I not only agree with your Arangar theory, I think it is undoubtedly true... - Edit 1
Before modification by Shannow at 06/12/2009 11:56:23 AM
That Aran'gar disguised herself as Demandred to send the DF Asha'man. That would explain her thought at the Forsaken Garden Party in KoD that someone played her game, after hearing that someone posed as Sammael. It seems unlikely that Demandred is closely connected with the BT, because he is astonished that a man like Flinn can be an Asha'man, and Osan'gar was at the BT.
Regardless if that is correct, I think it just shows that the DF Asha'man were naturally very dedicated to kill Rand, after they got their last chance to achieve it (if they fail, they are dead).
Regardless if that is correct, I think it just shows that the DF Asha'man were naturally very dedicated to kill Rand, after they got their last chance to achieve it (if they fail, they are dead).
I think that Demandred's statement in tGS, that he would have claimed Semirhage's life if she killed Rand in his stead, proves that he has never sent henchmen to kill Rand. He wants to do that himself.
So I think we can undoubtedly say he didn't send Rochaid and Kisman, and he isn't Slayer's patron either.
In my view, both of those commands were given by Arangar.
But I do not think this discounts Demandred as being involved with the Black Tower. We know he had to be the one behind Taim, since Moridin was still dead at this time.
So Demandred used Taim as a proxy, and Kisman and Rochaid and the gang as well, to take over the Black Tower. I just think that Demandred didn't get his hands dirty here, and therefore didn't spend time mixing with the common Ashaman like Flinn.
That still doesn't preclude Demandred from pulling the strings on Taim and his henchmen from afar.
Evidence of this, in my mind, is Taim's unhappiness when Rand picked Dashiva to accompany him. Dashiva is Moridin's figure at the Black Tower, while Taim reports to Demandred.
Hence Taim's unhappiness that Dashiva - over whom he has no influence - gets to accompany Rand everywhere.