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Re: Not totally accurate darius_sedai Send a noteboard - 05/06/2015 08:22:13 PM

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I think the only problem with this is that the Ajah gained influence when they brought stronger Novices to the Tower, and by extension, there are indications that a Sister who found a stronger Novice would gain some sort of influence as well (i.e. scene where Moiraine tells Siuan that she has found a much stronger channeler than Nynaeve - she doesn't mention this as an aside, but as a politically significant addendum that could shield Moiraine from trouble).

That's certainly at least somewhat true. But she only brings this up when confronted with the Red Ajah gaining some back patting because of Elayne's strength, which is silly since Elayne would have gone to the Tower regardless of her potential so the Red gaining influence for her recruitment is a bit of BS. Moiraine specifically brings Egwene and Nynaeve's great potential up because she needed political advantage. Normally she wouldn't have even brought them to the Tower at all unless they were already channeling and required the training for their own safety. But since Siuan was already struggling with the Hall this could be used.


And we already know that age and rank resulted in deference, so you couldn't necessarily browbeat any Sister weaker in the Power.

I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at here ... we've seen stronger Sisters browbeat weaker Sisters at almost every turn. Kiruna/Bera with Merana, Cadsuane with everyone, Elayne pulls it off with the Ebu Dar Sisters ... probably a million more examples too


And ultimately, every Aes Sedai was concerned with finding, and bringing the strongest and most intelligent channelers to the Tower. To add to this, Elaida pushed Moiraine and Siuan extremely hard after she was Raised because she explicitly wanted them to pass - she didn't necessarily seem to think that they would support her politically, and seemed to think they needed to pass for the good of the Tower.

I disagree ... until Verin and Alanna went to the TR for their own purposes and couched it in "recruitment" all we ever hear about is how AS don't actively recruit. Even when Egwene forces the issue we still see most AS are reluctant to do more than allow women who approach them to join the Novice ranks. Even after they found Sharina and women like Nicola and the other powerful ones most AS seem to do little other than accept this situation.

Elaida is more than a little unstable so I'm not sure using her as an example is making your point ... but to your point she also essentially saved Egwene because of her strength in the Power. It's clearly something considered valuable, when discovered, but other than Cadsuane not a lot of AS seem to care much about finding any women.


All in all, I think the culture of the Tower was one which favored finding and training the strongest channelers possible, and I don't think the vast majority of Sisters were so petty that they would purposefully avoid bringing promising candidates to the Tower even if that candidate had a higher potential than them.

I think if this was truly the case we'd see far more women in the upper levels of AS strength. Fact is the vast majority of AS are what they consider "middling" and the ranks are thinner in the top tiers of strength than at the lower spectrum. It's slightly skewed because there is a minimum strength level involved in becoming AS which IIRC RJ said eliminated roughly 1/3 of all women. So there should be a bias toward the top of the strength levels, but in reality there is a bias toward the lowest strength. Cadsuane notes this when talking about Moiraine's strength and that there should be 50 women to match her rather than 5.

I don't think it's 100% pettiness (although most AS we've seen are pretty petty), I think it's another one of those bad "customs as strong as laws". AS wait until they are approached by a woman unless she's already begun channeling. But given the political nature of the Tower, it seems likely that this "custom" was born from AS not wanting to displace themselves in the hierarchy by recruiting women who end up stronger.

Domani Drag Queen in the White Tower ... Aran'gar watch out!
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Re: Not totally accurate - 05/06/2015 03:23:08 PM 1270 Views
Re: Not totally accurate - 05/06/2015 08:22:13 PM 1237 Views
Re: Not totally accurate - 05/06/2015 09:16:51 PM 1410 Views
Re: Not totally accurate - 06/06/2015 03:48:34 PM 1229 Views
Re: How that CAN be interpreted however, is... - 02/05/2014 09:39:06 PM 1543 Views
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Re: Thanks DomA. The problem is simple.. - 02/05/2014 10:45:12 PM 1481 Views
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Oh... - 03/05/2014 02:35:08 AM 1344 Views
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Re: Can you clarify something here Dom/Terez? - 07/05/2014 02:59:42 AM 1556 Views
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Re: Some things to consider... - 17/05/2015 03:32:22 AM 1209 Views
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mmm, Vegeta *NM* - 03/05/2014 08:32:36 AM 867 Views
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Re: Thanks. Because it will solve the entire riddle - 04/05/2014 06:16:52 AM 1481 Views
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Re: Interesting... - 05/05/2014 04:08:41 PM 1416 Views
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This is great! - 02/05/2014 10:23:31 PM 1539 Views
In the original he might have kissed her. - 03/05/2014 12:49:53 AM 1404 Views
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Easy answer - 10/05/2014 02:49:53 PM 1339 Views
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Came across one of the oldest strength lists I'd seen... - 02/05/2014 10:46:29 PM 1428 Views
#10 seems weird. An Aes Sedai who never reached her full potential? - 03/05/2014 06:43:41 PM 1543 Views
Not weird. There is a good reason. - 03/05/2014 09:30:40 PM 1574 Views
One question... - 03/05/2014 09:44:35 PM 1515 Views
yes to both *NM* - 03/05/2014 10:49:29 PM 937 Views
Suian? - 04/05/2014 04:50:32 PM 1473 Views
Does not meet the criteria I gave. *NM* - 10/05/2014 05:23:27 AM 810 Views
Re: Not weird. There is a good reason. - 11/05/2014 05:49:31 AM 1396 Views
Not someone who was severed, burned out, or anything like that. *NM* - 11/05/2014 01:27:28 PM 852 Views
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no... - 11/05/2014 04:27:07 PM 1279 Views
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Even I don't know what Dom is talking about. *NM* - 13/05/2014 06:24:23 PM 822 Views
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no - 14/05/2014 07:52:27 AM 1328 Views
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Re: Hmmm... - 13/05/2014 10:38:05 PM 1239 Views
Re: Hmmm... - 14/05/2014 04:09:42 AM 1317 Views
Oh. Is it about using as much if the OP as you can handle? - 14/05/2014 04:37:20 AM 1387 Views
Re: Oh. Is it about using as much if the OP as you can handle? - 14/05/2014 07:55:20 AM 1360 Views
- 14/05/2014 08:14:05 AM 1277 Views
Re: Oh. Is it about using as much if the OP as you can handle? - 15/05/2014 03:59:02 AM 1428 Views
Re: Oh. Is it about using as much if the OP as you can handle? - 16/05/2014 04:06:02 PM 1292 Views
Re: Oh. Is it about using as much if the OP as you can handle? - 17/05/2014 03:01:25 AM 1404 Views
Perhaps Romanda? - 05/06/2015 04:22:31 PM 1293 Views
Re: Perhaps Romanda? - 05/06/2015 08:39:31 PM 1094 Views
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Alternatively, someone who went to live in Far Madding... - 12/05/2014 12:08:07 PM 1376 Views
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Redirect to my initial "Not weird" post. *NM* - 12/05/2014 06:59:02 PM 830 Views
Re: Not weird. There is a good reason. - 20/05/2014 02:23:13 AM 1282 Views
Lots of no *NM* - 20/05/2014 02:30:25 AM 835 Views
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Well, I'm not saying she did it to appear weaker... - 20/05/2014 03:48:10 PM 1211 Views
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Re: Both potential and actual strength can be sensed. - 22/05/2014 02:33:30 AM 1343 Views
Re: Both potential and actual strength can be sensed. - 22/05/2014 05:04:00 AM 1401 Views
So... - 22/05/2014 05:12:48 AM 1262 Views
Re: Both potential and actual strength can be sensed. - 22/05/2014 11:55:38 AM 1270 Views
Re: Both potential and actual strength can be sensed. - 24/05/2014 02:07:01 AM 1312 Views
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Re: Not weird. There is a good reason. - 04/06/2015 05:49:42 PM 1304 Views
Re: Not weird. There is a good reason. - 04/06/2015 06:05:28 PM 1179 Views
Re: Not weird. There is a good reason. - 04/06/2015 06:23:28 PM 1317 Views
Re: Not weird. There is a good reason. - 04/06/2015 08:37:20 PM 1134 Views
I think this will be in the Encyclopedia, so... - 10/06/2015 03:06:42 PM 1268 Views
you are such a tease *NM* - 10/06/2015 09:05:10 PM 655 Views
Why doesn't someone... - 24/05/2014 11:25:51 PM 1481 Views
Favourite part about this post... - 12/05/2014 07:12:51 AM 1501 Views
With regard to #10- does it involve the Oath Rod, in some way? - 15/05/2014 02:53:45 PM 1316 Views
no *NM* - 15/05/2014 07:16:16 PM 796 Views
Oh, I know! It's the Sea Folk Aes Sedai! - 17/05/2014 01:32:04 PM 1385 Views
Re: Oh, I know! It's the Sea Folk Aes Sedai! - 17/05/2014 08:45:59 PM 1424 Views
An Aes Sedai who was sent away from the Tower? - 17/05/2014 10:01:44 PM 1423 Views
Again, no reason to think this Aes Sedai did not channel often. *NM* - 18/05/2014 04:32:06 AM 836 Views
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Re: Too specific - 21/05/2014 05:32:32 AM 1262 Views
You think THAT isn't specific? *NM* - 22/05/2014 02:41:53 AM 844 Views
It's a fine mess that no one can work out - 09/06/2014 09:20:56 AM 1502 Views
Re: It's a fine mess that no one can work out - 04/06/2015 08:48:20 PM 1378 Views

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