Like a couple of people upthread, I like the idea of Nakomi = Tigraine. Perhaps she's a HotH, and manifested herself to Avi (a la Birgitte) as the future grandmother of her children by Rand.

Read it over three days.

I'm exhausted.

Will need to read it again, slowly.

Reactions:

Hmm.

YES!!

YES - er, no.

Wasn't expecting that.

Or that. 

Or that.

Or that..

Oh good.

Oh wow.

Wow again..

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......

Mat may not need to go to Illian; all he may need to do is talk to its King - i.e. Rand.

Yes, I've seen that quote from BS. Perhaps wrongly, I was thinking that a link to the DO isn't the same as being able to sense the TP. But in any case, the apples incident shows that Rand is not under the DO's influence, which is how I read the phrase 'linked to the DO'.

If Rand was ever linked to the DO, directly or indirectly, then he isn't now, as the apples incident showed (ToM1).

What about Moiraine? Could the damage done to her by the 'finns be repaired?

What would be the point of her angreal, then?

Her version of the Little Fat Man?

What about Moiraine? Could the damage done to her by the 'finns be repaired?

Moiraine: "You accidentally married the Seanchan Empress?"

Could the TP be accessed in a stedding?

 

No.

 

INTERVIEW: Oct 20th, 2005

KOD Signing Report - Robert Mee (Paraphrased)

 

 

ROBERT JORDAN

 

Stedding: Neither the One Power NOR the True Power will work in a stedding.

 

 

Right, thanks!

Could the TP be accessed in a stedding?

Well, Birgitte made it sound like when they're called by the Horn they're not there 'in the flesh', and the One Power can't touch them. I assume that normal weapons cannot harm them either. She was able to ride a horse on water and shoot an arrow that set a whole Seanchan ship on fire, so she certainly isn't following the normal rules of reality, almost like a reverse T'A'R.

Birgitte's arrows are very interesting. They can cross from T'A'R into reality, as they did here, and also when she was ripped out of T'A'R by Moghedien.

It's all tied together, FSM, along with those twin heroes who are supposed to herald a new age.

It certainly is.

sorry, I don't think I know what you mean here.

That's because I was remembering wrong. It's Boann and The Dagda, and she makes fairly comprehensive summaries here and here.

Terez was talking about a possible way in which Rand might be resurrected, and the 'twice-dawning day'. The connection with Elayne's pregnancy comes up here at post 124:

*blows own trumpet*

A bit like my 'Olver is Gaidal Cain' theory.....

Yes. Yes. I know. I KNOW!!

But seriously, it's amazing how many newcomers to these forums think along those lines..

Actually it's a misquote. The original saying, according to Frank Muir and Denis Norden, was 'You can't have your kayak and heat it' - as many Inuit know to their cost.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/theenglishwespeak/2012/02/120221_tews_59_have_your_cake_page.shtml

.........what was that about the inter-book void.......

When an AS has more than one Warder, are the Warders aware of each other as she is of them?

 

I'm thinking of someone like Alanna, who had two Warders before she Bonded Rand - Ihvon and Owein. Owein was killed by WCs in TSR31; I'm wondering if Ihvon felt that.

 

But I'm really wondering about Rand's three in that triple Bond. Is any of them aware of the other two? And are any of them aware of Alanna?

 

Ihvon would have felt Alanna's pain and suffering when she lost Owein. Bascially, the surviving warder would know that something traumatic happened, but he/she wouldn't know the specifics of it.

He would, but I wondered if he felt it directly. Apparently not.

When an AS has more than one Warder, are the Warders aware of each other as she is of them?

I'm thinking of someone like Alanna, who had two Warders before she Bonded Rand - Ihvon and Owein. Owein was killed by WCs in TSR31; I'm wondering if Ihvon felt that.

But I'm really wondering about Rand's three in that triple Bond. Is any of them aware of the other two? And are any of them aware of Alanna?

Also, I have heard discussion in a lot of threads about AS releasing Warders from their bonds.

A lot of people ask why Rand didn't just make Alanna do this.

I have read through the entire series multiple times and don't actually remember anyone ever saying warders can be released from their bonds.

I remember multiple times that transferring the bond from one AS to another was mentioned.

Can anyone find a direct quote referring to an AS being able to release her Warder without transferring the bond to someone else?

"Warders don't run off often, boy. Most Aes Sedai will free a man who really wants to go - most will..."

It doesn't say, but I don't think a bond would be transferred under those conditions, not if the Warder really wants to go.

Ah well. Back to the drawing board.

 

Though I still maintain that it has nothing to do with humans or AS in that world. It's a lifeless world. Lanfear brought the grolms to further her plans. Perhaps it has something to do with the DO and the razor sharp burn marks where no plant will grow..

 

Razor sharp marks still sounds like rocket burns to me.

 

Perhaps, but I'm quite sure that heat from a rocket engine wouldn't create a sharp edge like that.

I would agree. You would need a source of heat so intense that all combustible material it touches burns so fast, consuming itself so thoroughly, that there is no time for fire to spread beyind its limits. That would take a very high-power laser or similar device. If it is done by the Power it would take great strength, skill and precision.

The streak in the sky is described as 'a wispy streak crawing across the sky like a line drawn with cloud.. too straight to be natural'. Rand saw this twice. I don't think they could have been meteors, which move very quickly. (Take a look if you have clear skies and are in a good location - we're currently getting the Perseids:

http://earthsky.org/...or-shower-guide)

They do indeed sound like contrails - but I suppose there are other things besides real-world aircraft that might produce them. (Take a look at Guards! Guards! for Errol, an example of a dragon that flames backwards..)

yeah, i don't know. I think that it was a case of RJ didn't want anyone to have the ability of flight because it would kinda be lame, Aes Sedai flying round everywhere fighting in the sky. Technically, you are probably correct, but I am happy that channelers can't fly round the place, Gateways are good enough IMO.

But we now see the Seanchan doing exactly that - on raken and to'raken. But at least those are animals, not machines. (And I'm hoping Mat will take to the air on one of them with a handful of Aludra's grenades!)

From EncWoT http://encyclopaedia-wot.org/characters/t/taringail.html

Taringail plots to become the first king of Andor. Thom Merrilin learns of the plot and Taringail dies in a "hunting accident". (TSR,Ch17, TFoH,Ch19)

Recall that Thom is known as the Grey Fox.. and has 'very special' knives. He's not just a gleeman.

Quick manufacture is required as well, since she is already in a war. Using people already trained in casting metal is the best way to do this so bellfounders using bronze was probably a big factor in her manufacturing plan to have them ready to fight the Seanchan.

 

True! I was under the misguided impression that Randland technology was advanced enough to allow "battle grade" steel cannons.

There are a few references to swords breaking (TSR10, TPoD22) - Manetheren was called 'the sword that cannot be broken', but was shattered in the end (EotW9). So it's something that Randlanders are used to happening. Steel that will break in swordfighting won't stand up to cannon firing.

We know for a fact that "steel" has been discovered in Randland. Perrin works steel; and Tairan steel is considered the best in Randland. The question(s):

- Is steel used in making cannons? And is it better than bronze?

- Why didn't Aludra make her Dragons from steel?

Some thoughts on metallurgy..

About making cannons. The quickest way is to cast them by pouring molten metal into a mould. You could start with a solid cylinder and bore a hole in it but that takes time and energy, especially if the metal is hard.

Bronze can be cast readily, and is strong enough to handle the explosive forces in a cannon, though it can be brittle. Steel is a problem. The word covers iron/carbon mixtures with varying proportions of carbon. The more carbon, the more brittle the metal, and it's not usually called steel. The basic form produced by heating iron oxide ore with coke (pure form of coal) to remove the oxygen leaves a metal with a lot of carbon, at least 2%. It can be cast easily, hence it is called cast iron, but it is very brittle indeed and a cast iron cannon would shatter with unfortunate results. Reducing the amount of carbon (by blowing air through the molten metal in a blast furnace) produces a stronger alloy, steel, but it is much more difficult to cast. You could build a cannon out of steel with more sophisticated manufacturiung methods, but I don't think Randland is quite up to that level yet.

But then you'd have to say what you mean by 'perfect'. To a craftsman or engineer, a 'perfect creation' is one that meets its purpose and fulfils its function, without faltering or failing, or having to be repaired or resupplied. We don't know what the purpose and function of Randland are. (It might be simply to exist.) It might have a built-in link with its Creator (or not, as the case may be). One thing it must have is a means of defending itself against the Dark One, and - if the DO is equal and opposite to the Creator - it's hard to see how a finite being such as the Dragon Reborn could oppose the DO. The Creator would either have to create him powerful enough to do the job, and therefore equal to the Creator; or provide him with access to the Creator's own power. Just possibly, that's what the Light in his brain is about.