The Sword that is not a Sword

[clu7ch]

But it might be a drill.

 

Hello folks, I’m trying to present this case in as factual a way as possible. Stick with me, and hopefully we can put a lid on it. (It’s worth noting that it might not merit a lid, however – it might just be a mystery)

 

First off, lets get the basics out of the way. Callandor was created shortly before the breaking of the world. It was made with a flaw – allowing female channelers to take control of the man using it. This flaw was exploited by Rand, Nyn, and Mo to seal the dark one via Moridin’s TP access. Furthermore, it doesn't have a safety buffer – thus allowing overdrawing of the one power.

 

I strongly believe that it (Callandor) was created by Mierin Eronaile and Beidomon and probably more associates at the Sharom/Collam Daan. Why, you might ask? It’s an incredibly powerful Sa’angreal, which could have been the instrument used to drill the bore into the Dark One’s prison.

 

Let’s try and piece this puzzle together. Why the flaw? I would assume that the flaw was a safety precaution implemented for the safety of AoL citizens. Such a powerful object could be used to devastating ends, however, with the flaw, anyone who might gank the sword and go on a spree could be ‘caught’ and halted by female channelers. As to why it magnifies Saidin, Mierin was as strong as a woman could be in the AoL, but was not a match for the power wielded by men, and thusly, Saidin. Therefore, it would make sense that the researchers at the Sharom would use the stronger of the powers, if they were to drill through the pattern to tap this then unknown power source (they believed to simply be a separate pool of the already well known One Power).

 

As for the lack of a safety buffer, while in a circle – the power is evenly distributed among the members, so overdrawing wouldn’t have been a concern – or may have been intentional to acquire the necessary amount of power to drill the bore.

 

We see from Charn’s PoV in tSR that the Sharom cracked in half, engulfed in black fire. This most likely indicates a massive amount of the True Power.

 

This may leave you asking why the taint wasn't applied at this point. We know that with all three powers, the taint is impossible, because they work together like a trinity. Before the bore was drilled, they knew an astonishing amount about the True Power. It could be used by either gender, and was in fact not Saidin or Saidar, so it’s likely that a much smaller hole was made prior to the actual drilling that caused the Sharom to explode, otherwise, how would they know these specifics about the power source?

 

Which leaves yet another question: if a precursory hole was made, why didn’t the taint apply itself to whichever power was used? You need to remind yourself that these ‘scientists’ were just that – highly intelligent, stupid, scientists. The basis for any experiment is control. They most likely conducted these experiments from a sizable well in the Sharom. Such a well could have been made with Callandor – as we see from another glass columns POV – the sword that is not a sword, and the dragon banner as they discuss creating the Eye. From that we can surmise that Callandor was used with the selfless Aes Sedai that gave their lives to create the massive well of pure Saidin. As to why a bunch of Collam Daan researchers didn’t up and die – it’s likely that the loss of life caused in the creation of the Eye was to purify the pool.

 

A massive well would also make sense as to why the Sharom exploded in a swath of black fire. So for this, we’ll pretend that Beidomon drilled the first, tiny, baby hole. He marvels at this nifty new power, and feels a slight nastiness from the taint in his well. Of course, he immediately lets go, maybe there’s a little fire – whatever. The thing is, he felt this nifty cool power. So he has Mierin do the same thing, and probably has the same result. The Dark One feels this prodding though, and thinks to himself in a maniacal tone: WTF IS A TAXI DOING OUT HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE and when M/B link up in a circle, the DO is all like IMMA PLAY A TRICK ON THEM, NO TAINT – LUL and they realize that this is awesome, a new power source that either gender can use. So what do we do next? We replicate the experiment on a larger scale. The Dark One – according to the whole way the wheel of time works, has been freed before, countless times, and is waiting for this, so when they come back with Callandor and hell, maybe a full circle, the DO shoots the taint up the stream of power, and instead of hitting the One Power, it hits the well, and thusly, the Sharom explodes. Lanfear and Beidomon somehow escape, and beings he’s the dude, he was presumably holding Callandor, and thus it left with him – that being how Lanfear doesn’t end up with it, and also thoroughly explaining how she has such intimate knowledge of it while Rand and co are racing towards it in TDR.

 

Beidomon is so ashamed of what he did that he kills himself, Mierin is so obsessed with power and proving herself to her beloved, that she fixates on this new power and allies herself with the darkness. So Callandor probably sits in a room and collects dust, people being afraid to touch the thing that essentially starts the War of Power. This would explain why Min’s research turns up the blade being called: The fearful blade, and the blade of ruin. So while Biedomon is shamefaced to a suicidal level, saner minds prevail, and they figure, it made the bore, it can fix the bore – lets put floaty’s on it and wait for Rand to save us.

 

Finally, you may be thinking: It says it was made shortly before the breaking. In the AoL, Aes Sedai lived in excess of 700 years, and the bore was drilled like 200 years prior to the onslaught of the war, so retrospectively, and proportionally, it was a short time – also, records from the time are skewed, and intermittent.

 

So kids, there we have it – why the Sword that is Not a Sword may in fact actually be a drill – and that explains this rather large plot hole. Or not?

 

Let’s have some discussion :D 

[Suttree]

Callandor was created shortly before the breaking of the world.

It was created and used during the War of Power.

 

It was made with a flaw – allowing female channelers to take control of the man using it. This flaw was exploited by Rand, Nyn, and Mo to seal the dark one via Moridin’s TP access. Furthermore, it doesn't have a safety buffer – thus allowing overdrawing of the one power.

That flaw was most likely unknown at the time. Pre-AMoL the only flaw discussed per RJ was the lack of buffer. Which was a simple manufacturing flaw, nothing more.

Interview: Oct 28th, 2005

KOD Signing Report - Jason Wolfbrother (Paraphrased)

Jason Wolfbrother

Was Callandor constructed during the War of Power?

Robert Jordan

Yes.

Jason Wolfbrother

Was it used in the War of Power?

Robert Jordan

Yes, that is how the flaw was discovered.

Jason Wolfbrother

Why didn't they ward/buffer Callandor?

Robert Jordan

The flaw with Callandor is simply a manufacturing flaw. He went on to talk about how they were at the end of their tech age with only a few sho-wings and jo-cars left. A couple of shocklances were still around but they were not as prevalent as they had been. Anyway they had been mass producing ter'angreal, angreal, and sa'angreal, and there are bound to be flaws with the products. The flaw with Callandor is simply one such flaw.

It’s an incredibly powerful Sa’angreal, which could have been the instrument used to drill the bore into the Dark One’s prison.

It hadn't been created yet.

 

This may leave you asking why the taint wasn't applied at this point.

Per RJ it takes a "very special" set of circumstances for that to happen and it most likely didn't touch the DO the same way LTT did.

[clu7ch]

I'm not knocking or doubting what you've said - I admittedly didn't browse all the Q/A reports before crafting this theory - but it seems a really unceremonious beginning to the sword that becomes a pivotal device of prophecy. 

 

And regardless of everything, true power magnification is not and can not be a design flaw. It was intentional, and thus was created by someone who had access to it. With the sharan involvement in aMoL (which we were told in Q/A wouldn't happen) I have to surmise that some answers we've gotten from signings and so on are not accurate. 

[Barid Bel Medar]

Just an aside: There was no incorrect statements made about Shara. 

 

RJ said that there would be no major action IN Shara on-screen, and that the only possible trips to Shara would be akin to the Seanchan trip that Avi and Rand took. 

 

He never said anything about the people of Shara not playing a role in some way. 

 

Brandon has further stated that the RoS short story about Demandred cannot be considered entirely cannon, as it was his creation, and was cut from the books. So any major Sharan action in RoS isn't going against anything in the Q&A's. 

 

On topic: Brandon said he believes (whether or not his is 100%, I don't know) that the flaw in Callandor (the other flaw, the TP sa'angreal) was intended to be a trap for one of the male Forsaken. Not that it was specifically designed for Rand's confrontation, but a trap for any of them. 

 

Callandor's origins are indeed pretty unassuming. It wasn't created for a grand purpose - the flaws were manufacturing errors and unintentional. Callandor only rose to prominence because of Prophecies that were made sometime near the end of the WoP.

 

The big question that is unanswered (AFAIK, Brandon may have done so recently) is how the TP flaw was created, and how they even found out about it. Perhaps it was a result of an unintentional flaw in the construction like the buffer/trap, but it seems hard to believe that the Light could somehow create a TP sa'angreal.  Perhaps if one of the Forsaken had a hand in it's creation - someone undercover - or the DO itself did something. Nothing clear on the subject, but I would think that there is something more than just the manufacturing flaw involved with the TP thing. 

[Suttree]

On topic: Brandon said he believes (whether or not his is 100%, I don't know) that the flaw in Callandor (the other flaw, the TP sa'angreal) was intended to be a trap for one of the male Forsaken. Not that it was specifically designed for Rand's confrontation, but a trap for any of them.

 

It's just what Brandon believes. He clarified it needed to be checked up on by Maria. Hope we get a final answer.

 

Also Brandon only studied the world building notes for 2 months. He then relied on Alan and Maria to research for him when he needed info. Entirely understandable that he isn't clear on everything such as in the Reddit chat yesterday where his first two WoT answers were wrong(the first was that he though Mat's memories gained from the Finns were from his past lives not other people).

[clu7ch]

there almost has to be - the mention of the Seed rand gives to elayne has absolutely no purpose in the book aside from casting questions concerning already existing angreal and sa'angreal - in my opinion - specifically Callandor. It's a nice sentiment that should he die, a bit of knowledge from the Age of Legends lived on, but it has no purpose in the book, it's essentially him saying 'bought you a toy, don't use it - love rand' 

 

Also, if the sword was used and whatnot in the War of Power - and the flaws were discovered, and it was in fact used among the side of the light - for such information to be passed on, wouldn't you assume that the Light's greatest general would know about such flaws and weaknesses? Rand post VoG seems to have no knowledge of the sword's history - as he still rely's on Min for researching it. 

 

I think the more we dig into this the more questions and inconsistencies arise. 

turning into a giant CF in my head lol. 

[jedman67]

Manufacturing Angreal and Sa'angreal likely meant that there were a few AS whose Talent was crafting OoP (Objects of Power) and all they did was make angreal or saangreal to be used in the war. Callandor was the result of an AS who had accidentally touched the TP for one reason or another - due to the taint, if it was post-bore, or a renegade who intended to use it for the Dark Side. The flaw, much like Vora's Sangreal, is most likely due to it being rushed, and perhaps being used with an angreal can contribute to the flaw being there.

 

As for it being a "trap", whether for the TP or for Saidin, i don't understand this at all.

[clu7ch]

but the thing is, unless your finding yourself in the exact situation rand found himself in - bonding himself with moridin - you really can't accidentally touch the true power. It's at the DO's whims. 

 

Moreover, we don't know the specifics of Rand's situation. We don't know if it happens to everyone who 'crosses the streams' because it doesn't happen elsewhere, we don't know if it has to do with the two souls of rand/ishy, or if Rand could actually use the TP a second time. He thinks he can, but we don't know with certainty. 

 

I'm thinking now that this was simply a little bit of a plot oversight. 

[Rhienne]

Surely for someone to write prophecies about Callandor something of its importance at the LB and to the Dragon must have been known?  Otherwise why include it?  The lack of a buffer doesn't seem like it would merit inclusion in the prophecies as we know of other sa'angreal that lack a buffer. 

 

Side question: Who stuck Callandor in the Stone of Tear originally (i.e. prior to Rand taking it)?

[Aulduron]

I believe foretellings told them Callandor would be needed.

[Suttree]

Yes the Prophecies of the Dragon came from a series of foretelling before, during and after the war of power.

[Barid Bel Medar]

I believe we see this in the Column history Rand goes through in tSR - they talk about Callandor there and we see a bit of planning for it along with the Horn and Dragon Banner. 

[clu7ch]

Correct Barid. We see that, and somewhere we learn that wards of saidin and saidar are used to protect it in the stone of tear, which i believe was also constructed solely for the protection of the sword for the time when prophecy would require it be drawn. The High Lords of Tear are foremost charged with it's protection. 

 

As to why it wasn't placed in the eye- to make a neat little dragon reborn starter kit, I've no clue. I'd love to get some team jordan feedback on this. Even if it is a simple 'we don't know - you guys and your theories. lol' 

[clu7ch]

also how you make a 'dragon's reborn soul only' ward is beyond me lol. 

[PhoenixUK]

Callandor was flawed because it had no buffer, it could magnify the taint, and it left the male user vulnerable to control from women. 

 

AND it magnified use of the True Power? A bit too much for manufacturing flaws. That last aspect tipped it too far, for me. 

[Elysium]

Has Brandon or anyone from Team Jordan commented on how much of Callandor Jordan wrote into the notes or otherwise communicated? After Suttree's post (Jordan indicating its humble origins), it makes me wonder if Jordan actually intended it to be a TP Sa'angreal...or maybe it was just another instance of the pattern taking something of humble origins and making it a useful tool (aka, the Horn of Valere).

[balefireruinssteaks]

It's not unlikely that the magnification of the True Power was something of a side effect, really.  There are other instances in the series where use of the One Power had other-than-intended results which left the characters thinking.

 

When Elayne breaks down a gateway it explodes and kills everything and everyone around them.  When Aviendha breaks down a gateway it explodes and backlashes Graendal's Compulsion back on her.  Different results, very unexpected.

 

When Moridin uses balefire from the True Power and Rand uses balefire from the One Power, the two streams hit and create a link between the two men.  This is certainly not an expected result of using the two sources of power, and Moridin is increasingly frustrated by it so he didn't know it would happen - it was a side effect, just as Rand's sickness when he tried to seize saidin was a side effect.

 

Callandor was manufactured without a buffer (by accident) and built with the design that women could overpower a man and control him while linked to it.  I think that a side-effect of (1) magnifying the taint on the male half of the True Source and (2) magnifying the True Power were just side effects of the creation of Callandor.  There may have been other angreal or sa'angreal that had similar effects if any of them were created to do the same thing - and we saw a couple of POVs where Cadsuane's paralis-net and Nynaeve's set of angreal/ter'angreal were compared and thought to have been made around the same time period where a woman might have need of something to protect her from male channelers.

[clu7ch]

I just have a problem with that. We learn from aMoL - specifically the seed given to elayne, how angreal - and presumably, sa'angreal are made. This piece of knowledge is absolutely useless for the book. It serves no purpose. She doesn't use it, it's only there so we know how they're made. Thus, i believe that it's true power function is not a design flaw. It simply can't be. One can't accidentally touch the true power, outside of the very specific situation with Rand's link to moridin. the true power is explicitly controlled and thus can't be a 'ghost in the machine' 

[LoLPoR]

We keep thinking Callandor was made to boost Saidin, but maybe it was made to boost a male channelers power regardless of what power he was yielding. It's something a scientist would think up without realising the dangerous repercussions.

[Barid Bel Medar]

The Seed wasn't intended to be useful in the actual book. It was more of a world-building thing. A little bit of a hint at the future. That was one of the main things that the 3rd Agers lacked at the end of the series. They had re-discovered a whole bunch of awesome stuff pertinent to progress with the OP. Elayne made the groundbreaking re-discovery of creating ter'angreal. 

 

It is natural the next step is an angreal or sa'angreal. It was put in as a) something that could be written as one of the "gifts" Rand gives to Elayne. 2) Solve a major sub-plot. 

 

It COULD be something more than that, but by itself, it makes perfect sense. 

[Paul H]

Callandor was manufactured without a buffer (by accident) and built with the design that women could overpower a man and control him while linked to it.  I think that a side-effect of (1) magnifying the taint on the male half of the True Source and (2) magnifying the True Power were just side effects of the creation of Callandor.  There may have been other angreal or sa'angreal that had similar effects if any of them were created to do the same thing - and we saw a couple of POVs where Cadsuane's paralis-net and Nynaeve's set of angreal/ter'angreal were compared and thought to have been made around the same time period where a woman might have need of something to protect her from male channelers.

 

 

So I think you are saying that Callandor was intentionally made as a trap for men who can channel.  I guess the idea is that some male channeler would see a powerful sa'angreal and could not resist using it.  But as soon as he began using it, some female Aes Sedai would take control and capture him.  Assuming that Callandor was made during the Breaking (and I think I recall reading that it was), this makes a lot of sense.  In fact, it seems so obvious now that I don't know why it didn't occur to me before.

[clu7ch]

Then, i find this little gem: 

 

 

INTERVIEW: Apr, 2012

Afternoon Tea with Brandon Sanderson - Luckers (Paraphrased)

LUCKERS

Okay, so, there have been three incidences where characters have ignored the Choedan Kal in favour of Callandor—or well, not even that. Just ignored the Choedan Kal. Shaidar Haran in The Gathering Storm when Elza took the Domination Band, Solinda during Rand’s flashbacks was the one who gave theter’angreal to the Aiel, but made no efforts to secure the Choedan Kal like Callandor, and the Aes Sedai who was looking to fight Ishamael during the breaking who took sa’angreal from the Aiel, but left the Choedan Kal. So I guess the question is...

BRANDON SANDERSON

Why are they choosing Callandor over the Choedan Kal?

LUCKERS

Well, not even that, really, because two of those have nothing to do with the Callandor. I guess it’s more, was there something dodgy... did they know something about the Choedan Kal... why did they leave it?

BRANDON SANDERSON

There is a reason. It has to do with Callandor being key to the ending, and the Choedan Kal not.

 

 

Which, by omittance, we can gather that Aes Sedai in the AoL knew of Callandor's design flaw - thus they guarded it so heavily so it would be there for the Dragon Reborn. The CK, while amazing and powerful, is about as useful as Vora's wand at solving the ultimate problem. 

 

Which means that if the Aes Sedai knew about callandor's potential, it had to have been made post-strike at sg for Lews Therin to be expected to not know anything about it. As he clearly doesn't know anything about it..........blah. 

 

Then, boys and girls, I think i've put a nail in this thread for now: 

 

INTERVIEW: Feb 22nd, 2013

AMOL Signing Report - J. Dauro (Verbatim)

QUESTION

From Freelancer, Can you speak to how and when a True Power sa'angreal was created?

BRANDON SANDERSON

I believe that such a thing, you'll have to check with Maria to make sure that I'm not saying anything wrong, but I believe that this thing was created as a trap for one of the Forsaken.

QUESTION

I think what he is more after, is once we have had the talk about the seed for a sa'angreal...

BRANDON SANDERSON

Uh, huh. How did that happen? That I am not talking too much about.

 

 

There at the end, in italics, It seems that this is being intentionally kept in the dark, at the very least until the encyclopedia is released, if i were to guess. It's gotta have some juicy stuff otherwise it's just repeated information, right?