Loial

Loial
Biographical Information
Date of birth	908 NE
Current status	Alive
Physical description
Race	Ogier
Gender	Male
Height	Tall
Hair	Black, shaggy
Eyes	Pale
Chronological and political information
First appeared	TEOTW 36
Last appeared	AMOL Epilogue
Occupation	Treesinger

To anger an Aes Sedai is to put your head in a hornet's nest.

Loial, quoting a proverb

To anger an Aes Sedai is to put your head in a hornet's nest.
— Loial, quoting a proverb

Loial (pronounced: LOY-ahl) son of Arent son of Halan is an Ogier born and raised in Stedding Shangtai.

Appearance

He stands tall, almost ten feet, and like all Ogier his face has a broad, almost snout-like nose, and eyebrows that hang down like tails framing pale eyes as big as teacups. His ears poke up to tufted points through shaggy black hair, and twitch when his emotions are running high. His voice is as deep as a drum. His smile splits his face in two, and shows teeth as broad as chisels. His fingers are broad enough for three, on hands big enough for hams. He is considered young amongst Ogier, at about ninety years old.

He has just recently tried to grow a mustache and beard. He has fine hair on his top lip, with a patch of hair on his chin.

History

Hasty for an Ogier, he is said to act an hour before he thinks. He loves books and reading, never being anywhere without a book. The fastest runner in Stedding Shangtai, he once outran a horse. As his name suggests, he is loyal to his friends. He believes firmly in life, and the preservation of it, especially trees. He is one of the most gifted treesingers in many years.

Relationships

Loial is son of Covril (mother) and Arent (father). By Ogier naming conventions, his paternal grandfather is Haran and his maternal grandmother is Ella. Similarly his maternal great-grandmother is Soong. His teacher is Elder Haman, who is also his uncle through marriage to his mother's sister.

He is married to Erith.

Activities

Flight to the Two Rivers

Leaving the stedding before he was of an age to do so, he traveled to the great cities to view the Ogier groves, but found the Cairhienen grove degenerated into a common forest, the Caemlyn and Tairen groves destroyed, and the Illianer grove inaccessible (it is part of the king's park and hunting grounds). In Caemlyn, he met Rand al'Thor while in the Queen's Blessing inn. Knowing the Ways, and able to read them, he joined Rand's group and guided them them to Fal Dara.

He traveled into the Blight with Rand's group, where they met the Green Man. Loial was deeply saddend by death of the Green Man. He sang to the oak tree that sprouted from Someshta's death, making it healthier and stronger, in the hope that the Blight would not overcome it.

He traveled with Ingtar Shinowa, following Padan Fain to Falme. He then followed Rand to Tear with Moiraine Damodred, Lan Mandragoran, and Perrin Aybara. From there he assisted Perrin through the Ways to the Two Rivers and helped him purge the district of Shadowspawn. While in the Two Rivers, he closed and locked the Waygate at Manetheren permanently. During the Battle of Emond's Field, he wielded two wood axes to fight the Trollocs.

During his adventures with Rand, Matrim Cauthon, and Perrin, he decided to write a book about the events unfolding around the ta'veren. He often spent confrontations and battles feverishly writing in his notes.

Always fearful of being married off, he continually worried about his mother, Covril, finding him. Even though he found Erith of Stedding Tsofu very attractive, he didn't like to admit it too loudly.

Dumai's Wells

After returning from the Two Rivers, he stops at a stedding to recuperate and then reunites with Rand and Perrin again in Caemlyn. When tension arises between Faile Bashere and Perrin in Cairhien, Loial is caught in the middle.

Loial Portrait by Seamus Gallagher

When he finds out Rand has been kidnapped by the White Tower, he leaves with Perrin to find him. He fights alongside Perrin and Aram at the Battle of Dumai's Wells.

Loial from the CCG

Warning the Elders

Later, he began Traveling with the Asha'man Karldin Manfor from stedding to stedding to warn the Ogier Elders that Shadowspawn were using the Ways.

He arrived back in Cairhien with Karldin looking for Rand. They arrived on the scene shortly after Dobraine Taborwin was stabbed and nearly murdered in his chambers. He found a note indicating the assailants were looking for something.

He then Traveled with Davram Bashere and Logain Ablar to find Rand in Tear. He reported to Rand that the Borderland and Shadow Coast stedding ignored him, but everyone else were now guarding their Waygates. Rand sent Loial, Davram, and Logain to arrange a meeting between himself and the Seanchan.

Loial from the WoT comic

Loial's mother Covril finally caught up with him at Algarin Pendaloan's mansion in Tear. There, she made sure Elder Haman married Loial and Erith. After the Trollocs attacked the mansion, Loial convinced his mother that he needed to speak to the Great Stump about Ogier joining forces with humankind for Tarmon Gai'don, rather than using Book of Translation to flee to another world. Loial's mentor, Elder Haman, concurred with him and believed Loial had the makings of a great scholar.

The Last Battle

Following the conclusion of the Great Stump, Loial and all the Ogier arrived at the Field of Merrilor. There, they saw the Great Trees that Rand grew during his signing of the Dragon's Peace. The Ogier pledged to fight alongside humankind at the Last Battle. Loial and the rest of the Ogier fight with Queen Elayne Trakand's army and the Children of the Light. In combat, the Ogier sing a terrifying death song, hacking fiercely at Trollocs around them.

In the television series

• In the TV series, Loial^↗ is played by actor Hammed Animashaun^↗.