Men can't feel the ability in others unless they are holding the power.
Yeah, men can sense nothing unless the man decides to hold saidin.
As for Cyndane, I think she's got a true strength reduction, much like Siuan and Leane. I don't think any tied off shield could hold Lanfear. She mocks Asmodean about it, implying that she has a shield-breaking Talent, and even Aginor claims that he can break any shield with time.
My two theories on Cyndane are that she either has a body that can't support her strength in the Power, or that she was Healed by the Black Ajah. Both theories have serious flaws, but I don't think there's anything better out there.
I'll point you to the Osan'gar/Aran'gar intro scene too. Aginor specifically points out whatever Shaidar Haran didn't to cut their access to the Source, it wasn't like a shield and there was no way to break it.
It's not a large leap to make to speculate if Shaidar Haran can temporarily make it as if you were severed or had never had the ability at all, it may well be possible that Shai'tan can on a permanent basis (permanent only if he doesn't undo it, maybe) reduce your strength with some sort of TP shield.
I don't see anything in the books or quotes that eliminate this as a possibility.
If Jordan has left clues to puzzle out what happened to Cyndane (I'm not convinced he did, but maybe) then this might be it.
Cyndane seems way too strong for BA healing, I think, and it's unlikely she was stilled. If she lost her ability, it would be by being burned out, not stilled. It's hard to think any BA could better what Nynaeve did with her weave. It's hard to think why Semirhage would not have be ordered to learn the weave and do it. It's not like the DO to trust any channelling job to anyone but his Chosen.
As for the body theory, I find there's more holes in that one than swiss cheese. The fact Aran'gar can use her full strength in saidin in a delicate female body put serious dents in any theory like that. Sammal was short, but still very powerful. Alivia is the same. Nynaeve too. Even at lower levels, Moiraine was very small and delicate, yet she bettered any but Cadsuane in strength before the girls. Jordan never gave any hint that physique has any relation to strength. He spoke of genetics and soul as two factors in the ability, not genetics (specific determinant genes, not genetics in general) and additional body characteristics. By all evidence given Rand has the exact strength of LTT, strength is determined by the soul, and for the soul to be able to channel, the genes for the ability to develop must be present in the body the soul is incarnated in (the genes must be how the Wheel can enable or disable the ability to channel for everyone). Even the fact the bridge Nynaeve healed in Siuan/Logain/Leane was not something physical suggests strength is related to this conduit (it seems women's are made of saidin and men's of saidar - as if the opposite half of the OP (with the possible exception of the TP) is the only thing saidar/saidin can't pass through, an hypothesis supported by the method used by Rand to cleanse saidin : could his filter have been anything but saidar? I doubt it), not to anything in the body itself.
This message last edited by DomA on 06/06/2010 at 05:57:06 PM
Did the Finns take Moiraine and Lanfear's strength in the OP and swap them?
05/06/2010 09:05:37 PM
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Re: Did the Finns take Moiraine and Lanfear's strength in the OP and swap them?
05/06/2010 10:25:39 PM
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Post some Cyndane quotes. I thought she was still far more powerful than Mo
05/06/2010 10:30:02 PM
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or the difference between Lanfear and Cyndane is now in Moiraine
07/06/2010 01:25:04 PM
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no, cyndane is still the strongest female forsaken, and possibly strongest female channeler
05/06/2010 10:32:04 PM
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I always thought this was funny- it's like her stupid diguise in tGH
06/06/2010 08:00:27 AM
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Nope...
06/06/2010 12:05:11 AM
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Not Shielded
06/06/2010 12:38:54 AM
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Re: Not Shielded
06/06/2010 01:51:45 PM
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Osan'gar could have felt the ability anyway
06/06/2010 03:07:39 PM
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Indeed
06/06/2010 04:54:05 PM
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Re: Indeed
06/06/2010 05:51:17 PM
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Tor QotW #9 hints at the physical size of the body limiting the quantity that can be channeled...
06/06/2010 06:42:22 PM
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This shield-theory was basically ruled out by BS
07/06/2010 09:44:05 AM
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That theory doesn't explain why Aran'gar and Osan'gar and Moridin
07/06/2010 12:44:56 PM
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I think...
07/06/2010 01:10:29 PM
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I don't agree that this is the case
07/06/2010 01:23:44 PM
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We don't know...
07/06/2010 01:46:07 PM
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Halima is described as pretty much an average sized woman
07/06/2010 02:32:04 PM
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Yeah, but...
07/06/2010 02:37:53 PM
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Dude, he was one of the Forsaken!
07/06/2010 02:54:20 PM
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As said...
07/06/2010 03:07:14 PM
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I'll fall outta my chair if this turns out to be the answer
07/06/2010 03:11:17 PM
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The problem with this is...
07/06/2010 03:21:42 PM
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*shrugs*
07/06/2010 04:39:40 PM
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As pointed out, I think it would make sense. But yeah, we will see! *NM*
07/06/2010 04:48:21 PM
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I agree with Daurius ^ but I still think the Finn could've been the culprit... allow me to elaborate
08/06/2010 12:20:44 AM
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There are quotes
08/06/2010 08:49:17 AM
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He actually said might involve not a definitive there.
08/06/2010 02:46:00 PM
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Doesn't make much sense...
08/06/2010 03:12:48 PM
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Re: Doesn't make much sense...
08/06/2010 03:20:54 PM
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The quote...
08/06/2010 03:42:48 PM
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Honestly I've yet to hear a single theory I'm particularly in love with
08/06/2010 03:45:34 PM
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