Aes Sedai

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"Better to spit in a wolf's eye than to anger an Aes Sedai."

- Popular saying concerning Aes Sedai

 

 

SAIDAR

 

"When I reach out to touch the True Source, to let the One Power fill me, I feel whole and complete in a way that makes me realise how empty and shallow my life is when not channeling. There is great joy - almost a rapture - and a feeling of being completely enveloped by the warmth and love of the Light. Only when I am channeling do I feel really alive. To release the Power is like shutting out the sunlight. I am empty without it, like a painting stripped of its colour. I suspect that is why the training we receive as Aes Sedai is so demanding. If it were not, I doubt if any of us would have the strength of will to release the Power once we held it."

 

TAR VALON

 

Since the Breaking, the world has been thrown in to great turmoil. There have been many nations and many rulers, but very few of these have lasted any great long time. The devastation wrought by the Trolloc Wars and the War of the Hundred Years have been enough to lay even the greatest nations low. The exception to the rule is the city of Tar Valon, and its Aes Sedai. 

     Built in the year 98 AB, incredibly soon after the Breaking, the White Tower has remained untouched despite various attacks and sieges. The Aes Sedai's line of rule over the Tower and its surrounding city has remained similarly unbroken, and the power that these channelers have enjoyed has never lessened over the years.

 

THE THREE OATHS

 

All Aes Sedai on being raised to that level are bound by the Three Oaths. Sworn while touching a ter'angreal called the Oath Rod, they are engrained so deeply in the fibre of an Aes Sedai that it would be impossible for her to disobey them. They are:

1)       To speak no word that is not true.

2)       To make no weapon with which one man may kill another.

3)       Never to use the One Power as a weapon except against Shadowspawn, or in the last extreme defense of her own life or that of her Warder or another Aes Sedai.

     Though they are bound completely by these Oaths, the Aes Sedai have long found ways to get around the first of the three. It is a well known fact that the truth an Aes Sedai speaks is not necessarily the truth that you hear. They have become masters at hiding the truth amongst riddles and words, and this has only added to the general distrust the populace has for the Aes Sedai.

 

WARDERS

 

Aes Sedai rarely travel alone. Most bond a man - a procedure that uses the One Power to create a link between man and Aes Sedai. These men are known as Warders, and it is their task to protect their Aes Sedai from physical violence. The Third Oath greatly restricts when a woman may use the One Power offensively, but a Warder is not bound by any such Oath.

     The bonding allows an Aes Sedai to always know where her Warder is, and vice versa, and provides the Warder with the ability to continue fighting even when an ordinary man would be too badly injured. It is hardly surprising that Warders make formidable foes.

 

SPECIAL RULES

Channelers: Aes Sedai (but not Warders) are channelers, and may use the rules for casting weaves. Aes Sedai begin with 12 weaves chosen from the Aes Sedai weave table below. When an Aes Sedai gains an advance, she may choose to take a weave from the Aes Sedai weave table instead of a skill or stat increase.

 

White Tower Support: Aes Sedai are supported by the White Tower - or their own Ajah at the very least. To represent this, an Aes Sedai warband gains an extra 3D6 gm after each battle, in addition to whatever they locate by the usual method.

 

Bonding: Each Warder is bonded to a particular Aes Sedai, who he has sworn to protect. When you recruit a Warder, you must decide which Aes Sedai he is bonded to from those already in the warband. Aes Sedai may bond only one Warder, with the following exceptions: Red Ajah Aes Sedai may not bond any, and Green Ajah Aes Sedai may bond as many as they wish. Aes Sedai are not required to have Warders.

 

Leadership: It is customary for the Aes Sedai to defer to the member of their party with the greatest strength in the One Power. To represent this, the leader of your warband will always be the Aes Sedai with the highest number of channeling points. If multiple members of the party have equal numbers of channeling points, chose one to be the leader. This Aes Sedai gains the Leader skill, but no other benefits.

 

Choice of Warriors

 

An Aes Sedai warband must include a minimum of three models. You have 500 gold marks to recruit your initial warband. The maximum number of warriors in the warband may never exceed 6.

 

Aes Sedai: Each Aes Sedai warband must include a minimum of one Aes Sedai, and may include up to six.

 

Warders: Your warband may include up to five Warders, who must be bonded to one of the Aes Sedai in the warband.

 

Starting experience

 

Aes Sedai start with 12 experience.

 

Warders start with 12 experience.

 

Aes Sedai skill table     Combat Shooting Academic Strength Speed Aes Sedai     X   X Warder X     X X

 

Aes Sedai equipment lists The following lists are used by Aes Sedai warbands to pick their weapons:

WARDER EQUIPMENT LIST This list is for Warders only.   Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons Dagger .............................  1st free/2 gm Hammer  ......................... .. 3 gm Mace ............................... .. 3 gm Axe  ................................. .. 5 gm Sword ..............................  10 gm Spear ...............................  10 gm Halberd ...........................  10 gm Double-handed weapon ..  15 gm Quarterstaff ....................  15 gm   Missile Weapons Bow ................................  10 gm Crossbow ........................  25 gm   Armour Toughened leathers ......... .. 5 gm Light armour ...................  20 gm Heavy armour* ...............  50 gm Warder's cloak .................  50 gm Helmet ............................  10 gm Barding* ..........................  80 gm

Mounts Horse ..............................  40 gm Warhorse .........................  80 gm   AES SEDAI EQUIPMENT LIST This list is for Aes Sedai only.   Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons Dagger .............................  1st free/2 gm Club ................................ .. 3 gm Staff ................................ .. 3 gm   Missile Weapons Throwing Knives ............  15 gm   Armour Toughened leathers ......... .. 5 gm   Mounts Horse ..............................  40 gm       Items marked with a * can only be bought by mounted warriors.

 

 

Ajahs

 

Each Ajah emphasises different skills and abilities, and on reaching the rank of Aes Sedai, a woman chooses which she thinks she is most suited to. Aes Sedai can be of any of the following Ajahs, gaining the listed benefit. Note that you must choose an Ajah for all Aes Sedai.

 

GREEN AJAH

The Green Ajah is the battle Ajah, and its members train themselves for the Last Battle with the Dark One. Their skills are directed towards weaves that will be most useful in battle, and so they gain 15 weaves from the Aes Sedai Weave table when first recruited, rather than the usual 12.

 

YELLOW AJAH

The Yellow Ajah is the Ajah specialising in the healing of the injured or ill. To reflect this, they do not randomly determine a Special Weave. Instead, their Special Weave will always be Healing, and they gain +1 to the Weave Test when attempting to cast that weave.

 

BLUE AJAH

The Blue Ajah is the most diverse of all the Ajahs. Their stated aim is to support worthy causes, and to promote justice. Each member of the Ajah chooses which causes they will support, and how to do that. To represent this diversity, when recruiting a member of the Blue Ajah, choose one weave. The Blue Ajah Aes Sedai will gain +1 to any Weave Test to cast this particular weave. This must be a Standard Weave from the Aes Sedai Weave Table, not a Special Weave.

 

RED AJAH

The Red Ajah spend their time hunting male channelers across the known world. As a result, they have developed quite a talent for shielding and stilling such men. Whenever attempting a shielding or stilling weave, an Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah may add +1 to her Weave Test for that weave. In addition, they also hate all male channelers.

 

GRAY AJAH

The Gray Ajah are the negotiators and mediators of the Aes Sedai. It is the Gray Ajah who negotiate treaties between warring nations. Combined with their knowledge of local customs, these skills make them formidable hagglers and bargainers. To represent this, a Gray Sister may reduce the cost of any one item that she has personally purchased between battles by 2D6 gm. This cannot reduce an item below a cost of 1 gm.

 

BROWN AJAH

The Browns spend their time studying ancient texts in pursuit of knowledge. When they voyage out into the world, invariably it is to continue that quest. In their studies, Browns often learn of lost talents or abilities. To represent this, generate two Special Weaves for a Brown Sister. The first one you generate is her primary Talent, for which all the usual rules apply. The second Special Weave is something they have learned only from books and snippets of knowledge, and so they will suffer a -2 to any necessary Weave Test when attempting this Special Weave. The second weave must be from the following list: Twist Fate, Healing, Enhance Pain, Cloud Dancing, Dreaming, and Invisibility. If you end up with anything else, re-roll the dice until you get an acceptable weave.

 

WHITE AJAH

The Whites are practitioners of logic. They are known for their calm, cool heads - and occasionally their infuriating application of cold logic to every situation they meet. For a White, fear is a truly illogical reaction to a situation - it does not help one at all - and so they rarely suffer from its affects. To represent this, White Ajah Aes Sedai are immune to fear.

 

1-6 Aes Sedai

 

50 gold marks to hire

Aes Sedai of all Ajahs walk the world, doing whatever business they feel is necessary. Few are the mortal men who understand the comings and goings of the Aes Sedai, and even fewer question them. Though not a warrior by nature or training, when it is necessary to wield the One Power offensively Aes Sedai can become fearsome foes.

 

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
Aes Sedai	4	2	3	3	3	1	3	1	8

 

Weapons/Armour: An Aes Sedai may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Aes Sedai Equipment list.

 

SPECIAL RULES

Channeler: An Aes Sedai is an experienced user of the One Power, and is treated as a channeler with 2D6 channeling points, determined when she is first recruited. Re-roll the dice until a result of 5 or more is obtained.

 

Weaves: An Aes Sedai has one Special Weave (randomly determined) and 12 weaves chosen from the Aes Sedai weave table.

 

Ajah: When recruiting an Aes Sedai you must select which Ajah she is part of from the list given previously. She will gain the benefits of being part of this Ajah immediately, and at no point may she change to a different Ajah. Membership is for life.

 

0-5 Warders

 

80 gold marks to hire

Warders are men of battle, linked to their Aes Sedai by the One Power. This link provides the Warders with additional staying power, represented by their high toughness. It is a Warder's sworn duty to protect the Aes Sedai they are bonded to, no matter what dangers they may face along the way. Some of the greatest warriors of the current Age are Warders, and few are the warriors who do not fear confrontation with them.

 

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
Warder	4	4	3	4	4	1	4	1	8

 

Weapons/Armour: Warders may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Warder Equipment list.

 

SPECIAL RULES

Sword Forms: Warders are trained to fight - largely in defense of their Aes Sedai - and are often highly skilled swordsmen. They may choose four Sword Forms when first recruited, and may take additional forms instead of a new skill.

 

Death of an Aes Sedai: If an Aes Sedai is killed (i.e. rolls the 'dead' result on the Serious Injuries chart after a game), all of her Warders will lose the will to live, throwing themselves into battle heedless of their own safety. To represent this, the Warders of a dead Aes Sedai suffer from frenzy, and may not use any defensive combat skills or parry any incoming attacks. After each battle, roll a D6 for any such Warder. On a 1 they've been killed in a skirmish somewhere. Remove them (and all of their equipment) from your roster. As soon as the Warders have been bonded to a new Aes Sedai (whether a new recruit or an existing warband member) they no longer suffer from these affects.

 

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