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

[mb]

My understanding is that all myrddraal need shadow (not darkness) to teleport.  Graendal re-lit part of the room shortly after the lights went out; Shaidar Haran came sometime after the relighting.

As far as I recall, the books do not tell the reason.  But the reason seems to be speculated near the end of the paragraph; Graendal seemed to think that they would attack her.

[EmperorAllspice]

Why are there no Aiel Asha'man?

 

I mean, yeah, I know all that jazz about male aiel channellers grandly committing suicide by charging the Blight but this is Rand we're talking about. The Dragon Reborn. Destined to bring about change wherever he goes. Why not change this?

 

Or do they show up later and I just haven't seen em yet? (near the beginning of book 9)

[mb]

Why no Aiel Ashamen? I imagine that is because there were no male channelers detected among them after the Black Tower started.  Though I do not recall anybody doing the test with them; everyone being busy might account for that.

Another reason for no Aiel Ashamen might be that no male among them expressed a desire to be tested.

 

Edit::

No Aiel joined the Black Tower within the first 13 books.

Edited February 15, 2013 by mb

[EmperorAllspice]

Question. I haven't gotten this far in the series. And I'd rather have a response that isn't "Read and find out" I'm not in the mood.

 

When Semirhage is outed and blows up Rand's hand. Why didn't rand just slice Semi's weave with Saidin? and was Semi aiming for Min on purpose because she knew of Rand's love for her or was it just panic?

[Mr Ares]

Question. I haven't gotten this far in the series. And I'd rather have a response that isn't "Read and find out" I'm not in the mood.

 

When Semirhage is outed and blows up Rand's hand. Why didn't rand just slice Semi's weave with Saidin? and was Semi aiming for Min on purpose because she knew of Rand's love for her or was it just panic?

Rand was unable to grasp the Source in time as both he and LTT went for it. As Min was already behind Rand, Semi was aiming for Rand, not Min.

[EmperorAllspice]

 

Question. I haven't gotten this far in the series. And I'd rather have a response that isn't "Read and find out" I'm not in the mood.

 

When Semirhage is outed and blows up Rand's hand. Why didn't rand just slice Semi's weave with Saidin? and was Semi aiming for Min on purpose because she knew of Rand's love for her or was it just panic?

Rand was unable to grasp the Source in time as both he and LTT went for it. As Min was already behind Rand, Semi was aiming for Rand, not Min.

-______________________________- Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaame

[Suttree]

 

 

Question. I haven't gotten this far in the series. And I'd rather have a response that isn't "Read and find out" I'm not in the mood.

 

When Semirhage is outed and blows up Rand's hand. Why didn't rand just slice Semi's weave with Saidin? and was Semi aiming for Min on purpose because she knew of Rand's love for her or was it just panic?

Rand was unable to grasp the Source in time as both he and LTT went for it. As Min was already behind Rand, Semi was aiming for Rand, not Min.

-______________________________- Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaame

Maybe wait until you see the conflict between Rand/LTT. Seriously weak to jump to  a conclusion like that for something you haven't even read.

[EmperorAllspice]

It involves Semi scoring a hit for reasons other than Semi's skills. Mental or otherwise.

 

I'm looking for SOME reason to like Semirhage. She's giving me nothing to work with here. It's frustrating as all hell

[Mr Ares]

It involves Semi scoring a hit for reasons other than Semi's skills. Mental or otherwise.

 

I'm looking for SOME reason to like Semirhage. She's giving me nothing to work with here. It's frustrating as all hell

She had a plan. That plan was disrupted by events outside her control (Cadsuane using a ter'angreal of a kind unknown in the AoL to destroy both her disguise and any other weaves she might have had prepared). She reacted quickly, using a fireball to disable Rand. Must you persist with your absurd criticisms?

[sVieira151]

I'm re-reading tGH and have just read the chapter with Nynaeve's testing for Accepted.  My question is, why isn't Nynaeve stilled by channeling during the testing?  And why can she remember more than she should be able to during the test?  Sheriam tells her that women who have channeled in the ter'angreal were burned out/stilled when they came out.  Why doesn't this happen to Nynaeve?

 

I remember Sheriam mentioned something that they used to do that caused burning out/stilling (or was it just a reduction in power?) even if they didn't channel inside the ter'angreal (can't remember if this was for Eg or Nyn). I can't remember exactly what it was she said, and I don't have the books handy, but as far as I can remember people stopped being burned out after they stopped doing the thing they said they did, albeit they stopped women channeling at roughly the same time. I got the impression it wasn't the channeling that burned the Novices/Accepted out, but rather what they (the AS) were doing to the ter'angreal while the Novices/Accepted were doing the test. 

 

Though I may be misremembering. 

[EmperorAllspice]

what was Aginor even doing after being ressurected? The Dark One has spies everywhere, so having someone keep an eye on Rand shouldn't have been any kind of problem. Expecting Davisha to be chosen as one of Rand's bodyguards was kinda a pointless gamble. Rand chose Davisha at random (unless the DO twitched the pattern to make sure he was chosen or something.)

 

Surely one of the Forsaken had something better to do than mill around in the Asha'man camp.

[mb]

What was Osangar (Aginor resurrected) doing?

This page tells.

 

Edit::  Not so sure about the Dark One "twitching the Pattern" while being bound.

I take he could only unravel it while bound.

Edited February 19, 2013 by mb

[EmperorAllspice]

I thought he could touch the pattern slightly. He was able to hold the seasons in place. and some of the characters theorize that he might be touching the pattern slightly. I just assumed.

 

So many charaters are wrong, how are you meant to decide what's true unless you look up all the interviews. (and I'm of the belief that you shouldn't have to look up interviews just to know what's going on in a story)

[sVieira151]

You have to decided for yourself (who to trust and who to take as talking sense). Looking up the interviews takes away the fun. 

[EmperorAllspice]

What was Osangar (Aginor resurrected) doing?

This page tells.

 

Edit::  Not so sure about the Dark One "twitching the Pattern" while being bound.

I take he could only unravel it while bound.

That answers nothing. I know what he was physically doing whenever he was on page. I mean what was he doing for the shadow?

[sVieira151]

I assume it's just the basic earning Rand's trust/spying. It was really his last chance, so the DO probably gave him a simple job. Demoted him, really. "I'm trusting you with this shit little job, since I don't think you can do anything important".

Edited February 19, 2013 by Vieira151

[EmperorAllspice]

But Balthamel had a pretty good job and he failed pretty bad too.

[sVieira151]

He had a similar job. He was just there to spy on and gain the trust of the Amyrlin. Which is almost the exact same job. Except he had a little more people to work with (Black Ajah).

[EmperorAllspice]

But Balthamel  was given an actually interesting skillset. (he could use Saidin despite being in a woman's body. That did WONDERS for his number of options. Being able to use magic invisibly and all that)

 

Did the DO have it in for Aginor? Aginor didn't seem like that bad of a guy.

[mb]

 

What was Osangar (Aginor resurrected) doing?

This page tells.

 

Edit::  Not so sure about the Dark One "twitching the Pattern" while being bound.

I take he could only unravel it while bound.

That answers nothing. I know what he was physically doing whenever he was on page. I mean what was he doing for the shadow?

There might be some chance of him influencing Taim in some things.  One of those things possibly being the "Kill Rand" order.

He for sure participated in the attack on Rand in Cairhien palace.

 

About the seasons/weather, I count that as part of the unraveling.

 

A clarification::  Not so sure about the Dark One having influence over people's lives while bound; even the lives of his servants.

At most ordering his servants to do things.

[EmperorAllspice]

I dunno. I guess RJ might say some things. But I'm just taking what the books give me and making my own conclusions. I don't like it when luck controls everything. so whenever Team Shadow get a lucky break, I just assume it's the DO touching the pattern slightly.

[sVieira151]

Or you can just assume that the pattern intended it. After all, even the concept of Ta'averen is deus ex machina. 

 

EDIT: Ta'averen concept comes with lots of extras, but at the heart it is a deus ex machina device. And I think that is quite cleverly done.

Edited February 19, 2013 by Vieira151

[EmperorAllspice]

Okay. No. Not doing this crap again. I refuse to believe that nothing the villains do they're doing of their own free will. That robs the story of ANY tension and makes the whole struggle meaningless since what happens has already been mapped out by the pattern.

 

No, no matter how many times people try to feed me that "The pattern planned out EVERYTHING" crap I'm still not gonna buy it. A story needs tension dammit. and villains who aren't just the playthings of fate.

 

Don't you DARE assume that I will ever consider Ta'veren or any of this garbage as "clever" It's the single worst concept in this entire series. At least the way people try to insist that it works.

 

... (deep breath) Sorry, I'm just tired of having this conversation with EVERYONE.

[sVieira151]

They have their own free will. The pattern ain't all "Haw you, evil guy, you are gonna do this and this and this exactly as I say". It's likely the character will end up the way the pattern intended, but they way they got there is entirely dependant on their own actions, and their own free will.

 

And sorry, I didn't check beforehand as to how many times you talked about it. What I find clever is basically RJ was like, well there is gonna be some Deus Ex Machina. So I'm just going to create a world mechanism that basically tells the reader I'm doing this. However, I'm gonna make it so it has some other effects as well. So it was kinda blatantly telling us that's what it is, but he is just adding some extra consequences and trying to twist the mechanism to do some interesting things. At least, in my opinion. Sometimes it is rather telling that it is plainly deus ex machina, but I find it's done well most of the time.

 

EDIT: And while the pattern is "mapping it out", the tension comes from wondering how certain conflicts are resolved and wondering how the story progresses

Edited February 19, 2013 by Vieira151

[EmperorAllspice]

I just wish I knew the exact mechanics. It feels so arbitrary.

 

RJ said that the building falling on Mat couldn't have just fallen so that it didn't touch him because "there are limits"

 

Yet when Rand had spears hurled at him from all sides they just happened to bounce off each other and land ina  PERFECT circle around him. Yeah, not seeing a limitation there, Robert. Hawkwing was killed and yet he was Ta'veren. So... how did they manaage that? Ta'veren honestly come off as completely invincible. No matter what you try.

 

and I'm sorry. I don't like it when luck dictates EVERYTHING. Especially when completely unpredictable luck powers circle the main character. It comes off as lazy. Just let the characters get by on their own skills. It makes the villains come off as useless when they're only getting by on pure chance.