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DRAGONMOUNT

A WHEEL OF TIME COMMUNITY

Sephie913

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Posts posted by Sephie913

  1. Does it bother anyone else that Snakes and Foxes is a game that "can't be won," but based on the descriptions (mostly at the end of ToM), you can make a toss of the dice where the Snakes and Foxes don't move at all? Doesn't it follow that if you have a hot hand with the dice, the game is in fact winnable?

     

    Obviously, in CAN be won. The odds, however, are stacked so high against the player(s) that before ToM, no one knew anyone who had done it without cheating. Just because it's POSSIBLE to flip a coin 1000 times and have it land on heads every time, doesn't mean you've ever met anyone who's done it.

     

    - - -

     

    Jumara(sp) are the Worms, right? I know RJ's answer to what the Worms become is "nothing you'd want to meet", but is there a general agreement as to what that is, exactly?

     

    And what about how they were made in the first place? similar to trollocs? or a mystery, like the Gholam?

  2. Question: Everyone hates on Hinderstap. Why? Is it purely the WTF, left-field, never-to-be-seen-again element to the whole thing? Or is it a certain resemblance to the Zed word?

     

    Personally, I found those pages, as the sun went down, to be a fine, almost poetic counterpoint to the night in Tar Valon in TDR, when Mat is assaulted by "footpads".

    I loved the slow build of: something's wrong; no, something's really wrong; stop it, Mat, pay attention, something's REALLY wrong; MAT YOU FREAKING IDIOT GET OUT OF THERE!

  3. Any mentions in BWB or elsewhere of the Forsaken having children?

     

    Good question! That would be interesting, wouldn't it?

     

    I don't remember that it specifically states one way or another, but I imagine that in AoL, no one reproduces unless they want to(with advanced science and OP use being what it is). If the Forsaken are anything, they're selfish. Since parenting is an unselfish act involving sacrifice and dedication, I don't think any of the Forsaken would have even considered it.

  4. That's just the thing: I don't think there is more information about it. Clever us, we've figured out that it's (almost certainly) Justice. But there is little to no further information about the sword. Personally, I believe it is only a sword. Power wrought, maybe ancient, but only a sword. How it may affect the plot is just as interesting, though.

  5. I thought since the lord of chaos thing revealed Taim as a dark friend (I am one of those who are reluctant to resort to darkfriend until explicitly stated) that he saw a rescue was inevitable and so jumped in to show his worth. If Perrin and co hadn't of been right there, I doubt he would of gone in on his lonesome.

     

    Question time: Cadsuane said she wanted to teach Rand to laugh and cry, and Min said she had something to teach oth Rand and the asha'man. Rand learnt to laugh and cry pretty much on his own though in VoG, so the question: is 'Cadsuane still has something important to teach Rand and the asha'man' a theory that has been discussed around here?

     

    I always assumed Cad taught him to cry by bringing Tam to him. She caused the final snap, teaching him to laugh and cry. Not sure how she taught the Ashamen however. I'll never get that.

     

    I always thought that she only thought she was teaching him to laugh and cry. She did, of course, but that was incidental--the real thing she taught Rand about himself, and by extension all AM, was that they were not weapons, but men. That is the crucial lesson, the lesson that changed the world.

     

    AM will likely be a major power in the world post-TG, so imagine the difference between humans who wield OP, and maniacs who believe their only purpose is to kill. The difference between a world nearly intact, and another breaking.

  6. "You know" was all she said.

    --Min and Elayne scene(for the life of me, I can't remember where). For sheer brevity, that's the WoT equivilent of "Jesus wept."

     

    "Blood and bloody ashes!"

    --Mat, many many many many times. And Nynaeve, once.

     

    Many more, but I'd have to locate the WoT quote archive, and google betrayed me with a dead link.

  7. Maybe it's like the angreal, where they CAN draw the Power through it without touching it directly, bit it's more difficult. IIRC, Rand thought as much when the fat little man angreal was in his shirt pocket. (don't remember when, sorry)So maybe as long as the bracelet is within "angreal" distance, they're okay.

     

    10% on that, though. 90%, I think it's an honest mistake. I can't believe I never thought about that before.

  8. The whole Shaidar Haran 0.5 thing, is that of the Dark One, or is it of Jordan?

    It's a term Jordan used to describe the smiling Fade visiting Bors (and others); it was an early version of what was to become Shaidar Haran. I think that if he was to write those scenes now, he would have replaced the strange smiling Fade with Shaidar Haran.

     

    Noooooo!!!! X0

     

    Actually, the R&D of Superfade is one of my favorite parts of the series. I think it was intentional, that RJ wouldn't hange a thing. it was foreshadowing that we don't get until our second read through. I mean, sure, it seems ominous during the first read through, but you appreciate it much more knowing what it becomes.

  9. I was clutching at straws, as well, to support your theory. Not so sure about other evidences, but I believe it was via the WoT worldbook. And Ishy is different from other Chosen in a lot of ways, so it's possible (if not plausible, seeing as we've been inside his head) that he has knowledge from his hundreds of years of freedom. He likely has more knowledge about the ways than anyone else alive, except maybe Ogier.

  10. Could the corruption of the ways be due to some action of Sammel during one of his times free of the seal? This could give reason as to why the black wind would be controllable, yet seemingly uncontrollable to everyone else, since they know nothing of Sammel being free of the seal. I'm assuming other forsaken, since they would have a similar education in the power as its creator, since they all were from the AOL.

     

    Ishamael, you mean. :)

     

    IIRC, The Ways were made as a gift to the Ogier for the shelter they provided the male AS in the Breaking. The Ways were tainted, over time, by the taint on saidin, with which they had been made, and fell into darkness. Then people started disappearing, eaten by Machin shin(sp?). So it's (theoretically) possible that Ishy found a way to protect himself and others from the Black Wind, seeing as the taint=DO's touch. But it's unlikely, since Ishy has been around for a long time, and the trollocs he had control of didn't (that I recall) use the Ways, or at least, not overtly successfully.

  11. I wouldn't be surprised if the warderbond contributes to longevity. I don't remember any Red among the older Aes Sedai.

     

    yeah, or maybe that was just cuz they were bitter old b****es, and it festered and killed them. I've not seen any reds that didn't meet that criteria, either. ;)

     

    Really, I thought that drawing strength from the warders was the hidden perk. I don't think any non-AS know about it, while we see talk about the other stuff pretty freely.

  12. Siuan and Leane were stilled, then healed. When they were stilled, they were returned to "prime, child-bearing age". Since they have been healed, they will slow again, albeit to a lesser extend due to their relative weakness in the Power.

     

    Question: does this provide a key to channeler's immortality? Could repeated stilling and healing continually restore channelers to their prime, granting them (with slowing) another 2-3 hundred years? No that anyone would choose to do it, anyway, but the thought just occured to me.

  13. Firstly, thank you to everyone who has helped answer the questions I've had so far. I appreciate it.

     

    I have another question. In the interviews, someone asks about the vision Min has for Lan...

     

     

    http://www.theoryland.com/intvmain.php?i=96

     

    ...I don't know if that link works, but it's in the theoryland interview database. RJ confirmed that Min's viewings always predict the future, and my question is: do you think the vision of Lan with the seven towers around him has been fulfilled by him raising the army, will be fulfilled amidst AMoL, or is it near-guaruntee that Lan will survive despite all odds?

  14. Interesting. I figured Graendal would be highly intersted in that sort of thing. (Semirhage and Graendal both seem more set on psychology than the others)

     

    I have another question. (I have the feeling I should know this, but I'm drawing a blank) Whatever happened to the Seanchan Seeker of Truth? the one who investigated Egeanin. What's going on with him? I don't remember when we last saw him, what he did last, if he's dead or alive. Anyone who could help me out, I'd be grateful. He was(is)such a cool character.

  15. 300 feet is HUGE, when every other building in the area is 30 feet tall.

     

    I admit, I see WT as a TOWER several times as tall as it is wide, but that's likely just a cultural assumption. If the tallest building in Indianapolis was 10x as tall as all the rest, I'd find it impressive no matter WHAT shape it was.

     

    This is a really neat thread, one of the few that can go into the most intricate details and keep me interested.

    ---------

    Someone asked about the size of the Stone of Tear, and if anyone has any thoughts on it, it would be cool to read.

     

    Another thought. I just finished ACoS reread. Many of the buildings in the Rahad in Ebou Dar are said to be six or more stories tall. Does anyone know how feasable this is with that level of technology? (Though, since RJ's said late-17th century tech., I suppose it might click.)

     

    I just woke up, so perhaps it's not the best time to be posting, but much of "Old Tar Valon" also constructed by the Ogier is pretty tall. Doesn't Mat speak of bridges fifty spans or paces in the air in the Dragon Reborn?

     

    I should find a quote.

     

    The Dragon Reborn - The First Toss

    Twilight was beginning to cover Tar Valon, but there was still enough light to grace the fantastical buildings, and the oddly shaped towers connected by high bridges spanning open air over hundred-pace drops.

     

    ...

     

    Ogier had built the great buildings and towers of Tar Valon, but other, newer parts had grown under the hands of men. Newer meaning two thousand years in some cases. Down near South-harbor, men's hands had tried to match, if not duplicate, the fanciful Ogier work. Inns where ships' crews caroused bore enough stonework for palaces. Statues in niches and cupolas on rooftops, ornately worked cornices and intricately carved friezes, all decorated chandlers' shops and merchant houses. Bridges arched across the streets here, too, but the streets were cobblestone, not great paving blocks, and many of the bridges were wood instead of stone, sometimes as low as the second stories of the buildings they joined, and never higher than four.

     

    So these Ogier built towers in "Old Tar Valon" reach over 300 feet high if they have bridges connecting them together at that height. That's more than half the height of the White Tower (and it's more than half the height regardless of whether or not you agree or disagree with the foot = foot conversion, as 100 paces (the height of the bridges) is half of 100 spans (the height of the White Tower). Even so, the White Tower dominates even them.

     

    As for whether 6-8 or so stories tall was feasible in 16th century tech, I can't say.

     

    Speaking of time period, I've always wondered about the level of industry and the economy in this world. On my first read when I was much younger I kind of imagined it being an earlier setting, but these people are obviously printing books and other things. What's their textile industry like? What else?

    only the seanchan have a printing press at this point, i remember it being mentioned somewhere, the westland books are done by scribes. but yah rj seemed to love to describe things, but something he sorely neglected was technology. i would think that as the seanchan have printing presses that they would have automatic looms (it is suprisingly similar tech) but i would bet the looms in the westlands are hand run and operated (don't think i've even heard of one waterwheel or even windmill in this series, although an auto loom can be ran by a hand crank or pedals just like a small printing press can be). as for a 6 story 16th century building, look at venice, a city with a large number of buildings that pre-date the 17th century, and allot of those buildings are at least 4 stories. many are 5 or more, and only some are over 6. it also has canals which makes it a great analogue for the rahad.

     

    as for other buildings in tar valon reaching 300 feet, that just makes a 600 foot centerpeice all the more awe inspiring.

     

    I actually thought specifically of Venice in support of the Rahad. Nice to see I'm not too far off base. :)

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