- Avendesora
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Avendesora, or The Tree Of Life, is a recurring object in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series.
Avendesora is the last cutting remaining from the chora trees that lined the streets of Paaren Disen, in the Age of Legends. Chora trees are distinguished by their tri-foil leaves and the feeling of contentment a person gets when under one's branches. All chora trees except one were destroyed during the Breaking of the World.
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Significance
Avendesora is symbolic to the many of the residents of the Westlands, in particular the Ogier and the Aiel. It is described as being "hundreds of spans high" with wide spreading branches and unusual trefoil leaves. Until recently, the whereabouts of Avendesora have been a mystery. However, it was revealed by Rand al'Thor in The Shadow Rising that Avendesora is located in the center of Rhuidean, a city located in the Aiel Waste. During a battle beneath the tree in Rhuidean with Asmodean, one of the Forsaken, Rand set Avendesora alight, and just after, Rand believed that he had killed it. However, Moiraine Damodred revealed soon after that the tree was still alive, if barely harmed. In the Towers of Midnight, Aviendha visits Rhuidean and observes that the Tree of Life has almost completely recovered from the harm taken.
Avendoraldera and the Aiel War
A cutting from Avendesora, named Avendoraldera, was given by the Aiel to Cairhenien nobility as a gift for the mercy bestowed upon their ancestors by the nobles in Cairhien. It grew in the palace grounds for many generations until King Laman cut it down to make himself a throne like no other that had ever been seen. When the Aiel learned of this, they crossed the Spine of The World (or Dragonwall) and started the Aiel War, not stopping until they had killed Laman, before they returned across the Dragonwall to the Aiel Waste. They did not cross it again until the coming of the Car'a'carn.
References
External links
Categories:- The Wheel of Time
- Fictional trees
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