Asmodean

Joar Addam Nessosin was born during the Age of Legends in the port town of Shorelle. As a child, he was considered a prodigy in musical composition and in instruments. But, like many prodigies who carry great expectations, he unfortunately was never able to meet those expectations. This is not to say that he was a bad composer, but neither was he a great composer. He was considered better than average and he was good enough to earn the all-important third name. With respect to his appearance, he looks to be in his middle years with deep-set eyes, taller than average and is considered to be handsome by the ladies. He has a strange way of cocking his head so it appears that he looks at you sideways when he is in deep-thought.

We know very little about his career as an Aes Sedai, but what we do know is that Aes Sedai during the Age of Legends held regular occupations as researchers, teachers and even artists, like Asmodean.

Of the Forsaken, his reasons for turning to the Shadow during the War of Power seem to be the strangest. He did not pledge his soul to the Dark One out of jealousy of Lews Therin Telamon, neither out of revenge or anger; yet reasons don’t matter as much as the motivation that lies behind them. Like the other Forsaken, his reason for turning to the Shadow was fuelled by pride. The Dark One promised to make him the composer and musician that he wanted to be, that he should be. With the promise of immortality, he would be forever living in a world of music that he himself composed and the world would love him for it.

On a scale of cruelty, we cannot necessarily say that Asmodean was the most malicious of the Forsaken, yet he still couldn’t be considered a particularly nice man. Asmodean apparently believed the old saying that the ‘ends justify the means’ and he took full advantage of it. If he couldn’t be better than the competition, he would simply eliminate the competition. By elimination, one would conclude that he killed them, yet that was not his plan. As governor in many regions (he held no field position) during the War of Power, he arranged for competing artists who rivaled him or those he simply disapproved of to be rendered unable to produce their art by blinding them, cutting off their hands, rendering them deaf, etc. For unknown reasons, he even stilled (severed) his own mother and had her carried off by a Myrddraal; and we know what they do to women.

It has been theorized that Asmodean is the weakest in ability to channel the One Power among the surviving thirteen Forsaken. However, there is simply no proof of this, and we may never know just how strong he was in comparison to the others who called themselves the Chosen. In Fires of Heaven, Lanfear refers to him as weak; she was referring to his abilities as a leader, as Asmodean has always been more of a follower. This has nothing to do with his power in channelling Saidin.

After his release from the Dark One’s prison, he journeyed into the Aiel Waste posing as a gleeman going by the name of Jasin Natael and accompanied by Lanfear while traveling with merchants who were evidently Darkfriends. Each had their own plans to use each other to achieve their own ends--Asmodean to find a ter’angreal and Lanfear to set Asmodean up as a teacher for Rand. Eventually, they met up with Rand and the Tardaad and Shaido Aiel on their way to Alcair Daal, where Rand was heading to proclaim himself the Car’a’carn, or chief-of-chiefs of the Aiel. In order to sow discord among the Aiel, Asmodean placed a dragon on either forearm of Couladin by using the One Power so that he may challenge Rand’s claim as Car’a’carn. During the chaos that ensued when both men proclaimed themselves the leader of the Aiel, Asmodean made a Gateway and began skimming to Rhuidean, where he thought the ter’angreal that drew from the Choeden Kal might be. Rand followed him to Rhuidean and struggled with Asmodean for the ter’angreal. Rand was able to cut Asmodean off from the Dark One with the use of an angreal, leaving him unshielded from the Taint on Saidin. Right after the struggle, Lanfear shielded Asmodean from Saidin, allowing him to channel just enough to be able to teach Rand to properly channel the One Power. Asmodean’s back was against the wall, and thereafter he became gleeman to the Dragon Reborn and accompanied Rand wherever he went, teaching him to channel Saidin every night during their "conversations."

Asmodean is thought to have died after Rand’s battle with Rahvin in the Royal Palace at Caemlyn. While looking for a good bottle of wine, he was faced with someone he knew who terrified him and apparently was killed by them. There is much speculation as to the identity of Asmodean’s killer, including Lanfear, Luc/Isam, the gholam, Shaidar Haran, Moridin, and others, though it is widely accepted that Graendal was in fact Asmodean’s killer. Rather than summarize the many theories concerning his death, I will post a link at the bottom to the FAQ page that discusses them in full.

Three things are certain concerning his death. Firstly, we know Rand is not fully aware of Asmodean’s death and still thinks he’s alive after attacks by male channelers in the Sun Palace at Carhein. Secondly, we know that no body was found, which is the reason why many people associated with Rand believe that he simply ran away. Thirdly, we know from the author himself in various interviews that Asmodean will not be making reappearance in the series.