Full Chapter One Spoilers!!! Sign Contest

[username13]

ok warning the post below is going to be extra silly and lame

 

hey the DO will break free but this is crazy....so here is the Dragon Reborn so don't you worry....

 

Love it!

[Pinzarn]

THIS ENTIRE THREAD DEALS WITH A SPOILER FROM THE FIRST CHAPTER OF AMOL. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

 

 

 

 

In the first chapter of AMoL, we read this:

 

“Tell the people,” Rand said to his clerks. “Post warnings. Earthquakes will continue. Storms. Real ones, terrible ones. There will be a Breaking, and we cannot avoid it. The Dark One will try to grind this world to dust.”

 

I'm on the record elsewhere as being of the opinion that Last Battle signage is an absurd waste of time. However, a number of folks have disagreed with me, and that is a thing which reasonable people can do. So, the purpose of this thread is to give everyone an opportunity to post exactly what they think should be written on the signs, and maybe where they should be put and how they should be distributed.

 

Feel free to be creative. This doesn't have to be a serious conversation.

 

I just can't believe some of the smallest things that people get hung up on.

[Neophyte]

THIS ENTIRE THREAD DEALS WITH A SPOILER FROM THE FIRST CHAPTER OF AMOL. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

 

 

 

 

In the first chapter of AMoL, we read this:

 

“Tell the people,” Rand said to his clerks. “Post warnings. Earthquakes will continue. Storms. Real ones, terrible ones. There will be a Breaking, and we cannot avoid it. The Dark One will try to grind this world to dust.”

 

I'm on the record elsewhere as being of the opinion that Last Battle signage is an absurd waste of time. However, a number of folks have disagreed with me, and that is a thing which reasonable people can do. So, the purpose of this thread is to give everyone an opportunity to post exactly what they think should be written on the signs, and maybe where they should be put and how they should be distributed.

 

Feel free to be creative. This doesn't have to be a serious conversation.

 

I just can't believe some of the smallest things that people get hung up on.

 

Hey, if you can't have fun with the little things ...

[78WARLOCK]

" Duck and Cover people ! "

[sleepinghour]

The first one was deemed too risqué for Dragonmount, so here's a more PG-rated version:

 

[Terez]

lol, poor Olver.

[Pilz]

LOL! I was just wondering where Olver and Setalle were.

[What's a Seawolf?]

The first one was deemed too risqué for Dragonmount, so here's a more PG-rated version:

 

 

:laugh:

You know...I can actually envision Mat putting up a sign like that.

[Wheel of Thyme]

1) DON'T PANIC

2) Know the location of the nearest towel.

[snooze1128]

[Rocky_Outcrop]

I'm amazed that people are finding it so difficult to imagine signs being posted and I am stunned that people think its silly.

 

Can no one remember the isolation that Rand and Tam lived in, they were on their own miles from town. There are very high literacy levels in the WoT. These people who live near no one and can read, what shall we do to tell them? Visit them all individually door-to-door? If that's what people expect then they're crazy.

 

What about 'wanted' posters from your own recent American history, I suppose you all think these things were just as silly?

 

Edited to add - great signs by the way ;-)

[Neophyte]

I'm amazed that people are finding it so difficult to imagine signs being posted and I am stunned that people think its silly.

 

Can no one remember the isolation that Rand and Tam lived in, they were on their own miles from town. There are very high literacy levels in the WoT. These people who live near no one and can read, what shall we do to tell them? Visit them all individually door-to-door? If that's what people expect then they're crazy.

 

What about 'wanted' posters from your own recent American history, I suppose you all think these things were just as silly?

 

The reason that I think this proposition is silly is because of the nature of the information to be conveyed, not because signs are inherently silly.

 

Look at what Rand is saying the people need to be warned about: Earthquakes, storms, and the world being ground to dust. Fionwe1987 keeps talking about a message of reassurance, but not only so I think that signs are a poor way to do that, but Rand didn't say anything about reassurance to start with. What is the point of posting a sign warning about things that 1) anyone who can see thunder and hear lightning already knows about and 2) the people can't do a bloody thing about anyway?

 

Wanted posters gave potentially useful information, though the truth is that they were never terribly useful tools. And you're right that it is impractical and silly to go "door-to door" to tell the people about possible earthquakes and storms, for the same reason that it's silly to put up signs: everyone already knows.

[Rootbeer]

Okay, I'll bite.

 

What full chapter 1? I thought Tor only released a 1/10th of a chapter to tease/torture us.

[MasterAblar]

Okay, I'll bite.

 

What full chapter 1? I thought Tor only released a 1/10th of a chapter to tease/torture us.

 

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/09/read-qeastward-the-wind-blewq-the-first-chapter-of-a-memory-of-light

[Rootbeer]

Okay, I'll bite.

 

What full chapter 1? I thought Tor only released a 1/10th of a chapter to tease/torture us.

 

http://www.tor.com/b...memory-of-light

Thanks.

 

I can't believe this hadn't made front page news.

[yoniy0]

I can't believe this hadn't made front page news.

Oh, but it has. It was simply pushed a little ways down by a couple of stickies. It's all the way down, now.

[FarShainMael]

ninja'd comprehensively by finnland.........

[FarShainMael]

1) DON'T PANIC

2) Know the location of the nearest towel.

 

Very hoopy, frood!

[FarShainMael]

I'm amazed that people are finding it so difficult to imagine signs being posted and I am stunned that people think its silly.

 

Can no one remember the isolation that Rand and Tam lived in, they were on their own miles from town. There are very high literacy levels in the WoT. These people who live near no one and can read, what shall we do to tell them? Visit them all individually door-to-door? If that's what people expect then they're crazy.

 

What about 'wanted' posters from your own recent American history, I suppose you all think these things were just as silly?

 

The reason that I think this proposition is silly is because of the nature of the information to be conveyed, not because signs are inherently silly.

 

Look at what Rand is saying the people need to be warned about: Earthquakes, storms, and the world being ground to dust. Fionwe1987 keeps talking about a message of reassurance, but not only so I think that signs are a poor way to do that, but Rand didn't say anything about reassurance to start with. What is the point of posting a sign warning about things that 1) anyone who can see thunder and hear lightning already knows about and 2) the people can't do a bloody thing about anyway?

 

Wanted posters gave potentially useful information, though the truth is that they were never terribly useful tools. And you're right that it is impractical and silly to go "door-to door" to tell the people about possible earthquakes and storms, for the same reason that it's silly to put up signs: everyone already knows.

 

What it does is tell people that the authorities (Rand) are expecting these things to happen and are ready to deal with them or at least their effects. It gives the people a bit of hope.

 

finnland mentioned the 'keep calm and carry on' poster which was originally a quite serious attempt by the British Ministry of Information during the Second World War to keep morale up and prevent rioting and chaos:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keep_Calm_and_Carry_On

 

This sort of thing did seem to work, during the months of bombing that followed. OK, it wasn't the One Power causing earthquakes, it was bombs and rockets, but the result if you were on the receiving end was pretty much the same.

 

I can recommend the film 'Battle of Britain' to the historically-minded.

[Neophyte]

What it does is tell people that the authorities (Rand) are expecting these things to happen and are ready to deal with them or at least their effects. It gives the people a bit of hope.

 

finnland mentioned the 'keep calm and carry on' poster which was originally a quite serious attempt by the British Ministry of Information during the Second World War to keep morale up and prevent rioting and chaos:

 

http://en.wikipedia....lm_and_Carry_On

 

This sort of thing did seem to work, during the months of bombing that followed. OK, it wasn't the One Power causing earthquakes, it was bombs and rockets, but the result if you were on the receiving end was pretty much the same.

 

I can recommend the film 'Battle of Britain' to the historically-minded.

 

I'm going to respond to the parts of the quote which I have bolded, which contain the last reason that I think the idea of putting up signs is silly.

 

The "Second World War" as a whole lasted for years, and the "Battle of Britain" in particular lasted for months. Does anyone (besides Egwene, apparently) really think that we have that long before the Last Battle? Or that the Last Battle itself will last that long?*

 

It would take time to produce and disperse those signs. For them to get to every little village would take months, even if you had channelers who can travel dedicated to the task. Not only do they not have that kind of time, but in the time which does remain (weeks? maybe mere days?) is that really the most effective use of those resources?

 

If Rand just wants to get a message of hope to the folks at the Field of Merrilor, a good speech with Power-enhanced volume would be a much more effective means. Otherwise, just go and actually save the world, and the Dark One won't be grinding it to dust anymore.

 

*I know that the clean-up after the Last Battle could go on for decades, but the earthquakes and storms are the direct result of the Dark One's touch. They only have a matter of days to take care of that, it seems.

[FarShainMael]

You make an interesting point: how long will it take to defeat the Dark One? By 'defeat' I mean close or reseal the Bore so that the DO can no longer touch the world.

 

I really don't know the answer to this. For one thing we (and Rand, apparently) do not yet know how that is to be accomplished. If Rand tries to reseal, he will need to have new seals made (first finding out how to do this) and brought to Shayol Ghul, against the efforts of massed Darkside forces trying to prevent it. Then he has to get the seals into place. I see this taking weeks rather than days.

 

If he decides that he needs to close the Bore rather than patch it, what resources will he need? Is it as simple as a Callandor-powered weave? Or does he need backup, such as a massed choir of Tinkers and Ogier to Sing the Bore shut? If so, again that will take time to organise, including finding out how to do it.

 

And I would really hate it if a quick-fix rabbit suddenly emerged from a hat..

[Neophyte]

You make an interesting point: how long will it take to defeat the Dark One? By 'defeat' I mean close or reseal the Bore so that the DO can no longer touch the world.

 

I really don't know the answer to this. For one thing we (and Rand, apparently) do not yet know how that is to be accomplished. If Rand tries to reseal, he will need to have new seals made (first finding out how to do this) and brought to Shayol Ghul, against the efforts of massed Darkside forces trying to prevent it. Then he has to get the seals into place. I see this taking weeks rather than days.

 

If he decides that he needs to close the Bore rather than patch it, what resources will he need? Is it as simple as a Callandor-powered weave? Or does he need backup, such as a massed choir of Tinkers and Ogier to Sing the Bore shut? If so, again that will take time to organise, including finding out how to do it.

 

And I would really hate it if a quick-fix rabbit suddenly emerged from a hat..

 

There won't be any "new seals made." The prison has to be remade in it's original form, not re-sealed. Whatever it is (and there are plenty of theories out there) he doesn't have months, and he certainly doesn't have years, so whether it is weeks or merely days is kind of moot for this particular question.

 

Whatever he has to actually do shouldn't take long at all - I don't imagine that either the world or the Dragon could withstand a lengthy direct confrontation with the Dark One. (Much like the Cleansing - once he started a few hours and it was done. He wouldn't have lasted if it took much longer.) The question is how long it takes to figure it out, and I imagine that some vital intelligence in that direction just emerged from Sindhol with Moiraine. Would you consider that "a quick-fix rabbit suddenly emerg[ing] from a hat"?

 

I would be surprised if the confrontation with the Dark One was not finished within a week of the meeting at the Field of Merrilor. Much longer than that and it is unlikely that there will be a world left to put those signs up in. As Moridin said, one way or another, "This is the end."

[FarShainMael]

'A lengthy direct confrontation'.. Recall how long was the interval at the end of the AoL between the opening of the Bore and the Strike at Shayol Ghul. The entry in EncWoT says

 

After the creation of the Bore fifty to one hundred years passed before the actual beginning of the War of the Shadow. During the first three years the Shadow made great gains and large parts of the world fell. Much of what had been lost was retaken over the next four years, but after a yearlong stalemate the Shadow began to advance again.

 

There were two plans for ending the war. The first, proposed by Lews Therin, was to seal the Bore with seven cuendillar Seals utilizing a circle of seven female and six male Aes Sedai. The second plan was to use two huge sa'angreal, one attuned to saidin and one to saidar, to destroy the Shadow's forces and erect a barrier around Shayol Ghul until there was a safe method to permanently seal the Bore. The giant statue sa'angreal were so powerful that using them required special control statue ter'angreal which were assembled in an area far removed.

 

During that 50-100 years the Dark One was in more direct contact with the world than It is now.

 

We need to consider how/if the present situation is different to what it was then. Is the Bore bigger? Is there something else helping the DO to reach out? Anything else that might affect the situation?

 

Regarding Moiraine: Since we have been leading up to that from as far back as Mat's encounter with the Aelfinn in Tear:

 

To give up half the light of the world to save the world

 

that would be some rabbit..

 

But that's no guarantee of speed either. I'm guessing that the remaking will involve shaping the Pattern somehow, no doubt with the assistance of all three ta'veren, but I don't see it snapping into place in an eyeblink.

[Neophyte]

'A lengthy direct confrontation'.. Recall how long was the interval at the end of the AoL between the opening of the Bore and the Strike at Shayol Ghul. The entry in EncWoT says

 

After the creation of the Bore fifty to one hundred years passed before the actual beginning of the War of the Shadow. During the first three years the Shadow made great gains and large parts of the world fell. Much of what had been lost was retaken over the next four years, but after a yearlong stalemate the Shadow began to advance again.

 

There were two plans for ending the war. The first, proposed by Lews Therin, was to seal the Bore with seven cuendillar Seals utilizing a circle of seven female and six male Aes Sedai. The second plan was to use two huge sa'angreal, one attuned to saidin and one to saidar, to destroy the Shadow's forces and erect a barrier around Shayol Ghul until there was a safe method to permanently seal the Bore. The giant statue sa'angreal were so powerful that using them required special control statue ter'angreal which were assembled in an area far removed.

 

During that 50-100 years the Dark One was in more direct contact with the world than It is now.

 

We need to consider how/if the present situation is different to what it was then. Is the Bore bigger? Is there something else helping the DO to reach out? Anything else that might affect the situation?

 

Regarding Moiraine: Since we have been leading up to that from as far back as Mat's encounter with the Aelfinn in Tear:

 

To give up half the light of the world to save the world

 

that would be some rabbit..

 

But that's no guarantee of speed either. I'm guessing that the remaking will involve shaping the Pattern somehow, no doubt with the assistance of all three ta'veren, but I don't see it snapping into place in an eyeblink.

 

You say that "During that 50-100 years the Dark One was in more direct contact with the world than It is now." That's simply not the case. The Dark One was not in as much contact with the world for the entire 100+ years of the Collapse following the creation of the Bore. The sky was not completely covered in clouds for a full century. Food was not spoiling within days for an entire century or no humans would have been left alive at the end of it. The evidence is that the Dark One's touch is extremely close to tearing reality apart, right now.

 

When the Bore was first created, it was tiny (in metaphorical terms of the Dark One's ability to reach through - the Bore has no physical "size" of course). It grew, very, very slowly at first, and then seems to have accelerated near the end of the War of the Shadow, coming very close to a "critical mass." When the seals were placed in it, they arrested its growth, but they didn't shrink it either. When it is opened now, the Bore will already be at the same "size," near that critical mass. The destruction will not be instantaneous, but it won't take months either. Whatever they have to do, they need to do it quickly.

 

And you've misunderstood what I meant by "direct confrontation." I mean Rand standing in Shayol Ghul, directly confronting the Dark One. That is not what was happening for the 100+ years of the Collapse and the War of the Shadow. The only "direct confrontation" that Lews Therin had with the Dark One was the actual Strike on Shayol Ghul, which took only a single day in its execution.

 

The ultimate solution may not "snap into place in an eyeblink," but as you point out, we're at the end of a long process already. Events now are the climax of things that have been building for the entire series - and they need to go ahead and happen pretty quickly, or the world is going to be done for.

[FarShainMael]

I'm now wondering why Moiraine wasn't jumping up and down on Mat and demanding to be taken to Rand immediately if not sooner. Instead, she takes time out to ask Thom to marry her! She just says 'For now, we will need to seek out Rand'. She says that with the bracelet she will be even stronger in the Power than before she was taken. She knows Travelling is possible, so she should be able to work out how to do it (might she have asked the 'finns for that knowledge?) and the bracelet would give her the necessary power. But she doesn't seem to be in any hurry at all.