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. She was raised to the shawl after Siuan's and Moiraines' second year as novices and chose the Red Ajah. Since the time 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. Her abusive and unwarranted 'help' as an already raised Aes Sedai was eventually put to an end after the then Mistress of Novices, Merean Redhill, informed by other concerned Accepted, threatened her with a penance as well as humiliation. This intervention however, would spark hatred between Elaida and the two. Despite her aptitude with the One Power, she is frequently depicted as self-important and foolish from her dreams of felling the Salidar Rebels and having them kneel at her feet as well as her plans to build a grand palace for herself despite the crisis that Tar Valon was going through. In The Fires of Heaven, Siuan speculates that Elaida was insanely jealous that the former 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 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 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 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.
In a desperate ploy to reveal Alviarin's treachery, Elaida has set Aes Sedai to finding evidence that Alvairin contacted the Dragon Reborn. However, the Aes Sedai have instead started rooting out the Black Ajah from the White Tower. Elaida is unaware of this. 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.
