Your thoughts ....

[Yorkie]

With Lan now in the borderlands and making his way from Worlds End heading towards Fal Moran and Nynaeve spreading the word so to speak. What are your thoughts on the following questions?

 

1) Do you think that Lan will collect a sizable force? And what will its make-up be?

2) Is this in your opinion going to be the foundation stone for the rebirth of Malkier, Reasons behind your thoughts also?

3) Will his journey be completed in the next book or will it be resolved over the course of the remaining books?

 

These are just idle thoughts I have my own and just interested to see if they differ greatly or not :)

[LedZepMan]

1. I think that Lan will gather up most of the Malkieri, and that those will be decent or better swordsmen or what have you. The other borderlanders that Lan gathers will be of below decent fighting skills. I think the force that he gathers will be decent size, but not a huge army.

 

2. Totally. I know Nyneave will do her best to give birth to a new Malkier

 

3. I think that there might be a PoV in TGS, but that it will come to a head in the next book.

[Jameric]

I think Lan does what the kings/queens of the border landers and Rand should of done. He rallies the north under himself. Neat nice and done, and I cant wait til the hear the words Lands has for the border landers.

[Chance]

With Lan now in the borderlands and making his way from Worlds End heading towards Fal Moran and Nynaeve spreading the word so to speak. What are your thoughts on the following questions?

 

1) Do you think that Lan will collect a sizable force? And what will its make-up be?

2) Is this in your opinion going to be the foundation stone for the rebirth of Malkier, Reasons behind your thoughts also?

3) Will his journey be completed in the next book or will it be resolved over the course of the remaining books?

 

These are just idle thoughts I have my own and just interested to see if they differ greatly or not :)

 

No. 1.  Fly Golden Crane, Fly!  Lan and Nyn will collect, not only, Malkeri, but a lot of Borderlanders. When Lan showed up in Sheniar, I think in EOTW, they will follow the Golden Crane. And it seems that everyone in the Borderlands know of Lan and his story.

 

No. 2. Yes. Lan has been a featured character since day one. The Golden Crane, and Malkier has been a story since EOTW. Lan and Nyn have been a great storyline throughout the series. Lan being Rand's, father figure, mentor, teacher, and Nyn's, mother figure, shows the love and trust in these characters. Plus, I just want Malkier to rise again, with the seven towers, and lakes. The scene I like the most is when Lan and Rand are on the roof, after the Fain encounter, in Fal Madding, and they slip off the roof. That scene is powerful.

 

No. 3. It would be good, if the story started up in TGS, and continued in each book thereafter.

[Padraic_Seebrr]

1. Yeah, it will probably be large, as everyone in the Borderlands tells the story of the Uncrowned King and the fall of Malkier so much that it has basically become a legend, with Lan being a living legend (kinda like Cadsuane in a way, though less feared among Aes Sedai :P). And I can see people lining up to fight beside or for a living legend, even people who aren't Malkieri.

 

2. Hell yeah! The only problem I see for the rebirth of Malkier is the cleansing of the Blight before the Dark One is sealed up again. Malkier would only truly be reborn if the Blight was somehow cleared away, which I can only really see happening if the Dark One is sealed completely again.

 

3. I would think it has minimal coverage in The Gathering Storm, and it is addressed more in book 13. It just doesn't seem like a plotline that really pops out, as all he is basically doing is walking to Shienar with people joining him every time he walks 100 yards. That being said, there will probably be a status check on him, you know, see how he's doing, see how big his army is (speaking of which, have we ever had a point of view from Lan ? can't remember).

 

Something which I haven't thought of before is that with Lan marching across the Borderlands, and people so eager to join a living legend on his way to possibly go make another legend, could this make Saldea, Arafel, and Kandor weakened by the people that are sure to leave to join up with Lan? Would the soldiers that the Borderland rulers left there man their posts, or would they follow Lan to Shienar? Would what's left be able to hold back the Blight since the Borderland rulers took a lot of their army south?

[The Desert Pea]

You do all realize what Lan is marching into here, don't you? Despite the fact that he's going to have a considerable force gathered behind him (which he still won't be happy about) by the time he reaches Tarwin's Gap, Lan's probably going to die here. He'll put up a good fight, but he's heading straight towards Trolloc Armageddon with little to no chance of survival.

 

So, to sum it up quickly:

1) Yes

2) No, everyone's going to die in sea a of Trollocs

3) Probably not, I could see the beginning of Lan's final stand in the prologue of the 13th book and his death later on in the book

[Muad Cheade]

1). I put Lan's force to be between 30-40,000. It will be made up of Malkieri and various Borderlanders. However, they won't be filled with Lan-like warriors. It will mostly be a militia force. You have to understand that the Borderland Kings and Queens took their main force with them. What were left behind was "enough to stop anything short of the Trolloc Wars" which is coming very soon." Also, not all of the Malkieri are in the prime of youth. Lan was a babe when Malkier fell and now he is close to 50.

 

2). Lan has always said that he will not resurrect Malkier or lead men to die for a dead nation. He's leading these men to stop the opening moves of the Shadow.

 

3). Jason from Dragonmount said a main character will not be seen so it could possibly be Lan. Depending on how the 13th book is written, if it is an The Empire Strikes Back kind of book, we could see Lan's army put up a brave fight but be swept away by the first wave of Trollocs.

 

We don't really know how it'll play out but either Lan's army will blunt the first thrust of the Shadow or it will halt the first army of the Shadow enough to spread word and warn.

[Phariah]

i personally feel it can be a possibility that Malkier will rise, if u remember the effect of the Nym dying, it pushed back the blight some.

after TG i can imagine most if not all of the blight altering. ;D

 

and yes his force will be mostly sell-swords-privateers, militia/farmers. but i think u will have alot of second gen Malkieri born after its fall and of mixed marriages after just like the 3 Nyv incites in KoD,  they wind up farmers, miners, merchants, bodgaurds, i'm sure they would be decent fighters

but i think that u have the lands just south of the borderlands that have no country / ruler that could possibly generate men also  ::) ;)

i can see him winding up in the Gap w/ 80 - 100k  :o 8)

 

and possibly add a few Malkeri AS ( and maybe a couple borderlands AS ) that just don't give a darn and say %$#@ the WT , ima comin Crane !!  :P

[Padraic_Seebrr]

Well Muad if your going to bring up the thing of poor training, Lan has already shown that he can train people fairly quickly, and I can see him sacrificing a bit of speed to see that he gets there with a somewhat competent army. Also I do doubt that he charges straight into Tarwin's Gap as soon as he gets there, more likely sets up shop in front of it, trains his army for awhile, then some trollocs start pouring out.

[trakand_01]

1) Do you think that Lan will collect a sizable force? And what will its make-up be?

 

Yes. It's a pretty pointless storyline if he doesnt. We've spent the past 11 books hearing how he's the rightful but reluctant heir of Malkier, here's his chance to take that throne, and for Nynaeve to actually prove her worth. It actually took a lot for Nyn to put him where she did and go back through the gateway - for all her attitude she's a kitten at heart and in private Lan is supposed to be 'in control'. They were in private yet she still left him at World's End...

 

2) Is this in your opinion going to be the foundation stone for the rebirth of Malkier, Reasons behind your thoughts also?

 

IMHO I think that Malkier will be reborn by his actions, but that he will sacrifice himself and Malkier for Rand's benefit at TG. I can't imagine the impact of having all of Malkier, a dead nation, bearing down on you at TG. Must be quite powerful, espeically if they are beserkers (willing to die if they win the fight)

 

3) Will his journey be completed in the next book or will it be resolved over the course of the remaining books?

I think that TG iwll be the end of all the characters that we know, one way or another.

 

These are just idle thoughts I have my own and just interested to see if they differ greatly or not :)

[Mik]

With Lan now in the borderlands and making his way from Worlds End heading towards Fal Moran and Nynaeve spreading the word so to speak. What are your thoughts on the following questions?

 

1) Do you think that Lan will collect a sizable force? And what will its make-up be?

I'm thinking somewhere around 50k, with little over half of those real soldiers (~28k or something).

The Golden Crane flies! Heck, even I would answer it's call.

 

2) Is this in your opinion going to be the foundation stone for the rebirth of Malkier, Reasons behind your thoughts also?

No. Malkier is gone.

Lan will avenge what cannot be avenged and court death one glorious last time, on the doorstep of the Blight. And this time he will do more then court it. Lan will die a hero in battle, saving the lives of countless by stalling the Trolloc legions at the Gap. And with the death of the last of the Malkiery & their King, so will Malkier fade from legend, to myth.

 

I'm hoping against hope Moiraine will somehow show up at Tarwins Gap, to do battle at Lan his side. That is how we first saw them as Aes Sedai & Warder together, fighting off the Trollocs and the Fade on Emonds Field. And I can immagine I'll have goosebumps and a lump in my throat if that is how we see them last... side by side, even though Lan no longer is Moiraines warder, I'm hoping she'll stand by his side to aid him and honor their long journey together as he aided her during all those years together.

 

And maybe -if she shows up- she will even brings some blue and green sisters with her, as a symbol that this time around the Tower comes to aid the Malkiery in time, where it failed to show up in time when Malkier was swallowed by the Blight. That might even save (part of) Lan's army..?

Chances are slim to be honest, but that is what I hope to read. *swallows lump*

 

3) Will his journey be completed in the next book or will it be resolved over the course of the remaining books?

Tough one! I really don't know. There's so much stuff that needs happening before the end.. it might very well be the cliff-hanger at the end of TGS. Honestly, I don't know.

 

My two cents.

Nice questions.

[oroboros]

I don't think Lan will die soon as I think it would have a major impact on Nyn (her character could well be a right off if he dies), as well as Rand

 

My pesonal view is that Lan will gather a fairly strong borderlander army and head to Tarwins Gap. He won't attempt to bring back malkier, but will organise the borderlanders to defend against the first waves of trollocs. He will know he can't stop them but will slow them as much as possible, before he leads one last charge in which he thinks he will die. Only for Nyn and co. to appear at the last moment and drive the trollocs back long enough to get him and his remaining men out. 

 

 

[Thor]

it's going to be 300, randland style.

 

THIS IS MALKIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER.

[Padraic_Seebrr]

it's going to be 300, randland style.

 

THIS IS MALKIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER.

 

That would be awesome. Hope Brandon can write a good enough battle scene for it O.o.

[EramofAmandous]

That would be awesome. Hope Brandon can write a good enough battle scene for it O.o.

 

I don't think that will be a problem.  ;D