General term used for supporters of the Dragon Reborn, usually by those who either oppose him or at least think to remain neutral. In fact, many given that name have never sworn any sort of oath, and it is frequently applied to brigands as well, some of whom claim the name in the hope that it will quell resistance. A great many atrocities have been committed by people claiming to be Dragonsworn.
Ebou Dar:
The capital city of Altara. One of the great ports, and a city with many odd customs for an outsider to assimilate. See also Altara.
Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan (eh-LY-da doh AHV-rih-nee ah-ROY-han):
An Aes Sedai, formerly of the Red Ajah, now raised to the Amyrlin Seat, though opposed by another claiming that title. Once advisor to Queen Morgase of Andor. She sometimes has the Foretelling.
Flame of Tar Valon:
Symbol of Tar Valon, the Amyrlin Seat, and the Aes Sedai. A stylized representation of a flame; a white teardrop, point upward.
Forsaken, the:
Name given to thirteen of the most powerful Aes Sedai of the Age of Legends, thus among the most powerful ever known, who went over to the Dark One during the War of the Shadow in return for the promise of immortality and were imprisoned along with the Dark One when his prison was resealed. Their own name for themselves was "the Chosen." The names given to them are still used to frighten children. They were: Aginor (AGH-ih-nohr), Asmodean (ahs-MOH-dee-an), Balthamel (BAAL-thah-mell), Be'lal (BEH-lahl), Demandred (DEE-man-drehd), Graendal (GREHN-dahl), Ishamael (ih-SHAH-may-EHL), Lan-fear (LAN-feer), Mesaana (meh-SAH-nah), Moghedien (moh-GHEH-dee-ehn), Rahvin (RAAV-ihn), Sam-mael (SAHM-may-EHL), and Semirhage (SEH-mih-RHAHG). It is believed by those with some current knowledge that only Demandred and Sammael survive among the men, and only Graendal, Mesaana, Moghedien and Semirhage among the women. A number of strange encounters, however, suggest the possibility either that several new Chosen have been selected by the Dark One or that Lord of the Grave has in some cases, reached beyond death.
Gaidin (GYE-deen):
In the Old Tongue, "Brother to Battles." A title used by Aes Sedai for the Warders. See also Warder.
gai'shain (GYE-shain):
In the Old Tongue, "Pledged to Peace in Battle" is as close a translation as is possible. An Aiel taken prisoner by other Aiel during raid or battle is required by ji'e'toh to serve his or her captor humbly and obediently for one year and a day, touching no weapon and doing no violence. A Wise One, a blacksmith, a child, or a woman with a child under the age of ten may not be made gai'shain. Since the revelation that the ancestors of the Aiel were in fact pacifist followers of the Way of the Leaf, a good many gai'shain refuse to put off white when their time ends. Additionally, although by tradition as strong as law no one who does not follow ji'e'toh can be made gai'shain, the Shaido Aiel have begun putting Cairhienin and other prisoners into gai'shain robes, and many have come to believe that since these people do not follow ji'e'toh, there is no need to release them at the end of the year and a day.
Gawyn (GAH-wihn) of House Trakand (trah-KAND):
Queen Morgase's son, and Elayne's brother, who will be First Prince of the Sword when Elayne ascends to the throne. Half-brother to Galad Damodred. A man caught in more than one cleft stick; he despises Aes Sedai yet has sworn to serve them, and he hates Rand al'Thor yet has sworn not to raise a hand against him, all because he loves Egwene al'Vere beyond reason. He does not know that Egwene herself has not only become Aes Sedai, but the Amyrlin Seat opposing the Amyrlin he recognizes. His sign is a white boar.
gentling:
The removal of a man's ability to channel. Considered necessary by most people because any man who channels will go insane from the taint on saidin and almost certainly commit atrocities with the Power in his madness before the taint kills him. One who has been gentled can still sense the True Source, but cannot touch it. Whatever madness has come before gentling is arrested but not cured, and if it is done soon enough, the rotting death brought by the taint can be averted. A man who is gentled, however, inevitably stops wanting to live; those who do not succeed in committing suicide usually die anyway within a year or two. Once believed permanent, gentling is now known by some to be susceptible to a highly specialized form of Healing. See also stilling.
Great Lord of the Dark:
Name by which Darkfriends refer to the Dark One, claiming that to speak his true name would be blasphemous.
Hall of the Tower, the:
The legislative body of the Aes Sedai, traditionally consisting of three Sitters in the Hall from each of the seven Ajahs. At present, there is a Hall sitting in the White Tower, which contains no Sitters for the Blue, and a Hall among those Aes Sedai who oppose Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan. This rebel Hall contains no Red Sitters. While the Amyrlin Seat is by law the absolute power in the White Tower, in fact her power has always depended on how well she could lead, manage or intimidate the Hall, as there are many ways that the Hall can balk any Amyrlin's plans. There are two levels of agreement that may be required for items to pass the Hall, the lesser consensus and the greater consensus. The greater consensus requires that every sister who is present must stand, and that a minimum of eleven Sitters be present; the presence of at least one Sitter from each Ajah is also required, except when the matter before the Hall is the removal of an Amyrlin or Keeper, in which case the Ajah from which she was raised will not be informed of the vote until after it has been taken. The lesser consensus also requires a quorum of eleven Sitters, but only two-thirds of those present need stand for an item to pass. Another difference is that there is no requirement for all Ajahs to be represented in the lesser consensus except in the case of a declaration of war by the White Tower, one of several matters left to the lesser consensus which many might think would require the greater. The Amyrlin Seat ma
y call for any Sitter to resign her chair, or indeed for all to, and that call must be heeded. This is seldom done, however, as nothing stops an Ajah from returning the same Sitter or Sitters except a custom that sisters not serve again in the Hall after leaving it. As an indication of how serious such a call for a mass resignation would be, it is reliably believed that it has happened exactly four times in the more than three-thousand-year history of the White Tower, and that while two of those resulted in the selection of an entirely, or nearly, new Hall, the other two resulted in the resignation and exile of the Amyrlin involved.
Horn of Valere (vah-LEER):
The legendary object of the Great Hunt of the Horn, it can call back dead heroes from the grave to fight against the Shadow. A new Hunt of the Horn has been called, and sworn Hunters for the Horn can now be found in many nations. Few even among Aes Sedai know that the Horn has actually been found and used, or that it is now hidden in the White Tower.
Illian (IHL-lee-an):
A great port on the Sea of Storms, capital city of the nation of the same name. An ancient enemy of Tear. The banner of Illian is nine golden bees on a field of green.
Juilin Sandar (JUY-Iihn sahn-DAHR):
A thief-catcher from Tear. A man in love with perhaps the very last woman he would ever have thought he could be.
length, units of:
10 inches =1 foot; 3 feet =1 pace; 2 paces =1 span; 1000 spans =1 mile; 4 miles =1 league.