Re: Moridin didn't EXIST when Taim first arrived in Caemlyn... - Edit 1
Before modification by Shannow at 06/12/2009 07:25:40 PM
Taim cannot be Moridin. Moridin wasn't reborn when Taim first appeared in Caemlyn because if he was, then the LoC plan would not have been communicated to Demandred, but to Moridin himself. And Moridin would have told the rest about it, not Demandred.
And since Graendal states that Moridin is now spending all his time in the Blight, how is he posing as Taim? And is Taim falling over and throwing up each time Rand channels?
It is ludicrous to still believe that Taim is Moridin.
As for the livery, who is to say that this isn't the general livery of the Shadow now? Certainly Taim's Fist and Lightning banner is the exact same one that Sammael used.
As for the Let the Lord of Chaos Rule statement, it was DEMANDRED who was the original proponent of that plan, if you recall.
I think Taim has been reigned in by Moridin in the same way that ALL of the Chosen have been reigned in. But the fact remains that Moridin wasn't around when the Tower was founded, and he would hardly have sent Dashiva there if he was already posing as Taim himself.
And since Graendal states that Moridin is now spending all his time in the Blight, how is he posing as Taim? And is Taim falling over and throwing up each time Rand channels?
It is ludicrous to still believe that Taim is Moridin.
As for the livery, who is to say that this isn't the general livery of the Shadow now? Certainly Taim's Fist and Lightning banner is the exact same one that Sammael used.
As for the Let the Lord of Chaos Rule statement, it was DEMANDRED who was the original proponent of that plan, if you recall.
I think Taim has been reigned in by Moridin in the same way that ALL of the Chosen have been reigned in. But the fact remains that Moridin wasn't around when the Tower was founded, and he would hardly have sent Dashiva there if he was already posing as Taim himself.
Who else has the black and red livery besides Moridin? They are mentioned again in TGS, and Moridin even adorns his servants, Moghedien and Cyndane in them. None of the other Chosen wear those colours. It's a very strong hint regarding the Black Tower that Taim's palace is decked in those colours.
We don't know when Moridin was reborn, but by the time he appeared he already had saa. Just because he revealed himself at some point doesn't mean he was reborn at that point too. I find it amusing reading that Demandred was the proponent of the Lord of Chaos plan. Even Graendal was called to Shayol Ghul at that time and she believed she was offered the position of Nae'blis. Whatever Demandred has ever known in the Shadow, Ishamael/Moridin has known first. Ishamael released the Lord of Chaos plan in the War of Power, and the other Chosen are smug because 3,000 years later they finally understand what it means.
I don't think there's much point debating this aspect of the series. RJ and Brandon mark Moridin's presence with red/black as surely as a fingerprint. Taim may not be Moridin as linda_sedai believes, but he's one of his minions and he commands the Tower.
A workable scenario is that Taim was turned by 13 Myrdraal and held in the Blight for a while to be trained in Age of Legends weaves. I don't recall when Taim was first captured, but I recall a reference to him by some Black Ajah members some time in the early books, when they were plotting to capture and turn him.
However, assuming this happened sometime in the Great Hunt, this left VERY little time for Ishamael to train him, before he was killed by Rand.
So, for all the time that passed during tDR, tSR and FoH, another male Forsaken had to have been training Taim. Who it was remains open to speculation, but we do know it couldn't have been Aginor, Balthamel or Ishamael.
It is also unlikely that it was Asmodean, while we know that Sammael, Be'lal and Rahvin scrambled to get control of nation states in preperation for Tarmon Gaidon.
So who is left?
If Taim's mannerisms in LoC are indicative of AOL training, the timeframe is wrong for Ishamael to have been the one responsible for it.
Demandred cannot be everywhere. I have already posted theories stating that he is in Murandy, the Land of the Madmen and in Shara. It is certainly conceivable that he didn't have time to spend on the Black Tower.
I just find it interesting that Moridin himself would personally get involved with the Black Tower, since they aren't necessarily a more important resource to the Shadow than the Seanchan or the White Tower or the Salidar Aes Sedai would be.
In any case, Moridin might well be the one controlling Taim now, but he definitely did not have the opportunity to train Taim during the period between tGH and LoC. Someone else had to have taken care of that.