Questions/Theories Answered or New Tidbits Added (Full Book Spoilers)

[Spiked Pillow]

Correct me if I am wrong here, but wasn't there a point at which we are told the 'sad bracelets' also enable a measure of control for the man over the woman? 

 

In any case, my first thought on how Rand accessed the true power was through the link to Semi.  As one of the forsaken she has permission to use it, so that made the most sense to me.

[Dakota]

Correct me if I am wrong here, but wasn't there a point at which we are told the 'sad bracelets' also enable a measure of control for the man over the woman? 

 

In any case, my first thought on how Rand accessed the true power was through the link to Semi.  As one of the forsaken she has permission to use it, so that made the most sense to me.

 

I remember reading that somewhere as well, but I seem to remember reading that it would take something like months of a man being leashed to the same two women to exert that sort of control over them.  Rand's raw power could possibly have made up for this time.

 

However, Semi didn't have permission to use the true power.  At some point after Ishamel was ressurected as Moridin, the DO took that permission away from all of them and gave it exclusively to Moridin.  I think I remember Graendal saying so during one of the Forsaken get-togethers in a previous book.

[Sharaman]

Semi said she felt nothing - apart from the lack of permission from GLoD. So the link was definitely not through her.

 

[DarkLite]

Regarding the blade-of-light three-become-one mystery, I'm fairly certain that two of the three are Rand and LTT. Frequently in the previous books LTT mumbles something about a third "person" - "How many will we three kill before the end", "not you, nor I, nor the other one" etc. Now, for the third man I'm going to have to suggest Moridin/Ishy for the following reasons:

 

1. LTT doesn't start babbling about a third man until after the balefire link.

2. Rand and Moridin are linked in some way by the balefire incident, that much is certain.

3. LTT also appears to be linked to Moridin, asking "How can a face ... be aware of me?"

4. Ishy rants about their fates being bound together in EotW/TGH/TDR. Moridin does the same.

5. (debatable) There appears to be some unconscious emotional/thought leakage between Rand and LTT; Rand spends much of TGS wearing Moridin's livery, black/red.

 

And completely off-topic, did anyone else notice Taim's inexplicable reaction when Rand gave him the pins in LoC? I noticed that recently, and found myself thinking "Zomg Demandred?". Probably wrong, but an interesting point nevertheless.    

[Vaerraent]

Correct me if I am wrong here, but wasn't there a point at which we are told the 'sad bracelets' also enable a measure of control for the man over the woman? 

 

In any case, my first thought on how Rand accessed the true power was through the link to Semi.  As one of the forsaken she has permission to use it, so that made the most sense to me.

 

I remember reading that somewhere as well, but I seem to remember reading that it would take something like months of a man being leashed to the same two women to exert that sort of control over them.  Rand's raw power could possibly have made up for this time.

 

However, Semi didn't have permission to use the true power.  At some point after Ishamel was ressurected as Moridin, the DO took that permission away from all of them and gave it exclusively to Moridin.  I think I remember Graendal saying so during one of the Forsaken get-togethers in a previous book.

 

What about the 'black chords' that Rand has cut so many times? Presuming Semi had them, if he somehow managed to draw through them on the link, perhaps able to because of his soul's link with Moridin's? Perhaps due to the BF crossing between Rand and Moridin?

[Dragons_Eggman]

 

 

What about the 'black chords' that Rand has cut so many times? Presuming Semi had them, if he somehow managed to draw through them on the link, perhaps able to because of his soul's link with Moridin's? Perhaps due to the BF crossing between Rand and Moridin?

 

I was of the understanding that the black chords related to the shield the DO provided the male Forsaken to shield them from the taint. As such Semi wouldn't have had those chords. The way I read it was that Rand managed to channel the TP through his link with Moridin as you said.

[witsd]

As such Semi wouldn't have had those chords.

Nor would anyone else now. Indeed, when was the last time we saw them? Asmo?

[SheaththeSword]

Rand wailed. THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING! I WILL NOT DO THIS AGAIN!

 

Something snapped inside of him. He grew cold; then that coldeness vanished, and he could feel nothing. No emotion. No anger.

 

At that moment he grew aware of a strange force. It was like a resevoir of water, boiling and churning just behond his view. He reached toward it with his mind.

 

A clouded face flashed before Rand's own, one whose features he couldn't quite make out. It was gone in a moment..

 

And Rand found himself with an alien power.

 

This short passage tells us many things.

Rand enters a place more emotionless than the void, as we are told the emotions slide across the surface of the void, here he cannot even feel them. He becomes aware of the TP for the first time, it is tempestuous like saidin, and he must embrace it (not open himself to it as is done with saidar), also like saidin. He sees a blurred face the moment before he embraces the TP.

 

But the thing i would like to draw attention to most is the line "Something snapped inside of him". This suggest to me that there was some kind of block (on his soul/on his mind), that has prevented him from sensing the TP before this. A block inherently part of all of humanity, that only extreme will power can break (helped by emotional strress in this case, a very easy factor to create in Shayol Ghul).

 

In short, he has accessed the TP on his own, not by the 'will of the DO', not by a connection with Moridin or Semirhage. I think it possible the wheel wove him out precisely with the intention and means of breaking this block, as it did with Lanfear.

 

However supporter of the Moridin connection will undoubtedly cite the blurred face, yet the other instances of this Rand knows who the face is, thinks it's familiar, or LT knows who it is. ALso Rand was said to have a dizzy spell when seeing these images. This time we are told nothing of the sort. Regardless of that, if it is Moridin, there is nothing to say that his face whould appear were Rand makes a connection through him. I believe if it is later revealed to be M., it will simply be a conincidental appearence. Stranger soincidences have occured.

 

The face could be any significant character, LT, Mor., Rand himself, even SH (as a face for the DO) - we are given no characteristics.

 

[OptimusPrime]

3. LTT also appears to be linked to Moridin, asking "How can a face ... be aware of me?"

 

This was only an indicator that Lews Therin thought he was Rand. Lews Therin sees what Rand sees.

 

Rand enters a place more emotionless than the void, as we are told the emotions slide across the surface of the void, here he cannot even feel them. He becomes aware of the TP for the first time, it is tempestuous like saidin, and he must embrace it (not open himself to it as is done with saidar), also like saidin. He sees a blurred face the moment before he embraces the TP.

 

But the thing i would like to draw attention to most is the line "Something snapped inside of him". This suggest to me that there was some kind of block (on his soul/on his mind), that has prevented him from sensing the TP before this. A block inherently part of all of humanity, that only extreme will power can break (helped by emotional strress in this case, a very easy factor to create in Shayol Ghul).

 

In short, he has accessed the TP on his own, not by the 'will of the DO', not by a connection with Moridin or Semirhage. I think it possible the wheel wove him out precisely with the intention and means of breaking this block, as it did with Lanfear.

 

I reckon what snapped inside of Rand was his hope, his will to fight. For only a brief moment, he acknowledged that they had won. That is what I think caused the True Power to become available-he gave in, however subconsciously, to the Dark One. I think if Moridin was denied access to the True Power, it might mean Rand would automatically lose it as well, unless one of the side effects BS mentioned was a link between Rand and the Dark One.

 

Cant wait to see how this plays out now.

[SheaththeSword]

Hmm, we'll have to agree to disagree.

 

I wondered why the sah (sp?) weren't mentioned

[Dakota]

Hmm, we'll have to agree to disagree.

 

I wondered why the sah (sp?) weren't mentioned

 

It takes using quite a lot of the TP to develop the saa, as mentioned by Moggy when she first met Moridin.  Rand only used the TP during the Collar incident, and afterwards he continually felt the pull, but I don't remember him using it again after that.  And after the epiphany on the Dragonmount I personally don't think that he'll be using it again, so he likely won't be getting the saa.

[Tommatt]

Hey guys, been lurking here for awhile, first time poster.  The BUT thread has really sucked me into these forums, and with the last book being so great, it seems the whole WoT series has been rejivinated on message boards everywhere.  Saw this tidbit on a forum at penny-arcade, in the WoT thread there.  Never seen it mentioned this way, and wanted your thoughts on it here.  I was looking for the prophecy thread, as it may be more appropriate there, but couldn't find it.

 

This is from Ender on the penny arcade forums.

 

The South and West shall be as one. The North and East shall be as one. The Three shall be as one.

 

In thinking about this, the answer now seems pretty simple. The south and west belong to the Seanchan. The north and east to Rand. What about the three?

 

Then I thought about it, and this came to me. Cadsuane figured out that Callandor required 3 people to use properly. Two women, one man. We know Alivia will assist Rand in dying, whatever that means.

 

I think the Three are representative of the land, that's why the prophecy lists them together. From the Seanchan (South and West) comes Alivia. From the Aes Sedai (North and East, one must assume the references match each other, and the Aes Sedai only have power in the north and east) will undoubtedly be Moiraine (Rand thinks he will fail without the help of a woman who is dead and gone). Then Rand.

 

From what I can tell, this pieces a number of prophecies together, and one of Egwene's Dreams (I think she was the one who told Rand about the woman dead and gone, or was that Min?).

 

 

Thought it was a very interesting take on a couple prophecies and a dream. 

[Crael123]

Those are some good thoughts.

[WolfTwins]

  Timeline

08aine998NE Trollocs attack the Two Rivers.

19aine998NE Trolloc raid Shadar Logoth.

27adar998NE Aginor, Balthamel and the Green Man die & the Eye of the World is destroyed, Dragon Banner.

26nesan998NE Rand al'Thor proclaims himself the Dragon Reborn after the Battle of Falme, Horn of Valere.

09saven999NE Ishamael (Ba'alzamon) and Be'lal die in the Stone of Tear, Callandor.

08amadaine999NE Rand and Mat return from Rhuidean.

16amadaine999NE Siuan Sanche stripped of stole and staff, Elaida a'Roihan raised to the Amyrlin Seat. Rebellion in the Tower.

22amadaine999NE Two Rivers with Perrin in lead defeat trollocs

23amadaine999NE Rand arrives at Alcair Dal and is accepted as the Car'a'carn

10maighdal999NE Rand leads the Aiel out of Rhuidean

10choren999NE The Battle of Cairhien, the Shaido are defeated. Mat kills Couladin.

01choren999NE Rand and Aviendha in Seanchan.

21choren999NE Moiraine and Lanfear disappear, Rand balefires Rahvin in Caemlyn.

02nesan999NE Mazrim Taim arrives in Caemlyn.

28nesan999NE Egwene goes to Salidar, and is chosen as Amyrlin Seat.

04danu999NE Min arrive in Caemlyn.

11taisham1000NE Fire and blood at Dumai's Wells.

21taisham1000NE Rand meets with the Sea Folk and visits the rebel camp outside Cairhien, the Seanchans invade Ebou Dar, the Bowl of the Winds is used.

19taisham1000NE Rand al'Thor gains the Laurel Crown (Crown of Swords) of Illian.

17jumara1000NE Rand, with Asha'man and Illianers, attempts to repel the Seanchan invasion in Altara.

21jumara1000NE Elayne arrives in Caemlyn

22jumara1000NE After returning to Cairhien, Rand is attacked by Dashiva, with Gedwyn and Rochaid.

28jumara1000NE Faile Bashere is captured by the Shaido Aiel.

02saban1000NE Elayne, Aviendha and Min bond Rand.

09saban1000NE Egwene's army lays siege to Tar Valon

16saban1000NE Mat Cauthon escapes of Ebou Dar and kidnaps Tuon.

18saban1000NE Loial, Logain arrive in Cairhien.

22saban1000NE The Cleansing of saidin

14aine1000NE Egwene is captured in the harbour of the White Tower.

22aine1000NE Slaughter at Algarin's manor

25aine1000NE Rand escapes a trap by Semirhage, captures her and loses his left hand.

26aine1000NE Perrin defeats the Shaido in Malden with the help of the Seanchan and rescues Faile.

07adar1000NE Elayne gains the throne of Andor

10adar1000NE Mat and Tuon get married then Tuon returns to Ebou Dar

22adar1000NE Verin transport Mat and the Band to Caemlyn through a gateway.

28adar1000NE In Arad Doman Rand kill Semirhage and Elza using True Power.

10saven1000NE Rand meets with Tuon at Falme

11saven1000NE Rand eliminate the Graendal's palace with balefire

21saven1000NE The exposure of the Black Ajah, the Seanchan raid the White Tower.

22saven1000NE The unification of the White Tower.

23saven1000NE Destruction of Choedan Kal, Rand is finally able to laugh again.

Correction!

[Pinzarn]

 

Eventually, what with the invention of the cannons, yeah. In our own development the first "firearms" didn't come too long after the first cannons. Will we see firearms in the last two books? I doubt it, and I really, really hope not. Somehow that would just feel wrong. Cannons, okay, but people running around with guns, out of the blue, with only a few months to create them before the Last Battle? Doesn't seem quite right. I think they will get those crossbows, though.

 

 

I am leaning more towards a tank or mobile artillery.  Remember that the inventors at one of the schools created a steam engine that only moved a small distance.

[Sharaman]

Mortars (as Aludra has designed) or ball-shot cannon are both much easier to make than bullet-firing guns.

Get the cannon right and make sure the barrel won't bust. Then, you can pretty much stuff anything into it.

Muskets generally have huge quality issues with balls and the charge in the cartridge.

Those issues can't be sorted out in 3-4 months.

(Not to mention rifling barrels and training people to use them. It'll take years to train soldiers to volley efficiently.) 

Similarly, Gatling-type machine guns (multi-barrel, revolving) have major issues with bullets jamming and WoT's economy with its small craftsmen isn't geared to the kind of high-volume, assembly line bullet manufacturing you need to make machine guns effective.