Black Ajah Practices (Dubious or [In]credible?)

[csnyder]

1)

"What they had learned about the Black Ajah's means of putting someone to the question was as nauseating as it was incredible. Forcing a woman into a circle against her will? Guiding a circle to inflict pain?"

KoD, Prologue

 

This questioning was done post-reaffirming Oaths with Talene (if memory serves, it may be one of those within her heart) so I assume that this information is true. We see in TPoD the Windfinder Caire improperly releasing the link so we know that the Aes Sedai indeed do not know everything there is to know about linking (the Aes Sedai do seem to know the proper decorum with links so that it doesn't discomfort them much, but nonetheless...).

 

In relation with this, is this method of forcing related to the a'dam's function as a ter'angreal? Does this incriminate the first damane in Seanchan as a potential Darkfriend channeler (BA doesn't exist on Seanchan)? This forcing of a woman into a circle opens up potentially dangerous opportunities for the Dark...

 

2)

Black Ajah Recruiting

 

Via Verin we know...

21 Blues

28 Browns

30 Grays

38 Greens

17 Whites

21 Yellows

48 Reds

...have been identified as Black Ajah members.

 

Via the BWB we know the Red Ajah has at least 1/5 of the entire recruitment population and the BWB also identifies the populations in descending order.

1) Red Ajah (with at least 200 Aes Sedai in an ideal 1000 Aes Sedai population scheme.)

2) Green Ajah

3) Gray Ajah

4) Brown Ajah

5) and 6) Blue/Yellow Ajah

7) White Ajah

 

This recruitment pattern, if we consider the ideal Ajah number to be roughly 143 Aes Sedai [1000 divided by 7], reveals the same exact proportions to the Black Ajah numbers Verin discovered. This seems to hint that the Black Ajah recruited not only conservatively, but also happen to exceed any individual Ajah at any time. We can see this by the Red Ajah being the largest population of the Ajah at somewhere around 200, but via Verin's book we know they exceed that (does anyone know if Verin's information included Black Ajah only in the Tower? I forgot that bit...).

 

What also mind-boggles is me about this, is that while it is logical that the Red Ajah (essentially male-witch hunters, potentially all servants to the machinations of the Dark to remove the Dragon Reborn) have the most Black Ajah members, the Green Ajah (fight the Dark One in TG) have proportionally a large population as well. Maybe I am misunderstanding the functions of the individual Ajahs, but I thought I should share this discovery.

 

Lastly, it appears that the recruiting can happen at any time. Mesaana was known for her Children. What percent of the current novices and Accepted could potentially be working for the Dark? Despite her aptitude, Sharina seems verily suspicious in her grouping tactics...

[Sharaman]

Unknown. You'd have to hope that Verin id-ed most. Also that not too many knew how to bypass the unswearing -reswearing of oaths.

Also that potential DFs among the Salidar novices will eventually be winnowed out.

[Pygmalion79]

Regarding the Green Ajah -- the Green Ajah was supposed to prepare for the Last Battle, and was known as the "Battle Ajah." Most sisters of course don't think that the Last Battle is going to occur in their lifetime; that means that they are really the Battle Ajah, and it is easy to understand how someone with a mind to battle could fight for the Shadow as well as the Light. Of course, it is also easy to see how someone might be really interested in fighting the Last Battle on the other side.

 

It is stated that the Black Ajah approached only full sisters so if anything has been going on with the Novices and Accepted, it would have to be something new under Mesaana. That is possible.

[Azrayne]

The Green Ajah seems logical to me. It makes sense for darkfriends to infiltrate the Ajah most dedicated to fighting the shadow, given them better access to information to betray, better opportunities to aid the shadow etc.

[yoniy0]

I think your first point is much more interesting. Indeed, it shocked me to read it, but then I forgot about it (typical ). It's also interesting, however, that Moridin once marveled at the wonders now possible that weren't in the AoL, and he included the a'dam in that count. What's interesting here, is not so much the a'dam itself, but the way he referred to it: "involuntary rings" (he might've been talking about the Warder bond there, but my guess is the a'dam, and it doesn't really matter for our purposes). You'd think that, were he aware of other means of forcing someone into a circle, he'd use other words. And it's exceedingly odd for him not to be aware of it if it were common practice in the BA.

 

Regarding the ratio of BA membership, I don't think any one Ajah displayed an unusual tendency for that. At least that's what I remember from when I last ran the numbers. Am I mistaken?

[Azrayne]

I'm surprised there are so many. 203 Black Ajah at the time Verin dies, out of what, 1000 Aes Sedai? 20% is way, way above the percentage of darkfriends in the general population. How would those numbers get so high?

[yoniy0]

Linda (of the 13th depository) talked about it, if memory serves, and the Black Ajah in general (a must read, I think).

 

Basically, I think it's to be expected, considering power does corrupt, and also that female DF are bound to be drawn to the WT. A farmer has much less to expect from becoming a DF than an AS. Plus, there's the issue of their recruitment method - you don't approach them, and if they approach you, your choice is between compliance and death.

Of course, I find it very hard to understand why anyone would swear to the Shadow unless they were convinced TG will happen in their lifetime.

[Rallan]

 

What also mind-boggles is me about this, is that while it is logical that the Red Ajah (essentially male-witch hunters, potentially all servants to the machinations of the Dark to remove the Dragon Reborn) have the most Black Ajah members, the Green Ajah (fight the Dark One in TG) have proportionally a large population as well. Maybe I am misunderstanding the functions of the individual Ajahs, but I thought I should share this discovery

 

Nah it makes sense, since Tarmon Gai'don is meant to involve an epic invasion. The Greens spend more time in the Blight than any other Ajah, so they're who you target if you don't want the White Tower to know what's going on up there. The Greens spend more time in the Borderlands, and are more respected by the Borderlands, than any other Ajah, so if you want to sow dissent up there you'll want to be able to make the Greens seem like jerks on short notice. And the Greens are the battle ajah, so if you want to sabotage the White Tower's ability to kick your butt in a war, you'll want to start by sabotaging the Greens.

 

And I can see why Greys and Browns are priorities too. The only thing I'm surprised by is the fact that the Blues are ranked so far down the list.

[Azrayne]

Well, the blues are about causes aren't they? I get the impression they're the closest thing to being charitable or wanting to change the world for the better amongst the Aes Sedai, women who incline towards serving the shadow would be less likely to fit in or be able to fake that demeanor successfully.

[Galium]

Linda (of the 13th depository) talked about it, if memory serves, and the Black Ajah in general (a must read, I think).

 

Basically, I think it's to be expected, considering power does corrupt, and also that female DF are bound to be drawn to the WT. A farmer has much less to expect from becoming a DF than an AS. Plus, there's the issue of their recruitment method - you don't approach them, and if they approach you, your choice is between compliance and death.

Of course, I find it very hard to understand why anyone would swear to the Shadow unless they were convinced TG will happen in their lifetime.

Just read that link, it was a great read. Makes me wonder though, looking at the "current status" of some of them, why didn't Egwene tell Rand that he had Black Ajah captured when he visited the White Tower? Probably just slipped her mind since he only had a couple but still.

[csnyder]

I see where the Green ajah could be led to the Shadow; it is also a tad revealing for the Battle Ajah to be rather Dark - although they lacked Traveling, it was all too common for the Aes Sedai to be too late (Manetheren, Malkier, probably more.) and I would not be surprised if there was some BA causing this information to be dramatically slowed. I thought it fitting that the most philosophical ajah (White) had the least percentage of BA recruits - this conflicts with Ishamael and his conclusions as a philosopher himself...Personally speaking, I would assume that the Yellow Ajah would far exceed their percentage of recruiting - Semirhage, being the Healer she was, was notorious for one, and it is mentioned in the series constantly the thin thread that separated killing and healing (plus they'd be considerably more useful than the Green Ajah from a strategic perspective). And as stated prior by yoniy0, like Verin, anyone could be blackmailed into the Shadow.

 

What I wanted to show from a recruit-perspective is the population of the BA will far exceed any of the ajah at any time; the Red Ajah with its considerable recruiting pattern is still greatly lacking the numbers to compare with the BA (150 vs. 200, and that 200 is interspersed amongst other ajah, weakening their numbers as well). This makes me believe that even prior to the BA's creation post-Trolloc Wars that the so-called White Tower was even more Dark than it was where we are with the progression of the story.

 

Rallan & Azrayne-

Grays I can see for the purpose to sow assent among the rulers (or cause confusion with treaty making - Merana (?) and Annoura's conflicting information post-Aiel War makes me believe Annoura could easily be a BA) and the Browns for their informative capabilities (Verin performed how exactly powerful any Brown can be with her Reveal).

 

Blues - as far as we have seen - do have that tendency to be altruistic; their functions tend to overlap with the Grays (concerns with rulers) and the Browns (eyes-and-ears, this includes the other ajah as well...), though...They are a very expedient and reactionary ajah.

 

yoniy0 -

I would assume 'circle' means when the channeling link exceeds three. Perhaps 'ring' is inclusive to the a'dam - that is how I read it, too - but there really is no telling as many of the Forsaken mention the Warder bond pejoratively. Thanks for the link to Linda's blog - so much more in-depth when compared to my petty little research! But, this information gap is a tad surprising for sure - why wouldn't Ishamael be aware of this? Could it be his use of saidin that he knows little of forced linking among women? I need to reread the scene in MoL ToM (Freudian slip right there... ) when they forge Perrin's hammer. TPoD explains that one of the three AS with Elayne have knowledge of linking with men in addition to full circles of women - that could explain more, I suppose..

 

Galium -

I also found it odd at the lack of information sharing between Rand and Egwene. However, she still does not know what occurred between not only Min and Rand, but also Tam and Rand and I would bet she is entirely oblivious of Ezra and that other BA still in Rand's custody. The Field will help with this, I feel.

[csnyder]

Must apologize to double-post, but I remembered a conversation/post from somewhere else that could easily explain why Ishamael has no idea how his Black Ajah harem is being ran/what discoveries have been made. To relate information from another post - the idea of a <City> in the Blight - perhaps the Black Ajah have access to information that revealed secrets not even Ishamael or the AoL was aware of...or they may have simply discovered it on their own and the BA's maintenance of secrecy is working against them. When have we last seen Ishamael contact the BA directly (as a whole - through Alviarin)? I don't remember post-Moridin if this happened or not...

[yoniy0]

It happened after the Vileness, when he punished the Head of the Black (Jarna, was she?). That's just one example, but it shows that he did keep track, when he could. As I said, it's strange that they would (or could) hide it from him.

 

As to terminology, a circle and a ring are the same thing. I don't recall if the word 'link' was mentioned as a noun, but if it was, I think it's the same as well.

[Rallan]

Well, the blues are about causes aren't they? I get the impression they're the closest thing to being charitable or wanting to change the world for the better amongst the Aes Sedai, women who incline towards serving the shadow would be less likely to fit in or be able to fake that demeanor successfully.

 

A seriously disproportionate number of Amyrlins have been Blues, and everything we see about the Blues portrays them as master intriguers who are busy messing with the big-picture stuff that most people don't even suspect exists. Not making them a high priority seems like a serious mistake by the Blacks.

[yoniy0]

They were a high priority, in all likelihood, and the number of Black Blues is unusually high. There are just less Blues to begin with, so there are also less Black ones.

[Luckers]

A 'ring' is Age of Legender terminology for a 'circle', or 'being linked' or whatever, the same way that they used 'spun' instead of 'wove', 'web' instead of 'ward' or [i think] 'weave', and 'knotted' instead of 'tied off'. Involuntary Rings would be a description of both the Black Ajah method and of the a'dam, and Moridin's reference to it could easily supply to him having a knowledge of both the a'dam and the Black Ajah, as for all there are differences in methodology and result, both are in fact involve people being brought into a Ring involuntarily.

 

In relation with this, is this method of forcing related to the a'dam's function as a ter'angreal? Does this incriminate the first damane in Seanchan as a potential Darkfriend channeler (BA doesn't exist on Seanchan)? This forcing of a woman into a circle opens up potentially dangerous opportunities for the Dark...

 

Its related in the sense the both involve the formation and abuse of circles and linking, but beyond that they are different functions and different discoveries. As such the fact that it was darkfriends who discovered it in the westlands doesn't mean that Deaine in Seanchan was herself a darkfriend, just that she had a nasty temprement.