Aviva al'Saar

[Aviva al'Saar]

Name: Aviva al'Saar
Age: 108

Nationality: Two Rivers/Manetheren
Place of Birth: Watch Hill
Place of Residence: White Tower
Affiliation: White Tower, Red Ajah
Rank/Title: Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah

One Power Strength: 7
Air: 8 | Earth: 5| Fire: 4 | Spirit: 8| Water: 10

Date they were raised to Novice/Soldier: 20 FA
Date they were raised to Accepted/Dedicated: 28 FA
Date they were raised to Aes Sedai/Asha'man: 35 FA
Date they were raised to any other rank: N/A

Talents: None
Weave Affinities: None

Weapon Skills:
Martial: 0 | Hand-Held: 0 | Stave: 0 | Thrown: 0 | Ranged: 3 | Mounted: 0

APPEARANCE

Height: 5'7
Weight: 125
Build/Complexion: Thin/Fair
Eye/Hair Color: Brown/Brown

Distinguishing Features:

• Large dark eyes
  
• Thin lips
  
• Pointy chin

Aviva generally prefers to wear simple dresses with narrow divided skirts, often in shades of red ranging from pale pink to maroon. She does own, and wear, clothing in almost every other color, though nearly all of those are embellished with red in the embroidery or slashes. Her dark brown hair reaches her waist, and she keeps it in a neat braid that hangs down her back.

PERSONALITY

Calm and reserved, Aviva seems to be the very image of an Aes Sedai. She has no need to draw attention to herself, nor does she desire it. She is observant and intelligent, always watching the world around her. This habit of stepping back and studying her surroundings can make her appear snobby and unfriendly. She knows this, but isn't bothered by it. Aviva has never cared what anyone else thinks of her behavior.

Aviva has always had a strong sense of self. She is someone who knows what she wants and is willing to put in the work required to achieve it. Rules and laws hold little importance for her, and she isn't capable of blind obedience. This doesn't mean that she can't obey or take orders. Rather, she follows her own interpretation of right and wrong and refuses to go against it. Aviva is unafraid to speak her mind, and cares little about the consequences for doing so.

She is difficult to get to know, but the few people who have invested the effort have found that in Aviva, they have a loyal friend for life. She will do anything she considers reasonable to help someone she cares for. Not very talkative, she is a very good listener, and is known in her small circle for giving the advice her friends need to hear, even if it isn't what they want to hear. She will always speak honestly, and has little tolerance for the half truths and not quite lies that so many other Aes Sedai use to circumvent the Three Oaths.

At the core of herself, Aviva's motivations are quite simple. She does what she feels is right, and stands against all wrongdoing, even if that means she must stand alone.

HISTORY

Aviva grew up on a sheep farm just outside of Watch Hill, the youngest of three children and the only daughter. Willful even as a child, her favorite word was, "no," which caused her mother plenty of frustration. Often, she found herself sent outside with her older brothers to watch her. From them, she learned to use a bow, chop wood, and care for the sheep, work that irritated her far less than the tasks her mother tried to set her.

She became less content with her life as she grew into a young woman and was made to stay inside instead, learning to clean and cook with her mother always watching to make sure Aviva did as she was told. Aviva hated every minute of it, and vowed to herself that she wasn't going to end up as a housewife like her mother. When the Aes Sedai came to the village looking for girls who could learn to channel, Aviva saw her chance for a different life, and didn't hesitate to take it.

Aviva would say that her life truly began on the day she arrived at the White Tower, difficult as it was at first. She was unpleasantly surprised to find that life as a novice was, if anything, even more demanding than the life she'd left behind. She initially found it nearly impossible to conform to the White Tower's high expectations of her. Her first months in novice white saw her more often in the Mistress of Novices' office than anywhere else, usually for skipping classes she found boring or refusing to do her share of her assigned chores. The only classes she attended with any sort of regularity were those dealing with the mysterious One Power. She wanted to know more about this ability she carried within herself, and when she touched saidar for the first time, everything changed for Aviva.

She'd never felt anything so wonderful before, and she wanted to feel it again. To accomplish this, Aviva became quite the diligent student, at least where her classes in channeling were concerned. Her newly found desire to learn brought about a slow improvement in her behavior, as she had decided she no longer wanted to waste time being punished that she could be using to study. As she attended more of them, Aviva learned that she could endure even the most boring classes, and tolerate the endless chores, as long as she remained focused on her goal.

By the time she passed through the Arches, Aviva knew she wanted the future the White Tower could offer her. She would become one of the Aes Sedai, and would do whatever was required in order to achieve that. As an Accepted, she had a reputation for being serious and focused, bearing little resemblance to the disobedient girl she'd once been. She continued to be especially interested in the workings of the One Power, just as she'd been as a novice. This led her to studying with sisters of the Red Ajah, learning more of how one might detect a wilder, or someone using the One Power with malicious intent. The work they did seemed vital to her, for both the White Tower and the world, and it was no surprise that when she earned her shawl, it was fringed in Red.

After a short period of time adjusting to her new status, Aviva left the White Tower to begin the work she had chosen. Years passed by as she traveled through most of the Westlands, searching for potential novices and tracking possible instances of abuse of the One Power and became a welcome visitor in many small Andoran towns. She met many people during this time, and developed a network of personal Eyes and Ears. Among those she encountered were multiple Asha'men of the Fire Legion, men who shared the work of her Ajah, and to whom she could easily relate. Some became casual acquaintances, a couple actual friends, and the relationship she formed with one in particular became closer than any she'd ever known.

His name was Samrin Pelle, and they met while staying in the same inn, doing recruiting work for their respective Towers. Aviva was drawn to his friendly and outgoing nature, neither trait one she possessed, and she surprised herself by suggesting, when it was time for her to leave, that they continue their travels together. After a year or so of pursuing their goals together, they double bonded, and for the many years that followed, Aviva and Samrin were rarely parted from one another. They were never lovers, but their devotion to each other and to their shared work led some who did not know either well to believe that they were.

As their work was in the wider world, it was rare for either of them to return to their Tower more than was absolutely necessary, and when the Black Tower forbade Aes Sedai from entering Caralain, Samrin chose not to go back at all. He confided to Aviva that what he'd heard of the policies of the recently raised M'Hael was troubling, and nothing he would willingly support. Though they'd both noticed an increasing amount of rumors and threats of war, neither she nor Samrin thought it a real possibility until they received word from the White Tower that the Black Tower had declared war.

Together, they left the town where they'd been staying and rushed to the White Tower to add their strength to its defense. The chaos of war was the most horrific sight Aviva had ever seen, but she pushed herself as far as she could, fighting to protect her home. She could do nothing less, but even as war raged around her, part of Aviva's heart ached for the men of the Black Tower, men she'd known as friends and partners. A quick look around her was all she needed to know that not all of them supported their M'Hael in his war. She hardly ate, rarely slept, and lost track of the days that went by. As the siege continued, she was almost always exhausted, struggling just to maintain her grasp of saidar.

A day came when Aviva wavered on her feet, tired legs threatening to collapse underneath her, and let herself fall to the ground to evade the thrust of a sword. She raised her head to see Samrin swoop in, his own sword raised, but not quickly enough to block his opponent's strike. She watched helplessly as the blade sliced into Samrin's neck, unable to channel even a single thread to try to stop it. She saw him fall, felt the moment of his passing, and Aviva screamed in pain, feeling as if part of her own body had been torn away.

She doesn't remember what happened afterwards, how she made it from the battlefield to her own room. Aviva can vaguely recall days spent alone in her room, shrieking in pain, and nights spent curled on bed, crying into her pillow. She doesn't know how long she lost herself in grief, either, only that one morning she woke, still missing Samrin more than she'd thought possible, but ready to take up her life again.

She left the Tower, going right back to the work she'd been doing, even to places they'd visited together. That was hard, and she still cried most nights, but keeping herself busy with the work she and Samrin had dedicated their lives to helped her to continue healing. Aviva rarely had reason to visit the Tower, and when she did, usually ended up in the middle of one or more arguments with other Red sisters, women who blamed the war on all of the Asha'men. She was insulted on behalf of Samrin and the others who had fought and died beside them, and disgusted with the rise of that sentiment within her Ajah.

Her already infrequent visits slowly became no visits at all, a state that lasted until she received word of the death of Silviana Brehon and the raising of the new Amyrlin, a Yellow sister she didn't know. Hoping to learn more, Aviva traveled back to the White Tower, and was pleasantly surprised to find that this Amyrlin had no desire to continue the enmity between the two Towers and was making plans to mend the relationship. Today, Aviva spends more of her time in the White Tower, doing whatever she can to assist with those efforts. She even hopes to someday meet an Asha'man with whom she can share a bond and a purpose. If she ever has that opportunity, she will take it, regardless of what the rest of her Ajah might think.

Timeline:

5 FA: Aviva is born.

20 FA: Aviva is tested for the ability to channel and leaves Watch Hill for the White Tower.

28 FA: Aviva is raised to the Accepted.

35 FA: Aviva becomes an Aes Sedai, choosing the Red Ajah. She almost immediately leaves the White Tower behind her, spending a long period of time traveling through the Westlands.

38 FA: Still young and new to the shawl, Aviva meets an Asha'man of the Fire Legion, Samrin Pelle, and they become a double bonded pair, continuing their travels together.

75 FA: Aviva and Samrin rush to the White Tower's defense after the Black Tower's declaration of war. Samrin dies in the fighting, leaving Aviva devastated.

76 FA: After recovering as much as possible, Aviva once again leaves the White Tower and is not seen within it for years.

110 FA: Aviva hears of the raising of a new Amyrlin and returns to the White Tower to learn more.

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