Date: 2013-04-20
Type: Verbatim
Location: Roswell, GA
Reporter: Terez
The (transcription of the) Memory of Light panel is still forthcoming, and the report on our meeting with Brandon, but for now here is a Q&A I did with Maria mostly based on some questions sent to me by my friend Colin. I was expecting she wouldn’t know the answers to many of them, but I was hoping for some tidbits, and I got some. Even some of the “I don’t know” answers are interesting. If sometimes it seems like I’m talking too much when I should be waiting for an answer, keep in mind sometimes I cut out the whole *pause* *Maria face* *tries to be helpful* sequence.
Why does Mordeth suddenly fall back in the room under Shadar Logoth (in The Eye of the World )? Was it because Mat picked up the dagger, or was it something different?
I don’t know.
Brandon has said that Rand killed Aginor. (It was also in the BWB.) I think he was kind of iffy on it, but I tended to think that Rand killed him; some people say that Aginor overdosed, but I always thought that it was Rand taking the Power of the Eye from him that killed him, you know? It’s like the shock of having it taken away…do you know?
I don’t know. I always thought it was Rand too, but I don’t know.
The thick black cord that was attached to Ishamael at the Eye of the World (technically it was at Shayol Ghul or in Dreamland) that Rand saw…is that different from the black wires?
I don’t know.
I asked Brandon about that one too.
I would have to really look at it and check the notes; it’s not something that I know right off the top….
It’s described a little bit differently. I thought maybe one was a connection to the True Power, and the other was protection from the taint, but RJ couldn’t decide if that was the same thing or not.
I recently saw something about that in the notes, but I’m not remembering exactly what it said.
Do you happen to know anything about Ishamael’s plan with the Eye, because it seems like he was trying to lead them there; why did he keep mentioning the Eye? Did he have a dream about it or something? You don’t know?
No.
RJ said that Fain was responsible for the fly trap thing; it’s in The Great Hunt , in that little village…
He did?
Yeah. Because a lot of people thought it was Lanfear, and RJ said it was Fain.
*looks surprised*
So I guess you don’t know the answer to that question. (repeats self) …and that kind of blew everyone’s theories out of the water…
Yeah, because I thought it was Lanfear.
It’s possible Maria is right that it’s Lanfear; we only have paraphrased reports of RJ saying it was Fain: two reports from the same signing in 2005 that might actually be written by the same person.
Does the Horn work whenever it’s blown, or are specific circumstances required?
I don’t know that one either. Because I answered that for somebody; I think it was one of Luckers’ questions way back…it was a different version of the question, you know, was the banner really required?
So why is the Horn of Valere linked to Illian?
That’s another good question that I don’t have the answer to.
When the girls are kidnapped in Cairhien in The Dragon Reborn , several Myrddraal arrive to collect them. Who were they working for?
I should know that. I think if I go to the notes, I could find that.
How did Moiraine identify Sammael and Be’lal? How did she know their names?
I’m assuming research; I don’t know.
My theory was always eavesdropping.
Oh yeah, that’s another good possibility.
And that would be a reason why she tipped Sammael off to her presence.
Yeah.
How did she rediscover balefire? Assuming research again?
Assuming.
That question always comes up, about whether you can learn a weave by reading about it.
Yeah, I think it can help, and then you have to experiment and hope for the best.
Maria answered the question about Sammael again later .
In The Dragon Reborn , Perrin sees Ishamael, Rahvin, and Be’lal in a place that looks like the Ways—and of course we see that place in The Eye of the World , in the boys’ dreams too—is that a construct that Ishamael makes in Tel’aran’rhiod ?
I am assuming so, but again, I don’t know.
I got the impression (because of this conversation ) that Brandon kinda tried to explain that one.
Who had Herid Fel killed?
That was A Crown of Swords right?
It was in the epilogue of Lord of Chaos . They found out about it in A Crown of Swords . And it was the gholam . So it had to be—
Sammael, yeah. That was Sammael.
Do you know the reason?
Because he somehow learned that Fel was helping Rand and didn’t want the information…?
A friend of mine has a theory; he believed that Herid Fel was Asmodean in disguise, because he didn’t believe Asmodean was dead.
That’s a good theory! I like that theory.
I like it too! Because it would explain a lot… (including why a gholam was sent to kill a non-channeler)
Yeah.
So who was responsible for the murdered Tinkers (in Lord of Chaos Chapter 22, discovered by Vanin)?
I don’t know that one.
It’s not in the notes?
Not that I have found. Searching the notes is….it’s an imperfect science. Like if it’s a rare character, it’s real easy, because I open my desktop search, and I put in that name and not much comes up, but you put in “Tinkers”…you know, there are hundreds of files where the Tinkers are mentioned. If I had one of them’s name? You know. I’m hoping to find out; I’m still finding new little bits and pieces here and there, so…
Do you know the name of the third Blue Sitter that died (in Elaida’s coup)?
I have it somewhere in my computer—I am almost positive—but I can never remember it.
Why are some of the heroes of the Horn referred to by the name of their last incarnation, while others seem to have archetypal names…like Birgitte, who I think has lived more recently than Birgitte. I might be wrong about that though, because we don’t really have the details on that.
I have no clue.
Is the Bowl of the Winds found in Ebou Dar the same one that was lost by the Sea Folk?
I don’t know.
Why wasn’t Osan’gar given another chance, since he wasn’t killed by balefire?
I think he had just been so….kind of useless. Why bother? You know…you don’t get “three times, you’re out”; it’s “two times, you’re out”, you know?
Who gave Slayer the orders to kill Rand in Far Madding? And do you know who sent him to the Two Rivers?
I think I know who sent Slayer to Far Madding.
I always thought it was Taim…
Yeah…
Because why else would he disguise himself?
Yeah. That one I know.
Yay!
Yay!
At this time the no-kill order had been temporarily lifted in an attempt to prevent the Cleansing, so there was no reason for the Forsaken to order Slayer in secrecy.
Rosara Medrano appears in the Sun Palace at the beginning of Crossroads and seems to be an Aes Sedai. Was she part of the White Tower Embassy or did she arrive with Cadsuane?
I’m almost positive she was with Cadsuane, with Cadsuane’s faction. I think I asked Jim that when we were actually working on the book.
So, sul’dam usually have to tell the damane what to do, but Tuon doesn’t have to do that when we see her in Knife of Dreams …is that a matter of Talent, skill…something else? So it’s like, you know, after they work with the Power for a while, they can see the weaves, right? Is it kind of along the same lines? After a while you don’t actually have to tell the damane what to do; you can do it yourself through the damane ?
That would be my assumption. I don’t know it positively.
Which Forsaken was manipulating Masema? Brandon told us it was a woman. Well, he told us it a woman who was actually making the Illusion; it might have been somebody taking orders from someone else; we don’t know.
I think I know, but I’m not sure.
So, what happened to Talene?
I don’t know.
So how is it that Egwene was able to override the a’dam in the dream world when Moghedien couldn’t? Was she just not as good as she thought she was?
Yeah, pretty much. She thought she knew everything, but you know, when Perrin went in and was, “It’s just a weave…” it kind of changed the parameters.
So it’s not clear whether Tuon accepted Egwene’s condition to release damane who wished it. Did she, or was the agreement just Tremalking in exchange for allowing Seanchan ambassadors?
The latter I believe. I would really have to look at is closely.
Was Luc already a Darkfriend when he went to the Blight?
That came up in a panel yesterday.
Did you answer it?
We talked about it. I don’t think he was a Darkfriend when he went into the Blight, but I don’t know.
What happened to Liandrin after Suroth got arrested? She had that crazy shield on her, you know, so she was conspicuous.
I’d like to know that too. Some things occasionally get overlooked…
What happened to the Black Ajah that were with Rand after the Purge? Was that another thing that got overlooked? Because I know there was at least one—Fera—besides Elza, who obviously got blasted.
I don’t know.
(later in email she told me that she had answered this for someone else, with time to think about it.)
I believe that any Black Ajah da’tsang got the Black Ajah signal that the jig was up, and scarpered. I don’t know anything else.
Min predicted a tempestuous love affair for Sarene, and a lot of people said after the book that was a mistake, because it wasn’t mentioned, and I was like, “Her Warder, Vitalien…” because she wrote poetry comparing him to a leopard. (laughter)
Yeah. There’s a line somewhere about, she was always incredibly calm except when her Warder was around, or something like that…
Some people thought that it referred to Graendal…(laughter) And I’m like, “No….that doesn’t count.”
Yeah….no….
You know, Compulsion, tempestuous love affair, same thing…
Which Forsaken was it that visited Isam at the beginning of A Memory of Light ?
I’m not going to answer that one.
Did RJ leave any notes about the future work of the Red Ajah?
Not that I’ve found.
Will there be anything more about the Land of Madmen in the Encyclopedia, or is the Guide all we get?
To the best of my knowledge, the Guide is all you get. There might be a sentence more somewhere, but not extensive information.
Why was Demandred’s face familiar to Gawyn?
It seems like there was a reason, but I can’t remember.
In Winter’s Heart , Aran’gar says that Demandred was meant to be watching Rand, along with Aginor/Osan’gar, and how was he doing this if he was in Shara? I figured he was just doing the normal spying thing, but it seems like it was supposed to be a clue about where he was, which is why we always focused on it, but it wasn’t.
Yeah, he was using other people.
Does Rand still have Lews Therin’s memories?
I don’t know.
Was Merilille with Talaan?
We don’t know.
Most fans seem to believe that Brandon just put Talaan in A Memory of Light because a lot of fans were asking about her; RJ probably didn’t leave any notes about where she and Merilille went.
Is turning (to the Shadow) reversible?
I don’t think so. I wouldn’t swear by that.
Was a glossary every written for A Memory of Light ?
No. We decided pretty much right off the bat that we wanted to end with the end. How do you follow that ending anyway? And we’re doing the whole Encyclopedia; that would just be like a separate glossary.
So why do Aviendha’s children have this special power of being able to channel at birth?
I don’t know.
Did Aviendha tell Nynaeve that Rand is still alive?
I think that’s an open question that we don’t really know.
Was there ever a Black Amyrlin?
That’s not the way the Black liked to work usually…
Yeah, I’m thinking not, but I don’t know that.
I’m pretty sure I know the answer to this one, but in the Age of Legends, was the middle or the third name the honorific? Like, Lews Therin was his first and last name, and Telamon is the third name that he got when…
Yeah. Like Berid Bel, and then Medar.
Were the Seanchan originally controlled by the Shadow after the War of Power, or was it just Ishamael meddling at random times?
I don’t know.
Who led the Blue Ajah before the split? Do you know?
I did. I can’t remember.
It’s not Lelaine?
I’m not sure.
Lanfear’s dream palace, with all the white hangings…was that a dream place, or a real place?
I don’t remember that.
Yeah, I think we only see it when she opens a gateway. And we saw it that once when she cut off that dude’s head with her gateway in Winter’s Heart . (Actually, we didn’t see it there; I remembered it wrong.)
Oh, right. I don’t know; I would have to look at that one, and I might figure it out.
If you are viewing this on github.io, you can see that this site is open source. Please do not try to improve this page. It is auto-generated by a python script. If you have suggestions for improvements, please start a discussion on the github repo or the Discord.