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

[lsm]

wow very interesting topic. lot's of theories and discussion on the nature of the power, and aes sedai intentions and well, over 100 pages of good stuff that brings back the series, thank you all for a really great read.

 

 

i have a few questions, they really are simple and probably more on the practical side of things but they've been nagging me for years

 

1- what is a spit dog? is it like a hamster wheel with a bit of food dangling like a carrot that keeps a dog running? dogs are usually smarter than this right? (i'm pretty sure there is at least 1 spit dog per book starting with book 4 or 6 and i always wondered what they were)

 

2- how can one divide a dress for riding? i've tried looking this up on google once and there were links to renaissance costumes sites but no good picture. is the dress basically split? or is it really wide?

 

3- they write with the ink jar, and then they "sand" the paper? so they carry ink, quill, paper, writing desks and jars of sand right, but what is the sand for, is it just to dry the ink? seems to me it would make a mess as grains of wet sand wiggle around the paper, and then where does all the sand go, this is never mentioned

 

now that i wrote those three here's a couple more that came to mind...

 

4- i've never been inside a fortress so how large are arrowslits? in the series often the arrowslits are described as almost being like windows, but i always thought arrowslits were extremely narrow

 

5- in the wastes it is obvious that the aiel grow tomatoes (in the old tongue t'mat (sp)), but in that same part there seems to be another veggie beign described but i could never figured out what it was. anyone know?

 

6- obviously never explained in the books, but lemons are plainly popular in ebou dar. why hasn't this amazing fruit made headway into illian, tear or even tanchico? surely mat would of remembered the sour fruit when he was in tear, or we would of had a few page long description of the super girls drinking the sweet juice, heck even bayle domon would of made an offhand remark about it in the perfume quarter

 

7- when i was little boy i'd often throw my peach pits to my dog, she would eat anything. eventually, she died. was i at fault?

 

8- and these in regards to musical instruments (probably could of just googled these but hey might as well add them to this great thread!) what is a hammered dulcimer and do i remember right reading the term bittern as a musical instrument?

 

 

thanks :)

[Sharaman]

Spit-dogs were common in pre-electric eras. Animals trained to keep turning a spit (on which something was being roasted) by moving around.

 

Yes, sanding is to dry ink. Pour sand on the parchment and shake it off. It can be reused or chucked away.

 

Arrowslit depends on what they use for arrows - 1/2 the width of a human head, say around a hand-widths - usually slits are placed obliquely. Variations include cross-slits. The inner width is always (often) more than the outer.

 

Peach pits do contain cyanide - the WoTland peach has mutated and become wholly poisonous.

Incidentally chocolate can also poison a dog or horse (it's an illegal stimulant in dog/horse racing)

 

A dulcimer which is played by hitting with hammers rather than plucked.

 

AFAIK a bittern is a bird.

 

 

[Ashaman Kovan]

Hammers that look like http://www.cpmusic.com/graphics/hammers.jpg

[Ashaman Kovan]

Hi you Dragonmount Guru's!

nice thread this, so i'll ask away. (My second post, although i've read lots on these forums)

First question that comes to my mind is this: How did the Dark One get Lanfear of the 'Land of the Finns'?

Sure, he is the Lord of the Grave, but we kinda know Moraine isn't dead, so i think it is safe to assume Lanfear/Cyndane wasn't killed by the ter'angreal either. Does he have some power in 'Finnland'?

Anyone can shed some Light here? (I am aware i made some assumptions here: Moraine=alive and Lanfear=Cyndane, but they seem pretty safe)

 

Thanks,

Tom

 

Tom-

 

I've often wondered this, myself. My own theory on it is that Moiraine (who we all know is an evil genius when it comes to cleverly out-manipulating others) actually used the Finn's game of wishes and such to kill Lanfear. It's also possible that Lanfear tried to channel too much and that/the Finns killed her for it. Remember- no channeling in Finnland.

 

I agree with this and expand,  I think the Finns had held her soul captive, and the DO took it from them, which is what caused a tear since he stole it from someone who already had it but it wasn't destroyed. (Mashadar)  Which is why she is weaker in Cyndane from, although not a lot.

 

It's hard to think the finns would give wishes to either of them. Having broken laws from thousands of years ago. Some kind of riot broke out quite possibly and so Moraine with her brain ninja ways calmed everyone down and probably assured them there was another door being transported. I don't know, some such nonsense to cool their jets. At the time she probably wasn't concentrating on Lanfear at all and I'd bet the opposite were as well. Moraine wouldn't just start pointing her fingers and just blurt out "DARKFRIEND!!FORSAKEN!!"" Since we know how much they like the shadow. So it could be said that lanfear knew her way out was to die, so she asked for that and then she asked for herself to be or at least appear to be weaker in the power.Via a Ter'Angreal.  For whatever reason. I'm thinking the reason Moraine didn't ask for a way out was that so she could use her wishes to maybe counter some plan of Lanfear's that she let slip during their captivity together. We might come to find a specific and important event only occured because Moraine used one of her wishes for it. Obviously this is all conjecture, but it doesn't seem all that impossible.  But if anyone did get wishes, It would have to both of them did, or neither of them did.

[TheDecline01]

Why is the Aiel Waste so dry?

Has there ever been an explanation for why it is so damn hot and lacks so much rain?

 

I mean, judging by the maps, it goes North up to the Blight, and it never goes further South than Andor. It should be some king of cold desert like the Gobi one in Mongolia. I don't know much of the weather mechanisms in WoT, but is the Spine of the World enough to stop clouds from the Western lands?

 

And what are the Termool?? Are they glimpsed within the books?

[Ashaman Kovan]

Why is the Aiel Waste so dry?

Has there ever been an explanation for why it is so damn hot and lacks so much rain?

 

I mean, judging by the maps, it goes North up to the Blight, and it never goes further South than Andor. It should be some king of cold desert like the Gobi one in Mongolia. I don't know much of the weather mechanisms in WoT, but is the Spine of the World enough to stop clouds from the Western lands?

 

And what are the Termool?? Are they glimpsed within the books?

 

Geography and weather patterns and anything related to any of that stuff was completely effed by all the mad men Channeling and The Breaking. I think that's about the best explanation you're going to get. Though don't count out getting a better articulated explanation from someone who knows bigger words than I do.

[Morsker]

I had to search for "riding skirt" but it's probably the same thing:

 

http://www.wwmerc.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=CL70-C&type=store&category=4150

 

It has two legs like pants, but overall is shaped like a skirt.

 

[Dreamwalker]

5- in the wastes it is obvious that the aiel grow tomatoes (in the old tongue t'mat (sp)), but in that same part there seems to be another veggie beign described but i could never figured out what it was. anyone know?

I think this is what you are talking about, right?

From tSR Ch. 49:

a dish of bright yellow kernels and bits of pulpy red that Aviendha called zemai and t'mat

 

Like you said t'mat is tomatoes. I think that zemai must be corn - it is described as yellow kernels and is basically the word maize rearranged (and later we see that they make flatbread out of zemai flour - tortillas, anyone?). Also algode is cotton in case anyone hadn't gotten that one yet (it's very similar to the Spanish word for cotton: algodon)

[bobothebarbarian]

wow very interesting topic. lot's of theories and discussion on the nature of the power, and aes sedai intentions and well, over 100 pages of good stuff that brings back the series, thank you all for a really great read.

 

 

i have a few questions, they really are simple and probably more on the practical side of things but they've been nagging me for years

 

1- what is a spit dog? is it like a hamster wheel with a bit of food dangling like a carrot that keeps a dog running? dogs are usually smarter than this right? (i'm pretty sure there is at least 1 spit dog per book starting with book 4 or 6 and i always wondered what they were)

just like a sheep dog is a working animal so is a spit dog. yes it is it like a hamster wheel its job is to walk in it

 

2- how can one divide a dress for riding? i've tried looking this up on google once and there were links to renaissance costumes sites but no good picture. is the dress basically split? or is it really wide?

take a dress cut a line down center sew in to legs. when standing the legs come together so you cant really tell but you would need to sit side saddle with out it divided or you might show your calf to a boy!! :o

 

8- and these in regards to musical instruments (probably could of just googled these but hey might as well add them to this great thread!) what is a hammered dulcimer and do i remember right reading the term bittern as a musical instrument?

to see what a hammered dulcimer looks like go to http://www.masterworksok.com

i think you mean a cittern # Cittern  - small flat backed wire-strung plucked instrument; played with a plectrum; popular from renaissance to baroque times. Modern citterns are much bigger, and more like mandolins in shape. Usually with 10 strings in 5 courses. Related to Portuguese Guitarra.

 

 

 

[greenman]

if one was 13x13'd, then stilled/gentled would the bond be broken?

[Express]

Why don't any of the Aes Sadai realize that Halima is 'different'?

[Ashaman Kovan]

Why don't any of the Aes Sadai realize that Halima is 'different'?

 

If by 'different' you mean 'slutty' then they did notice that I'm pretty sure. What else about her was really all that 'different'? Remember the whole soul conforms to the body bit by SH in LoC? Or the other way around, I forget which.

 

if one was 13x13'd, then stilled/gentled would the bond be broken?

 

I'm not sure you get how that trick works. I don't think there's any 'bond' involved. All it does it bring out the darker nature that's in everyone. And since there are Myrdraal involved in it as well as the OP or maybe even the TP, idk, I don't think being cut off from either in any way would reverse the effects. You'd just be really depressed and evil.

[DemandredFO]

My answer to the Halima question would be Egwene doesn't want to.  Remember people saying Halima does alotta stuff.  Someone, I forget who, says that Halima brokes a man's arm and rather than investigate Egwene thinks, oh well he must've deserved it.  When Mogedien escapes someone says they think they saw Halima come out but rather than investigate the disappearance of a foresaken on a flimsy claim or not, Egwene just dismisses.  I'd say they should've at least asked; the stories may have held up or maybe they would've come apart.  That's the longwinded answer.

Short version; it may've had do with AS noninterference with each other.  Halima supposedly being Delana's servant and all.

[azrael.1289]

Can the male and female channelers bond each other? If so, what happens?

[Ashaman Kovan]

My answer to the Halima question would be Egwene doesn't want to.  Remember people saying Halima does alotta stuff.  Someone, I forget who, says that Halima brokes a man's arm and rather than investigate Egwene thinks, oh well he must've deserved it.  When Mogedien escapes someone says they think they saw Halima come out but rather than investigate the disappearance of a foresaken on a flimsy claim or not, Egwene just dismisses.  I'd say they should've at least asked; the stories may have held up or maybe they would've come apart.  That's the longwinded answer.

Short version; it may've had do with AS noninterference with each other.  Halima supposedly being Delana's servant and all.

 

Their Aes Sedai...They aren't strangers to violence. Even with the oaths. And they're women. Powerful power hungry women. So if Halima broke some dudes arm they would have no reason to think he didn't deserve it.

As to the "Someone said they saw Halima coming out of the tent"; Since when do Aes Sedai investigate someone just because "Someone" thinks, maybe, they saw someone??

 

Can the male and female channelers bond each other? If so, what happens?

 

Have you not read all the books yet??  :-\

[Express]

My answer to the Halima question would be Egwene doesn't want to.  Remember people saying Halima does alotta stuff.  Someone, I forget who, says that Halima brokes a man's arm and rather than investigate Egwene thinks, oh well he must've deserved it.  When Mogedien escapes someone says they think they saw Halima come out but rather than investigate the disappearance of a foresaken on a flimsy claim or not, Egwene just dismisses.  I'd say they should've at least asked; the stories may have held up or maybe they would've come apart.  That's the longwinded answer.

Short version; it may've had do with AS noninterference with each other.  Halima supposedly being Delana's servant and all.

 

Oh, thanks, I thought Halima was posing as Aes Sadai and the other Aes Sadai should've known she couldn't channel saidar.

[Sharaman]

My answer to the Halima question would be Egwene doesn't want to.  Remember people saying Halima does alotta stuff.  Someone, I forget who, says that Halima brokes a man's arm and rather than investigate Egwene thinks, oh well he must've deserved it.  When Mogedien escapes someone says they think they saw Halima come out but rather than investigate the disappearance of a foresaken on a flimsy claim or not, Egwene just dismisses. 

 

Egwene knows that a saidin channeler removed Moggy's adam - she felt the shock and pain since she was wearing the bracelet at the time.

Therefore she and everyone else in the camp are looking for a male channeler.

Halima is also smart in making sure that everybody realises that Anaiya and Kairen were killed with saidin.

That again, leads them to look for  male channeler.

As to being slutty, what's the big deal?

 

 

 

[Ashaman Kovan]

As to being slutty, what's the big deal?

 

Isn't one. But for where she was and who she was associated with, this seemed to me like the only real 'difference' anyone would have noticed. Meaning basically nothing worth really raising suspicion. Just an odd quirk considering she was surrounded by Aes Sedai and most everyone in Randland walks small around them.

[wvlr2]

Could anyone tell me in what book & chapter (if known) was it that Tuon and (Semi) her first Truth Speaker were talking about collaring Rand?  I'm just curious about all the references to the D. Band.  It really seems strange to me that they would talk about it, since there is no reference that I can remember that it could be used by a Seanchan channeler.

 

Meaning, I think that it requires women channelers.  Since the damane are the only real channelers (sul'dam have not channeled yet).    Then they would have to release a couple damane from the A'dam to be controllers for Rand.  That would go against Seanchan practice.

 

Does anyone have an answer for this?

[Sharaman]

Tuon doesn't know about the Domination Band IIRC.

Semirhage did and had apparently experimented with it since she knew exactly how it worked.

(Small mystery there in terms of who she found to volunteer for the male subject.)

Suroth (who was a DF) was probably the only senior Seanchan blood who knew about the DB.

Egeanin knew, of course.

Semi wasn't (apparently) intending to hand Rand over to the Seanchan.

The double teaming of women channelers is necessary to prevent them eventually being driven nuts by the taint - and even then, according to Moggy in TSR, it doesn't work because the guy can take control in the long run.

One woman saidar channeler can use a DB for short periods to effectively control a saidin channeler.

Semi was intending to use Elza (or another Black Ajah "volunteer" if required) to control Rand for as long as it would take to torture him to her satisfaction and then, to present him to GLoD.

 

 

 

 

[Charlz Guybon]

 

Have you not read all the books yet??  :-\

I think he means can a woman bond a man, and then can that man bond that woman, and vice a versa.

 

I don't think we've seen that yet, but I would assume so.

[farthammer]

Heh given how male channelers bond women I wonder if Rand has not accidently done it himself a few times.

[Barid Bel Medar]

I like the idea of woman bonds man, then man bonds woman, creates a stronger bond, equality in the bond, and they would both have the effects of a warder (as far as the male bonding women goes, I dont know what the women gain out of the bond, but i would say it is something like the warders strength.)

 

It would solve all of the AM/AS problems, have an equal bond. KNowing AS though, they have no problems about contemplating a bond that is very near to compulsion (Romanda and that lot, lucky Egwene knocked some sense into them about that.) but heavens forbid if a Man were to bond a woman, even in these equal bond things.

 

While on the subject, do we know if Rand has 4x the Warder Strength/endurance stuff, because he is bonded to 4 women?

[Sharaman]

While on the subject, do we know if Rand has 4x the Warder Strength/endurance stuff, because he is bonded to 4 women?

 

No - quote from RJ's blog 2005

"Rand gets only the same benefits as he got from being bonded to one Aes Sedai.  It neither multiplies nor divides.  Each of a Green’s Warders get the same amount of benefits as the single Warder of another sister."

[Hadilmir]

Does anyone have any proof against the Dark One being Past, Existence being Now, and the Creator being Future?

 

I'd hate to board a thought train only to wreck halfway there...

 

*That doesn't seem clear enough, so-

The Dark One is the Past, he is Destruction. Existence is the fleetingly immeasurable amount of Time that makes up Now and the Dark One is the essence of Then, that which no longer is. The Bore is not a 'hole', the Bore is a weakening between Now and Then, Life and Death, Present and Past, Existence and Destruction. Saidin and Saidar push Existence along the Pattern, keeping it Now. The Dark One is trying to slow that Now and make it Then, destroying Time itself.