Grasp and Release

Grasping and releasing the One Power is something a member of the Black Tower will do very often. In fact, it will be done so often as to become a very trivial part of your channeling emotes.

Once inside the void, one will notice a sort of shimmering or shining just outside the void. This is Saidin. In order to grasp, one merely reaches out with his mind and "seizes" this shining. Channeling Saidin is a constant struggle. If one does not maintain control over it at all times, he can find himself burned out or even killed. Saidin is not very forgiving. This constant struggle to control the Power is one of the reasons that it is incredibly dangerous to channel when fatigued. This danger is further exacerbated by the fact that channeling itself tends to fatigue one. It should be further noted that the taint lies on Saidin like a foul oilslick. Each time one touches Saidin, he also touches the taint. An example:

Joe seizes Saidin, his mouth twisting slightly at the foulness of the taint.

There are many differences between the way a man channels and the way a woman channels. We will only touch upon a few of them here. Whereas women that channel can sense the ability in other women, a man can only sense the ability in another man if that man is actually holding the power. It takes a test to determine whether or not a man has the ability to channel and this test requires his cooperation. Additionally, female channelers will see a glow around another woman that is holding the Power. Men are not surrounded by a glow when they channel. Other male channelers will "feel" when a man is holding the power, but they will not see it, although they will see his weaves when he channels. A male channeler can tell how much of the power another man is holding by how strongly he senses it. One similarity between Saidin and Saidar is the sweetness, the addictive quality. Even through the foulness of the taint, the feeling of vitality and joy associated with wielding Saidin is so strong that one is usually loathe to release it.

Joe holds onto Saidin. A feeling of menace rolls off him in waves sensed only by other men that can channel and grows stronger as he pulls more of the One Power into himself.

In order to release the One Power, a man must force it away from himself, as if pushing it. This is as much a struggle as grasping to start with. Strangely, the Power can slip from one's grasp accidentally. It requires effort to keep grasping as well as effort to release in a controlled manner. Losing one's grasp accidentally carries a slight risk of burning out. An example:

With effort, Joe pushes Saidin away from himself, the aura of menace around him fading as the Power leaves him.

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