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Gaul
Gawl [gɔl]
Nationality:
Aiel; Imran sept of the Shaarad; Shae’en M’taal
Year of Birth:
unknown, likely in his late-twenties
Gender:
Male
Hair Color:
Red
Eye Color:
Green
Other Names:
None
Article Author:
Master of the Deck
Page Contents
Basic Information
Actions During the Story (Spoilers)
Character Summaries (Spoilers)
Basic Information
Appearance
Green eyed, and darkly tanned, and with reddish hair, Gaul is a ruggedly handsome Aiel, strikingly similar in appearance to Rand al’Thor. Gaul is taller than Rand, and tops Perrin by a head. His long eyelashes are darker than his hair, giving his eyes the appearance of being outlined in black.
Personality
Unflappable as his society, the Stone Dogs, he shows great loyalty and stubbornness in his friendship and duties, and does not back down in the face of pain, danger, or hardship. Quick to laugh at himself and others, Gaul is something of a whimsical character, among the Aiel, and takes life as it comes.
Spoilers Below!!!
Actions During the Story
Actions Before the Story
Gaul was born 5-7 years before the events of New Spring to the Imran sept of the Shaarad Aiel.. He is slightly older than Nynaeve al’Meara, who was born in 974 NE.
New Spring
Gaul is not present in this book and has no notable mentions.
Actions Between the Books
Gaul lived in Hot Springs Hold in the Aiel Waste, where he joined the Shae’en M’taal, the Stone Dogs, as his society.
Eye of the World
Gaul is not present in this book and has no notable mentions.
The Great Hunt
Gaul is not present in this book and has no notable mentions.
The Dragon Reborn
During their hunt for He Who Comes with the Dawn, Gaul and his fellow Aiel companion Surien encounters Hunters for the Horn, Lord Orban and Lord Gann, near the town of Remen in Altara. Along with ten retainers, the Hunters kill Surien and capture Gaul, later putting him in a hanging cage in the town of Remen as a trophy.
When Perrin Aybara arrives in Remen with Moiraine Damodred and Lan Mandragoran in their pursuit of Rand al’Thor, he notices Gaul in the cage and later decides to free him on a whim. After being freed, Perrin and Gaul fight off Whitecloaks, Gaul accounting for most of their assailants despite being freshly freed from captivity and unarmed. The townsfolk later speculate if Gaul had broken out with his bare hands or chewed through the chain that held him.
Before separating, Perrin informs Gaul that He Who Comes with the Dawn is on his way to Tear. Gaul and Perrin part as Perrin makes to flee the city, and Gaul is later involved in the Aiel assault on the Stone of Tear. He encounters Mat Cauthon on the rooftops just before Mat blows a hole in the structure.
The Shadow Rising
Gaul leads the Stone Dogs who guard Rand’s bedchamber after he takes up residence in the Stone of Tear. During his time guarding, he escorts High Lords to see him, and politely permits Egwene and Elayne to see him, believing them to be Aes Sedai.
Rand asks some of the Aiel if they are willing to accompany Perrin to protect the Two Rivers, and Gaul is the only one who chooses to go. Compelled by the blood debt he owes Perrin for saving his life in Remen, Gaul agrees to Perrin’s request that he take Faile away if anything happens to him.
Along with Loial, Perrin, Faile, Bain, and Chiad, Gaul enters the Tairen Waygate, bound for the corresponding Manetheren Gate in the Mountains of Mist. He remains with Perrin, traveling behind the others, and commiserates with Perrin and his difficulties with women. Trollocs and a Fade attack and Gaul fights them off alongside the others with his spears. They exit the Waygate, pursued by the Black Wind.
While camping outside the waygate, Gaul mentions that he may be sent to Rhuidean, whether he likes it or not, and that Perrin’s yellow eyes do not bother him.
After three days, their party finds the ruins of Rand’s house before moving on to Emond’s Field and Winespring Inn. There they are met by Master and Mistress al’Vere, and Gaul asks her to allow him to defend her roof, giving her a golden saltcellar. Gaul leaves Perrin to his grief at the news that his family is dead, and later accompanies the party to the old sickhouse where they find Tam al’Thor, Abell Cauthon, Verin Mathewin, Alanna Mosvani, and her warders Owein and Ihvon. Gaul and the maidens are uneasy around the Aes Sedai, though he permits Verin to heal him.
Gaul goes with Perrin and the others to help free the Emond’s Fielders being held captive by the Children of the Light in Watch Hill, recruiting others to help along the way, those he and the other Aiel remain largely concealed from the recruits. Along with Perrin, Faile, Bain, and Chiad, they successfully free the prisoners.
On their way back to Emond’s Field, Gaul discovers trolloc tracks while scouting. It turns out to be an ambush but Gaul escapes unscathed but for a limp. When they encounter a Tinker camp, Gaul and the Maidens sleep elsewhere, rejoining Perrin and the others on the way back to Emond’s Field and the Winespring Inn. Perrin remarks to Gaul that Chiad had been talking about inducing him to play Maiden’s kiss, and thereafter the relationship between the two Aiel changes.
After it becomes apparent that the trollocs are getting into Emond’s Field via the Manetheren Waygate, Gaul leave with Loial against Perrin’s wishes to close to Waygate permanently. On their way back, Gaul is seriously injured, his thigh wounded, and must be carried on Loial’s back. They report to Perrin that there are thousands of Shadowspawn in the Two Rivers, despite Lord Luc proclaiming it is not possible.
Gaul is fussed over by the Maidens and tended by Mistress Congar, then guarded by Chiad as he sleeps. After a sojourn in the Wolf Dream, Perrin suggests Bain and Chiad accompany Faile to Taren Ferry to flee the trollocs, and Chiad decides to remain with Gaul.
During the battle with the trollocs, Gaul fights alongside Perrin, Chiad, and Verin on the northern perimeter. Eventually he and Chiad fight back to back, Gaul with only his knife. After they win, Perrin sees she and Gaul holding hands.
Fires of Heaven
Gaul is not present in this book and has no notable mentions.
Lord of Chaos
Gaul remained with Perrin in the Two Rivers following the trolloc invasion, during which time he taught Loial to dice and gamble. Gaul leaves with Perrin and Faile when they go to Caemlyn and then Cairhien along with a small army from the Two Rivers.
Gaul expresses his desire to marry Chiad, but that she does not wish to give up the spear.
While at the Sun Palace in Cairhien, Perrin avoids Berelain by going hunting with Gaul.
Gaul joins Perrin in rescuing Rand at Dumai’s Wells, and it is only he and Rhuarc among the Aiel who do not wear the red headband of the siswai’aman; when Perrin asks about the headbands, Gaul pretends not know what he is talking about.
A Crown of Swords
During the events of A Crown of Swords, Gaul accompanies Rand and Perrin to Cairhien, then later leaves with Perrin as he is sent after Masema in Ghealdan. Gaul and Perrin’s party is joined by other Aiel, Maidens of the Spear and Wise Ones, as well as two Ash’aman.
Before leaving Cairhien, Chiad outright tells Gaul--somewhat scandalously--that she does not want to marry him, and Gaul laments that he does not like Bain but would marry her as well if it were the only way Chiad would have him.
Path of Daggers
Whilst in Ghealdan, Gaul is the only male Aiel in the company who is not gai’shein. Elyas Matchera finds Gaul when the Aiel is out scouting, and Gaul returns to Perrin with the man in his company, admitting that Elyas was able to sneak up on him.
Winter's Heart
While looking for Faile, Bain, and Chiad after they are kidnapped by Shaido, Gaul leads the search party formed by Sulin and the other Maidens.
After successfully tracking the Shaido alongside Elyas and the other Maidens of the Spear, Gaul and his party are instructed to circle the city of Malden and attempt to capture one of the Shaido for interrogation, a task at which they do not succeed during the events of Crossroads of Twilight.
Crossroads of Twilight
With the Ash’aman Neald’s help, Gaul captures a Shaido prisoner and brings him to Perrin’s camp for questioning.
Sulin and Gaul scout the aqueduct that feeds water into Malden, and confirms to Perrin that it is deserted. Along with Tallanvor and Elyas, Gaul is part of the force that enters Malden through this aqueduct. When battle commences, Gaul reportedly kills twelve Shaido, and searches for Chiad alongside Elyas after they are victorious. He unintentionally takes both Bain and Chiad gai’shain.
While in Malden, he finds a copy of The Travels of Jain Farstrider, which he later gives to Perrin.
Knife of Dreams
Gaul is not present in this book and has no notable mentions.
The Gathering Storm
During the events of Book Thirteen, Gaul is with Perrin as they depart Ghealdan and confront the Whitecloaks under the command of Galad Damodred.
Gaul accompanies the scout Fennel to report to Perrin on what he observed with Basel Gill and the looming Whitecloak Army, then later scouts with Whitecloak camp with Elyas, who recognizes Gill. Gaul is with Perrin and others as they meet with Galad for the first time, and later follows Perrin around, ostensibly as a guard, but also in an effort to avoid Bain and Chiad, his erstwhile gai’shain.
At the parley with the Whitecloaks, Gaul brings Wise Ones, Aes Sedai and other members of the army as a display of force, and is later wounded when a bubble of evil manifests in Perrin’s camp. Later he accompanies Perrin to his trial, and is disappointed there was no battle.
WhilePerrin fights Slayer in the Wolfdream, Gaul remains behind while the bulk of the army Travels to Whitebridge, then goes with Perrin after he returns.
Gaul is present and watching while Perrin forges Mah’alleinir.
Though he does not attend the meeting itself, Gaul goes with Perrin into the Palace in Caemlyn where Perrin, Alliandre, and Faile meet with Elayne. He then goes with Perrin to the Happy Throng where he meets with Mat, and later helps Perrin and his army set up camp at the Field of Merrilor.
Towers of Midnight
When Perrin resolves to enter the Wolfdream to confront Slayer and aid Rand in the Last Battle, Gaul insists on accompanying him, saying that Perrin would have to kill him to stop him coming with. Rand opens them a gateway, and both Gaul and Perrin enter tel’aran’rhiod in the flesh, and Gaul promises that he will not fight Slayer unless asked to, or in order to escape.
While in the Wolfdream, Gaul and Perrin follow Graendal to Thakan’dar where she shifts into the real world. When told by the wolves that Slayer is in the Pit of Doom and Rand’s life is in danger, they go to confront him. After thwarting Slayer’s attempt to shoot Rand with a bow, Perrin shifts he and Gaul to follow Slayer, and they battle a group of red-veiled Aiel.
Gaul is wounded during the fight, but kills one of the red-veils while Perrin takes the other two captive. Lanfear appears and explains that the channelers have been turned, and Gaul slits their throats in an act of mercy. Perrin activates the dream spike around Shayol Ghul, and Gaul is healed by Lanfear at Perrin’s request. They leave to inspect Egwene’s camp at Merrilor, and Elyas sends Perrin a message that Hessalam/Graendal is near Rodel Ituralde’s tent. Leaving Elyas to handle Ituralde, Gaul and Perrin once again confront Slayer.
Gaul is set to guard the Pit of Doom from the red-veils while Perrin pursues Slayer, and remains there for a long time while Perrin loses his initial confrontation and recovers in the real world. While recuperating in Berelain’s palace, Perrin encounters Chiad and she asks after Gaul.
In the Dream, Gaul rebuffs Slayer’s attacks, laughing at the howling wind. He loses his shoufa during the hours spent guarding the Pit and replaces it with part of his shirt. Slayer wounds Gaul with a spear and claims he is a King and more than a Forsaken in the Dream. Perrin then appears and denies him, and Gaul flees from their fight.
When Perrin has defeated Slayer, he returns to the Wolf Dream to recover Gaul, and brings him to the Two Rivers camp to be healed.
A Memory of Light
Character Summaries
Special Abilities
Gaul is a dangerous and accomplished fighter with the spears, knife, and in unarmed combat. As a Stonedog, he is a stubborn and persistent fighter as well as friend, and will die before retreating once battle has begun.
Notable Possessions
Gaul has no notable possessions other than his Aiel weapons and clothing.
Legacy
At the end of the canon, Gaul had both Bain and Child as dutiful, if obnoxious, gai'shain, and was a loyal friend to Perrin Aybara, then Lord of the Two Rivers and husband to the presumptive Queen of Saldaea.
He taught Loial how to dice and gamble.
Previously indicated in the canon (The Shadow Rising), Gaul may have been a candidate for Chief of the Shaarad Clan of the Aiel.
In Other Media
Gaul has not been cast yet in the Amazon adapation of The Wheel of Time.
