DRAGONMOUNT

Dragonmount is a dangerous place. Spend enough time prowling the forums here, and I guarantee there will come a point--in my case, halfway through explaining the Compact of the Ten Nations to my husband (His response? "Okay, now tell me the history of India.")--when you realize your obsession with The Wheel of Time has become a supermassive gravitational singularity not unlike a black hole.   Fortunately for Fan Art Friday, there's a fine line between insanity and genius. This week, I asked the Dragonmount staff to share some of their more brilliant Wheel of Time-themed art projects. It turns out I'm not the only staffer that's turned their obsession into a bit of good artistic fun.   I asked everyone to answer the following questions: 1. What is your position on Dragonmount staff? 2. How long have you been on staff? 3. Where are you from? What do you do in real life? 4. Who's your favorite Wheel of Time character? 5. Tell us something random about yourself.   I tried writing up everyone's responses in neat little paragraphs, but the post ended up reading like a page of personal ads for a date to JordanCon. So, I think I'll just let everyone speak for themselves!     Elgee Staff position? I'm the White Tower and Warders Social Group Leader, White Tower Role Play Group Leader, and White Tower Role Play Red Ajah Head.   Time on staff? At the Role Playing side, I was appointed as Mistress of Novices and Red Ajah Head in 2008. I was eventually appointed as Group Leader in September 2009. At the Social Side, I was appointed as Keeper in October 2009 and then as Amyrlin in February 2011.   How about real life? I'm from Cape Town, South Africa, and I'm a Rental Administrator (we rent out residential properties). I started out my working career as Archivist and Librarian at the largest Church Archives in the Southern Hemisphere.   Favorite character? Oh Lordy, that's hard...I like so many! At the top would probably be Cadsuane, Tarna Feir, Pevara Tazanovni, and of course the complete nutcase Red Ajah Head, Tsutama Rath :P   Something random about yourself? I carry a knife (and know how to use it!) and I used to have a Real Life Warder (a.k.a. bodyguard and good friend). He unfortunately moved to the West Indies, and I miss him terribly, though we do chat online.   Upper left: Moiraine Upper right: Lan as Warder Lower left: Elayne as Queen of Andor, with Birgitte as her Captain General Lower right: Cadsuane   (All these dolls were made using Doll Divine. It's an awesome site and you should definitely check it out. But be warned--it's really addictive!)         Mashiara Sedai Staff position? Theory Blogger.   Time on staff? A little over 1 month.   How about real life? I'm a native Arizonian. I'm going to school part time to get an English degree, and plan to graduate next year. For my day job, I'm a dog bather at an animal hospital.   Favorite character? Nynaeve was my favorite from the very beginning.   Something random about yourself? My biggest fear is of dinosaurs. Honestly.   Above: Cairhienin flag mosaic Below: Wheel of Time flags (from top left to bottom right: the Banner of Light, Cairhienin flag, Tairen flag, Illianer flag)         reyler (deviantART, photobucket) Staff position? Fiddlesticks moderatrix.   Time on staff? A little over a year.   How about real life? Originally the Detroit area, but now residing in Columbus, Ohio. I work at a sign shop.   Favorite character? I...don't think I really have one. Maybe Loial?   Something random about yourself? Besides drawing, I also like building papercraft models.   Upper left: Lanfear Upper right: Loial Lower left: Perrin Lower right: Rand's Trinity   (Her Wheel of Time art is over five years old at this point, but I loved it and wanted to share anyway!)         Nynaeve Staff position? Children of the Light Role Play Group Leader.   Time on staff? Probably around 8 years, give or take.   How about real life? I'm from Israel and I'm a Vet student. About to transition into my last (clinical) year.   Favorite character? Nynaeve. Closely followed by Lan and Mat.   Something random about yourself? I watch Korean shows because I find them fascinating. And I really hate mint. :P   Above: Fade Below: Hedgehog! (Hey, there are hedgehogs in the world of the Wheel!)   (Cool fact: Nyn makes signatures on request. Check out her gallery here!)         peregrine (~Alsdale on deviantART) Staff position? Fan Art Friday blogger!   Time on staff? Four months and sixteen days, but who's counting?   How about real life? I'm from Pittsburgh, PA (read it and weep!). I'm there for doctoral studies in Engineering and Public Policy, which means I spend most of my waking hours banging my head off a computer desk for one reason or another.   Favorite character? I'm obsessed with Mat. Seriously, if he were real I would stalk him. I'm also a fan of Egwene (What? She's got flair.) and Rand.   Something random about yourself? I live on a stress diet of instant coffee and frozen dinners. That, and I've got a peregrine falcon tattoo on my lower back.   Above: Watcher of the Seals Below: Eldrene (Sketch for a work in progress! Never before seen! Oooh! Aaah!)  

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. YOU ARE WARNED!   I decided to start with New Spring for my reread articles because it was the first book I read in the series. I had mistaken it for book one when I bought the whole series on a whim; they were missing The Eye of the World when I went in the first time. I had to go back a day later to buy The Eye of the World. For those of you who haven't read New Spring yet, there will be some spoilers in here. I won't be talking about the whole book, but I will be bringing up points that I felt like mentioning for one reason or another.   I wanted to start with the Aiel's salute to Lan. It doesn't really go into detail about why they do this, but their reasons for calling him Aan'allein are explained elsewhere in the series. When I first read this scene, I thought it was just because of the stand those few men made against the Aiel during those moments. I was impressed by the mood of it. This scene is what really got me hooked on the series.   We see a couple of Foretellings in the series, but none as strange as the Foretelling Gitara has. She basically had a mini-convulsion before she started speaking. I am unsure if this is how her Foretellings usually hit her, but it just seemed odd. Afterwards, she falls over dead, presumably because of the stress of this particular Foretelling. I also wanted to touch on a few more things from the Moiraine point of view section. First, Moiraine has an odd fear of being queen. It does explain her fear, but it really is odd how we see later that Elayne is able to be a queen and an Aes Sedai with no problems. I do like that we get a bit of backstory on her family as well, though, during the hunt for the infant section of the days after the Foretelling. I also have one final sidenote from this section. We see a brief view of Elyas sparring with another Warder, and I like how that was slipped in casually. This wraps up the majority of the Moiraine point of view section except that she completely disobeys the Amyrlin.   Let's cut back to Lan and Bukama traveling back towards the Blight. Bukama basically starts a fight entering Canluum; he makes a promise not to draw his sword while in town. At this point, it's obvious there is going to be a fight in town. The innkeeper practically manhandles Bukama into her bedroom, though, so that was pretty funny. We hear that Edeyn Arrel has raised the Golden Crane, though I'm pretty sure Ryne just about lost his head for mentioning her. The following fight scene was pretty awesome, with Lan against six men alone and only taking a few minor wounds. Lan then decides to go to Chachin.   Moiraine is making visits to people on her list as we cut back to her, and she is also currently in Canluum. Moiraine runs into Larelle and Merean at the inn in which she is staying, and also has a surprise meeting with Cadsuane. I don't much like the meeting, so all I'll say on this is Cadsuane forces Larelle and Merean to travel with Moiraine and threatens Moiraine if she leaves without her. Siuan shows up in Canluum and informs Moiraine of the deaths of the hunters. Moiraine sends Siuan to Chachin ahead of her and plans to leave in the morning to meet up with her in Chachin.   After leaving Canluum, Moiraine follows Lan, Bukama, and Ryne. Moiraine tries sneaking up on Lan and gets thrown into a pond. After that, Bukama swears they will escort her to Chachin. Pranks ensue since Moiraine feels wronged. Upon arriving in Chachin, Lan leaves Moiraine as fast as he can and heads towards the palace while Moiraine searches for Siuan. Lan and Edeyn play her "game"; she wants Lan to marry her daughter. Moiraine enters the palace using her real name to reach Lady Ines. Merean arrives in the palace, talks to Moiraine briefly, and Moiraine goes to Lan. Upon asking Lan to have Bukama follow Merean, she also tells Lan of the failing of the Tower to save Malkier. Merean is Black Ajah and is after Brys' son. Upon finding Merean, she kills Diryk and Brys while holding Moiraine at bay. Lan fights Ryne. While Merean goes to kill Iselle, Moiraine kills her with a knife, but fails to save Iselle. Lan kills Ryne and Moiraine removes all traces of Merean from the area. The book ends with Moiraine bonding Lan.

Trollocs sighted on the border Somebody go and get a Warder Chop off their head Until they are dead How many slices does it take 1 2 3 4...Etc.       Dragon, Dragon, gets reborn In the Dark One's side he is a thorn First he's Therin now he's al'Thor How many times will he seal the bore 1 2 3 4...Etc.       Asmodean, Asmodean, Dark One's disgrace gonna get a balefired face by a Forsaken or an Aes Sedai or possibly Bela wanted you to fry

Welcome back to another edition of "WoT If?". As promised last week, we're going to take a closer look at who the ALL CAPS voice is at the end of The Eye of the World and what exactly its message means.   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.   Let's start with a look at the quote we'll be examining. Here's just a quick reminder of what's been going on up to this point. Rand and Aginor both tried to draw the Power of the Eye. Aginor, I'd assume, was consumed by the Eye, or perhaps drew too much of the One Power. Either way, Rand took the Power, and Traveled to Tarwin's Gap where Lord Agelmar's men were fighting the assembled Trollocs, Fades, and Draghkar. Rand lashed out at the Shadowspawn with the Power from the Eye. Then:     What the words mean depends on who is speaking. So, let's start with the obvious choice: the Creator.   Many assume it's the Creator because of the similarity to the ALL CAPS way the Dark One talks to the Forsaken. If one Deity speaks that way, it's safe to assume the other half does as well. After all, the Wheel of Time world is based on balance. So, what else makes us think it's the Creator?   First, Rand is filled with Light and Power, which we associate with the Creator, because he is Light. Also, we know that the Dragon Reborn is the Light's Champion (Lord of Chaos, Chapter 6, "Threads Woven of Shadow"), so we know the Creator is on his side.   But, we have a quote from Robert Jordan talking about the contact between Rand and the Creator:     From the sounds of this, the ALL CAPS voice can't possibly be the Creator. But in another interview, the subject comes up again with a kind of different answer:     Is this second statement contradictory? Well, even if the Creator can't influence Randland, it doesn't necessarily mean he's not interested.   Let's assume for a moment that it is the Creator. What the heck does it all mean? The first thing the voice says is, "It is not here." Before that line, Rand says, "This has to end!"; "this" meaning the war between himself and Ba'alzamon, between the Light and the Shadow. So the "it" refers to the same thing, by the laws of English grammar. The voice is telling him the fight won't take place here. That's logical because the next thing that happens is Rand climbing a set of stairs (similar to his Skimming experience chasing Asmodean in The Shadow Rising, Chapter 58, "The Traps of Rhuidean"), which take him to Ba'alzamon.   Next, "I will take no part." This coincides with what Robert Jordan said about the Creator taking no active role. "Only the chosen one can do what must be done, if he wills." The chosen one is Rand; what must be done is fighting the Shadow (maybe even Tarmon Gai'don). The "if he wills" is interesting because that seems to be a major theme within the series. There are times when Rand wants to leave or do something different, but feels like the pattern forces him. Tam points out to him that he still has a choice:     The voice of the Creator, too, seems to imply Rand has a choice.   Who else could the voice be? Well, since the only other place we see ALL CAPS is from the Dark One, is it possible that it's the Dark One?   I know, I know. Why would the Dark One talk to Rand at all? Also, it might not even be possible because Rand's not close enough to the Bore. However, Robert Jordan said Rand and the Creator had no connection, so it might be possible.   If it was the Dark One, what does it mean? Rand's declaration of "This has to end!" can be answered by the Dark One in much the same way. "It is not here," means the battle between the Dark One's Champion and Rand cannot happen here and now. "I will take no part" might be true for the Dark One as well. The Bore into his prison is quite small, to my understanding. Even if the seals all break, he can't just leap out—or else he would have done so during the War of the Shadow. He could only influence small events, and that's mostly because of his ability to communicate with the Forsaken one-on-one. When the seals fail, he still might not be able to take part, leaving his Nae'blis, Moridin, to battle as his Champion. Again, in a world based on balance, it seems likely that it will come down to a fight between the two Champions.   And what of "Only the chosen one…"? It never says which chosen one. It could just as easily be talking about Ishamael—who claimed to be the Champion in past Ages.   There are a few points against this theory. First, Rand's not filled with ecstasy as the voice talks to him. In every scene we see of the Forsaken talking to the Dark One, they are overcome with the pleasure of his voice. That's completely missing from this description. Also, motivation. Why would the Dark One want to talk to Rand at all?   Besides the obvious two, who else could the voice possibly be? Well, what about Lews Therin, or some other past life of Rand's? The Soul of the Dragon, if you will. This one might seem a bit of a stretch, but it could work.   Let's focus on the phrase, "Only the chosen one…". If this was a stream of consciousness—from the Power of the Eye—between Rand and his past/future lives, the chosen one could refer to Rand himself. Why was it Rand, not Lews Therin, or any previous incarnation, who was spun out to fight the Last Battle? Why was it so important for it to be Rand in this situation? We get pretty strong implications that every detail of Rand's life helped shape him into who and what he needs to be to win. It had to be Rand, not Lews Therin. Here's why:     So, out of all the previous/future lives of the Dragon, Rand is the Chosen One. He had to be this version of the Dragon in order to win the Last Battle. It's a combination of Rand and the people around him that will be able to defeat the Dark One during Tarmon Gai'don.   The phrase "I will take no part" makes sense too. Because it can't be Lews Therin, or the next Dragon, it can only be Rand himself. However, if it was the Dragon's Soul talking, why is it in ALL CAPS? When Lews Therin begins to appear in Rand's mind, he doesn't talk in ALL CAPS. Perhaps it's just the Power of the Eye broadcasting the Dragon's Soul's message loud and clear?   Okay, there's one other option I thought of in terms of the voice. I'm sure there's more, and I hope they'll get posted in the comments section. My last idea is that the voice could be a recorded message from the Aes Sedai who made the Eye.   We see only a little bit of detail about the making of the Eye in The Shadow Rising, when Rand goes through the Glass Columns in Rhuidean.     From this, we see that the Aes Sedai—all women—have Callandor and the Dragon's Banner. Because they have those items, I'm assuming they have the Horn of Valere, as well. Which means they are the ones planning on making the Eye. The later quote shows that they are including men in the circle to clean the bit of saidin inside the Eye.   With these Aes Sedai gathering, giving up their life force to cleanse the Eye, is it possible they left behind a message? I think so. The "I will take no part" phrase is very accurate; the voice is there to give a message, a hint, not do anything active with the Power. They would also know "it is not here" because the Eye was given to the Green Man, which is close to the Bore, but not right next to it. "Only the chosen one…" makes sense too. They knew, by Foretelling, that Rand would be born and would need those items.   The only counter I can argue is that the voice refers to itself as "I" not "we." Perhaps the group of Aes Sedai picked one member to leave the message, though.   Hopefully, the question of who the ALL CAPS voice is will be answered in A Memory of Light. I think there's still a few random tidbits to theorize about in regards to the conclusion of The Eye of the World. So, next week, we'll have a third—and final—installment focusing on the Eye.

Red Eagle games announced today that they are taking new forward steps to produce multiple video games based on The Wheel of Time. The first game, which they hope to release in January around the time A Memory of Light is published, will be a "tactical RPG" called First Banner of the Rising Sun. It will be designed for Apple iOS and Google Android devices.   Red Eagle intends to fund this first game by running a Kickstarter campaign. This campaign, which goes live today, is seeking to raise $450,000 from fans interested in supporting their cause to produce Wheel of Time video games. Supporters will receive different incentives depending on how much they donate, such as exclusive in-game items, or (for big donators), their name and likeness somewhere in the game itself.   To produce the game, Red Eagle has partnered with Jet Set Games, the creators of the popular Highborn mobile game on iOS and Android.   First Banner of the Rising Sun will take place during the early days of the Aiel War. The player will control characters not seen in the books, but get the chance to fight against the hoards of Aiel invaders.   In the coming years, Red Eagle Games intends to publish a series of other video games for all major platforms.

Welcome back, everyone!   Someone from our General Wheel of Time Discussion forum posted this humorous gem about Egwene and Rand talking to a therapist. Can you imagine Egwene in Rand in therapy together? I think it would be fun to have them as patients.   If you're looking for some entertainment, check out the Band of the Red Hand Social Group's Jak o' the Shadows thread. There are tons of great verses in there, and you can write some of your own if you're so inclined.   It's time for the Black Tower Social Group's latest edition of the Tainted Times! They've got a lot to talk about, so drop in and see what's been happening in their group this month.   Speaking of newsletters, the Wolfkin Social Group also has their August edition up. See what they have to say in their latest version of Pawprints.   Also, speaking of Wolfkin, our role players just started a new story featuring Wolfkin characters. Head over and follow To Break the Silence to see what unfolds.

You've probably noticed I'm borrowing from Mashiara's book of puns this week.   Why, you ask? Well, this week, I'm bringing you the oddest (and most oddly funny) Wheel of Time fan art I've seen to date. These are the pieces that shocked me into uncontrollable peals of laughter. Maybe I've just got a crazy sense of humor--I'll let you be the judge!     First, we've got Mat Cauthon on a Velociraptor by ~chocowubbles. Mat Cauthon is awesome. Velociraptors are awesome. But the combination is definitely greater than the sum of its parts.       Next, we've got a few unconventional crossovers.   I couldn't believe it when I stumbled across a Wheel of Time/My Little Pony crossover (Ta'veren Ponies Colored by ~UWoodward).       Then I found another one (Wheel of Time Ponies by ~Choedan-Kal).       Then I found another one (My Little Wheel of Time by ~Akabi)!       Continuing the theme of baffling crossovers, here's The Wheel of Time and Rock Band (Rockband Ta'veren by jwillis7).       Finally... Break all the seals! Hahahahaha. Enough said. (Art originally from here.)  

As some of you may already know, this year is the last year that Dragon*Con will have its own Wheel of Time track. David Gordon, the Senior Director of Fan Track Operations, had this to say about the close:     I talked to Jennifer Liang about her thoughts on it since she runs the Wheel of Time track. I will also be mentioning a few events before the Q&A with Jennifer. Dragon*Con this year will be running from August 31-September 3.   A few events that will be good to check out include An Evening at the Winespring Inn, tWoTcast's live show, Robert Jordan's Legacy, and the A Memory of Light Preview. The word from Jennifer is that Brandon Sanderson will be attending the Winespring, Legacy, and A Memory of Light events. There will also be other events to check out, like the costume designing panels. There are two: one for the Westlands and one for the Aiel, Seafolk, and Seanchan. Also, there will be several games: Darkfriend, which is essentially a mafia game; Daes Dae'mar, the great game that tests your Wheel of Time knowledge in a team format; and Illian's 8th Annual Trivia Bee. Also, anyone new to the Wheel of Time track at Dragon*Con should attend The Grave Is No Bar to My Call, which is the opening, introductory panel for the track.   Below is the Q&A with Dragonmount's Jennifer Liang.   How did you get started running the Wheel of Time track at Dragon*Con?   In 2000, I went to my first Dragon*Con with my then fiance, brother, and someone that we knew through the forums here at Dragonmount. We didn't spend a whole lot of time there, just walked around for a day. But we had such a great time. Dragon*Con has single topic programming tracks and Jimmy and I both thought that a Wheel of Time track would be so much fun. We really just wanted it as a place to meet the rest of the folks we knew through Dragonmount. So afterwards, I emailed the convention and suggested it. Somehow that email got passed up the chain to Ed Kramer, who was the chair at the time, and he responded very positively.   This was right about when Kramer's legal troubles started, and as was his habit, apparently, he had neglected to tell anyone at the convention that we had been approved. So there were several months of back and forth of me calling and saying "I'm supposed to run your new track! What do I DO???" and them being confused. But Pat Henry, the new chairman, honored Kramer's commitment to us and we were able to move forward. There was a lot of last minute scrambling and flailing around that first year. It was such a stressful experience, I almost called it quits after that first year. I spent a lot of time throwing up in the bathroom and crying during my first few Dragon*Cons. I'm glad I kept doing it, though. Dragon*Con is where I learned how to run a convention. If I hadn't have stayed with it, I never would have developed the skills needed to create JordanCon.     What were your most memorable events from Dragon*Con in the past years?   In 2005, Robert Jordan was the Guest of Honor for the convention. This was right before the release of Knife of Dreams. Dragon*Con does a very large, annual parade through downtown Atlanta. As far as I know, it's the only sci fi convention to do so. Anyways, I asked Jordan if he'd like to march with us. He declined politely, but said he'd come watch. And he did. I remember walking past the Hyatt in formation with the rest of the Wheel of Time group, and there he was, sitting on one of the planters clapping and cheering as we walked past. How many people can say Robert Jordan clapped and cheered for THEM at a convention?   I also have lots of good memories associated with Brandon Sanderson attending. We had him for the first time in 2008. It was the first Dragon*Con since Jordan had passed and Sanderson had just started working on what would become The Gathering Storm. He tells me now that he was terrified of being eaten alive by us that weekend, but we were just as worried about him. After the first Q&A session with him, I think we all felt better. Not only did he have a lot of confidence in his ability to do the job, but he also expressed so much respect for the series and for Jordan. It was very reassuring to have that. It was also the only time he's been able to be just some guy around Wheel of Time fans. The first time I saw him, actually, he was standing in the back of the track room watching us play trivia games and nobody knew who he was. If he tried that now, everyone would be all "Mr. Sanderson! Let me tell you my theories!" I'll always be glad we had that experience.     Do you have anything big planned for the grand finale of the Dragon*Con Wheel of Time track? How do you feel about the track ending at Dragon*Con? Any future plans now that the track is ending?   Our focus this year is the A Memory of Light release. We will do some retrospective on the track itself, but with the final book coming out, we really have too much to look forward to to spend that much time navel gazing. We do have Brandon coming back, so we'll do one last "Tell your secrets!" panel with him and a reading. This is my twelfth and final year as a Director at Dragon*Con, so obviously there is some sadness. There's also some relief. It's not easy to run two major Wheel of Time events every year, so I'll be glad to have some downtime during the year. I am still on very good terms with all of the Senior Directors at Dragon*Con and Pat Henry. Several of them have started attending JordanCon, just to continue supporting us. They've been very clear throughout this that if they had unlimited resources, they would be happy to keep us forever. But this feels like a good time to end it. The series is ending. JordanCon exists now as a gathering place for Wheel of Time fans. Sanderson is moving on to the projects he set aside to work on the Wheel of Time. I'd rather end it now when we are strong than watch it peter out.   I'll be taking my first break from Dragon*Con next year and will attend WorldCon in San Antonio. WorldCon and Dragon*Con are usually on the same dates, so my opportunities to go to that one have been few. Brandon Sanderson is planning to be at that one as well, so it should be lots of fun. I kinda want to see what Dragon*Con is like when I'm just there to hang out like everyone else, but I'd really like to see Jordan nominated for a posthumous Hugo Award, and the Hugos are awarded by WorldCon. So I need to go there and talk Jordan up to the voters. So probably 2014 is the next time you'll see me at Dragon*Con.

Scenes from the cutting room floor: (possible spoilers)   Matrim: So that's one of the Dragons? It's rather small. Aludra: We could make one large enough to throw a boulder the size of a man over a mile, if we needed to. (Matrim gets "That Look" on his face) Matrim: The size of a man? Elayne: Matrim Bloody Cauthon, I don't know what you're thinking but I don't like it. Matrim: It'll be fun! I'll go first!   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Mat: Which one is your girlfriend? Rand: Er, those three. Perrin: Wait, three? Really? Rand: Yeah. (all three pause for thought) Mat: And you did this willingly?   ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Silviana: So, Mother, now that you're in charge... (hesitates, unsure how to say something) Egwene: Yes? Silviana: What're we going to do with that huge construction going on next door? (silence) Egwene: (wearily) Oh, Blood and Ashes.   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello, everyone. Welcome back to "WoT If?". This will be the start of a two part look at the events that happened in the conclusion of The Eye of the World. There are a few things that are a little fuzzy and unexplained at the end, plus a lot of things that might come full circle in A Memory of Light.   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.   First off, what is the Eye of the World? We get a description of what it actually is near the end of the first book. Moiraine says:     From this description, it seems as if the Aes Sedai during the Age of Legends cleansed just this little bit of the Source, the same way Rand cleansed all of it in Winter's Heart. They worked together, and through the taint, to make this pool of pure saidin. But, pay attention to that last sentence. Moiraine believes that the Eye can seal the Bore, or it can break it open. In fact, she says multiple times that the Eye might be able to seal in/break free the Dark One.     Here, Moiraine suggests that the Eye can undo the Dark One's prison. We know that the One Power can't break cuendillar, but Moiraine is saying it can. Rand also has plans to break the remaining seals. But how is this possible? The seals have weakened, yes, but can the Power in the Eye really break cuendillar, no matter how old? Maybe so. Moiraine makes a comment that "four men with hammers" can break the remaining seals and free the Dark One (The Fires of Heaven, Chapter 2, "Rhuidean"). However, they don't know this information during The Eye of the World, so she shouldn't be assuming the Eye, and saidin, can break the Dark One free.   Also, Moiraine and Lord Agelmar have a discussion that hints at the Eye's power.     According to this, Moiraine thinks that Rand using the Eye will seal the Dark One again, solving all their problems. Okay, okay. She does use the word "perhaps," which is Aes Sedai doublespeak. However, she seems to have a lot of confidence that the Eye's power will be glorious. When Rand does use the Eye, he doesn't do anything even close to sealing in the Dark One—he does believe he killed Shai'tan, but Moiraine and others don't believe it. If there was so much potential in the Eye, did Rand waste it? Was it used for a purpose other than for what it was initially intended? We'll speculate on that a bit later.   So, we know the Eye is a pool of saidin, made clean by the sacrifice of male and female Aes Sedai. We know a bit of its presumed power. But that doesn't tell us a thing.   There are several theories about what the Eye actually is, or rather, what it does to Rand. Here's three that might work.   First: the Eye of the World, with its pure Power, is the Creator. That is, the Creator is the One Power.   This seems plausible on the surface. We typically think of channeling and channelers as doing the Creator's work. The True Source is, after all, the power that drives the Wheel of Time and weaves the Pattern. The Creator made the Pattern, so it seems logical that the Creator is the One Power. However, in an interview, a fan asks Robert Jordan something that might say the opposite:     There are two pieces of information here, but let's focus on the Dark One not being purely True Power. If the Dark One isn't the True Power, then I don't think the Creator can be the One Power. It's likely that the One Power comes from the Creator—like True Power comes from the Dark One—but they are two separate forces/energies/beings.   The second part of that answer talks about the ALL CAPS voice Rand hears in his head after he accidently Travels to Tarwin's Gap. We'll get to that in next week's post, so just put it on hold for now.   Second: the Eye of the World is just a pool of saidin intended to hide the Dragon Banner and the Horn of Valere.   Those artifacts are indeed important to the next book. Without both of them, Rand could not have beaten Ishamael in the sky above Falme. Also, the Heroes of the Horn wouldn't have helped Rand unless he had the Dragon Banner too. Artur Hawkwing says:     Hawkwing implies that this was the way the Pattern wanted it. Since the Heroes seem to have quite a bit of knowledge about certain things while they wait in Tel'aran'rhiod, we can be pretty sure he knows what he's talking about. It's also interesting to note that Hawkwing says they will only follow the banner and the Dragon. We had other sources earlier in The Great Hunt say that the Heroes will fight for whichever side blows the Horn. Is this another thing Aes Sedai don't really know the truth about, or is this particular moment in the Pattern something that needs to be specifically set?   So, the Banner and the Horn are terribly important for the forward movement of the characters and the world. But would so many Aes Sedai in the Age of Legends sacrifice themselves for this? Possibly. Rand needed those items, and the world would have died if he didn't have them. Could the Eye be just an elaborate hidey-hole?   If that were true, and the Eye is just an insignificant pool of saidin, why is Aginor so keen on using it? Robert Jordan was asked that very question in an interview:     This quote seems to imply that Aginor only wanted the Eye for the extra bit of Power, and a way to channel unobserved. Makes it sound kind of pointless, huh?   Third: the Eye of the World is a link to Rand's past lives and memories.   Drekka Mort posted on the Dragonmount forums:     This is an interesting theory. One of the main reasons I would believe this is because it takes absolutely no outside source for Rand to remember all his past lives in "Veins of Gold" (The Gathering Storm, Chapter 50). The memories were inside him the whole time; it only took Rand's acceptance to open them all up.   From this, I would say that the Eye stayed with Rand even after all its Power was used up. It's something that went into his skin, into his bones, into his soul. Some evidence that this might be correct comes from an interview with Brandon Sanderson:     From this, we can gather that Rand still has access to the Power of the Eye, since he can still channel Light and Power. In Towers of Midnight, Naeff is the one who notes Rand's incredible abilities:     After accepting his memories in "Veins of Gold," Rand's madness seems to leave him completely. When Nynaeve Delves into Rand's mind she sees something odd:     A liquid Power. Like the Eye? Most likely, I'd say. How did it get there? Probably from when Rand first used the Eye. It could have stayed with him, flowing in him, without him knowing. It laid dormant until he was able to reconcile his present life with his past lives. So, if there's a link still there between himself and the Eye, can the Eye's Power be refilled?   Well, that's a good place to stop for today. Next week we'll delve (no pun intended) a little deeper into who that ALL CAPS voice might be.