Morgase Trakand, (pronounced: moor-GAYZ trah-KAND; /mʊɹˈgeɪz trɑˈkænd/) full former title by the Grace of the Light, Queen of Andor, Defender of the Realm, Protector of the People, High Seat of House Trakand, is the former legitimate ruler of Andor. She was thought to be deceased, but in fact she survived and later secretly abdicated in favor of Elayne and was later revealed to be alive when Galadedrid Damodred recognized her among Perrin's servants. Morgase was the wife of Taringail Damodred, by whom she has two children, Elayne and Gawyn, and is stepmother to Galad.
History
Morgase was born in 957 NE and first entered the White Tower at age fourteen in accordance with Andoran custom, despite the fact that she can barely channel. When her training finished for political reasons she was given the Great Serpent ring usually reserved to Accepted.
She returned to Andor less than two years later to lay claim to the Lion Throne following Daughter-Heir Tigraine Mantear's disappearance in 972 NE. She married Taringail Damodred in order to solidify her claim to the throne, and after his death briefly took Thomdril Merrilin as her lover. She has been a fair and capable ruler, with a soft spot for the less fortunate.
Strength and Abilities
Morgase is the weakest channeler encountered in WoT, she can reach and touch the source only with great efforts and after she is barely able to form and control only one very tiny weave, so she can be considered at the lowest of all the strength levels, which is 72(60).
Nevertheless a channeler at such level can reach an age of 150 years old and use proficiently an a'dam to control even the strongest channeler.
Appearance
She has blue eyes and red-gold hair that falls in waves and curls to her shoulders. Rand thinks she and Elayne would look like when maturity ripened her into full bloom. Even though she is 43 years old, Morgase looks little more than 30 because she slowed due to her successful attempts at channeling.
Activities
Meeting Rand
After Rand al'Thor accidentally falls into the gardens in the Royal Palace he is escorted to Morgase by Martyn Tallanvor. While there, Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan, her Aes Sedai advisor, has a Foretelling about Rand. Elaida wishes Rand to remain behind to be questioned further, but Morgase takes pity on him as one of her subjects and lets him go free.[1]
Morgase with her two advisors, Gareth Bryne and Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan
Gaebril
Morgase visits the White Tower to find her daughter missing, making her furious. She refuses to take Elaida as her advisor, and Galad and Gawyn talk their way out of returning to Andor with her.
Morgase becomes romantically involved with "Gaebril," who claims to be a Lord from western Andor. Gaebril is later revealed to be Rahvin of the Forsaken, using Compulsion to force Morgase to carry out his suggestions.[2] Under his influence, she exiles many of her most loyal supporters, including Gareth Bryne, her former Captain General. Upon hearing of the revolt in the Two Rivers region she regains control of herself enough to flee with her nurse Lini, Tallanvor, and the innkeeper Basel Gill.
Whitecloaks
After fleeing the palace, Morgase travels to Amadicia hoping to gain assistance from King Ailron. Pedron Niall takes her from Ailron's palace and holds her captive in the Fortress of the Light. There, she plots with Paitr Conel and his uncle to escape. Niall discovers her plan and has Paitr hanged in Morgase's view.
As a result, she accepts an alliance with the Children of the Light to take back the Lion Throne, with the condition that a garrison of Whitecloaks be allowed to remain in Andor but outside Andoran law. This would put the Children on the same or better footing in Andor then they were in Amadicia.
She is later beaten by Rhadam Asunawa and then forced to lie with Eamon Valda after Pedron is murdered. Soon afterward, Seanchan troops attack the Fortress of the Light and defeat the Whitecloaks. Morgase is taken to High Lady Suroth Sabelle Meldarath and told to either swear an oath or become a servant. Once returned to her rooms in the Fortress of the Light, Morgase decides to rescind all rights to the throne while being held captive in Amadicia, so Elayne can ascend to the throne without interference. Sebban Balwer later arrives and helps Morgase and her followers escape from the Seanchan and leave Amadicia.
Abdication and kidnapping
Under the name Maighdin Dorlain, she travels to Ghealdan, where her group is harassed by the followers of the self-proclaimed Prophet of the Dragon, Masema Dagar. They are rescued by Perrin Aybara and she swears fealty to him and Faile. She is subsequently captured again by the Shaido Aiel. She is strapped for an escape attempt, and is asked to spy on Sevanna by Therava.
Morgase as Maighdin by karaburrito on tumblr
She later tries to steal the Oath Rod for Galina Casban from Therava's tent but is caught and beaten. Later, she is left for dead by Galina in a collapsed building, but escapes by alerting someone to her location through her training in the One Power—with a great deal of encouragement from the others trapped with her. Morgase and her party are soon rescued from the Shaido by Perrin Aybara.
Revelation
After being rescued, she continues her duties as a servant. Perrin attempts to marry her to Tallanvor, but Morgase refuses to marry at the behest of a lord. Tallanvor, feeling rejected, storms away. Soon after this, Morgase learns the truth about Gaebril's identity.
Perrin's army soon encounters the Whitecloak army led by Morgase's son, Galad. The Whitecloaks refuse to accept anything but a battle from Perrin, but eventually meet for a negotiation. When Galad and Morgase see each other, she is serving tea in the tent. She then reveals her identity to Perrin.
Morgase agrees to be the judge in a trial to determine Perrin's culpability for the murder of two Whitecloaks two years prior. Galad accepts his mother's impartiality, and the trial continues. She then stays in the Whitecloak camp and is not particularly surprised that Galad has joined their ranks. She tries to convince him that life is not always black and white using the example of Tham Felmley. At the end of the trial, she declares Perrin innocent of murder, but guilty of illegally killing.
Soon after Perrin allies with the Children of the Light, Morgase is married to Tallanvor by Perrin. They all then Travel to Andor where Morgase is reunited with her daughter, Elayne. She is a neutral presence at the meeting between Elayne and Faile and Perrin. It is decided that Faile and Perrin will become official nobles of the Two Rivers. Elayne declares that Perrin will be the Steward of the Dragon for the Two Rivers so they will have an excuse for the political advantage they will have. Elayne then explains to her mother of the meeting she had with the Andoran and Cairhienin nobles, the exchange of land to both parties, and her play for the Sun Throne. Morgase is very proud of her daughter and believes her plan to be brilliant.
Morgase Trakand
After spending a short time back in her old palace, Elayne brings her troops to the Field of Merrilor for the Last Battle. There, Morgase is reunited with her son, Gawyn.
Last Battle
Morgase organized and ordered groups of workers to find wounded soldiers and pick up weapons left by the dead.
Parallels
Morgase is a reference to the Arthurian legend character Morgause, who was Arthur Pendragon's half-sister and Elaine of Garlot's sister from Uther Pendragon's wife Igraine and her first husband Gorlois. She also had two sons, Gawain and Mordred. These relations are similar to her family connections of Elayne and Gawyn, as well as her indirect connection to Queen Tigraine.