Damane

This article is about the enslaved Seanchan channelers. For the episode, see Damane (episode).

Damane
A damane (center) with a sul'dam (left)
Overview
Type	Enslaved magic users
Headquarters	Seanchan continent
Membership requirements	Women who can channel
Primary purpose	Serve the Seanchan empire
Portrayal
Appears in	The Wheel of Time (TV series)
Seasons	1, 2
Debut	1.08 The Eye of the World
Status
Status	Active

The damane (Old Tongue for leashed one) are a group of enslaved female channelers from Seanchan.

Overview

Any woman who can channel in Seanchan or their territories is enslaved as damane, and has the collar of an a'dam attached to her neck. This ter'angreal inhibits her from channeling without the direction of a sul'dam, a woman who wears a bracelet that completes the a'dam. Wearing the a'dam collar prevents the damane from touching the collar to attempt removing it, and also prevents the damane from going to touch any item that she considers a potential weapon. It also prevents her from attacking her sul'dam without feeling immense pain. A damane always feels twice of what her sul'dam does, even to death.

The damane are kept in "kennels" when they are stationed in a large town or city. It is here that new damane are trained, including the recent influx of non-Seanchan women that have come under control of the empire. New damane are usually broken by the Seanchan very quickly.

The Seanchan believe that nobody should have the One Power by accident of birth, and view the trained "handlers" of the damane, the sul'dam, as the only party that can rightfully control them. Any woman not leashed is considered marath'damane, "those who should be leashed". The damane are treated as lesser than human by the sul'dam and by Seanchan society in general.

History

The a'dam was invented by an Aes Sedai long ago. The damane system has since become an integral part of the Seanchan's empire.

Season 1

On the Western shore of the Westlands, a young girl gathers shells on a beach and looks up to see a fleet of Seanchan ships approaching. Aboard the ships, the damane are given orders, and as a group the damane create a great wave to devastate the coastline.

Season 2

Several damane are in High Lady Suroth's army when the noblewoman of the Blood attacks Atuan's Mill. When the conquest is done, Miri starts looking for female channelers who can be enslaved, and points out Jamila Amudee.

Egwene al'Vere is captured by Suroth's party after Liandrin Guirale delivers Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne to the noblewoman. She is taken before High Lord Turak and collared by Renna. Egwene is taken to a cell in Falme's kennels, and tries to resist the damane system, despite the immense mental and physical toll this takes on her. She is unable to touch a pitcher of water when she imagines hitting Renna with it, and is horribly beaten for her attempts at resistance. Renna also uses the a'dam to guide Egwene's weaves and demonstrate just how powerful she is as a channeler, and has her use weaves of Fire and Earth to burn a tree just outside her cell. Egwene eventually breaks when she stops imagining the pitcher as a weapon. She also discovers that Maigan, an Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah, is a damane being kept in the cell adjacent to her own.

Meanwhile, Nynaeve and Elayne are hiding from the Seanchan in an attic where Ryma Sedai of the Yellow Ajah is staying. Ryma confirms that she was part of a mission to the western coast, but that the Aes Sedai grossly underestimated the threat of the Seanchan. She confirms Maigan's capture, and says that two Aes Sedai were killed trying to resist the Seanchan. Eventually, the Seanchan come looking for women who can channel, and Ryma chooses to surrender herself so that Nynaeve and Elayne can bring word to the Tower about the Black Ajah. Ryma and her Warder, Basan, are able to resist the Seanchan for a brief period of time. However, they are greatly outnumbered, and Ryma asks Basan to kill her so that she cannot be enslaved. However, Basan is himself killed by the Seanchan, and Ryma is seized and collared.

Known damane

• Egwene al'Vere (formerly; escaped)
• Jamila Amudee
• Maigan †
• Miri
• Ryma (formerly)
• Seta † (partial ruse; later left collared by Nynaeve)

Uniform

Each damane wears a long plain grey dress, a golden collar that covers her shoulders and wraps under her arms, and a golden gag in her mouth. They also wear red makeup over their foreheads and black makeup around their eyes.

Gallery

Season 1 images

Two damane (front center) on a Seanchan ship

The damane on the Seanchan ships begin to channel in unison

Season 2 images

The damane Miri (center) in Atuan's Mill

Egwene in the collar and grey dress of a damane

Costume concept art, designed by Sharon Gilham

Costume concept art of the damane's collar and sul'dame's bracelet, designed by Sharon Gilham

Changes from the book series

The damane are adapted from the organization of the same name  (book spoilers!) from the book series.

• Gag - In the books, the damane did not wear a golden gag. Costume designer Sharon Gilham designed it "to symbolize their further silencing as individuals."
• Leash - In the books, the damane were physically leashed to the sul'dam. In the streaming series, the damane's collar and sul'dame's bracelet are still present, but the connecting leash is not.