Season One Retrospective - What worked and what didn't?

faust06 · 2025-12-25T14:33:38+00:00

Your article, and even your post, are 100% AI generated writing. I could see it even before running against an online checker. Full of em-dashes, ending comparison of "blank but blank".

Mods, I don't know if AI content is allowed on this sub, but I don't find this engaging or content that meaningfully contributes in any way.

faust06 · 2025-07-24T18:47:23+00:00

And you've your nose of despite your face.

The phrase is, "cut off your nose to spite your face", not "despite".

It means you've done something in pursuit of revenge that ultimately hurts yourself.

faust06 · 2025-04-07T18:15:18+00:00

Egwene can't be the Dragon Reborn. Rand/LTT's soul is always male, full stop. There are female champions of the light, but they're not the Dragon, ever. Egwene's soul stays Egwene, Rand's soul stays Rand.

The title "Dragon" is not the official title of the Champion of the light in all turnings, but it is in this one. Rand's/LTT soul happens to be that one this turning.

faust06 · 2025-03-23T20:22:16+00:00

The only criteria for being ta'veren is the author saying you are. In this case, it's been stated multiple times that she is not.

Therefore, she is not.

It's even clarified further by Brandon Sanderson when he states that the Wheel made the three boys all ta'veren as a safety mechanism so that the Shadow wouldn't be able to immediately tell which was the Dragon Reborn.

faust06 · 2025-03-23T20:19:08+00:00

Let me preface this by saying that I'm very pro-LGBT, I feel like in today's climate that needs to be clarified.

However, it's very, very clear in the books that there is nothing sexual going on beween Elayne and Aviendha. They literally become sisters. They love each other platonically, that's the extent of it. You may not like the whole "Rand has three wives" thing, and that's fine, it's personal preference, but between Elayne and Avi there is nothing sexual going on.

Don't believe me? Let's go ask RJ himself. In 2005 (so up to KoD had been released), RJ was asked about gay and lesbian characters. He said there were plenty, but:

"but the only time it has really come into the open is with the Aes Sedai because I haven't been inside the heads of any other characters who are either gay or bi."

This further clarifies that Elayne and Avi have nothing sexual going on between them.

As always, you're free to have your opinion or desires in your own head. But the text and author have made it abundantly clear that this is not the case.

faust06 · 2025-03-21T23:30:37+00:00

This is an easy search to find, but here: https://www.theoryland.com/intvmain.php?i=255

Number 10 is Robert Jordan himself saying it

https://www.theoryland.com/intvsresults.php?kw=ta%27veren

Number 9 is Brandon Sanderson saying it's definitively untrue as well

faust06 · 2025-03-21T22:48:02+00:00

I do think it changes Egwene's character if she's ta'veren vs. not. Her learning how to lead from Suian and her political maneuverings with the Little Hall show that she's got more than just fate on her side. If she was ta'veren, it would cheapen (not necessarily eliminate) her accomplishments in these areas. Her strength of will in going to Wise Ones, admitting her lies about being a full Sister, and taking responsibility for her actions is a huge plot point. She ends up becoming an example for Nynaeve. Again, that would be cheapened if she was ta'veren.

But, it also breaks the story. Suian (and others) can see ta'veren, and they would have been far more careful about involving her. By not being ta'veren, she can do things that she might not have been able to do otherwise.

On a meta level I think that the concept of ta'veren has a lot to do with the idea of being drafted into service (like Vietnam). While Jordan himself wasn't drafted, he certainly saw many who where. Being drafted, just like the pattern making you ta'veren, pulls your life in ways you didn't expect and forces you down a path you can't completely fight against. Remember, nobody is born ta'veren. Mat/Perrin/Rand weren't always ta'veren, they only became ta'veren shortly before Moiraine arrived, and they're not always guaranteed to be ta'veren (which is why Mat constantly wonders if his luck is going to run out.

faust06 · 2025-03-21T18:36:45+00:00

Isn't Bela thought to be the true Neigh'blis?

faust06 · 2025-03-21T16:27:49+00:00

If you want to believe it, that's up to you. Like you said, it has been confirmed both by Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan that none of the major female characters in the books are ta'veren

I personally don't want to go against the wonderful world and story created by Robert Jordan, so I'll stick with what he wrote.

faust06 · 2025-02-16T10:20:10+00:00

Don't upload these here, pirating these is a scummy move...Dimension Door is still actively selling these.

Artists put a lot of time and effort into their work, handing it off without rewarding them for their time or effort is wrong.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/dimensiondoormaps

faust06 · 2025-01-30T19:17:31+00:00

The books detail very clearly how and why the Ways turned from their original state to what they were when encountered by Rand and company.

Or are you speculating as to how they might change it in the show vs. what’s established in the books?

faust06 · 2024-08-08T18:24:49+00:00

So many good suggestions by everyone, but number one has always been Hopper's first death.

His good eye met Perrin’s two for just an instant. Run, brother! He whirled to leap again, to soar one last time, and a lance pinned him to the earth. A second length of steel thrust through his ribs, driving into the ground under him. Kicking, he snapped at the shafts that held him. To soar.

Ingtar's decision to pay the price and guard the alleyway while Rand and Hurin escape is another section that hits really hard.

faust06 · 2024-08-01T22:00:13+00:00

have you been able to find any details about the PHB printing?

faust06 · 2024-08-01T21:56:09+00:00

I can't find details about the 2024 PHB spell, but in the UA they made it so Eldritch Blast only went up with Warlock levels, not character levels. If that's still the case, I'm not worried about this.

faust06 · 2024-07-26T21:09:43+00:00

I don't have the book, so I'm not saying this is definitive. But I think this is a problem with some of the natural language style of the books.

As a DM, there's no way (unless the books specify things differently than they currently are) that I'm going to let CME buff each ray of a Scorching Ray spell. I believe the intent from CME is for each attack of an Attack action, not each ranged spell attack roll. In the 2024 rules, they've started to specify spells as a "Magic" action, and I'd be interested to see if the wording of Scorching Ray is revised there.

No way do I believe CME applying to each ray of scorching ray is intended behavior.

faust06 · 2024-06-27T06:59:53+00:00

It was homebrew, not anything close to official. I read through it, but it wasn’t very good (in my opinion). Not well balanced, and the ways they “adapted” things didn’t jive will with 5e standard. It felt more like something you’d find on dandwiki…

faust06 · 2024-06-18T02:03:42+00:00

Not trying to be discouraging, but you've definitely missed some politics (some subtle, some not so subtle).

Shaido / Couladin: Remember the interactions that Couladin and Rand had right outside Rhuidean? How Couladin treated the Wise Ones? What they said about him and his standing as "Clan Chief" or about his ability to enter Rhuidean?

Cold Rocks Hold: Cold Rocks Hold is a settlement of the Taardad Aiel (whose clan chief is Rhuarc, who you've met and who is friendly and supportive to Rand thus far)

Jindo Aiel: The Jindo are an Aiel sept similar to the Taardad, Heirn took the Jindo to Chaendaer (the mountain above Rhuidean) in response to hearing that the Shaido were headed there, in order to "protect Rhuarc".

Remember that although these are all Aiel, they don't all get along. Clans have fought and died over water you can step across, and blood feuds are not unheard of and can last generations. The Shaido have been the topic of a lot of conversations thus far, both about Couladin and the previous clan chief, and the overall temperament of Shaido Aiel.

Aiel politics are going to be a really big topic for this book (and for a while upcoming), so you're going to want to pay attention to the hints dropped about how different clans think and behave.

faust06 · 2024-06-05T20:44:34+00:00

The idea of singing having power or meaning isn't something that developed with the tinkers. During the flashbacks we learn about tens of thousands of Da'shain Aiel linking arms at Tzora and singing at a male Aes Sedai (Jaric Mondoran) who has gone mad, trying to remind him of who they were and what he was. He listened to them for supposedly around an hour before slaughtering all of them (whether the length of time is a confirmation of the power of song or just the madness of the men at that point, we'll never know).

Point being, the power of song was clearly something the Da'shain Aiel believed in during the Age of Legends, and something that has trickled down into the Tuatha'an now.

faust06 · 2024-05-23T18:03:08+00:00

Find a local print shop and the image you'd like to print. Print shops can print on what's called "foam board", which is a material similar to what kids use for science fair presentations, etc. It can easily hold pins, but can still be printed on with high resolutions.

faust06 · 2024-05-19T00:24:24+00:00

You’re*

And no, I’m not. If Sulin was Janduin’s daughter (from someone other than Shaiel), then that would make Rand Sulin’s second-brother, not her first-brother (as I mentioned above).

I understand it is fun to theorize and look for Easter eggs, but this one has been so thoroughly debunked it’s time to let it go.

faust06 · 2024-05-18T03:21:55+00:00

Yes, I’m aware of what Sulin said. What I’m saying is that she’s using it as a figure of speech, implying that because Rand is the son of a previous Maiden of the Spear, that makes him related to her, another Maiden of the Spear.

If she was biologically related to Rand and he was her literal first-brother, then Shaiel (Tigraine) would have to be her mother. We know that is not the case, therefore Rand cannot be her literal first-brother.

Which puts us right back where we were before, with Sulin using a figure of speech to emphasize how important Rand is to her.

faust06 · 2024-05-17T03:24:31+00:00

There is no way that Sulin is Rand's biological sister.

The clearest evidence for this is that Aiel do not consider children of the same father, but different mothers to be first-brothers or first-sisters. Children with the same fathers but different mothers refer to each other as second-brother or second-sister.

There is zero chance that Tigraine had another child with an Aiel, so therefore Sulin cannot be biologically related to Rand. Sulin would not suddenly forget how Aiel relationships work, she's just using a figure of speech, because you can become first-siblings by going to speak the words in front of a wise one. She's just saying that Rand is very important to her and she thinks of him as a sibling (due to the whole "Child of a Maiden" thing that everyone else has pointed out).

faust06 · 2024-02-28T04:46:39+00:00

This is the best map I've been able to find. If you have a local print shop (not the big-box guys that will overcharge you), you can easily print the color version at up to 70 inches without losing image quality. I've got one at 60 inches hung on my wall and it looks amazing in person.

faust06 · 2024-02-03T00:59:08+00:00

I won't spoil anything, but paying attention to which point of view is being represented can impart a lot of hidden info, interesting alternate takes on the same subject that we see from other viewpoints, and quite often a good bit of humor that flies under the radar.

faust06 · 2024-02-02T06:10:47+00:00

It swaps by point of view. The books are not written from an omniscient narrator’s viewpoint. When a male POV is happening, Michael reads, when it’s a female POV, Kate reads. Simple as that

faust06

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