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The Ajahs
The Aes Sedai of the Age of Legends were divided into ajahs. An ajah was originally defined as "an informal and temporary group of people gathered together for a common purpose or goal, or by a common set of beliefs." Now the White Tower is divided into Ajahs, each of which has its own specific set of beliefs and goals. The White Tower is divided into seven official Ajahs. These are Blue, Red, Green, Brown, Yellow, White, and Gray. The Ajahs differ in a number of ways, yet all of them in the end serve the White Tower and the Light. The Red Ajah is dedicated to protecting the Land from men who can channel. They aim to bring these men to the White Tower, where they can be gentled. The Red Ajah has a general distrust of men, which is somewhat natural given their nature. Because of this, it is the only Ajah whose Sisters do not bond Warders. The Red Ajah is headed by a single woman. The current Amyrlin Seat of the White Tower is a Red, Elaida do Avriny a’Roihan. Like the Red Ajah, the Blue Ajah is headed by a single very powerful woman. That is where the similarities end, though. Despite being one of the smaller Ajahs, it is one of the most influential. The Blue Ajah champions worthy causes and promotes justice. Since the time of Artur Hawkwing, more Amyrlins have been raised from the Blue than any other. One very prominent Blue Sister was Moiraine Damodred. The Green Ajah is often called the Battle Ajah, a fact that Green Sisters are very proud of. They hold themselves ready for Tarmon Gai’don. Unlike the other Ajahs, the Greens show a great appreciation of men; because of this, Greens are the only Aes Sedai who bond more than one Warder. The Green Ajah was recently proud to accept into its ranks Elayne Trakand, the Daughter-Heir of Andor. The Brown Ajah is dedicated to the discovery and preservation of knowledge. Unlike some of the other Ajahs, the Brown is run by a ruling council. Brown Sisters are responsible for maintaining the Tar Valon library, the largest library in the Land. Most new artifacts and Talents have been discovered by Browns. Verin Mathwin, a Brown Sister, is one of the most prominent Aes Sedai in current events. Aes Sedai who show a particularly strong Talent for Healing choose the Yellow Ajah. The Yellow Ajah is dedicated to finding better methods of Healing; in truth, though, many Sisters believe that the current method is the best possible. The Yellow Ajah was taken aback when an Accepted, Nynaeve al’Meara, Healed a man and two women who had been severed from the One Power. Nynaeve eventually chose the Yellow Ajah when she was raised an Aes Sedai. The Gray Ajah are mediators. They seek harmony and consensus. It is for this reason that many Grays are used to negotiate treaties between nations. However, some rulers are slow to use this method, as they are concerned that the new treaty might serve the best interest of the White Tower more than that of the nations involved. Members of the White Ajah avoid both the world and worldly knowledge. White Sisters are engrossed by philosophy and the search for truth, and often come across as very cool. One White who has recently risen to great power within the White Tower is Alviarin Freidhen.
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