Moghedien

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Estyrien al'Halien


General

Moghedien was called Lilen Moiral during the Age of Legends; her work obviously wasn't important enough for her to earn a third name. (Reference: BWB Chapter 6) She was named Moghedien because it was the name of a deadly spider in the Age of Legends which hid in corners and trapped it's victims in a web. (Reference: TFoH Chapter 14) Moghedien did not chose this name for herself, instead was given it by those she had betrayed, (Reference: TGH Chapter 7), though it is well suited to her character. She has two obvious disguises in the Third Age. First as Gyldin, a servant in the house in Tanchico that the Black Ajah stay in. (Reference: TSR Chapter 38) She then poses as Marigan, a refugee from Amador who was once the equivalent of a Wisdom there. (Reference: TFoH Chapter 49)

Moghedien has dark hair that is shoulder length, dark eyes and smooth skin. She is handsome and does not have the ageless look about her. (Reference: TSR Chapter 36) This is also the appearance she takes for Gyldin, which is why Liandrin is doubtful of Moghedien at first. (Reference: TFoH Chapter 18) However, as Marigan, she has a weary, blunt face and looks as though she has lost a lot of weight. This is different to her other appearance as Nynaeve guesses from what Moghedien tells her that she was a swindler. (Reference: LoC Prologue)

Lilen pledged her soul to the Dark One before the War of the Shadow. However, she managed to keep this a secret for many years and managed to infiltrate Lews Therin's command-and-staff structure. (Reference: BWB Chapter 6) She managed to cause many disasters during the War and killed thousands of people; she was often ignored because she was seen as too unimportant. (Reference: CoS Chapter 25) She was finally revealed as shadowsworn by Teadra (Birgitte). (Reference: TFoH Chapter 25) Lilen only narrowly escaped and only managed this by damaging the public transport, which killed thousands of people. Certainly after this, and possibly before, she ran a very successful spy ring that specialised in sabotage. This certainly meant that she caused the deaths of as many people as any general in battle, though her targets were more often civilians than not. (Reference: BWB Chapter 6)



Timeline

- Age of Legends: Lilen was roughly 200 years old when the Bore was created, fairly young for an Aes Sedai. (Reference: TSR Chapter 54)

- War of the Shadow: Lilen is revealed to serve the Dark One by Teadra (Birgitte). (Reference: TFoH Chapter 25)

- War of the Shadow: Moghedien is bound with the other Forsaken when the Bore is sealed by Lews Therin and his Companions. (Reference: TDR Chapter 36)

- Moghedien wakes after over 3000 years and begins to search for information about the Age of Legends and of the time that elapsed after it. (Reference: TSR Chapter 54)

- Moghedien travels to Tanchico in search of the male a'dam. (Reference: TSR Chapter 54)

- Moghedien battles with Nynaeve al'Meara and loses, only narrowly escaping being stilled. (Reference: TSR Chapter 54)

- Moghedien reveals herself to the thirteen Black Ajah outside of the Tower and sets them all tasks to do. (Reference: TFoH Chapter 18)

- Moghedien arrives in Salidar, disguised as Marigan, after travelling there with Nynaeve and Elayne. (Reference: TFOH Chapter 50)

- Moghedien is trapped by Nynaeve in Tel'aran'rhiod when Nynaeve uses an a'dam and is forced to help Nynaeve and Elayne. (Reference: TFoH Chapter 54)

- Moghedien is freed of the a'dam by Aran'gar, Halima, and is summoned to the Pit of Doom. (Reference: ACoS Chapter 25)

- Moghedien is sent to Shadar Logoth by Moridin to try to prevent Rand al'Thor and Nynaeve al'Meara from cleansing the Taint. (Reference: WH Chapter 35)



Strengths and Talents

Moghedien is strong in the One Power, though not as strong as Lanfear who is the strongest of the female Forsaken. (Reference: BWB Chapter 6) She is equal in strength to Nynaeve (Reference: TSR Chapter 54), who is the strongest Aes Sedai living (Reference: TGH Chapter 4), though not the strongest non-Forsaken (Alivia). (Reference: WH Chapter 35)

Since Moghedien lived during the Age of Legends, she knows a lot about the One Power and its uses, one of the reasons why Nynaeve and Elayne did not turn her in. (Reference: LoC Prologue) Moghedien knows Balefire (Reference: ACoS Chapter 30) and Compulsion. (Reference: TFoH Chapter 18) She can also Travel, (Reference: LoC Chapter 37), knows the weave for Keeping, (Reference: WH Chapter 12), and helped Egwene figure out the weave for cuendillar. (Reference: CoT Chapter 17) She can mask the fact that she can channel. (Reference: TSR Chapter 38) However, she knows very little of Healing or of Cloud Dancing, changing the weather. (Reference: LoC Prologue) Though Moghedien doesn't always have the ability for Talents and cannot perform the weaves, she knows of many lost Talents such as Aligning the Matrix, Spinning Earthfire and Milking Tears. (Reference: LoC Chapter 39)

Moghedien's real talent lies in Tel'aran'rhiod, the World of Dreams, despite Lanfear's claim of supremacy. (Reference: TSR Chapter 52) Moghedien doesn't dare challenge that claim since Lanfear is far stronger in the One Power than her. (Reference: BWB Chapter 6) Her strength in Tel'aran'rhiod allows her to bind people in Tel'aran'rhiod (Reference: TFoH Chapter 25), and to permanently change the appearance of a person in the World of Dreams. (Reference: TFoH Chapter 34)



Relationships

Since the Forsaken are not friendly with each other, it can be assumed that this is the same for Moghedien. (Reference: TFoH Chapter 3) In fact, Moghedien hates the other Forsaken because she feels that they hate her for hiding in the shadows while they, for the most part, proclaim the allegiance openly. (Reference: BWB Chapter 6) Moghedien particularly hates Cyndane, Lanfear re-incarnated, because she is given power over Moghedien because of recent mistakes, such as trying to Balefire Nynaeve. (Reference: TPoD Chapter 12)

Moghedien hates Nynaeve al'Meara because Nynaeve has beaten her several times, not least in Tel'aran'rhiod where Moghedien is strongest. (References: TSR Chapter 54 and TFoH Chapter 54) Nynaeve is also as strong as Moghedien in the One Power which is a source of annoyance for Moghedien. (Reference: TSR Chapter 54) Moghedien loses one of the seals of the Dark One's prison to Nynaeve which does not help matters. (Reference: TSR Chapter 54) The hatred increases when Moghedien is forced to work as a servant in Salidar under the influence of the a'dam Elayne creates. (LoC Prologue) For this, Moghedien hates Elayne and she also hates Egwene for wearing the a'dam bracelet when Nynaeve goes to Ebou Dar. (Reference: LoC Chapter 47)

Moghedien hates Birgitte because she revealed her true allegiance and Moghedien promised revenge for that. (Reference: TFoH Chapter 25) This revenge was carried out when she ripped Birgitte out of Tel'aran'rhiod, which resulted in Birgitte nearly dying. (Reference: TFoH Chapter 34) Birgitte doesn't like Moghedien either and when she is collared, Brigitte punishes Moghedien for being insolent. (Reference: LoC Chapter 29)

Moghedien hates those who think less of her for being cautious and those who do not give her enough respect. Moghedien is one to harbour grudges and these people, short of the other Forsaken, are punished for this and/or are killed. (Reference: BWB Chapter 6)



Miscellaneous

- Moghedien well deserves her name because she is a coward, only acting when she is sure of victory. She fears risk and refuses to gamble (Reference: TSR Chapter 52), so much to the extent that the other Forsaken use her as a mark of cowardice. (Reference: TSR Chapter 50)

- Moghedien shields Liandrin and uses Compulsion to make sure that she cannot kill herself. The shield is so complex that very few channellers could unravel it. (Reference: TFoH Chapter 34)

- Moghedien sends Falion and Ispan to Ebou Dar to search for the Kin's angreal and ter'angreal stash. This results in the death of Ispan, though Falion escapes. (Reference: ACoS Chapter 38)

- Moghedien tried to rebel against the a'dam by teaching Nynaeve and Elayne weaves that hurt them; such as the weave that was supposed to detect men channelling, it doesn't exist. (Reference: LoC Chapter 8)

- Moghedien is mindtrapped by Moridin for her numerous mistakes, most notably being collared with the a'dam. (Reference: ACoS Chapter 25) She is forced to work for Moridin with Cyndane, who is also mindtrapped, and to wear his colours, black and red. (Reference: TPoD Chapter 12)

- Moghedien refuses to take part in the battle at Shadar Logoth but it is not clear what happened to her after that. (Reference: WH Chapter 35) We are almost certain that she is still alive though this is not yet proven.



Quotes

"She hides and takes no risks. She attacks only where she sees weakness, and moves only in shadows. If she fears defeat, she will run; she is not one to fight to the last, even when doing so has the chance of victory. A chance is not good enough for Moghedien—Lanfear always claimed Tel'aran'rhiod for her own, but Moghedien could do things here far beyond Lanfear, though she has not Lanfear's strength in the world of flesh" - Birgitte to Nynaeve about Moghedien. (Reference: TFoH Chapter 52)

"Nynaeve al'Meara, Elayne Trakand, and Birgitte. Those three she would find, and deal with. From the shadow, so that they would not know until late" - Moghedien. (Reference: TFoH Chapter 25)

"'Before you consider anything 'drastic,' said Moghedien, 'remember that I know much that would be useful to you'" - Moghedien to Nynaeve. (Reference: TFoH Chapter 54)

"Moghedien had never been interested in much that could not advance her, preferably by shortcuts" - Nynaeve about Moghedien. (Reference: LoC Prologue)

"I serve in the shadows, and your enemies never feel my bite until my venom is working. You know how many of your enemies I brought down in the War of Power. From the shadows, unseen, or if seen, ignored because I could not possibly be a threat" - Moghedien to the Dark One. (Reference: CoS Chapter 25)