I think everyone made a big mistake is just taking it forgranted that one of the forsaken would have missed the cleansing and not been punished.
The way I see it, the cleansing of the taint was a hugely important act, but it wasn't everything. There is a reason why Shaidar Haran wasn't there, why the forsaken weren't opening gateways into the blight to bring out trollocs, fades, drahkar, etc. So we know that there are other things that the DO valued more highly than the cleansing.
So Taim is simply working on one of those.
Once you accept the fact that Taim can easily be a friend of the dark and still have missed the cleansing, there are many people he could easily be. I'm also on board for the Be'lal theory.
@Fan15801 - I also agree. In the first denial he specifically references Aes Sedai ability to lie and have it accepted as the truth, because you know they can't lie. When you say something ilke Mazrim Taim is not Demandred, you are assuming that Mazrim Taim is real. Mazrim Taim cannot be anything if he's not real. Demandred on the other hand can be Mazrim Taim.
I just think there's too much evidence for Taim being a Forsaken. Although I do like the theory about him being another non-forsaken channeler from the AoL, i just don't think it's the case, but that would be an interesting twist.
Profile: Mazrim "Don't Call Me Tame" Taim
in Theory Blog
Posted
I think everyone made a big mistake is just taking it forgranted that one of the forsaken would have missed the cleansing and not been punished.
The way I see it, the cleansing of the taint was a hugely important act, but it wasn't everything. There is a reason why Shaidar Haran wasn't there, why the forsaken weren't opening gateways into the blight to bring out trollocs, fades, drahkar, etc. So we know that there are other things that the DO valued more highly than the cleansing.
So Taim is simply working on one of those.
Once you accept the fact that Taim can easily be a friend of the dark and still have missed the cleansing, there are many people he could easily be. I'm also on board for the Be'lal theory.
@Fan15801 - I also agree. In the first denial he specifically references Aes Sedai ability to lie and have it accepted as the truth, because you know they can't lie. When you say something ilke Mazrim Taim is not Demandred, you are assuming that Mazrim Taim is real. Mazrim Taim cannot be anything if he's not real. Demandred on the other hand can be Mazrim Taim.
I just think there's too much evidence for Taim being a Forsaken. Although I do like the theory about him being another non-forsaken channeler from the AoL, i just don't think it's the case, but that would be an interesting twist.