Capital Letters

[Darth Tron]

I confess I'm completely at a loss as the significance/meaning of:

 

""The Light blind you, Ba'alzamon! This has to end!"

IT IS NOT HERE.

It was not Rand's thought, making his skull vibrate.

I WILL TAKE NO PART. ONLY THE CHOSEN ONE CAN DO WHAT MUST BE DONE, IF

HE WILL.

"Where?" He did not want to say it, but he could not stop himself. "Where?"

The haze surrounding him parted, leaving a dome of clear, clean air ten spans high, walled by billowing

smoke and dust. Steps rose before him, each standing alone and unsupported, stretching up into the

murk that obscured the sun.

NOT HERE."

 

Anyone got any idea what's goin on here? Is that the Creator, is this going to pop up in AMOL, etc...

[Orderofolde]

I've seen it posted elsewhere that this was stated to not be the creator, the creator takes no active part in anything. Some said it was LTT's voice but to me the tone is just all wrong. Rand doesn't channel the gateway for skimming/the stairs, it appears. Could be someone trying to guide him or influence him, or it could be an earlier oops that RJ strongly denied. There's been others.

[OptimusPrime]

It wasnt said that it wasnt the Creator, RJ just said he refused to confirm it. He also said something along the lines of "Who says the Creator doesnt take an interest."

[Din]

I think most people when they first read that scene naturally think it's the Creator but the only precedent from the books we can be sure of is the Dark One.

[FarShainMael]

Because the voice speaks IN CAPITALS like the Dark One? Surely that's required by the theme of balance in all things that runs throughout the series.

[MattHildenbrandt]

my guess is strongly denied oops. IIRC tEotW was written as a stand alone initially. which allows us to believe ishy is actually the DO, and that this could actually be TG, until Tor gets on board with the rest of the series, at least. when read in that context, it certainly appears to be the creator, who moves the fight into TAR (forgive the inconsistency, I know the world of dreams isn't even named until later on)

[Eht Slat Meit]

Rand called upon the Light to blind Ba'alzamon, and for some unexplained reason the Light responded/resonated; that response being denial of the duty to take on that task. Rand is the Chosen One, the vessel of the Light. Perhaps the Light, like the Shadow, has a sentience of its own?

 

That's how I see it.

[Suttree]

I've seen it posted elsewhere that this was stated to not be the creator, the creator takes no active part in anything.

 

RJ never denied that it was the creator strongly or otherwise.

 

Barnes and Noble chat 19 October 1998

 

 

Phoenix from Chico, CA: Mr. Jordan: First Congratulations on your new book. I'm absolutely dying to read it and I'm sure it will be as awesome as the rest. My question regards The Eye of the World: Near the end of the book Rand hears a voice that vibrates his skull with its intensity. Was that the Creator taking to him? I believe the voice even said "I WILL TAKE NO PART . . . ."

 

RJ: Read and find out. Ain't I a stinker?

 

It seems very likely that it is the creator based on the caps and on the theory that...

 

East of the Sun Con, Stockholm, Sweden 17 June 1995 - Helena Löfgren interview

 

 

On the question of the "alignment" of the characters, he said that there are no completely good character in the books, as he thought such a character would be completely boring, and would probably be killed rather quickly, like other fully good persons in the world. He took Jesus as example of this. Instead, every person struggles with the good and bad sides of his/her personality. Another point he pressed was that "no one's going to rescue you", there are not going to happen any miracles. The Creator shaped the world and set the rules, but does not interfere. Humankind messed things up, and has to fix it too, as well as finding the truth themselves.

[Ala Rubra]

Rand doesn't channel the gateway for skimming/the stairs, it appears.

 

I don't have the exact quote, but Rand believes that it was himself skimming for the first time. I'm pretty sure it's in LoC.

[Kahsm]

I think it was the creator, but it wasn't an "active" thing. It was like a message left on the Dragon's answering machine. The "pattern level event" was triggered, and it played the message for "the chosen one". So it still works that he doesn't take part, cause the message was originally "recorded" upon creation.

 

As for the stairs, I started a thread on this awhile ago.

[Leyrann]

my guess is strongly denied oops. IIRC tEotW was written as a stand alone initially. which allows us to believe ishy is actually the DO, and that this could actually be TG, until Tor gets on board with the rest of the series, at least. when read in that context, it certainly appears to be the creator, who moves the fight into TAR (forgive the inconsistency, I know the world of dreams isn't even named until later on)

 

It wasn't meant as a stand-alone. It was first meant as a trilogy, but before the release of TEotW, it was already planned to make six books. And how about those other eleven Forsaken that would still live in that case?

 

I've seen it posted elsewhere that this was stated to not be the creator, the creator takes no active part in anything.

 

RJ never denied that it was the creator strongly or otherwise.

 

Barnes and Noble chat 19 October 1998

 

 

Phoenix from Chico, CA: Mr. Jordan: First Congratulations on your new book. I'm absolutely dying to read it and I'm sure it will be as awesome as the rest. My question regards The Eye of the World: Near the end of the book Rand hears a voice that vibrates his skull with its intensity. Was that the Creator taking to him? I believe the voice even said "I WILL TAKE NO PART . . . ."

 

RJ: Read and find out. Ain't I a stinker?

 

It seems very likely that it is the creator based on the caps and on the theory that...

 

RAFO... At least we can assume THAT we find out anything about it. A RAFO is also information.

[Orderofolde]

A few things pop into my mind. Rand gets 13x13'd and is at the last battle killing his friends again and the Creator's voice/influence convinces him to turn back, or he is struggling and doubting himself, something to that whole internal struggle in a pivotal moment and hears the voice again. As of LOC Rand begins using words he's never used before, but it would be a stretch for LTT in the Eotw. Hopefully it isn't a Matrix moment where Rand is convinced to restart the cycle all over again. Maybe he breaks the wheel himself and allows TIME TO BECOME LINEAR.

 

Either way, it will be tied up in the next book or at least answered. But then again RJ seemed to think we could figure out the whodunnit on Asmodean, too...maybe someone should start a thread on all the RAFO's we've received that haven't been answered yet. That would be fun to pass the time.

[kght22]

hehehehe, if shai'tan is a character, based on what rj himself said, can he be totally evil?

[Nightstrike]

The Gathering Storm Book Tour, Books and Co., Dayton, OH 11 November 2009 - Tim Kington reporting

 

Q: In Falme we saw Rand fighting Ishamael and the Heroes of the Horn and the Seanchan were mirroring the progress of the battle. Does this mean that there is something inherently evil about the Seanchan Empire?

A: Nobody in WoT is inherently evil, except for Shadowspawn. At the time, the Seanchan were being led by a Darkfriend.

The DO isn't a Shadowspawn, but I think He/She/It must be really evil anyway.

[kght22]

The Gathering Storm Book Tour, Books and Co., Dayton, OH 11 November 2009 - Tim Kington reporting

 

Q: In Falme we saw Rand fighting Ishamael and the Heroes of the Horn and the Seanchan were mirroring the progress of the battle. Does this mean that there is something inherently evil about the Seanchan Empire?

A: Nobody in WoT is inherently evil, except for Shadowspawn. At the time, the Seanchan were being led by a Darkfriend.

The DO isn't a Shadowspawn, but I think He/She/It must be really evil anyway.

 

very fair, was just a chuckle of thought.