What does Suian look like?

[Faroresdragn]

I know that the typical Tairen is very dark. They are always described as being just a step below the Sea Folk in darkness, have dark hair, and that they rarely have light colored eyes, so I typically think of them as having complexions similar to Indians in the real world. I also know that Suian is from Tear.

 

The thing is, Jordan always is very detailed in his descriptions of people, even people we already know the descriptions of. Id be surprised if there was a book where he didnt describe Rand's appearance. What Im trying to say is that especially with the main characters, our mental image of them is pretty set and accurate. But I dont remember Suian ever being mentioned to have dark Tairen skin. So I always assumed that she was from Tear, but without Tairen blood. you know, they talk about foriegners living in other countries all the time, and if Rand can be half Aeil and end up in the Two Rivers, anything can happen.

 

But then, reading New Spring for the first time, Moiraine goes around Chachin trying to find Suian, and asks at all the inns if they have seen a Tairen girl with blue eyes. and after the third time she said that I realized that that is a very bad description. until one of the inkeepers says something like "Ive never seen a Tairen with blue eyes". 

 

So it seems like this part of the book would indicate that Suian is actually of Tairen blood, because otherwise 1. they wouldnt be able to tell she was Tairen on sight, since they dont really have distinctive clothing for the women unless their nobles, and 2. there would be nothing odd or super special about her having blue eyes. 

 

And Im not shocked or anything that one of the characters has dark skin, but it just seems weird. like I said, Jordan describes his characters every single chance he gets, and really drives home things like how pale/short Caireinin are, how copper-skinned the Domani are, how olive skinned the altarans are, etc, so I cant believe that Suian, who is a pretty major secondary character, could have dark Tairen skin, and me not notice it from the 18 times she must have been described in the book.

 

not to mention she has pale skin to match moiraine's in the graphic novel in both the wheel of time and new spring, and even in the art done by the official artist.

 

so either she has Tairen skin and Jordan somehow never mentioned it, or she has light skin and mioraine is horrible at describing people?

[Ryrin]

I think Siuan has very dark hair and blue eyes. She is one of my favorite characters. Siuan was the daughter of a fisherman in Tear.

[Mashiara Sedai]

In the novels, Siuan does have fair skin.

 

http://www.encyclopaedia-wot.org/characters/s/siuan.html

 

It might be that her mother was an outlander and her father a Tairen fisherman--it's possible to get all sorts of colors/pigments in a large population.  I think most know she's Tarien from her speech.  She uses a very distinctly Tarien vocabulary; she may even have an accent (which is difficult to describe in the books). 

[Faroresdragn]

In the novels, Siuan does have fair skin.

 

http://www.encyclopaedia-wot.org/characters/s/siuan.html

 

It might be that her mother was an outlander and her father a Tairen fisherman--it's possible to get all sorts of colors/pigments in a large population.  I think most know she's Tarien from her speech.  She uses a very distinctly Tarien vocabulary; she may even have an accent (which is difficult to describe in the books). 

yeah i thought i remembered her having fair skin. it was just that the guy said hed never seen a tairen with blue eyes. that just seems like a dumb thing to say comparing genetic features to accents. But maybe Im wrong about that.