Throughout the Wheel of Time series, the common folk of Randland have referred to The Dark One, among other infamous names, as the Lord of the Grave. With the arrival of Osan'gar and Aran'gar, it was found that this title was not just a popular myth, but the stark truth, and that Leafblighter can in fact reach beyond death and snare previously dead lives.

Osan'gar first enters the scene confused and disorientated. He no longer recognises his own face in a gilt-framed mirror hanging on one wall. He has an appearance of a middle-aged short man, with lank, untrimmed hair and a hesitant creeping way of moving. When addressing someone, he tilts his head to the side.

Who had Osan'gar originally been, before the Dark One proved his growing influence by giving the soul a new body? A first assumption is that this newcomer was originally a Forsaken, one of the few who had fallen to the wrath of the Dragon Reborn, and only a short time later that assumption is justified when he attempts to command Shaidar Haran, the infamous Superfade. Osan'gar thinks to himself, "The Thing had to obey one of the Chosen." He is shocked when the Myrddraal does no such thing, further providing evidence that this man was indeed a Forsaken.

The candidates in this mystery are Aginor, Balthamel, Ishamael, Rahvin, Be'lal, Asmodean, and possibly Lanfear. Rahvin and Be'lal can be struck from the list immediately, since they were balefired by Rand and even the Dark One’s touch can not extend beyond the effects of such a disasterous weave. Osan'gar also attempts to channel Saidin, which sends the theory of Lanfear out of the nearest window. Asmodean was a traitor, and the Dark One doesn’t seem that forgiving, so he can be safetly left out of the equation. The remaining three are Ishamael, Balthamel and Aginor. All are possible.

Back to examining Osan'gar's thoughts. He thinks to himself about having helped made Trollocs and being unnerved by Fades, which were an unexpected result of that experiment. Because of this statement, it is safe to conclude that the elusive soul found in Osan'gars body was originally Aginor's, who was a biologist, and largely responsible for the creation of many of the Shadowspawn back in his prime in the Age of Legends. Aginor was last seen burning himself out against Rand at the Eye of the World. Furthermore, more evidence points to Aran'gar being the luckless Balthamel, and down the road there's a good probability that Ishamael finally makes an appearance as the formidable Moridin.

So here is Osan'gar, originally one of the world's strongest Forsaken, and directly responsible for most of the terrors of the Shadow. Shaidar Haran informs him and Aran'gar that they still have a role to play, and the Dark One has a task for them. No one else will be told of their return. And with that, he gives them both instructions.

Nothing is heard of Osan'gar for quite some time, until Mazrim Taim recruits him from the Black Hills, posing under the alias Corlan Dashiva. Rather than casting suspicion on himself by joining the Blacktower immediately, he most likely set up an identity and let brief glimpses of his channeling powers be seen, in the hopes that an Asha'man would hear of him and seek him out, which is exactly what happened.

At the Black Tower, Dashiva rose quickly to become a full Asha'man, despite being awkward and not seeming to know one end of a sword from the other. He walks around in a daydream and constantly talks to himself, sometimes in the common language, others in the Old Tongue, which some find strange coming from a simple farmer.

After the failed attempt by Aes Sedai to capture the Dragon Reborn, and the Dumai Wells battle that followed, at Taim's insistence Rand chose an Asha'man to serve him more closely, and randomly picked a nonchalant Corlan Dashiva. How such a choice, that had to be more then mere coincidence, was made is uncertain. Perhaps it was Rand's nature as a ta'veren, pulling yet another weave around his life thread, or maybe Osan'gar himself somehow got Rand's attention. Whatever the reason for the strange chance, Osan'gar opened up a gateway and took Rand and the others back to Cairhien. Min noted that he had an unreadable aura dancing around him. Perrin was almost certain that the Asha'man was insane, judging by the aroma he gave off.

From that moment on, Corlan Dashiva rarely left Rand's side. It seems he was able to infilitrate into the Dragon's life more successful than any of his fellow Forsaken. He later played a key role in a few telling events, namely Rand regaining the seat of Cairhien after Coulavere’s treachery, the Healing of the Dragon while he lay dying from the wound received from Fain's dagger, and the attack against Sammael and the closely organised traps Sammael set up around Illian. It wasn't until Dashiva fought against the Seanchan in a wild storm outside the mountainous border of western Illian that his strength in the One Power was fully apparent. After the battle, he told Rand that Saidin was misbehaving, an idea which the Dragon belittled, telling the Asha'man that Dashiva had no experience with such matters. Naturally, this angered Dashiva, who held as much of the One Power as he possibly can as a way of intimidation.

This wary trust in Corlan Dashiva was soon to end. He gains a small authoritorial role over four respectable Asha'man who also happened to be Darkfriends with orders to kill Rand, either from Demandred or Mazrim Taim: Charl Gedwyn, Raefar Kisman, Manel Rochaid, and Peral Torval. Dashiva offers his support and his own expertise, which the group eagerly accepts. Believing that Rand is in his main bedroom, the five work together and explode the area from the outside, killing everyone and everything found in the interior. Dashiva, Gedwyn and Rochaid hold a discussion after the attack, outside the staircase while the confusion continues around them. Gedwyn insists that Rand is no longer alive: "I am telling you I felt nothing. He’s dead." It is then that Dashiva notices Rand spying on them, and snarling, lets loose a few fireballs which bound back from Rand's quickly-made shield. Fleeing, the three Asha'man open a gateway and leave the Sun Palace.

Rand tells Mazrim Taim to add those five to the Traitor Tree, and the M'Hael expresses particular anger and surprise at Dashiva’s name on the list. It is never fully explained why, considering that the other four had been specifically trained by Taim, and were considered some of his favourite's among the Asha'man.

Rochaid, Kisman, Torval and Gedwyn flee to Far Madding, where they spread rumours and attempt to set up a trap for Rand at the insistence of Moridin, Demandred and Mazrim Taim, wishing the Dragon dead. It is not known where Dashiva flees, and he is not seen until Moridin organises a meeting with the other Forsaken. There, he resumes his identity of Osan'gar. The reincarnation of Ishamael tells the Chosen that Rand is attempting to cleanse Saidin by using the two access keys that link to the Choedan Kal. Osan'gar expresses his disbelief at the possibility of the taint being lifted from the male half of the True Source at all, but is nevertheless ordered to attack Rand and kill him.

Once the use of the Choedan Kal begins, Osan'gar is alerted to Rand's location and appears via Traveling, managing to dodge a brilliant fire-surge from Callandor as he does so. As he sneaks up on the Dragon intending to balefire him, Elza Penfell uses Callandor to vaporize what she believes to be a renegade Asha'man, as well as the hilltop he was standing on. And so Aginor is dead, once again.

It is not known whether the Shepherd of the Night will choose to reincarnate the soul of Aginor into another body, and there's not really much to argue with, as the process itself is largely unknown. If the Dark One can restore someone twice, then perhaps he will. Shaidar Haran did state however that Osan'gar and Aran'gar had a second chance, and would not be receiving another.

~ Submitted by Frederick Darke, as his Youngling project ~



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