Sheriam Bayanar (pronounced: SHEER-ee-ahm bay-ah-NAHR) was a very influential Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah, she was Mistress of Novices during the Reign of the Amyrlin Siuan Sanche, the top leader among the rebel Aes Sedai in Salidar and finally the Keeper of the Chronicles of the White Tower-in-exile. She was also in the Supreme Council of the Black Ajah.
Appearance
She had fiery red hair and slanted pale green eyes over high cheekbones, showing her Saldaean heritage. She was slender in her youth, but is now "a little plump."
Abilities
Sheriam was strong in the One Power, just a level below Elaida, Siuan and Moiraine, so she was among the most influential Aes Sedai in their hierarchy.
Sheriam in Salidar
History
She was an Accepted in the White Tower during the Aiel War when the Dragon was born and was a friend of Siuan Sanche and Moiraine Damodred. The friendship between her and the two girls carried on when Sheriam was raised to the shawl a couple of weeks after the other two.
Sheriam was firm but fair as an Aes Sedai, no matter what her rank.
When Siuan Sanche rose to the Amyrlin Seat, she appointed Sheriam to Mistress of Novices.
She devised a clever method of breaking Theodrin's block.
Activities
Mistress of Novices
She met Egwene al'Vere and Nynaeve al'Meara at the docks of Tar Valon, when they first arrive, and escorted them back to the White Tower.[1] She took interest in breaking Nynaeve's block, as she had Theodrin's. She accompanied Nynaeve to her testing to become an Accepted.[2]
She was in close quarters when one of the Gray Men was found dead in the White Tower after trying to kill Egwene. She told the girls to mention the incident to no one.[3] When they later questioned her about the Gray Man, she became angry with them and told them that the Gray Man matter had nothing to do with them now.
She was one of the Aes Sedai that Healed Mat.[4]
She accompanied Egwene to her Accepted Test. When Egwene comes out of the three arched ter'angreal, she asked Sheriam about the possibility of someone being turned to the Dark One. Sheriam seemed to have intimate knowledge of this. She confirmed that it happened during the Trolloc Wars, where thirteen Dreadlords channeled through thirteen Myrddraal.[5] Egwene pointed out that that was the number of Aes Sedai who fled the White Tower. Sheriam told Egwene to forget it.
A female Grey Man was found dead in her bed. It is unknown who might have killed her or if this was a warning of some type to Sheriam.[6]
Into Salidar
Sheriam, along with many others, revolted against Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan after Siuan was deposed. They fled the White Tower, taking eighteen Novices with them to Salidar.
She became one of the original leaders of the Salidar Aes Sedai, known informally to fans as the Salidar Six.
While searching the Amyrlin's study in Tel'aran'rhiod for information on what Elaida has received, the Salidar Six were attacked by a stray nightmare of Trollocs. They were saved when Elayne Trakand and Siuan reminded them about the dream not being real, in which case the nightmare fades away leaving only injury. Later she leads Nynaeve al'Meara into the Little Tower to show the rest of the Aes Sedai, especially those of the Yellow Ajah, that Nynaeve has worked out how to Heal Stilling by Healing Leane and Siuan.
She was with the rest of the Salidar Six in Tel'aran'rhiod, when she summoned Egwene to become Amyrlin. She was one of the three Aes Sedai to escort Egwene into the Little Tower when Egwene was raised as Amyrlin.
Keeper of the Chronicles
She was selected to be Egwene's Keeper of the Chronicles, with the intention that the Salidar Six could use Egwene to control the rebel cause.
She had sworn an oath of fealty to Egwene. She accompanied Egwene to the meeting with the Andoran nobles along the Andor border.
She was with Egwene and Gareth when they surveyed the area around Tar Valon. When the Hall sat to vote on an agreement with the Black Tower, she was strangely late and out of breath. She lost her composure during the meeting and ended up a sniveling wreck, much to Egwene's chagrin.
She came with the news that Nicola Treehill had run away and that it was kept quiet by her "family." One of the "cousins" who covered for Nicola is Larine Ayellin. Sheriam pressed Egwene on whether she will let Larine escape without punishment because she is from the Two Rivers.
Egwene captive
She was in council with Egwene's other advisors over Egwene's disappearance, when Siuan arrives with the news that she was still alive but prisoner inside the White Tower.
With Egwene now gone, Sheriam could no longer enter the Hall once it's in sitting. She was forced to watch the meeting with Jahar Narishma and the Hall from outside with the rest of the sisters who are not Sitters.
Sheriam's Tormentor
Following her selection as Keeper to Egwene al'Vere, Sheriam began to experience regular visits from someone who beats her and pressures her for information thus explaining Sheriam's behaviour during that period. While this was done with the One Power, it is not clear whether saidar or saidin was being used. It may have been related, from Sheriam's own thoughts, to a visit with a Sitter of the Hall.
The identity of her tormentor was revealed to be Halima Saranov, and she was using saidin to torture Sheriam.
Revealed as Black Ajah
Siuan learns from Sheriam that Ashmanaille has returned from Kandor with the news that Elaida a'Roihan's White Tower can now Travel. Sheriam was revealed to be a secret leader of the Black Ajah, and stole several of the rebels' sleepweaver ter'angreal on order from Mesaana. She had at least one finger severed from her hand, as promised by Mesaana if every sleepweaver wasn't acquired, because Siuan secretly had one. She was part of the group who questioned Shemerin about how she escaped the White Tower.
Her affiliation was revealed to Egwene al'Vere by Verin Mathwin, and she was brought to justice in the rebel camp outside of Tar Valon by the Amyrlin before the sitting Hall of the rebel Tower. She was sentenced and executed that very same day along with fifty other Black Sisters in the camp, but not before revealing several bits of potentially useful (although outdated) information, taking advantage of the fact that she had been stilled and thus was no longer bound by the Black Ajah oaths.
Viewing
Min had a viewing of Sheriam surrounded by "rays of silver and blue, with a golden glow flash over her head." The viewing refers to Sheriam's execution. Egwene describes the "silvery" axe falling on Sheriam. She also mentions Sheriam's blue dress, as well as her red hair suddenly "bathed in warm golden light." (fulfilled)
Prior to her true alligences being known, and her subsequent execution, this viewing could have signified something different. It could have refered to her being raised to the position of Keeper of the Chronicles, similarly to Min's viewing of Logain and his future glory.