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THE SEANCHAN |
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THE SEANCHAN |
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The Seanchan are the descendants of Artur Hawkwing's army which fled across the Aryth Ocean at the Breaking of the World. They are dedicated to the Corenne or Return, which is the reclaiming of Artur Hawkwing's lands. They use leashed channelers or damane,as they are called, as weapons in battle. They ride and use many a strange animal. Grolm, leathery-skinned creatures, and feline-esque animals, called torm are used. Winged raken fly the sky as scouts.Their system of government is autocratic, ruled by the Empress, who rule from the Court of the Nine Moons.
Before Hawkwing sent Luthair and his armies across the ocean, Seanchan was a constantly shifting quilt of nations of various sizes, most ruled by Aes Sedai. These Aes Sedai made open use of their power, a noted diffrence from the Aes Sedai of Randland. They formed temporary alliances with one another, but in reality it was every woman for herself. Assassination wasthe most common cause of death among Aes Sedai, and among all who achieved power.
The suspicious, scheming division was the primary reason that Luthair Paendrag and his descendantswere able to conquer all of Seanchan. Eventually Luthair Paendrag, who the Seanchan called the Hammer, no longer trusted any of the native-born, nor did his descendants or retainers. Luthair had brought a distrust of Aes Sedai with him (stemming from his father's problems) and with the nature of the Seanchan Aes Sedai this grew to an outright hatred.
The first nobility of the Empire of Seanchan would all be descended from Luthai Paendrag's followers, and it would be centuries before others began being raised to "the Blood". The Conquest, also named the Consolidation, required nearly three hundred years, and another two centuries passed before the lasresistance was expunged and Luthair's descendants reigned a land totally at peace.
The second thing that enabled Luthair to conquer such a vast land with so many unruly Aes Sedai was the discovery of the a'dam, which enabled him to force captured Aes Sedai to serve him, and later the discovery of the sul'dam meant he no longer needed Aes Sedai allies. The control of the Imperial family over an entire continent is directly linked to their control of all Seanchan Aes Sedai.
So far the Seanchan have invaded Ebou Dar and Amador. That would possibly mean that the main force of the Ever Victorious Army lies in the southern reaches of Randland. In TSR, it is mentioned that they were now stationed on a Seafolk isle called Cantorin. This Isle probably allowed them access to both Amador and Ebou Dar so it would be located south of Quaim. Also, Tanchico hase been invaded and taken over since the Panarch is now a servant to Suroth. That means that the Amador Invasion came from Tarabon. This means that the forces have split, and if they are split there, they could be split somewhere else. My guess is that there will be an invasion on Illian, Murandy, and Ghealdan in the next book.
Egeanin offers us the first view of Seanchan military costume; probably the most detailed such a picture Jordan has painted in the WoT: "The helmet looked very much like some monstrous insect's head, with thin red plumes like feelers; the wearer seemed to be peering out through mandibles. It was painted and gilded to increase the effect, and the rest of the man's armor was also worked with paint and gold. Overlapping plates in black and red outlined with gold covered his chest and ran down the outsides of his arms and the fronts of his thighs. Even the steel backs of his gauntlets were red and gold. Where he did not wear metal, his clothes were dark leather. The two-handed sword on his back, with its curved blade, was scabbarded and hilted in black-and-red leather." TGH
The armor of the common Seanchan soldier is an "unrelieved black", in contrast with that of their officers, except for those that tend the grolm, as denoted by the addition of "... three eyes painted on the breast of his armor." The common soldier's sword is a "... heavy, curved blade ..."
Elsewhere however, Jordan's description reveals that the common soldier may also wear something other than black: "... men in dark leather, and armor painted green and gold, overlapping plates down their chests and the outsides of their arms and fronts of their thighs. Their spears bore green-and-gold tassels, their long shields were painted in the same colors, and their helmets seemed to be the heads of huge insects, faces peering out their mandibles ... One was clearly an officer, lacking spear or shield, but with a curved, two-handed sword on his back. Silver outlined the plates of his lacquered armor, and thin green plumes, like feelers, heightened the illusion of his painted helmet." Similarly, gold and black painted armor are worn by common soldiers elsewhere, differing from their commanding officer in that his armor is lacquered, not painted, and the helmet carries thin green plumes. Use of crossbows is also noted, with these particular Seanchan
There is certainly significant variability in the colors employed by Seanchans - red and green, with white helmet plumes, are also reported - likely to help differentiate the various Houses. Separate from all of these, the Deathwatch guard, an elite group of soldiers, is distinguished by "... black-tasseled spears and black-lacquered shields ..."
Cavalry carries streamered lances into battle, riding horses or "... creatures that looked almost like cats the size of horses, but with lizards' scales rippling bronze beneath their saddles. Clawed feet,....fluid grace, ... dark skin ..." further mark these creatures
Additionally, they make use of flying creatures, each "... a long body that seemed thicker than a man was tall; great ribbed wings like a bat's sweeping down as the creature fell toward the courtyard; a figure, a man sitting just behind a sinous neck ... [and] trailing a long, thin tail."
See the Seanchan Creatures Page for more info. on the variety of creatures: Exotic Seanchan Creatures Page
The Seanchan Empire is headed by the Empress, who sits on the Crystal Throne in the Court of the Nine Moons. The power of the Seanchan is built on the control of the damane. The Blood is the Seanchan nobility. It is possible to work one's way up the caste system and become one of the Blood. Outside of their homes, the members of the Blood are carried in palanquins carried by bare-chested men. The so'jhin are the hereditary upper servants of the Blood. One can be raised to so'jhin. Servants may recieve visitors in their own quarters. High servants, such as so'jhin, kill themselves when their master dies and no servant will fight with or for their master. They stay still until the fight is over and the victor has one.
Among the most honored Imperial servants are the Deathwatch Guards, the personal guard of the Imperial Family. Though the guard are actually property of the Imperial Personage, they are often loaned to others as a sign of Imperial favor. They are easily recognized by their black-tasseled spears and black-lacquered shields. The most elite section of the Deathwatch Guardis charged with the personal safety of the Empress and her immediate family.Not all Deathwatch Guards are human. Ogier make up a proportion of of the Deathwatch, although they are only ones and not property, and are considered incredibly fierce and deadly compared to their human counterparts.
A polic and spy organization, the Seekers belong to the Imperial Throne. The wide powers granted to the Seekers make them highly respected and greatly feared. Chosen from all parts of society, Seekers are granted almost unlimited powers. Though Seekers are property, they may arrest anyone who does not answer their questions or cooperate fully with them. Even the Blood are not exempt.
Most prisoners of the Seekers are held within the forbidding Tower of Ravens, the central imperial prison. Many of the prisoners held there are of the Blood. Since no one may spill a drop of blood from one who is of the Blood, the torturers have been forced to devise noninvasice but excruciatingly painful methods of questioning the nobles housed there. The challenge is to break the subject without allowing him to shed any blood.
Sul'dam or 'Leash Holder'. Sul'dam hold the end of the a'dam which is connected to a damane or 'Leashed One'.The damane is a person with the inborn ability to channel. sul'dam wear a blue dress inset with red panels on the breast and sides of skirt. The panels are marked with silver forked lightning. The hem comes to just above the ankles. As found out in Falme, sul'dam can also channel, but they are the ones who learn how to channel. The a'dam is a leash made of silvery metal that allows for the sul'dam to channel through the damane, who is collared. Each year the sul'dam test girls throughout the countryside to see if they can become damane or who could be sul'dam. when someone becomes damane, she is struck from the rolls of citizens and removed from family records. The Seanchan offer a reward of 1000 gold to those who turn over an Aes Sedai. They kill those who shelter one. Male channelers are killed on sight. The reason why female channelers are leashed is because when the Seanchan first came to this land, the Armies of the Night used female channelers. Ever since the defeat of the Armies of the Night, female channelers have been leashed.
In modern Seanchan young women are tested for the ability to channel or the ability to wear the bracelet each year until they pass the age of manifestation. Those who have the inborn ability to channel become damane and are leashed with the a'dam. They are written out of all family records and citizen rolls. Those women who show the ability to use the a'dam but who do not have the inborn ability to channell are made sul'dam. They are trained in the care and handling of damane.
High Lords are announced with a gong. the commoners then lie down and kiss the floor to honour the Blood, never turning there back to the noble. Commoners also avoid using certain words or phrases with nobility, such as the word "must". No man's hand may slay one of Hawkwing's blood, noble executions are done by being placed alive in a silken bag and hung over the side of the Tower of Ravens. The Seanchan have a tight social hierarchy, but believe all should have their basic needs of life met. Only the Blood of Seanchan is "allowed" to help the poor, anyone else doing so rises above his station. Furnishings are sparse and simple, decoration is as well, and painted folding screens are used to separate room areas. Furniture is designed with curves, rich use silk carpets.The screens are painted with scenes of peaceful birds and plants. Kaf is drunk as a beverage and it seems to be only grown in Seander. Even a noble considers having to apologize to the Empress an ultimate humiliation, the more so if one is denied death afterwards and has to continue to live with the public embarrassment. It is unacceptable to avoid answering a question asked by one of the Blood, or to imply or state that one of the Blood speaks an untruth.
Honor is supremely important to the Seanchan. They practice a form of chivalry based on the value of their word. To a Seanchan, a word of honor is considered absolute. Also, honor and status are directly linked with the ability to look someone in the eyes. The word sei'taer literally means "straight eyes" in the Old Tongue. Among the Seanchan, to say that someone "has sei'taer" or is "is sei'taer" means that they have honor. Honor or "face" can be lowered or earned. it can also be lost. The Seanchan say that one "is sei'mosiev" to mean "has lost face".