ISAM

[Patrick Buley]

I'm rereading The Fires of Heaven and I'm at the point where Rand enters TAR in the flesh and becomes misty as LTT, or the memories of as we later learn, attempt to take over and reform Rand in LTT's image. This makes me wonder if this is some type of foreshadowing on how Isam and Luc switch forms. We've never saw IIRC Luc and Isam switching forms, we have however saw some of the results with the Battle for the Two Rivers when Perrin shot Isam in the wolfdream.

 

     "He felt odd. Insubstantial. He raised his arm, and stared. He could see the garden through coatsleeve and arm as through a mist. A mist that was thinning> When he glanced down, he could see the walk's paving stones through himself.

     No! It was noth his thought. An image began to coalesce. A tall, dark-eyed man with a worry-creased face and more white in his hair than brown. I am Lews Ther--

     I am Rand al'Thor, Rand broke in. He did not know what was happening, but the faint Dragon was beginning to fade from the mist arm held in front of his face. The arm began to look darker, the fingers on his hand longer. I am me That echoed in the Void. I am Rand al'Thor.

     He fought to picture himself in his own ,ind. struggled to make the image of what he saw in the mirror every day shaving, what he saw in a stand0mirror dressing, I was a frantic fight. He had never really looked at himself. The two images waxed and waned, the older dark-eyed man and the younger with blue-gray eyes. Slowly the younger image firmed, the older faded. Slowly his arm grew more solid."

 

Just something I found interesting to ponder on. I hope everyone else finds this thought of some use as we all prepare for AMOL's release.

 

[Danjaman]

To me, what makes the most sense, is that his wavering in TAR is caused by LTT taking over his thoughts. Since he is confused as to how two people can exist in one body, that confusion is mirrored in his physical existence.
As for Slayer, I think he knows full well who/what he is, and furthermore, understands TAR much better. I suppose it is possible that he switches forms by believing himself to be one or the other (or better yet, a voice-activated transformation sequence like "SLAYER TRANSFORM!" or "LUC MODE!") but I doubt it.
 

 We've never saw IIRC Luc and Isam switching forms

I don't have the quote with me, but we see it in Winter's Heart ( http://encyclopaedia-wot.org/books/wh/ch22.html )
 

[wotfan30]

Re-reading Winter's Heart - just read through the Isam/Luc POV where he steps out of TAR and kills the old couple in the inn Rand and co. just vacated. He consciously made the decision to switch from Isam to Luc and it seemed to happen instantaneously.

[Tsukibana]

What if Isam/Luc became a Grey Man (aka Soulless), and then the DO placed a new soul into that body? Or something similiar... we see a few people with no souls - Gray men, The Ogier touched by Machin'Shin, people kissed by a Draghkar.

[mrdravid]

Isn't ISAM referred to as the man with 2 souls (in TOM I think)?

[Crael123]

Gosh I am so pumped for resolution with him. He is my favorite character. Bad ass. He better get resolution.

[Tsukibana]

Isn't ISAM referred to as the man with 2 souls (in TOM I think)?

 

 correct. puts paid to my thought, huh :)

[MarkDiLillo]

That had nothing to do with LTT memories.  That was Rahvin attacking Rand in TAR with his TAR powers.

[TristanWebb]

That had nothing to do with LTT memories.  That was Rahvin attacking Rand in TAR with his TAR powers.

 

It is actually both. Rahvin was making him insubstantial, and Rand used the memories to reform himself, first going to LTT either because LTT is real and was trying to take over or because he thought LTT was real and trying to take over, then using the knowledge to reform himself.

[Rubberninja]

It is actually both. Rahvin was making him insubstantial, and Rand used the memories to reform himself, first going to LTT either because LTT is real and was trying to take over or because he thought LTT was real and trying to take over, then using the knowledge to reform himself.

I always assumed this was the case. Rahvin attacked Rand. LTT, knowing more of TAR than Rand, started to fight back before Rand could, and Rand reacted slower