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The Wheel of Time Season 3 finale ushers in a turning point for Mat Cauthon. In a heart-pounding battle with the Eelfinn, Mat makes a bargain that transforms his destiny. The Eelfinn are otherworldly, fox-like people who inhabit a different dimension, entered through a twisted redstone doorframe.
When Mat arrives in their world, he is offered three wishes, but each wish has a price. Mat's decisions set his future in motion, but the price is high and instantaneous. Mat's first desire is to be immune to all magical influence in the world, particularly the One Power.
The Eelfinn fulfill this by presenting him with a foxhead medallion that renders him resistant to the One Power. For his second request, Mat asks the Eelfinn to remove the tangled memories of his past life from his mind. While they do take those memories, they also strip away others, leaving Mat unsure of exactly what he has forgotten.
For his third wish, Mat just wishes to leave but does not establish the terms. The Eelfinn, establishing their terms, send him back to his world suspended from a noose, almost killing him. In short, Mat sacrifices his memories and endangers his life in return for liberation from magical control and lucidity of thought.
The Eelfinn: Who they are and how they negotiate
The Eelfinn are revealed in The Wheel of Time Season 3 as a magical race that exists within a pocket universe. They are not human and possess an alternate moral compass. Their world is only accessible by traveling through a special redstone portal.
The Eelfinn provide bargains to individuals entering, giving three wishes for a cost. The cost is never straightforward and usually means stealing something precious from the individual's wishes. The Eelfinn have a reputation for distorting the intent behind wishes.
They fulfill desires but always exact a price in return, frequently in a manner that the guest cannot anticipate. Their bargains are perilous since the price is determined by the Eelfinn should the guest not define it. This renders any bargain with them uncertain and hazardous.
Mat's three wishes: What he asked for and what he lost
Mat's experience with the Eelfinn is strained and desperate. His three wishes are:
- To be freed from the influence of the One Power and other magical forces. The Eelfinn grant him a foxhead medallion that will shield him from magic.
- To have the muddled memories of past lives erased from his mind. The Eelfinn take these memories but also erase other memories, leaving Mat unsure of what else he has lost.
- To be able to leave the Eelfinn's realm and go back to his reality. Since Mat does not make the conditions under which he may leave, the Eelfinn imposed the cost themselves. They send him back suspended from a rope, coming close to death.
Mat's desires provide him with some defense and relief, but at an expense that is high. He loses significant memories and nearly dies. The bargains of the Eelfinn are demonstrated as being perilous, with repercussions that are not always obvious initially.
The consequences: What Mat gave up in The Wheel of Time Season 3 and what it means
The encounter with the Eelfinn transforms Mat. He gains immunity to the One Power, a protection that will serve him well in future battles. The conflicting memories that once plagued him are also removed, bringing some relief, though the additional memory loss may have lasting consequences.
Mat does not know what else he has lost, and this lack of knowledge might define his actions in the future. The immediate result is the Eelfinn's cost of his wishes. By not specifying the terms, Mat permits the Eelfinn to determine them.
They decide to return him to a dangerous situation, demonstrating that all wishes carry a cost. The experience is a caution against making bargains with the Eelfinn and the risks of looking for quick answers to difficult questions.
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Mat's exchange with the Eelfinn serves as a turning point in The Wheel of Time Season 3. Mat acquires a potent medallion and forgets disturbing memories, but loses other memories and almost his life.
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