It was late in Cape Town. Stars shone in a clear sky, obscured only slightly by fragrant smoke from small braziers. The Wheel of Time crew had transformed an outdoor area near the studio into part of the Aiel Waste. Rustic tents filled the space, as did performers dressed as Aiel warriors. Nerdist joined two other reporters to observe al’Lan Mandragoran (Daniel Henney) battle Aviendha (Ayoola Smart), sword to spear.
The fight led to a moment of transformation for Aviendha: breaking the spears and going to RhuideanOpens in a new tab to begin her training as a Wise One. And now that the trials of Rhuidean are complete, the Prime Video adaptation of Robert Jordan’s books will head deeper into the Three-fold Land. Here’s what we learned about how the series is bringing the Aiel Waste to the screen.
What Is the Aiel Waste in The Wheel of Time?
The Wheel of Time TV series has already crossed the Spine of the World, the mountain range on the Aiel Waste’s western border. Rand al’Thor and his companions went right to Rhuidean, but they have more to explore in the harsh climate. A rocky desert, the Aiel Waste isn’t warm and welcoming. The exact layout of the Waste is unknown, but Aiel septs have established holds, or settlements across the land. In season three of The Wheel of Time, parts of the Aiel Waste were at Cape Town Film Studios. That includes the encampment where the Wise Ones broke Aviendha’s spears in the fourth episode. But the show also filmed elsewhere in South Africa to capture the Aiel Waste’s vast desert vibes.
Cold Rocks Hold in The Wheel of Time
Rand came out of Rhuidean marked with two tattoos, the sign that he is their awaited Car’a’carn. He has a lot to learn about his Aiel heritage, especially if he wants them to be his army, so he’s going to keep spending time among the Taardad Aiel. Their home is Cold Rocks Hold. Built at the film studios, the hold was surprisingly large with winding paths and stairways leading to small dwellings.
The set was nestled between massive faux rocks that production designer Ondřej Nekvasil explained were molded upon actual rocks in the desert location. Painters used those rocks as inspiration and spent a lot of time researching and testing the finish so it would look the same as the landscape on location. Nekvasil joked they had a “big rock factory.” They did start working on the rocks in July 2023 for filming in early 2024. Each rock was named, like “Section C,” to make assembly on set more straightforward.
Cold Rocks Hold has access to a small amount of water. The set design featured one wall where water trickled in and it was placed to always be in the shade. The collected moisture was used to keep a small garden room alive via irrigation. Fresh herbs and vegetables were fragrant in the shaded space, an Aiel greenhouse of sorts—a magical green oasis at the end of a passageway. The presence of water is why the Taardad are able to live in the hold.
While the wetlanders are in the Aiel Waste, Rand will learn more about his heritage. But also, Moirane and Egwene are taking lessons from the Wise Ones. Rosamund Pike noted Moiraine’s interest in their ability to visit the World of DreamsOpens in a new tab. She said, “There’s this affinity between the Wise Ones of the Aiel culture and the Aes Sedai. But of course what these Wise Ones can do, which very few of the Aes Sedai can, is they have these premonitions. They’re dreamers. They can see things in the dream, which Moiraine is starting to understand that this dream world lark is something that could be quite useful to her if only she was someone who was able to dream. Because you can get quite a lot done in your sleep, which for Moiraine would be ideal. So she could never stop working. Perfect.”
Moiraine may be more curious about the World of Dreams, or Tel’aran’rhiod, for her work with the Dragon Reborn, Egwene seems to have a natural gift for accessing it. The Wise Ones want to teach her. Madeleine Madden reflected how the events of season two influenced Egwene. What she went through was awful, but Madden said, taught Egwene she was stronger than she realized. Madden explained, “This is another really fascinating chapter, and it’s really wonderful to explore as an actor the concept of dreamwalking and entering Tel’aran’rhiod. You can enter this dream world at your own will, and you can also enter other people’s dreams from there. But it’s very dangerous. It’s been a power and ability that I’ve really enjoyed fleshing out and bringing to life with our other fantastic actors who play the Wise Ones. It’s been a really wonderful new energy to have on set.”
New episodes of The Wheel of Time season threeOpens in a new tab drop on Thursdays on Prime Video.
