The Wheel of Time Reference
Things, Objects, Titles,
CALENDAR - CAST - CULTURE - GROUPS - LANGUAGE - MILITARY - PLACES - PROPHECIES
Complete to the end of "The Eye of the World", but containing information up to the end of "A Crown of Swords"
Last update - July 22/96
- Age
- One segment (spoke) of the Wheel of Time.
- Amyrlin Seat
- The title of the leader of the Aes Sedai. Elected for life
by the Hall of the Tower, the Amyrlin Seat (or just the Amyrlin)
has, theoretically at least, almost supreme
power among the Aes Sedai. She ranks as the equal of a King or
Queen. Also, the throne upon which the Amyrlin sits.
- Andilay root
- A root that is used by Wisdoms and Wise Women to help with
fatigue.
- Angreal
- A very rare object which allows anyone capable of channeling
the One Power to handle a greater amount of the Power than would
be safely possible unaided. Angreals are separated into male
angreals and female angreals. Remnants of the AoL, the means of
their making is no longer known.
- Anointed of the Light
- Title of the leaders of the COTL, and also of the King of
Amador.
- Artur Hawkwing's Statue
- A statue of Artur Hawkwing, raised by the citizens of his empire, to mark the location of the capital he intended to build.
It was located in a stedding north of the Caemlyn Road, halfway
between Caemlyn and Whitebridge, but was destroyed during the War
of the Hundred Years.
- Avendesora -
- The Tree of Life, mentioned in many stories and legends.
Located in the city of Rhuidean in the Aiel Waste.
- Avendoraldera
- A tree grown from a cutting of Avendesora, the Tree of Life.
A gift to the King of Cairhien from the Aiel, to establish a
peace that lasted a hundred years until King Laman cut it down,
starting the Aiel War.
- Biteme
- A small, almost invisible biting insect.
- Blademaster
- A master Swordsman.
- Breaking of the World
- The events that took place during the Time of Madness. Male
Aes Sedai from the AoL, insane from the taint on Saidin, change
the face of the earth. They caused great earthquakes, leveled
mountain ranges, raised new mountains, lifted dry land where seas
had been, made the ocean rush in where dry land had bee. Many
parts of the world were completely depopulated, and the survivors
were scattered like dust on the wind.
- Channel
- (vb) To control the flow of the One Power.
- (n) The act of channeling.
- Covenant of the Ten Nations (a.k.a.: The Second Covenant)
- A union formed in the centuries after the Breaking of the
World (circa 200 AB). Dedicated to the defeat of the Dark One.
Broken apart by the Trolloc Wars.
- Crowning Stone
- Method of selection of Malkieri kings. The Great Lords place
colored markers on the stone, the color indicating their choice
for King.
- Cuendillar (a.k.a.: Heartstone)
- An indestructible substance created during the Age of
Legends. Any known force used in an attempt to break it is
absorbed, making heartstone stronger. The seals on the Dark
One's prison are made of cuendillar, yet they are breaking. A
paradox as yet unexplained.
- Daughter-heir
- Title of the heir to the throne of Andor. The eldest
daughter of the Queen succeeds her mother on the throne. Without
a surviving daughter, the throne goes to the nearest female
blood-relation of the Queen. Currently the Daughter-heir is
Elayne Trakand.
- Deathshead Mushrooms
- A type of mushroom.
- Dragon, the
- The name by which LTT was known during the WoS.
- Dragon Reborn, the
- Supposedly LTT reborn. The Dragon Reborn is supposed to save
mankind in its hour of need, and face the Dark One at Tarmon
Gai'don. RAT is now acknowledged as the
Dragon Reborn.
- Dragon's Fang
- A stylized mark, usually black, in the shape of a teardrop
balanced on its point. Together with the Flame of Tar Valon it
forms the ancient symbol of Aes Sedai. Scrawled on the door of a
house it is an accusation of evil against the people inside.
- Dreamwalker (a.k.a.: Dreamer)
- Someone who is able to enter Tel'aran'rhiod.
- Emond's Glory
- A purple flower.
- False Dragon
- A man falsely claiming to be the Dragon Reborn.
- First Prince of the Sword (a.k.a.: First Prince Regent)
- Title normally held by the eldest brother of the Queen of
Andor, who has been trained since childhood to command the
Queen's armies in time of war and to be her adviser in time of
peace. If the Queen has no surviving brother, she will appoint
someone to the title.
- Fist
- The basic military unit of the Trollocs, varying in number:
always more than one hundred, but never more than two hundred. A
fist is usually, but not always commanded by a Myrddraal.
- Five Powers
- There are threads to the One Power, and each person who can
channel the One Power can usually grasp som threads better than
others. These threads are named after the sort of things that
can be done using them -- Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit --
and are called the Five Powers. Most channelers will have a
greater degree of strength with one, possibly two of the powers,
and lesser strength in the others. Some few are strong in three
of the powers, but no one has had great strength in all five
since the AoL. Generally men have greater strength in Fire and
Earth, while women are stronger in Air and Water, with Spirit
being equally divided.
- Flame of Tar Valon
- The symbol of Tar Valon and the Aes Sedai. A stylized
representation of a flame; a white teardrop with the point
upward. With the Dragon's Fang, it forms the ancient symbol of
Aes Sedai.
- Flatwort tea
- A tea that is used by Wisdoms and Wise Women to help with
fatigue.
- Foxtail
- An herb used by Wisdoms and Wise Women to help with sleep.
- Gentling
- The act of severing a male channeler.
- Gleeman
- A traveling storyteller, musician, juggler, tumbler and
all-around entertainer. Known by their trademark cloaks of
many-colored patches, they perform mainly in the villages and
smaller towns, since larger towns and cities have other
entertainments available.
- Great Cities
- The largest and most beautiful cities in the various nations.
Generally built, or partially built, by Ogier.
- Great Hunt of the Horn, the
- A cycle of stories concerning the legendary search for the
Horn of Valere, in the years between the end of the Trolloc Wars
and the beginning of the War of the Hundred Years. If told in
their entirety, the cycle would take many days.
- Great Pattern(a.k.a.: The Lace of Ages)
- The Wheel of Time weaves the Patterns of the Ages into the
Great Pattern, which is the whole of existence and reality, past,
present and future.
- Great Serpent
- A symbol for time and eternity, ancient before the Age of
Legends began, consisting of a serpent eating its own tail. An
even older symbol than the Wheel of Time.
- Great Trees
- Enormous trees in Ogier stedding. Hundreds, possibly
thousands, of years old.
- Groves
- When the Ogier built the Great Cities they planted groves of
trees near the cities to remind them of the stedding. In
each Grove was planted every tree that could be made to grow
there, arranged for beauty as well as for good growing. Most of
the Ogier Groves have been destroyed or left untended until they
were no more than forest.
- Guiding
- A guide post within the Ways. Written in Ogier script it is
almost impossible for humans to decipher.
- Healing
- A Talent of Channelling. The ability to heal diseases and
injuries using the One Power. Most Aes Sedai believe that
Healing is the same for all injuries, but recently, an Asha'man
named Damer Flinn has been experimenting with specific weaves for
specific injuries.
- Heron-mark sword
- A sword marked with a heron is considered a blademaster's
sword. Most heron-mark swords are made by Master bladesmiths,
but a few rare swords are artifacts from the AoL, made by Aes
Sedai using the One Power, virtually unbreakable, and never
needing sharpening.
- High Seat, the
- Seat of the leader of the Aes Sedai during the Age of
Legends.
- Horn of Valere
- The object of the Great Hunt of the Horn. The Horn can call
back dead heroes from the grave to fight against the Shadow (or
the Light if a Darkfriend sounds the Horn.) The Horn creates a
link between itself and whoever sounds it, from that time until
the Hornsounder's death the Heroes will only come when s/he
sounds the Horn. The Horn was recently sounded by Mat Cauthon.
- Ingathering of the Lances
- Shienaran call to arms.
- Karaethon Cycle, the (a.k.a.: The Prophecies of the Dragon)
- A series of prophecies, dating back to the AoL that tell of
the Dragon's rebirth, and the events leading to Tarmon Gai'don.
Accurate, but difficult to understand until after the fact.
- Leatherleaf
- A common type of tree.
- Light, the
- The forces of the Creator, or the Creator himself. One of
two forces that vie for control of the universe, opposing the
Shadow.
- Lightstick
- A remnant of the Age of Legends, a Lightstick will generate
light when held in the hand, but will burst into flame if broken.
- Longing, the
- Ogier who are too long Outside the stedding will find
himself growing weak, tiring quickly and feeling an extremely
strong desire to return to the stedding. If they do not
return in time the effects of being Outside become permanent.
- Loversknot
- A crimson flower.
- Machin Shin
(a.k.a.: The Black Wind)
- An evil that exists in the Ways.
- Marisin
- An herb used by Wisdoms and Wise Women to help with sleep.
- Mashadar
- The evil that exists in Shadar Logoth.
- Morningstar
- A white flower.
- Nine Rods of Dominion, the
- ???? - Summoned by the leader of the Aes Sedai during the Age
of Legends.
- One Power, the
- The power that drives the universe and turns the Wheel of
Time. Channelers draw the One Power from the True Source. Most
people are unable to touch the One Power at all, a few can be
taught to channel and a very small number are born with the
ability. If someone draws the One Power without training, there
is only a one in four chance that they will survive the side
effects, and then it is likely that they will have formed mental
blocks that prevent them from having full control over their
channeling.
- Outside
- Ogier term for the world outside of the stedding.
- Pattern of an Age(a.k.a.: the Age Lace)
- The Wheel of Time weaves the threads of human lives into the
Pattern of an Age, which forms the substance of reality for that
Age.
- Queen's Bounty
- A gift from the Queen of Andor to beggars in Caemlyn. Either
money or food.
- Queen's Crowns
- A type of edible mushroom.
- Queen's Writ, the
- The laws of Andor, made by the Queen and enforced by the
Queen's Guard.
- Razorlace
- ???
- Ring of Tamyrlin, the
- Symbol of the leader of the Aes Sedai during the Age of
Legends.
- Rose Crown
- The crown of Andor. A gold crown of finely-wrought roses.
- Sa'angreal
- An extremely rare object which allows an individual to
channel much more of the One Power than would otherwise be
possible or safe. A more powerful version of an angreal.
Remnants of the AoL, the means of their making is no longer
known.
- Saidar
- The female half of the One Power.
- Saidin
- The male half of the One Power. Tainted by the Dark One at
the end of the WoS.
- Shining Walls
- The walls of Tar Valon.
- Shoufa
- A cloth, usually the color of sand or rock that wraps around
the head and neck leaving only the face bare.
- Singing, the
- ???? - "It will soon be time for the Singing"
- Sisters
- Term of address among Aes Sedai.
- Songs of Growing
- Ogier songs used to enhance and control the growth of trees.
- Spring Pole
- A pole used in ceremonies for Bel Tine.
- Starblaze
- A crimson flower.
- Stedding
- An Ogier homeland. Many stedding have been abandoned since
the Breaking of the World. They are portrayed in story and
legend as havens, and with reason. They are shielded in some
way, no longer understood, so that within them no one can channel
the One Power, nor even sense that the True Source exists.
Attempts to wield the One Power from outside a stedding have no
effect inside a stedding boundary. No Trolloc will enter a
stedding unless driven, and evan a Myrddraal will do so only at
the greatest need annd then wiht the greatest reluctance adn
distaste. Even Darkfriends, if truly dedicated, fell
uncomfortable within a stedding.
- Stick
- Small, nasty insect that looks like a stick. When it bites
its juices begin to digest the person or animal bitten, and the
only way to save them is to cut off the bitten appendage.
- Stilling
- The act of severing a female channeler.
- Stone
- The Ogier term for their working with stone. The building of
the Great Cities.
- stones
- A game of strategy popular in all nations.
- Stump, the
- The meeting place of Ogier Elders. Also the meetings
themselves. Someone who wishes to speak formally to the Elders
must "address the Stump".
- Sunburst
- A yellow flower.
- Tabac
- Tobacco.
- Taint, the
- A taint placed on Saidin by the Dark One. Like an oil slick
on water Saidin remains pure, but cannot be touched without
reaching through the Taint. The Dark One provides protection
from the taint for the male Forsaken, but no other source of
protection is known.
- Tallowend
- A tiny pink flower.
- Ta'maral'ailen(a.k.a.: Web of Destiny, Great Web)
- A great change in the Pattern of an Age, centered around one
or more people who are ta'veren.