Pronunciation: MAHZ-rihm tah-EEM
aka: M'Hael
The Asha'man call him M'Hael which means "Leader" in the Old Tongue.
A false Dragon. He joined Rand and is now second in command of the Asha'man. For discussions on Mazrim Taim, his identity and his allegiance see the FAQ, Section 1.1.5 and the FAQ, Section 1.5.6.
Physical Description#
He has black hair and is above average height. He has the dark face, tilted eyes, hooked nose and high cheekbones of a Saldaean. He looks about thirty-five. (LoC,Ch1) Perrin sees him as dark, slightly hook-nosed, handsome, almost as tall as Rand. (ACoS,Ch2)
Mazrim Taim by
Richard Boyé
Chronology (Possible Spoilers)#
- Mazrim Taim sets himself up as a false Dragon in Saldaea. (TGH,Ch4)
- Mazrim Taim is captured by Aes Sedai in Saldaea at Irinjavar. He is thrown from his horse and knocked unconscious at the moment Rand announces himself as the Dragon Reborn. (TDR,Ch12)
- Taim escapes from his Aes Sedai captors at the village of Denhuir east of the Black Hills. Two Aes Sedai are killed in the process. (TSR,Ch17)
- Taim is still on the loose. (TSR,Ch47)
- Taim is lead in by Bashere's men, with swords drawn. Taim taunts Bashere about events in Saldaea. Rand tells Taim the vision in the sky was not the Dark One, but Ishamael. Taim submits to the Dragon Reborn. Taim tells Rand he can teach a man to channel and test to know if he can. Taim presents a seal to Rand. (LoC,Ch2)
- He travels with Rand to the farm. Taim realizes Rand does not know how to test for the talent. Taim grabs Damer Flinn to test first. A tiny flame appeared, Taim really could channel. Taim asks to train them as weapons, Rand agrees. Rand tells Taim to seize saidin. Taim could hold nearly what Rand could. (LoC,Ch3)
- Taim teaches Rand the trick of not feeling heat or cold. (LoC,Ch10)
- Taim teaches his recruits to blow up rocks and shield themselves. He asks Rand for permission to Travel to villages to recruit and Rand agrees. (LoC,Ch11)
- Taim Travels to the Royal Palace just in time to kill a Gray Man attacking Rand. He ostensibly came with news of a new recruit, Jahar Narishma. (LoC,Ch28)
- Rand meets with Taim at the Black Tower. He is furious when Rand gives him his pins of rank. He tells Rand that there are Red Ajah sisters near the Black Tower. Rand warns him again to stay away from Caemlyn and says he will hold him personally responsible if anything happens to any Aes Sedai. (LoC,Ch42)
- Rand sends a note to Taim warning him that there are thirteen Aes Sedai in Caemlyn. (LoC,Ch49)
- Taim leads the Asha'man to rescue Rand at Dumai's Wells. (LoC,Ch55)
- Taim is with Rand in the aftermath of Dumai's Wells. He had Gedwyn looking for something that was not found. He smells amused at Rand's anger and distrust at Aes Sedai. He smells puzzled by Rand's bond with Alanna. He tells Rand that he will "handle that trip personally." He urges Rand to take an Asha'man with him to Cairhien and is angered when Rand chooses Dashiva instead of one of the ones Taim wanted. Rand sends him back to the Black Tower with the rest of the Asha'man. (ACoS,Ch2)
- Mazrim Taim visits the Two Rivers recruiting Asha'man and tells Tam that Rand is the Dragon Reborn. He brings forty men and boys back to the Black Tower. (KoD,Ch29)
- Taim sends a letter to Rand updating him on recruiting. He also states that he picked that blackberry bush himself. It was small and thorny, but with a surprising amount of fruit. He poisons the Asha'man who succumb to the taint. (TPoD,Ch14)
- Taim responds to Elayne's summon and pays a call on her with two of his Asha'man. He condescendingly agrees to let the Queen's Guards inspect the Black Tower. (WH,Prologue)
- Taim brings Rand the news that Elayne tore down his banners in Caemlyn. Later, he reports that Gedwyn, Kisman, Rochaid and Torval deserted. He is surprised and angry when Rand adds Dashiva to the list. (TPoD,Ch29)
- Taim returns to the Black Tower and posts the names of deserters, Gedwyn, Kisman, Rochaid, Torval, Dashiva, Flinn, Hopwil and Narishma. (WH,Prologue)
- Taim orders Kisman to kill Rand. Then Demandred orders Kisman to kill Rand. Finally, Moridin orders Kisman to kill Rand if he must, but first priority is to retrieve Rand's possessions. (WH,Ch22)
- Taim grants Logain's request to leave the Black Tower and go recruiting. (CoT,Prologue)
- Taim is angry when Rand sends Logain to send Asha'man to Illian and Arad Doman. He is especially angry that Logain will not tell him where Rand is. (KoD,Ch18)
- When six Red Ajah sisters ask to bond Asha'man, he mockingly agrees and says, "Let the lord of chaos rule." (KoD,Epilogue)
- Taim forbids the Aes Sedai to bond full Asha'man, all of whom are his cronies. (ToM,Ch46)
- Pevara and Javindhra Doraille discuss bonding with Taim. He still refuses to let them bond full Asha'man. He tells them they must now ask permission to leave. (ToM,Ch53)
- Taim promotes Mezar to full Asha'man as soon has he returns, but Mezar acts strange, hanging out with Taim's cronies. (ToM,Ch56)
- The Great Lord promotes Taim to Chosen for his success in creating a new generation of Dreadlords in the Black Tower. Now called M'Hael, he attends a meeting with Moridin and the other Chosen. (AMoL,Prologue)
- Pevara, Androl, Nalaam, Emarin and Jonneth find Logain. They hear voices past the door and one of them is Taim. They try to fight but a weave brings the earthen ceiling pouring down on them. (AMoL,Ch4)
- Taim tells Mezar Kurin and Welyn Kajima to take Evin next. Androl tries to convince Taim to take him instead, but Taim tells him he's not worth turning. (AMoL,Ch8)
- The thirteen men that Taim had been using for Turning are exhausted and Taim is angry at them. Pevara had also been given the tea and is knocked out, which also angered Taim because he wanted to Turn her next. Taim orders his men to Turn Toveine next, but his attention is on a disc in his hands. Taim puts the disc in a pounch and tells Mishraile to come with him and that "it's time."(AMoL,Ch10)
Other References (Possible Spoilers)#
- In The Great Hunt
- TGH,Ch4 - Liandrin tells Moiraine there are three new false Dragons and the one in Saldaea can channel.
- TGH,Ch5 - Siuan wonders if Mazrim Taim could possibly be the real Dragon Reborn. There are Aes Sedai hunting him.
- TGH,Ch22 - Vandene is interested in Mazrim Taim because of his proximity to Falme which she believes is associated with the Dragon Reborn.
- TGH,Ch25 - In Cairhien there is news of false Dragons in Saldaea and Haddon Mirk.
- In The Dragon Reborn
- TDR,Prologue - Pedron Niall wonders about the false Dragons in Saldaea and Tear.
- In The Shadow Rising
- TSR,Ch5 - Joiya claims that Liandrin intends to free Mazrim Taim, lead him on a path of destruction, and blame it on Rand.
- TSR,Ch6 - Moiraine says she has sent three messages to Siuan about the threat of Mazrim Taim escaping.
- TSR,Ch11 - Egwene wants to use Tel'aran'rhiod to find Mazrim Taim or to speak to Siuan in her dreams, but she realizes she does not know nearly enough to be able to do those things.
- TSR,Ch13 - Rumor has it that Mazrim Taim made the sun stand still while he defeated Lord Bashere.
- TSR,Ch21 - Moiraine sends several notes to Siuan about the Black Ajah plot to free Mazrim Taim.
- In The Fires of Heaven
- TFoH,Prologue - Marshal-General Davram Bashere of Saldaea is moving an army southeast. This implies that word of Taim's escape has leaked out and Saldaea no longer trusts the White Tower to take care of him.
- TFoH,Ch56 - Bashere tells Rand that Tenobia sent him after Mazrim Taim. Rand tells him that he is starting an amnesty to Bashere cannot have him.
- TFoH,Ch26 - Faolain does not believe rumors that Siuan helped Taim escape, but she still blames her for all the Aes Sedai's problems.
- In Lord of Chaos
- LoC,Ch1 - Tumad Ahzkan enters the Andor Royal Palace courtyard and announces to Rand and Bashere that Mazrim Taim is at the gates.
- LoC,Ch5 - Rand casually mentions to Mat that Mazrim Taim has joined him.
- LoC,Ch8 - Hearing Logain's story Nynaeve wonders if the Red Ajah might have set up Gorin Rogad and Mazrim Taim as well.
- LoC,Ch11 - Taim has no use for swords.
- LoC,Ch16 - Rand has mastered Taim's trick of not feeling heat.
- In A Crown of Swords
- ACoS,Ch2 - Min has a viewing of Taim that he has blood in his past and blood in his future, he's a dangerous man.
- ACoS,Ch7 - Rand thinks Taim made good weapons of the Asha'man. He wonders why Taim did not tell him about the Aes Sedai in Cairhien.
- ACoS,Ch9 - In a message from Merana in Caemlyn Egwene hears that Taim and the Asha'man are there.
- ACoS,Ch19 - Cadsuane helped capture both Logain and Taim.
- ACoS,Ch36 - Taim taught Flinn a type of Healed which Cadsuane thinks has not been used since the Breaking.
- ACoS,Ch41 - Taim should not know about the attack on Illian. One of Fedwin Morr's jobs in Caemlyn was to feel for anyone spying.
- In The Path of Daggers
- TPoD,Ch12 - Cadsuane is irritated with herself for chasing after Logain and Taim instead of Rand.
- TPoD,Ch23 - Rand remembers seeing Varil Nensen at the Black Tower the first day he gave out pins to Taim and the others.
- TPoD,Ch26 - Taim apparently expresses open animosity to Logain now that he has joined the Asha'man.
- In Winter's Heart
- WH,Ch12 - Rand apologizes to Elayne saying that Taim was supposed to deliver the sul'dam and damane to all the Aes Sedai Rand thought were with her, the ones actually with Egwene.
- WH,Ch33 - Gedwyn tells Torval he will not go after Rand until he knows where the others are. The M'Hael will kill them if...
- In Crossroads of Twilight
- CoT,Prologue - There is growing tension between Taim's faction and Logain's in the Black Tower.
- CoT,Ch20 - When Egwene tells Aviendha about the plans for the Salidar Aes Sedai and the Black Tower, Aviendha warns her that Mazrim Taim is extremely dangerous.
- CoT,Ch24 - Logain reports to Rand that Taim ordered the Asha'man to bond Aes Sedai. He thinks most of the Asha'man are now loyal to Taim.
- In Knife of Dreams
- KoD,Ch18 - Cadsuane helped capture both Logain and Taim.
- KoD,Ch19 - Seeing the new weaves Rand uses against the Trollocs, Logain asks if he is playing favorites with his teaching like Taim.
- KoD,Ch23 - Jahar Narishma tells the Salidar Aes Sedai that Mazrim Taim ordered the capture and bonding of the fifty-one sisters the White Tower sent against the Black Tower.
- In A Memory of Light
- AMoL,Prologue - Pevara suggests that she and Androl practice circles to give them an advantage over Taim and his cronies.
- AMoL,Ch2 - Welyn and Jenare return to the Black Tower and report that Taim and Logain have met and reconciled.
- AMoL,Ch3 - Welyn announces that Logain and Taim have mended their differences and are planning the Last Battle with Rand.
- AMoL,Ch3 - Pevara suspects Taim has some sort of ter'angreal that he got from one of the Forsaken that is blocking Traveling.
- AMoL,Ch4 - Emarin says he pretended to follow Logain because Taim would be too suspicious of him.