The Light

The Emond's Field Company

Rand al'Thor

On the continent he is known as the Dragon Reborn. To the Aiel, he is He Who Comes with the Dawn, the Car'a'carn. To the Atha'an Miere, the Sea Folk, he is the Coramoor. Shadowkiller, Lord of the Morning, Prince of the Dawn, True Defender of the Light. His birth was heralded by Gitara Moroso, Aes Sedai and Keeper of the Chronicles. Her Fortelling of his birth is this: "He is born again! I feel him! The Dragon takes his first breath on the slope of Dragonmount! He is coming! He is coming! Light help us! Light help the world! He lies in the snow and cries like the thunder! He burns like the sun!" Gitara Sedai then died.

Rand was born on the last day of the Blood Snow, 978 NE, the famous battle at the end of the Aiel War, on the slopes of the Dragonmount, as prophesized. He was born to Tigraine Mantear, the former Daughter-heir of Andor who had fled to the Waste to become a Maiden, a woman warrior of the Aiel race. She had been convinced to flee by none other than Moroso herself, who said the world would be doomed if she did not. Tigraine, who renamed herself Shaiel, died moments after giving birth. His father was Janduin, an Aiel chief (the youngest in memory), who led the Shaarad, Reyn, Nakai and Taardad clans to kill Laman of Cairhien for his sin. When he heard Shaiel had died, he relinquished his leadership and went off to the Blight to fight Trollocs. He was killed by Slayer. Rand was found by a young Tam al'Thor, a man who, seeking adventure, had joined the Illian army and fought at the Blood Snow. He and his new wife, Kari al'Thor, took Rand back to Tam's home village, Emond's Field.

On Winternight, 998 NE, Trollocs attacked Emond's Field. Rand, his two friends Perrin and Mat, Egwene, Nynaeve, and Thom were led out of Emond's Field by Moiraine Damodred and her Warder, Lan Mandragoran. Lan began teaching Rand the sword; he has since achieved a high enough level of skill to be known as a blademaster. Along with Loial, the Ogier, Moiraine led them to the Eye of the World in the Blight. Rand killed Aginor there, tapping into the Eye's pure saidin. They proceeded to Fal Dara, where he was told he was the Dragon Reborn. Rand did not believe this. After the Horn of Valere was stolen, Rand, Mat, Perrin and Loial accompanied Lord Ingtar and the Shienarians to reclaim it. At the battle of Falme, Rand and Ba'alzamon fought in the sky, and he was proclaimed Dragon Reborn after his victory.

That winter, he camped with Moiraine, Perrin, Min and the Shienarians. Rand did not accept his fate. He journeyed to Tear alone, deciding this quest would end or begin his life. In the Stone of Tear, he took the blade Callandor, the Sword That Cannot Be Touched, and fulfilled a major prophecy, affirming his identity as Dragon Reborn in the minds of many. He then set out with Mat, Egwene and Moiraine to the Waste, seeking the endorsement of the Aiel as their Car'a'carn, literally a "chief of chiefs". He trapped Asmodean while there, and forced the Forsaken to teach him to use saidin. He travelled to Rhuidean, where he learned the truth of the Aiel. Leading the Aiel out of the Waste, he took Cairhien and Caemlyn, killing Rahvin.

He was than approached by embassies from Elaida and from the Salidar faction. Elaida's embassy kidnapped him and shielded him. He escaped at Dumai's Wells. He has since forced many Aes Sedai on both sides to swear fealty to him. He captured Illian with the help of Davram Bashere. Mazrim Taim, a former false Dragon, has aided Rand by establishing the Black Tower, which trains men to channel, becoming Asha'man. It is Rand's answer to the White Tower. Taim is the M'Hael, leader of the Tower, although his true intentions have yet to be revealed; it is speculated he is a Darkfriend, although it has been proved that he is not Demandred (a favorite theory among many readers).

Rand is bonded to his three lovers, Min Farshaw, Elayne Trakand, and Aviendha of the Nine Valleys sept of the Taardad Aiel. It is believed that Elayne is pregnant with his twins. He is advised mostly by Cadsuane Melaidhrin of the Green Ajah, and Sorilea, an Aiel Wise One. They have pledged to show him laughter and tears.

Rand had changed a great deal from the boy who left Emond's Field two years ago. He has gone from the stubborn boy who refused to accept he was anything more than a simple sheepherder, to an arrogant iron-willed man who sometimes seems to have lost all trace of humanity. Having grown up with the belief that men should protect women, he has memorized the name of every woman who has died for him (at one point spending an entire night among the corpses in the aftermath of a major battle) and often flagellates himself with the list and the associated guilt. Many worry about his sanity; others (most notably the aforementioned Cadsuane and Sorilea) worry about his humanity. Finally, it is interesting to note that as the books have progressed, he has become less involved in the narrative, though he remains the central character. Book 3, The Dragon Reborn, was in fact told almost exclusively from the points-of-view of Mat Cauthon, Perrin Aybara and Egwene al'Vere, despite the fact that it is undoubtedly about Rand (all three parties eventually follow him to Tear and are present when he pulls the sword Callandor from the Stone and proclaims himself the Dragon Reborn), and the following books have continued in following the adventures of other characters besides Rand.

Matrim Cauthon

Mat was something of a black sheep in Emond's Field. Though he, Rand and Perrin got into trouble quite a bit, Mat was generally the force behind it. A jokester and prankster, he can be very charming with women, and is fond of drinking and gambling; he also swears a lot. He was led away on Winternight with Moiraine and his friends, and it was revealed that he, Rand and Perrin were all ta'veren, the focal points around which the Wheel weaves. On their journey, they stopped in Shadar Logoth to lose the Trollocs chasing them. While the three explored the city, Mat's greed got the best of him and he took a jeweled dagger, not knowing everything in the damned city was poisonous, even the pebbles on the ground.

Later, in Fal Dara, Padan Fain stole the Horn of Valere and Mat's dagger. Mat needed the dagger to rid himself of its poison, but also to survive until the Aes Sedai could cure him. He journeyed with Rand, Perrin, Verin, Loial and Ingtar to Falme. On his journey, he discovered that Rand was the Dragon Reborn, and felt estranged from his old friend. In Falme, about to be overrun by the Seanchan, he blew the Horn of Valere, summoning Heroes from beyond the grave to fight for him. He is now bound to the Horn; it will work for no other as long as he is alive. He is destined to blow the Horn at Tarmon Gai'don. He journeyed to Tar Valon with Verin, Nynaeve, Egwene and Elayne. When he reached the White Tower he was almost dead from the dagger's blight, but the Aes Sedai broke the bond between him and the knife, though Mat almost died in the Healing. When he awoke, he found that he had many holes in his memory.

He left Tar Valon soon after his healing and went with Thom Merrilin to Caemlyn, where he happened to overhear Rahvin, disguised as Lord Gaebril, plotting to kill Elayne, Egwene and Nynaeve in Tear. He and Thom left for Tear, aided Rand in taking the Stone, and saved the three girls from the Black Ajah. After Rand had secured Tear, Mat, wandering through the Stone's collection of angreal and ter'angreal, went through a freestanding red stone doorway, which took him to the land of the Aelfinn, snakelike creatures with oracular powers. They prophesized he would: A) die and live once more as a part of what once was, B) marry the Daughter of the Nine Moons and C) give up half the light of the world to save the world. A bit unnerved, he followed Rand to Rhuidean along with Egwene, Moiraine and Lan. In the valley of Rhuidean, while Rand discovered his Aiel heritage, Mat found another red stone doorway, which brought him to the land of the Eelfinn, who resemble foxes. He was, however, expecting to get answers from the snake-people, so when the fox-people offered him wishes, he rather squandered them: he wished to A) have the holes in his memories filled, B) be free from Aes Sedai channeling and C), return to Rhuidean. All this came true. Mat now has the memories of countless historical military leaders, including a lot more than just battles; he has a foxhead medallion that causes flows of saidar to simply dissolve when applied to him; and when Rand finished his own business, he found Mat hanging by the neck in Rhuidean, suspended from a black-hafted spear set across two tree branches. The incident was not fatal, though Mat still has a scar around his neck; he also decided to keep the spear, and it has been his signature weapon ever since.

Because his memory is filled mostly with those of soldiers and generals, he remembers battles and strategies that have been lost for centuries. Mat is also extremely lucky at random chance. At games like dice, he wins 80% of the time. It must be random chance, though; for games of skill, like Stones, he must rely on his memories for help. (Rand and Perrin are also known to alter chance, but generally not to their favor; a man near Rand may fall out a fourth-story window and land without a scratch, but another may trip on a tuft of grass and break his neck.) By virtue of his luck and superior tactical knowledge, Mat found himself at the head of a military formation known as Shen an Calhar, the Band of the Red Hand. This army is personally loyal to Mat, believing that while he is at their head, they cannot be beaten.

Mat was roped into traveling to Ebou Dar with Elayne, Nynaeve and Aviendha. Queen Tylin quite enjoyed Mat's "company", although the feeling was not exactly mutual. He escaped Ebou Dar after it was conquered by the Seanchan, with Thom, Egeanin and Bayle Domon. For use as a hostage, he managed to obtain a Seachan noblewoman named Tuon--finding out too late that she is the Daughter of the Nine Moons, the woman he is fated to marry.

Rand may be the central character of the story, but Mat and Perrin are only slightly less important. They are critical parts of Rand's battle against the Shadow and should not be underestimated. For this reason, it should not be surprising that the books have begun to follow Mat's and Perrin's adventures independently of Rand's; at the time of Book 10, the three ta'veren all run their own major plotlines and campaigns. Mat, like Rand, has changed enormously over the course of the story. Originally the quintessential charming rogue, he has found himself in situations of more and more responsibility, most notably in the Battle of Cairhein where, attempting to simply leave the area and strike out on his own, he eventually becomes the a field general and singlehandedly secures victory for Rand's forces (Rand at the time has been knocked unconscious). He has discovered what Rand and Perrin already know--that the three of them must lead, and that the Wheel will push them into positions of authority no matter what they themselves want. He is now more comfortable in positions of responsibility, though he is still struggling against the last nail in the coffin of his carefree bachelor's life, his fated marriage to Tuon. Regardless, though, he remains probably the funniest character to simply read, as the situations he gets himself into, and the way those situations are expressed on paper, are rarely short of amusing. ("Nervous. Ha! Decent woman. Ha!")

Perrin Aybara

Perrin is a broad-shouldered, shaggy-haired man who was training to be a blacksmith before being forced to leave Emond's Field with Moiraine and his friends. When they became separated, Perrin and Egwene were travelling to Caemlyn when they met a man in the woods named Elyas Machera. Elyas was a Wolfbrother, a man who had wolf-like abilities and could speak with them telepathically. He recognized the latent ability in Perrin as well, and introduced him to a pack of wolves, which included Hopper and Dapple. Perrin's wolf name is Young Bull.

Communicating with the wolves changed Perrin somewhat. His eyes are now gold. He can also see, hear and smell better than any man, even to the point of smelling the emotions people are feeling. He can communicate in a form of telepathy with other wolves, summoning them to battle. He can also enter the World of Dreams easily. On top of this, he, like Rand and Mat, is ta'veren.

While following Rand's trail to Tear with Moiraine, Lan and Loial, he met a man in a small town whose brother was a Wolfbrother. Perrin went to see this man, who had to be locked in a shed and was dangerous to everyone. The man had gone too far with his abilities and forgotten his human side. He acted as if, and believed he was, a wolf. Perrin fears the same fate, although he has so far kept his powers in check. Also on that journey, he met Zarine Bashere, or Faile, whom he later married.

When Rand chose to go to the Waste, Perrin decided to investigate rumors that Whitecloaks had been terrorizing the Two Rivers. With Loial, Faile, and his Aiel friends Gaul, Bain and Chiad, they set out to Emond's Field to find Perrin's family dead, and not only Whitecloaks, but Trollocs in the area. He united the Two Rivers region and repelled both forces; for this, he became known as Lord Perrin Goldeneyes (much to his consternation). After spending Book 5 on his honeymoon, he raised an army and led them to Cairhein to help Rand, taking part in the battle of Dumai's Wells. Rand then sent Perrin and his Two Rivers men with Berelain and her Mayeners, Wise Ones, Aes Sedai and two Asha'man to find Masema, the so called Prophet in Ghealdan and bring him to Rand. The task was harder than expected, especially since Masema insisted on bringing his own army, and Perrin was attacked by the Shaido and Faile was taken captive. It is interesting to note that Perrin was a main character in the beginning of the series, but dropped off the radar completely in book five. More attention has been given to him in the latest books.

Perrin, like Rand and Mat, has found himself in ever-increasing positions of authority. In the Two Rivers, he stepped up because he simply knew what to do; but his people wanted a leader, and he became it. His obvious favor with the Lord Dragon and stout-hearted common sense have since won the respect of many. He is the only of the three men to be married (though Faile remains childless, something which cannot be said of Elayne), but, on the whole, he has changed little from the day he left Emond's field. Aside from leading his childhood friends to their deaths and keeping Rand sane and humane, his greatest challenge is in fending off Berelain sur Paendrag, the leader of the city-state of Mayene who has set her sights on him; she is forward enough to embarrass him, he is too polite to simply turn her down, and Faile looks on with jealousy in her scent. Rand, oblivious to this, persists in flinging the three together on various assignments.

Egwene al'Vere

She is a stunningly beautiful woman. A friend of Rand since childhood, they had been all but promised to each other. She fled with Rand and the rest on Winternight with Moiraine, who already saw the spark in her, and wished to bring her to Tar Valon to train. Egwene would one day be the strongest channeler the Tower had seen in a thousand years (with one exception). Before she had left, she was training to be a Wisdom and replace Nynaeve one day. After the events at the Eye of the World, Egwene and Nynaeve were brought to Tar Valon from Shienar, escorted by the Amyrlin and her entourage. During their training, Egwene and Nynaeve met Elayne Trakand and Min. They were all tricked into following Liandrin Sedai, a Red sister who turned out to be Black. She led them through the Ways and into Falme, where Egwene was given to the Seanchan to become a damane. The others managed to escape.

Egwene, always strong-spirited, hated being a damane more than anything. Her sul'dam, Renna, was cruel. Nynaeve, Elayne and Min managed to break in and rescue her. To this day, Egwene cannot stand the idea of being collared ever again. Verin Sedai brought them back to the Tower after the events at Falme. Egwene was thought to be a Dreamer, one who could easily enter the Tel'aran'rhiod, the World of Dreams, while sleeping. Egwene and Elayne were raised to the Accepted. Along with Nynaeve, they were charged with a top secret task: to hunt out the Black Ajah. While they had been away, Liandrin and twelve other Black sisters had fled the Tower after stealing many ter'angreal and killing a number of sisters and other Tower personnel. The three girls set out for Tear to find them. They were caught and captured, but Mat saved them.

Egwene parted with Elayne and Nynaeve and chose to follow Rand to the Waste, so she could learn from the Wise Ones how be a Dreamer. Although Aes Sedai know much more about saidar than the Wise Ones, the Wise Ones could take the Aes Sedai to school concerning Tel'aran'rhiod. Becoming an informal apprentice to the Wise Ones, she also took to heart ji'e'toh, the honor code of the Aiel. After the Tower-Salidar split, she was chosen by the Hall of the Salidar Tower to become their Amyrlin Seat, in opposition of Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan, who sat in the White Tower. The Salidar Hall cited her as a fresh face who had not been involved in the Breaking of the Tower, and strong in the One Power. In reality, certain members of the Hall wanted mostly to use her as a puppet.

She has raised an army with the help of Gareth Bryne, the brilliant general who used to be in service of Queen Morgase of Andor (mother of Elayne Trakand and, nominally, ruler of the Two Rivers). Egwene is leading her sisters and army to war against Elaida. When last we saw her, she was camped outside Tar Valon and had been kidnapped. Her Keeper is Sheriam Bayanar of the Blue, but she is mainly advised by Siuan Sanche (the Amyrlin Elaida deposed).

Stout-hearted and proud, Egwene has been a major character from the first page of the series. Though she and Rand have since severed their romantic ties (Rand having his harem and Egwene now enamored of Gawyn Trakand, Elayne's older brother), they remain good friends, and she is perhaps the only person in existence who can go head-to-head with the 'new' steel-hearted Rand (not to mention Nynaeve). Her situation as Amyrlin is easy to identify with, as almost every reader has felt hemmed in by condescending superiors and annoying rules, which are what she battles with on a daily basis. And when not fighting the Hall of the Tower, she spends her time desperately sorting through her oracular dreams, searching for scraps of information to aid Rand in the battle against the Shadow.

el'Nynaeve Mandragoran

Nynaeve al'Meara, formerly Wisdom of Edmond's Field (a wise woman who knows healing herbs), now Aes Sedai of the Yellow Ajah, is one of the strongest female channellers in the world, surpassed only by Alivia- an ex-damane- and perhaps some of the female Forsaken. Her strengths in the Power have to do with Healing, so she is especially strong in Spirit. Unfortunately Nynaeve is virtually untrained in some aspects of the One Power; she is a self-taught "wilder" and came to the Tower as a novice at the same age that some women promoted to full Aes Sedai. She also suffered a mental block that kept her from channeling unless she was violently angry, although this is now broken.

When Moiraine left the Two Rivers with Rand, Mat, Perrin and Egwene in tow, foul play was suspected and Nynaeve was dispatched to retrieve the youngsters. Instead, she found herself drawn into the adventures, despite her intense dislike of Moiraine Sedai--a dislike that was only amplified when Moiraine offered Nynaeve a chance to go to the White Tower and train her abilities in the One Power. At the Eye of the World, Nynaeve and Egwene discovered Rand could channel; perhaps because of this, and also because of the seductive call of saidar, Nynaeve agreed to go to the Tower, where she was immediately promoted from novice to Accepted, by virtue of her sheer strength in the Power. She went with Egwene to Falme and the Stone of Tear; she was also the first in the series to 'rediscover' balefire, a weave so potent it was banned during the War of Power.

After Rand had consolidated his holdings at the Stone, Egwene abandoned the Black Ajah chase to learn about Dreaming in the Aiel Waste; Nynaeve and Elayne continued the quest along with Juilin Sandar (a friend Mat had made in Tear) and Thom Merillin. The clues the Black Ajah left in the Stone of Tear all pointed to the city of Tanchico; Nynave and Elayne went, hoping that, if it was a trap, they'd have enough warning to escape it. The Darkfriends had taken possession of Panarch Amathera of Tarabon, one of the city's two rulers; Nynaeve and Elayne went in to rescue her, and also to retrieve some ter'angreal they had learned were in the palace. While hunting for those artifacts, Nynaeve happened upon the true driving force behind the Black sisters: Moghedien, one of the dreaded Forsaken. The two dueled, Nynaeve expecting unstoppable death at any moment... Until she realized that Moghedien was just as scared. The two were equally matched in terms of strength. By using one of the artifacts as a distraction, Nynaeve managed to shield and bind Moghedien, but a Black Sister soon intervened and Moghedien disappeared. The two have developed an immense emnity of each other, possibly because they see a little too much of themselves in each other.

With chaos reigning in Tanchico, Nynaeve and Elayne set out for the White Tower--only to receive news that it had broken, that Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan, a Red sister (and former advisor to Queen Morgase), had deposed reigning Blue Siuan Sanche, and the Tower had split in opposition. The group changed course to Salidar. When Egwene was made Amyrlin despite not actually being a full Aes Sedai (instead, she was a lowly Accepted), she immediately decreed that Nynaeve and Elayne be similarly promoted--ostensibly to make Egwene herself less of an oddity, but really because she needed all the dependable faces she could get. In the meanwhile, Nynaeve spent time with Suian Sanche, the deposed and stilled former Amyrlin ('stilled' being a term to describe a woman who has been permanently severed from the Source), as well as her similarly-treated Keeper of the Chronicles, Leane Sharif. Stilling had been previously considered impossible to heal, but Nynaeve managed it, making her (at least for a moment) the pride of the Yellows.

When Rand dispatched Mat to return Egwene and Elayne to him, Egwene instead assigned him as an escort to Nynaeve, Elayne and Aviendha, and sent them (along with Tom and Juilin) to Ebou Dar for the Bowl of the Winds, an ter'angreal that could change the weather and possibly break the unnatural summer the Dark One had imposed on the world. While in Ebou Dar, Moghedien struck at her with intent to kill, resulting in Nynaeve almost drowning; in order to save herself, she had to surrender to saidar completely, and when Lan suddenly appeared to help her out of the water, her block was gone. It was the first time Nynaeve and Lan had been in each other's company since before Moiraine's death; Nynaeve had no intention of wasting time. They were married later that day.

After forming a coalition of Aes Sedai, Sea Folk Windfinders and Tower expulsees (organized into a group called the Kin), Nynaeve and Elayne led an expedition into the Rahad, a dangerous 'downtown' area of Ebou Dar, to retrieve the Bowlof the Winds. They succeeded, capturing a member of the Black Ajah they had been sent after in Book 3 as an added bonus, and then used the Bowl to change the weather to the end-of-year-appropriate winter (which, unfortunately, the Dark One immediately turned to his advantage by keeping it sustained unnaturally).

After the coalition of channelers fleeing to Caemlyn to avoid the Seanchan invasion, Nynaeve was recruited by Rand for a major project: he had discovered a way to cleanse the male half of the True Source. To do it, he would need the strongest female channeler he knew of--Nynaeve--and likewise the strongest male--himself. They succeeded, though both required some time to recover from the intense experience of channeling huge amounts of Power for hours on end.

Nynaeve possesses a violent temper and finds it hard to admit her mistakes; her stubborn ways are a source of exasperation to some readers, and just about the only character more disliked is Perrin's wife Faile. Her marriage to Lan appears to have calmed her down a bit, however, and she has not been so much of the focus of recent novels.

Other Main Characters

Moiraine Damodred

Moiraine Damodred, an Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah, is the character who started the unravelling of the events that comprise the series. She was born in Cairhien to royal blood, where she lived with her uncle, King Laman. She left for the tower at the age of 16 after discovering she posessed the spark on her own. There she became friends with Suian Sanche, a friendship that would last for the rest of her life. They were quick learners, and were raised to the shawl in 6 years, passing all the tests at their first attempt. She was considered one of the most strongest sisters. However, an event during their time as Accepted changed them forvever. One night, during the Battle of the Shining Walls, the last battle of the Aiel War which took place just outside of Tar Valon, they were attending to the then Amrylin and her Keeper, Tamra Ospenya and Gitara Moroso. They were present when Gitara, who posessed the fortelling, stood up suddenly and Foretold the coming of the Dragon Reborn, and than died. Moiraine and Siuan decided soon after to find the Dragon themselves, knowing he would save the world but others, including Aes Sedai, may fear.

After 19 years of searching, Moiraine came to the town of Emonds Field in the Two Rivers, Western Andor, with her Warder Lan. Together they led Rand, Mat, Perrin, Egwene, Tom and Nynaeve out of the town after Trollocs had attacked in search of Rand. During The Great Hunt, she confided to Siuan and Verin Mathwin that she knew Rand was the Dragon Reborn. While she did not accompany Rand on his quest for the Horn, she placed the flag of the Dragon Reborn with his gear. Their relationship has always been strained; Moiraine dedicated her life to finding him, and hoped that he would depend on her alone. As time passed, their relationship became more and more strained, with Rand resenting her to her face. Moiraine became angered that he had enlisted Asmodeans help, a Forsaken, although mostly because he didn't tell her. She wrote a letter to Rand in anger, and later possibly saved his life, when Lanfear confronted him at the docks in Cairhien. She lunged at Lanfear, sending them both flying into one of the twisted doorway ter'angreal, trapping them in the land of the Foxes. Her bond with Lan was broken, so she was assumed dead, although Lanfear was reincarnated later. It could be that she is still alive; most speculate she is in the Tower of Ghenji, which has no visible entrance.

However, viewings of Min's (Elmindreda Farshaw, who possesses the gift of seeing the future), suggest that Moiraine may still have a part to play, and raise doubts about her death. Min thought that that Rand could not be succesful without Moiraine.

al'Lan Mandragoran

al'Lan Mandragoran is the last surviving King of Malkier. His people were overrun by the Blight when he was but a baby. We see Lan (as he is called) in the main series first in The Eye of the World. At the time, he was Moiraine's Warder. During the trip, he and Nynaeve fell in love, but his duty was ever to Moiraine; when their paths split after Tear, he went with his Aes Sedai to the Aiel Waste. This led to Moiraine's and Lanfear's passing at the doorframe ter'angreal.

When a Warder's Aes Sedai dies, the Warder is usually quick to follow, but Moiraine prevented this by altering their bond so that, upon her death, it would pass to another. Almost the moment she was lost, Lan set out to find this other, specifically Myrelle of the Green Ajah... Who happened to be with the Salidar rebels, under Egwene's command. When Egwene found out, she told Lan to go to Ebou Dar, where Nynaeve was hunting the Bowl of the Winds; he did so immediately. (What Egwene did to Myrelle is another story entirely.) He was there when Moghedien attempted to kill Nynaeve with balefire (though she missed and instead sliced through the boat Nynaeve was in) and helped to rescue her from the water. The two were married before the day's end, aboard a Sea Folk ship Nynaeve had been sent in embassy to. The Sea Folk have amusing customs regarding marriage: since a husband and wife may change rank in relation to each other many times, the spouse who is superior in public is inferior in private. This has resulted in Nynaeve losing quite a bit of her temper, though most (e.g. Mat Cauthon) believe Lan insane for having married her in the first place.

Elayne Trakand

Daughter-Heir of Andor, youngest child of Queen Morgase. Currently Elayne Trakand of the Green Ajah. She was to be the first Aes Sedai on the throne of Andor in a thousand years, and she is as strong as Egwene in the One Power; only Nynaeve, a few of the Forsaken and possibly series newcomer Alivia stand above them in terms of sheer capacity. She and Egwene became close friends during their time as novices, and Elayne was present at Falme and the Stone of Tear. At that point the trio parted ways, and Elayne went with Nynaeve to Tarabon. They traveled by way of a Sea Folk ship, reputedly the fastest ships available, and Elayne quickly discovered how: Sea Folk windfinders can channel. Elayne promised to keep this secret, as the Sea Folk fear Aes Sedai meddling. Sent by Mat and Rand to look after the two were Juilin Sandar and Thom Merrilin, whom Elayne soon recognized from dusty childhood memories as her mother's former lover. She has come to see Thom as a surrogate father, a role he gladly accepts.

On the way back from there to Salidar, a bizarre series of events led to Birgitte Silverbow, one of the Heroes of the Horn, being ripped from Tel'aran'rhiod and expelled into the waking world to die. To save her, Elayne bonded Birgitte as her Warder, and the famed archer has been a constant companion since. The group arrived in Salidar just in time to receive the brand new Amyrlin Seat, Egwene al'Vere. Elayne went with Nynaeve, Aviendha and Mat to Tanchico, and after using the Bowl of the Winds, shepherded the entire group of channelers to Caemlyn when the Seanchan invaded. She is now one of several parties jockeying for the throne in her mother's absence and supposed death.

Elayne is one of three women who loves Rand al'Thor, and is close friends with the other two (Aviendha and Min); the three have agreed to share him, and recently Bonded him as their mutual Warder (mostly for the side effect of being able to tell what the other person is feeling). Shortly after that, she and Rand found some time together alone in a room with a bed; according to Min's visions, she is now carrying Rand's children, twins.

Where Egwene is earthy and direct, Elayne has a sweeter tongue and disposition, and is slightly more worldly due to her upbringing the Court of Caemlyn; for the most part, though, the two sound much the same on the page. Amusingly enough, in sharing her hopes and dreams with Egwene, Elayne would sometimes preface them with "When you are Amyrlin Seat and I am the Queen of Andor..."

Thomdril Merrilin

Not much of his early life is known, although he was Bard to the young Lady Morgase of House Trakand. He helped her ascend to the throne of Andor and became her Court Bard, and was renowned in noble circles in most nations. He thwarted Taringails plan to kill Morgase and killed him. He and Morgase became lovers. Somewhere during this time, Thom discovered his nephew was being pursued by the Red Ajah for channeling, but he chose not to seek him out because of his duties with Morgase.

The issue of Owyn, his nephew, returned and he dissapeared to help him. When he returned, Morgase was angry with him for leaving- a fight ensued, and Thom said she was a spoiled baby and tool of the White Tower. He left, barely dodging the execution block. With his talents of Court Bard, he became a gleeman and journeyed across the land, performing in inns and villages. He just so happened to be in Emonds Field on the night when Trollocs attacked and Moiraine arrived. He went with Rand, Mat, Perrin and Egwene, fearing that they would succumb to the same fate Owyn had by following Moiraine, and felt he had to repay the failure he had made to his nephew. When the company was split up, he stayed with Rand and Mat, and seemingly sacrificed his life to protect them from a Myrdraal in Whitebridge. He did not die, but was left with a limp. Rand later found him in Cairhien during the The Great Hunt, and soon after Thom's girlfriend was murdered.

Depressed, he drowned himself in liquor in Tar Valon, where Mat found him after escaping from the Tower in The Dragon Reborn. They rejoined the company in Tear after the Fall of the Stone. Thom, along with Juilin, was asked to take care of Nynaeve and Elayne when they journeyed to Tanchico. They followed them on their quest until Ebou Dar, where Thom and Juilin stayed with Mat and helped him escape with Tuon.

He is described as fairly old, whit white hair and a long moustache. Hot headed, but generally kind and considerate, and hates the Red Ajah. He is supposedly linked to saving Moiraine.

Loial son of Arent son of Halan

Well named, for his nature is loyalty. Like all Ogier, he is slow and methodical in his thought; haste leads to waste appears to be his people's motto. However, when roused to anger, he is an implacable enemy. He is 90 years old, at a stage of development roughly corresponding to that of a 15-year-old human; he is considered very excitable by his people. Very well read, he is a rarely without a choice bit of arcane history to offer, whether concerning humans or Ogier, and he carries books on his person at all times. He left the stedding at a young age to the disapproval of his elders, wanting to see more of the world; he befriended Rand al'Thor in Caemlyn and accompanied the party from the Eye of the World to the Stone of Tear, witnessing the rise of the Dragon Reborn. From that point on, he accompanied Perrin to the Two Rivers and aided in its defense, and also fought at Dumai's Wells. Only recently have the two parted company: while Perrin headed into Ghealdan to deal with the Prophet of the Dragon, Loial agreed to take an Asha'man, Kaldin, to visit the stedding, where the One Power cannot go (historically, the insane men of the Breaking visited the stedding to gain some reprieve from the spread of madness). Loial returned, since it is his ambition to write the definitive book about this turn of the Wheel's War of Power. When historians speak of Rand al'Thor, it will be Loial son of Arent son of Halan that they cite most frequently and most often. The other reason Loial is not likely to remain the stedding is that his mother, in an attempt to settle him down, negotiated a marriage for him while he was away. Loial, for his part, does not feel ready for the traditional ball and chain and will go to great lengths to avoid his mother; on the other hand, he has met his wife-to-be, Erith, and is clearly enamored of her. Regardless, it appears that the two may not be wedded for some time.

Elmindreda Farshaw

Known for the first six books as Min, she is a woman some two years older than Rand. She met Rand at Baerlon, around the same time Nynaeve first caught up with and was caught up by the group, and managed to unnerve Rand thoroughly, not only by being a very attractive woman whose hair is cut short like a boy's and wears men's clothing, but also with her oracular visions. Min is privy to flashes of visual insight she calls "viewings"--for instance, whenever she sees Rand, Mat or Perrin, she sees him surrounded by a vast, trackless darkness, while countless thousands of fireflies dart in and out, trying to fill the void; when two or more of them stand near each other, the fireflies get stronger. The symbology of this viewing is relatively obvious, but most of them are much harder to decode (Why does Mat evoke a banner with a red eagle? Why does Perrin have both a hawk and a falcon stooping on his shoulder? Why is Rand pouring water on sand? Whose heavy golden ring floats above Nynaeve's hand? Why is a white flame connected with Egwene?). Whether she knows the meaning or not, however, they always come true... And there are a lot of them.

After the Eye of the World, Moiraine summoned Min to the White Tower for safekeeping, something the free-spirited Min did not appreciate at all. She went with Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve to Falme, and stayed with Rand and the Shienarans that winter, while the novices travelled back to the Tower with Mat; but when Rand disappeared one morning, heading for Tear, Moiraine remanded Min to the Tower as well. Min arrived just in time for the coup against Siuan Sanche, and she later helped Siuan, Leane, and now-gentled former False Dragon Logain Ablar to escape to Salidar, where she was reacquainted with Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve. When the latter two departed for Ebou Dar, Min set out for Cairhein to meet Rand; she has been at his side ever since.

One vision Min had, early on, was one that she was able to interpret quickly: that she would fall in love with the Dragon Reborn. And not just her; two other women as well. The face of one of them she recognized: a friend she had made in the White Tower, a novice named Elayne Trakand. (The two agreed to share him in Salidar, a decision made easier by their strong friendship.) The other she did not recognize. (It was Aviendha, who ironically had promised to Elayne to keep anyone from getting their hands on Rand.) Struggle against it though she might, Min did fall in love with Rand, becoming the second of his women to become his lover (after Aviendha), and she now plays an important role in his life: she is one of the only people in the world who can get him to smile, and certainly the only one he keeps nearby (Elayne and Aviendha being busy in Caemlyn). He has tried to send her away, citing the danger in staying near him (for instance, a rogue Asha'man attack aimed at him summarily melted a quarter of the Sun Palace in Cairhein), but she has steadfastly refused. She also reports any viewings she has that might help him... And there are a lot of them. If only she knew what most of them meant.

Aviendha (of the Nine Valleys sept of the Taardad Aiel)

A Maiden of the Spear, an Aiel warrior woman who marries her weapon; also a member of the Taardad clan of the Aiel. She was one of the Aiel who ventured out of the Aiel Waste, across the Dragonwall and into the so-called "wetlands" in search of the Car'a'carn, He Who Comes With The Dawn. They aided Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve on their travels and eventually ended up at the Stone of Tear when Rand took Callandor. There Aviendha befriended the three women, most especially Elayne. While she would have gladly accompanied her new near-sister to Tanchico to hunt Darkfriends, she was summoned back to Rhuidean. Making the best of it, she promised Elayne to keep Rand unattached (Egwene and Elayne having just worked out a mutual plan to make him see where his interest lay) and departed, arriving in the company of Rand, Egwene, Moiraine and Lan. Aviendha had been summoned because she could learn to channel, and would be trained to join the ranks of the Aiel Wise Ones. She is about as strong in the Power as Elayne and Egwene. She remained with the Aiel during Rand's campaign against the Shaido in Cairhein, and assisted in his strike against Rahvin in Caemlyn. During this time, she was forced to admit her attraction to him, especially after he followed her quite literally to the ends of the earth; she was the first woman he knew biblically. After Rahvin's demise, however, Rand foisted her off on Mat--not to break their mutual attraction (he himself was having trouble deciding whether Elayne or Aviendha dominated his attentions, and Min kept prancing through his thoughts as well) but rather because any woman near him would be in danger, and he couldn't stand to see her hurt. They arrived at Salidar and Aviendha agreed to accompany Elayne and Nynaeve to Ebou Dar; she assisted in the use of the Bowl of the Winds. Now safely in Caemlyn, she has finally had a chance to meet Min Farshaw, the woman who will have to become her near-sister; they seem to have gotten along (at least sort of--the mutual Warder bond transmitted Rand's impressions of getting to know Elayne biblically, eventually driving Min and Aviendha, as well as Birgitte who was privy to Elayne's half through their Warder bond, to the wine bottle). She and Elayne have also formally become first-sisters, an Aiel ceremony that invokes a Power-wrought connection not unlike a Warder bond. She remains now in Caemlyn, safeguarding Elayne and her newly-conceived twins.

Logain Ablar

A man who can channel strongly but not exceptionally so, he declared himself as the Dragon Reborn shortly before the books started. Midway through the first book he is captured and his ability to channel is removed. After this we see him briefly in the next two books, always depressed, with someone keeping him from killing himself.

His luck changes during the revolt in the White Tower. He escapes with Min and Siuan Sanche, thanks to a promise of revenge on the Red Ajah. Siuan begins to spread rumors that he was set up by the Red Ajah, which, while false, Logain supports with happiness. He regained his ability to channel thanks to a new discovery of Nyneave's. Egwene sets him free and he joins Rand's group of channelers, the Asha'man.

We do not see him for a few more books, but when he reappers he has bonded two of the captured Aes Sedai, one as his lover. He leads the Asha'man still loyal to Rand, putting him at odds with Mazrim Taim. When the Dragon Reborn goes missing he gathers up a small army to find Rand. Despite his slight arrogance he supports Rands thoroughly.

Siuan Sanche

The sharp-tongued daughter of a fisherman from Tear, Siuan Sanche joined the White Tower at the same time as Moiraine Damodred. Both ended up choosing the Blue as their Ajah and they plotted a scheme to ensure that the Dragon Reborn will win the Final Battle by allowing him to roam the world unleashed with an Aes Sedai guide by his side. At the beginning of the saga, Siuan is the Amyrlin Seat, secretly supporting Moiraine's machinations of Rand al'Thor.

All that came to a halt when Elaida discovered Siuan and Moiraine's scheme and overthrew her. As punishment for "endangering the White Tower", Siuan and her Keeper, Leane, were stilled and slated for execution. They managed to escape with the help of Min and ended up with Logain in their party as they searched for the rebel Aes Sedai.

Siuan fell afoul of the disgraced Andoran general, Gareth Bryne, when Logain assaulted the owner of and set fire to the farmhouse barn they were sheltering in. Under a false name, Siuan gave an oath of servitude to Bryne but then escaped with the others. Bryne, in a moment of folly, pursued her to Salidar, where the rebel Hall immediately made him the commander of their armies. Siuan was thus forced to pay off her debt to Bryne, a fact that annoys her as much as the fact that she feels strongly attracted to him. (It seems to be mutual.)

In Salidar, Siuan managed to put herself in a position of power through the spy network she had maintained as Amyrlin and could still access. Her stilling was Healed by Nynaeve al'Meara, and although her strength is far less than before, giving her a low social rank among the Aes Sedai, she was welcomed back to the shawl and has been reinstated as a member of the Blue. She eventually came to serve Egwene al'Vere as a trusted adviser in their fight against Elaida, schooling the hurriedly raised young Amyrlin Seat in the skills she herself learned during her tenure in that position. She firmly believes in the importance of allowing Rand al'Thor to stretch and learn his skills instead of leashing and chaining him the way Elaida intended to.