Shadar Logoth

In the fictional world of Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time, Shadar Logoth, formerly known as Aridhol, was a city located in what is now Andor. Shadar Logoth means "The Place Where the Shadow Waits" or more simply put "The Shadow's Waiting".

Abandoned for thousands of years, it had long been occupied by a living, mindless, consuming, evil, fog-like entity called Mashadar. The city has recently been destroyed.

Aridhol

The nation of Aridhol was located in what is now largely unclaimed territory, near the northern half of the Mountains of Mist. To the west was Safer, with Jaramide to the north, Aramaelle to the northeast, Coremanda to the southeast, and Manetheren to the south. The capital city of Aridhol was also called Aridhol, and was located where Shadar Logoth stands today. Other cities in Aridhol included Abor'maseleine and Cyrendemar'naille. There was a Waygate in the city of Aridhol.

Formation, government, and nobility

Like the other nations in its time, Aridhol was formed sometime after the Breaking of the World. The ruler of Aridhol who signed the Compact of Ten Nations was Queen Doreille Torghin. At one point during the Trolloc Wars, Aridhol was ruled by King Balwen Mayal, also known as Balwen Ironhand.

Corruption and fall

During the time of the Trolloc Wars, Aridhol was one of the Ten Nations (the lands that made the Second Covenant) and an ally of Manetheren (later known as the Two Rivers region), ruled by King Balwen Mayel (Balwen Ironhand). A man called Mordeth, the king's advisor, corrupted the king and the city. The city adopted Mordeth's motto The victory of the Light is all, became darker and harder, and gave birth to Mashadar, which consumed and corrupted it. Late in the Trolloc Wars, a large army of Trollocs, Myrddraal, Darkfriends and Dreadlords (an army that numbered in the thousands) camped there; not one Shadowspawn came out alive. When the army did not come out, scouts were sent in to look for them. All that was found was the remnants of armor and weapons, blood splatter and Trolloc scrawlings on the walls asking for the aid of the Dark One in their last hour. Since then, shadowspawn have avoided the city.

The territory once controlled by Aridhol came to form the nation of Masenashar and also part of Oburun, and more recently parts of Caralain and Andor.

Recent events

In The Eye of the World, Moiraine Damodred led the group of people fleeing from the Two Rivers to camp there. While there, Rand al'Thor, Perrin Aybara, and Mat Cauthon met Mordeth, and Mat picked up a cursed ruby dagger. Ba'alzamon drove Shadowspawn into the city. Padan Fain went into the city and melded with Mordeth.

In Lord of Chaos, Rand Traveled to Shadar Logoth accompanied by Aiel and Ogier to close the Waygate in the city. While there, one of the Maidens of the Spear, Liah, disappeared.

In A Crown of Swords, Rand hunted down the Forsaken Sammael in Shadar Logoth. Sammael was killed by Mashadar. Rand also saw Liah again; when she was caught by Mashadar, Rand killed her with balefire so that she would not suffer.

In Winter's Heart, Rand and Nynaeve al'Meara used the One Power to set the evil of Shadar Logoth against the evil of the Dark One's taint on saidin. The two evils annihilated each other, cleansing the taint on saidin in the process, and Shadar Logoth was completely destroyed, leaving a massive hemispherical crater. This leaves Padan Fain, with his dagger, and Rand with the wound in his side as the only remnants of the evil of Shadar Logoth.