Rand and The Stedding

[Midean]

I'm re-reading WoT for the 3rd time right now and a thought occurred to me,

Why did it not occur to anyone to keep Rand in a stedding till the last battle?

He could have taken Lan with him and maybe an Aes Sedai or two and trained hard and stepped outside the stedding occasionally to hone his use of the OP without going mad and falling sick to the wasting disease from using the male half of the power.

I am aware it would have not made for good reading but still he would have been safe from the taint and had plenty of time to train.

Anyone who tried to attack him in the stedding would have had to face the ogier and also no forsaken or black ajah could have used the OP on him, and with him being a blademaster under lans training he would have held a massive advantage over any who did actually try to fight him inside a stedding.

As far as taking Callandor from Tear, he could have taken an escort from the stedding closest to Tear, grabbed the sword and headed back to the stedding.

I am also aware of his need to unite the world against the Dark One, but im sure there are ways he could have organised it from inside the stedding, maybe rallying the white tower to him and sending emissaries to the Aiel, Seanchan, Sea folk etc.

Anyhow, was just thinking about it and was interested in other peoples thoughts on this and maybe why it is or isnt a viable option to him.

 

Also at the end of the age of legends, it was said the ogier took male Aes Sedai into the stedding to slow the progression of the taint on them, but they all eventually left because of the longing to touch the OP, again though they could have stepped out for a day every now and then to touch the source and fight off the craving for it, this also leads me to wonder why the White Tower/Red ajah insist on stilling males who can touch the source instead of taking them to a stedding to research them or try to find a cure etc etc.

 

thoughts? 

[water_seeker]

The Dragon Reborn had a number of prophecies to fulfill that he could not have done from a stedding.  Taking Callandor from the Stone for one...Going to Rhuidean and bringing the Aiel from the Three-Fold Land for another.  Not to mention he'd prolly go crazy in there anyway from the boredom.

[Midean]

Yea, im aware of all the required prophecies, but wouldn't it be a good idea to at least set up his base of operations in a stedding somewhere, like, go out, get callandor, return to the stedding for rest and relief from the taint, then head to the 3 fold land and gather the aiel, go to Ruidean etc and return to another stedding, and so on, just seems like the steddings are a damn good place for him to relax and rejuvenate and they are spread out over the world so he would never actually be that far away from a stedding.

It just seems like a waste of a good thing for Rand, especially in the moments when he is injured or having a particularly bad dose of madness, just pop into a stedding for a while and everything is sweet.

 

i know its a long shot and stuff but i really think he would have had a much easier time with things had he retreated to a stedding instead of jumping all over the place when he is trying to hide from the forsaken and other threats.

[Kadere]

First off, you can't just rest away the taint. It stays where it's at and grows. It's not like a cold, you don't get better just because you're in a place where you can't use the One Power.

 

Second, Rand has very little time to be running back and forth to steddings. He's got Forsaken, darkfriends, Aes Sedai, men who can channel, Aiel, and millions of other citizens he has to deal with. He has to try and convince as much of the population as he can to join with him. If he ran out and got Callandor and then spent a few months "resting" in a stedding the Forsaken would use that huge window of opportunity to set up offenses, conquer more countries, turn more lords against Rand, and spread chaos even deeper then they already are. As far as Rand's concerned from TDR on, the Last Battle could be tomorrow and he's not prepared. He has no time to rest. 

[Mr Ares]

I'm re-reading WoT for the 3rd time right now and a thought occurred to me,

Why did it not occur to anyone to keep Rand in a stedding till the last battle?

Because it's a bloody stupid idea. Rand needs to be out and about, saving the world, not holed up in a stedding, even presuming that the Ogier would allow him to stay. Hell, in book 2 Moiraine decides to give Rand his freedom, not to try and control him, because all she achieved by trying that was to drive him away. He needed to train in the Power, needed a teacher. To spend months outside a stedding going to Rhuidean, then on to al'cair dal, then following the Shaido, through Cairhien, then on to Caemlyn. Then he had ruling to do in Caemlyn and Cairhien. He was busy, he couldn't afford to cut himself off from the world for extended periods in the manner you suggest.

[Luckers]

Elaida's plan was to keep him shielded in the Tower until the Last Battle, which is similar enough. Both plans would have caused disaster. Rand's actions have dramatically increased the Light's chances. He needed to be free to act and to learn--had people done as you'd suggest then Rand would not have captured Asmodean. The taint would not be cleansed. The Black Tower would not exist. Illian, Tear and Andor would still be in the hands of the Forsaken. The Aiel would still be in the Waste, and with them the Choedan Kal. And thats just the big stuff, what of all the stuff that has occured because of his existence?

[Builder]

There is something that tells me that it wouldn't be a good idea for Rand to be in a stedding most of the time...

[mb]

Why did it not occur to anyone to keep Rand in a stedding till the last battle?

One reason is that no further prophecies would be fulfilled; or very few.

Another reason might be that he might die without access to the Source.

Like other posters mentioned, he has too much things to do; and going into stedding does not stop the Taint.

 

[Razor]

Simple 100,000 Trollocks surround a Steading.  No more Rand.  Stupid idea.

[Kaznen]

Very dumb idea.

 

A lot (most) AS think that they can shield Rand from the OP and Taint then pick and choose what proficies can be fulfilled and how the ones that are are to be done.

 

They think that at the TG they just need to get the Dragon REborn to the battle with the DO drop the shields and say "get 'im" and that Rand will automaticlly win by just his being there.

 

If he hid out on a stedding the same thing would be happening.

[Midean]

Wow, your a critical lot to an idea i had, not saying it was a good one or anything, just a thought that occurred to me as i was reading.

Like i said, im aware of the prophecies and all that needs to be done before tarmon'gaidon, and i also am aware that the madness caused by the taint does not disappear when inside a stedding.

But it was written that at the end of the age of legends that male aes sedai retreated to a stedding to, wait for it, HOLD OFF THE TAINT AND THE MADNESS!

 

And Mr Ares, my ideas may be stupid to you, but it was just an idea, nothing more, try not to be so negative eh?

 

My point was he spent very little time inside the stedding when it clearly does slow the effects of the taint, with Rand being able to travel, i see it as a very GOOD IDEA *Mr Ares* that when he was injured or trying to hide from the Forsaken as he did so often with Min, jumping around, keeping the enemy guessing at his location etc, to just travel to a stedding and chill for a bit of time out. I mean, Rand went to that town where the ter'angreal stopped one from channeling to kill the rogue asha'man, he could have done that from a stedding and had the added benefits of relief from the taint at the same time.

[Braus]

Nvm mind all the prophecies and all. Im not sure a stedding would be much of protection unless it was like maybe far madding(a city with walls), since any army could still enter it right? Darkfriends especially and maybe even shadowspawn though reluctanly?

[Midean]

Nvm mind all the prophecies and all. Im not sure a stedding would be much of protection unless it was like maybe far madding(a city with walls), since any army could still enter it right? Darkfriends especially and maybe even shadowspawn though reluctanly?

 

Yea you have a good point, although im sure it would not take much for an Aes Sedai to set wards outside the stedding to warn of approaching enemies, and even then, you could have anyone who could channel simply step outside the stedding and open up on them with the OP.

[Mr Ares]

Wow, your a critical lot to an idea i had, not saying it was a good one or anything, just a thought that occurred to me as i was reading.

That you didn't bother to think through.

Like i said, im aware of the prophecies and all that needs to be done before tarmon'gaidon, and i also am aware that the madness caused by the taint does not disappear when inside a stedding.

So why would he do it?

But it was written that at the end of the age of legends that male aes sedai retreated to a stedding to, wait for it, HOLD OFF THE TAINT AND THE MADNESS!

But Rand can't save the world inside a stedding. Those men didn't have to, they were not the Prophesied saviour. All they needed to do was not go insane, and they couldn't even manage that.

 

And Mr Ares, my ideas may be stupid to you, but it was just an idea, nothing more, try not to be so negative eh?

No.

 

My point was he spent very little time inside the stedding when it clearly does slow the effects of the taint, with Rand being able to travel, i see it as a very GOOD IDEA

Why? He cannot get anything done inside a stedding, he needs to get things done, therefore he would need to leave in order to get things done.

*Mr Ares* that when he was injured or trying to hide from the Forsaken as he did so often with Min, jumping around, keeping the enemy guessing at his location etc, to just travel to a stedding and chill for a bit of time out.

Where he would stand out in a crowd, assuming the Ogier let him stay there.

I mean, Rand went to that town where the ter'angreal stopped one from channeling to kill the rogue asha'man, he could have done that from a stedding and had the added benefits of relief from the taint at the same time.

What benefit would he gain from a stedding that he didn't from Far Madding?

 

you could have anyone who could channel simply step outside the stedding

So they still have to leave the stedding. Which puts him at risk from the taint again whenever he channels, and doesn't actually help him in any way.

[Midean]

 

And Mr Ares, my ideas may be stupid to you, but it was just an idea, nothing more, try not to be so negative eh?

No.

 

And that's enough proof for me your not worth talking to, thanks for your time, feel free to ignore me in future and keep your negative attitude to yourself  ;D

 

peace.

[Mr Ares]

And Mr Ares, my ideas may be stupid to you, but it was just an idea, nothing more, try not to be so negative eh?

No.

And that's enough proof for me your not worth talking to, thanks for your time, feel free to ignore me in future and keep your negative attitude to yourself  ;D

 

peace.

I'm not going anywhere, nor is my negative attitude. Get used to it.

 

War.

[Midean]

Ah well, there is always one rotten apple in the bunch.

[Mr Ares]

Ah well, there is always one rotten apple in the bunch.

I've never found it so. Maybe it's just where you buy your apples.

[Midean]

sigh, i come here to enjoy WoT with like minded people, not argue with grumpy old men, so please, just ignore me in future posts and we will both be happier for it.

 

Cheers

[Mr Ares]

like minded people

Yes men. Can't handle disagreement.

[Midean]

wow man, wtf is your problem lol

 

lighten up

[Mr Ares]

lighten up

Nah.