Re: Hmmm... - Edit 1
Before modification by Sidious at 27/11/2009 04:37:26 AM
I was referring to Nicola, not Bode. Nicola is seen as extremely remarkable, for the amount of strength she has, and Egwene is stronger than her.
Ah okay, but it seems that Bode is about as strong as Cadsuane.
There is no mention of another Egwene strength channeler, and if Aes Sedai can make so much of people weaker than Egwene, than someone of her strength would very obviously be mentioned.
Egwene would certainly know of anyone who matches or exceeds her. Any such person would be a vindication of her decision to continue recruiting. Sharina was, certainly. And Egwene would have mentioned any other strong woman in that context.
There is a possibility she would have been mentioned, and not. RJ has introduced some strong channelers very late in the series and often for trivial reasons. I recall a Seafolk channeler, ?Rainyn, who is also as strong as Egwene, and we've never seen her again.
I'm sure Aviendha is one of the strongest Wise Ones, but we know that Tamela and Viendre come from her clan and they are even more powerful. I don't think that there are many women like Aviendha, but I'm pretty sure that there are at least 10 women of her strength in the Waste.
Moghedien said that Elayne was too strong to waste - which I agree with.
I think she's much weaker, as are all the Aes Sedai. In NS Cadsuane said that Mylen was next after her, then Kerene, and then a sharp drop to Moiraine once she reached her potential. Considering Merise is even weaker, I think Cadsuane has unprecedented strength in the Tower. I would estimate she's half as strong again as any Sister in the Tower.
Yes but there is no doubt that Egwene is very strong compared to an Aes Sedai. I don't really see how proving that Egwene is stronger than Aes Sedai, makes her close to the Forsaken. Some of the Forsaken might be six times as strong as any woman in the Tower for all we know.
Which makes the debate a little futile I guess - angreal have a wide range of power.
Egwene is very skilled with saidar but she's never dueled another channeler, so it's a wild guess that she'd be an expert dueler.
She didn't make comments about any of the Aes Sedai, though. She was silent.
Still, she thought they needed to combine their powers. There's no proof that when they reached their potential, they could do it alone. Moiraine said that Nynaeve was a bonfire next to the candle of Egwene and Elayne's potential - I've always believed this showed an immense gap between them.
Egwene would certainly know of anyone who matches or exceeds her. Any such person would be a vindication of her decision to continue recruiting. Sharina was, certainly. And Egwene would have mentioned any other strong woman in that context.
There is a possibility she would have been mentioned, and not. RJ has introduced some strong channelers very late in the series and often for trivial reasons. I recall a Seafolk channeler, ?Rainyn, who is also as strong as Egwene, and we've never seen her again.
But Amys and Melaine make it clear that Avi is one of the most powerful WO. Most of the channeling WO are out of the waste and in Illian or Arad Doman or Cairhein. I find it highly unlikely that there are many women of Avi's strength or greater running about unnoticed.
I'm sure Aviendha is one of the strongest Wise Ones, but we know that Tamela and Viendre come from her clan and they are even more powerful. I don't think that there are many women like Aviendha, but I'm pretty sure that there are at least 10 women of her strength in the Waste.
Being the strongest over a period of time is different from being the strongest in a current group.
I agree that with current recruiting, it won't be 600 years before we see another Egwene. But it is also doubtful that most random groups of 1000 will have an Egwene. After all, Elayne is strong enough that Moghedien comments on it, and that estimation of her strength is muted only in comparison to Moggy's estimation of Nynaeve.
Where the Foresaken have shown complete contempt for any Aes Sedai of this Age, two of them, Moggy and Be'lal, have shown respect for the strength of Elayne and Egwene. That too, while dismissing Moiraine, who is not terribly weak at all.
I agree that with current recruiting, it won't be 600 years before we see another Egwene. But it is also doubtful that most random groups of 1000 will have an Egwene. After all, Elayne is strong enough that Moghedien comments on it, and that estimation of her strength is muted only in comparison to Moggy's estimation of Nynaeve.
Where the Foresaken have shown complete contempt for any Aes Sedai of this Age, two of them, Moggy and Be'lal, have shown respect for the strength of Elayne and Egwene. That too, while dismissing Moiraine, who is not terribly weak at all.
Moghedien said that Elayne was too strong to waste - which I agree with.
But one of them is Merise, who is not that much weaker than Cadsuane.
I think she's much weaker, as are all the Aes Sedai. In NS Cadsuane said that Mylen was next after her, then Kerene, and then a sharp drop to Moiraine once she reached her potential. Considering Merise is even weaker, I think Cadsuane has unprecedented strength in the Tower. I would estimate she's half as strong again as any Sister in the Tower.
By Egwene's own estimation, she is far stronger than Moiraine, and this was way back in tSR.
Yes but there is no doubt that Egwene is very strong compared to an Aes Sedai. I don't really see how proving that Egwene is stronger than Aes Sedai, makes her close to the Forsaken. Some of the Forsaken might be six times as strong as any woman in the Tower for all we know.
Verin had an angreal, but so did Graendal. And Graendal had the added advantage of reversed webs.
Which makes the debate a little futile I guess - angreal have a wide range of power.
With Egwene, neither hidden ability nor reversed webs will be an issue. And the level of skill Egwene (and Elayne and Avi) shows far exceeds that of the normal Aes Sedai. In skill, if in nothing else, these three are closer to the Forsaken than to the Aes Sedai.
Egwene is very skilled with saidar but she's never dueled another channeler, so it's a wild guess that she'd be an expert dueler.
Even Cadsuane, I think. Semirhage still disparages the modern day AS, but makes not one comment that indicates she thinks Cadsuane is weak or inconsiderable.
She didn't make comments about any of the Aes Sedai, though. She was silent.
I'd rather put these women closer to the Forsaken than not. If Moiraine thinks that even at incomplete potential, Egwene and Avi can hold against one of the Forsaken, they are not inconsiderable at all. And Moiraine has actually fought with one of the strongest Forsaken, so she must have some idea of what to expect.
Still, she thought they needed to combine their powers. There's no proof that when they reached their potential, they could do it alone. Moiraine said that Nynaeve was a bonfire next to the candle of Egwene and Elayne's potential - I've always believed this showed an immense gap between them.