#Graendal

[thenotoriousscuttlecliff]

The thing about Wheel of Time is everyone in it is in an epic fantasy except the Forsaken, who are all in a workplace sitcom where everyone hates each other.

[moghedien]

HOW WE DOING TONIGHT MY FELLOW FORSAKEN APOLOGISTS

[wot-tidbits]

The Forsaken by watereline

[dragon-of-the-soutn]

I love Graendal so much.

Genuinely suprise favourite Forsaken. Just, she really comes into her own in the later part of the series (I’ve just finished book 9) and the way she absolutely bodies Mogedian and Lanfear (at least I think it’s Lanfear?) is just awesome. I love how she manipulates people, I love how she’s the smartest person in the room because she understands the innerworkings of both her allies and enemies. I love how her plots and schemes are literally unmatched. Like she’s been running about being evil, hot and causing problems for almost seven books and no one can find her, no one knows what’s she’s plotting and they should be absolutely terrified because of that. Like she literally killed Asmodean and no one ever found out about it. I don’t think anyone else can claim that.

Most competent member of the lunitoons office drama that is the Forsaken.

She arguably get more terrifying the more we know about her because how the fuck are the EF5 and co going to defeat a woman who can both out think you and probably out Channel you? Like there is no answer to her! She’s that good!!!!

Basically the Dark One really missed a trick because I’m convinced that if she was named Nae’blis she would have this whole Dragon Reborn problem wrapped up in five minuets flat.

Just, love her. This is a Graendal stan account now I guess. Get them Queen.

[asha-mage]

One of the things that delights me most about the Forsaken is that most of them so badly want to be more then human, and what drives that desire, that need to transcend mere mortality varies from Forskaken to Forsaken, from sheer pride (Lanfear), to fear of death (Asmodean), to a need to escape mortal weakness and pain (Graendal), to simple desire to be seen and to matter (Moghiden) but no matter how hard they run, no matter how much power they gather, what armies they command, what rules of reality they defy, they are still painfully inescapably human. Even cheating death dosen't change that.

They are still petty and caring and cruel by turns, Lanfear still loves Lews Therin in a way she can never deny, Moghiden still can't conquer the fear that controls her, Graendal can not bury her heartache deep enough, Asmodean can not undo the past, Demandred can never convince himself he is good enough, Semirhage can not satisfy her thirst for control, Messana can never convince herself she is brilliant enough to feel truly validated.

The Forsaken are caged by the humanity they want to reject. They imagine themselves as god kings in waiting, who will remake the world in their own image when the Dark One wins, but they are no more boiled down to the bones of who they are, then those they want to subjugate, just flawed, just as painfully, overwhelmingly human as the heroes, and the failure to realize that is what is their undoing.

[morgeysplace]

It's fucked up how all the girl forsaken are 100% into BDSM but in wildly different ways.

[anira-naeg]

[ofthebrownajah]

[witsserviceablesubstitute]

Graendal is well drawn as a symbol of human disillusionment and fatigue. A villainous representation for how far a desire to help people can be twisted, corrupted, and eventually snuffed out.

Graendal is confident, perceptive, and intelligent and at first she wanted to use what she had to do good. To be good. But then... Then it kept taking from her. It's so draining, so frustrating, always noticing the patterns. Always losing.

She notices as people keep making the wrong choices over and over. As the world keeps making the wrong choices over and over. History and humanity. A cycle that will not break. She wants it to break.

Being good begins to feel like a sisyphean boulder, getting heavier the more she's pushing it up the hill. Kamarile Maradim Nindar starts resenting watching it roll down. Is bored of watching it roll down. She snaps.

Graendal is taking some extended her time. Why not? Everyone else can be selfish. She can still do some good while taking care of her needs too. If people are miserable and keep making the wrong choices? Well, she can take their pain away in an instant. Replace it with love and pleasure. She'll take care of them, they obviously can't take care of themselves.

[birgittesilverbae]

the funniest thing about Graendal isn't the psychologist part, the funniest thing about Graendal is the noted ascetic part (and the "world's fucked, guess I'll try out hedonism" part)

[thenotoriousscuttlecliff]

Lan: This is a temple to the Forsaken. Alanna: Yes it is. Set the sex tent up over there, next to that statue of Graendal.

[moghedien]

Ishamael: If I let Lanfear out that might make manipulating Lews Therin easier. But she’ll probably want me to let Asmodean out so she can use him in her schemes because she can manipulate him easily. And if let Lanfear out I should probably let Moghedien out so that Lanfear doesn’t try to take complete control over Tel’aran’rhiod and it’ll keep her annoyed that she can’t always get her way. But if I let Moghedien out I’ll have to let Graendal out because she’s the only one Moghedien will talk to, and if I let Graendal out I should probably let Sammael out because he’ll distract her enough that she’ll scheme against him and not me. And I should probably let Demandred out then to keep Sammael on the edge and paranoid that Demandred is scheming against him. And maybe I should let Semirhage out just so that they all stay in line…

[wot-tidbits]

The Forsaken by Anass Boumarag

[wheelwheelwheel]

Obsessed with how all the Forsaken have shown up in office wear like WHAT are they going to have Graendal wear

[asha-mage]

Another random thought: since the Forsaken where sealed separately from The Dark One in the show and as part of a targeted strike (likely in preparation for the attack on The Bore) that means they are the Forsaken LTT thought where the most dangerous and that he needed to knock off the board before proceeding to his boss fight.

That means that any Forsaken the show cuts is one Lews Therin didn't think was worth bothering with.

[lanfear-is-my-darkmistress]

I just finished the last book on The Wheel of Time and reading about Graendal in battle I can really really not only see but FEEL show Lanfear's terror about the other Forsaken being loose outside because man was Graendal a beast. This shows how underestimated she is. Plus with Lanfear calling her a vain idiot show watchers who haven't read books probably take that to heart.