I've just finished reading most of the posts on this topic specific to the Seals and the Prison, and find that while there is much merit in all the theories they all have one major flaw. That flaw is likely based on the fact that many readers and theorists are likely resident in judeo-christian societies and therefore have an apriori inclination to identify the creator with God. As a Catholic I too have bear the weight of this apriori bias as it were; but as an avid reader of Fantasy fiction have been at times been able to see past this limiting factor. We are all inclined to believe that the Creator is an infallable unknowable omnipotent being or force. Furthermore we presupose because of the limitations placed upon our reasoning that man can not equal the creator or God, who by definition is all powerful or perfect. The basic flaw here is that if the creator is perfect then how can the creator create a prison that isn't escape or tamper proof? We know that Meirin during the age of legends is able to breach the DO's prison. If the creator were the architect of the prison, no one even during the age of legends, would have been able to breech it. Now on to the heart of the theory: Each of the existing twelve books (not includind New Spring) begins (Chapter 1 not the prologue) with the same exact words "The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend Fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the age that gave it birth comes again" Keeping that in mind along with Herid Fels theories regarding the cycle of the ages we can intuit the following. First The Age of Legends is not the first age, but more likely the last age in the previous turning of the wheel. The beginning of the end of the AoL is the drilling of the Bore into the Sharom. The influence of the DO lead to the hastened decent of what was obviously a magically and technologically advanced society into one vastly more primitive. After the bore the DOs influence works to devolve people and society. The forsaken are enticed by the DO to become his Chosen. The War of Power further causes society to deteriorate and what appears to have been a peaceful society to grow darker. The Aes Sedai or Servants to All begin to shatter like the society around them. The DO's influence divides them so much so that both the plan to seal the patch and the plan to build the Choedan Kal compete to the point so that neither will be effective to save those of the Age of Legends. The first Age of the current society begins sometime toward the end of the Breaking as the remnants of the Age of Legends wander a world still heaving from the time of madness. As the first settlements are established and humanity begins to rebuild. The last of the truly powerful channelers left begin to die out. With no established society the training and educating of future generations of channelers would become a shadow of what it was at the height of the age of legends, especially with only lesser pratitioners left to do the educating much of the scientific and magical advancements were lost. From the time of the breaking through to the present day in the third Age society continued, and continues to rebuild itself discovering or rediscovering lost wonders. As the Wheel of Time proceeds and the rate of rediscovery and advancement increases with both male and female Aes Sedai becoming both more powerful and more adept it is reasonable to assume that events are building to a time when it will be possible to perform those great feats of channelling normally only attibuted to the Age of Legends. As Tarmon Gai'don approaches, and more prophecies are fullfilled and understood, and as both the Asha'man and Aes Sedai become more adept at channeling greater and greater things can be accomplished. I have not yet formed an opinion as to what the "three that will become one" are to be, but I believe that at the climatic moment Rand, or the modern day companions, or a combination of other "heroes" the final seals to the DO's prison will be intentionally shattered and the Prison of the DO will be reformed to the state it was in during the age of legends PRIOR to the boring. As ages proceed from that point forward the and legend becomeds myth, and even myth fades; The fact that the DOs prison, the Sharom was really created by men and women rising above trials and tribulations will be lost at first to Legend, and then to Myth, and finally to the status of "the acts of the creator". AS the wheel continues to turn (well beyond the end of the 14th and forthcoming book, society will continue to advance magically and scientifically until sometime in another age knowledge of the Breaking, and the War of Power, the DO's near victories in "our" time, the sacrifices of the Dragon Reborn and his companions will be lost, and some future Lanfear, or Meirin will again make that fatal mistake of boring into the Sharom. The assumption that the Sharom can only be the product of the creator is the mistake we've all made. The fact that the Sharom could be a creation of man solves many issues, such as how could a creation of the creator be destroyed by man. The mind of man is one of the greatest creative forces in the universe. If nothing else I look forward to your rebuttles.