The Wheel of Time Reference

The Wheel of Time Reference
Groups, Troops, Species and Organizations

CALENDAR - CAST - CULTURE - LANGUAGE - MILITARY - PLACES - PROPHECIES - THINGS

Complete to the end of "The Eye of the World", but containing information up to the end of "A Crown of Swords"
Last update - July 22/96

Aes Sedai (a.k.a.: Tar Valon Witches (Whitecloaks)): Wielders of the One Power. Since the Time of Madness, all surviving Aes Sedai are women. Widely distrusted and feared, even hated, they are blamed by many for the Breaking of the World, and are generally thought to meddle in the affairs of nations. At the same time, few rulers will be without an Aes Sedai adviser, even in lands where the existence of such a connection must be kept secret. Used as an honorific, so: Sheriam Sedai; and as a high honorific, so: Sheriam Aes Sedai.
Aiel (a.k.a.: Aielmen, People of the Dragon, Children of the Dragon): The people of the Aiel Waste. Fierce and hardy, they are deadly warriors with weapons or with nothing but their bare hands, but they will not touch a sword. They veil their faces before they kill, and their pipers play them into battle with the music of dances. Aielmen call battle "the Dance". Aiel are organized into 13 clans (Jenn, Shaido, Jindo, Taardad, ) and 13 Warrior societies within the clans (Far Dareis Mai, Sovin Nai, Seia Doon,
Ajah: Societies among the Aes Sedai , to which all Aes Sedai (with the exception of the Amyrlin Seat) belong. They are designated by colors: Blue, Red, White, Green, Brown, Yellow, and Grey. Each follows a specific philosophy of the use of the One Power and the purpose of Aes Sedai. The existence of a Black Ajah (serving the Dark One) has only recently been admitted among Aes Sedai and is still publicly denied.
Atha'an Miere (a.k.a.: Sea Folk): Inhabitants of islands in the Aryth Ocean and the Sea of Storms, they spend little time on those islands, living most of their lives on their ships. Most seaborne trade is carried by the Sea Folk's ships.
Black Ajah: Darkfriends among Aes Sedai. All members of the Black Ajah also belong to one of the seven recognized Ajahs but their loyalty is to the Black.
Blue Ajah: One of seven recognized Ajahs among Aes Sedai. Members of the Blue Ajah...
Children of the Light (a.k.a.: Whitecloaks): A society holding strict ascetic beliefs, dedicated to the defeat of the Dark One and the destruction of all Darkfriends. Founded during the War of the Hundred Years by Lothair Mantelar to Proselytize against increasing numbers of Darkfriends, they evolved during the war into an almost completely military organization, extremely rigid in their beliefs and completely certain that only they know the truth and the right. They hate Aes Sedai, considering them, and any who support or befriend them, Darkfriends. Their sign is a golden sunburst on a field of white.
Darkfriends: Those who follow the Dark One and believe they will gain great power and rewards when he is freed from his prison.
Draghkar: A creature of the Dark One. Man-shaped but with large bat-like wings, a Draghkar lures its victims to it with a hypnotic crooning, then sucks the life out of them. It is said "the kiss of the Draghkar is death".
Dreadlords: Those men and women who, able to channel the One Power, went over to the Shadow during the Trolloc Wars, acting as commanders of the Trolloc forces.
Elders: The leaders of the Ogier stedding. Each stedding has a council of Elders who govern that stedding.
Far Dareis Mai (a.k.a.: Maidens of the Spear): A warrior society of the Aiel. All women warriors among the Aiel belong to Far Dareis Mai. Far Dareis Mai is the only society to have made a language out of the hand signals used in battle. A Maiden cannot marry and remain in the society, nor may she fight while carrying a child. Children of Maidens are given to another woman to raise in such a way that no one knows where the children went. As the only child of a Maiden ever to be known to the Maidens, Rand al'Thor holds a special place with Far Dareis Mai. It is said that Far Dareis Mai carries Rand's honor.
Fist: Basic military unit of Trollocs, varying in number: always more than one hundred, but never more than two hundred. A fist is usually, but not always commanded by a Myrddraal.
Forsaken, the (a.k.a.: Chosen (Darkfriends)): Name given to thirteen of the most powerful Aes Sedai ever known, who went over to the Dark One during the WoS in return for the promise of immortality. They were imprisoned along with the Dark One when his prison was resealed by LTT and the Hundred Companions. All thirteen are now known to have escaped. They are Lanfear (MIA), Rahvin (Extremely dead), Asmodean (Probably dead), Graendal, Be'lal (Extremely dead), Ishamael (Probably not Dead), Balthamel (Probably now known as Aran'gar), Moghedien, Aginor (Probably now known as Osan'gar), Mesaana, Sammael (MIA), Semirhage & Demandred. Moridin may be a new Forsaken.
Hand of the Light (a.k.a.: Questioners): The only non-military branch of the Children of the Light, the Questioners are an order of the Whitecloaks that dedicates itself to discovering the "truth" in disputations and rooting out Darkfriends. Their normal method of inquiry is by torture; their normal attitude that they know the truth already and must only make their victim confess to it. The Questioners act as though they were separate from the Whitecloaks altogether, ruled only by their High Inquisitor.
Hundred Companions, the: One Hundred male Aes Sedai, among the most powerful of the AoL, who, led by LTT, launched the final stroke that ended the WoS by sealing the Dark One back into his prison. The Dark One's counterstroke tainted Saidin; the Hundred Companions went mad and began the Breaking of the World.
King's Bodyguard: The elite unit of the Malkieri military.
Men: By far the most logical and sensible gender, even after millions of years of study they are all but incomprehensible to women.
Myrddraal (a.k.a.: Lurk, Fade, the Eyeless, Shadowman, Halfman, the Neverborn (wolves)): Creatures of the Dark One and leader of Trolloc fists, Essentially humanlike with oily black hair and puffy cheeks, but with pasty white skin and no eyes (smooth skin covers where the eyes should be), a Myrddraal can see like an eagle in light or dark. They move with a sinuous grace and always wears dead black clothing, cloak does not move in the wind. They have the ability to cause fear in anyone who looks them in the "eyes", they also have the ability to travel using shadows. One of their few known weaknesses is that they are reluctant to cross running water. Children of Trollocs they are throwbacks to an almost human state. Their weapon of choice is a black sword forged on the slopes of Shayol Ghul and tainted by the evil of the Dark One. Their horses are abnormal to say the least.
Ogier: A race of non-humans characterized by great height, broad noses, and pointed tufted ears.
Queen's Guard: Andoran peacekeeping force. Their patrols extended only to the area around Caemlyn. Conical helmets with steel bar cages over the face, breastplates and mail armour, lances and swords.
Red Ajah: One of seven recognized Ajahs among Aes Sedai. The Red Ajah believes that their purpose is to prevent another Breaking of the World, and the method they use to accomplish this is to hunt down all men who can channel or who even think about channeling. Although some Aes Sedai join the Reds out of a genuine desire to protect the world, the Red Ajah has a reputation for being over-zealous man-hating bitches, with a tendency to deal with problems first and ask questions later. They have been known to hold men who appear to have odd abilities (including sleight of hand experts, and tricksters) prisoner, "questioning" them until they are satisfied that that man can't channel.
Shienaran Lances: Military units of Shienar. Heavy Cavalry. Long sword + Broadsword, mace or axe, lance, helm with barred face guard, leather undercoat, double mail camail, mail hauberk split for riding, breastplate, half-plate on shoulder, arms and legs, knee and elbow cops, steel gauntlets, kite shield. Horses wear bardings on head, neck and chest.
Town Watch, the: The security force of Baerlon. Round steel caps, studded leather jerkins, quarterstaffs.
Trollocs (a.k.a.: Twisted Ones (wolves)): Common soldiers for the Shadow. There are various types, but generally they are 8 to 9 feet in height, man-shaped, but with features blended with animals (snouts, beaks, feathers, paws, hoofs, etc.). All different, but instantly recognizable. Trollocs are born to kill, but fight with ferocity more than skill, though they are often sly, deceitful and treacherous. They can be trusted only by those they fear and they are lazy and given to abandoning any task (except killing) unless fear drives them to it. Originally created by ?, Trollocs come from human stock and apparently can interbreed with humans, though the children are usually stillborn. For weapons they favor scythe-bladed swords, spiked axes, bows, spears, polearms. All the common weapons of footsoldiers but with cruel barbs and hooks. Trolloc societies include Dha'vol, Dhai'mon, Ko'bal, Ahf'frait, Al'ghol, Bhan'sheen, Dhjin'nen, Ghar'ghael, Ghob'hlin, Gho'hlem, Ghraem'lan, and Kno'mon.
Tuatha'an (a.k.a: Traveling People, Tinkers): A wandering people who live in brightly painted wagons and follow a totally pacifist philosophy called the Way of the Leaf. Things mended by Tinkers are often better than new, but the Tuatha'an are shunned by many villages because of stories that they steal children and try to convert young people to their beliefs.
Village Council: In most villages a group of men, elected by the townsmen and headed by a Mayor, who are responsible for making decisions which affect the villages as a whole and for negotiating with the Councils of other villages over matters which affect the villages jointly. They are at odds with the Women's Circle in so many villages that this conflict is seen as almost traditional.
Warders (a.k.a.: Gaidin, Brothers to Battle): Warriors bonded to Aes Sedai. The bonding is a thing of the One Power, and by it the Warder gains such gifts as quick healing, the ability to go long periods without food, water or rest, and the ability to sense Shadowspawn at a distance. So long as a Warder lives, the Aes Sedai to whom s/he is bonded knows s/he is alive however far away s/he is, and when s/he dies she will know the moment and manner of his/her death. Both the Aes Sedai and the Warder can tell the direction and relative distance of their partner, but not specifics. The Aes Sedai also gains the ability to "compell" the Warder to do what she wants, though this is frowned upon and supposedly rarely used. Most Ajahs permit the bonding of a single Warder, while Greens permit the bonding of several and the Reds do not bond any. Ethically the Warder must agree to the bonding (after having the requirements and results explained to him/her), but it has been know to be done involuntarily, most recently by ET to BIR (to save her life) and by AM to RAT (with very odd results).
White Ajah: One of seven recognized Ajahs among Aes Sedai. The Whites are dedicated to the pursuit of logic and order.
Whitebridge Militia: The security force of Whitebridge. Peaked helmets, breastplates, swords.
Women's Circle: A group of women elected by the women of a village, responsible for deciding such matters as are considered solely women's responsibility (for example, when to plant the crops, and when to harvest). Equal in authority to the Village Council, with clearly-delineated lines and areas of responsibility. Often at odds with the Village Council.
Women: By far the most logical and sensible gender, even after millions of years of study they are all but incomprehensible to men.

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