Our favorite random, useless fact from The Wheel of Time–today at least, before the medication kicks in–is that the bad guys refuse to teach their underlings about elevators.
(Spoilers ahead for Book 10, we suppose!)
This has no bearing on the plot. At all. Nothing would change in the series. It never needed to be brought up. And yet there it is. Straight out of Crossroads of Twilight.
Book 10, chapter 21. pic.twitter.com/JT3lhKb3uK
— Will Frank (@scifantasy) July 15, 2021
We were idly discussing science fiction and fantasy in our work Slack, like one does, and thought that perhaps we had dreamed this moment? But no, there it is, and it’s even better than we remembered. Not only does elevator technology come up (in regards to the highest tower in all of Randland, naturally) but here we see Our Favorite Black Ajah (at least until Book 12) Alviarin Sedai recounting how her Forsaken master specifically taunts her with that knowledge in order to make stair-climbing feel even worse.
And what’s even better is this is entirely within Mesaana’s characterization as the most evil teacher in the world!
And what’s even better BETTER is that Aes Sedai have giant mechanical chains across the harbors of Tar Valon, which would mean they already know how to create and use counterweights to lift things.
A big thank you goes out to Will Frank and friend for finding the specific passage this occurs in! We were going a bit mad without it.
And now we have to know…what’s your favorite random useless fact from the world of The Wheel of Time?