Nyneave. She was strong enough to use it, but apparently not strong enough to use it for the extent of time with she did without it "overheating". Not really sure why that would happen though. Afterall even the weakest channeller can use a angreal without it being destroyed. But then, the CK are sort of special. Their power levels are off the charts, so I suppose they're basically glass cannons. The "handle with extreme caution" type of equipement.

I find that unlikely on several fronts. First of all, Nynaeve is very strong. Very. If she's not strong enough, then who would be, Lanfear and that's it? After all, they were meant to be used, weren't they? Secondly, the CK weren't supposed to be used continuously for hours on end, which is a much more likely explanation. Third, in anyone's to blame, it's probably Rand, who might've 'abused' saidar since it was his first time ever in a link.

Anyway, it's all speculation; we simply don't know.

Oh, yes, I didn't mean that the access key survived. It's just that in KoD we learn that not only did it melt, the sa'angreal itself melted.

It is the key - the terangreal - that is broken.

No, actually it's the sa'angreal itself:

The Great Hand on Tremalking melted. The hill where it stood reportedly is now a deep hollow.

I looked around a bit and did not see anything. In LoC Mat and the Band find a bunch of slain Tinkers, and one of them wrote "Tell the Dragon Reborn" in his blood. is this explained in the books anywhere? I'm in the middle of a re-read and I have forgoten alot so maybe I just have'nt gotten to it yet.

I just think it's Fain taunting Rand. Killing Tinkers isn't nice.

How do you figure? I mean, what made you think of Fain, of all people?

@mb I don't recall any quote that would satisfy you, but the question seems self-explanatory, as Knivy says. It's a function of the ter'angreal.

A better question is, why did using the bowl cause Sadain to come alive? Was that ever explained?

It is the Bowl, and QuiteAiel is right. It's because it was strained beyond what it was meant to do.

Question

The Bowl: Someone asked him whether, if men had helped the Aes Sedai and Windfinders and Kin channel through the Bowl, the One Power would still have been screwed up.

Robert Jordan

His implicit assumption was that the Bowl screwed things up. I expected this to be a sheer RAFO. I was surprised. He went into a relatively detailed explanation to the effect that the Bowl was stressed far, far beyond its original design parameters because of the advanced knowledge of the Windfinders. It was affecting a global pattern, when it was designed for only a small region. Men helping would not have changed anything, and the effects linger most strongly near Ebou Dar, but also along the "spokes" which radiated from that place. (I should have asked if a spoke went out over Tear.)

EDIT: crap, shanghaied by Suttree

What did the dice no longer spinning in mats head symbolise?

I think it's more than that. The dice seemed to imply that he was set on the road to some life-altering moment/decision. For example, agreeing to accompany Nynaeve and Elayne to the Tarasin Palace ignited those dice because it meant he would meet Tuon, and indeed they stopped rolling when he did. One other example is when he decided to rescue Moiraine -- that decision was what the dice signify at the time.

Would you call the Bastard of Bolton a competent villain?

No, I'd call him a poor misguided soul. He's a bad man, yes, but he hardly is the Winter Nan promised us all this time ago.

As for JRRM's world - who are the villians? Do you mean the monsters on the other side of the wall?

The Others and their Wights, yes. And their God, most likely.

That's not a completely valid comparison, because we've actually seen very little of GRRM's true villains. It's his protagonists that have been slaying each other up until now.

And, as long as we're talking about the Forsaken, one of the most effective among them has been... wait for it... Mesaana. You simply don't see her driving hand behind the events in question until the very end.

Probably not, but you do have the benefit of being able to use both saidin and saidar in the same weave (or, rather, in two codependent weaves).

The most common theory is that it's Ishamael's fault. He was undercover in Hawkwing's court, which would've been the place to be if you wanted to make sure the copies of the prophecies taken across the Aryth ocean are corrupted to suit your needs.

Has there been any interviews or Q&As about the composition of the DO?

See for yourself (there's a tag "the dark one")

Not merely playing devil's advocate here, but it seems these three fallen Forsaken women have undergone increasing degrees of punishment.

Mesaana was punished in CoT. Moghedien is punished during ACoS (it starts in LoC's epilogue). So... I'd say the degree of their failure is more important than any other consideration.

When talking with Mat in Murandy, Verin correctly guessed that he wanted to go to Caemlyn. From where did she get that idea?

That's where the rest of the Band was, and what with the order to kill Mat, Verin would've known that.

Yes, we have gone round the bend here, haven't we? Again, Vardamus, I find it only natural -- having eaten a cake -- to find yourself wishing you still had it. Especially if your prospects of seeing another in the near future are slim.

Ah, I see the source of your confusion now. It's because Anglophones are silly (). The original was "eat it and have it too", which (unlike the reverse) isn't chronologically possible.

I especially like the one about flour. As anyone who ever seen wet flour would know, that's patently wrong

(I do doubt whether you'd be able to blow in the first place, after having filled your mouth with flour, though)

EDIT:

Meltdown, that's okay. My argument in no way leaned on her actually having said that.

So the saying is supposed to mean have some cake now, and then save some for later?

No, I don't think that's what it's about. The very phrase 'have some cake' implies that eating a cake is as simple as going down to a bakery. Obviously, that's not how things used to be. You'd be lucky to get a cake once in, like, ever (a saying by Louis XVI's wife comes to mind). So, assuming you do have one, being able to eat it and still have some cake around must've been very cool. Regardless, what do I know. I've never studied English in any serious manner.

With the admition of guilt from a certain brown, and her ability to freely use compulsion, is not everyone's actions (that she has been in contact with) speculate, from the beginning?

Hardly. Her methods require trust and vulnerability. She hasn't had that from many people, excepting perhaps Alanna after her Warder died (I strongly believe that she used it on Alanna after Rand had left them at that inn).

EDIT:

And are you aware that Aes Sedai can drain the strength of their gaiden to sustain their own strength... up to and including taking it all--i.e. killing the gaiden.

Seriously? Is that the BWB?

But even so, who wants to have cake

Well, it seems obvious to me that the point is you still get to eat it later on. Therefore, to eat a cake, but still get to have it (so it can be enjoyed all over again) is highly desirable (at least it is to me; I know not everyone makes a big to-do over food). Of course, the phrase was probably minted at a time when obesity and cholesterol weren't as big a concern as it is in modern times (i.e., eating cakes wasn't such an everyday occurrence).

He could've said it meaning "it's never going to happen". Only that interpretation doesn't sit well with "whoever holds the bond is in charge".

Mat, good catch. You should post it in the errata thread.

Vardarmus, I'm not sure what you're referring to, but this seems to suggest a sister could still sometimes coerce her channeling warder:

A very strong male channeler bonded to a very weak Aes Sedai could not use the bond to control her. Whoever holds the bond is in charge, though she might have a hard time controlling him.

EDIT:

Ninja'ed by Suttree. But it seems we're reading this quote in completely different ways. Me, I think the problem would be his ability to protect himself by embracing saidin. After all, 'a hard time' isn't the same as 'can't'.

I have a question about something that took place in LoC. Alannna bonds Rand against his will and then later makes the comment to Verin that she wasn't able to compel him using the bond. Has the reason as to why she couldn't compel him been revealed yet? Did I just miss it?

AS can not use the "spirit" weave to compel a strong male channeler like she could a normal warder she is bonded to. The Ashaman bond however allows for compulsion with a thought to those they have bonded. No channeling required. That is the "extra bit" in the weave that Logain could do without.

I'm not sure, I don't recall the issue ever coming up again. I always thought it was because Rand was holding saidin at the time, and Alanna mistook it to mean further attempts would be pointless.

Where do you think Fain leaned it from then?

Ishamael? At the time, Fain had someone to explain the workings of the Ways.

He ordered her to keep her eyes closed while he was doing it, for whatever reason.

And therefore we don't know that it really was his shadow-traveling ability that he used there.

Oh, but we do.

Not sure if it has been mentioned but we know they can pull others into their "shadow travel".

I really don't understand how you're both so certain. Unless there's something I'm forgetting or simply don't know (in which case, I'll appreciate an explanation over a simple confirmation ), I see no certainty here. First, Moghedien doesn't see anything, so it's always possible that Moridin provided transportation (we know he hears the DO wherever he is, so the coordination would present no difficulty). Second, this is Shayol Ghul we're talking about; for all we know, her prison might've moved to the room next to Moridin's hall, and a door might've appeared to admit her. Third, and BTW I like this option much less, it's possible this is something else SH can do that has nothing to do with shadow-jumping, such as disconnecting FS from the source, making black fire appear, binding and floating Mesaana etc.

Well, firstly about the horses - of course they're corporeal, after all the Myrddraal are themselves.

About dreaming -- there might be a difference between guiding someone into it, helping them along, and dragging someone in unawares. The first requires active participation, the second doesn't.