Who killed Barthanes, the gholam? And why? Surely he was still useful to darkfriends as powerful as he was..

Yes the gholam, and because he helped Fain.

I believe it's in CoT that Logain tells Rand that, following Rand's orders, half of the ashaman are out of the BT, including all of those who have bonded aes sedai.

I imagine some of those (those who have aes sedai) were at Maradon. Since they need both fighters and healers, they stuck the aes sedai with healing, the ashaman obviously being better fighters. Afterall war is what they specialise in. Also the aes sedai would be more or less under the ashamans's orders, which is perhaps why Ituralde never seemed to think about them.

Or it may be that the ashaman didn't feel they had the right to force the aes sedai to risk their lives. And also are trained to fight in battle and as such I imagine that they have set formations or tactics that are suited for a group of only men and so it would be difficult to bring the aes sedai into the fight as a group with the ashaman. If that made sense.

We haven't seen any reference to trolloc females or babies in the text, have we?

I believe female trollocs are kept for the sole purpose of breeding and nothing else.

This may seem like a silly question, but why did Rhuarc call Rand a "meegerling" at the beginning of TOM? I thought Rand came back enlightened and wiser?

Because he left everyone (again) at the end of tGS, and without telling anyone (again).

Thanks, that's an interesting theory about him being Asmo.

 

Next question..in TGH when Rand and co. find the second deserted village, he enters a house and see's the people who lived there get attacked over and over.. and has more and more flies covering everything plus he gets very cold. What was happening exactly?

It was a trap by Fain.

Why is Verins warder not around in tGH?

 

We are told taveren are used by the pattern to correct itself. Then what was the purpose of arthur pendragon?

 

 

Now hopefully those aren't unanswerable questions oO

She left him behind with the rest of the aes sedai.

I assume his purpose was to stop the false dragon, Guaire Amalasan. And maybe to teach the aes sedai some humility. Hell, the greather purpose might have been to have his son take over Seanchan so his descendants could return later on.

Two short questions that came to my mind while listening to the audiobooks again.

 

1. While the Kin get much older than the Aes Sedai (because of no oaths) is there anything known about this with the Aiel? I think Bair told a story about a famous Wise One, Mora, who was able to channel and who got very old (it was rumored about 300 years), till she died through a snake bite. But Bair wasn't sure about the age, she even was calling it kind of a legend. So why do we not know about Wise Ones getting much older than Aes Sedai? It seems unlikely that they did not tell anyone about it because of Bairs doubts - and she seems to be the oldest of Amys (second), Melaine and hers. So maybe only Sorilea (who can channel different from Bair) seems to be older than Bair.

Is it due to the living conditions of the Aiel - as it was indicated, that this very old Wise One just died because of a snake bite?

 

AFAIK, neither RJ nor BS ever commented on this. The issue has been discussed on the forums before and the general consensus seems to be that a lot of the Wise Ones (like Mora) died before their times due to harsh conditions of living in the Aiel waste. The only problem with that explanation is that it really makes no sense at all that Sorilea who can barely channel turned out to be the oldest Wise One. She is at the end of her natural lifespan but there should be a LOT of Aiel Wise Ones (pretty much all of the ones that can channel) who have much longer natural lifespans (500 years+). From statistical point of view it's extremely unlikely that every single one of them died before their time because of snakebites etc.

 

 

2. This is a question, I came up several times while rereading:

The story, Padan Fain told High Lord Turak about himself gaining the Horn of Valere, seems very similar to the story Mazrim Taim told Rand about how he gained one of the Great Seals.

 

Fain told Turak that it was in possession of his family for ages and that they swore the oaths to Hawkwing. They had been Lords in the time of Hawkwing, but now they are just small people. IRRC he said that his family was from the Borderlands (? not sure) and that he brought it to Turak because they were the legitimate followers of Hawkwing.

 

Taim told Rand that he got the seal from a farmer in Saldea who claimed that the seal was in possession of his family for ages. When Taim came to his farm he gave the seal to Taim because he thought Taim was the Dragon Reborn.

 

To me this stories sound very similar. While in the first way Fain could easyly tell the Horn was in the possession of his own family, Taim needed a proxy for his story, because otherwise it had been even more unlikely than the original story.

 

And to me both seem to be lies - for Fain's story there's no doubt - and for Taim we know that he is really certain a darkfriend (or maybe more - no, not Demandred ;) ), and that he maybe had a good reason to give the seal to Rand (gaining his trust and also Moridin wanting Rand to break the seals).

 

So my question about this is: Was RJ or BS or Team Jordan ever questioned about this one? Or can I find some further and enlightening discussion about it somewhere?

(otherwise there was a theroy in my mind, that is resembling my name and very unlikly, too ;) )

I don't believe there were any "official" comments on this issue either. Fain's story was of course a lie. Taim's was probably a lie too but it's hard to be sure. But I don't think there is anything in this beyond the seeming similarity that you mention. If you are implying some sort of hidden connection between Taim and Fain (or that they are even the same person?) I'm absolutely certain that there isn't one.

 

But there are certainly interesting questions related to these episodes. Namely, how did Fain know that the flag over Turak's residence was basically the same as that of Hawkwing's son Luthair. Mordeth was imprisoned in SH about a thousand years before Hawkwing's time.

The only somewhat reasonable explanation I've seen was that Mordeth talked to visitors to SH during his years there.

 

Another very interesting topic is Taim's reaction when Rand almost breaks the seal that Taim gave him. Taim seems genuinely horrified and it's not really clear why given that he is a high ranking DF and maybe even Moridin himself.

Perhaps he wasn't a DF yet. I've never really been convinced by explanations on why a DF would give one of the keys to their master's prison to basically his sworn enemy. Especially since the shadow has been looking to get those seals back since only shortly after that.

Question: What the #@&*! was Nicola all of a sudden doing in the middle of the battle in TAR with the BA in ToM only to be killed a second later? It was never fully explained and when Egwene wakes up, her line of thought on that is interrupted by the discovery of Gawyn and the dead bloodknives.

 

Question 2: How come Egwene's room wasn't warded or trapped when Gawyn burst in to save her from the bloodknifes whereas Egwene had done that the first time?

 

1) She stole one of the ter'angeal I believe.

 

2) It was, but the bloodknives used a servant to set off the traps and get her (the servant) caught instead of them. Egwene couldn't wake up even if she had an alarm set to do that, as the dreamspike kept her stuck in the dream.

 

 

Okay, that explains the second.

As for 1), Egwene commented on that when she met Nicola there along the lines of "she must have gotten a ter'angreal" but wouldn't those dream-ter'angreal have been closely guarded? And still... why would Nicola choose that moment to sneak into TAR? I think it's a bit too easy to assume she's just so naive as to think she could help.

Yeah, I know it's sort of ridiculous that she would get her hands on such a ter'angeal so easely, but there's no other way really. However knowing how reckless she is, how she always wanted to go faster in her lessons, and how much looked up to Egwene I don't find it too strange that she would try and help.

Question: What the #@&*! was Nicola all of a sudden doing in the middle of the battle in TAR with the BA in ToM only to be killed a second later? It was never fully explained and when Egwene wakes up, her line of thought on that is interrupted by the discovery of Gawyn and the dead bloodknives.

 

Question 2: How come Egwene's room wasn't warded or trapped when Gawyn burst in to save her from the bloodknifes whereas Egwene had done that the first time?

1) She stole one of the ter'angeal I believe.

2) It was, but the bloodknives used a servant to set off the traps and get her (the servant) caught instead of them. Egwene couldn't wake up even if she had an alarm set to do that, as the dreamspike kept her stuck in the dream.

Unfortunately Perrin attacked them first. Even if their behavior was hostile, they hadn't attacked him yet.

As to the second part you can't use the excuse of "they very probably would have unlawfully killed me so I unlawfully killed them first."

if a channeler is 13x13'd over to the DO's side, do they just become an evil person, or is it more akin to compulsion i.e., follow all orders from DF, BA, and the Chosen?

it would be the former. RJ explained the effects in an interview

 

Week 15 Question: When a channeler is forcibly turned to the Dark, is his/her former personality lost to eternity? Are they in a permanent state of mindless Compulsion? Furthermore, can a channeler forcibly turned to the Dark return to the Light unaided?

 

Robert Jordan Answers: They are not in a mindless state of Compulsion. Their former personality is twisted, the darker elements that everyone has to some degree elevated while what might be called the good elements are largely suppressed. I don't mean things like courage, which is useful even to villains, but they are unlikely to be very charitable, for example, and forget any altruistic impulses. Call it being turned into a mirror image of yourself in many ways. It is very unlikely that a channeler forcibly turned to the Shadow could find a way back to the Light unaided. For one reason, by virtue of the twisting he or she had undergone, it is very unlikely that he or she would have any desire to do so.

Unaided....

My money is on Rand to "heal" these people.

if a channeler is 13x13'd over to the DO's side, do they just become an evil person, or is it more akin to compulsion i.e., follow all orders from DF, BA, and the Chosen?

I think it basically brings out all the worst in a person, and completely suppresses their good side. I wonder how that would work on Egwene? (joking,joking)

I'm wondering if the false dragons might also hear voices. If I remember correctly, Rand learned a few new things from the voice of L.T.T. on at least one occasion. Might that also be the case with the false dragons?

Well that depends. Is voice caused by insanity from the taint? Or is it caused by Rand being the DR? If it's the latter then there is no reason for false dragons to hear voices.

The Asha'man shouldn't have used Compulsion on the Aes Sedai who invaded their homes seeking to gentle and kill them. They should have killed them all. And no, I'm not joking, not even a little bit.

 

It certainly would have been within their rights. The sheer gall of the Aes Sedai to be upset by this absolutely astounds me. You sent a war party to murder every man in the Black Tower and then you are upset that they dare bond those women and make them obey? You should have got on your knees and thanked the Asha'man for having the mercy not to slaughter every Aes Sedai on the spot. Not only did they not kill them, but as far as we've seen the prisoners have been fairly treated. And despite those that grumble that every thread is an Egwene bashing thread, it's a little hard to discuss this without mentioning that it is through Egwene's incredibly moronic thoughts on the subject that we are privy to the White Tower reaction. I don't think it's bashing to point out that she is being quite stupid and unfair about the situation. Then, later, Rand offers to allow Aes Sedai to bond an equal number of Asha'man (despite the fact that it was the Aes Sedai and not his men that were in the wrong to start with) and the Aes Sedai actually have the gall to believe that being on equal footing with the Asha'man isn't enough compensation for their terrible deed of sparing Aes Sedai lives. How can you do anything but shake your head at this undeserved ego-tism and idiocy?

 

Pretty much. That really bugged me. You forgot to mention the fact that the AS were still divided then, and Rand's people had caught Tower AS. He still let's Egwene's women Bond his guys. I mean, if that's not a straight up hand of friendship, (overdoing it, under the circumstances, in my opinion), I dunno what is. The reaction was beyond disgusting.

I know I was pissed when Rand made the offer for ashaman to be bonded. And even moreso when the aes sedai acted as though it was their due. Romanda barely even seemed to show any commeraderie for the bonded aes sedai, just because they were Tower aes sedai! Absolutely despicable.

A line I picked from book, about the boost in Rand's channeling strength.

 

Scene from Maradon

It began with waves of fire, much like the ones Ashaman used. Only these were far larger

 

Can this allude to his true strength in one power?

We already know he is far stronger than nearly all other ashaman. And he is skilled in fire.

I wonder whether Rand would be able to kill women after VoG. I hope so, but it wouldn't surprise me if he's back to being a complete idiot in this respect.

 

His inability to kill Lanfear at the docks was by far the dumbest act in the whole series, and that's really saying something. "I'll let the whole world get taken over the Dark One because I can't kill a woman who's as evil as it gets and is trying to kill me". Rarely I have wanted to slap a fictional character upside his head so much as I did when I first read this scene.

What's incredible is that, in that scene, Rand himself realizes how crazy he's acting, and yet still can not bring himself to kill Lanfear.

When Elayne arrives at the field of Merrilor at the end of ToM the clouds don't break there. They only break when Rand shows up. Are the effects on his girls through the bond wearing off?

 

Well she only just got there so there may not have been enough time for them to break. Rand's effect is probably stronger which is why they immediatly broke. I think they were described as on the verge of breaking right before Rand arrived anyway.

 

hmm, it was never mentioned earlier that it takes a long time for clouds to break over Rand's girls but perhaps that's it. However, the part about the clouds almost breaking I think is related to Rand's arrival not Elayne's presence. At least that's how I read it. Here is the quote

 

Egwene stood back, for now. Once she stepped forward, Elayne would have to kiss her ring and the entire procession would bow; that would spoil Gawyn's moment. As she waited, the clouds above grew thinner.

Suddenly they split, the dark thunderheads pulling back. The sky became an open field of blue, a deep, pure expanse. Elayne's eyes opened wide, and she turned on her horse, looking at Perrin's section of camp.

ToM, Ch 56

But perhaps there is enough ambiguity here to make your explanation plausible...

Or maybe Egwene was negating Elayne's effect(joking,joking).

now, that can be!

Well now that I see the actual quote (I was going by memory) the thinning of the clouds does seem to have more to do with Rand's arrival than Elayne, although it's hard to say. In any case I don't think Elayne's opposition to Rand's plan would affect her "ability" to break the cloudcover.

In the Age of Legends did people practice the 4th age religion? Did they believe that a prophesied hero would come to save them, and did they know that he was LTT?

They didn't need a savior. And while Rand is the savior of the world people tended to ignore that part because of all the suffering and destruction he's meant to bring. His coming was hardly something they looked forward to.

Also it's the third age not the fourth.

When Elayne arrives at the field of Merrilor at the end of ToM the clouds don't break there. They only break when Rand shows up. Are the effects on his girls through the bond wearing off?

Well she only just got there so there may not have been enough time for them to break. Rand's effect is probably stronger which is why they immediatly broke. I think they were described as on the verge of breaking right before Rand arrived anyway.

Or maybe Egwene was negating Elayne's effect(joking,joking).

The second time Aviendha goes to Rhuidean she sees the future of her descendants.

 

Do we know if the Wise Ones always saw the future when going there, or is this a recent change - and the Wise Ones did just see the past of their ancestors?

No they only saw the past. Aviendha went through a first time and saw the past but changed something with the terangreal and went through a second time seeing the future this time around.

I'm only half-way through the TOM, but I would like to know why Egwene hasn't asked Rand why the Seals have to be destroyed? The others haven't asked either, but she is plotting against him by usurping his rule with the monarchs of the realm. It would seem to me that she should've. After the way she maneuvered the Hall with the army/monarch thing I found myself disappointed that it never occurred to her to find out why he wants to destroy the seals.

This has been discussed to death in various Egwene bashing threads. I'm sure you've seen those. You won't find any answers in the book. Yes, she should have asked but Rand should have also explained his reasons better. He did with Nynaeve and she agreed. This was simply needed for correct plot development. That's usually the explanation when characters start behaving too irrationally.

You know while I don't agree with what Egwene is doing, I don't think anyone can fault her on this. She wanted to talk to Rand about it (although I wonder how much talking about why Rand wants to break the seals it would be, instead of just trying to force him not to do it. Aes sedai don't typically discuss things with people who aren't aes sedai.), and Rand said he would only talk about it at the FoM. Not much she can do at that point. Doesn't mean she has to radically oppose though, but that's another subject.

The person will have the smell too. In TGS, Hurin says that something smells really bad went he meets Rand. Though obviously he would never suspect Rand.