I remember hearing that Robert Jordan was having trouble writing the first book.  He ended up changing rand form a middle aged man to a young man and it all worked out.  

As i was reading the Androl part of the story i couldn't help but wonder if the inspiration for him came from the original older version of  rand.  Has anything been said that would confirm or deny my suspicion?

So i think we have the tower at 600 but what about the stone of tear?

It was my understanding that the tree of life is just a tree genetically altered but still just a tree. Cut it down burn it with fire, giant earth quake should kill it. After the bore was sealed and the men went mad the cities were destroyed along with the trees. What trees did survive might have been cut down for wood in the chaos of the breaking. resources were scarce. The Aiel saved what they could knowing that the breaking would kill them all. I don't think the DO was any direct effect on them other than causing the breaking.

As for Mat it would make sense that he has a strong effect by something like that. The old blood runs strong in him. He spoke a whole battle cry in the old tongue in EOW. Not to mention it was a fateful moment for Mat. Strange things happen around mat at fateful moments.