Weekly Topic: Fire and Blood at Dumai's Wells

[MasterAblar]

This scene was perhaps my favorite in the entire series. Certainly, few can match it.

 

Dumai's Wellls was a monumental event for many different reasons. It significantly worsened Rand mental state. It resulted in massive losses to the Shaido which would lead Sevana to seek Sammael's help. The Aes Sedai were humbled and brought low. The Wise Ones participated in battle for the first time. And the Asha'man made their entrance as a power to be reckoned with in the nosiest fashion possible. It is difficult to say what was the most important effect of this battle.

 

Rand, who was already mistrustful due to the Tairen nobility, the Wise Ones, and Moiraine would become skeptical of nearly everyone in the future. His imprisonment led to him conversing enormously with LTT worsening his insanity. The relations between him and the Aes Sedai were strained to the maximum. Much of the following book has him trying to recover mentally from the whole ordeal. The scars however clearly stayed with him until the end of tGS.

 

The Shaido, after suffering yet another setback, were forced to turn to Sammael, in disguise, to find a way out of their situation. This would lead to their scattering across the continent, and of course the the much beloved plot arc of "Rescue Faile". This battle is the last time the Shaido would pose a problem to Rand personally.

 

The defeat of the Aes Sedai, was a seminal event. Up until now the Aes Sedai were respected, and more or less obeyed by all. The Amyrlin was the most powerful individual on the continent and supposedly even the commander of the Children of the Light would obey her summons. This battle changed everything. Soldiers from Cairhien, Mayene and the Two Rivers fought against them. Even the Aiel turned their spears against them. The first Aes Sedai swore allegiance to the Dragon Reborn. The importance of this event can be measured by Elaida's reaction. The White Tower's aura of invulnerability was forever broken.

 

The participation of the Wise One's in battle can seem relatively unimportant, however considering the sheer number of Wise Ones this added enormous strength to Rand armies. What is more, considering the future foreseen by Aviendha, it could have had, and still might have, terrible consequences. Every channeller is a potential damane, and those on the battlefield against the Seanchan are at a greater risk than any.

 

Lastly, and perhaps most memorably, this battle marked the entrance of the Asha'man on the world stage. Their power and destructive ability was revealed to all. It was perhaps not the best PR move by a group of people already feared for the danger they presented to the world, but no matter. The effectiveness of their training was made evident, and their ruthlessness shocked, and rather disgusted, everyone who had the misfortune to witness their performance. This battle marked the rebirth of male channellers as an organisation.

 

The thing that is noticable about this battle though, is that more than any other battle before Tarmon Gaidon, it was one enormous Pyrrhic victory for the Light. It can't even be called a victory. Thousands dead, mistrust at an all time high, and the world's savior on the verge of madness. It set the two greatest defenders of the Light against each other. The sheer awesomeness of the battle was off set by the no less awesome, but most definitely very sinister "Kneel or you will be knelt" line, from none other than Mazrim Taim, who has "I am not a good guy" pretty much written all over him.

[clutzyninja]

My favorite scene is Perrin's entrace, and the wolves bursting out of the grass to hit the Shaido in the back.

[Rhienne]

I voted for the humbling of the Aes Sedai.  I think this act undermined Elaida's rule sufficiently that it gave Egwene a better chance at gaining the trust of the Tower Aes Seda.  It also marks a major change in how the Aes Sedai are seen both by the reader and by characters in the story.  They are no longer the dominant force.  It also marks the beginning of Rand's arrogant and dark phase, when he begins to use people rather than empathising with them.

 

Its not my favourite scene in the series, but it would come in my top 10.  Its my favourite in LoC.

[Rudrah]

I just listened to Sevann’s POV from the ACOS prologue. That is a good perspective too!

[warsong]

I believe no one can deny that Dumai's Wells was an epic scene.   Definitely ranks as one of the most "game changing" scenes in series!

I voted that the humbling of the Aes Sedai was the most important thing.

Saying that,  one of my favorite scenes was at the end of book 2, when all the characters are battling in Falme.  More specifically when Ingtar revealed himself and Rand gave forgiveness.  A foreshadowing of the Dragon Reborn saving the world by letting go, even if people have to die.

[Barid Bel Medar]

I voted for "other". For me it is a bit of all. 

 

The most important thing I think was from the Shadow's perspective, with Demandred at the end. (although not about Demandred.)

 

It was the Asha'man fighting Aes Sedai. 

 

Of course, it turned out all good in the end with everyone working together, but I think the major development was the Shadow's victory here, which sets the Asha'man and Aes Sedai up under hostile circumstances. 

 

Taim's "Kneel or be knelt" was cool and under the circumstances, welcomed. But it only served to drive the wedge between male and female channelers further than it already was. 

 

It set Elaida on the path of sending the 50 Aes Sedai to destroy the Black Tower, which caused that entire mess with both parties distrusting the other. 

 

It persevered until aMoL when they were basically forced to work together or die. The Shadow did well at Dumai's Wells. If Perrin wasn't there, things would have turned out a lot worse with the unstable Rand with only Taim as a "friendly" advisor.