DRAGONMOUNT

TarValon.Net has selected a recipient to be awarded the 2013 Robert Jordan Memorial Scholarship.      Rachel is also the Senior Director of Operations at JordanCon.  Congratulations on such a wonderful achievement!

Hello, friends! The Wheel has turned all the way around to Thursday which means two things: it's nearly the weekend, and it's time for our Rotating Features blog!   This week I want to talk about a hobby of mine, and that is board games. Now I need to stress a few things here--firstly, by board games I don't mean Monopoly. There is a growing trend of geeky board games in various fantasy, science fiction, and other settings, and they are awesome. If you aren't yet a fan of gaming, watch this video.   Personally I'm really getting into the board game scene and have picked up a few of them. And one that I am really enjoying is Arkham Horror. It's not Arkham as in Batman, by the way, but a city or town in the world of renowned writer H. P. Lovecraft. You may have heard of one of his more famous works, "The Call of Cthulu." His writing is a blend of dark, Gothic science fiction/horror.   The game Arkham Horror is very immersive, as you control investigators in the city of Arkham. Portals to other worlds keep opening and various hideous monsters pop out and roam the city streets. You, the investigators, must arm yourselves, collect clues, close the gates, kill the monsters, and try to prevent the Ancient One--which could even be Cthulu himself--from awakening! It's really great fun, challenging, and almost like a role playing game. I thoroughly recommend it, although it may be a little off putting if you aren't used to playing these kinds of board games.   If that is the case, I really do recommend you to find your nearest genuine gaming shop and see what is out there. Settlers of Catan is an excellent, easy to play game, even better with the Cities and Knights expansion. There is also a very good Game of Thrones board game where you each play as one of the Houses of Westeros. There is literally so much to choose from. I haven't yet seen a Wheel of Time board game but there may well be one!   If you're at all like me and are a little bit geeky--which is in fashion these days, by the way!--you really want to get into tabletop gaming. And if you are, then try out Arkham Horror--I've fallen in love with it.   Have fun!   Until next time, friends!

Spoilers?     Rand:  I gave up a hand, got a wound in my side, and am slowly going mad from another man's memories in my head...   Mat:  Oh yeah? Well...  I gave up an eye, got hanged from a tree, and am also going slightly mad, but from SEVERAL men's memories in my head and some dice rattling inside of it...   Perrin:  I... uh...  gave up an axe, once ripped a few buttons off one of Faile's dresses by accident and... um... yeah.  I yield on this one... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Random thoughts from the Tainted One:   Honestly, when I think of the Snakes and Foxes, I really can't help but occasionally think of them as the Wheel's Waldorf and Statler:       "Why do we even watch the weaving of the Pattern?"     "Have you seen what else is on?"     "There's something else on?"     "My point exactly! Hohohohohoho!"   This of course, brings to mind the thought that maybe, a hilarious sketch for The Wheel of Time series could be done a la the Muppets.  Kermit as Rand, Gonzo as Mat, and Fozzie as Perrin:        Fozzie:  Hey Rand! I know how you can remove the taint...  You just gotta change the channel! Wakka wakka!

The First Age—a play-by-post role playing website—has just launched.  The site allows users to create characters that live in the First Age, the Age before the Age of Legends, in an alternate history taking place in our own world in 2045.The website's creator, who goes by the name Ascendancy, has this to say:      The site if full of information relevant to the current Age's politics and problems, including the monsters that inhabit the world from the Age before, everything from chupakabras to zombie-like rougarou.  There's even details about all the Ages between the Third Age—when The Wheel of Time series actually takes place—and our own First Age.  The fictional set up is incredibly specific and creates a rich environment for possible role playing.  There's even a warning that players may receive detailed instructions from the administrators to help shape the overall plot of the story, and provide plot twists.  Anyone is able to join The First Age and add their own character and tale to the Pattern as it unfolds.

Well, it is Monday, and you know what that means? It is Weekly Roundup time!   The Wheel of Time Cage Match is now entering the fourth week. You may continue to discuss the Week Three matches, but do not forget to vote in Week 4:   Asmodean vs Narishma Galad vs Tam   The classic Super Nintendo game Earthbound is now available on the Wii-U Virtual Console. Discuss the game, and the virtues of emulators, in the Movies and Games Discussion forum.    In other news, two of Dragonmount's members got married on July 13: Barmacral and Raena! To those who do not know the happy couple, Barm is one of our Admins, and Raena is the Keeper of the Chronicles of the White Tower and Warders Social Group. Congratulations, guys!   In the Role Playing community, some members of the Band of the Red Hand are meeting up with Tinkers. Will the Tinkers convince the Band members to follow the Way of the Leaf? Read and find out!     Well, that is about it for this week's edition of Weekly Roundup. See you next week!

We had an exciting week!  The Asmodean vs Alivia battle was neck and neck up to the very end.  Are you surprised who won?   Asmodean defeated Alivia Tam defeated Sulin Narishma defeated Siuan Galad defeated Faile   We are moving onto the semi-finals!  Here's the line up:   Asmodean vs Narishma Galad vs Tam   Help decide who will move onto the finals!  And if you've got more to say about Asmodean or Alivia (or the others), talk about in the Week 3 Continued Discussion thread.  

Welcome to another edition of Fan Art Friday! Today's theme is Min.   Elmindreda (Min) Farshaw is probably one of the most loved female characters. She is known for her refusal to wear skirts (except in certain cases) and making breeches a fashion statement among women. She is one of Rand's girls and she can see the future in people's auras.   So here is Min...   Min Farshaw by Yunyin   Min in her rose colored breeches. This image is kind of cute.   Min Farshaw by Ellyka     Min in the classic pose of Randland women. This is what Min would have looked like after she started wearing snug breeches.   Min Farshaw by pollyuranus     Pollyuranus wanted to show Min's coat and breeches in full to give a better look but focused more on her face. Still, this looks good and stays true to the character.   Wheel of Time's Min Farshaw by AimeeCosette     With curls removed to get a better boyish look, Min looks like a fighter with knives ready to face anyone.

<!-- isHtml:1 --><p>Hello, friends! The Wheel has turned all the way around to Thursday which means two things: it's nearly the weekend, and it's time for our Rotating Features blog!<br /> This week I wanted to draw your attention to a couple of interesting <em>Game of Thrones</em> related news items that I picked up on over the last few days.<br /> First, I noticed that a huge dragon skull washed ashore in Dorset, England, proving that the huge mythical beasts were, in fact, real. Or at least it would do, if it were not actually a man made structure promoting the series being released on a streaming service. Which is a shame, but it's still pretty cool. I'd love to see more companies go to this effort to advertise the things we love! Here is a picture of it:<br />  <br /> <img src="http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/gallery/album_320/gallery_16065_320_20221.jpg" /><br /> I wonder what could be done to advertise <em>The Wheel of Time</em> at an appropriate moment? Maybe a replica of the part of the statue of Hawkwing they found?<br /> The other thing I thought worth bringing to your attention was the "Iron Throne" painting by <strong>Marc Simonetti</strong> which <strong>George R. R. Martin</strong> says <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://grrm.livejournal.com/327569.html'>best fits</a> the idea he had in mind when writing the books. Not that the H.B.O. version posted at the top of this article isn't cool, but Simonetti's work is amazing. Here it is, and as you can see in George R. R. Martin's vision the throne is much bigger.<br />  <br /> <img src="http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/gallery/album_320/med_gallery_16065_320_136519.jpg" /><br /> <br /> I'm sure you'd agree it is totally awesome. I wish they had done something like this for the show. What an amazing visual image it makes. This goes to show that no matter how well a series is translated onto the big screen, it can never be quite as epic as the imagined version.<br /> Well I hope you found both of these little tidbits as interesting as I did. And if any of you are amateur (or professional) sculptors or something, feel free to do something equally as awesome for our beloved <em>Wheel of Time</em> series and take pictures for <em>Dragonmount</em>. I'll even post about it in Rotating Features! Have fun!<br /> Until next time, friends!</p>

Got a Black Ajah Sister Got a Black Ajah Sister I got a Black Ajah Sister She's got me so blind I can't see But she's a Black Ajah Sister and She's trying to make a Darkfriend out of me   Don't turn your bond on me, Sedai Don't turn your bond on me, Sedai Yes, don't turn your bond on me, Sedai Don't mess around with your weaves Don't turn your bond on me, Sedai 'Cause you might not like what you achieve   (flute solo)   You got your bond on me, Sedai You got your bond on me, Sedai Yes, you got your bond on me, Sedai Turnin' my heart into stone I need you so bad Black Ajah Sister I can't leave you alone

Welcome back to another edition of "WoT If?", Dragonmount's weekly theory blog.  For this week, I've got some questions about the standing flows in the Age of Legends.   SPOILER WARNING.  This will include content from A Memory of Light.  Please DO NOT read this if you have not completed the book.   The standing flows are only mentioned in passing once, but they are alluded to a few times throughout the series.  They are a product of the Age of Legend, a mixture of One Power and technology that allowed non-channelers to use ter'angreal.  It's not clear how much of their technology ran on the One Power.  Or if it was just for frivolous things, not really worthwhile.  But let's take a look at the actual quote about them from the series.     Not much to go on, but the Wheel of Time Wiki expands on it a bit:     It's interesting that Alviarin thinks of the standing flows only in context of the ter'angreal—as if only ter'angreal can access the standing flows.  However, current knowledge of the Age of Legends is very scant, and mostly wrong.  Alviarin's understanding would most likely be incorrect, no matter how much Mesaana told her.  That means the One Power—through the standing flows—could be used for other things.   Or, it could mean that all the technology used was developed through ter'angreal.  Making angreal, sa'angreal, and ter'angreal was common in the Age of Legends.  Many people had the Talent.  It would make sense for them to develop new ter'angreal, ones that could use the standing flows, to better the lives of the common citizens.   Either way, I think a vast majority of items were One Power based.  Even sho-wings and jo-cars.  The One Power is an endless energy supply.  The Aes Sedai would be stupid to not harvest its power and put it to practical use.   But how would the standing flows be harnessed?  I can see two ways.  First is that the Aes Sedai make pools of saidar and saidin for the ter'angreal to feed off of.  If there are vast pools all over the world, the weaves could be tied off—connecting the ter'angreal and the pools—making all the items work without someone actively channeling into it.   It's implied that men and women working together could form these pools without difficulty (The Eye of the World, Chapter 50, "Meetings at the Eye").  The only reason the ones who made the Eye of the World died was to make saidin pure and clean.  If creating pools of pure Power could be done, Aes Sedai could regularly refill the "reservoirs," allowing all the items linked to it to draw on the Power stored within.     Or, taking on a more sci-fi perspective, the standing flows could be pure Power left to run wild.  It's all around, and all the devices programs to feed off the flows would work.  Maybe a good analogy would be a wind generator.  The wind is all around, and the device—the windmill—can access that power as long as the wind is there.   This might seem a bit confusing, but let me elaborate.  When we see scenes from the Age of Legends during Rand's trip into the glass-column ter'angreal, we see a group of Aiel, Ogier, and a Nym seed singing.  During this scene, it's speculated that the Nym uses weaves of the Power (The Shadow Rising, Chapter 26, "The Dedicated").  The phrase is that the Nym, "took those threads and wove them into his dance," which sounds a lot like channeling.  So, where is the Nym getting the flows?  From the standing flows, the Power that is surrounding them.  It's like wind all around them, and the Nym—a construct, like a ter'angreal—can access them.   Another point I'd like to touch on is whether or not the standing flows will come back.  They disappeared when the Bore was breached.  The Wheel of Time Wiki has something interesting on this that might shed some light on how they disappeared:     If sho-wings are running off the standing flows, they stopped working "immediately" after the Breaking.  If the standing flows are pools of the One Power, that makes sense since the Aes Sedai wouldn't go about refilling the reservoirs.  And if the standing flows are wild threads of Power running free, their threads could have been disrupted by the appearance of the Dark One.  He could have broken the weaves.  He could have taken away the wind.   But is it fixable?  Alviarin's comment of why such a thing had been allowed is telling.  I think most Aes Sedai would feel the same way.  The Power is for them, not for others.  The White Tower may claim to serve all, but I don't see them wanting to give up even an ounce of their power. The Asha'man might be more likely to create standing flows again.  They learned the lesson that they are men, not weapons, so they might want to be more of a help to society.  But it would require the cooperation of women, if the standing flows are pools.  Men and women need to work together to accomplish that task.     Two of the female Forsaken are still alive, Graendal and Moghedien.  Graendal is under compulsion, and fawning over Aviendha.  A lot of information might come of that.  Moghedien is a collared damane, captured and taken back to Ebou Dar.  Some information might come from that.  Honestly, I don't think the Seanchan would want to use any items that use the Power, so they wouldn't want the standing flows to reform.   But Graendal could be key to setting up a lot of wonders from the Age of Legends.  I wouldn't be surprised if she could help recreate the standing flows as well, if there were willing participation among the current channelers.   The last idea is that—if the Dark One blocked the flows, his resealing could heal the weaves on their own.  The standing flows could instantly be reinstated, without any help from another source.  That would lead to a lot of confusion, but probably some advances in civilization pretty quickly.   That's all for this week's edition.  Next time, I want to look at the Aiel and their new role in society.  Thanks for reading!