Gateways

[tworiverswoman]

TITLE: Knife of Dreams
CHAPTER: 26 - As If the World Were Fog

"Are you all right, Grady?" The man's weathered face seemed to have new lines in it. That might have been a trick of moonshadows cast by the trees, but Perrin did not think so. The carts had passed through the gateway easily, but was it a little smaller than the first he had seen Grady make?

"Just tired a little, my Lord," Grady said wearily. He remained seated with his elbows on his knees. "All this Traveling we've been doing lately. . . . Well, I couldn't have held the gateway open long enough for all those soldiers to ride through yesterday. That's why I've taken to tying them off."

Perrin nodded. Both of the Asha'man were tired. Channeling took strength out of a man as surely as swinging a hammer all day at a forge. More so, in truth. The man with the hammer could keep going far longer than any Asha'man. That was why the aqueduct was the route into Malden and not a gateway, why there would be no gateway to bring Faile and the others out again, much as Perrin wished there could be.
OK - I have a question... Why is it only NOW that we've heard that gateways can be tied off? Why haven't they done this all along, given how energy-intensive gateways are? Also, from a purely "story" point of view, it strikes me as a little too "convenient" for a channeller to be able to create such a complex weave and then be able to tie it off and go on to cast other weaves.

I feel I have more to say but I can't think of anything just yet. So I'll wait for some more comments

[Bane Darkwulf]

Complicated weave, complicated knot. For the most part the gateways have been used very sparingly, as compared to the better known weaves.

[Terez]

OK - I have a question... Why is it only NOW that we've heard that gateways can be tied off? Because people don't normally do it. If you'll recall, Elayne and Aviendha nearly killed themselves in an attempt to hide Traveling from the Seanchan. How much worse would it be, tactically, to leave open gateways? Not everyone can read residue, which is what Elayne feared, but anyone can walk through an open gateway.

[Weird Harold]

OK - I have a question... Why is it only NOW that we've heard that gateways can be tied off? Why haven't they done this all along, given how energy-intensive gateways are?

There is an earlier reference to Saidin gateways being tied off -- Sammael's gateways that spread Aeil all over the Wetlands were tied off (with a 'time delay' knot) -- and I think one or two earlier reference to Saidar gateways being tied.

It doesn't surprise me that Gateways can be tied off and left open because we've known almost as long as we've known anything about channeling that weaves can be tied off and/or left in place -- with an implication that ANY static weave can be tied-off.

The only question is whether Grady had to work how to tie a gateway off on his own or whether asha'man are taught how to tie-off weaves.

[WinespringBrother]

Grady did spend a little time with Rand (5 days according to WOT timeline site), which may have been when he learned tying off, if not from the BT.

[GonzoTheGreat]

Which would tie in with the terminology he used. If he'd learned it from Taim, and Taim had learned it from his Forsaken teacher, then Grady would have used the word "knotting".

[greatwolf]

Yup. Nobody leaves a magic wand lying around. Of course i would have expected the ashaman to tie off gateways much earlier because of the taint. Why hold it longer than necessary?

[OutFoxed]

It may be a matter of distraction. A great number of “old skills” are making their way back, along with a fair number of “new” things being done with the OP that no one knows much about. Male and female both are sort of distracted with all that plus plot development issues, a lot of them might not be looking at experimental development of spell possibilities. Guys from the BT are pretty focused on learning a great deal of killing magic which doesn’t lend itself to being tied off/knotted. The concept of a spell duration longer than a gunshot is rather novel. They got it when they got it, that’s all.

[greatwolf]

. The concept of a spell duration longer than a gunshot is rather novel. They got it when they got it, that’s all.

I think you mean RJ's method is novel. There have always been spells that are meant to last a lifetime, a millennium even.

The SAS usually wouldn't tie off a weave to keep it from the tower lot. And Taim's lot wouldn't need to hold it for long. But Rand and Perrin have been using it to move armies. The concept of knotting a gateway would originate with them. The ashaman under Taim hold saidin as often as possible. So considerations of the taint may be rather secondary. Unless Perrin actually told them to tie it off, they might not have considered it till they nearly fell over from exhaustion.

[tworiverswoman]

How much worse would it be, tactically, to leave open gateways? Not everyone can read residue, which is what Elayne feared, but anyone can walk through an open gateway.This isn't a very sensible argument, Terez. I'm not suggesting that he tie it off and then ride away into the sunset.
He turned his head to look at the gateway without rising, and it dwindled in the reverse of how it had opened, the view through it seeming to rotate as it narrowed, finishing with a vertical slash of silvery blue light that left a faint purplish bar in Perrin's vision when it winked out. Obviously it only took him seconds to untie and close the weave, so the danger seems minimal. And there might be quicker ways to cut through it, if need be.

Greatwolf's answer that they didn't think of it until they were just too tired is probably the most logical answer, though a trifle mundane.

[Ethan al Thor]

There is an earlier reference to Saidin gateways being tied off -- Sammael's gateways that spread Aeil all over the Wetlands were tied off (with a 'time delay' knot) -- and I think one or two earlier reference to Saidar gateways being tied.

Good point I had forgotten that reference.

I don't see any reason that a channeler shouldn't be able to tie off the weave. While it is clearly usful to do so while an army marches through, I agree that it probably didn't become a consideration untill reserving one's remaining strength was so important. And I don't think anyone was suggesting leaving the gateways unattended.

Greatwolf's answer that they didn't think of it until they were just too tired is probably the most logical answer, though a trifle mundane.

I agree. The simplest answer is usually the best answer.

[greatwolf]

Greatwolf's answer that they didn't think of it until they were just too tired is probably the most logical answer, though a trifle mundane.



mundane? mundane??

~looks for something to throw~