There is a .... in the Blight...

[Grimmauld]

I suppose something that may make a small amount sense now that we know where Taim got the stone for the Black Tower is that there is another Black Tower in the Blight - add to that the possibility that Verin has been there and has uncovered a 'white ajah' of supposed darkfriends who are actually fighting on the side of the light and using reverse 13x13 and you have another version of Jordan's balanced world. I also think it would be awesome - however, I find it highly unlikely but enjoyable conjecture.

[Neophyte]

I suppose something that may make a small amount sense now that we know where Taim got the stone for the Black Tower is that there is another Black Tower in the Blight - add to that the possibility that Verin has been there and has uncovered a 'white ajah' of supposed darkfriends who are actually fighting on the side of the light and using reverse 13x13 and you have another version of Jordan's balanced world. I also think it would be awesome - however, I find it highly unlikely but enjoyable conjecture.

 

I'm not sure I see a "reverse 13x13" happening ... what would be the Light's equivalent of a Myrddraal?

[Grimmauld]

Oh I don't see a reverse 13x13 happening either - and as for the light's equivalent of the Myrddraal I think the fact that the Myrddraal are out of phase with reality as Aginor puts it suggests that they should not have an equivalent within the pattern, hence reinforcing the wrongness of their creation

[Grimmauld]

Actually, I am really warming to the concept of there being a training facility for Dreadlords up there. Instituted by Ishmael in the times when he was free to roam after the breaking, he would keep it at a relatively small level for a number of reasons. Firstly, he would not wish to reappear to find an exceptionally strong channeler in control of the place with an army ready to displace him as chief of badness. Secondly, there is no major need to have a huge army permanently as they will be of no major use until the Dragon reappears - unless he wants to try controlling the entire world with the army until the Dragon does reappear - however this leads to a bigger version of problem one for him. Thirdly, it is quite possible that the DO is unable to offer the protection from the taint that the Forsaken possess until he is fully free - does he want too many crazed up channelers roaming around where they may actually destroy his trolloc and myrddraal armies? Then, as Ishy realises the Dragon is reborn, all the Aiel male channelers who have been put into status boxes or vacuoloes are released and placed into training mode after a quick bout of the game "have you met my thirteen Black sisters and their pet Myrddraal's?"

 

Yet a Black Tower in the Blight is only a partial surprise - the real shocker is that it has been infiltrated, hence the need for a 2 hour exposition to Wilson. Verin's letter to Alanna, which caused her to gate off north, revealed this spy mission and set up a meeting between Alanna and Verin's contact in the Blighted Black Tower, where she will rouse the Lightside chanelers in time for them to wipe out the massive trolloc army in Tarwin's Gap en route to battling the actual Black Tower as they assist in the pillage of Caemlyn, thereby showing how uselessly ineffective the Aes Sedai have become (highlighted by them sitting having a chat in the White Tower and at the Field of Merrilor while all this is playing out - definitely think Luckers would like this nose-thumbing at AS ineptitude).

 

Genuinely, I cannot see this happening in any way, shape or form - but I do like the idea.

[Tiberius]

Let's just hope it's not something completely mundane. And knowing how RJ was, I'd say a strip club is more likely than a strip mall. Just sayin..

[Stone Rocks Hold]

I think "Black Tower North / Aiel Shadow Sept" is a good guess. Depending on how far back it goes, it might explain the dreadlords during the Trolloc Wars, and how they were trained to use the power. It provides a good explanation for a good explanation of where Mazrim Taim comes from originally. The famous "so-called Aiel" line makes sense if the only Aiel you're familiar with are the red veiled darkfriend kind from up north. And it provides a lot of insight about what Ishy was up to for 3,000 years, since we're still largely in the dark about that.

 

If Black Tower North is akin to Tar Valon, we can probably assume that there are people up there who don't channel, too. (Maybe there are children of turned Aiel male channelers and borderlands women - either taken in raids or darkfriends. They would likely retain a lot of the Aiel warrior culture, with some twists.)

 

A city/nation in the blight raises some interesting questions, too, about its relationship to other lands - Shara, or maybe the people inhabiting Seanchan before Artur Hawkwing's armies arrived.

 

Secrecy would be important for a Blight city/nation, lest the rest of the world find out about it and unite to crush it.

[Zorlon]

Obviously it's Care-a-Lot, the home base of the Care Bears.

 

They're up there just waiting for a call to action.

[Orderofolde]

It would pretty much have to be city. I mean, it's the only thing that no one would expect not to be in the blight. We know there are waygates there,and stedding, and should have portal stones (Since they are pre AOL and were scattered around the world). What else could be in the blight, which is just a part of their world so in theory has all the normal things uninhabited land would have, that no one would expect? A human city. Especially considering it would have to be completely isolated and protected somehow (By the DO himself I'd assume), because no warder has ever seen it? Or seen it and lived to tell of it.

A City of Malkier. That might be an indicator, as Nyneve with her experiences being tested for Accepted had those visions of having Lan's baby named Joiya, and Malkier being whole, or at least the Seven Towers in the background. We know that the Ter'angreal used in testing has something to do with T'A'R, and shows the girls being tested their future. It would be some pretty wicked awesomeness if a force of Malkieri charged the forces in Tarwin's gap from behind, some rumor of their king being in trouble fighting there reaching them in time. I mean, people have vanished in the blight. Maybe one last city exists, and those few who reach it realize that they won't survive a trip back so they stay. I could see Aiel and other Borderlanders remaining and making a life for themselves. I never got the feeling that RJ's revelation was something to aid the DO. I always took the jaw-dropping revelation as being something really neat that lent hope for all.

 

Edited for the T'A'R reference I forgot.

[Vardar]

It would pretty much have to be city. I mean, it's the only thing that no one would expect not to be in the blight. We know there are waygates there,and stedding, and should have portal stones (Since they are pre AOL and were scattered around the world). What else could be in the blight, which is just a part of their world so in theory has all the normal things uninhabited land would have, that no one would expect? A human city. Especially considering it would have to be completely isolated and protected somehow (By the DO himself I'd assume), because no warder has ever seen it? Or seen it and lived to tell of it.

A City of Malkier. That might be an indicator, as Nyneve with her experiences being tested for Accepted had those visions of having Lan's baby named Joiya, and Malkier being whole, or at least the Seven Towers in the background. It would be some pretty wicked awesomeness if a force of Malkieri charged the forces in Tarwin's gap from behind, some rumor of their king being in trouble fighting there reaching them in time.

 

Wasn't Malikier pretty south in the blight. To avoid detection, the city would have to be pretty darn deep inside. I mean warders are always wandering about in there. It's hard to keep a nation a secret, even killing those who found it, eventually one would get away. The deeper in you have it the better.

[Stone Rocks Hold]

The Two Rivers folk pass what was formerly known as Malkier during their trek to the Eye of the World, do they not?

[Vardar]

The Two Rivers folk pass what was formerly known as Malkier during their trek to the Eye of the World, do they not?

 

The capital city. Not sure how far the country extended whichever way.

[Orderofolde]

The Two Rivers folk pass what was formerly known as Malkier during their trek to the Eye of the World, do they not?

They pass the thousand lakes and the Seven Towers, which were relatively south in Malkier iirc. They get to the base of the mountains and find the Green Man and the Eye of the World there. With worms and worse things in the high passes beyond there, I wonder what lies over the Mountains of Dhoom?

[mike hunt's here]

is randland round?

[Neophyte]

is randland round?

 

No. It's convex - it exists on the inner surface of a Dyson sphere (commonly known as "The Pattern"), with gravity being simulated by centripetal force. The stars they see are part of an artificial dimming mechanism used to create the illusion of day and night. There is a control tower for the sphere's systems in the Blight.

 

Incidentally, that's how the "Twice Dawns the Day" bit gets fulfilled. They find the control system during the party which breaks out after the DO gets the [Mother's Milk in a CUP] beaten out of him, and someone accidentally resets the sunrise.

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

sigh

[clu7ch]

I like the already mentioned idea of another doorframe, as FarShainMael already mentioned. People in this forum want us to be done with the Finn's and at the same time want it to be a shocking thing in the blight. a Doorframe could only be mentioned in passing for it to be tremendously vital. Moiraine, Cyndane, and probably most importantly, Moridin have all been through a doorframe recently, and have all been granted boons. As per Moridin, he entered finnland in a yet-unmentioned manner, beings the two known doorframes were fried. So maybe it's not important in the obvious manner, but more important as what has resulted from the doorway.

[Zorlon]

is randland round?

 

No. It's convex - it exists on the inner surface of a Dyson sphere (commonly known as "The Pattern"), with gravity being simulated by centripetal force. The stars they see are part of an artificial dimming mechanism used to create the illusion of day and night. There is a control tower for the sphere's systems in the Blight.

 

Incidentally, that's how the "Twice Dawns the Day" bit gets fulfilled. They find the control system during the party which breaks out after the DO gets the [Mother's Milk in a CUP] beaten out of him, and someone accidentally resets the sunrise.

This made me laugh.

[Neophyte]

is randland round?

 

No. It's convex - it exists on the inner surface of a Dyson sphere (commonly known as "The Pattern"), with gravity being simulated by centripetal force. The stars they see are part of an artificial dimming mechanism used to create the illusion of day and night. There is a control tower for the sphere's systems in the Blight.

 

Incidentally, that's how the "Twice Dawns the Day" bit gets fulfilled. They find the control system during the party which breaks out after the DO gets the [Mother's Milk in a CUP] beaten out of him, and someone accidentally resets the sunrise.

This made me laugh.

 

I was hoping someone would call me out on the inside of a Dyson sphere being concave, not convex, but either everyone got the joke and rolled with it, or no one took it seriously enough to notice. Probably the latter ...

 

Ah, the lonely land of subtlety ... when you do it right, few notice, and when folks notice, you probably didn't do it right.

[Jak o' the Shadows]

I think "Black Tower North / Aiel Shadow Sept" is a good guess. Depending on how far back it goes, it might explain the dreadlords during the Trolloc Wars, and how they were trained to use the power. It provides a good explanation for a good explanation of where Mazrim Taim comes from originally. The famous "so-called Aiel" line makes sense if the only Aiel you're familiar with are the red veiled darkfriend kind from up north. And it provides a lot of insight about what Ishy was up to for 3,000 years, since we're still largely in the dark about that.

 

If Black Tower North is akin to Tar Valon, we can probably assume that there are people up there who don't channel, too. (Maybe there are children of turned Aiel male channelers and borderlands women - either taken in raids or darkfriends. They would likely retain a lot of the Aiel warrior culture, with some twists.)

 

A city/nation in the blight raises some interesting questions, too, about its relationship to other lands - Shara, or maybe the people inhabiting Seanchan before Artur Hawkwing's armies arrived.

 

Secrecy would be important for a Blight city/nation, lest the rest of the world find out about it and unite to crush it.

 

I like the idea of a "Dark Tower" the opposite of Tar Valon.

[clu7ch]

The only problem with a dark tower is the significance. Unless it was already inhabited by well meaning male channelers, it'd just be a building, probably in need of a massive renovation.