Seanchan Dilemma

[AmbeRebmA]

So here's what I was thinking... The following is reality in Randland as of the end of KOD:

 

1. Seanchan are here to stay!

a. There are not enough ships to take them back even if they wanted to go;

b. The farmers and the Blood are settling in;

c. There is anarchy in Seanchan, the royal family is dead, so basically the Empire has been ‘moved’ to Randland;

2. Empress Tuon will not uncollar Damane!

a. She knows Sul’dam can learn to channel but firmly believes women who can channel have to be collared;

b. Tuon may or may not have the copies of the male a’dam.

3. Randland has Two major channeling parties:

a. The White Tower, which if everything goes to Egwene’s plan will be a considerable force once the tower is whole (think of all the new novices and accepted they’ve collected).

b. The Black Tower, which currently equals the White Tower and should continue to grow.

 

At this point Seanchan have firm control over Tarabon, Altara and Amadicia but it is unlikely that they will be able to swallow up any more land with Ituralde controlling Arad Doman, Perrin controlling Ghealdan, Rand controlling Illian and Elayne controlling Andor.  Nevertheless, from the point of Seanchan, all channeling women should be decently collared and men put down, so I can’t see Tuon agreeing to ‘work together’ even with the Dragon Reborn’s entourage. Randlanders have the advantage with traveling at this time, but sooner or later some unfortunate Aes Sedai will be caught and disclose Traveling and other new weaves to the Ever Victorious Army.

 

At the same time I can’t see Egwene (when she finally comes into Amyrlin’s power) EVER accepting that Tarabon, Altara and Amadicia are collaring grounds for the women unfortunate enough to be born with a spark. Taim and Logain (whom I hope will be the leader of the Black Tower after he kicks Taim’s butt) will certainly not be amenable to having their followers killed for no other reason but Seanchan prejudices. Also it appears that the White Tower and Black Tower are working towards a potential partnership, or at least acknowledge the other’s right to exist with all these Bondings.

 

So with the points mentioned above, and Rand’s impending meeting with the real DoNM, how do you foresee things playing out? There might be some sort of a temporary pact until the last battle between Rand and Tuon, but how can that ever work? There will never be even a semblance of harmony as long as Seanchan collar people. And what about post TG Randland? At least now all the light-loving individuals are working towards defeating the Dark One, but is there hope of stability post TG? I know that Egwene’s dreams regarding Seanchan imply that the White Tower will have to confront them at some point and a Seanchan woman will help her, but with Tuon’s current state of mind I can’t even conceive a peaceful resolution to that.

 

What do you think?

 

[Casco]

The Black Tower is not equal to the white tower anymore. There are aprox 1k male channelers and 3-4k female channelers. The kin channelers, the seafolk channelers havent been introduced to the white tower yet, but they are skilled (at least some of them) and will be in the white tower in next book i think.

[Hallow]

The Black Tower is not equal to the white tower anymore. There are aprox 1k male channelers and 3-4k female channelers. The kin channelers, the seafolk channelers havent been introduced to the white tower yet, but they are skilled (at least some of them) and will be in the white tower in next book i think.

 

Well thats just speculation, not counting the flood of new novices brought in by the rebels, I'd say the two towers are about equal.

[AmbeRebmA]

Most women spend at least several years as novices and several more as Accepted before being raised Aes Sedai, therefore it will be quite some time before most of the newly found female channelers can become full sisters.

 

On the other hand, in a little over a year the Black tower recruited 1000 men and with the forced method of training those get raised to full Asha’man level within a much shorter period of time. Considering that Black Tower recruiting is still going on and there is no more taint on Saidin (so fewer losses from madness), it is plausible that in the near future those number are going to even out with Aes Sedai.

 

Also, the Kin have skilled members, but a lot of them are like Alise – not strong enough to ever become Aes Sedai. And I doubt the Sea Folk will ever willingly align themselves with the White Tower, especially after Nynaeve and Elayne’s disastrous bargain

 

[Casco]

Well its true that the black tower will force more men to advance faster, but i think Rand will be the middle hand in some way. In the end they all have to face the shadow. The Aes Sedai with all the kin and new novices, the seafolk, the wise from Ail and the Seanchan Damane. In the end there will be less male channelers than female ones. Rand will be there to lead them all in some way, and they have to work togheter. The best thing would be to unite the black and white tower...but it wont happen before Taim is dead, and Eggy can trust Rand again.

[Osan`gar]

The Black Tower is not equal to the white tower anymore. There are aprox 1k male channelers and 3-4k female channelers. The kin channelers, the seafolk channelers havent been introduced to the white tower yet, but they are skilled (at least some of them) and will be in the white tower in next book i think.

 

Well thats just speculation, not counting the flood of new novices brought in by the rebels, I'd say the two towers are about equal.

 

there is also the fact that the average male channeler is much stronger that the average femal channeler plus the ashamanare moreaggressive much better trained in dealing death, have no morals regarding killing and are not bound by any restrictions the way aes sedai are. i would day that being outnumberd by aes sedai three to one is about even odds.

[Kaznen]

The Black Tower is not equal to the white tower anymore. There are aprox 1k male channelers and 3-4k female channelers. The kin channelers, the seafolk channelers havent been introduced to the white tower yet, but they are skilled (at least some of them) and will be in the white tower in next book i think.

 

Well thats just speculation, not counting the flood of new novices brought in by the rebels, I'd say the two towers are about equal.

 

there is also the fact that the average male channeler is much stronger that the average femal channeler plus the ashamanare moreaggressive much better trained in dealing death, have no morals regarding killing and are not bound by any restrictions the way aes sedai are. i would day that being outnumberd by aes sedai three to one is about even odds.

I think the Guardians balancing the Servants is a reference to the fact that AS went over 3000 years having their power unopposed, but the AM have for the first time "checked" the AS authority. 

 

Egwene pointed it out in PoD after they got back from meeting the Murandy and Andoran nobles.  She noted how the non-OP wielding people had the balls to stand up to AS.  She didn't realize part of it was they were as afraid of the AM as the were the AS.

[CUBAREY]

At least now all the light-loving individuals are working towards defeating the Dark One, but is there hope of stability post TG?

 

The end of the last Battle and the beginning of the $th Age will niot bring about a new AOL or a new Age of Peace. The Wheel will continue to turn and men will continue to butcher each other. Only the trheat of the DO's imminent release will have really changed.