Discuss the Shadow (Full Spoilers)

[megalomax]

 

 

 

 

 

 

It could be that Luc and Isam were melded together with the True Power? Having two souls would give him more willpower in TAR, and therefore more control, given that he would have more willpower to use there or whatever. Or perhaps they were melded with a Darkhound or something. That would make his statement to Perrin about being similar to him make sense.

 

But my real question is... What happened to Shaidar Haran? Where did he go? Why did he not show up even once in aMoL? What was his purpose?

He had a very brief appearance... or at least his corpse did. When Rand enters Shayol Ghul and sees the giant gaping hole that is the Dark One, Moridin references the corpse and how the Dark One doesn't need it anymore.

I was hoping that Shaidar Haran would rebel. I seem to remember reading that he hated the link he had with Thakandar and that he was looking for a way to break it.

Shaidar Haran was the DO. The DO put a part of itself into the body of a Myrddraal which allowed it to wander round while still mostly contained by the Seals.

 

When the DO became strong enough, the body was no longer needed.

 

That passage from Shaidar Haran was the DO wanting to be free from the prison bound at Shayol Ghul.

I must have read it differently. There were several occasions that showed shaidar haran as a separate entity like when he escorted Demandred into the pit of dhoom to receive his instructions. If I remember correctly DO was talking sending waves of ecstasy to Demandred while Shaidar watched.

 

He also made Moggy's mind trap it didn't look like it was the DO. Afterwards he swung moggy into a vacoule.

[wRAR]

Moridin: believe it or not, I felt more sorry for Elan than anyone else in the series, the guy just wants to die and be over with it, though I don't understand why he can't just turn back to the light side and not be the shadow champion, it was really sad when he said the DO punished him by bringing him back to life! I actually hoped Rand would balefire him and release him forever, in fact, why hadn't Moriden thought of balefire, I bet if he asked the other forsaken to BF him they would be more than happy to do so!

I have no idea how does it work but balefire doesn't destroy the soul.

[Suttree]

 

 

 

 

 

 

It could be that Luc and Isam were melded together with the True Power? Having two souls would give him more willpower in TAR, and therefore more control, given that he would have more willpower to use there or whatever. Or perhaps they were melded with a Darkhound or something. That would make his statement to Perrin about being similar to him make sense.

 

But my real question is... What happened to Shaidar Haran? Where did he go? Why did he not show up even once in aMoL? What was his purpose?

He had a very brief appearance... or at least his corpse did. When Rand enters Shayol Ghul and sees the giant gaping hole that is the Dark One, Moridin references the corpse and how the Dark One doesn't need it anymore.

I was hoping that Shaidar Haran would rebel. I seem to remember reading that he hated the link he had with Thakandar and that he was looking for a way to break it.

Shaidar Haran was the DO. The DO put a part of itself into the body of a Myrddraal which allowed it to wander round while still mostly contained by the Seals.

 

When the DO became strong enough, the body was no longer needed.

 

That passage from Shaidar Haran was the DO wanting to be free from the prison bound at Shayol Ghul.

I must have read it differently. There were several occasions that showed shaidar haran as a separate entity like when he escorted Demandred into the pit of dhoom to receive his instructions. If I remember correctly DO was talking sending waves of ecstasy to Demandred while Shaidar watched.

 

He also made Moggy's mind trap it didn't look like it was the DO. Afterwards he swung moggy into a vacoule.

Per RJ:

 

Interview: Sep 3rd, 2005

DragonCon Signing Reports - Matt Hatch (Verbatim)

Ted Herman

Is Shaidar Haran an avatar to the world beyond the Bore?

Robert Jordan

I am not certain you can really call him an avatar because I generally think of an avatar as having exactly the same powers as, and it is not, Shaidar Haran does not have nearly as much power as the Dark One. It's as though the Dark One is able to project a shadowy form of himself into this creature. It is the Dark One in shadowy form.

Ted Herman

Is it twenty-four seven, or just part time?

Robert Jordan

Twenty-four seven.

[Matthew79]

Reading the book felt like this.

 

Trollocks, Trollocks, Moridin dying for a suicide (olol), DARK ONE dropping cheesy comic book villain lines in all caps, Trollocks, Trollocks, Bao the Wyld (I wonder how the Sharan managed to pronounce his name with a Y, or why it even needs a Y, considering that the language they speak in isn't supposed to be anything like English? Or why Demandred went with a name that befits a male stripper?), Trollocks-Trollocks-Trollocks ad nauseum, Sharans, Trollocks, SUDDENLY FAIN WTF IS A SHAISAM FAIN DIES THE END THANK YOU FOR READING.

 

Huh? Is it just me, or did Fain lose any relevance to the plot after trying and failing to destroy the Two Rivers in the guise of Ordeith, seventy nine books ago? Even the wound he slashed into Rand's side ended up being irrelevant, as well as anything else he did. Why did we need to read about this worthless character for so long?

It was pronounced as willed, rather than wild.

[megalomax]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It could be that Luc and Isam were melded together with the True Power? Having two souls would give him more willpower in TAR, and therefore more control, given that he would have more willpower to use there or whatever. Or perhaps they were melded with a Darkhound or something. That would make his statement to Perrin about being similar to him make sense.

 

But my real question is... What happened to Shaidar Haran? Where did he go? Why did he not show up even once in aMoL? What was his purpose?

He had a very brief appearance... or at least his corpse did. When Rand enters Shayol Ghul and sees the giant gaping hole that is the Dark One, Moridin references the corpse and how the Dark One doesn't need it anymore.

I was hoping that Shaidar Haran would rebel. I seem to remember reading that he hated the link he had with Thakandar and that he was looking for a way to break it.

Shaidar Haran was the DO. The DO put a part of itself into the body of a Myrddraal which allowed it to wander round while still mostly contained by the Seals.

 

When the DO became strong enough, the body was no longer needed.

 

That passage from Shaidar Haran was the DO wanting to be free from the prison bound at Shayol Ghul.

I must have read it differently. There were several occasions that showed shaidar haran as a separate entity like when he escorted Demandred into the pit of dhoom to receive his instructions. If I remember correctly DO was talking sending waves of ecstasy to Demandred while Shaidar watched.

 

He also made Moggy's mind trap it didn't look like it was the DO. Afterwards he swung moggy into a vacoule.

Per RJ:

Interview: Sep 3rd, 2005

DragonCon Signing Reports - Matt Hatch (Verbatim) Ted Herman

Is Shaidar Haran an avatar to the world beyond the Bore? Robert Jordan

I am not certain you can really call him an avatar because I generally think of an avatar as having exactly the same powers as, and it is not, Shaidar Haran does not have nearly as much power as the Dark One. It's as though the Dark One is able to project a shadowy form of himself into this creature. It is the Dark One in shadowy form. Ted Herman

Is it twenty-four seven, or just part time? Robert Jordan

Twenty-four seven.

Shaidar Haran is still not DO a what RJ said. He projects himself onto Shaidar Haran but several times Shaidar showed he had his own intellect.

 

I find it odd he would be killed when Shaidar n Morridin vs Rand would be better. What great way to cast doubt and fear on a channeler than to make the source vanish or undetectable?

[Suttree]

Not sure what you were trying to convey with that first sentence but it's exactly what Barid said. The DO put a part of himself into the husk that was Shadar Haran. It's "the dark one in shadowy form" 24/7 per RJ . He did not ever show his own intellect, he showed frustration on the constraints of that body. You might be thinking of the gholam that showed frustration in having to obey.

[platinum_bow]

It's not a person meld. The Luc/Isam/Slayer thing...it's something to do with his power in TAR right? Did everyone get it but me?

Having two souls allows you to enter and exit TAR in the flesh without a gateway.

 

Do wolves have 2 souls? Like Hopper for instance? Or do real wolves get instant acess to TAR? Is that how Wise Ones that can't channel get into TAR? If so, what is their 2nd soul? Maybe a rhuiden thing? Also, since Rand had his soul and LTT's and possibly Mor/Shmeal's shouldn't he had have that ability?

 

It's a good thing I don't make it to the signings cuz this sounds bad in print, can't imagine how much worse it would be coming out verbally in front of any member of Team Jordan....

 

[CanUFeelTheLove?]

 

 

It's not a person meld. The Luc/Isam/Slayer thing...it's something to do with his power in TAR right? Did everyone get it but me?

Having two souls allows you to enter and exit TAR in the flesh without a gateway.

 

Do wolves have 2 souls? Like Hopper for instance? Or do real wolves get instant acess to TAR? Is that how Wise Ones that can't channel get into TAR? If so, what is their 2nd soul? Maybe a rhuiden thing? Also, since Rand had his soul and LTT's and possibly Mor/Shmeal's shouldn't he had have that ability?

 

It's a good thing I don't make it to the signings cuz this sounds bad in print, can't imagine how much worse it would be coming out verbally in front of any member of Team Jordan....

Rand has one soul that's been reborn over and over. They all have, we just know his soul history. The Wise ones enter Rhuidean through the dream. All Channelers powerful enough, can weave a gateway into TAR and enter in the flesh. Wolves are part of TAR in a way that people are not. 

[Agitel]

I wasn't quite sure where to put this, but I was interested in finding out the logic behind the name "Shaisam."

 

We see shai quite a bit. Shai'tan (Dark One, possibly quite literally). Shaidar Haran (Hand of the Dark). I think it's evident that 'shai' essentially means 'dark' in the Old Tongue.

 

Sam also has a meaning in the Old Tongue, it seems. http://wot.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Old_Tongue_words

 

Sam translates to "destroyer."

 

So shaisam basically means 'destroyer of darkness.' Darkness, in this case, of course refers to the Shadow.

 

Boom. Done.

[megalomax]

I wasn't quite sure where to put this, but I was interested in finding out the logic behind the name "Shaisam."

 

We see shai quite a bit. Shai'tan (Dark One, possibly quite literally). Shaidar Haran (Hand of the Dark). I think it's evident that 'shai' essentially means 'dark' in the Old Tongue.

 

Sam also has a meaning in the Old Tongue, it seems. http://wot.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Old_Tongue_words

 

Sam translates to "destroyer."

 

So shaisam basically means 'destroyer of darkness.' Darkness, in this case, of course refers to the Shadow.

 

Boom. Done.

or it could be "dark destoyer"

[Agitel]

 

I wasn't quite sure where to put this, but I was interested in finding out the logic behind the name "Shaisam."

 

We see shai quite a bit. Shai'tan (Dark One, possibly quite literally). Shaidar Haran (Hand of the Dark). I think it's evident that 'shai' essentially means 'dark' in the Old Tongue.

 

Sam also has a meaning in the Old Tongue, it seems. http://wot.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Old_Tongue_words

 

Sam translates to "destroyer."

 

So shaisam basically means 'destroyer of darkness.' Darkness, in this case, of course refers to the Shadow.

 

Boom. Done.

or it could be "dark destoyer"

 

Well... yeah. It could.... though it means the same thing. Shaidar Haran literally means Dark Hand, but the book gives it as Hand of the Dark. I was just trying to be all cool and follow the same format, you know... but it doesn't matter. 

[megalomax]

 

 

 

I wasn't quite sure where to put this, but I was interested in finding out the logic behind the name "Shaisam."

 

We see shai quite a bit. Shai'tan (Dark One, possibly quite literally). Shaidar Haran (Hand of the Dark). I think it's evident that 'shai' essentially means 'dark' in the Old Tongue.

 

Sam also has a meaning in the Old Tongue, it seems. http://wot.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Old_Tongue_words

 

Sam translates to "destroyer."

 

So shaisam basically means 'destroyer of darkness.' Darkness, in this case, of course refers to the Shadow.

 

Boom. Done.

or it could be "dark destoyer"

Well... yeah. It could.... though it means the same thing. Shaidar Haran literally means Dark Hand, but the book gives it as Hand of the Dark. I was just trying to be all cool and follow the same format, you know... but it doesn't matter.

ahaha like the books day about the old tongue, translation is fluid. Damn RJ is good.

[Talmanes]

Moghedien is sooooo stupid, channeling before she get out from enemy's camp, and only to conjure a ball of light! If she tries to Travel, and the pn the suldam capture her, I can symphatize. But no, she just walk, with a ball of light floating above! I don't know whether this is a character flaw, or writing quality (either RJ's or BS's) -_-

I've said this in another thread, I think the whole Moghedien bit at the end was just meant to make her 'get what she deserves' and tie up her story line.

 

Also everywhere on these boards I'm seeing people ask the same question: Why didn't the DO just kill rand? Along with wondering why they wanted to turn him, etc.

 

This:

 

HERE IS THE TRUTH, SHAI'TAN, Rand said, taking another step forward, arms out, woven Pattern spreading around them. YOU CANNOT WIN UNLESS WE GIVE UP. THAT'S IT ISN'T IT? THIS FIGHT ISN'T ABOUT A VICTORY IN BATTLE. TAKING ME...IT WAS NEVER ABOUT BEATING ME. IT WAS ABOUT BREAKING ME.

THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE TRIED TO DO WITH ALL OF US. IT'S WHY AT TIMES YOU TRIED TO HAVE US KILLED, WHILE OTHER TIMES YOU DIDN'T SEEM TO CARE. YOU WIN WHEN YOU BREAK US. BUT YOU HAVEN'T YOU CAN'T.

[wRAR]

 

 

It's not a person meld. The Luc/Isam/Slayer thing...it's something to do with his power in TAR right? Did everyone get it but me?

Having two souls allows you to enter and exit TAR in the flesh without a gateway.

 

Do wolves have 2 souls? Like Hopper for instance? Or do real wolves get instant acess to TAR? Is that how Wise Ones that can't channel get into TAR? If so, what is their 2nd soul? Maybe a rhuiden thing? Also, since Rand had his soul and LTT's and possibly Mor/Shmeal's shouldn't he had have that ability?

 

It's a good thing I don't make it to the signings cuz this sounds bad in print, can't imagine how much worse it would be coming out verbally in front of any member of Team Jordan....

Note the "in the flesh" bit. WOs don't go into TAR in the flesh.

[Phallic Taveren]

Does anyone have any notion of when Davram Bashere was compulsed?

I read that he could have been a DF but Rand would have seen that so I dismissed the idea.

 

He was one of my favorite characters.  Many of the "Great Generals" were. :(

[Elan Tedronai]

It's amazing to realise that the war of power caused more damage more conflict more caualties more desperation amongst the forces of light than the freakin last battle.

 

maybe just maybe if shaidar haran instructed semirhage/elsa to steal the choedan kal instead of the adam in TGS then perhaps we would have had a different story.

[Vambram]

Hmm, maybe all of the nations which were destroyed and the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people killed during the 14 books of the Wheel of Time series really doesn't mean that there was a lot of damage done during those 3 years of the characters' lives? 

[Suttree]

To be fair Vam, from what we've heard it pales in comparison to the War of Power.

[Vambram]

To be fair Vam, from what we've heard it pales in comparison to the War of Power.

 

I won't deny that. But in the War of Power, legend says that Balefire was used to destroy whole cities.

 

 

Is that what fans wanted to see this time, and have whole cities like Tear, Ebou Dar, Camelyn reduced to nothing by use of balefire?

[newimperium]

One of the little things that got onto my nerves in AMoL was, indeed, the Shadow's seeming incompetence.  I mean, I just felt the author's hand way too much at times, dragging things for the sake of drama.  The Shadow made so MANY mistakes.  

 

Why did Demandred duel Gawyn, Galad and Lan when he could have fried them with fire?

 

Why did Demandred stop using the full circle?  He could have probably destroyed the entire Light army like that, not to mention take LTT easily in combat.

 

Why didn't Graendal just balefire all the great commanders instead of taking the extra effort to use Compulsion on them?

 

Why didn't the bad guys use Deathgates against the good guys, or copy Androl's lava gun, or any number of other tactics they could have used?

 

Why did Moridin try to fight against Rand with A SWORD or all things?

 

Why did Moghedien take the trouble to use Compulsion in the Seanchan court when she could have just KILLED them all?

 

 There are many more but I just can't think of them all right now...  It just seems like the bad guys were either too incompetent, or simply designed to lose.

[Suttree]

Why didn't Graendal just balefire all the great commanders instead of taking the extra effort to use Compulsion on them?

Someone surely would have noticed and caught on. That was actually one of the few solid strategies the shadow had.

 

Why didn't the bad guys use Deathgates against the good guys,

Deathgates only work against constructs.

 

or copy Androl's lava gun, or any number of other tactic.

Good question although we do know Androl was pretty unique in terms of that talent and control.

 

Why did Moridin try to fight against Rand with A SWORD or all things?

Think you may need to go reread that section. It certainly wasn't about a swordfight.

Why did Moghedien take the trouble to use Compulsion in the Seanchan court when she could have just KILLED them all?

Semirhage already did that and it would have been totally counter to everything we have been told about Moghe's nature.

 

 It just seems like the bad guys were either too incompetent...

No argument there. The bad guys were often incompetent throughout the series.

[AndyB]

One does wonder if that Dark One will ever see the error of his ways and stop recruiting arrogant, self obsessed non-joiners.  Maybe drop the power requirements a bit and recruit a team that doesn't dissolve into a circular firing squad the instant it has the chance?

[CanUFeelTheLove?]

@New Imperium - it didn't bother me that Moridin and Rand went at it with swords as the first time they met they did the same thing (although, Mori had a staff - Hunt for the Horn ending). If you're going to ask that, you might as well ask why Mori didn't fry Rand with Balefire then instead of fighting him with a sword.

[PhoenixUK]

Demandred seems to have done remarkably little in the books for the most part (I think he was going to take part in Lanfear's plot to destroy Rand in TFOH, cant remember?). The Sharan army and especially the channellers seem to have provided one of the biggest forces for the Shadow in the Last Battle, along with Turned Asha'man/Aes Sedai and Shadowspawn (there don't seem to have been all that many darkfriends involved, and the Black Ajah was neutered by Egwene and Verin) and Demandred was the overall general, so he did a lot in the battle itself. He killed Gawyn which did lead to Egwene's death. He recruited Taim, which seriosuly crippled the forces of Light by removing Asha'man and undermining the Black Tower. He did seem to be a bit stupid though, obsessing over the Dragon, not attacking the main leaders and lettting gawyn and Galad distract him. 

 

Moghedien was a failure. She basically did nothing for most of the time. In TCOS, she even helped the Light inadvertently when attacking Nynaeve, she forced her to break her block on channeling saidar. 

 

Graendal seems to have done a lot of random plots here and there and caused a lot of chaos, she did keep Arad Doman etc in chaos (the Dark One seems to feed on chaos). But she really excelled in the way she turned the generals against the Light rather than just killing them ,she nearly got all 4 armies wiped out. Plus as mentioned she took on cadsuane alivia amys and aviendha on her own. 

 

Lanfear, I thought turned out to be as selfish as she always had been. Helping Perrin until he was of no use to her, trying to get Rand back yet again until he rejected her, and then abandoning the Dark One until it was time to show how useful she could be and happily condemn all of Creation just to get ahead. Not sure how i feel about it being Perrin to kill her, didnt quite fit right. Maybe it should have been Rand somehow, but that didnt really fit in the events (Rand cant kill her while focusing on DO) so i guess thats it. 

 

Moridin was a bit meh. He spent a long time plotting to start the Trolloc Wars, get Artur Hawking to fight Aes Sedai, caused the Seanchan empire to take shape, created the Black Ajah. But once the Dragon is Reborn? He spent books 1-3 going crazy, spends books 4-6 dead, comes back in 7 and starts sorting the Shadow forces out, saves Rand from Sammael, generates bits of chaos everywhere, watches the women take the bowl of the winds to undo the Dark One's endless heat and does nothing (?!), doesnt bother helping out to stop Rand  from undoing the Taint, and then in the Last Battle, just kinda hangs around :-/

 

The Dark One itself? Ultimately, what did it really want? To destroy the serpent, the pattern and time and remake the world as it chose, it seems. So what did all these other plots have to do with it? 

 

TEOTW: Ishamael sends Fain to find rand, and harrass him, and try to break him in dreamshards/TAR. He also seems to trick them into seeking the Eye of the world by setting up Jain and Aiel. I'm not really sure how this works in Ishamael's favour? Since we dont know why the Eye was made, we dont know if it was wasted or not when Rand used it up. Seems to be it worked fine helping rand find saidin and stop ishamael and break the grip of Dark One's winter. Rand and Green Man kill Aginor and Balthamel.

 

TGH: Mostly Fain running around now doing his own thing, and seanchan. Liandrin and Suroth are told that Egwene and Nynaeve are significant people (is this merely because they are close to Rand? WHy does the shadow know about them and not Elayne?) and to remove them from main continent. if they had succeeded that would have really derailed the Light. Ishamael again attacks Rand and this time seems to want to kill him. Why now? Because Rand wont submit?Or ishamael just going looney? Lanfear starts getting her claws into Rand, hoping to either get him to work with her to serve DO or defeat both DO and Creator. Draghkar tries to kill Moiraine.

 

TDR: By this point several Forsaken are presumably well settled in different countries. Belal in Tear, Sammael in Illian, Rahvin in Andor, Graendal in Arad Doman?, Semirhage in Seandar, Demandred in Shara (now or later?), Mesaana in the White Tower. Aginor and Balthamel are dead, Asmodean, Moghedien, Lanfear and Ishamael dont seem to bother with specific countries. Presumably the point is to undermine all these countries and set them to war against the Dragon. Darkfriend Carridin is ordered to use Whitecloaks to spread chaos in Almoth Plain, triggers civil wars in Tarabon and Arad Doman. 

 

Ishamael carries on hunting Rand. Be'lal begins to draw Rand towards Tear so that Rand can release Callandor and make it accessible to Forsaken. Black Ajah again go after Nynaeve and Egwene. Moiraine kills Belal, Rand kills Ishamael.

 

TSR: One of the Forsaken sends shadowspawn to attack Rand, but Graendal is ordered to send shadowspawn to save him - keep him alive for some reason. Asmodean goes undercover among the Aiel to try to get Couladin set up in power but in the end only has the Shaido but thats enough to cause immense chaos. Tries to get the Access Key to the Choedan Kal but loses to Rand. Lanfear shields him to help Rand. 

 

 

TFOH :  Several Forsaken prepare a plan to entrap Rand, presumably to either capture or kill him. It fails. Rand kills Rahvin. Darkfriend tries to kill Mat. Shadowspawn attack Two Rivers to draw Rand out but instead Perrin goes. Slayer tries to kill Perrin but fails. Alviarin and Black Ajah aid Elaida in causing White Tower split. Lanfear's jealousy turns her against Rand, tries to kill him until defeated by Moiraine. Moghedien goes after Nynaeve and Elayne and is captured. 

 

LOC: Black Ajah involved in Elaida's plan to capture and torture Rand. Mazrim Taim joins Rand and trains Asha'man. Is he already recruited by Demandred at this point and a Darkfriend? Or is he genuinely just ambitious? Dark One has forced endless Summer. 

 

TCOS: Sammael and Graendal help spread Shaido all over the Westlands, increasing chaos. Aginor in new body infiltrates Ashaman. Balthamel in new body infiltrates rebel Aes Sedai. Ishamael in new body brings rest of Forsaken to heel. Kills Lanfear to save her from Aelfinna and Eelfinn, she is incarnated in new body. Moghedien again tries to attack Nynaeve. Sammael makes half hearted attempt of truce with Rand, is manipulated by Graendal into fighting. Ishamael helps Rand survive and destroy Sammael. Black Ajah tries to stop Elayne and Nynaeve. 

 

TPOD: Elayne and Nynaeve and Windfinders undo Dark One's endless summer heat. Several Ashaman go rogue at Taim's orders and try to kill Rand .

 

WH: Rand kills rogue Asha'man. Ishamael orders Forsaken to stop Rand undoing taint on Saidin but does not get himself involved. 

 

COT: Cant really remember what happens in this book, lots of waffle :-/

 

KOD: Semirhage nearly captures Rand with a male a'dam. Seandar is left in chaos when Empress killed. Shadow goes after Tuon, to potentially get darkfriend Suroth in charge. Black Ajah does its best to stop Elayne getting Andor throne.

 

TGS: Semirhage captures Rand with a'dam until he kills her with True Power. Is Rand given access to TP to drive him to Shadow or is this accidental consequence of Rand and Ishamael linking via balefire? Rand is driven further and further to inhumanity when he prepares to unleash balefire massacre. Fortunately he integrates Lews Therin Telamon and his madness ends. 

Black Ajah tries to stop Egwene but fails and she reunites White Tower.

 

TOM: Mesaana attacks White Tower and is defeated by Egwene. Graendal and slayer try to kill Perrin. Mazrim Taim uses Mydraal to turn Ashaman to the Shadow. 

 

AMOL: Demandred brings in Sharan army and channelers, Redveil Aiel channelers, Shadowspawn to attack from Blight into Borderlands, and sends huge army to destroy Caemlyn from within. Graendal uses compulsion to undermine four great captains to get Light armies to destroy themselves. Ishamael has Alanna stabbed so her death will hurt Rand along the Warder bond until Alanna unravels bond. Taim captures remaining seals on Dark One but doesnt break them yet. 

 

Thats as best as I can remember the major plots of the Shadow. Essentially the Shadow undermined major forces of leadership by infiltrating monarchs and institutions like the White Tower and caused chaos and fighting. This seems to lead to a general state where everyone is weakened and unable to effectively fight the Shadow armies. Suggests a desire for a straightforward military victory. 

 

But the main struggle is Dark One vs Rand, and they fight each other with concepts. Dark One tries to wear Rand down and get him to accept defeat, to give up. If Rand HAD given up, presumably at that point Dark One would order the seals broken and he would enter world. Would that be enough for him to win, or would the resistance of the remaining people be enough to stop him? Maybe its not possible without the focus of the Dragon but then what about times when the Dragon has served the Shadow? Maybe those are not instances of the Third Age but other ages where Dragon is not essential lynchpin of Light. Or what if Dragon continues to oppose DO but humans essentially lose the war? Can the Dragon alone force the DO without the resistance offered by rest of humanity? Maybe the Dragon is reliant on the resistance and strength of the world in order to fight the Dark One and not yield. In the end its a somewhat contrived victory - the flawed nature of Callandor allows Nynaeve and Moiraine to control Ishamael's use of the True Power, allowing Rand to wield Saidin and Saidar within the True Power to seal the Bore without the Dark One being able to taint the Source. 

[Beidomon]

Well, count me among the totally confused when it comes to the DO and how/why Rand did what he did to "prevail."

 

I always thought the DO's nature was pretty simple. As others have noted, the whole series is about balance. RJ was also big into logic and mechanics. The two halves of the one power had an most scientific nature to them. So I thought the Creator and DO worked the same way - two opposite forces, existing outside the pattern, like a positive and negative. Together, they create the electricity that weaves the pattern.

 

Even when the DO is sealed away, he can influence the pattern somewhat because he is half the force that weaves it. Problem is, because he is the DO, he wants to destroy the pattern, so that's why we can't let him loose.

 

When Moridin tells Rand how stupid it would be to think he could "kill" the DO, this made perfect sense to me. After all, under my theory, even if Rand could kill the DO, he would obliterate all existence by destroying the driving force behind the weaving of the pattern.

 

This all made sense to me, but I guess I was wrong? Turns out, Rand could kill the DO, and we get some mushy explanation that the DO has to exist people need a choice to stay human. Mmkay. I think my theory was a lot better.

 

Can anyone provide a good step by step explanation of the DO's nature and why Rand did what he did?