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This is the location where young warders are taken in and trained to be powerful warriors. This is also the office of Skiiy Mikaido, the Master-of-Arms of the White Tower. Warders may come here to ask questions, or apply to be raised from a warder-in-training to a full Warder.

Well, don't warders aim to master their weapon as well, but can only be considered masters after a long time of use? I guess *Insert weapon name here*master would work, if you really feel the need for a 3rd class. Like Blademaster, y'know...

...well of course you'd be maxed out on rank, you've been around forever...

A bit of a necropost, but I thought I'd like to clear something up. While every warder would love to become a blademaster, and surely some do, there really aren't that many. It takes a VERY long time, and an incredible amount of work to earn the heron, which is why blademasters have the respect they have. So, I would suggest not calling blademaster a warder rank, since you can be a blademaster without being a warder, (Rand and Tam al'Thor both are), and you can be a warder without being a blademaster. (in fact, most warders are, I believe.)

Rand al'Thor - Dragon Reborn
Lan Mandragon (spelling?) - sole survivor of Malkier (spelling?)


The book series makes Rand a blademaster only out of nessecity. I mean, how useful would he be if he couldn't work a sword?! Tch, some final battle that would be.

*Dark One shows up with a huge sword*
*Rand pulls out his sword*
*Dark One stabs Rand and ends the world*


...yea, great battle.

Rand was also ta'veren, and his very existance twists chance beyond what is normally possible. It is indeed possible to become a blademaster very quickly, if one has incredible skill and quite a bit of luck.

Lan is most likely in his thirties or older, since he was a young man when Rand was born. He's had a lot of time to hone the skills that make him a one man army. I'm not saying that it takes a long time, but I am saying that there aren't a large amount of blademasters at all. Also, remember that the series is mostly considered with the movers and shakers of the world. I'm not opposed to a large number of blademasters here, but to call blademaster a rank would imply that everybody gets it.

That being said, I'm going to be continuing work on the swords and swordsmanship topic, and especially adding fighting techniques that don't center around the katana, which seems to be the weapon of choice of the blademasters of Randland. I may add some things about fighting with two swords, but I'm pretty unconvinced of the idea of that form of swordfighting being very effective, due to it's complexity. I'd welcome any comments or suggestions either in a PM, or if it deserves consideration by all, post it somewhere in this subforum that isn't in the topic itself. I'd like to keep it clear of general chitchat.

But Rand's blood was not of Manthern. He was just raised by the blood of Manthern. Rand is Aiel and of the noble blood of Andor. Tigraine is his mother and an Aiel his father.

I think his aiel blood also played as a good reason for his skill mastery.