Aran'gar
Author: Estyrien al'Halien
General
Aran'gar is one of the Forsaken, or Chosen as they like to call themselves. (LoC, Prologue) She is actually Balthamel reincarnated though she cannot remember much of her life as a man. (TPoD, Ch. 16) Despite being put in a female body, Aran'gar can channel saidin. (WH, Ch. 13) Aran'gar was given the identity of Halima Saranov who was supposedly a companion of Cabriana Mecandes. Semirhage tortured Cabriana to find out about Salidar and that knowledge was passed on to Halima who then used it to infiltrate the Salidar camp. (LoC, Ch. 6; Ch. 30) She attached herself to Delana Mosalaine, a Black sister posing as Gray, and was made her 'secretary'. She has ordered Delana to support all factions in the Tower in order to create chaos. (LoC, Ch. 37) She has also been taken into Egwene al'Vere's confidence, which no doubt she has used to her advantage (ACoS, Ch. 17).
Aran'gar was one of a pair of poisoned daggers used for duelling during the Age of Legends; one was used in the left hand and one in the right hand but it is not known which was which (the other being an osan'gar) (LoC Prologue).
Aran'gar's soul was reincarnated in a body taken from the Borderlands during a raid. She has black hair and green eyes; her skin is the colour of ivory and she has an oval face. She is very beautiful and her body would have been suitable for a daien dancer in the Age of Legends. (LoC Prologue) She is slender and often wears dresses with low neck lines to show off her bosom. (LoC, Ch. 30)
Timeline
- 998/999 NE: Balthamel is reincarnated as Aran'gar (LoC Prologue)
- 999NE: Aran'gar arrives in Salidar under the name of Halima Saranov. (LoC, Ch. 30)
- 999 NE: Egwene's headaches start the day that she first talks to Halima. (ACoS, Ch. 12)
- 999 NE: Aran'gar frees Moghedien from her a'dam and tells her to go to Shayol Ghul. (LoC Epilogue)
- 1000 NE: Aran'gar Travels to Shadar Logoth in an attempt to stop Rand and Nynaeve from using the Choedan Kal. (WH, Ch. 35)
Relationships
Under the disguise of Halima, Aran'gar has managed to get close of Egwene al'Vere, the Amyrlin Seat of the Salidar Aes Sedai. She 'cures' Egwene of her headaches. (ACoS, Ch. 12) She is the only one who can cure these aches; Healing from a sister makes no difference. (CoT, Ch. 20) However it is fairly obvious that Aran'gar is in fact causing the headaches as a way to get Egwene to trust her, especially since her headaches started the day she met Halima, (ACoS, Ch. 17), and have been known to start when Halima was annoyed about being sent away. After Halima's massages Egwene always has troubled dreams though she can't remember what they happened in them, something that Dreamers should be able to do. (CoT, Ch. 20) It has been wondered if Aran'gar is using Compulsion on Egwene to control her.
Halima is thought by many to be a lightskirt and this has been met with disapproval from many of the Salidar Aes Sedai. Halima is as lecherous as Balthamel was and seems amused by her reputation. (CoT, Ch. 18)
Siuan in particular does not like Halima, especially since Halima doesn't treat her with the respect someone should show to an Aes Sedai. (CoT, Ch. 18) Halima treats Aes Sedai as she would any other woman and this shocks, if not scandalises, many people. (TPoD, Ch. 15)
Halima doesn't hold her temper around anyone but Egwene and often yells at people, including Delana and Siuan. She has also broken a wheelwright's arm. (CoT, Ch. 18)
Aran'gar has murdered several times during her stay with the Salidar Aes Sedai. First there were Meri and Selame who were Egwene's maids, (TPoD, Ch. 30), one of whom Aran'gar buried in the snow. (TPoD, Ch. 16) Aran'gar is also the likely culprit for the murder of Anaiya and her Warder, Setagana; they were smothered to death when weaves of solid Air were woven around their heads. (CoT, Ch. 20) When Aran'gar arrived at Shadar Logoth when the Choedan Kal were used, she killed Eben Hopwil when he tried to prevent her from attacking Rand. (WH, Ch. 35) Aran'gar also wanted Logain killed or gentled so that she was free to use saidin in the camp. (LoC, Ch. 27)
Miscellaneous
- Aran'gar is even more reckless and less cautious than Lanfear (LoC Prologue).
- Aran'gar is strong in the One Power and could kill all of the Salidar Aes Sedai easily (TPoD, Ch. 16).
- Aran'gar cannot write very well, in fact her handwriting looks like a child's who is learning to write (TPoD, Ch. 17).
Quotes
"Why has this been done to me? Why have I been put into this body? Why?" Aran'gar to Shaidar Haran. (LoC Prologue)
"A guest is not exactly what I had in mind. Something rather more permanent, I think. Your secretary, or better yet, your companion. I need to make sure your Hall is guided carefully. Beyond this tale of Cabriana's news, from time to time I'll have instructions for you." Aran'gar to Delana. (LoC, Ch. 30)
"She was no fool- Egwene had known that at their first conversation, the day after Logain escaped, when the headaches had begun- not at all the brainless flipskirt." Egwene thinking about Halima. (ACoS, Ch. 12)
"She could destroy the lot of them, and even dying they would never suspect who was killing them. Of course, she would not survive them long. That thought made her shiver. The Great Lord gave very few a second chance at life, and she was not about to throw away hers." Aran'gar about the Salidar Aes Sedai. (TPoD, Ch. 16)
"Supposedly, Halima was Delana's secretary, but everybody believed it a case of charity, or possibly friendship, however unlikely, between the dignified, pale-haired sister and the hot-natured, raven-haired country woman." Egwene thinking about Halima. (TPoD, Ch. 17)
"All of her mannerisms had changed since she became a woman, but not the core of what had been placed into that female body. Demandred hardly scorned fleshy pleasures, but one day her cravings would be the death of her. As they already had been once." Demandred about Aran'gar. (WH, Ch. 13)
"Halima did ask for nothing beyond a pallet in Egwene's tent, so she could be on hand for when one of Egwene's headaches came on, and sleeping there must have given difficulties with carrying out her duties for Delana. Besides, Egwene liked her earthy outspoken manner". Egwene thinking about Halima. (CoT, Ch. 18)
