I am confused and unsettled by the so-called 13+13 procedure in WoT. Is it primarily meant to determine whether the candidate can handle the power of saidar and is ready to ascend into the circle of the Aes Sedai, or is it a form of mental influence and control over the test subject by a dominant examiner? Does Jordan describe this method as an act of mental violation and the imposition of the examiner’s own will? If I have understood it correctly, then this is a reprehensible act in Tar Valon and reveals a shameful and dark side of these otherwise so powerful figures in the epic. Am I the only one who sees this procedure so negatively, or are there others who share my opinion?

Is there a way to find a friend of mine who was an active member of Dragonmount by entering his avatar name into a search engine? I would like to reconnect an old friendship! Please let me know if there exits such a possibility!

I'm missing the silver dragon pin....I bought one a few years ago but must have lost it somewhere. No chance to purchase it again?

Naturally you have to rely on the knowledge of your ancestors. No one can expect you to think through, analyze, and verify the validity of humanity’s scientific achievements from the ground up by yourself.

Dear Elgee, In amateur radio (ham radio), the number “73” is a widely used sign-off or greeting that means: “Best regards” or “best wishes.” The use of numerical codes in telegraphy goes back to the 19th century, when telegraph operators used shorthand codes to save time. “73” specifically comes from the Phillips Code, a shorthand system created by telegraphers in 1879. In morse code you send two dashes followed by three dots, than a little pause and then three dots followed by two dashes. So --... / ...-- Spoken thus: dah dah di di dit / di di di dah dah Another code would be 88, usually sent by female radio amteurs, meaning: “Love and kisses” (used more in personal messages) I hope I could be of some help!

My "dictionary" does help me a lot in recognizing minor characters, and as you surely are aware, there are tons of them! I wonder how Jordan kept track of all those people, their interconnections and their activities. I am not sure he had already then the help of a computer, but i might be mistaken there.

According to my research, the first recorded use: around the late 12th century, but the longbow became particularly well-known and widespread in the 14th and 15th centuries, especially during the Hundred Years’ War (1337–1453). The most known battles with longbowmen were at Crécy (1346), Poitiers (1356), Agincourt (1415). The british longbow could be deployed for effective combat range up to 200 meters and ist was so powerful, that it could penetrate armor and shields!

In any case, I’m planning a “re-read” of the series, but I need to find enough leisure time to tackle it. After all, English is not my native language, and I’m expecting it will take me a good one to two years to read!

Dearest Elgee, thanks for your encouraging words, but as a he/him I would rather pursue the way of the warder. Could you tell me on how to proceed with my intention. Tell me whom I must turn to in order to achieve this goal. There must be someone who can and wants to take me under their wing. As I can remember from days past (in the earlier days of "Dragonmount"), there was an advancement road via Apprentice to Tower Guard to Warder.... Would appreciate your counsel very, very much... Greetings and 73 --... ...-- from Calean

Great, great, great...I could almost fall in love with her. I never dealt with AI creating art, maybe you could tell me, what program I had to download. Compliments!!

Is Logain a nice guy? I guess mostly—yes, but not always and unconditionally. He’s charismatic, handsome, and ultimately fights for the Light, even standing against Demandred in one of the series’ most iconic clashes. But Logain is also irascible, lofty, and carries deep scars that make him unpredictable. That mix of strength, tragedy, and stubborn resilience is exactly what makes him compelling. In addition he is involved in the forced bonding of Toveine Gazal and Gabrelle, something I find personally detestable. His action is at last somewhat mitigated when he seems to fall in love with his fosterlings, but the overall impression is nevertheless the picture of sex-slavery (did I misconceive this chapter?) In summary I find him an interesting and multifaceted personality and I get it that many readers can’t help but fall for him, even with all his shady sides. Please tell me if my assessment of Logain is totally amiss and if so, where you perceive my misinterpretation.

The ANTHROPIC PRINCIPLE suggets that the universe appears as it was made specially for sustaining life and the creation and first and formost for humankind. Yet what we know from evolution is that we were designed by a process that is UNTHINKING and has no INTENTIONS whatsoever: We ARE what HAPPENS in this universe. I like the“puddle analogy” in particular, a thought experiment attributed to Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) to illustrate the anthropic principle and to critique fine-tuning arguments—especially the claim that the universe must have been designed because it seems perfectly suited for life. What are your thoughts and do you want me to elaborate on the "puddle analogy"?

Abareim Ellid: †. Alongside Sarene, she was the most beautiful of the Accepted, fully conscious of the charm she wielded. Golden hair framed a flawless, radiant face, her eyes gleaming like sapphires, and her figure was both graceful and voluptuous. She aspired to become a Green, dreaming of one day having six Warders, yet fate intervened—she perished in the Ter’Angreal during her test for the sash. Is there anyone with the artistic skill to bring her to life in a drawing? I’d be thrilled to see it! as always, greetings and 73 from Caelan

I guess the answer should be "yes". Men obviously have still their free will, though they might get a little (or larger) "nudge" into one direction or another. But the Pattern It cannot force individuals to act in a specific way. The Pattern, however, creates powerful protagonists (above all the ta’veren) who possess considerable influence and can ‘give the Pattern a push,’ so to speak. This seems to create a kind of balance of power with the Dark One’s influence, don’t you think? Greetings to all of you, vy 73 from Caelan

Thank you for your remarks; I respect your views. I do, however, tend to prefer stories with more dynamism and development, and I love it when the plot unfolds and is presented at a somewhat brisker pace. But fortunately we don’t all have the same preferences or the same taste — that’s probably what sets us apart from faceless ants, although I’m not entirely sure there aren’t different personalities among them as well. Greetings and best 73 to all of you!

Sorry, I must have missed that detail....I will try to look it up!

Dear HeavyHalfMoonBlade Thanks for your kind reply. I would like to clarify something here; "faith has at least two quite different implications: The first meaning is practical, relational, and evidence-based. You have faith in a friend because they’ve proven dependable. You have faith that the sun will rise tomorrow. You have faith in a scientific theory because it makes reliable prdictions and is peer revied. The second meaning is more philosophical or religious, often proclaimed in lack of good evidence Religious believers might have faith in God even without empirical proof. Someone might have faith that “everything happens for a reason” despite no strong evidence. Arguments about “faith” often get messy because one person is using the the first definition while the other is using the belief-without-evidence definition. Anyways, thanks for your very kind welcome, I still feel a bit lost here (taking into account my limited knowledge of your native language) All the very best, 73 from Caelan

I don’t have faith (or very little of it). Faith is the excuse people give for believing something when they don’t have evidence. I want to believe as many true things and as few false things as possible. Faith is not a virtue. Faith is gullibility. It’s evidence that determines whether or not your perception of reality is reasonable … (Matt Dillahunty) I always strive to form my own opinion after carefully considering and weighing as much of the available arguments and evidence as I can. Questioning critically is not a weakness—it is a virtue. (Caelan 2025)

From the passages in the Wheel of Time series, one might infer that the bow was the principal weapon of the inhabitants of the Two Rivers. Yet it remains unclear which style of bow they favored. As is commonly recognized, there are four principal types of this armament: the longbow, the recurve bow, the composite bow, and the short bow. Does anyone have an idea what might have been preferred by the courageous people of the Two Rivers? I think I’m right in saying that crossbows were still completely unknown in this region during the time of the first Wheel of Time book. Or am I off base?

Thanks again, I try my best with the help of an old fashioned dictionary and my grammer book from secondary school. I try to improve my english by listening to political comments in the US - right now there are more than enough of them to kindle my curiosity 😃!

Hi Elgee! I tend to compare the Dark One with the devil in christian mythology. The devil is generally understood not as a creator in the same sense as the "creator of the universe" (not claiming actually, that there exists one in the first place. But this is another topic to be discussed elsewhere). Rather, he is a being who distorts, corrupts, or deceives what already exists. So while God creates something truly new, the devil’s “work” is more about manipulation, imitation, or perversion of creation rather than original creation itself. But again, many thanks for your reply (its the second one I received sind being a "rookie" in this forum! All the very best and 73 from Caelan

Did I tell you already, that I wrote a lengthy "dictionary" with all the 2444 persons mentioned in the wheel of time series? It helps a lot looking up actors and heroes you might have forgotten about. The volume contains 57 pages (very small fonts!) Beg you pardon for my limited knowledge of your language. Anyways, thanks a lot for the very first comment I received as a newcommer to this site! Greetings and vy 73 from Caelan

Are the detailed descriptions of clothing—especially Nynaeve’s—superfluous or essential? I’ve been thinking about the amount of attention Robert Jordan gives to clothing, particularly women’s dresses and Nynaeve’s outfits. Personally I find these descriptions excessive, while some others argue they’re an important part of the worldbuilding and character development. Do you feel the detailed dress descriptions add depth to the story and the cultures of the world, or do they pull you out of the narrative? And how do you think they reflect Nynaeve’s personality and growth? Is it all for the sake to be pretty for Lan?

I read the whole of the series twice but I must confess I simply forgot much of the details told therein. So if I had to comment on a specific topic I would have to reread that particular part again. Is my memory already that poor? What's going to happen if I come into age? 🤥

In the fog-dimmed streets of Victorian London, a wealthy surgeon walked with brisk purpose. The city lay in its usual cloak of soot and shadow, where lamplight struggled to hold back the night. As he turned a corner, he paused beside a narrow alley where a beggar seemed to lie slumped against a wall, one arm stretched across the cobblestones. The beggar, evidently compelled by bitter poverty, accepted a deal with the surgeon: for a considerable sum, he would sell his left hand, which the doctor then removed in an operation. The rough, worn hand had been carefully washed and manicured beforehand. The surgeon carefully wrapped the beggar’s surgically removed hand and sent it to a specific address in London. There, a group of people sat together around a table. They opened the package, examined the amputated hand with scrutiny, nodded in approval, and afterward discarded the hand. If you can solve this riddle in a compelling way, I will call your name (your avatar) on an amateur radio frequency and praise your acumen and powers of deduction beyond measure. The world will listen to me—by the way, the message will, of course, be transmitted in the classic manner via Morse code.