This incidentally casts a whole new light on the matter of Ishamael "pretending" to be the Great Lord. After the signs of merging in TOM (and by this I mean stuff like Moridin now hearing the DO directly in his mind, even outside the Pit of Doom), I wonder more and more if there is a physical aspect to this (and the link to Rand suggests there is one (it seems the TP.. ie: the DO, leaped through Moridin to latch himself at Rand's mind at Shadar Logoth, in effect catching Moridin in between(, and so does the "madness" derived from the Taint), and if there's one it could mean it wasn't madness that made Ishamael "half believe" he was the Great Lord. It rather suggests Ishamael was so far gone in the True Power before his death that he shared his mind with Shai'tan in a way very reminescent of Rand and LTT, and much the same way, it happened to Ishamael that Shai'tan kind of poke for him, that his words expressed Shai'tan's thoughts. This, in turn, might explain why Shai'tan created Shaidar Haran as a substitute, after he lost Ishamael as his "vehicle", and wouldn't get him back in this role for quite some time, until Moridin had used the True Power enough... which in turn might explain, as Demandred noticed, that Moridin is really going over the top in his use of the TP since his transmigration: lost ground to regain before the LB. We also know that Shaidar Haran is very limited in the ways he can interact with the world. Moridin makes a much better flesh and blood vehicle for Shai'tan. Of course, it would mean the whole thing about a Nae'blis is a sham, a temporary solution before Shai'tan was back in Moridin's mind to "guide him". If Shai'tan "knows" Ishamael as intimately as sharing many of his thoughts, and seeing through his eyes (or the absence thereof), it explains very well why he trusts Ishamael so much. In effect, Moridin would be all but mindtrapped by Shai'tan.