I assume it's tequila, Robb

No. Tequila is made from the agave plant. Oosquai is made from corn (zemai= anagram for maize). I imagine it's something closer to corn whiskey, or moonshine.

 

i always thought it was made from cactus juice for some reason.

i'm sure something is made of cactus

 

So did I.

 

 

I Always thought that Oosquai was Mezcal, those mexican spirits made of agave (but not exacly Tequila)... Mezcal is more rustic, with an artesanal process, and poorly destilated. ^^ Some bottles come with a dead vermin inside... that just seen so Aiel to me!!!!

 

The mentioned that Oosaqual was made from corn so I just assumed that it was moonshine.

Considering what all of Jordan's other characters were based on I think the best way to find the answer would be to find some mythical figure that resembles Nakomi in some way.  I think RJ once said that the Aiel were based on the Irish, Native Americans and the Zulu so maybe she's based on something from one of these cultures.

I notice that every time we do this the order of my list varies slightly but I can say with confidence that for me 

TSR - LoC was the best part of the series followed by:

EtoW - TDR then:

KoD - AMoL and CoS and finally

PoD - CoT is the worst part of the series (though there were still some great moments here)

14. Crossroads of Twilight

13. Path of Daggers

12. Crown of Swords

11. Winter's Heart

10. Knife of Dreams

9. Tower's of Midnight

8. A Memory of Light

7. The Dragon Reborn

6. The Gathering Storm

5. The Eye of The World

4. The Great Hunt

3. The Fires of Heaven

2. Lord of Chaos

1. The Shadow Rising

The truth of the matter is that we really don't know much about power-wrought weapons in the AOL.  There may have been many different types with various powers.  Granted that in the few power-wrought weapons we see the only attribute seems to be that they never need sharpening, but if other powers aren't possible what would being power-wrought add to a hammer?  Honestly however, I got the impression that Perrin's hammer is not just power-wrought but is ter-angreal as well.

I generally tend to sympathize with the main characters surviving, at least to close to the end.  RJ had created this rich cast of characters, and most of them had very specific parts to play in the story.  When you're writing, one of the most difficult things to do is flesh out characters, and once you start killing them off, you generally have to then make MORE characters.

 

GRRM does this masterfully, but few other authors that I've read do.  Many times the "reserves" are thinner all around as characters.  As for bad guys getting killde off, well, there's generally more of them to start with, and many times their sole role is to be a character shaping tool for one of the protagonists.  Once that role is done, it's curtains for them.

l generally agree with this and I really don't have a problem with the majority of the main characters surviving.  Especially since there were some pretty heart wrenching secondary character deaths such and Suian, Rhuarc, Davrem, Hurin.  Granted I would have preferred if the latter two had had actual death scenes instead of just being mentioned in passing but these were all characters who I like and it was hard to see them go.  There are, however, two other main characters who I thought should have died.  Its not that I dislike these characters, in fact I like both of these characters very much.  I just feel that their deaths would have served the story well.

The first is Perrin.  While a lot of people came to dislike Perrin as the story went on I was not one of them.  Perrin started out strong and finished strong, he had some dark moments in the middle and did some things that I disagree with, but still I remained confident that he would see the error of his ways and would eventually do the right thing, and this faith payed off.   None the less, given that there was so much emphasis on Perrin needing to be there for Rand at least twice of Rand would fail I really thought that Perrin should have ended up sacrificing himself to save Rand.  I think the whole point of Perrin's obsession with Faile even too the point of being distracted from his mission for Rand was to instill the reader with the fear that Perrin just might not be there for Rand at one of these crucial times.  Thus, I think Perrin actually sacraficing his own life for Rand would have provided a much better pay off and would have added a nice twist to necessity of him being there for Rand.

The second is Lan.  Now while I ultimately felt that Lan's death would have served the story well there is one caveat, throughout the entire story I was pulling for Lan to survive the last battle mainly because his death seemed so obvious.  The irony of Lan was that he was that he had a serious death wish, but was just too good at what he did to allow anyone to ever fulfill it.  So while I had been pulling for Lan to not only survive TG but also find a reason to go on living (which he did), when it came down to the final chapters I found myself wanting Lan to die.  Lan was arguably the greatest swordsman of the 3rd age.  No matter how many battles he entered no one, no matter how skilled, could ever best him (And while it was never tested I'm willing to bet that he could have even taken out a farmer with a staff).  Therefore, when he donned the foxhead medallion and road forth to face a man who had recently defeated two of The Light's greatest swordsman and one of its most powerful channelers I knew were in for something huge.  Indeed in his battle with Demandred Lan finally found his equal and realizing that this was the one opponent he could not defeat with the sword he realized that the only way to take him out was to make the ultimate sacrifice and sheath the sword.  When this happened I thought "now that is the perfect end for Lan."  But then what happened?  Lan ends up surviving sheathing.  To me this cheapened not Lan's sacrifice but also the entire concept of sheathing itself.  Sheathing just always seemed like the ultimate act of self sacrifice and no one should ever survive it. 

One thing that does strike me about the final scene is Nyneave's absence.  When RJ sated that he had known the end even before be began to write the series he noted that Nyneave was in the final scene.  This leads me to believe that it was originally going to be Nyneave who watched Rand riding off in Moridin's body but that at some point she was replaced with Cadsuane.   Thus, I do believe that at some point  Cadsuane's involvement in the epilogue was expanded .  This could lend some credence to the notion that Brandon decided to make her Amyrlin and did so because he had decide to kill off Egwene.  However, a few points that also must be considered are that there is no reference to Cads being Amyrlin in this particular scene, and the comment about Nyn was from a very old quote so it may have been RJ who decided to remove her from the scene in favor of Cads.

Granted the above is all speculation but personally I do think that Nyneave would have worked better in this scene. Not only had Nyn known Rand since he was a small child, but by the end to the story of all the Two Rivers folk she was the one who was closest to him.  The other three Two Rivers youths had all spent the later part of the series going about their own agendas, while Nyn is the only character who remained constantly loyal and dedicated to Rand. Thus she of all people would be equipped recognize him even without his original body.  It would also provide a nice contrast as her story began with her relentlessly pursuing Rand and would have ended with her letting him go. 

Regardless of what was in the notes about Egwene I think her ultimate fate as intended by RJ should have been apparent as RJ did write the epilogue.  Egwene was a major character and therefore if she survived that last battle she surely would have been present in the epilogue.  Its possible that the notes on her death were sparse and that Brandon had to come up with a way to kill her off, but it seems impossible that her ultimate fate was unknown.  Therefore, I am pretty confident that RJ did kill Egwene.  As to Brandon being coy I think he just has a bit of his predecessor in him, RJ did love to keep fans in suspense and watch them squirm.  Being a WOT fan himself I think Brandon just wants to carry on that tradition.

Well, that settles that then. Thank You Suttree for the info.  However, I really don't see how the story demanded Bela's death.

As some of you may remember in one of his many interviews before the release of AMoL Brandon Sanderson stated that he had found a way that a certain character could survive but Harriet put her foot down saying "This characters dies."  Now that we know which characters did die I thought I'd create a thread for speculation on which character she was referring to.  Any thoughts?

 

After 23 years of loyal readership I think we finally deserve some straight answers for a change.

Sorry but are you joking?

Its a legitimate complaint but meant to be presented in a humorous way so as to convey that there is no true anger or malice involved.  That being said I always took RAFO to be a failsafe against spoilers.  After all if the plot was to involve more on a given topic then we really didn't want those questions answered anyway.  Now the the plot has completely resolved, however, I don't see the point in continuing to be secretive.  There's no more plot to spoil so why not just answer all questions?

 

 

 

If BS hadn't introduced Nakomi in ToM, then (to my current level of understanding) RJ would introduce her as an unnamed Aiel character in the Epilogue (the last I heard, Rand exiting the cavern was an RJ scene, slthough if it's only strongly RJ influenced scene, then I withdraw the objection :) ).  I don't know which would be preferable, but all BS really did was give her a name, *shrugs*

 

That's really the question though, and i'm not sure we're gonna get it answered (even though its a process question, not really a content question). I get the sense that BS is a little shaken that Nakomi drew such interest (which is surprising and  disappointing in itself).  My take is that this was an 'Androlesque note' by BS that

 

Keith Pishnery (13 January 2013) Did RJ say that Nakomi should be included? You said she was "deep in RJ's notes" but wondering if it was up in the air?

Brandon Sanderson (13 January 2013)  "I said something deep in the notes made me include her. I have not said if she herself was in the notes or not."                                     

ended up raising questions he cant answer.  I say that because per BS:

 

Anything in the epilogue (written by RJ) could never be described as 'deep in the notes'. If RJ wrote it, it was going to be included and hence nothing would 'make me include her'. I wouldn't call that definitive, but it seems pretty strong evidence that the Nakomi scene was not written by RJ. The problem with that is that even if there was supposed to be a random Aiel outside the PoD, BS fleshed her out (especially with the Avi scene) and if he's spitballing its troubling. Maddening actually. Even if that character was designated to exist, giving her a name, showcasing her 'Rand magic', showing her randomly in the waste, etc in a sense leads the witness. Instead of a draw your own conclusion about who this unknown Aiel woman is and whether she is important/powerful, we are rather wrangled into figuring where she belongs in the cosmology of Randland.  Which kinda demands a better answer than RAFO. You don't just drop a major player into the very end of a mythology with no explanation, and then claim, dont worry, she's not that major. The hell she's not.

 

My impression has been that the mysterious Aiel woman was mentioned or written in the cave exit scene by RJ.  Based on that, BS asked Maria and the 2 looked in the notes and came up with Nakomi.  She then filled a role in Avis bit, so BS used her there.  But this is based off the assumption that RJ heavily influenced the cave exit, and that BS wrote Avis Rhuidean. 

 

But it doesn't really matter who wrote her in, I enjoyed the speculation after ToM (although I came late to it), I wish there was either more information about who she was, or that she hadn't appeared in MoL.  I guess we'll see what shows up in the encyclopedia, or if he'll start to be more forthcoming.

I agree with all of this. If they come up with something in the encyclopedia, well and good. If not, for me its a very significant fly in the ointment.

I find it extremely annoying, nay maddening that Team Jordan is now RAFOing the flaming encyclopedia.  An encyclopedia is just a book of information, it has no plot and therefore cannot be "spoiled."  The main sequence is finished, the plot has resolved and the final curtain has fallen.  There is no more story to be told so blood and bloody ashes just answer our flaming questions already!!!!  After 23 years of loyal readership I think we finally deserve some straight answers for a change.

I think she is similar to Shadr Haran  except for the creator. She plants ideas in Aviendhas head and then she (presumably) appears after Rand defeats the Dark One. I think she initiated the body swap with power given to her by the creator similar to the true source but probably different. That was the creator rewarding Rand.

I agree that Nakomi probably is The Creators version of Shadar Haran, however, I always thought that The True Power itself was The Creator's own power.  Unlike the Dark One who selfishly hoards his power for himself, The Creator used his power to create a world and gave over his power to that world in order to sustain it.  Because his creation is a world of balance he divided his power into two very different but complementary halves.  This was in kind reflected in his creatures who were divided into two very different but complimentary genders.  This, of course is just my personal thoughts on the subject.  Neither RJ nor Brandon nor any member of Team Jordan had ever said anything to support this.

I think she is The Creator's version of Shadar Haran, something akin to an avatar but not quite containing his entire essence.  As to why he would choose the form on an Aiel i cannot say, perhaps due to their association with his champion, The Dragon.

and i figure that by this point, if it was a blakc sister that did heal her, RJ would have said so in the books either by a Black sister bragging about or Cyndane mentioning it.

I wouldn't count on it.  The first time I read TFoH I expected the find out the identity of Asmodean's killer in book six through one of those two methods.  Then when I got books six, well you already know the rest of that story (LOL)  What you are suggesting just wasn't RJ's style, he really liked to keep us guessing.  Keep in mind that the text of WOT never actually states that Osan'gar and Aran'gar are Aginor and Balthamel (though RJ did confirm this when asked directly by a fan) nor that Moridin and Cyndane are Ishameal and Lanfear.  He left enough clues for us to figure these things out but he never right out tells us.  I won't be one bit suprised if we never get an explaination for why Cynade experienced a reduction in power, though if that does turn out to be the case then I think we will be able to safely assume that it was the effect of healing since this is the only presidented way for a person's stregnth in the power to be reduced.

Now since Moriden can use the True Power, a limiting weave that would be undectable by those using Saiden or Saider would seem a better possibility.

Excellent point, I hadn't though of that.  It could be that Lanfear has be fitted with a partial shield similar to what she put on Asmo but made of the true power so she can't detect it.  Nice theory.

^very good points. but the mind trap doesn't effect Mohegidens ability to channel

Red you really need to lean to pay attention when you read, I clearly covered the Moghedien issue.  Now go back, re-read my post and try to come back with an INTELLIGENT response. 

Sorry if this seems a bit harsh but it is frustrating when someone comes back at me with an argument that I have already addressed. 

Here are a few possibilites we haven't considered:

1. Could Cyndane be partially shielded in a way similar to what she herself did to Asmo?  The biggest confounding variable in this hyothesis is that we don't know if this can be done to a channeler with out them knowing.  Channelers certainly do seem to know when they have been fully shielded, that is to say they seem to know that they have been sheilded as opposed to severed.  However, this partial shielding is a whole differnt ball game, so perhaps a channeler can be partially shieled without him/her knowing the source of his/her reduced stregnth.  Asmo did know that he had been partially shielded but he knew because Lanfear strait out told him that's what she was doing.

2. Could it be an effect of the mind trap?  We really don't know exactlly what a mind trap does, but it does seem to give the holder of the mind trap some degree of control or influnce over the person in the mind trap.  Moghedian doesn't seem to be experiencing any reduction in power, but perhaps it is all up to the discression of Moridin.  So why would Moridin choose to reduce Cyndane's stregnth and not Moghedian's?  One possible explaination would be that Moggy's stregnth comes nowhere near the level of Moridin's and so he does not see her as a threat.  By contrast, Lanfear's stregnth probably come's closer to matching Moridin's than any other know channeler, so Moridin decided to take the oppertunity to eliminate a potental threat to himself by reducing Cyndane's stregnth in the power to a level that he feels cannot match his own.  Another possibilty could be that if a channeler is stong enough in the power, or if her stregnth is close enough to that of the holder of the mind trap, they could potentially break out of a mind trap. Moridin wants to make sure Cyndande does not break free so he reduces her stregnth appropriately.  Moridin doesn't worry about Moggy because he knows her stregnth is insuficient to break free.  I realize that there is not direct evidence supporting any of this, but given that we know so little about mind traps I think it is a viable hypothesis.

which leads to my major let down of a battle like you suggested not actually happening.  on this, my memory is rather well lmao

Well apparently not because I've read TFoH twice and that scene was there both times.  Did you perhaps borrow someone else's used and overread copy that was perhaps missing some pages?  The paperback editions do have a tendence to loose pages.  I do urge you to go back and read that section again, this is a scene which should not be missed and it will be worth the re-read just to experience it.

Yet there is no evidence to suggest any of that.

Well yes, I grant you that.  In fact I already stated that there was no evidence when I pointed out that there were no other cases of famale transmigration on which to make a comparison.  What I'm getting at here is that you can't draw definitive conclusions about what will occur when a female soul is transmigrated based solely on what occurs when male souls are trasmigrated.  There is still a variable (gender) which has not been controled for so drawing the conclusion that all souls retain their stregnth in The Power when trasmigrated to a new body based solely on what happens with male souls is just bad science.  Furthermore it is also bad logic, what you are saying is this:

All males have souls

All females have souls

All souls can be trasmigrated.

All male souls ratain their full stregnth after trasmigration.

Therefore all souls ratain their full stregnth after trasmigration

Do you see the flawed logic there?  You can't definativly conculded that all souls retain their full stregnth after trasmigration because gender remains an uncontroled variable, and therefore an alternative possiblity exists.  Particularly you cannot draw this conclusion within the context of WOT, because one of the recurring themes is that there are inherent differnences between males and females (RJ loves to emphasize that) and between Saidar and Saiden.

And indeed, suggestive evidence against it in the Cabrianna suggestion.

How is this evidence against it?  Cabrianna, a third age AS would clearly be weaker in the power than Lanfear, one of the most powerfull channelers ever known.  Therefore, if Lanfear was put in Cabrianna's body she was indeed put in a weaker body and if my suggestion about female trasmigration is true she would naturally experience a diminshed stregnth in the power.  Note I did not suggest that Lanfear would be brought all the way down to Cabrianna's stregnth.  I merely suggested that stregnth in Saidar is more dependent on the body than is stregnth in Saidin, therefore Cabrianna's body would put some limitations on Cyndane's stregnth.  If anything this is suggestive evidence for it.

I have to agree with you on the Bale Fire thing though.  i think it was Moraine who said Bale fire ripped them out of the pattern.  i had to think for a minute on how Rahvin died because thers no death show down like with Sammael lol  (which was a major let down, all this drama leading up to Rand laying the smack down and RJ just skips it lmao  i was looking forward to seeing Rahvin bitch slapped a few times around the lion throne)

What are you talking about, dude?  There was a huge battle scene between Rand and Rhavin which invloved Rand chasing Rhavin all through the Sun Palace and finally into TAR.  Once in TAR Rhavin got the upperhand and might have defeated Rand had Rand not gotten an assist from his old village Wisdom.  This assist distracted Rhavin enough to allow Rand the oppertunity to balefire his a$$ right out of the pattern.  It stands as one of my favorite one on one battles in the entire series.  Honestly, you need to go back and read the series again.  And please pay attention this time.

Luc was a member of house Mantear, who held the Lion Throne at that time. House Trakand only took the throne after Tigraine disapear and Queen Mordrellen died. Prior to that it was held by Mantear.

Thanks for the refresher, Luckers, I knew he was tied in with Camlyen and with Rand's family in some way.  Whatever, the case he definitly is not Moridin (LOL).

Secondly, transmigration does not effect the state of channeling, which we know thanks to the fact that Aran'gar channels saidin, and he and his fellows all retain precisely the same strength. Her ability to channel would not have been restored.

Yes, but there is one key difference you fail to consider.  We know that what you have said is true for male souls as Ishameal, Aginor and Balthamal were all men.  Lanfear, on the other hand, is female and it could be that the channeling of Saidar is more dependent on the body than is the channeling of Saidin. If this is the case than Lanfear would naturally suffer a decrease in power when placed in the body of a weaker channeler.  It has been commented several times in the series that there are some inherent differneces between Saiden and Saidar and this could be one of them.  It is hard to say for sure as no other female souls have been transmigrated so we have no base of comparison.  None the less, we must keep in mind that this key difference between Lanfear and the other three trasmigrated Forsaken does exist and could be a factor in her decrease in power. 

as for the reborn forsaken, i'm sorry but i can only agree with who Moridin is (also i believe Mordin, and Slayer and this Luc fellow are the same; just a feeling)  Cyndane is obvious to those who can't even read between the lines, so i don't bother meshing her in with it

So if if read this correctly you are agreeing that Moridin is Ishameal.  I agree with that, but Slayer on the other hand, is not Ishameal.  Slayer is a combination of Isam a Malkieri and cousin to Lan, and Luc, a member of house Trakand who I blieve would be Rand's biological uncle.  Each traveled into the blight and while there were somehow melded into one being.  We really don't know the details of how of why this occured but Slayer has been refered to as both Luc and Isam so it a pretty safe bet that he was formed from those two individuals.

Osang'ar i'm almost 100% convinced is Asmodaen.  referring to himself as 'a Genus', complaining about having to be in the front lines, and skulking aroudn in the shadows.  As far as i can remember, asmodean was well noted for his brains being the best quality in him, mostlikely the only reason he was made a Forsaken.  he's like Mohgedien, more apt to attack from the shadows and only when he see's the upper hand.  which is exactly how Osan'gar acted at Shadar Logoth.  also it sticks to me that he knew without having to get a clear picture that the male channeling was Rand.  while it was probably a common belief between the Forsaken that this was the work of the Dragon Reborn, the only male who would know his shape and know it's him without a doubt and not see his features would be Asmodaen because of how close they were for almost a year.  

It is very unlikely that Osan'gar is Asmodean.  First off in the prolouge to "Lord of Chaos" the DO states that Asmodean "died the final death.Moreover, it would make sense for Aginor to complain about having to be on the front lines because in the AOL he was not a soldier but a geneticist who's main contribution to the Shadow was creating the Trollocs and other shadowspawn.  Given his ability to create shadowspawn he would also qualify as a genius if a rather twisted one.  He would also be able to identify Rand because he spent several months with Rand disguised as Dashiva.

as for Aran'gar, i'm more apt to believing it's Rahvin reborn.  Rahvin was actually protrayed as a womanizer for how he treated Morgase.  having 10 women as well as her bed him at the same time.  Rahvin was said to have been as bad as Semirage with his "pretty's"

Wrong again.  Also in the prolouge of LOC the DO expresses his regret at being unable to recycle Rhavin, because Rhavin had served him well.  Rhavin, of couse, could not be brought back because he was hit with a rather large amount of balefire.  There has be some debate as to whether Be'lal could be brought back as he was hit with a rather small amout of balefire, but with Rhavin there can be no doubt that he was balefired right out of the game.

Since it's evident that she was held by the Finns, the Shadow must not have the resources to free or kill her.

Or it could be that they didn't know where she was.  It could also be that they lacked the desire to free her.  The Forsaken don't exactlly like each other and I can't think of a single time when one Forsaken came dashing to rescue another.  I think their reaction would more likely be "Good riddence, that's less compitition for Ne'blis."

When she meets aliva on the hill she thinks she is as strong as I was before the finns held me captive. Since I am a simple soul, I tend to think her loss was part of the price she paid to buy her release from their tender care. Moriane has to wait for mat to break her out cause she doesn't have the DO to put in a word for her

 

But as I said, I am a simple soul and don't understand all the complexities as well as the rest of you.

I don't think having the DO put in a word for her would have done Lanfear much good.  Remember they warn against mentioning anything to do with The Shadow when visiting the Finns, so I don't think the Finns are exactly down with the DO.  Have the DO put in a word for her would be worse than useless.