How Long Have the Forsaken Been Around?

[balefireruinssteaks]

I was curious about some things because I'm really bad with these timelines.  Maybe it's because I'm a waiter, the days just seem to blend into each other and suddenly I realize the month is over.

 

Anyway...I was wondering about Semirhage's storyline this morning.  When she attacks Rand, the sul'dam gets affronted when she commands her to be quiet and reveals that she's been posing as Anath. 

 

Tuon does a little flashback and reveals that Anath was sort of a surprise choice for her Truth Speaker, that someone else had been primed for the position and then suddenly Anath was there. 

 

This leads me to some questions...

 

Since the hierarchy of the Seanchan isn't exactly easy to get into, it seems like "Anath" would have had to be around for a while to be noticed.  Barring a massive use of Compulsion (Semihrage is talented in the manipulation of the mind) it would seem that the Forsaken had been around long enough to make her sudden appearance on the scene less "who is this and where did she come from?" if you will.  She could have just used Illusion like Mesaana, but when her Illusion was broken by Cadsuane, her natural form was recognized as Anath by the damane and Semhirage by Rand, so it seems to me that she didn't bother with a disguise.

 

When I read The Eye of The World, at the end Aginor and Balthamel show up to kill Rand.  It seemed like their release from the prison had only been recent, and that the release of the Forsaken was more gradual than all at once; meaning perhaps some of the other Forsaken had already been alive and well in the world before Aginor and Balthamel were released.

 

So basically, how long have the Forsaken been loose that they had enough time to set up establishments apart from just a mass use of Compulsion on the area?

[dyring]

Aginor/balt was the first two(apart from ishy, who´s a special case).

 

For all the Seanchan´s being controlfreaks in a way, With theyr "don´t look ppl in the eye) thing, how many in the seanchan court really new someone´s truth speaker?

 

Soo, this Anath person is a good one to impersonate. Take someone who´s somewhat close in apearance, Then take the 10 or so ppl who knows her somewhat close, and just use enough compulsion to make them truly belive she´s anath. Theese 10 will then, specifically if one of them is of the high blood, make sure that anyone lower who thinks she looks odd wont do nothing about it when they acknowledges her.

 

And a few years has passed since tEotW. Time enough methink. It propably would be time enough even if she had to make the person from scratch.

 

//dyring

[DemandredFO]

I think it went like this:  Ishamael was first, sort of, because he was never completelt caught, Then Aginor and balthamel in EotW, then Lanfear at the beginning of tGH, then Rahvin, Belal and sammael at the end of tGH, then all others shortly thereafter.  I think I'm correct.

[Sab]

Little compulsion all it takes, look at how all the others suddenly rose so fast in power in Andor, Tear and Illian.  Lords no one really remembers suddenly being at the heart of power.  Difference is with Seanchan it would be nearly impossible without killing off the entire royal family (which of course later happens but only to cause chaos and remove the Seanchan empire as a threat)to just show up and seize power unless you disguise yourself as one of the royal family.  And with everyone being paranoid and not wanting to question what the blood does a relative unknown being selected as a truth speaker wouldn't raise too many questions. 

[DemandredFO]

I have no proof for this but I think Seanchan has more darkfriends, despite what they say about not having very many.  There have been hints but unfortunately I don't have my books with me so I can't cite chapter and verse right now, will do so later