The Mysteries of Cyndane

[Majsju]

Everything in Nynaeves POV regarding the Healing says that what she heals is something physical. And if we look at something she says later, that she does not dare to attempt to heal Rands eyes because she does not fully understand what's wrong with them, do you seriously think she would fiddle around healing the soul without even the slightest mention of being way out into unknown territory?

 

We Know that there are both a physical and a soul aspect to the ability to channel. Stilling cuts the physical ability. very simple, and all there in the books.

[Gentled Ben]

Nynaeve was only paying partial attention to what she was doing when she Healed Logain. Perhaps if she were more cognizant of her actions, she would have balked, so we don't know that simply because she might feel uncomfortable with working on the soul that that isn't exactly what she was doing.

 

Another thought is that Cyndane's body might be that of Cabriana. The descriptions are similar, and it's quite possible that Semirhage stilled her during torture.

[Majsju]

Even IF Cyndane has Cabrianas body (there are a few points against it as well as for it), and even IF Semirhage for some reason had stilled her, it would not be very hard for a forsaken to capture another Aes Sedai, so why use one who has been stilled, even if the DO did not know about the loss of power that came with healing?

 

As for Nynaeve, she pays enough attention to be able to immidiatly run off and do it again, as well as demonstrating for all the Yellows. And surprise, not a word from them either about any fiddling around with the soul. Yoy'd think some of the Ajah dedicated to healing might have noticed such a detail...

[RobertAlexWillis]

Everything in Nynaeves POV regarding the Healing says that what she heals is something physical.

 

I'm sorry.  What, exactly, is it in her POV that indicates a physical problem?  She senses "Vast emptiness; nothingness.  What about what she had found in Siuan and Leane, the feel of something cut?" then later "There it was.  Something cut.  Just an impression, but the same as in Siuan and Leane."  (LoC ch 29)

 

What she is sensing is "vast emptiness"?  How can that be physical?  Did Logain have a huge abcess somewhere in his midsection?  Of course not.  Nynaeve is relating non-physical things in physical terms, because she doesn't know exactly what she's doing.  But its always the "feel of something cut", not "a cut".

 

And if we look at something she says later, that she does not dare to attempt to heal Rands eyes because she does not fully understand what's wrong with them, do you seriously think she would fiddle around healing the soul without even the slightest mention of being way out into unknown territory?

 

Yes, because she researched the problem first.  She said she did not dare attempt to Heal Rand's eyes right then.  Do you seriously think she's just going to leave them alone?  She didn't walk up to Siuan and Leane and just start trying different weaves, she studied the problem.  The comparison you've drawn here is not apt.

 

Stilling cuts the physical ability. very simple, and all there in the books.

 

A simple claim to make.  Evidence, please?

 

Siuan, Leane, and Logain had all been repeatedly delved.  There was nothing wrong, physically.  Therefore, what was healed is spiritual.  Which, of course, matches the symptoms of the damage caused.  The symptoms of severing are all mental/spiritual ones; depression, loss of the will to live.  They don't start to rot, or lose the use of limbs, they don't break out into a rash, or start to vomit or hemorrhage.  The damage is spiritual, and so it the cure.

 

Edited to add reference for Nynaeve's quotes above.

[Ealdur Tinuviel]

Okay, assuming that strength is body-related, I'll ask again the question that has yet to be answered: How did the DO happen to find a channeler as strong as Moridin, a channeler almost as strong as Lanfear, and a channeler the same strength as Aginor? Plus, how is it that Rand happens to be so easily equated with Lews Therin?

 

 

[Darkness Incarnated]

Hmm, a feeling of something cut. Is there a sort of connection between the body and soul? Maybe like a rope joining the two? And when you're severed it is broken? Don't know, just thinking.

 

Okay, assuming that strength is body-related, I'll ask again the question that has yet to be answered: How did the DO happen to find a channeler as strong as Moridin, a channeler almost as strong as Lanfear, and a channeler the same strength as Aginor? Plus, how is it that Rand happens to be so easily equated with Lews Therin?

 

I had this question as well, and I came to the conclusion that strength is most likely not body-related. Even if it is, the body has to account for only a very small share. It almost defies the imagination that the Dark One could find bodies that strong in a relatively a short time.

 

Moridin is apparently as strong as he was before, on a par with Rand, Dashiva seemed to be the strength he was before, almost as strong as Rand, not to mention Cyndane; weaker than her former self but probably the strongest female channeler around. I don't think Graendal was exagerating when she said that even in the AoL men stronger than her were uncommon, and women stronger than her rare.

 

If strength is determined by the body, not only the Dark One had to find bodies that can channel, but he also had to look for bodies as strong (or almost)as the dead ones.

 

Among the channelers of this Age, Rand, Logain, Taim, Alivia, Sharina and possibly Nynaeve seem to be the only ones of Forsaken strength; that is what, less than 1% of all channelers? I don't know, there could be others of course, but they seem to be even rarer to find. But the Dark One goes and find himself three bodies of such great strength? Not to mention Aran'gar (sp), though I'm not sure if s/he is as strong as before.

[Gentled Ben]

There's also that Wise One with the Shaido, Someryn, I believe. She would likely be Forsaken strength as well, and we haven't seen the channelers from the Land of Madmen or Shara yet, but yeah, there probably aren't that many around to match that kind of strength, and i don't believe that it's a function of the body either, mainly for that reason.

[Cybertrolloc]

Ny does have better feeling for healing than the rest do.

 

Samitsu (? the yellow currently in Carhein) was considered a prodigy because she could heal only specific things with the normal healing weave. Ny also has some general senses other characters don't, i.e. Sad bracelets, etc... I don't think there's a game/set/match quote to mine on this one, unless it comes from RJ.

[Majsju]

It's all there in the books, you just have to puzzle the pieces together.

 

Despite several very strong characters having been introduced, everything the books tells us screams out that it is extremely rare with forsaken strength characters.  And yet we've seen the shadow introduce not one, but four new bodies with that strength.

 

While the body has a part to play in the ability to channel, it does not make any sense that it would also decide the strength of a channeler.

[Ealdur Tinuviel]

It might also be said that the presence of several forsaken-level strong channelers "on screen" makes it more unlikely that the Shadow has found people that strong, because since we know that it is incredibly rare to be that strong, chances are there aren't too many people of huge strength that we haven't seen.