Pronunciation: MAT-trim CAW-thon

aka: Mat, Thom Grinwell

A ta'veren. He was born and raised in Emond's Field. His father and mother are Abell Cauthon and Natti Cauthon. He has two sisters, Bodewhin Cauthon and Eldrin Cauthon. See below for more information about [Mat's dice].

Physical Description#

He has a wiry body and brown eyes. (TEotW,Ch1) He is long-limbed as a stork. (TGH,Ch3) He is about 5'11" or 6' and about 180 pounds.

Chronology#

<!-- *Mat rides Pips into Ebou Dar to get information. He learns that Galgan is sending assassins, albeit poor ones, after Tuon. (AMoL,Ch11) -->

Other References#

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The Dice in Mat's Head#

Mat often feels dice tumbling in his head. It is not exactly clear what triggers them to start, but they usually stop at a crucial event or decision. Here is a list of references.

    1. TDR,Ch52 - Mat feels the dice as he plans to enter the Stone of Tear.
    2. TFoH,Ch42 - Mat feels the dice as he plans to leave Rand's camp near Cairhien before the battle with the Shaido.
    3. TFoH,Ch44 - Mat feels the dice as he leads his small group through the battle.
    4. TFoH,Ch51 - Mat feels the dice as he leads the Band(info) against Andorans in Cairhien. It is almost like a warning that there is a fight over the next hill.
    5. TFoH,Ch51 - Mat feels the dice after he kills Melindhra.
    6. TFoH,Ch54 - Mat feels the dice as Rand prepares to Skim(info) to Caemlyn.
    7. LoC,Ch47 - Mat feels the dice in Mol Hara Square(info) outside the Tarasin Palace(info). He knew that sensation well. "Sometimes he felt it when his luck was running strong in the gambling. It was always there when a battle was in the offing. And it seemed to come when there was a vital decision to make, the sort where the wrong choice might well get his throat cut." They stop when he enters The Wandering Woman(info).
    8. ACoS,Ch14 - Mat feels the dice after he follows Shiaine to the Chelsaine Palace(info) and learns that Carridin is staying there.
    9. ACoS,Ch16 - "The last time he had felt the dice rolling so hard in his head was just before he found himself with three hundred of the Band, a thousand of Gaebril's White Lions(info) on a ridge to his front and another thousand coming hard up the road behind him, when all he had been trying to do was ride away from the entire mess. That time he had avoided the chop by the grace of other men's memories and more luck than he had a right to. The dice almost always meant danger, and something else he had not figured out yet. The prospect of having his skull cracked was not enough, and once or twice there had been no possibility of such, yet the upcoming likelihood of Mat Cauthon dead in some spectacular fashion seemed the most usual cause." The dice do not stop when he meets Teslyn and Joline. The dice do not stop when he meets Tylin.
    10. ACoS,Ch17 - The dice do not stop when he returns to The Wandering Woman(info). The dice do not stop when he is attacked.
    11. ACoS,Ch21 - The dice thunder when he returns to The Wandering Woman(info). They do not stop when he meets Birgitte.
    12. ACoS,Ch22 - The dice finally stop when he agrees to move into the Tarasin Palace(info).
    13. ACoS,Ch28 - The dice start again the third morning in the Tarasin Palace(info).
    14. ACoS,Ch29 - The dice continue to tumble when he follows Solain.
    15. ACoS,Ch37 - The dice thunder as he goes to the six story building(info).
    16. ACoS,Ch39 - Back in the Tarasin Palace(info) the dice still tumble. The dice stop as the wall collapses on him.
    17. WH,Ch15 - The dice start up again when Mat thinks about leaving with Valan Luca.
    18. WH,Ch17 - The dice crash to a stop when Mat meets Tuon.
    19. CoT,Ch1 - The dice start up as Mat leaves Ebou Dar. They stop when Beslan and the Windfinders begin their attack.
    20. CoT,Ch2 - The dice start up again when Mat decides to talk to Tuon.
    21. CoT,Ch3 - The dice stop when Tuon and Mat agree to terms that she will not try to escape.
    22. CoT,Ch28 - The dice start up when Tuon rides past Seanchan in her wagon. They stop when Mat agrees to take her into town the next morning.
    23. CoT,Ch29 - The dice start up again the next morning. They stop when Mat orders Harnan to kill Renna.
    24. KoD,Ch6 - The dice start up, three sets this time though he does not realize it yet. "The dice had never before signaled a fight--battles, yes, but never a dust-up in the street--yet he walked very carefully indeed. The dice said something was going to happen, something fateful to Mat bloody Cauthon, but what? There had been times when the dice stopped and he still had no idea what happened."
    25. KoD,Ch8 - The dice stop when Aludra agrees to accompany Mat and make Dragons' Eggs for him. Another set stop when Mat gives Tuon the razor.
    26. KoD,Ch10 - The final set of dice stops when Mat agrees to help Thom rescue Moiraine.
    27. KoD,Ch25 - The dice start up again after they leave the road outside of Maderin(info).
    28. KoD,Ch36 - The dice stop when Tuon completes the marriage ceremony.
    29. ToM,Epilogue(info) - Olver opens Mat-s letter from Verin and discovers a warning about a Shadowspawn invasion of Caemlyn through the Waygate.
    30. AMoL,Prologue(info) - Talmanes feels more empathy for commoners since knowing Mat. He wishes he could be as inspirational as Mat.