Darkfriend Social
Merchant and warrior, commoner and noble. From Kandor and Cairhien, Saldaea and Ghealdan.
Merchant and warrior, commoner and noble. From Kandor and Cairhien, Saldaea and Ghealdan. From every nation and nearly every people. Even a Tinker...
— The Great Hunt, Prologue
The Darkfriend Social is a term used by fans to refer to the meeting of numerous Darkfriends near Shayol Ghul. It takes place during Prologue of The Great Hunt, and is the first appearance of the Darkfriends Jaichim Carridin (the man who calls himself "Bors,") and Liandrin. Ingtar is also present; he is the Shienaran warrior noted by "Bors."
The attendants of this gathering all wear black masks, though the some have taken more care than others to truly disguise themselves. They are served wine by graceful but empty-eyed young men and women servants; many darkfriends are guarded but some mingle and converse as if it were indeed a social event. Unlike a friendly party, a summons was received in place of an invitation, and the purpose is to receive communal and individual instructions for serving the Dark Lord. These included subliminal commands; after receiving verbal orders, Carridin also saw a series of images that represented an order to kill Mat Cauthon. Carridin only remembered this command after seeing Mat in Ebou Dar.
When Ba'alzamon entered he told the participants that the room where they were gathered was near Shayol Ghul, but knowing the ability of Ishamael/Ba'alzamon with Tel'aran'rhiod it can be guessed that truly the place was one of his Dreamshards.
Real-world socials
The term is also used by fans to refer to gatherings in person, originally of members of "rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan". Currently socials are held at such events as the Wheel of Time track at Dragon*Con and in regional variants across the country. Despite the name, these events are not limited to those who roleplay Darkfriends.