Which of The Seven Ajahs do you feel has been MOST Underused in the series?

[Demiandre]

Isn't the Amyrlin "of all Ajah and none" a foreshadowing for Egwene raising? It is logical that an Amyrlin shall be fair with everybody, but could she really be neutral, when raised from an Ajah? As we see with Elaida, and slightly less with Siuan?

 

Edit : In the AoL, an Ajah was a fluctuent group of Aes Sedai working tigether temporarily to perform a certain task/fulfill a special duty.

[Cut Strand]

1.) Reds - they cull the male channelers like wildfire

 

Yet make no effort to cleanse saidin. Their job is stopping another Breaking of the World, is it not?

I think this is grossly unfair. The Tower tried for centuries after the Breaking to find some way of dealing with male channelers other than gentling. They discovered some interesting things about linking (which are now known only to the Black Ajah), but their total failure to find any way of addressing the problem has discouraged everyone since from working on it.

 

Moreover, the only thing that allowed Rand even the slightest realistic hope of cleansing the Source was his possession of access keys to the Choedan Kal. (At one point, he considered using Callandor, but I think it's clear in retrospect that that was just wishful thinking.) The Aes Sedai did not have any access keys, and had no way to obtain any.

1. Dealing with male channelers isn't the same as dealing with the taint on saidin.

2. Aes Sedai knew about the doorway ter'angreal in Mayane. Not a single Aes Sedai thought to go through and ask:

Question 1: "What is the easiest way to cleanse the taint from saidin?"

Answer 1: "Make a giant sieve/filter with saidar then channel all of saidin through it."

 

Question 2: "How can we channel that much saidar and saidin?"

Answer 2: "You need the access keys for the Choedan Kal."

 

Question 3: "Where are these access keys Choedan Kal?"

Answer 3: "There is one of each in Rhuidean."

 

Even if they just went through to ask the first question, each answer leads to the next question. Now the questions are "where is Rhuidean?" and "can we trust a man with all of saidin?"

 

Technically Rand got info about the sieve, the access keys, and maybe even Rhuidean from one question (maybe 2 questions?). So there is really no excuse. Also, even if each Aes Sedai can only go through once to ask questions, they could send Aes Sedai in succession scripting out more questions to get the whole of the issue.

 

Edit:

This same thing could be an example of a failing for the Blues (cleansing saidin is a major cause), the Browns (the Snake doorway is am obvious source of knowledge), the Greens (channeling warders anyone? plus they supposedly "love men"), the Greys (wasn't Berelain's advisor a Grey, shouldn't she be familiar with Mayane's history?), the Whites (logically, getting rid of the source of madness solves the problem of men going crazy), and the Yellows (greatest healing never attempted?).

 

Yes, I managed to slap all Aes Sedai with the same brush.

[Shimmer]

I agree that I feel that the White is the most underused Ajah, especially since most base their entire lives on their flawed logic.

[Demiandre]

The finns never mentioned Rhuidean to Rand. He had the final idea with his two wounds. Lanfear gave him a hint at how to manage it (not do it, mind) by using the power of the Choedan Kal. Rand found the way on his own.

 

I like how all Ajah working on the question tgether could have given them the solution. But Annoura being grey makes nothing for knowing what the doorframe ter'angreal is. At the very least she could have known from the negociation between Mayenne and Tear and the gift of the ter'angreal to the High Lord. Moiraine, who didn't spent a long time in the Tower, know that. A brown should know (it's history and a ter'angreal), and a grey could have heard of it being given to Tear.

[GYLD]

2. Aes Sedai knew about the doorway ter'angreal in Mayane. Not a single Aes Sedai thought to go through and ask:

Question 1: "What is the easiest way to cleanse the taint from saidin?"

Answer 1: "Make a giant sieve/filter with saidar then channel all of saidin through it."

 

The taint involves the Shadow, so for all we know sisters went through the doorway and were killed, or the Creator knows what, after asking the question.

[Luckers]

Luckers, I thought you were in the camp that WANTED to see some of the ''Old Guard'' Aes Sedai acieve some bit of Redemption before we call it a day???

 

I do! And I think they will. But one of the important things they need to down is face their failures--not all of them, that type of shame would crush them--but at least some.

 

Marillin Gemalphin. She has been healin stray cat, and giving them food and milk. Yes, she didn't heal humans, and she is black, I know. But I had an occasion to contradict Luckers :)

 

You have one again, shai'tan.

 

I think this is grossly unfair. The Tower tried for centuries after the Breaking to find some way of dealing with male channelers other than gentling. They discovered some interesting things about linking (which are now known only to the Black Ajah), but their total failure to find any way of addressing the problem has discouraged everyone since from working on it.

 

Moreover, the only thing that allowed Rand even the slightest realistic hope of cleansing the Source was his possession of access keys to the Choedan Kal. (At one point, he considered using Callandor, but I think it's clear in retrospect that that was just wishful thinking.) The Aes Sedai did not have any access keys, and had no way to obtain any.

 

I'm not talking about them succeeding, but they tried for what... two centuries? And then gave it up as utterly impossible (despite evidence from the Eye of the World showing it was at least theoretically possible).

 

They claim responsibility for stopping another breaking, and adopted an air of moral authority about their work, they deserve to be judged on their efforts to fulfil it. I would have had more respect for 3,000 years of failure then I do for three thousand years of gloriously not doing anything.

 

And I'm not just talking about them not trying to cleanse the source--what of other ways of dealing with male channelers? If they cared to make an effort they could have boys at the age of seventeen hold male angreal--angreal go warm to the touch if you have the ability to channel, even if it isn't active yet. Then a simple shield and no young man could have to face the horror of channeling until the Dragon came. A simple, humane solution, and all it would take was a little more effort on their behalf, and little less smug superiority.

 

 

2. Aes Sedai knew about the doorway ter'angreal in Mayane. Not a single Aes Sedai thought to go through and ask:

Question 1: "What is the easiest way to cleanse the taint from saidin?"

Answer 1: "Make a giant sieve/filter with saidar then channel all of saidin through it."

 

Question 2: "How can we channel that much saidar and saidin?"

Answer 2: "You need the access keys for the Choedan Kal."

 

Question 3: "Where are these access keys Choedan Kal?"

Answer 3: "There is one of each in Rhuidean."

 

Not even that is necessary--had the Aes Sedai been more pro-active, and less inclined to not challenge their status quo, then they would have met and dealt with the Aiel centuries ago, and I've no doubt the Aiel would fulfil their promise to see the ter'angreal of Rhuidean into Aiel hands.

 

That being said, I think the prophecies made clear Rand was to be the one to cleanse saidin, and that the Aes Sedai never stood a chance. It is their attitude that I judge, not their failure.

 

Edit:

This same thing could be an example of a failing for the Blues (cleansing saidin is a major cause), the Browns (the Snake doorway is am obvious source of knowledge), the Greens (channeling warders anyone? plus they supposedly "love men"), the Greys (wasn't Berelain's advisor a Grey, shouldn't she be familiar with Mayane's history?), the Whites (logically, getting rid of the source of madness solves the problem of men going crazy), and the Yellows (greatest healing never attempted?).

 

Yes, I managed to slap all Aes Sedai with the same brush.

 

It makes sense--all of the Aes Sedai's failures tie back into their unwillingness to question the status quo.

[Baletickle_to_da_face!]

Ok, in all seriousness - and with sincere interest in not PISSINNNG OFF a Mod OR Beating a Dead Horse - I am still, so many years later, truly puzzled by the Cad-Hate.

 

Except for Moraine, NO other Non-Taveren in the entire series has been as capable, direct or productive as this character. Do people not like her because shes a b!tch??? WOT is FULL of A-Wholes (see what I did there, lol? ;) and Beyatches.

 

WOT is ALSO filled with those who have happily decided that Rand with a knife in his back would make them feel warm and fuzzy. It can be argued that, except for Min and Nynaeve, Cadsaune has cared about Rand the Person far more than any other character.

 

Yes, he is her tool to achieve victory in the Last Battle. BUT: We also have more than one POV of her showing care and compassion for the 'boy.'

 

Sister Cadsaune Mehlindra of Far Madding ROCKS!

 

 

Fish

 

Totally agree. Put me down as a C.S.S as well.

 

I think maybe it's because Rand spends 6 books doing, by and large, some pretty smart things all the while having incessent know-it-all Aes Sedai nipping at his heels trying to trick, force, or beat him into doing what they want. Despite the fact that he is the Dragon Reborn. He is the one that has to make the decisions.

 

Then you get this pushy, arrogant, know-it-all Aes Sedai worming her way into Rand's trust and telling him what to do.

 

The problem is that Cadsuane is RIGHT! Like...a lot. Like, saves Rand's life multiple times right.

 

And as you guys have said, if you look between the lines, Cads does show compassion for him. She does respect him. She just rarely shows it overtly because Rand is a loose cannon by the time she meets him and she needs to do everything she can to keep him under control(and not Elaida or Egwene kind of control...the good kind of control...the not turn evil or get himself killed kind of control).

 

I think what a lot of people also miss is that Cads is very, very good about leaving the decisions up to Rand. She lets Rand decide what he wants to do. She wants a say in how he does them, but she respects the fact that the Dragon Reborn is the one that needs to make the decision. The cleansing is a great example. Took Moiraine 5 books to learn that lesson.

 

And to stay vaguely on topic, I think you boiled down possibly the most simple, and nearly complete problem with the ediface that is "Aes Sedai" into a single sentence, Luckers. It's sad because it's kind of like a mirror image of our political system if it was put in that situation. It's just a group of a few hundred women who are caught in a vacumn of few new ideas, a massive superiority complex, and a sitation where the Aes Sedai that rule and influence the outside worldy rarely actually visit that world other then to smack a leader on the knuckles and then run back to the Tower.

 

Pretty much every one of the impressive Aes Sedai in the series are women who spent little time in the Tower.

[Luckers]

Pretty much every one of the impressive Aes Sedai in the series are women who spent little time in the Tower.

 

Or else women in the Tower who are slightly alienated from their Ajah--Pevara for instance. A Red with the temprement of a Green.

[Byzantine279]

Neat, someone caught the allegory. Most writing is used to express issues with the way things are, and the WOT is no different.

[The Fisher King]

1.) Reds - they cull the male channelers like wildfire

 

Yet make no effort to cleanse saidin. Their job is stopping another Breaking of the World, is it not?

I think this is grossly unfair. The Tower tried for centuries after the Breaking to find some way of dealing with male channelers other than gentling. They discovered some interesting things about linking (which are now known only to the Black Ajah), but their total failure to find any way of addressing the problem has discouraged everyone since from working on it.

 

Moreover, the only thing that allowed Rand even the slightest realistic hope of cleansing the Source was his possession of access keys to the Choedan Kal. (At one point, he considered using Callandor, but I think it's clear in retrospect that that was just wishful thinking.) The Aes Sedai did not have any access keys, and had no way to obtain any.

1. Dealing with male channelers isn't the same as dealing with the taint on saidin.

2. Aes Sedai knew about the doorway ter'angreal in Mayane. Not a single Aes Sedai thought to go through and ask:

Question 1: "What is the easiest way to cleanse the taint from saidin?"

Answer 1: "Make a giant sieve/filter with saidar then channel all of saidin through it."

 

Question 2: "How can we channel that much saidar and saidin?"

Answer 2: "You need the access keys for the Choedan Kal."

 

Question 3: "Where are these access keys Choedan Kal?"

Answer 3: "There is one of each in Rhuidean."

 

Even if they just went through to ask the first question, each answer leads to the next question. Now the questions are "where is Rhuidean?" and "can we trust a man with all of saidin?"

 

Technically Rand got info about the sieve, the access keys, and maybe even Rhuidean from one question (maybe 2 questions?). So there is really no excuse. Also, even if each Aes Sedai can only go through once to ask questions, they could send Aes Sedai in succession scripting out more questions to get the whole of the issue.

 

Edit:

This same thing could be an example of a failing for the Blues (cleansing saidin is a major cause), the Browns (the Snake doorway is am obvious source of knowledge), the Greens (channeling warders anyone? plus they supposedly "love men"), the Greys (wasn't Berelain's advisor a Grey, shouldn't she be familiar with Mayane's history?), the Whites (logically, getting rid of the source of madness solves the problem of men going crazy), and the Yellows (greatest healing never attempted?).

 

Yes, I managed to slap all Aes Sedai with the same brush.

 

C.S. - Your points are usually some of my favorites to read here. This time, you are forgetting the most (by far) important aspect to your mad plan, though ;)

 

They still would have needed a MALE (the way Nynaeve needed Rand) and no Aes Sedai was ever going to link with a man.

 

 

 

Fish

[Frostmuse]

Poor overlooked Daigian. :( Easily the most intelligent White, and doesn't even get an honourable mention.

[Demiandre]

1.) Reds - they cull the male channelers like wildfire

 

Yet make no effort to cleanse saidin. Their job is stopping another Breaking of the World, is it not?

I think this is grossly unfair. The Tower tried for centuries after the Breaking to find some way of dealing with male channelers other than gentling. They discovered some interesting things about linking (which are now known only to the Black Ajah), but their total failure to find any way of addressing the problem has discouraged everyone since from working on it.

 

Moreover, the only thing that allowed Rand even the slightest realistic hope of cleansing the Source was his possession of access keys to the Choedan Kal. (At one point, he considered using Callandor, but I think it's clear in retrospect that that was just wishful thinking.) The Aes Sedai did not have any access keys, and had no way to obtain any.

1. Dealing with male channelers isn't the same as dealing with the taint on saidin.

2. Aes Sedai knew about the doorway ter'angreal in Mayane. Not a single Aes Sedai thought to go through and ask:

Question 1: "What is the easiest way to cleanse the taint from saidin?"

Answer 1: "Make a giant sieve/filter with saidar then channel all of saidin through it."

 

Question 2: "How can we channel that much saidar and saidin?"

Answer 2: "You need the access keys for the Choedan Kal."

 

Question 3: "Where are these access keys Choedan Kal?"

Answer 3: "There is one of each in Rhuidean."

 

Even if they just went through to ask the first question, each answer leads to the next question. Now the questions are "where is Rhuidean?" and "can we trust a man with all of saidin?"

 

Technically Rand got info about the sieve, the access keys, and maybe even Rhuidean from one question (maybe 2 questions?). So there is really no excuse. Also, even if each Aes Sedai can only go through once to ask questions, they could send Aes Sedai in succession scripting out more questions to get the whole of the issue.

 

Edit:

This same thing could be an example of a failing for the Blues (cleansing saidin is a major cause), the Browns (the Snake doorway is am obvious source of knowledge), the Greens (channeling warders anyone? plus they supposedly "love men"), the Greys (wasn't Berelain's advisor a Grey, shouldn't she be familiar with Mayane's history?), the Whites (logically, getting rid of the source of madness solves the problem of men going crazy), and the Yellows (greatest healing never attempted?).

 

Yes, I managed to slap all Aes Sedai with the same brush.

 

C.S. - Your points are usually some of my favorites to read here. This time, you are forgetting the most (by far) important aspect to your mad plan, though ;)

 

They still would have needed a MALE (the way Nynaeve needed Rand) and no Aes Sedai was ever going to link with a man.

 

 

 

Fish

Funny. Everybody think that it's the finns who gave Rand the idea of the Cleansing and the way to do it? Because it isn't. The Finns never mentioned Rhuidean to Rand. They gave him a riddle on how to do it. One, as far as we know, he never solved. He found the access key alone (tSR ch.24 or 25), and the Choedan Kal by happenstance(?). The two wounds on his side gave him the last answer he needed to perform it.

This is Rand's idea, Rand's making, Rand's success.

[Cut Strand]

...

Even if they just went through to ask the first question, each answer leads to the next question. Now the questions are "where is Rhuidean?" and "can we trust a man with all of saidin?"

...

C.S. - Your points are usually some of my favorites to read here. This time, you are forgetting the most (by far) important aspect to your mad plan, though ;)

 

They still would have needed a MALE (the way Nynaeve needed Rand) and no Aes Sedai was ever going to link with a man.

 

Fish

I acknowledge that need. (See bolded part about trusting a man with all of saidin.)

 

As someone else said the pattern chose Rand to cleanse saidin. I don't deny that, but wouldn't one of the answers have communicated that then? Something like "The Dragon's breath is necessary to blow away the shadow on saidin," (that seems sufficiently cryptic and dramatic). And they would be like, "Well crap, I guess we should find the Dragon Reborn so we can go back to having super awesome links."

 

Funny. Everybody think that it's the finns who gave Rand the idea of the Cleansing and the way to do it? Because it isn't. The Finns never mentioned Rhuidean to Rand. They gave him a riddle on how to do it. One, as far as we know, he never solved. He found the access key alone (tSR ch.24 or 25), and the Choedan Kal by happenstance(?). The two wounds on his side gave him the last answer he needed to perform it.

This is Rand's idea, Rand's making, Rand's success.

I'll accept that the Aelfinn didn't mention Rhuidean, but I imagine they at least showed him what the access keys looked like since he recognized the access keys when he first went to Rhuidean (he said, maybe not verbatum, "It wasn't time for those [Access Keys]"). My guess is they showed him a vision of a possible future where he and Nynaeve attempted it and he saw what they were holding and the faint outline of the "flower filter" (I am not crazy, the sieve/filter looked like a flower right?). Since the 'finn can't channel, they would have to show him someone making the weaves to cleanse saidin.

 

I still don't know which Ajah I feel is most underused, I feel like I am trying to pick my favorite broken hammer.

 

Edit: Okay, I amend that, I think the least utilized Ajahs is a tie between Grey and White as I have to do a lot of thinking (and looking up) to find a member of either that is remotely prominent among the supporting characters. The Yellows and Browns aren't on that list because of Nynaeve and Verin (even if she was sort of a Black). This isn't to say there aren't some supporting Greys or Whites, just that they are very back seat, even for supporting characters.

[The Fisher King]

My bad on the oversight, C.S.

Good stuff, Demi.

 

 

Fish

[Demiandre]

Cut Strand, Rand said to Mat the Finns never mentioned Rhuidean. He met the Choedan Kal in Cairhien, and touched the access key. Maybe he saw the similarity between the two and understood it was a sa'angreal (he had an angreal, so he knew what it "felt" like)

 

Grey sisters? There are plenty : Merana, Coiren, Merillile, Annoura, Beonin,... and theu did things (like kidnapping Rand, saving Rand, negociating, betraying, ...)

[Dakota]

The Whites are above and beyond the most useless and underused of all the Ajahs.

 

With all the weaves and powers and abilities that have been lost since the breaking, you'd think that this would be the Ajah to use controlled experimentation and scientific methods to rediscover these weaves, or at the very least figure out the use of all the "Use Unknown" ter'angreal that the Tower possesses. Instead, they sit there and bicker and argue over which method to calculate the rate at which food is spoiling.

 

Hell, most of all the interpersonal problems going on in this series would be easily solved with just a little application of logic. Hey dragon, you keep seeing all these colors and images in your head whenever you think of Mat? Logically that says to me you should get together with him, figure out what it means, and actually communicate your plans to each other.

[Arani Lepenque Aes Sedai]

1.) Reds - they cull the male channelers like wildfire

 

Yet make no effort to cleanse saidin. Their job is stopping another Breaking of the World, is it not?

I think this is grossly unfair. The Tower tried for centuries after the Breaking to find some way of dealing with male channelers other than gentling. They discovered some interesting things about linking (which are now known only to the Black Ajah), but their total failure to find any way of addressing the problem has discouraged everyone since from working on it.

 

Moreover, the only thing that allowed Rand even the slightest realistic hope of cleansing the Source was his possession of access keys to the Choedan Kal. (At one point, he considered using Callandor, but I think it's clear in retrospect that that was just wishful thinking.) The Aes Sedai did not have any access keys, and had no way to obtain any.

1. Dealing with male channelers isn't the same as dealing with the taint on saidin.

2. Aes Sedai knew about the doorway ter'angreal in Mayane. Not a single Aes Sedai thought to go through and ask:

Question 1: "What is the easiest way to cleanse the taint from saidin?"

Answer 1: "Make a giant sieve/filter with saidar then channel all of saidin through it."

 

Question 2: "How can we channel that much saidar and saidin?"

Answer 2: "You need the access keys for the Choedan Kal."

 

Question 3: "Where are these access keys Choedan Kal?"

Answer 3: "There is one of each in Rhuidean."

 

Even if they just went through to ask the first question, each answer leads to the next question. Now the questions are "where is Rhuidean?" and "can we trust a man with all of saidin?"

 

Technically Rand got info about the sieve, the access keys, and maybe even Rhuidean from one question (maybe 2 questions?). So there is really no excuse. Also, even if each Aes Sedai can only go through once to ask questions, they could send Aes Sedai in succession scripting out more questions to get the whole of the issue.

 

Edit:

This same thing could be an example of a failing for the Blues (cleansing saidin is a major cause), the Browns (the Snake doorway is am obvious source of knowledge), the Greens (channeling warders anyone? plus they supposedly "love men"), the Greys (wasn't Berelain's advisor a Grey, shouldn't she be familiar with Mayane's history?), the Whites (logically, getting rid of the source of madness solves the problem of men going crazy), and the Yellows (greatest healing never attempted?).

 

Yes, I managed to slap all Aes Sedai with the same brush.

 

This is rubbish. It is clearly stated that asking questions relating to the Dark One, which means asking stuff about the taint and such, usually results in the person coming out as a gibbering madwoman. Rand and Moiraine were special cases. I think the finns found that they were too important to be punished that way. Anyway, the finns speak in riddles. They do NOT give direct answers, and they are much like Aes Sedai in that respect. If an Aes Sedai went in to ask how to cleanse the taint, she most probably would come out mad. A very constructive way to find out how to cleanse Saidin indeed.

[Shard]

I think there are three decent Reds: Pevara, Tarna and Teslyn.

 

While I do agree that the White Ajah has been most dissapointing, Alvarin did start as a White before becoming black. She used the Ajah's Logic to justify her actions.

[moroten]

I think there are three decent Reds: Pevara, Tarna and Teslyn.

 

While I do agree that the White Ajah has been most dissapointing, Alvarin did start as a White before becoming black. She used the Ajah's Logic to justify her actions.

 

I dont want to give her the justice of calling it logic that made her turn to the shadow. Ishy used cold logic but then he was a great philosofer, Alviarin is just power-hungry. A clear indication of that is the hint of her wanting to get rid of Elaida and she mentions that to Mesaana, the best candidate to replace her in her mind would be Alviarin herself. Her thoughts often lingers on the promise of eternal life aswell. In my mind Alviarin is selfish and power-hungry and those are the reasons why she turned to the shadow, not cold logic that the light was fighting a loosing war.

[Awakened]

1.) Reds - they cull the male channelers like wildfire

 

Yet make no effort to cleanse saidin. Their job is stopping another Breaking of the World, is it not?

I think this is grossly unfair. The Tower tried for centuries after the Breaking to find some way of dealing with male channelers other than gentling. They discovered some interesting things about linking (which are now known only to the Black Ajah), but their total failure to find any way of addressing the problem has discouraged everyone since from working on it.

 

Moreover, the only thing that allowed Rand even the slightest realistic hope of cleansing the Source was his possession of access keys to the Choedan Kal. (At one point, he considered using Callandor, but I think it's clear in retrospect that that was just wishful thinking.) The Aes Sedai did not have any access keys, and had no way to obtain any.

1. Dealing with male channelers isn't the same as dealing with the taint on saidin.

2. Aes Sedai knew about the doorway ter'angreal in Mayane. Not a single Aes Sedai thought to go through and ask:

Question 1: "What is the easiest way to cleanse the taint from saidin?"

Answer 1: "Make a giant sieve/filter with saidar then channel all of saidin through it."

 

Question 2: "How can we channel that much saidar and saidin?"

Answer 2: "You need the access keys for the Choedan Kal."

 

Question 3: "Where are these access keys Choedan Kal?"

Answer 3: "There is one of each in Rhuidean."

 

Even if they just went through to ask the first question, each answer leads to the next question. Now the questions are "where is Rhuidean?" and "can we trust a man with all of saidin?"

 

Technically Rand got info about the sieve, the access keys, and maybe even Rhuidean from one question (maybe 2 questions?). So there is really no excuse. Also, even if each Aes Sedai can only go through once to ask questions, they could send Aes Sedai in succession scripting out more questions to get the whole of the issue.

 

Edit:

This same thing could be an example of a failing for the Blues (cleansing saidin is a major cause), the Browns (the Snake doorway is am obvious source of knowledge), the Greens (channeling warders anyone? plus they supposedly "love men"), the Greys (wasn't Berelain's advisor a Grey, shouldn't she be familiar with Mayane's history?), the Whites (logically, getting rid of the source of madness solves the problem of men going crazy), and the Yellows (greatest healing never attempted?).

 

Yes, I managed to slap all Aes Sedai with the same brush.

 

This is rubbish. It is clearly stated that asking questions relating to the Dark One, which means asking stuff about the taint and such, usually results in the person coming out as a gibbering madwoman. Rand and Moiraine were special cases. I think the finns found that they were too important to be punished that way. Anyway, the finns speak in riddles. They do NOT give direct answers, and they are much like Aes Sedai in that respect. If an Aes Sedai went in to ask how to cleanse the taint, she most probably would come out mad. A very constructive way to find out how to cleanse Saidin indeed.

 

You left out questions that are trivial or not relating to their own destiny, if I remember correctly.

[MatsLuck]

I believe Rand reasoned out the cleansing from the finn's riddle, with input from Fel (said it had sound principles in high and natural philosophy) and from hearing how his side was healed. I imagine the riddle was something about darkness feeding on darkness or some such with the theme being the same.

 

I'd say whites as well for most underused. I don't count Alvi, not because she's black, but because I never saw her behaving as a white. Till Seaine I can't think of one white who did anything significant while behaving as a white.

[The Fisher King]

I believe Rand reasoned out the cleansing from the finn's riddle, with input from Fel (said it had sound principles in high and natural philosophy) and from hearing how his side was healed. I imagine the riddle was something about darkness feeding on darkness or some such with the theme being the same.

 

I'd say whites as well for most underused. I don't count Alvi, not because she's black, but because I never saw her behaving as a white. Till Seaine I can't think of one white who did anything significant while behaving as a white.

 

Agreed.

[Cazajay]

I'm just going to throw my opinion in here. :)

 

I believe the most underused Ajah is the Green Ajah not because of scene time in the books but in terms of the fact they are supposed to be the Battle Ajah and the 3 Oaths have practically prevented them from being true to their calling.

Instead they are seen by other Ajahs as the Ajah who marry warders or have more than one in other words prone to act like silly Wool Headed Girls. Which is hugely unfair in my opinion lol

[dovien]

What bothers me about the Ajahs is that the Blue seems to be the least well-defined.