Government structures that are good at times of war can really suck in times of peace. Say the White Tower is turned into a weapon during the Trollock wars. Say the leaders are the best generals and stragists. Then peace comes.You might be required to help rebuild shattered communities Instead of having to fend off dreadlords you are being called to mediate on a boundary dispute or a trade agreement. Would a top general be any good at this? How do you keep your combat skils sharp if you have no one to fight in real life.
The question is would the AS strongest in power be any good at anything else? What's stopping the AS from picking their leaders according to their ability to lead, instead of according to who is strong with the OP? Only their profound stupidity. Even primitive tribes often manage to pick chiefs who aare not necessarily the strongest warriors, after all.
Yes they can go to the blight but apparantly the Shadow has home advantage on anyone who tries to take them on in the blight. Being an effective fighting force is more that just using killing weaves, its about groups of Aes Sedai being able to fight in a group effectivly and I don't mean linking but true team work. How do you keep the skill set that allows say 100 women to work in battle formation when all you have are isolated raids that come from the blight without notice and could be anywere. Your 100 formation can't be everywere. Even if you empty the Tower you can only have so many groups in real battle.
Without that skills grow rusty, beliefs and tactics are unchallenged and take root as sacred traditions. The new leaders are the sisters who can negotiate a trade deal or keep the peace beween nations. Then when war comes around 1000 years later you have to relearn all the lessons that the last conflict tought you but were forgotten.
Without that skills grow rusty, beliefs and tactics are unchallenged and take root as sacred traditions. The new leaders are the sisters who can negotiate a trade deal or keep the peace beween nations. Then when war comes around 1000 years later you have to relearn all the lessons that the last conflict tought you but were forgotten.
I accept that the AS shoudl probably find it tough to get going against well prepared foes wielding the OP, this is to be expected due to the very nature of the WT and them being more of politicians than warriors. My point in that they should have heavy presence in The Borderlands simply because they have the power to save many lives by doing that. Not to mention that defeating or even just keeping at bay the Shadow is a big part of the WT raison d'etre. As it is, they are like the historical Knights Templars who right before they order was disbanded just ruled their estates in Europe without bothering to go and fight in Palestine which was their supposed mission and reason why they got these lands and properties in the first place.
Will the Green Ajah get their act together to be ready for the last battle?
- 03/11/2009 04:16:27 PM
1158 Views
It always bugged me that there weren't Green Ajah outposts in the Borderlands
- 03/11/2009 04:49:51 PM
690 Views
Re: Will the Green Ajah get their act together to be ready for the last battle?
- 03/11/2009 05:56:54 PM
680 Views
The Aes Sedai in general have been incompetent.
- 03/11/2009 07:16:10 PM
809 Views
Agreed
- 03/11/2009 07:38:42 PM
637 Views
Re: Agreed
- 03/11/2009 08:47:03 PM
622 Views
Re: Agreed
- 03/11/2009 09:21:11 PM
640 Views
Re: Agreed
- 04/11/2009 12:50:57 AM
580 Views
Re: Why combat skills fade
- 04/11/2009 08:39:20 PM
561 Views
Re: Why combat skills fade
- 04/11/2009 11:28:30 PM
619 Views
Doesn't help that we were introduced to the best so early in the series
- 04/11/2009 01:00:33 AM
604 Views
Re: Doesn't help that we were introduced to the best so early in the series
- 04/11/2009 01:42:43 AM
583 Views
The forsaken are still pretty tough.
- 04/11/2009 01:24:01 AM
706 Views
They are as tough as any arrogant, scheming idiots with power to back up their shallowness can be
- 04/11/2009 04:06:18 PM
518 Views
*NM*
All those centuries of lifetimes and they're all still level 1. While Egwene is alrdy epic. Sad. 
*NM*
- 04/11/2009 03:59:54 PM
280 Views
*NM*
- 04/11/2009 03:59:54 PM
280 Views