Logain Ablar is an Asha'man of the Black Tower as well as a former False Dragon and a minor Ghealdanin noble. He has recently taken to wearing his sigil, three golden crowns in a field of blue.
Appearance
He is tall, with dark curling hair to his broad shoulders. He is dark and handsome.
Strength
In "The Wheel of Time Companion" his level of strength in the One Power is described as ++2, making him one of the most powerful channelers ever, but still below Rahvin, Moridin, and Rand al'Thor.
Activities
False Dragon
The False Dragon, Logain, being paraded through Caemlyn.
Logain falsely declared himself to be the Dragon Reborn shortly before the events of Winternight in the Two Rivers. He had previously been a minor noble in Ghealdan, but King Johanin and the Crown High Council stripped him of his land and title when he proclaimed himself the Dragon Reborn, though recently he has started wearing his coat of arms. Rand al'Thor first saw Logain in Caemlyn as he was being taken to Tar Valon to be gentled.[1] After the gentling he was kept on the grounds of the White Tower and observed at all times. However, after the deposing of Siuan Sanche as Amyrlin Seat, Min Farshaw rescues Siuan and Leane Sharif (the former Keeper of the Chronicles) from the dungeons of the Tower; along the way, they find Logain, who has also escaped,[2] and take him with them to Salidar to join the rebel Aes Sedai. On the way there under name Dalyn, he gets them into trouble with Gareth Bryne when he starts a fire in Admer Nem's barn and steals some gold to help them. He runs away and Siuan, Min and Leane are caught and put to trial. They believe he has abandoned them, but when they are being driven to Gareth Bryne's manor after the trial to serve out their punishment, Logain knocks the driver unconcious with a rock from a sling and rescues them.[3]
Conspiracy?
Once they are in Salidar, he tells the "Little Tower" that he was set up as a False Dragon by the Red Ajah. This story is a lie concocted by Siuan as part of her personal revenge against Elaida; this causes a stir, to say the least, as the Red's ostensible purpose is to find and gentle men who can channel. His story never changes substantially.
Once Nynaeve al'Meara and Elayne Trakand arrive, Nynaeve studies him, Siuan, and Leane, claiming she can find a way to Heal the separation from the One Power they all have suffered. The Aes Sedai permit her to try simply to appease her, because they believe there is no way she can find a way to Heal such a thing; in fact, no one ever has, even in the Age of Legends. However, she does in fact discover a way to do so; restoring his, Leane's, and Siuan's connection to the One Power, although the two women suffer a huge loss in their capacity to channel for reasons unknown to the characters. (Robert Jordan has stated that this is due to being Healed by a woman; a man Healing them would have restored full strength in the One Power. This was confirmed in a later book when an Asha'man restores stilled Aes Sedai to full strength.) After having his ability to channel restored he is shielded at all times by six Aes Sedai but manages to escape with the new Amyrlin Egwene al'Vere's help. She and Siuan Sanche arrange it so that of the six Aes Sedai shielding Logain, only three have Warders. Mint tea is brought to the Aes Sedai and the Warders as they guard the tent holding Logain and the six Aes Sedai, containing a "small addition" that cannot be tasted, presumably forkroot.
Logain portrait done by Jeremy Saliba
Asha'man and Beyond
After finding the Black Tower and becoming an Asha'man he finds himself at odds with Mazrim Taim and sets out to locate the Dragon Reborn to let him know of the trouble brewing back at the Black Tower. He has bonded two Aes Sedai: Toveine Gazal from the Red Ajah and Gabrelle from the Brown Ajah, who were sent to capture the Asha'man.
On his way to locate Rand he comes across Lord Davram Bashere, who agrees to accompany him. Logain finds Rand and has with him not only Bashere, Aes Sedai, Asha'man, and soldiers, but Loial and Karldin as well. He reports to Rand that Taim has gained control of the Black Tower and some of the Asha'man. Rand listens to this news and tells Logain that he has cleansed saidin, before sending Loial, Bashere, and Logain to negotiate with the Seanchan. Logain seems to believe that the cleansing was a mercy of the Creator and not an act by Rand al'Thor and Nynaeve al'Meara.
Logain acts as Rand's lieutenant although he demonstrates a strong degree of independence of spirit. He learns a number of deadly weaves from Rand during this association (or rather, from Lews Therin after Rand loses control). When Lews Therin won't let go of saidin he reveals to everyone present that Rand is drawing in too much of the One Power.
He is sent by Rand as his ambassador to the Sea Folk. There he calls on the Sea Folk's part of the Bargain, which is to provide as many ships as possible and to supply over one million people with food and supplies in Arad Doman. News of the Amayar mass suicide arrives, for which Logain doesn't show much remorse, reminding them of their priority to the Bargain first. He is one of the six to accompany Rand to his meeting with the Daughter of the Nine Moons. A fight soon breaks out when the Daughter of the Nine Moons is revealed to actually be Semirhage in disguise.
Logain in the Black Tower
Troubles of the Black Tower
Logain and the Black Tower
Back at the Tower, Logain's prolonged absence is considered a frightening mystery. And the Black Tower is divided between the men who support Taim and the men who support Logain.
One of his followers, Mezar Kurin, a man described as previously "fiercely loyal" to Logain, has returned to the Tower. According to reports among Logain's followers, Mezar is not Mezar, but some twisted, dark replacement.[4] To underline his strange transformation, Mezar has also been spending time with Taim's lackeys, throwing further tarnish on his character.[4]
This is problematic because when Mezar returned he reported that Logain was fine and that all would soon be resolved between himself and Taim. The men loyal to Logain at the Tower are desperately trying to contact Logain to ask for guidance, but they are stymied in whichever direction they turn. Mezar's report has panicked them even more. They fear that Logain may have been taken, though there is no outside evidence that this is so.[4]
When Androl and Pevara discover that both Aes Sedai and Asha'man have been changing, they suspect that men and women are being Turned to the Dark One, which requires 13 Dreadlords and 13 Myrdraal. Logain, being strong of will, has resisted being Turned for a long time, and he is rescued. One of his bonded Aes Sedai, Toveine, is not. He releases her bond to him.
Logain's Group
With permission from Taim, Logain left to recruit for the Black Tower, taking some of his strongest followers with him. But Logain's true goal was to find the Dragon Reborn. Along the way he obtained the help of Bashere and some Warders left in Cairhien by their Aes Sedai, sworn to Rand. This group of supporters became a formidable force that gave needed strength during the battle in Pendaloan estate and in the meeting with the false Tuon.
Aside from the Warders, Logain's group was made up of more than half a dozen Asha'man and eight Aes Sedai. Bashere brought with him a hundred Saldaean light horse.
- Logain with Toveine and Gabrelle
- Donalo Sandomere and Ayako Norsoni
- Welyn Kajima and Jenare
- Mezar Kurin and Adrielle
- Arel Malevin and Aisling Noon
- Naeff and Nelavaire Demasiellin
- Karldin Manfor
- Samitsu Tamagowa
- Loial
- Bashere and a hundred Saldean light horse
- Sarene's, Erian's and Elza's Warders
The Last Battle
When Elayne's army is nearly overwhelmed by Trollocs, Logain and the other Asha'man arrive and defend
Logain Ablar by Ariel Burgess, Official Wheel of Time Artist
her, decimating the opposing forces. Logain tells her that when he found out that the Shadow had devised this particular trap, he came to her first. He tells her "The Black Tower stands with the lion of Andor".
Eventually Logain goes in search for a sa'angreal that he knows Demandred has. He believes that with a sa'angreal he himself will never be overpowered again, as he was when he was Gentled, and when he was taken to be Turned. It is revealed that something has broken inside him. He faces Demandred face-to-face, but barely escapes with his life, and Gabrelle appears genuinely worried about him. Once Demandred is killed, he tells the asha'man they have new orders to find the sa'angreal that Demandred gave to Taim.
Logain is given the unbroken seals by Androl, who has secretly taken them from Taim. He is approached by Leilwin after Egwene's death who passes along Egwene's instructions to break the seals when he sees the Light. He initially states that the seals are his now and he will do what he wishes with them, but Gabrelle tells him that he must do the right thing when the time comes.
Logain is then confronted with the choice to find the sa'angreal, or to save helpless refugees from being slaughtered by Trollocs. He chooses the latter and immediately regrets the decision, as the place where the sa'angreal rested was destroyed. However, he is surprised when the refugees appear gratefull and adoring, promising to send their sons for testing when they are older to see if they have the gift of channeling. He is taken aback that they refer to the ability as a gift and not a curse, and his regrets seem forgotten.
When the Last Battle is nearing an end, he and the rest of his group see the Light shooting from Shayol Ghul and he breaks the seals at Gabrelle's urging, thereby allowing Rand to seal the bore for good.
Other
- Min has viewed numerous times that Logain carries an aura of a golden halo over his head indicating that he will one day attain great glory. Also, Egwene once had a dream in which Logain steps over what she believes to be Rand's corpse, sits on a throne and laughs maniacally, while Rand's corpse collapses into leaves.
- Logain also has the ability to see ta'veren. He states as much when he describes seeing Rand surrounded by light. Other characters such as Nicola and Siuan Sanche have also described ta'veren this way.