What is a 'Paralis-net'?

[Luckers]

This is not a huge topic or anything, but I was writing up the list of Cadsuane's ter'angreal and I remembered this.

 

But . . . the fool Aes Sedai no longer regarded her as they had. Semirhage hadn't changed, but they had. Somehow, in one swoop, that cursed woman [Cadsuane] with the paralis-net in her hair had unraveled Semirhage's authority with the entire lot of them.

 

[tGS; 22, The Last That Could Be Done]

 

This raises the question of what a paralis-net is. The Encyclopaedia WoT offers the suggestion that a paralis-net is a group of ornamental ter'angreal designed to protect and/or serve the wearer as a weapon--which seems plausible, but if so why specify that the paralis-net was in her hair? If these ter'angreal are always ornaments wouldn't the name include the point that they were being worn? For instance you wouldn't say 'the cursed woman with all the jewellery on her body', you'd just say 'the cursed woman with all the jewellery.'

 

I still think EWoT hit the nail on the head though, I just think we need to drop the 'ornamental' part and say that a paralis-net is a group of ter'angreal designed to work together. It makes a great deal of sense when you consider that this is somewhat abnormal. Listen to what Alanna has to say about what happens when ter'angreal of a similar nature are made to work in close proximity to each other.

 

“Child, I should have stopped this when I had the chance, when I first noticed that - reverberation. It came back. That is what happened. It came back a thousandfold. Ten thousand. The ter’angreal almost seemed to be trying to shut off the flow from saidar - or melt itself through the floor."...

 

..."The only time I have ever seen anything like it was once years ago when we tried to use a ter’angreal in the same room with another that may have been in some way related to it. It is extremely rare to find two such as that. The pair of them melted, and every sister within a hundred paces had such a headache for a week that she couldn’t channel a spark.

What’s the matter, child?”

 

Egwene’s hand had tightened around her pouch till the twisted stone ring impressed itself on her palm through the thick cloth. Was it warm?

 

[tDR; 23, Sealed]

 

This is quite strange as the two intertwined moons, which work like Mat's medallion and disrupt flows of the Power, and the unknown ter'angreal Cadsuane uses to break Semirhage's Illusion are as close in function as the ring and the arches. For that matter so is the eight pointed star which detects male channelers and the swallow which detects channeling seem quite similar too.

 

Obviously we can't be certain on this--they could be absolutely different in function. But those seem the two viables--ter'angreal designed to be worn as ornaments, or ter'angreal designed to work together.

[CUBAREY]

but if so why specify that the paralis-net was in her hair? If these ter'angreal are always ournaments wouldn't the name include the point that they were being worn? For instance you wouldn't say 'the cursed woman with all the jewellery on her body', you'd just say 'the cursed woman with all the jewellery.'

 

Because this paralis-net was in fact one that was won in the hair. Plus Ter'anreal are not all ornamental. The Sword that is not a Sword is not  an ornament, the statutes used by Rand and Nyneave  to ceanse Saiden were not ornaments. Plus, not all paralis-nets may have been jewelry.

 

Obviously we can't be certain on this--they could be absolutely different in function. But those seem the two viables--ter'angreal designed to be worn as ournaments, or ter'angreal designed to work together.

 

No they are quite close in function  but they may be quite different in how theyuse the power which likely makes all the differece.

 

 

[Durinax]

Obviously we can't be certain on this--they could be absolutely different in function. But those seem the two viables--ter'angreal designed to be worn as ournaments, or ter'angreal designed to work together.

 

No they are quite close in function  but they may be quite different in how theyuse the power which likely makes all the differece.

they must all manipulate the power in a different way, or have soem buffer from interferrence from the other ones

[ravenfier]

just like Nyn's net, its a set of *angeal that were made to work together with diff functions in each

[dcat]

This is not a huge topic or anything, but I was writing up the list of Cadsuane's ter'angreal and I remembered this.

 

But . . . the fool Aes Sedai no longer regarded her as they had. Semirhage hadn't changed, but they had. Somehow, in one swoop, that cursed woman [Cadsuane] with the paralis-net in her hair had unraveled Semirhage's authority with the entire lot of them.

 

[tGS; 22, The Last That Could Be Done]

 

This raises the question of what a paralis-net is. The Encyclopaedia WoT offers the suggestion that a paralis-net is a group of ournamental ter'angreal designed to protect and/or serve the wearer as a weapon--which seems plausible, but if so why specify that the paralis-net was in her hair? If these ter'angreal are always ournaments wouldn't the name include the point that they were being worn? For instance you wouldn't say 'the cursed woman with all the jewellery on her body', you'd just say 'the cursed woman with all the jewellery.'

 

 

I actually took this to mean that Cadsuane was wearing it wrong. Like it supposed to be a set of necklaces, but of course the "stupid savage" (as per Semirhage) couldn't figure that out and put it in her hair. That's the kind of catty thought that Semirhage would have about her captor.

 

[Paerish Swar]

But . . . the fool Aes Sedai no longer regarded her as they had. Semirhage hadn't changed, but they had. Somehow, in one swoop, that cursed woman [Cadsuane] with the paralis-net in her hair had unraveled Semirhage's authority with the entire lot of them.

 

[tGS; 22, The Last That Could Be Done]

 

I hadn't read that line before as having anything to do with Semirhage recognizing the ornaments in Cadsuane's hair as being ter'angreal.

 

I read "paralis-net" as just being a name for a style of hair ornaments/ornamentation common in the AoL.  Something akin to her saying, "that cursed woman with the tiara on her head," or "with the scrunchy in her hair," or butterfly hairclips, or bedazzled bump-it. ::)  Just like the name for that ornament that Moiraine wore in her hair that dangled onto her forehead - that had a specific name in the Old Tongue too, right (I can't remember it right now).

 

A personalized and matching set of defensive ter'angreal like Cadsuane's paralis-net and Nynaeve's collection of gaudy jewelry may not have been common in the AoL.  When Cyndane faces off with Alivia she comments that she had never before heard of a ter'angreal that completely disrupted weaves, but that must certainly be what Alivia was using.  Cyndane was correct on that count.  Both Nynaeve's and Cadsuane's sets have included in them just such ter'angreal, so they were probably made during the breaking after the Bore was sealed.

 

If "paralis-net" is a term for any coordinated group of ter'angreal designed to work together, it is kind of interesting that the two things we know of that would qualify as paralis-nets were both made after the AoL. 

 

Anyway. . .

 

Maybe "paralis-net" is simply a term for a specific style of ornamental jewelry common at the end of the AoL.  The purpose of the phrase, "paralise-net in her hair," could have been a a redundant turn of phrase that was necessary for the writer to use to clarify the meaning of the sentence - it's pretty AoL style jewelry.  I agree that if it just read, "that cursed woman with the paralis-net had unraveled Semirhage's authority . . .," it would have been a much more obvious reference to their nature as ter'angreal.

 

I don't know.  I feel like I'm beginning to talk in circles.

 

I think, either way you cut it, the sentence is redundant.  Imagine if Nyneave's or Cadsuane's ter'angreals were a complementary set of ten, three foot tall statues.  Logistically they would be of no use - you wouldn't be able to use all ten of them at once.  It only makes sense if they are able to be worn all at once.  Nyn's are for wearin', Cad's are for wearin', that would likely always be the case.  If "paralis-net" is a term for a set or group of ter'angreal that are designed to work together, then why say "in her hair?"  It's meant to be worn somehow, so why reference it?

 

Maybe just to show that Semirhage recognized that that Cadz was in possession of a paralis-net, and had correctly identified it as those damn ornaments in her hair.  That they weren't just jewelry.

 

Or maybe Semirhage didn't know that they were ter'angreal.  Maybe sets like that didn't exist in the AoL.  Maybe she just recognized her as the chick with the AoL style jewelry in her hair.

 

Now I'm being redundant and contradictory.

 

I'm so confused!  Why does anyone say anything the way they say it, or anything ever! :'(

[Random Man]

We know that Nynaeve's set has been described as a set of ter'angreal that someone would wear if they were expected to be attacked with the Power.

 

We also know that Nynaeve's set of ter'angreal is very similar to Cadsuane's "net" or ter'angreal that she wears in her heair.

 

Semirhage thinks of Cadusane's set as a "Paralis-net in her hair."

 

The only conclusion I can draw: a paralis-net refers to a set of ter'angreal designed to protect the wearer from attacks with the Power in a number of ways (as Cadsuane's set of hair ornaments does). Where it's worn depends on how the particular set has been designed. The one Cadsuane has is designed to be worn in her hair.

 

It's perfectly reasonable that Semirhage would recognize Cadsuane's ornaments as a paralis-net given that they most likely were responsible for her plan to capture Rand failing (and her disguise being disrupted to boot).

 

Nynaeve's matched set (which has missing pieces) is most likely an incomplete paralis-net designed to be worn on the hands. Some of the ter'angreal belonging to the full set were missing when it was claimed in Ebou Dar.

[balefireruinssteaks]

I suspect Semirhage knew they were ter'angreal and knew the name of the "set" or at least in the Age of Legends a set of ter'angreal meant to work together for a purpose was called a paralis-net, no matter their function so long as they DID perform a united task.

 

Nynaeve's ter'angreal will work seperately...the bracelet that creates an armour around her, the Well, the jewelry that detects saidin, etc.  Together, they (and the missing pieces) were designed to protect the wearer from an attack.

 

Perhaps Cadsuane's paralis-net was a collection of ter'angreal designed to help capture men who could channel and protect the wearer from the attack from the tainted saidin.  (or any woman attacking as well)  Remember that there are a couple of moons and stars that Cadsuane has not figured out the function of yet, so they may create armour for her or something else similar.

 

So...I don't think it's necessarily something that just defines the style of jewelry, because at that point Semirhage already knew that it was the ter'angreal that messed up her attack on the Dragon Reborn, so "paralis-net" likely just refers to a set of ter'angreal designed for a combined function.

[Suttree]

Is it possible that Cyndane's comments on not ever hearing of a  ter'angreal that disrupts weaves indicates they were made after the Forsaken were sealed away? Would have been very useful in dealing with male Aes Sedai during the Breaking...

[Arani Lepenque Aes Sedai]

By the way Luckers, I think its "ornamental", not "ournamental"

[Tel Janin]

By the way Luckers, I think its "ornamental", not "ournamental"

 

I assumed that was a "Queen's English" foible.  Like armor/armour, color/colour, etc...  ;D

[Luckers]

By the way Luckers, I think its "ornamental", not "ournamental"

 

I assumed that was a "Queen's English" foible.  Like armor/armour, color/colour, etc...   ;D

 

In a sense. I am Australian so I look to the 'ou' thing, but mostly what happened here was a dyslexia thing. I train myself on structures of language and English is illogical, so things like 'ournaments' happen.

[chuckievi]

This topic intrigues me.  I always assumed a paralis net to be a net of jewelry, ie gold/silver chains with gems etc in them that is worn on the head.  The sort of gaudy expensive thing you would see on a medieval empress/princess. The problem with attributing the name to a specific functioning set of *Angreal is that these types didn't exist in the AoL, or Cyndane/Lanfear wouldn't have commented on not knowing them.  Which I guess brings us back to the "net" being the set of *Angreal designed to work together.  The quote of Semi thinking about Caddy is clear as mud, gonna have to think about this some more.