Mat's Plotline (Spoilers for the whole book)

[Vermillion]

Am I the only one who has seen a flair for the dramatic in Mat? It doesn't seem that far-fetched to me that he'd have the imagination to write up something like he did for his men. Furthermore, look at all the past lives and memories he has to draw back upon. They aren't all of battles; some of his memories are of being in the Court of Eharon dancing, and things of that nature.

 

I don't know, I guess I just find it amazing how people buttonhole his character as being nothing but a drinking and womanizing rogue, when the series has proven over and over how noble and selfless he truly can be in the right circumstances. For example, in the battle where he ultimately killed Couladin. He was just trying to get away from it all, sees that a bunch of men who he had no care for or stake in are about to get slaughtered by the Shaido, and rallies them and ultimately leads them to victory. He had no reason to risk his life for strangers...

 

Mat is a multi-faceted character, and I have no problem seeing him do as he did in TGS.

 

He just isn't the same not from the Rogue Mat to General Mat from RJ.  But I thought he was fine just not the same.  Mat immediately post dagger was just a cool character.

[WolfDragonFox]

I agree he was different but I think the best point to be made as of now is that his character still made me laugh.  It wasn't spot on target with RJ's version but what if most of was RJ...see we don't really know.  I do think he was off just a bit but he was still hilarious and a joy to read about.  I think the true judgement will be best reserved for when we see him doing battle strategies in the upcoming book as well as the Ghenji arc.  That is where we will really see if the character is done correctly because my personal favorite reads of Mat are when he is under pressure of some sort.  I don't count Hinderstap as that except when the fighting started and it was great reading during that whole scene.  Wait for interaction with Tuon and heat of battle to see if the writing matches up.  Thats just my take on it.

[NARISMA]

i've finished reading the book last night.Mat's part wasnt so interesting.He seemed so od for me,like I'm reading his POV for the first time.And Talmanes wasnt so talky in the last books.

Othervise it was great.

[jemron]

I just wonder what we are talking about when we look at the Title Towers of Midnight.  Is it just Ghenji or is it basically telling us (which is my take) that the book will be based on events in all of the important tower locations in the series.

 

1. Tower of Ghenji

2. White Tower

3. Black Tower

4. 7 Towers of Malkier

 

I'm really praying for that #4 to show up...I can't wait to see the Army that Nynaeve set in motion across the borderlands to join with under the Golden Crane.

 

Don't forget the literal Towers of Midnight in Seanchan.  Could at least a bit of the book take place there?

[Muad Cheade]

Don't forget the literal Towers of Midnight in Seanchan.  Could at least a bit of the book take place there?

That's possible, but I think the Towers of Midnight is a reference to the Seanchan in general. After all, RJ did sy that there would be no more scenes in Seanchan.

[jemron]

Don't forget the literal Towers of Midnight in Seanchan.  Could at least a bit of the book take place there?

That's possible, but I think the Towers of Midnight is a reference to the Seanchan in general. After all, RJ did sy that there would be no more scenes in Seanchan.

True, but he said, "Unless the story requires it" or something.  Also, I've just got the slight impression that BS might possibly visit that part of Seanchan for a short scene or two from some of the quotes I remember reading from his book signing tours.  I could be wrong, but it's a possibility.  Some have even speculated that the Towers of Midnight are similar to the Tower of Ghenjei on the Seanchan continent, though it is more likely that they are some sort of prison, or the place where the Crystal Throne is... Is that in Seandar?  I can't remember...

[aunt_pol]

 

IIRC the ToM in Seanchan are where the adam was invented and/ or first used. Maybe we'll get a short scene there. Hey, with saidar goin funny the last while, Keepings wardings etc not holding, maybe the adam will stop working and everyone over there will go nuts entirely.

[jemron]

 

IIRC the ToM in Seanchan are where the adam was invented and/ or first used. Maybe we'll get a short scene there. Hey, with saidar goin funny the last while, Keepings wardings etc not holding, maybe the adam will stop working and everyone over there will go nuts entirely.

 

That's a cool thought.  I never thought of that before.  That could be very interesting.

[aunt_pol]

 

Why thank you... I was quite proud of that one, myself... It would give lots of scope for some fairly black humour.

[Dakota]

The 7 Towers are destoryed. But i agree that tittle seems to implye alot of action around these places. Also you cant forget Morridins "Tower" in the blight that was intro duced in TGS, if it is a Tower

 

It's been suggested that Moridin's tower -is- one of the 7 towers of Malkier, that either wasn't fully destroyed or has been rebuilt.

[Sharaman]

Moridin's Tower is "deep in the NE blight". Malkier is just a couple of day's ride from Shienar and a day short of the High Passes. The Blight extends a long way North and East of Malkier. Also Graendal's visuals don't tally with Malkier as we see it in EotW.

 

[WolfDragonFox]

The 7 Towers are destoryed. But i agree that tittle seems to implye alot of action around these places. Also you cant forget Morridins "Tower" in the blight that was intro duced in TGS, if it is a Tower

 

It's been suggested that Moridin's tower -is- one of the 7 towers of Malkier, that either wasn't fully destroyed or has been rebuilt.

Moridin's Tower is "deep in the NE blight". Malkier is just a couple of day's ride from Shienar and a day short of the High Passes. The Blight extends a long way North and East of Malkier. Also Graendal's visuals don't tally with Malkier as we see it in EotW.

 

 

 

I also think it is one of the towers of Malkier but didn't write that...slipped my mind...dunno but I like it

[JakeBarnes]

Remember Egwene's dream about Mat weighing two Aes Sedai on a huge set of balance scales and the world depending on his decision?

 

I think if Mat does as Verin wishes and waits in Caemlyn, it will be too late to rescue Moiraine. 

[Diederichos]

Where was this from, the weighing of the two Aes Sedai, Id on't think I've ever seen it before.

[wotjunkie]

 

IIRC the ToM in Seanchan are where the adam was invented and/ or first used. Maybe we'll get a short scene there. Hey, with saidar goin funny the last while, Keepings wardings etc not holding, maybe the adam will stop working and everyone over there will go nuts entirely.

 

wow that would be awsome, and its not beyond the scope of possibility, for there to be a truce between Rand and Fortuona the Damane issue will need to be resolved.

[JakeBarnes]

I pulled this from the EWOT

 

From TPOD, CH. 14

(Egwene's Dream) Mat, weighing two Aes Sedai on a huge set of balance scales, and on his decision depended...She could not say what; something vast; the world, perhaps.

[lordofsoup]

 

IIRC the ToM in Seanchan are where the adam was invented and/ or first used. Maybe we'll get a short scene there. Hey, with saidar goin funny the last while, Keepings wardings etc not holding, maybe the adam will stop working and everyone over there will go nuts entirely.

 

wow that would be awsome, and its not beyond the scope of possibility, for there to be a truce between Rand and Fortuona the Damane issue will need to be resolved.

 

there is a simple way to resolve it.  kidnap her and teach her to channel

[WolfDragonFox]

Okay now I need to know what IIRC means..damn I'm bad with acronyms....lol

[Auld Manriva]

Okay now I need to know what IIRC means..damn I'm bad with acronyms....lol

 

If I Recall Correctly

[jemron]

If I remember correctly...  Or sometimes "if I read correctly."  Really the same thing for all intents and purposes...

[TheAngryDruid]

Well, I too thought Mat was a little off, but that was the point, he was a little off after Tuom married him and left.

 

He has finally come around to realizing his importance and his responsibilities, but still has to:

 

1) Rescue Moiraine

2) Get those Dragons built w/ Aludra, for which he'll need Elayne's help.

3) Deal with Verin's letter.

4) Get back in touch with Rand

5) Reunite the Band.

6) Get the Horn of Valere

7) Resolve his feelings for For(Tuon)a, and figure out what it means to be Prince of the Ravens (ASK Egeanin and Domoon).

8) Oh, and he may be in Caemlyn if there is a showdown at the Black Tower.

9) And, seeing how he's the best general alive, figure out a way to help/win the military part of the Last Battle.

 

Mat's got a lot on his plate, as do the others.

 

[Lilbaz]

I pulled this from the EWOT

 

From TPOD, CH. 14

(Egwene's Dream) Mat, weighing two Aes Sedai on a huge set of balance scales, and on his decision depended...She could not say what; something vast; the world, perhaps.

 

Didn't remember that! Didn't Verin ask him to wait 10 days until he opened the letter? I'd have thought they would try to attempt a rescue straight away. Maybe Moiraine urges him to ignor whatever is in the letter, whatever I think your bang on that it will be a choice between those 2.

[WolfDragonFox]

Not saying i'm the first to realize or post this but a few pages back I talked about what party members were going to bring what to beat the Finns.  I said mat was the fire but I believe I got it wrong on how he would do so.  I now recall a scene (can't remember which book) where he sees Aludra us her flints to make a quick fire...This is what he will be taking with him.  Duh Thom will be music as we all know, which leaves the third who we all mostly assume will be Noal/Jain to account for the Iron.

[aunt_pol]

wow Jake, that completely had flown under a lot of radar... defo, that's Mat weighing Verin's instructions against Thom pulling his sleeve to go fetch Moiraine. Specially with the Dream indicating so much riding on the outcome. Dovetails neatly with Min's viewing about Rand not being able to win the last Battle without ' a woman dead and gone', or words to that effect. What the hell is Moiraine gonna do that's so cool, I wonder? Oh hurry up, year....

[Sentinel78]

Jake, I echo aunt pol --- really good pull.  I'd totally forgotten about the balance scale with the two aes sedai.  Remember there's another vision of Mat related to a balance scale, where his eye is on the balance scale.  I always thought Mat was going to have to choose between giving up his eye and saving Moiraine, i.e., give up half the light of the world to save the world.  The two Aes Sedai on the balance scale does seem to be Verin/Moiraine... he'll have to decide whether to rescue Moiraine or follow whatever Verin's instructions were.  Remember, Mat has made promises to both Thom regarding Moiraine, and also to Verin regarding the unknown instructions in the letter, and he always keeps his promises.  I'm guessing Verin's instructions will somehow conflict with the Moiraine rescue mission...

 

Verin has access to a lot of information that most other people just don't have.  Black Ajah prophecies, for instance.  For example, Verin knew that Perrin (Wolf King) carrying hammer was a sign of Tarmon Gaidon, and asked about when he'd give up the axe for the hammer back in Book 4.  Ishamael was the other person who asked about that early-on in the series.  The Seanchan also appear to know about it, but Moiraine didn't really put it together despite her obviously being a Dragon-prophecy expert. 

 

If Ishamael relayed the Seanchan Essanik cycle to the Black Ajah, Verin might have some type of special knowledge specific to Mat that no one else knows; namely, that Mat blew the Horn of Valere combined with the relevance of this fact from the Essanik Cycle.  Remember Tuon indicated that it was very important she make contact with the Dragon, "especially if he was the one who blew the Horn of Valere".  I think there's something in the Essanik cycle that Verin knows relates to Mat...

 

In summation, I think there's a Mat-specific Essanik-cycle prophecy in the letter for Mat that is not common knowledge, and it's going to make Mat think long and hard about whether he can really afford to go through with this rescue mission (although he will do so in the end).

 

What the hell is Moiraine gonna do that's so cool, I wonder? Oh hurry up, year....

 

I figure it has to be either (i) come back with some type of special knowledge/ability gained in Finnland, or (ii) something related to Rand's woman-list / sanity / trust-issues.