08-11-2016, 09:58 AM
I would agree with what Jon Little Bird has said with one caveat. I am not sure how long the Dragon's Peace would have lasted, but my gut reaction says 100 years is too short.
The existence of very young, long lived channelers in positions of power in the land would provide a strong sense of continuity and stability, especially after the chaos of the Last Battle.
Moreover, the Seanchan unification was to be the theme of RJ's proposed 'outriggers' novels, chronicling Mat and Tuon's efforts in a land that was wracked by chaos and war. Remember, the entire Seanchan ruling family was murdered by Semirhage and the last few glimpses of Seanchan showed a 'userper' on the throne and red sailed ships at the Tower of Midnight, and many other terms indicating massive destabilization that is at least on a par with the war of the 100 years. (And thematically, a very nice reflection, given that that war was a result of Artur Hawkwing's death and the scramble for power in that resultant vacuum. That war produced destruction on such a level that entire nations were destroyed and once again, as at the Trolloc wars, 3rd age technology and knowledge was retarded at the same ~1300 AD level.)
Further, in the Alternate Future Aviendha saw, it was at least 3 or 4 generations before the Seanchan (and Aiel) even considered breaking the peace and many more before they began to make serious inroads into the other nations, including the White Tower. The exact number of years escapes me, but the impression is that this was 100's of years in the making, not a single century. And that was with Tuon dead and evidently, all the other long-lived channelers from the series absent. (Elayne is nowhere to be found, nor is Nynaeve or Avhienda in those memories.)
Then too, the Black Tower was all set to grow at a great rate and with Logain's newly found hero status, it would continue to play a larger and larger role in society, making any Seanchan conquest that much more difficult.
But all of that being said, it seems logical and indeed in character for the 4th age to have degenerated into wars of control and conquest, with channelers at the forefront. I rather imagine it like Seanchan after the breaking (and extermination of Shadowspawn using creatures from the mirror worlds), which then degenerated into Aes Sedai using their power in a never ending war/competition of control and power. This situation was the root of Seanchan hatred of channelers and made the selling of a'dam and the idea of marathdamane so easy when it was presented.
Not a rosey picture, given the way the series ended on a powerful note of hope, but sadly, all too believable. And it sets up a world where the Atharim are eventually (in the 6th age) able to lead an uprising against the gods with the support of the common people.
I am not saying the entire 5th age was one of constant war. But given that the 5th age is the primary era of the gods of old- and their fighting amongst themselves was a big part of those myths- it could not have been a completely rosey time.
The existence of very young, long lived channelers in positions of power in the land would provide a strong sense of continuity and stability, especially after the chaos of the Last Battle.
Moreover, the Seanchan unification was to be the theme of RJ's proposed 'outriggers' novels, chronicling Mat and Tuon's efforts in a land that was wracked by chaos and war. Remember, the entire Seanchan ruling family was murdered by Semirhage and the last few glimpses of Seanchan showed a 'userper' on the throne and red sailed ships at the Tower of Midnight, and many other terms indicating massive destabilization that is at least on a par with the war of the 100 years. (And thematically, a very nice reflection, given that that war was a result of Artur Hawkwing's death and the scramble for power in that resultant vacuum. That war produced destruction on such a level that entire nations were destroyed and once again, as at the Trolloc wars, 3rd age technology and knowledge was retarded at the same ~1300 AD level.)
Further, in the Alternate Future Aviendha saw, it was at least 3 or 4 generations before the Seanchan (and Aiel) even considered breaking the peace and many more before they began to make serious inroads into the other nations, including the White Tower. The exact number of years escapes me, but the impression is that this was 100's of years in the making, not a single century. And that was with Tuon dead and evidently, all the other long-lived channelers from the series absent. (Elayne is nowhere to be found, nor is Nynaeve or Avhienda in those memories.)
Then too, the Black Tower was all set to grow at a great rate and with Logain's newly found hero status, it would continue to play a larger and larger role in society, making any Seanchan conquest that much more difficult.
But all of that being said, it seems logical and indeed in character for the 4th age to have degenerated into wars of control and conquest, with channelers at the forefront. I rather imagine it like Seanchan after the breaking (and extermination of Shadowspawn using creatures from the mirror worlds), which then degenerated into Aes Sedai using their power in a never ending war/competition of control and power. This situation was the root of Seanchan hatred of channelers and made the selling of a'dam and the idea of marathdamane so easy when it was presented.
Not a rosey picture, given the way the series ended on a powerful note of hope, but sadly, all too believable. And it sets up a world where the Atharim are eventually (in the 6th age) able to lead an uprising against the gods with the support of the common people.
I am not saying the entire 5th age was one of constant war. But given that the 5th age is the primary era of the gods of old- and their fighting amongst themselves was a big part of those myths- it could not have been a completely rosey time.