tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post8802832381854291116..comments2024-01-14T15:52:43.644-05:00Comments on The Thirteenth Depository - A Wheel of Time Blog: The Storm is Coming! #2: Looking into TGS' Tears from SteelDominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17610557134981958201noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-43247141707815548012009-10-16T13:43:21.211-04:002009-10-16T13:43:21.211-04:00Editing! Meh...Editing! Meh...Merrillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-24222492423764629092009-10-16T12:43:47.249-04:002009-10-16T12:43:47.249-04:00Thank 'ee, Old Salt! I vaguley remember that n...Thank 'ee, Old Salt! I vaguley remember that now, although I, too, am unsure which book. I think it must have been just befoe Crossroads of Twilight, from which I drew the above quote.<br /><br />And thanks, Dominic; I tend to think she really underestimated him and expected him to get killed in Almoth Plain or Tarabon, but I do think you're right, that she intended to draw the Seanchan north. Thanks a lot for the interesting commentary!Merrillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-43129896612670698382009-10-16T10:38:03.591-04:002009-10-16T10:38:03.591-04:00That's exactly it Peter.
Another very importa...That's exactly it Peter.<br /><br />Another very important point to note is that Ituralde <i>is</i> obeying "Alsalam's" last orders. He went in hiding <i>then</i> to make sure no more orders would come to countermand those ones, as had happened systematically before.<br /><br />It's an open question whether Graendal did continue her games with contradictory orders to many people, or if she intended to leave Ituralde free to obey this one. So far there's no sign that she interferred afterward in Ituralde's back with the loyal Lords or the Dragonsworn leaders - at least they all obeyed Ituralde's orders to join up and hide in the mountains, perhaps at Graendal's own instigation - it's suspicious a bit that it went so well.<br /><br />It does look like Graendal intended to bring the Seanchan into Arad Doman. Did she wanted them to bring about the conquest of Arad Doman so she could get into a new phase of collecting more pets and beginning to spread her chaos beyond AD in the Seanchan campaign through those High Blood running conquered Bandar Eban? IMO, that's probably what she intended, to get herself local Seanchan pawns to use - to expand what she was doing in AD to the whole east and south-east, using the conquerors of AD, then what? To use the Seanchan once she has enough of them in hand to pit them against the rest of the Westlands? Possibly. Graendal is extremely ambitious, and she didn't know at the time this was roughly the plan of Semirhage. Graendal too may have thought it a good idea to use the Seanchan and throw them against the Tower and Rand, undercutting Mesaana's powerbase, not knowing Mesaana and Semirhage already had this in mind.<br /><br />If I'm right, her efforts to undermine Ituralde and his allies should only begin soon now the Seanchan are in AD - or should have... it's quite hard to tell how she will alter her plans now that Moridin is promising her rewards to go along with his wishes (but he might have need for her to take over from Semirhage eventually. Having Graendal compel Tuon would solve the Shadow many headaches...). Moridin himself offering a kind of partnership on the one end, and Aran'gar on the other, Graendal is really sought after these days!Dominichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17610557134981958201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-51633766197748734332009-10-15T13:37:59.430-04:002009-10-15T13:37:59.430-04:00Merrill
You have missed one crucial bit of inform...Merrill<br /><br />You have missed one crucial bit of information. There was no grey man. Graendal invented the story to convince Ituralde of the importance/urgency/validity of the note. She even tells her dark friend minion to make sure that he smears the envelope with human blood on the off chance that someone can tell the difference between it and animal blood. I forget exactly where this scene is, I'm thinking PoD, but I'm not sure. In any event she definitely wants Ituralde to get the note! I do agree that she has underestimated Ituralde's ablilities tho, if he is successful he will pretty end the Domani civil war, something the Shadow definitely does not want.<br /><br />Old(she really really wanted him to get and believe that note)Saltold salthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16203073460077230506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-43611375094239513692009-10-15T12:56:40.605-04:002009-10-15T12:56:40.605-04:00Here are the relevant quotes from the prologue of ...Here are the relevant quotes from the prologue of <i>Crossroads of Twilight</i>:<br /><br /><i>Or if someone ignored his order to evade couriers from the King. They all knew his reasons, though, and even the most stiff-necked shared them, though few were willing to speak of the matter aloud. He himself had moved like a wraith racing on a storm since he received Alsalam’s latest command.</i><br /><br />And, later:<br /><br /><i>He was loyal to his oaths, and Alsalam was a friend, besides, but the orders the King sent could not have been better written to achieve chaos. Nor could they be ignored. Alsalam was the King. But he had commanded Ituralde to march north with all possible speed against a great gathering of Dragonsworn that Alsalam supposedly knew of from secret spies, then ten days later, with no Dragonsworn yet in sight, an order came to move south again, with all possible speed, against another gathering that never materialized. He had been commanded to concentrate his forces to defend Bandar Eban when a three-pronged attack might have ended it all and to divide them when a hammer blow could have done the same, to harry ground he knew the Dragonsworn had abandoned, and to march away from where he knew they camped. Worse, Alsalam’s orders often had gone directly to the powerful nobles who were supposed to be following Ituralde, sending Machir in this direction, Teacal in that, Rahman in a third. Four times, pitched battles had resulted from parts of the army blundering into one another in the night while moving to the King’s express command and expecting none but enemies ahead. And all the while the Dragonsworn gained numbers, and confidence. Ituralde had had his triumphs—at Solanje and Maseen, at Lake Somal and Kandelmar—the Lords of Katar had learned not to sell the products of their mines and forges to the enemies of Arad Doman—but always, Alsalam’s orders wasted his gains.</i><br /><br /><i>This last order was different, though. For one thing, a Gray Man had killed Lady Tuva trying to stop it from reaching him. Why the Shadow might fear this order more than any other was a mystery, yet it was all the more reason to move swiftly. Before Alsalam reached him with another. This order opened many possibilities, and he had considered every last one he could see. But the good ones all started here, today. When small chances of success were all that remained, you had to seize them.</i><br /><br />The fact that the Gray Man killed Lady Tuva does not mean that Graendal didn't want him to get this order--but only Moridin, among the Forsaken, or the Hand of the Shadow himself, knew enough about her to dispatch a Gray Man. Or perhaps it was ordered by Graendal herself in a deep game to convince Ituralde to follow the order. But... The "Little Wolf" had not yet given her reason to suspect he would not follow Alsalam's orders. In fact, he had followed them when he knew they were wrong. As evidenced in the second paragraph of quotes above. <br /><br />So... was Graendal out traipsing around with Sammael as pet "Maisi" and her control over Alsalam slipped a bit? Or did she underestimate Ituralde (probably due to him following so many stupid orders, which, as noted above, he felt bound to do by his oaths), and expect he would be killed in a futile attack on the Seanchan?<br /><br />I suspect the latter is strongly possible.Merrillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-14411828380984246772009-10-15T12:33:22.020-04:002009-10-15T12:33:22.020-04:00Thanks a lot for this, and I look forward to readi...Thanks a lot for this, and I look forward to reading the whole thing, but I must note that Ituralde has been avoiding orders from the king (from Graendal, actually) for quite some time now. I do not think it bodes all that ill for the Light at all that he is about to crush the Seanchan army <i>per</i> the Prologue of TGS. This is not at Graendal's orders, and I think her overconfidence suggests that she is not yet aware of it.Merrillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-666731552160508112009-09-14T20:55:54.540-04:002009-09-14T20:55:54.540-04:00Thanks for the comments! It's always great to...Thanks for the comments! It's always great to hear from you guys.<br /><br />And you're right, the 'after' should be before, a residue from the rewrite of the chronology we've missed. I'll correct this, thanks for pointing it out.Dominichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17610557134981958201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-4084739288768976272009-09-14T18:25:35.694-04:002009-09-14T18:25:35.694-04:00Hey guys!
Great job! Loved the analysis, and it ha...Hey guys!<br />Great job! Loved the analysis, and it has really set the tone for the arrival of TGS. If we're going to see such stuff for the whole novel, there's nothing more I could ask for to make my read interesting. Thanks!<br /><br />One point though,<br /><i>Lan began his ride to the East 2 days after Semirhage's capture.</i><br /><br />Is this correct? Didn't Lan begin his journey a few days <i>before</i>?bookrazyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04499739437432944962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-17902585403652697632009-09-14T06:42:19.359-04:002009-09-14T06:42:19.359-04:00to Dom:
"My reasonning is that perhaps all th...to Dom:<br />"My reasonning is that perhaps all that comes out of that dinner is Elaida deciding to break Egwene herself, and Meidani reporting about the dinner to the BA Hunters"<br />To my mind this would be out of character for Elaida. Ever since fomented the coup, she's been a delegater, passing out tasks for others, rarely doing anything herself. We haven't see and "hands on" from her since the coup. And even then she left the questioning of Suian and Leanne to others. Besides, don't you think that if she takes over the "breaking" of Egwene that it will severely undermine Silviana's authority? I think to Elaida's mind set (severe meglomania) that she can't be seen training a "mere novice".old salthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16203073460077230506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-38338039139526058052009-09-13T20:27:30.168-04:002009-09-13T20:27:30.168-04:00You're welcome Peter!
About the dinner, I'...You're welcome Peter!<br /><br />About the dinner, I'm really uncertain. It could be an excellent scene, but Jordan often skipped over scenes like that we were certain would happen on-screen. <br /><br />People were sure we'd get an amazing Elaida vs. Egwene confrontation at the beginning of KOD too. There wasn't one in the whole book. <br /><br />I really don't know about this one. It depends a lot of what is supposed to happen there. Where was RJ going with this. The outcome of that dinner may simply be that Egwene is forced to attend Elaida daily from now on, leaving plenty of occasions for the big confrontation. <br /><br />I know Linda believed some major turning point happens in that scene (basically that Egwene ends up accused of treason because of what she told Bennae and put in a cell) but personally with perhaps 12 or 15 WT/Rebel chapters, I think what she has in mind precipitates things way too much.<br /><br />My reasonning is that perhaps all that comes out of that dinner is Elaida deciding to break Egwene herself, and Meidani reporting about the dinner to the BA Hunters. <br /><br />I guess if this scene is in the prologue, it could be told from Meidani's POV, not Elaida nor Egwene. And Jordan could have chosen not to show the dinner itself but the scene of Meidani reporting about it to the BA hunters, and a POV of Egwene.<br /><br />It's Meidani who's walking a tighrope there. Egwene intends to use the ferrets, and Meidani's at that dinner because the BA Hunters are forcing her to spy on Elaida. The instant Egwene contacts the ferrets, whatever she tolds the ferrets is going straight back to Seaine and co.<br /><br />In any case, depending of where the plot is going, I can imagine anything from RJ showing the dinner to giving us its direct aftermath with a POV from Meidani, Egwene, Elaida (or even one of the BA hunters) to picking this story line up days or more later.Dominichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17610557134981958201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-70036262113281445362009-09-13T19:07:06.854-04:002009-09-13T19:07:06.854-04:00Thanks a lot for this, wonderful discussion. On Eg...Thanks a lot for this, wonderful discussion. On Egwene:<br />I feel sure that we will see the full Elaida dinner, either in the prologue or as a flashback. (Maybe a "neutral party" flashback? Tarna? that would be fun) In any case I agree with Linda that this meeting is just too important to leave to off stage descriptions. An additional note: Sanderson has shown that he's "in tune" with readers desires and is willing to cater somewhat to them. I would be willing to bet that the Elaida/Egwene dinner is at the top of most fans 'want to see' lists. I can't see Sanderson relegating such an important scene from plot, foreshadowing, symbolic and fan interest points; to an off stage ex post facto description.old salthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16203073460077230506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-60133710437076281482009-09-13T06:17:49.641-04:002009-09-13T06:17:49.641-04:00Hi there!
First of all, thanks for this site and ...Hi there!<br /><br />First of all, thanks for this site and all the articles, I have been enjoying myself immensely reading all this. :)<br /><br />On to the new sword of Rand: Isn't there a possibility that Rand's comments are not relevant for both sword and scabbard?<br /><br />Namely, when he thinks<br /><br />"It looked as if it had been designed specifically for Rand—and yet it was centuries old, unearthed only recently"<br /><br />this might be only relevant for the design of the scabbard, while<br /><br />"He had told no one, not even Min, that he had recognized the weapon"<br /><br />could be read as only pertaining to the blade itself.Reliknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-87476962199196656762009-09-12T00:29:36.364-04:002009-09-12T00:29:36.364-04:00I went looking over at theoryland and didn't s...I went looking over at theoryland and didn't see this so I think imight have an original Loonie Theory(tm).<br /><br />Basically we know that Hawkwing has said that he and LTT have fought against each other and side by side on numerous occasions. Is there anything that says that LTT and Rand are the <i>only</i> incarnations of th Dragon soul in this age?<br /><br />Could the Dragon Soul have been spun out to be Guaire Amalasen too?Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07636740926033505057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-3665127098462219092009-09-11T20:36:28.890-04:002009-09-11T20:36:28.890-04:00Gosh I'm rather late to this! Time zones again...Gosh I'm rather late to this! Time zones again, sigh. (I shall <i>so</i> enjoy buying buying TGS, though. I'll be 16 hours ahead of US east coast time by then, and will buy it before the midnight signing in Utah! :D)<br /><br />Thanks all for your comments. :) (Do keep'em coming!)<br /><br />Deborah: It doesn't properly count because Perrin had no hope of being there. There's more hurt to come for Rand from channelling women, and Perrin will again try to stop it.<br /><br />RabidWombat: Thanks for the correction. I've added the new version now.<br /><br />TruthPanda and Nero: What they forget to tell you in class is that such analysis should be done on books you care about! <i>If</i> you want to. Then you really get something out of it. The point of reading is enjoyment and learning, and if analysis adds to that, great, go ahead and do it. If not, then don't.<br /><br />I come from a very egalitarian area in Australia (which means it's <i>very</i> egalitarian!) - so we analysed all text levels and types. And I've always read all sorts of stuff, even things quite out of the common - I'm very curious! That really helps with complex books like WOT, because RJ did the same.Lindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14767984732078916662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-45468896462357144762009-09-11T18:52:15.415-04:002009-09-11T18:52:15.415-04:00To Gadget
Rand has been hurt a second time by a w...To Gadget<br /><br />Rand has been hurt a second time by a woman that can channel...he lost his hand when he met Semi. Does that count?<br /><br />To Dominic<br /><br />Is it too early or late to talk about Min's viewing of Avi having 4 babies from Rand with something strange about it?<br /><br />Glad I found you guys. Like your analysis and fans' input. <br /><br />Deborahmoondivahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14804587069090594670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-5145508918734053682009-09-11T17:35:24.706-04:002009-09-11T17:35:24.706-04:00You're right, we had missed this one. I'l...You're right, we had missed this one. I'll correct this part of the post tonight.<br /><br />The day Elayne won would make it just over a week. Not enough. <br /><br />What I said about this not going too far ahead of Adar 15 still stands, though - perhaps 2, 2.5 weeks (10-day ones). Rand was already moving around quite a bit according to Elayne at the end of KOD. <br /><br />So either we skip ahead quite a bit in Egwene's storyline, or there'll be quite a bit of her in the prologue - as if we add 10-15 days to our estimate, she's now way behind Rand's scene - almost a month after the "dinner".Dominichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17610557134981958201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-88790762315133237882009-09-11T17:00:32.795-04:002009-09-11T17:00:32.795-04:00The events of chapter 1 occur a few weeks after Ra...The events of chapter 1 occur a few weeks after Rand captured Semirhage. We know this from one of Rands thoughts about traveling around from place to place after capturing Semi. So either Elayne is feeling relieved about something else or some part of the timeline is wrong.RabidWombatnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-45007537262474518272009-09-11T16:46:50.622-04:002009-09-11T16:46:50.622-04:00Nice analysis, especially about the symbolic conne...Nice analysis, especially about the symbolic connection between Rand/Amalasan and Tuon/Hawkwing and the conflict it implies. This brings to mind Min's vision about how Rand will be hurt twice by women who can channel. The first time was obviously Rand's capture by the Tower embassy, which drove him further over the brink. I very much fear that second time will be in this book, with Rand's capture and subsequent treatment by Seanchan driving him over the edge.Gadgetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-53515029413808291402009-09-11T16:38:27.529-04:002009-09-11T16:38:27.529-04:00To Nero:
The idea that Hawkwing seized Amalasan&#...To Nero:<br /><br />The idea that Hawkwing seized Amalasan's sword is interesting too. That he renamed it Justice would even be fitting. OTOH, I still have the problem that he would have kept the scabbard.<br /><br />What we know of Amalasan is this, and suggestive as you'll see:<br /><br />- He was named "The Second Dragon" - that in itself is a program, and a testimony to his infamy.<br />- From "internal evidence" (the guide says) he was very well-educated, with great knowledge of the KC. This makes the hypothesis that he got himself a replica of LTT's sword (or claimed it was the real one) based on some scholarly books plausible<br />- He used the ancient symbol of Aes Sedai as his banner, on blue (Logain copied that from him)<br />- In the battle in which Amalasan was captured, Hawkwing and Aes Sedai rushed straight for his banner and got him. There are stories of a man-on-man duel between them, but the guide points it's unlikely because of Amalasan's ability to channel and that Hawkwing himself has always denied it). There's a possibility he seized his sword there, I guess, but that he made it Justice is bizarre - I bet this would be famous, and that bit would have surfaced already, when the characters spoke of Justice - they know the tales well, they grew up on them.<br />- Amalasan's supporters were very devoted to him, would "have followed him to the Pit of Doom".<br />- The whole Amalasan-Hawkwing story has a very important place in the Guide, which could be indicative of something, and we also know it's one of the sections for which RJ himself essentially provided everything (Teresa Patterson said so, said she had virtually no freedom to write about Hawkwing, RJ provided nearly everything for those sections)<br /><br />The only mention of Justice in <br />the Guide is that Hawkwing called for it during his illness at the end of his life.<br /><br />It's a disctinct possibility Hawkwing seized Amalasan's sword as a trophy, but I'm pretty sure he would have discarded the scabbard had he made it his own.<br /><br />On another tangent, others in the general west coast area who might have kept Hawkwing era paraphernalia would be the Watchers in Falme. If the Paendrags ever owned Amalasan's sword, it might have ended up in Falme eventually (which was in the nation of Darmovan, from which the Second Dragon came).Dominichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17610557134981958201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-73621063019319200672009-09-11T16:08:56.597-04:002009-09-11T16:08:56.597-04:00That's good :) And what of this bit:
"I...That's good :) And what of this bit:<br /><br />"I will keep to this one shred of light inside me".<br /><br />If he loses of his forced to let go of that shred, all that would remain is a memory of light. :)<br /><br />I expect we'll see plenty of little references to the original title in the first book like this, as it was written before the choice to split AMOL was made.<br /><br />To Loialt:<br /><br /><i>I forget if there are any theories about why Alivia is so fanatical towards Rand, but is there any evidence that Verin compelled her?</i><br /><br />It seems she's so fanatical in hatred of the Seanchan's slavery and because Rand saved her from it. <br /><br />There's no evidence that Verin didn't compel her, but Alivia was like this almost from the start, and she's so strong and adept in fighting that in Verin's place I would not have tried that weave on her.<br /><br /><i>If the gift is from Graendal, then it might be she who doesn't understand the history of the blade.</i><br /><br />Maybe. I was thinking along the lines that perhaps the story that it was discovered recently is Graendal's invention and actually some Domani family or another (perhaps even Alsalam's) has had it secretely for centuries. There's a strong Dragonsworn sentiment in Arad Doman, and it's hard to tell what is Graendal's doing and what is genuine. Amalasan might have "secret admirers" still among the Domani nobility. That the sword was recently discovered and the people who gave it to Rand didn't know what it was might be the result of Graendal's compulsion. <br /><br />To Bigrich:<br /><br /><i>I always thought this was just Lanfear's (or Mesaana's :P) way of pushing Rand to seize saidin, which is why she seemed so satisfied when he explained to her about the Void.</i><br /><br />It's a bit the same thing - she wanted a proof he could channel, and was trying to awaken his ambition and desire for power. She needed that, to convince him down the road to join her. <br /><br />To TruthPanda:<br />Thanks for all the nice words. It is the way for us too to keep going until we finally get the book!! <br /><br /><i>Is there any way you could put up a small "about us" page where you describe your goals, how you started and why you do what you do?</i><br /><br />Ah yes, it's a good idea. We might do something like that when the TGS posts leave us the time. <br /><br /><i>It is incredibly refreshing to see so much literary deconstruction applied to Jordan's work </i><br /><br />This I owe a lot to a teacher, when I was about 15, who told me one day that if I really liked a book it was worth delving into it and get the most from it, whatever critics, scholars or snobs might think of it - that analysing popular literature might be even more rewarding than doing it for a stuffy classic, if the book meant something to me.Dominichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17610557134981958201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-32741887167156339622009-09-11T15:59:07.436-04:002009-09-11T15:59:07.436-04:00From: Nero
Very well done. I feel like I am back...From: Nero<br /><br />Very well done. I feel like I am back in English class, but going over a book I actually care about.<br /><br />As for the sword bit, it could very well be both Amalasan's sword and Justice, hence the markings and Rand's recognition. I will need to check what we do know about the history and battles between Amalasan and Hawking, to see if this fits, but Hawking could very well of taken this sword after Amalasan's defeat. It has just been too long since I read the guide book.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-65743866818646673362009-09-11T15:37:38.828-04:002009-09-11T15:37:38.828-04:00A mirroring I saw thanks to my reading of this blo...A mirroring I saw thanks to my reading of this blog.<br />Rand's thoughts here: <br /><br />“I said no!” Rand said. “You will question her, but you will not hurt her!” Not a woman. I will keep to this one shred of light inside me. I’ve caused the deaths and sorrows of too many women already.<br /><br />echo Dain Bornhald's in tSR ch 56 <br /><br />“Clean!” Bornhald roared at him. “If we must die here, we will die clean!” He wrenched his head back to Perrin, spittle on his lips.SteelBlaiddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01233479838726084794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-20349699618382664922009-09-11T15:16:51.332-04:002009-09-11T15:16:51.332-04:00Also, do we know for sure the Alivia is not/did no...Also, do we know for sure the Alivia is not/did not torture Semirhage? Rand was surprised that she had participated in the "information gathering." It could be that he didn't formally forbid Alivia and that Cadsuane and Nynaeve have or will take advantage of this. Secondly, I forget if there are any theories about why Alivia is so fanatical towards Rand, but is there any evidence that Verin compelled her?LoialTnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-37752227885231896562009-09-11T14:57:40.505-04:002009-09-11T14:57:40.505-04:00Thanks Linda and Dominic! I love you guys.
I am a...Thanks Linda and Dominic! I love you guys.<br /><br />I am almost certain that Rand has not actually SEEN this sword before. He didn't see it in the portal stone futures. He didn't see it in the columns. LT is not the source of the recognition, and I believe the "oddly" part was simply because Rand was recognizing something very very old on his own. Maybe it is a replica, or even the original owned by LT. Yet I also feel pretty confident that its most recent owner was Amalasan (one of the only historical characters in the books we know came from the Arad Doman region). <br /><br />The significance of "unearthing" it at this point without others knowing what it really is does puzzle me, however. It could be a reminder/foreshadowing of Amalasan's fate at the hands of Hawkwing, but Rand knows that his not a false dragon and that there is no Ta'veren to challenge him. If the gift is from Graendal, then it might be she who doesn't understand the history of the blade. If it is a replica or even the actual sword of LT as well as Amalasan's, then Graendal might recognize for one reason while Rand does for another (a classic case of the confusions found everywhere in WOT). <br /><br />Yet even if Graendal was off the mark, I believe she has already succeeded in her goal. Rand already feels as if the blade were made for him. His muscle memory may be integrating with Lews Therin's even as he is unaware of the sword's true origin/design.LoialTnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-55105397111549848302009-09-11T14:56:20.290-04:002009-09-11T14:56:20.290-04:00Linda:Like Rand’s an expert on feelings! HE just s...<i>Linda:Like Rand’s an expert on feelings! HE just suppresses all his, or distances himself from them. No wonder he finds it hard to tell! Incidentally the way he does distance himself from feeling is akin to living wrapped in the Oneness as Lanfear recommended as a way to become great. Great…<br /><br />Dominic: Asmodean told Rand once his loss of all emotions once he has embraced the Source isn't normal, that he should have been able to surmount this effect of achieving the Oneness. Rand mused he was never able to achieve what Asmodean was trying to teach about it. As for following Lanfear's advice on becoming "great". Phaww! as Cadsuane would say. Her own conception of her greatness wasn't exactly reassuring!</i><br /><br />I always thought this was just Lanfear's (or Mesaana's :P) way of pushing Rand to seize <i>saidin</i>, which is why she seemed so satisfied when he explained to her about the Void.Bigerichnoreply@blogger.com