Domination Band

General

The Domination Band is a male a'dam is a ter'angreal made to control men who can channel. It consists of two finely jointed bracelets and a wide necklace like a collar of some dull black metal (TSR, Ch. 52); it was actually made from a form of cuendillar. It radiates raw emotions like pain and woe; anyone who comes close to it will be able to feel them (TSR, Ch. 54).

The collar and bracelets were made during the Breaking of the World, after the Forsaken were sealed away. A woman wearing the bracelets can make a male channeler wearing the collar do whatever she wishes, but he will still go mad and eventually he will even be able to control the woman too. The bracelets can be passed around or worn by two women at the same time, which "slows the seepage considerably" but will also lessen the control over the man. "Eventually, you will find yourselves in a struggle for control with him, each of you needing him to remove your bracelet as surely as he needs you to remove the collar" (TSR, Ch. 54).

Although it is not directly stated that the woman in control must be a channeler, it is likely that this has to be the case, as normal a'dam also need channelers to work.

Appearances and Uses

• Egwene finds the male a'dam on a stand by itself among the exhibitions in the Panarch's Palace in Tanchico. She feels darkness and pain associated with it, "old, old pain, and sharp" (TSR, Ch. 11).

• Nynaeve uses need in Tel'aran'rhiod to find out what the Black Ajah is searching for in Tanchico. When she stands in front of the pedestal occupied by the male a'dam, she realizes this is what Moghedien was looking at some time before and wonders why she did not give it to Liandrin and her cronies (TSR, Ch. 52).

• Nynaeve enters the Panarch's Palace to collect the male a'dam, but is intercepted by Moghedien, who tells her about the ter'angreal and its "drawbacks." While the two women are battling with the Power, Nynaeve grabs the collar, "ignoring the joltingly pained emotions that spilled into her," and hurls it at Moghedien to create an opening and shield her. After that, she stuffs the collar and bracelets in her belt pouch (TSR, Ch. 54).

• Elayne tries to destroy the ter'angreal but it is not working. Nynaeve then asks Domon to drop it in the deepest part of the sea he knows, which would be near the Aiel Somera (TSR, Ch. 55).

• The Saldaean soldiers with Rand find six male and five female a'dam in the Lady Deirdru's manor, where they captured Semirhage (KoD, Ch. 27). It is not known whether Semirhage found them somewhere or created them herself.

• Cadsuane has a Domination Band at the manor home in Arad Doman and Semirhage leashes Rand with it (TGS, Ch. 22).

• Rand destroys the Domination Band with flows of Fire and Air from the True Power (TGS, Ch. 22).

Miscellaneous

• This item is what the Black Ajah with Liandrin are searching for in Tanchico, but they do not really know what exactly they are looking for, only that it is a ter'angreal enabling control over a male channeler (TSR, Ch. 38).

• Moghedien wonders how Nynaeve found "that little gem" and tells the other woman that it is impossible to destroy (TSR, Ch. 54).

• Nynaeve thinks to herself that the Aes Sedai in the White Tower might use the collar and bracelets the same way the Black Ajah intends to and decides it is "too dangerous to risk ever falling into the hands of Darkfriends." Elayne then tries to destroy it with a weave of Fire strong enough to burn a hammer to a puddle, but the ter'angreal does not even grow warm (TSR, Ch. 55).

• Before Domon and Egeanin can dispose of the male a'dam, some Seanchan board their ship with a Seeker for Truth. Egeanin claims they are on the way to Cantorin with a present for the Empress and they have to leave the ter'angreal with the High Lady Suroth (WH, Ch. 21).

• When Mat asks Thom and Juilin what Egeanin and Domon did to help them in Tanchico, Thom answers: "They helped us acquire and dispose of a sort of male a'dam, Mat. The Black Ajah apparently wanted to use it on Rand. You can see why Nynaeve and Elayne wanted it kept quiet. If word spread that such a thing ever existed, the Light knows what kind of tales would spring up" (WH, Ch. 29).