Loial
Encyclopedia
Loial son of Arent son of Halan is one of the main characters of the Wheel of Time
fantasy
series by Robert Jordan
.
Like all Ogier
, he is deliberate and methodical in his thought; haste leads to waste appears to be his people's motto. However, when roused to anger, he is an implacable enemy. He is 90 years old, at a stage of development roughly corresponding to that of a human boy in his late teens; he is considered very excitable by his people. Very well read, he is rarely without a choice bit of arcane history to offer, whether concerning humans or Ogier, and he carries books on his person at all times. He also boasted to Rand once that he outran a horse in a race, a point proven a few times throughout the series.
He left the stedding at a "young" age to the disapproval of his elders, wanting to see more of the world; he befriended Rand al'Thor
in Caemlyn and accompanied the party from the Eye of the World
to the Stone of Tear, witnessing the rise of the Dragon Reborn. From that point on, he accompanied Perrin
to the Two Rivers and aided in its defense, and also fought at Dumai's Wells. Only recently have the two parted company: while Perrin headed into Ghealdan to deal with Masema Dagar, the Prophet of the Dragon, Loial agreed to take an Asha'man
, Karldin Manfor, to visit the stedding, where channelers, male or female, cannot use the One Power
or even sense the True Source (historically, the insane men of the Breaking visited the stedding to gain some reprieve from the spread of the madness). While visiting the stedding, he warned the Ogier that the Shadowspawn
are using the Ways. Loial returned, since it is his ambition to write the definitive book about this turn of the Wheel's War of Power. When historians speak of Rand al'Thor, it will be Loial son of Argent son of Halan that they cite most frequently and most often.
Loial has frequently proven himself to be both brave and valorous, despite his humble assertions of being a scholar and writer. He has defended children and women against both Myrdraal and Trollocs in the Stone of Tear, traveled the Ways, protected the folk of the Two Rivers against close to impossible odds, and been among the few to dare the wrath of Rand al'Thor.
The other reason Loial is not likely to remain in a stedding is that his mother, in an attempt to settle him down, negotiated a marriage for him while he was away. In Knife of Dreams
, his mother and Erith finally track him down, and he and Erith are married by Elder Haman. Loial had not felt ready for marriage, but, being very much in love with his bethrothed, was quite happy with this turn of events.
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...
.
Like all Ogier
Ogier (Wheel of Time)
The Ogier are a race of non-human creatures who have an intense love of knowledge. They are also great architects and stonemasons, responsible for many of the most impressive structures and cities of the world. Ogier stonework is known for its organic nature, often appearing to have been grown...
, he is deliberate and methodical in his thought; haste leads to waste appears to be his people's motto. However, when roused to anger, he is an implacable enemy. He is 90 years old, at a stage of development roughly corresponding to that of a human boy in his late teens; he is considered very excitable by his people. Very well read, he is rarely without a choice bit of arcane history to offer, whether concerning humans or Ogier, and he carries books on his person at all times. He also boasted to Rand once that he outran a horse in a race, a point proven a few times throughout the series.
He left the stedding at a "young" age to the disapproval of his elders, wanting to see more of the world; he befriended 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:...
in Caemlyn and accompanied the party from the Eye of the World
The Eye of the World
The Eye of the World is the first book of The Wheel of Time fantasy series written by American author Robert Jordan. It was published by Tor Books and released on January 15, 1990. The unabridged audio book is read by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading...
to the Stone of Tear, witnessing the rise of the Dragon Reborn. From that point on, he accompanied Perrin
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...
to the Two Rivers and aided in its defense, and also fought at Dumai's Wells. Only recently have the two parted company: while Perrin headed into Ghealdan to deal with Masema Dagar, the Prophet of the Dragon, Loial agreed to take an Asha'man
Asha'man
The Asha'man are an organization of men who can channel the male part of the One Power, Saidin, in the fictional world of Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time.-Description:...
, Karldin Manfor, to visit the stedding, where channelers, male or female, cannot use 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...
or even sense the True Source (historically, the insane men of the Breaking visited the stedding to gain some reprieve from the spread of the madness). While visiting the stedding, he warned the Ogier that the Shadowspawn
Shadowspawn
In the world of the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, Shadowspawn include a number of species, with varying levels of sentience, that have been created by the Dark One or other agents of the Shadow.-Trollocs:...
are using the Ways. Loial returned, since it is his ambition to write the definitive book about this turn of the Wheel's War of Power. When historians speak of Rand al'Thor, it will be Loial son of Argent son of Halan that they cite most frequently and most often.
Loial has frequently proven himself to be both brave and valorous, despite his humble assertions of being a scholar and writer. He has defended children and women against both Myrdraal and Trollocs in the Stone of Tear, traveled the Ways, protected the folk of the Two Rivers against close to impossible odds, and been among the few to dare the wrath of Rand al'Thor.
The other reason Loial is not likely to remain in a stedding is that his mother, in an attempt to settle him down, negotiated a marriage for him while he was away. 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...
, his mother and Erith finally track him down, and he and Erith are married by Elder Haman. Loial had not felt ready for marriage, but, being very much in love with his bethrothed, was quite happy with this turn of events.