Veins of Gold before TGS?

[The Gambler Matrim]

How do you think the series would of changed had Rand had his Veins of Gold moment prior to when he actually did? At any given point in the series?

[Zorlon]

Alright, I'll tackle this first. Let's say he has it after TGH but prior to the start of TDR.

 

Well in that case forget Tear, he warps right over to Rhuidean to pick up the CK.

 

"But Zorlon", you might be protesting, "how would he know they are there?" 

 

Well simple, there was a moment when the memories of all his previous lives were laid bare to him. He knows how this rodeo goes and that the former servants of the wizards will ever be the best bet for the ones entrusted with the high level artifacts, and too just from LTT he knows enough to guess who the Aiel used to be.

 

But you are part right, he wouldn't know Rhuidean specifically, so I guess first he'd wrap to the Waste and find a random bloke to tell "Yo, I'm da Dragon, Yall call me Carycar. Now take me to your leaders"

 

Then he tells the chiefs and wise ones the same thing, adding that he is the last real Aes Sedai alive, and tells them to show him where they stash the good stuff. And yes, of course he would have enough sense to be properly polite as he goes about this.

 

At that point, with the both the CK and enough Aiel channelers(plus Moist Rain) to form a large circle I imagine he has a lot of options open to him and only three things he really ought do, but can afford to do in any order.

 

1: Scour the Blight clean of life.

 

2: Cleanse Saiden.

 

3: Pop over to the White Tower, with a dual CK wielding circle as entourage, and tell Sanche "Yo, I'm the Dragydrag, yall be my buddies now cause we got a Battle to win and Ima need your help, but don't worry I dunn fixed it so we get to play on easy mode.  Also, get off my fancy chair. I'm the Tamyrlin, my claim predates yours by 3k years. I'm the boss now"

 

And of course he can now take Excalibur(yeah I said it, we all know what the inspiration was) at his leasure and there ain't much anyone can do about it.

 

Sheeoot, with as much experience as 400 YO Lewy had, and whatever residual remained from the moment he knew all his lives, he might even have the sense to pop over to Shara to see what's popping. Might end up being their fancy Wyld man as well as The Dragon. Almost makes one wonder how dual channeling through Excalibur in one hand and that Shara artifact in the other(not being cute, I genuinely forget its name) would compare to what could be pulled through the CK. Wait, can they be dual weilded?

 

Only real problem is how might he deal with the Bore without being linked to Ish? Might there be another way to close the hole, or is the best the Light can hope for in this scenario only a partial victory after a relatively easily won Last Battle?

[The Gambler Matrim]

I think him being linked it Ish would if happened eventually. Through whatever happenstance. Call it "destiny". It would definitely be interesting to see his encounters with the rest of the Forsaken!

[The Gambler Matrim]

Especially Lanfear!

[DemandredFO]

I doubt Veins of Gold would have happened before TGS but condensing books 7-11 might've meant changes. With the TV show now, there will be those changes and many, many more

[The Gambler Matrim]

4 hours ago, DemandredFO said:

I doubt Veins of Gold would have happened before TGS but condensing books 7-11 might've meant changes. With the TV show now, there will be those changes and many, many more

I doubt it would have either. This is just a "what if" question.

[Jaglover]

Thematically Rand needs to be at his nadir before he can have his epiphany. So it cannot really happen before LOC. It could be brought forward after then its true, but then so could many things and as a result I imagine the show will condense those books down.

 

On a reread at the moment and it is amazing how many of the elements, that are going to stay roughly the same for the next five books, are all in place by the end of LOC.