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Mordrellen Mantear was the High Seat of House Mantear in Andor and the last monarch from that house to rule Andor. She reigned from 964 NE to 972 NE. Her death without a direct heir triggered the Third Succession War.

History[]

Mordrellen had four elder brothers, but was first in line to the throne as Daughter-Heir when she was born. She became Queen after the death of her mother, Queen Dolera Mantear in 964 NE.[1]

Her father had died the year before, after which Gareth Bryne was promoted to Captain-Commander of Andor and First Prince of the Sword. On succession, Bryne continued in this role under the new Queen.

The alliance with Cairhien[]

In 965 NE, the newly-crowned King Laman Damodred of Cairhien prosecuted a war with Andor for reasons that are not entirely clear, but possibly related to trade along the River Erinin. In 968 NE Mordrellen and Laman concluded a peace treaty. As part of that treaty, Laman's nephew and heir Taringail would wed Mordrellen's daughter, Tigraine, the heir to the Lion Throne. Although the treaty ended the war, the marriage was not a happy one; it is unknown if Mordrellen was aware of how miserable her daughter was in the relationship.

Disappearances[]

In 971 NE, Mordrellen's son Luc disappeared before his coming of age and formal recognition as the First Prince of the Sword of Andor. On the advice of Gitara Moroso, he journeyed north to the Borderlands and took part in a raid into the Great Blight, but was not seen again. Mordrellen and Tigraine were both heartbroken.

In the spring 972 NE, after giving birth to her son Galad Damodred, Tigraine likewise vanished, also on the advice of Gitara Moroso.

Death[]

Mordrellen was taken ill shortly after Tigraine's disappearance. Heartbroken with grief, she quickly died. With no surviving heirs, the Third War of Andoran Succession took place and the Lion Throne passed to Morgase Trakand.

Legacy[]

Mordrellen's daughter Tigraine traveled into the Aiel Waste. There, under the name 'Shaiel', she caught the eye of the clan chief of the Taardad Aiel, Janduin. Tigraine gave birth to his son on the slopes of Dragonmount during the Battle of the Shining Walls in late 978 NE. Thus, Mordrellen is the grandmother of the Dragon Reborn, Rand al'Thor.

After Mordrellen's death, House Mantear fell from grace and became only a middling house of not particularly great importance. In 999-1000 NE, during the Fourth Succession War, Lord Perival Mantear, the then-High Seat of the house, swore fealty to Elayne Trakand and supported her rise to the Lion Throne.

Spelling[]

The spelling "Modrellein" was originally used for this character in The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time and in earlier editions of The Fires of Heaven and Lord of Chaos. However, Robert Jordan appears to have later retconned this name to 'Mordrellen', likely to avoid confusion with the earlier Queen Modrellein of Andor mentioned in The Dragon Reborn. This new spelling appears in Crossroads of Twilight and in some later editions of the earlier books.

  1. The Wheel of Time Companion, Mordrellen Mantear.
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