Dragons in the Blight

[omaleyb]

I'm sure I'm not the first to speculate on this, but I think that the worms in the Blight are the larvae of Dragons. Now, we already have some dragon-like ceatures in the Raken and To'raken, but none of the Randlanders has ever said, "Ooh, that looks like a dragon." This is because their concept of a dragon is the Chinese version with no wings like the ones on Rand's arms.

 

I could see this being the mystery thing in the blight that no one noticed, but I don't believe it is (just saying). I could also see the worms and their transformation being part of the LB. Maybe they transform do to something Rand does and fight on the light side, but probably not. I just want to see one transform i guess. I would love to know if there were any quotes from RJ/BS on the worms and if anyone has followed this line of thought through.

[bsmnt23]

The concept of a "dragon" is no longer in the sense that we know it; they think of it as a specific person: Lews Therin Telamon is the Dragon, and vise-versa. Later in the series, they presume the creatures on the arms of the Aiel clan chiefs an the Dragon Banner are called dragons, too.

 

Also, the "worms" in the Blight are the larval form of jumera, darkspawn created by Aiginor. There is a lot of speculation on what they transform into when they mature, but Aginore speculates thay are no longer able to.

[damandred]

I'm sure I'm not the first to speculate on this, but I think that the worms in the Blight are the larvae of Dragons. Now, we already have some dragon-like ceatures in the Raken and To'raken, but none of the Randlanders has ever said, "Ooh, that looks like a dragon." This is because their concept of a dragon is the Chinese version with no wings like the ones on Rand's arms.

 

I could see this being the mystery thing in the blight that no one noticed, but I don't believe it is (just saying). I could also see the worms and their transformation being part of the LB. Maybe they transform do to something Rand does and fight on the light side, but probably not. I just want to see one transform i guess. I would love to know if there were any quotes from RJ/BS on the worms and if anyone has followed this line of thought through.

 

 

I think dragons in the AoL were a mythical creature, just like in our own world. Maybe they were alive in a earlier age, only legend in the AoL, and forgotten in Rands age. Maybe we will see them again before the end, after all it will be the start of a new age. "And even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again"

[rageofwar1978]

I think that creature like the raken and to' raken are descendants of dragons but if memory serves these along with the other exotics the seanchan possess come from different realities. So it is entirely possible that dragons still exist just not within the mainline reality?

[Nae'blis]

I think Robert Jordan envisioned the title of 'Dragon' initially having no attachment to dragons, and then later becoming associated with the actual figure (by way of 'the dragon banner,' among other things). The real question is, why does Lews get associated with serpents? I can't see him patterning his banner after evil creatures such as the Jumara. And there isn't much mention of any other possible candidates. My best guess is the imagery is something preserved from the First age or possibly beyond.

 

Are the quotations in the epilogues from the Fourth Age supposed to be in existence at the time of the 3rd Age, or are they 'discovered' by RJ in our current age? If it is the first scenario, then that means information can survive the full cycle, which would mean the dragon imagery could have come from anywhere.

[Terez]

RJ said that dragons don't exist in the WoT world - they're entirely mythological.

[WhiskyJack]

Chinese Dragons can fly by the way.

[mb]

The "worms" in the Blight are actually full grown.

Their proper name is jumara.

[OptimusPrime]

The "worms" in the Blight are actually full grown.

Their proper name is jumara.

 

One of the Forsaken noted in their PoVs that the jumara can no longer transform. I think the OP was referring to the post-transformation version.

[Nae'blis]

Thanks, Terez. So in that case, I'm guessing the timeline of events is as follows:

 

Second Age: Mythological interpretations of First Age creatures have become larger than life, resulting in the imagination of an enormous serpentine creature existing. These creatures were probably characterized as being noble, fierce beasts. When the War comes, Lews, bestowed the name of Dragon (probably means something in some language), uses this as his banner.

 

Third Age: Rand, the Dragon Reborn, reclaims the serpent imagery with the Dragon Banner and serpentine tattoos.

 

Fourth Age: The word Dragon has become synonymous with the serpent image.

 

Our Age: The legend of the channeler rand has evolved into a myth of fire-breathing dragons.

[MyKillK]

RJ said that dragons don't exist in the WoT world - they're entirely mythological.

 

But would that still leave open the possibility that dragons can be or were found in alternate worlds? Like how Rand and crew encountered Grolm in one of the portal stone worlds?

[MyKillK]

I think that creature like the raken and to' raken are descendants of dragons but if memory serves these along with the other exotics the seanchan possess come from different realities. So it is entirely possible that dragons still exist just not within the mainline reality?

 

I'd be interested in reading the part where it's mentioned that the Seanchan brought their creatures from another world. I didn't know they were proficient in the use of portal stones...and how would they bring them back??

[Suttree]

I think that creature like the raken and to' raken are descendants of dragons but if memory serves these along with the other exotics the seanchan possess come from different realities. So it is entirely possible that dragons still exist just not within the mainline reality?

 

I'd be interested in reading the part where it's mentioned that the Seanchan brought their creatures from another world. I didn't know they were proficient in the use of portal stones...and how would they bring them back??

 

 

BWB

When Luthair Paendrag's armies began their conquest of Seanchan, they confronted not only the terrifying Aes Sedai who freely used the Power as a military weapon, but strange beasts out of nightmare that flew at them from above or attacked them with claws and teeth, often tearing men from their saddles to devour them on the spot. From horned frog-creatures the size of large bears to horse-sized catlike animals, these creatures seemed as if they could only have come from the evil of Shadow. It was thus, between the Aes Sedai and the creatures believed to be some new kind of Shadowspawn, that the defenders of this new continent came to be known as the Armies of the Night.

 

These strange new creatures were not Shadowspawn at all, but the descendants of beasts brought back from parallel worlds, via Portal Stones, during the first thousand years after the Breaking, probably in an attempt to find aid against the real Shadowspawn. While the creatures' effectiveness was not recorded, it was during this same period that all remaining Shadowspawn on the continent were eradicated. The creatures remained, their care and training surviving through all the political upheavals until Luthair's arrival. The knowledge that allowed their procurement by way of the Portal Stones, however, was lost.

 

By the time Luthair invaded, such creatures as the grolm, torm, lopar, corlm, raken, and to'raken were used throughout the armies of the area. After his successful conquest, Luthair adopted them into his own armies, like his newly leashed damane. His descendants continue the tradition. The animals are currently maintained as an essential part of the military, with their handlers and trainers assured an honored place in the hierarchy.

 

Animal handlers or riders in Seanchan are known as morat, or "one who handles." A morat'grolm, for example, is a grolm handler. A trainer is called der'morat, as in der'morat'grolm. The word der means "experienced" or "master," and often denotes rank.