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Re: not to mention DomA Send a noteboard - 05/02/2012 08:50:50 PM
quite a few of the strongest female Aes Sedai could have died during the WOS, leaving weaker women to handle the last bits of the war/ early Breaking period.

although arn't we forgetting the two Aes Sedai that lived among the Jenn Aiel? we get told they are ancient but not how strong they are. they could have known the weave but seeing as they appeared to seclude themselves in the waste maybe they never used it and passed it on.


RJ has confirmed those women were not survivors from the AOL. These AS joined the Jenn Aiel in the decades surrounding the founding of the White Tower. The scene were they appear ancient is set several centuries later. The harsh environment they lived in for centuries likely made them age faster (and look older) than average, and not all AS live 600-700 years. Some in the Tower already have signs of great age, like grey hair at 150 (so likely 300 in the AOL. People who live nearly as old as Cadsuane are the exception, not the norm. Don't forget that AS are killed (from having used the Binder), roughly in their middle years. It does not make them age twice as fast, it kills them suddenly in midlife. They never die from "natural causes" and thus they believe channelling makes them immune to all the ailments of old age, and immune to most diseases. That's not entirely true, as we know. Some of the Forsaken mention their fear of the nasty diseases they could catch in a primitive world like the Third Age's (and their doctor isn't exactly one they ever wish to have perform any cure on them!) - so it follows a channeler could eventually catch those and require healing to survive them, not to mention that channelers eventually experience decay like everybody else (eg: Cadsuane's ancient, and toothless, wilder) - it's just unknown among AS because they all die at half they lifespan. Channelling seems to boost the immune system to an extent, and the rest is due to the fact Aes Sedai die from the Binder before entering the phase of their life where they'd be far more likely to develop cancers, cardiac problems and a great deal of syndromes that are far more common past mid-life.

The Aes Sedai in Rhuidean were more likely born fairly late in the Breaking, I would say. The conditions no longer existed for AS to enjoy their AOL lifespan. The same would be true of AS, if not for the Binder. Healing would help, certainly, and they have better living condition than most, but people just don't have modern lifespans (though Jordan has pushed the boundaries of realism somewhat, having a little too many people living way past what is now considered mid-years but who would not so long ago been considered ancient, or exceptional. Mind you, perhaps it's a misconception - if we look at the Two Rivers sample, there seems to be Cenn Buie, then the next oldest characters shown - like Tam, Egwene's parents and so on are many decades younger. They're still a bit exceptional for 18th century conditions, though we have to account for the fact it's pre-industrialization).
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How did Travelling become a lost Talent? - 03/02/2012 09:09:39 AM 2062 Views
It is a little odd. Maybe because channelers weren't united for a while? - 03/02/2012 02:24:17 PM 989 Views
Re: How did Travelling become a lost Talent? - 03/02/2012 02:49:02 PM 827 Views
It has always seemed unlikely. - 03/02/2012 04:53:14 PM 898 Views
i think it could be - 03/02/2012 07:56:18 PM 1033 Views
Re: i think it could be - 04/02/2012 12:56:57 PM 959 Views
I'm really not seeing it. - 05/02/2012 04:19:38 AM 826 Views
It's always struck me as a tool of the Author more than a good hard fact - 04/02/2012 01:40:06 AM 683 Views
Your theory is based on rather severely flawed assumptions - 04/02/2012 07:34:45 AM 1074 Views
Re: Your theory is based on rather severely flawed assumptions - 04/02/2012 09:48:52 AM 894 Views
Re: Your theory is based on rather severely flawed assumptions - 04/02/2012 03:04:48 PM 924 Views
Re: Your theory is based on rather severely flawed assumptions - 04/02/2012 06:58:41 PM 806 Views
Re: Your theory is based on rather severely flawed assumptions - 05/02/2012 12:00:05 AM 820 Views
Re: Your theory is based on rather severely flawed assumptions - 05/02/2012 04:05:57 AM 744 Views
I don't see why people are having trouble believing Traveling was lost in the Breaking - 05/02/2012 05:53:32 PM 785 Views
not to mention - 05/02/2012 07:16:59 PM 748 Views
Re: not to mention - 05/02/2012 08:50:50 PM 1063 Views
Re: not to mention - 05/02/2012 09:33:40 PM 782 Views
Re: I don't see why people are having trouble believing Traveling was lost in the Breaking - 05/02/2012 07:39:51 PM 969 Views
Medical knowledge... - 06/02/2012 02:15:13 AM 672 Views
My point was that it's surprising only ONE Healing weave survived - 11/02/2012 08:25:02 PM 746 Views
Re: I don't see why people are having trouble believing Traveling was lost in the Breaking - 05/02/2012 09:11:04 PM 675 Views
Rant rant rant - 11/02/2012 08:26:56 PM 792 Views
I agree. I was going to respond but you covered most of the bases. - 08/02/2012 04:13:20 PM 664 Views
Re: Your theory is based on rather severely flawed assumptions - 05/02/2012 09:52:35 PM 845 Views
You really need to read the BWB sections regarding this - 14/02/2012 01:20:20 AM 664 Views
he needs to read it just to see it for his own eyes - 14/02/2012 02:46:44 AM 627 Views
Re: he needs to read it just to see it for his own eyes - 14/02/2012 10:15:46 PM 703 Views
I would agree with you on less structured parts of the series - 15/02/2012 03:38:37 PM 604 Views
Re: I would agree with you on less structured parts of the series - 16/02/2012 09:41:29 PM 759 Views
That I can agree with - 17/02/2012 05:46:49 AM 811 Views
Re: That I can agree with - 17/02/2012 09:26:50 AM 673 Views
Seriously! The Yellow should be ashamed - 17/02/2012 01:49:07 PM 818 Views
Well to be fair to the Yellow (which generally annoy me as an Ajah)... - 17/02/2012 06:20:06 PM 739 Views
Seems reasonable - 18/02/2012 05:49:40 PM 703 Views
Quote found - 12/02/2012 01:35:58 AM 634 Views
My thoughts - 05/02/2012 10:14:59 PM 860 Views
Re: How did Travelling become a lost Talent? - 13/02/2012 12:24:35 PM 802 Views
a few more other factors - 15/02/2012 08:22:02 PM 663 Views

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