I've got the parody bug out of my system. This means I'm never going to post the CSI:WoT segment I was considering ("given the blood spatter on that Tairen carpet...". This is no great loss.

So I'm posting some of my notes on the Forsaken. I hope that by laying out info about them - purely solid facts joined by a few suppositions - that we might collectively be able to fill in some gaps on what they've done and what they plan to do. I also highlight some outstanding issues and questions, like Taim's identity (it's 50/50 IMO that he might be a Forsaken).

The question of what the Chosen are up to still looms over the series as deeply as ever. In fact, I think it's only become murkier over the last 6-7 books. Early on, we knew which Forsaken had X plan to trap Rand in one place or another. We lost those luxuries, almost completely, after TFoH.

As it stands now, three of the Chosen seem to have no permanent location or power base - in the case of Moggy and Cyndane, these considerations seem irrelevant now. In fact, Moggy and Cyndane have greatly reduced (or more quiet) roles. Demandred is an utter mystery; he might be running the Borderland Army, leftover WC, the Black Tower, Murandy, or all and possibly more. Moridin's plans are so unknown that there cannot be more than pure speculation; it'll stay that way until we're finally given the answers. Arangar has plans, but no permanent power base, and we have almost no info on those plans. So yes, the Chosen are more mysterious now than they were before...

In the hopes of divining some things before the next book is published, my open Forsaken notes are below. Moridin receives no separate entry because it's all too speculative. Graendal information is included to add perspective on the other surviving Forsaken; also because her actions are nearly certain to have repercussions in the coming books. Information on earlier joint plans is included to help determine potential patterns of behavior. The 2 or 3 suppositions I make and questions I raise are open to debate, but I felt confident including them.

Help me flesh this all out, if you please...
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Arangar
-sent by SH to infiltrate and frustrate Salidar, keep the WT division going. Seems to have permanently lost this base of operations.

-Quite possibly sent Slayer after Rand. This is likely as she admits she's pretended to be another Forsaken, and Slayer raises gender issues when he wonders who gave him his new orders.

-KoD Ch3, has plans for Rand that will kill him...

-allied with Graendal, wants to use her spy network; Graendal won't like the use Arangar intends. This suggests the spies will (a) die, (b) be exposed, or (c) lead back to Graendal.
--only person besides Moridin who knows that Cyndane is Lanfear, insists despite her lower saidar strength.
--weak in TAR.
--did not send 100K Trollocs after Rand.
--possibly Taim? Returns to active duty 2 chapters before he does. Doesn't have the raw hatred that would make it hard for Demandred to fill that role.

Graendal
-in Arad Doman, caused confusion and chaos by usurping the government. Gave complex orders to Ituralde to fight the Seanchan. Quite probably dead now.

-in LoC, is part of the DO's plan with Sammy and The Trio, but Sammael is the odd man out. The latter part is directly stated by her: Sammael knows just enough of the real plan to keep him out the way. This is presumably why Sammael gets the call-box, to keep him busy with the Shaido.

-says to herself in LOC ch6, "She will be obedient and sow chaos till Demandred chokes on it." This could mean she's trying to hurt Demmy, or it could just mean that she's going to make so much chaos that she'll be made naeblis instead of him.

-In TPoD, is called out to Moridin, is told she works for him now. But if there was a specific Moridin plan at that time, we don't see it. Was it just to consolidate Moridin's command, or did he want something right then and there?

-In the Ansaline Gardens meeting, she set up the room. Why did she create 11 chairs when she knows 3 FS are dead? Did she think that Sammael is simply hiding? This seems unlikely given that she raided his stuff. Or that Asmo lives? She must surely have known 2 Forsaken are certainly beyond resurrection. Did she do it to screw with everyone, or to cover her own Forsaken imitation?

-In TGS, is told by Moridin to frustrate Rand and hurt his mind/feelings. The only *new* action this seems to have caused was some Domani being killed/hidden.
--has great DF contacts.
--plays games with the other FS, pushes their buttons whenever she can.
---at the meeting where the FS are prepped for The Cleansing, already knew about Rand's plan to cleanse saidin, and his use of the CK; Demandred thought her shock was faked.

Mesaana
-in White Tower, identity unknown. Runs BA, ran & divided WT through BA. May or may not still be in Tar Valon.
-part of Belal's trap for Rand at the Stone of Tear. Presumably mobilized the BA for this.
-plan to kidnap rand. This plan existed *before* The Trio joins with Graendal and Sammael on the DO's orders.
-possibly revealed Arangar to the WT rebels? Logical, as it's a BA who revealed new weaves to detect saidin. And this revelation happens after she was furious with Arangar for Egwene's capture. She also felt the Rebels would surely collapse, so choosing to kill Arangar would consolidate her power and eliminate a rival.

Demandred
-given the DO's plans in LoC. Nature of plans never revealed, but Dumai's Wells was quite probably orchestrated by him, at least partly. 3+ weeks after meeting DO, he's in TaR in Caemlyn's royal palace, but there's no real evidence to suggest why.

-charged with watching Rand, along with Osangar. This is revealed in WH, though *how* he was to watch Rand is unclear.
-pretty much nothing else is known. Dang.
--not Taim
--has "armies" and "rules," but which or what are unclear. As of TGS, his forces are gathering.
--insists on killing Rand personally, though it's not clear whether he'd settle for getting (e.g.) a Grey Man or Slayer to do it.
--does not recognize long-standing Ashaman like Flinn.
--does not recognize Elayne when he sees her.

Moghedien
-under Moridin's orders, goes to Altara to search for terangreal cache.
-under Moridin's orders, helps organize the DF.

Cyndane
-as Lanfear, seems to have been part of Belal's Stone of Tear trap; she set the Wonder Girls on their path to Tear.

-as Lanfear, planned with Asmo to teach & control Rand; this was prior to her TFoH plan below.

-TFoH plan with Rahvin & Sam & Graendal to trap rand, control him; Sammael was meant to be the bait.

-under Moridin's control, rallies/preps the DF.

-quite likely sent the 100K Trollocs after Rand. Most other FS complain that tracking the pattern to him is incredibly hard. Rand's location in Tear was hidden, but definitely known by one BA. Lanfear and Ishy seemed to be the only ones good at tracking via the pattern, so unless Moridin did it (which makes *no* sense) Cyndane is a solid candidate.
--little information is given on her post-Cyndane activities or whereabouts. She Traveled to The Cleansing from Caemlyn, and was talking to someone when she did so. No indication that her location or actions at that time were relevant.

Trio & Graendal Plan
-Extent of the plan is unknown, but Dumai's Wells seems to have been at least part of it.
-Shaido contacted and manipulated.
-Mesaana's White Tower Kidnap Plan may have been subsumed into this. BA from the WT meet with Shaido, so the links seem clear.
-Events South of Arad Doman (or of whole Randland?) point to Demandred. This claim is made shortly after Demmy shares the orders, so what could he already have done? Or was this a reference to the Seanchan, who may have been controlled by Semi, but directed (militarily) by Demandred?
-All on the DO's orders.
-Ashaman were likely part of it, but this is uncertain.
--Arad Doman seemed to play no part in Dumai's Wells, so Graendal's involvement seems curious. She seems to have orchestrated the Shaido and Sammael parts of it, but her involvement may have been with other parts of the plan...