#Tuon Paendrag

[iliiuan]

Mat and Tuon missed the memo lmfao

[gunkreads]

I'm sure this has been said before, but I love the way Wheel of Time characters' mistakes and flaws are justified in the moment by results, then punished or played out later in aftershocks. Most characters who do something shitty are, in the short term, rewarded for it. It's a very straightforward "your enemy can't kill you if you cut off all their limbs in front of their family" that's balanced by Jordan's signature dose of "but watch out!" as the family tears down your plan outside your notice.

I very specifically think Rand, Mat, and Tuon are a great example of this. All of them are incredibly smart, tough, and EFFECTIVE. That's the key: they get things done. Point them at a problem? No more problem. Of course, in Jordan's butterfly-effect world, the solution causes a new set of problems, but that's exactly what makes these characters compelling. Their solutions are incredible and efficient and somewhat low on friendly casualties, but (if I may venture a guess) Jordan's war experience refuses to allow easy, effective warfare to go unpunished. If you are killing people and it's easy, you have done something vile and wrong in the process. That's the message of Dumai's Wells, of Rand/Illian vs. the Seanchan, and countless other slaughters: there's no shortcut that doesn't leave you worse than before, even if that takes time to manifest.

The only reason Egwene isn't on this list is because she engages in less open warfare. However, there's another point to be made about how Jordan writes consequences for actions during any kind of power struggle. Maybe I'll do that later or you can write it in a reblog.

My point is, I love the way Jordan makes it obvious how characters can justify doing bad things. It works for them! They were going to die, and then they didn't die! Of course you keep doing something, even something you know is wrong, if it keeps you alive and safe! That's just what having a brain is like! It's like a million iterations of the beginning of Ender's Game: kick your enemy until they're down, then keep kicking them until you know they won't get back up. Maybe they'll come back tomorrow, but you can sleep easy tonight.

[highladyluck]

These Are Jokes But I'm Serious About Them

Part 4 of my Reference Posts series! A lot of my meta comes from overthinking a joke I or someone else made. So here's a bunch of my humor posts! Categories:

Tuon

Mat

Mat/Tuon

Crackships

Other Characters

The Forsaken

The Seanchan

Collaborative Threads

Other

Tuon https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/718751918372093952 rip to marath'damane but I'm different

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/728450353532731392 Tuon expected more T&A from this venue

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/644042651297054720/gaslight-you-would-be-much-happier-with-us gaslight gatekeep girlboss Tuon

https://www.tumblr.com/highladyluck/648671292772548608/wheel-of-time-characters-with-really-bad-vibes-an Bad Vibes

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/641321330898305024/tuon-athaem-kore-paendrag-learned-how-to-have tuon worked hard for that Resting Bitch Face

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/680980440022155264/tuon-i-can-accept-fantasy-racism-analogue-but she draws the line at deadnaming

https://www.tumblr.com/highladyluck/648536558392262656 Every day I yearn to let Tuon loose in Sindhol

Mat https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/645645666073329664/rand-learns-about-duty-perrin-learns-about-duty Mat learns about consequences

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/735067522906406912/how-different-characters-see-the-horn-of-valere horny jail

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/634319567943057408/highladyluck-cant-stop-wont-stop-making-memes Matrim's hierarchy of needs

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/628837621924347904/i-was-listening-to-everybodyhatesrand-and-this slaps roof of car meme

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/648758256815259648 that's Semirhage, Mat

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/729741390014201856/mat-cauthon-stays-winning which ta'veren is most likely to rescue you

https://www.tumblr.com/matgpt/734538049234599936/this-is-a-joke-i-highladyluck-am-taking-too

^^^@matgpt

Mat/Tuon https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/654655938337341440/average-wheel-of-time-character-weddings-take matrimony cauthon is an outlier adn should not have been counted

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/719124935156596736 is this peak unselfawareness?

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/689981331323699200/i-am-sick-of-people-saying-tuon-is-not-a-good Fun date activities

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/687603938369929216 Mat stop wiping food grease on your coat challenge

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/681188672884932608/readers-reacting-to-mats-found-family-former Readers react to Mat's Found Family

https://www.tumblr.com/highladyluck/643572113966596096/mats-type-is-sharp-powerful-and-a-constant Mat’s type (seed of Knife Wife Theory)

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/724752030229479424/tuon-is-a-possum-and-mat-is-a-raccoon-and-they-can she plays dead, he steals shit: mat/tuon is possum/raccoon

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/652015329573273600/have-a-care-with-joline-teslyn-said-suddenly Please don't take my man, Joline

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/648129393534894080/luckily-she-did-not-insist-that-he-repeat-the Mat and Tuon's 'we hate books' moments

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/644044503126343680/manipulate-mat-scoured-his-mind-for-a-way-to-keep manipulate mansplain malewife Mat Cauthon

https://www.tumblr.com/highladyluck/680558204205318144/not-to-belabor-the-point-but-its-literally-her "war criminal pussy got me acting unwise" - Tuon

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/660317779262603264/highladyluck-i-had-this-thought-at-4-am-so-youll Selkie Tuon

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/635527252787052544/wheel-of-time-playlist Mat Cauthon/Tuon Paendrag: The Soundtrack

Crackships https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/644251995646148608/i-normally-just-skim-all-the-mat-povs-in-the my obsession with Mat/Lanfear started here

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/647718286825521152/this-blog-has-decided-to-just-accept-the Mat/Lanfear: why it's great

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/686188130139815936/will-you-go-to-prom-with-me-i-dont-see-that-i Mat/Lanfear: the promposal

https://www.tumblr.com/highladyluck/642764801123270657/new-crackship-dropped-lanfearmachin-shin-heres Lanfear/Machin Shin

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2491589/1/Reversed-PolarityLanfear/Galad

Lanfear/Galad

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/711714475702681600/how-egwene-feels-about-tuon-one-part-biting-and Tuon/Egwene: "this better not awaken anything in me"

Other Characters https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/683956447513591808 https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/677988150318137345/gawyn-died-doing-what-he-loved-mistakes-egwene https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/650073894289637376/im-not-saying-im-happy-about-egwene-alveres https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/674561140557299712/its-because-shes-guinevere Egwene's taste in men is bad for a reason

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/644957397525381120/gaslight-she-was-accepted-yet-had-pretended-to gaslight gatekeep girlboss Egwene

https://www.tumblr.com/highladyluck/666300626416943104/wot-on-prime WoT on Prime trailer characterizations

https://www.tumblr.com/highladyluck/657900986823786496/the-fires-of-heaven-chapter-3-rand-the-other Rand’s haunted

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43838274 Filk: Al'Thor by Asha'mouth (All-Star by Smash Mouth)

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/649744699383578625/holding-out-for-a-myrddraal Filk: Holding Out For A Myrddraal (Holding Out For A Hero from Narg's POV)

The Forsaken https://www.tumblr.com/highladyluck/633004240710795264/filk-forsaken-piano-man Filk: Forsaken Piano Man

https://www.tumblr.com/highladyluck/692703927546822656/made-a-silly-forsaken-playlist-on-a-whim-enjoy Forsaken Mixtape

https://www.tumblr.com/highladyluck/669555859951665152/how-all-the-forsaken-react-to-their-votive How the Forsaken react to their votive statuettes

https://www.tumblr.com/highladyluck/646632938617913344/gonna-die-on-this-incorrect-hill-nakomi-is Nakomi is Lanfear (DO NOT TELL ME THE REAL ANSWER I DO NOT WANT TO KNOW)

The Seanchan https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/713689734793297920/robert-jordan-was-homophobic-when-he-gave-all-the why must the people with the gay haircuts be evil

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/737369117802266624 horrible Seanchan step pyramid my beloved

https://www.tumblr.com/highladyluck/730402655921438720/it-is-a-cardinal-rule-of-wot-that-if-you-try-to The ocean is not a garbage disposal

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/707377199050801152/queenofmalkier-thank-you-for-reminding-me-about I just want to ride a weird beastie

Collaborative Threads

https://www.tumblr.com/gunkreads/651012677526798337/i-had-time-to-make-this-one-these-are-just-who Is every woman in WoT the same? No. Are they all girlboss? Yes.

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/676001137418272768/elayne-is-absolutely-that-friend-who-would-help WoT Hide The Body Thread (You'll want to go through all the reblogs on these, the point is that multiple people took my prompt and ran with it)

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/693617346414362624/ways-mat-cauthon-is-like-gollum-cursed-magic Gollum comparisons thread (You'll want to go through all the reblogs on these, the point is that multiple people took my prompt and ran with it)

Other https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/649985056414334976/mat-rand-perrin-nynaeve Wheel of Time characters as my collage art

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/670515289962774528/998-ne-wisdom-conference 998 NE Wisdom Conference

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/644508952623792128/how-do-you-go-from-our-holier-than-thou-neighbors Be careful or you'll stain the Age Lace

https://www.tumblr.com/highladyluck/731074582215294976/unpopular-opinion-the-sharom-is-incredibly-stupid The Sharom is Not Safe For Work (for more details see gunk's Age of Legends OSHA trilogy)

[theoldshadow]

“ I have always been ready to die for her.” There was no need for him to say which “her” he meant. “I guess I am, too, Musenge.” Light, he thought he meant that! Yes, he did mean it. Did that mean he was in love? ” knife of dreams - robert jordan @xradiant - random aesethetic - mat cauthon & tuon paendrag

[butterflydm]

Mat & Tuon

[amyrlinegwene]

🔥 Tuon

I feel like it's hard to have an unpopular opinion on Tuon because even those who like acknowledge her wrongs (on tumblr at least).

Maybe that in the show they let Tuon be a villain? I have a few preferred routes for Tuon, one where she eventually (and I do mean eventually) realizes she was wrong and tries to fix things with varying success (but even if she does, I don't want her to be completely redeemed, you can't read Egwene's scenes as a damane and want that). But I do think just making her a villain who never changes her mind despite every chance too (like the book) would be interesting AS LONG AS she gets defeated in some way (not like the book) particularly by Egwene. I think the framing of her corruption of Mat and his incorporation into the Seanchan empire could be shown as much more sinister than the book framed it too.

Sorry it's been a few days!

[wafflelovingbatgirl]

Having Tuon Thoughts tonight. I love her. She sucks and is the most lawful evil it is possible to be.I want her to be worse. I want her to have to upend her way of life. I want her to have a daughter who has the spark and have to REALLY accept what that means.

Really, really accept what it means, Fortuona, may you live forever.

[iliiuan]

This feels like Tuon-core, and she doesn't realize she's one of them.

girl i don’t know how to say this. that’s not a found family that’s a platoon of child soldiers.

[iliiuan]

If you're going to hate Tuon for being a slaver empress, you need to hate Elayne for the same reason. Oh, you really think lifelong servants aren't slaves? GTFOH Oh, you think Elayne only ruled Andor and wasn't trying to conquer the world? You didn't read the same books I did. Oh, you think Elayne is neat, so we should cut her some slack because she didn't choose her role in the story? Tuon is also neat and also didn't choose her role.

[markantonys]

to explain the third option more, i'm thinking like she starts out leading a storyline among the seanchan (whether in their conquered westland territories or in seanchan proper) and doesn't cross paths with mat/other main characters until a later season. so, the audience has gotten to know her on her own before she meets any of the other characters, sort of like daenerys in GOT (at least from what i can remember of the handful of seasons i watched 10 years ago).

[gunkreads]

"Average person sees 10 omens a day" actually a statistical error. Portents Paendrag, who lives in a circus and sees 10,000 omens every hour, is an outlier adn should not be counted

[iliiuan]

I still want her as Tuon and this would be a dope upgrade to the Seanchan blood hairstyles

LUPITA NYONG’O via Instagram

[highladyluck]

My WoT Meta Influences

Part 1 of my Reference Posts series! These are some of the secondary sources/conversations that have influenced my writing about Wheel of Time. I've organized them by subject and put them under a cut because they are loooooong. Some of these inspired me directly and others are influenced by work I've done, so this goes both ways. This is a mostly tumblr-centric list but I included some additional sources where relevant. Contents:

Tuon

Mat/Tuon

Mat/Tuon Criticism

Mat's Characterization

Mat and Gender

Mat and Heroism

Mat's Problems

Extremely Insightful Mat Jokes

Mat and Tuon Headcanons

Mat & Other Characters

Other People Explain Why Gawyn Is Like That

The Seanchan

Morality In WoT

General WoT Meta

Tuon https://websandwhiskers.tumblr.com/post/614607479229317120/highladyluck-websandwhiskers-some-thoughts 'So, the answer to the question, “Is Tuon a good person at heart?” is basically that Tuon does not exist on any reasonable axis of personhood, let alone morality.'

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/685824337113219072/not-worried Two steps forward, one step back

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/634058856376483840/for-tuon-the-friendship-head-canon Tuon hasn't had equals who aren't potential threats

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/669337735344095232 The first ripple in the tsunami of Tuon Discourse the show will bring us

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/687082667412439040 Tuon should be more concerned about mainland Seanchan in books 12-14

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/668030454495068160/this-is-especially-interesting-considering-that language change of marath'damane to Aes Sedai

https://www.tumblr.com/highladyluck/683890407526055936/top-5-wheel-of-time-characters Tuon accidental domestication arc

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/663045688513511424/tuon-centric-rec-list Tuon fics (there have been a lot more excellent Tuon fics since this list was compiled, so check my AO3 bookmarks for more)

https://13depository.blogspot.com/2002/02/character-parallels-tuon.html This is where I got a lot of background information on the influences used to make Tuon

Mat/Tuon https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/649215561695363073/mattuon-romance-fic-rec-list My Mat/Tuon rec list, "Secret Smiles" (Tuon POV of COT&WH) was particularly formative for me

https://herenya-sedai.tumblr.com/post/114883045819/mat-tuon Why herenya-sedai ships Mat/Tuon

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/737016944736206848 The way RJ writes foreshadowing into romance

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/735746342064947201/really-liked-this-observation-the-way-she Tuon expresses her feelings through leniency

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/675127369192914944/wheelofgunk-ok-so-im-reading-name-of-the-wind the act is your real self because you're just that unselfaware

https://www.tumblr.com/highladyluck/740360823025909760/you-got-my-brain-working-tuon-ends-up-focusing-on Valan Luca's finishing school for quirky princesses (feat. some part of the taming essay)

Mat/Tuon Criticism https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/669785315568975872 A perspective on Mat/Tuon that I find valuable even if I disagree on some points

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/708978276688920576/mat-the-aelfinn-prophecies Disagreement about Aelfinn prophecies

https://www.tumblr.com/highladyluck/738648490681483264/this-is-great-and-well-argued-many-thoughts?source=share Abusive elements of Mat and Tuon's relationship

Mat's Characterization https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/145058619018/wheel-of-time-liveblogging-winters-heart-ch-28 Breaking characters & how Mat is characterized

https://everybodyhatesrand.libsyn.com/episode-84-run-serena-williams-of-battles This specific Everybody Hates Rand episode spawned multiple essays and a silly fanfic. I'm also indebted to them for spelling out the implications of us never getting a pre-dagger Mat POV.

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/662445849723469824/justalittlebluetiefling-you-really-do-learn Mat is consistent from his first intro on

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/651359653076385792/confession-time-though-i-actually-just-straight-up Mat's values, fear of being free at key decision points, avoidance of political power

https://queenofmalkier.tumblr.com/post/689330916921901056/spaghetticordez-queenofmalkier-spectrum-color Thoughts on Mat's development/unfinishedness

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/731462497405665280 Mat's contradictory characteristics

Mat and Gender https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/661361383501430784/wheel-of-time-musing-mat-is-a-fem-fatale Mat as Femme Fatale

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/710803304689664000/currently-seeing-someone-in-a-discord-server-with Mat is a classic flavor of transmasc gender awakening

Mat and Heroism https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/732347779142336512 Narrative is distancing Mat from his own heroism

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/732337312894255104 Robert Jordan and narrative focus

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/708803077325651969 Mat: The only way out is through

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/707474341181440000 Mat's relationship with heroism

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/676013016427511808/thewayoftheleaf-everyones-always-up-in-arms Mat's assumption of agency for others

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/736436186927775744 Anyboli's fic "It's an old song, it's a sad song" is included here for the excellent Mat meta in the conclusion

Mat's Problems https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/653616983859920896/from-krastbannert-mat-is-basically-the-living Mat escalates his problems to solve them

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/665592060269723648/ok-so-this-tag-from-beartificer-is-hilarious-but Mat doesn't talk to anyone about his problems because he doesn't think they can relate (he's wrong)

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/658046571023384576/wheel-of-time-musing-mat-would-die-first-in-a more on Mat's treasure-hunting motivations

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/675306882057076736 Mat and Rand's autonomy being ignored & the relationship it gives them to their bodies

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/666972600283594752/this-is-a-very-interesting-lens-especially abuse suffered by the ta'veren and specifically the association of controlling access to food with taming

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/710159607603003392 flexibility/inevitability of prophecy

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/724773435856846848 Mat's fear of Aes Sedai and love of military dudes are the same thing

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/733556626773180416 Mat's paranoia

Extremely Insightful Mat Jokes https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/626395845010571264/sir-thats-my-emotional-support-deeply-cursed "Sir, that's my emotional support deeply cursed ruby dagger"

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/627380258261368832/rox-and-prose-dovahscream-rox-and-prose-if Mat and the booty shorts with "God Won't Let Me Die" on them

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/643845084644851712 High Femme Mat/Soft Butch Tuon

Mat and Tuon Headcanons https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/637756310482550784/yessssss-honestly-given-how-much-latent Mat as could-be-taught-channeler

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/737654369102823424/the-warp-the-weft-and-the-kindly-weaver-gunk This is a very good fic AND gave me the headcanon that Selucia taught Tuon her unique brand of logic

Mat & Other Characters https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/636330854168313856/the-true-foils-between-the-main-six Foils between the main six

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/636401177926516736/amemoryofwot-matelayne-ok-so-this-is-gonna-be Elaboration on the foil relationship between Mat and Elayne

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/659513145040191488/i-saw-the-ask-about-characters-forgetting-about Elayne's generosity & openness compared/contrasted with Mat's

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/659811079955922944/stillwaitingformyadventure-one-of-the-things-i Similarities between Mat and Nyneave

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/661904559598354432 Mat and Moiraine have more in common than you think

https://queenofmalkier.tumblr.com/post/129174110632/mat-and-gawyn-ramble Gawyn as a foil to Mat

Other People Explain Why Gawyn Is Like That https://herenya-sedai.tumblr.com/post/669604939700617216/prokopetz-gawain-is-bar-none-my-favourite Gawain's contradictory history in Arthurian canon

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/687854307506274304/wheelofgunk-pillowfriendly-wheelofgunk Gawyn is narratively fascinating

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/699039554435448832/queenofmalkier-rogue-rook-the-problem-of-gawyn Gawyn's desperate search for identity

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/700221790125948928 Gawyn's trauma

The Seanchan https://veliseraptor.tumblr.com/post/636312791195729920/thoughts-on-cultural-relativism-and-the-seanchan Veliseraptor on cultural relativism in WoT

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/686771893817229312 The Seanchan's role in the story w/r/t RJ processing Vietnam

https://unmarkedcards.tumblr.com/post/719331428042752000/in-the-course-of-my-fiction-writing-i-have-come-up What Could Have Been re: breaking Seanchan

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/707113940247773184/wot-meta-tuon-the-seanchan-and-their-role-in Sincerity & Idealism w/r/t the Seanchan

Morality in WoT https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/652271850978721792/wheel-of-time-meta-the-individual-and-the-ideal For Jordan’s characters good, or at least strength as a person, comes from striving to live up to an ideal, where as evil is almost always rooted in placing your own selfish desires above all else.

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/704813291182178304 justification of atrocities works in the short-term & backfires in the long-term

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/724782339032530944 Justice in 1-11 vs 12-14

General WoT Meta https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/687853072384393216/oh-this-part-definitely-completely-flew-over-my Nuclear Manetheren/Old Blood speculations

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/691699608215257088/it-seems-like-you-only-like-wot-for-the-queer Big Queer Wot Resonances tag collection

https://highladyluck.tumblr.com/post/649196610640838656/i-think-we-should-start-taking-beloved-archetypes Genderflipped Archetypes

[theoldshadow]

Fortuona Athaem Devi Paendrag , empress of the seanchan , may she live forever

merry christmas  🎅 - @ofimaginarybeings