No I don't agree. He quotes merely state what percentage of women are strong enough for the shawl, not what the actual value is attached to these women. It's an error to state that the one logically leads to the other.



Except RJ only put raw values on channeler strength in a few rare quotes in the series, none of which can be supported by your theory. By your own contention, Egwene must have maximum strength if the quote about her raw power is correct, and yet you deflect by saying that Aviendha must be wrong. I can't say much to that except that I disagree.



My point was that RJ may have used the term loosely, which is not unlikely when there were two strength lists in his series. How could he apply a bell curve and then add women above Nynaeve later?



I think it was probably gaussian but more about prevalence rather than actual strength.



But this is obviously where we disagree because you place absolute values here which I think is wrong. The x-axis is not raw strength, it's channeler level. Daigian might be at level 15 (or whatever). The woman on the other side of the curve who is stronger than 62.5% of women is perhaps a level 7 e.g. Cadsuane. The level is what balances it out not raw strength.



Except that Elayne gets proved right several times. Despite no one having a true sample, there are very few Kin, Wise Ones new novices with this strength. Galina insinuates that only Therava and Someryn are stronger than her, which is further evidence.



Which will have to remain a theory forever, because no channeling sample supports this I'm afraid.



In both cases it causes a problem.



Except for one important point : out of all of these skewed samples nothing suggests that a hive of strength exists somewhere to balance out all this weakness. While I acknowledge that Egwene's group is weaker than it should be, it's important to realise that we have quotes that suggest that women of Moiraine's strength and above are rare.



Well I don't agree, but okay then.



Egwene was doped with forkroot when this occured. It obviously doesn't count.


Moiraine says that maybe those two can handle one of the Forsaken - Graendal, Lanfear, Semirhage or Rahvin. I don't know why Egwene's evidence would be any weaker than Moiraine's. Moiraine thought that the weakest Forsaken is stronger than any ten women in the Tower.



I don't think there's any evidence that stronger channelers can work at greater distances. We've seen Fedwin and his bar, so according to Taim you should be able to channel at great distances no matter what your strength.



Except that they say they're weaker than him, which is difficult to counter with vague theories. Still, I don't think they were linked. They took turns - one rested while one channeled.



Except it doesn't explain many huge problems, like how Rand thinks he can handle any three women unless they're Forsaken strength. Or how most strong males can fight off six Aes Sedai. Those are just some of this biggest glitches you have to defend.



Linking provides an advantage. We discussed this in the other post. Egwene says that most Aes Sedai can only make a gateway that they can put their arm through. Suddenly when they link they can Travel - clearly it's a huge advantage.



It's almost all we have in direct comparison.


We don't know. The point is that Nynaeve couldn't channel unless she was angry, so her potential was a mystery for a great deal of time.


I don't think so, but I'd accept the quote if you have it. Either way, Siuan tells Nynaeve she's as strong as any woman in the Tower but not Egwene in the same company? Sounds odd.


She thinks that she could never challenge Moghedien, so I don't quite agree.


All the characters have been forced, but damane are special.