The Black Tower

[Cazajay]

Something weird is going on remember the confusion over Shadowspawn sent into the ways on Sammael's order after he was supposed to be dead after Mashadar got him. Well I re-read that passage and it doesn't show absolute proof Sammael perished. As Rand's PoV veered off to Leah the abandonned Aeil.

Iv heard folk state RJ said Sammael was deffo dead and not coming back, can anyone confirm this?

 

Can being consumed by Mashadar stop the DO from getting your soul?

[Kahlika]

Something weird is going on remember the confusion over Shadowspawn sent into the ways on Sammael's order after he was supposed to be dead after Mashadar got him. Well I re-read that passage and it doesn't show absolute proof Sammael perished. As Rand's PoV veered off to Leah the abandonned Aeil.

Iv heard folk state RJ said Sammael was deffo dead and not coming back, can anyone confirm this?

 

Can being consumed by Mashadar stop the DO from getting your soul?

 

He was killed by Mashadar. Sammael is toast.

 

http://www.cnn.com/chat/transcripts/2000/12/12/jordan/index.html

[Sharaman]

Brandon confirmed that GLoD would not want to bring Sammael back because his soul had been badly corrupted by Mashadar.

It's not "can't bring back", it's "won't".

[Rufae]

After Taim's turning by the mydraal, Moridin/Ishy/Demandred/Other Forsaken may have taken him under their wing so to speak in order to teach him.

 

 

[Cazajay]

After Taim's turning by the mydraal, Moridin/Ishy/Demandred/Other Forsaken may have taken him under their wing so to speak in order to teach him.

 

 

In the beginning Moiraine said they are vulnerable to being turned to the shadow in their dreams they wouldn't neccessarily need myrdraal.

[Kahlika]

After Taim's turning by the mydraal, Moridin/Ishy/Demandred/Other Forsaken may have taken him under their wing so to speak in order to teach him.

 

Why do people think he was turned by 13x13? There's no evidence of that at all.

 

In fact of every Darkfriend character in the series Taim has one of the most rational, logical reasons to go over to the Shadow of his own accord. As a man who can channel he must've been looking for any way to beat/avoid the madness.

 

It certainly appears that whatever he did was sucessful in that, as he somehow managed to avoid madness totally for ~15 years, by far the longest time frame of any Third Age male channeler we've heard of. If that isn't suggestive that he turned to the Shadow a long time ago, I'm not sure what is. What else could have kept him sane for so long? If your choice was madness and death or a possible way out of that fate through turning to the Shadow most people would turn, we have other examples of characters who've done so to avoid death, so why not Taim?

[smileyman]

After Taim's turning by the mydraal, Moridin/Ishy/Demandred/Other Forsaken may have taken him under their wing so to speak in order to teach him.

 

Why do people think he was turned by 13x13? There's no evidence of that at all.

 

In fact of every Darkfriend character in the series Taim has one of the most rational, logical reasons to go over to the Shadow of his own accord. As a man who can channel he must've been looking for any way to beat/avoid the madness.

 

It certainly appears that whatever he did was sucessful in that, as he somehow managed to avoid madness totally for ~15 years, by far the longest time frame of any male channeler we've heard of. If that isn't suggestive that he turned to the Shadow a long time ago, I'm not sure what is. What else could have kept him sane for so long? If your choice was madness and death or a possible way out of that fate through turning to the Shadow most people would turn, we have other examples of characters who've done so to avoid death, so why not Taim?

 

I don't think Taim was turned either. I think he went over of his own free will and choice. I've always liked Taim. He's one of the few darkfriends who's actually been threatening and scary and competent. Almost all of the others have been painted as buffoons. This is also why I think that Taim is Moridin, because Moridin's been the only Forsaken who's been portrayed as competent and threatening and scary. The others have mostly been portrayed as incompetent idiots. I really hope I'm wrong though, because I like the idea of a DF who can actually be counted on by the DO.

[Crael123]

okay i just finished the book. I know everybody is acting weird at the BT but are we sure they got 13x13??

[dwn]

okay i just finished the book. I know everybody is acting weird at the BT but are we sure they got 13x13??

 

Some of us contend it might be the result of a broken mindtrap. The arguments for and against it are earlier in this thread.

 

-- dwn

[wvlr2]

I am in the Taim has been a DF for a long time & maybe was trained by Ishy when he was last free. I am pretty sure that he is doing the 13/13 on some of the Ash'amen and AS. 20+ Mindtraps would just be too clumbersom. 13/13 makes the most sense. We may see a third Mindtrap though with Messana.

 

 

 

 

 

Not to distract from your Taim/BT subject but there is more to the BT than just Taim.

 

What is going on with Androl? He is very interesting! He is obviously a good guy, and has been around a lot. But some of his thoughts were odd as well. Why was he so concerned about giving something away about his history?

 

Emarin is obvious, but could we have seen Androl before under another name. Does anyone have even a wild threory about him? I would love to hear more about this guy!

[Sharaman]

He's first mentioned in TGS when Flynn says he can't make Gates like Androl.

Yes, the back story is intriguing.

[Cazajay]

I like the theory someone had earlier that Androl still has a wilder block and that Taim wasn't trully successful in beating it out of him. Androl is like the male version of Nynaeve except his Talent is with gateways.

 

I also re-read The Great Hunt chapter called summoned Suian said to Moiraine that seeing Ta'veren was one of her Talents. Interesting that they can have more than one Talent. Perhaps the others are unaware of other Talents they may have.

Egwene has a Talent for Delving not the healing type but the actual Talent from the AoL were the name originated discovered through her time with the Seanchan, as well as Dreaming. Although she prefers to train the Dreaming more.

 

I'm sorry I have gone a little off topic, back to the BT topic and my fav subject, Taim.

Im with others on this I don't think the crushed mindtrap can be discounted as the strange change has only been used on 2 characters that we know of Tarna and Mezor.

I'm also liking the theory that Taim is using an Aes Sedai perhaps one of the bonded/captured reds to link him to his pupils in private lessons to teach them faster.

In the past Asmodean briefly and frustratingly mentioned to Rand that if only they had someone to link them as the lessons would go faster. But that would suggest that Taim had knowledge of this from the AoL or been taught this way himself.

This could explain their rapid increase in strength or it could be something complex like Taim has explained healing severing process to a captured red Aes Sedai and strengthened them that way? Makes sense Reds are used to gentling male channellers.

I'm a little alarmed about Logain still being missing, Im surprised his bonded Aes Sedai who seem to be still at the BT haven't been turned and advised Taim of his whereabouts. If Taim already has Logain why hasn't he done the weird process on him? Or it could very well be that the process is useless if the victim refuses to open/sieze the OP even under the most stressful conditions or torture.

Knowing Taim he would have gotten great pleasure out of demonstrating the process to Logain by torturing his follower Mezor first in front of him. Pretty horrific and brutal.

[wvlr2]

I like the theory someone had earlier that Androl still has a wilder block and that Taim wasn't trully successful in beating it out of him. Androl is like the male version of Nynaeve except his Talent is with gateways.

 

I like that idea. I would have liked to see him destroy the big rock with a bunch of little gateways slicing it to pieces.

 

I also can't wait until he gets with Rand's Asha'men & learns the weave for "Deathgates". He thinks that he can't fight but that is because he doesn't think of gateways as a weapon. If he can make a gateway big enough for a wagon, say 10' by 10', then on a battlefield maybe he could make one say 20' or 30' wide and only 3' high? Maybe even wider? An endless horde of legless Trollocks and Fades just would not seem so scary to me.

[Kahlika]

I like the theory someone had earlier that Androl still has a wilder block and that Taim wasn't trully successful in beating it out of him. Androl is like the male version of Nynaeve except his Talent is with gateways.

 

Except he isn't anything like any of the women with a block. The block is a block on their ability to reach the True Source except in certain specific circumstances. All of the blocked women are entirely unable to channel except in certain circumstances e.g. Nynaeve had to be angry to touch the source, Theodrin had the be around someone she liked etc. The blocked women's strength in the power didn't vary either, their actual strength/potential with the power was always sensed correctly by the other Aes Sedai whether or not they were blocked and unable to channel at the time.

 

Androl can channel normally, he can reach the Source without the need for specific circumstances to be present, he isn't blocked in the sense that the wilders were. He's not sensed as being strong in the power relatively and in all likelyhood actually just isn't.

 

Im with others on this I don't think the crushed mindtrap can be discounted as the strange change has only been used on 2 characters that we know of Tarna and Mezor.

 

I don't see why it can't just be compulsion.

 

We know that the two people who we have confirmed have changed were getting in the way of Taim's plans at the time of their sudden change. So we can relatively safely assume that was the motivation for whatever was done to them, or at least part of it. But 13x13 seems like a huge amount of effort to go to to achieve that, and the Mindtrap has the problem of being so rare. Both seem overly complex for what it appears he was aiming to achieve. But a heavy or even unskilfully applied compulsion could achieve what we saw, could be done by one person with no special tools need, and be done on the spot while still achieving what he wanted.

 

ETA I don't buy that whatever was done has been done to the majority of people at the BT. There has been a Taim faction there for a long time, he has the loyalty of a lot of people, most of them would follow him without the need of doing anything extra just from plain stupid human nature, which would account for the majority of his faction. There are still people we see without whatever it is, so it clearly hasn't just been done to everyone there. Which suggests that when whatever it was was done it was done for a specific reason to specific individuals as needed rather than a general reason to a general group, e.g. to stop someone interfering in something, rather than just for the sake of turning everyone to the Shadow.

 

So following that logic 13x13 and Mindtraps just seem excessive. You don't need those to accomplish a specific thing like stopping people from interfering. Why go to all that trouble if it's not needed? Why waste a Mindtrap? Why organise a 13x13?

[wvlr2]

Except he isn't anything like any of the women with a block. The block is a block on their ability to reach the True Source except in certain specific circumstances. All of the blocked women are entirely unable to channel except in certain circumstances e.g. Nynaeve had to be angry to touch the source, Theodrin had the be around someone she liked etc. The blocked women's strength in the power didn't vary either, their actual strength/potential with the power was always sensed correctly by the other Aes Sedai whether or not they were blocked and unable to channel at the time.

 

Androl can channel normally, he can reach the Source without the need for specific circumstances to be present, he isn't blocked in the sense that the wilders were. He's not sensed as being strong in the power relatively and in all likelyhood actually just isn't.

Actually, Taim described at least one Ash'aman block to Rand (not sure what book/chapter). What he described was different than what you quoted for the women. He told of one Ash'aman that Channeled very strongly out to 100' or so then could hardly channel at all past that point.

 

 

I agree that Compulsion is an option - but I like the 13/13 because it changes the persons "core" where most if not all the Compulsions we have did not seem to actually change the persons root personallity. That is except for Graendal's "mind wipes" that leave almost nothing of the person left.

[Lironah]

I like the theory someone had earlier that Androl still has a wilder block and that Taim wasn't trully successful in beating it out of him. Androl is like the male version of Nynaeve except his Talent is with gateways.

 

Except he isn't anything like any of the women with a block. The block is a block on their ability to reach the True Source except in certain specific circumstances. All of the blocked women are entirely unable to channel except in certain circumstances e.g. Nynaeve had to be angry to touch the source, Theodrin had the be around someone she liked etc. The blocked women's strength in the power didn't vary either, their actual strength/potential with the power was always sensed correctly by the other Aes Sedai whether or not they were blocked and unable to channel at the time.

 

Androl can channel normally, he can reach the Source without the need for specific circumstances to be present, he isn't blocked in the sense that the wilders were. He's not sensed as being strong in the power relatively and in all likelyhood actually just isn't.

 

Im with others on this I don't think the crushed mindtrap can be discounted as the strange change has only been used on 2 characters that we know of Tarna and Mezor.

 

I don't see why it can't just be compulsion.

 

We know that the two people who we have confirmed have changed were getting in the way of Taim's plans at the time of their sudden change. So we can relatively safely assume that was the motivation for whatever was done to them, or at least part of it. But 13x13 seems like a huge amount of effort to go to to achieve that, and the Mindtrap has the problem of being so rare. Both seem overly complex for what it appears he was aiming to achieve. But a heavy or even unskilfully applied compulsion could achieve what we saw, could be done by one person with no special tools need, and be done on the spot while still achieving what he wanted.

 

ETA I don't buy that whatever was done has been done to the majority of people at the BT. There has been a Taim faction there for a long time, he has the loyalty of a lot of people, most of them would follow him without the need of doing anything extra just from plain stupid human nature, which would account for the majority of his faction. There are still people we see without whatever it is, so it clearly hasn't just been done to everyone there. Which suggests that when whatever it was was done it was done for a specific reason to specific individuals as needed rather than a general reason to a general group, e.g. to stop someone interfering in something, rather than just for the sake of turning everyone to the Shadow.

 

So following that logic 13x13 and Mindtraps just seem excessive. You don't need those to accomplish a specific thing like stopping people from interfering. Why go to all that trouble if it's not needed? Why waste a Mindtrap? Why organise a 13x13?

 

 

Re: Blocks - There are in fact other ways in which blocks or 'bars' (as Taim calls them), manifest. There was one Asha'man who couldn't affect anything far away because he didn't think that he could. I think that it's quite feasible for there to be people with blocks that work in a slightly different way, especially for the men. Perhaps someone who can't weave anything that he considers a weapon, for example.

 

However, in Androl's case, Taim called what he did 'impossible'. I'm pretty sure that the problem here is Androl's actual total strength in the Power. His strength is probably just so negligible that normally he shouldn't be able to weave anything that complex. That certainly makes his talent with gateways fall under 'impossible' in my book.

 

Re: Compulsion - There are a couple reasons why a 13x13 would make more sense than compulsion. Firstly, they have different weaknesses. Compulsion has the weakness of being unable to re-write somebody's personality completely without that person losing some of their autonomy and ability to reason. It also has the weakness of needing relatively constant maintenance for some subjects, as in the case of Morgase. Most channelers are going to have an above average mental resolve, bringing the percentage able to resist to a possible high of 50%. I think that the resources needed to entirely convert the Black Tower (which is surely one of Taim's/Moridin's goals with the wall and the dreamspike making everyone a prisoner) and keep them there are more than would be needed to 13x13 a person once and be done with it, even if the conversion process kills the Myrdraal in question, as people have suggested.

 

There's also the literary reasons for the 13x13. Robert Jordan has always had a penchant for foreshadowing books in advance, and up until now we've gone about 10 books since the original mention (by Sheriam - HA!) with no evidence of anyone being 13x13ed. There's only one book left, and the Black Ajah has been expunged from the White Tower. The Black Tower is the only logical place for this particular foreshadowing to take place and still have a strong effect.

 

Lastly, there's the description we have (from the Tor questions of the week) of the 13x13 itself. Apparently it leeches all of the good emotions and desires from a person, magnifying his selfish or evil tendencies which he had kept buried or suppressed until that time. It's also NOT something that a person is likely to break out of without help, seeing that all his desires for good are repressed. (He didn't, however, say that it couldn't be done with help - I'm holding out hope for this one.) This sounds like the description given of the Asha'man who seems to have been turned, though Tarna's behavior could be either (but if they're 13x13ing Asma'man, it makes sense for the Aes Sedai to be getting the same treatment).

 

Anyway, that's my vote - 13x13 by virtue of running out of books to make it a big deal in. Also, not a mindtrap because that's more of a method of punishment, and the subject of a mindtrap can still rebel whenever he or she wishes, just not without consequences. Not what you want your dreadlord army to be worrying about in the middle of Tarmon Gai'don.

[Kahlika]

Actually, Taim described at least one Ash'aman block to Rand (not sure what book/chapter). What he described was different than what you quoted for the women. He told of one Ash'aman that Channeled very strongly out to 100' or so then could hardly channel at all past that point.

 

The only description we have of a men's block is:

 

Fedwin stood highest of the three, but he had what Taim called a bar. Fedwin did not really believe he could affect anything at a distance with the Power. The result was that at fifty paces his ability began to fade, and at a hundred he could not weave even a thread of saidin.

 

- A Crown of Swords, Pitfalls and Tripwires

 

It mentions him standing the highest, so his actual strength could be sensed despite the block and was still there/able to be sensed even when his weaves themselves weakend over distance. There is no reason to believe Androl is stronger than people sense him as being (it's possible to mask strength of course, but he doesn't appear to be doing that at all).

 

It also mentions that he entirely lost the ability to channel at a great distance i.e. when the conditions weren't being met at all. Although you're right in saying that his weaving itself was stronger and weaker depending on the distance, before he finally just couldn't weave at all when the conditions were in no way being met, which is a bit different to how the women's blocks were described.

 

He's not going to suddenly become Super Androl without doing something like using a male angreal though. That's not to devalue him, but people tend to attribute all kinds of extra powers that they don't really have to likeable characters to make them more 'special' though. What he's actually doing should be enough imo.

 

I agree that Compulsion is an option - but I like the 13/13 because it changes the persons "core" where most if not all the Compulsions we have did not seem to actually change the persons root personallity. That is except for Graendal's "mind wipes" that leave almost nothing of the person left.

 

Everyone likes 13x13 as an option, and consequently a lot of people see it everywhere, which makes me extra sceptical of it. Look over on the Epilogue thread, half the people are claiming 13x13 Aiel male channelers. But it's pretty unlikely given the circumstances. I'm more likely to believe it's being done at the BT than to the Aiel male channelers, because we do know it is hard to do, which would mean it's used carefully and selectively. But then that still doesn't really explain why it would have been done to those specific people, when we do know of a good reason to do something else to them that could have had the same effect.

 

Graendal uses heavy compulsion to destroy people's will and personality, her compulsion replaced them with what she wanted it to be (generally that of a fanatical, devoted servant), but there doesn't seem to be anything that says she (or whoever was compelling) couldn't replace it with something else had she chosen to. We've seen compulsion where the person didn't change at all, to where they changed a little bit, to where they were totally wiped, it's conceivable that this could fall in there somewhere.

[wvlr2]

He's not going to suddenly become Super Androl without doing something like using a male angreal though. That's not to devalue him, but people tend to attribute all kinds of extra powers that they don't really have to likeable characters to make them more 'special' though. What he's actually doing should be enough imo.

 

Thanks for pulling out the quote.

 

My point was that Female blocks are different than male blocks. I still think that it is a possability - but most likely you are correct on this one.

 

EXCEPT - I do already like him as he is. And he already Super Androl. Actually I would call him Super Gateway Androl! Hence my post earlier that he just does not realize how valuable his Tallent is. Once he explores other variations on his gateways & learns Deatgates - I think he will realize that he is much more than just "Pageboy".

 

I still favor 13/13 for the same reason other posters stated above. No sense repeating the same - both are quite possable. You are welcome to your opinion.

[Ltsegarra]

Taim = Moridin = Naeblis. "Black tower" = Dreadlords. Logaine and others black tower is an inner rebellion. The 13x13 if I recall correctly is a way to bind a person to the Dark One without consent, Basically SuperComplusion.

 

In ToM, we see that Taim has been systematically recruiting/complelling other Male channelers under Rands nose(though Rand, I believe knows what's going on). The "dark" side of the force...er channelers have already been established with the Black Ajah and now even more so with the Dreadlords. Howver, there is hope as a growing rebellion under Logain, challenges Taims control from within.

 

Its only through the help of Egwene and the white tower, that the "good" channelers will overcome Taims influence. I see, Logaine as being the male version of Amarlin Seat. What was the title Rand originally gave Taim? As with many themes Robert Jordan, plays on the idea of cycles and returning to a point in history. Male and female Aes Sedai aka servants of lights was it?

[WhiskyJack]

Taim = Moridin = Naeblis. "Black tower" = Dreadlords. Logaine and others black tower is an inner rebellion. The 13x13 if I recall correctly is a way to bind a person to the Dark One without consent, Basically SuperComplusion.

 

In ToM, we see that Taim has been systematically recruiting/complelling other Male channelers under Rands nose(though Rand, I believe knows what's going on). The "dark" side of the force...er channelers have already been established with the Black Ajah and now even more so with the Dreadlords. Howver, there is hope as a growing rebellion under Logain, challenges Taims control from within.

 

Its only through the help of Egwene and the white tower, that the "good" channelers will overcome Taims influence. I see, Logaine as being the male version of Amarlin Seat. What was the title Rand originally gave Taim? As with many themes Robert Jordan, plays on the idea of cycles and returning to a point in history. Male and female Aes Sedai aka servants of lights was it?

 

 

Nope.

[Jeangray]

I sincerely hope that Androl is not blocked. I never liked the importance given to OP strength (an inborn characteristic that can't be changed) in determining worth of channelers and have been hoping for a long time that somebody could show up the powerhouses using cleverness, creativity and skill.

Now, Androl is not quite what I have hoped for, since his effectiveness in combat will depend on equally innate ability, but he is a step in the right direction, IMHO, with his eclectic and broad knowledge and good head providing the basis for his leadership.

 

Re: what is happening to folks in the BT - Taim has used the dreamspike. That is a blatant action that even Dark Rand wouldn't have been able to overlook and dismiss. The BT subterfuge is almost at an end, the new Dreadlords almost ready to sally forth openly. So, why are Logain's supporters still alive? Because Taim still has plans for the more promising (from his PoV) among them and the means to convert them, willing or not.

 

There is no evidence in canon that 13x13 destroys the Myrdraal. And even if it did, wouldn't Shadow consider it a worthy trade for a channeler of decent power? RJ did say that the conversion isn't something done lightly and the noticeable changes in Mezar and Tarna show us why - it is no good for clandestine activities, which was the main occupation of DF channelers until recently.

 

BTW, "bars", hm? I bet that it is another AoLism like the "so-called Aiel".

[Guest]

i dont think androl is blocked, but he might not have reached his full potential - yet.

 

atm he is almost not at a dedicated lvl, only his skill with gateways did that.

 

but hey, is that a bad thing? I dont think we should consider Asha'mans ranks (Soldier, Dedicated, Ashaman) to their white tower counterparts (novice, accepted, aes sedai) in their present forms. novices are not used in combat, soldiers are. Because we like Androl, and he represents something good, does he have to be full Asha'man? i think not, we respect him not for his rank, but for his skill in gateways, and his character. Is he being looked down upon by others? yes, by Taims goons. in some ways i think the kins hierarchy of the elders are much more important than strength in the OP.

 

a wilder at Alivias level would not necessarily steamroll (pardon my wow expression) a 400 year old experienced aes sedai like Cadsuane, even without her paralis-net, experience and knowledge can outweigh any innate ability. (notice im using Alivias level, not Alivia herself since she is perhaps older than cadsuane)

[nordlicht]

 

Its only through the help of Egwene and the white tower, that the "good" channelers will overcome Taims influence. I see, Logaine as being the male version of Amarlin Seat. What was the title Rand originally gave Taim? As with many themes Robert Jordan, plays on the idea of cycles and returning to a point in history. Male and female Aes Sedai aka servants of lights was it?

 

 

Nope.

indeed, in book 2 the latest (or did I mean chapter 2? ), it becomes intuitively obvious, that it´s not ´servants of light´ but ´manipulators of all´

but well, the really problematic piece in this title anyways is ´servants´ not light or all.

 

 

I buy the "barred" for Androl and I think the anger about the situation, the M´hael has built up, his essentially emprisoning them, or maybe anger of sth - for instance 13x13ing of somebody for instance beloved Logain - could remove the bars and that wouldn´t have to result in him being "stronger in the OP" but just making his gate-awesomeness more awesome. Exceptional talent for one thing might be as or incertain situations much more useful than being principally a strong OP wielder. Would teach those downlookers right. (on rereading, this could sound like Taim did all his black deeds just to unbar Androl, which, of course, I didn´t intend it to sound)

 

 

 

regarding the black tower affairs, for me the most awesome thing for Logain and his glory would be if he would be 1313ed by TaimCorp. and resist it or even "come back" and that not by help of rebel sedai, pageboys, taveren effects like a badger tripping Taim at the crucial moment or anything the like, but out of his own sheer willpower and goodcharacterness. but well, I´ll have to do make with blood and sisters walking the BT´s grounds...

 

I´ve not quite decided if I like Emarin and think he even might be Logain, not wanting to let his Ashaman alone and down, but then he should be do some serious thinking very very soon or if he could be a spy of Taim to make the hole BT resolution even the more dramatic.

[Ltsegarra]

The 13x13 rule I think is really going to setup for Rands own turning. I don't think Rands is going to face an actual "shaitan". But instead will become a vessel for the will of the shadow..if for a short time. In a way I think that "shaitan" already feel the original Forsaken are failures and will never make them a Naeblis. Which is why I feel Taim is the most likely culprit. A new dreadlord creating other dread lords.

As far as Ashaman are concerned, we're shown several examples of male and female changeless working together. Whether, by bonding or circles, the Whitetower will absorb the remaining black tower restoring the ancient Aes Sedai way. Not to mention we're already getting an impression that Elayne isn't comfortable with the black tower being located within Andors borders.

I too wonder what's the significance of the small gates. Maybe a way of sending small weaves through long distances? Think some sort of grenade move?

[FarShainMael]

But Rand was already a vessel for the will of the Shadow.. right up until VoG.

 

Small gates.. You could reach through with one hand and remove or place something.. or use it as an assassin's tool, a vanishing 'knife' to cut off a hand or head. Or fire a crossbow bolt through it.