Why? - Edit 1
Before modification by Shannow at 20/11/2009 03:28:32 PM
In other words, why go to all the trouble of creating a mechanism whereby a transmigrated Forsaken's strength can be reduced, if it is to have no real impact?
You don't know why Cyndane lost strength - it might have been punishment by the Dark One, or the Finns, or a side effect, or she was improperly Healed by a woman... there are dozens of theories, and with none confirmed there is no way to apply a theme.
Where Semirhage's source of strength was her reputation as a torturer, and the fear this evoked in others, Lanfear's source of strength has always simply been her STRENGTH. The fact that it is superior to that of the other Forsaken females.
So, if RJ was somehow attempting to strip the Forsaken of their auras of greatness, would it not make much more sense to reduce Cyndane to the unfamiliar position of being weaker than some of her competitors among the Chosen?
So, if RJ was somehow attempting to strip the Forsaken of their auras of greatness, would it not make much more sense to reduce Cyndane to the unfamiliar position of being weaker than some of her competitors among the Chosen?
Who says he's stripping them of their greatness? You have no idea what is going on with Cyndane - we have almost no information on her. Even if he did weaken her as punishment (which I actually don't think is what happened), how does it fit your theory that she is now weaker than her peers if she is now only weaker than Semirhage, but still stronger than all the other women. Some punishment - she's 2nd instead of first.
I think it would fit the pattern.
What pattern? RJ isn't stripping anyone of anything. Osan'gar and Aran'gar are as strong as ever.
But, as we've already said, we cannot be sure. After Sanderson's first, incorrect quote, we could place Cyndane below Nynaeve for sure.
After his partial retraction, we don't know how far we should move her up again. He still maintains she is significantly weakened. And his emphasis on the 6 women above Nynaeve did not tie up with his uncertainty regarding Cyndane. Basically, it does not seem as if she was one of the names among the 6, else he would surely not have made such an issue about her reduced status.
After his partial retraction, we don't know how far we should move her up again. He still maintains she is significantly weakened. And his emphasis on the 6 women above Nynaeve did not tie up with his uncertainty regarding Cyndane. Basically, it does not seem as if she was one of the names among the 6, else he would surely not have made such an issue about her reduced status.
He does not maintain that she is significantly weakened. He says that she is weakened - those are his very words, and those are not new to the series... we know that already from separate sources.
Considering he's moved around from Cyndane being 'very very weak' to 'what you've always thought of her strength', I find it hard to believe that the statement on the 'six' is immune. She's obviously there if she's stronger than Graendal.
About your last sentence. Who says Graendal and Semirhage are not on the same level? Give me one quote that proves otherwise?
In fact, give me a convincing argument that even strongly SUGGESTS otherwise?
We don't have a single comaprative quote between Graendal and Semirhage, or even between Graendal and Nynaeve, which would allow us to extrapolate to Semirhage.