The Wheel of Time Companion

Shemerin served on the council advising Elaida when she took the Amyrlin Seat; Elaida grew tired of her lack of backbone and demoted her to Accepted for having shown herself unfit to wear the shawl. Although the Sitters were aghast at the precedent, the Hall seemed unable to figure out how to oppose the decree. The Mistress of Novices received orders from the Amyrlin to pick up “the Accepted Shemerin” wherever she was to be found and escort her to the Accepted quarters, where she was to be held. Silviana took this as some sort of imposed penance, took along a pair of Red sisters for assistants, snatched Shemerin from the hallways and hustled her to the Accepted quarters, where she was stuffed into an Accepted’s dress despite her protests, since Silviana had no patience with that sort of thing. Elaida entered Shemerin’s name anew on the roll of the Accepted. Most sisters thought that Shemerin herself should simply refuse to accept this and return to her own quarters, something which she was constitutionally unable to do, especially since it would have meant trying to face down Silviana. In a way, her ineffectiveness at protesting and the inertia and indecision of the rest of the sisters as to what to say or do led to nothing happening until everyone simply drifted into realizing, or deciding, that she had been being treated as Accepted long enough that she was Accepted. She was also treated very strictly by Silviana, the loyalist Mistress of Novices, who felt that Shemerin was in truth Aes Sedai no matter what was decreed, and as such she should have known both how to maintain the dignity of an Aes Sedai and how to stay within the rules so long as she was kept as an Accepted.

Instead, Shemerin managed to bumble, bungle and give in to her frights and vapors, with the result that she continually fell afoul of the rules for Accepted and also gave those sisters who had turned on her, many of them Elaida’s supporters, plentiful opportunities, and indeed cause, to call her down and/or send her to Silviana. Her bumbling made even most of the Accepted look at her askance, which decreased her confidence further; she quickly became a laughingstock among them, and eventually a number of them played tricks on her which got her into trouble. Toward the end of her time as Accepted, even some novices occasionally played tricks on her, tricks which also often got her into trouble. Her reaction to being switched or strapped or given chores by Silviana was not what was hoped for by the Mistress of Novices, because they shook her confidence even more, and made her bumble and stumble even more. The result was that Shemerin started off badly and found herself deeper and deeper in hot water by the day—literally by the day, since rarely did a day pass for her without another visit to Silviana.

Shemerin decided to flee; her great difficulty was in escaping from the White Tower itself, because she was watched very closely. The Tower did not spread such things about, but she could have departed Tar Valon quite easily once she got out of the Tower grounds. Her own fearful instincts kept her looking over her shoulder, though, and seeing shadows where there were none. For that reason she made her actual escape from Tar Valon via a small, long-unused watergate. She hid in a nearby village and joined the rebel camp as a washwoman using the name Tagren. Gawyn and Bryne discovered her; she told how she had escaped through the watergate, and they used that information in their rescue of Egwene.

Shemon, Berana. See Berana Shemon

Shen an Calhar. The Band of the Red Hand; originally a legendary Manetheren fighting force from the Trolloc Wars, the name was adopted by Mat’s soldiers.

Shendar, Avi. See Avi Shendar

Shende. A hold in the Waste of which Sorilea was the Wise One.

Shendla. A beautiful Sharan who was one of the leaders at the Last Battle. Demandred thought that she was devious, capable and powerful; it was almost enough to change his heart. Though she was not a Darkfriend, Shendla was willing to help Demandred win the Last Battle because she thought that if he was victorious her people would be saved, and she loved him. After Demandred fell, she announced that Bao the Wyld was dead.

Shepherd of the Night. Another name for the Dark One.

Sheraine Caminelle. See Mylen

Shereed, Mabriam en. See Mabriam en Shereed

Sheriam Bayanar. A Saldaean Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah publicly and of the Black Ajah in truth. She was a member of the rebel contingent, with a strength level of 14(2). Born in 953 NE, she went to the White Tower in 969 NE. After spending five years as a novice, she refused her first time at the arches; after her second try, she spent five years as Accepted and was raised Aes Sedai in 979 NE. She became Mistress of Novices in 992 NE at an extremely young age for the job. After the Tower split, she went to Salidar and became part of the council running things there. She pledged for Egwene when Egwene was raised to the Amyrlin Seat, and Egwene named her Keeper of the Chronicles in 999 NE. She was secretly oathsworn to Egwene. Fire-haired, with green eyes and tilted cheekbones, she was about 5'5" tall, a little plump and quite pretty. Sheriam had one Warder, Arinvar. Sheriam sometimes sounded as if she were quoting when she was merely speaking. She seemed to say “aye” without thinking if Romanda or Lelaine said “nay.” As a Black sister, she was intent on causing trouble and keeping the animosity going between the rebels and the White Tower. She might or might not have given support toward Rand’s cause, depending on whether she thought it would increase disorder. She had become a Darkfriend to get ahead, and was willing to do whatever was required to avoid any form of punishment. Halima beat her frequently for not doing enough for the effort, and she wanted to avoid any of that if possible.

While Egwene was held captive, Mesaana ordered Sheriam to make sure that Egwene was deposed, and ordered her to steal all of the sleepweavers to stop the Aes Sedai from having meetings in Tel’aran’rhiod, and to make them accessible to the Black Ajah; she said that Sheriam would lose a finger or a toe for each one she failed to produce in three days. Sheriam was later seen with a bandaged hand.

She was identified as Black Ajah in Verin’s list and executed.

Shevan Gadarin. A Kandori Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah and the loyalist contingent, with a strength level of 18(6). Born in 843 NE, she went to the White Tower in 859 NE. After spending four years as a novice and six years as Accepted, she was raised to the shawl in 869 NE. About 5'10" tall, with an angular face, a long chin, a cap of dark curls and long spidery fingers, she was thin—not much short of bony. She could be very dry when she wanted to, and she frequently did. Shevan was raised a Sitter for the Brown in 999 NE to replace Janya Frende, who joined the rebels. She was part of the council advising Elaida when Elaida was first raised to the Amyrlin Seat. She worried about reports of “leashed women” and the possibility that Seanchan had a device to control women who could channel. Elaida gave her a penance scrubbing floors. After the Tower was reunited, Shevan was replaced as Sitter by Janya. Shevan was killed in the battle against the Black Ajah in Tel’aran’rhiod.

Shiagi Hold. The home of the Nakai Aiel in the Aiel Waste.

Shiaine Avarhin, Lady. A woman of a minor noble family which had a lineage back to the founding of Andor. The sigil of House Avarhin was a red heart on a golden hand. The Avarhin family had been dwindling in numbers for generations and becoming increasingly impoverished. Shiaine’s grandfather had been forced to give up the last house that could be called an estate and move into an isolated farmhouse a fair walk from the nearest village. Her mother, who died when Shiaine was young, was a commoner. Shiaine was an awkward young woman, tall, bony and very plain; like most of the Avarhins, she had blue eyes and red hair. Blue eyes and pale hair were the most common combination in the family; there were some green eyes and sometimes black hair, but brown eyes were never seen. Her father, Willim, had enough money to keep one servant, but he never went into society because of his comparative poverty, and Shiaine had never even been to Caemlyn. Shiaine, her father and their single servant were killed by the Darkfriend Mili Skane so that she could use Shiaine’s name as her own. See also Mili Skane

Shiande. An Aiel clan; its chief was Janwin.

Shianri, Kyril. See Kyril Shianri

Shibouya. Another name for Shara.

Shiego, Arrela. See Arrela Shiego

Shield, the. A constellation. It was sometimes called “Hawkwing’s Shield.”

shielding. A phenomenon whereby one channeler used a weave to cut another channeler off from the True Source; the latter was still able to sense the Source.

Shielyn din Sabura Night Waters. Zaida’s Sea Folk Windfinder. Her strength level was 23(11). She was 5'8" tall, slim and pretty, though not beautiful. Shielyn was aware of who she was, and her position. She appeared to be about thirty and had straight black hair, nearly black eyes and four earrings in each ear. She could have been taken for a very dark Tairen. She was with Zaida in Caemlyn, and left with her after the death of the Mistress of the Ships. When Zaida was named to that post, Shielyn also ascended in rank.

Shienar. One of the Borderland nations. Shienar’s capital was Fal Moran, and King Easar Togita ruled at the time of the Last Battle. Its sigil was a stooping black hawk: the Black Hawk. Its banner was the Black Hawk on a field of three blue and two white horizontal stripes. The sigil and banner of the reigning king were also considered a national banner and sigil; King Easar’s was the White Hart.

Saldaea, Kandor, Arafel, Shienar and Malkier all were provinces of Hawkwing’s empire, with the borders between them very much as they were at the time of the Last Battle, though not stretching so far south in most cases. With the Blight to contend with, the governors of those provinces (Lord Rylen t’Boriden Rashad for Saldaea, Lord Jarel Soukovni for Kandor, Lady Mahira Svetanya for Arafel, Lady Merean Tihomar for Shienar and Lord Shevar Jamelle for Malkier) met soon after Hawkwing’s death in FY 994 to reaffirm measures for cooperation against the Blight and to make agreements for mutual defense against attack from the south. Before the end of FY 995, when it became clear that the rest of the empire was splintering, each of the governors took the title of King or Queen of his or her former province, now a nation. None of these nations would take part in any of the wider fighting of the War of the Hundred Years, as nations, except for defending themselves against attacks and punishing same, though individuals and groups did sometimes become involved, sometimes for political reasons or family connections or friendships.

Shienar always had a king, though the Queen his wife, if he had one, had considerable authority. When he led an army into battle, as he was expected to, she handled civil rule until he returned. The King was expected to surround himself with a council of nobles and representatives of the merchants and guilds, but he was in no way constrained to take their advice, nor was his wife when she was reigning as regent while he was away on campaign.

In the keep, men’s quarters were separated from women’s quarters. It was necessary for men to be invited or given permission to enter the women’s apartments, and they never went armed unless the keep was under attack. This included a woman’s husband and the lord of the particular place. A man could send a message to one in the women’s apartments, but it would be delivered when the women chose, and the man could only wait.

On the other hand, bathing in Shienar took place in large, tiled pools and was mixed between the sexes. Seeing someone naked there and perhaps scrubbing his or her back was not considered at all the same as seeing them in a corridor. The woman who scrubbed your back last night, and both of you naked, would have blushed if you saw her ankle in the hallway the next day. She also would not necessarily have considered having scrubbed your back, or you hers, as sufficient introduction for you to speak to her in the corridor.

There was a link between Shienaran and Aiel views of shame: shame was worse than guilt, the worst thing there was. This view of shame ameliorated as one moved west; in Arafellin less than Shienaran, Kandori less than Arafellin, Saldaean less than Kandori. In all of the Borderlands, though, shame was given a much heavier weight than in lands to the south.

A Borderman considered the day he was given his sword to be his nameday.

Uno commented that women in Shienar said a woman’s rights were whatever she said they were.

Shienar mined a considerable amount of gold, silver and gems, especially firedrops, of which Shienar was the largest source. There was also some mining of emeralds, rubies and sapphires, as well as lesser stones. Timber and furs were both major exports.

Shienaran Marches. A fortified border region where Lan fought the Aiel before the Aiel War began.

Shilene Gate. A passageway found on the eastern side of Lugard.

Shiman, Jurad. See Jurad Shiman

Shimel, Mistress. A fur merchant in Far Madding. Rand saw her while gathering intelligence at an inn called The Golden Wheel. A stout woman with a round face and a thin smile, she wore her black hair in a tight roll along the top of her head. She mentioned that she heard the Stone of Tear was under siege.

Shimoku. A Kandori Accepted with the Salidar contingent having a potential strength level of 34(22). Born in 973 NE, she went to the White Tower in 988 NE. After spending eleven years as a novice, she was raised Accepted in 999 NE. Shortly after, she was taken to Salidar by the rebels. Pretty, with dark eyes, Shimoku shared a house in Salidar with Elayne and Nynaeve. On the night the bubble of evil struck Salidar, she entered the link easily and was so tired later that she sat down in the street.

Shimron, Lord. A Domani nobleman, former advisor to Alsalam, and a Dragonsworn. A gaunt, white-haired man, he wore a beauty mark of a sparkling red quarter moon beside his left eye. He joined Ituralde to fight the Seanchan and was killed by a damane fireball.

Shimura, Aiden. See Aiden Shimura

Shining Walls, Battle of. See Battle of the Shining Walls, the

Shinowa, Ingtar. See Ingtar Shinowa

Shiota. A nation that arose after the Trolloc Wars; its borders were within what became Altara.

Shipless, Leilwin. See Egeanin Sarna

Shivan the Hunter. A Hero of the Horn and brother of Calian the Chooser. Shivan wore a black mask and was said to herald the end of Ages—destruction of the old, beginning of the new. He did not take part in the Last Battle as a Hero of the Horn, having been born shortly before.

Shivena Kayenzi. A Saldaean philosopher who was influenced by Willim of Manaches. Meilyn tested Moiraine on her knowledge of the two when she was Accepted.

sho-wing. A high-tech aircraft from the Age of Legends, based on a delta-wing pattern. It varied in size depending on purpose and was capable of long-range flight at high speeds.

shocklance. A high-tech energy weapon of long-distance destruction, developed to fight the Dark One’s forces during the War of the Shadow. Shocklances were in short supply by the time of the Breaking because the industrial base of the world had been destroyed long before.

shockvisor. A helmet part from the War of the Shadow.

Shodin. A clan among the Sea Folk.

shoja-circle. Obscure reference made by Birgitte, saying that Gaidal told her that she had a sense of humor like “a rock thrown into a shoja-circle.”

Shol Arbela. The capital of Arafel. It was built by men, not Ogier, and was known as the City of Ten Thousand Bells.

Sholoon, Stedding. A stedding located in Shienar, in a wooded area east of the Field of Merrilor. Lindsar was the eldest of the Ogier in Stedding Sholoon, and she allowed Androl and Pevara to use the stedding to trap a group of Darkfriends, including Alviarin and some of Taim’s cronies.

Shon Kifar. The tenth-largest city in Seanchan. Tuon reflected on how she had purchased her damane Mylen on the docks of this seaport.

Shoran, Darnella. See Darnella Shoran

Shorara. A sept of the Tomanelle Aiel.

Shore, Mistress. The name used by Cadsuane in her dealings with Quillin Tasil, an innkeeper in Bandar Eban.

Shorelle. A port city in the Age of Legends. Asmodean was born there.

shoufa. A garment of the Aiel, a cloth, usually the color of sand or rock, that wrapped around the head and neck, leaving only the face bare.

shoulderthumper. A bullyboy or thug.

Shukosa, Mahiro. See Mahiro Shukosa

Shumada, Amenar. A member of the Seanchan Blood who attended Tuon’s first audience in Ebou Dar.

Shyanda. A Wise One of the Goshien Aiel with fiery red hair. Shyanda was at Elayne and Aviendha’s first-sister ceremony and stepped forward with Amys when the latter said that she would suffer the pangs of birth for Aviendha and Elayne; she helped Amys strip.

Shyman’s Road. A road passing by Negin Bridge near Dragonmount.

Sibella. A Kin and a member of the Knitting Circle. Her strength level was 22(10); she was not strong enough to make a gateway of any size whatsoever. Born in 613 NE, she went to the White Tower in 627 NE. After spending ten years as a novice and six years as Accepted, she flunked her test for the shawl very badly and was put out of the Tower in 643 NE. Yellow-haired and thin, with no gray or white in her hair, Sibella appeared to be in her middle years and favored plunging necklines. When encountered by Nynaeve and Elayne, she wore the red belt of a Wise Woman. She fainted when Merilille and the others unmasked her. A member of the party that went to the Rahad to get the Bowl of the Winds, Sibella was injured by the gholam, but Nynaeve and Sumeko Healed her. She was present at the meeting with the Windfinders in the Tarasin Palace, and part of manipulating them, on orders from Elayne and Nynaeve. Sibella nearly fainted again at the suggestion of sitting in the presence of Aes Sedai and the Queen. Sibella accompanied Elayne to the Royal Palace in Caemlyn.

Sidama. Galad’s horse in the Last Battle.

Sidon. A single-inn village in Ghealdan, on the west bank of the River Boern where a stone bridge spanned the river between fifty-foot cliffs. When Moiraine and her party passed through chasing after Rand, they found Sidon burned; a lantern dropped in a barn had started a fire that seemed to run wild, and everything went wrong. Nothing was left except a few stone walls and chimneys. Moiraine was sure that the fire was a result of Rand’s having been there.

Sidona. An area of Saldaea; one of Bashere’s titles was Lord of Bashere, Tyr and Sidona.

Sidoro. A family in Illian. See Bili and Nieda Sidoro

Siedre. A Jenn Aiel woman shortly after the Breaking. She married Adan, and they had five children: Rhea, Malind, Sorelle, Elwin and Jaren. All either died or were carried off by bandits; Siedre was also killed by bandits.

Sienda. A sizable two-inn village in Amadicia. The dwellings were of stone and thatch, and the dirt streets were crowded with Whitecloaks and King’s men. Nynaeve, Elayne, Thom and Juilin stayed at an inn there. Nynaeve, in Tel’aran’rhiod, found out that Elaida was the new Amyrlin, and that rebel Aes Sedai were hiding out somewhere. The two women met Galad, now a Whitecloak officer, at the inn over breakfast, and he said he wished to escort them to Caemlyn, although they were on their way to Tear. They all snuck away, and joined Master Luca’s menagerie heading for Ghealdan. One of Luca’s boar-horses had damaged one of the inns.

Sierin Vayu. An Aes Sedai of the Gray Ajah with a strength level of 18(6). Born in 736 NE, she went to the White Tower in 752 NE. After spending eight years as a novice and nine years as Accepted, she was raised to the shawl in 769 NE. Sierin was plump, with a grim face and hard eyes; she was stern, and had more than a touch of Red in her. On being raised Amyrlin in the spring of 979 NE, rather than granting petitions and relief from penances, she exiled three sisters from the Tower and had two more birched. She also fired every male clerk in the Tower for such offenses as “flirting with novices and Accepted” or “inappropriate glances and looks.” Sierin was assassinated by a small group of Red sisters in 984 NE when she was about to put an end to the male channeler pogrom. Chesmal Emry claimed to have induced the Red Ajah to kill Sierin when Sierin was about to have her arrested.

Sightblinder. An Aiel name for the Dark One.

Sightburner. An Aiel name for the Dark One.

Sigmont. A young man who participated in the Last Battle. Mat taught him how to use a quarterstaff, but he wanted to learn to use a sword.

Sigril. Yoeli’s sister; she was the leader of the Lastriders in Maradon. She and the Lastriders were positioned outside the city during the Trolloc invasion, and were tasked with getting word to other Saldaean forces if the city fell.

Silene Dorelmin. The best seamstress in Chachin, Kandor. Slim, with a haughty air and a cool voice, she made dresses for Moiraine.

Silk Path. A trade route running between the Jangai Pass across the Waste to Shara; it was used only by those allowed to cross the Aiel Waste, such as the Cairhienin before the Aiel War.

Sillia Cerano. A woman who owned a touring circus, competition for Valan Luca’s circus near Samara in Ghealdan. She and half her performers were flogged for not moving fast enough to suit the Prophet at Samara; they were forced into the Prophet’s service.

Silvane Redfor. An Andoran Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah, uncommitted to any contingent, with a strength level of 33(21). Silvane was one of the uncommitted Aes Sedai Rand found in Cairhien after Dumai’s Wells who was following Cadsuane Melaidhrin. Silvane was left behind in Cairhien when Cadsuane went to Far Madding.

Silver Circuit. A racetrack lying just south of the city walls of Ebou Dar. Olver raced Wind there and won, as did Mat, who had bet heavily on him. Mat saw Mili Skane there, as well.

Silver Dolphin. A waterfront inn located in Illian. Yarin Maeldan, second to Bayle Domon on the Spray, made his residence at the Silver Dolphin while in port. His room was searched by unknowns.

Silver Horn, The. An inn found in Maerone, Cairhien, that was frequented by soldiers of Mat’s Band. Mat and Edorion went there making rounds of the drinking halls to check on Mat’s men. Inside, a girl sang bawdy songs; outside, Mat saved Olver from a beating by Murandian Hunters of the Horn.

Silver Penny, The. An inn in Chachin, Kandor. Its innkeeper was Nedare Satarov. Moiraine stopped in to ask if Siuan was staying there; Nedare told her that she was, and offered Moiraine a mug of spiced wine. Nedare’s air of anticipation made Moiraine suspicious that there was something in the wine; she made Nedare drink the wine. Nedare tried to flee, but fell to the floor, revealing silk stockings; she had done quite well drugging innocent women for the use of her rough customers. A number of the men in the common room looked at her lasciviously, and all the women, including Moiraine, left.

Silver Pig. An inn or tavern in Lugard. Siuan passed it on the way to another inn while looking for a Blue Ajah eyes-and-ears.

Silver Road. A commercial highway connecting the city of Illian to Lugard. It was used by Rand’s forces during the campaign against the Seanchan.

Silver Swan. An inn in the New City of Caemlyn. Various Aes Sedai and their Warders stayed there just after Rand fled Caemlyn. A few would leave, a few others come, but there were never more than ten lodgers at one time. They kept to themselves, caused no trouble and asked no questions that Bashere or Bael were able to learn of. Their presence coincided with other Aes Sedai gatherings in Cairhien. Elayne had them watched, as it was unclear whose side they were on. The Black sisters knew of them and avoided them.

silverbell. A plant with blossoms that looked like silver bells. Erith’s eyes were the color of a silverbell’s ripe seedpod.

Silverbow, Birgitte. See Birgitte Silverbow

silverleaf. A plant used in tea for headache.

silverpike. A predatory fish that spawned in the reeds and chewed fishermen’s nets. Attracted by blood, they could tear other fish apart. They were also eaten by people.

silversides. A select type of fish.

Silverwall Keeps. An Arafellin fortress on the Firchon Pass next to the border of Kandor.

Silviana Brehon. An Amadician Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah and the loyalist contingent, with a strength level of 15(3). Born in 849 NE, she went to the White Tower in 867 NE. After spending twelve years as a novice and eleven years as Accepted, she was raised to the shawl in 890 NE. She was made Mistress of Novices in 999 NE, when the Tower split, and named Keeper of the Chronicles by Egwene al’Vere in 1000 NE, when it reunited. She was 5'6½" tall, and stocky, with a square face, a firm, determined chin, dark hair worn in a tight bun on the back of her head and large dark eyes. Novices and Accepted, and some Aes Sedai, said she had eyes in the back of her head. There were those among the novices who believed she could see what happened in places where she wasn’t even present. Physically very strong, she reminded people of a strict aunt, the one who not only would not stand for any nonsense, but who viewed her nieces and nephews as raw material to be whipped into shape as human beings.

Despite her potential strength, she had great difficulty in learning when she arrived in the Tower; her teachers thought this was a result of her innate stubbornness and too much pride, and she came to agree with them, which was one reason she was so strict with her charges. Well aware of her own weaknesses and flaws, she came to terms with them and learned to control most of them. Thus she believed that anyone could learn to control their weaknesses and flaws given sufficient motivation. She thought that a combination of rewards and punishments worked best. Indeed, they seemed to work very well for her; the novices and Accepted feared her punishments and were very grateful for her small rewards. She had fewer discipline problems than was considered usual, while her charges learned at a very high rate, retaining what they learned better. Silviana was not popular with the novices and Accepted—Sheriam was popular by and large, though no one wanted to run afoul of her either—but she was very successful, by most benchmarks considerably more so than Sheriam. As Mistress of Novices she had a reputation for being harsh, and indeed her model among former Mistresses of Novices was Sereille Bagand, but this fearsome reputation was largely because, unlike Sheriam and Sheriam’s immediate predecessors, she did not play favorites, and she did not have periods when she was slack with her charges. Silviana was watchful all the time, evenhanded and strict. She made sure that any punishment was hard enough that no one could simply shrug it off and forget it. Whoever came to her, for punishment or penance, left with a fervent desire not to repeat the experience. For this reason, she actually punished fewer girls than any of the immediate predecessors she so despised.

She was harder on Accepted than on novices. She was tough enough on novices that not everyone saw it, but in fact she gave more petting than punishments to the younger girls and allowed Accepted much less slack than Sheriam or her immediate predecessors. Since they were older and more advanced, they should have known better.

She considered the novices hers, an attitude not unusual with the Mistress of Novices. In her view, she had responsibility for and over them, and she was not to be overridden by anyone, not even the Amyrlin Seat. Tower law did make her the final arbiter over novices and Accepted.

Since penances for Aes Sedai which contained physical chastisement were usually carried out by the Mistress of Novices—though almost always in strictest confidentiality—a number of sisters who fell afoul of Elaida felt much the same way about Silviana as the novices and Accepted did.

After Egwene was taken by the Tower Aes Sedai and put back in novice white, Silviana would not allow the methods used in putting someone to the question to be used on her, even though she had been aiding the rebels and claiming to be the Amyrlin Seat. When she deemed Elaida’s punishment too harsh and demanded that Egwene be released, Elaida tried to demote her, but Silviana refused to let that happen. Elaida then ordered that Silviana be imprisoned and executed. Egwene had her released and named her Keeper of the Chronicles, another job at which Silviana was adept; Egwene found her a tremendous improvement over Sheriam in that job as well. The only fly in the ointment was Silviana’s dislike for Gawyn. In the Last Battle, Silviana fought alongside Egwene in Kandor. When Gawyn was killed, Silviana tried to keep Egwene away from the battle, but was not successful.

Silvic. A member of the Band of the Red Hand who taught Olver how to use his knife.

Silvie. A crone met in the Heart of the Stone in Tel’aran’rhiod, Lanfear in disguise, who told Egwene about Callandor.

Silvin, Betse. See Betse Silvin

Silvin, Jar. See Jar Silvin

Sim. The innkeeper of The King’s Lancer in Sienda, Amadicia. One of Valan Luca’s boar-horses smashed through the front door of his inn, causing him to lose half or more of his custom.

Simaan. A Tairen High Lord. He had sharp eyes and a sharp nose. One of the most active plotters against Rand in the Stone, he was sent to Cairhien under Meilan to restore order. Later he was sent back south from Cairhien leading one of the last large parties of Tairens to depart, and he joined the rebellion against Rand gathering near Haddon Mirk. Merana and Rafela negotiated a settlement with Simaan and the other rebels; that settlement made Darlin king.

simblossoms. A flower grown on the roofs of holds in the Aiel Waste.

Simion. A servant/workman at the inn Harilin’s Leap in Jarra, Ghealdan. Simion had a wide mouth, popping eyes and no chin to speak of, making him resemble a frog. His brother Noam was a wolfbrother and lost himself to the wolves. When Moiraine, Lan, Loial and Perrin stayed at the inn, Simion recognized that Moiraine was an Aes Sedai, and asked Perrin if she could heal his brother. Moiraine tried, but could not, and Perrin persuaded Simion to let Noam run free.

Sinah, Ranun. A Whitecloak soldier killed in battle with Shadowspawn on the Jehannah Road. When Perrin and Galad found his body, his cloak was soaked in blood.

Sindhol. The name used by Moghedien for the realm of the Aelfinn and Eelfinn.

Singing. Singing was performed at gatherings among guests by those who had the Voice, a Talent. Singing was mentioned by a mad Lews Therin when he greeted Ishamael, the Betrayer of Hope, and also inside the ter’angreal in Rhuidean.

Sins, Thirteen. In Ebou Dar, representative figures carved into a lintel at the Kin house. They included Envy, Gossip and Greed.

Sintiang, Stedding. A stedding located in the Spine of the World.

Sisnera, Darlin. See Darlin Sisnera

sister-mother, sister-wife. See Aiel kinship

Siswai. Aviendha’s leggy arch-necked gray horse.

siswai’aman. In the Old Tongue, “the spear of the Dragon”; Aiel men who wore a strip of red cloth around their forehead with a black-and-white disc above their brows, and who were dedicated to the Dragon Reborn.

Sitter. An Aes Sedai who represented her Ajah in the Hall of the Tower; each Ajah was represented by three Sitters.

Siuan Sanche. A Tairen Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah and the rebel contingent, with an original strength level of 13(1); after being stilled and Healed, her strength level was 35(23). Born in 957 NE to a poor fisherman’s family, she went to the White Tower in 972 NE. Spending three years as a novice and three years as Accepted, she was raised to the shawl in late 978 NE, after the Battle of the Shining Walls; Moiraine was raised at the same time. Siuan was raised to the Amyrlin Seat in 988 NE, then the youngest to hold the post. In 999 NE, she was deposed and stilled. Her Warder Alric was killed the same day. About 5'5" tall, she was fair-skinned, blue-eyed and more than handsome but less than beautiful. After she was deposed and stilled, she looked young, about twenty-two or twenty-three, and no longer like an Aes Sedai. Men in Lugard considered her pretty, which astonished her. Her eyes could flash fire and bore holes in stone when she wanted them to. She had a fairly small ability with Healing, and she had the minor Talent of being able to see ta’veren; to her eyes, a ta’veren person was accompanied by or surrounded by a glow proportional to the strength with which he or she was central to the weaving of the Pattern. This ability was recovered after she was Healed from being stilled.

Siuan was novice and Accepted with Moiraine. The pair were very close friends. The two most common pairings of extremely close friends among novices and Accepted were between women who were from very much the same sort of background, and between women who were from what seemed opposite backgrounds. She and Moiraine began as friends who cried on each other’s shoulder about the hardships of being a novice or after a switching from the Mistress of Novices, and they eventually became pillow friends. This relationship continued after they became Accepted, and even for a time after they were raised Aes Sedai, though never again with the same intensity as when they were younger. As novice and Accepted both, it was Siuan who always took the lead between her and Moiraine. That startled Moiraine at first, until she decided that Siuan had been born to lead.

Siuan and Moiraine played a good many pranks, always together. They were caught for a number of these and punished together, so much so that it was said that if one was spotted waiting to go into the Mistress of Novices’ study, the other was already inside.

A great effort was made to clean up Siuan’s language when she was a novice, and it was apparently successful, but as soon as she gained the shawl, she reverted. In the same way, she apparently forgot many if not all of her deportment lessons.

As Accepted, Siuan and Moiraine were attending the Amyrlin, Tamra Ospenya, and the Keeper, Gitara Moroso, in the final hours of the Battle of the Shining Walls. Gitara had a Foretelling that the Dragon had been reborn, and fell over dead. Although Tamra did not encourage it, Siuan and Moiraine began the hunt for the Dragon Reborn as soon as they could. They were raised to the shawl soon thereafter, and Cetalia Delarme, the head of the Blue eyes-and-ears, chose Siuan to be her assistant, leaving Moiraine to begin the search outside the Tower on her own.

In her job, Siuan learned that all of the women Tamra had set on the task were being killed; she made haste to meet Moiraine in Kandor. After Moiraine defeated Merean of the Black Ajah, Siuan puzzled out that men who might be able to channel were being killed.

Siuan made her way back to the Tower and resumed working for Cetalia. It was a job that brought her information from every quarter of the world, not only hints as to the presence of the Dragon Reborn but also as to the presence of the Black Ajah. She was not pleased to go back; since she had run off without telling Cetalia and had left a large stack of reports behind, she was sure that Cetalia would hang her out in the sun to dry, and she was not far wrong. That was the beginning of her being pulled deeper and deeper into the politics of the Tower, with the eventual result of her being chosen Amyrlin only nine years later.

As Amyrlin, Siuan went to Fal Dara in 998 NE to see Moiraine and Rand, whom Moiraine had identified as the Dragon Reborn. Siuan kept the knowledge a secret from the rest of the Aes Sedai. That choice led to her deposition when Elaida became suspicious and led a coup. Siuan and her Keeper, Leane Sharif, were stilled and imprisoned. Min freed them, and with Logain, started out to find the rebel Aes Sedai. On the way, Siuan and Min, Leane and Logain took shelter in a barn in Kore Springs; when they were discovered, Logain hit the farmer, causing him to drop his lantern and set the barn alight. The barn and milkcows were lost; Logain escaped, but the women were taken for trial. Gareth Bryne presided, and they swore service to him long enough to repay the cost of the barn and cows. Siuan, saying that she intended to fulfill her oath, and the rest then fled when Logain gave them the opportunity. They learned that the rebels were in Salidar, and made their way there, with Bryne in pursuit.

When she joined the Salidar rebels, Siuan was welcomed warmly by many, for herself and for representing hope against what every Aes Sedai feared beyond death; just as many or more offered toleration or condescension or both, blaming her for their situation. She was no longer bound by the Three Oaths, though few knew this; she used her freedom to convince the Aes Sedai that Logain had been set up as a false Dragon by the Reds. She also convinced them that they needed a young, malleable woman for the new Amyrlin, one they could manipulate and guide. Nynaeve Healed Siuan, but her strength level was dramatically lower than before. In general it was believed—and rightly—that Siuan adapted to her new circumstances much less well than Leane. Siuan could accept that she was no longer Amyrlin and would not be, though barely. What she found almost impossible to adjust to was her greatly reduced status in the hierarchy; not only that she was so much lower, but that she reacted automatically to it sometimes, that she had to defer to sisters who before her stilling, even had she not been Amyrlin, would have listened attentively and accepted her suggestions as the next thing to orders. She did not like the lesser status, and she did not like the fact that she was beginning to accept it without thought.

When Egwene was raised to the Amyrlin Seat, Siuan was told to teach Egwene the protocols of her position, and became seen as somewhat attached to Egwene, but sullenly and grudgingly. In fact, she came to be a great help to Egwene. She kept the Amyrlin’s eyes-and-ears, showing the reports to Egwene, but Aeldene Stonebridge snatched the Blue eyes-and-ears away from her. Siuan’s attitude was improved by her relationship with Gareth Bryne—the two were in love with each other long before they admitted it. Because he loved her, Bryne insisted she work off the debt to him so he could keep her near him, agreed to lead the army for the rebels and offered that army to Egwene, whose one real supporter and friend was, it appeared, Siuan. Min had also had a viewing concerning Siuan and Bryne: that Siuan had to stay close to Gareth Bryne or she would die.

After Egwene was taken by Elaida’s Aes Sedai, she talked to Siuan in Tel’aran’rhiod and forbade a rescue attempt. When the Seanchan began their attack, however, Siuan and Gawyn decided to take matters into their own hands; Bryne agreed to help if Siuan bonded him as her Warder. They went into the Tower through a watergate. Bryne saved Siuan’s life, and she his; Siuan was convinced that Min’s viewing had been fulfilled. They succeeded in rescuing Egwene, although she was not pleased.

Siuan proved very useful in the Last Battle; she survived the Sharan attack on the command tent because of a weave Yukiri came up with to cushion their large drop from an elevated gateway. Because she believed Min’s viewing had been fulfilled, Siuan did not stay near Bryne; she went to see Tuon in Mat’s command tent while Bryne went to look for Gawyn. Siuan saved Min there from an attack by Sharans, but when the Gray Men appeared, she went inside the tent and was killed by an explosion of fire. Bryne did not long survive her.

Sivi. The name given to Adelorna Bastine by the sul’dam who leashed her for a very short time when the Seanchan attacked the White Tower; Egwene saved her.

Six-Story Slaughter, the. The Band of the Red Hand’s name for the fight against the gholam in Ebou Dar.

Skane, Mili. See Mili Skane

Skellit, Jon. See Jon Skellit

skimmer. The second-largest class of Sea Folk ships. Skimmers were three-masted and 150 to 250 feet in length, although generally no more than 200 feet. Broader in the beam and of greater displacement than rakers, they were usually much faster than any mainland ship of similar displacement. They could cover 250 to 300 miles in a twenty-four-hour period if the winds were good and the hull did not have too much growth of barnacles and other marine organisms.

Skimming. A method a channeler could use to journey quickly between two locations. Skimming required the weaving of a gateway, creation of a platform upon which to Skim and a knowledge of the destination. Skimming was slower than Traveling. The ability to Skim was not considered a Talent.

Skulker. Juilin’s lanky brown gelding.

Sky Lights. Fireworks-like displays used in Seanchan celebrations; they were created by damane.

Slayer. Hopper’s name for Isam/Luc; he was also called Wolf Killer. Slayer was a hybrid human created by the Dark One, a combination of Isam Mandragoran and Luc Mantear. Dark prophecy written in Fal Dara said: “Luc came to the Mountains of Dhoom. Isam waited in the high passes. The hunt is now begun. The Shadow’s hounds now course, and kill. One did live, and one did die, but both are.”

Slayer could go in and out of Tel’aran’rhiod at will; it had nothing to do with channeling, of course, as he could not channel. He could also switch from Luc to Isam at will. In many ways he was a perfect assassin; those who wanted Slayer’s services begged for them, except for the Great Lord or the Chosen. He received orders from the Dark One himself in the Pit of Doom; the Dark One commanded Padan Fain’s death, and Slayer was charged with that.

Appearing as Luc, he killed Janduin, Rand’s natural father. In the White Tower, he killed a Gray Man who had failed to kill Egwene. In the Stone of Tear, he killed Joiya and Amico, Black Ajah members who had been captured, after nailing their tongues to the doors of their cells. Slayer went to the Two Rivers; while there, Perrin saw the Isam persona in the wolf dream, killing wolves; when chased, he seemed to vanish into the Tower of Ghenjei. In the Luc persona, Slayer tried to stir things up in the Two Rivers. Eventually, Perrin wounded the Isam persona in the wolf dream, and the Luc persona rode out of Emond’s Field clutching his chest. Slayer also tried to kill Nynaeve in Tel’aran’rhiod and spied on her, Elayne and Egwene there. Slayer was used in an attempt on Rand’s life in Far Madding at the behest of someone he believed was one of the Chosen; in fact, it was Taim. He stepped out of Tel’aran’rhiod and stabbed two people sleeping, but Rand and Min had moved on and so escaped harm.

Slayer had no love for Rand, and did not mind being ordered to kill him, but he had an especial hatred for Perrin because of events in the Two Rivers and did everything he could to end the young man’s life. The animosity only grew after Moridin sent Slayer to Graendal to help in her plan to take Perrin; Slayer put a dreamspike in place to keep Perrin’s people from Traveling. Perrin managed to remove the dreamspike and fought Slayer in the wolf dream. Slayer killed Hopper and injured Perrin, but Perrin was able to destroy the dreamspike.

A woman visited Slayer in the Town near Shayol Ghul, and ordered him to kill Rand; Slayer made the effort, but Perrin fought him and killed him, moving between the wolf dream in the flesh and the waking world.

Sleeping Bay. A body of water in Takisrom, Seanchan.

sleepweavers. Mesaana’s name for the ter’angreal allowing users to enter Tel’aran’rhiod.

sleepwell. A root used medicinally for relieving headaches and assisting with sleep.

Sleete. Hattori’s Warder. Limber and long-armed, he had rough-hewn features, long black hair and a cleft in his chin. His nose was crooked; it had been broken and not Healed. Sleete was with Hattori at Dumai’s Wells, but they became separated. Although seriously wounded, he managed to drag himself onto his horse and reach a nearby village; some there wanted to sell him to bandits, but the mayor’s daughter persuaded the villagers to hide him and tended to his wounds. When he was well enough to travel, he killed the bandits that were troubling the town and made his way to Dorlan.

Though Sleete was a blademaster, Gawyn was able to best him at swordplay. Sleete approached Gawyn about Gawyn possibly becoming Hattori’s Warder; Gawyn declined. When Gawyn decided to leave the Younglings, Sleete knew what he was doing but did not give him away. After the Tower was reunited, Sleete helped Gawyn try to find out who was killing Aes Sedai. When Egeanin and Domon sneaked through a gateway to Merrilor, Sleete realized that they were up to something and took them to Nynaeve. During the Last Battle, Sleete fought alongside Gawyn and Egwene in Kandor.

Slone Maddow. A wide-eared Redarm with the Band of the Red Hand. After the gholam attacked Mat’s tent and killed Lopin, Maddow told Mat that he thought Olver was with Noal.

Small Thorny Back. The wolves’ name for a porcupine.

Smoke. A wolf that Perrin spoke with when he and Ingtar were searching for Fain and the Horn of Valere.

Smoke Springs Hold. A hold in the Three-fold Land; Dorindha, the wife of Bael, was its roofmistress.

Smoke Water. A sept of the Miagoma Aiel.

Snake, the. A constellation. The Aiel called it “the Dragon.”

Snakes and Foxes. A game much loved by children until they matured enough to realize that it could never be won without breaking the rules. It was played with a board that had a web of lines with arrows indicating direction. Ten discs were inked with triangles to represent the foxes, and ten discs were inked with wavy lines to represent the snakes. The game was begun by saying “Courage to strengthen, fire to blind, music to dazzle, iron to bind,” while using one’s hand to describe a triangle with a wavy line through it. Dice were rolled to determine moves for the players and the snakes and foxes. If a snake or fox landed on a player’s piece, he was out of the game, and as long as the rules were followed, this always happened unless affected by a once-in-an-Age ta’veren effect.

Snelle. A dirty man at the Dusty Wheel in Caemlyn who attempted to cheat Mat at the dice game Koronko’s Spit.

Snert. The innkeeper of The Grand Hike in Caemlyn. He was missing several teeth, one eye and most of his hair, but Birgitte said he had nice chest hair.

Snow Goose. The two-masted riverboat owned by Jaim Adarra. Sweeps (oars) were used at the dock. Moiraine, Lan, Perrin, Loial and Faile traveled aboard it from Remen to Illian.

snowberry. A tree that grew on riverbanks and produced tiny white blossoms in the spring. Egwene saw some while sailing on the River Erinin.

snowcap. Cadsuane used an image of this flower on a piece of embroidery.

snowdrops. Flowers embroidered on a dress worn by Nynaeve in Fal Dara.

snowflowers. Plants having tiny white flowers; they were embroidered on the lapels of one of Min’s jackets.

snowghosts. A term used by Birgitte; she said her few women friends had had tempers like snowghosts.

Snowy Dawn. A wolf with whom Perrin communicated outside of Malden. He was an irascible old male who once killed a leopard by himself. Snowy Dawn’s pack gave the signal that was supposed to let Faile know that Perrin was coming; since Galina had not passed that information to Faile, it didn’t work as it was supposed to.

So Eban. A town in Altara on the Amadician border. While Nynaeve, Elayne, Thom and Juilin were pondering how to escape from Sienda without Galad stopping them (Galad wanted to take them back to Caemlyn), Thom mentioned that King Ailron had laid claim to a strip of border villages in Altara including So Eban; this was so that Pedron Niall, who controlled Ailron, could choke river traffic to Ebou Dar and thereby take over Altara.

So Habor. A town in Altara that had lost its ability to function normally after the appearance of dead people in their midst; the townspeople behaved abnormally, and their grain stores were infested with pests. Perrin and his party Traveled to So Habor to buy grain for the troops while trying to save Faile. Masema told Perrin that So Habor’s grain storehouses were full, and that it would be a good place to buy provisions. Balwer said that he knew a cutler in the town, and he took some of Faile’s followers with him. Perrin’s group obtained grain from the town, but it had to be sifted for pests. The ghosts in the town intrigued some in Perrin’s party. When Balwer returned from So Habor, he brought Tallanvor with him.

So Tehar. A village in Altara a day from Ebou Dar, visited by Mat, Nynaeve, Elayne and others in their party on the way to Ebou Dar. In Mat’s opinion, it was a scruffy village of white-plastered bricks and flies. So Tehar was where the women who could channel discovered they could still put Mat in his place, despite the foxhead medallion, by using saidar to pelt him with horse manure.

so’jhin. A particular class of da’covale, so’jhin were hereditary upper servants of the Blood. So’jhin had considerable status and could in some circumstances give orders to and have authority over free people. The Seanchan Imperial bureaucracy was almost entirely so’jhin. Many free people would not object to becoming so’jhin, regarding it as a step up. Voices of the Blood were so’jhin, and theirs was a coveted position. They could own property, unlike ordinary da’covale, and they were never sold except perhaps as punishment for a crime. With permission of their owners, they could arrange their own marriages; permission was rarely withheld. A family line of so’jhin would always belong to the same family of the Blood. Ordinary folk did not own so’jhin.

Soalen, Reed. A Two Rivers man with Perrin. Reed guarded Perrin after Aram’s death. When Rand visited Perrin at the Field of Merrilor, Reed was acting as a sentry.

soarer. The second-smallest class of Sea Folk ship. Soarers were two-masted and usually 100 feet long, but could be as long as 150 feet, with the beam being in similar proportion to a raker. Although smaller than rakers or skimmers, they were often quite fast and agile in handling—faster and more agile than ships of similar size built by other peoples. Their masts were sometimes raked. A soarer could cover up to 350 miles in a twenty-four-hour period, although 300 miles was more typical.

Soaring Gull, Uren din Jubai. A Sea Folk scholar who developed the Farede Calendar.

Soe’feia. Old tongue for “Truthspeaker,” it referred to a person attached to members of the Seanchan royal family. Soe’feia were required to speak the truth to their royal charges, and make sure they were heard, without danger of punishment; they also levied penance when requested. A Soe’feia was neither so’jhin nor da’covale; he or she was always a free person, allowed to come and go as he or she pleased. A Soe’feia was not required to accept any orders from the one served, or to accept any checks on behavior. He or she not only could say anything at all to the one they served without fear of reprisal; he or she was expected and required to. An appointment was for life, among the Imperial family. Needless to say, great care was taken in choosing a Soe’feia. The Speaker told the one served the truth no matter what, including when what the one served did or planned to do was wrong. The Imperial family member wasn’t compelled in any way to follow what the Speaker said, but the Speaker’s purpose was to make the served one think, to help decide how to restore balance, which was a very important element in Seanchan life. When the one served was a child, the Speaker acted as a sort of supplementary nanny, and like a nanny was expected to discipline the charge. When the child reached age sixteen, the Speaker no longer directed, but was expected to do whatever was necessary to make sure the new adult actually heard what was said. A famous (among the Blood, infamous) Speaker of Truth to the last Emperor slapped the Emperor while he sat on the Crystal Throne. Since a Soe’feia was appointed while one was a child, at least in the Imperial family, one would almost certainly outlive him or her. He or she was expected to begin helping find a replacement, whom the Soe’feia would train, beginning as the Soe’feia’s Left Hand. This replacement would be someone approximately one’s own age, and would act as a sort of personal assistant to the Soe’feia, without any of the rights and responsibilities, until the Soe’feia’s death.

soetam. A great rat found in the Drowned Lands. A soetam could grow to as much as fifteen pounds. Living in small packs that generally numbered no more than eight or ten animals, they were normally scavengers but would attack anything perceived as injured or weakened.

sofar. A vehicle from the Age of Legends that used steering planes. Semirhage referred to Sammael as a hot sofar with warped steering planes, which meant that his actions were difficult to predict.

Soferra. An Ogier woman who was the mother of Ala and the grandmother of Damelle, the last of whom wrote about the Ways.

Soffi Moraton. A woman with Perrin’s army who tore her tent during a stream crossing and had no trouble getting it repaired.

Sohadra. A place in history where Sammael had caused great sorrow and escaped justice.

Sohima. The seventh-largest city in Seanchan. It had a Great Fire, in which the doll that Tuon gave Karede was destroyed.

Sokawa, Masuri. See Masuri Sokawa

Sokorin, Tzigan. See Tzigan Sokorin

Solain Morgeillin. A Kin in Ebou Dar. Her strength level was 40(28); she was not strong enough to make a gateway of any size whatsoever. Born in 818 NE, she went to the White Tower in 833 NE. During her eleven years a novice and eight years Accepted, while Parenia Demalle was Amyrlin and Sereille Bagand the Mistress of Novices, she was a kleptomaniac, never stealing anything valuable, but she was incorrigible; her habit wasn’t discovered until after she was raised Accepted, and she was put out of the Tower when she could not be broken of it. In subsequent years she was broken of her kleptomania mainly through the perseverance of the Kin. She retained her very light fingers, though, and could slip something out of somebody’s pocket without leaving a clue. She didn’t care for men at all.

She was sent off to check on the cache of objects of the Power in the Rahad and was followed by Mat. Solain accompanied Elayne to Caemlyn and worked with a captured sul’dam there.

Solanje. Ituralde reflected on his military victories in the past, and one of them was at Solanje.

soldier. The lowest rank among the Asha’man. A soldier wore a black coat with no decoration.

Solinda. An Aes Sedai during the Breaking who helped make the Eye of the World. Her hair was very long and sun-red.

Solinde lace. A frothy lace seen in Ronde Macura’s dress shop in Mardecin, Amadicia.

Solter, Robb. A Two Rivers man sent to fetch a pavilion for Perrin’s meeting with the Children of the Light.

Somal, Lake. A site where Ituralde once triumphed in battle.

Soman, Espara. See Espara Soman

Somara. A woman of the Bent Peak sept of the Daryne Aiel and Far Dareis Mai. She had flaxen hair and was very tall, 6'2" or 6'3", and physically strong. With Enaila and Lamelle, she was among the worst at mothering Rand. After Lamelle died, Somara insisted on making the soup that Lamelle had made for Rand, and she was an even worse cook than Lamelle had been. Somara was one of three Maidens, along with Nandera and Nesair, who beat Rand when he returned to Cairhien after fighting the Seanchan because he had dishonored the Maidens by leaving them behind. Somara was killed when the renegade Asha’man attempted to assassinate Rand at the Sun Palace. Rand added her name to the list of women who had died for him.

Somares, Marya. See Marya Somares

Somarin. A Sea Folk clan. Malin din Toral Breaking Wave was its Sailmistress.

Someinellin, Melavaire. See Melavaire Someinellin

Someryn. A Wise One of the Shaido Aiel (not a Jumai) with the ability to channel and an impressive strength level of 4(+9)—she once prided herself that she had never met a woman as strong as herself. She was over 6'4" tall, with sun-dark smooth skin, dark yellow hair and blue eyes. She had a very large bosom, which she liked to show off; she took to wearing her blouse unlaced to show even more cleavage than Sevanna. One of Sevanna’s inner circle of plotters, she was among those who accompanied her to the Aes Sedai camp the day she saw Rand beaten and took part in or was present at the murder of Desaine. Someryn and Modarra were the most firmly in Sevanna’s grasp, in Sevanna’s opinion, but both sided with Therava in the end, and Someryn became fairly tight with Therava. Someryn was at the meeting with “Caddar” and “Maisia.” She was impressed by Graendal and said she was very strong, which was an unusual acknowledgment for her. That was the first time she had ever met a woman stronger than she in the Power.

Someryn was with Sevanna at Dumai’s Wells and helped question the Seanchan prisoner in Amadicia, while the Jumai were settled at a captured estate approximately ten days after their arrival.

Someshta. The last of the Nym. See Green Man, the

Somma. A Maiden of the Spear who guarded Rand in the city of Tear.

songs. “Always Choose the Right Horse,” which had the same tune as “The Marriage of Cinny Wade”; “Blue Sky Dawning”; “The Dancing Lass”; “Cock o’ the North”; “Coming Home from Tarwin’s Gap”; “Dance with Jak o’ the Shadows”; “Drawing Water from the Well”; “The Drunken Peddler,” also known as “Tinker in the Kitchen”; “First Rose of Summer”; “Ferry O’er the River,” sometimes called “Darling Sara”; “The Fool Who Thought He Was King”; “Fluff the Feathers”; “A Frog on the Ice”; “Give Me Your Trust Said the Aes Sedai”; “Glory of the Dragon,” by Meane sol Ahelle; “Goodman Priket’s Pipe”; “Heron on the Wing”; “I Have Loved a Thousand Sailor Men”; “I Will Steal Your Breath with Kisses”; “I’m Down at the Bottom of the Well,” which had the same tune as “The Last Stand at Mandenhar,” from Mat’s memories; “If You Go to Be a Soldier”; “Jaem’s Folly”; “Jolly Jaim,” also known as “Rhea’s Fling” and “Colors of the Sun”; “Lament for the Long Night”; “Last Stand at Mandenhar”; “Life Is a Dream”; “The Marriage of Cinny Wade,” which had the same tune as “Always Choose the Right Horse”; “Midean’s Ford”; “Mistress Aynora’s Rooster”; “My Love Is a Wild Rose”; “The Old Black Bear”; “Old Gray Goose”; “Old Jak’s Up a Tree”; “Old Two Rivers Leaf”; “Only One Boot”; “Only One Bucket of Water”; “A Pocket Full of Gold”; “The Road to Dun Aren”; “Rooster in the Gumtree”; “Rose of the Morning”; “She Dazzles My Eyes and Clouds My Mind,” which had the same tune as “Upside Down”; “She Has No Ankles That I Can See”; “She Wore a Mask That Hid Her Face”; “Song of the Three Fishes”; “Storm from the Mountains”; “Three Girls in the Meadow,” called “Pretty Maids Dancing” by the Tinkers; “The Tinker Has My Pots,” called “Toss the Feathers” by the Tinkers; “Tinker in the Kitchen,” also known as “The Drunken Peddler”; “Two Kings Came Hunting,” also known as “Two Horses Running” and other titles; “Two Maids at the Water’s Edge”; “Upside Down and ’Round and ’Round”; “We’re Over the Border Again”; “We Rode Down to River Iralell”; “What He Said to Me,” also known as “Will You Dance with Me”; “Wild Geese on the Wing”; “The Wind from the North,” which was called “Hard Rain Falling” in some lands, and “Berin’s Retreat” in others; “The Wind in the Barley”; and “The Wind That Shakes the Willow.”

Songs of Growing. A Talent used by Ogier in past Ages to aid and enhance growing things.

Songs of the Last Age, Do’in Toldara te. Quarto Nine: The Legend of the Dragon. Composed by Boanne, Songmistress at Taralan, the Fourth Age.

Soong. An Ogier woman who was the mother of Ella mother of Covril; i.e., Loial’s great-grandmother.

Sora Grady. Jur’s wife, who lived at the Black Tower. She was a plump, pale-haired woman; they had a son, Gadren, who was four years old. Jur bonded her with a version of the Warder’s bond.

Soralle Step. Site of a famous battle in the history of the Borderlands, which Birgitte mentioned to Uno.

Soran Milo. The author of The Killers of the Black Veil, which Rand read. Milo was a man who lived about six hundred years before the Last Battle. He wrote about the Aiel and described the Portal Stone on Chaendaer in the Waste; since he based most of his book on those who came to trade at the stedding in the Spine of the World where he was located, he got almost everything wrong. He did get the Portal Stone right; a peddler who had seen it described it to him.

sorda. A fairly large rat found in the Waste which grew to as much as five pounds. Nocturnal, they were usually no threat to humans except for their uncanny ability to get into foodstores, defecating all over everything they didn’t eat. They were often found in packs or colonies, and surprising one of these would result in numerous painful bites. The flesh of the sorda was so rank that cats seldom ate them after killing them.

Sorelana Alsahhan. A scholar in the time of the Trolloc Wars who wrote about Darkhounds.

Sorelle. A Jenn Aiel woman who lived after the Breaking. The daughter of Adan and Siedre, she was a dreamer and died at twenty from a fever her dreams had told her was coming.

Sorelle ay Marena. The Queen of Manetheren at the signing of the Compact of the Ten Nations.

Soremaine. The site of a battle between Illian and the Whitecloaks during the Troubles, also known as the Whitecloak War. Lord Captain Pedron Niall set a trap there and captured King Stepaneos and would have destroyed his entire army if it were not for the valor of the Companions.

Sorenthaine, Cemaile. See Cemaile Sorenthaine

Sorevin, Carlinya. See Carlinya Sorevin

sorfa. Tuon ordered a sul’dam to paint a damane’s welts from a caning with a tincture of this plant.

Sorilea. A Wise One of the Jarra sept of the Chareen Aiel and of Shende Hold. Her strength level was about 57(35). A bony woman over two hundred years old, she had white hair, a leathery face and clear green eyes. Although she was weak in the One Power, her ji was great, giving her precedence over other Wise Ones. When Sorilea was angry, other Wise Ones sat quietly and clan chiefs made excuses to leave. On the way to Dumai’s Wells, Amys challenged Sorilea’s leadership and they worked out a compromise between them. Sorilea still had the leadership afterward, but she often consulted with Amys. She had a greatdaughter named Amaryn, whose youngest greatson was named Taric. Sorilea’s sister-son had a greatson named Feran. Sorilea’s apprentice was Surandha.

When Rand was kidnapped, Sorilea broke tradition and said that the Wise Ones would fight to free him, and then went on to fight at Dumai’s Wells. After the battle, Sorilea and the Wise Ones made the rebel Aes Sedai apprentices and took custody of the loyalist Aes Sedai. Sorilea made common cause with Cadsuane to teach Rand laughter and tears, and taught Cadsuane the weave for Traveling.

In the Last Battle, Sorilea fought at Shayol Ghul, and survived.

Sormen, Fera. See Fera Sormen

Soro. An Aiel with the ability to channel; he made algode grow when it should not and went to the Blight to spit in Sightblinder’s eye. He became a Samma N’Sei and was killed by Aviendha in the Last Battle.

Sorrentin. A soldier in Ituralde’s army at Maradon. Ituralde sent him to tell the Asha’man that he wanted attacking Trollocs to go up in flames.

Sotarin. An Aiel Wise One. When Rand and his party were returning to Cairhien from Dumai’s Wells, Sorilea sent Sotarin and Cosain to meet Feraighin, a Wise One who came from Cairhien.

soul. Reincarnated souls, in the normal sense—not a Dark One–generated soul—maintain the same gender. So the Dragon Reborn, spun out at different turnings of the Wheel in different Ages, in order to rebalance the weaving of the Pattern, is always the same soul, and always male.

Soulblinder. A Seanchan name for the Dark One.

Soulless. See Gray Man

Soulsbane. Another name for the Dark One.

Souran Maravaile. Artur Hawkwing’s greatest general and husband to Ishara, the first to sit on the Lion Throne of Andor. He died by assassination, confronting four swordsmen, all of whom he killed, in the twenty-third year of the War of the Hundred Years.

Source, True. See True Source

South Bridge. A bridge town outside and south of Far Madding across the Goim Bridge.

South Mettler. A village in Kandor. Bulen wanted Lan to go toward the village because the path was much easier and Bulen had a cousin who had a farm along the road.

South Star, Nestelle din Sakura. See Nestelle din Sakura South Star

South Wind, Tebreille din Gelyn. See Tebreille din Gelyn South Wind

Southern Hoop, The. A scruffy, two-storied, white-plastered brick inn found in So Tehar, Altara. The group from Salidar, including Nynaeve, Elayne, Aviendha, Mat, Thom, Juilin and various other Aes Sedai, soldiers and Warders stayed there on their way to Ebou Dar.

Southharbor. A southern port in Tar Valon on the River Erinin. Leane was captured there by Aes Sedai while making a cuendillar chain across the harbor entrance.

Sovarra lace. Delicate aged-ivory lace that embellished Colavaere’s expensive silk gown.

Sovin Nai. Old Tongue for “Knife Hands,” it was the name of an Aiel warrior society.

span. A measure of distance equal to two paces; a thousand spans equaled a mile.

Spar. A thug and Darkfriend who worked for Old Cully in Ebou Dar. A rat-faced man, he still had several teeth; his arms were all bone and sinew. Mat stabbed and killed Spar when attacked by him.

spark. The natural ability of a person to channel; a man or woman born with the spark developed the ability to channel sooner or later even if they did not try to learn.

Sparks. A wolf in Oak Dancer’s pack. Sparks helped Hopper to train Perrin in the wolf dream. Sparks, Oak Dancer and Boundless were trapped by the dreamspike, but Perrin and Hopper rescued them.

Sparrow. The mare Toveine rode to the Black Tower.

Speaker of Truth. See Soe’feia

Speral. A worker for the Merchants’ Guild in So Habor. Mycal Crossin called for him to fetch grain samples three times, but he never showed.

spiceapple tree. A tree found in the Age of Legends. In one of Rand’s flashbacks, Charn used to like to sit under spiceapple trees behind the inn and tell stories.

Spine of the World. A north-south-oriented mountain range separating the Aiel Waste from the populated lands to the west.

Spine Ridge. A sept of the Miagoma Aiel.

spinglass. A fragile material from the time of the Da’shain Aiel in the Age of Legends. Rushing to Collam Daan, Charn was knocked down by accident and the man apologized. Charn reflected that people thought the Aiel were made out of spinglass. Delicate sculptures were made from this material.

spinning. An Age of Legends word that was the equivalent of weaving; spinning a web or spinning a net was the same as weaving a weave of the Power in the next Age.

Spinning Earthfire. A Talent of unknown use, mentioned by Moghedien.

Spirit. One of the Five Powers. See Five Powers

Spiron Narettin den Sovar. An Illianer nobleman who was a member of the Council of Nine. He was sent eastward in the campaign against the Seanchan with as many Companions and men sworn to other members of the Nine as his own liegemen. He was sent to keep the peace in Illian.

Splintered Hills. An area in Coremanda where Doreille, Queen of Aridhol, penned some of her finest poems.

Spray. Bayle Domon’s river craft. It had two masts and was eighty feet long and broad in the beam. Yarin Maeldan was the second-in-command. Crew members included Aedwin Cole, Carn and Florin Gelb.

sprigleaf. A plant that could be thrown on fires to cover up foul odors.

Spring Pole. A stripped fir tree trunk upended in the ground, used as part of the festival of Bel Tine in Emond’s Field.

Springhorn. The leader of a wolfpack that Perrin consulted, seeking information about Faile after she was abducted by the Shaido; Springhorn’s pack was unable to help.

sprinklewort. As a parting gift before she and her companions left for Tar Valon, Mat gave Joline a bag of sweetbuns laced with sprinklewort so that her mouth would turn blue. Other uses for this plant are unknown.

squadman. A noncommissioned officer, typically a cavalryman, who generally was in charge of approximately ten soldiers. In the infantry, the equivalent of a squadman was a file leader.

staera. Slim, curved pieces of bronze used by the Aiel in sweat tents to scrape sweat and dirt off their bodies.

Stag, the. A constellation.

Stag and Lion, The. A large four-storied inn in Baerlon, Andor. Master Fitch was the innkeeper, and Min worked there as a serving girl. Rand, Mat, Perrin, Moiraine, Lan, Nynaeve, Egwene and Thom all stayed there on the way to Tar Valon, fleeing Trollocs and Fades. While there, Rand had a dream of Ba’alzamon, and Padan Fain sent a Fade to attack them, forcing them to flee into the night. The inn was burned, but Moiraine had coin sent from Tar Valon to rebuild it; according to Min, Master Fitch was building it back twice as big.

Stag’s Stand. The highest hill in Canluum, Kandor, where Lord Marcasiev’s palace stood.

Stair of Jehaan. A place where the Borderland armies successfully checked the advance of the Shadowspawn following the destruction of Malkier.

Standardbearer. A Seanchan rank equivalent to Bannerman. A Standardbearer’s helmet had a small crest like a bronze arrowhead on its front.

standing flows. A technology from the Age of Legends that maintained the continual flow of the One Power in relation to specific objects, allowing many ter’angreal to be used by those unable to channel.

Stang, Kairen. See Kairen Stang

Star, The. A large wooden four-storied inn located in Tear next to Ajala’s smithy. The innkeeper was Jurah Haret. Moiraine, Lan, Perrin, Loial and Faile lodged there while looking for Rand. There they found out that Be’lal had made himself a High Lord of Tear and that he intended to take Callandor from Rand after Rand removed it from the Heart of the Stone. Master Haret allowed the Black Ajah to leave the hedgehog ter’angreal in Moiraine’s private dining room; Faile triggered it, and Perrin had to rescue her in the wolf dream.

starblaze. A plant that had deep red, wavy-petaled flowers. It was found in the gardens of the Royal Palace in Caemlyn. Cadsuane used an image of this flower on a piece of embroidery.

stasis-box. High-tech device from the Age of Legends that preserved artifacts or extreme perishables by suspending time within the box.

Staven. A soldier who died defending Ituralde at Maradon in Saldaea.

Stayer. Perrin’s horse from Cairhien. A well-shod bay stallion from the Sun Palace stables, he was reddish with a black mane and tail and white forefeet. His training as a warhorse was not specifically established, but the horse was Cairhienin, where cavalry were important, and there were indications that he was well trained; he responded to leg pressure, and he backed away on command.

Steady. A roan gelding belonging to Rodel Ituralde.

steamwagon. A wagon that moved without horses; it was the invention of Mervin Poel, who was a member of the Academy of Cairhien. Steamwagons were used in the Last Battle to deliver supplies to the battlefronts.

stedding. The habitat of Ogier, governed by a Council of Elders. There were forty-one inhabited stedding between the Aryth Ocean and the Aiel Waste, each with an average population of twelve thousand, although that varied considerably. Young stedding, such as Tsofu, had much smaller populations than old ones. There were more than fifty abandoned stedding. Stedding had special properties, including the inability of a channeler to use the One Power within their boundaries or from without.

Trollocs would not enter a stedding unless driven by Myrddraal, and the Myrddraal rarely had the incentive to do so. Even Darkfriends, if truly dedicated, felt uncomfortable there.

Aes Sedai also hated entering a stedding—not only could they not channel there, but they could not even feel the True Source.

Ogier sickened and died if they remained Outside stedding too long.

Steler. A bannerman in the Tower Guard. Tall and grizzled, with a deep gravelly voice, he led the group that escorted Moiraine and Siuan to collect the names of babies outside Tar Valon.

Stepashin, Ester. See Ester Stepashin

Stepin. One of Kerene’s Warders. He had narrow shoulders and sad brown eyes that made him look more like a clerk than a Warder. He could play the twelve-string bittern as skillfully as a hired musician.

Stepper. Perrin’s dun stallion. As tall as any Tairen bloodstock, but heavier in shoulder and haunch, he had a yellowish hide and a black mane and tail. He was a trained warhorse, as demonstrated during the fighting in the Two Rivers.

Steps. A young black-furred wolf that Perrin met in the wolf dream while searching for Slayer during the Last Battle.

Stevan Gedarien. Demira Eriff’s Cairhienin Warder. He was 5'6" tall, and slender, with gray at his temples. Though he was twenty years younger than Demira, sometimes he tried to act like her father.

Stick. A creature in the Blight. It looked like a stick and hid in leaves. If it was touched, it would bite and immediately begin digesting whatever was bitten. The only thing that could save one after that was amputating the arm or leg that was bitten.

sticklesharp. A clinging vine with three-pronged leaves; Ferane grew them on her balcony, and their tendrils covered the inside of the stonework.

stilling. The process of removing the ability of a woman to channel. It was thought to be permanent until Nynaeve Healed Siuan and Leane; Flinn Healed the three women stilled at Dumai’s Wells.

Stinger. Silviana’s gelding that she rode during the Last Battle. She had trained Stinger not to be skittish around channeling.

stingweed. A water plant that got tangled in fishing nets. It was mentioned by Mother Guenna in Tear.

stinkadder. A snake that wriggled away from its own shadow.

stinkweed. A plant, found in the Two Rivers and elsewhere, that left a rank smell on any boot that crushed it.

Stone Anchor, Amel din Monaga. See Amel din Monaga Stone Anchor

Stone Dogs. See Shae’en M’taal

Stone of Tear. The immense fortress guarding the city of Tear from which the High Lords ruled. The Stone looked like a mountain that extended from the river west through the city wall, with battlements and towers and flying banners. The Heart of the Stone was the central citadel. It was said to be the earliest fortress built after the Time of Madness, and said by some to have been built during the Time of Madness, made with the One Power soon after the Breaking of the World. It was besieged or attacked countless times, but never successfully until it fell in a single night to the Dragon Reborn and a few hundred Aiel, thus fulfilling the Prophecies of the Dragon.

The Stone was mentioned twice in the Prophecies: it was said that the Stone would never fall until the People of the Dragon came, and also that the Stone would never fall until the Dragon’s hand wielded the Sword That Cannot Be Touched, Callandor. Some believed that these Prophecies accounted for the antipathy of the High Lords to the One Power, and for the Tairen law that forbade channeling. Despite this antipathy, the Stone contained a collection of angreal and ter’angreal rivaling that stored in the White Tower, a collection which was gathered, some say, in an attempt to diminish the glare of possessing Callandor.

Stone Verge. The large open space surrounding the Stone of Tear on three sides.

Stoneboat. A Taren Ferry family name.

Stonebow, Yurian. See Yurian Stonebow

Stonebridge, Aeldene. See Aeldene Stonebridge

stones. A board game played with stones on a lined board. In the Age of Legends, it was known as no’ri; in a much later age, it was known as Go.

stones including gemstones. Stones and gemstones found in the world of The Wheel of Time were marble, golden Kandor marble, winter marble, white marble, heartstone (cuendillar), elstone, redstone, yellow and white opals, blue sapphires, black sapphires, yellow sapphires, yellow diamonds, carnelian, avatine, amber, pearls, firedrops, rubies, moonstone, catseye, sunstone, emeralds, garnets, amethyst, lapis and turquoise.

Stones River. A dry riverbed in the Aiel Waste and also the name of a sept of the Goshien Aiel.

Stormbringer. An old Sea Folk name for the Dark One; it was used by Birgitte.

Storn, River. A river flowing southwest through Murandy to Lugard, where it joined the River Reisendrelle.

Stout. Galad’s bay gelding, which he rode to his confrontation with Valda and afterward. Stout was killed when the Trollocs attacked the Whitecloaks on the Jehannah Road.

Stranded Goose, The. An inn of three broad stories in Ebou Dar. It had a female innkeeper, as was true of most of the inns in Ebou Dar. Setalle Anan, Elayne and Nynaeve stopped there, as Setalle was stopping at many inns while taking Elayne and Nynaeve to the Knitting Circle, to tell the other innkeepers about these two foolish girls.

Strang, Elise. See Elise Strang

Strangers’ Markets. The three markets open to foreigners in Far Madding.

Street Guard. The police force of Far Madding who patrolled the streets in groups of three. The Street Guard relied mainly on long cudgels, sword-breakers, quarterstaffs and catchpoles. They carried no blade longer than a belt knife. When the Street Guard arrested someone, the detainee was bound wrists-to-ankles and put into a sack, which was then slung from a pole carried on the shoulders of two men.

Street of Joy. A main thoroughfare in Far Madding. It was really two broad straight streets separated by a measured row of leafless gray-barked trees.

streith. A fabric that changed color with the wearer’s emotions and also changed from opaque to transparent mist. It was common in the Age of Legends; Graendal found a stash of it in a stasis-box.

strength in the One Power. Strength in the One Power varied greatly across individuals. Men strong in the Power were usually considerably stronger than women strong in the Power. This is not to say that some women were not stronger than some men, just that the general form ran the other way.

This strength was a matter of the sheer raw amount of the One Power that could be drawn. In kind, there was nothing a man could do with any part of the Power that a woman could not, and vice versa. There were, however, areas where women showed greater abilities and areas where men did. Additionally, of the Five Powers—Earth, Air (or Wind), Fire, Water and Spirit—women generally had the greatest strength and ability in Air and/or Water, while men generally had the greatest in Earth and/or Fire. That is to say, men were generally much more adept than women in weaving Fire and Earth; they were usually able to handle much more of these as well, which followed from their greater raw strength. Women were generally much more adept than men in weaving Air and Water; despite men’s greater raw strength, in these two areas women were in general stronger than men. Ability in Spirit was usually considered to be equally divided; there seemed to be no advantage, either male or female.

Women who could channel could sense the ability in one another and also sense their relative strengths. Among women, the eventual strength of a testee was determined in the first testing. It would take time for her to reach it—and indeed, if she did not work, it was possible that she would not reach it, because it was a potential—but the limits of her strength were known up front. No one ever surpassed the detected limit. Female strength usually—but not always—grew in a smooth progression, and often the stronger she would eventually become, the more quickly it grew. This was not a hard and fast rule, though. Forcing, which was forcing the woman to use more of the Power and do more, could bring on faster increases in strength, but it also ran the greatly increased risk of burnout or death. There were also frequent individual variations in this speed of growth. Hierarchy among Aes Sedai was based in part on relative strength.

Among men, there was no way of knowing how strong a beginner would become. It was not unusual for men to show as much raw strength at their first testing as a woman who had worked for some time, but there was no way to know how far he would go beyond that, if at all, or how long it would take him to reach his upper limit. Male strength levels usually, but not always, increased in spurts and plateaus, with the intensity and duration of the spurts, as well as the duration of the plateaus, generally uneven. Thus a man might test stronger than a woman only to see her pass him, then spurt to pass her, then have her pass him again because he reached a plateau; this could repeat a number of times until their full strengths were reached. Needless to say, as with women, a man who did not work hard would not go as far as he might otherwise, but in his case, no one would ever be sure that he had not reached his full potential.

Men usually took longer to reach their full strength than women did. Most women took about ten years to do so. It was very likely no coincidence that this was the same amount of time most novices took to be raised Accepted, although the correlation was not exact. Women sometimes reached their peak strength and remained novices because they had not learned enough or gained sufficient skill, while others were raised Accepted or even Aes Sedai while still short of that peak. It was learning and skill, not strength, that were the keys there. Again, this was not a hard and fast rule; some women took as long as fifteen years to achieve full strength, while a few managed it in as little as seven or eight. Most men took about fifteen years to reach peak strength. For both men and women, of course, the rate of increase in strength could be sped up dramatically by forcing, but this also entailed danger of burnout or death. Men were somewhat more resistant to the dangers of forcing than women, but not by a large amount.

For some reason, the age when a man or woman began to channel seemed to make a difference in their rate of progress. While a given person’s peak strength would be the same whether he or she began learning at fifteen or at fifty, would reach that peak faster at an older age.

Among both men and women strength and skill were not the same thing. It was possible for one person to have great raw strength yet be less effective in many situations than another who had lesser strength but greater dexterity with the flows or greater knowledge in using them. While there were limits to strength for anyone—there was a certain upper limit which could never be surpassed—there were no real limits to increasing skill. Anyone could increase their knowledge, though of course, some would have greater ability to increase dexterity with the flows than others. Having been born with the inherent spark apparently was not an indicator of strength. There were as many with weak potential who would channel whether they were taught or not as there were with great potential.

Before the appearance of Elayne, Egwene, Nynaeve, Aviendha and Nicola, there were 60 base levels of strength, each of which had internal gradations, for women who were strong enough to be raised to the shawl. After their appearance, there were 72 base levels.

The earlier distribution of Aes Sedai strengths thus ran from 1 to 60, which became 13 to 72. Women below the lowest level at which someone could become Aes Sedai were trained, but with the knowledge that they would be put out; a few received the ring for political reasons, as with Morgase. There was, of course, also the need to consider Aes Sedai reluctance to let go of a woman once they had their hands on her. Non–Aes Sedai changed this distribution to a considerable extent. Both Atha’an Miere Windfinders and Aiel Wise Ones had no lower limit for full acceptance in their organizations.

Rating men against this scale (that is, comparing strength in saidin to strength in saidar), there were an additional six possible levels for men at the top end. While this was true in terms of bulk amounts of the Power that men could handle, certain vulnerabilities on the part of men, and others on the part of women, made a direct comparison difficult at best. Still, one-on-one, looking only at pure strength and avoiding the advantages of dexterity, length of practice and skill, the top level for a man was usually no more than a match for the top level for a woman.

Thus the strongest man would be ++1, the 800-year level in aging. Ranks ++2 to ++6 would have an aging range of 720 to 800 years. The strongest woman would be 1(+12), with a life expectancy of around 800 years; a man of the same rough level, which was 7, would have a life expectancy of 720 years.

There were considerable variations between individuals, but in rough form it could be said that there was a parallel between strength and longevity, minus the effects of a binder such as the Oath Rod. All age levels given were approximations, with considerable room for variation among individuals. For example, at the so-called 800-year level, a person could reasonably be expected to live to between roughly 775 and 825 years of age, with some making it to 850, and a very few making it to as much as 900. Strength level 56(44) was the 300-year age level, 67(55) the 200-year age level, and the bottom level, 72(60), approximately the 150-year level for women. The male equivalents were approximately the 240-year, 180-year, and 135-year levels for men.

A given strength level did not produce the same degree of longevity for a man as for a woman. At any given level of equality, a woman would live longer. In general, a man at any given strength would have a normal lifespan roughly ten percent less than that of a woman of that strength. The range of longevity was the same, though, with men at their top level having a life expectancy of 800 years or so, within the range of the bell curves.

While there were six additional levels for men above those for women, the disparity was not as great as it seemed, measuring the bulk quantity of the One Power that a person could handle. Adding in the greater dexterity of women in weaving, a woman at the top level might well be roughly equal to a man in the top level in a stand-up one-on-one fight.

strikers. An invention of Aludra’s. Small sticks with rough blue-gray heads that produced a flame when rubbed against something rough, they had to be packed carefully; if they rubbed against each other they could burst into flame on their own. She also called them “firesticks.”

Strom. A strongarm at The Dancing Cartman in Four Kings, Andor. Strom was hard-faced, big and had arms that were thick enough for legs. His crooked teeth were yellow. He and Jak threw people out of the inn if they caused trouble, and the two also planned to help Hake, the innkeeper, rob Rand and Mat. The Darkfriend Howal Gode gave Jak, Strom and Hake something to make them sleep while he tried his pitch on Rand.

Study of Men, Women and the One Power Among Humans, A. A book by the Ogier Ledar son of Shandin son of Koimal; Loial considered it one of the best about Aes Sedai dealing with men who could channel. It was written around 700 NE.

Study of the War of the Shadow, A. A book by the Ogier Moilin daughter of Hamada daughter of Juendan; in it Be’lal was referred to as the Netweaver.

Stump. What Ogier called a meeting where they discussed and debated momentous topics; it was also called the Great Stump. The Great Stump held at Stedding Shangtai debated whether or not the Ogier should open the Book of Translation before Tarmon Gai’don, thus returning them to the alternate world from which they had come; the Ogier decided to stay and fight to help the humans.

Suana Dragand. A Shienaran Aes Sedai of the Yellow Ajah and the loyalist contingent, with a strength level of 22(10). Born in 784 NE, she went to the White Tower in 798 NE. After spending sixteen years as a novice and twelve years as Accepted, she was raised to the shawl in 826 NE. A beefy woman, with too much chin, blue eyes, a square face and wide square hands, Suana possessed a blunt manner. Despite the fact that she was not among the strongest sisters, she was considered in the first rank in the Talent of Healing. Her abilities were so great that no sister, not even those much stronger than she, could do better, with the possible exception of Samitsu. She was also politically well connected and very knowledgeable—a woman with a will who could get things done.

Suana served as Sitter for the Yellow from 919 to 952 NE; She was made First Weaver in 947 NE and was one of only two heads of Ajah to sit in the Hall. In 999 NE she became Sitter again to replace Magla Daronos, whom she had sent to join the rebels to control and defuse events. Being raised Sitter a second time was very unusual, but she took the position to make it easier to give way to Magla when the Tower was reunited. This was a precaution not taken by all of the Ajahs. Suana taught Egwene after Egwene’s capture by Elaida; she was so impressed that she practically offered her a place in the Yellow and later supported the choice of Egwene as Amyrlin.

Succession, The Fourth War of Cairhienin. See Reconciliation

Succession, the. The conflict so called in Andor, known as the Third War of Andoran Succession elsewhere, that brought Morgase to the throne.

Suffa. The name given to Elaida as a damane.

sugarberry. A tree that grew on riverbanks and produced bright red blossoms in the spring. Egwene saw some while sailing on the River Erinin.

Suilin Escanda. An Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah who served as Amyrlin from 355 to 396 NE. Suilin was an Amyrlin of moderate strength who involved the Tower in a number of foreign intrigues. One or another faction in the Hall was always trying to thwart her, but she successfully outmaneuvered them until 396 NE, when she was forced to resign as the Amyrlin Seat. It was put about as voluntary, as was her retirement to the country, but she spent the next twenty-six years in exile under constant guard until her death in 422 NE. She was returned to Tar Valon and buried with considerable pomp and honor, though.

Suki. Siuan’s alias as Moiraine’s maid in Chachin.

sul’dam. A woman who passed the tests to show that she could wear the bracelet of an a’dam and thus control a damane. The word was Old Tongue for “leash holder.” Young women in Seanchan were tested for this ability at the same time as the testing for damane and at the same age. It was a fairly honored position among the Seanchan. Many more sul’dam were found than damane. A sul’dam’s uniform was a blue dress that stopped short of the ankle, with red panels bearing forked silver lightning on the breast and sides of the skirt. For many centuries it was not known that sul’dam were actually women who could learn to channel, but that discovery was made after the Seanchan arrived in Falme.

Sulaan. A morat’to’raken who flew Mat and Olver to Thakan’dar in the Last Battle. She was knocked unconscious by an arrow, leaving Mat to land on his own. Mat thought Sulaan pretty but insane.

Suladric. The clan chief of the Shaido Aiel who died shortly before Rand went to the Waste. He fell for Sevanna when she was sixteen and married her. Muradin attempted to replace him, but did not make it out of the ter’angreal in Rhuidean.

Sulamein so Bhagad. The author of The Wheel of Time; Chief Historian at the Court of the Sun, the Fourth Age.

Sulara. A hold in the Waste where Niella was taken gai’shain.

Sulin. A woman of the Goshien Aiel and Far Dareis Mai. White-haired, blue-eyed, leathery-faced, wiry and about 5'7" tall, she had a pink scar across her sun-dark cheek from a nasty gash received in the fight against Rahvin in Caemlyn. She was chosen roofmistress of the Roof of the Maidens in Rhuidean, but gave it up to lead the Maidens who followed Rand across the Dragonwall.

In order to meet her toh to various gai’shain for reminding them that they were Maidens, Sulin became a servant in the Royal Palace in Caemlyn, serving Rand, and followed him in that capacity to Cairhien. Sulin got a gold crown from Perrin as a tip while she was acting as a servant in Caemlyn; later he was stunned to find out she was a Maiden. She also received her wages as a maid, plus some tips; these coins she had made into a necklace or a belt, which she kept close at hand as a reminder of the price of pride and also to remind her of Reene Harfor, the First Maid, whom she thought of as a woman who had honor and who was also tough enough to be a Maiden.

When Sulin learned that Rand had been kidnapped, she decided her toh had been met and took up the spear again, but Nandera had taken over leading the Maidens and did not step aside. Sulin and Nandera fought with bare hands; Sulin won, but thereafter accepted Nandera as the leader of the Maidens, obeying her and acting as her right hand. She led the contingent of Maidens who accompanied Perrin and Faile to Ghealdan. She stayed with Perrin through the battle at Malden, and on to the Last Battle.

sulking rooms. Small sitting rooms found in Ebou Dari houses; one was in Mat’s suite of rooms in the Tarasin Palace.

Sulmara. The Queen of Masenashar, circa 450 AB, who was a renegade Aes Sedai. She was kidnapped by the White Tower and spent the rest of her life working in the White Tower stables.

Sulmein Gap. The site of a battle that Artur Hawkwing fought before he found his stride. Mat thought that the battle for Cairhien would be like Sulmein Gap.

Sulwin. An Aiel after the Breaking. A tall man who let his hair grow long, he led a group that decided to leave the Jenn Aiel and search for the song after a bandit attack. He and his people threw objects of the One Power out of some of the wagons and headed off; the group was the start of the Tuatha’an.

Sumeko Karistovan. A Kin and member of the Knitting Circle. Her strength level was 18(6), which made her strong enough to learn to Travel. Born in 598 NE, she went to the White Tower in 614 NE. After spending five years as a novice and five years as Accepted, she broke down utterly during her test for the shawl; she wanted very badly to do well and pressed too hard, became too keyed up, and couldn’t maintain her composure. About 5'5" tall, and quite stout, with a round face, straight black hair and an unlined face, she had wanted to be Yellow Ajah; she had a fine feel for Healing and all its nuances. Despite the prohibition, she continued to try to learn about Healing and diagnosing and managed to teach herself Nynaeve’s trick of using all the Five Powers in Healing. When encountered by Elayne and Nynaeve, Sumeko was wearing the red belt of a Wise Woman; her belt was at least twice as long as anyone else’s. She went along on the expedition to get the Bowl of the Winds, but was not attacked by the gholam; she revealed her Healing skills to Nynaeve in the aftermath.

Sumeko was present at the meeting with the Windfinders in the Tarasin Palace, and was part of manipulating them, on orders from Elayne and Nynaeve. Her attitude toward Aes Sedai changed much, from that of subservience to that of equal, in part due to Nynaeve’s urging. Sumeko accompanied Elayne to the Royal Palace in Caemlyn and assisted Mat in trapping the gholam. When the refugees from the Trolloc attack on Caemlyn arrived on the Field of Merrilor, Sumeko took charge of seeing that Healing was given to those who needed it immediately. During the Last Battle, Sumeko shuttled soldiers around for Elayne through gateways.

Sumi, Great Aunt. A hypothetical person in Yukiri’s thoughts whose relatives fought over her pewter.

summer ham. A phrase used by Elayne to insult Teslyn; Lan was startled and amused by it.

Sun, Court of the. See Court of the Sun

Sun King. A character from myth who awakened Talia with a kiss.

Sun Lance. Bukama’s yellow roan gelding that he rode in the Aiel War and to Kandor afterward. His hoof was bruised before reaching Canluum; he was not healed when Bukama left for Chachin, so Bukama had to trade him for another horse, a black gelding that was inferior to Sun Lance.

Sun Palace of Cairhien. The royal palace in Cairhien; also known as the Palace of the Rising Sun in Splendor.

Sun Throne of Cairhien. The seat of royal power in Cairhien. It was a large heavy-armed chair that glittered with gilt and golden silk, but somehow it seemed to be all plain vertical lines except for the wavy-rayed Rising Sun that would stand above the head of whoever sat on it. It was installed on a wide dais of dark-blue marble in the Grand Hall of the Sun.

Sunamon Haellin. A High Lord of Tear. Fat though not obese, with graying hair and a pointed beard, he was a smooth and unctuous character who dry-washed his plump hands. He tried ingratiating smiles on Rand, with whom he was usually diffident. He assured Rand that the Defenders had often put down peasant riots. He guaranteed the treaty with Mayene with his life. He was involved in gathering supplies all across Tear to support the action against Sammael in Illian, despite Weiramon’s grimaces of impatience with the whole notion, and Torean’s sweaty mutters about the expense.

Sunamon participated in the battles against the Seanchan; Rand left him in Illian with orders to remain, and was enraged when he learned that Sunamon and others were returning to Tear.

sunburst. A root used in an ointment to heal bruises. Found in the gardens of the Royal Palace in Caemlyn, the plant had bright, golden-yellow flowers. Cadsuane used an image of this flower on a piece of embroidery.

Sunday. A feastday and festival in midsummer on the longest day of the year, celebrated in many parts of the world. Sunday was unusual in that, for those who actually referred to calendars, it did not count as a day of Amadaine, the month in which it occurred.

sung wood. Ogier Treesingers could make plants respond in such a way as to assume any variety of forms without damage. Objects made in this manner were called “sung wood” and were highly prized. Sung wood was prevalent in the Age of Legends, but the Talent seemed to be dying out by the time of the Last Battle.

Sunhair, Ilyena. See Ilyena Therin Moerelle

Sunrise Gate. A portal leading east out of Caemlyn toward the Erinin.

Supreme Council. The ruling body of the Black Ajah, composed of thirteen sisters. It was also known as the Great Council of Thirteen.

Suraile. A woman of the Moshaine Shaido Aiel and Far Dareis Mai. She was the eldest daughter of Maeric, the sept chief, and his wife Dyrele. When Sammael’s so-called nar’baha gateway closed, she was left behind in Kinslayer’s Dagger with the Stone Dog for whom she was thinking of giving up the spear. Her brother Darin was a Stone Dog who also was left behind.

Surandha. An Aiel who was Sorilea’s Wise One apprentice. A handsome woman who was beautiful when she laughed and full of fun, she had dark golden hair and large blue eyes. She was about five years older than Egwene and was eagerly awaiting the call to a hold of her own. All in all, she was an odd apprentice for Sorilea. Surandha jumped when Sorilea even thought “jump,” of course. She could channel as strongly as many Aes Sedai. When Egwene was meeting her toh for lying, Surandha was merciless. Afterward, she beamed at Egwene as brightly as ever.

Surasa. An ancestor of Ethenielle, Queen of Kandor. She believed that being ruler made her so powerful she could command the weather. She commanded the rain to stop, and was drenched for her efforts.

Suravye ninto manshima taishite. Old Tongue for “Peace favor your sword.”

Surela. A Seanchan der’sul’dam to whom sul’dam could be sent for punishment; Alwhin told Taisa to go to her when Pura almost touched Suroth’s foot while Taisa was holding her leash.

Surial. A Maiden of the Spear who guarded Rand at Lord Tellaen’s manor in Arad Doman. She and Lerian discussed beating Rand for going alone to meet with Rodel Ituralde. Later the two guarded Min in Tear just before Rand returned from his epiphany on Dragonmount.

Surine. A Seanchan sul’dam who deserted at Falme. She looked a lot like Nynaeve, but was taller, somewhere between 5'8" and 5'11". Floran Gelb attempted to kidnap Nynaeve and pass her off as Surine to Egeanin.

Surlivan Sarat. An officer in the Ebou Dari Guards serving at the Tarasin Palace. Stocky and sun-dark, he carried the thin gilded rod of his office. Mat thought him a good fellow always ready with a quip and having a good eye for horses, until Surlivan mentioned that Tylin would be angry about Mat’s appearance; then he thought that Surlivan had a tongue like a rasp and did not really have a good eye for horses.

Suroth Sabelle Meldarath of Asinbayar and Barsabba. A Seanchan of the High Blood and a Darkfriend. Suroth’s sigil was three hands, each with the forefinger and little finger raised and the rest folded. About 5'5" tall, with black eyes and the sides of her head shaved to leave a wide crest of black hair that hung down her back, she was neither particularly fair nor dark. Her nails were an inch long and the first two on each hand were lacquered blue. Suroth owned a lopar named Almandaragal. Liandrin winkled Nynaeve, Egwene, Elayne and Min out of the Tower and took them to Suroth; Nynaeve and Elayne were able to avoid being collared. After the battle at Falme, Suroth regathered nearly all the surviving Seanchan forces and remained to carry on rather than return and apologize to the Empress for failure. As the highest-ranking survivor of Falme, she would take the blame for the disaster there, and she needed victories to more than counterbalance that. She first took Tanchico, then, using soldiers from Tarabon, she took Amador and expanded control over Amadicia. She also took Ebou Dar.

With the arrival of the Return, Seanchan soldiers and settlers spread into Tarabon, Amadicia and Altara, and a military incursion into Illian was initiated.

Although she was a Darkfriend, she nonetheless thought as a Seanchan. She fully intended to complete the conquest—or reconquest, as she saw it—of the lands Hawkwing had ruled. She fully intended to have these lands, at a very minimum, as her share to rule after the Day of Return, and perhaps even Seanchan itself, but she wished to survive as a member of Seanchan culture. From her point of view, when the Dark One returned, he would certainly confirm her, as a Darkfriend, as ruler of whatever she held at that time. With Semirhage, she plotted Tuon’s downfall and aspired to be Empress. After her man Elbar was killed trying to eliminate Tuon and his head was returned to Ebou Dar, Tuon made Suroth da’covale and handed her over to the Deathwatch Guard until her hair grew long enough for her to be decent when sent to the block for sale.

sursa. Slender sticks used to eat food with by the Domani.

Surtovni, Keraille. See Keraille Surtovni

Surya. A sul’dam who accompanied Anath/Semirhage when she attempted to capture Rand. Surya held the leash of Tabi; both received head injuries in the conflict. They refused to be Healed by Nynaeve, but Malian put compresses on their heads.

Susa. The woman who tamed Jain Farstrider in a gleeman’s tale.

Susa al’Seen. A Two Rivers girl with channeling ability who became a novice with the rebels, having been recruited by Verin and Alanna. About sixteen years old, she was a slight, fluttery girl, always excitable. She talked over other people, insisting on getting out what she had to say.

Susa Wynn. The widow of Jac and mother of Cyril, one of the children Moiraine investigated while looking for the infant Dragon Reborn.

Susu. A young woman who entertained at The Good Night’s Ride in Lugard. Siuan went there to see an eyes-and-ears for the Blue Ajah, the innkeeper Duranda Tharne. Susu showed nearly the whole length of her bare legs, and Siuan wanted to wash out her mouth with soap.

Sutoma, Calwyn. An Ebou Dari bellfounder. Cadaverous, with long black hair, he had a commission from Suroth.

Swallow. Faile’s black mare. Faile bought her soon after she arrived at the Stone of Tear; she was killed when Faile was taken by the Shaido.

sweetberry. A bush or tree from which a tea was made. Its green berry was bitter. Sweetberry was found in the Green Man’s garden, and it was also seen growing in the Waterwood.

sweetbristle. A fruit from which juice was extracted and drunk by Graendal.

sweetroot. A plant the leaves or flowers of which were used in Aiel bridal wreaths to signify the bride’s sweet nature.

Swift. Galina’s gray mare that she rode while with the Shaido.

Swift. The rivership owned by Captain Derne. Mat and Thom traveled aboard it south from Aringill to Tear.

Sword and Dragon. The pins, a silver Sword and a gold-and-red enamel Dragon, worn on the collar of an Asha’man’s black coat to indicate the rank of full Asha’man. The rank below, Dedicated, wore the silver Sword only on the collar.

sword moves. Apple Blossoms in the Wind; Arc of the Moon; Black Pebbles on the Snow; Blacklance’s Last Strike; Blacksmith Strikes the Blade; Boar Rushes Down the Mountain; Boar Rushes Downhill; Bundling Straw; Cat Crosses the Courtyard; Cat Dances on the Wall; Cat on Hot Sand; Cherry Petal Kisses the Pond; Courtier Taps His Fan, The; Creeper Embraces the Oak, The; Cutting the Clouds; Cutting the Wind; Dandelion in the Wind; Dove Takes Flight, The; Eel Among the Lily Pads; Falcon Stoops, The; Falling Leaf, The; Feathers in the Wind; Folding the Air; Folding the Fan; Grapevine Twines, The; Hare Finds Its Hole; Hawk Dives into the Brush; Hawk Spots the Hare; Heron in the Reeds; Heron on the Stump (a horseback form); Heron Spreads Its Wings, The; Heron Wading in the Rushes; Hummingbird Kisses the Honeyrose; Kingfisher Circles the Pond; Kingfisher Strikes in the Nettles; Kingfisher Takes a Silverback, The; Kissing the Adder; Leaf on the Breeze; Leopard in High Grass; Leopard in the Tree; Leopard’s Caress, The; Lightning of Three Prongs; Lion on the Hill; Lion Springs, The; Lizard in the Thornbush; Lotus Closes Its Blossom; Low Wind Rising; Moon on the Water; Moon Rises Over the Lakes; Moon Rises Over Water; Oak Shakes Its Branches; Parting the Silk; Plucking the Low-hanging Apple; Rain in High Wind; Rat Gnawing the Grain; Reaping the Barley; Red Hawk Takes a Dove, The; Reed in Wind; Ribbon in the Air; River of Light; River Undercuts the Bank; Rose Unfolds, The; Serpent’s Tongue Dance, The; Shake Dew from the Branch; Sheathing the Sword; Soft Rain at Sunset; Stones Fall in the Pond; Stones Falling Down the Mountain; Stones Falling from the Cliff; Stone Falls from the Mountain; Storm Shakes the Branch; Striking the Spark; Swallow Rides the Air, The; Swallow Takes Flight; Thistledown Floats on the Whirlwind; Threading the Needle; Tower of Morning, The; Twisting the Wind; Two Hares Leaping; Unfolding the Fan; Water Flows Downhill; Watered Silk; Whirlwind on the Mountain; Wind and Rain; Wind Blows Over the Wall, The; Wood Grouse Dances, The; Woodsman Tops the Sapling

Sword of Kirukan. The sword carried by Kandori Queen Ethenielle’s Swordbearer in a jeweled scabbard; some believed that it was once carried by the legendary soldier Queen of Aramaelle, and that it was Power-wrought.

Swordbearer. The Kandori title of the one who carried the Sword of Kirukan and commanded the Queen’s armies in the field; he was also called Swordbearer to the Throne of the Clouds. Lord Baldhere became Ethenielle’s Swordbearer following the death of her husband, Brys.

Swordmaster. Sea Folk title for a Wavemistress’s male advisor (usually her husband and former Cargomaster) who had authority over Cargomasters of the clan and directed them in matters of trade and defense.

Swovan Night. An Ebou Dari feast celebrated on the thirteenth day of Taisham. Pine branches were tied above the windows and people celebrating wore sprigs of evergreen in their hair.

Sybaine Aldwyn. One of the Counsels in Far Madding who met with Cadsuane’s party when they arrived. She had slender hands and hair as gray as Cadsuane’s.

Sylvase Caeren. The granddaughter and heir of Nasin, High Seat of House Caeren in Andor. About 5'4" tall, with big blue eyes and long black hair, she was sturdy and placid and showed no emotion. Sylvase was about age twenty-five when Elayne won Caemlyn. She was unmarried in large part because of Nasin’s doings and objections to suitors; he had managed to run off several, and in later years no one tried again because of that. She appeared to be vapid and fluttery, but occasionally showed flashes of something deeper and quieter. She was held as a “guest” of Arymilla, which was part of what helped keep Nasin as High Seat once he was demonstrably gaga. Sylvase became High Seat upon Nasin’s death from a seizure and took Jaq Lounalt as her secretary.

Symon. A Warder killed by a Trolloc in the Last Battle; the Trolloc was then killed by Gawyn.