Rand's sickness

[Pe Ell]

I was listening to some of the older podcasts last night and I noticed that everyone seems to believe that Rand's dizziness and double vision and all that when he siezes/ releases Saidin is related to prolonged exposure to the taint.  I have a different idea.

 

The dizziness is a result of the meeting of balefire in CoS.  If you think about it, it all makes sense.  The taint drives men mad, not sick.  Sickness is not a precursor to insanity.  Also, and more importantly, think of the effects of balefire itself.  It erases things in the pattern BEFORE they die.  If a weave was balefired, then the weave would've ceased to exist before it was struck.  Balefired strongly enough, it would cease to exist before the Source was grasped.  This would effectively rip the Source out of someone as if they hadn't been holding it.  The sudden, abrupt, and probably violent change would certainly be enough to shake anyone up.  Usually when grasped or released the Source gradually fills/drains out of the person.  Since the weave that was balefired was balefire, this effect would be repeated in both channelers.  If you recall Rand saw Moridin grasping his head in his hands immediately after the balefires met.

 

Where my theory admittedly becomes a bit shaky is explaining the sickness afterwards.  Quite possibly the ripping out of the Source caused some permanent error in Rand's channeling, to where either the introduction or removal of the Source is harmful to his system because of how violent and sudden he was separated from the Source when the balefires crossed.  The suddenness/violence could've permanently... not damaged, but changed, his grasping/releasing of the Source.

 

Tell me what you think.

[Dionysus]

That is the general consensus.

 

They must have been pretty old podcasts - pre-KOD - cause it's pretty much been confirmed now that Rand and Moridin are merging because of the balefire streams.  Moridin is feeling the same sickness as Rand is.

[Ealdur Tinuviel]

Which is why, it should be noted, that Moridin seems to have totally abandoned the OP and is using the True Power exclusively.

 

Also, when Rand tries to seize saidin, Moridin gets sick, and when Moridin tries to do likewise, Rand gets ill.

[Pe Ell]

Well my theory was not that the balefire caused the link, the theory part was the thing about the abrupt removal of Saidin causing the sickness.

 

Where is the part about each getting sick when the other uses the Power?

[Guest cwestervelt]

Moridin almost exclusive use of the True Source is because of its adictive nature.  He had already been using it heavily in his previous incarnation as Ba'alzamom.  Well before Rand started suffering the diziness.  That was why he had flaming eyes and mouth which is a later state of the Saa.

[Ealdur Tinuviel]

Well, that is true.

 

However, he is using it completely exclusively, whereas before, he may have been using the OP sometimes in order to slow the effects of the saa.

 

Where is the part about each getting sick when the other uses the Power?

 

Well, it isn't explicity said, but we can infer that this is what happens. I believe, in KoD, Rand gets dizzy for no apparent reason, and sees the face of Moridin in his head. So that would lead me to believe that is how the link works.

[Luckers]

Where is the part about each getting sick when the other uses the Power?

 

It's the combination of two distinct incidents. In Winter's Heart Rand feels the sickness without drawing on saidin, and sees a blury image of a face. In KoD Rand draws on saidin and finally sees the face clearly as Moridin, who looks furious and as if he is about to throw up.

[moonshine]

So was that Moridin who saved Rand in shadar logoth in CoS?

[Majsju]

So was that Moridin who saved Rand in shadar logoth in CoS?

 

Indeed