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Shemerin is an Aes Sedai of the Yellow Ajah, who was demoted to Accepted by Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan.[1]

Appearance and Personality[]

Shemerin is plump. She never mastered the outward calmness of the Aes Sedai and so always has a look of strained anxiety in her eyes.

She is a coward, and knows she is. Many sisters thought she was unsuitable to be Aes Sedai, even before Elaida demoted her.

History[]

Shemerin was born in an unknown location in 828 NE and went to the White Tower in 845 NE.

She has the longest combined training time of any Aes Sedai except Daigian Moseneillin, fourteen years as a novice and seventeen years as Accepted, and was raised to the shawl in 876 NE. She refused her Accepted test the first two times and required all three attempts to pass the test for Aes Sedai, barely passing on the third. Had it not been for her significant strength in the One Power, she likely would not have been allowed to test for either.

As an Aes Sedai, she rarely travelled outside the confines of Tar Valon. One of the few times she did leave the city, supposedly to find a Warder, she stayed as close as possible to Tar Valon and never managed to bond anyone.

She provided Healing to beggars near the docks in Tar Valon.[2]

Strength and Abilities[]

Shemerin has a One Power strength level of 15(3), which makes her one of the strongest living Aes Sedai. As a member of the Yellow Ajah, she has the Talent of Healing. She is regarded as a good Healer.[3]

Asides from the use of saidar, Shemerin is a skilled administrator and organizer, and had a deft hand in internal White Tower politics.

Activities[]

When Nynaeve was in the White Tower, Shemerin taught her about the Yellow Ajah's eyes-and-ears signs. She was not supposed to as Nynaeve was only Accepted at the time.

Shemerin stood with Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan when she deposed Siuan Sanche as Amyrlin Seat. She was present when Siuan and Leane were taken in custody.[4]

After Siuan is deposed, Shemerin becomes one of Elaida's advisors in her personal council. But Elaida was not glad about her counselors because they had started to take decisions without even consulting her.[5]

During one of the council meeting, when Elaida starts to talk about the Dragon Reborn, Shemerin clasps her plump hands tightly together, behaving very nervous. When Elaida forces all of the present Aes Sedai to look at the painting of Rand on her wall, claiming that cowards are of no use to the Tower, Shemerin wrings her hands and tears well up in her eyes. Finally, as Elaida continues on about Rand, Shemerin's knees give way and she sinks to the floor. When Elaida dismisses them, Joline helps Shemerin to her feet. Elaida decides that something needs to be done about Shemerin behaviour and thinks that the sister punishment can be used as an example to the others.

When Elayne and Nynaeve tell Sheriam and the other leaders of Salidar that they have discovered that Shemerin was demoted to Accepted, they do not believe it, but while in Tel'aran'rhiod, Sheriam reads a report about Shemerin being demoted to Accepted, and then running away from the White Tower. The Sitters were aghast at this demotion, but could not figure out how to oppose the decree. She begged Elaida to relent in her demotion, but when Elaida refused, Shemerin took up residence in the Accepted's quarters. Shemerin was advised by other Sisters to ignore Elaida's edict and simply return to her own rooms, but she did not have the confidence to do so. Other Tower Initiates began making fun of her, and sending her to punishment to toughen her up. Silviana herself felt that Shemerin was indeed Aes Sedai, and that she should have kept her calm despite this "penance" of Elaida's, and kept being strict with her, hoping that the punishments would toughen her up. Shemerin became so nervous that she lost any Aes Sedai dignity she did have, and continued to bumble and bungle. Eventually, she broke under the strain and decided to escape.

When Egwene al'Vere is captured by the White Tower, she begins to question other Aes Sedai how Shemerin was legally demoted.

Shemerin is spotted by Gawyn Trakand in the Rebel Aes Sedai camp upon his entrance to the camp to met with Gareth Bryne. She is passing herself off as a wash women in the camp under the assumed name Tagren, though does not seem to be a spy but merely apathetic and accepting of her diminished role as an Aes Sedai stripped of the shawl. Under questioning by the Rebel Aes Sedai she discloses her escape route out of Tar Valon, a storm drain tunnel, which allows entry to the city by a small force of soldiers during the following Seanchan raid. Shemerin found out about the tunnel because she was responsible for caring for the beggars in Tar Valon.

It is unknown whether she was promoted again to the status of Aes Sedai when the Tower reunited, although it would almost certainly have happened given that Egwene firmly protested against Shemerin's demotion during her time being reduced to a novice in the Tower.


Notes

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