Why couldn't Asmodean teach Rand more?

[UGAShadow]

Sorilea teaches Cadsuane traveling even though she isn't powerful enough to make the weave work. She shows her the weave and she can learn it even though she couldn't make it work herself.

 

 

 

Is this part of Asmodean holding out on Rand? He still considered himself a Chosen. Or is this an error on RJ's part?

[USURP888]

I personally believe ASMO held out as much as he could in the beginning but as he realized more and more during his stay with Rand that the DO will never forgive him, Asmo threw his lot in with Rand and really tried to help him. However at the point, either he is really a bad teacher or Rand a bad student we can never really know.

[OptimusPrime]

Personally I believe Asmo was holding back because he felt he was still Chosen. Even just before he died, IIRC he thought to himself that with Rand he was merely clutching that handful of grass at the edge of the cliff. Asmo knew his days were numbered, even under Rands protection.

 

Rand confronted him about the teaching thing, said to him "teach me 3 new things a day or else." I think he only started teaching Rand properly very near the end, and that had everything to do with being scared of him, and nothing to do with "throwing his lot in" with him.

 

Asmo was never loyal. He just didnt have a choice.

[Stitch]

Agreed, I think Asmo was holding back throughout the entire thing - never lying perhaps (because Rand demonstrated on occasion the ability to pull out LTT's knowledge, which would have unnerved him enough to stop that) but never being fully forthcoming. When he was finally killed; well, I'm not sold on how final that death was... in particular there are a couple of Ashaman that have just recently been introduced that seem rather to cluey and have a tenancy for thinking highly of themselves... I've read and reread his death scene many times and I just can't rule out the possibility it wasn't balefire and that, if push came to shove old DO might bring him back (though perhaps with a leash this time, since he was so weak last time) and I dont think that would have happened if Asmo was fully cooperating with Rand (the DO probably would not look too kindly on that)

[herid]

Sorilea teaches Cadsuane traveling even though she isn't powerful enough to make the weave work. She shows her the weave and she can learn it even though she couldn't make it work herself.

 

 

 

Is this part of Asmodean holding out on Rand? He still considered himself a Chosen. Or is this an error on RJ's part?

I've wondered about this too. But I'm certain that Asmodean was not holding back on Rand. It made no sense for him to do so and he understood it very well.

His only chance at survival was to help Rand as much as he could. He didn't really believe that Rand could win but as he explained he wanted to hold long as he could. He even thinks of it in his death scene

 

He was hardly sorry Lanfear was dead. Rahvin neither, but Lanfear especially, for what she had done to him. He would laugh when each of the others died, too, and most for the last. It was not that he had been reborn as a new man at all, but he would cling to that tuft of grass on the cliff’s brink as long as he could. The roots would give way eventually, the long fall would come, but until then he was still alive.

-FoH, Ch 56

 

Withholding any info from Rand would have been the dumbest thing he could do and would surely shorten the time he could "cling to that tuft of grass".

 

As for why he didn't teach Rand Traveling I suspect this was a mistake, or rather, RJ changed his mind about the possibility later when he had Sorilea teach Cadsuane. Other explanations are possible but less likely IMO. Male channeling is quite different from women's which is particularly true about gateways. Egwene discussed that with Rand once. It could also be that Asmodean was just not used to being weak and not as adept at doing things with small amounts of power as Sorilea was.

[mb]

Whether or not Asmodean became loyal, time is another factor. Both of them needed to maintain some degree of secrecy.

And each Forsaken probably knew only certain One Power things; none of them knowing all.

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

i think he was not smarter than your average bear. and teaching wasn't his thang. poor, sweet, doomed asmodean.

[Demon_AS]

I think it's more an issue of time. Asmodean knew from the very beginning that there was no way out for him except to ride to glory hanging on The Lord Dragon's coat-tails. And Rand learned loads of things from Asmodean, including wards for his dreams and assorted techniques like weave inversion. Also how to seize saidin successfully every time.

 

Asmodean was simply killed long before he could teach Rand everything useful. Don't forget the example of the "simple" weave to heat his surroundings - Asmodean tried to teach him that, but Rand simply couldn't get the trick of it. It was a combination of a poor teacher and poor student, most likely, and in this situation time would be needed to overcome those barriers.

[SylvanFox]

Maybe Asmo was dragging out Rand's teaching for as long as he could, because he assumed that the end of that would be the end of him.

[Zentari]

Asmo was never loyal. He just didnt have a choice.

This and

And each Forsaken probably knew only certain One Power things; none of them knowing all.

this.

He sure didn't enjoy switching sides and it never hurts to cover your ass as much as you can just in case.

Most forsaken would have killed him on the spot but it could help him if they didn't ("I didn't really teach Lews all that much...").

[herid]

Whether or not Asmodean became loyal, time is another factor. Both of them needed to maintain some degree of secrecy.

And each Forsaken probably knew only certain One Power things; none of them knowing all.

Whatever knowledge he may have lacked Asmo certainly knew how to make gateways which is what we are discussing.

 

i think he was not smarter than your average bear.

Now, Now, I don't think that's fair. None of the Forsaken come through as less than smart. Dumb ones would never become Forsaken. Also, even before he turned Asmo earned a third name which was a matter of some distinction in AoL and would not be given to some dumb schmo.

 

Maybe Asmo was dragging out Rand's teaching for as long as he could, because he assumed that the end of that would be the end of him.

Ah, that's possible.

[MauricXe]

I thought Asmo did turn a bit towards Rand. IIRC, Lanfear spied on his dreams and saw the pro-Rand/Light themes.