Shadar Logoth

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Author: Leora Oldessroth

SHAH-dahr LOH-goth

General

The city of Shadar Logoth was once known as Aridhol and was the capital of the nation of Aridhol during the Compact of Ten Nations in the Years AB (TWoRJTWoT, Ch. 10).

The name Shadar Logoth means “Where the Shadow waits” (TFoH, Prologue).

The city was originally built by Ogier (TWoRJTWoT, Ch. 30).

The taint in the city is so strong that even Trollocs fear to enter (TGH, Ch. 12).

History

During the time of the Trolloc Wars, Mordeth arrived in the nation of Aridhol. He was able to get the king, Balwen Mayel, to listen to him and convinced him to use the tactics of the Shadow to fight the Shadowspawn. His poison spread throughout the city, making people hardened and cruel. Eventually all the citizens of Aridhol died, their suspicion and hate having created Mashadar, a fog that lurks in the city during the night and destroys any flesh that touches it. Only Mordeth is immune to Mashadar (TEotW, Ch. 19; TWoRJTWoT, Ch. 10).

This evil now pervades every object within the city of Shadar Logoth. Every pebble is tainted and dangerous to bring outside of the city. The evil will turn on the person carrying the item and make the person grow sick and die. The evil is also contagious and the person soon becomes a carrier, spreading the evil to those around him or her (TEotW, Ch. 41).

City Layout and Buildings

General

From a short distance outside, the city looks like a great irregular mass covered with vines and creepers with tall spires jutting out here and there. Moving closer it becomes apparent that this is a walled city and the spires are guard towers (TEotW, Ch. 18).

The city appears broken. Roofs are fallen in, paving stones and walls are cracked, towers stop abruptly and jaggedly, and piles or rubble lie about (TEotW, Ch. 19).

The buildings that are left standing are magnificent. There are pale marble palaces topped with huge domes; every building has at least one dome, some have four or five, and each one is shaped differently (TEotW, Ch. 19).

Long walks lined by columns run hundreds of paces up to towers that seem to reach the sky (TEotW, Ch. 19).

At every intersection there is a bronze fountain (most dry), an alabaster spire of a monument (usually toppled) or a statue on a pedestal (generally broken) (TEotW, Ch. 19).

One building is a round, white dome as big as a hill and is only one giant room inside (TEotW, Ch. 19).

Another building is walled, but open to the sky, and surrounded by rows of stone benches (TEotW, Ch. 19).

Current Appearance

After Rand cleansed the taint from saidin at Shadar Logoth, the city was destroyed. Where it once stood is now a large hole, approximately three miles across and about a mile and a half deep. The bottom is covered with water and ice and Akarrin believes it may eventually become a lake (CoT, Ch. 19).

People and Customs

Characters from Shadar Logoth/Aridhol