Let Poor Sylvie Help...

[Sabio]

I think we can rule out Nakomi being any forsaken,  Why would any forsaken help her and not simply try to capture or kill Avi?  They would be unlikely to help Avi like Nakomi did.

[Captainwilhelm96]

On 9/20/2019 at 2:43 PM, mistborn82 said:

No that was Nakomi and I don't if we're ever told who she is but she wasn't Lanfear. She already tried to kill Aviendah once, I don't she would forgive and try manipulation again.

 

We're never told who or what she is even outside of the books with it being one of three questions Sanderson won't answer. The other two being how the body swap worked and how Rand lit the pipe.

[mistborn82]

He may not even know, they may have been written by RJ with instructions not to change them as I'm sure RJ kept alot in his head.

[Captainwilhelm96]

Sanderson said she's something deep in RJ's notes but wouldn't expand further.

[Kesef32]

I disagree with this theory that it is Lanfear. It just does not make any sense to me. I will start with what I find to be a major reason why it is not her.

* She does not have a reason to be there, even to lure them to the Stone. She wants Lews Therin to take Callandor, but does not want him to actually fall for this trap and be killed.
* Lanfear has been trying to act like she is with the other Forsaken by not appearing to help him outright, but there is also no indication that she is actively doing anything against him. All that is noted outright in the books is her providing information to them about Rand being a sheephearder without Lews Therin's memories; that he is no threat. I have seen people say Lanfear was posing as Else Grinwell. I have not dug into this detail, but I don't think so. I did think at first, simply because that was the same time-frame when Lanfear visited Mat at the Tower. Now that I have been thinking about it more, it was probably Mesaana, who has been in the Tower and actually knew that Else was a novice. More details about Mesaana further down.
* Silvie's attitude and personality does not match with Lanfear AT ALL. Silvie is an easy going and kind to Egwene. The entire interaction does not have a Lanfear feel to it. Every single "persona" we have seen Lanfear take on (that is known for certain), her arrogant, self-centered, bossy, etc. personality has always shown through. Silvie's behavior is completely contradictory. This is the major reason I started to question the theory of Lanfear. Because of this, I had not even considered Lanfear as I was reading, but then saw all of these posts saying it is.

 

Now, for who I think she could be and what reasons. 

 

Moghedien -

* She has proven to be able to take on a different look, and fit closely to the personality of that persona (Posing as Demandred at the end probably being most notable). 

* Comment made by Silvie: "The High Lords don't sweep and mop. But who sees a servant?" - Fits perfectly with the spider and her methods. She has proven to do just that in Tanchico, where she took punishments as a servant by the Black sisters, until she finally revealed herself. 

* Hanging around to spy and gather information, but not confronting Egwene by trying to harm to kill her at this point, is the way of Moghedien.

* The only thing I question here, is Moghedien's comment when she tries to trap Egwene in that Galad dream. Her side goal was to remove one who had the talent. I cannot find exactly where it is ATM, but I got the feeling that Moghedien had not been in contact with Egwene before that. Then again, it just might not have been the right time at the Stone of Tear, or perhaps an oversight with the writing.

 

Mesaana - 

* She was the Forsaken that had been stationed at the Tower and able to plant the "evidence" to lure Egwene and Nynyeave as bait to trap Rand.

* To support this, in The Lord of Chaos, page 182 (in the Kindle edition, not sure if that is different in paperback), Graendal says to Sammael "Mesaana in particular was annoyed, though she tried to hide it. She thinks Lews Therin soon will be in our hands, but then she has said the same every time. She was sure Be'lal would kill or capture him in Tear; she was very proud of that trap."

* This gives her a reason to behave as Silvie does and to be waiting for Egwene to come to the Stone in the World of Dreams. Also a reason for her to want to get Egwene out of the Stone when steps are heard, without killing her. 

 

Edited July 22, 2020 by Kesef32