Characters don't account for their age?

[bustycops1987]

I've recently reread the entire series, and one thing really jumped out me this time is that at times the characters or series itself doesn't factor in the ramifications of how long people are living.

 

Like if Elayne goes through Eqwenes process of receding her oaths and 'retires' as Aes Sedai she'll live to be well over 500-800+ years long with her strength in the power., yet half her POVs as queen have her making quips about what would be good for the succession when by all accounts with her strength in the power that won't matter for centuries (since even if her kids can channel her own 20~ year the headstart is nothing, and if they can't they'll be dead centuries before she would even need to worry about an heir).

 

Aviendha has that whole Rhuidean future laid out where she views her descendants, but again unless her entire line can channel, she would literally be seeing those futures from her own eyes. Especially in ToM where unless those visions are just showing her a different POV even though herself and her daughter would basically be alive through those entire sequence of visions.

 

Obviously any of the strong channelers can still die well before their time due to war or whatever, but the characters or even the books don't seem to take into account what it really means to have everyone living for near millennia.

 

I guess it just annoys most with the Aviendha thing because literally she is worried about the wayward path her Aiel descendants take, rather than wondering "Wait what the hell killed me and all my friends centuries early, we should still be alive". Especially since the only plausible theory I can think of is that the Last Battle wipes out most everyone, except when did they all find the time to have their kids?

 

If I just ignore all the factoids about random strong channelers, or un-oathed kin women living for 700+ years the continuity of the series seems to make more sense then, since a few decades longer than normal doesn't muddle things up quite as much.

[Maleshub]

I've recently reread the entire series, and one thing really jumped out me this time is that at times the characters or series itself doesn't factor in the ramifications of how long people are living.

 

Like if Elayne goes through Eqwenes process of receding her oaths and 'retires' as Aes Sedai she'll live to be well over 500-800+ years long with her strength in the power., yet half her POVs as queen have her making quips about what would be good for the succession when by all accounts with her strength in the power that won't matter for centuries (since even if her kids can channel her own 20~ year the headstart is nothing, and if they can't they'll be dead centuries before she would even need to worry about an heir).

 

Aviendha has that whole Rhuidean future laid out where she views her descendants, but again unless her entire line can channel, she would literally be seeing those futures from her own eyes. Especially in ToM where unless those visions are just showing her a different POV even though herself and her daughter would basically be alive through those entire sequence of visions.

 

Obviously any of the strong channelers can still die well before their time due to war or whatever, but the characters or even the books don't seem to take into account what it really means to have everyone living for near millennia.

 

I guess it just annoys most with the Aviendha thing because literally she is worried about the wayward path her Aiel descendants take, rather than wondering "Wait what the hell killed me and all my friends centuries early, we should still be alive". Especially since the only plausible theory I can think of is that the Last Battle wipes out most everyone, except when did they all find the time to have their kids?

 

If I just ignore all the factoids about random strong channelers, or un-oathed kin women living for 700+ years the continuity of the series seems to make more sense then, since a few decades longer than normal doesn't muddle things up quite as much.

 

One explanation for the short time between the LB and disappearance of Elayne and Aviendha is that Rand and his three women retire in a secluded part of the land; or in TAR (that last one is just a wild throw).

[Byzantine279]

It is also possible that their life spans end up shortened some how due to the battles that are going to take place, we don't know too much about the One Power, but it is entirely possible that one of the side effects of something that they do causes them to age far more rapidly than they normally would.

 

I suspect the trouble with Elayne is that her own ridiculously long potential life span simply does not occur to her, it simply hasn't hit her yet that she could live 600 years or more, and that even if her children are strong channelers they won't have much of an age difference in relative terms.

[bcspeer]

I always thought that Elayne would give the throne to her daughter when she felt it was time. As for Aviendha, it is a little weird that she doesn't think about it but it could just be because she is Aiel and they accept whatever happens and welcome death. It could also be that she cares more for her people and what happened to them than her own life and the lives of her friends so the future of the Aiel took precedence

[Barid Bel Medar]

She has just seen her entire people destroyed, and the whole world enslaved by crazy people flying on lizzards who collar channelers.

 

The columns used to give true visions of the past, somehow this time if feels true.

 

It is not something you would immediately think of. Remember that we only see Aviendha's thoughts immediately after her experience, where she is in shock, a few moments, when she decides to sit down and think. She hasn't yet had time to sit down and think through it rationally. But it is what she plans to do.

[Alric]

At their ages, it doesn't surprise me at all. Most people I know of don't really think much about age until mid to late 20s. And these people have no way of even knowing if they will be alive in a few months time.

[Byzantine279]

I agree with Barid about Aviendha, she was too busy thinking other, more immediately obvious thoughts. The fact that as a channeler she should be alive well into those visions doesn't leap out. I'm more surprised about Tuon apparently dying young, you would think she would channel if it ever came to it (out of instinct rather than intention), and I find it unlikely anyone who tries to kill her would be expecting that, I suppose it was simply poor luck (which is odd, seeing as Mat was probably around).

[fuzz1717]

I suspect the trouble with Elayne is that her own ridiculously long potential life span simply does not occur to her, it simply hasn't hit her yet that she could live 600 years or more, and that even if her children are strong channelers they won't have much of an age difference in relative terms.

 

Actually, Elayne does comment on her possible long age in WH (prologue) when she and Avi are becoming first sisters. But yes, i agree, she doesnt think about her possible longevity most of the time