DRAGONMOUNT

Dragonmount is pleased to announce that our friends at the Waygate Foundation have launched their first fundraising campaign, entitled "A Story Begins."   The Waygate Foundation is a non-profit organization which strives to unite fans and authors in the science-fiction and fantasy field to work together for philanthropic purposes. The goal of their first campaign is to raise $10,000 to benefit Patrick Rothfuss’ Worldbuilders charity.   If they are successful in raising their goal, then they've been given permission to share a sneak peak of the forthcoming Wheel of Time Encyclopedia. The Encyclopedia will be the definitive reference book for all things related to the WoT saga. It will most likely be published in 2014.   Please consider donating to this charity. It goes to a great cause, which you can learn about on author Patrick Rothfuss' website. To read more, and make a contribution, visit WaygateFoundation.org.   Here's the full press release: More Information WaygateFoundation.org Waygate Foundation on Facebook (Please "Like" them!)

It's time for another giveaway! Here are the rules again for those who aren't familiar with them:         This week, we will be giving away a copy of Towers of Midnight. I haven't received an audio clip from Macmillan, but will add it here if/when I do.   This giveaway's question is: How has the Wheel of Time series changed your life? You have until Wednesday, December 12th to answer in the comments section. Good luck!

It's beginning to look like Tarmon Gai'don everywhere you go All that is, was, and might have been, unraveling once again With melting swords and rotting food to show   It's beginning to look like Tarmon Gai'don Everyone's at war But the scariest sight to see will be the Dark One running free Out of Shayol Ghul   A good sword by your side or a safe place to hide Is the wish of most of the world Or a way to not fight and yet still serve the Light As the Dragon Banner's unfurled And the Nae'blis can hardly wait for chaos to start again   It's beginning to look like Tarmon Gai'don The Dark wants you afraid; Trolloc armies up in the Blight, all itching for a fight And on each side the shadows hide a Fade   It's beginning to look like Tarmon Gai'don Say your last goodbyes Since the thing we have yet to know, thanks to R-A-F-O will be just who dies     -----------------------------------------------------------------------     His name it was Lews Therin He was an Aes Sedai but then saidin was tainted And the people all did cry   Oh Dragon Dragon Dragon, You've destroyed the world today Then you turned into a mountain We are glad you've gone away   The world it did recover Though many were left dead But Foretellings started showing up And this is what they said   Oh Dragon Dragon Dragon You'll be reborn someday You'll break the nations of the earth and make the Dark One pay   His name it was al'Thor And farming was his trade but he caused a lot of trouble making women pull their braid   Oh Dragon Dragon Dragon, The Aes Sedai want you They'll put you in a tiny box and make you come unglued   He came into his powers And then went a little mad We hope he soon gets better cause it's getting pretty bad   Oh Dragon Dragon Dragon, Why must you go and brood You better get over yourself Or else we're really screwed

Welcome back to "WoT If?", Dragonmount's weekly theory blog. For this week's post, I want to look at Nicola's Foretelling.   Spoiler warning! This will include content from many books in the series, including Towers of Midnight, and speculation about A Memory of Light. Please read at your own risk.   Also, this WILL NOT contain spoilers from A Memory of Light's Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 11, or Tor's daily previews. Please refrain from posting any spoilers from A Memory of Light in the comments section. The A Memory of Light spoiler discussion board can be found here.   We all know Nicola's major Foretelling that happens in Lord of Chaos, Chapter 14, "Dreams and Nightmares." It has been analyzed to death, and most everyone is sick of it. So, we won't even touch it at all. Rather, I want to look at her Foretellings that have happened "off-screen," so to speak. This happens in Crossroads of Twilight, where Janya Frende is complaining to Egwene about Nicola.   Janya doubts the credibility of Nicola's Foretellings, and even says the novices don't believe her. Because of that, we—the reader—should dismiss it as well. But you'll notice that one aspect of that list happens at the end of this book: an Amyrlin imprisoned. I think what's meant to be a throw away line, in an effort to discredit Nicola, becomes important when we realize at least one is correct. Because of that one line, I think the rest is important as well. Nicola struggles very hard to be noticed, but that doesn't mean she can't also be right.   The first part talks of battles with the Seanchan or the Asha'man. Since Nicola is the one saying it, I'm assuming that the battles will be between the White Tower, which she is a part of, and the Seanchan/Asha'man. We get one battle with the Seanchan in The Gathering Storm, or does that not count? It's technically a raid. And the phrase used is "battles," so that could mean more than one attack on the White Tower. With the Seanchan discovery of Traveling, they are planning a second raid—but I thought it would be post-Tarmon Gai'don. Perhaps it won't be. Besides knowing that the Last Battle constitutes a 50,000 word long block in A Memory of Light, we don't have clues about what happens before or afterwards (without going into spoilers). So, I think because of Nicola's Foretelling, it's possible another Seanchan raid could happen before the Last Battle begins.   The next part is a battle with the Asha'man. Again, people have suggested that there won't be time for this before Tarmon Gai'don. But we know that at the end of Towers of Midnight, Pevara and Androl are trying to find a way to escape the Black Tower. There is definitely a battle looming here. In a previous blog, I talked about Logain and the possibility that he is recruiting other channelers—maybe male and female—to help him take back the Black Tower. That would count as the White Tower—as Aes Sedai are initiates—battling Asha'man. And since we all know this is coming, it also gives credibility to Nicola's words.   That leads to the most important part of Nicola's Foretelling, in my opinion: the Dragon Reborn doing nine impossible things.   We see Janya repeating this in Crossroads of Twilight, but that doesn't mean Nicola said them all in that time. They could have been spread out from when her Talent appeared (in Lord of Chaos) to this point, at least half a year later. So, I would list the cleansing of the taint as one of the nine impossible things. But what else has Rand done that's considered impossible?   What about the balefire streams crossing (A Crown of Swords, Chapter 41, "A Crown of Swords")? I think most people would believe weaves that cross and cause a semi-merging of two people is impossible. Plus, this is going to play a huge part in the Last Battle. Whether or not you believe the body-swap theory, Min says to Rand, "I saw you and another man. I couldn't make out either face, but I knew one was you. You touched, and seemed to merge into one another, and...one of you dies, and one doesn't" (A Crown of Swords, Chapter 33, "A Bath"). Since Min doesn't believe this refers to Lews Therin, I don't either. And Rand and Moridin's connection has greatly increased over the past few books. So, if the streams crossing isn't the impossible aspect, perhaps Rand merging with Moridin—literally or figuratively—would be.   Rand was able to destroy cuendillar. That's impossible. In The Gathering Storm, Chapter 22, "The Last That Could Be Done," Rand uses the True Power to destroy the Domination Band. When it's first introduced, Moghedien says, "You cannot destroy it. That is not metal, but a form of cuendillar. Even balefire cannot destroy cuendillar" (The Shadow Rising, Chapter 54, "Into the Palace"). I think that counts.   Another feat: Rand becoming "Light and Power" (Towers of Midnight, Chapter 32, "A Storm of Light"). He defeated hundreds of thousands of Shadowspawn. By himself. Without an angreal. Impossible.   That's four we've seen, leaving five to be fulfilled. I've got a couple ideas on those.   1. Have a hand made of the One Power.   There's been some foreshadowing that Rand might be able to get a new hand—Min saw a viewing above Rand's head that was "a glowing sword, Callandor, being gripped in a black hand" (Towers of Midnight, Chapter 51, "A Testing"). This image has led many to speculate that Rand could make a new hand from the One Power. We know that using the Power on yourself doesn't work, so that would be impossible.   2. Break the seals.   Though they are cuendillar, they can be broken with a bare hand, so the physical destruction of them isn't impossible. It's the concept of destroying the seals that is ludicrous! Therefore, I think many would believe it impossible, just because it's a bad idea—and that's why Egwene plans on stopping him. However, Min says, "You have to destroy the seals to the Dark One's prison," and Rand replies with, "Yes, that sounds right. I doubt that many will wish to hear it. If those seals are broken, there is no way to tell what will happen. If I fail to contain him..." (The Gathering Storm, Chapter 15, "A Place to Begin").   3. Making the Aiel give up their spears.   We've seen through Aviendha's second trip through the glass column ter'angreal that Rand intends to leave the Aiel out of the Dragon's Peace agreement (Towers of Midnight, Chapter 49, "Court of the Sun"). Perhaps to avoid this dismal future, Aviendha will make Rand include the Aiel, having them give up their spears. That would be considered impossible by everyone, even the Aiel. If so, the Shaido heading back to the Three-Fold Land could be the "remnant of a remnant" (The Shadow Rising, Chapter 34, "He Who Comes With the Dawn")—meaning they will still act as warrior Aiel.   4. Surviving after the Last Battle.   Everyone believes Rand will die in the Last Battle—"twice to live, twice to die" (The Great Hunt, Chapter 26, "Discord")—so him surviving is pretty much impossible. Yet, many of us still think he will live, though the method in which he comes back is heavily debated.   5. Actually destroying the Dark One.   Rand seems to have the intent to kill the Dark One, not just reseal him in the Bore. When he speaks to Moridin in Tel'aran'rhiod Rand says, "I mean to kill him. Slay the Dark One. Let the Wheel turn without his constant taint." (The Gathering Storm, Chapter 15, "A Place to Begin"). Moridin replies with, "I doubt you can understand the magnitude of the stupidity in your statement," implying that it may be impossible for Rand to kill the Dark One.   I think most of the ideas on this list are likely, no matter that they are deemed impossible. And I think Nicola should be given a bit of credit for her Foretelling abilities. Even if only the imprisoned Amyrlin is correct, that's still a better record than Elaida, who always seems to misinterpret her Foretellings.   That's all for this edition. Please join us next week for a discussion—suggested by Metal Head—on what Moridin's true intentions are, and why there's a constant flip-flop in the orders to kill Rand. Thanks for reading!

Tor Books has released the first of several promotional videos for A Memory of Light.   This video, called, " ", is designed to introduce new fans to the series, and explain why now is a great time to investigate the series.  The video features interviews with Brandon Sanderson, Harriet McDougal, Tor publisher Tom Doherty, acclaimed fantasy author Patrick Rothfuss, and Dragonmount founder Jason Denzel (me!).   Expect to see several more videos from Tor over the next several weeks. :  http://www.youtube.com/embed/YOJiyFf8gW4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>     Please pass this video onto your friends and family. This is a great way to share the phenomenon of the Wheel of Time with a wider audience.

On November 27, Dragonmount was hit by an overwhelming cyber attack. The result was similar to a "Distributed Denial of Service" (DDOS) attack, and resulted in our servers being overwhelmed with tens of thousands of page requests within a very condensed amount of time. Our web servers are powerful and well maintained. It's a testament to their resilience that they didn't immediately meltdown. Despite seeming to be offline, they never crashed, and immediately recovered as soon as we blocked incoming traffic. In the end though, even good web servers like ours succumb to these type of attacks. Because the overall assault originated from thousands of infected PC's across the world (mostly, if not entirely all Windows machines), it was impossible for us to simply deny a specific machine or IP address.   I want to make it clear that no data from our servers was compromised or lost. Your passwords are safe and encrypted on a database server unaffected by the attack. Dragonmount does not directly process or store any credit card information, so nothing related to our online store was anywhere near at risk.   People have asked our staff why we were targeted. There is probably no easy answer to that. Most likely, we were not singled out for any reason other than the fact that we are a medium-sized, established website with a large user base. The specific distributed attack that affected us is known to seek out sites just like ours. This specific one is too weak to tackle huge sites like Google or Facebook, so it seeks out sites like ours that seem like easy prey.   They will not find us so easy next time.   To combat this issue, we've significantly increased the security settings on the DM web servers, and also invested in an industry-leading security service. I won't go so far as to say this will never happen again, but I can assure you that we've literally done everything we can, with the resources we have, to make the site as secure and stable as possible.   Thank you for your patience and support. As a whole, the you continue to amaze me with your kindness. On behalf of the entire DM staff, I want to thank everyone who emailed us with ideas, suggestions, offers of help, or just friendly encouragement. Special thanks to Brent Wentworth for his outstanding assistance during the most stressful part of the downtime.   If you have any questions, feel free to email us, or just comment below.   And now... back to preparing for A Memory of Light!   Jason Denzel

Now, we have another edition of "WoT If?", with a focus on who will live or die at the Last Battle. I'd like to look at the Royal Family of Andor a bit today, and see if their family ties might be the key to their salvation...or their doom. As always:   Spoiler warning! This will include content from many books in the series, including Towers of Midnight, and speculation about A Memory of Light. Please read at your own risk.   Also, this WILL NOT contain spoilers from A Memory of Light's Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, or Chapter 11. Please refrain from posting any spoilers from A Memory of Light in the comments section. The A Memory of Light spoiler discussion board can be found here.   First and foremost, we need to start with Elayne. Like last week's featured couple, many fans are upset with Elayne and begging for her death. She, however, feels immune to the threat of mortality. For the past five books, since she found out she was pregnant, she has known she will live long enough to have healthy children. There was a scene in Towers of Midnight where she sort of came to terms with her supposed immortality (Chapter 23, "Foxheads"), but will that change how recklessly she acts? I doubt it.   What kind of textual evidence do we have? The main argument comes from the same logic Elayne used, that she will be safe until her children are born. Min said:     It's difficult to keep track of the timeline, but I believe only three or four months have passed since Elayne got pregnant. That means she has five or six more before her babies are born. If the Last Battle is starting now, I'd say Elayne is safe. Since her babies will be born "healthy and strong," I'm assuming she won't have them prematurely.   There's also Nicola's Foretelling:     Since Rand is "he who is dead yet lives," the Last Battle must be finished. So despite everyone's hopes, I'm saying Elayne will survive Tarmon Gai'don.   The next few have a little less certainty, in my opinion. Let's move on to Gawyn, another person a lot of fans have come to hate. Min and Egwene have both had visions about Gawyn that seem to have a "maybe" quality to them. Min sees:     And Egwene Dreams:     And later:     Gawyn made his choice in Towers of Midnight. He chose to bow before Egwene, not break her neck. And with knowing that in regards to Min's viewing, we can apply it to Egwene's Dreams. Because she made him come around to her way of thinking, we can see she was "stronger" than he, turning him from what he wanted.   But which path is which? The second Dream has a violent death versus death in bed, which is paralleled in the next sentence by marrying her versus not marrying her. Does this mean they are linked in that way? That the violent death is if he marries her, and death in bed if he doesn't? That's what I would think. And we know they intend to marry (Towers of Midnight, Chapter 42, "Stronger Than Blood"), so I'd say that's evidence pointing towards Gawyn dying. However, the wording could be an Aes Sedai trick by Robert Jordan to make us believe that the phrases are paired with one another when they really aren't.   Okay, let's look at more proof. Gawyn took the ter'angreal rings from the Bloodknife Seanchan assassins. Those ter'angreal kill the wearer, even if the ring is removed.     The last we've seen, Gawyn has them on a chain around his neck (Towers of Midnight, Chapter 56, "Something Wrong"). Can they hurt him if they've been activated by someone else? Does having them around the neck count as "wearing" them? How easily could Gawyn's blood drip onto the rings if they are that close?   There are a lot of questions and a lot we don't know about these ter'angreal, but I think this could be more foreshadowing about Gawyn's death.   What about Galad? We only have a few viewings from Min that hint about his future. We find out he "will always do what is right. No matter who it hurts" (The Great Hunt, Chapter 24, "New Friends and Old Enemies"), and he would hurt someone for the greater good, not even noticing who got hurt (The Great Hunt, Chapter 38, "Practice").   I think this emphasis on Galad's goodness-to-a-fault suggests a self-sacrifice. He was willing to die by the hands of Valda for the wrongs done to Morgase, and he could easily give up his own life to save another, for the greater good.   I've seen theories that suggest Galad might be the key to victory at the Last Battle for two reasons. One is Elaida's Foretelling about the "Royal line of Andor being the key to defeating the Dark One" (A Crown of Swords, Prologue), and two is the prophecy that says, "Red on black, the Dragon's blood stains the rock of Shayol Ghul. In the Pit of Doom shall his blood free men from the Shadow" (The Great Hunt, Chapter 26, "Discord"). Galad is a member of the royal line and Rand's half-brother by blood. Galad could be said to be the Dragon's blood. Since prophecy very rarely means what it says, I think it's possible that this isn't referring to Rand's actual blood. It could easily apply to Luc Mantear as well.   Min did see a viewing around Berelain sur Paendrag that she will meet "a man in white who will make her fall head over heels" (Lord of Chaos, Chapter 50, "Thorns"). We get hints in Towers of Midnight that it is Galad. Even if Berelain falls in love with him doesn't mean he will survive Tarmon Gai'don.   So, I think Galad's chances of surviving are slim as well.   Finally, let's look at Luc Mantear, who is currently half of the assassin Slayer. The circumstances around Luc's trip to the Blight are mysterious. Rumors say it was Gitara Moroso who told him to go (Lord of Chaos, Chapter 16, "Tellings of the Wheel"). If a Foretelling was involved, it seems like the Luc/Isam merging was a step the Pattern needed. And if the Pattern needed Slayer, then he most definitely has a major role to play. And that means he could be the key to victory, when he is able to help Rand—who he knows is his nephew (Winter's Heart, Chapter 22, "Out of Thin Air")—and perhaps defeat the Shadow inside himself, most likely to die in the process.   Either way, if Slayer doesn't return to the Light, Perrin will certainly kill him. I think it's almost a guarantee that Slayer will die during the Last Battle.   So, things look pretty grim for the Royal Line of Andor. I guess we'll find out for certain in six weeks! That's all for this edition. Next week, we'll look at Nicola's Foretellings (not the "Three on a boat" one!). Thanks for reading!

The information you've been waiting for is finally here! The following is a list of all the dates and locations for Brandon Sanderson's A Memory of Light signing tour. As usual, the tour will kick off with a midnight release party at the BYU Bookstore in Provo, UT. Festivities will conclude in Birmingham, AL. You may notice a few things about this list. First of all, unlike last year's shorter tour, Brandon will be doing a full length tour this year. Second, this will be a split tour with some January dates and some February dates. Finally, some of the entries on this list say "to be confirmed" next to them. This just means that Tor is waiting for confirmation from those venues. We'll edit this list with updates when we receive them. Also, just like the previous two tours, each site will have a select group of volunteer fans who will help run the show and document the event. These "Memory Keepers" will get a chance to meet with Brandon (and in some cases, Harriet McDougal Rigney) in private before the signing event. Applications to be a Memory Keeper can be found here.   A Memory of Light Book Signing Events 1/8/13: Provo, UT (midnight signing) – BYU Bookstore / w Harriet and Jason Denzel (For information about signed books at this event, be sure to read Brandon's blog post) 1/8/13: Minneapolis (Roseville), MN -- B&N @ 7pm / w Harriet 1/9/13: Chicago (Skokie), IL -- B&N @ 7pm / w Harriet 1/10/13: Dayton, OH -- Books & Co @ 7pm / w Harriet 1/11/13: Lexington, KY -- Joseph-Beth Booksellers @ 7pm / w Harriet 1/12/13: Charleston, SC -- B&N @ 2pm (off-site @ Addlestone Library/ College of Charleston) / w Harriet and Jennifer Liang 2/1/13: Salt Lake City, UT -- Weller Book Works 2/6/13: San Diego, CA -- Mysterious Galaxy @ 7pm 2/7/13: Los Angeles (Huntington Beach), CA – B&N @7pm 2/8/13: Sacramento (Citrus Heights), CA -- B&N @ 7pm / w Jason Denzel 2/9/13: San Francisco, CA – Borderlands @ 3pm 2/11/13: Portland, OR -- Powell's (Beaverton store) @ 7pm 2/12/13: Seattle, WA -- University Books @ 7pm (off-site; University Temple United Methodist Church) 2/14/13: Vancouver, Canada -- Chapters (Metrotown) @ 7pm  2/15/13: Toronto, Canada -- Bakka Phoenix (offsite at Lillian H. Smith Library) @ 7pm 2/16/13: Milford, NH The Toadstool Bookshop @ 2pm (off-site; The Amato Center for the Performing Arts) 2/18/13: Baltimore (Hanover), MD -- Books-A-Million @ 7pm / w Harriet 2/19/13: Philadelphia, PA -- Free Library @ 7:30pm / w Harriet 2/20/13: Raleigh, NC – Quail Ridge Books @ 7:30pm / w Harriet 2/21/13: Atlanta, (Norcross), GA -- Eagle Eye Books @ 7:15pm (off-site; Norcross Cultural Arts Center in conjunction with the Gwinnett County Library system) / w Harriet and Jennifer Liang 2/22/13: Birmingham, AL -- Books-A-Million @ 7pm / w Harriet and Jennifer Liang

The final book in the Wheel of Time series, A Memory of Light, will be released on January 8, 2013. This date also marks the beginning of Brandon Sanderson's A Memory of Light book tour. You can find the list of dates, locations, and venues here.   Dragonmount will be recruiting approximately 5-7 Memory Keepers for each book signing event. The Memory Keepers will get the coveted opportunity to meet with Brandon (and in some cases, Harriet McDougal Rigney) in a casual setting before the actual book signing. This usually involves meeting for a meal at a location near the signing venue. Memory Keepers will have the chance to get their books signed without having to wait in line with the crowds. They will also receive a free Memory Keepers tee shirt to commemorate their involvement with the book tour.   In return for this opportunity, we're going to put you to work. Each Memory Keeper will be asked to help document the event in different ways. Some will take photos. Others will take notes and do a blog write-up for Dragonmount to share with the wider community. Some will hand out promotional materials to people standing in line. If the bookstore needs help organizing lines, one of the Memory Keepers will be there to help. If Harriet needs a glass of water, the Memory Keepers will be there to take care of that.   Another important task for some of the Memory Keepers will be to get involved on our message boards and on our Facebook group to help promote the event. We'll probably ask that each "regiment" of the Memory Keepers get together in person at the bookstore once before the event in order to work out logistics and delegate tasks. You'll be provided with a packet of more detailed guidelines once the teams are assembled.   How to Apply:   We are currently accepting applications. Click here and fill out the form to apply. You cannot apply more than once. You cannot serve as a Memory Keeper for more than one event in this tour, and we regret that we cannot choose you again if you were chosen as a Storm Leader or Tower Guard in previous years.   The deadline for applications is 11:59 PM (Pacific Standard Time) on December 7th. We will be contacting everyone via e-mail within a week of the deadline to let you know if you have been selected or not.

Hey, guys! I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this will be my final Fan Art Friday blog post. I've loved sharing all my favorite Wheel of Time art with you, plus I'm going to miss all the perks of being Dragonmount staff. (No, they didn't let me read an advance copy of A Memory of Light, but they did let me interview a personal hero...but more on this later. You haven't quite seen the end of me yet.) Most importantly, I had the honor of getting to know our incomparable Front Page Admin, Dwyn, and all our other awesome front page bloggers.   The engineer in me couldn't resist doing a bit of statistical analysis before waving goodbye, so I'm afraid we'll be ending on a very mathematical note.   It's been a good run, with a total of 30 posts, 191 featured artworks, and 241 comments. Interestingly, there is no correlation between the number of works featured in a given week and the number of comments received (correlation coefficient = 0.056). The average number of works featured has been increasing with time (see trendline in figure below) such that, if I were to keep posting, I could expect to be featuring 26 posts per week by week 100 (though the R2 value is only 0.34, so I would not call time a strong predictor...). In case you missed it, this was my most popular post.   Here's a figure mapping comments and works featured over time. As a point of curiosity, the lull in July coincides with Tynaal leaving her post as Rotating Features Blogger and Mashi, Ire, and EP coming on board to fill the void. I guess we're better together!     Now that we're beyond that little bit of silliness, I wanted to wrap up with a shout-out to the Wheel of Time group on deviantART and its awesome founder ~Gorgaidon. If you're craving more Wheel of Time fan art, her group is THE place to go.   And, of course, it wouldn't be Fan Art Friday without some fan art. Here are a whole bunch of artworks that I've collected over the years which, in spite of being awesome, never found their way into a previous post.     The Raven Lord by ~ToranekoStudios       Rhuidean by ~mandersen       Andoran Pride by *fee-absinthe       Birgitte Trahelion by ~livska       Siuan Sanche by ~str4yk1tt3n       Perrin, Rand, and Mat by ~minniearts       Rand and Perrin by *hamdiggy       Balefire by ~Seeshi-suin       Rand al'Thor by ~hevial       WoT: Elayne Trakand by ~Manweri       Escape the Dancing Cartman by ~Forbis       WoT--Rand and Matrim by ~aiconx (Hey, it's my last week, I'll feature what I want! And what I want is some more Rand/Mat...)       Wheel of Time by ~nattfrost     And that's all, folks! See you around the forums!