So Verin is Black Ajah. Let's be honest, this topic has been in the back of our minds ever since she supposedly lied to Mat about being sent by Moiraine. I was devastated when she finally said she's from the Black, but not too surprised. She's always been one of the more amusing and useful Aes Sedai.
Why devastated?
So, some points I want to make...
1. Her philosophy on the Dark One seems to be that of Ishamael's, and he's always been unique in this regard. I found it refreshing to have a darkfriend who wasn't after immortality or power, but was considering the nature of evil as dispassionately as someone who's analyzing a chess board.
1. Her philosophy on the Dark One seems to be that of Ishamael's, and he's always been unique in this regard. I found it refreshing to have a darkfriend who wasn't after immortality or power, but was considering the nature of evil as dispassionately as someone who's analyzing a chess board.
Yes. It is eerie how similar they are, in some ways. Except one is purely on the side of good and the other on the side of evil.
2. In my mind, she's part of a group of people who are darkfriends, but are so bad at being evil they might as well not be. The other example is Ingtar, maybe Sheriam too. Verin was faced with the choice of joining them or being executed. She made a human decision which was wrong but understandable. I don't really condemn people who break from fear, and few people who say that they'll die for their beliefs have the stomach to go through it - especially facing someone like Galina or Katerine. Verin is therefore also like a forced turning to me.
She is nothing like Ingtar or... Sheriam? What is the connection between Sheriam and Verin? Sheriam wanted power and joined the BA, hoping the DO being free would not happen when she's alive.
Verin was researching the BA, acted as if she wanted to join, was put in a situation where she had to join or die. She chose to continue her research, knowing that she would pay a price. She did not simply save her life. And she did not think that killing herself in the end was absolution for her crimes.
She was heroic, yes. But in the end, what she was was a dedicated researcher. Not to be compared with a lame power hungry woman and a despairing soldier.
3. She sacrificed herself to destroy them - she had to, to circumvent the Oath. I always find this to be the sign of a person filled with remorse, and someone who should be forgiven - like Ingtar.
She wasn't exactly filled with remorse. She was filled with pride, and rightly so! The purpose of her research succeeded, and she spat on the Dark One's eye, harder than anyone has in quite some time.
She's therefore still a favourite character of mine... tarnished a little, but still a fond memory with her ink smudge on her nose.
Tarnished in what way?
Verin... cool in my eyes
- 30/10/2009 07:29:38 AM
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I got teary-eyed during that chapter 
- 30/10/2009 02:21:20 PM
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- 30/10/2009 02:21:20 PM
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She's still a darkfriend
- 30/10/2009 03:29:22 PM
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There's a difference between a terrorist and a double agent.
- 30/10/2009 06:32:42 PM
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Re: There's a difference between a terrorist and a double agent.
- 31/10/2009 05:23:29 AM
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Re: There's a difference between a terrorist and a double agent.
- 31/10/2009 05:34:57 AM
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Re: There's a difference between a terrorist and a double agent.
- 31/10/2009 05:52:12 AM
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So when do we start executing that FBI agents in the columbian drug cartel?
- 31/10/2009 04:51:08 PM
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Possibly my favourite scene.
- 30/10/2009 02:34:48 PM
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Not tarnished at all, in my mind...
- 30/10/2009 05:16:43 PM
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What crap!
- 30/10/2009 09:47:08 PM
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Verin has reached a point.
- 31/10/2009 03:56:44 AM
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I hope the Verin Memorial Statue™ spouts water from the ink smudge on her nose *NM*
- 31/10/2009 04:25:46 AM
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Logically, it would be ink spouting from her pen in her hand. 
- 31/10/2009 04:34:36 AM
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- 31/10/2009 04:34:36 AM
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It should be animatronic
- 31/10/2009 04:37:08 AM
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"That dress is green."
- 31/10/2009 04:47:12 AM
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*NM*
That would look kind of gross I think *NM*
- 31/10/2009 05:24:00 AM
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gross, or awesome? 
*NM*
- 31/10/2009 05:32:13 AM
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*NM*
- 31/10/2009 05:32:13 AM
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Come to think of it, it'd look like drippy snot. *NM*
- 31/10/2009 05:35:41 AM
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*NM*
- 31/10/2009 05:35:41 AM
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it should drip into a fountain full of animatronic Professor-looking birds teaching fish how to fly *NM*
- 31/10/2009 05:42:10 AM
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With a flame above one hand, and a pen in the other. *NM*
- 31/10/2009 05:43:29 AM
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*NM*
- 31/10/2009 05:43:29 AM
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There need to be some sort of flashy lights representing her soul changing colors *NM*
- 31/10/2009 05:45:03 AM
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Not really much of a difference between brown and black.
- 31/10/2009 05:50:25 AM
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Alviarin voodoo doll? I can't come up with anything Verin related. *sniffle* *NM*
- 31/10/2009 05:53:10 AM
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So how about that "last hour" part of her oath?
- 31/10/2009 04:48:29 PM
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Its simple really...
- 31/10/2009 10:02:19 PM
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That's not really good enough, though.
- 31/10/2009 10:06:12 PM
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Re: That's not really good enough, though.
- 31/10/2009 10:50:36 PM
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