Maidens


 * For other uses of "Fall", see Fall (disambiguation)



The four Maidens are the hosts of a vast magical power that has existed in Remnant for thousands of years. They are said to be the physical embodiment of the four seasons.

Description
There are four Maidens in existence at any time, each corresponding to one of the four seasons - Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.

Magic
The power of the Maidens is magic and is independent of Dust use and distinct from a Semblance. It is not powered by Aura and a Maiden does not need it to use her powers. They are still able to use their Semblance, as shown by Raven. The Maidens are able to use any elemental power they choose, not being limited to their season.

Although they have only been shown using elemental powers, maidens can actually use many different types of magic.

When Maidens use their powers their eyes become surrounded by a fiery glow that matches their aura.

The powers shown by Amber have been levitation, lightning manipulation and fireball throwing. She also controlled wind and freeze the leaves of trees and use them as projectiles. Cinder Fall gained the same abilities when she became the Fall Maiden but preferred to use the fire.

Maidens are capable of conjuring weapons comprised of the elements. Although, Cinder has shown that experienced Dust-users can perform similar feats.

The World of RWBY: The Official Companion states that Cinder Fall has some control over the Wyvern through her Maiden powers, being able to influence its behavior.

Vaults
The Maidens are also each tied to the Vaults hidden under the four main Huntsman Academies. They act as keys to access the Relics, so nobody else can open the chambers that the Relics are hidden in. Spring can access the Vault in Haven, Fall can access the Vault in Beacon, Summer can access the Vault in Shade Academy and Winter can access the Vault in Atlas.

Succession
The powers of the Maidens pass from host to host upon the death of the current holder in a process that has been continuing for thousands of years. The exact method through which the power chooses its next host is not fully understood. Under normal circumstances, the next Maiden, who is always a young woman, is the last person that the previous Maiden holds in her thoughts before she passes away. However, if the person in the dying Maiden's thoughts is male, too old, or not eligible to receive the power, the next host is chosen seemingly at random. This system apparently ensures that no one person can hold the power forever.

In "Never Miss a Beat", Ozpin states that "Maidens choose themselves", possibly indicating that the inheritance of these powers is voluntary, but it is unknown how this would fit into the above set of rules. It is possible Ozpin was speaking metaphorically.

In the event that if someone who has stolen part of a Maiden's power kills the woman holding the other half, the power will seek out its other half. However, Amber's last thoughts could have also been a factor for Cinder fully ascending.

In "Vault of the Spring Maiden" and "Out in the Open", Cinder attempted to claim the powers of the Spring Maiden as well and has made it clear that she also desires the power of the Winter Maiden, showing that Cinder may have the capacity to hold more than one Maiden's power at a time, although this may simply be due to Cinder's arrogance and ego.

Origins


The Story of the Seasons, a fairy tale passed down through the cultures of Remnant, purportedly tells of the origins of the Maidens.

The story goes that an old wizard is visited by four sisters, who each in their own unique ways are kind to him; the first (Winter) by encouraging him to meditate and reflect, the second (Spring) by bringing him fruit and flowers and revitalizing his garden, the third (Summer) convincing him to step outside and embrace the world, and the fourth (Fall) by encouraging him to be thankful for what he has. The wizard gives the four sisters great powers in return for their kindness, and as the embodiment of the four seasons, they go through Remnant spreading their gifts.

In "Rest and Resolutions", Ozpin reveals that the old wizard in the story was in fact, himself in one of his past incarnations and that he gave them their powers.

Secrecy
While the existence of the Maidens was initially common knowledge, power-hungry individuals began to hunt them down in the hopes of inheriting their power. Because the consequences of these powers falling into the wrong hands would be potentially disastrous, a group was founded in order to protect both the Maidens and the people of Remnant.

The group decided to keep the Maidens secret from the public and allowed their existence to fade into myth and legend. This secrecy is still upheld by the current members of this group, which includes Ozpin, Qrow Branwen, Glynda Goodwitch, James Ironwood, Leonardo Lionheart and Theodore, the headmaster of Shade Academy. Raven is also aware of the secret.

Present Day


Ten years prior to the events of the series, a newly minted Spring Maiden abandoned her responsibilities and training, running away and going missing ever since. It was later revealed during "Haven's Fate", that she found herself in the company of Raven and her bandits. As worded by Raven, the previous Spring Maiden was not able to control her powers due to Raven's training or was not ready for the real world. Out of what she deemed mercy, Raven killed the girl and became the next Spring Maiden. Knowing she would be hunted, Raven had one of her tribesmen, Vernal, act as a decoy Spring Maiden and mastered her powers.

Sometime around the events of the "Black" Trailer, the previous Fall Maiden, a young woman named Amber, was attacked by Cinder Fall and her allies, Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai. Cinder used a mysterious glove to steal Amber's powers but was interrupted by Qrow, who severed the connection before Cinder was able to steal all of Amber's power. Cinder was able to escape, retaining the stolen portion of Amber's power. Amber was left comatose by the attack and was therefore placed on life support in a vault deep beneath Beacon Academy.

Ozpin feared that if Amber were to die, her powers might pass to her attacker, as she is likely to be the last person in Amber's dying thoughts. Alternatively, upon her death, the power might attempt to seek to reunite with its other half, also currently being held by Cinder. The possibility of a dangerous individual assuming the powers of the Fall Maiden has the potential to threaten the peace that Remnant has been experiencing.

In order to avoid this, Ozpin and his allies elect Pyrrha Nikos to become the next Fall Maiden. As the succession cannot occur by natural means, they plan to use experimental Atlesian technology to artificially transfer Amber's Aura, to which the Maiden's power is tied, to Pyrrha. However, the other consequences of this are unknown, and Ozpin states that Pyrrha may not be the same person after it.

After Vale comes under attack by Grimm and the White Fang in an attack orchestrated by Cinder and her allies, Pyrrha decides to undergo the transfer out of selflessness. Unfortunately, the procedure is interrupted when Cinder infiltrates the vault and shoots an arrow into Amber's chest, killing her and causing her power to reunite with its other half, completing Cinder's status as the new Fall Maiden.

During a temporary alliance to help destroy Haven and secure the next Relic, Cinder double crosses Raven and Vernal and attempts to siphon the Spring Maiden's power from Vernal, only to find out she attacked the wrong woman. Raven revealing herself as the true Maiden, she and Cinder duel, resulting in Cinder's defeat. Raven then opens the passage to the Relic of Knowledge, only for her daughter to dissuade her from taking it.

Upon arriving in Atlas, Ruby's group learns that the current Winter Maiden is in stable condition according to Winter Schnee, with Qrow clarifying that she's not a "spring chicken". Later, Winter shows her younger sister Weiss the Winter Maiden, Fria, an elderly woman who is on the verge of passing away with Ironwood allowing only Winter alone to see her, in the hopes that when Fria eventually passes that Winter will be in her final thoughts and the power will go to her.

Trivia

 * The idea for the Maidens was thought up by Monty Oum in between Volume 2 and Volume 3 and worked into the story.
 * The colors meant to correspond to each Maiden appear to differ between the show proper and RWBY: World of Remnant. Consistently, Winter is light blue and Spring is green. However, in "Fall", Summer was orange and Fall was purple, but in the World of Remnant episode "The Four Maidens", Summer is purple and Fall is orange. In "Heroes and Monsters", the power of the Fall Maiden appears to be orange when it passes from person to person.
 * According to Ozpin's Group, Cinder is the first person to have stolen a part of a Maiden's powers.
 * The age cutoff for gaining the Maiden powers has been stated to be unofficially around thirty years old.