New Slayer Theory

[professorskar1]

Slayer has always certainly been an enigma. Here's my attempt to put together a theory about him, possibly his origin.

 

I got the idea from another thread on here called "Perrin Redeemed," which was about Perrin's upcoming role in Towers of Midnight. Specifically, the dusk jacket quote, "Perrin Aybara is now hunted by specters from his past: Whitecloaks, a slayer of wolves, and the responsibilities of leadership." (emphasis mine)

 

I found this interesting, because, since his initial meeting with Slayer in The Shadow Rising--which served to introduce the character--Perrin and Slayer haven't crossed paths. In fact, it would stand to reason that Slayer really doesn't care about Perrin, since we know his reason for being in the Two Rivers was actually to hunt down Fain. Subsequently, he's been on Fain's trail ever since, and I believe the last time we see from his viewpoint is in Winter's Heart. But, it seems that they will meet again in the new book.

 

Now, firstly...what the hell IS Slayer? It is understood that he is both Luc Mantear and Isam Mandragoran. According to Encyclopaedia Wheel of Time, with a reference from Robert Jordan's blog: "Slayer chooses the appearance and personality of either Luc or Isam at his will whenever he enters or exits Tel'aran'rhiod." So we can establish that he can enter and exit T'A'R at will. What other powers does he have? He can kill wolves in T'A'R, which destroys their souls. He works as an assassin for the Forsaken, as Slayer himself muses when hired by the mystery figure to kill Rand and Min.

 

Now, we know he leads Perrin to the Tower of Ghenji where he disappears. The question is, did he go into the Tower? Or did he lure Perrin to a dangerous area and exit T'A'R? If he did in fact exit the world of dreams, this theory becomes moot. But the general hypothesis is: "Could the creation of Slayer have been the result of a wish from the Eelfinn?"

 

Let us consult the Dark Prophecy: "Luc came to the Mountains of Dhoom, Isam waited in the high passes."

 

Well, both of them went into the Blight, we know this. The prophecy is very specific as to Luc's destination...the Mountains of Dhoom. But Isam's whereabouts are rather vague. He "waited in the high passes." Now, the question becomes...what are the "high passes"?

 

There are only two passes on the map of the main continent of Randland. The Jangai Pass, and the Niamh Passes. The only other pass into the Blight is Tarwin's Gap. We know the Jangai Pass leads into the Waste, and Tarwin's Gap into the Blight. The Niamh Passes seem to be the intersecting point between the Blight and the Waste. It appears to be the pass from Fal Dara into the Blight that leads to the Waste. Also, note the syntax. It is the only spot on the Wheel of Time map that uses the word "passes" in a plural. So, my theory points to the Niamh Passes as being the "high passes" referenced in the Dark Prophecy, the location of Isam.

 

Now, another important phrase of the Dark Prophecy would have to be:

 

"One did live, and one did die, but both are."

 

So which one lived, and which one died? Well, again, the text says "Luc went to the Mountains of Dhoom" and "Isam waited in the high passes." Let's assume that Luc died. That would account for Isam having to "wait" in the high passes. Now, the great leap of this theory is that Isam found his way to Rhuidean, and into the redstone doorway. From here, he could have made a wish that ultimately made him into Slayer. The finns are a tricky bunch, and making a two person being seems like one of their side effects to me.

 

Anyway, maybe this is all just BS...thoughts? :p

[Majsju]

Well, the #1 problem is that the finns does not have the abilty to transmigrate souls, which makes creating something like Slayer quite difficult.

[perrin51]

As I recall, all of the passes that you mentioned are passed in the Spine of the World. The Mountains of Dhoom are north of the blight. In the EotW, Moiraine says something to the effect of, "the last time I found the Green Man it was beyond the high passes." There were other mentions of things that the Worms feared that lived in the high passes.

 

From Encyclopedia WOT

• TEotW,Ch48 - The Green Man has always been found beyond the high passes of the Mountains of Dhoom.

• TEotW,Ch48 - The denizens of the Mountains of Dhoom are even more deadly than the creatures of the Blight.

• TEotW,Ch49 - Moiraine and her party find the Green Man before they reach the Mountains of Dhoom.

• TGH,Ch1 - A wind blows out of the Mountains of Dhoom and attacks Rand at Fal Dara.

• TGH,Ch7 - The Dark Prophecy states that Luc met Isam high passes of the Mountains of Dhoom.

 

• Spine of the World

o Jangai Pass

o Niamh Passes

o Tarwin's Gap

 

I like the direction of your theory. However, I don't think it is feasible. Remember Isam was a child when his mother fled with him into the Blight. We can assume that they were captured and being DFs (at least the mother) were not killed. Imagine a human child being raised in the Blight. (Shivers)

 

Now if Ishy was around and had this royal young man raised in the blight and understood some of what the pattern was doing, he could make a formidable weapon. We don’t know if AoL DF AS had the ability to create something like Slayer. We have however, heard time and again that some things are only possible in T’A’R.

 

If we assume that Isam was a non-channeling dreamer the following makes some sense. Ishy has raised Isam and knows his abilities. Then another royal young man made it through the blight and into the high passes of the Mountains of Dhoom. Someone we know the pattern needed to be there (Gitara Moroso foretelling). Ishy has Isam capture him and then brings Luc into T’A’R in the flesh and performs some rite or experiment that kills Luc and gives Isam more power and abilities.

 

At least that is how I see it.

 

[DocBean]

Gitara Moroso sent Luc there for a reason, everything else she did was for the greater good.

So I feel like as evil as Slayer is, he will somehow serve a greater good even if he does it on accident.

 

His family connections to Lan, and and Rand is odd, and hasn't really come into play.

It's possible that if he ends up in the North then people would mistake him for Lan, and he would know of Lan's actions.

 

I've always thought Rand was planning on faking his own death, which would complete the "To Live you must Die" prophecy,

the Alivia will help him die, and the Paper Rand viewings of Min.

It's possible that Rand could use Slayers body to fake Rand's death. (Although, I'm becoming less and less optimistic that Rand will do this anymore)

 

I haven't finished the second half of Gathering Storm, so please no Spoilers, if something becomes of Rand or Lan.

[Barid Bel Medar]

Gitara Moroso sent Luc there for a reason, everything else she did was for the greater good.

So I feel like as evil as Slayer is, he will somehow serve a greater good even if he does it on accident.

 

His family connections to Lan, and and Rand is odd, and hasn't really come into play.

It's possible that if he ends up in the North then people would mistake him for Lan, and he would know of Lan's actions.

 

I've always thought Rand was planning on faking his own death, which would complete the "To Live you must Die" prophecy,

the Alivia will help him die, and the Paper Rand viewings of Min.

It's possible that Rand could use Slayers body to fake Rand's death. (Although, I'm becoming less and less optimistic that Rand will do this anymore)

 

I haven't finished the second half of Gathering Storm, so please no Spoilers, if something becomes of Rand or Lan.

 

1. I agree, something will happen with him that is for the greater good.

2. Possible, but it seems Slayer will be in contact with Perrin for most of it, so i am not sure he would do anything about Lan.

3. A possibility, with the Paper Rand though, I always assumed that had to do with Logain's glory in liberating the Black Tower, killing Taim, who we know was a false Dragon, and currently imitates Rand to a large extent (the Dragons on his coat, M'Hael etc..)

I dont think we know enough about Slayer yet to make an accurate guess really, unless someone manages to strike blind and score. So i guess we will just have to RAFO

[professorskar1]

Yeah, this theory isn't something I really believe so much as I thought was interesting.

 

I have always thought of Isam being raised in the Blight, under the direction of Ishamael.  The Trollocs obviously respect him, which is odd for a human.  I'd like to see more of the Isam personality, because there's no WAY he's very stable if he grew up with Trollocs as his buddies :p

[Cirin]

Narg was his only friend, and when Rand killed him he vowed vengeance.  The first offshoot novel is about Isam and his quest for vengeance - entitled: Slayer: The Narg Covenant.

[MKMlovesWOT]

 

Now, another important phrase of the Dark Prophecy would have to be:

 

"One did live, and one did die, but both are."

 

So which one lived, and which one died? Well, again, the text says "Luc went to the Mountains of Dhoom" and "Isam waited in the high passes." Let's assume that Luc died. That would account for Isam having to "wait" in the high passes. Now, the great leap of this theory is that Isam found his way to Rhuidean, and into the redstone doorway. From here, he could have made a wish that ultimately made him into Slayer. The finns are a tricky bunch, and making a two person being seems like one of their side effects to me.

 

 

I thought that "One did live, and one did die, but both are." was possibly something that the DO did similar to how Dashiva and Halima were given new bodies.  Just merging the two souls into one body instead of giving one their own body.  Then add T'A'R and the ability to choose which form to make the body take by exiting in the flesh.  Slayer does have to be in T'A'R to change bodies, doesn't he?

 

First time poster and long time lurker, btw...

[Crael123]

also Luc going to the blight was the key to winning the last battle according to that guitara person

[perrin51]

 

I thought that "One did live, and one did die, but both are." was possibly something that the DO did similar to how Dashiva and Halima were given new bodies.  Just merging the two souls into one body instead of giving one their own body.  Then add T'A'R and the ability to choose which form to make the body take by exiting in the flesh.  Slayer does have to be in T'A'R to change bodies, doesn't he?

 

 

Yes, I believe that he does have to enter T'A'R in the flesh to change. This is also why I think it was not transmigration that made Slayer. None of the other transmigrated characters have shown this ability. If Cyndane is Lanfear, I feel that she would revert to her old self once resurrected. Same for "Halima".

[sonieb33]

Slayer is definately an enigma. He's been bugging me from the first. Someone wrote (then must have deleted the comment because it was there one minute and gone the next) that someone has to lead the last hunt. Very good point. I wonder why this person didn't leave it on? Could it be that Slayer will lead the last hunt?

 

Then why would Gitara say the outcome of the last battle depends on Luc going out there and becoming Slayer? It seems like she was working for the wrong side in urging him to fulfill this particular prophecy; providing the bad guys with a bad guy leader? I'd think they might try to dissuade Luc from going unless somehow it's going to benefit the good guys in the end.

 

I always thought the prophecy meant that Isam was actually waiting for Luc.

[Paerish Swar]

This isn't necessarily about the nature of Slayer, but is tangential to it.

 

I'm not sure Gitara saw that Luc was going to merge with Isam and become Slayer.

 

I think it may have been more about how the Andoran and Cairhienin royal lines needed to continue to set up the right circumstances for the Light to win TG.

 

Follow me on this one.

 

If Luc hadn't run off, what might have happened after Morgase won the Succession?  Would it not have made more sense for her to marry Luc, the brother of the runaway daughter-heir, to solidify the line?  That is the whole reason why she married Taringail Damodred, Tigraine's ex-husband.  If House Trakand and House Mantear had been able to quickly secure the marriage of Morgase and Luc, the Succession wouldn't have lasted 2 years; it might have only lasted a few months.

 

But . . . then Elayne wouldn't have been born (or Gawyn).

 

Of those two individuals, Elayne at least seems to be very important for Rand's success in some way.

 

There's also the issue of Taringail.  If he were forced to leave Caemlyn and go back to Cairhien, who knows how much his presence, as a Damodred, would have had upon his uncle, Laman?  What if he had been able to convince him to not cut down Avendoraldera?

 

Even if that were still to have happened, might Taringail have been able to take the Sun throne after?  Having no more ties to Andor he would have been able to make the claim by right.

 

How might that have altered the stability of Cairhien?  Would it have made it harder for Rand to do what he needed to do in that nation?

 

 

 

Anyway, I think that's enough random musings for me.

 

Gitara sending Luc into the Blight may have had nothing to do with his becoming 1/2 of the Slayer . . . it might have just been to get him out of the way so that Elayne (and Gawyn) could be born, and so that Cairhien would be set up properly to fall.  For the Aiel to cross the Dragonwall the first time with Shaiel, and/or the second time with Rand.

[sonieb33]

Gitara sending Luc into the Blight may have had nothing to do with his becoming 1/2 of the Slayer . . . it might have just been to get him out of the way so that Elayne (and Gawyn) could be born, and so that Cairhien would be set up properly to fall.  For the Aiel to cross the Dragonwall the first time with Shaiel, and/or the second time with Rand.

 

Wow, very good points. I hadn't thought about any of that...sheesh I feel so retarded.

 

Still, I'm thinking that probably all of the above including what happened to Luc/Isam was involved in the reason why he needed to go there. I mean, honestly, Luc could have also fallen off a horse and the same result would have happened in the royal succession and there would have been no need for him to go off into the mountains. It seems important that Luc meet Isam. I sure wish I was smart enough to figure out why. Arrrrgh. It's so frustrating  :-\

[Barid Bel Medar]

I always thought it was for the same reason as she sent tigraine to the waste, because of her fortelling that the world was screwed if they didnt do it .

[DemandredFO]

Brandon probably knows why, surely something that important must in the notes.  That probably was going to be in the second(more likely third) prequel.  I wonder what slayer's purpose is, if Ishy or Shaitan interfered with that foretelling or if something else is going on.