A thought about Callandor

[Otarin]

I was thinking about TDR the other day for some reason.  Specificily about the end of the book and the battle between Rand and Ishy. 

 

We know that Ishy was using the TP almost exclusively at this point (hence the flames for eyes and mouth, etc).  It got me to thinking did he use the TP aganist Rand in their fight.  If so was it just at the end when Callandor seemed to dim and Ishy shouts something like I won't be undone aide me. 

 

I happen to think it was the entire fight not just the end but have no real evidence.  However, I do find it curious that as soon as Rand touches Callandor the tearing sensation he has from Ishy goes away. 

 

This is purely speculative but we also know from Cadusane (sp) that Callandor is flawed.  It doens't properly buffer the user like other Angreal or Sa'angreal.  If you were making something and it was flawed (potentially dangerously flawed) would you keep it or throw it away and start over. So the question is why is flawed Callandor still around. 

 

What if Callandor is not flawed.  What if it is the way it is purposefully. The AS in the AOL knew about the True Power. What if Callandor was designed to somehow counter act or fight someone using the TP.

 

This makes sense based on the battle with Ishy in the TDR and also based on Callandor being flawed.

 

[krelianzg]

I think Callandor was kept around because, despite the flaw, it's role in the Prophecies of the Dragon was known.

 

Rand's resistance to Ishamael's attack probably had more to do with filling himself with such a large quantity of the OP. Holding the Power seems to afford a measure of protection against Spirit based attacks, such as Compulsion. I would imagine that Ishy's attempt to tear out Rand's soul used the TP equivalent of flows of Spirit, since it seems like that would be a  metaphysical or non-corporeal (not sure which word is closer to the truth here) attack, so Rand drawing on the Source through Callandor drove off the attack.

 

We also have no evidence that the AS as a whole were aware of the True Power. Lews Therin was, but he was intimately acquainted with the Forsaken.

[Tamia Sedai]

I agree with you.  what if it was kept around and it really doesn't have a flaw?  The Prophecies of the Dragon were probably not formed yet when Callandor was made. This is all very interesting  :-\ !

 

:) Tamia Sedai  :)

[Kura]

Well, its all interesting in theory, but lets look at how Callandor is flawed.

 

It's missing a buffer

It magnifies the taint(or its effect, still, its to the same end)

 

Without a buffer, you'd have to be super-duper careful not to draw to much, since I'm betting you could unleash some serious hell upon the 15 square mile radius if you over drew on Callandor; look what LTT did, we don't even have evidence he had an angreal, and by his perspective, I doubt he did.

 

As to magnifying the taint, well, heres the kicker, and why Callandor was so devastating to use by a male unaided. Massive, unrestrained power + crazy in a shiny sword. The combination seems to institute a temporary increase in madness, judging by the whole "I am the Storm!" thing.

 

I'd think the taint to be akin to the TP, both rot your body if in different ways, and both stem from the DO. This is just theory, but I'd say something that magnifies the Taint, wouldn't be a special defense against the True Power. (this next part is pure speculation) If anything, I'd say Moradin might actually be able to wield the True Power through Callandor, since it permits the taint so well.

 

Edit: Oh, yeah Tamia. Callandor almost certainly did predate the prophecies of the dragon, as LTT wielded it, and I doubt a new set of prophecies would be around with the original still kicking. Plus, I vaugly remember something in the flash back, about the actual telling of the prophecies, namely that it took like three days, and the breaking had started, but don't quote me there.

 

But, after the prophecies it was specifically mentioned, and so it would be kept around. Before, its main deterrent from use wasn't applicable. I'm guessing since LTT was the Tamiryllian((I butchered that word didn't I..))meant that he was incredibly skilled in the Power, and as such, could control himself when wielding The Sword that is not a Sword.

[Tyrell]

It's never stated that Lews Therin wielded Callandor. Looking at the perspective of Rand's Aiel ancestor in TSR I don't think he did either, the Dai'shan Aiel, who's head Rand is in identifies the Dragon Banner, but doesn't recognise Callandor.

 

Also as we see from Demandred's PoV in WH, a general is not a foot-soldier. A general does not put his rear on the line without good cause. Standing on a hill blasting darkfriends and shadowspawn with a big glowing sword and using enough Saidin that channelers from miles around will feel it when you have an army to do all that killing for you counts to me as putting your rear on the line with good cause.

[TheDarkAngel7777]

Callandor was made before the taint and so the only disadvantage from having no buffer would be that you could potentialy draw enough of the power to kill yourslef. However this would also allow you to draw more safely than if it had a buffer. Kinda like overclocking a CPU its faster but it might overheat.

[Kura]

Ahh, going back on a reread, found it. Thanks for the correction Tyrell, still, it doesn't really shake anything, just a detail or two out of place. Maybe Callandor was created after the prophecies though. -shrugs-

[professorskar]

I have absolutely nothing backing this up, but I had always assumed that the reason Callandor was flawed was because it was a rush job.  I figured an artifact like that was probably made during the War of Power, and it might have been a rush job because they needed extremely powerful *angreal to use as weapons against the Forsaken and co.  Who knows, maybe it isn't flawed so much as it is...incomplete?  We know very little about the making of any type of *angreal, in fact, I believe the only types we have ever seen made are ter'angreal and I still don't think they show you a whole lot.  Maybe the buffer is something that can be added to it.

[Thunderbomb]

Can the True Power be channeled threw Callandor? Ive always wondered that.

[RobertAlexWillis]

Can the True Power be channeled threw Callandor? Ive always wondered that.

 

No, or at least, the probability is really, really small.  I draw that conclusion from this statement:

 

16. Can Moridin use a male angreal if he channels the True Power?

 

A: No.

 

From the 2004 WOTmania interview with RJ, http://www.wotmania.com/faqtopic.asp?ID=96

 

The question regarded angreal, not sa'angreal, but everything we've seen says they work on basically identical principles, so ...