The Wheel of Time Companion

by Robert Jordan

  Both men and women often wore their hair in braids—a braid over each ear, generally falling below the shoulders.

  There was a similarity between the Borderland and Aiel views of shame: by and large, shame was worse than guilt, the worst thing there was, though this view of shame ameliorated as you moved west. Arafellin saw shame as less important than did Shienarans, Kandori less than Arafellin, Saldaeans less than Kandori. In all of the Borderlands, though, shame was given a much heavier weight than in lands to the south.

  Arafellin would go to extremes to meet what they considered a debt of honor. In fact, in many ways, they were very close to Aiel in their beliefs, though without the formality of the Aiel ji’e’toh such as gai’shain.

  As a general rule, Arafellin were extremely touchy. In duels, the choice of weapons went to the challenged. The choices were sometimes odd, such as two men on horseback with bows, or two men fighting in a darkened room. Women had been known to fight duels in Arafel, but this was considered improper by the women themselves. Even women who had fought duels would have denied that it had been done. Although women’s duels rarely if ever involved swords, they did involve daggers, bows, lances and even whips.

  It was forbidden to hide your face inside any village, town or city in the Borderlands, as a protection against Fades. In Arafel and Kandor, unlike Shienar or Saldaea, these laws came to be modified to allow women to wear veils, though the veils were to be of lace or else transparent, making it clear that they did have eyes. Lamps were required along every street in every village, town and city in the Borderlands, as a protection against Fades.

  Arafel always had a king. The wife of the King was called the Queen, and was expected to rule in his place when he was on campaign. It was traditional in Arafel that certain matters were left in the hands and under the authority of the Queen at all times, even when the King was not campaigning.

  Arafel had a fair number of gemstone mines producing gemstones other than diamonds, most notably firedrops; and less important mines of rubies, emeralds and sapphires, and a moderate number of gold and silver mines. Timber and furs were major exports.

  Arafellin. A native of Arafel or a group of natives of Arafel.

  Aram. A young Tuatha’an. He was the grandson of Raen and Ila, born in 978 NE. He was about 5'10", slender and very handsome. Aram was attracted to Egwene, and danced and laughed with her. His mood became darker after Trollocs attacked the Tinker camp in the Two Rivers and his mother was killed. He gave up the Way of the Leaf and had Tam teach him the use of the sword, becoming very good very quickly, enough to press Tam while practicing. After leaving the Two Rivers, he practiced the sword incessantly with anyone who would work with him. Aram and Elyas Machera knew each other but got on poorly; Elyas disapproved of Aram forsaking Tinker ways. Aram had a corrupted sense of hero worship for Perrin, the man who told him it was all right to defend himself, to pick up a sword. Aram also worshipped Faile—she was Perrin’s wife, and thus the absolutely perfect woman. He was somewhat jealous of her entourage, and would not have minded at all if one of them had tried him with a sword, but he was ready to use the Prophet’s methods to find her after she was kidnapped. Aram showed none of the nervousness or wariness toward the Asha’man that so many others did, but neither did he show any particular friendliness. He was an engine without a governor; growing up totally shunning violence, he had little sense of how much was acceptable. He was as willing to accept the Prophet’s methods as he was Perrin’s. Eventually Aram was corrupted by Masema and killed by Shaido while he was attempting to kill Perrin at Masema’s urging.

  Aramaelle. One of the Ten Nations after the Breaking. Its capital was Mafal Dadaranell (later Fal Dara); other cities were Rhahime Naille, Anolle’sanna and Cuebiyarsande. Mabriam en Shereed was its queen at the time of the signing of the Compact of the Ten Nations.

  Aran son of Malan son of Senar. A respected Ogier author, born circa 50 AB, who wrote a manuscript claiming that Ishamael had been seen after the sealing of the Bore.

  Aran’gar. The name given to Balthamel after he was resurrected and put into a woman’s body; she assumed the name Halima Saranov. Her strength level was ++3. Although female, she still channeled saidin. Her body was slender and lush at the same time, of the sort that made men drool, with a swaying walk that made their tongues hang out. She was about 5'4" to 5'5" tall; her face was a perfect oval with large green eyes, framed by waves of black hair. She had a well-rounded bosom with a waist that was much smaller than her hips. Her hips were also well rounded, and her legs were long. Women often thought she looked like a woman dreamed by a particularly lascivious man. She seemed to have the same sort of look for men or women, challenging and smoky. Her smile was tempting, inviting, but Egwene, at least, thought this was just the shape of her mouth.

  She was able to deduce certain things about the way people behaved in the present time with a greater ability than the other Forsaken. She also believed that her knowledge of primitive cultures qualified her uniquely to understand what the world had become, and to rule it. As when she was a man, she had a wildfire temper that she often could not control, and she often did not try to. Halima had relatively little skill in Tel’aran’rhiod compared to most of the other Forsaken. As Balthamel, he had been a lover of the ways of the flesh even more than Aginor, and delighted in various perversions and excesses. Of course, after “he” became “she,” there were changes, although not as many as might have been expected. She found pleasure in pursuing men as she once did women, though usually for the purpose of causing trouble. She adapted to the female body and brain, and found sex with men quite pleasurable, though it wasn’t common knowledge that she had gone farther than sometimes outrageous flirting. But she retained her love of women, too; she was completely bisexual. She had no desire for pets, but wanted any pretty woman or man she saw.

  And she still wanted power, of course. While masquerading as Delana Mosvani’s secretary, she had handwriting like a child’s first attempts, awkward and ill-formed; she had had no time to learn any facility with the present script, and had little aptitude for it or desire to learn, either. She released Moghedien from the a’dam that was holding her prisoner in the camp, and told her she had been summoned to Shayol Ghul.

  Halima was with the rebels to promote chaos and disorder, and to control/guide/influence one of the major power centers, which any gathering of three hundred Aes Sedai had to be. She wanted to maintain the division in the White Tower, she wanted to increase tensions between the rebels and Rand, and she did not want any alliance, temporary or otherwise, between the rebel sisters and the Black Tower—at least, not unless it could be used in some way to worsen the break in the White Tower. Her claims regarding what her “friend” Cabriana Mecandes supposedly revealed to her about Elaida’s plans for the rebels gained weight once Elaida’s plans leaked out, since there was some congruence. She thought of claiming that Cabriana also had learned that Taim and Logain were Red Ajah setups, but this would have been looked at askance by Egwene, Siuan and Leane, who all knew that Logain, at least, had not been any such thing. At best, they would have thought that she was trying to pad her importance by claiming knowledge she didn’t have, and their belief in other things she said would have decreased. She said that Cabriana Mecandes had proof that Elaida was Black Ajah, but few believed her, since she wisely backed off when they began wanting to know what the proof was. Even if she had said that Cabriana said it straight out, most of the rebels would be sure she had gotten it wrong somehow.

  Halima became personal confidante to Egwene, and her head-rubs and massages were all that kept Egwene’s headaches—caused by Halima—at bay. Halima killed Egwene’s maids Meri and Selame because they were spies for Romanda and Lelaine; she didn’t want spies watching Egwene because they might have seen or overheard something that would have endangered her own position and safety. Chesa survived simply because she wasn’t a spy for anyone, just a maid. Halima followed Egwene to her meeting in Tel’aran’rhiod with
Elayne and Nynaeve in the Grand Hall of the Royal Palace, and learned a lot by eavesdropping, but she used a door and shut it too hard, alerting them to someone else’s presence.

  When Narishma told a meeting of the Sitters the story of Eben’s death, by saidin from a female Forsaken, Romanda connected the dots and ordered the arrest of Halima and Delana, but the two had already left from the Traveling grounds. The pair went to Graendal at Natrin’s Barrow. Aran’gar was killed when Rand balefired Natrin’s Barrow.

  In the Old Tongue aran’gar (lowercase) was a right-hand dagger in a form of dueling that was popular during the time leading up to the War of Power; both daggers were poisoned, and both participants usually died. See also Balthamel

  Arandaille, Balladare. An Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah who served as a weak Amyrlin from 115 to 142 NE. The Kavarthen Wars occurred during her reign.

  Arandi Square. A large square in the center of Bandar Eban.

  Aranvor Naldwinn. The Captain-General of the Queen’s Guard of Andor at the time of the Aiel War. He was chosen to lead on the third day of fighting in the Battle of the Shining Walls; he was killed on that day.

  Arathelle Renshar. The High Seat of House Renshar, a very powerful Andoran House. Her sigil was three golden wolfhounds on a field of red. Arathelle was beautiful when young; later she had a lined face, streaks of gray in her hair and a stern gaze. Twice widowed, she supported Morgase when she gained the throne. Under Rahvin’s influence, Morgase exiled her from Caemlyn. Aemlyn, Pelivar, Arathelle and Culhan were among the nobles who confronted the rebel Aes Sedai on the ice near the Murandy-Andor border. Arathelle supported Dyelin for the throne, but after Elayne took Caemlyn and Luan and Abelle stood for Elayne, Arathelle did as well.

  Aravine Carnel. An Amadician woman who was a gai’shain in Sevanna’s camp and the first in the camp to swear fealty to Faile. She was plump and plain, and her accents were cultured. She might have been a merchant of some note, or perhaps even a noble, before her capture; Faile thought the latter. She acquired more backbone as time went on and swore fealty to Faile because she was certain Faile would find a way to escape and wanted to be taken along. She was revealed to be a Darkfriend in the Last Battle when she turned Faile’s party and the Horn of Valere over to the Shadow; Faile killed her.

  Arawn. A noble House of Andor. Its High Seat was Naean Arawn; its sign the Triple Keys.

  Arawn, Naean. See Naean Arawn

  Archer, the. A constellation.

  Archers, The. An inn being built in Emond’s Field next to a smaller inn, presumably The Winespring Inn. Egwene and Elayne saw it while meeting in Tel’aran’rhiod the night before Egwene’s army was to move on Tar Valon.

  area, units of. 1) Land: 1 ribbon = 20 paces × 10 paces (200 square paces); 1 cord = 20 paces × 50 paces (1,000 square paces); 1 hide = 100 paces × 100 paces (10,000 square paces); 1 rope = 100 paces × 1,000 paces (100,000 square paces); 1 march = 1,000 paces × 1,000 paces (1/4 square mile). 2) Cloth: 1 pace = 1 pace and 1 hand × 1 pace and 1 hand

  Arebis. An Aes Sedai of the loyalist contingent who helped to capture Leane at Southharbor. She had a Warder, who spotted Leane’s boat before she was captured.

  Ared Mosinel. Rahvin’s name before he turned to the Shadow.

  Areina Nermasiv. A Kandori woman. Born in 978 NE, she was 5'4" tall, with blue eyes and dark hair that she took to wearing in a braid. Areina went to Illian to fetch her younger brother Gwil home; she never found him, but somehow she had found herself taking the oath as a Hunter, setting out to see the world while not quite believing the Horn of Valere existed, half hoping that somewhere she would find young Gwil and take him home. She was not exactly reluctant to talk about all that, but put the best face on it, sometimes shading the truth. She was chased out of several villages, robbed once and beaten several times. She was free with her tongue. Even so, she had no intention of giving up or seeking sanctuary, or a peaceful village. The world was still out there, and Areina meant to wrestle it to the ground. She met Elayne, Nynaeve, Thom and Juilin on Riverserpent and went with them to join the rebel Aes Sedai, though she could not channel. She formed an alliance with Nicola, who bonded her as her Warder, illegal though that was. The pair of them attempted to blackmail Egwene with their knowledge of Elayne and Nynaeve’s imposture as Aes Sedai while still only Accepted, but Egwene dissuaded them of that notion. Areina and Nicola together successfully—for a time—blackmailed Myrelle and Nisao over hiding Lan away from all the other sisters. Areina, sassy and insolent, admired power and warrior skills, and Birgitte became her role model, from whom she took archery lessons. She later tried to learn Lan’s skills from him. She and Nicola ran away together, got into Tar Valon and betrayed the plan to block the harbors, though neither knew how it was to be done, just that it would be, in the night. Nicola died, and Areina’s fate is unknown.

  Arel Malevin. A Cairhienin blacksmith who became an Asha’man and bonded Aisling Noon of the Green Ajah. He was a wide man barely as tall as Logain’s chest. Toveine saw him among those reporting to Logain, and he was present when Rand named the Asha’man and handed out the first pins. He and Aisling were with Rand at Algarin’s manor when the Trollocs attacked; afterward, they worked together to incinerate Trolloc corpses. Malevin was with Logain during the Last Battle.

  Aren Deshar. A former name of Far Madding.

  Aren Mador. The capital city of Essenia, one of the Ten Nations after the Breaking; later it became Far Madding.

  Arendor Haevin. The uncle and guardian of Catalyn Haevin of Andor.

  Arene. See Amellia and Jorin Arene

  Arent. An Ogier, the son of Halan and the father of Loial.

  Arganda, Gerard. See Gerard Arganda

  Arganya, Meilyn. See Meilyn Arganya

  Argirin Darelos den Turamon. An Illianer nobleman who was a member of the Council of Nine.

  Aridhol. The name of one of the Ten Nations and its capital. Other cities in the nation were Abor’maseleine and Cyrendemar’naille; its queen at the signing of the compact was Doreille Torghin. See also Shadar Logoth

  Aried. An Ogier of the distant past; his son Jalanda wrote of Be’lal.

  Arien. A one-inn village in Andor on the Caemlyn Road, between Whitebridge and Four Kings. This was the first place Rand and Mat performed at the local inn for their supper and bed, on their way to Caemlyn, following their escape from Shadar Logoth and the Trollocs.

  Arienwin, Lyrelle. See Lyrelle Arienwin

  Aril Corl. A woman who lived in Taien, Jangai Pass and survived the Shaido attack. Her husband was Ander; her brother, Tal Nethin.

  Arilinde Branstrom. An Andoran noblewoman and High Seat of House Branstrom. She was loyal to Elayne and brought fifty armsmen to support her. She was normally so ebullient that one would have thought that her armsmen would turn the tide of battle by themselves.

  Arilyn Dhulaine. A Cairhienin noblewoman who was part of the Gray Ajah’s eyes-and-ears network. She was slightly above the middle rank of nobility, and thus would have worn stripes nearly to her waist. Her sigil was a pair of silver stars above red and green stripes. Thom performed for a party of hers the night after he met Rand in Cairhien. Her mansion in the city was used by Coiren and the embassy sent by Elaida; Rand and Min were held there for a time. After Coiren took over her city mansion, Arilyn reportedly went to join her husband on a country estate. Cadsuane and her entourage later took over Lady Arilyn’s mansion, and possibly Lady Arilyn as well. Cadsuane did not like people trying to play too many sides, especially all at once. Arilyn’s mansion was where Cadsuane kept the High Lord Darlin and the Lady Caraline as “guests” until Dobraine freed them on Rand’s orders.

  Arimon Darengil. Selande’s brother, who was part of the Illian invasion army. He was a stocky young man who shaved the front of his head after the fashion of Cairhienin soldiers. He wore six stripes of color.

  Arin. A gate guard in Baerlon. When Moiraine and her party started to leave, a Watchman agreed to let them out and called Arin and Dar to get out the
re and help him open the gate.

  Arindrim. A wine-producing area. The Aes Sedai embassy that Elaida had sent to Cairhien to escort Rand back to the White Tower were staying with Lady Arilyn. Egwene went to the palace and, detecting channeling inside, used Air and Fire to replicate Moiraine’s eavesdropping trick on the inside, and heard that a vintage from Arindrim was to be served to the Aes Sedai.

  Arinelle, River. The river forming above Maradon and flowing south into the River Manetherendrelle below Whitebridge.

  Aringill. A border town filled with refugees in Andor, on the west bank of the River Erinin, which held an army garrison, protecting Andor’s eastern flank. Accommodations were expensive here. Across the river was the smaller Cairhienin town of Maerone. Aringill had long, tarred-timber docks, and was protected by high stone wingwalls. The main streets were paved with flat gray stones. The buildings were of every sort, wood and brick and stone all cheek by jowl, with roofs of tile, or slate, or thatch. A number of events took place here. When Elayne, Egwene and Nynaeve decided to go to Tear by boat, they thought that Elayne might be able to get a letter to her mother by giving it to someone in Aringill. Mat would get off a boat in Aringill and take the letter to Caemlyn. While in Aringill, Mat and Thom saved Aludra from being murdered. Comar told Rahvin, who wanted Elayne dead, that the vessel Elayne had been on had been found at Aringill, but that she had left it before reaching the town. After Caemlyn, Thom and Mat decided to go to Tear by boat from Aringill. Egwene had heard rumors that Andormen in Aringill had declared Dyelin queen. Dyelin proved how strong she was at Aringill by dispatching treasonous nobles. Elenia and Naean were held prisoner by Dyelin in Aringill, but were taken by Arymilla’s troops five miles outside of town on the way to Caemlyn.