Rand, pushed to the edge by the madness of the taint and the weight of prophecy, makes a desperate gamble - an attempt to cleanse saidin itself, purging the male half of the One Power of the Dark One's corruption. The climactic scene at Shadar Logoth, where Rand channels immense power while nearly every Forsaken converges to stop him, is one of the series' defining moments. Elsewhere, Mat is trapped in the Seanchan-occupied city of Ebou Dar and encounters the woman prophecy has marked for him. Elayne works to secure her claim to the Lion Throne of Andor.