Elaida A'Roihan - Role in The Series

Role in The Series

Elaida became the Amyrlin Seat in the White Tower after Siuan Sanche was deposed. A former Sitter for the Red (a position 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 being raised to Amyrlin. She took over from the stilled Siuan after leading the coup which deposed her, and had the Blue Ajah removed from representation in the Tower, though most members of the Blue, along with many Aes Sedai from all Ajahs except Red, made good their escape anyway. Indeed, Elaida has shown unprecedented cruelty and extreme miscarriage of justice where Siuan is concerned. While Siuan is unconscious, Elaida and her supporters try and convict Siuan, and promptly still her; it is widely thought that Elaida would have had Siuan executed had the latter not escaped custody and fled Tar Valon.

Breaking a long held tradition, Elaida appointed 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, and also the highest ranking of the secret Black Ajah.

As Amyrlin, Elaida rules with an iron fist, severely punishing Aes Sedai under her authority for failures, or for real or imagined slightings. Despite her cruelty - or perhaps because of it - Elaida is a relatively weak Amyrlin. Quite apart from the rebel Salidar faction, Elaida's harshness has alienated many even in the Tower faction, and her attempts to play the Ajahs off against one another have bred unprecedented levels of suspicion and mistrust between Tower Aes Sedai, while completely failing to engender any loyalty to Elaida herself. The Tower's misadventures in trying to capture Rand al'Thor and investigate the Black Tower further undermined her position; Alviarin, using her knowledge of Elaida's role in these debacles, effectively blackmailed Elaida into compliance, to such an extent that for a time Alviarin was the de facto ruler of the Tower. Elaida was eventually able to force Alviarin to resign, replacing her with Tarna Feir, of the Red Ajah.

In a desperate ploy to reveal Alviarin's treachery, Elaida set certain Aes Sedai to finding evidence that Alvairin contacted the Dragon Reborn. However, these detective Aes Sedai, misunderstanding Elaida's obliquely worded instructions, have instead started rooting out the Black Ajah from the White Tower. Elaida is unaware of this.