Items of the One Power
Encyclopedia
In the fictional world of Robert Jordan
's The Wheel of Time
series, several items of the One Power
are known to exist. These are items that were created during the time of the Age of Legends and vary in use, function, ability, and power. The secrets involved in creating these items were believed to have been lost but during the current events in the series, at least one character, Elayne Trakand
has rediscovered the ability to create facsimiles of some of these items.
As the names of almost all items are written in the Old Tongue
, they are normally written in italicized lettering.
than they would normally be able to. Angreal also protect them (to some degree) from drawing enough Power to burn themselves out.
's possession. These allow him to tap into the vast power of the one buried in Cairhien
designed for use by men and another designed for women which is buried on Tremalking (although the female Choedan Kal was destroyed cleansing saidin during the ninth book Winter's Heart
. At the end of the 12th book the male access key is destroyed by Rand Al'Thor turning its power against the Choedan Kal).
uses it multiple times to perform great feats with the One Power
in the novels once he draws it (therefore confirming even to himself that he is the fulfillment of prophecy, something he was unsure of.) However, he also leaves it in Tear
when he leaves as a reminder to the Tairen people that he will be back.
The sword has since been removed from the Stone on Rand's orders by Jahar Narishma. The Prophecies state that he who draws it out must follow after, presumably indicating that Narishma will play an important role after Tarmon Gai'don.
Rand is told by Cadsuane Sedai
that Callandor requires two women and one man to be able to use it properly, with one woman controlling the sword itself. If the sword is used by one man alone, it lacks the safety buffers that prevent him from burning himself out or killing himself, and the sword actually increases the Dark One
's taint, causing temporary insanity. (This is a point of contention amongst readers, as to whether the sword increases the Taint or the man's susceptibility to the Taint; however, in the end, either interpretation has the same result.) Fortunately this risk may have been somewhat lessened by the Cleansing of Saidin. Alternately, since all other angreal have this buffer, and can be used together, a man could conceivably use a small angreal (e.g. Rand's long-lost fat man statuette) in addition to Callandor, and be at no risk.
Given his experiences with Aes Sedai, Rand initially rejects Cadsuane's advice. Later in the series, after his ascending Dragon Mount and discarding the Choeden Khal access key, Rand has said that Nynaeve would likely be one of the few women he could trust linking with. His second choice remains unclear, though it could be Alivia (who Min has said would "help him die"), Moiraine (who still has an important role to play in the Last Battle according to one of Min's viewings), Cadsuane herself, Elayne or Aviendha (both of whom he could trust due to his love for them and the bond they share), or perhaps Egwene (the current Amyrlin Seat, and one of his oldest friends, as well as his first love).
There is some confusion as to whether Callandor is a male-only sa'angreal or one that can be used by both sexes. Siuan Sanche
tells Nynaeve that with Callandor in her hands, she could level an entire city with one blow, which was probably a metaphor. In addition, Lanfear
expressed similar sentiments about the "Sword That is Not a Sword" in the Stone of Tear, but also states it would be useless for her.
The weapon is similar to the two swords of legendary King Arthur: Excalibur
and "the sword in the stone", of Arthurian legend. Rand's taking of Callandor from the Heart of the Stone of Tear to declare himself is a typical if creative 'Sword in the Stone' story; the connection becomes even more clear when he drives the sword into the stone floor of the Heart before leaving Tear for Rhuidean.
In the aftermath of the Cleansing of Saidin it is very clear that the sa'angreal was in Cadsuane's possession. From her point of view she states that the access key for the male Choedan Kal and Callandor were in her saddle bags.
As of The Gathering Storm
, it becomes apparent that Rand must use Callandor at the Last Battle instead of the Choedan Kal.
In Towers of Midnight
Min discovers that Callandor may lead to Rand's downfall at the Last Battle if used.
The female statue is buried on the Sea Folk island of Tremalking, and the male statue is buried near the village of Tremonsien in Cairhien. The statue in Cairhien is partly uncovered, dug up by an excavation, while only the woman's hand holding an orb is visible on Tremalking. They are both hundreds of feet tall, making portability something of an issue; however, they were designed to function from a stationary position, with the wielder controlling them through ter'angreal "access keys", which themselves are miniaturized versions of the statues. These access keys allow the wielder to access the Choedan Kal from anywhere in the world. They provide a secondary safety function: each statue provides so much of the Power that anyone trying to channel through them directly would destroy themselves—and probably a large amount of the surrounding landscape—on the instant. Even the Forsaken consider any use of the Choedan Kal to be extremely dangerous, due to the unimaginable amounts of the One Power they are capable of handling. Thus, the access keys, through an unspecified process, allow the wielder to use the Choedan Kal safely.
The Choedan Kal were intended to build a secondary containment barrier around the Bore in the Dark One's prison. The competing answer, Lews Therin Telamon
's Strike at Shayol Ghul, was eventually implemented when the facility making the access keys was lost to the Shadow (the Forsaken never found out what they had seized). Attempts to smuggle out the access keys were unsuccessful, and in the meantime the Light was pushed to the brink of defeat; Lews Therin, recognizing that he must end the war now or lose, led his fateful strike.
The Choedan Kal have appeared in the main series as follows:
In book 2, The Great Hunt
, Rand first encounters the full-size male figure while en route to Cairhien; though he is barely in control of his channeling, he still senses the immense power of the Choedan Kal and attempts to channel through it. Lanfear
, who was with him at the time in disguise, panics and berates Rand about his ignorance.
In book 4, The Shadow Rising
, Rand discovers Asmodean
was in Rhuidean attempting to find an access key he thought (correctly) was there. Rand battles Asmodean for control of the male access key and eventually overpowers him with the aid of an (unrelated) angreal. From this point on, Rand has two access keys, one for each gender; Lanfear later informs him that a man and woman using the Choedan Kal together could challenge the Dark One, and maybe even the Creator.
In book 5, The Fires of Heaven
, Asmodean discreetly refers to the sa'angreal as the only chance Rand has of winning the Last Battle. Rand lies that he has destroyed the access keys. It is about this time that Rand begins to toy with the astounding idea of using both the sa'angreal to cleanse the taint on saidin. Originally, he had planned to use Callandor for the deed, but after Cadsuane informs him that Callandor is flawed in The Path of Daggers
, he realizes the Choedan Kal are his last hope. It terrifies him.
Nynaeve and Rand link at the end of book nine, Winter's Heart
, and tap the Choedan Kal through the keys; Rand is successful in cleansing the taint from saidin. In the attempt, the female key is destroyed, and the female Choedan Kal itself melts. The male ter'angreal is currently still in Rand's possession, and the male Choedan Kal was undamaged by the cleansing. The statues glowed brightly during their use, and the people of the island of Tremalking saw the glowing female statue's orb as a herald to the end of the "Time of Illusion". In book 11, Knife of Dreams
, the island's inhabitants are found to have committed mass suicide. This was done by slipping an extremely fast-acting poison into the drinks of the children, which the parents did willingly. When they ran out of this poison, the adults took a slower acting poison and few were alive when another Sea Folk ship comes from the large party of Windfinders and Mistresses of Ships in Tear. None were saved, and this was a crushing defeat to the rest of the Sea Folk who lived.
At the end of The Gathering Storm
, Rand destroys the male Choedan Kal from the top of Dragonmount by turning the force of the male Choedan Kal against itself through his access key.
It is unknown how many of the access key ter'angreal were made. A broken statue matching the description of a female access key was found in Tanchico.
gave to Egwene al'Vere
(which she gave to Elayne Trakand
and Nynaeve al'Meara
), and the twisted red doorframes that lead into the realms of the Aelfinn and Eelfinn
(Snakes and Foxes).
. In later novels, an a'dam is made that does not require a cord or physical connector. Any woman wearing the bracelet part of the a'dam feels whatever emotion the woman wearing the necklace feels. The primary users of the a'dam are the Seanchan
, who use women who can channel as weapons.
A'dams can be used to inflict tremendous physical agony on the victim which, along with the fact that the user cannot channel without permission from the sul'dam, are the primary means of control. Indeed, a female channeler wearing the a'dam cannot attempt to move the bracelet from its position, touch the collar, or even think of harming their sul'dam without immense agony and nausea. Eventually, the torture and abuse wears down the resistance of the woman wearing it and they begin to accept their situation; this can be rectified, but only after a considerable period. Most women from the Seanchan lands consider their collaring a good thing, believing they are monsters who must be chained. Humorously, the sul'dam are not aware of their own ability to channel, later revelations of this fact utterly terrify them and, indeed, any Seanchan who discovers it.
There seems to be some inconsistency within the books as to how saidar is chanelled and manipulated by the sul'dam/damane pair. When Egwene was collared, she had to be told by her sul'dam to possess the power and to blow up the ground, which she did on threat of torture. However, when Tuon
collars Teslyn and Joline, the power is instantly accessed and woven to block the doors and to shield Edesena without a word be spoken nor any threats. This is possibly due to the difference in ability of the sul'dam in question.
A male channeler may not wear the bracelet of an a'dam without killing both himself and the woman the necklace is attached to. There is a different type of ter'angreal that acts as an a'dam for male channelers. It appears as a set of black bracelets, and permits one or two female channelers to control a male channeler. This, due to the nature of linking, does not work on a long-term basis, and will expose the controlling women to the taint on saidin
.
and Elayne Trakand
in Tel'aran'rhiod
during a drought and heat wave believed to be caused by the Dark One
's touch upon the world. They tell the Salidar Aes Sedai
's ruling group, the Little Tower, about it, and are easily dismissed. After telling the new Amyrlin
Egwene al'Vere
about it, she convinces the Sitters to send them to locate it in Ebou Dar
, sending Mat Cauthon
along to help.
In Ebou Dar, Nynaeve and Elayne meet and stay with Queen Tylin, making the Royal Palace their base of operations. After about 16 days of having no luck of finding the Bowl, they report back to Egwene via dreams, who tells them to stay and keep searching. Nynave, Elayne, and Birgitte Silverbow, Elayne's Warder
, head to the Atha'an Miere
to ask for help. They tell them that the ter'angreal is called the Bowl of the Winds, that it has been missing for centuries and even they have no idea where to find it. All of this leads to the newly raised Aes Sedai
doing something they don't really want to do: ask Mat to help locate it since he is ta'veren
. He agrees to help them.
While at the six story building, in the Rahad section of Ebou Dar, they retrieve the Bowl of the Winds (plus all the other ter'angreal that are there). But a trap has been laid by Sammael
and Moghedien
and they are attacked by a gholam, the Black Ajah
and their henchmen. The forces of evil lose, but not without inflicting some loses; some of the Kin and Mat's friend Nalesean died. All are agreed that the Bowl must be used somewhere safe and the Kin recommend the Farm. Mat gets the Sea Folk to travel with the others to the Farm to help use the Bowl, since they are the only ones who know how.
think they are there to punish them. Alise Tenjile, who runs the Farm, manages to get order restored and they proceed to use the Bowl. A group of thirteen women who can channel — the largest possible without a man — is needed, and it is headed by Caire din Gelyn, who knows the most about the ter'angreal. When activated, the Bowl draws on both saidar
and saidin
, which surprises almost everyone, and can be felt all the world over by anyone who can channel. Almost immediately after its use, the Sea Folk try to take the Bowl, claiming it is part of the Bargain. The Aes Sedai hold steadfast to it though, and say that it will be the Sea Folk's when they can actually see that the weather has changed.
A couple days later it is snowing, and the Bowl is handed over.
due to the malleability of reality there. To create the Cour'souvra, a channeler is given a small cut with a knife in order to collect blood, and has their tongue scraped with the same knife to collect saliva. The blood and saliva are then scraped into the empty Cour'souvra, and it is thrown into the Pit of Doom. The mindtrapped channeler can sense the holder of their Cour'souvra, and when it is being used. Crushing the wire cage of the Cour'souvra isolates the mindtrapped person's soul inside the gem, destroying their free will and leaving their body a mindless automaton; this threat gives the holder of the Cour'souvra effectively complete control over the victim.
Currently Cyndane and Moghedien
are mindtrapped by Moridin.
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...
's The Wheel of Time
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...
series, several items of the One Power
One Power
In The Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan, the One Power is the force that maintains the continuous motion of the Wheel of Time. It comes from the True Source, and it is separated into two halves: saidin , the male half, and saidar , the female half. It is used in the series by people...
are known to exist. These are items that were created during the time of the Age of Legends and vary in use, function, ability, and power. The secrets involved in creating these items were believed to have been lost but during the current events in the series, at least one character, Elayne Trakand
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:...
has rediscovered the ability to create facsimiles of some of these items.
As the names of almost all items are written in the Old Tongue
Old Tongue
The Old Tongue is a fictional language from Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time fantasy series. It is depicted as a now-dead language, spoken only by scholars and certain nobles, but still plays a role in the plot of the books.-History:...
, they are normally written in italicized lettering.
Angreal
Angreal are artifacts which enable its users to draw more of the One PowerOne Power
In The Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan, the One Power is the force that maintains the continuous motion of the Wheel of Time. It comes from the True Source, and it is separated into two halves: saidin , the male half, and saidar , the female half. It is used in the series by people...
than they would normally be able to. Angreal also protect them (to some degree) from drawing enough Power to burn themselves out.
Sa'angreal
Sa'angreal are identical to angreal, except that they allow the user to draw more power than even an angreal can handle. At least one sa'angreal, usable only by men, is known to be missing the buffer that prevents the user from drawing more than the sa'angreal allows him to safely use. This is Callandor, the sword which is not a sword. The access keys—both ter'angreal – for the two most powerful sa'angreal ever created, the Choedan Kal, are in Rand al'ThorRand 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:...
's possession. These allow him to tap into the vast power of the one buried in Cairhien
Cairhien
Cairhien is a country set in Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series of fantasy fiction novels. Cairhien is located in the east central part of The Westlands, on the east it borders with the Spine of the World. The sign of Cairhien is a golden sun rising on a field of deep blue...
designed for use by men and another designed for women which is buried on Tremalking (although the female Choedan Kal was destroyed cleansing saidin during the ninth book Winter's Heart
Winter's Heart
Winter's Heart is the ninth book of the Wheel of Time fantasy series written by American author Robert Jordan. It was published by Tor Books and released on November 7, 2000...
. At the end of the 12th book the male access key is destroyed by Rand Al'Thor turning its power against the Choedan Kal).
Callandor
Callandor appears to be simply a sword made of crystal, but is in fact a powerful sa'angreal that can increase the strength of a male channeler while they hold it (which is why it is sometimes referred to as "the Sword That Is Not a Sword"). Callandor was located in the Stone of Tear for thousands of years after the Breaking of the World, protected so that only the Dragon Reborn could remove it, an important sign of the Dragon's rebirth according to the Prophecies of the Dragon. Rand al'ThorRand 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:...
uses it multiple times to perform great feats with the One Power
One Power
In The Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan, the One Power is the force that maintains the continuous motion of the Wheel of Time. It comes from the True Source, and it is separated into two halves: saidin , the male half, and saidar , the female half. It is used in the series by people...
in the novels once he draws it (therefore confirming even to himself that he is the fulfillment of prophecy, something he was unsure of.) However, he also leaves it in Tear
Tear (Wheel of Time)
In the fictional world of Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time, Tear is one of the richest nations in the land. This comes in part from controlling the greatest port on the Sea of Storms, at the mouth of the River Erinin. A great deal of Tear's wealth comes from the oil produced on the...
when he leaves as a reminder to the Tairen people that he will be back.
The sword has since been removed from the Stone on Rand's orders by Jahar Narishma. The Prophecies state that he who draws it out must follow after, presumably indicating that Narishma will play an important role after Tarmon Gai'don.
Rand is told by Cadsuane Sedai
Cadsuane Melaidhrin
Cadsuane Melaidhrin is a fictional character in The Wheel of Time series of fantasy novels by Robert Jordan.-Description:Cadsuane is an Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah. She has nearly black eyes and wears her iron gray hair in a bun with many gold ornaments. The ornaments in her hair are angreal and...
that Callandor requires two women and one man to be able to use it properly, with one woman controlling the sword itself. If the sword is used by one man alone, it lacks the safety buffers that prevent him from burning himself out or killing himself, and the sword actually increases the Dark One
Dark 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,...
's taint, causing temporary insanity. (This is a point of contention amongst readers, as to whether the sword increases the Taint or the man's susceptibility to the Taint; however, in the end, either interpretation has the same result.) Fortunately this risk may have been somewhat lessened by the Cleansing of Saidin. Alternately, since all other angreal have this buffer, and can be used together, a man could conceivably use a small angreal (e.g. Rand's long-lost fat man statuette) in addition to Callandor, and be at no risk.
Given his experiences with Aes Sedai, Rand initially rejects Cadsuane's advice. Later in the series, after his ascending Dragon Mount and discarding the Choeden Khal access key, Rand has said that Nynaeve would likely be one of the few women he could trust linking with. His second choice remains unclear, though it could be Alivia (who Min has said would "help him die"), Moiraine (who still has an important role to play in the Last Battle according to one of Min's viewings), Cadsuane herself, Elayne or Aviendha (both of whom he could trust due to his love for them and the bond they share), or perhaps Egwene (the current Amyrlin Seat, and one of his oldest friends, as well as his first love).
There is some confusion as to whether Callandor is a male-only sa'angreal or one that can be used by both sexes. Siuan Sanche
Siuan Sanche
Siuan Sanche is a character of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan.The sharp-tongued daughter of a fisherman from Tear, Siuan Sanche joined the White Tower at the same time as Moiraine Damodred...
tells Nynaeve that with Callandor in her hands, she could level an entire city with one blow, which was probably a metaphor. In addition, Lanfear
Lanfear
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:...
expressed similar sentiments about the "Sword That is Not a Sword" in the Stone of Tear, but also states it would be useless for her.
The weapon is similar to the two swords of legendary King Arthur: Excalibur
Excalibur
Excalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The sword was...
and "the sword in the stone", of Arthurian legend. Rand's taking of Callandor from the Heart of the Stone of Tear to declare himself is a typical if creative 'Sword in the Stone' story; the connection becomes even more clear when he drives the sword into the stone floor of the Heart before leaving Tear for Rhuidean.
In the aftermath of the Cleansing of Saidin it is very clear that the sa'angreal was in Cadsuane's possession. From her point of view she states that the access key for the male Choedan Kal and Callandor were in her saddle bags.
As of The Gathering Storm
The Gathering Storm (novel)
The Gathering Storm is the 12th book of the fantasy series The Wheel of Time. It was incomplete when its author, Robert Jordan, died on September 16, 2007, from cardiac amyloidosis...
, it becomes apparent that Rand must use Callandor at the Last Battle instead of the Choedan Kal.
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...
Min discovers that Callandor may lead to Rand's downfall at the Last Battle if used.
Choedan Kal
The Choedan Kal are the two most powerful sa'angreal ever made. They are huge statues, one of a woman and one of a man. They were built during the Age of Legends, as one of two possible answers to The War of Power. Linked together, a man and a woman channeling through these sa'angreal would be able to draw enough of the One Power to destroy the entire world, and some believed that only one of the statues would enable an individual to do so alone.The female statue is buried on the Sea Folk island of Tremalking, and the male statue is buried near the village of Tremonsien in Cairhien. The statue in Cairhien is partly uncovered, dug up by an excavation, while only the woman's hand holding an orb is visible on Tremalking. They are both hundreds of feet tall, making portability something of an issue; however, they were designed to function from a stationary position, with the wielder controlling them through ter'angreal "access keys", which themselves are miniaturized versions of the statues. These access keys allow the wielder to access the Choedan Kal from anywhere in the world. They provide a secondary safety function: each statue provides so much of the Power that anyone trying to channel through them directly would destroy themselves—and probably a large amount of the surrounding landscape—on the instant. Even the Forsaken consider any use of the Choedan Kal to be extremely dangerous, due to the unimaginable amounts of the One Power they are capable of handling. Thus, the access keys, through an unspecified process, allow the wielder to use the Choedan Kal safely.
The Choedan Kal were intended to build a secondary containment barrier around the Bore in the Dark One's prison. The competing answer, Lews Therin Telamon
Lews Therin Telamon
Lews Therin Telamon is a fictional character in Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He was the Dragon of the Age of Legends. He is the most powerful, most hated, and most feared man in history, for his part in the Breaking of the World and killing his loved ones, earning him the...
's Strike at Shayol Ghul, was eventually implemented when the facility making the access keys was lost to the Shadow (the Forsaken never found out what they had seized). Attempts to smuggle out the access keys were unsuccessful, and in the meantime the Light was pushed to the brink of defeat; Lews Therin, recognizing that he must end the war now or lose, led his fateful strike.
The Choedan Kal have appeared in the main series as follows:
In book 2, The Great Hunt
The Great Hunt
The Great Hunt is the second book of The Wheel of Time fantasy series written by American author Robert Jordan. It was published by Tor Books and released on November 15, 1990. The Great Hunt consists of a prologue and 50 chapters...
, Rand first encounters the full-size male figure while en route to Cairhien; though he is barely in control of his channeling, he still senses the immense power of the Choedan Kal and attempts to channel through it. Lanfear
Lanfear
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:...
, who was with him at the time in disguise, panics and berates Rand about his ignorance.
In book 4, The Shadow Rising
The Shadow Rising
The Shadow Rising is the fourth book in American author Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time. It was published by Tor Books and released on September 15, 1992...
, Rand discovers Asmodean
Asmodean
Asmodean is a major antagonist in the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan.-Age of Legends:...
was in Rhuidean attempting to find an access key he thought (correctly) was there. Rand battles Asmodean for control of the male access key and eventually overpowers him with the aid of an (unrelated) angreal. From this point on, Rand has two access keys, one for each gender; Lanfear later informs him that a man and woman using the Choedan Kal together could challenge the Dark One, and maybe even the Creator.
In book 5, 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....
, Asmodean discreetly refers to the sa'angreal as the only chance Rand has of winning the Last Battle. Rand lies that he has destroyed the access keys. It is about this time that Rand begins to toy with the astounding idea of using both the sa'angreal to cleanse the taint on saidin. Originally, he had planned to use Callandor for the deed, but after Cadsuane informs him that Callandor is flawed in The Path of Daggers
The Path of Daggers
The Path of Daggers is the eighth book of The Wheel of Time fantasy series written by American author Robert Jordan. It was published by Tor Books and released on October 20, 1998...
, he realizes the Choedan Kal are his last hope. It terrifies him.
Nynaeve and Rand link at the end of book nine, Winter's Heart
Winter's Heart
Winter's Heart is the ninth book of the Wheel of Time fantasy series written by American author Robert Jordan. It was published by Tor Books and released on November 7, 2000...
, and tap the Choedan Kal through the keys; Rand is successful in cleansing the taint from saidin. In the attempt, the female key is destroyed, and the female Choedan Kal itself melts. The male ter'angreal is currently still in Rand's possession, and the male Choedan Kal was undamaged by the cleansing. The statues glowed brightly during their use, and the people of the island of Tremalking saw the glowing female statue's orb as a herald to the end of the "Time of Illusion". In book 11, Knife of Dreams
Knife of Dreams
Knife of Dreams is the 11th novel in the fantasy series The Wheel of Time by American author Robert Jordan. It was published by Tor Books in the U.S. and Orbit in the UK and released on October 11, 2005...
, the island's inhabitants are found to have committed mass suicide. This was done by slipping an extremely fast-acting poison into the drinks of the children, which the parents did willingly. When they ran out of this poison, the adults took a slower acting poison and few were alive when another Sea Folk ship comes from the large party of Windfinders and Mistresses of Ships in Tear. None were saved, and this was a crushing defeat to the rest of the Sea Folk who lived.
At the end of The Gathering Storm
The Gathering Storm (novel)
The Gathering Storm is the 12th book of the fantasy series The Wheel of Time. It was incomplete when its author, Robert Jordan, died on September 16, 2007, from cardiac amyloidosis...
, Rand destroys the male Choedan Kal from the top of Dragonmount by turning the force of the male Choedan Kal against itself through his access key.
It is unknown how many of the access key ter'angreal were made. A broken statue matching the description of a female access key was found in Tanchico.
Ter'angreal
Ter'angreal are objects of the One Power that perform specific functions. Some ter'angreal do not require the One Power to be used for their activation, such as the spiral ring that Verin MathwinVerin Mathwin
Verin Mathwin is a fictional character in The Wheel of Time series of fantasy novels by Robert Jordan.-Description:Verin is an Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah. Verin has grayed hair and is considered to be one of the oldest Aes Sedai alive; likely over 200 years old...
gave to Egwene al'Vere
Egwene al'Vere
Egwene al'Vere is one of the main characters of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan.-Description:She is described as beautiful, with large brown eyes and long dark hair. Like all adult women in her home village of Emond's Field, she initially wore her hair in a long braid, but as soon...
(which she gave to Elayne Trakand
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:...
and Nynaeve al'Meara
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...
), and the twisted red doorframes that lead into the realms of the Aelfinn and Eelfinn
Aelfinn and Eelfinn
Aelfinn and Eelfinn are fictional races in Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series.- Aelfinn :The Aelfinn are a race of creatures which are humanoid in form, but with snakelike characteristics. They are described as tall and thin with unnatural grace, having straight black hair and pupils of...
(Snakes and Foxes).
A'dam
The a'dam is a ter'angreal consisting of a necklace and one or more bracelets. The a'dam allows the wearer of the bracelet to control the wearer of the necklace. It can be used only by a woman who can channel or has the ability to learn to channel, and will only control those also with the ability. When first encountered in the series, the bracelets are connected to the necklace by a cordCord
Cord may refer to:* String or rope* Cord , a trimming made of multiple strands of yarn twisted together* The spinal cord* Cord Automobile, a former American car marque founded by Errett Lobban Cord* The cord , used to measure firewood...
. In later novels, an a'dam is made that does not require a cord or physical connector. Any woman wearing the bracelet part of the a'dam feels whatever emotion the woman wearing the necklace feels. The primary users of the a'dam are the Seanchan
Seanchan
In the fictional world of Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time, Seanchan is the name of a continent, the empire that occupies it, and the people that live in the empire...
, who use women who can channel as weapons.
A'dams can be used to inflict tremendous physical agony on the victim which, along with the fact that the user cannot channel without permission from the sul'dam, are the primary means of control. Indeed, a female channeler wearing the a'dam cannot attempt to move the bracelet from its position, touch the collar, or even think of harming their sul'dam without immense agony and nausea. Eventually, the torture and abuse wears down the resistance of the woman wearing it and they begin to accept their situation; this can be rectified, but only after a considerable period. Most women from the Seanchan lands consider their collaring a good thing, believing they are monsters who must be chained. Humorously, the sul'dam are not aware of their own ability to channel, later revelations of this fact utterly terrify them and, indeed, any Seanchan who discovers it.
There seems to be some inconsistency within the books as to how saidar is chanelled and manipulated by the sul'dam/damane pair. When Egwene was collared, she had to be told by her sul'dam to possess the power and to blow up the ground, which she did on threat of torture. However, when Tuon
Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag
'Fortuona Athaem Devi Paendrag', formerly known as Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag is a fictional character in Robert Jordan's popular Wheel of Time fantasy series. As the heir-designate to the Seanchan empire, she is titled the Daughter of the Nine Moons...
collars Teslyn and Joline, the power is instantly accessed and woven to block the doors and to shield Edesena without a word be spoken nor any threats. This is possibly due to the difference in ability of the sul'dam in question.
A male channeler may not wear the bracelet of an a'dam without killing both himself and the woman the necklace is attached to. There is a different type of ter'angreal that acts as an a'dam for male channelers. It appears as a set of black bracelets, and permits one or two female channelers to control a male channeler. This, due to the nature of linking, does not work on a long-term basis, and will expose the controlling women to the taint on saidin
One Power
In The Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan, the One Power is the force that maintains the continuous motion of the Wheel of Time. It comes from the True Source, and it is separated into two halves: saidin , the male half, and saidar , the female half. It is used in the series by people...
.
Bowl of the Winds
The Bowl of the Winds is a very powerful ter'angreal that allows its users to control the weather. It draws both saidin and saidar even when used by women alone.Discovery in Dream
The Bowl's existence was found by Nynaeve al'MearaNynaeve 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...
and Elayne Trakand
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:...
in Tel'aran'rhiod
Tel'aran'rhiod
Tel'aran'rhiod or the World of Dreams is a fictional reality where the reality is mutable, mentioned in the fictional world of Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time. The word itself is from the in-universe language known as the Old Tongue, and literally means 'the unseen world'...
during a drought and heat wave believed to be caused by the Dark One
Dark 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,...
's touch upon the world. They tell the Salidar Aes Sedai
Aes Sedai
The Aes Sedai are a special society in the fictional universe of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time book series. Aes Sedai means "Servant to All" in the Old Tongue. They are the wielders of the One Power...
's ruling group, the Little Tower, about it, and are easily dismissed. After telling the new Amyrlin
Amyrlin Seat
The Amyrlin Seat is a fictional title from Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series.The Amyrlin Seat, or Amyrlin as it is often shortened to, is the leader of the Aes Sedai in Tar Valon. The term can also refer to the actual seat upon which the Amyrlin sits...
Egwene al'Vere
Egwene al'Vere
Egwene al'Vere is one of the main characters of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan.-Description:She is described as beautiful, with large brown eyes and long dark hair. Like all adult women in her home village of Emond's Field, she initially wore her hair in a long braid, but as soon...
about it, she convinces the Sitters to send them to locate it in Ebou Dar
Altara
Altara is a fictional country in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time fantasy series.-Geography:Altara is located between Illian and Amadicia. The river Eldar forms its western border.-Politics and government:...
, sending Mat Cauthon
Mat Cauthon
Matrim "Mat" Cauthon is a fictional character in Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time. He is one of the primary protagonists and has moved over the course of the series from his beginnings as a mischievous farm lad into the role of a powerful, shrewd and successful general and...
along to help.
In Ebou Dar, Nynaeve and Elayne meet and stay with Queen Tylin, making the Royal Palace their base of operations. After about 16 days of having no luck of finding the Bowl, they report back to Egwene via dreams, who tells them to stay and keep searching. Nynave, Elayne, and Birgitte Silverbow, Elayne's Warder
Warder (Wheel of Time)
A Warder in the world of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series is a person bonded by an Aes Sedai through the use of saidar to become her bodyguard as she travels....
, head to the Atha'an Miere
Atha'an Miere
The Atha'an Miere are a fictional group of people in Robert Jordan's series of fantasy novels, The Wheel of Time.The Atha'an Miere, called the Sea Folk by commoners, are a group of people with complex customs that live on ships and on islands in the Sea of Storms. They only showed up on the...
to ask for help. They tell them that the ter'angreal is called the Bowl of the Winds, that it has been missing for centuries and even they have no idea where to find it. All of this leads to the newly raised Aes Sedai
Aes Sedai
The Aes Sedai are a special society in the fictional universe of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time book series. Aes Sedai means "Servant to All" in the Old Tongue. They are the wielders of the One Power...
doing something they don't really want to do: ask Mat to help locate it since he is ta'veren
Ta'veren
Ta'veren is a term used in the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.Ta'veren : "A person around whom the Wheel of Time weaves all surrounding life-threads, perhaps ALL life-threads, to form a Web of Destiny." -Notable Ta'veren:*Current...
. He agrees to help them.
Discovery in Truth
During their search, Elayne and Nynaeve stumble across an organization called the Kin and taken to their base of operations. It is there that they are reprimanded by Reanne Corly for playing at being Aes Sedai and are thrown out, even as they are asking about the Bowl. This incident makes them focus their attention more on the Kin, and having Mat do the same pays off big time when Mat follows Solain, one of the Kin, to a six-story building that houses many angreal and ter'angreal the Kin have collected from runaways and such over the years. When confronted by Nynaeve, Elayne and the other Aes Sedai who accompanied them, the Kin agree to show them where the Bowl is being kept.While at the six story building, in the Rahad section of Ebou Dar, they retrieve the Bowl of the Winds (plus all the other ter'angreal that are there). But a trap has been laid by Sammael
Sammael
Sammael is one of the primary antagonists of The Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. He is one of the Forsaken.-Origins:...
and Moghedien
Moghedien
Moghedien is one of the primary antagonists of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. She is one of the Forsaken.- Origin :...
and they are attacked by a gholam, the Black Ajah
Black Ajah
An Ajah is a sub-organization within the Aes Sedai of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series. The Black Ajah is a secret society of Aes Sedai who have forsaken the Three Oaths. This Ajah supports the Dark One, and its members are also active members of the other seven Ajahs to keep their...
and their henchmen. The forces of evil lose, but not without inflicting some loses; some of the Kin and Mat's friend Nalesean died. All are agreed that the Bowl must be used somewhere safe and the Kin recommend the Farm. Mat gets the Sea Folk to travel with the others to the Farm to help use the Bowl, since they are the only ones who know how.
Use of the Bowl
The odd group of Women use Traveling to reach "the Farm", a hiding place for many of the Kin while they are not in Ebou Dar. All is chaos when the Aes Sedai show up, and the KinThe Kin
The Kin is an organization in the world of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time fantasy series.The Kin are a secret group of female channelers hiding from the White Tower. They offered a safe haven for others who had been put out of the Tower due to their failure to measure up to the Tower's standards...
think they are there to punish them. Alise Tenjile, who runs the Farm, manages to get order restored and they proceed to use the Bowl. A group of thirteen women who can channel — the largest possible without a man — is needed, and it is headed by Caire din Gelyn, who knows the most about the ter'angreal. When activated, the Bowl draws on both saidar
One Power
In The Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan, the One Power is the force that maintains the continuous motion of the Wheel of Time. It comes from the True Source, and it is separated into two halves: saidin , the male half, and saidar , the female half. It is used in the series by people...
and saidin
One Power
In The Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan, the One Power is the force that maintains the continuous motion of the Wheel of Time. It comes from the True Source, and it is separated into two halves: saidin , the male half, and saidar , the female half. It is used in the series by people...
, which surprises almost everyone, and can be felt all the world over by anyone who can channel. Almost immediately after its use, the Sea Folk try to take the Bowl, claiming it is part of the Bargain. The Aes Sedai hold steadfast to it though, and say that it will be the Sea Folk's when they can actually see that the weather has changed.
A couple days later it is snowing, and the Bowl is handed over.
Cour'souvra
A Cour'souvra is a ter'angreal used to control a person who can channel. It is constructed of crystal and wire and is sometimes called a "mindtrap." When a channeler is mindtrapped, their soul is linked with the Cour'souvra. A channeler can only be mindtrapped in Shayol GhulShayol Ghul
In the Wheel of Time fantasy novel series, Shayol Ghul is a mountain beyond the Great Blight in the north of the known world. It is the place in the physical world to which the Dark One's prison seems closest...
due to the malleability of reality there. To create the Cour'souvra, a channeler is given a small cut with a knife in order to collect blood, and has their tongue scraped with the same knife to collect saliva. The blood and saliva are then scraped into the empty Cour'souvra, and it is thrown into the Pit of Doom. The mindtrapped channeler can sense the holder of their Cour'souvra, and when it is being used. Crushing the wire cage of the Cour'souvra isolates the mindtrapped person's soul inside the gem, destroying their free will and leaving their body a mindless automaton; this threat gives the holder of the Cour'souvra effectively complete control over the victim.
Currently Cyndane and Moghedien
Moghedien
Moghedien is one of the primary antagonists of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. She is one of the Forsaken.- Origin :...
are mindtrapped by Moridin.
External links
- http://www.encyclopaedia-wot.org:8008/items/adam.html