Essay for Raising to Accepted: Mariasha

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Author: Mariasha Casindred

What Was - You will write an essay explaining which of the lost Talents from the Age of Legends would best suit three mid-main, non-Aes Sedai female characters from the books in your opinion.

The three Lost Talents I will be discussing in this essay are Milking Tears, Aligning the Matrix, and Spinning Earthfire. I will discuss how they relate to the talents that already exist within the female non-Aes Sedai (and in my case, non-channelers) they are being associated with and how they fit their personalities.

First, I will discuss Milking Tears. Milking Tears is a Talent that is used to heighten people's emotions. I think this would work very well with Berelain. She consistently uses her own natural charm to manipulate people, particularly men. She has used her looks and quick mind to keep Mayene from the hands of Tear for her duration as the First of Mayene. I believe that in her line of work, Milking Tears would be most useful to her and she would consider it so. To be able to control a person's emotions would give her a great advantage when negotiating or using diplomacy to get her way. It also would have assisted her in her endeavors with both Perrin and Rand. While they may have been resistant to such a weave, they probably would not have been completely unaffected. Milking Tears is the perfect Lost Talent for a woman of Berelain's power and personality.

Next, I think Aligning the Matrix fits best with Aludra, the Illuminator. It's not a perfect fit, but I think that if Aludra could channel, she would be most interested in this particular Lost Talent. This Talent involves creating weapons with the One Power and strengthening metal. She's already demonstrated that she likes to make things with her hands, dangerous explosives. It is thought in some circles that she will be the one to create weapons with gunpowder, namely cannons, and it's not a far reach to have her interested in making other weapons. I think she would enjoy any Talent that lets her create with her hands and special abilities, and I think that Aligning the Matrix would suit her very well.

Finally, I would like to discuss Spinning Earthfire. It is a Talent that requires great strength in Earth and Fire. After thinking about many non-channeling women, I kept coming back to Birgitte. Birgitte is a warrior. Even if she could not use a weapon of any sort, she still has the personality of someone who will always fight for what is right. If she were a channeler, it is of my opinion that Spinning Earthfire would suit her very well. Not only would she prefer a Talent of war, but I believe she would know how to use such a Talent to gain the most benefit. Her mind is honed to battle and she would see best how to use Spinning Earthfire to achieve the best advantage on a battlefield.


What Is - You will write an essay about how the Game of the Houses, while openly accepted and played, is also a factor in at least three other Nations in the books. Explain the similarities and how it affects the nation and culture in general.

Daes Dae'mar has played a very important role, not only in Cairhien, where the entire culture is immersed in the Game of Houses, but in the entire continent, with the exception of the Borderlands. Even the Aiel have been affected by Daes Dae'mar unbeknownst to them, through their experience with the Cairhienin. Three countries I will focus on in this discussion of Daes Dae'mar are Mayene, Andor, and Shienar. Each of these countries has been affected by Daes Dae'mar and uses it to a certain degree, whether it be a large amount like Cairhien, or very little.

Mayene is a land where, like Cairhien, one has to be skilled in Daes Dae'mar to remain in power, or sometimes remain living. Because it is constantly battling Tear for its sovereignty, Mayene's Firsts must use Daes Dae'mar to keep territory, resources, and wealth. Because of this, some Mayeners are probably nearly as skilled as the Cairhienin. But while Cairhien is largely divided because of the Great Game, Mayene is probably more united. When a country receives threats from the outside, it tends to draw together. Mayeners do not tend to use the Game against each other as much as they use it against foreigners. This is most likely not true for everyone in Mayene, but I believe this is generally true of the country.

The second country is Andor. Andorans are not nearly as good at the Game as the Cairhienin or the Mayeners, but they do play, especially in the capital. Queen Morgase was generally viewed as good at the Game, and uses it to try and keep Andor out of Whitecloak hands. The further from Caemlyn, however, the less Andorans use Daes Dae'mar. The further out of the Queen's hands one gets, the blunter and more open the people are. In the Two Rivers, Daes Dae'mar is not only unheard of but generally not in use, even in the simplest form.

In Shienar, Daes Dae'mar is nearly absent. Daes Dae'mar is hardly ever seen and discouraged because it causes divisions within a nation. Because Shienar is so close to the Blight, it needs to maintain unity or be taken over, similar to Mayene. However, where Mayene needs Daes Dae'mar to remain sovereign, Shienar needs military might to keep from being overrun by the Trolloc hordes. There is no room for the Game or Shienar might fall. Also, Shienar deals largely with other Borderland nations, none of whom can quarrel much with each other or they will also fall as Malkier did.


What Will Be - What are you looking forward to most about becoming an Accepted?

In being an Accepted, I look forward to the further trust and responsibilities I will gain. I love the Tower for what it has become and I enjoy working to make it better. I believe that each member of the Tower has a responsibility to do something to further the Tower's goals, make the Tower more fun, or help a member of the Tower.

I enjoy working with JALGC and was very excited to become a host when only a novice. I like preparing for games and trying to make them fun for members of the Tower. I am very excited to finally get into an Ajah and be able to get to know the rest of that Ajah. I know where I feel at home and I am very excited to get to know the women and men of that Ajah as well as possible.

Lastly, I'm just excited to move on to a new part of my life in the Tower. I really love being here and being with all these wonderful people. I'm hoping that I will be able to affect more good and help with more things in the Tower.