Dragonsworn madness

[flipsake]

I always thought that the madness seemed very similar to what Fain did to control his followers. Could Fain have infected Masema at Fal Dara in TGH? And more importantly will it fade now he's dead.

[Shard]

I think it's likely that Demandred or one of the other Forsaken did something to him. The whole Rand appearing to him bathed in light sounds like Forsaken doing.

[flipsake]

Yeah, but when Fain gets freed from Fal Dara he is still working for the DO and we are not shown who frees him. It could have been a Forsaken.

 

Also Masesma was always acting funny from the first time we see him at Fal Dara. Fain could have infected him and let the Forsaken know that he could be used/manipulated for the DO's advantage.

[Sid]

I recall that RJ said in an interview that Ingtar was the one that freed Fain from Fal Dara.

 

Q: Did Ingtar free Padan Fain in The Great Hunt? Or was it someone else?

RJ: It was Ingtar. Didn’t expect a straight answer, did you?

[flipsake]

Damn!!! Another theory thwarted

 

However I still believe that the effect of the Prophet was too similar to what Fain. And I think Masema was one of those who took guard duty over Fain at Fal Dara.

[Tom Sawyer]

I think that the whole Masema thing was just a comment on general religious fanaticism and not anything supernatural. He was just a charismatic nutcase who took advantage of a wave of religious hysteria that swept the western half of the continent after Rand battled Ishamael in the sky.

[Moon Sedai]

The cult of the Prophet might get worse without him. Because he is a martyr.

Or they might dissipate, because they no longer have him to fear.

I was actually really ticked at Faile for killing Masema. (Usually I don't harbor a strong hatred for Faile, but this is one instance where I wanted to slap her.)

Rand wanted Masema brought to him, presumably to reign Masema in, and tell him "No, dummy, I didn't do any of that. Don't do crazy stuff like that in my name."

I had been looking forward to that confrontation.

 

And Now, the Prophet of the Dragon Reborn is Dead, and can't recant his actions or be derided by Rand for his actions.

 

And honestly, I never saw hints of Masema's later craziness in EoTW and was surprised when Moiraine kinda drew the connection for Lan that it had to be Masema that was the prophet.

[Sid]

The cult of the Prophet might get worse without him. Because he is a martyr.

Or they might dissipate, because they no longer have him to fear.

I was actually really ticked at Faile for killing Masema. (Usually I don't harbor a strong hatred for Faile, but this is one instance where I wanted to slap her.)

Rand wanted Masema brought to him, presumably to reign Masema in, and tell him "No, dummy, I didn't do any of that. Don't do crazy stuff like that in my name."

I had been looking forward to that confrontation.

 

And Now, the Prophet of the Dragon Reborn is Dead, and can't recant his actions or be derided by Rand for his actions.

 

Masema was a mad dog that needed to be put down. Everyone but Perrin said it, and everyone but Perrin was right.

 

And honestly, I never saw hints of Masema's later craziness in EoTW and was surprised when Moiraine kinda drew the connection for Lan that it had to be Masema that was the prophet.

The hints for this come at the beginning of TDR, where Perrin, Moiraine, and company see it actually start just after Falme. Some of the other Shienarans feel the same but Masema's definitely the ringleader.

Another tiny clue for the reader comes when they use the portal stone in TGH.

What Might Be[/i]']He was aware of Verin, struggling from her back to hands and knees. He heard someone vomit roughly, and raised his head. Uno was kneeling on the ground, scrubbing the back of his hand across his mouth. Everyone was down, and the horses stood stiff-legged and quivering, eyes wild and rolling. Ingtar had his sword out, gripping the hilt so hard the blade shook, staring at nothing. Loial sat sprawled, wide-eyed and stunned. Mat was huddled in a ball with his arms wrapped around his head, and Perrin had his fingers dug into his face as if he wanted to rip away whatever he had seen, or perhaps rip out the eyes that had seen it. None of the soldiers were any better. Masema wept openly, tears streaming down his face, and Hurin was looking around as if for a place to run.

[Lisa Campbell]

Masema was definately infected by Fain in Fal Dara, at one stage when Rand goes to visit Fain and is concerned about Egwene visiting him alone, he notes that Masema and another guard (can't remember his name) are dour, and Eqwene comments that they get worse every day. I think that has got to be Fain's influence. Even Moiraine said back then that he was dangerous and contagious.

[Sharaman]

The cult of the Prophet might get worse without him. Because he is a martyr.

Or they might dissipate, because they no longer have him to fear.

I was actually really ticked at Faile for killing Masema. (Usually I don't harbor a strong hatred for Faile, but this is one instance where I wanted to slap her.)

Rand wanted Masema brought to him, presumably to reign Masema in, and tell him "No, dummy, I didn't do any of that. Don't do crazy stuff like that in my name."

I had been looking forward to that confrontation.

 

And Now, the Prophet of the Dragon Reborn is Dead, and can't recant his actions or be derided by Rand for his actions.

 

And honestly, I never saw hints of Masema's later craziness in EoTW and was surprised when Moiraine kinda drew the connection for Lan that it had to be Masema that was the prophet.

 

The Prophet's followers are pretty much all dead - they've been wiped out. There's nobody around to proclaim his martyrdom - the only people who know he's dead (faile's gang) will keep their mouths shut. As far as the world is concerned, he's just disappeared.

[Sid]

Masema was definately infected by Fain in Fal Dara, at one stage when Rand goes to visit Fain and is concerned about Egwene visiting him alone, he notes that Masema and another guard (can't remember his name) are dour, and Eqwene comments that they get worse every day. I think that has got to be Fain's influence. Even Moiraine said back then that he was dangerous and contagious.

Masema was always dour, but it's never said that he guarded Fain. In that chapter he was guarding the gates of Fal Dara. The ones guarding Fain were Changu and Nidao ('they used to be friendly'), and they left with Fain when he was freed.

[Lisa Campbell]

Thanks Sid, I knew the other one started with "c" but I have to admit my long dead kitten tore up my copy of tEotW and I've never gotten around to replacing it.