Newyorkersedai, this is really interesting and I am glad to see these kinds of topics discussed. I like the idea of light as weapon, but I think if it happens that way (and I am not yet convinced) that it would be more like Rand's sword of light that he used in EotW and TSR against the True Power conduits connecting to Ishy and Asmo. These were somehow visible in TAR, which makes me think that the battle will have to happen there.

As you said, we are in very speculative territory here, but we do have some guide posts to help us understand the cosmology of the WoT.

Early on in the series we learned that reality (even that not affected by the DO) is discontinuous and full of pockets and bubbles of difference. The Ways are continuous in themselves, but connect with the regular world in only a few places (waygates). Mirror Worlds and Parallel worlds likewise are coherent realities that are only partly overlapping. Mirror worlds are linked by Portal Stones and Parallel worlds are mostly separate except for the Finns' three points of contact with our world (the two doorways and the Tower of Ghenjei) and the Stedding, which are apparently disconnected pockets of the Ogier world. The Blight, Rhuidean, and the Eye are other examples of distinct areas that work with different physical laws than the main world. All of the areas I mentioned, moreover, (Finnland, Stedding, Rhuidean, the Blight, the Ways, (probably) the Eye) cannot be reached by TAR, at least not in the usual way. What all this means is certainly far from clear, but at least one relevant observation can be made. Discontinuous realities do not need some extra-Pattern barrier to remain separate. Without a third reality, for instance, Stedding remain distinct from the human world.

We also learned early on from Verin that there are three multiversal constants: the Dark One, the Creator, and TAR. This is why something that affects any of these three affects all possible worlds, even if the cause is specific to one world. I do not think that there is necessarily a different Bore for each world. What Mierin and co did probably affected all realities, but the Bore is specific to this world (or maybe not, but the solution must come from this world).

The world of the Finns certainly seems to be more vulnerable to the influence of Shai'tan than the human world, and this is a fact I believe to be incredibly important. Why should this be? Is it something they did or is it pure coincidence? The Stedding, on the other hand, appear to be less influenced by the Shadow than either human or Finn worlds. I have a pet theory that long long ago, perhaps in the First Age, that the Finns began exploring the parallel worlds and something went wrong, splitting their realm in two (Cyndane recalls being held in the realms--plural--of the Aelfinn and Eelfinn, and we have two separate doorways). It might be this fracture that makes the Finnlands more susceptible to the Dark One. I think that in order to secure their reality, or perhaps as part of the initial crisis, the Ogier world was "splintered" by merging parts of it with different parallel worlds (that is why the Stedding are not physically connected to each other, but still have the same natural laws). I think that either the Ogier volunteered for this universe saving task or were forced into it, but that there was some intentionality because of the existence of the Book of Translation. I think this object will reunite or help coordinate the reuinion of all the pieces of the Ogier world (from all dimension or maybe just the human one). That it exists suggests that someone once thought there would be a reason to reverse the Stedding merger (perhaps this is one of the things that will have to happen to fully reseal the Bore and eliminate the Thinness).

FInally, I think there is good evidence that the True Source is the Creator itself, just as the True Power is the Dark One itself. The Creator drives the Wheel, but does not steer it. The Dark One is either trying to steal/reinvent or destroy the Pattern (I lean towards destroy).

That still leaves the third constant, Tel'aran'rhiod, unaccounted for. We are told it forms or fills the spaces between or around the threads of the Pattern. It links all worlds and all threads and I am pretty certain it will play a crucial role in the Last Battle and the resealing/healing of the Bore. The Pit of Doom operates much like TAR and a battle of wills seems more likely than a battle of power. It doesn't seem that the One Power will be the primary solution against the Dark One. Rand destroyed the Choedan Kal, saidin already failed and RJ said that if saidar had been used it too would have been tainted, and TP-OP interactions are shown to be unpredictable.

Just a lot of rambling speculation, but I love this stuff!

LoialT