Previously: the Dragon was reborn. The Black Ajah killed all the people they knew were searching for him, and were also killing all the peeps they thought might be him.
Moiraine and Siuan escaped notice because they were not ordered by the Amyrlin to search.
The shadow continues to search for Dragon.
Other notes - women who can channel can sense each other nearby. Even if they don't know they can channel.
Aes Sedai who have healed someone in the past can also sense their patients, sometimes years later (this is totes irrelevant for the whole books, but it is mentioned once, and is a bit relevant in one part of this chapter)
This prologue was added to a special "young adult" version of book 1. It's supposed to be a bit of extra background before launching into Lews in "Dragonmount", so that real prologue isn't so vague and out-of-context.
Rand will be king! Yep.
Mat will save Aes Sedai! Yep (many times, in fact)
Mat will live without working! Yep.
"Wherever a battle was fought, it left only devastation and rain behind!" - mmm, pretty sure that's supposed to be "pain"
"And what really happened back then anyway?" - it feels like a bit of a wanky ending, but it is supposed to lead into the other prologue, so it's obvious what is going on in "Dragonmount"
Previously - Egwene wanted to know "what happened back then anyway?"
This prologue takes place AFTER Lews had sealed up darky and the Forsaken, and as a final counter-attack, Darky tainted saidin.
Even though the forsaken are sealed up, Ishy was not properly caught in the bore, and so finds himself sometimes wandering the world.
The Hundred Companions - Lews men who went to Shayol Ghul to seal up darky (and found the Forsaken there as a bonus).
"Behind him the air rippled, shimmered, solidified into a man" - this is Ishy travelling with the True Power. Graendal did this a lot in the final book when she was fighting Avi and friends.
"Have you the Voice, stranger? It will soon be time for the singing." - This is a ceremony that the Aiel and Ogier and Tree Men did back in the Age of Legends. You see it once in Rand's visions of the Aiel past. Those songs are the origin of the Tinkers claiming they are "looking for the song".
Ishy is clothed in black. As always.
The Ring of Tamyrlin - the original name of "Amyrlin", distorted over time.
Also, I think RJ said in some interview one day that the Ring of Tamyrlin was created/worn by the first person who discovered channelling. Hence why it is special. I don't think it does anything. Just a ring.
"The Nine Rods of Dominion" - pretty sure the Oath Rod is one of those rods. The rest of them, and the original purpose of them, are lost to the past.
"The light dimmed" as Ishy healed Lews. Again, an effect of using the True Power. Cadsuane (and others) see this around Rand when he channels the True Power in book 12.
"Ten years" - that is how long the real main part of the War between light and shadow was going for, although Darky was first discovered like 100 years ago. It was only 10 years ago that some of his followers banded together and tried to free him completely and thus started a true war.
Nearby where Lews makes his mountain, there is a river. This is the river that Tar Valon is on. His making of the mountain also disrupts the river, making the island that Tar Valon is on these days.
Previously: Moiraine seeks the Dragon. So does the shadow.
Cenn Buie… Bishop!
In Book 13, when Mat and Perrin meet up again for the first time in forever, Mat has caught a badger. So much nostalgia to this chapter lol
Thom arrived in the dead of the night. Sounds mysterious, but there's actually a totally legit reason for it, which he explains later.
Previously: Two Rivers. Main characters. No one knows that shit is about to go down lol
Moiraine calls Nynaeve 'child'. Lol. She can tell Nyn is a chaneller, even though she doesn't know herself.
The coin Moiraine gives the boys is her secret tracking device, so she can tell where they are.
I'm intrigued reading Moiraine's explanation of why she's there (collector of old stories, or whatever). It all has to be the truth - I've never noticed this little bit of her truth-twisting. I guess the "old stories" she is collecting is "who was born 20 years ago on Dragonmount?"
A thousand years of sheep. Moo.
Previously: Moiraine and Lan have arrived. Fain is about to.
"The year before that Fain had taken notice of them for the first time" - weeellly welly well well well. He is using his powers from Darky to try to sense where Dragon is. Hey, howya doin?
"No one in the Two Rivers had ever had anything to do with a war". Lies - Tam went to Illian and fought in wars. And came back with a baby Dragon.
"When the Dragon is reborn, your worst nightmares will seem like your fondest dreams" - an example of how the story of Dragon has changed over the years to make him sound like the destroyer of the world. Only those educated properly in what the prophecies say, and what the history is, know this is not necessarily true. These backwater country bumpkins know nothing lol.
"Aes Sedai actually broke the world" - a twisted version of the truth. The male chanellers back then were indeed known as part of the Aes Sedai, so yes, it was Aes Sedai who went mad and caused the breaking.
"the Dragon will be reborn in mankind's greatest hour of need and save us all" - here's a snippet closer to the true prophecies that Mat heard from someone outside of Two Rivers.
The very first time we see in Egwene in the whole series ("Ravens" doesn't count) she is described as "Of a height with Nynaeve, and with the same dark colouring" - can't complain about the TV peeps not being white lul
"She says I have a talent, that I can learn to listen to the wind. Nynaeve says not all Wisdoms can, even if they say they do." More of Nynaeve and Egwene both being able to channel, but neither know what it is that they are doing.
Previously: Thom appeared
Thom's secret history: He was a Court Bard in Caemlyn, and used his mad skills of intrigue to secretly work behind-the-scenes to help Morgase gain the throne after the previous daughter-heir, Tigraine (Rand's mum), disappeared. Morgase's new husband planned to kill her and take the throne for himself, but Thom again secretly intervened, and had him killed instead. lul.
He then ran off to save his nephew, who could channel, from Aes Sedai. But by the time he got there, some bad little Red Ajahs had gone all rebellious and gentled him on the spot, rather than taking him to Tar Valon, as was the law. Thom couldn't save him, he died. Thom does not like Sedai.
He returned to Caemlyn. Morgase got poopy at him for running off, and he got poopy at Elaida (Morgase's advisor) because she was a Red Ajah. So he ran off to become a regular old gleeman travelling the lands.
Check out your map - people are worried about Logain's troubles in Ghealdan because it's just across the border from Two Rivers. But it's impossible to get straight from one to the other because of swamps and dark forests and mountains and whatever.
The stories that Thom says he will tell are all hints at things from our time - implying that our current real world is part of the wheel. Maybe we are the 1st age? Before the Age of Legends.
Egwene likes the stories about women outwitting people who are supposed to be smarter. lol. This is her with the Aes Sedai who made her Amyrlin so they could tell her what to do - but she outwitted them.
Previously: Tam went to Illian and joined their army and fought in battles and stuff. But Rand doesn't know about his past adventures.
Tam recognises trollocs straight away. Not sure if that means he has seen/fought them before. Probably not. He wouldn't have encountered them anywhere that we know he went.
The trolloc words that Narg says first - "Vlja daeg roghda!" - just means "put sword down". The same thing he says straight after that in english.
Narg. First named character to die in the main series of books, not counting the prologue. Trivia.
Previously: Rand and Tam were attacked by trollocs. Rand is trying to get the injured Tam back to the village.
Previously: Tam fought in the Aiel War, and found baby Rand.
Laman - King of Cairhien who chopped down the tree (Avendesora) that was a gift from the Aiel, which is turn started the Aiel War.
Dragonwall - a name for the range of mountains that separate the Aiel Waste from the main land.
RJ might have been making up a lot of stuff as he went along during these first books, but at least he had the story of the Aiel War sorted out right from the start.
Previously: Rand is taking Tam to the village for medical assistance.
Tam started rambling about the Aiel War and finding baby Rand.
Thom's dislike of Aes Sedai is made pretty clear in these early chapter. But we don't know his reasons (with his nephew being gentled), so he just adds to the general feeling that Aes Sedai should not be trusted.
Previously: Moiraine and Lan were revealed as Sedai/Warder. She agreed to heal Tam.
No special notes for this chapter.
In this chapter, Rand sees Shayol Ghul and Dragonmount and Tar Valon. In that order.
Previously: 2000 years ago, Ishy found himself temporarily free of the bore. He set about starting a massive invasion of trollocs. The Trolloc Wars.
In Rand's dream he sees "clouds of sharp black and silver". These are the same types of clouds that random-farmer sees in the prologue of book 12. Remember the bit where the farmers are telling each other to go make weapons out of their tools and go to fight, just because they feel there is something they need to do...
Rand sees the valley of Thakan'dar and the mountain of Shayol Ghul in his dream. He says "the memory of it flashed away like quicksilver" - and he also describes Ba'alazamon as having "a familiar voice". This is the first time he feels a bit of Lews memories.
Rand wonders what Aes Sedai get out of the bond. They get someone watching their back, and a man to order around lol.
Tam gives Rand his sword. It is about the last thing he says before Rand leaves. In book 12, when Tam and Rand are briefly reuinited, the first thing Rand can think of to say is "I lost your sword" lul. (It was actually fried during the cloud battle lol)
The King in Moiraine's story name is "Aemon" - probably where the name "Emonds Field" originated.
And "al'Thor" apparently means "son of Thor" - which means Tam may be a descendant of King Aemon (who was son of Caar, son of Thorin)
"Eldrene felt Aemon die, and her heart died with him. And where her heart had been was left only a thirst for vengeance, vengeance for her love, vengeance for her people and her land. Driven by grief she reached out to the True Source, and hurled the One Power at the Trolloc army. And there the Dreadlords died wherever they stood, whether in their secret councils or exhorting their soldiers.... Eldrene had drawn to herself more of the One Power than any human could ever hope to wield unaided. As the enemy generals died, so did she die." - sounds like Eggy's finale.
Previously: Our heroes are about to leave
Rand had a dream about Shayol Ghul and Dragonmount, and being lured to Tar Valon.
"There is a reason for it" - Moiraine says. AKA "The wheel weaves as the wheel wills" lol
Bela "might be a little better than the others" says Lan. Obvi lol.
"I promise I will take care of you" Rand says to Egwene. Another snippet that Brandon uses in book 14. After Rand watches Egwene die during his battle with darky, he remembers saying this to her, and it's one of the things that makes him want to give up his fight.
But "perhaps I'll take care of you" she replies. Which she does in book 14, her soul (or whatever, since she died) talks to Rand and tells him to fight on… basically saying "do your job and let the rest of the world do theirs".
"Wolves don't like trollocs" - hey… don't talk to Perrin about wolves lol
Previously: Everyone left
"With all his heart and desperation he silently shouted at Bela to run like the wind, silently tried to will strength into her. Run! His skin prickled, and his bones felt as if they were freezing, ready to split open. The Light help her, run! And Bela ran." — Rand is probably unknowingly using the power here to help Bela. Just like Nynaeve probably uses it to heal people without knowing what she is doing. The first times channelling for people can be totally unknown for them.
This is confirmed more later when Moiraine says that "Strange as it seems, she [Bela] may be the least weary of all"
Previously: They reached Taren Ferry. The place where the other guy from Detectorists will be in the TV Show (Master Hightower)
The thing Moiraine does with the horses to make them run without feeling their tiredness - Perrin gets one of the Sedai to do this for him in Book 14 before his final battle with Slayer, even though she tells him it is dangerous.
Thom reacts by "growling deep in his throat" when the Red Ajah are mentioned. He don't like them.
Previously: Their journey continues. Something.
"Before I let the Dark One have you, I will destroy you myself" - lul. Harsh. But fair.
Another example of stories from the past being mixed up - when Egwene says that the male channelers went made beccause they tried to free the Dark One. Rather than because they sealed him up and he attacked back.
They hear that Logain is moving towards Tear and calling his followers "People of the Dragon". This is because he knows the prophecy about Callandor in the Stone of Tear that "The Stone of Tear will never fall until the People of the Dragon come" - but the prophecy actually refers to the Aiel coming there. Just that no one knows that the Aiel sometimes call themselves People of the Dragon.
Previously: They are at Baerlon. Their first experience of a city outside of Two Rivers.
The dude in the bath-room with the boys rambles about trollocs then "snaps his mouth shut, appearing surprised that he had said so much". Perhaps he is a darkfriend. And probably he said so much because there's 3 ta'veren in the room with him.
Ishy (Ba'alzamon) talks about the Eye of the World serving him. The Eye of the World was created to give help to the Dragon when he was reborn. And Tree Man was set to guard it. Ishy must know about it, and it's purpose.
He also raves about Rand's mother and father. It all makes no sense, and is probably just him making stuff up.
Then he mentions the names of other men who were "used by the White Tower". False dragons from the past. He's again probably trying to scare Rand out of proclaiming himself Dragon - but it's kind of a pointless taunt, because doesn't know who those men are, and doesn't know he is Dragon.
"Fool! I have never been bound!" - Truth, Ishy wasn't properly sealed and found himself awake in the real world for a few months every thousand years or so.
Then he talks about what happened in Prologue Dragonmount.
He then talks about the plots he has been involved in during his times awakened: starting the Trolloc Wars and making Artur Hawkwing send some of his armies across the ocean (they would become the Seanchan) to cause the break-up of his empire.
Previously: Ishy killed a rat in Rand's dream
He also mentioned the names of a bunch of false dragons from the past.
Mutch, the stable guy at the inn, saw the gang sneaking in through the back gate and tried to chase them off before the innkeeper came and said he knew them.
Moiraine claimed she would destroy the boys herself rather than let Darky have them.
Min lists many viewings in this chapter. How many do you know? They are all listed in the blue bits for this chapter!
Ishy doesn't know who is Dragon. He's just going to all the boys dreams.
Rand tells Fain where they are staying - bad idea. Fain is in cahoots with the myrddraal and trollocs!
Bornhald! I always forget he's in the story this early lol
"The tingling filled Rand; the heat had grown to a fever. He wanted to laugh, it felt so good. A small voice in his head shouted that something was wrong, but all he could think of was how full of energy he felt, nearly bursting with it. Smiling, he rocked on his heels and waited for what was going to happen. Vaguely, distantly, he wondered what it would be." - Just like when Rand was desperate to help Bela run faster, he again feels in danger and unknowingly holds the power.
All the rest of these are Min's viewings:
EGWENE: "When I look at her [Egwene], I see the same things as when I look at [Moiraine]. She won't refuse it." - she knows Eggy can channel because Channelers have more images, and usually there all the time. Also knows that Eggy will want to be Sedai.
LAN: "Seven ruined towers" are the remains of the capital of Malkier
"A babe in a cradle holding a sword" - from Lan's past. Unless him and Nyn are going to have a baby and give it a sword. Also possible, since Min's viewings should be about the future, not the past.
THOM: "A man—not him—juggling fire". This might be because he is with Mat when he and Aludra make the cannons.
THOM: "The White Tower" - for his past and future dealing with the White Tower, particularly Moiraine.
PERRIN: "Wolf" obvi
"A broken crown" - the name of the Crown of Saldaea. Faile will be queen of her nation as all others ahead of her die during the Last Battle.
"Trees flowering all around him" - this one is bit vague. No one is totally sure what it's supposed to refer to.
MAT: "Red Eagle, eye on a balance scale, dagger with a ruby, a horn, a laughing face" - Red eagle of Manetheran, Mat loses a limb (lol), the Shadar Logoth dagger, the Horn of Valere which he blows. The laughing face is also a bit vague.
RAND: "A sword that isn't a sword" - Callandor
"A golden crown of Laurel Leaves" - the crown of Illian which he gains in book 7.
"A beggar's staff" - from book 12 when Rand is on the brink of losing his shit, before he becomes the guru on the mountain. He goes to Ebou Dar disguised as a beggar with a staff, planning to single-handedly wipe-out the Seanchan with the super-angreal.
"You pouring water on sand" - when he fights Asmo in Rhuidean in book 4, they break open the ground and an underground reservoir of water pours out to form a lake near the coty.
"A bloody hand and a white-hot iron" - his hand will be branded with the Heron during cloud battle!
"Three women standing over a funeral bier with you on it" - Rand's funeral at the end of book 14.
"Black rock wet with blood" - Rand bleeds onto the rocks of Shayol Ghul both entering and exiting the moutain during last battle.
"Maybe it's your idea of a dream, but I never thought it was mine" - Min knows they will end up together, even though she doesn't think much of him now. She then says "You can't escape from me!" LOL
Previously - there were lots of noteds lol
“If you can follow a trail I have tried to hide, he taught you well. Few can do that, even in the Borderlands.” Abruptly Nynaeve buried her face in her cup. Rand’s eyes widened. She was blushing.
lul, Nyn is already getting a bit turned on by Lan
Nyn says that "Mavra Mallen came up from Deven Ride to see to things till I return, but she'll be wanting to get back as soon as she can" - lol not likely.
But she doesn't stay long. Daise Congar is Wisdom in Emond's Field when Perrin goes back in book 4.
Mat pranked some whitecloaks, including Bornhald.
In Thom's story, the "Hunters for the Horn" — Rogosh Eagle-Eye and others — are actually the "Heroes of the Horn". Probs another example of old stories being mixed up over the centuries.
One of the stories is about "Gaidal Cain" - Birgitte's ugly man.
The myrddraal found them because Rand told Fain where they were staying last chapter.
Previously: They escaped Baerlon in the night, thanks to Moiraine becoming a giant to scare off the Whitecloaks.
Moiraine told all the Two Rivers peeps the story of Manetheran.
"He was not seen." Nynaeve drew herself up as everyone looked at her. "I have followed his trail, remember" - wow, Nynaeve is really obvi sticking up for how great Lan is. I've never noticed these things until this time lul
"There are trollocs nearby" Lan says. He and Moiraine being able to sense shadowspawn is a big thing in this first book. But it never seems to be really used, or useful, any time later.
Previously: They are going to hide out in Shadar Logoth to get away from the Trollocs that are chasing them.
When fighting Trollocs before, Mat yelled out stuff in the Old Tongue. Moiraine says it's because of "the old blood", because Two Rivers are descendants of Manetheran.
"The dead can be reborn, or take a living body, and it is not something to speak of lightly." - Thom seems to think it's some kind of evil or something, people being reborn. Which is not true.
Lol - they think the stadium-like place with stone benches (for spectators) is a place for people to sleep.
"If ever he convinces someone to accompany him to the walls, to the boundary of Mashadar’s power, he will be able to consume the soul of that person. Mordeth will leave, wearing the body of the one he worse than killed, to wreak his evil on the world again." -- Mordeth will try to take over Fain, but because Fain has already been "modified" (or something) by Darky, Modeth's power doesn't work properly, and so they end up merging, rather than Mordeth taking him over.
You can read more about Mordeth and his history on this page of the Wheel Wiki. It also goes into detail of what Fain does through the whole books, so you just have to read the first couple of sections.
Previously: Trollocs have come into Shadar Logoth. Our heroes are going to leave, and try to get across the river.
Moiraine gave the boys a coin each when she first came to Two Rivers. They don't know yet, but she can use the coin to track their locations.
Get ready - one of your fav characters makes their first appearance in this chapter lol
DOMON!
Also, the first time everyone has split up since the books started, and the first time there's been a non-Rand part (other than prologues)
Previously: Peeps have been separated during their escape from Shadar Logoth.
Winternight - the name of the night before the festival they were going to have in Two Rivers when the trollocs attacked. I guess it's like "Christmas Eve".
Moiraine says "The Ways are closed" - which isn't true. They're just dark and dangerous. And she should know that it's not true, because they travel them later on in this very book. Hmmm, I claim this is a mistake and Moiraine shouldn't have been able to say that.
She also says "there has not been an Aes Sedai powerful enough to Travel since the Time of Madness". This is also not true, it's just that no one remembers HOW to Travel. But this is not a mistake, all she knows is that Travelling is a way to use the One Power to get from one place to another - she doesn't actually know how it works.
And also "I do not think all the Forsaken together could move a thousand trollocs". She underestimates the Forsaken.
Moiraine says a lot of things. "I expect opposition from within the White Tower, even from the Amyrlin Seat". I doubt it, they've been working together for 20 years to find dragon.
Nynaeve "felt a stab of satisfaction; the Warder had not known she was there". She wants to be better than him. Or prove her worth to him. Because he's a hottie. lol.
Moiraine tells Nynaeve that "fever and chills" or "headaches, numbness and exhileration" coming several days after channelling are side-effects of using the power for the first few times when you don't know what you're doing. Keep an eye out of these things happening to Rand in this book.
Rand has already channelled unknowlingly twice I think: once to give Bela more energy as they were running away from Emond's Field. Then he touched the One Power (but didn't use it) when he was threatened by the Whitecloaks in Baerlon.
Previously: Perrin rode into the river, but managed to swim across to safety.
Egwene says "at least the fire was easy". She made the fire using the power, with the very little knowledge she has from Moiraine teaching her a bit.
Another long-term character appears for the first time here. Well, a few actually.
Elyas, and Hopper. And the other wolves.
Remember, Elyas used to be a Warder - we saw him for a moment in New Spring in the Tower.
Previously: Ba'alzamon (aka Ishamael aka Moridin aka Morry aka Elan Morin Tedronai) was in the boys' dreams. He killed some rats.
Rand, Mat and Thom are on Domon's boat.
The dream at the start of this book is in The Ways. But because it is in dreamworld it is not dark, and so Rand can see what it looks like with the bridges and stuff.
They see the Tower of Ghanji for the first time in this book. Where Mat and Thom will go to rescue Moiraine.
The other things Domon talks about:
The giant hand on Tremalking is the giant sa'anagreal female statue.
Lightsticks and razorlace - I have no idea.
Heartstone - another name for cuendillar, the unbreakable stuff that the seals are made of.
"A mountain hollowed into a bowl, and in its center, a silver spike a hundred spans high, and any who comes within a mile of it, dies" - some people think this is some kind of satellite dish antenna (maybe like this one) except that it is transmitting some really strong signal off into space so the radiation kills people.
Domon is a collector of olde things. He actually has one of the seals. But we don't see that until next book.
When Rand is on top of the mast he is in this weird state of mind. Possibly a channelling side-effect as discussed by Moiraine recently.
Previously - Perrin and Egwene met Elyas
Ba'alazmon mentioned the Eye of the World in the boys' dreams.
Perrin notes there is always a wolf close at hand in his dreams. The wolves are probably going into his dreams to help protect him. Or just to be on the lookout, because they want to help fight the bad guys too.
"The Aielmen avoid us" - the Aiel hate the Tinkers, but only Clan Chiefs and Wise Ones know why, as they have seen the Aiel secret history. They are descendants of the same people. The Tinkers were the Aiel who broke away from the main population to go and seek the songs they used to sing in the Age of Legends and return to the old ways.
"Young Aiel often travel into the Blight. Some of the young men go alone, thinking for some reason that they have been called to kill the Dark One." - These are usually men who can channel. Going to sacrifice themselves and take down some of Darky's minions in the process.
The Aiel tell of "something they learned in the Blight", that the Dark One "means to blind the Eye of the World":
This goes all the way to Book 14! The Red-veiled Aiel, who are the male channelers that were captured in the blight and Turned to the shadow, they call themselves "Samma N'Sei" which means "Eye Blinders". One of their first big (and secret) missions was to find and destroy the Eye of the World before dragon could get to it. But they never managed to do it.
I assume that the Aiel in Raen's story discovered these Red-veils and their mission. The trollocs were then sent on a desperate mission into the blight to stop that information getting out. The Red-veils were always planned to be a surprise revelation from the Shadow when the last battle came around.
Previously: Mat took a dagger from Shadar Logoth. He is starting to get a bit dark and depressed. His precioussssssssss lol
Thom is worried that Domon's men may mutiny.
News is that Logain is trying to lead his followers to Tear, to try to take Callandor. To see if he is real Dragon.
Fain is still following them, along with the shadowspawn.
Rand got stabbed with a thorn in a dream, and it left a real wound.
"For an instant it seemed to Rand that a shadow rippled through the milk-white structure." - don't know why this is. The bridge is very likely a ter'angreal of some kind (but of course, no one in this age knows that), and so Rand may see a shadow because he can channel, or because there are shadowspawn nearby (the Myrddraal have been to Whitebridge already&#hellip; as you will see.
"Well, mayhap those Trollocs were after you three." - Domon is worried that the Trollocs were after him! Why would that be??
"Bridge came down in the centre of town" - I love how big the bridge is supposed to be. It goes up and over so far that it doesn't just cross the river, it comes down a long way on either side of the river and they built the town all around one end of it.
Previously - Perrin, Egwene and Elyas are hangin' out with the Tinkers.
Perrin gets stabbed by a Raven's beak in his dream, but isn't injured when he wakes up. I think he should have been
I'm not sure what all the talk of "feeling like it's time to leave" and other ominous things with Elyas and Raen is all about.
Previously: Mat, Rand and Thom travelled on Domon's boat to Whitebridge. There they encountered a fade. Thom attacked it so the boys could get away.
Logain is captured, and is to be paraded through cities (including Caemlyn) on his way to Tar Valon.
Previously: Elyas felt something bad in the air, and made Perrin and Eggy leave the Tinkers camp.
In this chapter they are generally heading southward. In case you want to try to keep track of where the trouble is compared to their travels. I did not do a map :P
Elyas talks about giant flocks of ravens in the borderlands, doing darky's work. It would have been cool if they had been part of the last battle - flocks of tens of thousands of ravens attacking.
Egwene says "I feel as if I lost something" when they go into the stedding. She cannot channel, so has lost her access to the power. But being a n00b she doesn't know what that feeling is.
Elyas says that Hawkwing united "even some [lands] beyond the Waste". This is not true - he sent some armies there, and they were never seen again lul. Bloody Shara.
He also says: "Hawkwing’s blood vanished from the earth—except maybe for some of those who went over the Aryth Ocean." - Yup. Hawkwing sent his son across the ocean with mad armies. They conquered Seanchan, and the current Empress and family (e.g. Tuon) are his descendants.
Previously: Elyas, Perrin, Eggy, and Bela are hanging out in an abandoned stedding after running from the giant raven flocks.
Perrin hates his axe. Elyas tells him to keep it until he doesn't hate it any more. This happens in book 11 after he chops off the Shaido Aiel guy's hand because he isn't able to tell him where Faile is in the Shaido Camp.
Hopped is dead. But he is now in telrod (Wolf Dream). Until he becomes dead-dead in book 13.
Daddy Bornhald appears (he dies in book 2 lul)
And Perrin killing the Whitecloaks - this is the start of his never-ending feud with the Children of the Light. It only ends when he faces court with Galad and Morgase in book 13 - then saves Galad's whitecloaks from Trollocs to earn his redemption.
Previously: Rand and Mat escaped from Whitebridge after Thom attacked the myrddraal that was there.
Else Grinwell - after meeting Rand and Mat she decides she wants to go off and see the world. She goes to the White Tower, is tested, and finds she can channel. Next we see her is there as a novice with the girls. But she is too flirty and useless, and the Sedai boot her out.
Previously: Rand and Mat continue towards Caemlyn.
One of the songs mentioned is "Tinker in the Kitchen" - this is the song that someone actually wrote music to and "Nae'blis" (the bald guy) on YouTube has it as his theme song.
Gode says that when Darky returns there will be "new Dreadlords. You must be two of them." - By definition, Dreadlords are channelers. I wonder if Gode knows this, and therefore assumes the boys can channel. Or maybe he just doesn't know exactly what the definition of a Dreadlord is, and just thinks it's like a high-ranking leader of the Shadow.
Again, Rand channels unknowingly in a desperate situation. He must find a way out, so he unwillingly calls lightning to blow the wall apart, and kill the bad guys.
Previously - Rand and Mat escaped from darkfriends and a dodgy innkeeper with lightning.
Mat was blinded by the lightning flash.
Rand was sick. This was definitely channelling sick. It happened quite soon after he did the lightning. Moiraine said to Nynaeve earlier how the sickness gets closer and closer to the time you channel each time it happens.
Balzy says "whatever protects you makes you vulnerable" - he is talking about channelling. If you can channel, then you are able to be Turned to the shadow. Just like that Taim and his men were doing in the Black Tower in book 13/14.
"The skin felt tender, as if burned" after Balzy fireballs Rand in a dream. It's weird, if it was a telrod dream, his face should be fully burned. This is probably a 'dreamshard' effect. This is probably one of the inconsisent things Brandon made up dreamshards to explain. Who knows, dreamshards are never explained well enough.
Balzy takes Mat's eyes in a dream. Lol. Premonition. Lol.
The Darkfriend kid Paitr - he appears again once in Book 6/7. He offers to help Morgase escape from the Whitecloaks, but he gets captured and killed by the Questioners before he can help.
It is confirmed that the person later on is in fact the same Paitr, because he has a broken nose later - from where Rand punched him.
They know about Black Ajah. I think Thom must have told them (off-screen). I don't remember them being mentioned before this.
The lady darkfriend with the burning knife - this is Mili Skane. She is the one Mat finds in book 8 in Ebou Dar - the one that works with Jaichim Carridin (BORS!), and the one that kills Bors by drowning him in booze.
Previously - Mat and Rand escaped many different darkfriends, and now have a cart-ride along the road towards Caemlyn.
Almen Bunt appears a few times in later books. He is looking after an apple orchard when Rand comes down from Dragonmount after his Wise-Man-moment, and Rand makes all the apples ripen on the trees. Then he is mentioned once as fighitng among the farmers in the Last Battle.
The darkfriend who was talking to the myddraal was told: "you sound like you know them to look at". Maybe he does. If he was visited by Balzy, he may have been shown a vision of the boys. Balzy does this at a darkfriend meeting in Book 2 - with BORS!!
This the first time we hear about Tigraine (Rand's mum) and Luc (Rand's uncle and half of Slayer) and all that. I remember you guessed she was Rand's mum really early last time. Maybe not this early though lol.
Previously - Rand and Mat made it to Caemlyn.
Alment Bunt gave them a lift after a dodgy darkfriend (Holdwin, who was talking to a myrddraal) claimed he was looking for the two boys as they had stolen a sword. Rand's heron-mark sword.
Basel Gill, another kind-of-main character later on that first appears in book 1. I forgot there were so many.
Previously - Mat and Rand got the Queen's Blessing inn, and Basel Gill is looking after them.
Loial knows an Aiel when he sees one - like Rand is.
Previously - Nynaeve, Moiraine and Lan passed through Whitebridge and saw the destruction from where the shadow-peeps had tried to find Rand and Mat, and where Thom attacked a Fade to save the boys.
Now they are off after Eggy and Perrin, who are prisoners of the Whitecloaks, including Daddy Bornhald and Jaret Byar.
It seems as if the wolves "wanted to be seen". They know the others are there to rescue Perrin.
Previously - Perrin and Eggy are about to be rescued.
I've never been sure whether Byar actually wanted them to escape, or whether he planned to kill them and was using a set-up-escape to give him an excuse for it.
Perrin's bruises vanish very very quickly when Nynaeve applies her balm. She is obvi unknowingly using the power as well to make it work that fast.
Moiraine and Lan know nothing really of Perrin's wolf ability except what they know of Elyas. No one has been able to talk to wolves for many many many years. Maybe even not in Age of Legends.
Previously - Rand and Mat are in Caemlyn. Rand met Loial.
Rand bought red cloth to wrap his sword in, to cover the heron, and to fit in with the other people many of who have red or white-wrapped swords. It implies that he is loyal to the queen - although he didn't know that when he bought it.
Lamgwin (Basel Gill's bouncer) thinks "Queen Morgase is the Light made flesh, or near enough". And he goes with Gill and co when they help get Morgase out of Caemlyn away from Gaebril/Rahvin in book 5.
The beggar is (obvi) Fain.
"Logain thew back his head and laughed" as he was driven through the palace gates. Logain can see ta'veren - to his eyes they appear to glow. Siuan and Nicola also have this ability.
In book 6, Logain says this to Nynaeve: "You know, I saw a man once who will cause more trouble than I ever did. Maybe it was the Dragon Reborn; I don’t know. It was when they took me through Caemlyn after I was captured. He was far away, but I saw a . . . a glow, and I knew he’d shake the world. Caged as I was, I couldn’t help laughing."
Previously - Rand fell off the wall where he was sitting to watch Logain, after he was surprised by someone talking to him.
All the Andor palace peeps are in this chapter. Even Tallanvor - Morgase's future lover. They only mention Lini - she's probs the only one missing.
I think it's totally weird how formal the whole meeting with Morgase is. Like her own children have to be 'announced' when they enter the room.
Elayne and Gawyn are about to go to Tar Valon to do the traditional training that Andor royal family do. Except that, unlike normal, Elayne is actually a proper channeller who will become Sedai. Normally the girls just go for tradition to be trained by Sedai in politics or whatever.
Elaida notes that Two Rivers people don't usually have skin like Rand. Given that he is supposed to have pale skin, this is one of the bits of evidence that was used to say "hey, look, Two Rivers peeps AREN'T all white - stop complaining about the TV show"
Elaida doesn't tell anyone of her foretelling that Rand will be a very influential person on the whole world. I guess she's keeping it to herself for her own Sedai reasons.
Previously - Rand fell into the palace garden and met all the palace peeps.
Before that, he had been chased by a "beggar" (Padan Fain) through the crowd.
Elaida had a foretelling - but didn't tell anyone the part about Rand being super-important to the whole world.
Gawyn told Rand he looked like an Aiel
Loial says he doesn't want "any more meetings" with the Whitecloaks. I'm not sure when he met them before. I guess they just harassed him because he was different - because anyone who's different is obvi a darkfriend or a trolloc or something.
The Whitecloaks that come to the inn are looking for "a boy from the Two Rivers" - it's actually Perrin they're after, not Rand and/or Mat.
After intimidating the Whitecloaks, Gill says "Who would have thought I had it in me to be a hero?" - possibly some ta'veren effect from being around Rand.
Mat is freaking everyone out - he also seems to know a bunch of stuff about people. Like he say Perrin "has changed" (become wolfy) and the girls "share other things now" (can channel). Not sure why - some kind of Shadar Logoth effect, I guess.
Rand thinks of Trollocs in Caemlyn and how much chaos that would cause. He should read book 14 to see how much lol
Previously - Everyone is back together. Moiraine knows what is wrong with Mat, and will try to help him.
Some Whitecloaks came to the inn, looking for someone from Two Rivers.
Perrin and Egwene were in an abandoned Stedding when they were attacked by the Whitecloaks. Elayas had taken them there saying it was a safe place.
When they were with the Tinkers, Perrin and Egwene heard a story about some Aiel saying Darky was going to try to "blind the Eye of the World"
The boys have not told Moiraine about their dreams of Ba'alzamon.
In Loial's story, the man that came to the Stedding and talked about the Eye of the World… it was… Jain Farstrider, aka Noal
Jain had been off doing his thing, exploring in the Blight or somewhere, and had been manipulated somehow by Ba'alzamon. It's never specified exactly what happened, but since book 14 came out, I've assumed he found "The Town" in the Blight where the red-veiled Aiel live and Balzy got him there. Anyway, eventually he realised what was going on, and got away and told his story to the Ogier, hoping they knew what it meant and could help.
Also, yes, they still think that Ba'alzamon is the Dark One. But we know (from reading all the other books) that it's just Ishy.
"Surrender, and you will be his. Deny him, and his power fails." says Moiraine. This is totes true. In the final book when Rand faces Darky, this is his realisation that helps him stop being a sooky la la and stand up to win the fight.
Here is the quote from Book 14:
HERE IS THE TRUTH, SHAI'TAN, Rand said, taking another step forward, arms out, woven Pattern spreading around them. YOU CANNOT WIN UNLESS WE GIVE UP. THAT'S IT, ISN'T IT? THIS FIGHT ISN'T ABOUT A VICTORY IN BATTLE. TAKING ME… IT WAS NEVER ABOUT BEATING ME. IT WAS ABOUT BREAKING ME.
THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE TRIED TO DO WITH ALL OF US. IT'S WHY AT TIMES YOU TRIED TO HAVE US KILLED, WHILE OTHER TIMES YOU DIDN'T SEEM TO CARE. YOU WIN WHEN YOU BREAK US. BUT YOU HAVEN'T. YOU CAN'T.
The darkness trembled. The nothingness shook, as if the arches of the heavens themselves were cracking. The Dark One's shout was defiant.
Within the void, Rand continued forward, and the darkness trembled.
Rand then goes on to make his point about people never giving up by showing everyone that Lan is still alive after killing Demo.
Previously - Moiraine, having heard 3 references to The Eye of the World, and realising that all of the boys are ta'veren, has decided that it is a sign that they need to go there.
And the quickest way is via The Ways, which Loial can guide them through.
Ishy talks about how he started the Black Ajah during the Trolloc Wars (2000 years ago). This is one of the things he put into motion during his times being free of the bore.
Oh, he also started the Trolloc Wars. So he was pretty useful for Darky during that time.
Previously - they are going to find Green Man. And will first go to Fal Dara via the Ways.
Moiraine tells Basel Gill to write to Sheriam if he needs help. Hmmm, secretly a Blacky. Maybe don't write to her lol.
Rand thinks the Ways "seemed almost familiar" - this is because he was there in telrod (or a dreaom of some kind) with Balzy earlier. See the start of chapter 24 if you want to see this dream again.
Previously - They are in the Ways, but there is a broken bridge.
Lan says he cannot tell whether what is following them is Shadowspawn, just that if feels strange and wrong. He thinks it is the Ways. But actually its just that the thing (person) that is following is not exactly Darky-related - it's someone that's a strange mix of Darky and other evil.
Previously - they escaped from the Black Wind, and are now in Shienar. Off to Fal Dara, where they will meet with Lord Agelmar.
Agelmar is one of the 'great captains'. He led the fight in the Borderlands with Lan in the final book. At Tarwin's Gap - which is also mentioned in this chapter.
The other Great Captains fighting in the last book were -- Gareth with the Sedai -- Bashere with Elayne in Caemlyn/Cairhien -- Itsy at Shayol Ghul in the valley.
People use a lot of old tongue in this chapter. Under this chapter is "Chapter 46 Old Tongue phrases" - you can uncover one bit of them each time you get to a new old tongue phrase to see what it means.
Most people here seem to think that they will be fighting against the Dark One when they go to the Eye of the World. I guess this is like a mini-last-battle. There is a massive army of trollocs about to invade, and the main characters are off to the Blight for some side-mission againt the "Bosses" of the shadow.
Fain says "I will not be compelled! Never again!" - which might mean he actually had Compulsion (the one power thingy that makes people do what you want) used on him by Ishy. It forces him to keep chasing after the boys even if he doesn't want to any more.
Fain tries to convince Agelmar that he is able to offer advice how to defeat the shadow, and says "you will be the man remembered through history for bringing final victory to the Light". This kind of talk sounds like Mordeth - he was an advisor, and was anti-darky, but was still evil in his own different way.
Fain tries this same kind of talk and same argument ("you can be the hero") on Pedron later on, which convinces his to send Whitecloaks to the Two Rivers.
Kiserai ti Wansho --- Glory to the builders
Tsingu ma choba --- I am unworthy
Ninte calichniye no domashita, Agelmar Dai Shan -- Your welcome warms me, Lord Agelmar
Kodome calichniye ga ni Aes Sedai hei -- Here, there is always welcome for Aes Sedai
Previously - Fain has followed them to Fal Dara. Moiraine is questioning him to find out his story.
You also hear Lan's back-story in this chapter. I have done a family tree for that story!
Note that Lan's father became King by a vote of the Malkier Lords. I don't know if that's how they always choose rulers, or maybe there was some issue around the previous King/Queen that forced them to have to choose a new monarch, rather than just passing down in the same family.
"if ever he raised the Golden Crane of Malkier, an army would come to follow" - lol yes. See book 13.
Moiraine says that Fain held things back when she was questioning him. Some of the things he may have held back:
That while he was in Shadar Logoth he got merged with Mordeth. That is not mentioned in his story, but is an important part of Fain's history.
That Ba'alzamon is just a Forsaken, not the Dark One. Maybe Fain doesn't know this, or maybe part of his compulsion is to not reveal this.
Previously - they are off into the Blight. In search of TREE MAN!
Meanwhile - the soldiers of Shienar are off to fight off a huge army of trollocs massing in the Blight, looking to invade through Tarwin's Gap.
More old tongue for this chapter: Suravye ninto manshima taishite, Dai Shan - Peace favour your sword, Dai Shan.
"The Seven Towers" were part of Malkier. One of Lan's titles is "Lord of the Seven Towers"
Nothing to noted here
Previously - they are in the Blight. Lan rejected Nynaeve's advances. She is upset.
More old tongue for this chapter: "Carai an Ellisande! Al Ellisande! Mordero daghain pas duente cuebiyar! Al Ellisande!" means "For the honour of the Rose of the Sun! The Rose of the Sun! No fear of death in my heart!The Rose of the Sun!"
That is an old battle cry of Manetheran. The Rose of the Sun refers to the Queen of Manetheran.
Also there is this phrase: "Tsingu ma choshih" - "You honour me, treebrother"
When Moiraine was removing the warding that protected them during the night, the girls were watching, and both looked happy with themselves. They are starting to be able to see the weaves that Moiraine is doing.
WORMS! These are a type of shadowspawn that are super-bad and super-hard to kill. They were made by Aginor back in the day just to see how bad a thing he could create. The "Worms" as they are called now are just the baby version of this creature - they grow up into this horrible giant thing that's almost impossible to kill. But the ones in the blight these days (for reasons unknown) will never transform to their adult version.
The only time an adult one is ever seen is in the short story about Demo going to get his super sa'angreal. He fights an adult one of these in the cave where it guards the angreal.
As the danger grows greater, Rand again almost unknowingly uses the Power. This time, however, he is too afraid himself, and is unable to keep hold of the Void, so he does not get the power. This is the part:
"You can’t stay here, and you can’t go back. Are you going to leave Egwene to face it alone? The void eluded him, forming, then shivering into a thousand points of light, re-forming and shattering again, each point burning into his bones until he quivered with the pain and thought he must burst open. Light help me, I can’t go on. Light help me!"
Loial also says some old tongue: "Tsingu ma choshih" - "You honour me, treebrother"
Tree Man can tell that Rand is Aiel from his appearance, and is confused. He wears strange clothes and a sword. Tree Man has been around so long that he knows both the Aiel of the past (peaceful) and of the present. And says that Rand "is neither now nor then".
I have no idea how, when, or why Moiraine went to Tree Man previously. Presumably just as part of her quest to find baby dragon, maybe hoping for info from Tree Man.
Previously - they made it to Tree Man! They are now going to see The Eye of the World.
Tree Man is again confused in this chapter about Rand being Aiel. When Mat mentions the Tree of Life, Tree Man knows that it is in the Aiel waste (in Rhuidean), so wonders why Rand doesn't seem to know.
Tree Man tells how he was set to guard the Eye because he was all the Aes Sedai who made it had available to them. You actually see Tree Man being asked to do this task in one of Rand's flashbacks about the Aiel history.
Forsaken! The two pathetic ones that die in book 1 lol.
Aginor (who obvi dies here later), he comes back as Osan'gar, and hides out as an Asha'man later.
Balthamel (killed by Tree Man), he comes back as Aran'gar… SHIM! He is a dirty old man in real life, so bringing him back as a hot woman was a bit of a lol by Darky.
Aginor says that Ishamael also already walks the world again. Probably the first really good clue you ever get about Balzy not actually being the Dark One.
Previously - Aginor and Balthamel have appeared and attacked the peeps at the Eye of the World.
Tree Man is dead. So is Balthamel - he became a pile of fungus.
Aginor is chasing Rand.
Also recently - The Eye of the World is a pool of pure untainted Saidin.
The soldiers from Fal Dara were off to fight a battle against a large trolloc army amassing in Tarwin's Gap.
This chapter seems like some very strange things happen. This is because Rand channelling properly for the first time, so even he doesn't really know what is going on for a while, and it's described from his point of view.
The glowing rope coming off people represents their connection to the power. Aginor and Rand were channelling the power from the Eye of the World. Aginor tried to draw more and more to stop Rand having it, and he burned himself out. Like a mini-version of Lews becoming a mountain.
Rand then Travels to where the battle is at Tarwin's Gap. It doesn't describe him making a gateway. No one is ever described making a gateway in this book. I think Robert Jordan hadn't decided that was how Travelling worked when he wrote this book.
A voice speaks to Rand in all capital letters: "IT IS NOT HERE. I WILL TAKE NO PART. ONLY THE CHOSEN ONE CAN DO WHAT MUST BE DONE, IF HE WILL". This is assumed to be the Creator. He speaks to Rand just once more, during book 14, confirming to him that it is now time to face Darky.
Rand then finds himself in blackness, climbing stairs to nowhere. This is "skimming" - where you open a gateway to blackness and create your own little platform to stand on and go to where you need. Again, there is no gateway to get to the blackness, as there would be in future books.
Ba'alzamon's cord is black - this is either because he is connected to the True Power, or just because he is channeling normal saidin (whereas Aginor's white one was from the pure Eye of the World power).
Ba'zalamon talks about Jain Farstrider. Previously, I have told the little bits of story we know about Ishy using Jain for his own plots.
He also talks of "The Black Ajah, wriggling like worms on their bellies across the world to search you out" - remember the Black Ajah have been looking for Rand as long as Moiraine and Siuan have been, starting in New Spring.
I don't know if Rand's mother was really there, her soul a prisoner of Ishy/Darky - or if it was just a fake apparition created by Balzy.
Rand burns Ba'alzamon in the end. Next time we see him, he has the wounds from this burning.
Previously - Rand escaped from Aginor, killed lots of shadowspawn in Tarwin's Gap, and fought Balzy.
He did a lot of channelling. At the start of this chapter, we see the immediate effects of him channelling.
Rand thinks Balzy was the Dark One, and thinks he has killed the Dark One.
Rand and Aginor channelled all the power that was in the Eye of the World.
Earlier this book, Moiraine described the effects of channelling without learning. How you get fevers and chills and nausea and stuff. Each time you channel, those effect come sooner after the channelling, and they get worse and worse. When they happen immediately after the channelling (like this time for Rand), that will be the last time you get those effects. If you survive that, you will be ok from then on.
Moiraine said she suspected Rand because he "resisted and questioned" her subtle attempts to make him obey her with the coin-bond. That implies that the coin bond was similar in some ways to the warder bond.
When Alanna bonds Rand later, she says she tried to use the bond to make him do as she wants, but it didn't work. Presumably this aspect of the bond doesn't work as well on men who can channel.
Previously - it is done. They can now leave the Eye of the World, and return to Fal Dara.
Tree Man is dead.
Rand killed many shadowspawn with the Power in Tarwin's Gap, helping the soldiers to overcome the massive trolloc army.
The girls know about Rand channelling (so does Lan). Mat and Perrin were not told.
Lord Ingtar - the guy who led our peeps to the border of the Blight, but was annoyed that that was going to make him late for the fighting in Tarwin's Gap.
"The Last Battle has not yet been fought" - Moiraine knows, even though others (including Rand) think it is all over.
Moiraine also knows "The Dragon is Reborn" - finally, it is confirmed that her 20-year mission has been a success!!
I love how they want to send the Horn to Illian. There's no reason to send it there, other than that is where they organise the "great hunt for the horn" every now and then. I guess it's as good a place as any. But a Sedai should really want to keep it in the White Tower, lol.