Moghedien

Moghedien

Moghedien is one of the Forsaken, known as a master schemer. She secretly joined the Shadow and operated an extensive spy network for the Dark One from within Lews Therin Telamon's own ranks. Originally named Lillen Moiral, she took the name Moghedien from a reclusive but deadly spider from the Second Age. Her mastery of Tel'aran'rhiod, the World of Dreams, rivals Lanfear's. In The Shadow Rising, a disguised Moghedien monitors Liandrin Guirale and the Black Ajah in Tanchico, and then uses Compulsion to subtly interrogate Elayne Trakand and Nynaeve al'Meara, who are investigating the Black Ajah. Moghedien battles Nynaeve and, finding that they are equally matched, slips away. Moghedien punishes Liandrin for insubordination by cutting her off from the One Power in The Fires of Heaven. She has recognized Birgitte Silverbow as the reincarnation of her enemy Teadra from the Age of Legends, and vows to finally get her revenge. Moghedien traps and badly injures Nynaeve and Birgitte in Tel'aran'rhiod, but is injured herself. In a subsequent encounter, Nynaeve subdues an overconfident Moghedien with an a'dam. Nynaeve siphons Moghedien's powers to help Rand al'Thor defeat the Forsaken Rahvin with balefire. Nynaeve and Elayne secretly keep Moghedien as their prisoner in Lord of Chaos. Though they should hand her over to the Aes Sedai for trial and execution, they believe the valuable knowledge they are getting from her about ancient weaves is worth the delay. Aran'gar, the reincarnation of Balthamel, later frees her.