Lews Therin Telamon

Author: Atarah al'Norahn

LOOZ THEH-rihn TEHL-ah-mon

General

Lews Therin Telamon was one of the most influential figures in the Age of Legends and the War of the Shadow. He was the leader of the Aes Sedai and one of the leading commanders of the army that fought against the Shadow. He was also instrumental in the sealing of the Bore and the defeat of the Forsaken.

When the Dark One tainted saidin as a counterstroke to being sealed away in the Bore, Lews Therin went mad along with all of the other male Aes Sedai. This led to him killing all of his family and loved ones (TEotW, Prologue).

Lews Therin was a tall man with brown hair that was turning white, and dark eyes (TEotW, Prologue).

At one point in time, Lews Therin and Lanfear were lovers. However, Lanfear loved Lews Therin more for his title than for himself, and he eventually married a woman named Ilyena Moerelle (TEotW, Prologue; TGH, Ch. 7).

Lews Therin has been known by many names and titles. The Dragon, Lord of the Morning, Kinslayer and Hammer of the Light are a few of them.

Timeline

• Lews Therin causes the death of Tellindal Tirraso (ToM, Ch. 51).

• Lews Therin leads a team of one hundred and thirteen men to seal the Bore (Strike at Shayol Ghul.)

• Lews Therin, along with the rest of the male Aes Sedai, goes mad from the Dark One's counterstroke (TSR, Ch. 24; Strike at Shayol Ghul.)

• Lews Therin kills everyone who is dear to him (TEotW, Prologue.)

• After Elan Morin appears and Lews Therin learns what he has done, he Travels to the site of present day Tar Valon and creates Dragonmount. He dies in the process (TEotW, Prologue.)

• Lews Therin first appears as a voice inside of Rand's head (TSR, Ch. 10.)

• Lews Therin has been giving Rand advice, such as how to deal with Lanfear and how to escape when he is captured by Aes Sedai and brought to Dumai's Wells. Rand also learns a lot about the other Forsaken from him. Lews Therin spends a lot of time moaning over the death of his wife, Ilyena (TFoH, Ch. 6; Ch. 43; Ch. 44; LoC, Ch. 1; Ch. 26; Ch. 55.)

• Lews Therin comes and goes in Rand's head. He raves quite a bit about the Forsaken, and spends a lot of time muttering to Rand (ACoS, Ch. 7; Ch. 17; Ch. 33; TPoD, Ch. 14; Ch. 21; Ch. 22.)

• After Rand cleanses the taint at Shadar Logoth, Lews Therin sounds a bit saner (WH, Ch. 25; CoT, Ch. 24.)

• Rand is no long able to clearly tell his memories from Lews Therin's (KoD, Ch. 18)

• During the trolloc attack on algarin's manor, Lews Therin seizes saidin and spins blossoms of fire, arrows of fire and deathgates (KoD, Ch. 19).

• When Rand wonders about how he will get the money he needs, Lews Therin talks about taxes and job creation, but Rand does follow (KoD, Ch. 21).

• When he walks into Semirhage's trap, Rand and Lews Therin each try to seize saidin with the result that neither is able to (KoD, Ch. 27).

• Semirhage tells Rand's companions that Rand is insane and he is hearing the voice of one of his past lives. She claims it is worse that the voice is real (KoD, Ch. 27).

• Lews Therin claims Min is right that they have to destroy the Seals (TGS, Ch. 22).

• He claims they needed to touch the Dark One with saidin which was what allowed him to taint it (TGS, Ch. 22).

• He is upset that they can't add the names of the women in Natrin's Barrow to the list (TGS, Ch. 42).

• When Rand destroys the Choedan Kal and decides to fight so that people have the chance to love and live their lives, he feels sure he will never hear Lews Therin's voice again as they were never two men (TGS, Ch. 50).

Strengths and Talents

Lews Therin's strength in the One Power is likely the same as Rand's, which puts him on par with the male Forsaken.

Only Lews Therin, Demandred, Semirhage and Rand have the ability to block open a gateway (TFoH, Ch. 32).

Lews Therin was good at drawing (WH, Ch. 22).

Lews Therin could play the flute (WH, Ch. 25).

Graendal believes Lews Therin could have tracked her to Natrin's Barrow (ToM, Prologue)

Relationships

Lews Therin Telamon was very deeply in love with his wife, Ilyena. He mourns her death more than anything.

Lanfear is rather obsessed with Lews Therin. She is very jealous of all other women in his life. After he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her, she becomes very intent upon seeing him die. Ishamael claims that he and Lews Therin have faced each other many times before (TEotW, Prologue).

During the War of Power, Lews Therin and Be'lal were allies for a while. However, Be'lal also envied Lews Therin, which is supposedly one of the reasons that Be'lal turned to the Shadow. Be'lal thinks that Lews Therin puts his heart ahead of power (TDR, Ch. 50; Ch. 55).

Sammael is jealous of Lews Therin, but Rand/Lews Therin cannot understand why. Lews Therin does not think he ever slighted Sammael, or ever gave him less than his due (TFoH, Ch. 44).

Demandred hates Lews Therin Telamon, the former thinking himself superior to the latter. Lews Therin was one of the reasons that Demandred turned to the Shadow (LoC, Prologue). He has said he will laugh when he can snap the neck of Lews Therin and only then (TGS, Prologue).

Lews Therin's relationship with Rand is, as can be expected, rather odd. At times, Lews Therin seems to almost think that he is real and Rand is not. Sometimes Lews Therin will leave Rand alone for long periods of time, and at others he will randomly mumble obscure things. At times, he has aided Rand, like when he helped Rand get rid of a shield woven of saidar (LoC, Ch. 53). Rand comes to think of Lews Therin as an old friend, though not a welcome one (CoT, Ch. 24).

He hated Graendal deeply (ToM, Prologue).

Miscellaneous

• Rahvin attempts to change Rand into Lews Therin while in Tel'aran'rhiod (TFoH, Ch. 55).

• Lews Therin hums when he sees a pretty woman (LoC, Ch. 17).

• Because of Lews Therin and Alanna, Rand wonders if he will ever feel alone again (LoC, Ch. 18).

• Through Rand, Lews Therin once dreams of the Age of Legends and Ilyena (LoC, Ch. 19).

• Rand becomes sure that Lews Therin is really there (LoC, Ch. 28).

• Min has a viewing of Rand and who he suspects is Lews Therin; "I saw you and another man. I couldn't make out either face, but I knew one was you. You touched, and seemed to merge into one another, and...I don't know what it means, Rand, except that one of you dies, and one doesn't." (Min to Rand; ACoS, Ch. 33).

• Lews Therin dislikes Far Madding (WH, Ch. 32).

• Lews Therin liked meat pies (WH, Ch. 33).

• Rand wonders how much space remains between himself and Lews Therin (CoT, Ch. 24).

Quotes

"Ilyena, my love, forgive me!" (The Fires of Heaven, Chapter 43.)

"Mustn't use that. Threatens the fabric of the pattern. Not even for Ilyena? I would burn the world and use my soul for tinder to hear her laugh again." (The Fires of Heaven, Chapter 44.)

"Break it break them all must break them must must must break them all break them and strike must strike quickly must strike now break it break it break it..." (Lews Therin to Rand; Lord of Chaos, Chapter 2).

"The Wheel of Time and the wheel of a man's life turn alike without pity or mercy." (Lews Therin to Rand; Lord of Chaos, Chapter 16).

"I thought I could build. I was wrong. We are not builders, not you, or I, or the other one. We are destroyers. Destroyers." (Lews Therin to Rand; Winter's Heart, Prologue).

"A man who trusts everyone is a fool, and a man who trusts no one is a fool. We are all fools, if we live long enough." (Lews Therin to Rand; Winter's Heart, Chapter 25).

"What makes you think you can keep anyone safe? We are all going to die. Just hope that you aren't the one who kills them." (Lews Therin to Rand; Crossroads of Twilight, Chapter 24).

"He's insane and I'm not. Besides, he failed and I won't" (Rand, about Lews Therin, The Gathering Storm, Chapter 15).