art by Jake Johnson

Theoryland Resources

WoT Interview Search

Search the most comprehensive database of interviews and book signings from Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson and the rest of Team Jordan.

Wheel of Time News

An Hour With Harriet

2012-04-30: I had the great pleasure of speaking with Harriet McDougal Rigney about her life. She's an amazing talent and person and it will take you less than an hour to agree.

The Bell Tolls

2012-04-24: Some thoughts I had during JordanCon4 and the upcoming conclusion of "The Wheel of Time."

Theoryland Community

Members: 7653

Logged In (0):

Newest Members:johnroserking, petermorris, johnadanbvv, AndrewHB, jofwu, Salemcat1, Dhakatimesnews, amazingz, Sasooner, Hasib123,

Theoryland Tweets

WoT Interview Search

Home | Interview Database

Your search for the tag 'taim' yielded 46 results

  • 1

    Interview: Apr 20th, 2004

    Week 4 Question

    At recent book signing following the release of Crossroads of Twilight, it was reported that you confirmed that the Forsaken Demandred has never posed as the man known as Mazrim Taim, who was introduced to Rand at the beginning of Lord of Chaos. Have you confirmed that Demandred has never posed as the man known as Mazrim Taim, leader of the Black Tower?

    Robert Jordan

    Yes. Demandred has never posed as Mazrim Taim. All right, those of who fell over from the shock of a simple, straightforward answer can get up off the floor now. Sometimes, simple and straightforward can be the most devious of all, as any student of Aes Sedai will tell you.

    Tags

  • 2

    Interview: 2010

    HBFFerreira (20 July 2010)

    The Gathering Storm: Rand's dark aura was an effect of channeling the True Power, right? Winter's Heart prologue: didn't Taim cast a similar aura?

    Brandon Sanderson (21 July 2010)

    You're the first to notice that that I've seen.

    Tags

  • 3

    Interview: 2010

    Shivam Bhatt (28 July 2010)

    There's no way in hell that Demandred ISN'T Taim.

    Brandon Sanderson (28 July 2010)

    Except, you know, RJ saying five or six times he wasn't...

    Tags

  • 4

    Interview: 2010

    Azral Hanan (11 August 2010)

    Are the Chosen aware of Taim's existence? They never address him even in their thoughts.

    Brandon Sanderson (11 August 2010)

    RAFO. (You totally knew I was going to do that.)

    Footnote

    In Kisman's POV (WH 22) we learn that Demandred ordered the renegades to kill Rand, but not to tell anyone of the order, including Taim. And of course, we know that Aginor/Osan'gar/Dashiva was aware of Taim.

    Tags

  • 5

    Interview: 2010

    Jacob Wallace (11 August 2010)

    In Lord of Chaos, second chapter, Taim gives Rand a prison seal, the seventh from my count. Does anyone know that all seven have been found?

    Brandon Sanderson (11 August 2010)

    RAFO. :)

    Tags

  • 6

    Interview: Oct 25th, 1994

    Question

    What about Mazrim Taim? Isn't his withstanding of the madness for fifteen years something exceptional? [Short segue from there to Taim=Demandred?]

    Robert Jordan

    The duration varies from man to man; the circumstances are different, and the men themselves. Nobody really knows how long the process takes (or has to take), since once you start channeling the Aes Sedai usually find you pretty quickly, and gentling stops the progression of the madness and the taint (though it does not cure what's already happened). Channeling is addictive; once you've done it, you can't stop. The Breaking took about a hundred years before all the men finally died, though some of them did shelter in the stedding for a while. Nobody knows how long the process takes, except that there is variation. It's all in my notes.

    Question

    But what about Taim? Isn't fifteen years something really exceptional? [Subtext: Is he Demandred???]

    Robert Jordan

    Read and Find Out.

    Tags

  • 7

    Interview: 2010

    Ted Herman (8 November 2010)

    Is Taim a Darkfriend?

    Brandon Sanderson (8 November 2010)

    Wow. I could really blow things up with that one, eh? I'll be safe and RAFO.

    Tags

  • 8

    Interview: 2011

    Twitter 2011 (WoT) (Verbatim)

    Darth Andrea (8 April 2011)

    I seem to be one of the few who think that Taim is a transmigrated Asmodean; will we find out about Taim finally in A Memory of Light?

    Brandon Sanderson (8 April 2011)

    Some things, at least, you will discover.

    Footnote

    RJ confirmed in NYC that the Dark One wanted to transmigrate Asmodean, but could not because of how and where he died.

    Tags

  • 9

    Interview: 2011

    Twitter 2011 (WoT) (Verbatim)

    heridfan (26 April 2011)

    Dragonmount has cracked Taim's secret identity. Taim is Moridin's son!!! Will you admit it?

    Brandon Sanderson (26 April 2011)

    I'd like to read that thread. Will you link it for me?

    HERIDFAN

    Here it is http://bit.ly/ep6YgF I just thought you might find it amusing.

    Tags

  • 10

    Interview: Jun 16th, 1995

    Robert Jordan

    On the Asha'man finding Rand in Lord of Chaos, he said that they knew where Rand was. How they did know he began with the following words: "Mazrim Taim is a paranoid S.O.B." [exact quote!]. When finding out of the disappearance of Rand, and a large bunch of Aiel from Cairhien, he followed the route from Cairhien towards Tar Valon by Traveling, until he encountered Elaida's Aes Sedai. From there, he brought in the Asha'man.

    Tags

  • 11

    Interview: Oct 20th, 1998

    Ryan R.

    I asked Jordan when a man with the spark would slow. He hesitated and rubbed his chin, obviously trying to make up the answer on the spot, and doing it to be consistent with the books.

    Robert Jordan

    The answer is: Women usually slow at twenty, sometimes a little earlier, but usually around there. Men wouldn't slow until twenty-five, usually closer to thirty. He claims that they could go past thirty, but that probably depends on how early they start and how much they channel.

    Ryan R.

    So, if Taim started at twenty or so, like Rand (actually, that's later than Rand), and channeled a reasonable amount, he would probably slow at twenty-seven or thereabouts. After all, Nynaeve started probably at sixteen or seventeen, and only channeled on the uncommon occasion that someone was dying in her presence of some disease, and slowed at twenty-three (that's the age Setalle Anan thought she was, but she's twenty-six). That's seven years or so.

    Well, Taim looks thirty-five, according to Rand. He shouldn't. Even if he didn't slow until he was thirty-two, Rand still wouldn't have estimated him as being as much as fifteen years older than he was. So, my conclusion—Taim is Demandred. Only a Forsaken could look that old, given the slowing. Yes, I know it's not solid, irrefutable evidence, but it's still good evidence. That's my two cents.

    Ryan R. "He Who Just Missed Coming With the Dawn"

    Tags

  • 12

    Interview: Dec 12th, 2000

    CNN Chat (Verbatim)

    logain

    We know Taim isn't who he says, and so does Rand. But wasn't Logain supposed to reveal him as a liar? What happened to that?

    Robert Jordan

    Read and find out. Don't you love it, guys?

    Tags

  • 13

    Interview: Apr 8th, 2001

    Robert Jordan

    Hrm, but that wasn't all. I distinctly remember someone asking, "Did Demandred recognize Flinn?", getting answered RAFO, followed by a question "Would Taim recognize Flinn in a similar circumstance?", being answered that "yes, he should" if the distance wasn't too large or something.

    But then I mentioned that the distance wasn't all that great, just a couple of meters, he'd said so just a few days before, and he looked at me in a way that said, "you know all you need to know about this, I'm not going to make it any more obvious."

    Aan'allein

    I know it isn't proof, and I hate my guts for not taping this so I'm capable of showing something tangible, but the way it was all said, the way it played out...I don't believe Taimandred anymore. Not just because of this actually. I already had the feeling last Friday, after another mention of the "seen something pretty out of the corner of their eye / for the last third they must have read someone else's books" about the FAQ. Although there was something more, something about that he doesn't work "that way." Again it wasn't anything concrete, but at that point I began to doubt all our "person x = person y" theories. Added to his look at my remark about the distance (which he told me himself just two days before; he really shouldn't have tried to evade the Taim question using that), I've stopped believing in Taimandred. I hope KuraFire has a good recollection of exactly what Jordan said here.

    Oh, by the way, it is pronounced Taa-eem, not tame.

    Tags

  • 14

    Interview: Jan 7th, 2003

    Question

    How did Taim track Rand down for the battle of Dumai’s Wells?

    Robert Jordan

    That ones easy, son! C’mon. At that point, Taim was trying to find him like the devil. He knew pretty much what had happened from the beginning. Things were happening. The Aes Sedai disappeared from Cairhien. Perrin disappeared. Rand disappeared. Taim had an idea that something very bad was going on, and when you can Travel it becomes easier to start tracking out where did these Aes Sedai go and Bingo, we got something very bad going on down here, and I’m gonna come and tear the house down. It’s very easy.

    Tags

  • 15

    Interview: Jan 7th, 2003

    Question

    Is Taim Demandred?

    Robert Jordan

    No, that is totally bogus.

    Tags

  • 16

    Interview: Jan 7th, 2003

    Question

    [How] did Taim track Rand down for the battle of Dumai’s Wells?

    Robert Jordan

    That ones easy, son! C’mon. At that point, Taim was trying to find him like the devil. He knew pretty much what had happened from the beginning. Things were happening. The Aes Sedai disappeared from Cairhien. Perrin disappeared. Rand disappeared. Taim had an idea that something very bad was going on, and when you can Travel it becomes easier to start tracking down where did these Aes Sedai go and Bingo, we got something very bad going on down here, and I’m gonna come and tear the house down. It’s very easy.

    Tags

  • 17

    Interview: Jan 16th, 2003

    Matthew Julius

    It's been said that you mentioned that Mazrim Taim is not Demandred. There seems to be some confusion on whether or not you said that.

    Robert Jordan

    Mazrim Taim is not Demandred.

    MATTHEW JULIUS

    So, he's being set up as a new Demandred then?

    ROBERT JORDAN

    RAFO.

    Tags

  • 18

    Interview: Jan 16th, 2003

    Tim Kington

    Taim is clearly not Demandred, right?

    Robert Jordan

    (Disgusted) I've said that before, and it's not Taim, it's Ta-eeem.

    Tags

  • 19

    Interview: Feb 26th, 2003

    tarvalon.net Q&A (Verbatim)

    It has also been further confirmed that:

    Robert Jordan

    —Taimandred is bogus.

    —Rand has only one soul, but has two personalities.

    —Museam Replicas will be producing the Sword and Dragon pins as well as an approved version of the Great Serpent ring (which apparently goes around the finger twice before biting its own tail).

    —Someone has correctly deduced who killed Asmodean, so no one should ever ask him that question again.

    Tags

  • 20

    Interview: Sep 3rd, 2005

    Sodas

    Is there anything you can tell us about Taim's choice to head to Andor after his escape?

    Robert Jordan

    Well, he really didn't have much other choice. He's a man who can channel. At that time as far as he knows any Aes Sedai that gets their hands on him will try to gentle him again. But the word is getting around, there are men gathering near Caemlyn, men just like him, and maybe there are enough of them that if they stick together the Aes Sedai will not be able to take them down. So he has no other choice. He can either spend a life on the run or he can enlist. He decided to enlist.

    Tags

  • 21

    Interview: Sep 3rd, 2005

    Isabel

    Was Taimandred a deliberate ruse to lead your readers astray, or were you surprised (by the all of the theories connecting Taim to Demandred)?

    Robert Jordan

    I was surprised but I wasn't going to disabuse you of it for a while, I like to watch you squirm.

    Tags

  • 22

    Interview: Sep 2nd, 2005

    Zaela Sedai

    Did Taim have motives for coming to Andor after he escaped the Aes Sedai?

    Robert Jordan

    Ta-eem (he said it phonetically). [Don't know how to write down how to say it, but it's not how most people say it.] Sure, he is a man who can channel. The Aes Sedai see him as a man who can channel. They will hunt him down and gentle him if they can. He has one safe haven in the world. A place were there are more men like him. Just maybe, if there are enough men like him, the Aes Sedai won't be able to come after him.

    Isabel

    (Sorry Sodas, but at least he didn't complete wipe out YOUR theory.)

    Tags

  • 23

    Interview: Sep 2nd, 2005

    Ted Herman

    Was Taim a sparker or a learner?

    Robert Jordan

    I am sorry?

    Ted Herman

    Did Taim have the spark or could he learn how to channel?

    Robert Jordan

    He was born with the spark.

    Tags

  • 24

    Interview: Sep 3rd, 2005

    Ted Herman

    How old is Taim and has he slowed?

    Robert Jordan

    Taim has slowed, but one thing I am not going to reveal it in the books, so I'll tell you, men slow later than women do. And yes, he has slowed, and he is in his late twenties, yes his late twenties.

    Tags

  • 25

    Interview: Sep 4th, 2005

    Ted Herman

    How did Bashere and his army manage to track Taim hundreds of miles?

    Robert Jordan

    Because a man like Mazrim Taim leaves a trail, even when he is trying to travel quietly. Traveling quietly is not in his character.

    Tags

  • 26

    Interview: Oct 4th, 2005

    Robert Jordan

    For Linda Sedai, Rand misjudges Taim's age because when they meet, you might say Taim has been rode hard and put away wet. He has just finished a long and difficult flight to reach Caemlyn, the one place where he might find refuge instead of being hunted—along with other reasons—and that has a wearing effect on anyone. Now that he has recovered, he doesn't look so old.

    Tags

  • 27

    Interview: Oct 20th, 2005

    Robert Mee

    And (drumroll)... The question regarding the Gauntleted Fist clutching the three Lightning Bolts...

    Robert Jordan

    At first he thought I was talking about the chapter icon, which he said he has no control over, but referenced something about Trollocs. When I explained that I meant the sigil we'd seen in Tear and on Sammael's throne and Mazrim Taim's (Mazh-rim Ta-eem)'s throne... his response was "Oh! That...I...I'm going to have to tell you to read and find out." Bah!

    Tags

  • 28

    Interview: Nov 2nd, 2005

    Sodas

    Can you please expand upon what Mazrim Taim was up to in Andor prior to meeting Rand for the first time?

    Robert Jordan

    At that point, Jordan stopped writing. Not looking up, he donned a very visible smirk that was in great contast to the very somber look he had the whole evening. His answer was a very crisp "No."

    Sodas

    Thanking him, I decided to exit the bookstore. Due to the size of the bookstore, they would not let people back inside. So instead of waiting another hour for a doubtful few more questions, we decided that his answer was sufficient to know exactly what we wanted.

    If you want my opinion, his look convinced me that Taim killed Asmodean. It was that startling.

    Tags

  • 29

    Interview: Jan 20th, 2006

    Robert Jordan

    For kolp, Oberonus and NaClH2O, what Taim did to those Saldaeans wasn't Compulsion. They just don't have the intelligence left that would be needed for anything too exacting.

    Tags

  • 30

    Interview: Nov 11th, 2009

    Question

    Was Taim turned by a circle of thirteen?

    Brandon Sanderson

    RAFO. I will say that he was never a very nice guy.

    Footnote

    It was made clear in Towers of Midnight that it's difficult to mistake someone who has been Turned for a normal person. They are uniformly inhuman, and this explains why they have not been Turning channelers all along; it is clear there is something wrong with them.

    Tags

  • 31

    Interview: Nov 6th, 2010

    Brandon Sanderson

    Taim may not be a standard Third Ager. Brandon wouldn't say any further because he has about five chapters revolving around the Black Tower to write for the beginning of the next book and he didn't want to spoil, so it was half a RAFO.

    MATT HATCH

    Specific questions?

    ROBERT MEE

    I just asked if Taim was a "standard" Third Ager. He pondered it for a minute or so before explaining that he had a few more chapters to write about what was happening at the Black Tower, so he didn't want to give too much away.

    Tags

  • 32

    Interview: Jul 16th, 2011

    herid

    I also asked him again (Terez asked him about it on my behalf before) about why Taim when he first shows up in Lord of Chaos says that he shaved because of the heat, yet it's mentioned twice in that very scene that he is not sweating and he later teaches Rand the antisweating trick and tells him that it works so well that Rand would soon be able to completely ignore even extreme heat and cold. I discuss this in detail in my blog as I believe it proves that Taim is an impostor.

    Brandon Sanderson

    He said that this issue is not discussed in the notes and he missed it himself previously so the best he can say is that this is meant to show that Taim is a suspicious character who is not to be trusted.

    herid

    This doesn't exactly lend support to my theory but I don't think it contradicts it either. I didn't ask him if this proves that Taim is an impostor as he'd RAFO that.

    Tags

  • 33

    Interview: Apr 17th, 2011

    Terez (Callandor)

    What happened to the twelve Aes Sedai Siuan sent to recapture Taim? Their troops?

    Brandon Sanderson

    That's a great question. RAFO. That's a good question to be asking, though.

    Footnote

    This was asked because they match the number of Aes Sedai who joined the Borderland rulers. Paitar's adviser Coladara made the 13th.

    Tags

  • 34

    Interview: Apr 17th, 2011

    Terez (herid)

    If Taim already knew how to ignore heat, why did he shave his beard? (Because of the way he read it.) That's not my question.

    Brandon Sanderson

    I have no idea.

    Terez

    (laughs) I didn't figure you would.

    Brandon Sanderson

    That's a pretty random question. I don't even think that's in the notes; I'll be honest with you....that's really not the sort of thing Jim put in his notes, so I'm guessing...I can MAFO that one, if you want to ask Maria, but I really don't know.

    Maria Simons

    I don't know either.

    Tags

  • 35

    Interview: Nov 21st, 2011

    Landro

    Was the person we know as Taim who is currently leading the Black Tower the same as the one who declared himself as a false Dragon?

    Brandon Sanderson

    RAFO.

    Tags

  • 36

    Interview: Dec 2nd, 2010

    Virginia

    Okay. Well…I guess we'll just go into the pronunciations.

    SPENCER POWELL

    Well, our next little bit needs a little bit of a lead-in for our listeners who don't have access to our huge list of questions like we do. As part of our interview questions, we have a list of words, and we asked, "How do you pronounce each of these words?" And there are about 43 of them. There are probably some on here that don't need to be on here, and I know that there aren't some on here that should be, but these are the 43 that we came up with.

    VIRGINIA

    Yeah, Spencer got mad at me because I went and annotated the list, like…I gotta be exact, and he's like "No…"

    SPENCER POWELL

    I didn't get mad at you! I just took 'em off; I'm like, "Oh yeah, you're right; take that one off." Anyway. And so Maria, Alan…would you please go through the list and tell us how to pronounce these names and places?

    Maria Simons

    Okay, here we go. And I may, you know, be wrong on some. But others, I'm pretty sure of.

    VIRGINIA

    And feel free to add some in if something occurs to you as you're going.

    MARIA SIMONS

    O-kay. We have add-uh-LAY-us. (Adeleas) el-FINN. (Aelfinn) eyes-DEYE-shar. (Aesdaishar) (RJ used EYE to rhyme with the word 'eye') ahm-uh-DEE-see-uh. (Amadicia) [glossary: ah-mah-DEE-see-ah] (ah=ahhh sound, uh=schwa) ERR-id doe-MAHN. (Arad Doman) [glossary: AH-rad do-MAHN] arr-uh-FELL. (Arafel) [glossary: AH-rah-fehl] brr-GEE-tuh. (Birgitte) (hard G) [glossary: ber-GEET-teh] Brenn. (Bryne) [glossary: BRIHN, GAH-rehth] KEYE-ree-enn. (Cairhien) [glossary: KEYE-ree-EHN] CHA fah-EEL. (Cha Faile) (mid ch) drag-car. (Draghkar) [glossary: DRAGH-kahr] EEL-finn. (Eelfinn) guh-LAHD. (Galad) [glossary: gah-LAHD] GAH-win. (Gawyn) [glossary: GAH-wihn] GALE-donn. (Ghealdan) [glossary: GHEL-dahn] I'm not sure if it's huh-REEN or huh-REEN-uh. (Harine) din toe-GAHR-uh Two Winds. ILL-ee-in. (Illian) [glossary: IHL-lee-ahn] ill-ee-AY-nuh. (? - AY is long A) CAN-door. (Kandor) (door like the word) lee-AH-nuh. (Leane) [glossary: lee-AHN-eh shah-REEF] mall-KEER. (Malkier) [glossary: mahl-KEER] my-EEN. (Mayene) [glossary: may-EHN] myur-an-DEE. (Murandy) [glossary: MEW-ran-dee] MEER-drahl. (Myrddraal) [glossary: MUHRD-draal] NEIGH-bliss. Sorry. NAY-bliss. [laughter] (Nae'blis) NEFF. (Naeff?) nee-AHM Passes (Niamh Passes) nigh-NEEV. (Nynaeve) [glossary: NIGH-neev al-MEER-ah] Plains of mah-REE-doh. (Plains of Maredo) ree-AH-nuh. (Reanne) seye-DAR. (saidar). [glossary: sah-ih-DAHR] seye-DEEN. (saidin) [glossary: sah-ih-DEEN] sall-DAY-uh. (Saldaea) [glossary: sahl-DAY-ee-ya] see-AEN. (Seaine?) Alan…

    ALAN ROMANCZUK

    SHE-nar.

    MARIA SIMONS

    SHE-nar. (Shienar) [glossary: shy-NAHR] Swan. (Siuan) [glossary: SWAHN SAHN-chay] sor-uh-LEE-uh. (Sorilea) [glossary: soh-rih-LEE-ah] terra-BONN. (Tarabon) [glossary: TAH-rah-BON] TAR-win's Gap. (Tarwin's Gap) tell-uh-RON-ree-odd. (Tel'aran'rhiod) [glossary: tel-AYE-rahn-rhee-ODD] Tower of genn-JEYE. (Ghenjei) (hard G) truh-MALL-king. (Tremalking) [glossary: treh-MAL-king] too-AH-thuh-AHN. (Tuatha'an) [glossary: too-AH-thah-AHN]

    ALAN ROMANCZUK

    Do you want to go over the saidar/saidin thing we talked about?

    MARIA SIMONS

    In the glossaries of the books, Jim has it sah-ih-DEEN and sah-ih-DAHR, but I swear, I don't think he pronounced it that way; I mean you kind of give a little hint of the i but not much: sah-ee-DEEN, sah-ee-DAHR.

    ALAN ROMANCZUK

    Yeah, he always seemed to be saying seye-DEEN and seye-DAHR.

    SPENCER POWELL

    I'm surprised at how many of those I thought I knew, but I didn't.

    JENNIFER LIANG

    Yeah. That's like, "Waait a second, that's not…but oh, I guess it is."

    MARK

    How do you pronounce the Traveling people again?

    MARIA SIMONS

    too-AH-thah-AHN.

    VIRGINIA

    There's something else with the double A there…

    MARIA SIMONS

    ah-tha-AHN mee-AIR. (Atha'an Miere)

    VIRGINIA

    Okay, great. Any others you can think of that are commonly mangled, that would have driven Jim crazy?

    MARIA SIMONS

    I think I've mentioned tah-EEM before, and egg-ee-AH-nin…

    VIRGINIA

    dee-MAN-dred? dee-MAHN-dred? DEE-man-dred?

    MARIA SIMONS

    Ehh...dee-MAHN-dred, I think…but I wouldn't swear dee-MAHN-dred. [glossary: DEE-man-drehd]

    ALAN ROMANCZUK

    Pretty straightforward.

    VIRGINIA

    How about all of the Forsaken? A lot of them often get mangled, or a few. GRIN-doll?

    MARIA SIMONS

    Grindle, is how I say it. [glossary: GREHN-dahl] And it's interesting, just looking at a thing, and I pronounce CADD-in-soar (cadin'sor) wrong. [glossary: KAH-dihn-sohr]

    JENNIFER LIANG

    Oh really?

    MARIA SIMONS

    Yeah, because it's supposed to be cah-DIN-soar. [It's not, according to the glossary.]

    JENNIFER LIANG

    Okay, because I say it the way you say it.

    VIRGINIA

    Yeah, I think… [inaudible] so that makes sense.

    ALAN ROMANCZUK

    Oh! ish-AH-may-el, and SAM-may-el. [glossary: ih-SHAH-may-EHL, SAHM-may-EHL] [When RJ said it, the 'may' part was more like the German 'Mai'.]

    JENNIFER LIANG

    Yes. Those are really common mistakes; I hear that a lot.

    VIRGINIA

    Ben [?] was right; we had that famous tagline from the original podcast, and we had this thing…I think, "Sammael was pretty buff!" [laughter] We used that a lot, and it sort of went away when he did, I guess.

    SPENCER POWELL

    Another one that I have lots of problems with—and I can't believe I didn't get it on the list—but is the GOLL-um (gholam), or the…I can't even pronounce it right now.

    MARK

    GO-lem?

    SPENCER POWELL

    Yeah, the GO-lem, that's chasing Mat.

    ALAN ROMANCZUK

    Yeah.

    MARIA SIMONS

    Gollum.

    SPENCER POWELL

    Gollum?

    VIRGINIA

    Oh, it's Gollum! [crosstalk]

    MARIA SIMONS

    I am not absolutely sure, but that's how I say it, so…

    VIRGINIA

    What about some of the other Seanchan beasts that made me think of, the grolm, then there were two of the others that…

    MARIA SIMONS

    ROCK-in (raken), and TOE-rock-in. (to'raken)

    VIRGINIA

    Yeah, and then there was another one, the um…

    MARIA SIMONS

    Torm…the book is right in front of me…

    VIRGINIA

    Oh, maybe it was the name of that…oh, Suroth's pet!

    MARK

    S'redit?

    MARIA SIMONS

    Oh yes, that thing. I can't remember… [crosstalk]

    VIRGINIA

    Mandra…Mandragal?…Almandragal.

    ALAN ROMANCZUK

    The LOW-par (lopar)?

    VIRGINIA

    Yeah, the lopar. Almandaragal was his name, or something like that?

    MARIA SIMONS

    Something like that. I would have to look it up.

    ALAN ROMANCZUK

    It was a LOW-par (lopar), wasn't it?

    VIRGINIA

    Yeah, lopar. I think there was another one that I couldn't…maybe I'm just hallucinating. [laughs]

    MARIA SIMONS

    Let's see…

    VIRGINIA

    I'm sure there's a zillion others I'll think of after you're off the air here with us…

    ALAN ROMANCZUK

    Oh, s'RED-dit (s'redit) is another one. Remember the elephant-like creature?

    MARIA SIMONS

    Corlm, C-O-R-L-M (I like that word). Torm…that's all I can find.

    VIRGINIA

    What about Tuon's new name as Empress?

    MARIA SIMONS

    for-too-OH-nah?

    VIRGINIA

    Fortuona, okay. I'm not sure how else you could pronounce that, but I've been wrong before, so...

    MARIA SIMONS

    That, I'm assuming is right; I'm pretty sure I heard Jim pronounce it that way, because that was his choice of name.

    VIRGINIA

    There must be something else; there seems like a million things, and that I didn't add enough to the list.

    MARIA SIMONS

    OH-geer…

    ALAN ROMANCZUK

    moe-TIE? (???)

    VIRGINIA

    Oh! What about—speaking of historical figures—LAH-tra…poe-SAI? Or poe-SAY? deh-KYU-meh? (Latra Posae Decume)

    ALAN ROMANCZUK

    Oh yeah, LA-tra (LA rhymes with laugh)…

    VIRGINIA

    I got the Latra, but I'm not sure about the second and third names.

    MARIA SIMONS

    Boy.

    VIRGINIA

    It's P-O-S-A-E, and then D-E-C-U-M-E.

    MARIA SIMONS

    po-SAY-uh deh-COO-may.

    VIRGINIA

    deh-COO-may, okay. [crosstalk]

    MARIA SIMONS

    That's totally off the top of my head. I see it (?) and think it, anyway. po-SAY-uh deh-COO-may, yeah.

    Tags

  • 37

    Interview: Oct 25th, 1994

    Edward Liu

    I told him about the theory, which someone posted, that Taim is Demandred who will eventually be discovered and killed with Logain replacing him.

    Robert Jordan

    He sounded interested at first, but then he laughed (I think about the part of Logain replacing him as the teacher of the Asha'man). And of course he said, "Read and find out."

    Tags

  • 38

    Interview: Apr 21st, 2012

    Amadine

    Brandon Sanderson

    Amadine just reported that the answer to Terez's question of 'Was Taim's palace made from Shayol Ghul stone' was 'yes'.

    LUCKERS (LATER)

    Here is the message I sent Ama: Tell Brandon I said hi. Oh, and ask if Taim's palace is made of Shayol Ghul rock. Tell him Terez was very cranky with me that I didn't ask. LOL. James.

    Ama's reply: The answer is yes!!!

    Footnote

    It's actually the walls and the podium that are made out of Shayol Ghul rock. See clarification.

    Tags

  • 39

    Interview: Apr, 2012

    Terez

    Is Taim's palace made of [Shayol Ghul rock]?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    ELEANOR

    Brandon looked a bit uncomfortable/hesitant answering this one. Not sure I should have warned him it was a Terez one, but he answered all the same. Theories, anyone? ALSO: Followup question asked Sun 22. Can someone ask how the stone got there? Was it dragged by teams to where it was safe to gateway?

    FOOTNOTE—TEREZ

    This question was also asked by another person. I was going to ask about the stone that Taim used as his podium, a symbol of his office, beginning in Lord of Chaos, but I figured the description was too complicated for a question I had to pass on to be asked by someone else. I was thinking everything at the Black Tower was made with that same rock, so I said to ask about Taim's palace. Turns out only the walls are made out of that rock, and the original podium is still used as a podium in the palace. The palace is white marble, though it has black stone columns. Brandon probably knew the walls were made out of Shayol Ghul rock, and assumed I knew what I was talking about with the palace. (I didn't.) I didn't expect him to answer the question with a 'yes', or I might have put more effort into looking it up first. So we can probably assume that the podium and the walls are made of Shayol Ghul rock, and possibly also Moridin's Blightfortress and the Towers of Midnight in Imfaral. The significance is probably mostly symbolic, like the red-and-black floor tiles in Taim's palace.

    Tags

  • 40

    Interview: Apr, 2012

    Eleanor

    Event—Seminar—Wheel of Time.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Brandon Sanderson gave a reading from a recent piece (going through production for a TV series?) about a man whose aspects take form as visions. Based on a brilliant friend. This took some time—only 10m left for questions. Two Reds from Dragonmount asked Terez' question again and he answered without hesitation or worry this time, what with the cat out of the bag. No other notable questions—another amusing reenactment of him getting the phone call for completing WoT as well as questions about linking his worlds with some discussion of Asimov's attempts in that regard. We also heard of the Sherlock-themed Asmodean theory sent in by a fan to RJ, which he left on a pile with a post-it saying "This is right", and how Sanderson wanted fans to find out the same way he did—in a glossary, with nothing more than "This is right".

    Tags

  • 41

    Interview: 2012

    Twitter 2012 (WoT) (Verbatim)

    Terez (21 April 2012)

    OMG Taim's palace is made of Shayol Ghul rock! According to a report on @BrandSanderson in Australia. (That was my question. :p)

    Brandon Sanderson (21 April 2012)

    I spent a long time trying to figure out if you had secret motives for asking that.

    Footnote

    It's actually the walls and the podium that are made out of Shayol Ghul rock. See clarification.

    Tags

  • 42

    Interview: 2012

    Twitter 2012 (WoT) (Verbatim)

    Terez (8 July 2012)

    According to Taim, he has 1920 Asha'man manning the walls and he'd need at least two times that many for rotation. Is that a mistake? [8 miles of wall (9.P), two Asha'man at each guard post, spaced at fifty-foot intervals (13.53). 6000 feet to a WoT mile.]

    Brandon Sanderson (8 July 2012)

    Wow. Yeah, that totally looks like a mistake. I'll look it up, but...yeah, probably a mistake.

    Tags

  • 43

    Interview: 2013

    Twitter 2013 (WoT) (Verbatim)

    Fyodor (23 January 2013)

    When did Taim become a Darkfriend? Was he a Darkfriend as false Dragon? Why did he use Age of Legends era phrasing (so-called Aiel)?

    Brandon Sanderson (23 January 2013)

    Taim was recruited by one of the Forsaken, so it happened after they were free.

    Tags

  • 44

    Interview: Apr 20th, 2013

    Terez

    Who gave Slayer the orders to kill Rand in Far Madding? And do you know who sent him to the Two Rivers?

    Maria Simons

    I think I know who sent Slayer to Far Madding.

    Terez

    I always thought it was Taim...

    Maria Simons

    Yeah...

    Terez

    Because why else would he disguise himself?

    Maria Simons

    Yeah. That one I know.

    Terez

    Yay!

    Maria Simons

    Yay!

    Footnote

    At this time the no-kill order had been temporarily lifted in an attempt to prevent the Cleansing, so there was no reason for the Forsaken to order Slayer in secrecy.

    Tags

  • 45

    Interview: Nov 1st, 2013

    Brandon Sanderson

    Robert Jordan didn't leave me a ton of direction regarding the Black Tower. There were a few gems that we knew, but in a lot of places I was left to follow my instincts regarding the plotting points he had built across the last few books. He did leave a lot of clear instructions regarding Taim, fortunately, including his backstory and instructions for a scene where Taim was named as one of the Forsaken.

    Tags