Ellorien Traemane

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Author: Atarah al'Norahn

General

Ellorien Traemane is the High Seat of House Traemane, a powerful Andoran House (TFoH, Ch. 19; LoC, Ch. 16). The sigil of House Traemane is a golden antlered white stag, known as the White Stag of Traemane. One of her estates is at Sheldyn (KoD, Ch. 35).

She is a few years older than Morgase (TFoH, Ch. 19). She is plump and dark-haired, and Rand thinks to himself that she would have been pretty if her face were not so determinedly stony (LoC, Ch. 16).

Timeline

  • On orders from Gaebril/Rahvin, Morgase has Ellorien exiled. She also has her flogged for demanding to know why (TFoH, Ch. 19).
  • Davram Bashere announces Abelle, Dyelin, Ellorien, and Luan into Rand's presence. It has been five days since Rand issued invitations to them. They speak of who is to rule on the Lion Throne (LoC, Ch. 16).
  • Rand is meeting with Aemlyn, Arathelle, Dyelin, Ellorien, Luan, and Pelivar, telling them that Elayne is on her way to Caemlyn, when Min arrives at the Royal Palace. He dismisses them, thinking to himself that seeing Min's face is much better than seeing Dyelin's stony features, or Ellorien's (LoC, Ch. 41).
  • Demira Eriff visits Ellorien while she is in her bath to talk to her of Rand's going to the Tower. Ellorien wants to know who will have the Lion Throne after Rand is gone, and Demira answers only that, "The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills" (LoC, Ch. 43).
  • Abelle and Ellorien seem to have disappeared completely, and rumor has Luan a dozen places (CoT, Ch. 14).
  • Ellorien is camped, along with Abelle and Luan, several leagues outside of Caemlyn, with Aemlyn, Arathelle, and Pelivar in a nearby camp. Between the two camps there are nearly sixty thousand men (KoD, Ch. 17).
  • Ellorien and the others request a truce with Arymilla so that they can deal with the Borderlanders. Arymilla is still considering (KoD, Ch. 17).
  • Dyelin travels to the two camps outside of Caemlyn in an attempt to learn what they are up to. Ellorien and the others do not intend to join Elayne, but have also rejected invitations to join Arymilla (KoD, Ch. 17).
  • On the same day that Elayne is kidnapped, Ellorien and the others break camp and move closer towards Caemlyn. Dyelin is afraid that Ellorien has convinced the others to support her in a bid for the throne and that they may be trying to defeat Arymilla so that they can take over the siege on Caemlyn (KoD, Ch. 32).
  • For two days, Ellorien and the others remain camped right below Caemlyn. They make no move to attack (KoD, Ch. 35).
  • Ellorien and the others send Arathelle’s grandson, Hanselle Renshar, to Elayne with a request for safe passage into Caemlyn. Elayne accedes (KoD, Ch. 35).
  • Ellorien and the others enter the Palace to speak with Elayne; they have come to ask for a truce while they deal with the Borderlanders. Before the meeting begins, Dyelin warns Elayne that Ellorien may act provocative and attempt to bait her, and indeed, she does. She insults Elayne and her supporters several times, and even her companions seem annoyed by this. When Elayne reveals that she gave the Borderlanders permission to cross Andor, Ellorien is incensed. When Abelle, Luan, Aemlyn, Arathelle, and Pelivar all declare for Trakand, Ellorien refuses to join them; she will not even stay to dine with them all. Instead, she plans to leave for her estates (KoD, Ch. 35).
  • She sends Elayne a note proposing that Elayne releases the captive nobles for the good of Andor. She is one of the last holdouts to Elayne's rule (ToM, Ch. 11).

Relationships

Ellorien supported Morgase during the Succession, and was the first House to show its support for Trakand. She and Morgase became close friends. Later, on orders from Gaebril/Rahvin, Morgase has Ellorien flogged and exiled, and thus Ellorien no longer wants a Trakand on the throne (TFoH, Ch. 19; LoC, Ch. 16).

Ellorien supports Dyelin Taravin for the throne of Andor, and says that she will ride beside Dyelin whether she chooses to ride for or against Rand (LoC, Ch. 16).

Abelle and Luan also support Dyelin. They, along with Ellorien, appear together to be introduced to Rand, and their names appear together more than once. Dyelin thinks that they will bring their Houses to Elayne (LoC, Ch. 16; WH, Prologue; CoT, Ch. 15). These three camp together outside of Caemlyn, with Aemlyn, Arathelle, and Pelivar camping separately. When they request safe passage into Caemlyn, all six enter the Palace together, but still remain separated into two groups. Luan, however, does look pained when Ellorien snipes at Elayne (KoD, Ch. 35).

Elenia hopes that Ellorien will support her for the Throne. She thinks that after Morgase had Ellorien flogged, Ellorien would rather see anyone on the throne than another Trakand (CoT, Ch. 15).

After Abelle, Aemlyn, Arathelle, Luan, and Pelivar declare for Trakand, Ellorien will not even stay to dine with them and Elayne. Before she leaves, she tells Elayne that upon the arrival of Tarmon Gai'don she will ride behind the Lion of Andor. Significantly, she says nothing of following Elayne (KoD, Ch. 35).

Miscellaneous

  • Morgase thinks to herself that her old supporters are now perhaps her enemies for good over what she did to Ellorien (TFoH, Ch. 19).
  • Morgase learns that Ellorien is not among the nobles who have knelt to Rand (LoC, Ch. 9).
  • Elayne does not believe that Ellorien wants the throne herself (TPoD, Ch. 28).
  • Dyelin tells Elayne that, for the moment, Aemlyn, Arathelle, and Pelivar are her greatest worries. For the time being, she thinks that Ellorien and Luan are behind Elayne, but that they might go over to the other three, who support Dyelin for the throne (TPoD, Ch. 28).
  • Dyelin thinks that Ellorien is too flamboyant to disappear (CoT, Ch. 14).
  • Dyelin tells Elayne that if Aemlyn, Arathelle, and Pelivar head towards Caemlyn after leaving Murandy, then they are hoping that Abelle, Ellorien, and/or Luan will join them in supporting Dyelin (CoT, Ch. 14).
  • Ellorien would have the next best claim for the throne after Dyelin (KoD, Ch. 17).
  • Ellorien ranks above Abelle, but below Luan, Arathelle, Pelivar, and Aemlyn (KoD, Ch. 35).

Quotes

Morgase nodded dully, but it was because she was remembering, in a shadowy way. Ellorien, screaming in outrage as her gown was ripped down the back. House Traemane had been the very first to throw its support to Trakand, brought by a plumply pretty woman only a few years older than Morgase. Brought by Ellorien, now one of her closest friends. At least, she had been. Elayne had been named after Ellorien's grandmother. (Morgase; The Fires of Heaven, Chapter 19)

"From the south," Ellorien said after a sip. "A Tunaighan Hills vintage. A wonder you can find ice in Caemlyn this year. I have heard people already calling this 'The year without a winter.'" (Ellorien to Rand; Lord of Chaos, Chapter 16)

"Morgase betrayed her friends and spurned her oldest adherents. Let us see an end to House Trakand on the Lion Throne." (Ellorien to Abelle, Dyelin, Luan, and Rand; Lord of Chaos, Chapter 16)

"If the throne belongs to anyone," Ellorien said tightly, "it belongs to Dyelin. If you mean what you say, see her crowned, and go. Then Andor will be whole, and I don't doubt Andoran soldiers will follow you to the Last Battle, if that's what is called for." (Ellorien to Rand; Lord of Chaos, Chapter 16)

And there were those who would accept anyone other than another Trakand on the throne. Ellorien, for one. Morgase had had her flogged. Ellorien would never stand for any Trakand. (Elenia; Crossroads of Twilight, Chapter 15)

"She has the throne," Ellorien said, as cold as ever. "The rest is fluff and feathers." (Ellorien to Dyelin about not declaring for Trakand; Knife of Dreams, Chapter 35)