Saldaea
| ||
| Saldaea | ||
| Sigil | Three silver fish, one above the other; the Silver Fish. | |
| Banner | Three silver fish on a field of dark Blue. | |
| Capital | Maradon | |
| Ruler | Tenobia si Bashere Kazadi | |
| Throne | ||
| Crown | The Broken Crown | |
| Palace | Cordamora Palace | |
Author: Toral Delvar
Unless stated otherwise, all information herein is taken from The World of Robert Jordan's "The Wheel of Time", Chapter 28.
Pronunciation: sahl-DAY-ah
General
As with all the Borderlands, Saldaea has a martial culture, with the need for constant vigilance against Trolloc raids from the north. Relationships with the other Borderlands are excellent, with this strengthened by intermarriages between the leading houses (TPoD, Prologue). As a result for the need for security, the constant jockeying for position of Daes Dae'mar, seen in many of the southern lands, is almost unknown there. Saldaeans make up the finest light cavalry in the lands. The country has come under attack from Trolloc hordes, which threated the capital, though with the aid of Rand al'Thor, it was saved. The crown has a loose hold on some parts of the land. When Faile was a child, Tenobia made sure that people who had not seen a taxman in five generations knew who their queen was (TSR, Ch. 42). Like Shienar, the winters can be cold enough to freeze sap and burst trees (TFoH, Ch. 29) and at such times, snow shoes or skis are the only way to travel (TFoH, Ch. 29).
History
Unless stated otherwise, all information herein is taken from The Wheel of Time Roleplaying Game, Chapter 12.
A similar entry appears in the Wheel of Time Companion confirming the information available in previously published official sources outside of the main story arc.
Like all of the Borderlands, Saldaea became a nation near the beginning of the War of the Hundred Years. Concerned about the ongoing war, the governors of the five northern provinces held a meeting; the outcome of this meeting was an agreement to form five independent nations. Because the purpose of these nations was to work together against the Blight and to protect themselves against the fighting in the southlands, for the most part Saldaea did not take part in the war outside of self-defense. The first king of Saldaea was Rylen t'Boriden Rashad.
Geography
Relation to Previous National Borders
According to the maps, during the Compact of the Ten Nations, the land that would become Saldaea was part of the nation of Jaramide. After the Trolloc Wars, the nation of Basharande formed the majority of the land, though part of the nations of Indrahar and Oburun north of the Arinelle also became part of Saldaea.
Borders
Saldaea is the largest of the Borderlands, bigger than Arafel and Shienar combined. It stretches from the World's End cliffs in the Aryth Ocean in the east to the northern edge of the Black Hills in the west, where it borders Kandor.
Geographical Features
- Bodies of Water
- The Aryth Ocean
- The River Arinelle
- Hills and Mountains
- Miscellaneous
Regions
There are various regions in Saldaea, each of which is ruled by a noble. The ones that are known are:
- Asnelle, belonging to Queen Tenobia
- Bashere, belonging to Davram Bashere
- Gahaur, belonging to Lady Zavion Gahaur
- Ganai, belonging to Queen Tenobia
- Kunwar, belonging to Queen Tenobia
- Shahayni, belonging to Queen Tenobia
- Sidona, belonging to Davram Bashere
- Tyr, belonging to Davram Bashere
Government
The Throne
Saldaea is ruled by Queen Tenobia. Though only in her mid twenties, she is passed the age that most high nobles in the Borderlands usually marry and is rumored to have excessive demands regarding any potential husband, such that she is expected to die unmarried and childless (TPoD, Ch. 1). Davram Bashere is her heir, and Faile his. Along with the other Borderland nobles, Tenobia swore to Rand al'Thor and took her armies to the Field of Merrilor.
- The Broken Crown
The crown of Saldaea is known as the Broken Crown; the significance of this is not known.
The Broken Crown is discussed several times throughout the books.
- Min has a viewing of Perrin and a broken crown. She tells him that she sees "A wolf, and a broken crown, and trees flowering all around him (TEotW, Ch. 15).
- "I suppose Zarine told you all about my estates before you... married her. All about the Broken Crown. She was always talkative as a girl" – (Bashere to Perrin; LoC, Ch. 46).
- "Broken Crown? Faile had certainly never mentioned any broken crown" (Perrin to Bashere; (LoC, Ch. 46); not knowing what it is, he does not capitalize "Broken Crown" in his mind)
- " 'Faile, what is a broken crown?' […] She made a vexed noise and suddenly began to smell upset." (LoC, Ch. 46)
- "He had taught her to ride, watched her grow up, presented her with the Broken Crown when she took the throne" (Davram about Tenobia; (CoT, Prologue).
- "And that little matter of the Broken Crown that Elyas had let slip. Everybody said that wives kept their secrets, but there were limits!" (Perrin; CoT, Ch. 5); having had the significance of the Broken Crown explained to him, Perrin now capitalizes it when he thinks of it).
- Perrin thinks of the Broken Crown, and that when he and Faile discuss it, he might not struggle to raise his voice (KoD, Ch. 30).
Nobility
- Noble Houses
- House Bashere
- House Gahaur
- House Kazadi
- House Ramsin
- House Torkumen
Military
The Saldaean military is commanded by the Marshall-General, currently Davram Bashere. The cavalry is the best in the world and perform drills in units as large as nine thousand. Men take their women to war with them, though they do not traditionally fight in the actual battles.
A large proportion of the Saldaean army marched south around 999NE with the Borderland army.
Cities, Towns, and Villages
- Cities, towns, and villages in Saldaea
Maradon: The capital built on the site of Deranbar, the capital of Jaramide. Other cities, towns, and villages include the following:
Relations and Trade
The Saldaean economy is strong, with trade in furs, woods, and ice peppers, which are often shipped as far as Mayene or Tear, and traders will come from as far away as Illian.
People and Customs
Following marriage, couples take on each other's name, for example Deira ni Ghaline t'Bashere and Perrin t'Bashere Aybara and Faile ni Bashere t'Aybara. Saldaeans celebrate their marriage each summer, in the Shanna'har ceremony.
Women from Saldaea are known for their fiery temper and their unpredictability. They often expect their men to stand up to them and shout back when they get angry, feeling that if he does not, it is because he considers her weak (TPoD, Ch. 10). Davram and Deira are considered odd as they seldom shout (CoT, Prologue).
It is said that Saldaeans make Arafellins look stolid and Domani downright dull (TPoD, Ch. 10). Saldaean farmgirls are known for shaving the head of any woman who tries to poach their man (TSR, Ch. 14).
Zarine is a name given to Saldaean girls by women who expect their daughters to be great beauties and heartbreakers (TGH, Ch. 23).
Saldaean women often like beards (TSR, Ch. 2; WH, Ch. 1).
Feasts and Festivals
Appearance, Clothing, and Dress
People in Saldaea often have distinctive physical traits, including tilted, almond shaped eyes, high cheekbones, and large, beak-like noses. Fiery red hair is also common (TGH, Ch. 18).
Ladies of the Saldaean court have a highly elaborate language of fans by which they can communicate without needing to speak. Women in general wear high-necked dresses with long sleeves.
The Sa'sara
The Sa'sara is an alluring Saldaean dance that is reputed to make the Tuatha'an's Tiganza seem almost staid. Saldaean history records three wars, two rebellions, and forty-seven unions and feuds as well as innumerable duels sparked by women dancing the Sa'sara.
Food
Expressions
"As forward as a Saldaean farmgirl" is an expression for those who are forward (LoC, Ch. 46).
Faile thinks to herself that she and Berelain are "fighting over a man like a farmgirl rolling in the dirt at harvest" (TSR, Ch. 14).
My heart rises with the sun
To the chime of swords
I die at sunset
Saldaean poem-
"If his sword is at your enemy's throat, don't waste time remembering when it was at yours."
Characters from Saldaea
- Main article: Saldaean Character List
- Mazrim Taim
After Logain had been captured, and before Rand had proclaimed himself in Falme, Mazrim Taim claimed to be the Dragon Reborn and brought strife and war to Saldaea (TGH, Ch. 4). He fell at Irinjavar, at the moment Rand battled Ba'alzamon in the skies, a vision of that event being seen in Saldaea (TDR, Ch. 12). Although his time as a false Dragon was short, the damage he did to Saldaea made a great impression and once he had broken free of the Tower following his capture, Tenobia sent Davram Bashere to retake him (TFoH, Ch. 56). The strength of feeling against him was such that no order by the Dragon Reborn or the queen would have prevented the people in Saldaea from rising against him (LoC, Ch. 2).
