Lanfear
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- For the German Metal Band, see Lanfear (band)
Lanfear (LAN-feer) is one of the primary antagonists of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. She is one of the Forsaken. Unlike the other Forsaken, Lanfear chose her name herself.
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[edit] In the Age of Legends
Mierin Eronaile, in her early life, was the mistress and lover of Lews Therin Telamon, but he broke it off when he realized Lanfear desired only power. This seems to be true; even when serving the Dark One, she seems to put her needs first, baffling her fellow Chosen. She is stunningly beautiful, even more so than Graendal. She has dark eyes and pitch black, flowing hair and she is tall, only a hand shorter than Rand al'Thor. She has always loved Lews Therin, even after he broke off with her. She believed he would have continued loving her if not for Ilyena. She has transferred her love for Lews Therin to Rand, as well as the rest of her conflicted feelings, which includes hate for Rand al'Thor's lovers.
"Lanfear (LAN-fear): In the Old Tongue, "Daughter of the Night." One of the Forsaken, perhaps the most powerful next to Ishamael. Unlike the other Forsaken, she chose this name herself. She is said to have been in love with Lews Therin Telamon, and to have hated his wife, Ilyena."
[edit] Before the Breaking
When her affair with Lews Therin ended, she became a researcher at the Collam Daan, the biggest research center in the Age of Legends. With a team of experts, she headed the project to find a new source of power, one that both men and woman could use. It was the most important research of the Age; the possibilities were endless if it was discovered. However Lanfear, thinking she had at last found this new source, actually stumbled upon the Dark One's prison, who had been sealed there since creation. Opening his prison, the Dark One was allowed to touch the Pattern; at this very instant, the Breaking had begun. In a sense, she achieved her goal of discovering a power useable by both men and women--the Dark One can allow his most faithful servants access to the True Power, a power source similar to the One Power but far more dangerous in its strength, but untouched by the taint of the Dark One (The taint only applies to Saidin [sah-ih-DEEN], the male half of the One Power, not the True Source). Soon after facing rejection by Lews Therin, she pledged allegiance to the very thing she had released: the Dark One. She chose her own name, Lanfear (the only original Forsaken to do so), and made public her betrayal in the Hall of Servants itself. She considers herself the master of Tel'aran'rhiod, also known as "The World of Dreams", even though Moghedien could outstrip Lanfear in skill there.
[edit] Mistress of Disguises
When she awoke from the seal, she immediately sought Rand al'Thor out as the Dragon Reborn, the reincarnation of her former lover. She came to him under the guise of Selene, a beautiful young woman, and sought to snare him by appealing to his strong desire to protect women who seem helpless. She often used her beauty to try and seduce Rand; she would constantly urge him to grasp glory and power, although he refused. She disappeared near Cairhien, where she claimed to be from, but turned up again, posing as a peddler in the Waste named Keille Shaogi, along with the Chosen Asmodean, who was posing as the gleeman named Jasin Natael. Shielding Asmodean after his battle with Rand at Rhuidean, she allowed him only to channel a trickle of saidin, enough to teach Rand to use the One Power. She confronted Rand at the end of The Fires of Heaven, meaning to kill him after his apparent betrayal (presumably alluding to the fact that he had fallen in love with other women). Moiraine Sedai tackled her while she was focusing on Rand, who, because he could not kill a woman, did not try to attack back, and they fell into the redstone ter'angreal gateway, which subsequently melted, apparently killing them both.
[edit] As Cyndane
Reincarnated by the Dark One, she is now Cyndane, which in the Old Tongue means "last chance". She is mind-trapped by Moridin and now travels with him and Moghedien, who is similarly trapped. Cyndane is the polar opposite of her former self. Whereas Lanfear was tall and beautiful, with dark eyes and pitch black hair, Cyndane is short if still pretty with silver hair and blue eyes, and she is also not as strong in the One Power as she was.
This lack of strength is noted by Graendal when she and Moghedien bring Moridin's summons. Aran'gar also expresses doubt as to whether she is really Lanfear during an audience in Knife of Dreams.
Cyndane expresses the same hatred for Rand that Lanfear did at the time of her death, no doubt because Rand spurned her love.
