In one Age, called the Fourth Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose in the Land of the Crystal Throne. It sped across the great Aryth Ocean to the Tai’Seanchan coast. It continued over the Mountains of Mist, picking up the scent of Two Rivers fine tabac and singing along to a tune made by a Tinker’s tea kettle. It swirled around the vast prairie known as the Caralain Grass, with it’s Black Tower fortress, and the island city of Tar Valon, home of the fabled Ogier-made White Tower...The wind swept through the valleys, skimming along the lake that once was Shadar Logoth, lifting the raven in flight. It howled through the Blight past the snorts and bellows of Trollocs, carrying on it the stench of their cookpots and rot as it whipped by a Myrddraal without creating so much as a ripple in its dark cloak. If you listen closely to the wind you can hear the sound of “friends” whispering in the dark as it whistles by you. The shadows beckon you to their warm embrace; where will the wind take you? For you must know, the wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was A beginning.
The Mistress of Novices
The Mistress of Novices is the Aes Sedai responsible for the discipline and well-being of novices and Accepted in the White Tower.
The Mistress of Novices is expected to be a harsh-yet-fair woman. She serves to carry out punishments on her charges, which usually take the shape of a strapping or switching. However, she may also set manual labor, such as working in the kitchens. Despite her seemingly negative role in their life, she is also a comforting shoulder to those who feel the pressure hardest.
She is also responsible for the discipline of Accepted, and is generally considered to be harsher on them than Novices, as it is believed that they should know better.
Aes Sedai can even be sent to her for a penance, though it is rare and ultimately humbling for the Aes Sedai.
It is the Mistress of Novices who determines when a Novice or Accepted is ready to be tested, or if the Novice will be put out of the Tower for good. The Mistress of Novices is also present for both of these testings. She has the final say for all Novices and Accepted, and can even go against the Amyrlin Seat when it comes to her charges.
The Mistress of Novices is expected to be a harsh-yet-fair woman. She serves to carry out punishments on her charges, which usually take the shape of a strapping or switching. However, she may also set manual labor, such as working in the kitchens. Despite her seemingly negative role in their life, she is also a comforting shoulder to those who feel the pressure hardest.
She is also responsible for the discipline of Accepted, and is generally considered to be harsher on them than Novices, as it is believed that they should know better.
Aes Sedai can even be sent to her for a penance, though it is rare and ultimately humbling for the Aes Sedai.
It is the Mistress of Novices who determines when a Novice or Accepted is ready to be tested, or if the Novice will be put out of the Tower for good. The Mistress of Novices is also present for both of these testings. She has the final say for all Novices and Accepted, and can even go against the Amyrlin Seat when it comes to her charges.
The Study
Every Mistress of Novices has a different personality, and different taste from the previous one, so the study varies slightly in appearance over time. In general, however, the study today would still be recognizeable to a woman who was a novice one or two hundred years ago.
The study itself is located near the novices’ quarters, and only one level below the Amyrlin’s study. The hallway leading up to it is wide, with red and green floor tiles and blue runners. The door is plain, sandwiched between two bright wall hangings. Most of the study is plain as well, but deceptively so. Though plain, everything in this room has been made of the finest quality. The walls are paneled in dark wood, and most of the furniture is sturdy and unadorned. A narrow tea-table sits beside the door, slightly carved with a strange pattern on the legs. A mirror with simple and elegant gilding on its frame sits on a wall. Against the opposite wall is a narrow cabinet where the strap, switch, and slipper are kept. A desk or writing table is located in the middle of the room, which is where the Mistress of Novices does most of her work. A stool is placed in front of the table for any novice or Accepted to sit on when they’re called into the study.
Even though it is known by all what takes place inside the study, no one ever makes reference to it. What happens in the study, stays in the study.
The study itself is located near the novices’ quarters, and only one level below the Amyrlin’s study. The hallway leading up to it is wide, with red and green floor tiles and blue runners. The door is plain, sandwiched between two bright wall hangings. Most of the study is plain as well, but deceptively so. Though plain, everything in this room has been made of the finest quality. The walls are paneled in dark wood, and most of the furniture is sturdy and unadorned. A narrow tea-table sits beside the door, slightly carved with a strange pattern on the legs. A mirror with simple and elegant gilding on its frame sits on a wall. Against the opposite wall is a narrow cabinet where the strap, switch, and slipper are kept. A desk or writing table is located in the middle of the room, which is where the Mistress of Novices does most of her work. A stool is placed in front of the table for any novice or Accepted to sit on when they’re called into the study.
Even though it is known by all what takes place inside the study, no one ever makes reference to it. What happens in the study, stays in the study.
Previous MoNs
