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

[thewalrus777]

How are steddings created?

 

As far as we know, and there are many theories in regards to this subject, the Steddings have been around for Ages. They may be from another world. Let me put it this way. The Ogier are now arguing about using the "Book of Translation" which is maybe a ter'angreal(this is not canon) that will transport the Ogier race to a more peaceful world. It is said that the Fourth Age can't properly start until this happens. If this is true, then we MIGHT be able to assume the Ogier may be from another planet even. With this info, one would say the Stedding may be from another world. One which the Ogier originated from possibly. I don't think the Steddings were created, IMO. But the subject of how are Steddings are created is very up in the air because we have absolutely no info on Steddings except for the basic abilities they have in Randland. Sorry about the long winded post.

 

The fact that you can't reach a Stedding in T'A'R, may lead to it not being of this world.

[Sharaman]

No explanation about how stedding are created.

Ogier are originally from another world.

 

[Lord D]

How is Mat able to use Traveling gateways when he's wearing the foxhead medallion that nullifies weaves?  If he'd had to take it off before Traveling to Caemlyn in tGS, he'd have kicked up an almighty fuss, and you'd think the medallion still couldn't have gone through.  It appears that using these gateways won't get rid of the gholam, which also nullifies weaves, so this should apply to the medallion.

[lillcheese]

I think if Mat were to walk through the edge of a gateway, or be standing in the middle of it as it closed/opened, it would disrupt the weaves.  The gateway weaves are around the person walking through the opening.  As long as he didn't try to touch the edge, he should be fine.

 

The medallion probably would get cold though from standard proximity reactions. It doesn't only go cold when disrupting a weave.

[Lord D]

I think if Mat were to walk through the edge of a gateway, or be standing in the middle of it as it closed/opened, it would disrupt the weaves.  The gateway weaves are around the person walking through the opening.  As long as he didn't try to touch the edge, he should be fine.

 

The medallion probably would get cold though from standard proximity reactions. It doesn't only go cold when disrupting a weave.

 

So if a Gateway was made around a gholam to send it into the Skimming place or directly above a volcano, should that work?

[lillcheese]

maybe, though, trollocs (& fades?) cannot go through gateways.  I think the fact that a gholam is a construct would kill it when trying to pass through.

[Lord D]

maybe, though, trollocs (& fades?) cannot go through gateways.  I think the fact that a gholam is a construct would kill it when trying to pass through.

In that case, I guess one way to kill a gholam would be to lure it into unstoppable forward momentum, then open a gateway right ahead.

[thewalrus777]

maybe, though, trollocs (& fades?) cannot go through gateways.  I think the fact that a gholam is a construct would kill it when trying to pass through.

In that case, I guess one way to kill a gholam would be to lure it into unstoppable forward momentum, then open a gateway right ahead.

 

I would imagine that would work seeing as he is shadowspawn.

 

[Sharaman]

Living constructs of the OP can't go through a Gate.

They end up on the other side, outwardly undamaged but dead - there's a sort of explanation in KoD, Rand's conversation with Logain post the battle at the Algiarin Manor.

So yeah, if the gholam is grabbed and passed through a Gate, it'll be dead or some approximation of dead.

Maybe a channeller could grapple the gholam, open a Gate and roll through it, holding the Gholam.

The medal isn't a living construct and if it's not touching the edges, it must be alright since he's done it so many times.

Mat feels the medal going cold whenever OP is used in his proximity, very cold if it's directed at him.

 

[yoniy0]

I think RJ once said that while Mat's medallion does pretty much the same thing as the gholam natural defenses, it doesn't work in the same way. Hence, we can't apply Mat's experience with gateways to gholams.

I agree, though, that it would probably work. You don't even need to grab one, just pick something up with the power and use that to push it through. Or, if Rand could modify his Deathgates so they wouldn't close, you could lunch a moving gateway at a gholam (and hope it doesn't have time to duck).

[Lord D]

Killing a gholam using Gates would still be pretty damn difficult.  The gate would need to be at least as big as the gholam, and more likely MUCH bigger, since if the gholam can touch the sides, the gate will dissolve.  Getting the gholam through the gate would be tough, given that they can go all liquid on you.

[papertiger]

Here are a set of theories on gholam-killing from WOTFAQ:

 

http://www.steelypips.org/wotfaq/1_dark/1.6_beasties/1.6.2_gholam.html

 

Volcanoes are mentioned, among other things. My favorite is opening a gateway to outer space and letting the gholam get sucked through the vacuum. PWND!

[Crael123]

Here are a set of theories on gholam-killing from WOTFAQ:

 

http://www.steelypips.org/wotfaq/1_dark/1.6_beasties/1.6.2_gholam.html

 

Volcanoes are mentioned, among other things. My favorite is opening a gateway to outer space and letting the gholam get sucked through the vacuum. PWND!

 

thats how i killed the one after me

[clu7ch]

Variation on the gateway idea. Tear a hole into T'A'R and let it be their problem if it survived the gateway.

[OptimusPrime]

Killing a gholam using Gates would still be pretty damn difficult.  The gate would need to be at least as big as the gholam, and more likely MUCH bigger, since if the gholam can touch the sides, the gate will dissolve.  Getting the gholam through the gate would be tough, given that they can go all liquid on you.

 

Wrap it in solid air, then create a gateway and throw it through. There are no cracks within solid air to seep through. You dont have to touch it with the flows of Air.

[yoniy0]

The air doesn't tend to be solid where the Power isn't involved, I believe. That's to say, when you feel a solid wall of air, you're actually feeling the flows of Air, I think, so that wouldn't work with a gholam.

[Sharaman]

Average Ashaman like Grady can make Gates which two people can walk through simultaneously. (TGS - Grady's convo with Perrin)

Lots of people can make Gates that can pass through a horse and rider.

A Chosen like Sammael can make 9ftx 15 ft gates effortlessly

You always have to keep a safe distance - anything that touches the edge of a Gate (Except maybe a Gholam) gets sliced.

I don't think a Gate of the right size would be a problem since the G is an average sized man in appearance.

 

 

[Durinax]

instead of using air, you could use the earth to raise walls around the gholam, so it cannot move. And if you find a way to put a top on it then it could starve to death

[Sharaman]

By the way, is it one Gholam or two?

We've seen one in Carhein - (Barthanes and) Fel

We've seen one in Ebou Dar.

Are they the same one? 

 

[yoniy0]

RJ once RAFOed someone regarding the manner in which you might be able to kill a gholam (I think Gateways were mentioned there). Hence I believe the number of surviving gholams would also be a RAFO (and I won't be surprised if we never get to the finding out part).

And more to your point, nobody saw the gholam(s?) in Carhein, and the Abuo Dar gholem PoV doesn't mention earlier exploits, so only the timeline might tell us something. I believe Fel was killed during TPoD? Mat first met with his gholam at the end of ACoS, and then during WH-KoD that gholam is still pursuing him (did I get that right?). If that is the case, it's probably not the same one, don't you think?

[Sharaman]

Trying to answer my own question

Fel was killed in the LoC epilogue. Specifically, by a Gholam that slid under his door.

That was in Carhein, in the same building where Barthanes was torn apart in TGH (offscreen and we dunno if Barthanes was actually done by a Gholam).

"Mat's gholam" made its presence known in Ebou Dar in ACoS and it was still there in WH.

After that, it seems to have followed him and the circus.

 

Was the Carhein Gholam the same as the Ebou Dar?

Timeline is difficult to work out.

According to Steve Cooper (http://www.stevenac.net/wot/tl1000.htm)

Fel is killed on Jan 3, 1000 NNE. Mat has been in Ebou Dar since Dec 4, 999.

The Gholam surfaces in the Rahad around Jan 9. Could it have got from Carhein to Ebou Dar in six day if it cannot use a Gate or Skim? So are we looking at two Gholams?

 

[Lord D]

Trying to answer my own question

Fel was killed in the LoC epilogue. Specifically, by a Gholam that slid under his door.

That was in Carhein, in the same building where Barthanes was torn apart in TGH (offscreen and we dunno if Barthanes was actually done by a Gholam).

"Mat's gholam" made its presence known in Ebou Dar in ACoS and it was still there in WH.

After that, it seems to have followed him and the circus.

 

Was the Carhein Gholam the same as the Ebou Dar?

Timeline is difficult to work out.

According to Steve Cooper (http://www.stevenac.net/wot/tl1000.htm)

Fel is killed on Jan 3, 1000 NNE. Mat has been in Ebou Dar since Dec 4, 999.

The Gholam surfaces in the Rahad around Jan 9. Could it have got from Carhein to Ebou Dar in six day if it cannot use a Gate or Skim? So are we looking at two Gholams?

 

What about the Ways?  Shadowspawn can move through them OK unless they meet the Black Wind.

[clu7ch]

Simple answer: The gholam is actually spock, transporter on the enterprise in space, wham, bam, thank you Tam.

[Sharaman]

What about the Ways?  Shadowspawn can move through them OK unless they meet the Black Wind.

Yes, the Ways could work. (It's probably immune to the Machin Shin anyhow, if it doesn't have a soul.)

 

[papertiger]

It could have slipped onto a Sea Folk raker. Those ships could make that trip in a week. Or maybe Sammael recruited it to kill in Ebou Dar and opened a gateway for it. It takes a very steady hand...don't touch the sides!