Aging with the Power

[Dagon Thyne]

How does aging work for Power-people, both trained and untrained, specifically in terms of looks and biological things like menopause? Does that affect channellers at their "mid-age" (~80 or so) or is it a specific number of years for everyone? I would assume the later based on my understanding of biology, but magic makes everything go haywire.

 

Also, there have been some discrepancies in the book in terms of how the power affects looks. The Kin live longer and age proportionally to their extended life, but then we have Sharina who does look normal for her age. And if Sharina started channelling late, will the extended life benefit kick in now and add another X amount of years on or is it too late for her?

 

And does this work for male channellers as well? Flinn is an old man. The questions with concerns to Sharina relate to him as well. I guess there can't be a definitive answer since male channellers who used their power haven't lived past ~40 at the latest since the Breaking.

 

A lot of questions, I know...

 

Channelors age slower than normal humans. AOL channelors lived for hundreds of years. The oath rod limits the life to a little over 100 years and causes the ageless look.

[Naggash]

It's lovely to see someone reply at a solved question...why read what has been said? Better answer and be done with it. xDDD That reminds me of Aes Sedai.

 

Back on topic, anyone knows what was OR's use in the AoL?

[Ala Rubra]

Channelors age slower than normal humans. AOL channelors lived for hundreds of years. The oath rod limits the life to a little over 300 years and causes the ageless look.

 

Fixed that for you. (Although in all likelihood, it merely halves their lifespan, which would suggest that the average unbound Aes Sedai would have a lifespan of ~600 years.)

[Knivy]

There was Elayne's concern on the oath rod's affect on her children though...

 

Elayne wasnt nessessarily concerned about the Oath Rod itself affecting her babes, but the actual ter'angreal-enforced Oaths affecting them. She doesnt know if they'll be able to channel and thus become Aes Sedai, but she does know her daughter will grow up to become Queen of Andor. What kind of head of state can you be if you can't lie?

 

The idea of the OR being a contraceptive ot the use thereof is a bar to having children is preposterous, unless you swear an oath on it that you will never concieve a child, or bring a child to term while under oath. Aes Sedai dont have children because in their own insular society they just...don't. The White Tower is so named for a reason; ivory towers tend to bring out the superiority in a person.

thanks, thats what I wa trying to bring up, just didnt articulate correctly.

[yoniy0]

Back on topic, anyone knows what was OR's use in the AoL?

Yes, and I think we've touched on it here. They were used as a (humane) alternative to severing, for channeling criminals, to make sure they don't engage in questionable activity in the future.

[Naggash]

Back on topic, anyone knows what was OR's use in the AoL?

Yes, and I think we've touched on it here. They were used as a (humane) alternative to severing, for channeling criminals, to make sure they don't engage in questionable activity in the future.

 

I said earlier that I thought it was the method used to take care of criminals and I think I was told it wasn't. Am i hearing voices like Rand or it was only used in channeling criminals?

[yoniy0]

Voices, defs

 

You did say so before, I see now. But while you've been swept into the argument about Theodril's assertion, I believe we took issue with the OR as contraceptive rather than its uses to treat criminals.

[Oort]

Doesn't Siuan say something about her periods returning after being stilled (and healed)? I think that may be the source for people thinking the OR is a contraceptive. I know I've read a discussion on this topic some time ago on DM.

[Naggash]

I don't remember such thing, and I've re-read that part just a week ago. The thing that returned to her along with the ability to channel was the pain for her warder's death.

[yoniy0]

No, she definitely did. The Yellows have declared her in prime child-bearing years, or some such (that's close to verbatim, I believe). And yet, I always understood that simply as the Stilling negating some of the aging affected by the OR.

[David Selig]

There was Elayne's concern on the oath rod's affect on her children though...

 

Elayne wasnt nessessarily concerned about the Oath Rod itself affecting her babes, but the actual ter'angreal-enforced Oaths affecting them. She doesnt know if they'll be able to channel and thus become Aes Sedai, but she does know her daughter will grow up to become Queen of Andor. What kind of head of state can you be if you can't lie?

I don't know...like Elayne herself? ;)

 

I mean she hasn't taken the oaths yet, but she sticks to them regardless and is doing fine. The oath against lying never stopped the Aes Sedai from being good politicians anyway.

[fionwe1987]

Elayne worry about the OR, I think is based on what she learned from the Sister-bonding ritual. Basically, she was told her children would be harmed if she went through that if she were pregnant. So she's worried something may happen to them if she swears Oaths, which is a reasonble conclusion.

[Vardar]

One thing that was said in the books and elsewhere that was later disproved in the book that always bothered me, it's mentioned that the stronger you are in the power, the longer you live. Power is directly related to length of life. So how do you explain Soriela?

[fionwe1987]

One thing that was said in the books and elsewhere that was later disproved in the book that always bothered me, it's mentioned that the stronger you are in the power, the longer you live. Power is directly related to length of life. So how do you explain Soriela?

Why does Sorilea need explanation? Wise Ones don't live all that long because of the harsh conditions of the Waste. Remember that Mora, who lived beyond 300, was remarkable for her age, and died of a snake bite. Sorilea just has the luck to not have had this kind of thing happen to her, so she got a lot closer to her final lifespan than most women in the Waste would.

[Agitel]

Elayne may have worried that her children would be bound by the Oaths too if she swore while pregnant, or that whatever changes come from being bound would inadvertently affect the kids. Plus, that's just what she said. Even if she's trying to live by the Oaths, and while the children are a genuine concern, she might be trying to stretch out what freedom she has given her political position, to make use of that freedom while she can.

[yoniy0]

It's not what she said, it's what we heard her think. This scheme you suggest would have to be subliminal.

[Suttree]

Had not seen this quote yet and as it somewhat relates thought I would throw it in...

 

 

 

Interview: Oct 13th, 2005

 

KOD Signing Report - Allen Bryan (Paraphrased)

Question

 

Does the rate of slowing depend on your strength in the Power?

Robert Jordan

 

Yes, basically; you age at 1/X your normal rate, with X being dependent up to a point on Power strength. The Power acts as a natural rejuvenator on you; even at the point of death you won't look or feel worse than a normal 65-year-old.

[Vardar]

One thing that was said in the books and elsewhere that was later disproved in the book that always bothered me, it's mentioned that the stronger you are in the power, the longer you live. Power is directly related to length of life. So how do you explain Soriela?

Why does Sorilea need explanation? Wise Ones don't live all that long because of the harsh conditions of the Waste. Remember that Mora, who lived beyond 300, was remarkable for her age, and died of a snake bite. Sorilea just has the luck to not have had this kind of thing happen to her, so she got a lot closer to her final lifespan than most women in the Waste would.

 

 

Sorilea says she's lived longer than any Wise One. If I remember correctly.

[fionwe1987]

One thing that was said in the books and elsewhere that was later disproved in the book that always bothered me, it's mentioned that the stronger you are in the power, the longer you live. Power is directly related to length of life. So how do you explain Soriela?

Why does Sorilea need explanation? Wise Ones don't live all that long because of the harsh conditions of the Waste. Remember that Mora, who lived beyond 300, was remarkable for her age, and died of a snake bite. Sorilea just has the luck to not have had this kind of thing happen to her, so she got a lot closer to her final lifespan than most women in the Waste would.

 

 

Sorilea says she's lived longer than any Wise One. If I remember correctly.

No. She says she's the oldest current Wise One.

[Agitel]

One thing that was said in the books and elsewhere that was later disproved in the book that always bothered me, it's mentioned that the stronger you are in the power, the longer you live. Power is directly related to length of life. So how do you explain Soriela?

Why does Sorilea need explanation? Wise Ones don't live all that long because of the harsh conditions of the Waste. Remember that Mora, who lived beyond 300, was remarkable for her age, and died of a snake bite. Sorilea just has the luck to not have had this kind of thing happen to her, so she got a lot closer to her final lifespan than most women in the Waste would.

 

 

Sorilea says she's lived longer than any Wise One. If I remember correctly.

 

The previous point seems to cover that, though (and as noted in the post above mine, she's the (or one of the) oldest living Wise Ones, not the oldest ever). Unbound channellers can live up to 600-700 years. The harshness of the Aiel Waste means most Wise Ones never make it close to living that long. Sorilea, being much weaker, may have a maximum lifespan of 300-400 years. Maybe longer. We're told that 300 is considered to have been a very long life by Wise One standards. So, even though she's weaker, it's rational that she may be older than the stronger channellers around her simply because she's lucked out. Even though she's weaker, a quote provided above by Suttree says that channellers never really get physically older than a sixty-five year old even at the end of their lives.

[fionwe1987]

One thing that was said in the books and elsewhere that was later disproved in the book that always bothered me, it's mentioned that the stronger you are in the power, the longer you live. Power is directly related to length of life. So how do you explain Soriela?

Why does Sorilea need explanation? Wise Ones don't live all that long because of the harsh conditions of the Waste. Remember that Mora, who lived beyond 300, was remarkable for her age, and died of a snake bite. Sorilea just has the luck to not have had this kind of thing happen to her, so she got a lot closer to her final lifespan than most women in the Waste would.

 

 

Sorilea says she's lived longer than any Wise One. If I remember correctly.

 

The previous point seems to cover that, though (and as noted in the post above mine, she's the (or one of the) oldest living Wise Ones, not the oldest ever). Unbound channellers can live up to 600-700 years. The harshness of the Aiel Waste means most Wise Ones never make it close to living that long. Sorilea, being much weaker, may have a maximum lifespan of 300-400 years. Maybe longer. We're told that 300 is considered to have been a very long life by Wise One standards. So, even though she's weaker, it's rational that she may be older than the stronger channellers around her simply because she's lucked out. Even though she's weaker, a quote provided above by Suttree says that channellers never really get physically older than a sixty-five year old even at the end of their lives.

Why is this in response to my quote? I said pretty much the same thing.

[Agitel]

Why is this in response to my quote? I said pretty much the same thing.

 

I quoted Vardarmus in that post. It's the same post you responded to a few minutes ago.

[Knivy]

One thing that was said in the books and elsewhere that was later disproved in the book that always bothered me, it's mentioned that the stronger you are in the power, the longer you live. Power is directly related to length of life. So how do you explain Soriela?

Why does Sorilea need explanation? Wise Ones don't live all that long because of the harsh conditions of the Waste. Remember that Mora, who lived beyond 300, was remarkable for her age, and died of a snake bite. Sorilea just has the luck to not have had this kind of thing happen to her, so she got a lot closer to her final lifespan than most women in the Waste would.

You also have to remember that it is channeling that prolongs life, not just being able to channel. The Wise Ones don't channel nearly as much as an AS would, so their lives aren't extended as much either.

[RandA lThor]

Right, someone who has the ability to learn will not live as long as an Aes Sedai who learned.

[Knivy]

its not just learning, its the act of channeling. Channeling itself is what causes the slowing.