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Theories By Great Lord of the Dark

Great Lord of the Dark has written 20 theories.

The Bore is in Tel’aran’rhiod

6 replies (last reply 2016-05-14 - Amaentes)

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 B...

Birgitte is Valeria

4 replies (last reply 2010-10-26 - Aragon21)

You don’t remember who Valeria is? Let me tell you of the days of high adventure...

In a 2003 interview the Creator said:

"when Tom Doherty got the rights to do the Conan novels, he needed the first one very fast so that it would come out the same time the movie came out. And he knew that I had once written a 98,000 word novel in 13 days. So he thought I could write something fast, and he was right, and I liked it. It was fun writing something completely over the top, full of purple prose, and in a weak moment I agreed to do five more and the novelization of the second Conan movie."

Robert Jordan was what I would call committed to the Conan franchise, even developing a timeline of every known Conan work, much as we Theorylanders...

Cadsuane's Black Ajah hunt

13 replies (last reply 2005-09-15 - silverwolf)
How and when did Cadsuane hunt the Black Ajah?

Once she had thought herself on the point of rooting out the Black only to watch her quarry slip through her fingers like smoke, her bitterest failure except possibly for failing to learn what Caraline Damodred's cousin had been up to in the Borderlands until the knowledge was years too late to do any good. Now, even the Black Ajah seemed a diversion from what was truly important.

Cadsuane seems to link the time of her hunt to the events in New Spring. Consider that Black Sister Merean Redhill was in the same area as Cadsuane and Moiraine, and the unexplained deaths that were occuring at that time, and it makes sense that Cadsuane may have taken note of it and investigated. Given the tone of her later comments "Were eit...

Masema is a substitute for Taim

14 replies (last reply 2005-09-11 - silverwolf)
Something similar to this has come up before I'm sure, but a particular link stood out to me as I reread Book 8 and 9.

A quote from Book 4:

"Joiya shrugged. "As you wish. Let me see. Different words. The false Dragon, Mazrim Taim, who was captured in Saldaea, can channel with incredible strength. Perhaps as much as Rand al'Thor, or nearly so, if the reports can be believed. Before he can be brought to Tar Valon and gentled, Liandrin means to break him free. He will be proclaimed as the Dragon Reborn, his name given as Rand al'Thor, and then he will be set to destruction on such a scale as the world has not seen since the War of the Hundred Years." Perhaps put himself in two places at once. Even the sort who have always rallied to a false Dragon will hesitate in the face ...

Mat is Gaidal Cain

62 replies (last reply 2010-01-17 - Chumpacabra)
Mat is Gaidal Cain. Sort of.

This entire theory was inspired by two pieces of 'evidence'. The first piece of evidence is the following passage told from Mat's POV: "That was one of the things about Birgitte; she would nudge him in the ribs and point out a pretty girl for his eye as readily as any man he had ever known, and expect him to point out in turn what she liked to see, which was generally the ugliest man in sight. Whether or not she chose to go half-naked today—a quarter, anyway—she was... well, a friend. A strange world, it was turning out to be. One woman he was beginning to think of as a drinking companion, and another after him as intently as he had ever pursued any pretty woman, in those old memories or his own. More intently; he had never chased any woman who let...

Rand, Mat and Suroth will meet at Valan Luca's Menagerie

18 replies (last reply 2005-08-21 - William Seeker)
Rand will be a special guest at Valan Luca's Menagerie. Sounds corny? Well, consider this...

Rand and Suroth are the two pre-eminent leaders of the continent. Between the two super-powers, they hold sway over more than half the continent. When Reagan and Gorbachev meet, it's in neutral ground, in Iceland. Rand and Suroth also need neutral ground, so each can feel secure about not walking into the other's den. Rand can travel anywhere, but Suroth will not want to be too far from her base of power since she doesn't know have anyone who knows how to Travel back to Ebou Dar. Rand will not want to be in Ebou Dar where Seanchan Power is concentrated. To appease both, a town on the outskirts of Seanchan control would do perfectly. Somewhere a day's Travel from Ebou Dar by raken, selected ...

One Power disguises

16 replies (last reply 2005-07-30 - Anubis)
This theory is a thorough study of using the Power as a disguise, and what the implications are for Forsaken who disguise themselves.

First, there are four major weaves with subtle differences described in the series that allow one to change their appearance:

1. Illusion (White Tower version)

Illusion is a weave taught at the White Tower. In LoC, Alanna uses this weave to impress novices: Alanna stood in the middle of the common room unchanged—to Verin, at least—but the Illusion's head touched the ceiling beams.

Obviously, this is the same weave Moiraine used in Baerlon to fool Whitecloaks in tEotW, as Rand recalls: They think to impress me spinning the Mirror of Mists? Lews Therin's incredulous laugh faded into mad giggles. Rand did not need the ...

Moiraine died!

31 replies (last reply 2005-08-21 - William Seeker)
This quote has made people think that Moiraine survived her passage through the red doorway: "For a moment, she was sure it was Moiraine. But.... Min sighed regretfully, but it was not as if she had really expected Moiraine to turn up alive. Moiraine was the only viewing of hers that had ever failed."

Whatever this viewing of Moiraine was, it did not involve her showing up alive again, because if it did Min would have had more faith that its time had not yet come. Example:

Had Logain been lying in the road, rasping his death tattle, she would have wagered all she had and more on a miraculous recovery, somehow. The appearance of an Aes Sedai to Heal him. Something. What she saw was always true. It always happened."

So, Min believes in miracles for Logain but not Moir...

The Dark One's powers

40 replies (last reply 2005-02-02 - Callandor)
When Lews Therin's seals were new, the Dark One had zero influence in the world. When all seven are broken, he will have unlimited influence to affect reality as he sees fit. So what can he do as each seal breaks in turn?

Firstly, there are not only stages of seals breaking, but also the stage in which the seals became fragile. All we know for sure about this is that they became fragile before EotW. I suspect Ishamael's partial freedom every millenia eithar was the cause, or he used that freedom to work at weakening the seals.

Whatever. By EotW, Fain had been altered, Slayer had been created, the Dark One's eyes searched for Rand, and to paraphrase Siuan: "What seemed evil ten years ago is mere caprice now," and Lan: "Strange things can happen this close to the Blight."The...

Slayer's origin

57 replies (last reply 2005-09-07 - Callandor)
Might as well make this official...

Last anyone heard, Isam and his mom had been run down by Trollocs when Malkier fell. Yet he shows up as Slayer, seemingly merged with Luc, and a high-ranking Shadowsworn. How did he get there? I propose...

Due to her role in the fall of Malkier, and of the potential importance of Isam as heir to the throne of Malkier, Isam's mother was spared, as was her son. She was kept alive to raise Isam, and he was raised in the Blight, under the Shadow.

Years later, as described in the Dark prophecy from Book 2, Luc entered the Blight and killed Isam in the high passes. One did live, and one did die.

Yet both are. There is only one entity with the power to merge these two people in one body: The Dark One. He the only one with the pr...

Resurrecting Rand

28 replies (last reply 2004-11-22 - Jane-Sedai)
I believe the goal of the Dark One is to get Rand to turn voluntarily to the Shadow. This is based on Moridin's sha'rah observations, and the repeated efforts of Lanfear and Ishamael to turn him. See Lanfear's comments in the Stone of Tear in Book 4 for just how much the Dark one wants Rand to kneel before him.

To eventually succeed, pressure must be applied to Rand. This will be done by putting Elayne and his unborn children in danger via Shiaine and Hanlon's plot, and putting other places and people he cares about in harm's way simultaneously.

With Asha'man and other resources available to him, Rand could delegate and meet all attacks against his friends. So the Dark One must isolate him.

Attempts to do so in the past have failed because his friends came to his a...

Tuon cannot channel

176 replies (last reply 2010-08-09 - Marie Curie 7)
This quote has lead many to believe Tuon can channel:

Luca and his wife exchanged puzzled glances, plainly not understanding a word. Teslyn's mouth hung open, Aes Sedai serenity washed away in shock. Selucia made an angry sound, though, blue eyes blazing, and dropped the bundle of cloth from her back as she took a step toward Domon. A quick flash of Tuon's fingers stopped her in her tracks, though it was a quivering halt. Tuon's face was a dark mask, unreadable. She did not like what she had heard, though. Come to think, she had said she trained damane. Oh, burn him, on top of everything else, he was going to marry a woman who could channel?

Now a few things have to be considered in interpreting this quote. Firstly, this is Mat's thoughts we're reading. Mat is very frequent...

Semirhage is not Anath

35 replies (last reply 2005-06-27 - Anubis)
There's some circumstantial evidence that Semirhage is Anath but I don't buy it.

Ishamael had to have ordered the Seanchan fleet launch during EotW, BEFORE Semirhage was freed (sometime during tGH). So he's been the one pulling the Seanchan strings. For Semirhage to get close enough to the Empress to force the choice of Anath on Tuon, she would be in Ishamael's territory. That's a big risk to take.

Semirhage has not been working with Ishamael in the early books, by any evidence we've seen. So collaboration regarding the Seanchan is out.

If Semirhage did want to get control over the Seanchan, she'd have arranged to be the Empress' advisor, not Tuon's. Or she would have killed the current Empress so Tuon could gain the Crystal Throne and thus control the nation.
<...

Book 11- Knife of Dreams

42 replies (last reply 2006-09-07 - wooandwow)
Well, it seems that the title Knife of dreams is not some April Fool's joke, so I'll spell out what I think it means.

We know that dead heroes linked to the Horn reside in T'A'R until they are reborn. We also know Egwene has seen that the dreams of every person, perhaps the dreams of every person who ever was, in the gap between T'A'R and the waking world. And we also know that the Aelfinn and Eelfinn reside in a dimension somehow related to T'A'R, and they have enabled Mat to make use of memories of dead men, specifically of their moment of death. And finally we have seen that both the Amayar and Aiel have sayings/beliefs indicating that "life is but a dream from which we wake" (tSR) and the time of Illusions (dreams) is at an end. The last fact is that dead people have started sh...

Verin is not Evil!

64 replies (last reply 2008-10-27 - abzville1115)
This is to supplement the debate for my new faction:

Verin is not Evil. She is not a darkfriend. She is not in cahoots with any Forsaken.

Verin has done nothing to endanger Rand at any time. She has in fact gotten sworn enemies to turn to his side through her weak compulsion. She wants him to reach the Last Battle. And win. This has been her objective for a long time.

Her last major mistake 70 years ago was trusting someone she shouldn't have. So far she has risked all to see what Moiraine and Siuan were up to in Book 5, given Egwene help in Book 3, Looked for other trustworthy channelers in Book 4, subtly taken over the Rebel embassy to Rand in Book 6, turned Elaida's 'escort' into Rand's willing servants, and debated whether Cadsuane was dangerous enough to need ...

The Complete Young Sitters Theory

20 replies (last reply 2005-04-21 - Sampson)
Here's a total Salidar Rebels-Young Sitters-Tower Sitters-Anaiya-Kairen-Egwene Betrayed theory. There's a quick summary at the end, but you'll have to admit this is much shorter than other infamous theories I've had. Mostly cause I dropped all quotes. But you'll know what I'm talking about, right? ;)

Sheriam

I still don't see how anyone can not believe Sheriam is Black Ajah after reading her part in tDR. Her subsequent breakdowns and beatings only confirm what was hinted at very early in the series: Sheriam is Black Ajah.

Rereading the initial meeting between Siuan and the Rebels (FoH), something became apparent to me: Sheriam is in charge of the rebels. Sheriam is always the one who first gives approval to these new ideas. Sheriam is the first to say "we can't poss...

How Moridin killed Asmodean

34 replies (last reply 2005-06-07 - Great Lord of the Dark)
This is how Moridin killed Asmodean:

Moridin has the habit of using his skulker mask and True Power to hide in the open presence of Forsaken-class channelers. In The Fires of Heaven, he was watching Rand in Cairhien, and followed him to Caemlyn. He witnessed the battle with Rahvin. He waited for Asmodean to be alone, and seeing which door he was headed to, he Traveled using the True Power to interecpt him.

Asmodean recognized Moridin because the True Power also provided a Mask of Mirrors for Moridin to show his old face. Moridin sliced Asmodean to bits with a lethal True Power weave and destroyed the evidence with the True Power as well.

Moridin's motive was that he had been ordered to bring the Forsaken in line. He started with the biggest traitor, Asmodean. He the...

Gholam immune to True Power?

203 replies (last reply 2008-09-06 - Grief)
"It had never encountered anything that could harm it. Until that man with the medallion. Curious, it peered around the room, but there was nothing beyond the crushed corpse on the floor tiles. And a ... feel... of something. Not the One Power, but something that made it it... itch, if not quite in the same way. The gholam seemed to remember something that made it itch in that manner, yet so much of what it recalled was fogged and dim. The world had changed, as it seems, and in the blink of an eye. There had been a world of war and killing on a huge scale, with weapons that reached across miles, across thousands of miles, and then there was... this. But the gholam had not changed. It was still the most dangerous weapon of all." Path of Daggers, Ch.2, Unweaving, p.84

So, gholam are ...

Rand's powers and abilities

12 replies (last reply 2003-12-07 - minorleaguer17)
What are Rand's Powers exactly?

He can channel, more powerfully than anyone in existence. Aes Sedai can feel creatures of the Dark One, can Rand? He usually seems to get a little forewarning before a Draghkar or Gray Man shows up. He's been bonded as a Warder by Alanna, Elayne, and Aviendha. Usually Warders get enhanced endurance from the bond, and can feel creatures of the Dark One like Myrrdraal. Is Rand's endurance even more since he's drawing from three channeler bonds? What does he get from being bonded to Min? How close could a Fade get before Rand knows it's there?

Rand can enter tel'aran'rhiod in his sleep, or go in the flesh while awake. Aren't male dreamwalkers impossible according to Wise Ones? Of course, they don't know about male channelers, there haven't been ...

The Way of the Hammer

8 replies (last reply 2003-06-24 - Anubis)
Like an orchestra, there seems to be several components to the Song needed to make the crops more fertile in the Age of Legends (as seen in the glass columns of Rhuidean, The Shadow Rising):

1. Ogier singers, probably Treesingers like Loial. Presumably the Tinkers have heard these songs and said 'That's not it." But it is a COMPONENT of the Song.

2. Aiel men singing, whom the Tinkers are descendents of, as are the present-day Aiel. The Clan Chiefs, including Rand know this COMPONENT of the Song, and presumably could sing it if asked to. If they could be brought to do so, after all, they have no desire to take part in Tinker affairs.

3. Nym directing the Song, like a maestro. The last remaining Nym, Someshta, is dead. Even if a new construct could be made, would it h...