Who *are* you, Nakomi? (Full spoilers)

[Occams whiskey bottle]

What made the WoT such a great read was all the mysteries. That's why I loved the ending of AMoL. I read that book months ago, and here I am, on break from work, on Dragonmount discussing who the Aiel was in the final act. The pipe, Nakomi, all that stuff is intriguing to me. Personally, I believe Nakomi is an avatar of Tigraine passing between both worlds. Tigraine could be just a wise old soul who among other accomplishments sometimes gives birth to the Dragon Reborn.

[damandred]

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If she's Jenn, its absolutely theory fodder. There was nothing in the books that would lead down that road, absolutely deus ex machina. If its an avatar, she makes RJ a liar and is literally deus ex machina.

 

I like the Tigraine theory though. If that's it (or something else with some thread of foreshadowing in hindsight), I'll gladly eat my words on hating the mystery.

Unfortunately she doesn't physically seem a good match.

Why theory fodder if shes jenn, imo going by the books her being jenn is the ONLY theory that makes sense.

Because it drops out of the sky. It only makes sense because of how its dressed up- ie, she is dressed like an Aiel and has mysterious powers. Lets put it this way- if this scene happened in Egwene in Tar Valon with Nakomni dressed as an AS, the only logical thing would be that she was an ancient AS. There's nothing previous to her appearance that explains her appearance, aside from her appearance itself.

It makes sense because we know the jenn had some knowlage of the future and the motive for wanting to save the Aiel, now we know it happened while Avi was asleep adds more weight to Nakomi being a jenn dreamwalker.

We know AS had some knowledge of the future, motive for wanting to save AS, and ability to dreamwalk.

Yeah but the meeting didnt happen in the tower and wasnt significant to the future if the AS. It happened in the waste were the future of the Aiel was at stake. Your senario was hypaphetical while mine happened.

Yeah but thats my point- your argument is circular. It happened because it happened, not because anything we've read made it necessary or predictable that it would happen. Thats exactly my point.

Sorry mate , forgive my stupidity but not sure what this means.

Was Nakomi necessary whatever she was? Who wants any story to be predictabe?

Oops, just saw this. Anyway, while nobody wants a story to be too predictable, most people definitely dont want things to have no logical connection to things happening previously (particularly when they would seem to have been ruled out by the authors off camera words). Dumping something in at the end of a story that you cant go 'aha! this makes perfect sense based on what i know from previous actions' is a bad practice in general. For instance, it was a big surprise and pretty unpredictable how Rand laid the trap for Ishmael and used Calandor with the TP, but enough evidence had been previously displayed to make it logically entirely acceptable. It was foreshadowed (and foretold) that this would happen, but how it actually happened was still surprising and novel. In fact if it didn't happen, we'd feel cheated.

Nakomi is different. She drops out of thin air in the Waste for a minute, and then pops back up at the climax of 14 books. Its not quite Deus Ex Machina given that Nakomi didn't actually save the day, but otherwise all the objections to deus ex machina are present with her. If those two scenes were stripped out, we'd be none the wiser that this character ever existed, would exist, or should exist.

i agree, i always thought of nakomi as theory fodder serving no real purpose other than fan speculation. But be that as it may, she must have been SOMEONE.

 

Her being Jenn would be the only posible theory with a hint of foreshadowing, still fodder yes, but less so than other explanations.

 

ps. sorry for late reply.

Edited July 9, 2014 by damandred

[threadnecromancer]

It seems like an interesting theory (and did Slayer actually have Luc's soul? It was my understanding that only one of them was dead, and if that were Luc then I could see the Horn working on him) the only problem with that (well there are several) is that it should have been referenced at some point in the series, one would think it would have played a role in the Last Battle at least? Admittedly RJ's position on the Horn seems to have been somewhat vague, at least in the notes.

 

 

The problem is that though Luc may not be properly dead and therefore would show up in his previous form, Tigraine should show up as a Hero of the Horne as Tigraine which she does not, granted they don't have to show up as their previous life, but it is my understanding that that is definitely the protocol.

Edited July 17, 2014 by threadnecromancer

[matt123]

I know this is a bit late to be throwing out theories, but something made me think about this again recently and I think I have an answer that might make sense, and no, it is none of the choices offered in the poll...

 

The Wheel of Time series was completed several years ago at this point, the Companion is out, and none of them explain who she is. There is unlikely to ever be any outrigger novel published, nevermind, any outrigger novel that will explain who she is. I think we just have to accept that there will never be anything published that will explain who she is. So the question that burns in my mind, is WHY was this something that Brandon Sanderson could not answer. None of the proposed theories for who she is, AFAIK, explain this strange restriction. The odd thing is, there are 3 restrictions, (1) Who Nakomi was, (2) How Rand lit the pipe at the end of the series, and (3) How Rand and Moridin swapped bodies. With regard to how the pipe lit, Brandon himself does not know that as he has said. This leads me to think he does know or has an inkling the answer to one or two of the other "mysteries."

 

Regarding lighting the pipe, it is possible that RJ never told anyone how that happens, also he may never have fully formulated how it works, but wanted it to be there, so he just left it as a mystery. It does work as a wonderful ending, and the lack of the reader comprehending how Rand is able to manipulate reality without channeling is food for fodder, rather than a major letdown.

 

Regarding the body-swap, this one I suspect BS knows what is going on... I also suspect on this one, the reason he can't explain is related to the same reason he can't explain who Nakomi is... So back to the real question here, who is Nakomi? I think the only answer that makes sense is that Nakomi is Harriet, RJ's wife. I suspect the idea for the body swap was hers, and when RJ formulated the end the way it appears in the books, he decided rather than concocting some explanation for how the body swap worked, he would just have Nakomi (i.e. Harriet) show up and somehow provide encouragement.

 

I think that for whatever reason, Harriet did not want anyone to know Nakomi is her, and wanted to keep it private, so to do so, it kind of required not being able to answer how the body swap is done (not that there necessarily is an explanation formulated ever by RJ), which would have led to the revelation that Nakomi is Harriet.

 

Just to be clear, I think the pipe question is unrelated to the body-swap and Nakomi, rather in the end it was just a separate mystery that RJ felt needed no explaining.

Edited February 2, 2016 by matt123

[doihavepotential]

I would say that she is mora the wise one of the  colrada hold who was talked about in book 6 lord of chaos. She fits the bill in my opinion. I am not sure if this was mentioned before.

[Kesiera_Sedai]

I voted for "Creator-Avator" but I also like the idea someone brought up about Nakomi being the previous Dragon to do what Rand did somehow still around (time travel, body trade, being super old, etc). I know Dragons are always male but that doesn't he can't be in a female body. Seems far-fetched still, but no more than the others =)

 

What ties does Verin have to Aiel?

[Kesiera_Sedai]

I doubt that since then Aviendha would be talk to a previous incarnation of Rand which means who's in his body while she is with Rand.

[Eldrick312379]

Reading through this entire thread, the best argument seems to be that Nakomi is an avatar of the Creator.  It's not definitive, but the people arguing it have presented the best evidence and made the best case by far. 

[Sabio]

My main issue is why would the creator take a hand in preserving the Aiel?  Seems rather unlike the creator to get involved like that for a group and to take such an open act. 

 

Any forsaken or BA can be ruled out, since again why would they care?  They would of been morel ikely to simply kill or capture Avi.

 

I still think there is a Jenn angle to this.

Edited March 21, 2017 by Sabio

[Guest Hannah Elorie]

Maybe Nakomi is Robert Jordan? A tribute to him.

[wotfan4472]

Perhaps the Creator's champion is born by bloodline?? The Aiel are The People of the Dragon. Also, I do not agree that Nakomi is Tigraine, though I wish it were true. The reason is Rand would recognize her because of the tapestry. Shivan would look like Tigraine when the Horn was blown, just as Artur Hawkwing is known by his last life. Only channellers can disguise themselves. The Creator Avatar theory is still the strongest theory. It balances soo much and also helps explain the body swap. If the DO can, then Creator can. He would be forced to step in if the Pattern and Wheel were destroyed because Rand died when it was intended for him to live. This is an ability that only these two beings should have.

[Mandien]

Personally, I think if anything she's the last of the Jenn Aiel this is a question which puzzles me 

[DemandredFO]

Just like the red ships, maybe it would've been explained later but can't be now.

[Mandien]

12 hours ago, DemandredFO said:

Just like the red ships, maybe it would've been explained later but can't be now.

 

 

I think there's a hint in MoL where Amys or another wise one says Nakomi is an ancient name. which red ships do you mean Demandred? 

[DemandredFO]

Red ships I mean the ones that were in the prologue of ToM I believe.

[Mandien]

6 hours ago, DemandredFO said:

Red ships I mean the ones that were in the prologue of ToM I believe.

 

cheers I'll try to find them 

[Allasvitkona]

Nakomi, she was definitely from the future. 

I am far from my clan, yet very near...

And Aviendha says she looks familiar.

She could be her  and Rand's daughter. She can will things into existence , exactly like Rand after the Last Battle. 

[Sabio]

Which means she was probably Jenn, Far from clan yet very near,  Rhudiean after all was home to the Jenn and could be Avi saw her when she entered the rings in book 4.

[Solacious]

Sanderson's tidbit that he can share in a few years is about Nakomi.  And he refers to it as small as the answer has been in front of us the entire time.  Think about the the letter Moraine leaves for Rand following the confrontation with Lanfear that was associated with her "Death".  Then re-read the words Nakomi speaks to Rand at the end of the books.  (TFOH) "You will do well."  (AMoL) "You have done well."  Figure it out yet?  As to why Aviendha could not sense Nakomi channeling, Nakomi wanting to ensure that Aviendha took a double dip, and why she was there for Rand in the End; it all ties together with Rand's pipe (the future of magic is not about using weaves) and thinking about who was the most dedicated to Rand's cause (willing to submit and die for him and carried the cause from the moment of his birth to the moment of his "Death").  It is future Moraine.  

[wotfan4472]

That does not jell with what we know.

I cannot figure out how she could be at the exact same spot twice if Nakomi is Moraine.

I thought Nakomi could be Jenn Aiel, but now think she is more a connection to the Wheel and the Pattern, and all the evidence presented on that theory has been well discussed already.

I do not accept Nakomi is Shivan, since the Companion says that she is reborn before the Last Battle even started, just as the Companion says her twin was, so Luc is out as Shivan's brother too.

We know this to be true, because Gaidal Cain failed to show up to fight in the Last Battle and Shayol Ghul both, just as Shivan and her brother failed to appear. This key point is why I do not see Nakomi being Moiraine.

[Gotcha]

Not going to make any qoutes but things I’ve read in various places (most earlier in this thread).

 

In the prolouge to TEOTW LTT travel and can point out there are no people around because he’s one with the land, he then creates dragon mount. Just like LTT Rand is one with the land in the last books (nice timing this happens at dragonmount when he later walks down what LTT created). My take on this is that the DO can’t really affect the land when Rand is around. As Rand points out in a conversation with Mat Rands helps out with singing a bit (kind of like Ogier tree singing I would assume).
This one with the land can happen both the real world and in dreams as pointed out with Rand and Moridin having a chat in their dreams (I would say this then applies to TAR as well).

 

Why all this background, well Nakomi seems to have the same bit of effect when  she meets in Aviendha. Nothing says the CoL is the only one who can have this affect of being one with land and Nakomis talk about nature.

It’s stateted earlier in this thread that Nakomi used powers already established in the series, personelly I think this would be the thought having power in TAR but could just as well be ”one with the land” stuff (or both for that matter).

 

I’m assuming Nakomi is the woman Rand meets while exiting SG, she say something like ”that’s what YOU” should do (referring to the body swap) so I don’t think she is related to that at all (that’s a completely different topic). About her meeting with Aviendha I belive that encounter to be about pushing the Aiel a specific direction what is needed for a coming age. The dragons peace will be enforced by the Aiel givning them a purpouse. I would say that’s similar in a way to what the AS did in AoL (serving the people).

 

As for the part about BS comment about sniffing up the right tree about Jenn Aiel, well in The AoL the Jenn Aiel serves the AS and was completely passificts (how they failed the AS I don’t know). But I would say again it’s about ”serving the people” for a better world.

 

As stated many times the creator is passive in a lot of ways, however the wheel of time is far from passive considering it’s spinning out ta’veren and heroes whenever it needs adjusting.

 

For this reason I choose to belive Nakomi is (for lack of a better term) an avatar of the wheel itself. I would argue this also fits with something being found deep in notes from RJ, something/someone that’s influencing the pattern. That something/someone would of course have a shitload of knowledge of what has and should happen.

 

Please feel free to poke a hole in this theory.
 

Sorry for grammar/spelling english is not my native language and the phone I’m typing this on is totally screwing me with autocorrect stuff. So some parts might not make sense. But I’ve tried to make it a bit coherant.

 

[flinn]

 I also believe she is a product of the wheel. A couple of slight touches to ensure the pattern stays in the correct loop. With all the taverens running around, weaving the pattern around them, a few adjustments were probably necessary.

 

 I think the pipe-lighting is because Rand, in his battle with the DO, was literally controlling the weaves of the pattern. He raised Lan, death cannot be healed. After it was over, he will always have a connection with the pattern that will allow him to manipulate the pattern of things close around him.