Moiraine Damodred

Moiraine Damodred (pronounced mwah-RAIN [1]) is one of the main characters of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. She is an Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah and is the niece of King Laman Damodred of Cairhien.

Description

Moiraine is first described in The Eye of the World as having large, dark eyes and dark hair hanging in ringlets. She was known to wear a delicate gold chain fastened in her hair to support a small, sparkling blue stone in the middle of her forehead. She described herself as impetuous and hot-tempered when a youth in her native Cairhein, but after years of being Aes Sedai she is often described as being possessed of an iron-clad self-control. Robert Jordan describes her as being about 5 feet tall. Rand, Mat and Perrin all described her as one of the most beautiful women they have ever seen. (When Perrin walks in on her wearing nothing but a robe during a scene in The Dragon Reborn, he is amazed by how beautiful she is.)

Origins

Moiraine Damodred was born in Cairhien in 956 NE and, as niece to King Laman, spent a lot of time in the Sun Palace. At age 16 she left for the White Tower to become an Aes Sedai. As a novice, she became friends, and for a time "pillow-friends" (a term with sexual connotations [2]) with a young woman named Siuan Sanche. Both were quick learners, passed all their rituals on their first attempts, and attained the shawl in six years. They were among the strongest channelers of their day.

During the Aiel War

Both Moiraine and Siuan were Accepted in 978 NE, during the Blood Snow. On this day, the Aiel War came right up to the banks of the River Erinin, outside Tar Valon itself, where her uncle Laman had retreated with the remainder of his Cairhienin forces. During the battle, the two attended to the Amyrlin, Tamra Ospenya, and her Keeper of the Chronicles, Gitara Moroso. That day, Moroso, who had the ability of Foretelling, was possessed by such a strong vision that, after managing to yell out its contents, died. What she Foretold was that, at that very moment, on the slopes of Dragonmount, the Dragon had been reborn.

Moiraine and Siuan made a pact soon after: they would find the Dragon Reborn and guide him. They knew that he was the only one who could save the world from the Dark One and that others would fear him and try to hinder him — if not kill him outright. The Dragon Reborn, though "necessary," was not the most celebrated of saviors.

Married to her Quest

Shortly after being raised to full Aes Sedai and joining the Blue Ajah, Moiraine traveled to the Borderlands. There she met al'Lan Mandragoran, the uncrowned king of dead country Malkier. Together they uncovered a member of the Black Ajah, Merean Redhill, and Moiraine eventually revealed to Lan all the secrets she had uncovered so far relating to the Dragon Reborn. They agreed to form a Bond, and Lan became Moiraine's Warder. For twenty years, they hunted for the boy who would become the Dragon Reborn. Eventually, they came to the village of Emond's Field in the Two Rivers region of Andor. Moiraine had narrowed her search to three boys in that area. Her suspicions were confirmed when, on Winternight, Trollocs invaded the Two Rivers. She and Lan planned to lead the three boys — Rand al'Thor, Mat Cauthon and Perrin Aybara — plus a few others (Thom Merrilin and Egwene al'Vere) to the safety of the White Tower. However, the Shadow had picked up their scent, and they were forced to take a back route. Their journey took them to Shienar and the Eye of the World, where Rand channeled consciously for the first time. Soon after, Moiraine knew she had found the Dragon Reborn.

Guide to Prophecy

Moiraine sent word immediately to Siuan, who by this time was the Amyrlin Seat of the White Tower, and the two of them (with the unexpected help of Brown Ajah member Verin Mathwin) confronted Rand with his destiny. From then on, Moiraine left Rand's side as little as possible. The only time she was not at his side was during a short period of time leading up to the events at the Stone of Tear, when Rand sneaked away and fled to Tear, to see if he could draw the sword Callandor and fulfill an important part of prophecy or if he was only a False Dragon. Despite his success, Rand resented what he saw as interference and manipulation on Moiraine's part. Though she seemed to be trying to help him, Aes Sedai usually get what they want and keep their plans to themselves. Finally, after his journey to Rhuidean in the Aiel Waste and his announcement that he was the Car'a'carn, Rand managed to compromise with Moiraine: He agreed to listen to Moiraine as long as she limited her role to that of an advisor.

The Lesser Sadness

Unfortunately, Moiraine and Rand's cooperation was short-lived. Just before setting out for the city of Caemlyn to confront the Forsaken Rahvin, Moiraine gave Rand two letters, one for himself and one for Thom Merrilin. Then she took Rand, Mat, Egwene, Aviendha, and Lan to the docks of Cairhien. Unexpectedly, the Forsaken Lanfear emerged, enraged that her beloved Lews Therin (aka, Rand) had taken a lover besides herself. Rand, though he knew he faced certain death, could not bring himself to harm a woman. Moiraine took matters into her own hands. The twisted redstone doorway ter'angreal they had taken from Rhuidean was nearby, and Moiraine shoved Lanfear through it, ending her assault but also ending both their lives — neither she nor Lanfear ever reemerged from the doorway (which immediately caught on fire and began to melt). Lan reported that he could no longer feel her through their Warder bond. Because Moiraine had altered their bond so that Lan would "belong" to another Aes Sedai after her death, Lan left immediately, if unhappily, to seek out Myrelle Berengari of the Green Ajah. Later, Lanfear is reincarnated by the Dark One into Cyndane, but Moiraine remains missing.

Rand's letter reveals why. While in Tear, Moiraine had entered the almost-twin of the redstone doorway she had fallen through, one that allowed her to ask three questions and receive three true answers (as opposed to the Rhuidean doorway, which was used to gain three favors). Also, in Rhuidean, she had visited the Aiel ter'angreal used to test girls who wanted to become Wise Ones. She learned that if they were not all at the Cairhien docks the day Lanfear was defeated, Rand would be doomed. Knowing she had to die, she had altered her bond with Lan to prevent him from trying to avenge her. The letter added a few more warnings and encouragements, but there was nothing in it to suggest she would ever return except for one impossibly small possibility that may not even have a connection to her return at all.

Still A Factor

Later events, however, have drawn Moiraine's supposed fate into question. Lanfear, presumed dead as well, has apparently reappeared in the form of Cyndane, whose name means "Last Chance" in the Old Tongue. The Great Lord of the Dark is well known for resurrecting his favorite subjects, but it is not known if this happened to Lanfear. Also, one of Egwene al'Vere's Dreamed visions linked Thom Merrilin to Moiraine in some way; specifically, she saw him drawing Moiraine's kesiera from a fire. The romantic tension between Moiraine and Thom has also gone unresolved. Adding fuel to the fire, one of Min Farshaw's viewings suggests that, without Moiraine's help, Rand is doomed to failure. Finally, the contents of her letter she sent to Thom contains the fact that she is in fact alive, but trapped in a tower that has no door. This is the Tower of Ghenjei, a second link between the worlds on either sides of the redstone doorways. Thom, Mat and relatively new character, Noal Charin, vow to rescue her, and do so by traveling to the tower in Towers of Midnight. Thom manages to pull Moiraine from her imprisonment, while Mat, as foreshadowed several times earlier in the series, is forced to sacrifice one of his eyes ("half the light of the world") to the Eelfinn as a bargain in order to escape with the Aes Sedai and a powerful angreal. In their escape from Ghenjei, Noal, revealed to be the hero Jain Farstrider, sacrifices his own life to hold back the attacking Aelfinn while Thom, Mat, and Moiraine flee using Mat's ashandarei as a sort of exit key. Moiraine, though still alive, reveals that the Eelfinn fed on her ability to channel, leaving her power diminished. She also decides to marry Thom and bond him as a warder.

Skills and Talents

A powerful channeler in her own right, Moiraine started to show her spark at her home in the then royal house of Damodred at the Sun Palace in Cairhien. As she was the most powerful channeler in a few centuries, save Cadsuane Melaidhrin, she progressed very quickly through the Tower, taking only six years to progress from Novice to Aes Sedai. She was able to delay the Forsaken Aginor at the Eye of the World for a considerable amount of time with the help of a minor angreal. She is also able to weave Balefire, a Weave forbidden since The War of Power. (How she knows this talent remains unclear, but Moiraine herself hinted she might have learned of it during her research period away from Rand and the others during the second novel).

External links

• Moiraine's World