Rand al'Thor

Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, is the protagonist and main character of "The Wheel of Time", a series of fantasy novels by Robert Jordan.

Rand al'Thor has many other titles:
* among Wetlanders: The Dragon Reborn, Lord of the Morning, Prince of the Dawn, True Defender of the Light
* among the Aiel: He Who Comes with the Dawn, "Car'a'carn" (Chief of Chiefs)
* among the Atha'an Miere (Sea Folk): Coramoor (The Chosen One)
* among wolves: Shadowkiller

Description

Rand has gray or blue (interchanging) eyes and a reddish tint to his blonde hair. He is about 6'5" or 6'6" (196-197 cm) (as described by Robert Jordan). As a result of events at the end of the "Knife of Dreams", Rand has lost his left hand just below the wrist and can only wield his sword one-handed.

History

Birth

His birth was heralded by Gitara Moroso, Aes Sedai and Keeper of the Chronicles, who died from the sheer force of Foretelling his birth. Her Foretelling of his birth was: "He is born again! I feel him! The Dragon takes his first breath on the slope of Dragonmount! He is coming! He is coming! Light help us! Light help the world! He lies in the snow and cries like the thunder! He burns like the sun!"

Rand was born on the last day of the Battle of the Blood Snow in 978 NE, on the slopes of Dragonmount as prophesied. He was born to Tigraine Mantear, the former Daughter-heir of Andor who had fled to the Aiel Waste to become a Maiden of the Spear, a woman warrior of the Aiel people. She had been convinced to flee by Gitara Moroso, who said the world would be doomed if she did not. Tigraine, who renamed herself Shaiel, died shortly after giving birth. Galad, the son she left behind, is Rand's older half brother. His father was Janduin, an Aiel clan chief (the youngest in memory), who led the Shaarad, Reyn, Nakai and Taardad clans to kill King Laman Damodred of Cairhien for his sin. When he heard Shaiel had died, he relinquished his leadership and went off to the Great Blight to fight Trollocs. Rand was found by Tam al'Thor, an Andoran man who had joined the Illianer army and fought at the Blood Snow. He and his new wife, Kari al'Thor, took Rand back to Tam's home village, Emond's Field.

Ta'veren

It is revealed by Moiraine that Rand (Like his friends Mat Cauthon and Perrin Aybara) are Ta'veren - people around whom the Pattern is weaved. It is frequently shown that chance is affected when either of the three friends are nearby, and especially so when more than one is gathered. Rand is the strongest Ta'veren seen since Artur Hawkwing, and signs of this manifest wherever he stays - freakish deaths, thousand-to-one chances of accidents occuring and being fatal. But these are balanced by thousands-to-one chances of good fortune (such as a baby falling two stories on to a cobbled street without so much as a bruise).

Winternight

On Winternight, 998 NE, Trollocs attacked Emond's Field. Rand, his two friends (Perrin Aybara and Mat Cauthon), his childhood sweetheart Egwene al'Vere and the gleeman Thom Merrilin were led out of Emond's Field by Aes Sedai Moiraine Damodred and her Warder, al'Lan Mandragoran (the group is eventually joined by Emonds Field's wisdom, Nynaeve al'Meara). Lan began teaching Rand the sword; he has since achieved a blademaster's level of skill, though not officially recognized; while he did defeat the Seanchan Blademaster High Lord Turak in single combat, he was not formally awarded his blade and has not been authoritatively referred to as a Blademaster since. Along with Loial the Ogier and Nynaeve al'Meara, Moiraine led them to the Eye of the World in the Blight. Rand was exposed to the Eye's well of pure, uncorrupted "saidin" and engaged in conflict with the Forsaken Aginor. Aginor was reduced to ash by drawing upon an excessive amount of the One Power, and Rand himself discovered, to his terror, that he was himself able to channel "saidin". Rand was told he was the Dragon Reborn following these events, which ended the first book. He did not believe this, but after the Horn of Valere was stolen, Rand, Mat, Perrin and Loial accompanied Lord Ingtar and the Shienarians to reclaim it. At the Battle of Falme, Rand and Ba'alzamon fought in the sky. Rand stabbed Ba'alzamon in the heart, but was severely and forever wounded himself by a blow struck by Ba'alzamon, somehow melting off the majority of his supposedly indestructible sword made with the Power in the War of the Shadow. He was proclaimed Dragon Reborn after his victory.

Prophecy

That winter, he camped with Moiraine, Perrin, Min Farshaw, and the Shienarians. Rand did not accept his fate. He journeyed to Tear alone, deciding this quest would end or begin his life. In the Stone of Tear, he took the blade Callandor, the Sword That Cannot Be Touched, and fulfilled a major prophecy, affirming his identity as Dragon Reborn in the minds of many, not least of all his own. He then set out with Mat, Egwene and Moiraine to the Waste, seeking the endorsement of the Aiel as their "Car'a'carn", literally a "chief of chiefs". In pursuit of this end, he traveled to Rhuidean, where he learned the true origins of the Aiel. With the help of the female Forsaken Lanfear, he trapped Asmodean while there, and forced the male Forsaken to teach him how to use "saidin". After succeeding in being accepted as the "Car'a'carn", he lead the Aiel out of the Waste and took Cairhien and Caemlyn, killing the male Forsaken Rahvin.

Black Tower

He was then approached by embassies from Elaida and from the Salidar faction. Elaida's embassy kidnapped and shielded him from using his powers. They forced him into a box and tortured him, causing him to develop severe claustrophobia. He escaped by destroying his captives shields, and in some cases, stilling them (cutting them off from the True Source), at the horrific battle at Dumai's Wells. He has since forced or persuaded many Aes Sedai on both sides to swear fealty to him. He captured Illian with the help of Davram Bashere, and was crowned its king, re-naming Illian's Laurel Crown the Crown of Swords. Mazrim Taim, a former false Dragon, has aided Rand by establishing the Black Tower, which trains men to channel, becoming Asha'man. However, it is revealed that Mazrim Taim is a liar and is planning something big, which is slowly revealed through the 10th and 11th books. The Black Tower is Rand's answer to the White Tower. Taim has begun to style himself "the "M'Hael", leader of the Tower, although his true intentions have yet to be revealed; it is speculated he is a Darkfriend, although it has been stated by the author that he is not Demandred (a favorite theory among many readers).

Lovers

Rand is bonded as a Warder to his three lovers, Min Farshaw, Elayne Trakand, Queen of Andor, and Aviendha of the Nine Valleys sept of the Taardad Aiel. Elayne is pregnant with his twins who are predicted by Min's fate-reading ability to be a boy and girl. The prediction, while known to the reader is unknown to the characters, as Birgitte, Aviendha, and Min herself have forgotten it due to their excessive drinking that night. Min has also seen that Aviendha will give birth to four of Rand's children at the same time, although she has not told anyone. He is advised mostly by Cadsuane Melaidhrin of the Green Ajah, and Sorilea, an Aiel Wise One. They have pledged to teach him "laughter and tears", though in different ways, as Rand has conditioned himself not to feel emotion by reciting the names of all the women who have died directly because of his actions over and over to himself, forcing himself to become harder and harder, or as he puts it, "harder than steel". He believes he must be hard; others think he is becoming cruel and bitter, and Cadsuane and Sorilea believe that in his current state his victory will be as bleak as losing.

Changes and Appearances

Rand had changed a great deal from the boy who left Emond's Field two years ago. He has gone from the stubborn boy who refused to accept he was anything more than a simple sheepherder, to an iron-willed man who sometimes seems to have lost all trace of humanity. Having grown up with the belief that men should protect women, he has memorized the name of every woman who has died for him (at one point spending an entire night among the corpses in the aftermath of a major battle, and then reciting the names to his best friend and right-hand man, Lord Perrin Aybara of the Two Rivers) and often berates himself with the list and the associated guilt. Many, quite understandably, worry about his sanity; others (most notably the aforementioned Cadsuane and Sorilea) worry about his humanity. Also notable, he has developed claustrophobia due to events in Lord of Chaos, when he was trapped in a box by Aes Sedai sent by Elaida, taken out only to be beaten daily.

Finally, it is interesting to note that as the books have progressed, he has become less involved in the narrative, though he remains the central character. Book 3, "The Dragon Reborn," was in fact told almost exclusively from the points-of-view of Mat Cauthon, Perrin Aybara and Egwene al'Vere, despite the fact that it is undoubtedly "about" Rand (all three parties eventually follow him to Tear and are present when he pulls the sword "Callandor" from the Stone and proclaims himself the Dragon Reborn), and the following books have continued in following the adventures of other characters besides Rand, to such a degree at times that in the tenth book, "Crossroads of Twilight", Rand only appears in two chapters and the epilogue.

Reincarnation

Rand al'Thor is special in that he is the only known soul to be woven out by the Wheel of Time for a specific rebirth. Although there are other known cases of rebirth (such as Birgitte Silverbow and Gaidal Cain, and the rest of the legendary heroes), only Rand al'Thor's rebirth has been foreseen. He is the rebirth of Lews Therin Telamon, a male Aes Sedai from the Age of Legends who gained prominence during the War of Power as the Dragon, the leader of the Forces of Light against the Shadow during the War of Power. This is why al'Thor is generally known as the Dragon Reborn.

Other evidence is showcased in the prologue to "The Eye of the World": Ishamael comments that he and Lews Therin have battled each other since the dawn of mankind countless times, suggesting that the Dragon is a prominent figure every time the War of Power occurs.

Rand hears Lews Therin's voice in his head, something that does not normally occur with reincarnation. In fact, at the end of the 11th novel, Semirhage informs him and those present that Rand is not insane, but that his condition is beyond repair and all who have had former lives speaking in their heads have been driven to insanity. The Forsaken, including both Semirhage and Ishamael (who was thought to have died), however, are known to lie.

Future

It is supposedly fated for Rand al'Thor to die at Tarmon' Gaidon, as one prophecy is "His blood on Shayol Ghul's rocks" however this could be interpreted as one of his family, and therefore blood, dying instead. Nicola, a novice with the gift of foretelling, foretold, "The lion sword, the dedicated spear, she who sees beyond. Three on the boat, and he who is dead yet lives. The great battle done, but the world not done with battle. The land divided by the return, and the guardians balance the servants. The future teeters on a blade." The lion sword is Elayne, the dedicated spear Aviendha and she who sees beyond Min. He who is dead yet lives is Rand (this is confirmed by a dream Bair and Melaine had of Rand in a boat with three women they could not see and a scale tilting), for he is the dead Lewis Therin Telamon reborn. The Great Battle is Tarmon 'Gaidon and the guardians are the Asha'man and the servants Aes Sedai (they are old tongue for guardians and servants). The return could be the Hailenne. However, if he dies at Tarmon' Gaidon, he will have a son, daughter and four other children by Elayne and Aviendha. It is unknown if he and Min shall have children together.

Other possibilities include the fact that the second dragon marking from Rhuidean that is prophesized as being "For the price he must pay", coupled with the observance by Min of three women standing around Rand with Nynaeve also showing signs of a red hot iron and a bloody hand, implies that Rand will not die in Tarmon Gaidon, but will lose his left hand, forearm, or possibly entire arm.

This coincides with Rand Al'Thor's seeming relation to the Norse god Tyr, who had to give up an arm to Fenrir.

Other Resources

Wheel of Time Encyclopaedia - http://www.encyclopaedia-wot.org/