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The One Power is a
powerful driving
force in the
universe. A small
percentage of the
population can tap
this source to do
amazing things.
Doing this is called
channeling. Most
people that can
channel were taught
how, but a much
smaller percentage
have the ability
inborn. These few
will channel
eventually, whether
they are taught to
or not. Of those
that have the
ability inborn and
do not recieve
training, one in
four will survive,
but always
developing some sort
of block in the
process. These
people are called
wilders. If this
block can be broken,
they are usually
among the strongest
channelers. All
others either burn
themselves out
(channel more than
they can handle and
lose the ability) or
kill themselves.
The
One Power is divided
into five seperate
powers called
threads. These
threads are named
according to what
can be done with
them. The five
threads are: Earth,
Air, Fire, Water,
and Spirit.
Channelers have
strengths and
weaknesses with
different threads of
the One Power. Most
are the strongest in
one or two and
weaker in the
others. Also,
strengths in certain The One Power is divided in half. The two halves are Saidar and Saidin. Saidar is that part of the One Power that women can channel and Saidin is the half of the One Power that men can channel. The part of the One Power called Saidin was tainted by the Dark One in his backlash on Lews Therin during the breaking of the world. The taint of Saidin is like a horrible slime on the surface of water that must be reached through to get to the wanted source. All men the channel are doomed to either go mad or die of a horrible wasting sickness. Women
who think they
might have the
ability or who are
wilders can go to
the White Tower for
training. Women are
then tested to see
if they have the
ability. To do this,
a trained Aes Sedai
channels to create a
small flame between
herself and the
woman being tested.
If the woman has the
ability to channel
or learn to channel
she will feel a
resonance.There over
a process of many
years they are
tought as much of
the One Power as
possible. They begin
as Novices, and when
it is thought they
are ready, they go
through the three
arches to become
Accepted. When an
accepted is ready to
be raised to Aes
Sedai they must
swear the Three
Oaths on the Oath
Rod. The first oath
is to speak no word
that is not true.
The second oath is
to make no weapon
with which no man
may kill another.
The third oath is to
never use the One
Power as a weapon
except against
Shadowspawn, or in
extreme defense of
one's self or Warder
or another Aes
Sedai. Men who think they could channel go to the Black Tower. This is a safe haven for them where they do not have to be afraid that the Red Ajah will gentle them. To be gentled is to be cut off from the One Power so that you can never channel again. The testing for men is exactly the same as women.Here they are trained to become living weapons. These men start as Soldier and then they progress to Dedicated. An Asha' man is the male equivalent of an Aes Sedai. To complete acts with the One Power that require more strength than any one person could possibly have on their own, you can link. People link to form circles that are controlled by one person. These circles can be extremely powerful. Another way to increase strength is to use an angreal or a sa'angreal. These are objects of the power that greatly increase the amount that a single person could channel safely. To use either of these you simply have physical contact with it and draw the One Powe through it. The
best known
channelers are those
of the White Tower
called Aes Sedai who
often take part in
many matters of war,
peace, and other
dealings between
nations. There are
many other groups of
those who can
channel. There is
the group called the
the Kin in Ebou Dar
and there are the
Windfinders on the
ships of the Sea
Folk; both of these
groups are
channelers. Other
channelers can be
found among the Aiel
Wise Ones, and the
suldams and damanes
of the Seanchan can
also channel. Those
who channel are
often feared by
others and also
outlawed. This just
shows the enormous
influence of the One
Power on the world. |