Elsae Aloise

Elsae hailed from Jarra, a small village in Ghealdan, nestled close to the Amadician border—an area often frequented by Whitecloak patrols. When her twin sister was struck by a dangerous fever, Elsae claimed she had healed her, boasting that she had done so like an Aes Sedai, saving her sister’s life. It was likely nothing more than coincidence, but Elsae reveled in the tale, sharing it with anyone who would listen.

However, in a region under the watchful eyes of the Children of the Light, Elsae’s reckless bragging put her in grave danger. Her mother, sensing the growing threat, quickly gave her money and a letter of introduction. Under the protection of their loyal servant Josameen, Elsae set out for Tar Valon, hoping to outrun both her bold words and the consequences they might bring.

A country life in Jarra was generally pleasant for Elsae and Elseen

Family

Elseen – Elsae’s identical twin sister. She seems to be more stable and level-headed than Elsae, and maintains a level of innocence.

Merayin – Elsae’s mother from a minor House in Ghealdan. She was a mere 14 years old when she became pregnant with the twins. The father was a passing adventurer of 15. Upon discovering her pregnancy, she was married off as quickly as possible and banished to the far village of Jarra.

Josameen – Merayin’s friend and companion, as well the nurse that served Merayin’s husband and tended to his injuries. She escorted Elsae to the White Tower.

Step-Father – Elsae’s step-father was a former Captain in the Children of the Light. He was injured in service and retired to Jarra, agreeing to marry 15-year-old Merayin knowing she was already impregnated by another man. Merayin’s family paid the Captain handsomely to overlook her flaw as without his income as a Whitecloak, would otherwise have endured a more destitute living. He was cruel to the family.

The White Tower

Novice

Elsae was a flighty and easily distracted student, one who seemed to lack the focus needed for her training. Though she had touched the Source once, it took considerable effort and guidance for her to channel at will. Even when the Power began to come more easily, she never excelled in any particular aspect. Still, she clung to her old story of healing her twin sister, a claim that might have drawn the interest of the Yellow Ajah.

More interested in mischief than mastery, Elsae spent her time pulling pranks. One of her favorites involved catching frogs and releasing them into the novice quarters, much to the dismay of some of her fellow novices. While a few found her antics insufferable, others saw her as much-needed comic relief amid the grueling studies. Despite the occasional laugh, no one truly believed Elsae would last long in the White Tower.

Novice Life in the White Tower

Byron Gaidin

It was while Elsae was a novice, skipping class and playing in the gardens when she first encountered Byron Gaidin. They were both affable and metaphorical fishes out of water, but Byron saw something different hidden behind Elsae’s childlike presence for within her was the same moral ambiguity that resided within himself. After determining her age and origin, his suspicion grew.

Byron and Elsae

Byron returned to Jarra during his travels, seeking out Merayin to learn the truth—was Elsae truly his daughter? What he found was far worse than he imagined. Merayin and the twins were trapped in a life of cruelty, suffering beneath the hand of Merayin’s husband, a former Whitecloak captain who had been forced to retire after a grievous injury left him unable to wield the sword. The man’s brutality was unchecked, and Byron could not stand by.

He quietly arranged for Merayin and Elseen to escape, securing passage to Tar Valon with a band of mercenaries he trusted. Once their safety was assured, Byron returned to Jarra to confront their tormentor. He killed the man, setting the house ablaze to cover his tracks. No one ever suspected the fire was anything but a tragic accident.

Later, Byron informed Elsae that her father was dead and that her mother and sister were on their way to Tar Valon. But the news he hoped would bring her peace soon turned to ash. The party was ambushed by Seanchan forces along the way. In the chaos, Merayin was killed, and Elseen—discovered for her potential to channel—was taken captive, destined to be trained as a sul’dam.

Arches

Elsae eventually was called to the Arches, and it was within the third archway representing What Might Be that she saw herself as an Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah who specialized in catching darkfriends. In this Arch, she was dissecting the body of Byron Gaidin, trying to understand the torture he had endured prior to his demise. It was in this scene that the thing she feared most materialized in the form of a Dreadlord, presumably Byron’s murderer.

He attempted to sway her to the Dark, claiming it was in her destiny to do so, and that she would become a powerful tool of the Shadow no matter what decisions she made today. It was only when the Dreadlord stood near to Byron’s corpse did Elsae noticed a resemblance, but she never had the chance to speak of it, for the threat escalated. She had to choose to escape through the Arch, which was guarded by the Dreadlord. He stabbed her as she ran through it, and she emerged bleeding. The memories of this Arch in particular dominated her thoughts and curiosity throughout her Acceptedhood for she recognized the Dreadlord as the very same man who nearly toppled the White Tower in her first year as a novice.

Arikan and Elsae

Accepted

Dreadlord Arikan

The experience in the Arch was not Elsae’s alone, for the Dreadlord Arikan was really there. A Dreamweaver, he has an unnatural connection to the World of Dreams, and somehow was pulled into the reality created by the ter’angreal of the Three Arches, which even the Aes Sedai do not understand how it functions. While he was mentally present, the Arch controlled his actions and words, and with Elsae’s exit, he was released into the waking world once more. Being a master dreamwalker, he believed Elsae really was the Red Sister he viewed and that she had pulled him into the Dream against his will. This suggested that she was incredibly powerful, and a dreamerwalker, dreamweaver, or a vortex as well, and he became obsessed with finding her. Eventually, once captured by Lythia Sedai, he recognized his torturer as the corpse Elsae dissected from this experience. He did not understand how this came to be, but he believed the corpse and Elsae Sedai to be connected, and he used the knowledge to threaten his torturer in return.

Arikan was unaware that his torturer was his son, Byron, in disguise, who is himself Elsae’s father.

The attack in the city

Arikan used his network of darkfriends to and ability to dreamwalk to plant images of Elsae’s face into his minions, ordering them to find her and capture her if possible. One such darkfriend in Tar Valon indeed recognized Elsae, and followed her until she was alone and vulnerable. She successfully defended herself, and the attacker was arrested.

Aspirancy

Elsae was slightly more invested in her studies as an Accepted compared to a novice, but she seemed to do the bare minimum to get by without getting in real trouble. She continued to pull pranks and despite being years older than when she first arrived, she still maintained that childlike innocence. So aloof and distractible was she that everyone remarked that if she ever made it to the Shawl, only the eccentric Whites would accept her as one of them.

Still, Elsae had yet to declare any Ajah for her aspirancy. She keenly remembers that third Arch, and can in fact see herself as the Red that she envisioned becoming, but she also remembers how fervently the Dreadlord declared her destiny.