DRAGONMOUNT

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!   I'll begin by holding up my hand and saying that the title of this article isn't really true. Sorry about that! I drew inspiration this week from a couple of things, firstly, Dragonmount is holding its annual Cage Match again. You can read about it in this article.   Secondly, I remembered reading a while back that both Brandon Sanderson and George R. R. Martin had composed a write up for a Rand Vs. Jaime Lannister cross-world cage match, which I thought was pretty epic! Martin's takes the form of an actual piece of fiction, whereas Sanderson's is more a collection of ideas.   Now, I thought this was pretty epic, to be honest. The creator of one world and the heir to the creator of another, their respective one-handed champions, their respective predicted outcomes. If you haven't yet clicked on the links above, do so now because spoilers are below.   Martin's write up was quite nice, and he certainly found a way to level the playing field, because of course with the One Power, Rand would be unbeatable by the likes of Jaime. A Trial of Seven also gave it a nice way to allow Rand the chance to show some of his power before losing. I don't agree with his conclusion on the grounds that I don't think Jaime is taller and heavier than Rand, although I suppose in his armor he would be taller, so that at least makes sense. I did like that it came down to man to man at the end.   Is Jaime the better swordsman? I suppose that's the million dollar question. So get involved and post your thoughts on it below. And don't forget to go and check out our own Wheel of Time only Cage Match, too! Have fun!   Until next time, friends!

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<!-- isHtml:1 --><!-- isHtml:1 --><p>It’s that time again, time for the roundup of events going on in <em>Dragonmount</em> this week! I’m truly excited to see what is going on for the month of July.</p> <p> </p> <p>First off, the <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/82824-welcome-to-the-wheel-of-time-cage-matches-2013/'>Wheel of Time Cage Match</a> is back! Wear a special forum signature to show support for your favorite fighter. Two of this week’s fights are <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/83057-week-1-asmodean-vs-grady/'>Asmodean vs Grady</a> and <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/83056-week-1-narishma-vs-halima/'>Narishma vs Halima.</a> Don’t forget to vote in the polls for your favorite!</p> <p> </p> <p>Looking for a Mafia game? Two games are in sign ups right now: <a><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' class='bbc_url' href='http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/83049-underworld-mafia-basic-mafia-sign-ups/'>Underworld Mafia</a></a> in DM Mafia board, and <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/82734-friends-mafia/'>Friends Mafia</a> in Thakandar, Shayol Ghul. For those of you new to Mafia: this is a game where players are pitted in teams and try to determine who “mafia” is and who belongs to the “town.” It can be an excellent way to get to know other DM members.</p> <p> </p> <p>An ongoing discussion of actors for a <em><a>Wheel of Time HBO Series</a></em> has heated up this week in the <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/forum/203-the-wheel-of-time-in-other-media/'>Wheel of Time in Other Media</a> forum. What actors could feasibly work in a <em>Wheel of Time</em> series? How would it be changed for television? Should the Forsaken be condensed?</p> <p> </p> <p>Do you have any hobbies? Skills? The Wolfkin want to know <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/83021-what-do-you-do-to-relax/#entry2958681'>what do you do to relax?</a></p> <p> </p> <p>And, a friendly reminder to all you Social Group members: as July begins, don’t forget to sign In to your Social Groups’ roll call threads.</p>

The Wheel of Time cage match starts right now!  Go take part in voting for your favorite character.  This week's fights are between the channelers.   Here's the Round 1 line-up:   Narishma vs Halima   Asmodean vs Grady   Siuan vs Elaida   Moghedien vs Alivia   We need your vote to help decide who the winner is.   Voting for Round 1 closes on Saturday, July 6th, at 9:00pm EST.

TarValon.Net has announced that they are currently accepting applications for the 2013 Robert Jordan Memorial Scholarship!  This annual scholarship awards $500 to an undergraduate student at an accredited college or university.  This opportunity is open to all Wheel of Time fans, so you do not have to be a member of TarValon.Net or attend school in the USA to enter.    

For many who are interested in fantasy worlds and perhaps also have an interest in tabletop games and role playing, the Warhammer world will be at least somewhat familiar.   Warhammer is a tabletop strategy game using miniature figures which has been produced by a UK based company called Games Workshop since the 1980's. Its setting is a fantasy world which has often been said to be largely inspired by the high-fantasy genre of fiction largely crafted and made famous by J.R.R Tolkien--as such it includes very familiar settings of Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, and humans as a younger race, although from there it is fair to say they have expanded and made their own world.   The book I am reviewing today, Trollslayer (written by William King and printed by The Black Library, Games Workshop's own publishing house), is the first book in a series focusing on the adventures of a Dwarven character, Gotrek Gurnison, and his human companion, Felix Jaeger. Gotrek is a Dwarf Slayer, who's unspecified crimes demanded that he dedicate his life to trying to find a glorious death in battle as a form of atonement. As such, he often goes on highly dangerous adventures and quests, with Felix in tow to record his legacy.   Although it is set within the Warhammer world, you don't need to be a fan of the game or know much about the background to enjoy the book, as the author does a good job of fleshing out the world and the races in it and some of the background history in a very natural way. I have only a passing knowledge of Warhammer and yet I did not feel lost at all in the book. The book is relatively lighthearted--there are a few laughs--yet the main reason I describe it that way is because it is perhaps not to be taken too seriously; the main characters accomplish some pretty heroic feats. It is fairly well written, and engages as a series of short sections, each outlining an adventure the pair undertake. While it may not be an epic fantasy classic like The Wheel of Time or A Game of Thrones, I did enjoy reading it. It is action packed and adventurous.   As a side-note to explain why I began reading this novel--I recently downloaded a game called Warhammer Quest on to my iPad, which I believe is also available on other devices. It is an adaptation of a board game of the same name and is very good, and very playable, a real dungeon-crawler in which you control and level up a party of characters of various backgrounds and skills. So I recommend that as well to any gamers out there, and it piqued my interest to get this novel on my tablet as well to read during commutes. Have fun!   Until next time, friends!

Here's an interesting question from the Waygate Foundation:   More questions and answers can be found on their Facebook page.

(Apologies to Don Ho)       Evil Bubbles In the world Tear up the Pattern As it's unfurled   Evil Bubbles Popping up all over Got me feeling sure that the  Dark One wants to end all time   So here's to the end of an Age And the sealing of the Bore But mostly I'm hoping that It won't kill me Evil Bubbles  Across the land Have me quite fearful For what Shai'tan has planned   Evil Bubbles Showing up all over Got me feeling sure that the  Dark One wants to end all time   So here's to the Dragon Reborn Who'll save us all some day Here's hoping when he does These Bubbles fade away

Welcome back to "WoT If?", Dragonmount's weekly theory blog.  Continuing from last week, we'll explore other possibilities of who/what Nakomi might be.  But first:   SPOILER WARNING.  This will include content from A Memory of Light.  Please DO NOT read this if you have not completed the book.   A few weeks ago I suggested that Nakomi might be the equivalent of a female Dragon—someone who went through the same thing as Rand and therefore has the same abilities.  Doing my research for this week however, I found a helpful interview with Brandon Sanderson:     There are a few other things Brandon has flat-out denied, like this one:     And this one:     With those few tidbits, a lot of choices for who Nakomi might be get eliminated.  And I think the only answer we have left is that she is a "magical" force.  Perhaps magical isn't the right word, but let me explain.  There won't be a natural explanation for Nakomi.  In the world of Wheel of Time there are things we accept as being natural, even though there is a magical reason for them begin there.  For instance, we can rationalize that Aviendha might have been in Tel'aran'rhiod and that makes sense to us.  The answer still involves magic—or something we don't have in our normal lives—but we don't question it because we accept Tel'aran'rhiod as being part of their world.  But Nakomi won't have logical explanation.  Her existence won't make sense.   One of the reasons I've come to this conclusion is following Brandon's other endeavors.  If you aren't aware, Brandon—along with Dan Wells, Howard Tayler, and Mary Robinette Kowal—hosts a weekly podcast called "Writing Excuses."  He and the other podcasters talk about the dos and don'ts of writing fiction.  One of the things they talk about regularly is the act of foreshadowing.   In another interview, Brandon has said he wrote the scene with Aviendha and Nakomi:     This, to me, means that the only appearance of Nakomi would have been at the Bore, when she talks Rand through the body-swap.  From a literary standpoint, that would have seemed odd to most readers.  The foreshadowing wasn't there.  We would have been very confused, wondering why there was a random woman in the Bore.  With the added scene, we see Nakomi actually exists and that she is working for the side of the Light—or at least working for the good of the Aiel.  Sure, we are still confused about her identity, but we don't feel like it was deus ex machina.    Throughout the series, there are several occasions when coincidence saves the day.  Most of the time we attribute it to ta'veren luck.  But, other times we know it is the Pattern.  I've argued before that, although Moiraine says the Pattern is neutral, it has to be allied with the Light.  If the Shadow wants to unmake the Pattern, it would naturally align with the side that doesn't want to destroy it.  And since so many characters—those who aren't ta'veren—get saved in coincidental ways, it shows that the Pattern is looking out for the Light.   Which leads us back to Nakomi.  What if Nakomi is an avatar—not for the Creator, who takes no action—but for the Wheel and the Pattern?  She could be the embodiment of Balance, the entity who makes sure things stay on track.  The few times we see her are extreme cases, ones that effect the whole world.  With Aviendha, Nakomi's words prompt her into to seeing the second vision, and leading the Aiel away from the ruin the glass-column ter'angreal predicted.  The second time, she allows Rand—who has given so much to the world—to have a real life.  She's setting things into motion that would not have happened without her help.  It's like the Pattern was unable to correct these two events without taking direct action, so someone had to step in.   But there can be other explanations.  One of the major theories is that Nakomi is the Creator's avatar.  This seems quite likely since we see that the Dark One has Shadar Haran.  If the Dark One can have a vessel on the planet, it seems the Creator could have one too.  This has also been foreshadowed throughout the series, so it doesn't feel like deus ex machina either.     But, we also know that the Creator doesn't take part, so why would he send his avatar to speak with Aviendha, of all people?  There were several others who could have benefited from direct communication with the Creator.  Egwene, for one, with her battle against Taim.  If she knew the details earlier of balefire and the new weave, the Flame of Tar Valon, things wouldn't have ended so badly for her.  Why would the Creator only choose to help Aviendha?   Could it be possible that the Aiel are the Creator's chosen people?  To bring in the Biblical reference, there are a few similarities between the Aiel and the Jewish religion.  Rand, the savior, was born into the Aiel.  Jesus, the Christ, was Jewish.  Rand was accepted by some Aiel, but the Shaido refused to believe he was the Car'a'carn.  In the story of Jesus, he was accepted by some, but rejected by others of the faith.  In this comparison, it's easy to see how the Aiel could be special in the eyes of the Creator, and therefore Nakomi would be willing to offer guidance to them only.     But does the Creator have those tendencies?  We all know he doesn't take part in the affairs of the world.  Robert Jordan said:     Would Nakomi, being a part of the Creator, suggest the same thing?  If he needed to come to earth, in any form, and "fix" things, he wouldn't be perfect.  Which leads me back to the Wheel or the Pattern.  If any of these entities wants the world fixed, it's the Pattern.   There's been some speculation that Nakomi might be answered in the Encyclopedia.  But it's not confirmed, that I've seen.  With what we have, and if no new information is given, I'm going to say Nakomi is the avatar of the Pattern/Wheel, not the Creator.  Even with the Biblical connection, it doesn't make sense for the Creator to take part in only two events.  The Pattern, however, would see these events as significant for its own existence.  It would want to set things right.  And it has also acted on the world, making Pattern Level Events, like the fight between Rand and Ishamael over Falme.   That's all for this edition.  Next week we'll talk about the state of Channelers and what might be in store for their future.  Thanks for reading!

Welcome to my first blog as the new Weekly Roundup Blogger! I’m excited for this opportunity to spread the word of what’s going on in our fantastic Social Groups. For those of you that do not yet know me, I’m Moon Sedai, and have been a member of Dragonmount for four years.   Because it has been a few weeks since the last Weekly Roundup, I'm going to tell you what's been happening around Dragonmount during the month of June.    Ever find something weird on Craig's List or Ebay and want to show it off? This month, Shayol Ghul is running a Craig’s List/Ebay summer event. The link I provided is the index link for the event, and is being updated with each new event. There are weird item hunts, personals, an Amazing Race game, and even a thread entitled "Dope or Nope?"  where people can discuss the experience of purchasing used items from the Internet.    The Aiel Raids are in full-swing this month. Much like the Aiel characters of the books, our Aiel Social Group is taking the opportunity to "visit" the other social groups in the form of "raids," where they host a variety of threads throughout Dragonmount.   The Black Tower is hosting a One Power tournament. Members of the Black Tower are pitted against each other in a battle, fighting with their saidin skills to see who will emerge victorious.    The Band of the Red Hand is hosting an interesting poll and discussion: what item of Mat Cauthon's is the most useful thing he acquires throughout the tale of The Wheel of Time series? Here's your chance to answer the poll and weigh in your answer to this fascinating question.    Well, that's the big news for the Month of June. I look forward to telling you all about July's events in our next Weekly Roundup.