DRAGONMOUNT

"ARE YOU PONDERING WHAT I'M PONDERING, ISHAMAEL?"   "Sure thing, oh Great Lord of the Dark, but even if we put a creamy nougat into every Trolloc, we'd still not be able to call them a tasty treat."   "NEVER MIND, ISHAMAEL. JUST MAKE SURE THAT PRESS RELEASE GETS DOWN TO MARKETING, WILL YOU?"     New from Thakan'dar Enterprises   Nae'Bliss   A sensual dark chocolate bonbon filled with an even darker core of blackberry brandy. Deliciously decadent, it'll be sure to please the Dreadlord in you. Thirteen pieces to every box, they'll turn your enemies to friends with but a taste.     and for the kids, don't forget to pick up     Candy Bubbles of Evil   A delightful treat for children of all ages. Candy coating on the outside, and a surprise inside every one. Now available in Blood Red Cherry (pictured), Shadow Black Licorice, and new Myrddraal Gray Grape.     Find these delightful treats and more from your local door to door Thakan'dar peddlers, coming to a village near you.

Hi, everyone. Welcome back to "WoT If?". For this week's discussion, I'd like to look a little closer at the sul'dam and their damane. There are a few points about them that get overlooked and plenty of questions to ask about their future.   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.   For most of our female characters in the series, being a damane is a fate worse than death. Egwene has such a fear of being leashed that it makes her particularly vengeful when the Seanchan attack the White Tower in Towers of Midnight. Though the a'dam was mysterious at first, we learn later that it acts as an instrument that forces a link between the damane and the sul'dam, leaving the sul'dam in complete control.   The first thing that I've always wondered is why the damane don't feel the ability to channel in sul'dam. When Rand and Aviendha Travel to Seanchan in The Fires of Heaven, they encounter two sul'dam, two damane, Lady Morsa, and Jalindin, a Seeker for Truth. When Rand asks Aviendha to shield the ones who are leashed, she says:     Sul'dam claim they develop an "affinity" (The Great Hunt, Chapter 42, "Falme") for knowing if a damane has channeled. Some experienced sul'dam can even see weaves without the bracelet on. I can't believe that the Empress, or anyone within the Seanchan hierarchy, couldn't put together these pieces and realize that sul'dam can channel too.   Tuon's total lack of surprise at this reveal might show some do know. In Knife of Dreams, she tells Mat:     She doesn't respond with, "Don't say such vile lies," or something along those lines. She seems to accept it without comment.   It might be argued that Seanchan-raised damane don't know how to sense the source in another woman; it could be one of the skills or Talents that have been lost in Seanchan. I doubt it, but it's possible. However, with the sudden intake of so many Aes Sedai, the secret can't remain hidden for long. If Aviendha can sense the sul'dam's ability, a trained Aes Sedai most certainly will.   Once exposed, all the Seanchan would have to do is order the sul'dam to drink forkroot tea. I'm assuming it would work on sul'dam the same as any other woman who can channel. After all, it worked on Morgase and she is probably more weak and unpracticed than the sul'dam.   The Aiel Wise Ones being taken damane might have a large impact on the Seanchan's future. When Aviendha goes through the glass columns in Rhuidean a second time, she sees the future of her line. The scene, through the eyes of her daughter, Padra, shows the Aiel still fighting with the Seanchan over the collared Wise Ones. However, you'll notice that it doesn't imply that more Wise Ones have been taken, only the initial Shaido who were captured by General Tylee.   The other future scenes show the Aiel constantly at war with the Seanchan. The Raven Empire has taken control of most of the world. They have technology—or is it One Power technology? Malidra thinks:     So, the Raven Empire seems to make use of the One Power, and even have a weapon that sounds to me like a shocklance. But it never mentions sul'dam, damane, or getting the "magics" from leashed women. I think this shows that the Seanchan eventually will give up their ways of collaring women.   Another question to ask about the a'dam is whether it's similar at all to the Domination Band (the male version of the a'dam). Moghedien tells Nynaeve in the Panarch's Palace:     Is it only the male a'dam that has the backwards flow? Obviously, women channelers don't have the madness, but could the damane eventually be able to turn the flow back on the sul'dam? Damane from Seanchan are raised to know they are beneath humans; they are animals, dogs. Their training is so harsh that even Egwene, a very strong-willed woman, was beginning to be brainwashed into believing it was good for her to serve her sul'dam wholeheartedly.   However, a sudden hoard of Shaido Wise Ones was collared at the end of The Gathering Storm. How will the sul'dam control a group of women who do not fear pain? I can't see how the sul'dam could even begin to turn the Wise Ones into obedient damane. And if the Wise Ones cannot be cowed by the a'dam's effects, perhaps the Wise Ones can turn the flows against the sul'dam.   There's more to speculate on the a'dam, but I think I'll leave it there. Join us next week for a look at the Black Tower's possible role in saving Caemlyn.

I hope everyone is enjoying the new bloggers so far.  This week, we'll also hear from our new Rotating Features Blogger. It's time for our Q&A session with Saladin Ahmed!  Anyone can participate.  Just head to our General Discussion forum and find this thread. Everyone's talking about the latest Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises.  We're talking about it too, so come to our Movies and Games Discussion forum to let us know how you liked it.    The Black Tower Social Group's July discussion on video games is still going on.  The thread I linked also contains links to the related discussions for the month, so be sure to read it carefully. It's time for the Shayol Ghul Social Group's latest Caption Faction game!  It's easy to play.  Simply take a look at the featured picture and vote for the caption you think would best fit with it.   The Blue Ajah's much anticipated annual Harry Potter Week at the White Tower & Warders Social Group is almost here!  The event will take place from July 25-31.  Watch this space to keep up with each new thread as it starts. That's all for now.  Have a great week! 

Physical and mental bonds are a recurring theme in The Wheel of Time. This week, the Fan Art Friday spotlight is on the four types of bonds that shape destiny in the world of the Wheel.     1. Prisons and Imprisonment These bonds may be entirely physical, but they have a powerful mental effect on the imprisoned. Perhaps the greatest example of this is the subjugation of the marath'damane by the Seanchan, which (especially in Egwene's case) may yet impact the world in ways we haven't even foreseen. For better or worse, imprisonment plays an essential role in the personal development of many of the characters. Egwene's imprisonment in the White Tower was essential to her development as Amyrlin and the mending of the rifts between the Aes Sedai factions, Rand's imprisonment in the events leading to the Battle of Dumai's Wells didn't do his sanity any favors and most certainly precipitated his trust issues, and Faile's kidnapping at the hands of the Shaido Aiel forced Perrin to accept command. Then, of course, there is the most famous prison of all--the Dark One's prison in Shayol Ghul, where He was "bound at the moment of Creation."   Above: Red Ajah by ~leilasedai Below: Defeat in the Stone Stand by *faile35 (Jeff Fairbourn)       2. Treaties and Oaths Many of the oaths sworn in The Wheel of Time, including oaths of fealty and all those promises Mat always ends up regretting, can be broken at will (albeit at the oath-breaker's peril). Others, such as treaties made with the Snakes and Foxes in the Chamber of Bonds, oaths sworn on the Oath Rod, and the oaths sworn by Darkfriends, are virtually inescapable. These bonds exact a terrible price.   Above: Son of Battles by ~aiconx (Amanda Elm) Below: Seanchan Propaganda Poster by ~minniearts       3. Relationships Love, friendship, and fealty take on a whole new meaning in a world with Warders and Aes Sedai, first-sisters, and Compulsion. For me, the most interesting person-to-person bonds in the series are those between Rand and Moridin and those between Rand, Mat, and Perrin. In the case of the three ta'veren, they are not only bound together mentally (as evidenced by the flashes of color they see when they think of each other) but are also bound together physically, as threads in the Pattern.   Above: WoT: Hold over Caemlyn (Rahvin and Morgase) by *Rakiah Middle: Moiraine and Lan by Cicely Combs Below: Tarmon Gai'don by ~ReddEra (Ariel Burgess)       4. Ta'maral'ailen (Web of Destiny) Most of the heroes in the world of the Wheel are reluctant heroes, and most of the series concerns each character's struggle to accept his or her fate. Eventually, though, even Mat realizes some things are just meant to be.   Below: One Seanchan to go, please ... by Forbis  

Apparently, Tor.com posted some more eBook wallpaper while I was gone!  This time, the featured eBook wallpaper is for Winter's Heart. The artwork is by Scott Fischer. Here is the image:     Go here to download different sizes of the wallpaper and to read more about how this art was created. How do you like the art for this eBook?

Tor Books released a fascinating article on Tor.com today which reveals the process by which the hardcover dust jacket (i.e., the book cover) is produced. Tor Art Director Irene Gallo describes: Last week I visited Coral Graphics to do a press-check for the A Memory of Light jacket sales-proof. A sales-proof is not the final jacket but it’s pretty darn close... The full article can be read on Tor.com. Head over there to read it, and see a lot of great photos. About A Memory of Light AMOL will be released on January 8, 2013 in hardcover and audiobook. The eBook will be released on April 9th. Read the opening portion of the AMOL prologue. Read the opening portion of Chapter 1. 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.       

"ARE YOU PONDERING WHAT I'M PONDERING, ISHAMAEL?"   "Sure thing, oh Great Lord of the Dark, but even if we could find the tutus in their size, I'm not sure we could teach the Trollocs to do ballet."     Greetings, and welcome to the mad ramblings of a lucid man or, perhaps, the sane ramblings of a mad man. It can be so hard to tell at times. My name here is Ireond, and this is "The Lighter Side of the Taint", a wellspring of jokes, songs, twisted poetry, and humorous reflections that are derived from looking at the world of The Wheel of Time with a mind as twisted as a Trolloc horn.   I will try to make most of the references and jokes understandable to as many of you readers as possible. I will also attempt, as far as spoilers go, to label any joke that I do with a spoiler tag. That being said, if you don't get the joke, it's either a prime example of why someone like me shouldn't channel tainted saidin, or you just haven't reached the point in the books where the punchline comes in. For example:   "I hear that a male channeler from the Aiel has a Blight future ahead of him."   Just keep in mind that I think phonetically, so some of my jokes are better said aloud, preferably in large groups of people so that they all look at you as if you have a voice from another Age talking to you in your head.   So, in parting this week, some haiku:   The Dark One's own luck roll the dice merry Matrim your fate is still sealed   Oily is the taint Rainbow colors on soul's fire The world is remade   Trollocs are dancing Twirling like a tornado The tutus do fit

Ta'veren Tees is at it yet again! Guest artist Paul Bielaczyc is back, and this time he's designed a stunning Perrin shirt for us. Here's the press release:        

Hello, everyone, and welcome to "WoT If," Dragonmount's weekly theory blog. My name is Mashiara, and I'm going to be filling this post. First off, my credentials: I've been reading the Wheel of Time since 2000, and joined Dragonmount that same year. I've read through the series eight times, with occasional rereads of my favorite parts. I'm also on my fourth listen through the audio books. During Brandon Sanderson's The Gathering Storm tour, I was a Storm Leader at the Scottsdale, Arizona location.   That being said, I'm going to present theories and ideas as I've perceived them, which may be different from your perceptions. If you have a different point of view, feel free to post it in the comments. I'd love to explore conflicting ideas; that's what is so fun about the Wheel of Time! Please be respectful, even if you're disagreeing with me or someone else.   Okay, moving on. This blog will cover theories mostly dealing with the last few books and the ending of A Memory of Light. It will contain spoilers! Please read at your own risk.   For my first post, I'd like to talk about something I've thought since near the beginning of the series: the importance of Nynaeve al'Meara. We are introduced to the Wisdom of Emond's Field very early on in The Eye of the World. When Rand, Mat, Perrin, and Egwene leave the village, Nynaeve chases after them. She arrives at The Stag and Lion inn, where Min works, in Baerlon. What Min sees is the first indicator that Nynaeve is important.     There are three ta'veren present plus Moiraine, a woman who is important herself.       Since Rand, Mat, Perrin, and Moiraine are all needed to get sparks—which represents the fight of the Light against the Shadow—why would Nynaeve's arrival make them visible with just two people present? I think it's implying that she's quite important later on down the road. For example:   First: she Heals stilling. (Lord of Chaos, Chapter 29, "Fire and Spirit") Second: she helps Rand clean the taint on saidin. (Winter's Heart, Chapter 35, "With the Choedan Kal") Third: she Heals the saidin-caused insanity in the Asha'man. (Towers of Midnight, Chapter 15, "Use a Pebble") Fourth (though in the future): she promises to link with Rand and Callandor during Tarmon Gai'don.   Looking at each of these shows a time when Nynaeve does something that shouldn't be possible. For Healing stilling, she uses weaves not typically associated with Healing.     The same thing happens when she Heals Naeff's madness.     While Nynaeve is Delving into Naeff's mind, she wonders about her increased skills.     Why do Nynaeve's abilities suddenly increase? How is she able to see weaves and ailments more clearly? If her skills have strengthened in just the two years she's knowingly worked with the One Power, it seems likely they will continue to improve.   This leads me to my conclusion: Nynaeve will be able to Heal death.   I know there's already a lot of debate about this, but it seems to me that most people are in the body-swap camp. But I believe there is some foreshadowing to Healing death in the books.     There's also a lot of speculation on Rand faking his own death. However, the Aelfinn said:     Rand and Min discuss a viewing of Alivia:     I think this means a real death, not a metaphorical death. If Rand must really die, then there needs to be a way to bring him back so he can live once more. Nicola's foretelling says:     The great battle is Tarmon Gai'don. There's no way Rand can stay dead at the end of the series and have all these prophecies fulfilled.   While there are several plausible endings to the series, Nynaeve manifesting the ability to Heal death gives it more heart. It keeps in line with Nynaeve being able to do things that are considered impossible. It would also explain why her appearance at The Stag and Lion makes the sparks appear more easily. She's much more important to the future of the world than we give her credit for.   That's all for this week. Join us next time for a discussion about sul'dam and damane.

We're back! The much anticipated debut of the new bloggers will occur this week. Stay tuned for some great new content from them.   Saladin Ahmed, author of Throne of the Crescent Moon, will be visiting Dragonmount for a Q&A session next week. Look here for more information on the upcoming visit.   We recently posted about Brandon Sanderson's reading of Chapter One from A Memory of Light at Comic-Con. If you'd like to discuss this in depth, head over to our A Memory of Light Spoiler Discussion forum and let us know what you think.   The theme for the Artists, Crafters, and Writers Guild's July Challenge is "Under 100". If you write something, it needs to be under 100 words. If you do crafts, you have to spend less than $100. Whatever you decide to do, the only rule is that it somehow has to stay under 100.   The Aiel Social Group is bravely tackling another difficult topic this month: sexuality. Anyone who can participate reasonably and in a mature, respectful fashion is welcome.   The Kin Social Group is currently celebrating National Short Story Month. If you're a lover of stories, which I'm sure applies to everyone here, keep an eye on their guide to the month's events.   What happens when a Darkfriend and a newly minted Black Ajah member join forces? Find out in the role play A Web of Black Silk.   Were you at Comic-Con this weekend? If so, we'd love to hear about your adventures! You can also hear about some of the shenanigans from the weekend on our Twitter and Facebook pages.