The Seanchean and Elayne

[Turin Turambar]

OK, this is going to be a full spoiler post.

So a couple of days ago I was considering how the "known world" (basically the whole mainland MINUS the Seanchan) would fight off the Seanchan, given that just about everyone considers it an inevitability. The Seanchan have a number of advantages, including huge numbers of channelers, and the ability to steal opponents channelers. With this in mind, it's possible for the rest of the world to prevent any invasion at all from the Seanchan. 

First, remove Mat. you could even wait for him to die, if you can stall the conflict long enough. You probably can use the time before the conflict to prepare, anyways. Mat with all of his memories would probably be enough to skew the whole conflict though, and that's an advantage that cannot be left alone. Second, get Elayne LOTS of angreal. Very specific ones. She would need to create a fixed dreamspike, focused on wherever (let's assume that we're only trying the defend Caemlyn for the moment). Next, have Elayne build a series of guardians around Caemlyn like there is around Far Madding, which now neutralizes channeling entirely. If you want, you could build in little passes to ignore the system. I know that that's possible, because the person who is bonded to the dreamspike can still make gateways. Instead of having a person bond the dreamspikes, perhaps create little amulet angreal that if they are bonded to aes sedai or asha'man like warders, they let a person ignore the effects of the guardians and dreamspikes. For basic physical deterrants, just beef up the wall, perhaps turning large swathes of it into cuendillar

Next, for offensive capability, create a series of tied off gates that can be moved via a series of levers. Put these gateways outside, but make sure that they are portable, like deathgates except maneuverable. The side in Caemlyn should be locked in size and mostly in place. Back the ground underneath and directly behind in Cuendillar so nothing can get in. Then, position rows of archers behind the portal on the Caemlyn side. 

With these innovations, you've taken control of channeling, and created a series of highly mobile strike forces that can't really be touched by anything. Tell me what you think.

[Dancer]

You have to remember Elayne barely understands what she is doing when it comes to Ter'angreals. She is only finding out how to make them. Note that it is stated in the book many times that for every successful ter'angreal she makes there is dozens of failures and those are only the small simple ones that she copies not creating from scratch. She has no Idea as of the end of MoL how to make angreal and Sa'angreal. All she has is the missing piece that Rand gave her that is needed to create one. I will take quite some time before she will be able to make those if she can at all. Giant Ter'angreal like the guardians are going to be orders of magnitude harder and might only be possible with the help of male channalers. 

The Seanchean empire as of the end of MoL consist of only the lands concurred in the westlands. The main continent is undergoing a continental civil war. Tuon is most likely going to focus her wealth and military their for the time being. If the Westlands what to strike first they would probably want to do this before she has shored up her control of the Empire.   

Edited February 5, 2020 by Dancer

[Turin Turambar]

Even so, she's got several centuries to figure it out, if she can buy herself that long. And worst case scenario, they fortify Far Madding or a Stedding with or without a dreamspike. Have some paralis nets to set up any necessary channeling defenses, and some walls (especially when made of cuendillar) should do something against most armies. 

[Angsos]

I believe that a completed Suldam can't link so you need the black tower and circles.

Regarding ter'angreal, if Elayne and Neald can figure out how he made Perrin's Hammer, maybe they could figure it out.

Mat wouldn't fight his friends.

The best way to ensure peace anyway is to create dynastic matches

[Dancer]

In this scenario I don't see the Black Tower getting involved until the Seanchean are at the Andor border, they are asked for help or Logain calls a preemptive strike. That is to say if the Black Tower even stay were they are. The Black Tower is not subject to the Dragon's Piece. If they wished they could expand their territory in Andor and no one will stop them so long as they don't cross any boarders. Or just up and move the Black Tower some were else that can't stop them from digging in like Shara or the main continent of Seanchean. I would love to read a story about that.    

[Kalaksbreath he/him]

just make like 10 circles of 72 or as many as the aes sedai and asha'man can and have them just crush the Seanchean (have them men guiding so the aes sedai are not breaking the oaths). or just have teams of like 2 or 3 women and one man who would be able to overpower any of the Damane (if I am not mistaken the Seanchean cant even link at all because of the A'dam). I also think that over time a lot of the people living in Seanchean areas will go to the aes sedai to get tested before the Seanchean can take them. 

just, in general, they don't have men and can't link remember how it is mentioned like 50 times how the greatest things were achieved with men and women and also the fact that they cant link would defeat them eventually because if you look at the breaking that was one of the reasons the world wasn't destroyed (that women can link) and the Seanchean can't link because of the A'dam

and who knows maybe hawkwing told tuon that his hatred of aes sedai was because of Ishamaels compulsion (I hope he did that would stop a lot of problems and wars).

[Calyx]

On 2/24/2020 at 2:03 PM, Kalaksbreath said:

and who knows maybe hawkwing told tuon that his hatred of aes sedai was because of Ishamaels compulsion (I hope he did that would stop a lot of problems and wars).

I don't think this would change anything - Tuon is easily one of the worst and most amoral people not sworn to the shadow. Remember that after she discovers that the A'dam only works for women who can channel, which means she can channel and is no different than a Damane, she goes to the Damane breaking room to relax?

Edited March 2, 2020 by Calyx

[Kalaksbreath he/him]

On 3/2/2020 at 10:24 AM, Calyx said:

I don't think this would change anything - Tuon is easily one of the worst and most amoral people not sworn to the shadow. Remember that after she discovers that the A'dam only works for women who can channel, which means she can channel and is no different than a Damane, she goes to the Damane breaking room to relax?

I don't like her either and agree that she has a sick and wrong view of the world but she is not part of the shadow and if the founder of their "great empire" told her that hating aes sedai and women who can chanal was directly connected to the dark one then she would have no reason to keep the A'dam up and would have all the reasons in the world to stop it may be slow but I think she would come to the conclusion that the A'dam has a direct connection to the shadow and would have to stop it. I can't imagen anyone arguing that just because something was started by the shadow doesn't mean it is wrong.