Mesaana <Spolier>

[Amber231]

has anyone figured out who mesanna is yet? I haven't been following the forums...last i had heard the new head of the red ajah was the favorite guess?

[Luckers]

Tsutama Rath? nah, i rather doubt it. He personality doesn't really fit, and she was absent from Tower at stages when we know Mesanna was masquerading about as an Aes Sedai.

 

It's not Tarna either--she was another popular guess, but post-KoD its fairly obvious she's not. The biggest option is still Danelle, the brown who helped Elaida take down Suine. The dress type, looks and the fact that she played an integral part in the breaking of the tower, but then faded away all point to her.

[Kaznen]

I'm not convinced Mesanna is pretending to be an Aes Sedai.

[Alaksuleiel]

what if she's the cook? ;)

[Mashiara]

Who else could Mesaana be masquerading as if not as an Aes Sedai? Can you imagine Mesaana pretending to be a servant?

 

"Startled, Alviarin found herself with her begging hands stretched up toward a blue-eyed woman of flesh and blood, garbed in bronze-embroidered green. A tantalizingly familiar woman just short of her middle years. She had known Mesaana walked the Tower disguised as one of the sisters, though no Chosen she had met showed any sign of agelessness, but she could not match that face to any name."

Crossroads of Twilight pg. 624 Chapter 21 A Mark

 

Alviarin seemes to think that Mesaana was disguised as a sister, and one that Mesaana must look like. My best bet is Danelle.

[Guest cwestervelt]

So what if Alviarin thinks Mesaana is posing as an Aes Sedai. That doesn't mean that she is. It's not like Aes Sedai never believe something to be true that isn't after all.

 

There are certain things that every Aes Sedai knows about every other one. There are just too many seemingly inconsequential details that could trip her up. Particularly in the do I defer or don't I category.

[Kadere]

I always suspected Shevan myself. The way she looks at the other sitters as though they are children, and the fact that her dress is pretty close in coloring to Messana's make her my best bet until I get better evidence on somebody else.

[Luckers]

Who is Shevan and where do we encounter her?

 

The fact that Mesanna is wearing silk suggests that she is not masquerading as a servant. We know the more elaborate the illusion the more it breaks, as shown by Alviarin herself. If Mesanna were pretending to be a servant, she'd wear a servent dress rather then disguise herself completely and have that break.

[Kadere]

In Path of Daggers Chapter 25 we first meet Shevan. She is the Sitter for the Brown Ajah. She's wearing "skirts of dark golden silk" and later "clicked her toungue as if at children squabbling-though she looked pleased to see it" when the other sitters get angry over the mention of the Asha'men. At the end of the chapter Alviarin notices that Messana is wearing "bronze silk" skirts which are close to the same color.

 

It's nothing really concrete, but it's interesting.

[Luckers]

Definately interesting. I think i completely missed her. We have a viable second suspect again.

 

Edit - Although i went back and re-read it, she doesn't seem to fit. She's described as tall, thin with a cap of curls and an angular face that doesn't fit Alviarin's later familiarity with Mesanna's normal face. She discusses the Aes Sedai failing of assumption--which Mesanna would encourage, not try to get rid of. She gets angry at a impugn against Aes Sedai and she gets freaked out by Elaida getting angry, and scurries out. Later, in CoT, She warns against the Tower remaining seperate, and advocates meeting the rebels. I just don't see Mesanna doing any of those things. Yes, it could be part of her disguise, but she could maintain her disguise in taken the opposite position too, or just remaining silent. And the way she spoke...

 

Nah, i don't see it.

[icspots]

Who else could Mesaana be masquerading as if not as an Aes Sedai? Can you imagine Mesaana pretending to be a servant?

 

Why not, Moghedien did it. Granted she's a sniveling coward, but she "infiltrated" the BA sisters because they never even suspected someone important would pretend to be a servant. Remember Liandrin's surprise when 'Gylden' showed up again.

 

I always suspected Shevan myself. The way she looks at the other sitters as though they are children, and the fact that her dress is pretty close in coloring to Messana's make her my best bet until I get better evidence on somebody else.

 

Note the coloring of the dress. Green with bronze embroidery, not bronze silk.

 

"Startled, Alviarin found herself with her begging hands stretched up toward a blue-eyed woman of flesh and blood, garbed in bronze-embroidered green. A tantalizingly familiar woman just short of her middle years. She had known Mesaana walked the Tower disguised as one of the sisters, though no Chosen she had met showed any sign of agelessness, but she could not match that face to any name."

Crossroads of Twilight pg. 624 Chapter 21 A Mark

In Path of Daggers Chapter 25 we first meet Shevan. She is the Sitter for the Brown Ajah. She's wearing "skirts of dark golden silk" and later "clicked her toungue as if at children squabbling-though she looked pleased to see it" when the other sitters get angry over the mention of the Asha'men. At the end of the chapter Alviarin notices that Messana is wearing "bronze silk" skirts which are close to the same color.

 

I think this is the quote you're looking for

"Seizing the hem of Mesaana's dress, she rained kisses on it. The weave of Illusion...did not hold completely, with her frantically shifting the skirt's edge. Flickers of bronze silk with a thin border of intricately embroidered black scrollwork showed through." [TPOD: 25, An Unwelcome Return, 497]

 

There's pretty good discussion on Mesanna=Tarna, and Mesanna=Danelle here http://www.darkfriends.net/wheel/1_dark/1.1_forsaken1/1.1.2_mesaana.html

 

I like Mesanna as Danelle as Mesanna was a researcher/teacher, and Danelle is a Brown. Also Danelle played a role in bringing down Siuan (sowing chaos) but has fallen into the shadows now. It should be pointed out that Danelle usually wore wool, and the 'bronze dress' quote is about silk. I also like the idea that she's someone more inconsequential and is pulling strings effectively enough to not be a front stage character.

[dragonlover]

could it not be possible that Mesaana wears a diguise when walking in the tower like Moghedien does when shes in salidar, thats why Alviarin can place her

[Luckers]

We know she is, but given that Alviarin experienced a sense of familiarity with her real face its suggested that she hasn't altered her appearence much. Illusion and Mask of Mirrors is an inexact art.

[Barnabas]

ive always thought the reason alviarin thought mesaana looked familiar is because when mesaana wanders the tower her illusion only really adds the agelessness, doesnt change anything else, and thats why alviarin cant pick where she knows her from. it also follows the other forsaken, they barely change their appearance if at all generally (rahvin, be'lal etc not semirhage when shes fire or anything like that)

i think that in general we can rule out anyone not brown as mesaana always wanted to be a researcher but it was decided she was better at teaching, i just cant see her pretending to be anything that doesnt involve research.

[Kaznen]

Remember that in the AoL the Forsaken took being called an AS as in insult, a very big insult. And given what they think about modern AS I think Mesanna would rather scrub floors then be an AS.

 

Something else to consider. All the women in the Tower are weaker then her. And they are practiced in judging the strength of any sister they encounter. I don't think the weave to hide the ability can only partly mask the skill. So if she walked around with super-powered strength compared to the others, that would be noticed. If she walked around with no power she couldn't be an AS.

[Luckers]

It can, this was asked of RJ and answered. Strength can be disguised without hiding the ability altogether.

 

Additionally, i dont think that would nessasarily stop Mesanna. Not when being in a position near what seems to be the greatest power base avalliable was on offer.

[Guest cwestervelt]

Do you have a source where he said that? I don't recall seeing RJ make that statement anywhere.

 

Don't take offence, but I have learned to be skeptical of any undocumented quote. Too many times I've heard people say something that was completely misinterpreted, misquoted or sometimes flat-out made up and claim that RJ said it.

[Trib4l]

He mentioned it more than once in his blog on this site before the redesign.

[Guest cwestervelt]

I've browsed the archived blogs at wotmania. Maybe I missed something...

[racha_giurgiu]

Who else could Mesaana be masquerading as if not as an Aes Sedai? Can you imagine Mesaana pretending to be a servant?

 

Just to point out that it is not unprecedented for a Forsaken to masquerade as a servant. Take Halima/Arangar for example. it would also make sense for Mesaana to be a Lady in the tower, someone Alvi may have seen but not really taken note of and that is why she looks familiar to her.

 

Though as far as servants go, all Aes Sedai are supposed to be servants (Hall of Servants), if you want to slice hairs and masquerading as an AS would still mean she is pretending to be a servant.

[I Love Semirhage]

I have a slight problem with this one, I can never remember all the AS names and who they are and what they do etc, there're too many of them.

 

I'd LIKE Mesanna to be Tsutama, I recently reread KOD and I like her character, but I can't see it. Equally I'd like Demanded to be Taim, but that's not going to happen!

 

ILS

[Guest cwestervelt]

There is one serious problem with her hiding as any Aes Sedai. We are told on at least one occasion that every Aes Sedai knows the amount of time spent for everyone else as Novice, Accepted and full Sister if they don't know anything else. With about 1000 Aes Sedai total, that provides a lot of opportunity for error.

[Luckers]

Which is why it matches that she chose an Aes Sedai that looks relatively similar to her, and one that was a bit of a loner. Personally i think this point just backs it being Danelle.

[drakhon]

There is one serious problem with her hiding as any Aes Sedai. We are told on at least one occasion that every Aes Sedai knows the amount of time spent for everyone else as Novice, Accepted and full Sister if they don't know anything else. With about 1000 Aes Sedai total, that provides a lot of opportunity for error.

 

Perhaps, but it's not like they go around quizzing each other about it. The only time it comes into play is when two Aes Sedai are so close in the power that they wouldn't be able to tell which was stronger without a duel.

[Luckers]

Besides it seems likely that Mesanna had Semirhage torture whoever it was she raplaced for personal relationship and methods of intereacting with other Aes Sedai.