Nynaeve al'Meara
Encyclopedia
Nynaeve al'Meara is one of the main characters of The Wheel of Time
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 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...

.

Personality

Nynaeve's personality often runs a gamut of emotions, meek at times before more experienced women but also able to stand up and run down others. While she will deny it, Nynaeve is incredibly strong and proud to the point of being self-centered but fails to see it. A running theme throughout the books is how Nynaeve will complain about someone being too stubborn or proud or leaping into things without thinking, oblivious to how she exhibits exactly the same behavior. Surprisingly, no one calls her on this hypocrisy, although many people will stare at her in disbelief after such statements. Despite her difficulty in accepting things that are different from what she is used to, Nynaeve is able to adapt at times and see what others do not. Nynaeve is also shown to have quite a temper, with her pulling her braid to vent her anger. She is fiercely devoted to Lan, who is the one person able to melt her tempered exterior.

Appearance

Nynaeve is typically described as having dark eyes and a long, dark braid, which she often yanks in times of exasperation. She is also described as being relatively short and slim. She is pretty, as noted by Rand at the beginning of The Great Hunt.

In the beginning of the series, Nyneave vocally expresses her liking of "stout" Two Rivers wool clothing, but along the course of the books she has expressed a finer sense of fashion, wearing fine silks, usually in the colors of blue or green, which are Lan's favourite colors. In traditional Aes Sedai fashion, she wears yellow to formally show that she is in the Yellow Ajah. At the moment she wears her bracelet and ring angreal as well as several ter'angreal (including a Well) on her person- even while she sleeps.

Name

The el' in "el'Nynaeve" is a Malkieri honorific given to the Queens of Malkier. As wife to al'Lan Mandragoran, the uncrowned last king of Malkier, Nynaeve is entitled to the honorific.

Out-of-universe, Nynaeve's name suggests the mythological Lady of the Lake
Lady of the Lake
The Lady of the Lake is the name of several related characters who play parts in the Arthurian legend. These characters' roles include giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting Merlin, and raising Lancelot after the death of his father...

 of the Arthurian mythos.

Skills and abilities

Nynaeve al'Meara of the Yellow Ajah
Yellow Ajah
An Ajah is a sub-organization within the Aes Sedai of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series. The Yellow Ajah is the only Ajah that is completely dedicated to one of the Talents, namely Healing, which not all sisters are adept with but which is considered a requirement for entering the Yellow...

 is one of the most powerful female channelers in this age. She has been known to match the Forsaken, Moghedien in raw strength of the One Power in The Shadow Rising
The Shadow Rising
The Shadow Rising is the fourth book in American author Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time. It was published by Tor Books and released on September 15, 1992...

. Outside the Forsaken, she is matched by few, save Alivia the former damane
Damane
A damane is a character class from fantasy author Robert Jordan's best-selling Wheel of Time book series.Damane are women born with the spark or ability to channel...

 and Sharina the newly arrived grandmother novice.

As a wilder, she learned how to channel by instinct. However, her fear of channeling and need to be in control caused a block that prevented her from channeling consciously most of the time, unless she was angry. This block was removed in a near-death experience, when she accepted that she could not always be in control. Now, Nynaeve is currently one of the best female channelers.

Nynaeve is an exceptional Healer, being the first person to ever Heal Severing/Stilling/Gentling and the insanity caused by the Dark One's touch on Saidin, among other discoveries though surpassed in some areas by a few Yellow sisters and some of the Kin. She has much raw, natural talent, giving her the potential to be one of the most skilled Healers in the world. She has no preconceived ideas about weaves, like Elayne, Egwene and the Kin, which help them all innovate and develop new techniques outside of current Aes Sedai knowledge (channelers seem to develop blocks easily, and several examples have been shown where if a channeler thinks that something is impossible, he/she will be unable to perform this task). She also has some favorable skill in battle: whenever threatened in the early books she would call down lightning and spew fireballs with an ease most Accepted (and even Aes Sedai) would have trouble matching, once even using balefire which only a few living Aes Sedai even have knowledge about. She also has the ability to Listen to the Wind, which she had used as a Wisdom to predict the weather, but has now become a form of Foretelling: it always tells her when a great conflict is about to arrive. Based on the intensity of the storm she feels coming, she can tell how great the conflict will be. She is also able to feel intense emotions such as pain when handling certain ter'angreal.

In the series she is able to channel the five powers of Air, Fire, Earth, Water, and Spirit with equal proficiency, a feat that is incredibly rare amongst channelers, with most only being strong in one or two.

Nynaeve also has knowledge of herbal remedies.

Wisdom of Emond's Field

Nynaeve's father thought of her as the son he never had and taught her to track, hunt, and fish. Unlike Min
Min Farshaw
Elmindreda "Min" Farshaw is one of the main characters of The Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan.- Description :She is slender, a little taller than Moiraine , and has short dark hair that becomes curly when grown long. She has large, dark eyes...

, however, Nynaeve later integrated femininity in her adulthood. Older than the rest of the Emond's Fielders who left after Winternight, Nynaeve was the village Wisdom (healer), by the time Moiraine Sedai
Moiraine Damodred
Moiraine Damodred is one of the main characters of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. She is an Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah and is the niece of King Laman Damodred of Cairhien.-Description:...

 and her warder 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...

 arrived. She had been the youngest Wisdom the Two Rivers had ever had, partially due to her forceful personality.

Pursuit of Emond's Fielders

When Moiraine absconded with several Two Rivers youths—specifically Rand al'Thor
Rand 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:...

, his friends Mat Cauthon
Mat Cauthon
Matrim "Mat" Cauthon is a fictional character in Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time. He is one of the primary protagonists and has moved over the course of the series from his beginnings as a mischievous farm lad into the role of a powerful, shrewd and successful general and...

 and Perrin Aybara
Perrin Aybara
Perrin t'Bashere Aybara, or Goldeneyes, is one of the main characters of Robert Jordan's epic fantasy The Wheel of Time. Character is largely based on Slavic god Perun. In addition to the name similarity Perrin's choice of weapons include the axe, hammer, and bow...

, and Rand's childhood sweetheart (and Nynaeve's apprentice) 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...

, Nynaeve volunteered to track them down and bring them back. She seemed to think that she could face down an 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...

 and bring them home; she was wrong, and ended up getting swept up into the adventure with the rest. This set the tone for her relationship with Moiraine, and to some extent with Aes Sedai in particular—not only was Moiraine consistently riding rough-shod over Nynaeve, but she'd managed to ensnare Lan as well, whom Nynaeve was starting to fall in love with, an attraction that was strongly returned. Even worse, Moiraine identified Nynaeve as a wilder—someone who had independently learned to wield 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...

 without training. Egwene was also identified as having ability to channel (although she had not channeled yet), but Moiraine wished to take her to Tar Valon
Tar Valon
Tar Valon is a fictional city in Robert Jordan's fantasy series the Wheel of Time.-The City:Tar Valon is an island city in the River Erinin, within sight of the Dragonmount. It is the home of the White Tower, which is the center of Aes Sedai power...

 for training and safety; not all who must learn to channel on their own survive the experience. For Nynaeve, it was too late; she'd already learned how to integrate the ability into her skill as a healer, but due to her fears, she developed a mental block against the concept. Nynaeve was totally unable to channel unless extremely angry, something which later caused her no end of trouble.

Events At the Eye of the World

At the Eye of the World, Rand discovered he could channel, and Moiraine claimed he was in fact the Dragon Reborn
Dragon (Wheel of Time)
In the fictional Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan, the Dragon is the champion of the Light and the Creator against the evil Dark One. Although the Dark One was imprisoned by the Creator at the moment of creation, he continually seeks to break free of his prison. In each Age, the Dragon...

; perhaps because of this, and to avenge herself of the perceived injustices wrought on her by Moiraine, Nynaeve eventually agreed to go to the Tower. Once there, she was immediately inducted as Accepted, skipping the normal period a girl spends as a Novice, by virtue of her sheer strength in the Power. She is, at this point in the books, considered to have the highest power potential of female channelers on the side of the Light. Like Egwene, Elayne Trakand
Elayne Trakand
Elayne Trakand is one of the main characters of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. She bears a resemblance both in name and appearance to Ilyena, the doomed wife of Lews Therin Telamon from the Age of Legends.-Description:...

, and Min, she was tricked into going to Falme, ostensibly to help Rand, but really as part of a trap by Ishamael
Ishamael
Ishamael is one of the primary antagonists of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. He is one of the Forsaken...

 and the Seanchan
Seanchan
In the fictional world of Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time, Seanchan is the name of a continent, the empire that occupies it, and the people that live in the empire...

. At Falme, Egwene was collared by the a'dam and held until rescued by Nyneave. Later, she, Egwene, and Elayne were assigned the task of hunting down the Black Ajah
Black Ajah
An Ajah is a sub-organization within the Aes Sedai of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series. The Black Ajah is a secret society of Aes Sedai who have forsaken the Three Oaths. This Ajah supports the Dark One, and its members are also active members of the other seven Ajahs to keep their...

, a journey which took her far from the White Tower and her ostensible training as a future Yellow Ajah Aes Sedai. It also took her farther and farther away from Lan, who she had started to develop frustrating feelings for, feelings he tried not to reciprocate due to his loyal service to Moiraine.

Encountering the Black Ajah in Tanchico

After Rand drew Callandor from the Heart of the Stone, in fulfillment of prophecy, Nynaeve and Elayne continued the quest for the Black Ajah along with Juilin Sandar and Thom Merrilin
Thom Merrilin
Thomdril "Thom" Merrilin is one of the main characters of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan.Not much of his early life is known, although he was Bard to the young Lady Morgase of House Trakand. He helped her ascend to the throne of Andor and became her Court Bard, and was renowned...

. The clues the Black Ajah left in the Stone of Tear all pointed to the city of Tanchico; Nynaeve and Elayne went, hoping that, if it were a trap, they'd have enough warning to escape it. Egwene had instead decided to learn about Dreaming from the Aiel
Aiel
In Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time, the Aiel are a race of people. They live between the "wetlanders" in the west and the Sharans in the east, in a desert which the Aiel call The Three-fold Land and which everyone else calls the Aiel Waste. They have earned a reputation as skilled...

. While hunting for the Black sisters, Nynaeve happened upon 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 :...

, one of the dreaded 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...

. The two dueled, Nynaeve expecting inevitable death at any moment... until she realized that Moghedien was just as scared. The two were equally matched in terms of strength. Nynaeve managed to shield and bind Moghedien eventually, but a Black Sister soon accidentally intervened and Moghedien disappeared in the intervening time. The enmity between the two was to later bear bitter fruit.

Healing of stilling and gentling

With chaos reigning in Tanchico, Nynaeve and Elayne set out for the White Tower—only to receive news that it had been broken, that Elaida Sedai, a Red
Red Ajah
An Ajah is a sub-organization within the Aes Sedai of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series. The Red Ajah is strongly dedicated to preventing another Breaking of the World.-Organization:Its leader is known as the Highest...

 sitter (and former advisor to Elayne's mother Queen Morgase Trakand), had deposed and replaced the Amyrlin Seat
Amyrlin Seat
The Amyrlin Seat is a fictional title from Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series.The Amyrlin Seat, or Amyrlin as it is often shortened to, is the leader of the Aes Sedai in Tar Valon. The term can also refer to the actual seat upon which the Amyrlin sits...

, a former Blue
Blue Ajah
The Aes Sedai are a society in the fictional universe of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time book series. The Blue Ajah is a sub-society dedicated to causes in the world and the implementation of justice. They figure prominently in the series as representatives of this sect are seen aiding the three...

 named Siuan Sanche
Siuan Sanche
Siuan Sanche is a character of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan.The sharp-tongued daughter of a fisherman from Tear, Siuan Sanche joined the White Tower at the same time as Moiraine Damodred...

. With the Tower split over this turn of events, the group changed course and joined the rebel Aes Sedai in Salidar in Altara
Altara
Altara is a fictional country in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time fantasy series.-Geography:Altara is located between Illian and Amadicia. The river Eldar forms its western border.-Politics and government:...

, near Amador. As an Accepted, she studied Siuan Sanche, who had been stilled as part of the deposition, as well as her former Keeper of the Chronicles
Keeper of the Chronicles
Keeper of the Chronicles is a fictional title that exists in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time Series.Although second in authority to the Amyrlin, the Keeper of the Chronicles has no real authority over Aes Sedai, except what the Amyrlin Seat chooses to give her. She also acts as the Amyrlin's...

, Leane Sharif and the False Dragon Logain. Stilling had been previously considered impossible to heal, but Nynaeve managed to, much to her own surprise, while experimenting on the False Dragon Logain Ablar
Logain Ablar
Logain Ablar is a fictional character in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series.-False Dragon:Logain Ablar was a False Dragon who could channel the One Power. He proclaimed himself shortly before the events of Winternight in the Two Rivers...

. The technique worked for the two women as well, though they did not regain their full strength, for reasons as yet unknown to the characters (Jordan has confirmed that severing can be healed fully only by a healer of opposite gender to the patient). Nynaeve has also developed a form of Healing which uses all five elements, instead of just Spirit, Air, and Water, as is usual for Aes Sedai-style Healing. When Egwene was raised Amyrlin for the rebels, she immediately decreed that Theodrin, Faolain, Nynaeve and Elayne be similarly promoted to Aes Sedai(though they never swore the Three Oaths on the Oath Rod). Nynaeve joined the Yellow Ajah as expected, and learned as much as she could of Healing with the One Power.

Breaking the Dark One's control over the weather

When Rand dispatched Mat to return Egwene and Elayne to him, Egwene instead assigned him as an escort to Nynaeve, Elayne and Aviendha, and sent them to Ebou Dar for the Bowl of the Winds, a ter'angreal that could change the weather and possibly break the unnatural summer the Dark One
Dark 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,...

 had imposed on the world. While in Ebou Dar, Moghedien struck at Nynaeve's boat with balefire
Balefire
Balefire, in the world of the Wheel of Time, is a weapon created with the One Power or with the True Power.-Description:It has only one known weave, and when evoked, summons a blindingly bright beam of "liquid light" that is capable of destroying nearly every known substance...

, nearly succeeding in drowning her; as Nynaeve sank into the river, unable to open herself up to the source and convinced she would die, forced her to surrender to saidar completely for the first time, removing her block. Lan suddenly appeared to help her out of the water, even though at first Nyneave thought he was a shark and kicked him. He told her that he was unable to be Bonded to become her Warder
Warder (Wheel of Time)
A Warder in the world of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series is a person bonded by an Aes Sedai through the use of saidar to become her bodyguard as she travels....

 since his Bond had been passed onto another. Nynaeve predictably vowed to make sure that the Bond would be passed onto her from the Aes Sedai who inherited it (a Green
Green Ajah
An Ajah is a sub-organization within the Aes Sedai of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series. The Green Ajah is one of the seven acknowledged Ajahs within the Aes Sedai.-Characteristics:...

 named Myrelle). It was the first time Nynaeve and Lan had been in each other's company since before Moiraine's death; Nynaeve had no intention of wasting time. They were married later that day.

After forming a coalition of 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...

, Sea Folk Windfinders and Tower expulsees (a previously unknown group called the Kin
The Kin
The Kin is an organization in the world of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time fantasy series.The Kin are a secret group of female channelers hiding from the White Tower. They offered a safe haven for others who had been put out of the Tower due to their failure to measure up to the Tower's standards...

), Nynaeve and Elayne led an expedition into the Rahad, a dangerous 'downtown' area of Ebou Dar, to retrieve the Bowl of the Winds. They succeeded, capturing a member of the Black Ajah, and recovered the cache of ter'angreal, including the Bowl of the Winds. The 13 most powerful women in the group then used the Bowl to break the Dark One
Dark 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,...

's unnatural summer. The coalition then fled to Andor
Andor (Wheel of Time)
Andor is a country set in Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series of fantasy fiction novels.Andor is one of the strongest countries in the Westlands of the main continent. It is located in the middle of the Westlands, and is one of the largest nations...

 to avoid a Seanchan
Seanchan
In the fictional world of Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time, Seanchan is the name of a continent, the empire that occupies it, and the people that live in the empire...

 invasion.

Cleansing of saidin

At the Royal Palace in Caemlyn, Rand approached Nynaeve for help with a major task: he believed he had discovered a way to cleanse the male half of the True Source. To do it he required the strongest female channeler he knew and trusted—Nynaeve—and likewise the strongest male—himself. They succeeded, though both required some time to recover from the intense experience of channeling huge amounts of the One Power for hours on end, and their companions, which included Cadsuane, managed to stave off desperate attacks from 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...

 trying to kill Rand.

Travels with Rand and campaigning for Lan

Nynaeve has left her husband near the Blight so he may fulfill his vow to fight the Shadow along its borders, but has visited towns asking the men there to fight with Lan, telling them that Malkier's last King is preparing for the Last Battle.

Nynaeve remains with Rand's army as the Dragon Reborn attempts to bring order to various kingdoms, make peace with the Seanchan and prepare the world for the Last Battle. She attempts to replace Cadsuane as his advisor after Rand banishes Cadsuane from his sight. Rand appreciates that Nynaeve legitimately cares for his well-being (as opposed to the other woman who merely sees him as a tool to win the Last Battle), which gives her some leverage over Cadsuane, but she is still off-put by Rand's increasingly cold demeanor. She is horrified when Rand uses balefire to destroy the fortress where Graendal
Graendal
Graendal is one of the primary antagonists of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. She is one of the Forsaken.-Age of Legends:...

 and hundreds of her mentally-enslaved courtesans are situated. Eventually she reluctantly conspires with Cadsuane to use Rand's foster father Tam as a pawn to appeal toward's Rand's more human, softer nature. She is disappointed when this plan fails.

Healing Madness

In Towers of Midnight, Nynaeve, while traveling through Tear with the Asha'man Naeff, decides to help cure him of Madness caused by the Taint of saidin. She delves into his mind and "sees" the madness as a mass of darkness, using Spirit, she pulls the darkness away from the mind and heals the spot it was touching. Nynaeve continues to do this with all the places where the darkness was sitting until she has healed every spot. When the weave holding the darkness is released, the dark just pulses and vanishes. Naeff claims that the madness is gone.

Return to the White Tower

When Rand regains his humanity after a pilgrimage to Dragonmount
Dragonmount
Dragonmount is a fictional location in Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series of novels. It is a colossal mountain in the vicinity of the island-city of Tar Valon, close enough that its shadow brushes the city each evening....

, Nynaeve is pleased with the change. She defends his decision to break the seals of the Dark One's prison to Egwene and Elayne in Tel'aran'rhiod
Tel'aran'rhiod
Tel'aran'rhiod or the World of Dreams is a fictional reality where the reality is mutable, mentioned in the fictional world of Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time. The word itself is from the in-universe language known as the Old Tongue, and literally means 'the unseen world'...

, but then reluctantly accepts Egwene's request to return to the White Tower for the ceremonial raise to the shawl. She barely passes the tests within the Arches ter'angreal (she amazes the presiding sisters with her control over the Tel'aran'rhiod-like environment within the Arches, but shows she is more willing to stand by and help others than blindly follow Aes Sedai protocol), and is prepared to be raised to the Yellow Ajah. First, she persuades Myrelle to pass Lan's Warder bond over to her.

External links

  • http://www.encyclopaedia-wot.org/
  • http://www.dragonmount.com/
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