Lanfear, in an odd sort of way got what she wanted

[bearit]

Hi I'm new here, well as a poster, but I have been reading the forums for quite a while now.  Anyway Lanfear was exploring the bore to try and find a power source that both men and women could channel.  If you think about it the true power could count as that.  Sure only the forsaken can use it, and as of Knife of Dreams I doubt anyone but mordin would dare use it, but for a time a select few men and women could use the same power source because of Lanfear digging in the bore.  Thoughts?

[DemandredFO]

Yes, only Ishamael has access to the true power, I forget how many had access to it but now only Ishamael and, I think, Shaidar Haran have access to it.  As for Meiren, she was either overly ambitious or a Darkfriend.  Shadowspawn were made with the TP

[Luckers]

Mierin was seraching for a more compatable Power source though--her specific intention was greater collaboration. Whilst both men and women can use the True Power, there is the simple fact that only the wielder can see the weaves or feel the channeling. The end result is less collaboration then even the two halves of the One Power allow for.

 

 

[Angel of Death]

I think along the lines of DemandredFO. I think she knew exactly what she was doing, boring into the pattern. So either she knew what that would do (I'm not sure how though)or she wasn't very smart not realizing that it was probably closed off for a reason. As I recall her only trying to find a non gender specific way of channeling was only second hand knowledge, i.e. the reason she gave Rand's Ancestor for doing it.

[Luckers]

The books seem to show that Mierin did not know of the Dark One. She and Beidomon detected his power and thought it to be a new power source that could potentially be tapped by both men and women. They were wrong.

 

RJ has stated that Mierin did not, at the time of the drilling, serve the Dark One, and Beidomon certainly didn't. He commited suicide during the Collapse once it became clear precisely what the Dark One was.

[RobertAlexWillis]

While the stated purpose of the experiment (at least according to Charn's POV in Rand's flashback) was to facilitate greater collaboration between male and female channelers, I would imagine, personally, that Mierin Eronaile was searching for a means of greater personal power.  It is clear that she chafed under a lack of personal power (she had not obtained the coveted "third name" despite her strength in the Power).  She went after Lews Therin Telamon primarily as a way to enhance her own position, at least according to his memories. 

 

So, while she certainly did not know that her experiment would release Shai'tan, or even that Shai'tan existed, her motives made her, in Jordan's words, "ripe for the Shadow's plucking long before the Bore was drilled."  She was seeking a means to greater personal power.  So perhaps, in a sense, she did get what she wanted.  Certainly she is more famous now.  I doubt it will end well for her, however ...

[Darth_Andrea]

I would hope it dosen't end well for her. I had thought once that she might have been redeamed. That was before I read book 5, her need to possess Rand for her own purpose of power and perhaps a smidge of actual love for him or LTT any way showed that she had nothing in her but need to possess that which would make her greater than she was. No humanity just desire for greater power. She said herself she would betray the DO and try to userp the Creator if she could. To be more than mortal more than a god even was all she had left in her. With luck she will have a very long life severed from the true source and living as a begger.

 

Darth_Andrea

[dlan4327]

I would hope it dosen't end well for her. I had thought once that she might have been redeamed. That was before I read book 5, her need to possess Rand for her own purpose of power and perhaps a smidge of actual love for him or LTT any way showed that she had nothing in her but need to possess that which would make her greater than she was. No humanity just desire for greater power. She said herself she would betray the DO and try to userp the Creator if she could. To be more than mortal more than a god even was all she had left in her. With luck she will have a very long life severed from the true source and living as a begger.

 

Darth_Andrea

 

Seriously that would probably be the most disappointing ending I could imagine. I don't know about anyone else but I've got a sinking feeling that I might be one of a rather small majority who think Lanfear was probably the most interesting character right up there with Mat. I seriously hope we get to  see the old Lanfear though. To me it seems like since she's died she's come back as a totally different character. Almost servile. 

[RobertAlexWillis]

To me it seems like since she's died she's come back as a totally different character. Almost servile.

 

Getting killed, then brought back weaker with your soul chained to a necklace will do that to you.

[lou]

i wouldnt say that lanfear (cyndane) is servile. she is harnessed by moridin. she has shown herself to be quite cocky with graendal, not unlike her former character, she has tried to place herself in a position to get near rand, moridin decided not to allow that as lanfear would likely kill rand. IMO, lanfear as cyndane is more a woman biding her time, fuming,and if not for moridin's fancy accessories, it wouldnt matter how much power she had lost, she would definitely be gunning for some people.

[Seriodor]

It doesn't matter if she's biding her time, moridin owns her soul, forever.

[lou]

well, the reference was on her character. the only master lanfear has ever served is her own ambition. (what movie did that come from?)

[dlan4327]

Getting killed, then brought back weaker with your soul chained to a necklace will do that to you.

 

Touché RAW. Still I have a gut feeling, well more of a hope really, that at some point in AMOL we will see the first people ever to break free from a mind trap and I would bet the farm on that person being Lanfear. I would love to see Lanfear free sometime in the last book making a beeline for Rand. That would be a confrontation I wouldn't miss if the world was falling apart around me.

[Child of Lir]

Yes, I really missed Lanfear whilst she was in prison, and now she's out Cyndane's just not the same gal... She won't miss an opportunity to double cross Moridin I'm sure, but is he too mad to care?

[Seriodor]

Maybe I'm just being scatter brained but does Lanfear appear after Rand cleanses Saidin 

[Davian93]

Maybe I'm just being scatter brained but does Lanfear appear after Rand cleanses Saidin 

 

Yes...Cyndane appears multiple times in KoD.

[The winds of Time]

i beleive that lanfear herself is indeed biding her time to get into a decent position to work and worm her way to a series influence on the other forsaken, if at all the soul trap would probably be broken by her and She would probably kill mordin. remember she's no soft little kitten when it comes to imprisonment, if she gets free killing mordin for her capture would probably be high on her list, then reestablishing herself and picking up where she left off. However there is still one MAJOR hole in any theorys we put up, according to KoD moraine lived to pass through the ter'angreal why not lanfear? we'll find out eventually.

[Davian93]

The problem with Lanfear living through the TAR is that she was transmigrated into Cyndane/Cabriana's body.  So she had to die at some point.

[The winds of Time]

Good point but one thing... a Whole wagonload of forsaken got their butts handed to them and died, like the forsaken who got remade into a woman instead of a man (i forgot his name) for all we know it could be Asmodean (not likely but provides my point) So we dont know who Cydyne is truely untill we pull moraine out of that ter'angreal and see the adverse affects and get that side of the story. although i have to admit your probably right.

[RobertAlexWillis]

Um ... we know who Cyndane is because we have a POV from her that confirms it.

 

Winter's Heart, chapter 35.

 

Cyndane is Lanfear.

[Andrew the Great]

However there is still one MAJOR hole in any theorys we put up, according to KoD moraine lived to pass through the ter'angreal why not lanfear? we'll find out eventually.

 

Ummm. My guess would be that Moraine killed her. That was kinda her goal in the whole docks thing. I could be wrong, but hey, it wouldn't be the first time.

[RobertAlexWillis]

Ummm. My guess would be that Moraine killed her. That was kinda her goal in the whole docks thing. I could be wrong, but hey, it wouldn't be the first time.

 

Actually, its doubtful that Moiraine killed her.  Cyndane remembers being a period of time when she was "held" by the Eelfinn.  She and Moiraine were most likely both imprisoned for destroying the ter'angreal gateway.  Lanfear would then have either been executed by the 'finns for her connection to the Shadow, or possibly she killed herself, knowing that the Dark One could transmigrate her.

[lou]

certainly lanfear could have died after leaving finnland, but i really think, given moiraine's inability to get out, that lanfear may have simply killed herself, or caused her own death to escape the finns.she knew the possibility of transmigration so it wasnt "suicide" in the classic sense.IMO

[Andrew the Great]

Thanks RAW, didn't think about that. Wasn't Moraine. On a side note, though, did Lanfear know about the possibility of transmigration? We know that she knew she could have immortality, but does she know how this will be provided? If she doesn't know, she wouldn't be likely to commit suicide based on the fact that she hopes the DO can save her.

 

[Luckers]

Yes, she did. It's actually common knowledge that that is one of the Dark One's abilities, as shown by Lan in tEotW.

 

The problem with Lanfear living through the TAR is that she was transmigrated into Cyndane/Cabriana's body.  So she had to die at some point.

 

I had not encountered the idea that Cyndane's body was originally Cabriana Mecandes. I'm not sure if i think it likely--im guessing the time constraints on Semirhage likely meant conciderable damage was done to that body in the questioning. Furthermore, it strikes me as stupid to have one of the Forsaken claim she is dead (and Aran'gar specifically tells Delana that Cabriana will not reapear) and then put another forsaken in her body--it leaves too much of a possibility of discovery. Additionally, Cabriana's hair is described as golden blonde, whilst Cyndane's is 'silvery'.