DRAGONMOUNT

Welcome back to another edition of "WoT If?", Dragonmount's weekly theory blog.  I hope you all waited with anticipation for the announcement I have for this week.  So here it is, without further ado, "WoT If?" will be starting a complete series re-read!   With the series finally completed, now is the perfect time to start over, looking at everything with the ending already known.  There will be clues we missed before that we can pick up on now.  There will be plot points that seemed insignificant, but within the bigger picture, will make more sense.  We will still have theories along the way, so this is only a slight change in the format.  And of course, I encourage all of you to re-read with me.   But don't worry if you don't have the time for a re-read.  I'll give a brief synopsis over which chapters I'll be covering, so you'll be able to follow along without difficulty.   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.   Before I jump into The Eye of the World, I want to say a few things.  I'm in love with The Wheel of Time.  It's one of the greatest passions in my life.  I have been consecutively re-reading the series since I first started in 1999.  I own five copies of The Eye of the World: a trade paperback edition signed by Robert Jordan, two paperbacks (both filled with bookmarks marking important passages), the first volume of the Japanese paperback, and the first volume of the young adult version released in 2002 (From the Two Rivers).  Why do I bring all this up?  Well, mostly because I like to brag—especially about my Japanese version—but mostly because it helps illustrate my starting point.   Where would be the best place to start a re-read?  With New Spring, which is chronologically the first book in the series?  I thought about that.  However, for me, it's not the start of the story.  The story—Rand's, Mat's, Perrin's story—begins in The Eye of the World.  So, that's where I want to start.  We will get to New Spring.  Perhaps we'll look at it in between Crossroads of Twilight and Knife of Dreams—when the novella length story was published.  Perhaps we'll read it before that.  Perhaps we will wait until the very end.  It would be nice to have the "tangent" tales read all at one: The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time (the Big White Book, to some), River of Souls, and "The Strike at Shayol Ghul."  Those stories, as well as New Spring, are supplements to the main plot lines, not necessarily part of the main plot lines.  New Spring, especially, is better read with some background knowledge about the world, the White Tower, and Aes Sedai.   So, with that settled, there's still another question in regards to the "beginning."  The young adult version I mentioned before—From the Two Rivers—includes a new prologue written by Mr. Jordan.  I'm not sure how many fans out there have read this new bit of the story.  For me, it was the reason I bought From the Two Rivers.  The new prologue, titled "Ravens," takes place a few years before the first chapter of The Eye of the World.  And one interesting fact is that this prologue leads into the original prologue, "Dragonmount."  In the From the Two Rivers version, Tam gathers up the children and tells them a bit of background information on Lews Therin—which leads into the story of "Dragonmount."   I debated with myself whether or not to include the pre-prologue.  In the end, I decided to begin with it.  It is the very beginning of the Dragon Reborn's story—though it's told through Egwene's point-of-view.   I've rambled enough, so let's jump into the story!   "Ravens" Synopsis:   This prologue is told from Egwene al'Vere's point-of-view.  She is nine-years-old and is helping to carry water during the sheep sheering event.  Everyone from the Two Rivers—excluding those from Taren Ferry—participates in the sheering.   Egwene has ambitions to be the best water-carrier ever—her ambition deriving from being promoted to the position a whole year early.  As she circles the gathered Two Rivers folk—letting them drink water from her bucket—she is keeping an eye out for Perrin Aybara or Mat Cauthon.  She wants to follow them to Rand al'Thor.  She has heard people say that she and Rand will eventually be married, so she wants to learn more about him.   Throughout the day, Egwene spies ravens up in the trees, acting curious.  She thinks it is weird that they seem to be looking at the people, not the food laid out on the tables.  She remembers they are said to be the Dark One's eyes, but tries to concentrate on her task.    After encountering a lot of people from the village, Egwene finally stumbles upon Rand and his friends.  She eavesdrops a bit, until all the boys are summoned to Master al'Vere—Egwene's father.  Egwene follows.  The boys were promised a story, and Tam al'Thor—Rand's father—tells them a little about Lews Therin Telamon's strike on Shayol Ghul, and how he sealed the Dark One away.  Upon hearing this, Egwene is confused because she knows Lews Therin was responsible for the Breaking.  She thinks Master al'Thor has the story wrong.   The boys are dispersed, and Egwene sees another raven—staring at her.  It flies away, and she goes back to focusing on the being the best water-carrier.  As the next few years pass, Egwene gets promoted to helping with the food tables a year early as well.  This starts her goal of being the youngest girl to ever have her hair braided.     My take:   This new prologue is a device used to get young adult readers acclimated to the world within The Wheel of Time in a more natural way.  Because of that, we get a lot of contextual information—what a Wisdom is, what superstitions they believe, bits about the Forsaken and Aes Sedai.  This helps with the overabundance of information at the very beginning of The Eye of the World.  I remember on my first read through, even the concept of a Wisdom was hard to figure out.   Because of that, it could be the best place to start the series.  However, there is also a counter argument.   With this section being from Egwene's point-of-view, and the next prologue (the regular prologue) being from Lews Therin's (with a bit of omniscient at the end), when we get to Rand in the first chapter we might be a bit overwhelmed.  With the original story, we know Rand is the main character.  Someone reading "Ravens" first might think Egwene is the main character.  Egwene is definitely important in the series, but ultimately, this is Rand's tale.   Regardless, I was happy for this extra information.  There's quite a bit we learn about Egwene, Nynaeve, and Rand from this prologue.  Of course, it's only foreshadowing if you've read the rest of the series already—or at least the first book.  New readers wouldn't pick up on any of it.   1.  Egwene makes mention that her oldest sister—Berowyn—lost her husband and child to breakbone fever the last fall.  Berowyn says she is glad that Egwene also didn't die.  Later in the book (Chapter 21, "Listen to the Wind") we learn that Nynaeve had Healed Egwene with the Power.  Nynaeve says that Mistress Barran—the Wisdom at the time—had things under control, but Nynaeve believed Egwene was dying.  But here, we see that the fever claimed at least two lives.  So, it's quite possible Egwene could have died without Nynaeve intervention.     There's also a brief mention of Nynaeve being able to tell it's Egwene without looking—a residue of her using the Power on Egwene.  With it mentioned here, it's not such a big shock when Moiraine mentions it later.   2.  We learn more of Nynaeve's family details.  She was recently orphaned—and taken in by the Wisdom as an apprentice.  But only after Mistress Barran's current apprentice died from a "mysterious illness."  Again, this is more foreshadowing about how many of the Two Rivers girls can channel.   3.  We see that Egwene has a strong desire to leave the Two Rivers.  With the beginning part of the story focusing on Rand, we don't know about Egwene's ambitions to leave the Two Rivers.  Rand is completely shocked when she wants to accompany them when they leave.  This addition helps us get used to her decision.  We see that she had the desire all along; it was only Rand who failed to notice it in her.   4.  Mat tells his friends that he will "rescue an Aes Sedai" who will "reward" him.  This is the first introduction to Mat being… Mat.  To be honest, I hated Mat at the beginning of the story.  I thought it was awful the way he treated Rand after learning he could channel.  Mat was so selfish and uncaring.  It wasn't until The Dragon Reborn that I fell in love with Mat.     Looking back on scenes like this, with the knowledge of where Mat winds up and who he turns into, makes me so happy.    5.  And one major question: why does Tam decide to tell the story of Lews Therin?  Lews Therin's tale, and the link to Lews Therin's death on Dragonmount, had to remind Tam of where he found Rand.  Tam knows so much of the world, yet he was unable to recognize the fact that his adopted son was the one mentioned in the prophecies.  It seems so bizarre that he wouldn't make the connection, especially since this addition to the story makes us know that he knows.  Yet in Knife of Dreams, Tam needs confirmation from Perrin that Rand is the Dragon Reborn:   Also, when Tam is telling the story, Egwene thinks about how Tam says it with a sense of knowledge; she thinks, he tells it "almost as if he had been there."  Could it be possible that Tam is someone important reborn?  Maybe one of the Hundred Companions?  That would be an interesting twist.   If you haven't had a chance to read "Ravens" yet, I really suggest giving it a try.  It does give some interesting insight to Egwene.   We'll end the blog here for today.  Next week, we'll look at the next prologue, "Dragonmount."  Please feel free to discuss any of the ideas I mentioned, or perhaps some I left out.  Thanks for reading!

Hello! The Wheel turns, and September is coming to a close.  School is back. Halloween is just around the corner, and stores are already stocking up for the Holiday season.  Time for another edition of Weekly Roundup!   This week in the general Wheel of Time Discussion board is a discussion of Siuan’s Warder. How was Alric killed without Siuan noticing? Does the official explanation of Siuan being distracted fit?   In the Band of the Red Hand, two exciting discussions started this week. The first was about a film that is a personal favorite, the Tenth Kingdom. This film, a miniseries from 2000, is about a magical world where our fairy tales are real. The second exciting tale came from Starrik, who tells the story of his Travels in Australia.   This week, the Black Tower discusses Stormtroopers vs Red Shirts. Would the crack-shot precision of Star Wars Storm Troopers win verses the keen survival instincts of Star Trek Red Shirts? Weigh in on the discussion!   In the Ogier, a discussion about quality Sung wood creations.  Here you can see some amazing Ogier-crafted products.   And now from the Dragonmount Facebook Feed:     (the link to the article mentioned in the Facebook feed is here!)   Don't forget: by following Dragonmount on Facebook or @Dragonmount you can get up-to-date information.    That's it for this week's Weekly Roundup! I hope you all had a safe and happy September, and don't forget as October begins: sign in at your Social Groups!

Hello, friends! The Wheel has turned all the way around to Thursday again, which means two things: the weekend is not too far away, and it's time for our Rotating Features blog!   Last week, on the 19th of September 2013, Dragonmount celebrated a very special day--its 15th birthday! That's right, this incredible website which has been part of the lives of some of us, for many years now, is 15-years-old and going strong.   To celebrate this momentous occasion, we decided that this week's article would feature a very special interview, with Jason Denzel, the founder and owner of Dragonmount and one of his right-hand cronies... that is to say, assistants... Jenniferl, previously known as Kathana, Dragonmount's project manager.   Without further ado, here is that interview. I posed a long list of questions, written below in italics, and they gave their answers when they felt they had something to say. I hope you find it interesting!   An Interview With Jason and Jenn   What problems did you encounter when creating Dragonmount? What was the most difficult time in the history of Dragonmount? How did you overcome those problems?   [Jason] The biggest challenges in running Dragonmount has always been overcoming technical hurdles. The original version of the website ran on a shared Windows server sitting on a network connection with a speed of around 700 kbps. That was fast back in 1998, but for comparison, that speed is about 9 times slower than the average home internet connection in the US today. It was housed in somebody's apartment and I had little to no control over it. I knew nothing about hosting websites at the time, so I was completely at the mercy of somebody else.   Dragonmount received a lot of visitors right away and the traffic would frequently crash the website. Fortunately, I've always had no shortage of incredible people who were willing to help. In those early years I relied heavily on people like Robert C and Jon J just to keep the website online.   Eventually I got to point where I was no longer renting somebody else's server space, but building my own servers to have them hosted in rented data centers. That was a disaster because my hand-built servers tended to fall apart. One time I had two large CPU fans pop off the motherboard during shipping, and it smashed up several internal components. I also went with the cheapest service I could find back then, and got, well… the cheapest service. If the website crashed, it would take half a day or more before somebody near that facility would drag themselves over to press the reset button.   I finally surmounted this problem when I moved into my current house about 9 years ago. The house was brand new and had fiber optic lines running to it. As a result, my internet provider offered a fiber service which, in 9 years, has never once gone down. I've had 100% uptime for almost a decade. They offered a reasonably priced package of 35 Mbits (about 4-5 times faster than the average US internet speed). This was a dream come true cause now I could stop paying massive hosting fees and have direct access to the server. To this day, I have no problems with our connection speed.   But the final technical hurdle has proven to be the greatest challenge: keeping up with the demand. Dragonmount is a big website with a big community. A lot of people enjoy the Wheel of Time series and we've always been the go-to site for it. As a result, our hardware hasn't always been able to handle the load. Up until the last 3 or 4 years, Dragonmount ran entirely on a single server. I had backup servers, but really, it was just one computer running the entire website.   When Robert Jordan died, we got about 2,000 times our normal traffic to his blog. And because we hadn't optimized the website as well as we could have (no caching, no pagination for long lists of comments, etc), our poor little server was simply destroyed. I was invited out to his funeral, so for basically a week nobody could remotely access my crashed server. I remember calling my wife every few hours at home asking her to press the reset button on the server.   Those days were our darkest. Just when the community was MOST interested in seeing us online, we were unavailable.   Today, we're very prepared for large, perhaps even massive amounts of traffic. DM runs across a pair of separate Dell servers, both loaded with hardware and fully redundant. We were slammed by an ongoing DoDOS attack last year, but now have protection against that (as best we can anyway) due to our partnership with a well known CDN service.   15 years ago, I didn't have a clue what it took to run a website. But looking back, I'm proud of the independent, do-it-our-way approach I've chosen to take. I wracked up some debt in keeping things afloat, but it would have been significantly more had I just paid somebody to take care of it for me. I was a college student with no money back then, so it's wonderful to see that we somehow survived.     How closely do you work with team Jordan? How did you come to be noticed by them?   [Jason] I first came into contact with Robert Jordan when he sent me a Cease-and-Desist letter. Good times, eh?   At the time, I was attempting to make an animated short film based on the "Dragonmount" prologue from the first book. He got wind of it via an online interview where a fan asked him what his thoughts were. Well, his "thoughts" were to shut it down. His agent contacted me and I explained what I was up to. They understood, and RJ agreed to give me a license to produce the short film on the condition that he needed to approve the script, designs, etc. I remember asking the lawyer, "How will he approve the materials?" And the lawyer said, "Oh you can just work via email with him." That was pretty much one of the coolest things anybody had ever said to me. It was 2002.   My email exchanges with Robert Jordan began very formal. "Dear Mr Jordan…." We exchanged a few pleasantries, and I sent him a photo of my wife and I cutting our wedding cake with a heron-marked sword. (RJ: "I know some women who would rather cut YOU than the cake!") But mostly we talked about the movie project. He signed all of his emails with a big salutation, "Sincerely, I remain… Robert Jordan". Something like that.   Over time, we chatted a little more frequently, and talked about other topics. We talked about his writing, of course, or his upcoming book tours, the housing market, even the weather. I know, how cliche, right? He began signing his emails simply, "RJ", and then later, "Jim". (His real name was Jim Rigney if you were not aware.)   I never finished that film, but that was all right. It put me in direct contact with Robert Jordan, and from there we launched his blog on DM, and I received early copies of each of the new WoT books. He asked me what I thought of each one, and I'd tell him honestly. But he never sought my input or feedback on anything.   The first time I was ever asked for any real input was at his funeral. Harriet hosted a beautiful get-together at her house on the evening of his burial. She and Tom Doherty (the publisher of Tor Books) sat me down on their porch and asked me who I thought should finish the series. I mentioned a few names and gave feedback on the names they suggested. Nobody mentioned Brandon. I'm glad they didn't go with anybody else.   When Brandon wrote the final books, Jenn and I were both invited to be one of the beta readers. That's when we really began to work with Team Jordan from a creative standpoint.   What made you decide to begin hosting conventions? How easy was it? Do you enjoy it? Will you continue to do it?   [Jenn] I went to my first Dragon*Con in 2000. It was my first fan convention ever. I liked it and thought it might be fun to get a bunch of DMers to come. One thing went wrong after another and I ended up starting a new track of programming devoted entirely to the Wheel of Time. After a few years of that, people started pestering me about starting a standalone convention. I demurred for several years, because I thought my hands were pretty full, but apparently I'm a sucker for peer pressure.   It's tough to run a con. I've had to learn so many things I never thought I'd need, like running a business, managing volunteers and arguing with the IRS about our tax exempt status. I wouldn't do it if I didn't enjoy it though. I love walking around the JordanCon and seeing the beautiful Art Show, intricate costumes and groups of friends chatting in the hallway and thinking 'Hey, I did this!" I've had lots and lots of help, obviously. But I love the community that has grown up around JordanCon and I feel like we're finally becoming known outside of the WoT fandom as a "must attend!" event.   What are some of your favorite memories of Dragonmount?   [Jason] I have so many. Running a website like Dragonmount for 15 years is like having a second job. It turned out to be one of the significant things I've done with my life so far. I've loved going to book signings and meeting people, going to conventions, going out to dinner with RJ and Harriet, playing Magic: the Gathering with Brandon, making the Towers of Midnight book trailer, and so on.   Can you tell us a little bit about yourselves?   [Jenn] I'm 33, married, no kids. I teach at a small private school for kids with autism spectrum disorder. In my non-fannish spare time, I like to refinish old furniture and I have a food blog. I'm married to a Seanchan and we live just north of Atlanta in a small town where Sherman committed some of his worst war crimes. In addition to DM, I'm the 10th president of the Southern Fandom Confederation, the oldest still active fan organization in the southeast, and thus entitled to wear my Presidential tiara at all fannish events.   [Jason] I'm 35, married, with two little red-haired boys. My day job is with a major technology company where I work on enterprise-class Linux servers every day. (That's been very helpful for running Dragonmount!) In addition to family, DM, and work, I'm a writer and a filmmaker trying to complete that elusive first "big project." I work very hard every day at my craft, planning to someday have something professionally produced someday. I'm also a student of Choy Li Fut kung-fu, love cartography and writing haiku. I have a personal website at JasonDenzel.com, and am on twitter @JasonDenzel.   How did you meet?   [Jenn] We "met" when Jason was asking for applications to run the White Tower Organization at DM. I sent him a long email, in character as a loopy Brown sister who didn't quite have it together. Fun fact! It is not hard at all for me to act like that. We finally met in person when Jason and his wife came to Dragon*Con in 2003.   [Jason] Yeah, what she said.   On a day to day basis, just how much work do you have to put into running Dragonmount?   [Jenn] Right now for me it's very little. I check the staff boards every day to make sure no one is on fire, but that's about it. The last five years have been very intense for me as a Wheel of Time fan and I feel like I'm finally taking that vacation I promised myself a couple years ago. Jason does more, but he handles the business side of things and that requires constant tending.   [Jason] DM is never far from my mind. I'm always working on something related to the site, even if it's to process an order from our online store, answer questions on our social media, or tweet about a WoT-related link. It's hard for me to put an amount of time on it. Just like a parent doesn't track the hours they raise their kids, I don't track my time at DM. The website, servers, community, relationships, and effort that all go into it is a daily extension of myself.   How did Dragonmount begin? Who was involved?What motivated you to start Dragonmount?   [Jason] In 1998 I was a college student who was re-reading the series in anticipation of the next book coming out (Path of Daggers). They were, by far, my favorite books and I really had a hunger to speak to people about them. I knew a few other fans, but none of them were really into talking about theories or glossing about their favorite scenes and characters.   Around that time, I took a workshop in basic HTML. Since I couldn't find anybody to talk to about the books, I decided to try and make a website to attract fans and see if I could find some people to talk to. Well, I think I was successful!   My goal with the first 1.0 version of the website was just to put something online that was visually appealing. Of course it looks terrible by today's standards but you have to think about what it was like in 1998: most websites were just text and animated GIF's. And most Wheel of Time websites were just text back then. I wanted to feature art, and active message boards and foster community. It wasn't until many years later that I began enlisting the help of real designers and artists and web developers.   How would you like people to use the website? What would you like people to get out of the website?   [Jason] Dragonmount's #1 goal from day one has been to enhance a person's enjoyment of The Wheel of Time. We're here to keep you posted with news, provide commentary, resources, and community. I'd love if people met new friends on our forums, joined a writing group, or shared with artwork.   One of our newest features is our eBook store. Aside from being an opportunity to make a little money (and help pay off that debt I mentioned above and offset the costs of our servers!), I really believe in the DRM-free approach to selling books. I'm working hard to expand this, and hoping to one day add new publishers and titles. I hope visitors will check us out and consider buying some eBooks from us rather every now and then. You get multiple versions of the book, so you can read them on Kindle and any other device, and they are fully unlocked so you never have to worry about them expiring or not working in future platforms.   What do you see in the future of Dragonmount?   [Jenn] I think DM is always going to be a community hub for those who enjoy the Wheel of Time and other fantasy fiction. We have no plans to transition to being a Brandon Sanderson fan site.   [Jason] Dragonmount will have an active, thriving community for as long as the Wheel of Time books are in print, and even beyond that probably. These books are still published and selling well worldwide. That means every day there are new readers who are just as entranced by the story like we were. While there's no denying that things might slow down a little, we'll always be around and active.   Oh, and if they ever manage to make a movie or TV series based on the books, DM will be flooded with more traffic than we've ever seen. Even if the production tanks, there will be enough marketing interest that we'll see a large rush of new readers.   Now that the series has ended, what are you going to read?   [Jenn] I read lots of different authors. Off the top of my head, I've recently read things by Pat Rothfuss, Saladin Ahmed, Mary Robinette Kowal, Seanan McGuire, John Scalzi, Lois McMaster Bujold and N.K. Jemisin. They are all excellent authors and I recommend them.   [Jason] I read most of the same authors Jenn mentioned. But most of my reading these days is for unpublished or in-progress books. I read a lot of stuff for my writing group, and I often volunteer to beta read people's novels. Even though I've not been published (yet), I think I have a pretty good eye for character development, story, conflict, and the publishing industry in general. I enjoy helping other aspiring authors, especially those inspired by Robert Jordan. And of course, I read my own stuff, every day, over and over in order to try and make something I hope people will want to read someday.   What did you think of A Memory of Light? Which was your favorite book of the series? Which is your favorite character? Which is your favorite villain? If you existed in the Wheel of Time world who would you like to be and who would you most likely really have been?   [Jenn] That is too many questions. But yes, I did enjoy A Memory of Light. I think it was a worthy ending to the series. The last couple pages make me tear up every time I look at them.   [Jason] I loved A Memory of Light. But like the other beta readers, I saw it while it was still imperfect. I saw it, as Brandon likes to say, without its makeup and hair done while it's still in frumpy pajamas. But I thought it was a beautiful and poetic ending to the series, even though there were things that may perhaps could have been better if Robert Jordan had completed it personally. But I sincerely think that nobody would have put as much love and effort into it as Brandon did, and for that, I'll always be grateful.   My Favorite character: Rand Villian: Graendal Who I wish I was or suspect I would be: I'd want to be the Rand we see at the end of the series.   What do you get out of running Dragonmount?   [Jenn] A sense of satisfaction and the occasional freebie from Tor. But mostly satisfaction.   [Jason] Pure joy. Fulfillment. The sense of following the course of my river of life.   Also, frequent annoyance when the damn servers act up.   Have you made any real, lasting friendships on Dragonmount?   [Jenn] I met my husband on the forums at DM. So yes, definitely. Other than Jimmy, I've met many wonderful people and had many long friendships with people I've met either at DM or at conventions.   [Jason] I met some of my closest life-long friends through this website, including Jenn. But don't tell her I said that. I want her to think I hate her.   Which social groups were you most heavily involved in? Can you tell us briefly about any role-playing characters you had on Dragonmount?   [Jenn] I ran the White Tower for ten years. To this day, I believe I'm still the longest serving Group Leader at DM.   [Jason] Thanks for taking the time to listen to our stories, and I hope we can have this conversation again in another five, ten, and fifteen years. Thank you also to everyone who's visited and contributed over the years to DM. A special shout out to the staff and admins, both current and past. You can never know how much it meant to me that you helped out. In many ways, this site will always be as much yours as it was mine.   Jason Denzel, Jason@dragonmount.com   Interview Ends   I really hope you have enjoyed reading this interview with two people who have given of themselves so much so that we all in the world of Wheel of Time fandom may enjoy this incredible site. And I hope it inspires you to go on making use of it to the fullest and to stick around for many more years to come.   That's all for now. Have fun!   Until next time, friends!

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Hello, and welcome back to another exciting edition of "WoT If?", Dragonmount's weekly theory blog.  This time, our topic is about the nature of the fight between Rand and the Dark One in A Memory of Light.  But first, please remember:   SPOILER WARNING.  This will include content from A Memory of Light.  Please DO NOT read this if you have not completed the book.   Rand has a plan when he goes to Shayol Ghul to fight the Dark One.  We know from other sources that Rand's ideas of the Dark One's nature are far off.  Verin says:   And we see Verin is correct when we actually get to the battle between Rand and the Dark One.  Rand is taken outside the Pattern, and their duel is not physical, or even really combative.  More than anything, they try to exert their will strongly enough to overcome the other.  And in this way, would Rand's goal of actually killing the Dark One even work?   Many people within the series agree it's a dumb idea.  First Moridin brings it up.   And Moiraine agrees with the Forsaken.   And when we finally get to the scenes in A Memory of Light where Rand and the Dark One have direct interaction, the fight does go differently than most of us suspected.  In a way, they play a game of "What If?"  The Dark One shows Rand the way the world would be if he was in control.  Rand responds with different ways he would make the world.  They go back and forth, using threads of the Pattern to create a reality around them.   The interesting point is when Rand creates a world where there is no Dark One.  We see that without the Dark One, without evil, the world becomes a different sort of twisted place.  Let's look at the ending of that scene.   It seems that without the threat of evil, the population doesn't have anything to make them strong, anything to fight against.  That changes them into mindless robots.  They are unable to make choices—they no longer have free will.  The Dark One even points out how it is the same to remove all their good qualities to remove all their bad.   However, look at how easily the Dark One persuades Rand that this is not the right course of action.  It seems a little too neat.  The example fits in entirely too well with what the Dark One says he wants.  Would the Dark One really have surrendered to being killed if this was the outcome?  I highly doubt it.   That leads to a possible conclusion: the Dark One is tricking Rand.  Rand is ta'veren.  He is the Champion for the Creator.  But he is not the Creator.  The Dark One, trapped outside the Pattern, may have the ability to weave threads of the Pattern, but can we be certain that Rand is able to copy that ability?  Can we be certain that it is indeed Rand's vision, and not another of the Dark One's?   There has been some speculation by fans already that this was just another ploy by the Dark One to save himself.  It's reverse psychology, of sorts.  If the Dark One says, "Yes, that's a fine plan," naturally Rand will not do it.    Or, if the Dark One himself didn't create that vision, could it have been the actual Pattern?  Would the Pattern get out of balance if the Dark One were killed?  It would even take the side of the Shadow to keep itself preserved.  So, it seems plausible it could be either the Dark One or the Pattern.   Okay, now for the argument.  The epilogue of A Memory of Light shows Rand being able to light his pipe with his will.  This is very similar to how he and the Dark One dueled.  They both used their will to make weaves form a different future for the Pattern.  Rand seems to have that ability now that he's in the real world.  This would suggest he was actually weaving the threads outside the Pattern.   Regardless if Rand was the creator of that one vision, we cannot know for certain if the Dark One tampered with it, or added in his own threads to make the people seem changed.    From this, I think we can argue that Rand was manipulated into not killing the Dark One.  Most likely, I think, by the Dark One himself.  Because in this scenario, it's assumed that all evil, all bad things, derive from the Dark One.  That's completely illogical.  Even without the Dark One, there would still be accidents, people would stub their toes and curse, plants would die from drought or from insects.  Greed, ambition, selfishness are not necessarily evil traits.  They would still be in abundance if the Dark One were not influencing the world.  The Creator, who made all things, had to be responsible for allowing bad things to happen.   To me, this shows that Rand could have killed the Dark One, and the world would have survived without him.  It might have even broken the Wheel—as we've talked about in past blogs—and made time linear.  However, Rand's decision seems to be forced upon him; Rand wouldn't willingly give the Dark One something he wanted.   Was it the correct decision?  Probably in this case.  Rand had been guided to this decision by many people—good and bad—and perhaps even the Pattern itself.  But that doesn't mean he wasn't tricked into making this choice.  Maybe in the next Third Age, he will decide to go through with killing the Dark One anyway.   That's all for this edition.  Next week, I have an announcement that will change the flow of "WoT If?" a little bit.  So join us for the surprise!  Thanks for reading.

Ta'veren Tees' first hoodie is now on sale for preorder!    

Dragonmont’s birthday, the anniversary of Robert Jordan’s passing, and Talk Like a Pirate Day. This has been an active and exciting week, with much to report for this week’s Weekly Roundup!   First, allow me to take a moment to congratulate Dragonmount for its 15th birthday. For many of us, Dragonmount has become much more than a fan site. It is an internet home. Thank you to both Jason and Jennifer for keeping it going all these years.   To thank Jason and Jennifer, some of the Social Groups celebrated in unique and fascinating ways. Shayol Ghul sent Dragonmount a menacing birthday card. The White Tower and Warders put the Jennifer, who was the Social group’s First Amyrlin on trial. And Jennifer opened a discussion about it on the General Board.   The Social Group formerly known as the Artist, Crafters, and Writers Guild recently underwent a dramatic change. As of this week, they are now Dragonmount’s own ACW Tuathan’an camp. The Guilds are each renamed to match the Tinker theme: there is the Artist’s Wagon, the Crafter’s Wagon, and the Writer’s Wagon.   The Aiel are feeding us this week. They are hosting a Culture Fair: International Food Market.  There is a thread for just about every style of international cuisine. Stop by and talk about food! Do you have a workout goal? Are you looking for a Social Group to help you track your goal? The Band of the Red Hand is now tracking fitness goals.   Finally, a snapshot of the Dragonmount Facebook page:      Remember, if you Like Dragonmount on Facebook or follow Dragonmount on Twitter, you can get up-to-date information about Dragonmount and other Wheel of Time information.    That's it for this week! I hope you all have a good, safe, and happy week ahead, and see you next time!

Wheel of 9 Productions, a fan-based production company based in Utah, has produced a Wheel of Time fan film based on Chapter 32 of The Eye of the World.    Here's the film itself: http://youtu.be/nt10nbVSerY   We're going to have a full interview with the producers in a few days, so check back soon. In the mean time, we're going to be watching it over and over again and discussing it on the forums.

[Editor's note: the original song is "The Rare Auld Times" by Pete St. John.]   Raised on songs and stories, legends oft declaimed The passing tales and glories that once was Caemlyn's Fame The shining walls and houses, where my boyhood I did spend That once was part of Caemlyn, when the Age came to an end   How the days all pass by, like the turning of the page I remember Caemlyn City in the Third Age   My name it is Duan Kariol, and this my tale of woe Born just in time for the Last Battle, though I wished it not be so By trade I was a farmer, and then the plants all died I was recruited in the army, to fight by the Dragon's side   And I courted Falay Brisai, with brilliant shining eyes A channeler from Whitebridge, and of the rebel Aes Sedai's I lost her to a Asha'man, his coat as black as coal When he took her off to the Black Tower, well she took away my soul   How the days all pass by, like the turning of the page I remember Caemlyn City in the Third Age   The battle's made me bitter, the future scares me so 'Cause Caemlyn turned to ashes, and I've nowhere else to go The Band and Lord Mat have gone, the Royal Guard got beat down As the Trollocs hold the City, and make a graveyard of my town   How the days all pass by, like the turning of the page I remember Caemlyn City in the Third Age   How the days all pass by, like the turning of the page I remember Caemlyn City in the Third Age

[Editor's note: BFG, a moderator for Dragonmount's Wheel of Time Discussion Board, is doing a guest blog for "WoT If?" this week.]   WARNING: A Memory of Light spoilers throughout. Foretelling appears to be a very rare Talent that allows glimpses of the future; rare enough that Elaida gains status though her Talent for it is weak.  However, there are a lot of Foretellings that occur that precipitate important events that otherwise would not occur.  So perhaps they are methods of correction similar to ta'veren.    There are two Aes Sedai whose Foretellings are crucial to the successful outcome of the story: Gitara and Elaida.     Without Gitara's Foretelling, Luc would not have travelled to the Blight on a mission apparantly important to the survival of the world.  Although the reason for this is not made clear, I believe the importance of Slayer is to prepare Perrin in the world of dreams (the second time that Perrin needs to be there for Rand).   Also without Gitara's Foretelling, Tigraine would not have abandoned Andor, precipitating the War of Sucession and eventually House Trakand's rise to power and also Rand's eventual birth on Dragonmount; the rise of House Trakand is of almost equal importantce (after all, we know that the Dragon Reborn is not the only thing necessary for the Light's victory).   Elaida also has a Foretelling about the Royal House of Andor, which could equally relate to both House Trakand or Tigraine.  Elaida interprets it to mean that House Trakand is important and ensures that she aids them to gain their trust so she's in a position to influence events later, however as the Foretelling is made before Trakand assumes power, it could still relate to Tigraine.   Gitara then has an additional Foretelling resulting in her death, when she sees Rand's birth.  This precipitates Moiraine's search, the death of Tamra, and eventually the Black Ajahs actions, etc....     So all these Foretellings precipitate action that otherwise would not occur, or at least it's difficult to imagine a sequence of events that would result in the same outcome.  But what of other forms of prophecy?   It's possible to argue that the entire Karaethon Cycle acts in part to prevent the stilling of the Dragon Reborn.  It also directly causes his flight to Tear and everything that happens subsequently, aids his acceptance of the importance of the Aiel, directly influences his actions regarding Callandor, helps inform his ultimate plan for taking on Moridin, etc....  These events all seem to be almost a blueprint to what needs to occur for the Light to win, Rand refers to them in a similar way, and in many ways the Foretellings are acting in a similar manner.  What do you think?