I think the DO has been shepherding Rand all along actually. It makes some sense that Ishamael nearly always had been trying to turn Rand rather than kill him, and the standing orders to destabilize his mental balance (such as it is).
I tend to believe that the DO needs the world to be in total chaos to break out of his prison. The Collapse during the AoL is certainly an indication that the DO may even have some need for chaos in order to grow powerful enough to destroy the Pattern. It also gives context into why the DO wanted the weather to stay fixed (fear) and the taint on saidin to remain in tact (insane male channelers running amok)...
With that said, it makes it clear to me that all of the actions of the FS mean little to him...
1. The Forsaken are irrelevant to the DO with the exception of their ability to create/sow chaos. He brought back only Ishamael, who has done more than anyone in that regard, the 'gars because he needed more powerful tools. Lanfear I think he brought back to punish for her betrayal. Making her Moridin's b*tch is about as bad as she could have it!
2. The biggest sin for a FS is to betray/disobey the DO. Thus Mesaana, Moghedien and Lanfear got much harsher punishments than Aginor, Balthamel and Moridin.
3. Failure seems to be okay as long as the end result continued to sow chaos. Semirhage was an expendable tool and Graendal, a victim of circumstance in his eyes ... unless she's managed to stay alive somehow.
4. Rand is probably the only individual alive the DO cares about, IMO because Rand had more ability to destroy the world as part of his
connection to the Pattern than any other.
I tend to believe that the DO needs the world to be in total chaos to break out of his prison. The Collapse during the AoL is certainly an indication that the DO may even have some need for chaos in order to grow powerful enough to destroy the Pattern. It also gives context into why the DO wanted the weather to stay fixed (fear) and the taint on saidin to remain in tact (insane male channelers running amok)...
With that said, it makes it clear to me that all of the actions of the FS mean little to him...
1. The Forsaken are irrelevant to the DO with the exception of their ability to create/sow chaos. He brought back only Ishamael, who has done more than anyone in that regard, the 'gars because he needed more powerful tools. Lanfear I think he brought back to punish for her betrayal. Making her Moridin's b*tch is about as bad as she could have it!
2. The biggest sin for a FS is to betray/disobey the DO. Thus Mesaana, Moghedien and Lanfear got much harsher punishments than Aginor, Balthamel and Moridin.
3. Failure seems to be okay as long as the end result continued to sow chaos. Semirhage was an expendable tool and Graendal, a victim of circumstance in his eyes ... unless she's managed to stay alive somehow.
4. Rand is probably the only individual alive the DO cares about, IMO because Rand had more ability to destroy the world as part of his
connection to the Pattern than any other.
Moreover I think that the Dark One's totally victory can only come at the Dragon's hands. Thus he must be left alive for the last battle. This is why so much effort has been made to turn him rather than kill him.
When the Wolf King carries the hammer, thus are the final days known. When the fox marries the raven, and the trumpets of battle are blown.
Moridin - a lousy Nae'blis?
- 11/12/2009 03:33:13 PM
1707 Views
Moridin sucks.
- 11/12/2009 05:07:46 PM
721 Views
*NM*
Unless all of this is what he aims at.
- 11/12/2009 05:08:33 PM
988 Views
Ah, the old "The Dark One lost on purpose" excuse...
- 11/12/2009 08:09:12 PM
657 Views
The Dark One had nothing to do with most of that. Read the damn books already.
- 16/12/2009 11:57:00 AM
734 Views
What Game was that?
- 12/12/2009 05:01:39 AM
586 Views
Company of Heroes. Opposing Fronts expansion pack. Achelous River skirmish game map. *NM*
- 16/12/2009 11:57:54 AM
324 Views
logic and reason go by the wayside when the main characters need to succeed
- 12/12/2009 03:38:31 AM
590 Views