Last Battle

You and I have fought a thousand battles with the turning of the Wheel, a thousand times a thousand, and we will fight until time dies and the Shadow is triumphant!
— Betrayer of Hope

The Last Battle, or Tarmon Gai'don (pronounced: TAHR-mohn GAY-dohn) in the Old Tongue, also known as The Time of Return by Darkfriends, is the apocalyptic confrontation between the Dragon Reborn - Rand al'Thor - and the Dark One that was prophesied to end the Third Age of the Wheel of Time. It was fought in 1000 NE in multiple fronts, mainly in the Borderlands, Shayol Ghul, Andor, and Cairhien. All nations of the world took part, as did many non-national military organizations, such as the Children of the Light, and even non-militaristic groups such as the Tuatha'an, Ogier, and the wolves. Despite suffering heavy losses, the forces of the Light were able to achieve the destruction of the Shadow's forces and the complete restoration of the Dark One's prison.

Background

Prophecy

The Last Battle was prophesied in several accounts of many people, the most central one being the Karaethon Cycle (The Prophecies of the Dragon), though other prophecies by different societies included their perspectives.

According to the prophecy, if the Dark One had prevailed he would have escaped from his prison and remade all of time and space in his image. The authors of the prophecies did not include a clear, specific, outcome to the Last Battle, and this has proven a subject of some debate between philosophers.

According to the Prophecies of the Dragon there are certain signs that will proclaim the imminence of the Last Battle. The return of the Dragon Reborn is the earliest such sign, and others include the breaking of the Aiel and their return to the Westlands and the splitting of the Aes Sedai. It is also prophesied that the Seanchan and the Dragon Reborn will come to an accord, but the Prophecies are unclear in this regard: some have the Dragon Reborn kneeling in subjugation to the Crystal Throne, others say that he will bind the Nine Moons (the sigil of the Seanchan Imperial Court) to him; it is possible these conditions are not exclusive of one another. It is also possible that Ishamael may have tampered with the Seanchan version of the prophecies, or that Seanchans turned them into propaganda themselves.

However, the Prophecies specifically state that the clearest sign of the Last Battle will be the return of the dead to plague the living. Early in 1000 NE inhabitants of the Westlands, possibly the whole world, began to see images of people long dead, sometimes just individuals but sometimes entire long-destroyed cities or towns that appear and then vanish. Around this time 'ripples' in the fabric of reality were detected, suggesting that the entire Pattern could unravel if the Dark One broke free of his prison altogether.

Something that most of the prophecies and legends agree on is that the Dragon Reborn's blood must be on the slopes of Shayol Ghul and that the Dragon Reborn will break the world a second time, even if he is victorious.

Theorizing about the Last Battle

The nature of the Last Battle has been debated. Some have suggested a new version of the Trolloc Wars, with hordes of Shadowspawn pouring out of the Great Blight to overrun the world, along with the emergence in force of Darkfriends and Dreadlords to lead them. It is believed that wolves will fight alongside men and that dead heroes will return when the Horn of Valere is blown.

Philosophers such as Herid Fel have debated an essential conundrum of the Last Battle, namely that the Dragon Reborn cannot simply re-patch the Bore because the Dark One's prison must be whole once more when the Wheel of Time turns and the Age of Legends comes again, when the Aes Sedai of that Age create the Bore in the first place. Herid Fel was investigating how this conundrum may be solved and had apparently come to an important conclusion involving 'clearing the rubble'; however, he was killed by the gholam before he could alert Rand al'Thor, suggesting the Shadow considered his conclusion to be highly dangerous. Both Min and Rand have taken his cryptic note to mean that the remaining seals must be destroyed before the re-sealing can proceed.

Factions and Armies

Forces of the Light

The forces of the Light included almost all factions active on the westlands. The commander and chief of the armies was Elayne Trakand, and main general was Mat Cauthon. Other generals included Gareth Bryne, Rodel Ituralde, Agelmar Jagad, Davram Bashere, Lunal Galgan, Lan Mandragoran and the clan chiefs of the Aiel.

• Aiel - technically all tribes were represented, though from the Shaido only those who have broke clan and detached themselves from the main clan, as there are no evidence of the Shaido proper taking part in the fighting on any of the fronts, and the Shaido were last seen in Altara heading east with all haste to the Aiel Waste. The Aiel fought both as part of the Siswai'aman and as separate clans. Wise Ones were also used as part of the Forces of the Light's channelers, and Gai'shain were used to help to treat wounded. The Aiel were spread out on almost all fronts, and were generally led by their clan chiefs.
• Seanchan - though initially absent from the fighting, Empress Fortuona ordered the Seanchan armies to join the battle. The Seanchan committed large forces of foot, cavalry and airborne troops, as well as female channelers and special forces such as hordes of Corlm. The Seanchan forces were first led by Lunal Galgan, but the command was later on passed to Prince of the Ravens Mat Cauthon, who passed it back to Galgan as he was put in command of all the forces of the Light. In addition to forces native to the Seanchan mainland, the Seanchan forces consisted of troops from Tarabon, Amadicia and Altara.
• The White Tower under the command of the Amyrlin Seat Egwene al'Vere committed both female channelers and a vast army under the command of Gareth Bryne, bolstered by Warders and the Tower Guard, led by Jimar Chubain.
• The Black Tower under the command of Logain Ablar committed many male channelers. However, many Asha'man left the tower for the Shadow before the Last Battle and during its early stages.
• Borderlands - though first committing only a small force of Malkieri and supporters, all the borderlands armies later joined under the flag of Malkier. The army was led by Lan Mandragoran, who turned over strategy and tactical command to Agelmar Jagad, only to later replace him.
• Southern Kingdoms - led by Andor, the southern kingdoms of Cairhien (now united with Andor under queen Elayne Trakand), Ghealdan (sworn to the lord of the Two Rivers, and thus to Andor), Illian, Tear, Murandy and Mayene all sent forces to the Last Battle. Mayene was also recruited as a remote hospital for the injured, due to its long distance from the fighting. The forces Andor, Cairhien, Mayene, and Ghealdan were under the command of Davram Bashere, and later under the command of Birgitte Silverbow, before being subsumed under the command of Mat Cauthon during the final conflict. The armies of Illian, Tear, and Murandy were under the command of Rodel Ituralde, and later under the command of their respective kings.
• Children of the Light - led by the Lord Captain Commander Galadedrid Damodred, the Children of the Light joined the armies of Andor.
• Atha'an Miere - committed both female channelers (Windfinders) and fighting forces.
• The Kin - part of Andoran forces, the Kin committed many female channelers, though of varied strength. The kin were presumably led by Sumeko Karistovan.
• Band of the Red Hand led by Talmanes Delovinde joined the armies of Andor. The Band supplied both elite regular fighting forces and firearms designed by and produced under the supervision of Aludra Nendenhald (dragons, dragon's eggs, and dragon's teeth).
• Wolf Guard and Two Rivers forces - Led by Tam al'Thor, the Two Rivers forces and the army of mercenaries and refugees called the Wolf Guard joined the forces of Andor.
• Ogier - initially joined the forces of Andor and later on deployed in the Field of Merrilor.
• Legion of the Dragon
• Tuatha'an - Though not a fighting force, the Tuatha'an helped the forces of the Light by searching for wounded on the battlefield.
• Wolves - Though not led by anyone, the wolves mounted an attack in both Tel'aran'rhiod and at Shayol Ghul against the forces of the Shadow. At least two Wolfbrothers were involved - Perrin Aybara and Elyas Machera.
• Dragonsworn - Complementing the forces of the Light were many people of varied origin who were 'drawn' to the battle. These included villagers, farmers, and other non-military folks, though it also included some Aiel, soldiers, mercenaries, guards, nobles, and even a few channelers of both sexes.
• Rand al'Thor - the Champion of the Light, fought the Dark One and Moridin in the Pit of Doom, with the aid of Moiraine Damodred and Nynaeve al'Meara.

Forces of the Shadow

The forces of the Shadow were comprised of a mixture of mainly shadowspawn and Sharans, with a heavy aid of Dreadlords. Some Darkfriends also infiltrated the forces of the Light and interrupted their plans. The forces of the Shadow were led by Demandred, and later by the Myrddraal and - very briefly - by Moghedien.

• Shadowspawn - the main force of the Shadow, which included Trollocs, Myrddraal, Draghkar and (in Shayol Ghul) Darkhounds. At least five separate shadowspawn armies took part in the fighting on different fronts, but mostly in the Blight and the borderlands. Other shadowspawn were left in the Blight and did not engage in the main battles.
• Shara - Sharan forces, led by Demandred, committed both large regular forces as well as male and female channelers.
• Dreadlords - male and female channelers of the Black Tower and Black Ajah, respectively. The male channelers were led by M'Hael, though it is unclear how much control he had over the Black Ajah.
• Samma N'Sei - including both regular forces and channelers. It is unclear who was in command of the Samma N'Sei, but it is possible that Hessalam was at least partly in charge, as she was the Forsaken acting in Shayol Ghul, where the Samma N'Sei were used.
• Darkfriends - infiltrating the forces of the Light, betraying them and disrupting their plans. Some, as the small force led by Daved Hanlon, were used as infiltrating forces wearing false colors, while others were used in key events to sabotage the Light efforts.
• Slayer - used in attempts to assassinate Rand from Tel'aran'rhiod.
• Forsaken - each Forsaken was a force unto themself, and deployed in various theaters. Moghedien was used to spy on the forces of the Light; M'Hael to lead the Dreadlords (or, at least, the male ones) and fight the Light channelers who were not in Shayol Ghul; Hessalam to fight in Shayol Ghul and influence the forces of the Light through Tel'aran'rhiod; and Demandred as the general of the forces of the Shadow and commander of the Sharan forces. Moridin fought Rand in the Pit of Doom.

Other forces in play

Cyndane, though active during the Last Battle, seemed to be acting on her own through Tel'aran'rhiod. Though her intentions were to interfere in favor of the Shadow, she first acted to bring the Shadow very close to losing, in order to allow herself to 'save' it.

Another force, acting against both Light and Shadow, was Shaisam - the entity that Padan Fain became. Using Mashadar to kill and then resurrect his enemies as minions, it attacked both armies at Shayol Ghul. However, it ultimately had very little influence on the course or outcome of the conflict.

Scope of the Last Battle

The definition of the Last Battle in terms of time and place and agents involved is open for debate.

In a broader sense one might say that the Trollocs army in Tarwin's Gap during 998 NE (which was destroyed by Rand al'Thor during his visit to the Eye of the World) was a skirmish heralding the main events of the Last Battles. This would mean the the Last Battle was fought for at least 2 years. However, that engagement seems too detached from the other assaults by the Shadow to be part of the Last Battle, as no other significant Trolloc armies came out of the Blight for two years after this skirmish.

Another problem is which theaters of war to include. For instance, the Trollocs who ambushed Tylee Khirgan and her Seanchan force in Altara after the Battle of Malden seems to be too far south, as no other major engagements with the Shadow occurred near by (the closest being the trap set for Perrin in Ghealdan, foiled by the destruction of the dreamspike). However, it is evident the Trollocs sent to invade Andor were part of the Shadow's forces in the Last Battle, even though they were separate from any other forces of the Shadow.

The final question is the agents involved in the Last Battle, or, to be more precise, when did they start taking part in the Last Battle. Logain Ablar, for example, was taken captive sometime prior to the major conflicts, and released only after some of the fighting had already begun. The struggle in The Black Tower clearly had a great influence on the outcome of the Last Battle, but it is unclear if it was indeed a part of it, or 'just' something that happened during an overlapping timeframe. One might consider that struggle like to the fight against Slayer by Perrin and Gaul in Tel'aran'rhiod. But Perrin's struggle had a much clearer and direct connection to the outcome of the Last Battle.

Since no precise answer can be found to any of these questions, this article will include all 4 major invasions by Shadowspawn (and Sharans) and their paths as part of the Last Battle, as well as Perrin's fight in Tel'aran'rhiod and the fighting in Shayol Ghul. This means that in the south the Last Battle started with the invasion of Caemlyn, and in the north with the attacks on Kandor and Saldaea. Events in the Blight and Mayene which have a clear and direct connection to the Last Battle will also be dealt with in this article. However, the struggle within the Black Tower will be seen as a separate occurrence, and will not be delved into. The battle between the Trollocs on one side and Perrin's forces with the Children of the Light on the other, as well as Perrin's struggle with Slayer just prior will also be excluded.

The Last Battle

Early manoeuvres by the Shadow

The Shadow had consolidated its forces in the Blight before the Last Battle, readying a huge force of Shadowspawn. The Shadow sent Trollocs to invade the lands of mankind in 4 different points. All invasions were independent from the others, and designed to occupy the forces of the Light on multiple fronts at the same time.

Kandor

The first invasion was in Kandor - the first point of invasion. Kandor was weak due to the stripping of many of its armed forces by queen Ethenielle, who marched them southwards to meet the Dragon Reborn. Trollocs began overwhelming and besieging the border towers, such as Rena Tower and later Heeth Tower. It seems the attack was so overwhelming that some towers could not signal a proper warning before falling, though messengers had been sent from Heeth Tower to warn Chachin. However, the land of Kandor soon fell, and by the time armies of the Light had gathered themselves it was already considered lost.

Saldaea

The second invasion, which took place while the invasion of Kandor was ongoing, occurred in Saldaea, whose armies were also sent south to meet the Dragon Reborn by Queen Tenobia. The Dragon Reborn had not yet met the Borderlanders at this point, but had sent the Great Captain Rodel Ituralde with a large force of his own Domani, bolstered by some Taraboners who had previously fought alongside him against the Seanchan. The Dragon Reborn also sent Ituralde a hundred Asha'man and some Saldaean officers from Davram Bashere's army to help and advise him on useful tactics against Shadowspawn.

The Trolloc army advanced toward Maradon, and Ituralde's army met them in the Battle of Maradon. After a very successful holding action at the fortifications outside the city, Ituralde's force was eventually overwhelmed and forced to retreat to the city. Unfortunately, it was commanded by a Darkfriend who refused to allow them in using the justification that they were a foreign military force. After a revolt by the remaining Saldaean forces in the city the army was let inside the walls. However, after a short siege, the walls were breached with help of male Dreadlords in the Shadow's forces. Ituralde took to street fighting inside the city, stalling the Trollocs as he hoped for reinforcements from the Dragon Reborn. Ituralde's tactics were brilliantly successful and the Trollocs fell in droves, but their sheer numbers allowed them to pressure Ituralde's forces and whittle them away.

After suffering grievous loss, Ituralde's forces were rescued by reinforcements sent by the Dragon Reborn. With the help of Davram Bashere's army and a number of Asha'man, the Trollocs were driven from the burned remains of the city. Shortly thereafter the Dragon Reborn destroyed the entire Trolloc army with the One Power.

Shienar

The third Trollocs invasion had targeted Shienar and was gathered at Tarwin's Gap, where it encountered the Light's strike force heading toward Malkier. The force, the only early attempt by the Light to attack the Shadow, wished to invade the Blight and liberate Malkier. Many Malkieri and other Borderlanders followed Malkieri king Lan Mandragoran as he rode across the borderlands. Lan initially didn't approve of others joining his cause, believing he was marching towards his death and not wishing for others to join that fate, but eventually agreed to lead the force.

The force met the Trollocs near the narrowest point of Tarwin's Gap, probably as the Shadowspawn were readying for the invasion of Shienar. By Lan's estimate, the Trollocs outnumbered his twelve thousand men by an order of magnitude. However, the Gap's topography allowed for a relatively small force to defend it against far superior numbers. The Trollocs were forced to a grueling slow advance, and gained ground only when helped by channelers.

Andor

The Shadow's plan to invade Andor is the only one to be revealed by the Light before hand. Verin Mathwin knew of the plan and formulated a plan of her own to counter the invasion, and Elayne Trakand had received hints of an 'invasion' while interrogating Chesmal Emry of the Black Ajah. However, Elayne and her advisers misinterpreted the hints, and Verin miscalculated the risks. Verin trusted her warning to a sealed letter to Mat, reasoning that his curiosity would get the better of him and open the letter or, failing that, she herself would live to stop the invasion by other means. Since Verin died before the invasion began, no agent of the Light knew about the details before its onset.

The invading force used the The Ways to enter Caemlyn via the Waygate. A great force launched into the city, aided by female channelers. Caemlyn was deprived of most defenders as the bulk of Elayne's army was sent to the Field of Merrilor. Only 4 female channelers were left in the city, at the Royal Palace, but two were assassinated by a Darkfriend. Captain Charlz Guybon marshaled the defenses, but was barely able to hold the Palace. Mercenary groups who camped around Caemlyn following the Fourth Succession War and general strife in the area were divided: some fled as they saw the city burning, while others rallied around the Band of the Red Hand, under the command of Talmanes Delovinde.

The battle was soon unmistakably lost, and so began the Fall of Caemlyn. Talmanes and Guybon joined forces to rescue refugees from the city and salvage Aludra Nendenhald's dragons, which were stored in the city. After reaching them they used the dragons on the city walls, breaching them and allowing them to flee the city.

Aftermath of the invasions

Out of the four invasions, only two had succeeded - Kandor was overrun and Caemlyn fell. If all four would have succeeded, It seems likely that the entire north would have collapsed. The forces of the Shadow could have marched forward, surrounding the White Tower forces. However, the battle at Tarwin's Gap prevented the Shadow's eastern force from overrunning Shienar before the inhabitants could evacuate. The destruction of the Western force at Maradon also freed up the entire western part of the lands south of the Blight, probably saving the Seanchan from directly confronting the Shadow, given that Arad Doman was in general disarray by that time.

However, the two successful invasions caused some heavy losses to the forces of the Light. The loss of Caemlyn meant a moral blow to one of the most powerful nations, and a loss of a major supply depot for the forces of the Light. It also produced major concerns regarding other realms with Waygates.

The fall of Kandor, though significant, could not achieve its maximum effect due to the largely unsuccessful invasions in Saldaea and Shienar. However, it did give the Shadow a foothold at the Borderlands, killed many of the soldiers most experienced in combatting Shadowspawn, and captured many human slaves to support the Shadow's logistics systems.

Other maneuvers by the Shadow

At roughly the same time as the invasions had started, Moridin gathered the remaining Forsaken, except Cyndane who was being punished in a Dreamshard. There he'd instructed them to stop all plots against one another and start marching towards the Last Battle. Demandred was put in charge of the fighting and given the aid of Moghedien to control the Seanchan.

Moridin elevated Mazrim Taim to the rank of Forsaken, giving him the name M'Hael. The M'Hael divided his attention between helping the Trollocs force in Tarwin's Gap and completing his mission to Turning all of the Black Tower to the Shadow. He had succeeded in isolating the Black Tower through the use of a dreamspike, and capturing Logain and his most loyal followers.

The Light gathers

Humanity's situation at the start of the Last Battle

The Last Battle found humanity somewhat allied, yet still fractured. Tear, Illian, and Arad Doman were firmly under the rule of the Dragon Reborn, with Mayene also subordinate to him, though Illian was the only nation directly ruled by Rand. The Dragon Reborn also had the loyalty of all the Aiel clans except the Shaido, as well as the Atha'an Miere. Following his meeting with the Borderland monarchs, the Borderland nations were also strongly allied with the Dragon Reborn. Andor, along with its newborn union with Cairhien, supported the Dragon Reborn as well. Through Andor and specifically Perrin Aybara, he also gained the loyalty of Ghealdan and the Children of the Light. The Band of the Red Hand was also allied with the Dragon Reborn through Mat Cauthon and the Band's Andoran ties.

However, other forces of the Light were not compliant with the Dragon's leadership. The White Tower, led by Egwene al'Vere, stood in opposition to the Dragon Reborn, and specifically his plan to break the Seven Seals to the Dark One's prison. The White Tower succeeded in convincing some rulers, most notably Elayne Trakand, to oppose this plan (though Perrin Aybara supported it).

Furthermore, the Seanchan still stood in opposition to all other nations and peoples, and engaged in open hostilities with the Atha'an Miere, Arad Doman, and the White Tower. The Seanchan empire itself was in shambles, as civil war wracked their homeland, leaving only the forces of The Return united under the empress, along with the assimilated forces of their westland conquests. Tarabon, Amadicia, and Altara were all under the firm control of the Seanchan.

Additionally, Murandy, while unified under King Roedran, had no known alignment with any other group, either officially or unofficially.

The Light's Summit at the Field of Merrilor

However - the very same opposition by the White Tower, together with the Dragon Reborn's commands and requests, compelled all the various nations and factions except the Seanchan and their conquests, to gather at the Field of Merrilor, where the Dragon Reborn met them and declared his price for him fighting the Dark One. His demands were that the White Tower allow him to break the Seals, that the armies of mankind commit fully to the Last Battle, and that all nations sign The Dragon's Peace - cementing the present borders, outlawing war, and placing the Aiel as enforcers of the treaty.

The White Tower opposed Rand's plan for the Seals, but eventually relented, on the terms that the Amyrlin Seat would be given charge of the seals and the discretion to choose the time of their destruction. The nations were also reluctant to commit all of their forces to the Last Battle, but were persuaded by Moiraine Damodred quoting the Prophecies of the Dragon. The same argument helped persuade them to sign the Dragon's Peace treaty, but only on the condition that the Dragon Reborn would persuade the Seanchan to sign it as well. With his promise to do so, the nations agreed and the terms set by the Dragon Reborn were met.

Response to the Shadow

The Light's Summit took place one day after the last invasion - that of Caemlyn. By that time there were three active battle fronts - Andor, Kandor (which was already overrun) and Tarwin's Gap - where Lan's forces were being pushed back into Shienar. Also, they needed to plan an attack on Shayol Ghul to facillitate the Dragon Reborn's confrontation with the Dark One at the Pit of Doom.

The nations decided to unite under Queen Elayne as their commander-in-chief. Elayne, advised by the four Great Captains and the Aiel leadership, decided to split their forces into four armies:

1. In Shienar - The Borderlanders led by Agelmar Jagad would reinforce Lan's army at Tarwin's Gap.
2. On the border between Kandor and Arafel - The Aes Sedai, together with their army under Gareth Bryne, would attempt to stop the advancement of the Trollocs from Kandor. Kandor itself was considered lost.
3. In Andor - The forces of Andor, Cairhien, those loyal to Perrin, and the Ogier, led by Davram Bashere, would attempt to destroy the Trollocs occupying Caemlyn.
4. In Shayol Ghul - The Aiel and the forces of Tear and Illian, led by Rodel Ituralde, would divert the Shadow to allow Rand to confront the Dark One in the Pit of Doom. This strike force would be delayed until Rand gave the word.

A hospital was to be established in Mayene, and the Field of Merrilor itself was to be a supply depot.

The Seanchan join

As the fighting started on the three defensive fronts Rand visited Ebou Dar and, with the help of Mat, succeeded in convincing Empress Fortuona to sign the Dragon's Peace and join the forces of the Light. The Seanchan forces were soon ready to march under the command of Lunal Galgan, and joined the White Tower forces on the Kandor-Arafelan front.

The hunt for Slayer

First leads

At first, Perrin joined the battle at the Andoran front with his forces, including the Wolf Guard, the Two Rivers men, and the soldiers of Ghealdan and Mayene. However, as the battle drew on he began to feel that he was needed someplace else - fighting alongside the wolves against Slayer. He asked Rand to weave a gateway to allow Perrin to enter Tel'aran'rhiod in the flesh in order to hunt Slayer more efficiently. Rand reluctantly agreed, and promised Perrin he would have an Asha'man form another gateway at the Field of Merrilor each day so he could return to the physical world. Perrin was joined by Gaul and together they entered with supplies from the physical world.

As they entered Tel'aran'rhiod, they found a great tempest. The winds of the great storm could be felt everywhere around Tel'aran'rhiod, and seemed to wear down the terrain. At first, it just seemed a form of 'erosion at high speed.' But soon, as the Last Battle raged on, the effects became much more intense. Perrin also noted that the world was breaking apart in other ways, such as eruptions from the ground.

Perrin's first target was the Black Tower, after he learned that gateways could not be opened there and deduced the use of a dreamspike, which he last saw Slayer use. As he and Gaul arrived at the Black Tower, he encountered Cyndane, who helped him retrieve the dreamspike. By doing so, Perrin inadvertently helped Logain's followers escape the clutches of M'Hael and reclaim the Black Tower for the Light. However, he found no sign of Slayer.

Indeed, the dreamspike was most probably not used by Slayer, but by M'Hael. Slayer was tasked with killing Rand as he was confronting the Dark One. Perrin was unaware of this, but concluded that Slayer would appear somewhere among the various battles anyway. He asked the wolves to keep a watch and notify him of sightings of Slayer. However, the first sighting reported to him was not of Slayer but of Hessalam, as she skulked around the Tel'aran'rhiod reflection of Davram Bashere's camp. Perrin followed her in Tel'aran'rhiod and, later, to the 'in between place' where he witnessed her spying and influencing a dream, presumably of Davram Bashere. Though he ultimately lost track of Hessalam, he learned from Cyndane that the tent she was spying on was that of Davram Bashere and his wife. He also learned that a week had passed in the waking world, and much of the damage had already occurred.

Confrontations at the Pit of Doom

Later on, Perrin was sent a warning from the wolves that Slayer was seen around Shayol Ghul. Perrin arrived and found that in the Pit of Doom the worlds had drawn near each other and he could see Rand as he walked in the waking world. Perrin managed to deflect an arrow sent by Slayer and confront him. However, Slayer brought with him several Samma N'Sei. As the wolves and Gaul distracted the channelers, Perrin confronted Slayer, and proved himself a worthy match - his control on the the dreamworld amplified by him being there in the flesh. Perrin managed to wound Slayer, who traveled back to the waking world, leaving Perrin unable to pursue.

Perrin helped finish off the remaining Samma N'Sei. Cyndane showed up again and Healed him from his wounds. Perrin persuaded her to Heal Gaul as well. He installed the dreamspike in the Pit of Doom, preventing Slayer from teleporting there again. Leaving the wolves on watch, he visited the other battlegrounds' reflections in Tel'aran'rhiod.

Later on, the wolves alerted him to a sighting of Hessalam at the White Tower's camp. By this point, he noticed that all armies, save the one in Shayol Ghul, were retreating toward the Field of Merrilor. He also responded to three warnings of Slayer's attempts to penetrate the wolves' defenses around the Pit of Doom. But Slayer quickly retreated whenever Perrin arrived. Perrin surmised that he was testing his 'prey'. A grizzled old wolf then sent Perrin a sighting of Graendal in Rodel Ituralde's camp at Shayol Ghul. She escaped again, but Perrin realized what she was doing - corrupting the four Great Captains.

The grizzled old wolf revealed himself to be Long Tooth - Elyas Machera, who had decided to enter the wolf dream for the Last Hunt. Perrin asked him to send a warning to the waking world as Slayer attacked the Pit once more, this time in earnest. Elyas woke and Perrin confronted Slayer once again, but his mind was tired from his long stay in Tel'aran'rhiod. Slayer managed to critically wound Perrin.

Cyndane found him once more but refused to help him. Desperate, dazed, and confused, he sought to return to Faile, thinking that she must be at the Field of Merrilor. He teleported there in hope of finding the promised gateway out of Tel'aran'rhiod, but lost consciousness. Finally, he was able to will himself awake and shifted back to the waking world, where he was found by Haral Luhhan and delivered to the Mayene hospital. Wise Ones Healed Perrin, but his wounds and fatigue are too great and he was forced to sleep and gather strength. Meanwhile, only Gaul and the wolves were left to defend the Pit of Doom against Slayer.

The Andoran front

The task at hand for the Andoran front was to destroy the Trollocs occupying Caemlyn. The forces sent there included the armies of Andor and Cairhien and the Band of the Red Hand, along with all those under Perrin Aybara - the Two Rivers, the Wolf Guard, and troops from Ghealdan and Mayene - bolstered by the Children of the Light, the Legion of the Dragon, the Ogier and some Aiel and female channelers from the Kin.

Queen Elayne led the forces, with tactical command given to Davram Bashere. Other officers included Perrin himself and Tam al'Thor in charge of the Two Rivers men, the Ghealdanin (led by Queen Alliandre and Captain Gerard Arganda), and the Mayeners (led by Bertain Gallenne); Talmanes Delovinde in charge of the Band of the Red Hand; Galadedrid Damodred in charge of the Children; Bael in charge of the Aiel; and Birgitte Silverbow in charge of the Andoran forces.

Although a strong army, the Light's forces were still outnumbered by the Trollocs inhabiting Caemlyn, which numbered in the tens of thousands. Moreover, the Shadow had access to reinforcements via the Ways, and had fortified the Waygate inside Caemlyn against attacks by Traveling. Caemlyn itself was a good defensive position for the Shadow. After the initial invasions the Fades reined in the Trollocs, leaving half of the city still standing. The surviving Caemlyn structures most notably included its defensive walls (excepting the part destroyed by the Band during the invasion).

Besieging Caemlyn was not an option since the Trollocs could feast on many of the human occupants still in Caemlyn or get supplies through Gateways. And the Light's forces were needed elsewhere, as the Kandori and Shienarian fronts were only expected to be able to delay the Shadow in a holding action. It was also not feasible to simply abandon Caemlyn to the Shadowspawn, since from that position the Trollocs could send armies to threaten all of the southern kingdoms and destroy the Light's supply centers, such as Baerlon. Alternatively, the Shadow could launch an army at the back of the defenders at the Borderlands, trapping them. Therefore, complete destruction of the Caemlyn Shadowspawn was the only workable solution.

Bashere's plan

After the Light's summit at the Field of Merrilor, Bashere had devised a plan - to draw the Trollocs into Braem Wood and then destroy the Trollocs in a drawn-out fighting retreat. Gareth Bryne noted that he approved of this plan and had often worried about an attacking force establishing itself at the Wood and threatening Caemlyn.

The first step was to flush the Trollocs from Caemlyn itself. Using the Kin, Bashere's forces planted oil (supplied by Mayene) in many of the remaining buildings' basements via Traveling. Setting it all aflame at once forced the Trollocs to pour out of the city, where the Light's forces waited to bait the Trollocs into giving chase.

However, the Trollocs did not take the bait, instead camping around the city and on its walls. The Light forces turned to 'hit and run' attacks to force them to pursue and, after several attempts, succeeded in drawing the entire Trolloc army after them. The Light forces guided the Trolloc army towards Braem Wood, where on the brink of the woods waited a company of Two Rivers archers and two banners of crossbowmen from the Legion to break the pursuit.

As the Trollocs broke, they split their forces - some making for the woods and others heading east, toward the roadway winding around the Wood. Taking the roadway, the Trollocs could surround the Light's forces in the Wood. As the Light forces drew the first force deeper into the woods, the Band's dragons waited at the roadway for the second force. The dragoners succeeded in almost completely destroying the Trolloc force at the roadway without suffering any casualties themselves. The Trollocs were now boxed in the Wood.

Inside the Wood, the Aiel and other forces killed many Trollocs, using ambushes and hit-and-run attacks. However, their efforts proved insufficient - the Trollocs quickly adapted and avoided further ambushes. As the Trollocs gained control of the entire southern section of the Wood, Bashere announced that the operation at the Wood had done all the good it could do, whittling down the numbers of the enemy's forces. Since the dragons were no use in the thick forest, the Light now needed to draw the Trollocs back into the open.

Retreat to Cairhien

Bashere suggested a new stratagem - retreating towards Cairhien. The Light's forces would first make for a section of the River Erinin that lacked bridges. The Band would build bridges and torch them after the army crosses the river. Dragons would be placed on the far bank to bombard the pursuing Trollocs as they approach the river. The Light would repeat the process over the River Alguenya, and then move to Cairhien and secure a more advantageous position in the hills surrounding the city. Elayne, having just been informed of the hurried retreat on the Shienaran front, was reluctant but eventually agreed as she lacked alternatives.

As the forces of the Light prepared to march, Perrin decided to hunt for Slayer in Tel'aran'rhiod, suspecting his involvement at the Black Tower. He named Tam as his steward and left him in command of the Wolf Guard, Ghealdanin, Mayeners, and the Two Rivers men. Since the Wise Ones had already refused to help him enter the dreamworld in the flesh, he sought out Rand.

The army advanced east through the Wood and uses the Whitecloaks and Ogier to cover their retreat. They crossed over the Erinin and marched towards the Alguenya. As they were waiting on the construction of the bridges, a vanguard of the Trolloc army arrived. The Light's forces held against the attack with the aid of Rand disguised as Jur Grady.

However, as they crossed the Alguenya, Bashere's scouts discovered a second Trolloc army ahead of them, advancing toward the city of Cairhien. The discovery unsettled Bashere, who felt he should have anticipated it. He deduced that part of the Caemlyn force had split off at the Wood and hurried through rough terrain to beat them to Cairhien. Bashere claimed he didn't take into account how hard the Fades would push the Trollocs, having presumed they wouldn't risk the high casualties of such a forced march. Ultimately, Elayne's forces became trapped between two armies - one to the south building rafts to cross over the Alguenya, and one to the north threatening the city, whose defenders were with Elayne's army.

Bashere suggested marching to meet the northern force before it could take the city. He rejected proposals to Travel into the city, arguing that they must completely destroy the northern force piecemeal rather than surrender the initiative and allow it to reunite with the southern force while besieging Cairhien with the Light army inside. Their only hope was to exploit the Trollocs' exhaustion from their forced march and defeat them before the southern force could arrive.

Elayne agreed. The army left a company of bowmen and some of the dragons to stall the southern force and delay their river crossing. Meanwhile, the remainder of the army Traveled to confront the northern Trolloc forces before they could reach the city. However, just as they successfully enveloped the Trollocs, Elayne learned that the southern force would shortly arrive, one full day ahead of schedule.

Bashere was baffled, and considered several destructive plans that had no prospects of success. Tam confronted him and accused him of knowing about the southern force's push. Elayne confirmed this after hearing from Bael that the Aiel were not used as scouts and realizing that the scout reports were forged by Bashere. Elayne denounced Bashere as a Darkfriend and removed him from command. By this time, retreat was not feasible due to the Kinswomen's exhaustion from bringing the army to engage the northern force. The army had the northern force surrounded, and was left with no option but to attempt to destroy it as quickly as possible before the southern force could arrive. However, confronting a second army so soon after the first seemed doomed to failure.

The Black Tower Coup and Rescue

After leaving Elayne's army at the edge of Braem Wood, Perrin Traveled to Rand's camp in the north and requested a Gateway for Perrin and Gaul to enter Tel'aran'rhiod in the flesh and hunt Slayer. In the dreamworld he went to the Black Tower, suspecting that Slayer was involved with the dreamspike planted there and the resulting inability to Travel to or from the Black Tower.

Perrin didn't know it, but at the same time Mazrim Taim, now officially the Forsaken M'Hael, was accelerating the Turning of the entire Black Tower. He held Logain Ablar and was Turning him with great difficulty due to Logain's willpower. Logain's supporters, led by Androl Genhald, tried to free him but were themselves captured. M'Hael brought in the Black Ajah to assist in the Turning, since women channelers can Turn male channelers much quicker. Some of the Turning was performed in view of the prisoners, under guard by M'Hael lackeys.

During an attempt at Turning, Perrin found the M'Hael's dreamspike. With the help of Cyndane he deactivated the dreamspike, allowing Androl to form gateways again and to fight the M'Hael and his minions. Joined by others loyal to Logain and the Light, they eventually overwhelmed the Dreadlords and drove them out of the Black Tower. Later, they allowed the Aes Sedai waiting outside the Tower to bond Soldiers and Dedicated. This greater cooperation with female channelers facilitated the formation of more and stronger circles. Logain, now leading the Black Tower, decides to join the Last Battle proper. They find notes among the M'Hael's abandoned possessions indicating that the Shadow planned to trap Elayne's army at Cairhien for some time.

The Asha'man arrived at the battlefield in Cairhien as Elayne's army, having finished off the northern force, was beginning to lose to the southern one. By that time, the cavalry units of the Legion have been dispersed by the Trollocs and the pikemen were barely holding as the Trollocs began enveloping the army. The Asha'man saved the dragons' position from being overrun and joined the battle in force. However, the battle was too hotly contested to allow for an orderly retreat.

The Asha'man, Aes Sedai, Kinswomen, and Elayne herself formed a circle of 14 women and 13 men, including Logain. Other Asha'man allowed for a small withdrawal of the front lines while Androl was given control of the circle. He created a gateway 100 feet tall into the bowels of Dragonmount, exploiting gravity and the internal pressure of the magma to unleash a vast column of lava on the charging Trollocs. Unlinked Asha'man helped direct the lava, killing many Trollocs and corralling the rest. Elayne regrouped her forces, brought in supplies, and crushed the remaining Shadowspawn.

Aftermath

As both the Trollocs armies had been defeated, the Andoran front - and by extension the southlands - were secure. Andor and Cairhien were now free to send supplies and troops to the northern fronts. Baerlon, which supplied the dragons, was also free of immediate danger.

Elayne's army had lost many fighting men as well as some Ogier. The most severe loss is arguably that of Davram Bashere as a general. Perrin had also left, leaving Tam in charge of his forces. Gallenne had died at the battle in Cairhien, and Arganda was wounded, but could be Healed.

The Shienaran front

The battle at the Shienaran front had started even before the Light's summit, with Lan Mandragoran's Malkieri army (along with other borderlanders who joined his cause) invading the Blight in order to reach Malkier. However, they found a massive Trolloc army, at least 150,000 strong, already at Tarwin's Gap. Lan's army numbered 12,000. Their initial charge was successful, winning them the Gap and allowing them to form a defensive position.

The topography of the Gap made it easy for a smaller force to hold against much larger numbers. However, after just one day of fighting Lan's army suffered a fifty percent casualty rate and began slowly giving ground. Lan therefore ordered a retreat from the Gap as the Trollocs began to charge. His plan was for a quick retreat to the mouth of the Gap, where his forces would turn and charge at the coming Trollocs, surprising them and hopefully inflicting massive casualties. As the army turned and began their charge, about 100,000 riders from the Borderlands join in, sent by the Light's summit via Traveling to help Lan. Several Asha'man and Aes Sedai arrived as well. The desperate last stand transformed into a clear victory, as they retook the Gap.

As Lan's forces were incorporated into the Light's overall war effort, he was given his orders - to stall the Trollocs as much as possible until the Andoran front could be resolved. Lan reluctantly agreed, and gave tactical command to Agelmar Jagad. Other officers include the other monarchs of the Borderlands: Queen Tenobia si Bashere Kazadi of Saldaea, Queen Ethenielle Kirukon Materasu of Kandor (along with her grandson, Prince Kaisel Noramaga), King Easar Togita of Shienar and King Paitar Nachiman of Arafel. All of the monarchs agreed to defer to Lan.

The Kandori-arafellin border front

Parallels

Tarmon Gai'don is phonetically similar to the word and concept of Armageddon.

Merrilor, the location of Tarmon Gai'don, and Megiddo, the location and namesake of Armageddon, also share a slight phonetic similarity.

The battle at Merrilor itself is largely based on the real-world historical battle at Telnitz between Napoleon and the Austrians.

Notes