Mazrim Taim

[DragonSpawn]

I came across a though after some thinking recently. Many assume Mazrim Taim is a darkfriend why else train private troops, seperated from the main of the Tower and behave in the strange fashion he does.

 

I want to put forth another theory. As we know Mazrim Taim thinks very lowly of Aes Sedai, and in book 6, he even asks the Lord Dragon if he may go to Caemlyn and dispatch them (kill them) since their vicinity to his training farm (soon to be Black Tower) irked him.

And then at the end of book 6 again he publicly humiliates the Aes Sedai with his half famous quote, "kneel or be knelt." Also then capturing the Aes Sedai that assaulted the Black Tower, and practically enslaving them to degrade them, servitude to men. This in my opinion all points to a hatred, or emnity towards Aes Sedai.

 

Could it be that he might not be a darkfriend, but his goal even is just build his elite Cadre of 100 men, and with it assault the White Tower to kill all Aes Sedai. His views of Aes Sedai don't put this as too unrealistic or past him.

And knowing the Lord Dragons affinity or at least policy of inaction to Aes Sedai, he wants to keep him away from knowing his goal or peering too closely.

 

Mazrim Taim could just be a man with a score to settle with the Aes Sedai instead of just another normal darkfriend. This seem plausible?

[Bob T Dwarf]

Plausible? Yes.

[Guest Majsju]

If that is taim's goal, he is just as evil as if he had been an actual darkfriend, so it would not make any difference.

[Thor]

Yeah, it's plausible if he didn't tell all the df ashaman to kill rand.

[Bob T Dwarf]

If we admit the plausability of "Taim the Avenger", out to get retribution against them nasty women what done him wrong, then we have ample motive for his order to kill Rand.

 

Rand is the check on his desires. Rand is the one "coddling" Taim's enemies. By extension, that makes Rand an enemy too.

 

That need for revenge, and the inability to see beyond it, makes Taim a dupe for, rather than a willing participant in, the DO's aims.

[DragonSpawn]

Yeah' date=' it's plausible if he didn't tell all the df ashaman to kill rand.[/quote']

 

And how does that make him a df? As we know Rand is his main stumblestone to harrassing and exacting revenge on Aes Sedai. If Mazrim Taim weren't a darkfriend, perhaps he thought Rand just another false Dragon like himself deep down and didn't see any catastrophical consequences in killing him.

[Luckers]

Whilst his dislike of Aes Sedai is obvious, i dont think that it explains all his actions. Theres also the problem that he hasn't actually done enough if the destruction of the Aes Sedai is his hellbent goal... yes, when the situation arises for him to cause them some pain he takes it, but he has never specifically acted against them on his own volition. Even asking Rand to let him kill them was just taking advantage of a situation that has popped.

 

So whilst he obviously dislikes them, I don't think there is enough to suggest that he is hellbent on some sort of revenge quest.

[DemandredFO]

I think it is important to remember that Aginor is posing as one of Taim's asha'man and he may have gathered the Darkfriends, then made sure they know to be compliant for Taim. If this theory about wanting revenge on Aes Sedai is correct and I believe that it is quite plausible Aginor may have done something to feed Taim’s fire. I think a reason Taim hasn’t been more open in his aggression is that Rand is not dead and I think he would need more than 100 to take on the Tower.

[Gentled Ben]

None of this takes into account the fact that when Rand opened a gateway, Taim knew what it was, that Taim referred to the Aiel as the "so-called Aiel," and that he knew how to test men for the ability to channel, not to mention his "Let the Lord of Chaos rule" comment. He's clearly Forsaken trained, and that's likely where he gets his hatred for Aes Sedai. It's not like any of the FS like or even respect them. Cabriana wasn't feeling the love, and neither was Anaiya. Well, knowing Balthamel/Halima, Anaiya might have felt the love first, and RJ simply spared us.

[DragonSpawn]

True I get the feeling the Forsaken see the modern day Aes Sedai as retarded offspring of sorts.

 

But back to the point. We can take into account that Mazrim Taim several years Rands senior is a powerful channeler in his own right, how is it implausible for him to know how to feel men out?

 

As for his comments, you seem to forget Aginor was in the BT posing for quite a bit, all these little infos and saying might have manipulatively slipped to him from Daschiva. And in case asked where he knows such from, Dashiva always said he likes to read a lot and read many books. Also the darkfriend Ashaman don't necessarily equate that they are Taim's progeny, they could just as well be Dashiva's legacy to keep his watch on the BT as he tries to manipulate Taim. Who from most characters in the book barring the Seanchan has an almost unnatural hatred of women channeling, particularly Aes Sedai.

[Thor]

Taim knew about Daishiva and did nothing. Remember, he was angry when Rand picked him.

 

Taim is a Dreadlord, don't even know why you bother defending him, it's not like he's got any chance against Logain anyways.

[Nelm]

Didn't many of the other forsaken start out on the side of good and their displeasure caused them to turn. Simple fact is that Taim is power hungry. And he isn't going to be happy to sit in Rand or Logain's shadow. So his path to power?

[rochaid]

you seem to be missing that osan'ga/dashiva is dead.he was killed in WH in the cleansing scene.

 

yes many of the forsaken turned due to hatred and envy,but i believe mazrim was a darkriend before ever the forsaken were free,(well except for ishy obvioulsy).

[RobertAlexWillis]

I imagine that Taim was a darkfriend before the beginning of the Eye of the World. Prior to the cleansing of saidin, Ishamael had a unique bargaining chip for men who could channel. And given the timing of Taim's claim to be the Dragon, I could see him being set up by Ishamael as a counter-claimant to Rand to confuse the issue. Given Taim's age it is likely that he had been channeling for years before he staked his claim.

 

He he he ... maybe Siuan's story about Logain and the Reds is a fabrication, but maybe Taim was set up like that by the Shadow.

[Word]

That might be possible except for the fact that in KoD he said "Let the lord of chaos rule". Which we have seen said several times by forsaken and I assume is some sort of mantra.