"His Blood"

[xander]

"The blood of the Dragon Reborn on the rocks of Shayol Ghul will free mankind from the Shadow." 

"His blood on the rocks of Shayol Ghul, washing away the Shadow, sacrifice for man's salvation." "

"...... In the Pit of Doom shall his blood free men from the Shadow."

 

Something has been bothering me about this quote for a while and I finally figured out what it is.  I don't think "The blood of the Dragon Reborn" or "His blood" is talking about Rand's blood at all.  I think it is speaking of the coming birth of his children.  I think "his blood", meaning all blood relatives, will be born on the rocks of Shayol Ghul and that event will somehow effect the outcome of the battle being fought. 

[bRANDan]

Elayne would have to give birth very prematurely for this to happen. Someone on another thread brought this up and stated that from the time of conception to the Tarmon Gaidon battle at Shayol Ghul a maximum of 6 months will have passed. Seeing as how Elayne hardly looks pregnant, from the what we read of her in KoD, and TG seems to be rapidly approaching I'd put the number at around 4 months prego at the time of the Shayol Ghul battle. Given her current trouble embracing the Source I'd also say she won't even be at the battle at Shayol Ghul. A pregnant woman who cannot channel somehow ending up on the slopes of Shayol Ghul and giving birth 5 months early to twins seems unlikely at best. There is a chance that Elayne will be there though. Min's viewing may make Elayne mule-headed again and she'll decide that a helpless pregnant woman, herself, will be just what the Light needs to win TG. I can see her being killed at Shayol Ghul then Rand going crazy and causing the "twice dawns the day" thing, using balefire maybe.

[Guest Dreadlord]

How would Elayne giving birth on the black slopes free men from the Shadow? I think this is a literal one, I think this refers to the blood in his veins. But again, there is the question of how.

 

It could as easily have something to do with either Galad or Moiraine, or the Aiel, or even Luc, as much as any of Rands kids though. I think its unlikely that it refers to any of his relatives.

[Paviel]

Not Moiraine; she's Taringail's sister, and Taringail isn't related to Rand; therefore, she isn't related to Rand.

 

That said, I agree that it probably literally refers to his blood. The only question is, how much of it? Would one drop be enough?

[eol]

i have to agree with dreadlord on this, seems like a literal one. though i dont know how you can plot a timeline to tarmon gaidin as we dont know when that will happen, while its unlikely, elayne could possibly give birth during it. just depends on the time AMOL covers.

[Feston]

I'm not sure if this is right, but this topic has given me an idea.

 

More of the prophecies say he is going to go mad. Perhaps he will finally snap inside Shayol Ghul, sacrifice his sanity, and destroy the Dark One in his madness. I know he cleaned the taint, but he might have been exposed to it for so long that he still goes insane. Maybe simply being in the presence of the Dark One will be enough to set it off.

[benr]

I think Rand can only defeat the DO, not destroy him - unless -  If he destroys the DO, it seems to me that he will also destroy the Creator, and the WOT too, leaving an ordinary world of linear tiem, probably without the One Power.

[RAND AL THOR]

I'm not sure if this is right, but this topic has given me an idea.

 

More of the prophecies say he is going to go mad. Perhaps he will finally snap inside Shayol Ghul, sacrifice his sanity, and destroy the Dark One in his madness. I know he cleaned the taint, but he might have been exposed to it for so long that he still goes insane. Maybe simply being in the presence of the Dark One will be enough to set it off.

 

This makes no sense. The DO tainted saidin at the moment of sealing. It has now been cleansed. Anyone who went insane before the cleansing will remain insane. Anyone who was not affected by the taint so far will remain sane. If insanity started creeping into someone before the cleansing then that person will not get any MORE insane now, he will simply have a tinge of madness.

 

Rand does not appear insane in KOD. In my opinion he seems most unstable in Book 3 and 4.

It is highly unlikely that Rand is going to go mad now.

Furthermore, being in the presence of the DO does not inflict insanity. Otherwise who can the Forsaken come so close to the Bore and remain sane? They merely experience intense pain and ecstasy.

 

I think Rand can only defeat the DO, not destroy him - unless -  If he destroys the DO, it seems to me that he will also destroy the Creator, and the WOT too, leaving an ordinary world of linear tiem, probably without the One Power.

 

True. No matter how many times you break a bar magnet, the pieces will always have a north and south pole. The DO, and the creator balance each other. This is very obvious due to the popular phrase in the WOT: The creator sealed the DO in Shayol Ghul at the moment of creation. This indicates that the creator created the DO at the moment of creation and shut him up in Shayol Ghul. So clearly the DO is needed in the world.

 

As for the original post: I pretty much agree with dreadlord. Rand has plenty of wounds to bleed from and who knows how many more he will get at TG itself.

[Guest Dreadlord]

I want Moridin to spill Rands blood.

[anamul]

Well, there is no doubt that Rand is going to die "officially". There have to be some physical evidence, if Alivia is going to help him stage his death. It could be like comma or something....but from Min's viewing one thing is certain that Rand is going to die at one point and some how come alive at another...may be at the end of the book. Only, Mat, Perrin, Min, Elayne and Aviendha will know that he lives. They may even hide it from Egwene as well.

 

But the blood of his children doesn't make sense, in more than one way.

[Feral]

If the reference to "his blood" is anything other than literal then I think it would be refering to the Aiel, seeing as we already know most of them will die. But then that'd make Rand kinda pointless.

[Guest Dreadlord]

How would it make Rand pointless? Its not as if him winning Tarmon Gaidon would mean anything less if most of the Aiel die. If the Aiel are the "his blood" bit it is still Rand who must defeat the Dark One.

[Feral]

If "his blood" refered to the Aiel then they could just go get slaughtered by trollocs at Shayol Ghul and that would be that. Anyway, I don't think it is that. It's just the only way I could see "his blood" not meaning the actual blood in Rand's veins.

[42Bonzo88]

    As much as I would like to see the DO destroyed, I agree that it would destroy the pattern. So, it looks to me if again the DO needs to be sealed up but because this is "supposedly" the last time, it needs a bigger sacrafice to seal the bore permanently. LTT did not die when the hundred companions and he sealed the bore. Sure, there would have been blood, but the supreme sacrafice was not there.

    Nynaeve, believes that if you are still one second from death there is a chance to be healed. I think Rand will fight to the death, but when he's that close to dying, something will happen to change so Rand does enough but will still live.

    I know there are plenty of holes, go ahead and destroy this, but I'm a softie and want Rand to live through it.

 

[Luckers]

I'm not sure what the blood prophecy refers to, but i really just don't think it refers to Rand's death. We've had too many characters assume that to be its meaning--including the likes of Elaida--for me to be content with that... it feels like a set up to me.

 

Thats not to say that I don't think Rand will die--thats a certainty to one degree or another, and if the 'blood prophecy' does refer to his death it in no way messes up my bodyswap idea... I just personally don't think it will.

[Juggler]

I think it could be as simple as him dying. Remember he asked the Eelfin how to defeat the shadow and survive and they told him he had to die first. and Alivia has to help him "die" I think he bleeds and dies but free's himself from moridin and Lews Therin and continues on to win.

 

Although I do feel "his blood" refers to Elaynes children, Timeline aside, (could be premature TG must be shock enough) Elidas foretelling is about the royal andoran house (Elayne) being central to winning TG

 

 

[aussie_ashaman123]

I think he will die. but that close to the bore, with the Do residues still in the air, Nynaeve and Flinn will do the impossible and Heal death, but only if it is an unnatural death (ie, not old age or a sword in the chest, something magical)

[Luckers]

Except one of the prophecies establishes that Rand must also be alive at all times--he must be dead, yet live... its concurrent.

[Juggler]

in that case could his blood be from the wounds in his side and the alive AND dead thing be that he embraces Lews Therin so he is both a man alive and a man dead? maybe embracing lews therin helps remove the link to moridin, or killing moridin means he is linked to life (by being alive) and to death via the link.

[Guest Dreadlord]

Bodyswap

[Luckers]

in that case could his blood be from the wounds in his side and the alive AND dead thing be that he embraces Lews Therin so he is both a man alive and a man dead? maybe embracing lews therin helps remove the link to moridin, or killing moridin means he is linked to life (by being alive) and to death via the link.

 

Except that still other prophecies make it clear that Rand actually must die. Dreadlord is correct to my mind, the only viable theory that answers and addresses all the prophetic requirements is the Bodyswap theory.

[Guest Dreadlord]

The Bodyswap solves too many issues that need solving. Rand will lose Lews Therin, the link between Moridin and Rand will be severed (although I feel that the link still has a part to play before the end), Moridin will die (maybe not as a result of the bodyswap but shortly after everyone realises whats happened), Rands blood will be spilled (surely it wont be just an encounter where they swap bodies, there will be a fight. But this part relies on it happening at Shayol Ghul.) And most importantly, Rands body dying will definitely fulfill the prophecy of "dead yet still living" and what the Finns said (to live you must die) in a satisfactory way to us readers.

[Luckers]

The thing i don't know about is losing Lews Therin. That would rely on the idea that what is allowing that aspect of his soul is a purely physical thing, which we don't know for sure.

 

It would certainly be nice if it happened, but yeah, that ones a bit of an in the wind thing to me.

[Guest Dreadlord]

True, Lews Therin and Rand are technically the same post. I have a question for you Luckers-what do you make of the Lews Therin situation- do you think Lews is a random voice in Rands head, do you think Rand hears it just because he is the Dragon Reborn/Champion of the Light etc.

 

I personally believe what Semirhage said; that the link between Rand and his past life was created by the Taint madness.

[Corbett]

This may be just me. I have always thought that the Royal Line of Andor that would be the key to victory at TG was Rands mother and through her Rand. Technically she was the daughter heir and becasue of a fortelling she went to the waste. If Andor had kings the Rand would have a very legitimate claim to the thrown. Does anyone else see this or have I lost my mind, what was left of it anyway?