I tend to agree with Suttree regarding Lucker's theory- partially. I think BS was looking for a way to nudge Aviendha into considering the future of the Aiel after the death of Rand and the last battle. Up to that point, no one had considered it. It had to be organic in some way. I think that he, or Maria, found something in the notes that intrigued him and he decided to flesh that out or manifest that as Nakomi. His quotes only referring to "something deep in the notes" not that he found Nakomi herself as a character deep in the notes. Personally, I alternate between viewing her as either a hero of the horn in TAR (the Avi incident bears all the marks of TAR and at the last battle the worlds had thinned enough at the bore that it might have been possible for Nakomi to interact with Rand physically) or that she is somehow a manifestation of the wheel. As RJ described it, the wheel is the most advanced AI computing machine imaginable. I lean slightly toward the former.

I agree that the Creator would not directly take part, and his doing so using an avatar seems to go against that, as he would have been influencing Avi in a particular direction. I DO think the voice in TEOTW and AMOL was the creator for a couple of reasons. All it basically said was 'I'm not taking part. It's up to the chosen. But the game to decide will be played later." Later in AMOL, all it said was 'Ok. Now it's time. This is the place." The fact that the DO expressed surprise when Rand entered indicates that he wasn't aware, whereas the voice knew. If it was the creator, none of what he said "influenced" anything. It just told Rand the rules of the game, so to speak. So no contradiction to RJ's words.

Obviously, BS had to actually know what she was once he decided to create a character to use in this fashion (though not Hoid, similar in function.) At the same time, I think he purposely has left it vague exactly as theory fodder. So BS and Peter can claim that she isn't there just to be theory fodder because she actually had a role, and yet the purposeful leaving of her as a mystery can be exactly for that reason. They can be technically accurate because she DOES play an important role (though personally, he could have achieved the same function without introducing new mysteries this close to the end) and yet the refusal to divulge any more can serve to provoke fandom into speculation since no new books will be coming out.

I will express the same irritation another poster mentioned at all the RAFO's we are getting after the fact. Yes, I know RJ wanted to leave some mystery- the pipe or the LTT/Rand one person/two people debates, for example. But frankly, beyond those, it just seems needless. It seems like they know that no more books are coming out, except for an Encyclopedia, and yet they want to keep the fans talking about the series forever. Personal opinion, I know. I am not holding my breath that the encyclopedia is going to answer philosophical questions or prophecy fulfillment. I wish it would, but I doubt it (would love to be wrong on this.) Especially if it is written "in universe" as the Guide is, because then the information is only limited to what a person in-world would know, with all their room for misinformation or error.

I just came across Rand's dream in EOTW too and it immediately jumped out as a foreshadowing of the later merging of Rand and Moridin.

And that thought gave me pause. Why would that be something to foreshadow so early and in the very first book? Later on, while riding with Almen Bunt, Rand has a dream where Thom says the Dragon is one with the land, setting up the very important Fisher King motif that is so crucial to this story.

Clearly RJ has planned out the end, having stated so himself many times, and put a lot of foreshadowing in his earlier books. Even BS mentioned another that he found in TGH, for example.

So again, why was it so important to plant this little seed regarding the merger? The other (known) foreshadowings, like the Fisher King motif, are hugely important to the situation (and no doubt, solution) at the very end.

So what does the merger mean? What does it provide that is going to be crucial at the end? In my mind, there are 2 possibilities.

1) Moridin returns to the light, partly in response to Rand's change in VoG and provides or contributes to the solution in some way.

To be honest, I don't buy this. Moridin is Ishamael. Now granted, he seems a cold fish emotion wise, at least in these last books (post resurrection). But if you go back and look at his (admittedly mad) behaviors in the early books, he seems much more emotional. He seems to delight in psychologically tormenting the boys, as well as DF's that fail him (ie: in TDR when Matt escapes TV), just as the other FS who are much more emotional also do.

And then there is this scene, in one of Rand's dreams.

 

Strange oval stones made the fireplace; they just looked like stones, wet-slick despite the fire, when he

looked straight at them, but when he glimpsed them from the corner of his eye they seemed to be faces instead, the faces of men and women

writhing in anguish, screaming silently.

This is not the first (nor the last time) that we see Ishy/Moridin (pre and post resurrection) surounding himself with imagery (possibly even being real trapped souls) of people in torment. And the other circumstances indicate it is not just as an element to frighten the boys.

And then there's this quote, mentioned by an earlier poster:

 

QUESTION

 

 

And now, just for fun:

Who's nastier: Moridin, or Padan Fain?

BRANDON SANDERSON

 

Still Moridin, by a long shot.

Clearly Moridin is still a very bad person, even though he is a nihilist. His use of cruelty doesn't just seem to be a means to an end, but something that he enjoys, at least on some level. His treatment of Lanfear every night in TAR is another good example.Human suffering doesn't seem to be just a tool but is aesthetically pleasing to him.