The Wheel of Time Companion
Page 78
Norlea. A Wise One of the Shaido Aiel with the ability to channel. About 5'7" tall, sharp-nosed and almost as hard as Therava, Norlea was one of Sevanna’s inner circle of plotters. She accompanied Sevanna to the Aes Sedai camp the day she saw Rand beaten and took part in or at least was present at the murder of Desaine. She was with Therava at Dumai’s Wells, and went with her back to the Three-fold Land after the Shaido rout at Malden.
Norlesh. An Aiel woman who was the wife of Metalan; they had five children; three had died earlier. Metalan tried to trade gems for food with outlanders, but the Raven Empress had forbidden trade with Aiel. A fourth child, Garlvan, died in Norlesh’s arms soon after his failure to trade. They were seen in Aviendha’s viewings of the future in Rhuidean.
Norley, Dafid. See Dafid Norley
Norodim Nosokawa. A leader who tried to seize Hawkwing’s empire after his death. He was the second leader that Jalwin Moerad, Hawkwing’s advisor, advised shortly after Hawkwing’s death. Norodim was one of the three who came closest to seizing all of Hawkwing’s empire; he died in battle.
Norowhin. A young officer in the Children of the Light who commanded Morgase’s Whitecloak guards in Amadicia. Lanky and tall with a sunburned face, hard eyes and a thrusting nose, he was cold toward Morgase, and usually laconic.
Norry, Halwin. See Halwin Norry
Norsish, Jamilila. See Jamilila Norsish
Norsoni, Ayako. See Ayako Norsoni
North Road. The road to Taren Ferry and Watch Hill north of Emond’s Field; it became the Old Road to the south.
Northan, House. A noble House in Andor. Its High Seat was Conail; its sign was three black eagles: the Eagles, or the Black Eagles.
Northan, Conail. See Conail Northan
Northern Star, Causeway of the. A wide, packed-dirt road, broken by flat stone bridges, leading directly north from Illian through the marshes that surrounded the city.
Northharbor. An anchorage on the River Erinin at Tar Valon. There the city walls curved out into the river and made a ring nearly a mile across, broken only by the harbor mouth. Wooden-roofed docks, where riverships of every size moored, lined the inside of that huge ring. Egwene was captured there by Aes Sedai while making a cuendillar chain across the harbor entrance.
Norwelyn. A major noble House in Andor. Its High Seat was Lord Luan; its sign the Silver Salmon, sometimes called “the Fish,” by men of House Norwelyn. See also Luan Norwelyn
Nosane iro gavane domorakoshi, Diynen’d’ma’purvene? Old Tongue for “Speak we what language, Sounder of the Horn?”
Nosar, Coerid. A king of Almoren, one of the Ten Nations, and one of the signers of the Compact of the Ten Nations.
Noselle, Tiana. See Tiana Noselle
Nosinda. A Wise One of the Shaido Aiel. One of Sevanna’s inner circle of plotters, she took part in or at least was present at the murder of Desaine. She was with Therava at Dumai’s Wells.
Nosokawa, Norodim. See Norodim Nosokawa
Notasha. An Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah and the loyalist contingent who wanted to wrest control from Saerin during the Seanchan attack on the White Tower.
Notdead. See Gray Man
Nothish, Faverde. A wiry member of the Seanchan Blood. He attended Tuon’s first audience in Ebou Dar after she returned from traveling with Mat.
Notori. A member of the Black Ajah who was killed by Nynaeve in the battle at the White Tower in Tel’aran’rhiod.
Novares, Istaban. One of the founders of Tear.
novice. The lowest level of initiates of the White Tower. The average novice studied for ten years before passing the test to be raised Accepted.
Novice classroom lessons were broken into two blocks each day. The first ran from breakfast to High, and the second from supper to Trine. The hours between were given to chores, supervised studies, being tutored and, very occasionally, free time.
A freeday was a holiday where there were no classes or lessons, and no chores except those which had been given in punishment, and even those could be set aside. There was no set period for freedays; they were proclaimed as the Mistress of Novices thought necessary, but not very often, as the novices saw it. In the first thirteen weeks (130 days) that Nynaeve and Egwene were in the White Tower, there were three freedays.
Once a girl had been tested to become a novice, it was too late for her to refuse. Once training had begun, it had to go on. One could say that the test itself, if successful, opened a pathway, or perhaps ignited the spark that was not glowing when she was born; the girl began to touch the Source after that, and the touching continued thereafter whether there was training or not, so for safety’s sake, the training had to be completed. Aes Sedai had always used this fact to help hold on to girls who did pass; once they had passed the test, it was not safe for them to go back out in the world until they had been trained; by the time they were trained enough to be safe, if they had the ability to go on, they had been put so firmly on the path that they rarely thought of trying to leave it. There were runaways, of course, but few made it off the island of Tar Valon; they were pursued vigorously, and they were almost always caught. Most of those who did make it off were assisted by the Kin.
Weaves were often demonstrated for teaching purposes at a strength too low to be effective, simply to show the flows necessary and the manner of weaving them together. Channeling to do an assigned chore was forbidden, for the Tower held that physical labor built character. Novices were forbidden to try any weave until it had been demonstrated to them and the teaching sister was satisfied, after seeing the novice do the weave at a very low strength, below the level of effectiveness, that the novice had the weaves properly in hand. Thus, no experimentation of any sort was allowed for novices.
Aes Sedai considered unsupervised channeling for novices dangerous, as it very certainly was, and thus it was forbidden. Channeling too much or too often was also dangerous, and novices were always closely supervised when channeling.
Noy Torvald. A man in Mardecin, Amadicia, who lost everything in the collapse of trade with Tarabon and ended up doing odd jobs for Widow Teran. Nynaeve and Elayne used Noy’s old coach in their escape from Ronde Macura.
Nubei Peldovni. An Arafellin Aes Sedai of the White Ajah and the loyalist contingent. Part of the expedition to kidnap Rand, she escaped Dumai’s Wells with Covarla Baldene and went to Dorlan.
Nuhel Dromand. One of Myrelle’s Warders, an Illianer with a thick Illianer accent. A dark bear of a man, tall and wide, with hair to his shoulders and a short beard that left his upper lip bare, his flowing Warder movement seemed odd on him. He was one of the Warders Myrelle saved after his first Aes Sedai died.
Nuli. Rand’s alias when he visited the Royal Palace of Andor and was bonded by Elayne, Min and Aviendha and slept with Elayne.
Numbers of Chaos. A body of knowledge from Ages past required to build the Portal Stones; part of this process consisted of laying the Lines that join the Worlds That Might Be.
Nurbaya, Chisaine. See Chisaine Nurbaya
Nurelle, Havien. See Havien Nurelle
Nurshang, Stedding. A stedding located between Kinslayer’s Dagger and Shienar.
Nus, Jerum. See Jerum Nus
Nyein Kalede. An Atha’an Miere Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah and the loyalist contingent. Outwardly, she was a shy, withdrawn woman. She had a very dark complexion, black hair and dark eyes and never wore any jewelry other than her Great Serpent ring; this was always the case with sisters from the Atha’an Miere. Like all Sea Folk sisters, Nyein presented herself at the White Tower as a wilder, so that she would not have to pretend that she did not know how to channel at all. Like all Sea Folk sisters, Nyein was older than her stated age on going to the White Tower. She claimed to be eighteen years old when she went to the Tower, but in fact, although she had slowed at nineteen, she was already twenty-six years old. Zemaille, Aiden and Nyein shared rooms in the upper levels of the Library and spent most of their time either there or in the Thirteenth Depository, where they worked.
Nynaeve al’Meara. The Wisdom of Emond’s Field who became Aes Sedai; el’Nynaeve was her title as Queen of Malkier, and she became Nynaeve ti al’Meara Mandragoran after her marriage to Lan. She was born in 974 NE. Her strength level was 4(+9), with a potential of 3(+10). Nynaeve was about 5'4" tall, with big dark eyes (though not so big as Egwene’s) and dark hair which she normally wore in a braid as thick as a man’s wrist which hung to her waist. She was undeniably pretty, and some thought her beautiful. Nynaeve had a small scar front and back of each hand, precisely centered, caused by blackthorns when she was with Lan in the ter’angreal during her Accepted test; these were Healed by Sheriam, who was surprised that scars remained. She appeared younger than she was, because she slowed at twenty and didn’t age appreciably afterward.
She had a strong temper, and she did not suffer fools gladly. She had the habit of self-delusion to a strong degree; if she fell in the mud, she’d try to claim it was on purpose, at least if anyone saw her, or at least that it wasn’t her fault. She had a habit of tugging at her braid when she was angry. She cared very deeply about her responsibilities, even responsibilities no one else thought she had; this was not so much a matter of trying to take charge, though she certainly did that fairly often, but of seeing herself as having the responsibility that things went well for those she felt she should take care of, whether the villagers from Emond’s Field or anyone else. As a married woman, and married to a Malkieri, she wore a red dot, the ki’sain, on her forehead. Elayne and Nynaeve had decidedly different command styles, but both women, after they were in charge, expected those under them to do as they were told; Nynaeve was much less likely to give explanations or try to convince anyone.
Nynaeve wanted to be a Wisdom from the time she was little, and above all, to heal people. Her first experience with the Power was in Healing Egwene unknowingly. Egwene was desperately ill and the old Wisdom said or intimated that there was nothing more to do. Nynaeve was afraid she would die, and deeply wanted her to live. When the Wisdom returned, Egwene was completely well. A week later, Nynaeve fell to the floor, shaking and burning up by turns. Nynaeve’s ability with Healing was little short of miraculous, but her ability with almost anything else was dismal.
Nynaeve left the Two Rivers pursuing Moiraine and the young folks, caught them at Baerlon, accompanied them all to Caemlyn, then via the Ways to Fal Dara and so to the Eye of the World. From Shienar she went downriver to the White Tower. Nynaeve was offered the opportunity to go straight to Accepted, an unheard of proposition. It was made clear to Nynaeve that she did not have to choose to try for Accepted right away, but the life of a novice was also painted to her in terms that ensured she would take the unprecedented offer.
She was winkled out of the White Tower by Liandrin, taken via the Ways to Toman Head and escaped being handed over to the Seanchan. She helped in the rescue of Egwene at Falme, then returned to the White Tower, which she left hunting Liandrin and the other Black Ajah, going to Tear with Elayne and Egwene, and was captured by Black Ajah, then rescued by Mat. Nynaeve then went from Tear to Tanchico by Sea Folk ship; from Tanchico to Sienda, near Amador, by wagon; from Sienda to Samara with Valan Luca’s circus; from Samara to Salidar by rivership; from Salidar to several days from Ebou Dar via Traveling; and from the Tarasin Palace to the Kin’s farm outside the city by Traveling, and from there to somewhere in Andor when the Seanchan took Ebou Dar. Meanwhile, she Healed Logain of his gentling, and Siuan and Leane of their stilling, was raised Aes Sedai by Egwene and became part of the Yellow Ajah. She overcame her block to channeling at will following an attack by Moghedien, and she married Lan. She traveled with a party to Caemlyn where she reconnected with Rand and agreed to help him cleanse the taint on saidin at Shadar Logoth.
When she and Lan left Caemlyn with Rand and Min, Nynaeve took a box full of jewelry from a cache found in Ebou Dar; the jewelry was much like the set worn by Cadsuane, minus the shield; it was to be worn by someone who expected to be attacked by someone using the Power. Alivia wore the jewelry during the cleansing at Shadar Logoth.
Nynaeve agreed to help Lan by taking him to the Borderlands to fight Shadowspawn, but she took him to World’s End in Saldaea, giving her time to spread the word about his quest as he rode toward Tarwin’s Gap.
She rejoined Rand and supported him in the approach to the Last Battle. During the Last Battle Nynaeve entered the Pit of Doom with Rand at Shayol Ghul, and reunited with Lan in the aftermath of hostilities.
Nyram, Beldeine. See Beldeine Nyram
O
Oak and Thorn, The. An inn in Amador. In Paitr Conel’s plan to free Morgase from Amador, Tallanvor was to leave his sword behind and go to The Oak and Thorn to await the others.
Oak Dancer. A female wolf in the wolf dream that led a pack of about twelve including Whisperer, Morninglight, Sparks and Boundless. She got her name from the way she scampered between saplings as a whelp. Her pelt was very light, almost white, with a streak of black running along her right side. Oak Dancer invited Perrin to hunt with her pack, and helped Hopper teach Perrin how to follow someone in the wolf dream. She mourned when Slayer killed Morninglight. Oak Dancer, Sparks, Whisperer and Boundless were trapped in the violet dome created by the dreamspike; Perrin and Hopper went to rescue them, but Slayer killed Whisperer and wounded Sparks. All of the wolves of the pack except Oak Dancer, Sparks and Boundless went north to join the other wolves; those three stayed to help Perrin find the dreamspike. Sparks did find it, but only after Oak Dancer was killed by Slayer.
Oak Water. A village five miles east of Renald Fanwar’s farm in the Borderlands.
Oarsman’s Pride, The. An inn in Ebou Dar. After using Compulsion on the innkeeper, Moghedien balefired Nynaeve’s boat from its roof.
oath, strongest. “By the Light and by my hope of salvation and rebirth”—used by Siuan, Min and Leane to Gareth Bryne in Kore Springs.
Oath Rod. A ter’angreal used by the White Tower to bind an Accepted to the Three Oaths on becoming Aes Sedai. A smooth white rod about as thick as a woman’s wrist or a little slimmer, and approximately one foot long, it looked like ivory, but felt smoother, not quite like ivory, not quite like glass, and was very cool to the touch; not cold, but distinctly cool. It was very hard, harder than a steel bar, though no heavier than the ivory it appeared to be, and was unmarked except for a flowing symbol incised in one end; this was a numeral, as used in the Age of Legends, and represented the number three. Some thought the numeral stood for the Three Oaths. The rod was simply held in the hand while a little Spirit was channeled into the numeral. Whatever was promised, even if not in the form of an oath, was then binding on the person holding the rod until they were released.
The Oath Rod was a relic of the Age of Legends, although the Aes Sedai of the Third Age did not know that. Binders, as they were called then, were used in the Age of Legends to bind people who were incorrigibly violent, because of personality flaws or madness. If the person being bound could not channel, an Aes Sedai had to power it, but the effect was the same. The older one was when bound, the more it restricted. That is one reason it was used relatively seldom and only if nothing else would work. It was used instead of a death penalty, too—though in a way, in the terms of the Age, it was a death penalty—to bind someone not only not to commit their crime again but to spend the rest of their lives, if necessary, making restitution.
There was a perception of pressure with each oath taken; this pressure was uncomfortable at first, as though one was wearing a garment that covered one from the top of one’s head to the soles of one’s feet and was too small, or as if one’s skin was too tight. This pressure faded over a period of months, usually taking about a year to vanish entirely, but while it e
xisted, it seemed quite real, and in a way was quite real. That is, an injury or bruise taken while the pressure existed would hurt more, just as if there really was pressure on it. It was the cumulative effect of three oaths taken together that produced the strong feeling of one’s skin being too tight. One oath by itself would produce some of the same effect, but not quite as intense and not lasting so long. If oaths were removed and then retaken, the physical effect was the same as for taking them for the first time. Swearing again to an oath already taken and not removed produced only a momentary feel of pressure which faded immediately.
It was the Three Oaths, taken on the Oath Rod, which actually produced the ageless look of Aes Sedai. The ageless look did not come on immediately. Its progression was only very roughly in proportion to strength in the Power, with considerable variation among people of the same strength. For someone who was very strong, it would take at least a year, and as much as three or four was not at all uncommon. The average Aes Sedai took five or so years, while the weakest to reach the shawl could take as long as ten or more.
It was possible to be broken free of the oaths with the use of the Oath Rod. This was a very painful process, which had various side effects, most if not all temporary, but all unpleasant in one way or another. They included temporary physical weakness and loss of will, a temporary inability to channel and considerable pain. Being released from one oath was very painful; being released from all three at one time was agonizing. This breaking was done by the Black Ajah prior to inducting a woman into their ranks, and the Oath Rod was also used by them to bind themselves to their own three oaths. Being stilled or burned out also removed oaths sworn, although that fact was not generally known.