First Trailer discussion: The circle of corpses

What's up with that circle of corpses? If you look closely, I think you can see several of the main characters. What do you think has happened?

Could it be related to Logain breaking free of that cage?

It's also in the same configuration as the Hall of the Tower stage.

Maybe a Foretelling/Dreaming? Or Winternight?

I took it as a a juxtaposition between the Bel Tine celebration and the aftermath of the attack on Emond's Field.

I was reminded of Dumai's Wells....except there would be more I expect.

I thought that the timing of it being right after what appeared to be dancing on Winternight meant that it was Emond's Fielders who didn't survive. But looking at it, that looks like 3 Greens, a Brown, 4 Reds, and a handful of Warders. They weren't there on Winternight.

Though it does look like roughly the same group that's in the shot with (Alanna?) stopping the arrows. Nynaeve and Lan are in that shot, as well, so I doubt the corpses are in Emond's Field for those reasons.

I have a theory that because Logain is said to be more of a main feature in the tv series than he was in the books that they travel with Logain's entourage for part of their journey and get attacked by Logain's dragonsworn trying to free him.

Cahalan Sothron said:

I took it as a a juxtaposition between the Bel Tine celebration and the aftermath of the attack on Emond's Field.

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Same, though I haven't zoomed in to see who's there -- the mirroring of the images strongly suggested to me that one leads to the other, and I doubt it's anything from significantly later in the story (like Dumai's Wells). If there are more Aes Sedai present, it might be that Moiraine isn't the only one who shows up there; certainly the trailer gave me the impression we're going to get others not just onstage but interacting with the Emond's Fielders way earlier than they do in canon.

I think it is related to Logain and his followers?

Satara al'Caelahn said:

I have a theory that because Logain is said to be more of a main feature in the tv series than he was in the books that they travel with Logain's entourage for part of their journey and get attacked by Logain's dragonsworn trying to free him.

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+1

My current theory is that Nynaeve, Lan and Moiraine meet up with the Logain Train, lol, after Shadar Logoth. They travel with them which is a great opportunity for the viewers to learn more about the Aes Sedai, Power, introduce characters etcetcetc. Then they get attacked by people trying to free Logain and many, including Kerene Nagashi, die.

This is definitely more mysterious than the Nynaeve push, but when I watched it, I just thought they were the bodies of the Emond's Fielders after Winternight. It looks like they are going to make Logain a bigger character, but we will see what happens. The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills.

I am skeptical that it's the victims after Winter night, because as far as we know only Tam was deadly wounded and I don't really remember if there were ANY dead Emondfielders :scratch Moiraine told Rand that only three farms were attacked by the Trollocs and the other houses were only lit on fire. (at least that's what I remember)

So I am with you all, who think it's victims of Logain's followers, but many Warders and Aes Sedai killed by a bunch of randos? sounds sus as well

Arella Mathara said:

My current theory is that Nynaeve, Lan and Moiraine meet up with the Logain Train, lol, after Shadar Logoth. They travel with them which is a great opportunity for the viewers to learn more about the Aes Sedai, Power, introduce characters etcetcetc. Then they get attacked by people trying to free Logain and many, including Kerene Nagashi, die.

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I also like this threory.

Ilverin Matriam said:

So I am with you all, who think it's victims of Logain's followers, but many Warders and Aes Sedai killed by a bunch of randos? sounds sus as well

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Agreed - I'm thinking it was moreso the victims of Logain...

Also don't know how they are going to spin the whole

In the trailer you see something that looks like a person being eaten by a trolloc in the background during one of the Winter Night scenes so I think people will die there even though it wasn't mentioned in the books. You need to show not tell when it's TV

Sure, I have to remember that the show will most probably not follow the books that closely. Still though, it doesn't make sense that Winter night has so many people killed either. The village is what 50? 100 people? (I honestly don't remember) with around 20 dead in that circle and 5 of the survivors off on adventure, it's like less than half the initial population left :P

Oh, I don't think it's the dead after Winter Night at all, I just wanted to mention that I'm sure people will die on Winter Night, Ilverin Sedai. Hasn't a wife for Perrin been cast? At least that's the speculation. Again, these are just my theories

It could be a flashback, but it also makes sense for it to be connected to Logain, based on the posts here. With a high number of Reds being present, that also makes sense and supports this theory. As well as the Warder crying adds to this.

I agree, I think it has something to do with Aes Sedai who died while trying to get Logain under control.

Ilverin Matriam said:

Still though, it doesn't make sense that Winter night has so many people killed either. The village is what 50? 100 people? (I honestly don't remember) with around 20 dead in that circle and 5 of the survivors off on adventure, it's like less than half the initial population left

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Heh -- but look at the wide shot of the tavern scene. You've got at least two dozen people in that shot alone; it gives me the impression that Emond's Field is going to have more than a hundred people living in or near it.

This video analysis suggests it's after an attack of dragonsworn and Logain's break-out. Same attack where that aes sedai dies.

I agree that the corpses aren't from Winternight.

I do think they are emphasizing the level of societal development in Emond's Field with how populated the Winespring is in the trailer. My theory at the moment is that a lot of people who live on the outskirts and out in the Waterwood are in town for Winternight/Bel Tine, and that Rand and Tam will also be staying in town (which is how we end up seeing Mat and Rand running. I don't think that's Whitebridge, I think it's Winternight). Having them come into town, back to the farm, then into town again and showing the Trolloc attack in two different places is not an efficient use of screen time or budget, IMO. I think they're showing the Winespring and the town being pretty full so that it's clear that this is not a Earthsea or Eragon-style medieval backwater village.

I'm as confident as trailer allows that it's just Moiraine in Emond's Field, and that the corpses are False Dragon related, most likely Logain. It makes sense for at least one of the main ensemble (probably Nynaeve) to meet up with the Aes Sedai taking Logain to the Tower for gentling, in order to show the audience how False Dragons-- and channelling men, generally-- are viewed by the broader world and Aes Sedai in particular. Most of the conflict in EotW around this is internal-- the ta'veren all at separate moments have internal dialogue about how awful it is if Rand's the Dragon Reborn. I think bumping up Logain's significance sooner in the storyline follows the "show don't tell" rule of thumb better.