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

[Finnssss22]

You also have to take into consideration that he was ignoring the gut wrenching feeling because he got used to it. Even before the taint was cleansed most of them stopped mentioning it or thinking about it because it was the norm.

 

I think it's best at this point that you listen to what Suttree said but just in case....

 

ToM Chapter 47 "Working Leather":

...Androl emptied himself of emotion, then seized the source. It had been months since he'd had trouble doing that--at first, he'd been able to channel only when he was holding a strap of leather. The M'Hael had beaten that out of him. It had not been a pleasant process.

Saidin flooded into him, sweet, powerful, beautiful. He sat for a long moment, enjoying it. The taint was gone. What a wonder that was. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply.

Edited April 17, 2012 by Finnssss

[Edynol]

I think not.

Scott Carlson

 

On my second trip up, I went for what I figured was the longer-shot. I asked "Rand has been having the dizzy spells and sick sensations when channeling, despite having cleansed saidin. Is this an lasting effect of the taint, like having built up some taint in male channelers that won't go away?"

 

 

 

Robert Jordan

 

And the answer was "No, it's completely unrelated to the taint."

Now one could argue this was caused from Rand's link with Mori, but then, he had those sensation way before. And why did all the other ashies get that feeling? You saying all of them are linked to a forsaken?

 

Thank you very much.

[Suttree]

I think not.

Scott Carlson

 

On my second trip up, I went for what I figured was the longer-shot. I asked "Rand has been having the dizzy spells and sick sensations when channeling, despite having cleansed saidin. Is this an lasting effect of the taint, like having built up some taint in male channelers that won't go away?"

 

 

 

Robert Jordan

 

And the answer was "No, it's completely unrelated to the taint."

Now one could argue this was caused from Rand's link with Mori, but then, he had those sensation way before. And why did all the other ashies get that feeling? You saying all of them are linked to a forsaken?

 

Thank you very much.

 

Are you trying to prove our point? It's unrelated to the taint per RJ, because it is related to his connection with Moridin. That sickness is totally different than what all Ashaman feel reaching through the scum on top of Saidin. I'm seriously at a loss as to how this conversation has even continued this far. I mean the guy who asked the question even specified what he was referring to.

Edited April 17, 2012 by Suttree

[ChaosBorn]

Edynol I'm honestly not sure what you're getting at, but from the quote above I think you may have just contradicted yourself.

 

That quote says that Rand's previous sickness when he embraced the source was nothing to do with the taint on Saidin. One of the theories on Lucker's theory and FAQ pinned thread (I think) has significant evidence that the Moridin link is/was the cause of Rand's sickness. So I don't know what your point is?

[Edynol]

My point is that the sickness he got from the link with Mori is different from the sick feeling you got from embracing saidin, which had always been there even before the link. I am merely trying to explain that the sickness Rand gets from the link is not channeling sickness, but something else. There were two different types of sickness. The one every male channeler felt, and the one Rand got for Mori. But what yall seem to be saying is that they are one in the same, which they aren't.

[Suttree]

But what yall seem to be saying is that they are one in the same, which they aren't.

 

No one has said or even implied that...

[Edynol]

No one has said or even implied that...

Okay. I guess we just misunderstood each other then. Let's move on then.

[mb]

unanswered question::

dreamspike; from the dome I guess the effects are covered by one of these shapes::

-sphere

-hemisphere

-hemisphere on top of a cylinder

one of those shapes or a different shape?

If one of those, which one? if different, what exactly?

 

 

other questions::

Gathering Storm chapter 50; why was it named "Veins of Gold"?

 

Rand's single-handed fight against shadowspawn; what length of time was it? And how much of the One Power was used then?

[Edynol]

Umm...The answer to all those is pie.

[Finnssss22]

Umm...The answer to all those is pie.

 

 

Actually...the answer is 42

[Edynol]

Actually...the answer is 42

I concede.

[yoniy0]

First, I wanted to say, in regard to some stuff from the last page, that third-agers are used to men being afraid in the presence of many AS. Why would Rand, who now remembers being in that position many a time before, feel the same? It was surly very natural in the AoL, for a channeling man to be in the company of his female peers.

 

Secondly, about Rand's channeling sickness, the simple answer is that we don't know. There are some theories, but BS intentionally didn't give us Rand's PoV, so everything we know about his new Buddha-state is speculation. He did promise AMoL will fill us in on some of it.

Edynol, I think the source of your confusion is your assertion that Rand's sickness isn't unique to him. That is, in fact, not the case.

 

unanswered question::

dreamspike; from the dome I guess the effects are covered by one of these shapes::

-sphere

-hemisphere

-hemisphere on top of a cylinder

one of those shapes or a different shape?

If one of those, which one? if different, what exactly?

other questions::

Gathering Storm chapter 50; why was it named "Veins of Gold"?

 

Rand's single-handed fight against shadowspawn; what length of time was it? And how much of the One Power was used then?

mb, I have no idea what the shape of the dome is. You could've participated in Brandon's Q&A a couple of hours ago, I guess, or you could try to catch Team Jordan on a signing. Let us know if you do.

 

Regarding VoG, it was Aviendha's metaphor for how Rand's love toward her felt through the Bond (WH A Lily in Winter). Since then, it was used to symbolize Rand's love for his three girlfriends a couple of times, and this was one of them (that love being what brought him back from the brink of madness).

 

Finally, Rand's show at Maradon took at least an hour, by Ituralde's estimate. One would think that, had it been much more than that, Ituralde would notice (he used the sun's position to judge time).

[Barid Bel Medar]

Hmm, just going back to the question about Rand and his potential power, not being afraid of being in the White Tower etc.. just found an interesting quote relating to this.

 

LOIALSON

Yes...Are the impressive displays of power that Rand makes in Towers of Midnight (i.e., stopping the Trolloc army and having no concern over being able to leave the White Tower) a result of his integrated knowledge or his ta'veren nature?

 

BRANDON SANDERSON

Umm...Both, though, one thing you have to keep in mind, is...Rand, as a result of power level...Robert Jordan was specifically not using him very often because his power had grown so powerful even by the end of Knife of Dreams. I mean, you look at Knife of Dreams—if you go reread the fight in Knife of Dreams he is laying waste to nearly as many Trollocs as he has when he does the battle at the temple—which is not actually called that in the books—that's the one with the Trollocs and things [referencing Rand's big single-handed fight in Towers of Midnight]. And so...yes, some of these things have changed, but he's really powerful now.

 

Now, the thing about in the White Tower is something different. [brandon smiles]

 

First thing to come to mind is True Power, but I doubt it since we have this:

 

WEEK 8 QUESTION

 

When a person that can channel is shielded, where is the shield placed? Is it placed around the whole body of the person or around the head of the channeler where they sense saidin/saidar? If you are shielded from the One Power, are you also shielded from the True Power? What happens if someone in a circle is shielded? Can a Warder feel that his Aes Sedai is shielded?

 

ROBERT JORDAN

 

 

A shield exists both as a barrier around the entire person and as a single point along with everything in between. (In a way, this is like the Bore, which does not actually exist as Shayol Ghul. The Bore exists everywhere, but Shayol Ghul is the place where it can best be detected. Which is not to say that there is any connection between the Bore and a shield. Both simply exist in different states simultaneously.) Someone who is shielded and trying to get past the shield can "feel" their way along its inner "surface" hunting for weaknesses, such as the points that indicate where the shield is being maintained or has been tied off. Shielding against the One Power will indeed stop someone from reaching for the True Power

 

 

Also intrersting,it mentions it in the quote, someone should definitely ask Brandon about the "temple" comment.

Edited April 18, 2012 by Barid Bel Medar

[Mulk]

I've often thought that the bit in the White Tower had something to do with his tav'eren ability to affect people and the world around him. Given how most of the other Aes Sedai we hear from say something along the lines of "how could you think during that" to Egwene, I don't think it is a stretch to say he could have by sheer force of presence and tav'eren nature caused or awed those maintaining the shield into ceasing to do so. Egwene and Tuon are the only people we've seen display resistance to Rand's pleas when his needs are driving the requests and they were not unaffected.

 

/twocents

[yoniy0]

The thing was, he didn't need to find Elayne until the exact right moment, and he definitely didn't need to bind Tuon before she became Empress. When he actually does need something, it seems he always gets it.

[Barid Bel Medar]

Also, it should be noted, Rand believes that ta'veren means bending to his will, but it actually bends to the patterns will, not just Rand's personal will. (I think anyway, I could be mistaken, but that is how I thought it went)

 

Thus, just because he wanted a treaty with the Seanchan, at the time he was Darth Rand, the pattern most likely decided that it wasn't time for it, so Tuon "resisted".

 

Similar with Egwene (although I think Rand didn't really expect her to obey him in this) the pattern needed Egwene to do what she has done.

 

These are examples that cannot really be proven, as they are still ongoing, however, I believe one situation does demonstrate that it is not the ta'veren's wishes, but the pattern's.

 

Lews Therin (we can agree that he was ta'veren?) wanted very badly for the women to agree to his plan for sealing the bore, however, if they did, both sides would have been tainted and the world would have been utterly destroyed. So the pattern needed them to oppose him. But it also needed to seal the bore, thus splitting male and female into their different roles.

 

We observe this with Perrin. He certainly does not want to become a leader, but in tSH and indeed most of the books, the pattern pushes him into the role with his ta'veren powers.

 

As yoniy0 says, it is about need not want. Two different things.

[Sharaman]

Is it confirmed that LTT was ever ta'veren? I'm not certain he was- I can't remember an explicit reference.

[Barid Bel Medar]

Is it confirmed that LTT was ever ta'veren? I'm not certain he was- I can't remember an explicit reference.

 

That is why I mentioned it, it was brought up in another thread. No, there is no statement that says "Lews Therin was Ta'veren.

 

The closest we get is Loial in the first book when he is listing Ta'veren and says (paraphrased) "so was Lews Therin, I suppose." He said "suppose", so no actual confirmation.

 

I think that it is something that has just been assumed general knowledge. Certainly it is hard to believe Lews Therin was not Ta'veren at one point in his life. Demandred thinks Lews Therin was "lucky", hinting at ta'veren powers. Certainly his status as Dragon like Rand is a strong indication he was ta'veren. Ishamael shows no suprise that Rand is ta'veren, indeed this is how he can find him, by tracking ta'veren (albiet he could have learned because there was another ta'veren round in the WoS.)

 

But yeah, I would say 99.9% he was ta'veren, but no, no confirmation.

[Finnssss22]

I think we can assume that there were Ta'veren around before or during the WoP/WoS. How else would the Forsaken know the means of tracking them.

 

Reading what RJ has said about Ta'veren, I always got the impression that Ta'veren are not that rare, just that Ta'veren of exceptional strength like Mat, Perrin and especially Rand and Hawkwing are rare.

 

For example, for all we know Gitara Moroso was Ta'veren for a short time in order to get Tigraine and Luc to go where they needed to go.

Same with Rand's father, Janduin, another definite possibility.

 

 

Another good question is how does Siuan Sanche know that she has the talent for seeing Ta'veren prior to looking upon Rand, Mat and Perrin?

Obviously she has seen at least one previously.

Edited April 18, 2012 by Finnssss

[Suttree]

Another good question is how does Siuan Sanche know that she has the talent for seeing Ta'veren prior to looking upon Rand, Mat and Perrin?

Obviously she has seen at least one previously.

 

Good call Finnssss...

[TristanWebb]

Just rereading the series and it seems that with the revelation that Masema was being visited by something to make him the Prophet and Sammael saying the events in the south had Demandred's hand on them, was Demandred controlling Masema or something else?

[Barid Bel Medar]

Just rereading the series and it seems that with the revelation that Masema was being visited by something to make him the Prophet and Sammael saying the events in the south had Demandred's hand on them, was Demandred controlling Masema or something else?

 

Well, Demandred COULD have been controlling Masema at one point, but it is unlikely.

 

A female, most likely a Forsaken, was manipulating him for most of the time he was with Perrin.

 

INTERVIEW: Sep 21st, 2010

Orem Library Signing Report - Matt Hatch

 

MATT HATCH

 

This has to do with the Luckers’ Shiny Dragon theory. Masema mentions having a vision, someone tells him to kill Perrin. So, my question, was the individual telling him to kill Perrin a male or female?

 

BRANDON SANDERSON

 

He saw a male...............

 

 

MATT HATCH

...I’ll say it this way, does this individual have the soul of a man or a woman?

BRANDON SANDERSON

Female.

MATT HATCH

Excellent.

[yoniy0]

Just rereading the series and it seems that with the revelation that Masema was being visited by something to make him the Prophet and Sammael saying the events in the south had Demandred's hand on them, was Demandred controlling Masema or something else?

No, Brandon confirmed that it was actually a woman pretending to be Rand. Due to something he said in his Supanova appearances this week, it's looking more and more like it was Moghedien (basically, he hinted that the whole thing started around the time Nynaeve and Moghedien passed through Samara).

 

EDIT: Yikes, ninja'ed by Barid yet again.

Edited April 19, 2012 by yoniy0

[Barid Bel Medar]

EDIT: Yikes, ninja'ed by Barid yet again.

 

Muhahaha, I win again yoniy0 Therin,

It's funny though, I literally just came back to the computer as the post was made. Ta'veren? I think so.

 

Forgot about the recent Luckers report though.

 

Here is the report, you can find it under the topic "Afternoon Tea with Brandon Sanderson" in the WoT General Discussion

 

Luckers: Was the Shiny Dragon… was she manipulating Masema before Perrin met him?

 

Brandon: Umm, when did Perrin meet Masema? Was it in the scene where Alliandre is kneeling and giving her jewellery to him?

 

Luckers: No, that was…

 

Brandon: Nynaeve, yeah. Right.

 

Luckers: Perrin met him at the same time Faile was getting kidnapped.

 

Brandon: Right. Then in that case, yes, the Shiny Dragon was manipulating him before.

 

Edited April 19, 2012 by Barid Bel Medar

[Clouded]

So in Lord of Chaos, Chapter 54: The sending, Nandera and Sulin both seem to be responsible for the Maidens that are heading to rescue Rand. Eventually they fight and Sulin wins the fight. But after this, Nandera appears to be the leader of the Maidens. Can anyone explain this reasoning? Why isn't Sulin in charge? Clearly it's something I'm missing something about Aiel culture.