Logicaly either the DO is a tool or the Light can win for all time.

[OptimusPrime]

The best explanation I've seen for the nature of Randland is an analogy comparing Randland to a shield (channeling shield) over the DO. The Creator and the DO are ethereal beings. Think of the Creator as a channeler that has shielded the DO. The weave holding the DO is the weave that is the pattern of time in Randland. The people of Randland are the threads that make up that weave. As the people are healthy and holy and good the weave is strong and absolute, allowing the DO very little ability to fight against it. As the people waver and fear the weave becomes weaker. As the weave becomes weaker the DO has more power to search for the way to break free of that weave. The soft spot in the shield is Rand. The DO can only win (free himself) if he takes over that soft spot and uses it to break the shield/weave/Randland. IIRC the three possible outcomes from TG are Light wins, tie, or DO wins. The DO has never won but if he did win it means the end of Randland. Ties have happened and lead to destruction of everything but not the freedom of the DO so Randland continues. Light wins meaning the DO is sealed away and harmony continues until he builds back his strength to strike again. If I am wrong on these please let me know.

 

The end all be all to this point is that Randland can only exist if there is a DO for it to be the shield of, so if the DO was truely banished - say that the soft spot (Rand) pushed back so hard against the DO that it severed him from the source then Randland would cease to exist because you cannot shield someone who cannot channel.

 

This is definitely not a perfect theory and leads to a lot more debate. One of my main concerns is why would the DO not want his minions using balefire since it would destroy the weave holding him thus setting him free, but this can be answered as the DO is afraid that him being freed any other way than by doing it himself might cause some ill effect on him. This theory also leads me to wonder if the True Power the DO can grant to people is the OP of his and the Creator's world and that is why it is so powerful, but also leads the question of if he is shielded how can he grant that power to people. This may be answered that him granting poeple the TP (his OP) is just like when a Randland channeler feels around the shield trying to find a way to break it.

 

Anyways those are just crazy ideas but adds a little bit to your question.

 

Twas me whole posted the shield analogy.

 

The thing I would say regarding the Dark One getting his minions to balefire everything, I think that doesnt really counter the theory in any way because that question is a viable one even if the theory isnt true. Why ISNT the Dark One getting the Chosen to just balefire stuff? Its because the aftermath is unpredictable. The Dark One has to pick his moment very carefully in this game, all he has is ONE moment when he confronts Rand. The rest is preparation for that moment. Ideally he would have the Forsaken running round balefiring at the moment he is confronting Rand, not before. Because then the Wheel would have time to react.

 

As I understand the comment about the True Power, well, it certainly isnt natural to the Pattern but thats where Lanfear came in when she drilled the Bore. She pierced the viel, hacked into the prison, and found the Dark One. She was looking for another Power that might be usable by both genders IIRC, and she found it. Thats why the Dark One can grant True Power access. Thing is, the real flaw on the prison Lews Therin built is that the seals are made of cuendillar (ironic, as that was painted as their strength). Brandon said that cuendillar is vulnerable to the True Power, he said that on Twitter I believe, and this is why True Power access wasnt lost and this is, I believe, one of the reasons that the seals were weakening; How much True Power must Ishamael have channeled in order to end up with the fiery caves on his face? Enough to weaken the Seals is my bet.