Aiel Waste

The Three-fold Land is not soft, Aes Sedai. Soft things die here.

Bair

The Three-fold Land is not soft, Aes Sedai. Soft things die here.
— Bair

The Aiel Waste is a desert region named for the Aiel people who live there. The Aiel themselves refer to it as the Three-fold Land.

Location

A map showing the location of the Aiel Waste in the world.

The Waste is bordered to the west by the Spine of the World, beyond which lie the Westlands; to the east by the Cliffs of Dawn and Great Rift, beyond which lies Shara; to the south by the Termool, beyond which lies the Drowned Lands and the Sea of Storms; to the north by the Mountains of Dhoom, beyond which lies the Great Blight. Save for the uninhabited Termool, it is entirely landlocked.

History

Nothing is known about the Waste before the Breaking of the World, though we can imagine it may have been very different. The geography surrounding the Waste appears to have been affected by major and unnatural geological events resulting in features such as the Great Rift and Cliffs of Dawn. On leaving the Waste, Rand sees a city with what appears to be docks hanging from the mountainside. This doubtless contributed to the extreme dryness of the region. See climate.

The Aiel call the Waste the "Three-fold Land," referring to the three purposes of the Waste in Aiel culture: a shaping stone to make them, a testing ground to prove their worth, and a punishment for their sin. Aiel prophecy states that the Aiel will leave the Waste once the Stone of Tear falls. Few Aiel had crossed the Spine of the World since they entered the Waste, until the Aiel War.

During the Trolloc Wars, many Trollocs died in the Waste, leading them to call it "Djevik K'Shar" in their native tongue, meaning "The Dying Ground." The Aiel Prophecy says that the Aiel will remain in the Three-fold Land until the Trollocs return. They occasionally enter the northern Waste, but only a few miles from the Blight and, even there, rarely.

In the year FY 964, High King Artur Hawkwing sent armies into the Waste to dig out the Aiel. Those armies were bloodied in the only series of major defeats suffered by Hawkwing.

In general, the people of the Westlands are ignorant of the Aiel Waste. Some resources exist, such as the books Travels in the Aiel Waste, with Various Observations on the Savage Inhabitants and The Killers of the Black Veil.

Geography

Detailed map of Aiel Waste by Rob Christianson.[4] Some locations speculative.

There are no known maps of the Aiel Waste itself. Those world maps that include the region largely leave the entire region as a blank wilderness.

The relative positions of the territories of the Aiel Clans are very vague. What we do know comes from chapters in The Shadow Rising and The Fires of Heaven and can be summarised as follows:

• Rhuidean lies in neutral territory (or the territory of the Jenn Aiel), and is closest to Taardad lands, which lie northeast of it. It is 13-14 days at a fast march from Jangai Pass.
• Taardad and Shaido septs raid each other, indicating they share borders. The Shaido lands are in the same direction as the Taardad from Rhuidean, but lie further away.
• The Chareen and Goshien are closest to Imre Stand, with the Tomanelle a little further. The Chareen raid the territory of the Taardad, so are likely adjacent.
• Alcair Dal lies a few days north of Cold Rocks Hold. The Goshien and Shaarad were first to arrive, indicating they are closest. The Chareen and Tomanelle arrive next. The Nakai have longest to travel to Alcair Dal, but will be there in less than a month.
• The Miagoma were not at Alcair Dal, but parallel the Aiel that follow Rand from the north, possibly indicating their starting point. Similarly absent were the Daryne, Codarra and Shiande, all following from the east.
• Shortly before the Aiel War, Janduin healed a long-standing blood feud between Taardad and Nakai and improved relations between Taardad and Reyn. This may also indicate proximity. We also know that Urien is of the Reyn and we first encounter him close to Kinslayer's Dagger, hinting that the Reyn may be north and west.
• Similarly, there existed tensions between the Shaarad and Goshien, who may be neighbours. The Shaarad and Tomanelle raided each other "nightly", so must be adjacent.

The landscape consists mainly of yellow to brown cracked clay or stark, stony terrain. Dry gulleys and hollows are common. Many Aiel live in stony spires or buttes^↗ that allow them to defend themselves by increasing line of sight over the largely flat region. It is also described as "parched" and "jagged". In places it is cut by fissures and sharp cliffs.

To the south lies the Termool, also known as the Waterless Sands or the badlands. It is an even more extreme landscape of desert dunes without oasis, springs or known life, including the Aiel. It is not a part of the Aiel Waste itself.

Climate

The Aiel waste is so inhospitable that only the hardy Aiel can survive for extended periods there. It is extremely hot during the day and freezing at night.

Only the Aiel have the skill of finding water there. Being surrounded by the Spine of the World in the west and Mountains of Dhoom in the north, the region is likely in the rain shadow of these ranges. A climate model consistent with this has been created by a team at University of Bristol.

Trespassers

Foreigners do not have permission to enter the Waste, with a few exceptions. Gleemen, Tuatha'an and peddlers, if they are honest, are permitted to enter and cross. The Travelling people often enter and cross the Waste. Peddlers elevated status may be because they can trade in water. Hadnan Kadere tows three huge barrels containing water requiring a team of twenty mules. Peddlers are also the only source of books in the Waste. Rand thinks that gleemen in the Waste are allowed anything short of murder without being called down for it.

Although not specifically mentioned, it might also be expected that blacksmiths would be allowed to enter due to the level of protection they receive in Aiel Society.

For almost all of the Third Age, Aes Sedai were also highly respected, and were even feared. Although the Rebel Aes Sedai sent Bera Harkin and Kiruna Nachiman to the Waste with their large number of Warders for protection, it's likely the Warders would be under more danger than the Aes Sedai, presuming the Aiel knew they were Aes Sedai. However, few Aes Sedai had ever entered the Waste prior to the Dragon Reborn proclaiming himself. Moiraine states that this is because they never had reason to come before.

In following the Car'a'carn into the Westlands, the Aiel in general and the Wise Ones in particular gained significant exposure to Aes Sedai. As a result, and especially following the abduction of Rand al'Thor by the loyalist Aes Sedai, regard for Aes Sedai as a group fell precipitously.

Flora and Fauna

The Waste is home to many animal species, some of which are unique to this desert region and all which seem dangerous to humans in some way.

They include, but are not limited to:

• Bloodsnake - Venemous snake up to 9 feet/2.7m long.
• capar - A boar-like creature with course hair, tusks and clawed feet.
• Gara - Large, poisonous lizard with bronze scales and yellow stripes.
• Lions
• lopinginny- A bird
• motai- A grub that can be eaten as a snack.
• Sorda - Type of rat
• Two step - Small brown snake capable of killing a man before they have taken two steps.

With regards to domesticated animals, the Aiel herd cattle, sheep, and goats.

What scattered vegetation that exists is sparse and low. Thorny bushes and cacti, like segade, are typical of the region. The isolated blossoms of the cacti are white, red or yellow. There are occasional stretches of tough grass and, rarely, examples of stunted trees with thorns or spines.

There are also certain crops that are only grown in the Waste, such as t'mat, kardon, pecara, zemai, and algode.

Aiel holds

Holds are the settlements of the Aiel, each managed by a Roofmistress. They belong to a larger group known as a sept where each sept can call upon at least a thousand spears. The word sept has a real world origin. Each sept also belongs to an Aiel Clan.

Bent Valley Hold Cold Rocks Hold Colrada Hold Comarda Hold Hot Springs Hold Mainde Cut Hold

Red Springs Hold Shiagi Hold Shende Hold Smoke Springs Hold Sulara Hold

Other locations

• Rhuidean: The Waste's only city, uninhabited until recently. Larger than even Tar Valon.
• Alcair Dal: A circular bowl-like canyon and meeting place where a kind of truce holds between opposing Aiel factions.
• Chaendaer
• Chain Ridge Stand
• Imre Stand
• Portal Stones: Verin knows of a Portal Stone in the Waste.

External Resources

• The Aiel Waste (Atlas of Ice and Fire, 23 Sept 2018)
• Map of the Threefold Land (Thirteenth Depository, 8 July 2009)