Asmodean (ahs-MOH-dee-an) (originally known as Joar Addam Nesossin) is a major antagonist in the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan.
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Joar Addam Nesossin was a handsome dark-haired and -eyed man who was an acclaimed composer before the War of the Shadow. He was born in a small port city called Shorelle and at early age showed exceptional talent in both composition and performance with a huge range of instruments. He composed works as early as age 15 which were played worldwide in many great cities; however, he never rose to the height many believed he would and he was never counted as one of the greatest composers of the Age. He swore himself to the Dark One and became one of the Forsaken because of the promise of immortality, since being immortal he would surely reach the heights, or even greater ones, that had previously eluded him.
Asmodean never held any field command during the War of the Shadow even if he took part in some battles in one way or another. He was the governor of some conquered territories; the areas he governed were notorious for not being as horrific as those of his fellow Forsaken, though he did nothing to prevent Mesaana's children's free rein, he cooperated with Aginor and his people's "Harvest", and he also made men, women and children available as rations for the Trollocs. The only atrocity he was especially notorious for was his persecution of artists of any kind (painters, musicians, dancers and others), but he was mostly focused on musicians and composers that had been his rivals before the war.[1]
Lanfear tells Rand in Rhuidean that Asmodean severed his own mother from the One Power and had his Myrddraal drag her away screaming.[2]
Asmodean does not appear until Rand and the Aiel leave Chaendaer and travel towards Cold Rocks Hold, Rhuarc's home. They come across a merchant caravan led by Hadnan Kadere, where Lanfear poses as Keille from time to time and Asmodean poses as Jasin Natael, a gleeman. He is seen twice in Tel'aran'rhiod, once by Nynaeve who is warned of him by Birgitte Silverbow. He also appears once in Rand's dreams to argue with Lanfear. He appears as a shadow between some ash trees. His identity is not revealed until Rand chases after him, using Skimming, Asmodean's plan in the Aiel Waste was to get his hand on one of the keys to the Choedan Kal, two ter'angreal that grant access to the two most powerful sa'angreal. Rand is able to stop him by using the male part himself and cutting off Asmodean's connection with the Dark One. Lanfear then appears and places a shield on him that would allow him to use only a limited part of the One Power so that he could teach Rand weaves from the Age of Legends.[3]
Throughout The Fires of Heaven he pretends to be the Lord Dragon's bard as an excuse for Rand to keep him close and teach him the One Power. He follows Rand as he travels to Caemlyn to kill Rahvin, assuming he has killed Morgase, Elayne's mother. During the surprise attack by Trollocs in Caemlyn he is hit by lightning created by Rahvin, killing him, but he is resurrected along with many of the others in the party when Rand uses balefire to kill Rahvin. Shortly afterwards he is killed yet again inside the royal palace by an unknown assailant.[2]
In Lord of Chaos the Dark One tells Demandred that the traitor, Asmodean, is dead and that he fell victim of his own weakness.[4] In Towers of Midnight it is revealed that Graendal survived the balefire that Rand used to kill her in her hiding place. In the process of her escape she has caused the death of one of the Forsaken she was in league with. Later on she inadvertently causes another death of a Forsaken while trying to kill Perrin. Because of this, she tries to escape in one of the Mirror Realms using the portal stones Rand stumbled into when he met Lady Selene. However, before managing her escape, she is stopped by Shaidar Haran, who blames for the death of "Three Chosen, destroyed by your actions." One of which can be safely assumed to be none-other-than Asmodean. In fact, Graendal's entry in the Towers of Midnight's glossary lists her as being responsible for Asmodean's death.
The identity of Asmodean's killer has yet to be revealed explicitly in the text of the series. The question has generated a considerable quantity of fan discussion and speculation. Upon first speaking with Robert Jordan's widow, Harriet McDougal, about finishing the series, one of Brandon Sanderson's first questions was the identity of Asmodean's killer and he has verified that the killer will be revealed before the end of the series.[5] In the glossary to Towers of Midnight, Book 13 of the Wheel of Time, it is finally revealed that Graendal was responsible for Asmodean's death. In the book, in a dialogue between Graendal and Moridin, it is implied she is the killer. A conversation with Shaidar Haran in the epilogue later confirms her involvement in his death.
Asmodean bears some resemblance to "Asmodeus," the stock Renaissance demon figure appearing (among other places) in the famous demonology text the Maleus Maleficarum, the Kaballah and in the Book of Tobit. In the Book of Tobit, Asmodeus is betrayed by his jealousy for a woman named Sara and captured by Raphael in a clever ruse concocted by Tobias, her future and first successful husband. Asmodean also shares a number of stock tendencies associated with Renaissance corruption common to depictions of Asmodius; he frequently carryies a wine-glass or gives wine to Rand, and Isendre reports that in darkfriend councils he mostly only seems to want to make love.
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