Kirstian Chalwin

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Author: Leora Oldessroth

General

Kirstian Chalwin is a member of the Knitting Circle (TPoD, Ch. 1), the group of women who lead the Kin.

Kirstian has a pale face and black eyes (TPoD, Ch. 1). She is pretty and she is taller than Nynaeve (WH, 8). While Kirstian appears to be about thirty years old (WH, 8), she is actually over three hundred years old--which makes her older than any living Aes Sedai (TPoD, Ch. 28). (However, she is a hundred years younger than Reanne Corly (TPoD, Ch. 3).)

Kirstian was a novice of the White Tower three hundred years ago but ran away after one year (TPoD, Ch. 28).

Kirstian ran a small weaver's shop in Ebou Dar (TPoD, Ch. 3).

Timeline

  • Kirstian guards and shields Ispan, along with the other members of the Knitting Circle who are not Wise Women, in the Tarasin Palace after the Bowl of the Winds has been found (ACoS, Ch. 39).
  • Kirstian is the one holding the shield on Ispan when the Knitting Circle, Elayne, Nynaeve and the other Salidar Aes Sedai leave Ebou Dar (TPoD, Ch. 1) and she continues to hold the shield on the journey to the Farm (TPoD, Ch. 3).
  • Kirstian is part of the circle that uses the Bowl of Winds (TPoD, Ch. 5). She is so scared that Elayne is surprised she can embrace the Source (TPoD, Ch. 6).
  • Kirstian flees, along with everyone else, when the Seanchan attack the Farm (TPoD, Ch. 6).
  • Kirstian journeys with Elayne and the others to Caemlyn (TPoD, Ch. 20).
  • After Garenia is discovered to be the runaway novice Zarya Alkaese, Kirstian voluntarily surrenders herself as a runaway novice as well (TPoD, Ch. 28). She is immediately put back into novice white (TPoD, Ch. 28).
  • Along with Zarya Alkaese, Kirstian works out that Ispan and Adeleas' killer must be either Merilille, Sareitha or Careane (WH, 8). She has enough time to figure this out because all the Aes Sedai in Caemlyn are too busy to give her lessons (WH, 8).
  • Nynaeve makes Vandene take charge of Kirstian and Zarya while in Caemlyn (WH, 8). Vandene uses her supervision of Kirstian and Zarya as an excuse to get out of giving the Sea Folk channeling lessons (WH, 11).
  • Kirstian was still in Caemlyn under Vandene's supervision the last time we saw her (CoT, Ch. 11; KoD, Ch. 14).
  • Kirstian accompanies Vandene to tell Elayne that Reanne Corly has been murdered ( KoD, Ch. 17).

Miscellaneous

Kirstian is as strong in the One Power as Reanne Corly, and is stronger than most Aes Sedai Aviendha has met (TPoD, Ch. 1). She is not as strong as Zarya Alkaese (TPoD, Ch. 28).

Kirstian appears out of place with the rest of the Knitting Circle (TPoD, Ch. 1).

Quotes

"Garenia and Kirstian, shaking visibly, were nearly pure terror, so strong it was amazing that they could even have begun to embrace the Source." (Elayne about Kirstian when bringing her into the circle that uses the Bowl of Winds; The Path of Daggers, Chapter 5)

"Suddenly Kirstian fell to her knees, clutching at Adeleas' skirts with one hand. "I submit myself," she said calmly, her tone a wonder coming from that bloodless face. "I was enrolled in the novice book almost three hundred years ago, and ran away less than a year later. I submit myself and...and beg mercy." It was white-haired Adeleas' turn to go wide-eyed. Kirstian was claiming to have run away from the White Tower when she herself was an infant, if not before she was born!" (The Path of Daggers, Chapter 28)

"Kirstian and Zarya wore plain white and stayed a careful place behind Vandene, hands folded meekly at their waists. Their hair was bound back simply, and they wore no jewelry." (Winter's Heart: Chapter 8)

"Kirstian had been gone from the Tower so long that she had felt safe using her true name again, or part of it." (Elayne about Kirstian; Winter's Heart, Chapter 8)

"...and Nynaeve went right on. "Vandene can make good use of them, I'm sure," she said. "And when she isn't she can give them regular lessons. I remember someone telling me you've taught novices before, Vandene. There. It's settled." (Nynaeve making Vandene take charge of Kirstian and Zarya; Winter's Heart, Chapter 8)