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Graendal
Stunningly beautiful, Graendal is buxom and voluptuous with fair skin. She is the most ostentatious of the Forsaken, wearing enormous gemstones and barely transparent gowns indulging herself to the extreme. She is fleshy with elaborately curled red-gold hair. (LoC, prologue)
Kamarile Maradim Nindar was a famous dedicated ascetic in the Age of Legends for nearly 400 years before turning to the Shadow and adopting the name Graendal. (BWB, LoC ch. 6) She was brilliant at treating people with disturbed minds - the best at brain manipulations - being honoured for her work. She was the Age of Legend's equivalent of a psychologist, curing mental illnesses too extreme to be Healed using the One Power. Her gift did not stem from strength in the use of the One Power; her true power was her keen insight into human motivation and behavior. (BWB, ch. 6)
Though she was loved by the masses (most of whom had only heard of her good works), those who knew her personally tended not to get along well with Kamarile. She was highly critical of those who did not live up to her standards; and as those standards were absurdly idealistic, she wound up being disappointed by most people. (BWB, ch. 6)
Within ten years after the Bore was drilled, Kamarile underwent a complete metamophosis, and became the complete opposite of what she had been. Extreme hedonism and a total fixation on sexuality and sensuality replaced her asceticism. Her simple clothes were replaced with the latest and most daring styles, chosen to enhance her appearance. There is no evidence that this change was caused by the Dark One. Instead, it seems possible that it stemmed from a realization that the world could - or would - never live up to her standards. It may have been her way of showing the world her contempt for what she saw as their way of life, by taking that way to its furthest extremes, though she was reported to enjoy her pleasures greatly. (BWB, ch. 6)
Some years after her change of behaviour, she decided to serve the Dark one and so became only the second of those who came to be called the Forsaken. She visited Shayol Ghul to make her oaths within the first 25 years of the Collapse. Even after her complete change of behaviour, she still retained her worldwide fame, and made good use of it, as her new affiliation wasn't known until she declared herself. The day she announced her allegiance marked the beginning of the War of Power in many ways, for before that day was done, Devaille had been seized by human adherents of the Shadow, supported by the first army of Trollocs to be revealed. (BWB, ch. 6)
Both before and after her announcement she proved to be excellent at intrigue, and made use of her skills and knowledge of the mind to further the Dark One's cause. Before the war she was responsible for plenty of highly distructive riots, strangely harmful behaviour of several people in high office, as well as a number of highly important people's suicides.
During the War of Power, Graendal never served as a military commander in the field, but she was still responsible for a number of significant gains and for a variety of successful subversion efforts. One source says: "Graendal conquered territories as surely as any of the Shadow's generals, but her battlegrounds were her enemies' minds." (BWB, ch. 6)
After escaping the Bore, Graendal set herself up in a palace in Arad Doman within sight of the Mountains of Mist, posing as the Lady Basene, a once beautiful Domani noble woman who is wasting away from illness. (TFoH, ch. 3) This disguise allows her to live in relative peace and security. She uses heavy compulsion to gain servants who are beautiful and powerful, leaving them them useful for little more than decoration.
She aided Sammael in his scheming with the Shaido Aiel. Masquerading as an Aes Sedai named "Maisia" (the exact translation is unknown, but the word is a profanity in the Old Tongue), she helped to scatter the Shaido across the Westland. (ACoS, ch. 20) Responding to the call of Choedan Kal, Graendal Travelled with Aran'gar, Cyndane, Demandred, Moghedien, Osan'gar and Semirhage to Shadar Logoth, intending to stop Rand. While they apparently failed, Graendal is still alive and at large. (WH, ch. 35)
Written by Tallan
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