I was thinking about Galad, and more specifically the fact that he is Rand's half-brother. Do you think this little revelation will have any actual impact on the remaining story, or was it just some random tidbit that RJ threw in there just for the fun of it.
Rand
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We already know that Rand is aware that Galad is his half-brother and his last surviving blood relative. He first learned that he had a brother from the Aiel, and at the time he seemed rather interested in the idea:
Gitara Moroso. An Aes Sedai with the Foretelling. Somewhere he had heard that name, but where? And he had a brother. A half-brother. Growing up, he had wondered what it would be like to have a brother or a sister. Who, and where? But Amys was going on.
Later on he learns that his mother was Tigraine, and realises what this means.
Watching her join the others and go, he thought of one thing that would have changed. He would not be in Andor, for he would not have been born. Everything folded back into itself, in endless circles. Tigraine went to the Waste in secret, which made Laman Damodred cut down Avendoraldera, a gift of the Aiel, to make a throne, an act which brought the Aiel across the Spine of the World to kill him, that had been their only goal, though the nations called it the Aiel War and with the Aiel came a Maiden named Shaiel, who died giving birth. So many lives changed, lives ended, so she could give birth to him at the proper time and place and die doing it. Kari al'Thor was the mother he remembered, if dimly, yet he wished he could have known Tigraine or Shaiel or whatever she wanted to call herself, even if only for a little while. Just to have seen her.
However that knowledge does not seem to have had any significant impact on Rand when it comes to Galad. When he realised the truth of his parentage, he wishes he could have seen her, and also worried that it might mean that he is related to Elayne, which he learns is not the case. He does not give any thought to Galad however.
Rand blinked. "You're all cousins? All of you? That doesn't seem poss" He leaned forward intently. "Elenia, if Morgase and Tigraine had been ... merchants, or farmers ... how closely would they have been related?"
"Farmers?" she exclaimed, staring at him. "My Lord Dragon, what a peculiar" The blood drained slowly from her face, he had been a farmer, after all. She wet her lips, a nervous flicker of the tongue. "I suppose ... I should have to think. Farmers. I suppose that means imagining all the Houses as farmers." A nervous titter broke from her before she drowned it in her punch. "Had they been farmers, I don't think anyone would consider them related at all. All the connections are too far back. But they were not, my Lord Dragon ..."
He stopped listening with more than half an ear and sank back in his chair. Not related.
Maybe there is something that I am missing, but Rand really never seems to really care that Galad is his brother at all. Heck, in TGS when he has a vision of Galad with Perrin, this is what he thinks:
"He's your friend, Rand," Nynaeve said. "Light! And what of Perrin and Mat? Do you know where they are? What has happened to them?"
The colors swirled before his eyes, revealing an image of Perrin standing by a tent with Galad. Why was Perrin with Galad of all people? And when had Elayne's half-brother joined the Whitecloaks? The colors changed to Mat, riding through the streets of a familiar city. Caemlyn? Thom was there, with him.
Rand frowned to himself. He could feel a pull from Perrin and Mat, both distant. It was their ta'veren natures, trying to draw them together. They both needed to be with him for the Last Battle.
Elayne's half-brother is what he calls Galad, not his own half-brother. Even in the privacy of his own mind, he does not even acknowledge their blood relation. Now granted, Rand at the time was quite mad, but even so this is somewhat telling. I wonder if his revelation at Dragonmount, and his new positive attitude will cause a shift in how he views Galad. Will he continue not caring at all, or will he suddenly want to meet Galad and maybe get to know him a little, before the end.
Galad
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And what of Galad. How would Galad react if Rand were to reveal the truth to him and supply sufficient evidence to confirm it beyond doubt.
After having joined the Whitecloaks, Galad's attitude towards the channelers has perhaps taken a turn for the worse, however he is still willing to ally with them and even the Dragon Reborn to fight the DO. Even so however, I would expect that learning that he is the older brother of the Male channeling Dragon would likely be quite an unpleasant shock for him. On the other hand, Galad has always been claimed to "do whats right". He could easily come to think that helping/protecting his younger brother would be the "right" thing to do. He has done as much to Gawyn, who is his other half-brother. I wonder which one he would choose to protect if Gawyn in his stupidity tries to kill Rand. Would he kill Gawyn to save Rand, or vice versa.
The other aspect of this might be that learning the truth about his mother. On one hand it could amplify his dislike of AS, since it was an Aes Sedai who caused his mother to abandon him. On the other hand, he likely knows about foretellings and how the oaths work, and might well be relieved and happy to learn the real reason his mother left him. Rather than abandoning him because she did not care (which one could expect Galad to have feared), she actually did it to protect the entire world (including him naturally). I could see that having a positive impact on Galad, especially since that would clearly have been the "right thing" for Tigraine to do.
Final
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So, basically, now that we know Rand has gone all sane and happy, do you think there will be a meeting between Rand and Galad where the truth will be relevealed. How will Galad react? And if the truth comes out, will it be only Galad who learns it in private or will it be more public. If public, what would be the reactions from everyone upon learning this. What would Rand's friends think. What would _Elayne_ think. How about the nobles in Andor.
Could this actually have a significant role such as Graendal assasinating Galad after learning the truth, in order to try and fullfill Moridins orders to hurt Rand mentally.
What other impacts, if any, can you think off that might still come from the whole Tigraine/Galad/Rand thing in the next book, and the final one after that. Do you think there will be any, or will this be one of the plot-points that will be left hanging after the end.
Rand
--------------
We already know that Rand is aware that Galad is his half-brother and his last surviving blood relative. He first learned that he had a brother from the Aiel, and at the time he seemed rather interested in the idea:
Gitara Moroso. An Aes Sedai with the Foretelling. Somewhere he had heard that name, but where? And he had a brother. A half-brother. Growing up, he had wondered what it would be like to have a brother or a sister. Who, and where? But Amys was going on.
Later on he learns that his mother was Tigraine, and realises what this means.
Watching her join the others and go, he thought of one thing that would have changed. He would not be in Andor, for he would not have been born. Everything folded back into itself, in endless circles. Tigraine went to the Waste in secret, which made Laman Damodred cut down Avendoraldera, a gift of the Aiel, to make a throne, an act which brought the Aiel across the Spine of the World to kill him, that had been their only goal, though the nations called it the Aiel War and with the Aiel came a Maiden named Shaiel, who died giving birth. So many lives changed, lives ended, so she could give birth to him at the proper time and place and die doing it. Kari al'Thor was the mother he remembered, if dimly, yet he wished he could have known Tigraine or Shaiel or whatever she wanted to call herself, even if only for a little while. Just to have seen her.
However that knowledge does not seem to have had any significant impact on Rand when it comes to Galad. When he realised the truth of his parentage, he wishes he could have seen her, and also worried that it might mean that he is related to Elayne, which he learns is not the case. He does not give any thought to Galad however.
Rand blinked. "You're all cousins? All of you? That doesn't seem poss" He leaned forward intently. "Elenia, if Morgase and Tigraine had been ... merchants, or farmers ... how closely would they have been related?"
"Farmers?" she exclaimed, staring at him. "My Lord Dragon, what a peculiar" The blood drained slowly from her face, he had been a farmer, after all. She wet her lips, a nervous flicker of the tongue. "I suppose ... I should have to think. Farmers. I suppose that means imagining all the Houses as farmers." A nervous titter broke from her before she drowned it in her punch. "Had they been farmers, I don't think anyone would consider them related at all. All the connections are too far back. But they were not, my Lord Dragon ..."
He stopped listening with more than half an ear and sank back in his chair. Not related.
Maybe there is something that I am missing, but Rand really never seems to really care that Galad is his brother at all. Heck, in TGS when he has a vision of Galad with Perrin, this is what he thinks:
"He's your friend, Rand," Nynaeve said. "Light! And what of Perrin and Mat? Do you know where they are? What has happened to them?"
The colors swirled before his eyes, revealing an image of Perrin standing by a tent with Galad. Why was Perrin with Galad of all people? And when had Elayne's half-brother joined the Whitecloaks? The colors changed to Mat, riding through the streets of a familiar city. Caemlyn? Thom was there, with him.
Rand frowned to himself. He could feel a pull from Perrin and Mat, both distant. It was their ta'veren natures, trying to draw them together. They both needed to be with him for the Last Battle.
Elayne's half-brother is what he calls Galad, not his own half-brother. Even in the privacy of his own mind, he does not even acknowledge their blood relation. Now granted, Rand at the time was quite mad, but even so this is somewhat telling. I wonder if his revelation at Dragonmount, and his new positive attitude will cause a shift in how he views Galad. Will he continue not caring at all, or will he suddenly want to meet Galad and maybe get to know him a little, before the end.
Galad
--------------
And what of Galad. How would Galad react if Rand were to reveal the truth to him and supply sufficient evidence to confirm it beyond doubt.
After having joined the Whitecloaks, Galad's attitude towards the channelers has perhaps taken a turn for the worse, however he is still willing to ally with them and even the Dragon Reborn to fight the DO. Even so however, I would expect that learning that he is the older brother of the Male channeling Dragon would likely be quite an unpleasant shock for him. On the other hand, Galad has always been claimed to "do whats right". He could easily come to think that helping/protecting his younger brother would be the "right" thing to do. He has done as much to Gawyn, who is his other half-brother. I wonder which one he would choose to protect if Gawyn in his stupidity tries to kill Rand. Would he kill Gawyn to save Rand, or vice versa.
The other aspect of this might be that learning the truth about his mother. On one hand it could amplify his dislike of AS, since it was an Aes Sedai who caused his mother to abandon him. On the other hand, he likely knows about foretellings and how the oaths work, and might well be relieved and happy to learn the real reason his mother left him. Rather than abandoning him because she did not care (which one could expect Galad to have feared), she actually did it to protect the entire world (including him naturally). I could see that having a positive impact on Galad, especially since that would clearly have been the "right thing" for Tigraine to do.
Final
------------
So, basically, now that we know Rand has gone all sane and happy, do you think there will be a meeting between Rand and Galad where the truth will be relevealed. How will Galad react? And if the truth comes out, will it be only Galad who learns it in private or will it be more public. If public, what would be the reactions from everyone upon learning this. What would Rand's friends think. What would _Elayne_ think. How about the nobles in Andor.
Could this actually have a significant role such as Graendal assasinating Galad after learning the truth, in order to try and fullfill Moridins orders to hurt Rand mentally.
What other impacts, if any, can you think off that might still come from the whole Tigraine/Galad/Rand thing in the next book, and the final one after that. Do you think there will be any, or will this be one of the plot-points that will be left hanging after the end.
Galad and Rand speculation.
- 16/10/2010 01:04:23 AM
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Re: Galad and Rand speculation.
- 16/10/2010 02:13:06 AM
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Not even I would attribute such a wretched attitude to Egwene
- 16/10/2010 01:10:02 PM
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Re: Not even I would attribute such a wretched attitude to Egwene
- 16/10/2010 06:49:55 PM
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