Discuss Rand

[Luckers]

Go.

[analyticalkeys]

I don't really like Rand in this book. I know he's changed after TGS, but he just seemed really out of character. Not the person I've come to know and love at all.

[NetSlider]

Neo is back! And who said they will not make another Matrix?! Just kidding. But yeah...I liked Rand...A lot actually. It's time for creator's champion to be the Dragon Reborn and not just a strong male channeler.

[joshua]

Agreed

[RahulSingh]

rand = ownage!!!

[Bridge]

Rand... I was slightly surprised about his new character but I love him that way!!! He is more human, more like us than the last seven books, and I enjoyed! I would not like him like Jesus or ... or none else like our God''s Son on Earth - without blames, guilty, etc...

[Vermillion]

Are Rand's twins or a twin causing the ring around of sunshine around Camelyn and what would that mean about them?

[Cornelia]

I was really happy about the changes. The merging of Rand and LTT made him grow up and finally get his sanity back. He is no longer manipulated by Moridin, and that´s great. As the wolves said, there wouldn´t have been a Tarmon Gai´don without Rand changing.

 

I also like that he still is able to get angry and even says `I have a right to my anger´. And things like `I´m not a weapon. I never have been.´ OK, he proved to be one at Maradon...

 

And I can´t wait for Rand´s POV in AMoL. Heck, I can´t wait for AMoL at all!

[Cut Strand]

I think the clouds parting around the major cities is a direct result of Rand resolving his internal baggage.

 

The Dragon is bound to the land. When he gave up hope, things became extra crappy in Bandar Ebon. The Dragon is also antagonistic to the Dark One (who represents Chaos). Societies represent order, so once the Dragon fixed himself, the various symbols of order in the world were allowed to reassert their resistance to the Dark One.

 

Cities are a major symbol of order.

 

But while this might protect against the more wide spread effects of the Dark One (food spoiling), the bubbles of evil seem to be too potent to stop.

[AutomatedTeller]

I honestly thought Rand in this book was my payoff for the series. I thought he was awesome and made the slogging through so many books with no end in sight worthwhile.

 

The apples were great, asking Suian if he had thanked her for taking an arrow for him was great, introducing Min to Tam was one of the high points of the book.

 

Putting Bandar Eben back together was amazing.

 

Admitting to Rodel that he had failed in getting an alliance with the Seanchan was outstanding. Then going to blowing up the trollocs...

 

"Tell Logain that we are men, not weapons" great line.

 

"I was broken. And then, remarkably, I was reforged" tremendous line.

 

I don't think he's Zen rand, or Neo, or anything like that. I think he has grown up into the man Tam would want him to be.

 

His exchange with Cadsuane, with Rand Sedai, was outstanding. He wasn't mocking, or derisive. He was matter of fact, saying "look, I understand what you did and why you did it. you should understand these things"

[RahulSingh]

I honestly thought Rand in this book was my payoff for the series. I thought he was awesome and made the slogging through so many books with no end in sight worthwhile.

 

The apples were great, asking Suian if he had thanked her for taking an arrow for him was great, introducing Min to Tam was one of the high points of the book.

 

Putting Bandar Eben back together was amazing.

 

Admitting to Rodel that he had failed in getting an alliance with the Seanchan was outstanding. Then going to blowing up the trollocs...

 

"Tell Logain that we are men, not weapons" great line.

 

"I was broken. And then, remarkably, I was reforged" tremendous line.

 

I don't think he's Zen rand, or Neo, or anything like that. I think he has grown up into the man Tam would want him to be.

 

His exchange with Cadsuane, with Rand Sedai, was outstanding. He wasn't mocking, or derisive. He was matter of fact, saying "look, I understand what you did and why you did it. you should understand these things"

damn cant say it any better!!!

 

Rand + Morraine "wow i would love to see that get together with rand 2.0"

I always thought of Morraine as the mother Rand never had.

[Raap]

I was wondering, does Rand have access to the True Power? One would think not, but he does hint at it in the book. When he meets Paitar, Tenobia and the others, he says if they'd met him a month ago he would have destroyed them(for slapping/punching him). They ask how he could have done that inside the Guardian, and he says that the Guardian stops the One Power, and only the One power. So either he has or had access to the True Power, or he has actually found another power that no one else is aware of.

[Cut Strand]

I was wondering, does Rand have access to the True Power? One would think not, but he does hint at it in the book. When he meets Paitar, Tenobia and the others, he says if they'd met him a month ago he would have destroyed them(for slapping/punching him). They ask how he could have done that inside the Guardian, and he says that the Guardian stops the One Power, and only the One power. So either he has or had access to the True Power, or he has actually found another power that no one else is aware of.

Rand does have a power-wrought sword and callandor (which can still be used as a sword).

 

Plus, he could just walk away and go back to plan "rain of fire."

[AutomatedTeller]

I dont' know if he still does or not. I'd kind of guess that, since the TP is from the Dark One, and Rand is basically the anti-thesis of it now, that he doesn't.

 

he DID have it - that's how he broke free of the male a'dam and killed Semirhage and it was using it that cause the warping of the air around him (I think)

[Raap]

Actually, he said he would have killed them with balefire. Reading those lines definitely gave me the distinct impression that he has access to something more than just the One Power, and that the Guardian was only meant to stop the One Power and so wouldn't be an obstacle.

[Raap]

I dont' know if he still does or not. I'd kind of guess that, since the TP is from the Dark One, and Rand is basically the anti-thesis of it now, that he doesn't.

 

he DID have it - that's how he broke free of the male a'dam and killed Semirhage and it was using it that cause the warping of the air around him (I think)

Ah yeah, I'd forgotten that part. Was it confirmed that it was really the True Power? If so, why would the Dark One let him use it, especially considering they'd actually captured him?

[Tiinker]

His entry into the book in the first chapter was undoubtedly the most epic thing I've ever seen..

[Eht Slat Meit]

I was wondering, does Rand have access to the True Power? One would think not, but he does hint at it in the book. When he meets Paitar, Tenobia and the others, he says if they'd met him a month ago he would have destroyed them(for slapping/punching him). They ask how he could have done that inside the Guardian, and he says that the Guardian stops the One Power, and only the One power. So either he has or had access to the True Power, or he has actually found another power that no one else is aware of.

 

I'm certain he still has it. I suspect that Min's newest vision of the ebony hand wielding Callandor is a viewing of what will happen if he channels the True Power through Callandor.

[didymos]

I don't really like Rand in this book. I know he's changed after TGS, but he just seemed really out of character. Not the person I've come to know and love at all.

 

I don't think he was necessarily out of character. We only see him filtered through other POV's until very briefly at the end, and the people whose eyes we're seeing through are all full of apprehension and trying to overcome doubts about his sanity and if he's still really him, etc. I.e., I think that sort of alien vibe was deliberate in order to make US doubt what was really going on behind his eyes. I actually think, brief as it was, that his POV at the very end really did seem like him, just more in control.

[Tiinker]

I was wondering, does Rand have access to the True Power? One would think not, but he does hint at it in the book. When he meets Paitar, Tenobia and the others, he says if they'd met him a month ago he would have destroyed them(for slapping/punching him). They ask how he could have done that inside the Guardian, and he says that the Guardian stops the One Power, and only the One power. So either he has or had access to the True Power, or he has actually found another power that no one else is aware of.

 

I'm certain he still has it. I suspect that Min's newest vision of the ebony hand wielding Callandor is a viewing of what will happen if he channels the True Power through Callandor.

 

I had a crazy idea that he would regrow an ebony hand but your theory seems much more convincing..

[Jillain Sanche]

I loved him in TOM. The growth, the balance he has achieved, his perspective. And I agree he is now the man Tam raised him to be! Well said, AT!

[MrFantasy]

I like the new Rand much better. It's about damn time he figured his shit out I only wish it happened so much sooner. I feel a sadness because the "new Rand" can only be around for such a short period of time, I wonder how things would've been different if he had more time to fix things and prepare the world before he had to start the Last Battle.

 

One thing I was wondering about though is does Rand still have the ability to channel the True Power? Someone mentioned this earlier in this thread, because it seemed that Rand implied he could when he stated that if he came to the meeting with the Borderlanders a month earlier he would've met their slaps with balefire. One of them says the Guardian blocks channeling and he says it blocks channeling the One Power, and only the One Power. This seems to suggest he still maintains a link with the DO and the ability to channel the True Power should he absolutely need to.

 

A similar situation in ToM was in the beginning when Rand walked right into the White Tower and willingly let himself be shielded. From his words, and also from Egwene's impressions, it seemed as if he was trying to be humble and polite, showing deference to the Amyrlin Seat, but it seemed as if he could've broken the shield and left on his own terms at any point. I believe Egwene had a thought along the lines of "his expression seemed to say, don't make me defy you." This could be chalked up to his Taveren nature, that he had such confidence he could've just willed the Aes Sedai shielding him to let him go, but it's also a definite possibility that he was thinking of channeling the True Power as a last resort to get out of the White Tower in case the Aes Sedai tried to hold him captive.

 

All of this speculation brings up a lot of questions, particularly:

Does Rand still have the ability to channel the True Power?

Did Lews Therin ever know about the True Power, or is Rand's discovery of it in Arad Doman the first he has ever known of it?

Why would Shai'tan give Rand such a rare privilege in the first place, and why would he maintain that connection after Rand's epiphany and transformation?

[Kaznen]

Today I was wondering if Tam and Rand ever did some sword sparing.

 

It is believed his access to the TP was through his link with Mordin. And givin how distracted he was when Grendael met him I tend to believe the folks who say that's what happened.

 

And I also believe he has got a power from the Creator. I always called it Divine Power (DP) that was how he was able to do what he did with the apples, break up the clouds covering the world, not worry about being shielded, and the whole anti-darkness protecting him from the taint madness he had.

[Sabio]

Few questions;

 

So does Rand have the abiltiy to detect all DF's now?

Will Weirmon suck as bad being a general for the DO as he did for Rand?

Why would Rand be disappointed to find out Weiramon was a DF, other books he was hoping Weiramon was going to ride off and get himself killed.

 

All of this speculation brings up a lot of questions, particularly:

Does Rand still have the ability to channel the True Power?

Did Lews Therin ever know about the True Power, or is Rand's discovery of it in Arad Doman the first he has ever known of it?

Why would Shai'tan give Rand such a rare privilege in the first place, and why would he maintain that connection after Rand's epiphany and transformation?

 

Shai'tan was hoping it would turn Rand to him, Rand probably could stil lchannel it but in his new good mood, he wouldn't touch something so evil. Every touching of it would link him closer and closer to the DO and touching it is suppose to be even more addictive then normal channeling. LTT I am pretty sure is the one who let Rand know about the TP. Rand knew about it in earlier books wehhe was trying to figure out who Mordin was. He commented he must be DF since he was channeling the TP.

[Bob T Dwarf]

Few questions;

 

Why would Rand be disappointed to find out Weiramon was a DF, other books he was hoping Weiramon was going to ride off and get himself killed.

 

 

LTT liked Weiramon. He was straightforward and uncomplicated. He could be trusted to always do the wrong thing.