Suldam

Sul'dam is a term from The Wheel of Time series, referring to Seanchan women who supervise and command damane, women who can channel the One Power and are kept as slaves. The sul'dam act as trainers, overseers, and masters within the damane system, directing a damane’s use of power to perform tasks ranging from labor to military operations.

The relationship between sul'dam and damane is formal and hierarchical. A sul'dam is responsible for the discipline, obedience, and proper handling of the damane under her care. Damane are kept under control through a combination of social authority, ritual procedures, and physical restraints that bind their ability to channel except when commanded. The effectiveness of a damane’s service depends largely on the sul'dam’s skill in giving precise orders and maintaining control, and high-status sul'dam typically command more powerful or numerous damane.

Training and selection for sul'dam emphasize discipline, loyalty, and the ability to wield authority over powerful channelers. The system is centralized within the Seanchan Empire and is a defining feature of its governance and military organization, shaping interactions with conquered peoples and other cultures in the series.

In broader narrative context, the sul'dam–damane dynamic contrasts with other power structures in the world and raises questions about freedom, coercion, and authority. The term and practice are specific to the Seanchan portrayal in the series and are central to how channeling is organized in their society.