I'm just reporting on the discussion - Edit 1
Before modification by kcf at 17/11/2009 09:05:42 PM
That's quite absurd and refuted by the text!
And who are then the six women stronger than Nynaeve, if Cyndane and Mesaana aren't stronger? Alivia, Graendal, Semirhage, some super damane from Tuon?
And who are then the six women stronger than Nynaeve, if Cyndane and Mesaana aren't stronger? Alivia, Graendal, Semirhage, some super damane from Tuon?
see my response to Shannow below
BTW, BS explicitly stated that he didn't mean that Asmo was balefired. He also said that there are other RAFO circumstances besides balefire, which prevent a transmigration. This fits with RJ's comment that the DO couldn't transmigrate Asmo because of how AND where he died (if Asmo was balefired the DO couldn't already transmigrate him for that sole reason!). IMO, a certain death in TAR is such a circumstance.
He started the discussion by saying that other than Sammael, whom we had just discussed, all other forsaken that haven't been transmigrated died by balefire. That's what he said. IMO, when I asked about Asmodean he was backtracking. In combination with what he's seemed to have said at other signings, it seems that Asmodean did in fact die by balefire. It's not certain, and it has been said for sure, but as I was sitting next to Brandon during my conversation, it was pretty clear that Brandon believes Asmodean died by balefire. Either that, or Brandon doesn't really consider him among the forsaken any longer.
I was actually just as surprised about where this left Osan'gar. The implication was that we've seen all the reborn forsaken - or in other words, that Osan'gar will not be reborn. Sanderson clearly believed that he had been balefired at the cleansing and one or two of the other SLs did as well. I didn't push it further, but I was pretty certain that he (and the hill he was on) was blown to bits but not balefired. I find it highly unlikely that Elza knows the weave for balefire.
However, the theories that Sammael or Be'lal were transmigrated seem pretty much crushed. Since Osan'gar wasn't balefired, he might have been transmigrated, though, if the DO is such keen on bringing back his original Forsaken. Maybe hs is truly Moridin's messenger seen in the prologue of TGS.
Yes - I mentioned as much by thanking him for destroying some of the more wacky theories out there. At that time he looked at me and said 'Sammael is toast'.
And we know now that Rand's sword is indeed a RAFO.
yes, it is a RAFO
Good report!
Thanks. It really was a great evening.