Divinora
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He was definitely trying to win Iggh-Shail for himself. Isabelle had nothing to do with it. As for why he stayed in the portal for so long, that's easy to explain. When he came to Malassar, he made some kind of deal or bet with her. He said he wanted power and knowledge, and she replied that she would give him both if he united the Clans and found the Tear of Ash. He agreed, fulfilled his part of the deal, got an army for himself, and then decided to pass on his responsibilities to Ilia, who would later become his right hand.
Ooh, that sounds very plausible! It just turns out that Iggh-Shail, Malassar, and the like didn't really interest him. Especially since when Ilia found him in the portal, he didn't immediately recognize her – which means he wasn't particularly concerned about what would happen to Iggh-Shail, since he left it to a woman he couldn't even remember. Ah, and what an aggressive reaction there was to Ilia's appearance in the portal! It was right in the best traditions of Faidaen, don't you think? I respect that!