Wheel of Time

The primary continent depicted in the series consists of three regions: the Westlands, Shara far to the east, and the Aiel Waste in between. The Aiel Waste is separated from the Westlands by a vast mountain range known as the Spine of the World. Connecting these three areas in the north is the eastern part of the Great Blight, a once-verdant land mass that has been corrupted by the Dark One's influence.

The series is set in the Third Age of a fantasy world in which the pattern of human existence is determined and maintained by the Wheel of Time, a cosmic embodiment of eternal return. The Wheel spins the Pattern of the Ages, manifest in both the physical world and human destiny, using the lives of men and women as its threads. Individuals with the power to influence and change the Pattern are called ta'veren.[1] The Wheel is rotated by a magical force called the One Power. The ability to access and wield the One Power is known as channeling, and only women can do this safely.[2] Artifacts called angreal amplify the One Power, with sa'angreal being the most potent, and ter'angreal limited to specific functions.