Written by Haem Norolin and Emera Sedai
This page documents the histories of Tear with a focus on Tear in the 4th Age. This information is created by the Weaves of the Wheel Storytelling RPG community, for the purpose creating new characters and stories within a new timeline. This information is a creative effort by all community members and serves to provide a richly detailed world within which we play that adheres to the canon created by Robert Jordan for the Wheel of Time series. This information is created for the purpose of fan enjoyment and is not affiliated with the Bandersnatch group. To find out more about Weaves of the Wheel Storytelling RPG, click here
Location
- Found to the Southeast, bordering Mayne to the East and Illian to the West. Its Southern border is the Sea of Storms.
- River Erinin runs through the City of Tear to the Sea of Storms, forming the Fingers of the Dragon; a muddy delta, hard to navigate.
- Tear is the greatest port on the Sea of Storms, defended by the Stone of Tear and the delta.
- Godan is a Tairen city further up the coast.
- Climate is mild, more often humid. “It never snows in Tear”
Districts
- Maule – On the West bank and location of the stone docks. Poorer district, unpaved streets, rougher area.
- Chalm – Stone warehouses and some merchant homes. Working-class, wooden boardwalks.
- Tavar – farmers market, guildhalls, merchant homes.
People
- Men often wear pointed beards, shaped to a point with fragrant oils.
- Military coats are striped with House colours.
- Wooden clogs are worn in the Maule to deal with the muddy streets.
- The gap between commoner and noble has closed since the Last Battle after the Lord Dragon changed several laws.
- Prison maintained on a larger island on the Fingers of the Dragon.
- Trade
- Tairen pilots board all foreign ships to guide them through the Fingers of the Dragon, including those of the Atha’an Miere.
- Smuggling is rife because of the unchartable Fingers of the Dragon
- Olive oil – extensive olive groves
- Fish – both fresh and saltwater varieties
- Horses – famous bloodstock, considered the finest in the world
- Carpets – intricate scroll- and knotwork
- Clocks – becoming more affordable. No longer limited to noble homes
- Alum – second-largest exporter
- Ships – fishing and warships
- Slang and sayings
- “Some people just aren’t worth a tear”
- “When there are fish heads and blood in the water, you don’t need to see the silverpike to know they are there.”
- “Fish guts!”
- “Do not trouble trouble, till trouble troubles you.”
WEAVES OF THE WHEEL HistorIES – 1ALB – 150 ALB
ALB = After Last Battle
1ALB Better relations with Illian since the implementation of the Dragon’s Peace. Channelling, both male and female, is no longer outlawed.
3ALB Illian and Tear no longer contest the ownership of the Plains of Maredo. It is split between Illian and Tear, with soft boundaries to allow free trade and cultivation of industry.
11ALB Refugees from Seanchan held lands continue to settle the previously contested Plains of Maredo. Mainly farming and herding.
19ALB Tear sees a need for a stronger naval force and further defence against the Seanchan Navy.
24ALB Tear and Illian agree to donate a portion of the Plains of Maredo to the new Kin hospital outside Far Madding. Tithes and donations are sent regularly.
80ALB Rumours of trollocs spotted in the Blight circulate.
88 ALB Seanchan presence in Tairen fishing grounds spotted for the first time. Damane weave gateways for Seanchan fishing vessels.
94 ALB Minor skirmishes between the Seanchan fishing vessels and Tairen Navy continue. Empress Domina refuses to entertain Tairen petitions regarding border violations by the Seanchan on the ground that boundaries over water cannot be marked. The Tairen are not happy to share the most important natural resource they have.
100 ALB The original Dragon’s Peace ends, the Seanchan declares war on the Westlands.
101 ALB Seanchan Navy engages Tairen Navy in combat. Tairen Navy suffers total destruction. Tairen waters get under Seanchan control.
106 ALB Tairen fishing activities declared illegal. Tear’s economy collapses.
118 ALB The Seanchan begin the Siege of Illian.
120 ALB Tairen military joins forces with the remaining Asha’man. Together they break the siege of Illian. A tactical retreat by the Tairen forces results in the complete annihilation of the male channelers.
120 ALB The Seanchan withdraws from Illian, Tear fills up the resulting power vacuum.
124 ALB With the fishing grounds recovered Tairen economy booms. Funnels all the available resources for the recovery of Illian.
127 ALB Tairen warlords are de facto rulers of Illian. Six of them name themselves High Lords of Tear in Illian.
129 ALB Altara becomes contested territory as a joint Tairen-Illianer force push into the Seanchan controlled land.
134 ALB Cracks form in the Tear-Illian partnership. Illianers begin to see Tairens as more occupiers than liberators.
136 ALB The joint Tairen-Illianer force enjoys much success against the Seanchan in Altara.
138 ALB Civil war breaks out in Illian because of the perceived Tairen occupation. Tear absorbs the Plains of Maredo.
138 ALB Execution of the returning commanders of the joint Tairen-Illianer force. Tear blames the Illianer rebels.
138 ALB High Lords of Tear in Illian smuggle the Crown of Swords into Tear proper.
141 ALB Victory of the loyalist forces in the Illianer civil war.
141 ALB Tear officially declares the occupation of Illian. A guerilla war initiated by the defeated rebels.
144 ALB Tear is censured by the Westlands. A delegation of Grays and Blues from the White Tower and Soldiers from the newly formed Black Tower are sent to broker peace.
144ALB Tear mostly withdraws from Illian, a token force remains behind. Tear does not give up the Plains of Maredo. Stigma against channelers grows again in the region.
144 ALB New Dragon’s Peace agreement signed.
