(idea) by artemis entreri Mon Jan 22 2001 at 1:09:59
This node is meant to serve as a collection point for facts and information that is not in most of the major Wheel of Time faqs/newsgroups. Some of the things I will include in this node can be found elsewhere, but I include them here becasue they pertain directly to the Dragon Reborn/Rand/LTT. I did not mean for this node to be a collection of WoT theories; rather, a collection of information and facts that may support/disprove/have nothing to do with some of the theories out there. I also find that even though certain things about Rand's family tree are stated in the books, they are so spread out that many people I've talked to remain unaware of some of the intricacies and ironies of the Wheel of Time bloodlines. This is a work in progress, and I'll add information as it occurs to me. I decide to make this a node, and not a metanode, as there are no other nodes on E2 that seem to delve into what I will.

I will use these abbreviations for the books in this writeup, and when I make a reference, it will always be in the form of (book/chapter/page):


a'Lan Mandragoran's story (tEofW/47/708):
(as told to Egwene and Nynave by Lord Agelmar)
Agelmar begins his tale of the history of the fall of Malkier, the land of Lan's birth. Briefly, it is revealed that al'Lan Mandragoran is the son of al'Akir and el'Leanna. Al'Akir had a brother, Lain Mandragoran, who was wed to Breyan. Lain and Breyan were parents to a child named Isam. Agelmar goes on to explain Breyan's jealousy and grief over her husband's death in the Blasted Lands, and her plot with Cowin Fairheart, hero and Darkfriend, to seize the throne for her son Isam. This plot failed, and Breyan fled south with her infant son Isam, and was overtaken by Trollocs. Their bodies were never recovered. It was at this time that el'Leanna and al'Akir sent their own infant son, al'Lan, south to Fal Moran to safety. The Glossary of LoC places al'Lan's date of birth in 953 NE, and thus we can surmise that these events took place no later than 956 NE. It should be noted that the 'al' and 'el' prefixs on Borderland names are a sign of male and female royalty. Thus, when Rand Al'Thor comes to the Borderlands in tEotW, he is treated as a young lord.

Dark Prophecy (TGH/7/105):
Daughter of the Night, She walks again.
The ancient war, she yet fights.
Her new lover she seeks, who shall serve her and die
   yet serve still.
Who shall stand against her coming?
The Shining Walls shall kneel.
Blood feeds blood.
Blood calls blood.
Blood is, and blood was, and blood shall ever be.

The man who channels stands alone.
He gives his friends for sacrifice.
Two roads before him, one to death beyond dying,
   one to life eternal.
Which will he choose? Which will he choose?
What hand shelters? What hand slays?
Blood feeds blood.
Blood call blood.
Blood is, and blood was, and blood shall ever be.

Luc came to the Mountains of Dhoom.
Isam waited in the high passes.
The hunt is now begun. The Shadow's hounds now
   course, and kill.
One did live, and one did die, but both are.
The time of Change has come.
Blood feeds blood.
Blood calls blood.
Blood is, and blood was, and blood shall ever be.

The Watchers wait on Toman's Head.
The seed of the Hammer burns the ancient tree.
Death shall sow, and summer burn, before the Great
   Lord comes.
Death shall reap, and bodies fail, before the Great
   Lord comes.
Again the seed slays ancient wrong, before the Great
   Lord comes.
Now the Great Lord comes.
Now the Great Lord comes.
Blood feeds blood.
Blood calls blood.
Blood is, and blood was, and blood shall ever be.
Now the Great Lord comes.

I will not try and analyze everything here, as it deserves (and will probably get) a node unto itself. I will make reference to some of the parts, namely those concerning Isam and Luc, later one, as all of these tidbits are in chronological order. Not Randland chronology, but rather, in the order they appear in the books.

Rand sees what appears to be an airplane in the first Portal Stone world (TGH/15/235):
"There was one sign of life; at least, Rand though it must be so. Twice he saw a wispy streak crawling across the sky like a line drawn with a cloud. The lines were too straight to be natural, it seemed, but he could not imagine what might make them."

As the Portal Stone worlds are complicated, this can be a few things. Either this particular world is a reflection of the Age of Legends, or rather, a world in which the Breaking never occured, so the Age of Legends never ended, and so what Rand so in the sky was the trail of a jo-wing, or it was a combination of Randland and our reality. Since Hawkwing's monument was a bastardized version, with Trolloc tribes on it, we might infer that this is a world where the Shadow won, but that still doesn't explain what Rand saw in the sky.

Egwene will be Amyrlin, but will never have held the Oath Rod (TDR/22/263):
When Egwene is being tested to become an Accepted, her journey through the third ring involves her being the Amyrlin Seat. She says "More than anyone suspects...I have never held the Oath Rod..." This could have several implications, the most important of which is the fact that she isn't bound by the Three Oaths. What she will make of this we have yet to see. This doesn't clarify whether any of the Sisters raised from Accepted in Salidar will take the oaths, or just Egwene will be overlooked. Also, the ring ter'angreal is similar to the Portal Stone worlds in that they show possibilites, so only some, or maybe even none of what Egwene saw will come true. If she had Dreamed it, that would be another story.

Lanfear/Else Grinwell (TDR/24/279):
Mat is at the White Tower, resting after being Healed, and he encounter Else on one of the paths outside. She doesn't recognize him, a fact that is highly improbably, seeing as Mat and Rand were at her farm not too long ago, and she was making calf-eyes at him the whole time. Lanfear is the prime candidate for the imposter, as Mesaana is not revealed to be in the White Tower until the LoC (LoC/Prologue/69;LoC/6/182), but has been there longer than Else. Moghedien would not be in the White Tower, as that is not her style, Graendal is in Arad Doman, and Semirage is in some "similarly convinient place" as Mesaana.

There are two male sa'angreal more powerful that Callandor (TSR/9/183):
Lanfear is talking to Rand in Tear, and she glances at Callandor with a grimace and says "There are only two more powerful that a man can use. One at least, I know, still exists." The only male only sa'angreal that we know of that is more powerful than Callandor is the male Choedan Kal. We know that this is the one Lanfear can be sure still exists, as she and Rand saw it being excavated on their way to Cairhien, after the first journey through the Portal Stones. She doesn't know where the access key ter'angreal are, but she knows that the sa'angreal itself, the big statue, still exists. We don't know if she knows about the female one on Tremalking, the Sea Folk isle, but she must know where it was in the Age of Legends, and can infer it's survival from the fact that the male one made it through the Breaking. I have found no other hint as to the indentity of the second male sa'angreal more powerful than Callandor. We don't know if it was destroyed in the Breaking, or stuck in some stasis box, or will never be mentioned.

Concrete info on Thom and Moiraine finally revealed (TSR/17/277):
Moiraine comes down to see Thom in his room at the Stone, to convince him to accompany Nynaeve and Elayne to Tanchico. We find out that Thom is none other than "Thomdril Merrilin, called the Grey Fox by those who knew him or knew of him...Court bard at the Royal Palace of Andor in Caemlyn...Morgase's lover for a time, after Taringail died...but we were speaking of Thom Merrilin, a man who could play the Game of Houses in his sleep."

Thom, badass that he is, counters Moiraine's revelation of what had only been hinted at up to now with some info of his own. "Speaking of names...it is remarkable how much can be puzzled out from a name. Moiraine Damodred. The Lady Moiraine of House Damodred, in Cairhien. Taringail's youngest half-sister. King Laman's niece...an Aes Sedai with connections high in the tower (Suian, but Thom doesn't know)..."

All of this info comes into play in very important ways, and are crucial parts of the Wheel of Time bloodlines, which are in turn crucial in the fufillment of the Prophecy of the Dragon.

Warder cloaks were once worn by many people (TSR/26/436):
Indeed, it was considered high fashion to wear fancloth at around the time the Bore was opened. When Rand is in the glass columns at Rhuidean, he witnesses the opening of the Bore through the eyes of one of his Aiel ancestors. Right before the Bore is opened, Rand's ancestor bumps into someone on the street, and that someone "pulled his stylish fancloth cloak around himself and his lady so their heads seemed to float disembodied."

Later on, the Watcher/Wanderer (Moridin) is spying on Sammael and Graendal after one of their meetings with Sevanna and the Shaido Wise Ones, and he uses a full costume of fancloth to cloak himself, rendering all but his eyes invisible.

Children's rhyme that is a remnant from the time when the Aelfinn/Eelfinn were dealt with more often (TSR/28/462):
Perrin is chasing Slayer through Tel'aran'rhiod (near the Two Rivers) when Brigette finds him. Perrin saw Slayer disappear near a tower, which is in fact the Tower of Ghenjei. Brigette asks him if he knows of the children's game Snakes and Foxes. Perrins says that all children do, but that they give it up when they realize it's impossible to win. Brigette corrects him by saying that it's impossible to win witout breaking the rules: "Courage to strengthen, fire to blind, music to daze, iron to bind." She then says "Those are the ways to win against the snakes and the foxes. The games is a remembrance of old dealings. It does not matter so long as you stay away from the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn. They are not evil the way the Shadow is evil, yet they are so different from humankind they might as well be. They are not to be trusted, archer. Stay clear of the Tower of Ghenjei. Avoid the World of Dreams, if you can. Dark things walk."

This is some much needed info about the mysterious Slayer, the Aelfinn and Eelfinn, and the Tower of Ghenjei. When Rand and Mat enter the first doorway ter'angreal they notice that they are in a tower of sorts, but the view from the windows is none they have ever seen. This is probably the Tower of Ghenjei, which serves as a way into and out of the world of the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn. The Aes Sedai of the Age of Legends must have discovered another way, and created the two doorway ter'angreal to do this. The construction of the two ter'angreal supports this, as they are made in a way such that they seem not to meet correctly at the corners. An optical illusion that symbolizes their purpose; a doorway to another reality that is connect to, but not parallel to this one. Like the Portal Stones give access to worlds that are perpendicular to this one, and the three arches ter'angreal used in Accepted testing gives access to worlds that parallel this one.

It seems that the Tower of Ghenjei is the "official" way in and out of these strange realms. Or maybe the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn are from the same realm. The two doorways each lead to one, but not both, of the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn, but they have the stipulation that each can only be entered once. The Tower of Ghenjei can be used multiple times it seems, but you have to know how to get in, and getting out seems to be more difficult than with the doorway ter'angreal. This is probably because the doorway are ter'angreal; they were created, and once the Aes Sedai had access to the world of the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn, the original bargain was made with these two races, which included the rules about fire, musical instruments and iron. This deal allowed people to enter that world and get their wishes/information. The Tower of Ghenjei seems to be something that predates the doorway ter'angreal, and is much more mysterious.

None of this explains why Slayer is able to leave and enter this realm, but he is a great mystery, so it isn't much of a surprise.

Trollocs shout "Isam" when charging the Two Rivers. (TSR/56/930):
When Perrin is defending the Two Rivers against the Trolloc hords brought by Fain, he describes: "'ISAM!' The guttural roar rose like thunder, and Trollocs appeared..." Now, we know Lord Luc is in the area, and Perrin has encountered Slayer in Tel'aron'rhiod, or what he knows as the Wolf Dream. Indeed, Perrin connects Slayer with Lord Luc when he finally nails Slayer with an arrow, and then hears the Lord Luc suddenly took an injury with no apparent reason. Which means that Slayer and Luc and Isam are one and the same. Or rather, this confirms that Slayer and Luc are the same, and implies some relation with Isam, as the Trollocs shout Isam. The connection between the three isn't made clearer until WH, where Luc steps into the World of Dreams and becomes Isam.

Of course Luc and Isam are none other than Lord Luc, mentioned in the Dark Prohpecies, and cousin to Moiraine Damodred, and Isam, also mentioned in the Dark Prophecies, and cousin to al'Lan Mandragoran. How exactly they've merged into the being known as Slayer is unknown. When Perrin first met Brigette outside the Tower of Ghenjei, she says that Slayer is new, but his evil is an "ancient evil." We know that Slayer/Luc/Isam are in Tel'aron'rhiod in the flesh, and this is dangerous as it causes people to lose their humanity. We also know that even the Forsaken ask for Slayer's services (WH/22/448), something that is more than odd. He refers to one of the Forsaken as his patron. Well, we assume he is one of the Forsaken. It is a man, and he cloaks himself, much like Mesaana does in the While Tower. This means that he can channel, so we assume it is one of the Forsaken. Moridin comes to mind, but that is only becasue he pulls so many strings that the other Forsaken look like children playing in a sand box. I have not seen any evidence that Slayer's patron is one male Forsaken over another, as this is a fairly new revelation on RJ's part. In this same passage, we learn that Slayer/Luc/Isam killed the two Aes Sedai in the Stone of Tear, and the Grey Man in the White Tower. Why he was ordered to do any of this, and by whom, is anyone's guess. Slayer is definitely one of the cooler mysteries in the WoT, along with Asmodean's killer.

Lanfear really loves Rand/Lews Therin Telamon (TFoH/6/173):
Now, we know that Lanfear and LTT used to be lovers in the Age of Legends, but LTT left Lanfear and later became involved with Ilyena. Lanfear's lust for power disgusted him. She never stopped loving him, though, and up to this point, that was taken for granted. We knew it, but it was never really made clear. She went psycho on the docks in Tear when she found out Rand had slept with Aviendha, but that could just be a manifestation of jealousy. What I mean to say it, it definitely is a manifestation of jealousy, but that doesn't not mean she loves him. But in TFoH, she comes to him in Rhuidean, and he calls her Mierin, (her real name; this is LTT's memory speaking) and says he left her because of her unbridled ambition. She replys with: "Graendal said...Lews Therin? I love you, Lews Therin. I have always loved you, and I always will. You know that. You must!" As she says this, she was staring at him, "both hands pressed against her stomach, her dark eyes even larger than usual" a sure sign of a woman in emotional distress. So she really loves LTT. She just has a bad temper. This has caused much debate about whether Lanfear can be turned back to the Light, and whether Rand will manage to do it or not.

It should also be noted that right before this exchange, Lanfear notices Rand hiding something with the Power, and correctly assumes that the glimpse she had of what he was hiding was a view of the access ter'angreal for the Choedal Kan. Both of the access keys; male and female. Now she knows for sure that both the sa'angreal and the ter'angreal access keys have survived the Breaking.

Tigraine's story (LoC/16/384):
Rand is in Caemlyn, talking to Dyelin and the other noble's that have their eye on the Lion Throne, trying to assure them that he means the throne for Elayne. The meeting draws to a close, but before they leave, Rand pulls Dyelin to the side to ask her why many Andorans look at him oddly sometimes. Dyelin finally tells him that it is because he looks so much like Tigraine, the late Daughter Heir of Andor. Tigraine and her brother Luc, the First Prince to be, were the two children of Queen Mordrellen, then the Queen of Andor. Tagraine was to marry Taringail, the King Apparent of Cairhein, to create a bond between the two nations, and end the constant strife and warfare. Tigraine disappeared from the Palace one night, and was never seen again. This led to the Sucession, and Morgase of House Trakard emerged victorious. She married Taringail to seal the matter in the eyes of the people, and had Gwayn and Elayne with him (not with Thom).

Tigraine in fact ran away at Gitara Moroso's behest, changed her name to Shaiel and became a Maiden of the Spear. She then had a child with Janduin, clan chief of the Taardad Aiel. That child was Rand. Tam Al'Thor was fighting in the Aiel War, and found Shaiel on the slopes of Dragonmount, with her newly born son. Tam brought Rand back home with him, to his wife Kari. Now of this is just the 'who' and not the 'why.' That is fully delved into in the Wheel of Time bloodlines node, but it explains some more about Rand's parentage, and shows just how convoluted everything is. Now Rand is not only Aiel, and the Car'a'carn at that, the Sea Folk Coramoor, the Dragon Reborn, the Lord of the Morning, but also of the Andoran Royal Family. And later the King of Illian. Whew!

The true reason the Maidens are so concerned with Rand's safety (LoC/18/426):
Not only is Rand the Car'a'carn, and not only did he entrust his honor to Far Dareis Mai, but most importantly, the reason the Maidens dote on him so much, and take his safety so seriously is the fact that he is the only son of a Maiden to return to them. According to Aiel custom, when a Maiden becomes pregnant, she either chooses to give up the spear, and lay her bridal wreath at the man's feet and keep the child, or to give the child away after she gives birth. If she chooses gives the child away, her fellow sisters give the child to a family in a manner such that the family does not know where the child comes from, and neither does the child. Rand is the only Aiel to acknowledge a Maiden as his mother (if a woman gives up the Spear, she is no longer a Maiden; thus, not man has ever had a Maiden for a mother and known it), and to return to them. He has also entrusted his honor with Far Dareis Mai, further bonding them to him, and he is also the Car'a'carn, deserving of protection, if not obedience.

Robert Jordan's point-of-view is not always accurate proof for theories (LoC/30/606):
Many of the theories I've seen use the fact that Robert Jordan has written passages from a certain character's point-of-view, thus absolving them or ruling them out from said theory. Whether the Taim/Damodred theory, or who's a Darkfriend/Black Ajah/Forsaken/whatever else, many rely on, or at least use the character point-of-view information to buttress their arguements. Shortly after Siuan arrives at Salidar with Leane, Nynaeve, Elayne and the others, she talks to Delana Sedai, one of her old friends. The passage is narrated from Delana's point-of-view, and seems like a completely normal conversation, aside from the fact that Delana is later revealed to be Black Ajah. Now, granted RJ eventualy told us that she was Black Ajah, but when the book was narrated from her point-of-view, we didn't have a clue. Given that, we can assume that other characters are something more than what they seem, despite narration from their point-of-view. This is something you should definitely keep in mind when reading other people's theories, or formulating your own. There are probably other instances of this happening, but none that I've caught so far.

Herid Fel's note on "clearing the rubble." (LoC/50/880):
Herid Fel was one of the philosophers at Rand's school in Cairhein, known as The Academy. Rand came to him often to discuss Tarmon Gai'don, the Seven Seals, the nature of the Bore and the Dark One's prison, and the taint on saidin. Fel managed to puzzle something out, and send Rand this note:

    Belief and order give strength. Have to clear rubble be-
fore you can build. Will explain when see you next. Do not
bring girl. Too pretty.
                                           Fel

Fel was killed shortly after this, probably by the gholam, in a manner much like Barthanes was. Combined with the fact that The Academy was housed in Barthanes' former manor, many have speculated that the gholam killed them both, or whatever/whoever killed them killed the both of them. Exactly why Fel was killed is a manner of debate among the WoT community. Fel discovered something about the taint on saidin, or the seals, that much is sure. He was killed becasue of this knowledge. The line "have to clear the rubble before you can build" has been interpreted by many to mean that Rand must break the last two seals before the Dark One's prison can be resealed. Whatever it was, it was important, and we'll see if Rand can figure it out for himself.

Info on Tam al'Thor (TPoD/13/316):
Rand is out and about with nobles/troops from Illian, Tear and Cairhien. A conversation between Rand and Marcolin, one of the Illianer nobles, includes the following passage:
"The Companion's loyalty was to the crown of Illian, and Marcolin was old enough to remember when Tam al'Thor had been Second Captain over him..." We had never been told much about Tam before this, other than the fact that he served Cairhien in the Aiel War, and was a blademaster. I don't even think it was ever stated flat-out that Tam was a blademaster, only hinted at and implied; that and the fact that he had a heron mark sword. But now we know a little more about him, and what rank he held. At face value, it doesn't seem like much, but it slowly rounds out the whole picutre, allowing us to piece together Rand's past, and the Wheel of Time bloodlines.

Several times LTT mentions 'the other one' in Rand's head (WH/Prologue/80, WH/22/437):
LTT has been talking to Rand for quite some time now, so this is nothing new. However, in WH, he has started to mention someone else. In the first instance, LTT is muttering in Rand's head, and says "I thought I could build...I was wrong. We are not builders, not you, or I, or the other one. We are destroyers. Destroyers." Later on in the book, Rand is in Far Madding following Rochaid, when LTT says "You destroyed them already...Now you have someone else to destroy, and not beforetime. How many will we three kill before the end i wonder." We're not really sure who this third person is. LTT has seemed to accept that Rand is is equal; he has often spoken in terms of 'we' before WH, but never mentioned anyone else. This is interesting. Very interesting. Maybe another rebirth of the Dragon. Maybe the Dark One/Ishamael. It seems that LTT believes this other one to be a contemporary, or to have similarities with him and Rand. All very disturbing.

Cadsuane knows what happened to Luc in the Borderlands/Blight (WH/13/307):
The passage in question is narrated from Cadsuane's point-of-view (I know, I know, but we can be sure of this; she isn't lying to herself about her past), and in it she is mulling over her past failures. She mentions one as being her failure to capture a suspected Black Ajah sister before she disappeared, topped only by her failure "to learn what Caraline Damodred's cousin had been up to in the Borderlands until the knowledge ws years too late to do any good." Now, all we know is that Luc was in the Cairhien Royal Family, and he disappeared into the Blight. We never knew why he went, and what happened to him, but Cadsuane seems to know. This could be another clue in the Slayer/Luc/Isam mystery, if it is ever revealed to us.

There used to be more than 13 Forsaken (WH/13/317):
Shortly after the episode with Cadsuane, all the Forsaken are hanging out. This is the meeting where Moridin/Ishamael gives the order to take out Rand and Nynaeve and anyone else there before they can use the Choedal Kan. Demandred, Osan'gar/Aginor, Aran'gar/Balthamel, and Graendal are gathered when Moridin arrives with Moghedien and Cyndane/Lanfear. Right before Moridin and Co.'s enterance, Demandred notes that "During the War of Power, more than a dozen of the Chosen had died of the Great Lord's suspicion." This is an interesting little fact. The context of the passage indicates that they were burned out of the Pattern by the Dark One, not just killed and recycled (banning balefire of course). Could this mean that new Forsaken will be choosen? We don't know if there are only 13 at any given time, or just 13 right now. Either way, there's definitely space, as Rhavin and Asmodean have died the final death. I wonder if there will be any new additions.

That's about it for now. I'll add some more soon, especially stuff on all the crap that happend at the end of WH, when Rand and Nynaeve were using the Choedal Kan, and just about every Forsaken left alive was trying to kill everyone else.

Please /msg me, or even better, email me at cr@ckwhore.org with any additions/suggestions/corrections. Before you do, let me restate that I'm not really listing theories, just information, and things that I've pieced together from fact. I've made some assumptions, but they are mostly stated as points of interest. I'm not taking one side or another on any of the unresolved theories out there, and that's not what I intend this node to be.

I like it! 1 C!

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