Documented cases of severed/gentled men surviving?

[Tyrell]

We know that it's possible for women who are severed/stilled to survive if they can find something to live for, but are there any documented cases of men who have been severed/gentled surviving?

 

And if not, do you think it is just the White Tower's treatment of them that is responsible for the zero survival rate?

[Orange Fescue]

I can think of no male survivors of gentling other than Logain. The White Tower's treatment of the gentled men is probably to blame, in part, for the complete lack of survivors. Whereas a stilled woman can apparently survive by finding a cause or other purpose to replace channelling, gentled men are held in the tower and prevented from doing anything like that. The Tower wouldn't see any need to try and get them involved in causes since the Tower assumes they're going to die anyway and the Tower is always unquestionably right about everything.

[padan]

I think it was mentioneds somewhere in COT that lord Algiarins (where rand is staying for a while to rest after having cleansed saidin) brother was gentled and survived for aquite a few years. Not sure exactley where it is in the book...but I am pretty sure I read it.

[Tyrell]

Mm yeah Padan IIRC he survived 10 years, but I may be wrong. Apparrently all of Cadsuane's captures survived longer than most, though I can't remember where I read that.

[Theandrin]

I could see some men surviving after being gentled, but I don't think the tower would document it. Until it was discovered that stilling could be healed, no AS really wanted to study it. Because of this I could see a lot more women surviving and men, but the tower just not caring/writing it down.

[RobertAlexWillis]

Lord Algarin's younger brother Emarin was cared for, by Cadsuane, in the Tower, and survived for ten years after being gentled.

 

CoT ch 23

[Orange Fescue]

Mm yeah Padan IIRC he survived 10 years, but I may be wrong. Apparrently all of Cadsuane's captures survived longer than most, though I can't remember where I read that.

Why do y'all think that would be? Did she give them more attention than other aes sedai gave their captives? Or that she cared at all beyond saying "oh, poor doomed creature" before going back about her Power-enhanced business? Could it be she bonded her captives? She is Green, after all, and bonding does give men a variety of advantages.

[CUBAREY]

Quote:

 

Could it be she bonded her captives? She is Green, after all, and bonding does give men a variety of advantages.

 

Bonding men she knows are going to die is a bit extreme even for Cadsuane. 

[Tyrell]

Perhaps she just gave them alittle empathy, alittle sympathy, remember her speech when she first meets Rand, about how men who can channel all cry in the end and all that; even alittle would be alot more than a Red would give any man, let alone a man who can / could channel.

[Orange Fescue]

Quote:

 

Could it be she bonded her captives? She is Green, after all, and bonding does give men a variety of advantages.

 

Bonding men she knows are going to die is a bit extreme even for Cadsuane. 

True but, if she thought it would extend their lives or allow her to learn more about the effects of gentling on men, she might be willing to go through some comparatively extreme stuff. And, if she released the bonds before they actually died, she would be spared a lot of the post-death trauma aes sedai go through when they lose a warder.

[Tyrell]

I remember reading somewere that dooign something like releasing a warder's bond just to avoid the effects of him dying on you would be considered highly irresponsible in general by Aes Sedai; the general view being that if you bond someone, you're serious and you're being very selfish to do so, the only time when it is useful to release a bond being when you have time to as you're dying, to save him from going beserk. Though I don't remember where :S

 

Although I would consider bonding a man who can channel, who is very likely going to die soon, highly irresponsible anyway. Something even Cadsuane would be called down for if it were discovered.

 

Although there is the comment that is mentioned somewhere that Cadsuane had had more Warders over the course of her life than most Aes Sedai had pairs of shoes.

[CUBAREY]

Quote"

 

Although there is the comment that is mentioned somewhere that Cadsuane had had more Warders over the course of her life than most Aes Sedai had pairs of shoes.

 

Being a Green, one who is famous for her adventures  and the oldest A.S. in living memory it does not seem strange that she would of had a lot of Warders.

[trakand_01]

Why do y'all think that would be? Did she give them more attention than other aes sedai gave their captives? Or that she cared at all beyond saying "oh, poor doomed creature" before going back about her Power-enhanced business? Could it be she bonded her captives? She is Green, after all, and bonding does give men a variety of advantages.

 

Perhaps she knew all along that she would have to guide Rand, that Moiraine would not survive (or perhaps Moiraine wasnt even in her plan) and wanted to get as much experience of male channelers as she could. IMO Cadsuane knows things that we dont even suspect. I wouldnt be at all surprised if there had been a fortelling or something similar and for decades she has known what her role will be.

 

On a slightly different note, how did Taim escape being gentled? It was Logain being taken to the White Tower when Rand fell into Elayne's garden, yes? Did Taim escape? I'm afraid i cant remember any of his history, i only know that he's Saldean and was a false dragon way before Rand / Logain.

[krelianzg]

The most common theory I've seen is that the Black Ajah orchestrated Taim's escape soon after his capture. IIRC, by Tower law, stilling/gentling can only be carried out in the Tower by a full circle, after a fair "trial". So, he would still have been able to channel at the point he was rescued.

[trakand_01]

Just another thought following on from my (personal) theory about Cadsuane having been aware of what her role with Rand would be for... well, decades.

 

We (myself included) spend time criticising her, saying how we dislike her and her attitude. But, if you had spent the best part of your recent life (ie, a couple hundred years) waiting for one man to be born, to develop and proclaim himself, so that you could fulfil your own destiny and guide him, teach him 'laughter and tears', and you were steadily getting older and older...

 

By the time he DOES grow up and get to that stage, to the point where your input is due, wouldn't YOU be like "Ok come on, i've waited long enough, lets get this done". For Rand all this has happened in a VERY short space of time, but for Caddy, its likely been leading up for decades. Surely she's a little impatient to see it all done by now! and her attitude? I guess its a little like the "I fought in a war for you" comments young people sometimes get from those old enough to have served in WW2; Rand is arrogant, full of his own worth and supposed wisdom, whilst Cadsuane is stood there thinking "I've been waiting for you for 'x' years, you have no idea."

 

Kind of makes it easier for me to understand her if i think of it like this.