Please feel free to comment

Since 8 people have voted and no one has commented, I figured I'd go ahead.

 

I voted for the Asha'man because they're the only ones who have no preconceptions about the fact that they're bad ass.

 

The Tower Aes Sedai think they rule the world.

The Rebel Aes Sedai have the same problem.

The Wise One channelers are Aiel, and I've always had problems with the Aiel.

The Sea Folk hide from the Aes Sedai.

We know nothing about Dreadlords as we've never seen any on-screen aside from the Chosen.

The Chosen are all as self-absorbed as the Aes Sedai.

We know nothing about the Ayaad.

The damane are not individuals, so they have no persona you can compare.

The Kin are just Aes Sedai without the Oaths.

 

So ya. The Asha'man know they're weapons, and they don't pretend to be anything else.

The Kin are just Aes Sedai without the Oaths.

Or without the belief they rule the world.

I've always liked the Aes Sedai, I know im one of the very few who do. People tend to either overestimate the AS or underestimate them. The average AS has spent alot more of her life learning and training than we could ever imagine, and know a whole lot more than most people do, and thats why they do know best in some things. Not everything, but most things, they do know best.

 

Start the AS bashing now  ::)

The Chosen.  Far more interesting to watch than the rest.

 

Brown Aes Sedai would be second.

The average AS has spent alot more of her life learning and training than we could ever imagine, and know a whole lot more than most people do, and thats why they do know best in some things. Not everything, but most things, they do know best.

 

Actually, that's a bit of a misconception.

 

Only the Browns really care about learning.

 

Each of the other Aes Sedai just entrench themselves in some goal and go for it.

 

But while I would admit that an Aes Sedai knows best in some things (I would just a Grey to mediate a dispute, a White to give me a logical solution to something, a Blue to propose a righteous cause, a Red to know the downfalls of men, a Yellow to know how to heal with the Power [but proof that they don't research is that many of them underestimate herbs because they think there is no use for them], Green to know how to attract men, and a Brown to know what they've spent their life studying) they hardly are right in most things.

 

The problem is that they think they always know best, and they make sure that the rest of the world thinks they all know way more than they know.

Other.

 

Tinkers.

 

Males don't get gentled or sent to the Blight.  They are the ones who actually do such magnificent work mending pots.  Sure, they bang and clang with tools for show...but the REAL work is done with Fire, Air and Earth in the secret Tinker's repair weave.  The Way of the Leaf keeps them from hearing any voices other than those of the girls doing the Tiganza dance!!! >:D

 

The females are not sent to the White Tower.  Whenever a non-Tinker female approaches the wagons, the channelers are hidden away.  If the stranger is not an Aes Sedai or a wilder who might sense their ability, then they are allowed to come out of hiding.  If word ever got out to the White Tower that there were girls among the wagons who could learn, let alone those born with the spark, it would be worse than what the Sea Folk fear (Aes Sedai can't catch Sea Folk rakers...wagons can be easily stopped).  The females don't mend pots.  They create dyes.  Where did you think they got all of the beautifully colored cloth?  ::)  If you can't channel and you want to know who the female channelers are, look for the girls banging on a tambourine when it's dance time...they are usually VERY uncoordinated/clumsy and can't learn the fiddle or flute...almost always too ugly for dancing...but excellent cooks...especially vegetarian chili!!!

 

Thanks for forgiving an old man his fun.  :)

 

Actually, I feel sorry for the damane.  They are people, not animals.  Same with the Ashamen.  They're like special forces military...part of their humanity MUST be discarded to be able to do their job.

 

Aes Sedai could be very beneficial if they would work together instead of each having their own pet project...at least part time for crying out loud.  How long has it been since Caddy set foot in the White Tower?  Or Moraine?  All of that talent wasted on personal stuff...like finding the dragon reborn and all.

 

I hadn't thought about the Amayar (sp?) or the easterners.  The Amayar are all dead by now, but there must be countless channelers in the east (China or Shena or whatever -- past the Waste -- where "you know who" is hiding, biding his time to make his move after the other forsaken have all been thinned out).  I wonder if that's where the dreadlords will come from for TG?  ::)

 

When I think about the forsaken/Chosen, I wonder how much could be learned from them?  They lived at the very end of the Age of Legends...they must have had access to the final "end product" of all of the experimentation of the entire age.  Moggy shared some meaningless tricks with the girls.  What if they decided to turn back to the Light?  What could Rand's age learn from them?  But, then, there couldn't be a TG...never mind.  :-[

The problem is that they think they always know best, and they make sure that the rest of the world thinks they all know way more than they know.

It's like you're talking about the US.  ;D ...But enough about politics :)

 

I went with the WT AS, not that I like the Reds or Elaida but I like their traditions, the customs that the WT society has developed - celebrations of holidays, the initiations, the welcoming to a new AS to her new Ajah (we've only seen the Blue but I bet the others have pretty cool stuff too :)), etc. I easily get impressed by the grandeur of various ceremonies in honour of various events. So yeah... thumbs up for crazy ceremonial stuff :)

 

edit: oh, and no offence to any americans, just a well-intentioned joke ;)

Who were the Ayaad again?  Are they from Shara?

Who were the Ayaad again?  Are they from Shara?

 

The Ayyad are the channelers of Shara.  I don't have the BWB, but the basics are that:

The Ayyad are the power behind the scenes imposing the "Will of the Pattern" on the Sh'boan and Sh'botay.

The Ayyad are specially marked with tattoos.

Male channelers are kept alive as illiterate breeding stock until around 20 or so (I forget the exact age).

No relations are permitted between Ayyad and non-Ayyad.  The consequences are harsh for those involved and any children that result.

I like the Ashaman for several reasons.

 

First off, the appearance of male channelers working for Rand was brilliant, and every bit including the Black Tower has been among my favorite parts. The male channelers bring larger group to the table. The impact they have is as significant as it should have been, and through the Black Tower we have been introduced to several great characters. Mazrim Taim being the main one for me, but also Narishma, Flynn, Kisman, Rochaid, and all the rest.

 

Secondly, I like their image. Not only are they pure weapons as already said, they dress all in black and with their pins for rank, they seem a lot more proffessional than most of the other channelers. That is, if a weapon can be proffessional. And they also make themselves seem invulnerable; they dont let heat touch them, and when it rains they use flows of Air to keep themselves dry. Add it all together and they seem almost unstoppable.

 

All the other groups as a whole annoy me, except the Chosen.

The Asha'Man are easily the most badass group of channelers....See screen name haha.

Voted Other::  All those on the side of the Light.

Because each has their own strengths and because each would be willing to help.

 

I think that I like Asha'Man best because all female channelers apart from few exeptions are annoying. Aiel Wise Ones are annoying because of their cultural background is hard to understand and so are Windfinders. I don't know anything about Ayyad(?) or Amayar channelers so I can't wote for them. Aes Sedai think they know all yet Nynaeve and that Kin woman know more about healing than any Yellow because Yellows are too afraid to try anything. Kin are annoying because they don't act like their age and think themselves as almost Aes Sedai in a way (above all wilders). Damanes are too pet like for me to relete to them or form an oppinion of them.

I voted Forsaken - all the ability, none of the rules.

 

I so wish Nynaeve or Egwene would think 'sod the oaths', and let rip at TG. Or for Elayne to develop a hobby for learning forbidden weaves, in the way that she 'collects' swear words. I reckon the midwife's going to get a bit of a shock.

This one was easy, The Asha'Men.