Jain Charin

Author: Kyria d'Oreyn

General

Jain Charin, also known as Jain Farstrider, is a noted Malkieri writer and traveler. He is the author and also subject of many books, such as "The Travels of Jain Farstrider", "Voyages among the Sea Folk" and "How Susa Tamed Jain Farstrider" (Glossary).

He is generally believed to be dead. Theories have been proposed that Jain recently appeared again under the name of Noal Charin, although the latter claims to be a cousin of Farstrider (KoD, Ch. 6).

His wife died of a fever while he was traveling the world (KoD, Ch. 6).

Timeline

• Around 955 NE, shortly before Malkier fell, he captured Cowin Gemallan and brought him to the Seven Towers in chains (TEotW, Ch4. 7).

• He published "The Travels of Jain Farstrider" in 968 NE. This is a book of travel stories and observations, (TDR, Glossary) such as adventures among the Sea Folk and journeys to the lands beyond the Aiel Waste (TGH, Ch. 31).

• He disappeared in 981 NE, after a trip to the Blight (Glossary).

• Nearly twenty years ago, Farstrider entered Stedding Shangtai. He was near death, though without any outward sign, but he recovered quickly. He intended to carry a message about the Dark One to Tar Valon (TEotW, Ch. 42).

Miscellaneous

• His Travels are very popular. Many people like them and they often appear in an inn's library. Who owns a copy: Tam (TEotW, Ch. 5), Basel Gill (He also owns "Voyages among the Sea Folk"; EotW, Ch36), Tiedra (TGH, Ch. 31), Ailhuin (TDR, Ch. 49), Tylin (ACoS, Ch. 21).

• His horse's name was Jeade'en, True Finder, because it was always able to find a way back home; Rand names his horse after Fairstrider's (TSR, Ch. 22).

• Rand remembers that the Travels are another source of information about Shara, aside from the Aiel and the Sea Folk, but he is sure those tales are too fanciful to be true (LoC, Ch. 17). Farstrider states that lying to outlanders seems to be inevitable for Sharans (Robert Jordan's World of "The Wheel of Time").

• He always wanted to look for the Tower of Ghenjei (KoD, Ch. 6).

• There is a tale about "How Susa Tamed Jain Farstrider" (EotW, Ch. 4); it could be possible that this is a story about him and his wife.

Quotes

"He said the Dark One intended to blind the Eye of the World, and slay the Great Serpent, kill time itself. The Elders said he was as sound in his mind as in his body, but that was what he said." (Loial about Farstrider; The Eye of the World, Chapter 42)

"Jain Farstrider, a hero," he twisted the word to a sneer, "whom I painted like a fool and sent to the Ogier thinking he was free of me." (Ba'alzamon; The Eye of the World, Chapter 51).

"And it shall come to pass, in the days when the Dark Hunt rides, when the right hand falters and the left hand strays, that mankind shall come to the Crossroads of Twilight and all that is, all that was, and all that will be shall balance on the point of a sword, while the winds of the Shadow grow." (From The Prophecies of the Dragon; Crossroads of Twilight, Header).

"He was a fool," Noal said grimly before Mat could open his mouth, though Olver did get his open, and left it gaping while the old man continued. "He went gallivanting about the world and left a good and loving wife to die of a fever without him there to hold her hand while she died. He let himself be made into a tool by--"

(...)

"Jain Farstrider was a great man," Olver said fiercely. His hands curled into small fists, as though he was ready to fight for his hero. "He fought Trollocs and Myrddraal, and he had more adventures than anyone else in the whole world! Even Mat! He captured Cowin Gemallan after Gemallan betrayed Malkier to the Shadow!"

(Noal Charin and Olver about Farstrider; Knife of Dreams, Chapter 6)