The Sword of Light

[Luckers]

I have several problems with this 'Devine Power'.

 

1) as Smoosh said its too late in the book to introduce that idea. It would simply be impractical for RJ.

 

2) Rand has spent MASSIVE portions of the book making Saidin usable. The time and energy devoted to accepting the ability to channel saidin, learning to, gathering the Asha'men and cleansing saidin is massive. To introduce a concept like the Devine Power this late in the book would massively, if not completely invalidate all of that. A majority of the events in the books made pointless by a single event in the last book.

 

3) i think the liking of it comes from a desire for Rand to be special. I remember when the Asha'men first appeared feeling disapointed because Rand was suddenly less cool. The same for Nynaeve and all that when others of equal or greater strength in the power appeared... but i think this is a theme RJ is intentionally weaving into the series. Characters are made to be great not because of strength of power, but strength of character. He constantly mocks those who judge strength of power to be important, as evidenced by the way he treats the Aes Sedai Hierarchy. I think therefore any idea of Rand gaining special access to a Devine Power is in complete oposition of RJ's style.

 

4) I do not think the Creator was ever meant to be divine. In fact that would be another theme RJ would seem to be working with. No one is inherently right, or rightous, and i doubt he would go back on it by having a divine being validate Rand. Part of Rand's character... the biggest part... is that he is not devine.. or even all that good.

 

Altogether i find the divine power argument unlikely.

[dega]

The sword of light is what Rand used to cut or sever the ties that allowed a male forsaken to channel the source safely. He used it on Ishamael in the first book an on Asmodean in the fourth.

[Agelace]

Bless you, Dega! I just started going over this thread and was wondering if anyone would say something. Rand uses his "Sword of Light" to cut Asmodean off from the DO. It cuts those black wires he sees connected to the forsaken. It leads me to wonder if the Dragon is the only one able to see them (He doesn't see them on any other forsaken, however, so it might be by chance), and what would happen if he started jabbing that thing around Shayol Ghul. Maybe even see its effect on Shaidar Harran. It obviously has some exclusive anti DO/TP deal going on. Anyways, RJ can bring it back without it being too stale.

[Allanon]

by part of the description in book 1 it almost sounds like it could be a sword made of balefire. but that doesn't sound right either. Since the effects were differant when it shot the bolt of white light. But there are similarities.

[padainfain]

If the fire that shot out of the sword WAS balefire then ishy would be whisked out of the pattern. Therefore the sword wouldnt have been balefire either. I think it was just a basic yet complex form of his fire sword, using pure OP (all 5 powers) instead of just fire. He called it a sword of the light because he had no idea he was even channelling yet until it all hit him AFTER the battle when he's explaining it to moirane.

[Allanon]

If the fire that shot out of the sword WAS balefire then ishy would be whisked out of the pattern. Therefore the sword wouldnt have been balefire either. I think it was just a basic yet complex form of his fire sword' date=' using pure OP (all 5 powers) instead of just fire. He called it a sword of the light because he had no idea he was even channelling yet until it all hit him AFTER the battle when he's explaining it to moirane.[/quote']

 

yup that was the effect that didn't quite fit that I was talking about being burned out of the pattern. but when I listened to the end of TEOTW after reading this thread it made me think on it a bit. The similarity I was talking about was mostly the way it was described. Now that I think about it what color is the hottest flame? White isn't it? But can fire be shot as a beam? the closest thing I can think of would be rand trying to create a lightsaber but lost control of it. lol Use the force Rand.

[TheDiceAgain...]

I'm not sure if pure flame can be shot as a coherent beam, but light certainly can be, it's called a *quotation fingers* LASER.

 

You might also be able to do this with plasma as well if you put enough pressure behind it. If you get a gas hot enough the molecules become ionized and it begins to flow like a liquid. Put a liquid or a plasma in a confined space with enough pressure behind it and it comes out as a coherent beam, at least until something it can't burn or bore thorugh gets in the way.

 

Sorry for the obscure Austin Powers reference, but I just couldn't let it pass...

[padainfain]

Thats ok, Austin Powers is old skool so obscure refrences will be tolerated somewhat, lol.

Maybe it was just a random gush of literal white hot fire that rand subconsciously (or maybe Lews Therrin, think about it...) Formed into a bar using none other than air, for accuracy and fully sick factors naturally.

Our good old versatile air that even though is tagged the least useful power by some so called Aes Sedai is used in HEAPS of weaves, namely most of the cool one's -incidentially.

[RobertAlexWillis]

Remember that every time we see the "Sword of Light" it is filtered through Rand al'Thor's POV, and half the time (especially in the early books, and we don't see it after he acquires Asmodean for a teacher) he doesn't know what he's doing with the Power. My guess is that it's just a weave that severs male channelers from the Dark One, and that he envisions it in the form of a sword.

[dreago]

Not really the same topic but, what would happen with Callandor(spelling?) and Rand sword of Fire in the same hand?

 

Flaming Callandor?

[RobertAlexWillis]

Nothing, the swords of fire and Light are the effects of channeling, neither would harm Callandor (which split balefire, if you remember).

[dreago]

yes i remember, but was aiming toward the look of the sword and/or possible abilities.

still, it would be cool to have a flaming Callandor. :twisted:

[Allanon]

yes i remember' date=' but was aiming toward the look of the sword and/or possible abilities.

still, it would be cool to have a flaming Callandor. :twisted:[/quote']

 

It would make an interesting disco ball I imagine. You know set up the light show and get a few girls doing the sa'sara.

[BetrayerofHope]

Bless you' date=' Dega! I just started going over this thread and was wondering if anyone would say something. Rand uses his "Sword of Light" to cut Asmodean off from the DO. It cuts those black wires he sees connected to the forsaken. It leads me to wonder if the Dragon is the only one able to see them (He doesn't see them on any other forsaken, however, so it might be by chance), and what would happen if he started jabbing that thing around Shayol Ghul. Maybe even see its effect on Shaidar Harran. It obviously has some exclusive anti DO/TP deal going on. Anyways, RJ can bring it back without it being too stale.[/quote']

 

Actually, Rand doesn't see the cords around Asmodean when he cuts them off, he imagines where he saw them around Ishamael during the last fight in the reflection of the stone of Tear.

 

I believe that Rand can only see the lines connected to the Chosen when he is in TAR, which although vague, is arguably where he was during his confrontation with Ishamael in book one as well.

[dreago]

quote

Actually, Rand doesn't see the cords around Asmodean when he cuts them off, he imagines where he saw them around Ishamael during the last fight in the reflection of the stone of Tear.

 

I believe that Rand can only see the lines connected to the Chosen when he is in TAR, which although vague, is arguably where he was during his confrontation with Ishamael in book one as well.

 

Actually he sees them on Asmodean in the Skimming zone, before they get to Rhuidean