Balthamel
Encyclopedia
Balthamel (originally known as Eval Ramman) is one of the primary antagonists of the Wheel of Time
fantasy
series by Robert Jordan
. He is one of the Forsaken
.
in the middle years of The Collapse. During the war, he stood high in the councils of the Shadow, heading up an intelligence network to rival Moghedien
.
In the War of Power he also set up camps for humans to be turned into Trolloc food. When he was sealed in the Bore with the other Chosen, he experienced the same phenomenon as Aginor
; trapped at the top of the Seal, his body was subjected to age and decrepitude. His face was completely disfigured, and his tongue had long since withered away. He covered his body completely and wore a mask of a young man laughing, a reference to his vanity. He was also the first of the Forsaken to die in the Third Age.
, and company. Ever the cruel womanizer, he manhandled Nynaeve disdainfully; this as much as his treatment of Moiraine led Lan Mandragoran
to attempt to stop him, knowing full well that he was powerless to resist a male channeler. He fatally burned Someshta, the Last of the Nym, although Someshta killed him before succumbing, by bursting Balthamel's body with fast-growing weeds and noxious mushroom
s.
chose a beautiful young woman as his new vessel. Whether or not this was due to a shortage of bodies, as Shaidar Haran
told her, or merely the Dark One's sick sense of humor, Balthamel was not best pleased with this turn of events at first. However, since s/he was male as a Forsaken, she retained the ability to channel saidin. This ability proved very useful when she joined the Aes Sedai under Egwene al'Vere
as Halima Saranov.
Aran'gar has preserved Balthamel's lecherous and sadistic nature. She is extremely flirtatious. Technically, however, she still has the soul of a man, and thus may be properly considered transgender
. Osan'gar, who was reborn with "her", found this amusing, since Balthamel was a lecherous and lust-driven man. She seems to be adapting remarkably well to her new form, and appears to be becoming a woman in mind as well as body. At one point in Knife of Dreams
Aran'gar remarks that her sexual "tastes" have not changed, merely expanded.
Halima Saranov, Aran'gar infiltrated the Salidar Aes Sedai
, becoming the secretary of Delana Sedai, a sister of the Black Ajah, and later became Egwene al'Vere
's maid. She was able to remain at Egwene's side by secretly giving Egwene splitting headaches and proving the only person able to "massage" them away. Presumably, this was a surreptitious use of the male half of the One Power
. Since Aran'gar channels using saidin, she was able to avoid detection from all of the Aes Sedai
around her, until the existence of a woman able to channel saidin was connected to the murders of Anaiya and Kairen Sedai; she and Delana escaped before either could be taken and shielded. Both were killed when Graendal abandoned them, shielded and bound in air, at her palace when Rand al'Thor destroyed it with balefire.
The Wheel of Time
The Wheel of Time is a series of epic fantasy novels written by American author James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under the pen name Robert Jordan. Originally planned as a six-book series, the length was increased by increments; at the time of Rigney's death, he expected it to be 12, but it will actually...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
series by Robert Jordan
Robert Jordan
Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr. , under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He also wrote under the pseudonyms Reagan O'Neal and Jackson O'Reilly.-Biography:Jordan was born in Charleston, South Carolina...
. He is one of the Forsaken
Forsaken (Wheel of Time)
In the fictional world of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time fantasy series, the Forsaken are the most powerful and favored servants of the Dark One. They were formerly Aes Sedai, but became corrupted by the desire for power and immortality...
.
Origin
Eval Ramman was a historian who focused on vanished civilizations and studied at the M'Jinn. Although a good scholar, he had a much seedier alter-ego; he would fraternise with the lowest criminals in bars, he womanized, and was extremely reckless with a short temper, and was almost forbidden to do any violence through the use of an Oath Rod. It was this dark side that probably lost him his chance at receiving the much coveted third name.Age of Legends
It was the promise of immortality that lured Eval to the Shadow; making his journey to Shayol GhulShayol Ghul
In the Wheel of Time fantasy novel series, Shayol Ghul is a mountain beyond the Great Blight in the north of the known world. It is the place in the physical world to which the Dark One's prison seems closest...
in the middle years of The Collapse. During the war, he stood high in the councils of the Shadow, heading up an intelligence network to rival Moghedien
Moghedien
Moghedien is one of the primary antagonists of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. She is one of the Forsaken.- Origin :...
.
In the War of Power he also set up camps for humans to be turned into Trolloc food. When he was sealed in the Bore with the other Chosen, he experienced the same phenomenon as Aginor
Aginor
Aginor , originally known as Ishar Marrad Chuain, is one of the primary antagonists of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. He is one of the Forsaken.-Origin:...
; trapped at the top of the Seal, his body was subjected to age and decrepitude. His face was completely disfigured, and his tongue had long since withered away. He covered his body completely and wore a mask of a young man laughing, a reference to his vanity. He was also the first of the Forsaken to die in the Third Age.
Death at the Eye of the World
He and Aginor waited at the Eye of the World for Moiraine Sedai, Rand al'ThorRand al'Thor
Rand al'Thor, also known as the Dragon Reborn, is the fictional main character and protagonist of The Wheel of Time, a series of fantasy novels by Robert Jordan.Rand al'Thor has many other titles within the series:...
, and company. Ever the cruel womanizer, he manhandled Nynaeve disdainfully; this as much as his treatment of Moiraine led Lan Mandragoran
Lan Mandragoran
Al'Lan Mandragoran is one of the main characters of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan.Lan is very similar in characterization to Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien...
to attempt to stop him, knowing full well that he was powerless to resist a male channeler. He fatally burned Someshta, the Last of the Nym, although Someshta killed him before succumbing, by bursting Balthamel's body with fast-growing weeds and noxious mushroom
Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
s.
Rebirth as Aran'gar
Along with Aginor, his soul was reincarnated into the body of a young Borderlander; however in his case, the Dark OneDark One
The Dark One is a fictional character in the The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. It is the main antagonist; bound to its prison at the moment of Creation and partially freed during the Age of Legends , it is the primary source of evil in the series.-Character:In The Wheel of Time books,...
chose a beautiful young woman as his new vessel. Whether or not this was due to a shortage of bodies, as Shaidar Haran
Shaidar Haran
Shaidar Haran is a fictional character in the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.In the Old Tongue Shaidar Haran means "Hand of the Dark". He looks like a Myrddraal but is much taller and seems to have a sense of humor. Whereas most Myrddraal wear all black robes, Shaidar Haran has been known...
told her, or merely the Dark One's sick sense of humor, Balthamel was not best pleased with this turn of events at first. However, since s/he was male as a Forsaken, she retained the ability to channel saidin. This ability proved very useful when she joined the Aes Sedai under Egwene al'Vere
Egwene al'Vere
Egwene al'Vere is one of the main characters of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan.-Description:She is described as beautiful, with large brown eyes and long dark hair. Like all adult women in her home village of Emond's Field, she initially wore her hair in a long braid, but as soon...
as Halima Saranov.
Aran'gar has preserved Balthamel's lecherous and sadistic nature. She is extremely flirtatious. Technically, however, she still has the soul of a man, and thus may be properly considered transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
. Osan'gar, who was reborn with "her", found this amusing, since Balthamel was a lecherous and lust-driven man. She seems to be adapting remarkably well to her new form, and appears to be becoming a woman in mind as well as body. At one point in Knife of Dreams
Knife of Dreams
Knife of Dreams is the 11th novel in the fantasy series The Wheel of Time by American author Robert Jordan. It was published by Tor Books in the U.S. and Orbit in the UK and released on October 11, 2005...
Aran'gar remarks that her sexual "tastes" have not changed, merely expanded.
Masquerade as Halima Saranov
Under the pseudonymPseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Halima Saranov, Aran'gar infiltrated the Salidar Aes Sedai
Aes Sedai
The Aes Sedai are a special society in the fictional universe of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time book series. Aes Sedai means "Servant to All" in the Old Tongue. They are the wielders of the One Power...
, becoming the secretary of Delana Sedai, a sister of the Black Ajah, and later became Egwene al'Vere
Egwene al'Vere
Egwene al'Vere is one of the main characters of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan.-Description:She is described as beautiful, with large brown eyes and long dark hair. Like all adult women in her home village of Emond's Field, she initially wore her hair in a long braid, but as soon...
's maid. She was able to remain at Egwene's side by secretly giving Egwene splitting headaches and proving the only person able to "massage" them away. Presumably, this was a surreptitious use of the male half of the One Power
One Power
In The Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan, the One Power is the force that maintains the continuous motion of the Wheel of Time. It comes from the True Source, and it is separated into two halves: saidin , the male half, and saidar , the female half. It is used in the series by people...
. Since Aran'gar channels using saidin, she was able to avoid detection from all of the Aes Sedai
Aes Sedai
The Aes Sedai are a special society in the fictional universe of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time book series. Aes Sedai means "Servant to All" in the Old Tongue. They are the wielders of the One Power...
around her, until the existence of a woman able to channel saidin was connected to the murders of Anaiya and Kairen Sedai; she and Delana escaped before either could be taken and shielded. Both were killed when Graendal abandoned them, shielded and bound in air, at her palace when Rand al'Thor destroyed it with balefire.