Pronunciation: LOY-ahl, AH-rehnt, HAY-lahn
aka: Loial son of Arent son of Halan
An Ogier from Stedding Shangtai.
Physical Description#
He is almost ten feet tall. His nose is as broad as his face. He has pointed ears with tufts of hair. His hair is a shaggy black mane. His eyebrows are very long and hang down like tails. He has pale eyes. (TEotW,Ch36) He has a narrow strip of hair up his chest as thick as fur. (TEotW,Ch48)
by Richard Boyé
Points of View#
See Loial's chapter points of view.
Chronology (Possible Spoilers)#
- Elder Arent learns that Loial has a Talent for Treesinging and insists that he learn how. (TEotW,Ch42)
- A few years back, Loial meets some TuathaAn. They are very interested in his Treesongs, but the trees will not listen to men. (TEotW,Ch42)
- Loial leaves Stedding Shangtai to see the world. He stops in Cairhien. (TEotW,Ch36)
- Loial goes to Caemlyn and meets Rand in The Queen's Blessing. (TEotW,Ch36)
- He is playing stones with Basel Gill in the library of The Queen's Blessing when Rand enters and tells his tales of meeting Morgase and company. Master Gill and Rand leave him when Gilda comes in and tells them that there are Whitecloaks in the common room. (TEotW,Ch41)
- Rand introduces Loial to the other Emond's Field folks. He tells Moiraine about the threat to the Eye of the World. Moiraine asks him to lead them through the Ways. (TEotW,Ch42)
- Loial agrees to lead them through the Ways. (TEotW,Ch43)
- Loial leads them to the Waygate then guides them toward Fal Dara. (TEotW,Ch44)
- Loial leads them through the Ways. They reach the Fal Dara Waygate just in time to escape Machin Shin. (TEotW,Ch45)
- Loial and the others ride to Fal Dara. Ingtar takes them to Lord Agelmar. Padan Fain is brought in. (TEotW,Ch46)
- Lord Agelmar tells Loial and the Emond's Field folks the story of Malkier. Moiraine and Lan return and tell them about Fain. (TEotW,Ch47)
- Loial and the others ride through the Blight. (TEotW,Ch48)
- Loial and the others fight their way through the Blight and reach the Green Man's garden. (TEotW,Ch49)
- The Green Man takes them to the Eye of the World. Aginor and Balthamel arrive. (TEotW,Ch50)
- Lan, Mat, Perrin and Loial find a seal, the Dragon Banner and the Horn of Valere where the Eye of the World lay. (TEotW,Ch52)
- Loial sings the great oak tree back to health. He and the others return to Fal Dara. (TEotW,Ch53)
- Rand insults Mat, Perrin and Loial hoping they will stay away from him. (TGH,Ch3)
- He leaves with Rand to hunt for the Horn. (TGH,Ch9)
- Hurin leads Rand, Mat, Perrin, Loial and the Shienarans south. (TGH,Ch10)
- Hurin, Rand and Loial bed down by the Portal Stone. (TGH,Ch11)
- Rand, Loial and Hurin wake up in a different world. Hurin can still smell the trail faintly so they continue to follow it. (TGH,Ch13)
- Rand, Loial and Hurin continue south. Loial treesings a quarterstaff. (TGH,Ch15)
- Rand, Loial and Hurin reach the monument, but find a monument to a Shadow victory. They meet Selene. (TGH,Ch16)
- Threatened by more grolm, Selene leads them to another Portal Stone and Rand channels them back to the real world. (TGH,Ch17)
- When the Darkfriends arrive, Rand and Loial steal back the Horn and the Ruby Dagger. They head south with Hurin and Selene. (TGH,Ch19)
- Rand, Loial, Hurin and Selene ride south to Tremonsien. They pass the giant statue where Rand nearly succumbs to saidin. (TGH,Ch20)
- Rand, Loial, Hurin and Selene stay at The Nine Rings inn where they are questioned by a suspicious Captain Caldevwin. The next morning Selene vanishes and the others head to Cairhien. (TGH,Ch21)
- Rand, Loial and Hurin arrive at Cairhien. (TGH,Ch25)
- Rand gets Loial and they go to Thom's inn meeting Dena. Rand sends Loial downstairs so he can talk to Thom in private. (TGH,Ch26)
- Rand and Loial are attacked by Trollocs. Selene joins them and they flee to the Illuminators' chapter house where they accidentally burn the place down. Selene disappears again and Rand and Loial return to the inn. (TGH,Ch27)
- Rand and Loial go out to the city gate again to ask about Ingtar. While they are out the Horn and Ruby Dagger are stolen. Rand and Loial rescue Hurin. (TGH,Ch30)
- Rand, Mat, Perrin, Verin, Loial and Ingtar go to The Great Tree. Hurin reports that the Horn is in Lord Barthanes' manor. (TGH,Ch31)
- Loial accompanies Rand to Barthanes Damodred's party. He tells Rand that he feels a Waygate nearby. (TGH,Ch32)
- Rand, Loial and Hurin find the Waygate that Fain and the Darkfriends used, but it is blocked by Machin Shin. They collect Mat, Verin, Ingtar and Uno and return to the inn where they decide to try Stedding Tsofu. (TGH,Ch33)
- Rand, Mat, Perrin, Loial, Verin, Hurin, Ingtar and the Shienarans travel to Stedding Tsofu. They are met by Erith and encounter three Maidens. (TGH,Ch35)
- Loial waits outside while Rand, Mat, Perrin, Verin, Hurin and Ingtar meet with the council of Elders. Erith gives him a flower. They rejoin the others and go to the Waygate, but it is also blocked by Machin Shin. (TGH,Ch36)
- The party goes to the Portal Stone. Rand channels, bringing them to Toman Head, but four months are lost. (TGH,Ch37)
- Loial rides across Toman Head with the boys and the Shienarans. (TGH,Ch41)
- Loial volunteers to go into Falme, but Verin limits the number to five. (TGH,Ch44)
- Loial is with Moiraine, Min and the Shienarans when Rand wakes.(TGH,Ch49)
- Loial is reading, as usual, when Perrin and the Shienarans return with Leya. (TDR,Ch1)
- Perrin talks with Loial and Min. (TDR,Ch2)
- Loial helps clean up the damage caused by Rand's earthquake. (TDR,Ch3)
- Loial participates in the battle with the Trollocs. (TDR,Ch5)
- After Rand leaves, Loial volunteers to go with Moiraine after him. (TDR,Ch6)
- Moiraine, Lan, Perrin and Loial follow Rand out of the Mountains of Mist into Ghealdan. (TDR,Ch7)
- Moiraine, Lan, Perrin and Loial follow Rand to the village of Jarra. (TDR,Ch8)
- Moiraine, Lan, Perrin and Loial follow Rand across Ghealdan. They arrive at Remen and stay at the Wayland's Forge. (TDR,Ch33)
- Moiraine, Lan, Perrin and Loial take rooms at Wayland's Forge. Loial is delighted with his sung wood bed. (TDR,Ch34)
- Moiraine, Lan, Perrin and Loial leave in a hurry and board the Snow Goose heading for Illian. (TDR,Ch35)
- Loial and the others are on board the Snow Goose. (TDR,Ch36)
- Moiraine, Lan, Perrin, Loial and Faile arrive at Illian. Despite Moiraine's discouragement, Faile insists on joining them. (TDR,Ch41)
- Moiraine, Lan, Perrin, Loial and Faile arrive at the Easing the Badger inn. At dinner, six Gray Men attack Perrin. (TDR,Ch42)
- Lan, Perrin, Loial and Faile scout the area and find traces of Darkhound. (TDR,Ch43)
- Moiraine, Lan, Perrin, Loial and Faile flee Illian. They are pursued by Darkhound. Perrin kills one with an arrow and Moiraine balefires the rest. (TDR,Ch44)
- Moiraine, Lan, Perrin, Loial and Faile arrive at Tear. (TDR,Ch50)
- When Perrin goes after Faile, he asks Loial to guard the door. Loial says he will guard it with his life. (TDR,Ch53)
- Loial learns that he has been declared a runaway and that his mother plans to marry him off. Perrin asks him to lead him through the Ways to the Two Rivers. He agrees, but Faile tricks him into swearing to take her first. (TSR,Ch16)
- Loial leads Perrin, Faile, Gaul, Bain and Chiad to the Waygate. (TSR,Ch18)
- Loial leads Perrin, Faile, Gaul, Bain and Chiad through the Ways to the site of ancient Manetheren. They are attacked by Trollocs and a Fade, then the Black Wind. (TSR,Ch27)
- Perrin, Faile, Loial, Gaul, Bain and Chiad camp near the Waygate. (TSR,Ch28)
- After three days travel, they near Emond's Field. Perrin and Gaul go to the Winespring Inn followed by Faile, Bain and Chiad. Perrin learns his family is dead. (TSR,Ch29)
- Loial arrives. Marin takes them all to the old sickhouse where they can hide. (TSR,Ch30)
- Perrin, Faile, Loial, Gaul, Bain and Chiad meet Alanna and Verin at the old sickhouse. Tam and Abell join them. (TSR,Ch31)
- Perrin asks Loial to stay behind to watch Alanna while the others go scout the Whitecloak encampment at Watch Hill. (TSR,Ch32)
- Loial sends a report to Perrin via Faile that Alanna mysteriously disappeared twice while he was keeping an eye on her. (TSR,Ch40)
- Before he is Healed, Perrin summons Loial and tells him the Waygate is open again. (TSR,Ch43)
- Loial and Gaul leave to close the Waygate permanently. (TSR,Ch44)
- Loial and Gaul return after successfully sealing the Waygate. Gaul was seriously injured so Loial carried him most of the way back. (TSR,Ch53)
- Perrin, Bran, Gaul, Chiad, Loial, Verin and Tomas lead the forces at the north perimeter at the defense of Emond's Field. (TSR,Ch56)
- Bain, Chiad, Gaul and Loial remain in the Two Rivers with Perrin and Faile. Parents send their children to Loial who reads to them. (LoC,Prologue)
- Loial accompanies Perrin when he leaves the Two Rivers to join Rand. (LoC,Ch45)
- Loial becomes tired during the trip and takes a side jaunt to a stedding north of the road from Whitebridge to rest. (LoC,Ch45)
- Loial arrives in Caemlyn and is horrified to learn that his mother, Elder Haman and Erith are looking for him. He accompanies Rand to Cairhien. (LoC,Ch49)
- Loial spends nearly all his time enjoying the Royal Library. (LoC,Ch50)
- Faile and Loial play stones when Perrin is around. Loial is deeply troubled that they are fighting. (LoC,Ch51)
- Faile and Loial still play stones until the news of Rand's kidnapping. (LoC,Ch53)
- Gaul and Loial accompany Perrin as he sets out in pursuit of Rand. (LoC,Ch54)
- Loial reluctantly fights in the battle at Dumai's Wells. He is deadly with his huge axe. (LoC,Ch55)
- Loial urges Perrin to find Rand and have him do something about the tensions between all the factions following Dumai's Wells. (ACoS,Ch1)
- He can barely stand all the death. Still, he bugs Rand for his account of the battle for his book. (ACoS,Ch2)
- Loial accompanies Rand to Cairhien. He offers sympathy to Perrin (worrying about Faile) and says he would worry about Erith, too. (ACoS,Ch3)
- He suffers a ta'veren attack and says he wants to marry Erith. (ACoS,Ch4)
- Loial accompanies Rand to the Sun Palace Grand Hall. (ACoS,Ch5)
- He goes with Rand to look for Berelain. (ACoS,Ch6)
- Loial meets Perrin after his fight with Rand. He asks Perrin and Faile to come with him and Karldin to visit all the stedding. (ACoS,Ch27)
- Karldin and Loial visit all the stedding except Stedding Shangtai and convince all but those in the Borderlands and the Shadow Coast to post guards at the Waygates. (CoT,Ch24)
- Karldin and Loial return to the Sun Palace and learn that Rand is gone and Dobraine is critically wounded. (CoT,Prologue)
- Guided by the missing Aes Sedai's Warder, Logain Travels to find Rand accompanied by Bashere and a hundred of his horsemen, a half dozen other Asha'man, eight Aes Sedai including Toveine, Gabrelle and Samitsu, Loial and Karldin. (CoT,Ch24)
- Loial reports to Rand about their success with the stedding. Rand sends Bashere, Logain and Loial to negotiate a truce with the Seanchan (People). (CoT,Ch24)
- Bashere, Logain and Loial discuss a truce with the Seanchan (People), but High Lady Suroth wants Rand to meet the Daughter of the Nine Moons. (CoT,Epilogue)
- Loial is in a panic when Elder Haman, Covril and Erith arrive at Lord Algarin's manor. (KoD,Ch18)
- Elder Haman marries Erith and Loial on the spot. Covril wants to return immediately to Stedding Shangtai to argue for opening the Book of Translation. Loial is aghast and wants to argue against it. They see Trollocs coming and pick up axes and long knives. (KoD,Ch19)
- After the battle, Loial tells Rand he must return to Stedding Shangtai for the Great Stump. Elder Haman offers to take up his quest to finish closing the Waygates. (KoD,Ch20)
- Rand Travels to Stedding Shangtai to drop off Loial, Erith and Covril. (KoD,Ch21)
- Covril allows Loial to be the last speaker at the Great Stump at Stedding Shangtai arguing to not open the Book of Translation, to help humanity fight the Shadow. (ToM,Prologue)
- Loial arrives at the Field of Merrilor and tells Perrin that he is now married to Erith. (AMoL,Ch7)
Other References (Possible Spoilers)#
- In The Eye of the World
- TEotW,Ch42 - Loial is from Stedding Shangtai.
- TEotW,Ch42 - Loial has a talent for treesinging. He tried to teach it to TuathaAn but the trees would not listen to men.
- TEotW,Ch48 - Loial has a hard time with the heat of the Blight. Stedding Shangtai is in the mountains, and cool.
- In The Great Hunt
- In The Shadow Rising
- In Lord of Chaos
- LoC,Ch20 - Elder Haman, Covril and Erith come to Caemlyn looking for Loial. Rand tells them that he is in the Two Rivers and takes them there to look for him.
- LoC,Ch45 - Perrin tells Rand that Loial will be coming shortly. He stopped to rest at a stedding.
- LoC,Ch52 - Egwene tells Nynaeve and Elayne that Perrin and Faile are married and are in Cairhien. Loial and Min are there, too.
- LoC,Ch53 - Faile and Loial are both very good at stones. They are evenly matched.
- In A Crown of Swords
- In Winter's Heart
- WH,Ch18 - The Ogier Gardeners with the Seanchan (People) are totally different than Loial.
- In Knife of Dreams
- In The Gathering Storm
- In Towers of Midnight