Plot holes (spoilers included) in RotE

[redchild]

Well that's a whole other question! I have no idea if you can Skill-drain someone with more 'capacity' for the Skill than yourself!
I am happy to believe it's possible...

It must be, but I'm wondering where all that energy goes...

Perhaps the cost of performing a drain was much more taxing for Galen's coterie than the gain of any Skill energy. It may have even cost more than the gain, seeing as the coterie never seemed to grow substantially past their nominal levels, and that they needed more than one practitioner to perform a drain, done in separate intervals.

On another minor point, I don't think Verity's training was complete either, and although I guess Galen's was even LESS complete at the time of Solicity's death, Galen had access to Solicity's Skill scrolls (whereas Verity did not). Toward the end of AQ that is indicated as the likely reason why Regal's coterie were so effective (despite the fact that AFAICT none of them are 'naturally' strong in the Skill except Will, and probably Serene).
I get the impression Verity is 'naturally' very strong in the Skill ......

Ah right the scrolls! Though now in hindsight, I wonder why Verity never had Galen give him the scrolls for him to learn techniques with against the Red Ships... Probably because he was the only person capable of fending off attacks and could not afford time to study and practice.

Now I'm also wondering if Shrewd had knowledge of what was in those scrolls. What was the extent of his ability? Couldn't he have realized that someone was draining him? I've had the impression that Shrewd was one of the last fully trained practitioners of Skill and should have knowledge of symptoms of Skill attacks against him.