a 20% penalty to all males signifying their lack of dexterity and reduce their scores, but this would be more difficult to interpret.<br /><br />The truth of the matter is that women can be as strong as men in every way in the One Power, but very rarely are. It is probably true that males are better at certain forms of channeling, and females better in certain fields. Yet can one think of a more elite group based on strength than the Forsaken? We see a wide range of female strength among the females, yet a close almost stacked hierarchy among the men. The following general strength hierarchy could be suggested&#8230;<br /><br /><u>Strength                           Males                         Females</u><br />0 to 10                         uncommon  (1 in 100)        frequent (many women)<br />10 to 20                       uncommon  (5 in 100)        most women <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/tinfoilhat.gif" border="0" />0 in 100)<br />20 to 30                       uncommon  (10 in 100)      uncommon (10 in 100)<br />30 to 40                       frequent      (20 in 100)       uncommon (5 in 100)<br />40 to 50                       many men   (40 in 100)       rare (1 in 1000)<br />50 to 60                       many men   (40 in 100)       very rare (1 in 10 000)<br />60 to 70                       some men    (10 in 100)      very rare (1 in 100 000)<br />70 to 80                       uncommon  (5 in 100)         very rare (1 in 250 000)<br />80 to 90                       uncommon  (1 in 100)         extreme rarity (1 in 1 000 000)<br />90 to 100                     rare (1 in 1000)                    extreme rarity (1 in 10 000 000)<br /><br />It is important to realize that rarity among males may be determined more by innate skill (dexterity) than by raw strength. The chances of encountering a strong man are far greater than encountering a strong woman. The list should definitely not be seen as an attempt to make strong women seem more special than strong men. Already the appalled masses can be heard to ask how the female Forsaken could possibly be rarer than Ishamael and Lews Therin. Actually there is nothing wrong with this. If men overall are so much stronger than women, it makes sense that more men will be very strong than women. All it really means is that encountering a woman with a strength of greater than 50 (Egwene) is a rare occurrence, much like encountering a man with true dexterity in saidin.<br /><br /><u><b>Implications and Explanations </b></u><br /><br />All of the above could easily explain most of the Forsaken quotes in the series, and the prevalences of the channelers.<br /><br />We already see prevalence takes a front seat in the actual numbers of the Forsaken. Out of the thirteen Chosen, eight are men and five are women. The thirteen are the best of their number, and the strongest. If the trend of vastly superior strength followed to the top levels, it would not explain the presence of female members. The members of the Shadow were encouraged to actively kill one another and remain the strongest. If men were twice as strong, or even 50% stronger than women, they would certainly not tolerate their presence in the Shadow. The deduction here is that although very strong women are extremely rare, these five women constitute that rarity, and thus are more than a match for the males. Jordan even said that in the War of Power, the Forsaken who permanently hosted the top echelons of the Shadow included Ishamael, Demandred, Sammael, Lanfear, Semirhage and Graendal &#8211; precise equality once again (Question of the Week). In fact, I believe the Forsaken list in its totality looks similar to this&#8230;<br /><br />Ishamael        100<br />Lanfear          100<br />Demandred    95 (see the later section on superstrength)<br />Cyndane        94<br />Sammael        93<br />Aginor            90<br />Rahvin            90<br />Graendal         88<br />Balthamel       85<br />Be&#8217;lal              85<br />Semirhage       81<br />Mesaana          81<br />Asmodean      80<br />Moghedien     63<br /><br />These numbers can explain most Forsaken quotes, but prevalence does dictate most of their logic.<br /><br />1. <i>Asmodean</i> taught Rand about the Power and said that women are generally weaker than men, and that two women need to be of sufficient strength and linked to match a man (TFoH &#8211; Pale Shadows). This has already been explained. He also mentions that Lanfear gave Rand a poor teacher because she wanted to be stronger than him this time round. Lanfear cannot limit Rand&#8217;s strength but she can limit his knowledge and skill. If Asmodean thought it absurd for a woman to think she could exceed a top strength male, he would certainly have said so. His omission implies that women can very well be as strong as that, but rarely are.<br /><br />2. <i>Rahvin</i> implies that he is strong enough to overwhelm Lanfear and Graendal (TFoH &#8211; Prologue). He also mentions that Sammael could. He may be correct, but only because none of the four are much weaker than the other, and therefore someone would have to win. The thirteen Forsaken are probably all strong enough to battle one another and win, with the possible exception of Moghedien. There is also the equal possibility that Rahvin doesn&#8217;t consider the fact that a woman might actually be as strong as him. With the extreme rarity of that level of woman, it is more than likely that he never met one of such strength. His comments are peculiar for several reasons. If he could overwhelm both women, then why did both of them sit higher than him in the Shadow for the War of Power? Secondly, why did he fill himself to his maximum with saidin when he heard a woman was behind him? If a woman could never approach his power, then why would he feel threatened? Clearly there is a contradiction here between his opinions and his own actions.<br /><br />3. <i>Moridin</i> does not make the same mistake (AcoS &#8211; Patterns within Patterns). He senses saidin in Sammael and when Graendal threatens to kill Sammael, he tenses. With two readied top strength channelers facing one another, he didn&#8217;t know who would win. This is probably the strongest evidence in the series that Sammael is certainly not &#8216;many levels&#8217; stronger than Graendal, but rather an equal. I personally believe their strength to be quite similar. Moridin would have thought Graendal mad if women really were so much weaker, and Sammael doesn&#8217;t ignore her imminent threat either.<br /><br />4. <i>Graendal</i> says that if Rahvin and Ishamael fell to Rand, she certainly would never face his strength. Considering Ishamael is as strong as their number gets, it is hardly a surprise that she wouldn&#8217;t want to face the Dragon Reborn.<br /><br />5. <i>Moghedien</i> tells Nynaeve that males are stronger, and that Rahvin and Lews Therin are much too dangerous for them to encounter (TFoH &#8211; The Threads Burn). With Moghedien&#8217;s strength in mind, this makes sense. Moghedien is also partially correct &#8211; men are generally stronger. However, Moghedien is probably no match for half the Black Tower&#8217;s members, compared to their raw strength. In fact, I believe that if Moghedien wasn&#8217;t a coward, she would have never been Chosen &#8211; she would have been openly assassinated by her much stronger peers. Why do you think we never see her at Forsaken meetings initially?&#8230; rather she always spies from TAR. Remember prevalence&#8230; without women of extreme rarity, men really are stronger. Moghedien sometimes makes broad statements &#8230; she later told Elayne that men are better in some forms of Healing, but without a doubt, these generalizations can be challenged by channelers like Semirhage for instance. Why else did Moghedien smile at the thought of Rahvin meeting Nynaeve unblocked (TSR &#8211; Veils)? I think nothing would give her greater pleasure than seeing a wilder like Nynaeve stand against Rahvin, especially if Moghedien trained her herself.<br /><br />6. We see <i>Graendal</i> name the Ash&#8217;aman <i>dangerous puppies</i> (TpoD &#8211; New Alliances). The Forsaken always show huge contempt for Aes Sedai and other female channelers, but there has never been a derisive comment regarding the Black Tower.<br /><br /><b><u>Superstrength </u></b><br /><br />Women get a bonus to their raw strength because of their natural dexterity, and men do not. Yet, what about men with unusual dexterity? A woman of very great raw strength is exceedingly rare, but what about a man of very great dexterity?<br /><br />It is possible that the greatest Aes Sedai e.g. Lews Therin exceeded the graphs for male dexterity. Although males may be limited to 80% of a woman&#8217;s dexterity, it&#8217;s stands that if a woman can break the strength rules then a man can on very rare occasions break the dexterity rules too. How else could this man be distinguished in a sea of male strength?<br /><br />For this reason, it is possible that Lews Therin, Ishamael, Demandred and perhaps the other top Forsaken have effective strengths which exceed 100, possibly 105 and 104 respectively. Likewise extreme dexterity may even be seen in women. I personally believe there is evidence that Semirhage is the most dextrous female Forsaken (TFoH &#8211; A Short Spear), and perhaps this could raise her effective strength from 81 to 85 or higher? Superstrength may even occur at lesser levels. An average man or woman who is very strong in all five Powers (an exceedingly rare event), may have an effective strength which is far greater than their predetermined strengths.<br /><br />All of these unusual skills should be taken into account while evaluating a channeler.<br /><br /><b><u>Summary and Implications</u></b><br /><br />1. Men are generally stronger than women in the Power.<br /><br />2. Women are generally more dextrous in their use of the One Power.<br /><br />3. Women of great strength are far less common than men of great strength.<br /><br />4. Superstrength is a possibility.<br /><br />5. If a woman comes across a man on the battlefield, there is a very good chance that she is in serious trouble. Even two women need sufficient strength to stand a chance, not even counting a woman&#8217;s natural weakness in Fire and Earth.<br /><br />6. If a man comes across a woman on the battlefield, he may naturally assume that he has a large advantage over her. This can land him in serious trouble if he is facing a woman such as Alivia or Egwene, who occasionally rear their head.<br /><br />7. The male Forsaken have probably never or very rarely met women who could match their strength, whereas the females have almost certainly met many men with rival strength. Females are probably far more cautious, as Graendal demonstrated, when walking around average channelers. In a group of 1000 women there might be 1 or zero women of great strength, whereas in a group of 1000 males, 10 or more may be dangerously strong.<br /><br />8. The strongest woman is a match for the strongest man, and the weakest man is also a match for the weakest woman.<br /><br />Comments?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-09-12 21:19:26
subject: A Witness To Rand and a Connection to the Bible
body:
<p> <br />The Return of Moiraine Damodred Based on the Biblical Character of Elijah<br /><br />Robert Jordan has based many of the ideas and characters of The Wheel of Time on various religions and myths of the &#8220;real world&#8221;. I propose in this theory to show that one of the inspirations for Moiraine Sedai of the Blue Ajah is the Biblical Old Testament Prophet Elijah. I think this will also give some inkling as to her function after her return.<br /><br />From our own Encyclopedia here at wotmania:<br /><br /><blockquote>Moiraine Damodred <br /><br />Aes Sedai are known for being cool, unflappable, and imposing. They command respect and fear. And Moiraine Damodred fits this mold more than most Aes Sedai. <br /><br />House Damodred has long been prominent in Cairhien, controlling the throne for many generations. Moiraine herself was Laman Damodred&#8217;s niece. But she left behind the life of a Cairhienin noble to become Aes Sedai. <br /><br />Moiraine was something of a prodigy in the White Tower. She arrived at the Tower with the potential to eventually become one of the strongest Aes Sedai alive. She also learned quickly, showing little fear and great skill in her lessons. <br /><br />Along with her good friend Siuan Sanche, Moiraine chose the Blue Ajah when she was raised to the shawl. Members of the Blue Ajah most often spend their energies on good causes and fighting the Shadow, and Moiraine was no exception. In fact, the battle she fought was more important than any other. She set about finding the boy who would grow to become the Dragon Reborn. Through the course of this search she met and bonded her Warder, a fierce Borderlander named Lan Mandragoran. <br /><br />After years of hunting she eventually found him, an eighteen year old boy named Rand al&#8217;Thor. She guided Rand through many initial dangers and decisions, though he often fought against what she thought best. Moiraine recognized the importance of this young man, and was willing to do anything to keep him alive. Despite their frequent arguments, Rand recognized both that Moiraine was an important and valuable asset to his cause and that she was only doing what she thought best. <br /><br />But Moiraine might very well have been killed in a battle with the Forsaken Lanfear. In the midst of their confrontation, they fell through the ter&#8217;angreal doorway leading to the land of the Aelfinn and Eelfinn. Lan certainly believes her to be dead, but there is also evidence that she may not have perished in her fight with Lanfear. <br /><br />Should Moiraine return, Rand would certainly welcome her back with open arms. Her vast knowledge and her skill with the One Power are sorely missed by those who fight against the Shadow. </blockquote><br /><br />A bit about Elijah from Wikipedia <b>(Old Testament):</b><br /><br /><blockquote>Elijah is first introduced in 1. 1 Kings 17:1 as delivering a message from God to Ahab, king of Israel in the first half of the ninth century BC. He is sometimes known as &quot;The Tishbite&quot;, being from the town of Tishbe.<br /><br />Having delivered his message to Ahab, he retired at the command of God to a hiding-place by the brook Cherith, beyond Jordan, where he was fed by ravens. When the brook dried up God sent him to the widow of Zarephath, a city of Zidon, from whose scanty store he was supported for the space of two years. During this period the widow's son died, and was restored to life by Elijah (1 Kings 17:2-24).<br /><br />During these two years a famine prevailed in the land. At the close of this period of retirement and of preparation for his work, Elijah met Obadiah, one of Ahab's officers, whom he had sent out to seek for pasturage for the cattle, and bade him go and tell his master that Elijah was there. The king came and met Elijah, and reproached him as the &quot;troubler of Israel&quot;. It was then proposed that sacrifices should be publicly offered, for the purpose of determining whether Baal or the Israelite God was the true God. This was done on Mount Carmel; the result was that a miracle took place convincing those watching that Baal was false and that the Israelite God YHWH, was the true and only God. The prophets of Baal were then put to death by the order of Elijah.<br /><br />Jezebel, enraged at the fate that had befallen her priests of Baal, threatened to put Elijah to death (1 Kings 19:1-13). He therefore fled in alarm to Beersheba, and went alone into the wilderness, and sat down in despondency under a juniper tree. As he slept, an angel touched him, and said unto him, &quot;Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.&quot; He arose and found a cake and a crust of water. Having partaken of the provision, he went forward on his way for forty days to Horeb, where he took residence in a cave. Here God appeared to him and said, &quot;What dost thou here, Elijah?&quot; In answer to Elijah's despondent words God manifests to him his glory, and then directs him to return to Damascus and anoint Hazael king over the Arameans (Syria), Jehu king over Israel, and Elisha to be prophet in his room (1 Kings 19:13-21; compare 2 Kings 8:7-15; 9:1-10).<br /><br />Some six years after this, he warned Ahab and Jezebel of the violent deaths they would die (1 Kings 21:19-24; 22:38 ). He also, four years afterwards, warned Ahaziah, who had succeeded his father Ahab, of his approaching death (2 Kings 1:1-16). During these intervals he probably withdrew to some quiet retirement, no one knew where. His interview with Ahaziah's messengers on the way to Ekron, and the account of the destruction of his captains with their fifties, suggest the idea that he may have been in retirement at this time on Mount Carmel. The Carmelites have a tradition that they were founded by Elijah at this time.<br /><br />The time now drew near when he was to be succeeded. In harmony with Elijah&#8217;s action in appointing Elisha years earlier, the time comes when Elijah must transfer the mantle of this prophetic office to Elisha.(2 Kings 2:1-13). He went down to Gilgal, where there was a school of the prophets, and where his successor Elisha resided. Elisha was solemnized by the thought of his master's leaving him, and refused to be parted from him. &quot;They two went on&quot;, and came to Bethel and Jericho, and crossed the Jordan, the waters of which were &quot;divided hither and thither&quot; when smitten with Elijah's mantle. Before leaving Elijah says &#8220;Ask what I should do for you before I am taken from you.&quot; Elisha asks for &quot;two parts in your spirit&quot;, the inheritance of a firstborn son (De 21:17). Arriving at the borders of Gilead, which Elijah had left many years before, it &quot;came to pass as they still went on and talked&quot; they were suddenly separated by a chariot and horses of fire; and &quot;Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha saw him go up and cried &quot;The Chariots and horses of Israel!&quot; &quot;Elisha receiving his mantle, which fell from him as he ascended. Elijah's chosen successor was the prophet Elisha; Elijah designated Elisha as such by leaving his mantle with him (2 Kings 2:13-15). Elijah did not die at this time, nor did he go into the invisible spirit realm. Elijah is simply transferred to another assignment, to wicked King Jehoram of Judah. Here he writes a letter to the King expressing God's condemnation, which soon is fulfilled (2Ch 21:7,12-20; 22:1; 1Ch 3:10, 11). We know these events take place after Elijah leaves Elisha due to the fact that King Jehoram ruled after the separation of Elijah and Elisha; for eight years starting from 913 B.C.E. at the age of 32 (2Ki 1:17; 8:16-17, 2Ch 21:1-3, 5, 20). This is in harmony with the fact that Elisha did not mourn for Elijah as was the custom for the dead in his day (Ge 23:2; 27:41; 37:33-35, Ps 35:14; Am 8:10; Zec 12:10; 2Sa 1:11, 12; Es 4:1; Jg 11:35; 2Ki 22:11, 19; 2Sa 13:19; 2Ki 6:30; Job 2:11, 12; 2Sa 15:30; 19:4; Job 1:20; Ezr 9:3; Jer 41:5; 2Sa 14:2; 19:24; Da 10:2,3; 2Sa 13:31; Job 2:8; Isa 3:26.Ecclesiastes 3:1,4). This also harmonizes with what Jesus said while he was on Earth, that none before him had ascended into heaven (Joh 3:13). Jews believe that the prophet Elijah will return to foretell the coming of the promised Messiah due to what the Prophet Malachi had said(Mal 4:5,6). </blockquote><br /><br />and also from Wikipedia <b>Elijah in New Testament</b>:<br /><br /><blockquote>None of the old prophets is so frequently referred to in the New Testament as is Elijah. The priests and Levites said to John the Baptist (John 1:25), &quot;Why, then, dost thou baptize, if thou art not the Christ, nor Elijah?&quot; Paul (Romans 11:2) refers to an incident in his history to illustrate his argument that God had not cast away His people that He foreknew. James (5:17) finds in him an illustration of the power of prayer. (See also Luke 4:25; 9:54.)<br /><br />John the Baptist shared several characteristics with Elijah: the reproofs of both were noted for their sternness and power (Luke 9: 8 ); and according to Matthew 11:11, John the Baptist was the Elijah that &quot;was to come&quot; (Matt. 11:11, 14). The also had &quot;the same connection with a wild and wilderness country; the same long retirement in the desert; the same sudden, startling entrance on his work (1 Kings 17:1; Luke 3:2); even the same dress, a hairy garment, and a leathern girdle about the loins (2 Kings 1:8; Matthew 3:4).&quot;<br /><br />Elijah appears in the Synoptic Gospels at the Transfiguration of Jesus. Jesus became vividly bright, and was accompanied by both Moses and Elijah. This event was witnessed by the apostles Peter, John, and James.<br /><br />Many Eastern orthodox theologians, along with modern Christian theologians of a conservative, pre-millennial perspective, believe that Elijah must return to physically die here on earth eventually, as one of the 'two witnesses' in the Book of Revelation. The second witness, according to Orthodox tradition, is the prophet Enoch, who like Elijah, did not taste death in his life, and so will taste death at the hands of Antichrist before the second coming of Christ. This plays into many eschatological scenarios, for these two are deemed forerunners to the second coming of Christ. Conservatives who come from amillennial or preterist positions would see John the Baptist as a fulfilment of this expectation. Christian theologians of a more liberal persuasion would interpret Elijah's eschatological significance in a less literal sense. Still others may cite Moses as the other witness, because it was he, not Enoch, who 'witnessed' the Transfiguration of Jesus along with Elijah in Luke 9:28 -30[1] They may also cite Revelation 11:6 as further evidence: &quot;These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.&quot; Moses could, and did, both turn water to blood and smite the earth with plagues using Aaron's rod in the book of Exodus.</blockquote><br /><br /><b> Moiraine as an Elijah Type</b><br /><br />1. Had a &quot;follower&quot; (Nynaeve) that would wind up a greater power (1 Kings call this a Double Portion)<br /><br />2. Will come back in a new role (See Mount of Transfiguration/ and some saw Elijah will be one of the 2 witnesses in Revelation.)<br /><br />3. Elijah anointed and directed kings<br /><br />4. Battled Jezebel. Jezebel = Lanfear<br /><br />5. Wanted to quit but Higher power would not allow<br /><br />6. Born to a life of privilege<br /><br />7. Will return ...after not having &quot;seen&quot; death<br /><br />8. Challenged and defeated priest of Baal/ Be'lal <br /><br />9. Felt was alone in the battle but not really -Elijah and the 7000 God had set apart= Cads, Verin, Siuan.etc.<br /><br />10. Desert time: Moiraine with the Aiel and the Rings, Elijah in the cave with God's &quot;Still small voice&quot;<br /><br />Okay...after all that reading here comes the theory part. <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/smile.gif" border="0" /><br /><br />Robert Jordan is a Son of the Southern United States and regardless of if his personal views on the matter are he had to have encountered either in his studies for WoT material or just by living here in the South.<br /><br />I see Moiraine&#8217;s return connected with Elijah in the following ways:<br /><br />1. She &#8220;died&#8221; but did not die. (Elijah rode the whirlwind to heaven.)<br /><br />2. She will return (as Elijah does on the Mount of Transfiguration) to stand beside the Savior.<br /><br />3. Here comes the big one: Many believe that Elijah will be one of the 2 Witness to come from the Book of the Revelation and be far more empowered than his last earthly work. Moiraine will return from captivity/being thought dead bearing much knowledge (or a greater OP strength) <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" /> that will make her far more powerful and dangerous. She will then spend much time &#8220;proclaiming&#8221; the Dragon&#8217;s wishes to those that will not wish to hear them. (Perhaps as an Ambassador of some type or even as a Regent.)<br /> <br />So...How about it? Is there some possible connection between the stories of Elijah and how Moiraine will be made use of once she returns?<br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-09-13 04:58:54
subject: Order vs. Chaos: The Last Battle
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<p>I think the sealing of the Bore will depend not on some extraordinary feat with the OP, but on how well Rand and co. are able to unite the world to fight the Last Battle. Let me explain:<br /><br />As we know, the Pattern is not sentient. Like the Creator, it does not directly intervene. But it does spin out ta'veren to re-orient the world, where people and events are shaped by the ta'veren, who in turn are being shaped by the Pattern itself.<br /><br />As Loial says in TGH: <br /><br />&quot;For a time, the wheel will bend the pattern around you three, whatever you do. And whatever you do is more likely to be chosen by the wheel than by you. Ta'veren pull history along behind them and shape the pattern just by being, but the wheel weaves Ta'veren on a tighter line than other men.&quot;<br /><br />In this sense, the Pattern acts like an &quot;unseen hand&quot; that guides people and events toward achieving certain outcomes. <br /><br />And that unseen hand, I believe, is guiding humanity toward a sealing of the Bore, because the Dark One is a direct threat to the Pattern itself. <br /><br />One way to look at it may be that the Pattern represents order, and the Dark One represents disorder, or chaos. In this way, the Dark One's prison is the Pattern itself, and the Dark One will only truly be free when he and his minions have succeeded in completely disrupting the world to such an extent that the Pattern starts to unravel. When that happens, the Wheel is destroyed -- and nothing exists except for Shai'tan himself. <br /><br />Herid Fel said that to seal the Bore, Rand first had to clear away the rubble. I think this applies both to the seals as well as the many customs and barriers present in the world. With both, the Dark One will initially grow stronger, as there will be more chaos. We've already seen many instances of this, as well as the 'old saying' about letting the Lord of Chaos rule. <br /><br />But if the world unites behind the Dragon, and then defeats the Forsaken, the Darkfriends, and the Shadowspawn, then there will be no human agents of the Shadow left in the Pattern. Order will triumph over Chaos, and the Pattern will, in effect, seal the Bore itself. <br /><br />I think this is as much a social/religious achievement as it is a military one. Rand and co. need not only to raise armies strong enough to do battle, but they also need to inspire the people of the world to believe in the Light. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-09-14 08:22:39
subject: The New Forsaken Alliance
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<p>For the longest time, I believed that Semirhage's attack on Rand was a feint. It was too inconsistent for a real plan. I thought that Semirhage meant to be taken. However, many have stated that Semirhage would never allow herself to be made captive- something I find reasonable. However, the way the action occurred, I did not agree- until now. Thanks to Lord General Cauthon, sidious, and Etzel, who have all made me rethink a lot of things.<br /><br />I do not believe that Semirhage allowed herself to be taken captive. I believe that it was Aran'gar POSING as Semirhage (Jordan even tells us that it could have been saidin Anath was using). I believe that this is her big gambit that will end in the Seanchan attack on the WT, and a deadly enemy in Rand's camp. (All citations are from the paperback editions save KoD.)<br /><br />First off, why do I recant, say that I could have been 1000 percent wrong on the Semirhage capture? Well, Semirhage says that &quot;She would kneel if need be, for as long as need be, but she would not be sacrificed&quot; (LoC, p. 190). That was the line that always haunted me. So, Semirhage's personality does not allow for her potential death. (Perhaps not even a face to face confrontation with Rand.) Why then Aran'gar? Well, he/she is more of a risk-taker. Osan'gar thinks about Aran'gar, while in SH's clutches that &quot;She was going to do something reckless...there had always been a problem in that regard. Lanfear seemed cautious by contrast&quot; (LoC, p. 71). So a capture works much better with her personality. She's somewhat unbalanced.<br /><br />So where does Aran'gar begin with her plan? Let's start with her 'game.' At the FO garden party, Moridin says that someone has been posing as Sammael, and Aran'gar thinks that &quot;She would like very much to know who had begun playing her own game&quot; (KoD, p.147). We mostly assume that it means posing as one of the FO, not just posing as someone else. Etzel does a nice job on stating that Aran'gar could have been posing as Demandred to one of the rebel Asha'man who blew their cover and were trying to kill Rand (see Aran'gar's Game). I initially agreed with that theory as well (and still might). However, it is possible that Osan'gar tried to play double-duty, and posed as Demandred, or that Aran'gar posed as Demandred, then later as Semirhage. The concept of a game does not mean that it is a one time deal, nor does it mean that one might not pose as several different characters. I will lay out my argument for Aran'gar as Semirhage, but would like to make it clear that I am aware of that original argument (potentially contrary to mine) and that I am willing to put forth evidence that definitely supports my theory, and is not just based on supposition.<br /><br />Aran'gar is ambitious, having played the game of posing as another FO. But she is also jealous. Again, the FO garden party has her join up with Graendal, since neither has an alliance against the powerful trio of Demandred, Mesaana and Semirhage. However, Aran'gar thinks of &quot;How wonderful it would be if she could find a way to split that threesome apart&quot; (KoD, pp. 144-145). So we know that Aran'gar has ambitions to drive a wedge between at least two of those members.<br /><br />Who does she choose? Semirhage. First, there is a connection between the two. Semirhage tortures an Aes Sedai in a very important scene. An Aes Sedai named Cabriana Mecandes (LoC, p. 187). And where is the next time that we hear Cabriana's name? When Aran'gar shows up in the rebel Aes Sedai camp (LoC, pp. 606-609). Aran'gar is using the story of being Cabriana's friend as her cover with the rebel Aes Sedai. Further, she knows that Cabriana is dead and cannot overturn Aran'gar's claims. So, it's possible just from that for us to think that Aran'gar knows Semirhage is with the Seanchan. Further, we have that statement about breaking up the D-S-M threesome.<br /><br />The full quote is Aran'gar wondering &quot;Could Mesaana actually have based herself inside the White Tower?&quot; which is immediately followed by her thoughts about breaking up the threesome. So, if Aran'gar starts thinking that Mesaana is in the WT, then begins scheming to take down the trio, we must wonder what else Aran'gar knows.<br /><br />She can't already know about Mesaana if she only accepts it at that point, so we're left with Demandred and Semirhage. While we can only speculate on where Demandred is, we have Aran'gar's constant thoughts about him being too dangerous, even to bed (KoD, p. 141). We do have some insight into her knowledge about the Seanchan, however, and the fact that they'll clash with the WT. We even have some insight into Aran'gar's plans involving Egwene's 'rescue' (KoD, p. 145), which directly correlates to the Seanchan, and we know that Semirhage is with the Seanchan, so it seems very likely that Aran'gar's plan involves breaking up Semirhage and an already jumpy Mesaana, through the use of &quot;primitive cultures&quot; in the forms of the Aes Sedai and the Seanchan, a talent which Aran'gar admits (KoD, p. 143). But how do we know about Aran'gar's knowledge about the Seanchan/WT attack?<br /><br />Aran'gar states about her powers in TAR that &quot;Her abilities were not as large as some- she could not find Egwene's dreams without the girl right beside her-&quot; ( KoD, p.143). And in CoT, we find that Egwene, finally attaining one of her true dreams, in the absence of one of Aran'gar's headache-related massages, sees several things. She sees Mat, then a Seanchan woman who saves her, then a horrendous attack on the WT by the Seanchan. I think that it is safe to say that Mat's part of her dreams was not seen by Halima, since that was the first dream, and Egwene woke up to an entry flap opening in her tent at the end of her dreams( CoT, pp. 573-577). However, Aran'gar is able to see or know about the Seanchan woman that saves Egwene because of Aran'gar's obstinacy towards Mesaana in KoD, pp 145-146. Aran'gar badgers Mesaana about the whereabouts of Egwene. It is my interpretation that Aran'gar wants her because of the true dream that Aran'gar knows about. Egwene's whereabouts are vital to the initiation of the Seanchan attack.<br /><br />Further, right after Egwene wakes up from the true dream, she finds that Halima has turned up. And when Halima asks if Egwene is awake, she sounds &quot;...wound up tight, almost excited&quot; as if she had just found out something huge- which I believe she had (CoT, p.577). So Halima at least knows about the attack on the WT, but due to her insistence in KoD to find out Egwene's whereabouts, and &quot;rescue&quot; her, as Mesaana accuses her of desiring, I believe that she also knows about the Seanchan that will save Egwene.<br /><br />So, Aran'gar posed as Semirhage as a means of attacking the WT and breaking up the trio? But didn't the DotNM meeting get arranged way back before the garden party? Yes. However, Aran'gar knew about the Seanchan attack before the first meeting with just Bashere. And, the meeting was incredibly secret. Bashere reports that the High Lady Suroth didn't want him or Loial to talk to any other Seanchan, and that all of their servants were mutes. This was the way it was for both of Bashere's meetings (KoD, p. 425). Why is it that none of the Seanchan can know? Why are all of the servants mutes? Is it because Semirhage doesn't want a missing DotNM to find out, or because Aran'gar doesn't want Semirhage to find out? I believe the latter.<br /><br />But didn't Semirhage send the Trollocs through the Ways in order to kill Rand, or keep him off balance for the meeting with the DotNM? Well, the bulk of evidence says that Semirhage did it. And why? Because of the meeting as the DotNM. If Semirhage didn't arrange the meeting with Rand, then we can transfer all of the conjecture onto whomever did. But didn't Aran'gar wonder who did it? Yes, but Aran'gar also made an alliance with Graendal. So Graendal did it? Yes, and I'll even try to explain the strange numbers that have not satisfactorily been cleared up concerning Trollocs.<br /><br />Again, the garden party. Moridin states that &quot;...a hundred Myrdraal and thousands of Trollocs...&quot; were sent into the Ways (KoD, p.147).  However, the numbers that actually come at Rand are &quot;...maybe a hundred thousand Trollocs...&quot; (KoD, p. 416 ). This discrepancy has eluded me for awhile. However, the way I see it, someone, maybe several of the FO, have been using Sammael's guise in order to bolster their numbers for the Last Battle. It has been an ongoing enterprise. Graendal, formerly allied with Sammael, has no problem with looting Illian after he's gone (tPoD, p. 288 ). She knows that he's absent, and so can pose as Sammael. However, she wasn't going to attack Rand immediately with those Trollocs. Not then and there. That makes no sense. It does make sense if she's been hoarding up a huge amount of shadowspawn, and then sees a reason for an attack. So what changes inbetween the small shipment of a thousand Trollocs through the Ways and the hundred thousand Trollocs that attack Rand? Aran'gar and Graendal make an alliance. Not only do they make an alliance, but if I'm right, then Aran'gar will be meeting with Rand, and so would appreciate a little bit of Trolloc attack on Rand.<br /><br />The problem we have with saying that it was Semirhage instead of Aran'gar is that if she decided to attack Rand with Trollocs, then later met with him as the DotNM, then why is there a discrepancy with the Trolloc numbers? With Aran'gar and Graendal, we have Graendal as a candidate for posing as Sammael since she's already stolen from him and knows that he's gone (something that not every FO knows, like Aran'gar). Then, because of the difference in numbers, we have the fact that Aran'gar and Graendal make an alliance inbetween the two events- Trollocs moved and Trollocs attacking. The only viable explanation I can see is that Aran'gar's plan spawned the attack, something that wouldn't have happened at the time otherwise.<br /><br />So now we get to it- was Semirhage actually the one at the DotNM meeting? I believe that Aran'gar posed as Semirhage for several reasons (the timing for her flight from the rebel Aes Sedai camp works out perfectly (KoD, p. 499)). First, Semirhage's character doesn't seem one that would attack Rand like that. It's too brazen. Her style is subtle.When torturing Cabriana, she gets hurried by SH, and makes a 'vexed' sound, thinking &quot;There was no finesse in this. She did not like having to hurry&quot; (LoC, p.187). A frontal assault on the Dragon Reborn does not seem her MO. Further, we get other clues. Semirhage is careful in her plans. She likes to make things perfect. However, when Rand approaches the manor (in an area that the Seanchan do not possess (KoD, p. 425)), he thinks &quot;No one seemed agitated or frightened, though, just going about their day's work. Rumors of an army in the region surely would have upset them, and rumors of that sort spread like wildfire. Strange. The Seanchan could not Travel and arrive without news speeding ahead of them. It was very strange&quot; (KoD p. 585). Everyone suspected a trap because of these subconscious clues: Alivia, Nandera, Bashere, LTT, everyone. Alivia points out that the DotNM is the heir to the Seanchan throne, something that puts Rand's back up. The FO should know that Rand has some captured Seanchan. Why would careful Semirhage let simple things like this slip?<br /><br />Then we get to the actual battle. Now many have said that this was a trap throughout MULTIPLE theories. I concur. I would also like to add some other things. The sad bracelets were laid out like bait (didn't Halima leave the rebel Aes Sedai camp with large bundles? (KoD, p. 499)). They require two women to use. Why would Semirhage have them there if she could not immediately use them? None of her damane or sul'dame thought she could channel. It would not have been a ready ploy. So it only stands as condemning evidence. Then, there's the fact that Anath (whomever that may be) showed the Seanchan a Gateway. After the battle, Falendre states that &quot;She [Anath] took us to a room in the Tarasin Palace where there was a...a hole in the air, and we stepped through to this place...&quot; (KoD, p. 593). If Semirhage were to lose, (she never used balefire on Rand), and at least one of the Seanchan were questioned, then the Gateway would have come up. Rand's first instinct would be the FO, since the Seanchan can't Travel. Anath could have very easily have been checked for any kind of MoM. (Aran'gar, since she already pretended to be found out as Semirhage, would probably not be checked for MoM, since Rand thinks he already knows her identity, and Aran'gar can use saidin, which no one will think about.)<br /><br />But what about the ter'angreal? Let's look closely at those ter'angreal. The first thing that we find out when Rand's party meets the fake DotNM, is that &quot;One of them is channeling.&quot; However, we also find out from the AUTHOR that &quot;Her [Nynaeve's] ter'angreal could not tell whether it was saidin or saidar being channeled, but it was unlikely to be a man&quot; (KoD, p. 587). This seems like a huge clue that it was in fact Aran'gar, someone who could channel saidin. We all just assume that it's saidar. But the author tells us that it could be either. And as for Semirhage's flicker, we believe that one of Cadsuane's or Nynaeve's ter'angreals caused that. However, we get no admission from either that that is the case. For all we know, Aran'gar could have allowed the flicker. I point this out because we just don't know much about what happens here. Rand, our PoV, gets knocked down early, suspiciously in my book. We don't know if the ter'angreals affect saidin and saidar the same way, or what level of the MoM could have been affected. The author's earlier statement about the ambiguity of their use leads me to believe that we can't assume with some of these ter'angreal. Cadsuane doesn't even know what all of hers do.<br /><br />As for layers of MoM, there was an earlier theory about that. First off, Lanfear, in the Aiel Waste (tSR) pretends to be Keile, a fat, short woman. Later, we learn that Graendal makes a change that could potentially be more useful. &quot;One touch would prove the angular contours of what was not hers- only the most subtle use of illusion could pass that test...&quot; (LoC, Threads Woven of Shadow). So we have the concept of illusion (Lanfear as Selene was certainly touched), not just MoM, that goes undeveloped. Thus far. And since everyone thinks that it's Semirhage, they don't check for saidin. (And Rand's group of AS do not know about the weave to tell if a man is channeling. Maybe Aran'gar just tied off an inverted weave.)<br /><br />But wouldn't Rand have sensed saidin in that fireball? Well, aside from being possibly inverted, Rand happens to be fighting LTT for control of the power at the moment (KoD, p. 588 ). So Rand's PoV isn't sane. Afterward, he &quot;Abruptly&quot; came to realize that saidin AND saidar were being flung around. Again, more ambiguity on the saidin/saidar usage.<br /><br />Finally, look at the way Semirhage is ONLY shielded (with Min's knife sticking out- but Min is special since she's in love with Rand). No one thought to attack or defend against Semirhage's attacks? What if she only threw a quick fireball (not balefire) at Rand because of his LTT recognition and insanity that might have killed her then and there? What if she didn't channel after that, didn't put up a fight so as to provoke any more than her shielding? It makes sense since Nynaeve comments that '&quot;She [Anath/&quot;Semirhage&quot;/Aran'gar] shouted for them to shield us&quot;' but never mentions anything about her attacks, or using crazily inverted special weaves (KoD, p. 594). Some ask 'how did she know she would only be shielded and not killed?' I ask, why was she only shielded? Even if she meant to kill Rand, which seems unlikely given a lame fireball, then why wasn't she killed in that battle?<br /><br />And let's say that the plan was to kill Rand. It was not to get captured. Who would be more willing to face Rand in person? Semirhage states that she won't be sacrificed. She'll bow to the Nae'blis, but she won't throw her life away on some fifty-fifty chance. Aran'gar, however, is more apt to taking risks. We know this since she admits to parading as other FO. Osan'gar thinks that Aran'gar has a known issue of being impulsive. If Aran'gar's cover were blown at the rebel AS camp, wouldn't she be willing to go back to Plan B and meet with the Dragon Reborn? Perhaps. I'd say much more likely than Semirhage, any day.<br /><br />So, I think that Aran'gar was posing as Semirhage, posing as Anath, since the battle, the way the trap was laid, and the risks do not cry out Semirhage. Rather, the clues, such as the ter'angreal not distinguishing between saidin and saidar, and the ambiguity of the battle, point to someone else. The saidin points specifically to Aran'gar. The Trolloc attack and the variant numbers involved, I think, points to the Graendal-Aran'gar alliance. Aran'gar started her game as Semirhage in order to gain a meeting with Rand. Then she joined up with Graendal and tried to attack Rand with Trollocs. Aran'gar later had to flee the rebel Aes Sedai camp, and so goes back to her original plan. This time, she has an accomplice, so plans for getting captured. But to what end?<br /><br />I think that Aran'gar, wielding saidin, might get her chance to kill Rand. Something that she mentioned desiring at the end of the garden party chapter. And what of Graendal? Well, she gets to start up the Seanchan attack on the WT, while Aran'gar keeps Rand distracted from matters over there. I've already mentioned Aran'gar's interest in Egwene's whereabouts. This might be necessary for the setup of the Seanchan attack. Though, it might not be. All we know is that Aran'gar probably had that attack in mind while asking about Egwene. So what can Graendal do with Aran'gar temporarily occupied? Open a Gateway.<br /><br />One of the things that makes Rand suspect a trap is that the Seanchan can't Travel. That doesn't stop them, since Anath makes a Gateway for them. But the Aes Sedai also believe that the Seanchan can't Travel. One of the things that Aran'gar did to cement her story in the rebel camp was to kill Anaiya and Kairen, Cabriana's closest friends. However, Anaiya was also the only one who was oath-rod capable of proving Egwene a dreamer for the Seanchan attack. The reactions from the Sisters that Sheriam gives Egwene concerning the Seanchan threat is that &quot;...the Seanchan are a thousand miles away, they don't know how to Travel, and if they start marching on Tar Valon, we'll [SAS] learn of it before they're within two hundred leagues&quot; (CoT, pp. 774-775). Given the way Anath's group Traveled undetected, this seems too perfect. And who is situated near some Seanchan? Graendal.<br /><br />Last seen (not including the party), Graendal is in Arad Doman. She also happens to have the Wolf fighting, and aggravating, the Seanchan in those lands. With the Seanchan so close, Graendal need only open a Gateway to Tar Valon nearby. Would the Seanchan armies frown upon a hole in the air with the WT half a mile away? I think not. Aran'gar knows about the attack. Graendal is allied with Aran'gar. Is it too much of a stretch to say that Graendal, in Aran'gar's absence, will catalyze the huge fight? I mean, how were the Seanchan supposed to attack the WT short of FO intervention? The only other way would be if one of the BA showed them a Gateway. I doubt that Alviarin, the only one who can Travel at this point, would want to give them that ability. And I don't believe that Mesaana even knows about the Seanchan attack since she doesn't think the rebels can last against the Tower. I don't think that the Seanchan figure into her plans at all. Aran'gar, however, knows about it, and Graendal, her ally, can facilitate it.<br /><br />Finally, we go back to Aran'gar's plan to break up the threesome of D-S-M. If Semirhage is in charge of the Seanchan, newly re-established with Tuon to overpower Anath's free-reign, would Mesaana find it appalling that the Seanchan have attacked her WT? She might get a little upset. Then, Mesaana, her position already deteriorating after her meeting with SH, might lash out. And once an alliance is broken, you can't turn on your former partners fast enough. Back to the garden party (last time, I swear) Mesaana tells Aran'gar that she needs to sow more dissenion. Semirhage adds that  &quot;Dissension was always something she was good at&quot; while Demandred laughs (KoD, p. 145). What could be more rife with irony than having the Seanchan attack the WT, which I'm pretty sure Mesaana doesn't know about since she ardently desires to the have the rebel camp stay above water (she doesn't know how the Aes Sedai will last, much less the effect of Seanchan on the equation). With the WT and the Seanchan fighting, Semirhage and Mesaana might go at it, and Demandred, not to be taken at unawares, uses Taim and the BT to enter prematurely. We get the huge battles which needs to take place, and all because Aran'gar wanted to break up the trio.<br /><br />Conclusion:<br /><br />1- Semirhage's personality does not make her one to face the Dragon Reborn in person<br /><br />2- Aran'gar has specific knowledge about the Seanchan attack, and her comments about breaking up the threesome coincide perfectly with the attack on the WT<br /><br />3- The Trolloc attack makes sense (in terms of the numbers involved) only with the Aran'gar-Graendal alliance.<br /><br />4- Anath's CAPTURE makes more sense if a female wielding saidin is the captured FO, and Jordan leaves it open with what half of the power is being channeled<br /><br />(when i wanna make a gateway...)<br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-10-23 08:09:56
subject: Fun With Fades and Fowl
body:
<p>This theory will seek to resolve the mysteries surrounding the uncanny connection between Myrddraal and chickens. Why? Why did the chicken cross the road? Was it <i>just</i> to get to the other side, <i>or</i> were there more sinister forces at work, like meeting someone or <i>something</i> on the other side? Which came first; the chicken, the egg, or the Halfman? These are questions that have been plaguing mankind for years, and I believe I have unscrambled some of the clues. Join me as I break a few eggs.<br /><br />First, a short refresher course on Myrddraal is in order. From our own WoTFAQ:<br /> <br /><i>&#8220;The Myrddraal are known by many names, among them Shadowmen, Halfmen, Fades, and Neverborn&#8221;&#8230;.. &#8220;The stories hold that they are twenty feet tall, and disappear when they turn sideways. <br />While these stories are untrue, the truth is bad enough. They have tall, muscular bodies, and <b>move with a serpent&#8217;s speed and grace. Their skin is a pale white, and a Halfman could almost be mistaken for a man except for the lack of eyes. However, this lack does not hinder them - they see like eagles in even the deepest night.</b> <br /><br /> <b>The Myrddraal can in fact disappear wherever shadows exist, and move to another shadow far away</b>. None understand how this is done. <b>Aginor believed that the Fades might be slightly shifted out of phase with reality.</b> Halfmen appear as misty blurs in a mirror, and <b>their dead black cloaks are not touched by even the strongest wind.</b> Their only known weakness is running water, which will cause an end to any casual pursuit. <br /><br /><b>The eyeless gaze of a Fade inspires fear in even the bravest of warriors. It is this ability to cause fear which makes them excellent commanders of Trollocs. In addition, the Myrddraal have the ability to link with a number of Trollocs, taking control of their minds and wills. However, the death of this Myrddraal means the simultaneous deaths of all the Trollocs it is linked to.</b> <br /><br />The Myrddraal do not use the same crude weapons and armor as their Trolloc parents. Instead, <b>they wear black plate armor</b>, which enhances their serpentlike appearance. The Halfmen wield swords made at Thakan&#8217;dar, near the entrance to the Pit of Doom. Each sword is quenched in the tainted streams of Shayol Ghul and seasoned with a human soul. A wound inflicted by one of these blades always proves fatal unless the One Power is used to Heal the victim.&#8221;</i><br /> <br />From Demandred we also know this:<br /><i>&#8220;Every Myrddraal was the height of a tall man, a sinuous imitation of a man, <b>as alike as though cast in one mold.</b> This one stood head and shoulders taller.&#8221;</i> LoC, prologue. (This exception being Shaidar Haran.)<br /><br /><br /><br />From Lan we learn this:<br /><br /> <i>&#8220;Fades are Trolloc spawn, throwbacks almost to the <b>human stock</b> the Dreadlords used to make the Trollocs. Almost. But if the human strain is made stronger, so is the taint that twists the Trollocs.&#8221;</i> tEotW chapter 8<br /><br />And from Thom we get this:<br /><br /><i><b>&#8220;Around the humans Trollocs fell writhing to the ground, tearing at their hair, clawing their own faces. All of the Trollocs. Biting at the ground, snapping at nothing, howling, howling, howling.<br />Then Rand saw the Myrddraal. Still upright in the saddle of its madly dancing horse, black sword still flailing, it had no head.&quot;It won't die until nightfall,&quot;</b> Thom had to shout, between heavy breaths, over the unrelenting screams. &quot;Not completely. That is what I've heard, anyway.&quot;</i> tEotW chapter 18<br /><br />Aha! This last highlighted section is what ignited my fiery imagination and set the wheels turning, churning up dust and smoke in their wake. (At least that&#8217;s the way I envisioned it.) <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" /> <br /><br /><i>A headless being that refuses to die?</i> Why did that sound so familiar? It took me only a little while to recall a childhood memory of an event that was etched into my mind at the ripe old age of 8. <i>My father striding through the house, a determined look on his face, and a gleaming axe in his hand. Out the door and into the backyard he went, while I followed a safe distance behind, stopping, and then staring wide-eyed behind the mulberry tree as I witnessed the slaughter. One after another, a chicken was grasped by the neck, a quick shake to break it, then the glint of steel before the axe descended to deliver the killing stroke.</i><br /> <br />For a young boy, it was a rather frightening spectacle to witness. Yet, the one thing that stood out more than any other was the chicken&#8217;s reaction once it was beheaded - as each bird was released, it would flap its wings wildly and run - tripping over anything that got in its path - right itself, and run some more! <br /><br />That memory sent me searching for more information about headless chickens, and this is what I found:  <br /> <br /><i>&#8220;September 10th, 1945 finds a strapping (but tender) five and a half month old Wyandotte rooster pecking through the dust of Fruita, Colorado. The unsuspecting bird had never looked so delicious as he did that, now famous, day. Clara Olsen was planning on featuring the plump chicken in the evening meal. Husband Lloyd Olsen was sent out, on a very routine mission, to prepare the designated fryer for the pan. Nothing about this task turned out to be routine. Lloyd knew his Mother in Law would be dining with them and would savor the neck. He positioned his ax precisely, estimating just the right tolerances, to leave a generous neck bone. &quot;It was as important to Suck-Up to your Mother in Law in the 40's as it is today.&quot; Askillful blow was executed and the chicken staggered around like most freshly terminated poultry. Then the determined bird shook off the traumatic event and never looked back. Mike (it is unclear when the famous rooster took on the name) returned to his job of being a chicken. He pecked for food and preened his feathers just like the rest of his barnyard buddies. When Olsen found Mike the next morning, sleeping with his &quot;head&quot; under his wing, he decided that if Mike had that much will to live, he would figure out a way to feed and water him. With an eyedropper Mike was given grain and water. It was becoming obvious that Mike was special. A week into Mike's new life Olsen packed him up and took him 250 miles to the University of Utah in Salt Lake City . The skeptical scientists were eager to answer all the questions regarding Mike's amazing ability to survive with no head. It was determined that ax blade had missed the jugular vein and a clot had prevented Mike from bleeding to death. Although most of his head was in a jar, most of his brain stem and one ear was left on his body. Since most of a chicken's reflex actions are controlled by the brain stem Mike was able to remain quite healthy. In the 18 MONTHS that Mike lived as &quot;The Headless Wonder Chicken&quot; he grew from a mere 2 1/2 lbs. to nearly 8 lbs. In a Gayle Meyer interview Olsen said Mike was a &quot;robust chicken - a fine specimen of a chicken except for not having a head.&quot; Some longtime Fruita residents, gathered at the Monument Cafe for coffee, also remember Mike - &quot;he was a big fat chicken who didn't know he didn't have a head&quot; - &quot;he seemed as happy as any other chicken.&quot; Mike's excellent state of health made it difficult for animal-rights activists to garner much of a following. Even now the town of Fruita celebrates Mike's impressive will to live, not the nature of his handicap. Miracle Mike took on a manager, and with the Olsens in tow, set out on a national tour. Curious sideshow patrons in New York , Atlantic City , Los Angeles , and San Diego lined up to pay 25 cents to see Mike. The &quot;Wonder Chicken&quot; was valued at $10,000.00 and insured for the same. His fame and fortune would earn him recognition in Life and Time Magazines. It goes without saying there was a Guinness World Record in all this. While returning from one of these road trips the Olsens stopped at a motel in the Arizona desert. In the middle of the night Mike began to choke. Unable to find the eyedropper used to clear Mike's open esophagus Miracle Mike passed on.&#8221;</i><br /> <br />With that story, this theory practically took on a life of its own. With more research, the overwhelming evidence kept mounting. We can enumerate each highlighted section from above, make an obvious association, and connect the clues to reach a logical conclusion.<br /> <br /><b>Fact:</b> Myrddraal don&#8217;t die immediately, even after decapitation. (They can continue to swing their sword and remain astride a horse.)<br /><br /><b>Similarity:</b> Chickens don&#8217;t die immediately after being beheaded, either. (They don&#8217;t ride horses, but have been known to run around and trip over stuff.)<br /> <br /><b>Fact:</b> A Halfman could almost be mistaken for a man except for the lack of eyes. (The lack of eyes is kind-of a dead give-away.)<br /><br /><b>Similarity:</b> A headless chicken also has no eyes. (The lack of a head is kind-of a dead give-away.)<br /> <br /><b>Fact:</b> Myrddraal see like eagles in even the deepest night. (Eagles sleep at night and hunt during the day. It doesn&#8217;t really take much to outdo their night-vision.)<br /><br /><b>Similarity:</b> Chickens are the &#8220;eagles&#8221; of the barnyard. (Chickens sleep at night, too. However, they are known to get a little restless on Saturday night, since Sunday's dinner is often known to include them on the menu.) <br /> <br /><b>Fact:</b> Myrddraal don&#8217;t have a sense of humor or show amusement, so they don&#8217;t smile. (This excludes Shaidar Haran who performs a nightly stand-up routine at the Nine Horse Hitch. After trying several failed tag-lines, he finally settled on; &#8220;Talk to the Hand&#8221;.)<br /><br /><b>Similarity:</b> Chickens, headless or otherwise, don&#8217;t have lips, so they can&#8217;t smile either. (Interesting side note; on episode 145 of &#8220;Seinfeld&#8221;, Kramer buys a chicken and names it after the stand-up comic.)<br /> <br /><b>Fact:</b> Lurks and Gray Men are denied dreams. (This could simply be an indication they are married. This is universally known to squash any hopes or dreams.)<br /><br /><b>Similarity:</b> Chickens, while aspiring to accomplish greater ideals, don&#8217;t marry or dream about much beyond their next meal. <br /> <br /><b>Fact:</b> Myrddraal are as alike as though cast in one mold. (Anyone here old enough to remember Creepy Crawlers?)<br /><br /><b>Similarity:</b> Remove the feathers from a chicken and you can&#8217;t tell one from another. (And they can feel sort of rubbery like Creepy Crawlers, too.) <br /> <br /><b>Fact:</b> A Fades&#8217; skin is a pale white. (Probably due to spending too much time in the Shadow.)<br /><br /><b>Similarity:</b> A naked chicken is also white. (No doubt due to being plucked.)<br /> <br /><b>Fact:</b> Fades wear black plate armor. (Sounds kinky. Ever wonder what they wear underneath that armor? )<br /><br /><b>Similarity:</b> Some chickens have black feathers. (Uncanny visual resemblance, isn&#8217;t it? Now you&#8217;re probably imagining what a chicken wears underneath those feathers.)<br /> <br /><b>Fact:</b> Halfmen &#8230;. move with a serpent&#8217;s speed and grace. (I think RJ meant to allude to them being fast and deadly, but you&#8216;re free to use your own imagination.) <br /><br /><b>Similarity/Reference:</b> Remember the movie &#8220;Rocky&#8221;? What did Burgess Meredith do to help teach Rocky quickness and agility? <i>He had him chase chickens!</i> Only after he was capable of taking on a chicken, was Rocky prepared to fight the world champion, Apollo Creed. (Obviously chickens are much more worthy an opponent than most people ever realized.)<br /> <br /><b>Fact:</b> Myrddraal are also known as &#8220;Neverborn&#8221;, and use poisonous blades forged at Thakan&#8217;dar. <br /><br /><b>Similarity:</b> Chickens aren&#8217;t born. They are hatched from eggs. (Another interesting side note: The Basilisk, a giant <b>serpent</b> who kills with a single glance and<b>poison  wells</b>, was hatched by a toad from a <b>hen's egg</b>. The <b>Basilisk will die if it hears a rooster crowing</b>.) Pretty hard to ignore all those similarities, isn&#8217;t it?<br /> <br /><b>Fact:</b> Fades are Trolloc spawn, throwbacks almost to the <b>human stock</b>. (Preferred ingredient for Trolloc cookpots.)<br /><br /><b>Similarity:</b> Humans use <b>chicken stock</b> to make tasty soups among other things. (Preferred ingredient for grandma&#8217;s cookpot.)<br /> <br /><b>Fact:</b> Myrddraal wear cloaks that the wind does not touch. (i.e. as long as they are alive. Once the Fade is dead, the cloak no longer retains its stiffness.) tEotW chapter 10<br /><br /><b>Similarity/Reference:</b> Super Chicken wears a cape. <i>And</i>, an unattended dead chicken will turn stiff.<br /> <br />Pretty amazing stuff so far, huh? Here&#8217;s more straight from the text in the books. <br /><br />In The Dragon Reborn, Sheriam reveals to us that a <b>channeler</b> may be turned to the Dark One by thirteen Dreadlords <b>channeling</b> through thirteen Fades. Check this out: <br /> <br /><i>In Indonesia the chicken has great significance during the Hindu cremation ceremony. <b>A chicken is a channel for evil spirits</b> which may be present during the ceremony. A chicken is tethered by the leg and kept present at the ceremony for the duration to ensure that any evil spirits present during the ceremony go into the chicken and not the family members present.</i><br /> <br />I think that&#8217;s enough evidence for anyone to clearly see the undeniable similarities between Halfmen and headless chickens. I dare say if you put one next to the other in a police line-up, it&#8217;s doubtful anyone could choose between the two. However, the connection between chickens and WoT doesn&#8217;t end there, though. This is from Wikipedia:<br /> <br /><i>&#8220;The Romans used chickens for oracles, both when flying and when feeding. The hen, (<b>&quot;gallina&quot;</b>), gave a favorable omen when appearing from the left.</i> Also, <b>&#8220;Galina&#8221;</b> is a fictional chicken appearing in; &quot;The Tale of Gockel, Hinkel, and Gackeleia&quot;, by Clemens Brentano.   <br /> <br />That&#8217;s not all. There&#8217;s also something that occurs in The Shadow Rising that I&#8217;ll wager most of you have completely forgotten. Not only did Myrddraal lead Trollocs in the attack on the Stone, but we also have a very active &#8220;Bubble of Evil&#8221; that singles out Perrin, Mat and Rand. Here&#8217;s what took place with each of those three: <br /> <br /><i><b>&#8220;Outside in the darkness, a cock crowed.</b><br />Faile shivered and hugged herself. &#8220;My nurse used to say that meant a death coming. Not that I believe it, of course.&#8221;<br /><br /><b>&#8220;Outside in the darkness, a cock crowed.</b><br />Mat shifted uneasily and told himself not to be foolish. No one was going to die.&#8221;<br /><br /><b>&#8220;Outside in the darkness, a cock crowed.</b><br />To Rand&#8217;s surprise, Berelain suddenly stared past him, eyes as big as teacups. Her mouth dropped open, and her slim throat corded with a scream that would not come.&#8221;</i> (all three quotes are from tSR chapter 2.)<br /><br />And there you have it. The last link in the chain that completes the connection between chickens and the Dark One. While Lews Therin may have been the Lord of the Morning, it appears the Shepherd of the Night has taken the mighty chicken, this harbinger of twilight, and twisted it into His own &#8220;Herald of Doom&#8220;.   <br /> <br />But what does it all mean? Certainly there must be more to this formula of Fades, Fowl and the Father of Lies? Of course there is, and it all points to this site; Wotmania!<br /> <br />For starters, it&#8217;s well known that a fairly large percentage of headless chickens end up at a certain unnamed fast-food franchise. Less well-known to most of the world, is that we have a poster here at Wotmania that goes by the name, <b>kcf</b>.  (I can&#8217;t divulge his real name here, but over at the wotMB he is affectionately known as; &#8220;The Colonel&#8221;. )<br /> <br />As startling as that revelation is though, the real connection leads directly back to the &#8220;Creator&#8221; of this site, &#8220;Mike&#8221;. Is it mere coincidence that he <i>&#8220;shares&#8221;</i> the same name as the world&#8217;s most famous, longest-lived headless chicken? Not if you&#8217;re as paranoid as I am!<br /> <br />Is it also a coincidence that this &#8220;Creator&#8221; owns a site that goes by the name &#8220;Wotmania&#8221;, where the unsuspecting come to discuss the Wheel of Time series? Where, mindless souls are encouraged to talk about plotlines and write theories on such topics as; &#8220;How the Great Lord of the Dark can win Tarmon Gai&#8217;don&#8221;? What nefarious uses does Mike have for this type of information?<br /> <br />And then there&#8217;s this curious little bit too: <br /><b>Aginor believed that the Fades might be slightly shifted out of phase with reality.</b> <br /> <br />It&#8217;s a well known fact that computer geeks live in their own little world. Indeed, most would say they&#8217;re <b>completely out of touch with reality</b>. It goes without saying that Mike has spent a considerable amount of time sitting at his PC to develop this &#8220;family oriented&#8221; site.  <br /> <br />And consider this: <br /><b>The Myrddraal can in fact disappear wherever shadows exist, and move to another shadow far away. None understand how this is done.</b><br /> <br /> Anyone that&#8217;s been to Michigan knows what a shadowy place it is. That Mike disappeared from there and &#8220;magically&#8221; resurfaces in Texas of all places, is certainly enough to arouse anyone&#8217;s suspicions. Did anyone actually <i>see</i> him leave? Or arrive? I, for one, have my doubts, but I think this does provide us with an answer to one of my original questions:<br /> <br />Why did the chicken cross the road? <br /> <br />Answer: To get out of Michigan and set up a new base of operations in Texas!<br /> <br />And what, pray tell, was one of the first things we started hearing about once &#8220;Mike&#8221; had relocated? <br /><br />That&#8217;s right! Valinor! (Sounds suspiciously like Callandor, to me.) This is supposedly some new &#8220;server system&#8221; that is not only supposed to be faster, but also more efficient. My questions are; who does it serve? What does it really do? This next reference might give us a clue: <br /> <br /><b>The eyeless gaze of a Fade inspires fear in even the bravest of warriors. It is this ability to cause fear which makes them excellent commanders of Trollocs. In addition, the Myrddraal have the ability to link with a number of Trollocs, taking control of their minds and wills. However, the death of this Myrddraal means the simultaneous deaths of all the Trollocs it is linked to.</b><br /> <br />Has anyone ever stopped to consider, or wonder how &#8220;Mike&#8221; gets all the so-called &#8220;admins&#8221; at Wotmania to do his bidding for no compensation? From personal experience, I don&#8217;t know of anyone that works for free unless they&#8217;re being manipulated somehow. I think it&#8217;s obvious to even the most casual observer that Valinor is really used for linking Mike to his admins. I ponder what would happen to all of them if something bad was to happen to Mike. (The problem of course, is that it might be hard to tell since it&#8217;s widely known that many of the admins writhe on the ground, tear at their hair, claw at their faces, bite madly at the ground, snap at nothing and howl under normal circumstances anyway.)<br /> <br />And this last tidbit: <br />&#8220;Every Myrddraal was the height of a tall man, a sinuous imitation of a man, as alike as though cast in one mold. <b>This one stood head and shoulders taller.&#8221;</b><br /> <br />I don&#8217;t personally know how tall &#8220;Mike&#8221; is, but I don&#8217;t think it matters in the literal sense. He certainly stands &#8220;head and shoulders&#8221; above the admins, and it&#8217;s clear who&#8217;s in charge.<br /> <br />In conclusion, I would just like to say that we&#8217;re on to you, &#8220;Mike&#8221;, (if you still insist on using that name.) We now understand why you always have a copy of the newest edition of Wheel of Time before anyone else. Gathering information and passing it to your benefactor has no doubt placed you in high standing among His favorites. It&#8217;s also a given that all those submitted theories that disappear without ever seeing the light of day probably fall too close to the real finale of the story. We can only hope that you are the &#8220;right hand that falters&#8221; or perhaps the &#8220;left hand that strays&#8221;. <br /><br />In the meantime, all your servants are hoping you manage to hold onto your head. Provided you still have one.<br /> <br /> <br /> A little more &#8220;Light in the Night&#8221;, in league with Arok Manok.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-11-07 06:01:44
subject: Shattered Seals
body:
<p>This theory attempts to explain several of the discrepancies in the ending of <i>The Eye of the World</i>, namely, the broken <i>cuendillar</i> seal, the retreat of the Blight and Shai&#8217;tan&#8217;s release of his grip on winter.<br /><br /><b>The Waning of the Seal</b><br /><br />The Seal on Shayol Ghul waxes and wanes with the turning of the Wheel. It is through this cycle that Ishamael was capable of escaping the Bore at multiple periods throughout the Third Age. It is therefore also reasonable to deduce that Shai&#8217;tan&#8217;s power in the world during these periods was also stronger. Because Ishamael had the fiery eyes that come from the use of the True Power in <i>The Eye of the World</i>, we know that at least enough of the Dark Lord&#8217;s power was available for Ishamael&#8217;s use.<br /><br /><b>The Nature of the Seal</b><br /><br />Knowing that the Bore is a hole in the Pattern, we can ascertain that the world of <i>The Wheel of Time</i> and Shai&#8217;tan&#8217;s reality are separate. If we also suppose that the physical <i>cuendillar</i> seals had to be destroyed <i>before</i> he could touch the world, then the obvious conclusion is that the heartstone seals hold the <i>saidin</i> Seal intact, and not the other way &#8216;round. Thence, we are left to conclude that Shai&#8217;tan could not touch the world, except as permitted by the Seal&#8217;s waning periods as described above. And if the <i>cuendillar</i> seals must be destroyed for Shai&#8217;tan to touch the world, then Shai&#8217;tan cannot touch the world until the seals are destroyed. Because the seals are in this world, Shai&#8217;tan is also prevented from touching them until at least one of the seals is broken in the first place.<br /><br />Putting the two previous points together, and knowing that one of the seals <i>did</i> break, we reason that the breaking of the first seal could only happen during one of the waning periods.<br /><br /><b>The Dark One&#8217;s Blight</b><br /><br />We know that the Great Blight is dependent on the Shadow&#8217;s influence. It is centered around Shayol Ghul and advances when those who resist the Shadow are defeated, as happened with Malkier ( <i>More Tales of the Wheel</i>, <b>The Eye of the World</b>. ) However, the Blight does not react directly to the Shadow&#8217;s influence. Despite the breaking of at least four of the seven seals, the release of the Forsaken and Shai&#8217;tan&#8217;s increased capacity to touch the Pattern; the Blight has remained eerily quiet. This implies that Shai&#8217;tan has conscious control over the Blight, and that its growth comes through his direct influence. Thus, for the Blight to spread, Shai&#8217;tan must use part of his power.<br /><br /><b>The Tainted Weather</b><br /><br />We also know that Shai&#8217;tan&#8217;s touch on the weather requires expenditure of power on his part. We know this directly from the thoughts of Moridin:<br /><br /><i>The Great Lord would not be pleased. He had strained from his prison to touch the world enough to fix the seasons in place.</i> <u><b>The Path of Daggers</b>, <i>Unweaving</i>.</u><br /><br />So, like the Blight, the weather&#8217;s influence requires energy on the part of the Lord of Twilight.<br /><br /><b>Spring in Shienar</b><br /><br />In <i>The Eye of the World</i>, <i>The Wheel Turns</i> shows that not only has Shai&#8217;tan&#8217;s grip on winter been released, but that the Great Blight has retreated from the border! Based on our previous conclusions, the reasoning is evident. Shai&#8217;tan&#8217;s power has weakened, or he used it all on another task. But what could have weakened Shai&#8217;tan so much? The common answer, the one that Moiraine uses is Rand wounding Ba&#8217;alzamon. But Ba&#8217;alzamon is also wounded in <i>The Great Hunt</i>, and finally <b>killed</b> in <i>The Dragon Reborn</i>. In neither of these instances do we hear of the Blight receding, so this can obviously not be the answer. Another possibility is that the use of the Eye of the World weakened the Blight. Since Rand did not target the Blight with <i>saidin</i>, then it would be the use of the Eye itself that causes this retreat. But then, why does the Blight recede from the edges, and not from the Eye itself? To the contrary, we see that the Blight finally does touch the Green Man&#8217;s gardens, something it could not do before. And still that would not explain the correction of the weather. So. If not a weakening of Shai&#8217;tan&#8217;s power, then presumable his power was otherwise employed.<br /><br /><b>Broken Heartstone</b><br /><br />There is one fundamental difference between the seal under the Eye and the rest. The other seals were no longer indestructible. Morvrin breaks the shard of the Tanchico seal between her fingers ( <i>To Teach, and Learn</i>, <b>The Fires of Heaven</b> ) and Moiraine peels a sliver off an intact disk ( <i>Rhuidean</i>, <b>The Fires of Heaven</b>. )The first seal, however, breaks Lan&#8217;s Tairen steel knife. Even though it is shattered. Thus, the method in which that Seal was destroyed is entirely different from that which destroyed the others. The later seals were weakened over time, presumable through Shai&#8217;tan&#8217;s touch. But as we noted at the beginning of this theory, Shai&#8217;tan cannot touch the world until one of the seals have been broken. The difficulty then is destroying the first seal. After that, the others can be withered away.<br /><br />This theory is that Shai&#8217;tan withdrew his power from the Blight and the weather because he knew the Dragon had been Reborn, and that he needed greater latitude before the world united against him. He withdrew all his power, and focused it into the Seal that was closest to Shayol Ghul, and destroyed it.<br /><br />One final piece of evidence is that Aginor and Balthamel were released <i>before</i> Ishamael was wounded. Thus, the seal was already broken while it was under the Eye.<br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-11-12 06:27:37
subject: Egwene's Betrayers and the Mystery of the Too-Young Sitters
body:
<p>In this theory, I will show that five Sitters were sent to Salidar by their Ajah Heads to undermine the rebellion and facilitate the reunification of the Tower.  These five Sitters had the motive and opportunity to betray Egwene.<br /><br />Both Salidar and Tar Valon residents have noted the oddity of so many young Sitters, which emphasizes how unusual the situation is, and makes it too big of a coincidence to have occurred without any intervention.  The only way this could have happened is if someone made sure that the Halls were structured this way.   The logical choice is the Ajah Heads in the White Tower.  We know that they&#8217;re meeting one another in secret:<br /><br />&#8220;In spite of the walls that have gone up between the Ajahs, the heads of the Ajahs seem to encounter one another with surprising frequency.  By chance, they make it seem.  All but the Red at least; a pity Galina got herself killed, or she could tell you what they are about.  Very probably it is trivial, but you will learn why they bare teeth at one another in public, then whisper together in private.&#8221; (Mesaana to Alviarin, An Unwelcome Return, The Path of Daggers)<br /><br />We also know that the Tower Heads of Ajah pushed for the young Sitters in their Ajah:<br /><br />&#8220;Everyone had been sure Andaya would go into the Hall one day, perhaps in another forty or fifty years, yet Serancha had all but anointed her, when the customary method was discussion until a consensus could be reached on two or three candidates, then a secret ballot.&#8221; (Yukiri, in response to Seaine, Glimmers of the Pattern, Crossroads of Twilight)<br /><br />(Serancha is the Head of the Gray Ajah, and Andaya is a young Tower Sitter.)<br /><br />&#8220;Saerin says that Juilaine was handpicked for the Brown, too, apparently not their usual way, and Doesine says the same about Suana, though she was hesitant about saying anything.  I think Suana may be head of the Yellow herself&#8230;And Ferane stepped down for the White less than ten years ago; no one has ever entered the Hall again so soon.  To cap it off, Talene says the Greens nominate choices and their Captain-General chooses one, but Adelorna chose Rina without any nominations.&#8221; (Seaine, Glimmers of the Pattern, Crossroads of Twilight).<br /><br />There are five Tower Sitters (each from a different Ajah: Andaya, Juilaine, Suana, Ferane, Rina) that were hand-picked by their Head of Ajah.  In the case of Suana and Ferane, they are the Head of their Ajah.  Andaya, Juilaine, and Rina are all too young to be in the Hall:<br /><br />&#8220;Andaya Forae was raised for the Gray, Rina Hafden for the Green, and Juilaine Madome for the Brown.  None has worn the shawl more than seventy years at most.&#8221; (Siuan to Egwene, A Chat with Siuan, Crossroads of Twilight)<br /><br />To explain this, I propose that pre-split, the neutral Tar Valon Heads of Ajahs (meaning not Red or Blue) each sent one Sitter from their Ajah to ensure the rebellion would fail.  The Sitters they sent were:  Magla (Yellow), Saroiya (White), Takima (Brown), Faiselle (Green) and Varilin (Gray).  I will refer to these five as the Ferret Sitters.  The five Tower Sitters that were hand-picked by their Head of Ajah are merely holding the place for the five Sitters that were sent to the rebels.  Upon re-unification, Andaya, Juilaine, Suana, Ferane, and Rina will step down from the Hall to allow the Ferret Sitters to reclaim their position.  I will deal with the special cases for the Yellow and the Brown at the end of this theory.  <br /><br />From Beonin&#8217;s statements in Knife of Dreams, it becomes clear that there was a gap in time when the first sisters arrived in Salidar and when the Ferret Sitters arrived.<br /><br />&#8220;The sisters, they were looking at one another with so much suspicion, I think me most might have returned to the Tower soon at that point, but then other Sitters beside the Blues appeared.&#8221;  (The Dark One&#8217;s Touch, Knife of Dreams)<br /><br />I think that gap in time from when the first sisters arrived to when the Ferret Sitters arrived is very important.  It means the Ajah Heads had time to confer with one another, decide on a plan, and execute it.  So, the Ferret Sitters did not immediately flee the Tower in anger or fear as soon as Siuan was deposed.  Rather, once it became clear that the Tower was splitting, the Ajah Heads instructed those five Sitters to join the Rebels and keep the Tower whole.<br /><br />I&#8217;ll go through the decisions that these Sitters were involved in, both inside and outside the Hall, that reveal their motivations and true allegiances.<br /><br />1. Choosing the Head of the Ajah.<br />2. Choosing fellow Sitters<br />3. Choosing an Amyrlin<br />4. Attachment to Rebel Leaders (Lelaine or Romanda)<br />5. Declaring war on Elaida<br />6. Bonding Asha&#8217;man<br />7. Negotiations with the Tower Aes Sedai<br /><br />1.  Young Ajah Heads<br />We know or can presume the Ajah Heads are usually relatively old.  Some of the Ajah Heads we know in the Tower were Sitters for a number of years.  In contrast, Myrelle leads the Green Ajah among the rebels.  The Ferret Sitters are women of influence, and it seems very likely they would have had a hand in determining the new Ajah Head.  Selecting an unusually young Ajah Head serves the same purpose as selecting unusually young Sitters.  After re-unification, the young Ajah Head can step aside.  The only other Rebel Ajah Head we know is Romanda, but as I will explain below, she is a special case.<br /><br />2.  Young Sitters<br />In Knife of Dreams, the mechanism of how the younger Sitters were selected was described in Romanda&#8217;s POV.  <br /><br />&#8220;Why in the Light had Magla insisted on Salita back in Salidar?  In truth, Magla had bandied several names about, each more ridiculous than the last, but had settled on Salita once she decided the plump Tairen had the best chance of being raised to a chair.&#8221; (Call to a Sitting, Knife of Dreams)<br /><br />Despite not being the Head of the Yellow Ajah, it was Magla that insisted that a young Sitter be installed.  This same situation likely occurred in the Brown, Gray, White, and Green Ajahs as well.  Remember that in the Tower, it&#8217;s the Ajah Heads who push for young Sitters.  The fact that the Tower Ajah Heads and the pre-split Salidar Sitters have the same goals is suggestive that they&#8217;re working together.<br /><br />3.Young Amyrlin<br />There isn&#8217;t much detail provided in this scene, however, the Sitters did consent to Egwene being raised Amyrlin.  They probably thought an Accepted being raised as Amyrlin was absurd.  If young Sitters and Ajah Heads can be set aside after the Tower is whole again, an Amyrlin who is really an Accepted can certainly be set aside.<br /><br />4.Attachment to Lelaine and Romanda<br />If the Ferret Sitters were to carry out their mission to promote re-unification of the Tower, they would need to be in positions to influence the leaders of the rebels.  All five of the Ferret Sitters attached themselves to Lelaine or Romanda, whereas none of the newly chosen Sitters did.  From Egwene&#8217;s POV:<br /><br />&#8220;With one exception, all the women who had been Sitters before Siuan was deposed had drifted to either Lelaine or Romanda.  Most of the newly chosen Sitters went their own way&#8230;&#8221;  (An Oath, A Crown of Swords)<br /><br />The one exception is Janya, who is a special case I will discuss below.  The Sitter she means when she says &#8220;Most of the newly chosen Sitters..&#8221;  is likely Delana, who attempted to ally herself with both Lelaine and Romanda.  Beonin, who was sent to the rebels by Elaida, also attached herself to the leaders of the rebel Aes Sedai: <br /><br />&#8220;I managed to become part of what you might call the ruling council in Salidar&#8230;I made sure they sat there and did nothing&#8230;&#8221; (KoD, The Dark One&#8217;s Touch)  <br /><br />By attaching themselves to the leaders of the Rebellion, they can ensure that the rebellion falters.<br /><br />5. Declaring War on Elaida<br />Obviously, declaring war on the woman they believe is the true Amyrlin would hinder their efforts of reconciliation with the Tower.  The Sitters who voted for declaring war were:<br />Janya, Escaralde, Moria, Samalin, Malind, Salita, Kwamesa, Aledrin, Berana, Delana, Lelaine, Lyrelle<br />None of the five Ferret Sitters voted for this, and they are horrified when they learn the ramifications of the vote.<br /><br />(Delana had just vomited) &#8220;Magla and Saroiya and several others still seated looked as though they might follow her example.  No others who had been chosen in Salidar, though.  Romanda appeared ready to bite through a nail.&#8221;  (The Law, The Path of Daggers)<br /><br />The only Sitters to not vote for the war were the five Ferret Sitters and Romanda, and she thought the whole exercise was a waste of time.<br /><br />6.Alliance with the Asha&#8217;man<br />Allying themselves to men who can channel is completely contrary to everything the White Tower stands for.  The Ferret Sitters must believe that if the rebel Aes Sedai ally themselves with Asha&#8217;man, it may destroy any chance of reconciliation.  The rebels would be denounced as traitors, and the Tower would never be whole.  Once again, the five Ferret Sitters voted against the proposal, and this time, they were the only ones to do so.  <br /><br />(Egwene: &#8220;Who speaks against this proposal?&#8221; )<br />&#8220;&#8230;Magla was first on her feet&#8230;Faiselle followed Magla, and Varilin followed Faiselle.  Then came Saroiya, and finally Takima.&#8221;  (Surprises, Crossroads of Twilight)<br /><br />Note that despite Romanda and Lelaine supposedly having an iron grip on their followers, the Ferret Sitters all vote contrary to Romanda and Lelaine.  This suggests the Ferret Sitters&#8217; allegiance to Romanda and Lelaine is not as strong as they pretend it to be.<br /><br />8.Negotiations with Elaida<br />According to Delana, it&#8217;s the five Ferret Sitters who first entertained the notion of negotiations with Elaida <br /><br />&#8220;&#8230; the subject has come up in the Hall in the last few days.  Not as a proposal, but it has been mentioned, very quietly, by Varilin, and by Takima, and also by Magla.  And Faiselle and Saroiya have appeared interested in what they have had to say.&#8221;  (The Subject of Negotiations, Crossroads of Twilight). <br /><br /> We learn from Romanda&#8217;s POV that the five Ferret Sitters have taken over the negotiations.<br /><br />&#8220;Varilin had snatched most of that work to herself, claiming Gray Ajah prerogative, but Magla found ways to wriggle into the matter whenever she could, and so did Saroiya and Takima and Faiselle.&#8221; (Call to a Sitting, Knife of Dreams)<br /><br />Even more interesting, the Ferret Sitters don&#8217;t seem to be negotiating very well for the rebel sisters.  In that same chapter:<br /><br />&#8220;&#8230;at times, all of them almost seemed to be negotiating for Elaida.&#8221;<br /><br />It&#8217;s clear the Ferret Sitters don&#8217;t wholeheartedly believe in the rebellion.  <br /><br />There are two Sitters in Salidar who don&#8217;t seem to fit the pattern.   The Green, White, and Gray Ajahs have one Sitter from before Siuan was deposed (a Ferret Sitter) and two too-young Sitters.  The Yellow and Brown Ajahs each have only one too-young Sitter.  The reason for this lies with Romanda and Janya.  <br /><br />Romanda came out of retirement, which probably surprised a number of sisters: &#8220;Tarna reported that Romanda Cassin had come out of her retirement.&#8221; (Lightnings, A Crown of Swords).  Since Romanda had been a Sitter for eighty years prior to retiring, and because she&#8217;s so strong in the Power, she stands very high among Aes Sedai.  Magla couldn&#8217;t deny her a Sitter position, nor could Romanda be denied the Head of Ajah.  <br /><br />&#8220;&#8230;Magla might have gotten her ridiculous choice for the third Yellow Sitter, yet Romanda had secured the position of First Weaver for herself easily.  After all, she had been head of the Yellow before she retired, and even Magla had been unwilling to stand against her.&#8221;  (Call to A Sitting, Knife of Dreams)<br /><br />If Romanda hadn&#8217;t come out of retirement, I think Magla likely would have pushed for another too-young Sitter, and possibly, a too-young Head of Ajah.<br /><br />Janya is a very interesting case.  I think Janya was the only non-Blue Sitter to flee the Tower of her own volition.  I have three reasons to think this.  <br />1.  Janya was among the first to vote yes for declaring war on Elaida and for an alliance with the Asha&#8217;man. Her voting record doesn&#8217;t match that of the five Ferret Sitters.<br />2.If Janya had been sent by her Ajah Head, there would be no point in sending Takima as well.  <br />3.Besides the Yellow (because Romanda came out of retirement)  the Brown is the only Ajah to have four suitable Sitters after re-unification (Janya and Takima in Salidar, Saerin and Shevan in the Tower).  It&#8217;s possible one of the Brown Sitters knows she&#8217;s retiring soon, but I don&#8217;t think so.  I think the more likely situation is Janya will be un-chaired after the re-unification.  I think her Ajah Head is genuinely angry with her for rebelling against the White Tower.  The argument will be Sitters above all other sisters must preserve the integrity of the White Tower, and Janya was the only non-Blue Sitter to rebel.<br /><br />When considering who betrayed Egwene, we have to consider motive and opportunity.<br /><br />The Ferret Sitters&#8217; motivation is clear: they are working for the Tower Ajah Heads.<br /><br />Now opportunity.  We know the rebel Hall knows the plan to seal the Harbor.  From Egwene&#8217;s POV:<br /><br />&#8220;Romanda had opposed any sort of negotiations, spurious or not.  And she knew what was to happen tonight.  Keeping the Hall in the dark about that had seemed a needless slap in the face.&#8221; (What the Oath Rod Can Do, Crossroads of Twilight)<br /><br />The Ferret Sitters were meeting the Tower Sitters for negotiations.  Some of those Tower Sitters are Ajah Heads, so a Ferret Sitter could easily have passed her Ajah Head a note outlining the plan.  We know there has been some communication between rebel sisters and the Tower from Elaida&#8217;s POV:<br /><br />&#8220;&#8230;the other Ajahs still provided only dribbles, though they had produced a number of unwelcome pieces of information in the last week or so.  Unwelcome in part because they indicated contact with the rebels that must go beyond those farcical negotiations.&#8221; (The Dark One&#8217;s Touch, Knife of Dreams).<br /><br />She says the information was unwelcome in part because of the degree of communication between the Tower and the rebels, so what other reason would there be for the information to be unwelcome?  And what would be important enough that the Ajahs would actually share their information with Elaida?  The most likely answer is the plan to block the harbor. <br /><br /> Now I&#8217;ll go over the alternative betrayers, and discuss why they&#8217;re not good candidates.<br /><br />1.The Black Ajah.  <br />Mesaana is in control of the Black Ajah, and she was livid when she found out Egwene was kidnapped because she thought the rebellion might falter.<br /><br />&#8220;Why did you let her go, Aran&#8217;gar?  You were supposed to be controlling her!&#8230;The rebellion will fall apart without her for a figurehead.  All my careful planning ruined because you couldn&#8217;t keep a grasp on one ignorant girl.&#8221; (At the Gardens, Knife of Dreams)<br /><br />The plan to block the harbor would have strengthened the rebels&#8217; position.  Preventing that plan from going forward would weaken the rebellion, and for whatever reason, it&#8217;s very important to Mesaana that the rebellion continue.  Therefore, it seems unlikely Mesaana would have sanctioned a plan that would hurt the rebellion.<br /><br />2.Nicola Treehill<br />Nicola didn&#8217;t have access to the plan.  It&#8217;s possible she found out about it through her spying, but I just don&#8217;t think so.  That plan was very strictly guarded.  We tend to give her more credit for her spying than she deserves.  She didn&#8217;t learn Traveling, because if she did, the entire Tower would know.  And, she just doesn&#8217;t act like she betrayed Egwene.  <br /><br />&#8220;Suddenly, Nicola spread her skirts in another curtsy, deeper this time, and words burst out of her in a rush.  &#8220;I&#8217;m sorry I ran away Mother.  I thought they&#8217;d let me go faster here.  Areina and I thought-&#8220; (Embers Falling on Dry Grass, Knife of Dreams)<br /><br />She apologizes for running away, not for betraying Egwene. If Nicola had betrayed Egwene, you would expect Nicola to dislike Egwene, but she doesn&#8217;t hold any animosity towards Egwene.  Nicola holds Egwene in high esteem:<br /><br />&#8220;&#8230;Nicola and Areina had regaled them all with tales of her.  Very inflated tales.  The two women had made her seem a combination of every legendary sister in the histories&#8230;&#8221;  (Honey in the Tea, Knife of Dreams)<br /><br />Nicola just doesn&#8217;t seem to fit as the betrayer. <br /><br />3.Beonin Marinye<br />In response to Egwene saying &#8220;So you&#8217;re the one who betrayed me!&#8221;  Beonin says:<br /><br />&#8220;Me, I betrayed nothing&#8230;. I maintained that oath until you were captured.&#8221; (Honey in the Tea, Knife of Dreams).<br /><br />Beonin can be definitively excluded as Egwene&#8217;s betrayer.<br /><br />To summarize:<br />1. The Tower Ajah Heads sent five Sitters to Salidar to secretly stop the rebellion.<br />2. Some or all of those five Sitters betrayed Egwene&#8217;s plan of blocking the harbors.<br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-11-19 00:54:48
subject: The oddness and Aviendha's babies
body:
<p>My first attempt at a theory. We all know that Min had a viewing about Aviendha having quadruplets.  From the <a href="http://www.wotmania.net/faq.asp" target="_blank">FAQ</a><br /><br />Min wondered whether to tell her [Aviendha] what she had seen while they were all together. Aviendha would have Rand&#8217;s babies, too. Four of them at once! Something was odd about that, though. The babies would be healthy, but still something odd.<br /><br />-<i>Winter&#8217;s Heart</i>, A Lily in Winter.<br /><br />There is much speculation about this in the FAQ, and I wanted to add one more.  From the quote, we know the babies are healthy, but odd.  The wording could be interpreted to mean that something about there being four of them at once is odd.  We have not heard of quadruplets in the world, so that could be what is odd. However, I think the oddness might be that they are not really Rand&#8217;s babies, genetically speaking.<br /><br />Also from the FAQ<br /><br />Egwene&#8217;s dream<br /><br />Rand, wearing different masks, until suddenly one of those false faces was no longer a mask, but him. <br /><br />-<i>The Path Of Daggers</i>, Stronger than Written Law<br /><br />And Min&#8217;s viewing<br /><br />&#8221;I saw you and another man. I couldn&#8217;t make out either face, but I knew one was you. You touched, and seemed to merge into one another, and&#8230;&#8221; Her mouth tightened worriedly, and she went on in a very small voice.&#8221; I don&#8217;t know what it means, Rand, except one of you dies, and one doesn&#8217;t. I &#8211; Why are you grinning? This isn&#8217;t a joke, Rand. I do not know which of you dies.&#8221; <br /><br />-<i>A Crown Of Swords</i>, A Bath<br /><br />For a long time I considered this meant Rand and Lews Therin.  It is clear that Rand interprets it that way as well.  But now, we have the scenes from KoD that show that Rand and Moridin are very close to maybe merging.  If they &#8216;move a hair either way, they would be touching&#8217; (paraphrased).  Rand&#8217;s body is in pretty tough shape.  He has lost a hand and his vision is diminished.  The Fisher King is depicted as blind, so Rand may lose the rest of his vision before the end.  Maybe Nynaeve can heal all of that, but maybe not.  However, if Rand were to switch bodies with Moridin, he would have a whole strong body.  This would also play into some of the other visions concerning Rand.<br /><br />We have Nicola&#8217;s vision of Rand&#8217;s death, from the FAQ<br /><br />&quot;The lion sword, the dedicated spear, she who sees beyond. Three on the boat, and he who is dead yet lives. The great battle done, but the world not done with battle. The land divided by the return, and the guardians balance the servants. The future teeters on the edge of a blade.&quot;<br /><br />-<i>Lord of Chaos</i>, Dreams and Nightmares<br /><br />The key is the part that says &#8216;&#8230; he who is dead yet lives.&#8217;  <br /><br />Egwene&#8217;s dreams also seem to imply that Rand dies (or fakes his death).  Again, from the FAQ<br /><br />Logain, laughing, stepped across something on the ground and mounted a black stone; when she looked down, she thought it was Rand&#8217;s body he had stepped over&#8230;<br /><br />- <i>A Crown Of Swords</i>, Unseen Eyes<br /><br />So Rand is to die, &#8216;yet live.&#8217;  I am not the first to suggest that one way to do this is to switch bodies with Moridin, and then kill Moridin while he is in Rand&#8217;s body.  The only people who should know that Rand is still alive after this are the 4 women to whom he is bonded, Elayne, Min, Aviendha and Alanna.  Since Aviendha loves Rand the person, sometime after things slow down, she manages to become pregnant with quadruplets.  Thus she has Rand&#8217;s babies, but genetically, they are from the young person the DO stole and inhabited with Ishy&#8217;s soul.<br /><br />To me this is interesting because Rand is doing something that is morally gray.   While it is impossible to save the soul that the DO displaced, Rand would still be taking advantage of the situation.  Of course, Rand does not know this and would have to figure out that Moridin is Ishamael reborn first.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2006-11-25 11:03:50
subject: O Verin, where art thou?
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<p><b> I. A sudden departure </b><br /><br />In KoD, ch.20, we learn that Verin &amp; her Warder suddenly left Rand's group. Verin didn't tell anyone, where she went; she just wrote Rand in her sealed letter: <br /><br />&quot;As I said, I have done what I can do here. I believe that I can fulfill my oath to you better elsewhere, so I have taken Tomas and gone to be about it. There are many ways to serve you, after all, and many needs. I am convinced that you can trust Cadsuane, and you certainly should heed her advice, but be wary of other sisters, including those who have sworn fealty to you. Such an oath means nothing to a Black Sister, and even those who walk in the Light may interpret it in ways you would disapprove of. You already know that few see that oath as invoking absolute obedience in all things. Some may find other holes. So whether or not you follow Cadsuane's advice. and I repeat that you should, follow mine. Be very wary.&quot;<br /><br />The question is why and where Verin might have gone.<br /><br /><b> II. Verin's moment of realization </b> <br /><br />Her sudden and quick disappearance indicates that she Traveled somewhere, but didn't want anyone to know where she went. She mentions that Rand can't trust most people close to him. This shows that Verin's task - which will serve Rand in a way- is quite important and urgent in her view. Her words also imply that she believes that she will leave Rand for quite a while, not only for a short trip. <br /><br />In the beginning of KoD, ch.18, when Logain reports to Rand, Verin is still unconcernedly knitting. Apparently something that was said during this meeting convinced Verin to leave. <br /><br />During the meeting Verin points again out that the signs show that Tarmon Gai'don is very close:<br />&quot;It will come soon. According to everything I've read on the subject, the signs are quite clear. Half the servants have recognized dead people in the halls, people they knew alive. It's happened often enough that they aren't frightened by it any longer. And a dozen men moving the cattle to spring pasture watched a considerable town melt into mist just a few miles to the north.&quot; <br />To which Cadsuane dryly replies:<br />&quot;Thank you for repeating what you told us yesterday, Verin.&quot;<br /><br />Somewhat later, Rand mentions that he has to bind the Daughter of the Nine Moons to him:<br />&quot;Tarmon Gai'don is coming, Cadsuane, and I can't fight the Shadow and the Seanchan at the same time. I'll have a truce, or I'll crush them whatever the cost. The Prophecies say I have to bind the nine moons to me. I only understood what that meant a few days ago. As soon as Bashere returns, I'll know when and where I'm to meet the Daughter of the Nine Moons. The only question now is how do I bind her, and she'll have to answer that.&quot;<br /><br />Immediately after this statement by Rand, it's said that Verin studies him &quot;intently&quot;. Again a bit later, Verin says then: &quot;I believe I have done all that I can here. I think I'll go find Tomas.&quot;<br /><br />I believe that Verin, who studied the Prophecies of the Dragon very well, realized in this moment that Mat, mentioned as the fox in the Prophecies, is linked to the Seanchan, namely to their Daughter of the Nine Moons. Probably like Rand, she didn't know what the &quot;nine moons&quot; are, before it was explained to her by Rand in this meeting. This explains her sudden intent gaze on Rand. <br /><br />Realizing all this, Verin quickly decided to quit the knitting, search Mat (the only one of the three ta'veren Verin didn't join yet for a certain time period) and use this link to help Rand binding the Seanchan. <br /><br />Since TG is near and Mat known to be the Hornblower, Verin certainly figured though, that it would be reasonable to fetch the Horn of Valere from the White Tower before she searches Mat. Besides that the Horn belongs into Mat's hands now, so close before the Last Battle, the Horn would give Verin the perfect explanation why she came to join Mat.<br /><br />This would makes sense for RJ regarding the plot as well. Except for Siuan, Verin is the only person who knows where the Horn is hidden in the WT. Considering Min's viewing it's possible that Siuan and Bryne might both die soon. On the other hand, it seems pretty clear that the Seanchan plan to attack the WT next, and we know from Tuon, that they are interested in the Horn of Valere as well. That means that someone has to bring the Horn out of the Tower, before the Seanchan arrive. Siuan is a known Rebel and might die, so that leaves only Verin.<br /><br />This would also explain, why Verin didn't tell anyone about her plan. It's too risky that the Shadow might learn where the Horn is hidden or Mat's whereabouts.<br /><br /><b> III. Alternative theories </b><br /><br />Often, though, there are two alternative views stated regarding Verin's destination in KoD. <br /><br /><b> a) Just to Mat </b><br /><br />The first is that Verin immediately went to search Mat. Because of the reasons I stated above, I think it makes more sense that Verin made a short trip to the White Tower first.<br /><br /><b> b) The Borderlanders </b><br /><br />The second is that Verin joined the Borderlanders to convince them to follow Rand. <br /><br />The Borderlanders were mentioned by Logain during his report. Plus, Rand says then that the Aelfinn told him that he has to unite all the Westlands, but he didn't make any move towards the &quot;north&quot; yet. Therefore one could consider that Verin went to the Borderlanders on her own to get them on Rand's side.<br /><br />That Rand has to unite all the Westlands isn't really a new information, though; it's generally mentioned in the Prophecies. Plus, it's also known for quite a while that the Borderlanders are in Andor. <br />Thus it wouldn't be very understandable why Verin suddenly left that quickly without telling anyone. <br /><br />Besides that, we learn in KoD, ch.18 and 20, that the matter of the Borderlanders was discussed among Rand's group (Logain and Lan mention it). Rand decided to stay clear of them for the moment, because Elayne doesn't want him in Andor yet. Also Logain reports in the meeting in KoD, ch.18, that there are 13 of Elaida's Aes Sedai among the Borderlanders who search Rand.<br /><br />So, although it would of course help Rand if it worked, considering this, it seems absolutely incomprehensible that Verin would believe that just she alone could convince the Borderlander rulers, even though she certainly knows some of them and e.g. Hurin or Agelmar in the camp. As the typical Brown Sister, Verin wouldn't be suitable for such negotiations. It would make much more sense to give this task to Bashere, Lan, the legendary Cadsuane or a Gray Sister. It also wouldn't be understandable why Verin would conceal such an intention. <br /><br />In addition, it rather seems likely -certainly also from Verin's PoV- that Rand will simply win the Borderlanders by himself, maybe supported by the ta'veren effect. After all, if anyone has to follow the Dragon Reborn, it certainly will be the Borderlanders who know about the Shadow's horror from their own experiences, especially since Rand has such prominent advocates from the Borderlands like Lan, Bashere and probably Agelmar &amp; Hurin.<br /><br />Finally as said, if Rand has to unite all the Westlands, he also has to bind the Seanchan to his cause. But considering what was said before, it makes more sense that Verin would believe that she could help Rand binding the Seanchan through Mat and the Horn, than by suddenly starting to negotiate with the Borderlander rulers and the 13 other Aes Sedai.<br /><br />For these reasons, it actually doesn't seem likely that Verin went to the Borderlanders. <br /><br /><b> IV. Conclusion </b><br /><br />The best answer is that Verin left Rand to fetch the Horn from the White Tower and search Mat then, after she made the connection between the Daughter of the Nine Moons, Mat and Rand's task to unite all the Westlands.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2007-01-16 06:27:22
subject: from Taint to Semirhage - Rand's eyes explained
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<p><b><u>The Incident</u></b><br /><br />In KoD, Semirhage hurls a ball of fire at Rand. It strikes his arm and affects his vision. Nynaeve Heals his damaged hand, but she also comments on his eyes&#8230;<br /><br />KoD (A Plain Wooden Box ) - <i>&#8221;There&#8217;s something wrong with your eyes,&#8221; she said with a frown. &#8220;I&#8217;m afraid to try fixing that without studying it &#8230;&#8221; The black flecks were gone, but everything still seemed seen through water, and he wanted to squint against a sun that appeared to flare ten times brighter than it had. </i><br /><br />Clearly something is wrong with Rand&#8217;s eyes. Oddly enough Nynaeve is afraid to Heal this injury, even though she has Healed far worse. This implies that it is not normal, or this case I believe, even an injury at all. Rand doesn&#8217;t remark on any pain but he does remark that he feels as if he is looking through water, and his vision seems odd. I believe this visual disturbance to be an effect of his reintegration with Lews Therin.<br /><br /><b><u>Lews Therin&#8217;s invasion of Rand</u></b><br /><br />Lews Therin made an appearance in Rand&#8217;s mind in TFoH. Initially Rand didn&#8217;t know what the voice was, but he slowly started to realize that it belonged to Lews Therin. The voice has never remained constant though. Lews Therin has slowly invaded Rand&#8217;s body at an accelerated pace.<br /><br />In TFoH Rand becomes aware of the voice. Later Lews Therin starts muttering about Sammael&#8217;s tactics which astonish Asmodean, and leave him dumbstruck. At the end of the book we see him face Lanfear, and already Lews Therin&#8217;s presence is becoming powerful in Rand&#8217;s mind&#8230;<br /><br />TFoH (Choices) - <i>Other thoughts tried to well up, a fountain of them, of Ilyena, or Mierin, of what he could do to defeat her. He forced them down, even the last. If he came down on the wrong side&#8230; If he listened, it might be Lews Therin Telamon who walked away, with Rand al&#8217;Thor a voice sometimes floating in the head with that. </i><br /><br />Already, the battle to dominate that body or mind is occurring.  In LoC - <i>a New Arrival</i>, the voice apparently comes up like thunder, and Rand has a hard time suppressing it. A few chapters later, Rand explains how his memories are being affected&#8230;<br /><br />LoC (A Woman&#8217;s Eyes) - <i>Bits and pieces sometimes drifted across whatever thin barrier lay between him and that voice, and became part of Rand&#8217;s memories, usually without anything to explain them. It happened more often, lately. The fragments were not something he could fight, like the man&#8217;s voice. </i><br /><br />It is important to see this &#8216;barrier&#8217; which Rand describes, which lies between their identities &#8211; yet once again, this crossing of memories becomes more frequent. Later, in LoC - <i>Matters of Toh</i>, Rand wakes up sweating after having one of Lews Therin&#8217;s dreams, and explains that it has never happened before. In LoC - <i>to Shadar Logoth</i>, the memories cross both ways and Lews Therin remembers Rand killing Ishamael, as well as reminiscing about Lanfear and Demandred. In LoC - <i>Leaves</i>, Lews Therin actually speaks to Rand for the first time, and this leaves Rand shocked. Eventually Lews Therin tries to seize the Power for himself, as Rand thinks back on&#8230;<br /><br />LoC (A Threat) - <i>The only problem was that Lews Therin seemed to be seeing and hearing more, and intending to act on it. There had not been another incident of his trying to seize saidin, but Rand was careful now. The man wanted Rand&#8217;s mind and body for his own, thought they were his own, and if he managed to gain control even one, Rand was not certain it would be just that way. Lews Therin Telamon walking and speaking, while Rand al&#8217;Thor was only a voice in his head. </i><br /><br />These attempts accelerate&#8230;<br /><br />ACoS (Pitfalls and Tripswires) - <i>A moment of struggle as he attempted to wrest the Power away from Rand and failed. He seemed to try that more often of late, or to seize saidin on his own. </i><br /><br />&#8230; and we see that in KoD (Vows), Lews Therin finally does get his hands on the Power, and uses it to destroy the Trolloc army. At this point Rand can control his body, but not the flow of the Power into himself, which almost leads to Lews Therin overdrawing and killing himself for a second time in KoD. Rand also starts to adopt Lews Therin&#8217;s gestures, such as rubbing his earlobe when he spots a beautiful woman.<br /><br /><b><u>The Triggers</u></b><br /><br />All of these above examples show how Lews Therin started as a small unrecognizable voice, which slowly grew in magnitude until by KoD, he was a powerful voice who battled with Rand&#8217;s own mind and even had the ability to grapple for the control of the link to saidin. What were the triggers which allowed Lews Therin to appear in Rand&#8217;s mind, and to grow?<br /><br />The secret to the voice lay in reintegration, which slowly started to occur after Rand had channeled the One Power for some time. The main trigger was that Rand al&#8217;Thor was becoming more similar to Lews Therin, which allowed reintegration. Both of these factors will be revisited.<br /><br /><b><u>Reintegration</u></b><br /><br />So, what is reintegration?<br /><br />It is something which is supposed to happen to all people who are reborn. When a person dies, their soul is placed in a new body as they are reborn, and the complete reintegration of body of mind allows the person to forget their previous lives and start with the new one. If this process does not occur, a mind-body mismatch occurs &#8211; a <i>disintegration</i>, which allows the new person to hear voices of their previous lives. This is alluded to by Semirhage, who I believe was conveying the painful truth&#8230;<br /><br />KoD (A Plain Wooden Box ) - <i>&#8221;Graendal could explain it better than I. Madness was her specialty. I will try, however. You know of people who hear voices in their heads? Sometimes, very rarely, the voices they heard are the voices of past lives. Lanfear claimed he knew things from our own Age, things only Lews Therin Telamon could know. Clearly, he is hearing Lews Therin&#8217;s voice. It makes no difference that his voice is real, however. In fact, it makes his situation worse. Even Graendal usually failed to achieve reintegration with someone who heard a real voice&#8230;&#8221;</i><br /><br />The debate centers around people who have real voices in their head, as we know Rand does. It seems that when people in the Age of Legends had a real voice in their head, even great psychiatrists like Graendal struggled to cure them. Considering the underlying pathology here, it doesn&#8217;t seem surprising that very little could be done to aid these people when this rare condition was encountered. Rand himself reflects on what normally happens to people, and he doesn&#8217;t even know that he&#8217;s hit the nail right on the head&#8230;<br /><br />ACoS (Pitfalls and Tripwires) - <i>Sometimes Rand wondered how that could be. He was Lews Therin reborn, the Dragon Reborn, no denying that, but everybody was someone reborn, a hundred someones, a thousand, more. That was how the Pattern worked; everyone died and was reborn again and again as the Wheel turned, forever without end. But nobody else talked with who they used to be. Nobody else had voices in their heads. Except madmen. </i><br /><br />Unfortunately, a madman is exactly what Rand is &#8211; to a small degree &#8211; and thus Semirhage naming him (correctly) as insane earlier in the chapter. She knows that there is a battle inside his head between a conflicting mind and body, and thus her explanation. Earlier we see Graendal and Lanfear discuss the problem&#8230;<br /><br />TfoH (Prologue) - <i>&#8221;He may be Lews Therin reborn, but he is not Lews Therin himself.&#8221; &#8230; &#8220;How do you know?&#8221; Graendal asked&#8230; &#8220;It may well be that, as many believe, all are born and reborn as the Wheel turns, but nothing like this has ever happened that I have read. A specific man reborn according to prophecy. Who knows what he is?&#8221; &#8230; Lanfear gave her a disparaging smirk. &#8220;I have observed him closely.&#8221; </i><br /><br />If Lews Therin had been properly reintegrated as Rand al&#8217;Thor when he was born, then Lanfear would probably have encountered the original Lews Therin in Rand&#8217;s body. This is not to say that he would have Lews Therin&#8217;s knowledge, but he would have his personality and gestures. The problem, as Lanfear cites, is that she has seen differences between Lews Therin and Rand. Graendal knows about theories of reintegration (and they must remain theories based on hypotheses of how the Wheel and the Pattern work), and thus she asks Lanfear about him. Little does Lanfear know that he is in fact, Lews Therin himself, but that without reintegration, a disparity has occurred. <br /><br /><b><u>The Source of the Disparity </u></b><br /><br />The reason why Rand and Lews Therin didn&#8217;t reintegrate properly is quite simple &#8211; the taint on saidin. The taint drove Lews Therin and his Companions mad when they struck Shayol Ghul, and even though Ishamael Healed Lews Therin temporarily, it is likely that the taint makes the soul of the channeler permanently insane, or fouled. This can be backed up by Cadsuane&#8217;s statements that certain male channelers hear voices &#8211; which is almost certainly exactly the same as what happens to Rand. The lack of reintegration may have become far more common in male channelers due to their maddened states during the Breaking of the World. <br /><br />Rand was unaware of Lews Therin before he could channel, because he and Lews Therin were so drastically dissimilar, that Lews Therin was an inaudible murmur. Rand was not reintegrated even from birth, I believe. Lews Therin was always there in his mind, but so small and miniscule that Rand couldn&#8217;t possibly hear him. Then of course Rand started to channel, and he reflects on this&#8230;<br /><br />LoC (Lions on the Hill) - <i>They called Rand the Dragon Reborn, and never suspected that some part of Lews Therin Telamon might be inside his head, as mad as the day he had begun the Time of Madness and the Breaking of the World&#8230; It had come on him slowly, but the more Rand learned of the One Power, the stronger he became with saidin, the stronger Lews Therin&#8217;s voice became, and the harder Rand had to fight to keep the dead man&#8217;s thoughts from taking him over. </i><br /><br />As Rand became more similar to Lews Therin, reintegration started to occur. For this reason, Lews Therin&#8217;s voice grew louder and louder, and Rand&#8217;s body and Lews Therin&#8217;s mind started to merge. They started to share memories, and Lews Therin gained the ability to reach for saidin too. I personally believe that Rand and Lews Therin share the same soul, but that the essence of Rand&#8217;s body is Rand, and that the essence of Rand&#8217;s mind is Lews Therin. This explains why Lews Therin cannot control Rand&#8217;s body in KoD (Vows) even though he has control of his link to saidin, and why Rand can control his own body and his link to saidin. Ever wanted conclusive proof regarding Jordan&#8217;s statement that channeling is genetic and soul-based? Well, there it is! I believe that if proper reintegration had occurred when Rand was born, then the Rand persona would never have existed, and that we would have had a young Lews Therin from the outset. The essence of the body i.e. Rand&#8217;s personality, is only revealed due to the disparity between the body and mind, which weren&#8217;t properly integrated as they should have been. Put simply, because the soul couldn&#8217;t perform (it was mad), the body took over.<br /><br />In actuality and as a prudent example, this could have happened with Aran&#8217;gar, Moridin or Osan&#8217;gar when they were reborn. Suitable bodies were found and the souls were presumably removed and replaced with Forsaken souls. Proper integration occurred &#8211; as the channelers control their mind and bodies fully. If proper integration had not occurred, then the essences of their former bodies would have created an internal conflict, and the Forsaken would likely be reduced to voices as their captive bodies struggled with their &#8216;insanities&#8217;. They would be able to talk to their hosts and grapple for the Power, but they would not be in control of their bodies. Memory swapping would eventually occur. <br /><br />As another example, we know that Jaric Mandoran was an Aes Sedai from the Age of Legends who went mad from the taint. If he was reborn, his host would also start hearing voices because Jaric is a tainted soul. If the man learns to channel and if the taint starts to harm him, the voice will become louder and louder as the two become more similar. This Ash&#8217;aman will hear the voice of Jaric Mandoran.<br /><br />Rand&#8217;s above quote states that as he grows stronger in the Power, so does Lews Therin. This shows that as Rand becomes more like Lews Therin, Lews Therin becomes more like him, and the barrier which Rand speaks of earlier becomes thinner. It is also true that as Rand succumbs to the taint on saidin, he loses sanity and becomes more like Lews Therin, which also aids in this transition. The taint was the original reason for disintegration in the first place. Rand&#8217;s pure body was not compatible with a fouled and tainted madman in the form of Lews Therin, and thus a disparity formed. Lews Therin could not change, but as Rand grew to become more like Lews Therin with his training and due to the taint, the two personae moved closer and reintegration was on the cards. Unfortunately that final boundary could not be crossed because of Lews Therin&#8217;s insane rantings about wanting to die, an ethos which Rand could not embrace.<br /><br /><b><u>The Moment of Reintegration</u></b><br /><br />The moment came when Semirhage hurled her fireball at Rand. At that moment Rand and Lews Therin clawed for the Power, both intending to destroy the Forsaken. It was one goal which they both shared, one rant of Lews Therin&#8217;s which Rand has always agreed with. Even though they battled for saidin (albeit for the same purpose), the fireball struck home and hurt Rand.<br /><br />During that moment of unconsciousness, I believe Rand and Lews Therin became one, and that full reintegration occurred. Rand even explains his surprise after he recovers&#8230;<br /><br />KoD (A Plain Wooden Box ) - <i>Again, he reached for saidin, and for a wonder, this time Lews Therin did not try to interfere. </i><br /><br />After the fireball incident, we don&#8217;t see Lews Therin comment on a single occasion for the rest of the chapter. We also see Rand reflect on Semirhage and her history during the War of Power as if it was Lews Therin standing there himself. Later he shivers, and he says Lews Therin shivers too. The presence is there, but the disparity is now absent. The eyes are merely a physical manifestation of this extremely rare process, and no wonder Nynaeve can&#8217;t interpret it. His vision will almost certainly correct its self over the next few days spontaneously, as the two essences merge and learn to look through the same body and mind as if they are one. The eyes are the windows to the soul? Time will tell.<br /><br /><b><u>Irony</u></b><br /><br />It is ironic that Semirhage, the disgraced Restorer, the most feared destroyer of the body is responsible for Healing the Light&#8217;s Champion, and even better, from the taint on saidin which her own Master wrought. The woman would probably kill herself if she discovered that her destructive efforts have actually corrected an anomaly in the Dragon Reborn, and made him the most powerful man alive with the advantage of having no further internal conflict.<br /><br /><b><u>Interpretation </u></b><br /><br />It is likely we will never hear Lews Therin&#8217;s voice again, or if we do, we will certainly never hear conflict between the two men again. Lews Therin and Rand are ultimately one again, a fully fledged Dragon who can combat the Shadow.<br /><br />The disintegration actually served a great purpose in Rand&#8217;s case. It allowed him access to Lews Therin&#8217;s knowledge of the Age of Legends, knowledge which is always lost with true reintegration as the soul &#8216;starts anew&#8217;.<br /><br /><b><u>Summary </u></b><br /><br />1. Rand&#8217;s eyes are not damaged. They are merely experiencing a symptom of reintegration with Lews Therin.<br /><br />2. Lews Therin did not reintegrate into his new body at birth because the taint on saidin made him insane, and thus made his soul incompatible with a healthy body. His body developed its own essence (Rand) which caused greater and greater conflict as Rand learned to wield the Power, and as the taint affected him.<br /><br />3. Full reintegration reoccurred when Rand and Lews Therin united against a common target, Semirhage.<br /><br />4. Rand and Lews Therin&#8217;s contention between each other will be a thing of the past. We will now see a sheepherder with the full knowledge of the Age of Legends, united against the Shadow. Logically, he will no longer have a problem killing a woman.<br /><br />Thoughts?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2007-01-23 05:35:01
subject: Perrin's golden armour and lion helm, or Aldeshar and its importance
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<p>Now I'm new to this site but I've found many of the theories fascinating. In fact it because of one of these theories that I accidently stumbled onto something I feel might be important, I was searching the &quot;Dragon Reborn&quot; for Mat's previous memories and instead found a chapter which involved a conversation between Perrin, Ishmael as Balzamon (Shadows Sleeping)and Lanfear.<br /><br />At one part Perrin see's himself in a mirror, wearing a golden breastplate and with a gilded Lion head helm, I thought nothing of it at the time but I wonder now if it could be some prediction or reference.<br /><br />I originally had a few theories<br /><br />1. The Forsaken were messing with Perrin, trying to tempt him with gold and glory, but the Shape of the helmet seems to specific for a bribe.<br /><br />2. Manetheren, the helmet may have something to do with it, however the symbol of Manetheren is a Redeagle so it's unlikely.<br /><br />3. Hawkwing, at first I thought it may be connected with Hawkwing somewhere (maybe to support Hawkwing Reborn theories) however in all the books I searched there was little to no description of the armour Hawkwing wore. If Hawkwing wore a helmet it would probably involved wings or a hawk.<br /><br />4. Andor, the only nation with a Lion as it sigil. <br /><br />Further investigation revealed that the Royal Houses of Andor were desceneded from the royal house of Aldeshar, who were defeated by Artur Hawkwing. But more interestingly the Royal Guard of Aldeshar were known as the &quot;Golden Lions&quot; and Mat has  memories(Eelfinn) from a man, Culian (who is mentioned the most I believe of all the people in his head) who lead the Golden Lions against Hawkwing and was defeated. Culain was alive when Ishara, to be the queen of Andor was a girl.<br /><br />More Research into Aldeshar, shows us that it was one of the first to defy Hawkwing and the last to be conquered. Also Aldeshar occupied the region that is Murandy but including quite a slice of Andor (Whitebrigde and Four Kings included). <br /><br />Now I know I've strayed away from the Original point a little, but does this Golden Lion helm predict that Perrin may not only be Lord of Ghealdon, the Two Rivers and possibly Saldea, but also somehow rule Murandy (and more of Andor). If so Perrin might have quite the Hawkwing-esque Empire in his hands. Would this effect Elayne considering her soon to be two crowns of Andor and Cairhen. Or will Mat and his memories of Culain and Aldeshar, have anything to do with Murandy.<br /><br />I will probably be wrong and it was just a trick, but as we have seen when Robert Jordan is specific about something, it often has relevance, later to the plot.<br /><br />Well that sums up what was meant to be a simple observation but instead took me on historic trip through pre-Andor History.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2007-01-23 05:51:38
subject: The Pattern, Balefire, and Time-Travelling
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<p>So, I've been re-reading the series again, since GRRM's next book failed to be out on time. Currently on Lord of Chaos for what seems like the 42210745th time, and I got to the point just after Rand has met Coiren, Galina and Nesune in Cairhien for the first time. Egwene's asked him how he does his disappearing trick, he talks about bending the Pattern, she talks about a &quot;similarity&quot;, then they go their separate ways.<br /><br />So, I was thinking. Particularly from the point of view of Egwene's similarity, but it can be done Rand's way just as well.<br /><br />The Pattern is woven by the Wheel of Time. Let's take the Pattern, to begin with, as a blank white cloth woven of blank white threads. All the people/possibilities/etc, being woven together into a bland, white, cloth. Eventually, something happens. Two or more particular threads are woven together, and, let's say, Caemlyn is founded. Let's say that in the Pattern, Caemlyn is represented by a red band in the otherwise white cloth. The shape its band takes is not important to this theory. It could be a curve, a zigzag, a Tairen maze, it doesn't matter. Let's say similarly, Cairhien gets founded, and is represented by a yellow band.<br /><br />Now, to Travel (which is instantaneous), Egwene makes the two places similar, then steps between them. Rand bends the Pattern so that Caemlyn and Caihien touch, then bores a hole between them.<br /><br />Now, everyone should still be with me, I hope, since that's just explaining basically what's been layed out in the book. <br /><br />We all know that each person's life is itself a thread in the Pattern. Now, it might seem that Travelling will do funny things to the cloth when the Travellers' threads are moved from one place to another within the Pattern (I really don't know much about how weaving cloth works, but I figure taking one thread and just having it jump about can't be particularly neat). However, obviously Travelling doesn't bother the Pattern much, so the shifting threads are taken into account without much problem.<br /><br />Now, if we assume that all that has gone before is still a part of the Pattern (our bolt of cloth), which we can see it is by the effects of balefire (a thread burns backwards, negating any effect it had on other threads, and in order to burn backwards, it must be incorporated into the cloth of the past), then theoretically (and that's why this is a theory), it should be possible for Rand to take his current position in the Pattern (in Caemlyn, today), pick another position in the bolt of cloth, (Cairhien, sometime last Thursday), bend the Pattern (the cloth) until the two meet, do his boring trick, and be in the past. Travelling to the future, by this line of reasoning, is pretty much right out -- it would assume that the cloth beyond his current time is already woven (which we know that the Pattern is woven by all the many choices everyone makes, to some extent, particularly the choices made by ta'veren), giving him something to bend to.<br /><br />Now, once in the past, can he alter things? It would seem that the way the Pattern works, the answer should be yes. In fact, if he were to kill someone in the past, it would be much like balefiring them back to that point (and could have dire consequences for the Pattern, as such). Beyond such drastic measures, though, it seems that there might be limits on what he would be able to do in the past. If he's not cutting out threads he doesn't like the colour of, then the threads at the point he goes to are already woven into the Pattern, and there may be little he can do to affect them.<br /><br />Of course, it's possible that if such Travelling were possible, then when he moves back to the previous point and changes something, the cloth suddnely starts being woven along alternate lines (Dr. Brown's skew into an alternate timeline from Back to the Future II), but that doesn't seem to me like it would be the case.<br /><br />Now, an interesting question. Could our hypothetical Traveller, Travelling backwards along the cloth of the Pattern, save someone who was previously killed? Without, say, killing the killer and risk the unravelling of the Pattern? Their thread would have ceased being woven into the cloth, and it's entrely possible there would be no way to get it woven into the Pattern again, except by stepping back through the gateway into the present, where the Pattern would then resume weaving with their thread. Which could be quite interesting for the intervening time.<br /><br />So, that theory may take a bit to wrap one's head around. However, when I first thought of it, it actually gave me a really good idea of what the Pattern might actually look like, and how it's woven. Which gives some insight into balefire (the thread burning back, causing threads affected by it to be re-woven as if it had ceased being woven beforehand). Thus we see earlier, when Rand balefires Rahvin in The Fires of Heaven, when he returns to find Mat, Aviendha and co alive -- they are not, say, 20 minutes younger, having &quot;missed&quot; that time, their threads were re-woven as if Rahvin's had not affected them, thus they experienced the same time frame (and in fact, had been involved in fighting Darkfriends and Shadowspawn). Apparently the thread wielding the balefire (and any close by, such as Nynaeve's and Moghedien's) are unaffected by the act of balefiring.<br /><br />Just something that hit me this read-through, and something that may make some of the workings of the Pattern come to light (or not).<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2007-01-30 03:23:20
subject: Alivia's help for Rand's faked death
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<p><b> I. An important difference </b><br /><br />One still unanswered plot question is how exactly Alivia will help Rand to die.<br /><br />We know that she <i> will </i> help Rand in this from a conversation between Rand and Min about a corresponding viewing in WH, ch.25: &quot;Rand, I like Alivia. I do, even if she does make Nynaeve have kittens left and right. [&#8230;] But she is going to kill you.&#8221; She bit off every word. &quot;You said she was going to help me die,&quot; he said quietly. &quot;Those were your words. [&#8230;] Helping me die isn't the same as killing me,&quot; Rand went on. [&#8230;] &quot;Unless you've changed your mind about what you saw.&quot; Min flung up her hands in exasperation. &quot;I saw what I saw and it's what I told you, but the Pit of Doom swallow me if I can see any difference. And I can't see why you think there is!&quot;<br /><br />Contrary to what Min thinks, the wording &#8220;help to die&#8221; implies that the person who shall die actually wants that for some reason. Normally dying is quite easy, though, especially for a person like Rand with countless dangerous enemies. <br /><br />In KoD, ch.18, Rand mentions again that Alivia will help him to die. He also links the viewing about her to one answer of the Aelfinn. Rand states that &#8220;he had asked how to win and survive. The last part of his answer had been 'To live, you must die.' Not something he was going to bring up in front of Min anytime soon. In front of anyone except Alivia, for that matter.&#8221;<br /><br />Obviously Rand plans to include Alivia in his attempts to solve this problem, how one can survive by dying.<br /><br /><b> II. Why Alivia? </b><br /><br />I believe that Rand will actually fake his death before Tarmon Gai&#8217;don in order to deceive the Shadow.<br /><br />But why would Rand need <i> Alivia </i> for that? <br /><br />Alivia was a very battle experienced damane. RJ stated on his Blog: &#8220;Alivia, after all, knew relatively little except how to be a weapon. Also Rand considers in KoD, ch.18: &#8220;He was not sure Alivia knew any weaves but those for weapons.&#8221;<br /><br />In my view Rand&#8217;s thought is a typical ironical foreshadowing from RJ that Alivia will actually support Rand with an important weave in order to help him die.<br /><br />It&#8217;s said in the Guide that usually damane don&#8217;t Heal people: &#8220;Some damane are also used to heal the sick and injured, though only those who are wealthy or among the upper classes. Frequently, however, their healing use is rejected because of the belief that Aes Sedai are not human - roughly the equivalent of allowing a dog to be one's healer. This may be the reason that the ability itself is rare.&#8221;<br /><br />However, also Seanchan get injured in battles. If they decline the help of a damane in such a situation, they might die. I believe to solve this conflict, we will learn that damane invented a kind of One Power Keeping to preserve such badly wounded or ill humans till the person is brought to an ordinary healer. <br /><br />The functions of the body are shut down in such a Keeping, so that the physical state won&#8217;t get worse. That means a person in such a Keeping is basically dead till the Keeping is removed.<br /><br />I think we already might have seen a variation of such a weave in ACoS, ch.15. When Sammael appears in Carridin&#8217;s office, he kind of freezes the also present Shiaine. Carridin notes: &#8221;Suddenly he realized that Shiaine had stopped talking. He turned, ready to continue putting her in her place. She was leaning forward in the act of rising, one hand on the arm of her chair, the other raised in a gesture. Her narrow face was fixed in petulant defiance, but not at Carridin. She did not move. She did not blink. He was not sure she breathed.&#8221; <br /><br />Shiaine appears to be as good as dead. After Sammael leaves, though, Shiaine is immediately in her previous state again: &#8220;Suddenly Shiaine moved, completing her halted rise from the chair. 'You mark me, Bors', she began, then cut off, staring at the window where he had been standing. Her eyes darted, found him, and she jumped. He could have been one of the Chosen himself from the way those eyes bulged.&#8221;<br /><br />Besides that weave from Sammael, there are of course also Keepings to preserve objects. Thus it&#8217;s very likely that something similar exists for humans, too. <br /><br />In my opinion, Alivia and Rand will figure out that such a Keeping - which is normally used to preserve life - is the perfect way for Rand to &#8220;die&#8221;. It&#8217;s likely that Alivia already knows this weave. After all it&#8217;s made clear in KoD, ch.20, how quickly Alivia can pick of weaves just by seeing them. Therefore I believe that Alivia probably also picked up the Keeping weave during her time as battle damane. Otherwise she might just tell Rand about this Seanchan practice.<br /><br /><b> III. How will it be done </b><br /><br />Of course, since Rand will be absolutely helpless in such a Keeping state, he needs people he can really trust to remove the Keeping later. The persons Rand trusts most are his three women.  At least, Elayne and Aviendha could remove the Keeping with the One Power. This fits with Min&#8217;s viewing of Rand in EotW, ch.15: &#8220;Three women standing over a funeral bier with you on it&#8221;.<br /><br />Considering how Min&#8217;s viewings work, it makes not much sense that Rand is actually dead, when he lays on the funeral bier. Min can read the thread of a person till his death, that means till the thread ends. It&#8217;s hardly possible that she could see the funeral of someone who is already dead, whose thread already ended for some time.<br /><br />This idea would also fit with Nicola&#8217;s Prophecy in LoC, ch.14: &quot;The lion sword, the dedicated spear, she who sees beyond. Three on the boat, and he who is dead yet lives. The great battle done, but the world not done with battle. The land divided by the return, and the guardians balance out the servants. The future teeters on the edge of a blade.&quot;<br /><br />As I pointed out in another theory - namely <a href="http://www.wotmania.net/theorypostdbtheory.asp?ID=1033&amp;Category=PFDV" target="_blank">Nicola&#8217;s Foretelling: The Great Battle of Tar Valon</a> -  it&#8217;s actually quite unlikely that the &#8220;great battle&#8221; is Tarmon Gai&#8217;don and that this Prophecy refers to a time after the Last Battle. In the Keeping Rand will appear to be dead, while he actually still lives; he &quot;is dead yet lives&quot;.<br /><br />Also the Wise Ones' Dream about Rand in LoC, ch.14, supports that idea: &#8220;Melaine and Bair dreamed of you on a boat with three women whose faces they could not see and a scale tilting first one way and then the other.&#8221;<br /><br />Furthermore, Egwene&#8217;s Dream in ACoS, ch.10, makes clear that Rand&#8217;s death will just be a ploy: &#8220;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.&#8221;<br /><br />Apparently Logain will get the glory to take Rand&#8217;s role as the leader of the Light, so that the Shadow concentrates on him as the new main opponent, while Rand can go into hiding, maybe as a beggar like some Prophecies indicate. <br /><br />In this context, also the blunt dagger will certainly be very helpful for Rand. Aviendha found out about the dagger in KoD, ch.15:  &quot;I think that if you have this in your possession, the Shadow cannot see you. Not the Eyeless or the Shadowtwisted, maybe not even Leafblighter.<br /><br />Finally, considering Rand&#8217;s similarity to Jesus Christ and King Arthur there are also mythological reason for RJ to let Rand &#8220;die&#8221; for a time (maybe three days?), before someone &quot;awakes&quot; him again. <br /><br /><b> IV. A leap of faith and another important plot implication </b><br /><br />Certainly it will still be a difficult leap of faith for Rand, especially in his current mood, to trust others so much to allow this plan. But as the Aelfinn told, he has to do it to survive the Last Battle. <br /><br />Besides that, if I&#8217;m right, a logical consequence is - although many people might have a hard time to accept this - that Rand has to kill Moridin before he could pull this of, because through the link between them, they are aware of each other. Therefore I believe that Rand also has to kill Moridin some time before Tarmon Gai'don, before he can convincingly fake his own death.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2007-02-01 00:27:56
subject: The Woman in Shadow
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<p>This theory expands on an alternative explanation I wrote in the FAQ recently for one of Egwene&#8217;s dreams. Her dream was:<br /><br /><blockquote> a woman, face shrouded in shadow, beckoned him [Mat] toward great danger; Egwene did not know what, only that it was monstrous. <br /><br />-<i> Lord Of Chaos</i>, A Pile of Sand<br /></blockquote>The woman <i>in shadow</i> has been interpreted to be a Darkfriend or Forsaken since she is calling Mat into something extremely dangerous. But this is not the only possibility.<br /><br />Egwene does not see or recognise much in this dream and this is not unusual. (It also fits in with Jordan&#8217;s theme that no one knows everything.) For instance, Egwene had two dreams of a sword-wielding Tinker with Perrin:<br /><br /><blockquote> &#8230;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&#8230; Every time he moved closer to Perrin it was if a chill of doom shot through everything. <br /><br />-<i> The Fires Of Heaven</i>, What Can Be Learned in Dreams<br /><br />Perrin and a Tinker, frenziedly hacking their way through brambles with axe and sword, unaware of the cliff that lay just ahead. And the brambles screamed with human voices they did not hear. <br /><br />-<i> The Path Of Daggers</i>, Stronger than Written Law<br /></blockquote>yet did not recognise him as Aram, even though she lived with Aram&#8217;s family for a couple of days in <i>The Eye of the World.</i> This is partly due to context: having met and liked Aram when he followed the Way of the Leaf, how could she imagine his descent into bloodthirstiness and his corruption by Masema? He became almost a completely different person.<br /><br />I think the woman in shadow is also someone out of context; someone Egwene knows, but would not expect to have prophetic dreams of because she is believed to be dead: Moiraine. Moiraine cannot be &#8216;seen&#8217; in the dream because she is not in the main world, but in the world of the Alfinn and Eelfinn and thus so remote from the main world and out of context that in Egwene&#8217;s dream her image is shadowy. (Of course it doesn&#8217;t harm the surprise either. <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" />) <br /><br />Moiraine, through her letter to Thom, beckons Mat (and Thom and another man) into that world to save her &#8211; a task of extreme danger as the letter warns:<br /><br /><blockquote>It also may be that you and Mat Cauthon and another, a man I do not know, will try to rescue me&#8230;If you try, it must be only you and Mat and one other. More will mean death for all. Fewer will mean death for all. Even if you come only with Mat and one other, death also may come. I have seen you try and die, one or two or all three. I have seen myself die in the attempt. I have seen all of us live and die as captives.<br /><br />- <i>Knife of Dreams,</i> A Village in Shiota<br /></blockquote>So the woman in shadow could well be Moiraine, who is held by beings Birgitte said were &#8216;so alien they might as well be evil&#8217; (<i>The Shadow Rising,</i> To the Tower of Ghenjei), who perhaps has also been affected by some trap or wish of shadow-souled Lanfear and who Egwene believes is dead. No wonder Egwene did not recognise her. And Moiraine is beckoning Mat and two other men into great danger.<br /><br />Mat has agreed to go to the world of the Aelfinn and Eelfinn and brave this great danger. This will be his third trip to their world: in some tales doing something three times has a marked, even magical, effect and this may be the case here. Let us hope, if this is so, that it is a positive one.<br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2007-02-10 10:06:43
subject: Real-world historical roots of the Aiel
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<p>I have been itching to get my hands all the way around this idea for a long time, compiling information and my thoughts, as well as thinking up answers to as many possible objections as I can. I apologize in advance if I am longwinded, but if you are up to reading the 1000+ pages of many of the WoT books, this should be a breeze to get through.<br /><br />Trying to match up WoT's cultures and countries to their historical real-world counterparts seems to be a hobby of nearly everyone who reads the books. The similarities and hinted parallels are just too enticing to ignore. After combing the 1300+ theories already posted here, I have found many agreeable or at least interesting ideas. The most comprehensive of these is an old posting from 2001 by Saidin &quot;Randland vs. Earth&quot; which matches up quite a few of the cultures of WoT to our world. Some I agree with, some I don't, but the one that really makes me itch is the cultural origins of the Aiel.<br /><br />I have read suggestions that they are oriental in origin because of the martial society. The &quot;military superpower&quot; concept has been compared to america. The nomads of the Sahara have been brought up, though I really can't understand why, besides the desert. The native american idians are often considered a good source, because of dress, tribal structures, etc. I must admit that for a long time, this last seemed good to me too, until I found a far more appealing origin.<br /><br />Begin with the desert. The Aiel Waste/Three-fold Land/whatever name it is given, is clearly a very arid piece of land. However, it is a very specific type of desert. It is not made of rolling sand dunes, like the Sahara, Gobi, and others. It is a red/brown/grey rock desert, with spires, flutes, rocky fields, and such. The two most prominant places in the world that exhibit these features are the Middle East, and the American Southwest.<br /><br />Secondly, the tribes. There are twelve of them. This smells an aweful lot like the twelve tribes of the biblical Israelites. Extend this further to the 13th tribe, the Jenn Aiel, the tribe that is not a tribe, and various other ways the Aiel have of indicating that the Jenn somehow are both something encompassing all the Aiel, and yet not part of any specific grouping. This is nicely analogous to the Cohanim, the priest tribe of the Israelites, down to the notion that Cohanim would not participate in war, were considered apart from the twelve tribes, and held dominion in the Holy City (Jerusalem, in their case).<br /><br />Next, the Wandering. For decades after the Breaking, the Aiel wandered around looking for a safe place. While not perfectly analogous, this seems like a mirror image of the Hebrews wandering in the desert for 40 years to find the Promised Land (although the Hebrews found &quot;a land flowing in milk and honey&quot; and the Aiel found the Waste). Also, the Aiel had with them wagons containing objects they considered a sacred charge to keep safe (the -angreal). This picture meshes nicely with a picture of the Hebrews wandering through the desert with their wagons and packmules bringing the components of the tabernacle, and carrying the Arc of the Covenant (their sacred charge, to bring to a place where God may dwell....).<br /><br />The militaristic society. This may seem a little odd, but the biblical Israelites were considered an extraordinarily powerful and successful military power for their briefly flourishing time of conquest. Decendants of former slaves who had been hardened by a life in the desert managed to conquer most of the land that makes up modern day Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, and hold it for several hundred years. Their decendants were some of the very few to ever expel an established Greek occupation (the Maccabean Revolt beginning in 167BCE), and there are notorious tales of forts and holds that held off Roman seiges for over three years (the most famous of which is Masada). All this is simply to show that it is quite possible to derive the seeds of a powerful militaristic society from the Israelites. However, here even I must admit that it is not enough. There is clearly some borrowing from other cultures to satisfy the rigorousness of the militarism, probably from Spartan culture, which is at the very least still Mediterranean.<br /><br />And finally, the infighting. The various clans and septs of the Aiel are notorious for raiding, feuding, and fighting for priority of place. The Israelite tribes were also notrious for this. In fact, at one point in time, the fighting became so severe that it culminated in a civil war which split the nation into two countries, the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and the Southern Kingdom of Judaea.<br /><br />Last, to explain the dwellings in the holds. Well, here my idea sputters. The cave-like but very agreeable dwellings within the holds appear to be much more like the cliff dwellings of the Sinagua peoples of Arizona/New Mexico than anything the Israelites built. But the tents the Aiel use while travelling are much like the tent communities of the Israelites during their 40 years (which were practically the same as all the other nomad tribes of the time and place, think Bedouin).<br /><br />Oh, and one final toss-up. This is a sop to the idea that Rand is a Messiah/Jesus archetypical character. The Israelites gave birth to Jesus, as the Aiel gave birth to Rand.<br /><br />That's all of it. If I made any greivious errors, someone please correct me!<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2007-02-21 02:54:59
subject: Aviendha's children
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<p>As I am sitting here whilst I work, I couldn't help but read the FAQ chapter about Aviendha's children.<br /><br />I believe I have come up with the solution.<br /><br />Before I tell you the conclusion though, let's present the evidence:<br /><br />&quot;Aviendha would have Rand's babies, too. Four of them at once! Something was odd about that, though. The babies would be healthy, but still something odd.&quot;<br /><br />-Winter's Heart, A Lily in Winter<br /><br />This starts us off with the fact that her kids will be wierd (official term for &quot;odd&quot; ).<br /><br /><br />Next:<br /><br />&quot;RrrrrrRRRRRRRRRrrrRRrRRRrrwawaawrrrrr!!&quot;<br /><br />-Chewbacca, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back<br /><br /><br />And:<br /><br />&quot;I can't explain it.&quot;<br /><br />-Anakin's mother, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace<br /><br /><br />Further:<br /><br />&quot;Sister! So you have a sister! Obi Wan was wise to hide her from me.&quot;<br /><br />-Darth Vader, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi<br /><br /><br />And finally:<br /><br />&quot;Blind woman, deaf man, jackdaw fool. Let the Lord of Chaos rule.&quot;<br /><br />-Lord of Chaos, Opening Prophecy<br /><br /><br />So what am I trying to say?<br /><br />Aviendha's children will be Jedi. Shaidar Haran is really Jar Jar Binks, and he gets killed in book 12 and finally vindicates George Lucas.<br /><br />Luc/Isam is Rand's real father, and he turns to the Light at the end and throws the Dark One into the pit of Shayol Gul.<br /><br />Open and shut.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2007-03-21 18:56:53
subject: The Dream Ring Explained.
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<p>When Elayne tries to duplicate the ring Ter'angreal Egwene received from Verin Sedai, she fails.  This is the only 'dream' Ter'angreal that takes you fully into Tel&#8217;aran&#8217;rhiod.  The other 'dream' Ter'angreal (including all the duplicates Elayne creates) only let you enter the world of dreams very weakly.  Why are all of Elayne's creations in this department so lacking compared to the original?  From what she tells us their inner structure is identical to the original.  The only difference between them is their colors.  She knows the colors are important but she doesn't understand how.<br /><br />Why are the colors of the Ring so important?  The original ring has three colors: blue, red and brown.  All the duplicates Elayne makes have only two of these colors.<br /><br />We get a big clue in LoC.  Elayne says one of her failed duplicates was a solid blue instead of a mixture of two colors.  Instead of taking the wearer to Tel&#8217;aran&#8217;rhiod, this ring gave nightmares.  We also hear from Egwene that while she spied on other people's dreams she learned to recognize nightmares by a blue cast that tinged them.<br /><br />What does that mean? Obviously each color signifies a different aspect of the dream world.  Blue stands for fear and danger.<br /><br />Red is the color of desire and hot emotions.  For example the Bright Red Hot Rod from the Ebu Dar cache Elayne investigates allows you to broadcast your fantasies (wet dreams.)<br /><br />As for the brown I believe it stands for knowledge.  The brown Ajah must have chosen that color because that was what it signified when they formed at the end of the Age of Legends.<br /><br />When a person enters the world of dreams he must have all of these elements to be fully in that world.  Tel&#8217;aran&#8217;rhiod holds truth and knowledge in its reflection of the world. It gives it in the glimpses it gives of the future (Perrin's visionary windows in the wolf dreams.)  <br /><br />It is also heavily influenced by desires and unconscious thoughts as we constantly see in the malleable clothes Elayne, Nynaeve and the AS wear there.  <br /><br />We learn that nightmares can take on a life of their own in Tel&#8217;aran&#8217;rhiod.  Any dream with a strong emotion attached to it adds to this world both positive (red) and negative (blue).  It is after all the World of Dreams and is created by the visions of the living beings that visit it.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2007-03-23 01:54:46
subject: Why the Aes Sedai lost the making of
body:
<p>It stands to reason that the loss of knowledge was partially to the breaking of the World, but not entirely. Robert Jordan countless times has said that the greatest acheivments of the Power, involved men and women working together, the prime example of which is the Cleansing of <i>Saidin</i>.<br /><br />It must have been a sophisticated process which the Breaking of the World contributed to the destruction of, or at the least complex. The reason I can say this with any certainty is the effort to which the Forsaken sought <i>angreal</i>. <br /><br />Along those lines it would stand to reason that both <i>saidin</i> and <i>saidar</i> were needed in the making of <i>angreal</i> for either gender. Given the lack of trust between the Forsaken I for one cannot see them working together to make such a weapon if they even know how.<br /><br />Another reason I am convinced the making of <i>angreal</i> requires the male and female half of the Power is the Breaking of the World itself. Given the fact that male channelers were going mad left and right it is only logical to surmise that no female was going to allow such a tool to fall into such a man's hands as evidence of the Aes Sedai giving the Aiel the <i>angreal</i> and <i>ter'angreal</i> found in Rhuidean.<br /><br />Also with no men to be trusted without snapping all of a sudden...women couldn't make <i>saidar</i> attuned <i>angreal</i>. Something that given the disaster would be a logical priority given the situation in order to confront the stronger male channelers.<br /><br />So in conclusion no new <i>angreal</i> are going to be made until women and men start working together once more...which could be very soon given the bondings going both ways in the White and Black Towers.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2007-03-28 08:07:13
subject: Be&#8217;lal back from the Dead
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<p>I think Be&#8217;lal was reincarnated without Moridin knowing so the Dark One could have at least one of the Forsaken outside of his main man&#8217;s control, and to keep his champion from getting over confident.<br /><br />Wait! He was killed by Balefire. True Moiraine did kill him with balefire, but her comments in the Fires of Heaven, Gateways, indicate she can only burn away a little bit. &#8220;The strongest I can manage will remove only a few seconds from the Pattern.&quot;<br /><br />Couple this with Jordan&#8217;s comment about the Dark One and Balefire <br /><br />&#8220;There are definitely time constraints on the Dark One's power to transmigrate a soul. The soul doesn't have to be secured immediately - that is, the Dark One doesn't have to be ready to snatch the soul at the instant of death - but the longer that passes after the death, the less chance that the Dark One will be able to secure the soul. Someone who has been killed with balefire in actuality died before the apparent time of his or her death, and thus the window of opportunity for the Dark One to secure that soul for transmigration is gone before the Dark One can know that the soul must be secured unless the amount of balefire used is very small. Remember that the more balefire is used, the further back the target's thread is burned out of the pattern.&#8221;<br /><br />Tor Question of the Week, Week 3<br /><br />Moiraine used a small amount of balefire compared to Rand, and only managed a few seconds. A suitable window if any such does exist with balefire for the Dark One.<br /><br />Now have we seen Be&#8217;lal? Twice. Once from Slayer and another time indirectly in Knife of Dreams.<br /><br />The first time is from Slayer&#8217;s PoV.  <br /><br />&#8220;&quot;A pity,&quot; the man said, and the voice seemed to melt in Luc's ears. He would not be able to recognize it if he heard it without the disguise. The man had to be one of the Chosen. Few save the Chosen knew how to reach him, and none of the men among those few could channel, or would have dared trying to command him. His services were always begged, except by the Great Lord himself, and more recently by the Chosen, but none of the Chosen Luc had met had ever taken such precautions as this. &quot;Do you want me to try again?&quot; Luc asked. &quot;Perhaps. When I tell you. Not before. Remember, not a word of this to anyone.&quot; &quot;As you command,&quot; Luc replied, bowing, but the man was already making a gateway, a hole that opened into a snowy forest glade. He was gone before Luc straightened.&#8221; WsH, Out of Thin Air<br /><br />Now why do I say this is Be&#8217;lal? Why would the Forsaken not just come out and show Slayer who they are unless they wish to remain hidden. Demandred and Moridin come outright and tell Kisman to murder Rand outright, and so does Taim echoing the orders of the other Forsaken.<br /> <br />When Rand holes up in Tear through Crossroads of Twilight, and Knife of Dreams he is sitting in territory that Be&#8217;lal had marked for himself in The Dragon Reborn before he was killed. With Moiraine dead as far as he is concerned he has only one target left for his vendetta, Rand, and thus he uses his rival Sammael as a disguise to order the Myrddraal. Something only one of the Chosen can do.<br /> <br />Remember he was a general during the War of the Power and known as the Netweaver. He would be one of the few Forsaken to use outright military force to solve a problem. The other candidates being Demandred and Semirhage, but I cannot see her risking her own plans to capture Rand despite their failure.<br /> <br />In conclusion the Dark One needed another general, strong in the Power, working to keep Moridin from getting too powerful and threatening the Dark One&#8217;s position. I cannot imagine the Dark One liking anyone claiming to be him, and Ishamael did this repeatedly. Reincarnating Be&#8217;lal was the only choice the Dark One had at the time unless he resurrected Asmodean, due to Rhavin being beyond his reach, and then that would be an act of desperation and Asmodean would probably be fitted with a mindtrap making him only another tool of Moridin&#8217;s like Cyndane and Moghidien.<br /> <br />So who is Be&#8217;lal? Mazrim Taim. Oh no! Not another Taimendred theory. He is either Taim, or ordering him around. Why else would Demandred waste the time to order Taim and Kisman when Taim could relay the orders just as well?<br /><br />I think when Tarmon Gai&#8217;don comes Moridin and some other of the Forsaken may be in for a nasty surprise and so won&#8217;t the light when they have to confront Demandred and Be&#8217;lal&#8217;s armies.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2007-04-12 02:19:07
subject: Mat naked and bound
body:
<p>This theory explains a vision Perrin had of Mat:<br /><br /><blockquote>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.<br /><br />- <i>The Shadow Rising,</i> To the Tower of Ghenjei<br /><br /></blockquote> While Mat acquired his medallion and ashanderei back in <i>The Shadow Rising,</i> this dream has not been fulfilled.<br /><br />In <i>Knife of Dreams,</i> Mat promised that he would accompany Thom to the world of the Aelfinn and Eelfinn to try and rescue Moraine. It is an extremely dangerous venture, as Moiraine warned them in her letter in <i>Knife of Dreams,</i> A Village in Shiota. Death or captivity are likely.<br /><br />The Elfinn&#8217;s custom of wearing human leather support this. Moreover, Mat even threatened to an Elfinn that he would skin him if he cheated Mat:<br /><br /><blockquote>&#8220;Never think you have caught a babe in your snare. If you try to cheat me, I will have your hide for a saddlecloth.&#8221;<br />The fellow started, pale eyes widening, then shrugged and adjusted the silver--studded straps across his chest; his mocking smile seemed tailored to draw attention to what he was doing. Suddenly Mat found himself wondering where that pale leather came from. Surely not. . . . Oh, Light, I think it is. He managed to stop himself from swallowing, but only just. &#8220;Lead, you son of a goat. Your hide is not worth silver studding. Take me where I want to go.&#8221;<br />With a snarl, the man hurried on, stiff-backed. Mat did not care if the fellow was offended. He did wish he had just one knife, though. I&#8217;ll be burned if I&#8217;ll let some fox-faced goat-brain make a harness out of my hide.<br /><br />- <i>The Shadow Rising,</i> Rhuidean<br /><br /></blockquote>Judging by the Eelfinn&#8217;s reaction, this may be a foreshadowing that Mat&#8217;s threat was not a good idea, especially since Moiraine stressed that their success would depend on heeding how the Foxes and Snakes game works:<br /><br /><blockquote>A final point. Remember what you know about the game of Snakes and Foxes. Remember, and heed.<br /><br /></blockquote>According to Birgitte in <i>The Shadow Rising</i>, To The Tower of Ghenjei, the game Foxes and Snakes is a &#8220;remembrance of old dealings&#8221; with the Aelfinn and Eelfinn and it is a game:<br /><br /><blockquote>you would not win so long as you followed the rules.<br /><br />- <i>Lord of Chaos</i>, Courage to Strengthen.<br /><br /></blockquote>You only win the game against the Foxes and Snakes if you cheat.<br /><br />I believe that the vision shows one of Mat&#8217;s experiences in the world of the Aelfinn and Eelfinn during the rescue attempt, and that, as foreshadowed in <i> The Shadow Rising,</i> Mat is in danger of providing leather for an Eelfinn&#8217;s garment. <br /><br />In Perrin&#8217;s vision Mat is bound and captive. He is wearing nothing except for his medallion and ashanderei. The fact that these two powerful and useful items were given to Mat by the Eelfinn is the crucial clue that this vision is of Mat&#8217;s forthcoming trip to the Aelfinn&#8217;s and Eelfinn&#8217;s world. The Aelfinn and Eelfinn set great store in their agreement not being violated; the Aelfinn even answered Mat&#8217;s questions while the connection with the main world was in danger:<br /><br /><blockquote>&#8220;If you do not go to Rhuidean,&#8221; the woman on the right said, &#8220;you will die.&#8221;<br />The bell tolled again, louder this time; Mat felt its tremor through his boots. The looks the three shared were plainly anxious. He opened his mouth, but they were only concerned with each other.<br />&#8220;The strain,&#8221; one of the women said hurriedly. &#8220;It is too great.&#8221;<br />&#8220;The savor of him,&#8221; the other woman said on her heels. &#8220;It has been so very long.&#8221;<br />Before she was done the man spoke. &#8220;The strain is too great. Too great. Ask. Ask!&#8221;<br /><br />- <i>The Shadow Rising,</i> Into the Doorway<br /><br /></blockquote>Having given the medallion and ashanderei to Mat as part of a bargain, forcibly taking them back would violate that bargain since, like Mat said, he paid for them:<br /><br /><blockquote>He could always make a new bow for himself, but he was not going to abandon the ashanderei. I paid too high a price for the bloody thing to leave it, he thought, fingering the scar hidden beneath the scarf around his neck&#8230;<br /><br />&quot;I bought [the ashanderei].&quot;<br />&quot;I will give you ten times the price you paid,&quot; [Tuon] said. &quot;Name it.&quot;<br />He almost laughed. He wanted to, and not for pleasure, that was certain sure. No would you think of selling, just I will buy it and here is what I will pay. &quot;The price wasn't gold, my Lady.&quot; Involuntarily, his hand went to the black scarf to make sure it still hid the ridged scar that encircled his neck. &quot;Only a fool would pay it one time, let alone ten.&quot;<br /><br />- <i>Winter&#8217;s Heart,</i> An Offer<br /><br /></blockquote>That is why Mat has been stripped of everything except the ashanderei and medallion.<br /><br />Thus the vision shows what Mat experiences when he goes to the world of the Aelfinn and Eelfinn. All elements of the vision are explained:  Moiraine assured Mat that the rescue attempt could well result in death or captivity, there is foreshadowing that the Elfinn will be after Mat&#8217;s hide, especially if they consider he is cheating the agreement (which Moiraine hinted would be necessary to win against the Aelfinn and Eelfinn) and Mat is naked except for the very items the Eelfinn gave him as part of their bargain in <i>The Shadow Rising</i>. (If the Aelfinn or Eelfinn break the agreement they can hardly object to Mat and co. doing the same). <br /><br />So while Mat is alive the Aelfinn and Eelfinn can&#8217;t take the medallion and ashanderei back. While he is alive. In Perrin&#8217;s vision poor Mat looks like he is trussed up and ready for skinning&#8230;<br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2007-05-07 07:58:20
subject: Dreamwalking
body:
<p>A while back I made a post on the meassage board on this subject, and since then then I've come up with some more proof and sound reasoning, thanks to some great replies on the post.<br /><br />But here goes. My theory is that Dreamwalking is an ability where some are born with the &#8220;spark&#8221; to dreamwalk(ie. They will start to dreamwalk sometime), but it can also be taught to other individuals who have the ability but it does not manifest itself. In comparison with channeling, where some have the spark, while others are born with the ability, but must be taught how to use it.<br /><br />My proof relates to the Forsaken mostly. Among the Forsaken, four of the male channelers show the ability of dreamwalking. The way I've specified the difference between the ability to dreamwalk and entering in the flesh, is that only someone who is dreamwalking can enter the area where dreams are to be found and thus enter people's dreams or pull them into a dream of their own making. The reason for this is that Egwene describes entering tha area where dreams found as halfway back to her body from TAR. This is similar as to how she enters TAR, as that she enters a area/space from her dreams. She says that the area is somehow part of TAR, but seperate. This implies that entering this area, and TAR is not the same thing, and that entering this area in the flesh is not possible. <br /><br />The four male Forsaken who have shown the ability to do this, are Bel'al, Aran'gar, Asmodean and Ishamael. Bel'al pulled Alviarin into a dream of his own making. Aran'gar has been playing around with Egwene's dreams, altering them. Asmodean entered Rand's dream, and Isahmael pulled Rand, Mat and Perrin into dreams of his own making.<br /><br />The reason for showing that several of the male Forskaen have the ability to dreamwalk, is that the Wise Ones say that the ability is almost non-existent in men, though half of the male Forsaken show evidence of the ability.<br /><br />For those that might think this point is irrelevant due to the fact that the ability to dreamwalk might have been more common in AOL. Well, why would they still make dream ter&#8217;angreal then, since there are multiple dream ter&#8217;angreal's, some requiring channelling, others not. Some of these are the training ter&#8217;angreal Demandred refers to, the others were most likely used by those AS and non-channelers who could not enter TAR. The reason I include both channelers and non-channelers, is due to the fact that dreamwalking has nothing to do with the OP, and that these ter&#8217;angreal were required by both classes.<br /><br />My second point of reasoning is Demandred&#8217;s POV in LOC, when he refers to Elayne&#8217;s ter&#8217;angreal as: &quot;a minor ter'angreal by the faint look of her, one made for training beginning students.&quot;  The reason I think this point is of value, is that you will not use a ter&#8217;angreal to train somebody that has the &#8220;spark&#8221; to dreamwalk. For example, Egwene could enter TAR before she used a ter&#8217;angreal. And I&#8217;m sure the Wise Ones don&#8217;t have a ter&#8217;angreal to teach their students. Thus the only people you would use a ter&#8217;angreal to teach, is either somebody who cannot enter TAR, or somebody that can develop the ability through the use of a ter&#8217;angreal. The reason that makes the first unlikely is that it would be much easier to teach somebody to use TAR if you went in the flesh, as it will be more practical, since you didn&#8217;t have to get your class asleep first. And since the Forsaken enter in the flesh so often, it can hardly be dangerous, since a lot of them are too scared to take any risks.<br /><br />I will not try to contemplate in this theory if channelers are more likely to have the ability to dreamwalk, or how they would test somebody to see if they have the ability or not, whether with the &#8220;spark&#8221; or without. That&#8217;s a theory for someone else!!!!<br /><br />Though none of my reasons might be proof on their own, I&#8217;m certain that when you take all into  consideration you will come to the same conclusion that I have, which is that some people have the &#8220;spark&#8221; to dreamwalk, but others also have the ability and can be taught how to use it. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2007-05-15 08:03:50
subject: Asmodean &#8211;Moridin NOT Graendal.
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<p>Presented below is a consideration that I have not seen in anyone&#8217;s arguments that I believe eliminates Graendal as Asmodean&#8217;s killer. In short, she does not know about Lanfear&#8217;s shield and would not risk a direct confrontation with a male Forsaken. Furthermore, I give a plausible scenario of his death at Moridin&#8217;s hands: Moridin takes on his disguise of Ba&#8217;alzamon in lieu of reading a verdict and a sentence, then uses balefire to carry out the execution.<br /><br />Here is the passage: &#8220;He pulled open a small door, intending to find his way to the pantry. There should be some decent wine. One step, and he stopped, blood draining from his face. &#8220;You? No!&#8221; The word still hung in the air when death took him.&#8221; Asmodean has the time to take that one step into the pantry, to have blood drain from his face, and to shout &#8220;You? No!&#8221; before he finally dies. From this I deduce that 1) the killer wanted Asmodean to see who is killing him and 2) the killer is not in the least bit afraid that Asmodean might kill him/her first. (Alternatively, that moment of recognition is mutual. The murder was not premeditated and Asmodean actually surprised his killer. I don&#8217;t consider this case, since then I have no idea who it might have been or what they might have been doing in the wine pantry. Stealing wine?)<br /><br />Who did not do it? <br />USUAL LIST<br />The wotmania faq makes a very convincing case that Semirhage and Demandred did not do it (due to their ignorance). Rahvin was a bit preoccupied being balefired; Aginor and Belthamel are quite dead at the time. Bel&#8217;al is dead by balefire. (Check last paragraph for why Taim is Moridin.)<br /><br />NOT GRAENDAL OR MESAANA OR MOGHEDIEN:<br />Asmodean is one of the weaker male forsaken, but males are stronger than females in the power. When not shielded, he could probably take Graendal, Mesaana, or Moghedien in a one-on-one fight. It would be a close thing at best. What&#8217;s the likelihood that Lanfear would have shared the incriminating and strategic information about Asmodean&#8217;s shield? Zero. The aforementioned ladies do not know about the shield, thus would not seek such a dangerous confrontation. Furthermore, none of them would care to show Asmodean who is killing him.<br /><br />NOT SLAYER?<br />&#8220;He [Slayer] had especially enjoyed those two Aes Sedai in the Stone of Tear. The incredulity on their faces when he appeared out of thin air, the horror when they realized he had not come to save them, were treasured memories. &#8230; Neither of them [Luc or Isam] got to kill Aes Sedai very often (WH 22).&#8221; The reactions of the two Aes Sedai are so close to Asmodean&#8217;s that this passage feels like one of those &#8220;clues&#8221; that RJ promised us. However, surely, if Aes Sedai make such treasured memories, assassinating a Forsaken would be even more so, yet it is the two Aes Sedai that Slayer so fondly remembers though the death of Asmodean had happened more recently.<br /><br />SAMMAEL?<br />There is an interview in which RJ says that he might let the character who killed Asmodean reminisce to himself about the event. Since Sammael is &#8220;toast&#8221; (another RJ interview), this seems to vindicate him. I am not entirely convinced by that logic since one can be quite toast yet still alive and causing mischief. We hear in KoD that Sammael might have resurfaced&#8230; So it might be Sammael, though it&#8217;s a bit of a stretch.<br /><br />LANFEAR?<br />Lanfear certainly has the strongest motive to kill Asmodean, namely, if DO talks to Asmodean, he will spill the beans on her. Asmodean&#8217;s &#8220;You? No!&#8221; is a perfect reaction for seeing Lanfear. Except Lanfear is somewhere else. She and Moiraine had just fallen through the gate to Finnland. That alibi seems insufficient for most people, who think, &#8220;well, Mat got some wishes granted, so may be one of Lanfear&#8217;s had been to kill Asmodean.&#8221;<br /><br />That seems unlikely for two reasons:<br />1)	Since Moiraine is still stuck in Finnland, not all dealings with the Finns are the same. The situation is symmetric for Moiraine and Lanfear, namely, they both fell in at the same time while channeling. I seem to recall (don&#8217;t remember where from) that the Finns are suspicious of channeling. Thus, Lanfear&#8217;s interactions with the Finns are probably more like Moiraine&#8217;s than like Mat&#8217;s and probably not in her favor.<br />2)	Even if they did grant her wishes, and Lanfear asked to be let out to kill Asmodean, how can they make sure she comes back? Let her out on her word of honor? Send a Finn escort? I don&#8217;t think they can come out, and how ridiculous is it &#8211; Lanfear wandering around surrounded by invisible Finns whom she can&#8217;t destroy! Maybe they could hold her memory hostage. But how would she remember that she is missing memories and would it really bother her anyway? Maybe they can just whisk her out of the world at the end of her exploits&#8230; This is sounding more and more absurd, really. Much more plausible that she stayed put in Finnland.<br /><br />Who did it? <br />MORIDIN<br /><br />This brings me to Moridin. The timing is perfect for Moridin to have done it as first thing as Nae&#8217;Blis. I know of only two objections to this view: 1) Asmodean would not recognize Moridin unless Moridin used Mask of Mirrors, and that seems contrived; 2) Moridin was not introduced until later and Asmodean&#8217;s killer is supposed to be &#8220;obvious to the most casual observer.&#8221; I will first discuss Moridin&#8217;s motive, since the Dark One&#8217;s knowledge is limited and it is unclear why he would order to free Moghedien but to kill Asmodean. Then I will endeavor to explain away the objections (1. Moridin uses the disguise of Ba&#8217;alzamon; 2. The why is obvious.)  <br /><br />The DO frees Moghedien. Asmodean is as captive as Moghedien, yet he ends up killed. Why would the DO command such different fates in a similar circumstance? I think the DO believes that Asmodean betrayed him because he also does not know about Lanfear&#8217;s shield. The DO knows directly that Asmodean is not dead, that Asmodean&#8217;s black DO connection cords have been cut, and that he has not come crawling to Shaoyul Gaul to get reattached. To the DO this would mean that Asmodean is either captive or a traitor. Supposing that the DO sent a spy to investigate, an unsophisticated darkfriend spy would not have realized that Asmodean is a captive. If the spy has sufficient knowledge of the situation e.g. knows that Asmodean is a Forsaken and understands a bit about the power, he might wonder if Asmodean is shielded. But if the spy is a man, he will know directly that Asmodean is not shielded by a man. Of course, the shield could have been hidden, but if Rand had shielded Asmodean, there would be no reason to hide it. The spy will also think that Asmodean is not shielded by a woman. Presumably, the woman who would have shielded Asmodean would have wanted to make him an effective teacher; thus, she would have stayed around to link Rand and Asmodean. The spy would then observe that the lessons happen one-on-one. No one in their right mind would guess that Lanfear wanted to turn Asmodean into a teacher who is, at the same time, ineffective. So the spy would report that Asmodean is not shielded and is free to move around. The DO, believing that Asmodean deserted, lets his Nae&#8217;Blis deal with the traitorous filth.<br /><br />The common objection is that Asmodean then would not have recognized Moridin, and Moridin has no reason to use the Mask of Mirrors. Actually, he does. Asmodean&#8217;s death was an execution of a traitor. Execution, as opposed to murder, calls for an authority, a verdict, a sentence, and an understanding on the part of the condemned. For Moridin, the most efficient way to communicate all this to Asmodean is to put on the mask of Ba&#8217;alzamon. It also shows a bit of flare, which is quite characteristic of Ishamael. And before you complain that people rely on Mask of Mirrors entirely too much in their theories, consider that Ishamael did wear that and many other masks for millennia.<br /><br />As to &#8220;it&#8217;s obvious to the most casual observer,&#8221; we all know that&#8217;s a lie. It might be an Aes Sedai truth. The most casual observer will never bother to ask the question. Once you&#8217;ve asked the question &#8220;who killed Asmodean?&#8221; you immediately become not the most casual observer, thus to you, gentle reader, RJ&#8217;s promise does not apply. When I first read this series, it was obvious to me that the DO cleared out the traitor. I, the casual observer, didn&#8217;t even wonder which one of many DO&#8217;s agents performed the deed. If one does not wander around forums and faqs, one does not realize that it is realistically possible to enumerate the suspects and eliminate most of them. Only after seeing those lists, I started to wonder who exactly did it. At that point, I no longer enjoyed &#8220;the most casual observer&#8221; status. <br /><br />This argument, of course, applies to your favorite suspect whoever that might be. However, the DO ordering the death of a traitor is an &#8220;obvious&#8221; motive, and after that, Moridin is the logical choice.<br /><br /><br />MAZRIM TAIM<br /><br />Mazrim Taim has also been mentioned as a possible killer. I believe that Taim is Morridin, so yes, I believe that Taim killed Asmodean. The following paragraph is an aside on why I believe that Taim is Morridin:<br /><br />There is a very comprehensive list of facts and slips of tongue in the theory &#8220;Taim = Morridin,&#8221; which makes it quite clear that Taim is from the Age of Legends, yet does not conclusively show that Taim is Morridint. I think, though, that any darkfriend and even Forsaken would be delighted to be placed in charge of building an army of male channelers. Unless the darkfriend is Moridin, who has a lot on his mind as it is. But Taim is thoroughly unexcited by the prospect, as obvious from his exasperation and his &#8220;you want to dump it all my shoulders&#8221; when Rand explains what he wants (LoC 3). Taim does seem sincere. This leads me to believe that Taim is either a very lazy light-friend or Moridin; but after KoD I have trouble believing that Taim walks in the Light.<br /><br />CONCLUSION<br />Moridin killed Asmodean in the guise of Ba&#8217;alzamon. Graendal did not kill Asmodean because she would have been too scared of him. If I had an Ajah, it would have been white.<br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2007-05-23 05:07:30
subject: Moridin is Homosexual.
body:
<p>There are several clues that Moridin is homosexual, though likely a private one. The first is that he is noticeably, if not homoerotically attracted to, other male characters' beauty:<br /><br />&quot;A servant approached, a slim graceful young man clad all in white, impossibly handsome,  bowing as he presented a crystal goblet on a silver tray. He smiled, but it did not touch his black eyes&quot; (TPoD, Prologue).<br /><br />In the WoT, when a man who is clearly heterosexual notices another man who is handsome, he usually has disdainful comments for the handsome man. Two examples of this are Mat looking at Galad, and Perrin looking at Wil al'Seen. In both cases, they are both described as being &quot;pretty enough to be a girl&quot; or some other derogatory comment, like wasteful of time flirting with girls. On the other hand, Moridin describes another man in his court as being &quot;impossibly handsome.&quot;<br /><br />Moridin is described more as a reserved and arrogant pretty boy rather than a masculine or formidable warrior (like Sammael). He is very tall, has bright blue eyes, a too strong chin, and is almost pretty enough for Graendal (ACoS,Ch25). In this way, he has feminine as well as masculine physical features and is singled out among the Forsaken. He dresses all in black and wears no jewelry except for two cour'souvra. <br /><br />When he is first introduced, he spends several moments spying on Sammael and Graendal, an act that he continues with the other Forsaken. Moridin often notices Sammael's golden hair and beard, and pronounced head and shoulders; but Sammael is also not a pretty man and for competitive reasons, he doesn't like Sammael. <br /><br />Moridin seems to show the same desire for Rand that Lanfear/Cyndane does. He vehemently objects to Cyndane's suggestion to capture Rand to make him tell the Chosen were the Dark One's seals are. This is uncommon because it is one of the few instances in the series where he shows any kind of emotion and responds to a suggestion so quickly (KoD,Ch3). Although he undoubtedly wants to kill Rand himself, there is a strong overtone that he wants to (psychologically, psychosexually, and in a Freudian manner) have Rand for himself:<br /><br />&quot;No!&quot; Moridin snapped, fixing her with a steady stare. &quot;You would 'accidentally' kill him. The time and manner of al'Thor's death will be at my choosing. No one else.&quot; ... &quot;That goes for all of you. Al'Thor is mine. You will not harm in any way!&quot;(KoD,Ch3)<br /><br />Moridin owns the mindtraps of Moghedien and Cyndane. He does not notice Cyndane's good looks, though other characters (Aran'gar, Graendal) seem to (KoD,Ch3). Cyndane is often called &quot;doll-faced,&quot; though never in Moridin's point-of-view.<br /><br />This is not related to Moridin being homosexual, but his minions are usually punished in sadistic ways, and likely through sexual means. Moridin gives Falion to Lady Shiaine to punish (TPoD,Ch28 ), who is eventually made to be her servant and a forced sex-partner for Daved Hanlon (WH,Ch10). Of course, the more direct explanation is that Shiaine is responsible for this rather than Moridin, who might not care. However, it is harder to believe that RJ would have Shiaine, a woman, send another woman (Falion) to be sexually molested. Furthermore, the likelihood of Shiaine being a lesbian is lessened in that she does not keep Falion for herself, in the same manner than Therava seems to keep Galina. In any case, his minions are usually punished in sadistic ways. Jaichim Carridin, as another example, is drowned in brandy.<br /><br />We will have to wait for an actual example of Moridin holding a (handsome) male prisoner to see how he reacts. In any case, we know that his character is personally and creatively sadistic because of how Ishamael mentally tortures Lews Therin, how Ishamael/Baalzamon corrupts Artur Hawking, how he uses Jain Farstrider, and how Moridin fries a pet rat sitting on his shoulder just for the pure fun of it (WH,Ch13). Ishamael also takes great joy in seeing Lews Therin kill his wife.<br /><br />Moridin does not openly have sexual thoughts, but he is often surrounded by graceful, golden-haired, and androgynous zomara. He prefers them to actual people and uses them exclusively over human servants. They are very reminiscent of Graendal's minions, who worship her through Compulsion, and who she most likely compels to perform sexual acts for her. Moridin's zomara are not human, but they are handsome, and certainly not female either:<br /><br />&quot;He had dozens, although he seldom brought them out. Yet, ten more stood waiting, graceful while standing still. He must consider this meeting more important than most.&quot; (KoD,Ch3)<br /><br />Several of the male Forsaken (Sammael, Demandred, Rahvin, Belthamel/Aran'gar) notice and make comments on the feminine features and full breasts of the female Forsaken (especially Graendal), but Moridin never seems to. He only seems to notice his handsome cupbearers and has a strong preoccupation for Rand.<br /><br />In a similar vein, Shaidar Haran seems to enjoy putting Moghedien, Cyndane, Graendal, and Mesaana in their place, in a quasi-sexual way that Myrddraal aren't supposed to feel. He strips Mesaana naked and Graendal does not feel comfortable around him, wishing she had worn more concealing clothes. He is the only one of the Shadow who is equal to Moridin, although he seems to do all of Moridin's dirty work. From an ideological perspective, it is as if he is the muscle while Moridin is the brain. He harbors vague heterosexual feelings while Moridin harbors vague homosexual ones. His methods are also more direct and &quot;masculine;&quot; whereas Moridin's are convoluted, indirect, oppositional, and therefore traditionally &quot;feminine.&quot;<br /><br />There is a mysterious link between Moridin and Rand that is meant to be possessive or at least, shared. There is a strong chance that it is because Moridin and Rand are supposed to have a similar consciousness, but there are clear homoerotic undertones as well. In either case, it works because Moridin is either trying to be Rand, or he is trying to possess/overcome Rand in some way:<br /><br />&quot;It had been a strange sensation, as if he were ... touching... the other man somehow. Only not physically. A residue hung on. It seemed he only had to move a hair's breadth, in any direction, to touch him again. I think he saw my face, too.&quot; (KoD,Ch18 ).<br /><br />Last, Robert Jordan officially attests to having gay and lesbian characters in his books, but so far, we do not have any examples of male (gay) characters:<br /><br />&quot;I have gay and lesbian characters in my books, but the only time it has really come into the open is with the Aes Sedai because I haven&#8217;t been inside the heads of any other characters who are either gay or bi. For the most part, in this world such things are taken as a matter of course. Remember, Cadsuane is surprised that Shalon and Ailil were so hot to hide that they had been sharing a bed even knowing how prim and proper Cairhienin are on the surface. Well, for many it is just on the surface.&quot;<br />- The Official Robert Jordan Blog, October 6, 2005<br /><br />Moridin is the best candidate for a gay character. Aran'gar, as a former man and a current woman, clearly has gay parallels with transvestitism; but Moridin is the first instance of one of the Chosen with exhibited homosexual tendencies. You may not agree with this theory, but you may be able to see that Moridin at least has homoerotic parallels/thoughts even if he does not act out on them. In most passages concerning him, he is so clearly mad with power and the True Source that it seems he has no space to openly dwell on sexual thoughts. However, when he does, they are ambiguous and homoerotic. In any case, it would make sense if he were gay because his hatred for Rand is so deep that his passion for him has drowned out all other ambitions. He has also corrupted his ideals so thoroughly that it would make sense if he had deviant (or at least non-majority) sexual proclivities as well.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2007-06-13 14:31:42
subject: Vanin = Demandred?
body:
<p>I've come across an interesting notion while listening to the audio books: I believe that Chel Vanin is Demandred. We have heard very little about Demandred's alter ego, other than that we've seen it, but not in direct connection with that alter ego actually being Demandred. Similarly, we know very little about Vanin other than that he's an accomplished &quot;farrier&quot; (read: horse thief) and hates nobles...little else.<br /><br />Reasoning:<br />We have seen several things that are incongruous about Vanin: <br />1) He seems to be able to sneak past Warders and Aiel and all manner of skilled woodsman.<br />2) People who others would consider formidable seem to melt away from Vanin in fear (an example would be the trip thru the Rahad during the search for the Bowl of the Winds, in ACoS -- Mat remarked that &quot;even the toughest shied away from Lan after more than a moment's stare...and strangely, they did the same for Vanin&quot;<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" /><br />3) He's oddly light on his feet considering that his appearance is repeatedly likened to an overfull bag of suet.<br />4) He sleeps/rests a lot.<br /><br />Explanation: (numbering corresponds with above reasoning...)<br />1) Traveling/Skimming would easily get him past a lot of things. Also, being Demandred if he'd gotten his hands on a fancloth suit, woven a bending of light, or woven a ward preventing sound from penetrating, sort of similar to an eavesdropping ward, it would be very possible to sneak past anyone at all...<br />2 &amp; 3) The only other person we've seen that seems to be as incongruous in both of these respects is Keille Shaogi/Lanfear. She was VERY light on her feet, and people seemed not to want to cross her, other than Rand or Mat...<br />4) We hear a LOT about Demandred using tel'aran'rhiod to accomplish things covertly. Considering that we've seen Egwene enter tel'aran'rhiod while on horseback it seems more than likely that Vanin/Demandred could be napping his way into the WoD in order to spy on events/situations or meet with other forsaken/agents.<br /><br />Considering what we know of Demandred, which is mainly that he was &quot;almost&quot; Lews Therin in every sense and he went to the shadow out of envy for lews therin, we must consider that &quot;almost&quot; Lews Therin would make him powerful, and very clever in many respects. We also know he was a general/military trained man who was not used to direct fighting...who better to be accomplished at stealth, such as sneaking about under an Aielman's nose.<br /><br />Also ... the enigmatic &quot;Events to the south have demandred's mark all over them&quot; statement comes to call...Salidar, in Altara, is where (I believe) we first meet him. In fact, the chapter he's first mentioned in is &quot;Heading South&quot; in LoC (thanks WoT Search Utility!!). <br /><br />Pplease share your comments, i'd be very interested.</p><p><b>StoneDogAiel says:</b> Interesting idea. The reasoning is good, though there is more than just a little bit of speculation.  I think it's more likely that Vanin is simply what he is made out to be. Being an accomplished &quot;horse thief&quot; would be more than enough to account for those talents.<br /><br />However, this is a new direction for this debate, and I like it!<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2007-07-05 08:46:04
subject: Asmodean, the true story
body:
<p>Asmodean, the true story<br /><br />Many have wondered, who killed Asmodean? The answer, Jordan told us is intuitively obvious or at least spelled out clearly in the books. Yet no consensus was ever reached on this pinnacle of unsolved mystery.<br /><br />I believe the answer is now indeed (at least to me, and soon to you too) obvious. Too long we have been fooled into searching only among the Forsaken and sometime Shaidar Haran because they are highly visible figures in the dark camp but we must remember, when observing a magic trick you must ignore the flashy lights and theatric hand gestures and look for the subtle signs instead.<br /><br />Let us begin with the condition Asmodean finds himself in after Rand captures him. I present evidence no. 1:<br /><br />&quot;He had not seen those strange things like black steel wires around Asmodean since leaving the dark place, but he could visualize them even in the Void, place them in his mind around the Forsaken. ... He reached through the small angreal in his waistband, and more of the Power flowed into him. ... He formed it like a sword of Power, a sword of Light, and struck; one with the sword, one with the imagined wires.<br /><br />Asmodean's eyes went wide, and he screamed, a howl from the depths of horror; like a struck gong the Forsaken quivered. For an instant there seemed to be two of him, shivering away from each other; then they slid back together. He fell over on his back, arms flung out in his now dirty, tattered red coat, chest heaving; staring up at nothing, his dark eyes looked lost.&quot;<br /><br />TSR, The Traps of Rhuidean<br /><br />Rand cut the black cords from Asmodean when they battle in Rhuidean. What does this do to Asmodean? At first I believed (like Rand himself) that he severed his connection to the DO. That he revoked his status as a Forsaken. But! Have a look at evidence no. 2:<br /><br />Q: I&#8217;m trying to verify Rand&#8217;s impression he has at the end of book four, regarding the connection [the Black Cords] he cuts [from] Asmodean. Rand seemed to believe [the Black Cords] was the connection directly from that individual to the Dark One. So what I am wondering is, is that connection key to transmigration?<br /><br />RJ: No, because what you are thinking of wasn&#8217;t a connection, Rand thought it was.<br /><br />RJ, at a DragonCon'05 booksigning<br /><br />So the black cords are something else. The most obvious answer is that they are the protection the DO gave to his male Forsaken against the taint on saidin. Indeed, from the moment Rand cut these cords from Asmodean he is no longer immune to the taint on saidin.<br /><br />In conclusion, Asmodean between his battle with Rand at Rhuidean and his death in the Caemlyn palace is still a Forsaken, though a traitorous one and one lacking of the protection the DO gave to his followers.<br /><br />All this is well and good and might even be true, you might say, but what does any of this have to do with &#8220;You? No!&#8221;<br /><br />I direct you to Chapter 6 in The Fires of Heaven: Gateways. In this chapter Darkhounds attack Rand, Mat and Asmodean while they're staying in Rhuidean. They were sent there by Rhavin. This is part of the campaign that the G.R.L.S. cabal waged to goad Rand into attacking Sammael. Rhavin, having the closest base (Caemlyn and maybe Aringill) of their number to Rand is the probable source of shadowspawn that hound Rand in tSR and tFoH. Rhavin and his friends have no interest in keeping Asmodean alive. He might make Rand too dangerous to them and even Lanfear is not interested in that.<br /><br />The Darkhounds that go after Rand and Mat are out for their blood and only give up after they're balefired by Rand. The one(s) that go after Asmodean on the other hand do nothing of the sort. They stop at his doorway, wag their tail a bit and go away without doing him any harm. Asmodean couldn't do anything with the power to them because, first of all he can barely channel and second, he's imprisoned by Rand in his room and wouldn't be able to weave anything against them without activating Rand's trap.<br /><br />Why didn't they kill him? The answer is that he is still a Forsaken and can therefore still command them to do his bidding as we saw earlier. This power to command shadowspawn is not unlimited. The shadowspawn still have to obey previous orders given to them by Forsaken (otherwise they would be useless to the Forsaken because their opponents among the ranks could cancel every command they give) but they must also obey new orders.<br /><br />So what happened when the Darkhound(s) went to attack Asmodean? Being a clever man he sensed them approaching by their taint and quickly came up with new orders to give them that would force them to postpone their original mission to kill him. Perhaps he told them to return to their master and look for pests in his cellars; perhaps he ordered them to steal for him a bottle of good TR brandy from the Caemlyn cellar. Being a gifted Bard he might even have calmed their anger with his harp. It does not matter. Those Darkhound(s) had to return from Rhuidean, empty jawed, their tails lowered.<br /><br />But 'Every dog has his day' as the old saying goes and unfortunately for Asmodean by the time Rhavin was dead he completely forgot about these Darkhounds, perhaps because their master was now vanquished beyond any hope of rebirth. Asmodean went down to look for the wine cellars and was suddenly confronted by an old doggy acquaintance:<br /><br />He pulled open a small door (but not small enough for a Darkhound!), intending to find his way to the pantry. There should be some decent wine. One step, and he stopped, blood draining from his face. &#8220;You? No!&#8221; (He immediately recognized that black floppy ear, that quivering moist nose. By the Great Lord, he looked hungry!) The word still hung in the air when death took him.<br /><br />There you have it. It is indeed intuitively obvious. We have the motive (an unfulfilled command to kill Asmodean), weapon (the Darkhounds left Rhuidean unharmed, their saliva sacks still full and ready) and opportunity (they are still in their master's kennels in the Caemlyn palace)<br /><br />The only mystery remaining is what happened to Asmodean's body. The answer to this is obvious as well. The Darkhounds became very hungry after living on only the scraps and little vermin living in the Caemlyn cellars. When they finally had large prey at hand they didn't put it to waste.<br /><br />You never suspect the Darkhound but they're still very much about<br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


