Graendal
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Graendal (GREHN-dahl) is one of the primary antagonists of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. She is one of the Forsaken. She is named for the ferocious beast Grendel in Beowulf.
Kamarile Maradim Nindar was once a respected psychiatrist. Though strong in the One Power, her true fame came from her insight into the human mind, and she was well-versed in the healing of mental afflictions that the One Power could not aid. She was also a distinct ascetic, living an unadorned life.
Her downfall came in her perfectionism. She was highly critical in person and no one could live up her standards because they were simply too high. Disappointed of her subjects, she turned to the Shadow, becoming the second person to swear her soul in allegiance to the Dark One.
Her alter ego, Graendal, is a creature of decadence and excess. One of the most physically beautiful women to have ever walked the earth, she habitually wears extremely revealing clothing and extensive jewelry and keeps only the most attractive men and women near her as her servants. She is very particular about her servants; often choosing former kings and then using such strong Compulsion on them that they lose their minds. Though she has never led armies for the Shadow, she is well-versed in intrigue and Shadow plotting; her knowledge of the human mind has also led to an unparalleled skill in the use of Compulsion. At present she is hiding in Arad Doman under the disguise of the ailing Lady Basene. She has also collaborated with Demandred, Sammael and most recently, Aran'gar, in opposition of the Dragon Reborn, though none of these plots, thus far, have come to much good.
