What events are you most anticipating for the remainder of aMoL?

[OptimusPrime]

But we don't know for certain that it was Graendal that did the compulsion.

Yet there seems a slight chance of it being someone else.  Partly because few knew where to find her.  Partly because of the description Ramshalan gave.  Partly because she seems to seldom leave her place.  Partly because of the differences among Forsaken/Darkfriends.  Partly because she would not teach it to the Shaido (and likely not anybody else either).

 

The only reason for Graendal to flee would be if she "saw" the balefire coming which seems doubtful because of her comment of not wanting Rahvin's fate (in an earlier book).

No, the only reason Graendal had to flee was finding out Rand was waiting for Ramshalan, after finding out Rand had "picked Ramshalan to help fight someone smarter than him, someone that wouldnt allow a confrontation."

Edited the statement.

Graendal might have heard that Rand did not want to harm females.  She might have assumed he was still like that; because of that she would stay.

And/or her orders from earlier in the book she might have considered unfinished.

 

 

Thats what I think; I reckon she made Rand kill eveyone in that fortress for nothing. Whether or not on purpose, or if its enough to get to Rand, are different questions. Maybe we'll get a PoV from her in ToM prologue, where she thinks about her dead pretties. That was a "fine collection of specimens" and had taken some effort to aquire; she'll have to make Rand pay for that. Cue massive rumors of Rand destroying random palaces and manor houses for nothing, spread by "lucky survivors" of such encounters. People begin to anticipate Rands death a lot more eagerly, a nice and dark buildup to Rand dying and living again maybe.

 

Edit: if Graendals PoV sheds any sort of light on anything that links to Rands actual death, even if as indirectly as Cadsuane teaching Rand via Tam, I will be happy even if that PoV ended with the Choeden Kal balefire killing her when she should have survived.

[TheBeerPatriot]

I wouldn't be in the least surprised to see ToM ending with Mat trapped in the ToG, Perrin fleeing a pack of Darkhounds or losing himself to the Wolf Within, and the closing sentence being: 'The Dragon Reborn is dead.'

That would make the wait for AMoL so much worse  :'(

 

that would seriously suck

 

Lets think about what else that PoV would contain for a second.

 

Perrin running from the Darkhounds, Hopper having been killed, and he thinks this must be the end. The Dragon Reborn is dead. Colors swirled in his head, now with a hint of black... only to reveal Moridins face!

 

That woud be awesome. Especially if we got a Mat PoV with the same.

I'm thinking too that ToM will end with a serious cliffhanger.  At that moment, we'll probably see the Shadow's forces descending upon the Borderlanders with overwhelming numbers too. 

 

I just wonder where that leaves the Seanchan and the Black Tower.  For the Seanchan, some sort of truce has to happen, otherwise they'll keep tangling with each other into AMoL.  For the Black Tower, I can see that ending in a cliffhanger too.  Perhaps with Taim capturing Logain?

 

And we thought TGS was dark...

[FarShainMael]

Not to mention Lan and a (so far!) small army of followers getting ambushed..

 

OK, BWS, we've written it for you. Now about aMoL..  ;)

 

[Crael123]

Not to mention Lan and a (so far!) small army of followers getting ambushed..

 

OK, BWS, we've written it for you. Now about aMoL..   ;)

 

 

or lan getting his ass kicked and is nearly overwhelmed when...

 

BAM!!! in comes eragon of saphira and... o wait dang it slayer just killed them with the sheer awesomeness of his character... crap

 

then he dies. but nyneave brings him back. and rand falls and gets a bruise.

[OptimusPrime]

or lan getting his ass kicked and is nearly overwhelmed when...

 

BAM!!! in comes eragon of saphira and... o wait dang it slayer just killed them with the sheer awesomeness of his character... crap

 

Hahaha, I can see it. Eragon appears, and Slayer does that tensing thing that make people go red in the face... and Eragon dies.

 

and rand falls and gets a bruise.

 

And Faile gets a nose job! Ooooh expensive.

[Cirin]

But we don't know for certain that it was Graendal that did the compulsion.

Yet there seems a slight chance of it being someone else.  Partly because few knew where to find her.  Partly because of the description Ramshalan gave.  Partly because she seems to seldom leave her place.  Partly because of the differences among Forsaken/Darkfriends.  Partly because she would not teach it to the Shaido (and likely not anybody else either).

 

The only reason for Graendal to flee would be if she "saw" the balefire coming which seems doubtful because of her comment of not wanting Rahvin's fate (in an earlier book).

No, the only reason Graendal had to flee was finding out Rand was waiting for Ramshalan, after finding out Rand had "picked Ramshalan to help fight someone smarter than him, someone that wouldnt allow a confrontation."

Edited the statement.

Graendal might have heard that Rand did not want to harm females.  She might have assumed he was still like that; because of that she would stay.

And/or her orders from earlier in the book she might have considered unfinished.

 

 

Thats what I think; I reckon she made Rand kill eveyone in that fortress for nothing. Whether or not on purpose, or if its enough to get to Rand, are different questions. Maybe we'll get a PoV from her in ToM prologue, where she thinks about her dead pretties. That was a "fine collection of specimens" and had taken some effort to aquire; she'll have to make Rand pay for that. Cue massive rumors of Rand destroying random palaces and manor houses for nothing, spread by "lucky survivors" of such encounters. People begin to anticipate Rands death a lot more eagerly, a nice and dark buildup to Rand dying and living again maybe.

 

Edit: if Graendals PoV sheds any sort of light on anything that links to Rands actual death, even if as indirectly as Cadsuane teaching Rand via Tam, I will be happy even if that PoV ended with the Choeden Kal balefire killing her when she should have survived.

 

The main reason that I don't see this as likely is because despite their knowledge to the contrary, the Forsaken all still think of Rand as Lews Therin, and would treat him as such.  In many ways Lews Therin was a more dangerous opponent than Rand is, but what makes Rand dangerous to them is his nihilist attitude.  I just don't expect that Graendal would immediately flee just because Rand had found her hiding place, especially not when there seems to be a game afoot.  The reason I think that she's dead is because she expected Rand to fight like Lews Therin (everyone did), and he instead fought like Moridin - burn the pattern and nevermind the consequences.  The Forsaken would not expect Rand to act in a way that they would be unwilling to.

[Crossroad]

How Rand will work out how to use the special link he has with Perrin and Mat.

[gambril]

How Rand will work out how to use the special link he has with Perrin and Mat.

 

This is one of the things I look forward to learning as well.  Whatever it will be will probably be sick; I think it's the three will become one prophecy.  I've wondered if this connection won't spoil the Moiraine - Rand renuinion unless it'll be cut off while Mat's in ToG, but Rand will still be able to see Moiraine through Mat when they exit the ToG.  Perhaps this will cause Rand to finally lose it.  It's not really that important but I've also wondered if Mat will tell Elayne and Birgette what he and Tom are planning on doing.  I really hope so cuz of the whole communicating thing that our characters in WoT abhore.  And people should know that Mat and Thom are badasses for doing what they're doing.

[Fains nose]

Maybe theyl make a daisy chain... With their bodies...

[aunt_pol]

@ Fains nose:  Eeeewww.

 

They are def gonna sort out the communication thing between themselves. IIRC, Mat felt that Rand needed him, recently, while he was swanning round the countryside, and I think Perrin mentioned something similar, now that his head has cleared of the idea that Faile is th eonly important thing in the Universe.

 

Anyone see the interesting... parallel, if you like... behind Rand's saying, 'If I don't save her, I would damn myself' and words to the effect of ' To hell with the Horn of Valere, etc' in Falme, about Egwene being held by Sul'dam,

 

and Perrin's throwing everything down the well to save Faile?

[Lilbaz]

I'd like to know what happened to that huge pack of Darkhounds.

[Lilbaz]

Also a nice little 4 some with Rand, Min, Elayne and Avi would be nice  ;)

[Luckers]

Come on guys. PG-13. Fain's nose I'm looking at you.

[Razor]

I am looking forward to returning to a world that i have grown comfortable with and almopst feel like they are my friends.  I expect lots of:

 

Nynaeve braid tugging

Any of the supergirls straightening their dresses

Suian humorously trying to ride the creator, er Bela

Elayne grumpy due to her pregnancy

Faile doing something egregious

Cadsuane being obnoxious

Lan being fatalistic

Perin being thoughtful, deliberate and then finally decisive

Mat saving the day and complaining all the way

and last but not least, Rand bravely marching toward his dance with death

 

Along the way we will see

 

great reunions

Perin and Child Byar

Morgaise and first Galad and finally Gawain and Elayne

Rand with a second chance at Tam and perhaps Tuon

RAND AND MORAINE, YEA!!!!

Mat introducing himself as Prince of the Ravens, LOL and probably a nice reunion with Elayne and Nyneave given the fact they were finally warming up to him and felt bad when they left him to the Seanchan looking for Olver

 

Great action

TOG

Black Tower perhaps

LAn perhaps, although most of that will probably be last book

Increasing Trolloc activity

Something with the Seanchan

 

And continued Character development

 

given the tremendous growth of Egwene and Rand in the last book I suspect we sill see similar things, although probably not as much with Perin and Mat this book

 

And last but not least I want to see Rand give a great big bearhug and as Mat says a kiss and a cuddle with Avienda!

 

 

[Crael123]

Maybe theyl make a daisy chain... With their bodies...

 

i looked that up on urban dictionary. thats gross.

[Gweedeaux]

I'm looking forward to seeing Asmodean again.  After all, if Graendal was his killer, then perhaps Rand's balefire was strong enough to reverse that action.  Once restored, he seeks out Rand to fight by his side against his former master at TG.

 

Oh, and the ToG stuff too, naturally.

[mb]

I'm looking forward to seeing Asmodean again.  After all, if Graendal was his killer, then perhaps Rand's balefire was strong enough to reverse that action.  Once restored, he seeks out Rand to fight by his side against his former master at TG.

I recall from somewhere that the strongest balefire could remove no more than days; or maybe it was hours.

Do not remember exact words nor where.

 

[aggs4life]

First time poster here.

 

Man, there is so much I am looking forward to, but most of all for me it has to be the return of Moiraine and everything that comes along with that.  She is definitely my second favorite character in the series (behind Rand).  It jas been pretty tough these past 6/7 books without her.

[aunt_pol]

My money is on her first words being, 'Is Rand alive? Is he well?'.

 

When of course, what she should say, is 'What took ye so feckin long?!'

 

Can't wait.

[DemandredFO]

Her first words will probably be something very irritating in character for Moiraine.

[soulwatch5]

I'm looking forward to seeing Asmodean again.  After all, if Graendal was his killer, then perhaps Rand's balefire was strong enough to reverse that action.  Once restored, he seeks out Rand to fight by his side against his former master at TG.

I recall from somewhere that the strongest balefire could remove no more than days; or maybe it was hours.

Do not remember exact words nor where.

 

 

It been awhile since I've reread the series but I'm pretty sure it can go back much farther then a couple of days.  If i remember correctly they stop using balefire way back in the day because whole building and family lines would disappear when they balefire specific people.

[Random Man]

I'm looking forward to seeing Asmodean again.  After all, if Graendal was his killer, then perhaps Rand's balefire was strong enough to reverse that action.  Once restored, he seeks out Rand to fight by his side against his former master at TG.

I recall from somewhere that the strongest balefire could remove no more than days; or maybe it was hours.

Do not remember exact words nor where.

 

 

It been awhile since I've reread the series but I'm pretty sure it can go back much farther then a couple of days.  If i remember correctly they stop using balefire way back in the day because whole building and family lines would disappear when they balefire specific people.

No, both sides stopped using it because after two entire cities were balefired, and the pattern nearly unraveled from the impact of hundreds of thousands of threads being burned out at once. The danger in balefire is that you never know what impact even erasing one person's actions for a short period of time will have on the Pattern (a la the Butterfly Effect), not that you can impact the distant past.

 

Brandon's already busted the idea that we'd be able to see Asmo because of Rand's balefire:

 

Copied fom Wheel of Time on Facebook:

 

here's a snippet of a conversation Matt (tamyrlin from Theoryland) had with Brandon at the Salt Lake City signing:

 

Matt - Question: We know that in the Age of Legends that the Forsaken/Chosen, everyone agreed to stop using Balefire because of its effects on the Pattern. Is it unrealistic then to say that a great amount of power could burn someone’s thread back a year or six months. Is that an unrealistic thing to say that there is enough power available to either one or multiple people to burn somebody back that far?

 

Brandon: I see what you are getting at you are trying to figure out if killed Graendal with a whole lot of balefire would bring Asmodean back to life.

 

Matt: …like that could ever happen…

 

Brandon: That’s what you are digging for isn’t you?

 

Matt: Let’s say, if a Forsaken was responsible for killing another Forsaken.

 

Brandon: Uh huh

 

Matt: And said Forsaken was balefired….

 

Brandon: You are under the assumption…You are trying to figure out who killed Asmodean again. That’s what you are trying to do and I’m not going to get caught and let you know…

 

Matt: It’s a legit question…and I’m sure whatever is said at this table stays at this table…

 

Brandon: I’m sure, the leader of Theoryland and the guy taping this…

 

~much laughter~

 

Brandon: Let’s divorce it. Rand balefires Rahvin as hardcore as he could and Rand is one of the most powerful people to live and he got us, what have you determined, from the lightning killing Mat until balefire killed Rahvin, I’d guess fifteen minutes.

 

Matt: Well, he at least got us fifteen minutes. We don’t know how far back, we just know up to that moment.

 

Brandon: Well, we do know because if it had been too much further than that we would have noticed a lot of discrepancies in the Pattern from things he’d done…

 

Matt: Let’s say thirty minutes to an hour, at the most

 

Brandon: Alright, thirty minutes to an hour. Okay, let’s say the Choedan Kal amplifies his abilities 100 fold…let’s say it’s a 100 times more powerful than Rand. That’s giving us, lets say he got an hour, we’ve got four days, from the most powerful, one of the most powerful sa’angreal ever created. I think it is unrealistic to assume you can get back a year, but that’s not saying it is impossible. I think that if you did that to the Pattern the ramifications would be so dramatic you’d see the Pattern unraveling hardcore at that point, it’s like balefiring an entire city. When I first read that guess I just laughed, I’m like guys c’mon lets run the math on this.

 

Matt: Like I said to Jennifer, it is my job at Theoryland to entertain these ideas.

 

Brandon: Yes it is, it is your job to entertain them. But in the terms of Mythbusters let’s go ahead and call that one “Busted” in the realistic world. I’ve got to give you at least something, so I’ll at least give you that…If it were possible to do things like that, we’d have the Dark One just going and balefiring you know Tam so Rand never gets picked up off the mountain….

Based on Brandon's off-the-cuff remarks, I'd say that if it were possible to burn back Graendal's thread to the point where Asmo would be brought back (if she was his killer) it would take a full circle of the 72 strongest channelers, 37 men and 35 women, using both Choden Kal and every angreal and sa'angreal currently in existence. And then the Pattern would possibly fall apart right then and there.

[Crael123]

bahahaha thad be SO COOL hhahsha

[Val Mickey]

Galad : Ma, I didn't know you were a waitress.

Morgase : Get that slut off your knees, and say hi to your new daddy.

Berelain : Go get it on with that white trash boy toy of yours.

Perrin : Hi, I'm Perrin. Please take my wife.

Faile : Hmmph. I'll break that crown of yours.

Alliandre : Will someone hug me please?

[TheAngryDruid]

Well, sooo much I'm looking forward too, and I don't know if it will be in ToM or not.

 

1. Moiraine's rescue and subsequent (I hope) reunification with Mat/Thom/Rand. And her impact on Rand an the other AS (Cadsuane/Egwene). A scene with Moiraine meeting Nynaeve (who is now very Moiraine-like in many ways) would also be good. As would one with Siuan.

 

2. Rand's adjustment and interaction now that he isn't steel anymore. Moiraine will help, but lots of fences need mending. Tam. Cadsuane. He needs to gather Perrin and Mat in. Almost all his relationships with important second level players (Dobraine, Bashere, all the Aiel) need repairing. Still, the big ones I'm looking forward to are:

 

A) Rand/Egwene. He's got to know her anger. They must meet and talk about this whole Black Tower thing before it gets straightened out. Not to mention preparing for TG, and the Seanchan. Which brings me too:

 

B) Rand/Tuon: Round 2.

 

3. The aforementioned Black Tower showdown. Taim. Logain. Rand? Egwene? Pevara? Does Cadsuane teach the lesson here?

 

4. Morgase/Galad/Elayne reunification. Maybe even throw in Gawyn by traveling so he can take his head out of his butt. Could also throw Byrne in there.

 

5. Aviendha once she goes through those rings. That can change a person. Though she already knows a lot of it. Maybe she finds something useful in Rhuidean?

 

6. How does Egwene start re-shaping the Tower and moving know that she's the boss? Mesaana/Eggy showdown? The Seanchan? Does she try to get her people (even Elaida) back? The Black Tower/Rand? Preparations for TG? The Oaths? Hunting down the remaining Blacks? Bringing in the rest of the AS to be tested. Integrating the AS, Kin, Wise Ones, Windfinders, damane, and Asha'man. Not to mention some very advances novices and accepted. Does she let Lan ride alone? I doubt it.

 

7. Speak of the devil. I want to see how Lan is doing.

 

8. Who killed Asmodean?

 

9. Who is Demandred? Where is he?

 

10. What does Cadsuane have to teach?