Thanks for all the potential ideas.
I was wondering though how big the role of TAR really will be in the Last Battle.
In the sense of whether it will or won't be relevant?
I'm quite undecided about all the theories that suggest TAR might be a key to this or that. It's possible there are unknown functions of TAR that could be put to use, and possibly there's nothing. The DO can reshape reality like skilled Dreamwalkers can achieve in TAR. It can be reversed the same way it's done in TAR. There may be something there - if we add the wolves lead by Perrin there are thousands and thousands beings with TAR skills - it's just hard to pinpoint the connection.
I think there are probably TAR "issues" still to be dealt with, though. TAR is a key feature for two main characters, for the WO, for thousands and thousands of wolves and for three out of five living Forsaken, and Slayer. That doesn't make it so likely we're "done with it", though you may well be right about "TAR action scenes" now being behind us.
The main reason for the lightsiders to use TAR a lot is gone with the reunification of the WT.
One of the main matters remaining is the dreamspike at the BT, which almost certainly will be a much bigger challenge then the one used against Perrin.
There are the Heroes as well. Nothing says the whole Horn matter will be a simple replay of what happened in TGH.
One reason for TAR to have a fairly big role would be if Rand dies before the sealing of the Bore.
I think Cyndane is planning to trap Rand there somehow, that much is clear. She dare not face him head-on, especially with all his allies and the fact that no one is a match for him. However, in TAR she may be able to destroy or capture him.
I'm 95% convinced Cyndane is acting on Moridin's orders, the remaining 5% is for the possibility Cyndane got enough of waiting and has decided to deal with Rand. I have no idea what he's trying to accomplish. Rand's epiphany marked another major failure of Moridin's plans, and we can only guess what his new strategy to deal with Rand might be. Has he decided he now has to be killed? Maybe. Is this an attempt a disinformation/false offer of help?
It's also possible that the Shadow starts using TAR more vigorously as the actual battle builds up. Cyndane and Moghedien may start to pull Rand's allies into TAR while they sleep and murder them, or drive them insane.
That sounds very plausible. The BWB alluded to how Lanfear used TAR for mass actions in the WOS. Jordan may have refrained from going there because he wanted to use this during the LB. If we look at how mere unshielded dreams affected a collectivity, it's far from a stretch to think someone like Lanfear might do far worse, actively. That would certainly justify Egwene/the WO/the wolves to hunt her and Moghedien down and try to neutralize them.
Murdering characters in their sleep is certainly a possibility. Perrin and Mat are certainly still targets. The medallion seems to protect Mat from any such attempt, though.
During the Last Battle though, I don't think there will be much of a role for TAR, or the 'dream team'. The Forsaken can't affect the real world from TAR (unless they kill people in their sleep) and its much more likely that Moridin will need their abilities in the physical world as the actual showdown commences.
Moghedien and Cyndane may be more devastating if they strike from TAR, though.
Strictly speaking, probably any TAR action from now on will happen during the LB (Brandon has long spoken of Merrilor as being the kick-off for the LB), though I understand you mean the endgame rather than the LB in general.
Like you I think the odds are there won't be tons of TAR action coming, though I remain open to the possibility there are things coming involving TAR we can't predict at this point.
Very interesting QA with Brandon
20/04/2012 11:19:02 PM
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I found it painful to read
21/04/2012 09:53:31 AM
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Agreed ... He got some softball questions here and couldn't answer them ... But there is a lot
22/04/2012 04:26:27 AM
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Re: Agreed ... He got some softball questions here and couldn't answer them ... But there is a lot
22/04/2012 08:06:38 AM
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Re: Agreed ... He got some softball questions here and couldn't answer them ... But there is a lot
22/04/2012 02:39:41 PM
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Re: Very interesting QA with Brandon
22/04/2012 02:53:38 AM
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This certainly makes a mockery of a lot that us 20-year long readers of Wot used to hold dear...
23/04/2012 09:50:51 AM
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Re: This certainly makes a mockery of a lot that us 20-year long readers of Wot used to hold dear...
23/04/2012 02:39:30 PM
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I think you may be giving RJ more credit than his due here
24/04/2012 10:35:28 PM
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Re: This certainly makes a mockery of a lot that us 20-year long readers of Wot used to hold dear...
24/04/2012 05:46:03 AM
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Re: This certainly makes a mockery of a lot that us 20-year long readers of Wot used to hold dear...
24/04/2012 08:10:15 AM
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It's got little to do with obsession...
25/04/2012 01:20:48 AM
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Re: It's got little to do with obsession...
25/04/2012 05:05:40 PM
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Re: It's got little to do with obsession...
27/04/2012 12:58:36 AM
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Question about TGS and ToM:
27/04/2012 02:20:34 AM
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Very similar to you
27/04/2012 09:50:52 PM
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Are there plans for rewrites / reordering of the books?
29/04/2012 01:17:48 PM
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of course there's no plan
30/04/2012 06:15:49 AM
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Egwene...
27/04/2012 05:41:13 AM
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Re: Egwene...
27/04/2012 09:30:32 PM
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Re: Egwene...
28/04/2012 09:44:43 AM
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I don't find it all that surprising
28/04/2012 03:56:41 PM
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Re: I don't find it all that surprising
29/04/2012 08:07:55 AM
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Re: I don't find it all that surprising
30/04/2012 07:54:14 AM
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I suspect Cadsuane will die before that happens
30/04/2012 07:06:04 PM
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Re: I suspect Cadsuane will die before that happens
30/04/2012 08:36:44 PM
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Not sure Cadsuane will ever be reigned in by anyone
01/05/2012 01:18:44 AM
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Re: Egwene...
30/04/2012 07:41:11 AM
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Re: Egwene...
01/05/2012 07:10:35 PM
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Re: Egwene...
01/05/2012 10:51:09 PM
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Re: This certainly makes a mockery of a lot that us 20-year long readers of Wot used to hold dear...
01/05/2012 12:08:33 AM
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Re: This certainly makes a mockery of a lot that us 20-year long readers of Wot used to hold dear...
24/04/2012 10:49:54 PM
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For me it's interesting simply because it is not all that well defined
24/04/2012 11:16:14 PM
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Elminster vs Karsus, Darth Vader vs Darth Revan, Demandred vs Sammael - who has more midichloriants.
25/04/2012 03:13:17 PM
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