DRAGONMOUNT

Hello there! The Wheel Turns, and now it is time for a new edition of the Weekly Roundup!   First off, there is a very special event going on in the Black Tower for the rest of the month, a Tainted Days festival!  Events will include a new game called “Prisoners of the Black Tower” as well as Tainted Mad Libs. If you just want to watch the One Power Tournament, you can do that, or participate in any of the fantastic games going on with our Brothers in Black Jackets.   Do you have a burning question for Jennifer Liang? She has opened up a thread called “Ask me Anything!” in the General Board. So, go ahead! Ask her!   The Tuathan’an, our lovely rebranded Tinkers, have a fascinating October Challenge: Spooks and Spirits. Here is your chance to see what sort of spooky things our creative friends come up with or contribute your own haunted creation.   A new thread has popped up in the Ogier, a discussion on seasonal traditions.  No matter your country of origin or faith, you more than likely have some sort of seasonal traditions, holidays, or foods you enjoy eating during holiday times. Discuss them, your family traditions, or just learn what others do!   The Aiel also have a Halloween themed event: Aiel Hallows Eve! The Aiel have their own ways of celebrating the Spooky Season: Ghost Stories, a Witch’s Spell Game, Pumpkin Carving, and making Potions!   And, an update from the Roleplaying forums: The Children of the Light now have a new Roleplay Group Leader: WolfbrotherKronos!  Congratulate WolfbrotherKronos and the Children as they celebrate their new leader!   And now, from Dragonmount’s Facebook page:   Remember, you can get up-to-date information about Wheel of Time news from Dragonmount's Facebook and Twitter feeds!    That wraps this week's Weekly Roundup!

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[Editor's Note: This is an article Moon Sedai published on Landofnerds.com, on September 12th, 2013; she has several other articles that focus on strong female characters.  It's posted here with her permission.]   This will contain spoilers from the whole Mistborn series.  Read at your own risk!   Strong Females: Vin Venture, Mistborn   First, let me apologize for taking so long to write this blog. I had a rather busy month of August, plus I spent time reading the Mistborn series so I could do a proper showcase for the character of Vin, from Mistborn. I promise that soon, I’ll be getting back to a regular blogging schedule, and catch up on Space City Con.   Before I begin talking about Vin, let me describe the world of Mistborn.  Mistborn takes place in a world known as the “Final Empire.” For a thousand years, a tyrannical god-king known as the “Lord Ruler” has ruled the world. He is the center of the world’s only existing religion and the most powerful magician in the world. He can create, he can destroy, and he is seen as unstoppable.  He also has complete control of the economy.   A thousand years ago, the Lord Ruler did some amazing things, stopped the destruction of the world, and named himself the “Sliver of Infinity” and Lord Ruler. He stamped out all other religions. He worked to actively wipe out entire populations of some people, created monsters and allies to help him run the world, and led a society that was led by the religion he founded around himself. Society is highly stratified: there are nobles, who were the descendants of those who ‘helped’ the Lord Ruler a thousand years before. The nobles have rarely had to battle, breed very few children, and have a tall stature. There are also the skaa. Skaa are a race that has been relegated to little more than slaves. They are generally smaller, have a lot of children, and are raised to be superstitious and complacent. Interbreeding is forbidden, and noblemen who take skaa lovers are encouraged to kill them before they give birth to half-breed children.   The main form of magic in Mistborn is called “Allomancy.” Essentially, Allomancy is magic where the Allomancer “burns” metals in their body, either swallowed directly or ingested through foods. (To learn more about Allomancy, check out the Misborn Wiki entry on allomancy). Most Allomancers can only use one metal at a time, and their magical style is often named after the metal or what that metal does. Mistborn are different, because they can burn all metals. The Lord Ruler’s Steel Ministry seeks out skaa Allomancers to eliminate. They are an abomination.   The planet is not a beautiful world. There are Ash Mountains that spew volcanic ash at irregular periods, covering everything with a dirty grey pallor. Plants no longer produce color. The Sun is a deep red. Every night, the air is filled with Mist: a seemingly powerful source of spooky power that “eats people.”   To those fans of Mistborn, I am going to focus primarily on the first book of the series to avoid spoiling the ending. There are going to be mild spoilers for the series.   1. Who is the Character? Vin is the primary character of Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series. She is a half-skaa (slave race) half-noble born girl, raised on the streets of Luthadel, the capital of the “Final Empire.” Her father never knew of her existence, her mother was insane. Her brother raised her, teaching her to be constantly paranoid, and raising her to a life of crime.  In the beginning, she has joined up with a thieving crew that depends on her extraordinary “Luck” to help them pull off their heists.   After a botched heist, Vin’s crew is approached by a man named “Kelsier,” who is known as “the Survivor of the Pits.” Kelsier is a legend: He is the only skaa who has ever broken out of the Lord Ruler’s prison.  He hates noblemen with all his being. He is brave, he is strong, he is powerful. He is also openly Mistborn. Kelsier introduces Vin to the idea of Allomancy, lets her know that she is a Mistborn, and trains her to help him pull off the greatest heist known to the Final Empire: The overthrowing of the Lord Ruler.   2. What is her role/career in the world she belongs to?  In the first Book, Vin is training to use her Mistborn powers. She takes a place on Kelsier’s crew as a spy: She masquerades as a ‘country noblewoman in the big city for the first time” to help spread false rumors and make the noble houses mistrustful of one another. She is also supposed to report what she learns of the various noble houses back to her crew.   As a Mistborn, she becomes one of the most powerful fighters and magicians in the world. She might be from a place of poverty, fear, and paranoia, but Vin becomes one of the most fearsome forces within the Empire.   3. What is the source of her power? Does she have [magic] power because she was born with it? If she was not “born to power,” how did she get the power? (i.e “Chosen” by a mysterious council, win via election, did she take the power or have it forced upon her?) Did she have to put up a fight to obtain her power? Allomancers are born with something in their genes that allow them to use magic. At some point in their life, after experiencing near-death trauma, they “Snap” and start using their power. They are either an Allomancer, a Mistborn, or a normal person, without abilities. Noble houses often beat their young children to a point to where they either Snap, die, or just take a really strong beating. Skaa Allomancers often don’t need that kind of encouragement. The life of poverty led by most skaa forces their Snapping, and sometimes, they don’t know what it is they can do. Very lucky is the skaa that Snaps and manages to evade the Steel Ministry.   This being said, Vin owes her Mistborn powers to her good genetics. She did not have to fight to get power, she had to fight to survive, and that fight is what allowed her to live.   4. Who are the important men in her life? Can we, in any way, attribute her position, power, or authority in thanks to the men in her life (father, brother, boyfriend/husband/lover)? (Did Daddy give her the power, is she only cool because she’s the Chosen One’s girlfriend?) Reen: Reen is her brother, who rescued her from their crazy mother after their mother killed their little sister. Reen taught Vin to be paranoid and suspicious, traits that might have helped keep her alive. Ultimately, he abandoned her, confirming to her that “everyone will betray you.”   Kelsier: Kelsier is her mentor. He brings her into the Crew, teaches her how to use her Allomancy. He is a father-type figure, not her actual father, but he cares for her, looks at her like the daughter he never had. Through Kelsier and his Crew, Vin learns what it is like to really trust and work with others.   Sazed: Sazed is a Terris Steward, a man who is of a race that the Lord Ruler subjected to strong breeding programs to eliminate the Terris style of magic (because of this, Sazed is a eunuch.) Sazed teaches Vin about how to act like a ‘proper noblewoman’ and about the different religions squashed by the Lord Ruler. Sazed is a uses Fereuchemy, a power that stores magic within metals worn outside the body.   Elend Venture: Elend, Vin’s ultimate husband, is important because he tells Vin that not all noblemen are bad. He is the only man Vin every really “loves” and is brokenhearted when ordered to end the relationship and when he tries to end it to protect her. Vin goes to great lengths to protect and care for her husband.   5. Is she ever used as a “Damsel in Distress?” If so, how does she handle her capture/stress? Does she rescue herself or did she put herself into the stress to begin with? Vin only rarely is in distress. Once, when she pushed herself too far with Allomancy, and a second time when she is *almost* killed in a battle. After pushing herself, she was bedridden for a time, and then was ‘forbidden’ from using Allomancy until she was fully healed. Vin did not enjoy this, and she used her powers anyway. The only time she is directly a “Damsel in Distress” is when she is caught by the Steel Ministry. Sazed uses his Feruchemical powers to rescue her, which ultimately allows Vin to  …{Left out so to avoid a SPOILER}.   6. Sex. Is sex and sexuality important to the character? Does she spend much of her time trying to impress the men around her? Is she the maiden/mother/crone?  Vin is a weird mix of maiden and mother. In the first novel, Vin must act as an immature, unknowledgeable noble girl, trying to make her place in Court.  At first, she is annoyed with Elend. He’s a nobleman who would rather read than dance. But she falls in love with him, perhaps because he was genuinely concerned with the state of the Empire, and openly displeased with his father’s actions and how the Lord Ruler ran society.   Vin does not specifically dress up and go to Balls to court Elend. She does not "pursue” him, directly, and once the “jig is up” about her heritage and identity, she actively avoids dressing the part of the flighty noblewoman. If Elend is going to love Vin, he was going to love who she was, not who she pretended to be.   Vin and Elend have a fascinating relationship. They work well together, support one another, and seem to be a true partnership. She is not in power because she’s his girlfriend/wife. She is the one with the power. He takes authority because of her. She is often used as a tool to support his authority, but it is because of her choice. In later books, she acts as an unofficial mother to the various peoples. To the religion that spawns as a result of the first book, to some of creatures that the Lord Ruler created to help run the empire.   7. How ‘manly’ is the character? Is she a tomboy, or androgynous? Is she really just a male character in a female body? Vin does not initially enjoy the dresses and make-up of the noble courts. She prefers male clothes, pants, short hair.   Girls who look like boys on the streets are not raped.   She does eventually come to relish the dresses and female clothing, but she prefers to wear the comfortable pants and boots to dresses and corsets.   8. What are her weaknesses? Vin is paranoid, almost to a fault. She is constantly convinced that her friends and lovers are going to betray her. She constantly hears the whisper of her brother in her ear, telling her that her friends are just waiting to stab her in the back, to turn her in to the Steel Ministry, that they will abandon her, leave her alone, betray her. Her strongest struggle is not with the Lord Ruler, but with fighting this paranoia within herself.   9. How Interesting would she be if she were a male character? If Vin were a male, it would have removed the relationship with Elend Venture, that is ultimately critical to the resolution of the first book.  Elend ultimately takes place in the rebellion out of his love of Vin, not out of his high ideals and morals.   The thieving crews where Vin got her start might not have considered a male Vin innocuous, might not have mistreated her as badly. She would not have been as useful. Or maybe a male Vin in the thieving crews would have been used as a bodyguard, and given away his Allomantic powers earlier.

I still love them; something about them just makes me laugh.  So here are a couple of my favorite Wheel of Time light bulb jokes.   1.) How many Tinkers does it take to change a light bulb?      They don't. Tinkers wait for the sun to rise.   2.) How many Aiel does it take to change a light bulb?      Aiel don't know how to change light bulbs. 3.) How many Forsaken does it take to change a light bulb?      None, Forsaken like it in the dark.   4.) How many Two Rivers folks does it take to change a light bulb?      About 20. Everyone on the Village Council will insist that he should take part of the responsibility, so it will take them a long time to find the right person to do it. Meanwhile, the Women's Council will be debating which brand of light bulb they should install, comparing unit prices and MTBF ratings. The plans of the two groups will ultimately conflict, leading to much use of names like "stubborn" and "woolhead".   And my personal favorite:   5.) How many Aiel does it take to change a light bulb?      There's more ji in finding ones way in the the dark.

Harriet McDougal, Robert Jordan's widow and the editor of The Wheel of Time series, recently told Dragonmount that she expects the WoT Encyclopedia to be handed into Tor Books for publication later than originally expected.   While attending the first annual JordanCon In 2009, Harriet said that she was under contract with Tor to create an Encyclopedia which described the world, its characters, and its history in greater detail (!). Also likely to be included are things like ranking lists of channelers, and rosters of Aes Sedai Ajahs.  Harriet also said that the Encyclopedia was due to be handed into Tor "one year after A Memory of Light was completed".  If that were true, then the Encyclopedia would be handed into Tor by January, 2014, and likely published a few months later.    But Harriet is now saying that she currently estimates the Encyclopedia will be handed into Tor around June of 2014, for a later summer or Fall 2014 release. This timeframe is by no means set in stone, but that's currently where things are at.   We'll have more news as it comes in.

Welcome back to another edition of "WoT If?", Dragonmount's weekly theory blog.  We are going to continue our reread of The Eye of the World, chapters 1 - 4.    Before we start, I do want to say that there will still be SPOILERS!  With the ending in sight, much of what I point out could allude to things that happen in A Memory of Light, so keep that in mind as you read.  Don't continue if you don't want to be spoiled.   Synopsis: Chapter 1: "An Empty Road"   Rand al'Thor and his father Tam are walking down the Quarry Road, delivering cider and brandy to the Winespring Inn for Bel Tine.  As they walk, Rand has the sensation that someone is watching him.  He turns around and sees a rider, dressed all in black, atop a black horse.  Rand tells his father, but when Tam looks the stranger is gone.  Rand felt hatred from the strangers gaze and he is scared.  He also realizes that the man's cloak did not move in the wind.   When they arrive in the Two Rivers, the town is getting ready for the festival, and the arrival of spring, even if winter weather is still hanging on.  Wit Conger stops them to complain about Nynaeve al'Meara.  Tam says the Wisdom is "women's business," and pushes on towards the inn.   Outside, they run into Bran al'Vere, the Mayor and owner of the inn.  As Bran and Tam talk, Cenn Buie—another member of the Village Council— joins them.  They talk of ill omens and bad weather.  Cenn thinks Nynaeve's ability to listen to the wind tells her that winter will never end.   Rand pays attention to the adult's conversation until his friend Mat Cauthon shows up.  Mat says they have strangers in town, and Rand immediately thinks of the black rider on the road.  Mat has seen the man as well.  They think about telling someone, but decide against it.   They learn that a gleeman has arrived for the festival, and the Council has ordered fireworks—if the first peddler of the season ever arrives.  Mat and Rand help Tam unload the casks of cider.   Chapter 2: "Strangers"   As Mat and Rand unload the cart, the Village Council is assembling in the inn's common room.  Once finished with the task, Ewin Finngar appears to tell Rand and Mat about the strangers who arrived in town.  They are the people—a man and a woman—Mat meant to tell Rand about: Lady Moiraine and Lan.  Ewin says Lan is "in her service" and he wears a sword.   Outside, the boys continue to talk about all the happenings of town, when they see a raven staring at them from the roof of the inn.  Mat and Rand both throw rocks at it, but it dodges them and continues to stare.  The Lady Moiraine shows up and the bird screams and flies away.  She talks to Rand, Mat, and Ewin, giving each a coin in exchange for any work she might have of them while she is in town.  Ewin is given a silver penny, but Mat and Rand are given larger silver coins.   Moiraine says she is a collector of stories, and she will talk to them in more detail later.  When she leaves, they see Lan—who has a cloak that changes colors—following her.  Commotion on the street shows that the peddler has finally arrived.   Chapter 3: "The Peddler"   As Padan Fain, the peddler, pulls onto the village green, many of the townsfolk assemble to hear news from the outside.  Perrin Aybara, Rand's other friend, shows up.  Together, they listen to Padan Fain tell a story about a man proclaiming himself to be the Dragon Reborn in Ghealdan.  This causes an uproar from the crowd, so the Village Council calls Padan Fain into the inn so they can question him further.    Rand, Mat, and Perrin talk about the possibility of war, Aes Sedai, and false Dragons when Nynaeve, with Egwene al'Vere in tow, comes up and scolds them.  They tell her why they were talking about such topics and she storms off to the inn to question the peddler herself.    After she goes inside, Egwene and Rand talk a bit.  Egwene has her hair braided, which means she is of an age to be married; Rand is also at the marriageable age.  Egwene says she is learning the arts of a Wisdom from Nynaeve, and that she might leave the Two Rivers to be a Wisdom to another town.  Rand thinks the only way to get her to stay is to marry her, but he's not willing to take that step at the moment.    Perrin tells Mat and Rand that he's seen the black rider, and that Moiraine also gave him a fat silver coin.  Egwene begins to argue about the stranger not being a monster from a gleeman's tale, when the gleeman comes out of the inn.   Chapter 4: "The Gleeman"   The gleeman—feeling huffy for being kicked out of the inn by the Council—comes to talk to Rand and the others.  He is Thom Merrilin, and when he notices a crowd gathering around him, he juggles and tells them what kind of stories he will share.  Moraine appears in the crowd and Thom stops abruptly.  He tells her she won't object to any of the stories he will tell.   At that moment, the inn door's open and the Council and Nynaeve exit.  Thom rushes off to get a brandy.  The Mayor and Nynaeve argue about the strangers—Moraine and Lan—and she storms off again.   Tam tells Rand and the other boys that the town will start a watch, with riders traveling the roads to Deven Ride and Watch Hill.  The boys want to volunteer.  Tam says they are going home, and though Rand argues, he winds up doing as his father says.  Back on the Quarry Road, Tam tells Rand that two other boys saw the black rider, and that he might be a refuge from the war in Ghealdan.  The watch will either find him or scare him away.  Knowing that they have a plan makes Rand feel safer about the whole thing.     My take:   A couple of thoughts on Chapter 1:   First, I love the opening paragraph: "The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass...".  And I love even more how Robert Jordan started every book in the series in the same format.  The repetition is beautiful and—though simple—helps form a connection through all the books.   Moving on, what is the nature of the long winter?  None of the seals of the Dark One's prison should be broken at this point.  Is the weakening of the seals responsible?  Because he can touch the world quite a bit to be able to manipulate the weather.  Also, later when they use the Eye, green things begin to grow, but then summer lasts until the Bowl of the Winds is used.  So perhaps even the switching from eternal winter to eternal summer was the Dark One's plan all along.  Or was it just him making the best of a bad situation?   Rand thinks to himself that there are more wolves around than usual.  If there are so many of them, what are the chances of Perrin coming into contact with one, and discovering—like Noal—that he has wolfbrother abilities?  I think he would have found out even if he hadn't left and met Elyas.  Remember in The Great Hunt when they travel by Portal Stone and they all see visions?  Perrin said, “We don't have many choices really, do we, Rand? Whatever happens, whatever we do, some things are almost always the same.”   While Tam and Rand are walking down the Quarry Road, I really like how Tam's solidness makes Rand go back on task.  This is the Rand we fell in love with—the innocent farm boy who needs that reassurance of his father.  I think this is also echoed in The Gathering Storm when Rand sees Tam again.  Tam's presence makes Rand relax.  And that relaxation makes him have a sort of panic attack—an attack where he realizes he can't relax, so he lashes out.  Funny how this is what actually led to Rand's epiphany on Dragonmount.  It was always Tam's job to get Rand on track.   Rand thinks of his mother, Kari, who died when he was only five.  Isn't it strange that we don't know the cause of death?  I'm racking my brains, trying to think of any reference to what killed her, and right now, I can't think of a single one.     We've had multiple discussions about whether Kari was a Darkfriend, and whether it was really her soul at the end of The Eye of the World, but I haven't seen any theories about why, or how, she died.   Rand's ta'veren-ness waxes and wanes as the Pattern weaves.  However, was the Pattern aware of him as a child?  Did it realize he was the Dragon early on and twist and turn events around him?  Something had to have pulled Tam to Dragonmount after the Blood Snows.  It was only chance that led him to finding the baby at all.  And we know, in The Wheel of Time, there are no coincidences.     Another note on this same topic: how are Rand, Mat, and Perrin the closest friends?  Growing up in the village, there are several other children around their same age.  And we know—since we were once children—that sometimes your best friend is even a year ahead or behind you.  So why were these three boys drawn to one another?  Again, their ta'veren-ness isn't supposed to come into play until Moiraine takes them away from the Two Rivers, but something made the be friends.   If you look at it, Rand lives far from town, and Perrin becomes an apprentice (with a job), so when would they ever have time to spend together?    Mat and Perrin, I could see them becoming ta'veren later.  But to me, it makes sense that Rand has been ta'veren all his life.   Which brings me back to Kari.  Why wouldn't the Pattern want Rand to grow up with his adopted mother?  What sort of things did he gain by her absence?  Did he need to have a strong male figure only?  Would a mother have pampered him more than he needed—making him softer, unable to do the harsh things he needed to do?  There had to be a reason for her to be taken.   When we read "Ravens" a few weeks ago, there was one part where Egwene thinks of the litany they say about the Forsaken.  Rand brings it up in this chapter:     Egwene, when she thinks of it, leaves off the bit about them being bound at the moment of Creation.  Which is funny, because Tam tells the story of how the Forsaken were imprisoned in Shayol Ghul by the Dragon not the Creator.  And if the Forsaken are bound since Creation, bound till the end of time, why do older people frighten children with tales of the Forsaken?  Mat says, "My mother always said the Forsaken would come for me if I didn't mend my ways."   I think people would argue it's the same as how we tell children about Santa Claus, or how we scare them with stories of ghosts.  But the adults don't believe in Santa or ghosts—usually.  In Randland, that prayer is what they all believe.  So it's very contradictory when their threat goes against the natural order of the world, or so they see it.   And finally, for Chapter 1, we have the line by Bran al'Vere: "Sometimes I think Nynaeve is right about…".  This bit of a rant is in regards to Cenn Buie.  We know Nynaeve isn't the best judge of character—but sometimes she knows what she's talking about.  What could she have possibly said about Cenn that Bran thinks she may be right about? Remember, in her testing for Accepted, Nynaeve sees the Two Rivers where Cenn is the Mayor, and letting the evil new Wisdom rule over the citizens with fear.  Does this image come from Nynaeve's own mind—and whatever she really thought of Cenn Buie—or does it come from the Pattern, by some sort of dream ter'angreal?   I've also heard speculation that this line means Cenn Buie can learn to channel saidin.  That Nynaeve senses the ability in him, or something.  It seems unlikely, I think.  But I do think that if Perrin hadn't come back to the Two Rivers in The Shadow Rising, Cenn could have turned out to be more evil.  When Perrin became their Lord, all the Two Rivers folk—Cenn included—lost a bit of their stubbornness and found someone they could all follow.   One quick word on Chapter 2:   Like in "Ravens," in this chapter we see more ravens acting odd.  When Rand and Mat throw the rock at the bird, it calmly sidesteps their assault.  When Moiraine comes along, the bird screams and flies off, implying that she channeled at it.  But what if that action is what caused the Myrddraal to attack that night?   We've talked about how it's possible that Myrddraal can channel the True Power—and we've seen in the Towers of Midnight prologue that the birds need to be controlled by the True Power in order to report what they saw.  If a Myrddraal was controlling this raven, felt it be hit by an invisible string of Air, it would know that there was an Aes Sedai in the village—if it wasn't close enough to feel her channeling to begin with.  And if it knew an Aes Sedai was there, it probably wanted to act as soon as possible, hence the quick and poorly formed attack parties.   On Padan Fain in Chapter 3:   At the end of the book, we learn about the process used on Padan Fain… that he was distilled.  This made him able to track down Rand, Mat, and Perrin.  However, do you think he was the only Darkfriend to be used in this manner?  Surely the Dark One had dozens of other people, paying close attention to every village in the world.  He would have distilled all of them.  But why is Fain the only one out for revenge?  He wants to kill the Dark One for what was done to him.     One possibility I see is that the process killed all the others.  Fain only survived because his distilled memories had found the one.  Because of that connection, Fain wasn't killed by the horrible process, and instead it made him a hound.  Just a thought.   And finally, Chapter 4:   Just one thing I want to point out about chapter 4: how bad Thom looks.  He is considered to be arrogant, the Mayor is offended by his attitude, he makes fun of how "travelled" the boys are, the list goes on and on.  Bran himself says, "That man may be fore trouble than he's worth."  And later (in Chapter 8), Lan voices his doubts about the gleeman: "I do not like that man. There is something about him I don't trust."   It seems to me, looking back, that Thom was meant to be a red herring.  If we think of someone leading the Trollocs into the Two Rivers, we don't think of Moiraine, who helped fight, we don't think of Fain, who is familiar to all in the town, we think of the weaselly gleeman who looked down his nose at everyone from the start.   I can't remember if I thought that during my first read—probably not, since my sister read the series first and spoiled a lot of things for me.  But if I had, it would have made his sacrifice at Whitebridge that much more surprising and wonderful.   Okay, we'll wrap things up there.  Sorry for the length; I doubt all will be this long.  That first chapter, in particular, made my brain really think about connections!  Join us next week for more of The Eye of the World, and everyone's favorite Trolloc, Narg!

Ah! The Wheel turns, and another week of activity has gone by. This has been a particularly active week for Dragonmount, so I do apologize for the length of this week’s Weekly Roundup. There is just so much going on this week!   The Debates and Discussion forum has a few interesting topics up for discussion at the moment: the America Shutdown, European Politics, and Propaganda. If you want to talk about the situations, learn something new, or just want to get into a good debate over any of the topics, head over to this forum to share your thoughts.   Walking Dead fans! The Entertainment, TV Show, & Sports Discussion forum has opened a discussion on Season Four! Join this discussion to compare notes, predict character deaths and plot twists, and to find other, like-minded Zombie fans on Dragonmount!   The amazing re-imagined Tuathan’an forum has announced its ranking system, the Way of the Leaf! If you are already a member of the former ACW Guild or looking to become a member, check the thread out to find information about this exciting process.   Meanwhile, in the Aiel, there are still spaces available for their Halloween Mafia game! The Aiel usually don’t have mafia games, so those of you looking for a new mafia game, or wanting to try it out for the first time, can play in this exciting holiday game.   The Kin are celebrating Halloween by sharing creepy images! (Warning… there might be spiders!)   Do you have tattoos? Share them in the Shayol Ghul Tatto Expo! This is your chance to talk about your ink, the artist, and plans for future tattoos.   The White Tower and Warders group has been the host of the Red Ajah Autumn Festival this week. The festival, music themed, has a discussion on folk music, dancing music, a signature contest, corrupt a song, a discussion of favorite music or bands, and a “let’s write a song” thread. What an amazing event!   In the Role-playing forum, a Warder Initiate has asked for help after being wounded by brigands. Will an Accepted or a Sister be able to get to him in time?   Finally for the weekly Dragonmount Facebook update:   :   Remember, you can get up-to-date information about Wheel of Time news from Dragonmount's Facebook and Twitter feeds!  And that wraps it up for this week's Weekly Roundup. Remember to sign in to your Social Groups!

There are quite a few questions that were asked over the past year or so, since the release of A Memory of Light, that have been given a "MAFO" (Maria and Find Out) instead of the usual "RAFO" (Read and Find Out).  Basically, whoever answered--be it Brandon Sanderson or even Harriet McDougal--said there might be more details in Robert Jordan's notes, and one of his assistants could be able to supply more information.  There are twenty-three questions that Maria was asked, and she elaborates on many of them.  Enjoy!   [Note: Maria's answers are in red.]     Question One Luckers: Who was behind the attack on Demira Sedai? Brandon: MAFO   That was Padan Fain and his corrupted Whitecloaks. (I gave this answer to James earlier, but I don’t know if he disseminated it.)   Question Two Luckers: Can someone who is leashed by an a’dam touch Tel’aran’rhiod?   Brandon: *blinks at me* Umm. That’s a really good question.   Luckers: I ask, because it’s odd that Moghedien never tried to use the dream to escape, or to capture someone in Salidar and compel her to free Moghedien in the waking world, or anything like that.   Brandon: Yeah, that’s a good question. I’d guess no, but you can MAFO that.   I believe that you cannot touch Tel’aran’rhiod while leashed, but I can’t find anything in the notes that states so outright.   Question Three   Luckers: Okay, so the warding on the Great Holding in Tear… it’s just, Moiraine, Mat, Rand, the Wonder Girls, all come and go with ease, yet Mesaana speaks of there being a nasty warding that stopped her getting in, and there is no sign that Be’lal… I mean, why wouldn’t Be’lal have taken the fat man angreal?   Brandon: *nodding before I finished* MAFO. That was something I was going to look into myself, because it stumped me during my last re-read.   It is my understanding that Rand put that warding on when he was getting ready to leave Tear. As for Be’lal . . . well, he was one of the Chosen; what need had he of an angreal to go up against an untrained sheepherder? That’s my best guess, anyway.   Question Four   Luckers: Sammael claims to have a truce with Rand, even though we see Rand turn him down. Was Sammael lying, or did…   Brandon: I’m fairly sure he was lying. As in, I’ve seen something in the notes at one point, and I’m pretty sure it was… but my memory being what it is, I will say you can MAFO that. But I’m pretty sure he was lying.   Sammael was lying in an attempt to manipulate Graendal. (the other one that I gave to Luckers before)   Question Five   Luckers: What was the stylized raven that Min viewed around Carlinya?   Brandon: I thought that had already been answered. Did Jim not answer this?   Luckers: No. Everyone thought it referred to Carlinya being da’covale to the Empress. But no, it hasn’t been answered. Brandon: Oh. Oh, okay. Well, I will RAFO/MAFO it. You can email Maria and me about it, but I may have to RAFO it.   --Note: This is the question I asked in relation to my critique email.   --Also, I fixed up the horrid formatting of my previous email, with apologies.     The raven is a symbol of the Dark One as well as the Seanchan; Carlinya was killed fighting the Black Ajah.   Question Six (this question was misquoted the first time it was answered)   Original Line of Question Roga: Does Elayne know that Alanna bonded Rand?   Brandon:  Ah...well...I'll have to check that. MAFO. Good question.   Maria: From Winter’s Heart, chapter 12, Rand speaking to Elayne, Aviendha, and Min: “Anyway, Alanna Mosvani got there ahead of you, and she didn’t bother asking . . . I’ve been bonded to her for months now.”   Actual Question Roga: If this question came from the Dallas signing, then it was from me. I asked about Egwene. The reason behind the question was, I wanted to know: if Alanna's name had been on Verin's list in The Gathering Storm, would Egwene have passed over it? However, Brandon pointed out that Verin knew about the bond, so unless she had some reason to keep quiet, I'd think she should've made some kind of special warning note if Alanna had been in her list.   Egwene did not know.   Question Seven   Terez:  There is one case in which I suspect that RJ gave an Aes Sedai answer and the reporter may not have gotten it exactly. Question: Was Else always Lanfear? RJ Answer: No. Else did exist as a separate human but was played by Lanfear after Else was expelled. Terez Question: Strange, because of the personality 'Else' showed, and the Tear trap being Mesaana's trap, not Lanfear's. Any comment?   Brandon: MAFO   I cannot find anything to clarify the question.   Question  Eight   Terez: I thought of a Lan question. Did Elyas really teach Lan anything about the Blight? Or was that a TEOTWism? I have a feeling you are going to MAFO that. Does @MariaLSimons play Magic? Surely we can bribe her with something.   Brandon: I've never questioned that one, so I haven't thought to ask about it or look it up. Is there a reason I should wonder?   Terez: Only that Lan was practically raised in the Blight by the Malkieri. Wouldn't think Elyas could teach him much about it.   Brandon: That is a good point. I'll go ahead and do as you said and MAFO that one. You might be right; might be an EoTWism.   I can’t find anything to clarify this, either. I will just offer up anecdote: I have been reading WoT for 22 years, and went to work for its creator over 17 years ago. I could be said to live and breathe The Wheel of Time. But Terez has taught me much about WoT. It could be a TEOTWism, or Lan could have been thinking of some very specific things that Elyas shared that he found helpful.   Question Nine   Could thirteen Aes Sedai linked shield Rand while he was channeling using Callandor? What about with Choedan Kal at full power?   I really don’t think so, for either, but I cannot find it specifically stated.   Question Ten   How many rounds are there in the Age of Legends game sha'rah?   I don’t know.   Question Eleven   Question: Can you clear up the timeline issues? How do Mat, Perrin, Rand, and Egwene all match up in the timeline?   Brandon: The Gathering Storm begins sometime in April. It ends around the end of June/beginning of July. However, Perrin advanced very little—only about two weeks. Mat advanced a bit more, but was still about a month behind Rand and Egwene (this gets an asterisk as a MAFO), but Mat traveled to Caemlyn about 30 days before the end of the book—he emphasized 30 days and asked if I understood the significance of that—I said that I do. (Interpretation: Mat will open Verin’s letter very early in Towers of Midnight). Tuon's timeline jumps around the most. In Knife of Dreams, she ended about a month ahead of everyone else. There were probably (MAFO) about two weeks between her meeting with Rand and the launch of the attack on the White Tower.    That sounds about right to me.   Question Twelve   Question: When I was in line, I asked Brandon and Harriet (mostly Harriet, since she was signing my books) if the Andoran royal line is descended from Rand's Aiel line (see this post).    Harriet: I got a lovely smile from Harriet that told me she was pleased that someone had finally figured that out, and she said that she believes I am exactly right about that. She was a little sketchy on the details, though, and so was Brandon, so Brandon said it was essentially a MAFO. So I talked to Maria after that session, and she was taking a break so I didn't want to ask her about it just then, so I asked her if I could message her about it, and the other MAFO we got today, and she said yes, so I will hopefully be hearing more about that soon. Brandon asked me not to put that one in the interview database until I hear from Maria about it.   Oops. I really have been terribly slow with these. I can’t find anything that says yea or nay on this one.   Question Thirteen   Who thought up the mindtrap? Any circumstances you can divulge...?   I know nothing.   Question Fourteen   Can a Dreamer access Tel'aran'rhiod if trapped by the 'Finns?   I don’t know. I don’t think so, but I can’t back that up.   Question Fifteen   What did Cadsuane use to blackmail Flinn, Narishma, and Manfor?   A quote from the notes: “For the men, it would have been at least partly a matter of blackmail. They are distrusting of Rand, and also of Taim to various degrees; none thinks it’s safe to go back to the Black Tower; they are known in Cairhien as men who can channel, and also elsewhere, making them marked to an extent, at least on their own.”   So it wasn’t anything really hidden, it was just “let us bond you and we’ll help you; otherwise you’re all on your own.” And it was Hopwil, not Manfor, who was in the first group bonded.   Question  Sixteen   Are there any rogue Heroes of the Horn? [as in] if a Hero was acting intentionally or not to either advance the goals of the Shadow or to interfere with the actions of other Heroes.   Brandon: I do not know of any. We can MAFO it, but I'm pretty sure that there are none doing that. They don't all get along, mind you. But I don't believe any of them are Darkfriends.   There are no rogue Heroes of the Horn.   Question  Seventeen   Why did Fain say he had to go to Caemlyn first before the White Tower, though he actually went to the White Tower then Caemlyn (as least as far as we see in the books)?   The next time we see him he is in Tar Valon, it is true, but that doesn't mean he didn't stop by Caemlyn on the way.  He could have gone to Caemlyn before Tar Valon, although the timing would be rather tight, I think. There are other possibilities: he intended to go to Caemlyn, somehow learned Rahvin was there, and decided to skip that for the time being. Or he intended to go to Caemlyn, but his baser instincts prevailed and he decided to get his dagger first. I can't find a solid answer.   Question Eighteen   Did Nynaeve realize that Suroth was a Darkfriend from their meeting in Falme, and if so, why didn't she warn Rand after he got the invitation from her?   I think that with the Seanchan being as they were, Nynaeve might not assume that one who does something such as this would have to be a Darkfriend; the Seanchan are different--they collar women who can channel and own other people, two things that most Randlanders find evil. So I can see Nynaeve not making the connection. Egwene and Min were a little distracted at the time, being collared and almost killed, so I can see it not making the impact on them that it does on readers.   Question Nineteen   Why didn't the Seanchan invade Ghealdan?   From Alan: Their plan was to push east quickly through Illian and eventually sweep north into Andor and beyond.  Ghealdan was not a military threat to them for the time being, and it would fall easily to them once they had consolidated control of the southeast.  There are only so many fronts on which an army wishes, or should wish, to fight simultaneously, even an army of great strength.  History is littered with the corpses of generals who made that mistake.   Question Twenty   How many of the Heroes of the Horn are currently "in the flesh"?   Oh, the passage of time. If I had answered these back when I should have, I would have RAFOed. But now that AMoL is out, at least I will say that there are fewer than there were. I don’t have hard numbers on all the heroes.   Question Twenty-One   How did the Eye of the World's location move about?   I don’t know.   Question Twenty-Two    How Moiraine is able to able to learn which Forsaken is in power in Tear and Illian in The Dragon Reborn?   I’ve always assumed research, research, research. I have no better answer.   Question Twenty-Three   When Lan tracked down Myrelle in Lord of Chaos, she used the bond to Compel him to come to her, in such a way that he wouldn't detect it. Did she have to use the bond to seduce Lan, or did he just go along because he didn't have anything better to do?   The question poses a false dichotomous argument: was Lan "seduced" by the bond or did he have nothing better to do?  Suffice to say that Lan was psychologically devastated at this point--not in his right mind, his will to live shattered.  Myrelle took control of him to save his life; he really had no choice in the matter.   And here’s a quote from the notes for you: “She had to use the bond to compel [notice lower case here] him, sometimes, which she found both odd and somewhat insulting.”  But one has to put this in the context of her other Warders, who eagerly complied with her desires, carnal or otherwise.

A few weeks ago, a group of Utah Filmmakers called Wheel of 9 Productions released a Wheel of Time fan film called Flight From Shadow. The 20-minute film is based on the chapter from The Eye of the World entitled Four Kings in Shadow. It features a strong cast of actors, strong visual effects, and outstanding costume and production design.  While some aspects of the movie deviated slightly from the books, there's no denying that the film was crafted with a loving hand by a group of fans who cared deeply for Robert Jordan's work.    Some of the Dragonmount staff has had a chance to meet these filmmakers, so we decided to ask them some questions.    DM: Tell us a little about you and your core team and your backgrounds.   Wheel of 9: Our team is comprised of a very diverse group from the artisan and filmmaking communities in Utah. Those of us who came together to create Flight From Shadow represent what I think are some of the very best our state and community has to offer. Ranging from Emmy Award-winning filmmakers to nationally recognized artisans, our group’s individual resumes are too numerous to list here in full. Abbreviated versions will be available on the Wheel of 9 website under the cast and crew bio section plus searchable through Flight From Shadow’s imdb.com page.   DM: How did you decide to make a Wheel of Time fan film?   Wo9: We decided that we wanted to do something to showcase Utah talent, especially artisan talent. The two most challenging genres are science fiction and fantasy because you can’t leave anything un-conceptualized. We decided on fantasy, because at the time, The Hobbit was coming and there was a lot of interest in the fantasy genre. When considering material to be translated into film, we looked at the top contributors to the genre and since Narnia, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings were already being tackled, we decided to undertake a Wheel of Time - inspired project because there are so many Robert Jordan and Wheel of Time fans in our community. The biggest part is that the material was untouched and it gave us the freedom to delve into it without being derivative.   DM: What made you choose this specific chapter from Eye of the World?   Wo9: We chose this chapter because, despite the fact that many things are already in play, it is the first real time that Rand manifests the One Power. We thought that it was an exciting point in the plot and one which the fans would identify with. It was also a character-contained portion of the story where we didn’t have too large of a cast to deal with. Larger cast means more budget.   DM: Tell us more about the Myrddraal costume?   Wo9: The Myrddraal costume was developed and designed by both David Powell and myself. We really went to great lengths to create something which was consistent with the descriptions in the book but was not a reflection of the copiously available fan art. Due to the recent Harry Potter films, we avoided the more snakelike features which some fans have come to expect. We didn’t want him looking like Voldemort. Also, we wanted to avoid too close of an association with Peter Jackson’s interpretation of the Wringwraiths. It was a tall order. So we decided to go for a look consistent with a Myddrraal still in the early stages of transformation. This character also presented us with one of our first substantial challenges in translating Jordan’s work to screen. To create a non-moving cloak, especially within our budgetary constraints, was not only nearly impossible but ultimately not terribly cinematic. With greater time and budget it probably could be accomplished but not within the context of this project. Our apologies to the orthodox fans.   DM: You added a member Red (Black) Ajah to this story. Tell us about the reasoning behind that decision.   Wo9: The entire opening sequence of the film was created to accommodate the over 400 pages of exposition which has already taken place in The Eye of the World prior to where our story takes place. We felt it necessary to create a context which would bring the audience, whether fan or not, into the world we were about to explore. It also created a very dynamic opening and established the threat to the main characters.   DM: What are some of goals you wish to accomplish from this film?   Wo9: The purpose of the project from the beginning was to showcase Utah artisans and filmmakers. We wanted to produce something with wide appeal that could really demonstrate what we’re capable of. My hope is that the attention this project will bring will open doors for the many talented individuals involved and make it possible for them separately as well as us as a group to be taken seriously as a creative force.   DM: What was the process for writing the script like? Did you have any particular challenges?   Wo9: The shooting script was developed over a number of rewrites. The first screenplay, by a different writer, deviated quite a bit from the material found in the book, and was ultimately thrown out. Blake Casselman, a long-time fan of the series, was brought on board to begin the revision process from scratch. His early drafts were closer adaptations of the “Four Kings in Shadow” chapter, but feedback from non-fans of the book series consisted of confusion about the world the script took place in, and toward Rand’s role as the protagonist. The biggest challenge was adapting a later section of the book without the nearly 400 pages of world building, story and character development leading up to it. We decided that the film should be as accessible to the non-fan as possible, so the scene involving the Myrddraal and Aes Sedai/Black Ajah, along with the execution sequence at Four Kings were conceived as a means to introduce the conflict and as exposition for Rand and Mat’s predicament, along with raising the stakes for Rand. We also took liberties in the script to identify Rand as the Dragon Reborn, along with portraying him as the one who clearly channels Saidin inside the storeroom at the Dancing Cart Man, to better establish him as the film’s protagonist. Again, this was more for the non-fan’s benefit.   DM: How many days did you shoot for, and were there any especially interesting stories from the set?   Wo9: Including B-roll, we shot three days at the Castle Ampitheater in Provo, Utah, one day on the Bonneville Salt Flats plus three additional days with the special effects dice table, the book opening, the Caemlyn Road sign and the map transition (a total of 7 days). While every shoot date had its challenges, by far, the most interesting was the Salt Flats shoot. We had anticipated mostly sunny skies but instead found ourselves being pounded by wind and rain for most of the day. At one point, the wind gusts had reached such a strength that we had to stop filming, protect the camera, and struggle to keep the easy-up we were using from being ripped away in the wind. A testament to our team.   DM: What's next for you and your team?   Wo9: With the film’s release still being so fresh, the possibilities and opportunities which may come from it have had little time to manifest. Elements of our team are already working on our next projects and many of us are feeling the positive influence the project is generating. The future is bright.   Indeed it is! Thank you for your time and for sharing this film with the entire Wheel of Time community.   You can watch the full movie here:   In addition, you can view a whole series of great behind-the-scenes videos here:  

Welcome to "Wheel Funny," my first blog as the new Humor Blogger! I'm happy to share all that I find funny with you all! For those who do not know me, I'm lolguy26--but more commonly known as Chuckles. I've been a member of Dragonmount for over a year now. I started reading the series after I found a copy of The Eye Of The World in my favorite bookstore almost three years ago.    Memes are greats, I'm addicted to them, and what better way to enjoy them then mix them with the bestest (totally a word) fantasy series in the world?     These are a couple of my favorites:   A very accurate description of being an Ash'man:   Sometimes I'm thankful I don't have cats....   So Photoshop + internet filled with cats + The Dragon Reborn cover =    This describes the Children of the Light fairly well.   And this brings me memories of reading The Eye of the World.