Slayer

Author: Kyria d'Oreyn

General

Slayer is the name Hopper gave to the evil merging of Luc Mantear and Isam Mandragoran (TSR, Ch. 28). Both men kept their appearance and parts of their personality - now twisted to the Shadow - though they are one being. It can be believed that Isam was the one who died during their encounter, and Luc the one who lives as stated in the Dark Prophecy, since he has been seen more often in the real world (WH, Ch. 22).

Slayer's services are always wanted, but except for the Forsaken, only a handful know how to reach Slayer. His recent task was to kill Rand, assigned by one of the Forsaken. It is not known who assigned this task, but Slayer is sure it is a man (WH, Ch. 22). The most likely candidates for this are Demandred, because he has given out orders to kill Rand before, or Moridin, because he stands above the other Forsaken and he is the only one other than Fain who has mentioned Isam in the series (WH, Ch. 13). In Towers of Midnight we learn that he's Moridin's tool (ToM, Ch. 5).

Appearance

Perrin notes that Slayer (as Isam) and Luc both smell cold and barely human, but they smell different (TSR, Ch. 28; Ch. 53). Egwene once seeshim in Tel'aran'rhiod, but she thinks it was Lan (LoC, Ch. 14). As Luc, he resembles Rand.

Personality

As one being, Luc and Isam also share one memory. Each man knows about the other and his traits, but when, for instance, Luc kills someone, Isam can only remember the feeling because he has not done the deed himself. This way Luc knows that Isam enjoys killing wolves more than he does (WH, Ch. 22). Isam considers Luc to be the more accomodating of the two of them, while Isam is the hard one (AMoL, Prologue).

Isam thinks that Luc would squirm and writhe when another person asserts power over him, while Isam does not because he knows is a hunter and does not resent being shown his place (AMoL, Prologue). Isam will not disobey orders (AMoL, Prologue).

Strengths and Talents

Slayer was given many gifts by the Dark One, including the ability to enter Tel'aran'rhiod in the flesh, where he can take on whatever appearance he chooses. It is not clear whether he can walk in the real world as Isam as well, but he might well be, since it was Isam who killed Amico and Joiya in the Stone of Tear (TSR, Ch. 12; WH, Ch. 22).

Relationships

He knows that he is Rand's uncle (WH, Ch. 22).

Perrin cannot abide Luc at first sight and wonders if he really knows how to fight Trollocs. He is far too arrogant and self-assured for his taste. Luc, on the other hand, is afraid of Perrin, since he hunts him in the wolf dream (TSR, Ch. 33) and hates him (ToM, Ch. 37). Later, Perrin is furious at him for killing wolves and although he knows Slayer is very strong, he wants to master the dream, so he can bring him down (ToM, Ch. 24, Ch. 28). Perrin knows that he is Luc (ToM, Ch. 35). Slayer thinks of Perrin as prey (ToM, Ch. 37).

The al'Seens and the Lewins are quite fond of Luc because he told them to stand against the Whitecloaks and to fight the Trollocs (TSR, Ch. 33).

He wants to see Fain dead (TSR, Ch. 42) and, likewise, Fain wants Isam to be dealt with (TSR, Ch. 56).

He serves Moridin, who calls him "man with two souls" and thinks of him as a tool he is possessive of (ToM, Ch. 5).

The wolves are afraid of him. Hopper says he hunts well and moves almost like a wolf (ToM, Ch. 28). Although Hopper thinks Slayer is too strong for Perrin, he and the other wolves agree that he must be killed for his deeds (ToM, Ch. 35).

Timeline

(starting after Luc and Isam merged)

• As Luc, he kills Janduin who ventured into the Blight and would not raise a weapon against him because of his likeness to "Shaiel"/Tigraine (TSR, Ch. 34).

• After a Gray Man fails to kill Egwene, he kills it (TDR, Ch. 15; WH, Ch. 22).

• As Isam, he kills the Black Ajah captives Joiya and Amico in the Stone of Tear (TSR, Ch. 12; WH, Ch. 22).

• Perrin sees him as Isam in the wolf dream skinning a wolf and when he disappears, follows his trail to the Tower of Ghenjei, where Hopper tells Perrin how dangerous the man he calls "Slayer" is (TSR, Ch. 28).

• As Luc, he entered the Two Rivers about the same time the Whitecloaks did, talking people into fighting Trollocs (TSR, Ch. 29).

• When Perrin plans to rescue the Luhhans and Cauthons from the Whitecloaks, he thinks that Luc will most likely want to take charge if he learns of it (TSR, Ch. 30).

• He sends two Gray Men after Fain, who kills them (TSR, Ch. 31).

• As Luc, he arrives at Jac al'Seen's farm (TSR, Ch. 32). He seems to be uneasy at the presence of Verin and kind of shocked to see Perrin. Perrin does not know that Luc is Slayer, and thus the lord's reactions make no sense to him (TSR, Ch. 33).

• As Isam, he examines the fog around Rhuidean in Tel'aran'rhiod. He is seen by Nynaeve and follows her to Emond's Field, where he tries to kill her with an arrow (TSR, Ch. 39).

• The farms Luc visits are always burned by the Trollocs, either on the day he was there or the day after (TSR, Ch. 40).

• Luc rides up to Perrin's camp in the Waterwood and wants to talk them into going back to Emond's Field (TSR, Ch. 40).

• As Isam, he attacks Perrin in the wolf dream near the Manetheren Waygate and tell him he brought the Trollocs to keep the Whitecloaks off balance and to hunt down Fain (TSR, Ch. 42).

• He talked the Coplins into marching up to the Whitecloaks to tell them to disappear (TSR, Ch. 43).

• The next time he appears, he brings a Myrddraal's head as a kind of trophy, and continues bringing Trollocs' or Myrddraals' heads the following days. Upon hearing Trollocs had attacked Taren Ferry and people had fled across the river, he becomes quite angry and asks if a man called Ordeith was around (TSR, Ch. 45; Ch. 53).

• In the wolf dream, Perrin hits Isam with an arrow. When he awakes, he is told that Lord Luc dashed away and almost rode down two Emond's Fielders (TSR, Ch. 53).

• He spies on Elayne and Egwene in Tel'aran'rhiod; they are very surprised when they see him and he does not disappear (WH, Ch. 10).

• He steps out of Tel'aran'rhiod as Luc to kill Rand and Min, but instead, he just catches an old couple. He meets with his patron and asks if he should try again, but he is to wait for the time being (WH, Ch. 22).

• Slayer is hunting wolves in Tel'aran'rhiod where Perrin's army is making their camp. He is skinning Morninglight when Perrin attacks him. He disappears and reappears by some docks. Perrin follows him and attacks him with his hammer. Slayer makes a sword and easily blocks Perrin. After knocking Perrin into the water and reforming his bow Perrin runs (ToM, Ch. 24).

• Slayer fights with Boundless, Oak Dancer, and Sparks in the dome in Tel'aran'rhiod and Sparks is injured by Slayer. Hopper attacks Slayer so Perrin can try to get Sparks out of there. When Perrin is almost to the dome wall Slayer appears with a bow but Perrin shifts away (ToM, Ch. 28).

• Slayer is attacked in Tel'aran'rhiod by Perrin, Sparks, Oak Dancer, Hopper and Boundless. There is a short battle in which Hopper injures Slayer and Slayer kills Oak Dancer. Sparks takes off and Hopper and Boundless are injured. Slayer takes off and Perrin chases after him. Slayer shifts from place to place and loses Perrin (ToM, Ch. 35).

• After Perrin takes the dreamspike Slayer chases after him (ToM, Ch. 36).

• Perrin takes the dreamspike to Tar Valon and Slayer follows. They fight back and forth and Slayer manages to get the dreamspike back with a nice arrow. As Slayer runs away with the dreamspike he is attacked by Hopper. He escapes again and Perrin chases after. Slayer shoots Hopper with an arrow and throws him off the side of a building. Perrin chases after Hopper but Slayer attacks him. Perrin then sees a nightmare and shoves Slayer into it (ToM, Ch. 37).

• In the dream Slayer becomes overwhelmed and gets sucked into the nightmare. Perrin takes advantage of the situation and takes the dreamspike. He also stabs Slayer in the stomach. He then throws the dreamspike in some lava and destroys it. Slayer becomes angry and starts kicking Perrin in the chest until Perrin flees (ToM, Ch. 38).

• Slayer goes to the Town as Isam and meets an unidentified female Dreadlord who assigns him to kill Rand. She says that he is not to follow any other assignments unless the Dark One summons Slayer himself and tells him to do otherwise. Isam tells the woman that he will need help, so she brings him two Samma N'Sei who have been Turned. She tells him he will also have a handful of the Talentless (non-channelers) to deal with Rand's guards (AMoL, Prologue).

Miscellaneous

• He owns a tall, black stallion (TSR, Ch. 40).

• Isam enjoys killing wolves even more than Luc does (WH, Ch. 22).

• He smells "faintly inhuman, like a man mixed with stone" (ToM, Ch. 24), of dead wolves and "wrong, so wrong" (ToM, Ch. 28).

• When Perrin asks him who he really is, Slayer says he is a man of two worlds and owned by both (ToM, Ch. 37).

• Although he is very skilled in the World of Dreams, he lets himself be drawn in by a nightmare when chasing Perrin (ToM, Ch. 38).

Quotes

"This Slayer is not old, archer, but his evil is ancient." (Birgitte to Perrin; The Shadow Rising, Chapter 28)

"Lord Luc thinks the Horn of Valere is somewhere in the Mountains of Mist above the Two Rivers. But he gave over his hunt because of our problems. Lord Luc is a great gentleman, with the finest manners" (Marin al'Vere to Perrin; The Shadow Rising, Chapter 29).

"If the Two Rivers had been choosing a king, Lord Luc would have had the al’Seens and Lewins behind him." (Perrin; The Shadow Rising, Chapter 33)

"Perrin, the man’s an arrogant fool in some ways — I hear he’s hinted at a claim to one of the Borderland thrones, for all he told us he’s from Murandy — but you cannot really believe he is a Darkfriend." (Faile to Perrin; The Shadow Rising, Chapter 40)

"'It was only a few hundred to begin, Goldeneyes. Just enough to keep those fool Whitecloaks off balance and see that the renegade died.' Slayer’s voice became angry. 'The Shadow consume me if that man does not have more luck than the White Tower.'" (Slayer to Perrin on Fain; The Shadow Rising, Chapter 42)

"The Halfman feared Isam would find it; Isam had not at all been pleased when that raid on Taren Ferry let so many escape to carry away word of what was happening in the Two Rivers. Ordeith giggled at the thought of Isam discomforted." (Fain; The Shadow Rising, Chapter 56)

"He always liked to see the people he killed, after if he could not during." (Luc; Winter's Heart, Chapter 22)

"The man had to be one of the Chosen. Few save the Chosen knew how to reach him, and none of the men among those few could channel, or would have dared trying to command him. His services were always begged, except by the Great Lord himself, and more recently by the Chosen, but none of the Chosen Luc had met had ever taken such precautions as this." (Winter's Heart, Chapter 22).