In this, the Wise Ones acted as magistrates; only Wise Ones could name someone da’tsang. These criminals owed toh far beyond the ordinary. It was something not referred to once it was proclaimed; saying the word in the proclamation even, the speaker grimaced as if tasting something filthy. The black robe was the mark of da’tsang.
Da’tsang were severely limited in speech, since they were considered not quite human. They were not held to total silence, but were allowed to speak only in limited fashion. A few simple requests were allowed, and answers to questions, though few were asked. They were allowed to speak enough to understand the tasks they were given, not much more than that. If more than one da’tsang was present in a camp—a fairly rare circumstance, historically—they were kept apart and not allowed to communicate, so they could not lend one another support or plot escape.
The possessions of someone declared da’tsang were normally destroyed, including any jewelry, in the case of a woman. At least, those possessions they had with them. No one would want to use or own something taken from a da’tsang.
The Aiel had no tradition of how to deal with wetlander prisoners taken outside the Waste. The Shaido solved this by considering them as gai’shain, though with the difference that since they did not follow ji’e’toh, there was no need to release them after a year and a day. The other Aiel struggled with this problem.
Aiel methods of putting someone to the question centered around the Aiel view of life and the concepts of ji’e’toh. Shame was more biting than pain. They did use pain, but it was the shaming circumstances of it that were considered the real torture, not the actual amount of pain. Thus, they did not use pincers or hot irons or the like, as Whitecloak Questioners did. Enforced nudity was always a part, along with the useless labor, and beatings for failure to cooperate in your own humiliation. You could have been hung up by your ankles or wrists, switched or strapped; the Aiel could have used nettles or other stinging or burning plants, whole or ground to powder or made into oils and unguents applied to various parts of the body.
The key point was that you were shamed until you could bear the shame no more, and in truth, with Aiel, this worked faster than the Questioners’ methods. Aiel often held out to death against wetlander methods of extracting information. The converse was not true, however. While wetlanders often began thinking that the Aiel methods were tame compared to “real” torture, the combination of pain, very much unrelenting if milder than hot irons, with shame (few wetlanders took enforced public nudity even as well as Aiel) and unceasing labor from waking to sleeping—all of that together usually broke a wetlander faster than it did an Aiel, though often not as fast as the hot irons would have worked.
The Aiel reaction to pain was also quite different from that of the wetlanders. While obviously there were times and places when pain had to be borne stoically, even to a degree that wetlanders would have considered impossible, the Aiel also held that flesh could only take so much. An Aielman under torture would see shame in the public nature of his mistreatment, in the fact of being mistreated against his will, but not in being made to cry out or weep. This was part of the reason why wetlanders who tried considered it impossible to break an Aielman with torture. Where the wetlander strained to fight the pain without relenting and was broken in part by the fact that he could not resist any further, the Aielman took it as a matter of course that he would eventually cry out or scream, and the fact that he did so did nothing to weaken his overall resolve. The fact that wetlanders didn’t know about the importance of shame—wetlanders didn’t go in for torture in ways that were truly, deeply shaming to Aiel; i.e., publicly, or before those the Aielman would not wish to see—aided in the Aiel’s reputation as peculiar folk who could be made to howl, often sooner than a wetlander, but still refused to break.
Aiel War (976–978 NE). When King Laman of Cairhien cut down Avendoraldera, four clans of the Aiel crossed the Spine of the World. They looted and burned the capital city of Cairhien as well as many other cities and towns, and the conflict extended into Andor and Tear. By the conventional view, the Aiel were finally defeated at the Battle of the Shining Walls, before Tar Valon; in fact, Laman was killed in that battle, and having done what they came to do, the Aiel recrossed the Spine. See also Avendoraldera, Cairhien and Spine of the World
Aiel warrior societies. Aiel warriors were all members of one of twelve societies. These were Black Eyes (Seia Doon), Brothers of the Eagle (Far Aldazar Din), Dawn Runners (Rahien Sorei), Knife Hands (Sovin Nai), Maidens of the Spear (Far Dareis Mai), Mountain Dancers (Hama N’dore), Night Spears (Cor Darei), Red Shields (Aethan Dor), Stone Dogs (Shae’en M’taal), Thunder Walkers (Sha’mad Conde), True Bloods (Tain Shari) and Water Seekers (Duadhe Mahdi’in). Each had its own customs, and sometimes specific duties. For example, Red Shields acted as police, and Stone Dogs were often used as rear guards during retreats, while Maidens were often scouts. Aiel clans frequently raided and battled one another, but members of the same society would not fight each other if their clans did so. Thus there were always lines of contact between the clans, even during open warfare. See also Aiel
Aiel Waste. The harsh, rugged and all-but-waterless land between the Spine of the World and Shara. It was called the Three-fold Land by the Aiel. Traditionally, few outsiders entered; the Aiel considered themselves at war with all other peoples and did not welcome strangers. Only peddlers, gleemen and the Tuatha’an were allowed safe entry, although Aiel avoided all contact with the Tuatha’an, whom they called “the Lost Ones.” See also Three-fold Land, the
Aiko. A serving woman in the Aesdaishar Palace in Chachin when Moiraine was searching for the Dragon Reborn. She assisted Moiraine on her arrival.
Aile Dashar. A Sea Folk island group in the Aryth Ocean, northwest of Arad Doman.
Aile Jafar. A Sea Folk island group in the Aryth Ocean, due west of Tarabon. Sailmistress Coine told Nynaeve that this was one of her destinations.
Aile Somera. A Sea Folk island group in the Aryth Ocean, due west of Toman Head. Sailmistress Coine told Nynaeve that this was one of her destinations. It was captured by the Seanchan.
Ailene Tolvina. The stern innkeeper of The Evening Star in Chachin. Moiraine hired two of her bodyguards for escort to a bank.
Ailhuin Guenna, Mother. A Wise Woman in Tear. Nynaeve, Egwene and Elayne stayed with her when they were seeking the Black Ajah; she introduced them to Juilin. When Thom was sick, Mat took him to her.