Ishamael
From A Wheel of Time Wiki
—Ishamael to Lews Therin Telamon
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [Source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ishamael (Old Tongue: Betrayer of Hope) is the most powerful of the Forsaken as well as being their leader.
Contents |
[edit] Age of Legends
Elan Morin Tedronai was a noted philosopher and theologian who wrote several influential books, among them Analysis of Perceived Meaning, Reality and the Absence of Meaning and The Disassembly of Reason. Elan Morin was often considered too esoteric for popular appeal. He also believed that the war between the soul of Lews Therin and the Dark One had occured since the beginning of time, recurring in cycles of the Wheel of Time. However after his descent into madness through overmuch use of the True Power, he seemed to believe that he himself was part of the eternal conflict between The Dragon and the Dark One
He was one of the first in the Age of Legends to publicly declare himself for The Shadow. He was the Dark One's greatest champion and the only one being equal to Lews Therin in the One Power. Although he never held a field command, he was defeated by Lews Therin at the gates of Paaran Disen. He announced his betrayal at a conference of Aes Sedai in the Hall of Servants, informing them of what it was they faced. His announcement sparked massive riots. He was given the name Ishamael by the people: Betrayer of Hope. At some stage he is humbled by Lews Therin in the Hall of Servants.
[edit] Half-Sealed?
When the Dark One's Prison was sealed, it is thought that Ishamael was only partially sealed behind it, (in contrast to Aginor and Balthamel who were merely sealed too close to the edge, and thus susceptible to the passage of time), and his soul was allowed to be released in the world from time to time. In fact, Ishamael may not have been initially bound at all, since he visited Lews Therin Telamon (apparently in person) after the seals on the Dark One's prison had been placed (as Ishamael speaks of the sealing in past tense, and Lews Therin is already mad).[1]
After the seals were placed and saidin was tainted, Ishamael told the now-mad Lews Therin to kill his family[2], and then Healed him so that he understood what he had done. This realization is what caused Lews Therin to commit suicide.
Aran son of Malan son of Senar (born roughly 50 AB) had a theory based on Ishamael being thrown out and touching the world for specific periods of time. Aran had heard claims that people had encountered him as long as 40 years after the sealing of the Bore. Using lost manuscripts, Aran concluded it might have taken some time for Ishamael to be brought into the prison with the remainder of the Forsaken, and might possibly have been "thrown out" in a regular cycle. There is ample evidence to now support this hypothesis such as interviews from Darkfriends saying that as early as 983 NE they were receiving instructions from someone calling himself Ba'alzamon. It's possible the cycle lasts a 1000 years, as the Trolloc Wars, War of the Hundred Years, and the current time are all a thousand years apart.
[edit] Ba'alzamon
—Rand al'Thor
Possibly due to his own madness, Ishamael started calling himself Ba'alzamon ("Heart of the Dark" in the Trolloc tongue) and was revered by Trollocs and feared by Myrddraal. He ravaged the world when he sent the Trollocs forth, causing the Trolloc Wars.
The long years and the strain of being torn between the world and a possibly endless sleep seem to have driven Ishamael insane; in addition, he was one of the privileged few that the Dark One allowed to touch the True Power, a raw source of energy akin to the One Power but emanating directly from the Dark One, and in some ways more powerful. Use of this gift was even more addictive than saidar or saidin however, and it drove users mad before they died. In any case, Ishamael came to believe that he was part of the eternal struggle between the Dragon and the Shadow, and that he had been a part of that struggle not only in the Age of Legends, but throughout time. He may have honestly believed that he was the Dark One somehow; in any case, due to his appearance and leadership of the Shadow when all of the Forsaken were supposed to be bound and sealed, the world came to believe that Ba'alzamon was the Trolloc name for the Dark One as well.
[edit] Jalwin Moerad
In FY 973, Ishamael came to Artur Hawkwing's court as Jalwin Moerad. He became Hawkwing's highest counsellor by summer FY 974, and held that position until Artur's death in FY 994. He set about wrecking that which Hawkwing had built, advising him to dismiss all Aes Sedai from his service, lay siege to Tar Valon, send his armies across the Aryth Ocean, and refuse Healing on his deathbed.
Jalwin Moerad had a volatile temper, and was half mad. He was frequently absent for long periods (which led Takima, Arthur's wife, to distrust him) and anyone who inquired about him closely died. He was openly contemptuous of Aes Sedai. Days after Artur's death, he became counsellor to, and then ordered killed, the three closest contenders for the throne (Marithelle Camaelaine, Norodim Nosokawa and then Elfraed Guitama), one after another. Jalwin disappeared after 40 years, never having aged a day.
[edit] Release
After his permanent release from the Dark One's prison in 997 NE, he hunted Rand al'Thor relentlessly through his dreams (he also pursued Mat Cauthon and Perrin Aybara until he was certain Rand was the Dragon Reborn), attempting to turn him to the Shadow. He battled Rand twice, once somewhere near the Eye of the World, and again in Falme, the second time wounding Rand's side. He was finally killed by the use of the sa'angreal sword Callandor in the Heart of the Stone of Tear; it was only at that time that Rand learned that Ba'alzamon, his sworn enemy and persecutor, was not in fact the Dark One but Ishamael, and that his battle against the Shadow had only just truly begun.
[edit] Resurrection
Ishamael was possibly resurrected by the Great Lord into a new body with a new name, Moridin (Old Tongue for death). He is now very tall and broad-shouldered, he has very blue eyes and a deep voice and looks to be in his mid 20's with black hair. He has a square chin.
As the watcher, he watches as both Sammael and Graendal spread chaos among the Shaido. He seems amused with Sammael's boasting of a truce with Rand and that he is Nae'blis. Moridin was given the title of Nae'blis by the Dark One, effectively naming him his regent on the Day of the Return, the coveted position that sets him above the other Forsaken. He mostly channels the True Power now, using it to detect both Saidar and Saidin, and therefore has the saa in his eyes. As Nae'blis, he is now the only person allowed to use the True Power.
As the wanderer, he pulls Rand out of a cavern in Shadar Logoth when Rand is fighting Sammael. Moridin shoots a beam of balefire at a tendril of Mashadar the same time as Rand does and their beams cross over and touch. Perhaps as a consequence of this, they seem to have formed a connection: Rand now often sees Moridin in his mind when he channels. The link works both ways as Moridin is also aware of Rand. The sensation Rand has is of them each touching the other, but not physically. Rand now suffers nausea when he first reaches for saidin and, through his link, feels Moridin also suffer the same nausea. Moridin seems to be furious with this apparent side-effect.
He later watches Nynaeve al'Meara, Elayne Trakand and the rest of their group Travel from Ebou Dar. he becomes concerned when he finds out that they have a Ter'angreal that can change the weather back to normal. He also is amazed when Aviendha unravels her Gateway without it exploding.
[edit] Nae'blis
He controls Cyndane and Moghedien through the use of Cour'souvra, and has started to consolidate the power of the Shadow under his command, as he once did as Ba'alzamon. Other Chosen say of him that, though he now has much more control over himself, this self-control hides a greater madness than before.
He has reluctantly rescinded the order to kill Rand as Rand is planning to cleanse saidin. He orders Raefar Kisman, Manel Rochaid, Charl Gedwyn and Peral Torval to get the access keys for the Choedan Kal off him. He did not participate in the Battle near Shadar Logoth.
He sets up a meeting in Tel'aran'rhiod, which is made to look like the Ansaline Gardens, where he tells the other Chosen to leave Rand for him alone. Mat and Perrin are to be found and killed however. He also wants to find out who is masquerading as Sammael and sent tens of thousands of Trollocs into the Ways.
