Floating steps and Aginor's defense in TEotW... T'A'R?

[Kahsm]

I'm skeptical of believing this is new, theories rarely are. So if this is discussed elsewhere please just point. I did a quick forum and google search but found nothing similar. Just finished TEotW once again but in Audio book form. I heard they were particularly good, and they have been so far. But I had this thought:

 

At the very end of TEotW there's the floating steps that rand ascends to a floating doorway that he explodes on touch to enter Issy's room. The same room (I believe) that some of their dreams took place in. Floating staircase seemed odd, don't see anything like that. You can't lift yourself with the OP, even standing on something. I suppose you could stand on something if you tied it off, but these rose in front and fell behind as Rand ascended them.

 

Also, when Moir attacks Aginor it's described as the ground opened benieth him and fire coming out. But that Aginor stood on the empty air taking slow steps forward. If a channeler cannot fly or lift himself, Aginor could be willing TAR by denying the hole int he ground and the flames. Aginor is not known to be particularly good in TAR so he's apprehensive, which is why his progress out of Moir's attack is described like he's walking slowly (I would suggest extremely purposefully).

 

That would suggest that by entering the green space around The Eye, they had entered TAR in the flesh (since they were not asleep). Which would also explain why it is often not found at all by those who seek it.

[Superhal]

Yep, the idea of "need" is linked to both the Eye and TAR. Also, in ToM or tGS or thereabouts, Rand goes to the same room and meets Moridin, which is clearly in TAR, and they chat. I believe the stair thing is a rough-draft form of how TAR works, much like how everything in tEotW is rougher and less refined than what comes after.

[Didgya]

Rand made a invisible platform for him and Min when they boarded the Sea Folk ship,in LOC I think, he said he knew he could only make it only so long before it failed completely. If Rand can so could a Forsaken, and Aginor might be especially talented in that area. Most likely it just fits the story and shows the awsome power of the Forsaken over our established (in the EoTW) powerful Aie Sedia, Moiraine. (spelling sucks)

[Cybertrolloc]

As theories go, just fine. As far as originality, I'm sure it wouldn't take long to find Mat actually died in ACoS and was replaced by Demandred/Narg/whoever theories if you really tried :)

 

To echo Toy'varen, um, that. Things One Power/metaphysical firm up more in books 4 and 5 and things before that are really uneven or just dropped/changed, unless the reprints have a great deal more changes than I'm aware of :)

[Superhal]

Yeah the black thread thing was lame, I'm glad they dropped it. Otherwise instead of learning sword forms he would just make a pair of scissors out of saidin...heron-marked scissors. :D

[spoke]

At the very end of TEotW there's the floating steps that rand ascends to a floating doorway that he explodes on touch to enter Issy's room. The same room (I believe) that some of their dreams took place in. Floating staircase seemed odd, don't see anything like that. You can't lift yourself with the OP, even standing on something. I suppose you could stand on something if you tied it off, but these rose in front and fell behind as Rand ascended them.

 

Rand was skimming -- see the shadow Rising where Rand chases Asmodean down in the skimming place, he was running on steps just like this. It was just so new to him, that he did not really understand what he was doing.

 

Also, when Moir attacks Aginor it's described as the ground opened benieth him and fire coming out. But that Aginor stood on the empty air taking slow steps forward. If a channeler cannot fly or lift himself, Aginor could be willing TAR by denying the hole int he ground and the flames. Aginor is not known to be particularly good in TAR so he's apprehensive, which is why his progress out of Moir's attack is described like he's walking slowly (I would suggest extremely purposefully).

 

This is from the point of view of those who do not know how to channel. Similarly, when the air on the ground is very hot compared to air above it, there appears a mirage. This could explain the floating on air thing as well as a hundred different ideas, but needless to say, there are a lot of minor details that were purposefully left confusing about this ending scene in TEOTW.

 

That would suggest that by entering the green space around The Eye, they had entered TAR in the flesh (since they were not asleep). Which would also explain why it is often not found at all by those who seek it.

 

Whether he entered TAR to get in the Eye, there are several places that have similar properties to TAR. There is the Skimming place, vacuoles, the Pit of Dhoom, etc... So it doesn't have to be specifically TAR, but it could be a similar place under similar rules.