Slayer killing rand's dad

[Sabio]

We know Slayer is the top assassin for the DO and his services are in demand.  We also know thanks to the companion that Slayer killed Rand's father when he went to the blight.  My question is that it seems unlikely Slayer (given his skills and abilities) roams about the blight with Trollocs looking for fights.  So how did Slayer just happen to be there to kill Rand's dad?  Seems unlikely Slayer knew he was the father of the dragon reborn, but also would seem a bit odd Slayer roaming about with Trollocs and needlessly risking himself picking fights with Aiel. 

Edited August 1, 2018 by Sabio

[wotfan4472]

He was Luc. In many ways, it was Luc killing Janduin because he failed to look after his sister. The Shadow had no idea of Rand yet being the Dragon Reborn, and that he was Luc's nephew. He knew to go there because he was probably sent, maybe by Ishamael.

[Orderofolde]

His dad went there to die like the male channelers discovered among the Aiel.  After Rand's mom dies he loses himself, blames himself for not denying her, doesn't know where the child went.  After that, in his eyes it was the honorable thing to do.  I don't think that Luc vowed anything or much cared about his sister.  Luc loves to hunt, and we see in the Two Rivers that he hunts the Shadow's creatures as much as he does any other.  It was likely all prophesied, and meant to happen though that was only a mention for us to puzzle out, him being a man with a face of his dead love whom he couldn't raise a weapon to.  Otherwise he probably would have killed Slayer or scared him into T'A'R because Slayer is a bully and likes easy kills.  An Aiel Chief or soon to be chief out for blood, wanting to take as many of the shadow with him before he gets it?  My money's on the Aiel.

[Sabio]

He likes to hunt but you don't see him taking needless chances which is why the thought of him running around with trollocs in the blight to fight some Aiel just seems odd.  One spear and the Shadow's best assassin is dead.

[Wulf]

It was also a long time ago.

 

Is there any suggestion that he's always been a prominent assassin?

 

Maybe in his younger days he'd be all "Whatever, you're not even my real dad Great Lord, I'm going out with Narg 'n the gang to impress all the Trolladies."

 

One things leads to another, yada yada, next thing you know you're surrounded by a bunch of corpses and you've discovered a new hobby.

[Sabio]

It was said  in the series his talents were always in demand but only the forsaken could ever demand he do anything.  You saw throughout the series how his abilities made him really important.  He killed the greyman in the tower, the BA in Tear, the wrong couple in their sleep. etc.  It's why his ability to jump in and out of the World of Dreams was so valuable.  He was so unique he escaped punishment for the failure to kill Perin and Gren took all the blame.  He just doesn't seem like the run with Trollocs type.

[Caroline]

I always wondered how Amys knew the way Janduin died. Could there have been any witnesses?

[Sabio]

They mentioned some go to the blight, maidens etc to fight trollocs.  So I took it as Janduin went with a group and died, and the survivors came back and told the tale.  I see it like a raid, he went up there to die but most aren't going there to die, just to fight some trollocs and return,

[Caroline]

That's far more plausible than my far-fetched "an Aiel dreamwalker interpreted it from a dream" theory. ? Thanks!

[DemandredFO]

Slayer seems like a missed opportunity, I mean he can enter TAR in the flesh, he's related to Rand and Lan but TAR is the only skill set every used. I also wish we knew how and why he was made.

[Caroline]

11 hours ago, DemandredFO said:

Slayer seems like a missed opportunity, I mean he can enter TAR in the flesh, he's related to Rand and Lan but TAR is the only skill set every used. I also wish we knew how and why he was made.

I couldn't agree more. If I had to vote for characters we could get more back story on, Slayer would be way up there. Growing up in the Town, meeting Luc, ... It wouldn't be an uplifting story, but definitely an interesting one.

My boyfriend is finally reading WoT, after years of me nagging him to do so. He's currently reading TSR, and is intrigued by Slayer. I'm a bit sad that most of his questions won't really get answered at all.

[Sabio]

His big ability isn't simply entering TAR in the flesh, its. he can enter TAR whenever he wants to without channeling.  Something he pointed out that even the Forsaken couldn't do.  The dreamspikes wouldn't of kept him trapped.  He could leave TAR and not set off wards for channeling etc.   It's a powerful ability.

 

I agree I would of liked to know about why Luc was told he had to go to the blight, why he was captured, and what happened to him.  Isam would of been interesting to learn about.

[DemandredFO]

I didn't mean to minimize his TAR ability, it's just that not using the fact that your bad guy is related to two of the most important good guys seems off. Like the one time Nyneave accidentally ran across Slayer as Isam, it really messed with her head. If he's in TV show maybe they'll use him more.

[jsbrads]

Much like Tigraine had to go to the Aiel Waste, Luc had to go to the blight.

the alternative would have been far less pleasant to both and to everyone else around them.

If Tigraine hadn’t gone to the Aiel, the Aiel would have come to her. Or she would have been kidnapped in some plot and tried to be sold in Shara, only to be captured by the Aiel...

If Luc hadn’t gone, trollocs may have invaded south and keeping him for a later snack which never happened...

[Sabio]

I don't think it works like that, she had to willingly go to the waste and be a maiden, not be kidnapped.  If for some reason the Aiel captured her they would hardly let her join the Maidens.  Also the Aiel had no idea she was important, there were no visions to wiseones about the chosen ones future mom is on the way.  So there was no backup plan, had she of not gone then disaster would come to Andor.

 

The question is why was Luc needed to go to the blight?  It basicly seems like he had to die simply for a succession to happen and Morgase take the throne.  His dying created slayer which wasn't important, without Slayer everything would still of proceeded as normal, he wasn't needed.  So seems like Luc simply needed to be sacrificed so the right people could take the throne.

Edited August 27, 2019 by Sabio

[MasterAblar]

22 hours ago, Sabio said:

I don't think it works like that, she had to willingly go to the waste and be a maiden, not be kidnapped.  If for some reason the Aiel captured her they would hardly let her join the Maidens.  Also the Aiel had no idea she was important, there were no visions to wiseones about the chosen ones future mom is on the way.  So there was no backup plan, had she of not gone then disaster would come to Andor.

 

The question is why was Luc needed to go to the blight?  It basicly seems like he had to die simply for a succession to happen and Morgase take the throne.  His dying created slayer which wasn't important, without Slayer everything would still of proceeded as normal, he wasn't needed.  So seems like Luc simply needed to be sacrificed so the right people could take the throne.

 

That or Slayer needed to exist to be an adversary for Perrin so he would become strong enough in the dream to do everything he needed to do, including killing Lanfear at the end.

[Sabio]

His love for Faile allowed him to withstand her compulsion.  Slayer to me is one of those people who if they were taken out of the series would they be missed or impact much.  Honestly it would of made more sense had Elays done more training with Perin.  Maybe it would of shortened his fear of  the wolf dream story arc by a few books.

[jsbrads]

Prophecy means fate that can’t be stepped aside. If Tigraine was kidnapped by friends of her husband, and he took the throne, leading to disaster in Andor while Tigraine would have played a similar arc to Morgase... stay away to stay alive. Freed by the Aiel from her kidnappers and no way to return, she joins the Maidens, births Rand on Dragonmount...

Or she waits until Laman’s Sin, the fighting goes thru Andor instead, she ends up leading an army against the Aiel, gets captured, falls in love with Janduin, refuses to leave him, he doesn’t know what to do, in a moment of weakness he falls for her too, the fighting continues all the way to Dragonmount where she is lost on the mountain, shortly after joining the Maidens. 

[Sabio]

Yes it can be sidestepped, remember Mats message if he didn't go to the waste,  He would sidestep fate and die.  There was no backup plan.  Tigraine was told if she didn't go to the waste doom would come to Andor.  The Aiel had no idea ho she was or who she was going to be, had for some reason they of captured her she would of just of been another wetlander.  What if she had stayed in Andor and was assassinated or killed?  Tigraine, needed to go to the waste to become a maiden and have the time to be accepted by the Aiel.  Had she simply of been a wetlander Janduin decided he liked, she never would of bene accepted by the aiel.  People like Rand had no safety net, had he one day decided to jump off a cliff he wouldn't of been saved because of prophecy.  

[nsmallw]

My question is regarding Luc. Gitara sent him to find his fortune in the Blight and he went willingly. 

So I'm wondering what people take from this about his personality.  Did he willingly merge with Isam or was he forced? I would really like to have had more details in the books about those kind of details. 

I'm a huge fan of the history of Rand's family and this aspect has always intrigued me. 

Thanks for any insights anyone may have.