Verna Sauventreen
From Sword of Truth Wiki
- "I know the woman. She's a stubborn one when she's happy and impossible when she's not. I'll be glad she'll be on our side, Lord Rahl, and not the other way round"
- — Trimack
Verna Sauventreen is the current Prelate of the Sisters of the Light, gaining that title after Annalina Aldurren fakes her death. Verna was the only Sister, Ann trusted to be truely loyal to the Light. She is a close friend and ally of Richard Rahl and the leader of the gifted forces of the D'Haran Army. She is the wife of the late Warren.
Contents |
[edit] Attributes
| Preceded By | Title | Succeeded by |
|---|---|---|
| Annalina Aldurren | Prelate | Incumbent |
Verna is a tall woman with long curly brown hair. She appears to be in her late thirties or early forties, but is in fact close to one hundred and sixty years old, young for a Sister of the Light. Despite being one of the younger Sisters, Verna appears to be among the middle aged Sisters, as the journey she was sent on lasted twenty years, rather than the standard one year journey. Verna is an attractive, mature woman with dark eyes and is not adversed to scowling.
Verna is confident in herself and in the cause of the Creator. She is a hard woman who has been forced to kill before. Though not shallow, Verna loses confidence in her appearance after returning to the Palace with Richard, because she had aged while her friends looked hardly a day older. Warren helps Verna to see that aging is a beautiful thing and they then realize their love for each other.
Like most Sisters, including Prelate Annalina, Verna believes in the importance of prophecy. She realizes that Richard is the only hope of the New World to triumph in the war against the Imperial Order, but also knows that he is their hope because of his tendency to use his freewill.
[edit] Appearances
First Appearance
- Stone of Tears: Chapter ???
Latest Appearance
- Confessor: Chapter ???
[edit] History
[edit] Early Life
At a young age it became apparent that Verna was very talented in the gift and the Sisters of the Light offered to take her in and train her to use it for the good of The Creator. Verna's mother was a skip, meaning she did not have the gift and so could not help train Verna to be a sorceress. Verna accepted the Sisters offer and became a novice.
When Verna first met Prelate Annalina, she received a warm smile from the Prelate, something she always remembered. The Palace always blamed a young Novice with an offense she did not actually commit, to test their reaction. Most cried or allowed herself to take the blame, yet Verna alone became angry at this injustice. Ann saw Verna's reaction and was immediately amused, as she then knew that Verna was one mentioned in a prophecy of great relevance to the coming war. Ann from that day forth used Verna in the Creator's most important work.
Verna was always able to wield her Han more assuredly then any of the other novices and became close friends with Novices Janet, Phoebe, Amelia and especially Christabel. The five friends all eventually became Sisters.
Verna began a relationship with a young wizard by the name of Jedidiah. Verna and Jedidiah had a daughter named Leitis together, who was unfortunately not gifted and was then given to a family outside of the Palace to raise. Verna went and saw Leitis as she grew older, to make sure she had a good life and eventually was given the news that Leitis died of old age, while she remained young. Verna was soon assigned to go on a mission to bring Richard Rahl to the Palace with Sisters Grace and Elizabeth.
[edit] Current Role
Verna appears in the following books of the Sword of Truth series; Stone of Tears, Blood of the Fold, Temple of the Winds, Faith of the Fallen, Naked Empire, Chainfire, Phantom and Confessor.
[edit] Stone of Tears
After a twenty year journey, Sisters Verna, Grace and Elizabeth have finally discovered the whereabouts of the boy with the gift of magic, they had been sent out from the Palace to find. They arrive at the village of the Mud People and ask the Bird Man, knowing a little of the Mud People's language, to bring the parents of this boy.
Richard Rahl and Kahlan Amnell appear in the spirit house of the Mud People, where the three Sisters are waiting. The Sisters assume that they are the parents of the boy they had come for, but are quite shocked when it is revealed that Richard, a man in his mid-twenties, is in fact the one they were searching for.
The Sisters introduce themselves and quickly inform Richard that he has the gift and that it would soon kill him, if not trained. Richard is suspicious of the Sisters, more so when he learns that he would be required to wear a Rada'Han if he were to come with them. Richard is told he will have three chances to take the Rada'Han. Grace gives him the first offer, which he refuses, causing her to kill herself with her Dacra, passing her gift onto the other two Sisters.
Verna and Elizabeth send the new knowledge that Richard is fully grown to the Palace, via the Journey Book, before returning and giving him the second offer. Elizabeth gives the offer this time, which Richard refuses. Elizabeth attempts to kill herself but Richard intervenes, forcing Verna to do the deed herself. Verna receives the gifts of both Sisters Grace and Elizabeth.
Verna returns to the Mud People's village and again gives Richard the offer. He and Verna have a brief confrontation but Kahlan intervenes and commands Richard to wear the Rada'Han, to save him, though he does not realize this. Richard and Verna leave by horseback from the village of the Mud People.
It is clear that their is a large amount of animosity between Verna and Richard. Verna is contemptuous of Richard's belief that the Keeper of the Underworld, was close to achieving his goal of destroying the world of life. On the first night they made camp, Richard came close to ending the Sisters life while she slept. That night when Richard finally slept, Verna went for a walk and discovered a lock of hair, given to Richard by Kahlan as they parted, discarded by Richard and kept it.
Several disagreements occur between Richard and Verna on their long journey to the Old World. However Verna does attempt to teach Richard to touch his Han, however this fails. When first attempting this Richard has a strange vision involving his deceased father, Darken Rahl.
Verna and Richard pass between the Great Barrier that separates the New World from the Old. While passing the great spelled land, Richard collects black sorcerers sand from a tower there. Verna is trapped in an enchantment, however Richard frees her. After this, Verna tells Richard he must make a sacrifice for a savage people called the Majendie so they may pass through their land. However Richard attacks the Majendie and rescues their would-be-sacrifice, Du Chaillu.
Verna is furious with Richard and wary of Du Chaillu, who had promised to allow them safe passage through her land. Verna's suspicions proved correct when Richard was forced to battle thirty of the Baka Ban Mana's blade masters. Richard survived by using the Sword of Truth in a way described by Prophecy. Richard is made the Caharin of Du Chaillu's people and they escort he and Verna to the city of Tanimura, where the Palace is situated.
Richard delivers a warning speech to all the Sisters and young men present at his welcoming, when he and Verna arrive at the Palace. Sister Maren breaks Verna through the ranks to a novice, because she had failed to bring Richard to heel. Shortly after, Verna visits Richard in his room and much of the animosity between them seems to have faded, though they are yet to be friends.
Verna tries several times to gain a meeting with the Prelate, whom she sees responsible for her demotion, however she is unsuccessful. She runs into her former love, Jedidiah and is quite disappointed at the lack of tact from him. Richard, fearing he is the reason for Verna's demotion, travels to the Hagen Woods and when Maren comes to retrieve him he forces her to reinstate Verna.
Verna, a Sister once more, is finally allowed a meeting with Prelate Annalina. Ann delivers a hurtful speech to Verna, explaining that she is a person of little note, however this is a lie, created by Ann to force Verna to fulfill a prophecy. She also reveals to Verna that there are Sisters of the Dark in the Palace, hoping to draw out one, whom she knows to be her administrator.
Finally broken of the Palace's teachings, Verna visits Richard and tells him of all that she had learned. She tells him that she has more power than any other Sister of the Light and that she would try to remove his Rada'Han, though she does not believe she will succeed as he has Subtractive Magic.Verna fails, though she does succeed at removing Warren's Rada'Han, yet Richard accepts her as his friend. Richard shows her a statue that he knows to be Quillion, as Sister Liliana had tried to use it to drain his gift and life from him only moments before. Verna recognizes the statue as belonging to Sister Ulicia.
Verna and Richard hurry to the Prelate's compound, knowing she was in danger and interrupt Ulicia's attack on her. Verna and Ulicia have a brief duel, before Ulicia flees. Verna sees that the Prelate is grievously wounded and she and Richard take him to Nathan Rahl to see if he may heal her.
Richard, knowing that his other teachers would be Sisters of the Dark, like Liliana, goes to search for them. Before he gets far, Jedidiah intercepts him and begins to use his gift to do him harm. Verna appears from behind Jedidiah, her former lover and sticks her dacra in his back, killing him instantly.
Nathan teaches Verna how she may shield Richards Rada'Han and take him safely from the Palace. Warren accompanies the two as they travel to the land of the Baka Bau Mana. After several Baka Bau Mana join them, including Du Chaillu, they travel to the Great Barrier. Together with Du Chaillu, Richard is able to bring down the barrier, that had stood strong for three thousand years.
Richard leaves for D'Hara upon the dragon Scarlet, while Warren and Verna return to the Palace of the Prophets.
[edit] Blood of the Fold
Prelate Annalina Aldurren and the prophet Nathan are found dead. It is presumed that Annalina had died from her injuries at the hands of Sister Ulicia, while it is thought that Nathan over extended himself, while attempting to heal her.
A sacred funeral rite is held for the Prelate and the man who fought so valiantly to heal her, which all of the Sister's attend. Sister Verna is devastated at the loss of the Palace's Mother, yet continues to be angry with her, due to the harsh words she had spoken to her, during their last meeting.
On her way back to the Palace, Verna is met by Warren. The two speak of their worries that their might be more Sisters of the Dark in the Palace, than just those who had escaped with Ulicia. They also admit that they had both had feelings for eachother in the past.
Kevin Andellmere appears and informs Verna that she is wanted by Sister Leoma Marsick. Verna continues to make her way to the Palace and when she reaches the bridge, she is met by Sisters Phillipa, Dulcinia and Maren.
The three Sisters escort her to the great hall, where Warren is made to wait outside. When inside, Verna's attention is caught by a a stool surrounded by a halo of light. Sister Leoma confirms Verna's suspicions that the halo is a Light Web. She also tells Verna that atop the stool, sat the Prelate's ring of office. So far every Sister, apart from Verna ahd attempted to breach the light web, unsuccessfully.
Verna makes her way to the stool and before long breaches the light web entirely. With the ring of office, is a message from Prelate Annalina. It contains her last order; that Verna is to succeed her as Prelate.
Sister Leoma is clearly distressed by this, but offers Verna any assistance she would require as the new Prelate. Verna leaves the great hall and is met by an excited Warren, who she demands find a way to have her removed from office. Warren however is adament that she is the perfect candidate for a Prelate, despite being a little young.
In her new role as the Prelate, Verna begins to worry that she had become a prisoner of her station, spending all day signing papers. Her new administrators, Sisters Phoebe and Dulcinia, continuously deliver her with file after file. She also has Sisters Phillipa and Leoma as her advisors on how to run the Palace of the Prophets and the Sisters of the Light. She begins to change the ways of the Palace; outlawing the test of pain among other things.
Warren is the only person she is able to trust and they talk as much as possible. On one such occassion, they visit Sister Simona who had gone insane, due to something she called a dream walker. Warren believes there is more to Sister Simona's illness of the mind than meets the eye.
Verna slowly begins to notice some discreptincies in Palace buisness; after talking with a gravedigger who had been employeed by the Sisters and inquiring after the loss of Palace horses. Later when she speaks with a Palace cleaner, Millie, who had been a close friend of Prelate Annalina, she is given a message by Millie from Ann when she had been near death; that Verna should take care to enjoy her private garden.
Verna encounters a small sanctuary in her private garden that has a very unusual and very powerful shield protecting it. She soon recognises that it is keyed to the Prelate's ring of office and is able to enter.
After some time sitting quietly and thinking in the sanctuary, Verna discovers her old journey book. Inside is a message. Verna begins to think that her suspicions that Annalina Aldurren was somehow still alive may well be correct. To make sure she demands that the person who has the twin to the journey book write what Ann and Verna's last conversation had been about.
The person is indeed Ann. She and Nathan had faked their deaths so as to be able to see to matters to do with prophecy. Ann apologises to Verna for the harsh things she ahd seen in their last conversation. She finally tells Verna the truth; that she was the one Sister she trusted above all others and had said those horrible things to force her to invoke prophecy.
Verna forgives Ann and receives many tips from her on how to handle the Sisters and the Palace. Ann and Nathan also order Verna to have Warren leave the Palace, because of the danger he faced, considering he had recently given his first prophecy. Ann also puts Verna in charge of discovering the rest of the Sisters of the Dark.
When Verna searches for Warren, she is told by Leoma that he had left the Palace. Verna is dismayed as Warren was the one person she could trust.
Verna finally discovers how to determine which Sisters were loyal to the Light or the Keeper, but when she enters her private office, she is confronted by Sister Leoma and three other Sister's and she is knocked out instantly.
Later, Verna wakes in the infrimary, wearing a Rada'Han. Sister Leoma later comes to ehr and tells her that she had been found guilty of being a Sister of the Dark and that the newly returned Sister Ulicia was now the Prelate. Verna tells Leoma that behind the shield of her cell, no one could hear her so why bother with the charade. Leoma admits to being a true Sister of the Dark.
Leoma informs Verna that she and the Sisters of the Dark had come under the control of Emperor Jagang of the Imperial Order, who was a dream walker. However, the loyalty Verna had to Richard Rahl protected her from her mind being taken as Leoma's had.
Leoma, on Jagang's orders, uses the Rada'Han to torture Verna to see if it possible to break someone of their bond to the Lord Rahl. Verna fails to be broken. Later, Leoma brings Millie to clean Verna's cell. Millie screams obscenities at Verna, however, she secretly leaves a dacra with her.
When Leoma next comes close enough to Verna, she is able to stab her in the leg. She has Leoma tell her the names of every single Sister of the Dark and then has her remove her Rada'Han. She then asks Leoma to return to the Light, but when she refuses, Verna releases her Han into the dacra, killing Leoma instantly.
Verna then free's Sister Simona and they are met by Millie and Sister Phillipa, who remains loyal to the Light. They rally the Sisters of the Light and engage the Blood of the Fold and Imperial Order in battle.
Verna runs into Kahlan Amnell and a sorceress named Adie, who she had not seen in many years. Adie helps the Sisters to do battle with their enemies. Kahlan later mets up with her beloved, Richard who had travelled through the Sliph to the Palace.
The Palace of the Prophet's is destroyed, through intervention of Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander, Ann and Nathan, though it is Ricahrd who sets off the spell that destroies it. This is done to prevent, Jagang from capturing the prophecies it contained.
The Sister's then swear loyalty to Richard and join with the D'Haran Army. The Sisters also reinstate Verna as their Prelate. Verna is also able to free Warren who had been a captive of Sister Leoma's and they declare their love for eachother.
[edit] Temple of the Winds
Verna is unsuprised to learn that after several nights of the moon rising red, that on this particular night, it had not. She and her Sister's had ensured General Reibisch that this would be so.
Reibisch and Verna discuss what it is that Richard had intended by having the Sisters of the Light join with the D'Haran army and what the army's next move should be. Both Verna and the General agree that Richard had intended the Sisters to wield their gift of magic to help protect the army from the Imperial Order.
Verna returns to her tent and confers briefly with Ann. She is able to aid Ann and Zedd, who accompanies her, by giving them information about the Jocopo. She also thinks about the Sisters of the Light, particuarly her old friends, Amelia and Janet, who are captives of Jagang. This causes her to decide that she must do anything she can to help them escape.
After making her decision, Verna goes to see Warren in his tent. She immediatly informs him that she had made up her mind to rescue her friends, however, she realises something is wrong with Warren. He informs her that he had reached a new level of his ability and that his gift was killing him. He says that a prophecy he had given, states that he must accompany her on her journey, or he will die. Verna reluctantly allows her beloved to join her on her mission.
Some time later, Verna and Warren find shelter in a farmers barn. Warren is unconcious and Verna is able to acquire transportation from the farmer, whos daughter is gravely ill. Verna attempts to heal her, but her sickness is immune to aid from the gift.
Verna and Warren eventually make their way to Jagang's temporary fortress. Using powerful magic, they are able to enter undetected and snatch Sister Janet away and talk with her. Janet refuses to escape without Amelia, who had recently converted back to the Light. They arrange a later time to escape, after Janet swears loyalty to Richard.
When Amelia and Janet meet with Verna, they accuse her of lying to them about the bond to the Lord Rahl that protected them from the dream walker. Janet informs her that the bond no longer holds, as Richard Rahl had left the world of the living. Both Verna and Warren then feel the pain of having Jagang in their minds.
Because of the gift slowly killing Warren, he reguarly becomes unconcious. The only thing able to wake him is his loves connection to Verna. Verna's ability to wake Warren and allow him to work at prophetic tasks set by Jagang, alone prevents her from being sent to the tents.
While doing these taks, Verna and Warren are visited by a woman named Clarissa. Clarissa had been sent by the new Lord Rahl, Nathan, to retrieve certain books from Jagang's personal store, as well as the book used by Sister Amelia to start a plague on the Emperor's orders. Clarissa is also sent to rescue Verna and Warren, who swear loyalty to Nathan.
Clarissa also rescues Janet, Amelia and an old acquintane; Manda Perlin. They make their way to the Hagen Woods, where they meet Nathan, who set's Warrens gift back to rights.
However, Manda, Amelia and Janet had failed to give the oath to Nathan in their hearts. Jagang uses them to get in an advantageous point on Clarissa, Nathan and Verna. Warren and the two soldiers with the small company are powerless to interfere.
It is the timely arrival of Kahlan Amnell, through the sliph, that saves the lives of Verna and Nathan. Kahlan is able to take Amelia by suprise and kill her, while Verna uses this distraction to kill Janet with a dacra. However, Manda is able to slit Clarissa's throat before Warren and Nathan kill her with dual bolts of lightning.
Verna reacts coldly towards Nathan, at the death of Clarissa and he breaks her jaw with a blow to the face. Warren heals Verna and she immediatly realises that strangely enough, Nathan actually had cared for Clarissa and apologises to him. Verna and Warren then return to her Sisters, who remain with the D'Haran army.
[edit] Faith of the Fallen
When Zedd arrives at the D'Haran camp, Verna, Adie, Warren, Sister Phillipa and General Reibisch discuss the matters of the war and Richard's recent decision to remove himself from army affairs. This decision in particular, irritated Verna immensely. Zedd agrees to help Verna and her Sisters learn how to use their gifts for the nasty buisness of war, a far cry from the usual use of their skills.
Verna also begins to worry due to having lost contact with Ann, who had been on her way to see Ricahrd and Kahlan and persuade him to return as leader of D'Hara. However, on a happier note, Zedd agrees to perform a marriage ceremony for Verna and Warren, sometime soon.
However, during this conversation, the enemy attacks. Verna participates and survives the battle, though D'Hara's commanding general, Reibisch falls to the Order. At the end of battle, a large number of Galeans arrive at the camp, led by none other than Kahlan. Kahlan is rather cool towards Verna, as she had been previously to Ann, having thrown her journey book in the fire, she informs Verna. She also infroms everybody of Ricahrd's abduction by the Sister of the Dark, Nicci, before leading a raid against the Imperial Order's camp.
Later, Verna visits Kahlan in her private tent and informs her, Adie and Cara of a new weapon of war she had personally concocted. However, it is a weapon she took no pleasure in having masterminded. It is crushed up glass that could be spread out before the Order, who would breath or blink it in, cutting open their insides and blinding them, slowly.
While having this conversation the Order raids the D'Haran camp and all four women are nearly killed when their tent is brought down around them. After escaping the fallen tent, Verna cuts down enemy soldiers around her with her gift. When the raid is put down, it is soon reported, that the Orders entire force is moving to crush them.
Verna and Kahlan atop a single horse and Sister Phillipa and Cara on another, then ride out to meet the Order, under cover of Warren and Zedd's magical attacks on the enemy and spread out Verna's special glass in the air before them, before fleeing through the passes of D'Hara. Kahlan adn Verna's relationship is also vastly improved after this.
Verna is also present when Prince Harold of Galea arrives, with merely one thousand troops instead of the expected one hundred thousand. Harold informs everyone of Queen Cyrilla's return to the thrown and her intention to leave the D'Haran Empire. Harold is sentenced to death and it is either, Adie, Verna, Warren or Zedd who performs the deed, Kahlan wishing not to be enlightened as to which.
Shortly after, Verna and Warren are finally married, by Zedd and Adie. Their ceremony provides a brief time of entertainment for the troops. The army then moves into the Midlands and evacuates the city of Aydindryl so as to deny the Imperial Order the satisfaction of conquering it.
Warren and Verna's happiness, is sadly, short lived. The Imperial Order performs another raid upon the D'Haran camp. A young man named Gadi attacks and stabs a young novice named Holly and Warren saves her, however he is mortally wounded in the process. He dies with one last kiss with Verna, leaving her heart broken.
Verna sentences for Gadi to be tortured throughout the night, until she would come to watch him die. Cara respectfully performs this task for Verna. Warren's death also sparks Kahlan into leaving the D'Haran camp in search of Richard, as Gadi reveals his location.
Later, Ann once more contacts Verna through the journey book, having had it mended and Verna tearfully tells her of her heartbreak.
[edit] Naked Empire
Verna and her Sisters proceed to shield and seal the passes into D'Hara with every sought of nasty magic they can muster. However, since Warrren's death, Verna simply does her duty, with very little passion for life. Verna continues to deal with the paperwork that comes with the office of Prelate and on one such occassion is interrupted by the Mord-Sith, Rikka.
Rikka tells Verna of her encounter with a Sister of the Dark, who she overheard being punished mentally by Jagang, himself. Rikka proceeded to kill the Sister, but not before the Sister announced that Jagang's forces are on the move. Verna and D'Hara's new commanding gerneal Benjamin Meiffert, realize that the time of the final battle is approaching. Through the journey book, Verna is also told by Ann that she must ensure that a wagon is allowed through the passes of D'Hara safely.
Verna has the general inform all officers of this and when a wagon does arrive, it is allowed through. The wagon is carrying a young girl, with a message from Emperor Jagang. The message announces that he has captured Zedd, Adie and the Wizard's Keep and that his Slide would soon bring him Lord Rahl and the Mother Confessor.
Verna is greatly unnerved by Zedd and Adie's capture, not to mention the fact that the Wizard's Keep is in the hands of the Order. Verna counsels that Jagang is likely telling the truth, as he is not the kind of man to boast idly. She also informs Meiffert, Zimmer and Rikka as to what a Slide is; a soul stealer. It is also Verna who authors a return message to Jagang, signing it as the Mother Confessor, to achieve the maximum affect.
Verna is later asked to take care of a wagon that is approaching the D'Haran shields. Verna takes a chance and allows the wagon through the passes and several families are within, along with Adie. The old sorceress informs Verna that several people had appeared out of nowhere to rescue herself and Zedd, including Rikka who had gone with Zedd to reclaim the Wizard's Keep. The miracle of Adies return, is the first thing to show the sweetness of life to Verna, since Warren's death.
[edit] Chainfire
(coming soon)
[edit] Phantom
(coming soon)
[edit] Confessor
(coming soon)
[edit] Notable Quotes
(coming soon)
