The Dream world, Way Gates, Portal Stones

[Almira ni'Caldazare]

The Way Gates are made up of possible worlds. Some of these worlds have to be populated. Do people in these Way Gate worlds go to a World of Dreams (tel'aran'rhiod)? Do all of these people end up in the same Tel'aran'rhiod? Is Randland the only world with a Dream World?
Any thoughts/guesses?

 

[Al'Amar El'Haldir]

Way gates? Do you mean Portal Stones; or the Ogier Ways? I'm guessing the Portal Stones; and will reply accordingly.

Tel'aran'rhiod is the third constant in the creation. There is the Creator, the Dark One, and Tel'aran'rhiod (probably brought to existence by the Creator to affect or fix creation). And my understanding is that each parallel world is linked to Tel'aran'rhiod or has a connection to its own version of Tel'aran'rhiod. The world of dreams is a constant; but not a single one. I say this because we don't see anyone from other parallel worlds in Randland's version of Tel'aran'rhiod. And Randland's world of dreams has the exact same physical characteristics of the land. There is no conflict where between physical aspects of Randland and its version of Tel'aran'rhiod as far as I can remember.

The Library's entry on Tel'aran'rhiod ends with this quote from Verin:

There is a world that lies within each of these others, inside all of them at the same time. Or perhaps surrounding them. Writers in the Age of Legends called it Tel’aran’rhiod, “the Unseen World.” Perhaps “the World of Dreams” is a better translation. Many people – ordinary folk who could not think of channeling - sometimes glimpse Tel’aran’rhiod in their dreams, and even catch glimmers of these other worlds through it. Think of some of the peculiar things you have seen in your dreams. But a Dreamer, child - a true Dreamer - can enter Tel’aran’rhiod (Verin to Egwene, The Dragon Reborn, Chapter 21)

 

[Almira ni'Caldazare]

Way gates? Do you mean Portal Stones; or the Ogier Ways? I'm guessing the Portal Stones; and will reply accordingly.

Tel'aran'rhiod is the third constant in the creation. There is the Creator, the Dark One, and Tel'aran'rhiod (probably brought to existence by the Creator to affect or fix creation). And my understanding is that each parallel world is linked to Tel'aran'rhiod or has a connection to its own version of Tel'aran'rhiod. The world of dreams is a constant; but not a single one. I say this because we don't see anyone from other parallel worlds in Randland's version of Tel'aran'rhiod. And Randland's world of dreams has the exact same physical characteristics of the land. There is no conflict where between physical aspects of Randland and its version of Tel'aran'rhiod as far as I can remember.

The Library's entry on Tel'aran'rhiod ends with this quote from Verin:

Thank you for the quotes!
They explain a lot.

 

[Ilverin Matriam]

Should we continue talking about Portal stones and other worlds here? @Toral Delvar

 

[Toral Delvar]

Good idea!
so
1) do we have anyone from the Age of Legends saying they are older than that age? Or is it just one of those things people believe
2) how does the link work? The symbol somehow, but how does that create a link to another place
3) can symbols be added, or is it stuck with the ones when it was created?
4) how are the symbols assigned?
5) how much of the Aiel Waste was a sea in the AOL? Was the Rhuidean stone under water?
6) how did they get to the other world to know the symbol for it, or to put the portal stone there?

 

[Merena Orithana]

wow! this is an old post!

But they would have to be populated. I'm also not sure how you would be able to travel to them to set up the portal stone if they are supposed to be alternate universes....?

 

[Ephrem Elpidius]

Funnily enough I was just discussing this with a friend the other day since I am doing my first ever re-read. I got very confused by all the different stuff lol it's been so long...

 

[Linkelivar Miou'Mai]

The Lines that join the Worlds That Might Be, laid by those who knew the Numbers of Chaos.

Today we have string theory with basically translates to the same thing a portal stone.

The Numbers of Chaos could very well be a reference to Robert A. Heinlein's book: The Number of the Beast which deals with alternate realities

 

[Merena Orithana]

...so how does actual travel work though? I mean, theoretically?
I guess you would channel random things until you get somewhere? (edited to add: if you aren't killed in a horrific way )

 

[Linkelivar Miou'Mai]

Basically yes. If you go with the theory that our universe is vibrating at a specific harmonic frequency, then what happens when you vibrate something at a frequency that doesn't exist in our universe?
Some believe that the Philadelphia experiment used sound waves to attempt to cloak a ship from detection.
What they created was what I refer to as a Sona Warp Drive. Unfortunately things didn't go well for the crew and the project was scrapped.
Theoretically if used in space you could find a universe where traveling for an hour would be the equivalent of one or more lightyears.
But unfortunately there would be A LOT of casualties before such a universe was found.

 

[Hal Bahalla]

There was some discussion about the Portal Stones “manifesting” on their own related to wear they came from. I’d think something the manifested would be a bit more resilient to weathering, but the stones clearly can wear down and be damaged.

I also don’t think they were created witb the power like the Way Gates. Those seem to also have unnatural resilience. Nothing short of the One Power would damage one.

My uneducated guess is that they were carved by hand, under the guidance of someone how had studied and understood the worlds. It is the location that matters, not the stone. The locations are points where the lines of the connections cross, and the stones are like maps to guide the use. I’d hypothesize that focusing on the correct symbols would allow travel to another world, even of a stone was completely destroyed.

 

[Toral Delvar]

That idea makes a lot of sense

 

[Keisha al'Benn]

I've always wondered if the Ogier came from one of these other Portal Stone worlds, perhaps their Book of Translation contains info how to use them.

 

[Linkelivar Miou'Mai]

I believe that The Big White Book says something about where the Ogier come from.