Tsutama Rath
Atarah al'Norahn
Contents
General
Tsutama Rath is an Aes Sedai of and Sitter for the Red Ajah. When she participated in gentling men outside of Tar Valon, which goes against Tower Law, she was exiled, along with the other two Red Sitters, Lirene Doirellin and Toveine Gazal (ACoS, Prologue). Before this incident, she had a very good reputation as a Sitter. She is named the Highest of the Red Ajah after Galina disappears (KoD, Prologue).
Tsutama is flamboyant and strikingly beautiful, with a full bosom (KoD, Prologue). She is hard-eyed enough to make Moiraine flinch (NS, Ch. 6). Since her exile, Elaida thinks to herself that Tsutama is now a nervous-eyed woman (ACoS, Prologue). Pevara thinks that her eyes are like those of a hunting cat; any direct look of hers appears accusing. Unless angry, her face is serene and unreadable, and her voice remains as calm as ice no matter what her mood. She always dresses herself in crimson silk (KoD, Prologue).
Previous to her exile, Tstuama was hammer-hard. Following her return to the Tower, many Sisters thought she had been broken, but soon realized that exile had only made her harder. Pevara thinks that there is something wild about her (KoD, Prologue).
She often indulges in long silences and sudden, unexpected statements, and is not one for small talk. She speaks coarsely since her exile. She rarely gives answers when questions are asked of her, instead answering when and as she wishes. She dislikes having her statements challenged (KoD, Prologue).
Timeline
- After the death of Laman Damodred and his brothers during the Aiel War, Tsutama asks Moiraine outright if she has ever considered being Queen of Cairhien (NS, Ch. 6).
- Tsutama Rath, Lirene, and Toveine Gazal are exiled from the White Tower for gentling men outside of the White Tower. All three were Sitters for the Red Ajah; they resigned and went into a "voluntary" retreat (ACoS, Prologue).
- Tsutama is named the Highest of the Red Ajah by near acclamation (KoD, Prologue).
- Pevara presents Tarna’s suggestion of Red Sisters bonding Asha'man to Tsutama. Tsutama says that she will think on it, and gives orders for the relevant materials on male channelers and circles delivered to her from the Library (KoD, Prologue).
- Tsutama receives a letter from Sashalle Anderly informing her of the oaths that have been sworn to Rand by Aes Sedai, and also that she, Irgain Fatamed and Ronaille Vevanios have been Healed after their Stilling (KoD, Prologue).
- Tsutama calls Pevara and Javindhra to her rooms and shares parts of Sashalle's letter with them. She informs them that she has decided to go ahead with the plan for bonding Asha'man, and wants Pevara and Javindhra to organize it. She informs them that Elaida is not to find out until it is too late (KoD, Prologue).
- Pevara convinces Tsutama that six Aes Sedai is enough to begin bonding the Asha'man (KoD, Epilogue).
- Tsutama is not invited to the meeting held by Adelorna, Ferane, Jesse, Serancha and Suana following the Seanchan attack on the Tower. This is both because she wasn't an Ajah head when the other five made their plans to control the Tower, and because the Red Ajah is not currently in good favor with any of the other Ajahs (TGS, Ch. 43).
Miscellaneous
- Seven Sitters, one from each Ajah, speak to Moiraine about Cairhien over the course of one day. Tsutama is the last (NS, Ch. 6; Ch. 13).
- Toveine Gazal is sent to work at a farm when she is exiled; although it is never mentioned directly, it is likely that Tsutama and Lirene suffered the same fate (TPoD, Ch. 26).
- Her rooms are flamboyant to the point of extravagance (KoD, Prologue).
- Because Elaida as raised to the Amyrlin Seat from the Red Ajah, Tsutama is willing to hide her failures, such as the disaster at the Black Tower. However, since Elaida is technically no longer a part of the Red Ajah, Tsutama feels no need to inform her of Ajah business, such as her decision to let Reds bond Asha’man (KoD, Prologue).
- In the Red Ajah, all sisters, including Sitters, are supposed to obey everything the Highest says, with the exception being votes in the Hall. However, Pevara thinks to herself that some of the women who have held the title of Highest have managed to make sure that the Sitters vote her way on important issues anyway, and that it appears Tsutama will be one of these (KoD, Prologue).
- Tsutama would rather give mercy to a rabid dog than to a man (KoD, Prologue).
Quotes
"Have you ever thought," Tsutama said casually, toying with the red fringe of her shawl, "of being Queen of Cairhien yourself?" Tsutama to Moiraine; (New Spring, Chapter 6).
"Toveine Gazal had been fifteen years away from the Tower, until Elaida summoned her back. The other two Red Sitters who had resigned and gone into a "voluntary" retreat at the same time were nervous-eyed women now, but unlike Lirene and Tsutama, Toveine had only hardened in her solitary exile." Elaida (A Crown of Swords, Prologue).
"If she kept this up, she would be as bad as Doesine. Or Tsutama." (Pevara, about Yukiri's coarse language (Knife of Dreams, Prologue).
“Beneath a cornice carved with swallows in flight and gilded, the walls held two large silk tapestries, one displaying bright red bloodroses, the other a calma bush covered in scarlet blossoms larger than her two hands together. The tables and chairs were delicate pieces, if you ignored sufficient carving and gilding for any throne. The stand-lamps were heavily gilded, too, and the mantel, worked with running horses, above the red-streaked marble fireplace. Several of the tables held red Sea Folk porcelain, the rarest, four vases and six bowls, a small fortune in themselves, as well as any number of jade or ivory carvings, none small, and one figure of a dancing woman, a hand tall, that appeared to be carved from a ruby. A gratuitous display of wealth, and she knew for a fact that aside from the gilded barrel-clock on the mantel, there was another in Tsutama’s bedroom and even one in her dressing room. Three clocks! That went far beyond flamboyant, never minding gilding or rubies.” (Pevara on Tustama’s rooms; Knife of Dreams, Prologue)
“Toveine might be mistaken,” Tsutama said, in a very strong voice, “though if she is, I can’t see why these flaming Asha’man would let Logain be one of them, much less command, but I hardly think Sashalle could be bloody mistaken about herself. And she doesn’t write like a woman having flaming delusions. Sometimes what is bloody impossible is only bloody impossible until the first woman does it. So. Stilling has been Healed. By a man. Those toad-spawned Seanchan locusts are chaining every woman they find who can channel, apparently including a number of sisters. Twelve days past…. Well, you know what happened as bloody well as I. The world has become a more dangerous place than at any time since the Trolloc Wars, perhaps since the Breaking itself. Therefore I’ve decided we will move forward with your scheme for these flaming Asha’man, Pevara. Distasteful and hazardous, yet burn me, there is no bloody choice. You and Javindhra will arrange it together.” (Tsutama to Pevara and Javindhra; Knife of Dreams, Prologue)
