Shayol Ghul

From A Wheel of Time Wiki

Shayol Ghul is a great black mountain, once an idyllic tropical island paradise and vacation spot, now the focal point of the Dark One's power. It is located in the lifeless Blasted Lands, a place which bore the brunt of the War of Power. Within the mountain is the Pit of Doom, accessible only by a narrow stone passage where reality is wet clay to the Dark One; teeth of stone may brush at an intruder's head or close on him entirely, or rise to give honor to a loyal servant of the Shadow.

[edit] The Pit of Doom

The Pit of Doom itself is a great lake of lava, the only place where the Pattern is thin enough to make the Bore detectable. The sky seen here is not the sky seen from outside. This is where the Dreadlords swore oath to the Dark One. The True Power of the Dark One is most concentrated here; any who dared channel it would be instantly incinerated. The Dark One resides, if the Pattern can be said to hold such a being. Here he can exert his will at full strength, even bending reality to a degree. Any who channel there without permission are punished. Some things are only possible here; these include the mindtrap.

[edit] Thakan'dar

Below the mountain is the great valley of Thakan'dar, where shadow-forgers forge the tainted swords of Myrddraal at the cost of human souls. Lightning flashes up at the clouds in this place. There is no life, and it is cold as the ice to the north, yet the place is dry as any desert. No man of the Light has ever seen Shayol Ghul and bore witness to the fact. Any who survived were turned or slain. Jain Farstrider was known to have tried, yet what he saw is unknown as he disappeared shortly after his return.

The Blasted Lands are inaccessible, for they are past the Great Blight. Entire armies have died fighting the Blight, and it is all the forces of the Borderlands can do to hold it back.