Perhaps Covenant wasn't the First White Gold Weilder?

[Rigel]

I think the problem is that this is how long it takes Donaldson to write. His publishers probably want him to finish the series as much as we do

[Rocksister]

I do remember waiting anxiously for books in the 2nd Chrons, but not three years apart. It has been a long time, but I think I'd remember waiting six years for books five and six. Perhaps he has other projects going on. If he does, someone had better let me know!!!! I don't want to miss it.

[Rigel]

No other projects; he has stated repeatedly in the GI that this is simply how long he takes to write, now (he used to write faster, but has slowed down with age).

He has also repeatedly stated that the 3 year intervals are at his insistance, rather than his publishers.

[Blackhawk]

No other projects; he has stated repeatedly in the GI that this is simply how long he takes to write, now (he used to write faster, but has slowed down with age).

He has also repeatedly stated that the 3 year intervals are at his insistance, rather than his publishers.

I wonder if SRD sees a bit of himself in the Unfettered Stone reader. taking so long to coerce this story out of the rock? 3 years per book,, he has taken away alot of the stress on a deadline writers deal with. I hope the Time helps rather than hurts the story-but im sure its doing wonders for his mental and physical health not having a short deadline. I can wait...........

[ninjaboy]

The previous statements in this forum regarding Healthsense makes me wonder...

None of us knows exactly what healthsense is.. We know about what it is but its something you'll never fully know about unless you experience it..

So what I'm thinking is objects and items not from 'the Land' are instantly recognizable through healthsense - and as for the White Gold.. Being not of the land and yet containing such energy and power.. Would be hard to miss.

BUT for the people of the land to instantly recognise it as White Gold may well mean that it's been bought to the land before.. Lust because it's a strange, powerful ring shouldn't be enough for people to Know it's White Gold.

And I have a suspicion that we will know by the end of the story - though I doubt SD will tie up every loose end.. There has got to be some questions left unanswered.

[Relayer]

I agree, not every loose end will be tied up, and we might find out how there were legends about white gold...

But at the time he wrote the 1st chronicles, it was just back-story. In SRD's mind, a lot of what we see as lose ends aren't issues at all.

[Blackhawk]

if he tied up all the loose ends we wouldnt have anything to talk about here

health sense, like our Sixth Sense but a heightened Sixth. I believe Lena thought him Berek returned because of the half hand, but Atiaran was more reserved about the half hand until she saw the white ring, I dont know if she knew what it was but guessed at the stories, Half handed bearing some type of silver looking ring?

From the conversation of Atiaran and TC..

Remembering Lena's initial reaction to him, Covenant held up his right hand. Atiaran moved around the table until she was close enough to touch him, but did not. Instead, she searched his face. "Halfhand. It is as Trell said. And some say that Berek Earthfriend, Heartthew and Lord Fatherer, will return to the Land when there is need. Do you know these things?"
Covenant answered gruffly, "No."
Still looking into his face, Atiaran said, "Your other hand?"

Puzzled, he raised his left. She dropped her eyes to it.
When she saw it, she gasped, and bit her lip and stepped back. For an instant, she seemed inexplicably terrified. But she mastered herself, and asked with only a low tremble in her voice, "What metal is that ring?"

"What? This?" Her reaction startled Covenant, and in his surprise he gaped at a complicated memory of Joan saying, With this ring 1 thee wed, and the old ocher-robed beggar replying, Be true, be true. Darkness threatened him. He heard himself answer as if he were someone else, someone who had nothing to do with leprosy and divorce, "It's white gold."

I dont think their health sense extended as far as allowing them to be able to Identify objects and materials, instead being able to discern the difference between healthy, Ill or if something was harmful like a poisonous plant, or if trained able to seek out Hurtloam..stuff like that.. It seems that mostly the ordinary inhabitants of the land had basic senses more attuned to the surroundings than most of our own, but not the same abilities the Lords had worked hard to achieve. For instance Atiaran didnt know TC raped or even hurt Lena until Triock told her, there was no sense of danger or a feeling that something bad had happened, but if TC had not just told Atiaran about Fouls Return, who knows- her mind may have been more open to her daughters grief.

[wayfriend]

Yes, Covenant was closed to them, remember?

So, yes, it was Atiaran who knew of white gold. And she didn't sense it, Covenant told her it was there. Then ...

Atiaran groaned, clamped her hands over her temples as if she were in pain. But again she brought herself under control, and a bleak courage came into her eyes. "I alone," she said, "I alone in Mithil Stonedown know the meaning of this. Even Trell has not this knowledge. And I know too little.

I alone.

Why does only Atiaran know what white gold is?

As she and Covenant started down toward the stonedown, Lena said, "Five times a hundred people of the South Plains live here-rhadhamaerl, Shepherds, Cattleherds, Farmers, and those who Craft. But Atiaran my mother alone has been to the Loresraat."

Providentially, Atiaran was in a position to know of the white gold, because she had been to the Loresraat to learn from the Lords.

So... no health sense was required. Covenant mentioned the white gold by name, and then Atiaran connected it with what she learned in the Loresraat. No one else in the Stonedown understood the significance of the white gold. And no one seemed to know what it looked like.

[ninjaboy]

I Started reading the whole thing again last night, and of course Atarian doesn't know it's White Gold 'til TC tells her. I did come up with another... issue though...

At the beginning of thir trek to Revelstone, when they come across a scent of 'wrong' - which turns out to be the Murder of the Waynhim in the waymeet - they could sense the 'wrong' a very great distance away from the actual murder.

But surely there would have had to be a 'scent of wrong' or even just a strong vibe of ill in the area where TC raped Lena.. When Atarian came there the next morning she had no idea something was amiss.. Obviosly TC couldn't tell coz he didn't get the health sense 'til later, but there must have been somethin that should have alerted Atarian.

[Cameraman Jenn]

Interesting discussion everyone and nice ideas all around. My theory is that the white gold is foretold. Mhoram had the foresight so someone from long ago must have had it as well. They were much much much further advanced in the arts of magic and learning in Kevin's time so my theory is that some Lord with the foresight saw it and gave prophecy. The wild magic is woven in everything but the white gold is it's summoner, white gold is not the magic itself. The magic is also in TC and he can summon it only when he uses his body, heart and soul. He eventually blends them together when he becomes the melding of the summoner and the summoned and his own free will, the white gold and the wild magic and himself, AND therefore becomes the arch of time or so I believe. In other words:

Summoner = white gold = body
Summoned = wild magic = heart
Arch of Time = soul = TC's free will (himself)


FATAL REVENANT SPOILER!!!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!

Spoiler

Linden wields the staff of law but does not wield the white gold in her travels back in time so the knowledge can't come from that time although white gold has technically been in the Land before TC's time.

[/spoiler]

[rdhopeca]

I Started reading the whole thing again last night, and of course Atarian doesn't know it's White Gold 'til TC tells her. I did come up with another... issue though...

At the beginning of thir trek to Revelstone, when they come across a scent of 'wrong' - which turns out to be the Murder of the Waynhim in the waymeet - they could sense the 'wrong' a very great distance away from the actual murder.

But surely there would have had to be a 'scent of wrong' or even just a strong vibe of ill in the area where TC raped Lena.. When Atarian came there the next morning she had no idea something was amiss.. Obviosly TC couldn't tell coz he didn't get the health sense 'til later, but there must have been somethin that should have alerted Atarian.

I always read the "scent of wrong" as the proximity of the Raver that had killed the Waynhim....

[TheIronChef]

I don't believe White Gold existed in The Land until Covenant showed up.

If Foul had a White Gold ring why wouldn't he have just destroyed the Arch of Time and be done with it instead of jerking Kevin around? Well, okay, it would be in Foul's nature to jerk Kevin around but still he would have destroyed the Arch a long time ago.

To people like the Lords and Atiarian who were familiar with the stories and lore, a strange alloy like White Gold, which doesn't exist in the Land, would instantly be noticable. Let alone it appearing on a halfhand which just makes it even more suspicious.

That's my thought, anyway.

[Sharguild]

Wow;
Such intellectually inspiring responses. It's funny, I frequently here on daily news reports how illiterate society is becoming but I never trully thought so.
Those whom are disadvantaged are who they are .
Those who can transgress such discomfortures..... will.

Anyway,
In my own personal opinion, SRD made White Gold knowledgeable to those TC came in contact with because of convenience. It would have made for a hell of a longer story and really messed up the plot otherwise. Just an oversight as far as WHY.
BUT.
And there is always someone's butt interposed is there not? Mohram himself said to Covenant "YOU are the white gold".
Which damn near blew my mind and sort of makes the whole hundred buck loop on his finger superffelous does is not?
To take a line from the "Benne Gesserit, plots within plots...."

[Sazly]

I can see that so many people can relate to TC being the historical wielder, and, without re-reading extensively (which I do frequently!) see that as far as I can remember Linden does not wield the White Gold in the past (I know she wields the staff). I can imagine that making himself part of the Arch Of Time would surely mean that he is part of The Land retrospectively, because that would mean he is part of Time altogether? I will search out quotes (not being so well prepared!) but I'm sure that its mentioned in Fatal Revenant that he can be in many times that he wasn't part of I.E Berek's time? I'd be glad if anyone can put me straight here. I know that its stated that both himself and Jeremiah cannot be touched by Berek, becaude that would unravel the state that makes them able to be there, and its put to some doubt, but I've (ashamedly) not seen the whole significance of this. OK sorry for any spoilers, but I'm at a loss of where to post this!

[Rocksister]

The Raver's scent was what tipped LA and TC off about the murder. TC was not a Raver, so there was no ill scent for him to leave behind after the rape. BH, you are correct, we need loose ends to keep this site going. I would truly miss the Watch if it went away. That does not qualify as a spoiler..........

[Rocksister]

Saz, you're gonna get black boxed big time. But you are right; how do you reply to a 1st and 2nd Chrons post with info about the Final Chrons without it being a spoiler? It's hard not to connect them; they are, after all, the same story......

[Blackhawk]

I can see that so many people can relate to TC being the historical wielder, and, without re-reading extensively (which I do frequently!) see that as far as I can remember Linden does not wield the White Gold in the past (I know she wields the staff). I can imagine that making himself part of the Arch Of Time would surely mean that he is part of The Land retrospectively, because that would mean he is part of Time altogether? I will search out quotes (not being so well prepared!) but I'm sure that its mentioned in Fatal Revenant that he can be in many times that he wasn't part of I.E Berek's time? I'd be glad if anyone can put me straight here. I know that its stated that both himself and Jeremiah cannot be touched by Berek, becaude that would unravel the state that makes them able to be there, and its put to some doubt, but I've (ashamedly) not seen the whole significance of this. OK sorry for any spoilers, but I'm at a loss of where to post this!

wish i could help you..

[Rocksister]

Saz, uh, I'm putting more spoilers in here, but (I still can't believe they haven't black-boxed you yet) that was not actually TC, remember? Until the last page. I can't say more without getting in spoiler trouble.

[wayfriend]

Sazly, join the fatal revenant forum and then post your question there.

[Valion]

I had to post this since I must be misremembering the first chronicles (it's been awhile). Obviously everyone in the first chronicles when they see Covenant they associate him with the legendary Berek Halfhand. Now, besides the similar halfhand thing, I always thought Berek was also the first white gold/wild magic wielder. Maybe I'm confusing Berek's summoning of the fire lions with a requirement of white magic when it was actually earthpower. Anyway, set me straight while I delve back into the first chronicles

(also he made the staff of law and again, I was thinking that required wild magic when maybe it was just earthpower)