Amora en'Damier

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Amora en'Damier
Amora en'Damier
ah-MOUR-ah en-DAH-ME-air
Created by Alexandra
Portrayed by Isabelle Adjani
Information
Gender Female
Occupation Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah
Affiliation The Grey Tower
Spouse Sigmund von Danzig
Bondmate(s) Sigmund von Danzig
Children
Nationality Andoran
Attributes
Talents
Masteries
OP Strength 6.5
Affinities Spirit, Earth, Air, Water, Fire

Amora en'Damier is an Andoran Oathsworn Blue Aes Sedai of the Grey Tower. She is married and bonded to Sigmund von Danzig.

Description

Lady Amora en'Damier Sedai dominates the room, and crowded hallways part for her. She is of average stature, but when she chooses, her presence is grand. Amora Sedai's age is not well known, but she bears wings of white against her raven black hair above her ears. Her face is perfectly oval, ageless, calm, and serene. Her eyes are steady and wise, almond shaped, possessing an intense emerald green that note all and reveal nothing. Her rose pink lips and gem-studded hair contrast with her ivory skin. Her words are few and carefully chosen, often cryptic or metaphoric, and sometimes contain prophecy or wisdom. She wears her golden Great Serpent ring, the signet ring of House en'Damier (four swans in flight), and the Ring of the Flame. Her gowns she wears vary in the spectrum of the Ajahs and her moods, but always are fashions that queens would envy. In public she dons the seven-striped stole of the Amyrlin Seat, and on formal occasions bears the Flame Staff. Outdoors she is often seen in a crushed midnight black velvet cloak with iridescent blue inner lining.

In public she is always seen with her Keeper of the Chronicles and often with one or more of her entourage (an Aes Sedai from every Ajah).

This Amyrlin Seat's face is often described as being carved from marble. She stands still as a statue, sits like a swan, and moves without a wasted gesture or word.

Biography

The autobiography of Amora en'Damier Sedai, formerly Amora en'Damier Davram Sedai, was buried in the Breaking of the Old Tower. Contained within this parchment is an attempt to draw public knowledge and testaments of living witnesses into a biography.

It is commonly known that Amora Sedai was formerly an Accepted of the White Tower. But what is not well known is how Amora arrived at the White Tower. The library in Caemlyn notes that her great-grandmother was a Domani and a strong Aes Sedai of the Yellow Ajah. The en'Damier House at the time had built its fortune upon profit from its numerous merchant fleets in the absence of this Sister. Amora's mother, Liah en'Damier, had inherited the ability to learn but was never taught. My sources in Whitebridge mention that she and her husband, Telam, en'Damier passed on their ignorance to their daughters, deciding that if Corrin and Amora demonstrated the potential they would never go to the White Tower. Such that when Sarine Sedai of the Blue Ajah arrived in Whitebridge to investigate the family line she was turned away at the door. [Saphire Sedai notes that] Amora too had felt smothered by noble life at her age, specifically in an arranged marriage, heard of Sarine Sedai's visit and ran followed her to be tested. On their journey to the White Tower they encountered a legion of Whitecloaks. The Aiel followed Sarine Sedai and the young Amora's journey until she allowed herself to be seen, calling herself Jel'viendha of the Tarrad Aiel, seeking training in the White Tower.

Amora and Jel'viendha grew to become fast friends. A scrap from Amora's journal demonstrates that in their later years as novices they played pranks and watched Warders in Training practice. Not surprising for girls of their age, even at the White Tower. It was in one of these escapades when Amora first saw Jaisen Davram, then known as "Goldeneyes", and a male channeler in secret. (For more on their first day and night, see the remaining entries of Amora Sedai's Novice Journal on Watching Waders in Training, their outing, and their dance. This valuable resource survived in Amora Sedai's Lost Archive.) It was at the White Tower where Amora and Jel'viendha declared themselves near-sisters, and Amora promised to marry and bond Jaisen Davram. Jel'viendha tutored Amora in the fashioning of a bridal wreath in the Aiel tradition, of which Jaisen "Goldeneyes" accepted. It was in these years that Amora discovered she had a Talent for Dreaming and Making 'angreal. Most notably, she produced a powerful shield Jaisen wore (but has been lost since his death) and the Sleeping Cat ter'angreal still used today.

A recruiter known then as Jaemes Asha'man left secret pamphlets around the neighboring inns in Tar Valon. [Unfortunately, I have been unable to recover one such pamphlet.] It was by chance that Accepted Amora learned of the Grey Tower from a pamphlet in the tavern she frequented and promptly pleaded for Jel'viendha and Jaisen to follow her. Some say she had had a Dream concerning the approaching split of the White Tower, others say it was just a lucky roll of the dice that they escaped from the slaughter, and still others say she feared Jaisen would be discovered as a male channeler among Warders.

Amora en'Damier, Jel'viendha, and Jaisen "Goldeneyes" traveled west for the founding of the Grey Tower. They were marked as runaways in the White Tower enrollment books, and I have heard word that they have not yet been forgotten. The three endured many trials and Jaisen was even lost and presumed dead. Upon arrival at the founding of the Grey Tower, Amora and Jel'viendha were raised to the shawl, bound by the Three Oaths upon a recreated Oath Rod, and became two of the youngest founders of the Grey Tower. As the Head of the Blue Ajah, Amora Sedai built the largest (and most durable) Eyes and Ears network on record and the first Blue Ajah Hall. As Mistress of the Novices and Soldiers, Amora Sedai created the Grey Tower's system by which Novices and Soldiers are raised to the shawl and cord, wrote the first raising tests, and lead the creation of the Grey Tower's Three Arches and Great Stair ter'angreals. She served in these roles from the founding of the Old Tower until its Breaking.

The only surviving record of her travels during this period affirms that Amora Sedai was involved in the preservation of the Grey Tower and rescue of one of the earlier recruiting missions from the new breed of Shadowspawn called the "Shadar dore" under their master Dreadlord. This was the first major threat that the Grey Tower encountered against its survival as its Asha'man and Aes Sedai members were few in the first half-decade. Unfortunately, no formal study has been completed on the Shadar dore has been recorded. [I have made some small attempt to collect everything Amora Sedai has mentioned of the creatures, and will include that information below.] One anonymous Indigo Ajah Sister states that the Tower's most powerful sa'angreal was used once by Daimor Asha'man to counter that Dreadlord; and that sa'angreal has never been seen in public since. Although refusing to utter specifics, Ancient and Old Sisters and Brothers assure me that these Shadar dore creatures were very dangerous but unwilling threats to the Grey Tower.

By Saphire en'Damier Sedai's passing references, we know that Amora Sedai married and bonded Jaisen Davram when he was raised to Asha'man of the Blue Ajah. The Indigo Ajah discloses that Amora Sedai received a moonstone necklace ter'angreal from her near-sister, then Head of the Green Ajah, Jel'viendha Sedai. Following the Shadar dore threat, Amora Sedai bore the Tower's first two children. This was the first marital and blood union of Asha'man and Aes Sedai which produced the strong channeler Saphire en'Damier who later became the First Green Sitter and the Warder Channeler representative, and her younger twin Kadar Davram. Rumor surrounding the en'Damier House whispers that Kadar Davram joined the Children of the Light in denial of his channeling abilities. The only source has been a scrap of Alondra Sedai's journal in which she wrote about Saphire Sedai's memories of her Three Arches trial. (Alondra and Saphire Sedai were roommates as novices and close friends until Alondra journeyed out of the Tower). Unfortunately, Jaisen Davram was on leave from the Tower for several years and thus was unavailable for interview to provide enlightenment; his thread has now been rewoven out of the Pattern. That Moonstone ter'angreal that allowed Amora Sedai to conceive twins began the Tower's Baby Boom and is now rarely leant out of the 'angreal storeroom. Jaisen's daughter, Kayla Davram, by his first wife was adopted into the en'Damier House. She, Saphire, and Kadar were sent to Whitebridge to be raised by the en'Damier House for unknown reasons at the time. Record of this period is contained in Saphire Sedai's autobiography.

When the Tower Broke, all trace of Amora Sedai was lost. According to various reliable and unreliable sources, Amora Sedai was taken prisoner by the Children of the Light and then by the Seanchan. Under the a'dam she is reported to have been leashed as damane. Over a decade later, news of Amora en'Damier Davram Sedai's fate reached her family in the Grey Tower. I have not been able to discover how, although at this time, several 'angreal and ter'angreal developed by Amora Sedai before the Breaking were recorded found by the Indigo Ajah. Perhaps there was is a connection between this event and her sudden known whereabouts. At this time, Jaisen Asha'man formed a rescue party consisting of his Promised wife Leanna Sedai, his daughter Accepted Saphire, and her Promised Warder Gwilym Ji'alantin. They were guided by a prophetic poem that Jaisen Asha'man claims he discovered in the archives of his ancestors, but his Taint-caused madness causes doubt of its origin.

The party brought Amora Sedai back to the Grey Tower from the west but not without a heavy price. The unleashed Sister had no memory of her life before being the damane "Cassandra". Accepted Saphire used the Memory Moonstone she had inherited from Amora Sedai to revive her mother's memories from before the Breaking. [Again, one of the ter'angreal only just uncovered.] Unfortunately, because the ter'angreal was unstable Amora Sedai's resulting memories were disjointed, scattered, and speckled with large and small gaps. The Yellow Ajah recorded Amora Sedai's development of three distinct and incongruent personalities with their own walled spheres of memories. Amora Sedai alternated randomly between her naive self before the Breaking, her damane self, and her confused and chronically depressed self following her rescue. The Yellow Brothers and Sisters of that period were amiss as to how to heal and control this unstable, formerly ranking and powerful Sister. Amora Sedai appeared to be recovering as she retrieved the Lost Archive of records, biography's, and 'angreal stored in her Eyes and Ears network before the Breaking; and she explained the series of murders that swept through the Grey Tower. Her knowledge of the "Shadar dore" was imparted unto M'Hael Melabrid Asha'man, which I have previously archived in the Return of the Shadar dore, for the Tower's edification. Although, Amora Sedai lost credibility as her permissions of the return of the Shadar dore failed. Or had they . . .?

Word reached Amora Sedai that her former husband, Jaisen Davram, had remarried to Leanna Sedai. Before his death, Atreus Gaidin reported his view of Amora Sedai's return to the ruins of the Old Tower. He stated that she behaved strangely, speaking to the air, gesturing at invisible beings, and appearing to not see him watch. He believed that she relived, and acted, her past. Perhaps it was her way to draw her life into one piece and return to sanity. Following this ritual she is said to have removed all attachment to her family, save to her children, and traveled abroad.

On the dawn of the Rebellion Amora Sedai returned a changed woman. Without concern for the heated debate in the Hall of Sitters or heed to the Tower's authoritative structure she led the rescue of Saphire Sedai from the Rebellion that had griped the Tower.

After hearing of this total disregard for protocol and discovering that the Tower has no autobiography on her past, I sought to record it. Since then I have observed that she has much concern for her daughter, Saphire Sedai, and her safety. Even an arranged her bonding! Amora Sedai has regained great influence in the Blue Ajah and sought to eliminate its threats and teach unsuspecting daughters of the shawl. She reportedly gained the trust of Ceralyn Sedai when she was in the [Amyrlin Seat]. My sources in Whiteridge inform me that Amora Sedai's parents only recently passed away, which led to a race to gain the High Seat of the House with her sister Corrin, and an [attempt on Amora Sedai's life]. Only recently has she departed the Tower on that very [quest].

I have recognized her by description and seen her in passing. Amora Sedai is outwardly cold, cryptic, and possessing the decorum of an elder White Tower Aes Sedai. She wears the fashions of many lands but no House or personal rings, is marked as the only Grey Tower Aes Sedai with graying hair. [Formal note of her profile can be found [here]]. She refuses to take part in Tower politics and is unconcerned with issues save that of personal interest. It is rumored that she rejected the position of Keeper twice and Amyrlin Seat once; yet Brothers and Sisters in her Ajah and others defer to her. Old Brothers and Sisters report feeling like Novices and Soldiers again when they pass under her gaze. I have sought to record her autobiography but have been denied an interview by her entourage, and likewise, her consent to have her journals or Memory Moonstone copied.

Thus my attempt to record what the Tower does know or suspect of Amora en'Damier Sedai must be satisfied by third-party statements and rumor. I have made linked references to other articles in the Tower Library for additional research. Perhaps someone closer to her can follow the leads I have uncovered and gain detailed answers to flesh out these glimpses of her past and confirm or deny the hearsay surrounding Amora en'Damier Sedai.

- Zaria Sedai Sister of the Brown Ajah

Career History

  • Novice
  • Accepted
  • Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah (31 July 1998)
  • Mistress of Novices and Soldiers (July 1998)
  • Sitter of the Blue Ajah
  • First Selector of the Blue Ajah
  • Keeper of the Chronicles (February 2005)
  • Amyrlin Seat (November 2005; first term)
  • Amyrlin Seat (25 September 2012; second term)