Are the Supergirls at full Power?

[Michael Wentz]

We know that saidar users can sense each other's ultimate potential, which was why there was such a fuss over Elayne, Egwene, and Nynaeve.  And there are several times in the first few books where it's mentioned that none of them have reached their full potential yet.  As A Memory of Light states SO frequently, the entire series takes place over two years.

However, Siuan and Moiraine were not at their full potential after being raised Aes Sedai in New Spring, after spending around 6 years in the Tower.

So my question is:  By A Memory of Light, have any of them reached their full strength?  None of them compare their strength to each other, except for once early in the series when Elayne thinks that Egwene is only stronger than her because Egwene had been forced, but none of them ever make a comment like "Oh, THIS is what being at full strength feels like!"

[David Selig]

 When asked about this, Sanderson said "yes", though he wasn't about Elayne.

[Agitel]

I'd think not, though Egwene may be close. Egwene was "forced" into developing faster than normal, so much so that even though her potential is the same as Elayne's and Avi's and LESS than Nynaeve, she and Nynaeve had comparable strength, at least for a time.

 

Now I forget where I read that, but I picked it up on a reread.

[Rhienne]

I think Egwene must be very close to full strength due to being forced, but I would guess that Elayne, Aviendha and Nynaeve are probably still a little way off.  None of them have used the OP frequently throughout the series apart from Egwene: Aviendha because the Wise Ones don't use it much, Nynaeve because she had a block for half the series, and Elayne because she had problems channeling while pregnant.

[Barid Bel Medar]

INTERVIEW: Apr, 2012

Afternoon Tea with Brandon Sanderson - Luckers (Paraphrased)

 

LUCKERS

Are the major characters all at their full strength now?

 

BRANDON SANDERSON

Yes.

 

LUCKERS

I just ask because, like Nynaeve has been channeling longer, and Egwene was forced. And Rand likely was too, and as a man gains strength more swiftly...

 

BRANDON SANDERSON

Yeah, Elayne might not... I think she is, but she may not quite be there.

 

 

[Rhienne]

I wonder if BS has that right though?  He wasn't completely accurate on some aspects of channeling, particularly channeler power, and how high powered an angreal or link would make someone.  It doesn't seem to match up with Siuan and Moiraine taking more than 6 years to reach their full potential, and they would have been channeling every day during training.  On the other hand we have Egewene who has been channeling fairly frequently for 2 years with a few weeks of very intensive training; Nynaeve who has been channeling very sporadically for ~ 10 years(? - can't remember how old she was when she healed Egwene's fever), and can only channel freely for about 9 months; Elayne who has been channeling fairly frequently for 2 years, and sporadically while pregnant for six months; and Aviendha who we don't see use the power very often and has been using it from time to time for ~1.5 years.  

 

There are also long periods of time in the series when the girls aren't channeling for one reason or another (e.g. none of them channel really for the length of tEotW), Nynaeve and Elayne can't channel for fear of alerting the Black Ajah of their presence for large parts of the first half of the series.

[clutzyninja]

Couldn't it simply be that each individual "matures" in their OP potential at different rates?

[Barid Bel Medar]

Yes but Rhienne has a point. 

 

Women gain strength steadily, while men have random power jumps. 

 

To increase in power, they have to train to gain steady development. 

 

Nynaeve and Elayne don't have that. Specially Elayne, who in the first half spends much time hiding her ability and the latter half pregnant and unable to channel consistently. 

 

Nynaeve has her block and goes through the same thing with Elayne for the first half, however, she undergoes some intense training, and she has been channelling unconsciously for years before, so she hasn't just started at the bottom of her power like the others. 

 

Egwene I've no problems with. She is consistently training from her days as a novice, then as a damane (which really forced her) then with the Wise Ones she continued with Moiraine. Then the battle of Cairhien. When she became Amyrlin, she had Moggy teach her for a bit, and I doubt she would have stopped training afterwards. Even when she is captured, she is made to attend novice classes. 

 

Elayne is the biggest question, and to a lesser extent Nynaeve - although she goes through some pretty intensive stuff which could spur her along. 

[clutzyninja]

Creating ter'angreal gived 3x the experience points as regular channeling? lol

[Barid Bel Medar]

Hahha, well I was thinking something along those lines myself. 

 

We don't actually know the specifics of growth. We only know that channeling = growth. However, I suspect that the type of channeling, the intensity of it, makes a difference. 

 

Nynaeve for example, I have a feeling (based on no real evidence) that channeling through the Chodean Kal sped up her growth. Holding that amount of power for such a long time (even though she didn't weave) seems like it would boost someone's strength. 

 

Similarly, Egwene's use of the sa'angreal in tGS feels like it would boost her strength. 

 

Not because the sa'angreal gives them more power permanently, but holding immense power seems like it would "stretch" their limits and make it easier. 

 

So it could be that doing something intense like creating ter'angreal would speed up the process. 

 

Moghedien's training may have also played a big part. AoL training is bound to be more effective than the AS methods, even if she was messing with them. 

[jedman67]

I would suggest that since Siuan and Moiraine were training steadily, but fairly normally - neither had been in any high pressure position which forced or sped their growth, it took longer for them to "mature". 

[Michael Wentz]

I had always had an unsubstantiated belief that things like linking and *angreals could "force" beginning channelers, too.  And I'm including the damane as linking, because I never felt like Egwene was made to channel more than she would've anyways in her time as damane.

I think that's also why Asmodean mentioned linking with a woman to help teach Rand.  It would've helped him gain his strength faster, and (I'm assuming) that being linked with Asmodean would help him learn the weaves faster, because part of his own Power was being used to make it.  Maybe?  I could also be grasping at straws.

[meeker]

If you want to talk about forcing potential shouldn't the cleansing have brought Nyneave to full potential?  As brief as it was she probably channeled more power there than most channelers do in a lifetime.

[Rhienne]

I had always had an unsubstantiated belief that things like linking and *angreals could "force" beginning channelers, too.  And I'm including the damane as linking, because I never felt like Egwene was made to channel more than she would've anyways in her time as damane.

 

I'm fairly sure that it has been stated ('in-world') that Egwene's damane training specifically was what forced her.  I think its when Elayne is comparing her strength to her at some point.

 

That would still tie in to the theory that using sa'angreal and linking would push you towards your potential faster, as one of the scenes showing Egwene's damane training had the sul'dam making her channel at greater distances that she had felt she was capable, i.e. pushing her further in her ability with the power than she felt she was capable at the time.