The Stone of Tear

[Rhinan Salam]

Is the Stone made of cement? Rand near the end of TGS describes the colour of the walls as "the colour of wet sand". He also says it is "unnatural". It's seamless, smooth. Smooth here may be an issue: is it smooth as in it has no hard angles, or smooth as in its surface has little friction? Obviously, if the second is true then it can't be cement. If it isn't some unknown, Power-wrought material, what could it be?
Sorry for the ramble, but I would love to hear you ideas!

 

[Dorian Har'Locke]

Is the Stone made of cement? Rand near the end of TGS describes the colour of the walls as "the colour of wet sand". He also says it is "unnatural". It's seamless, smooth. Smooth here may be an issue: is it smooth as in it has no hard angles, or smooth as in its surface has little friction? Obviously, if the second is true then it can't be cement. If it isn't some unknown, Power-wrought material, what could it be?
Sorry for the ramble, but I would love to hear you ideas!

I always pictured a hardened cement bunker, though I think it was power melded, not just poured.

Elaida references such a thing in book 7, the prelude, which I was just rereading.

 

[Rhinan Salam]

I always pictured a hardened cement bunker, though I think it was power melded, not just poured.

Elaida references such a thing in book 7, the prelude, which I was just rereading.

Power-melded makes sense, would explain the natural mountain-y shape.

 

[Teavin Calayna]

Given that the universe in Wheel of Time is roughly in an 18th century setting it's plausible there could have been cement as it's first usage was in 1824 so not too far off from there so it's plausible that it is constructed of cement

 

[Rhinan Salam]

Given that the universe in Wheel of Time is roughly in an 18th century setting it's plausible there could have been cement as it's first usage was in 1824 so not too far off from there so it's plausible that it is constructed of cement

I thought it was created by Aes Sedai of the Age of Legends, but it's interesting that sometime in the first millennium of the TA cement could've been developed

 

[Teavin Calayna]

I thought it was created by Aes Sedai of the Age of Legends, but it's interesting that sometime in the first millennium of the TA cement could've been developed

If it's not cement then my next guess would be that it's made of granite since that comes in a variety of colors or possibly sandstone

 

[Rhinan Salam]

If it's not cement then my next guess would be that it's made of granite since that comes in a variety of colors or possibly sandstone

Granite would make sense yeah, it's pretty tough I think. But Rand described it as "unnatural"

 

[Teavin Calayna]

Granite would make sense yeah, it's pretty tough I think. But Rand described it as "unnatural"

Any of those might seem unnatural to someone who grew up in a smaller village where most of the buildings are definitely not made of a such a fine material but then it could also be something created by the power with the help of The Builders

 

[Aduiavas Ida]

Cement has been in use since the Roman Empire, so it wouldn't be strange if the Stone was made from it. And for Rand who has by now seen many stone buildings, cement would still look strange and unnatural.

 

[Rhinan Salam]

Any of those might seem unnatural to someone who grew up in a smaller village where most of the buildings are definitely not made of a such a fine material but then it could also be something created by the power with the help of The Builders

That would make sense, but I think the Two Rivers has some dressed stone buildings like the inn at Emond's Field and (I think) the houses at Taren Ferry (or at least the ground levels) are stone

Cement has been in use since the Roman Empire, so it wouldn't be strange if the Stone was made from it. And for Rand who has by now seen many stone buildings, cement would still look strange and unnatural.

True, and it would explain it lasting so long, like the Roman cement that so far has lasted two millennia, whether near water or not, and not needing maintenance would be explained with the Power I guess

 

[Aduiavas Ida]

Yeah, Power-wrought cement I can imagine being able to withstand time

Though clearly not a fireworks explosion

 

[Rhinan Salam]

Aludra is a real one for making normal folk on par with Channelers

 

[Dorian Har'Locke]

Given that the universe in Wheel of Time is roughly in an 18th century setting it's plausible there could have been cement as it's first usage was in 1824 so not too far off from there so it's plausible that it is constructed of cement

18th century? I thought they had flying cars and stuff . . .

 

[Casar Somadi]

According to The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, it was "built sometime during or shortly after the Breaking of the World, and was made using the One Power. Flows of Earth, Air and Fire were used to draw stone from every corner of the world and fuse it into a single massive structure without seam or joint or mortar."

 

[Thaddius al'Guy]

With granite being the most common type of igneous rock that takes from thousands to millions of years to form and is available in most landmasses, it stands to reason that the stone of tear is a giant granite structure that is put together by the one power.

 

[Dorian Har'Locke]

You mean shaped or like, "fast granite"?

 

[Thaddius al'Guy]

You mean shaped or like, "fast granite"?

In TDR and the previously mentioned big white book, the stone was cut from the ground using the one power and transported from all over the world to what is now known as tear and power melded into one large structure.