The Fourth Age: Plot and Characters
The Wheel of Time: The Fourth Age
And it shall come to pass that what men made shall be shattered, and the Shadow shall lie across the Pattern of the Age, and the Dark One shall once more lay his hand upon the world of man. Women shall weep and men quail as the nations of the earth are rent like rotting cloth. Neither shall anything stand or abide...
The Karaethon Cycle
The Third Age has come and gone, joining the ages passed in the tattered pages of history. The Dragon had come and the Dragon had sacrificed as was prophesied in the Cycle, leaving a legacy of blood in his wake, his life bargaining salvation for all. Tarmon Gai’don has come and gone, the Dark One returned to his prison within Shayol Ghul, his Seals remade, His evil undone.
The Fourth Age was ushered in with the passing of the Dragon, the Wheel weaving a new Cycle for a new Age. The Two Towers, one onyx and one ivory, are wed in their mission against the Shadow. The White Tower, the home of the Aes Sedai Sisters and their Gaidin, rises above the sprawling island-city of Tar Valon, overshadowed only by the nearby mountain of Dragonmount. And the Black Tower, the grim barracks of the Asha’man, men who wield the Power as the Aes Sedai do, rises above the shimmering rooftops of Caemlyn, overshadowed only by the Royal Palace.
The Aiel, the wild warrior-folk from beyond the Spine of the World, are commonly seen and are not treated as the boogiemen that they were in the Third Age, being of the same people as the last Dragon earned them much acceptance in the Wetlands, but they were also still highly feared. The Aiel way of Jih’e’toh (Honor and Duty) has been adopted by many Westlanders as a creedo and code, one of the most notable being the Order of the Heron, the elite secret society of men and women who carry the Heron Mark Sword, the mark of the Blademaster.
In the handful of centuries that had passed since the end of the Third Age, the unified world left behind by the Lord Dragon crumbled, succumbing to the abuse of power and the weathering of time. Factions have sprouted like reeds, realms lay shattered like a dropped mirror, Lords and Ladies compete for power, either to take one of the many thrones in the world for themselves or to serve some other purpose. Such is the nature of Daes Dae’mar, the Game of Houses, which had only gotten more brutal over the years. With the Dark One once again growing in strength, pressing outward from his prison, Darkfriends have been rooting themselves all across the land, unseen to the eyes to even the Children of the Light. One thing remains constant in the Fourth Age – the farther north one goes, the scarcer Daes Dae’mar is. Only ever really being played by the hierarchy of Saldaea, the other northern realms of Malkier, Kandor, Arafel, and Shienar have other priorities as they hold the bastions at the Mountains of Dhoom, keeping hordes of Shadowspawn from crossing in to the other realms beyond the Blight. In this Age, where there are as many enemies stalking the realms as there are in the Blight.
Spoiler: The Core Plot
After the lase Dragon, Rand al’Thor, gave his life to defeat the Dark One and lock Him within his prison in Shayol Ghul, the Fourth Age began. The realms and nations once united under the Dragon Banner stayed together for little over a century, their collaborative efforts ushering in a new era of industrialism and technology. Now, nearly half a thousand years after Tarmon Gai’don, the Cycle is repeating itself once more. The Seven Seals of the Dark One’s prison had been remade, but the channelers responsible for their reconstruction lacked the awesome power of those in the Age of Legends. For this very reason, the Seals are weakening again, just as metal of an inferior make will degrade faster than those forged by a master smith. Already, bubbles of evil are rising in the world, sewing chaos. The first of which sundered the fragile alliance of nations.
Already, the Ta’vernen of this Cycle are emerging, their threads in the Pattern changing all those around them, inevitably getting pulled closer and closer to the strongest of them – The Dragon Reborn. The angreal, ter’angreal, and Sa’angreal have been hidden away by the Towers, ensuring that none but the worthy may wield such power. The Dragon’s Destiny remains unchanged, their purpose in this Cycle the same as it has been in every Cycle – to defeat the Dark One and cast Him back in to the Pit of Doom.
Such a task may not be so black and white as it has been in the past. The world is on the verge of war with itself – nations fighting amongst themselves just as much as with each other. There is the civil unrest in Andor, the Wolf Banner rising once more to the west, straining the claims of the reigning Queen. In Cairhien, each city seems to have those who lay a claim to the Sun Throne, Daes Dae’mar remaining as popular as ever. Illian and Tear are at each other’s throats, Tarabon and Amadacia and Ghealdan have turned their shoulder of the world in to a vortex of violence, their wars fought over petty disputes of riches or honor. Arad Doman aches to take Saldaea, the only thing staying Arad Doman’s armies being the unified strength of the northern nations, hard-fought veterans of Trolloc attacks and whatever other horrors the Blight holds in store. The Aiel cross the Spine as they please, many integrating in to Wetland society as best they can, but the Aiel have lured none other than the Seanchan for reasons unknown, but the Seanchan are sailing on a tide of blood.
Such are the tidings of the Fourth Age, grim as they are. With each waxing moon, the need of the Dragon and his Ta’vernen is made painfully present. Before the world can be saved from the Dark One, it must first be saved from itself.
Spoiler: Technology of the Fourth AgeA fine black powder mined from the Spine of the World in particular, changed warfare forever. Cannons, muskets, pistols, and bombs ushered in the Fourth Age with a thunderous bang. The black powder weapons proved quite useful against Shadowspawn, but the weapons are expensive to make and many traditionalists still prefer the familiar torque of a bow. Transportation has been made easier with the invention of steam engines, using coal fires to boil water as a means of locomotion. The steam engine has been applied to ships, first and foremost, allowing cogs and freighters to sail regardless of the way the winds blew without dedicating crews to sweeps. On land, the engine was adapted to long caravans that moved on rails, connecting the four corners of the world, from Saldaea to Shienar, to Caemlyn and Cairhien, connecting all major cities with a circuit of wood and steel. Many are intimidated by the advancments in technology, madmen raving that if man is not cautious, they will soon take flight, only to be struck down by the Creator.
Many major armies and navies now employ the use of the black powder in some way, usually in the form of muskets, cannons, and mortars. The Children of the Light have adopted the usage of black powder with great enthusiasm, as have the armies of most major nations. Even the northern realms use black powder to a degree, but their supply chains are limited, and many of them have been raised with a bow and a sword in each hand.
Spoiler: The WorldThe Westlands
Seanchan
Nations:
Altara
With her borders remaining wholly unchanged like most of the nations in the Westlands, Altara remains a hub for commerce as a coastal nation. In the centuries after Tarmon Gai’don, Altara has erected several refineries for producing textiles and iron. The current leader of Altara is King Biryn Otaetan, a boy of a king who all but bought his way to the throne of Altara. He has only a mind for business, and can be childishly stubborn and immature at times. If not for the console of the Queen-regeant, Maeryn Otaetan, many speculate Altara would have been decimated within months of Biryn’s coronation.
Amadicia
Once and ever the proud home of the Children of the Light, Amadicia has lost a great deal of its former glory ever since the Seanchan planted their roots in the Third Age. Now the nation is torn in the middle of a civil war, the Seanchan trying to hold their claim while the Children of the Light attempt to reclaim what was once wholly theirs in the Third Age. Technology has effected Amadicia the greatest, as the people of Amadicia have only grown more disdainful of those who channel, viewing Aes Sedai and Asha’man as servants of the Shadow. The King, Sayl Kallin, is something of an empty suit, made meek by the titanic factions fighting over the domain of his nation.
Andor
As it has been for generations beyond counting, a Trakand wears the Rose Crown of Andor. Located in the heart of the Westlands, the capital city of Caemlyn has become the unofficial grand capitol of the Westlands, all roads leading to it eventually. Home not only to the Royal Palace, but also the Black Tower, Asha’man are a common sight around the capitol and many of them make up the defensive forces of the Queen’s Army. The current M’hael is even on the Queen’s defense council. Queen Lila Trakand has been ruling Andor brilliantly in her reign, using factories and refineries and the new train hub as a means to increase Andor’s wealth to shattering new heights.
Arad Doman
Unlike other monarchies in the Westlands, the throne of Arad Doman is not inherited, but granted by a majority vote by the Council of Merchants. Yet another country made rich by the new era of industry and trade, the Domani continue their prosperous trade with the Sea Folk and continue the tradition of scandalous, diaphanous, form-fitting clothing worn by the women of this nation. The current King, ruling form the capital of Bandar Eban, is King Saedam Massahli, an iron-minded man who wants nothing more than to take Saldaea as his own.
Arafel
One of the four Borderland countries, Arafel has taken up the thankless duty of guarding the rest of the Westlands from the horrors of the Blight alongside her fellow Borderlands. Like Andor and Malkier, Arafel has retained the same royal bloodline since the Third Age. Presently, the Head of State is King Loar Nachiman, and honorable man with an action-backed reputation as a strong tactician and iron handed justicar. Though greatly respected by other countries and their leaders, the Arafellin people are torn in their opinion of him, as Loar has adopted a more way of honor and debt more in common with Malkieri and Aiel, much different than the orthodox Arafellin way. From this change, Arafel is facing turmoil on the inside as well as the ever-present threat of shadowspawn from the outside.
Cairhien
Of all the countries of the Westlands, Cairhien is one of the more subtly turbulent in the Fourth Age. In the grips of the revolution of industry, Cairhien as remained unchanged in its desire for riches. They have machinery that gives abundance, but it leaves them in want. Daes Dae’mar has grown more brutal than ever, every noble house vying for the Sun Throne of Cairhien, claiming that the Sun Throne should belong to a Cairhienin, not an Andoran regent. Currently holding the sun throne is Tildeen Leaniasa, Lila Trakand’s regent and an Andoran. With the careless mass-harvests by the various landowners to further their fortunes, many of the lower class Cairhienin have been left with little food, and the turbulent times have set prices high all over the Westlands. If this trend continues, riots and civil unrest may ensue, possibly even a revolution.
Ghealdan
The times have been hard on Ghealdan. For generations she has been stuck in a limbo between poverty and wealth, with her limited alum mines and their small military doesn’t have much to speak of, other than the elite Legion of the Wall. With the rise of industry and trade, Ghealdan has been losing its fragile balance, its coffers running dangerously low. Desperate for resources, friends, and funds, Queen Falue Mayene has crumbled under the insistent pressure of the Crown High Council and has decided to send whatever military reserves she can to Amadicia to give aid to one of the two factions, though she has yet to decide which way to lean.
Illian
Illian remains a diverse and wealthy nation, constantly fed by trade and taxes on the import and export of goods. With all of the conflict consuming the Westlands, Illian has remained wholly neutral, serving as more of a neutral trading and banking federation, giving money to factions in exchange for goods, trade rights, or other services. Keeping their military behind the walls of the capital, the Illianer Companions, the military elite, are stationed on all routes in and out of the city by land and sea, ensuring all pay their dues. This neutrality and greed has turned and bitten Illian in return, however. Very recently, an assassin [who eluded capture] assassinated the King and his family, leaving the country in the hands of the Council of the Nine.
Kandor
As one of the Borderlands, Kandor’s duty is akin to that of Malkier, Saldaea, and Arafel. Remaining mostly detatched from the conflicts of the southern Westlands and remaining wholly self-sufficuent, Kandor’s soldiers are sent to Malkier, the first line of defense against the Blight, to man the border. Queen Marrua Gyrelle rules with a militant mind from the Throne of Clouds in Chachin, being the daughter of a long line of generals and master tacticians. As they always gave, the Merchants Guild in Kandor has been filling Kandor’s coffers with funds through the trade of Kandor’s highly coveted fur goods. The fact that the Merchants refuse to share much of their funds with the other Borderlands makes Kandor rather disliked by the other Borderlands, but Kandor is tolerated because of their constant supply of lances to the Blightborder.
Murandy
Always ostentatious and aggressive for its size, Murandy is a fractured nation where people swear their fealty not so much to the King as they do to their local Lords. While the King holds great power, he does not monopolize the power of the nation. The power resides in the Lords and Ladies of Murandy, and they will only ever offer their influence and power to the Throne for favors or services. However, acting without the blessing of the King is considered treason, and the offending Lord will be left with no resources and no allies. It is an unorthodox system but it works for the size of the country. Murandy is massing whatever military might she has by the order of King Terion Lamgwuyn, using Illian’s neutral banking protocols to buy the support of Lords who would not willingly serve the crown for the sake of favors or status. The King will not march until he has all of the Lords and Ladies behind him, and only a few remain unaligned. If history proves reliable, Andor has a right be be nervous.
Saldaea
The one of the largest Borderlands, the tip of Saldaea’s northeastern border touches the southwestern tip of Malkier land. Saldaea has remained proud and war-like ever since its founding, with a proud history and strong economy built off of high-value goods traded with the South. Queen Naina Aybara, little more than a child, rules from Maradon with a naiveté and youthful idolization of what it means to be a good leader. She is tempered by the Commander-in-Chief, her uncle, Berar Bashere, the steel-hard general of Saldaea and the de facto leader of Saldaea behind closed doors. With Saldaea’s vast armies, they are one of the greatest contributors to the defense of the Blightborder, and they still have more than sufficient forces to intimidate Arad Doman in to keeping its armies put. Some nobles within Saldaea are discontent with the young Queens rule and wish to see an experienced monarch sit upon the throne, as well as lift the ban off of the sa’sara, despite its chaotic and bloody reputation.
Shienar
Another one of the Borderlands, Shienar shares the same responsibilities as the other nations of the North, placing their steel to the cause of defending the Westlands from the horrors of the Blight. Shienar is reputed for her skilled swordsmen and war-like society, peerless with their affinity with a blade, save the dai’shans of Malkier and the Order of the Heron. Their ruler, King Elissar Aingoren is a blademaster himself, being of the Order of the Heron, and is a time-tried tactician whose mastery of warfare is second only to Berar Bashere. They have a self-sufficient economy that revolves around mining and the trade of raw metals and arms. Their main exports are steel, iron, coal, leather, fur, and black powder. When Malkier rose from ruin and the Seven Towers were rebuilt, Shienar was the first to honor their ancient oath to the Golden Crane.
Tarabon
Tarabon, being a country on the coast with several port cities, retains great wealth and power in the turbulent times. It has remained under Seanchan control ever since the Third Age, despite several attempts at rebellion and revolution. Many other countries have refused to liberate Tarabon because of the steady flow of income and trade the Seanchan provide. They have no King or Queen, but are ruled by the Assembly of Lords, but they are merely puppets to the Seanchan Empress. Tarabon is the heart of Seanchan influence in the Westlands, the one place where their ships can dock without any hindrance. Channelers avoid Tarabon at all costs due to the abundance of a’dam, sul’dam and damane. Several Aes Sedai and Asha’man that have been sent to Tarabon have not returned, assumed either dead or turned in to sul’dam to serve the will of the Seanchan.
Tear
Remaining one of the richest nations in the Westlands, Tear keeps to itself, commonly paying other nations to not be hostile. If that doesn’t work, exclusive trade rights usually do the trick. Tear hasn’t had a monarch since before the Third Age, being ruled over by the High Lords of Tear, a council of the richest and highest born Tairean Lords and Ladies. They hold all of the wealth in Tear and they look down on the middle and lower class citizens as sub-human. Generations of such behavior have lead to great animosity between the High Lords and the less privileged. Tear teeters on the edge of revolution.
Malkier
In the years hence Tarmon Gai’don, the once-great nation of Malkier has risen from the ashes, rebuilt in a process of many years, even with the assistance of the Ogier. The Seven Towers have been rebuilt and the Mandragoran line has remained strong in the centuries that followed. Even now, King al’Talin Mandragoran rules from the First Tower, ruling the reborn nation and its old territories proudly with the Golden Crane banner flying high.
Seanchan
Not part of the Westlands, but far east across the Aryth Ocean lies Seanchan and the heart of their empire. Ruled over by Empress Iendona Cauthon from the city of Seandar, the Seanchan are constantly pressing their influence upon the Westlands, namely in Tarabon and Amadicia, where they are the de facto or direct rulers of the countries and their assets. They remain a powerful military and economic power in their own right, even without the syphoning of trade goods from the Westlands. They are currently at war with the Children of the Light over Amadicia and are trying to maintain a stranglehold over Tarabon’s higher echelons of government.
Spoiler: Factions
Spoiler: Aes Sedai
The Aes Sedai is a sisterhood of female channelers, women who have sworn under the Three Oaths to serve all people, no matter how fluid borders become. Even the name “Aes Sedai” means “Servants of all” in the Old Tongue. The Aes Sedai can come from any nation and any background; from queens and noble ladies to farmers and barbarians. Saidir knows only the boundry of gender, empowering women chosen by the Pattern to channel the Power.
The Aes Sedai call the White Tower in Tar Valon home, the Amyrlin Seat their leader, the matriarchal figure they refer to as ‘Mother’. The current Amyrlin is Duria Feraen, a Tairean woman born of middle class. She has been a very levelheaded leader during the decade and a half of her reign, making sure not to take sides with the conflicts consumeing the Westlands, assigning the Aes Sedai as peacekeepers and diplomats more than anything, only devoting Sisters to battle if a great injustice is being committed in the name of war. There are three ranks on the road to becoming an Aes Sedai: Novice, Accepted, and Aes Sedai. Novice and Accepted are stages of learning while the final rank is Aes Sedai, a fully fledged Sister.
The Sisterhood is broken up in the Ajahs, each one of them given a different set of tasks:
The Red Ajah is trusted with the hunting, apprehension, and gentling of dangerous male channelers. They bond no male warders and are the largest Ajah, with 200 Sisters filling their ranks. Out of all the Ajahs, they are the most resentful of the Asha’men, and have resented the Black Tower ever since they bonded with the White Tower in the middle of the Third Age, several hundred years ago. Their leader is referred to as “Highest Sister”
The Green Ajah, or the Battle Ajah, is the second largest Ajah in the Tower with roughly 200 Sisters. To be a Green, one must be strong under the duress of battle and be able to wield the Power like a weapon as much as a tool. Green Sisters can also bond more than one Gaidin to them, and are also well known for treating their Gaidin as lovers, and sometimes even wedding them. Considered the opposite of the Red Ajah. Their leader is titled “Captain-General”.
The Gray Ajah is the Ajah of harmony, seeking consensus over all else. They dedicate themselves to politics and meditation, and usually act as ambassadors and conflict mediators. They are the third-largest Ajah, behind the Green and before the Brown. They are growing in size as of late due to the need of calm negotiations between nations. Their leader is called the “Head Clerk”.
The Brown Ajah is the Ajah for learning, knowledge, collecting ancient wisdom, and uncovering the mysteries of the world and the Pattern. Forsaking the mundane world, they dedicate themselves to history and study and administrate the White Tower Library. For them, knowledge really is power. They are the fourth-largest Ajah, run by a ruling council, the voice of authority being the “First Chair”.
The Yellow Ajah is the order of Healers in the Tower. They are generally a peaceful lot, dedicating themselves to Heal the wounded in body and mind. They are the fifth-largest Ajah, behind the Brown and before the Blue. The leader of the Yellow Ajah is called the “First Weaver”.
The Blue Ajah are the Justicars of the Tower, involving themselves with righteous causes of justice. Commonly at odds with the Red Ajah, finding their tactics cruel and unjust. Though they are the sixth-largest Ajah, they sport the most extensive eyes-and-ears network of all of the Ajahs. The Blue Ajah is also the Ajah that most commonly produces Amyrlins, the sense of justice upheld by the Blues being a very appealing trait to have in an Amyrlin. The head of the Blue Ajah is called the First Selector.
The White Ajah is dedicated to the value of logic and devotes itself the questions of philosophy and truth. Not concerning themselves with the burdens of worldy affairs, even so far as having absolutely no network of eyes-and-ears. Rarely bonding warders, the White is the smallest of the Ajahs, having less than fifty Sisters simply because very few can achieve the Whites level of serenity. The leader of the White Ajah is titled the First Reasoner.
Spoiler: GaidinA faction that is not really a faction, the Gaidin (or Warders) are men who surrender their old lives for the most part and train at the White Tower. The job of a Warder is to protect the Aes Sedai he is bonded to. Some Ajahs do not take Warders, but most of them do. Warders are bound to their Aes Sedai through the weaving of saidar, tying their lives together. After bonding, the Warder becomes the dedicated bodyguard of his Aes Sedai as she travels. Most Ajahs only permit one Warder per Sister except the Greens. Aes Sedai can, and occasionally will, marry their Warders, making the bond between them as strong as it can be. The practice of marrying Warders is most common among the Green Ajah. It is possible for two Aes Sedai to bond one Warder, but they have to bond him at different times to not interfere with each other’s weaving. Non-channelers can also have men bound to them as Warders, but they require a channeler to create the bond for them. A bond can only be broken by death of the Warder of the Aes Sedai. If the Aes Sedai dies, the Warder, unless he is of extraordinary willpower, will not survive, often dying in the act of avenging his lost Aes Sedai. Sisters that lose their Warder are stricken by an inconsolable, heart-shattering grief. They will usually not take another Warder for years, if ever again. To avoid such suffering, Aes Sedai can unmake the bond or bond the Warder to someone else.
Warders are easily recognized by their distinct color-shifting cloaks of fancloth, allowing them to blend in to their surroundings when they need to be stealthy and to disorient enemies in combat. Very few can look at a Warder’s cloak for long without feeling a headache. Whether by custom or law, Warders are men for the Aes Sedai, and their bonding grants them several traits that make them more than human and distinct benefits for both parties. The warder gains greater stamina and physical prowess, a greater capacity to resist evil, the ability to sense shadowspawn at a distance, and a greater resistance to injury. The Aes Sedai gains a bodyguard, confident, and ally-in-schemes who can be given wordless suggestion through the bond to do certain tasks without vocalizing it.
Asha’man can also be bound.
Spoiler: Asha’man
The Asha'man are the male equivalent of the Aes Sedai, their name meaning “Guardians” in the Old Tongue. They embrace saidin, the male half of the One Power, a side that is powerful and potent. The taint has long since been removed from saidin by the last Dragon, but saidin is still a great power, and power can corrupt when overused. Even the Aes Sedai are not immune to the seduction of power. The Asha’man are singular brotherhood that lives in the Black Tower in Caemlyn. Their leader is called M’Hael, or “leader” in the Old Tongue. Under the M’Hael there is the Tsorovan’m’hael (storm leader) who traines the Asha’man how to channel, and the Baijan’m’hael (attack leader) who trains the Asha’man in tactics and swordsmanship.
Unlike the Aes Sedai, the Asha’man are not split in to Ajahs. They are one force of channelers, only divided by rank. The ranks are Soldiers(novice), Dedicated (accepted), and Asha’man (fully fledged members). Much less of a brotherhood and more of a private military, the Asha’man are harshly trained and drilled by their m’hales, and not making the cut of the Asha’man will find a Soldier or Dedicated shielded from the Source, cutting off their ability to channel. While such an action may seem cruel, it is a mercy compared to what the Red Ajah would do to a male wilder.
Spoiler: GaidarWhere Gaidin means “battle brother” in the Old Tongue, Gaidar means “battle sister”. Gaidar are female Warders bonded to Asha’man, holding the same benefits, effects, and drawbacks as an Aes Sedai bonding a Gaidin. Look back to Gaidin in Aes Sedai.
Aes Sedai can also be bonded.
Spoiler: Der’ashan’shen
“Those who are masters of the sword”, also called blademasters or the Order of the Heron. They are something of a secret society, as no one but those in their ranks know where to meet. The Der’ashan’shen are a completely anonymous organization, its members arriving wearing identical uniforms of black cloth, Aiel-like shrouds wrapped around their heads, leaving only the eyes visible. The only parts of the body revealed are the eyes, and other than that the only identifying marks would be posture, the Heron brooch given to every member, and the Heron mark swords carried by every blademaster. Not every blademaster is part of the Order of the Heron, however. Many blademasters view Der’ashan’shen as little more than a collective of recluses and terrorists.
Spoiler: Children of the Light
The Children of the Light are a fanatical organization of zealots who fight whole-heartedly in the name of the light and all that is good and pure. Well, that's how they see it. In their eyes, anyone who can channel, has unusual abilities(like Wolf Brothers), or doesn't agree with how they do things is a darkfriend and must be dealt with. This has often led to them killing or punishing innocent people because anyone who argues with them or goes against them in any way must be an enemy of the Light and must be a darkfriend. The refer to themselves as the ‘The Children’ while a great deal of the Westlands calls them ‘Whitecloaks’.
Ever since the Seanchan took Tarabon and Amadicia, the Children have been ousted from their own nation by a foreign power, their secrets locked within the vaults of their stronghold, many of which could incriminate The Children to nearly all nations. More than anything else, The Children want Amadicia back under their control to regain the respect and fear they once had in the Third Age. The Children themselves are not entirely whole in their beliefs, half of them have adhered to their old zealous ways while the other half tolerates Aes Sedai and Asha’man, simply seeing them obsolete in the modern age.
Their current Lord-Captain Commander is Asetam Damodred and the High Inquisitor is Ceid Tyadres.
Rules:
Adhere to the rules of RPA
Follow the rules set by me and enforced by the other GM’s
Keep to the names and language of the world. Old Tongue dictionary is here and the Name Generator is here.
Please try to post once a week at minimum. If you have issues, PM me or one of the co-GMs and we will give you some leeway.
Character Sheet:
Username:
Name: be sure to keep it lore appropriate
Age:
Country: what country are you from?
Class: what does your character do? If you are an Aes Sedai, be sure to include your Ajah. If you are a Warder, be sure to say if you are bound or not. If you are bound, say to whom. If you are unbound, say so.
Gift: only if applicable. One of the unique abilities or Talents in the canon
Faction: do they belong to a faction?
Appearance: be sure to include height, frame, skin color, eye color, hair color and style, and clothing. If you are an Aes Sedai, you must wear the color of your Ajah. Asha’man must wear their black cloaks, but of whatever material the player wishes. Warders need to have their color-shifting cloak and their green jacket or tunic of some sort. Be sure to include distinguishing features
Skills: This includes any skills the character has ascertained through their life, including enhancements through bonding, skills of the Aes Sedai or Asha’man, and any diplomatic or martial prowess.
Weapons and Equipment: any weapons, angreal, armor, and gear your character has, including a horse if you have one.
Personality:Be sure to have their personality justified by their bio
Biography:
Spoiler: StormWolf’s Characters
Spoiler: The Wolfbrother Warder
Username: StormWolf
Name: al’Roraen (Roar-ain) Sorovandore, called Sai’car’mavron by the Aiel
Age: 26
Country: Malkier
Class: Warder; unbound, dai’shan
Gift: Wolfbrother
Faction: The White Tower
Appearance: Roraen is a powerful looking man, standing half a foot over six feet tall with broad shoulders and narrow hips, his musculature not overly bulky, but powerful and lean enough to make him intimidating without being grotesque or unwieldy. His hair is straight and black falling down slightly past his shoulders, the Malkier hadori tide around his brow, a Shienar-styled ponytail draping over the braided leather cloth at the back of his head. Lyman sports a handsome face of stony planes and angles and an anvil jaw with a nicely trimmed beard to compliment his facial features. His eyes define him as a Wolfborther; the color of burnished, sun-kissed gold. Those eyes give him a dangerous demeanor, even without the small scar narrowly missing his right eye or his posture like a tiger ready to pounce.
Like all Warders, Roraen wears the color-shifting cloak given to him when he earned the title of Gaidin. His cloak is clasped over his heart by a Golden Crane brooch. Under the cloak he wears a deep olive colored coat made of dyed leather, double breasted with metal buttons and black leather scrollwork at the shoulders, collar and coat tails at the knees. The leather is of Domani make, almost silk-like. The sleeves of his coat are tucked in to steel-backed leather bracers, his hands covered by moleskin gloves. Under his coat he wears a thick black leather jerkin of Malkieri design, with simple leather string ties and a tan linen shirt underneath. Thick sword belts crisscross his waist, buckles of steel and silver scratched from years of abuse, his sword scabbard clasped on his left hip. On his belts one can also find a purse of Tar Valon Marks, a flask of oosquai, an Aiel longknife, a steel dirk, a purse of smoke bombs, and flint-and-steel. Lyman wears deep-brown birches tucked in to knee high top-down boots of thick brown leather with steel in the toes and spurs on the heels.
Skills: Malkieri dai’shan – great affinity with long blades, knives, unarmed combat, and marksmanship. High natural pain threshold. Extraordinary senses. The ability to enter Tal’aran’rhiod (The World of Dreams). Nearly a Blademaster. Blessings of Bondage (when he gets bonded, only will these be available)
Spoiler: Weapons
Warder Sword
Aiel Knife
Steel Drik
2 double-barrel flintlock pistols
Spoiler: Equipmenta purse of Tar Valon Marks
a flask of oosquai
a purse of Illuminator smoke bombs
flint-and-steel
Personality: Roraen, like many Malkieri men, comes across as aloof, cold, and calculating. His poise is like that to a tiger stalking through the tall grass, looking ready to pounce and sink his fangs of steel in to whatever prey crosses his golden gaze. He holds honor and duty in high regard, easily adapting to the credo of the Warders from the strict codes and regulations of guarding the Blightborder.
Biography: Thirty years ago, when Trolloc raids on the Blightborder were a common and inevitable evil, a small garrison village nestled in the Mountains of Dhoom was ransacked by a Trolloc Fist. The small town’s only defenses were a wooden wall and a small central hall with a local militia keeping the walls safe. The Fist easily punched through the township’s defenses and commenced with the slaughtering and devouring of the population. A man escaped with his pregnant wife in to the winter wilderness, evading their fate, but only for a time. The man was hunted and killed by a pack of Darkhounds, the woman stumbling and falling down an icy slope out of the reach of the Darkhounds.
The woman died in childbirth, leaving the screaming babe alone in the winter night. The Pattern favored the child, as the fire from the burning township caught the attention of the nearest Malkieri garrison, the dai’shan leading the company finding the babe. The dai’shan, al’Loraen Sorovandore, wrapped the babe in his cloak and brought the child back to Seven Towers, where he and his wife raised the child with the rest of their children. He was given the name Roraen, named after the couples first born who died from infection a few years prior.
Once part of the Sorovandore family, young Roraen was baptized in the way of the dai’shan. Given a sword in the crib, his path in life was chosen for him. In the years growing up in Seven Towers, Roraen was trained and tutored by the finest military and political minds Malkier had to offer. Being dai’shan – a battle lord, was equal parts leader and soldier, general and politician. At the age of thirteen Roraen earned the right to wear the hadori - the braided leather chord that signifies a Malkieri having overcome his trials and is now a man. It was when Roraen was deemed a grown man his Gift manifested in the form of eyes the color of polished gold.
Even after proving his ability to not only survive, but thrive in the Blight, Roraen’s martial skills continued to be tempered and forged. From blades of all lengths and makes to bow and arrow, and pistol and musket, Roraen was trained how to kill with these weapons and how to utilize forces armed with such weapons to emerge victorious in battle. By the time he was seventeen, Roraen had over forty shadowspawn kills to his name, six of them being Myddraal, three being Darkhounds, and eight being Draghkar. Roraen was a prodigy of violence, fully embracing that which had surrounded his life since birth.
At the age of twenty, Roraen faced a choice. The man Roraen knew as father was dying. When he finally passed, Roraen had no place in the will even though he had been the most dedicated of all the children under the name of Sorovandore. To cut his losses, Roraen left Malkier for Tar Valon, joining the ranks of Gaidin. Taking the long train ride South to Tar Valon left Roraen with little more to do than sit on his hands. That was, however, until the train was attacked. The trains were the new necessity of trade by land now, making their cargo a desirable target for the greedy or the desperate. The group that attacked the train was Aiel. Roraen could not determine of what clan or sept they hailed, but the Malkieri took to defending the train from the Aiel brigands. Later on in his years of training with the Warders, Roraen would encounter other Aiel who called him Sai’car’mavron, or Golden-eyed Watcher.
At the Tower, Roraen was subject to a new credo, but the system of honor and the labors of training remained very much the same. His training as a dai’shan put Roraen ahead of the great majority of his class, his equal being a Andorman and his greater being a Shienaran bearing a Heron mark sword. It took time for Roraen to adapt to the climate of Tar Valon, and it took him longer still to temper his mind to not be distracted by the shameless giggling of Novices and Accepted as they passed. With his greater hearing, Roraen heard many things the Accepted say that was unbefitting of their white dresses. He swore one of them must have been a Saldaean farmgirl before the Aes Sedai found her, because her hushed comments regarding Roraen were very blunt and forward. Roraen has earned his Warder cloak after six years of training and further tempering of his pre-existing skills.
**more will be added if/when he gets an Aes Sedai to bond to**
Originally Posted by StormWolf
That should bring more in!
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