The Field of Merrilor

[Shimmer]

The above is true but I think that with Perrin in his support and with Mat most likely (and hopefully!) about to join him, the total ta'veren power will bend the WT to accept Rand's decision to break the seals and reforge the DO's prison.

[Duskfire]

The above is true but I think that with Perrin in his support and with Mat most likely (and hopefully!) about to join him, the total ta'veren power will bend the WT to accept Rand's decision to break the seals and reforge the DO's prison.

 

Yeah thats what I think will happen as well. Especially once Rand sounds out his plan. Everyone else will be convinced really; I have faith that Darlin is firmly in Rands camp, as are the Borderlanders now that he has been confirmed a good guy. Ghealdean and Mayene will be with Perrin till the end, same with King Aislene with Rand, Illian and Tear. Its really only Elayne and Egwene that could prove to be a bit of a headache. I am especially worried since Egwene knows how to hold of the ta`veren effect.

[Baelorn]

She is suppose to be this great Amrylin and yet she is unable to show the tiniest bit of humility and admit when she does not know the best course of action when somebody really does.

 

Well I'm not too bothered by the fact that she thinks Rand might be crazy. He was counting on that and it is the reason he didn't explain his plan. What bugs me is Egwene's total lack of foresight. She knows the Seanchan have Traveling, she knows the Last Battle is coming, and she is doing nothing to prepare for either situation. Instead she keeps worrying about the WT's future. I want someone to take her aside and say "Egwene, if you don't deal with the immediate threats first there won't be a White Tower.".

[smileyman]

 

Rand will need Aes Sedai to defeat the DO though. He is convinced it must be done with a circle or multiple ones, and the most abundant female channelers are the Aes Sedai.

 

Not true. There are far more non-Aes Sedai channelers than their are Aes Sedai channelers, and that's not even counting the Seanchan.

[waffle]

I am especially worried since Egwene knows how to hold of the ta`veren effect.

 

Does she? I got the impression that Rand intentionally didn´t taveren her.

[dwn]

Cadsuane will also likely take Rand's side, given that she and her pets have been going through the prophecies and planning for quite some time. Her favour will definitely cause some of the Aes Sedai to, at the very least, consider his plan. There'll be sniffing, skirt adjusting and surreptitious sweating, but they'll consider it.

 

-- dwn

[Duskfire]

I am especially worried since Egwene knows how to hold of the ta`veren effect.

 

Does she? I got the impression that Rand intentionally didn´t taveren her.

 

In LoC she channels to intentionally avoid Rands ta`veren effect.

[Deadsy]

Does she? I got the impression that Rand intentionally didn´t taveren her.

 

Rand can't intentionally "ta'veren" people. He's only tried it once and it failed. It's his presence that sometimes makes people do things they wouldn't normally do. It was never been something he's purposely tried to use on people, until Tuon.

[didymos]

I am especially worried since Egwene knows how to hold of the ta`veren effect.

 

Does she? I got the impression that Rand intentionally didn´t taveren her.

 

My impression was that he did ta'veren her (but I don't think it was voluntary): it made it so only she could talk and the other Aes Sedai couldn't. Notice how she "found herself saying" stuff, "whispering unconsciously", and felt dizzy right after the conversation finished? Also, notice how she starts out all "Grrr. This is teh Dragon Reborn! He is teh dangerous! Must be super-Amyrlin!" and ends up switching to "Oh, no: I must think of him as Rand. That's much better" in about two seconds.

[Graveyardhag]

I am especially worried since Egwene knows how to hold of the ta`veren effect.

 

Does she? I got the impression that Rand intentionally didn´t taveren her.

 

My impression was that he did ta'veren her (but I don't think it was voluntary): it made it so only she could talk and the other Aes Sedai couldn't. Notice how she "found herself saying" stuff, "whispering unconsciously", and felt dizzy right after the conversation finished? Also, notice how she starts out all "Grrr. This is teh Dragon Reborn! He is teh dangerous! Must be super-Amyrlin!" and ends up switching to "Oh, no: I must think of him as Rand. That's much better" in about two seconds.

(bolding mine)

I just wanted to point out that Galad has much the same thing hapen after his last chat with Perrin, and Perrin says it's a ta'veren effect.

 

None of the other Aes Sedai there could talk, only Egwene, now, it could be fright, or something like that but why would that affect all of them?

My personal take is that his ta'veren effect was affecting all of them, the pattern needed Egwene able to talk to Rand and so she could.

 

Anywho, the Field of Merrilor.

The "force her hand" thought of Egewne's doesn't sit well with me. I'm not an Egewne hater by any measure but this just seems like a stupid, ridiculous thing to be planning. It makes me wonder if the Halima = Compulsion theories are right.

It also makes me wonder what on earth she could be planning. She already knows that Rand isn't bothered by shields or anything like that.

[FarShainMael]

The above is true but I think that with Perrin in his support and with Mat most likely (and hopefully!) about to join him, the total ta'veren power will bend the WT to accept Rand's decision to break the seals and reforge the DO's prison.

 

'The three shall be as one'.

[FarShainMael]

ah I finally figured out why rand is having the armies gather in one place! he is going to inspect them all and root out every last DF so there cant be sabotages and backstabbing. what a genious

 

I can imagine it - Rand tells everyone to line up, in one line. He walks down, looking everyone in the eyes. 500,000 seconds later, he says "ok, that's it" - only to realize that he's been walking for nearly 6 days straight, everyone has passed out, and Trollocs are eating the Aes Sedai.

 

That DF in Maradon, Bashere's cousin (?), didn't even need to see Rand. He knew he was there though, all right.

[Baelorn]

Does she? I got the impression that Rand intentionally didn´t taveren her.

 

I've noticed that the more time people spend around Ta'veren the less the effect seems to work on them. The first time Rand/Mat/Perrin meet certain people the stronger the effect seems to be but it apparently diminishes over time. This could just be inconsistent writing though. Another theory is that maybe it has something to do with where their threads are in the Pattern relative to the Ta'veren. People important to Rand/Mat/Perrin may be woven more closely to them(which could explain the "tugging" they feel when those threads are in danger).

[Charlz Guybon]

I am especially worried since Egwene knows how to hold of the ta`veren effect.

 

Does she? I got the impression that Rand intentionally didn´t taveren her.

I think it was working on her, she just didn't know it. The pattern needed her to help gather the Light's forces.

[dwn]

Anywho, the Field of Merrilor.

The "force her hand" thought of Egewne's doesn't sit well with me. I'm not an Egewne hater by any measure but this just seems like a stupid, ridiculous thing to be planning. It makes me wonder if the Halima = Compulsion theories are right.

It also makes me wonder what on earth she could be planning. She already knows that Rand isn't bothered by shields or anything like that.

 

I'd say she's planning on spanking him. It's the Aes Sedai thing to do, after all.

 

Seriously, though, the 'force her hand' could be taken a few ways. She could mean something as simple as publicly upbraid him in front of all his supporters. Egwene is eloquent enough that this could be quite effective. Or it could mean she's going to do something stupid and try to shield him using a sa'angreal or something. That could end in a bloodbath.

 

It'd actually be an interesting twist if Egwene won and forcibly prevented Rand from carrying out his plans. It would add a huge amount of tension to the final book. The whole 'everyone working against their enlightened self intersest' has certainly been a theme in the series.

 

-- dwn

[Duskfire]

It'd actually be an interesting twist if Egwene won and forcibly prevented Rand from carrying out his plans. It would add a huge amount of tension to the final book. The whole 'everyone working against their enlightened self intersest' has certainly been a theme in the series.

 

It would be pretty cool actually. And Rand decides to do it anyway, obviously repeating history. Although in this case, he would actually have a few female channelers to help him out.

[dwn]

It'd actually be an interesting twist if Egwene won and forcibly prevented Rand from carrying out his plans. It would add a huge amount of tension to the final book. The whole 'everyone working against their enlightened self intersest' has certainly been a theme in the series.

 

It would be pretty cool actually. And Rand decides to do it anyway, obviously repeating history. Although in this case, he would actually have a few female channelers to help him out.

 

Actually I meant Egwene going so far as to capture Rand and hold him prisoner to prevent him from breaking the seals. It would cause a massive division in the Light's forces at the worst possible time.

 

-- dwn

[Byzantine279]

I think Egwene could not do that even if she tried. As she said, Rand could have broken the shield holding him at any time.

[dwn]

I think Egwene could not do that even if she tried. As she said, Rand could have broken the shield holding him at any time.

 

I wasn't commenting on the likelihood of Egwene winning over Rand, but that it would make for very interesting plot tension.

 

-- dwn

[Terhan]

If that were to happen, I would probably burn the book without finishing it. Don't get me wrong, WOT is my favorite fantasy story of all time, but even a favorite story can have its annoyances. This pattern of people (particularly women) going against the decisions of those who are better suited to make them has become quite tiresome. Egwene, for a while, seemed to be growing and learning, and becoming a strong leader, but in the last couple of books, she seems only to have become an arrogant fool. A teenager who thinks she knows better than everyone around her (I'm looking at you, too, Elayne).

 

Anyway, there was my rant. Good day all. (=

[f3llyn]

So has the significance of the Field of Merrilor as Rand's chosen meeting place been discussed at all? Why did he choose that particular place?

 

My first thought, the ruins near the field are the ruins of Lews Therins house where he went mad and killed his family.

[aunt_pol]

I'd say he chose that location because it's fairly near the Blightborder. Gather all of the troops near enough to where they're needed. Also it's probably fairly empty land - handy for gathering that many in one spot.

 

Wondering who's gonna tell Fortuona the big Decide Fate of World meeting is on, and she wasn't even invited. Ha! Silly Empress of squashed Empire.

[aunt_pol]

So has the significance of the Field of Merrilor as Rand's chosen meeting place been discussed at all? Why did he choose that particular place?

 

My first thought, the ruins near the field are the ruins of Lews Therins house where he went mad and killed his family.

 

Actually, would LTT's house ruins not be pretty much under Dragonmount? If not, then surely blown to smithereens during the Breaking...

[f3llyn]

I'd say he chose that location because it's fairly near the Blightborder. Gather all of the troops near enough to where they're needed. Also it's probably fairly empty land - handy for gathering that many in one spot.

 

Wondering who's gonna tell Fortuona the big Decide Fate of World meeting is on, and she wasn't even invited. Ha! Silly Empress of squashed Empire.

While I mostly agree with you gateways make distance irrelevant. There doesn't need to be but I would like to see a more specific reason why he chose that particular place.

 

Actually, would LTT's house ruins not be pretty much under Dragonmount? If not, then surely blown to smithereens during the Breaking...

No, as far as I can tell he moved to some random place after he discovered what he had done. It was just described as a large field next to a river.

[nleseul]

While I mostly agree with you gateways make distance irrelevant. There doesn't need to be but I would like to see a more specific reason why he chose that particular place.

 

Well, as we saw with Perrin's trip back to Caemlyn, moving a huge army around with gateways is pretty taxing on channelers. There are limitations.