#graendal

[thenotoriousscuttlecliff]

The thing about Wheel of Time is everyone in it is in an epic fantasy except the Forsaken, who are all in a workplace sitcom where everyone hates each other.

[moghedien]

HOW WE DOING TONIGHT MY FELLOW FORSAKEN APOLOGISTS

[asha-mage]

One of the things that delights me most about the Forsaken is that most of them so badly want to be more then human, and what drives that desire, that need to transcend mere mortality varies from Forskaken to Forsaken, from sheer pride (Lanfear), to fear of death (Asmodean), to a need to escape mortal weakness and pain (Graendal), to simple desire to be seen and to matter (Moghiden) but no matter how hard they run, no matter how much power they gather, what armies they command, what rules of reality they defy, they are still painfully inescapably human. Even cheating death dosen't change that.

They are still petty and caring and cruel by turns, Lanfear still loves Lews Therin in a way she can never deny, Moghiden still can't conquer the fear that controls her, Graendal can not bury her heartache deep enough, Asmodean can not undo the past, Demandred can never convince himself he is good enough, Semirhage can not satisfy her thirst for control, Messana can never convince herself she is brilliant enough to feel truly validated.

The Forsaken are caged by the humanity they want to reject. They imagine themselves as god kings in waiting, who will remake the world in their own image when the Dark One wins, but they are no more boiled down to the bones of who they are, then those they want to subjugate, just flawed, just as painfully, overwhelmingly human as the heroes, and the failure to realize that is what is their undoing.

[morgeysplace]

It's fucked up how all the girl forsaken are 100% into BDSM but in wildly different ways.

[kevin-sedai]

The rest of the Forsaken after being released

Ishamael: We must go about this carefully.

Graendal: Why? Is Lews Therin truly so dangerous in this Age?

Demandred: Perhaps to you, Graendal, but certainly not to me.

Sammael: Oh, enough, Demandred. I will have my revenge on Lews Therin.

Graendal: Honestly, Ishamael. Why can't we go after him now, together? Surely, he can't beat us all at once.

Ishamael: Lanfear, show them.

Lanfear:

Demandred, Sammael, Graendal:

Moghedien: *sees Nynaeve* Whatever, bye, y'all.

[ofthebrownajah]

[witsserviceablesubstitute]

Graendal is well drawn as a symbol of human disillusionment and fatigue. A villainous representation for how far a desire to help people can be twisted, corrupted, and eventually snuffed out.

Graendal is confident, perceptive, and intelligent and at first she wanted to use what she had to do good. To be good. But then... Then it kept taking from her. It's so draining, so frustrating, always noticing the patterns. Always losing.

She notices as people keep making the wrong choices over and over. As the world keeps making the wrong choices over and over. History and humanity. A cycle that will not break. She wants it to break.

Being good begins to feel like a sisyphean boulder, getting heavier the more she's pushing it up the hill. Kamarile Maradim Nindar starts resenting watching it roll down. Is bored of watching it roll down. She snaps.

Graendal is taking some extended her time. Why not? Everyone else can be selfish. She can still do some good while taking care of her needs too. If people are miserable and keep making the wrong choices? Well, she can take their pain away in an instant. Replace it with love and pleasure. She'll take care of them, they obviously can't take care of themselves.

[wot-tidbits]

The Forsaken by Anass Boumarag

[anira-naeg]

Meeting at Tel'aran'rhiod

[birgittesilverbae]

the funniest thing about Graendal isn't the psychologist part, the funniest thing about Graendal is the noted ascetic part (and the "world's fucked, guess I'll try out hedonism" part)

[thenotoriousscuttlecliff]

Lan: This is a temple to the Forsaken. Alanna: Yes it is. Set the sex tent up over there, next to that statue of Graendal.

[moghedien]

Ishamael: If I let Lanfear out that might make manipulating Lews Therin easier. But she’ll probably want me to let Asmodean out so she can use him in her schemes because she can manipulate him easily. And if let Lanfear out I should probably let Moghedien out so that Lanfear doesn’t try to take complete control over Tel’aran’rhiod and it’ll keep her annoyed that she can’t always get her way. But if I let Moghedien out I’ll have to let Graendal out because she’s the only one Moghedien will talk to, and if I let Graendal out I should probably let Sammael out because he’ll distract her enough that she’ll scheme against him and not me. And I should probably let Demandred out then to keep Sammael on the edge and paranoid that Demandred is scheming against him. And maybe I should let Semirhage out just so that they all stay in line…

[asha-mage]

Another random thought: since the Forsaken where sealed separately from The Dark One in the show and as part of a targeted strike (likely in preparation for the attack on The Bore) that means they are the Forsaken LTT thought where the most dangerous and that he needed to knock off the board before proceeding to his boss fight.

That means that any Forsaken the show cuts is one Lews Therin didn't think was worth bothering with.

[wheelwheelwheel]

Obsessed with how all the Forsaken have shown up in office wear like WHAT are they going to have Graendal wear

[kevin-sedai]

The breaking point that made them turn to the Shadow

Elan (Ishy): Was eating ice cream cone on a hot day. The ice cream melted so much that it fell off the cone and on the ground. He spent the next several hours screaming, "There is no point to life". He was 2.

Mierin (Lanfear): Lews Therin left her for Ilyena. The real reason neither will mention is that Lews said no to a strap-on.

Lillen (Moghedien): Was having the worst morning, and really didn't appreciate the "I hope this email finds you well" message she got from Sharon in the marketing department.

Joarr (Asmodean): His new single, Age of Legends version of What Does the Fox Say, didn't get platinum. Lews Therin was quoted saying, "What the fuck does anyone care about what foxes say".

Karamile (Graendal): A client (Mierin) told her that Eat Pray Love wouldn't fix anything if they watched it. Neither would drinking nothing but green tea. Lew Therin was quoted saying, "That's a shitty movie, and I never cared for green tea". In response, she is quoted saying, "Well, maybe if Mierin had at least had some bread and calmed down, she wouldn't have released the devil."

Tel (Sammael): He was told that he couldn't ride the roller coaster in Ilian. As he was turned away, Lews Therin was walking off of it, saying how fun it was.

Saine (Messaana): The Collam Daan wouldn't let her do her thesis. Her thesis was titled: "Did the top keep spinning or did it fall at the end of Inception". Lews Therin, self-proclaimed best friend of the movie's director, said that the top wobbles and doesn't need a 100 page essay about it.

Duram (Bel'al): Was about to become fencing champion until Lews Therin tickled him with the sword in the finals, leaving him open for the deciding blow. Lews Therin won the trophy, Duram was given a participation ribbon.

Barid (Demandred): Asked Ilyena to AoL prom, but Ilyena told him that she was going stag and wanted to just focus on herself. He went with Mierin instead, only to see Lews and Ilyena walk in together. They won prom king and queen, Barid was mistaken (by Mierin) for a chaperone and given duty at the punch bowl.

Eval (Balthamel): Was at AoL version of Vegas and was caught counting cards. Lews, who told him he counts too, won the jackpot.

Ishar (Aginor): Managed to fuse a hamster and a frog. He was so proud of it until he read in the newspaper the quote, "No one asked for that," by Lews Therin.

Ared (Rahvin): He was denied a third name because it was revealed that he used Compulsion for most of his accomplishments. The main tipping point though is that his hair started to gray at a young age, whereas Lews Therin's hair remained a shining brown.

Nemene (Semhirage): Nemene... that's not a cadaver. And he's awake. You... you can't dissect him. Everyone said this to her.

[lanfear-is-my-darkmistress]

I just finished the last book on The Wheel of Time and reading about Graendal in battle I can really really not only see but FEEL show Lanfear's terror about the other Forsaken being loose outside because man was Graendal a beast. This shows how underestimated she is. Plus with Lanfear calling her a vain idiot show watchers who haven't read books probably take that to heart.