Game of houses wheel of time

Ask Rosamund Pike to briefly explain her character in Amazon's new swords-and-sorcery fantasy series "The Wheel of Time," and she'll have a hard time stopping herself from excitedly chatting about who Moiraine is for five minutes. 

After a lengthy explanation of the complex mythology behind the 14-book series by Robert Jordan that inspired the new TV show, she wraps up her answer by saying, "If you want to be brief, just say she’s like Gandalf in 'Lord of the Rings' and forget I said anything else."

Pike and series creator Rafe Judkins ("Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.") say they're seeking to avoid barriers to entry for "Wheel" (first three episodes now streaming, then weekly): Satisfying book devotees and casual new fans alike is their top priority. 

More:'The Wheel of Time' and the quest to find the next 'Game of Thrones'-sized fantasy hit

Game of houses wheel of time

"'Gone Girl' was a massive bestseller," Pike says of her most famous film role, also based on a popular book. "But if we only made a movie that satisfied the people who read the book, the movie would have failed."

Introducing "Wheel of Time" to a broader audience is no small feat for Amazon, which has invested a huge sum into bringing the beloved fantasy books to life, and has already renewed it for a second season. Like "Game of Thrones," to which the fantastical "Wheel" will inevitably draw comparisons, the world of the series is vast and full of mythology, culture and politics. But Judkins wants fans to fall in love with the characters, first and foremost. 

More:The 10 best new TV shows to watch this fall, from 'Wheel of Time' to 'Muhammad Ali'

"The thing that’s always gotten people so excited about the book series and kept them reading for 14 books and a prequel book, is these characters at the center of it," Judkins says. "Even if it takes them a little bit of time to catch up to the mythology of the world that we’re existing in, that they can identify with these people at the center of the show and want to follow what happens to them."

With Pike and Judkins' help, we answer some of the biggest questions you might have about "Wheel" ahead of its Amazon debut: 

Game of houses wheel of time

Who are the major players in the 'Wheel' world?

The series is set in a world in which a select group of women have access to magical powers, but men can't tap into it without going insane and dying. When the story kicks off, an ancient evil (the "Dark One") is stirring and an ancient hero has been reborn into one of five young adults and friends from a tiny village: Rand (Josha Stradowski), Perrin (Marcus Rutherford), Mat (Barney Harris), Egwene (Madeleine Madden) or Nynaeve (Zoë Robins).

"At the center of (the show) are these five kids from a mountain village who are swept out of this place and out into the adventure of the world," says Judkins. "Finding out which one of them is the Dragon Reborn will hopefully let people, through the eyes of these five kids, see this giant and complex world that surrounds them."

Pike's Moiraine is an Aes Sedai, or a woman who can "channel" the "One Power," performing magic. Her life's mission is to find that chosen one, known as the Dragon Reborn, and deliver him or her to a final battle with the Dark One. She shows up in the tiny village and whisks the kids away.

"She’s a woman with tremendous sense of purpose, of honor, of mission," Pike says. "She’s like the best army general you could wish for who has got a true north and is not going to deviate. But along the way she might make decisions that not everyone will admire because she’s always got her sole purpose. And so she’s not all good."

More:'She's so shocking': Rosamund Pike finds her new role of a lifetime with Netflix's 'I Care a Lot'

Moiraine is accompanied on her adventures by her "warder," Lan (Daniel Henney), her sworn fighter and protector. 

Game of houses wheel of time

Who are the bad guys?

There are many other powerful women like Moiraine, but they don't all have the same goals.

The women who are Aes Sedai "all have different political allegiances," Pike says. "They’re divided into Ajahs, and Ajahs are like political parties. Moiraine is of the Blue Ajah, but it would mean that someone of the Red Ajah is very likely to be diametrically opposed to her."

Also in Moiraine's way are the forces of the Dark One, including eyeless "fades," evil humans and monstrous "trollocs" that resemble minotaurs and other human/beast hybrids. She also has to worry about the Children of the Light, an extremist religious group that hates the Aes Sedai and seeks to burn them at the stake as witches. 

Game of houses wheel of time

What does magic look like in 'Wheel'?

One of Pike's favorite parts filming "Wheel" was figuring out how she would show Moiraine performing magic.

"Robert Jordan describes it as channeling, which means it passes through you. So what is the cost of doing it?" Pike says. "I don’t want it to always look easy. Because I don’t think it always can be easy. ... The feeling of wielding the power is completely seductive. Almost like an elixir of very sensual (being) – a kind of total body state of pleasure."

Game of houses wheel of time

What is the game of houses in Wheel of Time?

Daes Dae'mar is a phrase in the Old Tongue which translates to The Great Game, but is more commonly known as The Game Of Houses. It refers to the political and social maneuvering employed by the nobility of various nations to gain status or wealth, or to cause the downfall of others they dislike.

Was got inspired by Wot?

The upcoming The Wheel of Time series is an adaptation of Robert Jordan's epic 14 book series of the same name. In fact, the series' first book was published six years before George R.R. Martin's 1996 novel, A Game of Thrones. The Wheel of Time directly inspired Martin's equally superb fantasy classic.

What is Cairhien based on?

Cairhien is thought by many to be based in part on France during the reign of Louis XIV, as well as Japan. Their bell-shaped helmets are similar to open-faced bascinets worn in the mid 14th-century. The city of Cairhien may be based on Caerleon, an important city in Arthurian lore.

Is Asoiaf inspired by Wheel of Time?

However, we're not talking about the books. We're talking about the show, and the TV version of The Wheel of Time is most definitely influenced by the TV version of ASOIAF. And sometimes the influence is pretty obvious, particularly in the premiere episode.