Amyrlin Shamyrlin

Book; 11: Knife of Dreams

Chapter; 36: Under an Oak

Character Groups;

Somewhere, who knows where: Rand, Min, Nynaeve, Lan, Cadsuane, Verin, Alivia, Logain.

Altaran/Andoran border: Mat, Thom, Julin, Thera, Noal, Olver, Tuon, Selucia, Egeanin, Setaille, Aludra, 3 Aes Sedai, 3 sul'dam.

Malden: Perrin, Faile, Elyas, Morgase, Berelain, Alliandre, 'The Prophet', Two Rivers Army.   

Caemlyn: Elayne, Birgitte, Aviendha.

 

Outside Tar Valon: Siuan,  Rebel Aes Sedai, Rebel Aes Sedai Army.

 

Inside Tar Valon: Egwene, Leane.

 

Just in case anyone cares, !!SPOILER WARNING!! This post is going to discuss some major plot points and I don't want to be responsible for spoiling anyone's fun.

 

 

 

Are they gone? Good. 

 

So I would like to talk about a character that I think has had one of the most impressive arcs in the series, Egwene Al'Vere. Egwene has always been far from my favourite character but I cannot deny that she has turned from a silly, whiny little girl to a powerful and commanding woman and I'll be damned if I can see the join.

 

Egwene Al'Vere was one of the original four hobbitses that left the Two Rivers all the way back in book 1. Back then her purpose was basically to be a sounding board for Moiraine so that the we on this side of the fourth wall could learn about the Power, channeling, men going mad, all that stuff. She was also all but engaged to Rand at the time and so provided the love interest that these stories always seem to need. 

 

She wasn't too important until she went to Tar Valon and almost immediately fell afoul of an evil scheme that left her a captive of the Seanchan. She was rescued by Min, Nynaeve and Elayne but developed a phobia of captivity that made her do some very silly things on the slightest provocation. Things like causing an earthquake under a bunch of soldiers feet or threatening anyone who looked at her funny with a lightning bolt. This got very annoying. 

Pretty soon though Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne were embroiled in another, less evil, scheme that had them haring off to Tear where they were captured, again. After being rescued, by Mat this time, Egwene decided against returning to Tar Valon instead heading off to the Aiel Waste with Rand, Mat, Moiraine and Lan to learn about Dreams (with a capital D) from the Wise Ones. 

 

This is where the changes start to happen. The Wise Ones of the Aiel, as well as being masters of the dream world, are incredibly formidable women. They rule the Aiel in all but name with the shear force of their will as the fact that many of them are channelers is not generally broadcast. Egwene learned fast. While she was still impatient and slightly self-absorbed, she starts manipulating people with nothing more than the tone of her voice and a look. This has a particularly noticeable effect on Nynaeve who until than has simply stomped on anyone who opposed her. Egwene quickly becomes one of the increasing number of people who can call Nynaeve down and regularly does.

 

While Egwene is in the Waste, events take a turn for the worse in Tar Valon. Rebellion has broken out in the White Tower and a new Amyrlin has been elected. The rebels have fled and with a little persuasion from the former Amyrlin, Siuan, form a Tower in Exile. Who do they choose as their rebel Amyrlin? Why Egwene Al'Vere of course. 

Remember that none of the Aes Sedai had seen Egwene since her silly I'll-put-a-lightning-bolt-through-you phase and so they assume that she will be a weak and easily controlled figurehead that they can all hide behind if the rebellion fails. It takes a while but they eventually realise that they have in fact raised a highly skilled player of the Great Game (read, politics) and now they have to live with it.

Egwene has come a long way and my opinion of her is never higher that during the chapter 'Honey in the Tea' in Knife of Dreams. Egwene has been captured (bad habit) by the Aes Sedai in the White Tower. Instead of executing her they decide that she can't have been responsible for her actions and have sent her back to be a novice. She has no friends, she is guarded day and night and forced to drink a herbal concoction that stops her from channeling with any strength. All she has is her mind and her voice and she uses them to slowly pull the Tower down from the inside. I love this. I am one of those people that always thinks of something clever to say about five minutes after it would have been relevant and so nothing makes me happier than a good put-down. It's pure wish fulfilment, and what else is fantasy about?

Propher-see Propher-2

Book; 3: The Dragon Reborn

Chapter; 55: What is written in Prophecy

Character Groups;

Tear
Everyone, everyone currently important anyway.

Hallo world. Technical difficulties have forced to remain in analogue mode for the past week. Still, never mind eh? Where were we? 

Right, these Prophecies then.


First, there is the Karaethon cycle, more commonly known as the Prophecies of the Dragon. These are the prophecies of Randland, told by precogniescent Aes Sedai in the years after the Breaking of the World (as the madness of the male channelers became known). These are the ones best known to our heroes and the ones that Rand is actively trying to fulfil. They include a cheery little rhyme about herons and dragons, lots of talk about blood and rocks and of course, the sword in the stone bit that I discussed last time.  


The Seanchan have their own version of the Karaethon Cycle with a number of omissions and additions that just makes it all the more annoying that they really don't get on with the locals. If everyone just sat down around a table and talked it over, everyone would have a much clearer idea of what was going on.


Next there are the Shadow Prophecies. The only part of these that we have heard seemed to refer to the events on Toman Head at the end of book 2 and have apparently been completed. Presumably, there are more to these prophecies but whether we will ever see any more of them, who can say? (I'm not being coy, I genuinely can't remember. They probably aren't very good then.)


One that we have only heard tiny snippets of so far is the Rhuidean Prophecy. Technically, we do not even know its name yet but I'm going to use it anyway, so sue me (please don't). Rhuidean is the only 'city' in the Aiel waste (another thing we don't technically know yet) and the Aiel have crossed the mountain range known as the Spine of the World for the first time in 20 years in search of their prophecied one, He Who Comes With The Dawn. "One born of the Blood but not raised but the Blood. Raised by an ancient Blood not ours". That's Rand by the way, He of the Many Capital Letters.


The mysterious Sea-folk have the Jendai Prophecy. All we know of them so far is that they are traders and prodigious sailors. Lately they have been ditching trade however, and searching for someone called the Coramoor. Guess who that might be.


Then there are the new prophecies. Veritable Cassandras are popping up left right and centre. Min, of course, sees all kinds of cryptic things around anyone around her, the latest being a hawk and a falcon sitting on Perrin's shoulders, the hawk holding a leash. Perrin himself, in gaining more control over his wolfbrother powers is having intense dreams that eerily mirror events in the waking world. Egwene has now been revealed as a Dreamer we can expect plenty from her. Dreaming (with a capital D, obviously) seems to be second only to Foretelling in the prophecy manufacturing business and of course dreams are satisfyingly vague and keep the theory mills running. 


So there we go, the future 101. It isn't called the Age of Prophecy for nothing you know!