Ask Simple questions, get simple answers (aMoL version covering the entire series)

[Mr Ares]

The first is if there is any talk of re-editing the final 3 books into a single large eBook? I think doing so would be a huge improvement because it would break up the long constant battle scenes of the final book.

Not that I've heard. Besides, the last book, especially the Last Battle, takes place after the others - there's a lot of timeline overlap in TGS and TOM, but things pull together an awful lot by the FoM, and so a consolidated ebook would still keep the long, constant battle scenes of the final book intact and uninterrupted.

[Rhienne]

Who are the Heros of the Horn mentioned in AMoL based on?  I assume that Artur Hawkwing is King Arthur of old English legends (obviously); Amaresu is Amaterasu, the Japanese Sun Goddess; Buad of Albhain is Boudica of Alba (Scotland).

 

But I can't figure out who Hend the Striker and Blaes of Matuchin are.

[Suttree]

A few others that come to mind for me:

 

Shivan is most likely based off of Shiva the destroyer/transformer and Calian on Cali, both from Hindu mythology.

 

Mikely I've heard speculated as St. Michael.

 

Paedrig is a parallel to St. Patrick.

[Carnacarn]

I had read some where, I believe here on DM, a list of comparisons. One of the stories was supposed to be Neil Armstrong on the moon 'flames to the moon' or something similar. I've wondered if Birgitte and Gaidal are based on any myths/legends from anywhere or are RJ's original idea.

[Rhienne]

Birgitte has some similarities to Maid Marian from the legends of Robin Hood.

[Carnacarn]

Ah thanks

[jack of shadows]

@rhienne,

boudica of alba?

are you referring to boudica queen of the iceni?

she was from modern day norfolk,not scotland.

[Rhienne]

@rhienne,

boudica of alba?

are you referring to boudica queen of the iceni?

she was from modern day norfolk,not scotland.

Yes, I was referring to Boudica, but the way she is referenced (if, indeed, the reference refers to her), as a possible Hero of the Horn is as Buad of Albhain.  As a Scot I automatically thought of Albhain as similar to Alba - the Gaelic name for Scotland, but of course it is also very similar to Albion, the oldest name for Britain in general, which as you point out, is the more appropriate origin for the derivation of Albhain in this case given that Boudica was a Briton.

[Rhienne]

There's been a bit of discussion about what the Red Ajah will do now that saidin is clean, but what will the Green Ajah do now that the Last Battle is done and the world's nations have signed up to the Dragon's Peace?

[MasterAblar]

There's been a bit of discussion about what the Red Ajah will do now that saidin is clean, but what will the Green Ajah do now that the Last Battle is done and the world's nations have signed up to the Dragon's Peace?

 

Well, just like the Red Ajah, they could work with the Asha'man, but whereas the Red Ajah and the Asha'man working with them would be more concerned with upholding the law, taking care of rogue channellers, and essentially acting as a bit of a police force, the Green Ajah could work with them more in terms developing positive relations between the two Towers. Not so much pure channelling business like the Red Ajah, and instead involving the actual person as a human being, looking beyond their abilities with the One Power. And if there are still darkfiends in the Blight, then there is no reason for their purpose as fighters to disappear. In fact even if there is no fighting to be done right then and there, I doubt they will lose their purpose just like I expect the Asha'man to remain true, to a certain extent, to their origins as soldiers. 

[Carnacarn]

I see the Red and Green Ajahs joining forces. They were opposites for so long, that the post-LB balance would be them conducting joint-operations. The Green has so much more experience dealing with males then the other Ajah's. The Reds have dealt with males who can channel specifcally. Joining their experiences/strenghts together would make sense. The only problem I could see is Logain in charge of the Black Tower now. He is anti-Red Ajah, and has a strong distrust of Aes Sedai. He could be the biggest obstacle.

[gpace1216]

Does Loial not get the Longing throughout the series because he's strong enough to resist it or just because it hasn't been long enough, or is it because of being with the taveeran or having a sense of purpose or something along those lines?

[BFG]

Loial was starting to suffer from the Longing - he stopped off in a stedding on his way back from the Two Rivers and I think was suffering after he was travelling with Karldin to warn the Elders about the gates. 

[jedman67]

and I think was suffering after he was travelling with Karldin to warn the Elders about the gates. 

i don't think this was the longing, it was the trials of doing so much hard traveling (even with gateways, it's still a challenge!) as well as what he had to do - warn the Elders that Trollocs could come out of any gateway, and being considered a child by most - that took the sitzfleisch out of him.

[CauthonsLuck]

So I hope this is a simple question. I was just wondering how Alanna was just able to get rid of the bond with Rand. That doesn't seem like it would be possible to me as it was never expressed before in the books that I remembered. I feel like if Alanna was able to do this that she would have done it a long time ago, so the shadow would stop torturing her. I know that she could pass the bond but I'm pretty sure that's not what happened. UNLESS, she actually gave the bond to Nynaeve... 

[Suttree]

So I hope this is a simple question. I was just wondering how Alanna was just able to get rid of the bond with Rand. That doesn't seem like it would be possible to me as it was never expressed before in the books that I remembered. I feel like if Alanna was able to do this that she would have done it a long time ago, so the shadow would stop torturing her. I know that she could pass the bond but I'm pretty sure that's not what happened. UNLESS, she actually gave the bond to Nynaeve... 

 

 

Week 13 Question

Is the White Tower currently aware of any way to completely dissolve/undo the bond between an Aes Sedai and her Warder so that the link no longer exists and all the positive and negative effects of the bond are removed?

Robert Jordan

Yes, they are. It is called releasing a Warder, and an Aes Sedai who is very old or injured so badly that she knows she is going to die will, if she has the strength, release him so he doesn't suffer from her death. This does require the two of them to be together, and a little more time that laying on the bond. If they are physically apart, or she doesn't have enough time or strength remaining, touch on him.

It has also been used to get rid of a Warder who proved to be unsuitable in some way, such as a man who is discovered to be a thief or who takes reckless chances, a fighter of duels who won't stop without the bond being used to force him. No sister is going to want a Warder who will risk getting himself killed, with all the attendant results to her, for no very good reason....

 

[CauthonsLuck]

Ahh, well I suppose that was a pretty simple answer! Thanks Suttree! 

[threadnecromancer]

What was Allana up to? Was she BA? I don't recall ever learning why she disappeared in the earlier book.

[Rhienne]

What was Allana up to? Was she BA? I don't recall ever learning why she disappeared in the earlier book.

It isn't really clarified, and I don't think we ever get an Alanna POV to see conclusively whether she is BA or not.  She disappeared from her rooms the Stone of Tear in mysterious circumstances - female channelers near her room didn't feel enough of saidar being used to open a Gateway so either she used inverted weaves or left through a Gateway woven with saidin or the True Power.  One of the envelopes from Verin's letters was found in her room so the contents of the letter may have triggered her departure.  

 

Her choice to release Rand's bond at Shayol Ghul suggests she was either not a Darkfriend, or a Darkfriend who repented at the last moment as she could have chosen not to release the bond before dying, which would have potentially resulted in Rand entering a Warder rage and losing his mental battle with the Dark One.  It seems she was part of Moridin's plans to defeat Rand, but whether she was a willing participant, coerced, tricked, or kidnapped at various parts of her trip from Tear to Shayol Ghul isn't made crystal clear.

[Suttree]

What was Allana up to? Was she BA? I don't recall ever learning why she disappeared in the earlier book.

 

Few quotes on this:

 

INTERVIEW: Feb 6th, 2013

AMOL Signing Report - Simka (Paraphrased)

SIMKA (FEBRUARY 10, 2013)

ValMar@44—Your remark reminded me that Brandon did specifically say in his answer to me that Alanna was definitely not Black Ajah.

 

INTERVIEW: Feb 12th, 2013

AMOL Signing Report - JeffS (Paraphrased)

BRANDON SANDERSON (PARAPHRASED)

During the personalization signings, someone asked what the deal was with Alanna's move north and Brandon said unequivocally that she was kidnapped. He didn't say by whom, but I figure since the report to Cadsuane said there were not any residues of channeling to read, it must have been Moridin himself using the True Power.

INTERVIEW: Feb 22nd, 2013

AMOL Signing Report - Terez (Verbatim)

TEREZ

Was Alanna captured in Tear?

 

BRANDON SANDERSON

No. She managed to get away from Tear.

 

TEREZ

Okay. Good answer. (crosstalk)

 

BRANDON SANDERSON

Good question.

 

TEREZ

What happened to her Warder, Ihvon?

 

BRANDON SANDERSON

Her Warder Ihvon um, met...

 

TEREZ

...(laughs)

 

BRANDON SANDERSON

It is not happy.

 

TEREZ

Unpleasant fate, okay

[gpace1216]

Just (re)read Egwene becoming accepted.  In her "vision" or whatever as Amyrlin, her keeper was someone named Beldine or Beldeine or something (I'm listening to the cds, so I don't know the spelling).  Is this person a real Aes Sedai, or just a filler in Egwene's mind?  This AS is green in the "vision," so maybe she's a mentioned green from somewhere.  (I also don't know what to call the "visions" but that's a less important question.

[Suttree]

Just (re)read Egwene becoming accepted.  In her "vision" or whatever as Amyrlin, her keeper was someone named Beldine or Beldeine or something (I'm listening to the cds, so I don't know the spelling).  Is this person a real Aes Sedai, or just a filler in Egwene's mind?  This AS is green in the "vision," so maybe she's a mentioned green from somewhere.  (I also don't know what to call the "visions" but that's a less important question.

 

Beldeine was a Green and young enough that she did not yet have the ageless look. She was part of the group that kidnapped Rand and then later bonded Karldin as her Warder.

[gpace1216]

Anyway to know if Egwene knew of Beldeine before being tested for Accepted, or if the terrangreal filled in her knowledge with true information?

[Suttree]

Anyway to know if Egwene knew of Beldeine before being tested for Accepted, or if the terrangreal filled in her knowledge with true information?

 

She had never met her and apparently didn't know who she was.

[Araksi]

This may come across as a strange question and I'm probably being stupid... but did the dark one manipulate events so he would be sealed?

 

I'm thinking that the bore was never meant to happen that it was an anomaly or an abomination even in the eyes of Shia'tan. Obviously the existence of the bore meant that the true power or the essence of the DO began leaking onto the pattern, distorting it. To correct it Shia'tan created this "dark one" so the world would have no choice but to abandon any ideas of using the true power and be forced to reseal the bore. I think it's also likely shi'atan is responsible for at least in part for ta'veren.