A question on Foul's methodologies...

[Horrim Carabal]

SRD has stated several times that Foul realized his past strategies would not work, he's smart enough to change tactics, etc etc.

But what if he'd gone back to some tactics from the First Chronicles during the Third?

SRD said that Foul placed many evil powers under Mount Thunder when the Creator wasn't looking. He had Drool retrieve the Illearth Stone for one of two reasons:

1) It may have been the most powerful one.

2) It may have been the easiest to access.

So why not, in the Last Chronicles, go into Thunder again (or have the Cavewights do it) and dig up another powerful item?

Raise another army. This time there is no opposition except some Haruchai and a few Ramen. No Lords, no armies of Revelstone.

Foul could conquer the Land with ease.

But, you say, this wouldn't achieve his aim of breaking the Arch. Correct, but all his other schemes would surely be made easier if he was in complete control of the Land. With the entirety of the territory from Lifeswallower to Revelstone in his iron grip, he'd be totally unopposed in his machinations.

...and Covenant and Linden would have no sanctuary or safety once they arrived, they'd be harried everywhere until they either died or were forced into some crazy extreme action that could only lead to the weakening or breaking of the Arch.

And all of this would take Foul very little time and cost little effort. Why not do it?

[I'm Murrin]

I feel like creating chaos with all the various factors, while staying out of the way himself so he couldn't be targetted, was the better plan.

[Mighara Sovmadhi]

Foul could conquer the Land with ease.

Which is what he did with the Clave, no?

But, you say, this wouldn't achieve his aim of breaking the Arch. Correct, but all his other schemes would surely be made easier if he was in complete control of the Land. With the entirety of the territory from Lifeswallower to Revelstone in his iron grip, he'd be totally unopposed in his machinations.

Well, Foul thought that the Masters were his servants, albeit unwittingly.

...and Covenant and Linden would have no sanctuary or safety once they arrived, they'd be harried everywhere until they either died or were forced into some crazy extreme action that could only lead to the weakening or breaking of the Arch.

Which is what happened when Linden resurrected Covenant, no?