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He pretty much does since he is her little pet dog the whole season.
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Apr 27, 2024 04:26
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Interesting bit from Brandon’s C2E2 Q&A. When he proposed Perrin wound Master Luhhan as an alternative to the fridging, he actually wrote it out for them. He said Rafe fought hard for the change but it was the Amazon execs that refused to allow it. He implies Amazon’s meddling is an ongoing issue.
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Apr 27, 2024 19:35
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its HIM posted:Interesting bit from Brandon’s C2E2 Q&A. When he proposed Perrin wound Master Luhhan as an alternative to the fridging, he actually wrote it out for them. He said Rafe fought hard for the change but it was the Amazon execs that refused to allow it. He implies Amazon’s meddling is an ongoing issue. That would explain quite a lot. I was quite baffled by Rafe adding a fridging sequence considering that many of the other changes to the show suggest he wouldn't be the type.
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Apr 27, 2024 20:19
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its HIM posted:Interesting bit from Brandon’s C2E2 Q&A. When he proposed Perrin wound Master Luhhan as an alternative to the fridging, he actually wrote it out for them. He said Rafe fought hard for the change but it was the Amazon execs that refused to allow it. He implies Amazon’s meddling is an ongoing issue. I mean, Rafe has said he and Pike had to fight tooth and nail to keep the "Weep for Manetheren" monologue in the show, which is pretty loving important. So that tracks and is a real bummer.
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Apr 28, 2024 05:09
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I'm just going to blame Jeff Bezos for everything I don't like about the show from now on.
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Apr 28, 2024 05:42
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Flowing Thot posted:I'm just going to blame Jeff Bezos for everything I don't like about the show from now on. I mean, if you blame Jeff Bezos for literally all problems you're going to be more right than wrong.
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Apr 28, 2024 10:05
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Just helping this lost post get to the right place:BigHead posted:Wheel Takes with Ali and Gus just put up a podcast with Guy Roberts, the actor who played Uno. It's a great listen.
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Apr 29, 2024 00:31
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Thanks pik!
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Apr 29, 2024 01:35
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Mad Hamish posted:Every time Lanfear's not on the screen Rand should be asking "Where's Lanfear?" I know I was.
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Apr 29, 2024 18:45
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The Dragon Reborn Chapter 5: Nightmares Walking Thoughts This chapter has the Trolloc triptych because we're getting a Shadowspawn attack. quote:He opened his mouth to shout warning, and suddenly the door of Moiraine’s hut burst open and Lan dashed out, sword in hand and shouting, “Trollocs! Wake, for your lives! Trollocs!” Perrin, with the magical help of an entire pack of wolves, is only ALMOST as fast to respond to a crisis as Lan. That man's real loving badass, y'know? (But also: Perrin is fighting his powers every step of the way and Lan's got two decades of experience with his own supernatural aid. It's only a matter of time before Perrin makes Lan look like the chump.) quote:The Tuatha’an woman pressed her back against the log wall, a hand to her throat. The light from the burning trees showed him the pain and horror, the loathing on her face as she watched the carnage. I was just reading some stuff iliiuan had to say on the Tuatha'an before I got into this chapter so let me just note: Leya's priorities are all out of whack here if Perrin's reliably relating her emotions. She's not keeping herself safe, she's just being judgy about violence happening in her vicinity. And it kills her. quote:All that mattered was that he had to reach Leya, had to get her to safety, and the Trolloc was in the way. Perrin's desperation to do the right thing even though of course he could easily write Leya off as an inevitability (and an inconvenience until the inevitable happens to boot) is why he's a hero, you know? I'll be giving this boy the most poo poo out of anyone but he tries to save someone's life even though he knows he can't and that's something. quote:The stink of it filled his nostrils, goat-stench and sour man-sweat. It's good to know that Trollocs produce all the scents available to them instead of just limiting themselves to one or the other. And by good I obviously mean gross, but since I read it you have to too! quote:She was still there, huddled in front of the hut, not more than ten paces upslope. And watching him with such a look on her face that he could barely meet her eyes. Leya's zealotry may be a formative trauma for Perrin I think. quote:Suddenly Leya moved, throwing herself forward, attempting to wrap her arms around the Myrddraal’s legs. Well that's great and all Leya but isn't restraining someone so they can't move a very light form of violence? Like good... well good may be strong, but some kind of positive adjective... effort trying to protect Perrin and all but if you tripped the Fade isn't that causing it physical harm? Where is the line for the Tuatha'an? Did she in the last moment of her life betray her own beliefs for nothing? Concerning if so. quote:“Fade,” Perrin said roughly, but then a different name came to him, from the wolves. Trollocs, the Twisted Ones, made during the War of the Shadow from melding men and animals, were bad enough, but the Myrddraal—. “Neverborn!” Young Bull spat. Half the reason we don't get Rand POVs much in this book is that Perrin's stealing his TGH schtick of losing himself in his newfound powers. I think this is something of a leftover from the proto-Tam character who was going to be Jesus AND the luckiest SOB ever AND a werewolf AND probably a really good shot I guess or whatever that fourth kid was supposed to contribute. Being easily replaceable, maybe? quote:The urge to rush down the slope and join his brothers, join in killing the Twisted Ones, in hunting the remaining Neverborn, was strong, but a buried fragment that was still man remembered. Leya. Perrin will of course spend this book (and the next... ten?) afraid that he might turn into a werewolf forever because of an encounter, but we see right here that this isn't a risk for him because he's always got stuff to pull him back. Leya's barely in the list of ten most recent people he talked to but he won't abandon his humanity for her sake - how much less likely is he to abandon it once he's got Faile? quote:He no longer thought of the greater battle. There was only the Trolloc he and the wolves—the brothers—cut off from the rest and brought down. Then there would be another, and another, and another, until none were left. None here, none anywhere. Obviously this is a terrible viewpoint to adapt if you're trying to be the strategy guy, but since Perrin isn't that anyway and the battle isn't reliant on such things, it actually works for him here. He's also more aware of himself than he was with the Whitecloaks, showing he's developed a little with his powers even if he's afraid of them. quote:Young Bull threw back his head and howled with her, mourned with her. Note that while Min's obviously freaked out by Perrin embracing his inner furry, she's not exactly treating him like a freak show either. Like I said, she'd probably be very supportive if she knew the details. quote:Frantically he walled himself off from contact with the wolves. Images seeped through, emotions, as he tried to stop them. Finally, though, he could no longer feel them, feel their pain, or their anger, or the desire to hunt the Twisted Ones, or to run. . . . Again we can kind of see how the proto-Tam's various aspects would have tied into a central character arc, with rejecting the naturalistic wolf expression being just one more way he would have been hardening himself and just one more thing he'd need to embrace to be the full hero at the end. quote:The Shienarans still standing—so few—lifted their blades and joined him. “Tai’shar Manetheren! Tai’shar Andor!” Hell, even the Shienarans aren't that judgmental since they are already following Rand around. quote:But when he was with the wolves, it was all so different. He did not have to worry about strangers being afraid of him just because he was big, then. There was no one thinking he was slow-witted just because he tried to be careful. Wolves knew each other even if they had never met before, and with them he was just another wolf. Is it wrong that occasionally I think Perrin might be a little bit on the spectrum? quote:“A sign to confirm our faith. Even wolves came to fight for the Dragon Reborn. In the Last Battle, the Lord Dragon will summon even the beasts of the forest to fight at our sides. It is a sign for us to go forth. Only Darkfriends will fail to join us.” Masema is of course foreshadowing his delightful nonsense, showcasing how he was still corrupted by Fain, and letting Jordan make it subtly clear that the real Last Battle will be more complicated. It's not just Darkfriends who won't be on the side of the Light, even at the very end. quote:Do you know what I did during the fight?” Still staring into the distance, Rand addressed the night. “Nothing! Nothing useful. At first, when I reached out for the True Source, I couldn’t touch it, couldn’t grasp it. It kept sliding away. Then, when I finally had hold of it, I was going to burn them all, burn all the Trollocs and Fades. And all I could do was set fire to some trees.” Rand's an incredible channeler, but even he needs a teacher. quote:“We . . . dealt with them, Rand,” Perrin said. He shivered, thinking of all the wounded men down below. And the dead. Better that than the mountain down on top of us. “We didn’t need you.” And likewise, in the final conflict, no one will be needing Rand to deal with the individual Shadowspawn and even if he could deal with them to keep the people alive it would be a waste of everyone's time. quote:There had been a man, Elyas Machera, who also could talk to wolves. Elyas ran with the wolves all the time, yet seemed able to remember he was a man. But he had never told Perrin how he did it, and Perrin had not seen him in a long time. Sorry Perrin, but he doesn't really pull it off anywhere near well enough for your standards. quote:He gasped and almost dropped his axe. He could feel the skin on his back crawling, muscles writhing as they knit back together. His shoulder quivered uncontrollably, and everything blurred. Cold seared him to the bone, then deeper still. He had the impression of moving, falling, flying; he could not tell which, but he felt as if he were rushing—somewhere, somehow—at great speed, forever. Another reminder that the best modern Aes Sedai have for healing at this point is emergency care, which works but definitely isn't the good stuff. Moiraine even tells him to eat afterward. quote:“Most of the wolves who were hurt made their own way to the forest,” Moiraine said, knuckling her back and stretching, “but I Healed those I could find.” Perrin gave her a sharp look, yet she seemed to be just making conversation. “Perhaps they came for their own reasons, yet we would likely all be dead without them.” Moiraine is nice enough to try and thank Perrin subtly, but of course he's much too suspicious for any of that. quote:“If you could get me to Shayol Ghul now,” Rand said drowsily, “by Waygate or Portal Stone, there could be an end to it. No more dying. No more dreams. No more.” It would obviously have a terrible ending, but a fanfic of Moiraine somehow taking sleep-deprived Rand to Shayol Ghul and just kind of hoping for the best would be hysterical. This Rand might not be as traumatized as he's going to be, but I still think assuming he'd last five minutes before agreeing to let the Dark One unmake reality is overly generous. quote:“That’s right,” Rand said bitterly. “I’m not to be trusted. Lews Therin Kinslayer killed everyone close to him. Maybe I’ll do the same before I am done.” If Perrin or Mat had tried sassing Lan like this they would have learned what their pancreas looked like once chopped in half before finishing the second sentence, so while Lan's toxic masculinity is of course only adding to the Dragonmount of psychological issues Rand's going to need to deal with, let's also reflect that it's still him going easy on his favorite boy. Next time: Ingtar leads the crew out of Fal Dara, Rand finds out Moiraine hosed with his belongings again, and Lanf-- Wait no. Sorry. That was LAST book's chapter "The Hunt Begins". Next time we read THIS book's version, which probably has a lot less Ingtar due to his having a prior commitment. Also much less Rand on account of his running away.
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Apr 29, 2024 22:25
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Jordan must have had some killer lumbago the way he has literally everybody "knuckling their back" all the time
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Apr 29, 2024 23:04
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Data Graham posted:Jordan must have had some killer lumbago the way he has literally everybody "knuckling their back" all the time How do you explain so many characters knuckling their foreheads?
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Apr 29, 2024 23:57
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Grundulum posted:How do you explain so many characters knuckling their foreheads? They're all knuckleheads, duh.
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Apr 30, 2024 02:19
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The Dragon Reborn Chapter 6: The Hunt Begins Thoughts This chapter has a Wheel icon now that Rand's embraced his destiny and ditched the party - and because Perrin will be embracing his as well. quote:“Rand is gone,” was all Lan said before he left at a run, but it was more than enough. When Lan's hustling, you know hell is breaking loose. quote:“You’re from his village,” Masema said hoarsely. “You must know. Why did the Lord Dragon abandon us? What sin did we commit?” You didn't kill those Shadowspawn quickly enough, Masema. Rand only hangs out with people whose DPS is in the three digits. quote:Min sat cross-legged on the dirt floor beside the door that led to Moiraine’s room, while the Aes Sedai paced back and forth in thought. Dark thoughts, they must have been. Three paces each way was all she had, but she made vigorous use of the space, the calm on her face belied by the quickness of her step. Moiraine has got to be really tired of Rand going off her script, since she still has not learned that she does not get to direct the plot. quote:He made himself meet her look with one just as level and firm. It was not easy. He loomed over her, but she was Aes Sedai. “Is this of your making, Moiraine? Did you rein him in until he was so impatient he’d go anywhere, do anything, just to stop sitting still?” Perrin is being extra petty here considering he understands her state of mind at this state of affairs just fine. quote:What I do, I do because there is no other way. He is hunting me again, and this time one of us has to die, I think. There is no need for those around me to die, also. Too many have died for me already. I do not want to die either, and will not, if I can manage it. There are lies in dreams, and death, but dreams hold truth, too. Perrin is right though that Moiraine's holding Rand in place is why he's snapped so hard from the dream pressure, though in her defense she probably was not remotely aware of the level of influence that the Forsaken were wielding because the boys never tell her anything. Already we can see how the distrust among the light side is causing them problems. quote:“I’ll go easy when she answers me. Well, Moiraine?” You can't blame Perrin for not trusting Moiraine for refusing to communicate openly with him, and you can't blame Moiraine for being pissed that she's still being treated with outright hostility when she's shown she's firmly on their side. That said, it is Moiraine who needs to change more, because the Aes Sedai attitude contributes nothing to the proceedings. quote:The seals are weakening, Perrin. Some are broken, though the world does not know that. Must not know that. The Father of Lies is not free. Yet. But as the seals weaken, more and more, which of the Forsaken may be loosed already? Lanfear? Sammael? Asmodean, or Be’lal, or Ravhin? Ishamael himself, the Betrayer of Hope? They were thirteen altogether, Perrin, and bound in the sealing, not in the prison that holds the Dark One. Thirteen of the most powerful Aes Sedai of the Age of Legends, the weakest of them stronger than the ten strongest Aes Sedai living today, the most ignorant with all the knowledge of the Age of Legends. And every man and woman of them gave up the Light and dedicated their souls to the Shadow. What if they are free, and out there waiting for him? I will not let them have him.” And Perrin, for his part, needs to appreciate when Moiraine is being relatively open. It makes sense that she's frozen up a bit in fear of the Forsaken being loose, especially since she doesn't know that Rand's already been grappling with Ish or Lanfear. Sadly, Perrin's not really ready for the full understanding of what the Last Battle being upon them. quote:He looked at the others—they were all watching him fixedly, even Min—then hesitantly told of the one dream that seemed unusual to him, the dream that came every night. The dream of the sword he could not touch. He did not mention the wolf that had appeared in the last. Note as well that where Moiraine's open caginess causes problems with everyone because they know they can't trust her, she's constantly getting surprised by their quiet caginess. Some real hypocrisy by the boys. quote:“My dreams are always the same, Moiraine Sedai. The groves, and the Great Trees, and the stedding. We Ogier always dream of the stedding when we are away from them.” I wonder if they're true dreams in T'A'R and if perhaps humans who get too far away from the Earth have similar dreams. quote:What does it mean that he ‘shall slay his people with the sword of peace, and destroy them with the leaf’? What does it meant that he ‘shall bind the nine moons to serve him’? Yet these are given equal weight with Callandor in the Cycle. There are others. What ‘wounds of madness and cutting of hope’ has he healed? What chains has he broken, and who put into chains? These are much more straightforward prophecies to intrepret than some, at least, referring as they do to the Aiel, binding the Seanchan to the peace, the cleansing of saidin, and the general societal upheavals he brings about. quote:Perrin grunted softly. The Stone would never fall till the Dragon Reborn held Callandor. How in the Light is he supposed to reach it—inside a bloody fortress!—before the fortress falls? It is madness! Even ignoring the "sneak in" approach that Rand ultimately takes, it's not like he couldn't just get hired as a guard or servant who works there and find his way to Callandor. The people in-universe treat this sequence of events like it's a lot more paradoxical than it really is. quote:Especially on those who are—susceptible. I do not believe Rand did it on purpose, but the dreams of those touching the True Source can be powerful. For one as strong as he, they could possibly seize an entire village, or perhaps even a city. He knows little of what he does, and even less of how to control it.” I guess this is a better explanation than wolf dream, considering that half the Shienarians have it. One wonders why Min was exempt though, besides the plot contrivance that she'd definitely have told Moiraine after the second night. quote:“There’s always something new from you,” Perrin growled. “Can’t you tell us what to expect once in a while, instead of explaining after it happens?” Uno looked as though he was trying to think of a reason to leave. Uno wishes he had a pipe to study. quote:Lan looked at Uno, and the one-eyed man shrugged in dismay. “I bloody forgot, with all this flaming talk about bloo—” He cleared his throat, shooting a glance at Moiraine. She looked back expectantly, and he went on. Uno should be allowed to swear more. quote:“Watch your tongue, blacksmith,” Lan growled, all ice and stone. I'm glad someone will call out Perrin on his bullshit a bit because he's being very annoying at this point. You'd think Min at least would speak up. quote:Few women seek audiences with the Amyrlin herself, but it does happen, and it should occasion no great comment. Moiraine, have you forgotten that folks already know who Min is? Ms. Unknown Power coming back after having disappeared with three runaways and making a request few women do will be all over the Tower within half an hour of her walking through the city gates AND SHE WON'T HAVE EVEN HAD TIME TO GET TO THE TOWER BY THAT POINT. quote:Once outside, Min hung back for a moment to address Lan with a too-sweet smile. “And is there any message you want carried? To Nynaeve, perhaps?” Min, I know you're pissed at Moiraine, but don't take it out on Lan. He's relatively innocent. quote:Loial shook his head. “I think she asked because she knew what we would answer, Min. Moiraine seems able to read Perrin and me; she knows what we’ll do. But you are a closed book to her.” Min getting constant supernatural intervention does make her harder to predict, it's true. quote:“Don’t be more thickheaded than you have to be, Perrin. Back there, right after you said you’d go. They were not there before. They must have to do with this journey. Or at least with you deciding to go.” The question is, does the Pattern allow him to not go (and thus... end up at Two Rivers early and have to deal with the Whitecloaks stuff solo), or does the Pattern only give him the chance to go willingly and it's still going to drag him along regardless, just in a much more humiliating fashion? quote:“An Aielman in a cage,” she said promptly. “A Tuatha’an with a sword. A falcon and a hawk, perching on your shoulders. Both female, I think. And all the rest, of course. What is always there. Darkness swirling ’round you, and—” The former, then. If Perrin hadn't gone with Moiraine, he'd either never meet Gaul, Aram, Faile or Berelain or at least wouldn't have them relevant in his life until later. Thank you Min, for having such easy visions for a change. quote:“One more thing,” she said slowly. “If you meet a woman—the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen—run!” Perrin won't, of course. I wonder what encounter with Lanfear Jordan must have had in mind. quote:Perrin did not like jumping to conclusions—it was one of the reasons some people thought him slow-witted—but he totaled up a number of things Min had said in the last few days and came to a startling conclusion. His conclusion is that Min is in love with him. Perrin, to think you were slow-witted would imply you had wits at all. You take five days to come to the least plausible conclusion. quote:“I’m bound to him as surely as a stave is bound to the barrel. But I can’t see if he’ll ever love me in return. And I am not the only one.” Of course, Min doesn't seem to realize that Rand definitely has the hots for her, so Perrin still isn't the stupidest person in this conversation. Perrin Aybara for Two Rivers King! Most Competent Man in the West! (By Default) quote:“If there’s no safety in Tar Valon, there’s no safety anywhere.” Now you're getting it! Next time: We finally get this show on the road.
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Apr 30, 2024 22:34
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I like your posts on these a lot, btw!
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Apr 30, 2024 23:24
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Ravenson posted:Even ignoring the "sneak in" approach that Rand ultimately takes, it's not like he couldn't just get hired as a guard or servant who works there and find his way to Callandor. The people in-universe treat this sequence of events like it's a lot more paradoxical than it really is. On thinking about it, the perceived difficulty of getting Callandor has more to do with people's modes of thinking than anything else. For one, Rand is so incredibly ta'veren that the universe will bend over backward to get him the sword and that tends to be rarely considered by characters. For two, nobody is thinking about, eg, Travelling or Skimming or Tel'aran'rhiod or anything else like that - the only reason getting into the Stone is tough at all is because of how early it happens!
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May 1, 2024 13:13
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bio347 posted:I dunno about this one. The Heart is apparently not trivial to gain access to, and so while Rand getting into the Stone itself without shenanigans might have been pretty doable, actually getting the sword might not have been. On the other hand, Be'lal definitely would've just let Rand in had he walked up to the place because of his very incredibly stupid plan. It'd be like planning to infiltrate the Oval Office by getting hired on as custodial staff. Even if you managed to get hired on in the highly secure building (as a conspicuous foreigner without any sort of local contacts) they're still not going to let you into the most important rooms. If I remember right they don't even use the Heart that much, making it that much harder to access. I'm sure Rand's ta'veren bullshit would've made it work but it's not a great plan. Also the prophecy included the Stone to falling, and even with Callandor that would've been a challenge without the Aiel
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May 1, 2024 14:53
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Being the protagonist of reality is a very good superpower.
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May 1, 2024 15:04
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Except it's just ushering you into what seems like death/battling the last fight of the apocalypse.
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May 1, 2024 15:25
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Shageletic posted:Except it's just ushering you into what seems like death/battling the last fight of the apocalypse. Looks like, as written by the ancient bard Al’Lakevandillar, you can’t always get what you want, but if you try real hard you might find you get what you need.
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May 1, 2024 15:56
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bio347 posted:I dunno about this one. The Heart is apparently not trivial to gain access to, and so while Rand getting into the Stone itself without shenanigans might have been pretty doable, actually getting the sword might not have been. On the other hand, Be'lal definitely would've just let Rand in had he walked up to the place because of his very incredibly stupid plan. I'm just highlighting the strangeness of the in universe perspective. There's two clear ways to get the sword (conquest or subterfuge) and people being told conquest is off the table don't seem to be able to understand that subterfuge isn't.
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May 1, 2024 22:24
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Rafe about the first 15 minutes of Season 3:quote:“The first 15 minutes of Season 3 is one of the most bonkers set pieces I’ve ever seen on television,” said executive producer Rafe Judkins, who together with stars Rosamund Pike and Daniel Henney, costume designer Sharon Gilham and make-up/hair designer Davina Lamont, sat down for a chat Tuesday at the Deadline Studio at Prime Experience. “I was just watching it this week and it is absolutely bananas what our team pulled off … just a bunch of women in their 40s and 50s shredding each other, and it is wonderful to behold.” In another interview Rafe said that we would find what Liandrin was up to. This could be the Black Ajah becoming active and stealing stuff from the White Ajah, but also lots of other stuff. vvvv Seems to me to be too early in the season. DTurtle fucked around with this message at 15:24 on May 2, 2024 |
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May 2, 2024 14:23
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Sounds like tower coup.
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May 2, 2024 14:28
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:Sounds like tower coup. Yup. Given the sort of cliffhanger feeling of what happened when Moiraine left Siuan on the ground, it seems kind of expected for them to kick that off right away.
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May 2, 2024 17:31
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Gwaihir posted:I like your posts on these a lot, btw! Thank you! We'll see what you think in sixteen years when I get to book 10. The Dragon Reborn Chapter 7: The Way Out of the Mountains Thoughts This chapter starts with a Flame of Tar Valon icon because Moiraine goes fishing. quote:Lan spent most of his time scouting their path on his black warhorse, Mandarb, following Rand’s tracks as the rest of them followed the signs the Warder left for them. An arrow of stones laid out on the ground, or one lightly scratched in the rock wall of a forking pass. Lan and Mandarb get all the more impressive when you consider that in addition to leading the way, he's probably also doubling around them (unnoticed by Perrin) and clearing out the signs he leaves behind so no one else can follow. quote:Her reply was always very much the same. “If you cannot move any faster than this, perhaps I should send you off to Myrelle before you get any older. Well, perhaps that can wait, but you must move us faster.” Moiraine, I love you but what the gently caress? Lan is doing an incredible job and you're joking about sending him off to get raped because it's not good enough for you. quote:“No day soon,” Lan said, and surprisingly, there was open anger in his voice. “Never, if I can help it. You will outlive me long, Moiraine Aes Sedai!” She probably will, but how much longer, I wonder. Did the Finn steal her longevity when they stole her strength, or will she still age according to the power level she was born with? If the former, then she might not even have two centuries of lifespan in her. (Also note how touchy Lan is, to use such a formal address.) quote:“As difficult as that?” Moiraine murmured. Her hands slipped into the water—and a moment later came out with a splash, holding a fat trout that thrashed the surface. She laughed with delight as she tossed it up onto the bank. Perrin thinks it's luck because Perrin is very, very silly. Also he doesn't know that she's best friends with a former fisherwoman. quote:Perrin thought about reminding her that whoever took the fish was supposed to clean them, too, but just at that moment she caught his eye. There was no particular expression on her smooth face, but her dark eyes did not waver, and they appeared to know what he was going to say, and to have dismissed it out of hand already. Perrin, be grateful that the nice witch caught you a huge dinner. Another problem with not communicating is that of course Moiraine is probably doing useful magic tricks like this all the time with exactly as much fanfare and while effortlessly keeping her composure so Perrin has no idea that as far as the party dynamics are concerned, he and to a lesser degree Loial are the potential dead weight. quote:“I doubt she sees it that way. First she had to put up with Rand arguing with her all the time, and now you’re ready to take over for him. As a rule, Aes Sedai do not let anyone argue with them. I expect she means to have us back in the habit of doing what she says by the time we reach the first village.” Loial's probably got a point too about Moiraine's Aes Sedai pride influencing her behavior. She likely strongly feels that she hosed up by giving Rand too much independence (even though really the boy needs as much as he can get) and is aiming for damage control by being extra lovely about things to Lan and Perrin as well. quote:Loial gave in to it as inevitable, but not Perrin. He tried refusing, resisting, but it was hard to resist when she made a reasonable suggestion, and a small one at that. Only there was always another suggestion behind it, as reasonable and small as the first, and then another. The simple force of her presence, the strength of her gaze, made it difficult to protest. Perrin is getting worked over like he's saidar and it's a little funny. quote:He accused her of using the One Power on him, though he did not really think that was it, and she told him not to be a fool. It is indeed very unlikely that she's Compelling him when she's just so good at social engineering. quote:The wolves should not have been there. Wolves avoided places where men were, but Perrin could still sense them, an unseen screen and escort ringing the mounted party. The wolves are of course sticking around because Noam's also in the area. Short chapter, huh? Next time: Fourteen hundred weddings and no funerals!
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May 2, 2024 22:20
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I assume I'll be permabanned for doubleposting, so it was nice sharing my thoughts with you all! The Dragon Reborn Chapter 8: Jarra Thoughts This chapter begins with a wolf icon because Perrin is going to be meeting another Wolfbrother. quote:For an instant Perrin’s nose caught another odor, one he could not identify, a faint trail that raised the hair on the back of his neck with its vileness. Then it was gone. But he was sure something had passed that way, something—wrong. He scrubbed at his nose as if to rub away the memory of it. Perrin is smelling a Grey Man. This shows that Rand's fleeing the camp was absolutely the right call; the boy was perhaps a week away from being found in the camp by a Gray Man if he'd stayed after the battle. quote:“I beg your pardon, good mistress. You have come far? Have you word of the Great Hunt? The Hunt for the Horn of Valere? Or the false Dragon? It’s said there’s a false Dragon in Tarabon. Or maybe Arad Doman.” An unappreciated Aes Sedai oath loophole is found in how Lan answers for Moiraine, since he is able to lie freely and pretend that he doesn't know the Hunt is over and the Dragon is real. quote:Why, we’ve had a lifetime of weddings. A plague of them. All in the last two days. There isn’t a woman old enough to speak the betrothal remains unmarried, not in the whole village, not for a mile in any direction. Why, even Widow Jorath dragged old Banas through the arches, and they’d both sworn they’d never marry again. I'm really curious as to what all the Wheel is weaving that needs this village's entire future genealogy (and legal inheritance, since Jorath and a few of the other ladies married probably aren't ever going to have kids but now set things up for heirlooms to pass down in certain ways) fixed by Rand. Will little old Jarra become a new Two Rivers, filled with channelers in just a few years with a lot of latent genes lining up properly? Will they produce a bunch of Wolfbrothers instead (they are in Ghaeldan, part of the Kingdom of the West Perrin never got)? Something new? quote:“That’s very interesting,” Perrin said when Simion paused to yawn again, “but have you seen a young—” Perrin: I don't like to talk until I've had a second to think things over because I don't want people to think I'm stupid. I'm not stupid. Also Perrin: Hello random stranger! Want to hear the exact reason I'm in town? quote:Loial had to duck low under the lintel, and the ceiling inside only cleared his head by a foot. He kept rumbling to himself about not understanding why so few humans remembered the Ogier. It's because you all have a worse outreach program than the White Tower, which is saying a lot. quote:Master Harod got to his feet slowly, eyes fastened on Loial, smoothing his apron all the while. It's not clear if Harod is fat, but given that he doesn't cause any real grief we should assume he's at least pleasantly plump like all the other good innkeepers except... whoever it was I pointed out that was something of an exception. I really need to be better at remembering stuff. quote:Master Harod began explaining about Ogier, making it sound as if he were quite familiar with them. Most of what Perrin heard before they left the voices behind was wrong. Loial’s ears twitched without stop. I don't know about you guys, but I'm giving this place a five star review on Trip Advisor. quote:The man looked at her sharply before answering. Perrin did not think anyone else saw how sharply, in the dimness. I bet Moiraine and Lan have a pretty good idea, Perrin, though it is odd to have such a strong reaction to such a simple question. Despite his later statement, this is the point where Simion's convinced than Moiraine's an Aes Sedai pursuing Rand (due to her intense interest in the Children), but he doesn't understand why. quote:Good master, you carry that axe like you know how to use it, but it isn’t so easy to face up to men with swords and armor and all, when all you know how to use is a broom or a hoe. Perrin doesn't even reflect on this, unaware of how he's changed in this regard. He's way too focused on the supernatural parts of his journey to appreciate that he probably looks like a really scary dude at this point. quote:All these weddings and Whitecloaks are all very well, but I’d sooner know if Rand stopped here, and which way he went when he left. That smell couldn’t have been him. I can't even blame Perrin for not understanding that all of this commotion is proof enough because Moiraine has never properly infodumped on ta'veren, Loial-- No, Loial would have told Perrin everything if he'd cared to listen so I can fully blame Perrin. But I'm still not going to, to be nice. He's being a bit of a jerk lately but it's hard to know what you need to take notes on and what you don't when you're running around with two different magical artifacts, the Messiah, and a bunch of characters who match the archetypes of all the fairy tales you've ever known. quote:“No reason, good master. He was an odd fellow, that’s all. He talked to himself, sometimes, and sometimes he laughed when nobody had said anything. Slept in this very room, last night, or part of it. Woke us all in the middle of the night, yelling. It was just a nightmare, but he wouldn’t stay any longer. Master Harod didn’t make much effort to talk him into it, after all that noise.” Remember that Perrin and crew have been pursuing Rand for days at this point. Our boy's been in the woods, by himself, and dealing with Ishamael's latest campaign. All of this is clear sleep deprivation and the awkward position of knowing he's the chosen one and thus being able to find random asides much more meaningful than people think. quote:“I knew it,” Simion said, bouncing on his toes. “I knew she could help as soon as I saw you. Which way? East, good master. East, like the Dark One himself was on his heels. Do you think she’ll help me? Help my brother, that is? Noam’s bad sick, and Mother Roon says she can’t do anything.” It's gotta be real awkward discussing taint madness with friends and relatives of the victim. Simion's quite relieved by his interpretation of what Perrin said, that they're pursuing Rand to gentle him. quote:Stupid question! The right question is, what does he mean to do about it? There you go, Perrin. quote:“Of course,” the Ogier boomed. Simion gave a start when Loial’s hand swallowed his shoulder. “He will show me my room, and we will talk. Tell me, Simion, what do you know of trees?” I'd say "Poor Simion, thinking that Loial is about to unleash Ogier violence on him in the most arboreal way possible", but anyone who could look at Loial for more than two seconds and see anything more than the world's most literate teddy bear deserves what they get. quote:Perrin squared his feet to face the Warder. That was easier than facing Moiraine’s glare. “How could we find out whether he had been here without asking questions? Tell me that. He left last night, if you are interested, heading east. And he was carrying on about somebody following him, trying to kill him.” Perrin is zigzagging between somewhat wise (Lan is the lesser threat even though it's kinda like choosing between drinking cyanide or rubbing alcohol in practice), and then utterly stupid, not considering that an Aes Sedai would be perfectly skilled in getting the knowledge she wants without saying anything outright at all. quote:“Perhaps,” Moiraine said. “Perhaps not. No one knows anything about ta’veren as strong as Rand.” For just a moment she sounded vexed at not knowing. Sorry Moiraine, but Perrin's right to be worried. Rand is going to be easily tracked, not just because of his ta'veren but through other means, and even Ishamael couldn't use the other means, he and the Forsaken are old hands at dealing with Dragon-tier ta'veren because they fought the first one. quote:Lan caught Moiraine’s eye, and for a moment they stared at one another. The Warder had the air about him of a wolf about to leap. Finally, Moiraine shook her head. “No,” she said. Everyone needs a friend who is as willing to kill innocent bystanders for your convenience as Lan is for Moiraine. And also as willing to listen to vetoes. That part is crucial. quote:“He will not die by my actions,” Moiraine said. “But I cannot, and will not, promise that it will always be so. We must find Rand, and I will not fail in that. Is that spoken plainly enough for you?” How many times in this series does an Aes Sedai offer to speak plainly and in fact plainer still if their words are not sufficient? quote:Lan nodded reluctantly, then gave Perrin a hard look. “See that you do, blacksmith. If any harm befalls her. . . .” His cold blue eyes finished the promise. I really need to stop talking about how much I love Lan but I can't and you're all just going to have to live with that. Or stop reading, I guess that's an option too. quote:Behind those bars, a man lay sprawled on his stomach on the straw-covered floor. He was barefoot, his shirt and breeches ripped as if he had torn at them without knowing how to take them off. There was an odor of unwashed flesh that Perrin thought even Simion and Moiraine must smell. Frankly Perrin your phrasing makes me think that his odor is "borderline but not actually overpowering", so that's pretty good for Noam's current conditions. quote:Perrin jerked back as he would have from a fire, sealed himself off. They were not thoughts at all, really, just a chaotic jumble of desires and images, part memory, part yearning. But there was more wolf there than anything else. He put a hand to the wall to steady himself; his knees felt weak. Noam is... really not well. Even by Wolfbrother standards, I think. I wouldn't be surprised if in addition to his developing powers and the physical abuse we'll learn about in book 13 if he was also getting one of those late twenties mental health crises like schizophrenia. All of that mixed together plus the brief freedom and now imprisonment combines to make the dude we see here, who isn't coherent by either of the mental standards we could judge him by. quote:At her first step, Noam’s lips peeled back from his teeth, and he began to growl, a rumble that deepened till his whole body quivered. Moiraine ignored it. Still growling, Noam wriggled backwards in the straw as she came closer to him, until he had backed himself into a corner. Or she had backed him. Moiraine is likely Compelling Noam a little bit as a part of whatever mental delving she's up to. quote:“Healing is not a simple matter, Simion, and it comes from within as much as from the Healer. There is nothing here that remembers being Noam, nothing that remembers being a man. There are no maps remaining to show him the path back, and nothing left to take that path. Noam is gone, Simion.” With all the pressures Noam's under, it's no surprise at all that he happily jettisoned all the lovely memories. It is kind of impressive that they're entirely gone though, and again it makes me think that there's a lot more going on in Noam's head than we really get to see in this book or in the one ten books from now. quote:“He will die in here or out there, Simion. Out there, at least he’ll be free, and as happy as he can be. He is not your brother anymore, but you’re the one who has to decide. You can leave him in here for people to stare at, leave him to stare at the bars of his cage until he pines away. You cannot cage a wolf, Simion, not and expect it to be happy. Or live long.” Perrin's one of those people who should heed his own advice, as so much of his misery will come from his desperation to cage himself. quote:“A Darkfriend wouldn’t care if my brother died in a cage. I suppose she found you soon after it happened. In time to help. I wish she’d come to Jarra a few months ago.” I suppose this is as much as anything why the Wheel made everyone wait out the winter: it's not just making sure Rand only arrives at Tear at the same time as the Aiel do, but about making sure that Perrin frees Boundless so that he will someday pull his head out of his rear end. Not that this was Jordan's intention, sadly, but it's nice that Sanderson was able to tie this together. Next time: T'A'R!
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May 3, 2024 22:04
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Are you saving these somewhere else so that there will eventually be a seamless log of your thoughts? It was neat reading Nexue’s take on the series while it lasted, but she wasn’t bringing future knowledge to bear the way you have been.
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May 3, 2024 23:30
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Grundulum posted:Are you saving these somewhere else so that there will eventually be a seamless log of your thoughts? It was neat reading Nexue’s take on the series while it lasted, but she wasn’t bringing future knowledge to bear the way you have been. I continue to post everything to my Tumblr account here, which I linked in my initial post for this in this thread as well, so it's a seamless log less any follow up points I make here.
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May 4, 2024 00:26
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Just watched The Man Who Would Be King and am kind of blown away by how much it appears to have been a heavy influence on the middle arc of WoT. You've got a desert culture awaiting a prophesied foreign savior, you've got Sean Connery in a red jacket swaggering his way to kingship cradling a gold-plated arrow like a scepter on his way to a holy city at the head of a massive procession of desert people all divided up into color-coded clans, leveraging a coincidence of ancient symbols to claim he's a god and immediately start dealing out justice to the locals Solomon-style, building bridges over chasms and dreaming of creating a highway network and forging a nation on equal footing with Queen Victoria Of course there are lots of differences too but it's hilarious fun to watch this movie and imagine being Jordan feverishly taking notes the whole time
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May 6, 2024 02:48
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The Dragon Reborn Chapter 9: Wolf Dreams Thoughts This chapter has the Dragon's Fang symbol because of Rand's Darkhound solutions. quote:“I have been expecting you for some time,” she said. “I have not spoken about this before because it was obvious you did not want me to. After tonight, though. . . . What do you want to know?” Note that this is how she STARTS the conversation, before Perrin even gets a word in. Moiraine has been really trying to respect Perrin's boundaries here (in part because if she trampled over them it would only make him ignore what she has to say) and while of course implict statements from Aes Sedai should never be trusted, it is important that she closes with a statement that both affirms Perrin's agency and all but promises to be helpful. If only she were this good with dealing with Rand. quote:She said that some who talked to wolves lost themselves, that what was human was swallowed up by wolf. Some. Whether she meant one in ten, or five, or nine, I do not know. Moiraine is usually pretty good about remembering the whole memory fades spiel, so I think the fact that she's emphasizing the exact words of an unreliable source shows that she very much wants it to be a trustworthy document that shows that Perrin still has a shot. She likes the boy even if he's been annoying lately. quote:“From what I have read of Aes Sedai who had the Talent called Dreaming, Dreamers sometimes spoke of encountering wolves in their dreams, even wolves that acted as guides. I fear you must learn to be as careful sleeping as waking, if you intend to avoid wolves. If that is what you decide to do.” This of course must be where the idea of spirit animals and such comes from, more or less. Wolfbrothers, their equivalents if there are any, and the Dreamers who got a taste of the guidance and assumed they were getting the whole thing. quote:“If I can keep you whole, I will. I promise you that, Perrin. But I will not endanger the struggle against the Shadow. You must know that, too.” As cold as this is, it's actually a bit of a kindness too: she could obfuscate and let him think he's safe with her entirely, but she won't do that even though it would be better for their relationship on the whole. I suppose in a way, dealing with Perrin on this little stint is how Moiraine learns to deal with Rand better in the next couple books. quote:“It would not aid you, Perrin. The shielding is for dreams from the outside. The danger in your dreams is within you.” Are there shields that the One Power can wield to keep Dreamers and similar people from dreaming? I suppose Aran'gar did SOMETHING with the power to gently caress with Egwene later, but it's understandable that Moiraine wouldn't know of any equivalent ability when the Tower has no real use for it. quote:“Hopper?” he said wonderingly. He was sure he knew the wolf whose thoughts he heard. Hopper, who had envied the eagles. “Hopper is dead!” Speaking of spirit animals, it's time for Perrin to meet his! quote:A man stood there, blinking at him uncertainly, in strangely cut coat and breeches, the coat flaring over his hips as the bottoms of the breeches flared over his boots. Both were bright yellow, and his boots were only a little paler. Okay, so this is... Actually I have no idea who this is. Presumably he's an actual nobleman, but from where I couldn't possibly guess except "not Seanchan" since he speaks with a quick accent and "not Illian" since he doesn't be all "do be" about stuff. Does anyone know? quote:Frozen, Perrin stared at the bloody shape wearing the man’s clothes, screaming and thrashing on the floor. Unbidden, his eyes rose to the pale thing like an empty sack that dangled from the ceiling. Part of it was already absorbed by the black strip, but he had no trouble recognizing a human skin, apparently whole and unbroken. Well, either this dude was having one hell of a dream on his own (bad luck and not the kind that Perrin proximity causes), T'A'R has an ecosystem we never learn about (unlikely), or dude was just ganked by someone in the Shadow, so I guess that narrows it down a teensy bit. quote:Even as he recognized her, she lifted her head and looked straight at him. Her eyes widened, in shock, in anger. “You! What are you doing here? How did you—? You’ll ruin things you could not begin to imagine!” Frankly, even "well obviously Lanfear killed that dude" raises further questions about motive. Perhaps this guy was a Darkfriend somewhere on Rand's path, and by taking him out she's protecting Rand in a plausibly deniable way? quote:Perrin turned, and Hopper was there, a big gray wolf, grizzled and scarred. “You are dead. I saw you die. I felt you die!” Perrin buddy, you know you're sleeping. This is like the least remarkable part of your current dream. quote:The water turned pink as he washed his face. Pink with the blood of that strangely dressed man. T'A'R is actually really awful when you stop to think about it for a few seconds. quote:Rand huddled under the trees in the night, watching the heavy-shouldered black dog come nearer his hiding place. Rand being active at night speaks again to the sleep deprivation he's got to be suffering under. Even when he was on that hellish run with Mat he was able to claim downtime, but not here. quote:The Power filled him. Something leaped from his outstretched hands; he was not sure what it was. A bar of white light, solid as steel. Liquid fire. For an instant, in the middle of that something, the dog seemed to become transparent, and then it was gone. Hooray for balefire: cleaner and more effective than nukes! Note Jordan's skill by introducing Rand discovering it randomly in a battle that has no real narrative tension so it's not a cheap victory but still does set things up for Moiraine to use it at the climax of this book to great effect. quote:He wanted to lie down and die. He wanted Nynaeve to give him some of her medicines, or Moiraine to Heal him, or. . . . Something, anything, to stop the sick feeling that was suffocating him. When the chips are down, the two ladies Rand always misses most are Nynaeve and Moiraine. Foreshadowing! quote:Pushing himself away from the tree, he waded a shallow, icy stream, then settled into a steady trot eastward. Cold water filled his boots, and his side hurt, but he ignored both. So many of Rand's bad habits really start up in these early books, under circumstances where he doesn't have any choice but to embrace them. Next time: Egwene is ready to have PTSD episodes and chew bubblegum, but bubblegum hasn't been invented yet!
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May 6, 2024 22:32
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It’s been invented they just forgot how to make it when the world was blown apart. But that godamn Garfield statue is still somehow hanging around somewhere.
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May 7, 2024 04:24
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Balefire gets introduced to the wonder girls by name when Egwene meets with Verin in The Tower. We see it used again by Nynaeve when fighting the fade after they are captured (for the first time in this book). We get Moiraine using it against the Dark Hounds later on. Lots of build up in its use, so it doesn't seem like it came from nowhere when Moiraine smokes that dude.
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May 7, 2024 04:33
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Flowing Thot posted:Balefire gets introduced to the wonder girls by name when Egwene meets with Verin in The Tower. We see it used again by Nynaeve when fighting the fade after they are captured (for the first time in this book). We get Moiraine using it against the Dark Hounds later on. Lots of build up in its use, so it doesn't seem like it came from nowhere when Moiraine smokes that dude. I didn't mean to imply we wouldn't see it again at all between now and Be'lal, just that Jordan made the right choice in demonstrating Rand discovering it randomly in a low stakes event instead of having him use it to save the day.
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May 7, 2024 05:01
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Nah I was agreeing with you and just mentioning the other times he showed it.
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May 7, 2024 05:52
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Got to The Gathering Storm in my reread, and drat Mat's chapters are just brick walls. He seems like a completely different character, and Talmanes morphs into Nalesean at random. Even the way Mat speaks is so...off. "Bloody Ashes" by itself, the weird folksy syntax Sanderson gives him. "Here, now...I don't rightly know...". Ugh. Rest of the book is fine, giving allowances for Sanderson's very different writing style, but Mat...no thanks. Really missing Jordan's more indirect prose. Sanderson is very blunt, in comparison.
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May 7, 2024 21:20
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Actually iirc Jordan wrote most of Mat in all the last books but the issue is they didn’t want to edit his stuff too much post-death so it comes across as pretty rough.
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May 7, 2024 21:46
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I thought that was mostly Sanderson except the last Battle
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May 7, 2024 22:30
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Shageletic posted:I thought that was mostly Sanderson except the last Battle iirc it was the other way around. Sando's main thing was the actual last battle. The stuff leading up to it was mostly RJ. Just, unfiltered and less edited RJ. He said he wanted to maintain as much of RJ's writings as he could.
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May 7, 2024 22:37
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CainFortea posted:iirc it was the other way around. Sando's main thing was the actual last battle. The stuff leading up to it was mostly RJ. Just, unfiltered and less edited RJ. He said he wanted to maintain as much of RJ's writings as he could. Is there a way we know? I thought they've mostly kept that under wraps.
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May 7, 2024 22:39
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Huh. Then what was that thing Sanderson wrote about where he talked about adjusting the way he wrote Mat after people went after him for making him too jokey? Not saying you're wrong I'm just a little confused
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May 7, 2024 22:42
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