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 Hand of the Light
The seekers of truth and the hunters of darkness, the Hand of the Light are the investigators and judges of the Children. Known derogatorily as Questioners, they have a reputation for overzealous behavior and interrogation tactics that border on (or are explicitly) torture. Being put to the question by an Inquisitor is still widely believed to be akin to a death sentence in much of the Westlands.
In truth, the Hand of the Light were stripped of much of their power during the time of Lord Captain Commander Galadedrid Damodred, who sought to pen a new chapter for the Children of the Light. A shell of themselves, they were restored and repurposed by Dain Bornhald after he became First of Mayene. Empowered to investigate and adjudicate disputes within Mayene's borders, they became hunters for justice in truth, at least for a time.
As the Children have hardened against the outside world, zealotry has undoubtedly begun to return to the Hand of the Light. In addition to their duties of investigation and judgement, there are rumors of cells constructed beneath the Dome of the Light, the keys only possessed by the High Inquisitor. Political dissidents, detractors of the Children, suspected family members of channelers...the rumors of who populate those cells, and to what end, are numerous.
Hands of the Light wear white cloaks with a golden sunburst on the left breast, and a red shepherd's crook behind it.
In truth, the Hand of the Light were stripped of much of their power during the time of Lord Captain Commander Galadedrid Damodred, who sought to pen a new chapter for the Children of the Light. A shell of themselves, they were restored and repurposed by Dain Bornhald after he became First of Mayene. Empowered to investigate and adjudicate disputes within Mayene's borders, they became hunters for justice in truth, at least for a time.
As the Children have hardened against the outside world, zealotry has undoubtedly begun to return to the Hand of the Light. In addition to their duties of investigation and judgement, there are rumors of cells constructed beneath the Dome of the Light, the keys only possessed by the High Inquisitor. Political dissidents, detractors of the Children, suspected family members of channelers...the rumors of who populate those cells, and to what end, are numerous.
Hands of the Light wear white cloaks with a golden sunburst on the left breast, and a red shepherd's crook behind it.
The High Inquisitor
The High Inquisitor is the head of the Hand of the Light, chosen by members of the Hand of the Light and answerable only to the Lord Captain Commander. Their role is to organize, facilitate, and investigate the workings of the Dark wherever they may be found. In practice, the High Inquisitor also serves as the highest judge for all crimes in Mayene, often presiding in the Dome of Truth.
