A History of the Wheel of Time Part 12: The Aiel War

Laman's Folly
In 970 NE Illian and Tear clashed again for control of trade along the Sea of Storms and across the Plains of Maredo. The fighting lasted six years and was divided into three separate wars. During these wars Tam al’Thor rose to the ranks of Second Captain of the Illianer Companions, one of the most elite military formations on the subcontinent. At the conclusion of the wars in 976 NE Tam had had enough and wished to return home to his father’s farm in the Two Rivers district of Andor (where Manetheren’s capital had once existed). Before he could, one last battle remained to be fought.

In 971 NE Luc Mantear, eldest son of Queen Mordrellen of Andor, was urged by Gitara Moroso, his mother's Aes Sedai advisor, to seek his glory in the Blight. An accomplished swordsman, he joined the Shienarans on their patrols of the Blight and soon won acclaim for his bravery and skill. However, Luc went into the Blight one day and did not return. He was presumed dead.

This news plunged his mother into grief and his sister into despair. Tigraine despised her husband, the rude, arrogant Taringail Damodred, nephew to King Laman of Cairhien. Whilst he doted on his and Tigraine’s son, Galadedrid (born very early in 972 NE), he almost ignored his wife, or scorned and mocked her even in public. Luc was the only person Tigraine could confide in and news of his apparent death struck her hard. In desperation she also sought the advice of her mother’s Aes Sedai advisor, Gitara Moroso. Gitara, who often had the Foretelling, told Tigraine that the safety of Andor and the world itself depended on her going east, to the Aiel Waste, and joining the "Maidens". She was not to return to the lands of the west until the time came for the Maidens to journey to Tar Valon. Confused, Tigraine heeded her words. Leaving behind a son she loved dearly and a husband she did not at all, she fled Caemlyn by night in the spring of 972 NE with only the clothes she wore and enough money to get her to the Dragonwall.

Tigraine’s disappearance plunged her mother into the very deepest pits of despair. Mordrellen simply could not tolerate any more heartbreak and died in the late spring of the year. House Mantear was too weak to hold the throne and the other Houses fell into dispute over the succession. The Third Succession War raged for three months, though only a few deaths resulted of it, ending when the powerful noble Houses Taravin, Renshar, Coelan, Carand, Traemane and Pendar united behind the youthful Morgase Trakand, High Seat of House Trakand, and propelled her to the Lion Throne. Upon her ascension Queen Morgase pardoned all the Houses that stood against her and married Taringail to appease Cairhien. She also adopted Galad as her own son, again to appease Cairhien. But where Tigraine had been weak, Morgase was extremely strong-willed. She did not tolerate Taringail’s rudeness, often dismissing him from her presence like he was a servant and not even inviting him to some parties and balls. It is a matter of some debate in Andoran society as to how exactly their children, Gawyn (b. 979) and Elayne (b. 981), could have been conceived, such was their disdain for one another. Morgase inherited Gitara Moroso as her Aes Sedai advisor, but barely a year later Gitara was recalled to Tar Valon to serve as the Keeper of the Chronicles for the newly-raised Amyrlin Tamra Ospenya. Elaida do Avriny a’Roihan of the Red Ajah became Morgase’s new advisor. Though Morgase was not aware of it, Elaida’s decision to serve her was based on a Foretelling she had years earlier, that the salvation of the world at the Last Battle would depend upon the Royal House of Andor.

Over the next four years King Laman saw his nephew’s spirit being broken by his stronger-willed wife and also saw his own dreams of seeing Damodreds on the thrones of both Cairhien and Andor crumble. A skilled player of Daes Dae’mar or the Game of Houses (as the complex web of politics between the noble Houses is called), Laman decided to cut down Avendoraldera, the sapling of Avendesorathat had stood outside the Sun Palace in Cairhien for the past five centuries. From that tree he would make the most wondrous and impressive throne in the whole world. This was just a minor part of his schemes, but it had the most infamous and far-reaching outcome.

At the moment the axe bit into the trunk of the only chora tree to exist outside the Aiel Waste in almost four thousand years, Laman’s fate and the fate of the whole world was sealed.




The Aiel War, the Battle of the Shining Walls & the Dragon’s Rebirth
In the spring of 972 NE a young woman asked to join a Cairhienin caravan bound for Shara. The caravan leaders were dubious, but she could pay her way, though she refused to give a name. They agreed, but a few days after entering the Aiel Waste she suddenly left, striking out on her own. The caravan leaders tried to stop her, but she ran off. With only a few days’ worth of food and water, they believed her as good as dead.

Maybe she would have died, but a small group of Aiel Maidens of the Spear - Aiel female warriors - tracked her and rescued her from the brink of death. She refused to divulge her true name, instead taking the name Shaiel, "The Woman Who is Dedicated" in the Old Tongue. She told them that she had been sent to join the Maidens by an Aes Sedai with the Foretelling, and that she left behind a newborn son she loved and a husband she did not. Impressed by her spirit and courage, they adopted her into the Chumai sept of the Taardad Aiel. Barely a year later they let her join the Maidens of the Spear. She would never be an equal to a true Aiel Maiden, raised and trained since almost birth, but she was as skilled a warrior as a wetlander could be expected to become.

Shaiel eventually met and fell in love with Janduin, leader of the Iron Mountain sept and recently-raised clan chief of the Taardad Aiel. One of the youngest clan chiefs in history, Janduin is now accounted as one of the great Aiel leaders. He ended the Taardad's blood feud with the Reyn Aiel and made peace with the Nakai, who were not far from blood feud. He also strengthened the Taardad’s alliance with the Shaarad Aiel and came close to negotiating a peace between the Shaarad and the Goshien, who had been blood enemies for many years. But it was then that news came from across the Spine of the World: Laman had cut down Avendoraldera, destroyed that which could not be replaced and spurned five centuries of peace with the Aiel. Janduin was filled with anger and called a meeting of all the clan chiefs at Alcair Dal, a valley in the Waste where the clans can meet in safety. Despite his entreaties that vengeance was needed against the Cairhienin, only four of the twelve clans agreed to support him. The Reyn, the Nakai and the Shaarad made alliance with the Taardad and soon four full clans of the Aiel were heading west towards the Jangai Pass through the Dragonwall.

The Aiel War began with the invasion of Cairhien in the late spring of 976 NE. The people of Cairhien could only watch, stunned, as more than 90,000 Aiel warriors poured into the eastern part of the country. Taien and Selean, the fortress-towns guarding Jangai Pass, were both razed, as was Eianrod and most of the other settlements in the east. King Laman began gathering the Cairhienin army, and hired mercenaries from Murandy, Andor and Tear, for a decisive battle. That battle, the First Battle of Cairhien, was fought less than four months after the Aiel entered the country. Outnumbered, Cairhien’s army crumbled and fled the battlefield. Laman himself had already fled down the River Alguenya. The Aiel razed parts of Cairhien City, igniting the Topless Towers and sparing only the Great Library (the Aiel will not destroy knowledge, which is precious to them). Incensed that the Treekiller had fled rather than stand and fight honourably, Janduin ordered the Aiel to follow him downriver.

Fighting ravaged most of the south-eastern part of the Westlands for over a year. The rapidly diminishing Cairhienin army and its hired mercenaries battled the Aiel in the Maraside Mountains and Haddon Mirk, rarely achieving any victories of note. At this point Tear entered the war, reinforcing Laman with its own army on the condition that the fighting be moved away from their borders. Laman seemed to know that the Aiel were chasing him, but didn’t share this knowledge with his generals, who believed that the Aiel wished to destroy Cairhien as a prelude to a general invasion of the West.

The fighting now raged up the western side of the Erinin, across the Plains of Maredo near the river. Laman called upon his alliance with Andor and Morgase reluctantly sent troops to aid him. Battles were fought in Braem Wood and on Caralain Grass, but the Aiel ever harried Laman northwards. During this period Shaiel became pregnant, but refused to return to the Waste. Out of his love for her Janduin agreed to let her remain with the Aiel force which, nine months later, came to the Shining Walls of Tar Valon themselves.

The Aes Sedai had come to the conclusion that the Aiel were intent on looting the West (some guessed that they were after Laman, but it was merely one possibility amongst others for the invasion) and the only way to stop them was with a sound defeat. To this end, for the past few months they had sent Grey Ajah ambassadors to the rulers of every nation, even, through third parties, Amadicia and the Children of the Light. Though they detested the idea of working with their hated foes, the "witches" of Tar Valon, the Children of the Light concurred that a single massive battle should be enough to halt the invasion. Thus was formed the somewhat grandiosely-named "Grand Alliance’.

Only four nations did not formally participate in the Grand Alliance, though mercenaries from those lands did fight. Tarabon and Arad Doman were too far away to muster an army and have it arrive in time for the battle (although individual lords were able to march quickly enough to join in the engagement), whilst Saldaea and Kandor were both distracted by a rapid increase in the number of Trolloc raids across the Blight (in fact Kandor’s army had begun marching southwards, but had to be recalled to help combat the increasing Trolloc raids). The other ten countries all participated in the battle.

The Grand Alliance Army numbered approximately 167,500 regular troops from the ten nations, plus an additional 5,000 or so mercenaries and irregulars (much to the chagrin of the First, the small number of Mayener Winged Guards who fought in this battle are only counted amongst the irregulars in histories of the conflict). Shienar sent 29,000 troops, Andor fielded 28,000 soldiers, Illian sent 26,000 troops (including the Illianer Companions), Tear deployed 24,000 troops, Arafel sent 21,000 soldiers, Cairhien’s surviving 7,000 soldiers fought, Ghealdan dispatched 5,000 men, Altara sent 3,500 and Amadicia and Murandy both fielded 4,000 apiece. In addition Tar Valon fielded almost the entirety of its 13,000-strong Tower Guard (keeping only 1,000 back for the defence of the city itself) and the Children of the Light sent 4,000 soldiers. There is no doubt that this was the largest army fielded in the Westlands since the early period of the War of the Hundred Years.

In comparison the Aiel had around 100,000 warriors west of the Dragonwall, but of these only 80,000 or so were actually present at the battle. This discrepancy was balanced by several factors, such as the clarity of their goal (the Aiel only wanted to kill Laman; the Alliance had to defend Tar Valon from all directions and wanted to drive off the Aiel, not destroy them, which it didn’t have enough troops to do), sheer savagery (the Aiel did not fear death, whilst the Alliance troops certainly did) and a simpler command structure. The Aiel only had one leader, Janduin. The Grand Alliance had to make do with a council of eleven different leaders.

This council arose because of politics. The armies arrived at Tar Valon days or even weeks before the Aiel and, in the beginning, nine of the nations, the Aes Sedai and even the Children of the Light agreed that there was one obvious candidate for command: Lord Agelmar Jagad, Lord of Fal Dara on the edge of the Blight and Defender of Tarwin’s Gap. Unfortunately, King Laman Damodred of Cairhien demanded the right to command because it was Cairhien who had suffered the most from the depredations of the Aiel. All of the other leaders refused this simply because Cairhien had lost almost all of its engagements with the Aiel and more than three-quarters of its army had been destroyed thanks to Laman’s tactical ineptitude (this may not be entirely fair, as the Aiel invasion took Cairhien completely by surprise and destroyed most of its army piecemeal before it could assemble). The Amyrlin Seat of the Aes Sedai, Tamra Ospenya, suggested that Tar Valon retain command because it would be at the centre of the battle, but Tear, Amadicia and the Children of the Light refused even to consider this. Pedron Niall offered himself as commander and, whilst even the Aes Sedai admitted he was one of the great captains of the day (though not to his face), it would not be politically acceptable for the Children of the Light to lead a battle fought around Tar Valon. The skilled, though not outstanding, King Mattin Stepaneos of Illian offered himself as a compromise choice which might have been accepted, had not Murandy and Altara’s lords suddenly started squabbling amongst themselves for the role.

The council rotated field command on a day-by-day basis. In the event only four of the eleven commanders actually commanded the Alliance forces: Lord Agelmar Jagad of Shienar on the first day, Lord Captain Commander Pedron Niall of the Children of the Light on the second day, Captain-General Aranvor Naldwinn of Andor on the third day and Lord Hirare Nachiman of Arafel on the fourth. The commander for the fifth day, Mattin Stepaneos, took charge of the aftermath operations of the battle (tending to the wounded, burying the dead, etc) but did not actually command under combat conditions (the month-long harrying of the Aiel forces as they retreated eastwards was commanded by junior officers in the field).

The Battle of the Shining Walls, also called the Battle of Tar Valon and, most famously, the Blood Snow, began on the twenty-seventh day of the penultimate month of 978 NE. The first day saw heavy fighting as the Aiel advanced on Tar Valon from the south and, unexpectedly, from both sides of the Erinin (the Aiel’s crippling fear of water had been overcome to surround the city). The fighting was centred on the Alindrelle Erinin (the western side) and ranged onto the bridges themselves, but never any closer to the city (the Aiel, it seems, were aware that the Aes Sedai could only use the One Power against them if they were attacked and at this time the Aiel were still in awe of Aes Sedai and did not wish harm on them). Heavy snows fell on the morning of the second day, but despite most of them having never seen snow before, the Aiel were not hindered at all. On the third day a contingent of Aiel led by Janduin finally located the Cairhienin camp and in a furious battle decimated it, exposing Laman and killing him. Both of Laman’s brothers died with him. Barely 500 Cairhienin troops survived the battle, though some of the nobles Laman had brought with him managed to get away. Laman’s head was carried back to the Waste as a trophy, along with his sword, a rare Power-wrought blade from the Age of Legends.

The afternoon of the third day, that night, and the following morning saw the Aiel regroup on the eastern side of the Erinin and commence a strategic withdrawal towards the Spine of the World. The fourth day of the battle was really a harrying manoeuvre as the Alliance forces directed the Aiel away from Tar Valon.

The bulk of the Alliance cavalry continued the pursuit of the Aiel for a further twenty days, until the Aiel slipped into Kinslayer’s Dagger and all but vanished, slipping away between the peaks, down into Cairhien again and then east across the Jangai and back into the Waste. The Aiel were gone and the Alliance claimed victory, though almost all of its commanders now realised that the death of Laman had been the Aiel’s only true objective and from that point of view the Aiel had won.

The Battle of the Shining Walls saw several of the more prominent military commanders of the West fall. Captain-General Aranvor Naldwinn, commander of the Queen’s Guard of Andor, perished on the third day of the battle and was succeeded by Captain-General Gareth Bryne. Lord Hirare Nachiman of Arafel, brother to King Paitar, perished on the fourth day of combat and was succeeded by Lord Ishigari Terasian.

But one event above all others took place on the third day of the Battle of the Shining Walls, though its significance would not become clear for twenty years.

On that third day, whilst the bulk of the fighting raged around Tar Valon, a group of Aiel Maidens of the Spear pursued an Andoran contingent south-west to the lower slopes of Dragonmount, a good fifteen to twenty miles from the city itself. Here they fought, but the Aiel were surprised by the arrival of a force of the elite Illianer Companions. In fierce fighting the Aiel were all slain. Examining the corpses afterwards, Second Captain Tam al’Thor was startled to find a new-born baby boy, still in the arms of his dead mother. Tam had always wanted children, but he and his wife Kari had not been able to have them. He took the baby as his own and named him "Rand", one of Kari’s favourite names. A few weeks later he would retire from the Illianer Companions (though only forty years old or so) and return to his home farm in the Two Rivers in western Andor.

At the moment that skirmish was fought on the slopes of Dragonmount, the Amyrlin Seat, Tamra Ospenya, was discussing important matters with her Keeper of the Chronicles, Gitara Moroso. Two Accepted - Moiraine Damodred (Taringail’s half-sister and Laman’s niece) and Siuan Sanche (daughter of a Tairen fisherman) - were also present, acting as couriers between the Amyrlin and the Yellow Ajah sisters out Healing the wounded at the city gates. Suddenly Gitara Moroso was gripped by the Foretelling, crying, “He is born again! I feel him! The Dragon takes his first breath on the slope of Dragonmount! He is coming! He is coming! Light help us! Light help the world! He lies in the snow and cries like the thunder! He burns like the sun!”. At that instant she fell dead on the spot. Shocked, Tamra swore the two Accepted to secrecy and gave several trusted Aes Sedai sisters a secret mission: to find the Dragon Reborn wherever he was and bring him to Tar Valon to be brought up in safety.

As far as the rest of the land was concerned, a major battle had been won or at least endured, and things returned to normal afterwards. But they were wrong. The Dragon was Reborn. Lews Therin Telamon breathed again and nothing would ever be the same.


Before the Storm
In the aftermath of the Battle of the Shining Walls Moiraine Damodred and Siuan Sanche were raised to the shawl, becoming full Aes Sedai. Both chose the Blue Ajah. It was a startling decision, since both had been in the Tower less than ten years, but the Amyrlin Seat, Tamra Ospenya, was adamant, so pleased was she by their conduct during the battle.

Barely had the shawls settled on their necks before the two Aes Sedai went their separate ways. Siuan Sanche remained in the Tower, rising quickly through the hierarchy of the Blue Ajah, whilst Moiraine went out into the world. On the surface she merely wished to travel the land, looking for girls who could channel the One Power and seeing what matters might concern Aes Sedai. Many sisters did as much in their early years in the shawl. Others guessed that Moiraine feared being put forward for the throne of Cairhien as a niece of the dead Laman and slipped away to avoid an unwelcome destiny. But, unknown to the Tower at large, Moiraine had a secret purpose. She was to hunt down the Dragon Reborn whilst Siuan oversaw the search from the White Tower. The Amyrlin Sedai, Tamra Ospenya, had dispatched several trusted Aes Sedai sisters on the search as well (Aisha Raveneos, Kerene Nagashi, Valera Gorovni, Ludice Daneen and Meilyn Arganya) but Siuan and Moiraine appointed themselves to the hunt as well.

The biggest problem facing the hunters was that literally hundreds of children had been born in the days surrounding the appropriate date to camp-followers of the Alliance armies and in the city itself. Most of those children, and their parents, vanished without trace after the battle, with almost no record of where they had gone. Initial reports indicated the soldier might have been with a mercenary force from the Borderlands, so Moiraine’s first port of call was the Borderlands. There she met al’Lan Mandragoran, the famous Uncrowned King of Malkier. After spending some time together, she offered to bond him as her Warder. Lan initially refused, until Moiraine told him the truth behind her quest. Lan agreed that finding the Dragon Reborn was more important than anything, even his war with the Blight, and accepted her offer. In Shienar Moiraine was introduced to Lord Agelmar Jagad of Fal Dara and they became friends and allies. Around this time Moiraine also learned that all of the other sisters sent on the search for the Dragon Reborn had been murdered in highly unusual circumstances. Only she and Siuan remained alive, perhaps because none save Tamra knew that they knew of the Dragon’s Rebirth.

Halfway through 979 NE Tamra Ospenya died under mysterious circumstances. Moiraine’s search carried her to Kandor. There, in Chachin, she uncovered the first hard evidence that the Black Ajah still existed in the Tower and realised that Tamra had been murdered by them. Moiraine and Siuan both trod very warily after that.

In the spring of 979 NE what was left of Cairhien was again rocked by war, this time the Fourth War of Cairhienin Succession. This war saw House Damodred displaced and House Riatin take the throne under King Galldrian. Though House Damodred remained a powerful force under Lord Barthanes, its reputation had been seriously marred by Laman’s foolishness and it would be some time before it would become a contender for the throne again.

In Andor, Prince Taringail saw the end of his dreams to put a daughter on the Lion Throne of Andor and a son on the Sun Throne of Cairhien. Some say this was the final straw and he started plotting to take the Lion Throne for himself. Taringail was assassinated in 984 NE, leaving all such plans unfulfilled. Initially agents of House Riatin were suspected, but it is now believed that he was killed by the Court Bard, Thomdrim Merrilin, before he could harm Morgase. Thom himself was forced into exile from Caemlyn the following year, when his nephew Owyn discovered he could channel the One Power and was unlawfully gentled by the Red Ajah, who then left him to the "mercies" of the local townsfolk. Thom had several arguments with Elaida about this matter, the final one actually in public. Queen Morgase was sympathetic to Thom’s pain - after all, they had been lovers for more than five years - but refused to tolerate disrespect to her Aes Sedai advisor in the Royal Palace. When Thom refused to apologise, he was thrown out of the city. Thom took to the road as a common gleeman, entertaining peasants and farmers as he had once entertained nobles and queens.

Around 983 NE it seems that Ishamael finally escaped form Shayol Ghul for good, a clear fifteen years before the remainder of the Forsaken escaped. Ishamael made contact with the Black Ajah - it seems that he had already made arrangements for it to survive beyond the Trolloc Wars - and was enraged to discover that the current leader of the Black, Jarna Malari, had arranged the death of the Amyrlin Seat Tamra Ospenya, risking the Black Ajah with discovery. Jarna was killed in a horrific manner, which the Black Ajah arranged to look like an accident involving a ter’angreal. Ishamael then raised Alviarin Freidhen of the White Ajah to become the leader of the Black, ordering her to obey him absolutely. Sierin Vayu, the Amyrlin after Tamra, died in 984 NE but the Black Ajah took no hand in the matter (although it is speculated that some members of the Black manipulated the Red Ajah into performing the deed for unknown reasons). Marith Jaen, one of the oldest sisters in the Tower, was raised to the Amyrlin Seat, but then died of old age a mere four years later.

The Hall of the Tower decided that it was not good for the image of the Tower to go through so many Amyrlins in so short a time and it was decided to deliberately choose a young woman, one who would endure for decades. In the end they choose Siuan Sanche as the Amyrlin Seat in 988 NE, despite the minor controversy (Siuan had only been full Aes Sedai for nine years and in the White Tower less than twenty). Siuan proved a good choice, wise and strong. The Black Ajah left her alone because she didn’t seem to be a threat (Siuan in fact began actively investigating the Black Ajah at this time, but always moved slowly and carefully so as not to arouse their suspicions).

In 996 NE, a Darkfriend named Padan Fain was taken to Shayol Ghul and "altered" so he became a hound for the Dark One, destined to track down the Dragon Reborn no matter what. In his guise as a peddler he visited many parts of Andor, Ghealdan and Murandy and the Dark One’s minions sensed somehow that he had been in the vicinity of the Dragon Reborn. The following year, 997 NE, he sensed the Dragon Reborn’s presence in the town of Emond’s Field in the Two Rivers. For his visit the following year, he would have some guests accompanying him...

Between 993 and 998 NE no less than four false Dragons troubled the world. The first three could not channel, but these still caused chaos in Kandor, Arad Doman and Illian. The false Dragon in Illian, Gorin Rogad, went as far as laying siege to the City of Illian itself before being captured and executed on King Mattin Stepaneos’ orders in 995 NE. But the fourth false Dragon, named Logain Ablar, was a different matter. He arose late in 997 NE, raising the banner of the Dragon Reborn in Ghealdan. He was the first false Dragon in more than eleven centuries who could channel, the first since Guaire Amalasan himself. He made no secret of his intention to seize the Stone of Tear, and began marching eastwards towards Altara, Murandy and Illian.

Very late in 997 NE, or perhaps early in 998 NE, the town of Falme on the extreme western end of Toman Head suddenly fell silent. Merchants travelling to Falme from Bandar Eban, Tanchico or Katar did not return. Ships sailing to Falme also vanished. Tarabon and Arad Doman, each suspecting the other had invaded Toman Head as a prelude to seizing Almoth Plain, began mustering their armies for war. Tarabon even went so far as to send a small army onto Toman Head itself, but the army was apparently destroyed by a powerful, shadowy enemy.

In the east, in Cairhien, House Damodred under Lord Barthanes had managed to rebuild much of its lost prestige and began manoeuvring to challenge House Riatin for the throne. In Tear the High Lords began another of their periodic attempts to blackmail Mayene into surrendering to them, forcing the young First, Berelain sur Paendrag Paeron. In Amadicia Pedron Niall, Lord Captain Commander of the Children of the Light, hatched a new scheme to extend the Children’s power westwards into Tarabon.

And, in Illian, a young woman named Moiraine and her bodyguard Lan arrived to ask certain questions about the recent attack by the false Dragon. By chance she heard from an officer in the Illianer Companions that he'd heard that a fellow Companion had found a babe on the slopes of Dragonmount and took the child home with him to the Two Rivers. Moiraine and Lan rode for Emond’s Field that very day, unaware that a thousand miles to the north Padan Fain was riding westwards for the Two Rivers as well. Purely by chance, they would arrive within two days of one another.

And the world would forever be changed.

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A History of the Wheel of Time Part 11: The New Era

The New Era

The War of the Hundred Years left the West in ruins, but twenty-four nations emerged from those ruins. Most of these nations endure today, whilst others have fallen.

The nations that emerged from the War of the Hundred Years were Arad Doman, Almoth and Tarabon along the west coast; Altara, Illian, Maredo and Tear along the south coast; Mar Haddon, Cairhien and Hardan along the Spine of the World; and Saldaea, Kandor, Arafel, Shienar and Malkier along the Blight. The nations of Amadicia, Ghealdan, Murandy, Andor, Caralain and Kintara all lay in the continental interior. The locations of Goaban, Irenvelle and Mosara have been lost to us, but they are speculated to have lain between Saldaea and western Andor; along the Shadow Coast; and east of the Black Hills. Naturally, the city-state of Tar Valon continued to survive, as did the city-state of Mayene, which had passed through the War of the Hundred Years all but unnoticed. The ruler of Mayene, now titled “The First” even made what most people took to be a poor claim, that he was descended from Artur Hawkwing himself. He claimed that Tyrn Paendrag Mashera, whom most people assumed killed along with his mother Laiwynde shortly before Hawkwing’s own death, had survived. He was raised in Mayene, but refused to let his name be known for fear of bringing war and destruction down on the city. Once his survival became common knowledge, the nobles of Mayene had made him the first First Lord of the city. When asked to show conclusive proof of this, the then-current First was unable to do so and thus their claims were ignored (though the Firsts maintain this claim even today).

The war had reduced the population of much of the Westlands and, though every part of the subcontinent was claimed by one nation or another, large areas of uninhabited wilderness existed. Even in Andor, the most populous of the nations, uninhabited areas appeared, such as the 500 miles or more of empty scrubland, forests and hills that stretch between Whitebridge and the town of Baerlon. The nations that disappeared the soonest, such as Caralain (on the vast grassplain of the same name), were the ones that were dominated by such empty lands.

It is impossible to discern why the population has never recovered. Certainly, the population was reduced to even below modern-day levels by the Trolloc Wars, yet it recovered stronger than ever before afterwards. Some believe that humanity has simply been worn out by warfare and that there is no impetus to recover. Others believe that the weakening Seals and the Dark One’s growing touch on the world are to blame. Where armies used to number in the hundreds of thousands in Hawkwing’s day, most national armies after the War of the Hundred Years were lucky to get into the tens of thousands. Even the numbers of Aes Sedai dropped. Before the Trolloc Wars there may have been as many as 3,000 Aes Sedai, yet by the present day there are barely 1,200. This latter has been partially explained by a White Ajah theory that the systematic gentling of every male channeller has “winnowed” the ability to channel out of the human race, although this is controversial.

As mentioned earlier, ten of the nations that survived the War of the Hundred Years vanished in the centuries afterwards. Almoth fell circa 600 NE, unable to support the population. Almoth Plain has been in contention between Arad Doman to the north and Tarabon to the south ever since. Hardan, which lay between the River Erinin, Kinslayer’s Dagger and the Spine of the World, gradually faded away, its capital city of Harad Dakar being finally abandoned in 700 NE. Maredo became almost a thorough-fare for armies from Tear and Illian as they attacked one another, and caught in the crossfire it too faded away, leaving behind only the great trading city of Far Madding. Kintara, a nation to the north of Maredo, was absorbed into Andor, which then proved unable to support its new lands and abandoned parts of them. Goaban, Mosara and Caralain were all abandoned because the people left, or died out. After 800 NE or so the only nations that existed were the fourteen that endure today, plus Malkier, the fall of which is related below.

During the New Era war became more commonplace. The trust and respect held for Aes Sedai now dwindled, since the smaller numbers of Aes Sedai meant they were seen less often. The Children of the Light, who thrived in these times of suspicion and fear, also contributed to this, spreading their lies about the Aes Sedai being Darkfriends and Warders their pet dogs. Some lands remained true to the Aes Sedai, mainly the Borderlands where their hatred of the Shadow earned them respect, and Andor, where their ancient alliance remained firm. Illian, Cairhien, Mayene, Murandy, Arad Doman, Tarabon and Ghealdan all had Aes Sedai advisors, though they were mainly kept in secret. In Tear and Amadicia Aes Sedai were not tolerated and girls able to channel were sent to the White Tower as soon as they were found. Tear was fearful of the coming of the Dragon Reborn (the Prophecies clearly stated that Tear would be one of the first nations to suffer from his coming, with the conquest of the Stone of Tear) and in turn feared the Aes Sedai.

It is less clear why Amadicia disliked Aes Sedai. Presumably there was a misunderstanding and the rulers of Amadicia took offence. This dislike reached new heights when, in 930 NE, the King of Amadicia invited the then-wandering Children of the Light to make a permanent base in his country. The Children gratefully accepted, founding the Fortress of the Light in the capital city of Amador itself. The King’s own Seranda Palace was moved brick-by-brick to a field two miles outside Amador to make room for it. Within a few years the King found he had very little power any more, for the Lord Captain Commander of the Children of the Light now ruled Amadicia from behind the scenes, using the King only for diplomatic functions.

The largest and most powerful nations of the New Era were - and to some extent still are - Andor and Cairhien. These nations clashed on many occasions for control of the River Erinin that was their common border. The two kingdoms even founded river-towns (Aringill and Maerone) opposite one another to keep an eye on what the other was up to. Cairhien sometimes exchanged raids with the Aiel clans nearest the Spine of the World, but these raids came to an abrupt end in 509 NE when a group of Aiel travelled all the way to the capital of Cairhien itself. These Aiel presented the King of Cairhien with a gift, Avendoraldera, a sapling of the Tree of Life itself. They also gave the Cairhienin the right of free trade across the Aiel Waste, allowing huge trade caravans to cross the Waste to distant Shara. Cairhien soon became immensely rich from this trade, though Andor almost matched this wealth thanks to the opening of very lucrative gold, silver and iron mines in the Mountains of Mist.

Around 500 NE Illian called the Great Hunt of the Horn again, asking adventurers to go on the quest to look for the Horn of Valere. Several previous Hunts had been called but none had turned up the Horn. Both had resulted in many adventures, however, and the great Hunt of the Hornbardic cycle had come into being. This Hunt was again unsuccessful, but new stories were added to the cycle.

Early in the New Era, Mayene had suddenly discovered vast shoals of oilfish off the south coast of the Termool or Waterless Sands, the desert to the south of the Aiel Waste. These oilfish provided oil that burned far brighter and far longer than the oil made in Tear or Illian, and could also be cooked to delicious standards. Mayene rapidly capitalised on these new industries. The High Lords of Tear suddenly and, they claim, coincidentally decided this was the right time to press their claim on the city which, after all, lay right on the eastern edge of Tear’s borders. The First of Mayene resisted efforts by Tear to take control of his city, using blackmail, bribery and on several occasions assassination to keep the Tairens at bay. Tear never invaded the city by military force, partially because of the severe difficulty of landing troops on the Mayener Peninsula (aside from Mayene itself there are no good harbours on the peninsula), the inaccessibility of the city by land (blocked off by the vast swamp known as the Drowned Lands to the north) and the fear that Illian might attack Tear from the west whilst its army was engaged in the east. We now know that Mayene has had strong ties with Tar Valon since perhaps the War of the Hundred Years, and it is possible that Tar Valon intervened with vague threats to dissuade Tear from attacking Mayene (just because Tairens hate Aes Sedai it does not mean they do not fear or even respect them). Whatever the case, Mayene has preserved its independence since this time and continues to do so today.

The centuries passed and suddenly false Dragons began appearing with increasing regularity. None of these could channel, but their sudden appearance was disconcerting to the Aes Sedai. Some begun to wonder if the Last Battle was drawing nigh.




The Fall of Malkier
In 955 NE the Borderland kingdom of Malkier fell into chaos and ruin due to treachery most foul from its own nobility. The Fall of Malkier is now used as a warning to the other Borderlands to remain on their guard for the Shadow within as well as the Shadow without.

Breyan Mandragoran was the wife of Lain, eldest brother of King al’Akir Mandragoran of Malkier. She was an extremely proud woman, proud of her husband and his skills at war. She was also jealous of al’Akir’s place on the throne, believing Lain to be more deserving of the crown. She was supported by Cowin Gemallen, one of the Great Lords of Malkier, who urged her to demonstrate Lain’s superior bravery and leadership skills.

Breyan took the suggestion and at her request Lain led a thousand lancers into the Great Blight. The plan was for them to travel to the Blasted Lands themselves and then return unharmed, having visited great ruin on the Shadow in the meantime. King al’Akir was furious, even ordering his brother not to go, but Lain disobeyed out of honour and a genuine love for his wife and for their son, the two-year-old Isam. Of course, he never returned. Breyan was grief-stricken and called al’Akir coward and traitor for not riding with his brother into the darkness. Al’Akir forgave his sister-in-law’s outburst as nothing more than a guilty conscience, but underestimated her duplicity. From that day forwards Breyan plotted to remove al’Akir from the throne and replace him with her son Isam. Of course, this meant that al’Akir and his own infant son, Lan, had to die.

Cowin Gemallen became Breyan’s confidant and agreed to support her plans for a coup. He convinced enough of his men to join the conspiracy and stripped the Blightborder fortress he commanded of men, sending them back to the Seven Towers to help in the attack. However, Gemallen was a black-hearted Darkfriend and stripped the fortress in order to allow Trollocs, Myrddraal and Draghkar invaders in. During the invasion Breyan was killed and her son Isam fell into the hands of the Myrddraal.

Gemallen thought that Malkier would surely fall, but al’Akir rallied his troops and held the enemy at bay. In a startling display of bravery and ingenuity, the king’s most trusted scout, Jain Charin, slipped through the Trolloc lines and took Gemallen prisoner in his own castle. He then dragged him back to the Seven Towers, where he faced al’Akir in single combat and perished.

Now the Trollocs moved again, laying waste to the country. Al’Akir abdicated his throne to his son, naming him al’Lan Mandragoran and granting him the title of a Diademed Battle Lord. They also gave into his care a blade forged in the War of the Shadow itself, a blade made with the One Power. Al’Lan, only eighteen months old, was sent south to Fal Dara in the care of Jain Charin and a dozen of Malkier’s finest warriors. Many died, but the survivors and Lan reached Shienar safely. In the meantime, al’Akir fought the last defence of the Seven Towers, but in the end, he fell and Malkier was destroyed. Within a mere two years the Blight had surged southwards, corrupting all the land that had been Malkier. The Seven Towers became toppled ruins and the Thousand Lakes became poisonous.

Lan was raised alternately on the new frontier in Fal Dara and at Shienar’s capital, Fal Moran. At the age of sixteen he declared war on the Blight, vowing never to rest until Malkier had been avenged. In 979 NE, after the Battle of the Shining Walls, he met an Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah named Moiraine Damodred in Kandor. After learning of her mission, he agreed to become bonded as her Warder. He has only ever suspended his war with the Blight, however, never abandoning it.

Of the other Malkieri survivors, most died in battle but one went on to gain much fame across the world. Jain Charin, later called Jain Farstrider, became a legendary traveller. He explored all the nations of our land and also travelled extensively amongst the Sea Folk and the Aiel, even venturing as far afield as Shara. His legendary travelogue Travels is possibly the biggest-selling book written since the Breaking. Jain, more than sixty years old yet still hale, disappeared in the 990s NE whilst on one of his adventures and was presumed dead.




The Whitecloak War
Whilst Malkier fell into ruin to the north, another war erupted in the south. The Children of the Light believed the time had come to spread the Light from Amadicia into neighbouring countries. Immediately to the east lay Altara, a large nation made up almost entirely of feuding nobles, with little unity between them. The invasion of Altara began in 957 NE under the command of Lord Captain Pedron Niall, one of the youngest officers ever to be promoted to that exalted rank. The invasion was quite successful, overrunning the border towns of Mosra, Salidar and So Eban in a matter of weeks. Ebou Dar itself never came under direct threat, since to take the capital required a strong navy and an army far larger than that of the joint Whitecloak and Amadician force. However, there was a possibility that Altaran nobles opposed to the crown would join with the invaders to overthrow the government, in return for positions of power under the new regime. Murandy and Illian both watched the invasion with concern and the youthful King Mattin Stepaneos den Balgar of Illian came to the conclusion that once Altara was theirs, the Children would move on to Illian and Murandy. Even if they did not, Altara would no longer be a buffer between Amadicia and Illian. Stepaneos forged an alliance with Murandy and led a joint force into Altara.

The Whitecloak War, as it became known, raged for almost a year. During this year many battles were fought, though casualties were light in comparison to earlier conflicts. It was standard practice at this time for nobles and officers to be captured and ransomed back to their own side, rather than killed. At the Battle of Soremaine even King Mattin of Illian was captured and ransomed back to the Council of Nine in Illian for a princely sum. Lord Captain Niall won the great majority of the engagements (the most notable at Soremaine and Jhamara) and maybe could have forced Altara to surrender, but in the end came to the conclusion that the Children could not hold Altara and force Murandy and Illian out of the country. The best result that could be hoped for was the seizure of some parts of western Altara whilst the rest fell into the hands of Illian, hardly a desirable outcome. The Children withdrew from Altara and agreed to return to the pre-war borders on the condition that Murandy and Illian did as well. During the Whitecloak War a young Andoran soldier named Tam al’Thor fought on the side of Illian and began making a name for himself as a skilled swordsman and archer.

Conflict erupted in the wake of the Whitecloak War, though not to as great a scale. Arad Doman and Tarabon had quietly feuded over Almoth Plain for years. Whilst they still did not openly declare war, they sponsored raiding parties to fight one another on the Plain and Arad Doman began making overtures to Katar about absorbing that city. Only thinly-veiled threats from Tarabon prevented Arad Doman from accomplishing this (although more recently Arad Doman has succeeded in absorbing Katar). Cairhienin and Tairen trade ships battled one another on the Erinin during a minor dispute over trading rights up the river, but these disputes were resolved relatively quickly.

In 965 NE Laman Damodred became King of Cairhien. Irritated by Andor getting “first dibs” on trade up the Erinin from Tear (Aringill being a few hundred yards further downriver than Maerone), Laman moved to seize Aringill but was repulsed by the army of Andor. The dispute raged for three years, though there were no truly large battles, until it was solved by diplomacy. In 968 NE Queen Modrellein Mantear and King Laman agreed to wed their heirs, the Daughter-Heir Tigraine and Laman’s nephew Taringail. This united Cairhien and Andor in alliance and also saw the trade disagreements resolved: Andor giving Cairhien a small percentage of trade gained upriver from Tear and Cairhien doing the same to Andor for trade gained downriver from Tar Valon and the Borderlands.

So, the disputes between the nations continued. As the 970s began there was a brief hope for a lasting peace, but this hope soon disappeared.

Please note that Part 12 of this series are also available to read now on my Patreon page and my other blog, Atlas of Ice and Fire, is currently running a Wheel of Time Atlas series.

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A History of the Wheel of Time Part 10: The Conquest of Seanchan and the War of the Hundred Years

The Conquest of Seanchan
Early in FY 993, fishermen who worked the Aryth Ocean off the eastern coast of Northern Seanchan were stunned to see a group of huge white-sailed ships appear out of the rising sun. These ships bore two banners. One was of three golden hawks in flight, formerly the Royal Flag of Shandalle and now the Imperial Flag of the Hawkwing Empire. The second was of a golden hawk clutching three lightning bolts in its talons, the personal sigil of Luthair Paendrag Mondair, eldest son and heir apparent to Artur Hawkwing, the High King of the Westlands.

Hundreds of ships arrived. Warships, cargo carriers and troop transports, more than two thousand vessels bearing over three hundred thousand settlers and soldiers to a new world. This vast fleet made landfall off the coast hundreds of men waded ashore to secure the boats and begin the weeks-long task of establishing a foothold on the continent.

Luthair sent out scouts to examine this new land in more detail. Mountains rose to the south and west, but this coastal area was relatively flat and sparsely populated. Only when the scouts ranged further afield did they run into trouble.

This continent was known as Seanchan to its inhabitants. Two and a half thousand years earlier, at the end of the Breaking, Seanchan had been overrun by Shadowspawn. The Aes Sedai who found themselves trapped here after the Breaking did battle with them, founding kingdoms and training thousands of troops to fight them. Even then they might have been defeated had not the Aes Sedai discovered several Portal Stones in this land. Travelling to the other dimensions beyond, weavings of the Wheel that had been abandoned, they found numerous exotic and savage beasts which they could tame and train. These creatures proved the equal of Shadowspawn in battle and with their aid the Aes Sedai annihilated them almost entirely, rendering Trollocs and Myrddraal extinct on the continent. The continued to serve in Seanchan armies, where Luthair’s forces mistook these creatures for Shadowspawn and thus named them "the Armies of Night."

Luthair learned that the Aes Sedai could not agree amongst themselves on how to organise and began fighting wars and skirmishes with one another. At the time Luthair arrived almost every single nation on the continent was engulfed in warfare, a shifting quilt of borders, names and dynasties. Virtually all of these nations were ruled by the self-proclaimed "Aes Sedai."

This division initially failed to work in Luthair’s favour, since even the small kingdoms to the west of his landing point had dozens of channellers of the One Power amongst their ranks whilst Luthair, thanks to his father's persecution of Aes Sedai and siege of Tar Valon, had none. The early victories that gave Luthair control of a small region along the north-eastern coast and won him the city of Imfaral and its great fortress, the Towers of Midnight, came only at the cost of thousands of his irreplaceable troops.

Luthair may have despaired and considered withdrawing from the continent, but he was then approached by a renegade Aes Sedai named Deain. Deain claimed to have invented a device which could control Aes Sedai, a device she called an a’dam. When attached to the neck of a female channeller it rendered her unable to channel (and if she tried to remove the device she suffered intolerable pain). Even better, when placed around the wrist of a woman who could learn to channel (but did not have inborn ability), it enabled her to control the Leashed One, or damane. The Leash-Holder or sul’dam, of course, did not need to be aware that she could learn to channel.

Luthair was pleased with the offer and, after some negotiation, gained the secrets of a’dam manufacture from her. Working with Deain and using the a’dam, Luthair seized all the lands north of the immense waterway that cleaved the northern part of the continent in two, extending north to the Mountains of Dhoom (a westward extension of the same mountain range in the Westlands) and the Aldael Mountains. Thanking Deain for her assistance, Luthair then placed an a’dam on her and locked her in a cell in the Towers of Midnight.

Luthair's armies invaded the southern landmass, seizing the huge northern peninsula and its greatest city, Seandar. From Seander Luthair could strike at any one of a dozen small countries to the south, but he lacked the necessary manpower, so had to recruit from the locals and their armies of exotic beasts. Backed up by damane, Luthair's army became an unstoppable force. The other nations of Seanchan failed to unite against him, their divisions being too strong.

Luthair continued the War of Conquest for the rest of his life. He died decades later in the Imperial Palace of Seandar (which would later be renamed the Court of Nine Moons). Before his death he claimed the title of Emperor of Seanchan and committed his heir and their heirs to the Corenne, "The Return", a return to the home continent to see if the Hawkwing Empire still existed. If it did, trade relations were to be opened. If not, then the Seanchan would rebuild it in the name of the High King, Artur Paendrag Tanreall and his son, Emperor Luthair Paendrag Mondair. Luthair was succeeded by his son, who in turn was succeeded by his daughter.

The War of Conquest lasted a long time. It took three hundred years before the Seanchan Empire was able to lay claim with confidence to the entire continent, and an additional two hundred years to crush the last major resistance to its rule. However, no empire rests ever easy and occasional rebellions continued to take place; the latest, on the island of Marendalar, took place less than a generation ago and saw 30,000 people killed and 1.5 million enslaved.

Several decades ago, the Seanchan Empress Radhanan (only known as "The Empress" due to custom) concluded that the Empire was stable enough to support the long-prophesied Corenne. The construction of immense fleets was ordered all along the eastern coast of Seanchan, thousands of ships taking shape in dozens of ports. The Corenne fleet itself would be the equal of the fleet Luthair led across the Aryth Ocean almost eleven centuries earlier, and would be heralded by the Hailene or "Forerunners", a reconnaissance-in-force of the Westlands consisting of 500 ships, tens of thousands of soldiers and dozens or hundreds of damane. The command of the Hailene was given to the noble Lord Turak of House Aladon, one of the most respected military commanders on the continent. The command of the Corenne would be given to the Empress’ chosen heir, the then-unborn Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag.

Decades in the building and planning, the Hailene fleet was dispatched eastwards in 997 NE. Its destination: Falme, on Toman Head.




The War of the Hundred Years & Founding of the Modern Nations
Meanwhile, whilst Seanchan was falling to Luthair’s armies, his own homeland was in utter turmoil.

Hawkwing’s death had left a void. All his children were dead or presumed lost beyond the seas. His one surviving grandson, Tyrn, was missing, presumed dead. Hawkwing had no brothers or sisters and hence no nephews or nieces. All his uncles and aunts were long dead and most, if not all, of his cousins perished of old age or in his campaigns.

Some thought that Endara Casalain, as ruler of the largest province of the Empire, Andor, should become High Queen, but she refused. It seems that Endara was a capable administrator but a rather timid woman of limited ambition. She certainly didn’t want the throne. Attention shifted to Marithelle Camaelaine, one of Hawkwing's most senior administrators. Marithelle’s claim was strengthened by the endorsement of Jalwin Moerad, the High King’s closest advisor upon his death. However, she was strongly opposed by Norodim Nosokawa and Elfraed Guitama. Their arguments in the Imperial Court became infamous and in the end they could no longer remain in the same room. They left within hours of one another to return to their home provinces and begin raising armies.

Endara's fiery-tempered and ambitious daughter Ishara responded to the crisis with more alacrity then her mother. Ishara was a passionate, ambitious woman who believed absolutely in the integrity of the Empire. She was also a realist and could see that without a clear line of succession the Empire was doomed. To save the Province of Andor she needed an army and, fortunately, one was relatively close at hand.

Upon the death of Hawkwing Deane Aryman, Amyrlin Seat of the Aes Sedai, parleyed with General Souran Maravaile, commanding the Siege of Tar Valon in Hawkwing's name. Aryman convinced Maravaile that with Hawkwing dead the siege no longer served any useful purpose. Maravaile agreed, but he had his orders and a personal promise made to Hawkwing upon his death-bed. Thus, the siege continued.

Ishara Casalain arrived to talk with Souran Maravaile. Some parts of the besieging army had already broken away to follow the standards of Marithelle Camaelaine, Norodim Nosokawa or Elfraed Guitama, whilst others had simply returned home. Souran agreed with Ishara’s assessment that the army would simply disintegrate if he sat there and did nothing. With great sorrow at breaking his oath to Hawkwing, he gathered together all the elements of the army that he could and headed for Caemlyn. With the general and the greater part of their forces gone, the rest scattered to the winds. After nineteen years the Siege of Tar Valon was at last over. Within days Aes Sedai and their Warders would be riding to the courts of each of the provinces to retake their positions as advisors and to try to avert the catastrophe they could already see looming.

Some say that had Maravaile lifted the siege after Hawkwing’s death, Aes Sedai mediation may have prevented what was to follow. This is possible, though unlikely. Upon her return home Ishara, regretfully, announced that Andor was now a sovereign nation with its capital at Caemlyn. She raised her own personal flag, the White Lion, as the Royal Banner of the Kingdom of Andor and declared the Empire of the Hawkwing to be at an end.

Within weeks other provinces-turned-nations had followed suit, whilst Marithelle Camaelaine declared herself the High Queen and seized control of the Imperial Capital and much of the surrounding territory. The War of the Hundred Years had begun.

The first battles erupted along Andor’s borders as armies loyal to the memory of Hawkwing attempted to unseat Ishara as a usurper. Under Maravaile’s inspiring leadership the newly-formed Royal Army resisted these attacks. Ishara, however, commanded him not to try and hold all of Andor, just Caemlyn and the surrounding territory. As anarchy erupted in all parts of the land, she knew it would be wiser to hold what she already had and spread out from there rather than try to seize everything at once. It is known that before long Souran and Ishara married, though all historical records agree it was a love-match as well as a politically expedient wedding.

The Borderland Provinces broke away within months of the start of the war. From west to east these provinces were Saldaea, Kandor, Arafel, Shienar and Malkier. After some border clashes, these five nations were distracted by a series of Trolloc raids out of the Blight. Realising that the Shadow might take advantage of the chaos of the civil war to the south, these five nations formed the Compact of the Borderlands and agreed to defend the Westlands from Trolloc incursions for all eternity, if necessary. The architects of the Compact of the Borderlands were Lady Mahira Svetanya, Lord Rylen t’Boriden Rashad, Lord Jarel Soukovini, Lady Merean Tihomar and Lord Shevan Jamelle, respectively the first rulers of Arafel, Saldaea, Kandor, Shienar and Malkier.

Marithelle Camaelaine was assassinated several years into the war. Jalwin Moerad shifted his allegiance to Norodim Nosokawa. Norodim perished several years later and the lands he had seized fragmented and fell apart. After several years of warfare the nation that Norodim had tried to forge had fractured into several constituent parts, all at war with one another.

After this point it becomes meaningless, if not impossible, to chart the course of the War of the Hundred Years. Nations would form and disappear again in a matter of months. Battles would be fought with tens of thousands of casualties, yet these would barely be footnotes. Whilst well into the millions of soldiers died during the one hundred and twenty-three years of warfare, far more civilians perished as they were caught in the crossfire. Even spread across a century and a quarter, the population of the Westlands was significantly reduced during the conflict.

During the war the nations of the modern era, plus ten additional ones, came into being. Andor was initially held as only being the area around Caemlyn, but by FY 999 it had expanded to the River Erinin in the east and the River Cary in the West. It held at these borders for some time, until four rulers brought armies against Andor in FY 1063 and were defeated by Queen Maragaine’s forces at the Battle of the Four Kings. Afterwards a town, also called Four Kings, grew up on the site of battle and Andor’s border began moving further west at higher and higher speeds. By FY 1100 or thereabouts Andor had reached its modern-day borders.

During the early part of the war all of Souran and Ishara’s sons died and, after Souran’s death in FY 1017 and Ishara’s in 1020, it was left to their eldest daughter, Alesinde, to become Queen. By the end of the war it had become traditional for only Queens to sit on the Lion Throne of Andor. Sons became First Princes of the Sword, army commanders and bodyguards to their sisters, but none were permitted to take the throne. Part of Andor’s success at survival came from having the approval of the Aes Sedai. As well as relieving the siege, Ishara promised to send her daughters to Tar Valon to be trained in the arts of politics by the Aes Sedai, and for her sons to be trained in the military arts by the Warders. Thus was forged the long-standing alliance between Andor and Tar Valon, an alliance that was to endure a thousand years.

After Norodim Nosokawa’s death Jalwin Moerad attached himself to Elfraed Guitama and advised him until FY 1013, when Moerad suddenly vanished without a trace forty years to the day after first appearing in the Imperial Court. Without Moerad’s advice, Elfraed’s war effort faltered and he was slain.

Several of the modern nations came into existence relatively early in the conflict. Lord Istaban Novares and Lady Yseidre Tirado of the Province of Moreina declared the existence of the sovereign nation of Tear within months of Hawkwing’s death. Initially holding just the Stone of Tear, they seized the rest of the city within a few months and most of the rest of the nation within a decade. The political cooperation between the Tairen Great Houses which made this possible saw them band together as the Council of High Lords, but as the threat of war receded from their borders the political in-fighting which would characterise Tear for a millennia got underway. Similarly within a few months of Hawkwing’s death a group of nobles in Cairhien Province seized control of the city of Cairhien and declared the re-founding of the nation of Tova. However, another group of nobles opposed to the plan had all the surviving descendants of the Tovan Counsellors murdered at a dinner held to inaugurate the new nation and declared the founding of the Kingdom of Cairhien under King Matraine Colmcille.

Some other nations took longer to form: Tarabon, for example, was not founded until FY 1006 by Queen Tazenia Nerenhald and Panarch Haren Maseed (ranks inherited from the former kingdom of Balasun). In FY 1109, Lord Kirin Almeyda was declared King of Ghealdan, with the support of Lady Valera Prosnarin, Lord Cynric Talvaen and Lady Iona Ashmar. King Maddin founded the nation of Altara at an unknown point during the war.

One of the most infamous legacies of the war is the military organisation known as the Children of the Light. This group was initially founded in FY 1021 by Lothair Mantelar as a semi-religious group dedicated to sniffing out Darkfriends and proclaiming subservience to the Light, but as the war spread the Children found themselves fighting just to survive. By FY 1111 or thereabouts the Children had become a fully military organisation. Mantelar was convinced that Aes Sedai were Darkfriends, since they had caused the Breaking of the World and dabbled with the One Power, which was the province of the Creator alone. These beliefs were passed onto the rest of the Children, who began hunting down Aes Sedai and Warders as vigorously as any genuine claims of Darkfriend activity. The Aes Sedai, in response, mocked the Children’s fanatical ways and their white uniforms, insultingly calling them "Whitecloaks." However, after the Children actually managed to kill an Amyrlin Seat (whose identity has never been confirmed) the Aes Sedai never made the mistake of underestimating them again.

The war waxed and waned, but after the first fifteen to twenty years or so most rulers admitted that there was no hope of seizing all of what had been the Empire. In anger, they tore down all the monuments they could find to Hawkwing, hoping people would forget that there had been a time of peace and prosperity under the rule of one man. Of course, the people did not. In the end a jealous ruler even destroyed the great monument at Talidar, even though Hawkwing’s name was not even mentioned on it (though his symbol was inscribed at the summit).

There were three major attempts later in the war to restore the Empire. The one that came closest to success was from the Aes Sedai. In FY 1084 Deane Aryman was on the verge of convincing the twelve most powerful rulers in the land of accepting Aes Sedai leadership as a means of restoring unity when she suddenly fell from her horse and broke her neck. The subsequent Amyrlin, Selame Necoin (Green Ajah), failed to capitalise on this near-success and the opportunity for peace was lost.

The warrior-queen Esmara Getare conquered all of what is now Illian and the Plains of Maredo before attempting to invade Andor circa FY 1090. She failed and spent the last twelve years of her life as the "guest" of Queen Telaisien. The nation she forged broke apart and Lord Nicoli Merseneos assumed control of Illian, becoming its first king.

Around FY 1110 Narasim Bhuran, who had conquered much of what would later be Altara and Murandy, attempted to take Illian and was crushed, his head ending up on a pike. This was the last major attempt by any one ruler to conquer his neighbours. After this point most rulers concentrated on holding onto the land they already had seized and quelling internal dissent. The War of the Hundred Years finally petered out in FY 1117.

As with the Trolloc Wars, the War of the Hundred Years had depopulated most of the subcontinent and seen many cities and records burned. So great was the destruction that it wasn’t entirely clear what year it actually was. The confusion became so great that the Gazaran Calendar was abandoned circa FY 1135 and replaced by the Farede Calendar, which counted the years as being part of the New Era (NE).

The end of the War of the Hundred Years brought great relief and celebrations to the continent, but also dismay. The unity and focus of the years of Hawkwing had ended, replaced by bitter divisiveness. The Aes Sedai were less than they had been, unable to command the respect and authority they once had and now challenged by the proselytising of the Children of the Light. The death toll had been so great that even the population level of the continent had dropped precipitously, and would continue to fall over the next thousand years.

Please note that Parts 11-12 of this series are also available to read now on my Patreon page and my other blog, Atlas of Ice and Fire, is currently running a Wheel of Time Atlas series.

Thank you for reading The Wertzone. To help me provide better content, please consider contributing to my Patreon page and other funding methods, which will also get you exclusive content weeks before it goes live on my blogs. The History of The Wheel of Time, SF&F Questions and The Cities of Fantasy series are debuting on my Patreon feed and you can read them there one month before being published on the Wertzone.

A History of the Wheel of Time Part 9: The Time of the High King

The Height of the Empire & the Siege of Tar Valon
In FY 943 Artur Paendrag Tanreall was merely the king of a small nation. Twenty years of warfare later he was the High King of the entire subcontinent. But, whilst peace fell at last across the West, Hawkwing was not done with war just yet.

Shortly before he took the throne of Shandalle, Hawkwing married Amaline Paendrag Tagora, a political marriage but one that was also blessed by love. In FY 942 Amaline gave birth to twins, Amira and Modair, and later she and Hawkwing had another son and another daughter, but their names have been lost to history. Modair was an accomplished tactician, and before the age of fifteen was already at least the equal of his father in games of skills and tactics. By this age he was also a better swordsman than his father. Artur was very proud, seeing that upon his death he would leave his growing empire in good hands, but this was not to be. In FY 959 Modair was slain in battle. Though Hawkwing mourned his son’s death for months, he knew the dangers of war as well as anyone, and when he won the battle he did not treat the enemy particularly harshly at all.

But in FY 961 tragedy struck even closer to home when Amaline, Amira and Hawkwing’s remaining children all died by poison. This almost undid Hawkwing, plunging him into a fury which would last a full three years, "The Black Years" as they are referred to in later histories. Hawkwing was a man of honour, and the cowardly slaying of women and children from the shadows sickened him, all the more for it was his own wife and children that perished. He became convinced that King Ramedar of Aldeshar had ordered the assassination and, when Ramedar surrendered to him in the summer of FY 963, Hawkwing ordered him beheaded. He then stripped the nobility of all their titles and scattered the people of Aldeshar to far parts of the Empire. This shocked many and Hawkwing’s own Aes Sedai advisor, Chowin Tsao of the Green Ajah, departed the Imperial Palace in protest.

Even being acclaimed High King of the whole of the land did little to smother Hawkwing’s rage. Almost immediately he began gathering a new army and early in FY 964 launched an invasion into the Aiel Waste. Hawkwing’s troops were not used to the Waste, a harsh, humid and all but waterless land stretching for over a thousands miles to the north and east. The Aiel themselves fought tooth and nail against Hawkwing, costing him tens of thousands of casualties although in most battles the Aiel were heavily outnumbered. Hawkwing made some progress, capturing a couple of sept-holds and a few watering grounds, but at his initial rate of progress it would have taken decades to complete the conquest. In addition, the Aiel refused to surrender to the "wetlanders", preferring to fight to the last man or woman. After nine months of gruelling warfare and with morale at an all-time low, Hawkwing called a strategic withdrawal from the Waste.

Hawkwing returned to his capital and brooded. His harsh treatment of Aldeshar had spread resentment across many parts of the Empire and a few nobles, usually former rulers of the nations conquered by Hawkwing, began whispering words of rebellion. The Empire may have fractured barely a year after it was completed, had not Hawkwing met Tamika.

Tamika was a young woman at least twenty years Hawkwing’s junior. Whilst not a peasant or commoner, she was not a high-ranking noble either. How he met her is unclear; under Hawkwing’s reforms it was possible for anyone to request an audience and, if his subordinates were convinced of the validity of the claim, be granted one. Even knowledge of her last name has been lost. What is clear is that they fell in love very quickly and married towards the end of FY 965, not much more than a year after they first met.

Tamika’s calming influence ended the Black Years of Hawkwing’s rule. He reinstated the nobility of Aldeshar, removed Jeorad Manyard, the scholar-governor who'd been place din charge of them, and even installed Endara Casalain, daughter of the late King Joal Ramedar, as the governor of the Imperial Province of Andor, the province which held most of the former lands held by Aldeshar and Caembarin.

Now the Peaceful Years of Hawkwing’s rule set in. For eleven years he ruled an empire at peace with itself and its neighbours. Trade was undertaken with the Sea Folk and, though bad blood existed with the Aiel for a while, occasional trade caravans were permitted to cross the Waste to distant Shara. It is from this period that Hawkwing gained much of his prestige and the Black Years largely forgotten, or seen as an aberration.

Artur Hawkwing was well-loved by his people, who saw him as a man of honour and fairness. It seems that every town, city and even village in the land erected some kind of monument to him, though all of these were later torn down and destroyed. Hawkwing himself was modest of his achievements, but despite repeated commands to demolish these monuments they remained and Hawkwing in the end relented, knowing this was one battle he could not hope to win.

Whilst the common people adored him, many nobles detested him. Hawkwing had known that dissolving the nobility of the lands he had conquered might have fuelled rebellions again him, so instead had kept them largely intact and appointed them to positions of power and authority in the new provinces. It seems that Hawkwing wasn’t as an expert on human nature as his former nemesis Guaire Amalasan had been, for once the nobles’ surprise at not being beheaded faded, they became resentful, for without Hawkwing they might very well be kings or generals, not just administrators and governors. And, whilst the former nobles were granted positions of authority, they only kept them if they proved worthy. Incompetence and inefficiency was not tolerated by Hawkwing, who promoted and made appointments (civilian and military alike) strictly by merit alone. Some nobles suffered the ignominy of being demoted and having commoners placed above them!

The largest rebellion against Hawkwing’s rule came from the Almoth Province (formerly the kingdom of Darmovan), where nobles formerly loyal to Amalasan attempted a coup against the Hawkwing-appointed governor. The rebellion was stopped not by Hawkwing’s armies, but by the people themselves. The rebel nobles were rounded up by public-appointed militias and handed over to Hawkwing’s troops once they arrived.

Part of this love for their ruler can be attributed to Hawkwing’s new, revolutionary style of justice. Under the High King’s Law all men and women stood equal. No noble or general was treated any better or worse than the commonest peasant. All special privileges held by nobles were suspended once accused of a crime, even if the one making the accusation was a lowly soldier or scullery maid. Judges sat in panels of three, with juries chosen at random from the local census rolls. To their horror, nobles found themselves often being judged for crimes by peasants. This was a motivating factor in several rebellions launched against Hawkwing's rule, all rapidly crushed.

Hawkwing, aware of the vulnerability of most people to bribes, also chose officials from the one source he knew to be immune to corruption: the Aes Sedai. In return for this Tar Valon merchants were not subject to the same taxes as other King’s Citizens and Tar Valon, as the only freehold remaining in the land, was given assurances of its continued independence and safety. Hawkwing, impressed by Aes Sedai efficiency, soon began appointing them to other positions in his Empire, appointing some as Governors or even generals. The Red Ajah, the one most resentful of Hawkwing and his rule of the subcontinent, was given free reign to pursue suspected male channellers of the One Power in any province of the Empire and the right to request local military aid in bringing them down. Whilst it would be saying too much to say the Red Ajah respected him for this, they at least spoke of him in less harsh terms from this point forwards.

But whilst the Aes Sedai began to see the benefits of working with Hawkwing, rather than opposing him, the Amyrlin Seat, Bonwhin Meraighdin, retained her hatred of the man. She was powerless to act, it seemed, for the Hall of the Tower judged it better to support him. After all, the land was more united than it had been at any point in history. If Tarmon Gai’don and the Dragon Reborn came in their lifetimes, they would find the Westlands already one whole to stand against the Dark One.

Hawkwing sponsored many public works during his rule, building most of the great highway network that is still maintained and used today. He established new provincial cities, including many of the capital cities of the modern nations (Amador, Chachin, Shol Arbela and Fal Moran may have been founded at this time). He organised watchtowers along the Blight to keep an eye out for Shadowspawn incursions, and established fortresses in the Niamh and Jangai passes to watch for any trouble from the Aiel.

As a military man Hawkwing’s first love was the army, and in peacetime he dispersed his forces to act as peacekeepers and "circuit rovers", patrols which regularly visited every single isolated village and hamlet to keep crime down to a minimum. At regular intervals he recalled the army to fight in great wargames on Caralain Grass and the Plains of Maredo, keeping their skills up, and took a keen interest in the development of new sciences - military and peaceful - at the cities of Tanchico and Cairhien. Hawkwing was especially interested in the rapid progress of naval technology, some of which had been gained from the Sea Folk at a massive cost in trade (although these "secrets" were techniques long ago surpassed by the Sea Folk, ensuring the continuation of their trade monopoly). The Imperial Navy, based on the west coast with its primary headquarters at Falme, Tanchico and Bandar Eban, and on the south coast with its main bases at Ebou Dar, Illian and Tear, soon grew to a huge size and patrolled the waves looking out for pirates and criminals who sought shelter on isolated islands.

All in all these were years of prosperity and peace. But it was not to last. In FY 974 Hawkwing unexpectedly and curtly dismissed all Aes Sedai from their posts as governors, advisors, generals and even Justices. Three months later, in the early part of FY 975, Hawkwing put a price on the head of every Aes Sedai who refused to renounce Tar Valon. Finally, in the summer of that year Hawkwing’s armies overran Tar Valon’s territory and began laying siege to the city itself.

Exactly why Hawkwing went from appreciating Aes Sedai and employing them to hating them with an almost religious fervour in under a year is not clear. Most historians conclude that he simply wanted to seize the last remaining bastion of independence (though the same historians concede that Hawkwing forged the Empire more out of defence than out of the desire for conquest), but this does not explain the fury that accompanied his decision. Other possible explanations range from the somewhat plausible (a complex Aes Sedai plot that backfired badly) to the downright bizarre (Hawkwing fell prey to a strange mental disorder, though this fails to explain why in all other matters he remained the same as he always had been). One theory, currently popular amongst revisionist historians, centres on a man named Jalwin Moerad.

Little is known of Moerad save that he arrived at Hawkwing’s court in late FY 973 and within six months had become one of his most trusted advisors, smoking out several plots and conspiracies against Hawkwing’s rule. Moerad also openly disliked Aes Sedai, one witness describing his attitude to them as "oddly contemptuous". Even those who hate Aes Sedai at least respect their powers and influence. Apparently these did not concern Moerad at all.

The few diaries and letters that have survived since this time indicate that the Imperial Court believed Moerad to be more than half insane, prone to giving rambling lectures and discourses. He also had a deep knowledge of history, but refused to be contradicted or even agree to discuss some his wilder ideas (one rival historian claims that Moerad often related historical episodes as if he had been there). He also vanished from Court for long periods, sometimes as long as six months at a time, and even Hawkwing proved unable to find out where he had been, save that when Moerad returned it was always with news of some development of interest to the High King, ensuring his continued service.

That Moerad may have had something to do with Hawkwing’s turning on the Aes Sedai seems possible, especially given the dates (Moerad became Hawkwing’s second-most trusted advisor a mere two months before he began dismissing Aes Sedai from his service). Some have suggested that Moerad uncovered evidence that Bonwhin may have been involved in the death of Amaline and Hawkwing’s children. Whilst this would have explained Hawkwing’s furious attack on Tar Valon, it does not explain the slow build-up to that fury; surely Hawkwing would have struck at once, with the element of surprise, instead of slowly dismissing all Aes Sedai from their posts and giving some forewarning to the White Tower that something was wrong? One possibility is that Moerad initially suggested the idea as a hypothesis and Hawkwing only acted in anger when hard evidence was brought before him.

It is probable that Bonwhin did not order the deaths of Amaline or her children. In fact, whilst she despised Hawkwing, Bonwhin seems to have at least tolerated and respected Amaline (unlike Tamika, whom she disliked immensely). There was also no logic to the decision: aside from provoking Hawkwing, what purpose would have been served by killing his wife? That leaves the conclusion that Moerad faked the evidence for his own ends.

At this point some readers may draw parallels between Moerad and Ba’alzamon/Ishamael, given their similar contempt for the post-Breaking Aes Sedai, their half-maddened demeanour and their complex, murky schemes. This is hardened by the fact that, like Ba’alzamon, Moerad vanished without a trace forty years almost to the day after he first appeared and during all that time he did not age. The simple truth is that we do not have enough information to do more than speculate.

Tar Valon fell under siege in the summer of FY 975. It was a siege that was to last for the rest of Hawkwing’s life and even a few months longer. It was a war to the death, with no quarter given. Despite numerous entreaties from the White Tower, Hawkwing refused to negotiate. The Aes Sedai either had to surrender or suffer the consequences. Interestingly, whilst a few Aes Sedai were captured during the nineteen-year-long siege (usually by threatening their Warders or soldier escorts with death should they attempt to use the One Power to escape) none were executed or even harmed at all. Hawkwing’s rage seems to have been primarily directed at Bonwhin personally and the other Aes Sedai were merely swept up in it.

Whilst Tar Valon is a large city (more than sixteen square miles), Hawkwing’s armies had no difficulty in surrounding it. Tens of thousands of soldiers were permanently committed to the siege, although these were rotated out to maintain combat freshness. However, the city never fell. Any attempt to breach the Shining Walls was immediately met with a deadly response from Green and Red Ajah sisters wielding the One Power (the Three Oaths permitted the use of the Power in self-defence). In addition, attempts to block the river were thwarted because the Aes Sedai, working together with angreal and sa’angreal, could remove an obstruction at a distance of several miles. Food was smuggled in by boat by sympathisers to the Aes Sedai cause, who did not believe they deserved this treatment.

Outside of Tar Valon, the Empire remained relatively at peace, despite frequent entreaties to Hawkwing from his juniors to lift the siege. Apparently even Tamika, who disliked Bonwhin intently, thought he had perhaps gone too far. But he did not relent.

Another eleven years passed. Aside from the siege, the Empire remained prosperous and stable.

This stability was suddenly interrupted by news of a huge, unexpected Trolloc invasion out of the Great Blight. This assault began early in FY 986, but had been dismissed as nothing more than a large raid. Weeks later this changed, with tens of thousands of Trollocs, Myrddraal, Darkhounds, Grey Men and Draghkar overrunning the Blightborder forts in numbers not seen since the Trolloc Wars. Curiously, they did not destroy or even attack Fal Dara or the other major fortresses in the area, instead bypassing them and heading due south towards the capital itself.

Hawkwing, now 74 years old, moved as quickly and decisively as ever, assembling the Imperial Army and marching northwards. In seven massive battles ranging over eighteen months the Trollocs were slaughtered almost completely. The final battle took place in the summer of FY 987 at the Field of Talidar, roughly halfway between Kinslayer’s Dagger and the River Erinin south of Fal Dara. After the battle Hawkwing raised a huge monument, inscribed with the name of every soldier who fell in the battle. This monument was reputedly huge, so big it seemed incredible it had been made by the hands of man alone, without the use of the One Power.

This act confirmed the people’s love of Hawkwing, a love tempered with sympathy when Tamika died in the autumn of FY 987. Hawkwing was heartbroken, but her death was of natural causes and their four children - Luthair Paendrag Mondair (b. FY 967), Laiwynde Paendrag (b. c. FY 975) and two others, names unknown - survived to comfort him. Early in FY 988 Hawkwing began massive planning, throwing himself into work to compensate for his loss. He planned a new Imperial Capital located at the exact heart of the subcontinent, halfway between the Mountains of Dhoom and the Sea of Storms, the Aryth Ocean and the Spine of the World, on the Caralain Grass. The people refused to build the city, however, without first raising a statue of Hawkwing himself. Despite Hawkwing’s protests a huge statue of himself was erected early in FY 989, even before the marking-out of the new city boundaries began.

Some saw this as the beginning of the end for Hawkwing, the start of a semi-retirement from his great achievements. But they were proved wrong. Hawkwing had one last surprise in store for the world.


The Great Fleets & the Death of the Hawkwing
Whilst his new capital was marked out, Hawkwing began military preparations as well. Intrigued by Sea Folk legends of "the Isles of the Dead" that lay on the far side of the Aryth Ocean and reasoning that another continent existed there (a supposition possibly confirmed by Moerad, although his sources are unknown), he ordered the construction of a colonisation fleet, apparently consisting of some two thousand ships and over 300,000 military and civilian personnel. Whilst this fleet took shape at the western ports of Tanchico, Falme and Bandar Eban, Hawkwing then ordered the assembly of a second fleet, reputedly of equal size to the first, at the southern ports of Ebou Dar, Illian and Tear. He even ordered the founding of a new construction facility at the most extreme south-eastern part of the subcontinent, on the south-eastern coast of the Bay of Remara. A town grew up supporting the naval yards, rapidly growing into a city named Mayene.

After around four years of effort the first fleet was completed and dispatched westwards, across the Aryth Ocean. It was under the command of Luthair Paendrag Mondair, Hawkwing’s eldest surviving son. Some reports also suggest that Hawkwing’s second son also accompanied the expedition, but if he did he died shortly thereafter; certainly historical records held in Seandar fail to mention the existence of Luthair’s brother. Hawkwing founded a society, the Watchers Over the Waves, at Falme to relay messages that came back from across the sea.

The second fleet departed a year later, in FY 993. Its destination lay to the east, in Shara. The Sea Folk recorded the successful assaults on several Sharan cities and their capture. However, it seems that Hawkwing badly underestimated the military and naval prowess of the Sharans as well as being completely unaware of the Sharan sect known as the Ayyad, channellers of the One Power (women and men). The imperial army was slaughtered, the survivors taken as slaves and the fleet burned. The fate of the expedition commander, a daughter of Hawkwing’s, name unknown, remains a mystery.

The lack of news from across the Aryth Ocean and the Sea Folk accounts of the defeat of the Sharan expedition left Hawkwing silent and brooding. As FY 994 began he fell into a decline, eating less and sleeping more. A message arrived from Luthair in the spring. It did not sound hopeful. Luthair’s forces had been defeated in several battles by Aes Sedai openly wielding the One Power in battle and apparently working in alliance with Shadowspawn. Luthair report dubbed these "the Armies of the Night." Whilst Luthair’s forces had seized a stretch of the coast, it seemed that this fleet as well was doomed to destruction.

Hawkwing was struck by a sudden fever. As the weeks and months passed he became prone to hallucinatory fits, speaking of Tamika and Amaline as if they were in the room with him and often crying out for his sword, Justice. News of Hawkwing’s illness spread to every corner of the Empire and hundreds of medical experts, healers and even Wise Women from Ebou Dar came to the Imperial Palace to see what they could do. Nothing worked.

Then a message arrived from Tar Valon. All historians and first-hand accounts agreed it was the single most startling document they had ever seen and it is a true tragedy that no copies of it exist anywhere today. According to all accounts, the message was from the newly-raised Amyrlin Seat, Deane Aryman (formerly of the Blue Ajah). Aryman informed Hawkwing that Bonwhin Meraighdin had been stripped of rank and title two years previously and stilled for her attempts to manipulate him. She was now working as a scullery maid in the White Tower kitchen. Aryman failed to confirm or deny any involvement on Bonwhin’s part in the deaths of Amaline and the children, but she did offer to send Yellow sisters to carry out a full Healing that would probably save his life. Hawkwing refused. His last confirmed order was dispatched to General Souran Maravaile, ordering him to continue the siege of Tar Valon until the last man.

Artur Paendrag Tanreall, Artur Hawkwing, the High King of the Westlands, died in the summer of FY 994, aged eighty-two years. Within days of his death a crucial letter arrived. One was from the city of Mayene, informing the High King of the death of his daughter Laiwynde in a shipwreck on the Bay of Remara and the presumed loss of his grandson Tyrn sur Paendrag Mashera as well. This was important for it meant that no direct heirs to the Hawkwing now survived him this side of the Aryth Ocean.

Hawkwing was dead and he had left no heirs or instructions on how to decide who would follow him. The stage was set for bloody civil war.


Credit
The illustration of Hawkwing was created by Adam Masterman. More of his artwork can be seen here and here.

Please note that Parts 10-12 of this series are also available to read now on my Patreon page and my other blog, Atlas of Ice and Fire, is currently running a Wheel of Time Atlas series.

Thank you for reading The Wertzone. To help me provide better content, please consider contributing to my Patreon page and other funding methods, which will also get you exclusive content weeks before it goes live on my blogs. The History of The Wheel of Time, SF&F Questions and The Cities of Fantasy series are debuting on my Patreon feed and you can read them there one month before being published on the Wertzone.