Lan Mandragoran
From A Wheel of Time Wiki
—ancient oath of Malkieri kings
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Al’Lan Mandragoran, is Lord of the Seven towers, Lord of the Lakes, True Blade of Malkier, May He Sever the Shadow, Dai'shan. Commonly known as Lan, he is the uncrowned King and last survivor of the royal line of Malkier; his kingdom was swallowed by the Great Blight shortly after his birth. Lan is often described as having a face of stone and chilling blue eyes. There is little that can defeat him in physical combat. He is Warder to Myrelle Berengari.
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[edit] Youth
Lan was born in 953 NE, the year Malkier was betrayed to the Shadow. When he was an infant and Malkier was falling, his parents placed the sword of the Malkieri kings in his hands, named him Dai'shan, Diademed Battle Lord of the Malkieri, and swore the ancient oath of Malkieri kings and queens in his name. His mother placed a locket around his neck for remembrance and twenty of Malkier's best swordsmen carried him to Fal Moran in Shienar. Only five reached the city, all wounded. The surviving men taught the child all they knew of weapons and fighting the Blight.
When Lan was fifteen, Edeyn Arrel made herself his Carneira, first love. After their first night in bed, she cut Lan's hair to his shoulders, and kept a lock of it, called the daori, which she intended to give her daughter Iselle Arrel, whom she planned to marry to Lan. Edeyn would later raise the Golden Crane for Lan and began raising an army of Borderlanders for him.
At age sixteen Lan was given the hadori, a thin strip of braided leather holding his hair back, and became a man. He began his one man war against the Shadow that he could not win, with the oath graven on his mind. To stand against the shadow so long as iron is hard and stone abides. To defend the Malkieri while one drop of blood remains. To avenge what cannot be defended. He has nothing left to defend, only to avenge. He will court death himself without a second thought.
At some point Elyas Machera teaches Lan much about the Blight and about using the sword.
[edit] Moiraine and Nynaeve
Moiraine Sedai met Lan in Kandor while searching for the Dragon Reborn after the Aiel War. He managed to throw her into a pond, and she threw a pond onto him. After a battle with the Black Ajah and losing Bukama Marenellin -- the last of the men that carried him to Shienar -- he became her warder in 979 NE. About twenty years later Moiraine and Lan head to the Two Rivers in the hope of finding the Dragon Reborn. They find Rand, Matrim Cauthon and Perrin Aybara, which they take out of the Two rivers after it is attacked by Trollocs. Nynaeve follows the boys to take them back and Meets Lan for the first time. Nynaeve is smitten with Lan and Lan in turn in impressed with Nynaeves tracking ability. Nynaeve tells Lan how she feels about him and in return Lan replies the only thing he can repay her with widow's black as a bridepiece. He gives her his Golden Crane signet ring, which she wears around her neck at all times.
In Tear he is ready to break his bond and oath to Moiraine to be with Nynaeve when he finds out she is on her way to Tanchico to find the Black Ajah but Nynaeve would not have him this way and sends him on his way with Moiraine. Before he leaves he sweeps her off her feet with a very passionate kiss. Later Moiraine battled with Lanfear and they fell through the twisted redstone doorframe. the warder bond was broken, leading Lan to believe she had died.
Lan could no longer feel the bond and told Rand he must now go to Myrelle Berengari, the woman Moiraine had arranged to pass his bond to[1] in the event of her death. He asks Rand to tell Nynaeve al'Meara to forget him before riding off to Salidar.[2].
After Egwene al'Vere discovers him staying in a camp there, she sends him to Ebou Dar to protect Nynaeve,[3] to whom he is married by the Sea Folk Mistress of the Ships.[4] On the route back to Andor, it is Lan who finds the murder scene of both Adeleas Namelle and Ispan Shefar.
On arrival to Caemlyn, captive Sul'dam and Damane are placed into the Kin's care. When Reanne Corly tells Nynaeve and Elayne that three damane are ready to be freed of captivity, it is Lan who's speaks up and tells them it should be done. When Nynaeve agrees and tells Reanne to make it so Lan replies "Tai'shar Manetheren" taking away the cold look of death from his eyes for good.
[edit] Far Madding
When Rand enlists Nynaeve's aid to help cleanse saidin, Lan is balanced to attack Rand and doesn't quite trust him any more. They then go to Far Madding together to kill the renegade Asha'man, Cadsuane, Verin, Min and some others, follow them. Rand recieves an anonymous note (from Padan Fain) giving him the location of the final two renegades. Rand and Lan walk knowingly into the trap. Lan battles Toram Riatin a fellow blademaster while Rand battles Fain. Lan defeats his opponent but then have to flee the scene across the rooftops, until Lan slips. Rand grabs him, but they both slide to the edge of the building. Rand hangs on, but, in a show of self-sacrifice, Lan quietly tells him to let go and save himself. Rand tells him 'When the sun turns green.' and they both fall. Luckily they are only unconscious, and Cadsuane rescues them from the Far Madding jail. The group leaves Far Madding for Shadar Logoth where Nynaeve and Rand cleanse saidin together. Lan patrols the hill around Nynaeve during the Battle near Shadar Logoth.
He accompanies Rand and Nynaeve to Algarin Pendaloan's house in Tear, where Rand recovers after cleansing Saidin. He practices sword play in the courtyard with the other Warders. There he continues to defeat Jahar Narishma duel after duel without even working up a sweat. In KoD, Nynaeve tricks Lan into raising the Golden Crane of Malkier, and riding across the Borderlands to gather an army.
Lan seems to have at last found happiness with Nynaeve, but given the events to come, it is uncertain as to how long that will last.
[edit] Viewings
- Seven ruined Towers are seen around his head. Refers to the seven broken towers of Malkier
- A babe in a cradle holding a sword. Refers to Lan's future. It is a sword made with the One Power from the Age of Legends.
[edit] Notes
| Characters | |
|---|---|
| Protagonists |
Main:
Rand al'Thor · Matrim Cauthon · Perrin Aybara · Egwene al'Vere · Elayne Trakand · Nynaeve al'Meara · Thomdril Merrilin
Primary:
Aviendha · Faile Bashere · Min Farshaw · Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag · Moiraine Damodred · Lan Mandragoran · Loial · Birgitte Silverbow |
| Antagonists |
Dark One · The Forsaken · Padan Fain · Couladin · Pedron Niall · Eamon Valda · Mazrim Taim · Sevanna · Galina Casban · Liandrin · Alviarin Freidhen · Suroth Sabelle Meldarath
|
| Major Characters |
Siuan Sanche · Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan · Verin Mathwin · Leane Sharif
Other Allies:
Morgase Trakand · Juilin Sandar · Bayle Domon · Elyas Machera · Logain Ablar · Amys · Bair · Melaine · Rhuarc · Berelain sur Paendrag Paeron · Davram Bashere · Gaul · Bain · Chiad · Sebban Balwer · Gawyn Trakand · Galad Damodred · Gareth Bryne · Martyn Tallanvor · Lini Eltring
|
| Places | Items | Timeline | Concepts | |
