Aiel


Wise Ones

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General Info

Role Play Information

As in most cultures, there are those Aiel who can channel and those who can be taught. Women with the spark are all found by the Wise Ones and trained to become a Wise One themselves, whether they want to or not. The Wise Ones have a great deal of influence with sept and clan chiefs and bear a great deal of responsibility too. Much of their work is unknown, except other Wise Ones, and even the Aiel themselves have little to no understanding of how much the Wise Ones do for the people.

Wise Ones stand outside all feuds and battle and can go where they please without fear of being harmed, threatened or taken prisoner. Indeed, the very idea of doing any of those things would shock any Aiel to their core. Wise Ones, therefore, can not be taken gai'shain. They can walk in the midst of a battle and in to an enemy camp or hold without fear for their lives and receive the highest level of respect form all Aiel, regardless of clan or sept. Wise Ones also do not take part in battles. To do so would be a great violation of custom and tradition.

Their service to the Aiel people is greatly varied. They act as councilors to the Clan and Sept Chiefs, are a moral compass to the other Aiel and give judgement in disputes or arguments. Their most important role to the Aiel, however, is how they help their people in meeting their toh. For to the Aiel, meeting toh is the single most important aspect of their lives. The Wise Ones also place children of the Maidens of the Spear with a new family in such a way that no one knows where the child comes from. On top of all that, the Wise Ones are also the healers among the Aiel. While they know the use of the One Power, they use predominantly herbal healing methods and all Wise Ones are highly trained in the craft. It would not do, after all, to have the people suffer because a Wise One didn't know her herbology.

Some Wise Ones are also Dreamwalkers. This is a Talent that is unrelated to the One Power, so not only channelers have this ability. The Wise One Dreamwalkers are all highly skilled in the art of handling tel'aran'rhiod, the dream world. This Talent is well known among all the Aiel and allows Wise Ones to communicate with both other Wise Ones as well as with Clan and Sept Chiefs who are at different locations in the Three Fold Land. Before they allow anyone to walk the dream world, the Wise Ones make sure that the apprentice is securely under their control, lest she hurts herself or others. For tel'aran'rhiod can literally make one's nightmares come to life. And what happens to you in the dream world, remains with you when you wake up. Death in the Dream means death in the waking world as well.

Apprentice to the Wise Ones

Unlike with the wetlanders, the Aiel have no wilders. Every girl with the spark born in them, is spotted by the Wise Ones and forced into apprenticeship with them to become a Wise One herself. There are no fatalities linked to girls being unable to handle the One Power among the Aiel, nor are there any Aiel channelers that are limited by blocks developed by the body to defend itself against that fatality.

When a girl or young woman is found to be able to channel, she is taken by the Wise Ones as one of their apprentices. Some accept their faith easily enough but for some this requires quite a bit of 'tough love', especially if the woman in question happens to be a Maiden of the Spear. Wise Ones are not known to brook nonsense happily and they waste no time in making that perfectly clear at the slightest sign of rebellion.

Girls that are made apprentices will grow their hair out and wear an algode blouse and linen skirt, and her previous possessions will be burnt or passed to friends as families as tokens. Sometimes, a Wise One will make an apprentice give part of their belongings to an enemy; a lesson in humility that some find difficult to swallow, but it is always fair, no matter how hard it is. The Threefold land calls for hard people, after all. This is especially hard for a Maiden forced into apprenticeship. For a Maiden, giving up her spears is literally like giving up her child. To have to reforge them into items they have to give to their enemies by their own hands... Well, needless to say that the message is received loud and clear. Still, even then the Wise Ones may have their hands full with attempts to run away from their charges. Which, of course, is a foolish thing to do since her former sisters would haul her right back to the Wise Ones themselves. Yes, it is not easy for a former Maiden to accept her faith to become a Wise One.

 

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