[Image description: the upper halves of wine bottles, two white and one red. One white wine bottle has text overlaid that reads “Daigian Moseneillin”, the other white wine bottle says “Saroiya Farseen”. The red bottle says “Teslyn Baradon”.]
Teslyn Baradon - An Illianer Red. Strong and surprisingly balanced, she is open-minded and works quite well with Mat Cauthon, who we would normally recommend against pairing with any Aes Sedai. She also avoids the smoke taint of the Vileness and the spoilage of the Black Ajah. She is not quite as unknown as our other choices, but is still underrated compared to the more famous and popular reds such as Pevara or Silviana.
Daigian Moseneillin - A Cairhienian White from a lesser noble House. While objectively very weak, which is why she is often overlooked, she compensates with subtle flavor and impeccable logic. She bonded Eben Hopwil, a young Asha'man who was also perhaps unfairly underrated, per Jahar Narishma; this was definitely a pairing to keep an eye on, and Eben's death was a major loss. Still, this White is worth a second look.
Saroiya Farseen - A White from the Arad Doman region. She has a sharp and mineral character, and some have gone as far to describe her as 'blocky'. Unusually dramatic and expressive, especially for a White, you may find her in a shouting match over bonding Asha'man or revealing Egwene's strategic acumen to a horrified Hall of the Tower. Myrelle suggests pairing this White with fish, specifically bathtub-fresh trout.
I was looking up various Sitters in the Companion, wondering how many of the Sitters during New Spring were still around 20 years later.
This is a list sorted by Ajah, with the year(s) they became a Sitter, whether they went to Salidar or stayed in the Tower (ie. were a rebel or a loyalist) and any other relevant info.
^ Sitter when Moiraine and Siuan were raised in 978 NE
% Sitter when Siuan was raised to the Amyrlin Seat in 988 NE
# One of the eleven who stood to depose Siuan
+ Sitter after the Tower was reunited
Blue
Anlee - ?; “Sitter for the Blue at the time of the Aiel War” ^ *
Eadyth - ?; “Sitter for the Blue [...] when Moiraine and Siuan were raised” ^ *
Lelaine Akashi - 962, went to Salidar ^ % +
Lyrelle Arienwin - 995, went to Salidar; went to the Black Tower in 1000
Moria Karentanis - 999, in Salidar; Black Ajah, “stilled and beheaded” in TGS
* Anlee and Eadyth both appear in New Spring. No confirmation if either were still around when Siuan became Amyrlin. Also, a Blue Sitter was “killed in the fighting when Siuan was deposed” (WOT Companion). This could have been one of them.
Brown
Saerin Asnobar - 960, stayed in Tower ^ % # +
Janya Frende - 993, went to Salidar +
Takima Deraighdin - 991, went to Salidar +
Escaralde Hamday - 999, in Salidar
Juilaine Madome - 999, in Tower
Shevan Gadarin - 999-1000, in Tower
Gray
Jarna Malari - ?, Sitter during NS; Black Ajah, killed by Ishamael in 983 ^
Yukiri Haruna - ?, stood to depose Siuan, stayed in Tower * # +
Varilin Zanaire - 992, went to Salidar +
Evanellein Lorn - 997, stayed in Tower; Black Ajah, killed in TOM #
Delana Mosalaine - 999, in Salidar; Black Ajah; fled in KOD, killed in TOM
Kwamesa Taramasu - 999, in Salidar
Andaya Forae - 999, in Tower +
Naorisa Cambral - 1000, in Salidar, chosen to replace Delana
* Yukiri was raised to the shawl in 867 and would have been an Aes Sedai for 111 years in 978, so she could have been a Sitter then. It’s likely she was one in 988.
Green
Faiselle Darone - 981, went to Salidar % +
Rubinde - 992, stayed in Tower # +
Talene Minly - 994, stayed in Tower; Black Ajah, fled in KOD #
Joline Maza - 999, in Tower; set penance by Elaida, and then “unchaired”
Samalin Naerodan - 999, in Salidar
Malind Nachenin - 999, in Salidar
Farnah - 1000, in Tower, chosen to replace Talene +
Red
Duhara Basaheen - 929-953; Keeper 979-984; 999, in Tower to replace Teslyn; sent to Caemlyn to advise Elayne in 1000; Black Ajah, killed in AMOL
Lirene Doirellin - 953, resigned / exiled in 985 ^
Toveine Gazal - 952, resigned / exiled in 985 ^
Tsutama Rath - 964, resigned / exiled in 985 ^
Amira Moselle - became Mistress of Novices during NS and a Sitter later (985?); stepped down when Elaida returned to the Tower in 998 *
Javindhra Doraille - 985; went to Black Tower in KOD % #
Pevara Tazanovni - 985; went to the Black Tower in KOD % #
Teslyn Baradon - 985, stayed in Tower; forced to resign in 999 % **
Elaida a'Roihan - 998; became Amyrlin in 999 *
Barasine - 1000, to replace Duhara +
Raechin Connoral - 10000, to replace Pevara or Javindhra +
Viria Connoral - 10000, to replace Pevara or Javindhra +
* Too many Sitters! If Javindhra, Pevara and Teslyn all became Sitters in 985, how could Amira step aside for Elaida? Either that didn’t happen - it seems to be mentioned only in Amira’s entry in the Companion and in a Q&A, not Elaida’s entry nor in any of the novels - or else Javindhra only became a Sitter when she replaced Elaida.
** The Companion doesn’t say Teslyn stood to depose Siuan but surely she did, because she’s Red and there’s no one else who could have.
EDIT for clarification: All the other Sitters are accounted for as having stood or not having been present. There’s also a line in ACOS about how Teslyn “supported [Elaida’s] rise”.
White
Velina Behar - 974, stayed in Tower; Black Ajah, fled in TGS ^ % #
Ferane Neheran - 981-992; 999, in Tower % +
Seaine Herimon - 986, stayed in Tower % +
Saroiya - 987, went to Salidar % +
Aledrin Malenry - 999, in Salidar; went to Black Tower in 1000
Berana Shamon - 999, in Salidar; stepped down when Tower reunited
Yellow
Sedore Dajenna - 961, stayed in Tower; Black Ajah, fled in TGS ^ % #
Romanda Cassin - 885-973; 999, in Salidar +
Suana Dragand - 919-952; 999, in Tower
Doesine Alwain - 981, stayed in Tower # % +
Magla Daronos - 985, went to Salidar % +
Salita Toranes - 999, in Salidar; resigned when Tower reunited
Small details. Lan calls Tam “blademaster”. After Gareth Bryne dies, Elayne gets to close his eyes. When Mat hears Faile is still missing, he first thought is “Poor Perrin” before he thinks about the other ramifications.
Teslyn is with the Dragonsworn. There are too many Aes Sedai in this series to satisfactorily touch base with all of them during and after the Last Battle, but I appreciate that AMOL tries to.
I love that Egwene bonds Leilwin -- I love the parallels. Once again Egwene has a ~magical~ connection to a Seanchan woman, but this time it’s a connection she has chosen. She initiated it, and she can dissolve it whenever she wants. It’s a connection both parties have consented to.
Galad versus Demandred is quite short. A page and a half. Duels apparently don’t last very long, so this makes sense, yet it comes as a surprise to find that an “iconic” moment from the book is such a brief one.
In the Rand vs Shai’tan fic war, Rand’s vision of a Shadow-less Caemlyn ends up disturbing Rand because it turns out that being “forced” to follow the Light rather than choosing it of their own free will turns them into terrifying insipid versions of themselves.
It’s an interesting twist that doesn’t quite fit, somehow. Perhaps because it’s possible to be cruel or misguided and cause hurt to others without being a Darkfriend. And WOT does not suggest that characters who cause others a great deal of suffering, like Elaida or zealous Whitecloaks or the sul’dam who capture unwilling damane, are to all intents and purposes serving the Dark One - although their actions may benefit the Shadow’s cause.
(It’s a different stance to Narnia’s The Last Battle, for example, in which Aslan makes a whole speech about how “... if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath’s sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him. And if any man do a cruelty in my name, then, though he says the name Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves...”)
So I don’t see how a world without the Dark One would be this perfect, bland utopia. People would still have problems, and not all of those problems would be easily resolved.
I suppose the implication could be the Dark One does not just give people the option of becoming a Darkfriend, but also the choices of being greedy and using cruel words and responding with violence (and so on).
Anyway, I like the idea that free will is important.
On a related note: I don’t know how I feel about Aravine’s betrayal. Because she doesn’t want to be a Darkfriend anymore, and I wish this series had more examples of characters who changed their minds about supporting the Shadow. Who were able to change their minds.
Leane! I was wondering if she got back okay - it’s possible I missed something, but assuming I didn’t, the last time we saw her, Demandred was planning to use her as a messenger.
