Thom and the Myrddral

[dalic]

I read an old interview with RJ. Someone asked if Thom's knives were made with the One Power because there was blue flashes of light "off screen" when Thom fought the Myrddral. RJ said Thom's knives are not made with the One Power. He went on to say that the blue flashes of light occured before Thom reached the Myrddral. So what happened?

[Bob T Dwarf]

Jordan seems to be all over the lot on this one. Here's another Q&A session:

NY, NY: why was there a blue light flashing when Thom met the fade in whitebridge?

 

Robert Jordan: Because Thom's best knives are very special indeed.

[LonGunmn49]

Interesting. I wonder if we'll ever see just why. Perhaps something to do with aMoL?

[BenTGaidin]

I think he's said at one point that it's because Thom's knifes are power-wrought, and power-wrought items will make that sparking/flashing effect when wielded against blades forged in Thakan'dar.

[dalic]

it was and old interview i saw so possibly he decided to change what he originally intended. thanks for the additional info.

[Angel of Death]

I haven't read KoD yet so i dont know about the knife of dreams, but maybe there his knifes. :D

[BenTGaidin]

*laughs* That _would_ be entertaining, AoD! I hadn't thought of it before. I don't recall seeing evidence of it in KoD, but he _is_ in there... Now I'll have to look while rereading it.

[Darkhound]

Maybe Thom just rubbed his feet on a thick carpet before attacking... ZAP!

[LonGunmn49]

Bwahahahahahaha!!!! :lol:

[Guiness]

A post about EotW. Congrats!

[the dude]

So, are they power-wrought? Or not? I am confused.

 

could it be a ward placed by moiraine?

[Guiness]

I'm pretty sure Thom didn't let Moraine cast anything on any of his items!!!

[the dude]

I'm pretty sure Thom didn't let Moraine cast anything on any of his items!!!

 

I agree with that totally. But, the operative term here might be "let." Not that I'm necessarily suggesting this is the case, but it's a possibility.

 

It's pretty nebulous, though. It should be clearer, one way or the other.

 

Maybe they're something else entirely, not at all to do with the Power?

[Guiness]

Maybe they're something else entirely' date=' not at all to do with the Power?[/quote']

 

Mebbe. I thought of that as well, but something tells me he bloody well would've known if she messed with his stuff

 

I just re-read EotW, so this bit is front of mind. I wonder how much Moraine knew of his time in the Camlyn court? This is probably covered in a later book.

[Moric]

That IS covered in a later book. And she knows him fairly well...

 

Moric

[son of battles]

I went back and re-read this part. The flashes definately happen after Thom has tackled the myrddraal, with it's sword only half drawn. RJ has said that Thom's knives aren't made with power, but that they're special. When Thom drew his knives and told Rand and Mat to run it said that the myrddraal was surprised. That may only be that it didn't expect him to fight, but maybe it really felt him channeling. Later we see Rand fight myrddraal with his fire sword made from saidin, and it makes blue flashes just like the weapons made by Aes Sedai...just a thought. :?

[Shai-tan]

Yes well in a thread people wonder if Tom can learn to channel like Owan could.

[son omerc]

Just something to make this more interesting, but those knives were Thom's "second best". He lost his best outside Shadar Logoth in the fight with the trollocs. How good would those be?

 

Personally I think RJ mispoke when he said that the flashes occured before Thom reached the Fade. Give the man a break, he answers all these questions off the cuff without referencing the books themselves. All the fans go prepared with specific questions well researched before hand. I'm amazed how well he can keep this stuff straight in his head.

[Graendals favourite]

Hmm, it could be a sign of a block, as with Nynaeve. Nynaeve certainly wouldn't have realised she could channel without her discussion with Moiraine. If Thom has subconsciously realised he can channel, he can have a similar mental block. Being able to conjure up a knife of air could be a thing come from a situation where you desperately need to channel the rescue yourself, but after you deny it, except that in such a desperate situation as that Myrddraal coming at them, he knew he could do it and then did it, even though he'd regret it later.

 

It goes to show why Thom'd always want to have good ordinary knives with him, so he wouldn't need to ever resort to the Power he denies to himself he wouldn't be able to use.

 

Anyway, two cents here.

 

Edit: and now i reread and saw the knives weren't powerwrought after all. Well, still, maybe something there.

[Mardragon]

They probably weren't power-wrought, but it is quite possible that he imbued them with the One power. I'm not convinced of this or that he can channel (although I wouldn't be surprised if he could learn... but I doubt we'll find that out) but it is possible.

 

I always though it kind of inconsistent that Thom recovered that wound when Rand's father got badly sick from Trolloc steel to the extent he needed Aes Sedai healing. That wouldn't have anything to do with channeling though as one can't heal oneself.

[alCal]

If Thom could channel, shouldn't he look much younger, like other channelers? Or could that be an effect of a block?

[Guest Majsju]

If Thom could channel' date=' shouldn't he look much younger, like other channelers? Or could that be an effect of a block?[/quote']

 

Not that I agree with the idea of Thom being able to learn to channel, but I just want to point out that slowing is a direct effect from actually channeling. Unless you actually channel, you won't slow a day.

[alCal]

Well, yes. That's what I meant to say with a possible effect of a block. Should have made that clearer.

[Guest cwestervelt]

The usage of the power would have to be very rare. If he were blocked, he wouldn't have the control needed to do that. Don't forget, Nynaeve channelled often enough to have been passed the critical point, and she never even knew she did so. Plus, Thom's quite an old man, so the taint, even at minimal exposure, should have had some effect by that time.

 

Edit: Thom would have slowed. Nynaeve already had started to before she met Moiraine. This was eventually revealed as one of the reasons people always took her to be so much younger than she was. So even blocked/unaware, Thom would have channelled enough to slow.

[Jedimuppet]

The usage of the power would have to be very rare. If he were blocked' date=' he wouldn't have the control needed to do that. Don't forget, Nynaeve channelled ofted enough to have been passed the critical point, and she never even knew she did so. Plus, Thom's quite an old man, so the taint, even at minimal exposure, should have had some effect by that time.[/quote']

 

Totally...he's a very special old man, but he's not a channeler.

J