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Synopsis
Rand's story begins in Arad Doman, restoring order while searching for the Forsaken Graendal. The Aes Sedai working with Rand interrogate Semirhage, but she is freed by Shaidar Haran. She takes a Domination Band, an item used to control male channelers, and locks it around Rand's neck. She and Black sister Elza Penfell use it to make him torture and attempt to kill his lover, Min Farshaw. Unable to touch saidin, he reaches out and embraces the True Power, using it to free himself and kill his captors. After this, he resolves to make himself harder and emotionless.
Rand meets at Falme with the Seanchan leader, Tuon, to discuss a truce. When Tuon senses a dark aura that began to emanate from Rand after he channeled the True Power, she rejects his terms. Following the meeting Tuon declares herself Empress and prepares a surprise attack against the White Tower.
Graendal's hiding place is eventually traced to a remote palace. Confirming her presence, Rand uses Choedan Kal, a powerful sa'angreal, to eliminate the entire building with balefire. This horrifies Min and Nynaeve al'Meara and they turn to Cadsuane Melaidhrin for help. Giving up on saving Arad Doman from the Seanchan and starvation, Rand returns to Tear.
The second main plot thread follows Egwene al'Vere, leader of the rebel faction of Aes Sedai. After her capture by the White Tower in the previous book, Egwene works to undermine Elaida a'Roihan's rule and mend the strife it is causing in the White Tower. She is initially granted freedom of the tower as novice, but after denouncing Elaida as a coward and a tyrant, Elaida names her Darkfriend and orders her imprisonment. When Elaida fails to prove her accusation, Egwene is released and instead the Mistress of Novices, Silviana Brehon, is scapegoated for failing to control Egwene's behavior.
Egwene returns to her room to find Verin Mathwin, who announces that she is of the Black Ajah. Taking advantage of a loophole in the oath Verin had sworn that she could not betray them "until the hour of my death", she fatally poisons herself, allowing her to use her last hour to reveal everything she has learned to Egwene. Verin explains that although she was forced to swear fealty to them or face death, she used the position to research the Ajah. She provides Egwene a journal detailing the group's structure and nearly every member before succumbing to the poison.
The Seanchan raid the White Tower, its fractured state prevents an effective defence and many Aes Sedai are captured or killed before Egwene, leading a group of novices, succeeds in driving off the Seanchan. Siuan Sanche, Gawyn Trakand and Gareth Bryne mount a rescue for Egwene. They find her so exhausted that she cannot protest when they extract her against her orders. After Egwene awakens in the camp, she complains that they may have ruined her chances to gain credit among the Tower loyalists for defeating the Seanchan.
Egwene begins to expose the Black Ajah among the rebels, requiring every sister to re-swear her allegiances. Fifty sisters are exposed and executed, while twenty are able to escape. Taking advantage of the weakened White Tower defenses following the Seanchan raid, the rebels prepare an immediate attack. Just before the attack is mounted, the White Tower Aes Sedai announce that Elaida was captured in the Seanchan raid, and that they would have Egwene as their leader, the Amyrlin Seat. The rebels return, and after exposing the Black Ajah in the tower itself, they begin rebuilding.
Nynaeve, under the instruction of Cadsuane, locates Tam al'Thor, Rand's father, who meets with Rand in an attempt to break his emotional isolation. Rand becomes angry when he learns that Tam was sent by Cadsuane, nearly killing his father before fleeing in horror at what he had almost done. Rand Travels to Ebou Dar, intending to destroy the entire Seanchan army, but he becomes reluctant to act after seeing how peaceful the city is. Nearly mad with rage and grief, he Travels to the top of Dragonmount, the location where he killed himself in a past life. Angry at the futility of life bound to the Wheel, he uses Choedan Kal to draw enough power to destroy the world. Lews Therin, a voice in Rand's head from his past life, suggests that by being reborn to the same life one has the opportunity to do things right. Agreeing, Rand turns the power of Choedan Kal against itself, destroying it. Rand is finally able to laugh again.
References
- Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm, pp. 52-63.
- Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm, pp. 338-356.
- Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm, pp. 536-549.
- Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm, pp. 562-580.
- Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm, p. 657.
- Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm, pp. 272-274.
- Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm, pp. 592-595.
- Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm, pp. 597-609.
- Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm, pp. 615-653.
- Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm, pp. 664-683.
- Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm, pp. 702-727.
- Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm, pp. 728-760.