Hm. Well, we know that Seancean have at least a bit of ter'angreal making capacity
beetnemesis Send a noteboard - 05/11/2009 02:47:42 PM
They make a'dam, after all. On the one hand, any channeler (such as Elayne) who could make one type of ter'angreal would very likely be able to make other types. On the other hand, damane are not given much free rein, opportunity for experimentation or creativity in their lives. So, I dunno.
1. These things seem particularly malevolent. Do you think they are ter'angreal from the AOL which are being used incorrectly, or were they designed for this purpose?
Honestly, I don't know. Judging from what we know the One Power to be able to do, the "drop of blood, saps your life" thing seems unnecessary. If the OP can make you stronger and faster, it shouldn't need to drain your life.
On the other hand... Old-Fashioned Healing works like that- most of the energy from Healing comes from the victim. I wouldn't be surprised if there WAS a way to make a ring that didn't kill you, but perhaps the maker just didn't know how.
2. Do you think the Seanchan can make these ter'angreal, or do they have a stash of say a hundred rings which they use for the highest priority missions?
I think they can make them. One-time use only gadgets for suicide missions deplete fairly quickly. They probably can't make very MANY, but I think they can make them. Logical extension of the fact they can make a'dam.
3. What do you think of a person's blood linking their life force to a ter'angreal? What is RJ's message regarding a person's blood and their life force or soul? Do you think these ter'angreal link to the bloodknives like Callandor's warding was linked to Rand?
Eh... I don't know if there's a deep metaphor there. Having a superpowered suicide squad is just something that fits very thematically with the Seancean, and makes them a bit scarier (they'd been defanged a bit in the last few books).
The more I think about it, I believe the life-draining limitation was either intentional (to stop the super-soldiers from using their new powers against the throne) or because no one knew better (like with the old way of Healing, the Power used the energy inside of you as fuel).
4. What further purpose do you see for these bloodknives in the series?
Don't think there will be THAT much. Maybe just some flavor stuff, or maybe Mat having to fight some when/if he goes to Seancean.
Note: Now that I think about it, I really really like the idea that they were made to kill the user precisely to remove the threat of rebellion. The Seancean are always paranoid about that, and having too much ambition (see tGH, where the High Lord says that everyone suspect him if he revealed he had the Horn of Valere). Having a fearsome, ultraloyal squad that is committed to dying, win or lose, fits perfectly into the Seancean frame of mind. Making positively sure that even these ultraloyal guards can't rebel is even more characteristic of them.
1. These things seem particularly malevolent. Do you think they are ter'angreal from the AOL which are being used incorrectly, or were they designed for this purpose?
Honestly, I don't know. Judging from what we know the One Power to be able to do, the "drop of blood, saps your life" thing seems unnecessary. If the OP can make you stronger and faster, it shouldn't need to drain your life.
On the other hand... Old-Fashioned Healing works like that- most of the energy from Healing comes from the victim. I wouldn't be surprised if there WAS a way to make a ring that didn't kill you, but perhaps the maker just didn't know how.
2. Do you think the Seanchan can make these ter'angreal, or do they have a stash of say a hundred rings which they use for the highest priority missions?
I think they can make them. One-time use only gadgets for suicide missions deplete fairly quickly. They probably can't make very MANY, but I think they can make them. Logical extension of the fact they can make a'dam.
3. What do you think of a person's blood linking their life force to a ter'angreal? What is RJ's message regarding a person's blood and their life force or soul? Do you think these ter'angreal link to the bloodknives like Callandor's warding was linked to Rand?
Eh... I don't know if there's a deep metaphor there. Having a superpowered suicide squad is just something that fits very thematically with the Seancean, and makes them a bit scarier (they'd been defanged a bit in the last few books).
The more I think about it, I believe the life-draining limitation was either intentional (to stop the super-soldiers from using their new powers against the throne) or because no one knew better (like with the old way of Healing, the Power used the energy inside of you as fuel).
4. What further purpose do you see for these bloodknives in the series?
Don't think there will be THAT much. Maybe just some flavor stuff, or maybe Mat having to fight some when/if he goes to Seancean.
Note: Now that I think about it, I really really like the idea that they were made to kill the user precisely to remove the threat of rebellion. The Seancean are always paranoid about that, and having too much ambition (see tGH, where the High Lord says that everyone suspect him if he revealed he had the Horn of Valere). Having a fearsome, ultraloyal squad that is committed to dying, win or lose, fits perfectly into the Seancean frame of mind. Making positively sure that even these ultraloyal guards can't rebel is even more characteristic of them.
I amuse myself.
Bloodknives survey
- 05/11/2009 02:32:07 PM
913 Views
Hm. Well, we know that Seancean have at least a bit of ter'angreal making capacity
- 05/11/2009 02:47:42 PM
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There was a Q&A on this matter
- 05/11/2009 03:10:44 PM
706 Views
I'm guessing they don't think of the a'dam as a ter'angreal...
- 05/11/2009 03:18:11 PM
576 Views
I'm led to believe that they are a one-time use thing
- 07/11/2009 11:46:19 PM
449 Views
that presumes that people will know the ter'angreal is the ring. Perhaps only the royals know that *NM*
- 08/11/2009 08:48:04 AM
179 Views