DRAGONMOUNT

Macmillan Audio is giving away free iPhone cases to the first 2,000 people who notify them of their pre-order for the A Memory of Light audiobook. To be elligible, you'll need to send them a scanned version of your pre-order receipt, or a copy of your confirmation email from an online vendor.   The promotion is happening until December 7th. It's valid for US residents only.   The AMOL audiobook will be released along with the hardcover on January 8, 2013.   Contest details can be found here.   Those 2,000 cases are likely to go quick. So get your pre-order in quickly. Here are some links to order via Amazon, and help support Dragonmount   About A Memory of Light   Dragonmount will feature complete coverage of AMOL. Check back regularly for updates as well as exclusives such as our early review of the book. In the meantime, there's plenty for you to enjoy:   Read the opening portion of the AMOL prologue. Read the opening portion of Chapter 1. Read the opening portion of Chapter 11.(New!) Visit our complete AMOL info page. Discuss A Memory of Light on our forums.  Follow us on Twitter or "Like" us on Facebook.     Please consider pre-ordering the book through one of our international Amazon affiliates, and help support our website.       

With apologies to Sweet, performers of "Ballroom Blitz":     Are you ready, Asmodean? Uh-huh   Rhavin? Yeah   Be'lal? Okay   Alright Fellas...Let's Goooooooooo!   Oh, we were locked away so long But now the end has come, we're finally free, aha They think they'll be the ones in charge But everybody knows it will be me   Oh, there's a man with a scowl And a plan most foul, as his eyes burn like twin fires And a lady in white, will put up quite a fight For Therin is the one she desires   Oh, yeah, it was quite frightening Everybody was fighting And the power was flowing And their plans started growing Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah   And the man with the scar Was killed by Mashadar as he fought to be called Nae'blis And the woman in the gloom Was planning al'Thor's doom, as she tried to be named Nae'blis   Named Nae'blis Named Nae'blis Named Nae'blis Named Nae'blis   They're gathering up their power To serve the Dark Lord's will at Shayol Ghul Oh they will pout and glower If they're not the one who is allowed to rule, aha   Now the woman that's sadistic In ways that are artistic will make you scream till you die And the vamp in the dress will make your mind a mess She'll compel you with a wink of her eye   Oh yeah, they did assemble To make the world tremble And the group started scheming to stop al'Thor's breathing Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah   And a few were brought back Cause they were cut a little slack, in the fight to be called Nae'blis And the girl once a man Said I'll still do what I can, in hopes of being called Nae'blis Called Nae'blis     Oh, yeah, it was quite frightening Everybody was fighting And the power was flowing And plans all started showing Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah   The man with spots in his sight Was the one that won the fight and got the title of Nae'blis On the stones of Shayol Ghul He'll show the Dragon is a fool, now he's earned the right to be Nae'blis   Be Nae'blis Be Nae'blis Be Nae'blis Be Nae'blis   Ooh, he's, he's become Nae'blis he's, he's become Nae'blis he's, he's become Nae'blis Yeah, he's a called Nae'blis

Dragonmount is pleased to announce that we've opened a DRM-free eBook store! Available now through our website is Tor's entire catalog of 2,500+ eBook titles, including the entire Wheel of Time series. After 14 years of serving the WoT community, we're excited to finally be able to directly sell you not only your favorite Robert Jordan books, but a giant selection of other titles from one of the world leaders in fantasy publishing.   Although Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson's books will always have a special place in our store, we're especially excited about selling the books of hundreds of other authors. Over the next few months, we hope to showcase some of these authors for you, perhaps even introducing you to somebody you've never heard of before.   In fact, we've already started! If you're not doing so already, follow us on Facebook or Twitter and look for our "DRM-Free ebook of the Day."   In addition to Tor's eBook collections, we plan to showcase some high-qualtiy, independently-published titles you may enjoy. The first entry in this category is The Black God's War by Moses Siregar III.   While we may not be as big as Amazon or Barnes & Noble, one of the advantages of buying eBooks through our store is that with each purchase you get both the Kindle and generic "EPub" versions. With those files, and with the lack of restricting DRM, you'll pretty much be able to view your eBook on any e-Reader for many years to come.   Visit the DM eBook Store now!   For more information on DRM, ebooks, and why we're doing this, check out our eBook FAQ.  

I recently had the chance to ask the guys of tWoTcast.com a few questions. For those of you who are not familiar with tWoTcast, it's a Wheel of Time reread podcast. Although they have set chapters that they cover each episode, they also talk about the rest of the series during the show. So, you may be listening to an episode about book one, and something from book five will pop up. As Jono warns in episode 24, "Beware of spoilers. They hide in corners and shadows just like Myrddraal." Some of the answers in this interview might have spoilers, so I will put them at the end after another spoiler warning. I think the guys do a really good job combining jokes with serious talk about the books throughout the episodes. Now, without further ado, here is the interview I had with Jono, Joe, and Tom.     Q: First off, can you introduce yourselves and tell the readers a little bit about yourselves as individuals outside of the podcast?   Hello. I'm Tom--I like drinking, smoking, and watching Megan Rapinoe stick it to Columbians. I hate everyone who didn't like the final episode of Lost. I'm not sure what's wrong with people who don't read Saga. I'll probably end up in prison after I go insane when they cancel Community. My girlfriend’s last name is Bacon, so I'm conflicted about what to do when we get married.   um...Hi, everyone. I'm Joe--I also like drinking and smoking, but only together. I like all my vices wrapped up in one nice package. Tom and I are brothers (just throwing that out there) so a lot of our likes and dislikes are similar excepting the fact that we don't like each other. One of my favorite things to do after recording and drinking is to watch Ocean's 11/12/13 over and over again, and I still play Goldeneye64 on a regular basis.   I'm Jono. I don't actually exist outside of this recording studio. I'm actually an offshoot of Joe's usually rational brain that only comes to fruition after a couple drinks of very cheap vodka. Tom thinks Joe is insane because of me. In my made up existence, I play soccer as often as I can (frequently trying to injure my knee). I also have a strange but comfortable government job that allows me to do all my reading at work. Really, I do nothing of value in my life. It's pretty sweet. Oh, I also drink and lie to women in a creepy but sometimes erotic manner.     Q: For those who haven't listened to you guys yet, or those who aren't very far into the podcast yet, how did you guys get started on the idea of a podcast for the Wheel of Time?   Tom- It was all my idea. And we were drunk. But Jono and Joe actually pushed to make it happen, and have been dragging me along kicking and screaming the whole time.   Joe- It goes back years before we even started, but it was Tom's idea to do a podcast. I don't know when or how we settled on a tWoT podcast, but it was definitely while all three of us were drinking together one night and just like the three ta'veren in the books, there was originally going to be a fourth member of tWoTcast, but who needs Dav and his badger anyway.   Jono- Well, we got drunk. And talked about books. And then Tom started rambling on about making a podcast and it just somehow snowballed (if you know what I mean) into an actual thing. Joe and I forced him into it at first and then all of the sudden he just gave in to my erotic whisperings and went with it. I have to be honest; the name was my idea. Which means it was a bad idea. And somehow it happened.   Joe- I was against the name. I remember Tom and I had gone out to breakfast and he sat there and spent the entire time convincing me it would be ok.     Q: When did you start reading The Wheel of Time?   Tom- 1992. Damn.   Joe- It was Tom's fault. I hadn't read anything more complicated than Dragonlance at the time, so in 1994, he said "read this" (classic Tom), but it wasn’t until 1995 that I finally got past the first prologue.   Jono- I think 1995. I saw the artwork for Eye of the World and just thought it was awesome. So, Darrell K. Sweet, you win. Nowadays I frequently trash the artwork at the beginning of talking about each book, so that's something.     Q: How many times have you each read all of the books up to Towers of Midnight?   Tom- Probably around ten or so for the first eight books. Somewhere between two and five for the others. These are guesses. Who counts things? Bad Sesame Street joke. Bad Tootsie Pop joke. Hilarious owl sound effect. Laughter. How many licks--never mind.   Joe- I count things. It takes two thousand three hundred and seventeen licks with moderate saliva to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop. Also...about the same as Tom. Around nine or ten for the first six books; books seven and eight drop a bit for me, but book nine comes in around nine times too. I love Winter's Heart. Then books ten through thirteen are three, two, one, and one. We're currently on our Gathering Storm reread and it’s really fun only having read it once unlike everything else so far.   Jono- It should be noted that Joe and I massively disagree on how many licks it really takes, but I have always been able to produce more saliva. It’s work related. I'm not completely sure of the totals, so I'll guess. I think I've read books 1-7 at least 10 times. I remember I finished book 6 right when book 7 came out, so it's my first hardback. Or was... it's destroyed. For the rest you pretty much countdown one reading per book, so: Path of Daggers 8; Winter’s Heart 7; Crossroads of Twilight 6; Knife of Dreams 5; Gathering Storm 3; Towers of Midnight once about to be twice. And A Memory of Light twice. Don't ask, but it’s good. Like really good.     Q: How many conventions have you gone to with Wheel of Time tracks? Which was your favorite?   Tom- Just Dragon*Con and JordanCon. The first JordanCon was amazing because we got to hear a recording of RJ reading the prologue of book 12. Dragon*Con was ridiculous last year because we had media badges and people thought we were important and we conducted a lot of drunken interviews.   Joe- Most recently LibertyCon, but always JordanCon and Dragon*Con. We've been to all the JordanCons, a source of pride though they are in our backyard, but my favorite was probably JordanCon 4. The LIVE show went off without any technical issues and the audience seemed genuinely entertained, so that's always good.   Jono- I guess we’ve been to six or seven? All four JordanCons, obviously. My most memorable was JordanCon 1 when we heard Robert Jordan read the prologue. Amazing. Also, either Dragon*Con last year or JordanCon earlier this year, as the eminent tWoTcast was LIVE there. And we will be again this year so come to Dragon*Con!     Q: What is the best part of doing a podcast in your opinion? The worst?   Tom- Best- it's a built in excuse to drink with friends and talk about something I love. The same reason people watch sports. Interacting with listeners is a ton of fun, too. Worst- consistent delivery is key. So if you're sick or busy or not in the mood you still have to read and record. That's a minor complaint though. At the end of the day I'm just drinking beer and talking. Joe does all the hard work.   Joe- Best- my favorite part is definitely the stuff that only we get to see, the looks on each other’s faces when someone (Jono) says something waaay over the line or just a really funny comment. Tom makes me laugh a lot but I’ve known him for quite a while and understand his odd sense of humor. Worst- We do try really hard to get a show out every week. The only time we really had a gap over the last year and half or so was last holiday season, I think we took two weeks off. I don't think listeners realize how hard that can get to be that consistent with delivery of the show. But yeah, that's the worst when every once in a million years it becomes a job to get together or to cut the podcast on time.   Jono- We're really good friends getting drunk and talking about books. This literally is what we did before the show started. I mean...it's pretty awesome. And somehow a few people like us despite us being generally [jerks]. Especially Tom. Also, it should be noted that I actually got laid partially because of this podcast. Some chick I knew heard about it and thought it was cool that I was interested enough in some subject to do a show on it. She's on book 2 now. And we're kind of dating. And she'll be at Dragon*Con. So come to Dragon*Con and make fun of her. The worst is that we live in separate areas and have work the next day. So if we start drinking, then recording and all, it's like 11 before I hit the road. I'm not sure how I haven't gotten pulled over, honestly, so if the show doesn't come out for a bit or I'm not on it, look there. Plus, I feel bad for Joe. We do our best to cover expenses for him, but I have the feeling that unlike me, Joe has things to do besides edit the show.     Q: Can you tell me about the steps you guys take in actually recording/posting the show?   Tom- No. I can't. Joe does it. I show up and drink. A lot.   Joe- Sure. Tom usually chops the books into equal parts for each episode, Jono brings over alcohol and pizza, and then we proceed to get drunk while discussing tWoT. The recording is done on my Mac and edited there too. We use a pretty common host site called Libsyn. A lot of the bigger name podcasts use it as well; it helps us keep track of download numbers and all kinds of other demographic statistics as well as being relatively easy to use. After it's posted, iTunes scans our site and pulls the newest show and adds it to their library at whatever pace they deem necessary.   Jono-Yeah, Tom divides the book into parts. Then we read. Joe and I make notes, Tom looks at us confusedly. We get together, have a couple drinks, then go into the hi-tech studio. From there we just riff off us each other and BS along til it's over. Over the course of the show, Joe and Tom smoke while I keep drinking. It’s all very professional. We do commercials and the very popular Ask the Dark One afterwards while really drunk. It shows. Like Joe said and everyone complains about: it takes between 2 hours and a week for iTunes to put the show up. I have no idea why, but it’s ridiculously annoying.     Q: What's it like meeting people who listen to the show and are fans of the show?   Tom- Awesome and surreal. We're baffled that anyone listens anyway. But I try to stay humble about our immense fame and popularity, so that's all I'll say about how great everyone thinks we are. Knows we are. I mean, we've always known we were amazing, but it's nice to get validation. Not that we need it.   Joe- We definitely started out with the mindset of "let's do this for ourselves" so it's always a little mind blowing when someone asks "are you from tWoTcast?". Lauren and I recently went to LibertyCon and we showed up a little late Friday, and when JordanCon goers realized we were there amongst the room parties, a lot of drunken cheers of "There’s a tWoT in the hallway!" happened. That made me proud.   Jono- It is completely confusing. In fact, I'm answering an interview right now and am kind of confused as to why. Like we've said: this was something thought up just because it would be funny. We assumed we'd get like 20 listeners and it would fade away in a few months. Maybe it will still? I think the first “whoa…we have fans?!” moment was when iTunes didn’t upload our podcast and we got tweets and emails asking about the delay. It was like we had done something wrong. I think we’ve actually posted the podcast late like maybe half a dozen times in nearly 18 months (which is all Joe’s fault!), but this was one of many times that iTunes screwed us over. It was strange…Meeting fans at JordanCon or Dragon*Con is ridiculous. I’m literally just some tool with a microphone and no internal filter. This is beyond bizarre, really. And it’s awesome. tWoT community in general is awesome. No one's really a [jerk] or anything (except us), so there's no one saying your show sucks or whatever. Because, you know, it doesn't. But still, every piece of email we get or iTunes reviews or Twitter interaction is just really cool. We love it!     Q: Is there anything you'd like to share with the people of Dragonmount?   Tom- um. No?   Joe- Shameless plug time? Just listen to the show and that we love the feedback we get. We're pretty responsive on Twitter but listeners can always email us too. Oh! and if you're coming to Dragon*Con definitely come to the LIVE show recording and say hi. Those are always fun.   Jono- I would love to share my life story with them as I am a fascinating character whose experiences are rivaled by no one. Also, I used to love reading Robert Jordan's blog there before he died. Also, I have real issues with Dragonmount's upper management as Jennifer Liang and Jason Denzel are shady characters.     Spoilers start here.     Q: Which book was your favorite, and why?   Tom- Shadow Rising. Love the Perrin story, love the Aiel. Fires of Heaven is a close second.   Joe- Winter's Heart. Rand just becomes this true hardass here and slightly before he starts really going off the deep end. Rand and Lan batmaning across the rooftops of Far Madding is just perfect. Anyway, I could make a horrible Jono-esque joke here about taints and cleansing and I won’t but the climax is awesome. Showdown at Shadar Logoth. Particularly Alivia glassing over that hilltop with Dashiva on it.   Jono- Book one. It's amazing. It's radically different from the rest of the series to a large degree, but the beginning is all there. The prophecies from Min, the seeds of what each ta'veren will be. Plus, Emond's Field feels amazing. There's something about Rand entering with Tam that feels so damn awesome. I don't know...Second is Winter's Heart: It’s not my fault about taint cleansing being so funny. And integral to the book, Joe…Rand killing Kisman like a hardass. Mat's escape from Ebou Dar. Really, it’s an awesome book. I recommend you read it.   Joe- Why did you both list two books? He clearly asked us for one favorite.   Jono- Because I’m an overachiever, Joe. Get off my case…And also because I’m dumb...     Q: Which book was your least favorite, and why?   Tom- Ten. Ugh. You know why.   Joe- The Path of Daggers. Amazing installment but a tWoT book without Matrim Cauthon might as well not exist.   Jono- This is fairly obvious, unless you’re Joe and deliberately don’t answer the question...Crossroads of Twilight. Did anything happen in that book? It's not a bad book at all obviously, but...nothing happens. In a reread it's quite interesting, but when that book came out and then you go back in time with a bunch of characters? That was obnoxious...   Joe- No, seriously, I liked Crossroads. But I also loved Majora's Mask so...     Q: What was the most memorable scene for each of you in the books? Why?   Tom- Anything that actually gets me in a raw emotional way. Perrin meeting his cousin in The Shadow Rising. Nynaeve getting the Malkieri to follow Lan. Semirhage forcing Rand to attack Min. Those are big.   Joe- We're all really big fans of Min, so Rand's hand on her throat almost made me have a Neverending Story book throwing tantrum. Instead I read faster than I ever had to make sure she lived. I do love pretty much any scene of Mat actually leading a battle; there’s a few in Knife of Dreams towards the end. Just awesome.   Jono- Rand cutting the Black Cords in Eye of the World. The entire chapter of "The Grave is No Bar to My Call" in The Great Hunt sent literal shivers up my spine. Mat sneaking into the Stone in The Dragon Reborn. Perrin in the Two Rivers or Rand wrestling Asmodean for the Choedan Kal (cue Tom laughing) in book four. Couladin's head on a stick or that huge balefire Rand throws at Rahvin while Nyneave is burning him always sticks out from Fires of Heaven. Rand escaping the wagons and everything blowing up at the end of Lord of Chaos? Maybe the best single scene in the series. Min and Rand naked; that's why my old hardback was worn down for Crown of Swords. Wait... Rand nearly killing himself with Callandor or Elayne and Nynaeve and Aviendha using the Bowl of Winds takes the cake in Path of Daggers. Mat leaving Ebou Dar and the huge ball of taint over Shadar Logoth is amazing in Winter’s Heart. Crossroads of Twilight...? Reading the last scene from Winter's Heart from other characters' POV...Knife of Dreams has Mat. Prince of Ravens. Oh, and Rand handless. The Gathering Storm: Rand's hands on Min or when he's on Dragonmount. Or Egwene kicking ass at the Tower. For Towers of Midnight it has to be Mat and Company in the Tower of Ghenjei. A Memory of Light has some awesome scenes, but I can’t go into it. There’s a bunch of nudity, though. -------------------------------------   [Editor's note: Jono, Joe, and Tom will be doing a live podcast at Dragon*Con, so be sure to drop by and heckle them. The live tWoTcast will occur this Saturday, September 1st, at 8:30 p.m. in our Wheel of Time track room. The track room will be in Roswell 1-2 at the Westin hotel.]

Hello, everyone. Thanks for joining me for another week of "WoT If?". For this edition, I want to look at some of the facts surrounding the glass column ter'angreal and the visions/past lives it shows to those who enter. There will be a focus on Aviendha's trip through them, trying to determine if it's actually the future of her line, or if it's a warning of things she can change.   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.   Many fans agree that Rand's trip through the glass column ter'angreal is one of the finest scenes in the series. It's a wonderful display of Robert Jordan's storytelling abilities. It's intriguing, captivating, and gives us a lot of information about life before the series began. Even Brandon Sanderson said, "However, as I consider it, probably my favorite sequence of scenes in the entire series is the one with Rand going through the ter'angreal at Rhuidean."   From Rand's trip inside the ter'angreal, we get a detailed view of what life was like for the Aiel. We see their decline from serving Aes Sedai and practicing the Way of the Leaf to being desert nomads who are constantly at war with the world and each other. This is a tragic fall for their people, losing their purpose as well as their home and native lifestyle.   Rand understands right away that he saw the "lost history of the Aiel's origins" (The Shadow Rising, Chapter 34, "He Who Comes With the Dawn") when he went through the ter'angreal. His assumption is correct; Rhuarc confirms it:     This is important because it shows us that the ter'angreal shows factual events. It shows actual pieces of the Pattern through the person's ancestor's thread. Rand's experiences were seen through the eyes of that ancestor, even knowing their thoughts. It's as if he was transported into their body and mind completely for the duration of the vision. That means the ter'angreal has access to weaves already woven into the Pattern. It can step outside of time and pull out the threads it needs to, in order to show the person their past.   It's not too surprising that a ter'angreal can do this. The one used to test novices shows "what was" (The Great Hunt, Chapter 23, "The Testing"). And it could be argued that Nynaeve's first encounter in this test was in a past life. She did have an experience fighting Aginor in The Eye of the World, but during the test, she knows things she shouldn't. She is able to sense Aginor's channeling and alters his flows of saidin; this doesn’t become possible in the main storyline until Knife of Dreams, Chapter 23, "Call to a Sitting." Nynaeve's knowledge hints that this comes from a past life, not something based off their fight during The Eye of the World.   So, if the glass column ter'angreal can show the factual past, can it show the factual future? I think this is the biggest concern facing our characters. Because, even if the Light wins the Last Battle, the Seanchan empire still rules over everything, eventually. Jason Denzel, in his review of Towers of Midnight, implies that if Aviendha's visions are correct, it leads to a not-so-happy-ending:     With that in mind, I think we can see two different ways of looking at this sequence. The first way is that the ter'angreal is unbiased, showing the facts, not wanting to take any part. With this way of thinking, Aviendha's vision is true, unchangeable, the irrevocable future. The other way is that the ter'angreal is caring, showing a possible future, wanting to lead the viewer in a new direction. If this is what happens, Aviendha's vision is a warning and can be changed.   I think I've already established that the ter'angreal's past visions are accurate, but here's more proof. In an interview, Robert Jordan was asked about the glass columns:     If Robert Jordan says they see "through the eyes" of their ancestors, then it's got to be true. The ter'angreal is accurate, showing the exact past. And because it doesn't lie about the past, why would it lie about the future? I think this is the main proof that what Aviendha sees will come to pass. She thinks so too:     Still, Aviendha decides to try to change the future, whether or not she can:     But, in her last vision, Padra remembers her mother (Aviendha) talking "often" about the challenges the Aiel would face after their part in the Last Battle was done:     To me, this sounds like Aviendha trying to tell her children about the dangers she saw in their future. Trying to instill in them the consequences of going down a path toward war. However, it's Padra's desire to prove herself that makes her agree to the plan of war against the Seanchan. I don't think there's anything Aviendha can do to remove a child's desire to gain "great ji" like her parents.   That makes it seem pretty certain that events will unfold as they have been shown in the ter'angreal, but there is a counter argument. First, as Jason said, it leaves the reader with a sense of unhappiness. Obviously, Robert Jordan's story won't end with "they lived happily ever after," but I think the readers want a sense of peaceful closure. There will be war in the world's future—we know it eventually becomes our own time, which is constantly at war—but I don't think Robert Jordan would leave us with such a sour taste in our mouths.   So, could the ter'angreal be lying? Could it be a warning, not prophecy? It's possible. When Aviendha tries to read the ter'angreal, she senses that it is alive:     After she touches it and takes a step, she sees through the eyes of Malidra. This is important because she steps away from the columns, not into them. The ter'angreal, when it touched her, sensed her need for more answers. Or perhaps Aviendha accidentally flipped a switch, making it show the future rather than the past? If so, is the flip permanent? Will another Aiel see the past now, or the future? Either way, it acted on its own, not waiting for her to enter a second time.   This fact suggests that the ter'angreal is sentient and that the future might be changed. It has a desire to show Aviendha this for a reason. If there was nothing she could do, why would the ter'angreal bother showing her?   Well, one reason could be the fact that the future was difficult for her to see. The whole point of the test was to weed out people unworthy of becoming Wise Ones and Chiefs. Aviendha had no problem seeing the past; in fact, she thinks that "everything she’d seen had been expected. Almost disappointingly so" (Towers of Midnight, Chapter 48, "Near Avendesora"). There's no longer a challenge for them going into the ter'angreal. But seeing the future could kill. Aviendha really struggled with the visions. She is disgusted by what the Aiel have become, sickened that it starts with her line. If they want to continue to test their Chiefs and Wise Ones, this seems a better challenge.   Could the ter'angreal know its purpose? Could it know that it is supposed to test the Aiel? If so, it could understand that the past wasn't enough of a challenge now. It could have changed so its usefulness wouldn't end.   I don't think we will find out the answer to this question in A Memory of Light. I bet this is one of those things Robert Jordan wants left unsaid. I think more evidence points out that it's the actual future and Aviendha can't change it no matter what she does. However, my understanding of the Pattern is that it's not woven yet. So perhaps there is some wiggle room for certain threads.   There won't be a post next week due to Dragon*Con, so I'll keep you guessing about what the topic will be for the week after that. Thanks for reading.

It's the shirt many of us have been waiting for--the new "Servant of All" shirt from Ta'veren Tees.  The shirt comes in every Ajah color, so you can proudly show your allegiance.  Read more in the press release below:

Before we begin, I want to give you a heads up about our upcoming blog hiatus.  Since Dragon*Con is this weekend and a lot of us are gone then, we won't be having a Fan Art Friday this week, a weekly roundup next week, or a theory blog next week.  Everything will be back to normal after that.  If you're going to Dragon*Con and would like to meet some of our Admins and Staff, feel free to stop by the Wheel of Time track and say hi! Which character perspectives (POVs) would you like to see in A Memory of Light?  Which perspectives do you not want to see, but think will be in the book anyway?  Let us know in this thread from our A Memory of Light Spoiler Discussion forum.  Be sure to read these rules before posting in that area of the site.   Calling all empathetic people!  The folks in our Movies and Games Discussion forum want to know which movies have made you cry.  If you're a movie crier like me, it's interesting to compare your list with the lists of others. The Band of the Red Hand Social Group has started a new series of monthly discussions.  This month, they're talking about why Mat created the Band.  Keep an eye on this Social Group, because they are planning several new activities.  The Ogier Social Group is having a discussion that will make you drool...over books.  They'd like to know what your ideal bookstore would be like.  What would the store look like?  What sorts of books would be there? Last, but not least, we'll be using our Twitter and Facebook accounts to keep you informed of our Dragon*Con shenanigans.  Follow us to watch the craziness unfold!

Few Wheel of Time fan artists are as skilled at bringing the characters to life as this week's featured artist, Ashley Luttrell (a.k.a. PollyUranus). Her painstaking attention to technique allows her to create unique character portraits that practically step off the page.     Lan Mandragoran   I was dying to know more about her approach to digital painting, so I asked her about it. She told me she does all the sketching and painting directly on a graphics tablet. Although she used to do some photomanipulation, she now only uses photographs as references when developing character poses and proportions.       Faile Bashere   She often uses many references for a single piece to ensure the painting has a unique, original quality. She also makes all her own textures and her own special effects brushes, such as those used to create the print on Min's outfit below.       Min Farshaw   Given Ashley's mastery of light and composition, it will probably come as no surprise that she's a professional artist. (In fact, she is a professional face and body painter as well as a professional digital artist! Her art has been shown and sold in galleries and print shops from New York City to Berlin.) What may come as a surprise is that she is self-taught.       Nynaeve al'Meara   Although I love her Wheel of Time art (go here to see more!), her most impressive pieces to my mind are her varied and creative original works. Therefore, I'll end for once with some non-Wheel of Time art. I chose these two pieces because I think they really demonstrate her range as an artist.       The Broken Treaty       Malisha DeWalt   If you're curious to know more about her approach, this YouTube video shows the digital process for her painting The Broken Treaty (shown above), while this one shows her process for Prequel: The Broken Treaty. Watching these videos, I was really impressed by her manipulation of light, color, and composition, as well as her taste in music!

I have one of the Dragonmount Admins with me today. Verbal32, the Ewok of the Wheel of Time fandom, has taken some time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions. For those of you who don't know, his schedule consists of grooming walking teddy bears, speaking gibberish, and worshiping golden robots. Verbal is the Social Groups Admin, so any and all questions about the Social Groups can be answered by him.     Q: When did you start reading The Wheel of Time?   A: In 2001, when a co-worker slapped a copy of The Eye of the World on my desk and said, "Read it. You'll like it, I promise."     Q: How did you find out about Dragonmount? How did you become part of the Admin team?   A: I was lurking in 2006 for a site that contained Wheel of Time info, and found Dragonmount. I lurked for a while and then joined. Almost a year and a half ago, Kivam PMed me and asked me if I was interested in becoming an Admin. I thought about it for a few days and then decided I'd go for it and blame whatever mistakes I made on Barm. Working as intended thus far.     Q: Can you tell people a little bit about yourself outside of Dragonmount?   A: My name is Steve, and I'm an accountant. God, that sounds like a bad intro at an AA meeting.... >_> I play a TON of ice hockey, and have done so since I was 3. I also play World of Warcraft. And I'm married with a 3-year-old son.     Q: Where did the Ewok joke come from?   A: Valentine's Day of 2008, lol. The Red Ajah hosted a ball in the White Tower & Warders Social Group, and everybody was "attending" with a pic in their post of what they were wearing. Basically, some light RP going on. After a while, I finally posted with a picture of Wicket from Star Wars--and from there, the Ewok references were born. I was always hanging out in the Blue Ajah, so they named me their official mascot.     Q: If you were in Randland, which faction would you prefer to be in?   A: I'd be one of the Chosen. Evil ftw.     Q: Outside of Dragonmount, are you active in any other parts of the Wheel of Time fandom?   A: No, but that's only because of having a kid. If I didn't, my ass would be showing up at every damn *Con out there! But, saving $$ for his college and not making my wife strangle me in my sleep take priority, heh. She's not a big fan of online fantasy communities...oh, well.     Q: Who is your favorite character in the series?   A: Moghedien. Always loved the Spider.     Q: Most memorable Wheel of Time moment?   A: When Ingtar revealed and Rand gave him the blessing from the Borderlands. First time I ever got shivers up my spine from a book.     Q: Can you share a little bit about the Social Groups?   A: h8themall. Kidding, they are awesome. They function like little families, and people grow really close. Each has their own little quirks, which serve to make them unique compared to the others. Great groups, and great leaders. The best leaders are the ones that don't let Barm in their group. He can post there anyway, but we beat him regularly for that.     Q: Is there anything else you wish to share?   A: I love lamp. That is all.

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