The Asha'man are male channellers trained by Rand al'Thor as weapons for the Last Battle, based at the Black Tower near Caemlyn. Their name means "guardian" or "defender" in the Old Tongue. Where the Aes Sedai spend years learning to channel safely, the Asha'man are trained at brutal speed - the taint on saidin means many go mad or burn themselves out. They are organised in military ranks: Soldier, Dedicated, and the full Asha'man. Mazrim Taim runs the Black Tower in Rand's name, though his loyalties and methods are a source of growing unease. The Asha'man represent a fundamental shift in the world's power balance - for the first time in three thousand years, male channellers are organised, trained, and dangerous rather than hunted and killed.