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I agree with you, for a related but slightly different reason ... Shishka Send a noteboard - 14/01/2010 09:58:28 PM
Another key quote/Q&A from Brandon:

Q. Was the Compulsion which Elza told Semirhage about, Verin's work from after Dumai's Wells, and was it Shaidar Haran who told her about it and to ask Semirhage to remove it?

A. Yes.


So, we know for a fact that it was SH who told Elza about her Compulsion, AND told her to have Semirhage remove it.

If Graendal was involved in this plot at all (e.g. it was Graendal who delved Elza and told SH about the Compulsion), SH would have had Graendal remove the Complusion right then and there, rather than tell Elza to go have Semirhage remove it. Especially since Graendal is the most expert on Compulsion of all the Forsaken, so we're lead to believe.

The only real mystery in all this, it seems to me, is how SH knew/determined that Elza had been Compelled.

My guess is, SH has a special ability to ... evaluate ... the mental condition (amongst other things) of those who've sworn to the DO. Here's another telling summary of what Brandon said about SH:

This lead to lots of discussion about swearing to the Shadow – basically, it’s a very bad idea and you forfeit some very basic protections when you do. Shaidar Haran has special power over those that swear to the Dark One, and the Forsaken in particular. I asked about Alviarin’s special mark, and he said Shaidar Haran has similar power over her. The implication is that there are lots of ramifications for swearing to the Dark One. Brandon mentioned that this makes Verin all the more remarkable.

I guess that "special power" enabled SH to determine that Elza had been Compelled. But, he couldn't do anything about it himself - he had to have Semirhage remove it.

(Edit: There's a second mystery too - how Elza learned those special AoL weaves. And, I suspect SH was responsible for that, too. Not by showing her weaves - he can't channel saidar, obviously. But rather by implanting how to do it in her mind, much like the 'Finn implanted memories (and associated skills) in Mat's mind. SH could have retrieved the information he implanted in Elza from one of the other female Forsaken - Cyndane or Moggy, perhaps.

This explanation would help explain Brandon's quote saying that "Elza had been given knowledge of several rarely known weaves, and in other ways made into a tool of Shaidar Haran. Not all of it was pleasant for her.". I would guess this "memory implant" (if that's what really happened) was not particular pleasant. Plus, note the wording "given knowledge of", rather than "taught". That fits pretty well with what I suggested.

These ideas make SH rather powerful, I admit, but not much more than the 'Finn, really.)
Rise and fall, turn the Wheel,
'cause all life is
is really just a circle.

-BHT&tM
This message last edited by Shishka on 14/01/2010 at 10:59:50 PM
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Elza's Compulsion - 14/01/2010 08:41:04 PM 2205 Views
I think Graendal was involved on some level in this part of the story - 14/01/2010 09:12:05 PM 1127 Views
I disagree - 14/01/2010 09:27:27 PM 1008 Views
except work with Semirhage! - 14/01/2010 09:34:37 PM 951 Views
Well... - 14/01/2010 09:43:40 PM 1093 Views
SH can't channel thus can't teach Elza anything *NM* - 14/01/2010 10:20:19 PM 390 Views
Yeah, but according to BS, he apparently could "give her the knowledge". *shrug* *NM* - 15/01/2010 07:16:22 AM 341 Views
that's your interpretation of the quote - 15/01/2010 05:58:30 PM 811 Views
This and the others quotes suggest that only SH and Elza were involved *NM* - 16/01/2010 09:51:24 AM 320 Views
As I said that's certainly one of of interpreting the quotes - 16/01/2010 03:46:55 PM 741 Views
The question is... - 16/01/2010 03:59:24 PM 757 Views
Re: The question is... - 16/01/2010 04:02:55 PM 748 Views
Yeah, as I said elsewhere, would be a nice question for BS, if there was another Forsaken. *NM* - 16/01/2010 04:08:05 PM 843 Views
I bet you anything he'd giva a big fat RAFO to that - 16/01/2010 04:08:58 PM 773 Views
BS spoke quite openly about this scene, though - 16/01/2010 04:16:09 PM 816 Views
always worth a try, but wasn't he asked to be less open recently? - 16/01/2010 04:31:54 PM 790 Views
Shaidar Haran can't channel. - 14/01/2010 09:34:51 PM 1146 Views
I know... - 14/01/2010 09:45:15 PM 984 Views
I agree with you, for a related but slightly different reason ... - 14/01/2010 09:58:28 PM 1069 Views
That doesn't prove anything... - 14/01/2010 10:07:46 PM 1003 Views
It proves enough for me ... - 14/01/2010 10:26:28 PM 919 Views
Re: That doesn't prove anything... - 15/01/2010 11:03:05 AM 716 Views
not really - 15/01/2010 05:29:25 PM 768 Views
I don't understand your theory - 16/01/2010 05:08:03 PM 721 Views
It's very simple - 16/01/2010 06:17:36 PM 721 Views
So in other words - 17/01/2010 06:31:58 PM 839 Views
no I'd continue to insist that something disproved was correct - 17/01/2010 06:43:41 PM 744 Views
Re: no I'd continue to insist that something disproved was correct - 18/01/2010 04:48:33 AM 772 Views
I'm talking about implanting knowledge into someone elses head - 18/01/2010 05:37:32 AM 749 Views
Here's Brandon's one answer - 18/01/2010 05:20:20 PM 796 Views
But... - 18/01/2010 05:48:54 PM 753 Views
Exactly my point - 18/01/2010 06:24:25 PM 770 Views
But by this logic... - 18/01/2010 06:50:43 PM 719 Views
Yes... - 18/01/2010 07:00:40 PM 760 Views
While you are right... - 18/01/2010 08:44:19 PM 748 Views
as we've discussed in another thread - 18/01/2010 09:08:56 PM 1153 Views
I mean... - 19/01/2010 02:21:39 PM 793 Views
Weren't they specifically called Weaves that haven't been seen since the AoL? - 19/01/2010 05:26:38 PM 785 Views
"Elza had been given knowledge of several rarely known weaves" is the quote. - 19/01/2010 06:14:22 PM 712 Views
Well if they were secret Ajah weaves someone would have recognized them *NM* - 19/01/2010 06:21:19 PM 336 Views
Maybe secret BA weaves... - 19/01/2010 06:37:42 PM 979 Views
Possible since she was the only BA in the area - 19/01/2010 06:40:38 PM 1013 Views
See, I think there's reason for her presence to be kept secret... - 18/01/2010 09:10:43 PM 860 Views
I have a hard time... - 19/01/2010 02:17:52 PM 847 Views
I agree with you - 19/01/2010 04:45:59 PM 826 Views
and you may very well be correct - 19/01/2010 05:39:02 PM 1003 Views
Yet Rand/LTT tells us only a few chapters later - 14/01/2010 10:27:57 PM 821 Views
Anything is possible ... - 14/01/2010 10:54:46 PM 836 Views
who knows - 14/01/2010 11:21:43 PM 800 Views
It's not all that convoluted, though ... - 15/01/2010 03:26:01 PM 707 Views
Cyndane/Moggy/Graendal it all amounts to the same in the end - 15/01/2010 05:57:10 PM 894 Views
Re: Cyndane/Moggy/Graendal it all amounts to the same in the end - 15/01/2010 06:25:32 PM 781 Views
Re: Cyndane/Moggy/Graendal it all amounts to the same in the end - 15/01/2010 06:44:26 PM 730 Views
Good point! - 15/01/2010 07:19:00 AM 823 Views
Re: Good point! - 15/01/2010 05:30:12 PM 720 Views
I agree - 16/01/2010 09:50:09 AM 703 Views
what doesn't make sense about this to me - 15/01/2010 06:04:45 PM 782 Views
Re: what doesn't make sense about this to me - 15/01/2010 06:29:59 PM 802 Views
damn double posting - 15/01/2010 07:04:56 PM 711 Views
As it is often the case... - 16/01/2010 09:30:56 AM 813 Views
go re-read my statements and quit putting words in my mouth please. - 16/01/2010 03:59:52 PM 770 Views
Well... - 16/01/2010 04:14:28 PM 665 Views
as I said it's also possible that SH has new abilities - 16/01/2010 04:33:30 PM 713 Views
Re: I think Graendal was involved on some level in this part of the story - 14/01/2010 09:30:53 PM 826 Views
Uhhh? - 14/01/2010 09:13:13 PM 1023 Views
One point - 14/01/2010 09:20:09 PM 892 Views
Re: One point - 14/01/2010 09:32:00 PM 834 Views
Elza truly believes that... - 14/01/2010 09:38:35 PM 841 Views
Elza "found a reason to follow the Compulsion" - 14/01/2010 11:23:33 PM 885 Views
So, it came from her, and would not go when the Compulsion was removed. - 15/01/2010 05:56:32 AM 837 Views
fair enough - 16/01/2010 04:34:05 PM 853 Views
Not quite - 14/01/2010 09:38:45 PM 855 Views

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