Honestly, those quotes seem somewhat at odds with the confirmation, unless LTT both recalls all the events from all his incarnations as a Hero of the Horn, including each encounter with incarnations of Hawkwing, AND recognizes the sword as Hawkwings. Recognizing the sword is particularly odd, since there is no reason to believe LTT was Reborn while Hawkwing was forging his continent-spanning kingdom (in fact, there is every reason to believe LTT was not Reborn until Rands birth.) If I had to bet on THAT, I would expect its significance to lie in the Seanchan (who hold as much reverence for signs and portents as they do for Hawkwing) recognizing it just as LTT did.


Likely not; obviously he has some awareness of what the fan community is debating online and elsewhere, but he is just as obviously trying valiantly to satisfy the time-table Tor and Harriet envision for the final volumes. That does not permit the luxury of looking over all our shoulders as Jordan often seemed to do, and there is probably a wealth of theory and debate to which Sanderson remains nearly or completely oblivious.


I always assumed the Forsaken Traveled as close as they safely could to Shayol Ghul, then hiked the remaining distance. The journeys we have seen suggest the DO takes satisfaction in forcing his oh-so-powerful lieutenants to approach with all the banality the lowest peasant would, stripped of their birthright luxuries.

Regarding the approach to the BT in Tel'aran'rhiod, however, my understanding was that the dreamspikes dome is impenetrable within TAR by ANY means. It would be a fairly useless barrier if people could simply zip to the edge, walk through, then zip to their ultimate destination. Therefore no recourse to the rocks of Shayol Ghul should be necessary to prevent entry/exit to/from the BT in TAR. Destroying the dreamspike IS pretty difficult, not just because of its relative sturdiness, but because only those already within its boundary when it is implanted can get near it. Perrin, Egwene and Co. flat got lucky in that respect, though they had no small aid from the fact the Shadow was watching and waiting to deploy it in attempt to kill one or both of them (which will almost invariably be the case, severely limiting its utility; in that sense it is far more useful as a barrier to Traveling/Skimming than as a dream-barrier.)

I would really like to know how totally the dreamspike limits access within TAR. There does not seem to be any practical difference between dreaming oneself into a location upon falling asleep versus traveling there when already in TAR, and even if there were, people do not habitually dream themselves into the same location they occupy in the real world. In other words, unless it was implanted in the physical world, I am not sure it should even be POSSIBLE to remove once whoever placed it wakes; even its possessor would be unable to reach it again from within TAR.

Still, regarding TAR access to the BT, the dreamspike seems quite adequate without need for rock from Shayol Ghul.


I recall no indication the dreamspike has variable levels of effect, though it well might. The Shadow could conceivably capture Caemlyn even without enclosing it within the dreamspikes barrier, however, though I doubt their assault will be allowed to progress to the point of sacking the city (but I could well be wrong there, too.) I certainly hope not, and not just because I imagine your concern about creating a Waygate at Shayol Ghul extending the DOs presence to all other Waygates is valid.

Your other suggestion is more in line with what I expect, that the Shadow intends the BT to be a salient/forward HQ during TG, possibly one from which SGs influence and presence can expand much as it did in the Blight. That would create a pincer dwarfing even the scale of the Schlieffen Plan, instantly jeopardizing half the Westlands and threatening to cut the Borderlands, Cairhien and (possibly) Arad Doman off from their southern allies. At the very least it would provide that salient, particularly if the Shadow did capture Caemlyn and its Waygate (which may be the intent of that maneuver and the efforts at the BT; in any event, it is inconceivable the BT would not be involved with the attack on Caemlyn, given its proximity and command.)

Obviously, the possibility of Shaidar Haran turning the tables and surprising Rand with a direct confrontation at HIS seat of power is also an unappealing but very real possibility. Since Taim (in defiance of Rand) beats exclusive OP use into every recruits head, the Uber-Myrddraal who casually deactivates the OP could go through the defenseless loyalist ranks like a scythe through tall grain, even without help from resident proto-dreadlords. The presence of several influential Red sisters only raises the ante (which, after all, was the point, hence all but one of them is now a Shadow asset rather than liability.)

Realistically, the only thing longer than the list of known downsides of making the BT "Shayol Ghul South" is the list of UNKNOWN ways. Sandersons confirmation may have killed a few theories, but has surely spawned dozens more. Note: That is not an endorsement; I love a crazy unlikely theory as much as the next man and more than most, but not at the expense of prematurely revealing pivotal information we should not know and thereby spoiling the story wholly or in part. Had Forsaken claims the DO can resurrect people been confirmed before the TGH many mental wheels would have begun turning, too, but the return of Ishy and the rest would have completely ruined.