Let's look at purpose and method... - Edit 1
Before modification by Shannow at 15/12/2009 02:35:59 PM
This attack ordered by "Sammael" was rather done to discredit Demandred in the Nae'blis' eyes and confuse the other Forsaken. Such a mind-game fits Graendal. If it had weakened Rand's group, much the better. But I doubt that any Forsaken could really believe that they would kill Rand with this army, especially after the Cleansing experience.
And on Fain, he also wants to kill Rand personally. I doubt that he would send an army against him. It's also not really his M.O. (besides the problem, if Fain could pose as Sammael, etc.).
And on Fain, he also wants to kill Rand personally. I doubt that he would send an army against him. It's also not really his M.O. (besides the problem, if Fain could pose as Sammael, etc.).
Graendal is the one Forsaken who knew that Sammael was dead. To disguise herself as him would obviously be idiotic, and create a scandal, which it in fact did. The fool who was prancing around as Sammael must have considered him to still be alive, and took a chance to frame him, or discredit him in Moridin's eyes. Graendal wouldn't use such a disguise any more than she'd go around as Asmodean or Be'lal.
Semirhage on the other hand is curious about most of the Forsaken's fates, and she could have made this error. Demandred might well have too.
Graendal also doesn't use military strategy. It's almost completely excluded from her persona.
Firstly, I've read and reread your quote from Graendal which supposedly eliminates her as a suspect, and I don't see how you get to your conclusion. Sending Trollocs to try and kill Rand is EXACTLY what someone would do if they don't want to face him directly themselves.
As for Demandred not realising that Sammael is dead, well, he is in fact the first one who says that it cannot be Sammael because he has could not have remained in hiding for so long. So if you exclude Graendal as a suspect based on her suspecting Sammael to be dead, then you have to exclude Demandred as well, since he came to the same conclusion.
Demandred finds it unlikely that Sammael could do anything covert. It doesn't mean he's right. He might as well say that an open plan by Moghedien is impossible - but there she went and balefired Nynaeve across a whole city.
The tone of her quote suggests that she hasn't done much against Rand because of fear that she isn't powerful enough. She's not a general. Graendal never commanded a legion of shadowspawn even the War of Power. It would be out of character which is possible but unlikely IMO. It had to be a general : Semirhage, Demandred, Mesaana.
There are three things to consider here.
First, why were the Trollocs sent:
I think it is ridiculous to think they were a test, as they proved nothing. All they proved was that a sufficient number of channelers can rip a mindless Trolloc horde to shreds. So to me, the only reason for the attack was to kill Rand. And I think RJ hints at this when he has Rand say that if Logain and his Ashaman had not arrived unexpectedly when they did, the Trollocs would probably have succeeded in overwhelming them.
To me, this excludes Demandred as a suspect, as he wants to kill Rand personally. Therefore he would not wish to send a Trolloc horde to do it in his absence.
Secondly, I refer to method, and by that I mean: How did they find Rand? Demandred's frustration at not being able to find Rand has been evident since Winter's Heart. A small comment by Rand in KoD, namely that Lews Therin did not have the ability to track Ta'veren by their effect on the Pattern is an interesting one. I like to think that Demandred and Lews Therin's abilities were eerily correlated, with Lews Therin just being slightly better in each area. Besides, if Demandred was able to track Rand in this way, he would have found him long since.
In contrast, Graendal does not deny that finding a ta'veren in this way is possible. Instead, she merely acknowledges in KoD that the fluctuations in the Pattern has made it more difficult. Not IMPOSSIBLE. So that to me hints that she DOES have this ability.
So to conclude, I don't think Demandred had the motive to send the 100 000 Trollocs against Rand, and I don't think he had the ability to track and find him like Moridin, Lanfear and possibly Graendal is able to do.
By the way, I have no problem admitting Demandred is unable to do something. Especially if Lews Therin couldn't do it either!!! (Tongue in cheek icon required).