Loose Ends

[Mr Hindley]

A few recent posts have touched on RJ's indication that not every loose end will be tied up by the end of aMoL. Given how much is still going on, and only one book left, I can well believe it. I thought it would be interesting to pull together peoples' suggestions on what might be those loose ends that aren't critical to the plot and might just be left to us to puzzle over forever.

 

Here's my first suggestion - Merilille and Talaan. I doubt we'll ever see them again - I thought they were heading for the Tower, but they've not turned up yet, and it's hard to see there being time to fit them back into the plot.

 

Any other suggestions?

[Feral]

Well I think there might be quite a few relationship issues left unresolved (both related and romantic). More specifically I think Perrin's future concerning the Two Rivers and Saldaea might be left loose. I'd also like to think that Rand's life after the LB will be left open, or maybe even the question of whether or not he actually survives.

[jemron]

Well I think there might be quite a few relationship issues left unresolved (both related and romantic). More specifically I think Perrin's future concerning the Two Rivers and Saldaea might be left loose. I'd also like to think that Rand's life after the LB will be left open, or maybe even the question of whether or not he actually survives.

 

I really hope the question of whether or not Rand survives is not left up in the air. If nothing else happens, that better be clarified before the end or I'll be mad. I don't mind if he dies, and I don't mind if he lives, but I don't want to spend the rest of forever wondering which it was.

 

I'm having a hard time pinpointing what I think will go unanswered, but there are a few things I feel like I NEED to have answered:

 

Who was the voice from at the end of EotW? What's with Thom's "special knives"? Why the blue flash? Will Rand survive? What's up with Rand's newfound abilities as of ToM? Does the DO know that Rand used/can use the TP? Um... can't think of anything else.

 

Some I just thought of that probably won't be answered: Who knew about Herid Fel and why was he killed exactly? What are the "unseen eyes" in T'A'R and what are the "precepts" that Birgitte talks about? I would love to know this, but it probably won't come up...

[Ashandarei]

Who knew about Herid Fel and why was he killed exactly?

 

Here-

"Belief and order give strength. Have to clear rubble before you can build. Will explain when see you next. Do not bring girl. Too pretty."

 

Min glanced at her books. Herid's little slip of paper still peeked from the depths of Thoughts Among the Ruins. "Rand," she said. "You have to destroy the seals to the Dark One's prison." He looked at her, frowning. "I'm sure of it," she said. "I've been reading Herid's books all this time, and I believe that's what he meant by 'clearing away the rubble.' In order to rebuild the Dark One's prison, you will first need to open it. Clear away the patch made on the Bore."

 

I strongly suspect that Herid was killed by Ishy/Moridin. This is because Ishy was the philosopher among the Forsaken, the true scholar who joined because he learned about the never-ending battle with the DO in the circular wheel of time as ages pass. Probably what happened was he learned that Herid was looking into these old prophecies and histories and had found a clue that would aid in sealing the DO away. Ishy being Ishy, it's much more likely he knew the various prophecies etc much better than any other forsaken especially since he was never properly sealed away(in addition to his scholar/philosopher background). So he offed Herid using the gholam. Or so I believe.

[Beidomon]

You know that one plotline where the one aes sedai is scheming about that other aes sedai? Probably won't be resolved.

 

Also, the plotline where that one seanchan is scheming about... something. Yeah, that's probably not going to be resolved either.

 

Also, remember all the new plotlines in Crossroads? I don't think any will be resolved.

 

Maybe we'll get an answer in the Glossary.

[Crael123]

 

 

Maybe we'll get an answer in the Glossary.

 

 

that made me laugh

[Elan Tedronai]

Amongst the Emond's fielders probably the whereabouts of rand or where he plans to retire after the last battle.

 

The rest 4 people will be doing something or the other.

 

Egwene: Amyrlin

Nyaneve: queen or a general of some sorts. Probably somewhere in the borderlands. Lan may play a part here or he may die

Perrin: The broken crown. Bashere and tenobia will die or be wounded

Mat: travelling with tuon for some seanchan adventures. Basis for the outrigger novels

[MasterAblar]

Amongst the Emond's fielders probably the whereabouts of rand or where he plans to retire after the last battle.

 

The rest 4 people will be doing something or the other.

 

Egwene: Amyrlin

Nyaneve: queen or a general of some sorts. Probably somewhere in the borderlands. Lan may play a part here or he may die

Perrin: The broken crown. Bashere and tenobia will die or be wounded

Mat: travelling with tuon for some seanchan adventures. Basis for the outrigger novels

 

Sounds about right to me, unless they all die. But why would Perrin get the broken crown if Bashere and Tenobia are simply wounded?

[Aquarius]

Random bits & pieces:

- We'll never know if/when Liandrin's heavy shield by Moghedien is removed

- We won't have much time to hear about the major darkfriend among the Aiel many here have suspected

- We won't hear much about the 60+ black ajah that escaped the WT. only a small number were killed during the battle against messaana.

- We won't hear from Elaida again (thank god!)

- We won't hear much about all the smallish Ashaman that we love : Narishma, Flinn, Androll...

- We won't read about Morgase (is she in a trolloc cookpot in Caemlyn, by the way ?)

- We won't hear about the power struggle between lelaine and Romanda (pray that Egwene dies so that we get to see that start again).

- We won't read much about the Atahan'miere

- We'll never hear about Berelain's boobs again.

 

Any thoughts about those ?

[randsc]

Morgase isn't in a trolloc cookpot in Caemlyn, she's having that touching reunion with Gawyn at the Field of Merilor.

[Aquarius]

Morgase isn't in a trolloc cookpot in Caemlyn, she's having that touching reunion with Gawyn at the Field of Merilor.

Ah, thank you, I didn't remember she had come along with Elayne.

[randsc]

As for loose ends, I predict we will never know where these absurdly large armies came from.

 

There is nothing in the books that indicate that the economies of the WoT could support armies counted in the hundreds of thousands, or millions.

 

Malkier fell because it lost 5000 lances. Now, people are raising armies twenty times larger without even trying.

 

And what the hell have all of those trollocs been eating?

[Ashandarei]

Are Theodrin and Faolain ever mentioned in ToM? I am forgetting, was Faolain ever released by Lelaine from her captivity in TGS? I really hope that ISN'T one of the loose ends, that those two get the gratitude they deserve from Egwene and the respect they deserve from other AS upon being properly raised. It really sucked to have them, especially Theo, get treated like door mats and walked all over in the rebel camp.

[capuga]

You know that one plotline where the one aes sedai is scheming about that other aes sedai? Probably won't be resolved.

 

Also, the plotline where that one seanchan is scheming about... something. Yeah, that's probably not going to be resolved either.

 

Also, remember all the new plotlines in Crossroads? I don't think any will be resolved.

 

Maybe we'll get an answer in the Glossary.

 

I have seen this brought up (refering to Asmo's killer) in a few other threads and I still do not understand why. Many people in those other threads have pointed out the the reveal of Asmo's killer was in the text of the book in two different places. It was not relegated to the glossary. It was not considered so unimportant that it got put in the glossary. It was not some kind of joke on the fans that have debated the killer for years. We were given the imformation in the story. This known information is then included in the informational glossary.

[FarShainMael]

@jemron: I think the 'unseen eyes' were the wolves. consider the close connection between T'A'R and the Wolf Dream (as when Perrin meets Egwene)

[jemron]

@jemron: I think the 'unseen eyes' were the wolves. consider the close connection between T'A'R and the Wolf Dream (as when Perrin meets Egwene)

Cool theory. I always thought they were the eyes of the Heros and/or EVERYBODY who has ever died and is waiting to be re-spewed out into a newly reincarnated body. Like a "spirit world" where the souls of people hang out awaiting rebirth.

 

Either way, the point is, it probably won't be revealed, so we'll forever have to speculate about it with possibly no concrete answers. I hope the encyclopedia they release later will have some of those loose ends tied up. But, there will ALWAYS be questions, no matter how many answers we get from Team Jordan. The creators of Lost actually sort of did themselves a disservice by giving too many answers in the end. It made it all seem less cool, knowing exactly how the mysterious stuff worked (that's also because some of their answers were just dumb), but I remember hearing an interview once where the Lost writers said something like, "Look, at some point we just can't keep giving answers, because every answer brings up more questions. If we tell you where the smoke monster's mother came from then you'll where did her family come from. Then, if we answer that, you'll ask where they came from, and where they're family came from, etc... There's no end to it, so at some point we just have to say 'we made it up and don't have all the answers.'" I completely paraphrased that, but it was something like that.

 

At some point, no matter how well thought-out the WoT is, it is still made up and there may not be specific answers to half the things we speculate about on these forums.

[Xader]

- We'll never hear about Berelain's boobs again.

 

'Tis a sad day...

 

[Mr Hindley]

- We'll never know if/when Liandrin's heavy shield by Moghedien is removed

Ah, I'd been thinking of Liandrin before I started this thread... I agree, it was interesting to catch up with her in that last scene with Suroth, but I doubt we'll see her again.

 

- We won't read much about the Atahan'miere

I think there's still that business about the one of the Sea Folk that Min predicted would become Mistress of the Ships. Harine? (I have trouble telling them apart, aggravating minxes that they are.) There's been enough small references to that I think we'll see that wrapped up somehow, albeit briefly.

 

- We'll never hear about Berelain's boobs again.

A fine point. I'm always relieved to see forum members treating WOT with the dignity and gravitas it deserves.

[Callern]

Umm, not really a "loose end" but do you remember when Lan gave Rand ALOT of instructions b4 he was going to meet Siuan in Fal Dara?

Well, that's one of the few times we've seen Lan smiling, and I really wonder why. He mixed alot of customs it seems, but the "funny" part about it, I can not figuer out.

[Ashandarei]

Umm, not really a "loose end" but do you remember when Lan gave Rand ALOT of instructions b4 he was going to meet Siuan in Fal Dara?

Well, that's one of the few times we've seen Lan smiling, and I really wonder why. He mixed alot of customs it seems, but the "funny" part about it, I can not figuer out.

 

He feels that the Aes Sedai are like wolves surrounding Rand and smiles because he's amused by what Siuan and the rest will think when Rand arrives at the audience as a wolfcub instead of a rabbit. (very paraphrased but if you look at the scene itself you'll see)

[Callern]

Umm, not really a "loose end" but do you remember when Lan gave Rand ALOT of instructions b4 he was going to meet Siuan in Fal Dara?

Well, that's one of the few times we've seen Lan smiling, and I really wonder why. He mixed alot of customs it seems, but the "funny" part about it, I can not figuer out.

 

He feels that the Aes Sedai are like wolves surrounding Rand and smiles because he's amused by what Siuan and the rest will think when Rand arrives at the audience as a wolfcub instead of a rabbit. (very paraphrased but if you look at the scene itself you'll see)

 

Yes, I get the picture, but the details are bugging me. Why would he give Rand the Red Eagle? Why does the colour on the coat fit (red = fierce?). Why would it make Siuan think, if Rand knelt the way he knelt for Morgase? "I'd rather stand, the watch is not yet over" or something like that. Why drip 3 drops of water on the ground and say that the land thirsts?

The picture, I get, but I would like to know why ^^

[rsahae]

We'll never hear about Berelain's boobs again.

 

Regarding this, I expect some will be glad and others would be Galad

 

And what the hell have all of those trollocs been eating?

 

Each other

[herid]

BS admitted that the situation in Seanchan homeland won't get resolved so we can be sure about at least one loose end.

I agree about Merilille and Talaan. I doubt we'll ever see them again. I also don't think we'll ever see Egwene meeting her toh to Rhuarc.

 

And I think that we might not see Nakomi explained. I don't think it's strictly necessary for the plot and I have a feeling she just might be left a mystery.

The future of Shaido might not be addressed. Talene will likely never show up.

The dealings of Masema with the Seanchan will never be explained. I'm not sure that qualifies as a loose end. A number of small mysteries from various books (like who killed Barthanes) that have no bearing on the plot will definitely never be explained.

[Mr Hindley]

BS admitted that the situation in Seanchan homeland won't get resolved so we can be sure about at least one loose end.

I agree about Merilille and Talaan. I doubt we'll ever see them again. I also don't think we'll ever see Egwene meeting her toh to Rhuarc.

 

And I think that we might not see Nakomi explained. I don't think it's strictly necessary for the plot and I have a feeling she just might be left a mystery.

The future of Shaido might not be addressed. Talene will likely never show up.

The dealings of Masema with the Seanchan will never be explained. I'm not sure that qualifies as a loose end. A number of small mysteries from various books (like who killed Barthanes) that have no bearing on the plot will definitely never be explained.

 

I'd agree with all those. Only possible exception is the Shaido - their future seems pretty straightforward i.e. go back to the Waste and hunker down for a few centuries. But their captive Wise Ones might crop up in the context of any settlement with the Seanchan; and there is the possibility they will be the 'remnant of a remnant'.

 

Although these wouldn't be loose threads, as they're reasonably well wrapped up, do people think we've seen the last of Juilin, Amathera, Bayle Domon and Egeanin?

[blazetheearth]

Are Theodrin and Faolain ever mentioned in ToM? I am forgetting, was Faolain ever released by Lelaine from her captivity in TGS? I really hope that ISN'T one of the loose ends, that those two get the gratitude they deserve from Egwene and the respect they deserve from other AS upon being properly raised. It really sucked to have them, especially Theo, get treated like door mats and walked all over in the rebel camp.

 

IIRC, they are with the SAS waiting to bond AM at the BT, along with several of Eggy's inner-circle from Salidar.Which would mean we will probably be seeing more of them with the resolution of the BT.