I, personally, don't think he's dead. All they would have to do is wound him enough to get by him, as their most sought after goal was Mat/Thom/Moraine.

I think we'll see him again.

So he's not the "Dark" One... he's the pending Blue Screen of Death?

It puts a whole new twist on the entire Blue Ajah... trying to control the world and following poorly written prophecies as if they were programs by which they/we should guide our lives.

I'm getting a major "Agent Smith" vibe about Moraine right now...

"What are you trying to do, Mister al'Thor?"

I see them as pitch black, woolen capes that almost have weights (coins?) sewn into them every couple of inches, making them hang down - ignoring the wind.  I agree that it it is tied to the "life" force of the eyeless, as there are several times when RJ has described dead myrddraal with their capes fluttering feebly.

I could see a group pic of all the Randland folks, wind blowing hair, dresses and cloaks all over, and the lone myrddraal in the corner standing, totally unaffected by the wind, unnatural as heck, because it looks like a photoshop job...  It's supposed to look unnatural... it's their "nature.

While I will third the vote for Egwene, I have to clarify...

"Hottest" for what purpose?  For pure physical encounters, I am torn between Egwene and Min...

But the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with, due to force of personality and the way she is portrayed in the books, is Birgitte.  I don't really care for blondes - or tall women - but her personality is one that makes me want to share a beer with her (like Mat did, cheeky bastage!).

I, personally, find the Aes Sedai to be conceited.  They beleive they have the right to decide how the world should be ran.  Alot of them even think that rulers have no right to their thrones unless the White Tower thinks they should.  They are especially stuck up when it comes to the one power.  They think that they own the OP and no one except those that they choose, have the right to even touch it.  If most Aes Sedai had their way, using the OP without, the white towers consent, would be punishable by death.

 

I find this very foolish, since I'm pretty sure the Aiel Wise Ones had been using the OP before the White Tower was even formed. 

Most Red Aes Sedai would have gentled Rand before the Last Battle just to prove that the Dragon Reborn wasn't beyond their power.  The Aes Sedai actually beleives that without the White Tower, the world would be dextroyed without them to police the would and manipulate everyone like puppets.

Name an organization/political group/ruler outside of the Ogier that DOESN'T think in this manner?  Everybody other than Rand, Mat and Perrin and the flamin' Ogier want the whole WORLD to bend to the way THEY want, and the ones I named just want to be left alone.

Yes, the Aes Sedai want to bend the people to their will, because the way they do things is the RIGHT way, but

The White Cloaks want to bend the people to their will, because the way they do things is the RIGHT way, and

The Seanchan want to bend the people to their will, because the way they do things is the RIGHT way, and

The Aiel want to bend the people to their will, because the way they do things is the RIGHT way, and

The Sea Folk want to bend the people to their will, because the way they do things is the RIGHT way, and

The (insert King/Queen/Ruler here) want to bend the people to their will, because the way they do things is the RIGHT way, and

Even the Tua'than want to bend the people to their will, because the way they do things is the RIGHT way, but don't have the swords to enforce thier philosophy.

The groups in Rand-land are exactly the same as the groups here in Reality-land - self-motivating control freaks that want everyone to let go of their own cultures and morals and to follow their own value sets.

It's one of the reasons I like the books so well.  They're REAL!!