Fanmix: Mysterious Ways - Moiraine Damodred, WoT
Fandom: The Wheel of Time
Subject: Moiraine Damodred
Title: Mysterious Ways
Warnings/Notes: Created for a character study at waywardmixes. Spoilers for pretty much the entire series.
>>Listen Here!<<
"The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills."
Moiraine Damodred is a primary character in Robert Jordan's high fantasy series, The Wheel of Time. She is first and foremost an Aes Sedai, a group of women who can wield the One Power (a type of "magic" that combines Earth, Fire, Wind, Water and Spirit). Aes Sedai are both revered and feared for their use of the Power, and Moiraine is one of the strongest of her era. Kings and queens bow to her, though they may hate her and all she stands for. The Aes Sedai are split into multiple sects, called Ajahs, with each segment focusing on different areas of the world. As a member of the Blue Ajah, Moiraine focuses on justice and causes of the world.
In the WoT, a grand "pattern" or "web" guides time through Ages. Since it is a wheel, each Age eventually returns, heroes and villains are reborn, and epic battles are fought. When Moiraine is still training to be an Aes Sedai, she learns that a man called the Dragon has been reborn. She takes it upon herself to ensure that she finds this man and guides him, as he is both fated to save the world from the Dark One, and destroy it through the use of the One Power. (All men who can channel the Power eventually go insane.)
A woman of strength and courage, Moiraine dedicates her life to battling the forces of the Shadow and finding the Dragon Reborn, who will defeat all evil at the Last Battle. When she finds him in the form of a shepherd named Rand, she attempts to guide him to his destiny, no matter the cost...even if it means her own life.
************************
|Some call her witch. Some see her as a hand of the Dark One. But no matter their view, even kings and queens must bow to the authority of an Aes Sedai. To ignore her risks wrath of unparalleled proportions.|
{Rains of Castamere (The Darker Cut) - Karliene Reynolds}
And who are you, the proud lord said
That I must bow so low?
Only a cat of a different coat
That's all the truth I know
In a coat of gold or a coat of red
A lion still has claws
And mine are long and sharp, my lord
As long and sharp as yours
|Moiraine survives by playing her cards close to her chest. No one, not even her closest friends and confidants, know exactly what she will do. But this secrecy is a must, since her plan to guide the Dragon Reborn could easily be seen by many as blasphemy.|
{Mysterious Ways - U2}
To touch is to heal
To hurt is to steal
If you want to kiss the sky
Better learn how to kneel
On your knees, boy
She's the wave, she turned the tide
She sees a man inside the child
It's alright, it's alright, its alright
She moves in mysterious ways
It's alright, it's alright, its alright
She moves in mysterious ways
|Dedicating her life to fighting forces of the Dark One, Moiraine will do whatever it takes to ensure the victory of the Light. She knows that the Wheel of Time will weave whatever web it chooses, regardless of what she does, but she vows to do everything in her power to keep the Wheel from weaving an end to hope.|
{Web of Light - Heather Alexander}
You are we who felt the touch of magic's guiding light
You were still in years ahead are those prepared to fight
In our circle one last time we need to raise the power
That must endure when flesh is gone and light the darkest hour
Challenge not this Web of Light, oh mage of dark designs
|All Aes Sedai are bound by an Oath Rod to speak no word that is not true. However, an old saying reminds us that "The truth an Aes Sedai speaks may not be the truth you think you hear." In order to pursue her goals, Moiraine becomes an expert at twisting words to mean whatever she wishes, while still keeping her oath intact.|
{Keeper of the Flame - Blackmore's Night}
So hard to see through the dark mystery
The illusion was part of the game
Be careful of what you wish for
And make sure when it knocks at your door
It'll be what you need, not some fantasy
That will haunt you forever more
|Though she is a powerful and dedicated soldier, Moiraine very occasionally shows her humanity. After years and years of hunting for the Dragon Reborn, of keeping secrets and hiding her knowledge, her mask sometimes slips to reveal her weariness. Ironically, she can use the Power to Heal others of their pain and exhaustion, but she cannot do the same for herself. Still, she rides on, doing what she must, no matter the cost, because there is no other way.|
{Night Ride Across the Caucasus - Loreena McKennitt}
Take me with you on this journey
Where the boundaries of time are now tossed
In cathedrals of the forest
In the words of the tongues now lost
Find the answers, ask the questions
Find the roots of an ancient tree
Take me dancing, take me singing
I'll ride on till the moon meets the sea
Ride on through the night, ride on
Ride on through the night, ride on
|Moiraine never once questions her duty to guide and protect the Dragon Reborn, but sometimes even she is surprised by the ingenuity of the Shadow. Failure, however, is not an option, as the end result would be nothing less than the destruction of the world.|
{Our Solemn Hour - Within Temptation}
In my darkest hours I could not foresee
That the tide could turn so fast to this degree
Can't believe my eyes, how can you be so blind?
Is the heart of stone, no empathy inside?
Time keeps on slipping away and we haven't learned
So in the end now what have we gained?
Sanctus Espiritus, redeem us from our solemn hour
Sanctus Espiritus, insanity is all around us
Sanctus Espiritus, is this what we deserve
Can we break free from chains of never-ending agony?
Are they themselves to blame, the misery, the pain?
Didn't we let go, allowed it, let it grow?
If we can't restrain the beast which dwells inside
It will find it's way somehow, somewhere in time
Will we remember all of the suffering?
'Cause if we fail it will be in vain
|In a vision of the future, Moiraine learns she must take a stand against a woman named Lanfear, a powerful servant of the Dark One known as a Forsaken. Without her intervention, Rand will fall victim to Lanfear's nefarious plots. Doing so, however, costs Moiraine her life...or so it seems.|
{Die Alive - Tarja Turunen}
No more fate and no more mystery
Even as time falls away
I live my days
Every moment and its memory
Not only to survive
To die alive
|Moiraine is eventually able to reveal that she is still alive...barely...but trapped in a tower from which no mortal has ever escaped. Several of Rand's friends struggle to free her, and while she emerges weaker than before, she is no less ready to face her final challenge.|
{All Along the Watchtower - Bear McCreary}
"There must be some kind of way out of here,"
Said the joker to the thief
"There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief"
"No reason to get excited,"
The thief - he kindly spoke
"There are many here among us
Who feel that life is but a joke
But you and I we've been through that
And this is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely now
The hour's getting late."
|When the Last Battle finally arrives, Moiraine is ready. Though only the Dragon Reborn can strike the final blow against the Shadow, Moiraine can face the end knowing that she did everything in her power to lead him to victory.|
{Ragnarok - Leaves' Eyes}
Gods awaiting the end of the world
The end of all
Ragnarok
Blackness strangles the daybreak
Winter shouting with thunder
Bloodshed - murderers - ruins
Gods and goddesses plunder
The end of everyone and everything
|The Last Battle is won, but not without great cost. Carnage, destruction, the loss of too many friends and loved ones. As foretold, the Dragon both saved the world and broke it. Moiraine survives, but what kind of world awaits her?|
{Answers - Susan Calloway}
Now open your eyes while our plight is repeated
Still deaf to our cries, lost in hope we lie defeated
Our souls have been torn, and our bodies forsaken
Bearing sins of the past, for our future is taken
War born of strife, these trials persuade us not
Words without sound, these lies betray our thoughts
Mired by a plague of doubt, the Land, she mourns
Judgement binds all we hold to a memory of scorn
Tell us why, given Life, we are meant to die, helpless in our cries?
Thy Life is a riddle, to bear rapture and sorrow
To listen, to suffer, to entrust unto tomorrow
In one fleeting moment, from the Land doth life flow
Yet in one fleeting moment, for anew it doth grow
In the same fleeting moment
Thou must live
Die
And know...
|Unceasing and uncaring, the Wheel of Time continues to spin, creating pattern after pattern of men and women who live and die at its whim. If nothing else, Moiraine can take comfort knowing that, though the world seems shattered now, hope will come again...and again...and again.|
{The Circle - Blackmore's Night}
I've been here for a million years
Through the joy, through the tears
But when I am gone this will go on
And the circle starts again
| Bonus Track |
The Lady in Blue - Patrick Doyle
~ Instrumental~
Subject: Moiraine Damodred
Title: Mysterious Ways
Warnings/Notes: Created for a character study at waywardmixes. Spoilers for pretty much the entire series.
>>Listen Here!<<
"The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills."
Moiraine Damodred is a primary character in Robert Jordan's high fantasy series, The Wheel of Time. She is first and foremost an Aes Sedai, a group of women who can wield the One Power (a type of "magic" that combines Earth, Fire, Wind, Water and Spirit). Aes Sedai are both revered and feared for their use of the Power, and Moiraine is one of the strongest of her era. Kings and queens bow to her, though they may hate her and all she stands for. The Aes Sedai are split into multiple sects, called Ajahs, with each segment focusing on different areas of the world. As a member of the Blue Ajah, Moiraine focuses on justice and causes of the world.
In the WoT, a grand "pattern" or "web" guides time through Ages. Since it is a wheel, each Age eventually returns, heroes and villains are reborn, and epic battles are fought. When Moiraine is still training to be an Aes Sedai, she learns that a man called the Dragon has been reborn. She takes it upon herself to ensure that she finds this man and guides him, as he is both fated to save the world from the Dark One, and destroy it through the use of the One Power. (All men who can channel the Power eventually go insane.)
A woman of strength and courage, Moiraine dedicates her life to battling the forces of the Shadow and finding the Dragon Reborn, who will defeat all evil at the Last Battle. When she finds him in the form of a shepherd named Rand, she attempts to guide him to his destiny, no matter the cost...even if it means her own life.
************************
|Some call her witch. Some see her as a hand of the Dark One. But no matter their view, even kings and queens must bow to the authority of an Aes Sedai. To ignore her risks wrath of unparalleled proportions.|
{Rains of Castamere (The Darker Cut) - Karliene Reynolds}
And who are you, the proud lord said
That I must bow so low?
Only a cat of a different coat
That's all the truth I know
In a coat of gold or a coat of red
A lion still has claws
And mine are long and sharp, my lord
As long and sharp as yours
|Moiraine survives by playing her cards close to her chest. No one, not even her closest friends and confidants, know exactly what she will do. But this secrecy is a must, since her plan to guide the Dragon Reborn could easily be seen by many as blasphemy.|
{Mysterious Ways - U2}
To touch is to heal
To hurt is to steal
If you want to kiss the sky
Better learn how to kneel
On your knees, boy
She's the wave, she turned the tide
She sees a man inside the child
It's alright, it's alright, its alright
She moves in mysterious ways
It's alright, it's alright, its alright
She moves in mysterious ways
|Dedicating her life to fighting forces of the Dark One, Moiraine will do whatever it takes to ensure the victory of the Light. She knows that the Wheel of Time will weave whatever web it chooses, regardless of what she does, but she vows to do everything in her power to keep the Wheel from weaving an end to hope.|
{Web of Light - Heather Alexander}
You are we who felt the touch of magic's guiding light
You were still in years ahead are those prepared to fight
In our circle one last time we need to raise the power
That must endure when flesh is gone and light the darkest hour
Challenge not this Web of Light, oh mage of dark designs
|All Aes Sedai are bound by an Oath Rod to speak no word that is not true. However, an old saying reminds us that "The truth an Aes Sedai speaks may not be the truth you think you hear." In order to pursue her goals, Moiraine becomes an expert at twisting words to mean whatever she wishes, while still keeping her oath intact.|
{Keeper of the Flame - Blackmore's Night}
So hard to see through the dark mystery
The illusion was part of the game
Be careful of what you wish for
And make sure when it knocks at your door
It'll be what you need, not some fantasy
That will haunt you forever more
|Though she is a powerful and dedicated soldier, Moiraine very occasionally shows her humanity. After years and years of hunting for the Dragon Reborn, of keeping secrets and hiding her knowledge, her mask sometimes slips to reveal her weariness. Ironically, she can use the Power to Heal others of their pain and exhaustion, but she cannot do the same for herself. Still, she rides on, doing what she must, no matter the cost, because there is no other way.|
{Night Ride Across the Caucasus - Loreena McKennitt}
Take me with you on this journey
Where the boundaries of time are now tossed
In cathedrals of the forest
In the words of the tongues now lost
Find the answers, ask the questions
Find the roots of an ancient tree
Take me dancing, take me singing
I'll ride on till the moon meets the sea
Ride on through the night, ride on
Ride on through the night, ride on
|Moiraine never once questions her duty to guide and protect the Dragon Reborn, but sometimes even she is surprised by the ingenuity of the Shadow. Failure, however, is not an option, as the end result would be nothing less than the destruction of the world.|
{Our Solemn Hour - Within Temptation}
In my darkest hours I could not foresee
That the tide could turn so fast to this degree
Can't believe my eyes, how can you be so blind?
Is the heart of stone, no empathy inside?
Time keeps on slipping away and we haven't learned
So in the end now what have we gained?
Sanctus Espiritus, redeem us from our solemn hour
Sanctus Espiritus, insanity is all around us
Sanctus Espiritus, is this what we deserve
Can we break free from chains of never-ending agony?
Are they themselves to blame, the misery, the pain?
Didn't we let go, allowed it, let it grow?
If we can't restrain the beast which dwells inside
It will find it's way somehow, somewhere in time
Will we remember all of the suffering?
'Cause if we fail it will be in vain
|In a vision of the future, Moiraine learns she must take a stand against a woman named Lanfear, a powerful servant of the Dark One known as a Forsaken. Without her intervention, Rand will fall victim to Lanfear's nefarious plots. Doing so, however, costs Moiraine her life...or so it seems.|
{Die Alive - Tarja Turunen}
No more fate and no more mystery
Even as time falls away
I live my days
Every moment and its memory
Not only to survive
To die alive
|Moiraine is eventually able to reveal that she is still alive...barely...but trapped in a tower from which no mortal has ever escaped. Several of Rand's friends struggle to free her, and while she emerges weaker than before, she is no less ready to face her final challenge.|
{All Along the Watchtower - Bear McCreary}
"There must be some kind of way out of here,"
Said the joker to the thief
"There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief"
"No reason to get excited,"
The thief - he kindly spoke
"There are many here among us
Who feel that life is but a joke
But you and I we've been through that
And this is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely now
The hour's getting late."
|When the Last Battle finally arrives, Moiraine is ready. Though only the Dragon Reborn can strike the final blow against the Shadow, Moiraine can face the end knowing that she did everything in her power to lead him to victory.|
{Ragnarok - Leaves' Eyes}
Gods awaiting the end of the world
The end of all
Ragnarok
Blackness strangles the daybreak
Winter shouting with thunder
Bloodshed - murderers - ruins
Gods and goddesses plunder
The end of everyone and everything
|The Last Battle is won, but not without great cost. Carnage, destruction, the loss of too many friends and loved ones. As foretold, the Dragon both saved the world and broke it. Moiraine survives, but what kind of world awaits her?|
{Answers - Susan Calloway}
Now open your eyes while our plight is repeated
Still deaf to our cries, lost in hope we lie defeated
Our souls have been torn, and our bodies forsaken
Bearing sins of the past, for our future is taken
War born of strife, these trials persuade us not
Words without sound, these lies betray our thoughts
Mired by a plague of doubt, the Land, she mourns
Judgement binds all we hold to a memory of scorn
Tell us why, given Life, we are meant to die, helpless in our cries?
Thy Life is a riddle, to bear rapture and sorrow
To listen, to suffer, to entrust unto tomorrow
In one fleeting moment, from the Land doth life flow
Yet in one fleeting moment, for anew it doth grow
In the same fleeting moment
Thou must live
Die
And know...
|Unceasing and uncaring, the Wheel of Time continues to spin, creating pattern after pattern of men and women who live and die at its whim. If nothing else, Moiraine can take comfort knowing that, though the world seems shattered now, hope will come again...and again...and again.|
{The Circle - Blackmore's Night}
I've been here for a million years
Through the joy, through the tears
But when I am gone this will go on
And the circle starts again
| Bonus Track |
The Lady in Blue - Patrick Doyle
~ Instrumental~