Ask A Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (No AMoL Spoilers)

[Ingtar Shinowa]

We haven't seen any reference to trolloc females or babies in the text, have we?

[MasterAblar]

We haven't seen any reference to trolloc females or babies in the text, have we?

 

I believe female trollocs are kept for the sole purpose of breeding and nothing else.

Edited June 21, 2011 by Master Ablar

[ironisles]

It was a trap by Fain.

 

 

How did he set such a thing up?

[capuga]

It was a trap by Fain.

 

 

How did he set such a thing up?

 

He has some kind of power to create illusions. We see it again in Far Madding when Rand confronts him and sees the rogue Asha'men (who are already dead by this point) coming at him. Rand slashes the illusion which appears to hurt Fain. We don't have any concrete knowledge of how Fain does what he does. We see he has additional powers in ToM.

[RyanL24]

Rhuidean

 

I've been thinking a lot about it. I'm in the middle of Aviendha's trip into the future. If it was hard for the Aiel to accept their past (many who go to Rhuidean never return) it must be nearly impossible to see their future and survive.

 

Is that the reason that no wise one can go through the Pillars twice? Back when they were figuring out what the Pillars were for, they sent someone in. They came back and told the story. The wise ones decided it would be a good test to become a wise one. They sent her back to find out more... she never returned. Could it be that Avi didn't actually change a thing with the Pillars? They have always shown you the past the first time, and the future the second time. It's just that Avi was the first person strong enough to cope with the second trip. Just a thought...

 

 

Also... all those people go into Rhuidean and never return, but... what happens to their bodies?

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

Zombiepost, since no one ever answered this one properly:

 

why does cats in the tworivers has six toes?

Radiation. From when Eldrene ay Ellan ay Carlan melted the city of Manetheren.

The implication is supposed to be that there is a whole hell of a lot of inbreeding in the Two Rivers, which causes deformities. I think we hashed this out on Theoryland some years ago, though, and I seem to remember someone saying that the idea wasn't genetically accurate?

 

you don't think there's any possibility that it's a nod to hemingway? cause polydactyls are widely known in the US as hemingway cats. and, you know, for a man as well read as RJ, it seems like a mega coincidence that he chooses robert jordan for a pseudonym. and for someone as into cats as he seems to be from his books, it would seem an even bigger stretch not to have some knowledge of and respect for the hemingway cats (which have taught us a good deal about cat society that we never knew before). and which are considered lucky and appear to be somewhat more evolved than ordinary non-opposable-thumb types.

Edited June 22, 2011 by cindy

[ironisles]

It was a trap by Fain.

 

 

How did he set such a thing up?

 

He has some kind of power to create illusions. We see it again in Far Madding when Rand confronts him and sees the rogue Asha'men (who are already dead by this point) coming at him. Rand slashes the illusion which appears to hurt Fain. We don't have any concrete knowledge of how Fain does what he does. We see he has additional powers in ToM.

 

 

Ah ok.. thanks! I hope that gets explained at some point.

[Randommer]

The Lord of the Evening referred to in the dark prophecy at the end of ToM, is that the DO or Moridin? Or is it unclear? Can't remember if that title's been used before anywhere.

[Terez]

why does cats in the tworivers has six toes?

Radiation. From when Eldrene ay Ellan ay Carlan melted the city of Manetheren.

The implication is supposed to be that there is a whole hell of a lot of inbreeding in the Two Rivers, which causes deformities. I think we hashed this out on Theoryland some years ago, though, and I seem to remember someone saying that the idea wasn't genetically accurate?

you don't think there's any possibility that it's a nod to hemingway? cause polydactyls are widely known in the US as hemingway cats. and, you know, for a man as well read as RJ, it seems like a mega coincidence that he chooses robert jordan for a pseudonym. and for someone as into cats as he seems to be from his books, it would seem an even bigger stretch not to have some knowledge of and respect for the hemingway cats (which have taught us a good deal about cat society that we never knew before). and which are considered lucky and appear to be somewhat more evolved than ordinary non-opposable-thumb types.

Well, RJ said Hemingway had nothing to do with his choice of pseudonym, and you get the impression that he liked Hemingway, but that Hemingway was not one of his favorites. So I think the inbreeding thing is the more likely explanation; since the Two Rivers is so isolated, it makes sense.

 

@Randommer - Probably Ishamael, but we're not sure.

[Suttree]

In ToM "To Make A Stand" during the invasion of Maradon it says...

 

The Asha'man and Aes Sedai had worked to heal Ituralde's men, but only the worst cases could get attention.

 

I didn't realize there were AS in the city. Is this a mistake?

[capuga]

In ToM "To Make A Stand" during the invasion of Maradon it says...

 

The Asha'man and Aes Sedai had worked to heal Ituralde's men, but only the worst cases could get attention.

 

I didn't realize there were AS in the city. Is this a mistake?

 

Did the group that usually surrounds Rand come with him? Or were some of the Asha'man ones that had bonded the AS that came to attack the Black Tower?

Edited June 22, 2011 by Mark Grayson

[Suttree]

In ToM "To Make A Stand" during the invasion of Maradon it says...

 

The Asha'man and Aes Sedai had worked to heal Ituralde's men, but only the worst cases could get attention.

 

I didn't realize there were AS in the city. Is this a mistake?

 

Did the group that usually surrounds Rand come with him? Or were some of the Asha'man ones that had bonded the AS that came to attack the Black Tower?

 

It's well before Rand shows up and just after Ituralde got pulled into the city by Yoeli after the retreat from the camps. I supposes some of the Asha'man could have bonded AS. Strange they aren't mentioned at all during the fighting and Ituralde only thinks how he has the Asha'man as channelers to fight.

[GYLD]

Well since generally men are stronger in the One Power than women, and since healing is not largely dependent on strength, it would make sense to keep the men fighting while you have the women reserving their energy for any necessary healing.

[MasterAblar]

Or it may be that the ashaman didn't feel they had the right to force the aes sedai to risk their lives. And also are trained to fight in battle and as such I imagine that they have set formations or tactics that are suited for a group of only men and so it would be difficult to bring the aes sedai into the fight as a group with the ashaman. If that made sense.

[Sharaman]

Naeff is mentioned - he has an AS. So it's reasonable to expect that other Ashaman with AS are around. Edit: This is the group that came to Maradon with Bashere and Rand. Ituralde had 50 vanilla Ashaman with his force.

Edited June 23, 2011 by Sharaman

[Suttree]

Naeff is mentioned - he has an AS. So it's reasonable to expect that other Ashaman with AS are around. Edit: This is the group that came to Maradon with Bashere and Rand. Ituralde had 50 vanilla Ashaman with his force.

 

No the AS mention comes well before Rand shows up. It is just after they are pulled inside the walls by the Saldeans. Can't imagine they wouldn't have been used in some manner. The situation was very grim and we get not even a thought from Ituralde about them.

[Manscher]

I'd assume it some of those 51 Aes Sedai who got bonded to the Asha'man, if I don't remember wrong, they've all been taken out of The Black Tower to help and I doubt there's around 100 Asha'man and Aes Sedai in the Stone of Tear.

Edited June 23, 2011 by Manscher

[MasterAblar]

I believe it's in CoT that Logain tells Rand that, following Rand's orders, half of the ashaman are out of the BT, including all of those who have bonded aes sedai.

I imagine some of those (those who have aes sedai) were at Maradon. Since they need both fighters and healers, they stuck the aes sedai with healing, the ashaman obviously being better fighters. Afterall war is what they specialise in. Also the aes sedai would be more or less under the ashamans's orders, which is perhaps why Ituralde never seemed to think about them.

[Sharaman]

Naeff is mentioned - he has an AS. So it's reasonable to expect that other Ashaman with AS are around. Edit: This is the group that came to Maradon with Bashere and Rand. Ituralde had 50 vanilla Ashaman with his force.

 

No the AS mention comes well before Rand shows up. It is just after they are pulled inside the walls by the Saldeans. Can't imagine they wouldn't have been used in some manner. The situation was very grim and we get not even a thought from Ituralde about them.

The AS are mentioned after Ituralde is rescued inside Maradon by Bashere's soldiers. They came with Bashere.

Quote from memory (Ituralde's POV, Chapter: A Storm of Light) "It was strange to see soldiers with clean uniforms. Bashere had swept in with large numbers of Ashaman and AS and cleared the city."

[Suttree]

Naeff is mentioned - he has an AS. So it's reasonable to expect that other Ashaman with AS are around. Edit: This is the group that came to Maradon with Bashere and Rand. Ituralde had 50 vanilla Ashaman with his force.

 

No the AS mention comes well before Rand shows up. It is just after they are pulled inside the walls by the Saldeans. Can't imagine they wouldn't have been used in some manner. The situation was very grim and we get not even a thought from Ituralde about them.

The AS are mentioned after Ituralde is rescued inside Maradon by Bashere's soldiers. They came with Bashere.

Quote from memory (Ituralde's POV, Chapter: A Storm of Light) "It was strange to see soldiers with clean uniforms. Bashere had swept in with large numbers of Ashaman and AS and cleared the city."

 

The quote I provided above with the AS mention comes from "To Make A Stand" that is well before Bashere shows up...

[Atan Lodorn]

Listening to the Black Tower part in ToM, Androl description of the Two Rivers men destroying the rocks digging the trench sounds like what happened about Maradon, to the wall.

 

How many of Logains followers are still in the Black Tower?

 

Has Naeff reported back to Rand yet about his visit to the BT?

 

Did Rand show Naeff how to disguise himself?

[Terez]

How many of Logains followers are still in the Black Tower?

We don't know, but Pevara commented on the bonded Aes Sedai, so presumably quite a few of them are there.

 

Has Naeff reported back to Rand yet about his visit to the BT?

No.

 

Did Rand show Naeff how to disguise himself?

Yes, though I dislike the way Brandon wrote that.

[Suttree]

Does anyone know for certain what percentage of Ashaman are still in the Tower verse what Rand has under his command in the field?

 

&

 

Can someone remind me in ToM what was up with Gawyn's message about facing the bloodknives not reaching Egwene? Did it have anything to do with the kin member holding the gateway that snapped closed on his heel?

Edited June 25, 2011 by Suttree

[Manscher]

The gateway that snapped close on Gawyn was because Perrin moved into Tar Valon with the dreamspike at the exact same time. As for the messenger, he got killed before it ever reached Egwene, if I don't remember wrong Egwene mentions it the day after the battle in Tel'aran'rhiod.

[ironisles]

Who killed Barthanes, the gholam? And why? Surely he was still useful to darkfriends as powerful as he was..

Edited June 25, 2011 by Rulius