Ask A Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer (No AMoL Spoilers)

[Sharaman]

a couple of quick Wise Ones questions.

1. how many are there? and how many of them can channel? Sevanna had at least 300 Wise Ones that could channel with her in Malden. and that's just Shaido. Rand has 11 clans. So he has over 3000 Wise Ones channelers? that's an army bigger than Asha'man and Aes Sedai put together. yet he hardly seems to use them.

2. Sorilea is supposed to be over 300 years old yet she can barely channel. how is it that she slowed so much? we are told that the slowing effect depends on strength in the OP.

 

Alivia is supposed to be far older than that (I can't remember off the top of my head) and she looks barely middle aged, so Sorilea being a wrinkled out walnut at 300 seems reasonable enough to me!

I'm not talking about the looks here but of the fact that Sorilea lived as long as she did (and is still going strong). Alivia is extremely strong in the OP so no wonder that she slowed so much more than the other. Sorilea can barely channel, yet she lived over 300 years.

 

 

Well the life span of a channeler who's not bound by the Oaths is supposed to be something like 600 years. So for her to make it to half of that as a weak channeler is not unbelievable.

 

but if I do remember correctly Alivia is 500 or 600 years old and looks like a middle aged woman, so if the lifespan would be maxed at 600, shouldn't she look like someone about to drop dead?

no. 500-600 is supposed to be the average channeler lifespan for an average channeler. Alivia is super strong in the power so her natural lifespan is presumably significantly longer than her current (admittedly very old) age.

 

Apart from Lucker's point about Alivia's age, we've come across at least one kinwswoman in the same age-group who wasn't extra-strong.

By AoL standards, Alivia is in late middle age. She's the equivalent of say, a well-preserved, fit 55-60 year old.

Rj never went into those details but it'd be interesting to know when channelers normally went into menopause because that would equate to a known age-range.

[Terez]

According to the BWB, max lifespan is about 800 years (though this was in the Age of Legends when Restoration was at its height).

[herid]

Aviendha actually went through Rhuidean's 3-Ring terangreal, not the glass columns.

Both of those I take to be a 1-time thing for all that can go through.

She went through the rings on her first trip to Rhuidean in tSR. on her second trip she definitely went through the columns (twice).

[Luckers]

According to the BWB, max lifespan is about 800 years (though this was in the Age of Legends when Restoration was at its height).

 

The BWB says the 700's as the upper limit so far as I recall.

[Terez]

According to the BWB, max lifespan is about 800 years (though this was in the Age of Legends when Restoration was at its height).

 

The BWB says the 700's as the upper limit so far as I recall.

It says they live 'seven hundred years or more', which is why I put the max at about 800.

[PhoenixUK]

Question - how did daved hanlon escape from his cell in the palace in TOM? Was it the secretary/torturer? I wasn't entirely sure what happened in that scene.

[Finnssss22]

Question - how did daved hanlon escape from his cell in the palace in TOM? Was it the secretary/torturer? I wasn't entirely sure what happened in that scene.

 

Yepper, Lady Sylvase's "secretary" Jaq Lounalt. He was the first one she saw when the doors to the cells were opened.

He was assigned to the questioning of Hanlon.

Edited February 28, 2011 by Finnssss

[Luckers]

According to the BWB, max lifespan is about 800 years (though this was in the Age of Legends when Restoration was at its height).

 

The BWB says the 700's as the upper limit so far as I recall.

It says they live 'seven hundred years or more', which is why I put the max at about 800.

 

 

I would've said 750, but I suppose yours makes a definate.

[Finnssss22]

Either way, aren't both Alivia and Renelle only in their 400's?

[Sid]

If by Renelle you mean Reanne Corly (the late Kinswoman) then yes, she was over 400. Alivia had been leashed for over 400 years, so she was older than Reanne, but still looked younger because of her almost unparalleled strength in the One Power.

[yoniy0]

Rj never went into those details but it'd be interesting to know when channelers normally went into menopause because that would equate to a known age-range.

We know that Siuan was no longer fertile at ~42 years (the Yellows were surprised to find her fertile again when she arrived at Salidar), so it stands to reason that they go through menopause at the normal age.

 

If by Renelle you mean Reanne Corly (the late Kinswoman)

Perhaps he meant Renaile din Calon Blue Star? Not sure how old she is, though.

[Sharaman]

Rj never went into those details but it'd be interesting to know when channelers normally went into menopause because that would equate to a known age-range.

We know that Siuan was no longer fertile at ~42 years (the Yellows were surprised to find her fertile again when she arrived at Salidar), so it stands to reason that they go through menopause at the normal age.

 

If by Renelle you mean Reanne Corly (the late Kinswoman)

Perhaps he meant Renaile din Calon Blue Star? Not sure how old she is, though.

 

Early 40s is very early for a "normal" menopause. It's usually a late 40s-early 50s hormonal change.

BTW I don't remember a reference to Suian being fertile again but I'll take your word for it.

One possible counter-example. Martine Janata was much older - in her 70s or 80s when she burnt out. But she had several children after that.

So it's possible that its Oath Rod influence that causes early menopause if it happened with Suian.

Another possible reference - when Flynn heals Rand in ACoS, an AS(Sumeko?) says she would even bear his kids --- I don't know how old she's supposed to be or how long she's worn the shawl.

[Finnssss22]

 

Perhaps he meant Renaile din Calon Blue Star? Not sure how old she is, though.

 

No, no I did mean Reanne, just a spelling error.

I was just wondering where the 500-600 year quotes were coming from when, outside of the AoL, Reanne and Alivia are the oldest that have been revealed to us, both in their early 400's.

[Terez]

I was just wondering where the 500-600 year quotes were coming from when, outside of the AoL, Reanne and Alivia are the oldest that have been revealed to us, both in their early 400's.

You missed one:

 

"That's madness!" Nynaeve burst out, leaning forward in her chair. Surprisingly, still the same chair. And still the same dress. Very surprising. Her hands were fists resting on her lap. "You know what it does; the Kin are proof! How many Aes Sedai live past three hundred? Or reach it? And don't tell me I shouldn't talk about age. That's a ridiculous custom, and you know it. Egwene, Reanne was called Eldest because she was the oldest Kinswoman in Ebou Dar. The oldest anywhere is a woman called Aloisia Nemosni, an oil merchant in Tear. Egwene, she's nearly six ... hundred . . . years . . . old! When the Hall hears that, I wager they'll be ready to put the Oath Rod on a shelf."

[Finnssss22]

You missed one:

 

The Wiseone that died from a snake or was there another I don't recall?

[Terez]

You missed one:

The Wiseone that died from a snake or was there another I don't recall?

Can you read? I mean, you went to all that trouble to remove the quote I so nicely provided...to pretend that you didn't see it? What is your problem?

[yoniy0]

Early 40s is very early for a "normal" menopause. It's usually a late 40s-early 50s hormonal change.

Granted. It does stand as proof that they don't experience menopause relative to their life span, unless:

 

So it's possible that its Oath Rod influence that causes early menopause if it happened with Suian.

Yes, that's the other possibility. That the OR is responsible for their 'early' menopause, that is. We should probably look to the Wise Ones for more evidence, but I can't remember anything from the books. Nevertheless:

 

One possible counter-example. Martine Janata was much older - in her 70s or 80s when she burnt out. But she had several children after that.

She probably went through the same process Siuan did, gaining youth as a consequence of being severed (or else released from the OR).

[Finnssss22]

You missed one:

The Wiseone that died from a snake or was there another I don't recall?

Can you read? I mean, you went to all that trouble to remove the quote I so nicely provided...to pretend that you didn't see it? What is your problem?

 

My bad, I had something else going on when I responded.

Thanks though.

Edited March 1, 2011 by Finnssss

[Luckers]

Let's all play nice, shall we.

[Finnssss22]

Let's all play nice, shall we.

 

 

We will, that was my fault, I was in a rush while making dinner and didn't read the full quote.

[Luckers]

:D

[mb]

Aviendha actually went through Rhuidean's 3-Ring terangreal, not the glass columns.

Both of those I take to be a 1-time thing for all that can go through.

She went through the rings on her first trip to Rhuidean in tSR. on her second trip she definitely went through the columns (twice).

Towers of Midnight spoilers I take are not yet allowed in this section. I do not yet have the book; waiting for the paperback version.

I would guess it was one or more of these::

-there being a flash back like the set of chapters in Eye of World

-the women being shown more than men

-you misreading the passage/passages

Probably reply through private messaging or wait till spoilers are allowed.

[Finnssss22]

Aviendha actually went through Rhuidean's 3-Ring terangreal, not the glass columns.

Both of those I take to be a 1-time thing for all that can go through.

She went through the rings on her first trip to Rhuidean in tSR. on her second trip she definitely went through the columns (twice).

Towers of Midnight spoilers I take are not yet allowed in this section. I do not yet have the book; waiting for the paperback version.

I would guess it was one or more of these::

-there being a flash back like the set of chapters in Eye of World

-the women being shown more than men

-you misreading the passage/passages

Probably reply through private messaging or wait till spoilers are allowed.

 

 

This board is open to ToM spoilers now so you may want to tread carefully to avoid knowing that which you do not want to

[mb]

Ok. I am actually one that does not mind spoilers.

[herid]

Aviendha actually went through Rhuidean's 3-Ring terangreal, not the glass columns.

Both of those I take to be a 1-time thing for all that can go through.

She went through the rings on her first trip to Rhuidean in tSR. on her second trip she definitely went through the columns (twice).

Towers of Midnight spoilers I take are not yet allowed in this section. I do not yet have the book; waiting for the paperback version.

I would guess it was one or more of these::

-there being a flash back like the set of chapters in Eye of World

-the women being shown more than men

-you misreading the passage/passages

Probably reply through private messaging or wait till spoilers are allowed.

ToM spoilers are already allowed here. this was changed a couple of days ago. Avi absolutely went through the columns on her second trip. this is mentioned quite explicitly and several times.

 

Aviendha took one final step and was out of the forest of glass pillars.

-ToM, Ch 51

 

this is actually mentioned as early as in tSR.

White-haired Bair, leathery-faced and as reluctant to speak of Rhuidean as ever, had finally, unwillingly told him that Aviendha had not visited the glass columns: she would not do that until she was ready to become a Wise One.

-tSR, Ch 48

Edited March 1, 2011 by herid