1
Tamyrlin: 2003-02-02
I really need to put together my own set of statements (F.A.Q). RJ says that there is no chance in hell that Thom can channel (if I am remembering the interview correctly.) Appropriately, on this site, we take interviews to be suspect, especially if information from those interviews goes against our pet theories.
People that can learn to channel, but are not born with it...MUST LEARN. Your theory says that he did channel, but he wasn't born with it, so where did he learn to channel? How did he ever know he could learn? I can understand the idea (especially because of the genetic traits of being able to learn to channel), but I don't believe RJ will include this in the story, and if you believe interviews, he has already struck this idea down years ago.
2
jason wolfbrother: 2003-02-02
Thom escaped the Fade in Whitebridge because once the boys were safely away the Fade had absolutely no interest in Thom. Thom was beneath the Fade's notice and it quickly found a shadow and disappeared. I beleive that Thom himself tells Rand this in Cairhein but I am feeling lazy and don't want to look it up.
3
jaellon: 2003-02-05
A prickling feeling isn't proof of an ability to channel. I get prickling feelings now and then, and I guarantee that I can't channel. In my experience, a prickling feeling generally accompanies memories of emotional events, whether happy, angry, or sad.
The context of Mat's and Thom's conversation indicates to me that Thom is remembering his nephew, and how he wasn't able to get there in time to save him.
_IF_ Thom can channel, this is no proof of it.
4
Callandor: 2003-02-06
RJ, at an interview, got really miffed about this exact same question. He stated that Thom is exactly what he is: a gleeman, former lover of Queen Morgase, and past royal bard.
HE CANT CHANNEL, CANT LEARN TO CHANNEL, OR WANTS TO CHANNEL.
He distrusts any Aes Sedai, except one (Moiraine duh), because they killed his nephew.
Thom = no channeling. Plain and simple facts.
5
The-True-Dragon: 2003-03-14
jason wolfbrother is right the exact quote was...
"'That Fade' - he looked around; there was no one close enough to hear, but he lowered his voice anyway - 'had no interest in me. It left me a little present of a stiff leg and ran after you and Mat.'" - Thom, tGH ch.25, p.377
so obviouslly Thom can't channel and it the fade didnt care about him.
6
Jiana: 2003-03-21
I agree with the wolfbrother and the True Dragon on this one. Although, who knows, we may be proven wrong! RJ's full of surprises... but he DID say that Thom can't channel... If a "prickling" feeling were indicative of a man who can channel sensing a woman channeling, then Perrin and Mat both would be able to channel (they have mentioned having those sensations when a woman is channeling nearby), and if THAT were the case, then the entire series would be stood on its head!
7
Shadowkiller: 2003-03-26
RJ said he cannot channel so there is no way he can channel. The prickly feeling they get is because they already know that a woman is channeling. They do not get it when a woman is channeling near them and they don't know about it.
8
Korell: 2003-03-27
if the fade truly did just give Thom a present and leave after Mat and Rand what was with the center of town being burned? just a question but it seems awfully suspect i think perhaps Thom did somthing to the fade and killed it somhow not channeling though perhaps he already has access to somthing like a firework and lied to cover it up at the time or maybe he had a ter angreal or which ever one works without channeling and didnt want anyone to find out anyway just another theory.
9
Jiana: 2003-03-27
I don't think Thom had a ter'angreal of that nature. To my knowlege the only ter'angreal that work without channeling are the dream ones, and those didn't show up until later, I think. Maybe Thom (or someone) did kill the Lurk, but I can't imagine with what. We all know he is not a simple gleeman, after all. I would, however, like to know more about Thom's other relatives (wishful thinking, I know), due to the fact that his nephew could channel, was obviously born with it, and the fact that it is sometimes hereditary.
10
Anubis: 2003-03-29
Here is one for you. imagine that thom CAN channel. now imagine his relationship with rand, mat, moirine, and his future in the series. i dont think so. i think it would make a lame story and thom would have to be a mentor or a martyr character, and he is clearly not. + the fact that thom would have slowed making him about 600 years old right now. so we have a gandalf type ancient wise one character. no, im just not seeing it. it does not mesh.
11
jagaidan: 2003-03-30
i think that in that chapter in eotw as rand and mat leave the city they see a flash of light that i think is a sort of evidence to say thom can learn to channel i am not sure of this i will check i am posting /replying for the frist time so if am wrong i am sorry
12
Callandor: 2003-03-30
The flash of light is similar to the 2 Fade blades meeting in TSR when they attack the Stone.
The flash is what happens when power wrought blades meet so its been assumed, and wondered, that Fade blades are power wrought.
So this brings up the question to how Thom has power wrought daggers since he doesnt use a sword. But I thikn RJ said he doesnt have power wrought blades.
13
Jiana: 2003-04-12
No, he does not have power wrought blades. They are just ordinary steel. I seem to remember him losing two in either a Trolloc or a Fade, and complainging because they were his "best two." He also complains from time to time about finding a blacksmith who can get the balance right. No, he doesn't have power wrought blades, and he can't channel at all. But then... as for the "slowing" comment, does anyone remember ever hearing a reference to age for the older Asha'man, such as Flinn or Grady? They are grizzled old men. If they have slowed, the way females who can channel do, how old are they? I don't think I recall reading anything that says men slow.
14
Weird Harold: 2003-04-13
Jiana,
All of the older asha'man were old when they began channeling, just as Sharina Malloy is a grandmother who hasn't slowed bcause she had never channeled until tested and taught by Egwene's group.
Men do slow but like women, they don't begin to slow until they actually begin channeling.
15
Jiana: 2003-04-18
Thank you Weird Harold. To my embarrassment, I realized that AFTER I made that post :)
16
araqyl: 2003-05-16
Korell, I think you hit the nail on the head - Thom could have had a big firework on him.
Since he knows Fades love shadows (as he knows everything else, seemingly), he could have remembered the fireworks tucked in a secret pocket somewhere and threw one into a fire to create bright light and a distraction - to hold the Fade's attention long enough to let him get in some dirty blows and (hopefully) lay the Fade out for good.
Didn't work (obviously), but is something he may have thought of.
Weakness: fireworks are not common, and Thom never mentions them as being part of his 'arsenal'.
17
Callandor: 2003-05-17
Another weakness is Thom in TDR is scared crapless by Mat toying around with the firework. Mat even tossed the firework into a fire after he opened one and Thom was going nuts then. So I dont think Thom was around fireworks before, at least not THAT intimately ;-).
18
golem22: 2003-07-18
thom is to old to channel without some sort of "effects" from the taint, that is unless you think hes a darkfriend as well?
19
Vaughn882: 2003-07-18
It's my belief thatt he flashes at White Bridge were actually Rand fooling with the power, doing something without realizing it, kind of like with Bela. Early on, he only channels when he is emotionally excited, like he was afraid bela would fall behind and he would lose Egwene, so he gave bela strength without realizing it. This is what I think happend with at whitebridge- Rand did not want to leave thom, he got very angry and afraid, and without realizing what he was doing he set flames to everything.
20
lanfears bitch: 2004-01-27
Thom escaped because his daggers are magic. Examine questions of the week at RJ's TOR website.
21
Darren: 2004-01-28
Are people actually suggesting that not only can Thom LEARN to channel, but that he DOES channel???
Umm... He'd be wearing Asha'man robes if that were true. I'm pretty sure Mat gets prickly feelings when women channel, as well, maybe he can touch the source as well. And hey, next time someone gets something in their eyes in the books, it MUST be saa.
I hope you sense my sarcasm.
22
Davian93: 2004-01-28
Didn't RJ say in an interview that the flashing started before their blades met? Somebody please help me out with a quote here.
23
Callandor: 2004-01-28
RJ has given many conflicting quotes to interviews about this issue, so don't argue it. There is just too little information to conclude it.
24
Davian93: 2004-01-29
Response to Callandor:
Thank you, like you say there's not enough evidence either way.
25
Darren: 2004-03-28
Didn't RJ say that the reason for the flashing was because "Thom's best knives are very special indeed."?
Anyway, my question is whether those two knives might turn to be osan'gar and aran'gar.... Certainly some of the daggers must have survived the breaking, if they were power wrought...
26
charliec: 2004-03-29
I thought the osan'gar and a aran'gar were just poison daggers, and nothing special otherwise...
27
Anubis: 2004-03-30
they were daggers coated with a slow poison used in a sort of game in which one person dueld another. the game was funny cus both duelists usually died seeing as a scratch would kill.... eventually.
gives me really funny images of one duelist scratching the other then running away while the poison took effect.
