Rand's key in ToM

[jack78]

Okay, I've been unable to find an answer to this on google, so here's my question: Rand destroys the male Choedan Kal at the end of the gathering storm, so what "key" is he using when he destroys Graendel's palace at the beginning of ToM? ToM specifically calls it a key, so I'm confused. If he still has the access key, but nothing for it to access, how can it still work and what would have been the point of destroying what it accessed? If it's the same key, is it just a powerful angreal now? I'm really confused. Appreciate the help.

[Suttree]

Okay, I've been unable to find an answer to this on google, so here's my question: Rand destroys the male Choedan Kal at the end of the gathering storm, so what "key" is he using when he destroys Graendel's palace at the beginning of ToM? ToM specifically calls it a key, so I'm confused. If he still has the access key, but nothing for it to access, how can it still work and what would have been the point of destroying what it accessed? If it's the same key, is it just a powerful angreal now? I'm really confused. Appreciate the help.

 

The timelines overlap...

[Roxinos]

Don't see how this can be confusing at all. In tGS, Rand destroys Natrin's Barrow. In the prologue of ToM, Rand again destroys Natrin's Barrow. It's quite clear that it's the same event from two different perspectives.

[FarShainMael]

Specifically, ToM prologue (or parts of it) correspond to Ch37 of TGS, 'A Force of Light'. Similarly, the last chapter of TGS, 'Veins of Gold', corresponds to ToM CH30, 'Men dream here'. There is a lot of overlap of the timelines, and it's quite difficult to keep track, though peopple are trying:

 

http://www.stevenac.net/wot/wotchron.htm

 

So this bit of the ToM prologue happens before Rand destroys the Choedan Kal on Dragonmount, in the timeframe of the story as a whole.

[yoniy0]

Yeah, even within ToM, I think Elayne appears in two different timelines in the wrong order (i.e., Egwene speaks with an Elayne that has already done some of the things we later see her doing). It was nightmarish.

[jack78]

Specifically, ToM prologue (or parts of it) correspond to Ch37 of TGS, 'A Force of Light'. Similarly, the last chapter of TGS, 'Veins of Gold', corresponds to ToM CH30, 'Men dream here'. There is a lot of overlap of the timelines, and it's quite difficult to keep track, though peopple are trying:

 

http://www.stevenac....ot/wotchron.htm

 

So this bit of the ToM prologue happens before Rand destroys the Choedan Kal on Dragonmount, in the timeframe of the story as a whole.

 

Thanks so much for the clarification. I haven't read tGS since the day it came out, but recently picked up ToM for the second time and was like... what? Had I went back to tGS and read it first, it might have cleared things up for me since I don't remember being confused the first time I read through ToM. So much time between novels I've had a hard time keeping track of things since Winter's Heart. Really appreciate the replies and the understanding. :) Here's hoping aMoL doesn't get pushed back again. ;)

[Suttree]

Thanks so much for the clarification. I haven't read tGS since the day it came out, but recently picked up ToM for the second time and was like... what?

 

Don't feel bad, there were serious issues with the timeline. To say it was a mess would be an understatement...

[Roxinos]

Now I feel like a jerk. :(

 

I never really had any issues with the timeline. Maybe that's just 'cause I'm an incredibly passive reader. Oh well.