Tuon, a better description needed.

[TheoryMan]

We need to ask RJ

[Jimmyrun]

I was reading about this exact same thing on another website and while doing a little research with my handy dandy (I just had to say that :lol:) copies of the books I have on my computer I came across some indirect evidence that shows Tuon could indeed be fairly dark; possibly charcoal dark as some have claimed or at least as dark as the cover indicates her to be (which to me is not charcoal dark).

 

The evidence that I found goes as follows:

 

Bethamin' date=' tall and as dark as Tuon in an Ebou Dari dress with a very deep neckline and skirts sewn up above her knee on one side to show faded red petticoats, seemed a mother waiting for inevitable misbehavior by children[/quote']

Taking into account that it references Bethamin to be as dark as Tuon we can indirectly infer that Tuon must be fairly dark skinned based on the description of Bethamin that is found in Winter's Heart.

 

For the most part' date=' the Atha’an Miere [i']damane[/i] met her with stony faces as dark as her own, or sullen anger they seemed to believe they were concealing.

In this quote from the books Bethamin says that the Atha'an Miere damane have faces as dark as her own and throughout the books the Atha'an Miere are referred as having skin that ranges from dark to charcoal dark (usually on the charcoal dark side if I remember correctly).

 

Finding this has led me to believe it is possible for Tuon to be charcoal dark but I want to point out that in both quotes it was mentioned that the person I am making the comparison to is as dark as the other person (the Atha'an Miere are as dark as Bethamin and Bethamin is as dark as Tuon). I know it is beating at straws but to me this could me Tuon has charcoal dark skin or Bethamin being as dark as Tuon could mean that she is actually darker, for example Michael Jordan has darker skin than Halle Berry so a case could be made that Michael Jordan is as dark as Halle Berry, if you follow my logic on that great if not don't feel bad my mind works a little different than most people's 8).

 

I just thought I would throw that at the wall and see what stuck.

[Guest Barmacral]

I have never thought of Tuon as black, and I've got such a firm image of her in my head that I don't think I'll be able to.

 

As for Siuan, I also thought of her as blonde, and even after seeing her pic in the BWB I still thought of her that way, amazing the quality of work that RJ can do, if he has so many people thinking of his characters as having the same look.

[Hero of Satsuma]

The evidence that I found goes as follows:

 

Bethamin' date=' tall and as dark as Tuon in an Ebou Dari dress with a very deep neckline and skirts sewn up above her knee on one side to show faded red petticoats, seemed a mother waiting for inevitable misbehavior by children[/quote']

Taking into account that it references Bethamin to be as dark as Tuon we can indirectly infer that Tuon must be fairly dark skinned based on the description of Bethamin that is found in Winter's Heart.

 

For the most part' date=' the Atha’an Miere [i']damane[/i] met her with stony faces as dark as her own, or sullen anger they seemed to believe they were concealing.

In this quote from the books Bethamin says that the Atha'an Miere damane have faces as dark as her own and throughout the books the Atha'an Miere are referred as having skin that ranges from dark to charcoal dark (usually on the charcoal dark side if I remember correctly).

 

I think this can be taken two ways:

 

Dark, as in dark colored skin

 

Dark, as in ominous, like if you say, "so and so is in a dark mood"

[Iceman]

That quote from chptr 20 of Winter's Heart is meant to say that both women had stern / angry looks on their faces. It's not referencing skin color.

[Jimmyrun]

Thanks for the heads up on that I was in such a haste I didn't even think of it that way, oh well learn something new every day.

[Hannah Banana]

That quote from chptr 20 of Winter's Heart is meant to say that both women had stern / angry looks on their faces. It's not referencing skin color.

 

That MAY be' date=' however there are plenty of other references to both the Seanchan and Sea Folk having skin black as charcoal, or Tuon being a black porcelain doll... although, with both cultures there does seem to be a variant level... they are not ALL that dark. Especially with the Seanchan, where some are pale, blond, blue-eyed. And there's also a "honey-colored skin" variety as well, which I picture as more of a (what we would call) classic Japanese skin tone.[/color']

[dimmu666]

oh jeeez now i'm thinking Tuon is a black bald midget asdadfadsf. Well technically she is but its just kind of hard to imagine Mat going for that kinda stuff man...i thought he was straight you know. Poo! I always pictured her as the more Rhianna/Beyonce type now shes bald and a midget! ad;fdfdf i just never picked it up from the books. Yeah i know i'm a retard if i didn't but i just couldn't picture it. Oh the creator shelter you Mat.

[Fryn]

I always find it funny hearing people's mental images of Tuon. The initial description of her is Mat thinking of her as a child. Basically she is one of the women with the most potential with the one power in the series. Going by the trends in slowing of aging she would be steps above Nyv in the One Power if she were to train in it. Basically Nyv started aging slower than normal even for Aes Sedai due to her immense strength in the one power. When you look at the descriptions, Tuon started aging even earlier than nyv around the age of 14 - 16, very likely soon after the Seachan stop testing for damane. I have the feeling that all the training as a suldam is enough to trigger the increased life span as they are basically channeling through the damane like an angrel of sorts.

 

From what I can gather it isn't unusual for the emperess to live a longer life than normal, so its very likely there has been a history of strong one power users in Hawkings bloodline (ya tons of irony there I know).

 

Now its time for me to show how I see Tuon and have others tell me I'm off as well. I always picture her as short, black, bold, a cute face, and with the body build of a gymnist (as her growth is stunted much like modern gymnists, and with her training in martial arts I sense the same sort of muscle build). In the end its all how you percieve the characters though, my biggest shock was when RJ started describing Suian in more detail.

[Mistress alDebaw]

I like this picture of Tuon.

 

http://www.wotmania.com/artview.asp?ID=67&Pic=B

[Trib4l]

It's cool, and at the same time very creepy.

[Iceman]

Yeahhhh...

That just kinda looked like the Borg Queen to me... if she was scarier looking.

[Ninjasdrinkcoke]

I never really pay attention to character descriptions, i always put a face on them based on their actions. I always have thought of her as sort of asian.

[Hannah Banana]

It would be easy to think of her as Asian, since the Seanchan culture itself is very reminscent of imperial Japan.

 

I know that I had one of those classic "She's BLACK?" moments, a la Blinkin from Robin Hood: Men in Tights.

 

Then I had "She's BALD?"

 

I'm still adjusting.

[isk]

I always pictured Beyonce.

 

yeah.

[Narishma]

Well i'm from the Caribbean and i've personally seen three black people with blue eyes (seriously).So i suppose the seachan must have been mixing it up a couple of centuries longer than us.lol

[Hannah Banana]

That dark skin with light blue or green eyes is such a striking combination. *sigh* Some people have all the genetic luck.

 

I think the Seanchan we've had described are blonde with blue eyes, though. Have we seen any of the "black-skinned" variety with light eyes.

[BrainFireBob]

I always find it funny hearing people's mental images of Tuon. The initial description of her is Mat thinking of her as a child. Basically she is one of the women with the most potential with the one power in the series. Going by the trends in slowing of aging she would be steps above Nyv in the One Power if she were to train in it. Basically Nyv started aging slower than normal even for Aes Sedai due to her immense strength in the one power. When you look at the descriptions' date=' Tuon started aging even earlier than nyv around the age of 14 - 16, very likely soon after the Seachan stop testing for damane. I have the feeling that all the training as a suldam is enough to trigger the increased life span as they are basically channeling through the damane like an angrel of sorts.

 

From what I can gather it isn't unusual for the emperess to live a longer life than normal, so its very likely there has been a history of strong one power users in Hawkings bloodline (ya tons of irony there I know).

 

Now its time for me to show how I see Tuon and have others tell me I'm off as well. I always picture her as short, black, bold, a cute face, and with the body build of a gymnist (as her growth is stunted much like modern gymnists, and with her training in martial arts I sense the same sort of muscle build). In the end its all how you percieve the characters though, my biggest shock was when RJ started describing Suian in more detail.[/quote']

 

Thus spake RJ: sul'dam don't slow, because they don't actually channel. Hence, Tuon is a small, petite woman, and does not have retarded aging due to channelling.

[Elgee]

ooohhhh ... i agree with you, Hannah

 

*eyes Narishma with interest* ... now why have you not dropped by the novice quarters to introduce yourself ??? .... here, take my hand ... i'll lead you there ....

:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

[shihuludxl]

This is how I picture her, minus the hair of coarse.

 

http://kuramalover2.tripod.com/berserk/caska4.jpg

[Hannah Banana]

ooohhhh ... i agree with you' date=' Hannah

 

*eyes Narishma with interest* ... now why have you not dropped by the novice quarters to introduce yourself ??? .... here, take my hand ... i'll lead you there ....

:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:[/quote']

 

LOL... if I could get that account fixed!

[Narishma]

Now that u mention it don't mind if i do..takes the extended arm..thinks to himself..this is nice but wonder why that red is watching me.. wait a trap

[Elgee]

*stamps her foot in frustration as Narishma bolts for the nearest exit* ... :evil:

 

*calls after him in dulcet tones, giving directions to the novice quarters*

It's http://monsterslair.1.forumer.com/ Narishma !

 

:twisted: