Rhuidean
Rhuidean (RHUY-dee-ahn; /ˈɹʰuj.diˌɑn/) is a city in the Aiel Waste built by the Jenn Aiel, some time after the Breaking of the World, but before the Trolloc Wars. It was a large unpopulated city, but smaller than Tear and Caemlyn. The buildings are all majestic palaces, with many unfinished. There is a great plaza in the center of the city filled with hundreds of objects of the One Power. Avendesora grows at the very center.
History
Founding
After the Breaking of the World, the Aiel, like all peoples, wandered the world looking for safe refuge from the depredations of the insane male channelers. This eventually brought the Jenn Aiel to the Three-fold Land in the first place, and with the aid of the Aes Sedai who accompanied them, they built the first and only city there, which they named Rhuidean. Rhuidean was built according to the memories of the great cities before the Breaking, and thus had wide avenues and great towers and palaces. These were never finished, however, for both the Aes Sedai and the Jenn eventually died out. The Aes Sedai also put up a barrier or shield that surrounded the city, making channeling difficult and covering the city in thick fog.
The city was never fully and properly inhabited, and was left abandoned after the last of the Jenn Aiel died. The items of the Power they had sworn to protect long ago were left behind, scattered about in the central plaza.
However, the Aes Sedai who accompanied the Jenn had made sure that the hardier warrior Aiel who protected the Jenn would not forget where they came from. They visited the Wise Ones of the Aiel in their dreams, and told them of the Prophecy of Rhuidean, and arranged a system to maintain cohesion of memory among the Aiel. Before the Car'a'carn came, only men who wished to become clan chiefs and apprentices of the Wise Ones would venture to the empty city, and would there learn the truth of their history in the ter'angreal left there for that purpose. All others were forbidden to enter.
Recent events
In 999 NE the shield around the city was destroyed by the immense power Rand al'Thor and Asmodean channeled through the male half of Choedan Kal during their fight for its access key. It was destroyed so well, not enough trace was left to tell what kind of shield it was. The power ruined some of the buildings of the city, as well as its environment, lowering the peak of Chaendaer and some other mountains around the valley. It badly charred the Avendesora tree. A great rift was created in the earth, causing an underground lake to flow to the surface. Before leaving the Aiel Waste, Rand al'Thor channeled the fountains of Rhuidean to once again flow, and moved Aiel into the city. Rhuidean is now being slowly populated and rebuilt. Plans to involve Ogier in the reconstruction have been talked about. If this effort is successful, it will be the only inhabited city in the entire Aiel Waste.