The Green Ajah, the biggest frauds in the Tower

[Charlz Guybon]

I feel it's high time the Green Ajah was mocked as it deserves. For, oh, how the mighty have fallen. During the Trolloc Wars, Green sisters were at the forefront of nearly every battle, fighting shadowspawn and Dreadlords.

 

Since then they've limited themselves to going on random quests and "entertaining" their warders in their Tower apartments. Oh, and waiting for the Last Battle of course. ::) That was 2,100 years wasted.

 

If Captain-General was anything but an empty title, the Green would keep 3/4ths of their members in the Borderlands at all times; with the rest at the Tower, teaching and helping run the bureaucracy. I mean, seriously, it's only common sense. If there had been 40 Green sisters stationed in Malkier in 955, the country might not have been overrun.

[Luckers]

I agree completely. I concidered the Yellows to be similarily guilty, if they were true to their mission they should have started hospices in all the major cities. They may not have the numbers to deal with every single injury in each of those cities, but they could have supplemented themselves with herbal healers.

 

It's all just a part of their hermitage. After Artur Hawkwing turned on them they got timid, hid in their tower, and even when they did venture into the rest of the world they did so in such an aloof manner that they weren't really seeing it. Its why they're having such issue now that they are being forced to see it by the likes of rand, the Asha'men, the Wise Ones, and even the Windfinders.

 

If I were the Aes Sedai I would have set up Halls of Servants in each of the major cities. In each Hall I would have had three or four yellows, a grey, a blue, a green and a red. In the cities with the great libraries, like Cairhein, i might even suggest a brown or two and in the borderlands i would have had contingents of greents, maybe ten to fifteen in each.

 

[Charlz Guybon]

I agree completely. I concidered the Yellows to be similarily guilty, if they were true to their mission they should have started hospices in all the major cities. They may not have the numbers to deal with every single injury in each of those cities, but they could have supplemented themselves with herbal healers.

 

It's all just a part of their hermitage. After Artur Hawkwing turned on them they got timid, hid in their tower, and even when they did venture into the rest of the world they did so in such an aloof manner that they weren't really seeing it. Its why they're having such issue now that they are being forced to see it by the likes of rand, the Asha'men, the Wise Ones, and even the Windfinders.

 

If I were the Aes Sedai I would have set up Halls of Servants in each of the major cities. In each Hall I would have had three or four yellows, a grey, a blue, a green and a red. In the cities with the great libraries, like Cairhein, i might even suggest a brown or two and in the borderlands i would have had contingents of greents, maybe ten to fifteen in each.

 

 

If the BWB is to be believed the Yellow do have spies who keep an eye out for breakouts of disease, and I assume they intervene if an epidemic break out. And we do see one of their eyes and ears; remember the wisewoman who drugs Nynaeve and Elayne with forkroot?

 

I don't know if they went that far, but we're given the impression that Aes Sedai were much more integrated into society before the Trolloc Wars. One of the main reasons the Ten Nations were so superior to the nations of present day.

[Luckers]

Well, there are accounts of Aes Sedai governing provices for rulers, and the like. Almost akin to what they are doing in Cairhein.

 

Even so, the centralisation of power in the White Tower was a mistake, and aside from the oaths is the major source of attrition, both to their numbers, and their political power. Such a set up as i describe would make it far easier for girls to seek out testing, it would lead to people respecting the yellows as healers and teachers--the Aes Sedai maintain their mystique but it is no longer the mystique of the Other.

[Charlz Guybon]

Well, there are accounts of Aes Sedai governing provices for rulers, and the like. Almost akin to what they are doing in Cairhein.

 

A great many provinces of Hawking's Empire were ruled by Aes Sedai before he turned upon them, if that's what you're thinking about. And before that, many of the Ten Nations were openly ruled by Aes Sedai Queens.

[bcxanth]

Fraud is a tad strong I think, but failures certainly. The whole White Tower is a failure when it comes to their stated goals of protecting the world against the DO. About the only Ajah that truly kept up with it's mission is the Reds, and we see how they turned out.  Even the Amyrlin Seat lost track of the Seals she's supposed to be Watching over. The problem is that when Hawkwing drove them underground they became so caught up in their own internal political machinations that they lost sight of the forest for the trees, so to speak. After all, how many times does it say in the books that many AS consider the WT the only part of the world that really matters?

 

Though I suppose in the long run the Browns didn't really lose too much track of their goal. True, they should be out actively seeking and securing the knowledge of the Ages instead of just minding their own library, but at the same time they have done a pretty good job of maintaining and guarding that library.

 

So yes, the Greens aren't what they think they are, and has been stated neither are the Yellows, but the whole Tower is really nothing but failures when you really think about it.

[GrandpaG]

Are there enough sisters to go around?

 

Maybe things were done differently when there were more Aes Sedai?

 

Moraine noted that the numbers have been dwindling.

 

"Today's" sisters seem preoccupied with their own agendae.  I don't think most of them are truly interested in helping others.

 

The tower is home.

 

It's hard to conduct AS business in Tar Valon and travel to other places, too.

 

By staying at the tower, the public has to come to them.  Adds to the mystyque.  Kings come at the Amyrlin's call, not the other way around.

 

Greens are the exception.  Their mission is definitely up north.  I agree with your post.  Malkier was a good point, too.  That would have taken something away from Lan's story, though.  ::)

[dubz]

If Aes Sedai were involved in the world, instead of hiding in their precious white tower they wouldn't have to worry about numbers. 

If people saw the good things that Aes Sedai do on a day to day basis or at least weekly, they wouldn't have any problem at all with getting new recruits for the tower. 

But, they hide in their tower and rumours abound concerning the evil Aes Sedai and of course people do not want their daughters, sisters, neighbours going to the white tower to train, they would rather see them grow horns and claim to be a trolloc.

 

[Charlz Guybon]

Are there enough sisters to go around?

 

Greens are the exception.  Their mission is definitely up north.  I agree with your post.  Malkier was a good point, too.  That would have taken something away from Lan's story, though.  ::)

 

There are probably 160 Green sisters. 40 for Saldaea, 40 for Kandor & western Arafel, 40 for Malkier, 40 for the Tower.

[Fel]

Not only would stationing sisters locally help with actually doing something useful with the world, it would also help with those dwindling numbers we keep hearing about.

 

Think about what it takes to go to the Tower if you are not a noble in a neighboring country.  It's a huge expense and a multi-month journey - can you imagine Egwene doing it if Moraine was not taking her?  It's amazing that they have as many people as they do!

 

Now, if there is a hall of servants in each capital and someone related to Aes Sedai in many towns, you can quickly arrange to have interested girls sent off.  And, as the thread states, it may let them actually do some good instead of quibbling.

 

One last thing - what *DID* the Yellows do for 2000 years if they only know one form of healing?  Seriously, did they have anything to do to pass the time or did they just learn one weave and that's the limit of their learning?  Talk about frauds...

 

 

[Vemynal]

As I see it:

Reds- Responsible for hunting down channeling men and Darkfriends, there should be a couple reds (3 in the major cities, 2 in smaller cities and responsible for nearby villages). We know the reds have kept good on their men thing, but as to the dark friends there is so much more they could be doing, even for hunting down channeling men it seems they wait for rumors to reach them before they do anything, they should be closer to the source of the problems.

 

Greys- About the only ajah I think that lives up to its name, we have seen them as advisers to kings and queens and we've seen evidence of them trying to create treaties among countries.

 

Browns- Like said above, not complete failures but still only actually accomplishing a *part* of their goals. Should be seeking knowledge to preserve.

 

White- are far the *MOST* withdrawn of all the ajahs, we in fact know that they don't even *have* eyes and ears in other countries since they don't see the point. Still, their purpose is pursuit of knowledge and logic. These are the mathematicians and philosophers. Previously they had nothing to go out in the world and accomplish since the world likely wouldn't understand them anyways. With the recreation of Universities though they should be leaving the White tower to teach. hell, I retract my previous opinion, they failed because they *DIDN'T* set up the Universities to help others pursue logic and knowledge.

 

Greens- I believe our esteemed OP covered this *very* well.

 

Yellows- Luckers has this down, I agree completely

 

Blues- These are the politicians and manipulators, now heres my question...what good does this do? We already have an ajah dedicated to being advisers to foreign nations! And as far as being manipulators...we've seen what this image has done for the Aes Sedai, normal people wouldn't *trust* Aes Sedai to heal them because of them being "manipulators". I see the blue ajah good for running the White Tower and nothing else.

 

My rating:

1-Grey

2-Brown

3-Red

4-White

5-Yellow

6-Blue

7-Green

[RobertAlexWillis]

Well, my opinion of Aes Sedai in general is a matter of record.  Suffice to say here that I agree with the premise of this thread thoroughly.