Oath Rod
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A ter'angreal kept in the White Tower. It is used during the ceremony raising an Accepted to Aes Sedai to bind her to the three oaths. The oath rod appears to be what was known as a binding rod during the Age of Legends. Swearing on the oath rod causes a tightening of the skin which leads to the ageless appearance of Aes Sedai and also shortens the lifetime of a channeler.

Sammael found a second binding rod in a stasis box and gave it to Sevanna. It is now in the possession of Therava. The Oath Rod has a numeral three on it while the other binder bears the numerals one hundred eleven.

References (Possible Spoilers)#

  1. In New Spring
    1. NS,Ch11 - In the ceremony where Moiraine and Siuan are raised to the shawl, Aeldra Najaf, the Keeper of the Chronicles, holds the Oath Rod on a velvet pillow. Tamra Ospenya, the Amyrlin, hands the Oath Rod to Moiraine, then touches it with Spirit while Moiraine speaks the Three Oaths. Her skin tightens at each Oath. They repeat the ceremony with Siuan.
  2. In The Great Hunt
    1. TGH,Ch23 - Sheriam mentions the oath rod and the three oaths to Nynaeve during her Accepted test.
  3. In The Fires of Heaven
    1. TFoH,Ch54 - In Salidar, Faolain is raised above Accepted, but she is not full Aes Sedai because she has not sworn on the Oath Rod.
  4. In Lord of Chaos
    1. LoC,Ch39 - Romanda suggests Traveling to the White Tower to steal the Oath Rod and certain other items used in the Aes Sedai raising ceremony.
  5. In A Crown of Swords
    1. ACoS,Ch8 - Egwene does not understand why the Forsaken do not look ageless. This indicates that, despite being raised Amyrlin, she has not yet been told that swearing on the oath rod causes the ageless appearance of Aes Sedai.
    2. ACoS,Ch20 - Sammael offers to bring Sevanna a binder to control Aes Sedai.
    3. ACoS,Ch40 - Sammael gives Sevanna a binder, presumably from the *angreal stash in Ebou Dar.
  6. In The Path of Daggers
    1. TPoD,Ch11 - Sevanna intends to use the binder on Rand.
    2. TPoD,Ch11 - Galina notes that the binder has the numerals one hundred eleven on it. The Oath Rod in the White Tower has the numeral three.
    3. TPoD,Ch11 - The Wise Ones use the binder on Galina as she swears obedience to them. Therava takes the binder from Sevanna.
    4. TPoD,Ch26 - Seaine and Pevara discover that the Oath Rod can also be used to remove the oaths, but the experience is quite painful.
  7. In Winter's Heart
    1. WH,Prologue - Seaine, Seaine, Pevara, Doesine and Yukiri use the Chair of Remorse on Talene and force her to forswear her Black Ajah oaths on the Oath Rod. Then the force her to reswear the Three Oaths and an additional oath of obedience to them.
    2. WH,Ch4 - Galina learns Faile's identity and blackmails her into trying to steal the binder from Therava.
  8. In Crossroads of Twilight
    1. CoT,Ch16 - Egwene insists on acting as though she already swore on the Oath Rod.
    2. CoT,Ch17 - Egwene can hardly wait to hold the Oath Rod.
    3. CoT,Ch18 - Egwene plans to associate the Kin with the Aes Sedai. Aes Sedai can forswear the Oath Rod and retire into the Kin.
    4. CoT,Ch30 - Egwene proposes to Myrelle, Myrelle and Maigan that Aes Sedai be allowed to forswear the Oath Rod and retire to the Kin.
  9. In Knife of Dreams
    1. KoD,Prologue - Galina is focused on getting the binder. She wonders if the Oath Rod in the White Tower can undo her oaths sworn on the other binder.
    2. KoD,Ch5 - Theril steals the binder from Therava's tent and gives it to Faile. Therava is furious when it turns up missing.
    3. KoD,Ch28 - Faile gives the binder to Galina who repays her by trapping her and her friends in a collapsing building.
    4. KoD,Ch30 - Therava catches Galina trying to escape, takes the binder and tells her never to touch it again.
  10. In The Gathering Storm
    1. TGS,Ch39 - Verin wants to use the Oath Rod to remove her oaths, but it is missing. The Sitters have taken it again to prove out Nicola to use her as a messenger.
    2. TGS,Ch43 - Egwene retrieves the Oath Rod from the White Tower and swears the Three Oaths before the Sitters.
    3. TGS,Epilogue - In the Black Ajah purge, Egwene failed to identify Mesaana. She speculates that Mesaana knows how to beat the Oath Rod.
  11. In Towers of Midnight
    1. ToM,Ch5 - Among other One Power objects, Moridin has three binders.
    2. ToM,Ch14 - Egwene orders Elayne and Nynaeve to return to the White Tower to take the test for the shawl and swear on the Oath Rod. However, Elayne's pregnancy presents an unknown risk.
    3. ToM,Ch33 - Nynaeve swears her oaths on the Oath Rod.
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Copyright (c) 1998 by Gary Kephart