Rand (or ter'angreal Rand) seemed to think it would. - Edit 3
Before modification by Joel at 20/08/2013 03:37:03 AM
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I doubt that would accomplish Shai'tan's aims. In the final confrontations, as in Veins of Gold, as in Ba'alzamon's rantings in the first books, the point is quite clearly that Rand must choose to accept Shai'tan's reality. Turning removes choice.
View original postOne could argue the Shadow did that from the start; had the DO simply ordered the surviving Forsaken to converge on Rand with thirteen Myrddraal during his first trip to the Stone there is little he, Moiraine and the rest could have done to stop it. It was a tactic apparently effective enough for Rand to fear during Egwenes trip through the testing ter'angreal, but not for the Shadow to use in mainline reality. Could have been an amusing exchange had everyone put their cards on the table.
I doubt that would accomplish Shai'tan's aims. In the final confrontations, as in Veins of Gold, as in Ba'alzamon's rantings in the first books, the point is quite clearly that Rand must choose to accept Shai'tan's reality. Turning removes choice.
I thought of that, but am unsure either way. KILLING him is a forfeit; it eliminates him as a player for either side. Yet he could still act if turned, just not freely. I always figured killing the Dragon would just result in a reboot: The Pattern does something or other to delay the DOs release, prolong his imprisonment, until it can spin the Dragon out again for the inevitable climax that MUST occur for the DOs release or reimprisonment to be determined either way, because, once again, the Dragon MUST be there.
However, there is no deterministic requirement he ACT any particular way; acting as the DOs servant would be entirely valid and is therefore fully on the table. He can do that just as well (better) turned as he could as free agent. And if he did all the exact same things to release the DO there would be no practical difference between doing them willingly or by irresistible subversion. Indeed, the difference might be negligible in any sense; remember, those turned and Compelled alike always find reasons to rationalize their out of character behavior as in character.