Asmodean
Encyclopedia
Asmodean (originally known as Joar Addam Nesossin) is a major antagonist in the Wheel of Time
fantasy
series by Robert Jordan
.
and became one of the Forsaken
because of the promise of immortality, since being immortal he would surely reach the heights, or even greater ones, that had previously eluded him.
Asmodean never held any field command during the War of the Shadow even if he took part in some battles in one way or another. He was the governor of some conquered territories; the areas he governed were notorious for not being as horrific as those of his fellow Forsaken, though he did nothing to prevent Mesaana
's children's free rein, he cooperated with Aginor
and his people's "Harvest", and he also made men, women and children available as rations for the Trollocs. The only atrocity he was especially notorious for was his persecution of artists of any kind (painters, musicians, dancers and others), but he was mostly focused on musicians and composers that had been his rivals before the war.
Lanfear tells Rand
in Rhuidean that Asmodean severed his own mother from the One Power and had his Myrddraal drag her away screaming.
poses as Keille from time to time and Asmodean poses as Jasin Natael, a gleeman. He is seen twice in Tel'aran'rhiod, once by Nynaeve
who is warned of him by Birgitte Silverbow. He also appears once in Rand's dreams to argue with Lanfear. He appears as a shadow between some ash trees. His identity is not revealed until Rand chases after him, using Skimming, Asmodean's plan in the Aiel Waste was to get his hand on one of the keys to the Choedan Kal, two ter'angreal that grant access to the two most powerful sa'angreal. Rand is able to stop him by using the male part himself and cutting off Asmodean's connection with the Dark One. Lanfear then appears and places a shield on him that would allow him to use only a limited part of the One Power so that he could teach Rand weaves from the Age of Legends.
Throughout The Fires of Heaven
he pretends to be the Lord Dragon's bard as an excuse for Rand to keep him close and teach him the One Power. He follows Rand as he travels to Caemlyn to kill Rahvin
, assuming he has killed Morgase, Elayne
's mother. During the surprise attack by Trollocs in Caemlyn he is hit by lightning created by Rahvin, killing him, but he is resurrected along with many of the others in the party when Rand uses balefire
to kill Rahvin. Shortly afterwards he is killed yet again inside the royal palace by an unknown assailant.
In Lord of Chaos
the Dark One tells Demandred
that the traitor, Asmodean, is dead and that he fell victim of his own weakness.
In Towers of Midnight
it is revealed that Graendal survived the balefire that Rand used to kill her in her hiding place. In the process of her escape she has caused the death of one of the Forsaken she was in league with. Later on she inadvertently causes another death of a Forsaken while trying to kill Perrin. Because of this, she tries to escape in one of the Mirror Realms using the portal stones Rand stumbled into when he met Lady Selene. However, before managing her escape, she is stopped by Shaidar Haran, who blames for the death of "Three Chosen, destroyed by your actions." One of which can be safely assumed to be none-other-than Asmodean. In fact, Graendal's entry in the Towers of Midnight's glossary lists her as being responsible for Asmodean's death.
, about finishing the series, one of Brandon Sanderson's first questions was the identity of Asmodean's killer and he has verified that the killer will be revealed before the end of the series. In the glossary to Towers of Midnight
, Book 13 of the Wheel of Time, it is finally revealed that Graendal
was responsible for Asmodean's death. In the book, in a dialogue between Graendal and Moridin, it is implied she is the killer. A conversation with Shaidar Haran in the epilogue later confirms her involvement in his death.
," the stock Renaissance demon figure appearing (among other places) in the famous demonology text the Maleus Maleficarum, the Kaballah and in the Book of Tobit. In the Book of Tobit, Asmodeus is betrayed by his jealousy for a woman named Sara and captured by Raphael in a clever ruse concocted by Tobias, her future and first successful husband. Asmodean also shares a number of stock tendencies associated with Renaissance corruption common to depictions of Asmodius; he frequently carryies a wine-glass or gives wine to Rand, and Isendre reports that in darkfriend councils he mostly only seems to want to make love.
The Wheel of Time
The Wheel of Time is a series of epic fantasy novels written by American author James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under the pen name Robert Jordan. Originally planned as a six-book series, the length was increased by increments; at the time of Rigney's death, he expected it to be 12, but it will actually...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
series by Robert Jordan
Robert Jordan
Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr. , under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He also wrote under the pseudonyms Reagan O'Neal and Jackson O'Reilly.-Biography:Jordan was born in Charleston, South Carolina...
.
Age of Legends
Joar Addam Nesossin was a handsome dark-haired and -eyed man who was an acclaimed composer before the War of the Shadow. He was born in a small port city called Shorelle and at early age showed exceptional talent in both composition and performance with a huge range of instruments. He composed works as early as age 15 which were played worldwide in many great cities; however, he never rose to the height many believed he would and he was never counted as one of the greatest composers of the Age. He swore himself to the Dark OneDark One
The Dark One is a fictional character in the The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. It is the main antagonist; bound to its prison at the moment of Creation and partially freed during the Age of Legends , it is the primary source of evil in the series.-Character:In The Wheel of Time books,...
and became one of the Forsaken
Forsaken (Wheel of Time)
In the fictional world of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time fantasy series, the Forsaken are the most powerful and favored servants of the Dark One. They were formerly Aes Sedai, but became corrupted by the desire for power and immortality...
because of the promise of immortality, since being immortal he would surely reach the heights, or even greater ones, that had previously eluded him.
Asmodean never held any field command during the War of the Shadow even if he took part in some battles in one way or another. He was the governor of some conquered territories; the areas he governed were notorious for not being as horrific as those of his fellow Forsaken, though he did nothing to prevent Mesaana
Mesaana
Mesaana is one of the primary antagonists of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. She is one of the Forsaken.-Origin:...
's children's free rein, he cooperated with Aginor
Aginor
Aginor , originally known as Ishar Marrad Chuain, is one of the primary antagonists of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. He is one of the Forsaken.-Origin:...
and his people's "Harvest", and he also made men, women and children available as rations for the Trollocs. The only atrocity he was especially notorious for was his persecution of artists of any kind (painters, musicians, dancers and others), but he was mostly focused on musicians and composers that had been his rivals before the war.
Lanfear tells Rand
Rand al'Thor
Rand al'Thor, also known as the Dragon Reborn, is the fictional main character and protagonist of The Wheel of Time, a series of fantasy novels by Robert Jordan.Rand al'Thor has many other titles within the series:...
in Rhuidean that Asmodean severed his own mother from the One Power and had his Myrddraal drag her away screaming.
Third Age
Asmodean does not appear until Rand and the Aiel leave Chaendaer and travel towards Cold Rocks Hold, Rhuarc's home. They come across a merchant caravan led by Hadnan Kadere, where LanfearLanfear
Lanfear is one of the primary antagonists of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. She is one of the Forsaken.-Age of Legends:...
poses as Keille from time to time and Asmodean poses as Jasin Natael, a gleeman. He is seen twice in Tel'aran'rhiod, once by Nynaeve
Nynaeve al'Meara
Nynaeve al'Meara is one of the main characters of The Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan.-Personality:Nynaeve's personality often runs a gamut of emotions, meek at times before more experienced women but also able to stand up and run down others. While she will deny it, Nynaeve is...
who is warned of him by Birgitte Silverbow. He also appears once in Rand's dreams to argue with Lanfear. He appears as a shadow between some ash trees. His identity is not revealed until Rand chases after him, using Skimming, Asmodean's plan in the Aiel Waste was to get his hand on one of the keys to the Choedan Kal, two ter'angreal that grant access to the two most powerful sa'angreal. Rand is able to stop him by using the male part himself and cutting off Asmodean's connection with the Dark One. Lanfear then appears and places a shield on him that would allow him to use only a limited part of the One Power so that he could teach Rand weaves from the Age of Legends.
Throughout The Fires of Heaven
The Fires of Heaven
The Fires of Heaven is the fifth book in American author Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time. It was published by Tor Books and released on October 15, 1993....
he pretends to be the Lord Dragon's bard as an excuse for Rand to keep him close and teach him the One Power. He follows Rand as he travels to Caemlyn to kill Rahvin
Rahvin
Rahvin is one of the primary antagonists of The Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. He is one of the Forsaken.-Origin:...
, assuming he has killed Morgase, Elayne
Elayne Trakand
Elayne Trakand is one of the main characters of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. She bears a resemblance both in name and appearance to Ilyena, the doomed wife of Lews Therin Telamon from the Age of Legends.-Description:...
's mother. During the surprise attack by Trollocs in Caemlyn he is hit by lightning created by Rahvin, killing him, but he is resurrected along with many of the others in the party when Rand uses balefire
Balefire
Balefire, in the world of the Wheel of Time, is a weapon created with the One Power or with the True Power.-Description:It has only one known weave, and when evoked, summons a blindingly bright beam of "liquid light" that is capable of destroying nearly every known substance...
to kill Rahvin. Shortly afterwards he is killed yet again inside the royal palace by an unknown assailant.
In Lord of Chaos
Lord of Chaos
Lord of Chaos is the sixth book of The Wheel of Time fantasy series written by American author Robert Jordan. It was published by Tor Books and released on October 15, 1994, and was nominated for the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel in 1995. Lord of Chaos consists of a prologue, 55 chapters, and...
the Dark One tells Demandred
Demandred
Demandred is one of the primary antagonists of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. He is one of the Forsaken.-Origin:...
that the traitor, Asmodean, is dead and that he fell victim of his own weakness.
In Towers of Midnight
Towers of Midnight
Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson is the sequel to the novel The Gathering Storm, and the 13th book in the Wheel of Time series.The novel is the second part of A Memory of Light, Robert Jordan's projected final book...
it is revealed that Graendal survived the balefire that Rand used to kill her in her hiding place. In the process of her escape she has caused the death of one of the Forsaken she was in league with. Later on she inadvertently causes another death of a Forsaken while trying to kill Perrin. Because of this, she tries to escape in one of the Mirror Realms using the portal stones Rand stumbled into when he met Lady Selene. However, before managing her escape, she is stopped by Shaidar Haran, who blames for the death of "Three Chosen, destroyed by your actions." One of which can be safely assumed to be none-other-than Asmodean. In fact, Graendal's entry in the Towers of Midnight's glossary lists her as being responsible for Asmodean's death.
Death
The identity of Asmodean's killer has yet to be revealed explicitly in the text of the series. The question has generated a considerable quantity of fan discussion and speculation. Upon first speaking with Robert Jordan's widow, Harriet McDougalHarriet McDougal
Harriet McDougal is the widow of Robert Jordan and the editor of The Wheel of Time series. Since Jordan's death, McDougal has selected Brandon Sanderson to continue writing the series based on Jordan's notes....
, about finishing the series, one of Brandon Sanderson's first questions was the identity of Asmodean's killer and he has verified that the killer will be revealed before the end of the series. In the glossary to Towers of Midnight
Towers of Midnight
Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson is the sequel to the novel The Gathering Storm, and the 13th book in the Wheel of Time series.The novel is the second part of A Memory of Light, Robert Jordan's projected final book...
, Book 13 of the Wheel of Time, it is finally revealed that Graendal
Graendal
Graendal is one of the primary antagonists of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. She is one of the Forsaken.-Age of Legends:...
was responsible for Asmodean's death. In the book, in a dialogue between Graendal and Moridin, it is implied she is the killer. A conversation with Shaidar Haran in the epilogue later confirms her involvement in his death.
Literary References
Asmodean bears some resemblance to "AsmodeusAsmodeus
Asmodeus may refer to:* Asmodai, a demon-like figure of the Talmud and Book of Tobit* Asmodeus , Austrian black-metal band*Asmodeus , the name of several characters in Marvel Comics*Asmodeus...
," the stock Renaissance demon figure appearing (among other places) in the famous demonology text the Maleus Maleficarum, the Kaballah and in the Book of Tobit. In the Book of Tobit, Asmodeus is betrayed by his jealousy for a woman named Sara and captured by Raphael in a clever ruse concocted by Tobias, her future and first successful husband. Asmodean also shares a number of stock tendencies associated with Renaissance corruption common to depictions of Asmodius; he frequently carryies a wine-glass or gives wine to Rand, and Isendre reports that in darkfriend councils he mostly only seems to want to make love.