turalde's Plans
by anderwarrick: 2003-06-05 | Not yet rated
Okay, here is what I think that he is going to do.
First of all, he will lead the taraboners back into Tarabon to join the Seanchan army. The taraboners will probably be separated into lots of different companies, so there could be more damage. Then on the march, the taraboners that came with Ituralde will suddenly start attacking the Seanchan, starting with the damane and sul'dam. Ituralde's group will do the most damage and will be followed when they flee north into Arad Doman. Then Ituralde will lead the Seanchan toward the mountains of mist where he probably knows the land quite well. I believe in one of the books that Bryne says to Egwene that good generals choose where to fight or something like that. This could explain why Ituralde is going to the Mountains of Mist, because there is good defendable positions(not counting the numerous steddings as mentioned in another theory about this) that he probably know quite well.
It would be interesting if Ituralde accidentally brought them near Graendal and the Seanchan damane felt her channeling and came to capture her. Then Graendal would either travel away or be caught. Either would probably help the Seanchan, because Graendal might not realize the seanchan were there until the damane are close enough to see the weaves to channel. Or if Graendal was caught, then they would have a very powerful female channeler in their ranks, or it could be a good way to get rid of Graendal.
now feel free to tear this apart, I just wanted to detail out his plans a little more than the others did along with adding my 2 cents.
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1
Tamyrlin: 2003-06-11
I don't know if Graendal will get involved, because wouldn't he have to bring them extremely far north to touch her territory? I thought his plan would hatch much further south. The Stedding thing has been suggested before, but I like the idea that the men will be split up...and probably very difficult to identify during all the chaos of their uprising, one taraboner looks like the next to the Seanchan.
2
Callandor: 2003-06-11
Graendal most likely wont be involved since, I believe, she left her palace in Arad Doman. The Stedding idea I myself favor a lot because it sounds totally logical about what a good general like Ituralde would do. ANd that way he is choosing his own place, he can counter all the damane since they wont be able to channel (and WHAT a shocker that would be to the Seanchan), and then he can simply crush them in an all out battle.
3
Weird Harold: 2003-06-11
All we know of Greandal's hidey hole is that it is in Arad Doman "within sight of the Mountains of Mist" and when last seen, she was still in it.
If the primary Plan does involve a stedding, it must be one of the abandoned steddings; Unless Ituralde expects to dump the Seanchan on an unsuspecting bunch of Ogiers in hopes of forcing them to fight.
It would be an ironic end for Greandal to end up just another Damane and I wouldn't put it past RJ to write something like this plan.
4
Gird: 2003-06-11
How big is a Stedding anyway? If not too big the seanchan would be able to stand outside and hurl rocks inside towards the Taraboners, they might not be able to cause their usual earthquakes but a big lump of earth thrown on the soldiers ranks would still do the trick.
5
desperate: 2003-06-11
Hi guys - anderwarrick I think that you have hit on a good point about what Rodel will do to overcome the Seanchan's superior firepower. However, what do you think Graendel intended to achieve when she sent Rodel this message? I think that Graendel sent him the message that he is acting upon. Will this be what requires him to need his backup plans? I would be keen to get your views on this. Hope everyone is well.
6
moonstar404: 2003-06-11
I don't see it as a big surprise to the Seanchan that they can't channel in stedding. After all, they have Ogier in Seanchan as well. They're the Empress's bodyguards or something. If there are no stedding in Seanchan, the Ogier there would have died out long ago from the Longing. They may not be expecting the tactic right away, but once they realize what's happening, I think the Seanchan will adapt their strategy to fit the situation.
7
silverwolf: 2003-06-11
I agree that Graendal won't be involved in the actual fighting, but she is definitely involved. She's sent at least one note to Ituralde already (probably more) to manipulate him into doing something, so it's logical to assume that that's what he's doing. In short, Graendal is most likely responsible for that chaos that Ituralde is causing.
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Callandor: 2003-06-11
Arthur Hawkwing wanted to make his entire capital of his empire in a stedding. So they can be quite large.
9
Callandor: 2003-06-11
But it could be that the Seanchan Ogier took up fighting because they didn't have steddings.
10
rubbernilly: 2003-06-12
True, the Seanchan have to know *about* stedding - after all, they have their own Ogier - but what they don't know is where the stedding are on this side of the ocean. That is where Ituralde can draw his advantage, by leading the Seanchan into a place where they suddenly lose the ability to channel.
Granted, the Seanchan, having experience with Stedding, would have a battle plan that they would naturally fall back on. However, it takes time to change plans and to get the pieces into place. Ituralde could keep surprising the Seanchan with steddings and they would never know when they would lose the ability to channel.
11
Flinn: 2003-06-12
Do the Seanchan even know there are still Ogier on this side of the Aryth? They can't know for sure. I also think that Ituralde will need help fighting the Seanchan. His forces are too few and theirs too many, not too mention all the strange creatures they have. Maybe the Black Tower will come into play.
12
Him-who-may: 2003-06-15
I think that the fewer troops that Ituralde has are counter weighted by his plans.
Plus take into account the fact that he is 1 of the great captains, with Niall (until recently at least), Anglemar, Bryne and Bashere.
All these 5 were famous for their tactical knowledge and skill.
I suppose Mat should be in this list also but I consider him a cheater as it is not his experiances of battle that have given him the knowledge, rather his experiances with the Doorway.
Back to my point.
I think that Ituralde's lack of troops are the whole point. He is 1 of the great captains and is famous for being a tactical genius. If they had the troops capable of the job then it might aswell be any old general.
13
a dragonburned fool: 2003-10-31
Maybe Ituralde even needs no stedding to lead the Seanchan in. In Ituralde's PoV we have mentioned one specific Domani advantage against Seanchan - the Domani's weather specialists. Now, Mountains of Mist at winter and Ituralde's troops know where and when exactly mists, snowfalls and another bad weather is to find and the Seanchan don't know. Of course the Domani know the land better too. In the mist they are not to be seen by Seanchan Luftwaffe and, what is even more important, not to be seen by damanes (and a damane cannot channel if she don't see where to channel) if not close enough to kill the damanes. Steddings could help, but are not so nessesary.
14
Aragorn: 2003-11-01
I don't think Iturale's plans have much to do with anything. At least not what he expects. I am attempting to work on a theory about this. Probably not a theory but an obsevation. But, I feel that the only reason he is striking south into the Seachan is that the Chosen and the DO are manuevering all the great captains south for a HUGE attack with everthing the DARK has to offer. I feel this will be in Book 11 with the dark gaing a huge foothold on most of the north. So Ituralde's plans for attacking the Seachan won't amount to much. However, he will join forces with someone and be a major player on repelling the Dark forces.
15
Illuminati: 2004-02-10
I personally think Ituralde was send that note to go into battle with a superior force and die. However being the military genius he is, he realised his orders were doomed and sought other means to acomplish the goal, something none of the forsaken have forseen.
Having killed off one of the great captains would be a great bonus in the last battle tho, and might very well been the origional plan from Graendal (probably a forced one since having Ituralde as her own general would been even better for her but not for the DO).
I see these ideas as very likely to be his plan.
16
Nae-blis: 2004-04-14
I agree that he may have a big part to play, possibly in the same respect as Davram Bashere. In Fires of Heaven, the rebel Aes Sedai discuss who will lead their armies, and Ituralde is one of those 'grea captains'. I think he could well become the general of another portion of Rand's forces at TG, as Bashere undoubtably will. The only question is will he be the commander of the Seanchan, who i believe will enevitably join Rand at TG.
17
dragonsceptor: 2004-05-07
Don't the Seanchen have great captains of their own? It seems like an empire would send their best to conquer the homeland. I just don't see him leading the Seanchan.
18
First Selector: 2005-08-12
**I just don't see him leading the Seanchan.**
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it is specifically stated in the Prophecies of the Dragon that "he will bind the nine moons to serve him." This could potentially mean that he will control the Seanchan through the Court of the Nine Moons.
Somewhat off the wall, it could mean exactally as it says, and he will use a binder (oath rod) on Tuon, assuming she can channel.
