Tracking the Chosen of the Wheel of Time (SPOILERS)

With so many characters in the Wheel of Time I had to keep notes on who was who as I was reading the books, especially so when I reread the series I can better see where they were hiding, what they were doing, and their motivations. Here are my notes on who the Forsaken are. Warning SPOILERS

 

Books never written for the Wheel of Time

Just finished reading Memory of Light for the second time and I'm just about done with listening to Lord of Chaos as an audiobook working my way through the series that way.

It got me thinking about how much Robert Jordan may have done with the series if he hadn't died. Brandon did an excellent job finishing the main series but has been pretty clear that he wouldn't be doing more in the Wheel of Time Universe without Robert's widow's permission and he didn't want to exploit Jordan's work for his own gain.

Still there will be one more book for us, in about a year they are planning on publishing an official Wheel of Time Encyclopedia.

Robert Jordan had mentioned that he had planned to do a prequel trilogy and an postquel (is that even a word) trilogy. The first book of the prequel was published before his death; "New Spring" which followed the Moiraine becoming an Aes Sedai, starting her quest to find the Dragon Reborn and meeting Lan. The second book was to be about Tam al'Thor in the Aiel War, marrying Carrie, and finding Rand. The third book was to be about Moiraine and Lan again and the events leading up to their arrival in the Two Rivers. The postquel books were less discussed but the first was hinted to be about Matt and Tuan quelling the Seanchan civil war. I suspect that the second would have been about consolidating the western realms and how the Dragon's peace would be established. The third I would guess would have been about Shara; possibly with either the combined armies of the West or Seanchen pacifying that land.

Some people speculate that one of the books would be about the Land of the Madmen, a continent to the south of the West that is only briefly mentioned once or twice in the books. I doubt that that was the plan but admit that I'm very curious about what is going on down there. I had imagined that if I was an Asha'man surving the last battle I would have loved to have gotten a group of powerful but good people (Aes Sedai, Asha'man, Elyas Machera, Dreamwalkers, and other 'talented' individuals to go pacify the Land of the Madmen and establish a "Temple of Talents" where anyone could go to learn and share their talents outside of the control of the White or Black towers or any other power groups trying to control such talents.

Other books I would have loved to see in the World of Time Universe:

• "The Travels of Jain Farstrider" this is a freqently mentioned book in the series and at the end of the series we actually meet Jain. It would be awesome to have a copy of this 'book' that the characters in the Wheel of Time Universe often mention reading and being inspired by.
• A book telling the story of Isam and Luc's adventures, meetings, corruption to the shadow and merging into Slayer including more information into his unusual abilities. This could also include the fall of Maikier and the death of Rand's biological father.
• A book about Mordin's rise to power in Shara and showing us more about life in that land.
• A series about the Athur Hawkwing, the rise and fall of the Ten Kingdoms, and the Trolloc Wars
• A series about the War of the Shadow from the bore to the breaking.

The Sword of Caedes

The Sword of Caedes

History

In 202 CY Lord Kargoth, one of the foremost Knight Protectors of the world and a paladin of Heironeous was passed over during the selection of a new leader of the order of the Knight Protectors. In humiliation and rage he abandoned Heironeous and made a pact with the demon Ahmor-Ibor, more commonly known as Demogorgon for power and vengeance. Following the Demon Lord’s instruction Kargoth gathered thirteen of his fellow knights and took them to the ancient Aerdy artifact called the Orb of Sol. There he performed a ritual given to him by Ahmor-Ibor that twisted the artifact into a twisted and evil reflection of its original form, Demogorgon’s Bilious Sphere.

The corruption of so powerful an artifact created an explosion of mystic energy that likewise twisted and transformed everything present into vile reflections of their original forms: including slaying Kargoth and this thirteen companions and changing them into the world’s first Death Knights. However, what is often overlooked in the stories that focus on the creation of the death knights is that the equipment they had with them was also likewise distorted. This is the origin of the Sword of Caedes.

One of the thirteen knights in attendance that night was Lord Thyrian of Naelax. Thyrian has a famous uncle, the wizard Makaleyne, who became a vampire and performed all manner of hideous evils upon the people of the Great Kingdom before fleeing to the lands of Iuz. Thyrian, a noble knight and follower of Heironeous, made a sacred vow to hunt down his uncle and destroy him. Heironeous heard his pledge and bestowed upon him one of the sacred “Shining Blades” of Heironeous, a +1 lawful good vampire slayer longsword.

But Thyrian was convinced by Kargoth to temporarily put aside his quest and instead aid Kargoth in redressing the wrong done to him when he was not chosen to command the Knight Protectors. And so Thyrian was one of the thirteen with Kargoth when the Orb of Sol was transformed into the Bilious Sphere. Thyrian became one of the thirteen death knights and his shining blade was corrupted into the Sword of Caedes.

The Sword of Caedes has two forms. In its first form it appears as it did before the creation of the Bilious Sphere, as a  shining vampire slaying longsword, a holy relic of Heironeous. But if the sword is ever used to ‘slay’ a vampire then its second form is realized, as a dark and evil vampiric blade that grows in power with death and blood. Each form of the sword has different abilities.

Shining Blade

The shining blade form is a bright silvery appearing metal. The blade will detect as lawful good but is not intelligent. Markings on the blade and hilt show that it is dedicated to Heironeous and against vampires.

In this form the blade is a +1 long sword with the following abilities:

Vampire Slayer

 +3 to hit and x3 damage to vampires

Sunlight

Once per day the sword can burst forth into intense radiant light.

This is equivalent to a Sunlight spell cast by a 14th level cleric.

Imprison Vampire

This is a hidden power that is part of the sword’s corruption. If the sword delivers a ‘killing’ blow to a vampire then instead of slaying the vampire the sword absorbs the vampire’s essence and the sword is transformed into its Vampiric form.

Vampiric Blade

The vampiric blade form is dull reddish grey appearing metal that darkens each time a life is taken that day until it reaches a light-drinking blackness. The blade will detect as chaotic evil but is not intelligent, although it may be possible to find means to communicate with the vampire trapped within the blade. Markings on the blade have been twisted to show a distain for Heironeous and glory in blood and death (although not to Hextor).

In this form the blade is a -2 cursed long sword with the following abilities:

Curse

The individual wielding the sword when it transforms into a Vampiric Blade is unable to rid themselves of the sword. Additionally, each day that passes without the blade tasting blood the wielder will weaken and gains a cumulative -1 penalty to any d20 checks such as attack rolls, saves, and ability checks. This weakness will abate by 1 for each hp of blood absorbed by the Blood Drain ability below. Removing this curse immediately frees the imprisoned vampire and the wielder must make a system shock roll or become a vampire spawn under the command of the released vampire.

Life Drain

In its base form the sword has a -2 bonus to hit and damage. However, every time it is used to take the life of a creature with blood the sword absorbs the creature’s soul and gains a +1 to its bonus to a maximum of +6. As the sword absorbs souls it also darkens in appearance from a dull reddish grey at -2 to a pitch black at +6. Any creature that has had its soul absorbed by the blade cannot be raised from the dead until the soul escapes the blade. Once a souls escapes the blade the blade looses the bonus it had for holding that soul until it is again reduced to its base -2 bonus. 

There are four ways for a soul to escape the blade. First, every day at sunrise one soul is released (even if the blade is underground or indoors). Second, a bless spell cast on the blade will force it to release a soul. Third, the use of the Gaseous Form ability (below) causes one or more souls to be released. Fourth, if the sword's imprisoned vampire is released all the souls held in the blade are freed.

Also, when a blood creature is slain with the blade the wielder immediately gains twice the victim’s Hit Dice in hit points for one hour. These hit points can exceed the wielder’s normal maximum but cannot be replaced by healing or other means once lost.

Gaseous Form

The wielder of the sword may expend any or all of its stored souls to transform into a gaseous form. The decision must be made prior to the transformation on how many souls use. For each soul released the transformation lasts for 1 turn. Once they become physical again the wielder can use the power again if there are any souls remaining trapped in the blade but they cannot lengthen (or shorten) the time of their transformation while in the gaseous form.

Blood Drain

When the sword draws blood from a creature it ‘drinks’ some of that blood and stores it. The amount absorbed is one half of the amount of damage rolled (before any modifiers, rounded down). E.G. the sword, while it is at a +4 bonus, is wielded by a fighter with a +3 strength bonus to damage and is used to strike an Ogre and a d12 is rolled for damage (large creature). The dice roll is a 5 and the ogre takes 12 damage (5 + 4 +3) and 2hp (5 on the roll divided by 2 rounded down) of the blood spilled is absorbed into the blade. 

There is a chance the round of a blood drain that anyone observing the combat will notice the blood being absorbed into the metal of the blade. This has the same chance and results as if the blade were poisoned (see DMG). 

Blood Reservoir & Transfusion

Hit points absorbed by the Blood Drain ability (above) are temporarily stored within the blade. Each time the sword looses a soul (Life Drain above) it also looses 25 stored hit points of blood until the reservoir reaches zero. The Wielder of the blade may also transfer any blood stored in the reservoir into himself, healing wounds up to his normal maximum hit points. It takes 1 round for every 25 hit points or part thereof to transfuse himself with this ability. While the transfusion is occurring the wielder must be holding the blade and concentrating on it to the extent that he cannot take other actions and is considered flat footed.  The wielder will appear to be in some sort of dark ecstasy being battered by waves of both intense pleasure and pain during this period. Onlookers may also notice that any visible wounds healing rapidly during the process.

Critical Hit

If the sword hits a creature with blood with a natural 20 the following events occur in the listed order:

1.     There is a percentage chance equal to the current bonus of the sword that the victim is slain before damage is rolled.

2.     If the victim is slain there is a percentage change equal to the victim’s hit dice that the wielder gains a permanent hit point.

3.     If the victim is slain and had more hit dice than the wielder then there is also a chance equal to the difference in hit dice between the victim and the wielder that the wielder gains a permanent +1 to his ability score for the victim’s highest ability score (roll random if tied scores) but the wielder’s alignment is shifted one category towards either chaotic or evil.

4.     If the victim is slain there is a percentage chance equal to the victim’s hit dice that the imprisioned vampire is released from the sword. This is a separate roll than #2 above. The sword immediately changes to its vampire slayer form and the wielder must deal with a very angry vampire (see escaped vampire below).

5.     If the victim is slain and the vampire does not escape then the wielder gains both the benefits of a Life Drain above and +1 to his level until the next sunrise. If the wielder has multiple classes the level is gained on the class that would have gained a level next.

6.     If the victim is not slain in #1 above the sword does maximum damage and blood drain. If this damage results in the victim’s death the sword and wielder benefit from a normal Life Drain ability but not from #2-4 above.