Theoryland Chronicles

Members :Tamyrlin : Lanfear and the Seanchan

Introduction:

In The Great Hunt we read on pg. 89(hardcover):

"Daughter of Night she walks again,
The ancient war she yet fights.
Her new lover she seeks, who shall serve her yet die, yet serve still.
Who shall stand against her coming.
The Shining Walls shall kneel."

Lanfear has awoken and she walks again on this earth. She still fights the ancient war and the White Tower shall kneel at her coming.

Character Development

Lanfear, "The Daughter of the Night", a name not earned yet chosen by Mierin to symbolize her reign over Tel'aran'rhiod, the dream world. One of the original discoverers of the DO's prison while in search of a 'higher' power. By Lews Therins own admissions, Lanfear lives for the quest of more power. Born in the AoL, and one of the strongest female Aes Sedai to ever live, she bored a hole through the pattern to the DO's prison and freed his influence on to her home and the entire world. Peace from that day was forever shattered and jealousy drove her to deny the light years later by pledging her soul to the Lord of the Grave.

Upon her awakening, she searched out that which could ensure a return of power to equal that of Lews Therin reborn. To match and surpass his might in this new age, to do so she sought out her dominion in Seanchan.
Basic Seanchan Principals

• The Seanchan have the only army that we have encountered to match the strength of Rand's conglomeration of nations.
• They are prophesied to and currently are slowly taking over the west and south western territories.
• They are apart of the Corenne or the 'return' and their desire is to retake this land for theirs. Being direct descendents of Artur Hawkwings son they feel that this land is rightfully theirs.
• The Seanchan do not knowingly tolerate any women or man who can channel the OP to walk freely. The damane are property and are treated as such. And "they are the power of the Crystal Throne." It sickens them to see Aes Sedai walking around 'unleashed'. This is the most basic principal upon which their civilization was able to thrive and conquer. Recently we noticed in TFoH that word might have gotten back to the Empress comcerning the slight discretion with those women who are not born with the ability but can learn it. But we don't have any idea about what type of repercusions this might create. But we do know that he 'Return' has continued with fury and force. The Seanchan people will never accept nor 'team up' with Rand al'Thor. It would be like the United States of America giving up the basic principal of freedom and joining communism.
• RJ has said that their will not be a lessening of chaos, and the prophecies even say that even after 'Tarmon Gaidon', wars will rage on across the land. The Seanchan are Rand's greatest threat and will continue to be.
• I will admit that it is possible that there are dissidents among the Seanchan who might rebel against the Monarchy of their Motherland. A minority, not the majority

Location of the Forsaken

Please read the following in TFoH pg.29(hardcover). Note, this is the meeting that took place between Lanfear, Rhavin, Sammael, and Graendal. Lanfear says:

"First someone else is trying to control him(Rand). Perhaps to kill. I suspect Moghedien or Demandred. Moghedien has always tried to work from the shadows,and Demandred always did hate Lews Therin. Sammael smiled or perhaps grimaced, but his hatred was a pale thing beside Demandred's, though for better cause. How do you know it is not one of us here, Graendal asked glibly. Because you three chose to carve out niches for yourselves and secure your power while the rest slash at each other. And other reasons. I told you I keep a close watch on Rand al'Thor."

Here Lanfear plainly tells the forsaken that she knows about where each one is that has established him or herself. Also, she tells us that Demandred and Moghedien have not 'carved out niches' for themselves. This, so far, we can easily see with Moghedien because she hasn't established herself anywhere and actually at the moment was getting her butt whipped by Nynaeve. Actually afterwards she starts a personal vendetta against Nynaeve.

This leaves Demandred or Semirhage. Lanfear believes that Demandred(or Moghedien, who obviously is not) is controlling or trying to kill Rand. How does she know? Well, like she told them, "other reasons. I told you I keep a close watch on Rand al'Thor." Rand has been in the Waste for the past book and on his way to Tear in Book 3. The Seanchan in TGH weren't after Rand, so who is Demandred or Semirhage using to try to control Rand or kill him? Is Demandred or Semirhage in the Waste with them?

So lets review:

• Asmodean - Captured
• Graendal - in Arad Doman
• Rhavin - in Caemlyn
• Sammael - in Illian
• Be'lal - Dead
• Aginor - Dead(at this point of the story)
• Balthamel - Dead(at this point of the story)
• Moghedien - in Tanchico
• Mesanna - in White Tower
• Ishamael - Dead(at this point of the story)
• Semirhage - not established as Lanfear said , "while the rest slash at each other."
• Demandred - not established as Lanfear said , "while the rest slash at each other."

A very logical step then would be to say, if any Forsaken has established himself or herself behind or in control of the Seanchan it could only be the last Forsaken we have not given a home of location or Ishamael, although he is dead. But, since logic is fallable I will also add in some proof using our favorite "scripture."

The Clues

The following references give us small clues as to where we may find Lanfear:

1. The Grolm
   In TGH Ishamael and Lanfear are seen hovering over Rand during the night that he used the portal stone for a pillow by Egwene. The next morning when he awakes he finds himself in a 'Mirror World', a replica in many ways of the world he came from. Suspiciously we also encounter Lanfear in this 'Mirror World'. Obviously she and Ishamael had been watching over Rand and had planned this little trip together. Amazingly enough we also meet the Grolm and Lanfear is being attacked by these creatures. She knows their name and how to kill them. Then Lanfear convinces Rand that there is no way out by having the Grolm attack from every direction that Rand would like to flee to. Since he is being stubborn she increases the amount of packs of Grolm that are attacking and he is forced to go to the Portal Stone and get them out...and we are not sure if Lanfear helped him or not but they made it back. Doesn't that ring any bells in your minds? We then meet the Grolm when Egwene is taken prisoner by the Seanchan later on in the same book. Quite interesting considering the they were still on this side of the ocean in this duplicate world. I believe you can almost seal her connection with the Seanchan with that occurrence.
2. The White Marble Palace
   • In TSR when Rand and Asmodean have finished their struggle in Rhuidean and Lanfear is about to leave she opens a gateway to somewhere and it is described as follows pg. 975(paperback):

     "a door opened beside her...into what seemed a palace chamber, all carved white marble and white silk hangings."

   • In TFOH when Lanfear shows up in Rhavin's chamber in Caemlyn, he looks through the gateway she has opened and describes it like this pg. 24(hardcover):

     "he had a brief view of a chamber lined with snowy silken hangings."

   • Then in TDR(thankyou Morguen for this reference), Perrin is in the Dreamworld and he ends up looking down a hallway, it says on page 127 (paperback):

     "Colorful tapestries hung along the walls between tall golden stands holding dozens of candles that illuminated white floor tiles and a ceiling painted with fluffy white clouds and fanciful birds in flight. Nothing moved but the flickering candle flames along the length of that hall, stretching as far as the eye could see, or in the pointed arches of white stone that occasionally broke the walls He came abreast of the first pointed white archways. It let into a huge room, apparently windowsless, but furnished as ornately as any palace, the furniture carved and gilded and inlaid with ivory. A woman stood in the middle of the room, frowning at a tattered manuscript lying open on table. A black haired, black-eyed, beautiful woman clothed in white and silver. She lifted her head and looked straight at him. Her eyes widened in shock and in anger. "You! What are you doing here? How did you-? You'll ruin things you could not begin to imagine!"

     Didn't Lanfear know that Perrin could enter the dream world? Her comment , "How did you.." of shock seems more like , "How did you get here?" Considering they were half way across the world

So Perrin found Lanfear in this same palace that is mentioned two books later as a place that Lanfear travels to and from. It is described as a palace of snowy white silken hangings, white floor tiles and ceilings painted with fluffy white clouds and fanciful birds, along with pointed white archways and furniture carved, guilded and inlaid with ivory. Anyone have a clue as to where this might be? I do. And I can tell you that every palace that has been described to us so far does not meet this criteria. But how about this.

Seanchan Decorations

1. High Lady Suroth(a known darkfriend). TSR page 47 (paperback):

   "A handsome young serving man sprang to her side, bearing a pale green robe worked in brilliantly plummaged birds-of-delight(speaking of her room) and replaced them with a few tall screens most painted with birds or flowers."

   The Seanchan appear to have liking for 'paintings' of nature, the High Lord Turak seemed to love the birds.
2. High Lord Turak. In TGH Bayle Domon is being taken to see the High Lord page 361 (hardcover):

   "Every stick of furniture had been cleared out(obviously it was only the previous governers furniture that was removed because later on we see a few pieces of Seanchan furniture)of it, even the rugs and the stone floor was polished to a bright gleam. Folding screens painted with strange birds hid walls and windows (they meet the High Lord pg.362) "the other wore a blue silk robe, brocaded with birds and long enough trail nearly a span on the floor behind him."(Egeanin also brought the seal wrapped in silk, silk appears to be plentiful among the nobles and the Seanchan). Next pg. 363 "He was led into another room The furniture seemed to be made of curves with no straight lines at all There was one chair on a silk carpet woven in birds and flowers."

It may be a far jump to connect these two references with the decorations that Perrin saw around the White Marble Palace but I think that it does suggest a possibility.

Yes, I do consider this circumstantial evidence but it does seem a bit coincidental.

Two last clues

• We do know that in the beginning of the series that Lanfear and Ishamael were working together in some circumstances. Perrin has seen them together along with Egwene. So why did Liandrin take Egwene and Nynaeve(and ultimately Elayne) to Toman Head? The High Lady Suroth according the Ishamael's commands(he was acting DO at the time) was to take Eqwene and Nynaeve to Seanchan. Read pg. 480 Liandrin tells Suroth

  "These two must be removed to the other side of the Aryth Ocean and kept there." I would venture to say that Ishamael and Lanfear had plans with 'Rand's friends'.

• Lanfear will, "make the Shining Towers kneel." I don't have the exact reference but it was probably Egwene who saw leashed Aes Sedai outside the White Tower walls. You can make or interpret this as you will but I believe that the Seanchan are the only ones who could possibly do so.

Synopsis

Lanfear has ruled out the option that any other living Forsaken could be established in Seanchan. So I beg the question, if not one of them, then who? Who else could Lanfear lead to make the Shining Walls kneel? Where is this white marble palace? Where did Lanfear get the Grolm from? Why was she so surprised to encounter Perrin in that palace? Lanfear hates Aes Sedai, and has always sought out power and glory for herself. If the Seanchan could, they would leash every last Aes Sedai on the planet. Who could stop Lanfear once that occurs, the One Power is power. Their cause fits perfectly in line with Lanfears ultimate goal, world domination. Lanfear must command of have at her disposal power equal or greater than that of her lover/enemy the Dragon Reborn. I believe she has found that source of power in the Seanchan. No, she is not the Empress, but I do believe that she does lead some events behind the scenes. Doesn't it seem suspicious that the second in command of the Seanchan invading force happened to be a Dark Friend? Although I may not be able to convince you outright, I hope I have left a seed of doubt and curiousity so you will search for yourself.