The Wheel of Time Companion

by Robert Jordan

  With the exception of the Sitter who was killed in the fighting, Seaine was the only Sitter excluded from the gathering of the Hall where Siuan Sanche was deposed who did not flee the Tower and join the rebels. She remained because she believed in the law and its forms. She would not have stood to depose Siuan—she had, after all, proposed Siuan for Amyrlin in the first place—but once it was done, with however small a nod to the law, she felt she had no choice but to remain. Elaida went to Seaine to have her get evidence that Alviarin was a traitor; Seaine misunderstood and thought that Elaida was charging her to find the Black Ajah. Elaida chose Seaine for the primary reason that no one would suspect Elaida of going to her because she had proposed Siuan for Amyrlin, and also because of her logical and deductive skills. Seaine went to Pevara to ask for help, which was given. Together they discovered the ferrets sent from Salidar and bound them to help in the search. Other Sitters—Yukiri, Saerin, Doesine and Talene—noticed them sneaking about and also became part of the search. Their first discovery was Talene, who helped them find other members of the Black. Seaine and Talene Minly had been friends despite Talene standing to depose Siuan; she accepted Talene’s reasons, though she didn’t agree with them. After Talene was revealed as Black Ajah, Seaine felt as though Talene being a Darkfriend meant their friendship was a lie and a betrayal; she knew that did not really make sense, but she could not shake the feeling. Seaine’s nose was a little out of joint over the new arrangements in the Black Ajah hunting group, though she told herself she was being illogical. She and Pevara had acted as co-equals, ignoring the strength difference between them because they were friends. With the advent of the others, though, the formal strictures of hierarchy took over. Saerin assumed leadership, and Pevara and the others accepted this, but Seaine couldn’t help thinking that it was she who was chosen for this task originally, and now she was outranked by just about everybody except the fifth column and their prisoner, Talene. Seaine and the rest continued their search until Verin’s notebook made it unnecessary; then she helped Egwene learn more about the Forsaken.

  She was part of the battle in Tel’aran’rhiod against some of the Black Ajah at the White Tower until she and others were taken out of the dream on Amys’ orders.

  After Taim was forced out of the Black Tower, Seaine went there to bond an Asha’man Warder.

  Sealbreaker. The name Gabrelle gave Logain, because he broke the seals on the Dark One’s prison during the Last Battle.

  Sealdre. An Aiel Wise One and dreamwalker at the time of the building of Rhuidean. She was married to Mandein and encouraged him to go to the Jenn Aiel in Rhuidean. She had long golden hair.

  Sealed to the Flame. A term referring to information that was kept secret from everyone but the Amyrlin and those with whom she chose to share it.

  Sealed to the Tower. A term referring to information that was kept secret from anyone outside the White Tower.

  Seana. A Wise One of the Black Cliff sept of the Nakai Aiel. She had gray-streaked dark hair and bluish-gray eyes. A dreamwalker who could not channel, she was killed by a Draghkar in the attack on Cold Rocks Hold.

  Seanchan. A land lying three thousand leagues west of the main continent, and its people. Its capital was Seandar, where the Court of the Nine Moons held the seat of the Empress or Emperor, the Crystal Throne. Its Imperial sigil was a golden hawk in flight, clutching three lightning bolts in its talons. The Imperial banner was white, bordered in royal blue, with the sigil in its center. If the Empress or Emperor was present, it was fringed in gold; if the heir to the throne was present, it was fringed in blue.

  In FY 992, Artur Hawkwing sent his son Luthair and another son across the Aryth Ocean with about two thousand ships and three hundred thousand soldiers and settlers. When they landed in Seanchan, they discovered a shifting quilt of nations often at war with one another, where Aes Sedai often reigned. Without any equivalent of the White Tower, Aes Sedai worked for their own individual goals, using the Power. Forming small groups, they schemed against one another constantly. In large part it was this constant scheming for personal advantage and the resulting wars among the myriad nations that allowed the armies from east of the Aryth Ocean to begin the conquest of an entire continent, and for their descendants to complete it. During this conquest, the descendants of the original armies became Seanchan as much as they conquered Seanchan.

  After Luthair received word of his father’s death and then nothing further, he planned to gather the might of his conquered nation and return to the mainland and reclaim his father’s empire. While it took more than eleven hundred years, in 998 NE, a force of Seanchan arrived with five hundred ships at Falme. They called themselves the Hailene, or the Forerunners; they planned to retake the continent if necessary for the Corenne, or the Return. Though they lost a battle at Falme, High Lady Suroth gathered the Hailene and took Tanchico and Ebou Dar; the Corenne, a fleet of thousands of ships and hundreds of thousands of soldiers, craftsmen and others, soon followed.

  Luthair was helped in his conquest of Seanchan also by the invention of the a’dam. Invented by Deain, one of the Aes Sedai, to curry favor with Luthair, it was used to subjugate and control the Aes Sedai, although it required sul’dam, women with the ability to learn to channel, to be used. That the sul’dam could learn to channel was suppressed and eventually forgotten. In time, all young women came to be tested for the ability to become damane or sul’dam; if she was the former, she was immediately collared and written out of family records and citizen rolls. If she was the latter, she gained prestige and honor.

  Damane were used in many facets of Seanchan life, including construction, warfare, the finding of ores, and even entertainment; they could produce a display called Sky Lights, which resembled a fireworks display, but which were thought by Seanchan to be superior. A man who could channel was immediately executed and his name removed from all records.

  From the time of Luthair’s conquest, the Seanchan were ruled by an emperor or empress. The throne on which the ruler sat, the Crystal Throne, was a ter’angreal causing anyone approaching to feel great awe and wonder; only the reigning monarch was ever allowed to sit on it. The Emperor or Empress encouraged potential heirs to contend for the throne, and would choose the child felt to be the strongest. Those contests were not limited to simply bettering one’s rivals at court; assassination was common. Empress Radhanan favored her daughter Tuon to succeed her; Tuon accompanied the Return. Semirhage killed the entire royal family remaining in Seanchan; Tuon became empress, taking the name Fortuona.

  The Empress or Emperor ruled with the help of a number of groups. The most honored were the Deathwatch Guards, who were the personal bodyguards of the Imperial family. Some Deathwatch Guards were human, and da’covale; the remainder were Ogier and were not owned. The Seekers for Truth were a police and spy organization; Seekers were property, but they held wide powers and could arrest anyone who did not answer their questions or cooperate with them. They held their prisoners in the Tower of Ravens. Listeners were secret spies for the Empress of Seanchan. They were always hidden, and had no authority whatsoever. Their duty was to report everything they saw, heard, or learned.

  The Seanchan symbol of justice was a slant-edged headsman’s axe, the haft of which was bound with intricate knots in a white silk rope. The axe itself was a method of execution for various high crimes, at least for commoners; for nobles guilty of certain crimes, the cord was used to strangle them. It was usually covered or carried in a black velvet bag; when the cord was exposed, justice was being dealt, or might be dealt. The bag itself was also a weighty symbol of justice within the Imperial family, within which justice for all others was contained. The method of execution for a member of the Imperial family was to be sealed within the bag and left to die.

  No one was allowed to go armed into the presence of a member of the Imperial family, or a High Lord or Lady, excepting only the Deathwatch Guard. By Seanchan law, no one’s hand might slay or shed the blood of one in whose veins flowed the
blood of Artur Hawkwing. This did not refer to the Blood in general; only to those who were descended from Hawkwing.

  Neither a damane nor a da’covale (other than a so’jhin) could give evidence, by law. As a practical matter, no charge or accusation made by a da’covale (other than a so’jhin) or a damane would be believed. So’jhin could give evidence and bring charges, as was necessary, since most of the bureaucracy of Seanchan was composed of so’jhin belonging to the Imperial Throne. The nobles of Seanchan, known as the Blood, were originally limited to those who were descendants of Luthair himself or members of his armies; over time it became possible for a commoner to be raised to the Blood. There were High Blood and low Blood; the top rank were the High Lords and High Ladies, who lacquered the first two fingernails of each hand. The next lower rank were simply called Lords or Ladies, though they were of the High Blood, and they lacquered just the nail of the forefinger on each hand. The third and fourth levels were also called Lords or Ladies, but the third level lacquered the last two fingernails of each hand, while the fourth and lowest lacquered only the nails of the little fingers. They were of the low Blood. The term “lesser Blood” was also used, and could be used by those who were High Lords or Ladies referring even to the second rank. Patience was a necessity for the Blood. Those who lacked it were likely to end in the Tower of Ravens. Like the children of the monarch, members of the Blood contested for honor, renown and riches.

  When Luthair arrived in Seanchan, he found a culture that bought and sold people as property. If he or his descendants ever tried to wipe out the practice, they did not succeed. The slaves were known as da’covale, Old Tongue for “those who are property,” or covale, “property.” A particular class of da’covale, so’jhin, were hereditary upper servants of the Blood. So’jhin had considerable status and in some positions could give orders to and have authority over free people.

  The Seanchan were very superstitious, by and large, believing in lucky amulets and that wearing certain stones and such things could give benefits. They believed in omens, that seeing certain things or certain things happening indicated good or bad luck coming, or perhaps a death or some other event. They also believed that damane could tell fortunes, which they called telling a fortune, or reading, or foretelling. This was a hold-over of the knowledge about Foretelling, which in fact did crop up in damane sometimes.

  When Luthair arrived in Seanchan, he found the natives using strange beasts that he and his forces believed at first to be Shadowspawn, but the animals had originally been brought to Seanchan from parallel worlds via Portal Stones. Corlm, grolm, lopar, raken, to’raken and torm were used by the armies that Luthair faced; as he conquered, he began using them as well. The animals each had handlers, called morat; a senior morat could become der’morat.

  See also a’dam, Corenne, corlm, da’covale, damane, Deathwatch Guards, grolm, Hailene, lopar, raken, so’jhin, to’raken and torm

  Seandar. The capital city of Seanchan. It was the largest city in the Empire.

  Sebban Balwer. An Amadician who was once publicly secretary to Pedron Niall and truly the spymaster of the Children of the Light. He was a dry little stick of a man, only about 5'6" tall, even without stooping; it seemed impossible that he could move without making dry, rustling noises, but in fact he moved very quietly in bird-like hopping motions. He was purse-mouthed. His face was narrow and pinched, and he had knobby shoulders and spindly legs that looked as if they might have snapped under his desiccated weight. He had bony fingers and narrow eyes; he tapped his lips in thought. Balwer had punctilious manners and mannerisms, folding his hands fussily, and dry-washing them when he thought he’d been insulted or underrated. Everything with him was dry and precise, even his smile. Niall thought that he believed in nothing—except possibly looking over other men’s shoulders—not even in the Dark One, and he certainly did not really believe that Aes Sedai were Darkfriend witches—but on the other hand, his information was never stained by what he knew had to be true and certainly not by what he wanted to be true. Balwer did not at all mind that Omerna was publicly believed to be the spymaster—he believed that a spymaster who was known was useless—but he disliked Niall getting communications from agents that did not go through him, and he disliked not knowing what was in them. Niall was quite right in believing that Balwer would serve anyone at all, but Balwer had an instinct for loyalty to his employer. He was suspicious of Niall’s death, and he aided the escape of Morgase and her companions mainly to deprive Valda of them, though he did think he might find some other way of using them to strike back at Valda and Asunawa.

  He became secretary (and de facto head of intelligence) to Faile and Perrin after meeting up with them, and was very helpful to Perrin, who knew that Balwer learned surprising things on his solitary forays. Balwer latched on to Faile and Perrin for very real reasons. Perrin was plainly a personal representative of the Dragon Reborn, and that connection was one worth cultivating. To Balwer, this was a new position where he could use his skills, though he revealed them cautiously. He was quite capable of offering as faithful a service to Perrin and Faile as he did to Niall.

  Perrin lent Balwer’s services to Rand, gathering intelligence on different groups, particularly Elayne’s people, prior to the meeting at the Field of Merrilor.

  Second. An hour denomination in the Tower, an hour or so after noonday.

  Second Covenant. See Compact of the Ten Nations

  Second-mother. See Aiel kinship

  second-sister. See Aiel kinship

  Sedar Cut. A place mentioned by Caldin, an Aiel; the attack on Rand by Whitecloaks reminded him of a time near Sedar Cut.

  Sedore Dajenna. A Tairen Aes Sedai of the Yellow Ajah publicly and of the Black Ajah in truth. She had a strength level of 19(7). Born in 813 NE, she went to the White Tower in 829 NE. After spending nine years as a novice and seven years as Accepted, she was raised to the shawl in 845 NE. About 5'5" tall, and plump but elegant, she had a pretty round face, dark eyes and long dark hair. She carried a frosty arrogance about her; in fact, in Elaida’s opinion, she was one of the most arrogant of all among the sisters. She was raised Sitter for the Yellow in 961 NE and stood to depose Siuan Sanche, one of only eleven needed to give the greater consensus under the circumstances. She sat on the Supreme Council of the Black Ajah, but did not know that Alviarin was Black Ajah. The mention of forkroot unsettled her enough to make her swallow, and Elaida also made her very nervous. She served as a Sitter until she fled the Tower when members of the Black Ajah were revealed by Verin.

  She was killed in Tel’aran’rhiod by Egwene.

  Sedrin. A highwalker in Valan Luca’s circus. He got drunk and died in a fall.

  Sedrin. An infant born near Dragonmount, the son of Lady Meri do Ahlan a’Conlin of Murandy. She intended to frame his bounty from the White Tower so that he would know that he had been honored by Aes Sedai.

  Seed. An object necessary for creating an angreal.

  seed singing. A technique used by a team of Ogier, Nym and Da’shain Aiel in cultivating crops during the Age of Legends to ensure perfect growth. It employed the One Power. Aiel boys could take part when their voices were deep enough, around the age of sixteen. Aiel men and Ogier surrounded a field and commenced singing, and female Aiel clapped as their menfolk sang; then a Nym would appear, surrounded by butterflies, plants such as zemai sprouting in his footsteps. He danced and wove the song into the soil and around the seeds, causing them to sprout. Seed-sung plants grew very high and were untouched by blight and insects.

  Seeker. The term used for the leader of a Tuatha’an caravan; in the Old Tongue the word was “Mahdi.”

  Seekers for Truth. A Seanchan police and spy organization charged with Imperial security. They hunted out Darkfriends, acted as secret police and rooted out treasonous behavior, often using torture. Most were da’covale and property of the Imperial throne; as such, most were marked on either shoulder with a raven and a tower. Their headquarters was the Tower of Ravens. Seekers wer
e subject to few limits, even with the Blood, since they reported to the Empress. As identification, they carried an ivory plaque, worked with the Raven and the Tower. Seekers developed informants wherever they operated, which disturbed the bureaucracy controlling the Listeners, as they wanted to be the Seekers’ sole source for that sort of data. The Seekers, on the other hand, wanted actual control of the Listener bureaucracy. Anyone and everyone was required to cooperate with a Seeker who identified himself, and this cooperation was carried to complete obedience. For instance, if a Seeker told one to wait while he went for rope to bind the person, failing to do so would be a crime, and most Seanchan would indeed wait. For that matter, if the Seeker told one to go somewhere and bring the rope for one’s binding, the person would be expected to do that, too, and just as few Seanchan would disobey.

  The penalty for a Seeker using his or her powers in any personal way or for any personal advantage whatsoever was death, and a very unpleasant one. Their services belonged to the Empress, not to themselves.

  Sefela. An Aiel woman of Far Dareis Mai who went to the Stone of Tear. Aviendha told Egwene that Sefela could take her to Rhuidean.

  segade. A spiny, fat, leafless leathery plant with large white blossoms found in the Waste. Its flower was used in Aiel bridal wreaths to signify the bride’s prickly nature and intention to stay that way.