LOC (Lessons and Teachers) - … it had been a series of extremely bad moments, from discovering that they could not cut him off from the True Source to the contemptuous ease with which he had shielded them, snapping their connections to saidar like thread. Both of them at once. Remarkable. How many would it take to shield and hold him? The full thirteen? That was only tradition, but it might be necessary with him.
We know he can't resist thirteen...
TFoH (Pale Shadows) - “And when they take the circle to thirteen, then you must be wary. Thirteen women who can barely channel could overpower most men, linked. The thirteen weakest women in the Tower could overpower you or any man, and barely breathe hard.”
TFoH (News comes to Cairhien) - Thirteen of the weakest Aes Sedai could overwhelm him linked, and he did not think that Elaida would send her weakest.
In TGS he draws lightly on the Choedan Kal and states in TGS (A Halo of Blackness) - "I'm only holding a little extra, as a precaution"... The more of the One Power a person held, the more difficult it was to shield them. If the damane tried to capture him, they would be shocked by his resilience. He might be able to resist a full circle.
This sort of hints that his unaided ability falls only a little short of thirteen women linked. I'm not saying that's his strength - merely that Lews Therin can probably fight up to 12 women without being squashed using a combination of high strength and skill. His idea that merely holding a small amount extra makes him able to resist a whole circle is rather informative.
We know he can't resist thirteen...
TFoH (Pale Shadows) - “And when they take the circle to thirteen, then you must be wary. Thirteen women who can barely channel could overpower most men, linked. The thirteen weakest women in the Tower could overpower you or any man, and barely breathe hard.”
TFoH (News comes to Cairhien) - Thirteen of the weakest Aes Sedai could overwhelm him linked, and he did not think that Elaida would send her weakest.
In TGS he draws lightly on the Choedan Kal and states in TGS (A Halo of Blackness) - "I'm only holding a little extra, as a precaution"... The more of the One Power a person held, the more difficult it was to shield them. If the damane tried to capture him, they would be shocked by his resilience. He might be able to resist a full circle.
This sort of hints that his unaided ability falls only a little short of thirteen women linked. I'm not saying that's his strength - merely that Lews Therin can probably fight up to 12 women without being squashed using a combination of high strength and skill. His idea that merely holding a small amount extra makes him able to resist a whole circle is rather informative.
Rand saying he is only holding a "little extra" while holding the Choedan Kal makes it seem likely to me that he was probably holding a very substantial "little extra" bit of the power. I couldn't see it being much less than at least double his strength. I would think trying to use the Choedan Kal to give only a tiny flow of saidin would be incredibly hard, like having a hose as thick as a semi trailer and only letting out as much as a kitchen sink's faucet. I'm not saying it is straight impossible, but to me it just seems probable that his idea of a "little extra" was skewed by holding the Choedan Kal.
I don't think this really changes any of your arguments about Lews Therin's ability to fight up to 12 women unaided, but it seems ridiculous that any circle of channelers, mixed or not, could challenge him while he was drawing from the Choedan Kal, unless they had an access ter'an'greal as well.
I'm not an expert at any of this like some people so if there is something glaringly wrong in any of this be gentle....
Lews Therin's power
- 05/01/2010 03:11:06 PM
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Generally speaking I think you are spot on with this analysis
- 05/01/2010 11:37:48 PM
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The Aes Sedai probably should use more finesse....
- 06/01/2010 05:41:03 AM
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Indeed ... it makes a sad sort of sense given the last 3000 years!
- 06/01/2010 05:43:18 AM
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Sounds good, but one small point
- 06/01/2010 05:22:41 AM
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