Name: Jagen Halin
Age: 70 (as of 998 NE)
Place of birth: Tanchico, Tarabon
Physical Description: Jagen is 5'7 tall with dark blue eyes and long, red hair in a multitude of beaded braids, and a doll-like face. In Taraboner fashion, she more often than not wears a transparent veil across her face and dresses from her home country. Her eyes have a certain brightness to them that bespeaks a curious personality.
Personality: Jagen shows little sympathy for those who breach protocol, laws, customs or generally cause trouble. She dislikes to see people whine or act illogical, especially anyone training in the Tower. Jagen almost chose the White Ajah, but decided on Red in her last two years as Accepted. She is strong-willed and confident. Above all, she despises Darkfriends. Despite her usually strict attitude, she likes to teach classes, but Ajah priorities always come first for her. She is a woman of tradition, always dressed in red Taraboner dresses, or red-accented ones. She always wears her Aes Sedai ring, but often wears her shawl, too, even when it's not needed (like most Reds). She's a woman of pride and station.
Character History
Jagen Halin was born in 928 NE in Tanchico, Tarabon. She grew up just outside the capital on a farm, where she helped her mother weave rugs and step-father grow ice peppers. At age sixteen she started working in the Panarch's Palace as a servant, mainly to get away from the farm, but also to earn coin. The main driver behind this move was her stepfather, Darin, whom she discovered having a secret meeting with another man who turned out to be a Darkfriend. She soon put together he was one as well. At first too scared to warn her mother, she went to the city to work. She did keep visiting the farm to see her mother and sister, but on a particular visit home, it was to find them and her step father murdered. She fled again to the city and stayed in the palace. While working in there, a visiting Aes Sedai of the Gray Ajah, Vera Cadsanome, sensed the ability to channel in Jagen as she was serving the Sister and the Panarch drinks. After the Sister's business was concluded, she brought Jagen to the Tower. This was perfect for Jagen since she wanted to get as far away as she could from where she was now. Jagen was 16 at the time and was enrolled in the novice book in 944 NE. She was fascinated with the ability to channel, and the move was perfect for her to join the White Tower, achieving her goal to move up to a higher station in the world.
White Tower Life
At the Tower, Jagen paid swift attention to her studies. She got in trouble enough for speaking her mind perhaps a little too directly, whether she thought she was being polite or not; a few other times, if another novice made her angry in a situation she felt was unjustified, she found various ways to get back at them, including rubbing itchoak in dresses, using the Power to make chair legs weak (and have the person consequently fall on the floor) and even once dunking a girl's head in sink water after being insulted. While her anger got the best of her in rivaling situations, the Taraboner was overall a good student; she was not one for silly pranks nor straying from her tasks. She spent five years as a novice and in 949 NE passed the Three Arches test, spending four years as Accepted. Jagen was raised Aes Sedai in 953 NE.
There were a few Ajahs which interested Jagen when she was Accepted, but Red took the cake. She had little interest in being cooped up in the library, though she loves books, learning and teaching, so no Brown for her. She was very close to choosing White, but felt she did not need to be part of them to pursue her own interests. With the Red, Jagen felt she not only had some versatility, but also one of the most worthy, and challenging, causes of the Tower. The idea of men channeling also frightens her. At first joining the Tower, she knew she wanted to gentle them all, for the world's safety and their own. Joining the Red would also allow Jagen to travel far and wide in her pursuits. And though hard to convey otherwise, joining the Red had always felt 'right' for her. As soon as she was raised, Jagen's enthusiasm was set to begin working for her Ajah's goals. She is one of the strongest women in the Power at the White Tower, and a hard woman deeply set in her duty.
Being a bookworm herself, while in the Tower she spends a lot of time in or around the Library (without the obligations of the Browns). She has a history of teaching novices and Accepted when she is there for a long period of time. Her specialty area of study is observing the Heavens. She has been known to visit a shop in Tar Valon run by a Sea Folk man who makes lenses, and she has built telescopes and shared some of her observations with other curious sisters. She has also used her telescopes in lessons.
For casual hobbies, Jagen has and sometimes plays a cello. She has a few acquaintances in the White and Brown Ajahs. For companionship outside of other Sisters, she also has animals she cares for; two horses and an owl she adopted after it was found injured on one of her rides.
Jagen has also been known to leave the Tower often as well, either for Ajah duties or simply on trips to find girls to bring to the Tower. She is determined to see the novice quarters fill up.