This is a subject that has made me annoyed for a long time. I have been waiting on Rand to do something so obvious that it truely annoys me that this hasn't happened yet. What am I talking about?
When Rand decided to create the Black Tower with men that can channel, he should have tested the Aiel, but he hasn't done this yet. In fact, he addresses the issue with the Seafolk in TGS before addressing it with the Aiel where his control is much greater. He asks the Seafolk what they are doing to men that channel. He is alarmed at their answer and angry that they haven't changed even though he has cleansed the taint.
However, what the Aiel do is little better and maybe worse since it could provide a steady source of Dreadlords to the Dark One. For men that start to channel, the Aiel send them to the Blight to fight the DO. It would be a simple matter for any Forsaken to capture an Aiel male channeler that went to the Blight for this purpose. They can channel, but they don't know enough about channeling since they are untrained. I can see the DO or Moridin having normal patrols with the sole purpose of finding Aiel male channelers. These channelers can be converted to the shadow with the Black Ajah and Fades.
Rand now has a problem with the loyalty of the Ashaman in the Black Tower because Taim has divided the Tower, and we know he is a dark friend (maybe he will be the first raised to the Forsaken in this age). If Rand were to test the Aiel, he would triple the size of the Black Tower and almost all of these channelers would be loyal to Rand.
Based on how many Wise Ones there are that channel, there should be an equal number of men that can learn to channel as well. This would boost the numbers of male channelers significantly. While Rand is doing this he can address the issue with the Seafolk. It would be an easy matter for Rand to make a bargain with the Seafolk Mistress of Ships to allow those men the chance to go to the Black Tower. As long as the Seafolk get something they want like Rand being required to visit at the behest of the Mistress of Ships twice in a year! or something similar. It is worth it to Rand to get these male channelers to the Black Tower.
I even think that Rand should start a testing requirement of all men in every territory that he controls to find men that can channel and send them to the Black Tower. Of course Rand or Logain need to wrest the Black Tower from Taim's control, but this will be done. In a parallel to the White Tower, the attack by the Seanchan failed to hurt the Tower but instead increased the strength of the Tower, and in fact made the Tower whole.
The breaking of the Black Tower will have the same effect, and hopefully we will finally see the Black Towers ranks expanded with male channelers from the Aiel and Seafolk.
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Does this mean we will actually see Taim promoted to a forsaken in the prologue of ToM? Otherwise, Logain will kill him off first and the intention of Taim becoming a forsaken will be lost. Otherwise, Taim will escape and then get promoted. But falure is not rewarded that way. Again the intention will be lost in the story.
ReplyDeleteOne possiblitlty is to promote him and then immediately kill him off. This would seem rather silly. So the only way to do this is in the Prologue because it would apear far enough in advance and sort of removed from the book.