Essay for Raising to Accepted: Moriendar

Author: Moriendar Amechi

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.

Spinning Earthfire is one of the lost Talents which demands a tremendous strength in Earth and Fire which most female channelers of the present day do not possess. Although very little is known about this Talent, as sources from the Age of Legends are limited, one can still deduce that such a power would require a considerable strength of the mind on top of the physical strength. Of course, Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time did not fail to weave a large group of strong-willed female characters into the Pattern of Destiny.

Three particular women stand out in the group, all of whom have the potential to tame this intimidating Talent for their own use. They can not channel, but they did not rely the One Power to accomplish all the things that they did. And if it were so that they have been gifted with the ability, Faile, Morgase, and Birgitte would have undoubtedly rose to become three of the most powerful Aes Sedai in history.

Faile Bashere, a headstrong young woman from Saldaea, for instance, does not find it at all necessary to embrace the True Source at any time during the slow and tedious process of taming her wolfish husband. So what's a bit of flying dirt and sparks next to the task of attempting to get absolute obedience and faithfulness out of an impossibly wool-headed lummox of a man, right? Throughout her journey, Faile has shown herself to be unwavering, sometimes unreasonably so, while making what she has in mind to happen. And Spinning Earthfire is only suited to a woman with Faile's unbendable character.

The former Queen of Andor, Morgase Trakand, has a temper as lethal as Earthfire itself. Once, she had been in so enraged a mood that the entire city of Caemlyn trod lightly on their toes for a month. No doubt, if she was able to channel Spinning Earthfire at the time, she would have instantly used it to obliterate the subject of her anger. Luckily, besides the occasional flare of temper, Morgase is very collected and practical. A powerful woman, as powerful as a woman had to be to succeed winning the throne of Andor at the age of fifteen, Morgase is another contender for this fierce Talent.

The last woman is no queen; she's not even a lady with regal bearings like Faile. But Birgitte Silverbow is a daughter of war, beautiful and deadly in the heat of combat that has been her life for countless cycles of the turning of the Wheel. Not only does Birgitte possess the perseverance and fierceness in the previous two women, she is also calm, stepping into the battlefield as if it is her home (and it is), and confident, trusting in her arrows to never missing their targets (and they don't). This combination of ideal traits perhaps gives her the best qualifications for mastering the Talent.

What Is - You will write an essay about how the Game of the Houses, while openly accepted and played (In Cairhien?), 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.

Clashing interests and cultures between the nations of the Wheel have resulted in a glorious and bloody Third Age. Daes Dae'mar, the great Game of Houses, took on an important role in the rise of 'and fall of the nations.

It is commonly known that the Cairhienin are masters of Daes Dae'mar. The Game has grown to a stage where even the lowest of servants know how to play, and where every step placed upon the ground have been carefully calculated. But the practice and effects of Daes Dae'mar is far more expansive than the country of Cairhien. It extends across the Aryth Ocean and touches the everyday life of the Seanchan with its purposeful arms.

The nation of Illian is ruled by the King and the Council of Nine and the Assemblage. Yet the elite ruling class, like that of the Cairhienin, is so deeply engaged in Daes Dae'mar, presumably plotting for one another's downfall, between Houses that the commoners were practically left to their own devices. Surprisingly, this lack of a well-organized central government seemed to be of no consequence in Jordan's Illian, except for the occasional squabbles on the border with Tear.

Another example of Daes Dae'mar would Mayene. The city-state has to face the constant threat of being engulfed by the nearby Tear. But Tear never managed to take control of Mayene - the result of a noteworthy play of the Great Game by cunning and capable Mayene rulers. In this case, the expression "Survival of the fittest" can be adapted "Survival of the most adept" to describe intense currents of Daes Dae'mar that the Firsts of Mayene must wade.

It is understood that Daes Dae'mar can turn out to be deadly, but in Seanchan, the Game is downright brutal. The amount of blood shed for the Crystal Throne is unfathomable - blood of sisters, of brothers, of "friends" and relatives. Children who are in line for the Throne begin playing the Game at the age when he or she begins to speak. One can't simply refrain from taking part in this deadly battle. If one is seen as a threat by another contender, one's life will be imperiled unless one does something to resolve it, which means the elimination of the threat by secret and malignant means in most cases. Through such practices of extreme scheming, the imperial Seanchan produced generations of rulers who have survived the great war with all the care and craftiness they possess, proving themselves worthy of the Throne. With their skills, they are able to govern the massive Empire with absolute power.

It's hard to say whether Daes Dae'mar resulted in a very contriving administration or is a result of it. But one thing is agreed, all three aforementioned nations' government are involved in intense practice of Daes Dae'mar for the same reason - to maneuver for political power.

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

"The ring is on your finger, girl
The time has come to choose
Which Ajah will it be, dear child
Which family best suits you?"

-Lealenya Terim
A Tribute to Accepted

Truthfully speaking, I have not really considered what I most look forward to about becoming an Accepted until today. My friends who gained Acceptance all seemed so thrilled, saying that it's so good to be back in the City again, that it's so nice to be able to hug males without being sent to the MoNsta's office (although I'm not sure whether they really did get in trouble for the said contact). I was very excited by all the benefits named, as well as the idea of rising to a higher level of membership, that I hadn't taken the time to single out one particular reason.

Now, after much thought on the subject, I have decided that the joining of an Ajah is what I anticipate on the most, because the concept of "family" means a lot to me. When I was a Citizen, I usually frequented threads where I felt at home with the great group of friends that are always present. As a novice, my roomie and I (along with some other rabble-rousers) plotted and pranked and had a wonderful time. I'm a people-person. And like most of the population, I want belong. That's why I look forward to be accepted into an Ajah where I'll become a member of its family.