Quick question about channeling (Weaves of Air)

[Stormcrown]

Can weaves of air be used to cut?

 

I don't think we ever saw that happen, but in my head I keep thinking you could make a small enough weave of air to cut. I mean, they used it to punch, so why not cut?

 

Writing a post AMOL story and I'd like to know if this would be "Plausible"

[Tsukibana]

Suian makes a sword. never will dull, never break. 'nuff said.

[Stormcrown]

Hm. Sounds good enough for me.

[Tsukibana]

more difficult would be making your raz-air (HA) and then the subtle weaves needed to move it.

[Whizbang]

There are a lot of things that channelers could do with simple weaves, but for whatever reason lack the imagination to do so. Simple cutting weaves of air would be devestating against an army. A single weave of razor sharp air, spanning a field would destroy a calvary/trolloc charge and take no more power than a single fireball, I feel. Standing weaves of all sorts could be used in preparation of a battle. The nice thing is that they could be low powered enough, such as the razor thin rope of air, that opposing channelers would find it difficult to sense/see, even without inverting. 'course, escellation would mean soon channelers would start sweeping battle fields with "cutting" weaves to take care of any simple traps and standing weaves. Then further escellation would result in sophisticated traps/wards to counter the "cutting" weaves. Then further escellation would result in more complicated stuff. But eventually, and probably rather quickly, you could again use ther simple standing weaves to catch the opposing side who over-thought the battle.

 

I would love to see a story, by RJ, of a battle during the War of Power. I bet there were all sorts of nasty attacks/counter-attacks possible. In the current age, channeling has been so dumbed down (due to Ishmael's efforts as well as the lack of male channelers, plus a wide-spread fear of channeling in general), that it sometimes seems like watching peewee football. Everyone is dressed up for the game, but it is not uncommon for one of the players to stop and pick his nose, or for another to just walk off the field. And those that do play often just end up in a pile. It makes that rare completed pass, or a run for the length of the field, seem amazing.

[Stormcrown]

Yeah, I would have liked to see a war of power battle, too bad we won't.. :(

[yoniy0]

They didn't actually miss that possibility. Cyndane used air to behead a DF when she felt Nynaeve draw on saidar through the CK, and Asmodean used a trap made of air wires just inside Rhuidean when Rand chased him there.

[Stormcrown]

They didn't actually miss that possibility. Cyndane used air to behead a DF when she felt Nynaeve draw on saidar through the CK, and Asmodean used a trap made of air wires just inside Rhuidean when Rand chased him there.

Ahhh this is true!

 

I was just uncomfortable doing something with the one power that would seem off. While I am writing a fan fiction, I want to keep it as canon as possible while staying fresh and unique.

[Tsukibana]

yep. rand would have been snicker-snacked by the vorpal thread if he hadn't tucked and rolled.

[al'Lanis Morissette]

Taking this idea further, an extremely thin weave of the other elements would also be deadly and have practical uses. An extremely thin weave of fire could possiby function as a laser. Earth could be used to produce extremely dense materials (form diamonds?) Not sure what an extremely thin weave of Spirit would do.

[Barid Bel Medar]

I'd just like to mention it since it has come up a few times in your post. While you are obviously free to write fan-fic if you want, showing/promoting it on Dragonmount is forbidden. RJ's feelings on fan-fic were clear - he hated the very idea. Team Jordan respect and carry the same feelings. Since RJ and Team Jordan once - and continue to in some degree- had connections to DM, DM also respects the wishes of RJ and Team Jordan. 

 

So I am certainly not telling you to stop - I can't do that. However, I must ask that you do not show/promote fan-fic on this site. This is a non-negotiable rule, and is not up for debate. 

 

Edit: because reading over it, it sounds too harsh. 

[Stormcrown]

Oh god I had no intention of doing that. I was just providing context for my question. Asking if weaves of air can cut out of curiosity is different that saying you wanted to apply it for a story. The context is very important. Although I did end up deciding to do RPing rather than writing anything. RPing is just more fun :)

 

From my understanding he didn't like fan fiction because it distorted what fans expected, and if they wrote something from the Age of Legends that was close to what RJ had, and then RJ wrote something but it was very similar, it would appear as though RJ was copying the fan fiction. He wanted to be the only one creating things.

 

If that line of reasoning makes sense anyway. Aside from him being selfish I can't really see any reason. Any source for his view on it? I can definitely understand disliking fan fiction derived from a series you are in the middle of. Although doing so after the series is over...

 

Either way, we won't be getting anymore WoT stuff from any author.

[Barid Bel Medar]

Don't worry, you aren't being accused of anything. I mentioned it because I have seen in various posts references to fan-fic, and I didn't want you to not know about these things and get into trouble down the line. 

 

As for why he didn't like fan-fic - mostly, it was a personal thing. He didn't like people using his world and characters. First off in a legal sense of copyright, he wanted to prevent people making money off his work. On a more personal level, I can't really speak for him - but from the interviews, he seems to dislike the idea of people messing with his world.

 

I highly doubt it has anything to do with people creating similar things to what happens in the book. He had no problem with people correctly guessing what was going to happen, and he really didn't care what people thought in terms of it seeming like copying. 

 

For more info, look here: http://www.theoryland.com/wheel-of-time-interview-search.php

 

Search under the tag "fan fiction" and there are a list of snippets from interviews where he talks about fan-fic. 

 

Anyhow, point being, for whatever reasons, RJ was totally against anyone else writing in the WoT universe. And DM has subsequently decided to respect that wish. 

[Stormcrown]

Ah. Does seem odd.

 

Although that's not something you change by wishing, especially given what happens in AMOL. (Generally speaking)

[Agitel]

Ah. Does seem odd.

 

Although that's not something you change by wishing, especially given what happens in AMOL. (Generally speaking)

 

It's a legal issue, too. If RJ doesn't take an active role in preventing/defending against fan fiction (even if it was published for free and online), then he essentially loses his copyright over it. That means others can right and sell their own stories set in his world. Authors like Lovecraft were impoverished over this. He likely also may have had a personal attachment to his characters, and it was just weird seeing other people do it.

[Hagazussa]

Well it should be mentioned that Lovecraft allowed anyone who wished to publish works in his setting and earn money on it which is something very different that fans putting up a fanfiction on their private webpage, blog or on places like fanfiction.net. I am not advocating something this webpage forbids, we are all guests at this page and as so one abide by the rules of the site whatever or not on agree with the policy or not. I am just commenting when it comes to Lovecraft.

 

Now as for the topic at hand. I do think a channeler can make a air weave as sharp or hard as they want, depending on their strength or more importantly their dexterity.Is there not several examples in the books of thin threads of air being used as weapons? It may be that I remember it wrong but I seam to remember something about that.