DRAGONMOUNT

It's October, when visions of pumpkins, candy, and costumes dance in people's heads. Let's see how the denizens of our forums are kicking off this month.   "To live, you must die." It seems everyone is trying to solve this riddle nowadays. What implications does this have for the Last Battle? Come discuss it in our A Memory of Light Spoiler Discussion forum. As usual, please read the forum rules before posting.   The Aiel Social Group would like to hear all about your harvest traditions. How do you typically celebrate this time of year? Do you have any special autumn traditions or family rituals?   It's time for the Black Tower Social Group's Shadow vs. Light One Power Tournament! Come sign up if you want to join a bunch of zany Asha'man in destroying their opponents. You don't have to be a member of this Social Group to play, but you do need to learn the rules.   The Red Ajah from the White Tower & Warders Social Group just posted several event threads for their annual Autumn Festival. Follow this forum to keep up with all the activities as they are posted.   Calling all Wheel of Time costumers! Badali Jewelry is holding a Halloween Costume Contest on Facebook. The prizes look really neat! Go here for more information.

Ten years ago, fan art of Fortuona was few and far between. Now that she's the Empress and Mat "I am not a bloody lord" Cauthon is First Prince of the Ravens, she's finally gotten her share of the spotlight. Who am I to deny her more?   Daughter of the Nine Moons by *Astriex     Empress Fortuona Athaem Devi Paendrag (formerly High Lady Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag, Daughter of the Nine Moons) is the second daughter of the late Empress Radhanan. As heiress to the Crystal Throne, she was in charge of leading the Return. She declared herself Empress after Semirhage slaughtered her entire family, and has since established Altara as the seat of Seanchan power in the Westlands. Her homeland is now mired in civil war.   Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag by ~StarOfAstaroth (Noah Sheldon) (Pointillism! This took 40 hours of work.)     Fortuona's childhood was sad and difficult. She saw her mother only twice a year before her sixteenth naming day (Winter's Heart, Chapter 14). We know only that her father "died of a bad wager" (Crossroads of Twilight, Chapter 28), ostensibly in one of the deadly plots she and her siblings were forced to execute to prove themselves worthy of one day ruling the Empire (a struggle in which two of her siblings were made da'covale, and in which she herself had a brother and a sister killed). She is a skilled fighter and wrestler, in spite of her tiny stature. She has survived many assassination attempts, the earliest of which occurred the year she was born. Twice, she has intentionally vanished and been presumed dead, down to the arrangement of her funeral rites (Crossroads of Twilight, Chapter 4). Her closest companion is her bodyguard, Voice, and Truthspeaker Selucia, who is also the closest thing to a mother she has ever known. Although hardened by the events of her childhood, she has a good heart and a deep-rooted sense of justice (albeit a Seanchan sense of justice). For this, she has earned the undying loyalty and love of those who serve and protect her.   Tuon by ~vild (Anna Ekman)     In many ways, she is as hard as Rand. I am still struck by the scene in Knife of Dreams (Chapter 11), in which she casually drives a blade into the chest of an assassin that Mat (haunted by memories of Melindhra, Tylin, and Renna) shows clemency. But the ultimate proof of her willpower is her ability to defy Rand's will.   Tuon by J. Seamas Gallagher (blog)     Fortuona has the ability to learn to channel. Although she chooses not to learn, she is trained as a sul'dam and takes great pleasure in training both damane and horses. Early on in her relationship with Mat, she views him as property as well--in their very first encounter, she tries to buy him from Tylin (Winter's Heart, Chapter 17). Soon after he kidnaps her, she expresses an interest in taking him on as a cupbearer. Even shortly before she completes the marriage ceremony, she still isn't entirely convinced she doesn't want to break him.   Above: WoT Doodles by *RoseMuse Below: Reasons for Kissing--Tuon by ~Evil-is-Relative     Her feelings for him have clearly deepened since. Although their odd relationship is endearing and funny, I find their partnership unsettling. Mat's mercilessness as a military commander and his role in sparking the invention (or reinvention) of firearms pair strangely with Tuon's determination to conquer the Westlands. They may be an odd couple, but underestimating either of them is likely to be the last thing their enemies ever do.   WoT--card teasers 1 by Ariel Burgess (deviantART, personal website, Facebook page for the Wheel of Time poker deck) (In the interest of fitting with the theme, I didn't include Olver. The full version is a triptych and can be found here.)  

Grim Oak Press announced today that it will be publishing Unfettered, an anthology of short fiction from an amazing collection of fantasy writers. One of the included short stories is River of Souls, a short story based in the Wheel of Time world. It's listed as being written by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. The anthology will be available in Spring, 2013, after A Memory of Light is released. Proceeds from the book will benefit Shawn Speakman, a notable member of the fantasy community, who has been struggling to pay the overwhelming costs of his medical bills. About twenty-four well-known authors are contributing their talents to help him out. From the Grim Oak Press website: Lacking health insurance and diagnosed with Hogdkin’s lymphoma in 2011, Shawn quickly accrued a massive medical debt that he did not have the ability to pay. That’s when New York Times best-selling author Terry Brooks offered to donate a short story Shawn could sell toward alleviating those bills—and suggested Shawn ask the same of his other friends. Brandon has confirmed that "River of Souls" will provide deeper background and motives for a character we already know. THe short story will consist of several scenes that were written for AMOL, but cut for various reasons including pacing, and the fact that Harriet felt they weren't appropriate to be included in the full novel. Here's a video of Brandon talking about River of Souls: This will likely be one of the last times we get new WoT material. After AMOL and this short story, the only planned book to be released containing WoT material is the Encyclopedia, which is currently being developed by Team Jordan. Both Harriet and Brandon have repeatedly said that there will be no stories set in the WoT universe after the encyclopedia is released. The print copies of the Unfettered anthology are now available for pre-order. More information will come later regarding the eBook editions.

For those of you hoping for a Wheel of Time related article, I have plans for more of those soon. However, this week will be about video game music. I grew up playing games like the Final Fantasy series, and that music has always made an impression on me. So, this week, I figured I'd share a few of my favorite songs from video games.   I'd like to start with a favorite composer: Nobuo Uematsu. As many people know, he is the composer of most of the Final Fantasy series. The first song I ever heard from Nobuo Uematsu was the Opening theme to FF8, but the name eludes me at the moment. That song was probably the first big push I had into the world of music. I had been slightly involved with chorus and such at that point, but I didn't take music seriously until I heard that. A few other game soundtracks that he composed that I rank up there with it are Terra, which is Terra Brandford's theme from FF6, 1000 Words from FFX-2, To Zanarkand from FFX, Aerith's Theme from FF7, and Distant Worlds from FF11. Some of his work can also be heard if you listen to The Black Mages. They perform several of his more iconic songs.   Another series that had good music was the Zelda series. Regrettably, I am not a fan of the games, so I don't have specifics like I did for Nobuo's work. A new favorite of mine is Jeremy Soule, the composer of the Guild Wars 2 music, namely Fear Not this Night, sung by Asja. If there were anyone that I'd want to see make music for Wheel of Time, it'd be him. One final video game that I felt deserved a mention for its music was Tera Online. While there aren't that many famous songs, the quality of the songs is outstanding. Inon Zur and Rod Abernethy did wonders with their work on the music. Of all the games I've played, these are the games/series that really stood out.

It's time for another giveaway!  Here are the rules again for those who aren't familiar with them:       This time, we will be giving away a copy of Winter's Heart.  Click here for a clip from the audiobook:     This giveaway's question is:  Would you rather wield saidar/saidin, or would you rather fight with traditional weapons?  You have until Wednesday, October 10th to answer in the comments section.  Good luck!  

SCENE 2. HORN OF VALERE   MUSIC: (BRIDGE) MELODIC THEME, FADE UNDER   Narrator   We now continue with Part Two of The Horn of Valere.   MUSIC: (STING)   Mat   [Frightened] You? NO!   (LIGHTNING FLASH)   Rand   Now, Mat, is that any way to treat two old friends?   Perrin   [Playful] You'd think just because his girl broke up the team, we'd be holding it against him or something.   Mat   [Annoyed] You better come in.   (SOUNDS OF FOOTSTEPS, SHUFFLING, DOOR CLOSES)   Rand   Where is she, anyway?   (SOUNDS OF FLASHBACK. FADE IN SOUNDS OF DOCKYARD, MEN LOADING NEARBY BOAT)   Mat   You have a country to run, and I've a job to do here. Where I'm going you can't follow. What I've got to do you can't help with. Tuon, I'm not a bloody noble. Someday you'll understand that. You've got to get on that boat. If you don't, you'll regret it, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the rest of your life.   Tuon   But what about us, Toy?   Mat   We'll always have Ebou Dar.   (SOUNDS OF FLASHBACK. FADE IN SOUNDS OF RAIN)   MAT   She's gone to where she should be.   Rand   So there's nothing stopping you from coming back to the team?   Perrin   It's not the same without you. We talked Nynaeve and Egwene into coming with us for a bit, and even Hopper tagged along, but the only case we could find was a haunting of a mill in Devon Ride, and that turned out to just be Old Man Coplin in a mask.   Mat   Alright, fine. [Pause for thinking] I've got a possible client. You guys find Thom. If I know him, he's around here somewhere. With our luck, he's probably downstairs singing.   Perrin   Yeah, Thom's got the rhythmic, improvised music we need.   Mat   Light, we don't need music, we need better writing. Once you get him, meet me at the Horned Stag by the east gate. Expect trouble.   (KNOCK ON DOOR, FEMININE GIGGLE)   Serving Girl   Room service!   Mat   And get out, will ya? My dinner is here.   (FADE OUT ALL SOUND)   MUSIC: (BRIDGE): MELODIC THEME, FADE UNDER   Narrator     This has been Part Two of "The Horn of Valere," an Ear of the World production. What is this team that he used to belong to? Was there, in fact, decent wine with dinner? Just how long will this show continue before we actually get to the plot? We'll be back after a few more commercial announcements.

Welcome back to "WoT If?". The look at Padan Fain two weeks back got me thinking about the baddies in the Wheel of Time world, and what roles, if any, some will have in the final book.   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, 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 is found here.   Let's start with a quick look at Mashadar, since he's the odd man out—not being Shadowspawn. We talked a bit about Mordeth in the Fain discussion, but I didn't really focus on Mashadar's powers and aspects.   Mashadar is a stealer of souls and memories, according to Brandon Sanderson. It is able—like Machin Shin—to steal the very core of the things it eats. It's suggested that this is one of the reasons Rand chose to cleanse saidin at Shadar Logoth; the taint siphoned off the Source was consumed by Mashadar. Or, rather, they consumed each other. But was Mashadar really eradicated? Let's look at this interview:     I think this refers to the Mashadar powers that still reside within Fain. We see him using a fog to create zombie Trollocs (Towers of Midnight, Prologue). That's definitely Mashadar, but evolved. I'm not going to go into it all again; look at the Fain post for more details on Fain and Mashadar's possible role in the Last Battle. Or perhaps it's a suggestion that Mashadar will return, even with Shadar Logoth completely gone.   One last thing to note on Mashadar is that, when it touched Sammael, it somehow tainted his thread, which is the reason the Dark One didn't transmigrate his soul. That's pretty tainted if even the Dark One won't touch it. (This, again, reinforces the dueling nature of Shadow evil vs. Shadar Logoth evil.)   Next is Gray Men; though once human, they are listed as being Shadowspawn. They are the Shadow's assassins, people who have willingly given up their souls to the Dark One. First off, I wonder who would be stupid enough to make that bargain. I can't see any benefit for the person in that arrangement. But, apparently, some go through the process.   The interesting thing I found while researching this topic is the connection between Gray Men and someone who is mindtrapped. Robert Jordan said:     The only difference I can see between a Gray Man and the cour'souvra is the surrender seems to be voluntary with the Gray Man. Also, I wonder what the ability to channel has to do with it. The cour'souvra only works on channelers (A Crown of Swords, Chapter 25, "Mindtrap"). Is the same true for Gray Men?   When Moghedien is first entered into the mindtrap she thinks:     That sounds very similar to what a Gray Man does: utterly obedient, but with no will of his own. Is it possible that Gray Men are people who have been put into a mindtrap, then had it broken? If it's so difficult to take someone's soul, wouldn't it make sense if there is only one way to do it?   When Aginor made Trollocs and accidentally created Myrddraal, both the One Power and the True Power were used. Robert Jordan said so in an interview:     First, this is interesting because of the way the True Power seared out Ishamael's eyes. That's a bit off topic, but I wanted to point it out. Also, notice Robert Jordan's Aes Sedai answer by adding in the "not precisely." While the True Power might not be the entire reason Myrddraal have no eyes, it's probably part of the reason. That raises the question of whether Myrddraal can manipulate the True Power themselves.   We learned in Towers of Midnight that the True Power is used to turn rats and ravens into the Dark One's eyes. Graendal thinks:     Since the True Power seems necessary to control these vermin, wouldn't that mean someone needs to constantly be using the True Power on them? Wouldn't that mean the first raven seen (The Eye of the World, Chapter 2, "Strangers") could have been controlled by a Myrddraal? It most certainly was spying for the Dark One, and we know there are Myrddraal about. I think it seems logical to assume Myrddraal can manipulate—though probably not channel—the True Power.   Isn't it also interesting that it takes thirteen channelers working through thirteen Myrddraal to change a person to the Shadow against their will? Thirteen weaves of the One Power and thirteen weaves of the True Power?   An answer by Brandon Sanderson in reference to Shaidar Haran has me wondering about the phrasing of his answer.     Again, Aes Sedai answers. Just because Elza had been given knowledge of weaves doesn't mean she used them in this circumstance. I'm thinking it was Shaidar Haran, and his use of the True Power, that broke through Cadsuane's wards. He's able to shield Moghedien from the One Power (A Crown of Swords, Chapter 25, "Mindtrap"); perhaps through his ability to touch the True Power, he can overcome the One Power.   On top of that, we know that Shaidar Haran is a sort of "shadowy" version of the Dark One in the world (says Robert Jordan). That means he has some of the Dark One's powers, though not all, according to that interview. It seems likely that Shaidar Haran can at least tap into the Dark One's power, or else what would be the point of having him around? And since he is a Myrddraal, I think it likely others share some of those abilities.   I'll save Machin Shin for another time; I think there's a lot to say about it. But next week, we'll look at a quote about Trollocs and see what implications it can have for Rand's "to live, you must die" riddle. Thanks for reading!

Welcome back, everyone!   Here's an interesting question: Which character from the Wheel of Time series would be your ideal husband or wife? It's a fun thought to contemplate, so head to our General Wheel of Time Discussion board if the topic intrigues you.   We're getting closer and closer to the release of the Hobbit movie this December. Plenty of people are geeking out on our forums already, so join us in our Movies & Games Discussion forum if you want to chat.   It's football season, and the Kin Social Group has been discussing it all month long. How have your favorite teams been doing?   The Blue and Gray Ajahs of the White Tower & Warders Social Group are wrapping up their Harmony Through Service Week activities, but you can still participate in them. See this thread for a guide to the events' activities.   That's all for now. We'll have much more next week once the groups' new monthly events have begun.

For the last couple weeks, the Fan Art Friday focus has been on those Wheel of Time fan artists on the fringe of the fandom, those fiendishly flighty fellows who fashioned only one or a few phenomenal Wheel of Time works before flitting off to fairer feats.   For part 3 of the series, I'm finishing with flair.   (I know, the alliteration is shameless. Don't judge me. It's been a long day.)   1. *artsangel (Sarah Ellerton) Above (Wheel of Time): Morgase Trakand (Her work is probably quite well known to those of you who were following Wheel of Time fan art a decade ago. This is probably her most famous, but it could be this one instead.) Below (original work for her completed webcomic, Inverloch, which can be purchased here): Summon       2. ~Madarivian (Emily Doyle) Above (Wheel of Time): Rand al'Thor Below (original work): Meredith       3. ~dem888 (Eric de Mander) Above (Wheel of Time): Tarmon Gai'don (This painting has probably broken some sort of record for "most comments on a Wheel of Time fan work." Clearly, calling ~dem888 an unknown in the Wheel of Time fan community would just be silly. Once again, the awesomeness of his original works has prompted me to ignore my own theme.) Below (original work): White Rabbit       4. *caananwhite (Caanan White) Above (Wheel of Time): The Dragon Reborn Below (original work): Steel Inquisitor 2 (from Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy!)       5. *AdamMasterman (Adam Masterman) Above (Wheel of Time): Lan and Mandarb Below (original fan art of the X-Men by Marvel): Astonishing X-Men  

Not long ago, I was given the opportunity to interview the podcasters of The 4th Age Podcast. Due to busy lives, the podcast team hasn't had new episodes recently, but they agreed to sit down and answer some questions. I was able to interview four members of the team. There may be a few spoilers for those who haven't finished the series through Towers of Midnight.       Jayson Tremmel   Q: Can you each introduce yourselves and share a little bit about yourselves?   I am Jay Tremmel and I came up with the idea of a Wheel of Time Podcast because I was simply looking for a good one and found out there weren't any at all. I really wanted to listen to and/or discuss the Wheel of Time with people since I am the only person besides one that I know that enjoys the books as much as I do. I live in North Carolina but I'm originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania. I moved here 7 years ago for a better job opportunity. I have a ten-year-old daughter and a beautiful fiancée that I will be marrying on August 20th! A lot of my time has been spent over the past few months getting ready for the wedding. I think I understand now that it's a much bigger task than I had thought.     Q: How did you go about getting this podcast started (or joining for those that joined after the initial start)?   I approached Jason of Dragonmount.com about starting a podcast and he was also thinking of doing something along those lines. He knew of Carrie, who also had the idea, and we got together through Skype I believe and discussed details on how we could begin and structure the podcast. It went extraordinarily well and Carrie and I had a good rapport but decided to bring some other podcasters in to help out. By then we had a good group of folks that listened and we added Ben and Andrew shortly after. SInce then we've been fortunate to have lots of people that help both producing, editing, and podcasting for the 4th Age.     Q: What is it like working with people from all over as opposed to being all together in a studio setting? What kinds of challenges does this setup create? What kinds of benefits does this method have?   It's wonderful working with people from all over. Not only have we discussed WoT but we discuss every day things too and we've all pretty much made life long friends through our work on the podcast. The challenge of course is getting everyone together at the same time in order to record the podcasts. We've tried lots of different things to get the podcast up to par that the WoT fans should expect. It's always a challenge but the reward for me is more than worth the effort.     Q: When did you start reading The Wheel of Time?   I started reading WoT about ten years ago when I was at my mother-in-law's. I had literally JUST finished reading a book that day (don't remember which, probably Lord of the Rings again!) and was looking through my father-in-law's books. I saw The Eye of the World on his bookshelf and the cover really got me interested. I gave it a shot and loved every word of it.     Q: Which book was your favorite, and why?   I am still partial to the first book in the series. That's not to say that the rest aren't amazing as well; I just love to see the characters and the beginning of the series. It's great to go back and see how things got started.     Q: Which book was your least favorite, and why?   I hate to take the high road on this but I don't really have a least favorite book. I can say though that the damane really are my least favorite part of the books but I understand why, of course. There's something about taking a person's will and power that is ugly and disturbing. I know it's supposed to be that way but it makes me uncomfortable reading those sections of the books.     Q: How many times, if any, have you gone to conventions that have Wheel of Time tracks, such as JordanCon or Dragon*Con?   I've been to Dragon*Con twice and attended many of the tracks for WoT. I even did a live podcast from Dragon*Con.     Q: Have you ever met any of the people who listen to you? What was that like?   I have. When I was attending Dragon*Con I met many of the people that listen to the podcast. It was great just meeting other people that read and love WoT as much as I do. It was a few years ago so I don't remember too many of the details but I'm planning my trip to Dragon*Con next year (this year I'm booked) and I hope to meet many new people.       Andrew Gelos   Q: Can you each introduce yourselves and share a little bit about yourselves?   Hello, I'm Andrew Gelos, senior podcaster for the 4th Age. I'm currently a serial student. I have Bachelor's degrees in Psychology and English Literature, and I am working on completing my MFA in Acting. With any luck, you'll see me on stage and television and in movies in the next few years. That or I'll end up running/managing a non-profit theatre program somewhere. I am a fount of (sometimes useless) trivia, and when on a subject I know well, I truly have the gift for talking. I am a giant Sci-Fi/Fantasy fan, which is partially how I came to find the Wheel of Time series.     Q: How did you go about getting this podcast started (or joining for those that joined after the initial start)?   I had been listening to the 4th Age since the beginning. I probably came into listening to it a few weeks following the pilot show. I was huge fan of the series, and as a result I was one of the show's early critical voices in the forums, though I used a different name back then. I would nitpick the team's pronunciations, and grab upon any little bit of evidence that ran contrary to things that were said in the early episodes. I think I was a real pain, but that never seems to be brought up by anyone but myself, so maybe I'm just inflating my own image a bit. One day I was listening to the show while working at a box office for a local theatre, and heard that the show was looking for a third host. I was beginning a second attempt to return to the performing world at that point in my life, and I felt that with my natural charisma and what I felt was a commendable knowledge of the series, I'd make a perfect edition to the cast. I missed that first call deadline by two days, because I was going out of town and didn't have reliable recording equipment where I was headed. I sent in a submission anyway, and was told the part had been filled. A short while later, Jayson, Carrie, and Ben sent out another notice. This time they were interviewing for someone who could stand in when one of the three was going to be absent. I hopped on that call the very next day, and was asked to join the crew for their next show. This was either episode 17, 18, or 19 I believe *Do we have someone who can look that up?* and the show went pretty well. We talked through the various subjects, and when the recording was done Jayson, who was the de facto head of the show then, said something to the effect of, "I think you should just stay on as a permanent member of the show." This announcement didn't get released to the listening audience for another show or two, but from the start I was part of the team. Since then I've been disabused of some of my early notions considering the show, including a few key pronunciation issues, and how in depth my knowledge of the series extends.     Q: What is it like working with people from all over as opposed to being all together in a studio setting? What kinds of challenges does this kind of setup create? What kinds of benefits does this method have?   It is a different experience from what I'm used to finding. Normally when I'm working closely with people on a show or shoot, I'm seeing those people 4 to 6 days a week in person and developing a chemistry between characters that translates to a performance for an audience. While working with the 4th Age hasn't changed the development of chemistry, the mechanics are completely different. While the audience members, by and large, have told us that they like the free form show better than our early scripted attempts, it is difficult to get together on air once a week with little pre-show discussion and bang out a finished product that the audience will (we hope) enjoy. We try to have a topic available in advance so we at least have a general idea of what we are doing, but sometimes it is rough figuring out where the other podcasters are coming from with their ideas and thoughts. That isn't saying that the others aren't all brilliant people. They are and at times I feel a bit like a relic when one of the newer members breaks out with something I had never seen or considered. I'm used to visual cues from others, and since we are spread all over the continent there is no way outside of a video conference to pick up on those with a call in show. We've toyed with the idea of making at least one video podcast show a few times, and who can say, maybe for the final release party we can work something out. Who knows? Another hurdle we face is timing. For me personally, before I began my MFA, my time was pretty open. Now that I'm in shows that available time has dwindled. The show can't be recorded without at least two podcasters, and finding time for even two to get together can sometimes be difficult. For a while, the majority of us were all in the same time zone, so it wasn't an issue, but when you have team members on both coasts finding time for a two to four hour discussion, it can be dicey. Real life gets in the way of the hobby no matter how much we love it. In a way, though, our being responsible for our own call in to the show is a blessing as well. If we were reliant on getting two to three of us into a single space every week, the show probably wouldn't happen even as often as it does, and as technology improves, we're able to do more. I was able to join the Towers of Midnight book tour and podcast live with a listening audience, which was a lot of fun, seeing as how we continued our discussion as I drove to my home town following the store's closing.     Q: When did you start reading The Wheel of Time?   The summer of 2001. My fiancee at the time had been pressing me to read the series forever, and I wanted to wait until I finished the degree I was working on. When I graduated, I fell into the series with a rabid hunger. I finished the whole series as it stood at that time (I believe it was 9 books then) in the course of two to three months. Then began the long wait for book 10.     Q: Which book was your favorite, and why?   I don't actually have a favorite book. I have favorite moments through the whole series. Some of the high emotion moments will choke me up as I read them (it is no secret by now that I read the series aloud with my wife so we can share the experience), and to this day I still have a hard time getting through the sequence with Perrin, Faile, Hopper, and the hedgehog. The forging of Mah'alleinir and Egwene's defense of the White Tower during the Seanchan attack seemed like iconic moments. Even things like Rand and Ingtar's final discussion and Rand's blessing to him. And Mat. What list of favorite things is complete without Mat? There are few things involving Mat that I haven't been a fan of, and those few things are barely worth mentioning.     Q: Which book was your least favorite, and why?   Again, I can't claim a least favorite book. I can't even claim to have moments I particularly disliked. I wasn't a huge fan of what we on the podcast call "Emo-Perrin and Emo-Gawyn." "The Shaido took my wife. They took Faile. What will I do without her? They took my wife." Then get up off your burly butt and do something about it already. "Uugh...al'Thor killed my mom. Egwene says he didn't but I'll believe hearsay over the woman I love any day. Elayne says he didn't, but she's pregnant, what does she know?" Open your ears to the people you should be trusting. And while we are on the topic of opening your ears and trusting each other, I can't count the number of times I've wanted to smack the entirety of the "good team" in their heads for not finding a way to talk to each other more, or take it on faith that they know what they are doing.     Q: How many times, if any, have you gone to conventions that have Wheel of Time tracks, such as JordanCon or Dragon*Con?   Sadly, never. I'm hoping to remedy that very soon, but it always seems like the major Wheel of Time cons are scheduled against other life events that take precedence. I do have some friends in the film/theatre industry who try to do Dragon*Con almost annually, and I may see if I can join them to help mitigate expenses the next time they go.     Q: Have you ever met any of the people who listen to you? What was that like?   When I was at the Towers of Midnight book signing at Joseph-Beth booksellers in Cincinnati, Ohio, I was able to meet a few who had heard the show. A couple of my fellow Tower Guard had heard the show before and it was neat to sort of talk about how doing the show worked and share in our respect and admiration of the book series. But the most memorable audience member I've ever met came during the signing itself. While my recording device was parked between Brandon and Harriet, I took a turn at collecting people's numbers as they came through the line. I was chatting with people as they waited to get to the table and generally enjoying the atmosphere. At one point I was talking with a couple and the man coming up the stairs behind them suddenly says, "Waait...You sound familiar...Are you with the 4th Age podcast?" It was like getting celebrity cred based only on the sound of my voice. Since then I've been told that one of my former employers has a daughter whose boyfriend is a fan of the show, and didn't realize that I use a stage name when I record. And I've run into people who know of the show even though they aren't avid listeners. It is a bit odd realizing that my voice has been heard world wide, but hopefully it is just training for my future success.   If you have any follow-ups just let me know.   Otherwise, for myself Andrew Gelos, and everyone here at The 4th Age,   Suravye ninto manshima taishite.       Spencer Powell   Q: Can you each introduce yourselves and share a little bit about yourselves?   My name is Spencer Powell. At 21, I'm the youngest member of The 4th Age Podcast team. Unfortunately, being in college has hindered my ability to be involved recently.     Q: How did you go about getting this podcast started (or joining for those that joined after the initial start)?   I responded to several of the calls for help put out by the podcast. Once the need was great enough, Virginia got in touch with me to help with editing. And then, in an unexpected yet exciting turn of events, she invited me to join her and Andrew for a recording session. I think the first episode I was in on is still hiding somewhere in the backlog.     Q: What is it like working with people from all over as opposed to being all together in a studio setting? What kinds of challenges does this setup create? What kinds of benefits does this method have?   I've never done a "studio" style podcast, so for myself this is what podcasting is. We all sit at our computers, connect to whatever service we're using at the time, and go. Relying so heavily on the internet does provide some interesting experiences - I don't think the three of us will ever forget the "Virginia's Massive Ping" episode - but we've found more solutions than problems along the way.     Q: When did you start reading The Wheel of Time?   During an otherwise boring summer, shortly after my parents had moved us into the middle of nowhere. The "community" library was simply the school library (K-12, all in the same building) that the librarian would open up three days a week over the break. This was very upsetting on the occasions where I would finish a book in one night and have to wait for her to come back in two days. In terms of actual time frame, this was right before Knife of Dreams came out. That was the first book I had to wait for. So while I don't have the full experience of waiting twenty years for the conclusion, I've still joined with all the fans in the emotional roller-coaster of these last few years. The worry when we heard Robert Jordan was sick, the pain and loss of his passing, the trepidation when Brandon took up the pen, the joy when he did a wonderful job, but still the waiting, always the waiting.     Q: Which book was your favorite, and why?   I don't know that I have a true favorite. I guess Winter's Heart would come closest. It's the one I would haul to school and re-read sections of during boring classes. Always the same two scenes, though. Most obvious is the cleansing of the taint. The imagery of Shadar Logoth and the battle going on around it are amazing. The other scene is less obvious, though it's the first that comes to mind when I think of Winter's Heart, and that's the emotional scene between Rand and his three loves. The more subtle yet powerful writing of the emotions flying around that room before and as they bond him astounds me.     Q: Which book was your least favorite, and why?   This answer may surprise some. I really don't like Lord of Chaos. So much so that I haven't re-read the series. I keep getting hung up on it. Not because of the pacing or characters, but because of Dumai's Wells. Not so much the battle at the Wells itself, but more the scenes leading up to it. I am a very empathetic reader. I put myself squarely into the shoes of those characters I connect with. And I have no wish to be put into a box only to be taken out, tortured, and shoved back in. And so I avoid it.     Q: How many times, if any, have you gone to conventions that have Wheel of Time tracks, such as JordanCon or Dragon*Con?   I wish I had the ability to go to any of these conventions. But, poor college student. What can I do? I was able to attend the release parties for both The Gathering Storm and Towers of Midnight, which are like smaller doses of the fan spirit that is found at JordanCon.     Q: Have you ever met any of the people who listen to you? What was that like?   I met many fans of The Wheel of Time during the release parties. However, with my memory being a wet sieve, I don't recall if any of them stood out as listeners of the show. If you did, and I don't recall, I sincerely apologize. Interacting with the listeners online has been a great experience, though. It's always a positive experience, even when they're giving critical feedback because it's always constructive, rather than degenerating into a flame war.       Virginia O'Connor   Q: Can you each introduce yourselves and share a little bit about yourselves?   Hi, this is Virginia and of course I'm a huge fan of this series. My other favorite authors and books are Colleen McCullogh for her Masters of Rome series, Barbara Hambly's Darwarth, Dragonsbane, and other series, Lord of the Rings, of course. Anything Star Trek as I've been a Trekker since Day One, most Star Wars, Harry Potter, Transformers are a new favorite and pretty much any movie Marvel cares to put out (after The Avengers I can now forgive them for poor Hulk!). I love most sci-fi and fantasy books and movies (except I am not a fan of George RR Martin's work, sorry, though I seem to be standing alone in that line). Otherwise, I'm a compulsive reader on the order of Hermione Granger. I love movies. I tell my friends that if it's a movie a 12-year-old boy is dying to see, Virginia will probably be at the midnight opening! Apart from books and movies, I'm an artist (oils, watercolors and bronze sculpture, and my 30+ year hobby is breeding and showing Smooth Fox Terriers under the Laurelton prefix. I'm probably best known for my dogs - I have dogs from my lines all over the world, and nearly everything in the show ring in the US has one or more of my breeding behind it. Apart from being great pets and my friends, like the podcast, they have opened many doors to travel and meet people and new friends that otherwise I would never had the opportunity to enjoy.     Q: How did you go about getting this podcast started (or joining for those that joined after the initial start)?   I was a fan of the podcast for some time, listening to it on my iPod every day at one of my jobs. I saw a call for host auditions from Andrew Miller, and decided to send in an mp3. I never really thought I'd get in, but what a thrill to find out I'd made it! It's been great fun and very rewarding. My fellow podcasters are awesome people with incredible knowledge and skills!     Q: What is it like working with people from all over as opposed to being all together in a studio setting? What kinds of challenges does this kind of setup create? What kinds of benefits does this method have?   It's great having people from all over, though as we are all fans we share much of the same outlook towards the books. Not a lot of cultural differences, no Illianer vs. Tairen dynamics! The biggest challenge is logistics. We are all on different time zones, so while on the West Coast I may need to race home from work, the guys in the Midwest are dealing with late hours by the time we finish a recording. We often record for three hours or so! (Some of that might possibly be visiting or unrelated topics, of course.) :-) All the podcasters and editors (indeed everyone associated with Dragonmount) have been incredibly great, and I'm proud to call them friends.   I've never worked in a studio setting, but it seems like it would be almost too easy. We always have challenges making connection and getting decent sound quality; at various times one or more of us have been in rural settings with limited bandwidth and/or phone connectivity. I joke that before I moved I lived in a town more isolated and rural than the Two Rivers, and we didn't even have an inn or a green!     Q: When did you start reading The Wheel of Time?   I started rather late with The Shadow Rising hardcover in 1992. A nice young man at a Borders tipped me off to this great series, and I will be forever grateful to him. Two of the most profound influences in my long (and sadly rather comprehensively misspent) life have been Star Trek and the Wheel of Time. I look forward to A Memory of Light, but it will be hard to see it end. So many years of impatient waiting and anticipatory delight! It had better not be like Perrin's toy wooden horse!     Q: Which book was your favorite, and why?   That's a tough call! I've read and reread them all. They seem like old friends or even family members, and we tend to forgive any little defects or foibles. I'd have to say The Dragon Reborn might be my favorite, with The Shadow Rising, Lord of Chaos, and Knife of Dreams tied for a close second. But then there's The Great Hunt, and Eye of the World, and New Spring...Hmmm. Still, The Dragon Reborn saw so many profound changes in the characters and their lives, and it was that book that made me realize we were in this for the long haul.     Q: Which book was your least favorite, and why?   Wellll, New Spring, but only because Robert Jordan stopped the main sequence to do it, and maybe he would have finished the main series if he hadn't. But then we might not have had the prequel, and otherwise I really like it. Least favorite was always Winter's Heart, but after Leigh Butler's reread and insights, certain of the scenes I liked least (Far Madding, for one) are now viewed in a more favorable light, especially Rand's total bad-assery with the renegade Asha'man, so that now Crossroads of Twilight might be my least favored. But really, I love them all!     Q: How many times, if any, have you gone to conventions that have Wheel of Time tracks, such as JordanCon or Dragon*Con?   In my heart, every one of them! In the so-called Real World, I've been to a number of book signings, with Robert Jordan and with Brandon Sanderson, but sadly I haven't yet made it to either JordanCon or Dragon*Con. Not for lack of desire, I assure you! As a longtime veteran of many Star Trek conventions until recent circumstances have restricted those activities, it absolutely appalls me not to do conventions on something I hold so dear as WoT. I still hold out some small hope for the Memory of Light festivities, if my health will allow!     Q: Have you ever met any of the people who listen to you? What was that like?   Several times! It's funny, like meeting old friends - we have such a lot in common right off the bat. Best was a fellow at the WoT section of the bookstore. He seemed unsure which book to get so, being me with an Aes Sedai's conviction that OF COURSE anyone would want and need my opinion, I butted right in with advice, lol! He had read a few and drifted away, then found the podcast and decided to get back in it again! I was able to point him to the next one he needed. That was fun, we had a lovely chat.   If I could somehow meet Robert Jordan again, I'd tell him again what I said at the Knife of Dreams signing: Thank you for such and amazing and life-changing series of books! Thank you yet again, dear Brandon, for bringing them to completion. Thank you to Jason and Team Jordan and everyone else who has made this such a great community of friends! May the Light ever shine on you!