From Ishy to Mori

[udbabor520]

What happened? Before the new body he was crazy, after the new body he is so calm.

 

Any explanation?

[Tsukibana]

Taint is in the brain, not the soul. Otherwise Rand would've been batshit at birth.

[Sabio]

Exactly, he was still a bit crazy even in the new body but that's comes from his pretty much just using the true power, but when he died his old thinking he was the DO craziness was gone.

[warsong]

Ishy grew more and more desperate as his attempts to turn Rand failed.  In book one Rand had burned Ishy with the one power and in book two Rand stabbed him in the chest with a power wrought weapon. I do not think Ishy was trying to kill Rand in either case. A staff to the side is not a killing blow. By the end book three, Ishy tried to kill Rand, but Rand triumphed again and finally killed the Betrayer of Hope.

 

Or possibly the continual use of the True Power took it's toll.  Remember the use of the True Power has negative effects...

Which is why even many of the forsaken were not willing to use it to any great degree.

 

Either way,  Moridin had a new lease on life and was granted greater control of the Forsaken by the Dark One. Two mind traps, Shaidar Haran to handle the loose ends and Rand on a downward spiral all combined to give Moridin a sense of security that Ishy never had.

[KnightofMight19]

I'm pretty sure the Dark One would've been pretty pissed at Ishamael at (A): Believing he was the Dark One. (B): Failing numerous times at trying to turn Rand. So I think the Dark One did some crazy stuff to to put Moridin back on the straight and narrow. After doing that, He promises Elan/Ishamael (Don't know which name would be correct when talking about his spirit) that He will give him release if he commands the other Forsaken until the Last Battle is over. My theory anyway.

[Nick Trano]

Doubt the Dark One cares what Ishamael believes. After all, he's fine with the Forsaken believing he'll give them special treatment after he destroys the world isn't he? I think Warsong's explanation is most likely. 

[udbabor520]

Ishy grew more and more desperate as his attempts to turn Rand failed.  In book one Rand had burned Ishy with the one power and in book two Rand stabbed him in the chest with a power wrought weapon. I do not think Ishy was trying to kill Rand in either case. A staff to the side is not a killing blow. By the end book three, Ishy tried to kill Rand, but Rand triumphed again and finally killed the Betrayer of Hope.

 

Or possibly the continual use of the True Power took it's toll.  Remember the use of the True Power has negative effects...

Which is why even many of the forsaken were not willing to use it to any great degree.

 

Either way,  Moridin had a new lease on life and was granted greater control of the Forsaken by the Dark One. Two mind traps, Shaidar Haran to handle the loose ends and Rand on a downward spiral all combined to give Moridin a sense of security that Ishy never had.

 

Never thought of that before. Thanks!

[Sabio]

I think Ishy always had the sense of security, after all look at all he had accomplished as the other forsaken were still trapped.  Even before he died as Ishy he seemed to be in charge.  He died and the DO put him back in charge of the others.  I just think he was too insane towards the end to realize it.  More then likely as he kept getting spun out he was using the TP, towards the end he was using it exclusively.  Dying and being brought back as Moridin granted him sanity he hadn't had in a long time.  I think the big key is by dying most of the insanity from using the TP went poof, so as Moridin he probably was a lot more clear headed.  Not to mention out of all the forsaken he was the most reliable.   Besides Ishy I think only Dem never got punished for something in the series.

[Barid Bel Medar]

Yes, the TP definitely played a big part (perhaps not all). The TP leads to insanity and then death. At the time Ishamael had spent roughly 3000 years of intermittent life using the TP, and developed the fire-eyes etc... which is a very advanced stage of the TP's affects (goes from the Saa -> fire eyes -> dead). 

 

Ishamael, as suggested, always felt secure. His goal was never to win power or compete. His wish was total oblivion, and that kind of nihilism grants one a certain amount of security and comfort, so that was never an issue I don't think. Ishamael's goals were closely aligned to that of the DO's, and the DO trusted him most - that was never in doubt. 

 

The one thing I differ with Sabio, is Ishamael was punished, as we see him say in aMoL. His punishment for failing royally in the first 3 books was to be resurrected as Moridin. He wanted to be left dead. The DO brought him back to serve his time to the end. 

So the TP is the greatest cause of his insanity. Moridin is still insane, but not as much since he was brought down from his fire-breathing status. 

[Sabio]

True Ishy saw being brought back as a punishment but not sure if the DO did it as a punishment or simply that he needed Ishy.  I think the DO saw it more as a cruel joke, bringing ishy back to promise him oblivion and knowing he was never going to grant it.

[udbabor520]

Thanks again for your interesting responses!

[Orderofolde]

What happened? Before the new body he was crazy, after the new body he is so calm.

 

Any explanation?

What most others said...it was his physical brain not his soul that was mad.  Once he was put into a new body, mind was sound once again and he was embarrassed that he had actually thought himself the Dark One.