The Mahdoubt

Post by **finn** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 3:25 am

Referring to earlier post, the Land halted the leprosy and some of its effects were actually wound back. It was this sudden "health" (as well as an assumption/belief that it was all a dream) that was a major factor in the rape of Lena.

Post by **Kenaustin Ardenol** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 10:27 am

Here's an off the wall idea, no more so than any of the others here sofar though, If the Haruchai gave her the title, The Mahdoubt, and Liand puts forward that it is a title more so than a name, It could be literal, The mother of Doubt, and that could be taken literally as the mother of the person who brought doubt to the bloodguards vow. So I'm punting on Kevin's mum.
Not really, The only thing I'm fairly certain of is that none of the theories put forward so far are Stephen Donaldson enough, and I hope none of them are correct. The truth about The Mahdoubt will fit so perfectly it will be a thing of beauty.

Post by **Nerdanel** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 11:08 am

Or maybe it's Madam Doubt, as the feminine version of Lord Doubt, and the Mahdoubt is the High Lord himself in drag. I've mentioned the Kevin possibility earlier, and it makes a kind of sense, even though Kevin would need to be a good actor to pull it off.

By the way, I really wonder what Kevin is up to. Is he just ghosting around and being miserable, doing something to finally get back to Lord Foul, or controlled by Foul?

Post by **oneliljoker** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 2:19 pm

I was thinking that she may be the creator. As Linden seems to have been a little upset early in book, because the Old Man had not appeared to her. What if Covenant or the Falls haveing something to do with the Arch of time have allowed him to apear to her in Revelstone as the Mahdoubt?

Post by **neilpeartbytor** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 11:03 pm

The Mahdoubt is one of the seven wards..........................Maybe

Post by **finn** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 1:12 pm

Welcome to the Watch.

You might like to go to the Mahdoubt Poll and register that thought!

Post by **jelerak** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 5:13 pm

This is my first post concerning the possible identity of the Mahdoubt. Probably wrong, but anyway...

Consider this:

Who would the Haruchai tolerate among them that is not one of them? Possibly one that they feel their ancestors were not able to protect as was their sworn Vow, and ultimately, for that reason, helped cause the abandonment of that Vow?

Why would a Ramen possibly recognize her? Possibly a kindred spirit with one who has been through a horserite?

Who would caution Linden so about love, but one who has loved so and lost because of her love and blind devotion / ambition?

?

Could the Mahdoubt be Elena?

Just an idea...

Post by **Nerdanel** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 9:13 pm

Getting back to the Mahdoubt once again...

The Mahdoubt has very interesting eyes. Every other character in the books who has two eyes has a matched set. The Mahdoubt apparently has an opposite set, if the exact shades are blue-violet and yellow-orange. This is quite unusual and decidedly inhuman.

Elohim exhibit weird eye colors and are capable of changing their shape at will but they cannot do anything about their eyes, as Starkin showed us. This shuts out Daphin (green eyes), Chant (blue eyes), and Starkin (golden eyes). Findail (yellow eyes) is obviously out of the picture. Morninglight's "inward eyes" of an unknown color are hard to justify with the Mahdoubt's orange eye seeming to pop out of her head. (On the other hand, could the Mahdoubt's eyes be said to represent the colors of sunrise, the "sailor's warning" kind?) This leaves Infelice, Kastenessen, and an unknown Elohim. Infelice's eyes might be a little too familiar for Linden though, even if we the readers don't know their color, but on the other hand we know that Infelice has skill in mental magics. She and Kastenessen wouldn't be the only ones among the Elohim, though.

I think my favorite is... Morninglight. He had some very transparent foreshadowing all for himself in the Second Chronicles and he did next to nothing in the actual story. I think he will have a role in the Last Chronicles, no two ways about it. The only question is where and how he is working Lord Foul's will. And every single Elohim we have to choose from would be acting out of character as the Mahdoubt, so that doesn't mean anything much when choosing the best Elohim candidate.

The eye color issue would I think be a big blow against the idea that the Mahdoubt is someone Dead, unless there is some sort of magic that can color a person eyes wildly clashing colors. And what magic that could be? Caesures?

...Still not finding clarity in this matter.

Post by **finn** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 5:15 am

Could she be David Bowie?

Post by **Nerdanel** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 8:12 pm

I have made a major breakthrough regarding the Mahdoubt!

The Mahdoubt is not an Elohim

To recap: The Mahdoubt could have been an Elohim because everything she does should be within Elohim limits, having been Appointed would give her motivation to be there, and in any case Elohim are known for being bizarre, as well as having bizarre eyes. On the other hand, the Mahdoubt appears out-of-character for an Elohim based on everything we have observed of their behavior thus far, and we haven't seen an Elohim with differently colored eyes.

The new insight: Consider the fact that Mahrtiir perceived something threatening in the Mahdoubt's aura before he, too, was charmed. An Elohim would never have to resort to modifying how her aura is perceived by messing with observers' minds. If an Elohim wanted to look like a harmless old woman, she would not have an incongruous aura, as simple as that. Linden experiences firsthand in The One Tree exactly how 100% convincing (save for the eyes) shapeshifted Elohim are.

Along with the other evidence, I'm now believing the Mahdoubt is not an Elohim. This is quite a revelation, as Elohim was one of the more sensible theories around and competed for being my 3rd favorite.

My favorite theory remains the Demondim one with the merewife theory coming in after that.

Post by **danlo** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 11:27 pm

[This post is from someone who actually KNOWS who/what the Mahdoubt is. The post does not contain that information, but does contain information about who/what the Mahdoubt is NOT. I've spoiler tagged this post so that those who wish to keep speculating may do so. Read at your own risk. dlbpharmd]

Spoiler

I can tell you this much: You're absolutely right the Mahdoubt is not an Elohim.

Oh and j: rule Elena out.

Post by **Nerdanel** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 12:31 pm

This is entirely unsurprising, based on the fact that Danlo has been saying all along that none in this thread has hit on the Mahdoubt's identity.

Now, if we are willing to believe Danlo, there are still several possibilities:

1. The Mahdoubt is something arcane, like a sentient caesure.

2. The Mahdoubt is something totally out of the blue, like Paris Hilton.

3. Danlo is simply saying the Mahdoubt's true identity is nobody's pet theory, like the Demondim are for me.

4. SRD told Danlo something true but misleading and the collective intelligence at Kevin's Watch has guessed at the Mahdoubt's identity after all. For example, if SRD told Danlo the Mahdoubt is a "spy for the Demondim" that doesn't preclude her being a Demondim.

Post by **danlo** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 1:19 pm

1) What SRD said makes perfect sense to me: I truly believe he told me the correct identity.

2) I'm not skirting, and SRD was not skirting.

3) This is probably the last clue I can give you: I sought to mislead you-someone in this thread has already guessed the real identity.

Spoiler

Not Elohim
Not Elena
Not Amok
Not a Ward

Post by **Loredoctor** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 10:30 pm

danlo wrote:1) What SRD said makes perfect sense to me: I truly believe he told me the correct identity.

Post by **I'm Murrin** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 10:40 pm

Does she tend elephants?

Post by **dlbpharmd** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 7:58 pm

Post by **I'm Murrin** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 8:33 pm

Mahout. Bad pun.

Post by **dlbpharmd** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 8:48 pm

Uh, ok.

Post by **Warmark** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 3:00 pm

Murrin wrote:Does she tend elephants?

I got it.

Post by **kevinswatch** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 3:02 pm

I know who the Mahdoubt is.-jay