Elaida a'Roihan
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- Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan is a minor antagonist in the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan.
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[edit] Background
The youngest daughter of a minor House in the north of Murandy, Elaida was the first novice to be raised to Accepted in only three years. After Moiraine Damodred and Siuan Sanche came to the Tower, Elaida made life miserable for them, pressing them so hard that other sisters often had to intervene. She was raised to the shawl after Siuan' and Moiraines' second year as novices and chose the Red Ajah. As revealed by Siuan in The Fires of Heaven, Elaida was insanely jealous that Siuan was raised Amyrlin over her. This was probably one of Elaida's most motivating factors in deciding to mutiny against Siuan.
[edit] Role In The Series
Elaida is the current Amyrlin Seat in the White Tower. A former Sitter for the Red (a postion she was able to attain with the help of the Black Ajah via Highest Red and Supreme Council-member of the Black, Galina Casban), Elaida served as advisor to Morgase Trakand prior to assuming her current position. She took over from the stilled Siuan Sanche after leading the effort to oust her. Elaida is noted for her iron fist, and for seeing the Blue Ajah removed from representation in the Tower. Indeed, Elaida has shown unprecedented cruelty and extreme miscarriage of justice where Siuan is concerned. While Siuan is unconscious, she is tried, found guilty of all charges, stilled and probably faced execution had she not escaped her impisonment.
Breaking a long held tradition, Elaida elected Alviarin as her Keeper of the Chronicles. Traditionally, the Keeper is of the same Ajah from which the Amyrlin was raised, but Alviarin was of the White Ajah, but she is also the highest ranking of the Black Ajah.
In a desperate ploy to reveal Alviarin's treachery, Elaida has set Aes Sedai to finding and reporting who is Black Ajah, hoping they will turn up with Alviarin's name. Prior to her replacement by Tarna Feir, a Red sister, Alviarin controlled the White Tower by altering Elaida's edicts, using her knowledge of Elaida's prior actions as Amyrlin to keep her from revealing the deception.
[edit] Rivalry With Salidar
Elaida currently holds the Salidar Amyrlin, Egwene al'Vere, in the White Tower, and has reduced her to the status of a novice, an action rarely taken by the Amyrlin unless called for by desperate measures. A spy, Beonin Sedai, sent to Salidar under Elaida's direction, has also returned recently, and told Elaida of the plans of the Salidar Aes Sedai and shown Elaida the weaves for Skimming, Traveling, and a new form of Healing.
[edit] Foretelling
Elaida also has the rare Talent of Foretelling. This Talent of randomly spewing forth prophecy is what drove Elaida to become advisor to Morgase Trakand, having foretold that the royal line of Andor was critical to the Last Battle. She also had a Foretelling about the Black Tower and the Aes Sedai. However, she often misinterprets these foretellings; the royal line of Andor when she made her prediction included Tigraine Mantear, (the mother of Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn), not House Trakand as it currently does.
