Why the heck did Rand destroy the Choden Kal?

[Magicana]

 

we know there were at least two female access keys because Egwene tries to use a broken one I believe

I do not recall Egwene trying to use an access key.  nor any character finding additional access keys.

as far as I recall, Egwene used only 1 sa'angreal; the name started with "Vora's".

 

 

It was the broken figurine in the Panarch's Palace in Tanchicho. When she touched it, the One Power surged in and out of her until she released it.

[Sabio]

It was also said though that  key was  trapped.  So was it ever really an access key or something maybe designed  to kill people trying to use the Statues?

[mb]

the encyclopaedia site confirms that it was an access key; but does not tell to what it was an access key to.

[wotfan4472]

Except that Moghedien or Hessalam in disguise would have easily got it, or even a Darkfriend that no one knew about on the DO's orders. The threat of this happening was a very real possibility. It would actually have gone down well, the chase of the CK to parallel the Great Hunt book.

Great thinking mb. However, the destruction wrought before Rand got it back would have been immense. 

[mb]

a disguise may still require confrontation; Compulsion on others of Rand's followers and/or disposing of the real person.

to avoid doing either of those, the disguise would probably need to fit each of these::

-someone Rand and his followers do not distrust

-someone that was missing (at least during the theft attempt)

-someone Rand and his followers assume to be alive

-someone the disguised channeler knew

-someone the disguised channeler could easily imitate; appearance, movement, and maybe also voice

finding someone that fits all of those might be difficult

 

A more successful theft attempt might be this process::

1.  finding the exact location.

2.  waiting until that place is not guarded.

3.  do a Gateway to the place.

4.  remove all obstacles/traps/etc then take it.

5.  exit by either same or different Gateway then dispel the Gateway.

yet there could be problems with any of those steps.

[dhammett11]

It should be noted that we have many instances of the Choedan Kal being disdained--Firstly, Solinda, the one responsible for securing Callandor for the Dragon gave the Choedan Kal Access Keys to the Aiel--so why not secure the Choedan Kal in Tear, and leave the flawed Callandor out of it? Secondly an Aes Sedai came to the Aiel to gather sa'angreal, whilst raving of Ishamael--yet left the Choedan Kal Access Keys. Why? Thirdly Shadar Haren uses Elza to gain the Domination Band--and at the same time could have claimed the Access Key to the male Choedan Kal. Yet doesn't, and leaves it. Why?

I've heard it said somewhere that the female Choeden Kal melted because Nynaeve, being weaker in OP than Rand, had to use it more intensively and up to its limit. Rand contributed a tiny bit more of his own strength and that made a difference. So it seems the cleansing was a close thing - the sa'angreals were barely strong enough to cope.

No, the female Choedan Kal melted because it was used as the stressor. Saidar, effectively, was the hands that wrung the taint from saidin. It was with saidar that Rand applied the constriction on saidin that forced out the taint, and it was the stress that placed on the saidar Choedan Kal that resulted in it melting. This is why the female melted, and the male did not, though there was by far more saidin involved than saidar.

Many instances of the Choedan Kal being disdained, and one very big instance of it being coveted: by Lanfear. Lanfear's persistent encouragement to use it, combined with the fact that Shaidar Haran all but put it in his hands, combined with the fact that Rand after all very nearly did the Dark One's dirty work for him in Veins of Gold, starts to paint a very clear picture that the Dark One wanted Rand to continue using the CK. And as Moiraine would have said, what better reason not to?