I too have a hard time buying that the TP was handed out for a short, 1-time use for Elza. I would only quibble that it wouldn't be Moridin who controls the handing out....rather the DO. And we know from repeated comments that the Forsaken are...it's more than hesistant, but perhaps less than loathe...to use the TP. From POV's we've seen, they do not appear eager to mess with the TP, knowing the end-result and thinking they have immortality ahead of them (which Moridin recognizes clearly would not be the case should the DO win).



Exactly. Also consider Moridin's ability to plant memories and information into the minds of DF's both big and small. I'm not saying that's what happened, but we've seen multiple examples of the Shadow implanting information. It could be anything. Prior to knowing that mindtraps existed, any argument for them could have been viewed as extreme or plain silly, and yet there they are. Who knows what other "tricks" are available for the Shadow to use. The fact that it entailed a great deal of pain strongly implies that Elza's mind was penetrated and updated in some manner to provide her with new information, ie: weaves. Also, there did not appear to be any pain associated with Rand using the TP. Rather, it was ecstasy. Granted, his situation may be unique, but "great deal of pain" does not appear to be associated with TP use such as this, but rather with manipulation of the mind, which would be the exact type of thing SH would have to do to "teach" weaves. As he doesn't use saidar/saidin himself, he would have to implant the information into Elza's mind. And as you note, it's not a stretch to assume that the DO has extremely good knowledge of the OP and how it works. That appears to be a given.