The Damane (Spoilers through MoL)

[Sammuel]

This is more of a theoretical question than a practical one, since it revolves around the events of the later books, but I want to get your guy's opinion on this.

 

Obvious, it will be extremely heartbreaking when we see Madeleine Madden as Egwene collared as Damane, and triumphant when she's freed. It's a horrifying concept. However, in the books, if feels like when the main characters make uneasy alliances with the Seanchan, the Damane get used a lot for the cause of our heroes. Tylee uses them to help free Faile in Malden, and they are all over the last battle, Mat even using one to make a gateway so he can see the battlefield. 

 

My question is are we going to get to a point where the audience is just going to accept seeing women wearing collars being used for the cause of good? The alliance with the Seanchan makes sense, in that they can't fight an empire based on slavery and the existential doom of everything at the same time, but it feels like it's easier to read about a Damane doing things on the page that to see a woman on a leash being asked to do things by one of peoples favorite characters, and his reaction being "This is neat, why didn't I think of this before." 

 

So how would you like this handled? Should we show the characters being uncomfortable around them? Should they free them all? Or will it just look better if instead of being connected by the neck the A'dam gets connected wrist to wrist? 

 

Want to hear your alls thoughts...

[Thrasymachus]

I don't think anything really needs to be changed in the portrayals of damane.  All the main characters range from traumatized, to disgusted to deeply uncomfortable with the Seanchan practice of slavery, and the damane in particular.  Reforming freed damane and educating captured sul'dam is a big subplot of Elayne's succession arc.  It's the major sticking point of Egwene's negotiations with Fortuna.  And it's probably the biggest factor for why Team Light Side didn't try a negotiated peace earlier on with them.  I don't think anything should be done to tone down the apparent brutality and cruelty of the a'dam and the practice of keeping slaves generally, at least early on.  The Seanchan need to be a real and menacing threat, at least for the first half of the series or so.

 

I reckon the biggest problem with the a'dam is really gonna be practical.  The length of the leash itself is gonna be an issue, and they'll probably have to have a number of them with different lengths of leashes, so that it can feel confining when they're put up in their rooms, but have enough length when they're out training in the yard or out at battle that they can actually do the things they need to do.  It's a good thing the Seanchan never got Elayne, as a leashless a'dam is a hell of an innovation.

[DavyDrones]

On 8/19/2020 at 3:01 AM, Sammuel said:

 

There is a huge difference between wrist and neck collars.The damane have to be shown as the slaves they are.When the collar is on the wrist this will not have the same impact.So keep to the original story material.If changes are made they must be about something which isn't as important as the damane.Keep the damane aspect as is.