Aran'gar

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A similar entry appears in the Wheel of Time Companion. Other information about the character is also included in the Companion, but we did not use it in the TarValon.Net Library.


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). During the Age of Legends, she was an expert on primitive cultures, something she believes makes her qualified to rule in the current age (KoD, Ch. 3). 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. That knowledge was passed on to Halima, who then used it to infiltrate the Salidar camp (LoC, Ch. 6; LoC, Ch. 30). She attached herself to Delana Mosalaine, a Black sister posing as Gray, and was made her 'secretary'. She ordered Delana to support all factions in the Tower in order to create chaos (LoC, Ch. 37) and was taken into Egwene al'Vere's confidence (ACoS, Ch. 17). She was forced to flee the Tower when Jahar and Merise visited and she risked being exposed (KoD, Ch. 23). After fleeing, she joined Graendal. When Rand destroyed the palace, Aran'gar was killed when Graendal shielded her and held her in Air as part of Graendal's plan to escape and make Rand think she was dead (ToM, Prologue).

Aran'gar was one of a pair of poisoned daggers used for dueling during the Age of Legends, the other being an osan'gar; one was used in the left hand and one in the right, but it is not known which was which (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 color 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).
  • 999 NE: 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).
  • 1000 NE: Aran'gar is summoned to a meeting with the other Forsaken. She tries to make an alliance with Graendal, planning to kill her when she has the chance, something she also plans for Moridin (KoD, Ch. 3).
  • 1000 NE: Aran'gar flees with Delana when Jahar and Merise visit (KoD, Ch. 23).
  • 1000 NE: Siuan reasons that Aran'gar was posing as Halima, not Delana (TGS, Ch. 8).

Relationships

Under the disguise of Halima, Aran'gar has managed to get close to 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 because her headaches started the day she met Halima (CoT, 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, and she can't remember what happened in them, something that she should be able to do as a Dreamer (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 because 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, which shocks 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 during the Cleansing, 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 would be free to use saidin in the camp (LoC, Ch. 27).

She approaches Graendal for an alliance. Most people believed she never formed them during in Age of Legends, but in truth she did, but she killed the ally before they had a chance to reveal anything (KoD, Ch. 3).

When Jahar reveals that he met a woman holding saidin at Shadar Logoth, Romanda orders Aran'gar's arrest, but she has already fled with Delana (KoD, Ch. 23).

Miscellaneous

  • 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 that of a child who is learning to write (TPoD, Ch. 17).
  • Aran’gar’s abilities in Tel'aran'rhiod are weak, and she can only find Egwene’s dreams when next to Egwene.

Quotes

"Why has this been done to me? Why have I been put into this body? Why?" (Aran'gar to Shaidar Haran; Lord of Chaos, 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; Lord of Chaos, Chapter 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; A Crown of Swords, Chapter 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; The Path of Daggers, Chapter 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; The Path of Daggers, Chapter 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; Winter's Heart, Chapter 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; Crossroads of Twilight, Chapter 18)

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