- For other uses of the word "black," see Black.
The Black Ajah of the Aes Sedai is a secret Ajah, consisting of Darkfriend Aes Sedai who masquerade as sisters of other Ajahs and who have forsaken their Three Oaths in order to serve the Dark One. Reports of its existence have been vehemently denied by the White Tower for millennia, however the mass execution of all Black sisters among the rebel Aes Sedai proves the Black Ajah does indeed exist. The leader of the Black Ajah is a very powerful woman, who sits at the head of the Supreme Council and answers directly to the Forsaken.
Size
Due to the secretive nature of the Black Ajah, its exact size is unknown to all except its leader. However, Verin Mathwin spent decades compiling a coded list of Black sisters, including their Ajahs:[1]
- Red: forty-eight (making at least twenty-four percent of all Red sisters actually Black, best guess is that they hunted the future Dragon)[2]
- Green: thirty-eight
- Gray: thirty-one
- Brown: twenty-eight
- Yellow: twenty-one
- Blue: twenty-one
- White: seventeen
- Total: 204
During the Great Purge, Egwene al'Vere commented that six more Black sisters were found outside of Verin's list, however, their former Ajah is unknown.
Among the Rebel Aes Sedai the majority of Black sisters, around fifty, was captured and sentenced to death, nonetheless twenty were able to flee. Instead, the very day of reunification the majority of the Black sisters inside the Tower, around sixty, were able to flee before the Great Purge started. Adding the eighty escaped to the seventy Blacks among the Unaligned sisters it can be calculated that around one hundred and fifty Black sisters where able to join the Shadow during the Last Battle. To them we have also to add the many Aes Sedai captured and Turned in the Black Tower.
Demographics
The demographics of the Black Ajah put them across all nationalities:
- Four Andoran
- Four Domani
- Three Saldaean
- Three Taraboner
- Two Kandori
- One Arafellin
- One Cairhienin
- One from Far Madding
- One Ghealdanin
- One Illianer
- One Malkieri
- One Shienaran
All remaining Black nationalities are unknown.
Membership
Most sisters who join the Black Ajah were not Darkfriends before they did so. They worked for years as ordinary sisters until members of the Black Ajah suspected that they may be susceptible to swearing allegiance to the Shadow. Liandrin was a Darkfriend before she came to Tar Valon and sought out the Black Ajah from the day she arrived,[3] but we know that Galina Casban[4] was a Red sister for longer than she has been Black.
Those who might be willing to become a member of the Black Ajah are likely those who find the Three Oaths chafing and who delight in the power an Aes Sedai has over non-channelers, even having been known to abuse it. The Black Ajah allows them to exploit their power free of the restrictions of Tower Law and the Oaths, but at the price of swearing to the Shadow. Like most Darkfriends, they probably did not feel the truth of their fealty to the Shadow until the arrival of Ishamael a few years after the Aiel War.
Tower initiates
The position of teachers of the novices and the Accepted makes it easier for the Black Ajah to know every student very well before they even become Aes Sedai. Thus are women groomed for the Black Ajah, or perhaps singled out as possible candidates, from very early on in their training.[verify] As the Black Ajah does not recruit from among Tower initiates, having a Black sister as Mistress of Novices is a very handy way of keeping tabs on those girls when they are raised to the shawl. Previous Mistresses of Novices who were also Black Ajah include Merean Redhill, Sheriam Bayanar, and Katerine Alruddin.
Organization
The Black Ajah is administered by a Supreme Council, alternatively called the Great Council, which consists of thirteen sisters who meet while hooded so that none may know the identity of another. If one member of the council dies, then another is raised in her place, thereby keeping a constant number in the leadership of the Black Ajah. The Great Council is headed by one woman, who knows the identity of every sister in the Ajah.
Within the Black Ajah, sisters are organized into "hearts," groups of three women who know each others' identity and who in turn each know one sister from another heart.[5] Only the head of the Great Council knows the full structure of the Ajah concerning how all the hearts are interlinked and which sisters they contain.[6] It is unlikely the division of sisters into hearts survived the Great Purge as the purpose was to help maintain secrecy in the Tower, no longer necessary with the remaining members relocated from the Tower.
Leaders
Alviarin Freidhen (right), head of the Supreme Council of the Black Ajah.
The head of the Great Council of Thirteen is Alviarin Freidhen, who was raised to the position by Ishamael. Not all the remaining twelve members of the council are known, among them Galina Casban who used to be on the council and also Sheriam Bayanar was on the council, since Egwene says that Verin mentioned her as "a leader among the Black Ajah." [7]
Supreme Council
Known members of the Council:
- Jarna Malari former head of the Black Ajah, killed atrociously by Ishamael for being responsible of The Vileness
- Former Highest of the Red Ajah before Galina, she was killed by Ishamael along Jarna and others in the Council
- Alviarin Freidhen actual Ajah Head
- Galina Casban Second to the actual Ajah Head
- Sheriam Bayanar
- Velina Behar
- Sedore Dajenna
Hearts
Known hearts include:
Replacing the Three Oaths
The members of the Black Ajah are not bound by the Three Oaths, but they do have three replacement oaths.[4] The Wheel of Time Companion revealed all three:
1) I shall obey all commands given by those placed above me in service to the Great Lord
2) I shall prepare for the day of the Great Lord's return
3) I shall hold close the secrets of the Black Ajah, unto the hour of my death.
Involvement with the Chosen
It is thought that the Black Ajah was founded by Ishamael, who was not bound completely into Shayol Ghul as the rest of the Forsaken were.[verify] Since the release of the other Forsaken, Mesaana, Be'lal, Lanfear and Graendal have all come to the White Tower and spoken with Alviarin.
The Black Ajah is nominally controlled by Mesaana, who is undercover in the White Tower. This is because she controls Alviarin Freidhen, the head of the Black Ajah, who knows the identities of all Black Sisters.
During the Battle in Tel'aran'rhiod, Egwene al'Vere mentally overpowered Mesaana. Her mind was destroyed, and a Brown sister called Danelle was then found as a non-sentient invalid. This led the White Tower to conclude that Mesaana had either been Danelle the entire time, or had been impersonating the original Danelle.[8]
The truth is, however, that the Black Ajah are as subject to the whims of the Forsaken as any other Darkfriends and know they have no choice but to obey any of the Chosen should they command it. Not only that, but they would have to obey any non-channeling Darkfriend that may stand higher than them in Darkfriend circles.
Activities
- The murder of all sisters involved in the search for the Dragon Reborn after his birth.
- The murder of two Amyrlin Seats.
- Be'lal and Mesaana sent a group of thirteen Blacks to Tear, in the hopes of capturing the Dragon Reborn. They fled the Tower with several ter'angreal, murdering a score of people along the way.
- The murder of the Novice Sahra Covenry.
- Involvement in the deposition of Siuan Sanche.
- The attempted assassination of Egwene, in both the real world and the World of Dreams.
Future
With the existence of the Black Ajah having been proven, and with the subsequent persecution of all Black sisters in the re-unified White Tower, it seems the Black may be on the brink of extinction. But more than 140 Black sisters evaded capture and have fled the White Tower; they remained hidden until the Last Battle.
After the Dark One's defeat, many Black Sisters are dead or captured, and, with no more of the Forsaken free and Alviarin captured, they are leaderless.
List of current Black sisters
- See also Category:Black Ajah
Alphabetical table
| Name | White Tower Ajah | Status and Saidar strength | Faction / Group / Association | Darkfriend Controller |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alviarin Freidhen | White | Held captive in Stedding Sholoon17(5) | White Tower | Mesaana |
| Amico Nagoyin | Yellow | Dead: Killed by Slayer27(15) | Liandrin's group | Moghedien |
| Asne Zeramene | Green | Dead: Killed during kidnapping of Elayne Trakand18(6) | Liandrin's group | Be'lal, Moghedien |
| Atuan Larisett | Yellow | Unknown: Possibly executed | White Tower | None |
| Berylla Naron | Blue | Presumed dead following the Last Battle
27(15) |
Liandrin's Group | Moghedien |
| Birlen Pena | Unknown | Alive: Escaped after the Battle of Tar Valon | White Tower | Moghedien |
| Careane Fransi | Green | Dead: Killed by Vandene Namelle 27(15) | Salidar Rebels | Unknown |
| Brown | Alive: Escaped after the Battle of Tar Valon | White Tower | ||
| Chesmal Emry | Yellow | Dead: Killed by Elayne Trakand
18(6) |
Liandrin's Group | Moghedien |
| Dagdara Finchey | Yellow | Presumed Dead: Executed in White Tower Purge
19(7) |
Salidar Rebels | |
| Delana Mosalaine | Gray | Dead: Killed at Natrin's Barrow18(6) | Salidar Rebels | Aran'gar |
| Duhara Basaheen | Red | Dead: Killed by Aviendha at the Last Battle23(11) | White Tower | |
| Eldrith Jhondar | Brown | Dead: Killed during escape from Caemlyn16(4) | Liandrin's Group | Moghedien |
| Elza Penfell | Green | Dead: Killed by Rand al'Thor25(13) | Sworn to Rand | Semirhage |
| Evanellein | Gray | Dead: Killed by Egwene al'Vere
20(8) |
White Tower | Mesaana |
| Falion Bhoda | White | Dead: Killed by Aviendha at the Last Battle
17(5) |
Liandrin's Group | Moghedien |
| Fera Sormen | White | Alive
33(21) |
Sworn to Rand | |
| Galina Casban | Red | Gai'shain of the Shaido Aiel 14(2) | White Tower | Unknown, possibly Mesaana |
| Ispan Shefar | Blue | Dead: Killed by Careane Fransi during the murder of Adeleas Namelle17(5) | Liandrin's Group | Moghedien |
| Jarna Malari | Gray | Dead: Killed by Ishamael | White Tower | None |
| Jeaine Caide | Green | Dead: Killed by Thom at the entrance to the Pit of Doom18(6) | Liandrin's Group | Moghedien |
| Joiya Byir | Gray | Dead: Killed by Slayer (with Amico)
28(16) |
Liandrin's Group | Moghedien |
| Karale Sanghir | Gray | May have been executed in purge OR escaped | White Tower | None |
| Katerine Alruddin | Red | Dead: Killed by Egwene al'Vere in Tel'aran'rhiod15(3) | White Tower | Mesaana |
| Larissa Lyndel | Yellow | Dead: Purged
28(16) |
Salidar Rebels | |
| Liandrin | Red | Alive: Permanently Shielded
14(2) |
Leader of twelve other Black Members | Moghedien |
| Marillin Gemalphin | Brown | Presumed dead following the Last Battle
15(3) |
Liandrin's Group | Moghedien |
| Marris Thornhill | Brown | May have been executed in purge OR escaped
44(32) |
White Tower | |
| Unknown | ||||
| Merean Redhill | Blue | Dead: 979 NE. Killed by Moiraine Damodred14(2) | White Tower | None |
| Mestra | Unknown | Dead: Killed by Egwene in the Battle of Tel'aran'rhiod | ||
| Miyasi | White | May have been executed in purge OR escaped | White Tower | |
| Moria Karentanis | Blue | Dead: Executed (Rebel Camp Purge)
25(13) |
Salidar Rebels | |
| Nacelle Kayama | Green | May have been executed in purge OR escaped 36(24) | Salidar Rebels | |
| Nalaene Forrell | Yellow | Alive | Sworn to Rand al'Thor | |
| Nesita | Red | May have been executed in purge OR escaped | White Tower | |
| Notori | Unknown | Dead: Killed by Nynaeve al'Meara in the Battle in Tel'aran'rhiod | ||
| Unknown | Alive | |||
| Rianna Andomeran | White | Held captive in Stedding Sholoon
21(9) |
Liandrin's Group | Moghedien |
| Sedore Dajenna | Yellow | Dead: Killed by Egwene a'Vere in the Battle in Tel'aran'rhiod 19(7) | White Tower | |
| Sheriam Bayanar | Blue | Dead: Executed (Rebel Camp Purge)
14(2) |
Salidar Rebels | Aran'gar, Mesaana |
| Talva | Yellow | Dead: Killed by mistake by Alviarin Freidhen in the Battle in Tel'aran'rhiod] | White Tower | |
| Talene Minly | Green | Alive: Escaped before the Battle of Tar Valon
15(3) |
White Tower | |
| Temaile Kinderode | Gray | Dead: Killed by Jaq Lounalt, failing to escape Caemlyn dungeon
17(5) |
Liandrin's Group | Moghedien |
| Velina Behar | White | Alive
25(13) |
White Tower | |
| Verin Mathwin | Brown | Dead: Suicide to allow betrayal of Black Ajah
17(5) |
Herself | None |
| Zanica | Unknown | May have been executed in purge OR escaped | White Tower |