Rand's Plotline (spoilers for the entire book)

[Demon_AS]

Some interesting points have been raised in this thread, but I have a question that I don't think has been raised yet (apologies if it has, I did peruse the thread quickly to make sure, but it's possible I may have missed it).

 

In any case, it seems to me that Min's viewing may NOT have been fulfilled regarding Cadsuane and her teaching Rand "something important". We all know that Cadsuane's objective thus far was to teach Rand how to laugh/cry/whatever - and at the end of the book, we saw that Rand achieved this objective.

 

However, he sort of came to that conclusion on his own, didn't he? I mean, sure, Cadsuane contrived to have Tam al'Thor in a position where he could have a word with his son, and it can be argued that it was the events that followed which led Rand down the path of redemption, if you want to call it that.

 

But I am not totally convinced that Cadsuane can be credited entirely for it... it seems a bit tenuous - and usually, when Rand completes a prophecy or fulfills a viewing, it's pretty clear-cut. So, if Cadsuane didn't, in fact, teach Rand what she set out to, the questions remains - what WILL she teach him?

 

Granted, all of you could say that I'm reading too much into this, but it's an idle thought :). I finished the book not one hour ago, and I'm still reeling from how amazing it was.

[Theris]

I don't think it's as simple as him being able to use his ta'veren powers - every time he did that whole "I could will your heart to stop" thing, and his meeting with Tuon where he declared what his needs were, were accompanied by a noted "darkening" of the area. I think that is the *opposite* of ta'veren - I think that's a thing of the True Power, a twisting of the Pattern (similar to the wind blowing in two directions at once at the start; perhaps a metaphor to Rand being able to successfully blow against the "wind" of the Pattern for a time). As in, he very well might have stopped Cadsuane's heart from beating - but that would have been a tearing of the Pattern, and not the Pattern doing what it was supposed to. As Rand repeatedly points out, being a ta'veren means, in essence, being a prisoner of the Pattern - there are just some things he has to do. If he were to NOT do them, the jig is up (in essence). That's why the Tuon thing was so dangerous, and why everything darkened the way it did - it wasn't natural. There wasn't supposed to be a treaty with the Seanchan, the Seanchan were supposed to attack the White Tower.

 

Remember what Verin says - the Dark One is fighting in ways that none of them understand. They're preparing for just a physical conflict, but it's more than that (especially when you consider that the Dark One has to ALLOW you to have access to the True Power, and he ALLOWED Rand access). It very well could have been a "fight with the Dark One" that Rand was losing in the Gathering Storm until the end - he was falling to the Dark One's influence pretty much the entire book. He hinted at tearing the Pattern without realizing it (the threat to Cadsuane, for example), used Balefire in horrendous ways, and almost changed the entire course of the Pattern by almost forcing a peace with Tuon. I think those would have been disastrous - perhaps a tearing of the Pattern entire.

[coteaz]

I also thought that she hadn't taught him yet what min viewed she would, mainly because min included the ashaman in the viewing as if Cadsuane would teach all of them not just rand and then the ashaman.

[coteaz]

Im also one of the people that thinks rand could use the TP through his connection to Ishy. And i take him almost getting Tuon to say yes meaning he was bending the pattern, but in a negative way, and not the way he should be doing it. ( i know it sounds weird but its late here and my brain has turned off lol)

[Theris]

Agreed - just because Cadsuane and the Wise Ones agree to "teach Rand to laugh and cry" doesn't mean that is what she is meant to teach him by the Pattern. Not going to guess as to what that lesson would be. I'm just saying that if he had truly willed her to death, it wouldn't have been an act of being ta'veren.

 

Remember when Cadsuane was shocked that there were no "good" coincidences to balance the bad ones - the reason those good and bad coincidences happen around Rand (other than just "because he's ta'veren") is because the Pattern would be knocked out of balance otherwise. Rand's nature is such that things are just drastically weird around him, but the Pattern, while allowing for that weirdness, ensures it never affects the Pattern entire by making sure that good and bad things are balanced. But once he seizes the True Power, this stops - only bad things start to happen, with no balancing effect. This is harmful to the Pattern - it is increasing the chaos in the world (which is what the Dark One wants). Now, JUST good things happening would have the same effect on the Pattern, but the Dark One being the Dark One, he'd prefer nasty things happening.

[karehiro]

Fascinating insight regarding the ta'veren effect.  In essence you could describe it as a type of "anti-Pattern ta'averen effect" Rand was engaging in.

 

A power strong enough to rewrite the Pattern itself, and in effect change prophecy and destiny.  That may very well be a method the Dark One could use to win, if he had such a strong ta'veren with control over such an ability.

[Loophole]

I was thinking about when Rand used the TP, i know the DO has to allow people to use it, but what if Rand used the TP through his link with Moridin.

 

This way the DO would in fact be giving the power to Moridin, and Rand is just sort of hijacking it for a bit.

 

Also with the strength of the TP, its possible the amount the DO can grant to people has been increasing as the seals weaken.

[Theris]

But I don't think that would have been bending the Pattern, I think it would have been breaking the Pattern. The Seanchan MUST attack the White Tower. Min viewed it, and she views what the Pattern should be; this not happening would be disastrous, even though it sounds like a net positive effect. For example, if it didn't happen, perhaps Elaida would be able to regain control of the White Tower, and hire an assassin to kill Egwene. Or blame Verin's death on Egwene. Or SOMETHING that would incapacitate or kill Egwene. Then you have a bad, bad Amyrlin Seat for the Last Battle. Which is then lost, and the Dark One wins. Or it could be even simpler than that - it was meant to happen, and because it now doesn't happen, that's it - the Pattern tears. The Last Battle was prophecy, and prophecy is a reading of the Pattern - if the Pattern tears, there is no more prophecy, there is no more Pattern, everything ends and the Dark One is free by default.

 

Also, I'm not convinced that he could access the True Power through his link to Moridin; the True Power is the Dark One himself. It doesn't stand to reason that someone could channel the Dark One without his permission - he is able to sever the connection of all the other Forsaken to him at will. Semirhage says as much when she asks why the Dark One has forsaken her before Rand kills her: unlike the One Power, which is a force of nature in perfect balance, the True Power is the personal domain of the Dark One. I just can't see him not being able to stop its use at any time for any reason - for example, when his power is being used to kill one of his servants. The only way this would have worked is if he WANTED Semirhage to die, and he WANTED her to die because Rand couldn't channel and couldn't use his sword and would resort to this new gift, the True Power, to save himself and Min, which he did - he offered Rand a "way out" of his predicament that ended up corrupting him for the rest of the book. And he did it because the True Power, being outside of the Pattern (remember, Traveling with the True Power literally involves TEARING the Pattern, with screams aplenty, and going where you want to go), would allow Rand to do things that are also outside of the Pattern (like kill Cadsuane or force a treaty with the Seanchan).

[Demon_AS]

Im also one of the people that thinks rand could use the TP through his connection to Ishy. And i take him almost getting Tuon to say yes meaning he was bending the pattern, but in a negative way, and not the way he should be doing it. ( i know it sounds weird but its late here and my brain has turned off lol)

You know, I thought the same thing regarding Rand and his use of the True Power.

 

But, having had time to consider it, we don't have enough information to make that assumption. We don't know anything about the True Power, save that it's both more powerful and more addictive than the One Power. We've all assumed that the source of that Power is the Dark One... but again, that's no more than a guess. What if severe emotional stress allowed Rand to tap into it of his own accord?

 

I agree, Occam's Razor points us in the direction of the Moridin-Rand link... but as it's so hard to predict Jordan's next move in the story (one of my favourite things about this series) that I find myself questioning every assumption until it's been made fact.

[coteaz]

TP is the same power as the OP imho just more addictive, and i agree we don't know enough information to say for sure whether he got it from the DO or from Ishy.

[Theris]

You know, I thought the same thing regarding Rand and his use of the True Power.

 

But, having had time to consider it, we don't have enough information to make that assumption. We don't know anything about the True Power, save that it's both more powerful and more addictive than the One Power. We've all assumed that the source of that Power is the Dark One... but again, that's no more than a guess. What if severe emotional stress allowed Rand to tap into it of its own accord?

 

I agree, Occam's Razor points us in the direction of the Moridin-Rand link... but as it's so hard to predict Jordan's next move in the story (one of my favourite things about this series) that I find myself questioning every assumption until it's been made fact.

 

We know a bit more than that.

 

The Age of Legends folks all say that the "power" that was being drilled into wasn't just a new power, but it was the Dark One himself. Also, we know that the Dark One is able to completely sever individuals from the True Power without any elaborate stilling - when he chose Moridin as Naeblis, the other Forsaken were no longer able to channel the True Power, though they did not want to. Like the Dark One's taint on saidin, use of the True Power eventually drives one mad, which is WHY none of the Forsaken save Ishamael used it (Ishamael was also driven mad, remember). At the very least this *strongly* suggests that the Dark One is the source of the True Power.

[Demon_AS]

TP is the same power as the OP imho just more addictive, and i agree we don't know enough information to say for sure whether he got it from the DO or from Ishy.

Or perhaps neither, which is my point.

 

The One Power is said to be sourced by the Creator Himself, so there's a certain balance in the idea that the True Power is derived from the Dark One. However, that is assuming that the Dark One is the Creator's direct opposite. The Devil to our God, sort of idea.

 

However, what do we really know about the Dark One? Who is He? What kind of being is He? Why do assume it's a He? I reckon it would be classic-Jordan for the Dark One to be a she - that way Rand has to get over his issues about killing women etc. The ramifications and possibilities are endless. Point is, we know next to nothing about this "foe" that Rand is trying to kill. That will be the biggest shock, I think - once we find out the nature of this universal enemy.

[Theris]

We're going by what we're told in the book.

 

We're told that the Dark One is a he - even the Forsaken, who have literally spoken to him, refer to him as a him. And again, it's said that the True Power is the Dark One's domain - he is able to grant and rescind access to it at will. He can't do that with the One Power, and has to resort to threatening immediate and painful death to anyone who seizes the One Power in Shayol Ghul (which is also, to me, evidence that the One Power can harm the Dark One when he makes the very act of embracing the Source a capital crime).

[Demon_AS]

You know, I thought the same thing regarding Rand and his use of the True Power.

 

But, having had time to consider it, we don't have enough information to make that assumption. We don't know anything about the True Power, save that it's both more powerful and more addictive than the One Power. We've all assumed that the source of that Power is the Dark One... but again, that's no more than a guess. What if severe emotional stress allowed Rand to tap into it of its own accord?

 

I agree, Occam's Razor points us in the direction of the Moridin-Rand link... but as it's so hard to predict Jordan's next move in the story (one of my favourite things about this series) that I find myself questioning every assumption until it's been made fact.

 

We know a bit more than that.

 

The Age of Legends folks all say that the "power" that was being drilled into wasn't just a new power, but it was the Dark One himself. Also, we know that the Dark One is able to completely sever individuals from the True Power without any elaborate stilling - when he chose Moridin as Naeblis, the other Forsaken were no longer able to channel the True Power, though they did not want to. Like the Dark One's taint on saidin, use of the True Power eventually drives one mad, which is WHY none of the Forsaken save Ishamael used it (Ishamael was also driven mad, remember). At the very least this *strongly* suggests that the Dark One is the source of the True Power.

Yes, I came to the same conclusions as you... but it's not conclusive evidence. My post previous to this mentions my concerns regarding the Dark One, and how little we know about the nature of him/her (never exclude that possibility lol).

 

There are suggestions that the Dark One and the True Power are linked... but the nature of that link is unclear. As someone said before, we should be wary of the logical trap that is cum hoc ergo propter hoc. Correlation does not imply causation :).

 

Even if it seems likely ;).

[Demon_AS]

We're going by what we're told in the book.

 

We're told that the Dark One is a he - even the Forsaken, who have literally spoken to him, refer to him as a him. And again, it's said that the True Power is the Dark One's domain - he is able to grant and rescind access to it at will. He can't do that with the One Power, and has to resort to threatening immediate and painful death to anyone who seizes the One Power in Shayol Ghul (which is also, to me, evidence that the One Power can harm the Dark One when he makes the very act of embracing the Source a capital crime).

Again, what you say is true - but it is not fact. It hasn't been definitely stated, because no one knows. Not even the Forsaken can claim to understand who or what the Dark One is, beyond a disembodied voice that gives them rapture, power, and eternal life. Why doesn't Rand experience the Creator in that way, if the Dark One is the Creator's direct opposite? What I'm saying is, despite what the books suggest, nothing has been set in stone, and we know nothing about the Dark One's nature.

 

The Forsaken are just people that chose to be selfish (a trait the Dark One requires, according to Verin in TGS) and were rewarded for it. They don't know any more about the Dark One than anyone else, save that He is a source of power.

[Theris]

Yes, I came to the same conclusions as you... but it's not conclusive evidence. My post previous to this mentions my concerns regarding the Dark One, and how little we know about the nature of him/her (never exclude that possibility lol).

 

There are suggestions that the Dark One and the True Power are linked... but the nature of that link is unclear. As someone said before, we should be wary of the logical trap that is cum hoc ergo propter hoc. Correlation does not imply causation :).

 

Even if it seems likely ;).

 

While true, we also cannot assume facts outside of the fact pattern. Conjecture based on evidence is one thing, but I mean, I really think in this case all of the evidence points towards the Dark One being in control of the True Power, and the True Power being an antithesis to the One Power.

 

Item 1: Ishamael, in the AoL, uses the True Power to temporarily heal Lews Therin of his madness - the process is agonizingly painful, unlike the One Power, and he is able to heal the madness, whereas no amount of Healing from the One Power is able to heal the mad male Aes Sedai (likely because they are corrupted by the Dark One, who is the source of the madness and, also, the source of the True Power that is able to heal the madness).

 

Item 2: When Moridin uses the True Power to Travel, it is described as a "rip in the Pattern," that is accompanied by a multitude of screaming - perhaps the screaming of the Pattern itself, which, if you remember, is woven by Threads that are made up of souls. Souls that are being injured by the True Power and are screaming.

 

Item 3: The Dark One seeks chaos above all else, not order (even his own order): Moridin, who understands him best among the Forsaken, acknowledges that the Forsaken are mistaken, and they will not live forever in some dark paradise, but that the Dark One will unmake everything. This chaos is also reflected in the madness caused by the Dark One's touch on saidin - Lews Therin in the Gathering Storm describes what the Hundred Companions did as "touching the Dark One with saidin" because they needed something directly touching him, and this touch allowed saidin to become corrupted by the Dark One's maddening taint. Note, however, that the True Power ALSO drives its users mad, even though it isn't "tainted" per se, but is what it's supposed to be. Therefore, the Dark One's touch is maddening, and the True Power is his as it also is maddening.

 

Item 4: The Dark One is able to prevent anyone from using the True Power at will - very few were ever granted the right to use it according to Moghedien, and now it is limited to only Moridin. By contrast, the Dark One is unable to prevent anyone from using the One Power, even in Shayol Ghul, and must resort to threatening their lives if they so much as touch the Source.

[coteaz]

What if rand actually kills the dark one, and instead of no more dark one, moridin takes his place and becomes the new dark one being sealed away and when he awakens into his full power is when he allows the TP to be sensed and the Bore to be drilled. Crazy theory right?

[karehiro]

In regards to the Creator, to be fair, he did speak once with Rand in a manner similar to how the Dark One spoke to the Forsaken (in the EotW).  Though what he said to Rand, and what Rand got from Moridin's thoughts later on was that the Creator had a laissez-faire attitude and was content to let the chips fall where they may, and to let the Dragon do as he will.

 

 

[Theris]

I don't think the Dark One can truly be killed.

 

My personal theory is that Moridin is the Dark One before he comes the Dark One - remember that the Dark One calls the Dragon "my ancient foe" or somesuch. I personally think that Rand will "kill" the Dark One, who is really a kind of super-Moridin, but not kill Moridin because killing Moridin would also kill himself. Instead, he imprisons Moridin in what is, in essence, another dimension - a dimension that is a prison, just like Rand's box. He uses the Source to accomplish this, through Callandor, which thus would use both saidin and saidar. Moridin spends COUNTLESS thousands of years in this dimension, growing completely and irreparably mad. Remember that last time around, when he was Ishamael, he got so mad that he viewed himself as the Dark One at times; this time, he actually becomes the Dark One. And not only does he grow insane, but he also grows in power, over tens and tens of thousands of years (maybe even hundreds of thousands, or millions!). By this time he has mastered the True Power to such an extent that he is one with it, and can use it to change threads of the Pattern (for example, weaving a dead soul back into life); since there is a Pattern for every dimension, even this one that Rand made, he basically learns to completely change the Pattern of his little prison universe at will. After who knows how long, the Wheel of Time turns, and the Age of Legends comes again; Rand has been forgotten, and the prison he made has been forgotten as well. Brilliant Aes Sedai detect a POWERFUL source of power that seems to be hidden away - because Rand is a human, his works can be undone (rather than something as arrogant as humans changing the Creator's creations), and the Bore is created, freeing the Dark Lord Moridin, who immediately starts it all over again, having been driven so mad that he is pure chaos.

 

That's my theory. But who knows?

[BrainFireBob]

Could have been the Dark One in Eye of the World. Use of Chosen, etc. The DO wants things to progress properly to a point, and to a point only.

 

On the nature of the DO/Creator: We are given parallels throughout the sereies.

 

The True Power is identical for men and women, and is a solitary power.

 

The One Poewr is cooperative, yet divided against itself, and has gender.

 

The Dark One is associated with the Shadow, not with blackness. It is aat between places he manifests- for instance, the Myrddraal travelling at the edges of shadows, etc.

 

Y'know, I'd intended to type this whole thing out again, but I'm sure it's archived somewhere. Shortly, the Dark One is transgendered or gender neutral where the PAttern is sharply divided, is made of mixes or betweens- I've brought up the argument in the past that the Pattern itself is the diffused Creator, who gave his own driving energy to power it. If the DO and Creator are Manichean, equal deities- which Jordan alluded to- then they are equal, therefore no partitive creation of the Creator could stand before the DO. Either he wants to disturb his brother's work (his as the default pronoun, by the way), or he's the entrapped Creator himself (painted into a corner, working with "what's left"- this is unlikely, because it would make it non-Manichean), or he wants to grapple with his brother by making him concentrate once more- or this is contesting with his brother.

[Demon_AS]

Yes, I came to the same conclusions as you... but it's not conclusive evidence. My post previous to this mentions my concerns regarding the Dark One, and how little we know about the nature of him/her (never exclude that possibility lol).

 

There are suggestions that the Dark One and the True Power are linked... but the nature of that link is unclear. As someone said before, we should be wary of the logical trap that is cum hoc ergo propter hoc. Correlation does not imply causation :).

 

Even if it seems likely ;).

 

While true, we also cannot assume facts outside of the fact pattern. Conjecture based on evidence is one thing, but I mean, I really think in this case all of the evidence points towards the Dark One being in control of the True Power, and the True Power being an antithesis to the One Power.

 

Item 1: Ishamael, in the AoL, uses the True Power to temporarily heal Lews Therin of his madness - the process is agonizingly painful, unlike the One Power, and he is able to heal the madness, whereas no amount of Healing from the One Power is able to heal the mad male Aes Sedai (likely because they are corrupted by the Dark One, who is the source of the madness and, also, the source of the True Power that is able to heal the madness).

 

Item 2: When Moridin uses the True Power to Travel, it is described as a "rip in the Pattern," that is accompanied by a multitude of screaming - perhaps the screaming of the Pattern itself, which, if you remember, is woven by Threads that are made up of souls. Souls that are being injured by the True Power and are screaming.

 

Item 3: The Dark One seeks chaos above all else, not order (even his own order): Moridin, who understands him best among the Forsaken, acknowledges that the Forsaken are mistaken, and they will not live forever in some dark paradise, but that the Dark One will unmake everything. This chaos is also reflected in the madness caused by the Dark One's touch on saidin - Lews Therin in the Gathering Storm describes what the Hundred Companions did as "touching the Dark One with saidin" because they needed something directly touching him, and this touch allowed saidin to become corrupted by the Dark One's maddening taint. Note, however, that the True Power ALSO drives its users mad, even though it isn't "tainted" per se, but is what it's supposed to be. Therefore, the Dark One's touch is maddening, and the True Power is his as it also is maddening.

 

Item 4: The Dark One is able to prevent anyone from using the True Power at will - very few were ever granted the right to use it according to Moghedien, and now it is limited to only Moridin. By contrast, the Dark One is unable to prevent anyone from using the One Power, even in Shayol Ghul, and must resort to threatening their lives if they so much as touch the Source.

Your post was well constructed, and you make some good arguments, most of which I agree with.

 

However (you knew there'd be a "but", didn't you? :P), I still see any of that as conclusive evidence that the Dark One is the source of the True Power. There is a link between the two - of that, I agree.  But I still don't think we know enough about the Dark One him/her/itself to say for certain that it is one way or another. The True Power and the One Power are different beasts - we definitely don't know enough about either to account for why the TP drives one mad. Ishamael's insanity hasn't been explained, merely hypothesized as being due to the effect of the TP. He was meant to be some great Philosopher before he became a Forsaken, and people who are that introspective tend to become a little unhinged because reality can be ugly. So, his madness could predate the TP (I'm not saying that this isn't a tenuous line, but it's still something that should be considered).

 

The Dark One's supposed control of access to the True Power is, perhaps, the only significant sign that he is the source. But in and of itself, it doesn't prove that it is so - because, again, we don't know that the Dark One is the Creator's opposite. He could be - as I said earlier, it's a nice idea - but his exact nature is unknown (male gender used for convenience, by the way). What's to say that the Dark One is not actually the Devil, but actually some ridiculously powerful human that was twisted...?

 

In a story this complicated, I am starting to believe that anything is possible lol. The point of raising this discussions was so that the idea can be discussed and considered :). I'm glad it's achieved that much, at least.

[coteaz]

i couldn't agree more with theris, it would be very umm interesting to see that happen.

[firstfishman]

I think that Rand will bind the Nine Moons to him via Matt. Does it say anywhere what Matt's power is regarding him being The Prince of Ravens? Can it be possible, that Matt has control over The Ever Victorious Army? Rand will have to seek out Perrin and Matt at some point.. And now that he knows who Fortuona is, he will most likely have to seek Matt out in the Crystal throne room. Matt will tell Rand that he wont fight for him, because his allegiance lies with his wife. He may kneel before the crystal throne in order to bind it to him. Assuming that he is back to the old Rand, he would make that sacrifice in order to gain their cooperation. He needs Matt, more than he needs the Ever Victorious Army..

Maybe he will strike out an agreement... No more collaring people, in exchange for the whole world.. The Senchan seem to be able to restore order better than any one ruler. They would feed the hungry, enlist the able in order to fight at the last battle, and let each ruler retain control over their own lands like they did with King Beslan.. Would it really be as bad as fighting them?

[clu7ch]

This probably belongs in structured discussion but I dunno. Something I wanted to bring up to the rest of the community however, directly pertaining to a few passages in TGS. (Note, this theory isn't solid yet, I came up with this whilst driving home from work this morning)

 

Verin, in the chapter (a visit from verin sedai) mentioned that she didn't know of the dark one's plans for the last battle, but she was confident that it wouldn't be fought in the way Rand believed. We know Rand has been doing a nice bit of detective work, pouring over texts detailing the information of the last battle, prophecies and whatnot, and racking lews therin's brain (?) of any information. But what can we assume he believes? A conventional clash of armies, the gathered kingdoms, under one banner with him at the front, shaking a nubby left appendage at the trolloc/darkfriend hoard with the Dark One at the front. The traditional medieval slugfest? Sure as sure, a epic battle will be fought, but on to my theory.

 

Chapter 22, Rand channeled the True Power. Lews Therin made the comment 'ITS HIM' in his warning to Rand. What if what he was referring to wasn't that the power was of the Dark One's design, what if, and it's a mighty big if, the True Power is actually the essence of the Dark One, himself. Im not sure how the timeline matches up, as the chapters are split and have their own timeline for each character. It's a stretch, I know, but it seems that within 4 or 5 chapters of this (and I don't have the book in front of me) There was the incident with Egwene and Leane in the tower's dungeons, where the dark one's touch took her cell. I'm implying a correlation between these oddities branded as 'The Dark Ones touch' and channeling of the true power. Like, a little bit of him escapes each time a momentous amount of TP Channeling is done.

 

I wouldn't put it past the Dark One to be a little cocky this close to the end. With all the dissension in the Tower, and especially Rand's at that time, state of mind. Faced with a desperate situation, The Dark One gave Rand a taste of himself, as a test. Would Rand touch the darkness in desperation? He did. Fare to say, if this is as it would have played out. The Dark One would have been overjoyed (does he feel joy?) At the last battle, given the current flow of events, Rand would be as hard as a rock, blocking everything away under the overwhelming pressure to win the last battle. All the Dark One would have to do is allow Rand to take the power, and being in that proximity of SG, I don't know how this would play out, but If the dark one is in control of the TP fully, He could flood Rand with the TP, killing him, using it as a tunnel to freedom, similar to how Rand cleansed Saidin.

 

Let me know what you all think on this matter. The theory could certainly use some supporting quotes from the text, and hell, it may not be valid at all, especially now that Rand isn't stone cold anymore.

[benr]

clu7ch - Much merit in what you say.  After Rand's encounter with Semi, many people start to see the "dark halo" around him when he goes all evil.  Tuon, a very perceptive observer, senses evil in him very strongly at their meeting. 

 

IF Rand's shining moment on Dragonmount truly means a new attitude for Rand, and a new hope for mankind, he still has a huge amount of work to do to overcome what "BadRand" has done.  Trust will not be easily regained.