Instead of rushing to Shadar Logoth to stop Rand cleansing Saidin, why didn't they just travel to cairhien or tremalking and balefire the Sa'Angreal? They even knew he was going to use the Choden Kal beforehand!

There is no proof that you can even destroy an angreal that easily. They're all quite special in that regard. I know Callandor is quite special, even in that it is immune to balefire.

 

But is it really worth destroying the two most powerful sa'angreal ever created?

Not to mention they didn't think he'd succeed, and they wanted the sa'angreal he had so they could use them.

Material objects do not possess threads. One could wonder about the strength and energy needed to balefire so great a structure.

I think the simple answer is that they wanted the Choden Kal for themselves.  I'm sure that they had every intention of taking the keys away from Rand once they defeated him.

Plus they were probably concerned about what might happen had they destroyed two sa'angreal that were capable of 'cracking the world like an egg' whilst they were in use.

Plus I'm pretty sure the DO orded them there.  Remember Mesaana got in a LARGE amount of trouble for disobeying that order.

Moridin ordered them there during the Coffee Hour in WH--we don't know if he did that on the Dark One's direction, but it is safe to say the Dark One agreed with the general idea.

Rand himself was helpless while using the Choedan Kal, as was Nynaeve.  The defenses around them were simply more coordinated and effective than the Forsaken envisioned.  Cadsuane had a number of tricks up her sleeve.  Callandor, her weave-sensing terangreal, a number of other angreal and battle terangreal, large number of channeling men and women arranged in circles.

The Forsaken stood no chance at all. If they had stayed any longer they would have been wiped out I reckon. In fact Im surprised Osan'gar was the only one who popped his clogs at the Cleansing

Elza killing Osan'gar was a nice touch. 

"Oh, it's only one of those Asha'man.  Surely the Dark One wouldn't be angry at me for that?"

I can think of any number of bad things that might have happened had the Forsaken tried to destroy the Choedan Kal while they were in use. Or while they were not in use, even.

 

It would probably take a vast amount of the Power to destroy them; so they may have faced the risk of being burned out, or even killed in the attempt. Plus, all that Power going through them at the time would have had to be redirected somewhere...and that's scary to contemplate. Anything at all could have happened. I'm sure had they even considered it, they would have been reluctant to do it, because who knows what would have resulted. They probably had no idea either, I mean, they didn't regularly go around trying to see what happened if they destroyed sa'angreal with the Power whilst in use during the Age of Legends. At the very least, they would have lost the opportunity to get the keys and use the Choedan Kal themselves.

Elza killing Osan'gar was a nice touch. 

"Oh, it's only one of those Asha'man.  Surely the Dark One wouldn't be angry at me for that?"

 

I absolutely loved the irony involved.  Poetic.

 

On the balefireing a Sa'Angreal...  I think everyone's spelled it out nicely.  Who knows what that would have done.  Definitely not adviseable with so much of the one power being channeled.  :o

To be honest, I am amazed that these Chosen continually underestimate Rand al'Thor. Aginor called him a primitive, and they many of the Chosen considered it a foregone conclusion that he would fail in his attempt. They came woefully unprepared for that fight- and as a result they were beaten soundly. These people continue to not learn from their defeats. The Cleansing was a devastating blow to the Shadow not just for this time, but for all Ages to come- a profound spit in the eye of the Dark One. Yet, somehow, these Forsaken still are convinced that Rand is incompetent and can't beat them. Semirhage was also taken because she underestimated him and his friends. I wonder how many times that is going to happen...

Elza killing Osan'gar was a nice touch. 

"Oh, it's only one of those Asha'man.  Surely the Dark One wouldn't be angry at me for that?"

 

I absolutely loved the irony involved.  Poetic.

 

On the balefireing a Sa'Angreal...  I think everyone's spelled it out nicely.  Who knows what that would have done.  Definitely not adviseable with so much of the one power being channeled.   :o

 

I agree with both of these.

 

On a side note - somewhat related - it is my opinion that the DO can probably thank Elza for the fact that more Forsaken wern't killed at the Clensing.    She was controling Callendar and got directions from Caddy on where to "Blast" with it.  Slight delays and slight angle changes could easily account for why she missed "every single time"!    Osan'gar being the single delibrate exception.   

 

It is a shame that she did not confirm this in her few POVs.

i think they will undersestimate about 15 times in total :) one for each of their lives.

i think they will undersestimate about 15 times in total :) one for each of their lives.

There are 13 Chosen. How do you get 15 if you only count one for each of their lives? If you include the resurrected, you get 17.