Siuan Sanche

Siuan Sanche (pronounced: SWAHN SAHN-chay; /ˈsʲwɑn ˈsan.t͡ʃɛɪ/) was an Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah. She was born in Tear and grew up a fisher girl.
She was formerly the Amyrlin Seat but was deposed in a coup d'etat led by Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan, stilled, and briefly imprisoned. Her first Warder, Alric, was murdered during the White Tower coup.
She later ran away and joined the rebel Aes Sedai. While there, she was Healed from stilling, regained her status as Aes Sedai (albeit as a low-ranking sister), and bonded a new Warder, Gareth Bryne, former Captain-General of the Queen's Guards of Andor, former lover of Queen Morgase, and one of the Five Great Captains. Eventually, she agreed to marry him after the Last Battle, but unfortunately, neither of them survived to marry.
She has been known to use the aliases "Suki" and "Mara."
==Appearance==
 
Around 5'5", she was nearly a hand taller than her best friend, Moiraine Damodred. She was fair-skinned with blue eyes, a delicate mouth, and dark glossy hair to her shoulders. 
Originally described as more than handsome but less than beautiful after being stilled and Healed by Nynaeve al'Meara, she was said to have lost 20 years from her appearance and many men who saw her considered her quite pretty.
Her eyes could flash fire and bore holes in stone when she wanted them to.
==Strength and Abilities==
As both Novice and Accepted, Siuan showed considerable potential and skill. She reached nearly her full potential within six to seven years, whereas the average Aes Sedai typically spent 20 years in training and 10 years to reach her full potential. 
With an original strength level of 13(1), Siuan was at the top level in the Aes Sedai hierarchy at the time—the same level as Romanda Cassin, Lelaine Akashi, Moiraine, and Elaida—making her a very high-ranking Aes Sedai and among the most influential sisters in the Tower. However, after being stilled and Healed, she lost around two-thirds of her strength, putting her at a level of 35(23) and much lower in the chain of command.
In the Talent of weaving, Siuan was described as among the fastest and most dexterous Sisters in the White Tower. She had a fairly small ability with Healing, not something for which she gave herself much credit. But during the Seanchan attack on the White Tower and later during the Sharan attack on the Aes Sedai camp in Kandor, Siuan saved the lives of many soldiers including Gareth Bryne. Like Chesmal Emry, Siuan knew how to use Healing weaves to kill directly, using saidar to stop the heart. She also had the minor Talent of seeing and recognizing ta’veren. To her eyes, a ta’veren person was accompanied by or surrounded by a glow proportional to the strength with which he or she was central to the weaving of the Pattern. She recovered all of these abilities after she was Healed from being stilled.
Siuan was considered by other Aes Sedai as very smart, very good in administration, clever, intelligent in resolving puzzles, and finding clues. All this qualities were immediately put in service by her fellow Blue Sisters, employing Siuan in the Ajah eyes-and-ears system. Siuan revealed also to be very manipulative and excessively secretive.
==Family and History==
=== Early life===
Siuan was born in Tear in of humble origins. She was the daughter of a fisherman and had more than one sister. Her mother died while she was still a child; her father died sometime during her training at the White Tower (972-978 NE). She had nine uncles. One, Huan, died in a fire while rescuing children. Two other uncles were street robbers, thugs, and drunkards whose names her father wouldn't even speak in the house. One of those was her father's brother. In childhood, Siuan was a very mischievous girl who had a fondness for pranks.
===Training in the Tower===
Siuan was born with the spark and was sent to Tar Valon the same day her ability was discovered. When she first arrived, she could barely read or do the simplest math, but she was an incredibly fast learner. Soon she was teaching the Old Tongue to Novice classes. Siuan was also found to have a rather earthy manner of speaking, which had been "strongly redolent of the docks and often rough with it," according to Moiraine, who determined to clean it up and with some success. But as soon as Siuan gained the shawl, she reverted. In the same way, she apparently forgot many, if not all, of her deportment lessons.
She and Moiraine arrived at the Tower on the same day, which was rather unusual. The pair began as friends who cried on each other’s shoulders about the hardships of being Novices or after a switching from the Mistress of Novices. They eventually became pillow friends. 
This relationship continued after they became Accepted, and even for a time after they were raised Aes Sedai, though never again with the same intensity as when they were younger. As Novice and Accepted both, it was Siuan who always took the lead between her and Moiraine. That startled Moiraine at first until she decided that Siuan had been born to lead.
 Both Siuan and Moiraine were raised to Accepted after only three years as Novices. The pair played a good many pranks, always together. They were caught for a number of these and also punished together, so much so that it was said that, if one was spotted waiting to go into the Mistress of Novices’ study, the other was already inside.
Many sisters in the Tower knew the girls' potential, but Elaida in particular was very hard on them, pushing them to meet her very high standards and not allowing a single slip. The night before their raising, they played one last prank on her; she caught them trying to sneak mice into her bed, for which she made sure they were punished severely.
Many sisters in the Tower knew the girls' potential, but Elaida in particular was very hard on them, pushing them to meet her very high standards and not allowing a single slip. The night before their raising, they played one last prank on her: she caught them trying to sneak mice into her bed, for which she made sure they were punished severely.
=== The Prophecy of the Dragon===
At the end of the Aiel War, in the midst of the Battle of the Shining Walls, Siuan and Moiraine were present during a Foretelling spoken by the Keeper of the Chronicles, Gitara Moroso, forewarning the imminent birth of the Dragon Reborn. As the Amyrlin Seat, Tamra Ospenya gathered certain sisters to search for the child, she and her searchers were murdered by the Black Ajah, leaving only Siuan and Moiraine to continue their charge. The duo agreed to work in secret and separately, with Moiraine going into the world and Siuan managing affairs in the White Tower.
In late , shortly after both girls were raised to the shawl, Cetalia Delarme, head of the Blue Ajah's eyes-and-ears network, learned of Siuan's natural aptitude for logic, puzzles, and codes,. Subsequently, she recruited Siuan as her assistant. Under Cetalia's tutelage, Siuan soon became a political prodigy in her Ajah.
===The Amyrlin Seat===
In , when the Amyrlin Marith Jaen died after just four years of service, the Hall of the Tower decided to break the long tradition of 20- to 30-year reigns and seek a long period of stability. The Hall thought the deaths of the three Amyrlins were due to natural causes, even if some Sitters might have suspected otherwise. The Hall was deadlocked between four sisters who had worn the shawl for less than 50 years as the next Amyrlin. 
Seaine Herimon suggested Siuan be raised, noting the deaths of three consecutive Amyrlins after just a few years of service as well as Siuan's qualifications in administration. The Hall agreed, despite knowing this might give Siuan a reign of 200 or more years unless deposed or murdered. At the age of 30, after wearing the shawl for just ten years, Siuan Sanche was raised to the Amyrlin Seat, becoming the youngest Amyrlin ever at the time.
During a dispute over Murandian raids into the Andoran border, Siuan first met and severely upbraided Gareth Bryne, the then Captain-General of the Queen's Guard in Andor. Years later, she explained to Bryne why was not allowed to interfere: the White Tower had identified a young Murandy border lord named Dulain who could one day unify all of Murandy. She didn't want Bryne's soldiers to kill him. Unfortunately the young lord was killed a month later by an Andoran farmer during a sheep raid.
==Activities==
===Meeting the Dragon Reborn===
In 998 NE, Siuan traveled to Fal Dara with an escort of no less than 14 Aes Sedai, including Anaiya, Liandrin, Carlinya, Alanna Mosvani, and Verin Mathwin and a fair amount of Warders. During her visit, she had meetings with Moiraine to discuss their search for the Dragon Reborn. She met all three ta'veren and discussed Rand with Moiraine and Verin. They briefly considered killing the three due to her deducing one of the boys was the Dragon Reborn. Siuan and Moiraine decided to trust Verin and fill her in on the situation. They decided to guide Rand to fulfill his destiny. She sent all three on the quest to retrieve the Horn of Valere. Just before she left, she talked to Rand. During this conversation, someone shot an arrow at them. It was unclear in the moment who the intended target had been or who shot the arrow. Just before sacrificing himself late, Ingtar Shinowa admitted to Rand that he had let a Gray Man into Fal Dara:
===Back at the Tower===
After her trip to Fal Dara, Siuan returned to the White Tower where she continued to orchestrate her plans to control the Dragon Reborn.
She led the Circle that Healed Mat, using a Sa'angreal to augment their combined power.
After Liandrin and 12 other Sisters of the Black Ajah left the tower, Siuan decided to set Egwene and Nynaeve on their trail. She decided they were among the few she could trust, and although Elayne was not specifically included, Siuan expected her to join them; therefore, she was able to deny knowledge of it. The result was the three girls heading to Tear to stop a trap meant for Rand.
She received a message from Moiriane from Tear saying that Rand had exposed himself as the Dragon Reborn by pulling Callandor from the Heart of the Stone. Afterward, she received no more messages, which irritated her deeply. She kept all her important documents in a small chest and used a very faint ward on it that burned the contents if anyone but her tried to open the chest.
At the same time Siuan hid Min, posing her as Elmindreda in the Tower. She had Leane disguise Min as a noblewoman on the run from a forced marriage. In exchange, Siuan asked for Min's help by using her talent in reading auras. She also wanted Min to keep Gawyn and Galad at bay and had her befriend Logain, the gentled and depressed false Dragon who was being kept at the Tower but whose aura foretold a great future.
===Deposed===
Elaida had been Siuan's and Moiraine's enemy since they were Accepted due to their punishment by the Mistress of Novices for Elaida's involvement in instructing them on the test for the Shawl.
Once Elaida learned that Siuan had kept secret her knowledge of the Dragon Reborn, Elaida decided that she must be the one to lead and control him, or he would destroy the world. Elaida also took note of Siuan's involvement with the Two Rivers girls.
Using clever politics, she had Siuan legally deposed and stilled, killing her Warder Alric in the process, taking the law to its extreme. Among the sisters personally involved in capturing Siuan after deposition were Elaida, Danelle, Joline Maza, Alviarin and Shemerin.
===On the Run===
Some time later, Laras, Mistress of the Kitchens in the White Tower, with the aid of Min Farshaw, helped Siuan and her former Keeper, Leane Sharif, escape from the cells. Siuan only made it out of Tar Valon by lying (an ability allowed only while being stilled) about the whereabouts of Elayne Trakand and Egwene al'Vere to Gawyn Trakand who let them pass through the gates. As they left the city, they found Logain Ablar who joined them after Siuan offered him revenge against the Red Ajah.
Siuan used revenge to fill the void that was created by the loss of saidar. She, Min, Logain, and Leane searched for the other Aes Sedai who had fled when Siuan was stilled. While in the remote village of Kore Springs in Andor, she was captured by one of the villagers for damage to property. It is here where she encountered Gareth Bryne, a local lord, who did not recognize her. He paid for the damage in exchange for the three women (Logain has escaped beforehand) to work on Bryne's property.
They swore one of the most binding oaths, but Siuan did not specify when she would fulfill it (this showed that she still tried to hold to the Three Oaths). Logain rescued the women later, and they escaped to continue their search. After coming across an agent for the Blue Ajah's eyes-and-ears, the agent revealed that the rebel Aes Sedai were meeting in a location called Sallie Daera, which is code name for Salidar. One the group arrived, they met with the Salidar Six. Using her skill, Siuan quickly manipulated them into forming the real Hall of the Tower and electing a new Amyrlin who would be young enough to be "guided" by the rest of the Aes Sedai. Siuan then fell back into her old role as the head of the Blue Ajah's eyes-and-ears. 
When Gareth arrived, however, Siuan was forced to honor her oath and became his servant. She seemed to hate him and always acted aggressively when talking about him or to him; however, this was a cover for the fact that she actually loved him, even if she didn't realize it yet. She also pretended that she and Leane hated each other and didn't talk anymore in an attempt to guide and manipulate the Sitters.
=== Joining Salidar===
Upon the arrival of Nynaeve al'Meara and Elayne Trakand to Salidar, Siuan began training in the World of Dreams. During Nynaeve's experimentations, Siuan wore the a'dam bracelet that was linked to Moghedien's neck. While she was able to sense Moghedien, she was not able to sense the true source or cause Moghedien to feel anything.
Nynaeve al'Meara studied Siuan, Leane, and Logain until she learned how to Heal stilling. While she was able to completely Heal Logain, it only partially worked on Siuan and Leane, leaving their strength with the One Power severely reduced. Siuan rejoined the Blue Ajah, although she had relatively low standing among Aes Sedai, and had to defer to those whom she once had ruled. Her strength with the One Power was reduced to roughly a third of her former capacity. Although her pride was injured, she realized her usefulness as other Aes Sedai overlooked her and forgot her substantial political abilities. The Warder bond that broke when Alric died also returned after her healing causing Siuan to go through a delayed grieving process. 
With Egwene's help, Siuan gave tea to the Aes Sedai holding Logain's shield, rendering them unconscious and allowing him to escape. While in Salidar, Siuan ran the eyes-and-ears network for Egwene al'Vere, the Amyrlin Seat of the rebel Aes Sedai, and taught Egwene about being Amyrlin.
===Serving Egwene===
Siuan was devoted to serving Egwene and led her to where Myrelle Berengari and Nisao Dachen had been hiding Lan Mandragoran. The two Sisters swore an oath of fealty to Egwene, and Egwene told them to obey Siuan as they would her. Siuan's estimation of Egwene had grown significantly since this, and she even mentioned Egwene being a very dangerous woman.
Egwene finally uncovered the fact that Siuan was in love with Gareth Bryne. Siuan was mortified because she had wanted to keep it a secret. She traveled with Egwene to meet with various nobles along the border of Andor and Murandy and helped Egwene develop a plan that would eventually force all the Sitters in the Hall to respect and treat Egwene as a proper Amyrlin rather than just a figurehead. Her respect for Egwene continued to grow. 
Siuan began to work on her theory of the Too Young Sitters conspiracy. She brought it foward for Egwene to consider.
When Egwene decided to take over from Bodewhin Cauthon in the plan to turn the harbor chains into cuendillar, Egwene told Siuan to keep quiet about it.
After being captured by Elaida's White Tower Aes Sedai, Egwene sought Siuan in her dreams, told Siuan that she was fine, and directed her not to rescue her. Siuan delivered this news to Egwene's other advisers. Lelaine then told Siuan in no uncertain terms that she was to support Lelaine for Amyrlin if Egwene died. Because of Siuan's past experience as Amyrlin, she realized that her support of Lelaine would be important and her advice would benefit Lelaine in the Seat. Also, Siuan's role in advising Egwene is known among the Rebel Aes Sedai.
===Rescuing the Amyrlin===
Siuan became one of Lelaine's attendants, all the while manipulating her so that Lelaine remained at odds with Romanda. Siuan continued to meet with Egwene in Tel'aran'rhiod, where she gave her the news of Halima actually being one of the Forsaken and Lelaine's reach for power while pretending to be acting in Egwene's name. She overheard Ashmanaille's report about Elaida a'Roihan's White Tower now being able to Travel. She then sent a message to Bryne to warn him about this news.
Siuan was part of the group who questioned Shemerin about how she escaped the White Tower. She continued to meet with Egwene in Tel'aran'rhiod who pleaded against being rescued but to no avail. Egwene again met her in Tel'aran'rhiod and told her that both Sheriam and Moria Karentanis were Black Ajah and that they should be watched. Before Egwene could say more, she suddenly disappeared from Tel'aran'rhiod. Siuan awoke to find the Seanchan attacking the White Tower. She gathered Bryne and Gawyn and used the attack as an excuse to enter the White Tower to rescue Egwene. Before going, Bryne agreed only to accompany Siuan if she bonded him as her Warder, which she did. After bonding, they both finally realized how much they love each other. The group entered how Shemerin had escaped.
During the Battle of Tar Valon, Gareth Bryne was able to prevent a Seanchan Bloodknife from killing Siuan. The assassin stabbed Gareth with a poison needle that he did not notice but Siuan that did. She Healed him, saving his life. Siuan took this mutual lifesaving to be fulfilment of Min's viewing about them.
The group found an exhausted Egwene and took her back to their camp, In fact, using Vora sa'angreal, Siuan opened a suitable gateway for all of them. But the next morning Egwene was furious with Siuan because she did not obey Egwene's order not to rescue her. Nevertheless, Egwene started to purge the Black Ajah in the rebel camp. immediately afterwards, she decided to take advantage of the White Tower's vulnerability after the Seanchan Raid.
Siuan was beside Egwene just as Egwene was ready to give Bryne and his army the signal to attack the White Tower when Andaya Forae arrived and asked Egwene to become the new Amyrlin Seat. Siuan advised her to be cautious as it may have been a trap, but Egwene ignored her and accepted the position. Once everyone was inside the White Tower, Egwene told Siuan to gather all of the rebel Aes Sedai in ranks in front of the Sunset Gate for them to formally apologize to the new Amyrlin Seat.
=== Back in the Tower===
thumb|Siuan Sanche painting by Todd Cameron Hamilton from The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time
She was with Saerin Asnobar, whom she had come to like, when Jimar Chubain informed them that Rand had entered the White Tower. Rand greeted Siuan before entering the Hall and thanked her for taking the arrow for him all those months ago in Fal Dara. He also asked her to help him with Egwene after he met with her.
Siuan interrupted Gawyn seeking advice from Bryne on his situation with Egwene. Bryne gave him a very ambiguous answer. 
She met with Egwene and Nynaeve about how they would lure Mesaana out of hiding. They agreed to bring some Windfinders and Wise Ones into Tel'aran'rhiod in the hope that some of Mesaana's lackeys would pass the information to her.
Siuan was standing guard when the Black Ajah attacked in Tel'aran'rhiod and teamed up with Leane in the Battle in Tel'aran'rhiod.
===The Last Battle===
Siuan was in attendance at Elayne's initial war-council, where it was decided that the army will fight on four fronts led by the four Great Generals. In the first phases of the Last Battle, Siuan was in Kandor in the Aes Sedai's command tent when the Sharans attacked. Siuan, Bryne, and Yukiri jump through the viewing Gateway that Yukiri had created. They fell out of the Gateway at a great height yet manages to survive thanks to Yukiri creating a massive cushion onto which they fell. After the attack, Siuan and Yukiri Healed many survivors and started to worry about Egwene's fate.
Siuan was relieved when Egwene returned to camp. The Aes Sedai's army managed to retreat beside a river on the Kandor-Arafel border. There Bryne decided to commit his forces until losses became too unacceptable. They had to retreat again. Siuan called out a question to Egwene, to which only the two of them would know the answer. She checked Egwene's eyes as she answered, concerned that she could have been Turned. Egwene answered true, and her eyes were still her own. 
Egwene noticed raken scouts in the air. Min confirmed that the Seanchan were now fighting the Shadow. Min saw the viewing that Siuan and Bryne had to stay close to each other or both would die. But Siuan assumed that she and Gareth fulfilled the prediction during the rescue of Egwene from the Tower; so when Egwene asked her to spy on the Seanchan Empress, Siuan separated from Bryne without too much worry.
But against Mat's command center, the Sharans launched a surprise assault. Siuan arrived just in time to save Min's life by stopping the heart of a Sharan who tried to kill her. However, instead of being grateful, Min berated Siuan for not following her instructions. Siuan claimed that she has a greater purpose: to make sure Mat did not fall in battle.
Siuan and Min entered the burning command post to see Mat battling with a group of Gray Men trying to assassinate him and Fortuona. Min killed the final Gray Man, and turned to find Siuan dead, her clothing burned from an explosion of fire that had taken her life and part of the command post.
==Viewings==
*Min saw Siuan lying on the floor naked, with something odd about the image of her (fulfilled - she was stilled and demoted and thrown into the cells of the White Tower naked.)
*That she must also always be near Gareth otherwise one or both may die (fulfilled)
== In the Television Series==
*In the television series, is played by actress . As a child, she is played by .
es:Siuan Sanche
Category:Amyrlin Seats
Category:Rebel Aes Sedai
Category:Eyes-and-ears
Category:High Ranking Aes Sedai
Category:Living as of AMOL
Category:Low Ranking Aes Sedai
Category:POV character
Category:Sparkers
Category:Notes needed
Category:Channelers
Category:Aes Sedai