Asmodean

[Magicana]

So who killed him?

 

I've been re-reading the series and I've just gotten past where Rand and Asmodean smash apart Rhuidean to try and obtain the Choedan-Kal.

 

My question is this:

 

Asmodean grilled Mat about Rand and what they had seen in Rhuidean, and went over every little detail of what they found in the square. So he obviously realises that the Choedan-Kal is in Rhuidean for at least a week or two before he Skims from al'Cair Dal. Wouldn't he have been better off just going back on his own before then? Why didn't he?

[InfinLuminous]

I never understood this either. Also, in Winter's Heart when Cyndane tells the rest of the Forsaken that Rand has an access key to the Choedan Kal, the other Forsaken act very surprised, and I believe a few of them exclaim that it was believed all of the access keys had been destroyed. What led Asmodean to believe that an access key was in Rhuidean?

[mb]

they were actually terangreal that linked to the Choedan Kal; not the Choedan Kal themselves.

 

One reason for not going earlier might have been that the gateway might have been detected.

 

What led him to think that they were in Rhuidean?  Maybe he had time to check elsewhere before he went to the Waste.

[Sabio]

Exactly, since he didn't fully understand the makeup of the Fog for all he knew he would be detected going in.  Plus the strange fog probably made him extra cautious since it was clearly power made so who knew what might happen.  The point was to wait till Rand was distracted with Couladin and then he would be free to go back with no cares and be able to take his time.  He used skimming since I am guessing he wasn't familiar with his location to make a gateway.

[mbuehner]

I think it was more important to him that he wait until Lanfear was distracted.

[mb]

It seems to me that Lanfear was not distracted (or was partly distracted) since she notified Rand of the going.

[mbuehner]

I didn't say it would work, I said Asmodean would have been very worried about it.  I don't think there was a more opportune time for him to try.  I would argue that the fact that she WAS watching him so closely proves the point. He must have known she was keeping a close eye on him, and if it were me i'd be far more terrified of crossing Lanfear than just about anyone short of Semirhage.

[Aulduron]

 

 

What led Asmodean to believe that an access key was in Rhuidean?

 

He was a bard. Like Thom, he listens to stories. He undoubtedly heard the story of the Aiel during the breaking and deduced their cargo and purpose. The other Forsaken were looking for stores of ter'angreal, but it seems no others thought to look in Rhuidean.

[Sabio]

For him to know for sure they survived I always assumed Asmo asked mat to describe some of the item he saw and Mat must of mentioned seeing the statues.  Asmo would of immedietly of known what they were.  Asmo then might of pressed further for location and such.

[mb]

The guide tells that Asmodean was a composer during the Age of Legends; not a bard.

bard I take started in the Third Age.

[TheVitaleMob]

Um, I'm pretty sure Mat told him without knowing it.  Remember that "Jasin Natael" grilled him while he was sitting against that wagon wheel with the cask of warm ale.