Galina Casban

Author: Estyrien al'Halien

General

Galina Casban is the Highest of the Red Ajah, though nobody outside of the Ajah knows that. She also sits on the Supreme Council of the Black Ajah and is second only to Alviarin Freidhen, the head of the Black Ajah. She is no longer bound by the Three Oaths but by a different set of oaths that each Black sister must swear (ACoS, Ch. 40).

Galina was part of the White Tower embassy to Rand. She would have been the leader had she not pointed out that Rand would be suspicious of an embassy led by a Red. (LoC, Prologue) The embassy soon come to realize that he is playing with them and decide to kidnap him. Galina takes charge because it was agreed that a Red should be in charge if it came to that. Thirteen sisters of the embassy shield Rand and take him from the Sun Palace to Lady Arilyn's house. (LoC, Ch. 51) They leave Cairhien and travel towards Tar Valon but stop at Dumai's Wells. It is here that they are attacked by Shaido trying to capture Rand and Asha'man, Aiel and Two Rivers men trying to free him. Galina disappears during the fighting. (LoC, Ch. 55) Shaido Aiel capture her and take her to Kinslayer's Dagger. She is made da'tsang (ACoS, Ch. 40). She is later forced to swear an oath of loyalty on a binding rod supplied by Sammael to the Wise Ones but Sevanna and Therava above all. They make her gai'shain (TPoD, Ch. 11). Galina Travels with the Shaido to Ghealdan (WH, Ch. 4).

Galina has a round face and a plump mouth. (LoC, Prologue) She has black eyes. (LoC, Ch. 25) Galina has long black hair. (ACoS, Ch. 40) Galina has the ageless face of an Aes Sedai and is pretty, though not beautiful. (CoT, Ch. 9)

Timeline

• C. 910 NE: Galina is raised Aes Sedai. (ACoS, Ch. 40)
• C. 915 NE: Galina joins the Black Ajah (ACoS, Ch. 40)
• 979 NE: Galina is part of the Black Ajah group who torture and kill Tamra Ospenya. (ACoS, Ch. 40)
• 982 NE: Galina becomes the Highest of the Red Ajah. (LoC, Prologue)
• 999 NE: Galina leads the circle that stills Siuan Sanche. (ACoS, Ch. 40)
• 999 NE: Galina and the Tower embassy meet with Sevanna and the Shaido. (LoC, Prologue)
• 999 NE: Galina and the Tower embassy meet with Rand. (LoC, Ch. 27)
• 999 NE: Galina and the Tower embassy kidnap Rand. (LoC, Ch. 51)
• 1000 NE: Galina is captured and taken to Kinslayer's Dagger by the Shaido Aiel. She is made da'tsang. (LoC, Ch. 25)
• 1000 NE: Galina swears an oath of loyalty to the Wise Ones. She is made gai'shain. (TPoD, Ch. 11)
• 1000 NE: Galina is captured by Gaul and taken to Perrin's camp. She weeps when she realizes Therava will not accept kidnapping as a valid excuse for being late (KoD, Prologue).
• 1000 NE: Galina tells Perrin that she is about White Tower business, and that Faile and Alliandre are under her protection (KoD, Prologue).
• 1000 NE: Galina tries to convince Perrin that his forces are inadequate to win against the Shaido. She reiterates that when her business is finished, she will take Faile and Alliandre to safety, and by the Three Oaths he knows her words are true. She lies further to Perrin and decides that Faile and the others cannot be left alive (KoD, Prologue).
• 1000 NE: Galina confronts Faile about the location of the Oath Rod. She states again that she will take Faile and her friends with her when she leaves (KoD, Ch. 26).
• 1000 NE: Galina is handed the Oath Rod by Faile. She tells Faile and the others to wait in a building while she checks outside to see if the coast is clear. Once outside she traps the others in the building and leaves (KoD, Ch. 26).
• 1000 NE: Galina is retaken by Therava when trying to ride away. She is forbidden to ride ever again and told they are returning to the Three-Fold Land.
• She is ordered to never touch the Oath Rod again and to never try to escape again (KoD, Ch. 26).
• It becomes known she is Black Ajah when she is on the list that Verin gives Egwene (TGS, Ch. 39).

Strengths and Talents

Galina is stronger than Micara, an Aiel Wise One, but weaker than Therava and Someryn. Few Aes Sedai are stronger than Galina. (ACoS, Ch. 40; TPoD, Ch. 11)

She can Heal. (WH, Ch. 4)

Relationships

If Elaida deferred to anyone, she would defer to Galina. (LoC, Prologue)

For safety reasons few people know that Galina and Alviarin are more than acquaintances. (LoC, Ch. 27) Galina is only one of three people who know that Alviarin is the head of the Black Ajah. (ACoS, Ch. 40)

Rand was furious that Galina had escaped after Dumai's Wells. (ACoS, Ch. 2)

Men make Galina's skin crawl. (ACoS, Ch. 40)

Miscellaneous

• Galina insisted that Rand was beaten every day during his captivity. (LoC, Ch. 55)
• Galina was given orders by Elaida to have Gawyn and the Younglings killed. (ACoS, Ch. 32)
• Galina has helped to break two Amyrlin Seats, Tamra Ospenya and Siuan Sanche. She enjoyed stilling Siuan. (ACoS, Ch. 40)
• Galina does not enjoy gentling men but sees it as a necessary duty. (ACoS, Ch. 40)
• Galina was severely punished for trying to escape from the Shaido twice. (ACoS, Ch. 40)
• The Wise Ones know that Galina can lie but have not made the connection to the Black Ajah. (ACoS, Ch. 40)
• The Shaido Wise Ones believe that Galina killed Desaine. (ACoS, Ch. 40)
• Galina met Alliandre, Queen of Ghealdan, when Alliandre was a girl. (WH, Ch. 4)
• Therava calls Galina "Lina". (WH, Ch. 4)
• Galina Heals Faile, Morgase and Alliandre when they arrive at the Shaido camp. She blackmails them into trying to steal the oath rod from Therava's tent. (WH, Ch. 4)
• Galina often shares Therava's tent. (CoT, Ch. 9)

Quotes

"She was too hard for logic- she believed what she believed whatever the evidence- yet Sarene had always believed that great fires roared somewhere in Galina's depths." Sarene about Galina (Lord of Chaos, Chapter 25)

"Galina, a Red, had been in charge of the sisters who had held him prisoner, and if he was calm about her today, yesterday he had been in a fury that she had gotten away." Perrin about Rand's reaction to Galina's escape (A Crown of Swords, Chapter 2)

"She would be rescued eventually, of course; she knew that. The Tower would not allow a sister to remain in captivity. Elaida would not allow a Red to be held. Surely Alviarin would send rescue. Someone would, anyone, to save her from these monsters, especially from Therava. She would promise anything for that deliverance. She would even keep those promises." Galina (A Crown of Swords, Chapter 40)

"Galina was Aes Sedai. She must be. But what was an Aes Sedai doing here, in gai'shain robes? Not to mention apparently ready to lick Sevanna's wrist and kiss Therava's feet! An Aes Sedai!" Faile about Galina (Winter's Heart, Chapter 4)