A First Time Reader's Journey.

[wotjunkie]

 

I figure that the one who murdered poor Asmodean was Lanfear, who finally decided to walk back out of that genie doorway.  I don't know why everyone assumed that she and Moiraine died in there.  Sure, Mat died, too, but he got better.  ::) I would have just waited for them to pop back out, even if the doorway was destroyed.  Seems as if it was supposed to have been, but they could still wish to be sent back out.

 

 

think about what Moiraine said to Rand and Mat when she busted them coming out of the terangreal in the stone of Tear.

[animals]

What's with Mat getting killed by lightning, when he had that superly awesome talisman?  Wasn't that supposed to prevent the One Power from working on him?  Craziness.

 

 

 

the medalion protects him from flows of the Power, not things caused by the Op, it that makes any sense.

 

For example, someone could not pick Mat up and drop him, but they can pick a boulder up and drop it on him

[SilentEmpire]

Really? I cant believe you can say Yay to that. Siuan Sanche was awesome. I was so sad to see her go. She's not evil either, if that's something you were hinting at? Neither is Elaida, really, although she is of course very much a Red archetype, man-hating, conniving, and witchy. But not necessarily evil. That is one of the things I was bummed about happening to one of the characters, among others.

Well, Elaida has been influenced by Fein so she might be a little evil and certainly unbalanced by that.

 

It is my understanding he is the DRAGON REBORN.  Lews Therin Telamon was the "Dragon".  It was said it was Ishamael's theorizing that said the fight has been fought over and over in the wheel.(It was Ishamael talking with LTT in the prologue of book1, and Ishamael telling Rand in his dream that he has fought him for ages past..But the names Ishamael says are all the FALSE Dragons...)  Someone correct me if i'm wrong.  But at this point, I don't think they have said he was the reincarnation of anyone other then LTT.  SO having a buncha past lives in his head isn't, currently, the case...just LTT's past.  I don't think they have even named anyone else that could be another 'past life'.  To my understanding.

IIRC when the Horn was blown Hawkwing said something about fighting with or against LTT many times which indicates that he has been reborn repeatedly even if he doesn't have access to memories from those lives.

[chris777]

IIRC when the Horn was blown Hawkwing said something about fighting with or against LTT many times which indicates that he has been reborn repeatedly even if he doesn't have access to memories from those lives.

Ya, i remember that now.  So I guess what I mean is the current, and last LTT, was the only one that is inside Rand's head.  Maybe only the latest "Dragon", is inside the others head.  LTT had the previous..and the next will have Rand in his head?

 

He wasn't particularly interested in Perrin. He took the WC to the TR to cause lots of carnage and devastation, in order to bring Rand back. Instaed, he got Perrin. He also got a bunch of Trollocs, as Slayer, who was sent to kill Fain, decided he needed back up and brought in a small army. His goal remains the same throughout - kill Rand. That, over and above all else, is what drives him. Other people he corrupts along the way are tools, weapons, that he might use to achive that goal.

We have not been told(yet) that Slayer was sent after Fain.

 

He was given the memories of people who had been through the door before him. Nothing to do with past lives.

I think we are all confusing the word "Past Lives".  For one, they DID explicitly say that Matt's memories were filled by "past lives".  That doesn't mean he is the reincarnation of these lives, they are ppls LIVES in the PAST.  Also that doesn't mean there isn't also present lives in his memories too.  And he is probably the reincarnation of some of those memories, but not all.

[OptimusPrime]

We have not been told(yet) that Slayer was sent after Fain.

 

Yes we have. Moridin mentioned that Isam had been sent after "the renegade" at a Forsaken meeting.

 

 

[chris777]

We have not been told(yet) that Slayer was sent after Fain.

 

Yes we have. Moridin mentioned that Isam had been sent after "the renegade" at a Forsaken meeting.

 

 

 

I vaguely remember something like that.  But I don't know any 3 of those names

Moridin?  Isam? The Renegade?

Can't find anything on Moridin?

Isam, is the real name of Slayer?

Renegade, obviously Fain..just don't remember him being called that.

 

-ok well i just google'd moridin, and ok that's a spoiler.

[OptimusPrime]

Its my fault Chris sorry

[chris777]

Its my fault Chris sorry

 

It's ok.  You didn't actually spoil anything(unless this meeting didn't happen yet), it was my fault for looking it up.  I'm not sure I remember this conversation though.  I do remember in one of the previous books, the prologue was a meeting with darkfriends etc...and everyone had veiled faces, and I think it was Ba'alzamon who ordered the meeting?  And there have been several Forsaken meetings...i'm forgetful.

[Majsju]

You have not seen that particular conversation yet, it takes place later on. However, comments in TSR made by both Fain and Slayer tells us that killing Fain was Slayers primary reason for being in TR.

[chris777]

You have not seen that particular conversation yet, it takes place later on. However, comments in TSR made by both Fain and Slayer tells us that killing Fain was Slayers primary reason for being in TR.

Ya I guess I should have been specific that when I said "we have not been told yet", i meant Me and the Topic Owner.  Not "We" as in "WOT readers" =)

[Majsju]

Well, since it was in TSR, you have been told, you just did not notice. Happened to a lot of people here.

[chris777]

Well, since it was in TSR, you have been told, you just did not notice. Happened to a lot of people here.

Ya, I need to go find them comments to see what I missed.  As to Moridin, I'm guessing he comes into play soon?  And when he does, his identity isn't kept secret long?  OP didn't really spoil..just don't GOOGLE "wot moridin" if you don't know yet. =)

 

 

[Majsju]

Chapters 31, 42 and a little 45.

[TruorTupnm]

Greetings, all.  I was away for Christmas.  Whoops.  The seventh book still hasn't shown up at my library.  oh well.

 

Anyways, I was instructed to think about what Moiraine told Rand and Mat, when they all popped out of the creepily magical doorway where everyone knows the answers to everything.  What does that have to do with Moiraine and Lanfear possibly popping back out of the second magical doorway?  Let me think.  She mentioned wanting to bathe, and then there was a bunch about not knowing how those people know everything or why you're only able to use it once.  Is there something else that I should be remembering that is a clue towards why they shouldn't have merely been able to pop directly back out?  oh well.

 

Towards Mat getting killed with lightning ---> It still makes little sense, but oh well.  Sure, I can understand someone being able to kill him with a boulder lifted via magic, but a lightning bolt directed via magic shouldn't be able to hurt him.  It is an unnatural lightning bolt.  Even the storm was unnatural and shouldn't have been able to rain on him.  I figure that granting that the storm can make sense is no large deal, okay, but a lightning bolt would only be able to hit him via a crazy amount of luck, which seems especially unlikely, in his case.  I suppose that I shall just go with the idea that the lightning bolt was directed at someone other than Mat, and died via being too close, but I figure that his luck should have helped him there, too.  Also, it is no large deal, because Superman spinning the world backwards fixed everything.  ::)

 

Towards the sixth book, just as with the fifth, what's with the title?  Who is the Lord Of Chaos supposed to be?  Is that just another name of Shai'tan, and the title is supposed to be scary, informing me that he is still in the background, being all evil?

 

Towards the tragic return of creepy magical powers to the stilled and gentled ---> Come on, Nynaeve.  Okay, good job.  You're awesome, but I liked non-evilly powered-up characters being important to the plot.  oh well.  The ladies were less powerful, but was it mentioned that the guy was?  He should have been.  Also, what was upwards with Siuan asking Nynaeve to see if she could fix her up to be as strong as she once was?  She asked once, Nynaeve was tired, and it wasn't really mentioned again.  No confirmation that such would be impossible, a guess that she'll just have to retrain her magical muscles, and it's possible for to become as strong as she once was?  Nothing?  oh well.

 

Yay for Asha'man and the Black Tower!  Although I despise magic-users, Yay for some equality.  I am hoping for some Aiel who were sent to defeat Shai'tan to be recruited by this group, or at least to be brought up, although I see no indication that such is about to happen.  It would merely be cool.  I was a bit disappointed when they showed up to help with saving the day, and they easily beat the experienced Aes Sedai, but, besides inexperience being a superpower in this universe, I suppose that they were plenty outnumbered, and the Asha'man had a large portion of surprise with them.

 

Yay for Semirhage!  Seems interesting.  Evil healers always seem cool, to myself. 

 

Which brings up a list of Forsaken ---> Okay, there were the first two that died very pathetically, one of which was mentioned, I believe, as being the dude who invented the Trolloc.  Ishamael pathetically down, that one dude hanging out next to the capitalized Sword That Wasn't What It Calls Itself In Its Own Title, Although It Totally Is, Actually down, Rahvin (I only remember his name because Rand kept screaming it) down, Lanfear possibly down, Asmodean tragically down, Sammael, who, at the beginning, Rand cared plenty about scaring with an army, but he was mostly forgotten, later, some terrifyingly evil as well as manipulative lady who is being more careful than Moghedien, some evil lady with all the power of being a teacher, some guy who keeps getting mentioned but hasn't done anything in the spotlight, that I have seen, and Moghedien is back in action!  Whee!  I hope that she isn't just killed for being pathetic or something.  I want her to get some decent as well as supposedly superly careful tricksiness in. 

 

What was all of that about some title as a goal for all of the Forsaken?  To be the last one standing, or simply the most powerful?  I forget which, but they are helping and slash or lying to each other to get that title.  It is supposed to be a natural selection sort of thing for Forsaken, from what I read.  Shai'tan only cares for the best of the best, is what that tells me, which makes me wonder why he brought some unspecified two back to life.  ::)

 

Poor Verin.  She was cool, when she first showed up, but now, she gets next to zero page time.  Is she just one of the many mostly unimportant characters that merely get a couple of cool descriptions?

 

Alanna is crazy.  Also, dang!  Scary, as well as, pure evil!  Why don't Aes Sedai use that bonding thing on everyone, besides it just being impolite?  Thinking about how Rand can get rid of that bond reminds me of thinking about how he can keep himself from going crazy.  I think that he was wondering about it, at one point, remembering the creepy things that he cut which kept the male Forsaken from going (more) insane.  Where's Nynaeve?  Seems as if such would be up her alley.

 

Also, Yay for Rand getting captured, in the first place.  That'll teach you to not merely kill anyone who can use magic.  Horrible magic-users.  ::)

[wotjunkie]

 

Anyways, I was instructed to think about what Moiraine told Rand and Mat, when they all popped out of the creepily magical doorway where everyone knows the answers to everything.  What does that have to do with Moiraine and Lanfear possibly popping back out of the second magical doorway? 

 

it was more about Lanfear than Moiraine, she mentioned something about questions that can get you killed. (at least im pretty sure it was at that part) but there is also an implication that people connected to the topic are also killed.

 

and that in itself is probably more of a hint than i should have given  :-X

 

 

[Agitel]

Logain, the gentled false-dragon who was healed by Nynaeve, is at full strength. Some hints are dropped later that hint at why. Rand still cares for Sammael, but his plan is still in action. You're at the point where some character arcs will take multiple books to complete. 8-10 is a bit of a long stretch, though if you like details, you should be okay. Things pick up in 11 again. Verin pops in and out. You'll continue to see her. As for the Aiel male channelers, they might pop up, but I'm pretty sure they likely headed off towards the Blight and stayed their killing Trollocs and such until they died. And I believe there were very few Aes Sedai counting both sides of the battle, and over 150 Asha'man. As for the lightning with Mat. The Power dissipates if it touches Mat while he wears the medallion. However, if the power doesn't touch him, it doesn't stop its effects. A lightning bolt made up of the power is one thing, however, if the power just creates conditions in the sky to fire down a ton of bolts at random... As for Nae'blis, that's essentially the head of the Chosen, the title given to who will be second only to the Dark One, the one even the other Chosen will be expected to obey. Bonding a man against his will is considered akin to rape by the Aes Sedai. Aes Sedai have strict rules against the use of Compulsion or anything that could be near to it, and the Warder bond allows easy use of Compulsion on non-Channeling men.

[jadelollipop]

Re: Mat's memories --The Aelfinn in Tear called him "son of battles" and the Eelfinn at Rhuidean gave him military memories of those who had come into contact with them.  It does seem that as he learns to access them (they merge more seamlessly with his own) that a few more non battle related ones show up but the main thrust is in his role as general

[chris777]

Well I just 30seconds ago finished book 6 myself...i was holding off reading your thread until i did, for fear of spoilers...so i'll comment as well.

 

Anyways, I was instructed to think about what Moiraine told Rand and Mat, when they all popped out of the creepily magical doorway where everyone knows the answers to everything.  What does that have to do with Moiraine and Lanfear possibly popping back out of the second magical doorway?  Let me think.  She mentioned wanting to bathe, and then there was a bunch about not knowing how those people know everything or why you're only able to use it once.  Is there something else that I should be remembering that is a clue towards why they shouldn't have merely been able to pop directly back out?  oh well.

I don't understand this either.  The same door Mat went in and out of, they go in and everyone says they are dead.  There is more to this...we'll find out soon i'm sure.

 

Towards Mat getting killed with lightning ---> It still makes little sense, but oh well.  Sure, I can understand someone being able to kill him with a boulder lifted via magic, but a lightning bolt directed via magic shouldn't be able to hurt him.  It is an unnatural lightning bolt.  Even the storm was unnatural and shouldn't have been able to rain on him.  I figure that granting that the storm can make sense is no large deal, okay, but a lightning bolt would only be able to hit him via a crazy amount of luck, which seems especially unlikely, in his case.  I suppose that I shall just go with the idea that the lightning bolt was directed at someone other than Mat, and died via being too close, but I figure that his luck should have helped him there, too.  Also, it is no large deal, because Superman spinning the world backwards fixed everything.  ::)

the bolts of lightning ARE random...if you notice during the battles they fly everywhere.  They comment on it.

 

Towards the sixth book, just as with the fifth, what's with the title?  Who is the Lord Of Chaos supposed to be?  Is that just another name of Shai'tan, and the title is supposed to be scary, informing me that he is still in the background, being all evil?

I don't remember where i saw the quote, but RJ said Lord of Chaos is not defined.  It could be Rand, the Dark One, or just some entity or name for Chaos.

 

Towards the tragic return of creepy magical powers to the stilled and gentled ---> Come on, Nynaeve.  Okay, good job.  You're awesome, but I liked non-evilly powered-up characters being important to the plot.  oh well.  The ladies were less powerful, but was it mentioned that the guy was?  He should have been.  Also, what was upwards with Siuan asking Nynaeve to see if she could fix her up to be as strong as she once was?  She asked once, Nynaeve was tired, and it wasn't really mentioned again.  No confirmation that such would be impossible, a guess that she'll just have to retrain her magical muscles, and it's possible for to become as strong as she once was?  Nothing?  oh well.

About logain, she mentioned she healed him the same as the women...and also commented that it's likely the way she did it for him was CORRECT and the women, incorrect.  Both worked, but not perfect.  And she also said she cannot heal something twice...so w/that said the women are just going to be pathetic forever....unless of course RJ throws in another twist.

 

Which brings up a list of Forsaken ---> Okay, there were the first two that died very pathetically, one of which was mentioned, I believe, as being the dude who invented the Trolloc.  Ishamael pathetically down, that one dude hanging out next to the capitalized Sword That Wasn't What It Calls Itself In Its Own Title, Although It Totally Is, Actually down, Rahvin (I only remember his name because Rand kept screaming it) down, Lanfear possibly down, Asmodean tragically down, Sammael, who, at the beginning, Rand cared plenty about scaring with an army, but he was mostly forgotten, later, some terrifyingly evil as well as manipulative lady who is being more careful than Moghedien, some evil lady with all the power of being a teacher, some guy who keeps getting mentioned but hasn't done anything in the spotlight, that I have seen, and Moghedien is back in action!  Whee!  I hope that she isn't just killed for being pathetic or something.  I want her to get some decent as well as supposedly superly careful tricksiness in.  

I made a thread here, called Forsaken.  Feel free to look at it, has no spoilers up to this point I don't think.

http://forums.dragonmount.com/index.php/topic,51313.36.html#lastPost

 

Alanna is crazy.  Also, dang!  Scary, as well as, pure evil!  Why don't Aes Sedai use that bonding thing on everyone, besides it just being impolite?  Thinking about how Rand can get rid of that bond reminds me of thinking about how he can keep himself from going crazy.  I think that he was wondering about it, at one point, remembering the creepy things that he cut which kept the male Forsaken from going (more) insane.  Where's Nynaeve?  Seems as if such would be up her alley.

I like Alanna.  Evil?  Why just cause she did that?  He will be able to heal/remove the Binding, but it may keep him from going insane somehow...Or prove to be a catalyst into something else he needs to figure out.  Such as removing the taint from saidin...maybe?

 

Also, Yay for Rand getting captured, in the first place.  That'll teach you to not merely kill anyone who can use magic.  Horrible magic-users.  ::)

Ya it needed to be done, but now what's Aes Sedai women going to do?  Them swearing fealty means they HAVE TO? Because they cannot tell a lie?  The others won't want to, but one of his 3 "soon to be wives" is Aes Sedai...surely he will trust here? Shit is about to blow up.  Also why did everyone get so taken back by Asha'man blowing ppl up.  It's WAR..KILL...not a big difference except more blood and body parts.  But now we know the Men are very well trained.  One thing to notice is when Rand said STOP..they didn't stop until TAIM said "rest".  I don't like that.  KILL TAIM KILL HIM! KILL -ltt

[Agitel]

Moiraine and Lanfear are presumed dead for a couple of reasons, probably. One of the big ones is the breaking of the Warder bond Lan had with Moiraine. The other is Moiraine's letter. I suggest rereading the wording.

[chris777]

Moiraine and Lanfear are presumed dead for a couple of reasons, probably. One of the big ones is the breaking of the Warder bond Lan had with Moiraine. The other is Moiraine's letter. I suggest rereading the wording.

 

This is the letter that Mat gave Thom towards the end of book6, right?  We have not been told the contents of that letter yet.  I just google'd it, and read the first paragraph, and I've never seen that before, so I stopped reading.

[Agitel]

Rand got a letter, too. The tone seems to imply her death.

[TruorTupnm]

Argh.  Library is being slow with bookses.  oh well.  I read that A Crown Of Swords book and kept wondering why it was called that, until the very end, when I wondered why they couldn't have come up with a title that had much to do with the plot.  Okay, okay, so it was a large deal, but it didn't seem especially central enough to be the title.  I am a crazy person, I suppose, and should get used to the silly titles.  Looking at the title of The Path Of Daggers, I would guess that it'll be a bit more relevant.

 

Towards Moiraine and Lanfear ---> You can't be sure that anyone is dead, even if you have the body.  It could have been a magical clone of some sort.  You never know.  Anyways, while thinking about stuff that Moiraine said about the first doorway that they went into, I figure that they could still be alive, but stuck in some alternate reality or pocket dimension.  She hypothesized that the people in that first doorway were all-knowing due to mayhaps being able to see and actually learn from the many parallel universes that have been encountered while employing those teleporting stone thingys.  Something like that.  They could be stuck in some place where all of that knowledge could be available to them.  They'll be able to remember all of it, and they'll be able to pop out of some other doorway and be useful and slash or annoying again.  Who knows how many doorways like these exist? 

 

Towards Lan being snipped from Moiraine as evidence that she died ---> How much information do these people have on what happens when you lose your Aes Sedai in a pocket dimension?  If they have a lot, then okay, I suppose that he wouldn't have left if he figured that she could still be alive and he just couldn't be connected to someone in a pocket dimension.  I figure that she could pop back out, and he would utter, "Oh!  Well, check that out!  Kind of awkward, eh?"

 

Towards the Nae'blis ---> I understand the large deal that it is supposed to be, but I don't understand why Shai'tan would care enough about his little Forsaken to bring a couple back to life for Round Two.  He doesn't seem the caring type, especially if he set them against each other with the goal of obtaining the Nae'blis title.  I understand that these Forsaken types are dying rather pathetically, though, so, instead of feeling sorry for them, shouldn't he be churning out more of these intimidating as well as new sorts of Halfmen?

 

Anyways, towards A Crown Of Swords type stuffs, first out of all of the points to be made, poor Moghedien.  She is my favorite of these Forsaken types, so far, possibly because I haven't gotten to know a bunch of them well enough, yet.  Semirhage and the one with all the powers of a teacher have potential, and this Demandred dude appears to possess way more caution and tricksiness than that which was touted about for Moghedien.  Or mayhaps he's about as effective as the rest of them, and it just wasn't his book to shine, yet.  ::)

 

Dang.  Poor Elaida, as well!  I muchly hope that that the capitalized White and Red lady that she has working for her do a good job.  I still feel sorry for Elaida, who was possibly all kinds of manipulated by her Keeper, and who arrogantly figured her way to be best, anyways.  Yay for that one Red lady!  I was not a large fan of the idea that they were all purely male-haters.  Why shouldn't some of them be the sort to join the Red types just because they liked the idea of heroically saving people from crazy males with super powers? 

 

The Shaido were pretty boring, and I was wondering why they hadn't merely faded out of the spotlight, but I am now wondering what Sammael and Graendal were up to, with them.  Yay for a decent amount of manipulation on some underestimated group!  Towards Sammael, I can't be sure that he definitely died, either.  Sure, his plans could continue to work with the Shaido, or Graendal could pick them up, but, although Shadar Logoth is superly scary, he didn't actually see the guy get killed, and there are plenty of ways to avoid fog.

 

I thought that these capitalized Kin are pretty cool.  All kinds of underestimating occurring over there.  I am wondering why that one lady was four hundred something years old and surprising Aes Sedai about it.  She seemed to think that it should be normal, so I figure that such would be common, at least among these Kin types.  Why?  I don't see why it would have to do with how often one employs creepy magic, since there are all kinds of Aes Sedai with all kinds of frequencies of use of the stuff.  Well, they knew some different things for healage, so mayhaps they know some different things towards preservation, as well.

 

There was some cool stuff with Mat, and some sad stuff.  I said, "Yay!" when past rudeness towards him was brought up, but the method via which Elayne is attempting to make up for it made me shake my head.  Purely as well as obviously for Aviendha and Rand.  Aviendha has no ridiculously overblown problem with Mat, but I wondered why she didn't notice that Elayne cared nothing for actually making up for rudeness.  Most probably, she is just getting soft. 

 

I felt several sorts of sorry for those Sea Folk types being ignored.  Come on.  Bring on the interesting cultures!  I've got role-playing game characters to plan!  ::) Of course, it's fantasy, so I am disappointed at all of the humans.  So boring.  I deal with those all of the time.  These Ogier types don't even get any page time.  Not even halfway cool. *sniff*

[Agitel]

Towards the Nae'blis ---> I understand the large deal that it is supposed to be, but I don't understand why Shai'tan would care enough about his little Forsaken to bring a couple back to life for Round Two.  He doesn't seem the caring type, especially if he set them against each other with the goal of obtaining the Nae'blis title.  I understand that these Forsaken types are dying rather pathetically, though, so, instead of feeling sorry for them, shouldn't he be churning out more of these intimidating as well as new sorts of Halfmen?

 

The Forsaken tend to be more useful when not trying to directly confront the Dragon against the Dark One's wishes. Jordan actually addressed your question specifically. During the Age of Legends 3% of the population had the ability to channel, and all were screened very young. Very, very few were missed, and we're talking about the entire population of a highly technologically advanced world. There were tons of channelers and many to chose from. You're right that the Dark One isn't really concerned about specifics or individuals, during that time he wouldn't have bothered with resurrecting them. Due to the culling of male channelers (or, possibly due to it), only about 1% of people around the world have the ability to channel, and at the very least in the area where the story takes place, most of them are missed. The Dark One doesn't have a lot to choose from. He's also not omniscient. While what he's aware of isn't always made clear, he relies on a lot of feedback he gets back, and the feedback he gets from his Forsaken, that is, the only ones who were alive during the AoL, talk down the people of this age as barbarians and primitive quite a bit, and they're attitude towards these "so-called Aes Sedai" are very negative, too. As a result, he considers the Forsaken as far more capable and knowledgeable. Also, keep in mind that not all of their talents lied in the One Power, despite what you may think. Aginor was very valuable to the Shadow, but that was because of his creations, the Trollocs, the Myrdraal, the Gholam. This wasn't all done with the power, mind you. We're talking about some very advanced biology labs, the like of which don't exist today. While Aginor may know more than most Aes Sedai, he's incapable of really exercising the area he was a genius at because the technology just doesn't exist anymore. I believe that also answers your other point towards the end of that comment.

 

Dang.  Poor Elaida, as well!  I muchly hope that that the capitalized White and Red lady that she has working for her do a good job.  I still feel sorry for Elaida, who was possibly all kinds of manipulated by her Keeper, and who arrogantly figured her way to be best, anyways.  Yay for that one Red lady!  I was not a large fan of the idea that they were all purely male-haters.  Why shouldn't some of them be the sort to join the Red types just because they liked the idea of heroically saving people from crazy males with super powers?

 

The reds tend to bring out the negatives of an already very feminist society (Aes Sedai culture) given the nature of their work. But as you've seen, they're definitely not all bad.

 

I thought that these capitalized Kin are pretty cool.  All kinds of underestimating occurring over there.  I am wondering why that one lady was four hundred something years old and surprising Aes Sedai about it.  She seemed to think that it should be normal, so I figure that such would be common, at least among these Kin types.  Why?  I don't see why it would have to do with how often one employs creepy magic, since there are all kinds of Aes Sedai with all kinds of frequencies of use of the stuff.  Well, they knew some different things for healage, so mayhaps they know some different things towards preservation, as well.

 

The oldest known Aes Sedai alive is about 270. Maybe you'll find out more about what's going on in future books.

 

There was some cool stuff with Mat, and some sad stuff.  I said, "Yay!" when past rudeness towards him was brought up, but the method via which Elayne is attempting to make up for it made me shake my head.  Purely as well as obviously for Aviendha and Rand.  Aviendha has no ridiculously overblown problem with Mat, but I wondered why she didn't notice that Elayne cared nothing for actually making up for rudeness.  Most probably, she is just getting soft.

 

Avi just doesn't understand the foreign logic of wetlanders. It's so interesting to see you using names now. I remember in the beginning you just described features about the characters.

 

I felt several sorts of sorry for those Sea Folk types being ignored.  Come on.  Bring on the interesting cultures!  I've got role-playing game characters to plan!  ::) Of course, it's fantasy, so I am disappointed at all of the humans.  So boring.  I deal with those all of the time.  These Ogier types don't even get any page time.  Not even halfway cool. *sniff*

 

The Sea Folk give Aes Sedai a run for their money in arrogance levels, but yeah, Rand's turning out to be pretty rude, lately. :p

[TruorTupnm]

I believe that I have detected an understatement.  ::) But he is not so bad.  It is plenty realistic, I figure.  Besides reading up on all of the cool stuff he's supposed to do, he's posturing due to not being as used to arrogance as his also quite arrogant opponents.

 

Towards Shai'tan being a surprisingly generous guy by bringing two of his pathetic Forsaken back to life ---> Okay, so bringing that Aginor dude back could make some sense, as long as he's cooking up some cool new monsters.  Even without the labs, he must be able to do something.  Otherwise, only Shai'tan being an overly fond and motherly type of guy could be the reason for bringing those two back to life.  Did this now Aran'gar character have any particular skills, besides being creepy and evil?  He probably as well as merely hasn't gotten his time in the spotlight, yet.

 

Towards naming characters ---> I am mostly naming them to help you dudes out.  I hardly ever think of characters (or people) via names.  I just go by impressions, mostly. "Hey, there's that guy that started out a farmer, then, after being dragged around by this one magical lady, finding out that he is the Creator's champion and cursed to clean up his messes, then getting a crash course in Tricksy Diplomacy, he is basically as well as astonishingly easily conquering the world and killing the scariest bad guys in sight.  I wonder what crazy he'll do, this time!" <--- Rand.

 

Anyways, I got the rest of the books, finished The Path Of Daggers (I missed the part with a path made out of daggers, though, but mayhaps the path was metaphorical, and I just missed the particular point that the title meant), and am halfway through Winter's Heart (Seems like a title safe from scorn.  Dang.  ::)).  I actually need to rush through these books, now, since this latest book showed up at the library, and I have to have it back sooner, since it's new.  oh well.

 

Towards Unweaving ---> A cool skill, whether you know what you're doing or not.  If you mess up, wasn't it said that the effects are unpredictable?  Does that mean that they are unpredictable, but always in a bad way, or could you fail at it, then end up with barrels full of chocolate pudding?  That would be nice.  Also, why didn't they think to employ it on Rand's Warder bond? 

 

Towards those ter'angreal thingies besides the Bowl Of The Winds that were found ---> There were those three angreal that seem to be passed around a lot, although one was probably unofficially given as a gift to Aviendha, and then there was a dull knife that she was particularly interested in.  Is it too much to hope for that that knife is the one from the title Knife Of Dreams?  I just like titles of books to matter a bit to the plot.  sorry.  ::)

 

Poor Galina.  Even though she is one of those Black ladies, and probably plenty evil, I am not a large fan of the formidable being brought so low.  I am hoping that she gets all kinds of revenge, preferably just after these Shaido types do something interesting, for once.  ::) In addition, there are too much of these oaths and collars and capitalized Compulsions and mindtraps and ta'veren and such lying around.  Can't there be some significant reliability in anyone without such things? *sniff*

 

Current Forsaken roster --->

Demandred ---> Who knows?  But he's cool because of that.  Hopefully, he'll be awesome.

Semirhage ---> Too boring to get much of a role in the books, it looks like.

Graendal ---> Pure evil, due to employing capitalized Compulsion.  Otherwise, she is decently intelligent enough that I figure that she could be all kinds of awesome, but, of course, up against the main character, she will die pathetically, like the rest.

Mesaana ---> Same as Semirhage.

Moghedien ---> Poor Moghedien.  That Moridin dude will be easily killed by the main character, and she will be free once more to be possibly interesting? 

Osan'gar ---> Hopefully, he has a lab.  Otherwise, he should be shuffling his feet and promising Shai'tan that he'll be useful again, in a few hundred years.  I didn't see him messing around with that one academy with the inventions.  He should be, but mayhaps they are just too primitive for him to get more use out of them than out of creepy magic alone.

Aran'gar ---> I forget if this was confirmed in the books already, but I am figuring that she is that Halima lady who is supplying headaches and the healing thereof for Egwene.  Pretty boring, for someone significant enough to be brought back to life.

Moridin ---> Aw.  Poor Demandred.  This guy is the Nae'blis, in addition to being plenty creepy.  I don't remember the actual story suggesting this, but the glossary that I am looking at suggests that he is yet another coddled Forsaken brought back to life by Shai'tan.  Craziness. "You were pathetically killed by an inexperienced and at least partial psychotic.  Here.  Although you were offed and some of my other Forsaken are plenty more sensible than you, I like your face, so you can have the title."  ??? ::) Of course, if what the glossary suggests is true, then he is most probably Ishamael, who was supposedly the best, but who was actually pathetic and who I wouldn't think that Shai'tan would be a large fan of, since he actually pretended to be him, but oh well.

Cyndane ---> Who knows?  She is being plenty mysterious by giving zero clues, as far as I have seen.  She could be any of the pathetically beaten Forsaken types, but I would have hoped that she would have provided some clue as to who she used to be, if she isn't just some new Forsaken, which at least isn't what's suggested. 

Lanfear ---> Possibly trapped in genie world.

 

Extras ---> Poor Perrin.  I understand that he is the least beloved of the three ta'veren types.  Well, sure, since he's the least crazy and gets the least interesting storylines.  Poor guy.  I shall be rooting for more interesting to come from his corner.  Also ---> Go, Black Ajah-hunting Aes Sedai commissioned by Elaida, go!

[witsd]

(I missed the part with a path made out of daggers, though, but mayhaps the path was metaphorical, and I just missed the particular point that the title meant)

It's part of a Seanchan saying: "On the heights, the paths are paved with daggers."

 

Interpret that how you will. :)

 

Towards Unweaving ---> A cool skill, whether you know what you're doing or not.  If you mess up, wasn't it said that the effects are unpredictable?  Does that mean that they are unpredictable, but always in a bad way, or could you fail at it, then end up with barrels full of chocolate pudding? 

 

Ha! I suppose that something destructive (an explosion, loud noise, whatever) is more likely than something creative, simply because this is a chaotic process, and chaos rarely falls into order by pure chance, but there's no reason why it can't happen.

 

Also, why didn't they think to employ it on Rand's Warder bond?

Because the bond isn't a weave that has been tied off, and so it's not as simple an issue as unravelling the original weave. It would take a new weave that could somehow sever the bond whilst not sending the parties mad / sad.

 

and then there was a dull knife that she was particularly interested in.  Is it too much to hope for that that knife is the one from the title Knife Of Dreams?  I just like titles of books to matter a bit to the plot.  sorry.  ::)

Some titles refer to real things or events and some refer to fairly oblique concepts. All I'll say is that your questions will be answered (or at least expanded upon).

 

Current Forsaken roster...

Some of that made me smile – you really should come back and read this when you finish reading the series so far!