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Thanks! *NM* Sidious Send a noteboard - 13/05/2012 10:56:06 AM
I'd also like to hear your thoughts on Rand and his bond to Alanna and the role it may play.


I answer that one for now since my thoughts are pretty straightforward on that one.

I think Verin meant to use Alanna's ability to find Rand. Alanna's the one Verin could send on a mission anywhere in the world from which she can return to Rand on short notice and without any trouble. She's ideal to give a timely warning to Rand about... something Verin thought important Rand received a timely warning about. She would make an ideal spy, for instance.

I suspect she may also have forewarned Alanna the Shadow knows about her bond (for Min, Verin can only suspect and thus would think it's a saidin bond invented by Rand and wouldn't assume too much about its nature; Elayne's and Aviendha's bonds are almost certainly below her radar) and she has to stay low and be ready to release the bond if she has the slightest suspicion she's about to get caught. Verin may also have been aware of plans of the Shadow for Alanna. Any of that would explain why Alanna disappeared and was careful not to give any hint.

Another possibility that comes to mind (perhaps my top choice, really) is that Verin task her to find Lan and forewarn him to expect the Shadow will send Isam Mandragoran against him at some point. The shock it's Isam leading the army he's facing might be very bad for Lan, making it even more personal and distract him. OTOH, unless she spied on Nynaeve and Lan, Verin shouldn't really know where Lan went and left so soon after she had little time for anything beyond noticing he was gone, so if that's the mission she gave Alanna, she deduced Lan went North (if even that, but Alanna had ways to investigate and find out - Nynaeve stopped keeping this secret once Rand has been told, IRCC) but Alanna will likely wander around to find him, especially that even if she knows he's North she couldn't possibly anticipate or find out Nynaeve dropped him at World's End.

Alanna would be the logical choice for this mission, since she was with Verin in the TR when Luc/Isam got involved, and thus was the one Verin had within her reach who once she found Lan can spot any attempt by Slayer to deceive Lan using his Luc appearance, which for having seen it in action with Perrin, Verin knows is one of Slayer's tactics, ie: to infiltrate his foe's side as Lord Luc and set traps. It makes all the more sense when you consider the Dark Prophecy revealed to Verin Luc and Isam are mysteryously tied and one is alive and the other is dead but both are - a puzzle for her. She later heard the Shadospawn use Isam as their battlecry, which she found "very interesting" but has not seen the slightest evidence of Isam in the flesh. Perhaps Verin wrongly deduced the DO simply transmigrated Isam's soul in Luc's body. The fact Luc pretended to be heir to a Borderland throne could have played in finishing to convince Verin he was Isam in a new body. We know Slayer can have either appearance, but unless she's got dealings with Slayer we don't know about - certainly a possibility given Slayer said a few non-Forsaken know how to find him but wouldn't dare give him orders - Verin shouldn't know he has two appearances, and sending Lan someone who can identify Luc would be valuable). Another reason why this is my favourite option is that pretty much every Verin episode in the series seems relevant to her endgame in some way, and the TR one is perhaps the more substantial remaining one which doesn't fit that pattern.



Another possibility is that Verin sent Alanna on a crazy dangerous mission, such as attempting to locate Moridin's fortress near SG (as it's been confirmed by Maria Verin was at the DF social, she knows that fortress exists), or spy on activity in Takan'dar.

A forsaken Verin may very well have been involved with, because she was so well placed near Rand for quite a while, is Demandred.

But there's really a ton of possibilities. I'm just very partial to the notion Verin chose Alanna for something specific because she can Travel and can return to Rand in a timely manner.

I don't think Alanna's bond will be very relevant otherwise, unless she gets captured. I think Rand's redundant bonds protect him from the worse of the effects Alanna's death would have, but the Shadow doesn't know this, so if they plan to kill Alanna at a specific time, their little plan might fail..

I get the feeling Alanna's will turn out to be Verin's most relevant letter. We know we're gonna see more ramifications of Verin's plans in AMOL, but RJ can't have overdone it either. Already, he made her fail with Mat.

The letter Galad has is perhaps the most puzzling of them all, but I'm not 100% convinced it's a letter from Verin. It had a red seal. He appears to have gotten it in Whitebridge, of all places. He was coming back from fetching Berelain from her entourage when we saw him put it in his pocket. Annoura? It would be hilarious if this turned out to simply be a smithen love letter Berelain just gave him, however. That could fit with either Sanderson's or Jordan's styles of humour.

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This message last edited by Sidious on 13/05/2012 at 10:57:50 AM
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The cover for A Memory of Light is revealed. - 03/05/2012 03:52:14 PM 5034 Views
It's pretty damn cool. - 03/05/2012 03:59:36 PM 2683 Views
Re: The cover for A Memory of Light is revealed. - 03/05/2012 04:08:09 PM 2807 Views
Re: The cover for A Memory of Light is revealed. - 03/05/2012 04:17:19 PM 2783 Views
the pit of doom is hot - 12/06/2012 01:57:18 AM 2279 Views
I think I like Callandor from TDR better.. - 03/05/2012 04:26:42 PM 2835 Views
yes. I sincerely doubt she has that kind of competency - 03/05/2012 05:52:22 PM 2697 Views
Re: I think I like Callandor from TDR better.. - 04/05/2012 11:10:49 AM 2547 Views
Heh - Cannoli-baiting *NM* - 04/05/2012 04:46:51 PM 1995 Views
*NM* - 05/05/2012 09:04:15 PM 1916 Views
Re: The cover for A Memory of Light is revealed. - 03/05/2012 05:06:19 PM 2448 Views
I really like it - 03/05/2012 05:54:51 PM 2732 Views
The sword grip is not akward or wrong - 03/05/2012 06:20:54 PM 2463 Views
something like this? - 03/05/2012 06:46:59 PM 3052 Views
Its the sword thats not a sword (its a night light!) - 04/05/2012 04:47:27 PM 2466 Views
oh no fair enough! like i said, I just think it looks a little awkward. - 04/05/2012 10:04:21 PM 2425 Views
Me, too! - 12/05/2012 01:18:06 AM 2527 Views
Well... - 03/05/2012 06:09:51 PM 2831 Views
I think it is EG and Nyn - 03/05/2012 06:24:13 PM 2522 Views
Pretty sure it's Mo and Nyn - 03/05/2012 06:40:49 PM 2561 Views
Yeah... - 03/05/2012 07:55:32 PM 2482 Views
when did Nynaeve cut her hair? - 08/05/2012 07:33:04 PM 4069 Views
It was burned off during her testing for the shawl. - 12/06/2012 02:53:43 AM 3223 Views
Egwene is a distinct possibility... - 03/05/2012 11:37:48 PM 2613 Views
She is - 04/05/2012 12:15:21 AM 2715 Views
I don't know... - 04/05/2012 12:25:53 AM 2430 Views
Re: I don't know... - 04/05/2012 02:47:02 AM 2626 Views
I'm not disagreeing with most of that... - 08/05/2012 02:58:53 AM 2321 Views
"You expect me to wise up?" "No, Egwene, I expect you to DIE!" - 11/05/2012 01:36:09 AM 2540 Views
What books have you been reading? - 11/05/2012 01:57:31 AM 2570 Views
I agree - 11/05/2012 02:51:38 PM 2679 Views
The other quotes you requested, as promised. - 13/05/2012 03:29:41 AM 2631 Views
You misinterpreting quotes is hardly worth requoting... - 13/05/2012 11:36:21 AM 2333 Views
Agreed - 13/05/2012 03:39:12 PM 2438 Views
Exactly... - 13/05/2012 05:53:17 PM 2394 Views
Never said she was evil, just wrong. Horribly and tragically wrong. - 14/05/2012 02:34:27 AM 2436 Views
- 14/05/2012 04:23:21 AM 2359 Views
Re- - 21/05/2012 02:43:49 AM 2834 Views
Principle protagonists can still experience epic falls. - 14/05/2012 02:21:42 AM 2438 Views
Then she wouldn't be a "protagonist" - 14/05/2012 04:38:34 AM 2378 Views
Again, I never said she is or will become evil. - 21/05/2012 03:03:32 AM 2542 Views
Re: Principle protagonists can still experience epic falls. - 14/05/2012 08:32:50 AM 2493 Views
Re: Principle protagonists can still experience epic falls. - 21/05/2012 03:28:48 AM 2321 Views
For the most part, very little interpretation was required. - 14/05/2012 01:58:26 AM 2517 Views
Re: For the most part, very little interpretation was required. - 14/05/2012 03:51:31 AM 2734 Views
Re: For the most part, very little interpretation was required. - 14/05/2012 06:41:32 AM 2503 Views
Yeah... - 14/05/2012 07:47:16 AM 2516 Views
Re: Yeah... - 14/05/2012 04:40:49 PM 2555 Views
Re: For the most part, very little interpretation was required. - 21/05/2012 06:21:48 AM 2470 Views
Look at their foreheads - 16/05/2012 08:38:51 AM 2564 Views
Re: I think it is EG and Nyn - 03/05/2012 07:38:36 PM 2522 Views
I vote for Nynaeve and Moiraine too - 03/05/2012 09:05:58 PM 2354 Views
Re: I vote for Nynaeve and Moiraine too - 03/05/2012 11:28:42 PM 2506 Views
Idea - 04/05/2012 10:11:05 AM 2494 Views
Re: Idea - 04/05/2012 12:09:17 PM 2481 Views
Or.... - 04/05/2012 12:19:16 PM 2371 Views
This would explain the hidden hand - 04/05/2012 08:54:00 PM 2511 Views
That's a good point. - 04/05/2012 08:59:41 PM 2648 Views
Nah... - 07/05/2012 01:56:13 PM 2563 Views
Can you draw a blade - 08/05/2012 06:00:28 AM 2494 Views
It depens on the construction of the scabbard - 10/05/2012 01:36:30 PM 2411 Views
Re: I vote for Nynaeve and Moiraine too - 04/05/2012 02:49:51 PM 1572 Views
Re: I vote for Nynaeve and Moiraine too - 04/05/2012 07:42:12 PM 2609 Views
Re: I vote for Nynaeve and Moiraine too - 07/05/2012 08:02:26 PM 2394 Views
Re: I vote for Nynaeve and Moiraine too - 07/05/2012 09:32:45 PM 2630 Views
Thanks! *NM* - 13/05/2012 10:56:06 AM 2361 Views
Re: The cover for A Memory of Light is revealed. - 03/05/2012 07:25:37 PM 2367 Views
Re: The cover for A Memory of Light is revealed. - 03/05/2012 07:36:09 PM 2495 Views
It's his left hand Rand lost *NM* - 03/05/2012 08:00:01 PM 1937 Views
Thanks for the imput! *NM* - 03/05/2012 08:24:59 PM 2308 Views
I does not look like Nynaeve and Moiraine - 03/05/2012 11:39:01 PM 2439 Views
Nynaeve has cut her braid and has her hair shoulder length in TOM.... - 03/05/2012 11:44:50 PM 2593 Views
Re: Nynaeve has cut her braid and has her hair shoulder length in TOM.... - 03/05/2012 11:51:02 PM 3420 Views
Am I the only one who sees the red dot in her forehead? *NM* - 09/05/2012 08:36:53 PM 1968 Views
looks *$%$%*@ great *NM* - 04/05/2012 02:47:00 AM 2046 Views
i quite like it! as far as the women go... - 04/05/2012 06:38:10 PM 2576 Views
No Maidens of the Spear - 05/05/2012 05:09:27 PM 2565 Views
Re: No Maidens of the Spear - 07/05/2012 02:02:36 PM 2672 Views
nynaeve with no braid?.... are we sure its not egwene? or did no one tell him the hairstyles? *NM* - 08/05/2012 06:48:49 PM 1850 Views
Nyn cut her braid off. *NM* - 08/05/2012 06:55:02 PM 2095 Views
I thought it was burned off during her test for Aes Sedaihood. *NM* - 08/05/2012 07:25:51 PM 957 Views
I don't remember this at all *NM* - 08/05/2012 07:51:04 PM 2085 Views
Regarding the identities of the women on the back: - 09/05/2012 08:52:47 PM 2696 Views
What the hell is on the ground close to the bottom edge of the picture? *NM* - 10/05/2012 05:55:07 AM 2024 Views
A misplaced logo? *NM* - 10/05/2012 08:24:52 AM 1960 Views
Possibly one of the Seals? - 11/05/2012 01:42:13 AM 2475 Views
agreed - 10/05/2012 07:16:39 AM 2556 Views
Partially concur - 10/05/2012 01:17:31 PM 2337 Views
She's in the Pit of F*ing Doom. Ben Stein would be excited *NM* - 12/05/2012 04:22:44 AM 911 Views
i agree with the big about how Moiraine should be depicted - 12/05/2012 11:04:53 PM 1409 Views
you can see a second weapon in Rand's belt too - 13/05/2012 08:51:34 PM 1369 Views
That looks pretty cool, better than most of the other WoT covers - 26/06/2012 07:37:29 AM 1189 Views

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