Aes Sedai
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Pronouncation: EYEZ seh-DEYE

"Servant to All" in the Old Tongue

Wielders of the One Power. Their organization is headquartered in the White Tower in the city of Tar Valon. Aes Sedai live much longer than ordinary people, sometimes as much as three hundred years. Among Aes Sedai, speaking of age is considered extremely rude. Aes Sedai are known for their look of agelessness. Weaker sisters defer to stronger sisters and must obey them if they are much stronger. Other factors in order of precedence are time in training and age.

Trainees, girls usually in their mid-teens, enter the White Tower as novices. After extensive training they are raised to Accepted. After even more extensive training they are raised to Aes Sedai.

Upon being raised to the shawl, Aes Sedai swear three oaths on the Oath Rod which binds them to the oaths:

  1. To speak no word that is not true.
  2. To make no weapon for one man to kill another.
  3. Never to use the One Power as a weapon except against Darkfriends or Shadowspawn, or in the last extreme of defending your own life, that of your Warder, or that of another sister.

Most Aes Sedai bond men as Warders. Warders provide physical protection and the bond provides additional mutual benefits.

Amrylin Seat#

Pronunciation: AHM-ehr-lihn SEAT

The leader of the Aes Sedai, she is elected for life by the Hall of the Tower. She has almost supreme authority among the Aes Sedai. She forsakes her Ajah and is considered to be of all Ajahs and of none. A list of all the Amyrlin Seats of the New Era, their Ajahs and years of reign can be found in the Guide, page 216.

Recent Amyrlin Seats

Keeper of the Chronicles#

Second in authority to the Amyrlin Seat, she also acts as secretary to the Amyrlin. She is chosen by the Amyrlin, usually from the same Ajah as the Amyrlin.

Recent Keepers of the Chronicles

Mistress of Novices#

The Aes Sedai in charge of training and discipline for novices and Accepted.

Recent Mistresses of Novices

Hall of the Tower#

The governing body of the Aes Sedai. It comprises three Sitters from each Ajah who are elected by their Ajah. Since the split, the White Tower and Salidar factions each has their own Hall.

Ajahs#

Pronuncation: AH-jah

All Aes Sedai except the Amrylin Seat belong to an Ajah. Each follows a specific philosophy of the use of the One Power and the purposes of the Aes Sedai. There are seven official Ajahs, each designated by a color. The eighth, unofficial Ajah, is the Black Ajah.

Each Ajah has its own organization and communications network including a spy network called the eyes-and-ears. Curiously, the head of each Ajah is a closely guarded secret within the Ajah and the Ajah head is typically not a Sitter.

  1. Blue Ajah
  2. Red Ajah
  3. White Ajah
  4. Green Ajah
  5. Brown Ajah
  6. Yellow Ajah
  7. Gray Ajah
  8. Black Ajah

Named Aes Sedai of Undetermined Ajah#

Lists#

Aes Sedai at Fal Dara (The Great Hunt,ch2)#

Black Ajah Who Flee with Liandrin (The Dragon Reborn,Ch13)#

Aes Sedai Who Healed Mat (The Dragon Reborn,Ch18)#

Salidar Embassy to Rand(info)#

White Tower Embassy to Rand(info)#

References#

Copyright (c) 1998 by Gary Kephart