Uniting the White Tower

[mb]

It seems that the Tower will be united under Egwene.  And I guess that Sheriam would still be Keeper unless she is convicted of some Tower law.

Sitters & Ajah heads, for the Ajahs that repeat (White, Green, Brown, Yellow, Gray) I guess sisters from them would choose from the current ones; Blue & Red I guess would not need election.

Egwene I guess would be elected after all Sitters are chosen.

 

First step I guess would be electing Ajah heads.  Second step I guess would be electing Sitters. Third step I guess would be electing Amyrlin (which would be Egwene).  Forth step I guess would be choosing Keeper (Sheriam unless she is convicted of some Tower law).  Fifth step I guess would be choosing Mistress of Novices.

 

[Luckers]

Sheriam's eratic behaviour seems to be building to something pretty colossal. She may not even survive it, but alreay other sisters are frowning on her in disaproval and thinking her not fit for the roll of Keeper. After all, Keepers can be removed with the permission of the Hall.

 

My guess is Egwene will make Tarna Keeper. Politically its a wise choice for her to choose a Red, and Tarna is very capable--she and Egwene would make a good team. And they are about to encounter each other properly for the first time. That's just a guess though.

 

As for the Sitters, thats provided for by the Too-Young Sitter conspiracy--since it hasn't been spoken of in a while, I'll requote it in full.

 

Ok, this conpiracy was first noted by Siuan, who tells Egwene that all of the Sitters raised in Salidar aside from Moria and Romanda (and excluding those who had been Sitters before the split) were too young. And she stresses that this IS weird. Now, Moria was raised into the Blue, and is therefore exempt because the Blue and the Red both have no involvement with this. It is only the Five other Ajahs. And Romanda... is Romanda. She wanted a seat, and she got one.

 

Later, in CoT, Seine notices a similar trend in the Sitters raised in the Tower. She even specifies that it is the only in the non-red Ajahs that this happens.

 

Ok, now lets look at the effect this has.

 

Sitters. * denotes a rebel.

 

Red = 3 normal (Pevara, Duhara and Javindhra), no abnormal.

 

Blue = 3 normal (Lelaine*, Moria* and Lyrelle*), no abnormal.

 

Yellow = 4 normal (Romanda*, Magla*, Doesine, Sedore), 2 abnormal (Salita* and Suana).

 

White = 3 normal (Saroiya*, Seaine and Valina), 3 abnormal (Aledrin*,  Berana* and Ferane).

 

Gray = 3 normal (Varilin*, Yukiri and an unamed Sitter from the tower), 3 abnormal (Delana*, Kwamesa* and Andaya).

 

Green = 3 normal (Faiselle*, Talene, Rubinde), 3 abnormal (Malind*, Semalin* and Rina)

 

Brown = 4 normal (Jenya*, Takima*, Shevan and Saerin), 2 abnormal (Escarlde* and Juilaine).

 

Now, it should be noted that with the exception of the Yellow and the Brown, this sets up a situation in which the Halls could theoretically be combined without ruffling too many feathers. The discrepancy in the Yellow is caused by the appearance of Romanda, who, as is stated many times essentially had a seat from the moment she had appeared due to her record. And the discrepancy in the Brown is created by the fact that it is the only Ajah aside from the Blue to have had two pre-schism sitters come to Salidar.

 

So essentially someone is trying to re-unify the Aes Sedai, and has been doing so for sometime. But who?

 

In the Tower the obvious answer is the Ajah Heads. They are the only group outside of the Black Ajah that could dictate policy in the selection of Sitters across five Ajah. Moreover they have been noted to have been plotting something for some time now, almost from the moment that the Tower is split, and RJ specifically had seine establish a foreshadow wherein the consideration of the too-young sitters was raised directly before a consideration of what the Ajah Heads were up to.

 

And what of the Rebels? Six pre-schism sitters found their way to Salidar. They are Magla (Yellow), Saroiya (white), Takima (brown), Jenya (brown), Faiselle (green), Varilin (grey).

 

One sitter from each ajah, except the brown, which has two. Jenya does not seem to be involved in this conspiracy though, and should be ignored. The other five, however, show a pattern.

 

At every stage where something has been raised that threatens to escalate the situation between the two groups, those five unilaterally have voted against it in spite of the position of their Ajah.  They voted against the War vote. They voted against the Black Tower Alliance, they voted for negotiations, and took over those negotiations. Romanda notes in KoD that it is almost as if they are arguing for Elaida, though they stand fast against the abolishment of the Blue Ajah.

 

Now of the six sitters in the tower chosen to replace these six women (including Jenya), five are not logical choices, according to Seaine, directly paralleled in Ajah with the five who have made every attempt to hinder the rebellion and foster reunification.

 

My guess is that during the early days, the Ajah Heads saw the schism happening, and acted to prevent it by commanding those five to go and prevent any escalation of the situation. Jenya, i believe, went of her own volition.

 

We know that the Tower heard of the gathering at Salidar, and it is noted by Beonin in KoD that non-Blue sitters did not come to join the rebellion for some time after is formed. Time enough for them to contact the Ajah Heads. Moreover, in KoD we have direct proof that Magla, at least, was behind the raising of the too-young yellow sitter.

 

That, in a nut shell, is the Too Young Sitter Conspiracy. Unless i forgot something, which happens

 

 

As for the Ajah Heads--thats where there might be some tension. The Tower Ajah Heads pre-date the schism, and have worked to heal it, but i don't see the likes of Romanda stepping aside.

[algspkr]

Luckers, there is a comment from Alvairin that she helped ensure that a unanimous vote in the Hall (probably just that of the Tower) was possible.

[Luckers]

In reference to what? The sacking of Siuan? She did, in ensuring only specific sitters were at the meeting.

 

Or was it something else?

[algspkr]

Sorry it's been awhile since I read it, but it was in a later book and had nothing to do with Siuan.  She was thinking that Eliada needed a unanimous vote to counter something, but could not receive it as Alvairin had ensured that would be impossible.

 

I think the quote might be here:

The Path of Daggers, Chapter 25: An Unwelcome Return

 

[Osan`gar]

what if the ajah heads are uniting to forman oligarchy thereby rendering the amyrlin into a figurehead, this will give them all the power and none of the responsibility. i believe that elaidas unlawful usurpation of suan and her leadership style "rule with an iron fist" may have forced the issue. they will likely take control of the tower invite the rebels back like nothing happened... they may perhaps hand themselves the egwene but they will definetly throw off elaida in some manner

[Luckers]

Unfortunately the books support only that the Ajah Heads have eacted to enable to smooth reintergration of the rebel and loyalist Hall's. Their intention, also, seems to be ingergration in favour of Elaida. It will probably help Egwene, but the attempts of the Heads to crush Egwene seem to suggest they seek unification to serve Elaida. The actions of the footdragging five support this.

 

Algspkr, im not sure what significance that has? We know Alviarin was working against Elaida--to degrees. And that Elaida was aware of it, again to degrees.