Egwene al'Vere

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General

Egwene al'Vere is the Amyrlin Seat for the Salidar Aes Sedai. She was raised from Accepted because nowhere in the Tower Law does it say that the Amyrlin Seat must be Aes Sedai. She has not held the Oath Rod because it is still in the White Tower. (LoC Ch. 35) Although she never got to choose an Ajah, she wanted to choose the Green Ajah. (TDR Ch. 23) Her Keeper of the Chronicles is Sheriam Bayanar of the Blue Ajah (LoC Ch. 36).

Egwene's full title is Egwene al'Vere, the Watcher of the Seals, the Flame of Tar Valon, the Amyrlin seat. (LoC Ch. 36) However, the Aes Sedai call her Mother, despite the fact that she is young enough to be a granddaughter to most of them. (LoC Ch. 35) When Egwene is damane in Falme, her sul'dam calls her Tuli after her pet when she was young. (TGH Ch. 42) She goes under the pseudonym Mistress Joslyn when travelling to Tear. (TDR Ch. 48) She claims to be Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah when she is in the Aiel Waste, (TSR Ch. 11), though she does later admit to being only an Accepted (LoC Ch. 33).

Egwene has dark brown hair and big brown eyes. At Bel Tine in 998 NE, when she is seventeen, Egwene is allowed to braid her hair to show that she is of marriageable age. (TEotW Ch. 3) She wears it unbraided once she leaves the Two Rivers because few Aes Sedai wear their hair braided. (TEotW Ch. 11) As Amyrlin Seat, she wears the striped stole that goes with her title and wears the Great Serpent ring to show that she is Aes Sedai (LoC, Ch. 35.

Egwene was born in Emond's Field and was the daughter of Bran, Mayor of Emond's Field, and Marin al'Vere. She has four older sisters who are Elisa, Alene, Loise and Berowyn. (TEotW Ravens) Her family lives in the Winespring Inn in Emond's Field (TEotW Ch. 1).

Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne were sent to hunt the Black Ajah by Siuan Sanche. (TDR Ch. 14) This leads them out of the White Tower and towards Tear to find the thirteen known Black Ajah. (TDR Ch. 29) Egwene uses her talent in Tel'aran'rhiod to Shield Amico and to help them escape from their capture in the Stone (TDR Ch. 54).

Egwene begins to get headaches once Logain disappears. (ACoS Ch. 12) Halima, Aran'gar in disguise, is causing them and gets closer to Egwene by massaging her to 'stop' the headaches. (TPoD Ch. 15) Ideas about this predicament have been put forward; for instance that Halima is secretly using Compulsion on Egwene. One possible example is when Egwene suddenly decides that she will make sure that all Aes Sedai swear upon the Oath Rod, though she recently thought that the Oath Rod did more harm than good (CoT Ch. 16).

Egwene is captured when she turns one of Tar Valon's chains that control the bridges into cuendillar. When she comes to, she sees an ageless face, so an Aes Sedai must be involved. There are many theories surrounding her capture; is it the Black Ajah? Is it the treachery of Egwene's own Hall? What agreement did the negotiators come to that was more than they bargained for and was it Egwene's capture? The theories will not be proven right or wrong until the next book comes out and we find out more. However, what is interesting to note is that it is extremely likely that the Seanchan are in the area, it is possible that a raken was seen, though not recognised by Egwene. Egwene had a dream that a Seanchan woman would save her and this could be tied into her capture (CoT Ch. 20;Ch. 30).

Timeline

  • 989 NE: Egwene catches Breakbone fever and Nynaeve Heals her (TEotW Ch. 21).
  • 998NE: Egwene is captured by the Seanchan after Liandrin's betrayal and becomes damane (TEotW Ch. 40).
  • 999NE: Egwene arrives back at the White Tower and becomes an Accepted (TDR Ch. 11 and TDR Ch. 23).
  • 999NE: Egwene is summoned to Salidar by the Hall and is raised to Amyrlin Seat. (LoC Ch. 32 and LoC Ch. 35).
  • 1000NE: Egwene is captured when she turns the chains of Tar Valon harbor into cuendillar (CoT Ch. 20).

Strengths and Talents

Egwene is significantly strong in the One Power; she is only second in strength to Nynaeve in the White Tower and equals Elayne's strength. (TGH Ch. 4) She had the spark inborn, something that it quite rare, (TEotW Ch. 12), though apparently not in the Two Rivers, which has produced three ta'veren and multiple channelers. (TSR Ch. 31) She is also unusually strong in Earth, predominantly a male strength; this means that she can Delve for metal ores. (TGH Ch. 42) She also has strength in Fire, also a male Power (ACoS Ch. 36).

Egwene is a Dreamer and a Dreamwalker. (TGH Ch. 12 and TSR Ch. 23) Her dreams have a significant chance of coming true, unlike Foretelling, which is definite, and they include dreams of Rand drawing Callandor, (TDR Ch. 25) and Perrin's involvement with Faile and Berelain. (TDR Ch. 37) She is the only Dreamer in the White Tower since Corianin Nedeal. (TDR Ch. 21) Egwene was trained to be a Dreamwalker by the Aiel Wise Ones Amys, Melaine and Bair before she was summoned back to Salidar. (TSR Ch. 23) Before she was trained to enter Tel'aran'rhiod at will, Egwene used a ring ter'angreal to visit it (TDR Ch. 27).

Egwene has several other Talents; she figured out the weave of Travelling, (LoC Ch. 27), though she needed Moghedien's help to figure out the weave for Skimming. (ACoS Chapter 9) Moghedien also helped her to discover the weave for making cuendillar, (CoT Ch. 17), and the forbidden weave of Compulsion. (CoT Ch. 18) Egwene is poor at Healing but was able to teach Aviendha to manage multiple weaves (TFoH Ch. 52).

Relationships

When Egwene still lived in Emond's Field, it was assumed by many people that she and Rand would marry, especially after Marin al'Vere and Tam al'Thor talked about it. (TGH Ch. 36) However, after leaving the Two Rivers, they both realise that they are not meant to be with each other (TSR Ch. 7).

Egwene comes to learn that she is in love with Gawyn, Elayne's brother. (LoC Ch. 14) They profess their love when they meet in Cairhien and Egwene tells him that they will be bonded. (LoC Ch. 18) Gawyn had not acted upon his love earlier because Galad is interested in her. Galad had saved Gawyn's life when they were younger and so he believed that he could not go after someone his half brother loved (TDR Ch. 16)..

Egwene is closest to Nynaeve and Elayne, two of the Aes Sedai who she thinks she can totally trust. She raises both of them to Aes Sedai when she becomes Amyrlin Seat, despite the fact that Nynaeve's block remained unbroken at that time (LoC Ch. 36).

Elaida and Egwene have never gotten on well. Elaida did not believe that Egwene should be allowed to take her Accepted Test because she was a wilder. (TDR Ch. 22) This only intensified when she heard that Egwene was Amyrlin Seat of the Salidar Aes Sedai. Elaida now dreams of Egwene begging for forgiveness and pleading not to be stilled (ACoS Ch. 32).

Egwene has a very precarious relationship with the Hall. From the start,Lelaine and Romanda try to control her. (LoC Ch. 36) If Egwene had not been made Amyrlin Seat, either Romanda or Lelaine would have. LoC Ch. 35) When Egwene wins the vote on war with Elaida, she tries to exert more control over the Hall. (TPoD Ch. 19)

Several Sitters have sworn fealty to Egwene. Myrelle and Nisao swore so that Myrelle's bonding of Lan did not become public, (LoC Ch. 12), Faolain and Theodrin swore because she is Amyrlin Seat, (ACoS Ch. 11) and Sheriam and others also swore (TPoD Ch. 16).

Egwene often asks Siuan for advice on Aes Sedai matters. Siuan was originally sent by the other Aes Sedai to teach her etiquette, (LoC Ch. 36) but in reality becomes more than that. She helps Egwene control the Hall and tells her of the laws and secret Tower histories (TPoD Ch. 19).

Dreams

Egwene's Dreams

Eye of the World

No Dreams in book 1

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The Great Hunt

Nothing significant except that Egwene kept dreaming of Rand in danger, and then noted she hadn't dreamt about him for several months. Presumably, this is when he was in the alternate world of the Portal Stone and not in their world to be dreamt about. Indicative of being able to sense someone's presence in the current world, perhaps.

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The Dragon Reborn

Ch. 18, The Bite of the Thorns

At least she was sure the Amyrlin did not know that she had dreamed of him last night, running from Moiraine.


Ch. 25, Questions

She had dreamed of the Seanchan, too, of women in dresses with lightning bolts woven on their breasts, collaring a long line of women who wore the Great Serpent rings, forcing them to call lightning against the White Tower. That had started her awake in a cold sweat, but that had to be just a nightmare, too. And the dream about Whitecloaks binding her father's hands. A nightmare brought on by homesickness she supposed. But the others...

There had been a dream of Rand, reaching for a sword that seemed to be made of crystal, never seeing the fine net dropping over him. And one of him kneeling in a chamber where a parched wind blew dust across the floor, and creatures like the one on the Dragon banner, but much smaller, floated on that wind, and settled into his skin. There had been a dream of him walking down into a great hole in a black mountain, a hole filled with a reddish glare as from vast fires below, and even a dream of him confronting the Seanchan.

About that last, she was uncertain, but she knew the others had to mean something. Back when she had been sure she could trust Anaiya, back before she had left the Tower, before she learned the reality of the Black Ajah, a little cautious questioning of the Aes Sedai - done, oh so carefully, so Anaiya would think it no more than the curiosity she showed about other things - had revealed that a Dreamer's dreams about ta'veren were almost always significant, and the more strongly ta'veren, the more "almost always" became "certainly."

But Mat and Perrin were ta'veren, too, and she had also dreamed of them. Odd dreams, even more difficult to understand than the dreams of Rand. Perrin with a falcon on his shoulder, and Perrin with a hawk. Only the hawk held a leash in her talons - Egwene was somehow convinced both hawk and falcon were female - and the hawk was trying to fasten it around Perrin's neck. That made her shiver even now; she did not like dreams about leashes. And that dream of Perrin - with a beard! - leading a huge pack of wolves that stretched as far as the eye could see. Those about Mat had been even nastier. Mat placing his own left eye on a balance scale. Mat, hanging by his neck from a tree limb. There had been a dream of Mat and Seanchan, too, but she was willing to dismiss that as a nightmare. It had to have been just a nightmare. Just like the one about Mat speaking the Old Tongue. that had to come from what she had heard during his Healing.


Ch. 37, Fires in Cairhien

Her own dreams, without the ter'angreal, had been filled with images that seemed almost like glimpses of the Unseen World. Rand holding a sword that blazed like the sun, till she could hardly see that it was sword, could hardly make out that it was him at all. Rand threatened in a dozen ways, none of them the least bit real. In one dream he had been on a huge stones board, the black and white stones as big as boulders, and him dodging the monstrous hands that moved them and seemed to try to crush him under them. It could have meant something. It very probably did, but beyond the fact that Rand was in danger from someone, or two someones - she thought that much was clear - beyond that, she simply did not know.

She had dreamed of Perrin with a wolf, and with a falcon, and a hawk - and the falcon and the hawk fighting - of Perrin running from someone deadly, and Perrin stepping willingly over the edge of a towering cliff while saying, "It must be done. I must learn to fly before I reach the bottom." There had been one dream of an Aiel, and she thought that had to do with Perrin, too, but she was not sure. And a dream of Min, springing a steel trap but somehow walking through it without so much as seeing it. There had been dreams of Mat, too. Of Mat with dice spinning 'round him - she felt she knew where that one came from - of Mat being followed by a man who was not there - she still did not understand that; there was a man following, or maybe more than one, but in some way there was no one there - of Mat riding desperately toward something unseen in the distance that he had to reach, and Mat with a woman who seemed to be tossing fireworks about. An Illuminator, she assumed, but that made no more sense than anything else.

Frantic dreams, hectic dreams. Men and women breaking out of a cage, then putting on crowns. A woman playing with puppets, and another dream where the strings on puppets led to the hand of larger puppets, and their strings let to still greater puppets, on and on until the last strings led into unimaginable heights. Kings dying, queens weeping, battles raging. Whitecloaks ravaging the Two Rivers. She had even dreamed of the Seanchan again. More than once. Those she shut away in a dark corner; she would not let herself think of them. Her mother and father, every night.

"Fool!" she muttered softly. "Me, Elayne, not you, so don't glower at me like that." She continued in a whisper. "A Gray Man is after Mat, Elayne. That must be what that dream meant, but I never saw it. I am a fool!"


Ch. 48, Following the Craft

Sometimes there had been glimpses of Rand, or Mat, or Perrin, and more in her own dreams without the ter'angreal, but nothing of which she could make any sense. The Seanchan, who she refused to think about. Nightmares of a Whitecloak putting Master Luhhan in the middle of a huge, toothed trap for bait. Why should Perrin have a falcon on his shoulder, and what was important about him choosing between that axe he wore now and a blacksmith's hammer? What did it mean that Mat was dicing with the Dark One, and why did he keep shouting, "I am coming!" and why did she think in the dream that he was shouting at her? And Rand. He had been sneaking through utter darkness toward Callandor, while all around him six men and five women walked, some hunting him and some ignoring him, some trying to guide him toward the shining crystal sword and some trying to stop him from reaching it, appearing not to know where he was, or only to see him in flashes. One of the men had eyes of flame, and he wanted Rand dead with a desperation she could nearly taste. She thought she knew him. Ba'alzamon. But who were the others? Rand in that dry dusty chamber again, with those small creatures settling into his skin. Rand confronting a horde of Seanchan. Rand confronting her, and the women with her, and one of them was a Seanchan. It was all too confusing.


Ch. 54, Into the Stone

"I dreamed about Rand, and Callandor. I think he is coming here." But why did I dream of Mat? And Perrin? It was a wolf, but I am sure it was him.


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The Shadow Rising

No Dreams in Book 4

Miscellaneous

  • Whatever Egwene does, she wants to do it to the best of her ability. (TEotW, Ravens) She is like this with channeling, which is unusual as most novices are scared of channeling, though it is slightly dangerous for her to be that eager to learn (TGH Ch. 18).
  • The first time she sees a glow around a woman channeling saidar is when Elayne channels when they first meet (TGH Ch. 24).
  • During her Accepted test, each arch shows her abandoning Rand to his death. The last one depicts her as being Amyrlin Seat, having been raised from the Green Ajah (TDR Ch. 22).
  • A Gray Man was sent to the White Tower to kill Egwene and Nynaeve but it was killed by Slayer when it failed (TDR Ch. 15).
  • When Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve are out of the Tower, Siuan Sanche tells Gawyn that they are studying with Mara Tomanes, an Aes Sedai in Illian. (TSR Ch. 47)
  • Egwene has nightmares of her Seanchan captivity for weeks after she is rescued (TSR Ch. 52).
  • When the Hall votes to declare war on Elaida, it gives Egwene control of the Hall over all matters concerning the war (TPoD Ch. 19).
  • Nicola Treehill tries to blackmail Egwene into letting her learn faster by threatening to let slip that Elayne and Nynaeve, and possibly Egwene herself, pretended to be Aes Sedai when they were only Accepted. (ACoS Ch. 9) When Egwene rebuffs her, she blackmails Myrelle and Nisao about Lan until Egwene stops them again (ACoS Ch. 12).
  • Egwene often used Tel'aran'rhiod to talk to Nynaeve and Elayne but it then widened to the Hall and the Aiel Wise Ones (TSR Ch. 52, LoC Ch. 32 and ACoS Ch. 10.
  • Min has several viewings of Egwene; the first is that Egwene loves Rand but is not in love with him. (TEotW Ch. 15) She is linked with Rand, Mat, Perrin and Galad, (TGH Chapter 42) and Min saw the white flame of the Aes Sedai around Egwene, indicating that Egwene would become Amyrlin Seat (TGH Ch. 24).
  • Egwene wants any and every woman who can channel to be linked to the White Tower. (ACoS Ch. 31) She opens the novice book to women of any age. (TPoD Ch. 17) This leads to over a thousand novices joining the Salidar Aes Sedai. (TPoD Ch. 30)
  • Egwene's punishing of novices from the Two Rivers has begun to give her the reputation of being another Sereille Bagand; that is to say that she is very harsh and has a strong will ( CoT Ch. 18).

Quotes

"al'Vere, Egwene (ahl-VEER, eh-GWAIN): A young woman from Emond's Field. Now in training to be Aes Sedai"- (The Dragon Reborn, Glossary).

"You may go far. Perhaps even the Amyrlin Seat, one day, if you study hard and work hard"- Moiraine to Egwene (The Eye of the World, Chapter 12).

"From what Moiraine tells me, you leaped into it as soon as you could, fumbling through the dark with never a thought of whether there was a bottomless pit under your next step"- Verin to Egwene (The Great Hunt, Chapter 13).

"Gawyn will never admit he is interested in a woman if Galad is interested in her, but I have heard him talk about you, and I know. He never could hide things from me"- Elayne to Egwene (The Dragon Reborn: Chapter 16).

"She should not be given this chance... I do not care what her potential is. She should be put out of the Tower. Or failing that, set to scrubbing floors for the next ten years"- Elaida about Egwene (The Dragon Reborn, Chapter 22).

"People change, Rand. Feelings change. When people are apart, sometimes they grow apart. I love you as I would a brother, perhaps more than a brother, but not to marry"- Egwene to Rand (The Shadow Rising, Chapter 7).

"You have much to learn. Far more than I can begin to teach you, now. Come to the Three-fold Land"- Amys to Egwene (The Shadow Rising, Chapter 11).

"If the Queen of Andor can be Aes Sedai, a Prince can be a Warder. And you will be mine. Push that through your thick skull; I am serious. And I love you"- Egwene to Gawyn (Lord of Chaos, Chapter 25).

"I'm the Amyrlin but...Elayne, Sheriam doesn't have to think very hard to recall a novice named Egwene, staring goggle-eyed at everything and being sent to rake the New Garden walks for eating apples after bedtime. She means to lead me by the hand, or maybe push me by the scruff of my neck"- Egwene to Elayne (Lord of Chaos, Chapter 36).

"They made a very bad mistake, didn't they? Of course, I made it first. The plump little grunter for the table turns out to be a live silverpike as long as your leg"- Siuan to Egwene (Lord of Chaos, Chapter 37).

" A certain degree of respect is required towards the Amyrlin Seat, and from now on, I will have it, daughter"- Egwene to Lelaine (The Path of Daggers, Chapter 19).

"'My own charge is...' She pressed her thumb down on the edge of the chair as if pinning something and laughed again"- Aran'gar presumably about Egwene (Winter's Heart, Chapter 13).

"Elayne, I have to order women I grew up with switched because they don't believe I am the Amyrlin Seat, or if they do, that they can break the rules because they knew me"- Egwene to Elayne (Winter's Heart, Chapter 26).

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