The Dark One's prison, not a prison at all.

[Forgemage]

Hello, joined up about a month ago or so and have yet to post a proper theory so I thought I'd have a go at it. Hopefully It hasn't been discussed to death before.

 

Right there are two things that always bugged me when the subject of the Dark One came up.

 

1. His prison, exactly how is it structured and how can it be that even though he supposedly broke out of it in the Age of Legends is Randland still ticking along.

 

2. Why would a Divine, Immortal all powerful being care a whit about the world in the first place.

 

I have formulated a theory that would explain it (I think) but I need to digress slightly to give the proper background to the theory. (sorry if I'm being long winded) Before the Creator caused the world to be I think that Him and the DO existed in equal and balanced quantity, each as powerful as the other, the Creator utilized what we see as the One Power and the DO the True Power. However with the Creation of The Wheel of Time, the Pattern and the World and linking his own power source to this creation the Creator created a direct conduit for his own power. The One Power. Numerous times in the books they've made references to the death of time itself and that the death of time would give the DO unimaginable power. I think the real reason the DO wants the world so much is that by gaining supremacy he would have a direct link to the power source of the Creator and thus be able to tip the balance, the world itself is secundary if even a consideration.The Creator himself is the endgame. However (this brings me to my prison theory) he cannot touch the world, the world is created and driven by the One Power something he cannot use, touch or associate with, thus he needs the culmination of creation, the people living in the world able to tap this powersource to aid him and somehow tip the scales. I think that there is no prison at all only a dimensionless void where he dwells and the world itself due to the fact that its driven by the One Power is untouchable. (as of yet) The Bore itself is simply a point in creation where a small "area" have been successfully removed from the influence and driving force of the One Power, in essence removed in a way from Creation (thus all the strange reality bending and time paradoxical events taking place there)

 

In essence the prison is not a prison, and I think that this might be a clue to how the final confrontation might take place.

 

 

 

 

[Nightstrike]

I don't think breaking the wheel and destroying the pattern would give him any more power. I think he says that to the darkfriends in order to give them a reasonable explanation. They think they themselves will be given power and immortality. Reigning as kings/queens... They think the DO has the same purpose - which is believable from a darkfriend's point of view.

 

In reality, the DO wants to destroy the Wheel and end everything. He hates the Creator, and would do anything to mess things up for his Good twin. I don't think he cares about puny humans/whatever at all.

 

That's just my view on the situation. I don't have much proof. :-X

 

 

 

(By the way, I don't think it's much of a "prison" either. Not to the DO...)

 

[egwenes#1hater]

i agree with nightstrike. Don't get me  wrong its a great theory  8) but thru ishydin we know the true purpose of The Dark One. Again great theory, it just seems unlikely with all that we have been told

[Majsju]

 

 

1. His prison, exactly how is it structured and how can it be that even though he supposedly broke out of it in the Age of Legends is Randland still ticking along.

 

This is a strangely common misinterpration. The DO never broke free in the AOL, if he had there would not have been any Bore for LTT and his jolly gang to slap a patch on. The war itself pretty much started as a result of an attempt to break the DO completely out, an attempt that failed.

 

2. Why would a Divine, Immortal all powerful being care a whit about the world in the first place.

 

Well, using that logic, why would the Creator have created the world in the first place?

 

However (this brings me to my prison theory) he cannot touch the world, the world is created and driven by the One Power something he cannot use, touch or associate with, thus he needs the culmination of creation, the people living in the world able to tap this powersource to aid him and somehow tip the scales. I think that there is no prison at all only a dimensionless void where he dwells and the world itself due to the fact that its driven by the One Power is untouchable.

 

The DO can apparently touch the world strongly enough to manipulate the climate, cause food to be spoiled, have Moridin blast away freely with the True Power (which is drawn directly from the DO)...

 

(as of yet) The Bore itself is simply a point in creation where a small "area" have been successfully removed from the influence and driving force of the One Power, in essence removed in a way from Creation (thus all the strange reality bending and time paradoxical events taking place there)

 

I would say this, if true, still makes it very much a prison.

[Forgemage]

What I meant was that it doesn't make sense to view it as a prison if a hole can be constructed the way the accounts say it was in The Age Of Legends, and the DO still wouldn't be able to fully touch the world. In my mind it only makes sense if there is another variable preventing the DO from touching the world than the convenional prison concept. And his touching the World is not so much touching the world as influencing it through his minions (not in a direct way but in the conduit of influence sort of way), the very fact that he has worshipers allows him a modicum of influence. ( I think)

 

[jemron]

I heard it mentioned somewhere in these forums, and I like the theory, that the DO isn't trapped inside a prison at all, but there is some sort of barrier that keeps him from touching/effecting the WoT and/or the Pattern.  Mieren bored a hole through that barrier, and so the DO was able to fit his "finger" through the hole and sortof touch or effect the Pattern to a minor degree.  Eventually he was able to get two fingers through, then three, soon his hand, etc...  And then it was sealed.  Now that the seals are weakening, he's already got his arm through the bore, and he's able to effect the Pattern similarly to how he did it before.

 

My thoughts are that the Creator and the DO (could also be called "The Destroyer") are exact opposites.  The Creator's purpose is to create and move on.  The DO's purpose is to destroy and "stick around."  If the Creator says "yay" the DO says "nay."

 

Minor Mistborn spoilers:

 

 

 

 

 

I also like the idea that the Creator and DO are like Ruin and Preservation from the Mistborn trilogy.  One's purpose is to only preserve and protect, the other is to destroy and "ruin" what exists.  With the two powers combined, creation is possible.  You can't entirely create without death and destruction and erosion, etc...

 

Similarly, perhaps the Creator and DO are both the Creator, and now maybe both of them are "imprisoned" or kept from touching what they, together, created.  Maybe as the seals weaken and the bore broadens, the Creator will be allowed to have more influence too?

 

Either way, I think the DO is highly invested in destroying the Wheel specifically because that is what he is:  The Destroyer.  My feeling is that he'll destroy absolutely anything that he can get his hands on, and so the Creator has to not only create stuff, but he has to create protections for that stuff so that his exact opposite or "nemesis" can't fulfill his purposes.

 

Hmmm... Interesting discussion.