Prologue- The Legend
The Wheel wove as the Wheel willed, and so it was in
the last years before the Breaking that the War of
Shadows looked dire, and the greatest artificers
among the Hundred created nine weapons, nine
ter'angreal with great power to them, to focus the One
Power and create a suit of armor, imbued with saidin
or saidar, depending on its wielder. the first four
were subtle, they focused a combination of the Five
Powers, and were startling and strange in their power.
But they were corrupted, for one of the Forsaken had
secretly aided in their forging, and he twisted them,
trying to put them in the power of the Dark One, but
he was discovered and forced to flee before his
manipulation was complete. Still, the Four were
tainted, renamed, and set aside. Illusion, Corruption,
Venom, and Cruelty.
The last five were untouched by the power of the Dark
One, and were crafted to be more direct, each
channeling only one aspect of the Power.
Halo, for Spirit.
Strata, for Air.
Torrent, for Water.
Hardrock, for Earth.
Wildfire, for Fire.
And the World was Broken, the Hundred were slain, and
the Time of Madness descended on the world.
All nine ter'angreal were scattered, from the Aiel
Wastes to the city of Seandar.
But it was prophesied that the Nine would be found
again in the years that the Dragon was Reborn at last,
and because each armor had a virtue imparted to it, to
aid in its power, men could use them, and touch
untainted saidin, except for the four which the Dark
One's fingers could brush.
But this was forgotten, and knowledge of the danger
was lost.....
- from the Tachar Kiel Vai Vi'in,
the Tale of the Nine, Age Unknown, by
Temath Leschar Tims Sahai
