Liana en'Damier Damodred Antii

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Liana en'Damier Damodred Antii
LEE-an-ah en-DAM-err-air
Created by Alexandra
Information
Gender Female
Occupation Aes Sedai of the Indigo Ajah
Affiliation The Grey Tower
Spouse
Bondmate(s) Caithlan Damodred
Nationality Hama Valoner
Attributes
Talents
Weapon Skills
  • Sword ✦✦✦✦
  • Dagger ✦✦✦✦
Masteries
OP Strength 9.1
Affinities Spirit, Air, Water, Fire, Earth

Liana en'Damier Damodred Antii is a Hama Valoner Indigo Oathsworn Aes Sedai of the Grey Tower.

Description

Little Liana was no longer little when she signed her name into Kirenna Sedai's novice book. The name had stuck with her as firmly as Caith had. For she would always be "little" compared to Leanna Copan Sedai, once Amyrlin Seat of the Grey Tower, her namesake and mother's stepmother. Liana had always been big for her age and known lineage. She was two hands taller than her peers and one hand taller than her mother by her fourteenth name-day. The en'Damier House that settled in countryside adjacent to the city of Whitebridge had intermarried some years back with a noble Cairhien House. Again, Liana differed from the women in her family, for she had hair of flaming red (probably from her unnamed father). Amora en'Damier Sedai, Liana's grandmother, and Saphire Sedai, Liana's mother and wore up their raven black hair. The only mark that she was a young lady of the en'Damier family were her emerald eyes. Perhaps as she matured she would develop the curved shapeliness of her mother's body. But as an older child, she was well toned but gangly. She had not filled out fully into her new height. Sometimes she as asked outright if she was born "in the Waste". To which, Liana replied with a sharp look of annoyance and a hand on her dueling blade, "Nay, I am Tower-born." And if she perceived them to be that much lower class than her, she would add, "Were you born in a dung heap?"

Liana was out of place physically among the strong women of her family, but her behaviors were a precise mean between her mother and grandmother. Amora had taught young lady Liana en'Damier since early childhood en'Damier Sedai, Keeper of the Chronicles, and her Warder, Sigmund von Danzig, Master of Arms to be graceful and nonchalant with her demeanor. (Through no will of her own, Amora Sedai had not been in Saphire's life during that critical period when proper behavior was shaped, and Sigmund Gaidin had attempted to instill nobility in Saphire Sedai far too late. Thus, they redirected all of their efforts to Saphire's only child, Liana, the current heir to the House en'Damier). Liana thus guarded herself against threats both physical and verbal. She spoke with great care and did not so much walk as glide with the grace of a life-long noble warrior.

Liana had inherited her mother's pride and stubbornness. So the emphasis that Lord Danzig had instilled in her at an early age shown itself in Liana's taste for the duel. Liana was concerned highly with matters of honor, was just as provoked into a fight as her mother, and carried it out with a practiced formula and expected rules of combat. Fiercely loyal to her family, she had more than once defended snide comments about her mother's foul tongue and obvious history (unmarried) with Liana's father. This loyalty extended to her friends and comrades. For Liana had about a hundred "uncles" in the Warder Yard, and one "brother", Caith Devlin Ji'alantin. In the midst of an argument, she had more than once turned to defend Caith at the barest hint of a slight any made towards him.

Liana was a bright student of warfare, but also curious, studious, and a keen observer. It had been her before any guard in the Citadel to recognize that the Citadel would soon be under siege, in her fifth summer. As she grew older, Liana's fascination and keen observation grew, often guessing at the purpose and function of many objects of power littered around the Keeper's private chambers. "You will be a fine Sister of the Indigo Ajah one day", Amora Sedai once told her grand-daughter; to which Liana protested, "I will not! I will be a Gaidar, and fight to defend honor!" Amora Sedai, being the Dreamer that she was, knew better.

Biography

Liana was one of a new breed of Tower citizens. One that had its own culture set apart from the usual nationalities of the Third Age. They knew of nations such as Andor, Altara, and Shienar, but through song and story, not growing up in foreign lands. While others traveled far to join the Tower, this generation was born into it as the product of unions between the Aes Sedai, Asha'man, and Warders who lived there. The population was small now, but growing faster than when Liana's own mother was born (Saphire and her brother, Kadar, were the first Grey Tower-born). One of Liana's closest friends, interestingly enough, was the prodigy of the union between a Gaidin and a Gaidar. The Battle Brother and Sister had fought in many battles alongside, for their Aes Sedai were close companions in the same Ajah. Liana's Tower-born friend was named Ella, and she was one winter older than Liana.

All were tested periodically for the ability to learn to channel. It was the hope of their elders that they would replace the diminishing numbers of Aes Sedai in the world and fan the flames of growing Asha'man. The daughters and sons of the Tower were always watched for signs of the spark, for the Grey Tower had that advantage over the White and Black Towers. Its children.

Thus, since her thirteenth winter, Liana had obediently marched up the long flight of stairs through the Inner Tower and up to the Indigo Halls for testing. It was as routine as yearly exams in the Infirmary. Last year, her first in the Indigo Halls, she had followed orders with Ella who had gone the year before.

"Luck is with you, Liana." Ella's expression was rimmed with green jealousy. She tugged on her mousy braid woven in the fashion of her mother, who had come from the Two Rivers. "You were born from a long line of Aes Sedai, surely you will be one someday. Songs will be sung of you and your adventures. And lo, I will be a Guard, or a farmer, at best a Warder. But you are special, Liana. Burn me! You were named after an Amyrlin Seat!"

"But Ella," Liana protested with a guarded expression her grandmother had tuitored her to hold against those who would influence her, even if they were close friends, "I want to be a Warder. I am not just biding my time. Each of my uncles, save Kadar, are Warders."

"That does not count, Liana. They're not your blood-uncles."

"They are close enough, Ella, as much as I love my mother's brother. Even Caith will be Warder when he passes his test. And we will be bonded to the same Aes Sedai. I grew up in the Yards. If the Wheel wills that one of us will be an Aes Sedai, it will be you. I battled a trolloc before my sixth winter!"

"So you remind me!" Ella rolled her eyes. How many times had Liana repeated the story of how she had thrown rocks while Caith had bludgeoned the teeth of a trolloc crawling through the bottom of the Citadel. "Spare me!"

"My point, Ella, is that my father was probably Gwilym Gaidin. I stole into that room and saw whom my mother was bonded to. He as her first, and he was an Aiel warrior, and he is gone. Why else would I look like so much like Janis Tearsin? Why else would mother not speak of my father, lest to bear the shame of laying with one's Warder, only to see him die for her in battle?"

"If you say Liana. But remember, you said the same about Caden Ives once, and you are neither of Tear nor Arad Doman! Do not be so sure that you cannot channel. Remember Dalan? His mother was a Sister and father was her Gaidin, and he is a Soldier now."

Yet Liana was as stubborn as her mother and would hear no more. She stared icily between the youth who stood ahead of them in line. In truth, she had never known her father, and her mother would not speak of him. She would only stare at that golden bracelet with two dragons of emerald and amethyst eyes, and spin it round and round in her hands.

Some time later, the two friends emerged from the testing room.

"Told you so." Liana beamed, running her hands one last time through her long bright hair. She had been found naught with the spark nor the ability to channel. They parted then and Liana descended the Indigo stairwell, down and out to the Warder Yards. That day she followed her dream and marched to Captain Durann's study to sign her name in his Book of Trainees. Following that, she cropped her hair as short as a boy's. If she trained hard, she might be only a year or two behind Caith.

Now was the following spring, one year after her last testing, and Liana was called again to the Inner Tower. A year through training, she could not deny the words Ella had spoken. It was the only fear she had, to be separated from her friends and outlive her kin. Liana held the grip of her rapier without thought. It swept from the hilt protectively around her hand. She enjoyed both stabbing and slashing at her enemies in spar and duel. But it would not protect her now. So she forced her hand into a fist and held it by her side. She painted cool serenity on her face. The only sign of her anxiety was a gentle tug on her dress uniform.

"No, this is a mistake. I am not supposed to be here!"

"I assure you, child, you have the spark. Congratulations!" The Aes Sedai was as jubilant as she was nearsighted, for Liana's eyes were wide with horror. The shock had shattered her nonchalant demeanor.

"Pray tell?" Liana ran her hand through her short-cropped hair. She looked like a candlestick so pale.

"The reputation of your family proceeds you, child. Particularly that of your father . . ." Liana blinked against the moisture in her eyes, My father? ". . . your mother, grandmother, and grandfather were strong channelers too, as you will be. We have been expecting you to sign the novice book since you were born. But we did not want to make you promises lest you turn out to have only mundane talents." The Aes Sedai rose to organize the endless clutter of the Vaults, for that was all the Aes Sedai would tell her of her father.

"You knew my father?" Liana hung on her words. It was a distraction from her doom.

"Never mind that. I am sending you to the Mistress of the Novices first thing, and a note to Saphire Sedai and Amora Sedai. They will be pleased to learn of this milestone!"

"No . . but . . I am a Drin'far'ji . . my Survival Test is soon . . . I'm going to be a Gaidar!" Liana lost control over her voice. It wavered and haulted like a horse in panic under her reigns.

"Oh, well, you'll have to sign the novice book now. We wouldn't want you to turn into a wilder in our own Yards! You will be expected in Kirenna Sedai's study shortly, and will have until this evening to move your personal affects from the Warder Yard to the Novice Hall."

"Aes Sedai? What of my friends in the Warder Yard? Will I still train there?"

"Oh you will hardly have time for that, what with your lessons. Maybe when you're Accepted . . "

"Accepted!?" Liana wilted. She felt as if a hidden foe had gutted her from behind. All composure was lost, her life was utterly over. And the Sister's compassionless cheer did not help at all.

"Yes, Accepted. You should be strong enough, and you have a reputation as a hard worker. I'll expect to see you back some day and test you for Talents. Won't that be exciting? Off you go."

"I'm thrilled." Liana lied venomously. As if in aftertaste, she thought bitterly on how many years she had left before she could no longer lie. But she thanked her, as was custom, for Warders were polite to Sisters under all circumstances. "Thank you, Aes Sedai, by your leave."

Moments later, Liana had arrived in her secret corner in the back most spot of the Loft above the Warder Hall. Few came up there in midsummer. The heat and humidity were almost unbearable, and even servants who fetched supplies did so swiftly under the sweltering conditions. Tar melted from the ceiling in great globs of muck. They dripped slowly unto crates and barrels tucked away in storage. Safe from prying eyes at last, Liana let down her guard.

She curled into a huddled ball, her gangly arms wrapped around herself, and she buried her head. She was safe from loss of honor that came with being seen as weak, and she cried into her bony knees. She would be just as enslaved to the Oaths as her mother and her mother before her were. She would outlive those she loved, her children, her children's children, and their children. Caith would die in a fraction of her lifetime. And she, Liana, would waste away either behind stacks of books, or trinkets, or tables, or a shield of Warders preventing her from duels and slaying the Dark One's minions with her own two hands. She was too valuable now to do anything interesting, and she would be alone.

Liana hated to be alone, ever since that day when she was tucked away in the Keep of the Citadel - too young and precious to fight against the siege. But rather than an abrupt isolation, hers would now be a slow and gradual degradation of ties to friend and kin. Her loyalty to them would not matter, for the wheel would grind them to dust before she showed signs of age. That was what frightened her most.

"My life is over. Burn me, flame me, just don't make me become an Aes Sedai!"

Career History

  • Novice
  • Accepted
  • Council of Youth
  • Aes Sedai of the Indigo Ajah
  • Sitter of the Indigo Ajah (4 February 2007; first term)
  • Sitter of the Indigo Ajah (second term)