I agree Ishamael gave him some basic training... enough to be False Dragon. I believe Ishamael's plan was to use Taim as decoy Dragon. Rand he would turn to the Shadow or failing that kill and his soul seized, Taim would be the Dragon Reborn for the world to see. As long as Ishamael had Rand, it was a child's game to fool people... Taim goes to the Stone, Rand discretely picks Callandor, Taim comes out of the Heart with it and voilà, he's officially TDR to lead the world astray... the real Dragon serving the Shadow more secretely, if not in death.

It can't really be Ishamael who's behind Taim's rescue. That happened in TSR after his death. That's the BA, likely involving Mesaana and Demandred. Don't forget after Ishamael's death, Demandred immediately attempted (dixit Graendal) to take over as if he were all of sudden the DO's heir... He wouldn't be the only Chosen who tried to secure Ishamael's pawns and discover his plans and orders, Sammael notably dabbled in that too.

Aocording to RJ, the Taimandred red herrign wasn't a red herring, so it's quite possible he meant by that that Taim had other reasons to remind LTT and us the readers of Demandred than any intention by RJ to make us believe he was Demandred... in other words, RJ overdid it and we made connections he didn't expect us to make so early.



There's no evidence the transmigrated Chosen, none of them, was around so early. This all happened in LOC, when Demandred was the one passing the orders from the DO to the others and acting as if he were Nae'blis or about to be.



Scratch Moridin and leave only Shaidar Haran or the Dark One directly, and yes, it's quite possible it's how it happened. But that's pretty much what I'm saying from the beginning... I have no opinion whether Demandred did this on orders from above or if he got the idea himself...

The whole thing is fishy.... Taim was in hiding after his rescue with Bashere after him, and he miraculously heard of Rand's amnesty very early after Rand proclaimed it. Not only that, but it's as if he knew all along where he'd find Rand. Not bad for a guy on the run through villages and small communities in the Black Hills. That's what makes me firmly believe he was told to go to Rand... and given a Seal to buy his trust. Who's hunting for the Seals? Demandred.

When he was dismissed from Rand's side, he was very angry. By their next meeting, he was scheming, talking of recruiting. I think it's Demandred who saw the huge opportunity, not Taim. I don't believe Taim got all the men recruited, by the way. I think several recruits we'll find out were sent to Demandred, who used the system to build another army of channelers elsewhere (it may not be on the main continent). I think Demandred loved the notion that he would have a foot in Rand's army through Taim, that Taim would be in a position to destroy or steal Rand's army, but I don't believe Demandred sees the Asha'man as his army, but as a small infliltrated group. Demandred would be a bit in the position of Rand: even if he's involved in the BT creation, those men are Taim's men, and Taim has loyalty to Ishamael too and alas, Ishamael is unexpectedly back. Thus Demandred cut the ties between his projects and the BT. I believe Demandred was already building his army when the BT was created, that he began shortly after his release with never any intention to seize a territory or play the others' game; the BT became a side-project arising out of pure opportunity when the man he sent or was ordered to send to Rand was put in charge of training the channelers Rand was gathering.

And as I said, I believe Demandred has always known Taim was a pawn of Ishamael (like Sammael knew about Carridin and Shiaine), and the second Moridin showed up the game changed and Demandred knew Taim was now unreliable, if that didn't started earlier when Osan'gar showed up (Taim seems to have known all along Osan'gar was a Chosen). Demandred distanced himself. Sure, the Asha'man are powerful, but I'm sure Taim's faction will be perceived differently (ie: as smaller) once we get to know what mixed gender forces Demandred has assembled, and trained himself... people who've not followed a training and indoctrination inspired by Demandred's methods mixed with Taim's, but people totally dedicated to Demandred and answering only to him, with no concessions to the fact the Asha'man had to appear to be Rand's army and couldn't go "all Shadow". His own officers will be trained in tactics to use Shadowspawn and so on. For Demandred I think the BT was more like a pet project, dear mostly because that let him crush or steal Rand's core army before TG even began. I also believe Demandred expected Taim would serve under him no matter when TG came, the return of Moridin simply meant he would not merge the BT with his other recruiting projects down the line, because its loyalty was too divided. And now that Taim is raised Chosen - and I have few doubts this was done on Moridin's recommendation to the DO - that will even less happen. I think the DO wanted new Chosen, and it will turn out all those picked will be Moridin's protégés and pawns...

I don't expect there will be more than a few (maybe just two. I really expect Alviarin has been raised Chosen too), though that'd be cool if there would be just enough of them to get a bit of a Chosen's war going.