Mesaana is likely not staying in the Tower totally on her own volition so I suspect that some higher up is making her finish some task (army of dark novices?). SH (or less likely, Moridin) could simply have used compulsion on Mesaana to truly convince her that she was not a Darkfriend, etc., and then undo the compulsion later that day or something. Unweaving compulsion is painful but Mesaana's masters could care less about her suffering. It is also revealing that we first found out about undoing compulsion in the same Book that someone may have defeated the Oath Rod (also first evidence this was possible).
I used to be pretty certain that Mesaana was only occasionally posing as a sister and that the way she avoided reswearing was that she was in her novice or servant form. Or she killed and swapped with a resworn sister. But Sanderson's quote does seem to suggest that she held and beat the OR that day. I dunno, maybe he misspoke, but compulsion does provide a simple solution that is also consistent with the cruel and demeaning way the Shadow has been treating Mesaana of late.
I used to be pretty certain that Mesaana was only occasionally posing as a sister and that the way she avoided reswearing was that she was in her novice or servant form. Or she killed and swapped with a resworn sister. But Sanderson's quote does seem to suggest that she held and beat the OR that day. I dunno, maybe he misspoke, but compulsion does provide a simple solution that is also consistent with the cruel and demeaning way the Shadow has been treating Mesaana of late.
Interview with Brandon
3. Question: She could swear that she’s not a Darkfriend on the Oath Rod, right?
3. Answer: As long as she believed it to be true. Every remaining Aes Sedai in the Tower has retaken the three oaths. You should be thinking about ways to defeat the Oath Rod. There is a way to do it.
To me this is Brandon nudging our shoulder that the answer lies in Mesaana being able to defeat the oaths, and NOT a mind trick about her not really being a lowly Darkfriend.
I have read through theories from "she inverted gloves of air around her hands so her skin wasn't touching the rod" to "She could technically say she is Chosen and therefore not a DF".
My personal theory is this (influenced strongly but not entirely by Luckers over at Dragonmount):
Mesaana was masquerading as a "random" AS that she had already interrogated and killed. We know she was in contact with Sheriam in the rebel camp, so presumably it could have been Mesaana herself who warned the BA sisters in the tower. Saerin and the other Sitters had to take a census of Sisters and initiates the day after the battle, when Egwene was cleansing her Aes Sedai. Mesaana could have used the confusion of nobody knowing who was still within the tower to change disguises. All she has to do is select a new AS, imprison her in her own rooms tied up with inverted flows of air so nobody will sense her or disturb her. Fail to show up to the census as her old disguise (presumed dead or captured). Then, when Egwene is raised in the Tower, knowing that the second round of cleansing is about to begin, compel your prisoner and send her to reswear the oaths with orders to return to you when it's over.
I personally think this is one of the most plausible theories (quilted together from other ideas) especially since it doesn't involve any tricks of channeling or knowing how to block the binder. It's a simple "switcheroo".
3. Question: She could swear that she’s not a Darkfriend on the Oath Rod, right?
3. Answer: As long as she believed it to be true. Every remaining Aes Sedai in the Tower has retaken the three oaths. You should be thinking about ways to defeat the Oath Rod. There is a way to do it.
To me this is Brandon nudging our shoulder that the answer lies in Mesaana being able to defeat the oaths, and NOT a mind trick about her not really being a lowly Darkfriend.
I have read through theories from "she inverted gloves of air around her hands so her skin wasn't touching the rod" to "She could technically say she is Chosen and therefore not a DF".
My personal theory is this (influenced strongly but not entirely by Luckers over at Dragonmount):
Mesaana was masquerading as a "random" AS that she had already interrogated and killed. We know she was in contact with Sheriam in the rebel camp, so presumably it could have been Mesaana herself who warned the BA sisters in the tower. Saerin and the other Sitters had to take a census of Sisters and initiates the day after the battle, when Egwene was cleansing her Aes Sedai. Mesaana could have used the confusion of nobody knowing who was still within the tower to change disguises. All she has to do is select a new AS, imprison her in her own rooms tied up with inverted flows of air so nobody will sense her or disturb her. Fail to show up to the census as her old disguise (presumed dead or captured). Then, when Egwene is raised in the Tower, knowing that the second round of cleansing is about to begin, compel your prisoner and send her to reswear the oaths with orders to return to you when it's over.
I personally think this is one of the most plausible theories (quilted together from other ideas) especially since it doesn't involve any tricks of channeling or knowing how to block the binder. It's a simple "switcheroo".
How did Mesaana beat the Oath Rod?
- 17/07/2010 10:26:42 AM
3791 Views
That isn't tricking the oath rod, the way I'm understanding his answer. That's tricking humans *NM*
- 17/07/2010 10:29:52 AM
448 Views
I don't think
- 17/07/2010 05:29:59 PM
1277 Views
As mentioned above, your theory is not about defeating Oath Rod.
- 17/07/2010 06:42:38 PM
972 Views
Re: As mentioned above, your theory is not about defeating Oath Rod.
- 20/07/2010 02:02:05 PM
884 Views
Re: "Mesanna did have oathes, just not the 3 AS ones". No she didn't
- 20/07/2010 04:04:28 PM
1096 Views
Re: "Mesanna did have oathes, just not the 3 AS ones". No she didn't
- 20/07/2010 06:02:40 PM
858 Views
Re: "Mesanna did have oathes, just not the 3 AS ones". No she didn't
- 20/07/2010 07:26:20 PM
845 Views
I think this is a tricky issue
- 18/07/2010 05:50:50 PM
982 Views
Re: I think this is a tricky issue
- 18/07/2010 07:28:51 PM
1023 Views
Perhaps she pressed, and held the on/off switch, so that the Oaths never triggered? *NM*
- 19/07/2010 09:50:13 PM
423 Views
Or she didn't swear on it, because she's a servant.
- 18/07/2010 11:05:08 PM
931 Views
but BS would not have told us to think about defeating the oath rod then....
- 19/07/2010 04:10:56 PM
773 Views
What about the True Power?
- 19/07/2010 06:30:57 AM
927 Views
A true power invisible glove is better than a one power invisible glove. *NM*
- 20/07/2010 07:46:48 PM
441 Views
I doubt Mesaana stands high enough to have TP access right now. She's probably the lowest FS. *NM*
- 20/07/2010 07:55:31 PM
419 Views
What about Compulsion on herself?
- 19/07/2010 09:07:32 PM
858 Views
Yeah I realize what I presented was kinda the opposite of what I was going for.
- 20/07/2010 02:15:46 AM
848 Views
I just thought of the most obvious way around it.
- 20/07/2010 06:17:34 PM
915 Views
Wouldn't work
- 20/07/2010 08:03:52 PM
844 Views
I agree, but...
- 20/07/2010 08:20:33 PM
938 Views
This makes me wonder what would happen to a woman in a Link
- 20/07/2010 08:37:12 PM
827 Views
Re: Wouldn't work
- 20/07/2010 09:11:50 PM
1207 Views
I think the OR is tied to a channelers connection to the OP and nothing else
- 20/07/2010 09:22:51 PM
830 Views
Re: I think the OR is tied to a channelers connection to the OP and nothing else
- 20/07/2010 09:44:12 PM
918 Views
Off-topic question:
- 21/07/2010 09:07:12 PM
760 Views
I'm fairly certain that the ability can't be sensed until they are very close to touching
- 21/07/2010 09:29:54 PM
839 Views