The world of fantasy has suffered a great loss in the passing of James Oliver Rignley Jr., also known as Robert Jordan, the prolific author of the Wheel of Time series (among others). Robert Jordan was the third fantasy author I read, behind Tolkin and Eddings.  As such his words have left an indelible mark on my perception of both the fantastic and reality. His works over the past near two decades have punctuated my experiences; adding a period to freshman year finals, a comma to wedding preparations, some hyphens to long nights watching over a new born son. Though I have never met the man, he has enriched my life and changed the way I view the world. A world that is a little less magic, a little less vibrant, with his passing.