A Question of Nationality

[matthew]

In Crossroads of Twilight Chapter 1, Time to be Gone Noal says:

 

"That fellow's dark as an Atha'an Miere,"…"Dark as a Sharan. But I'd swear he has blue eyes. I've seen the like before, but where?"

I also wish to know where. Any help will be appreciated.

[Phelix]

In Crossroads of Twilight Chapter 1, Time to be Gone Noal says:

 

"That fellow's dark as an Atha'an Miere,"…"Dark as a Sharan. But I'd swear he has blue eyes. I've seen the like before, but where?"

I also wish to know where. Any help will be appreciated.

 

IIRC, those were Seanchan advance spies. I could be wrong though. ;)

[Xader]

The only others I recall with dark skin and blue eyes were Seanchan.

[matthew]

I was hoping for something a bit more specific, possibly Noal specific, for they are leaving Ebou Dar at the time, and the man is part of a group of Seanchan Ship's Archers.

[Luckers]

I was hoping for something a bit more specific, possibly Noal specific, for they are leaving Ebou Dar at the time, and the man is part of a group of Seanchan Ship's Archers.

 

There is no specific answer--we've never seen a dark skinned man with blue eyes other than amongst the Seanchan. Perhaps the weirdest part is Noal rules out both Shara and the Atha'an Miere, the two places he is the most famous for having travelled. So if not there, then where?

 

However if its tied to Noal's bad memories, that might be a subtle hint towards it being a darkfriend, someone involved in Farstriders time as a prisoner in Shayol Ghoul.

[matthew]

There is no specific answer--we've never seen a dark skinned man with blue eyes other than amongst the Seanchan. Perhaps the weirdest part is Noal rules out both Shara and the Atha'an Miere, the two places he is the most famous for having travelled. So if not there, then where?

 

However if its tied to Noal's bad memories, that might be a subtle hint towards it being a darkfriend, someone involved in Farstriders time as a prisoner in Shayol Ghoul.

 

Darn, but I thank you, Luckers, and both Phelix and Xader.

[Xader]

So many questions, and so many answers. But unfortunately, not always the ones we are looking for...

[dovien]

Yes, if I remember rightly he's referring to a Seeker from Seanchan but it's also possible for Tairens to have dark skin and blue eyes.

[Dagon Thyne]

I was hoping for something a bit more specific, possibly Noal specific, for they are leaving Ebou Dar at the time, and the man is part of a group of Seanchan Ship's Archers.

 

There is no specific answer--we've never seen a dark skinned man with blue eyes other than amongst the Seanchan. Perhaps the weirdest part is Noal rules out both Shara and the Atha'an Miere, the two places he is the most famous for having travelled. So if not there, then where?

 

However if its tied to Noal's bad memories, that might be a subtle hint towards it being a darkfriend, someone involved in Farstriders time as a prisoner in Shayol Ghoul.

You are forgetting that Seachan is a large continant with many different peoples on it...it's not unlikely that they have several dark skinned tribes yet to be mentioned

[Durinax]

its also possible to be a dark skinned man from shara, we have no descriptions on the size of the continent nor how much variation there is in colours and stuff like that

[Luckers]

I was hoping for something a bit more specific, possibly Noal specific, for they are leaving Ebou Dar at the time, and the man is part of a group of Seanchan Ship's Archers.

 

There is no specific answer--we've never seen a dark skinned man with blue eyes other than amongst the Seanchan. Perhaps the weirdest part is Noal rules out both Shara and the Atha'an Miere, the two places he is the most famous for having travelled. So if not there, then where?

 

However if its tied to Noal's bad memories, that might be a subtle hint towards it being a darkfriend, someone involved in Farstriders time as a prisoner in Shayol Ghoul.

You are forgetting that Seachan is a large continant with many different peoples on it...it's not unlikely that they have several dark skinned tribes yet to be mentioned

 

 

No I'm not forgetting that. For that matter, if the person Noal is thinking of was Seanchan then there is nothing to stop him from being from the same tribe or nation as the Seanchan ship archer.

 

However Noal infers that the memory is from his distant past--and Noal never went to Seanchan in his distant past. Some have suggested it was an advanced spy, yet the Rhyagelle (the Forerunners, who landed under Turak a little over a year ago) were stated to be looking to see if the Empire held together on this side of the ocean, indicating that until they arrived, no one knew. By extension that there were no advanced scouts.

 

I suggested it was possible that the dark-skinned man with blue eyes was present at Shayol Ghoul--a Seanchan man there to get orders from Ishamael, or some such. The fact is, though, that we don't know.

 

 

 

 

its also possible to be a dark skinned man from shara, we have no descriptions on the size of the continent nor how much variation there is in colours and stuff like that

 

Yet Noal, who has been to Shara, clearly rules the Sharans out in his initial description.

[Durinax]

whats to say he has travelled the whole sharan empire? there could easily be half the area he has not seen

[Luckers]

whats to say he has travelled the whole sharan empire? there could easily be half the area he has not seen

 

If he's not seen them, then how could he have seen their like before? Keep in mind we're not discussing the possible existence of dark-skinned blue eyed folk, we're discussing where precisely Noal has encountered them before. For this Noal directly infers that he did not see them in Shara.

[Durinax]

there is the distinct possibility that there are blue eyed dark skinned people in shara I think there is a very distinct possibility that there is areas of the sharan landmass that Noal has not seen that it is of equa; opportunity as him being seanchan

[Suttree]

there is the distinct possibility that there are blue eyed dark skinned people in shara I think there is a very distinct possibility that there is areas of the sharan landmass that Noal has not seen that it is of equa; opportunity as him being seanchan

 

Noal says in part "Dark as a Sharan. But I'd swear he has blue eyes. I've seen the like before, but where?"

Yes there might be large parts of Shara Noal hasn't scene but he did travel fairly extensively and the quote pretty clearly rules it out. With the rarity that this combination seems to be based on his exclamation of surprise, you would think even if he hadn't been to a specific part of Shara that had people like that he would have learned about them in his travels. The fact that the memory is foggy hints at it somehow being wrapped up with his compulsion to me.

Edited October 5, 2010 by Suttree

[Luckers]

there is the distinct possibility that there are blue eyed dark skinned people in shara I think there is a very distinct possibility that there is areas of the sharan landmass that Noal has not seen that it is of equa; opportunity as him being seanchan

 

 

Again, the point is that we are speaking about what Noal HAS seen. But, yes--I agree there it is as equal an opportunity that he is Sharan as Seanchan--both are equally unlikely. If it was a Sharan, it was a Sharan he met outside of Shara. If it was a Seanchan, it was a Seanchan he met prior to the Invasion. Both scenario's are unlikely. Before the Rhyagelle landed no one in Seanchan knew what the state of Randland was, thus ruling out advanced scouts. Before the upheavals caused by word of Rand, no Sharan had been seen outside of Shara.

[Jagen Sedai]

From the WoT Companion:

 

Quote

Medore Damara. A Tairen noblewoman...She was tall, with a dark complexion, black hair and bright blue eyes, and if she missed beautiful, it wasn’t by much.

 

Also, MANY Tairens are described as dark skinned. And blue eyes are also common (like Siuan, though she is never mentioned having dark skin, which seems unusual for a Tairen).

 

Quote

Gorderan. A Tairen Redarm ...He was fair-skinned for a Tairen, with black hair and gray eyes.

 

Other Tairens:

 

Quote

"Mayam Colona. A Tairen Aes Sedai of the White Ajah... with dark skin, black eyes and black hair."

 

"Meralda Belmondes. A Tairen woman who was a member of Cha Faile. Almost 5'7" tall, she was solid with a very dark complexion."

 

"Nyein Kalede. An Atha’an Miere Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah... She had a very dark complexion, black hair and dark eyes..."

 

"Rosara Medrano. A Tairen Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah... tall, with black hair, dark eyes and brown skin..."

 

[TheSociopath]

Noal says "Dark as a Sharan" that seems to indicate that Sharans are a darker skin tone than Tairens. I suppose it could be equated with Africans compared to Spaniards. While Spaniards are darker skinned than much of the rest of Europe, and thus could be called dark-skinned, they are very pale compared to Africans.