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Interview #605: Driving Mr. Sanderson - Terez, Entry #5

Terez (sleepinghour)

Why did the female Choedan Kal melt at the cleansing but not the male one?

Brandon Sanderson

I’m out on a limb on this one, so this one is basically Brandon assumptions without as much substantiation…The female one is…you know that male channelers tend to be a bit stronger. My understanding is that the female Choedan Kal…they weren’t built with equal power levels; they were built with power levels of equivalent [or respective power potential], and so the amount of power pulled through was almost enough to destroy the male, but was enough to destroy the female as I understand, but that one’s out on a limb.

Terez

It might possibly have something to do with the fact that Nynaeve is not at the top of the female strength level, but Rand is at the top.

Brandon Sanderson

Both of them are kind of drops in the bucket compared to what the Choedan Kal can do. I honestly don’t think that was a factor. It is a valid theory, though, because in that case Rand is contributing more, and Nynaeve’s sa’angreal needs to contribute more, if that makes sense. And so…I mean, that could be valid, but the first one was my understanding, but I’m like way out on a limb on that one. I’m not sure on that one at all.

Footnote—Terez

Since Brandon made it clear that my theory was valid, I’ll explain my reasoning: Verin believed that only Siuan, Moiraine, Elaida, and the supergirls were strong enough to use the female Choedan Kal, so apparently one’s strength does make a difference in whether or not one could handle a super- sa’angreal , whether or not Verin was correct about who could handle it and who could not (she seemed to think Logain could not handle the male one, but she was probably wrong). Of course, she might have been lying, but what was her motive for lying to Perrin about it? Also, RJ fairly consistently places the strongest channelers with the angreal and sa’angreal in group efforts, presumably because strong channelers can get more out of them. (Rand, Nynaeve, Alivia; and with the Bowl of the Winds: Nynaeve, Aviendha, and Talaan; etc.)

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