Theoryland of the Wheel of Time

Notes: First of all, my English sucks. WSB has been checking some of the answers and they are correct now. My comments will still suck.

Second: I have been typing this in the late evening. I stopped before one and now it's six and I have started writing this again. With some questions I haven't put down the full question and answer and some are still left out. Because I am busy and not fully interested in the answer to every question asked. Perhaps the full report will be next week. **WSB helped the next day and we fixed it.**

Third: For joining the Official Nynaeve Fanclub you don't have to do anything else than send me the name under which you want to be listed on the list. Email to isabelsedaiSPAM@hotmail.com (remove the spam part of course).

Fourth: I managed to recruit 16 new members so far. I am going to keep trying to get more members. The other Amyrlin of the fanclub should be so proud of me.

Dragon Con Day One

As you might all know, or might know now, I am a crazy WoT fan and Nynaeve fan. (I recruited 16 more members for the Official Nynaeve Fanclub.) Infidel: Yeah I am a fangirl.

I met Robert Jordan before four years ago and he thought I was 12 then. (I was 17 at that time.) Anyway, I just go a bit crazy when I can ask Robert Jordan lots of questions. Note I am 21 and not 12; some people were going huh, she doesn't look 12!

Anyway, first was the signing at one o'clock. I was there already at 11.45 or something like that. So I was first in line. I kept spots for the fellow Theorylanders who would arrive later (Zae, Kitten, Dapple, Hopper). So they were standing next in line.

Anyway, I was really excited about meeting Jordan again. I was kind of jumping up and down and hoping he recognized me.

Isabel

I started asking him about the two conflicting chats [regarding Thom's knives and the scene with the Mryddraal at Whitebridge in The Eye of the World]. The question was already sent to him, but he declined to answer it for the question and answer session. I was wondering about why he would do it, but as you might guess when reading his answer. It's because it's a RAFO question.

Both answers on the chat are RIGHT!!!! He knows exactly how Thom managed to escape with only a limp and how he managed to survive that. But he might use it in the next book and doesn't want to give away anything. So we have to do it with the knowledge that both answers, although seemingly conflicting, are both CORRECT.

thom

,

thom's knives

,

myrddraal

,

power-wrought weapons

,

the eye of the world

Well, for Liandra (my fellow Amyrlin of the official Nynaeve fanclub): Tar Valon doesn't mean 'white tower'. It does mean something else, but that's RAFO.

tar valon

,

white tower

,

old tongue

Hehe, after those questions, Zae went up to Jordan. She first said something about (I don't know exactly any more), but apparently he took it as an Asmodean question and said I killed him.

asmodean

,

silly questions

Then she asked if Lan and Myrelle slept together.

Isabel

(I thought it was duh, although it probably happened with tweaking the bond.)

And for Jordan is was also duh, yeah they slept together.

lan

,

myrelle

,

warder bond

,

sexuality

Then I couldn't hear any other questions and I went back in line. I could only ask him one question. It's a discussion we had on Theoryland a while ago. Can the a'dam hold every sul'dam?

(He managed to get my question after a few times repeating it. I'll leave that out). Frenzy, you were right. (I hope I remember your stand on this issue correctly.)

The a'dam can only hold sul'dam who have been sul'dam for a long time and so wearing the bracelet for a long time. Four months for example isn't enough. He said the circle helped them get to the point that's described in the book, as being on the brink of being able to channel, one foot stepped over or something. (Quotemasters, please find that quote for me.)

seanchan

,

sul'dam

,

a'dam

,

channeling

Well, those were the signing questions and answers of mine. After that I was on a New Spring panel. That was fun. But after that I ran to the Reading session. Fortunately I could get on the front row and save a few spots for fellow Theorylanders (who would be arriving late).

Isabel

Anyway, my first question was: In book 10 Elayne mentioned that Galad fancied Nynaeve or had for a time. Did I miss something?

(I put his answer on tape, will type out his words, it will be as close to it as I can get it. Although my tape recorder doesn't pick out everything and I am not going to listen to something 10 times to find his exact exact words. But it is really close.)

Isabel

Robert Jordan

Isabel

Robert Jordan

Isabel

Robert Jordan

Isabel

Robert Jordan

galad

,

nynaeve

,

egwene

Someone else asked a question about the development of characters. Something about that Mat is his favorite character and that he has forgiven RJ for leaving out Mat for a whole book. (laughter of all the people) And then about how characters grow in RJ's perception/imagination as the series progressed.

Not so much growing in my perception. I had a thought about how I wanted those people to grow. The first vision that came to me was the ending of the last book. The next things that came to me was Emond's Field. And I realized the book was going to take these people to turn them into those people you see in the last scene in the last book. So I knew how I was going to change them. Not all the mechanism of the changes but I knew how I was going to change them.

rj on writing

,

genesis

,

characterization

,

how will it end?

,

the last scene

A question about if Jordan has been approached by movie makers and directors, etc., and if he sat down with them.

There is a company called Red Eagle that has the options for The Eye of the World to make the movie. I am waiting to see the outline from the screenwriters. Hmm, which is in effect telling me what of the book they want to keep and what they want to leave out of the book. Since you are not going to get the whole book into movie.

But if it's actually going to be made, even now I can't say. Some years ago NBC optioned The Eye of the World to make a six hour mini-series. Less than two years after we had signed the contracts, they came with the screenwriter, who did the miniseries 'Merlin'. Then two years after the contracts were signed, all the people who brought the project together had left NBC.

wot film

Are Ogier able to Dreamwalk?

No Ogier cannot Dreamwalk.

ogier

,

tel'aran'rhiod

,

dreamwalking

Do you have more hope that the movie is going to be made and is the movie going to be a miniseries or a movie?

Actually, I have to tell you, I don't really care. It would be nice, but if it doesn't happen...it doesn't happen. I am not a moviemaker. I write books. I will just write more books.

wot film

A question from me again (sometimes me with my horrible accent has to repeat the question a few times, for him to get it). Although if I remember correctly it was Aan'allein's question.

How did Aginor manage to sense the Shadar Logoth dagger in the The Eye of the World?

Isabel

Robert Jordan

aginor

,

shadar logoth

,

taint

,

cleansing

,

eye of the world

,

ruby dagger

Do Seanchan Ogier have the Longing?

Question

Robert Jordan

ogier

,

stedding

,

seanchan

,

longing

,

gardeners

Do certain races have better ability at channeling than others? For example, the Sea Folk at very good at weather, the Aiel have a high proportion of Dreamers and the Seanchan can make ter'angreal.

The Seanchan can only make one kind of ter'angreal. They haven't thought about making another. Certain groups are better at some abilities but it's a matter of need. The Atha'an Miere are dependent on the sea, the wind and water, and it would be natural for them to develop high skills to deal with control of weather and winds. For the Aiel, Dreaming is one of the ways to find new water, using need is how they find water. When the population in a hold is too great, and they have to find a new hold, the Dreamwalker uses need to find it. So yes, there are more Dreamwalkers there.

channeling

,

talents

,

seanchan

,

aiel

,

dreamwalking

,

sea folk

The Snakes and Foxes seem to have a lot of powers. Do they also have the Power?

Matt Hatch

Robert Jordan

aelfinn

,

eelfinn

,

finns

,

one power

,

transmigration

,

souls

What's the favorite scene you wrote in the entire series?

My favorites scenes are the scenes I am writing. I like them all. (laughing)

rj on writing

,

favorites

How do the Atha'an Miere and the Amayar deal with male channelers?

Question

Robert Jordan

sea folk

,

saidin

,

channeling

,

amayar

,

taint

I know the male side of the source is clean but those who were driven mad before, will they be cured?

No. Whatever the degree of taint channelers have won't change. (They won't get more.)

saidin

,

taint

,

cleansing

,

asha'man

Did Taim have motives for coming to Andor after he escaped the Aes Sedai?

Isabel

taim

,

black tower

,

andor

,

asha'man

Now that you've finished Knife of Dreams, how many more books will there be?

I have said it before and will say it again. There will be one more book. Even if it has to be a 1500 page book. It will be the last book even if you have to use a luggage cart to move it (laughter and applause).

how many more books?

How was Nynaeve able to channel Fire at Rahvin while she was asleep? When Nynaeve & Moghedien battle Rahvin, she channeled fire at him. But according to Moiraine you can only channel Spirit when you are asleep. (The Fires of Heaven Chapter 55)

In Tel'aran'rhiod you can channel everything. Even though she's asleep. If she was not in Tel'aran'rhiod, and she's asleep, Spirit is the only thing she would be able to channel or hold on to. But having stepped into Tel'aran'rhiod, in Tel'aran'rhiod, she is able to channel. Her body is still back in...would only be able to maintain Spirit, nothing more. (Adjusted this answer to its verbatim from audio file -Matt).

Matt: This was the previously paraphrased answer: In Tel'aran'rhiod you can channel Fire. You can channel Spirit only from your sleeping body, but being in Tel'aran'rhiod is different and you can channel anything.

tel'aran'rhiod

,

five powers

,

channeling

Is one of the effects of the taint to lower the boundaries between past lives or is Rand a special case?

RAFO.

taint

,

saidin

,

rand

,

lews therin

,

souls

,

rebirth

You say one more main sequence book after Knife of Dreams, but will there be any more?

I intend to do two prequels; one is why Tam al'Thor gave up a successful military career and went home to buy a small farm in the Two Rivers. And the other one will be largely why and how Moiraine and Lan showed up in the nick of time in The Eye of the World. When I will do those two novels, I do not know.

prequels

,

tam

,

two rivers

,

moiraine

,

the eye of the world

Can you shield someone who is in Tel'aran'rhiod by shielding their sleeping body?

If you are injured in Tel'aran'rhiod it will be transferred to your body, but not vice versa. Shielding someone in Tel'aran'rhiod will shield the body, but shielding the body is not transferred to Tel'aran'rhiod. They can channel in Tel'aran'rhiod, but of course when they come out, they are shielded.

tel'aran'rhiod

,

channeling

,

shields

I have a question regarding the Wolfbrothers such as Perrin and Elyas and Thom's nephew.

Question

Robert Jordan

perrin

,

elyas

,

wolfbrothers

Someone had a question about Machin Shin in the Ways. Since it seems to absorb the creatures that pass through there, could you regard it as a servant of the Dark One or perhaps almost as a Forsaken?

Question

Robert Jordan

taint

,

dark one

,

machin shin

,

the ways

,

cleansing

,

saidin

Did you have the intention to explore what happened before the Breaking of the World?

No, anything I would do there would have a sense of inevitability. You know what's going to happen.

prequels

,

age of legends

,

breaking of the world

Is the waxing and waning of the novels' lengths your decision or the publishers?

It was my decision. I submit the manuscripts and they run with it.

rj on writing

In The Great Hunt when Rand, Mat and Perrin are trying to enter the Ways, Machin Shin is waiting there for them. It seems like Padan Fain has been waiting there for them. Is Machin Shin in any way related to the evil of Shadar Logoth?

In some ways. Machin Shin is linked or you might say drawn to that. It's not a matter of linked, but more attracted by. In much the same ways as I spoke about the evils being attracted to one another due to opposite polarities. (Shadar Logoth and the taint)

In the same way there is an attraction because Machin Shin was created in effect by the taint. It grew out. You can see is at a fungus that was constructed with the wrong type of materials. If you think about it as that way you get a more idea about its true nature.

machin shin

,

the ways

,

shadar logoth

,

fain

,

taint

I was wondering, how did Rand stop the taint by channeling at Shadar Logoth because you said the taint and the evil at Shadar Logoth are different. Also, because Shadar Logoth came well after the taint, was there any way to stop it?

No, there was no way to stop it or make it weaker (the Shadar Logoth evil). But when Rand made the conduit, they were attracted to each other due to opposite polarities, and they were attracted to each other and destroyed each other because of those differences, and it created a huge explosion.

cleansing

,

taint

,

rand

,

shadar logoth

Was Taim a sparker or a learner?

Ted Herman

Robert Jordan

taim

,

channeling

Question about his writing routine. Do you write the same amount each day?

He has breakfast, reads the newspaper, goes to his desk. I look at the emails I have to deal with. I cannot say go to hell. Deal with the phone calls that have the same ranking. I am supposed to stop for lunch. I generally remember I have to stop for lunch about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. I don't often eat lunch. Then I go help Harriet to get dinner on the table. I do that pretty much seven days a week. I don't mind if I go fishing on a Wednesday or play golf. Last year I believe I played golf once and went fishing three times.

rj on writing

,

rj on life

About New Spring, I had a question about Lan. About the battle with the Aiel. How do they recognize him? I guess I am more curious about the background, how they recognize him and what they know of him and his back story?

They know quite a bit about his back story. They think he is a man who has much ji. He has a one man war against something he cannot beat. And they recognized him by the crescents on his helmet.

new spring

,

lan

,

aiel

A question about the Forsaken. It is said they have varying levels of strength in the One Power. Do you know where they rank?

Question

Robert Jordan

forsaken

,

channeler strength

,

asmodean

,

lanfear

Are Min's visions about the past or the future?

Isabel

min's viewings

,

min

If Galad and Rand were to fight with swords who would win? (laughter)

Well it's not going to happen. I would say Rand would, at least until recently.

galad

,

rand