# w_theory

created: 2001-07-13 12:52:06
subject: A Case of Ter'angreal and Healing
body:
<p>Not so much a theory as random thoughts that are reflections of Arthurian Myth. Basically it goes thus, Elayne will figure out how to make angreal and sa'angreal.<br /><br />Ter'angreal are decribed as objects that use the One Power in a specific manner as opposed to increasing the amount of power...this is really just semantics here...one could argue that the manipulation of the One Power by angreal and sa'angreal, increasing the amount of Power a channeler can invoke, is really just a use of the One Power in a specific manner, creating a buffer to keep the channeler from burning out or something similiar since we don't know the exact workings of the things. So in reality (at least in my mind) angreal and sa'angreal are really just the first discovered ter'angreal. Elayne will most likely be the one to figure out how to make them. Now onto some of the more shaky stuff. Ter'angreal are used in a &quot;specific manner&quot; this doesn't mean it has just one &quot;power&quot; it could have many powers (such as a sa'angreal buffer + some other 'power') as long as they all go into a specific use (or at least I think so, though I don't think we've seen any like that yet)...which brings me to a little healing, some linguistics and a theory about Rand's death.<br /><br />Rand is supposed to die or at the very least be seriously wounded, how does he survive if at all? My guess is the Holy Grail, also known as the Sangreal (haha!) in certain places (like Spain). If you use my supposition that angreal and sa'angreal are really just ter'angreal, then it could be possible to have a sa'angreal/ter'angreal of Healing (and Healing only, gotta remember those specific manners) which would draw obscene amounts of the One Power and have spiffy healing weaves built in, that when combined with Nynaeve's skills could very well bring somebody back from Death's Door. Course that's just my opinion, I could be (and most likely am) wrong. But it's fun to speculate. <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/biggrin.gif" border="0" /></p><p><b>Burr says:</b> I'm not so sure we can stretch the linguistics that far without losing too much plausibility.  I think the &quot;specific use&quot; clause is telling us that ter'angrael are limited in what they can do; physically limited, not just linguistically limited.  If sa'angrael can buffer and Heal at the same time, then why don't they?  Most probably, sa'angrael are already fulfilling their ter'angrael limits.  Sa'angrael are so rare that I think buffering, as a &quot;specific use,&quot; is one that uses up a lot of the sa'angrael's resources; and there simply aren't enough left to also do a Healing weave.<br /><br />Also, if a ter'angrael does the weaving for the Healing, then what would be Nynaeve's purpose?  You seem to agree with so many that she will be the one to Heal death.  But what makes her so important if such a powerful tool comes into play?<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-07-13 13:09:38
subject: Forsaken
body:
<p>Ok, this is just a pattern I noticed on the deaths of the Forsaken: they only die in every odd numbered book (usually at the end.) Here are their deaths, in order, along with a summary of the endings of the books:<br /><br />1 EotW: Aginor (killed by Rand); Balthamel (killed by Green Man)<br /><br />2 TGH: None (Seanchan invasion ending; first time Seanchan are encountered)<br /><br />3 TDR: Ishamael (Rand); Be'lal (Moiraine)<br /><br />4 TSR: None (Horrible Aiel ending; Rand takes control of the Aiel)<br /><br />5 FoH: Lanfear (fell through Ter'Angreal); Rahvin (Rand); Asmodean (Graendal, but i'm not going to argue it)<br /><br />6 LoC: None (Rand kidnapped; first time Rand really interacts with the White Tower since becoming the Dragon)<br /><br />7 CoS: Sammael (died from Mashadar)<br /><br />8 PoD: None (Dashiva attacks Rand; Rand realizes that the Black Tower doesn't necessarily follow him)<br /><br />9 WH: Osan'gar (killed by a member of the Black Ajah while the taint was being cleansed)<br /><br />As you can see, the Forsaken follow a clear pattern of dying every odd book, while some new major plot thread gets created at the end of every even book (The Seanchan, the Aiel civil war, Rand's dealings with the White Tower, and Rand's dealings with the Black Tower.) RJ uses a lot of pattern in his books, and I beleive that by following the patterns set forth, it won't be difficult to predict the outcome of the next few books. Book 10 will have no Forsaken confrontation, and I believe that it will deal with Rand gaining some influence over the Whitecloaks (Through Galad) or the Seanchan (Through Mat). I favor the Whitecloaks simply because they havn't been dealt with in a while, and they can't roam around forever. I think this will be tied into Perrin's search for Faile; and although I'd like RJ to finish it ASAP, I doubt that will happen. Hopefully some interesting development will come about during that time.</p><p><b>Burr says:</b> It is interesting, but sometimes I wonder if RJ is nearly as obsessed with patterns as are his followers.  <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" /><br /><br />Maybe he will surprise us all by ending the series and killing the Forsaken in book 12.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-07-14 13:29:47
subject: Verin the Mysterious
body:
<p>In this theory I shell attempt to look at all of Verin&#8217;s strange behavior and somehow link it. This link should be her 70-year plan. This builds on the fact that due to her actions she is definitely not a Darkfriend. It would be a good idea to have read the &#8216;Verin the Darkfriend rumors gone for good&#8217; theory before starting this. Also much of this theory gives alternate explanations to things that have previously been used by others to prove that her 70-year plan was to do with the Dragon Reborn, hence I tried to write a second theory dispelling this idea. It is not necessary to read it but it may help jog your memory on a lot of the arguments.<br /><br /> There is no doubt that Verin has links with the Black Ajah. However if you have seen all the info I have written on this, it will become obvious that she is NOT Black. I propose that we were looking at it all wrong when we thought Verin was a Darkfriend. She&#8217;s the hunter, not the hunted. I have seen theories on a secret Ajah that has this cause. I disagree, Verin works on her own. There is no proof of a hidden Ajah. Well anyway, I will start with the most convincing arguments first:<br /><br /><b>Anger over the Oaths</b>- When Egwene breaks the Oaths by trying to scare away the Whitecloaks, Verin is extremely angry. She even speaks in capital letters &#8216;BE SILENT!&#8217; Obviously breaking the Oaths is anathema to her, she holds them in very high importance. This would fit in very well with a hatred for the Black Ajah. <br /><br />On entering Tar Valon and the Tower- Verin makes some very interesting comments. <br /><br />1.	&#8216;Now you must truly be on your guard&#8217;<br />2.	&#8216;Now the real danger begins&#8217;<br />3.	&#8216;I always expect trouble and so should you, in the Tower most of all&#8217;<br /><br />These three all point to Verin being very wary about something dangerous in the Tower. Bearing in mind that they have just come back from Falme it must be something big. This would definitely hint at the Black Ajah. Plus Verin says that she &#8216;always&#8217; expects trouble in the White Tower. Of course any Black Ajah hunter would, but it also suggests that it is not just a result of Falme and Rand. &#8216;Always&#8217; suggests a long time. 70 years maybe?<br /><br /><b>The ring ter&#8217;angreal</b>- The reason I think this is proof is because the Black Ajah have STRONG links with Tel&#8217;aran&#8217;rhiod. The vast majority of the stolen ter&#8217;angreal were labeled &#8216;Last studied by Corianin Nedeal, use unknown&#8217;. Also we know that the former head of the Black Ajah made it look like the Amyrlin died in her sleep. This suggests to me that the Black Ajah have been using Tel&#8217;aran&#8217;rhiod for some time now. So Verin has this ring, and Corianin&#8217;s notes. What I propose is that Corianin herself was Black, and that was why Verin kept the notes and also why there have been no Dreamers in so long. Plus the reason why she CONSIDERED giving them to Egwene is that she already knows about Liandrin and the others, but giving such important material to a novice could be dangerous. Another point is the scar that Verin received when she did use the Ring. Was this a chance encounter with the Black Ajah? Lots of links here<br /><br /><b>Another nice quote</b>- Verin says to Egwene &#8216;We all must face the Dark One in one way or another&#8217;. This is quite a strange comment, but it would mean a lot coming from someone hunting out Darkfriends.<br /><br /><b>Advice to Perrin</b>- Verin says to him &#8216;There are many&#8230; designs in the White Tower, maybe not evil but watch yourself&#8217;. This is a warning about Alanna but it does indeed show that she knows about &#8216;evil&#8217; in the White Tower. The Black Ajah.<br /><br /><b>Verin and other sisters</b>- In Lord of Chaos Merana notes that Verin is like &#8216;A robin looking at worms&#8217;. It seems to me that Verin is studying the other sisters intensely, indeed like a predator. She is watching out for Black sisters. This would also explain her lack of trust for all sisters. She doesn&#8217;t trust Alanna or Cadsuane, or indeed many of the members of the Salidar embassy.<br /><br /><b>Compulsion priority</b>- Verin specifically says that she wants to see all the sisters without Warders first. We do know that there is such a thing as a Black Warder, but they are few and far between. You could say that this is only because sisters without the bond would be easier to compel, but this does not explain why she would want the FIRST. She wants to see them all and it wouldn&#8217;t really matter what order. But if she were looking for the Black Ajah she would start with the most suspicious first. Also we know it is possible to make the Warder unaware of what is happening. It is something well known and much easier than Compulsion; therefore we can assume that Verin would know this trick.<br /><br /><b>Katerine Alruddin</b>- Here&#8217;s the quote:<br /><br />&#8216;You let her escape!&#8217;&#8230;&#8217;How could you be so foolish? She&#8217;s Red! And neither a coward nor weak in the Power! The Car&#8217;a&#8217;carn could be in danger! Why were we not told of this when it happened?&#8217;&#8230;. &#8216;Escaped! The circumstances made everything plain, to her if not to the Aiel... a pity she had no way of making sure Katerine met with a fatal accident.<br /><br />All this adds up to the fact that Katerine is Black, and Verin spots it. No one else mentions this, and Verin seems the only one so concerned. I think Verin had her suspicions about Rand&#8217;s capture and suspected that the Black Ajah had a hand in it all. That is why she suggested the &#8216;questioning&#8217; and that is why she is so angry that Katerine slipped through her fingers.<br /><br /><b>Mistakes</b>- Here&#8217;s another quote:<br /><br />&#8216;He seemed to be waiting for her to make a mistake. Well, they were not the first and a great way from the most dangerous. Seventy-one years had passed since she made her last serious mistake&#8217;<br /><br />She says later, when she stares in horror at Irgain, that if the guard were to slit her throat she would probably not notice. So he is dangerous enough that she would entertain the idea of him trying to slit her throat, but still not very dangerous compared to other things she has faced. If she were a Black Ajah hunter this would make perfect sense. They are very dangerous and it would fit in with her cause lasting seventy years.<br /><br /><b>Explaining Verin&#8217;s actions</b><br /><br />So I thought there was enough actual proof for this, but what explanations does it give to her behavior if we assume that she IS a Black Ajah hunter? These are mostly speculation, but the fact that I CAN give explanation makes it more likely that she is hunting the Black Ajah.<br /><br /><b>Dark prophecies</b>- Verin seems to be very interested in the Dark Prophesy written in blood at Fal Dara. She gives a very detailed interpretation, which suggests to me that she is familiar with thing like this. Also she has a Dark Prophecy in among all the papers strewn around her study. Remember the one on Ishamael being Baalzamon? I suspect that she has more. This familiarity with Dark Prophecies would be expected in someone who has spent 70 years hunting the Black Ajah<br />.<br /><b>Siuan and Moiraine</b>- Verin found out about what these two were planning twenty years ago. The exact quote was &#8216;I had my first clue twenty years ago, and that was only because&#8230;&#8217; But what we do know about that time is that is was a time of high activity for the Black Ajah. And we know that they both were prime targets for the Black Ajah. So if somehow Verin found out what the Black Ajah were after it would be very easy to know what their cause was. Remember that Verin would have had to convince them that SHE was not Black. And Siuan DOES trust Verin to give Egwene info on the Black sisters. Another way she could have found out was through some Dark Prophesy, after all that may have been the same way that the Black Ajah would have found it out.<br /><br /><b>Shadowspawn links</b>- There are a number of strange incidents that suggest that Verin may be familiar with Shadowspawn. Firstly there is the Fade that Fain nailed up. She is not shocked by it just curious, and regrets not getting to study it. Secondly, she has a Trolloc skull in her study, a very unusual ornament.  Finally there is the Stedding incident. I don&#8217;t believe that she channeled but rather could sense there was something wrong, something to do with having no soul. In Winter&#8217;s Heart Slayer talks about how Grey Men are slimy and cold. If Verin knows this then she should be able to tell without channeling that the Ogier was &#8216;empty&#8217;. If Slayer could, then so could she. Bearing in mind that Verin is from Far Madding I find this unusual. They barely even believe in Shadowspawn that far south and the only reason Verin would know so much is if she has studied them a lot. If it was a sister from the Borderlands, then I wouldn&#8217;t see anything unusual, but Verin has to have learnt all this from scratch. This suggests to me that her 70-year plan has something to do with the Shadow.<br /><br /><b>Assassination attempt</b>- In Path of Daggers Verin thinks to herself how a man once told her that her smile reminded him of his mother, and then he pulled a knife on her and tried to kill her. I think that this was a Darkfriend. Firstly, why would anyone attack an Aes Sedai? It would be a pretty stupid thing to do. Secondly, why would he mention his mother? This would only fit if he were trying to make her not suspicious. Thirdly, no mention is made of him trying to steal anything; he just wants to kill her. Who would anyone want Verin dead? Well, if she were hunting the Black Ajah there would be plenty of motives for a Black sister or a Darkfriend to want her dead.<br /><br /><b>Secrecy</b>- The reason for Verin&#8217;s secrecy would be obvious if she were hunting the Black Ajah. She cannot risk anyone finding out because she can&#8217;t trust anyone. This also explains why she writes in code.<br /><br /><b>Breaking Tower Law</b>- Her stolen angreal, the ring ter&#8217;angreal and her compulsion can all be explained by the fact that all Black Ajah hunters must break the rules slightly to carry out their cause. Whether she has special permission to do this or does it out of necessity is not clear.<br /><br /><b>Trying to appear inconspicuous</b>- Rand, Merana, Egwene, Perrin, Siuan, Moiraine, and Mat all realize that there is something more to Verin. She behaves like her head is in the clouds and most people dismiss her as harmless. However, we know this is not true. In her own PoV she thinks that in order for the Wise Ones to trust her she must appear compliant, meek, open and docile. This is how she can carry out her plans.  Merana says that Verin has a habit of &#8216;deferring without deferral&#8217; and Verin mentions that she &#8216;guided&#8217; Sorilea and Amys into letting her question the prisoners. She pulls the strings without people realizing until too late. Another thing is when Verin attempts to poison Cadsuane she &#8216;puts on her most muddled voice&#8217; and says &#8216;I never can remember if you take honey or not&#8217;. It is clearly all an act. But perhaps the most amusing one is that Lews Therin says &#8216;Sometimes that woman scares me&#8217;. Clearly Verin is up to something, and if you were investigating the Black Ajah you would have to appear inconspicuous. <br /><br /><b>Alanna&#8217;s reaction to the Rebels</b>- Alanna can&#8217;t conceive that anyone would go against the Tower. However, this seems no surprise to Verin. She seems quite willing to accept that there are those in the Tower that would try to destroy it. The Black Ajah.<br /><br /><b>Symbols</b>- In The Shadow Rising Verin says to Perrin &#8216;people need symbols, don&#8217;t you&#8217;. While refers to the wolf flag, it shows that Verin believes that symbols are important. People need something to believe in. This would be the typical attitude of someone that hunts the Black Ajah. The reputation of the Tower has to be maintained, people need to have something to look up to. <br /><br /><b>Purpose</b>- When Verin is held captive by the Aiel she thinks about how &#8216;she already had reasons for the path she followed, and purpose&#8217; and that by betraying the other sisters &#8216;her own efforts would be aided no end with luck&#8217;. This refers to the fact that by &#8216;questioning&#8217; them via Compulsion she can find out who is Black, who is not and also make them all no threat to Rand. She DID question Elza and I think that she must have found out that she was Black. If she had not been expecting to find any Black Ajah then why didn&#8217;t she show any surprise? As for why Verin let her live and does not try to bring down the Black Ajah, well I will talk about that later.<br /><br /><b>Cadsuane</b>-Verin says that Cadsuane is &#8216;dangerous and unpredictable&#8217; and shows a real reluctance to trust Cadsuane. Many people know about the Black Ajah, but yet are not as suspicious about everyone as Verin is. Verin seems to make it her business whether sisters are Black or not. She HAS to be sure about Cadsuane since she is to advise the Dragon Reborn. When she is sure at last the first thing she does is go to see Rand to tell him that Cadsuane would be an excellent advisor. I find the timing of this a little too coincidental. Verin is at least checking out Cadsuane to see if she is Black, so why would she not with other sisters too? This would make her a Black Ajah hunter.<br /><br /><b>Far Madding</b>- Verin is exiled from Far Madding, and there is a warrant out for her arrest. But what did she do? If it were to do with the Black Ajah, then that would explain why Cadsuane was in Far Madding twenty years earlier. She says that the last time she was in the city was twenty years ago. And also we know that twenty years ago the Black Ajah were rife. She turned up in Kandor in New Spring where we know there was a Black sister. This was also twenty years ago. So I propose that Cadsuane&#8217;s almost unearthing of the Black Ajah was about this time and that her quarry was Merean Redhill. Furthermore her being in Far Madding twenty years ago shows that there could be links between the Black Ajah and Far Madding. This makes me think that this is maybe why Verin was exiled. Possibly she used a well, killed someone or committed some other serious crime in some confrontation with a Darkfriend. News of this reached Cadsuane somehow (She possibly has agents there) and so that is why she went to Far Madding to find the Black Ajah. A hell of a lot of wishful thinking in that, but it does explain a few things and fits in with Verin&#8217;s cause.<br /><br /><b>Verin&#8217;s superior attitude</b>- Verin does like to take control. She confronts Siuan and Moiraine, takes over the Salidar embassy, becomes Alanna&#8217;s &#8216;guardian&#8217;, shares authority with Cadsuane, advises Perrin and Rand and possibly other situations that I have forgotten. She knows that the Amyrlin and the Tower do not stand for the same thing; indeed sometimes she does not show Siuan the respect she expects. This is because in Verin&#8217;s eyes everyone could be guilty of being a Darkfriend. The other sisters are just pawns in her cause, even the Amyrlin. The high are as guilty as the low. In her eyes she has the authority to do as she pleases as long as she roots out the true danger.<br /><br /><b>More being inconspicuous</b>- Verin&#8217;s study is in a secluded part of the Tower that even the servants don&#8217;t visit often. Maybe there is a reason why Verin doesn&#8217;t want anyone going through her stuff. It also helps if she does any work well out of the way of any other sisters. Also she mentions that she had almost made prattling a Talent, amusing though this may be it also shows that she is an expert at appearing to be someone with her head in the clouds and doesn&#8217;t really pay attention to the real world. It worked with Siuan and others. Hunting the Black Ajah would be an excellent motive for hiding her material and trying to appear stupider than she actually is.<br /><br /><b>Black Ajah info</b>- Verin says that she saw nothing of use in the papers on the Black sisters that she gave to Egwene. Egwene thinks that it is odd that nothing useful can be found in the whole Tower that could lead to a clue. However, if Verin were hunting the Black Ajah herself she would not want to give Egwene anything that would lead her to the Black Ajah. Verin is a professional at these matters and wouldn&#8217;t want to risk one of the Tower&#8217;s most promising students by putting her straight on the hunt for Black sisters. Plus I don&#8217;t think that she actually wants the Black Ajah to be fully exposed for reasons I will discuss later.<br /><br /><b>Glimmers of something sinister</b>- Verin makes various references to things that she has faced. She has &#8216;faced more than a Wise Ones stare&#8217;, seen &#8216;much worse than a Stilled woman&#8217; and faced much more dangerous enemies than the Aiel. Also look at her reaction to the Portal stone. Uno vomited, Masema wept openly, Perrin dug his nails into his face, Mat begged Rand for forgiveness, Ingtar swore vehemently that he would bring down Shayol Ghul himself and Verin, well Verin gathered herself up quite quickly. Other than explaining about past lives she just says &#8216;Though I never thought I would&#8230;&#8217;<br />It surprises me that Verin didn&#8217;t see anything in all those past lives to provoke a more emotional response. Verin has seen a LOT that most Aes Sedai don&#8217;t. This could be explained by he cause being to hunt out the Black Ajah.<br /><br /><b>Who would choose Verin? And Why?</b><br /><br />Firstly Verin&#8217;s plan started seventy years ago. It has been mentioned to me that the Amyrlin at the time was also a Brown, Kirin Melway, and that this could relate to her cause. All hunters of the Black Ajah (With the exception of Cadsuane) have been ordered by the Amyrlin. We also know that Verin&#8217;s last serious mistake was seventy-one years ago. I think that her cause was triggered by this mistake. Perhaps she had an encounter with a Black sister in Tel&#8217;aran&#8217;rhiod (That would explain the scar). She had to be Healed by Anaiya for this, and likely she would have needed to give an explanation. This would certainly be a reason for her to be brought before the Amyrlin. But it could just as likely be something else. <br /><br />Now for the reasons why she would be chosen. We know that both Elaida and Siuan have appointed Black Ajah hunters, and that three Amyrlins died in mysterious circumstances. Also there have always been rumors of the Black Ajah. So it would be entirely conceivable that Kirin Melway would appoint someone to look too.  Elaida picked Seaine because she was the only Sitter that was not informed about Siuan&#8217;s deposing and yet did not join the rebels. Her reason was that the Tower must be kept whole, whoever the Amyrlin may be. She says that Sereille Bagand was a much scarier Amyrlin than Elaida but &#8216;One didn&#8217;t have to like the Amyrlin.&#8217; We see these traits in Verin too. She believes in the Tower being kept whole at all costs. She says that the price paid at Dumai&#8217;s Wells was worth keeping a Ta&#8217;veren like Rand from the White Tower. I have already mentioned that she respects the Tower as an institution and a symbol. She also finds Beldeine&#8217;s idea that the Amyrlin and the Tower are the same thing quite foolish. Amyrlins will come and go but the Tower will remain. <br /><br />Siuan picked Egwene and the others because they were inconspicuous and no one would suspect them. Verin is too, as well as being very observant, practical and exceptionally intelligent. If I were to choose someone to hunt the Black Ajah Verin would be a prime choice. The fact that both Verin and Kirin are Brown cannot be overlooked. Also I think it suspicious that Verin has been a sister for well over a hundred years and yet has never become a Sitter. She most definitely has the talent and ability for it, indeed she can outsmart most Amyrlins. The only reason for this is because she wants to maintain her secrecy. It would get in the way of her cause and make her too much of a target for the Black Ajah.<br /><br /><br /><b>The Black Ajah hasn&#8217;t been exposed!</b><br /><br />The one thing that doesn&#8217;t fit is if she has been hunting the Black Ajah for so long why has no one been exposed? Also she questioned Elza and she is Black. I find it unlikely that she wouldn&#8217;t have found this out, but yet Elza is still around Rand. Indeed she was one of the first to swear. So if you knew is someone was Black beyond doubt, then why would you not tell anyone? I put this question to the wotmania message board and here are the reasons I got.<br /><br />To observe and find out more Black sisters- They must not suspect anything if you are to follow them to find other Black sisters. Uncovering them would be a bad idea.<br /><br /><b>Fear of the consequences</b>- Uncovering a Black sister could be very dangerous. Amico and Joiya were murdered by Slayer, Ispan and Adeleas were killed, and a string of Amyrlins and sisters were killed off during the Aiel War when suspicions were raised. The capturing of Talene will most likely end in a bloody conflict too, so it probably is wiser to let them think that no one suspects them. If you know who is Black you can keep an eye on them, and possibly make them meet a fatal accident.<br /><br /><b>Protecting the Tower&#8217;s reputation</b>- This would be a very good reason for Verin. Revealing the Black Ajah would mean that no one would trust Aes Sedai, the Tower would not be safe and all respect would be lost. Why throw away such a valuable institution and symbol for the sake of a handful of Darkfriends?<br /><br /><b>Trust</b>- If you are revealing the Black Ajah, and all the people that you trusted are dead years ago, who can you trust? The high can be as guilty as the low; there is no guaranteeing that the people at the top are not Black either. The only person you can trust is yourself, and Verin is certainly capable of working on her own.<br /><br /><b>Futility</b>-Even if you uncovered a few Black sisters there will always be more. It would be impossible to find them all and you must accept that there will always be Darkfriends in the Tower. The only other choice would be to find out who the members of the Black Ajah High Council were and even then there would be other sisters to replace them. But if you know who they are and they don&#8217;t know you do then it will be easier to stop their plans and keep an eye on them.<br /><br /><b>Compulsion</b>- This really only applies to Verin. Verin used Compulsion on Elza and she is no longer a threat, well not an important one anyway. We know that Verin has used this before, but why? Possibly to make sure that the Black sisters she does know do not succeed in their plans. I suspect that the Black Ajah would not have a very high tolerance of failure.<br /><br /><b>Conclusion</b><br />OK, this is a very long theory and much of it is speculation, BUT it does explain things much better than her being a Darkfriend and her 70-year plan being to protect the Dragon Reborn. Her actions and motives can be explained and so can her &#8217;70 years of delicate work&#8217;.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-07-17 13:41:58
subject: Half the Light of the World and Balance Scales
body:
<p>This one is about Mat, and his under-estimated significance to the future of the World of the Wheel. And yes, its probably going to be quite long, but I&#8217;ve had these ideas rolling around in my head for over two years now, since I first became obsessed with tWOT and I feel like writing them out tonight.<br /><br />       The general assumption on the &#8220;to give up half the light of the world to save the world&#8221; prophecy concerning Mat is that he will lose his left eye at some point, and whilst there is quite a bit of evidence in support of this, such as the Odin symbolism, it just seems too simple for my liking, especially in light of the always complex nature of RJ&#8217;s prophecies. So here&#8217;s an alternate translation of mine; be warned: I have a tendency to get involved in my theories, as those who read my &#8220;Rand the Slayer&#8221; theory will likely remember...<br /><br />         Now, Mat recently acquired a silver signet ring that has on it, &#8220;a running fox that startled two birds into flight, amid a circle of crescents.&#8221; This ring is his Lordly symbol, and allows us to see him as a silver fox in the way that Rand is the Dragon and Perrin is a wolf. Taken along with the foxhead medallion that Mat prizes so, we can use the fox as a metaphor for Mat. So then, what do the other symbols mean? Two birds startled amid what is possibly Nine Moons...well, I wont bother reminding you of theories you&#8217;ve already heard, I just wanted to put that in to keep it fresh in your mind. Now, here&#8217;s the crux of my theory: if Mat is the silver fox, then his &#8220;eye&#8221; is the ancient symbol of the Age of Legends Aes Sedai. Recall his medallion and the description of it; its eye is the very symbol I mentioned. That he must give up half the Light of the world refers, I believe, to an important choice he must make concerning the divisions among the various channeling groups. It is worth noting at this juncture that the eye dream refers specifically to him putting his left eye on a balance scale; and the left side of the AOL Aes Sedai symbol was what is now known as the White Flame.<br /><br />         The stage the story left off at the end of Winter&#8217;s Heart makes me think that this choice will come soon (in RJ terms, that would be within the next two, or three books). Rand has cleansed saidin, and &#8220;died&#8221; in the process. I suppose I should explain my meaning here; I believe that Rand&#8217;s collapsing after using the Choedan Kal has begun the fulfillment of those dreams of him on a funeral bier, and has fulfilled Min&#8217;s viewing of Alivia helping Rand to die. She was there helping him at the great battle. Now, I don&#8217;t mean that Rand is dead, only that many will believe he is while he recovers from cleansing the taint and perhaps that his condition will worsen due to...I&#8217;ll leave this notion alone and get back to my summary. Logain will have to deal with Taim in Rand&#8217;s place because Rand is &#8220;dead&#8221;; you recall Egwene&#8217;s dream on this of course. Also, the three women; Min, Elayne and Aviendha; will likely take Rand to Tar Valon to be Healed, or at least so he can be kept safe (in their opinions). And of course this must wait &#8216;till the Siege is finished, but that surely wont last long. This fits nicely with the Arthur symbolism of the three sisters carrying the wounded King to Avalon to wait the time when the world will need him again. Meanwhile, Cadsuane has begun a process of bonding Asha&#8217;man to her Aes Sedai, and Egwene seems very angry about the Aes Sedai swearing fealty to Rand. And most importantly, Mat has found and kidnapped the Daughter of the Nine Moons.<br /><br />         Where will Mat go from here? Illian is in need of defense from the Seanchan, but I doubt that will be his destination, despite its connection to the Horn of Valere.  He&#8217;ll go to Murandy. That&#8217;s where the Band waits, and surely Mat&#8217;s ta&#8217;veren-hood will not fail him now. Likely in the next book there will be some serious fighting in Murandy between the Band and the Seanchan, with King Roedran&#8217;s forces helping or hindering Mat; I cannot say which but by description alone I think Roedran might be Mat&#8217;s kinda King, a real party animal. <br /><br />But in the long run, Mat is bound for Tar Valon. Recall Egwene&#8217;s other dream of &#8220;a golden hawk streching out its wing to touch her, and she and the hawk were tied together somehow.&#8221; The Hawk is, of course, Tuon. And shame on all those fools who have ever said that it would be Berelain! But how will she and Egwene be tied together? Will one use an a&#8217;dam on the other? There&#8217;s certainly enough hate between Aes Sedai and sul&#8217;dam, especially from Egwene...Or could the nature of the sul&#8217;dam&#8217;s big bad secret be revealed to Tuon, and she decides to join with Egwene? That&#8217;s a BIG leap in belief for a Seanchan noblewoman...Or, could the two of them use the male a&#8217;dam on Rand? But does Tuon have it in her possession, and if so, would Egwene use it on Rand to force him to kneel to her? They both want him to submit to their respective authorities and beliefs, but I&#8217;d like to think Egwene has too much self-respect to use the a&#8217;dam on him...<br /><br />But, there is certainly a big confrontation coming at the White Tower. Many prophecies point to it; Elaida&#8217;s most recent Foretelling of Rand, &#8220;facing the Amyrlin Seat and knowing her anger,&#8221; the dream of Rand confronting Egwene &#8220;and the women who stood with her, and one of them was Seanchan.&#8221; This means, for me, that the confrontation will take place after Rand recovers from his coma/death, and that Egwene and Tuon will already have met, and thusly that Mat will be present for the big argument. What of the reasons for the argument and the outcome, though? Cadsuane seems to be enforcing Aes Sedai authority with the Asha&#8217;man, Rand and everyone else, and despite their general lack of accomplishment in the series thus far, Aes Sedai authority has not taken the knocks you&#8217;d think it would have. <br /><br />At least, nothing has made Elayne doubt that Rand should submit to Egwene for his own good and everyone else&#8217;s; which is likely one of Cadsuane&#8217;s lessons for the Asha&#8217;man, going by Narishma and Flinn&#8217;s current status. Personally, I hate that idea, but it seems to be the direction things are headed at the end of Winter&#8217;s Heart. From the other perspectives, you have Logain binding Aes Sedai prisoners and the Seanchan sweeping all before them. So then, surely it can be accepted that a confrontation involving the Dragon Reborn, the Amyrlin Seat and the Daughter of the Nine Moons would be one involving some pretty big issues, they are the leaders of the three major powers in the world, other than the Shadow, after all. <br /><br />The central argument will probably be about which of them should be in charge...but I think that Rand&#8217;s comatose state will allow him to further the merging with Lews Therin, in the mode of Isam and Luc&#8217;s relationship (but that&#8217;s a whole &#8216;nother theory...) and that he will finally pose the question to the Amyrlin: &#8220;I am the prophesized leader of humanity, why do you think that you have more of a right to lead than I?&#8221; he&#8217;ll accuse her of looking down on him despite his titles and accomplishments due to the fact that he is male. In short, I think Rand will call prejudice against the White Tower and what it stands for and demand equal treatment for himself and his Asha&#8217;man. This will of course make Egwene very angry. <br /><br />Here&#8217;s where the &#8220;half the light of the world&#8221; thing comes in. Mat will place &#8220;two Aes Sedai on a huge set of balance scales, and on the outcome depended something huge&#8221;. Who are the Aes Sedai and which will he &#8220;give up&#8221;? Egwene is surely one, but could Rand be the other? Mat has said before in the Great Hunt that anyone who could channel was Aes Sedai in his eyes, Rand or even the damane, so could it be symbolic of that I wonder. Rand on one side, and Tuon and Egwene on the other side of the balance scale. The need for balance is central to the Wheel, and the division between male and female channelers is the most glaring imbalance to be seen. <br /><br />I think his choice will be Tuon. Egwene will choose to protect White Tower traditions and Rand is very much a rebel against those, especially if he gains access to Lews Therin's education in the AOL. Mat will not want conflict between her and Rand, so he will choose to allow Rand to &#8220;bind the Nine Moons to serve his will&#8221;, taking command of the Seanchan as his power base. From there I believe Rand will start some serious reforms, bringing male and female channelers into the service of the Empire, with himself as the leader of that Empire. Unlikely that the Seanchan would accept this perhaps, but for all their hate of channelers the Seanchan are a very disciplined people and Egeanin at least has though that channelers should not be leashed as damane, only made to swear to the Crystal Throne. Unlikely, but Mat could pull it off. <br /><br />Recall that the Horn of Valere is hidden in the White Tower and that Mat is the Hornsounder. Now, if he reclaims it in time for the confrontation he could sound the Horn and summon Artur Hawkwing back from the grave. Surely if the great Hawkwing endorsed Rand as he did at the end of tGH, then the Seanchan would swear to follow him. Add to the evidence for this outcome the dreams of Mat &#8220;speaking words [Egwene] almost understood and two ravens alighted on his shoulders&#8221; The words could be the Grave is no Bar to my Call...or not. Weak I know, but the ravens are surely symbolic of Seanchan and Mat&#8217;s giving allegiance to them, and to Rand I think. But the dream of Egwene trying and failing to tear down a wall made of the joined black Fang and white Flame does lend credence to her being left on the outside of Rand&#8217;s reforms. And wouldn&#8217;t it be the biggest surprise for them all? Mat the &#8220;wastrel&#8221; being the deciding factor in such a major argument, quite a shock for the two ladies (it would be crude to say &#8220;birds&#8221;...). And that&#8217;s probably why he&#8217;d choose Rand, apart from the fact he&#8217;s the Dragon Reborn and Mat&#8217;s best friend; Rand is one of the only people who treats Mat with respect.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-07-17 13:52:31
subject: The Workings of Magic...er...the Power
body:
<p>This is one of those theories that really has no relevance to the book's plot but is fun to think about (I think so at least).<br /><br />I'll get right into it (a hypocritical statement, I suppose...)<br /><br />The One Power, both Saidin and Saidar, can be channeled (sp?) into five different types of weaves: Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and Spirit.  I believe these are scientific spheres of influence, rather than the usual occult nonsense typified by dungeons &amp; dragons &quot;planes of water&quot; and such.  I will attempt to divide them.<br /><br />We've seen Earth make tremors, a wavy-sort of earth (eye of the world, Moiraine does that), and people with a strong affinity to Earth (i.e. Egwene) can detect metals even when not channeling.  Metals and soil and solid rock, all covered here, are different beasts altogether.  The tie that binds them is that they are SOLIDS.  I believe that Earth covers all solids in wotworld.<br /><br />We've seen Water used to move water, it seems to be the critical component in most types of female healing (there's water in the body, and other chemicals make your blood and cytoplasm).  This one is a weaker argument but I believe the sphere of water covers ALL liquids, water is the name of the weaves only because water is the most common liquid (when water is a liquid).<br /><br />This makes it pretty obvious that I believe Air covers all gasses.  We have seen it used on actual air, which is composed of different gasses.  I'm uncertain, but I'm pretty sure that at some point in the books Air has been used to modify smoky areas as well, which aren't the same as air (stupid alliterations - Air, area, air).<br /><br />So what is fire?  Fire has been used to emit light, and to increase and decrease the temperature in the area, as well as obviously to start fires.  I believe that Fire governs all forms of natural energy.  Heat, light, but probably other forms as well - it could possibly influence the effects of gravity, if a learned (read: brown) Aes Sedai figured this out (hey, look!  I've rediscovered the lost talent of flying!)<br /><br />This leaves Spirit.  Spirit is an essential component in shielding, severing, healing severing, balefire, traveling, and skimming.  Spirit appears to govern all supernatural things, such as the One Power, the Pattern, the Creator and Dark One, and the Wheel of Time.  Shielding, severing, and unsevering obviously affects the power; balefire burns a thread out of the pattern; and traveling involves either folding the pattern and bashing a hole in it or making the pattern exactly match in two different places in the universe, I imagine skimming works similarly.<br /><br />So:<br /><br />Earth  - Solids<br />Water  - Liquids<br />Air    - Gases<br />Fire   - Energy<br />Spirit - Supernatural<br /><br />I expect anybody who gives the thumbs down to this theory to give a good explanation on the blackboard (we need a stern-but-sarcastic smiley).  Please, nobody give me a &quot;it's just a book, RJ never thought of that&quot; response.  I expect that RJ *has* thought about his brand-new magic system and besides, I think it's interesting even if RJ never intended things to be this way.</p><p><b>Burr says:</b> I think it's a very interesting idea, and quite plausible with RJ's physics background.  However, one point I should make is that you include the One Power among things that are supernatural, despite the fact that you said that the elements of the One Power are not occult.  Of course, you could easily fix this problem by claiming that the domain of Spirit is quite natural, though it is easier to think about it as being supernatural.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-07-18 13:17:54
subject: Slayer Did Not Kill Asmodean
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<p>Since Winter's Heart came out there has been a lot of speculation that Slayer was the one that killed Asmodean.  I just wanted to touch on some of the high points on why he could not be the killer.<br /><br />1.  Slayer is an assassin.  Assassins have targets just like arrows.  If he was going to kill Asmodean he would have done it on his terms, not by randomly running into the guy in a wine cellar in Caemlyn.  Who ever killed him was just as shocked to see Asmodean as Asmodean was to see them.<br /><br />2.  Until WH, the only thing we knew about Slayer was that he was some sort of big Darkfriend who could use the world of dreams rather effectively.  We had no idea of his special post in the Dark side.  RJ said we could figure out who killed Asmodean by the the end of FOH so it could not be Slayer since we knew diddly about him then.<br /><br />3.  Slayer doesn't clean up after himself.  Every killing Slayer has done so far has been messy and gruesome and left at the scene.  Unless Slayer went over to the broom closet and broke out the mop and water to wash the blood from where he killed Asmodean there is no way he could have completely hidden the evidence of his murder.  <br /><br />4.  Why would Slayer kill Asmodean?  He would only do so on the orders of a Forsaken and would any Forsaken care about killing him enough to use Slayer when we know the REALLY don't like to use him if they can help it and Asmodean had already taught Rand a lot.  The only reason to kill Asmodean would be out of convenience, like randomly meeting him in a cellar.<br /><br />I think those all prove that Slayer was not the killer of Asmodean.  I personally believe the Graendel theory but I would not be surprised if Sammael had killed him either since he was in on the plan too.</p><p><b>Burr says:</b> Well, this is rather nice summary of the reasons to exclude Slayer from our suspects.  However, for the sake of argument, I have a few questions regarding your theory: <br /><br />1) With Rand usually keeping track of Asmodean, how does killing Asmodean while Rand has far too much on his mind to watch him carefully not count as being on Slayer's &quot;own terms.&quot;  Should he instead have asked Asmodean to meet him at a more convenient time?<br /><br />2) How does &quot;<i>big</i> Darkfriend&quot; significantly differ from someone with a &quot;special post in the Dark side?&quot;  <br /><br />3) How do the few known assassinations by Slayer show that he <i>never</i> cleans up after himself?  I'm sure he could have assassinated Asmodean with little or no blood to clean up.  And it <i>might</i> be that he can take a body with him between T'A'R and the real world.<br /><br />4) Can Slayer not receive orders from the Dark One himself, or Shaidar Haran, perhaps?  I doubt the Dark One is as willing to leave things be as are the Forsaken, if they are at all.  Also, might Asmodean have be able to teach Rand even more than he already has?  It would be very dissappointing to me if all the knowledge gathered by Age of Legends channelers could be explained fully in such a short time.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-07-18 16:19:26
subject: Noal &amp; the Finn
body:
<p>This is more of a what-if theory than a long drawn out, &#8220;dead horse&#8221; type theory (cough cough TAIMANDRED).  It is generally accepted that Mat will lead an expedition to Finn-land to rescue Moiraine.  From other theories, I&#8217;ve seen suggestions that members of the party may include Thom, Lan, Birgitte, Perrin, and/or Olver.  <br /><br />However, I do not think I have seen it suggested that Jain &#8220;Noal&#8221; Farstrider will be a part of the expedition.  Who better to go along than the most widely traveled man since tAoL?  He sure helped Mat with the Gholam, so why not with the Snakes &#8216;n&#8217; Foxes?  He may even know the location of the Tower of Ghenji, thereby removing the necessity of a possibly convoluted turn of events that would need to occur to have Mat &amp; Co. meet up with Birgitte/Perrin.  <br /><br />Also, to take off on a tangent, we know Mat will &#8220;discover&#8221; gunpowder and cannons and all that.  What if a gun or cannon is the means of defeating the Finns?  To defeat these buggers, you need courage to strengthen, iron to bind, music to dazzle and/or fire to blind (rough quotation).  A gun is steel/iron, the muzzle flash is fire, cannons have been use in music (ala 1812 Overture), and it would take a lot of courage/stupidity to pull it off for the first time.  Granted the musical aspect is a little shaky, but all the other aspects are there.<br /><br />Just a thought.<br /><img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/tongue.gif" border="0" /> AOBtD <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/tongue.gif" border="0" /></p><p><b>Burr says:</b> I think it's quite possible that Noal would help Mat in that situation.  After all, he's got to have appeared in the story for <i>some</i> reason; and he just happened to join with Mat right about the time Mat is looking for a way to make cannons.<br /><br />As you can see, I've bought into your cannon idea.  The music part is not so shaky as you think (except for your explanation of it, perhaps).  Will not the cannon be molded by a bellfounder?<br /><br />After seeing a billion and one combinations of people who could possibly satisfy the Finn riddle, I find it all the more probable that &quot;cannons&quot; is the answer.  It solves the entire riddle all at once.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-07-20 15:00:02
subject: Moridin and Fain will kill each other
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<p>Rand&#8217;s greatest enemies (excluding the DO) are Moridin (Ishamael) and Padan Fain (Mordeth).  They both wounded him in the same spot.  Both have a possessive attitude about Rand.  Neither of these would like the other to kill Rand because they would rather do the deed themselves (though Moridin seems to have lost interest lately i.e. allowing the forsaken to kill him as long as they get the access keys).  The wounds in Rand&#8217;s side are &#8220;fighting&#8221; one another.  And I tend to believe the theory about the Taint and Shadar Logoth took each other out when rand &#8220;moved&#8221; the Taint.  Ultimately Rand will probably have to meet both of them at the same time, and when he does Fain will get Ishy with the dagger and Ishy will probably wield some True Power action of nastiness and send Fain to the other side.  This is almost pure speculation and maybe not worth posting, but who knows?</p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> Well thats all we can do right now, is speculate.  The fact that both the taint and Shadar Logoth were destroyed could very well mean some sort ofd end for both Fain and Moridin, though Moridin is channeling the True Power like a baby sucks milk. With Shadar Logoth gone, who do you suppose Fain will react?  Will he revert to a Darkfriend, or will Mordeth still live within him?<br /><br />I like Fain by the way.  Nasty dude.  Great guy.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-07-20 15:07:23
subject: corrupt admins
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<p>a couple months back, i was in the chat room, minding my buisness: lurking, eating food, and inspecting my carpet for the newest inhabitants.  well, what do you know?  a guy that i will keep <b>b</b>ery <b>a</b>nonymous came in and verbally abused me.  he called me names, and said that i was really just a...sweet potato, a yam! *looks hurt*  now, this was just the beginning of my astute notices of admins that are corrupt.  then i saw this guy <b>pa</b>ss a sentence on an innocent chatter.  he blasted him with a glance...and for no good reason!  he smirked and then went into lurk-mode.  that jerk.  <br /><br />and, when i go on to the mb, why is it that the admins always have hidden posts?  like ones inside the post?  for those of you who dont have my kind of server (a justill 5600) you will not be able to see it.  well, i do see what they say in those posts...about internet fetters, and the enslavement of wotmanians!  <br /><br />they are corrupt! they are corrupt! they are corrupt! they are corrupt! they are corrupt! they are corrupt! they are corrupt! they are corrupt! they are corrupt! they are corrupt! they are corrupt! they are corrupt! they are corrupt! they are corrupt! they are corrupt! they are corrupt! they are corrupt! they are corrupt! they are corrupt! they are corrupt! they are corrupt! they are corrupt! they are corrupt! they are corrupt!</p><p><b>Pento McGreno says:</b> So I'm corrupt. Tell me something the rest of the world doesn't already know.</p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> So?</p><p><b>Lauriana Sedai says:</b> Nobody's ever actually come right out and called me corrupt before... I like it! Makes me feel kinda like a naughty girl... <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/blush.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/aessedai.gif" border="0" />Lauriana Aes Sedai of the Brownish-Green Ajah<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/aessedai.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/read.gif" border="0" />Keeper of the UT chronicles<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/read.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-07-20 15:19:54
subject: The Grand Unified Theory of Rand and the Last Battle
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<p>Oh, wow, my first formal theory . . . <br />Basically, I've seen a lot of things about the Last Battle out there on the site that I like, but never all of them together, so I'm kinda patching them all together and adding my own brand-new idea about what's gonna happen in the next generation down with Rand's kids. <br /><br />I think that Rand will die during the Last Battle.  As for why, there could be many reasons, but just in terms of the symbolism I like the idea of the wound in his side finishing him off.  That fits with him being the Fisher, which is an idea I'm quite fond of -- the Fisher is parallel to the Fisher King, who has an unhealable wound in his side (Rand's got two now, I think, so he's extra special).  For further interesting parallels on that, I believe I once saw a description of the Fisher piece in the game as being powerless but at the center of things, which goes really well with the Fisher King (he had the Holy Grail in his possession, and was really important, but was also very weak because of the wound in his side.)(A side point is that I think the missing sa'angreal is the Sangreal/Holy Grail, but that's another story, never mind...). I know I've seen the theory that Rand was always being acted upon, controlled by destiny etc., and so in a sense was powerless.  He's definitely at the center of things. <br /><br />Anyway, to make a long story short Rand will die.  At this point he becomes parallel to Arthur, gets swept off to some earthly paradise by his three women, and is healed by Nynaeve (sp?).  However, in the process of winning Tarmon Gai'don he will have broken the world again, possibly from an overdose of balefire, possibly from the fact that he's just hurling around waaaay too much saidin.  So the thing is that everybody's really mad at him because he's broken the world, even if he did do it to win the battle.  So when Rand recovers from his death he will disguise himself as a beggar.  Here's some evidence for that, completely out of left field: Rand has always admired Jaim Farstrider (he named one of his horses after Jaim's, he really enjoyed the book).  There's a theory out there right now that Farstrider is Noal, and that he is also the beggar that keeps showing up in the series.  (I personally don't remember any beggars, but then I've only read some of the books once.)  So if Jaim Farstrider became a beggar, and Rand really admires Jaim, he might decide to disguise himself as a beggar, thus fulfilling Min's viewing of him with a beggar's staff. <br /><br />Now here's where I start exploring into totally new territory, as far as I know -- Elayne will bear twins, a boy and a girl.  Because Rand is now incredibly unpopular she will hide them.  The boy will be called by his true last name, Al'Thor, and sent off to live back home in Emond's Field.  He will have no knowledge of his sister, and no knowledge of his father's true history. <br /><br />The girl will be called by the name Trakand, and will be raised in Andor as a princess.  She will be totally ignorant of her father, not even knowing who he really was (the boy will at least know the name).  She will have no knowledge whatsoever of her brother. <br /> <br />Eventually, the boy grows up and becomes restless with farming.  He runs into Narishima, if I got that name right -- Rand's old sidekick.  Narishima also happens to have held onto Callandor and the key to the male Chodan Kal.  He tells the boy that he, being Rand al'Thor's son, can channel, and gives him the key.  They then go off on some damnfool idealistic crusade, rescue the princess (i.e. Rand's daughter/the boy's brother) from a terrible prison -- Semirhage's place, perhaps, although I doubt she will have survived Tarmon Gai'don -- and go on to fame and fortune.  Then the boy has to deal with an Asha'Man who's fallen to the Dark One's side . . . <br /><br />Anyway, just a wild theory, especially the last bit.  I just thought that Jordan borrows so wonderfully from old mythology that he might decide to borrow some from modern mythology as well.</p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> gee, that reminds me much of a movie.  What was it?  Oh I forget dreadfully.  Oh yeah, I remember...it was called <i>Star Wars</i><br /><br />But anyway, all this is possible, but I doubt much of it.  So yeah.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-07-20 15:31:35
subject: The Golden Crane
body:
<p>Well, this theory is pretty short, but hey.<br /><br />Lan is going to fly the Golden Crane banner at some point (I'm assuming Tarmon Gai'don).  I don't know if all of you chappys remember back this far, but in EotW when Rand and the gang are in Fal Dara people keep asking Lan if he'll fly the banner.  Lord Agelmar says &quot;Dai Shan, the Golden Crane banner in the van would put heart into men who know they are riding north to die.  The word will spread like wildfire, and though their kings have told them to hold where they are, lances will come from Arafel and Kandor, and even from Saldaea.&quot;<br /><br />Well, I think when Tarmon Gai'don comes near people are going to start to get really paniky and will go into hiding instead of deciding to fight.  Lan will raise the banner, and people will flock to him, and v&#238;ola!  We have a big, strong army headed by everyone's favorite Warder. <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/biggrin.gif" border="0" /> <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/read.gif" border="0" /></p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> But what about Tomas?  He's <i>my</i> favorite warder.  <br /><br />But anyway, the Last Prince of Malkier would certainly rouse a few <i>thousand</i> people to the cause of the Light.  But I don't think Lan will do it, he seems to have this indignation to his past.  Makes you wonder.<br /><br />So yeah...<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-07-20 15:40:46
subject: Why Egwene may not be Egwene at all
body:
<p>Okay, this theory has to do with T'A'R, but I'll try to be as thorough as possible.<br /><br />These are the facts which I have gathered:<br /><br />1)T'A'R touches all dimensions of time<br />2)Egwne has traveled in the flesh to TAR<br />3)There is another person in each dimension<br /><br />What do these three items have in common?  Well, hypothetically, some DOT's(Dimensions' Of Time) are almost exactly the same, but not quite.  To be specific, Bela ate this grass spot instead of another but nothing different happened other than that.  Now, since there is only one T'A'R, that means that more than one Egwene entered T'A'R, though how that is, I'm not sure possibly somehow connected to the unequal time distribution but I'm not sure.  Anyway, the problem being that one Egwene from the Bela screwed up dimension and the actual one could be in the wrong dimension.  And of course, this means that Rand might not be Rand but instead Pseudo-Rand, though I doubt it.  Mind boggling, huh.   The truly scary thought is that because of this information, there must also be more than one Faile and Nyneave.</p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> Or not.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-07-20 15:43:45
subject: Retaining/Losing strength after being Healed from Stilling (continued)
body:
<p>Ok, basically this theory runs off of Goaswerfraiejen's theory, which i am i quoteing below.<br /><br />&quot;All right, this is short, for there isn't too much to say.<br /><br />Basically, here are the facts.<br /><br />Nynaeve heals Logain, and he appears just as strong as before. If not, she states, he must have been frightfully strong. Possibly as strong as Rand. So, let us discard that possibility for the time being. She heals Siuan and Leanne, but they are both reduced to utter weaklings, which they most definitely were not before being stilled. So, the man healed by the woman remains as strong as before, and the women healed by the woman are weakened considerably. At around the same time as Nynaeve discovers this healing, so does an Asha'man, (can't remember his name). Coincidence? Likely not. All that is needed for proof is for that Asha'man to heal a woman, and we shall see if she is as strong as before or not.<br /><br />So, my guess is that when healed by someone of the opposite source (Saidin/Saidar) the stilled person retains all of his/her previous power, while if healed by one of the same side of the True Source, power is lost.<br /><br />Unfortunately, I cannot delve into this any longer, for I must leave.&quot;<br /><br />Now, i agree with what Goaswerfraiejen wrote(above).  However, i am going to attempt to explain it.  If you recall when someone is healed it uses as much of their phyical strength as it does the one power.  So who is to say this isn't true with healing a genteled/stilled person.  So when someone who uses Saidin is healed by Saidin it uses up their ability to channel.  And visa versa with Saidar.  However, when the oppisite power is used it cannot weaken the person becasue Saidin/Saidar are not related.</p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> SOunds good to me.  Though I think we already understood what Goaswerfraiejen meant.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-07-20 16:00:40
subject: Two Reasons Why The Seals Are Breaking.
body:
<p>This theory actually contains two possible theories concerning why the seals are breaking.<br />Theory #1:<br />We all know that the seals are made out of a substance called 'heartstone'. This material in indestructible, and any attempt to damage it only makes it stronger. This is where my theory comes into it.<br /><br />The Seals are breaking because there is no force damaging them, thus, losing there indestructible nature. This can be directly seen as the seals are several thousand years old, and they have effectively been lost, now i think this also ties into the Aiel Covenant idea of them protecting something very important, but that is another time.<br /><br />Theory #2:<br />We could also say that because of the seals being made by the <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/aessedai.gif" border="0" />ne Power (saidar and saidin) that because of the taint upon saidin, the seals have also become tainted. <br /><br />To take this idea a step further, because of Rand cleansing saidin in WH, we could say that the seals are no longer under the influence of the taint.<br /><br /></p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> I remember reading somewhere on the internet aboput where all the Seals were.  I think all are broken except one.  But that may be innaccurate.<br /><br />With the current healing of the taint, it may very likely keep this last seal intact longer than the others.  Of course, they <i>have</i> been around for three thousand years.  I wonder if the seals have a warranty.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-07-21 17:57:53
subject: Rand Playing right into the DO's plan?
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<p>With all the hubbub about Rand getting helped by Ishy/Moridin in aCoS, my question is &quot;why?&quot;.<br /><br />Here's my theory:<br /><br />Rand is building up the largest following of male and female channelers the world has seen to my knowledge.  For what purpose?  <br /><br />Answer: To hopefully have enough channelers to close the bore altogether as the Creator had once done.  <br /><br />This is all good, but why would Moridin help him?  The answer lies in the nature of the Source.  The Source is the force that drives the Wheel of Time, yet it can be 'channeled' into other areas to produce astounding effects.  Everyone thinks that the source is infinite, but what if it isn't?<br /><br />Could Rand, with the male and female Sa'Angreal, Callandor, himself, thousands of Aes Sedai and Asha'man, and all of the Tower's Angreal, channel enough of the source away at one time to stop the wheel from turning?<br /><br />Sound familiar?  That's right, that's what the Dark One WANTS!  Time will stop and the Dark One, who exists outside the pattern, will be able to touch the pattern unhindered for the wheel will have stopped, stopping time for all threads being woven.<br /><br />I think this has been the Dark One's plan from the beginning.  One wonders, why would the Dark One wait to stop time if he had the power to do it?  Answer:  he cannot, but he is hoping Rand will do the job for him.<br /></p><p><b>StoneDogAiel says:</b> That is an interesting idea. I think that the True Source is infinite, but I've been wrong before. If the True Source is not infinite, then you could very well be right.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-07-23 15:41:33
subject: Shaidar Haran Is the Dark One
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<p>I have always wondered how Shaidar Haran can shield forsaken from the source.  If im not correct only people who can channel, and the dark one can shield other people from the source.  Since myradrall can not channel I believe that this Shaidar Haran is the dark one in body form.  This is why he has so much power and can shield people from the source.  <br /><br />Another reason that I think Shaidar Haran is the dark one in body form is because Shaidar haran cannot stay away from Shayol Ghul for very long.  This would play into how the dark one is breaking free.  Because some seals are still intact he can't break free completely, but enough have broken so he can at least touch the world this way.<br /><br />Just a thought I had I'm excited to see if you all will rip it appart.   D</p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> Well, your wish is my command.  Rip I shall.<br /><br />Actually, it's not all that bad, but if it were true, how is it that he can be Shaidar Haran and the Dark One at the same time?  And, if The Dark One can be Shaidar Haran, why not just use Shaidar Haran to destroy the seals?<br /><br />Plus, Shaidar Haran seems to be acting as co-Naeblis with Moridin, preparing the Forsaken for Moridin's mindtrap.  I don't think the Dark One incarnate would be acting as a messenger of forsaken for one of his own employees.<br /><br />My two cents.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-07-24 14:32:08
subject: Whitecloaks
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<p>I submitted a theory that one of the armies marching on Caemlyn was from the Two Rivers looking for Perrin, but now I tend to think they are Whitecloaks.  If I remember correctly, the defeated army of Whitecloaks was last seen in Ghealdan; and they no longer have anywhere to go.  If I was a Whitecloak I would think the only safe place to go would be Caemlyn where Morgase signed papers giving us power.  They do need a new headquarters and have an easy and close place to fort up.  Thank you.</p><p><b>Burr says:</b> There's an interesting point, especially interesting since Elayne needs all the military aid she can get.  The signed papers gives Galad an excuse to aid his sister, and they give Eamon Valda a last chance at taking hold of some major political power.  No matter how angry Elayne gets with Valda when she sees the pages, she won't renig on the documents signed by Morgase.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-07-24 14:50:20
subject: Elyas the Malkieri?
body:
<p>I just got done reading Eye of the World for the second time, and something struck me as interesting. Elyas Machera, Perrin's wolfguide, sounds as if he could be a Malkieri. Moreover, I believe that Elyas was one of Lan's five surviving bodygaurds when he was taken from Malkier as an infant. Here are my reasons. First, Elyas keeps his hair long and tied back with a cord, in the Malkieri fashion. Second, when Lan learned the name of Perrin's guide he became very interested. He told Perrin that Elyas had taught him much about his sword and The Blight. Now, when we listen to Lord Agelmar talk about Lan, he says that Lan was raised from birth using his sword and learning about The Blight. I believe that Lan knows more about those things than any other warder, so it stands to reason that he learned much of it from Elyas when he was young. Also, the age factor come into play as well. Based on his description, I would guess Lan's age at about 40. So, Elyas would have to be around 20 years older if he was a bodygaurd. Now, Elyas was descibed in Eye of the World as having graying brown hair, and his physical condition doesn't sound like a guy who's in his 60's. However, he was a warder and they do take very good care of themselves. Also, we don't know what kind of effect being a wolfbrother has on the aging process. All in all, I believe that Elyas is a Malkieri and was one of Lan's bodyguards until he discovered that he could talk to wolves, and was then chased into isolation by the Red Ajah.</p><p><b>Burr says:</b> Your idea really made my ears perk up for a few moments.  I think you've got a good piece of evidence to show that Elyas is Malkieri.  However, if Elyas was guarding Lan up until the time he got chased away by the Red Ajah, then when did he find time to be a Warder as well?<br /><br />Now, that only goes against a small part of your theory, though.  Maybe Elyas was one of Lan's bodyguards up until the time he became a Warder.  But would Elyas foresake his obligation to Lan?  Maybe he would under the right conditions, if he lost too much of his humanity due to becoming a wolfbrother, for instance.  And that could be part of the reason why he was bonded by an Aes Sedai in the first place.  The benefits of being a Warder may have helped him regain his sanity.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-07-25 23:42:23
subject: Sex Compulsion Baby!
body:
<p>Well, this theory isn&#8217;t really about using the Power to make that incredibly hot American Airlines Stewardess drop her tray of peanuts and suddenly follow you to the bathroom for some in-flight service with a smile. Maybe I&#8217;ll write that one later. No, the title of this post was just a shameless attempt to grab your eye, but if you&#8217;ll read on, you&#8217;ll find the title fits just perfectly.<br /><br />This is in fact a more in depth look at what Onarishma&#8217;s post called &quot;The Dynamic of a Channeler to Channeler Bond&quot; and how it relates to the practice of Compelling a member of the opposite sex. <br /><br />First off, I agree with most of the points Onarishma made in his theory. The relative strength in the Power of the Bonder compared to that of the Bonded (or lack thereof) has a direct relationship to the chance that the Bonded can be Compelled against their will and to the strength of that Compulsion. Now in WOT World (uhhh, I don&#8217;t like 'that' nickname either) Compulsion via the One Power - and likely through the Warder bond as well - seems to be much more effective on women than on men. <br /><br />Male Channelers aside, there is ample evidence that men in general can be Compelled only through great skill and effort with the One Power. For now let&#8217;s look at the technique of Compulsion itself (without the Warder Bond). Remember Verin&#8217;s POV in the prologue of &#8220;The Path of Daggers&#8221;? She muses to herself that - &#8220;Distrust aside, men were very bad subjects, unfortunately. She could not understand why. Any strong personality might begin to question his own actions-or even forget doing them, which lead to another set of problems-but all things being equal, men were more likely to. Much more likely to.&#8221; Verin has had serious difficulty Compelling men in the past.<br /><br />Now obviously Verin has very little ability in Compulsion, but I would venture to say she has more aptitude and experience than 95% of every other present-day Aes Sedai. Very few female Channelers (apart from the Forsaken) can hope to successfully Compel any man to do something he has great reluctance to do. <br /><br />Now Graendal is surely one of the greatest Compulsionists of all time. She has had no trouble finding male pets to worship at her feet. These men, however, can&#8217;t channel. Now remember that after Rand killed Sammael she attempted to recover Saidar-attuned items from his possessions in Illian and had to flee before she was finished, when some Asha&#8217;men showed up to cart away Sammy&#8217;s stuff. She had called them &#8220;Al&#8217; Thor&#8217;s puppies&#8221;. &#8220;Incredibly dangerous puppies&#8221;. Obviously she was not confident that she could Compel them and, I think, she was afraid they would kill her if she tried. <br /><br />Also, as I&#8217;m sure someone has mentioned before, Lanfear attempted to Compel Rand into letting here see the Horn of Valere and he was not affected. I think most will agree with me that NOBODY can Compel Rand because he is too strong in the One Power. I think it has nothing to do with his being Ta&#8217;veren. He was simply much more powerful than Lanfear. <br /><br />As for the reverse, there is very little evidence on which to guess at the degree of difficulty a Male Channeler would have in Compelling a woman (without the Bond). Rahvin certainly had an easy time of it, (even with Morgase; until she snapped out of it) but it is likely that he too was one of most skilled Compulsionists of all time. He is obviously not your typical Male Channeler on whom to establish supposition and any further debate on the ease at which the Asha&#8217;men can Compel Aes Sedai (without the Bond, at least) is completely academic. There is nothing that even resembles proof in the entire series for me base an assumption upon, along these lines, so I think I&#8217;ll leave it alone. <br /><br />How does Forsaken-style Compulsion relate to Compulsion via the Warder Bond (a completely different situational practice)? Well, I believe the same natural gender-special dynamic can be applied to the Bond. From what I observe to be the principals of the World and the One Power I would propose that a Female Channeler bonding a man who can channel even the tiniest bit, will have a tremendous task before her in making him do anything beyond deferring. And this only when he feels he has the most chance of immediate survival when hiding out as a Warder for a time (as is the case of Corele and Damer Flinn). I do not think either Corele or Merise can expect anything more from their so-called &#8220;Warders&#8221; as result of their Bond. <br /><br />This gender/strength dynamic is the reason Logain can command Toveine and Gabrelle so completely. He is much stronger than both put together, though even if he wasn&#8217;t I expect the result would be much the same. <br /><br />Focusing only on Channelers for a moment, I believe that in addition to the natural susceptibility of women to be Compelled, and the natural superiority of men in strength of the Power, something about the way each sex channels is also a factor in why men will have an inherent advantage in Compulsion. <br /><br />In order for a man to wield the Power he must SEIZE Saidin. He must FIGHT the seething avalanche of molten ice and freezing fire with every ounce of his being. He must CONQUER the raging inferno to a semblance of order or be destroyed utterly. <br /><br />For a woman to touch the power she must EMBRACE Saidar. She must SUBMIT completely or she might as well try scooping up water with spread fingers. It is absolute SURRENDER that the woman must first attain to absorb the undulating ecstasy that is female half of the Power.<br /><br />The man fights and conquers as the woman submits and surrenders. Perhaps this can be translated beyond the mere act of acquiring and holding the Power.<br /><br />I would put forward that the very opposing practical and philosophical approaches between men and women toward the One Power will give men a psychological advantage when a contest of wills ensues. It will be men, with their more aggressive instincts reinforced every time they seize and battle Saidin, who will rediscover, or develop a new form of the science of True Compulsion as it was used in Ages past. <br /><br />I don&#8217;t think this is a line of thought Jordan would really like to pursue, but I just throw it out there as one of the countless possibilities the Wheel and Fate could give life to. If current trends continue with Asha&#8217;men Bonding Aes Sedai into total submission, perhaps in the next Age to come it will be the Male Channelers who hold supreme power to balance the constant anxiety and fear of discovery men with the ability have lived with for the past 3000 years. <br /><br />I hope not. I would hope the Wheel would have a gentler balance in store for a world so torn by war and destruction. But only one man can say for sure, and so far he does not seem too forthcoming with such information.<br /><br />Well, my mad ramblings must finally come to end. I apologize for such &#8220;longwindedness&#8221; if that&#8217;s a real word. I thank all of you who actually made it all the way down here. Please don't be angry that I used such a cheap trick to entice you to read this post. I hope you found it somewhat interesting, if not nearly so much as the title implied.<br /><br />Please give me your thoughts and theories as they will be much appreciated. <br /><br />Until next time,<br /><br />The Great Lord on the Jon</p><p><b>Burr says:</b> It's a good theory.  You've balanced your speculation quite nicely with relevant quotes and such.  <i>However</i>, if you are really into this &quot;Sex Compulsion&quot; thing, I suggest you take it to chat.  That is where you can most probably find more...um...researchers such as yourself.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-07-28 11:30:13
subject: Why the Forsaken Die...
body:
<p>One of the biggest complaints about WoT is that the bad guys aren't very threatening to Rand. They fight, they lose. They have hundreds of years of experience, Rand has squat + crazy Lews Therin in his head. I offer up an explanation as to WHY the Forsaken must lose if they go up against Rand, and suggest that this led to the strategy, &quot;Let the Lord of Chaos Rule&quot;.<br /><br />The answer is the Pattern. Everyone complains that the Forsaken keep getting offed and defeated by Rand/Nyn/etc., but it has really been the Pattern all along. Moiraine learned this, but the Forsaken (and many readers on this board) have not realized that no one is a match for the Pattern, whatever the skill (or lack thereof) of the good guys. By the way, I think Ishy (after being defeated three times by a half-trained boy) HAS learned this, thus his behavior in the last few books has been SMART. He's not gonna fight Rand (unless he must) until his got the BIG GUY in his corner. The Pattern itself REQUIRES several things, including (I believe):<br /><br />1. Rand al'Thor to be the Dragon Reborn. Thus the false claimants were defeated (none killed) the moment he proclaimed himself. The Pattern left no doubt who the true Dragon was.<br /><br />2. The Dragon Reborn must fight at the Last Battle. Those Forsaken (and Darkfriends, and anybody else) who get in the way of this fated event (by trying to kill Rand, for instance) get stopped, often by being removed from the picture, by death or capture. This is the lesson that losing, then losing, then dying, taught Ishamael, which is why I don't think we'll see Moridin face Rand until the Last Battle. It's at this point Moridin thinks he can win. This is the key point, where the bad guys believe destiny can change. This is also a good reason to try to turn the Dragon, a goal that the Dark One believes is more achievable than killing him before Tarmon Gai'don, and would be more beneficial, anyway.<br /><br />If you consider that the Dark One knows (or just believes) the above information, his orders to let the Lord of Chaos rule make sense. As do Moridin's orders to the Asha'man: Bring me the access keys, that is the most important thing. Kill him? Well... If you think you can, go ahead. Telling the Forsaken to let Rand live kept them alive longer, and enabled them to Split the Tower, to set Rand against the Asha'man, to begin a split in the Black Tower, to send the Borderland armies south, to destroy the Whitecloaks, etc. Which Forsaken disobeyed the order? Sammy. He's dead. <br /><br />Obviously, most of the Forsaken thought that the order was ONLY tactics, where I believe that it was the Dark One's logical response to a hopeless goal: change to an achievable goal.<br /><br />Moridin's orders to the Asha'man make sense too, in this context. He knows any attempt to kill Rand before the Last Battle is doomed, but he doesn't really care if Torval and Kisman etc. die. (they are Demandred's lackeys, not his, and he seems to care little for his lackeys anyway) Getting the access keys was (to Moridin's mind) an attainable goal. Killing Rand wasn't, so he definitely wouldn't make it a priority. However, forbidding the Asha'man from killing Rand would make it unlikely that they would attempt to find him and take the keys. Would you try to steal from the Dragon Reborn if you were forbidden from killing him?<br /><br />Similarly, the Forsaken were sent to stop Rand from cleansing the Source. They are also expendable to the Dark One and Moridin. Their attempt to kill him was doomed, but they might have succeeded in stopping him from achieving his goal, so off they went. We didn't see Moridin there, though, did we? Neither was Shaidar Haran. Hmmm....</p><p><b>wotmania says:</b> Yup, I'm the lazy bum who didn't comment on this theory when I first posted it.  And I don't feel like writing anything constructive tonight...  <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" />  I will say, though, that this is a solid theory that I liked a lot - I just didn't feel like agreeing/disagreeing with it point by point.  All I know is that if the good guys make it through Tarmon Gai'don without some serious casualties I'm going to be one unhappy camper...  <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/angry.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-07-30 18:24:00
subject: Manipulation of Time
body:
<p>This may get strange.<br /><br />We all know how balefire works.  Depending upon how strong the beam is, the target is removed from the pattern farther and farther backward.  This has led me to believe that it is possible to Travel into the past, at least a short distance.  Rand's strongest bolt of balefire burned Rahvin out for about 30 minutes, so I would expect you can't travel back any farther than that.<br /><br />It would probably involve some sort of combination of a Gateway and the stuff that goes into balefire.  I'm sure it would be extremely complicated, and it's unlikely anyone is going to discover it.  But it's fun to speculate about.  For example, Rand could have Traveled back after he escaped from Cairhien, snuck up behind Dashiva and the rest, and incinerated them while they were trying to kill his past self.  Might have been interesting.  Probably as disruptive to the Pattern as balefire, though.</p><p><b>Bad Ash says:</b> Ummm...yeah...erm...well, it certainly would be disruptive.  I don't know if it's possible; as you mentioned, we <b>have</b> seen time manipulated in a fashion with balefire, so I suppose it <i>could</i> happen. However, I don't see this ever occuring in the series.  The Balefire Paradox already lends itself to heated &quot;Science of Randland&quot; debate.  Imagine what can of worms the discovery of Time Travel would open. <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-01 23:29:22
subject: Theory of Everything
body:
<p>I suppose that is a slightly arrogant sounding title, but anything else would have taken at least a dozen words to even coming close to describing my theory.  I will try to explain the natures of the Creator, the Dark One, the Pattern, and the Dragon (with other minor points added).  See, that would have been a really long title. <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/smile.gif" border="0" />  Unfortunately none of this is likely to be confirmed in the books unless the Creator and the Dark One sit down and have tea together sometime.  Anyway here it goes:<br /><br />The Creator and the Dark One:<br /><br />  The Dark One is a necessary Force in the universe serving an opposite, but equal in importance, function. It probably isn't accurate to call the Creator Good, and the Dark One Evil.  The concept of Good/Evil is simply too subjective (i.e. it depends entirely on the point of view of a third party to determine if something is good or evil).  I think that a better view would be one of Creation/Destruction (probably still overly simplistic, but less subjective than Good/Evil).  This would make the Creator responsible for Creation (don't think that I would ever have guessed that <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/smile.gif" border="0" />), and the Dark One responsible for Destruction.  In this framework the Dark One becomes every bit as important for the continuation of the Wheel as the Creator, as creation and destruction are both very necessary in nature.  What is interesting about the equality between the Creator and the Dark One is that they are both limited in directly affecting the world (if in different ways).<br /><br />The Pattern:<br /><br />I think that the best analogy for the Pattern is to vision it as a coin.  On the one side (where the story takes place) the Creator reigns supreme, and on the other the Dark One is supreme.  The coin (Pattern) itself is where the Creator and the Dark One meet, and the combining of their natures is what created the Pattern (note: everything I say will be about the side where the story takes place, but it can be assumed that everything is the exact opposite on the other side (i.e. the Creator being &quot;imprisoned,&quot; etc.)).  An important point about this is that the Dark One is not really in a &quot;prison.&quot;  Rather he is on the other side of the Pattern, and is trying to break through to this side.  The Pattern is the neutral point between the Creator and the Dark One.  Its purpose (in so much as it actually has a will) is to keep the balance between the Creator and the Dark One, so that the world will continue throughout time.  For example the War of the Shadow and its outcome can be seen as the Pattern compensating for a shift too far in the direction of the Creator.<br /><br />The Eternal Conflict:<br /><br />This is the conflict between the Creator and the Dark One.  This is Dark One trying to escape his &quot;prison,&quot; and the Creator keeping that from happening.  As I said the Dark One is simply trying to get to this side of the pattern.  Why?  Basically it is the nature of the Dark One to destroy, and there are things here to be destroyed.  The Creator is trying to prevent that from happening because it is his nature.  This conflict is truly eternal in that even if one or the other totally wins (thus ending the Pattern as we know it) a new balance will simply be created, and it will all start over.  For some reason the Creator and the Dark One do not contend directly against each other, but rather everything is placed on the Dragon.<br /><br />The Dragon:<br /><br />In the eternal conflict the Dragon is the only person who means anything.  I believe that this realization is what drove Ishamael mad.  Imagine being as powerful and knowledgeable as he is, and realizing that he is utterly insignificant to his master.  It is given to the Dragon to be the only one who can totally bring the Dark One to this side of the Pattern (I imagine it would be done by destroying the world in balefire).  Furthermore I think that for the Dragon to bring the Dark One fully to this side requires that he be willing and not coerced (this would explain why the Dark One has not allowed Rand to be forcefully turned, and commanded that Rand be allowed to grow into his power).  Ultimately only the Dragon will decide this conflict.<br /><br />Minor Conflicts:<br /><br />These are the conflicts with everyone else.  They focus on what the world will be like after the war (who will rule, etc.), and are mostly what the books focus on.  The important thing about these conflicts is that there is a disconnect between the Dark One and his followers.  The Forsaken (and Darkfriends) want to rule the world, while the Dark One wants to destroy it.  This difference in objectives puts the Dark One and his followers at odds at critical times.  While it is clear that the Dark One will generally support his followers, it is fairly clear that he would do anything (up to and including destroying all of his followers) to bring the Dragon to his side.  What this means is that sometimes the Dark One will undermine the plans of one of his followers (like Semirhage sending Trollocs to save Rand at Tear).<br /><br />Okay, that is my basic theory of everything.  I don't think that there is much in the way of direct evidence to support my points, but I do think that there is quite a bit of indirect evidence supporting me.  I'll probably post a few other theories in the near future, and this theory is going to be the basic foundation for them.</p><p><b>wotmania says:</b> I love all the theories about the nature of the entire WoT universe.  I think it's an interesting concept that Randland is one side of a coin (where the Creator is free and the Dark One in prison) and the necessary anti-Randland (where the Dark One is free and the Creator in prison).  The problem with these types of theories is I usually don't know what to say, so I'll just stop now.  <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-02 08:52:40
subject: Why Evil Must Always Be Bound
body:
<p>While reading the WoT I usually pay close attention to prophetic knowledge and meaningful quotes that characters give that show insight into the mechanics of the world. It's not hard to see that the most important things have come from people like Moiraine, Min, and Verin. They usually have something to suggest or a piece of wisdom to give that foretell events or explain mysteries, if even in cryptic ways. <br /><br />I remember some statements in the first few books that talked about why the fight between good and evil is eternal and why the Wheel spins out certain pawns in the cosmic game as rebirth after rebirth occurs. Being more specific, the relationship between the Creator and the Dark One has irked me a bit. No matter how many helpless mortals cry out for salvation and insist on praising the Light, it hardly seems that the Creator hears them at all. While the balance is kept with the Creator's existence, it never intervenes at all. This is just the opposite with the Dark One. <br /><br />He had to be bound at the moment of creation, outside of time itself. It's not hard to understand why. He's the epitome of evil and destruction. Given free reign, the Dark One would remake the Pattern in his own image as we all know. And as many prophecies and wise oracles have said, Rand must be ready to fight the Dark One on the last day, as the world teeters on the edge of chance. Now it doesn't seem fair and just that no matter how many times the Dark One is defeated, this same universal struggle will happen again and again. The world will always be tested, the Dragon will fight, and a decision will be made. But, if I remember correctly, if the Dark One prevails even one time and the world is recreated in his image, there won't be a next time. There won't be another chance for peace. That's the apparent end. <br /><br />It really seems unfair that the Light must win every time in the undying battle to sustain it's superiority over evil, but the Dark One needs only to win once to win forever. It's almost pointless to fight in cycles and sessions just to have to do it all over again. And in this sense, it seems that the Light is weaker than the Dark. I wondered for a long time why this is possible or if I had even read the evidence right. Then I realized why the Creator never interferes like the Dark One and remains seemingly quiet and distant. Light itself, embodied by the Creator, has reservations.<br /><br />It's always a big debate whether the Dark One is as powerful as the Creator and there may never be a way of telling. The Creator may just have a reservation or a restriction against total control of the Universe and would rather bind the Dark One and have chance tested by pawns, rather than step in and destroy the Dark One. Even if the Creator saw that his own fate would be sealed because the Dark One was victorious and had control over creation, he still may not intervene. It seems plausible when you compare the ends of the spectrum. Darkness is ignorance, destruction, and evil. Light is truth, creation, and goodness. When you then compare their properties by how they work you see chaos versus order. The Dark One, because of his chaotic nature, may be allowed freedom to touch things and wage war while the Creator, with the nature of order, would rather lie still in silent reservation.</p><p><b>wotmania says:</b> This is the case in almost all fantasy, though...  It would make for a boring story if the Creator (or whatever the good god happens to be called) destroyed the Dark One (or whatever the bad god happens to be called) in the third chapter of the book.  <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/oh.gif" border="0" />  I am reminded of Anthony's Incarnations series, where the sixth book was written from the point of view of the devil.  Excellent reading - that series was better than anything else I ever read by Anthony.  Anyway, I think this is just kinda the way things go in fantasy...  I'll leave the rest of the comments to the peanut gallery on the Blackboard.  <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-02 09:00:32
subject: Who is Galad?
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<p>Ma bye I'm just on crack, but Galad seems to be built up too much to have nothing to do with the outcome of the Last Battle. What significance could he have, though? Don't give me any crap about him being the blood spilt on the rocks - because if that was the case, he would be a main character so that we would weep his passing. Right now, I could care less. Anyway, here is my theory...<br /><br />In <i>The Dragon Reborn</i>, Mat thumps Galad and Gawyn at the Warder training camp, right? At that point, everybody thinks that he is the cat's butt, including the Aes Sedai. The instructor, Hammar, must have seen something special in Mat, because he takes Mat's bet. After Mat humiliates them, Hammar tells a story, and it goes like this: <br /><br /><br /><br />&quot;WHO WAS THE GREATEST SWORDSMAN WHO EVER LIVED?&quot; shouted Hammar.<br />&quot;Jearom Gaidin!&quot; shouted the Warders to be.<br />&quot;That's right&quot;, continued Hammar. &quot;Jearome fought in over 10,000 battles, both 1 on 1 and on a mass scale, and he only lost once: to a farmer with a quarterstaff. This is a valuable lesson. Remember it well.&quot;<br /><br /><br />So my theory is that Galad is actually Jearome reborn. The only thing wrong with this theory (besides the HUGLEY circumstantial evidence) is that if this is true, then Galad would have to fight Shaidar Haran (Doesn't it say that Shaidar Haran rocks with a sword somewhere?).  Who does that leave for Lan? Fain? <br /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/approve.gif" border="0" />Green Gaidin,<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/approve.gif" border="0" /><br /><img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/darkone.gif" border="0" />Ash'aman<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/darkone.gif" border="0" /><br /><img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/angry.gif" border="0" />Warder to Allie<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/angry.gif" border="0" /><br /><img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/king.gif" border="0" />Protector King<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/king.gif" border="0" /></p><p><b>wotmania says:</b> I'm posting this without my books handy, so I can't verify the exact wording of that quote - but it's close enough and everyone knows what you're talking about anyway.  <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" />  This is an interesting theory, and I can't recall having seen it anywhere before.  I think it would be very cool if Galad turned out to be Jearom.  Maybe I'll make this a QuickPoll question...  And look and see what everyone else has to say on the Blackboard...<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-02 09:04:41
subject: Perrin the Berzerker
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<p>Just a quick prediction...<br /><br />Faile will be killed trying to escape Sevanna (we can hope!).  When Perrin discovers this, he will be enraged beyond belief.  This will lead to Sevanna's Aiel being crushed in a bloody battle.  Perrin's followers will possibly be supported in this battle by Whitecloaks lead by Galad. Berelain will meet her &quot;man in white&quot; at this point and will forget her infatuation with Perrin.  I then think that Berelain and Galad will need to &quot;look after&quot; Perrin for a while, possibly taking him back to Rand, thus enabling the Whitecloaks being lead by Galad to join forces with Rand's other supporters.</p><p><b>wotmania says:</b> I'm not sure if there is a character in WoT that people disagree about more than Faile - seems like you either love her or hate her.  Anyway, the main problem I have with this theory is Faile dying, because I just don't see that happening.  Jordan hasn't killed off anyone good in nine books, why would he start in the tenth?  I think it more likely the above happens, but Perrin succeeds in rescuing Faile.  Darn.  <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-03 08:20:38
subject: Other Forsaken That Didn't Get Chosen
body:
<p>I was reading some old theories one day and came across one that mentioned the quote about only 29 people that ever had the honor of using the True Power. Subtracting 13 Forsaken that leaves us with 16 True Power wielders that are unaccounted for (I am assuming that this number doesn't include any resurrected Chosen).<br /><br />All in all it's probably a red herring comment about some portion of the Age of Legends that Robert Jordan has pictured in his mind but doesn't find important enough to flesh out in the main story just yet. I'm not one of those that believes that every single line is a forshadowing of some great secret.<br /><br />Just for fun, though, I started thinking about it anyway. It hit me that maybe not all of the Forsaken ended up as Chosen. It says in the illustrated guide that it seemed a fortuitous coincidence that all 13 of the Forsaken where at the same place when Lewws Therin and his Hundred Companions fought at Shayol Ghul.<br /><br />Is it just me or does that seem like a monumentally stupid thing to do especially for the Chosen. So it occurred to me that maybe there were more high ranking drealords that were considered Forsaken or Chosen that were not at the meeting at Shayol Ghul and only the thirteen highest ranking were called into the meeting. That left let's say 16 people or so that were still carrying on other tasks. Maybe some of the Dark One's top servants got themselves smoked by the Light during the war. A few may have even been balefired.<br /><br />It could be that the 13 Chosen at the ill fated Shayol Ghul conference are the ones that got remebered and immortalized in the hearts and minds of WoT world (will not say the R word, will not say the R word). Meanwhile the 16 that didn't make it there got recalled as mere Dreadlords or not even remembered at all.</p><p><b>wotmania says:</b> Well, I think you're misunderstanding something...  The Forsaken ARE the Chosen.  The &quot;Chosen&quot; is how they refer to themselves, the &quot;Forsaken&quot; is how everyone else refers to them.  That being said, I think it is virtually impossible that any of the others granted access to the True Power are still around in present-day Randland.  Jordan has enough trouble killing off the bad guys as it is, I would hate to see him start introducing new ones...  <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/oh.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-03 08:31:11
subject: Lan Knows Tam
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<p>I know it's unlikely, and it probably doesn't matter, but I think it is interesting, and I haven't seen anyone else suggest it. Here is my proof:<br /><br /><br />1: Rand says (<i>The Eye of the World</i>) that Lan's sword looks just like Tam's, minus the Heron mark. We learn later what these blades really are, and they are rather hard to come by. The Best usually know the best, and this could be true here.<br /><br />2: We all know Lan is a my-way-or-the-highway kind of guy, and what he says goes. I find it hard to believe that when Rand is saying goodbye to Tam, Lan would let him take his time, especially considering the rush Lan must have felt under Moiraine's orders that Rand was to be brought out for the Manetheren story. A sign of respect? Mat/Perrin certainly didn't get that courtesy.<br /><br />3: Lan muses on where Tam got the sword to Rand: &quot;He (Tam) called it useless, did he?&quot; (<i>The Eye of the World</i>) &quot;He must not have always thought so.&quot;<br /><br />4: Tam and Lan both know about the Flame and the Void, but I don't ever remember any other Warder mentioning it. Don't forget, Lan was not Tower trained (Like me.). The flame and the void is not tower taught. Did Lan learn it from Tam?<br /><br />5: At the beginning of <i>The Great Hunt</i>, when Lan and Rand are on the tower top, Lan calls Tam, &quot;Tam.&quot; While you might not think that this is strange, try to remember when Lan called another man (that he didn't know) by his first name. The only other time I can remember was Logain. Hmmmm....<br /><br />6: When Rand stands before the Amyrlin in <i>The Great Hunt</i>, Moiraine tells Tam's story (his rise, battle campaign, and his return to the Two Rivers).  She got bits and pieces of the third part from trails she followed, but how did she know the first two?  Did Nynaeve tell her (insert laugh here!)?<br /><br />7: In the guide, the Illian Companions (of whom Tam was second in command) are described as crack troops who are usually &quot;Where the battle is the hottest.&quot; This is, word for word, the description Lan's whereabouts during the Aiel war (<i>New Spring</i>)<br /><br />8: In <i>The Great Hunt</i>, Lan chooses a coat for Rand to wear to see the Amyrlin. Look it up on page 117. <br /><blockquote>&quot;This one will do.&quot; Tangled, long thorned briars climbed each red sleeve in a thick, gold-embroidered line, and ran around each cuff. Golden Herons stood on the collars, which were edged with gold. &quot;The color is right ,too.&quot; He seemed to be amused at something, or satisfied.</blockquote><br />Was this in reference to Tam?<br /><br /><br />My theory is that Tam and Lan know each other from the Aiel war, where Tam taught Lan the Flame and the Void. True, the evidence is only suggestive, but we all know that that is Jordan's way.<br /><br />One last side note... When Pedron Niall describes his one defeat, it is to the Illian Companions during the Whitecloak War (when Tam served as second in command). Niall directed his troops to kill the Illianer King, who was then saved by a greatly outnumbered faction of the Companions. That faction was, if you ask me, led by Tam al'Thor and the reward he received from the King was his unbreakable heron blade, a possession of the King himself. Think about it - the only other blade of that kind that we have seen belonged to King Laman. Tam's sword was that of a King. <br /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/approve.gif" border="0" />Green Gaididn,<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/approve.gif" border="0" /><br /><img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/darkone.gif" border="0" />Ash'aman<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/darkone.gif" border="0" /><br /><img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/angry.gif" border="0" />Warder to Allie<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/angry.gif" border="0" /><br /><img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/king.gif" border="0" />King of ORIGINAL theories<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/king.gif" border="0" /></p><p><b>wotmania says:</b> I like this theory quite a bit, I must say...  I can't recall any instance where Tam and Lan met each other, but I suppose it may have happened &quot;off screen&quot; when we were reading about what Rand and Mat were up to in Emond's Field.  That meeting (if we ever see it) will be VERY interesting, I'm thinking!  At least if this theory is correct...  <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-03 08:54:18
subject: Rand, The Last Battle, and Suicide
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<p>Rand's blood on the rocks of Shayol Ghul will save mankind. <br /><br />The viewing about Rand when another figure is standing behind him and they merge into one most people assume it's Lews Therin. I don't - I think it is the Dark One.<br /><br />Why? Because he needs a physical body to enter the world. Maybe it has to be the Dragon (my guess) or maybe he just wants the strongest body around. <br /><br />You guys remember how Lan told Rand that some time in his life he will have to sheath the sword (commit suicide) to reach the goal he is striving for. What could be more important than saving mankind?<br /><br />Remember Rand's wound that will not heal? I think the Dark One will enter Rand's body through that wound and unless Rand sheaths the sword the Dark One is free. When the Dark One enters Rand he will be mortal and Rand can kill him by killing himself<br /><br />Why would Jordan make such a big fuss about sheathing the sword unless he plans to use it in the series?</p><p><b>wotmania says:</b> I like parts of this theory - it's definitely original.  You ask why Jordan would make a big deal out of sheathing the sword if he didn't plan on using it in the series?  Well, he did, when Rand was fighting Ba'alzamon over Falme.  But in any case this is an interesting theory that I thought should be posted.  I look forward to reading the Blackboard comments about this theory, to be sure!  <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/biggrin.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-03 21:27:15
subject: Aeldene - Head of the Blue Ajah
body:
<p>We don't know who many of the Ajah heads are. In fact, we know for certain of only four in the Tower (the Brown, White, Red and Yellow Ajah heads) and one in Salidar (Myrelle is the Green Ajah head.)<br /><br />However, I believe that Aeldene Stonebridge is the head of the Blue Ajah.<br /><br />1) She was VERY angry with Siuan when Siuan revealed she (Aeldene) was the head of the Blue eyes-and-ears. To quote, she &quot;not only snatched control of the Blue eyes-and-ears back off Siuan, she upbraided her in a voice half the village could hear&quot; (TFOH.)<br /><br />2) The focus of the Blue Ajah is causes. For this, it needs to gather information quickly and accurately, and as the Ajah in itself has no specific cause, its primary function must be to get information that the sisters can use to further the causes they are working on. So, for the Blue Ajah head, controlling the eyes-and-ears is integral to the Ajah function.<br /><br />3) Therefore, it is reasonable to suggest that in the Blue Ajah, the functions of head of eyes-and-ears and head of the Ajah are synonymous. This explains Aeldene's extreme anger at Siuan - Siuan had revealed something NOONE outside the Ajah was supposed to know. RJ has emphasized how closely that secret is held several times.<br /><br />Alternatively, the mentions of Aeldene's temper could explain this, but Aes Sedai do not often show anger when a whole lot of servants and others can hear. This would be very unusual. It can also be argued that, as Amyrlin, Siuan should not have know who the head of her former Ajah was, but I think that in fact the Amyrlin seat would have to know who the heads of all the Ajahs (except the Black <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" />) were.<br /><br />Also, I think that Morvrin, Beonin and Carlinya may be the heads of their respective Ajahs in Salidar. (Morvrin could be on the Brown council or the council head.) Along with Myrelle, Shriam and Anaiya they controlled Salidar. The heads of four Ajahs and a former Mistress of Novices could exert this kind of power. Anaiya or Sheriam could be the head of the Blues but this simply seems unlikely, as Sheriam was the Mistress of Novices and Anaiya does not seem to have that kind of influence.</p><p><b>Burr says:</b> You make a good point that information management may be one of the most important functions relied upon by the Blue Ajah.  However, I don't think that would make a separate head of eyes-and-ears any less necessary.  The Keeper of the Chronicles and the Amyrlin do many of the same tasks, for instance, but that doesn't make the Keeper any less needed; because the Amyrlin is only one person.  And in the Blue Ajah's case, I think a head of eyes-and-ears separate from the head of the Ajah would be even more necessary than in other Ajahs, since there would probably be so much more information to handle.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-08 16:08:08
subject: Asmodean's Killer: Mazrim Taim??
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<p>First, a quick note: I do not think this theory is true. I don't know who killed Asmodean, but I think it is either Lanfear or Graendel, although either has problems (One was either dead or in Finnland, although she could have made a wish to kill Asmodean in anger, and the other seems to fail the obvious test even though everything else points toward her by process of elimination). However, this is something I'm rather surprised no one has thought of, whether it could have been Taim (NOT Taimandred) who killed Asmodean.<br /><br />Means: He's a channeler, any Forsaken could have taught him balefire, or perhaps he already knew it. He claims he doesn't, if I recall correctly, but Taim lies. Or perhaps he used a different means of the Power. In any case, he passes this test.<br /><br />Motive: At first glance, he fails this test, but there are two things that could have changed this. One, any of the Forsaken could have sent him, or two, he was planning to get close to Rand and Asmodean could recognize him (again, he is NOT Demandred in this theory). This will be explained later.<br /><br />Opportunity: We know for a fact Taim is in Caemlyn, and not only do we know this, but we find it out 2-3 pages before Asmodean's death.<br /><br />Be a person Asmodean recognized: This is a harder one, but not completely out there. We don't have a real reason to suspect Taim is a darkfriend at this point, which may be the downfall to the whole theory, but let's say he is. We have a darkfriend, with the ability to channel at near-Forsaken class, and probably as much or more than Asmodean (Rand says Taim is only slightly less stronger than himself, Asmodean is the weakest Forsaken, or at least the weakest male Forsaken). Surely one of the Chosen would have latched on to him. Perhaps Lanfear or Asmodean helped free him and then made use of him before Lanfear's apparent death and Asmodean's betrayal. For the sake of this let's pretend he had orders from Lanfear (we know she had appeared in the tower a few times, maybe she was helping get Taim released). How hard would it be to say &quot;Taim, if anything happens to me, kill Asmodean.&quot; So, Lanfear disappears, and Taim gets his stuff together and prepares to head to Cairhien to get Asmodean when, lo and behold, who shows up in Andor but Rand and his posse! Already being in Caemlyn, he sneaks into the palace, and offs Asmodean. It's a long shot, but it's possible. Another problem is would one of the Forsaken be afraid of him? Well, we know Asmodean is somewhat of a coward, right? Moghedien always seems afraid of Nynaeve and the like, because Nynaeve is as strong as her. So why would Asmodean not be afraid of a Darkfriend who has near Rand strength while he himself is stuck behind a shield that only allows a little Saidin? Especially if he's a follower of Lanfear?<br /><br />Be able to dispose of the body: Balefire. Complete incineration of the body. There's plenty of ways for a channeler to do it. He could gate the body out too, he seemed to pick that up very quickly, maybe he already knew it.<br /><br />Must know Asmodean's fate: No proof either way, except for where Taim appears in Rand's room and Rand says that if he feels a man channeling nearby, he'll take it out on Taim, and Taim says &quot;But what if it's...&quot; and names the surviving male Forsaken, conveniently leaving Asmodean out. Besides this there has been no time I recall where Taim has thought about Asmodean either way, so this can't be evidence for or against him.<br /><br />There must be a reason it's kept secret: Duh, it'd reveal beyond a shadow of a doubt that he's a darkfriend.<br /><br />Be &quot;obvious&quot; the instant he died: Now, here's the big thing that seems to destroy this. RJ claims it should be obvious the instant Asmodean dies. Taim most likely does fail this, but then again, it's also obvious that we can't use this as a way to tell or not, as this confuses everyone. Graendel doesn't seem obvious either, because we don't see much of her before this, and Lanfear doesn't seem obvious because we're supposed to assume she's dead. Ok, so why would Taim be even remotely obvious? Well, the only thing I can really think of is 2-3 pages before Asmodean's death, he is mentioned as having escaped the Aes Sedai and that he is currently in Caemlyn. To RJ's mind, the fact that Taim is mentioned just before Asmo's death could be a giveaway of some sort.<br /><br />As for why Rand wouldn't feel it, there could have been a very small amount of the power channeled, which Rand probably wouldn't have sensed unless he was right next to the wine cellar. If I recall correctly, a pinprick of balefire kills just as surely as a huge amount, it just doesn't remove the person back in time as much.<br /><br />I don't really Taim killed Asmodean. But it appalls me that some people think certain people killed Asmo when ALL of the evidence points against it, while no one has brought up this man who apparently only fails the obvious test (which, frankly, Graendel didn't do so hot on either). If anything listed above is incorrect information, please post to the blackboard and let me know my mistake.</p><p><b>Burr says:</b> Hmm, there used to be a good number of theorists claiming that Taim killed Asmodean.  It seems to me that somehow they all got wiped out in one blow; but I can't remember what reason allowed that to happen, and so I can't say if it still applies (or ever did, in truth).  Maybe someone on the Blackboard will enlighten us.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-08 16:18:34
subject: The Soul and the Last Battle
body:
<p>This is really two separate theories. However, since the second is derived (for the most part) from the first, I put them together. The first theory is about the nature of a person in WoT, and the second is about what exactly will happen in the Last Battle.<br /><br />The nature of a person is an interesting question. What makes Rand different from Lews Therin? They are both the Dragon, so they both have the same soul. Despite that they are very different people. To answer this I think that a person has three parts: Body, Soul, and Spirit.<br /><br />Body: This is the flesh that a person is born with, and the environment in which that flesh is raised. This is the realm of the physical.<br /><br />Soul: This is eternal. This is a set of inherent characteristics that are always the same. In the case of the Dragon it would be things like his arrogance, luck, determination, etc. These are always the same no matter what body the soul inhabits.<br /><br />Spirit: This is a person&#8217;s sense of self. It is their personality. It is what makes Rand himself and not LTT. The personality is created by the soul inhabiting a specific body. How the experiences of the Body are perceived and assimilated by the Soul creates a specific personality.<br /><br />Nothing earthshaking about the above theory, but I think that it will explain what will happen at the Last Battle.<br /><br />The Last Battle: Rand is going to die there (although he will come back to life). The real question is: Why? So far we have been given no real reason for him to die, and we know that he is going to do it on purpose (Min&#8217;s viewing). I think that the answer to this will also explain what went wrong when LTT first tried to seal the bore.<br /><br />I think that the bore can only be completely sealed (i.e. made as if there was never a bore in the first place) by the sacrifice of the Dragon. Since the soul is eternal, that means a sacrifice of either the body or the spirit (or both). Since the bore is not really physical, I think that the sacrifice has to be the Spirit of the Dragon. That sacrifice would mean oblivion for that Spirit.<br /><br />LTT failed in the first place because when he placed the seals he did not make that sacrifice. Thus the DO won a fairly major victory (despite the seals I believe that it was a total victory for the DO). I believe that LTT knows what needs to be done because of his comments of breaking the seals, and deserving oblivion.<br /><br />I think that Rand has a fairly good idea of what he needs to do, and that he is willing to do it. So here is what I believe is going to happen.<br /><br />First Rand and LTT will merge together fully (Min&#8217;s viewing). I believe that is what that face is. Rand is seeing LTT, and LTT is seeing Rand. Rand will lead all the armies to Shayol Ghul, and have them destroy everything in the Blight (or as much as possible) to clear a path for Rand. At Shayol Ghul Rand will break the remaining seals. This will clear all the rubble from the bore, and allow him to do what is necessary. Rand will go to the Pit of Doom alone (or with Aliva (Min&#8217;s viewing)), and throw his spirit into the Pit. That will do two things. One, it will seal the bore, and two it will kill Rand.<br /><br />Rand&#8217;s blood on the rocks will come from the wounds in his side. When he throws his spirit into the pit I think that Rand will pull the essence of the wound with him. Doing that will probably rupture the wounds. Okay, Rand is now quite dead. How does he come back to life?<br /><br />That Rand comes back to life should be a given. Min has had viewings, the prophecies say so, and that was one of his answers from the Aelfinn. The only problem is that with the destruction of his spirit there should be no way for Rand to come back to life.<br /><br />Enter LTT. LTT is also the Dragon. I think that when Rand throws his spirit into the Pit of Doom LTT will come along (by this time they have merged), and at the point of decision (when the spirit will be obliterated to seal the bore) LTT will kick Rand out of the Pit and sacrifice his own spirit. This would satisfy Min&#8217;s viewing (one lives and one dies). Furthermore I think that Rand will have severed his spirit&#8217;s connection with his body (that is what kills the body), so when LTT kicks Rand out of the Pit Rand will go to Tel&#8217;aran&#8217;rhiod. Rand&#8217;s ladies will have to take some time to bring Rand&#8217;s spirit back to his body (that would explain &#8216;he who is dead, but lives&#8217;<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" />.<br /><br />That should fulfill all the prophecies.</p><p><b>Burr says:</b> Now here's a nice change from the theories about bodysnatchers and whatnot.  I'm not so sure if things will happen this way, but I think it would make good reading.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-08 16:26:26
subject: Further anti-Taimandred proof
body:
<p>Ok, this is just a small quote I noticed while searching for Asmodean's Killer (I WILL find him! I know it!). On page 958 of tFoH, Bashere said &quot;I have followed [Taim] south for many weeks.&quot; Ok, if Taim was demandred, he wouldn't used conventional means to journey south, he would simply Travel. If he had just Traveled, there would be no path for Bashere to follow. Since Bashere managed to track him from Saldea to Caemlyn, I think it is safe to say that Taim left a trail (of witnesses, ect.) and didn't use the OP, something Demandred would have certainly done. The Forsaken wouldn't waste weeks to do what they could in minutes.</p><p><b>Burr says:</b> Good point.  Furthermore, on why Demandred would have Traveled, why would Demandred lead one of the very best generals to Rand?  Rand has done nothing but benefit from Bashere's presence.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-11 18:04:20
subject: Guaire Amalasan not LTT Reborn
body:
<p>Ok, I'll admit that at first I suspected Guaire Amalasan was LTT reborn. However, I've come to believe that this isn't true; the main reason being is that the Heroes all seem to call each other by their last incarnation. Examples:<br /><br />Hawkwing: He's obviously been reborn many times, since he tells Rand that they have fought alongside each other and against each other countless times, but everyone calls him Hawkwing.<br /><br />Birgitte: Everyone (including herself) refers to her as Birgitte, even though we know she has had many incarnations. I don't think the books ever say Birgitte was her last incarnation, but think about it. No one seems to know anything, not even stories, about before the Age of Legends, but tons of people know the stories of Birgitte, so she couldn't have had that name ages and ages ago.<br /><br />Gaidal: Same reasoning as for Birgitte.<br /><br />Mainly, what I'm trying to say is, Hawkwing refers to Rand as Lews Therin. By all the other evidence, this would imply that Lews Therin was indeed the last incarnation of that soul. Hawkwing's comment that they fought against each other many times threw me off at first, but then I thought about it. If Lews Therin had been Guaire Amalasan, wouldn't Hawkwing refer to him as such, especially considering the comment he just made? This now leads me to wonder, when Rand dies, will everyone refer to that soul as Rand, and not Lews Therin? Makes sense to me, he'd be the most recent incarnation. The same goes for Gaidal, wherever he is (I think Olver, but we'll see).</p><p><b>Burr says:</b> The cynic in me says that this is not one of the things RJ deliberately intended while writing the series.  Lews Therin is more important than Guaire in the story, and thus everyone refers to the T'A'R incarnation as Lews Therin.  But even if it wasn't deliberate, it could have happened indirectly because of the truth in your hypothesis.  Maybe the fact that Guaire wasn't so important to RJ is proof enough.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-11 18:11:12
subject: Lews Therin is, in fact, NOT mad
body:
<p>Wherever I read anything about the voices in Rand's head, it looks like everybody just assumes that LTT is a raving lunatic. He is not, however, and that ought to be obvious.<br /><br />Why? Well, there are three ways he could be mad, so let's look at them.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/aessedai.gif" border="0" /> <br /><br />1. He might have been mad when he died<br />2. He went mad during the last 3000 years (the Ishamael-way)<br />3. He went mad during the last 3000 years because he was channeling<br /><br />1. We know he was not mad when he died. In Eye of the World, we see how Ishamael HEALES LTT from insanity so that he can understand what it is he has done. From what I have read in the rest of the series, it looks like LTT is still quite aware of his former actions, and he still regrets it (Ilyena my love...etc)<br /><br />2. Ishamael went mad or at least madder during his long freedom. However, LTT is one of the heroes of the horn, I am pretty sure about that, and none of the other heroes show any signs of lunacy (except Birgitte being just a tad overprotective).<br /><br />3. This one is a bit more difficult to explain away, but I really don't think a dead hero of the horn would be subject to the taint like our everyday Ashaman.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/aessedai.gif" border="0" /> <br /><br />Now, you might say that LTT's mad ramblings (is that a word?) inside Rand's head is proof that he's at least gone a little loony, but is that so?<br /><br />Lews Therin Telamon was one of, if not the greatest man of his age. He must have been pretty intelligent, and now he is trapped in the head of an idiot shepherd who cannot even see what is plain under his nose.<br /><br />Rand thinks LTT is mad because <br />1. He keeps moaning for his lost Ilyena <br />2. He laughs madly and<br />3. He wants to kill Taim and the other male channelers.<br /><br />1. It is just natural for LTT to mourn the great love of his life, especially as he was the one who killed her. It would also be natural for LTT to sound a tad bitter because of this.<br /><br />2. I believe Rand might be confusing MAD laughter with HYSTERIACAL laughter. I, too, would laugh hysterically and pull my hair out of my scalp if I was trapped inside the head of a man who was obviously as stupid as Rand is, at least if I was Lews Therin and I knew what had to be done.<br /><br />3. Now, killing Taim and his men is just plain common sense, and is in fact more of a proof that he is, in fact, NOT mad. Especially if Taim is in fact Demandred, and only Robert Jordan can convince me of anything else.<br /><br />I hope I am not going to get committed to a mental hospital because of this. Feel free to shoot me if I am wrong. <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/moiraine.gif" border="0" /></p><p><b>Burr says:</b> Your reasoning makes sense, and sometimes I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt.  However, he <i>sounds</i> mad so frequently that I often revert to thinking he <i>is</i> mad.  Why does he usually speak out only when he means to say something that sounds mad?  Why doesn't he give evidence of his sanity by engaging in reasonable conversation more often?<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-13 12:26:30
subject: Galad + Rand = ?
body:
<p>Just thought I'd chime in again seeing as my last post failed to impress.  Anyway, now that I have done some more research I think I can safely say that the link between Rand and Galad is going to take place in the next book when Rand will inevitably visit Elayne while travelling incognito.  One of the armies which is approaching Camelyn is going to be the remaining whitecloaks, who as someone astutly pointed out, are in need of a rally point and Camelyn is such a place do to the alliance that Morgase agreed to.  <br /><br />This being said, I think that Elayne, who needs all the help she can get, will initially see Valda and the Cloaks as an obstacle when they arrive.  However, soon after their arrival Galad will enter the picture and discover how Valda mistreated his step mom(Morgase) and will then fight and most likely kill Valda thus securing his place at the head of the whitecloaks and restoring them to the noble band that their founder had inteded instead of being &quot;witch hunters&quot;.  <br /><br />Now, Rand will enter the picture and Galad will wish to protect his sister from him, but Elayne will get the two to sit down and talk with each other thus straightening out the relationship between the two.  During this proccess Galad and Rand, through their respective knowlege of family history and the dragon prophecies, will discover that they in fact had the same mother(Tigraine).  Everyone knows how much Galad respects his family and to discover that he had another brother would definately throw his allegience in with Rand.  <br /><br />So Rand will gain the help of one of the worlds best swordsmen and a charismatic leader to help put a large army together behind the influence he will carry from the Whitecloak name.  Now, this will help tremendously when Gawyn finally arives as well.  Gawyn, who blames Rand for his mother's death, thinks he is going to kill Rand for vengeance(like he has a chance) and Galad and Elayne will explain things to the wayward youth, thus bringing another military force to the cause and solidifying Camelyn.  <br /><br />To complete this sequence I think that Perrin and Rand will meet up again and end their animosity toward one another.  Through this Morgase will be returned to her children and Rand will face Masema and do what must be done with him.  The whole Ghealdon/Camelyn region will now be solidly in Rand's hands with armies-a-brewin' for the good guys.  The proccess of solidification of the nations must begin in the next book or Jordan is going to have serious problems closing down the series in three books.<br /><br />I think that this is a huge step in that direction because family lineage and fellowship is a huge part of the stories and since all these characters are in general proximity to one another at this point in the story, it makes sense to have their conflicts ironed out.  <br /><br />One more point. Mat is going north now too and with Perrin in contact with Camelyn he can explain the whole Manetheren resurgence that will obviously be a sore subject to the Camelynians.  The colors have been swirling in the Big Three's heads, but they haven't seen each other for over three books or so.  That said, I think it's inevitable that they get together in book 10.  All three are carrying keys that will help Rand enormously in his attempt to unify the land, and it is the perfect time for it because each of these characters also holds ties into other areas that need to be addressed. (Mat/Tuon=Seanchan, Perrin/Faile=end of Shaido, Gawyn/Egwyne=White Tower) so that's my 2 cents, hope you find it interesting.</p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> Well, I must say, wonderful speculation (which I must also say, this is what most of the theories are, so don't take this offensively).<br /><br />But you are right, I dont see how RJ can conclude this series in three books if things dont start falling together.  But, when you said Galad will overthrow Valda, it sounded like it was making sandcastles on the beach, not too difficult.  YOu got to imagine the political standpoint.  First, Galad, just a regular Whitecloak, erm, that is, Child of the Light, has to get Valda alone.  Then he kills him, and then convince the rest of the Whiteclo...ah, Children, what Valda did.  Except not in that order.<br /><br />Anyway, nice speculation, if I haven't said this.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-13 16:44:56
subject: Sing Me a Bitter Lullaby
body:
<p>Look for a moment at all of the time that the Tuatha'an spent looking for their lost song(s). It would seem a very Jordan-esque turn of events if Aram should discover the song himself. I recall some one on a thread mentioned a dream that Egwene had about Perrin surrounded by growing trees. This might be a sign that Perrin will witness the finding of the Tinkers' song. Well since he hangs out with Aram that could be how he witnesses the song's return, or it's unveiling as a gyp and a farce.<br /><br />Any Tinker would give their front teeth to find the song I'd imagine. They might even sell their sould to the Shadow (at least some of them).  But if they were to talk to an Aiel Clan chief or to Rand al'Thor then they'd realize that they done spent damn near 3 thousand years as the butt of the biggest joke on the planet.<br /><br />Recall Rand in the Glass Columns of Ages Gone Past. He had a vision of The Da'shain Aiel singing for the trees and with them were some Nym and some Ogier.<br /><br />See there are no more Nym left, only Ogier and that's it. There are no more Da'Shain Aiel. The Goose Chaser Folk denied their heritage and are not Aiel any more. Even if they all threw down the spears en mass the Aiel would never be Da'Shain again. They see singing except for a battle or funeral as wrong.<br /><br />The Ogier can't sing the song anymore, not the one they did with the Da'Shain and the Nym. They have been altered by the longing. They are not the same Ogier the world used to know.<br /><br />If they ever figure out what the song was then they'll figure out they devoted 3 thousand years to searching for a song or set of songs that can never be sung again. <br /><br />I think it would be very fitting if Aram discovered that the song requires two different races to reunite and give up traditions on both sides, the Ogier to be cured of the longing forever (hell you thought the Taint was hard to alter), and for the Nym to be recreated.<br /><br />I can imagine Aram finding out about this and deciding that he still loves his people enough not to tell them. He'd realize that it'd break them worse than the Aiel were when they found out that they'd followed and lost the way of the leaf. They (the Tinkers) would realize that they'd left their brothers and sisters, they abandoned all they ever loved, all for a song that they can't sing anyway. I think Aram would let his former kin fok go on looking forever because he couldn't bear to break his grandmothers heart any further than this. He would decide not let them know that they were devoted to a lie.<br /><br />By the way am I the only one who finds Aram attractive?<br /></p><p><b>Bad Ash says:</b> I've always been of the belief that the &quot;song&quot; the Tinkers search for is metaphor for the peaceful way of life of the Da'shain Aiel and AOL.  This has, over the course of 3000 years, become the &quot;song&quot;, as it would seem that the Tinkers are unaware of their Aiel origins.  I don't think a literal song will ever be discovered.<br /><br />And, um, yeah, you're pretty much the only one.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-13 16:56:46
subject: All about Creation
body:
<p>I have two theories on the Creator in RJ's world.  This is my second actual theory so please be patient.  I also wanted to say how much I love this site, and how it is like an Oasis to the desert long wait for RJ's next book.<br /><br />My first theory is one that I have given much thought and is actually a reflection of my own belief in reality.  What if there is no Creator?  Okay, I realize this sounds like a atheistic remark, and it is but still give it some thought.  We see proof that there is a Dark One, and on occasion we have actually heard someone who represents the DO (shai'tan) in Shayol Gaul.  What if the inhabitants of RJ's world are overcome by the existence of a DO and can only hope to believe in a Creator or fall into despair.  What if it is the inhabitants of the world against the DO, and the Creator is in all of these inhabitants.  I guess a sort of human spirit from within all the inhabitants heart (a power).  I'm not saying that there is an actual manifistation of a Creator inside the hearts of the people, but instead I am saying that the people serve themselves by <b>CREATING</b>.  So in a way each individual is in charge of their own success over the Dark One (destruction).<br /><br />It is common in us all to believe in a higher power because without that higher power we are forced to believe in a reality that Daumer was fueled by nothing more than what resides in us all.  Maybe Robert Jordan is trying to implore us to believe in ourselves more than we tend to give credit to, and by doing that he has created a world of extreme circumstances hoping to show the good prevail (the good being human beings just striving to survive). Without an intervention of a Higher Supreme Lord that can control all with a thought, and the only boundaries (like gravity) being the pattern itself.<br /><br />My second theory is what if the Creator and Dark One are one.  Again, this is a crazy concept but I'm trying to give room to a belief beyond a cookie cutter pattern of other books in which RJ has not and will not follow.  The only proof I have to this theory is the snake bitting it's own tail.  Now I don't have any refrences of what a snake smbolizes in the popular beliefs RJ choses to found his other topics off of, but I do believe that this symbolizes more than eternity.  I guess this symbolizes an eternal struggle or a pattern of things.  Imagine the beginning being the creation of the snakes tail and it is being created and created...then finally the head forms and it has made a circle and now it begins to destroy itself to start anew.  So maybe the DO is going to create the world in his own image means to start the pattern over again.<br /><br />Who said the Creator was good?  The Creator gives birth to things...whether they are good or ill they must be created (then ultimately destroyed).  &quot;What comes up must come down&quot;.  RJ never gives exact proof to that or the fact that he/she even exists.  Then again the more I think about it the more I realize how awful it would be for the DO to be the Creator, but how twisted and splendid it would be to see how RJ would tell that story.  Just a thought.<br /></p><p><b>Bad Ash says:</b> That certainly is an interesting twist on things.  However, we do have the voice at the end of <i>The Eye of the World</i>.  Although there is no concrete evidence that the voice belonged to the Creator, what he uttered tends to follow the standard Judeo-Christian pattern of a benevolent God sitting back to see who his true followers are, while the Devil actively tries to convert those to evil.  So I tend to believe that the Creator/Dark One question tends to follow the standard Judeo-Christian paradigm.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-13 22:16:46
subject: The Luck of Mat
body:
<p>Perhaps, the reason Mat has a lot of luck is because he has had the dagger for such a long time, it has had a huge effect on him. Mat says in TDR that &quot;his luck had come once he took the dagger from Shadar Logoth...&quot;(page 345). But, you say, Mat has no more link with this dagger since Siuan and the other 9 Aes Sedai who have healed him have severed his link with the dagger. Maybe, but always in TDR, page 213 ( and in page 231), the Amyrlin says:&quot; Carrying something with Shadar Logoth's taint for so long...who knows what effect it will have on him? Perhaps none, perhaps much. Only time will tell.&quot; Yes, Mat is cut of the dagger, but not fully rid of its effects. This theory, if she is valid, can also explain the progressive return to normal of his luck: the &quot;only time will tell&quot; tells us , maybe, that the effects will reduce with time. One favorable fact is that if Jordan was finished with this dagger, why is it still in the story? It is important to note that Fain still has the dagger.</p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> Well, for one, Fain has the dagger, and he isn't any more lucky than before, which is to say Fain is normal.<br /><br />And two, Mat is still quite lucky, it's just that it's glossed over since we know about it, and RJ can focus on bigger things.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-13 22:51:22
subject: Randland Characters in Previous Lives?
body:
<p>This is a novice theory and feel free to mock it or disect it as you will! Ishmael mentions in the first three books of the wheel of time series that the struggle between the creator's annointed and the dark one's champion has been taking place since time immemorial.The theory that I wish to examine is if we have seen other characters in their previous lives within this series. Graendal states (The Fires of Heaven: The First Sparks Fall) &quot;It may well be that, as many believe, all are born and reborn as the Wheel turns&quot;<br /><br />I believe that we have already seen the characters of Egwene,Elayne and Nynaeve in their previous lives. In &quot;The Shadow Rising&quot; (chapter 26 &quot;The dedicated&quot;<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" /> when Rand relives the history of the Aiel through his ancestors, specifically Jonai, there is an encounter with three Aes Sedai: Deindre, Oselle and Solinda. Could these be Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne in their previous lives? I submit this theory for the following reasons:<br /><br />1)Oselle has long dark hair and from the evidence is this chapter is ruled by her emotions. Nynaeve has long dark hair and as we know she has  on numerous occaions been ruled by her emotions (in particular anger)<br /><br />2)Deindre has dark eyes, is calm when dealing when dealing with Oselle and has the foretelling (Anaiya in &quot;The Great Hunt&quot; likens foretelling to dreaming).Egwene as we know has dark eyes and has the ability to dream. In &quot;The Fires Of Heaven&quot; she decides to adopt the approach of remaining cool when dealing with an irate Nynaeve as it seems to have the best results.This is the approach that Deindre takes when dealing with Oselle. Could this be significant?<br /><br />3)Solinda has sun-red hair and is the peace-keeper between Deindre and Oselle. As we know, Elayne has red-gold hair and normally acts  as the peace keeper between Nynaeve and Egwene (See &quot;The Dragon Reborn&quot;<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" /> <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" /><br /><br />Rand is the only character &quot;Specifically reborn according to prophecy&quot; (Graendal:&quot;The Fires Of Heaven),but could these three ancient Aes Sedai be the previous lives of the main female characters? I think it so! Apart from the shared traits and physical attributes there is always something significant about the number three in religion and myths. The three most important female channelers of this time that we know of are Egwene,Elayne and Nynaeve.  They all have crucial roles to play in the build up to and after Tarmon Gai'don. I believe that the ancient Aes Sedai that we see through the eyes of Rand were crucial in the formation of The Eye of the World, which was one of the critical tasks during the breaking of the world, so could it not be these three in a previous existence. As previously stated, this is a beginners theory and if it has already been posted please accept my apologies for wasting your time.Also please excuse spelling and grammar.<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/smile.gif" border="0" /><br /></p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> Well, for one, I have seen nothing like this, so kudos for originality.<br /><br />And two, it is very possible that these three could be the three rand sees in his family tree's visions.<br /><br />Very interesting.  Well done.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-14 22:28:59
subject: Rand's Children
body:
<p>Rand's going to be a father!  And he'll need a whole truckload of cigars- with 3 woman having kids for him and all. Now, while he and Elayne are busy (I think the chapter is called &quot;A lily in Winter,&quot; though I'm not quite sure), Min, Avienda, and Birgitte all head off to get drunk.  As they do, Min mutters to herself, &quot;She'll get with child from this&quot;  She later talks about how Elayne will have a boy and a girl, twins.  That's nothing terribly special, other than that Elayne is intentionally letting people believe that that Hanlon fellow (her head bodyguard guy) is the father, to protect her kids.  <br /><br />Now, Min can't view herself, but I'm sure that she eventually will have kids by Rand too, unless she's on WOT World birth control pills or whatever.  But that's just spectulation, so moving on.<br /><br />But now, Avienda.  Min thinks something about having a viewing of Avi- &quot;she'd have Rand's babies too- four of them at once!- and there was something odd, but...&quot;<br /><br />Now what is this mysterious &quot;something odd?&quot;  This has been kind of tickling my noodle for a while, so I'll list some possibilities I've come up with, though some are a bit out in left field.  <br /><br />1) Avienda's 4 babies (quadruplets) will be stillborn or die in infancy.  It's a macabre concept, and maybe Min would've seen this in the viewing, but maybe not.<br /><br />2)  The babies will all have a defect of some kind (mental retardation, deformity, etc.).  I really don't like this idea, because though we don't know Aiel (or any other WOT world) customs concerning babies, many cultures leave &quot;defective&quot; children out to die in the night air.  <br /><br />3)  The kids will grow up (but they don't have much time to do it; Tarmon Gaidon is coming soon) and go over to the Shadow, maybe like Mesaana's Children during the War of Power.  They also could be forcibly turned to the Shadow.  Reason:  They will most likely all be able to channel.  Channeling is a recessive trait, but when both parents have it, simple Pungent Square genetics indicates the kids will have the &quot;channeling gene&quot; too.  And those who can channel can be turned to the Shadow, remember, the trick of 13 dreadlords weaving flows through 13 fades.  This is not a pleasant scenario either.  <br /><br />Thoughts? Rebuttles?  <br /><br />~Eswana~<br /><br /><br /></p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> I like this.  But I find that if the kids <i>did</i> have deformities, they would 1) either be accepted because they are Rands kids anyway, and I dont see them throwing away any of their children, or 2) be healed of their deformities by Nyn or some other handy AS.<br /><br />As for the turning to the Shadow, I dont think four infants <i>can</i> be turned.  And if they could, what would be the value of it?  Grow up under the Shadow, just to torment Rand and Co.?  <br /><br />Well, that wouldn't be such a bad idea....<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-14 22:52:30
subject: Sammael Has Returned
body:
<p>First of all, yes, I am completely serious and sane (I think).<br /><br />On page 449 of Winter's Heart, Sammael made his return to the series!  It is just after Slayer has killed the two people in bed, thinking they were Min and Rand.  Shortly after, a shadowy figure appears.  (Sammy!)  Slayer has a conversation with him and wonders about his identity.  He knows that the figure is a man, and that he must be one of the Chosen to be able to reach him.  That narrows the choices down to four:  <br /><br />Osan'gar, Demandred, Moridin, and Sammael.<br /><br />A couple of chapters before this, when Moridin meets with the rest of the Forsaken (minus Mesaana and Semirhage) he says that so and so depends on whether or not Slayer can kill Fain.  If Moridin had already given orders to Slayer, he would have no reason to hide his identity from him.  Three left.<br /><br />Osan'gar (or Aginor if you prefer) wouldn't really have any reason to hide his identity either.  He also doesn't seem the sort to use assassins.  Also, Moridin hasn't given him any reason to kill Rand, he has his chance to do that when Rand is using the Choedan Kal.  Two left.<br /><br />Most of those same reasons apply to Demandred, as well (all except the assassins one).  Additionally, we get inside Demandred's head during this council, and he doesn't make any thoughts about Slayer.  That leaves Sammael.  Say that Sammael saw Rand shoot that balefire, and immediately threw himself of the ground.  He throws up a shield around himself and maybe makes himself invisible, but then either crawls away or waits for Mashadar to leave.  Maybe he is even touched every so slightly by Mashadar and becomes horribly disfigured, making him hate Rand even more.  (That last part was just complete conjecture).  <br /><br />He escapes, but not with much.  He's lost his country and power, and no one even knows he's alive.  That is his one advantage, and he needs to keep it if he is to get revenge on Rand.  So he stays low for a while, and lets himself become a memory.  (I know that wasn't worded well, but you get the point).  Then he goes and gets an assassin to kill Rand.  However, he is sure to conceal himself at all times in all ways, and admonishes Slayer to say &quot;not a word of this to anyone.&quot;  Then, instead of going back to some palace, or his little niche of power, he opens a gateway to &quot;a snowy forest glade&quot; to keep himself even more secret.  I realize that this is a long shot, but I have a hard time believing Sammael really died in Shadar Logoth, and this is the first reasonable sighting we've had of him.<br /></p><p><b>Vercingetorix says:</b> This theory would be fantastic except for one minor detail: Robert Jordan said Sammael was dead.  Several times.  And that he wasn't coming back.  But I agreed that Sammael was still alive before I heard him say that.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-16 14:42:14
subject: Mesaana = Zaida (LONG!)
body:
<p>My theory is that Mesaana is currently posing as the Atha'an Miere Wavemistress Zaida din Parede Blackwing. The theory came about because of numerous quotes in the two chapters with Zaida in Winter's Heart, but even without them, it's easy to make the theory make sense. I will first present the general theory, then try to answer some questions as well as presenting possible question marks, before actually listing all quotes in Winter's Heart that would speak in favour of this theory. Last but not least I'll draw my own conclusions.<br /><br />***The theory<br /><br />When the Forsaken were released from the bore, Mesaana's place was not with the White Tower, but was to infiltrate the Atha'an Miere, which she did by posing as Zaida din Parede Blackwing. At least the first year of her freedom would have to be used to secure her position within the Sea Folk Hierarchy to eventually reach the rank of Wavemistress (just below the Mistress of the Ships). This could essentially be done by using Compulsion on the Mistress of the Ships (Nesta din Raes) and possibly one or two more Sea Folk. Because of the personality of both Nesta din Raes and Zaida/Mesaana herself, not much opposition is likely. Later, when Ishamael died (or possibly slightly earlier), Mesaana would take over his control over the White Tower. This would at first include mostly visiting and ordering of the Black Ajah, but could by the middle of Lord of Chaos be almost a full-time job. When Elayne and the others came back to Caemlyn, Mesaana would again take the role as Zaida, to check out Elayne and Nynaeve as well as possibly do some spying on them.<br /><br />***Questions and Answers<br /><br />*Are there any question marks, issues left to resolve?<br /><br />I would like to start with those. They are such that they could possibly be explained or they could possibly kill the theory, but as of Winter's Heart, it's still impossible to know how to interpret them. There are two that I can think of:<br /><br />A) The first time we meet Mesaana is in the prologue of Lord of Chaos where she also claims she had been to the DO twice (although he wasn't there). Zaida on the other hand had, at some point in the beginning of LoC been transported on Harine's ship, &quot;the White Spray&quot;, to Aringill, which would be the only time when it would be impossible for Zaida to get free and travel around. I don't have any control on the exact timeline (and I'm not sure it's possible to have solely from the books), but these two things COULD be simultaneous, which of course would nullify the theory. For now, I think they aren't though.<br /><br />B) Height: Alviarin notices that Mesaana is tall, while Zaida is almost as short as Merilille and a head shorter than Elayne. If Mesaana would want to spend years with the Sea Folk, it would be very dangerous indeed for her to disguise her own height. Skin color and eye color would hardly be dangerous, but height would, so as Zaida, she would have to use her own. When meeting Alviarin she might disguise her height, but it's not a certain fact. The only other indication of Mesaana's true height is when she meets Semirhage and the others in the beginning of LoC. When Semirhage, who is &quot;taller than most men&quot; stands up, Mesaana &quot;raised herself a little on her toes, but she still had to look up&quot;. How tall would she be then? &quot;Taller than most men&quot; would probably be between 180 and 190 cm. The height difference needed to make the description of Mesaana's behavior towards Semirhage correct would have to be about 20 cm or more, but I think without testing, most of us would guess 15 cm would be enough. If it's in fact 15 cm and Semirhage is 190, Mesaana would be 175 and could definitely be called tall. If it's the more reasonable 185 cm, 20+cm, Mesaana would be 165cm or shorter, which would indicate she disguised her length when speaking to Alviarin. This issue is also still a question mark. <br /><br />*How could Mesaana be BOTH a Wavemistress and be in the Tower?<br /><br />This is a matter of timing. We know the Sea Folk spend plenty of time in docks and Zaida could easily set up Traveling for shorter visits to the Tower during those stops. The only requirement would be that Zaida's Windfinder, Shielyn, is also a darkfriend and therefore wouldn't be alarmed when the &quot;non-channeler&quot; Zaida sets up her Gateways. In Chapter 7 of Lord of Chaos, Zaida and her retinue travel to Caemlyn from Aringill by road. During this trip up to the point Elayne reaches Caemlyn, Mesaana could spend almost all her time in the Tower, if she only had a good alias to use there. <br /><br />It's also notable that even before the other Forsaken were released from the Bore, Ishamael had had control over the White Tower. Since he impossibly could be there all the time, it's probable that, apart from the Supreme Council, he also set up a lower-level Black Ajah spy organization to both keep him up-to-date on the day-to-day business of the Tower, and keep a check on possibly over-ambitious high-level Black Ajah. This spy net could easily be transferred to Mesaana when she took over control, so that her actual presence in the Tower would have to be far from full-time. <br /><br />*But could Mesaana pose as an already existing Sea Folk Wavemistress?<br /><br />She wouldn't have to. She &quot;created&quot; a new Sea Folk woman, and used Compulsion on someone to be initially accepted. The Sea Folk hierarchy is well set up so that only a few instances of Compulsion would have to be used to get Zaida from a nobody to the Wavemistress of a Clan in possibly less than a year.<br /><br />*What does the theory explain that has not been explained earlier?<br /><br />A): It explains what Mesaana has been doing after she was released from the Bore. We don't get to see Mesaana until the Prologue of Lord of Chaos, already 2 years after being released from the Bore. Graendal, when realizing Mesaana's position says &quot;How long has she been tucked away in the Tower?&quot;. If Graendal honestly believed Mesaana had been there all along, she should have phrased this slightly differently. Furthermore, when we first see Alviarin meet Mesaana, she mentions her meetings with other Forsaken, such as Ishamael, Bel'al, Graendal and Lanfear, in a way implying that she first met Mesaana later than she had met the others. Both these two incidents indicate that we have yet to know where Mesaana was FIRST stationed. The answer is as Zaida with the Sea Folk.<br /><br />B) Remember also that the Sea Folk have their own Prophecy regarding the dragon, or the Coramoor. The DO should have at least a basic knowledge of the different prophecies of the Dragon, and it therefore seems unlikely he would not place anyone with the Sea Folk. The White Tower already had the best basic darkfriend organization of all political centers within Randland and had been controlled by Ishamael for years. It's more reasonable to believe the DO let Ishamael keep this half-time job and use Mesaana in some other area of his plan. The Zaida = Mesaana theory nicely solves both those issues. Since Zaida is not only Wavemistress, but Ambassador of the Mistress of the Ships, she also happens to be second in command (and with the death of Nesta din Raes even more than that) along with Harine, which resembles the position all known Forsaken have taken when infiltrating an organization.<br /><br />C) What was Nesta din Raes Two Winds, Mistress of the Ships, doing in Ebou Dar? The Coramoor had stepped forward and the Sea Folk were ecstatic. Without external influence, it seems almost impossible to explain why Nesta din Raes did not herself travel to somewhere close to Rand, but instead sent two of her Wavemistresses. The obvious answer is of course that Zaida (Mesaana as she is) made her do it, probably using Compulsion.<br /><br />D) Where have Mesaana been during the last book, Winter's Heart? Demandred notes that she has been shy of late, and if she still resided in the Tower, there is no reason for her to be shy. Among huge numbers of channelers such as the Kin and damane as well as the Windfinders themselves, the Caemlyn palace could be a dangerous and difficult place to open a gateway, not to mention coming back through one. Observe also that we have no Alviarin meetings in all of Winter's Heart, when Zaida is caught up in Caemlyn.<br /><br />***Actual quotes: <br /><br />After having gone through the general idea behind the Mesaana = Zaida theory, I would like to add all those quotes that was what got me thinking at first. They are all found in the Ninth book, Winter's Heart (WH) and page numbers refer to the Hardback edition.<br /><br />Observe that these include virtually every quote I could find which I thought had even a remote significance. While some seems to be RJ screaming the fact, others probably only have significance because of my wild imagination.<br /> <br />The quotes seem to focus on mainly three different aspects:<br />1) Indicating Zaida can channel<br />2) Indicating she does not follow the standard way of an Atha'an Miere.<br />3) Indicating that this channeling Forsaken is Mesaana and not one of the others.<br /><br />Since, if Zaida can channel, she would have to be able to disguise this ability, 1) probably means that Zaida is not only a channeler, but also a Forsaken. We (the readers) know of no other characters mastering this ability since the Forsaken were released from the Bore.<br /> <br />Aspect 3) includes only a few rather weak statements, but since even fewer points are made to any other Forsaken, Mesaana is most likely. The other possibility, Graendal, have also been easily found in her hide-out in Arad Doman for all of her free time and hasn't been notably restrained as of late. <br /><br />________________________________<br /><br />Aspect 1)<br /><br />[WH, Prologue, p34]: &quot;Gray flecked her cap of tight curls, yet she was stunning, one of those women who grew more and more beautiful as they aged&quot;.<br /><br />[WH, Ch.7, p175]: [Elayne] &quot;Her eyes lingered a moment on a black-haired woman in a blue cloak with her hood thrown back. The woman barely glanced at her before turning into a candlemaker's shop. A weighted cloth bag hung from her shoulder. Not an Aes Sedai, Elayne decided. Merely another woman who aged well, like Zaida.&quot;<br /><br />RJ seems to be spoon-feeding his readers the &quot;Zaida can channel&quot;-theory in these quotes.<br /><br />The first one merely indicates how Zaida seems to be somewhat aged but is still very beautiful. It has no bearing if it was not for the second quote. We can understand that the &quot;knowing look of an older woman&quot; seen in the eyes of Moiraine already in tEoTW is something probably visible in all channelers older than they look (which would be most of them because of the slowing). Although it hasn't been stressed by RJ anywhere I can remember in the books, this could very well lead to a channeler looking like she has &quot;aged well&quot;.<br /><br />The second quote comes along and tries to force this theory down our throats. Elayne sees a woman with her hood thrown back; Somehow she makes the connection to Aes Sedai, but does not see the ageless look, so apparently she was wrong; What made her think of Aes Sedai was something in the appearance of the woman, which made her look like someone who ages well; Hm, almost as Zaida&#8230;<br /><br />This set of quotes could be much weaker and STILL make the readers think of how Zaida (and the woman Elayne sees) might be channelers. Instead Robert Jordan goes to lengths to couple the well-aging with both Aes Sedai and Zaida. I can't understand why he wants this to be so obvious, but I'll come back to that later.<br /><br />________________________________<br /><br />Aspect 2) (and to some extent 3)):<br /><br />[WH, Prologue, p34]: &quot;Zaida din Parede --- carried an air of command rather than arrogance, a certainty that she would be obeyed&quot;.<br /><br />[WH, Prologue, p35]: &quot;In contrast to Renaile, Zaida sounded as though she were merely making conversation&quot;.<br /><br />[WH, Prologue, p36]: &quot;Zaida snapped her fingers. That was all, but a tremor passed through Renaile. ---. Windfinder of the Mistress of the Ships she might be, a woman of great authority and power among the Atha'an Miere, but to Zaida, she was ... a Windfinder.&quot;<br /><br />Mesaana said in our first encounter of her, in LoC, that &quot;she never let anyone get under her skin&quot; when thinking about how Semirhage tended to do just so. The calm and collected way that quote would indicate also seems consistent with how Mesaana has acted when confronting Alviarin. Mesaana was a teacher during the AOL and that is also consistent with how Zaida has a calm, commanding presence. In contrast to this, the always tough Atha'an Miere top women seems to rather let everyone get under their skin, without being subdued by it. Harine as well as Nesta has shown an arrogance and attitude which is quite different to that attributed to Mesaana and Zaida.<br /><br />The first two quotes above seem to indicate such a contrast between the behaviour of Zaida and that of the Atha'an Miere and Renaile. The third quote seems to indicate that Zaida does not fully follow the hierarchic structure of the Sea Folk. Even a Wavemistress seems likely to have some respect for the Windfinder of the Mistress of the Ships.<br /><br />________________________________<br /><br />Aspect 1) and to some extent 2)<br /><br />[WH, Ch.11, p25<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/crazy.gif" border="0" />: &quot;The Wavemistress could not channel, of course, though she was always present ---.&quot;<br /><br />[WH, Ch.11, p260]: &quot;&quot;Try again&quot;, Zaida commanded, leaning forward intently. &quot;I want to see something.&quot; That was not an explanation, or anything near apology, simply a statement of fact. Zaida never explained or apologized. She just expected obedience. <br />    Nynaeve considered telling the woman she could not see anything they were doing anyway, but rejected the thought immediately.&quot;<br /><br />[WH, Ch.11, p262]: &quot;&quot;Two,&quot; Zaida said, folding her arms beneath her breasts and staring at Nynaeve as though she really could see the weaves&quot;.<br /><br />These three quotes, yet again, seem to stress the fact that Zaida does not act as if she can't channel. Sort of &quot;Zaida CAN'T channel... she just doesn't know that&quot;. Nynaeve KNOWS she can't channel, but doesn't get that impression of the way Zaida acts. That RJ has mentioned it three times makes it obvious that it isn't coincidental.<br /><br />The second of these quotes also, again, emphasizes the way Zaida acts. It gives the impression of what has been said about Mesaana, for example in her dealings with Alviarin, rather than the general Atha'an Miere way.<br /><br />________________________________<br /><br />Aspect 3)<br /><br />[WH, Prologue, p35]: &quot;---she---moved idly about the room---, then rising on her toes to peer through a four-barreled kaleidoscope atop a tall stand&quot;.<br /><br />[WH, Ch.11, p263]: &quot;The Wavemistress looked straight into her eyes, thoughtfully tapping full lips with a slim finger&quot;<br /><br />These are two quite generic gestures, but noticeable none the less.<br /><br />For the first one: Any short woman who needs to do something that is too high up, would probably stand on her toes to do it. It's a fact though that Mesaana (as far as I can remember) is the only woman in 7000 pages of WoT who have actually done it before Zaida. She stood on her toes when meeting Semirhage in the prologue of LoC.<br /><br />For the second one: As has been said plenty of times, all women tapping their lips can't be Mesaana. I don't think any other Forsaken have done it though, and we know Mesaana has, so if the point is to distinguish Mesaana from other female Forsaken, this is an obvious gesture to use.<br />________________________________<br /><br />Other references ?!?<br /><br />[WH, Prologue, p34]: [Elayne] &quot;Excepting the Forsaken, she could not have named two people she wanted less to see right then&quot;.<br /><br />[WH, Prologue, p36]: [Elayne] &quot;At the fireplace, she spread her hands in front of the flames again&quot;<br /><br />Robert Jordan shows later in WH that he likes this sort of irony, where &quot;our hero&quot; stands in front of a Forsaken and unknowingly makes a remark on that possibility. The circumstances very much resemble those when Mat first meets Anath (who is widely believed to be Semirhage):<br /><br />[WH, Ch.17, p36<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/crazy.gif" border="0" />: [Mat] &quot;He stood there waiting for one of the Forsaken to leap out of the flames in the marble fireplace, or the earth to swallow the Palace beneath him&quot;<br /><br />I don't have the earlier books accessible, so I can't check if similar things were said relating to the other Forsaken-theories Dashiva = Osangar Taim = Demandred.<br /><br />Regarding the second quote, about the fireplace, my imagination might have drawn too many conclusions. I think still it's noticeable that in both these theories (Semiranath and Mezaida), a fireplace is specifically mentioned. I can't get it out of my head, that it could be a reference to the meetings Rand had with Ba'alzaemon early in the books, featuring a fireplace.<br /><br />_____________________________<br /><br /><br />[WH, Ch.11, p264]: &quot;&quot;Your instruction is more edifying than that of the others&quot;, Zaida said, still not bothering to look at her.&quot;<br /><br />This is also a quote that is dubious. Nynaeve, despite being way stronger than the other Aes Sedai in the palace, probably knows the least of what could be of interest to the Atha'an Miere. There is a sentence following this quote, saying how Nynaeve couldn't understand in what way she was be more edifying than the others. I can't either, assuming Zaida is just another Windfinder. Remember also that Zaida specifically asks for Nynaeve to come the next day, instead of anyone else.<br /><br />If Zaida is a Forsaken though, it all seems easier to explain. Mesaana would have spent enough time in the Tower to be aware of what the general Aes Sedai know and doesn't know. She also knows a bit about Nynaeve (being behind the Tear trap and all), but probably would like to know more. This is an excellent way to discover how much Nynaeve has learned, not only through her own discoveries and talents, but also through the teachings of Moghedien. I believe Mesaana has been incorporated in Moridin's gang, the same way Graendal has (which could explain how Cyndane knew about Rand planning to use the Choedan Kal with a woman strong enough to use it) and therefore also would know that Moghedien has been in custody of the wonder girls.<br /><br />On top of this, the very obvious testing of whether Nynaeve could break the bonds Talaan has her in, should be one Mesaana would be very interested in. Moridin notes how these &quot;untrained girls&quot; have learned things that no Age of Legender knew. If a way exists to break a shielding, it's important to know for him and the other Forsaken. Nynaeve is a perfect test subject since she is the strongest of the untrained girls and therefore most likely to be able to use some energy demanding exercise which could break a shielding.<br /><br />_______________________________<br /><br />Possible potential arguments:<br /><br />[WH, Prologue, p37]: &quot;Zaida touched the fingers of her right hand to her lips&quot;<br /><br />[WH, Prologue, p37]: &quot;A smile quirked her very full lips&quot;.<br /><br />These are quotes that can't be traced to any specific person, but seems to have the structure of a potential reference. Especially &quot;very full lips&quot; are mentioned for the first time ever in the books, and the possibility that the prologue of the next book could feature a similar description of Mesaana seems far from impossible. If it was only mentioned once, I probably wouldn't have noticed, but the lips being mentioned a total of three times, two times emphasized as &quot;full lips&quot; (the third quote found earlier in this text) seems a bit much to be coincidental. It's not possible to link it to anyone yet though.<br /><br />________________________________<br /><br /><br />***So, what does it all mean?<br /><br />A plethora of quotes ganged up with a theory that makes more sense if it's true than if it's not. Can there be any question at all? Oh yes it can, but the question is not whether the theory is sound, but whether Robert Jordan intends it to be true or not. I don't know what to think about the more obvious spoon-feeding tendencies in some of the arguments above. Does Robert Jordan want the readers to make knots on themselves trying to make a theory coherent when it's in fact false, or does he want to watch us go right past an obvious theory despite clue after clue being presented? Of earlier theories with the same kind of strong circumstantial evidence, Dashiva = Osangar turned out to be true, Taim = Demandred turned out to be false (until further notice), and Semirhage = Anath is yet to be decided although the most probable of the lot. Where is Zaida = Mesaana to be put?<br /><br />I will make the leap on this one and saying that RJ in fact DOES intend it to be true. The fact that &quot;black&quot; is in the last part of Zaida's name (Blackwing) is hardly a coincidence but yet another RJ irony. The theory as a whole more resembles the Dashangar theory than the Taimandred theory in that there is no obvious way to explain away the many implications.<br /><br />But despite all quotes and all circumstantial evidence, there are a few of them that are more important than others, when deciding whether the theory is true or a Red Herring:<br /><br />Somewhere along the line, RJ will have to explain how Nesta din Raes ended up in Ebou Dar. He will have to explain what Mesaana did the first year after her release from the Bore. If the theory is not true, he also would have to explain why the DO didn't put anyone in a good position with the Atha'an Miere. These three are all hard to explain one by one, but together it's almost impossible short of a full-scale theory such as Zaida = Mesaana. If there was any other theory even remotely possible, it should have emerged by now. I read RJ said every Forsaken now had been mentioned as of after Winter's Heart. While the Semiranath explanation took everyone by storm, the Mezaida theory has been strangely avoided despite being the by far best explanation of Mesaana's position. These points, together with all other evidence as mentioned above, is RJ painting himself into a corner. He can impossibly get out any other way: <br /><br />Mesaana = Zaida!<br /></p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> I'll be truthful, I didn't read it all the way through, but I could tell you had good grammar and spelling, so I wasn't worried about that.  I just dont have time to read someting so long like this.  <br /><br />But you certainly cover your bases.<br /><br />I leave it up to the Wotmaniacs to decide.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-16 14:51:57
subject: Why Red = Black
body:
<p>It seems to me that the Red Ajah is disproportionately represented among the Black Ajah.  I don't think this has been explicitly stated in the books, but thats the impression I got.  Maybe its because the first BA you meet is Red (Liandran), but I still think the Red is overrepresented because...<br /><br />1) Galina-The (former) head of the Reds also happened to be Black too.  It would make it easier to recruit and keep tabs on BA if they were Red.  I know Galima isn't the head BA, but she could have been in fairly high standing.  Of course, the head of the Red being Black may be a result of such a high level of infiltration, though that doesn't negate the advantages for the Black that I've already stated.<br /><br />2) No warders.  I know its been said that BA could hide their darkfriendness or get DF warders, but wouldn't it be easier to just to not have to deal w/ this? The warder bond works 24-7 (or should I say 24-10?) so hiding one's bad activities seems like it would be more trouble than its worth.<br /><br />3) The vileness after the Aiel war.  The BA was sent about hunting all men who could channel after the war.  Which ajah is already adept at this?  This is probably the single biggest reason if you ask me.  I think if a Forsaken or other higher up DF wanted to do some long term research, we might see a higher level of browns being black.  <br /><br />4)They're just creepy<br /><br />I think that the Red Ajah will be disbanded before the series ends, mainly b/c the sole reason for their existance has been cleaned up.  Not to mention the BA infiltration, non-BA red ajah gentling BS (i.e Owyn), Elaida's BS coup, and probably a bunch of other stuff too.</p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> There does seem to be a high ratio of Reds to blacks, but there are also DF's among the other ajahs, so why are <i>they</i> there?<br /><br />But all in all, I would have to agree.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-21 14:24:10
subject: Philosophical meaning of Nynaeve's braid
body:
<p>Ever since the first, that braid has been...a cryptic message!  How many times has Robert Jordan The Great told us how intricate the braid was?  Well, you know what I think?  I think all of the Wheel of Time is told out in Nyn's braid!<br /><br />If you notice in The Dragon Reborn, paragraph 12 of Chapter 18, Nyneaeve's braid was described as: &quot;..something special and unique, and quite possibly one of the most cryptic messages ever seen in any of the Ages.&quot;  <br /><br />Now, also, have you ever noticed how some of those Dreamers of the Tower look at Nyn's braid?  That's how they really figure out their information folks!  They are really bsing about those dreams!  Elaida never Foretold anything!  Member when she caught Elayne with Nyn and Egwene?  She stared at &quot;the fire&quot; which Nyn was near...and how do you think Egwene knows everything?  She has been trailing Nynaeve staring at that braid for most of her life!<br /><br />Now, in Crow Indian mythology, there was a crone, Nynacteve.  She could fortell the future and talk to horses.  An amazing women, and, she always carried around...a long, intricate braid.  Robert Jordan The Great knows what he's about, dang-nabbit.  Nynaeve's braid is all!</p><p><b>Burr says:</b> All of your points were emphasised quite clearly by exclamation marks.  Your theory <i>must</i> be right. <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/tongue.gif" border="0" /><br /><br />So what does the tugging signify?  Is Nynaeve simply updating her braid, or is she possibly giving the Wheel a good kick?<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-23 17:55:40
subject: The Breaking of the World
body:
<p>This theory is on how Rand is going to break the world again.  So far he has not done anything that would lead to such a cataclysm.  The closest that Rand has come to breaking anything is the Aiel.  His presence has started a lot of wars, but they fall short of cataclysmic.  In any event most of these wars will be wrapped up in the next few books.  I think that the reason for the next breaking will be the same as before, the Taint.<br /><br />I really doubt that the taint will be put back on the source.  I believe that Sadin is going to remain clean.  The fact that Sadin is clean is what will cause the breaking.  If you accept that the breaking is more of a social/political event rather than a physical event (i.e. nations are destroyed not the land), then the cleansing of Sadin is enough to cause it.<br /><br />Why?  Every nation and society is based on certain foundations.  Remove one or more of those foundations and the society will, if not be destroyed outright, be in turmoil for some time.  Add a different foundation at the same time, and the turmoil will be worse (and probably last longer).  In WH Rand destroyed the foundation common to all nations and societies in WoT.  Every society takes into account that men who channel will go mad.  That is no longer true.<br /><br />Societies will have to learn to deal with men who can channel without going mad, or they will be destroyed.  Coming to terms with the cleansing of Sadin, and making a proper role for men who can channel will be necessary.  The upheaval will cause the next breaking.<br /></p><p><b>Burr says:</b> You make a good point about the social change that the return of male channelers will necessitate, though I think the Last Battle by itself could be enough to destroy all sorts of political foundations.<br /><br />However, contrary to a statement in your theory, part of the Breaking of the Age of Legends was indeed a dramatic <i>physical</i> change in the land.  Various Forsaken, among others, tell us as much in their many babblings about how things have changed.<br /><br />This shouldn't be a surprise.  Lews Therin alone created Dragonmount and moved its surroundings in but a few moments, though it cost him his life.  And he was hardly the only destructive male channeler running around.  Furthermore, the female channelers were probably destructive as well, though necessarily so, in their desparate hunting and battling of all the insane male channelers.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-23 18:03:22
subject: Cyndane's Weakness
body:
<p>Perhaps this is dealt with in a theory I haven't read, but I hope this hasn't been brought up before.<br /><br />I think most people will agree that Lanfear is Cyndane, but for some reason she has returned weaker in the One Power, if still the strongest of the female Forsaken. But why?<br /><br />Well, think about the last time we saw Lanfear. She was facing Rand and channeling not only her own power, but also using an angreal. Now from various descriptions of how to use an angreal we know that you have to imagine that you can draw more power than you could unaided. Elayne says to Aviendha just before the Bowl of Winds is used that using her angreal she should imagine that she can draw twice as much power as Nynaeve unaided. So back to Lanfear, facing Rand, drawing on the angreal, imagining she can use more One Power. But what I don't believe we have seen or been told anywhere else in the books is what happens if you have that angreal taken away from you while you are using it. This is what happens to Lanfear when Moiraine snatches it out of her grasp. Surely Lanfear is still in a state of mind where she is trying to draw more of the One Power than she can unaided, so she is in danger of burning herself out. Now the next part gets extremely speculative, but being burnt out may not happen instantaneously, perhaps if Lanfear was fast enough and had the prescence of mind she could alter how much she is trying to channel so that only part of her channeling ability is burnt away. Also you must remember that Lanfear had a miniscule amount of warning about what was going to happen when Moiraine embraced saidar. This may have given her enough to time to save part of her ability to channel if not all of it.<br /><br />These are just my thoughts. There is of course the point that at the end of Winter's Heart Cyndane emphasized that no woman could channel more saidar than she had been able to, suggesting that somehow she had maxed out the ability, but that's really a point for another theory.</p><p><b>Burr says:</b> That is certainly a possibility.  People have also speculated that Lanfear was <i>completely</i> burned out by that incident and later Healed using Nynaeve's discovery, but whether that theory or yours is more likely, I can't say.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-23 18:09:39
subject: Jain Farstrider is Malkieri
body:
<p>I know most of you have heard this theory before, but I have proof this time. Unshakeable, undeniable proof. <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" /><br /><br />OK, we know that Jain Farstrider is most likely from the Borderlands. This is shown by Lord Agelmar, when he tells Lan's story. In it, when telling of Cowin Fairheart, the Darkfriend who betrayed Malkier, he says &quot;When Cowin Fairheart's treachery was revealed and he was taken by young Jain Cahrin - already called Jain Farstrider&quot;(TEOTW, ch.47, More Tales of the Wheel, p.710). If Farstrider was in Malkier at the time, there is a good chance he is a Borderlander. There has been speculation he is from Malkier, and this is proven by an entry in the Glossary. <br /><br />&quot;<i>Travels of Jain Farstrider, The</i>: A very well known book of travel stories and observations by a noted <b>Malkieri</b> writer and traveller. The book was first printed in 968 NE and has been reprinted continuously ever since. Jain Farstrider disappeared in the Aiel War and is generally believed to be dead.&quot;(TDR, Glossary, p.696)<br />Therefore, Jain Farstrider is Malkieri. <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/read.gif" border="0" /><br /><br />I have strung this out a bit haven't I? <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/tongue.gif" border="0" /></p><p><b>Burr says:</b> Truthfully, I wasn't even aware this was an issue.  But now that you mention it, it brings up interesting possibilities.  For instance, maybe a fellow Malkieri could convince Lan to fly the Golden Crane.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-24 12:58:28
subject: On Angreal, Sa`Angreal, Ter`Angreal and Moiraine's Tricks With Sticks And Stones.
body:
<p>I recently read someones theory on 'Making Angreal' and started making a response to that. I re-read it and thought it would go better here than in the response section.<br /><br />Religio-magical systems worldwide have had various ways to focus what they term magical power. Yet, the object of focus, be it a mirror, stone, sherd of chrystal, a cauldron of blessed water, has no power of it's own and won't work for anyone else unless they know the trick of FOCUS. Just as various systems have ways to focus, so they have objects of veneration and worship that have so-called magical powers, not to mention talismans, amulets and so forth.<br /><br />Let us compare this trick with the stone to focusing psychic energy toward a goal, like eaves dropping. The stone could be a simple pebble from the street. What matters is it gives a target that is tangable and near to grasp. This gives the pebble no power whatsoever, yet it enables the person who knows to focus on it a target to focus on, thus unlocking their inborn talents. Then there's the staff. Again, here's an object that has been used by different systems. Here it can be compared to the ceremonial magicians wand. It has no power of it's own, yet enables the user to guide their power to do various things. <br /><br />Then you have things that have a so-called power of their own. First is the Talisman, which is of a natural origin, i.e. rabbits foot or four leaf clover. An amulet is a manmade thing, but does not need be worn around the neck on a chain. It can take any form wanted. While a Talisman has power inate to it, an Amulet needs to have power focused into it during it's making, just like an Angreal, Sa'Angreal or Ter'Angreal. Focusing power into  a thing during it's making, and using a thing for a focus of power are different things. (Much like the difference between a Battery and a House Circuit. The battery has energy put into it during it's making, and the house circuit is made for power to flow through once it's linked to the power source.) <br /><br />Then we have objects of veneration that can do miraculous things, i.e. heal the halt and lame, bring about a better situation. These too can take mny forms. To the initiate it means everything, yet to the non-believer, it means nothing. These objects are most common in the Christian faith. The jaw, fingers, body of Saint Peter, the Shroud of Turin, the Grail, the peices of the True Cross, ect. To a non-Christian, these objects are maybe interesting peices of history, yet have no spiritual significance.<br /><br />What does this have to do with Angreal, Ter`Angreal, and Sa`Angreal? Well, to the initiates, Aes Sedai, these things are things of power, great power, yet to the common man, they are nothing but what may be pretty art objects. But the sticks and stones are personal devices that enble the user to do things that they find difficult without. There needs be no power flowing through them, they merely enable the user to focus. The only exception to this is Ter`Angreal which can sometimes work independantly of the ability to channel, and are set to one purpose. The use they are put to now is not always the same as that for which they were made.</p><p><b>Bad Ash says:</b> Me likes.  I have nothing to add.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-24 13:08:42
subject: The Gholam's Release
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<p>I've been writing about this somewhat in the message posts, so I decided to bring it out to the Theory Board so I can get more feedback. The question is simply who or what released the gholam? <br /><br />1) I went through a few cases. At first I really thought it was Moridin, because well ... he's the frickin' Nae'blis, so of course he's going to set off the worst weapon ever devised from the Age of Legends. But in the PoD, in that brief excerpt of Moridin looking over the entourage of Aes Sedai (Elayne and Nynaeve) he doesn't express any serious hatred towards them. However, in the next direct scene, the gholam emerges, and one) he feels the presence of the True Power, but can't quite put his finger on what it is, and two) he states that his master wanted to kill the women, when Moridin expressed no such vehemence. So this rules Moridin out.<br /><br />2)Could've been Sammael but Sammy is DEAD. DEAD. DEAD. DEAD. Did I say that enough? RJ said he's dead, balefire in the face is death, getting screwed over like that is death. So that's that. The gholam said the man that controlled it wanted the women dead. And since Sammy can't communicate from the dead ... DEAD. DEAD. Dead.<br /><br />3)Finally, comes Demandred. I think he was the only man still alive that was promised Nae'blis by the DO? Grandael was promised that, and a few others I believe (thanks again to that person in the message board ... could they help me out here too?) but thanks to my brief stint of clarity (and uncommon intelligence) I managed to snag this sentence on page 84 hardcover of the PoD:<br /><br />&quot;The one who commanded it wanted the man who wounded it dead perhaps as much as HE ( HEEEEEEEEE ) did the women, but the women were an easier target.&quot;<br /><br />HEEEEEE. It said HE. That means no female Forsaken. So personally, I think it's Demandred. I'd like to hear some feedback!!</p><p><b>Bad Ash says:</b> Ok, I need help from the wotmania faithful on this one.  I posted this theory before coffee, reread it, and now I have problems with it.  I seem to remember one of the Forsaken, and not Demandred, reminiscing about opening a stasis box and having a gholam pop out.  I keep thinking Graendal, but I'm not sure.  If so, it would make me lean more toward Sammael as being the &quot;he&quot;, as Graendal and Sammael were working close together, or as close as Forsaken can be.  The gholam may not know about Sammy's untimely demise yet.  Sorry, my books are all packed at home and I'm at work, so I can't check this myself.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-24 18:30:49
subject: Prophecy, Reincarnation, and Why Rand Will Not Die
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<p>OK, I know everyone thinks something different about how Rand is going to die, but I'd like to lay down some tendencies with prophecies, or the writers that write them, one may say.<br /><br />1. There is ALWAYS a twist. Prophecy is not a straight forward statement of the future and will almost always mean something other than the literal interpretation. I say almost, because the literal interpretation does, in fact, come up occasionally, but it is usually something that no one expects to be literal and is almost always a minor prediction of the said prophecy. <br /><br />2.  The exact words in the prophecy must be examined. Many assume that a sentence in a prophecy means a certain thing, based on the contexted, but it can easy mean something else. Here is an example of what I am getting at: <br /><br />1. &quot;Rand is the Dragon Reborn.&quot;<br />2. &quot;Rand is the Dragon, Reborn.&quot;<br /><br />Now you'll begin to see what I am saying. By the simple placement of a comma into the sentence, I have completely changed it's meaning. The meaning of the first sentence is that Rand is the individual known as the Dragon Reborn; and the meaning of the second sentence is that Rand is the individual known as the Dragon, albeit Reborn, but still that specific individual and not simply his soul reincarnated. The contrast between these two sentences can be easily seen in the difference between Rand al'Thor and Lews Therin, the so-called voice in Rand's head. It is indeed a dramatic change in meaning for so simple a change in sentence structure. This, folks, is the preverbal bread and butter of any author's prophecies. <br /><br />3. The author IS out to trick you. Few authors that go to the effort of creating a plot device of such magnitude as prophecy will make it easy and suspenceless, especially author's of Robert Jordan's caliber. That is also a good point to remember; prophecy IS a plot device. It is almost always as convoluted as a maze, to make you suspenseful or to make you overthink something and give up, so that you will remain interested and curious to the end. <br /><br />Now, give these statements, I feel that I can predict the results of the part of the prophecy that concerns the death of the Dragon Reborn. First off, I HIGHLY doubt that Rand will die at all, in any shape, form, or manner. Two facts lead me to believe this, the first one being that the prophecy nor the various Fortellings EVER state that Rand al'Thor is going to die. The second is that, in the words of the prophecy itself, the &quot;blood of the Dragon Reborn&quot; on the rocks of Shayol Ghul is required for &quot;mankind's salvation&quot;. These two facts leave Mr. Jordan with a tremendious amount of wiggle room, so to speak.<br /><br />Frankly, I can think of a dozen outcomes offhand that fulfill this vague outline, none of which require Rand's death, but I will stick to the ones I feel most probable so as not to bore you to death. Before that, however, I will need to explain the nature of the Dragon Reborn as it is mentioned fleetingly in one of the books (I can't recall which one 0.0'). <br /><br />In the book it mentions that everyone is a soul that is reborn over and over again, through countless lives, but never as the same person, the same individual. It maybe the same soul, but that person has no memories of what made them THAT individual from their past life. Think of it as two completely different people that share the same specific tastes in literature. Although they do have that shared feature, they are still completely different people. That taste in literature does not make them who they are. <br /><br />Now, the book states that the Dragon Reborn is an exception to this rule. The Dragon Reborn is the rebirth, or reincarnation (ressurection is more accurate), of Lews Therin, The Dragon, and is that SPECIFIC person! Now, obviously, given this information, Rand al'Thor is NOT the Dragon Reborn! You see, Rand al'Thor is not the same person that Lews Therin was, which is obvious in his mannerisms and personality. I think Rand is more the host of the Dragon Reborn, although I know that doesn't sound too ignobling. This is supported be the appearance of Lews Therin, the individual, in Rand al'Thor's mind, which has been confirmed by Min not to be insanity. <br /><br />Now, I think that in the moment of truth, so to speak, Lews Therin will dominant their symbiotic relationship, doing the one thing Rand fears: taking control of their body, leaving Rand a voice in Lews Therin's head. I do concede to the statement of &quot;..the blood of the Dragon Reborn on the rocks of Shayol Ghul...&quot; to indicate death, which leads me to the circumvention by Rand of death. Lews Therin, or the Dragon Reborn*, will &quot;die&quot; in the final battle, leaving Rand alive and alone in his body. This also fulfills a Foretelling I think is given in Winter's Heart, although I could be mistaken having only had the chance to read it once, which makes a reference to &quot;he who is dead yet lives&quot;. This also happens to refer to my second statement on prophecy about literalism. It is a realatively small part of the story and is literal in the sense that, to a third person, Rand appears to have die yet he still lives. Thus is prophecy fulfilled and everyone lives happily every after, or as well as they can with so many mule-headed women walking around. <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/biggrin.gif" border="0" /> <br /><br />*Refering to The Dragon Reborn as the individual known<br />  as the Dragon, Lews Therin, and not Rand al'Thor.</p><p><b>Burr says:</b> Well, your reasonings seems sound to me, and it might be true.  On the other hand, do you really think Jordan, as an author, would be aiming to give his readers such a philosophical headache?  I think allowing his readers to first enjoy the story would be Jordan's priority.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-08-31 12:06:49
subject: Jain Farstrider (aka Noal Charin)
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<p>Jain Farstrider is one of the most legendary heroes of recent times. Not much is known about his early years. In fact, he doesn't appear in the collective Randland consciousness until his involvement in the Fall of Malkier. <br /><br />  When Breyan, grief-stricken with the death of Lain, her husband--and blaming his death on the King al'Akir--conspired with Cowin Gemallin, also called Cowin Fairheart, to help her avenge her husband and seize the throne of Malkier for her son, Isam. But unknown to Breyan, and the rest of the Malkieri, Cowin was a Darkfriend. When their deception was uncovered, Cowin was taken prisoner by Jain Farstrider, then known as Jain Charin.<br /><br />  After his involvement with the Malkieri, little is known (to us anyway) about Jain Farstrider's life. What is known has been gathered from bits and pieces of dialogue throughout the texts. Apparently, Farstrider began to roam the world, visiting foreign lands and spreading his stories throughout the land. He spent some time among the Sea Folk, and even ventured to the lands beyond the Aiel Waste, most notably the mysterious land of Shara. Some say he even venture into the Blight. Many legends have spread about his travels, including even the naming of his horse. It was said that he named the creature Jeade'an, meaning &quot;True Finder&quot; in the Old Tongue, because it could always find its way home. These stories were later collected and published as The Travels of Jain Farstrider, but whether Farstrider himself was involved with the creation of the book in unknown.<br /><br />  It seems that time lost track of Jain Farstrider; no one seems to mention him in the present tense, so it would appear that most people would not even consider the possibility that he could be alive. What few, if any, people know is that, years later, he met his match in the Dark One. According to Ba'alzamon (aka Ishamael), &quot;I began the setting of your path the day you were born, a path to lead you to your grave, or here [at the Eye of the World]... Jain Farstrider, a hero... whom I painted like a fool and sent to the Ogier thinking he was free of me (TEotW, 63 &quot; Was he speaking the truth?<br /><br />  It was noted earlier in The Eye of the World, by the Loial, that &quot;there was a man came to <i>Stedding</i> Shangtai a little while back... He was at the point of death, though there was no wound or mark on him. The Elders thought it might be something Aes Sedai had done... since as soon as he was within the <i>Stedding</i> he quickly got well... One night he left without a word to anyone, simply sneaked away when the moon was down... Before he left, he told a curious tale which he said he meant to carry to Tar Valon. He said the Dark One intended to blind the Eye of the World, and slay the Great Serpent, kill time itself (TEotW, 537).&quot; It would seem that this was the same man, one of the sparks that sent Rand al'Thor searching for the Eye of the World.<br /><br />  So what ever happened to Jain Farstrider? He could have died, or simply vanished once again into the Blight, but I believe that he lives on, in the form and identity of one Noal Charin, the old Man from Ebou Dar. Why do I believe this??? <br /><br />  For one, the ages match. Malkier fell about 50 years ago, and even if Farstrider had been 20 or 30 years, he would currently be about 70 or 80 years old now. Charin has been described as &quot;a scrawny, white-haired fellow... His stooped shoulders and sad weathered face did not fit his fine grey coat... The old man tapped a gnarled finger against the side of his beak of a nose. Both looked to have been broken several times (ACoS, 282).&quot;<br /><br />  Secondly, he has much the same knowledge that Farstrider would have. He tells stories, vivid stories, about his own travels with the Sea Folk, and among the people of Shara. Mat notes that &quot;Noal told the tale with elaborate gestures, playing down his own role and even making himself a bit of a buffoon... The man was a natural storyteller, as good as a gleeman for making you see what he described (WH, 363).&quot;<br /><br />  Thirdly, there is his familiarity with weapons and men of daring. He tells Mat &quot;I have seen your like before... Some men have an air about them that makes other men follow where they lead. Some lead to devastation, others to glory. I think your name may go into the history books (WH, 364).&quot; He goes on later to say &quot;You have the look in your eye. I've seen great men laying plans, and villains dark as the Pit of Doom, too. There is a look a man gets, laying dangerous plans he doesn't want known (WH, 53<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/smackhead.gif" border="0" />9).&quot;<br /><br />  Mat notices, also, that Charin seems very familiar with fighting, noting his strong grip and ease with a weapon; &quot;...the one time Mat had seen him handle those long daggers he carried under his coat, he had looked far from harmless. There was a way a man had of touching a weapon that said he was accustomed to using it (WH, 53<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/smackhead.gif" border="0" />9).&quot;<br /><br />  Finally, there is the remarkable coincidence of names. Before he became a figure of legend, Farstrider had been known as Jain Charin. <br /><br />  So, if Jain Farstrider has somehow survived, and is now roaming the world as Noal Charin, then what happened to him in the intervening years, and why is he using a different name? I think that the key lies in his time spent with the Dark One. Something must have happened to him, perhaps affecting his memory. In A Crown of Swords, after we first met Charin, we see the world through his eyes: &quot;Suddenly he realized he was touching his head again. He did not have a headache, but his head felt... peculiar... sometimes. Most often when he thought of what he could not remember... Sooner or later, he would remember. He did not have much time left, but it was all he did have. He remember that much.&quot; So, it would appear that he's somewhat hazy on who and what he actually is, but he has very little time to accomplish whatever it is he needs to before his time runs out.<br /><br />  One final note. It would be proper that a person such as Jain Farstrider would end up with Matrim Cauthon. The young <i>Ta&#8217;veren</i> seems to be a magnet for strong and gifted fighters. He sounded the Horn of Valere, so now all of the heroes of Old are tied to him. (This could also support the theory that Olver is Gaidal Cain reborn... but that's another theory.) Seems appropriate that a hero of his time would be drawn to him as well<br /><br /></p><p><b>Moridin_2000 says:</b> An excellent theory that has been well researched. I know this is an old topic, but this is the best one I&#8217;ve read on the Noal/Farstrider theory. Well done!<br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-01 06:39:34
subject: Languages
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<p>Most people query why there is such uniformity of language in Randland/WoTWorld/whatever you want to call it. There are 6 main groups of people, geographically speaking, in Randland.<br /><br />1)The Aiel<br />2)Mainlanders<br />3)The Sea Folk<br />4)The Seanchan<br />5)The Sharans<br />6)The Madmen.<br /><br />We know that the first four groups all speak basically the same language, although with regional differences. The last two most likely have languages of their own, although we cannot be sure. So we'll leave them out of the equation for now. <br /><br />So why do the first four all speak the same? Two main reasons: travel and uniting groups I believe the Aiel speak the same langauge because of travel. They have peddlers, gleemen, and until recently Cairhienin crossing the Waste regularly, so they do have contact with other lands. They have regional words that only they use, but they have not been isolated enough for a long enough period to speak their own language. <br /><br />The Mainlanders have three reasons; the Ten Nations, the Tower, and Hawkwing. The lands were effectively united twice in 3000 years, the first time for the Compact and the second for Hawkwing's empire. They would have good reason to all speak the same language, to communicate well. Also, the Tower has been there for 3000 years, a guiding force. The nations have not been separated as much as Europe, and they all started off speaking the same language. Europeans did not. The Sea Folk are travellers; they spend most of their time carrying cargoes between ports where people spoke the same.They have not been isolated enough to develop another language. <br /><br />Lastly, there are the Seanchan. They have been isolated, and now speak with such thick accents they are barely understood by Our Heroes. But something crucial has been overlooked here: they are the product of an invasion from the Mainland. When Luthair's armies invaded, many languages were spoken, as evidenced by Bethamin's thoughts. &quot;...she had even read translations from the myriad of languages that had existed before the Consolidation began.&quot;(WH, ch.20, Questions of Treason, p.409) But the Consolidation forced the people to speak the one language the invaders brought. <br /><br />And what must be remembered is that all these people started out speaking the same language, something the people of Earth never did. The uniformity of language in Randland is, in some respects, a plot device for RJ to keep the stories simpler; but there are also solid reasons as to why this is. <br /></p><p><b>Moridin_2000 says:</b> A very interesting theory there! It would explain in real life terms why there is very little variation between the languages spoken across the WoT world.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-01 20:40:50
subject: The Third Man, and The Three Loves....
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<p>In WH we are intoduced to a third man that is supposed to have a connection with Rand and Lews. Now, I thought if there are three women in love with Rand, why can't there be three men to match.<br /><br /><br />First we have our rustic hillybilly aka Rand, who is matched with our rustic Min. <br /><br />Next we have the mighty king aka Lews, who is matched with a beautiful golden haired queen, Elayne (perhaps reborn Ilenya?).<br /><br />And last but not least we have Aviendha, but who does she match with?<br />This is where my idea kicks in.With the fierce Aiel worrior, comes a fierce Aiel leader: Janduin.<br /><br />A natural leader like him, I could bet he was at least a bit ta'averen. Much like LTT he united people who were at war for centuries, and brought them to fight for a commen cause. He too caused his wife's death, by not sending her back to the Aiel waste when she was pregnant.<br /><br />I think that perhaps he too is linked too the Wheel, that is why LTT knows him and Rand doesn't.<br />What do you think?<br />X) N&amp;M <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/angel.gif" border="0" /> (Furi Kuri RULZ!)</p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> This is certainly something we haven't seen before.<br /><br />The mysatery of the Third Man is, to be redundant, mysterious.  But didn't Rand see Janduin while he was going through that ter'angreal in Rhuidean?  Isn't it part of his lineage?  <br /><br />I may be totally off the mark.  I can more than bet on it.<br /><br />At least I tried, right?<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-01 21:02:11
subject: Why Rand will die, and how he might be reborn
body:
<p>First a look at a few points in the Prophecies of the Dragon.<br /><br />1)  &quot;Twice and twice shall he be marked, twice to live, and twice to die......&quot;<br /><br />Some might say that this refers to one life as Lews Therin Telamon, and one life as Rand Al'Thor.  I don't believe this is the case.  Rand has received the markings, but there is no reference to Lews Therin being marked in any way.  This suggests to me that Rand will live twice as himself.<br /><br />2)  &quot;Twice dawns the day when his blood is shed.  Once for mourning, once for birth.  Red on black, the Dragon's blood stains the rock of Shayol Ghul......&quot;<br /><br />I don't think I'm the only one who feels this will be in the form of an eclipse.  &quot;....Once for mourning,....&quot;  Rand's friends, and allies will mourn his death.  &quot;....once for birth...&quot;  He will be reborn as Rand Al'Thor.<br /><br />3)  &quot;The Reborn One, marked and bleeding, dances the sword in dreams and mist,.....&quot;<br /><br />I feel &quot;dreams&quot; is the important part here.  Tel'aran'rhiod is &quot;the World of Dreams&quot;, or &quot;the Unseen World&quot; (More on the &quot;unseen&quot; part later).  In chapter 47 of The Great Hunt, after Mat blows the Horn of Valere, Artur Hawkwing speaks to Hurin after he bravely chooses not to stay behind....&quot;Sometimes the Wheel adds to our number, friend.  Perhaps you will find yourself among us, one day.&quot;...<br /><br />  Rand has already vanquished some of the Forsaken.  By the time Tarmon Gai'don occurs, I'm sure he will have defeated more, if not all of them.  These actions could be enough to tie him to the Wheel as himself, Rand Al'Thor.  The hero's tied to the Wheel await rebirth or the summoning of the Horn of Valere in Tel'aran'rhiod.  Birgitte was torn from the World of Dreams and effectively &quot;reborn&quot; as herself, not as an infant, by Moghedien.<br /><br />In chapter 14 of Lord of Chaos, when linking for the first time, Nicola has the skill of Foretelling manifest itself.  &quot;....Suddenly Nicola spoke, sounding half asleep.  &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;.....&quot;<br /><br />Gawyn, Aviendha, and Eqwene (she who sees beyond.  I believe this ties back to the &quot;Unseen World&quot; of Tel'aran'rhiod) bearing Rand's body away from Shayol Ghul, to wherever, after the Last Battle?  An obvious need for the Dragon to be reborn again, as the world is still troubled by Shadowspawn, Seanchan, and who knows what else by the time the Last Battle occurs?  Will Egwene's growing skills in Tel'aran'rhiod be enough to pull Rand out as himself?  Gawyn is to be the First Prince of the sword for Elayne.  The banner of Andor is the White Lion.  He and Eqwene likely will be together knowing how they feel towards one another....He could possibly be the &quot;lion sword&quot; that Nicola Foretells....The dedicated spear obviously refers to an Aiel, but which Aiel?    <br /><br />Just a few thoughts, but seems possible to me.  I for one can't wait to see how all this turns out!</p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> Well for one, about Nicolas foretelling:<br /><br />The lion sword, the dedicated spear, she who sees beyond.<br />Three on the boat, and he who is dead, yet lives. <br />The great battle done, but the world not done with battle. <br />The land divided by the return, and the guardians balance the servants. <br />The future teeters on the edge of a blade.&quot;<br /><br />An analysis of this says that the &quot;lion sword&quot; is Elayne, the &quot;dedicated spear&quot; is Aviendha, and &quot;she who sees beyond&quot; is Min.  These three make more sense than Gawyn, some Aiel, and Egwene.  <br /><br />These three on a boat perhaps, sailing to Tar Valon, with Rand, &quot;he who is dead, yet lives.&quot;<br /><br />&quot;The great battle done, but the world not done with battle.&quot;  Seems to refer to Tarmon Gaidon, the Last Battle.  The most important battle has ended, but people still quibble about thier unimportant wants and needs (This also might be a hint of there being more to read about after the Last Battle in some more books by RJ)<br /><br />&quot;The land divided by the return, and the guardians balance the servants.&quot;  now I thought &quot;return&quot; was capatilized, and would refer to the Seanchan, and their <i>Corenne</i>.  The Guardians and Servants are the Old Tongues meanings of Asha'man and Aes Sedai, respectively.  This is saying that the numbers are fairly equal, which would indeed be a very powerful force to go against the DO.<br /><br />&quot;The future teeters on the edge of a blade.&quot;  This is just some ending to a prophecy.  Nothing really important here, just your basic prophetic colliloquism.<br /><br />Remember, it is Nicola's first foretelling, so perhaps if it is her first, her first will be a simple prophecy, nothing fancy like Elaida sometimes has.  Perhaps with growing years of this skill, her prophecy become more complex and detailed, and maybe more important.<br /><br />Good work though.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-03 20:01:36
subject: The Missing Sa'angreal
body:
<p>My theory is about the second strongest male sa'angreal that no one seems to know what or where it is.  I believe that the sa'angreal is The Crystal Throne in Seanchan.  I believe this because of a couple of reasons.<br /><br />1.  In The Fires of Heaven, when all the Aiel and such are leaving Rhuidean, they are also carting away angreal, ter'angreal, and sa'angreal.  It specifically names a couple, and one of the sa'angreal that they name is a red crystal chair.  That seems oddly similar to what most people would think of a crystal throne, except red.  <br /><br />2.  No one in Seanchan could know if the Crystal Throne is or is not a sa'angreal for a couple of reasons.  A damane would not be able to tell because they have never seen one before.  Or, a damane might not even be able to even go into the presence of the Empress.  If the Crystal Throne is a male sa'angreal, then no one would ever know because the books state in numerous places that all male channelers are killed as soon as they are found.  That eliminates the possibility of a man sensing it.<br /><br />3.  However much Hawkwing&#8217;s armies hated the One Power, they probably would not have known if the Crystal Chair was an angreal of sa'angreal, or anything related to the One Power.  They might have just taken it for a throne if they found land and a civilization.  That probably isn't right, but they might have taken it for something.<br /><br />4.  There is the possibility that The Crystal Throne was in Seanchan all along.  It might have been the title or throne of the king or queen of Seanchan before Hawkwing&#8217;s armies got there.  That wouldn't explain how Lanfear knows about it, since none of the Forsaken seem to know much about Shara, or Seanchan, or any new lands.  But I assume that the Throne was carried over to the other side of the Aryth Ocean during the Breaking, after the Forsaken and the Dark One were bound.<br /><br />All in all, my theory is that that missing male sa'angreal is The Crystal Throne in Seanchan.</p><p><b>Burr says:</b> I doubt damane would sense the presence of a male sa'angrael anyway, since it probably doesn't respond to saidar.<br /><br />Your theory could explain the rumors about the Empress sadistically watching male channelers die.  A more likely explanation is that they are seen as assaulting her while she is sitting on the throne, and so immediate justice is necessary.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-04 18:58:54
subject: Gareth and Siuan = Anselan and Barashelle?
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<p>Whilst rereading the fires of heaven I came across the story of Anselan and Barashelle and it struck me that that story of a bygone era was suspiciously similar to a relationship in this the current era by which I mean Siuan and Gareth Bryne .As we know Barashelle bonded someone whilst still an accepted and as a punishment was made to pass her bond and when she was eventually raised, According to Birgitte, the Amyrlin chose her warder a leather-faced stone stubborn man who was Anselan and who basically was in charge of that particular relationship despite the fact that Barashelle was an Aes Sedai .History however changed this tale. According to Elayne, it evolved into a tale of a woman (Barashelle) performing an arduous task to win a man's (Anselan) love.<br />Now if you compare this with the Siuan/ Gareth plotline there are striking similarities in the two tales.<br /><br />1)Siuan is an Aes Sedai and is relatively young by their standards (She is around 40 and there are still Accepted that age)<br /><br />2)Gareth described as a bluff faced man, he is stubborn and while technically not a warder he is acclaimed as one of the great captains of this age by Myrelle's warder Nuhel. This would make him a warder in all but name.<br /><br />3)Despite being Aes Sedai again Siuan is still his servant and according to Egwene: <br />&quot;Never touched Saidar around him,<br />not to do his chores and not even<br />when it meant being turned over on his knee&quot;(CoS)<br />Gareth Bryne is in control of Siuan like Anselan was with Barashelle.<br /><br />4)Siuan is in love with him as she confessed to herself &quot; I have no time to fall in love, Burn him&quot; (LoC)<br /><br />5)Like Barashelle in the tales, Siuan is performing labours to remain close to Gareth ( I believe to try to win his love)<br /><br />6)She keeps her manual labours secret unless according to Egwene:&quot;She is in a temper or Leane in a humour&quot; (CoS). <br /><br />As stated before all WoT of time characters have had previous lives and I believe that Anselan and Barashelle are Gareth and Siuan in a previous life. Birgitte states that all of her lives were fairly similar (girl picks up bow, looks for adventure, gains fame and Gaidal). So could this not be the case with Anselan and Barashelle/Gareth and Siuan? There is also the fact that they have been willed together by the pattern as Min tells Siuan in FoH that if they do not remain close together then they will both die. This means than there is more to their relationship than just a romance the entwining of their fates has been pre-ordained. Min has only ever had one other viewing with an &quot;if&quot; in it before this. This could indicate the importance of this plot in the grand scale of things. <br /><br />At this stage I can only conjecture that it might have something to do with the battle for control of Tar Valon and a Siuan /Elaida showdown.<br />That however remains to be considered in future theories.<br /><br /></p><p><b>Moridin_2000 says:</b> It <i>would</i> fit in nicely with rebirths and history repeating itself. Things like that happen so often in WoT. However, I think that it isn't really provable. Many people are reborn, but there is no way of telling who they were in a past life....well not yet anyway. I like the idea though. For what it's worth, I think that Siuan will likely bond him anyway.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-04 19:12:44
subject: More Oaths on the Oath rod means less slowing
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<p>This is the idea that that, not only does the Oath Rod make channelers age more quickly, but the number of Oaths actually changes the rate at which the aging is faster. It's mostly speculation, but speculation worth writing down to ventilate.<br /><br />I will take for granted that the Oath Rod is the reason Aes Sedai do not live as long as other channelers eg.Kinswomen. I also use the standpoint that the Oath Rod was initially a criminal binding rod, such as it is implied by Semirhage. Both ideas are the most probable as of now, and they are the starting point of my theory. NOW.<br /><br />How does the Oath Rod affect aging on channelers?<br /><br />Assuming it's not an expiry date of the channeler (something that can strongly be argued against), but rather a constant faster aging than without the Rod, I have this idea:<br /><br />IF the Oath Rod was actually made for the sole purpose of using on criminals, the Oath part must be to prevent further crimes. It would also seem likely that a punishment part would be included, and then must be the faster aging.<br /><br />Since some crimes are worse than others, it seems reasonable the Age of Legenders made it possible to adjust the punishment part (how much the aging is quickened). I can see two possible ways to do this: Either different Rods quickens the aging differently (something that would seem more probable if the number on the other Oath Rod we know of would be significantly less than 111), or one and the same Oath Rod could somehow be used for this purpose.<br /><br />I prefer the latter. My guess is that it's actually the number of Oaths taken that decides how much quicker the channeler ages. We have actually gotten no indication of ages on people using fewer than three Oaths, but time could tell (as of WH at least Galina and one of the Salidar spies in the Tower has 4 Oaths still weighing down on them). This approach would at least make the Three Oaths of the Black Ajah something of necessity rather than symmetry. My guess is that for every Oath, the rate of aging is multiplied by some number that we don't know of yet. And since I already have gone far beyond what can be proved, I'll even throw in my guess. Some calculation shows that for three Oaths, the rate would be about 2.5 to 3. So my guess is that the number in question is the squareroot of 2 which would mean just over 2.8 for the Aes Sedai who have taken three Oaths...<br /><br />My number of choice (squareroot of 2) is part of my belief that Robert Jordan, as someone having studied Physics, might like special numbers (such as e or pi or some often used squareroots) and therefore would incorporate them into his world of WoT. The main goal of this theory though, is to raise the possibility: The number of Oaths could very well change the rate of aging. It's at least (if not more so) as possible than that it doesn't, and very little especially points to any of the two possibilities. <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/aessedai.gif" border="0" /></p><p><b>Moridin_2000 says:</b> I like this theory because it's logical and mostly clear cut. I think that you are right about the theory of more Oaths=faster aging, but the figures are probably a bit dodgy. I don't think that Robert Jordan would think that deeply into it. Though saying that, I probably would have picked the same number <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" /> Nice theory.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-04 19:19:03
subject: Why Elayne won't make any angreal or sa'angreal
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<p>I will be very disappointed if somehow Elayne manages to create an angreal at all.  My evidence?<br /><br />The Forsaken who broke free all seem really eager to find an angreal or sa'angreal to be able to defeat Rand.  Why don't they just make one?  If creating an angreal only takes a few hours they would all have one.  My guess is it takes a link of at least 15 or more strong channelers to make a weak angreal, 30 for a strong, 50 for a sa'angreal, and a full circle of 72 for something like the Choeden Kal or Callandor.<br /><br />This would explain why the White Tower lost this knowledge.  They couldn't link enough people.  Even if the number needed is less the Forsaken would never collaborate to make one as only one person could get it.<br /><br />Even if creating it was that easy, you'd think every Aes Sedai in the Age of Legends would have one.  Maybe it causes some kind of minor personal power loss to make one.  If that's the case, the Forsaken would never build one.<br /><br />I can see Elayne making more weak ter'angreal but nothing better.<br /><br /></p><p><b>Moridin_2000 says:</b> I agree with you that the reason the Forsaken haven't made angreal is that greater links of both male and female are required. However, as of Winter's Heart, it is entirely possible that she might link with a some Ashaman in a few books time. Additionally, I think that the reason why the Forsaken can't make them is because they don't have the Talent.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-05 00:56:31
subject: Returning, But Not Repeating
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<p>I've seen a lot of theories about how Rand will destroy the Wheel of Time and/or the One Power, and that Tarmon Gai'don will in fact be the LAST Battle against the Dark One forever and ever.  I think most of these come about from people who don't like the idea for the same story happening over and over, but I think they are taking the wheel analogy too literally.<br /><br />The theory expressed by zx75 (The Result of Tarmon Gai'don) in that the One Power, The Dark One and the Creator are all the focus of the Wheel, but do not drive it, makes sense.  However, the idea that they hold the wheel up, allowing it to turn but not go anywhere, doesn't seem right.  I feel time in the WoT world is a combination of circular and linear.  Just like a wheel on a road, the same point keeps coming around to make contact with the road, but each time the road beneath it is different.  I think a better analogy could be the seasons.  Each year has the same for seasons, and those are basically the same; hot in the Summer, cold in the Winter, wet in the Spring.  Yet the seasons are never exactly the same from year to year.  Some Summers are hotter than others, some Winters colder, some Springs wetter.<br /><br />I like the idea of time being a cycle, but I think that is just the very base of the events that happen.  Sure the Dark One will touch the world from time to time, and people will fight against him.  Perhaps general events will happen in the same order (The Bore, The Sealing, The Breaking) but who says the all have to have the same outcome, and the same people will live their lives over and over without end.  There is a Tarmon Gai'don, in every turning of the Wheel, but it may not always be against the Dark One.  If the Dark One, The Light forbid, wins Tarmon Gai'don in one turning, the next Tarmon Gai'don could be against the Creator trying to break free from a prison created by the Dark One.  In my opinion, Tarmon Gai'don, as it is know in this turning, is merely the fulcrum on which the events of each turning are balanced.  The balance can shift either way, and will continue as such until the next time the Wheel brings events around that lead up to another Tarmon Gai'don.<br /><br />Therefore, each turn of the Wheel returns the Ages and their general Patterns to the fore, yet the Patterns are never repeated exactly.</p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> This is a very good analogy.  One of the best I've seen.  <br /><br />But, what if the wheel itself is traveling in a cirle on that road?  Some instances, after turning anf turning and turning, <i>have</i> to repeat themselves at one time or another.<br /><br />All in all, excellent work!<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-05 01:12:56
subject: Slayer's master: Mazrim Taim
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<p>On who the master is:<br /><br />1) He is a male. There's not much point for RJ to introduce information that is dead wrong.<br /><br />2) He can channel, evident by the visual and aural disguise employed. Narrows it down a bit.<br /><br />Slayer thinks &quot;He <i>had to be</i> one of the Chosen&quot; (my emphasis) (WH chapter 22). That is his conclusion, not a fact stated by RJ. There is a difference. Indeed, there was nothing special save power and ability that set the Forsaken above the other Chosen. The word Chosen is short for Those Chosen to Rule the Earth, anyway, which basically means evil/Darkfriend channellers of any sort.<br /><br />Now, count up the male Forsaken: Ishamael, Aginor, Balthamel, Sammael, Demandred, Rahvin, Asmodean, Be'lal. Count up the ones that aren't dead:  Demandred, Osan'gar (he's not definitely dead), Moridin. Moridin does not especially want Rand killed. When Demandred says Rand must be killed, Moridin replies &quot;If it comes to that, yes. ... you will go there and take him [kidnap?]. Or kill him, if necessary&quot; (WH chapter 13). And that was before Rand started to use the Choedan Kal. If Moridin really wanted Rand killed, he would have given such orders to the Forsaken, or gone to Shadar Logoth himself. Demandred does not need to hide his appearance; he spoke in person to the renegade Asha'man guy(s), and they knew it was Demandred. And there's not much point in RJ making it Osan'gar if he's going to die in a few chapters, unless Osan'gar isn't dead, in which case he may be Slayer's master. But I don't think so.<br /><br />So if it's not one of the Forsaken, who might it be? The only male channellers around by then are tied into the Black Tower, unless it's someone not yet introduced (fat chance), or the Asha'man with Rand, and I doubt they would be trying to kill him at that late stage. The only people of merit still in the Black Tower are Logain and Mazrim Taim.<br /><br />If Logain was an evil sort of fellow to employ Slayer, surely Min would have seen something of it when she was travelling with him in tSR. Or if it came later, well, Logain hasn't been anywhere near Rand except once or twice at the Black Tower, and we haven't seen anything that indicates Logain would have a beef with Rand.<br /><br />Mazrim Taim, on the other hand, is a prime candidate. He has demonstrated a desire to kill Rand, ordering the renegade Asha'man. He possesses enough strength to make the disguise, and also that strength, his position of power and his demonstrated evil should be enough to classify him as &quot;quasi-Chosen&quot; (w.r.t. Slayer's PoV).  And finally Taim has the motive: even if he's not a Darkfriend, he certainly wanted to be the Dragon Reborn; he even suggested that if he was the one, history might have been written to say he fulfilled the Prophecies (LoC chapter 2).<br /><br />The last question is, how did Taim find Slayer? Through his possible master, Demandred. Or maybe he encountered him at a Darkfriend social. Or on one of his recruiting trips, or in a jaunt in T'A'R. Maybe Slayer showed up in Taim's rooms one day and said &quot;Need a hit done?&quot;. Or even by virtue of Padan Fain. There is no recorded communication between Slayer and any other person, save as Lord Luc or with Perrin, in tSR. Yet evidently he must have had contact with someone, else he couldn't have gotten a contract, and there is nothing to suggest that Taim was not one such person Slayer made contact with.<br /><br />So, because I think that Osan'gar is dead, I think that Mazrim Taim must be Slayer's master.</p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> You said that it had to be a male, because there would be much point to introduce more info thats dead wrong.<br /><br />Why can't it be a female?  Slayer can't feel <i>saidin</i> or <i>saidar</i> can he?  So whats to stop the Patron feom being a female Chosen?  The face and voice were disguised, the voice too, who's to say Lanfear or Graendal isn't pulling an ace out of their sleeves?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-05 01:27:51
subject: Robert Jordan versus Frank Herbert
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<p>How often is it that we read the phrase &quot;Jordan has come to dominate the world that Tolkein began to reveal&quot;, or something similar?  Probably too often. While agree to a certain extent, thinking about this made me realize some similarities between Jordan&#8217;s work and Frank Herbert&#8217;s Dune Series. Let me take a minute to tell you about them. <br /><br />First and foremost, when I picture the Aiel in my mind, I cant help but thinking about the Fremen of Dune. Everything about the Aiel screams &#8220;fremen&#8221;, from their language to their lifestyle. But maybe these similarities could be drawn between any desert-dwelling folk, so here is more&#8230;. In Dune, you have the young hero Paul Atreides (of noble blood, as is Rand) who is taken in as the leader of the Fremen in furfillment of  the religious beliefs and prophecies of the Fremen. The Fremen seem to wait for their Mahdi as the Aiel wait for He Who Comes With Dawn. And similar to how Rand uses the Aiel for a larger purpose, so does Paul use the Fremen in a jihad. <br /><br />Another aspect of the Wheel Of Time that I find similar to Dune is the Aes Sedai and the Bene Gesserit. <br /><br />Both are female, powerful, and in control of the destiny of the particular  world/space they inhabit. In addition, there is the mind-control  (the void) exercise that Rand uses to embrace Saidin,I find this very similar to how Paul Atreides controls his fears by a mantra taught to him by the Bene Gesserit: &#8220;Fear is the mind killer, ect&#8221;.<br /><br />And finally, there is the sheer scope of both of these series. Herbert wrote 8 large books in the Dune series, with close to as much detail as Robert Jordan. The sad thing is that Herbert never finished writing the series before he died. I would be quite depressed if I never found out what happens to our friends in the WOT.<br /><br />So, my theory is that perhaps Robert Jordan has read some of Frank Herbert&#8217;s Dune, or that at least there are some fun similarities between the two. I welcome any feedback. <br /><br /> <br /></p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> I think the way the Fremen and Aiel act is because of the environment.  The fact that water <i>is</i> life will certainly impact how you live.<br /><br />The way they are used thought, is because they are a very large tool <i>to</i> use.  If I were to use the entire Army of Canada (if there is one <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" /> ) I would have to use them objectively in a wider scope.<br /><br />About the Bene Gesserit / Aes Sedai.  Well, what can I say.  When you leave a woman to her own devices...<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-05 02:08:45
subject: Andor/Elayne as a key to the Final Battle
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<p>In the first or second book it is mentioned that Elaida had a foretelling that Andor was the Key to the Final Battle. So the following is my theory on how Andor is the Key to the Final Battle.<br /><br />I think that there are three main areas that Andor is the key to the final battle and all are mainly related to Elayne as Aes Sedai and Queen of Andor.<br /><br />The first area is political. I think that Elayne will become the main political point of contact between all the nations and the White Tower, Black Tower, Rand, and the Seanchan; sort of a High Queen if you will.<br /><br />Elayne will do this by securing the Lion Throne and getting the rest of the High Houses to recognize her as Queen. Once that is done she claims the Sun Throne. Remember that Dobraine is the Steward and has said he will support her and several of the High Houses have also voiced their support for her claim through her father. Once she has secured the Sun Throne she makes some strong political ties to Tear. Dobraine liberated Darlin from Cadsuane and gave him his appointment from Rand as High Lord in Tear. Illian will also make political ties to Elayne as they both support Rand willingly. <br /><br />With Perrin doing the whole Manetheren thing he will bring in the whole west of Andor and Ghealden plus a bunch of Houses that belong to the nobles that he will eventually liberate from the Shaido. <br /><br />Elayne also has the trust of the Borderlands from her dealings with them in WH. However brief those dealings may have been they went very well for both sides. <br /><br />I also believe she has two friends in the Seanchan Empire, one is Tylin, who was very impressed with Elayne and her open honesty in what they as Aes Sedai wanted in her little part of the world. The second contact she will have will be tDoNM, Mat's girl. I think Tuon will see that not all Aes Sedai are total assholes, and this will happen just after Tuon and the Seanchan learn that all the sul'dam can channel.<br /><br />The second area that Elayne is the Key to the final battle is in her relationship to Rand. All of Rand's girls are vital in helping him remember whom he is, teaching him to love and that he is not by himself in this battle. I believe that they are crucial to helping Sorilea and Cadsuane teaching Rand to be strong and not hard, the whole laughter and tears thing. <br /><br />Once Rand is human again Elayne will bridge the gap between Rand and the White Tower. Remember Elaida's Foretelling about Rand Kneeling before the angry Amyrlin. Rand has already said that having the Aes Sedai swear fealty to him was a mistake and they're a millstone around his neck. I believe the whole kidnapping/fealty thing will be the cause of the friction between Rand and the White Tower and Elayne will be able to bring both sides together.<br /><br />The last area that I say Elayne is a key to the last battle is a WAT (Wild Ass Theory) but I think it is plausible. In beginning of tPoD Elayne is going through all the ter'angreal and she comes across a &quot;tiny stoppered vile that might have been crystal filled with a dark red liquid.&quot; I believe this is a mindtrap. Remember Moggy getting hers in aCoS &quot;her eyes were fixed on a small cage of gold wire and blood red crystal.&quot; They are not identical but ter'angreal do not have to be identical to perform the same function, just look at all the different ones for entering T'A'R. Including the dreaming ring that Elayne copied, even her copies were slightly different.<br /><br />If you remember the chapter Mindtrap in aCoS it says that mindtraps could only be made at Shayol Ghul and what seems like only for Forsaken who flamed it up pretty bad (Cyndand/lanfear and Moggy). I think that Elayne and a newly healed Martina Janata/Setalle Anan (the Aes Sedai who burned out studying ter'angreal) will discover what it is and will force one of the Forsaken who was mindtrapped in the War of Power and is still currently around to betray the Dark One at a crucial point in the last battle. I base this theory two points, RJ does not bring up things that are not relevant to the story and that it would be real ironic if the Dark One lost this battle because of a crucial betrayal at a crucial point (seems to be that&#8217;s how he won the battle the last time we did this).<br /></p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> I was agreeing until the end.  I very much doubt that red dust in the vial was a mindtrap.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-05 02:24:44
subject: Perrin and Moiraine?
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<p>Well, this might be slightly on the long side, but bear with me.<br /><br />I love Faile. I really do. I think she's a very interesting three-dimensional character, with an intriguing persona.<br /><br />However, I think there is a great chance she will die. Why? Well, it isn't directly said in the book (i.e. And the Creator said &quot;Faile Suxxors, i'm going to OWNs her, I owns j00!) But at the beginning of book 3, the Dragon Reborn, Faile says, &quot;Every queen of Manetheren was an Aes Sedai, and the king a warder bound to her&quot;. More on that in a second.<br /><br />It seems, through luck more than anything, that Perrin will bring Manetheren back from the dead. I am fairly sure he will be king.<br /><br />Again, in book 3, when he is dreaming, there is a passage that pretty much says he is destined for something big:<br /><br />&quot;Only a dream, he thought, shivering from the cold, and with that everything shifted.<br />He stared into the mirror; a part of him not comprehending what he saw, another part accepting. A gilded helmet, worked like a lion's head, sat on his head as if it belonged there. Gold leaf covered his ornately hammered breastplate, and a gold-work embellished the plate and mail on his arms and legs. Only the axe at his side was plain. A voice - his own - whispered in his mind that he would take it over any other weapon, had carried it a thousand times, in a hundred battles. No! He wanted to take it off throw it away. I can't! There was a sound in his head, louder than a murmur, almost at the level of understanding.<br />&quot;A man destined for glory&quot;. &quot;<br /><br />Later on in the same passage, Lanfear tells him he doesn't know the half of what he is, and of what he could be.<br /><br />Anyhow, I think Perrin will become king of Manetheren. He was a leader; possibly one of the heroes of the horn, and it would only make sense that Perrin, Lord of the Two Rivers, would become King of the Two Rivers/Manetheren.<br /><br />Once that that has been established, let's go back to what Faile says about the King being a Warder and the Queen being Aes Sedai.<br /><br />Well, throughout the books, Jordan seems to be fairly consistent in that he likes to follow through with ideas he plants left and right. So, I am thinking that the first king and queen will follow the same pattern. <br /><br />Warder, and Aes Sedai. Now, unless Faile suddenly develops the capacity to channel or that she is tested and can learn to channel, I don't think she can be queen. And I don't think Perrin will every dump her. I highly doubt Faile can channel. The reason being that during the boat trip and their lengthy stay together, Moiraine never sensed the source or the ability in Faile. Sure, that doesn't mean that she can't, but it strongly suggests it.<br /><br />So then, what will happen with Faile? I think she will die a heroic death and possibly be the first good character to die.<br /><br />What of Perrin? Well, I think he might end up with Moiraine. She has said in the past that he was a good-looking young man and some women admire a pair of shoulders. Also, Perrin has seen her half naked (when he walked on her before he freed Gaul from the cage). Perrin thinks she is a beautiful woman also. Sure, it is farfetched, but Moiraine is about to make a come back in the next book (or so most of us believe) and it would be in perfect timing with Faile's captivity, and perhaps her death. <br /><br />I think it would be an interesting enough if that were to happen. Perrin bonded as a Warder, and husband, to Moiraine, King and Queen of Manetheren.<br /></p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> Ok.  <br /><br />One) Ew.<br /><br />Two) I have an inkling of belief that Faile will survive her Shaido.  I don't know why, maybe it's Rj being cynical and very very mean, but I have this feeling she'll duke it out and squirm through.<br /><br />Three) Ew.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-05 02:36:54
subject: Which Reborn Ta'veren is Mat?
body:
<p>I've checked out a lot of theories in the last two days on this site and decided that I have one of my own. I generated this theory from those of you who think that Guaire Amalasan is the same soul that is part of LTT and Rand. And also, since if is firmly established, at least in my mind, that Perrin is Artur Hawkwing. I think Mat is actually Guaire Amalasan.<br /><br />The arguments for Guaire Amalasan being Ta'veren are easy, he &quot;jarred the world to it's foundations&quot;, &quot;shook the pillars of heaven&quot;, and only a Ta'veren could conquer that much land and have that many people follow him in only a few years. And of course, we all know Mat is Ta'veren<br /><br />I remember reading that in another theory that Rand had to be Guaire Amalasan because Guaire was a great captain and people flocked to his banner without him having to address anyone. Rand is a horrible general, he constantly has councils on what to do and he has to bend every nation he conquers against their will. Mat is the one who has people flocking to him without him even wanting them to. He is obviously a great general, thanks to the memories of those other guys. <br /><br />I also believe that one of those mentioned memories is actually the battle that Artur Hawkwing won against Amalasan. I think Mat mentioned having faced Artur Hawkwing in battle at a pass. Artur beat Guaire at the Battle of Jolvaine Pass. <br /><br />On that note, why doesn't Mat have any memories of channeling? I would hardly call his memories complete. If Mat can channel, then the ability is not inborn, it can be learned. Perhaps many of the men that Mat was before never learned how to channel. And again, the incompleteness of those memories can contribute to any missing channeling memories of those who did learn. One of them being Guaire. Well, if Guaire could channel then why can't Mat? Well, there are some theories out there that say Mat can channel. In support, I say that the Dagger had an effect on that. If it didn't stunt the ability in Mat to just being lucky, it certainly delayed the appearance of it. If it just delayed the appearance of the ability, then the fox head Medallion is now keeping it at bay. I personally believe that the ability needs to be learned and those who don't learn to channel have it manifest as luck. That is why most of the past memories have the guy being lucky. Who would even consider the luckiness being attributed to channeling when male channelers are considered anathema? Anyway, I don't think there is any way that Mat will take the test, so we probably won't see him channeling.<br /><br />Mat always says that it is his luck that keeps the men around and if anything should happen to him the Band would dissipate rapidly. Amalasan's army collapsed as soon as he was taken. I guess he had no second in command or other lieutenants that could hold the army together.<br /><br />Perrin and Mat are pretty much equal in their Ta'veren power while Rand is stronger. This explains the constant stalemates and why Artur could always match Guaire. If it were Rand and LTT's soul that was in Guaire, then Artur would have lost early on.<br /><br />The reason that Guaire could not take the Stone of Tear was because he wasn't the Dragon Reborn, he was just another powerful ta'veren (along with Artur) spun out to allow everything to be set up for the actual dragon's rebirth. Mat and Perrin setting the stage for Rand. Sounds plausible to me.<br /><br />Lastly, Mat hasn't been attributed to any other Ta'veren of old and I doubt that he is a repeat of Artur Hawkwing along with Perrin. <br /><br />Well, that's my theory. If anyone has a better idea of which Ta'veren Mat was, I'd really like to know. I've been wondering ever since I was convinced that Perrin is Artur Hawkwing.<br /></p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> I would find it very disappointing if RJ did this, making another main character a channeler.  It's been done.  Mat is his own element.  It wuld be such a bummer were this true.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-05 12:59:57
subject: Taimandred... It Just Doesn't Make Sense
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<p>I hate to add another voice to this debate because I do think that it's been overdone, but I think there's another way to look at things. I've read through a lot of these so-called &quot;Taimandred&quot; theories, and I'll admit there's a lot of evidence to support it. In fact I think there's TOO much evidence to support it.  It seems to me to be an obvious false trail, especially in light of the events in Winter's Heart that have been so thoroughly debated, on this site and all over the internet. But here's the one thing that still tells me that Demandred is NOT masquerading as Mazrim Taim:<br /><br />Fact: Demandred was always second to Lews Therin Kinslayer in the Age of Legends. He was a little younger, a little shorter, a little weaker in the Power, and a little less successful.  He was just a little less in everything that they did, and he hated Lews Therin for it. Demandred became Lews Therin's lieutenant in the War of the Shadow and served well, but was always one step behind him. The more honors Lews Therin bestowed on Demandred, the more he hated him. Demandred always felt that he had been slighted, that he should have gotten all the glory. Instead he just got the short end of the stick. He hated Lews Therin so much that his jealousy drove him to turn to the Shadow.<br /><br />So I guess what I'm saying is that in all this reading into every facial twitch and mannerism, we've kind of overlooked what I think is an important question: <b>WHY UNDER THE LIGHT WOULD DEMANDRED TAKE A DISGUISE THAT WOULD PUT HIM BACK IN THIS POSITION?</b> Demandred was insane with jealousy over being subordinate to Lews Therin, and he considers Rand to BE Lews Therin, just like all the other Forsaken. Why would he choose to become subordinate to him again, no matter how great the rewards might be, if there's a fairly good chance he'll be driven mad with rage and jealousy before he gets the job done? If Taim IS Demandred, he nearly gave himself away in the farmhouse when he trembled visibly.  If Rand was a little bit more suspicious, this could have revealed him right there. Not a very good job from one of the Forsaken. If the Forsaken got together and planned this whole business, it was a pretty stupid move to put Demandred in this position.<br /><br />However...<br />Assume for a moment that Taim is just Taim. He's lived his life in the Borderlands, discovered he could channel and was very powerful, spent years building an army and honing his channeling skills, and finally decided to make a bid for being the Dragon Reborn. Just as things are starting to go well for him, some backwater shepherd declares himself the Dragon Reborn, and Taim is captured that very day.<br /><br />&quot;Well,&quot; he thinks, &quot;this just about does it for me. I'm to be taken back to the Tower, Gentled, and very likely executed.&quot;  Then, somehow, he breaks free. It never says how, and I don't expect us to find out, unless it is revealed that Darkfriends released him under the orders of one of the Forsaken (a distinct possibility I'll discuss later). But anyway, say he manages to break free himself. Now he knows he is not and cannot possibly be the Dragon Reborn. But he hears that the man who is the Dragon Reborn has given all male channelers an amnesty if they come to him in Caemlyn. I'd have gone, if I were Taim.<br /><br />Once he was in Caemlyn, he was surprised to find that Rand, the Dragon Reborn, didn't know some of the basic skills that Taim had puzzled out over the years. He's not quite as skilled in some areas. Taim even brought Rand a gift in the form of a cuendellar disc, which seemed to drive him into a mad frenzy. <br /><br />Rand sets him up as a teacher to all the other men who came to learn to channel. Remember, at first Taim didn't think anything would come of Rand's students. He thought that Rand would be able to gather a mere handful of male channelers. He was surprised that so many of the men who had come were able to learn.  Demandred would hardly have gone to all this trouble if he didn't think anything would come of the Black Tower in the first place. But Taim has nothing to lose, so he accepts the position.<br /><br />For a while, everything is going well for Taim. His forces are growing and becoming more organized. They've gone from a ragtag bunch of farmers and stable boys living on a run-down farm to a group of well-trained soldiers in a highly efficient training ground. Their numbers are growing and morale is high, so high that the students start calling it the &quot;Black Tower&quot; because soon they will be as strong as the White Tower. And through it all Taim has been their leader. He's had ultimate control over the whole Black Tower He's given himself the title of M'Hael, and has started training his lieutenants.<br /><br />Then along comes Rand, who&#8217;s gone for months at a time and then shows up with no warning and begins strutting around like he owns the place (the most galling thing, of course, is that he does own the place). This untrained, wool-headed child is the only person who wields absolute authority over him, and by showing up and taking charge again, he undermines the authority that Taim has taken months to build up. Taim would have to resent this fact, and it is only made worse when Rand starts pinning medals on his collar like he was just another soldier in the army. <i>Al'Thor</i> isn't wearing these stupid pins. <i>Al'Thor</i> has flaming bloody Dragons wrapped around his arms to mark him as something special, something different. All Taim received were the same Sword and Dragon pins that all the students would eventually get. And Rand tells Taim to give them out to whomever he thinks is ready, making it clear in front of all the Asha'man that Taim has no authority over them except that which the Dragon Reborn has given him.<br /><br />Add to this the fact that Corlan Dashiva (Osan&#8217;gar) has been around for a while now. Perhaps he has made known to Taim who he is and convinced him to come to the shadow.  Perhaps he used a low level of compulsion to simply bring out the feelings of jealousy that already lie beneath the surface. Either way, he has had some influence over Taim already by this point- a little over halfway through LoC (I don't have the exact reference right now).<br /><br />Now, I tend to think that Osan'gar has just been tweaking his jealousy, and that Demandred has kept himself close by, watching, yet not directly under the control of Rand. He wouldn't put himself in that position. But Osan'gar has answered the call to Rand's amnesty, and become a trusted lieutenant to Mazrim Taim. Demandred and Osan'gar are working together, but in different venues. Osan'gar recognizes that Taim is starting to feel the same way about Rand that Demandred felt about Lews Therin back in the day. He even pushes Taim in this direction through normal suggestions and low-level compulsion. When the time comes to turn Taim to the dark side, who better than the man who's been through the same thing before?  Demandred knows all the right things to say and all the right buttons to push to convince Taim that if he joins the forsaken the Great Lord will reward him. He will be a new Dreadlord, commanding mighty armies and ruling over great nations once the Shadow is victorious.  From then on, probably shortly after Dumai's Wells, when Rand shuns Taim despite the fact that he just saved him, Taim starts taking his orders directly from Demandred.<br /><br />Thus Taim turns to the Forsaken, playing along with their games and following their orders, in the hopes that he can help destroy the man whose very existence has caused his downfall. To me, this makes MUCH more sense that Demandred putting himself in this position. He found someone who was in the position already, and worked through him. He always did like using proxies, you know.<br /><br />Now for those of you who think that Taim was actually rescued from the Aes Sedai by Darkfriends, this theory could most certainly still apply. They just broke him free and convinced him that Rand was the one person who had been responsible for his downfall, and that if he helped them he could have his revenge. I think this is unnecessary though, as it seems to me that with the amnesty having just been announced, the Forsaken could not know that the Black Tower would become important. Sure, they probably would have planned to put Osan'gar there just to be close to Rand, but I don't think they would have gone to all the trouble to free Taim if they weren't sure he was going to be put at the head of an important organization, and remember, Taim wasn't expecting to be made M'Hael and he was doubtful about the success of Rand's recruiting. I think Taim got away himself, and Osan'gar and Demandred got to him once he was there. Only then were the seeds of jealousy planted in him.<br /><br />I admit it's not an airtight theory, but I have yet to see an airtight theory for either side. I do think that this theory better explains all the evidence than either side alone.<br /><br />Also, this doesn't exactly explain who Demandred is masquerading as... It would have to be an important person, someone who is near Rand at all times, but I think he would be someone who was not under Rand's direct control. Someone who did not have to take orders from him all the time. I don't think anyone's found him yet, mostly because everyone who's looking is trying to find evidence for or against him being Taim. On my next read through, this is what I'll be focusing on.<br /></p><p><b>Lauriana Sedai says:</b> I've also wondered why Demandred would choose to play second fiddle to yet another Dragon, and you're not the first person I've heard express the belief that Jordan makes the connection between Taim and Demandred seem just a little too obvious.  As to how Taim turned to the Shadow- your guess is as good as mine <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" />.  Regarding Demandred, it's the Great Lauriana Sedai's vote that he's hanging out with Tenobia and the other Borderlanders who are moving through Andor, but we'll just have to wait and see...<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-07 18:35:27
subject: Dobraine or Taim?
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<p>After looking at the discussion on StoneDog's board, I have decided that the two characters that might possibly be Demandred are Taim and Lord Dobraine. I hate the Taimandred theory for the simple reason that most people believe it. I have always suspected that Demandred is using the Mask of Mirrors to disguise himself as Dobraine. I noticed this at the beginning of LoC.<br /><br />&quot;Rahvin is dead, Great Lord. Yesterday.&quot; There was pain. Euphoria too strong became pain quickly. His arms and legs twitched. He was sweating, now. &quot;Lanfear has vanished without a trace, just as Asmodean did...&quot;<br /><br />If Demandred were indeed Taim, he would not have known that Lanfear had vanished. Dobraine was present when Lanfear went through the doorway to Finnland (Rand notes this from his point of view). Dobraine knew of Rand's plan to kill Rahvin, and he could have sensed the gateway being woven after Rand left the palace. Demandred was at odds with Rahvin, and decided not to help him.<br /><br />If you read closely, no one EVER touches Dobraine, which might have to do with the Mask of Mirrors. Dobraine is in a close enough position to Rand to know his plans, but does not really come in contact with the Asha'man much, which would explain Demandred's reaction at the end of Winter's Heart. Rand even feels uncomfortable around Dobraine (as he observes on his first meeting with him).<br /><br />LONG LIVE DOBRAINEDRED!!!<br /><br /></p><p><b>Lauriana Sedai says:</b> I've never thought about this, but I like it!  I've always wondered why Dobraine was so quick to accept the changes Rand made in Cairhien, and you make an interesting point when you note that no one touches him.  I give it a thumbs-up! <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/smile.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-07 18:55:20
subject: No More Reds??? Don't Think So
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<p>With the primary purpose of the Red Ajah taken away, many of you seem to think that their reason for existing will have ceased and that they will be disbanded. <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/dead.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /> I think that after the war at the Tower and the purging of all or most of the Black Ajah, coupled with the fact that Saidin has been cleansed of the Taint, removes the Reds' purpose within the Aes Sedai organization. I think that after some serious reformation the Reds will become a force of Peacekeepers / Darkfriend Hunters (a sort of police force for the Aes Sedai by the most trustworthy of them). This may also include monthly loyalty and darkfriend checks among themselves using something like the Oath Rod. The Reds are best suited to this task because they are quite accomplished at shielding and stilling/gentling people. This might be before the Asha'man and the Aes Sedai team up, or it might be after, but I think that eventually the men will also take on such a role alongside female counter-parts.<br /><br />Anyway this seems to be the way things could go because it does not require the disbanding an entire Ajah (especially one as large as the Red). <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/aessedai.gif" border="0" /><br /></p><p><b>Lauriana Sedai says:</b> Interesting.  I never really thought about this, but there are some members of the Red Ajah who deserve to keep their status, and this seems like it would be a great job for them.  Nice! <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/moiraine.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-07 20:12:50
subject: &quot;Death is as light as a feather&quot;
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<p>Having finished Winters Heart for the third time recently I've decided to start penning some theories.  I've noticed throughout the series, various characters from Moiraine, Suian, Nyneave, etc... have stated on numberous occasions that &quot;Death cannot be healed&quot;.  In fact I've heard the statement so frequently that I think this is something we are going to see come to pass, the actual healing of death itself.  The last time I have heard Jordan write so vehemently about something impossible being accomplished was the healing of being severed from the source, and we all know how that turned out.<br /><br />Hasn't everyone by now noticed that the more Jordan has something stated as impossible or unlikely in the Wheel of Time, that it usually happens at some point or another, and usually in spectacular fashion.  It seems to me that Jordan has made this one obvious, yet there are problems with this theory of course.<br /><br />Consider that if death were to be healed, why then wouldn't the forces of the Light send forth all its combatants and then resurrect the dead to re-fight, again and again and again.  Well, perhaps its such that only the strongest people in the power are capable of accomplishing this feat, thereby making it impossible for them to simply heal everyone.  More likely however, I believe that in healing death, there are repercussions to consider.  Perhaps for example, during the last battle with Rand fighting a losing contest with the Dark One, he is struck down, and killed.  Nyneave seeing this, frantically pulls at Saidar, pulling more and more power into her and in so doing manages to bring Rand back to life, but at a cost of her own, or perhaps at a cost of her being burned out?  Perhaps like Lews Therin, the amount of the power required to succeed at such a thing would burn the person to ash or nothingess.  Lastly, perhaps in Rand's case, death could be healed because of the three women that are in love with him.  Linking together, three women channeling massive amounts of the power and using their love in conjunction with said power, are able to revive Rands dead flesh.<br /><br /></p><p><b>Moridin_2000 says:</b> I agree, Jordan has been stating that death cannot be Healed an awful lot. Taking Nicola's prophecy into account then it is likely that Rand will come back from the dead. Just a few additional points. Do the Heroes of the Horn count as the Light bringing back the dead? If the Dark One can do it is it not logical that it can be done by others? Another possibility is that someone must give their own life to bring someone back from the dead. Anyway, good theory.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-07 22:18:39
subject: The Seals and how the Taint is breaking them
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<p>This might be kind of convoluted, but bear with me. We all know that when Lews Therin and the Hundred Companions sealed the Bore at the end of the War of Power, using a weave of saidin to lock him in. These weaves of saidin were tied to specialized ter'angreal, the cuendillar seals. (They are ter'angreal, says so in the guide). Immediately afterwards, saidin was tainted. What if the weaves binding the Dark One were tainted as well? We all know that the Ways were eventually corrupted by the Taint (although they WERE created after the taint appeared) so whats to say that weaves created while saidin was still clean would not also have been corrupted? The Dark One's counterstroke came right as the Bore was closing, maybe even while the Hundred Companions were weaving the seal. He could very easily have tainted saidin before the completion of his prison, thus tainting the weaves partially or wholly. This would explain why the seals have been slowly breaking. Now here's another question: Why does Lews Therin always rave about breaking the seals? You could argue that he's mad, but he seems odd that the seals should always be singled out for such a reception. What if the seals, the focus for the seal on the Bore, are (were) also the focus for the Taint? This would explain Lews Therin's fanatical desire to break them, as they are subjecting him to continued exposure to the Taint (through Rand). So now that the Taint has been cleansed, one of two things has happened: a., the seals have broken and the Dark One is free once more, b., the remaining seals are whole, the taint has been cleansed from them, and they are now restored to their cuendillar state. On a side note, because the seals are ter'angreal (you can look it up), Elayne or one of the Asha'man could simply use ter'angreal making skills (I think its been agreed that that's Aligning the Matrix ) to align the matrices and restore them to their AOL status.</p><p><b>Roonas says:</b> Well, on the whole I would have to disagree with your statement on the Taint being focused through the cuellindar seals. They were ter'angreal, I agree, but they were stand alone, not needing channeling to be continuously doing their job, they were merely the focus for the weaves placed to seal the bore. If it was the way you describe, someone would have to be channeling non-stop 24/7 to keep the Dark One sealed. I believe the weaves were either tied off, or were merely done once and that was all that was necessary to maintain them. And the fact that they seem to be breaking now is merely a testament to the ramshackle way that they were placed (without Saidar), not because the weave of Saidin used was tainted. Thus, the idea that the taint was being perpetuated through them is false in my eyes. The counter stroke was a one time slam against Saidan that tainted it, and therefore, made the &quot;pool&quot; of Saidan vile, it also does not need to be tended by the Dark One for the taint to be maintained, and is therefore not focused through the seals. As to Lews Therin's rantings on breaking them, I believe that to be more in line with his nihilistic views on destroying or breaking the world again and killing everyone. I do not believe he sees the seals as the focus of the taint.<br /><br /><br />Also, as a note to your side note about aligning the matrices:I do not think that realigning the matrices on the seals would restore them to their previous status. How would they be replaced into their &quot;places&quot; on the bore once they were &quot;realigned&quot;? It took the Hundred Companions in total to do it, and it was barely done, would remaking the seals really just automatically fix the bore. I do not believe so, but that is another statement for another time.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-08 16:43:32
subject: How the Ways
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<p>First of all, I think that the Ways are still corrupted by the taint. I think that RJ said that even with the taint gone, its effects remain. Machin Shin is still around.  But as I was reading over the Ways section in the World of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time, a thought occurred to me: they could still be rebuilt.<br /><br />The Ways were created by the male Aes Sedai who were taking refuge from the taint in Ogier <i>Stedding</i>. The Ways were a gift from the male Aes Sedai out of their gratitude for receiving sanctuary, and their purpose was to enable Ogier to pass from <i>Stedding</i> to <i>Stedding</i> safely. The important point is that because the Aes Sedai knew they were dying out, they left the Ogier a Talisman of Growing to enable them to expand the Ways to as of yet undiscovered <i>Stedding</i>.<br /><br />The way this Talisman works is by enabling the Ways to grow a new 'branch'. My point is that this new branch will be free from any effects of the taint or Machin Shin.<br /><br />Finally: how to create a completely new system of Ways. All you need is a 'seed' waygate that is free from Machin Shin and the Talisman of Growing. This 'seed' Waygate can either be made from scratch (probably very difficult, but no more amazing than already existing feats) or an existing Waygate can be cleansed like <i>saidin</i> was. It surely would be easier than removing the taint. Additionally, I think it could also be cleansed by creating a Ward against Machin Shin. It doesn't really matter how it's done, the fact remains that you only need ONE clean Waygate. The Talisman of Growing can then be used to create a whole new system of Ways by growing branches from the clean Waygate. Each new branch will be clean of the taint and Machin Shin, as the original was.<br /><br />I'm positive that the Talisman of Growing is still around, as I think Loial mentions (can't remember off-hand where, though). The Ogier most likely know how to use it, too.  Elder Haman talks about cities dead since the Trolloc Wars as though they were around only yesterday.<br /><br />Ah, but why would anyone want to recreate the Ways? Surely Shadowspawn could exploit them, too!  Not so: the uncorrupted Ways were Warded against Shadowspawn and there were nasty traps waiting for them. I would say that using them for transporting armies would be a BIG bonus for the Light.<br /><br />Anyway, it probably won't actually happen. But if you agree that it is possible without cleansing the Ways, then give me your support.<br /></p><p><b>Lauriana Sedai says:</b> Wow! I like it! I remember Loial mentioning the Talisman, too(I can't remember exactly where, either, though) and I wondered if that was a sign that RJ was planning to have someone build new Ways at a later point. <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/moiraine.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-09 23:07:04
subject: Nynaeve's Healing and the pattern
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<p>Thinking on TG and recalling a theory about the Bore (I just don&#180;t know who it was), the way Nynaeve Healed Logain struck me: I think that this Healing will have something to do with the closing of the DO&#180;s prison. Why and how? Well...<br /><br />The theory I thought of above was that the Bore will not be resealed the Way LTT did it but the pattern will be completely mended there. While the theory thought of an ter&#180;angreal which might do this, my approach is a bit different. I think that it is a weave similar to the one that Heals severing. Why?<br /><br />Well, just before Nynaeve is successful with Logain, she feels that &quot;Logain is healthy as a bull...-except for the hole&quot; (LoC, Ch. Fire and Spirit, p. 599). Isn&#180;t the Bore nothing different than a hole in the pattern? Nynaeve then bridges the hole with Fire and Spirit, which reminds me of bridging a hole in a shirt at sewing it. You see what I mean?<br /><br />Now that the nature of the weave is figured out, the question of the strength has to be answered. Well, the most obvious way is using the Choedan Kal. Two difficulties: <br /><br />1. The female access key is molten <br />2. Who is to take the male part? <br /><br />The answers are: <br /><br />1. No problem, Elayne should be able to repair it or create a new key ter&#180;angreal. <br />2. I think that Flinn (who has discovered a male way to Heal severing) could either teach Rand this way or help Nynaeve. <br /><br />In the second case the question is how Rand would fulfill Prophecy. Well, he will lead the ring that protects the two sealers, probably using Callandor. Doing this, he will certainly be vulnerable to attacks and also be a nice distraction from those who actually do the important part. <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/flaminggrin.gif" border="0" /><br /><br />I know that this is very different from the common idea of TG, but I can&#180;t believe that RJ doesn&#180;t have a bigger thought behind all the Healing, especially as this was completely unknown in the AoL. <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/biggrin.gif" border="0" /></p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> This is a very unconventional versio of what we are use to.<br /><br />Perhaps while Rand keeps those two shielded, he'll be standing out like the noonday sun and get the brunt of the attack, which the other would have to keep away.  <br /><br />Wouldn't that be a curveball.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-09 23:15:25
subject: What Cadsuane will teach the Asha'man..cont'
body:
<p>I posted this theory as a reply to another theory, but wanted to see if I could get more exposure.<br /><br />Here it goes.....<br /><br />I think Cadsuane will teach Rand and the Asha'man HUMILITY. Rand is so full of pride, so arrogant in his position as Dragon Reborn that he views most people as tools to use. Aes Sedai in his view are all grouped together as untrustworthy and conniving (justified in many instances). Rand does have some justification for his viewpoint. The Aes Sedai have been making people dance to their tune for centuries. They have been acting like the ability to channel sets them above ordinary people. <br /><br />The Asha'man were created as weapons by Taim. They are proud of their new power and also view Aes Sedai unfavorably.<br /><br />In the AOL, &quot;Aes Sedai&quot; was a generic term for those who could channel, male and female. Aes Sedai were SERVANTS OF ALL. What Cadsuane will teach Rand, the Asha'man, and hopefully the Female Aes Sedai, is that their ability to channel does not place them above people, but instead creates a responsibility to use their ability to care for the rest of humanity.<br /><br />I can see how Rand and the Asha'man wouldn't like to learn that they are not better or more important than other people and are instead their servants.<br /><br /><br />I would love to hear some opinions on this theory. I also remember reading somewhere about the &quot;Defenders&quot; ballancing the &quot;Servants&quot; (Asha'man balancing the Aes Sedai). Was this a viewing, dream, or something I made up in my head? Please help.<br /><br />Gary<br /><br /><img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/cool.gif" border="0" /></p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> What you remember about the <i>Guardians</i> (Not defenders) balancing the Servants was Nicola's Foretelling, I believe when one of the three ta'veren are in the Little Tower faction in Salidar.<br /><br />About what Cadsuane is going to teach the Asha'man, yes, I very much believe it will be something conventional like this.  HUmility, and perhaps even love?  Since saidin is clean, they may lighten up, knowing that their life isn't going to end in tragic misfortune.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-09 23:25:06
subject: Lycanthropy in Wheel of Time
body:
<p>AUTHOR'S NOTE-<br /><br />This theory came about as a lark between me and my sister--it is not at all intended to be taken seriously, i.e. as something that might ACTUALLY happen in WoT.  Just read, wonder and Laugh Heartily at My Expense. <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/jester.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br />What if Wolfbrothers/sisters could develop the ability to physically shapeshift into Real Wolves in the Real World?<br /><br /><br />a)The World of Dreams, where such metamorphosis is possible, albeit dangerous, is not only a reflection of the Waking World, but is inexorably tied to it in such a way that the two can overlap.  Citation - Egwene and Rahvin both have manifested portals into Tel'aran'rhiod while awake.<br /><br />b)Rand, hunting Rahvin through Tel'aran'rhiod in the flesh, was &quot;dreamed&quot; into a beast-form by said Forsaken.  Goatboy (though no definite mention of RJ's names the animal Rand was becoming, I think it's safe to assume he would be a Randy Goat <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/viking.gif" border="0" />) transformed in a corporeal sense--not only did he sprout unsightly hair and misshapen paws (and horns?), but he nearly lost the ability to touch or even sense saidin.  Horror!  I'd say this indicates a fairly &quot;real,&quot; bodily change, though it occured in T'a'r.<br /><br />c)A word on &quot;real.&quot;  Jordan plays around with all kinds of modern interpretations of quantum reality:  the presence of Shroedinger's Cat type parallel worlds behind the portal stones,  &quot;subspace&quot; a la Star Wars in the Ways, and &quot;string theory&quot; multilocation bending the Pattern together to Travel.  Amongst all these Very Theoretical pseudo-scientific parts of Randland, would voluntary transfigurement of concious being's matter stand out as all that crazy?<br /><br />d)Getting down to the Nitty Gritty.  Assuming a Wolfsibling could shapeshift outside of T'a'r, to what extent would the targeted matter already have to have been like the desired wolf-form?  Well...s/he could always get nekked, and there's really no improving on that for prepping a shape-change (just ask a caterpillar).  But, how inconvenient!  There are no synthetic clothing fibers in Randland as yet (I will stop reading the series the day Bayle Domon dons a Speedo <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/angel.gif" border="0" />), so everything they wear is some biota or another, from a plant or animal source.  But, making another baseless assumption, it must be Hard Work to alter one's body in such a Drastic Way (hell, I can't even lose ten pounds, and that's a fairly minor alteration), so wouldn't it be better if the Wolfling were already wearing raw, unprocessed animal skins to incorporate physically into a shapechange?  Hello, what was Elyas wearing when first our heroes met him?  Granted, he'd changed into a &quot;civilized&quot; wool coat upon return from the nether regions of Neglected Cool Characters, but he was also more concerned with the outside world, like his long-estranged Aes Sedai bondholder.  So, howzabout when Perrin and Egwene met Elyas in the first place, be was in full Wolfbrother mode, chillin' Where the Wild Things Are and wearing transformative-ready animal hides, but later something(s) happened--the Rebirth of the Dragon, the division of the Tower, development of a strip- mall in the middle of his old forest home--to make him up and leave the peaceful existence of a half-wolf and reincorporate himself into the affairs of Man.<br /><br />e)Even Nittier and Grittier.  If Wolven (damn, I'm coming up with a lot of Cool Synonyms for Wolfbrother) can shapeshift out of the Dream, why was Hopper all concerned the two times Perrin actually became a wolf in the Wolf Dream?  Well, consider that Tel'aran'rhiod (note that I'm working on the assumption that T'a'r is the same thing as the Wolf Dream) is where wolves go when they die, but while alive a wolf can enter the Dream while asleep, or possibly while awake (wolves live half in the real world, half in a world of dreams, Dreamwalkers claim to have seen wolves in their dreams) and Wolfbrethren can do the same, assuming their own Real World shape in the Dream as wolves do (i.e., a wolf in the Wolf Dream does not look human).  But, if a Wolfbrother is a man with the heart/soul of a wolf, then shouldn't the manifestation of that soul look like a wolf in the fully spiritual World of Dreams?  I propose that Wolfbrothers like Perrin live double lives of their own free choice, though not always conciously.  He [Perrin] has a split soul (not like Rand's split personality), and Hopper warns him against becoming a wolf in the Wolf Dream *so long as his soul IS split* because if Perrin transfers his metaphysical energy into a half of himself that does not yet have a PHYSICAL presence, that would cut him off from his physical form, because, perhaps, his fully wolven spirit could not &quot;recognize&quot; and return to his unshifted physical body.  This theory indicates that in the flesh, Perrin still has to undergo some sort of &quot;trigger event&quot; that would allow the two halves of his soul to become one, thus freeing him of his &quot;lycanthrovirginity&quot; and rendering it safe for him to become a wolf in the Wolf Dream (as well as in the Real World).<br /><br />f)What kind of Trigger Event?  Well, Perrin's two forays into shapechange (in the Wolf Dream) have both been desperate attempts to rescue Faile.  Why not go all out and hypothesize that Perrin will overcome his human limitations and fully transform trying to save his beloved falcon from the Evil Shaido.  I doubt it will happen, or that any of this is based on anything Jordan actually intends or has Intended From the Beginning, but it's fun to speculate.  We shall have to <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/read.gif" border="0" /> and see.<br /><br />g)Wow, this has dragged on a LOT longer than I meant for it to.  If you've stuck around until the end of my little (or not-so-little) werewolf rant, then I congratulate and commend you for your patience.  My last and best argument in favor of Wolfbrothers being Real Lycanthropes is just this:  DAMN THAT WOULD BE COOL!  <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/biggrin.gif" border="0" /><br /><br />h)Thanks for reading.  <br /><br />i)Peace,<br /><br />j)Kagemeister<br /><br />k)PS-Oh, yeah, Noam.  Or whatever his name was, why didn't HE become a real wolf after he lost himself to the wolf half of his spirit?  Um...I'm working on that, but just as an initial explanation:  villagers claim to have seen him change into a wolf, so maybe he really DID, but Perrin just didn't see/believe it.<br /><br />l)  Thanks again.  Over and Out.</p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> I must say, for this being a farce on WoT, you did a good job of speculation.  I congratulate you.<br /><br />My favorite word in the whole thing &quot;lycanthovirginity.&quot; <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/biggrin.gif" border="0" /> HIlarious!<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-09 23:43:02
subject: What do the seals actually do? What is the bore and the Dark One's prison?
body:
<p>If the seals are all that is holding the Dark One back from the world, why are none of the forsaken looking for the seals? In none of the conversations that we've been privy to have they ever even been brought up as an issue. Between Moggy, Aran'gar and Mesaana at least one of them knows where the seal the Aes Sedai have, but they don't do anything about it. Why?<br /> <br />Because the seals don't actually do anything useful anymore. They would, perhaps, if in the War of Power they had been used as intended. But before we get to that let's go over the bore. It is my theory that the bore is a vacuole (What Moggy was stuck into by Shaidar Haran after the mindtrap until Moridin got her) or something like one and the Dark One is stuck in it. The weakness in that thought is that we don't actually know how easy it is to get in and out of them (Since stupid Shaidar Haran made her close her eyes), but as a plot structure why else bring it up? OK, so roll with this for a moment. The seals if properly placed (by men and women) may have cut off that entrance to this world and stuck the forsaken and the DO on the inside, and that's not a given. So what did they do? <br /><br />This and only this, hold the Forsaken out of the world for 3000 years. Once Lanfear and co. drilled into the bore it was open for all to see for about10 years or so. If he (it?) could have, the Dark One would have jumped through in a second. So we are led to 2 choices: he couldn't or he did not choose to. I think we can discount the second, so why couldn't the DO just go through then (We never heard that the bore ever increased in size and the only reason the 100 companions attacked was because they were losing the war, not because of the immanent arrival of the DO into the world).<br /><br />I'm starting my speculation here because I'm stuck on one idea- that the DO is too fat (an analogy) to fit through the door (think cartoon fat guy going through the concrete pipe). So I wonder if the DO needs Rand to widen the door so he can get through or if Rand needs to do what Moggy was talking about, disconnecting the vacuole (perhaps Rand dies to pop it off or sacrifices himself inside the vacuole with the DO to pop it off from reality).<br /></p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> Hmm, interesting.  Further support: If Shaidar Haran can access Vacuole's, and if Shaidar Haran is actually a corporeal entity of the Dark One, then this proves....something.  I forgot.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-14 17:38:25
subject: To Laugh And to Cry
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<p>One day, Mat will curse around Cadsuane and she will slap him. The slap will knock out his eye, and then Rand will laugh at him. Cadsuane will slap Rand for laughing at another's misfortune, and then Rand will cry. <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/frown.gif" border="0" /> Poor Rand.<br /><br /></p><p><b>Lauriana Sedai says:</b> LMAO!!  I wish this were true.  You rock!  <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/moiraine.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-14 18:29:32
subject: DOBRAINEDRED
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<p>First off, I have to say that this theory is sort of a branch off the theory first put forward by Adercantum, and I&#8217;m not taking credit for the Dobrainedred idea (although I LOVE the name!).<br />-Anyway, this theory assumes that Dobraine is in fact Demandred.- <br /><br />It can't be easy to pass yourself off as another person, and it would be especially difficult to fool that person's family. I'm pretty sure that the books have never mentioned Dobraine having any family, and this would make him an ideal person for Demandred to take over. I assume that anyone in Cairhien who was close to Dobraine or who might have noticed a difference in him was either killed or compulsed into oblivion. However, there is one person who would know the real Dobraine, and I bet you can guess whom it is-<br />Breane Taborwin!  Yes, that stuck up Cairhienin noblewoman who is now one of Faile's maids. <br />This is how I see it: when they are all rescued from the Shaido, and Perrin brings them back to Caemlyn, Breane will insist on returning to her native land. Rand will oblige, since he has such a soft spot for the ladies, and they will run into Dobraine in the Sun Palace.  Breane will run to hug him, saying &quot;Oh I've missed you so much!&quot; Dobraine&#8217;s face will shimmer as she touches it, while he says &quot;Who in the light are you?&quot;<br />To which she will reply, &quot;Daddy, I'm your daughter!!!&quot;<br /><br />Rand will put two and two together and pull out the good old fashioned Balefire, destroying both Demandred and that whole 'Taimandred' debate in one fell swoop.<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/flaminggrin.gif" border="0" /><br /></p><p><b>Lauriana Sedai says:</b> An interesting theory. I've been puzzled by Breane's past, myself. I love the name Dobraindred, too, but I have to admit, it's so close to 'Dobraindead' that I've been tempted to 'accidentally' make a typo or two. <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/flaminggrin.gif" border="0" /><br /><br />PS, I'm not saying that you or your theory have anything to do with being brain-dead; I'm just a fan of puns! <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-14 20:37:42
subject: The Wheel of Time Turns, Ages Come and Pass...
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<p>I'm warning you right now, this is kind of a long one...<br /><br />Here's my theory of the Wheel, explaining Life, the Universe, and Everything about Randland... stop me if you've heard this one, but I've never seen it put down in a way I agree with. Then again, maybe some of what I will say is so obvious, no one thought it needed to be written down. Anyway, here goes.<br /><br />FACT: Time is a Wheel with seven spokes, each spoke representing an Age.<br /><br />FACT: Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legends. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten by the time that age comes again.<br /><br />FACT: Our present times and the history of our world are the basis for many of Randland's myths and legends (i.e. Mosk and Merk, Lenn who flew to the moon in the belly of an iron eagle, etc., etc.) and their reality is the basis for many of our myths and legends.<br /><br />So, from this, we can determine that our &quot;Age&quot; is just another spoke in the same wheel that WoT is set in. I know you've heard that before, but some disagree. The rest of my theory is based on the fact that our ages are on the same wheel.<br /><br />THEORY: Recognizing that the One Power is the driving force behind creation and the turning of the Wheel of Time, perhaps the different Ages are divided mostly by humanity's available use of the One Power.<br /><br />Let's focus first on where we are in the story... In one age (called the Third Age by some) the use of one half of the One Power, saidar, the female half, is widespread, if not exactly commonplace. The use of the other half has been, for the most part, lost (until recently, which I'll go into later... work with me here). In the age directly preceding this age, what would be termed the &quot;Second Age,&quot; or &quot;Age of Legends,&quot; use of both halves of the Power were widespread and commonplace, and the two halves often worked in conjunction with each other.<br /><br />I submit that at the end of the Third Age (i.e. when Rand fights Tarmon Gai'don and recloses the Bore) BOTH halves of the power will become inaccessable to humankind. Therefore the fourth age will feature no use of the power, but the use of the power will still be in the memory of the inhabitants of the fourth age. By the fifth age, these memories will have become the stuff of legends, and in the sixth age, even that legend will have faded into dimly remembered myths.<br /><br />Then the Seventh Age comes about, and someone, somehow, learns to tap into one half of the source. Say, for the sake of balance, that Saidin will be discovered first. Male channeling is learned and spreads over the earth. (Could just as easily be saidar that is discovered first... I would say that in different turnings of the Wheel, different halves are discovered first.)<br /><br />This brings us back to what, from our current perspective, would have been called the First Age. In this age the other half of the source is discovered, and Channelling becomes widespread for both sexes, though perhaps they do not learn to use them together yet (through linking, etc.) until we get back to the Second Age, the recoming of the Age of Legends. Both halves of the power are used together widely. Then one is lost, then both are lost, then we have only legends, then only myths, then one is discovered, then the other is discovered then both are used together, repeat to infinity.<br /><br />SUMMATION:<br />First Age -<br />One half already in use, the other newly discovered. Only memories and legends of the times when the One Power was unknown to humankind.<br /><br />Second Age -<br />Both halves widely used and understood, working together to achieve the height of power. Only myths and legends of the times without Power.<br /><br />Third Age - <br />One half is lost to widespread use. Memories and legends of times when both were widely used, virtually no recollection of a time without the Power.<br /><br />Fourth Age - <br />The other half is lost as well, humanity turns to use of mechanics instead of magic power, but memories and legends remain of use of the Power and only a few myths remain of the &quot;Age of Legends,&quot; the height of the Power's usage.<br /><br />Fifth Age -<br />Humanity has rebuilt society using non-Power methods, still some myths remain of powerful magicians and sorcerors.<br /><br />Sixth Age - <br />This is where I view us being now... advanced technology, no magic nor any recollection of magic beyond a few stray myths.<br /><br />Seventh Age -<br />In the next age, the One Power will be rediscovered, but only for one gender. Our technology will be supplemented by our newfound use of this half of the Power, until we start back over at the First Age.<br /><br />HERE'S WHY: I think this theory is valid for a couple of reasons... First, it provides a lot of balance for the wheel. Saidin and Saidar can be lost and gained in different orders in different turnings of the Wheel, so that one isn't always more used than the other, and also there are four Ages with the use of the Power and three without, which is as balanced as a Seven-spoked Wheel can be. Also, for our present day to fit along the Wheel, which it is obviously meant to, there needs to be a time when neither half of the Power is used or even remembered, unless there's a lot of Channeling going on that I'm not aware of. Since the ability to channel was &quot;lost&quot; one half at a time, it makes sense (again, for balance) that it would be gained one half at a time. Each time this happens, the Ages are spread far enough apart that the inhabitants of each age will believe that they are going through it for the first time.<br /><br />In between each age will be some sort of upheaval, not necessarily always on the order of the Breaking of the World, but something will have to happen. Between the sixth and seventh ages, for example, some event is necessary to introduce the world to the Power. Be it a war or natural disaster or technological breakthrough, something has to happen to mark the end of one Age and the beginning of the next.<br /><br />It would make sense that the Breaking at the End of the Third Age will be even more severe than the one that ended the Age of Legends, dropping mankind back to little more than a Stone age existence.<br /><br />ARGUMENTS:<br /><i>Alright, you might say, but what about the fact that Rand just cleansed Saidin at the end of Winter's Heart?</i><br />Well, I'll admit that I'd cooked up most of this theory prior to Winter's Heart, when there was still doubt as to whether the taint would be cleansed. However, I don't think this changes anything, because it is clearly necessary that both halves of the Power will be necessary to defeat the Dark One in tarmon gai'don. I think that when the Dark One is defeated in tarmon gai'don, he will not just be sealed away in the bore as he is now, but will instead be completely sealed away from having influence in the pattern. The taint which closed off saidin was an effect of the Dark One, his backlash against the male Aes Sedai who sealed him. Such might not be the case after tarmon gai'don, but there are plenty of ways to explain the Power being closed off to both sexes. If both sexes go mad though, that would lead to a much larger breaking, which is necessary.<br /><br />I think that's pretty much all I have to say about this theory... please let me hear your arguments for or against it. I've tried to be as thorough as possible (as you can plainly see by the extreme length of this post). Thanks for your consideration. <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/aessedai.gif" border="0" /></p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> Perhaps the cleansing of <i>saidin</i> sets this turning of the wheel apart, and makes this Tarmon Gai'don the LAST Battle.  Breaking the Wheel, making time linear instead of circular.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-14 20:40:47
subject: Does anyone take this seriously?!
body:
<p>Lordy, I have spent hours theorizing over Book 10 and here you all are, joking around!  LOL, ok, I'm calm now.<br /><br />Well, since none of my other theories proved true these probably won't either, but here goes.  It's not perfect, and EXTREMELY basic, but bear w/me.<br /><br />It is my belief that Mat will visit Seanchan and meet the Empress, and through his marriage to Tuon, can deliver the might of the Seanchan Empire to Rand.  THen, he'll ditch Tuon somewhere, telling her she's watching wherever it is, and go to rescue Moiraine w/Tom.  They'll go to the Tower of Ghenjei, of course, but they have to enter it through Tel'aran'rhiod, which they get to, um.....hang on, lemme think on that one... <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" /><br /><br />Rand's cleansing of saidin messed up the Forsaken and they are all blaming each other (so what else is knew.)<br /><br />Rand himself is changing again and is attempting to do something really important (haven't figured that out yet.)<br /><br />Elayne is farther along in her pregnancy and Aviendha is herself.  Egwene is marching to Tar Valon, naturally, and that tension builds and builds.  She wonders where Halima went.<br /><br />Perrin traipses through the wilderness murmuring &quot;Faile, Faile, Faile...&quot; and Talanvor is right behind him murmuring &quot;Morgase, Morgase, Morgase.&quot;  They'll eventually get to the Aiel camp and kill them all, or almost all, including Sevanna, who Talanvor kills.  The Shaido...I dunno about them.<br /><br />Ok, it has holes, but I'm proud of it.<br /><br />P.S.-I don't think he'll document the last battle, we'll hear about it, like, in songs and legends and stuff, not first-hand.<br /><br />Katiya, Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/read.gif" border="0" /> <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/aessedai.gif" border="0" /><br /><img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/moiraine.gif" border="0" /> This is a pretty face, maybe its me <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" /></p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> Holes?  I could drive a Semi through them.  <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/tongue.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-15 08:10:06
subject: Sea Folk Stew
body:
<p>Consider that the Sea Folk, the Atha&#8217;an Miere, and their lovely little island of Tremalking, are harboring (no pun intended) a deep dark secret.  The Sea Folk seem almost to be phobic of human companionship, or companionship of any kind for that matter.  They are a closemouthed group of people, and are always alone and separate, they guard their privacy with strict determination.  They stay at sea or on their boats more often than not, their children are born at sea, away from prying eyes.  They are almost as conscientious of their privacy as the lands beyond the Aiel waste.<br /><br />Next, remember of their prophecy, no not the fabled Coramoor, but their &quot;Age of Illusions&quot; or rather the &quot;End to the Age of Illusions.&quot;  Now this is a very curious thing.  Take their secrecy as a race, their dark skinned appearence and their closemouthed society and now this ending they speak of on the island of Tremalking after Rand and Nyneave's little Stint with the Sa'Angreal and the glowfest from the half buried statue.  I believe that what this means is that the Sea Folk are not human.  I believe that they are some sort of creatures (more on this in a moment) and that they have been hiding behind a weave of illusions, making the world see them as human.  And now with the Coramoor's arrival and the Sa'Angreal's use, the illusion they have been hiding behind, they are now free of and can once again emerge into the world in their true forms.<br /><br />Perhaps they have hidden themselves away due to the fact that they fear persecution.  How many people ran screaming from Lolial because they thought him to be a Trolloc?  Perhaps the fear of racial discrimination had driven them during the breaking to hide themselves away and take on human form to avoid notice.  After all if they were to be some type of hideous creature, they would fear that human kind may try to erradicate them, in typical genocidal fashion.<br /><br />As to who they are, or rather what they are, I believe that maybe they are some type of shadowspawn that turned away from the Dark One and found salvation in the Light.  Maybe even Trollocs or Fades, or some other type of creature whose description or race had been lost along with everything else that was lost or forgotten during the Breaking, some 3000 years prior.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/angry.gif" border="0" /> =</p><p><b>Roonas says:</b> Hmm ... I think someone has been watching a little too much X-Files! <br /><br />And in a factual question - Are not the Ath'an Miere in a symbiotic relationship of sorts with the people that inhabit the islands they <br />&quot;protect and own&quot;? If I remember correctly, the Ath'an Miere stick to the sea and shores, leaving the land to be inhabited by a secret society whom are somewhat xenophobic. They make goods and things to trade, the Ath'an Miere merely trade the things for them and thus it is a symbiotic relationship. They are not &quot;one people&quot;, even though they might be off-shoots of the same society at one point in the past.  I do however think there is a deep dark secret hidden there, but I personally do not think it fits under the &quot;aliens from another planet&quot; idea you seem to be stating here. <br />If it is true though, then that must be RJ's new job after WoT is over - X-Files Script writer! <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/biggrin.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-15 14:53:24
subject: Adeleas and Vandene - Verin's little helpers...
body:
<p>Verin Sedai is an interesting woman, and many theories have already been presented with her in the center. This is a theory with what seems to be interesting circumstantial evidence and it goes like this:<br /><br />Verin had a plan 70 years ago. It's a Grand plan, and would include a huge amount of studying of old books, scouring them for info on whatever her plan is about.<br /><br />Now, maybe she decided she couldn't do it alone. My theory is that Adeleas and Vandene have helped her and there are at least three interesting coincidences that point to that.<br /><br />***<br />Vandene and Adeleas retired to &quot;compile their history of the world&quot; 70 years ago, at roughly the same time as Verin came up with her plan, probably slightly after (see POD, &quot;Crimsonthorn&#8221; ).<br /><br />***<br />Moiraine went to the Namelle sisters in tGH, thereby letting Verin get away to search for Rand. It's a coincidence worth noting, since Verin does not seem to be the kind of person who takes chances. If she wanted to search for Rand, she would almost certainly know in advance that she could do it without Moiraine around. I believe Verin reminded Moiriane of the Namelle sisters when speaking to her and Siuan, which fits the situation.<br /><br />***<br />Maybe the most important fact in this issue though, is the travels of the Namelle sisters. Why would they hike off to Ebou Dar? They don&#8217;t seem to be two people who would go there, or anywhere else, unless it was absolutely necessary. We know their plan had to do with the Kin, but exactly how? They would have to go pretty early to travel through the whole world. I can only really come up with one idea:<br /><br />Someone told them in what danger the Kin was (as channelers), because of the Seanchan invasion, and wanted them to go to Ebou Dar to somehow get the Kin out of there. Someone who knew about Falme and someone who had very few people she could firmly trust. The timing makes Moiraine impossible (she didn&#8217;t know enough when first visiting the sisters), so who else could it be? Well, I can only see Verin as a probable choice. If she went to the sisters right before going to the Two Rivers, she would have enough knowledge, and the sisters would have enough time to go to Ebou Dar. If Verin is NOT responsible for the travels of Adeleas and Vandene, someone else has to be, and right now, there are few other choices...<br />***<br /><br />Apart from these three important points, it&#8217;s possible to sketch how a connection between Verin and the sisters could emerge. Verin and Adeleas are both Brown, which in itself might be enough for them to be connected. There is also the possibility that Verin was in Novice classes taught by Vandene. Assuming Sereille Bagand was Mistress of Novice right before becoming Amyrlin, Verin&#8217;s age corresponds roughly to when Vandene taught Novices.<br /><br />It is also interesting to note that Moiraine seems to know the sisters rather well, thinking how she must be one of the few even knowing about their existence. Moiraine is much too young to have known them as active Aes Sedai, but must have met them through someone else, which possibly could be Verin. We also know that Vandene and Adeleas DOES have some source of information within the Tower except Moiraine or they would not know about the sister who burnt herself out studying ter'angreals 25 years ago. Verin fits the bill, since she would have an interest in checking out the progress now and then. <br /><br />In conclusion, I see Verin as being the spider in this web and it&#8217;s my hope that it could be the starting point for knowing more about Verin and her plans...<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/aessedai.gif" border="0" /><br /></p><p><b>Roonas says:</b> Personally, I have long wondered the total connection between Verin and most other Aes Sedai - especially Vandene and Adeleas. I found this theory interesting, if not a little bit too loosely based on conjecture and coincidence. Yet, you do point out some key events that Verin very well could have been in control of, and how she might have manipulated the events to suit her plan (especially Moiraine's movements).<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-16 10:29:13
subject: Thom Merillin - the beginning
body:
<p>I was thinking (yeah, I know it's dangerous <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/tongue.gif" border="0" /> ) about Thom's full name. That is, Thomdril Merillin. Now, it is assumed he is Andoran, due to the fact that he lived there, is tall, and had blue eyes. However, his name does not fit. Other Andoran names are Talene Minly, Elza Penfell, Basel Gill, and Elayne Trakand. Thomdril Merillin doesn't fit this pattern; it sounds a lot more like a Cairhienin name (Breane Taborwin, Galadedrid Damodred, Taringail Damodred, Toram Riatin.) I think that Thom probably had a Cairhienin father, and grew up there. This would explain his skill in Daes Dae'mar - something Cairhienin, not Andorans, are noted for - and maybe even Moiraine's knowledge of him. His nickname, the Grey Fox, sounds Cairhienin too. Possibly Moiraine saw him around the Sun Palace, and even had a crush on him as a girl? <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" /> It would be interesting to find they had met before the beginning of the series. Possibly, Thom vaguely recognised her in The Eye of the World. On the other hand, his thoughts in TSR do not seem to indicate any prior knowledge of her. Anyway, it is highly probable Thom is from Cairhien, rather than Andor, and that Moiraine knew of him, at least, before The Eye of the World.</p><p><b>Burr says:</b> Well, that's a lot to take from the pattern of his name, though I admit you've got me interested.  Looking at a character list, I agree that there is some pattern there; but not all Andoran names fit the pattern you suggested.  What about Dyelin, for instance?  Or Ishara Caselain?<br /><br />Also, correct me if I am wrong, aren't blue eyes determined by a recessive gene, not a dominant gene?  If so, then Thom's father is probably at least half Andoran as well, and most likely he is fully Andoran.<br /><br />Personally, I would say that giving Thom a different sounding name was just to add a certain flair.  He is a gleeman, after all.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-18 01:03:00
subject: Asmodean may have been killed by Rahvin...
body:
<p>Ok, I know it sounds crazy, what with the balefire and all, but if you will recall:<br /><br />1.Rahvin and Rand were in the World of Dreams, not the real world. (I don't know if that makes much difference in my theory though.)<br /><br />2.Just before Rahvin was hit w/ balefire Nynaeve said she thought he turned to mist.... Thats not generally a balefire effect.<br /><br />3.He (Rahvin) may have used the True Power to escape somehow. The True Power's uses and effects versus the One Power have never really been covered.<br /><br />4.We also don't know what sort of effect balefire has in Tel'aran'rhiod. That might not even have been Rahvin, just an illusion in the dreamworld.<br /><br />5. For all of those out there who would quote the passage from book six where the Dark One was talking to Demandred (...RAHVIN IN HIS PRIDE, ALAS EVEN I CANNOT SAVE HIM FROM BALEFIRE....) or some such, it has been made PAINFULLY CLEAR throughout the series thusfar that the Dark One does NOT know everything that goes on in the world, and so, may not really know if he was killed by balefire.<br /><br />6. (this may be stretching it but here goes) If my statement in number five was correct, the Dark One may have the same trouble trying to revive someone who isn't dead as he would with someone removed from the pattern by balefire. There is simply nothing to bring back. There are other parts I cannot recall, but I would appreciate any thoughts someone could give.</p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> Let's go step by step shall we?<br /><br />1) You stated that them being in T'A'R might have an impact on whether or not Rahvin would die.  Well, they were both in T'A'R in the flesh, there was no dreaming involved, they were there.  Anything that happened there was for real and life-threatening.<br /><br />2) This, however, Rahvin turning to mist, might be a T'A'R effect.  But either way, we've really only seen two people through out the chapter balefired, Be'lal and Rahvin, upclose.  Perhaps this is how humans are balefired, and the color inversion is for shadowspawn.<br /><br />3) True, we don't know much about TP, but we do know it's on loan from the DO when asked.  I don't think Rahvin had time to stop, ask the DO to use the TP, and ten mist away to hide.  <br /><br />4) Well, if so, then really, all that we see in T'A'R is a hoax.  Why would RJ do such a ploy, we's whittling the forsaken down so Rand doesn't have to fight all of them at TG.<br /><br />5) I think the DO can feel threads though, thus knowing about Rahvin and balefire.  <br /><br />6) I don't see what this has to do about anything.<br /><br />All in all, I highly doubt it.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-18 11:20:04
subject: Nae'blis?
body:
<p>In the prologue to EotW, Jordan hints at many things that seem unimportant at the time, but later play roles in the story. I believe one of these hints can be seen when Ishamael mentions the name Shai'tan to Lews Therin. Lews Therin says it is dangerous to say that name and Ishamael replies,<br /><br />&quot;Dangerous for you, fool, not me.&quot;<br /><br />At the time this seems to make sense, but in the chapter &quot;Decisions&quot; in tSR, Rand asks Lanfear why she can't say the Great Lord's true name and her answer is,<br /><br />&quot;It would be blasphemy.&quot;<br /><br />So, why could Ishamael alone get away with saying Shai'tan? My theory is that he has been Nae'blis in some form longer than we realise. Here are some points to support it:<br /><br />*References have been made by numerous sources to Ishamael holding the Chosen together and stopping them fighting.<br /><br />*From those not closely connected to the Forsaken, Ishamael was often perceived as the leader anyway.<br /><br />* (As Above) Ishamael uses the name Shai'tan without fear of it being blasphemy.<br /><br />*Ishamael uses the True Power a lot more than any other.<br /><br />*All the Chosen who have failed the Dark One and been reincarnated have been given a last chance, except Ishamael who returned as Moridin with more priveleges than before. Clearly his failure can be overlooked more so than the other Chosen's.<br /><br />*Ishamael was said to have thought he was the Dark One himself.<br /><br />I think that Ishamael was promised (truly promised) to be Nae'blis back in the AoL. After all, does it not seem likely that the Dark One would want someone to keep his Chosen together back then as much as now? So Ishamael knew he was going to become Nae'blis and was told of the priveleges he would gain. Upon learning that only he would have permission to use the True Power, he decided he would have to learn to use it completely and made it his primary power. He was also allowed to talk to the Dark One by name, Shai'tan, in the same way that a first mate on a ship might call his captain by first name, but all other sailors wold use the offical &quot;Captain&quot;. <br /><br />However, the Dark One did not want the fact that he was Nae'blis known to the other Chosen, so as to increase their competition to please him. I also believe that Ishamael was told that other Chosen would get false offers to be Nae'blis that the Dark One would use as bait to get them to do his bidding, so that when Ishamael eventually heard of these offers he would not get suspicious. While Ishamael was perceived to think himself the Dark One, he was in fact just acting above the others because he knew he was. Some may argue that the reason Ishamael said Shai'tan was becasue he was half mad. However, I do not agree. Everytime we have seen Ishamael, both from his PoV and from others, he seems sane to me, if a bit eccentric. I think it far more liekly that he is drunk on power rather than insane. Even if he was slightly mad, from what we have seen of him he certainly has more than enough awareness to know what is blasphemy and not.<br /><br />So, in conclusion I think that Ishamael has been Nae'blis in secret since the AoL, but only recently has he truly revealed himself and taken on his new role.</p><p><b>Roonas says:</b> Well, I agree that 99% of this theory is quite possible ... the other one percent that I find hard to believe is the fact that Ishy/Moridin is not mad, merely powerlusting.  I honestly believe him to be semi-mad from his being half sealed for so many centuries, and his use of the true power ... while sealed he was able to touch the world, but not fully. <br /><br />I think other than that point though, this theory is altogether quite well put - and in support of this possibility ... we must also remember the countless times that Ishy told Rand/Lews Therin that he had faced him before in countless other spinnings of the wheel. If Ishy/Moridin was not Nae'blis in those other times he would not have spoken in such a way as I see it. But as with all things, only RJ knows for sure ... but this would be a great question to ask him at a convention though! *hint hint people*<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-19 19:27:14
subject: Faile is a Darkfriend
body:
<p>As you can probably tell by the title (although you never know . . .) I believe that Faile is a Darkfriend. Why? It seems obvious. <br /><br />Egwene has had a Dream about a menacing figure edging closer to Perrin, and though we have always assumed this to be Aram, we have no proof. <br /><br />Second, Egwene has had another Dream about Perrin and Aram fighting their way through brambles toward a cliff they cannot see. This cliff is Faile, and they are fighting to save her from the Shaido. <br /><br />Next, Min once told Perrin that if he ever met a beautiful woman to run for his life. Perrin (and everyone else) thinks that this means Lanfear, but Perrin once thought (somewhere in TDR) that if might be Faile. She is, after all, the most beautiful person in the world to Perrin.<br /><br />Fourth, when we first see Faile, she looks right at Perrin even though there is an Aes Sedai, a Warder, and an Ogier to stare at. Her explanation of this later is a little sketchy. How could she notice his yellow eyes right away from the other side of the room? She is also seen spying on Perrin later in the same town. I believe that she recognized him from the Darkfriend meeting at Shayol Ghul in TGH.<br /><br />Further, I believe that she followed Perrin at first to be near him so she could betray him to her masters, but she soon could not help but fall in love with the big lug. So she wanted to keep him safe from the other <br />Darkfriends who might recognize him. Hence, she convinces him in TSR to grow a beard (which disguises his face). And she will not let him out of her life, even going so far as to follow him through the Ways, in order to protect him.<br /><br />Lastly, and most telling, Perrin once had a wolf dream in which he met Lanfear (in TDR, I believe). In it, he had a brief flash of the future, specifically of Tarmon Gai'don. He hears the Horn of Valere blow in the distance,and he starts forward. He knows that &quot;She is waiting for him there. His lover. His destroyer.&quot; Who else could that be but Faile? Sometime before the Last Battle, she will betray him and try to kill him.<br /><br />There you have it. Faile must be a Darkfriend. She may want to join the Light again to help Perrin, she can't. For in the end, as the Maiden Melhindra put best, &quot;Some oaths are stronger than others.&quot; I believe that includes marriage vows. And when she finally does betray Perrin, things are going to get ugly . . . and I'm going to laugh at all of you who disbelieve me. Hah hah hah!<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/flaminggrin.gif" border="0" /></p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> Man, if this were true, people would hate her even MORE!  Yikes, is that possible?<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-20 02:05:01
subject: A Final Battle
body:
<p>I have a theory about Tarmon Gai'don <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/jester.gif" border="0" />!!! When the Bore is completely opened, the Dark One emerges <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/flaminggrin.gif" border="0" />!!! Now, Robert Jordan has gone completely insane, so, he describes the Dark One as a fat, pink being with a black vest, baggy pants, a purple cloak, and a single glowing antenna on the top of his head. He has no ears, except for holes in his head. He looks towards where the Darkfriends (who he will soon call Shadowbuddies) and jumps down from a cloud he was laying on and begins to slurp around on his stomach. Rand and his friends try to stop him but he merely emits weird noises. He suddenly blurts out, &quot;I am a chummy macabre elephant! You have no chance!&quot; Rand blasts balefire at the Dark One who responds, &quot;Your purple iridescence has no effect on me!&quot; The Forsaken and the 'Shadowbuddies' quiver with hope that they will be granted lots of power and immortality; however, they are cast into a cauldron of serpents <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/devil.gif" border="0" />. Next, a black being with floating red eyes descends from the sky. He raises his hand and shouts, &quot;DIE!&quot; The Dark One falls over and deflates. Everyone rejoices as the world is saved, except for Moridin who simply giggles madly and inverts, losing all of his grandiose powers <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/dead.gif" border="0" />.</p><p><b>Bad Ash says:</b> Yeah! <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/baalzamon.gif" border="0" /></p><p><b>Roonas says:</b> *Walks away chuckling to himself* ... This was definitely a decent laugh!!! Interesting, very very interesting! Almost has a beatles-esque Acid trip feel to it ... I like it <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-20 20:07:22
subject: Demandrashere
body:
<p>All right, I know a lot of you are going to think I have something personal against the Bashere family,<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/oh.gif" border="0" /> what with my Faile theory and all. But hear me out. I've been thinking long and hard on who Demandred is hiding as, and since it almost HAS to be someone we've already met, only one answer suggests itself. And it's a doozy. Demandred might just be Davram Bashere.<br /><br />Think about it. First of all, I'm going to tie this in a bit with what I believe Mazrim Taim to be. He was rescued in TDR I think, by his followers (or so we were led to believe). Many used to believe that he was really taken by Darkfriends and killed so Demandred could take his place. I think that he WAS taken by Darkfriends, but not to be killed. He was taken to Shayol Ghul (thus explaining his long absence from being mentioned in the series) and placed in a circle of thirteen Black Ajah and thirteen Myrdraal. That's right, he was turned to the proverbial Dark Side against his will. He was to be the first of a new generation of Dreadlords, and he was sent to Caemlyn for the specific purpose of leading Rand's Black Tower and recruiting even more Dreadlords to the cause.<br /><br />But what about Bashere? When he showed up in Caemlyn at the end of TFoH, he claimed to be following Taim. But if Taim escaped back in TDR, then how did Bashere pick up his trail again? He didn't. He knew where Taim was because he wasn't really Bashere. He was Demandred in disguise, and Taim was part of the plan.<br /><br />The real Bashere was killed. When, I don't know. Probably somewhere in Saldaea.<br /><br />Next, when Taim was first brought before Rand, Bashere seemed a little dubious as to his identity. If Bashere was Demandred, then perhaps he was expecting the new Dreadlord to be a little more imposing, a little more, you know, impressive. After all, Demandred, we know, likes to think of himself as the best. Others, especially other channeling Darkfriends, should TRY to live up to his standards, at least.<br /><br />But what about when the entire Bashere family met with Perrin? Wouldn't his own family have known something was wrong? Of course. Unless the rest of the family are Darkfriends as well. I believe that Faile was the first to join the bad guys. As a Darkfriend, it would be no problem for her to give up her family for death. After all, Jaichim Carridin does it all the time. So the real Bashere was killed, so was his wife (unless she was already a Darkfriend . . . no way to know), and then with Perrin they just played out a little family parody. After all, Faile really didn't seem to get along with her mom, perhaps because she really wasn't her mom at all. She seems to have a little more respect around Bashere, though . . . because he's one of the Forsaken, of course.<br /><br />Why would Demandred, as Bashere, help Rand and willingly obey his every order? Let the Lord of Chaos rule. The Dark One probably promised Demandred the position of Nae'blis if he went along with the plan and did everything in his power to help Rand win. Demandred would do anything to have more power than all the other Forsaken (not to mention Lews Therin himself). Yes, he would even lead Rand's armies and force himself to smile once in a while. Also, it always struck me as odd that Bashere never seemed the least bit unnerved or even wary of Rand's channeling, even though every other non-channeler (and not a few Aes Sedai) are scared to death of his use of the One Power. If he was Demandred, that would certainly explain it. No Forsaken would worry about a man channeling. Also, having Bashere and Taim not like each other would give Bashere more credibility and make Rand trust him more, since Rand definitely wouldn't trust Taim. This would get Bashere closer to Rand. And remember when Bashere threw that knife at Rand in LoC? Testing him, he said, which seems like something Demandred would want to do. And how could Bashere have known how fast Rand could react with the Power? He couldn't have. Demandred, on the other hand, has all sorts of experience to draw on to know that Rand would probably be able to stop the knife. Also, how better to disguise Demandred than to make him short? After all, Lanfear went fat in the Waste . . .<br /><br />And lastly, just think of the magnificent irony. Here we all thought it was Taim who was Demandred (and really, all the signs DID point to him), but then it turns out to be Taim's antithesis, Bashere. The last person we would have suspected. Robert Jordan probably couldn't stop laughing every time he saw the Taimandred theory.<br /><br />Oh, and yes, before you all start screaming at me, I haven't really figured out how to get around that touch-the-Illusion-and-it's-gone thing yet. Maybe the Dark One (or Shaidar Haran) gave him a special, unbreakable Illusion just for the occasion.<br /><br />And yeah, before you ask, I do watch the X-Files.<img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/smile.gif" border="0" /><br /></p><p><b>Roonas says:</b> This theory actually impressed me. It's a very interesting spin on things, and the whole ending where Demandred has been right under our noses all along, but just not as the one we suspected is perfectly ironic.  There are some flaws to the idea, but mainly it &quot;could&quot; be possible, only RJ knows how he is going to follow this trail out.<br /><br />Very nice! <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" /> - And as for the X - Files ... want a job as a script writer? <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/biggrin.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-21 10:27:25
subject: M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O -U-S-EEEEEE! &quot;You? No!&quot;
body:
<p>After minutes of theorizing, I believe I have discovered Asmo's killer! Yep(rubs hands gleefully), won't they be amazed?<br />  It couldn't have been another one of the Dark One's minions, Forsaken or otherwise. He would have expected at least some sort of treachery from any of his former cronies. So it had to be someone he'd never expect. Someone to whom he would say, &quot;You? No!&quot;<br />  This is where Mickey Mouse fits in. It so happens that, before he became a turncoat, Asmodean had found a stasis box. All it contained was one of those ancient and wonderful devices known as Vu'mah'stars, complete with the story of &quot;The Sorcerer's Apprentice.&quot; Imagine Asmodean's shock when he encountered that red-robed mouse, sworn to combat all forms of evil, manmade or otherwise! Mickey couldn't possibly know that Asmodean had gone over, so he struck him down where he stood.<br />   At this point, some of you are asking, &quot;So where's this supermouse been hiding out?&quot; In a crummy little rented room above an inn on the Calpene Peninsula in Tanchico, that's where! &quot;Why?&quot; you say? Because who on earth would look for him there??? Would you have looked there?<br />   Having completed his task, Mickey returned to his room above The Broken Broomstick to await the Last Battle, where he, Pluto (undercover as a Darkhound), Goofy(a Whitecloak in disguise), and Minnie(of the Green Ajah, I know her well), will fight side by side with the Dragon.<br /></p><p><b>Roonas says:</b> Well we are supposed to be impartial here at wotmania, and take things all under the same light and with fairness. <br /><br />Having said that, I am going to be a hypocrite just this once - This is my new favorite theory!!! <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/biggrin.gif" border="0" /> It makes so much sense now, who could've known that the plot would twist into Disney animation focus, but what better way to end the argument ... Asmodean's killer must have been that Large eared mouse! Must've been!!! I have seen the light and am forever changed by this post! Excellent work! <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/wink.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-24 17:35:48
subject: Taint destroying/weakening the seals
body:
<p>My theory is that the seals were destroyed and weakened by the taint. Heartstone can absorb all energies put into it, so when they help the weave they absorbed part of it. They saidin weaves would have been tied off and inverted so that they couldn't be followed by the forsaken. Then the taint seeped into the weave adn into the heartstone. Then the evil of the taint weakened the heartstone like it did the male channelers,<br /><br />Summarry: Male madness caused by taint=Weakening/destrection of seals</p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> But why doesn't all heartstone crumble?<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-24 17:38:16
subject: Why the Seals failed
body:
<p>This theory also esplains Fel's note about cleaning the rubble.<br /><br />As anyone who as watched Bob Veila or has put in a sprinkler system, or had to take shop class, or put on those fake nails knows that the first step to putting together two things is sanding. <br /><br />First you have to SAND the two pieces.  What this does is CLEAN the RUBBLE or plastic shavings, or dirt, or what ever else that is stopping you from having a clean surface, so that the pieces fit together better.  Lews Therin failed to do this.<br /><br />Thats why the forsaken who were at the tippy top of the seal were able to affect outside events.  the seal was unable to be placed totally securely in every little nook and cranny.  Think of it as holding water with your cupped fingers (not the palm but the fingers).  No matter how hard you try to keep your fingers together the water will eventually all leak out.  Now if you had placed a line of glue between your fingers (or another liquidy-sticky substance) and then place the water there, no water would leak out.<br /><br />Try this at home:<br />Find an empty soda can and remove the tab.  make sure it is throughtly rinsed out.  now fill it water (you might want to do this over a sink.  Then place your thumb over the drinking hole and turn the can over.  What happens??  It leaks thats what.<br /><br />Now turn the can back over and get some silly putty or play-dough or the like.  Place that over the drinking hole (don't cheat make sure its securely fastened).  now turn the can upside down.  What happens??  Well what do you know it doesn't leak!<br /><br />This is why I think Ishy was able to and the DO is able to affect the world.  The bore into the DO's prison left little nooks, crannys, and fracture lines, so when the seal was placed over the hole, the seal was unable to fill all of the nooks, crannys and crevices allowing a slight influencing of the world.</p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> Interesting analogy!  I like the silly putty idea.<br /><br />And i believe that the seals and such is true.  Good job.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-24 17:40:04
subject: His blood on the slopes of Shayol Ghul...
body:
<p>I've been thinking about this for a while, and I have a couple of ideas...  Hopefully, something along these lines hasn't yet been posted, I haven't had a chance to look at all the theories.<br /><br />It is assumed that Rand's blood on the slopes of Shayol Ghul will be literal, he will be wounded in some way, or the old wound will break open.  But think about what else this could mean.  The Aiel are his people, his blood.  Perhaps it simply means that they will be with him during TG.  Or, here's something else a little wilder (No pun intended).  Avi will have his babies, four at once, Min says.  They will be healthy, but something will be odd about them.  Perhaps Avi will give birth on the slopes of Shayol Ghul, as Rand's mother did on Dragonmount...</p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> What you said has been talked about before, except the end part, about Avi and the babies. Mind, it has been said that Elayne will be the one to birth her babies at TG, but either way, it has a nice symmetry to it.  Born on his namsake moutain, to die on the slopes of the Master of Death.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-24 17:42:00
subject: To live, you must die...
body:
<p>One of the answers that Rand receives within the twisted stone door Ter'angreal is that &quot;To live he must die.&quot;  I think that this ties in with a dream Egwene had.  She saw Logain step over Rand's body onto a slab of black stone.  Then Rand's body shattered when she touched it, as if it were made of glass.  I took this to mean that Logain will seize control of the Asha'man at some point when they believe Rand to be dead.  However, as the corpse shatters, he likely isn't really dead.  It is my opinion that Rand will, at some point, feel the need to convince the world that he has been killed.  Perhaps he will use a trick of the power, perhaps not, but I think that he will fool everyone completely, even his three ladyloves.  The funeral pire that Min sees the three of them crying over will be another part of Rand's ruse.  It's my opinion that, through this clever deception, Rand will live to see the end of the series.</p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> Yup.<br /><br />Correct me if I am wrong (which I am most likely am), but doesn't most of the world think he is dead because of the fac that the whole upper wing of the Cairheinin palaca was destroyed?  <br /><br />Just a thought...<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-24 17:43:40
subject: Tuon&#180;s smile
body:
<p>When Mat was asked what he would do with Tuon by Noal in &quot;What the Aelfinn Said&quot; (WH p. 590), he replied that he would take her with him, which resulted in a smile on Tuon&#180;s face. What is the reason for this smile?<br />Well, I think it is quite easy: It is the omen Tuon had been waiting for. <br />Remember, in &quot;What a Veil Hides&quot; Tuon had been foretold her future by one of her damane with a result she did not like. I believe she was told that she had to marry Mat in order to get the Dragon Reborn on the Seanchan&#180;s side, maybe even that this was the only way to succeed the Corenne because the Seanchan could not defeat Rand in battle (what we have already seen twice). This explains the attempt to buy Mat from Tylin as well as the attempt to stop him leaving just before her capture. So she finally had reached her goal when he said that she would not be left behind. <br />Isn&#180;t that a good reason for a smile? <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/pharoah.gif" border="0" /></p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> Well...I guess.<br /><br />It's just seems circumstantial, though.  I think she smiled because she knows she is in love with Mat, and is glad she is being brought along.<br /><br />*shudders at the thought of Tuon being bald*  Looks like an egg.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-25 15:20:46
subject: Free will or ultimate knowledge?
body:
<p>Actually this was a response to a theory I read that was written a few months ago, but it was very interesting to me, and I believe that I have some new information to add, so here goes...<br />Let me see if I can condense this down to readable form... first off I believe that all of the characters have free will in the WOT series. Let me explain. I think it's safe to assume the the Creator has the status of a god. In which case, he can see everything that has ever happened and ever will, there is no past or future for him, it is all the present. Also I believe the the Dark One does NOT have the status of a god. So he can't see the future, in which case he continues to struggle in the belief that he will somehow accomplish victory over the Light. What I'm getting at is the fact that Rand makes his own decisions as well as the others. This being done by the fact the the Creator can see everything and so the prophecies are written through the influence of the Creator to stress or pull attention to a particular person or event, in this case Rand. Rand has already made his own decisions in the past, though there is no past to the Creator, so the Creator knows that Rand would make these decisions without prophecy, but he instigates prophecy in this particular time I believe because it is a climax in human existence and is therefore stressed by either showing that the Dark One is able to win if people are not willing to stand against him <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/baalzamon.gif" border="0" />, or that the Light is always triumphant <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/angel.gif" border="0" />. in either case i believe that these events are already known by the Creator as well as the outcome and he is merely using prophecy to guide Rand and others to do as they would anyway, but therefore also drawing attention to the climactic event to take place. I would appreciate any responses to my &quot;theory&quot; on this debate. thanx. <br /></p><p><b>StoneDogAiel says:</b> It is an interesting thought on the philosophy of the WoT world. I like it better than the Pattern theory.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-25 17:45:04
subject: &quot;Grim Inevitability&quot;
body:
<p>The last battle, all things considered, and all resolutions settled.  We can count up the dead and begin recording the events in song and legend.<br /><br />Only, I think that when Jordan says that he already has the ending chosen in his mind, (meaning the ending of the book has been thought out and set since the beginning with no chance of parole,) that we will see a version of the horrible and dreaded &quot;...and he woke up and realized it was all a dream...&quot; kind of close.<br /><br />I've thought long and hard as to the nature of Jordan's various possiblities for an ending and I am suddenly weary that I am going to be ripped off with a terrible one.  Let's face it, the story has been in a downward spiral since about book four, and with no end in sight, I think the story has further to fall.<br /><br />Considering this I think that any ending will wind up being anti-climactic reguardless of length or quality.  Think about it this way, Jordan has been trying to steer the story to his pre-configured ending, and as he gets closer, the story gets sloppier and not so captivating.  In fact it has gotten to the point almost, where I just want to see what happens for curiosity's sake.<br /><br />Reading through the theory posts, and especially the 'black boards' I came across an incredible thought from someone stating that &quot;...balefire in strategic locations can heal death...&quot;  (not exact wording, but the sentiment remains) I think that our ending is going to go something like this:<br /><br />Rand leads armies against shadow, shadow swings and hits, light swings and hits.  Back and forth it will go until at last with nearly everyone dead, the light will be victorious by a marginal increment.  But lo and behold, Rand in a last ditch effort will either single-handedly or jointly with all the power of the unified white/black (gray?) tower, balefire the Dark One right in the face.  End Results:<br /><br />Everyone will live happily ever after and the strength of the balefire will resurrect and undo every wrongdoing, death and evil happenstance ever perpetrated and life will be all cushy and sweet. <br /><br />That is our pre-ordained salvation compliments of Robert Jordan.  Please dear God say I am wrong, but I can just feel it coming.<br /><br />ps - the theory title compliments of &quot;Space Hulk&quot; early generation Playstation game....<br /><br /></p><p><b>Bad Ash says:</b> I must agree that I think RJ is drawing this thing out as long as he can.  One point I disagree on is that it's all gone downhill since TSR; I think LoC is one of the two best books in the series, although it opened many plot lines just when you thought you had it all figured out at the end of FoH.<br /><br />I do agree that RJ can't make any ending that would be satisfactory to his hordes of fans - the only possible thing I can think of is if he does a double switch and makes evil win.  That would certainly come out of left field.<br /><br />If the ending is similar to the one you propose (and I think your ending is a <i>bit</i> of a stretch), then I would lose all respect for RJ as an author.  And if he should ever make Padan Fain's hate for Rand so great he inadvertantly helps Rand a la Smeagol and Frodo, I just might sue RJ and Tor.  I'm serious.  I would. <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/biggrin.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-28 05:03:33
subject: The Dark One May Just Win
body:
<p>How can Rand or anyone fight the Dark One, if this being is indeed freed? It has corrupted a large amount of land, saying its name brings bad luck or disaster, even though it is locked away, it can taint the driving force of the universe, and bubbles of evil are only a few bubbles in a swamp of evil. <br /><br />When the Sharom ripped open the prison, black fire poured out of it, and the world slowly began to fall apart, i. e., the Collapse occurred. If such a force, godly or not, entered fully into the Pattern, who could stand against its mere presence, much less however much power it wields of its own accord? One look at anything by the Dark One and the thing looked at will probably just explode or melt away, and the twisting of the landscape caused by the fields of 'bubbles' of evil pouring out of it would prove as dangerous as perhaps an entire army of Shadowspawn, or more. <br /><br />And whatever that black fire is... what I'm trying to say is, the ending will either have the Dark One winning, or the hole in its prison will simply be sealed up again. Since the Creator has supposedly said (notice its voice was in capital letters? What if that was the Dark One?) it will not intervene, the only conceivable hope would be to permanently seal the prison. UNLESS... the Creator imprisoned the Dark One before, so perhaps it would do so again, in the case of such a supreme danger. I don't think the Prophecies of the Dragon saying that the Shadow will be defeated necessarily imply that the Dark One will be, should the Shadow simply be the touch of the Dark One. This would mean that the Shadow would simply be pushed back, into the prison, the bore resealed, and the apocalypse prevented.<br /><br />Basically, the world of the Wheel of Time, presented in its current form, does not supply any resolution to the battle against the Dark One except for the prison to be sealed entirely.</p><p><b>Moridin_2000 says:</b> That would be a bit of an anticlimax, it might be possible if WoT was real life but it wouldn't make a good storyline if all our characters died for nothing....and then the Creator came along and fixed everything.<br /><br />Also I think that the Dark One can be defeated. They did it in the Age of Legends and two of the effects you mentioned have already been remedied ie The weather and the Taint. <br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-28 05:10:49
subject: There will be a Judas
body:
<p>OK, so I've saved up a lot of theories.  I finally have time to write them out.  This one has been rolling around in my head for a long time. <br /> <br />RJ has been setting up the stuff of myths.  Through Tom we have heard how stories become legends and the true facts are twisted around.  The real hero may not even show up in the legend a thousand years from now. So we have seen foundation material for the Arthurian legends with al-Thor, Egwene alVere, Galad, Gawain, Elaine in Caemlyn.  We have seen Norse myths material with Mat hanging from a tree and gaining knowledge, thought and memory on a spear with ravens, the broad brimmed hat, etc.  Perrin, I confess I haven't figured out completely.<br /> <br /> Another ongoing symbolism that Rj has developed is RAnd as a Christ figure - the marks on his hands, the crown of thorns (swords) and the wound in his side.  The idea of needing to die to save the world, being born for that purpose and having to deal with the knowledge that his death is unavoidable are all part of it.  <br /> <br /> If RJ continues to develop this line of symbolism, then there will be a betrayal that hands Rand over to the enemy.  There has to be a Judas!  Who?  Mat!  When they tried to move from Stedding Shangtai to Falme by portal stone (tGH) everyone saw their lives many times over.  Rand saw his death in all of them.  Perrin realized he was always tied to Rand.  Mat, on the other hand tried to deny what he had seen in his other lives.  He said &quot;I would never betray ou, Rand.&quot; Somehow I think he does.  It may have to do with the Seanchan, the black collar/bracelets and giving up half the light of the world to save the world.  Beyond that my crystal ball clouds up.  But if Rand continues to develop as a Christ-figure, there has to be a betrayer.</p><p><b>Moridin_2000 says:</b> I half agree with what you are saying. There most likely will be a Judas in WoT, but I don't think it will be Mat. Taim would be more likely, or maybe not. Taim is maybe too obvious, someone closer to him would be more fitting of the Judas role. It's still extremely possible and you could maybe include Egwene and Galad as possible suspects.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-28 10:23:56
subject: The Power of the Creator
body:
<p>Before the bore was created the Dark One was unable to touch the world. The barrier between him and the rest of the world was so strong that he had no influence in the world. I think that it is generally accepted that the Creator put it this way. My theory is dependent upon this. <br /><br />When LTT and the hundred companions sealed the Dark One away again they were unable to do it completely. If it had been perfect, we would be reading about LTT and the age of Legends instead of Rand and his time.<br /><br />Whenever anything that is broken is repaired it is never as strong as it was before the break. The original barrier, even though it was repaired, is no longer as strong and the Dark One is still able to touch the world. The only way that the Dark One could be sealed off so that he is unable to touch the world is if the bore was smoothed over as if it never existed at all. The only way to do this would be to remake the entire barrier brand new.<br /><br />Fel (the guy who was murdered for his research) made a comment about clearing away the debris before sealing away the Dark One again. Some people say that the seals are this debris. I think that it may partly be the seals, but it is also the rest of the barrier that was bored through when the DO one was released. <br /><br />Only the Creator or two people with the Choeden Kal could wield this type of power. Lanfear said that with that amount of power they could even challenge the creator. It stands to reason that if they have enough power to challenge the creator they can accomplish feats that would only normally be possible for the Creator, such as making a barrier between the DO and the world. <br /><br />This is why I believe that the sa' angreal will be used not to seal the bore forever... but to recreate the whole barrier between the Dark One and the world. (In doing this he may need to break the world again.)<br /><br />Some might say, &quot;If the barrier takes so much power to create, how come they were able to bore through it?&quot; In response I say that it is always easier to destroy than to create and the barrier was not designed to withstand an assault from the one power on the world side. It was designed to withstand the DO on the other side. They didn't even really know what they were drilling into when they released the DO.</p><p><b>Burr says:</b> This would certainly allow for an exciting climax.  Not only the future of the world would be at stake, but it's very existence may be at risk.  Just think if Rand said, &quot;Oops.&quot;<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-09-28 17:03:46
subject: Breaking the Seals
body:
<p>A lot of us have talked about Rand breaking the seals.  I haven't seen anything about how he would do it. I believe when LTT takes over it will be done easily.<br />   The Strike at Shayol Ghul was done by male channelers and non-channeling soldiers.  No female Aes Sedai were present.  Men cannot link.  To set the seals it must have been that the strongest male channeler acted alone, with or without angreal or sa'angreal. That would be LTT.  The cuendillar was just a focus point.  The actual sealing was done by LTT.  Some of the traps he has woven with inverted weaves, only he can see them and defuse them. The same is true with the seals.  <br />   When the seals have been broken before I believe Rand was acting under the influence of LTT without knowing it.  He did things he didn't understand at the Eye of the World, Falme, etc.  <br />   Yet at Rhuidean when he wrestled Asmodean for the sangreal, the city was in ruins and the seals weakened but they were not broken.  That's because Rand was in control consciously the whole time.  <br />   When he is ready to break the seals, Rand will have to surrender to LTT.  That fulfills what Min saw about two men in him and one taking over, the other dying.<br />   I think he will have to break the seals in order to close the bore completely in a way without taint or DO influence.<br />   What do you think?</p><p><b>StoneDogAiel says:</b> I think that there is a lot of speculation in your theory, but there is quite a bit of fact and logic as well. I agree with your theory. I especially like the part about Rand not breaking seals except with Lews Therin Telomons interference.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-10-02 15:55:25
subject: An advantage for the Light?
body:
<p>Ok, here goes for my first theory!<br />I read some time ago a note about statistics in WOT, and that got me thinking about something statistically, that is the fact that every &quot;good&quot; caracter seems to have a romantic intrest somewhere. Let me explain: Perrin has a wife, Rand has three, Mat will eventually get one (against his will), Egwene and Gawyn, Moiraine and Thom, Siuan and Gareth, possibly even Berelain and Galad.. Even secondary caracters like Bain, Chiad and Gaul, or the Ashaman and their Aes Sedai in WH seem to spend most of their time on personal affairs rather than on preparing for their DESTINY. In the later books, there is almost only detail, detail and more detail about some personal aspect of the caracters, and then a big exciting scene at the end that lasts one or at most two chapters. I don't know the percentage of hardened bachelors in real life, but it certainely isn't only 5% of the population.<br /><br />On the other hand, members of the Dark don't seem to have any intrest at all in pursuing a relationship with someone. I guess that's pretty natural, considering they're all greedy power-crazy suspicious caracters, but there doesn't seem to be to have been a single Darkfriend that's married in the series.<br /><br />After all of this hard thinking that partially melted my brain, I thought that there should be a reason for this enormous imbalance in the two sides of the upcoming Battle, and for the fact that three quarters at least of Jordan's series is devoted to the caracters' relationships (I'm not saying that's bad, I just think there's a bit too much of it at times). Maybe this apparent weakness (spending all their time drooling at each other rather than snarling at the ennemy) is actually a strength, that is, the couples (or quadruplets - is that a word?) will stick together during the Last Battle, and will defend each other while the Darkfriends are stabbing each other to get at Rand first. <br /><br />Well, that's my two cents. If you can do something with it, I will be very pleased <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/biggrin.gif" border="0" /></p><p><b>StoneDogAiel says:</b> I like that. That is one of the most original theories I've seen. I think that it is very likely that your theory is correct. The bad people won't have anybody to watch thier backs. I agree.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-10-02 16:53:29
subject: Logain, Taim, and Callandor
body:
<p>I don't think that Logain necessarily needs to be the one that wields <i>Callandor</i>.  At the end of Winter's Heart, Narishma wields it with his own AS and he certainly fills the tall, dark and handsome description that Egwene gives from her dream.  I do agree of the eventual confrontation between Taim and Logain.  There has been some foreshadowing of this in Winter's Heart (the Mishrail conversation) and anyone in their right mind would have had to see it coming with Egwene releasing him and his eventual flight to the Black Tower (BT).  Add to this the fact that he 'helped' Siuan, Leanne, and Min reach Salidar, thus making him at least more 'good' than an obviously 'bad' Taim, and it becomes a classic match up of Sith v. Jedi.  On the other hand, it could simply be the two strongest kids on the block duking it out to see who runs things.  Either way, they're having a knock-down drag out soon.  The ensuing battle will be Elaida's foretelling come to fruition where the BT will be rent in fire and blood with AS walking its ground.  Of course, Logain will become the next Tamrylin or whatever title they give to the next 'emperor' of the world for his helping of Rand at tarmon gaidon and for taking out Taim (whether he kills him or severs him doesn't matter to me!).  With Logain elevated to this status, Min's viewing of his almost unparalleled future glory (comparable to Lews Therin?) will become true.  Rand will obviously have a hand in making 'King' Logain, but i don't know just how public a display Rand will make.  If he comes out as Logain's campaign manager, then fakes his death, the masses might smell a red herring.  Therefore i believe that towards the end of the final battle, Logain will prove himself every bit the leader.  Then Rand can fake his death (Logain walking over a dead Rand that breaks upon touch like a puppet--Egwene's dream) and float away into the sunset with his lionsword (Elayne), dedicated spear (Aviendha), and she who sees beyond (Min). Whew!  Now that was a mouthful!</p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> Well, a mouthful is right.<br /><br />What I fail to understand is why everyone <i>but</i> Rand will be wielding <i>Callandor</i>?  Methinks I need to re-read the series, no?<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-10-02 16:58:44
subject: Seals of Saidin/Saidar
body:
<p>I have read many interesting theories about this subject and had to add one of my own.  It was the seals that first gave me my theory on the cause of the taint.  LTT and his 100 companions were all male.  At first, it  seemed that RJ simply loved throwing us that southern american sense of chivalry (going to war for your woman; protecting your women type of thing).  However, upon further inspection this in itself could be key in explaining how saidin got tainted.  When sealing up the bore, LTT and co. obviously used only saidin in making the seals.  Therefore, the DO's counterstroke was that the seals would always be touching his domain.  Therefore, saidin would always be touching his domain.  Hence the taint!  In order to touch saidin, you must touch the DO's vileness as well.  Now Rand has cleansed saidin (i still don't know quite exactly what he did at the end of Winter's Heart, but it's gone!) and Ashaman will not go any more crazier than they already have (straight from an RJ chat).  But what about the seals?  Well, we won't know until the next book, but i believe that Rand and co. will find them broken, thus making things a little tricky for our heroes.  With the bore open, even more wild things will ensue, but this goes with the theory that before things get better, they will get alot worse.  Rand will then lead his campaign to Tarmon Gaidon WITH women AS.  Remember that the One Power powers the wheel of time and the lace of pattern.  Therefore, it stands to reason that it would take the One Power as a WHOLE to seal up the bore for real.  And to use the One Power as a whole, you must have saidin AND saidar.  Our heroes will NOT make seals, but simply fill up the bore with what it had before, saidin AND saidar.  Akin to filling up a hole with the dirt you removed in the first place.  Of course, this does not explain why the seals were 'flaking' out in TFOH.  But hey, it's only a theory!</p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> Yup yup yup!<br /><br />All of this is covered in the books I believe.  But it's always nice to get a little refresher.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-10-03 13:24:29
subject: Dark
body:
<p>The pattern weaves as the pattern wills is repeated many times during the series and the <i>ta'veren,</i> are some of the very few who have free will within the pattern.  The rest are all pulling each other and like a weave in a mat, held in possition and to their course by each other.  <i>Ta'veren</i>, however, bend all other threads to their purpose.  Mearly being in their presence can cause the most strongly willed person to be bent.  The <i>ta'veren</i> seem to be only on the side of good though.  Why is this?<br /><br />Mat, Perrin, and Rand are the three threads which have the power to bind together all the rest of humanity and stear it to the course that they want.  They are the champions, but more importantly they are the ones who direct the rest of the force of Light.  As individuals they are impressive, but they alone would never defeat the DO and his side.<br /><br />I think that not enough emphasis has been put upon the champions of Darkness.  Who are the <i>ta'veren</i> who are working on the side of the DO?  It seems to be a terribly unbalanced fight if you have one side which has the ability to shift the pattern to it's will and another which is completely bound by the pattern.  I suggest that there are <i>ta'veren</i> working on the side of the DO.  My question is who are they?  <br /><br />The Forsaken?  Surely the DO doesn't have that many <i>ta'veren</i> working for him.  I think a safe bet is Ishy/Moridin. But who else?  Three on one? Not very fair.  Could there be two non channeler dark friends who are <i>ta'veren</i>?  I would vote for Padain Fain/Mordeth.  But there must be another which I am overlooking.<br /><br />Also,  If there are <i>ta'veren</i> on the DO's side, then the last battle will be very much a fight between them and our heros.  We will see a similar fight as Toman head with the battle in the sky mirroring the battle on the ground.  Another example is the fight over in tEotW when he faces Ishy over the pass and the battle mirrors their fight above.  <br /><br /></p><p><b>Bad Ash says:</b> I agree with you that all 13 of the Forsaken are not <i>ta'veren</i>.  If they were, then you think those that died would have had a little better luck.<br /><br />Hawkwing was <i>ta'veren</i>, and turned very suspicious at the end, doing the bidding of Ishamael.  Now Hawkwing was such a powerful <i>ta'veren</i>, it was said that you could feel the Pattern weaving around him in his presence.  The fact that Ishy could change the will of Hawkwing to his bidding lends powerful credence to the theory that Ishy is <i>ta'veren</i>.  I don't think Fain is; we really have no evidence of him being so.<br /><br />When all is said and done, though, we know definitely of 3 <i>ta'veren</i>, and I'd bet my money that Ishy is also.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-10-04 16:19:06
subject: The Three Aiel
body:
<p>There I was, reading &quot;The Shadow Rising&quot; for the millionth time, when a little passage just jumped up and hit me right in the face. <br /><br />&quot;All will be well, all will be well, and all manner of things will be well&quot; This phrase is actually used not once, but TWICE in the book. Once by Jorin, the Windfinder on Wavedancer, and the other time by Alnora, wife of Jonai, one of the people Rand &quot;lives&quot; as in Rhuidean. Alnora says this after being asked about one of her dreams. I'm sure you're all wondering what this has to do with anything, and I'd be happy to explain.<br /><br />In all of Rand's viewings of the true history of the Aiel, we actually see two different separations of people. <br /><br />1.) The first time was after Lewin and the gang kill some people. These people eventually form the current day Aiel.<br /><br />2.) The second time is after Adan's party is attacked. A man named Sulwin and others leave after the attack. Adan yells after them that they are no longer Aiel, and Sulwin rebukes with saying they still follow the Way of the Leaf. <br /><br />Now, the first few hundred times reading this book, I didn't pay much mind to #2, but this time, it kinda stuck out to me. Where did this group of people go? I think I know where.<br /><br />The descendants of these people, in my opinion, are the inhabitants of the Tremalking. Now let me explain why I think this.<br /><br />The people of Tremalking follow something called the Water Way, almost like the Way of the Leaf. In this group are people called Guides, who protect their people from themselves. This sounds like the leaders of the Tinkers, protecting their people from themselves. See where I'm getting?<br /><br />Also, there's that little phrase. As said, Alnora said it after asked about a dream. She also said that her dream had nothing to do with anything soon. I find it odd that one of the Sea Folk, who are prompted to follow the Water Way, would repeat this phrase many, many, MANY years later. I think the dream had to do with these Water Way followers and the Sea Folk.<br /><br />So there ya go. There are actually three people who used to be one: the Aiel, the Tinkers, and the followers of the Water Way&#8212;three groups, one descendant.<br /><br />Yes, this theory has holes, but I'm almost positive book 10 will shed a whole lot more light on this subject, being the last sentence in the book deals with the end of Time of Illusions. I'll just what you have to say about it.</p><p><b>Burr says:</b> Hey, I like this theory.  Maybe some Tremalking refugees will come to the mainland, following some destruction caused by the female sa'angrael in the cleansing of saidin.  <br /><br />And if the people of Tremalking do come into play somehow, what will they add to the story?  They are one of the last mysteries RJ has left for his readers.  I can't wait to find out more about them.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-10-06 03:25:23
subject: Bela Did It!
body:
<p>Bela did it!  Bela killed Asmodean. The true Bela, of course, has a rock solid alibi (Bela was with Siuan Sanche at the time).  Asmodean's killer was the reflection of Bela created in T'A'R by Egwene on her trip from Caemlyn to Salidar.<br /><br /><b>The theory</b><br /><br />After Egwene used Bela in T'A'R in LoC and on releasing the gateway to T'A'R Egwene accidentally thought of her trips through the ways. The reflection of Bela, therefore, was sent into the ways. Since time flows differently in T'A'R Bela was sent to the ways near the ending of tFoH. Attacked by Machin Shin, and surviving (since Bela really doesn't exist here), Bela merged partly with the Black Wind and obtained some of its powers and an attraction to Rand (transfered to the Black wind by Padan Fain). Following Rand, Bela enters the palace, but was distracted by a search for some good stiff Oat Brandy. Stumbling into Asmodean she sucked out his soul and disposed of the body inorder to protect her identity. <br /><br /><b>Difficulties</b><br /><br />The most difficult evidence to explain about this theory is that Asmodean knew his killer ( &quot;You, no&quot; ) . A reasonable assumption, though, is that Asmodean (having turned to the light) was in contact with the spirit of Narg. Since Narg was responsible for scaring Bela off in tEotW it is obvious that Asmodean would recognize Bela.  This theory has the additional advantage of explaining Bela's motive for killing Asmodean, revenge for Narg scaring her off!  It also explains why Asmodean didn't put up much of a fight. (He was following the way of the Coconut!) <br /><br /><b>The Evidence</b><br /><br />Bela has the means (through Machin Shin), the opportunity (through the waygate in Caemlyn), and the motive (revenge for Narg scaring her off and/or protecting the knowledge of her existance). In addition, Bela fits the criterion that it must be obvious (from RJs comments). Bela is the creator after all. Bela is at least as obvious as the rest of the contenders. (Greandal did it, yeah right!)<br /><br />I am not saying this is exactly how it happened but it is just as reasonable as any other theory out there. <br /><br /><br />Guardian of the Ways<br /><br /><br /></p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> LOL!  One thing, Padan Fain didn't get his &quot;powers&quot; from Machin Shin, but from Mordeth, the guy in Shadar Logoth.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-10-06 03:36:28
subject: Female:Male Relationships
body:
<p>We've all wondered about how things in Randland(odd that he doesn't name the planet or the major continent) work.  Some of the inhabitants question the same things.  Let's go back to Shadows Rising where Rand finds out what those goose pimples really mean.  And what do two of the loves of his life(Egwene and Elayne) find out.  NADA!  And they just weren't missing it as we learn from Rahvin's perspective in the opening chapter of The Fires of Heaven.  Women can not feel men channeling, but men can feel women. I wonder why.<br /><br />Then it came to me that the idea that I presented in &quot;Healing Severing by Sex and Other Related Topics&quot; could  help me to explain this.  The idea in the previous theory indicated that a man was connected to saidin by a conduit of saidar and vice-versa.  And as it has become clearer to me it is how these conduits interact that create some of the major differences that we see.<br />The interactions I will address are:<br /><br />1.Men's inabillity to sense each other when NOT channeling<br />2.Men's ability to sense each other when channelling<br />3.Women's ability to sense each other when NOT channeling<br />4.Women's ability to sense each other when channeling<br />5.Men's ability to sense women when they channel<br />6.*Men's ability to sense women when they don't channel*<br />7.Womens inability to sense men when they channel<br />8.Women's ability to link with each other<br />9.Women's ability to link with men<br />10.Men's inability to link with each other<br /><br />Before I can do that however I will have to explain the thinking behind my diagrams.  Saidin and Saidar are equal and opposite.  So what are their properties?<br /><br />Saidin is an agressive force.  It is chaotic and forceful and could also be described as repulsive.  Saidar is a passive force and absorbs energy directed against it.  When it reacts to a force it could be described as attractive.<br /><br />So what if we were to symbolize it, this is what we might produce<br /><br />Saidin alone =  &lt;-&gt;<br />Saidin reacting to a force =  (&lt;-&gt; ) stronger<br />Saidar alone =  ||<br />Sadar reacting to a force = -&gt;&lt;-<br /><br />So if we were to use these symbols to represent the state of a channelers conduit we would get something like this<br /><br />Man dormant Mo = ||,__,||<br />Man channel Mc = -&gt;&lt;-,(&lt;-&gt; ),-&gt;&lt;-<br />Woman dormant Wo = &lt;-&gt;,__,&lt;-&gt;<br />Woman channel Wc = (&lt;-&gt; ),-&gt;&lt;-,(&lt;-&gt; )<br /><br />Now how would these things react to one another.  Each instance would produce a unique reaction<br />1.Men's inabillity to sense each other when NOT channeling could be described using these symbols.<br /><br />||,__,|| + ||,__,||<br />   Mo    +    Mo<br /><br />Notice that the conduits of saidar don't react to one another because no force is acting upon them.  They are dormant.<br />2.Men's ability to sense each other when channelling<br /><br />-&gt;&lt;-,(&lt;-&gt; ),-&gt;&lt;- + -&gt;&lt;-,(&lt;-&gt; ),-&gt;&lt;-<br />       Mc        +       Mc<br />-&gt;&lt;-,(&lt;-&gt; ),-&gt;&lt;- + -&gt;&lt;-,_____,-&gt;&lt;-  **<br />       Mc        +       Mo<br /><br />Notice that in the first equation both men are channeling and their saidar conduits are pulling inward.  This cause a tension between the two conduits because saidar can not overpower saidar and they are both pulling on one another.  When the other man is not channeling his conduit reacts to the pull of the first conduit and pulls back(** minor flaw #1 The tension in the second equasion should alert the Mc if stated this way)(This flaw may not be a flaw it may be addressed by the Testing that Taim taught Rand) <br /><br />3.Women's ability to sense each other when NOT channeling<br /><br />&lt;-&gt;,__,&lt;-&gt; + &lt;-&gt;,__,&lt;-&gt;<br />    Wo     +     Wo<br /><br />Notice that the two conduits are naturally pushing outward, A womans awarness of another is the result of the pressure between the colliding energies.<br /><br />4.Women's ability to sense each other when channeling<br /><br />(&lt;-&gt; ),-&gt;&lt;-,(&lt;-&gt; ) + (&lt;-&gt; ),-&gt;&lt;-,(&lt;-&gt; )<br />        Wc         +         Wc<br />(&lt;-&gt; ),-&gt;&lt;-,(&lt;-&gt; ) + (&lt;-&gt; ),____,(&lt;-&gt; )<br />        Wc         +         Wo<br /><br />Notice in these to equations a women sensing another woman channeling is only a stonger sense of their awarness of each other.  This is why they have extra sensations, i.e. the nimbus of light &amp; ability to sense strength when not channeling.<br /><br />5.Men's ability to sense women when they channel<br />7.Womens inability to sense men when they channel<br /><br />(&lt;-&gt; ),-&gt;&lt;-,(&lt;-&gt; ) + -&gt;&lt;-,____,-&gt;&lt;-<br />        Wc         +       Mo<br />(&lt;-&gt; ),-&gt;&lt;-,(&lt;-&gt; ) + -&gt;&lt;-,(&lt;-&gt; ),-&gt;&lt;-<br />        Wc         +       Mc<br />(&lt;-&gt; ),____,(&lt;-&gt; ) + -&gt;&lt;-,(&lt;-&gt; ),-&gt;&lt;-  **<br />        Wo         +       Mc<br /><br />Notice in these equations the differnt ways that the conduits relate to one another.  In the first and second equation the male conduit feels the pressure of the females conduit and absorbs it.  In the second and equation the females conduit feels nothing because the males conduit is not releasing a force and so it feels nothing.<br /><br />6.*Men's ability to sense women when they don't channel*<br /><br />(&lt;-&gt; ),____,(&lt;-&gt; ) + -&gt;&lt;-,(&lt;-&gt; ),-&gt;&lt;-  **<br />        Wo         +       Mc<br /><br />(Major flaw #1)  Men are unable to sense dormant females.  Perhaps this too may be explained if a woman were to be tested the way Taim tested for the Ashaman, a man holding the Power while a woman is on the brink,(preparation for linking?)<br /><br />8.Women's ability to link with each other<br /><br />(&lt;-&gt; ),-&gt;&lt;-,(&lt;-&gt; ) + (&lt;-&gt; ),-&gt;&lt;-,(&lt;-&gt; )<br />        Wc         +         Wc<br />   (&lt;-&gt; ),-&gt;&lt;-,((&lt;&lt;L&gt;&gt; )),-&gt;&lt;-,(&lt;-&gt; )<br />           Wc      L       Wc<br /><br />This equation shows how two channeling women's conduits can push/slide past one another and form a link.<br /><br />9.Women's ability to link with men<br /><br />(&lt;-&gt; ),-&gt;&lt;-,(&lt;-&gt; ) + -&gt;&lt;-,(&lt;-&gt; ),-&gt;&lt;-<br />        Wc         +       Mc<br />    (&lt;-&gt; ),-&gt;&lt;-,(&lt;L&gt; )&lt;-,(&lt;-&gt; ),-&gt;&lt;-<br />            Wc    L       Mc<br /><br />Notice how the males conduit draws the females conduit in and creates the link<br /><br />10.Men's inability to link with each other<br /><br />-&gt;&lt;-,(&lt;-&gt; ),-&gt;&lt;- + -&gt;&lt;-,(&lt;-&gt; ),-&gt;&lt;-<br />       Mc        +       Mc<br />-&gt;&lt;-,(&lt;-&gt; ),-&gt;&lt;--NL--&gt;&lt;-,(&lt;-&gt; ),-&gt;&lt;-<br />       Mc       -NL-      Mc<br /><br />Notice in this equation that the same tension that makes them aware of one another is like a tug of war neither one of them can come closer to the other unless one side is weaker and saidar can not be stronger than itself.<br /><br />So with only two (semi-explainable) flaws I think this is a pretty good explanation of why certain interaction occur between channelers.<br />Thank you for reading it all, if you read it all and if not I hope you read enough to give me a thumbs up and your responses to my theory thank you. <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/smile.gif" border="0" /><br /><br />Oh yeah what do you do when you don't want a smiley,  All my equations were winking at me lol <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/smile.gif" border="0" /></p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> Can <i><b>anyone</b></i> understand this?<br /><br />And if so, could you explain it to me?<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-10-07 23:54:03
subject: Moridin is Ishamael, but NOT Ba'alzamon
body:
<p>First of all, let me say that I'm not totally convinced that this little theory is true, but I figure I should write it down anyway. After all, if we have all our bases covered we can say we were right when the series ends.<br /><br />Okay. First off, back in the prologue of the Eye of the World, Ishamael shows up to talk with Lews Therin. We know that this is the real Ishamael, because Lews Therin recognizes him. Now then, some points:<br />1)He is not afraid to speak the name of Shai'tan.<br />2)He uses the True Power for everything, including such trivial things as Traveling.<br />3)He wears all black with a bit of white lace at the neck.<br />Three simple points, yes?<br /><br />Now then, Moridin:<br />1)We don't know if he uses Shai'tan's name or not, but it doesn't matter.<br />2)He uses the True Power for everything, including and certainly not limited to such trivial things as Traveling.<br />3)He wears all black with a bit of white lace at the neck.<br /><br />Same guy, right? Yes. Of course he is. Ishamael is Moridin, there's no disputing it. But he is not Ba'alzamon.<br /><br />Consider:<br />1)Ba'alzamon never once says the name Shai'tan. Not once. When Rand is about to kill him in the Stone of Tear, he says &quot;Fool! You can never destroy the Great Lord of the Dark!&quot; He uses the same name for the Dark One that all the other Forsaken do. And I repeat, he never says the name Shai'tan.<br />2)As far as we can tell, he does not use the True Power. Rand is able to defeat him in a battle of the Power at the Eye of the World, and if Ba'alzamon was using the True Power, Rand should have had no defense against it. The only time Ba'alzamon uses the True Power was right at the end, when he makes a huge ball of darkness and victory shone in his eyes just before Rand strikes him with Callandor. He only uses the True Power &quot;in the last defense of his life.&quot; Just like all the other Forsaken.<br />3)He does not wear black, and he does not wear lace. He wears a blood-red cloak and a turban-type thing. He does not have Ishamael's fashion sense.<br />4)A new point. Ba'alzamon made liberal use of the World of Dreams. He confronts all three ta'varen there, and he always confronts Rand there. When threatened by Callandor, he flees into Tel'aran'rhiod. In fact, I think the only time we saw him NOT in the World of Dreams was when he attacked Rand in the Stone of Tear before Rand pulled Callandor. Moridin, so far as we have seen (I think), has made no use whatsoever of Tel'aran'rhiod. Why would he give up his favorite stomping grounds just because he got reborn? After all, he doesn't have to watch out for Lanfear or Moghedien anymore, right?<br /><br />It just doesn't add up. Ba'alzamon and Moridin seem like they must be two different people, not the same guy reborn. I believe that Robert Jordan has been playing us for fools when it comes to Ba'alzamon's identity.<br /><br />Yes, there are some things that don't add up in my favor. Like who else could Ba'alzamon have been? And then there was Loial's book quote that &quot;Ishamael and Ba'alzamon are one.&quot; I know I can't really explain these things. But can anyone else explain away the points I've made? Please try. I'd like some logical arguments to clear this muddle up.<br /><br />Also, I just thought of something else. Ba'alzamon controlled the Darkfriends, and he also controlled the Black Ajah. Moridin has shown no inclination to do either. He has let Mesaana take control of the Black Ajah (at least within the Tower). And as far as I know, no one at all is guiding the Darkfriends, as they have been doing nothing at all in the past few books.<br /><br />Tell me what you think.<br /></p><p><b>Vercingetorix says:</b> A very interesting and well-thought out theory.  I must admit I was sceptical at first, and still am, but it has gotten me thinking.  One major point I think that you missed is about the sa'a.  Moridin has it, as consistent with near constant use of the True Power.  Ba'alzamon's fire eye syndrome is generally thought of as a more advanced version of the sa'a.  Of course this could be completely wrong.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-10-11 17:21:40
subject: Moiraine and Doors
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<p>What did Moiraine ask for on the other side of that doorway, the one in tear? Was it about Tar'mon Gaidin? About Rand? About Thom? Well, through careful study and hours of burning the midnight oil, I have come across a few answers that may leave more questions than answers, but I hope it'll prompt people to think more on it and maybe reveal things that I missed.<br /><br />First, one must consider a few things. One, she would not risk asking about Rand or Tar'mon Gaidin, because that touches the shadow. Now, I don't know her exact questions but one I am sure about involves Thom. Recall their conversation in Deceptions, chapter 17 in The Shadow Rising...<br /><br />&quot; 'A quiet life would kill you, I think.' Sounding distinctly amused, she busied herself rearranging the folds of her skirt with small, slender hands. He had the impression she was hiding a smile. 'Tanchico will not, however. I guarantee that, and by the First Oath, you know it to be true.' &quot; page 278.<br /><br />Now, how does she know this for a fact? Ummmmm...<br /><br />&quot; 'If you go with Elayne and Nynaeve, I will give you the names of those Red sisters when I see you next, as well as the name of the one who gave them their orders. They did not act on their own. And I will see you again. You will survive Tarabon.' &quot; page 279.<br /><br />Well, from these I believe Moiraine knew for a fact that Thom would live, and that she would see him again. Now this is before the Rings of Rhuidean. So I believe Moiraine knew she would see Thom again, but she did not know that she would not be giving him the names in person. As for her question and how did it lead to her knowing this? Well, her question could be asking about Thom directly, the one she loves, or about who's in Thom's party, the girls Elayne and Nynaeve. So her first question was about their safety in Tanchico, which lead her to the information dealing with Thom.<br /><br />Now as for the next one, we can turn to chapter 21, page 350. It&#8217;s at the end of the Chapter, but the quote is too big to list, so I'll summarize for you the best I can. They&#8217;re walking down a corridor, Egwene, Moiraine, and Rand. Moiraine demands to be told where he is going, his reply is into the waste. She then starts out by saying he is not a clan chief and his battle is on this side of the dragonwall. Then she says a few things about his answers and misunderstanding them. Rand says to trust him, and she says she trusts him, now the interesting part. &quot;I will not let you go to the shadow. I have worked too long to allow that. Whatever it takes.&quot; She said this in her mind, and not aloud. But why throw it in at all? It makes little sense unless it's tied to the doorway. This question is foggy, but the answer she received must have been about some danger or consequence that may turn him to the shadow. I assume she asked a question that did not tie to the shadow, but the answer revealed something that might turn him, perhaps the bracelet in Tanchico, the one the black ajah was after. Of course, his assumption here is not the best, because I recall Moiraine saying that either Tanchico or the Tower would do them best, but Tanchico will do but the Tower would be best.<br /><br />Now onto the third and final question we must go sometime into the future, all the way into the Fires of Heaven, chapter 53, page 900, during Moiraine's Letter. &quot;I hope Egwene and Aviendha have survived unharmed. You see, I do not know what happens in the world after, except perhaps for one small thing which does not concern you.&quot; Ah, what doesn't concern him? Where did she learn it? Not in the rings for sure, because you live many lives in their, not afterlives. Thus that leaves intense study, unlikely, or the doorway. This brings me to the third question's answer. It was about some bit of information about the afterlife, as seen from the letter. Now, what prompted her to this answer? That is something I have not puzzled out completely yet. Maybe it is something to do with her being rescued or being brought back to life? She didn't really say good-bye in the letter. Maybe it was a piece of information that would allow her to return to life, maybe not? I think she learned there is a waiting period in the afterlife before your soul is reborn. I think it is in this waiting session that one's soul can be reclaimed, par se by the Dark One, examples being Aginor, Lanfear, Balthamel, and Ishameal.<br /><br />Where could these waiting souls be located that they can be returned? Well, the souls of the heroes of the horn are in the World of Dreams. Now we all know that Perrin and Egwene have dreams of the future, and that those dreams are connected to Tel'aran'rhiod. Also remember that the Aelfinn (the snakes) can read the future. I propose that their realm is somehow twisted, bent like Moiraine described it to Mat, around Tel'aran'rhiod, allowing them to see the futures of people by somehow taping into the World of Dreams, like Egwene and the wise ones do. Sorry, got off on a tangent, back to my original thought. Now with the souls of the heroes in Tel'aran'rhiod, would it not make sense also to have the waiting period between lives somewhere around the World of Dreams, or maybe in it perhaps (but I doubt that). With the waiting souls close to the World of Dreams it would make it an easier task to reach out and pick a few back, like the Dark One did.<br /><br />Now to go off on a tangent about Moiraine coming back...Three things support this. One is Min's viewing, &quot;What good to tell him (RAND) that he would almost certainly fail without a woman who was dead and gone.&quot; A Crown of Swords (696). There is also Egwene's infamous dream of Thom pulling Moiraine's jewel from a fire. And finally, Min's recollection of all her viewings coming true except one, from Moiraine. Crown of Swords page 700...&quot;Moiraine was the only viewing of hers that had ever failed.&quot; All these indicate that she will return to us, maybe stronger like Lanfear was weaker. In Winter's Heart Cyndane, LANFEAR, mentioned her imprisonment with the Aelfinn....<br /><br />Now most believe her to be in the clutches of the Eelfinn guys, nope. She's DEAD and in the after life! How do I know this for a fact? Well, that's simple. In the Stone she entered the doorway, and we never heard a mention of it having any effect on her bond. Now as she plunges into the twisted doorway with Lanfear she vanishes and supposedly enters the other realm. Now since the two worlds are the same, then Lan would still feel the bond. Now, if she died then the bond would transfer to another in the west. Of course, you could say maybe Lan didn't know the difference. There's a problem with that, because when Moiraine entered the doorway in Tear the bond didn't transfer then. Thusly, she did die on the other side of that world, shortly after she entered.<br /><br />Yet, how will she be brought back? Maybe by the Great Lord of Grave! A spy sent to gain Rand's confidence or some nonsense like that. Some faction captures her and Thom rescues her, but I doubt that this will occur. Or maybe Thom knows of someway of bringing her back to life. He did make that odd comment in the Eye of the World about the dead inhabiting the living's bodies! Yet, through all the speculation one could go as far to say that the Wise One's, or Egwene will find a way to bring her back! Or maybe she'll be brought back by the creator to aid the Lightfriends, Verin and the lot. Maybe? Maybe not?<br /><br />Well, thank you for reading this and trying to follow the warped logic, and please RIP IT TO SHREDS! No theory is good unless you can find flaws. Does RJ believe in Unicorns? Because I swear, in the Fire of Heaven, while Elayne and Nynaeve were practicing in the World of Dreams they were driven up a tree by a horse with one horn on its forehead. Or maybe it was in a later book, I can't remember. I do remember them arguing over whither or not the other created it. Perhaps there are spirits of fantastical creations living in the World of Dreams that wait there until called forth into the real world in some age? Maybe.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-10-12 18:37:22
subject: Tam and Morgase
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<p>Someone probably already posted this (because its so obvious) but I'm not reading through the entire list to check.<br /><br />tEotW: Rand is taken before Morgase. She decides to let him go, outlining her reasons why.  One is that she has heard Two Rivers speak before and from what she remembers Rand's accent is very similar.<br /><br />Where? When?<br /><br />Either she has been to the Two Rivers or met someone from there already.<br /><br />If she had been to the Two Rivers it cannot have been in an official capacity. She says, &quot;They scarcely remember to think that they are Andormen.&quot; or something along those lines. Then it must have been before she be came Queen or was involved in the succession. She was in the White Tower then so before that again. It might be possible that she visited the Two Rivers 20 years previously but I imagine that had she the appearance of a &quot;high born lady&quot; in the area would have caused quite a stir and would have been talked about for some time. Of course she could have only gone as far as Taren Ferry in which case news would be unlikely to reach Emond's Field.<br /><br />The only person that we know to have left Emond's Field in the 20+ years previous to tEotW is Tam. Assuming that someone had left Devons Ride in that time it would be known about by Emond's Fielders and possibly the same could apply to Watch Hill as well. This still leaves Taren Ferry (again - may be this isn't such a good theory after all), which I would imagine sees a lot of its people leaving the Two Rivers.<br /><br />The Aiel war began after Damodred (not sure about that name) married Morgase. He married her after he was sure she would become Queen of Andor, if she was not already, so I am assuming that she was Queen by the time the other nations of the earth (that&#8217;s what the people in the books call it - THE EARTH - I'm still waiting for someone to call it Randland) sent aid to Laman. Its very possible then that the Illian army would have made its way to Cairhien/Tar Valon via Caemlyn. Tam was the second highest ranking in the Illian army at some stage (not sure on what he was - second highest something anyway; see PoD) but Rand was still a baby when he returned to the Emond's Field so we can assume he left Illian shortly (no more than a year) after the end of the Aiel war. He would probably have held his high position in the Illian army during the Aiel war and in travelling through Caemlyn could have easily met Morgase.<br /><br />After all that, I bet you're waiting for something truly earth-shattering (there&#8217;s that word again), but no. As far as I can see it really is pointless, just a &quot;by the way - did you know....&quot;<br /><br />...except that Morgase doesn't tell Rand this. Most likely she forgot his name.</p><p><b>Burr says:</b> While there are many holes in our knowledge, I certainly wouldn't be surprised to find out that Tam had met Morgase at one time.<br /><br />But on that &quot;earth&quot; thing, Earth and the earth are not the same thing.  &quot;The earth&quot; refers just to the components of the ground (that is, any amount of dirt or rocks or such) or any amount of the ground viewed as a whole, while &quot;Earth&quot; refers to the entire planet, including the sea and the air and such.<br /><br />We can be certain that Randland has &quot;earth&quot; and &quot;the earth&quot; and would plausibly use phrases accordingly, even if it isn't on Earth, our planet.<br /><br />Moreover, whatever they call their ground (say, &quot;blargh,&quot; for kicks), then they would plausibly name their planet the same thing, as we have done.  And thus, Blargh, their planet, would plausibly be called &quot;Earth&quot; when translated to the English language.<br /><br />Therefore, while there are certainly several strong arguments that WoT takes place on Earth, I don't think that RJ's use of the term &quot;earth&quot; is one of them.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-10-12 18:51:13
subject: Killing a Gholam
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<p>A thought occurred to me while rereading Mat's battle with the gholam in aCoS about this formidable Shadowspawn's weakness. I do not believe that it was the power of Mat's Foxhead necklace to &quot;melt&quot; flows of saidar that injured the Gholam but the fact that it is silver. As Elayne said Saidar would not touch the Gholam but melted away much like Mats medallion, so why would an object with similar properties hurt it? I instead believe that the Gholam has a weakness to silver much like werewolves.<br /><br />I quote:<br />&quot;The man screamed. Smoke rose around the edges of the foxhead, and a sizzle like bacon frying...gingerly, Mat fingered the medallion. It was cool. Not the cool of someone channeling nearby--maybe they were still at it down below, but that was too far off--just the cool of silver&quot;<br /><br />&quot;The fellows smile faded. Watching the flashing foxhead warily, he backed away on his toes. The same light that glittered on the whirling silver....&quot;<br /><br />aCoS, Six Stories, pp 770-771<br /><br />After all, we know that there is no weave keeping the Gholam alive, or animated, as it was found in a stasis box and there was no one to keep up such a weave for the 3000+ years since the breaking, another point against the Ter'angreal property harming it.</p><p><b>Burr says:</b> You make a good point with the two references to silver in that point.  On the other hand, you seem to assume that the foxhead must use the power in order to have been given special properties by it.  Would ordinary silver stop channeling?  Maybe, but I doubt it.  Of course, the foxhead doesn't need to be &quot;ordinary&quot; for a more ordinary aspect of it to have harmed the gholam.  The foxhead may some special qualities without those qualities much to do with that particular effect.  Maybe it was the &quot;silver&quot; that did the trick.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-10-13 03:04:57
subject: Theory of the Pattern
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<p>I've tried to ponder how the pattern works, in relation to special abilities involving the pattern such as being Ta'veren, Min's viewings, foretelling, and dreaming.  My theory is similar to how it is explained in the book, I've just tried to expand on it.<br /><br />Of Fate/The Pattern:<br />This theory is based on the following facts and/or assumptions.<br />1. The Pattern is simply RJ's way expressing the concept of fate, hereafter only referred to simply as fate.<br />2. For the wheel to spin and repeat fate must be fixed for each turning.<br />3. Some people have the ability to glimpse others fate, such as Min.<br /><br />Quite simply fate can be expressed in terms of cause and effect.  With free will being the cause and fate the effect.  Only significant events are fated to happen, these events have many, perhaps millions of tiny events leading to it in a chain of sorts.  Using free will it is possible to altar these small events and thus change the 'cause' of the effect.  However no matter what you do the effect will occur; only the cause can be altered.<br /><br />Various people have different fates.  Some are destined for truly great things.  Those who have great events in their destiny are Ta'veren like Rand, Mat and Perrin.  Others with a lesser fate often are people of power such as Nobles, Aes Sedai, and warders.  <br /><br />People who are Ta'veren often have such strong fates they could be described as impossible.  Who would think a simple sheep herder(Rand) from the two rivers could end up ruling most of the known world.  Because their fate is so strong and improbable it requires other major events to precede them.  I like to think of these as super events. Normally a major event is preceded by tiny insignificant events that occur according to free will to form the cause of a major event.  However with super events these lesser causes are themselves major events.  This causes seemingly minor events that would normally be left to free will to fixed in fate to happen.  This explains the so-called Ta'veren influence on those around them.  <br /><br />I should also state objects can have fates just a powerful as any person, Dice when they are near Mat is a perfect example of items fate being twisted.  Mat is fated to win those the cause of his winning is the dice coming up in his favor.  Normally a roll of dice is very insignificant and left to free will(chance).  However his ability to win is a super event and the dice coming up with him as a winner then becomes a major event fated to happen.<br /><br />Some people can sense what a persons fate is.  Most who can do this can simply sense Ta'veren, without telling what their specific fate is.  Others who have a unique gift such as Min can actually see a person's fate.  Everything she sees is the effect of a event, she never sees the cause of an event, only that said event will take place.  She can't see the causes because they are not part of fate, only the effects.  She can only see events which are fated and destined to be repeated every turning of the wheel.  Lesser events are simply links in the chain leading to a major event, and thus subject to change with free will in each turning of the wheel.<br /><br />Foretelling and Dreaming is very similar to Min's ability.  Only instead of the images of the effects of events being displayed next to the person they see the effects take shape within the dream or in the verse of the foretelling.<br /></p><p><b>Roonas says:</b> Interesting to say the least ... I like the work you put into this expounding on the possibility of RJ's mythology and the inner meanings of the wheel and such.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-10-13 03:11:48
subject: Moraine is neither dead nor stilled
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<p>Most theories regarding Moraine's status suggest that she is either dead or stilled, with the severing of Lan's bond as proof that one of these must have happened.  I suggest that Moraine passed the bond before attacking Lanfear.<br /><br />She crawled out from under the wagon and looked at Lan &quot;twitching, perhaps trying to find the strength to rise, perhaps dying.  She forced him out of her mind ... Now he must live or die without her (Fires of Heaven p.892).&quot;<br /><br />I think that &quot;forcing him out of her mind&quot; is the passing of the bond.  Lan was likely incoherent at the time and thus wouldn't notice.  <br /><br />Admittedly, this could be reading a lot into an innocuous statement; but, RJ has slid other things through under our noses plenty of times before.</p><p><b>Roonas says:</b> Very interesting! Seems quite possible to me, and would eleviate a dreading of mine that Moiraine will come back stilled, and therefore, not as powerful as she was before she left. She was (is) one of my favorite characters, so I would greatly love for this theory to be true!  I just hope RJ thinks about the out you have just shown us here before he writes her back into the story <img src="http://www.msu.edu/~mackertm/wotmania/images/biggrin.gif" border="0" /> !<br /><br /><br /> </p>


created: 2001-10-18 02:46:31
subject: Weiramon is Demandred
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<p>This post will be a quicky seeing as my last two were excommunicated from the WOT board. First, I'd like to state that Taim is Not Demandred!!! I don't know why everyone won't give that up. The proof is in the pudding. <br /><br />1.Taim and Demandred both give orders to kill Rand, why the hell would he repeat himself.  <br /><br />2. Taim knows of Dashiva, proving he's a darkfriend but, no two Chosen are going to occupy the same space. <br /><br />3. Demandred works through proxies. Many have taken this to mean that Taim could be his proxy but, I think it is Masema and the whitecloaks who are those proxies. think about it, Seanchan meeting Masema, we know Demandred and Semirhage were working together. Plus, Demandred met with Carridin before he was killed. Now this chaos has gone on in the Great lords name and Grandael says it stinks of Demandred so...<br /> <br />Now on to Wieramon. As someone so astutely pointed out, Demandred hated LTT and there is no way he's going to be that same underling again. He needs to be someone that is involved but not always being watched and controlled by Rand. <br /><br />What do we know about Wieramon? Well, he had the audacity to ignore Rand on a couple of occasions. Once, while heading for Tear and again when attacking the hillforts of Illian. NO OTHER NOBLE DISOBEYS RAND. All the Tiaren's practically &quot;soil themselves&quot; when they think Rand is displeased. they all cringe whenever he gets pissed so disobeying him would take stupidity...or strength. <br /><br />It's the perfect disguise. Rand thinks Wieramon is stupid so he lets him kind of do whatever because 'it's only Wieramon.' He's the only kind-of main character who's politics we're not familiar with. He never has any stains on him from mud or battle though he charges in everywhere. The last time little things like this were mentioned was when Lanfear was disguised as that fat chick back in the waste, small details count huge.<br /><br />I was thinking of proof against Wieramon/Demandred and I came up with a couple of things. First, Bel'al was in Tear so why would Demandred go there? I think Demandred came after Bel'al's death. No one mentioned high lord Wieramon until after all the drama unfolded at the stone. <br /><br />Secondly, the time that Rand tells Wieramon that he &quot;won't be leading anybody&quot; in battle and Rand thinks Wieramon gets scared. I think Rand is full of himself because all the other Tairen's kiss his butt. I propose that Wieramon goes still because he's trying to keep his anger in check and not blow his cover. <br /><br />Final point of emphasis. Wieramon has the freedom and the time to travel around and meet with all the other Chosen to set up his real plans. Wieramon is the ultimate cover because nothing he does draws any attention whatsoever.That is how we are told Demandred likes to operate. He still gets to &quot;duke it out&quot; and be a general leading forces(like he was in the AoL) but not at the expense of his cover. Rand actually keeps him in the thick of things hoping he'll get picked off. <br /><br />Last but not least, Wieramon gets waaaay to much coverage to not be more significant than just some shmuck bootlicking around Rand. That's it, I guess it wasn't short but I will put money down that he's the guy. The book ten section is the bomb by the way, keep up the good work!</p><p><b>Raserei says:</b> But....Weiramon is a puffed up man full of hot air.  I don't think Demandred could pull off the total ignorance Weiramon shows.<br /><br /><br /> </p>


