Im a legal alien, im a capitalist in Randland

[Cockta]

So, you are one major capitalist, and you have somehow teleported yourself in Randland, Tear. Controlled by Rand Al'Thor and his fellow High Lords and Ladys. You have a good sum of money for a nice start. As you walk down the mud-street in Tear, you begin to think of what you will do.

 

You know what the current events are in the world(eleventh book). You are not a darkfriend, no wife, nor kids. You are in you early twenties, and you are not a criminal either. Let us say you got the money from a rich uncle who died.

 

You have no friends or family, your uncle was your last relative who died, and, after his death, you realise that you must start a familiy of your own, and get kids, so that your family name and blood continues. You are very proud of your family, but as said before, you are the last one in your family. You are young, handsome and full of money.

 

There is also one more, very important thing. You are not paranoid, nor mentally sick. You nnow that the Dragon Reborn has been reborn, and that TG is coming very fast. Maybe in a month or two, perhaps. You already see the first signs that the final battle is going to begin. The grain is failing, and hunger is probably going to strike hard, and everybody remembers the weird and very long summer, and not to mention that it was suddenly turned to cold hard winter. Must have been some AS work for sure, but you don't know any AS, or anyone affiliated with any AS. You do know a guy who knows another guy who is close to this Rand Al'Thor, who is the Dragon Reborn.

 

What would you do if you were in such a position. How to make much money and make them before TG. You also have to make sure your blood line continues in teh new world after TG too.

 

As Eminem said in his hit 8 Mile, you only have one chanse, either grasp it, or let it go.

 

Also, a little link to a video on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d58_PU5aP5o

[42Bonzo88]

    Excellent question!! You have really thought this out good. Given your info, my first thought would be to think of something needful for TG. Not necessarily weapons, or military at all, just something that would be needed. Then I would go with my idea to one of the universities Rand has set up. There you would find the kind of people who are trying to come up with things and you could feed off thier knowlege, while supplying your own. Rand visits these universities and even though he is sometimes skeptical at what he sees, he also has your goal in mind, of having something last after TG. You may also in your study, find a young woman who also agrees with you and can start that bloodline.

[Roxinos]

You posit two different positions in your suggestion, Cockta.

 

One, you are teleported into Randland from somewhere. Presumably, you were teleported from our world.

 

Two, you are familiar with Randland. Your position that you're the last of your family suggests that you have lived in Randland all of your life.

 

Those two contradict each other, because I think if you were teleported into Randland, you're going to be freaking out and you wouldn't really care about any family living or dead because they don't exist in Randland. However, you suggest that they do seem to have some connection with Randland, but you still provide a contradiction in that you're just aware of the strange summer and the following, equally strange winter rather than actually having lived through both of them.

 

Taking the first option (teleportation and then learning about the world), I'm quite sure that no matter how capitalistic you are, you're not going to care much about trying to make money. I believe that a person in that situation would be more than happy to just sit back and find his or herself some nice lodgings to live through however much time until the Last Battle, after which he or she would start up a life. It's just not worth starting up a life in a world which might kill you within the next few months.

 

If the money you had in your pocket was not enough to last you through the time until the Last Battle (by your estimation) I'm sure that you would probably find some small job. Perhaps in a tavern as a server (though, that seems to only be an option for women) or as a strong arm (male). Or maybe in an Inn. The problem is that there are few jobs that I can imagine would actually be entry-level. One could try to get a job down at the docks. However, your choices are very limited because most jobs that we know of in Randland require some sort of special training or some special know-how, even if its very basic.

 

If your situation is the second circumstance, then you're more likely to be able to entrench yourself. You've probably lived in Tear all your life, with all of the crap going on in the world, I can't see anyone wanting to actually travel all that much. Except to escape from the Whitecloaks or the Seanchan or the Dragonsworn. But I'm supposing that you've lived in Tear all your life for the sake of simplicity. If that's the case, then you probably have knowledge of some craft. If you don't, then where in the Great Lord's name did you get the money you have? I'm sure if you lived with your uncle, he would have passed his money along to you, but could you really have lived your life without learning a single trade? If not, then I think you'd be stuck in the same situation as the person who has been teleported to Randland.

 

However, supposing that the person who has lived in Tear all his/her life has no friends and all his/her family has died off.... I don't see the will to live. But in case such a person does have the will to live, there is always the option of traveling to another city for both characters.

 

Then again, I am supposing a lot in what I've done with the two scenarios you've given me. I could be wrong about the limited entry-level job opportunities, of course. But you've given me far too little information, and even less information that doesn't automatically get split into another character because it conflicts with the character you've given me. So while I realize I didn't really answer your question in how you'd make money, there is very little option to make money in Randland. There is little social mobility. So if you have a bunch of money, there's not much you can do with it. The life you're given at birth is the life you live with. Rand has only just begun creating more opportunities for people with his Academies.

 

Anyway.

[Mr Ares]

You posit two different positions in your suggestion, Cockta.

 

One, you are teleported into Randland from somewhere. Presumably, you were teleported from our world.

 

Two, you are familiar with Randland. Your position that you're the last of your family suggests that you have lived in Randland all of your life.

How about you, the last of your family, "teleport yourself into Randland" (read: Suffer a psychotic break from reality) and arrive in a world realized in a book series you much love, a place where you can feel happy and safe and don't need to deal with the problems of the real world (your choice of Randland is ever so slightly dubious then, but better than Westeros or Earwa). You know the events of the books, which is how you know the state of the world. Your family is dead, so you have no reason to go back. How about that for tying the two scenarios together?

 

As for what you do, like any legitimate businessman you look for a gap in the marketplace, an opportunity for you to exploit. What gap do you find? What is absent, that every society needs for its correct functioning? That's right - organized crime. The Randland Mafia, this thing of yours. You become the Tony Soprano of Tear. You even get your own therapist! (It's your delusion, you can have therapy in Randland if you want. One of Rand's Academies probably has a Freud analogue you can visit.) Of course, this does put a slightly different spin on the money you inherited from your uncle. When you say he died, you neglect to mention that it was at your order, done by your people. You're really cut up by his death, you didn't want it to come to this, but you had no choice. He tried to whack you, after all.

[Roxinos]

If it's my delusion, then why the hell wouldn't I just make myself a deus ex machina and freak Rand out by claiming to be his father, cutting off his other hand, and then pushing him off a cliff. Then I'd erase the Dark One from existence causing a paradox. Yay for unraveling my own delusion!

[Mr Ares]

If it's my delusion, then why the hell wouldn't I just make myself a deus ex machina and freak Rand out by claiming to be his father, cutting off his other hand, and then pushing him off a cliff. Then I'd erase the Dark One from existence causing a paradox. Yay for unraveling my own delusion!

Like you say, it's your delusion. But I'm guessing you're not quite that insane yet (although, as you're here, you can't be that far off). Also, your subconcious is doing this to help you, and I'm not convinced that that would help all that much.

[Roxinos]

Damn my subconscious. Always trying to get the better of me!

[Cockta]

Guys, I didn't make two separate scenarios, only one. And thanks for telling that I have thought it out well, I really did use quite some time on this, and I was bored too, so...

[Roxinos]

You may have done it accidentally, but I wasn't joking when I pointed out that you had made two separate scenarios. Your post cannot be one scenario because the post contradicts itself as I pointed out in my first post. I haven't responded seriously since then because I've been waiting for you to come back and either give me more to respond to or at the very least sort out the contradiction by either truly making it one scenario or by separating the two into two true scenarios rather than what it is now, an intermingled, self-contradictory mess.

 

I do not mean to offend, so if you get offended by this, oh well.

 

But until you realize that your post does contain two scenarios and you attempt to fix that, I cannot help you any further.

[schizm]

I would take my money, use it to put togther my own army, align it with the Dragon, then go about finding my way through to the last battle. Maybe find a wife along the way, and work on securing a line.

 

Or I may go out and try to set up a new country in one of the abandoned areas. To fill it, I would go about bringing in all the refugees that are rampant throughout the world right then. Use them to build up my country. Or at least start it, and hopefully leave something behind after TG. I would also see if I could learn to channel, or had the spark.

[SoulCollector]

Anyway, I would go to Tear, find that doorframe Ter'angreal and go see the snakes. My first question would be to ask if I could have unlimited questions, and since I am unbelievably handsome (as pointed out in the first post on this topic) they would grant it just so they could have the privilege of being in my presense just a little while longer. I would rap with the snakes for a while, find out when TG would be, if Rand would go mad or not, if the Light wins, where I will find my wife, how many kids I will have, etc., etc.

I would leave the snakes to women crying that I had to leave and them bestowing gifts upon me to stay.  But alas, I had to go find my wife and start my family...

[Ndshacker]

I would take all my money and go the seanchan empire wia Aes Sedai Gateways. Since I am unbelievably handsome they would do that and follow me, I would then present all 100 of them to the Empire, where Tuon is now back also through my power. I would gain much power from this. I would then choose the most gorgeous of them as my wife, since High-Blood have property. I would find a secluded spot somewhere deep to the south where Tarmon Gaidon wouldn't reach.

 

With the help of Elayne Min and Aviendhia, I convince Rand to payback all contributers to him 5000 times after he wins, I then present him with 10 000 000 gold crowns, When he wins, I win.

[Cockta]

Ok, this thread needs some straightening.

 

And Roxinos, I sometimes manage to contradict myself without meaning to do it, so I apologise that I made two separate scenarios.

 

For everybody: Forget the first scenario where you just randomly teleported yourself into Randland, it is the other scenario of which you have lived your entire life in Tear that is the one you should make your own opinions from.

[Orange Fescue]

Ok, this thread needs some straightening.

 

And Roxinos, I sometimes manage to contradict myself without meaning to do it, so I apologise that I made two separate scenarios.

 

For everybody: Forget the first scenario where you just randomly teleported yourself into Randland, it is the other scenario of which you have lived your entire life in Tear that is the one you should make your own opinions from.

Well, so much for my idea to "invent" gunpowder, penicillin, and internal combustion engines.

[Hybrid]

Ok, this thread needs some straightening.

 

And Roxinos, I sometimes manage to contradict myself without meaning to do it, so I apologise that I made two separate scenarios.

 

For everybody: Forget the first scenario where you just randomly teleported yourself into Randland, it is the other scenario of which you have lived your entire life in Tear that is the one you should make your own opinions from.

Well, so much for my idea to "invent" gunpowder, penicillin, and internal combustion engines.

 

Assuming you would know how to "invent" these with the resources at hand.  Plus Aludra beat you to the gunpowder.

[Cockta]

Aludra didn't beat him, the first Illuminator who invented the gunpowder, which wasn't used as gunpowder, but rather as fireworks. Wasn't that the same with the chinese. They first used it as fireworks, and then later the military used it in their cannons.

[Hybrid]

Hmmm, I thought that Aludra was the first to add saltpeter to her mix.  There's that passage in COT I believe where Mat sees Aludra talking to a salt merchant.  Wrong type of salt, I think it was stated somewhere, but it would not be RJ's first mistake with such processes.  But maybe I am mistaken.

[Orange Fescue]

Hmmm, I thought that Aludra was the first to add saltpeter to her mix.  There's that passage in COT I believe where Mat sees Aludra talking to a salt merchant.  Wrong type of salt, I think it was stated somewhere, but it would not be RJ's first mistake with such processes.  But maybe I am mistaken.

Are salt merchants in Randland only allowed to carry sodium chloride? It doesn't seem unreasonable to me that they would carry saltpetre, alum, lye and other minerals or chemicals for home or industrial use. It's good to carry a range of products.

 

As to my "inventions", I couldn't whip everything up but I know the basic principles and can start from there. Gunpowder is charcoal, sulpher and saltpetre with proportions varying according to purpose. The Illuminators already produce it but don't market it for industrial or military use and they keep the details of its manufacture a secret. They also don't have a patent . New military technology (and Randland's first cannon foundry) would be worth something to the Andoran army.

 

Penicillin is made from bread mold (penicillium roqufortii?). I just need to find the right type of bread mold and a way to extract the appropriate chemical from it.

 

While I couldn't throw together an internal combustion engine, I know the basic concepts. After showing up at Rand's academy in Cairhien with "this great idea I had while doing stupid things with brandy and fire" and a bag of gold, I'm sure I could get help in working out the petty technical details over a couple of years of R&D. Still, it might be better to focus on developing practical applications for the steam engine they've already invented (i.e. build the first steam ships) before moving on to an engine that will require some sort of explosive fluid to fuel it.

[Cockta]

And if you continue like that, you will be responsible for the industrial revolution in the entire world.

 

The only thing is that you don't have several years t obuild the combustion engine. TG is probably going to happen in the next couple of months to half a year, and the academies won't survive, because the Shadow wants to make humanity stupid.

[Mr Ares]

the academies won't survive, because the Shadow wants to make humanity stupid.

The Shadow won't win. Even if they are destroyed, they can be rebuilt.

 

since I am unbelievably handsome (as pointed out in the first post on this topic)

Actually, it just says you're handsome. Unless you are saying that the very idea of you being handsome is unbelievable, which I can believe. Also, it says you're "full of money." If that's the case, if that's your idea of a good place to keep your cash, could be you're not looking for a wife, if you take my meaning.

[Orange Fescue]

And if you continue like that, you will be responsible for the industrial revolution in the entire world.

 

The only thing is that you don't have several years t obuild the combustion engine. TG is probably going to happen in the next couple of months to half a year, and the academies won't survive, because the Shadow wants to make humanity stupid.

Becoming the Andrew Carnegie/Cornelius Vanderbilt of the Fourth Age was pretty much my goal. As to not having time to build the combustion engine, you're right, of course. I wouldn't have time to find petroleum deposits and invent refining, either. (Of course, I could always invent one that ran on alcohol. Maybe vegetable oil....) That's more of a long-term goal that assumes I will survive TG along with at least one of the academies (preferably the one Elayne keeps talking about starting in Andor) and enough civilization and infrastructure to make surviving desireable or useful for purposes of your initial question. Really, if you go into it assuming you'll die, what chance do you have?

[Hybrid]

Hmmm, I thought that Aludra was the first to add saltpeter to her mix.  There's that passage in COT I believe where Mat sees Aludra talking to a salt merchant.  Wrong type of salt, I think it was stated somewhere, but it would not be RJ's first mistake with such processes.  But maybe I am mistaken.

Are salt merchants in Randland only allowed to carry sodium chloride? It doesn't seem unreasonable to me that they would carry saltpetre, alum, lye and other minerals or chemicals for home or industrial use. It's good to carry a range of products.

I was only speculating.  Also, I don't know that much about gunpowder, or salt merchants.

 

Penicillin is made from bread mold (penicillium roqufortii?). I just need to find the right type of bread mold and a way to extract the appropriate chemical from it.

 

And therein lies the rub.  You see, penicillin was not discovered until 1928.  The advances of Rand's academy (steam engine, Leyden jar) are 18th and 19th century advances.  That's quite a time difference.  I know that discoveries aren't going to occur in the same order, but the difference is too great for penicillin to be invented.

[Cockta]

It is up to you guys to write in your posts what you will do, and how you will do it. I created this thread so that other people could write what they would do, as detailed as possible. I merely made the standing scenario which all of you have to make your own stories from.

[Orange Fescue]

 

Penicillin is made from bread mold (penicillium roqufortii?). I just need to find the right type of bread mold and a way to extract the appropriate chemical from it.

 

And therein lies the rub.  You see, penicillin was not discovered until 1928.  The advances of Rand's academy (steam engine, Leyden jar) are 18th and 19th century advances.  That's quite a time difference.  I know that discoveries aren't going to occur in the same order, but the difference is too great for penicillin to be invented.

I don't see the conflict. Steam engines and penicillin are in completely different branches of the sciences. Neither is a necessary precursor for the other. Order only counts when one invention is dependent on another invention to work. Chemists don't have to sit around waiting for engineers to figure out Model Ts before they invent penicillin. Engineers, on the other hand, do need to sit around waiting for chemists to work out petroleum distillation before they can invent Model Ts.

 

Keep in mind, I was also basing my plans on the Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court scenario of one of us from 2008 being transported to Tear with ample funds, a detailed knowledge of the books, and whatever knowledge one should have from growing up in the modern world. My initial post was a whining response to Cockta restricting us to being native Tearans in the scenario. In that scenario, I have no idea what I'd do.

[Hybrid]

Well, the guy who invented penicillin was studying bacteria with a microscope.  Neither of which exists in Randland.  Also, it was very difficult to purify from the start and took years before it could be an effective cure.  Also, I never said that steam engines were required.  I just said that Randland is at an 18th century technology base.  They have no idea what bacteria are, and they do not really know what mold is.  Of course, if you were able to invent all of the necessary materials from your own knowledge, or to teach them how to, that problem would be circumvented.  I'm not saying it's impossible, just slightly farfetched.  Of course, if you are knowledgable on the subject, you might very well be able to do it.