The Climax of TOM? (possibly spoilerish?)

[Terez]

Brandon posted Wednesday that he had two scenes left to write for TOM:

Originally Posted by Brandon

Okay, two new scenes left to write on TofM. (Along with a lot of revision still to do.) I will write one of them tonight.

Then yesterday, he posted this:

Originally Posted by Brandon

Bryce Koronko, I named a game of dice in TofM after you.

Which of course brings Mat to mind. And then this:

Originally Posted by Brandon

Christopher McClintock, you are in the Band of the Red Hand.

And of course, Brandon might not be writing in order. But I have written enough fiction to understand that it's extremely difficult to write a story out of order. It's often tempting, especially when you get stuck with a particular scene, but if you skip too far ahead, then it gets really difficult to maintain continuity. So it seems that the Band will be involved in the climax of TOM in some way. Not surprising, but there it is.

[Charlz Guybon]

Originally Posted by Terez

Brandon posted Wednesday that he had two scenes left to write for TOM:



Then yesterday, he posted this:


Which of course brings Mat to mind. And then this:


And of course, Brandon might not be writing in order. But I have written enough fiction to understand that it's extremely difficult to write a story out of order. It's often tempting, especially when you get stuck with a particular scene, but if you skip too far ahead, then it gets really difficult to maintain continuity. So it seems that the Band will be involved in the climax of TOM in some way. Not surprising, but there it is.

Well, unless it's just a throw away reference I don't see what Dice would have to do with the climax of ToM so I'm stumped.

I hope it's how he fullfills his jest to Aludra "I'd have to dice with the Queen of Andor". (Doubtful)

I hope we see lots of Trolloc fighting, Band of the Red Hand goodness.

[Terez]

Originally Posted by Charlz Guybon

Well, unless it's just a throw away reference I don't see what Dice would have to do with the climax of ToM so I'm stumped.

It doesn't have to have anything to do with it really - could be an offhand mention, or something in Mat's thoughts.

[jana]

well, Egwene did dream of Mat dicing with a headwound (iirc), so it could be against the Finns.

(I never took it as him literally dicing with them, though)

[Terez]

Me either, but with Mat, anything could happen.

[ckparrothead]

Is this the dream you're referring to?

Mat throwing dice with blood streaming down his face, the wide brim of his hat pulled low so she could not see his wound, while Thom Merrilin put his hand into a fire to draw out the small blue stone that now dangled on Moiraine's forehead.

[ckparrothead]

It brings up an interesting topic of speculation in how exactly Mat is going to have to lose an eye to save the world.

I think that giving up half the light of the world to save the world is a clever re-interpretation of balancing an eyeball on scales, and with the dream about him dicing with his hat pulled low and blood streaming down his face, I mean it's a pretty broadly guessed theory that Mat will lose an eye. But how will that save the world? Also there's this little ditty,

"Fortune rides like the sun on high
with the fox that makes the ravens fly.
Luck his soul, the lightning his eye,
He snatches the moons from out of the sky."

Is that just cutesy or is that significant? What does lightning usually signify in the Wheel of Time? Usually it has something to do with the One Power. Forked lightning is the symbol on sul'dam uniforms.

Also is it significant that the medallion hanging around his neck, which seems to symbolize Mat in that it's a fox and its power is to keep the One Power off it...but the eye of the fox is an ancient Aes Sedai symbol.

[Terez]

Yeah, I always figured it referred to the medallion's eye. Also, I figure he'll lose the eye at Ghenjei to save Moiraine and by extension save the world since Rand will almost surely fail without her.

[jana]

Originally Posted by ckparrothead

It brings up an interesting topic of speculation in how exactly Mat is going to have to lose an eye to save the world.

I think that giving up half the light of the world to save the world is a clever re-interpretation of balancing an eyeball on scales, and with the dream about him dicing with his hat pulled low and blood streaming down his face, I mean it's a pretty broadly guessed theory that Mat will lose an eye. But how will that save the world? Also there's this little ditty,

It's pretty obvious that IF his losing half the light involves the Finns, that's enough to fulfill the prophecy. Rand will fail without Moiraine, according to Min. So saving Moiraine = saving the world. (But I'm sure at least 3 people will argue here that the dead and gone woman isn't Moiraine).

Edit: Terez just said the same thing but we posted at the same time :P

[Terez]

Probably only Felix and maybe greatwolf. This is why I have them both on ignore.

[jana]

Originally Posted by Terez

Probably only Felix and maybe greatwolf. This is why I have them both on ignore.

You're going to miss this then, so I'll help. "He'll give up half the light of the world to save the Daughter of the Night so she can rise again and help Rand master callandor. Cyndane is just her cousin."

[Terez]

You forgot Valan Luca. Surely he will have something to do with it.

[jana]

Also, if the name of the dicing game has nothing to do with Finns, then it's probably just a dicing game they play in some village in or near Whitebridge, or maybe a game in Caemlyn. Though it probably isn't one in Caemlyn unless Mat learns it from some foreigners there. Or Brigitte.

Or maybe it's the name of a dicing game he knows from his memories.

[jana]

Originally Posted by Terez

You forgot Valan Luca. Surely he will have something to do with it.

I thought that was something we all agreed on. When Moiraine is rescued they won't recognize her at first because she'll have traded bodies with Valan. This will anger Thom when he finds out that he's just done the nasty with Luca, who didn't bother to tell him until afterward.

[nameless]

He won't be able to stay mad, though, because in the brief time Valan stayed in Mo's body he did enough leg curls to give her the best-turned calves ever.

[Sukoto]

Originally Posted by Terez

Brandon posted Wednesday that he had two scenes left to write for TOM:



Then yesterday, he posted this:


Which of course brings Mat to mind. And then this:


And of course, Brandon might not be writing in order. But I have written enough fiction to understand that it's extremely difficult to write a story out of order. It's often tempting, especially when you get stuck with a particular scene, but if you skip too far ahead, then it gets really difficult to maintain continuity. So it seems that the Band will be involved in the climax of TOM in some way. Not surprising, but there it is.

If BS is writing people into the books, he is inserting them into off-hand comments or brief scenes, which may or may not have much to do with the story.

For example, Mat might be doing something, and whatever it is reminds him of a dice game called Koronko because it involved women who drove him crazy or some such nonsense.

The member of the Band is a little more significant, especially if BS actually wrote the name in the book because the character was part of the scene and someone was talking to him or thinking about him. That would mean the Band is actually doing something at that point in the book. I image Christopher McClintock is probably carrying a message from someone in the Band to someone in the world, could be anyone.

[Terez]

Yes, that's pretty much what I already said. The dice are not necessarily important, but the member of the Band is indicative. It might be an offhand mention of a person, but it seems doubtful that the Band won't be involved in the climax.

I'm thinking Battle of Caemlyn. Mat might or might not actually be there.

[FelixPax]

Originally Posted by Terez

You forgot Valan Luca. Surely he will have something to do with it.

ROLF...yeah, you might say.

Ever hear of Ganesha, Terez?

AUM.

[greatwolf]

Originally Posted by Terez

Probably only Felix and maybe greatwolf. This is why I have them both on ignore.

Great!

I suppose its a recent decision though, I hope its not due to exams, or a quitty attitude.

[ckparrothead]

That seems like the simplest and most likely answer, giving up an eye gets Moiraine and without Moiraine, Rand would fail. I can definitely accept that.

Still wonder about "lightning his eye" though. But, who knows, could just be something cutesy and insignificant.