![[Dagger]](pics/shadar-logoth.gif)
The death of Asmodean
The death of AsmodeanCome, Watson, come! The game is afoot. Not a word! Into your clothes and come!
Note Bene: I draw heavily from the 1.11 section in the Wheel of Time FAQ, but have added requirements, and have more in-depth discussion on some subjects, especially Padan Fain and Graendal.
Other people have written treatises on Asmodean's death as well. Donal K. Fellows and Patrik Montgomery has both reached basically the same conclusion as myself (though our reasoning varies), and Kevin Bartlett has one promoting Lanfear as the killer.
Important chapters: LoC: Prologue, Threads Woven of Shadow, To Understand a Message. There is also some new information in TPoD.
"Round up the usual suspects!"
We must fall back upon the old axiom that when all other contingencies fail, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
All the Forsaken fulfills (2), (4), (5) and (6), and if appearing undisguised in their "original" bodies, they also fulfill (1). Without evidence to the contrary, they also fulfill (3). Since the question of motive have been discussed before, it is discussed at length below.
When I'll know why, I'll know who.
Ordered assassination from the DO. Could use the "WOULD YOU BE NAE'BLIS, NN?" argument, but it is not necessary. All the Forsaken, Slayer and the different random minions could be acting under this scenario.
Enterprising person, someone deciding to kill Asmodean on their own accord. This requires that the murderer has gained knowledge that Jasin Natael really is Asmodean, in effect leaving only the Forsaken as possible killers. Of these, Graendal, Ishamael and Semirhage does not have the personality to do this, and probably not Mesaana either.
Asmodean stumbled upon his murderer by chance, ie the murderer was in Caemlyn and the Palace for an entirely different reason. Trouble is that no Forsaken has any reason to stay after Rand has taken command, the sensible thing to do is to get away as soon as Rand killed Rahvin, or leave directly after arriving.
I rank these in the order presented, though all three are possible.
Given that Asmodean had been "on Rand's side" for at least two months when he was killed, the question of timing must be considered, at least if the murderer is one of the Forsaken. Couldn't he have been killed far earlier, eg in Rhuidean? And because Asmodean hadn't spent much time in Caemlyn (less than one day) before he was murdered, the murderer wasn't working under a carefully rehearsed plan, but acting more on a sudden opportunity.
So, we have two seemingly contradictory facts: Asmodean was killed after a long time with Rand; but not under a rehearsed plan. If those two are to fit together, we must assume that changing circumstances forced the DO or a Forsaken to act.
From the DO's or the Forsaken's point of view, the two big events were Lanfear's disappearance and Rahvin's death. The killing of Asmodean is likely connected with one or both of these events. Another possibility is that Asmodean was killed in order to facilitate putting up Demandred as Taim in LoC, something that would have been hard or impossible to do with Asmodean still alive.
So, the most probable scenario I can make is that during TSR and TFoH, Lanfear had charge of "the Rand case". While her plans suffered a set-back in the end of TSR, Lanfear was still around. But when Lanfear disappeared, someone else must take her place in watching Rand - by taking up Taim's place. For this to happen, Asmodean had to be eliminated.
Of course, this is only true if the murder of Asmodean was a deliberate act, and not him stumbling into someone he shouldn't. But I think the coincidence for that is rather low.
Fails (7), if not he is lying to the DO, which
is very unlikely: "Rahvin is dead, Great Lord. Yesterday". There
was pain. Euphoria too strong became pain quickly. His arms and legs
twitched. He was sweating, now. "Lanfear has vanished without a trace,
just as Asmodean did."
[LoC, Prologue]
Would not appear in his "original" body, thus fails (1). We also have no evidence of him appearing in neither TSR, TFoH nor LoC. He does probably appear in ACoS, but then in a new body.
We have no evidence of her appearing in LoC. She probably fails (3). Her personality is also not a patient one, but she would certainly continue her private war against the women around Rand. It would be more in line with her to put Asmodean's head in Rand's bed than letting him vanish, too.
Was either forkroot-drugged or bound by an a'dam at the time, thus fails (3).
Wonders about the fate of Asmodean [LoC, Threads Woven of Shadow], ie fails (7).
In all probability fails (1) and maybe also (6). We are not given any clue of its thoughts. It is a possibility that Shaidar Haran told Asmodean in his dreams that it would come after him, but that would almost require that Ishamael was resurrected as SH, which seems very unlikely given events in ACoS. This since Myrddraal don't dream.
Could have reached Caemlyn in time, but would the DO send him towards a possible confrontation with a former Forsaken and Rand? Any non-channeler would have great trouble harming a channeler if he or she was discovered first. Also does not appear in neither TFoH, LoC nor ACoS, and was badly hurt in TSR.
Would have to have been sent by a Forsaken, which means we have to look among them anyway.
The primary suspects are thus Graendal, Mesaana, Padan Fain and Sammael.
There are several problems attached with Padan Fain killing Asmodean. First, the Shadar Logoth dagger does not kill instantaneously.Second, how could he have found out about Asmodean's importance to Rand? Third, If the killing was a "mistake", why was he even in the palace? Fourth and most troubling: he must be in Caemlyn at the time. From Emma Pease's timeline I conclude that Padan Fain left Tar Valon on day 9 or 10 in [TFoH, Memories]. Asmodean was killed on day 35 [TFoH, Glowing Embers], leaving 25 days for Padan Fain to reach and install himself in Caemlyn from Tar Valon, arguably at least an one-month travel overland. He could have used the Ways, but Waygates are probably few and sparse, and he could neither have used the Tar Valon nor the Caemlyn Waygates due to the Trollocs and his pet Myrddraal. Finding a Waygate reasonably close to Tar Valon, going by the Ways to a Waygate reasonably close to Caemlyn, and then go to Caemlyn would probably take as long as normal over-land travel.
This leaves the possibility of using a boat down the Erinin, but neither Trollocs nor Myrddraal likes open water, and which captain and crew would carry a Trolloc on his boat? They could have taken one, but even that would have required time and waiting. My conclusion is that Padan Fain could not have been in Caemlyn at the time, thus fails (3).
Mesaana visited the Pit of Doom twice in the period between
Asmodean's death and her appearance in LoC, but with the DO never
appearing. If she had killed Asmodean, wouldn't she have made some
sort of report to the DO, especially since the DO approved of the
murdering? Also, in conversation with Semirhage, she has expressed
doubts on if Asmodean is really dead [LoC, Threads Woven of Shadow]:
"More troubling were the Chosen who had vanished. Demandred
insisted they must be dead, but she [Semirhage] and Mesaana were not
so sure"
. While not conclusive, it is strong circumstantial
evidence against Mesaana being the murderer.
We are given very few hints on Sammael's thoughts in LoC, and the
issue is made even muddier with the game of deception he plays with
Graendal. But in [LoC, Threads Woven of Shadow]: "Rumors! Lanfear
has been aiding al'Thor since the beginning, if you [Graendal] ask
me. I would have had his head in the Stone of Tear except that someone
sent Myrddraal and Trollocs to save him! That was Lanfear; I am
certain. I'm done with her. The next time I see her, I'll kill her!
And why would he kill Asmodean? I would if I could find him, but he
has gone over to al'Thor. He's teaching him!"
(Sammael POV)
He is also trembling with anger, so I must conclude that he does not know of Asmodean's fate and fails (7).
"`You [Sammael] know as much as I do,' Graendal said blithely,
pausing for a sip from her goblet. `Myself, I think Lews Therin killed
them [Asmodean, Lanfear, Moghedien]. [...] There are rumors out of
Cairhien about Lanfear dying at Lews Therin's hands the same day he
killed Rahvin.'"
[LoC, Threads Woven of Shadow] (Sammael PoV)
Graendal says: "So many of us has died confronting him. [...]
And Lanfear and Asmodean, whatever you believe. Possibly
Moghedien"
[LoC, Threads Woven of Shadow]
"Only she [Graendal] herself knew that she had made her own
journey to Shayol Ghul and down to the lake of fire. Only she knew
that the Great Lord had all but promised to name her Nae'blis"
[LoC, Threads Woven of Shadow]
"`Asmodean and Lanfear are dead, and I [Graendal] am sure
Moghedien must be, too.' She was surprised to hear her own voice,
hoarse and unsteady."
[LoC, To Understand a Message] (Graendal
PoV)
Graendal has some evidence working for her: she has tried to assure
Sammael that Asmodean is dead, and she has met the DO in the Pit of
Doom, which in her memories of it does not mention Shaidar Haran. She
could have been told by Demandred of Asmodean's death, but both
Semirhage and (arguably) Mesaana distrusts Demandred's word on it, so
why would Graendal trust it? Her memories of the Pit of Doom visit is
even more interesting: as she doesn't make any mention to Shaidar
Haran implies to me that she made that visit before Shaidar Haran came
into being, ie before Asmodean's death. That strengthens the scenario
of Graendal being ordered to kill Asmodean in exchange for "all but
promised to name her Nae'blis"
.
Graendal has several advantages as the murderer. She's a woman, and thus less likely to be detected by Rand or Asmodean. She's cautious, and thus unlikely to go harrowing after other people, and will probably plan the better. She's also expendable. Sammael's required to fix Rand's attention, Demandred is needed to act as Taim. Mesaana is in too good a position (the White Tower) to endanger, and there are indications that Semirhage's working directly on the DO's order in another matter.
I conclude that the most likely as Asmodean's killer is Graendal, though the evidence is not conclusive. Cases can still be made for Lanfear or Slayer but they are, IMO, unlikely. Lanfear would probably use Asmodean's death to terrorise Rand, and would also continue to try striking at him, if not directly then at Egwene, Aviendha, the Far Dareis Mai etc. We are given no clue of neither Slayer's nor Lanfear's actions in LoC or ACoS, and with RJ's word on that we have enough clues to find the killer, I must rule them out.
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Karl-Johan Norén,
kjnoren@hem3.passagen.se