I got the impression that "binding" allowed Demandred to take control of the Power being Channeled - Edit 1
Before modification by darius_sedai at 10/02/2013 12:40:47 AM
The scene in AMoL where Demandred lends Taim his sa'angreal, and warns him not to use it against him because he has bound it to himself annoys me rather a lot.
One of the things I like about channeling in the Wheel of Time is that it seems to mostly follow a set of consistent rules, almost like physics. Thus, I feel that a vague concept like using something "against" someone has no place. What does that even mean?
At first, I thought it might cover the case of touching Demandred with a weave while using the sa'angreal, yet what about healing? Touching someone with a weave isn't neccessarily using the weave "against" them.
Then, how about secondary effects, like lightning bolts? Mat was killed by a lightning bolt while wearing his medallion. And what about throwing stuff at him?
And what about other indirect uses, such as using the sa'angreal in a way that hinders Demandred's plans, without actually touching the man himself? Does that constitute using it "against" him?
It seems to me that the concept of binding an angreal to yourself is either pretty much useless, because it doesn't cover everything, or it takes channeling more in the direction of magic by introducing a mystical mechanism to somehow determine wether a particular use can be said to be "against" the owner of the angreal or not. Either way, it annoys me.
One of the things I like about channeling in the Wheel of Time is that it seems to mostly follow a set of consistent rules, almost like physics. Thus, I feel that a vague concept like using something "against" someone has no place. What does that even mean?
At first, I thought it might cover the case of touching Demandred with a weave while using the sa'angreal, yet what about healing? Touching someone with a weave isn't neccessarily using the weave "against" them.
Then, how about secondary effects, like lightning bolts? Mat was killed by a lightning bolt while wearing his medallion. And what about throwing stuff at him?
And what about other indirect uses, such as using the sa'angreal in a way that hinders Demandred's plans, without actually touching the man himself? Does that constitute using it "against" him?
It seems to me that the concept of binding an angreal to yourself is either pretty much useless, because it doesn't cover everything, or it takes channeling more in the direction of magic by introducing a mystical mechanism to somehow determine wether a particular use can be said to be "against" the owner of the angreal or not. Either way, it annoys me.
through Sakarnen regardless of who was drawing it. Essentially meaning Taim could only draw through it as long as Demandred allowed him too. Sort of like Demandred being able to shut down the flow at his discretion... Perhaps the sa'angreal would shut off if Demandred was not actively channeling or was cut off from the source etc...
To be honest it was clumsy as many of Sanderson's OP additions were. RJ would have given us a subtle set up for something like this earlier in the books ... Perhaps an off handed comment by Moghedien or Graendal which hinted at what that meant. Perhaps River of Souls will explain what it means.