Re: But they knew so much more about the power - Edit 1
Before modification by Datakim at 13/08/2010 09:09:44 PM
To be honest, the incredibly advanced knowledge of the AoL channelers means that they would probably have a great shot at creating/imagining some kind of SL-substitute. Those guys figured out "vacuoles" for Light's sake! They understood it so well that even Moghedien - a non-researcher - knew a good bit about them. Our Randland guys don't know what stars are, or whether there are other planets. It was luck and providence and 'Finnland that gave Rand his SL-idea, so I think you're doing the AoL AS a bit of an injustice.
Then why did they not do it? The ancient AS DID recover the access keys so they had access to the full power of the CK. They also obviously knew how to remove taint from saidin since they did it with the eye, and they also had access to male channelers who were still sane. Instead they sent the access keys to Rhuidean with the Aiel, and never went there to reclaim them. That pretty much leaves two choices, either the taint-opposing SL-evil was something that could not be replicated even by the AoL AS. Or the possibility never occurred to them at all. We know that research on the taint was performed in the AoL, so I would think that the first possibility is the more credible one. Regardless, it does not change the fact that SL or SL-substitute was required to destroy the taint and for whatever reason, the AoL did not have one.
But I do like your theorizing on the taint and the way it burns itself out by corrupting physical bodies.
It seemed to me to fit the fact that the AS who made the eye all died. What killed them? When it really comes down to it, the eye was just a huge well of saidin, similar to the ter'angreal that both Cadsuane and Nynaeve have. Surely making one would not be fatal, or no one would ever have created one. That pretty much leaves the process of cleansing the taint from the eye as being responsible for the death. Given that Rand had to direct the taint somewhere (SL), and there was no SL, it makes logical sense to me that the AS sacrificed themselves to destroy the taint.