Watcher in ACoS

[louigie15]

Ok, I finally realized I do not know who this character is. In ACoS, chapter 20, he is observing Sammael and Graendal after they meet with Sevanna and her Shaido clan wisewomen. He sees black flecks which is the price for using the True Power. Later he rips a hole in the fabric withthe True Power and steps outside the Pattern. Is he channeling? So who is he?

[Suttree]

Ok, I finally realized I do not know who this character is. In ACoS, chapter 20, he is observing Sammael and Graendal after they meet with Sevanna and her Shaido clan wisewomen. He sees black flecks which is the price for using the True Power. Later he rips a hole in the fabric withthe True Power and steps outside the Pattern. Is he channeling? So who is he?

 

Moridin

[ShowMeYourRage]

The Dark One.

 

Why would the author need to hide Moridins identity in that scene? He's spying on the other Chosen, isn't that what the Nae'blis is meant to do? The author had to have some reason to not state outright that it was Moridin, if it was him. Same applies for Shaidar.

 

I take from that scene that the Watcher is not human, or perhaps not fully present. Firstly, why would Moridin not have trouble passing through the forest when Sammael and Graendal clearly do? If memory serves, the Watcher doesn't ever mention having to physically do anything. It just glides along, paying full attention to the conversation and none whatsoever on where to stand in order to be silent. making no sound whatsoever. Secondly, I don't believe Ishamael could smell the difference between saidin and saidar, because there are too many times where this could be referenced again. He hasn't noted that ever when he has clearly been in the presence of people channeling, like when the others turn up at their meetings. Granted, some of them are in the World of Dreams, but not all of them. People arrive by channeling, and no odors have been noted by Moridin, ever.

 

I think it is the Dark One looking through Shaidars proverbial eyes.

[Roxinos]

The Dark One.

 

You're wrong, and I'll go through how we know.

 

Why would the author need to hide Moridins identity in that scene? He's spying on the other Chosen, isn't that what the Nae'blis is meant to do? The author had to have some reason to not state outright that it was Moridin, if it was him. Same applies for Shaidar.

 

Because we had not been introduced to Moridin yet. In fact, this is his very first appearance. The whole purpose was to prevent you from immediately knowing that the Watcher who appears at the end of aCoS and crosses a True Power stream of balefire with Rand's stream is really the Chosen named Moridin who used to be named Ishamael.

 

I take from that scene that the Watcher is not human, or perhaps not fully present.

 

And why do you take this? As far as I'm aware, there's nothing in the description to indicate it's a Myrddraal. And considering we'd been introduced to Shaidar Haran already, there's even less reason for RJ to use the pseudonym "The Watcher."

 

Firstly, why would Moridin not have trouble passing through the forest when Sammael and Graendal clearly do? If memory serves, the Watcher doesn't ever mention having to physically do anything. It just glides along, paying full attention to the conversation and none whatsoever on where to stand in order to be silent. making no sound whatsoever.

 

It seems like you're making a whole lot out of nothing. The whole tone of The Watcher's bits (when he encounters Rand at the end of that book, when he watches the Super Girls, and in this scene) are that of mystery. And the whole scene is focusing on Sammael and Graendal, they're just being presented through another's eyes.

 

Secondly, I don't believe Ishamael could smell the difference between saidin and saidar, because there are too many times where this could be referenced again. He hasn't noted that ever when he has clearly been in the presence of people channeling, like when the others turn up at their meetings. Granted, some of them are in the World of Dreams, but not all of them. People arrive by channeling, and no odors have been noted by Moridin, ever.

 

I don't even know what this is referencing. Are you talking about the bit about the Watcher feeling when saidar was being channeled? You do know that men can feel when women channel, right?

 

I think it is the Dark One looking through Shaidars proverbial eyes.

 

To finish up: the number two reason it can't be Shaidar Haran is simple: at the end of the scene the Watcher opens a gateway and goes through it. Myrddraal cannot channel and Shadowspawn cannot travel through gateways without dying.

 

You want to say "well, he was using the True Power, and there's no reason to believe that Shaidar Haran cannot channel the True Power, and there's no reason to believe that Shaidar Haran cannot use gateways made by the True Power to travel."

 

I would say, you're right about the first bit. There's no reason to believe that Shaidar Haran does not have access to the True Power. But why in the hell would a Myrddraal need to use a gateway? They can travel through shadows.

 

Moreover, why in the hell would a Myrddraal need to wear fancloth? They can hide in the shadows.

 

Wanna know what the number one reason the Watcher cannot be Shaidar Haran?

 

The fancloth he's wearing? It's covering his whole body except his eyes. Myrddraal don't have eyes.

[ShowMeYourRage]

Ok, clearly my memory isn't as good as I thought. I think I'm getting mixed up between Shaidar and the Watchers One Power awareness, if you can call it that.

 

I'm not convinced the Watcher is Moridin though, not yet. Maybe I should do a reread.

[Roxinos]

You might want to read this: http://wotfaq.dragonmount.com/node/42

[bsmnt23]

Morridin is more than a little half-crazy by any definition, and he's used so many names over the millenia of his life that his concept of an Identity is probably the same as my concept of pants; purely optional. The PoV doesnt name the character watching, but then when do you think of your own name when you are entertaining an inner monologue?

[dazparra]

the Watcher is Moridin... that is obvious