Choedan Kal
Unbridled power from the True Source: a gift that can save reality or consume it.
Forged in the Age of Legends, the Choedan Kal are not merely ter'angreal; they are colossal statues standing as monuments to a power that defies human restraint. Shaped like towering figures with arms raised toward the heavens, these artifacts bypass the body's natural limits entirely, acting as direct conduits to the True Source itself. Whether drawing from saidin or saidar, they grant access to volumes of energy that would instantly vaporize an ordinary channeler.
- Current Status
- Both recovered and utilized
Lore & Background
After the War of Power shattered civilization, the channelers of the Age of Legends sequestered these artifacts in hidden locations, fearing their potential to amplify madness or serve the Shadow. For millennia, they remained lost beneath wards and complex traps designed to deter all but the most desperate seekers. In the Third Age, both of the pair were successfully recovered by the Light; during the Last Battle, they became critical instruments in the defense of reality, channeling enough power to shield the world from the Dark One's influence.
In Their Own Story
The wind howled through the shattered ruins of the temple, carrying the scent of ozone and ancient dust. Nynaeve stood before the towering female statue, its stone face impassive yet radiating a palpable hum that vibrated in her teeth. She raised her hands, not to weave a simple flame, but to open the connection. The air grew heavy, pressing against her skin as if the atmosphere itself had thickened into lead. Then, the flow began—not the gentle stream she was accustomed to, but a roaring torrent of white fire that surged up from the earth, through the statue, and into her veins. It was not pain, but an overwhelming sensation of being vast, of holding the sky in one hand and the ocean in the other. For a heartbeat, she saw the threads of reality laid bare, infinite and golden, before the sheer weight of it forced her to close her eyes and pray for control.
Reader's Guide
The Choedan Kal functions as an open bridge between a channeler and the True Source, effectively removing all natural limits on how much power can be drawn. To use them, one must physically stand within or near the statue and open their connection through it. This allows for weaves of impossible scale, capable of reshaping geography or altering the weather instantly.
However, wielding this power is perilous. The human body is not built to withstand such a massive influx of energy; losing focus often results in instant death or catastrophic injury from channeling too much power. Furthermore, the artifacts are so potent that their activation can be detected across vast distances, alerting entities like the Dark One himself.
Throughout history, various factions sought these items, but they remained dormant until the final conflict. They were ultimately used to tip the balance in favor of the Light, proving that while they are tools of immense destruction, they can also serve as instruments of salvation when wielded with wisdom.
Did You Know?
- The statues are so massive that a person standing inside them appears like an ant against their scale.
- They were created as powerful conduits to bypass human limits, not specifically to counter the Forsaken during the War of Power.
- Both of the two statues were successfully recovered and utilized in the Third Age.
- The male version draws from saidin, while the female version draws from saidar.