)%20(3).png)
Careane Fransi
Carrie-ANN FRAN-see
Nationality:
Domani
Year of Birth:
910 NE
Gender:
Female
Hair Color:
Dark
Eye Color:
Dark
Other Names:
n/a
Article Author:
Daraus Sedai
Page Contents
Basic Information
Actions During the Story (Spoilers)
Character Summaries (Spoilers)
Basic Information
Appearance
Careane is a bulky woman, more muscular than stout, with broad shoulders and arms as thick as most men. She had the common coppery skin and “apple-cheek” appearance most Domani people are known for but is not described with the typical beauty of other Domani women. Standing about 5’5” (165 cm) she had dark hair and dark eyes and typically dressed in elegant silk riding dresses, often striped with green but never described as being of a Domani style. She possesses the ageless face of an Aes Sedai as is standard for women who have worn the Shawl for many years.
Personality
Careane was a likable woman who rarely has outward shows of temper or dominance but will speak her mind and push her opinions when the opportunity is in front of her. She appeared sympathetic at times but rarely spoke up with her opinions unless asked. She was very fond of horses, giving the animals the kind of affection most people reserved for infants.
Spoilers Below!!!
Actions During the Story
Actions Before the Story
Careane Fransi was born in Arad Domon in 910 NE and went to the White Tower in 926 NE at the age of 16. Careane spent 12 years as a Novice, two alongside Kinswoman Garenia Rosoinde (aka Zarya Alkaese) and in 938 NE she was Raised to the Accepted. Following another 11 years as Accepted she successfully passed the tests for the Shawl and was Raised Aes Sedai, choosing the Green Ajah in 949 NE. It is likely that Careane became a member of the Black Ajah during the years prior to the Aiel War, but nothing is confirmed.
New Spring
Careane is never mentioned in the book and her activities during this time are unknown.
Actions Between the Books
No information about Careane’s whereabouts or activities are known during this time. She likely bonded her three Warders, Venr Kosaan (the only darkfriend of her Warders), Tavan Shandare and Cieryl Arjuna at sometime between the events of New Spring and the main series books. Cieryl is described as short of his middle years. Venr was in his middle years and only had a few gray hairs in his beard so it seems unlikely that these men would be more than ~30-40 years old during the events of 998-1000 NE.
It is also possible that Careane participated in the Black Ajah Pogrom during the early 980s NE, but no mention of this is ever made.
Eye of the World
Careane is never mentioned in the book and her activities during this time are unknown.
The Great Hunt
Careane is never mentioned in the book and her activities during this time are unknown.
The Dragon Reborn
Careane is never mentioned in the book and her activities during this time are unknown.
The Shadow Rising
Careane is never mentioned in the book but is known to have joined the rebel contingent of the Tower and to have been in Salidar after the events of the Tower Coup.
Fires of Heaven
Prior to the arrival of Nynaeve al’Meara and Elayne Trakand in Salidar, Careane has been sent to Ebou Dar along with Brown Sister Sareitha Tomares under the leadership of Merilille Ceandevin of the Gray Ajah to act as an Embassy for the Rebel Aes Sedai to Tylin Quintara Mitsobar, Queen of Altara.
Lord of Chaos
The Rebel Embassy is known to be in Ebou Dar early in the book and have likely been sent letters from the Salidar Six informing them of events in Salidar and of additional members of the Embassy who will be sent to join them.
A Crown of Swords
Careane first appears, alongside Merilille, Sareitha, Vandene and Adeleas while Elayne is being dressed down for uncovering the secret of the Kin. Careane acted as the Seat of Pardon during the informal hearing held by Merilille. While she appears somewhat sympathetic to Elayne, she puts up no real defense and allows Elayne to defend herself in the situation. Eventually, Elayne forces her authority on the five Aes Sedai and they find themselves obeying her commands. Elayne notes that Careane is not the youngest of these women but was in fact the lowest in strength and thus deferred to the other Aes Sedai within the group and ends up answering knocks on the door and making tea when no servants are present.
Later, Careane accompanies Elayne back to Reanne Corly’s house to prove to the Knitting Circle that Elayne and Nynaeve are in fact Aes Sedai. The Aes Sedai question the Kinswomen, learning to some extent of the scale of the Kin organization. Careane along with the others are shocked to hear of so many women and believe their claimed ages must be lies.
Careane is present when Mat tells Tylin and the others about the gholam, none of the women present having heard of such a creature within the ranks of shadowspawn. As the group plan their departure from Ebou Dar to use the Bowl of the Winds, Careane suggests several remote villages in the Black Hills as possible locations. The group eventually chooses to go to the Kin’s Farm outside of Ebou Dar and leave via gateway just before the Seanchan invasion of the city.
Path of Daggers
Careane along with the other Aes Sedai with the group have been given charge of the Bowl of the Winds but all of the Sisters are unhappy that the Kinswomen have been given custody of Black Sister Ispan Shefar who had been captured during the fight to retrieve the Bowl. Careane also expresses doubt that the man Aviendha had seen watching them depart Ebou Dar was one of the Forsaken and along with the other Sisters believes Aviendha should be sent to the Tower as a Novice. Careane, in an attempt to convince Elayne to give the Aes Sedai custody of Ispan begins telling Elayne that they boulders they are approaching truly were the feet of what had once been a 200-foot-tall statue of a long dead warrior queen of Shiota, but Elayne quickly cuts her off when she realizes what Careane is really trying to accomplish.
When the group arrives at the Kin’s farm, Careane, whose hood has not been pulled up far enough to cover her face, is recognized as Aes Sedai and panic ensues among the Kinswomen. Eventually things calm down and the Namelle Sisters take custody of Ispan. Careane is present during the use of the Bowl but does not participate in the circle as only the strongest channelers available participated. However, when the Seanchan raken approach the hilltop to investigate the source of the massive feat of channeling Careane and the other Aes Sedai hurl fireballs at the beasts and the group ultimately flees the area via gateway, heading toward Caemlyn. Along the way to Caemlyn Adeleas and Ispan are found murdered in an execution style manner and Elayne, Vandene and Nynaeve suspect the killer must be a member of the Black Ajah which means at least one of the other Sisters in the party was a darkfriend.
Winter's Heart
Careane is with Elayne in the Royal Palace of Andor in Caemlyn and is now forced to participate in teaching the Sea Folk Wind Finders to fulfill the bargain made by Nynaeve for their aid in using the Bowl of the Winds. Vandene notes that Zarya Alkaese and Kirstian Chalwin, former Kinswomen who have become Novices again, have deduced that Adeleas and Ispan must have been murdered by one of the Aes Sedai in the group, meaning at least one of Careane, Sareitha and Merilille must be a member of the Black Ajah.
Now being carefully watched by Elayne and Vandene, Careane continues on in the palace, teaching the Wind Finders. During the events of the Cleansing, Careane, Sareitha and Merilille are seen attempting to have a conversation with Vandene, but she ignores the other Sisters. Elayne tells the group there is nothing they can do about what is happening in the west and Careane tells her she agrees with her but believes they should be prepared to flee if the phenomenon came their way, stating even linking the Aes Sedai would be like moths fighting a forest fire. It is revealed that Careane has also identified at least four of the Kinswomen as former White Tower Novices, including Zarya who she had been a Novice with for two years. She wants to ensure they accompany the Aes Sedai, so they do not risk the Kin scattering. Careane also complains that Vandene is not taking a turn teaching the Wind Finders but both Sareitha and Elayne tell her to allow Vandene time to mourn for her murdered sister. Careane and Merilille both become very cold when Captain Doilin Mellar (aka Daved Hanlon) approaches, but Sareitha believes Elayne should have given him more respect as he had saved Elayne’s life.
Careane nearly faints when she hears that Cadsuane Melaidhrin, a legendary Green Sister, may be attached to Rand in Cairhien.
Crossroads of Twilight
Elayne is still investigating Careane, Sareitha and Merilille to discover which of them could be Black Ajah. She continues to force the three Sisters to teach the Wind Finders as she cannot trust them with anything further until the identity of the murderer in their midst is uncovered. Careane is present with Elayne during a meeting with a mercenary captain and along with Sareitha supports Elayne’s right as Queen of Andor. Careane provides commentary about the many Aes Sedai in Caemlyn, while none are with the besieging force of Arymille Marne, being proof of White Tower support for Elayne. Careane is quite unhappy when Captain Bakuvun notes that the Tower has been split and tells the Sisters he has heard some claim the Black Ajah has taken over. She informs the man that the Tower is always the Tower and the man should be careful of what he says in the presence of Aes Sedai.
After the murder of Reanne, Elayne commands the Kinswomen to always stay together in groups of no less than two, and nearly warns the women to be careful of Sareitha and Careane, however, Vandene tells her not to do this as word would reach the two Aes Sedai. Elayne and Vandene have narrowed down their suspects to Careane and Sareitha as Merilille has fled Caemlyn with Wind Finder Apprentice Talaan din Gelyn.
Eventually Elayne learns of the presence of known Black Ajah Sisters Falion Bhoda and Marillin Gemalphin and has tracked their presence to the home of Lady Shiaine Avarhin (aka darkfriend assassin Milli Skane) on Full Moon Street. Careane and Sareitha both protest Elayne’s plan to go to the house to capture the darkfriends but are overridden and along with Vandene and all of their Warders the group heads to the house. Elayne links with Sareitha and Vandene links with Careane as a way to ensure neither Aes Sedai has control of the Power during the event. However, they are caught by surprise when several additional Black Ajah Sisters, Asne Zeremene, Temaile Kinderode, Chesmal Emry and Eldrith Jhondar, appear and Asne uses a ter’angreal to stun the four women. Marillin tells the other women to spare Careane as she is one of them. Vandene quietly says “a gift from Adeleas” and stabs Careane through the heart, killing her instantly and avenging her sister’s murder. Chesmal then uses the Power to murder Vandene and Sareitha and five of the Warders who come charging in when their Aes Sedai are killed.
Knife of Dreams
Careane is dead and never mentioned in the book.
The Gathering Storm
Careane is dead, but it is revealed conclusively that she had been behind the murder of not only Adeleas, Ispan and Reanne, but also several other Kinswomen in Caemlyn including Mirane Larinen.
Towers of Midnight
Careane is dead and never mentioned in the book.
A Memory of Light
Character Summaries
Special Abilities
Careane is a channeler of moderate strength, listed as level 27 (15) in the Companion, she stands a good deal higher than the weakest Aes Sedai seen in the series and is not truly weak as she is stronger than the majority of female channelers, but she is a long way from the top tiers of Aes Sedai strength. She was not seen actively channeling very often during the series, so we know little about her skills, affinities, Talents or other channeling abilities. However, she would be considered quite skilled by modern channeler standards as she was a fully trained White Tower Aes Sedai. Like all Aes Sedai she was trained in all the standard weaves known to the Tower, but her proficiency was unknown. Careane was skilled and powerful enough to use the One Power to murder several women, at least one of them being significantly stronger than she in the Power and was able to avoid being implicated directly in the deaths. Not until she makes Reanne’s death obviously a murder did Vandene or Elayne realize that many Kinswomen they assumed had runaway had in fact been murdered by Careane.
Notable Possessions
Careane has three Warders at her disposal, Venr, Tavan and Cieryl, each a highly trained warrior who had been physically enhanced through the Warder Bond. She is loosely associated with the Bowl of the Winds as well as the cache of angreal and ter’angreal found in Ebou Dar, but is never seen using any of these notable objects of the Power herself. She is never mentioned as possessing any sort of mundane/political power outside of being a full Aes Sedai.
Legacy
Careane is dead months prior to the Last Battle, killed by Vandene for the murder of her sister Adeleas. However, during her time with Elayne in Caemlyn she was quite an effective covert agent of the Black Ajah, serving as both an assassin and a distraction to other Aes Sedai while in Caemlyn. Her actions kept Elayne and Vandene from trusting other Aes Sedai in the group and she killed several channelers that could have been used to help the forces of the Light as well as a Black Sister who failed in her own task and could have been an exposure risk. Careane was responsible for the deaths of Adeleas, Ispan, Reanne, Mirane and several unnamed Kinswomen who were presumed to have fled Caemlyn.
On the surface Careane appeared to be a nearly picture perfect Aes Sedai; calm, confident and able to spin the truth on its head. Not even other Sisters were able to detect her true motivations even though her identity as the murderer is foreshadowed on a few occasions as she makes “mistakes'' which expose the group at both the Kin’s farm and at the house on Full Moon Street, she is only unmasked and killed when a fellow Black Sister, Marillin, announces her true allegiances. Careane often defends the Tower as an institution to outsiders and is crafty enough to keep herself hidden from detection despite the nearly daily interactions with other Aes Sedai, easily hiding her ability to lie or kill with the Power. She is so effective that many of her murders went completely undetected by other skilled channelers.
Like most Black Sisters Careane still displays many personality traits of her public Ajah and is seen as a proto-typical Green by those around her. This makes her an example of how the Black Ajah was able to easily infiltrate the White Tower and undermine the organization.
In Other Media
No announcement regarding Careane’s character has been made for the upcoming Wheel of Time TV series being produced by Amazon Studios. However, the character is unlikely to make an appearance in earlier seasons given her timeline in the books, although producers could also choose to expand the character or combine her role with another Black Ajah character to simplify the TV adaptation.
