About Dashiva and Cyndane's strength reduction... - Edit 1
Before modification by Shannow at 05/12/2009 09:55:40 AM
2.
Regarding channeler strength not tied to the soul. That's slightly problematic given Demandred and Mesaana's comments about Cyndane. Because if channeler strength is dependent on the body, and not the soul, then Demandred had no reason to think that Cyndane is not Lanfear just based on Mesaana's comment that Cyndane is weaker than Lanfear was.
If strength was dependent on the new body then channeler strength could never be an indicator of who a transmigrated channeler had been before. Demandred would surely know this.
Regarding channeler strength not tied to the soul. That's slightly problematic given Demandred and Mesaana's comments about Cyndane. Because if channeler strength is dependent on the body, and not the soul, then Demandred had no reason to think that Cyndane is not Lanfear just based on Mesaana's comment that Cyndane is weaker than Lanfear was.
If strength was dependent on the new body then channeler strength could never be an indicator of who a transmigrated channeler had been before. Demandred would surely know this.
I don't think anyone from the AoL and current Age know anything about transmigration. At least, not enough to be an expert in the process and side effects. Nor do I think that any of them know how a reincarnated channeler would have definite but differing channeling potential/strength. I mean, there is no way to track a soul after it departs its body upon death to be spun back out by the Wheel.
Transmigration and direct reincarnation has only been done, what, 4 times so far? (Osan/Aran'gar, Cyndane, Moridin) And Demandred or Mesaana weren't even present when the DO brought his dead Chosen back. What do they know about transmigration, a power that seems to be the DO's soul province.
Demandred and Mesaana both discard the idea that Cyndane is Lanfear reborn BECAUSE she is so weak now compared to the past. Lanfear's original strength in OP could definitely be reduced because of being reborn in a different body. Even Dashiva was gauged by Rand in OP strength, and found wanting. I seem to recall Aginor being one of the top male channelers, rivaling both Lews Therin and Ishamael in strength. And wasn't Dashiva/Osan'gar not as powerful?
In CoS Rand says Dashiva holds saidin to overflowing, and holds almost as much as Rand can.
So Aginor is as strong as ever.
As apparently is Moridin. And Arangar hasn't mentioned any strength decrease either.
Furthermore, the Forsaken HAVE all seen transmigration before, in the AOL. RJ said that the reason they believed the Dark One's promises of immortality was because they had seen people transmigrated during the AOL. Dashiva and Arangar were certainly not the first to go through this process.
And Mesaana and Demandred's immediate dismissal of Cyndane being Lanfear, based on her reduced strength, indicates that none of the previous transmigration resulted in a One Power strength reduction.