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I'd like to know how a lot of alternate prophecies would've played. Joel Send a noteboard - 04/10/2010 11:11:58 AM
Debates go on all the time about the DO and TG. Lots of people try to figure out who killed Asmodean, what exactly is meant by "Rand's blood on the rocks of SG," or how Alivia will "help Rand die." These are big questions that (excluding the first) the author(s) wanted us to read at the "appropriate" time.

Even in a series that doesn't have the WoT's grand scope, there are always going to be minor questions that are left dangling. "Minor/petty questions," to my mind, would not be about things that are important or necessary to finishing the Light vs Shadow conflict, nor to resolving the futures of our major players. A good example would be "Where are the Ogier actually from?" or "How and why did the Ogier get to Randland?" You might wonder about it, but the story can be resolved without ever addressing it.

Another popular one could be "How did Narg learn to speak human language?"

So if you could get answers to 5 purely petty/minor questions, what would you ask about?

My own (not completely off the top of my head):

"Why does the Tree of Life not grow any off-spring, and how did the Aiel get the sapling that was sent to Cairhien?"

I'll buy Cannolis answer for why it doesn't self replicate; as to the other, they almost certainly got it the same way Avendesora came to be in Rhuidean: A cutting was taken from the original and with careful nurturing it became a tree.
"Why exactly do the WO think that entering TaR in the flesh is evil and causes loss-of-soul (an official symptom of Claritin-D)?"

That one's pretty fascinating in itself, but is probably related to the fact that fallen Heroes become permanent residents in Tel'aran'rhiod. Perhaps a sleepers soul is not present there, but on entering physically it tends to "stick" due to a resonance between Tel'aran'rhiod and souls (since T'a'r is clearly not physical, spiritual is about the only option left. ) In that case, if one goes often or long enough the soul could come to be entirely left there. That's almost pure speculation though, and I personally think the WOs are wrong. Many of the Forsaken, particularly Lanfear and Moghedien, frequently spend large amounts of time there and the former, at least, seems to retain her soul. It may be black as pitch, but it's there or the DO couldn't have reincarnated her. In fact, it might be a dim memory of Lanfear and Moghedien stalking Tel'aran'rhiod along with the others for centuries that gave rise to the belief, since they're evil to the core and many might think them soulless, and the WOs have preserved or rediscovered more of the dream world than anyone. If Ishamael used it on the occasions he was able to escape the Bore that would help explain it, too.
"Who made the Portal Stones, were they invented for more than mere transportation (e.g., research), and how were they made?"

Always a fascinating question. Part of what makes TWoT so interesting is going into it knowing there are a great many things we'll never be able to explain, many we'll never know about, because if time is a wheel relating even the most important historical events turns into The Never Ending Story.
"Does Fortuana really think that "choosing not to channel" makes her different from other potential channelers?" and

It seems clear from her PoV that she does. She has a highly refined sense of honor and integrity along with the intelligence to realize how adam work and why, and that means she has to rationalize a justification even if it means compartmentalizing her brain so that the parts that would expose it never discover the delusion. Many real people do this all the time to excuse things they know are wrong and conflict with their deepest beliefs but that they nonetheless strongly want to do. If you asked Stalin or Mao I'm sure they'd insist they were patriots, heroes and HIGHLY moral, with full sincerity. Very few people cast themselves as the villain in their own life story, ESPECIALLY if it fits.
"Since Elyas is an experienced Borderlander and Wolfbrother who knows that the Last Battle is coming, why isn't he doing anything about gathering the wolves for TG?"

In many ways it seems the wolves have a better read on Big Day than any of the humans. Wolves are wild animals, and in Randland that makes following a general to battle incomprehensible to them: They fight to defend themselves, maintain the pack hierarchy and get dinner, but war would be both pointless and wasteful even if they could understand the concept. Even at the Last Battle they won't be fighting for conquest, glory, power, wealth, etc. they'll be fighting for survival along with everyone else. In the cases of wolves who don't accept brethren among humans (and it seems some such exist) you can multiply all the preceding by ten when the prospective general is human.

To me it looks like when the Last Battle comes wolves will fight BESIDE humans but not IN CONJUNCTION with them, and they'll probably just show up, perhaps after some brief communication with Perrin (that seems to have been the MO to date. )

The aborted prophecies interest me mainly because every time I think about Egwenes Dream where Gawyn will EITHER kill or save her I think of Lancelot cutting down Gareth to save Guinevere and Gawain swearing a revenge he pursues all the way to Joyous Guard before Lancelot kills him in an epic battle. However, assuming that Egwenes Dream was about the Seanchan attack (and, yes, that's a significant assumption) we'll never see the Randland version of that chain of events, so it makes me wonder how it would've looked. Plenty of other examples exist, so I'm sure you can think of your own.

I'd like to know a lot more about Rands biological parents, but so would he, and don't expect either of us to be satisfied.

How were gholam created?

What are mature Worms like, and, for that matter, why does one of the Forsaken (Sammael, I think, but can't recall) say they can never mature now?

How was channeling discovered, and why is it impossible in some Ages?

And I have all kinds of questions about the founding and history of Seanchan; we know almost nothing of their 1000 year history; we don't even know who succeeded Luthair as the second Emperor, or why the Empress (may she live forever) is always a woman now.
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Stupid Question Time again: what 5 minor/petty questions would you like answered? - 02/10/2010 09:38:13 PM 1458 Views
A couple of answers - 02/10/2010 10:03:05 PM 952 Views
You shouldn't extrapolate from 1 example like that - 03/10/2010 06:47:19 AM 826 Views
Here's the thing about Elyas - 03/10/2010 07:42:51 PM 620 Views
Re: What 5 minor/petty questions would you like answered? - 03/10/2010 01:04:13 AM 814 Views
RJ said there were gay men too *NM* - 03/10/2010 01:14:55 AM 542 Views
Re: What 5 minor/petty questions would you like answered? - 03/10/2010 04:16:37 AM 729 Views
Hah! - 03/10/2010 06:20:37 AM 674 Views
Lol Claritin-D - 03/10/2010 06:39:41 AM 657 Views
lmao very nicely said! *NM* - 03/10/2010 02:31:08 PM 288 Views
My 5 - 03/10/2010 07:36:08 AM 828 Views
Re: My 5 - 03/10/2010 01:39:03 PM 705 Views
mine - 03/10/2010 01:45:42 PM 660 Views
I think RJ mentioned the language thing - 03/10/2010 05:37:39 PM 709 Views
It is one of RJ's more nonsensical explanations. *NM* - 04/10/2010 04:39:03 AM 291 Views
Re: Stupid Question Time again: what 5 minor/petty questions would you like answered? - 03/10/2010 04:51:04 PM 829 Views
This is a good one. - 03/10/2010 05:24:15 PM 645 Views
Moiraine hints that there are - 09/10/2010 06:43:02 PM 601 Views
I'd be shocked if we got answers. I really doubt even RJ is certain. - 03/10/2010 08:27:47 PM 668 Views
Why dd I not see this coming? - 04/10/2010 11:14:55 AM 614 Views
minor viewings.. - 04/10/2010 09:55:30 AM 582 Views
I'd like to know how a lot of alternate prophecies would've played. - 04/10/2010 11:11:58 AM 674 Views
A few from me... - 10/10/2010 06:10:47 PM 629 Views
Just one Q. for now. - 10/10/2010 06:42:50 PM 558 Views
Thank you!!! *NM* - 11/10/2010 01:19:51 AM 264 Views

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