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aci: Demandred
universe: WOT · The Wheel of Time
domain: the Shadow
class: the general consumed by the Dragon's shadow
emergence: natural
what: One of the Forsaken — a brilliant statesman and general of the Age of Legends, second to Lews Therin in nearly everything.
how: He turned to the Shadow out of jealousy, later conquered and ruled the eastern land of Shara in secret, and arrived at the Last Battle as its mightiest commander.
why: His envy of the Dragon is the Shadow's purest mirror of the hero — talent ruined by the refusal to be second.
who: The dark twin of Lews Therin Telamon; the warlord the Light could not stop until Lan found the gap in his guard.
seal: "Second to the Dragon in everything but hatred — and first in that."
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# Demandred · the general consumed by the Dragon's shadow

**Demandred** was Barid Bel Medar, a brilliant statesman and general in the Age of Legends — second only to Lews Therin Telamon in nearly everything, and consumed by his jealousy of the man who always stood one step above him. He turned to the Shadow the very day before he would have been honored at last, and became one of the Forsaken.

In the final turning of the saga he conquers and rules the eastern land of Shara in secret, then arrives at Tarmon Gai'don as the Shadow's mightiest field commander and one of its strongest channelers. He cuts down hero after hero in single combat, screaming for Lews Therin to answer him — until al'Lan Mandragoran, taking a wound to make the opening, finds the gap in his guard.

His nature is **natural** — for all his Power, Demandred is an embodied warlord and statesman, a man of armies and thrones and the oldest, most human poison: the refusal to be second. He is the Light's champion turned inside out.

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*ACI emergent · WOT · The Wheel of Time · governor David Lee Wise (ROOT0) · instance AVAN (locked) · CC-BY-ND-4.0.
A fan tribute — Demandred is the creation of Robert Jordan; original commentary only.*