Darkhounds in CoT

[_james07_]

In CoT, Perrin and his group comes across the huge pack of darkhounds. What was the importance of this? Was this just another sign the TG was getting closer? The pack wasn't mentioned again in any of the other books...

[_james07_]

It explains how many darkhounds there are and how they work and so on. It is explained that darkhounds were once wolves and that darkhounds eat the souls of wolves etc... Perrin then wonders if this can happen to wolfbrothers, maybe this happens to Elyas in aMoL? I can't think of any other reason for writing about it seeing as it hasn't been connected to the plot in any way yet.

[RAND AL THOR]

james, after you post, you can modify your post if necessary. There is no need to post two consequitive posts.

 

On the top right hand corner of your post, there are 3 options, one of which is 'modify.'

 

;)

[_james07_]

Ohh now I see... Always wondered how to quote and stuff haha

[metallicafan08]

Aren't the Darkhounds hunting someone (Not Perrin) so they never cross paths with perrin again. Am i also right in thinking there is only one Pack of Darkhounds and these are the same Darkhounds we met earlier in the series? There has been speculation that they are in fact hunting Fain!! I like that idea personally.

[moroten]

Aren't the Darkhounds hunting someone (Not Perrin) so they never cross paths with perrin again. Am i also right in thinking there is only one Pack of Darkhounds and these are the same Darkhounds we met earlier in the series? There has been speculation that they are in fact hunting Fain!! I like that idea personally.

 

They do cross paths again. I KoD when Perrin is meeting with Seanchan to form the agreement of attacking Shaido together. Wonder what they are after though...

[Charlz Guybon]

Aren't the Darkhounds hunting someone (Not Perrin) so they never cross paths with perrin again. Am i also right in thinking there is only one Pack of Darkhounds and these are the same Darkhounds we met earlier in the series? There has been speculation that they are in fact hunting Fain!! I like that idea personally.

Masuri, an Aes Sedai with Perrin says this is the eighth pack she has encountered. I'd estimate that there must be at least several hundred of them.

 

“And it shall come to pass, in the days when the Dark Hunt rides, when the right hand falters and the left hand strays, that mankind shall come to the Crossroads of Twilight, and all that is, all that was, and all that will be shall balance on the point of a sword, while the winds of the Shadow grow.”

 

- Crossroads of Twilight, from The Prophecies of the Dragon, translation believed done by Jain Charin, known as Jain Farstrider, shortly before his disappearance"

 

    "The hundred packs that hunt the night...hounds born of the shadow, in numbers like unto the nightmares of mankind."

 

Crossroads of Twilight, Chapter 7 - Blacksmith's Puzzle

 

 

 

 

[Luckers]

Aren't the Darkhounds hunting someone (Not Perrin) so they never cross paths with perrin again. Am i also right in thinking there is only one Pack of Darkhounds and these are the same Darkhounds we met earlier in the series?

 

And all those we've encountered previously have been killed--the first between Rand, and Moiraine in the Dragon Reborn (Rand killed one, Moiraine the rest--oh, Perrin killed one too), the second by Rand in the Fires of Heaven.

 

 

There has been speculation that they are in fact hunting Fain!! I like that idea personally.

 

I've always had problems with them hunting Fain--Fain uses the Ways to move about, whilst Darkhounds track like normal dogs, and by all accounts don't use the Ways--they don't have the posable thumbs for it--tracking Fain would be highly problematic for Darkhounds.It'd be like sending a tracking dog to find a falcon.

 

I've suggested in the past that they may have been summoned by Semirhage to hunt for Tuon, though the only thing that supports that is that they were heading towards were Tuon was last known to be. And that she is the only figure a Forsaken could want that badly that Darkhounds might be effective in tracking (we know its not Mat as Semirhage didn't know who Mat was until after the darkhounds were seen).

 

It would explain their frustration too--Tuon should have been much further north (Mat specifically joins with the Travelling show because they are slow and the search will overtake them), and we know the Darkhounds had been looking for their target to the north, looking and not finding anything though they seemingly expected them to be there.

 

It's pretty loose, but i think it works better than Fain.

[Hybrid]

That's a fascinating theory, Luckers.  I've never thought of it that way.  The only problem I can think of is the size of the pack.  This new pack is enormous, much larger than any previous packs, suggesting that it is abnormal.  And, in the beginning prophecy, the Dark Hunt is mentioned.  Would Semirhage have the means to use such an enormous pack?  And would she have permission to use it on someone like Tuon, who, while important, nowhere near the importance of Rand or Mat or Perrin?

[Charlz Guybon]

That's a fascinating theory, Luckers.  I've never thought of it that way.  The only problem I can think of is the size of the pack.  This new pack is enormous, much larger than any previous packs, suggesting that it is abnormal.  And, in the beginning prophecy, the Dark Hunt is mentioned.  Would Semirhage have the means to use such an enormous pack?  And would she have permission to use it on someone like Tuon, who, while important, nowhere near the importance of Rand or Mat or Perrin?

 

If there numbers are truly "like unto the nightmares of mankind" than 50 might not be a big deal to the Shadow.

[Ndshacker]

when you think about it TUON IS important, if Tuon, dies and/or can be controlled by one of the forsaken half the world is under the Forsakens control.

 

Perhaps they made the conection of, he will bind the nine moons to him. So they thought she would be a connection to Rand. 

[Hybrid]

when you think about it TUON IS important, if Tuon, dies and/or can be controlled by one of the forsaken half the world is under the Forsakens control.  

 

Seanchan has already been dealt with.  They are currently involved in civil war and chaos on a continental level thanks to Semirhage killing all of the Imperial family. 

[Ndshacker]

So its impossible that she wants to control her  :-\

[Hybrid]

So its impossible that she wants to control her  :-\

 

Not at all.  Just, I wouldn't think it would be top priority, with mainland Seanchan in chaos.  I think that Semirhage would have wanted to regain control of Tuon, to continue the war in the Westlands, but I don't think she would get the OK on an enormous Darkhound pack like that.  But that's just my opinion.

 

Of course, if Charlz Guybon's quote is fact, then the situation is in an entirely different light.  And the Light could be screwed.

[Luckers]

This new pack is enormous, much larger than any previous packs, suggesting that it is abnormal.

 

The abnormality of that pack is not unprecedented. Rand encounters Darkhounds that melt and reform when killed by normal methods, whilst Perrin and Lan both manage to kill Darkhounds without balefire.

 

Now, thats not the same as the abnormality in numbers, but the point is that new things are going on with the Darkhounds--i wrote a theory as to why in the other Darkhound thread, but the final reality of it is the question of how we can establish degrees of abnormality in the employment of abnormal Darkhounds?

 

If that makes any sense at all, lol.

 

And, in the beginning prophecy, the Dark Hunt is mentioned.  Would Semirhage have the means to use such an enormous pack?  And would she have permission to use it on someone like Tuon, who, while important, nowhere near the importance of Rand or Mat or Perrin?

 

Tuon represents control of the Seanchan military force in Randland--which remains the largest single military force in Randland, as well as the most organised and with the greatest number of channelers--not to mention the beasties. Alive, and out of Semirhage's control she threatens the Shadow's control of that military. That's makes her more important in the eyes of the shadow than either Mat or Perrin, both of whom were playing what appears to be relatively minor parts and only became a point of focus again because of Moridin's insistance--which probably comes from a more philosophical point of view.

 

In any case, your question--would Semirhage have the means to use such an enormous pack? I don't see why not. That we have not seen them employed before doesn't entirely suggest their exclusivity. After all, who of the major targets of the shadow could they be employed against? Who were the Shadow hunting at that stage... pretty much Fain, Rand and Tuon. Indeed, since the Dragon Reborn (when Darkhounds were indeed employed to track rand) the Shadow has not been forced to hunt any particular targets. When would tracking dogs like the Darkhounds need to be imployed?

 

As for authority... Shadowspawn are bound to obey Forsaken, so functionally all she needed to do was issue the command. And as for one forsaken exclusively using a limited resource over others this is not without its precedent. Consider the way Sammael used the Gholam. Clearly the Gholam could be better employed than gaining ter'angreal for Sammael.

 

Seanchan has already been dealt with.  They are currently involved in civil war and chaos on a continental level thanks to Semirhage killing all of the Imperial family. 

 

But lets not forget why Seanchan was dealt with--to place Semirhage in unchallanged control of Seanchan forces in the Westlands. Yes Semirhage might have been content to use Tuon to hold that control, but with Tuon MIA that represents a pretty major threat to Semirhage, which is why Semirhage approaches Suroth at the beginning of KoD.

[Hybrid]

Good points, Luckers.  Tuon is a good candidate for the Darkhound hunt, I agree.  And you have eased my mind somewhat concerning the size of the pack.  Besides, I'm not sure who else they would be searching for, besides Fain.

[a pale tanned lover]

isn't it said in TDR that packs can't be more then 10 because otherwise they turn on each other?...........................?

[Ndshacker]

Abnormal DArkhounds, behave abnormally.

[Charlz Guybon]

isn't it said in TDR that packs can't be more then 10 because otherwise they turn on each other?...........................?

 

Aes Sedai records from the Trolloc Wars and prior are spotty at best, even when they're not censored. Just because Moraine thinks something is true does not make it so.