a few plot inconsitencies

[herid]

I've just finished reading KoD, tGS and ToM back to back to back and I noticed a few plot inconsistencies which I don't think have been discussed here yet.

 

1. Why didn't any of the Forsaken/Black Ajah break into the sa'angreal storage room in the White Tower and stole everything there was to steal long before Egwene got there in tGS? They certainly had plenty of time to do it and (as was repeatedly mentioned throughout the series) all Forsaken have been looking for any angreal and sa'angreal they could find.

2. Why didn't Mat ask Elayne for a gateway to the Tower of Ghenjei? He definitely knew she could travel as she was the one who made the gateway to Ebou Dar for them. Yet he kept looking for somebody else like Verin or Perrin's asha'man.

3. This one is a nitpick but still... When Egwene and Siuan meet in TAR right before the Seanchan attack on the White tower Egwene tells Siuan to inform the Hall that she wants to meet them in two days. But Siuan and Egwene's meeting are supposedly done in secret from the Hall as the Hall doesn't know that Siuan has Leane's dream ter'angreal. So Siuan couldn't inform the Hall without revealing that fact.

4. Verin makes a gateway for the Band but somehow avoids teaching traveling to any of the Aes Sedai that follow Mat. I suppose that's possible but it would definitely have been a pretty difficult trick to accomplish yet the issue is never addressed at all.

5. Lastly, (and I'm sorry if this sounds silly), but why hasn't Min gotten pregnant yet? Elayne got pregnant on the first try. Min had plenty of chances. so why isn't she pregnant yet?

[moratcorlm]

The last two at least have answers. #1 is just a gaping hole – you can argue that Mesaana wanted them left alone to allay suspicion of herself or the Black Ajah, but at some point that strains credulity– and #2 can have similar justifications made, perhaps, but still seems fishy.

3. This one is a nitpick but still... When Egwene and Siuan meet in TAR right before the Seanchan attack on the White tower Egwene tells Siuan to inform the Hall that she wants to meet them in two days. But Siuan and Egwene's meeting are supposedly done in secret from the Hall as the Hall doesn't know that Siuan has Leane's dream ter'angreal. So Siuan couldn't inform the Hall without revealing that fact.

Siuan has lied to the rebel Aes Sedai in the past, claiming that Egwene just spoke to her in her dreams rather than meeting in TAR. She could do the same this time.

“Siuan says Egwene is alive,” Sheriam said as though relating the price of delta perch on the dockhead. “And Leane. Egwene spoke to Siuan’s dreams. She refuses any attempt at a rescue.” Myrelle gave her a sidelong glance, unreadable, but Siuan could have boxed her ears! Likely Lelaine would have been the next she sought out, but to tell her in her own way, not spilled out on the wharf like this. Of late, Sheriam had become as flighty as a novice!

4. Lastly, (and I'm sorry if this sounds silly), but why hasn't Min gotten pregnant yet? Elayne got pregnant on the first try. Min had plenty of chances. so why isn't she pregnant yet?

There's a universally effective herbal contraceptive called heartleaf, which is made into a tea. It's mentioned in WH12 and KOD15. It bears a resemblance both in name and use to silphium in our world.

[herid]

The last two at least have answers. #1 is just a gaping hole – you can argue that Mesaana wanted them left alone to allay suspicion of herself or the Black Ajah, but at some point that strains credulity– and #2 can have similar justifications made, perhaps, but still seems fishy.

3. This one is a nitpick but still... When Egwene and Siuan meet in TAR right before the Seanchan attack on the White tower Egwene tells Siuan to inform the Hall that she wants to meet them in two days. But Siuan and Egwene's meeting are supposedly done in secret from the Hall as the Hall doesn't know that Siuan has Leane's dream ter'angreal. So Siuan couldn't inform the Hall without revealing that fact.

Siuan has lied to the rebel Aes Sedai in the past, claiming that Egwene just spoke to her in her dreams rather than meeting in TAR. She could do the same this time.

Hmm, I guess that could be but it's something of a stretch. Siuan claims in the same conversation with Egwene that she holds to the oaths but I guess she could have prevaricated around the truth in the usual Aes Sedai way.

“Siuan says Egwene is alive,” Sheriam said as though relating the price of delta perch on the dockhead. “And Leane. Egwene spoke to Siuan’s dreams. She refuses any attempt at a rescue.” Myrelle gave her a sidelong glance, unreadable, but Siuan could have boxed her ears! Likely Lelaine would have been the next she sought out, but to tell her in her own way, not spilled out on the wharf like this. Of late, Sheriam had become as flighty as a novice!

4. Lastly, (and I'm sorry if this sounds silly), but why hasn't Min gotten pregnant yet? Elayne got pregnant on the first try. Min had plenty of chances. so why isn't she pregnant yet?

There's a universally effective herbal contraceptive called heartleaf, which is made into a tea. It's mentioned in WH12 and KOD15. It bears a resemblance both in name and use to silphium in our world.

Ah, you are right on the money with that one. I missed it. Thanks a lot.

 

I also remembered another plot problem from tGS. Verin makes a gateway for the Band but somehow avoids teaching traveling to any of the Aes Sedai that follow Mat. I suppose that's possible but it would definitely have been a pretty difficult trick to accomplish yet the issue is never addressed at all.

[moratcorlm]

I guess that's probably covered by the Aes Sedai taboo against interfering in another sister's business. Joline and Teslyn are no longer Sitters, and don't stand far enough above Verin to order her to teach them. As we saw in WH23, seeing a completed gateway is not enough to know how it was done, unless you have the Talent of reading residues. It's contrived, but I guess she could have evaded them.

 

I'm more surprised that they and the others didn't visit Elayne. Edesina would be welcome in the Palace even if Mat couldn't convince Elayne to extend an invitation to Teslyn and Joline, and you'd think Egeanin, Juilin, and Amathera might want to see her.

[Kestrel]

2. Why didn't Mat ask Elayne for a gateway to the Tower of Ghenjei? He definitely knew she could travel as she was the one who made the gateway to Ebou Dar for them. Yet he kept looking for somebody else like Verin or Perrin's asha'man.

 

I don't think this is a plot hole for several reasons:

-- Do you honestly think Elayne WOULD cooperate with his plan to enter the Tower by making a Gateway to send him there? Birgitte warned Mat - rather forcefully - to abandon the attempt.

 

-- Elayne's channeling is currently inconsistent and weak. Sure, she made a Gateway for herself to do a very short-distance jump, but Traveling to the Tower is something else entirely.

 

-- Mat doesn't need just one Gateway. He also needs a way back. Whatever channeler assists him with the outbound trip needs to also make additional Gateways to the same spot every day for weeks, perhaps even months, until Mat escapes the Tower. AND the chosen channeler needs to butt out and resist the temptation to launch a "rescue Mat" expedition. I just don't see Elayne making that commitment.

[herid]

2. Why didn't Mat ask Elayne for a gateway to the Tower of Ghenjei? He definitely knew she could travel as she was the one who made the gateway to Ebou Dar for them. Yet he kept looking for somebody else like Verin or Perrin's asha'man.

 

I don't think this is a plot hole for several reasons:

-- Do you honestly think Elayne WOULD cooperate with his plan to enter the Tower by making a Gateway to send him there?

yes, I would. Elayne owes Mat big time.

Birgitte warned Mat - rather forcefully - to abandon the attempt.

sorry but that's not convincing. Elayne is her own person. and as I said she owes Mat a few favors and she knows it. Plus Mat is a ta'veren. Elayne would have had a very hard time saying "no" if Mat really needed a gateway.

-- Elayne's channeling is currently inconsistent and weak. Sure, she made a Gateway for herself to do a very short-distance jump, but Traveling to the Tower is something else entirely.

Mat doesn't know about these issues so he should have at least asked. and Elayne has Kin on duty routinely making gateways for those who need them just as one of them did for Gawyn.

-- Mat doesn't need just one Gateway. He also needs a way back. Whatever channeler assists him with the outbound trip needs to also make additional Gateways to the same spot every day for weeks, perhaps even months, until Mat escapes the Tower. AND the chosen channeler needs to butt out and resist the temptation to launch a "rescue Mat" expedition. I just don't see Elayne making that commitment.

same answer as above. any of the Kin that were capable of making a gateway in the first place could have done this just as easily as an asha'man.

[herid]

I guess that's probably covered by the Aes Sedai taboo against interfering in another sister's business. Joline and Teslyn are no longer Sitters, and don't stand far enough above Verin to order her to teach them. As we saw in WH23, seeing a completed gateway is not enough to know how it was done, unless you have the Talent of reading residues. It's contrived, but I guess she could have evaded them.

That would mean that she had to make a gateway out of their sight. It's possible I suppose but rather contrived. Mat sent someone to let them know about Verin's arrival immediately after sealing the bargain with her. So they would see her shortly thereafter. After that it would have been rather tricky for her to somehow hide from the other Aes Sedai when making the gateway.

I'm more surprised that they and the others didn't visit Elayne. Edesina would be welcome in the Palace even if Mat couldn't convince Elayne to extend an invitation to Teslyn and Joline, and you'd think Egeanin, Juilin, and Amathera might want to see her.

good points. I wondered about that too.

[Luckers]

1. Why didn't any of the Forsaken/Black Ajah break into the sa'angreal storage room in the White Tower and stole everything there was to steal long before Egwene got there in tGS? They certainly had plenty of time to do it and (as was repeatedly mentioned throughout the series) all Forsaken have been looking for any angreal and sa'angreal they could find.

 

They were warded. If entered a dozen sisters and warders would have been on them in a second. Mesaana explains this.

 

Automatically Mesaana dropped into a lecturing tone. "The White Tower now has guards and wards on

their strongrooms, inside and out, plus they count everything four times each day."

 

Now if Mesaana didn't simply travel in there we can conclude that that too would have set off the wards. Egwene didn't need to worry about that as the sisters and gaiden responsible for responding would have been too busy fighting the Seanchan.

[herid]

1. Why didn't any of the Forsaken/Black Ajah break into the sa'angreal storage room in the White Tower and stole everything there was to steal long before Egwene got there in tGS? They certainly had plenty of time to do it and (as was repeatedly mentioned throughout the series) all Forsaken have been looking for any angreal and sa'angreal they could find.

 

They were warded. If entered a dozen sisters and warders would have been on them in a second. Mesaana explains this.

 

Automatically Mesaana dropped into a lecturing tone. "The White Tower now has guards and wards on

their strongrooms, inside and out, plus they count everything four times each day."

 

Now if Mesaana didn't simply travel in there we can conclude that that too would have set off the wards. Egwene didn't need to worry about that as the sisters and gaiden responsible for responding would have been too busy fighting the Seanchan.

Ah, yes, you are absolutely right. Thanks a lot for the explanation and the quote.

[Muad Cheade]

1. Why didn't any of the Forsaken/Black Ajah break into the sa'angreal storage room in the White Tower and stole everything there was to steal long before Egwene got there in tGS? They certainly had plenty of time to do it and (as was repeatedly mentioned throughout the series) all Forsaken have been looking for any angreal and sa'angreal they could find.

Luckers just answered this.

2. Why didn't Mat ask Elayne for a gateway to the Tower of Ghenjei? He definitely knew she could travel as she was the one who made the gateway to Ebou Dar for them. Yet he kept looking for somebody else like Verin or Perrin's asha'man.

There was no point as he still had to wait the days he promised Verin. Also, there is a less chance of his whereabouts and intentions being known if Perrin, Grady, Mat, Thom, and Noal are the only ones who know.

3. This one is a nitpick but still... When Egwene and Siuan meet in TAR right before the Seanchan attack on the White tower Egwene tells Siuan to inform the Hall that she wants to meet them in two days. But Siuan and Egwene's meeting are supposedly done in secret from the Hall as the Hall doesn't know that Siuan has Leane's dream ter'angreal. So Siuan couldn't inform the Hall without revealing that fact.

Already addressed.

4. Verin makes a gateway for the Band but somehow avoids teaching traveling to any of the Aes Sedai that follow Mat. I suppose that's possible but it would definitely have been a pretty difficult trick to accomplish yet the issue is never addressed at all.

They simply might not have been there to witness her channeling.

5. Lastly, (and I'm sorry if this sounds silly), but why hasn't Min gotten pregnant yet? Elayne got pregnant on the first try. Min had plenty of chances. so why isn't she pregnant yet?

Not everyone becomes pregnant easily. Simple fact.

[Luckers]

Min knows how to brew a contraceptive tea. Also its possible she can't bear children.

[Terez]

Mat uses Grady for a gateway for the same reason he won't ask an Aes Sedai for Healing, and often refuses when they offer. He doesn't trust them, and doesn't want to owe them anything. He figures the men are different. Now that saidin is cleansed, they don't freak him out in the slightest - he's a pragmatic guy like that - and they conveniently give him an opportunity to bypass the women.

[Mystraka]

2. Why didn't Mat ask Elayne for a gateway to the Tower of Ghenjei? He definitely knew she could travel as she was the one who made the gateway to Ebou Dar for them. Yet he kept looking for somebody else like Verin or Perrin's asha'man.

 

 

Mat doesn't trust Aes Sedai. He would even expect Elayne to ask for some sort of payment for her services which he is not willing to pay. He trusts Verin to some extent, and while it may sicken him, he has no reason to distrust the Asha'man. Just because you say "Elayne owes him bigtime" does not mean the Elayne sees it that way, in fact, I would argue that Elayne thinks Mat owes her for letting him save her.

[David Selig]

Mat uses Grady for a gateway for the same reason he won't ask an Aes Sedai for Healing, and often refuses when they offer. He doesn't trust them, and doesn't want to owe them anything. He figures the men are different. Now that saidin is cleansed, they don't freak him out in the slightest - he's a pragmatic guy like that - and they conveniently give him an opportunity to bypass the women.

This.

 

Also he didn't want to risk except if absolutely necessary even the slightest chance of Elayne, or any Aes Sedai for that matter, learning about his plan to save Moiraine and asking to get involved more directly. In Mat's own words "And when a woman wanted to be part of something, that meant she wanted to be in charge.", and he's had more than enough of women and especially Aes Sedai getting involved in his plans against his will and trying to take over the command.

[Mr Hindley]

1. Why didn't any of the Forsaken/Black Ajah break into the sa'angreal storage room in the White Tower and stole everything there was to steal long before Egwene got there in tGS? They certainly had plenty of time to do it and (as was repeatedly mentioned throughout the series) all Forsaken have been looking for any angreal and sa'angreal they could find.

 

They were warded. If entered a dozen sisters and warders would have been on them in a second. Mesaana explains this.

 

True... But only after Padan Fain had raided one of the stores. Before that, it was very easy for someone to break in - as proven by Padan Fain himself, he only had to contend with one novice. Mesaana was at liberty before that point, never mind the Black Ajah, so I'm sure they could have managed it. Yes, it would have caused some alarm, but the gain justifies the cost. Besides which, how about having 13 sisters disappear suddenly, committing murder and stealing ter'angreal, as happened earlier in the series - that also caused a bit of a kerfuffle (a curiously small kerfuffle, admittedly!)

[Luckers]

Nope. Fain was lucky, the Accepted did not raise the alarm she should have.

[herid]

 

Mat uses Grady for a gateway for the same reason he won't ask an Aes Sedai for Healing, and often refuses when they offer. He doesn't trust them, and doesn't want to owe them anything. He figures the men are different. Now that saidin is cleansed, they don't freak him out in the slightest - he's a pragmatic guy like that - and they conveniently give him an opportunity to bypass the women.

 

 

 

 

Mat doesn't trust Aes Sedai. He would even expect Elayne to ask for some sort of payment for her services which he is not willing to pay. He trusts Verin to some extent, and while it may sicken him, he has no reason to distrust the Asha'man. Just because you say "Elayne owes him bigtime" does not mean the Elayne sees it that way, in fact, I would argue that Elayne thinks Mat owes her for letting him save her.

What you both say does make some sense but it still strains credulity IMO. Mat is pretty desperate to find anybody to provide him with a gateway. He can't be very choosy at this point. He never mentioned that he is only looking for an Asha'man and not an Aes Sedai. And I don't see why he should trust Verin more than Elayne. The opposite should be true IMO. Also, I stand by what I said that Elayne owes Mat and she knows it. From CoS after Mat saves her from the gholam:

 

Her eyes latched on to his, and if he had ever thought she looked at him as if he were a stranger, he saw it for true now. “I saw what you did, Mat. With him. We might as well have been chickens in a box with a weasel. Channeling wouldn’t touch him; the flows melted the way they do with your . . . ” Glancing at the medallion still hanging from his fist, she drew a breath that did interesting things to that oval cut-out. “Thank you, Mat. I apologize for everything I ever did or thought.” She sounded as though she really meant it. “I keep building up toh toward you,” she smiled ruefully, “but I am not going to let you beat me. You are going to have to let me save you at least once to balance matters.”

 

Of course, the way Brandon Sanderson writes Mat and Elayne relationship is very different from how Jordan writes it at the end of CoS. That irked me I must admit...

[Jblaylock]

I doubt that a gateway in or out of the Tower of G would work. Birgitte described the tower itself as a gateway into another deminsion. So, that'd be like having an Aes'Sedai or Asha'man make "a gateway" into Tel'aran'rhiod. can't be done. Even if it could, making one out would likely be impossible, assuming that the OP doesn't work right in Snake/Fox land, just like it doesn't work the same in TAR.

[David Selig]

What you both say does make some sense but it still strains credulity IMO. Mat is pretty desperate to find anybody to provide him with a gateway. He can't be very choosy at this point.

He was not desperate for gateways before he met Perrin, he was still waiting for the 30 days he promised Verin to pass. If Perrin's Asha'man weren't available, I am pretty sure he'd have gone to Elayne, but since an opportunity presented itself not to get an Aes Sedai involved in his plans, Mat used it. Totally in character for him.

[Fel]

Now if Mesaana didn't simply travel in there we can conclude that that too would have set off the wards. Egwene didn't need to worry about that as the sisters and gaiden responsible for responding would have been too busy fighting the Seanchan.

It still does not make sense. A gateway into the storeroom, steal everything out of there in 5 seconds, and then close the gateway...Exactly how would the people guarding it be able to stop that? yes, they would know that someone broke in, but that would seem to be a perfectly acceptable risk in order to get the fluted wand and all the other goodies in there.

 

Before the AS got travelling it would take at least 5-10 minutes for someone to hear the ward and get down to the appropriate sub-basement room.

 

For a long time, I thought the "wards" meant that you could not travel in there. But, then Egwene does just that and blew that theory to smithereens and made it unbelievable that the Forsaken did not loot the room earlier.

 

Just look at Egwene's though after taking the Amyrlin Seat (tGS, to be forged again)

"...Though it occurs to me that we'll have to move the room with the ter'angreal. And keep the location secret and constantly warded. It won't be long before every sister with sufficient power knows the weave for Travelling, and I wouldn't put it past many of them - including those I trust - to 'borrow' angreal now and again."

So, Egwene is worried that her loyal AS will try to steal the items and thinks they will be able to get away with it unless the location is kept highly secret. It just makes no sense that the Forsaken did not clean that room out down to the floorboards.

 

Sometimes the idiocy of the Forsaken makes the series hard to swallow. Everything else is so well done, but the bad guys are truly incomprehensibly moronic in so much that they do.

[capuga]

I doubt that a gateway in or out of the Tower of G would work. Birgitte described the tower itself as a gateway into another deminsion. So, that'd be like having an Aes'Sedai or Asha'man make "a gateway" into Tel'aran'rhiod. can't be done. Even if it could, making one out would likely be impossible, assuming that the OP doesn't work right in Snake/Fox land, just like it doesn't work the same in TAR.

 

You can use a specific kind of gateway to enter TAR in the flesh. We see Egwene do this to get to Salidar and it is how Rand enters the dreamworld. The OP also seems to work like normal in TAR unless someone can ignore the weaves like we see Perrin do to the balefire.

 

That being said, I do not believe that it is possible to open a gateway directly into Finnland.

[herid]

 

 

Just look at Egwene's though after taking the Amyrlin Seat (tGS, to be forged again)

"...Though it occurs to me that we'll have to move the room with the ter'angreal. And keep the location secret and constantly warded. It won't be long before every sister with sufficient power knows the weave for Travelling, and I wouldn't put it past many of them - including those I trust - to 'borrow' angreal now and again."

So, Egwene is worried that her loyal AS will try to steal the items and thinks they will be able to get away with it unless the location is kept highly secret. It just makes no sense that the Forsaken did not clean that room out down to the floorboards.

Yes, this was actually the line which prompted my original question in the first place. But one can argue here that perhaps Egwene wasn't as familiar with existing protections on the storeroom as Mesaana was. But this is getting way too speculative. There is some minor plot inconsistency here but I'm content to let it lie at this point.

[Ananta]

Now if Mesaana didn't simply travel in there we can conclude that that too would have set off the wards. Egwene didn't need to worry about that as the sisters and gaiden responsible for responding would have been too busy fighting the Seanchan.

It still does not make sense. A gateway into the storeroom, steal everything out of there in 5 seconds, and then close the gateway...Exactly how would the people guarding it be able to stop that? yes, they would know that someone broke in, but that would seem to be a perfectly acceptable risk in order to get the fluted wand and all the other goodies in there.

 

Before the AS got travelling it would take at least 5-10 minutes for someone to hear the ward and get down to the appropriate sub-basement room.

 

For a long time, I thought the "wards" meant that you could not travel in there. But, then Egwene does just that and blew that theory to smithereens and made it unbelievable that the Forsaken did not loot the room earlier.

 

Just look at Egwene's though after taking the Amyrlin Seat (tGS, to be forged again)

"...Though it occurs to me that we'll have to move the room with the ter'angreal. And keep the location secret and constantly warded. It won't be long before every sister with sufficient power knows the weave for Travelling, and I wouldn't put it past many of them - including those I trust - to 'borrow' angreal now and again."

So, Egwene is worried that her loyal AS will try to steal the items and thinks they will be able to get away with it unless the location is kept highly secret. It just makes no sense that the Forsaken did not clean that room out down to the floorboards.

 

Sometimes the idiocy of the Forsaken makes the series hard to swallow. Everything else is so well done, but the bad guys are truly incomprehensibly moronic in so much that they do.

Exactly my thoughts.

 

It would have been easy when only Forsaken knew Travelling.

 

 

I guess this just has to be added to the long list of plot-induced idiocy by Forsaken.

[gary0044187]

 

 

Just look at Egwene's though after taking the Amyrlin Seat (tGS, to be forged again)

"...Though it occurs to me that we'll have to move the room with the ter'angreal. And keep the location secret and constantly warded. It won't be long before every sister with sufficient power knows the weave for Travelling, and I wouldn't put it past many of them - including those I trust - to 'borrow' angreal now and again."

So, Egwene is worried that her loyal AS will try to steal the items and thinks they will be able to get away with it unless the location is kept highly secret. It just makes no sense that the Forsaken did not clean that room out down to the floorboards.

Yes, this was actually the line which prompted my original question in the first place. But one can argue here that perhaps Egwene wasn't as familiar with existing protections on the storeroom as Mesaana was. But this is getting way too speculative. There is some minor plot inconsistency here but I'm content to let it lie at this point.

I do not view this as an inconsistency. I view this as Mesaana viewing what was in the WT as hers and seeing no need to remove anything from the storehouse they were doing so well to guard for her.

[Moogle]

1. Why didn't any of the Forsaken/Black Ajah break into the sa'angreal storage room in the White Tower and stole everything there was to steal long before Egwene got there in tGS? They certainly had plenty of time to do it and (as was repeatedly mentioned throughout the series) all Forsaken have been looking for any angreal and sa'angreal they could find.

 

They were warded. If entered a dozen sisters and warders would have been on them in a second. Mesaana explains this.

 

Automatically Mesaana dropped into a lecturing tone. "The White Tower now has guards and wards on

their strongrooms, inside and out, plus they count everything four times each day."

 

Now if Mesaana didn't simply travel in there we can conclude that that too would have set off the wards. Egwene didn't need to worry about that as the sisters and gaiden responsible for responding would have been too busy fighting the Seanchan.

 

I have to disagree heavily on that. "The White Tower now has guards and wards on" implies they were not there before Egwene took power. The OP's question refers to what happened before Egwene got there. What's more, is when Fain was there (in the time period the OP referred to), the guard was an Accepted, and the triggered ward drew precisely one Aes Sedai who was Black Ajah. Hardly dangerous to the Forsaken. Even after the wards were installed, we have Cadsuane, likely with an angreal, using custom hand created wards of incredible intricacy being broken. By a person with diminished intellect thanks to Compulsion (Elza) with a bit of help from the Dark One's own avatar who appears able to be wherever he wants. I don't think the wards would give them much in the way of trouble.

 

If entered a dozen sisters and warders would have been on them in a second.

A second? Really? Now, I'm sorry for being rude here, but did you happen to see the Aes Sedai reaction to the Seanchan? There were not dozens of sisters and wardens on them "in a second". And this was after Egwene's rise to the Amyrlin Seat. One thing Aes Sedai do not seem to be is prepared. I'd also have to mention that the Forsaken could probably loot an entire room within a minute at most with a gateway and weaves of air. They can hide the fact they are channeling, and use Compulsion on people checking if anything is wrong.

 

I suppose you could argue that the Forsaken didn't want to give themselves away, but how hard could it be to just stun the guard, steal the artifacts (even just a couple!), balefire/burn the room and then pretend the guard had an accident with a ter'angreal? Grandael's pleasure in her angreal ring definitely shows a huge desire for angreal, even at the expense of not looking perfect, and I fail to see why she didn't go for them when it has been proven the Forsaken had no problems literally walking through the White Tower with a simple illusion on. She's a master of Compulsion, as well as incredibly crafty. I'm sure she could have figured something out.

 

And, as it might not hurt to point out: the 'angreal are not something you want in the hands of the White Tower when the Last Battle rolls around.

 

I definitely see it as a plot hole. But the series wouldn't have much in the way of plot if a few female Chosen linked with the most powerful sa'angreal available and leveled every major city (who's going to stop them? The few Aes Sedai acting as advisors to royalty unable to mask the fact that they are channeling, and much weaker than an unaided Forsaken?), so I'm willing to ignore it.