Theoryland of the Wheel of Time

Let me preface the actual theory with my take on the nature of Fain/Mordeth/Mashadar:

There are countless ideas as to the nature of Fain, but all of them agree that he is something different. He is a manifestation of mankind, maybe our hate, as is indicated by the madness shortly before the fall of Aridhol. Mordeth was trying to fight the shadow with shadow-like tactics that ultimately resulted in a new reservoir of energy/force known as Mashadar.

I consider Mashadar a force created by mankind that can grow as long as some part of it remains. This can be seen in many scenes, most notably when Mat took the dagger, Rand destroyed Shadar Logoth, Morridin saved Rand, and other methods of dealing with Mashadar (Moiraine warding against Mashadar's tendrils). In each...

This began as a comment to Fain: Shadowspawn Thief. The discussion had me convinced that Fain was necessary but not sufficient to move the estimated 100,000 Trollocs through the Ways to attack Rand's rest home in Tear. He could perhaps find Rand's location by sensing the direction from several Waygates and triangulating, but that seems far too intellectual for Fain and it would take time, even through the Ways. Time, too, to take control over this massive army, his powers had always been short range.

Imagine if he had shown up at the mansion with 100,000 Trollocs only to find that Rand left yesterday. Fain needed help, so I went looking for his patron. The answer proved more important th...

Sealing the Bore will require Rand, Mat, and Perrin because each is ta'veren. It is highly unusual for even one person to be ta'veren, and even more unusual for there to be more than one. The WoT series has revolved around all three characters, not just Rand, and both Mat and Perrin have developed unique and compelling skills in their own rights that merit consideration in the sealing of the Bore.

Short version of theory: Perrin finds the Song, Rand teaches it to the Aiel, the Aiel sacrifice themselves to 're-grow' the Pattern over the Bore by singing the Song, and Mat (and Rand) provide cover from the Shadowspawn.

Long version:

1. The 'Last Battle' is not the last for humanity or the Pattern, but the last for the War of Power

The Wa...

This theory was formulated based on my observations during the reread, as documented at http://greatlordofthedark.blogspot.ca

THE BORE IS IN TEL'ARAN'RHIOD

The importance of Tel’aran’rhiod to the story is such that I believe it is pivotal to the Last Battle. I have concluded that the Bore which Rand must seal is in Tel’aran’rhiod.

THE BORE IS NOT IN THE REAL WORLD

Demandred stands in the Pit of Doom and thinks: Physically, this place was no closer to the Bore than any other in the world, but here there was a thinness in the Pattern that allowed it to be sensed.

The Bore is equally distant from every place in the world.

WHERE ELSE THE BORE COULD BE <...

Hello everyone. This is my first time posting on this site, but I have been a long time reader. As we near the end of the series, the purpose of Callandor has begun to bother me. I looked through the theory index, and I didnt see my theory anywhere. If someone has already put this up, I apologize. Here it goes...

CK: During the War of Power, two huge Sa'angreal, one attuned to saidin and one to saidar, were constructed. The Choedan Kal were to be used to destroy the Shadow's forces and erect a barrier around Shayol Ghul until there was a safe method to permanently seal the Bore.

As an example of how powerful the CK is, this is an exerpt from Winter Hearts, by Cadsuane.

TITLE: Winter's Heart
CHAPTER: 35 - With the Choedan Kal
Cads...

As of chapter 22 of TGS, Rand al'Thor appears to be capable of channeling the True Power, a feat previously only performed to our knowledge by Ishamael/Moridin in the current age, and by around 30 channelers in the AOL. It stands to reason to think that among these 30 were the 12 other Forsaken we know of in the current age, but as of the current end of the series, other than Moridin the only other Forsaken to have access to the TP is Graendal , and even then only a sliver. We don't know if she's used it, but if you put the power of darkness on a mantle piece in act 2, it stands to reason it'll go off in act 3, so if she hasn't she probably will in AMOL.

Most of what we know about the True Power comes from a couple of chapters of ACOS, and the prologue to TPOD where Moridin...

A crucial subplot: the situation of Caemlyn at the beginning of "A Memory of Light".

1) The Borderlands invasions and the stategic importance of Caemlyn in the Last Battle

Anyone with knowledge of events in ToM - especially those that are happening somehow in the background - cannot see that taking Caemlyn is a crucial strategic target for the Shadow. This would not be so were the Borderlands secure, but they are not anymore. The four Borderland rulers went in their quest for Rand taking most of their armies with them, leaving very weak garrisons in their lands. Why they felt compelled to bring so much military power on that quest at the cost of leaving their...

I submit to you that it is Moghedien, not the DO, that brings the fallen forsaken back to life.

Argument #1 - She has the means:

We have yet to see how a forsaken is brought back to life. However, we have seen someone else brought into the pattern as a grown woman - Birgitte. And it was Moghedien who performed this feat. The primary arguement suggesting that this is a different situation is that Birgitte kept her body, while the forsaken seem to need new ones. But remember that Birgitte's body could not sustain her, and she was dying when she was brought into Randland.

From TFoH ch 35 (pg 563 softcover) Nynaeve healing Birgitte:

"It isn't working. There's nothing wrong with her to heal. She is as perfect as anyone can be. But she is dying. Oh, light,...

We all know that Rand wants to break the seals. This theory is not about whether he will or not, but whether he should. For readability, I will put most of this in chronological order.

The first three seals were found broken; Domon, Turak, and Egeanin all handled an unbroken one, but none of them mentioned anything strange about the seals. The first to notice something was Nynaeve:

The Fires of Heaven: A Signal

"As much as she wanted to find out where Siuan Sanche wanted them to chase the Black Ajah next, the seal was the source of her haste to reach Tar Valon. Digging coins from one of the fat purses, she avoided touching the flat purse; the longer it remained in her possession, the more she wanted to hand it to the Amyrlin and be done wit...

Let me die forever!

Do you think I'm crazy? If you do, then great! I have your attention. Look at what has been seen as of yet.

To get an idea of what we are dealing with let us look at a few points about the Dark One. What do we know about the him?

1) The Dark One is bound outside of the pattern.

2) He was put there by the Creator at the moment of creation.

3) He is trying to shatter the Wheel of Time.

4) The result of this will be the End of Time. No more Ages. At least according to Moridin.

The Gathering Storm: A Place to Begin

"There is no path to victory," Moridin said. "The only path is to follow the Great Lord and rule for a time before all things end. The others are fools. Th...

Thesis: "The Dark One", "Mashadar", and "Machin Shin" are allegorical unintelligent embodiments of metaphysical, human, and ...uhm, natural(?) evil and the ONLY evils which exist within the Wheel of Time.

Point 1: Machin Shin is an evil that is distinct (as defined by the author) from the "type of evil" attributed to either the dark one or Mashadar.We know machin shin has killed a ton of trollocs and fades per slayer and so probably isn't playing for that team. We know that it was afraid of Padan Fain implying it's probably not "the same" evil as him or else it would simply be copacetic with him (like for instance the fog was right before he knifes Al Thor). We further know that the evil of the taint and the evil of Mashadar are not the same because it is stated explicitly aft...

For years, we have been trying to figure out how, exactly, a day can dawn twice.

TITLE - The Great Hunt
CHAPTER: 26 - Discord

Twice dawns the day when his blood is shed.
Once for mourning, once for birth.
Red on black, the Dragon's blood stains the rock of Shayol Ghul.
In the Pit of Doom shall his blood free men from the Shadow.

I have been relatively silent on this one for a while now because most of the theories about the twice-dawning day involve some very non-literal interpretations. For example, some think there will be an eclipse, or that the sun will be obscured by ash when Dragonmount erupts, but neither of these explanations involves the sun actually rising again, which is what the word 'dawn' explicitly i...

This theory is about what will happen at Shayol Ghul, until the point DIRECTLY before the actual sealing.

I have two parts to make this theory better readable. In the first part I will list the visions and prophecies fulfilled in the theory, the second part is the theory itself.

• Callandor, held in a hand made of onyx, the part I started with when I created this theory.

• Alivia will help Rand die.

• Twice dawns the day when his blood is shed. Once for mourning, Once for birth. Red on black, the Dragon's blood stains the rock of Shayol Ghul. In the Pit of Doom shall his blood free men from the Shadow.

• Two men will become one.

• Rand will need the help of a woman dead and gone.

• Nynae...

2011 JordanCon Loony Theory Winner

We hope you enjoy the following theory which received the overwhelming support of the Loony Theory Panel participants at JordanCon, 2011. I couldn't help but laugh and yet at the same time appreciate the creative zaniness of these Bards. - Tam.

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We brought up this "loony" theory at JordanCon today and it was a fan favorite, so without further ado the Alsobrook Brother's present Wheel of Time: The Musical.

The Basic Premise:

The people of Randland will defeat the Dark One with the power of Song.

TITLE: Eye of the World, CHAPTER: 25 - The Traveling People

"That's why they travel," Elyas said, "or so they say. They're look...

This may seem rather pointless now, knowing what we do from Towers of Midnight, but I think it worthwhile enough to bear out explicating the theory, seeing it is something I have never seen remarked upon anywhere else. I may be wrong, or it may just be so self-evident no one bothered to mention it, but I am a completionist and this point has always nagged at me since I first discovered all the various "Who Killed Asmodean?" theories out there.

So, without further ado, let’s begin with a quick recap of what we know so as to satisfy all the previous points which were always addressed in such things, via the excellent and comprehensive article on the subject from the WOTFAQ.

Graendal killed Asmodean. We know this, and we know it was her personally....

Okay, this one is a loony theory, but it came to me literally as I woke up this morning. I will clarify/specify my sources later, as I cannot currently access my book, but I think that I can recall specifics closely enough to get this off the ground. I just read he concluding chapters of Towers of Midnight yesterday.

My theory about Rand and Avi's kids regards how they are tied to the Fate of the Aiel. Again, this is WAY out there, but bear with me.

I wonder if Rand and/or Aviendha will STILL their children, to save the People of the Dragon. The POV that we get from Avi's daughter (Her name is escaping me, sorry) is kind of scary in how amplified her teenage sense of invincibility is. "She checked that Saidar was in her mind, it's presence a comfort," or some such. We don...

On my last read through of WOT (a while ago--it was in prep for TGS), I ran across a section from The Dragon Reborn that for some reason, I found troubling. It comes in the chapter "A World of Dreams," (in the paperback version I have, the section is from pages 238 to 240). In short, the passage says, or SEEMS to say that in all the various worlds woven by the wheel of time, there are three constants: the creator, the dark one, and tel'aran'rhiod, and that moreover, if the DO is freed in any of the worlds, he is freed in all of them, and if he remains imprisoned in one, he remains imprisoned in all. Here's the relevant quote:

"There is one Creator, who exists everywhere at once for all of these worlds. In the same way, there is only one Dark One, who also exists in a...

In Winter's Heart, Chapter 13: Wonderful News, following a very amusing exchange regarding the pillow-friends Lady Ailil and Windfinder Shalon, Jahar Narishma arrives at Cadusane's room in the Sun Palace with the announcement that Alanna has collapsed. Considering the timing of events, I think it is safe to say the Green's incapacitation is due to Elayne, Min, and Aviendha bonding Rand. In any event, when they all arrive at Alanna's room, and Corele attempts to Heal her without success, a very unusual thing happens:

"Sorilea stared at the woman stretched out on the bed with no expression beyond a thinning of her lips. Cadsuane wondered whether she was reevaluating their alliance. Verin was staring at Alanna, too, and she looked absolutely terrified. Cad...

WARNING: THIS THEORY HAS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT.

When I read the Nakomi scene, Verin came to mind immediately. I still read it skeptically, but it was like every time she spoke, I was more convinced it was Verin. I am pretty sure that this one will end up on the 'unrevealed' list, so I'm not really interested in arguing it much on the internet, but I figured I would lay out the evidence.

As to how she learned that Aviendha would be going to Rhuidean...there are a number of possible ways. She might have gone through the Rings of Rhuidean herself. If Sorilea really is a Darkfriend, she could have easily learned of it through her; Verin conferred with the Blacks in t...

WARNING: THIS THEORY HAS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT.

The Dark One, The Dragon, Moridin, and those who walk in the Shadow.

What's really going on.

Brace yourselves, this is not theory that pulls from 1 or 2 references, but dozens. Only the true fanatical should read on.

I give you Moridin's true identity and the DO's plan.

My first clue came in ToM which lead me to dig deeper.

"And then, shall the Lord of the Evening come. And He shall take our eyes, for our souls shall bow before Him, and He shall take our lips, for only Him will we praise. And the Lord of the Evening shall face the Broken Champion, and shall spill his blood and bring us the Darkness so beautiful. Let the screams begin, O followers of the Shad...

I've read many of the theories here and elsewhere and cannot find an idea that has been nagging at me for some time. The majority of people seem to be focused on deciphering who Taim is or who Demandred is, or trying their hand at figuring out the answer to some of the more puzzling prophecies and viewings. Please if you see someone commenting on the topics I'm going to discuss point me to them, because I cannot find them.

However, no one seems to have posed the question of how the Dark One's prison should be sealed, what tools Rand should use, who may have to help him, and how he can stop Saidin from being tainted as it was when Lews Therin attempted to seal the Dark One away. I believe that one of Lews Therin's more lucid moments coupled with one of the concepts that has arced ...

There are many Theories on the Last Battle on this Forum, yet here is one I feel is very solid in its foundation and has a sense of RJ's poetic irony.

During book 12 Rand announced to Moridin that he was going to "Kill the Dark One." Something that Moridin considered monumentally stupid to say. However, Rand may eventually come to realize that he has come into contact with the Dark One's own Being once before, and has successfully annihilated it. This occured during Winter's Heart and it brought to mind several key points.

During Winter's Heart, Rand Cleanses the Taint from Saidin using a giant funnel of Saidar over the course of hours to pour every drop of Saidin into Shadar Logoth. The taint which is often referred to as "the Dark One's Backlash" when the Bore was closed...

Well, after reading quite a few theories on here, I figured I might try my hand at one. A friend of mine and I came up with it about a year ago, and while I have seen some fans already speculate upon it, during my theory readings here I did not happen to come across it, so I shall now do so.

About a year ago (long before I knew this great site existed), a friend of mine and I were discussing WoT, just a casual conversation, and the subject of Demandred came up. I told my friend "Obviously Demandred is Taim, the physical similarities are there as well as personality." He then promptly told me that the late great RJ had disavowed this theory. My initial reaction was simply "...what?"

After that revelation, my mind begin to wander the vast scope of possibilities of who ...

For this, we'll begin with some basic points which are known to be true, and stretch beyond into some murky waters. There are patterns that are odd, which suggest that things are not as they seem, and that the Last Battle may not truly be the end.

Point: Ishamael and Lews Therin have been the champions through numerous turnings of the wheel.

Point: Ishamael changes his approach - sometimes keeping Lews Therin alive, sometimes trying to kill.

Point: The Dark One breaks free and is resealed with each turning of the wheel.

Point: During the failure of the Portal Stone, Rand witnesses many possible ways his life could have gone.

Point: Ishamael is an expert at playi...

In Lord of Chaos, we are introduced to Mazrim Taim, an enigmatic character of dubious intentions who has defied every theory I've seen written about him. Mazrim Taim has been channeling for a long time. Sure, you can hold off the madness for awhile. I'll buy that; every channeler is different, etc., etc. Yet Taim shows knowledge and prejudices that no Third Ager should have. He knows Travelling, how to test for the ability to channel, and how to ignore heat and cold. These could be taught if he found the right person, but his famous "so-called Aiel" comment and his disdain for melee weapons (LoC Ch 11) are red flags, however. How can a lifetime's worth of prejudices be taught in a year and a half to two years? (My best estimate of how long the Forsaken have been freed at this point.)