Verden i dine øjne

Og Skyggen lagde sig over Landet, og Verden blev flået Sten for Sten. 
Havene flygtede, og Bjergene blev slugt, og Nationerne blev spredt til alle fire Verdenshjørner. Månen var som Blod, Solen som Aske. 
Havene kogte, og de Levende misundte de Døde. 
Alt blev knust, og alt andet end Mindet gik tabt, og et Minde over alle andre, om Ham, 
Der bragte Skyggen og Verdens Undergang. 
Og Ham døbte de Dragen.

					Fra Aleth nin alta Camora,
					Verdens Undergang.
Forfatteren ukendt, den Fjerde Æra.

Verden er styret af Tidens Hjul, som er en ubestemmelig faktor, der forudbestemmer ens liv, men uden at fastlægge det helt. Det vil sige, mange begivenheder er forudbestemte, og dem kan man ikke ændre, mens andre begivenheder er mindre fastlagte, og derfor lettere at ændre på. Dette er den generelle opfattelse og sandsynligvis også den korrekte.

Når hjulet har gennemført et helt spind (populært sagt: drejet en hel omgang), sker der det, at en voldsom begivenhed ryster verden, og giver anledning til begyndelsen af en ny æra. Den forrige æra, som var Den Tredje Æra, sluttede med at Lews Therin Telamon, en mandlig Aes Sedai, med sine hundrede følgere, fordrev Nattens Fyrste til Shayol Ghul, og bandt ham med Den Ene Kraft. Som et sidste modangreb lykkedes det Gravens Herre at besmitte Saidin – den mandlige halvdel af Den Ene Kraft – med sin uhellige berøring, hvilket resulterede i, at alle mandlige Aes Sedai blev sindssyge og forårsagede Verdens Undergang med deres ubeskrivelige kræfter.

Dette blev dog enden på Skyggens Krig og Vanviddets Æra. Siden da har ingen mand kunne håndtere Saidin uden at gå til grunde, enten i sindssyge, af en uhelbredelig rådnende sygdom, eller ved medlidenhedsdrab fra en kvindelig Aes Sedai.

Siden Skyggens Krig, hvor Nattens Fårehyrde blev fordrevet, og hans undersåtter, trollocerne, blev spredt for alle vinde, har der været forholdsvis roligt. Ingen har set større samlinger af trollocer i de seneste 1000 år.

Siden slutningen af den forrige æra, hvor folk tror, at det var Den Ene Kraft i sig selv, der var skyld i Verdens Undergang, har Aes Sedai været mistroet og frygtet af alle, og de fleste tror, at Aes Sedai er Mørkets håndlangere. Dette har medført, at de fleste Aes Sedai har trukket sig tilbage til Tar Valon, hvor de kan leve forholdsvis uforstyrret. 

En militant organisation, der kalder sig Lysets Børn, har sat det som deres hellige mission at udrydde alle Aes Sedai, og alt hvad der – ifølge deres overbevisning – ellers har med Gravens Herre at gøre, og deres mål helliger deres midler. De fleste mistænkte føres til en inkvisitor, som vil få dem til at tilstå deres ledtog med Den Mørke under smertefuld tortur. For at afslutte deres pinsler og rense deres sjæl, henrettes disse uheldige individer ved at blive brændt på bålet, under jubel og klapsalver fra befolkningen. Selvom Lysets Børn kæmper mod "det onde" og "hjælper" befolkningen med at undgå Den Mørkes berøring, så er de mindst lige så frygtede og forhadte som Aes Sedai.

	Og således skete det i de Dage, som det var sket før og ville ske igen,
	At Mørket lå tungt over Landet og tyngede Mænds Hjerter,
	Og de Grønne Ting slog fejl, og Håbet døde.
	Og Mænd råbte bønner til Skaberen, sigende,
	O Himlens Lys, Verdens Lys, lad den Udvalgte blive født af Bjerget,
Som forudsagt i Profetien, som Han blev det i forgangne Tider og vil blive det i kommende Tider.
	Lad Morgenens Herre synge til Landet så de Grønne Ting vil gro
	Og Dalene igen vil give Får.
	Lad Morgengryets Herremand beskytte os fra Mørket,
	Og lad Retfærdighedens Store Sværd forsvare os.
	Lad Dragen ride igen på Tidens Vind.

Dragens Cyklus 
Forfatteren ukendt, Den Fierde Æra.

Ordforklaring:

Term	Explanation	
Aes Sedai	Wielders of the One Power. Since the Time of Madness, all surviving Aes Sedai are women. Widely distrusted and feared, even hated, they are blamed by many for the Breaking of the World, and are thought to meddle in the affairs of nations. At the same time, few rulers will be without an Aes Sedai advisor, even in lands where the existence of such a connection must be kept secret. After some years of channeling the One Power, Aes Sedai take on an ageless quality, so that an Aes Sedai who is old enough to be a grandmother may show no signs of age except perhaps a few gray hairs.	
Breaking of the World, the	During the Time of Madness, male Aes Sedai who had gone insane, who could wield the One Power to a degree now unknown, changed the face of the earth. They caused great earthquakes, leveled old mountain ranges and raised new mountains, lifted dry land where seas had been and made the oceans rush in where dry land had been. Many parts of the world were completely depopulated, and the survivors were scattered like dust on the wind. This destruction is remembered in stories, legends and history as the Breaking of the World.	
Children of the Light, the	A society holding strict ascetic beliefs, dedicated to the defeat of the Dark One and the destruction of all Darkfriends. Founded during the War of the Hundred Years by Lothiar Mantelar to proselytize against an increase in the number of Darkfriends, they evolved during the war into a completely military organization. They are extremely rigid in their beliefs, and certain that only they know the truth and the right. They hate Aes Sedai, considering them, and any who support or befriend them, Darkfriends. They are known disparagingly as Whitecloaks. Their sign is a golden sunburst on a field of white.	
Dark One, the	Most common name, used in every land, for Shai'tan. The source of evil, anti-thesis of the Creator. Imprisoned by the Creator in Shayol Ghul at the moment of Creation. The attempt to free him from his prison brought about the War of the Shadow, the tainting of saidin, the Breaking of the World, and the end of the Age of Legends.
Saying the true name of the Dark One (Shai'tan) draws his attention, inevitably bringing ill fortune at best, disaster at worst. For that reason, many euphemisms are used, among them the Dark One, Father of Lies, Sightblinder, Lord of the Grave, Shepherd of the Night, Heartsbane, Soulsbane, Heartfang, Old Grim, Grassburner, and Leafblighter. Darkfriends call him the Great Lord of the Dark. Someone who appears to be inviting ill fortune is often said to be "naming the Dark One."	
Darkfriend	Darkfriends, or Friends of the Dark, are people who have secretly pledged support to the Dark One, whom they call the Great Lord of the Dark. Darkfriends believe that when the Shadow triumphs they will be granted great power and immortality.	
Dragon, False	Occasionally men claim to be the Dragon Reborn, and sometimes one of these men gains following enough to require an army to put it down. Some have begun wars that involved many nations. Over the centuries, most have been men unable to channel the One Power, but a few could do so. All, however, either disappeared or were captured or killed without fulfilling any of the prophecies concerning the Rebirth of the Dragon. These men are called false Dragons. Among those who could channel, the most powerful were Raolin Darksbane (335-36 AB), Yurian Stonebow (circa 1300-1308 AB), Davian (FY 351), Guaire Amalasan (FY 939-43), and Logain (997 NE).	
Dragon, the	The name by which Lews Therin Telamon was known during the War of the Shadow. In the madness that overtook all male Aes Sedai, Lews Therin killed every living person who carried any of his blood, as well as everyone he loved, thus earning the name Kinslayer.
According to prophecy and legend the Dragon will be reborn at mankind's greatest hour of need to save the world. This is not something that people look forward to, both because the prophecies say the Dragon Reborn will bring a new Breaking of the World and because Lews Therin Kinslayer, the Dragon, is a name to make men shudder, even more than three thousand years after his death.	
Forsaken, the	The Forsaken (or Chosen, as they would prefer to be called) are the name given to thirteen of the most powerful Aes Sedai of the Age of Legends, which made them among the most powerful ever known, who went over to the Dark One during the War of the Shadow in return for the promise of immortality. According to both legend and fragmentary records, they were imprisoned along with the Dark One when his prison was resealed. Their names – among them Lanfear, Be'lal, Sammael, Asmodean, Rahvin, and Ishamael – are still used to frighten children.	
One Power, the	The power drawn from the True Source. The vast majority of people are completely unable to learn to channel the One Power. A very small number can be taught to channel, and an even smaller number have the ability inborn. For these few there is no need to be taught; they will touch the True Source and channel the Power whether they want to or not, perhaps without even realizing what they are doing. This inborn ability usually manifests itself in late adolescence or early adulthood. If control is not taught, or self learned (extremely difficult, with a success rate of only one in four), death is certain. Since the Time of Madness, no man has been able to channel the Power without eventually going completely, horribly mad, and then, even if he has learned some control, dying from a wasting sickness that causes the sufferer to rot alive, a sickness caused, as is the madness, by the Dark One's taint on saidin. For a woman the death that comes without control of the Power is less horrible, but it is death just the same. Aes Sedai search for girls with the inborn ability as much to save their lives as to increase Aes Sedai numbers, and for men with it in order to stop the terrible things they inevitably do with the Power in their madness.	
Prophecies of the Dragon	Little known and seldom spoken of, the Prophecies, given in The Karaethon Cycle, foretell that the Dark One will be freed again to touch the world. And that Lews Therin Telamon, the Dragon, Breaker of the World, will be reborn to fight Tarmon Gai'don, the Last Battle against the Shadow.	
Ta’veren	A person around whom the Wheel of Time weaves all surrounding life-threads, perhaps ALL life-threads, to form a Web of Destiny.	
Trolloc	Creatures of the Dark One, created during the War of the Shadow. Huge of stature, they are a twisted blend of animal and human stock. Vicious by nature, they kill for the pure pleasure of killing. Deceitful in the extreme, they cannot be trusted unless coerced by fear.	
True Source, the	The driving force of the universe, which drives the Wheel of Time. It is divided into the male half (saidin) and a female half (saidar), which work at the same time with and against each other. Only a man can draw on saidin, only a woman on saidar. Since the beginning of the Time of Madness, saidin has been tainted by the Dark One's touch.	
Warder	A Warder is a person (traditionally a man) who is bonded by an Aes Sedai through the use of saidar to become her bodyguard as she travels.	
Wheel of Time, the	Time is a wheel with seven spokes, each spoke an Age. As the Wheel of Time turns, Ages come and go, each leaving memories that fade to legend, then to myth, and are forgotten by the time that Age comes again. The Pattern of an Age is slightly different each time an Age comes, and each time it is subject to greater change.