What would you have done?

[Biagio]

So as usual when reading the books, well any books, I always picture what I would have done differently as the character. So here's a few things I came up with

 

1. Egwene - She knew how to mask the ability to channel, travel, and disguise herself. I would have traveled into the white tower masked and in disguise, used the power to bind Elaida and travel away back to the camp. Risky, but I think I could have pulled it off without too many problems. If it didn't break the tower sisters, keep it up until they do. I'd put a few sisters with the army to try and cut off the sneak attacks, a few barriers of air going around them and you got yourself some prisoners.

 

2. Mat - I would have leashed Tuon just to see her reaction after she tried to use the leashed aes sedai on him when they were in the wagon. I would have tried to get some oaths from the Aes Sedai he was rescuing to follow my orders while they remained with him since he knows they usually try to take over whenever they can

 

3. Elyane - If she was looking for mercenaries, she knew about Mat's army. I would have sent word to Egwene asking for them. That gives her at least some trustworthy mercs. I also would have done an offensive using gateways, but then I wouldn't have cared too much about not shedding too much blood to capture them as she did. Drop the Red Hand about a few miles behind the camp outside town while bringing a small force out of the gate to get their attention and it's over. Or knowing that Egwene can enter people's dreams, I would have asked her to try to find Gwayn and get him to start the trek back to take over his role as First Prince.

 

4. Perrin - Tough for the group he had as they are all hotheads, but grab a few white robes with an ashaman, travel into the water area, go find faile and crew, travel out the next day. He never seemed too worried about actually trying to break the shaido, just get faile out.

 

5. Rand - I would have just tossed cadsuane no matter what min said, mostly because her character annoys me. I probably would have also listened to Logain a bit more and checked up on the black tower, especially since he never sounded too trusting of Taim as it was. Also, I would have been quizzing the sworn sisters if it was possible to release a warder and then command Alanna to release me once I found out. I would have also used the sworn sisters to link with and use the tear sword that wasn't a sword to pretty much wipe away the seachan but that would have killed a lot of story lines. If he was directing the flows, it shouldn't be any problem with the 3 oaths as the captured aes sedai haven't had a problem being used as weapons with the sul'dam.

 

6. Nynaeve - She can travel, Lan is with her, and I forgot the name of the sister who has his bond but she is with Egwene. Travel to the camp, grab the sister and get his bond and then you can go back to whatever you were doing.

 

That covers most of the main characters. These would make for a lot less interesting read, but it's what I would have done. Anyone else ever think about these things? Hope I didn't butcher names too bad. I went from memory as all my stuff is packed up to move soon.

 

And gotta add, glad I found this place. It's amazing how much some of you have dissected these books. I've caught a few things here and there, but a lot of these threads are great to read. Plus it saved me from not missing the news on the next book date.

 

 

[water_seeker]

1. Egwene - She knew how to mask the ability to channel, travel, and disguise herself. I would have traveled into the white tower masked and in disguise, used the power to bind Elaida and travel away back to the camp. Risky, but I think I could have pulled it off without too many problems. If it didn't break the tower sisters, keep it up until they do. I'd put a few sisters with the army to try and cut off the sneak attacks, a few barriers of air going around them and you got yourself some prisoners.

 

That may have gotten the job done in regards to re-taking the tower, but her goal is to unite the tower.  Your plan would actually drive the wedge further.  Getting caught will no doubt result in her winning over the Sister's still in the tower faster than any other course of action.

 

2. Mat - I would have leashed Tuon just to see her reaction after she tried to use the leashed aes sedai on him when they were in the wagon. I would have tried to get some oaths from the Aes Sedai he was rescuing to follow my orders while they remained with him since he knows they usually try to take over whenever they can

 

Leashing Tuon would be a BAD idea.  Remember that the sul'dam who were collared freaked out...you're suggesting doing that to one of the Blood.  As for oaths, that's just not how Mat works.  He will take control when he needs to, but as long as stuff gets done, what does he care if he's in charge?

 

3. Elyane - If she was looking for mercenaries, she knew about Mat's army. I would have sent word to Egwene asking for them. That gives her at least some trustworthy mercs. I also would have done an offensive using gateways, but then I wouldn't have cared too much about not shedding too much blood to capture them as she did. Drop the Red Hand about a few miles behind the camp outside town while bringing a small force out of the gate to get their attention and it's over. Or knowing that Egwene can enter people's dreams, I would have asked her to try to find Gwayn and get him to start the trek back to take over his role as First Prince.

 

Elayne was trying to lay her claim to the throne seperately from Rand.  Mat is one of Rand's best friends.  Having Mat (or even just the Band) help her in the succession would make it seem to the other nobles that Elayne was dependant on the DR, which is what she is trying to avoid.

 

4. Perrin - Tough for the group he had as they are all hotheads, but grab a few white robes with an ashaman, travel into the water area, go find faile and crew, travel out the next day. He never seemed too worried about actually trying to break the shaido, just get faile out.

 

You make it sound so easy, but they would have to know where Faile was in the camp (at least kind of where she is) or it would take way more than one day and in all likelyhood they would get found out before they found her.

 

5. Rand - I would have just tossed cadsuane no matter what min said, mostly because her character annoys me. I probably would have also listened to Logain a bit more and checked up on the black tower, especially since he never sounded too trusting of Taim as it was. Also, I would have been quizzing the sworn sisters if it was possible to release a warder and then command Alanna to release me once I found out. I would have also used the sworn sisters to link with and use the tear sword that wasn't a sword to pretty much wipe away the seachan but that would have killed a lot of story lines. If he was directing the flows, it shouldn't be any problem with the 3 oaths as the captured aes sedai haven't had a problem being used as weapons with the sul'dam.

 

Tossing Cadsuane just because you don't like her would be stupid, especially when one of the few people you trust says to keep her around.  Rand doesn't trust any man that can channel, especially Taim.  Alanna's bond to him isn't really that important...it has cause little harm to him (as far as we know).  I'm pretty sure linking with the oath-sworn Sisters would have ended similarly to how things went with the Seanchan when he used Callandor alone...of course he might not have gone so far overboard.

 

6. Nynaeve - She can travel, Lan is with her, and I forgot the name of the sister who has his bond but she is with Egwene. Travel to the camp, grab the sister and get his bond and then you can go back to whatever you were doing.

 

The bond really isn't a big deal at this point.  They have a world to save, the bond can wait.  Besides, if either dies, the other will go crazy with grief and end up being useless...  Oh, and it's Myrelle that carries the bond atm.

 

Glad you found dragonmount as well. ;)

[Mr Ares]

5. Rand - I would have just tossed cadsuane no matter what min said

The world would like to thank you for dooming it to suffer under an insane tyrant.

I would have also used the sworn sisters to link with and use the tear sword that wasn't a sword to pretty much wipe away the seachan but that would have killed a lot of story lines.

He tried using it in PoD. He killed a good part of his own army, and called it a defeat.

the captured aes sedai haven't had a problem being used as weapons with the sul'dam.

Yes they have. The Three Oaths hold.

 

As for what I would have done, you don't want to know.

[Biagio]

Just one quick point. Cadsuane pointed out that the sword was faulty and must be used in a linked circle with women to protect him, but I can't remember if it mentioned that the woman must lead. The sword was used without problems in a circle fighting the forsaken while Rand was cleansing saidin. That was the reason I had him linking.

 

To be fair, I would have gotten rid of cadsuane before min ever had her viewing, ignorance is bliss and all  ;D

 

That may have gotten the job done in regards to re-taking the tower, but her goal is to unite the tower.  Your plan would actually drive the wedge further.  Getting caught will no doubt result in her winning over the Sister's still in the tower faster than any other course of action.

 

Her inside the tower might do that yes, but her plan was to convert the chain and get back out and continue the siege. Capturing the leader would have taken the backbone out of the tower sisters and made the negotiations easier. Once she has the tower she still has a long road to unite them again with blues and reds at odds, plus the damage that was done through Alvarian(sp) acting as keeper. The sisters in the tower walked around as if they were fighting each other as it was. The sooner she was in the tower, the sooner she could try to patch up things.

 

Elayne was trying to lay her claim to the throne seperately from Rand.  Mat is one of Rand's best friends.  Having Mat (or even just the Band) help her in the succession would make it seem to the other nobles that Elayne was dependant on the DR, which is what she is trying to avoid.

 

This is true, but I don't remember the band or mat ever spending time in Andor. Though there are an awful lot of pigeons in the land. Maybe put them more than a few miles back and she could have played the fool and claimed the army ran into them and decided to fight  ;D

 

 

The bond really isn't a big deal at this point.  They have a world to save, the bond can wait.  Besides, if either dies, the other will go crazy with grief and end up being useless...  Oh, and it's Myrelle that carries the bond atm.

 

Yea, I just didn't have much to offer with her and wanted to come up with something. She seemed to fall off in importance during the later books. Even when she helped Rand there wasn't much told in her PoV.

 

The world would like to thank you for dooming it to suffer under an insane tyrant.

 

I would have still cleansed saidin so the insanity would be gone. Now possibly losing the last battle might be a different story, but I wouldn't be insane heh.

 

Yes they have. The Three Oaths hold.

 

I'll have to take your word on it, but I didn't recall seeing anything that said the captured aes sedai couldn't be used with the army.

 

As for what I would have done, you don't want to know.

 

Do tell, that was the whole reason for the post.

[a5m]

Yes they have. The Three Oaths hold.

 

I'll have to take your word on it, but I didn't recall seeing anything that said the captured aes sedai couldn't be used with the army.

 

Read KoD again, Chapter 36, Karede's POV.

 

He had considered using another damane then Mylen. The tiny woman with the face he could never put an age to almost bounced in her saddle with eagerness to lay eyes on the High Lady again. She was not properly composed. Still, she could do nothing without Meritene, and she was useless as a weapon, a fact that made her hang her head when he pointed it out to the der'sul'dam. ... No, the weapons had been left with Musenge.

 

Even collared, the Aes Sedai is bound by the three oaths.

[Mr Ares]

I can't remember if it mentioned that the woman must lead with Callandor.

It was.

The sword was used without problems in a circle fighting the forsaken

By a circle led by a woman (Elza Penfell).

 

To be fair, I would have gotten rid of cadsuane before min ever had her viewing, ignorance is bliss and all  ;D

Still a mistake no matter when you do it.

 

The world would like to thank you for dooming it to suffer under an insane tyrant.

I would have still cleansed saidin so the insanity would be gone. Now possibly losing the last battle might be a different story, but I wouldn't be insane heh.

Rand was insane long before he Cleansed the Source, and removing the taint would stop things getting any worse, but wouldn't make them any better. Also, there are more ways than just the taint to go insane. Cadsuane is necessary because she is capable of teaching Rand a level of restraint. Without her, he would be so much worse, and as she points out she is trying to stop his victory being as dark as his defeat.

 

As for what I would have done, you don't want to know.

Do tell, that was the whole reason for the post.

A couple of examples: when Perrin threw away his axe, I wouldn't. After Mat killed Renna, he vowed not to kill another woman, even if it was his life. I wouldn't.

[Majsju]

I would have still cleansed saidin so the insanity would be gone. Now possibly losing the last battle might be a different story, but I wouldn't be insane heh.

 

Without Cadsuane, the Cleansing would have failed, Rand (and Nynaeve) would have died, and the shadow would have gotten their hands on Choedan Kal and Callandor. Well done!

[Luzburg]

I'd have thrown in my lot with Lanfear and tried to challenge the Creator ^^

 

 

Well, not really, though if there were a chance of it working then hmmmmm.

 

 

One thing I had been thinking of is if Rand could get a hold of an oath rod and detain Taim he might ascertain who he is or who he serves, even if I think he serves himself.