Mazrim Taim

Mazrim Taim
Biographical Information
Nationality	Saldaean
Date of birth	967 NE
Current status	Dead
Physical description
Gender	Male
Height	Tall
Hair	Black
Chronological and political information
First mentioned	TEOTW 13
First appeared	LOC 2
Last appeared	AMOL 37
Last mentioned	AMOL 43
Occupation	Asha'man
Title	M'Hael
Rank	Chosen

Mazrim Taim (MAHZ-rihm tah-EEM) is a male channeler and a former False Dragon. When Taim becomes one of the Chosen, he is renamed M'Hael.

Appearance

He is tall, has black hair, with a dark, clean-shaven face, and the tilted eyes, hooked nose and high cheekbones of a Saldaean. In his first meeting with Rand al'Thor, the Dragon thought him in his mid-thirties, perhaps due to the stress of evading Davram Bashere's armies during his journey to Caemlyn. He normally looks somewhat younger, as all channelers do. When Pevara Tazanovni encounters him for the first time in the Black Tower, he is also described as having an air of physical strength and of darkness.

Channeling abilites

Mazrim Taim is a very powerful channeler, rivaled only by Logain Ablar and a few other Asha'man and surpassed only by Rand al'Thor and some of the Forsaken. Evidence of his immense channeling ability would be the destruction he is able to cause in Saldaea and how he was able to overpower his Aes Sedai captors. The fact that Rand al'Thor chooses him to be a teacher at the farm is also evidence of his channeling ability and skill.

File:Mazrim Taim o0.png

History

He is from Saldaea. As a man who can channel, Taim falsely declared himself to be the Dragon Reborn in 998 NE.

Activities

False Dragon

He burnt much of Saldaea and nearly defeated Davram Bashere before he was captured, though only because he fell off his horse due to the visions of Falme. Before being captured, a farmer allegedly gave him one of the Seals of the Dark One's prison.

Capture, escape, and the Black Tower

Although captured, he escaped, and took advantage of Rand al'Thor's amnesty to male channelers to escape punishment for his crimes, and for glory.

After giving Rand the cuendillar Seal, he was appointed as leader and teacher of 'the farm'. 'The farm', later renamed the Black Tower, was a training center for male channelers. He now leads Rand al'Thor's male channelers, the Asha'man, and calls himself the M'Hael, which means Leader in the Old Tongue.

Taim meets a group of adventurers outside the Black Tower.

He is notably arrogant, forgoing normal Asha'man rankings for blue-and-gold dragons on his coat sleeves, paying homage to Rand's arm markings while apparently mocking him at the same time. It is also worth noting that Taim does not wear the collar pins, as all other Asha'man do. He leads the Asha'man into the Battle of Dumai's Wells but it is very suspect on how he found out and under whose direction he is. He enjoyed watching the Rebel Aes Sedai swear fealty to Rand. This led him to say one of his most famous quotes: "Kneel. Kneel before the Lord Dragon, or you will be knelt."

He later pays a visit to Elayne Trakand and is forced to observe and obey Andoran law due to the Black Tower being on Andoran land. He is also forced to accept daily visits from soldiers of the Queen's Guards on the Black Tower grounds. When Elayne is summoned by the Wise Ones, Taim sneaks a peek at her when she has to go naked.

Black Tower Factions

Taim secretly sent four Asha'man (Charl Gedwyn, Manel Rochaid, Peral Torval, and Raefar Kisman, all Darkfriends) to kill Rand in the Sun Palace. He later reports to Rand after the attack that all four men are deserters. He seems shocked and surprised when Rand also mentions that Corlan Dashiva is also a deserter. He watches Rand put Fedwin Morr to sleep for good and mutters how hard Rand is.

Taim from a Japanese translation book cover

Logain claims that Taim has a small sect of followers whom he personally teaches weaves that no other Asha'man know. Taim refuses to believe that Rand was responsible for the cleansing of saidin.

Let the Lord of Chaos rule

Taim met with Aes Sedai and agreed to allow the bonding of Asha'man by sisters of the Red Ajah. His justification for this was "let the Lord of Chaos rule", a phrase unknown outside of the Forsaken. Atal Mishraile nearly reveals something to them before he is knocked unconscious by a blow to the head with air from Taim. Taim will only allow him to be Healed if he survives the night.

Taim escorts Javindhra Doraille around the Black Tower grounds with Pevara Tazanovni. Javindhra again insists on letting her Aes Sedai bond Asha'man, but Taim denies her stating that they can only bond Soldiers or Dedicated. Several channelers in the Black Tower are said to be turned different, as "Shadow brought into man." It is also revealed that Moridin's second dreamspike is at the Black Tower.

The Last Battle

Chosen

Moridin reveals that Mazrim Taim has been elevated to the Chosen and renamed M'Hael, confirming all suspicious of his loyalties.. Taim gained this status by undertaking a mission of gaining Rand's loyalty and then Turning his Asha'man to the Shadow with thirteen Myrddraal and thirteen Dreadlords.

Battle for the Black Tower

Having tired his men out by creating many Dreadlords, he sends for Black Ajah assistance from Hessalam in Turning Logain. He admits to her that he possesses the Seals to the Dark One's prison. During the process, Androl Genhald, Pevara Tazanovni, and some Asha'man from the Two Rivers launch a rescue and purge the Black Tower of the evil Asha'man.

Tarwin's Gap

When Rand attempts to intercede in a losing battle at the Gap, the M'Hael leads a team of Dreadlords specifically charged with engaging the Dragon Reborn and killing him. He forces Rand to retreat, and pushes the Borderland forces back through Sheinaran lands.

The Field of Merrilor

Mazrim Taim and Asha'man

Demandred leads the combined forces of Shadowspawn, Dreadlords, and Sharans against the forces of Light. Demandred orders M'Hael to kill all of the channelers, admitting that he was one who gave Taim the chance to join the Shadow. M'Hael comes to the conclusion that Demandred has allowed his hatred of Lews Therin to drive him insane.

During the battle, Androl Genhald approaches M'Hael in the guise of Varil Nensen and steals back the seals when he bumps against M'Hael. M'Hael places a Mask of Mirrors on Androl, making him look like Androl and orders him to kill Logain. Androl takes the seals and retreats to meet his team.

M'Hael battles Egwene and is forced to retreat due to her prowess with Vora's sa'angreal. Demandred scolds him for his failure, but gives him Sakarnen, a sa'angreal as powerful as Callandor. M'Hael sees an opportunity to destroy Demandred, but Demandred explains to him that the item is bonded to him and that the one to use it against him will cease to exist. M'Hael uses Sakarnen to to duel Egwene and destroys the land with balefire. However, his swatch of destruction is interrupted when Egwene responds with a new weave to counteract balefire's destruction, the Flame of Tar Valon. The new weave splits through his balefire and touches him, closing the cracks made by balefire and turning him into a crystalline pillar before reaching out to all channelers touched by the Shadow and doing the same.

Darkfriend Theories

Taim portrait done by Jeremy Saliba

It was widely speculated that Taim was thought to be Demandred in disguise. Evidence towards this is that he refers to the Aiel as "these so-called Aiel," a reference to Da'shain Aiel which has been made before by the Forsaken. In this same conversation, he mentions "severing," a term used only by the Forsaken. Severing is now referred to as stilling, gentling, or being burned out. Taim also makes reference to using compulsion on a peace delegation sent by Bashere.

It is assumed that Taim is a Darkfriend which is confirmed in the last book. (Promoted to one of the Chosen)

Another theory was that Taim is, in fact, Moridin in disguise. Other theories suggested that Taim was once Ishamael's student.

It is also speculated that Taim was a long time Darkfriend, and that he was given protection from the taint on Saidin, by the Dark one. This would explain how he managed to go for fifteen years without falling to madness.