Althea was a sorceress, with a natural talent for prophecy. She was confined to a swamp, outside of the People's Palace and was the wife of Friedrich Gilder. She informed Jennsen Rahl of her pristinely ungifted trait, among other things. Althea committed suicide, soon after Oba Rahl visited her home seeking information and violence.
Biography
Early Life
When Althea was a young woman, she and her sister Lathea, were very close. They decided to journey to the Old World, in particular the Palace of the Prophets, so as to learn about their own respected areas of interest in magic. Lathea hoped to learn about the magic involved in healing, while Althea hoped to learn about her own unique talent for prophecy and the trait rarely passed down by a gifted Rahl to certain descendants, causing them to be pristinely ungifted.
While she and her sister stayed at the Palace, the home of the Sisters of the Light, Althea had audiences with their Prelate. On one or two occasions however, she was even allowed to meet with the prophet, Nathan Rahl. Althea learned from Nathan that her talent for prophecy was primitive to that of a prophet, but still useful. More importantly, Althea learned of a prophecy that gave her the choice of how her death would occur. By violence or her own hand. She learned that her death was important to the fate of the world and the future war.
Two hundred years Althea and Lathea stayed at the Palace, their aging having been slowed dramatically. Near the end of that time they met a young but powerful sorceress, by the name of Adie. Althea realized that Adie, seeing only with the aid of her gift, would not be able to see one who is pristinely ungifted.
Rahl's revenge
After leaving the Palace, Althea and Latea returned to the New World and made a life for themselves in D'Hara. The pair found themselves aiding women impregnated by Darken Rahl.
One such woman was the mother of Jennsen Rahl. Althea created an ingenious web that she placed around Jennsen, causing those who would feed Darken information, while mother and daughter were on the run, to always remember her being an infant.
Rahl realized Althea's deception and had her captured and brought to him. Using his dark talents, Rahl stripped Althea of her gift, leaving only her talent for prophecy. He then placed Althea in a swamp, filling it with monstrous creatures, created from her own magic, barring her escape.
Rahl made it possible for supplies to be given to Althea and for her husband to build a house there, so as for her to live a long, pitiful life. Rahl also did to Althea's legs, as he did to her magic; crippled them. Lathea, not being able to stand seeing her beloved sister in such pain, fled, never to return.
Prophecy fufilled
Personality and traits
Althea was a beautiful woman, for all that she appeared to be around the age of sixty. She had shoulder length golden blond hair, like the sunshine, with a little hint of gray. Her eyes were large and dark, showing intelligence and warmth, though they could turn hard and cold.
Althea was crippled, her legs appeared to have died, while her body remained. This was the work of Darken Rahl. Althea was intelligent, knowing much about magic and the pristinely ungifted trait.
Appearances
- Pillars of Creation (First appearance)