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Re: He's special the same way any individual is special. RugbyPlayingAshaman Send a noteboard - 15/09/2009 04:53:00 PM
I tend to think Lews Therin was made the First because of his leadership abilities - he seems to have had some rare Talents, but none of which were as impressive as the skills possessed by the Forsaken and some of Rand's Third Age companions. Perhaps he was a consensus builder, and a capable leader (ie: somewhat like a Blue Ajah Amyrlin - one of their greatest Sisters was considered to be Eadyth who was said to be "one of the most capable Blues in the last one hundred years"...as an Ajah, they seem to prize versatility). Because choosing your leader on the basis of One Power strength doesn't seem to gel with their society, in which strength wasn't as important due to the uniquitousness of Circles. If people referred to leadership qualities, I'd not raise any objections, but the reasons people trot out for Lews to be awarded "Best Man Ever!" always have to do with Talents, OP strength and t'a'veren status - none of which have anything to do with his personality or skills.


I agree and disagree. I also think that LTT was chosen as the First among Servants because of his leadership skills - he was akin to a world leader anyway. There is another dimension, though, and that is the One Power. I think that the Aes Sedai in the Age of Legends paid quite a lot of attention to ability with their gifts. For instance, the only reason that Balthamel wasn't fired from his job was because of his strength in the Power. This means that they placed influence on the person's ability, which isn't very utopian at all. It's also convenient that Lews Therin is the strongest possible channeler in the Power, which means it's difficult to say that his ability in saidin wasn't relevant. Furthermore, I find it difficult to believe he wasn't a very skilled man too. Even you say that the Forsaken were very skilled and Talented, and yet none of them ever managed to overcome him, and still consider him to be their toughest physical opponent.

That said, Ishamael still lurks somewhere in the evil supervillain category. Basically, he sucks. And I haven't seen anything to prove otherwise. His whole backstory revolves around being defeated again and again - we don't even have any stories of his successes during the War of Power, unlike the other Forsaken. The only "success" he had was turning Hawkwing against Aes Sedai and the formation of the Black Ajah - both of which are rather lackluster in comparison to Lews Therin, Latra Posae or a Rashima Kerenmosa. So his only claim to villainy is being a philosopher who is somewhat of a nihilist (?).


Well it's obvious why Ishamael is like that - his victory would mean the end of the Light, and no story for us to read. If he defeated Lews Therin at the duel, or Rand at any stage, that would kind of be the end of everything. He may be unable to defeat Lews Therin but that doesn't mean he's a total loser - he might just be 2nd to Lews Therin. There's a fictional component to this villainy.


Which makes Demandred 3rd in line, and gives credence to the overall feelings of impotence and lack of coherence among the characters - why isn't Demandred upset that Ishamael ranks over him? I believe it is because RJ overlooked this somewhat, because logically, someone who doesn't like being second would hate even more to be third, and Demandred as a character is somewhat compromised by this. We don't need Ishamael to kill Rand - we just need him to do something besides gloat and appear with saa in his eyes.
"Those who think they have no time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness."
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The top 6 Forsaken - similar in the One Power Sidious - 12/09/2009 09:27:20 PM 1621 Views
Some thoughts about Semmy Lordling - 12/09/2009 09:59:50 PM 796 Views
Re: Some thoughts about Semmy Sidious - 13/09/2009 08:33:28 AM 855 Views
Of course... Digital_Eon - 13/09/2009 08:36:39 AM 665 Views
I've been thinking the same for years Dragonsworn - 12/09/2009 11:25:02 PM 758 Views
The Big White Book says... Yvves - 12/09/2009 11:46:43 PM 832 Views
Not Aginor Sidious - 13/09/2009 08:36:37 AM 814 Views
Re: Not Aginor NaClH2O - 13/09/2009 03:16:13 PM 726 Views
Re: Not Aginor Sidious - 13/09/2009 05:47:14 PM 760 Views
Fact is, the bwb is untrustworthy Shannow - 13/09/2009 05:54:28 PM 678 Views
We must either use all the quotes from the BWB or none of them Sidious - 13/09/2009 06:07:46 PM 718 Views
Or... Shannow - 13/09/2009 08:41:23 PM 659 Views
Re: Or... Sidious - 14/09/2009 04:46:52 AM 636 Views
But, RJ himself said that the BWB was written from the standpoint of a scholar RugbyPlayingAshaman - 14/09/2009 04:42:59 PM 648 Views
Re: Not Aginor NaClH2O - 13/09/2009 08:17:28 PM 623 Views
It all depends on how you define "powerful" Lanfear - 14/09/2009 02:30:31 AM 776 Views
I agree 101%. *NM* Yvves - 14/09/2009 03:49:51 AM 400 Views
I think power is much more than raw strength Sidious - 14/09/2009 05:00:10 AM 642 Views
I agree for the most part, but disagree on one thing. Lanfear - 14/09/2009 07:52:10 PM 751 Views
Re: The top 6 Forsaken - similar in the One Power Bulgakov - 12/09/2009 11:48:03 PM 692 Views
the other reason NaClH2O - 13/09/2009 03:24:24 PM 627 Views
So is graendal similar to lanfear then? Shannow - 13/09/2009 05:41:42 PM 647 Views
Graendal could fight Lanfear and win Sidious - 13/09/2009 06:01:57 PM 1168 Views
Graendal herself says... Shannow - 13/09/2009 09:08:46 PM 664 Views
Re: Graendal herself says... Sidious - 14/09/2009 04:48:37 AM 677 Views
Doesn't Graendal have an Angreal now? Rurouni_Kenshin - 17/09/2009 03:29:10 AM 680 Views
Re: Graendal herself says... Lanfear - 15/09/2009 05:36:53 PM 560 Views
Lanfear was more powerful than Graendal, but Cyndane has less power beetnemesis - 13/09/2009 10:19:35 PM 644 Views
Re: So is graendal similar to lanfear then? Watcher - 13/09/2009 06:05:11 PM 765 Views
I agree with this Sidious - 13/09/2009 06:15:24 PM 792 Views
Compulsion=any other deadly weave. Doesn't really change matters beetnemesis - 13/09/2009 10:23:40 PM 626 Views
Excellent point *NM* Shannow - 13/09/2009 10:35:08 PM 409 Views
But it did give her an edge, and against two forsaken. *NM* fionwe1987 - 13/09/2009 11:12:09 PM 378 Views
Hm? When? *NM* beetnemesis - 14/09/2009 09:04:10 PM 306 Views
tPoD, when she compelled Cyndane and Moghedien. *NM* fionwe1987 - 14/09/2009 10:19:23 PM 362 Views
Not at all Sidious - 14/09/2009 04:51:48 AM 713 Views
Using Compulsion on someone doesn't seem mechanically different beetnemesis - 14/09/2009 09:03:41 PM 560 Views
I'm not so sure about that Sidious - 14/09/2009 09:36:45 PM 660 Views
Totally agree Shannow - 14/09/2009 10:26:07 PM 448 Views
I don't agree. RugbyPlayingAshaman - 15/09/2009 04:33:04 PM 780 Views
Re: So is graendal similar to lanfear then? RugbyPlayingAshaman - 14/09/2009 04:34:24 PM 617 Views
But Graendal confronted her... twice! *NM* fionwe1987 - 13/09/2009 07:48:29 PM 339 Views
Apparently only the third time counts *NM* Sidious - 13/09/2009 08:00:37 PM 366 Views
But the third time's supposed to be lucky. So that won't count either. *NM* fionwe1987 - 13/09/2009 11:26:18 PM 387 Views
Really? Shannow - 13/09/2009 08:36:33 PM 626 Views
No falsely... fionwe1987 - 13/09/2009 11:25:40 PM 831 Views
That's pretty much my opinion in a nutshell Sidious - 14/09/2009 04:56:15 AM 779 Views
And, of course, the male and female OP strength ranks might not even correlate that much RugbyPlayingAshaman - 14/09/2009 04:41:58 PM 597 Views
They correlate on some critical points Sidious - 14/09/2009 06:57:43 PM 679 Views
That's not exactly what I'm referring to. RugbyPlayingAshaman - 15/09/2009 04:36:29 PM 541 Views
But then we are discussing the same thing Sidious - 15/09/2009 06:59:04 PM 681 Views
I think, outside of semantics, our main disagreement doesn't lie amid the higher tiers RugbyPlayingAshaman - 16/09/2009 03:53:09 PM 557 Views
Probably Sidious - 16/09/2009 06:31:27 PM 681 Views
Re: Probably RugbyPlayingAshaman - 16/09/2009 07:19:03 PM 670 Views
Re: Probably Sidious - 16/09/2009 08:59:31 PM 612 Views
Re: Probably RugbyPlayingAshaman - 18/09/2009 07:03:09 PM 941 Views
Ahh the old debate... fionwe1987 - 17/09/2009 12:42:36 AM 619 Views
Re: Ahh the old debate... Sidious - 17/09/2009 05:26:52 AM 570 Views
I only disagree on one point, I think they are all rather equal in potential, incl. Ishamael RugbyPlayingAshaman - 14/09/2009 04:28:12 PM 636 Views
I do think Ishamel is special Sidious - 14/09/2009 07:04:03 PM 724 Views
He's special the same way any individual is special. RugbyPlayingAshaman - 14/09/2009 11:36:42 PM 681 Views
Re: He's special the same way any individual is special. Sidious - 15/09/2009 08:36:20 AM 669 Views
Re: He's special the same way any individual is special. RugbyPlayingAshaman - 15/09/2009 03:48:34 PM 661 Views
Re: He's special the same way any individual is special. Sidious - 15/09/2009 04:39:39 PM 633 Views
Re: He's special the same way any individual is special. RugbyPlayingAshaman - 15/09/2009 04:53:00 PM 623 Views
Re: He's special the same way any individual is special. Sidious - 15/09/2009 06:47:45 PM 612 Views
The more interesting question is... AgentOrange - 14/09/2009 06:34:11 PM 598 Views
Hmmm Sidious - 14/09/2009 07:04:34 PM 600 Views
I think we'll see Graendal vs. Aran'gar. fionwe1987 - 14/09/2009 07:31:16 PM 669 Views
Ah yes, that makes sense, and would be great! *NM* Sidious - 14/09/2009 07:40:29 PM 459 Views
Yeah. Though I think its no competition. Graendal has got to be better than a walking tree! fionwe1987 - 14/09/2009 07:50:09 PM 568 Views
They do imply that Graendal is a lot more dangerous than she looks beetnemesis - 14/09/2009 09:08:43 PM 582 Views
I've never underestimated Graendal Sidious - 14/09/2009 09:42:49 PM 632 Views
Yeah... her frivolity was always a red flag for me too. fionwe1987 - 14/09/2009 10:18:40 PM 631 Views
To me, she is the most lethal. RugbyPlayingAshaman - 15/09/2009 05:18:10 PM 460 Views
Yup... fionwe1987 - 15/09/2009 06:39:20 PM 496 Views
I still like Lanfear more Sidious - 15/09/2009 06:51:03 PM 590 Views
Bah! She's an idiot! fionwe1987 - 15/09/2009 07:06:06 PM 601 Views
only in love *NM* Sidious - 15/09/2009 07:23:29 PM 591 Views
Graendal did not beat me and Moghedien Lanfear - 15/09/2009 05:59:39 PM 669 Views
Agreed Sidious - 15/09/2009 06:36:48 PM 600 Views
Ummm... how do we know? fionwe1987 - 15/09/2009 06:40:57 PM 726 Views
Re: Ummm... how do we know? Sidious - 15/09/2009 06:56:21 PM 639 Views
Hmmm... fionwe1987 - 15/09/2009 07:07:45 PM 786 Views
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