The Wheel of Time Companion

Alvera Ramosanya. An Aes Sedai of the Yellow Ajah who served as Amyrlin from 549 to 578 NE. Alvera was a weak Amyrlin, though a woman with all the personal force and arrogance expected of her Ajah. The Hall, having gained another taste of power under her two predecessors, chose her because they calculated her personality and abilities closely and were not willing to let go. She continually attempted to establish her leadership, but failed miserably and died embittered, at a relatively young age for an Aes Sedai who died neither in a war nor an accident; she was only 248. There was some possibility that her death actually was by assassination caused by one of her attempts to assert authority going very badly wrong.

Alviarin Freidhen. An Amadician Aes Sedai of the White Ajah publicly and the Black Ajah in truth. She was a member of the loyalist contingent, with a strength level of 17(5). Born in 943 NE near the border with Tarabon, she went to the White Tower in 959 NE. After five years as a novice and five years as Accepted, she was raised to the shawl in 969 NE. She was 5'4" tall and slim with brown eyes, dark brown hair and slim hands. She was cool, calm and icy except when she meant to be sarcastic or cutting. Alviarin became a Darkfriend in 958 NE after murdering another girl. Darkfriends helped cover it up; the other girl was thought to have run away from home. In 959 NE she was asked to kill a young man who, she was told, had learned something about the Darkfriends and meant to turn them in. She seduced him and stabbed him at the base of the skull while they were in bed; she never lost her composure. She was watched by the Black Ajah from her first day in the Tower. Although no Black sister revealed herself, Alviarin was secretly contacted by the Black and tested a number of times as Accepted; she spied on Aes Sedai, never knowing whether the one she was spying on might be Black Ajah herself and so able to tell perfectly whether she reported correctly. In 968 NE she murdered another Accepted on Black orders, the only real friend she had during her time in the Tower. She was informed beforehand that the only reason for the killing was for her to prove that she would obey whatever orders were given her. She strangled the girl without hesitation. The Black Ajah covered it up, making it seem that the woman had run away. In 983 NE, she was handpicked by Ishamael to head the Black Ajah, replacing Jarna Malari, whom Ishamael killed for her part in the male channeler pogrom. She plotted with Elaida to depose Siuan Sanche, and was rewarded by being named Keeper of the Chronicles. When she learned of the disaster at Dumai’s Wells, she used that knowledge to coerce Elaida into causing divisions in the Tower. She was sent away from the Tower by Mesaana, and during her absence, Elaida replaced her as Keeper and ordered punishment for her daily. The arrival of the rebels outside Tar Valon had dispelled her power over Elaida. She summoned Mesaana in panic; during their meeting, Shadar Haran came to punish Mesaana for not appearing at Shadar Logoth; he marked Alviarin as his and ordered her to find those who were searching for the Black Ajah. Alviarin was identified as a member of the Black Ajah in Verin’s book, but she fled the Tower before she could be captured. She fought against Egwene in Tel’aran’rhiod, but escaped from that conflict as well. She bonded the Asha’man Nensen, and fought in the Last Battle. Alviarin, Nensen and others were lured by Androl into a stedding and captured by Ogier.

Alvistere. A Cairhienin novice in the White Tower. She was short and slim with big eyes and long dark hair. She had reached a strength where she could be tested for Accepted. She tripped Egwene in the dining hall after Egwene was demoted to novice by Elaida; she claimed that if Egwene turned her in, everyone would lie and say nothing had happened. She later came around to Egwene’s side and admired her greatly.

Alvon. An Amadician woodcutter, a stocky man with a weathered face and a coarse, almost unintelligible accent, who was gai’shain in Sevanna’s camp. He and his son Theril, famed for having escaped three times and getting farther each time before recapture, swore to Faile, and Theril procured Therava’s binder for Faile.

Alwain, Doesine. See Doesine Alwain

Alwhin. A Seanchan sul’dam with blue eyes, sharp features, a tight, thin-lipped mouth and a permanent expression of anger. She became so’jhin, one of the hereditary upper servants of the Blood, and also a Voice of the Blood to the High Lady Suroth, because she knew too much concerning sul’dam and damane that Suroth needed to keep hidden, namely that sul’dam could be held by an a’dam. Afterward, the left side of her head was shaved, and the remnant of her light brown hair was worn in a braid. Her new position made her da’covale—a slave—but it was a position with more power and authority than her former place. She was poisoned by Liandrin to gain points, on the day that Suroth and Tylin left Ebou Dar on an inspection trip. Suroth was not pleased, as it brought the attention of the Seekers to her household.

Alwin Rael. A male servant in Lady Arilyn’s house in Cairhien who liked to tickle maids’ chins. The Aes Sedai embassy that Elaida had sent to Cairhien to escort Rand back to the White Tower were staying with Lady Arilyn. Egwene went to the palace and, detecting channeling inside, used Air and Fire to replicate Moiraine’s eavesdropping trick on the inside, and thereby learned about Alwin’s proclivities.

Alwyn al’Van. The cobbler in Emond’s Field.

Alys. Moiraine’s favorite alias.

Alysa. Almen Bunt’s sister. She and her husband Graeger had two sons, Hahn and Adim. The family owned an apple orchard. One day Graeger vanished, and nothing but a gray tree was found. Almen went to her to help with the orchard.

Alyse. The name that Galina Casban used after being captured and taken to Perrin.

Amadaine. The seventh month of the year.

Amadicia. A nation in the southwest of the main continent. Its capital was Amador. The sigil of Amadicia was a red thistle leaf laid over a silver six-pointed star: the Thistle and Star. The banner was the Thistle and Star on a field horizontally striped blue and gold; three blue stripes and two yellow.

Although the determination of exact dates is difficult, the most reliable sources state that Amadicia was founded in approximately FY 1023 by Lord Santal Ramoth, a direct descendant of the last King of Kharendor. He began, in FY 1015, by attempting to reestablish Kharendor, but realizing that the people no longer saw Kharendor as a unifying symbol and that many of the resident nobles were from other lands, he deftly changed to the founding of a new nation and was crowned the first King of Amadicia. The Kings of Amadicia were quite powerful rulers, in the beginning, until a decline in the quality of Amadician kings coincided with a rise in the power of the Children of the Light. Eventually, no ruler of Amadicia made any major decisions without checking with the Lord Captain Commander of the Children.

Amadicia was the only land where being able to channel was a crime. Aes Sedai were outlawed, as was channeling, or even being trained in the White Tower. The law was enforced more by Whitecloaks than by the crown, but the crown did not abstain entirely.

The Guardians of the Gate were a permanent formation in the army of Amadicia, serving primarily as the personal bodyguard of the ruler. Perhaps because the Children of the Light were present in Amadicia in such strength, the Guardians were never allowed to enroll more than about a thousand men, and Amadicia’s other standing forces, border guards and the like, never numbered more than three to four thousand men except in time of war.

Unlike the nobility in other nations, nobles were not allowed to keep standing forces of any size greater than a small bodyguard, and levies in wartime were raised by the ruler, not by nobles.

Amadicia’s last king, Ailron, was killed fighting the Seanchan. Nearly all of the Amadician nobles were either killed or taken da’covale by the Seanchan, and all of the Guardians of the Gate were killed, were made da’covale or became fugitives after Ailron’s Disaster.

Amadicia was known for weaving and dyeing, although its products were not considered as good as Taraboner work. Amador mined a little iron, mined silver and gold in the southern Mountains of Mist, and gems in the south, although some of this area was outside the actual boundaries of Amadicia.

Amador. The capital of Amadicia. It was home to the Seranda Palace and the Fortress of the Light.

Amaena. Leane’s alias after she was stilled.

Amaetheon. A feast remembering the dead, not in a sad way, but joyously, celebrated everywhere except the Borderlands on the sixth day of Shaldine.

amahn’rukane, the hand of. A statue near the Jehannah Road that was never finished. It had the appearance of an enormous sword stabbing the earth.

Amalasan, Guaire. See Guaire Amalasan

Amaline Paendrag Tagora. The first wife of Artur Hawkwing. He loved her very much, wrote many poems to her and was devastated when she was poisoned and died.

Amalisa Jagad. A Lady of House Jagad in Shienar. Agelmar’s sister, Amalisa was short and in her middle years when Rand visited Fal Dara. Liandrin managed to overawe her completely and frighten her with the suggestion that Agelmar might have been the target of Liandrin’s—or worse, the Amyrlin’s—wrath, and made her enlist the women of Fal Dara keep in an intensive search for Rand when they should have been making arrangements for the banquet for the Amyrlin.

Amar. The mother of Elora and the daughter of Coura, an Ogier. Elora wrote about Aes Sedai in the early days of Hawkwing’s reign.

Amaresu. A female Hero of the Horn who carried the Sword of the Sun.

Amaryn. An Aiel woman, the greatdaughter of Sorilea and the greatmother of Taric, who Sorilea thought would be a good husband for Egwene. Amaryn was obviously a woman of some great age.

Amassa, Zemaille. See Zemaille Amassa

Amathera Aelfdene Casmir Lounault. A Taraboner woman. She was in born in 974 NE. She was about 5'5" tall and very pretty and slender, with a nice but somewhat small bosom. She had waist-length dark hair, big dark eyes and a pouty rosebud mouth. She became King Andric’s lover, and with his support became Panarch. Held prisoner by the Black Ajah, she was freed by Elayne and Nynaeve. When captured by the Seanchan in the fall of Tanchico, she refused to swear the Oaths of Return and was made the property of High Lady Suroth. Given the name Thera, she was forced to dance scandalously clad in a troupe entertaining Suroth. Under those conditions, she lost her petulance and became timid. Rescued by Juilin Sandar in Ebou Dar, she afterward always stayed close to him, as if seeking his protection. She became his lover. See also Thera

Amayar. The land-dwelling inhabitants of the Sea Folk islands. Known to few people other than the Atha’an Miere, the Amayar were the craftsmen who made what was known as Sea Folk porcelain. Followers of the Water Way, which prized acceptance of what is rather than what might be wished for, they were very uncomfortable away from the land and only ventured onto the water in small boats for fishing, never leaving sight of land. Their way of life was exceptionally peaceful, and required little oversight from the governors appointed from among the Atha’an Miere. Since the Atha’an Miere governors had little desire to go far from the sea, the Amayar essentially ran their own villages according to their own rules and customs. The Amayar did have prophecies which spoke of “the end times” and “the end of Illusion.” Some of these prophecies mentioned the huge hand holding a great crystal sphere which thrust out of a hill on Tremalking. If this sphere were to glow, certain things would happen, certain changes would occur, and certain things had to be done. The destruction of the sphere when Rand cleansed the Source signaled the end of Illusion, and as a result, the Amayar committed mass suicide.

Ambani, Lemai. See Lemai Ambani

Ambrey, Merana. See Merana Ambrey

Amel din Monaga Stone Anchor. The husband and Swordmaster of Zaida din Parede Blackwing. As Swordmaster, he merited a fringed red parasol of one tier. He wore five small, fat golden rings in each ear. When Zaida became Mistress of the Ships, he became Master of the Blades.

Amellia Arene. A Darkfriend woman in Amador, stern-faced and graying. She and her husband Jorin were rich merchants; their house was taken over by Liandrin and other Black Ajah members. Temaile damaged Jorin in punishment. After Liandrin revolted against Moghedien and was shielded, Moghedien turned her over to Amellia and her male cook Evon as a scullery maid. Amellia put her mind to making Liandrin’s life miserable, not only by using her as a scullion in the kitchens and by having her perform as a personal maid, but by having her backside tanned and making sure she was otherwise mistreated on the slightest excuse or none at all. Part of this was making Liandrin the cook’s bed-partner, since she so obviously despised him. Suroth might have rewarded them for handing over Liandrin, and she might have made use of them as Darkfriends.

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

Amerano, Saraline. An Aes Sedai who lived at the time of the formation of the White Tower.

Amhara Market. One of the three markets in Far Madding where foreigners were allowed to trade.

Amhara, Savion. One of the three most famous First Counsels in Far Madding history. A statue of her stood in Amhara Market in Far Madding, pointing to the Tear Gate.

Amico Nagoyin. An Arafellin Aes Sedai of the Yellow Ajah publicly, and of the Black Ajah in truth. She had a strength level of 27(15). Born in 967 NE, she went to the White Tower in 982 NE. After six years as a novice and four years as Accepted, she was raised to the shawl in 992 NE. Slender and pretty, with a long neck, pale skin and big dark eyes, she was a member of the group of thirteen Black Ajah who fled the Tower. She was captured in the Stone of Tear, stilled in the process, and was killed during the Trolloc attack on the Stone, murdered in her cell by Isam/Luc. Her tongue was nailed to the door and her throat slit.

Amira. A daughter of Artur Hawkwing and Amaline Paendrag Tagora. Her twin Modair was killed in battle in FY 959; she, her mother and two siblings were poisoned in FY 961.

Amira Moselle. A Taraboner Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah and the loyalist contingent, with a strength level of 27(15). Born in 823 NE, she went to the White Tower in 839 NE. After eleven years as a novice and nine years as Accepted, she was raised to the shawl in 859 NE. She was stocky and had a square face and brightly beaded braids long enough to flail. Sierin Vayu chose Amira as Mistress of Novices and she later became a Sitter in the Hall of the Tower; she stepped down at the time of Elaida’s return to the Tower, allowing Elaida to take her seat and engineer the coup against Siuan. She was a member of the group of Aes Sedai sent by Elaida to kidnap Rand, and was killed in the battle at Dumai’s Wells.

Amondrid Osiellin. A Cairhienin nobleman who supported Colavaere for the throne. Moon-faced, he was maybe fifteen to twenty years older than Rand. His wife was Belevaere. Rand summoned him to join his fight against the Seanchan, and he was put under Bashere’s command. He was present when Elayne stripped Elenia, Arymilla and Naean of their titles and properties.

Amylia. An Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah whom Zaida brought back with her from Caemlyn. She volunteered to help teach the Atha’an Miere, hoping to study them, but found that she had the lowly standing of a deckhand, and had to jump when Zaida said “frog.”

Amyrlin Seat. The title of the leader of the Aes Sedai. A slightly less formal usage was simply “the Amyrlin.” It was also the throne upon which the leader of the Aes Sedai sat. The Amyrlin was elected for life by the Hall of the Tower, the highest council of the Aes Sedai, which consisted of three representatives, called Sitters, from each of the seven Ajahs. The Amyrlin Seat had, theoretically at least, almost supreme authority among the Aes Sedai, and ranked socially as the equal of a king or queen. Other than death or resigning the Amyrlin Seat, the only way she could be removed was to be deposed by the Hall. Choosing an Amyrlin required the greater consensus. Although this could be done with a unanimous vote of eleven Sitters under the proper circumstances, tradition called for all Sitters to be present. Elaida was chosen by eleven only, though, and possibly this tradition had been violated before.

Deposing an Amyrlin also called for the greater consensus, but a truncated one so to speak, for it was specifically stated in the law that the Sitters for the Ajah from which she was raised might not be present when the vote was taken.

Just as the raising of Elaida by a Hall of only eleven Sitters was the basis for doubting her legitimacy, the removal, conviction and sentence to stilling of Siuan by that same Hall of eleven was the basis for doubting the legitimacy of those actions.

Women were considered by the Hall for the position of Amyrlin Seat, often from a number of candidates. Most of these women were put forward by Sitters, alone or in coalition, but it was possible for any six sisters to propose a candidate. Oddly, the candidate herself did not have to agree and could not withdraw her name. The only way to withdraw, in effect, was to do as Cadsuane did and flee the White Tower.

Consideration of candidates was known to go on for a long time, and votes were seldom taken until a candidate’s backers believed that the chances of victory were good. Any candidate could only be voted upon formally three times; if, after three votes, she had not gained the greater consensus, she was out of the running, though she could be proposed again if she was still living when the woman who was raised died.

Any candidate who had the backing of three Sitters, or any six other sisters, could in effect demand that a vote be taken. In truth, when a candidate was proposed by non-Sitters, this in itself constituted such a demand. This was a dangerous procedure, however; if she failed on the third vote, she and her proposers were almost always exiled to separate places for terms that could run from a few years to life, for such demands were considered disruptive and a source of contention.

Strangely, a woman did not actually have to be Aes Sedai in order to be raised Amyrlin. Perhaps because it seemed obvious that she must be, not one word in the laws describing the election or raising of an Amyrlin said that she had to be. On the other hand, the wording of a number of laws—“the Amyrlin as Aes Sedai,” etc.—made it clear that the Amyrlin Seat was Aes Sedai.

On being raised Amyrlin, a woman left her old Ajah. The only vestige of it would be if she had a Warder, indicating she was not Red, or if she had more than one, indicating that she was Green. Otherwise, she was supposed to be “of all Ajahs and none.” In fact, of course, Amyrlins always remained who they were before and retained many of the beliefs and goals of their old Ajahs; some of the better Amyrlins overcame this, and so did some of the worst. Some of the best behaved as if still of their old Ajah.

Supposedly the Amyrlin had absolute authority, and in fact she did—sort of. An Amyrlin’s actual power depended in large part on her real support in the Hall of the Tower, and, among other things, on her own drive and personality. Although the facts were buried deeply in White Tower records, some Amyrlins were no better than puppets for the Hall, or for factions within the Hall.

While the Amyrlin Seat could declare the Tower at war by decree, few had ever done so, preferring to ask—in some cases, just short of demand, or even not short of demanding—that the Hall declare war. While the lesser consensus was much easier to achieve than the greater, the successful prosecution of a war required good, solid backing from and in the Hall of the Tower, something that generally had been easier to obtain in these cases when the Hall had been asked. Then, too, historically, the Hall had been slower and more reluctant to go to war than the Amyrlin—not always the case, but more often so—and an Amyrlin who declared war and then found out that the Hall did not back her was in a fine fix.

An Amyrlin was absolute ruler insofar as she could gain consensus in the Hall, whether the greater or the lesser. She could decree almost anything, and her decrees had the force of law, but many of those could be overturned by the greater consensus, or at least made into only so much hot air, and in most important things she needed the Hall’s approval. The purse was a way the Hall could balk an Amyrlin, since if anything she decreed required money to be carried out, the Hall had to vote the funds to finance it. Some of the Amyrlins who were reduced to puppets fell to this. Appropriations needed only the lesser consensus, which still meant two of the three Sitters present.

The Hall could also overturn an Amyrlin’s decree, not merely let it die through lack of action. This required the greater consensus, and it was inevitably a prelude to a power struggle. Some of these ended with the Amyrlin a puppet of the Hall. An Amyrlin had the authority to unchair any Sitter or all of them, but a wise Amyrlin did this extremely sparingly. An Ajah could choose the same Sitter again as a rebuke to the Amyrlin. An Amyrlin who unchaired the entire Hall and had the same women all chosen again, or even a significant number of them, very likely found that her real power as Amyrlin was at an end. An Amyrlin could decree any penance for any sister, including Sitters, short of stilling, right up to the most serious punishment of a public birching and/or exile. Some Amyrlins had used this to impose their will by fear, in effect, while others had had the decree backfire on them, causing the Ajahs to turn against her, and with them, of course, the Sitters.

Some Amyrlins were recorded who had taken public penances on themselves for rather vague reasons, according to the Chronicles. At least some of these women in fact were in a precarious position with respect to the Hall, and these penances were a way of regaining support. The Hall could not punish the Amyrlin, but if she took it on herself, it could appease the Sitters to a considerable degree.

Amyrlin, the. See Amyrlin Seat

Amys. A Wise One of the Nine Valleys sept of the Taardad Aiel. She was originally Far Dareis Mai and became the Wise One of Cold Rocks Hold. She was first-wife of Rhuarc, the clan chief of the Taardad, and Lian (Aviendha’s sister-mother) was her sister-wife. Because she was a Wise One, her sister-wife was the roofmistress of Cold Rocks Hold; she could not hold both positions. Amys was the mother of some of Rhuarc’s children; she was also sister-mother to Aviendha, since she had adopted Lian as her first-sister. She had sharp blue eyes and prematurely white hair; her hair had been a very light blond when she was young, but turned white when she was in her early thirties. She was about 5'8" tall. Amys could channel and was a dreamwalker. She taught Egwene about Tel’aran’rhiod. Amys, along with Bair, Melaine, Sorilea and some others, either knew that Aviendha saw herself inside the rings at Rhuidean fated to fall in love with Rand, or else knew that the plan was to use Aviendha to tie Rand to the Aiel by giving him an Aiel wife. Amys was among the ninety-three strongest Wise Ones who set out from Cairhien for Dumai’s Wells to rescue Rand. On the way there Amys challenged Sorilea’s leadership and they worked out a compromise. Sorilea retained the leadership, but Amys was often consulted. She suffered the birth pangs during the adoption ceremony of Aviendha and Elayne. She fought in the Last Battle near Shayol Ghul.

Anaiya Carel. An Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah and the rebel contingent, with a strength level of 15(3). Born in 868 NE, she went to the White Tower in 883 NE. After eight years as a novice and seven years as Accepted, she was raised to the shawl in 898 NE. About 5'6" tall, with dark hair and a blunt face, she was a plain-looking, motherly woman. Her smile was her only beauty. She had a great fondness for ruffles. She was very astute politically, and a first-rate organizer. She was very good at Healing; she once Healed Moiraine after Lan rode a horse to death, and nearly ran himself to death carrying Moiraine to her. She accompanied Siuan to Fal Dara, and tested Egwene to try to determine if Egwene was a Dreamer. She was also a part of the circle that Healed Mat of the connection to the Shadar Logoth dagger. After Siuan was deposed and stilled, Anaiya went to Salidar, where she became part of the council that ruled there until a Hall of the Tower was selected, and she helped to choose Egwene as Amyrlin. She swore personal fealty to Egwene after Egwene learned that the council had sent spies to the White Tower. Anaiya was a friend of Janya. Her Warder was Setagana; both were murdered with the use of saidin by Aran’gar.

Anaiyella Narencelona. A High Lady of Tear and a Darkfriend. She was willowy and darkly beautiful, but her frequent simpering lessened her beauty. Rand summoned her to join his forces in the fight against the Seanchan; she was not pleased to be on the field of battle. Her Master of the Horse was killed in the fighting. Rand then took her to the Sun Palace of Cairhien and ordered her to go with Darlin and Weiramon to Arad Doman. Without permission, she and Weiramon traveled to Tear, angering Rand. After he returned from Dragonmount, Rand identified Anaiyella as a Darkfriend and exiled her.

Anan. A family in Ebou Dar. See Frielle, Jasfer, Marah, Ross and Setalle Anan

Ananda. An Aes Sedai of the Yellow Ajah. She was slim with long black hair. Min saw an aura around her that indicated that she would die. She did so, in the Tower fighting when Siuan was deposed.

Anangore. The ninth-largest city in Seanchan.

Anarina Todande. A former queen of Altara. Her family ruled for five generations, the longest on record, but she was a capricious ruler at best and incompetent at worst. Anarina drained the national treasury and impoverished House Todande; she was deposed and murdered, and her House never recovered. No House after Todande held the throne of Altara for more than two generations until Beslan became king after Tylin’s death.

Anasai of Ryddingwood. A favorite poet of Moiraine.

Anath Dorje. Tuon’s Truthspeaker, or Soe’feia; she was actually Semirhage in disguise. Slender, and tall even for a man or an Aiel, she dressed in unrelieved black and had a contemptuous air. Her charcoal-dark face, framed by wavy, short black hair, was beautiful but her large black eyes seemed to pierce like awls. See also Semirhage

Ancient and Honorable League of Nets. The guild of fishermen in Ebou Dar. A member wore a double earring in his left ear. Stones in the earring indicated how many ships he owned besides the one that he captained. There were no women in the league.

Ancient and Worshipful Guild of Stablemen. The guild for stablemen in Ebou Dar.

Ancarid. The place in Seanchan where Furyk Karede was born.

Ancohima. The Ogier-built capital city of Aelgar, one of the Ten Nations after the Breaking.

Andahar, River. A river in Tarabon flowing west-southwest into Tanchico Bay.

Andaya Forae. A Taraboner Aes Sedai of the Gray Ajah and the loyalist contingent, with a strength level of 24(12). Born in 901 NE, she went to the White Tower in 918 NE. After ten years as a novice and ten more as Accepted, she was raised to the shawl in 938 NE. She was 5'5" tall, with hazel eyes and light brown hair, no longer worn in Taraboner braids, that fell gleaming down her back. Elaida thought of her as neither particularly slim nor particularly short, but Andaya reminded her of a sparrow about to hop from limb to limb. Even her smile seemed sparrow-like to Elaida, perhaps because of the way she held her head. She was an unlikely-appearing negotiator, but in fact she was one of the best, with a well-earned reputation. Serancha Colvine, head of the Grays, ordered Andaya to serve on Elaida’s advisory council when Elaida was first raised to the Amyrlin Seat, as both Serancha and Andaya doubted the legality of Siuan’s removal and thought it best to keep an eye on Elaida. Andaya thought the world was hanging by a thread and that it was useless to waste precious time with idle speculation, “prattling about supposed logic” or “chattering over what every fool and novice knows.” In 999 NE she was surprisingly chosen as Sitter for the Gray in the Tower to replace Varilin Zanaire.

Andaya Murasaka. An acrobat with Valan Luca’s show. She was one of six purported sisters that Luca hired away from Sillia Cerano. She had blue eyes and almost white blond hair.

Ander Corl. A bootmaker in the town of Taien in the Jangai Pass. He, his wife and his brother-in-law survived the Shaido attack on their town.

Ander Tol. A skinny, toothless turnip farmer from the south of Cairhien who gave Rand and his companions a ride into Cairhien after the bubble of evil attacked the rebel Cairhienin camp and Fain slashed Rand with the dagger from Shadar Logoth.

Andere. A Malkieri who worked for a time as a Kandori soldier. When he greeted Lan and Bukama at the gates of Canluum, Bukama berated him for swearing to a Kandori lord. Years later, after hearing that Lan was riding across the Borderlands, Andere joined Lan on the Plain of Lances. He fought in Lan’s army at Tarwin’s Gap in the Last Battle.

Anderly, Sashalle. See Sashalle Anderly

Andhilin. A Maiden of the Red Salt Goshien. Her name appeared on Rand’s list of women who died for him.

Andiama. A Tairen noble House. See Estean and Torean Nelondara Andiama

Andil. A woman who worked in the kitchen of the Sun Palace in Cairhien. She fussed over Karldin and Loial when they arrived there.

andilay. A root used medicinally to relieve fatigue, to clear the head and to treat sore muscles.

Andomeran, Rianna. See Rianna Andomeran

Andor. One of the largest and oldest nations of the land. Its capital was Caemlyn. The sigil of Andor was a rampant white lion: the White Lion. Its banner was a white lion rampant on a field of red. Its battle cry was “Forward the White Lion!”

Andor was founded circa FY 994 by Lady Ishara and Lord Souran Maravaile, then holding little more than the city of Caemlyn, with Ishara crowned as the first Queen of Andor, which was one of Hawkwing’s provinces. She became queen rather than he king for the simple reason that she was native to the province, while he was from the Borderlands, most probably from Jaramide. In addition to facing opposition from those who wanted to reestablish the nation of Caembarin and those who wanted to seize the city for a reestablished nation of Esandara, they also confronted men and women who wanted to take all of Hawkwing’s empire, and those who merely wanted to create a new nation of their own as well. Ishara followed a policy of slow assimilation, only gradually increasing her holdings and never moving on until she was sure that what she had taken was firmly in her grasp. Andor grew to stretch from the Mountains of Mist to the River Erinin. Its population was approximately ten million people. The Two Rivers lay within Andor, although Two Rivers folk ignored the fact.

Prior to the recruitment and changes made by Gaebril/Rahvin, the Queen’s Guards were the only permanent formation of the Andoran army, providing not only a bodyguard for the Queen, but some policing in Caemlyn, border guards, and patrols to keep order in the countryside. They then numbered perhaps ten thousand men in total. The Queen’s Guards seldom went farther west than Breen’s Spring unless called for. Gaebril/Rahvin replaced most of the men in Caemlyn with his own recruits, increased the numbers of the Guards, and recruited another formation called the White Lions. Many men loyal to Morgase left the Guards, disliking the new men and her apparent willingness to let Gaebril shove them into the organization. Most men loyal to Morgase who remained in the Guards were sent out of the city, a good many into Cairhien, others west. With Gaebril’s death, many of the men recruited by him deserted, and many others were purged later, leaving a much reduced number stationed in Caemlyn; many became mercenaries in Cairhien, supporting the claims of Toram Riatin.

The man in charge of training for the Queen’s Guards bore the title of Master of the Sword. A high degree of skill with various weapons was considered a prerequisite for the job.

The uniform of the Queen’s Guard included a red undercoat, gleaming mail and plate armor, a brilliant red cloak and a conical helmet with a barred faceguard. High-ranking officers wore knots of rank on their shoulder and golden lion-head spurs. The Captain-General had four golden knots on the shoulder, an ordinary captain had three, a lieutenant had two and an under-lieutenant had one. The Andoran salute was an arm across the chest. When Elayne arrived in Caemlyn to claim the throne, she discovered that the Guards, in Caemlyn at least, were a shell of a few good men and too many of Gaebril’s shoulderthumpers and toughs. She appointed Birgitte, now Lady Birgitte Trahelion, as Captain-General of the Guards and set her to rebuild them, beginning with mercenaries and Hunters for the Horn, though these were temporary measures. They also created a new unit, the Queen’s Bodyguard. It was composed of women, although it was led by a man for a brief period. The uniform was basically the same as the Queen’s Guards: a red coat with a white collar and lapels, but with additions and changes. The white-collared crimson coats were silk, and altered to fit and hang better on women. There were also tight scarlet breeches with a white stripe up the outside of the leg, a bright red hat with a long white plume lying flat on the wide brim, and a wide red sash edged with snowy lace and with White Lions marching on it, worn slanted across the chest. Pale lace decorated the neck and cuffs, and snug black boots, waxed till they shone and turned down below the knee, completed the uniform.

In some parts of Andor, men wore flowers (or a flower) in their hair while courting. Unlike in most other lands, in Andor marriages between noble and commoners were not considered that unusual, although not that common, either. Royals had married commoners without comment inside Andor, at least, but that custom was looked upon as odd at best in other countries, even where the occasional noble had wed a commoner.

The royal succession in Andor was from mother to daughter. If there was no daughter, the noblewoman who could claim the most lines of descent from Ishara gained the throne. This succession was usually, but not always, peaceful.

Ishara sent her daughter to the White Tower in order to gain the Tower’s acquiescence in, if not outright support for, her actions. Her successors followed, and by the end of the War of the Hundred Years both this and the succession in the female line had taken on the form of tradition. It was unclear precisely when these things became a matter of law, but they were so by the end of the war.

Naturally following the nature of the royal succession, titles also descended normally from mother to daughter, as did the largest part of property. Only when there was no daughter did a title descend to a son. A man who had thus inherited also left his main title and properties to his eldest daughter, though sons and other daughters could, of course, inherit smaller properties, and were nobility. Among the nobility, thus, most property and most land were in the hands of women.

Among commoners this rule did not hold. Inheritance was divided among sons and daughters, a daughter’s share, or part of it, often going with her when she married. This part was her property, not her husband’s, and it was her right to dispose of it as or leave it where she would, just as her husband could leave his property where he would. It was common in some areas for husbands to leave their property to their sons and wives to their daughters, though this was by no means a rule and was not followed in all circumstances.

Andor and Tear were major suppliers of grain and foodstuffs to Cairhien. Andor also was a major source of iron, and iron and steel products; these were considered the best available. Andor also produced bronze and copper. Gold, silver and copper were mined in the Mountains of Mist, though less of the gold and silver came from Andor than from other countries. Andor was considered to have the best bellfoundries, second possibly only to Arafel, and certainly the most numerous except for Arafel. Andor was a supplier of beef, mutton, wool, linen, woven goods and leather, although theirs was not generally considered as fine as Illianer leather. Two Rivers tabac was accounted the best to be found; it was known even in the Aiel Waste. Andor was considered to have good breeding stock for horses, though they were not generally considered as good as Tairen. Shortly before the Last Battle, alum of the first quality was discovered in Andor. Previously, Ghealdan was the only supplier of first-quality alum, while Tear and Arafel supplied a much inferior second-quality. With the arrival of refugees from elsewhere, glassmaking started to become a major industry, as did dyes and dyeing because of the alum.

The last four Queens of Andor before Elayne barely held on to the west of Andor. Since the mines in the Mountains of Mist were the most valuable western properties, the crown maintained as much authority as possible there, keeping some authority in Baerlon and the surrounding area—as a waypoint on the route out for ores and metals—and otherwise let the western lands pretty much go except on the map. This is why the Two Rivers folk had no real memory—in most cases, no memory at all—that they were part of Andor.

Andor, Royal Palace of. See Royal Palace of Andor

Andra. A name sometimes used by Lan while on the road.

Andric. The King of Tarabon at the time of the Seanchan invasion. He and Amathera were lovers. He wore a lion mask for anonymity when meeting with Jaichim Carridin to ask for the Whitecloaks to take over the Panarch’s Palace, so he could install Amathera as Panarch. He was killed defending Tarabon from the Seanchan.

Andril, Master. A man featured in a slightly bawdy song sung at The White Ring in Maderin.

Andris. Sammael’s emissary to Rand who offered a truce and then died, sweating blood.

Andro. Meilyn Arganya’s Warder. Lean and no taller than Meilyn, he appeared youthful and had an unblinking gaze.

Androl Genhald. A Taraboner Asha’man. Approximately thirty years old when he went to the Black Tower, he was clean-shaven and square with heavy eyebrows that drew down when he was thinking. He habitually clasped his hands behind his back and wore a signet ring on his left hand, like a nobleman. He had traveled widely in his life, visiting many remote places. He was part of Logain’s faction and had a Talent for making gateways, although he was not very strong in the One Power. Logain had him and others encourage the men to try new ways of Healing. He reached the rank of Dedicated, but was demoted back to soldier by Taim. When it became impossible to make gateways at the Black Tower, Androl worked with Pevara to try to find a way out. They bonded each other, and were thereafter able to sense each other’s thoughts as well as emotions. Taim planned to kill Androl and Turn Pevara, but Perrin removed Slayer’s dreamspike just in time, enabling Androl to make a gateway and defeat Taim, his cronies and Myrddraal. Androl went on to fight in the Last Battle, steal the remaining seals on the Dark One’s prison from Taim, and capture a number of Darkfriend channelers.

Andscale, Mistress. A banker in Caemlyn who made a loan to Elayne upon the discovery of first-quality alum on her estates in Danabar; she also lent money to Arymilla against her holdings.

Anemara. A plump Accepted of the loyalist contingent. She told Elaida of a woman seeking an audience; that woman was Beonin.

Anford, Mistress. One of Halwin Norry’s most trusted clerks, a graying woman who worked for Birgitte in Caemlyn.

Anghar. A Seanchan soldier sent by Karede to Ebou Dar to report the Ever Victorious Army’s retreat after battling Rand. He was a steady-eyed young man with a fast horse.

Anghara. An Amyrlin from the past. Isebele of Dal Calain had enough power to force Anghara to come to her.

Angharad Juerissen. An Aes Sedai of the Gray Ajah who was Sierin Vayu’s Keeper of the Chronicles.

Angla. A novice with the Salidar Aes Sedai. Born in 973 NE, she went to the White Tower at the age of seventeen. She was part of the circle under Anaiya that formed to fight the bubble of evil in Salidar.

angreal. A very rare object which allowed anyone capable of channeling the One Power to handle a greater amount of the Power than would be safely possible unaided. They were remnants of the Age of Legends, and the means of their making was lost. Shortly before the Last Battle, Rand found a Seed, an item needed to create angreal, and gave it to Elayne.

Anhara, Ryn. A member of the Academy of Cairhien who trapped lightning in jars.

Anhill. See Clarine and Petra Anhill

Anjen. Leane’s Warder, whom she bonded in 977 NE. He died in 984 NE.

Ankaer. A powerful Domani nobleman whom Ituralde courted to help with his plans against the Seanchan. After Lidrin was killed, Ankaer took over his command. He died in the fighting in Maradon.

Ankerin, House. An Andoran noble House; its High Seat was Lady Carlys.

Ankor Dail. A fortress in the Eastern Marches of Shienar, near the Spine of the World, which it guarded. Masema served three years there fighting Aiel. Ankor Dail was one of the armies that was going to join Agelmar at the battle at Tarwin’s Gap while Rand went to see the Green Man. Ankor Dail was burned during the Last Battle to hinder the progress of the Trolloc armies.

Anla, the Wise Counselor. Someone of whom thousands of tales were told. Thom thought that she lived in an Age before the Age of Legends; it was thought by some that she was perhaps the sister of Elsbet, the Queen of All.

Anlee. An Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah and a Sitter for the Blue at the time of the Aiel War. She was grave-faced and wore many rings and necklaces.

Annah. A messenger for Bryne in the Last Battle. She died when a raken was shot down and landed on her.

Annallin. A Cairhienin noble House. See Daricain and Dalthanes Annallin

Annariz, Fionnda. See Fionnda Annariz

Annharid Matoun. A Saldaean Aes Sedai of the Yellow Ajah and the rebel contingent, with a strength level of 17(5). Born in 894 NE, she went to the White Tower in 909 NE. After eight years as a novice and six years as Accepted, she was raised to the shawl in 923 NE. About 5'5" tall, with coppery skin, dark brown eyes that were not particularly large and black hair, she was just a tad on the stocky side—what might be called sturdy, though not heavy. A forceful woman, not particularly arrogant for a Yellow, but strong-willed and determined, she did not suffer fools gladly. She was one of the ferrets sent to the White Tower to try to undermine Elaida. Like all of the sisters chosen for the fifth column, Annharid was out of the White Tower when Siuan was deposed and the Tower broke, so there was no flight to arouse any suspicions toward her. Apparently, she simply returned in answer to Elaida’s summons.

Annoura Larisen. A Taraboner Aes Sedai of the Gray Ajah, uncommitted to any faction. Her strength level was 33(21). Born in 838 NE, she went to the White Tower in 854 NE. After twelve years as a novice and ten years as Accepted, she was raised to the shawl in 876 NE. She served as advisor to Berelain, of whom she was quite fond, though this was kept secret because of Tear’s attitude toward women who could channel.

Annoura was about 5'4" tall and stocky, with a beak of a nose and a wide mouth that could make a pleasant smile. Her hair was done in dozens of long, thin braids. When she was nervous, she rubbed her thumbs with her forefingers. She could be very self-effacing and could manage to fade into the background, staying so still that one forgot she was there. She could appear distracted by things that didn’t seem important, but she never was, really. When Annoura Healed Perrin, she was afraid he would die even after she Healed him, which maybe reflected on her sense of her abilities. She was a good negotiator, but not considered one of the best.

She spent some time after the Aiel War as part of the Gray effort to keep the Grand Coalition going; after that she became Berelain’s advisor. She stayed in Mayene when Berelain rode north to Cairhien because they were unsure of the reception that Rand would give an Aes Sedai he did not know. Berelain acted against her advice in going; she counseled caution. She was neutral regarding events in the Tower (i.e., she supported neither side; but that didn’t mean she was neutral on the subject of rebellion per se), though not at all pleased that so many seemed to know about the divisions. Aes Sedai–like, she could be angry or upset with people just for knowing, but she also thought that both Elaida and the other side had mishandled it all badly—it should all have been kept secret, at whatever cost, for the good of the Tower. In Cairhien, she and Merana were taken off by Cadsuane for a consultation and questioning after Cadsuane first met and confronted Rand. She was unsettled by Cadsuane, though outwardly less so than Merana. She heard rumors that Moiraine had been killed. She didn’t know of Rand’s kidnapping until she arrived in Cairhien.

Basically, the Wise Ones looked on Annoura no differently than they had begun looking on all of the sisters, despite her connection to Berelain, whom some of them at least regarded with a degree of affection. At best, there was a sort of toleration of Annoura for Berelain’s sake. Annoura did not like or understand the Wise Ones’ view of Aes Sedai. She traveled with Berelain and Perrin to Ghealdan; she met secretly with Masema, which angered Berelain. In the Last Battle, she channeled too much getting Galad to safety and burned herself out.

Anointed of the Light. The title for a Lord Captain of the Children, a member of the Council of the Anointed, which commanded the Whitecloaks.

Anolle’sanna. An Ogier-built city in Aramaelle, one of the Ten Nations after the Breaking.

Ansaline Gardens. A superior establishment in the Age of Legends, where only the finest wines and dishes were served. There was also gambling at the chinje wheels, and there were immense sculptures by Cormalinde Masoon. The Gardens were in ruins by the third year of the War of Power.

Anselan. A Warder and hero during the Trolloc Wars; his Aes Sedai was Barashelle. Their story passed down through the ages as a romance, and Egwene read the story in The Flame, The Blade and the Heart. But Birgitte revealed the true story: Barashelle bonded a Warder while she was still Accepted; when she was found out, she was forced to pass the bond to another and remain Accepted three extra years, and then ordered to bond Anselan, a stubborn older man with a leathery face chosen for Barashelle by the Amyrlin.

Anshar. A major noble House of Andor. Its High Seat was Karind Anshar; its sign a red fox.

Antaeo, River. A river with headwaters in the Black Hills flowing southeast to join the River Erinin north of Tar Valon.

Antail. An Asha’man who was quiet and thin-haired, and skilled in Healing. He was with Ituralde in Maradon, and with Lan at the Last Battle. He toasted Deepe, a fellow Asha’man, who died in the battle at Maradon.

Anthelle Sharplyn. A stout Andoran noblewoman and High Seat of her minor House. She was loyal to Elayne.

Antol. The eldest son of Queen Ethenielle and Prince Brys and thus the heir to the throne of Kandor. Tall and born in 964 NE, Antol married a Kandori noblewoman. He was with the Borderlanders in the Last Battle, and advised that forces should concentrate on the Andoran battlefront, as Kandor had already fallen.

Anvaere Damodred. Moiraine’s older sister, who cared for nothing but hawking and horses and had a terrible temper.

Anya. A serving woman in Aesdaishar Palace who served Lan when he visited. She had a square face and gray hair. Edeyn coopted her loyalties.

Aptarigine Cycle. A famous cycle of stories, which numbered in the hundreds, following the intrigues, loves and romances, both happy and doomed, that joined and divided two dozen noble families over fifty generations. The stories of the Aptarigine Cycle were usually told by bards, and few gleemen knew more than a handful of the stories.

Ara. A serving man at The Stag and Lion in Baerlon. He was a slight, dark-haired fellow who led Thom, Rand, Mat and Perrin to the bath chamber. He said that Rand had a funny accent, and asked if there was trouble downcountry. Mat started telling him about Trollocs before Thom, Rand and Perrin shut him up.

Arabah, Gueye. A young Seanchan officer under Tylee who told Perrin of additional Shaido approaching Malden.

Aracome. A High Lord of Tear who was slender and graying, with a long-smoldering temper and suspicious nature, and one of the most active plotters against Rand in the Stone. He disliked Aes Sedai and would have tried to screw up any Aes Sedai plan on general principles, though he wouldn’t have thought of it as helping Rand. He was sent to Cairhien under Meilan; he, Torean and Meilan were at that time the three foremost High Lords there. He was worried about his previous association with Hearne and Simaan, who both went into open rebellion in the region of Haddon Mirk. He was in Illian with Rand during that campaign. Min saw him in a vision as dying violently in battle. Indeed, his death fighting the Seanchan was particularly bloody, causing Anaiyella to vomit violently. Flinn tried to Heal him, but in Bashere’s opinion, he didn’t want to live because the damage to his body was so great.

Arad. A person of significance from the days of Manetheren. After the battle with Trollocs which ended with Moiraine making a wall of fire, Egwene asked what Mat had been shouting, revealed to be Old Tongue. After translating, Moiraine said that the blood of Arad’s line was still strong in the Two Rivers, and the old blood still sang.

Arad Doman. A nation in the west of the mainland. Its capital was Bandar Eban. Its sigil was a silver hand grasping a silver sword by the blade, point down: the Sword and Hand. Its banner was the Sword and Hand on a field of four green and three blue horizontal stripes. Its king, Alsalam, vanished mysteriously, and the country descended into chaos.

The nation was founded in approximately FY 1096 by forces led by Lord Jalaam Lazari, Lord Ahran Nawaz and Lady Bastine Almadar. Immediately after they took the city of Bandar Eban, which was already one of the major trading ports of the known world, they proclaimed the existence of a nation, taking the name of the province in Hawkwing’s empire. The power and importance of merchants in the former nations of Abayan and Darmovan, and in Hawkwing’s province of Arad Doman, led to Lazari, Nawaz and Almadar allying themselves to an informal council of the leading merchants, which in turn led, by the end of the War of the Hundred Years, to a very formal Council of Merchants. Shelaan Lazari, the second-eldest son of Jalaam, was the first to bear the title of King of Arad Doman, granted to him approximately FY 1116. Domani claimed descent from those who made the Tree of Life in the Age of Legends, but they did not claim to have ever possessed a sapling of the tree.

The King was elected for life by the Council of Merchants, composed of the heads of merchant guilds, who were mainly women. He legally had absolute authority, with the exception that he could be deposed by seventy-five percent vote of the Council. The King had to come from one of the noble Houses, called the Bloodborn, not from a merchant House. While the monarchy often passed down in one family, nothing required that; only the vote of the Council of Merchants carried weight.

Domani women were taught practically from the cradle the arts of flirtation, seduction and the snaring and befuddling of a man’s senses and mind. Their reputation as femmes fatale was equaled only by that of Sea Folk women. They often promised far more than they delivered, however; at least, the outland men targeted by them frequently felt so.

Nevertheless, Domani men were hardly helpless in the face of their women, for they were taught the male versions of the same arts. Domani believed that women were better merchants and traders than men; it was for this reason that most Domani merchant houses were headed by women, and most Domani merchants were women. The men were more likely to handle accounts while the women did the actual trade and negotiation. Female Domani merchants were not above using the fabled Domani seductive wiles to aide their negotiations, at least on male merchants. Male Domani merchants also used seduction with female merchants from other countries, but they were not considered so dangerous as negotiators as Domani women.

Wearing an earring given by a member of the opposite sex was considered a sign or acknowledgment of being lovers.

Domani of a certain class, men and women, would receive their retainers in the baths. These servants, however, would be of the same gender. Receiving in the bath was considered a suitable time for handing out orders, while the master or mistress was relaxed.

The army of Arad Doman historically consisted of the personal levies of nobles and also levies raised by the guilds. There was never a permanent formation such as the Queen’s Guards in Andor or the Defenders of the Stone in Tear, for the Council of Merchants did not want the King to be able to call on more than his own House could raise in case they decided to depose him. The guilds themselves did keep some troops permanently, in the guise of guards; these often numbered as many for a given guild as any House could call on, or even more. Arad Doman was unusual in that it had a standing navy, of sorts. Called the coast guards, it was maintained and controlled by the Council of Merchants, not by the King. It was a small force with only enough ships to ensure that shipping around the coast of Arad Doman was untroubled by pirates. It fell into disarray with the troubles in Arad Doman.

Arad Doman was renowned for its glasswork, especially fine bowls, and its carpetweaving. There was some manufacture of mirrors and looking glasses. Mutton, leather, iron, and iron and steel products were also produced. Most of the trade from Saldaea passed through the port of Bandar Eban.

Arafel. One of the Borderland nations, north of Tar Valon. Its capital was Shol Arbela. Its sigil was a red rose and a white rose: the Roses. Its banner bore three white roses on a field of red quartered with three red roses on a field of white; red is on the side away from the staff at the top, against the staff at the bottom. Paitar Nachiman was its king.

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, except for defending themselves against attacks and punishing same, though individuals and groups did sometimes become involved, for political reasons or family connections or friendships.

Both men and women often wore their hair in braids—a braid over each ear, generally falling below the shoulders.

There was a similarity between the Borderland and Aiel views of shame: by and large, shame was worse than guilt, the worst thing there was, though this view of shame ameliorated as you moved west. Arafellin saw shame as less important than did Shienarans, Kandori less than Arafellin, Saldaeans less than Kandori. In all of the Borderlands, though, shame was given a much heavier weight than in lands to the south.

Arafellin would go to extremes to meet what they considered a debt of honor. In fact, in many ways, they were very close to Aiel in their beliefs, though without the formality of the Aiel ji’e’toh such as gai’shain.

As a general rule, Arafellin were extremely touchy. In duels, the choice of weapons went to the challenged. The choices were sometimes odd, such as two men on horseback with bows, or two men fighting in a darkened room. Women had been known to fight duels in Arafel, but this was considered improper by the women themselves. Even women who had fought duels would have denied that it had been done. Although women’s duels rarely if ever involved swords, they did involve daggers, bows, lances and even whips.

It was forbidden to hide your face inside any village, town or city in the Borderlands, as a protection against Fades. In Arafel and Kandor, unlike Shienar or Saldaea, these laws came to be modified to allow women to wear veils, though the veils were to be of lace or else transparent, making it clear that they did have eyes. Lamps were required along every street in every village, town and city in the Borderlands, as a protection against Fades.

Arafel always had a king. The wife of the King was called the Queen, and was expected to rule in his place when he was on campaign. It was traditional in Arafel that certain matters were left in the hands and under the authority of the Queen at all times, even when the King was not campaigning.

Arafel had a fair number of gemstone mines producing gemstones other than diamonds, most notably firedrops; and less important mines of rubies, emeralds and sapphires, and a moderate number of gold and silver mines. Timber and furs were major exports.

Arafellin. A native of Arafel or a group of natives of Arafel.

Aram. A young Tuatha’an. He was the grandson of Raen and Ila, born in 978 NE. He was about 5'10", slender and very handsome. Aram was attracted to Egwene, and danced and laughed with her. His mood became darker after Trollocs attacked the Tinker camp in the Two Rivers and his mother was killed. He gave up the Way of the Leaf and had Tam teach him the use of the sword, becoming very good very quickly, enough to press Tam while practicing. After leaving the Two Rivers, he practiced the sword incessantly with anyone who would work with him. Aram and Elyas Machera knew each other but got on poorly; Elyas disapproved of Aram forsaking Tinker ways. Aram had a corrupted sense of hero worship for Perrin, the man who told him it was all right to defend himself, to pick up a sword. Aram also worshipped Faile—she was Perrin’s wife, and thus the absolutely perfect woman. He was somewhat jealous of her entourage, and would not have minded at all if one of them had tried him with a sword, but he was ready to use the Prophet’s methods to find her after she was kidnapped. Aram showed none of the nervousness or wariness toward the Asha’man that so many others did, but neither did he show any particular friendliness. He was an engine without a governor; growing up totally shunning violence, he had little sense of how much was acceptable. He was as willing to accept the Prophet’s methods as he was Perrin’s. Eventually Aram was corrupted by Masema and killed by Shaido while he was attempting to kill Perrin at Masema’s urging.

Aramaelle. One of the Ten Nations after the Breaking. Its capital was Mafal Dadaranell (later Fal Dara); other cities were Rhahime Naille, Anolle’sanna and Cuebiyarsande. Mabriam en Shereed was its queen at the time of the signing of the Compact of the Ten Nations.

Aran son of Malan son of Senar. A respected Ogier author, born circa 50 AB, who wrote a manuscript claiming that Ishamael had been seen after the sealing of the Bore.

Aran’gar. The name given to Balthamel after he was resurrected and put into a woman’s body; she assumed the name Halima Saranov. Her strength level was ++3. Although female, she still channeled saidin. Her body was slender and lush at the same time, of the sort that made men drool, with a swaying walk that made their tongues hang out. She was about 5'4" to 5'5" tall; her face was a perfect oval with large green eyes, framed by waves of black hair. She had a well-rounded bosom with a waist that was much smaller than her hips. Her hips were also well rounded, and her legs were long. Women often thought she looked like a woman dreamed by a particularly lascivious man. She seemed to have the same sort of look for men or women, challenging and smoky. Her smile was tempting, inviting, but Egwene, at least, thought this was just the shape of her mouth.

She was able to deduce certain things about the way people behaved in the present time with a greater ability than the other Forsaken. She also believed that her knowledge of primitive cultures qualified her uniquely to understand what the world had become, and to rule it. As when she was a man, she had a wildfire temper that she often could not control, and she often did not try to. Halima had relatively little skill in Tel’aran’rhiod compared to most of the other Forsaken. As Balthamel, he had been a lover of the ways of the flesh even more than Aginor, and delighted in various perversions and excesses. Of course, after “he” became “she,” there were changes, although not as many as might have been expected. She found pleasure in pursuing men as she once did women, though usually for the purpose of causing trouble. She adapted to the female body and brain, and found sex with men quite pleasurable, though it wasn’t common knowledge that she had gone farther than sometimes outrageous flirting. But she retained her love of women, too; she was completely bisexual. She had no desire for pets, but wanted any pretty woman or man she saw.

And she still wanted power, of course. While masquerading as Delana Mosvani’s secretary, she had handwriting like a child’s first attempts, awkward and ill-formed; she had had no time to learn any facility with the present script, and had little aptitude for it or desire to learn, either. She released Moghedien from the a’dam that was holding her prisoner in the camp, and told her she had been summoned to Shayol Ghul.

Halima was with the rebels to promote chaos and disorder, and to control/guide/influence one of the major power centers, which any gathering of three hundred Aes Sedai had to be. She wanted to maintain the division in the White Tower, she wanted to increase tensions between the rebels and Rand, and she did not want any alliance, temporary or otherwise, between the rebel sisters and the Black Tower—at least, not unless it could be used in some way to worsen the break in the White Tower. Her claims regarding what her “friend” Cabriana Mecandes supposedly revealed to her about Elaida’s plans for the rebels gained weight once Elaida’s plans leaked out, since there was some congruence. She thought of claiming that Cabriana also had learned that Taim and Logain were Red Ajah setups, but this would have been looked at askance by Egwene, Siuan and Leane, who all knew that Logain, at least, had not been any such thing. At best, they would have thought that she was trying to pad her importance by claiming knowledge she didn’t have, and their belief in other things she said would have decreased. She said that Cabriana Mecandes had proof that Elaida was Black Ajah, but few believed her, since she wisely backed off when they began wanting to know what the proof was. Even if she had said that Cabriana said it straight out, most of the rebels would be sure she had gotten it wrong somehow.

Halima became personal confidante to Egwene, and her head-rubs and massages were all that kept Egwene’s headaches—caused by Halima—at bay. Halima killed Egwene’s maids Meri and Selame because they were spies for Romanda and Lelaine; she didn’t want spies watching Egwene because they might have seen or overheard something that would have endangered her own position and safety. Chesa survived simply because she wasn’t a spy for anyone, just a maid. Halima followed Egwene to her meeting in Tel’aran’rhiod with Elayne and Nynaeve in the Grand Hall of the Royal Palace, and learned a lot by eavesdropping, but she used a door and shut it too hard, alerting them to someone else’s presence.

When Narishma told a meeting of the Sitters the story of Eben’s death, by saidin from a female Forsaken, Romanda connected the dots and ordered the arrest of Halima and Delana, but the two had already left from the Traveling grounds. The pair went to Graendal at Natrin’s Barrow. Aran’gar was killed when Rand balefired Natrin’s Barrow.

In the Old Tongue aran’gar (lowercase) was a right-hand dagger in a form of dueling that was popular during the time leading up to the War of Power; both daggers were poisoned, and both participants usually died. See also Balthamel

Arandaille, Balladare. An Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah who served as a weak Amyrlin from 115 to 142 NE. The Kavarthen Wars occurred during her reign.

Arandi Square. A large square in the center of Bandar Eban.

Aranvor Naldwinn. The Captain-General of the Queen’s Guard of Andor at the time of the Aiel War. He was chosen to lead on the third day of fighting in the Battle of the Shining Walls; he was killed on that day.

Arathelle Renshar. The High Seat of House Renshar, a very powerful Andoran House. Her sigil was three golden wolfhounds on a field of red. Arathelle was beautiful when young; later she had a lined face, streaks of gray in her hair and a stern gaze. Twice widowed, she supported Morgase when she gained the throne. Under Rahvin’s influence, Morgase exiled her from Caemlyn. Aemlyn, Pelivar, Arathelle and Culhan were among the nobles who confronted the rebel Aes Sedai on the ice near the Murandy-Andor border. Arathelle supported Dyelin for the throne, but after Elayne took Caemlyn and Luan and Abelle stood for Elayne, Arathelle did as well.

Aravine Carnel. An Amadician woman who was a gai’shain in Sevanna’s camp and the first in the camp to swear fealty to Faile. She was plump and plain, and her accents were cultured. She might have been a merchant of some note, or perhaps even a noble, before her capture; Faile thought the latter. She acquired more backbone as time went on and swore fealty to Faile because she was certain Faile would find a way to escape and wanted to be taken along. She was revealed to be a Darkfriend in the Last Battle when she turned Faile’s party and the Horn of Valere over to the Shadow; Faile killed her.

Arawn. A noble House of Andor. Its High Seat was Naean Arawn; its sign the Triple Keys.

Arawn, Naean. See Naean Arawn

Archer, the. A constellation.

Archers, The. An inn being built in Emond’s Field next to a smaller inn, presumably The Winespring Inn. Egwene and Elayne saw it while meeting in Tel’aran’rhiod the night before Egwene’s army was to move on Tar Valon.

area, units of. 1) Land: 1 ribbon = 20 paces × 10 paces (200 square paces); 1 cord = 20 paces × 50 paces (1,000 square paces); 1 hide = 100 paces × 100 paces (10,000 square paces); 1 rope = 100 paces × 1,000 paces (100,000 square paces); 1 march = 1,000 paces × 1,000 paces (1/4 square mile). 2) Cloth: 1 pace = 1 pace and 1 hand × 1 pace and 1 hand

Arebis. An Aes Sedai of the loyalist contingent who helped to capture Leane at Southharbor. She had a Warder, who spotted Leane’s boat before she was captured.

Ared Mosinel. Rahvin’s name before he turned to the Shadow.

Areina Nermasiv. A Kandori woman. Born in 978 NE, she was 5'4" tall, with blue eyes and dark hair that she took to wearing in a braid. Areina went to Illian to fetch her younger brother Gwil home; she never found him, but somehow she had found herself taking the oath as a Hunter, setting out to see the world while not quite believing the Horn of Valere existed, half hoping that somewhere she would find young Gwil and take him home. She was not exactly reluctant to talk about all that, but put the best face on it, sometimes shading the truth. She was chased out of several villages, robbed once and beaten several times. She was free with her tongue. Even so, she had no intention of giving up or seeking sanctuary, or a peaceful village. The world was still out there, and Areina meant to wrestle it to the ground. She met Elayne, Nynaeve, Thom and Juilin on Riverserpent and went with them to join the rebel Aes Sedai, though she could not channel. She formed an alliance with Nicola, who bonded her as her Warder, illegal though that was. The pair of them attempted to blackmail Egwene with their knowledge of Elayne and Nynaeve’s imposture as Aes Sedai while still only Accepted, but Egwene dissuaded them of that notion. Areina and Nicola together successfully—for a time—blackmailed Myrelle and Nisao over hiding Lan away from all the other sisters. Areina, sassy and insolent, admired power and warrior skills, and Birgitte became her role model, from whom she took archery lessons. She later tried to learn Lan’s skills from him. She and Nicola ran away together, got into Tar Valon and betrayed the plan to block the harbors, though neither knew how it was to be done, just that it would be, in the night. Nicola died, and Areina’s fate is unknown.

Arel Malevin. A Cairhienin blacksmith who became an Asha’man and bonded Aisling Noon of the Green Ajah. He was a wide man barely as tall as Logain’s chest. Toveine saw him among those reporting to Logain, and he was present when Rand named the Asha’man and handed out the first pins. He and Aisling were with Rand at Algarin’s manor when the Trollocs attacked; afterward, they worked together to incinerate Trolloc corpses. Malevin was with Logain during the Last Battle.

Aren Deshar. A former name of Far Madding.

Aren Mador. The capital city of Essenia, one of the Ten Nations after the Breaking; later it became Far Madding.

Arendor Haevin. The uncle and guardian of Catalyn Haevin of Andor.

Arene. See Amellia and Jorin Arene

Arent. An Ogier, the son of Halan and the father of Loial.

Arganda, Gerard. See Gerard Arganda

Arganya, Meilyn. See Meilyn Arganya

Argirin Darelos den Turamon. An Illianer nobleman who was a member of the Council of Nine.

Aridhol. The name of one of the Ten Nations and its capital. Other cities in the nation were Abor’maseleine and Cyrendemar’naille; its queen at the signing of the compact was Doreille Torghin. See also Shadar Logoth

Aried. An Ogier of the distant past; his son Jalanda wrote of Be’lal.

Arien. A one-inn village in Andor on the Caemlyn Road, between Whitebridge and Four Kings. This was the first place Rand and Mat performed at the local inn for their supper and bed, on their way to Caemlyn, following their escape from Shadar Logoth and the Trollocs.

Arienwin, Lyrelle. See Lyrelle Arienwin

Aril Corl. A woman who lived in Taien, Jangai Pass and survived the Shaido attack. Her husband was Ander; her brother, Tal Nethin.

Arilinde Branstrom. An Andoran noblewoman and High Seat of House Branstrom. She was loyal to Elayne and brought fifty armsmen to support her. She was normally so ebullient that one would have thought that her armsmen would turn the tide of battle by themselves.

Arilyn Dhulaine. A Cairhienin noblewoman who was part of the Gray Ajah’s eyes-and-ears network. She was slightly above the middle rank of nobility, and thus would have worn stripes nearly to her waist. Her sigil was a pair of silver stars above red and green stripes. Thom performed for a party of hers the night after he met Rand in Cairhien. Her mansion in the city was used by Coiren and the embassy sent by Elaida; Rand and Min were held there for a time. After Coiren took over her city mansion, Arilyn reportedly went to join her husband on a country estate. Cadsuane and her entourage later took over Lady Arilyn’s mansion, and possibly Lady Arilyn as well. Cadsuane did not like people trying to play too many sides, especially all at once. Arilyn’s mansion was where Cadsuane kept the High Lord Darlin and the Lady Caraline as “guests” until Dobraine freed them on Rand’s orders.

Arimon Darengil. Selande’s brother, who was part of the Illian invasion army. He was a stocky young man who shaved the front of his head after the fashion of Cairhienin soldiers. He wore six stripes of color.

Arin. A gate guard in Baerlon. When Moiraine and her party started to leave, a Watchman agreed to let them out and called Arin and Dar to get out there and help him open the gate.

Arindrim. A wine-producing area. The Aes Sedai embassy that Elaida had sent to Cairhien to escort Rand back to the White Tower were staying with Lady Arilyn. Egwene went to the palace and, detecting channeling inside, used Air and Fire to replicate Moiraine’s eavesdropping trick on the inside, and heard that a vintage from Arindrim was to be served to the Aes Sedai.

Arinelle, River. The river forming above Maradon and flowing south into the River Manetherendrelle below Whitebridge.

Aringill. A border town filled with refugees in Andor, on the west bank of the River Erinin, which held an army garrison, protecting Andor’s eastern flank. Accommodations were expensive here. Across the river was the smaller Cairhienin town of Maerone. Aringill had long, tarred-timber docks, and was protected by high stone wingwalls. The main streets were paved with flat gray stones. The buildings were of every sort, wood and brick and stone all cheek by jowl, with roofs of tile, or slate, or thatch. A number of events took place here. When Elayne, Egwene and Nynaeve decided to go to Tear by boat, they thought that Elayne might be able to get a letter to her mother by giving it to someone in Aringill. Mat would get off a boat in Aringill and take the letter to Caemlyn. While in Aringill, Mat and Thom saved Aludra from being murdered. Comar told Rahvin, who wanted Elayne dead, that the vessel Elayne had been on had been found at Aringill, but that she had left it before reaching the town. After Caemlyn, Thom and Mat decided to go to Tear by boat from Aringill. Egwene had heard rumors that Andormen in Aringill had declared Dyelin queen. Dyelin proved how strong she was at Aringill by dispatching treasonous nobles. Elenia and Naean were held prisoner by Dyelin in Aringill, but were taken by Arymilla’s troops five miles outside of town on the way to Caemlyn.

Arinvar. Sheriam’s Cairhienin Warder. Slender and about 5'7" tall with gray at his temples, he was hard of face and moved like a stalking leopard.

Arjuna, Cieryl. See Cieryl Arjuna

Arlen Nalaam. A Saldaean Asha’man soldier, copper-skinned, with a thin mustache and a small pearl in his ear. Part of the attack on the Seanchan, he brought a captured sul’dam to Rand, and stared at Rand’s saddle, not at Rand. He said that saidin felt strange, during battle with the Seanchan in the south. He frequently spoke in gibberish; it was his form of madness from the taint. He also told many far-fetched stories. When he, Androl and others were attempting to rescue Logain from Taim, the roof caved in and he was killed.

Arlene. Arymilla’s maid. Her duties went beyond the usual. Slender and pretty, she jerked in shock when Arymilla ordered her to go with Nasin and prepare him spiced wine, since she knew very well that Nasin would tumble her as soon as they were alone, but she gave Nasin a tremulous smile and obeyed.

Armaghn, Dawlin. An Andoran man who was High Seat of a minor House; his sign was the Oak and Axe. He supported Naean.

Armahn, River. A river located in northern Murandy.

Arman, Chilares. See Chilares Arman

armcry. Aiel expression for raising an alarm.

Armies of the Night. The name given by Luthair Paendrag’s armies to the defenders of Seanchan, composed of militant Aes Sedai and exotic creatures, which Luthair thought to be Shadowspawn.

Arms. The name Ituralde’s troops called Trollocs with the features of bears.

Arnault, Laigin. See Laigin Arnault

Arnin. One of the two toughs with Falion and Ispan when they tortured the Kinswoman Callie in Ebou Dar. He was a Darkfriend with little brains, black hair, beady eyes and scars, and was very muscular. Arnin was the one who questioned Falion’s order to make it look as if the Kinswoman was robbed. She channeled and threw him against the wall for that.

Arnon, Rahema. A grain merchant Perrin dealt with in So Habor, Altara. She was haggard and dirty with sunken eyes.

Arovni, Racelle. See Racelle Arovni

Arran Head. A promontory at the western end of Kabal Deep in southeastern Altara. Between Arran Head and the city of Illian lay a hundred leagues of open water, across the mouth of Kabal Deep. Rand speculated that the Seanchan needed two weeks to reach the border of Illian from Arran Head.

Arrata. A Seanchan soldier at Malden, under the command of Mishima. She assisted in putting forkroot into the aqueduct.

arrath. An herb applied to meat to add sweetness.

Arrays. A game wealthy women played with cards. Cards were placed in descending order in one of a set of patterns, but only certain suits could be played on others.

Arrel. See Edeyn ti Gemallen and Iselle Arrel

Arrela Shiego. A Tairen woman who was a member of Cha Faile. She wore her black hair cut as short as a Maiden’s. Her eyes were dark, and she was fairly dark-complected. About 5'9" tall, Arrela did not have any feminine touches about her garments, neither in color or otherwise; they were quite masculine. She made it evident that she was not interested in kissing men, as she was gay. She was one of the fifteen or sixteen who followed Perrin and Faile from Cairhien to Ghealdan. Arrela was not so hot as Lacile concerning her own honor—not so hot as such things were accounted among them, anyway—but she was very concerned with Faile’s. Faile considered that Camaille and Arrela had the quickest minds in the bunch, though Parelean and Selande were brighter. She, Parelean and Lacile learned of Masema’s contacts with the Seanchan. She was captured by the Shaido along with Faile. She and Lacile had attempted escape, were recaptured, and were tied naked on a cart as punishment. Aldin wanted to marry her, but she was not interested. Marthea, a Maiden, protected Arrela during her captivity and was her lover. Arrela was with Faile’s group that went to fetch the Horn of Valere from the White Tower, and, as a gateway opened to return them to the Field of Merrilor, they were sent instead to the Blight.

Arrow. Birgitte’s lean gray horse. Arrow was also the name of Moiraine’s bay mare, later replaced by Aldieb.

Arrows of Fire. A weave of Fire and Earth; it caused red filaments to flash from one’s fingertips. The filaments heated blood and flesh beyond boiling, and killed many quickly.

Artein, Catlynde. An Aes Sedai Sitter who lived at the time of the formation of the White Tower.

Artham. A ter’angreal that prevented the Dark One from seeing its possessor; one in the shape of a dagger was found in Ebou Dar, identified by Aviendha and used by Rand when he approached Shayol Ghul.

Artur Hawkwing. A legendary king who united all lands west of the Spine of the World, and whose death touched off the War of the Hundred Years. His sign was a golden hawk in flight. Born Artur Paendrag Tanreall, he received this name for the swiftness with which he moved his armies. He was about 6'2" tall, and hook-nosed, with dark, deep-set eyes. He was ta’veren, the strongest until Rand. His great sword Justice was always with him. His voice was deep and carrying, a voice used to issuing commands. Hawkwing took on an advisor, Jalwin Moerad, who was Ishamael in actuality. Moerad, opportunistically taking advantage of the manipulative Bonwhin, the White Tower’s Amyrlin at the time, turned Hawkwing against the Aes Sedai, which led him to engage in a twenty-year siege against them. Also on Moerad’s advice, Hawkwing sent his son, Luthair Paendrag, with an army to Seanchan, and a daughter with an army to Shara, to consolidate his empire. He died cursing the Aes Sedai and mourning the loss of his son and daughter. Hawkwing led the Heroes of the Horn, both at Falme and in the Last Battle, after the Horn of Valere was blown.

Artur Paendrag Tanreall. See Artur Hawkwing

Arwin. A Youngling under Gawyn’s command. He was a good ten years younger than Sevanna, but he expressed the wish to dance with her, not understanding what that meant to an Aiel. Gawyn, however, had some notion.

Aryman, Deane. See Deane Aryman

Arymilla Marne. High Seat of House Marne in Andor. Her sigil was four silver moons on a field of twilight blue. She was one of Gaebril’s sycophants, pretty and plump with big brown eyes and old enough to be Rand’s mother. She simpered and wore a gown that was low-cut by Andoran standards. Her eyes were always wide in feigned interest, and she was fool enough to think that Rand would be susceptible to her putting her hand on his arm while speaking to him. Arymilla fled after Rand reached an accommodation with Dyelin; Rand made no moves against her, but Dyelin was not so restrained. She had Elenia and Naean arrested. Arymilla declared for the Lion Throne, and Nasin allied his House with her, making her claim credible if only because of the relative strength behind it. Arymilla freed Elenia and Naean and made them sign documents supporting her in her quest for the Lion Throne. She laid siege to Caemlyn, but was defeated and captured by Elayne and her armies. Elayne stripped her of her titles and lands, although she planned to offer Arymilla other lands in Cairhien.

Aryth Ocean. The large body of water off the west coast of the main continent. See Eastern Sea and World Sea

Aryth yew. A tree that grew in Bandar Eban.

asa. A concubine in Seanchan. To become an asa to one higher in rank was considered by lower-class women—and to some extent by middle-class women—as a good way to advance socially. Asa often had power derived from the man who kept them: they were housed in luxury, their children were acknowledged (if not usually raised to the Blood) and advanced in rank, and they themselves were provided for in their older years. A man who set aside an asa without providing for her future and that of his children by her would be looked down on with disgust.

Asadine. In the Borderlands and Cairhien, a day of fasting observed ten days before Sunday, with no food taken between sunrise and sunset. The day after Asadine was considered an especially propitious time to wed in the Borderlands.

Asaheen, Sanaiye. A Domani Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah and the loyalist contingent. She was part of the group that kidnapped Rand, and escaped Dumai’s Wells with Covarla Baldene.

Asan Sandair. A Cairhienin officer who met Rand, Hurin and Loial at their entrance to the city of Cairhien; he was in charge of the gate. He signed them in and told them to come back and report where they were staying. The front of his head was shaved, but he was already quite bald.

Asar Don. The site of an ancient battle in which Moghedien participated. When Moghedien revealed herself to Liandrin and the other Black Ajah, she brought up this and other battles to get across that they were not to think themselves her equal.

Asegora. A noble House of Tear. See Melanril Asegora

asha’man. Old Tongue for “guardian” or “defender,” with a strong implication of a guardian of right and justice.

Asha’man. Men who could channel and who followed Rand. The term applied both to these men as a group and to the highest rank or degree among them. The Asha’man base of operations was a farm in Andor that became the Black Tower. A beginner at the Black Tower was termed a soldier; he wore a black coat with no decoration. The second rank was Dedicated; he wore a silver sword on the collar of his black coat. A full Asha’man wore the silver sword and a red-enameled gold dragon. Rand later raised some other men to Dedicated and/or Asha’man, but under Taim’s leadership, with the exception of Logain, the only men who received both the Sword and the Dragon were those he recruited himself, all Darkfriends. Those men received special private training from Taim in things which he himself was taught by Dashiva/Osan’gar or by Demandred.

Taim did not like the Asha’man trying to learn things on their own; he wanted to limit the learning of all but his cronies. They still did learn on their own, though; most were curious men, with a touch of adventure in them, or they wouldn’t have become Asha’man. There was some disturbance over the bond that the Asha’man used on their wives, but Taim eventually saw the potential of it, and realized that the men were going to bond with their wives whatever he did, short of killing them. Some of the students obeyed Taim’s many strictures and limits on what they could learn or study or try to learn, because of the punishments for not obeying, and others because he was, after all, the M’Hael, and “the Voice of the Lord Dragon” as some took to calling him, but there were some who saw what the favored ones could do and copied the weaves in secret.

In their training, the Asha’man were pushed hard—forced, as Aes Sedai called it. A certain number were killed or burned out in the process. Where novices in the White Tower were prohibited from using the One Power to do chores, soldiers in training were required to do so. Men received no hot food until they could channel enough Fire to heat it up for themselves. The rules of the Asha’man were much more military-oriented than those of the Aes Sedai, in keeping with the view of Asha’man as soldiers in the war against the Shadow. It also helped Taim keep the sort of rigid control he needed. Running away from the Black Tower was considered desertion. The penalty for attempting it was flogging; the penalty for succeeding was death, once caught. Even attempting to run away in the face of the enemy carried a death penalty. So did refusing an order from a superior. The usual things were considered crimes among the Asha’man as elsewhere, but sometimes the penalties were harsher than elsewhere. The penalty for murder was death. The penalty for rape was death, unless the woman was willing to ask that you not be killed and to marry you; then you were merely flogged until you could not stand. The penalty for the first offense of stealing from a non-Asha’man was death and for stealing from another Asha’man was flogging; the penalty for the second offense was death. The penalty for arson was death.

ashandarei. Birgitte’s name for Mat’s spear. This weapon, derived from the Age of Legends, was a polearm with a haft of black wood about six feet long, and a head that was about two feet long and looked like the blade of a Japanese tanto. Given to Mat by the Eelfinn, it was inscribed with Old Tongue script reading “Thus is our treaty written; thus is agreement made. Thought is the arrow of time; memory never fades. What was asked is given; the price is paid.” (Ghiro feal dae’vin lormae; ghiro o’vin gemarisae. Nardes vasen’cierto ain; sind vyen loviyagae. Devoriska nolvae. Al ciyat dalae.) Two ravens were engraved on the blade, and a metal raven was inlaid at either end of the script.

Ashelin. An Altaran novice in the White Tower. She was a plump, pretty girl with olive-colored skin. She brought Egwene her food in the novices’ dining hall after Egwene had been captured by the loyalist Aes Sedai, and the tea contained honey.

Asher, Mistress. A merchant in Canluum who was also a wilder. She stayed at The Gates of Heaven; the Aes Sedai who were staying there were not interested in her because she was gray-haired, too old to be a novice.

Ashin. A superior servant of Barthanes in Cairhien. He wore the Tree and Crown large on the chest of his green coat and carried a staff. Ashin led Rand and his party into the manor, rapped his staff and introduced them.

Ashmanaille. An Aes Sedai of the Gray Ajah and the rebel contingent, with a strength level of 22(10). Born in 902 NE, she went to the White Tower in 918 NE. After eleven years as a novice and ten years as Accepted, she was raised to the shawl in 939 NE. She was about 5'4" tall and so lanky that she appeared taller. She was part of a circle the night a bubble of evil struck Salidar. She had some ability for making cuendillar. She Traveled to Kandor to collect tribute, only to discover that Nesita, a loyalist, had beaten her to it. Ashmanaille was one of the sisters manning the Traveling grounds in the Last Battle when Min needed to Travel to give a message from Bryne to the Seanchan Empress to send them cavalry; she recognized Min as Elmindreda.

Ashraf, Sana. A man whom Mat fought at the falls of Pena in one of the memories received from the Eelfinn.

Asidim Faisar. A Whitecloak spy in Tanchico, sent there by Pedron Niall to sound out possibilities amid the chaos. It was his report sent through by Varadin that convinced Niall of the Seanchan threat, but Niall was killed before he could act on the information.

Asinbayar. The fourth-largest city in Seanchan. It was associated with Suroth, being mentioned in her title.

Asmodean. A Forsaken. His name in the Age of Legends was Joar Addam Nessosin. His strength level was ++3. He was born in the port of Shorelle. A musician and composer, he showed early promise, but failed to reach exalted heights. He claimed that he went over to the Shadow because of the lure of immortality; if he had an eternity to create music, he would achieve greatness. According to Lanfear, he stilled his own mother and gave her to the Myrddraal. When he awoke in the Third Age, he used the name Jasin Natael and accompanied a band of peddlers to the Waste. A dark-haired man with dark, deep-set eyes, seemingly in his middle years, Asmodean was taller than most, and likely attractive to women, but with an oddly apprehensive way of holding his head cocked as if trying to look at a conversant sideways. He talked with Rand, but Rand was not forthcoming with information or interest. Asmodean gave Couladin the marks of the Car’a’carn. When Rand was occupied at Alcair Dal, Asmodean Skimmed to Rhuidean. Rand followed him, and they fought over the access key to the Choedan Kal. Rand prevailed and cut Asmodean’s connection to the Dark One. Asmodean was stunned to have his links severed by someone else, as it was understood that only the Dark One or the person connected to the Dark One could sever the links. Lanfear arrived and partially shielded Asmodean. He was still the same person, but refrained from reestablishing his connection to the Dark One, for fear the other Forsaken or the Dark One would have believed he severed the connection himself, marking him a traitor.

Asmodean decided to bide his time and meanwhile link his star to Rand, being reasonably sure that Rand would not suddenly try to kill him. He became Rand’s gleeman publicly; in truth, he was Rand’s tutor in the One Power, insofar as he was able. He was not a good teacher, as he admitted; he said Lanfear had planned it so, so that Rand would not rival her. He did teach Rand some useful things, however, and when Rand was injured, used his meager ability to Heal him. Asmodean accompanied Rand to Caemlyn to deal with Rahvin; they were attacked by Shadowspawn and he was struck by lightning and killed. Rand’s use of balefire to kill Rahvin brought him back to life. Shortly thereafter, he was killed by Graendal in the Royal Palace of Caemlyn, and that time stayed dead.

Asne Zeramene. A Saldaean Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah publicly but of the Black Ajah in truth. Her strength level was 18(6). Born in 837 NE, she went to the White Tower in 853 NE. After seven years as a novice and eight years as Accepted, Asne was raised to the shawl in 868 NE. She was 5'4" tall, with dark tilted eyes, a bold nose and a wide mouth; she dressed fairly modestly for a Saldaean, but had all the vaunted Saldaean boldness. Of her four Warders, only one, Powl, was a Darkfriend. Asne was one of the first thirteen Black Ajah members to leave the White Tower. She had found the rod that produced balefire, which Moghedien had not hidden so well as she thought she had, and brought it with her. After Eldrith Jhondar’s Warder Kennit tracked them down, Eldrith, Asne Zeramene, Chesmal Emry and Temaile Kinderode all went to Caemlyn hoping to find Elayne and maybe Nynaeve. They captured Elayne, and Asne used the balefire rod against the soldiers trying to rescue Elayne. Asne was killed by Atha’an Miere Windfinders.

Asnelle. An area of Saldaea; Tenobia was Lady of Shahayni, Asnelle, Kunwar and Ganai.

Asnobar, Saerin. See Saerin Asnobar

asping rot. A highly toxic, foul-tasting plant that Verin used to poison herself. The poison was fast-acting.

Asra Zigane. A Domani Wise Woman and Kin in Ebou Dar. Her strength level was 54(42), too low for her to be tested for Accepted and not strong enough for her to make a gateway of any size whatsoever. She was born in 913 NE and went to the White Tower in 929 NE while Kirin Melway was the Amyrlin. She remained for four months before being sent away. She had a very high level of Talent in Healing. She was not taught Healing in the Tower, of course; she was simply kept there long enough to learn how to be safe. She learned it there, though, by seeing it done. She was a very quick study and didn’t need to see a weave more than once to be able to do it perfectly. She also had the very rare Talent that Aviendha did, of being able to tell what a weave she had never seen before would do before it was completed. Elayne and Nynaeve saw her attempt to Heal a man in the Rahad. She was at the Kin’s farm when Elayne went there, and on the way to Caemlyn Asra attempted to instigate a revolt against the Aes Sedai because they had put two of the Kin, past novice runaways from the Tower, back in white. She was one of the Kinswomen who traveled with Elayne to the Royal Palace in Caemlyn.

Asseil. A Taraboner Accepted in the White Tower. She was slim, with pale hair and brown eyes, a novice when Egwene left the Tower. Jealous of Egwene’s fast rise, Asseil tried to boss her around when she was put back in novice white by Elaida.

Assemblage. One of the ruling bodies of Illian, the Assemblage was an elected body chosen by the merchants and guilds, including the craft guilds. Ordinary shopkeepers had no vote unless they were members of a guild, nor did the man in the street or a laborer. Historically, the King, the Council of Nine and the Assemblage had engaged in a three-way struggle for real power from the time the nation was founded.

Assembly, Grand Hall of the. The building where the Assembly of Lords deliberated in Tanchico.

Assembly of Lords. A ruling body in Tanchico. The Assembly had few real powers, but one which they guarded jealously was that of naming the new Panarch.

Assid Bakuun. A Seanchan captain with thirty years in the Ever Victorious Army. He had a dog named Nip. He found sul’dam conversing with damane distasteful. He died fighting in Rand’s campaign against the Seanchan.

Astara. A queen of Andor during the War of the Hundred Years. She reigned from FY 1073 to 1085.

Astelle al’Seen. A Two Rivers woman. She was the oldest in her family, and poked Perrin with her cane when he visited Jac al’Seen’s farm.

Astoril Damara. A High Lord of Tear and the father of Medore. Astoril was old but straight-backed, with shoulder-length, thinning white hair and sharp dark eyes. He was born in 935 NE and married at age twenty-five; his wife was twenty. One son, the eldest child of that marriage, died in the Aiel War at age seventeen. Another son died of sickness. Two daughters survived. His first wife died in childbirth in 974 NE and he remarried in 979 NE. Medore was born of that union in 981 NE, and Astoril also had two sons from that marriage. His eldest daughter would inherit the title of High Lady and High Seat.

Astoril was the leader of the Tairen contingent at the Battle of the Shining Walls. He led twenty-four thousand men there, and was sixth in the consecutive command, not as well regarded as Agelmar Jagad or Pedron Niall, but just below Mattin Stepaneos and perhaps his equal or slightly superior. He joined Darlin Sisnera in the Stone to defend against the rebellion.

Astrelle. An Aes Sedai of the White Ajah and the loyalist contingent. Plump with a formidable bosom, Astrelle was an arithmetist who applied numbers to logic. Alviarin saw her arguing the cause of food spoilage with Tesan in the halls of the White Ajah.

Asunawa, Rhadam. See Rhadam Asunawa

Atal. One of the Seanchan military clerks in Captain Faloun’s office in Almizar. He was charged with cleaning up the mess after Mehtan died vomiting beetles.

Atal Mishraile. An Asha’man who was given private lessons by Taim. He was handsome and tall, with blue eyes and golden hair falling in waves to his broad shoulders. Mishraile was Dedicated for a very short time, and was raised to full Asha’man soon after being taught by Taim. He became a Darkfriend without being Turned. Taim fractured his skull when he mouthed off in front of the Red sisters. During the Last Battle he was captured in Stedding Sholoon by Androl and his allies, including some elderly Ogier.

Atha’an Miere. Inhabitants of islands in the Aryth Ocean and the Sea of Storms. They spent little time on those islands, living most of their lives on their ships. An informal name for the Atha’an Miere, translated from the Old Tongue, was “People of the Sea” or “Sea Folk.” They were a secretive people, and relatively little was known of their customs, giving rise to an air of exotic mystery and often to fanciful tales.

Legend held that at the Breaking of the World the ancestors of the Atha’an Miere fled to the safety of the sea while the land heaved and broke. They knew nothing of the ships they took to flee, but they managed to survive. They did not return to land until the upheaval had ended; they found that much had changed. In the years after that came the Jendai Prophecy, saying that the Atha’an Miere were destined to wander the waters until the Coramoor returned, and that they were required to serve him when he did. The Jendai Prophecy was given great weight by the Sea Folk because it spoke of things that did not exist until after it was first known, sometimes long after.

Rank was not hereditary among the Sea Folk. As survival at sea often depended on instant obedience, it should be no surprise that the Atha’an Miere stuck strictly to their hierarchy, though there were surprising fluidities at some points. The Atha’an Miere were divided into numerous clans, both large and small, each headed by a Wavemistress. Below her were the Sailmistresses, the ships’ captains of the clan. A Wavemistress had vast authority, yet she was elected to that position by the twelve senior clan Sailmistresses, who were referred to as the First Twelve of that clan, and she could be removed by the order of the Mistress of the Ships to the Atha’an Miere.

The Mistress of the Ships had a level of authority any shorebound king or queen would envy, yet she was also elected, for life, by unanimous vote of the twelve senior Wavemistresses, who were called the First Twelve of the Atha’an Miere. The term “the First Twelve” was also used for the twelve senior Wavemistresses or Sailmistresses present in any gathering.

The position of Master of the Blades was held by a man who might or might not be the husband of the Mistress of the Ships. His responsibilities were the defense and the trade of the Sea Folk, and below him were the Swordmasters of Wavemistresses and the Cargomasters of Sailmistresses, who held like positions and duties; for each of them, any authority outside these areas was held only as delegated by the woman he served. Where any vessel sailed, and when, was always up to the Sailmistress, but since trade and finances were totally in the hands of the Cargomaster (or, at higher levels, the Swordmaster or the Master of the Blades), a close degree of cooperation was required.

Every Sea Folk vessel, however small, and every Wavemistress, had a Windfinder, a woman who was almost always able to channel and skilled in Weaving the Winds, as the Atha’an Miere called the manipulation of weather. The Windfinder to the Mistress of the Ships had authority over the Windfinders to the Wavemistresses, who in turn had authority over Windfinders to the Sailmistresses of their clans.

One peculiarity of the Sea Folk was that all had to begin at the very lowest rank and work their way up, and that anyone other than the Mistress of the Ships could be demoted, even all the way down to deckhand, for malfeasance, cowardice or other crimes. Also, the Windfinder to a Wavemistress or Mistress of the Ships who died would have to serve a lower-ranking woman, and her own rank thus decreased to the lowest level, equivalent to one who was first raised from apprentice to Windfinder on the day she herself put off her higher honors. The Atha’an Miere, who long kept their distance from Aes Sedai by various means and diversions, were aware that women who could channel had much longer lifespans than other people, though life at sea was dangerous enough that they seldom lived out their entire lifespan, and thus they knew that a Windfinder might rise to a height and fall to the depths to begin again many times before she died.

An Atha’an Miere’s first name was given at birth. The second name was the family name, with “din” signifying “of the family.” Girls took the family name of their mother, while boys took the surname of their father. In young adulthood, usually within the first ten years after achieving majority, men and women were given a “salt name” which typified them as to character or referred to some great event or deed of which they were part. These were short, usually only one or two words. A salt name such as “Wild Winds” might refer to a temper or to having ridden out a storm which should have sunk the vessel.

To seal a bargain, each party kissed the fingertips of the right hand and pressed them to the lips of the other. Variations of this were used for lesser agreements than actual bargains as well. Simply kissing one’s own fingertips, or pressing them to one’s lips, bestowed emphasis.

Traditionally, the Sea Folk did not sell passage on their ships. One asked for the favor of passage and then made a gift, which just happened to have a value equal to the passage. If the gift offered was not sufficient, it turned out, regrettably, that there simply was no room, or some other excuse. If a more suitable gift was offered, then it was discovered that a mistake had been made and there was room after all. No one except Aes Sedai could be refused passage outright, not unless the gift offered in return was too small, of course. For the Amayar, the gift of passage truly was a gift, with no gift expected in return, but until just before the Last Battle, no Amayar had asked this in living memory.

Sea Folk wedding ceremonies reflected the hierarchical nature of ships at sea. There was a matriarchal element to Sea Folk culture, with ships owned and commanded by women and clans always headed by a woman, as well as the Atha’an Miere themselves, by the Mistress of the Ships. Since husband and wife both served on the same ship, often one would outrank the other, and despite the matriarchal elements, it was not always the woman. Thus, in a Sea Folk ceremony, there were pledges of obedience, but conditional. If husband and wife were of equal rank on the ship, then the wife took the lead between them, but if either had a public position where they could give orders to the other, then in private the situation was reversed. There were situations where a marriage was made with the clear certainty that one—usually the wife—would always command in public, as when a Sailmistress or Wavemistress married, so there was a ceremony for that, as well. Women did not take their husbands’ surnames, or vice versa, nor did they take on any form of them, as in Saldaea.

The Sea Folk did not like going any farther from salt water than they could help. Spotting one in Tar Valon, for instance, or Caemlyn, say, would normally be a very rare event. They made every effort to see that their children were born on the water, even if it was only in a small boat put off from the shore, and that they themselves died on the water. Sea Folk burials inevitably took place at sea; to die on land was considered bad, and to be buried on land even worse.

The Atha’an Miere were marked with tattoos on their hands, indicating a number of things. The left hand showed clan and line. A Windfinder had a three-pointed star on the back of her right hand. A six-pointed star tattooed between thumb and forefinger of the right hand was a symbol of the covenant with the Coramoor; some believed it made one less likely to drown. Some of the other tattoos on the right hand were, in effect, the individual’s official record, showing what ships had been served on and what posts and positions had been held.

From the first days of sailing, only Aes Sedai could be refused among those asking passage, and they almost always were. Many Sea Folk considered Aes Sedai bad luck on board in any case. They sent a very few young women to the White Tower in order to lull the Aes Sedai and make them think that there weren’t very many candidates among the Atha’an Miere. Most of these young women were deliberately chosen from among women the Windfinders knew would not have sufficient strength to be raised Aes Sedai. Occasionally they chose one who could be raised because they believed that if every woman sent was too weak it might attract attention, but they were never very strong. The few women who went in this manner, expecting to be raised Aes Sedai, had always been, in effect, exiled; they were told to avoid the sea and the Atha’an Miere, even after they reached an age to retire, because the Windfinders always feared that contact between them and these Atha’an Miere Aes Sedai might lead to suspicions on the part of the White Tower. They were a knowing sacrifice. The women chosen to go, whether or not strong enough to be raised, were always chosen from among those who were thought able to keep the necessary secrets. The preferred choice was someone who had already slowed, yet appeared young enough to pass for a wilder of seventeen or eighteen, despite being ten years or more older, though this was not always possible. They tried not to send anyone who was too young (never anyone younger than seventeen), so that she would have some maturity to help her through what the Windfinders saw as, at best, several years of exile from the sea. Those who were strong enough to be raised Aes Sedai were always seen as making the ultimate sacrifice for the good of the Atha’an Miere. As a result, historically there were very few Aes Sedai from among the Sea Folk. At the time of the Tower split, there were only three. They were all Brown Ajah; all of the Sea Folk sisters in the history of the Tower were Brown, which, perhaps not coincidentally, happened to be the one Ajah aside from the White which allowed the least contact with others. There were other similarities among Aes Sedai from the Atha’an Miere. Sea Folk women who were raised Aes Sedai always took a new name, one which was not of the Atha’an Miere, symbolizing their break with their former lives. Inevitably they made few friends even within their own Ajah, living largely solitary lives, and they almost never allowed themselves to become entangled in any sort of alliances or the schemes of others. None would speak of Sea Folk customs or life, a secrecy in which they were aided by Aes Sedai customs against prying, as well as the belief that whatever was before had been left behind and was in no way nearly as important as the White Tower. Most often they dressed very soberly even for Browns, seldom if ever wearing anything like the brilliant colors of the Atha’an Miere. They put off their honor chains and medallions along with any earrings they had the right to wear, and wore none, nor did they often wear necklaces of any kind, but most adopted, often in profusion, the finger rings and bracelets shunned by Sea Folk women. They avoided salt water, never traveling by sea and never even going near the coast if they could avoid it.

Ocean-borne commerce was dominated by Sea Folk ships, which were faster than any others. The Sea Folk were considered by the inhabitants of port cities to be bargainers who outstripped the more widely known Domani. They would carry cargo for others, but their rates were very high, and they were seldom used except where speed of passage was vital. The vast majority of their cargo was traded for themselves. Sea Folk porcelain was highly priced, though it was in fact produced by the Amayar. The Sea Folk did not sell their ships to any but their own and would destroy one to keep it from falling into anyone else’s hands. Sea Folk clocks were the most accurate of all, and were highly prized, though the Sea Folk did not make a habit of selling them with any regularity. Pearls, which were mainly found by Amayar pearl divers, were considered the finest; the largest, and nearly all pearls of rare color, such as black or blue, came from them. The Sea Folk were also famed for their glass, not merely housewares, but especially for their looking glasses and other optical products. Even before the Aiel War, when the Cairhienin could use the Silk Path, the Sea Folk were the major source of silk and ivory from Shara.

Atha’an Shadar. The Seanchan name for Darkfriends.

Athan Chandin. A Two Rivers man with Perrin’s forces in Malden when they saved Faile and others who had been kidnapped by the Shaido. He was a good shot with the bow, but his truckling manner annoyed Perrin.

Athan Dearn. A fat man from the Two Rivers. He helped to defend Emond’s Field from Trollocs.

Atuan Larisett. A Taraboner Aes Sedai of the Yellow Ajah in public, but of the Black Ajah in truth. Atuan was born in 809 NE and went to the White Tower in 825 NE. She wore her dark hair in thin beaded braids that fell to her waist. Atuan had no Warder; she was a member of Talene’s heart, along with Galina and Temaile. Atuan knew none of the Black sisters in the Hall, nor did she know Alviarin. After the Black Ajah hunters captured her, she claimed that she walked in the Light once more and swore an oath of obedience to them.

Atuan’s Mill. A village on Toman Head. The village was inhabited by frightened villagers following a visit by the Seanchan, who had killed many of them and had left a great charred patch of earth in the middle of the village square that no one wished to talk about. Rand and his party, on the trail of Padan Fain who had stolen back the dagger and Horn of Valere, learned more about the Seanchan invaders and their evil ways there.

Auaine Fanwar. A Borderland farmwife. She was Renald’s wife, and she encouraged him to follow Thulin’s advice to head north.

Aubrem Pensenor. Andoran High Seat of House Pensenor. He supported Morgase in the Succession, and later supported Elayne. He was lean and craggy and had only a fringe of white hair, but his back was straight and his eyes were clear. He had been among the first to reach Caemlyn to aid Elayne, with near to a hundred men and news that it was Arymilla Marne marching on the city with Elenia and Naean supporting her.

Aurana. Tuon’s fourteen-year-old sister; Tuon thought her too young to be plotting against her.

Avar Hachami. One of Myrelle’s Warders, a Saldaean. He was hawk-nosed and square-chinned, with a thick, gray-streaked mustache like down-curved horns. He was saved by Myrelle following the death of the first Aes Sedai to whom he was bonded. Rumor had it that Myrelle was married to her first three Warders: Croi Makin, Nuhel Dromand and Avar Hachami.

Avarhin, Shiaine. See Shiaine Avarhin

Avarhin, Willim. A poor Andoran nobleman and father of the real Lady Shiaine, both of whom were murdered by Mili Skane. His sign was the Heart and Hand.

Avendesora. Aiel word for “the Tree of Life.” Legend said that there was a single Tree of Life, while many would equate the word Avendesora with the chora tree, which in the Third Age had dwindled to a single specimen, found in Rhuidean. It was said that Avendesora made no seed, so it is unclear how the Aiel obtained a sapling from it to give to Cairhien. See also chora tree and Tree of Life

Avendoraldera. The only chora tree, a sapling of Avendesora, to leave the Aiel Waste in the Third Age. Given to Cairhien as an unprecedented offer of peace, it was cut down by King Laman, starting the Aiel War.

Avene Sahera. A woman in Ravinda, Kandor, interviewed by Moiraine during the search for the infant Dragon Reborn. Avene used the bounty given her by the Aes Sedai to build an inn, called The White Tower. Her tenth child, Migel, was on Moiraine’s list, but he was born thirty miles from Dragonmount and a week before Gitara’s Foretelling.

Avharin, Einion. One of the three most famous First Counsels in Far Madding history. A statue of her stood in Avharin Market in Far Madding, pointing to the Caemlyn Gate.

Avharin Market. One of three markets in Far Madding where foreigners were allowed to trade.

Avi Shendar. A man in Marcedin who kept pigeons. His bread was buttered on at least two sides. He sent reports out for Ronde Macura, one northeast toward Tar Valon, and another one west for her, to an unknown recipient. He also copied the same message to yet another destination, in a different direction from the other messages.

Aviellin. A Maiden who was badly wounded at Malden while helping take out the sentries northwest of Malden so the carts could get through. She was Healed by Janina, and participated in the battle at Malden.

Aviendha. A woman of the Nine Valleys sept of the Taardad Aiel, born in 980 NE. She was Far Dareis Mai until she began training to be a Wise One. She could channel, and her strength level was 11(2). Aviendha was about 5'9" tall with blue-green (or green, according to various folk) eyes and reddish hair which was cut short as a Maiden, but she let it grow after being apprenticed to the Wise Ones. Her wards against eavesdropping were better than Aes Sedai’s. She had the ability to unweave and the rare abilities to read residues and to tell what a previously unseen weave would do before it coalesced. She displayed an ability to tell what a ter’angreal could do, though she could not make one, and showed great ability at defending against attacks, too; some at shielding, but more in blocking thrusts, so to speak. She had no feel for Healing. She could divide her flows more than Elayne, perhaps as much as Nynaeve.

Aviendha was one of the Aiel sent to the wetlands to search for He Who Comes With the Dawn. When Dailin, one of her companions, was injured, Aviendha approached Nynaeve, Elayne and Egwene for help. Nynaeve Healed Dailin, and afterward Aviendha followed the women, saw them captured and brought other Aiel to rescue them. Aviendha went to the Stone, and became friends with the women.

She was then summoned to the Waste to become an apprentice to the Wise Ones; she traveled there with Rand and his group via Portal Stone, and immediately went to Rhuidean. Inside the ter’angreal at Rhuidean she saw herself fated to fall in love with Rand, and she was unwittingly part of a Wise One plan to tie Rand to the Aiel by giving him an Aiel wife. Aviendha objected to the plan—she had promised to watch Rand for Elayne and did not want to fall in love with him. She nonetheless became his teacher, since the Wise Ones ordered it. In thanks, Rand gave Aviendha a bracelet. In return, she gave him Laman’s sword; he kept the blade, but returned the jeweled hilt. When Rand walked in on her naked, Aviendha fled, making a gateway to Seanchan. Rand followed, saved her from drowning and made her a shelter in a snowstorm. When she awoke, they made love. Rand announced his intention of marrying her, but she declined. On the way back to the gateway, they encountered Seanchan with sul’dam and damane, but escaped.

Aviendha participated in the battle against the Shaido for Cairhien. She accompanied Rand and Egwene to the docks, where Lanfear attacked them. Aviendha was not as severely injured as Egwene, and went to Caemlyn with Rand after news came that Rahvin had killed Morgase. There she was struck by lightning and killed, but when Rand smote Rahvin with balefire, she was brought back to life. Rand sent Mat to Salidar to bring Elayne to Caemlyn, and Aviendha went as well. Aviendha accompanied Nynaeve, Elayne and Mat to Ebou Dar. There she met with the Sea Folk and watched Carridin. She made a gateway to the Kin’s farm, and then terrified the Aes Sedai by unweaving it.

Aviendha was part of the circle that used the Bowl of the Winds. When the Seanchan came near, Elayne made a gateway to Andor and then tried to unweave it; she was not trained as Aviendha had been, and it exploded, injuring her, Aviendha and Birgitte and killing many Seanchan. Aviendha was Healed by Nynaeve and accompanied Elayne to Caemlyn, where they became first-sisters. Aviendha resumed her Wise One training in Caemlyn. She stayed with Elayne, helping her in many ways such as identifying the functions of ter’angreal discovered in Ebou Dar, until the Aiel left for Bandar Eban and the Wise Ones told her she must go too. After worrying that she was being punished, she realized that she had to declare herself a Wise One; she did, and went to Rhuidean. She passed through the crystal columns twice. The first time she saw the history of the Aiel, and the second time she saw a desolate future. She returned to the Wise Ones, and then met with Rand. She told him that he must accept her, Elayne and Min or he would have none. She asked for a boon—that the Aiel be included in Rand’s peace.

At Shayol Ghul in the Last Battle she fought as the commander of all the channelers there. In a struggle with Graendal/Hessalam, she was badly injured and at Graendal’s mercy. Just as Graendal was about to Compel her, she unwove a gateway, which caused the Compulsion to affect Graendal instead. Graendal, enthralled by Aviendha, carried her back to camp, where she was Healed as far as was possible. She later gave birth to Rand’s quadruplets.

Avin, Master. A gate guard in Baerlon, Andor, who let Moiraine and her party into Baerlon. He had a wizened face and was half toothless.

Avin, Rhea. See Rhea Avin

Avriny, Elaida do a’Roihan. See Elaida do Avriny a’Roihan

Awlsten. An Asha’man who was with Ituralde in Maradon and at Shayol Ghul. Atop the pass leading into Thakan’dar, he signaled the Aiel to roll boulders and burning logs down on to the Shadowspawn.

Ayako Norsoni. An Arafellin Aes Sedai of the White Ajah and the loyalist contingent, with a strength level of 18(6). She was about 5'2" tall, with wavy, waist-length black hair and dark eyes that seemed almost black when she was concentrating. Ayako was brown-skinned, although not as dark as a Domani. She prided herself on her logic, but she was not a particularly cool-appearing woman, rather being on the merry side, with a twinkle in her eyes, although she seemed shy, a rarity among Aes Sedai. Ayako was part of the Black Tower expedition under Toveine Gazal and was captured by the Asha’man and bonded by Donalo Sandomere. She was the only White in the expedition. Ayako took part in beating Toveine and it disturbed her that she had. It was irrational, or so she tried to tell herself, but it felt so right. She and Donalo were Turned to the Shadow and captured in Stedding Sholoon by Androl and his allies, including some elderly Ogier.

Aybara clan. A Two Rivers Family. See Adora, Carlin, Con, Deselle, Ealsin, Eward, Jaim, Joslyn, Magde, Neain and Paetram Aybara

Aybara, Perrin. See Perrin t’Bashere Aybara

Aydaer. A Two Rivers family. See Jared and Pel Aydaer

Ayellin clan. A family in the Two Rivers. See Corin, Dav, Jon, Lara, Larine, Marisa, Milli, Neysa and Sari Ayellin.

Ayellin, Mistress. A Two Rivers woman whom Nynaeve treated for fever.

Aylar, Malena. See Malena Aylar

Ayliah, Get. See Get Ayliah

Aynal, Widow. The annual sheep shearing in Emond’s Field took place in a space called “Widow Aynal’s meadow,” even though no one remembered who she was.

Aynora, Mistress. A woman in a song who has a rooster. At least one version of the song was actually about a rooster.

Ayyad, the. Channelers in Shara. They lived in villages cut off from the outside world, surrounded by high walls that obscured vision in every direction; no one except the Ayyad were allowed to enter and any non-Ayyad who managed to enter was killed on sight. Supposedly no Ayyad left without permission. The source of this permission was somewhat vague, but since it was widely known that no Ayyad would channel without instructions from or the permission of the currently ruling Sh’boan or Sh’botay, it was believed by all that any Ayyad who was outside the villages had such permission. The Ayyad were tattooed on their faces at birth. The only exception to this was someone who was discovered to be able to channel later in life. They were presumed to be the result of a union between one of their ancestors and an Ayyad; they were seized, tattooed and confined to an Ayyad village for the rest of their lives. Sexual congress between Ayyad and non-Ayyad was punishable by death for the non-Ayyad, and for the Ayyad as well if it could be proven the Ayyad forced the other. Any child of such a union was killed by exposure to the elements. It was only female Ayyad who ever left the villages, with two exceptions.

Male Ayyad were kept completely cloistered and were not educated in much of anything beyond the ability to feed and dress themselves and do simple chores; they certainly never learned to read or write. Male Ayyad were considered breeding stock only, by female Ayyad; in truth, the records the Ayyad kept of bloodlines were akin to the records of horse-breeders. Sons were raised communally, rather than by their mothers, as daughters were. In fact, sons were never referred to as sons among the Ayyad; they were only referred to as “the male.”

The first exception to a male Ayyad being confined to the villages occurred when he reached about sixteen. At that point he would be hooded and transported inside a closed wagon to a distant village, thus never seeing anything outside the villages. There he was matched with one or more women who wished children. In his twenty-first year—or sooner if he showed signs of beginning to channel—the Ayyad male was once more hooded and taken away, believing that he was on his way to another village. Instead he was killed and the body cremated.

Most Sh’boan and Sh’botay lived through their seven-year reigns and died thereafter believing that it was “the Will of the Pattern,” but in truth the Ayyad killed the ruling Sh’boan or Sh’botay. The ruler was always surrounded by Ayyad women as servants, and the only way to approach the ruler, especially for a favor or ruling, was through these women, and the reply was usually delivered by them, as speech with the Sh’boan or Sh’botay was a very great honor. Some rulers failed to live the full seven years—such early death always taken as a sign of the Creator’s displeasure, resulting in penances served across the land by high and low—and it should be taken as a certainty that these men and women had discovered the truth, perhaps of why their reigns would last only seven years, perhaps of the fact that while they in fact wielded great power, the true control of the land was in the hands of the Ayyad, through the women surrounding the ruler.

Azereos, Master. An Illianer trader in Far Madding with a white beard and pointed nose. Rand eavesdropped on him at an inn called The Golden Wheel, while a Far Madding trader advised him not to move his trade to Lugard.

Azeri, Yurith. See Yurith Azeri

Azi al’Thone. A Two Rivers man in Perrin’s army. He sometimes acted as Perrin’s bodyguard and was with him at his Whitecloak trial. Azi was present when Perrin forged Mah’alleinir. He fought in the Last Battle, showing great skill with his bow.

Azil Mareed. The Domani High Captain of the Tower Guard and advisor to Marya Sedai on the decision-making council of the Grand Alliance during the Battle of the Shining Walls.

Azille Narof. An Aes Sedai who lived at the time of the formation of the White Tower.

Azril. A serving girl at an inn called Culain’s Hound, in Caemlyn. On Verin’s instructions, she took tea laced with brandy to the young women from the Two Rivers when they were frightened by Rand, after he was bonded by Alanna.

Azzara din Karak. A Sea Folk Windfinder with a strength level of 18(6). She accompanied Renaile to the Tarasin Palace, and then to the Kin’s farm. Because she was one of the strongest available among the remaining Windfinders in Ebou Dar, she observed the use of the Bowl of the Winds, then fled to Caemlyn with Elayne and her companions when the Seanchan attack was discovered.

Azzedin, Edesina. See Edesina Azzedin