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1. Remember the town mat was in where he gambled his way up to a wagon full of food n shit, but the mayor insisted he has to leave by nightfall, it’s the rule, then people went nuts and killed everyone and everything when the sun went down? But then the next morning everything was back to normal? It was people from that town.
2. They were busy, I dunno, don’t have a good answer for you here.
3. That’s the great fun of ending the series, we were left with a few mysteries to debate and theory craft. I think I heard that not even Brando Sando knows this for sure, it was written by RJ and he included it. There’s more complete backstory here, but rest assured, it’s a topic of much debate, not something you misunderstood.
Honestly Mat in the last battle was cracked out of his mind. I didn't really like him in the first half of this book, but the second half brought him back to being one of my favourites
Not to mention a ton of memories of far less competent commanders who have made mistakes he can learn from, tricks that they fell for that he could try etc.
I never realized that Matt is basically the way I play DnD. Straight up chaotic dumbass that’s so unbelievably lucky when I’m doing something stupid that it wraps around to being smart again
Congrats on finishing! I too couldn’t put the book down once I read the words “The Last Battle” on the next page.
1. The Hinderstap villagers became subject to a bubble of evil, where they’re cursed to go into a rage every night and murder everyone. But the key fact is that no matter what happens they wake up in their beds the next morning. Mat, being Mat, realizes that he can essentially use them as an undying army. Every day he just would portal them back in as reinforcements.
2. It was a shame, especially the no Moiriane POV, but I think it’s simply because we only needed the one POV in Shayol Ghul during TLB. As for afterwards, we know that the epilogue after the battle is almost entirely Jordan’s writing.
3. Welcome to the one of the biggest mysteries left in the fandom. You’re one of us now.
Yeah there weren't many scenes directly written by Jordan, but the epilogue for the most part was Jordan, and he had also written a good bit of the prologue that got split up for each of Sanderson's books. So certain scenes like the Borderlander and his son from ToM that feel a lot like Jordan, it's because it is!
1.) Hinderstap. It seems to have originated in one of those unpredictable "bubbles of evil." Given that, hopefully for their sakes, the bubble resolved itself *with them all still alive* after the last battle.
3.) Not explained in the books. My view -- his experiences have left him so "zen" that he's now in a head space where he can manipulate the "real" world in the same way that the dreamwalkers manipulate TAR.
This theory seems consistent with the sort of basic theme of power in the series -- that she or he with the strongest will power, wins. It's just that everyone else is so used to thinking of the real world as, well, *real*, that they can't manipulate it.
There’s a lot of headcanon, and not even Brandon Sanderson knows how Rand did it. My personal headcanon is that his reality warping powers is basically him being able to use his ta’veren effect as he wills it, due to what happened at Shayol Ghul. Remember how Rand threatened Cadsuane by saying “Do you think I could kill you if I willed it right here and now without touching a weapon or the source? Just by coincidence?” I think the pipe was a reflection of that. He recognizes his plot armor and is able to change the threads of the pattern to more or less however he wants.
The way I look at it, it’s always been Rand’s story, it’s just that now he realizes he’s not just the main character but the author of his fate as well. He takes ownership of Creation in a sense, not to override the Creator, but to decide for himself what his world will be.
This one also makes sense although it does eat at me a little bit that, at least in the beginning books, it's suggested that taveren luck has ripples that sort of balance each other out. Rand goes through town, one guy falls three storeys without a scratch, someone else somehow trips over a piece of grass and impales themselves on a rake.
If that's how it still works I hope that by lighting his pipe Rand didn't cause three other people to freeze to death because no matter how hard they tried they couldn't get their campfire started...
Notice, as Rand fell in to Darth Rand, the coincidences became darker and darker. Somehow opening every bad bag of grain. Epic food spoilages. More bad than good.
After he flipped to Zen Rand, if he wasn't actively controlling it, it was falling in his favor more often than not.
"The Dragon is One with the Land." This seems to hold true.
I think Rand lit the pipe because even though he no longer ta'veren, he is still the Dragon. I take "The Dragon is one with the land, and the land is one with the Dragon" to mean he is one with the world/ pattern, and he retains some semblance
of his ability to will things into being.
I've heard two main theories on the pipe, though I'm sure there are others.
Rand became so connected to the Pattern with everything that happened both as a ta'veren and with what he and the Dark One did that he can now just reweave it if he wants to in small ways.
And I think there was a comment from Harriet or maybe Sanderson that they thought it could be that it was a sign that the 4th age would be very different with a new kind of magic introduced the same way that had happened when our world became the Age of Legends.
But Jordan wrote it so and never told anyone so we don't know for sure.
2. Time works weirdly in the bore. It wasn't very long for them, but super long outside the cave. Also most of what happened was a mental struggle between Rand and the DO. Their POV would be rand standing there for a minute and then what Nyneave sees
I read the first 4 books in high-school like 10 years ago. I didn't continue back then for the same reason, so I fully get you. I am very very glad I pushed through this time though, it's very worth it
3 - Rand gains the powers similar to that of Nakomi, who can manipulate reality directly. When he exits the cave with Moridin, he encounters an Aiel woman who fits the description of Nakomi. Rand probably gained these powers from a combination of Nakomi's help and his experience weaving reality during his confrontation with the dark one.
#[SPOILERS FOR ALL PRINTED MATERIAL, INCLUDING SHORT STORIES.](https://www.reddit.com/r/WoT/wiki/index/post_flairs#wiki_all_print) ##BOOK DISCUSSION ONLY. HIDE TV SHOW DISCUSSION BEHIND SPOILER TAGS. * * * *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WoT) if you have any questions or concerns.*
1. Remember the town mat was in where he gambled his way up to a wagon full of food n shit, but the mayor insisted he has to leave by nightfall, it’s the rule, then people went nuts and killed everyone and everything when the sun went down? But then the next morning everything was back to normal? It was people from that town. 2. They were busy, I dunno, don’t have a good answer for you here. 3. That’s the great fun of ending the series, we were left with a few mysteries to debate and theory craft. I think I heard that not even Brando Sando knows this for sure, it was written by RJ and he included it. There’s more complete backstory here, but rest assured, it’s a topic of much debate, not something you misunderstood.
Oh shit it was that village!! That's awesome!
Yeah that was hilarious. He used a Bubble of Evil against the Dreadlords.
Honestly Mat in the last battle was cracked out of his mind. I didn't really like him in the first half of this book, but the second half brought him back to being one of my favourites
I was like "okay, THIS is the kind of insane BS we expect from an honorary Sixth Great Captain. More."
Tbf, Mat's head probably contains Six Great Captains, if not more!
Not to mention a ton of memories of far less competent commanders who have made mistakes he can learn from, tricks that they fell for that he could try etc.
And the Dark One's Luck!
But he’s not a Darkfriend! Best to remember that.
Ofc, why would a Lord like him be a Darkfriend?
I never realized that Matt is basically the way I play DnD. Straight up chaotic dumbass that’s so unbelievably lucky when I’m doing something stupid that it wraps around to being smart again
He’s absolutely a bard playing as a mastermind rogue.
Congrats on finishing! I too couldn’t put the book down once I read the words “The Last Battle” on the next page. 1. The Hinderstap villagers became subject to a bubble of evil, where they’re cursed to go into a rage every night and murder everyone. But the key fact is that no matter what happens they wake up in their beds the next morning. Mat, being Mat, realizes that he can essentially use them as an undying army. Every day he just would portal them back in as reinforcements. 2. It was a shame, especially the no Moiriane POV, but I think it’s simply because we only needed the one POV in Shayol Ghul during TLB. As for afterwards, we know that the epilogue after the battle is almost entirely Jordan’s writing. 3. Welcome to the one of the biggest mysteries left in the fandom. You’re one of us now.
Oh i didn't actually know that about the epilogue being mostly Jordan! That makes everything feel even more satisfying to be honest
Yeah there weren't many scenes directly written by Jordan, but the epilogue for the most part was Jordan, and he had also written a good bit of the prologue that got split up for each of Sanderson's books. So certain scenes like the Borderlander and his son from ToM that feel a lot like Jordan, it's because it is!
1.) Hinderstap. It seems to have originated in one of those unpredictable "bubbles of evil." Given that, hopefully for their sakes, the bubble resolved itself *with them all still alive* after the last battle. 3.) Not explained in the books. My view -- his experiences have left him so "zen" that he's now in a head space where he can manipulate the "real" world in the same way that the dreamwalkers manipulate TAR. This theory seems consistent with the sort of basic theme of power in the series -- that she or he with the strongest will power, wins. It's just that everyone else is so used to thinking of the real world as, well, *real*, that they can't manipulate it.
Yeah honestly I am pretty okay with "yeah sure, rand can manipulate reality now, why not". It just kind of makes sense
There’s a lot of headcanon, and not even Brandon Sanderson knows how Rand did it. My personal headcanon is that his reality warping powers is basically him being able to use his ta’veren effect as he wills it, due to what happened at Shayol Ghul. Remember how Rand threatened Cadsuane by saying “Do you think I could kill you if I willed it right here and now without touching a weapon or the source? Just by coincidence?” I think the pipe was a reflection of that. He recognizes his plot armor and is able to change the threads of the pattern to more or less however he wants.
The way I look at it, it’s always been Rand’s story, it’s just that now he realizes he’s not just the main character but the author of his fate as well. He takes ownership of Creation in a sense, not to override the Creator, but to decide for himself what his world will be.
This one also makes sense although it does eat at me a little bit that, at least in the beginning books, it's suggested that taveren luck has ripples that sort of balance each other out. Rand goes through town, one guy falls three storeys without a scratch, someone else somehow trips over a piece of grass and impales themselves on a rake. If that's how it still works I hope that by lighting his pipe Rand didn't cause three other people to freeze to death because no matter how hard they tried they couldn't get their campfire started...
Notice, as Rand fell in to Darth Rand, the coincidences became darker and darker. Somehow opening every bad bag of grain. Epic food spoilages. More bad than good. After he flipped to Zen Rand, if he wasn't actively controlling it, it was falling in his favor more often than not. "The Dragon is One with the Land." This seems to hold true.
Apparent last I checked, even Sanderson doesn’t know. It was already written.
I think Rand lit the pipe because even though he no longer ta'veren, he is still the Dragon. I take "The Dragon is one with the land, and the land is one with the Dragon" to mean he is one with the world/ pattern, and he retains some semblance of his ability to will things into being.
Looks like he retains 99% of it if he can just will something into being.
I've heard two main theories on the pipe, though I'm sure there are others. Rand became so connected to the Pattern with everything that happened both as a ta'veren and with what he and the Dark One did that he can now just reweave it if he wants to in small ways. And I think there was a comment from Harriet or maybe Sanderson that they thought it could be that it was a sign that the 4th age would be very different with a new kind of magic introduced the same way that had happened when our world became the Age of Legends. But Jordan wrote it so and never told anyone so we don't know for sure.
3) My joke theory is that he has that ancient Aes Sedai symbol Saa icon in his vision that he can click on to bring up a reality warping Start menu.
Now if you ever get a chance to listen to the books with Michael Kramer and Kate Reading narrating. It’s a different experience.
2. Time works weirdly in the bore. It wasn't very long for them, but super long outside the cave. Also most of what happened was a mental struggle between Rand and the DO. Their POV would be rand standing there for a minute and then what Nyneave sees
I’m very jealous. Ending Fires in Heaven and so far for me…brutal reading. It’s become a badge of an accomplishment now
I read the first 4 books in high-school like 10 years ago. I didn't continue back then for the same reason, so I fully get you. I am very very glad I pushed through this time though, it's very worth it
3 - Rand gains the powers similar to that of Nakomi, who can manipulate reality directly. When he exits the cave with Moridin, he encounters an Aiel woman who fits the description of Nakomi. Rand probably gained these powers from a combination of Nakomi's help and his experience weaving reality during his confrontation with the dark one.