Mari Da'ra

Her full name is Sophrenia Mari Da'ra, but she grew annoyed with many people finding her real first name difficult to pronounce correctly, so she went by her middle name. Her mother died while giving birth, and she never wondered about her at all in early age. Mari had grown up as the only daughter of an extremely wealthy Illuminator in Cairhien, but quickly grew bored with the life of luxury and travel. She longed for something that would earn her respect, and let her go about her own life, but he refused to let her go north to Tar Valon, where an Aes Sedai trying to get information from her father once told her she should go. She grew to despise him for this, seeing him as a selfish, money-hungry man, which, in truth, he was. All her misery finally came to an end when her father was killed one night by some thieves that knew the worth of her father's work. Mari was sixteen years old at the time. She had heard them coming and got away just in time to see the selfish man stabbed brutally and repeatedly. She had almost laughed (a rare thing to see her do) when the thieves had circled together to cut open her father's largest firework and "see how the bloody thing worked". She found, in the remains, their large hunting knives and them for protection, after cleaning them, of course. Then she made her way to Tar Valon, gathering everything she had ever known of Aes Sedai behavior and preparing for the hard work it would take to earn her respect.

Mari spent little over two years as a Novice, quickly making use of her ability to abstain herself from emotion. In her first year she found a book that perfectly described everything she believed. It was called The Way of the Light by Lothair Mantelar, and discovering that the book was written by the founder of the Children of the Light did not stop her reading it. Mantelar’s philosophical and logical view on emotions connecting to the Light was interesting. She soon had a copy of the book made, which she kept close to her in her days as a Novice.

One day, after finishing the chores that she never missed once and the classes that she passed through with relative ease, she met an Aes Sedai who would later become her Sponsor to the White Ajah.
Emotionless, Mari had made very little friends as a Novice, but as Accepted, she had found companionship in three women especially. The first was Rhiann, who helped to unlock the secret of Mari’s past and her emotionless, and make her see that emotions were not necessarily bad. Her second friend was an unlikely one, a garrulous daughter of a Tinker and a Gleeman, who was always smiling and singing and chattering on. Mari never understood the basis of that friendship. And then there was Alzbetka, who was a Novice when Mari was an Accepted. Mari was one of the few to know of the relationship that prevailed between two of her friends, and of course kept silent.

Mari spent four years as Accepted, thoroughly enjoying her discussions with Raqual Sedai on truth, logic, and especially Metaphysics. She learned much in that time, and by the time she was raised she was something of an expert on philosophy, and she found even more use then than before in blocking her emotions with a technique she called ‘The White Rose’ (similar to what a man would call ‘The Flame and the Void’).

Mari unlocked even more secrets to her past in her time as Accepted, and when raised, she left for a journey of self-discovery, speaking to no one of her going except her other Whites. After years of journeying (which she refuses to speak of, other than that she did journey), Mari Sedai is returning to the White Tower soundlessly, and soon will seek out old friends and contacts, to start anew among other Aes Sedai.

Profile

Mari has long, pale blond hair that falls straightly down her back, and gleams softly in candlelight with how well she keeps it. Often it is done up in some intricate way, when she finds the time. Her eyes are a cool pale blue, and slightly slanted at the corners, and her dark eyelashes pronounce them and make her almost startlingly beautiful upon first sight, though usually men shy away when they discover that her beauty was a cold one. Her oval face is almost always expressionless, and just as pale as her other features, with a light dusting of freckles on her nose that faded in her days of training at the Tower. She is very thin and graceful, and moves with a natural lack of doubt about anything at all. She is tall for a woman, at 5’10, yet her presence is more expecting than commanding.