The World of the Wheel of Time
Channeling
In this world there are some who have been gifted, or cursed, with the ability to touch the One Source, that power that turns the Wheel of Time and creates all things. Those with this ability can do amazing and unbelievable things. For that they are admired, feared or shunned. The act of weaving the power of the One Source is known as Channeling, and it comes in two distinct varieties.
Female Channelers - Women who can channel touch the female half of the Source, known as Saidar. Any woman with this ability is brought to the White Tower where she learns to use it in the service of the Aes Sedai. These women are the ones who have held back the influence of the Shadow for thousands of years.
Male Channelers - Men who channel touch a separate half of the Source, called Saidin. However, when the Dark One was sealed away he tainted Saidin, so that no man can channel for long without being driven insane. They are a true threat to the world, having Broken it once before. But it is assumed that when the Dragon returns, he will be a channeler, as have been many of the false Dragons in the past. Without the ability to channel will he able to face the Dark One? With it will he go insane and destroy the world before he saves it?
The Light
Despite the danger of the Shadow, the world goes on, nations divide and conquer, people spread and change. The world of the Wheel of Time has many nations, many people. Each character in the game belongs to one of those and that alters their interest and goals in fighting the Shadow.
Aes Sedai
The sisters of the White Tower take binding oaths to protect the world from possible abuses of the power of channeling. Sworn to avoid taking any sides in political conflicts or wars, they serve as advisors to heads of state, using the wisdom and power the White Tower has developed over thousands of years for the betterment of humankind. They are sworn as well to combat the Shadow, having been the steady force opposing the Dark One ever since the last Dragon and the Breaking of the World.
The Aes Sedai are divided up into groups called Ajah, and denoted by a color. Each Ajah specializes in different skills and tasks.
Yellow Ajah - the Yellow sisters focus on tending to the sick and keeping people safe. They are most adept at weaves which heal or protect from harm.
Brown Ajah - the Brown sisters are curious researchers, always gathering knowledge. They are most adept at weaves which divulge information or determine the truth.
Blue Ajah - the Blue sisters are idealists, proponents of noble causes. Their skills lie in understanding the weave of destiny and the fulfillmment of prophecies.
Red Ajah - the Red Ajah tasks itself with dealing with male channelers. Determined to keep these men from causing terrible tragedies in their insanity, the Red sisters are adept at finding and shielding these men who can channel, preventing them from using their ability. Once caught, the Red gentle these men, removing their ability to channel completely and forever.
Green Ajah- the Green sisters are the sisters of battle, ready to fight for what is right. They are best known for their love of having Warders, one is always seen at the side of a Green sister.
Warders - Some Aes Sedai bond men to them as Warders. The mysterious weaves which create the bond produce a link between the two, so that each can always sense the others location and emotions. In addition, the link provides the Warder with an increase in stamina and strength, so that he can keep his bonded Aes Sedai safe. While some Green sisters are known to have more than one Warder, it is most typical to have one.
Aiel
Living apart from the other nations, in the desert known was The Waste, the Aiel are mysterious figures to most. Experts at survival in a bleak, dry land, the Aiel are known to be deadly warriors, ruthless plunderers in conflict, and hold to a stringent code of honor. Their prophecies prepare them for the time when the Dragon returns, who they believe will become their leader and return them to the glories of the past.
Illian
A nation adjacent to Tear, the people of Illian are best known at this time for their Hunters of the Horn. Seekers of the legendary Horn of Valere (see Items), the Hunters range from Ilian far and wide throughout the land hoping to be the one that will find the Horn and go down in legend.
Tear
Known for its fortress, the Stone of Tear, which has never been conquered, the people of Tear are proud of their history. Deep within their fortress is kept Callandor, a legendary crystal sword which it is said can only be drawn by the True Dragon. The keepers of the Stone hold it secure for the day when the Dragon returns.
The Shadow
Darkfriends
The most terrifying thing about the servants of the Shadow is that they could be anywhere. Said to keep to a secret network that spreads throughout the world, the Darkfriends scheme and plot and yet look just like the rest of us.
Black Ajah
People speak of the Shadow in whispers, but of the Black Ajah they don't even speak. The sisters of the Aes Sedai are bound by mystic rites to fight the Shadow, yet this doesn't stop the world from suspecting that some of them have slipped those bonds and serve the Dark One. The idea of an Aes Sedai, full of power and privilege, serving the Shadow is a terrifying one indeed, because they would have the ability to even escape or defeat the Aes Sedai themselves.
Forsaken
In contrast, the Forsaken are described to every boy and girl, a bogeyman of legend. The most fervent followers of the Dark One in the past, they were wielders of the Power in the days of Legend, capable of things that are no longer even imagined. They were sealed away when the Dark One was, but not so tightly, and before the Dark One escapes, they will. It is possible one walks the world right now, his abilities so far beyond those of the Aes Sedai that they could stand in front of him and not recognize him. The Forsaken have existed for thousands of years, and while they rule the Shadow their goals and plans are unfathomable to us.
Items
There are items of great power or significance in this world, and some may come to impact hte battle between the Light and the Shadow.
Ter'Angreal
These items are of use only to those who can channel, but for those individuals possession of a Ter'Angreal can greatly increase their abilities. Access to such a large source of power can allow them to amplify their weaves, or attempt things which they have never been able to do before.
Ter'Angreals are attuned to either the male half or the female half of the Source, and are useless to channelers of the wrong gender.
The Horn of Valere
This legendary item appears to be a typical horn, but if blown it calls from another realm the legendary Heroes of the Horn, men and women of legend and myth who have fought the Shadow for Ages upon Ages. Quite a bit of help when in a bind. These heroes are bound to the Wheel of Time to combat the Shadow, and the horn will be of great help to the Light at the Last Battle. The Shadow conspires to keep it out of the hands of those who could put it to use.
Callandor
This crystal sword is not meant for sword fighting, but instead is a type of angreal, made in the time of legend and of amazing power. It could be quite a boon to a male channeler who holds it, but it is locked away and guarded with many wards in the hands of the people of Tear. It is said only the Dragon can take it from there, but it could be of great use to any male channeler come the Last Battle.
Warder's Cloak
Much of a Warder's ability comes from his bond with his Aes Sedai, but of use also is his cloak. Woven with color-changing cloth, this makes the warder very difficult to spot, and so difficult to attack.