Questions tagged [the-wheel-of-time]
The "Wheel of Time" series is one of the most popular fantasy series today, started by Robert Jordan and completed from Jordan's notes by Brandon Sanderson.
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New Spring: How were these characters' deaths explained?
At the end of New Spring we learn that several people die, and
Any canon answers (interviews with RJ/BS, something in the books I missed) are welcome.
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Mat Cauthon's memories of Manetheren
This is a follow-up question to Matrim Cauthon's Memories From Former Lives? where we can learn from a canonical source that Mat's memories of former lives are given to him from his visit inside ...
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Is there any clue in canon or interviews as to how Padan Fain was able to subdue a Fade?
In The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan, Padan Fain is able to nail a Fade to a barn door. Later in camp he sleeps while surrounded by Fades, Trollocs and Darkfriends all of whom have a motive to kill him. ...
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What real-life time periods were the First Age and the Age of Legends?
In The Wheel of Time series, Robert Jordan states in his post-book interviews (audiobook version, at least) that the "Age of Legends" and beyond are supposed to be similar to our real-life modern ...
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Why does this group disappear, in The Shadow Rising?
This question is probably not answerable by direct quote, but I hope some answer can still be inferred.
Also, I am not very sure what to do with spoilers, other than just eliminating them entirely. I'...
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How does Tam know who "Maighdin" really is? [duplicate]
In The Gathering Storm, Rand meets with his father. A part of their conversation includes Perrin's exploits:
Rand's mood darkened slightly. "Wait. Perrin has been using Two Rivers folk?"
...
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Where did Perrin get the letter from Suroth?
In Knife of Dreams, Perrin negotiates a truce with a bunch of Seanchan, and he hands their leaders a letter from Suroth. (edits and emphasis mine)
From his left gauntlet he pulled a folded, grease-...
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How did Moghedien escape Nynaeve's weave?
Nynaeve bests Moghedien in a duel in The Shadow Rising and subsequently shields her from the True Source, in addition to trapping her in Air (and tying the weave). However, Moghedien disappears ...
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Did Cadsuane break her interrogation constraints?
During the Aes Sedai interrogation of Semirhage, they are chronically frustrated by Rand's prohibition against physical violence as a form of torture. Eventually:
Spanking hardly counts as torture. ...
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What happened to Muradin in Rhuidean?
In The Shadow Rising, when Rand first sees Muradin, both of them were in the ter' angreal at Rhuidean. And later on, before Rand's final vision, he sees that Muradin had already ripped out his eyes ...
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When did the referenced conversation take place?
Near the end of WoT Book 13 "Towers of Midnight", Mat & Thom are conversing with
Given that she "died" prior to Rand attacking Caemlyn, what conversation is she referring to?
Note: The preferred ...
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Elayne, Nynaeve and Egwene: do these girls ever become truly awesome as the series progresses? [closed]
I'm reading the third book now. I like the series but I can't help but not be too impressed with these 3. They seem to have a lot of confidence but all they seem to do in these books is be captured. ...
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What was the large pack of Darkhounds searching for?
While searching for the Shaido in WoT Book 10 "Crossroads of Twilight", Perrin's group found that
Obviously the pack wasn't after Perrin, since they left. However, a pack that huge - a size not seen ...
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Are all the heroes summoned by the Horn of Valere ta'veren?
Artie Hawkwing is said to be the most powerful ta’veren ever, but what about Brigitte and the others Heroes of the Horn? Do you have to be ta’veren to be bound to the Horn?
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Wheel of Time: What chapter can I reread for background on the Sharans? (pre MoL)
I'm reading (listening) to A Memory of Light, and in Chapter 20...
I have absolutely no recollection of this country or people. Clearly, I missed or forgot something from a previous book.
In what ...
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What was the Tinker's message to the Dragon Reborn?
In Book 6 of the Wheel of Time, "The Lord of Chaos", the Band of the Red Hand came across a massacred caravan of Tinkers. One of the victims had scrawled a message:
Fire had taken most of the wagon ...
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Had the Breaking of the world happened before?
Given the idea that the Wheel of Time is cyclical and all that is happening has happened before, does that mean the events of the breaking and the birth of the Dragon Reborn happened before? Does this ...
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Was Birgitte Silverbow remembering herself?
Given the cyclical nature of the The Wheel of Time, it seems inevitable that everything has occurred before at some point. When Birgitte Silverbow finds herself
The Age of Legends did not have Warders,...
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Was Couladin a Darkfriend or just nuts?
When Rand undertook his journey to become Car'a'carn, his chief rival was Couladin, an Aiel warrior who declared himself to be clan chief of the Shaido Aiel. Couladin hated Rand from the instant he ...
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Was Rhuidean supposed to be based on a modern city?
When Rand and Mat enter Rhuidean in WoT Book 4, it's described as a city with broad paved streets and towering skyscraper-like buildings.
Huge buildings flanked the streets, odd flat-sided palaces ...
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How well did Moiraine know Thom Merrilin?
In the first book, Thom traveled together with Moiraine and the rest from Emond's Field towards Tar Valon. This was, as far as I remember, a chance encounter, and possibly the first time they met.
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Is there any significance of the Star of David during Nynaeve's test?
In Towers of Midnight, Nynaeve finally takes her Aes Sedai test. One of the triggers in the test is "two triangles overlapped", which is like the Star of David. Is there any significance to this ...
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How did Galad find out about Morgase?
At the beginning of WoT Book 11, "Knife of Dreams", Galad Damodred challenges Eamon Valda to a duel in retribution for
This begs the question, how did Galad find out about Morgase's treatment while ...
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Are Aes Sedai capable of becoming pregnant?
I was reading Lord of Chaos earlier and came across the following interaction between Sorilea and Egwene:
“You will, girl. You are not one to become Far Dareis Mai and think men are a sport like ...
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Which books reveal these spoilers in Wheel Of Time? [closed]
A friend of mine is working his way through the WOT series for the first time. I read it several years ago and want to discuss a couple of things with him but don’t want to give spoilers by asking him ...
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Why could Verin not see this channeler's weaves?
At the Battle of Shadar Logoth at the end of "Winter's Heart", all of the remaining Forsaken show up to stop Rand's use of the Choedan Kal. The circle being led by Verin finds itself facing one ...
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Which Forsaken commanded the Gholam?
In "A Crown of Swords", readers were introduced to the deadliest of the Shadowspawn - the gholam - and Birgitte (via Mat) explained that only six were ever created because even the Forsaken feared ...
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What is the analogue to the sword fighting style in Wheel of Time?
The protagonist of the series, Rand al'Thor, is described as a master swordsman and fights with a sword pretty often through the series. The sword design sounds very much like a katana in design (see: ...
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Why can’t Nynaeve see the glow of Saidar?
At the end of The Shadow Rising and the beginning of The Fires of Heaven, it’s specifically mentioned that Nynaeve cannot see the glow of Saidar around Elayne, but isn’t this just an innate ability of ...
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Is there any pattern to the dice in Mat's head?
The dice in Mat's head seem to rattle quite often. I was wondering if there was any discernible pattern to them? Such as "once they start, the event is X hours away" or something like that? He doesn't ...
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Do Aes Sedai wear tallitot?
The tallit is a Jewish garb, which has a lot of resemblance to the Aes Sedai shawl:
It's a shawl
It's got fringes
The fringes are (or at least were) dyed blue
However, I couldn't find any reference to ...
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How did Egwene make this connection?
I'm currently reading "Winter's Heart", and it seems like Egwene and company have made a connection between
I understand why the connection was made, but not the how. How did they arrive at this ...
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Did Robert Jordan comment on ra'angreal in the Wheel of Time series?
Near the end of "Eye of the World" in Chapter 52, when Moraine is explaining to the others what cuendillar is, she uses the term ra'angreal:
"Cuendillar, " Moiraine said. "Heartstone. No one has ...
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Was Moiraine the only person to use a staff or other focus for concentration while channeling?
In The Eye of the World, Egwene comments that Moiraine's staff must be very powerful, after seeing her channel to hide them from the Trollocs.
Moiraine responds that the staff is only an aid to help ...
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Is the Flame and the Void a real meditation technique?
In the Wheel of Time series, several characters - especially the protagonist, Rand al'Thor - use a technique they call "the Flame and the Void" in order to improve their concentration. It's ...
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The Dreadlord count around the Last Battle
In A Memory of Light, the numbers are a bit off for me for the Black Tower. Taim is apparently running his Ashaman to exhaustion, which is the 13 used for the Turning and like 5 extra, as I saw it ...
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Compulsion on the Great Captains
In the "A Memory of Light" it turns out somewhere near the end, that all four great captains were under Compulsion, I think placed on them by Graendal/Hessalam.
Do we know when this started? Was ...
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What was not allowing Egwene and co. to leave Tel'aran'rhiod in Towers of Midnight?
In Towers of Midnight, Chapter 37: Darkness of Midnight, when fighting Mesaana, Egwene and co are unable to leave the dream. At this time Perrin has already taking the Travelling inhibitor ter'angreal ...
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Can Forsaken kill those Bound to the Wheel in Tel'aran'rhiod?
According to Birgitte, the heroes are bound to the wheel and live in Tel'aran'rhiod until reborn. The Forsaken seem to be able to enter Tel'aran'rhiod at will. Can they kill the bound heroes? If so, ...
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What happens to damane after the Last Battle?
Do we know anything about what happens in the Seanchan Empire regarding damane after the events of the Last Battle? Do they give up collaring them?
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Can non-channelers use the "not touched by heat" trick?
It's been said throughout the Wheel of Time books that the trick for not sweating has nothing to do with the One Power. Does this mean that non-channelers can do this?
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Can the A'dam bracelet be modified to work with other bracelets to make linking easier for Aes Sedai?
I'm currently on book 6 of Wheel of Time series, "Lord of Chaos". In it, Elayne has crafted a modified A'dam after realizing that the bracelet doesn't need to be leashed to the necklace. They've come ...
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What are the effects of balefire on inanimate objects?
So, we know that the use of balefire can effectively "rewind time", in a manner of speaking, when used against people. But what happens if its used on a forest? Does all of the oxygen that tree ...
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Does the foxhead medallion really protect against saidin?
Across all the books, it's clear that the foxhead medallion protects against saidar, but what about saidin? Consider:
In Winter's Heart,
but I'm not sure if there's evidence to support that.
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What is the other "not merely vile, but horrific" tale about Tuon that Karede thinks about?
In Wheel of Time, Knife of Dreams, Chapter 34 "A Cup of Kaf", Furyk Karede thinks the following:
It seemed everyone believed the filthy tale of Guards' involvement with a girl pretending to be the ...
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What are the marriage rituals of the Sea Folk?
Towards the end of Book 7, A Crown of Swords,
get married among the Sea Folk. Later, the wife describes their marriage rituals as "embarrassing".
From later books we know that in public the wife has ...
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Why did no one notice this character missing?
In The Shadow Rising, we learn that
After that, they disappear, and no one says a word about it. Did people not notice? Or did Rand give a reason that they were gone that I didn't catch?
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Would a channeller remember killing someone with balefire?
Balefire has the power to burn threads from the Pattern, effectively removing something from time for a period proportional to the amount of power used to summon the balefire.
If you used a powerful ...
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Why didn't Rand handle the Black Tower differently?
WARNING: Spoilers for the end of the series ahead.
Rand founded an organized structure to gather and train male channelers and later established its hierarchy into Soldiers, Dedicated and full Asha'...
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Who is "best with women" in Wheel of Time? [closed]
I have started reading The Wheel of Time series and no further than book two I 've read Rand, Perrin and Mat wishing they were as good with women as the other enough times to get my eyes rolling.
So ...
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