art by Jake Johnson

Theoryland Resources

WoT Interview Search

Search the most comprehensive database of interviews and book signings from Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson and the rest of Team Jordan.

Wheel of Time News

An Hour With Harriet

2012-04-30: I had the great pleasure of speaking with Harriet McDougal Rigney about her life. She's an amazing talent and person and it will take you less than an hour to agree.

The Bell Tolls

2012-04-24: Some thoughts I had during JordanCon4 and the upcoming conclusion of "The Wheel of Time."

Theoryland Community

Members: 7653

Logged In (0):

Newest Members:johnroserking, petermorris, johnadanbvv, AndrewHB, jofwu, Salemcat1, Dhakatimesnews, amazingz, Sasooner, Hasib123,

Theoryland Tweets

WoT Interview Search

Home | Interview Database

Your search for the tag 'saa' yielded 5 results

  • 1

    Interview: Apr 27th, 2004

    Wotmania Interview (Verbatim)

    Wotmania

    Ishamael's corpse in The Dragon Reborn had only pits where his eyes and mouth once were. Was this a result of the True Power? If this is true, is the True Power the reason that Fades have no eyes, but some supernatural abilities?

    Robert Jordan

    The True Power is reason that Ishamael's corpse had no eyes, just as it was the reason that his eyes had been caverns of flame, but it not precisely the reason that Fades have no eyes. The True Power as well as the One Power was used in creation of Trollocs, which proved to be uncontrollable and useless as soldiers until the first Myrddraal were born, throwbacks to the human stock used in creating Trollocs, but twisted by the inclusion of the True Power in making Trollocs.

    Tags

  • 2

    Interview: Apr, 2003

    Budapest Q&A (Verbatim)

    Wood Sun

    What about the saa? You wrote in a chapter, that there is a black hole before Moridin's eyes.

    Robert Jordan

    No, no, in the eyes. It is not before. In the eyes, inside the eyes.

    Wood Sun

    And can see through? (-?- unsure about this sentence. -?-)

    Robert Jordan

    It depends. When you are using the True Power. At first, when you begin using the True Power, there's nothing there. Nothing in the eyes. After you've used it for a while, you begin to have a black speck floating across your eyes, when you're using it.

    Wood Sun

    And then you see, other observers can see it.

    Robert Jordan

    No, you don't see it. You don't actually see it.

    Wood Sun

    I think it was the chapter when Moridin was observing with a cloak of fancloth. His vision was blurred by a rain of black spots.

    Harriet

    But it didn't affect his vision.

    Robert Jordan

    It didn't affect his vision. You're aware of it, but it's not like there is blackness between you, because it gets thicker and thicker and thicker and you get to a point where if you've used it long enough you get a steady stream even if you're not connected. And you are then on the road, at that point, inevitably, to becoming what Ishamael was. Because these are stigmata, if you will. These saa are stigmata caused by a linkage to the Dark One. And eventually the effect is to become all fire eyes. You no longer have eyes visible to other people. If they're looking into your eyes, they seem to be looking into caverns of flame that stretch to infinity. And when you open your mouth they see another cavern of flame that stretches to infinity. Because you've reached at that point the ultimate level of this usage and quite possibly, if you've at this point not been granted immortality, you're on your way to death. Not madness, but you're on your way to death. So it's sort of a race. The Dark One has given you this boon, but if you use it very much, then you'd better hope he is willing to give you another boon, because if he doesn't give you the second boon then you're dead. Some of the Forsaken have expressed discomfort with the fact that Ishamael and Moridin are so free with using the One Power.

    Wood Sun

    And is it addictive?

    Robert Jordan

    Yes.

    Wood Sun

    Entirely.

    Robert Jordan

    So is the One Power. That's one of the things that I intended from the beginning. The One Power has at least the potential for good, and it is something used by those on the side of good. And it is addictive, physically and psychologically addictive and also potentially very dangerous, even deadly to those who are using it.

    Wood Sun

    And so the other Forsaken seem to be afraid of using the True Power?

    Robert Jordan

    Well, they are, because they know this; they will use it when they have to, but they limit it, because they know that if you use it enough to let the saa begin to appear, then you are on a spiral and once they begin appearing, they begin appearing more often. And eventually, unless you are given immortality by the Dark One, you are dead. Now, the thing is, they don't wanna die. This is really great, it is a really great honor to be given the ability to tap into the True Power. Which is not inherently stronger than the One Power. It's not that it is stronger in any way. It is just something that does not have some of the limitations of the One Power. Other people can't feel you embracing it, or using it, like the One Power.

    Question

    -?-

    Robert Jordan

    Yeah, you could.

    Question

    -?-

    Robert Jordan

    Yeah, you could burn out with the True Power.

    Wood Sun

    Only True Power, or One Power too?

    Robert Jordan

    With the True Power as well as the One Power you can burn out.

    Tags

  • 3

    Interview: Apr 23rd, 2010

    Seeker

    Can you name one thing that someone can do with the True Power that cannot be accomplished with the One Power?

    Harriet McDougal Rigney

    No.

    Alan Romanczuk

    You can get those cool spotted eyeballs.

    Tags

  • 4

    Interview: Apr 28th, 2010

    Harriet McDougal Rigney

    Another notable question that was RAFO'd by Harriet but not Alan was, "Is there anything that can be done with the True Power that cannot be done with the One Power?"

    Alan Romanczuk

    Alan's answer was: "You can get those cool spotted eyeballs".

    Tags