Class List

[Amadine]

The following is a list of classes that at one time or another have been available through the WT RP group.

 

They need editing and re-working for the current "age" and feel of the White Tower but they will give potential teachers and students a great place to start.

 

Please Note: all classes - including these - must be approved by the Mistress of Novices before they can be RPed to count as reqs. These classes MAY NOT be posted as is. They must be rewritten in your own words!

 

Also for now the classes will be hidden until they have been read through by the WTRP Staff. Stay tuned!

 

 

Advanced Saidar by Emillith

Angreal by Kaylie

Borderlands by Eniara

Character Development by Karolyn Mordeki

Class Angreal

Class Earth Lesson

Class Intermediate Saidar

CotL by Sapphos

Costumes & Customs by Eldari Menaka

Dance by Aya Renae

DM Forsaken by Sammantha Allenisar

Dreaming Class Taught by Zanthia

Earth Lesson by Eladari

Elgee & Claire's Intro to Saidar

Etiquette 101 by Deanna al Moiran

Forsaken by Taya Gille

Geography by Alecia Taranin

Healing Herbs by Shannadin

Herbs by Arie

History of Aes Sedai by Arette Nenatiar

Intermediate Saidar by Lauralina Desaine

Intro 1 by Arie

Old Tongue by Julannah Damodred

One Power by Julannah Damodred

Philosophy by Ebony

Prophecies by Aelwhin

Pyro by Ahmae

Shadowspawn by Rayalin

Spirit Weaving by Kaylan Meridin

Spying and Manipulation by Tilana Saharalin

Story Telling by Krystal Meridin

Strategy by Yavanne

Survival by Ember Dione

Tactics by Ember Dione

Water by Arie

Water Weaves by Marce Dalfor

[Amadine]

Advanced Saidar

 

by Emillith

 

Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3, Lesson 4, Final

 

 

 

Lesson 1

 

After brief introductions all around, Emillith proceeded at a quick pace. Speaking clearly and looking each girl in their eye in turn, she made sure to drive home her points.

“Today we will be working with ter’angreal. Now, have you all studied angreal in another class?” Em wasn’t sure what they did and did not know and was feeling out the ground. Seeing only a few nod their heads, others appeared hopeful while yet others appeared dumbfounded and perhaps shamed at their ignorance. Feeling a glow of pride that they should value knowledge so highly Emillith decided to give a mini lecture about them so all were within a somewhat even ground to start.

 

“Ter’angreal are objects that have been constructed to utilize the One Power for a fixed purpose. Some of them can be used by anyone, even

non-channelers. They were created in the Age of Legends; the Talent for this has been lost since then. Many different things were used, from jewels to statues to common instruments such as a quill. Each object was imbued with a different property. The purpose for most of the ter’angreal we have within the Tower is known, at least those used on a semi-regular basis. The most basic use of a ter’angreal is to draw more of the Source than is normally permitted by our human make up, thereby allowing us more power temporarily that would normally burn us. Another added feature of these specialized ter'angreals, called angreals, or sa'angreals is a built in buffer, so that it is near impossible to burn oneself out while using one. There are separate levels of power enhancing ter’angreal. The first and least powerful is ter’angreal. The second is angreal and the most powerful is sa’angreal. Only channelers can implement the usage of angreal and sa’angreal, which are enhancers of the One Power. All ter’angreal is carefully accounted for and none are allowed to use them unless the usage has been approved by many women generally the Mistress of Novices, Keeper of the Chronicles, or the Amyrlin Seat herself. It is very important to know that one can still burn themselves out with an ter’angreal.”

 

Emillith could almost pick out the aspiring Browns, mostly by their attentiveness and attention to note taking. There were some who were hanging on her every word, and others yet she feared would not retain much. Pausing to let this sink in as much as possible, and for the note takers to catch up. From her previous years of teaching, Emillith had taken the habit to write words of importance upon the board, such as the two levels of angreal, Age of Legends, and burn. That last she wanted to impress upon them. Even though one could not burn themselves out with a ter’angreal, the OP was addictive and many attempted to draw as much on their own in private, thereby burning themselves.

 

“Now that we are all within an equal ground, you need to know how to use an angreal. It is not simply having it about your person. Some you need to activate with a particular weave or flow, however most, and these you will be practicing with,” Emillith indicated a box placed on the desk behind her. “These you need to embrace through them. This is tricky, but can be done. Imagine the Source behind the angreal. You feel through the Angreal, like reaching for a Tar Valon mark at the bottom of a fountain and you must pass through all the water.” Emillith handed out an angreal to each girl. “At the end of class I expect to have each and everyone of these back. You will be using these again in later classes, and because each angreal has its own quirks, I suggest you remember which was yours.”

 

“Now there are several weaves in which the only way to use them is with the aid of an angreal. Here is a brief listing: Storm Lightning, Healing, Guided Lightning, certain wards, Warming (like an entire room), major Healing, Earth singing, Cloud Dancing, Traveling and Skimming, which no one knows how to do anymore, Weaving the winds, Explosions, Spinning Earthfire, Aligning the matrix, Tremors, Raising objects, and many more. Some examples of ter’angreal are the Oath rod and the Arches.”

 

“If you would like to learn more about ter’angreal you should keep an eye out for Kaylie Sedai’s class, or visit Karana Sedai who has dedicated her life to study of ter’angreal and recovered more than any other Sedai currently in the Tower. You are dismissed. I expect your homework to be done before you arrive at class tomorrow or turned in then. I will see you bright and early yet again.”

 

 

 

Test: these are purely intellectual. DO NOT RP them.

 

1. Arrange the weaves that I gave you by alphabetical order (10%)

 

2. Research one weaves that I gave you (45%); describe what it does, its limitations, what is needed to use it (hint, see www.geocities.com/TaniaRamsey/Weaves.htm or www.dragonmount.com/RPG/One-Power.asp

 

3. Make up a weave and give similar description, using numbers for rank of element and skill level necessary. (45%).

 

RP may be considered extra credit, but only do so in practicing with *angreal, NOT making weaves. Making weaves is dangerous, ic, and 95% of the time has a failure rate.

 

Back to the top

 

Lesson 2

 

Healing

 

While walking around the room, Emillith wondered why she bothered with raising the shades. It was still dark out, and what she could see of the sky it looked to be a dark cloudy day. Then she wondered who it was that SHUT the silly shades each night! Returning to the front desk, and arranging the lectern to her liking, Emillith set about to making sure her notes were in order. Today’s class was on Healing. She herself did have the Talent for minor Healing, but still knew VERY little about it. Just as the sun was cresting the horizon her students started to trickle in, yawning and stretching.

Once all the girls had sat down and gotten their notebooks out, she began. “There are four ways to heal someone. One is through herbs and other natural methods, such as hot cloths, compresses, ice and hot toddies.” Grinning widely, Emillith caught the snickers and grins on the other girls’ faces.

“However there is also healing with the One Power. This is Healing and there are three levels: Minor Healing, Healing and Major Healing. There is disputed exactly what is involved and the distinctions of each. I will give you the results of my research. First some clarifications. Every Sedai can do Healing, from broken bones, bruises, cuts, erasing fatigue, etc. However, when one has the Talent of Minor Healing the ease of doing these things is greater and they are done more swiftly. (One must have a 4 in Spirit, and 4 in two other elements, skill of 11, cost: 4 ) The next level is simply called Healing. With this Talent, for it is a Talent, unless using a ter’angreal, one can heal more serious wounds such as sword cuts or a multiple fracture or a serious bacterial infection. (One must have a 5 in Spirit and 4 in two other elements, skill of 14. cost: The last level is Major Healing. No one has had this skill, or the strength since the Age of Legends. It was said that Sedai could do everything save healing the dead or a stilled woman/gentled man. (One must have 7 in Spirit and 4 in every other element, skill of 15. cost: 17)”

“Next I will go a bit into natural healing. There are several herbs that can be used for multiple needs. There are also various ways in which to apply these herbs. However one must keep in mind that all things have both positive and negative affects. Then dosage is also a consideration. First I will give you a list of common herbs/spices used for healing. Believe it or not, there are MANY more.

“Garlic, Parsley, Celery seed, Dandelion Root, Raspberry, Sarsaparilla, St. John’s Wort, Vervain, Mugwort, Ginger, Elder berry, Catnip, Yarrow, Chamomile, Thyme, Wormwood, Dill, Aloe, Horseradish, Caraway, Cayenne, Cinnamon, Coriander, Cucumber, Pumpkin, Hawthorn, Fennel, Juniper, Lavender, Flax, Peppermint, Bay berry, Pennyroyal, Rose hips, Rue, Rosemary, Damiana, Mistletoe *note do NOT use berries, Bittersweet and Peach.

“So now that you know of a few to use, and I will not go into what they are or uses, wink because that is part of your test, now you need to know how to use them. There are several ways to apply herbs. I will list those ways with a brief description of how it works.” Writing on the board as she went, she hoped that by writing herself it would help the ladies to keep up.

“Infusion – a strong tea. 1 ounce of herb to one pint of water. heat water until just boiling, pour over herb, cover and let sit for 15-30 minutes, drink or wash with it.

“Decoction – same amounts. start with cold water, add herb then bring to boil, then let simmer 30 minutes covered.

“Tincture - only if of age use a mason jar with cover, place 4oz herb with 8oz of alcohol of your choice (brandy is popular) let sit, generally in sun, for 2 weeks (swishing daily). strain and store in dark.

“Wash – a weak tea or infusion used externally

“Ointment/Balm – melt lard/vegetable shortening to liquid over low heat, add herbs and simmer, strain then store in airtight jar. one cup fatty substance to 3 tablespoons of herb

“Well, we are almost done ladies! I know that lectures in general, and espcailly if not in your area of interest can seem to go on forever. So I decided to end this class with a field trip. We are going to the Infirmary.” Emillith had ignored the plethora of yawns, rolled eyes, snickers and note passing until now. Although it was many years ago, and very different, she did remember her days as an accepted. The girls looked particularly happy at this chance to help and get to know young wards better, since they frequented the Infirmary.

Once there, Emillith had then stand around a young lad with a broken leg that also had quite a nasty gash. Luckily, Carrian, the Mistress of the Infirmary was there to demonstrate so Em didn’t have to show her pitiful Healing ability. Emillith narrated as Carrain did the actual weaves. “Now girls, you have an hour to go about and watch the other Yellows in action, and get to practice as well. Your homework/test will be written on the board and you have until the next class to complete it. If you would like to learn more about healing with herbs Evera Sedai has a class on that subject. Enjoy your day.”

 

Test: research one natural remedy (real, ic or made up) include physical description (15%) (pic extra credit of 5%), positive properties (10%), negative properties (10%) (example, leaves of a plant helpful when made tea or infusion, eat berries of same plant are poisonous), if best in infusion, oil, wash,etc?(5%) What cure/helps? (5%)Place found? (5%)(example ice peppers from saldea) other uses for herb/spice?

(extra credit of 5%) rp volunteering for a few hours in infirmary. If Heal make sure have the points to buy talent, if use angreal say who got from and who got permission, use OP and natural. (50%)

 

Back to the Top

 

Lesson 3Walking into the classroom, Emillith was surprised to see the shades up. Well, maybe who ever did it was sick last night. With a shrug, Em began to write on the board her normal lesson title while waiting for the girls to trickle in. Once all ten had arrived, she sat atop the desk Indian style, podium having already been placed on the floor. With a graceful gesture, she pointed to the board. “Today ladies, we will be learning what I have come to call Interaction Weaves. What these are exactly are linking, shielding, an in depth look at cutting flows, which then segues into elemental blades.

“Your work with the ter’angreal the lesson before last prepared you for linking. Just as you embraced the source through the ter’angreal, so you will through a sister, at this point another accepted. Generally, a leader is acknowledged the one to embrace through the link and to control it by rank, which is age as well as ability and strength in the One Power. I am sure you have already been learning the ability to sense when another woman of power is near. If so, then you will, over time, become to judge how strong that woman is as well. These are all an awareness that is not learned, but must be cultivated. One day you will be outside these white walls and will use it to find children to be new novices. But I digress. When linking one must get ready to embrace the source, however not do so, they must remain upon that precipice, ready. It is when they are on this edge that another may link through them. This is a hard skill to master in the beginning. It is too easy to go that last step. Now, once you have been embraced to, you have no control. However, when you sense a weakening of the one who embraced through you, a relaxation if you will, then they are passing the link, and you can then reach into them and GENTLY take it from them. If this is not done gently, then the pain will be acute, like the one who released control had been hit in the head with an anvil, twice. We would like to avoid that at all costs, to ourselves and to our fellow sisters.”

“Next we will discuss shielding. This is an easy weave, however one must have a minimum of strength 3 in spirit, and by now you all have the skill of 5 or more, this should pose no problem to any of you. You form a net of spirit. There are a few schools of though in the matter of the formation of the net. I have heard one where the net should be loose, for if it is too intricate then it is easier to break. However, I am of another impression that although a tight weave would hold the target in, it drains more strength than may be necessary. I still hold a tighter weave is better than a looser one, though. Now, there are some caveats in which you should be aware of. Shielding is not always successful. If your target is not holding the source then, and only then, are you guaranteed to be triumphant. If they are holding the source, then failure is determined by the skill/strength of the one who is being shielded. If they are weaker on both counts then a win, if stronger on both counts, no shield, lastly, if they are equal it is purely a contest of skill.”

“Lastly we are going to indulge ourselves in cutting flows. In intermediate, I have witnessed the cutting of wind that uses air to counter it. One does not need to rely upon air to cut flows. In fact another, such as earth, although harder for us women to maneuver, would have been more successful. If a ‘Poof’ were being thrown at us, would you use air to cut it? A logical thought would be water. Depending one what makes up the weave, you will have to make a snap decision on what to use to deflect it. Each element reacts to another differently. That is why, in your test, you will be asked to interact with them. However I will get further in detail on that subject later. Once you have cutting flows down (min needed: 3 spirit, 2 in 2 other elements, skill 5) then we will move on to something even simpler, elemental blades. Elemental blades (min needed: 2 spirit, 2 in one other, skill 5) are what you are actually using to cut the flows with. It is not, I repeat, NOT a sword of an element. That is a separate battle weave which needs use of at least a ter’angreal to make and utilize. When you flail out with a single element and use it strongly, then it becomes, or is, a blade.”

“Now, for reference I have a clip from when Tania taught Advanced and the Elemental Blade Weave she taught.”

 

Tania: “This is a skill that is used mostly by men, but it has been decided that you should learn it to. The basic idea is to create a sword of some sort for yourself out of the elements of Saidar. The key to a good elemental blade is balance. As with a standard weapon, the effectiveness and agility of your using it depends on how well it is suited to you. Many of you may think of a blade of fire when you picture this weave, but it might be easier for you to make a blade of ice or wind or even lightning. Tania embraced the Source and wove a strong, tight weave of Water and Air. She held out her hands and it congealed into a long, silvery blade of ice. Once her pupils had all had a chance to see that weave, she let it go. In its place she wove a tight weave of Air and Spirit. This time a shimmering blade of wind appeared in her hands. It danced and wavered and blew back against her, causing her dress and hair to stream out. She dropped that one and wove another tight weave, this time pure Fire. A blazing sheath of flame sprung into her hands. This time it was Air and Water and Spirit and Earth and Fire altogether. The blade that appeared in her hands this time crackled with light and energy.” “So now you have knowledge of both, as stated before, ter’angreal is necessary for that last bit. I want you to practice all of this.” With this Em got up off the table, shook her foot and stamped it a few times to get the blood running again since I had fallen asleep, and began to write on the board. After stepping out for some hot tea, Em came back and was glad to see that none of the girls had gone crazy nor had slacked in her absence. After a few more minutes of observation, she determined that they were ready for their test and sat upon the desk, crossing a leg under her, and amplified her voice and cleared her throat. Once their attention was had, she gave them her directions.

 

Test:

1. RP linking with another (10%) and passing the link (10%)

2. RP my throwing random things at you and you must use elemental blades to cut the flows. (Note: not Tania’s!) (10% use four of the five elements, fifth is extra credit) also RP practicing cutting elements (30%) (Example: practicing with a candle flame using blades of spirit, water, air and earth to see which is best. the more you do, the more credit you get.)

3. Rp being shielded and shielding another (20%)

4. RP attempting to shield a linked group, practicing a weave as linked, practicing Tania’s Blades (20%)

 

Back to the Top

 

Lesson 4

 

History

 

Emillith hummed and brought a pot of tea to class with her this morning. It was going to be a long, boring lecture. She also had baked up some of her special super sugar and spice brownies, ajah secret recipe, to keep the girls awake, and herself!

“Welcome ladies. Today you will have a break from stressful channeling. Today you will learn important historical information about the White Tower that every Aes Sedai should know. I know that you do not get this in any other class, and this is to make sure you get it before being raised.” The girls had a mix of joy and dread mingled across their faces. Without giving pause, Emillith turned to the black board and began to write swiftly and neatly, if small, and spoke as she did so.

“First, I will get the boring information out of the way. The White Tower, as well as the city of Tar Valon stated building in 47AB and was first established 98 AB. It is the only ‘kingdom’, save perhaps the Ogier, to “retain both their sovereignty and traditions in an unbroken line”. There were several ajahs, which lack the distinction it does now. It wasn’t until the second century AB that the 7 Ajahs we know today came about. There is a plethora of further information, which I will not go into.” This is a list of the Amyrlins, dates of service and ajah they Rose from known since the breaking:

 

 

Elisane Tishar, unknown, 98AB-???

Tetuan, Red, ???-1200AB

Bonwin Meraighdin, Red, Free Years 939-992.

Deane Aryman, Blue, FY 992-1084

Selame Necoine, Green, FY 1084-5 New Era

Rabayn Marushta, White, 5-36 NE

Dalaine Ndaye, Gray, 36 – 64 NE

Edarna Norgovna, Blue, 64-115 NE

Balladare Arandaille, Brown, 115-142 NE

Medanor Eramandos, Gray, 142-171 NE

Kiyosa Natomo, Green, 171-197 NE

Catala Lucanvalle, Yellow, 197-223 NE

Elise Strang, Gray, 223-244 NE

Comarra Zepava, Blue, 244-276 NE

Serenia Latar, Gray, 276-306 NE

Doniella Alievin, Brown, 306-332 NE

Aliane Senican, White, 332 –355 NE

Suilin Escanda, Blue, 355-396 NE

Nirelle Coidevwin, Green, 396-419 NE

Ishara Nawan, Blue, 419-454 NE

Cerila Marodred, Gray, 454-476 NE

Igaine Luin, Brown, 476-520 NE

Beryl Marle, White, 520-533 NE

Eldaya Tolen, Blue, 533-549 NE

Alvera, Ramosanya, Yellow, 549-578 NE

Shein Chunla, Green, 578-601 NE

Gerra Kishar, Gray, 601-638 NE

Varuna Morrigan, Green, 638-681 NE

Cemaile Sorenthaine, Gray, 681-705 NE

Marasale Jureen, Yellow, 705-732 NE

Feragaine Saralman , Blue, 732-754 NE

Myriam Copan, Green, 743-797 NE

Zeranda Tyrim, Brown, 797-817 NE

Parenia Demalle, Gray, 817-866 NE

Sereille Bagand, White, 866-890 NE

Aleis Romlin, Green, 890-922 NE

Kirin Melway, Brown, 922-950 NE

Noane Masadim, Blue, 950-973 NE

Tamara Ospenya, Blue, 973-979 NE

Sierin Vayu, Gray, 979-984 NE

Marith Jaen, Blue, 984-988 NE

Kathana Justina Travaeler, Brown, 988-current NE

 

“Next we move on to the juicy stuff. This is NOT to be repeated anywhere near an ear of someone who has not earned the Shawl. Am I understood?” Em gave them the coldest, Aes Sedai glare, specialized and unique to herself, which her friends have jokingly called, the LOOK or the Look of DOOM. Seeing a few of the ladies nod, others made note, and one even shivered, she continued. “There have been only two Amyrlins in history to be thrown from power and stilled. One was Tetsuan, raised from the Red Ajah, theorized about 1200 After Breaking, and even more speculated about for being involved in the betrayal of Manetheran. The other was Bonwin, for trying to manipulate Arthur Hawkin to control the world. There is only a handful more women in the known history of the world to have been stilled. They are: Rintrau Cri* in 859NE, due to setting fire to the tower, which spread to the city and burnt most of the city, caused the destruction of half the Library and ruined the bottom 6 floors of the Tower. Sisters were alerted and prevented further damage to the Library and Tower. Next, and last, was a group of Aes Sedai annexed from the Tower and attempted, unsuccessfully the overthrow of the Amyrlin in 77 AB. They are: Lideine (leader) and Vandaie Mees*, Meechie Wottah*, Chariss Shaugni*, T’lossa Claudes*, and Kricima Burill*. Others of the group begged forgiveness, and after sever punishments were forgiven.” (*Note, names with (*) indicates names not from books/literature, but made up for the purpose of this class.)

“There is much more history, about the Age of Legends, interactions the Tower has had during the Hundred Years War, Trolloc War, War of the Shadow, Aiel War, and countless other tid bits. However I am going to stop, and show you an important weave you may have the misfortune, and the duty/responsibility to know someday. That is how to still or gentle. The weaves are difficult, but related to shielding, and anyone can do them, if surety is necessary than a circle of 13 will positively do the trick. (Spirit=5, 2 other elements at 3, skill=8) I will show you on a dummy, so that no one has this happen to them.” Turning to an enlarged doll, borrowed from the daughter of a servant, Emillith embraced and concentrated on her task. “You will see that I take large threads of Spirit forming a loose netting. In between these are threads of fire and water interwoven, yet NOT touching as well as a layered shell of air and earth. Once this is ready, it is wrapped around the person to be stilled/gentled and once in place the bottom most threads are tied off, and the top most spirit tighten, literally cutting the person off from the source. There is a definite feeling of separation, at which point the weave can be allowed to disintegrate on its own. Your test is on the sheet of paper I am handing out now, I expect it to be finished before you come in tomorrow. Tomorrow is the last class, it will be fun if intensive, and I will grant you the morning off, come in an hour after the noon meal.”

 

Test:

 

RP is extra credit, DO NOT RP stilling weave.

 

1. Look at the dates of Amyrlins, either find a pattern, or a reason why certain Amyrlins were felt necessary. (Grays/Blues for times of war when raised, something like that) Write a small essay explaining your hypothesis. (45%)

2. Write a small essay about a period of history for the WT. reference. (55%)

 

 

(50% should be between half page single-spaced, Times New Roman, 12pt and 2/3 page, anything more than that will be extra credit)

 

Back to the Top

 

Final

 

Weaves Every Sedai Should Know

 

 

Emillith yawned as she ambled towards her classroom. Her early rising tendancies generally meant she needed a nap in the early afternoon. However this was her last class with these girls, and she enjoyed teaching them. She had hopes of interacting with them further outside of the classroom, but knew that realistically, between her obligations it would only been when they saught her out within the library or while she was teaching that she would see most of them again. Trailing behind Emillith were several servants. They were carrying an assortment of materials that drew more than a causal glance from those they passed. Entering the classroom, the servants arranged things as Em directed, and in front of the bewildered Accepted. One set up a row of varying stones and statuettes, another a wash basin and a pile of dirty laundry with boxes of soap, yet another was setting up a fire in an old fireplace and filling it with bricks to warm. Finally, they were all set, and cleared out.

“Good afternoon class. As promised, today is your last class, and it is the most fun stuff, as well as the important things that no one ever really tells you, yet expects every Aes Sedai to know. We are going to learn a large combination of weaves, nine to be precise, and by the end of class I expect you to be fluent, or at least moderately so before you leave.”

“The first weave is how to reheat your tea. This can also be extrapolated to brewing the tea in the first place. Come up front here and take these tea pots/mugs for one. Each one has water in it and some tea leaves, however they have never been brewed. There is also a mug of previously brewed tea for each of you to practice on first that has been cooled to room temporature. Now, take the cold tea, and mix it, almost to create a mini whirl pool, with an elemental blade of fire, only more gently and a finer thread. With more skill and practice the tea will warm quicker. Once you have learned this, then you can use it stronger to heat the water enough to brew the tea.” Emillith had pasued at each point to allow the girls time to get their mugs, and to practice a bit.

“The second weave you will learn is to cool something down that is too warm. Over there you can see those bricks in the fireplace. They have been in the fire for a good 30 minutes now. They would burn any who touch it at this time. However, if one were to first move it, which I will teach you in a few, then you can see that there is a large accumulation of fire near and within the brick. If you pull the fire threads away then you are cooling it down.” Em demonstrated by using air to pull the brick away from the heart of the roaring fire and then pushed the fire threads away from the brick. “there is another process that is just as accomplishing, and htat is to use an opposite thread to push away the fire threads, One could use water to dump into the brick and move the fire that way, or earth to smother them. That was the purpose of the cutting flows and elemental blades earlier. So you could get a feel and know that you can change how things are done by manipulating their opposite. So for those of you weak in fire, you can still cool an object, not by removing the fire and heat energy from the object, but by adding in water or spirit or earth to spread out the fire.”

“Thirdly, we will go back to intro. I am sure that there all of you learned how to make a candle light, and make a tiny rain cloud. Well, now that you know elemental baldes and cutting flows, you can cut the flame with air, or bent the wick with air so that the flame dies out. Once this is learned on a small scale it can be done on a grander scale, generally with the aide of an angreal if a REALLY large scale, and can turn off the lights within a great hall, or perhaps a common room of an Inn.”

“fourth will be creating air barriers. This is very similar to setting wards tha tyou learned in intermediate. You simply create a wall or tight netting (a wall or sheer windowpane type idea is best) to block anything from coming through, from either side. It is pure air, but can be strengthened a bit with spirit, however one must be wary to not use too much spirit in that it will cuase a vast array of nasty effects.”

“Fifth is lifting objects, or moving them. Back in an age long forgotten, this was called telekinesis. Now that you have an idea to create a barrier of air, it is with this barrier that one can push against objects to make the move. I have had these rocks and stuattes lined up along the front desks inorder to have you practice moving objects.”

“sixth, and almost done! Is one of the more usefull and fun weaves. How to Shave your Legs with the OP. With a small and fine elemental blade of fire you run it quickly up your legs, like a real razor.” Hoisting her skirts so that the girls could see how she whisked a small fire blad up her leg from ankle to knee.

“Seventh is how to do laundry with the OP. First one must use water to get the garment damp. Next you take some soap and then use some spirit and air, like little brushes to move the soap around and get a good lather going. Then with more water you rinse, and finally, with threads thinner and more flexible than those used to shave your legs you use fire to dry out the garment. OR you can use water to drain out the excess water.”

“eighth, and next to last is how to avoid temporature. This is in fact NOT a weave. In fact it is all in your mind. You must believe that you yourself are made up of these elements, and that if you are fire, how can you become warmer when the hot sun of the waste beats down upon you? And if you are air, how can a brisk wind send chills up your spine? It can’t. Just know that the feeling of temporature is al in your head and that based on this you can control it.”

“Lastly, is how to bond. You may practice this weave on the old sewing dummy/manican that we used before. You will not bond to the sewing dummy, I promis eyou this. Bonding is purely spirit, it is tough to describe and just watch to learn it.” Demonstrating, Emillith created a loop that included herself and the dummy and went over it again. Then she crissed crossed back forming a figure eight.

 

Test:

RP practicing each weave. 10% each, and then an extra 10% will go towards interactions with each other within the class.

 

 

[Amadine]

Angreal

 

by Kaylie

 

Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3, Lesson 4, Final

 

 

 

Lesson 1

 

Kaylie sat in front of the class waiting until the last girl took her seat. Looking around the room the raven-haired Shienarian counted heads again. Nodding at seeing them all, the Aes Sedai stood.

 

"It is good to see you could all make it this morning..." Kaylie let her tone imply just what she thought; that being that she would expect nothing less than to see every single girl here every single day and precisely on time... or the consequences would be enough to make them blanche for a week.

 

Sitting down on the front of the desk in a casual manner the Brown Sister straightened her black skirts and continued. "I first began teaching this clss as an Accepted-many years ago. Many girls have passed through my class, some never made it to the Shawl, and some died trying, those still living however are very well educated in politics and in policy. A lesson I presume you have been learning in your other classes."

 

"Here, in this class, we will talk about *'angreals, the reasons Aes Sedai use them, the dangers of their use, and of course what they are. First off though we must delve into what the One Power actually is.

 

All of you girls are very unique and vary from the general population in one common way. You are among the two-three percent of the population who can channel... after you have been taught. The ability to channel is the ability to use the One Power to affect the world around us. The One Power, which is divided into two equal and seperate parts, has an energy that is manifested all around us. What we do is channel that power for pratical uses to aid the world around us.

 

All of you by now are beginning to recognize the weaves you see around the Tower. There are five diffrent threads from which you can chose to make any garment, or weave as it were, you so choose. These diffrent threads are called Air, Earth, Fire, Spirit, and Water according to their properties. Air is used to push something..." Kaylie channeled briefly and shut the door through which the girls had entered, "or lift something," Kaylie channeled the Source which she was still holding and lifted one of the girls notebooks off her desk.

 

Setting the notebook back down the Brown continued. "Of course there are other uses, but those are merely the elemental ones. Earth also has its own uses though it is more of a power that we Aes Sedai combine with other threads such as this.." Leaning back behind her Kaylie picked up a pot of soil and sat it on the ground in front of her. Kneeling down she channeled spirit and earth together in such a way so that a dagger formed in her hand, showing it to the class Kaylie smiled and held out her hand over the pot again letting the weaves dissipate, and the soil go back to it's place.

 

"Some weaves such as the one I just showed you, and which mind you you are never to do alone until well after gaining the shawl, require two or more threads such as spirit and earth. Fire on the other hand you may use to control or start a fire." Waving her hand at a candle on her desk, Kaylie started the flame. "Spirit is another power that is easy to use by itself, for example you may shield another by the use of spirit, however that is one I will leave for your other teachers to teach you." Kaylie had hated it the first time she was shielded, it had terrified her to no end the thought of never being able to touch the Source again, she decided she wouldn't put these children through that, not today.

 

"And finally there is the thread of Water. Water is very often used in healing and in controlling the weather, neithier of which is practical to do in a classroom setting.

 

There is also one other thing about the One Power, through its use our life spans are nearly double what those of the general population are. By the time you reach the shawl many of you will find out that your friends you left behind when you came here have married and had children of their own. They may even have grandchildren, and they will most certainly look old to your eyes. For, by then, you will look perhaps at the most thirty, whereas most of your friends will be in their mid to upper forties. Your parents and grandparents will be dead." Chastising herself Kaylie realized she could have said that a little more tactfully... one of the girls in the back had small tears forming in her eyes. It was a small price to pay to get these girls used to the fact that they would indeed be alone as Aes Sedai, except for the compainionship of the other women in the White Tower. At the age of 73 Kaylie could certainly tell them that.

 

"On a lighter note.. many of you may have already begun to notice that you are stronger in one paticular power or another. For many of you that power is probably Air, Spirit, or Water. Some of you may even be of equal strength in two powers. This is how it is with all channelers. Many are strong in at least one power, some in two, and in rarer circumstances are strong in 4. No one since the Age of Legends has been strong in all five threads. What you are strong in tends to vary among genders. Most women are strong in Air and Water, the unfortunate men we find who can channel tend to be stronger in Earth and Fire. It is found that men and women are about equal when it comes to percentage of who is strong in Spirit.

 

Men are also typically stronger in the One Power in general; that is they can channel more than women can. However women do have one up on them in that we are almost always more skillful. Before any of you young women get upset over them being strong both physically and in the Power remember this sometimes it is not brute force that wins the Game but speed and skillfulness." Watching her students write down her last notes Kaylie spared them a small smile. "Our next lesson will be on angreals. If you have any questions about today's lecture, please feel free to ask. Your homework is to talk about the different uses of each of the threads as well as the advantages of being strong and the advantages of being skilled. Good day." Kaylie stood and went to sit at the desk, waiting for any questions the girls might have..

 

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Lesson 2

 

Kaylie smiled as the young women came in and filled the desks. Taking out her notes Kaylie carefully laid her box down beside her own the desk, and then smiled at the class.

 

"Today, we're going to talk about angreals and sa'angreals. Now I know that some of you may have used them before but today I'm going to tell you about them, and give you all the information I can, and hopefully help make your experience with them easier."

 

Kaylie cast a brief glance at the box beside her. "And my dears if we have time, perhaps we'll learn a little more than that today."

 

"First off, use of angreals and sa'angreals are one of the ways a woman can reduce her chance of burning out. These are artifacts made during the Age of Legends, or perhaps even earlier. These gnifty little artifacts enhance a woman-or a even a man's-ability to focus and draw the One Power. This means she'll handle it with greater power, and greater skill." Kaylie took a sip of the glass of water beside her and continued.

 

"During their making angreal and sa'angreal were keyed for use by eithier a male or female, often times you can tell by looking at the artifact who it was keyed for. For example, most small women figurines were keyed for of course, females. Relatively few angreals survive today, and even fewer sa'angreals exist. Even more unfortunately, the method by which to make angreals has been lost."

 

Kaylie smiled briefly as she found this the most interesting part. "in the age of legends, one of the many fields in which Aes Sedai endeavored in was the design and construction of angreal, sa'angreal, and ter'angreal.

 

Today remanents of these creations are spread throughout the world. One angreal is even exhibited in the Panarch's Palace in Tanchio, and of course many are kept at the White Tower, and all at the White Tower are carefully accounted for, and kept under 'lock and key' and moreover often under guard.

 

The greatest cache of these artifacts is however in the Stone of Tear. This collection indeed rivals the White Tower's own. Another precious artifact, a sa'angreal, is the legendary Callandor which is located in the Heart of the Stone." Seeing a few girls with blanks looks Kaylie decided to embellish a little bit on the topic.

 

"Callandor, is the legendary sa'angreal located within the Heart of the Stone of Tear, as I said before. Supposedly there is a ward around it that was created by both men and women and which will only allow the Dragon Reborn to take Callandor. It should also be noted that Callandor is often refered to as the Sword that is not a Sword."

 

Drawing to a close Kaylie decided to give a few more notes then dismiss class for the day. "Although the Tairens stopped collecting about 300 years ago, it still rivals the White Tower's own collection, a feat in itself. However it should also be noted that is in unsure what the Tairens purpose in collecting these artifacts were-perhaps it was meant to preserve these rare items, though more plausibly it was meant to keep them away from channelers..." Kaylie frowned. "The Tairens also never display these items, and it's doubtful they would let an Aes Sedai look at the artifacts even if she asked, they are not known for their love of us."

 

"In closing however I'd like you each to come at here and look at the angreals I have up here so you can see what some of them look like. For homework I'd just like to review your notes for the final class, and be prepared for the next one. Have a lovely day Ladies, and take care. See you tomorrow."

 

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Lesson 3

 

Kaylie was already sitting in class when the first girl came in today. Kaylie smiled at the girls as they came in and then moved around to the front of her desk in the usual manner. Sitting down on top of the desk, she crossed her legs and relaxed.

 

"Today's lesson will be a relatively short one. We're going to be talking about ter'angreals. Ter'angreals are artifacts and very similar to angreal in their origin.

 

However ter'angreal are not only for the

channeler, some can be used by non-channelers as well. Though needless to say these are relatively rare. We actually have quite a

few ter'angreal in the Tower, of which are important to the Warders and the Aes Sedai.

 

One that is important to warders is the one that makes their infamous cloaks, no one is quite sure how it works but it does a fabulous job." Kaylie smiled slightly, wards and warders

were adorable even though she would never admit that out loud.

 

"Moreover though are the ones important in the raising of Aes Sedai, which you may already know. One of which is the Ter'angreal which novices must pass through to become Accepted.

This is a very dangerous ter'angreal! And women have even been burnt out in it's use, above all never ever channel inside it, if you

haven't already been through." Kaylie looked hard at each of the novices in the class just to make sure that was embedded in their

heads.

 

"The final one that I'll talk about in brief today is the Oath Rod. It literally causes the oaths to be part of the Aes Sedai so that she can never go against them. This ter'angreal is also what is used to raise an Accepted to an Aes Sedai, and shortly after using this item a

woman will gain the characteristic ageless look."

 

"For your homework however I want you to do a little investigation-first tell me what the Three Oaths are, that's better than me just going ahead and telling you, secondly describe a ter'angreal for me and tell me what it does, what does it look like as well, and any other useful information you come across!"

 

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Lesson 4

 

Karana sat calmly in the front of the classroom, writing in her journal. The class was due to start in a few minutes and she wanted to finish this entry.

 

One girl wandered in, then started when she saw Karana. She backed out, checked the classroom again, then came back in and sat down looking puzzled. Karana smiled to herself, thinking the child probably thought she hadn't even seen that. How useful it was to be Brown...

 

She sprinkled sand on the page and set the journal aside. Two more girls walked in together chatting, then fell silent when they spied the Head of the Brown Ajah in their classroom. None of them were aspiring to the Brown that she knew of, but an Ajah Head was an

Ajah Head, the Highest of that Ajah... it inspired fear, she guessed.

 

Karana smiled at the girls and gestured for them to sit. Another walked in and sat, barely noticing who was at the front. The final

one straggled in right on time and rushed to her seat, then turned and gaped.

 

Kaylie smiled at them reassuringly. She was quickly getting used to the quirks of her Ajah Head.

 

Karana stood up and glided to the front of the room, her ageless face a magnet for all eyes. She sensed in them the will to be one day like her, with smooth cheeks...an Aes Sedai. She hoped they would make it. It was a difficult path to set oneself on...

 

"Greetings," she began. "I am Karana Sedai, Head of the Brown Ajah, for those who don't know me. I am also the Mistress of Artifacts for the White Tower. I hold this position because I am currently the only Sister in the Tower with the ability to sense whether an item IS an *'angreal, and eventually learn it's function with study."

 

"Because of this I am in charge of the Tower's cache of sa'angreals, angreals, and ter'angreals. I catalog them, I study them, I keep track of who they are loaned out to, and even who I allow them to be loaned out to. These are items of the One Power, most of them, and not to be trifled with. All requests for an item such as these must go through me. Then I decide if it is valid, and match the request up to a suitable item."

 

"Of course, most Brown Sisters are allowed free rein to study the items, in the store room. And we have safeguards against channeling in there. One never knows what will set off the unidentified ter'angreals." She gave a small chuckle, perhaps remembering an earlier incident.

 

"Shall we go down there? You needn't bring anything to write with, you won't need to take notes." Karana nearly choked on those words, but she realized the girls would be standing around and writing would be difficult.

 

She walked to the door, obviously expecting the class to follow. Kaylie got them moving, nervously clustered together, and they followed Karana down the hall. They walked a few hallways, venturing into an area novices were not allowed in and Accepted only rarely. They went down several flights of stairs and through more hallways. Karana doubted the girls would be able to find their way back here, she had planned their route that way on purpose.

 

She finally stopped in front of a heavy metal door. "You can see some of the wards on the door, and there are others of course." She said this while channeling some intricate weaves of Spirit. "They are keyed to me and a few others...I wouldn't recommend trying to

undo them yourselves. The backlash will be so painful that you would probably be unable to touch the Source for a week."

 

She finally pulled a mundane old key from her pocket and slid it in the lock, turning it once and opening the door. With a look, all the sconces in the room flared into life, one by one clockwise around the perimeter of the room. The suddenly brilliantly lit room awed the girls more than a pirate's treasure trove. For this was a trove of a totally different sort. A trove of power...

 

She turned to a small shelf, with a large box on it. She opened the box with another key. Nestled inside were a few rings, a bracelet

and some figurines.

 

"These," Karana said almost reverently, "are the sa'angreals. They will let you channel enormous amounts of the One Power. They have built in buffers that prevent you from drawing too much in and burning yourself out.

 

Angreals do as well, though it is said that some are...flawed and may not have these buffers. I would think it wise to use caution whenever channeling through any type of angreal."

 

She closed the box and gestured to a different section. "Those shelves hold our angreal collection. They are much more common, but of course, still VERY uncommon."

 

She opened random boxes, showing them the contents. One held only rings, another held necklaces and a third bracelets. A different box revealed ivory figurines, most graceful women in various postures, or oddly, small animals. All of them were wondrous and the students ran their fingertips over various items, expressions of concentration on their faces.

 

Karana led them to a different section. Here some items were to large or oddly shaped to be boxed up and there were numerous crates as well.

 

"This is the ter'angreal section, and the one I find the most interesting. Amplifying power is all well and good, but these things do some amazing feats. Some don't even use the One Power to trigger them. Here." She picked up a small shell-like item and handed it to a girl.

 

"Walk to the other side of the room and hold that to your ear." She waited while the girl did so, then turned to the other girls and whispered, "Can you hear me? Nod your head if you can." The girl nodded her head with an amazed expression on her face and the other ten looked at each other, startled. They had barely heard Karana, and she had heard her across the huge room? The girl came back and reluctantly handed the "shell" back to Karana.

 

She picked up another item, an elephant doing something improbable with it's trunk and it's rear section. "This one, supposedly cures diseases of the, um... well, hemorrhoids, if you know what those are." Karana blushed and the girls giggled. "But another one that doesn't use the One Power." (OOC: this one was

Reile's creation, don't come down on me)

 

She showed them the ter'angreal that made the fancloth that made a warder's cloaks and some others that did various things. One little box, if you channeled Spirit into it, played a sprightly dance tune for a few minutes.

 

"And of course you know the Three Arches that you must pass through to gain Acceptance are a ter'angreal as well." The girls in the banded bottom dresses shuddered at the mermory and the novices looked fearful. "And when you gain the Shawl, the Oath Rod we swear our Three Oaths on is also a ter'angreal."

 

She gestured to the countless shelves. "But unfortunately, the vast majority remain uncataloged and unstudied, except briefly by the Sisters who put them here. There were more who were able to study them then... they probably never imagined it would dwindle to one. The numbers of Sedai in the Tower are dropping, whole hallways are empty...I believe we are breeding the ability to channel out of the population." Karana shook herself and stopped talking.

 

"Remember, only a tiny percentage are understood at all. This is due in part by people's reluctance to study these items. These items are very dangerous. Channeling around them can set off one that you weren't even near. That's why when I study one I take it to my rooms, and work with it there. I do not want to trigger another one accidently. And the only way to be sure an item is an angreal or a sa'angreal is to actually channel through it. Very few are willing to do that indeed."

 

"Are there any questions?" She fielded a few, but for the most part, the girls were somber, awed by the amount of unknown items in the

room. She led them out of the room, locked it, channeled wards, then led the girls by a different and more circuitous route back to their classroom.

 

Back to the Top

 

Final

 

Kaylie walked into class, she hoped the girls had had a good time on their tour, not many people really understood the store rooms.

 

Reflecting Kaylie smiled at the girls and gave them a sympathetic look. "For your final assignment in this class, I want you to write a short paragraphy/essay (whatever it takes) on (1) when angreals and sa'angreals should be used, (2) Theories about the One Power, why is it that men are stronger, list something good about each power (Air, Earth, Water, etc. ie tell me what it's good to be used for) (3) The study of ter'angreals.

 

I just want basically what you learned from the class in those first 3.. the last thing I want you to do is tell me something about this class that you learned, and something about ter'angreals (whether it be their relative uses, why they were made, or how we can now study them and benefit from their use, and even whether the Tower should allow some of them to be used on a more public (open) basis.

 

Alright that'll be all! I look forward to reading your papers"

 

 

[Amadine]

Borderlands

 

by Eniara

 

Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3, Lesson 4, Lesson 5, Final

 

 

 

Lesson 1

 

Eniara Kisharad rose from her chair and picked up a stack of paper. Immediately, her students quieted and turned their chairs to face her.

 

"Good morning, class. Welcome to the Borderlands. I am Eniara Kisharad, an Accepted and aspiring Brownie.

"How many of you are Borderlanders by birth?" A hand went up.

 

"Oh, come on...don't be shy. I'm not allowed to bite." Several students chuckled with her and some more hands went up.

 

"Good. Well, for those of you who raised your hands, this will be something of a review with some new things that I doubt you know, even about your own home. The lessons on each nation will not be long but I will deal with a lot of information. I, myself, am from Kandor so I know the Borderlands first hand. They can the wild and dangerous, but they are also very beautiful and have some unique qualities. Today, I want to give a short lesson on the Borderlands in general. The next several lessons will focus on each nation individually. Any questions?" No one moved. Eniara smiled and continued.

 

"Very well, let's begin. All of the nations labeled as 'Borderlands' share one main characteristic: all border the Blight. Because of this border, the nations of Shienar, Arafel, Kandor, and Saldaea are instrumental in protecting the rest of the world from the Shadow. Year after year they sent their armies to fight and turn back the Shadowspawn that try to move south. Just over a half-century ago, there was a 5th Borderland nation. Malkier was a great country and was ruled by King al'Akir Mandragoran and his queen, el'Leanna. Under the Golden Crane, Malkier was strong and powerful. One year however, a larger than normal number of Shadowspawn advanced after a hard winter. The other Borderland countries needed their troops to protect their own borders. Malkier went to battle and was over-run. The only survivor of the nobility being al'Lan Mandragoran, al'Akir's son. Malkier was no more and served as a reminder of what can happen to any of the Borderland nations. It saddens me greatly to think of Malkier's tragic fate." Eniara paused to let the students catch up in their notetaking.

 

"After the War of the Hundred Years, 24 nations were formed from what had been Artur Hawkwing's kingdom. Five of those were today's present Borderlands and Malkier. Over the years, most of the 24 nations dissappeared but the Borderlands held strong. The people constructed a light-tower relay system with towers at half-mile intervals all along the edge of the Blight. These spread the news and warned of attacks and raids. They saved lives and enabled nations to come to the rescue of others. This is another example of the Borderlands' working together." Eniara paused again.

 

"Well, I don't want to get too detailed and spoil the individual lessons so that'll be all for today. I generally give writing assignments for homework so be prepared. Today, I want you to research one fact about Malkier that I didn't mention. Your answer doesn't need to be really long but two words won't cut it. Class dismissed."

 

OOC: Okay, I don't intend the homework to be difficult but I do want to see some effort. You may use any source but I need a real fact and a description of it. Do your best.

 

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Lesson 2

 

Eniara greeted her students as they entered the room on the second day of class.

 

"Good morning! Will everyone please get their homework out so I can collect it? Thank you." She walked around and gathered up the papers.

 

"Today we will be having a short lesson about the easternmost Borderland, Shienar. Shienar is bordered by the Spine of the World on the east and what was once Malkier on the north. Currently, Shienar is ruled by King Easar Togita in the capital of Fal Moran. Nearly every year he leads the lances to fight the Shadow. There is a pass in the mountains in the northeastern corner of the country known as Tarwin's Gap. This is a favorite spot of Shadowspawn to attempt to penetrate the Borderlands. Often one or two other Borderland nations send troops to back up the Shienarians in the spring when the The Shienarian soldiers are famous for their topknots as well being the finest heavy calvary in the world. The banner of Shienar is a swooping black hawk on a field of three blue and two white horizontal stripes. Within Shienar there is one Ogier Stedding: Sholoon." Eniara paused. This was going to be a short lesson.

 

"Does everyone have that down?" Most nodded their heads.

 

"Okay. Just a couple things more. If you were to ask a number of Shienarians what three things they value most, most would probably give you the same answer. They would say Life, Peace, and Beauty. I will be finishing each lesson with a quote from the nation we are studying. A very common saying is Shienar is "Peace favor your Sword." Think on why this quote would have importance. Your homework for tonight is to write a paragraph on why Shienarians value Life, Peace, and Beauty. You're dismissed."

 

OOC: Your paragraph needs to be at least 200 words long. I know this seems like a lot but I really want you to think about Shienarian values.

 

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Lesson 3

 

Eniara stood up and walked around the class collecting homework. Glancing at the pages she saw that nearly everyone had done very well in explaining Shienarian values.

 

"Well, class. You all seem to have done a fine job on the assignment. I hope you do as well again tonight. Today we will be covering the nation of Arafel. Let's begin, shall we? Arafel is a medium sized nation bordered on th east by Shienar and on the west by Kandor. The Blightborder is, of course, in the north. The landscape of Arafel is very similar to that of Shienar with a few more hilly areas. Arafel is currently ruled by King Paitar Nachiman who's siter, by the way, is Aes Sedai. The King resides in the capital city of Shol Arbela which is fairly centrally located. Within Arafel there are 2 steddings: Shanjing and Tannali. Arafel's banner is three white roses on a field of red quartered with three red roses on white." Eniara walked up to her desk and tacked the banner of Arafel up next to the Shienarian one already on the wall.

 

"Arafel's fighting men most always wear two swords on their backs and the majority are able to use both at once. I have met several Arafellin soldiers and I can tell you from experience that they are just as deadly, and perhaps more so, as any Borerlander soldier. The Arafellin people are, perhaps, best known for their distinctive hair style. Most of them wair their hair in two long braids. This is not uncommon for women from other nations but the men of Arafel wear them also. At the ends of these braids you will often see silver bells. No other nation has this custom and so it identifies a native of Arafel quite quickly. I will finish today's lesson with a saying from Arafel. 'The dancing is sweeter on the edge of a sword.'" Eniara stopped and let everyone finish their notes.

 

"Today's homework will be to answer the following questions. Each one needs to be a short paragraph.

 

1. Why would Arafel have chosen roses for it's banner?

 

2. Do you think that the Arafellin have an easier time defending their land than Shienar? Why or why not?

 

"That's all. Be sure to give reasons for you opinions. Class dismissed."

 

OOC: This is pretty self explanatory...have at it.

 

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Lesson 4

 

Eniara smiled as her students entered the room on the fourth day of class. The lesson for the day was on Kandor, her homeland. The students took their seats and Eniara stood.

 

"Hello, everyone. Will you pass your homework forward please?" There was a rustle of papers and Eniara placed the stack on her desk.

 

"Today we will be learning about Kandor. This is a special lesson for me seeing as that I grew up there. The land of Kandor is quite varied. Some of it is flat and good for farming but much is quite hilly. Kandor is bordered on by Arafel on the east and Saldaea on the west. I'm sure by now all of you know what the northern border is. The capital city, Chachin, is located in the north-central region of the nation and Kandor is home to one stedding: Chiantal. Currently the ruler of Kandor is Queen Ethenielle Noramaga who, by the way, is my cousin." Several students gave Eniara shocked looks and she grinned. Picking up a banner from the desk she hung it next to those of Shienar and Arafel already on the wall.

 

"Kandor's standard is a rearing red horse on a field of pale green. The Kadori are unique to the borderlands, not because of some special military ability, but because of their skill in trade. Though the nation does maintain a strong military force, the pinnacle of Kandori society is a renown guild of merchants. Since Chachin is the capital, one might assume that it is also the major trade center." Several students nodded. "This is not so. Chachin, in relation to the capitals of Shienar and Arafel, is very close to the Blightborder. This places the city in constant danger so though the merchant's guild is headquartered in Chachin, the actual trade is centered farther south. This focus on trade has make Kandor a very wealthy nation." Eniara paused to let notetakers catch up.

 

"The Kandori, like the Arafellin, are well known and easily identified by their dress. Most commmoners and nobles wear earrings and the men grow distinctive forked beards. Many also wear two or three chains on their coats. I distinctly remember my father's beard and three silver chains from when I was a child. You also may have heard that Kandori women wear breeches." Eniara grinned at the students. "This is very true. Many women choose to wear a kind of loose, puffed trousers if you will. They aren't often seen outside the nation since most of the women who wear them only do so around home." Several of the students look horrified at the thought and others wore looks of jealousy. Eniara laughed. "Perhaps I should have brought in a pair for each of you."

 

"Today I will close with a saying used often in my family. It is not the most common Kandori quotation but I think it embodies the people. 'A sharp sword alone is merely a candle. Wielded by a strong spirit and mind, it blazes through shadow like the sun.' Your homework for tonight is to write a paragraph on why you think the Kandori value trade so much more than the other Borderlands. You're dismissed." Eniara sat on her desk and waited while everyone left the room.

 

OCC: This homework will be mostly opinion since the books don't say much about Kandori trade. As usual I'll be looking mainly for quality of writing.

 

 

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Lesson 5

 

Eniara sat on her desk watching her students wander in on the last day of lectures. She

enjoyed teaching this class and was always sad to come to the end of the lessons. When everyone had taken their seats, Eniara stood and looked around the class.

 

"Good morning, everyone. If you would please pass your assignments forward, I will

collect them. I'd like to thank you all for being such a wonderful class. It has been a joy to teach you about the Borderlands." When all the papers had been collected, Eniara sat them on her desk and smiled.

 

"Today is our last day of lectures." Several of the students broke out in wide grins. "I will try to keep this lesson short and your homework for tonight should be a nice break. Today we will be dealing with the westernmost Boderland nation, Saldaea. Saldaea is also the largest of the borderlands by nearly two to one. The landscape varies greatly with a large amount of very hilly terrain. There also are a great number of farms. Many of the Saldaean nobles own estates the size of the entire nation of Mayene. The eastern border of Saldaea is Kandor and the western is the Aryth Ocean. The nation also has the highest Borderland concentration of Ogier stedding at three. They are Chosium, Jongai, and Saishen. Saldaea's capital city is currently Maradon and the nation is ruled by Queen Tenobia Kazadi." Eniara paused and hung the final banner of the Borderlands up next to the three already on the wall.

 

"Saldaea's banner is three silver fish on a field of dark blue. The nation's military is led by the Marshall General and has, by far, the finest light calvary in the world. The calvarymen train so much that they often show off by doing incredible stunts. I once watched a Saldaean in full armor ride doing a handstand on the back of a galloping stallion. Another unique thing to Saldaeaaa is that wives go off to war with their husbands. It is not uncommon

for a Saldaean woman to pick up her fallen husband's sword and plunge into a battle. The women are also famous for their scandalous dancing and complex language of fans. The notorious sa'sara is not uncommon knowledge in Saldaea." Eniara stopped and let the notetakers catch up.

 

"The dress in Saldaea is very modest. The ladies wear high-necked, floor length dresses and the men like high-collared coats. They also have a great fondness for elaborate embroidery. I will finish the lesson today with a Saldaean poem. 'My heart rises with the sun. To the chime of swords I die at sunset.' Your homework for tonight will be a review of sorts and will not be a paragraph. Instead, I want you to make a list of all the Ogier stedding located in the Borderlands, and also make a list of one new thing you learned about each nation. That's it. You're free to go. Be sure to review for the exam. It will involve writing." Eniara sat on her desk and sipped her water and everyone filed out of the room.

 

OOC: Just make a list of the items I asked for...make the things you learned complete sentences please. Next lesson will be the Final Exam!

 

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Final

 

Eniara walked around the room distributing paper before her class arrived. When each desk had several sheets, she placed the rest of the stack on her desk and sipped her water while she waited for the students to wander in. When everyone was seated, she began.

 

"Good morning, everyone. I hope you all got a good night's sleep and are rearing to go. Today is the final exam over the Borderlands. Before we begin, will you please pass your homework to the front of the room. Thanks." Eniara gathered up the assignments and placed them on her desk.

 

"I'm sure most of you have figured out by now that you will be doing an essay today. I have placed several sheets of paper on all your desks but if you need more, please raise your hand and I'll bring you extra. What I want you to do today is to write an essay, at least 300 words in length, on why you believe the Borderland nations have existed so long when other nations formed at the same time have crumbled. I expect to see specific facts from the lessons mentioned. Be sure to back up your reasonings. Also, somewhere in your essay, please mention at least one of the sayings I closed each lesson with and tie it to the essay topic. That is it, folks. If you have any questions, please raise your hand and I will come to you. You may begin." Eniara smiled at the sound of pen on paper and walked around the room helping students.

 

OOC: That's it! I had fun doing this class...post your essays below and if you want your grades, please e-mail me and I'll mail you your score.

 

 

[Amadine]

Character Development

 

by Karolyn Mordeki

 

Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3, Lesson 4, Final

 

 

 

Lesson 1

 

Okay, this class is 100% OOC, so I'm going to restrict any actions using my character (Karolyn) to examples of RP in good and bad senses. Any homework for this class will also be OOC. That said, let me tell you a bit about me, the player.

 

First off, I'm a guy. Yes I know, I'm in an org where all of the chars are female, but I know that some of the players are male. I happen to be one of them. Second, I've been RPing in a table-top setting for the better part of seven years, long before I'd heard about the new-fangled "Inter-net" and long before my home even had a computer. I've been involved in Online RPing for about three and a half years now.

 

So, these are my credentials. Now, a little bit about what we'll be covering over the course of this... umm... course.... First off, in this lesson, a little bit on how to come up with the core of your character, which for the purposes of this class we'll call a "concept." Second, We'll be covering the details of how to interact well with other characters, be they Incidental NPCs or full-blown high power PCs. Third, we'll be looking at the language used by the characters in the books, and by extension, the language that should be used when your character speaks. Fourth, We'll cover the most difficult of tasks even for the most experienced RPer: the separation of IC and OOC knowledge, or as I like to call it, "Your character doesn't know the layout of the Stone of Tear." The last lesson will be a test where I will have you examine a few paragraphs of an RP that I made up on the spot, and I'll have you all post in unique and exciting ways in response.

 

There's your introduction. Now for the first lesson: "The Concept, or, What's my motivation?"

 

I'm going to begin this with a bit of definition. A concept is not something the length of a bio. This is not a bio-writing course. This is, however, a way to begin the bio-writing process (though by far not the only way. Heck, throwing eggs against a brick wall and studying the pattern it makes can be a method of coming up with a bio for some). So, here's a definition, seperate and with a bolded "word-being-defined" for your reading pleasure.

 

Concept: The core element of a character. Her essence. Her raison d'être. Et cetera.

 

(note: in the following section, examples are italicized, and relate to Karolyn. I'm a narcissist of sorts, I guess)

 

When coming up with a concept, try to think of a few words.A Tinker bookworm

From there, try to add a few details.An adopted Tinker bookworm

Maybe a nationality, since the peoples of the nations of Randland tend to have distinguishing traits. Andor's a popular choice.An adopted Tinker bookworm from Andor, but with Domani heritage

From there, you can continue as far as you want, up to and including answering the questions about your character found here

Don't even think that I'll be filling that one out here

 

Once you have a concept, you can write a more convincing character, and also, a more convincing bio (following this method, I had only minimal haggling to do with Emmie, and that over a small lack of clarity on my part, so this approach really does work for a convincing character and good bio. I promise).

 

So, to sum up, a concept is a way of creating a framework around which your character will develop. It helps to create mannerisms about the character, especially cultural ones. A Tairen is going to have more difficulty trusting an Aes Sedai than, say, a person who has lived in Tar Valon her whole life.

 

Homework: Come up with a Concept in one or two sentences and post it below. Use the examples if you want any help, or email me at mordeki@cold-mail.com if you have any questions on this.

 

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Lesson 2

 

Okay, welcome back to character development. In today's class, we'll be covering a most important part of RP (seeing as it's what separates it from creative writing). This is interaction with other characters, be they other PCs, TPCs, or even incidental NPCs. Interaction with shaggy Two Rivers mares, however, will not be dealt with here, the books give enough examples of that.

 

First, however, are a few definitions.

 

PC

A Player Character, you and anyone else who has a handle and posts in that character.

NPC

Non-Player Character, ie everyone else. These in turn are divided into TPCs and Incidental NPCs.

TPC

An NPC who a player assumes temporary control of, to suit the story. Must be approved by the RP admin and plotline director.

Incidental NPC

Scenery.

RP Admin

The great and wonderful Reile. Make sure that she's on your list of people to worship the ground walked upon, which should also include Mommy, and Taim-icus (he can erase you from existence, after all)

Plotline Director

The person involved in guiding the plot of a major organized RP

Ummm... yeah...

 

The most important type of character interaction is dialogue, without a doubt. Maybe. Dialogue should suit the characters involved and their relative positioning. OOC you may be great friends with the Spymaster of the Children of the Light, even if you're, say, an Accepted. Thus, you don't walk up to Mr. Spymasta and think that you two should be the best of friends. The logistics of the situation are being ignored for the moment. Let's look at an example of the good way and the bad way to handle such a situation.

 

Example 1:Spymaster: Ah, I love the streets of Tar Valon, especially with all of the wonderful non-Darkfriend Aes Sedai around. I think that I'll wander around in the streets awhile.

Accepted: (Rushes up and Tackle-hugs the Spymasta) Heya! Long time no see! What have you been up to? Etc.

 

This do be the Bad Way.

 

Example 2:Amyrlin Seat: I believe that I shall check up on the novices today, to ensure that they are behaving, and perhaps to send one to fetch me some pudding. (Wanders to the Novice Quarters){note: the pudding-lust in this situation is totally accurate}

Novice: (mopping floor, sees Mumsy in her stole, curtsies silently)

Mumsy: (motions for novice to rise) What is your name, child?

N: Incie N'Peecie, Mother.

(etc.)

 

Note the level of respect afforded to the Seat due her position as the head of the Tower and the Watcher of the Seals and all that jazz. This is an example of good interaction.

 

Now, in the world of the Wheel of Time, characters do not have a tendency to mudwrestle, buy cheese dogs from street vendors, or, the case of women, wear anything that wouldn't cover their ankles, let alone a bikini. Aes Sedai plying strip stones is also right out. Clothing and behavior are two facets of interaction that should be mentioned and adhered to. Angry with the Member of the Band who bested you in a riddle contest? You don't moon them and TP the Citadel. It's wrong. The rest of that idea, however, is better covered in BASC, rather than here, so go bug Kartos about that.

 

The most important guideline to follow when interacting is to be consistent. If in one post you say that you're brooding and gloomy, don't act otherwise without any kind of justification. For example

Accepted 1: (obviously angry, stalking the halls, trips over a Cairheinin Accepted) Watch where you're going, you fluff-brained short little (continual ranting)

Accepted 2: Go away.

 

There are two possible ways that this could go

 

Accepted 1: Okay. (skips off happily)

 

This is the wrong way.

 

Accepted 1: (stalks down the halls muttering about the many different ways that Accepted 2 will die)

 

This is the correct way.

 

Any questions?

 

Homework: Explain in somewhere around 100-250 words why it is important to stay in character when interacting with others.

 

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Lesson 3

 

First off, in case you missed lesson 2, it's buried rght before Reile's points course. Remember to do it first. Otherwise...

 

Welcome to Character Development 3! In this episode, we'll see the effects of language on the appropriateness of an RP, and its subsequent enjoyability. But first, a question from our sponsor. Do you wear chartruse pantyhose!?

 

The Wheel of Time is an amazing series, which brings us into a world populated by a Dickensesque cast of characters. One of the things that helps the reader to feel on a level with the world that Robert Jordan has created. Here endeth the intro...

 

Essentially, one of the objects of RPing is staying in character. When you have a scene going on, you should try to remain with the character's accent. Illianers, for example, could easily become fairly unintelligible if stressed, I do be thinking. Accent is a fairly important part of playing a character, else arguments between Seanchan and Illianers wouldn't be so funny...with the slurring drawl this way, and the "do-be-do-be-do" on the other, it'd be better than a weekend at old MacDonald's farm.

 

For ExampleIllianer: I do be thinking that that do be a wonderful idea. To be selling potted plants to the Aiel, that do be nothing short of genius!(this was mean to show accent, not good plot point ideas)

 

That's all well and good, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Modern terms shouldn'thave a place in character vocabulary. Moiraine didn't think that it was "cool" to have found three ta'veren in the same small backwater, she thought that it was amazing (ie it amazed her). The greatest problem that can face a fledgeling RPer in trying to portray a convincing character is trying to keep the language authentic. Here are a few good ideas as to help you.

 

Use big words. Most people around here are sesquapedalians who couldn't tell you the exact meaning of "interregnum," except to have seen it in context. By the way, it means "1. The interval between two reigns; any period when a state is left without a ruler. 2. A period of freedom from authority or during which government functions are suspended. 3. Any breach of continuity in an order; a lapse or interval in a continuity." for you curious types.

 

Also, remember to use as few contractions as possible. The apostrophe is a necessary evil, but shouldn't be given too much freedom. The same holds true of acronyms.

 

For Example (red text is a bad example, green text is a good example)Karolyn inched her was along the hall, hoping that she wouldn't be seen by one of the many, many Whitecloaks who had invaded the small outpost where she had been staying. Ducking into a room, she saw the only other Aes Sedai in the fortress, Coincidentall-Non'peacy Sedai looked at her, hate burning in the Green's eyes."Lookit what you've done, Karolyn. You've led us smack into the middle of a CoL attack, and now what're we gonna do? Hide out here until Mommy sends help? She's probably not going to get any of those letters we sent her to get some help!""I disagree," Karolyn responded, "The Whitecloaks may have occupied this small tower, but I doubt it shall be for long. They seem to be fleeing something, and I highly doubt that they'd be interested overmuch in a pair of sisters like us, at least, not at this point in time." See the difference? I knew you could.

 

Homework: I'll be nice this time, and not assign any. Consider yourselves lucky. Just post that you've read this, and we can continue on

 

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Lesson 4

 

Here we are at the last "real" lesson of this class, and likely one of the most important skills to have in an RP situation. The ability to separate IC from OOC knowledge. This is a skill that many people never truly master, as it's one of the parts of RPing that many consider to be challenging. How do you tell where character knowledge ends and OOC knowledge begins? How much should Karolyn know about the Ogier?

 

This is an integral part of the RP experience, and ties in with our last two lessons. Your character knows words and phrases that make for their personal methods of communication. You probably know more. You know that someone is an incidental NPC, your character does not. In fact, to your character, the NPC or TPC in question could be an old friend, or a new acquaintance, one of much more political or One Power clout than she. Consider how your character would react within the confines of her concept, to avoid going too far beyond character.

 

So, you ask, how does one do this? Lets look at an example. In the following, we see Karolyn interacting with her old friend Incie N'piecie, who was with her back when she was among the wagons. The setting is before Karolyn had decided to leave the tuatha'an to go to the Tower, and subsequently knows little of the One Power. Obviously enough, I know a good deal about the OP, but Karolyn is essentially in the dark here.Incie: Did you hear, Karolyn? Apparently, there's an Aes Sedai speaking with the Mahdi right now. What do you think she wants?Karolyn: I don't know, I just hope that she doesn't do anything to hamper our progress. For what we know, she may transform him into a newt, and then we'd have to spend days trying to decide on a new Mahdi.Incie: You're right. We'd best be careful around that woman. I know that I would not want to be a newt for the rest of my life. What we saw above was a playing out of cultural stereotypes. It brings to mind one time when Karolyn was an Accepted and she was interacting with someone who, at the time, was a rather snotty Taraboner. She took one look at Karolyn, who has the looks of a Domani, and immediately thought that Karolyn was out to get her. This an excellent example of a cultural stereotype being played out, and in turn, allowed me to RP in response and we both had fun (or at least I did. I don't know about her). In the sense of stereotypes, a character "knows" certain things about another group of people, whereas the player likely knows better than to think that.

 

Another, non-DM example of how this can be really fun comes from my tabletop experience. I had a character in Changeling: the Dreaming (great, if underrated game) who knew nothing about werewolves and their nifty variations between tribes and breeds and auspices, etc. (bear with me if you don't understand. The only two tribes you need know about for this are the Bone Gnawers, who are the outcasts of werewolf society, the majority of whom are street people; and the Glass Walkers, who have a tendency to be tech gods, and as such have few money dificulties. Auspices and breeds are of no importance here). So, one day my little changeling was with his group of friends when they were almost killed by something (what it was, I don't remember), and they were saved by some Bone Gnawers. This led my character to believe that all werewolves were bums. Later on, the same character encountered some Glass Walkers and was startled by the level of technology that these "bums" had. Being the curious type, he asked how they got that level of stuff, even though they were bums. They almost killed him, but it was worth it for the laughter it garnered.

 

But that's my digression for the moment. Essentially, when playing a convincing character, you have to remember what they do and don't know, and also the mistruths that they do "know." So, everything considered, that's this lesson.

 

Homework: Invent a stereotype that your character has, or exploit some facet of her ignorance and write a short RP involving her and an incidental NPC or two

 

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Final

 

Well, here we are. The end of the class. Well.

 

Below in italics will be an RP-like situation. I would like you to reply in character in a post of at least 250 words. The setting is the library ('cuz I'm a Brown. Sue me). Note the madlibs style. this is for you to fill in. Feel free to play Karolyn, so long as you don't act too far outside her character (which you should have at least a cursory grasp on, if you've been reading the examples)Karolyn was wandering between the massive shelves of the White Tower's spectacular library, plucking books from them as she passed. Eventually, she realized that she would be unable to carry the books on her own. Signalling for a novice to approach, she passed a small stack of books to the girl.

 

"{insert your character's name here}," she said, "I would like for you to hold on to these books as I peruse, to ensure that I'll have exactly the material I need for my research, and also to take any I hand to you to add to the stacks." Handing the novice another book, she continued onward.

 

So, that's it! Enjoy, and I hope that you learned something from this.

 

 

[Amadine]

Angreal

 

Reasons they are used, dangers of their use, what they are.

 

First, basic intro to the One Power:

 

 

All of you girls differ from the general population in one common way. You are among the two-three percent of the population who can learn to channel. The ability to channel is the ability to use the One Power to affect the world around us. The One Power, which is divided into two equal and seperate parts, has an energy that is manifested all around us. What we do is channel that power for practical uses.

 

Should by now be able to recognize (or begin to) the weaves you see being used.. There are five different elements which you can use to weave something. These different elements are called Air, Earth, Fire, Spirit, and Water. Air can be used to push something or lift something. Earth is most often used in combination with other elements.

 

 

Fire can be used on its own to control or start a fire.

 

 

Spirit is another power that is easy to use by itself, for example you shield someone by the use of Spirit

 

Water is very often used in healing and in controlling the weather

 

There is also one other thing about the One Power – those who can use it generally live much longer than those who can’t

 

 

may have already begun to notice that you are stronger in one particular element or another. For most of you that element is probably Air, Spirit, or Water. Some of you may even be of equal strength in two elements. This is how it is with all channelers. Many are strong in at least one element, some in two, and in rarer circumstances are strong in four. No one since the Age of Legends has been strong in all five elements. What you are strong in tends to vary among genders. Most women are strong in Air and Water, men tend to be stronger in Earth and Fire. About equal when it comes to Spirit.

 

Men also typically stronger in the One Power in general, Aes Sedai are almost always more skillful. Sometimes it is not brute force that wins the Game but speed and skillfulness.

 

 

Homework/discussion: different uses of the elements; advantages of being strong and the advantages of being skilled.

 

 

 

Angreals and Sa'angreals.

 

Using an angreals or sa'angreal buffers one against drawing too much of the Power and burning out. Made during the Age of Legends, or perhaps even earlier. Enhance a woman - or even a man's - ability to focus and draw the One Power.

 

During their making angreal and sa'angreal were keyed for use by either a male or female. (Speculation: often times you can tell by looking at the artifact who it was keyed for. For example, most small women figurines were keyed for of course, females.) Relatively few angreals survive today, and even fewer sa'angreals exist. Even more unfortunately, the method by which to make angreals has been lost.

 

In the age of legends, one of the many fields in which Aes Sedai endeavored in was the design and construction of angreal, sa'angreal, and ter'angreal.

 

Today remanents of these creations are spread throughout the world. One angreal in the Panarch's Palace in Tanchio, many are kept at the White Tower. All at the White Tower are carefully accounted for, and kept secure, often under guard.

 

One of the greatest cache of these artifacts is in the Stone of Tear. (Almost ?) rivals the White Tower's own. One precious artifact, a sa'angreal, is the legendary Callandor which is located in the Heart of the Stone.

 

 

Supposedly there is a ward around it that was created by both men and women and which will only allow the Dragon Reborn to take Callandor. It should also be noted that Callandor is often refered to as the Sword that is not a Sword.

 

The Tairens stopped collecting about 300 years ago. It is unsure what the Tairens purpose in collecting these artifacts were - perhaps it was meant to preserve these rare items, though more plausibly it was meant to keep them away from channelers. The Tairens also never display these items, and it's doubtful they would let an Aes Sedai look at the artifacts even if she asked.

 

Ter'angreals.

 

 

Ter'angreals are artifacts and very similar to angreal in their origin. Some can be used by non-channelers as well, though that is rare. Quite a few ter'angreal in the Tower. One makes the fancloth from which the Warders’ cloaks are made; no one is quite sure how it works.

 

Another Ter'angreal is the Three Arches which novices must pass through to become Accepted.

Very dangerous; women have even been burnt out in it's use; never ever channel inside it.

 

 

The Oath Rod. Literally causes the oaths to be part of the Aes Sedai so that she can never go against them. This ter'angreal is what is used to raise an Accepted to an Aes Sedai.

 

 

One never knows what will set off the unidentified ter'angreals

 

 

Homework / discussion: tell me what the Three Oaths are, describe a ter'angreal for me and tell me what it does, what does it look like as well, and any other useful information you come across.

 

 

 

 

<BR style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR style="mso-special-character: line-break">

 

 

 

You can find examples of Angreal, Sa’angreal and Ter’angreal here:

 

http://encyclopaedia-wot.org:8008/items/index.html

 

 

 

Angreal, Sa'angreal, Ter'angreal

Pronunciation: anh-gree-AHL, sah-AHN-gree-ahl, tear-AHN-gree-ahl

 

Angreal allow anyone capable of channeling to handle a greater amount of the Power than would be safe or even possible unaided. Sa'angreal are similar to, but more powerful than, angreal. The amount of the Power that can be wielded with a sa'angreal compares to the amount that can be handled with an angreal as the Power wielded with the aid of an angreal does to the amount that can be handled unaided. Unlike angreal and sa'angreal, each ter'angreal was made to do a particular thing. Some require channeling, while others may be used by anyone. It had been thought that the knowledge of creating these items had been lost, but Elayne has discovered how to do so. Some draw both saidin and saidar, even if only one person uses it. (ACoS,Ch20) Ter'angreal in close proximity can sometimes interact with unexpected and dangerous consequences. (TDR,Ch23) One does not have to actually touch an angreal to draw the One Power through it. (TFoH,Ch21)

 

Known angreal, sa'angreal and ter'angreal are listed in Items.

 

 

 

[Amadine]

Lesson 1

 

Andor and Caemlyn

 

 

learn a little about customs and costumes of various nations in our World.

 

Today: Andor, and Caemlyn. Andor is the largest nation, and also one of the oldest. Andor’s boundaries extend from the River Erinin to the Mountains of Mist.

The capital city is Caemlyn, which is one of the more beautiful cities in the land, aside from Tar Valon of course. The city has two sections, the New City, built a thousand years ago, and the Inner City, built with the help of Ogier stonemasons.

 

 

 

Styles of clothing:

 

Most Andorans are fair-skinned with blue eyes and blond hair, but dark hair and eyes are not uncommon.

The dresses that women wear usually have square-cut necks, showing little if any cleavage, and fitted sleeves. The dresses are sometimes embroidered with flowers and leaves, and are worn belted at the waist. Highborn ladies’ dresses are usually made of silk, using metallic threads for the embroidery and belt. Commoners’ dresses are made of wool, usually with higher necklines and with an apron.

 

 

Men wear trousers and shirts with a coat over top. The coat is made with turned-back cuffs and an upstanding collar. Again, among the Highborn, the material is silk or brocade, with metallic threads and common men wear strong stout wool. A cloak is used by both men and women when needed.

 

Tip for homework: write up a few notes. Feel free to add anything else that you happen to know about Andor, to share with the rest of the class.

 

Lesson 2

 

Cairhien

 

Cairhien has been an independent nation only since the end of the War of the Hundred Years. Cairhienís boundaries lie from the River Erinin to the Spine of the World. At one time, Cairhien merchants were granted the right to travel the Silk Path from the Jangai Pass through the Aiel Waste. That right was lost with the Aiel War, sparked when the king of Cairhien cut down Avendoraldera, a gift from the Aiel.

 

Cairhien’s capital city is also called Cairhien, and it laid out in a precise grid, with every street meeting at a right angle. The layout of the city mirrors the nature of the people who live there. Cairhienin nobles desire control and order, yet they thrive on subtle political manoeuvring. It is called Daes Dae’mar, or the Game of Houses. Every noble is involved in the Game from birth, learning the art of misdirection and subtlety. As result, every aspect of their dress, behaviour and even the architecture is carefully ordered.

 

Cairhienin are shorter and more pale-skinned than the Andorans. They have dark hair, and they wear darker colours of clothing. All the clothing has narrow horizontal slashes of colour across the chest and body, and dark ivory lace at the throat and wrists. The number of slashes indicates rank, and the colour indicates the House. Ladies have their hair in elaborate towers of curls, and the dresses are much the same as in Andor, except that the skirts are very wide, supported with hoops and the material is finer. Men wear their hair long, with flat or bell-shaped velvet caps.

 

The lower classes are very different though. Free from the Great Game, they often approach the extremes of flamboyance. Their clothing is very colourful. Bright skirts and shirts with coats and shawls of equally bright, often clashing colours are common. (Elgee note: I’m almost sure this is just the Foregaters, not the normal commoners.)

 

 

Lesson 3

 

Altara

 

Altara is a little different from Andor and Cairhien. Altara faces the Sea of Storms, wedged between Illian and Amadicia. The capital city is Ebou Dar. Ebou Dar is on the River Eldar and on one side are palaces and the homes and shops off the upper and middle classes. The other side is known as the Rahad, home to the lower class.

 

Most Altarans are recognizable for their dark hair, dark eyes, and olive complexion, and those from Ebou Dar are recognized by their very distinctive clothing.

Women’s dresses are often pale in colour with snug bodices and full skirts over bright petticoats. Commoners gather the skirt above one knee to reveal the brightly coloured petticoats beneath, while noblewomen wear it raised in the front. The necklines of commoners are cut very narrow and deep (Elgee note: check this – not sure), while for nobles the bodice has a round or oval cutout, allowing those with marriage knives to show them off, and those without to show they are available.

 

The marriage knife is a very significant item for an Altaran woman,î Suu picked up a knife off the desk. It was of brass, with coloured glass stones in it. ìThis is a commonersí marriage knife. It is worn hanging hilt-down from a choker around a womanís neck. The knife tells a lot about the wearer. A white sheath means the woman is widowed, and wonít remarry. A blue sheath means she will consider offers. The beads set into the knife represent children, white for sons, red for daughters. Women who are engaged to be married wear a choker, to show that they have been promised a knife.î

 

ìEbou Dari men wear long, elaborate vests, often in bright colours. They are worn alone, or over pale shirts with wide sleeves. Sometimes the wealthy will add a decorative silk coat slung about the shoulders, much too small to actually wear. This ìcapeî is held with a chain of silver or gold strung between the narrow lapels.î

 

ìBoth men and women wear curved daggers through their belts or sashes.î

 

Suu smiled. ìFor homework Iíd just like you to take notes on Ebou Dar, the clothing, and the marriage knife. See you next class!î

 

 

 

Lesson 4

 

Tarabon

 

Suu walked into class today in her normal Acceptedís dress. She wasnít about to wear the styles of Tarabon!

 

ìToday you will be learning about Tarabon, a country far to the west, on the Aryth Ocean. As something a little different, I asked Taya Sedai, of the Green Ajah to come talk to you about Tarabon, her home country.î

 

She motioned for Taya Sedai, who was standing by the door, to come over. Taya was garbed in a gown of thin silk, with a veil across her face. Suu didnít know how she could talk without chewing on the silly thing.

 

ìThank you, Suu,î started Taya, trying not to grin too widely. She couldnít remember the last time she had donned her native garbÖbut she felt strangely at home in the filmy fabrics, despite having told herself for so many years that she detested it all so. She wasted no more time, launching right into it. ìGreetings, children! I am here to talk to you about Tarabon, my beautiful homeland.î She hoped they picked up on the sarcasm. ìTarabon lies on the Aryth Ocean, and has three peninsulas ñ the Verana, Maseta and Calpene. The capital city, Tanchico, occupies the high hills, which populate the area surrounding Tanchico Bay. The city lies on the mouth of the River Andahar. This can be good for trade, but can also be considered a danger since enemy vessels have access to the city. Thatís why we fortified the mouth of the river on either bank.î She winked in her typical Green manner, and the continued, beginning to pace a bit.

 

ìTarabon is ruled jointly by the King and Panarch ñ both of whom are elected by the Assembly of Lords. Both heads have equal authority, yet perform different tasks. The Panarch collects taxes, customs and duties, so that all the lords can have nice big parties and eat lots of fatty foods. The Panarch has other duties too, however, perhaps so that she can feel more worthwhile. She controls the Civil Watch, and oversees the lower courts. The Panarch has a personal guard named the Panarchís Legion, who are very useful in fending off assassination attempts.î Taya heard gasps of shock from around the room, and when she looked at Eladari, the young womanís hair seemed to stand on end. Taya didnít let it phase her. She had always believed in brutal honesty, even if it meant being blasphemous too, and she had lost all love for the system in Tarabon a long time ago. ìOn the other hand the Kingís duty is to spend the collected revenue in an appropriate manner, like I told you, on feasts and other things like pretty pictures and nice shiny golden armour ñ which heíll probably never use in his life because he can barely sit a horse, let alone wield a sword in armour.î Taya barely missed a beat. ìThe King controls the army, and oversees the High Court ñ oh, lucky him.î No one could have missed that sarcasm. ìHe too has a personal guard ñ the Kingís Life Guard ñ to ensure that he lives to reign long and prosperously ñ at least, for himself and his lordling lap dogs.î Taya realised she was getting dangerously outrageous here, but no matter how she tried, she couldnít make herself care. ìThe Assembly of Lordsí only main duty is to elect the King and the Panarch. Oh, and they have to eat too ñ otherwise, where would all that food go?î

 

ìNow for the fashions of Tarabon. In Tarabon it is considered impolite to completely reveal oneís face, except when eating or drinking. As a result, both men and women wear a transparent veil, like this one,î she touched the veil across her face. ìIt probably looks uncomfortable, but itís really quite fine. Besides, we learn as children how to wear these without suffocating. I suppose it is an art, really.î She shrugged and moved on. ìAlthough Noblewomen veil their faces, they do not always believe in hiding their figures. Most wear clinging gowns like the one Iím wearing. It is made of thin silk and can be quite revealing.î Watching her Aes Sedai friend, Eladari could almost see her blushing, but she knew that Taya would never show it. Taya banished all thoughts of Eos and hurried on. ìAll Taraboner women are known for wearing their hair in thin braids. All women, that is, besides those like me, who have been away so long they forget what the point was in the first place.î She patted her braids experimentally, because she hadnít worn them in so long. She admitted it did feel rather nice, but she vowed she would remove them as soon as she was done here. ìTaraboner men dress in baggy white pants and coats decorated with scrollwork embroidery on the shoulders. Loose-fitting shirts with embroidered chests are worn under the coats. Men often have thick moustaches under their veils, but do not usually wear beards. They wear dark cylindrical caps on their thick, dark hair. Often they look like fools, but some of the cuter ones can pull it off really well.î

 

ìSo,î Taya said finally, sighing and tugging on a braid absent-mindedly. ìThere you have a little insight into Tarabon.î And that was it.

 

Stepping forward, Suu thanked Taya Sedai for coming. Taya nodded and grinned in reply.

 

ìFor homework, please take some notes on the geography, the hierarchy, and the fashions of Tarabon.î

 

 

 

Lesson 5

 

Tear

 

Suu was pleased at how well her class was doing. They seemed interested in what they were learning. She knew it would be useful for them in the future, when they travelled as Aes Sedai. Her outfit today was in the commoner style, with high hems and such.

 

"Our lesson today is about Tear, a nation that lies just east of Illian, and contains the greatest port on the Sea of Storms. The port is in the capital city, also called Tear, and is located well above the mouth of the River Erinin, and is guarded by the ancient fortress known as the Stone of Tear. The port is protected by the winding waterways known as the Fingers of the Dragon, which only the Tairens know how to navigate.î

 

ìOne very important point about Tear, if you ever find yourself travelling there, is that all channeling has been outlawed in Tear. Aes Sedai are tolerated, but only so long as they donít actually channel. So, you must be very, very careful.î

 

ìBut enough of that,î Suu smiled, to lessen the tension, ìThe city of Tear is designed like many of the others of told you about. The inner city is protected by high walls of grey stone. The finer houses and palaces are found inside the walls, and all the streets are paved with stones. Outside the walls is the port district called the Maule, and the warehouse district called the Chalm. Both contain inns and shops that cater to the sailors. The streets are unpaved, and always deep with mud. To deal with the mud, anyone wishing to walk through the outer city must go barefoot or wear a special raised shoe called a clog.î

 

Suu lifted a small shoe-sized wooden platform off the desk, and attached it to her shoe, to show how it was used.

 

ìAnd this leads us to fashion! Tairen fashion is a little unique compared to other nations, because unlike the other nations, the dress of the nobles is very different from that of commoners, no doubt in an attempt to further the unique Tairen belief that commoners are actually lesser beings.

Tairen lords wear colourful coats of padded silks and brocades with puffy sleeves, sometimes coloured in stripes. Their breeches are tight to show a well-muscled leg to best advantage, and are often brightly coloured. In contrast, common men wear baggy breeches, usually tied at the ankle, and held up by a brightly coloured sash. Some wear coats, but unlike the lord'í theirs are long and dark, fitting tightly to the wearerís arms and chest, then becoming wider below the waist. Sometimes shoes or boots are worn, but more often bare feet or clogs, the elevated shoes are preferred. Most common men wear cloth caps that hang to one side of their face, or wide straw hats.î

 

ìNoble ladies of Tear wear long dresses with necklines cut to bare shoulders and even considerable bosom. Silk is, of course, the material of preference and the dresses often have lace ruffs and a tiny matching cap. Tairen widows wear white, though some have been known to don the colour while their dying husband is still alive. No lady is ever without her tiny porcelain bottle of smelling salts.

Common women cannot afford silk, or the long dresses that would be ruined in the mud of the Maule. Their dresses have chin-high collars, and ankle-high hems. The dresses often have pale-coloured aprons, usually in a combination of two or three of progressively larger size. Each smaller than the one beneath! Hats are dyed to match the aprons, with wide brims.î

 

ìAnd that is Tairen fashion! I know this was a long lesson, but Iíd like you to take a few notes on the city and the fashion.î

 

 

 

Lesson 6

 

For once, since she had arrived here, she was able to wear the clothing of her nation, and it felt strangly familliar and comfortable. The light clingy purple fabric drapped over her body, almost getting a few startes from the students. Suu held back a smirk, and soon started the lesson.

 

"This is our last actual lesson. Unfortunately, Iím not able to teach you about every single nation in our world, but if there is enough interest, I might just do a second class! I will not be testing you on the material today, as, although it is nessicary for you to be familiar with the customs of our land, I fell that it is more of a treat to teach you about where i come from then to test you on it. But you are still required to take notes as it might come in handy." She winked at them and then continued.

 

"Arad Doman is another one of the nations that dispise Aes Sedai, and much like the Tear-ians, they would much rather throw them out then deal with them." Suu paused and then continued, "Arad Doman is located near the west shore, other wise known as the Aryth Ocean and Bandar Eban stands as the capitol. Although i have not been there myself, i have been told that it is very lovely."

 

"Most Domani are tall and willowy, with coppery skin and dark hair. My skin has lightened substantually being in the tower many years, and it isn't all that uncommonto see a Domani with pale skin." She then cleared her throat and then continued. "Much like my own outfit, Domani women dresses are made of thin, clingy cloth. They are barely opaque folds of cloth tied cloth with a narrow belt, see?" She half twirled around, showing off the belt itself, and then continued, "Most Domani men, especially of Noble blood, wear close-trimmed beards and long leather vests. Other men wear long, thin moustaches and earrings, as well as often a choker or bracelet of precious metals. Sometimes the men might wear their hair below their shoulders or even a mustache. You can always tell whether it was the woman that ruled the house or not." She winked and got a chuckle out of her students. "That ends out lesson for today. At the bottom of your notes i wish for you to think of different ways that Domani Woman use paint. I didn't use any examples today, so you will have to research yourself." She heard a groan and smiled. "And all the better for you to become more familiar with our library. Sleep well, and i shall see you tomorrow for the final." And with that she dismissed the class with a smile.

 

 

 

 

Final

 

Suu walked into class today feeling elated. It was the last class, the test for the novices. She sincerely hoped that theyíd enjoyed the class.

 

Today she was wearing a pale green dress with a snug bodice with an oval cutout. The skirt was full, and gathered up in the front to show off brightly coloured petticoats. She had large hoop earrings on, and a large gold choker around her neck. A curved dagger was tucked into her belt.

 

ìAs you all know, today is the test. The first part of the test is to answer some questions.î

 

She handed out a sheet of paper with some simple questions.

 

Questions:

 

1. What nation is one of the largest and oldest?

2. Which nation is ruled jointly by a king and a Panarch?

3. What is the capital city of Altara?

4. What is the most common fabric used by nobles?

5. Where is channeling outlawed?

6. What does a white sheath mean on a marriage knife in Ebou Dar?

7. What do noble ladies carry with them in Tear?

8. What are clogs?

9. What do Taraboners wear across their faces except when eating and drinking?

10. What is Daes Daeímar?

11. In which nation are dresses with square-cut necks, tight sleeves, and belted waists found?

12. What do the stripes on Cairhienin nobles outfits symbolise?

13. Where do men wear long, elaborate and colourful vests?

14. What is the Maule?

15. How do Taraboner women wear their hair?

 

After the girls had looked over the questions, Suu spoke up again.

 

ìFor the second part of the test, I would like you to tell me:

- which nation my outfit is from

- any important aspects of the culture of this nation or city

- any important aspects of the costume. If you can, also mention whether my outfit would be worn by nobles or commoners. Good luck! Iím sure youíll all do great.î

 

OOC: Please e-mail me your answers:

 

**Class Originally written by Eladari Sedai (Accepted at the time), Lesson 6 Written by me.

 

 

 

[Amadine]

Intermediate Saidar

 

Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3, Lesson 4, Lesson 5 (put some together so there are only 4 lessons)

 

Lesson 1

 

Learn how to do a globe of light. Globe of light is just a large sphere of light that is used to illuminate the room. To do this weave, you need air, and fire. Pick out these threads and weave them carefully together to form the shape of a large glowing ball. Use only a touch of air and mostly fire wove together just so. Weave them together until you have a solid form

 

 

 

Next - Voice Manipulation: First show how to make your voice louder. Embrace the source and weave air into a funnel shape, so when you speak your voice booms.

 

Next make it higher. Take air again and a bit of spirit, and weave it to be like a net in

front of your face. Voice will be hight pitched.

 

Next is low. Take the same threads as before, and weave them thicker and with more spirit. Voice comes out low this time.

 

Finally, to change it completely. Take the same threads again and this time some water and even more spirit. Voice sounds like someone else’s (tip: use example of someone known to novices.

 

Make novices practice.

 

 

Lesson 2

 

Elemental control.

 

 

 

Tip: take them somewhere with water

 

First teach control of water. This involves the water thread, spirit and sometimes a bit of air, depending on what you want to do with the water.

 

To make a little whirlpool: take the water thread and weave it around a section of water (in a pond, for example). Then, using a touch of spirit and air, push it in a circular motion,

causing a swirling mini whirlpool.

 

Another simple weave to create waves: take water, spirit, and air again, weaving water around a section of the water and using air to get it moving like miniature waves.

 

How to grow flowers: Difficult weave because you have to be very delicate and precise, using only a trickle of the power. Earth and fire involved, which some might have trouble with. Embrace the source and take a very thin strand of earth as well as a bit of water and spirit and the tiniest touch of fire possible. Reach into the ground, with spirit, find a dormant seed (or bring a seed along). Using spirit to awaken it, and earth to part a path for it, water it and use a trickle of fire for warmth and life. Speed up the growing process (not mentioned how), and the plant pops up out of the ground, blooming as it does. (Remember that using such fine threads is difficult and needs great control, which is exhausting.)

 

 

Control of wind: Embrace the source and channel a great deal of

air and some water, very intricately woven together. Blow some things around. It takes quite a bit of strength to make strong winds; warn them to not attempt too much to start off with.

 

 

Final weave is a rain cloud. First you take some air and water, and weave it like so to form the cloud. (weave the threads together in a mound.) Take more water, and add it in to fill the cloud, so it will rain naturally. Either weave own clouds, or just do step two first on real clouds. You have to be very careful with this weave, as forcing rain will affect the weather of this area and others for a long time. This weave should NOT be used on a large scale, as results could be devastating.

 

 

 

Have them practice.

 

 

Lesson 3

 

Basic healing: how to erase fatigue. Demonstrate on one of them. You take the fatigue out of a person and draw it into yourself, so you will all be tired after this if you are not already (Elgee: this does NOT sound right – checking with Nynaeve). Take mostly spirit and a bit of water and air and reached inside and all over the girl’s body. Then draw all of the tiredness from each muscle and the strain on every part of her, drawing it out of the girl and into yourself (Elgee: see above). Ask girls to pair up and practice on each other.

 

 

Lesson 4

 

Wards. Three kinds: hearing wards, warning wards, and dream wards.

Hearing ward: used to stop anyone from hearing what is being said inside your weave. Take mostly air and a bit of spirit and began to weave them around a Novice. Instruct her to try and talk once the weave is in place. Once you have woven many of the threads tightly together, the woman inside’s lips are moving, and she looks like she is shouting, but no sound can be heard. Drop the weave.

 

Warning ward (a ward that warns you if someone walks through it). Make a weave like a net suspended in the air, out of air, a great deal of spirit, and earth. When someone walks through this, the person who made the ward will feel it. Have a novice make a warning ward, tell her to look away, then walk through it. The girl will feel it.

 

 

Dream wards: prevents anyone from entering your dreams Because you are sleeping, this

weave has to be done with spirit (spirit is the only element you can channel while asleep). Take several large threads of spirit and wove them around your own form. (Novices are not allowed to ward their dreams as not permitted to channel unsupervised.)

 

 

 

Have them practice the above weaves, either after each demonstration, or after all three have been demonstrated.

 

 

Lesson 5

 

Cutting flows. This is a weave that counters and cuts through another channelers weaves. Not that hard to do, but needs strength, depending on the power and strength of the weave you are countering. Get a novice to weave something (wind, for instance). Take spirit and weave a wall that cuts right through the wind weave and blocks it. Cut through the flows and they evaporate. Let them practice.

 

 

[Amadine]

Children of the Light

 

by Sapphos

 

Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3, Lesson 4

 

 

 

Lesson 1

 

History and Purpose

 

IC: Sapphos walked into a full classroom to her delight. She thought that this was a very important lesson for any Aes sedai who left the Tower. Smiling at the girls, she sat on the desk. "This class will teach you all about the Children of the Light. They are our staunchest political opponents, and quite dangerous to any Sister outside of the Tower. I think knowing as much as you can about this group will make you a more informed and better prepared sister, and I hope you enjoy it. Now on to the lesson!

 

"The Children of the Light is a military formation ostensibly dedicated to fighting the forces of the Dark One. Founded in 1021 during the War of a Hundred Years by the monk and scholar Lothair Mantelar as a monastic preaching order, the Children of the Light have evolved into a strictly military organization, keeping only the trappings of the peaceful monks they once were. They are known disparagingly as Whitecloaks because of the white stole worn over their armor, but only their detractors call them this. The word is taboo among the Children. It is tradition for those of a higher rank to refer to someone of a lower rank as a “Child.” This is not a derogatory term. Their sigil is an orange sunburst on a field of white.

 

"Lothair Mantelar founded the Children of the Light. Lothair was a member of the monastic group called, simply, the Light. He wrote the book, The Way of the Light, and became dedicated to preaching against forces of the Dark. He founded the peaceful Children of the Light and went into the world to peach. He died outside Tar Valon when attacked by a Cairheinen army. He had earlier been refused entrance to Tar Valon. Many see this as the real reason the Children hate Aes Sedai. After Lothair’s death, the Children became a strict military organization.

 

"You might have heard of the Whitecloak War. This began when the Children invaded Altara. Murandy and Illian came to the aid of Altara, and so the war began. Led by Pedron Niall, the Lord Captain Commander, the Children won battle after battle. The war was almost won outright at the Battle of Sormaine. It was here that the Illianer Companions valiantly held off the Whitecloaks. The combined forces finally forced the Children into a stalemate and a peace treaty, securing the border between Amadacia and Altara.

 

"The Children also played a role in the Aiel War. The Children of the Light sent about 8,000 troops to Tear during the Aiel War, helping that nation fend off attack. The Children were also present at the Battle of Tar Valon. The Children’s legendary cavalry speaks volumes about their military skill."

 

I would like for you to answer these questions:

 

1) Do you think the Dark One is better fought with non-violent methods, like those Lothair preached, or through open violence and conflict?

 

2) Why do you thing the Amyrlin Seat refused to let the Children into Tar Valon? Keep in mind that at the time, the Children did not have the hatred of Aes Sedai that they now possess.

 

3) Why do you think the Children went from a peaceful order of monks to a violent military organization?

 

4) Do you personally think the Golden Sunburst of the Children is attractive and a good recruiting tool? Do you think the Children’s ideals are admirable, whether the group itself is or not?

 

Back to the top

 

Lesson 2

 

The next day, Sapphos walked into the classroom to begin her next lesson. Seating herself on the desk, she began.

 

"Your answers from the previous day were all very wise and pertinent. I like the though you put into your answers. Today we will discuss what most people think of when they see the Children of the Light: the Army.

 

"The current Lord Captain Commander of the Children of the Light, and the head of the Army of the Light, is a man by the name of Drevanius Milar.

 

"Army formations in the Children of the Light are called the Legions. While the Children have all types of soldiers such as infantry, archers, and siege engineers, they are most known for their horse-mounted troops, known as cavalry. Their cavalry is respected and feared, even by those who loathe the organization outright.

 

"All Children wear chain mail armor, a white cloak with the sunburst on the left breast, and a conical steel helmet. Officers wear their rank designated by lightning bolts under the sunburst.

 

"Weaponry for the Infantry is either pikes or spears. Most soldiers also carry a short sword. Archers are armed mainly with longbows, though crossbows have not been unheard of. The cavalry is armed with lances, swords, and bashing weapons such as maces, flails, etc. Most horses in the Legions are also armored.

 

"Ranks in the Legion are rather simple. A Hundredman commands 100 Children in the Field. A Lieutenant commands about 1,000 troops. A Senior Lieutenant commands about 4,000 troops.

And a Lord Captain commands an entire Legion, or 10-15,000 troops.

 

"The rank-and-file of the Children are in the Army of the Light. The army has all types of staff, from porters and cooks to the more elite troops. Be wary of these troops, particularly officers, but do not fear them like you would the Eye or the Hand. They are really just common soldiers."

 

1. Why do you think the Children place such an emphasis on cavalry?

 

2. Why would foot soldiers arm themselves primarily with spears and not swords?

 

3. In your opinion, what should a Sister do when in the presence of Army of the Light troops?

 

4. Can you name another elite, zealous, quasi-religious military organization from modern times? (this is OOC)

 

Back to the Top

 

Lesson 3

 

Sapphos entered the class the third day for the lesson on the Spymasters. She sat herself on the desk and began.

 

"Today we will discuss the most mysterious cadre of the Children, the Spymasters. The current Spymaster for the Children is Justen Diablos.

 

The Spymasters are the intelligence arm, or the “eyes and ears,” of the Children. These agents of the Light infiltrate organizations throughout the world, and their work ranges on informing for the Children to deep-cover spying, to sabotage and assassinations.

 

The weapon most used by the Spymasters is the dagger. It is the Spymasters’ weapon of choice. The further up in rank one goes, the more proficient one is. One could call a full Spy a “blademaster” with the dagger. But do NOT think these people are rats and cowards because of this. They are some of the most dedicated and dangerous members of the Children, and many a Sister has fallen victim to a Spy’s blade in her back, the Power not protecting her. Those in the Eye are also proficient field soldiers, as all have spent time as Scouts for the Legion.

 

The ranks of the Spymasters include -

Informant - The most numerous members of the Eye. The Informants live their lives as normal citizens, reporting activities of interest to the Spymaster in Amador.

Scout - A step up from Informant. A Scout is a full time member of the Children of the Light. He or she serves with an Army Legion and acts as a scout, riding in advance of the troops to report positions, movement, and numbers.

Agent - Sent in to sensitive situations to gather information.

Spy - Least numerous, most important members of the Eye. Rank is on par with a Lord Captain of the Army or Lord Inquisitor of the Hand. Sent on deep and long-term undercover missions, into sensitive situations, and into hostile situations to gather information, sabotage and assassinate, and create general havoc among the Children’s enemies.

 

The Eye of the Light is NOT to be trifled with. Informants are easily manipulated and malleable, but Scouts and Agents are seasoned soldiers, Spies deadly killers. Do not underestimate them, as you might find your throat cut before you could defend yourself. They are totally immersed in the philosophy of the Children, and most can quote the Way of the Light to you verbatim. Beware, your life may depend on it.

 

1. What weapon are the members of the Eye proficient with and why?

2. How could a Spy kill you if you can channel?

3. Name three famous real-life or fictional spies.

 

Back to the Top

 

Lesson 4

 

"Well, this is our last class," Sapphos said when she had seated herself on the desk. The final will not be comprehensive. I hope you all learned a little bit and found the class useful. Thank you for taking it."

 

"The Hand of the Light is the inquisitory arm of the Children. They are part of, but in many ways seperate from, the main body of the Children. The purpose of the Hand, ostensibly, is to root out Darkfriends. The current Lord High Inquisitor of the Hand is Paityr Highgarden.

 

"The Inquisitors are also known disparagingly, even in the Children, as Questioners These people supposedly root out Darkfriends and reported Darkfriends from ALL levels of society. These are the guys you need to worry about, ladies. ALL Aes Sedai are Darkfriends, ALL Warders are Darkfriends, ALL Asha’man are Darkfriends. Do NOT get yourself caught by these people. You will regret it the rest of your short life. They will torture you, and by the time they are finished, you will be begging for death. You can identify a Questioner as they wear a red shepherd’s crook over their sunburst. The Lord High Inquisitor wears the shepherd’s crook alone.

 

"Questioners do not use weapons, as very few fight. There are those in the Children who consider the Questioners to be cowards, though they would never say this to their faces. Instead they torture to extract a confession. Once you confess it is all over. They give you a chance to repent your sins, but whether you do or not, you will be hung as a Darkfriend. Torture meathods of the Hand are too numerous to list here. But some of the more common include:

The Rack- Hands and feet are spread and the body is pulled when a wench cranks this bed. Used to extract confessions.

The Iron Maiden - Either a chair or a coffin filled with spikes, it is used to kill.

Thumb screws - Fingers and thumbs are placed in these devices. A pointed screw is then tightened onto the fingernail. Used to extract a confession.

Crucifixion - The body is lashed to a cross with ropes tied around the arms. The legs are drawn up into a fetal position, forcing the person to support himself this way. The arms and ribs dislocate and the lungs collapse. This results in a suffocating death.

The Lash - A whip embedded with spikes. Lashed across the back and buttocks, it rips flesh off in chunks, leaving the body a bloody pulp. Used as punishment or to obtain a confession.

I will not go into some of the more gruesome methods, as this is a PG-13 site. Now for your final test:

 

1) Why do you think the Hand considers channelers Darkfriends?

2) What happens to prisoners of the Hand?

3) Why do you think they rely on torture to extract confessions?

 

 

[Amadine]

Customs &Costumes

 

by Eladari Menaka

 

Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3, Lesson 4, Lesson 5, Final

 

 

 

Lesson 1

 

Andor and Caemlyn

 

Eladari was a little nervous about teaching her first class, but she hoped it would be a fun one for all the Novices sitting in the room.

As she walked in, the Novices looked at her, and started talking among themselves. She wasn’t wearing the normal white Accepted’s dress. Instead she wore a red wool dress, one that she’d worn on her way from Caemlyn to Tar Valon.

 

She stood at the front of the class, and silenced the girls. “Welcome everyone! My name is Eladari Menaka, and I am an Accepted, even though I don’t look like it today!” She grinned at all of them, feeling more at ease now that she’d started. “In this class, you’re going to learn a little about customs and costumes of various nations in our World. I’m sure that there are many of you who’s first journey was from your home town to the White Tower.”

 

Some of the Novices nodded to themselves. Eladari continued, “Today I’m going to talk about Andor, and Caemlyn, where I come from. Andor is the largest nation, and also one of the oldest. Andor’s boundaries extend from the River Erinin to the Mountains of Mist.

The capital city is Caemlyn, which is one of the most beautiful cities in the land, aside from Tar Valon of course. The city has two sections, the New City, built a thousand years ago, and the Inner City, built with the help of Ogier stonemasons. But now onto our main topic: styles of clothing!”

 

Eladari stopped, to gather her thoughts, then continued, “Most Andorans are fair-skinned with blue eyes and blond hair, but dark hair and eyes are not uncommon.

The dresses that women wear are similar to mine. Dresses with square-cut necks, showing little if any cleavage, and fitted sleeves.” She held out her arms, to emphasize her point. “The dresses are sometimes embroidered with flowers and leaves, and are worn belted at the waist. Highborn ladies’ dresses are usually made of silk, using metallic threads for the embroidery and belt. Commoners’ dresses are made of wool, usually with higher necklines and with an apron.” Eladari grabbed her apron off the desk and tied it around her waist.

 

“Men wear trousers and shirts with a coat over top. The coat is made with turned-back cuffs and an upstanding collar. Again, among the Highborn, the material is silk or brocade, with metallic threads and common men wear strong stout wool. A cloak is used by both men and women when needed.”

 

“Your homework now is simply to write up a few notes. Feel free to add anything else that you happen to know about Andor, to share with the rest of the class.

 

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Lesson 2

 

Cairhien

 

Eladari walked into the classroom feeling happy. She was definitely starting to enjoy teaching. Again, she wasn’t wearing the banded white Accepted dress. She was feeling much freer without it. Instead, she had on a dark blue dress with a few bright stripes across the chest.

 

“Good day everyone. Today we will be talking about Cairhien, a very interesting nation. So let’s begin!

Cairhien has been an independent nation only since the end of the War of the Hundred Years. Cairhien’s boundaries lie from the River Erinin to the Spine of the World. At one time, Cairhien merchants were granted the right to travel the Silk Path from the Jangai Pass through the Aiel Waste. That right was lost with the Aiel War, sparked when the king of Cairhien cut down Avendoraldera, a gift from the Aiel.”

 

Eladari grinned at the Novices, “But enough history. Let’s go on to the more important things.

Cairhien’s capital city is also called Cairhien, and it laid out in a precise grid, with every street meeting at a right angle. The layout of the city mirrors the nature of the people who live there. Cairhienin nobles desire control and order, yet they thrive on subtle political manoeuvring. It is called Daes Dae’mar, or the Game of Houses. Every noble is involved in the Game from birth, learning the art of misdirection and subtlety. As result, every aspect of their dress, behaviour and even the architecture is carefully ordered.”

 

“Cairhienin are shorter and more pale-skinned than the Andorans we learned about last class. They have dark hair, and they wear darker colours of clothing. All the clothing has narrow horizontal slashes of colour across the chest and body, and dark ivory lace at the throat and wrists. The number of slashes indicates rank, and the colour indicates the House. Ladies have their hair in elaborate towers of curls, and the dresses are much the same as in Andor, except that the skirts are very wide, supported with hoops and the material is finer. Men wear their hair long, with flat or bell-shaped velvet caps.”

 

“The lower classes are very different though. Free from the Great Game, they often approach the extremes of flamboyance. Their clothing is very colourful. Bright skirts and shirts with coats and shawls of equally bright, often clashing colours are common.”

 

“So, there you have a little bit of information about Cairhien. Please take a couple notes on Cairhien and the Cairhienin.

 

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Lesson 3

 

Altara

 

As the class settled in front of her, Eladari thought about the different customs of the many nations. Today she would be talking about a nation quite unlike Andor.

 

“Good day, class! The nation I’ll be talking about today is a little different from Andor and Cairhien. This nation is Altara. Altara faces the Sea of Storms, wedged between Illian and Amadicia. The capital city is Ebou Dar. Ebou Dar is on the River Eldar and on one side are palaces and the homes and shops off the upper and middle classes. The other side is known as the Rahad, home to the lower class.”

 

Eladari grimaced as she talked of the Rahad. She’d heard many various stories around the palace in Caemlyn about street fighting and the like.

 

“Now on to fashions. Most Altarans are recognizable for their dark hair, dark eyes, and olive complexion, and those from Ebou Dar are recognized by their very distinctive clothing.

Women’s dresses are often pale in colour with snug bodices and full skirts over bright petticoats. Commoners gather the skirt above one knee to reveal the brightly coloured petticoats beneath, while noblewomen wear it raised in the front. The necklines of commoners are cut very narrow and deep, while for nobles the bodice has a round or oval cutout, allowing those with marriage knives to show them off, and those without to show they are available.”

 

“The marriage knife is a very significant item for an Altaran woman,” Eladari picked up a knife off the desk. It was of brass, with coloured glass stones in it. “This is a commoners’ marriage knife. It is worn hanging hilt-down from a choker around a woman’s neck. The knife tells a lot about the wearer. A white sheath means the woman is widowed, and won’t remarry. A blue sheath means she will consider offers. The beads set into the knife represent children, white for sons, red for daughters. Women who are engaged to be married wear a choker, to show that they have been promised a knife.”

 

“Ebou Dari men wear long, elaborate vests, often in bright colours. They are worn alone, or over pale shirts with wide sleeves. Sometimes the wealthy will add a decorative silk coat slung about the shoulders, much too small to actually wear. This “cape” is held with a chain of silver or gold strung between the narrow lapels.”

 

“Both men and women wear curved daggers through their belts or sashes.”

 

Eladari smiled. “For homework I’d just like you to take notes on Ebou Dar, the clothing, and the marriage knife. See you next class!”

 

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Lesson 4

 

Tarabon

 

Eladari walked into class today in her normal Accepted’s dress. She wasn’t about to wear the styles of Tarabon!

 

“Today you will be learning about Tarabon, a country far to the west, on the Aryth Ocean. As something a little different, I asked Taya Sedai, of the Green Ajah to come talk to you about Tarabon, her home country.”

 

She motioned for Taya Sedai, who was standing by the door, to come over. Taya was garbed in a gown of thin silk, with a veil across her face. Eladari didn’t know how she could talk without chewing on the silly thing.

 

“Thank you, Eladari,” started Taya, trying not to grin too widely. She couldn’t remember the last time she had donned her native garb…but she felt strangely at home in the filmy fabrics, despite having told herself for so many years that she detested it all so. She wasted no more time, launching right into it. “Greetings, children! I am here to talk to you about Tarabon, my beautiful homeland.” She hoped they picked up on the sarcasm. “Tarabon lies on the Aryth Ocean, and has three peninsulas – the Verana, Maseta and Calpene. The capital city, Tanchico, occupies the high hills, which populate the area surrounding Tanchico Bay. The city lies on the mouth of the River Andahar. This can be good for trade, but can also be considered a danger since enemy vessels have access to the city. That’s why we fortified the mouth of the river on either bank.” She winked in her typical Green manner, and the continued, beginning to pace a bit.

 

“Tarabon is ruled jointly by the King and Panarch – both of whom are elected by the Assembly of Lords. Both heads have equal authority, yet perform different tasks. The Panarch collects taxes, customs and duties, so that all the lords can have nice big parties and eat lots of fatty foods. The Panarch has other duties too, however, perhaps so that she can feel more worthwhile. She controls the Civil Watch, and oversees the lower courts. The Panarch has a personal guard named the Panarch’s Legion, who are very useful in fending off assassination attempts.” Taya heard gasps of shock from around the room, and when she looked at Eladari, the young woman’s hair seemed to stand on end. Taya didn’t let it phase her. She had always believed in brutal honesty, even if it meant being blasphemous too, and she had lost all love for the system in Tarabon a long time ago. “On the other hand the King’s duty is to spend the collected revenue in an appropriate manner, like I told you, on feasts and other things like pretty pictures and nice shiny golden armour – which he’ll probably never use in his life because he can barely sit a horse, let alone wield a sword in armour.” Taya barely missed a beat. “The King controls the army, and oversees the High Court – oh, lucky him.” No one could have missed that sarcasm. “He too has a personal guard – the King’s Life Guard – to ensure that he lives to reign long and prosperously – at least, for himself and his lordling lap dogs.” Taya realised she was getting dangerously outrageous here, but no matter how she tried, she couldn’t make herself care. “The Assembly of Lords’ only main duty is to elect the King and the Panarch. Oh, and they have to eat too – otherwise, where would all that food go?”

 

“Now for the fashions of Tarabon. In Tarabon it is considered impolite to completely reveal one’s face, except when eating or drinking. As a result, both men and women wear a transparent veil, like this one,” she touched the veil across her face. “It probably looks uncomfortable, but it’s really quite fine. Besides, we learn as children how to wear these without suffocating. I suppose it is an art, really.” She shrugged and moved on. “Although Noblewomen veil their faces, they do not always believe in hiding their figures. Most wear clinging gowns like the one I’m wearing. It is made of thin silk and can be quite revealing.” Watching her Aes Sedai friend, Eladari could almost see her blushing, but she knew that Taya would never show it. Taya banished all thoughts of Eos and hurried on. “All Taraboner women are known for wearing their hair in thin braids. All women, that is, besides those like me, who have been away so long they forget what the point was in the first place.” She patted her braids experimentally, because she hadn’t worn them in so long. She admitted it did feel rather nice, but she vowed she would remove them as soon as she was done here. “Taraboner men dress in baggy white pants and coats decorated with scrollwork embroidery on the shoulders. Loose-fitting shirts with embroidered chests are worn under the coats. Men often have thick moustaches under their veils, but do not usually wear beards. They wear dark cylindrical caps on their thick, dark hair. Often they look like fools, but some of the cuter ones can pull it off really well.”

 

“So,” Taya said finally, sighing and tugging on a braid absent-mindedly. “There you have a little insight into Tarabon.” And that was it.

 

Stepping forward, Eladari thanked Taya Sedai for coming. Taya nodded and grinned in reply.

 

“For homework, please take some notes on the geography, the hierarchy, and the fashions of Tarabon.”

 

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Lesson 5

 

Tear

 

Eladari was pleased at how well her class was doing. They seemed interested in what they were learning. She knew it would be useful for them in the future, when they travelled as Aes Sedai. Her outfit today was in the commoner style, with high hems and such.

 

“This is our last actual lesson. Unfortunately, I’m not able to teach you about every single nation in our world, but if there is enough interest, I might just do a second class! Anyways, our lesson today is about Tear, a nation that lies just east of Illian, and contains the greatest port on the Sea of Storms. The port is in the capital city, also called Tear, and is located well above the mouth of the River Erinin, and is guarded by the ancient fortress known as the Stone of Tear. The port is protected by the winding waterways known as the Fingers of the Dragon, which only the Tairens know how to navigate.”

 

“One very important point about Tear, if you ever find yourself travelling there, is that all channeling has been outlawed in Tear. Aes Sedai are tolerated, but only so long as they don’t actually channel. So, you must be very, very careful.”

 

“But enough of that,” Eladari smiled, to lessen the tension, “The city of Tear is designed like many of the others of told you about. The inner city is protected by high walls of grey stone. The finer houses and palaces are found inside the walls, and all the streets are paved with stones. Outside the walls is the port district called the Maule, and the warehouse district called the Chalm. Both contain inns and shops that cater to the sailors. The streets are unpaved, and always deep with mud. To deal with the mud, anyone wishing to walk through the outer city must go barefoot or wear a special raised shoe called a clog.”

 

Eladari lifted a small shoe-sized wooden platform off the desk, and attached it to her shoe, to show how it was used.

 

“And this leads us to fashion! Tairen fashion is a little unique compared to other nations, because unlike the other nations, the dress of the nobles is very different from that of commoners, no doubt in an attempt to further the unique Tairen belief that commoners are actually lesser beings.

Tairen lords wear colourful coats of padded silks and brocades with puffy sleeves, sometimes coloured in stripes. Their breeches are tight to show a well-muscled leg to best advantage, and are often brightly coloured. In contrast, common men wear baggy breeches, usually tied at the ankle, and held up by a brightly coloured sash. Some wear coats, but unlike the lord'’ theirs are long and dark, fitting tightly to the wearer’s arms and chest, then becoming wider below the waist. Sometimes shoes or boots are worn, but more often bare feet or clogs, the elevated shoes are preferred. Most common men wear cloth caps that hang to one side of their face, or wide straw hats.”

 

“Noble ladies of Tear wear long dresses with necklines cut to bare shoulders and even considerable bosom. Silk is, of course, the material of preference and the dresses often have lace ruffs and a tiny matching cap. Tairen widows wear white, though some have been known to don the colour while their dying husband is still alive. No lady is ever without her tiny porcelain bottle of smelling salts.

Common women cannot afford silk, or the long dresses that would be ruined in the mud of the Maule. Their dresses have chin-high collars, and ankle-high hems. The dresses often have pale-coloured aprons, usually in a combination of two or three of progressively larger size. Each smaller than the one beneath! Hats are dyed to match the aprons, with wide brims.”

 

“And that is Tairen fashion! I know this was a long lesson, but I’d like you to take a few notes on the city and the fashion. Next class is the final!”

 

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Final

 

Eladari walked into class today feeling elated. It was the last class, the test for the novices. She sincerely hoped that they’d enjoyed the class.

 

Today she was wearing a pale green dress with a snug bodice with an oval cutout. The skirt was full, and gathered up in the front to show off brightly coloured petticoats. She had large hoop earrings on, and a large gold choker around her neck. A curved dagger was tucked into her belt.

 

“As you all know, today is the test. The first part of the test is to answer some questions.”

 

She handed out a sheet of paper with some simple questions.

 

Questions:

 

1. What nation is one of the largest and oldest?

2. Which nation is ruled jointly by a king and a Panarch?

3. What is the capital city of Altara?

4. What is the most common fabric used by nobles?

5. Where is channeling outlawed?

6. What does a white sheath mean on a marriage knife in Ebou Dar?

7. What do noble ladies carry with them in Tear?

8. What are clogs?

9. What do Taraboners wear across their faces except when eating and drinking?

10. What is Daes Dae’mar?

11. In which nation are dresses with square-cut necks, tight sleeves, and belted waists found?

12. What do the stripes on Cairhienin nobles outfits symbolise?

13. Where do men wear long, elaborate and colourful vests?

14. What is the Maule?

15. How do Taraboner women wear their hair?

 

After the girls had looked over the questions, Eladari spoke up again.

 

“For the second part of the test, I would like you to tell me:

- which nation my outfit is from

- any important aspects of the culture of this nation or city

- any important aspects of the costume. If you can, also mention whether my outfit would be worn by nobles or commoners. Good luck! I’m sure you’ll all do great.”

 

OOC: Please e-mail me your answers:

 

 

[Amadine]

Dance

 

by Aya Renae

 

Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3, Lesson 4

 

 

 

Lesson 1

 

Aya adjusted her dress nervously, and moved the last desk out of the way with a flow of Air. Everything was ready. Now she just had to wait for her students to arrive.

 

She had requested one of the biggest classrooms. With the desks shoved against the wall and room in the front for her musicians, there was plenty of room for the students to learn. A table with iced water stood in the back, for when the class was over. She was sure everyone would be tired by the end of the lesson.

 

One by one, everyone trooped in. Some were younger than her, some older, some in banded Accepted dresses, and some in Novice white. She gulped loudly when her mentor Taya Sedai walked in. LIGHT! She had to teach an Aes Sedai to dance? Aya had to remind herself that she was in charge this time. The girls looked around for a place to sit, and found none. "We will not be sitting down in this class," Aya said, and everyone groaned. "The first thing that it is important to know about dancing is that when your muscles get cold, especially when you're a beginner, you can't dance as well. Therefore sitting will not be allowed, to help keep your muscles warm." She grinned brightly at everyone assembled. "I promise standing will not be so bad. You will be used to it, I daresay, before the class is over."

 

She stepped aside and let her students see the several musical Novices she had recruited to help her by providing the music. Two held fiddles, one had a wooden flute, and one had a small harp. "Today, our lesson will be easy. I need to assess where all of you are, and I think you need a chance to loosen up and relax as well. This is what we're going to do. The girls will begin to play, and I want you to move to the music, any way you like. Do not mind what everyone around you is doing, and do not be afraid of looking silly." She looked at Nim and her eyes danced in merriment. "And try not to run into anyone, please?" Nim gave her a stare that was not at all amused. "Once we are finished, as well as at any time during the lesson, everyone is welcome to help themselves to the water in the back. You will be thirsty." Smiling again, Aya turned and cued the music. The girls began to play a lively Andoran dance tune, and she turned to watch.

 

OOC: Just RP, and be as silly as you want. Run into the table and knock the water over, trip over your own two feet, or accidentally have your shoe fly off and hit a violinist *giggle* Everything goes, but I will warn you-I HATE posts that are too short. please make an effort, kay?

 

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Lesson 2

 

Aya met her class in the same large room, with the same musicians. She noticed a few of them were smiling brightly, as if glad to be here, and she was happy.

 

"Today, we are going to be learning the simplest dance that everyone should know-the waltz." She smiled, and pulled one of her musicians out of the corner, a tall Accepted. "I am going to show you how it is supposed to look before we begin. Rui (OOC: I know for a fact there is no such Accepted... work with me here!) will be my partner. What I am about to show you is a complex waltz, and I won't expect you to do it like this, of course. But it should give you some idea of what to aim for." She nodded to the musicians, who started up a cheerful moderatley paced tune from her own homeland of Arad Doman. First, she curtsied, and Rui, playing the leader in this case, bowed. Aya picked up the hem of her skirt, took Rui's hand with that same hand, and placed her other hand on Rui's shoulder. Then they were off. Since both girls were experienced dancers, it was easy for them to circle the room in a pretty waltz, full of extra spins and sudden switches of direction. They finished with Aya doing a double spin that landed her right back where they started. then she curtsied to Rui, who bowed again, to the last strains of music.

 

Everyone clappes, and both girls took an extra curtsy to the group. Then Rui returned to her instrument, and Aya, grabbing a cup of water, brushed her hair out of her face. "Now, again, don't worry. I promise, I won't make you do that today. First, you need to learn the few basic rules of the waltz. Girls, start the musica again, please. Slowly." Her musicians complied, and she began to explain. "The waltz is danced to a tune where everything is done with three beats." She conducted with the music for a while for them to get the point. "The downbeat, or stronger beat, is on one. So, when dancing a simple waltz, you generally step down on the first beatand up on your toes for the next two." lifting her skirt enough so that they could see her feet, she demonstrated. "Down up up, down up up, feel the beat." She smiled and stopped. Now, I am going to be your partner today, and before the lesson is done, each of you will have had a short waltz around the room with me. Here is what we will be doing." She picked a Novice from the group and called her out into the center. "Now, when the music starts, I bow, and you curtsy. Then your hand takes the train of your dress- you don't have one, so just lift the hem-that's right, and I take that hand. The other hand goes on my shoulder. My toehr hand goes on your waist, and then we go. Around the room in a big circle. Count if you need to." She finished demonstrating and thanked her partner. "Now, who would like to go first?"

 

OOC: Once again, just RP dancing with me. Mishaps are allowed and even encouraged *g* please don't fall and step on me TOO bad though, kay? I still need to teach two more lessons *giggle*

 

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Lesson 3

 

Aya was leaning against the wall near the musicians chatting with them about today's music when her students began to trickle in. Since it was still early, she continued her talking for a few minutes, before turning and facing her class.

 

"I have a very special lesson for you today," she said. "In fact, it's the one I think will be the most enjoyable for all of you. I know that the waltz can be rather boring at times, but what we're doing today, although more difficult, is also far more exciting." She grinned at all the forlorn faces at the word "difficult". Well, it couldn't be all bad, even if she had needed Healing after the last lesson.

 

"Today, we will be working on folk dancing. I am most familiar with the dances of my own land, Arad Doman, but the dance I will teach you today is not Domani. It is an Andoran dance, because Andoran Dances require a bit less... flexibility." And experience. She knew the swaying and bending style of the Domani was far beyond most of these women, though a couple had shown real promise. "I will be demonstrating with Rui again," she said, and the other Accepted once again joined her in the center of the room.

 

"We start with the same position as the waltz. But the steps aren't measured in three anymore, now they're in four. The downbeat is still one."

 

With a strain of lively Andoran music, slowed down quite a bit, she began showing the girls the dance. "All right. First you take four steps this way. All your steps should feel something like skips, glide over the floor. Then your partner lets you waist go. You have to spin under his arm." She demonstrated. "Then you're back to the waltzing position again..." She showed them the rest of the dance, showing several times how crossing your hands over your partner's head and then sliding bakc should look. "You're back to back here," she instructed. "Then you let go of your partner's RIGHT hand... spin... and you're back to the first position." She grinned. "Shall we take that faster?" The music came back to its usual speed, and the two Accepted nearly flew around the room. At the end everyone applauded once again.

 

"Remember, don't worry! We'll take this as slowly as you need to. Now, who will be my first partner?"

 

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Lesson 4

 

Aya met her students for the last time. She was both happy and sad. She hoped they had learned something, and knew many of them had improved since the first lesson, where they had fallen, stumbled, and spun dizzily around the room. She hoped they would enjoy today's class as well. It would be extremely amusing for her as well.

 

Her students trickled in, surprised at the line of chairs she had set up at the back of the room. There were rows of chairs behind them too, filled with others who had come to watch the performance. An Audience. Aya wanted to give her girls the full experience. Aya motioned for them to sit. "Today's lesson may stretch for quite a long time. besides that, I wanted to give you all the feeling of a performance. I hope you will all be a courteous audience." She smiled. "I will begin the performing today, but first, I will explain what we will be doing. Today is your day to be a star. There is no feeling quite like the feeling of being on stage, and having everyone watch you. You will be dancing without a partner."

 

She saw Nim gulp and look like she was about to faint. "You will choose your own music, and then, let the the music take you, much as you did the first time we met. Perform for the beauty of the dance. Mistakes don't matter. Pattern doesn't matter. Dance is only truly beautiful when you share a bit of yourself with the audience. let go, and let the music carry you. I will begin." She had told the girls to wear clothes from their own homelands. Dresses that made them feel comfortable.

 

The first row, filled with her sudents, was filled with color. The rest of the audience was in Novice and Accepted white. She spoke for a minute to the other part of the audience. "Remember, thse girls are beginners. Please show the courtesey and respect. They have worked very hard to share their work with you."

 

She went to the center of the room, and turned to the musicians. "A slow Domani piece, please." The girls nodded. She turned back to her audience, but she no longer saw them. She was back on stage, like she had not been since she had been at home. The violin was Bekky's. The flute was Lenas'. The music was hers. Lifting her hem slightly, she went into the slow, tantalizing, and painfully beautiful dance that Domani women were known for. Slow spins and balances, flexibility, and the feeling of free flight, as though her feet didn't touch the ground. This was her stage.

 

With the last strains of music, she sank to the floor, her hands up in a pose, eyes looking to the sky she could see in her mind's eye, though she was just in a classroom. The music ended. There was a moment of awed silence, and then applause. Reality came craching back. She stood, remembering finally what it had felt like. She curtsied, and went to her seat, slowly, savoring the attention. She touched the arm of the girl who was sitting next to her. "Your turn."

 

 

[Amadine]

DM Forsaken

 

by Sammantha Aellinsar

 

Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3, Lesson 4, Final

 

 

 

Lesson 1

 

Ahriman & Blackthorne

 

 

Ahriman

Description: Ahriman is a tall, athletic man with close-cropped silver hair. While many of the Chosen favored manipulation, The Chosen known as Ahriman, The Envious, was a master of it, to the point that he was often known as the Netweaver. In the Age of Legends Ahriman was known as Duram Laddel Cham, and he was the equivalent of an advocate, representing people in courts of law. That he was good at what he did is proven by the honorific third name, but very little else is known of Ahriman before the War of Power. In fact he is often considered to be the Chosen about whom the least is known. Ahriman, along with the Dragon and others, is one of the men credited with taking the 'sport' of swords and turning it into a way to kill. Ahriman joined the Shadow during the time of the Collapse, and earned the nickname Envious at that time, for it was envy of the Dragon that made him turn. His skills as a swordsman and his strength in the One Power proved Ahriman to be a powerful force for the Dark. And indeed in the War of the Shadow he had proved himself both a patient and cunning planner and a capable fighter willing to do battle directly with his foe. During the war Ahriman held several field commands, proving himself a more than adequate if not outstanding General, and he governed at least one conquered region. Both his campaigns and his gubernatorial administration were marked by extreme violence and cruelty, compared even to those of the other Chosen. Ahriman is known as unflinching when it comes to inflicting violence, his only cares in the world are seeing his own plans succeed. That they often do proves his ruthlessness and efficiency. Ahriman is also among those who razed the Hall of Servants, destroying it just days before the strike that sealed him in the bore. His envy of the Dragon still strong, his hatred of the man having grown since his turn to the Dark, Ahriman is soon to be freed from his confinement in the bore. And though a different world awaits, the Chosen known as the Netweaver is the same, and he stands ready to take up a fight that had been but delayed by his imprisonment.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Talents: Ahriman has few talents, his ability for Compulsion is lacking compared to most of his fellows, as is his ability to Heal. Most of Ahriman's ability lies in the weaves of war. The Chosen thrives on his ability to destroy, and has perfected those skills that will help him do it. Yet he often neglects using the one power in favor of more personal attacks. Ahriman will most often resort to fighting blade to blade before using his power, such is his confidence and his arrogance. He is no fool though, and when the one power is called for he is not afraid to loose it. Traits: Ahriman cares for only his welfare, all others are nothing more than pieces on a stones board to him. He will kill if it suits his purposes or his whims, and not feel a shred of remorse. His cunning plans are never spoiled by conscience or second thoughts, Ahriman will stop at nothing to fulfill any task. He keeps his emotions in check, if indeed he has them. He is not quick to anger or ever truly pleased. Like a wolf, Ahriman is both cunning and driven, nothing keeps him from going ahead as planned. History before the War: Ahriman has forgotten his past over the course of the War of the Shadow, indeed he was reborn as Ahriman, and even his old name holds little significance. That he is was an advocate and once a General is all that's important. Past accomplishments are remembered, but quickly subjugated in the sight of future goals, such is the way with the Chosen Ahriman.

 

 

Blackthorne was born in the Age of Legends, the most mysterious Chosen of them all. Pale, dark-haired, she is a beautiful and deadly woman. Tales paint her as a mistress of secrets, spies and manipulation and she has allegedly been seen in many places of the world, traveling and searching for information. What she searches for, no man alive knows. The first Chosen, with Aginor, to be released from the Bore, she reluctantly follows the Great Lord's orders to obey Demandred, but keeps her eyes peeled for any opportunity to throw the Nae'blis out of favor. Originally called 'Serashada' in the Age of Legends, that name has been repeatedly effaced and reinstated, due to its owner's frequent mishaps with Portal Stones that have given her a patchwork history, in which she has died at least twice. Though now she seems to be dead permanently, her scattered memories live on in a Soulbox now in the possession of the Chosen Ja'varan, her successor; and she can still sometimes be seen in the World of Dreams, perhaps waiting for a chance to re-emerge.

 

Homework: Answer these few questions:

 

1.What are Ahriman’s 2 nicknames?

2. What bio from the books Forsaken does Ahriman reflect? (click on the books link to read up on the other Forsaken)

3. Who has taken the place of Blackthorne and where is Blackthorne now?

 

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Lesson 2

 

Ja'varan

 

Now we learn the frightening tale of a Aes Sedai being forced to the Shadow. Read this well and take this as a warning of what you might be forced to face one day.....

 

Ja'varan was born in Maradon, Saldaea, the third child of Tavian & Gavar Durrlani. Her mother was a portrait painter and her father a bookmaker. Her mothers family are a noble house in Saldaea. She was trained by her mother as a painter. When it was discovered she could channel, she was sent to the Tower. The years at the Tower were hard, but Ja'varan did not have any difficulties there. Although bookish by nature, she surprised many by choosing the Green Ajah rather than the Brown. The man she bonded as her Warder was Tobias Duncan. Her studies in the Tower focused on angreal and ter'angreal, working on a compendium of drawings. When she discovered in the course of her research that there could be an angreal among the ivory figurines in her family home, the Tower sent her to retrieve it. Unfortunately, the Tower group was not the only one trying to obtain the figure. On the journey, her party was captured by a force led by the Dreadlord AzNarak. Upon arrival at her family home, she discovered her parents murdered and Demandred there waiting for them. The figure was only ivory, but Demandred wanted other information from Ja'varan. Information she did not have. They tortured Tobias in an effort to get her to talk. When an opportunity came for an escape attempt, they took it. The gholam Jeraal Mordeth was able to carry her off to Shayol Ghul while her family home burned. When she realized they were in the blight, she attempted to burn herself out, but Jeraal knocked her on the head and carried her the rest of the way. She was turned to the Shadow while Demandred, Radashe and Jeraal watched. The first order she received from Demandred was to bond the Assassin Radashe. It made things difficult for them both during her training at Shayol Ghul. Her task was to seek the seals on the Great Lords Prison, but first to bring her warder Tobias to the Shadow. She returned to the Tower with Radashe and Jeraal Mordeth. They did get Tobias to swear to the Shadow and managed to get away and resume the hunt for the seals and the Dragon Reborn. After the death of the Blackthorne, Ja'varan was 'chosen' by the Great Lord to take her place. However, Ja'varan does not learn of this until after they battle the Dragon Reborn at the Eye of the World. It is after than event that she assumes her place with the other Chosen.

 

Homework:

1. When will Ja’varan know she is a Forsaken?

2. Who has she bonded? (there might be more than one answer)

3. What ajah was she before being forced to the Shadow?

4. What is Ja’varan tasks while she serves the Shadow?

 

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Lesson 3

 

Demandred (I am still trying to incorporate Valduri in this lesson and I just got his bio so maybe I can get him in the next lesson)

 

You may think you know this character from the books but here at DM there are slight differences that make him unique.

 

3. Demandred

Once a famed writer, swordsman, general, and Channeler of the Age of Legends, Barid Bel Medar's fame was almost, but never quite, equal to that of Lews Therin Telamon. He equaled the one called Dragon in many ways, and fell just barely short in a few. Only in war did he surpass Lews Therin. When Lews Therin was appointed the commander of the Light's forces instead of him, Barid was overcome by uncontrollable jealousy, and soon after swore his soul to the Great Lord of the Dark. During the War of the Power he strove to redress the wrongs he thought the world had done to him. After Lews Therin's strike at Shayol Ghul, Demandred was not sealed with the other Chosen, but remained free over the millenia that followed the Breaking of the World and the end of the Age. He disappeared for a thousand years. During the Trolloc Wars he reappeared as the powerful Dreadlord Mor'shadare'faen, commanding the Trolloc hordes. When the combined armies of the Light pushed back the sea of Trollocs, he disappeared again. Since that time many Shadowsworn have reported recieving orders from him, either in person or through their dreams. A short while ago, he obtained one of the Seals on the Great Lord's prison and brought it to Shayol Ghul, where the Great Lord broke it and began the decay of the Seals. For this service Demandred was named Nae'blis. High-ranking Shadowsworn know him to be currently disguised as the Royal Advisor to Queen Ethenielle of Kandor, though only six people in the entire world know this. He prefers not to become directly involved in anything, but will use others as proxies. If he must act directly, he proves to be very formidable; the most powerful male Channeler yet known in the world, and the foremost of the male Chosen at Dreamwalking, he is a force to be reckoned with.

 

Homework:

 

1. Name three Differences between the Book Forsaken and the DM Forsaken. (If you need to read about the book Forsaken go to the Books link off DM and check out his bio).

 

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Lesson 4

 

V'alduri

 

Ryoko Trimerri was one of the most skilled weather-workers in the Age of Legends, though her work was not deemed important enough to earn her a third name. She was disappointed by this, though not surprised, and made it her goal to earn the honorific name so as to prove her worth. Repeatedly turned down, she continued her works, refining her skills beyond what could be matched by any other single Aes Sedai. When the Bowl of the Winds and other, similar ter’angreal were constructed, she was called upon to guide the Aes Sedai in their work.

 

She lived in no one place, but traveled where she was called. Her few friends said that she went where the winds blew her, while her rivals called her ‘rootless’ and incapable of settling down. Her moods, too, were as changeable as the weather in her hands. One minute she could smile as bright as the sun, and the next she would lash out at the smallest mistake or slight.

 

Only once, as the fall into Shadow began, did she ever consider changing. She had been courting another Aes Sedai, and asked him to marry her. He refused. The next day, a storm such as had never been seen broke over the city where she had been. Thousands died in the massive damage that followed; the howling winds left no structure undamaged, while rain flooded through the streets almost up to a man’s chest. Lighting caused over a hundred deaths directly, while the fires started claimed countless more. When the storm finally calmed, she had left the city.

 

Her lover attempted to find her, with a small group of other Aes Sedai. She spoke to him once, telling him to leave off his search. He would not, though, nor could the others, for justice demanded that she be found and brought to trial for what she had done. Their sho-wing was destroyed in flight, torn apart by her winds. None survived.

 

By the time the tragedy was known, it was already too late. She had traveled to the Bore and sworn herself to the Great Lord of Dark. When the news of her lover’s death spread, so, too, did the news of her betrayal of the light. She was given the name V’alduri, which meant ‘Storm Winds’ and found the name fitting.

 

During the War of Power, V’alduri was given provinces to govern, but she seldom enjoyed success. Freed from the restraints that had bound her, she suited the weather to fit her moods. For a time, provinces would enjoy a relative peace, as much as could be found in any of the territory controlled by the Shadow, but eventually she would tire of the duty, and the weather would swing violently. Crops were routinely destroyed, by frost or hail, storms and high winds, searing heat or violent floods. Famine almost inevitably followed. On the battlefield, V’alduri enjoyed more success. Thick fogs made scouting impossible for her opponents, and storm clouds overhead would lash the opposing armies with lightning.

 

Background: An only child, V’alduri left her family as soon as she was found with the ability to channel. Apart from her one lover, she formed few close bonds, and cast them aside without care when she joined the Shadow. Her skin the golden bronze color of a permanent tan, her hair is a blond bleached by sunlight until the tips are almost white. Even before she left the light, she wore clothes designed to highlight her power, with edges loose and flowing so as to be caught by the wind.

 

Personality: V’alduri cares little for the rest of the Chosen, with the typical arrogance that allows her to believe herself the only truly necessary one. However, she will work with them if required and has cooperated with nearly all of them at one point or another. Still… her moods are unpredictable, and she has also abandoned all of them at a time when they believed she would stand beside them.

 

Power: Unusually strong in Air and Water, V’alduri uses this power to bend the weather to her will. There is no metrological phenomenon she cannot duplicate with a little work. As well, like all other Forsaken, she knows weaves from the Age of Legends that are completely forgotten today.

 

Aran'gar

 

AzNarak has served Demandred for 12 years ever since he came to the true path. All semblence of light is gone from the one called AzNarak, he has proven his loyalty to Demadred and to his service to the Dark over those years. He has come to take great pleasure in his work and when he was given Satyre, a horse after his own dark heart, it proved to bring more fear in those he questioned or used as examples. It was the only living thing that he trusted, for he had made many enemies of the light and dark. He has scars from many battles, scars that he could have had healed but chose not to. Scars he wears as a reminder of many things, now after all these years of service he is being called again but he does not realize just how his enemies have planned this against them. Though they will aide him in their next assingment, AzNarak may suspect but does not know the full extent of the betrayel that will cost him his life.

So begins and ends AzNaraks Bio and starts the bio of Aran'Gar, for when returned as the Chosen Aran'Gar, Aran'Gar retains the memories of her past life and knows full well why she is brought back as a female. She does not like it but soon understands what benefits her new form will bring her now. Revenge on those that betrayed her, power and chaos in the name of the true path, and servitude to the DarkLord, through the Nae'blis.

 

Homework:

 

1. Who was this Forsaken before being known as Aran’gar?

2. What makes Aran’gar unique?

3. Which of the five powers is V'alduri strong in?

4. Why did V'alduri switch the the Shadow?

 

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Final

 

Tired of those long Finals that make you sweat and glad you are finally done with the class? Well I won’t make you do that here. Pick your favorite Forsaken, either from the books or DM, and tell us why they are your favorite. (Bonus points to those that choose Sammael, my own personal favorite *g*)

 

Also tell me ways I can approve this class.

 

Thanks for taking the class.

 

 

[Amadine]

Dreaming Class

 

Taught By: Zanthia

 

Intro

 

This is a class that teaches about dreams, how to enterpret them and the such.

 

 

 

Lesson 1

 

Visualize this: Its early in the morning and you are half-awake, you hear a sound so awful that you want to shut it off but can’t, in a flash you realize that its your alarm clock and shut the damn thing off, time to get up. I don’t know about you but this is often how I wake up in the morning, anyway: you vaguely remember something but can’t really set your finger on it you only remember the feeling or how it was like to be “there”.

 

You go on with your day and get “flashes” of what you dreamt, or other times you remember exactly what your dream was. Does this sound familiar? Some people will say that they never dream, this is not true, we all dream but don’t always remember them. You dream at night before your body falls into “deep-sleep” or in the morning when your body is awakening, some I believe call it REM-sleep when you dream, REM stands for “Rapid Eye Movement”.

 

The reason for this is that your eyes “shake” very rapidly when you dream, but I digress, back to remembering your dreams.

 

There are many tips & advice on how to remember your dreams: have a piece of paper beside your bed and write it down immediately when you awaken, don’t rush out of bed but stay put and think about what you’ve dreamt.

 

Another form of dreaming is daydreams, we all do this mostly at work or school its kind of a little “vacation” from your day, but this can be embarrassing let me share:

 

I was in class and the teacher was unusually boring this day and since I sat at the window I gazed out and my mind started to wander, I thought of flying, first in a plane 1st class, and then superman style. Of course I had to stretch it a little further so I thought of me sitting atop of a Boeing 777, I found this very hilarious for some strange reason and started to laugh out loud… Needless to say the class gave me some looks, the teacher gave me a “want to fail?” stare.

 

So dreaming is not just something you when you sleep.

 

Homework:

 

Tell me how you remember your dreams, you don’t have to share if you don’t want to, OR you can tell me about a daydream you had and under what circumstances. You don’t have to be extremely specific but give a brief overview; I know that some dreams are very personal.

 

In both cases try to find other tips on how to remember your dreams besides the two I’ve given above=)

 

(It does not need to be long)

 

 

 

Lesson 2

 

Do you have a favourite painting or photo? I bet you do or even if you don’t you probably like some more than others, some of you may even have painting or photography as a hobby.

 

What do you feel when you look at a painting or photo?

 

[image]home.ringnett.no/perhelge/Tog.jpg[/image] Above you see a photo some of you may have seen before, that is because it’s a desktop theme for windows, but I like it, I like the colour, the detail, the blurred trains and the 1920 feel it gives me:)

 

Homework:

 

Post a painting or photo (those of you with scanners can scan in one if its not too big, you others will have to browse trough the internet) tell me what you like about it.

 

If you can’t find one or scan it just give a description and tell why you like it

 

 

 

Lesson 3

 

Hello again all, this lesson will be about being aware of your surroundings, have you ever taken a walk and listened to the sounds around you? Smelled the air and noticed people or details? Well now’s your chance! You are to go take a walk and not rush from one place to the next, but notice things around you, listen. And the fresh air will do you good*s*

 

Write about your experience when you get back, it does NOT have be ten pages long but long enough so you say what you want-enjoy!

 

 

 

Lesson 4

 

Relax---breathe in---breathe out---relax---now do the split and/ I am of course kidding * weg*

 

This will be an amateur lesson based on my little experience and info I’ve read on the net, meditation is supposed to be relaxing and it IS, imagine being on a deserted island that has a white sand beach and you sit there and do your meditation routine, but since I and probably you don’t have that the living room will have to do.

 

I should point out that Yoga and meditation are two separate things; Yoga is a form of exercise and meditation are focus of the mind.

 

And just because Hollywood and Oprah swears to Yoga we won’t be doing that here, now lets start:

 

Sit down and make yourself comfortable back support is optional but recommended, you are not allowed to lie down since you can fall asleep, close your mind and focus/concentrate on the space between your eyebrows or hum a “mantra” a mantra is a word that has no meaning and that you don’t relate to anything I.E. “paard” a bad choice is I.E. “puddin’”.

 

These are the two techniques that I know of and the ones we will use for the moment, now you should be seated comfortably and have closed your and chosen a technique and underway. And FYI many Buddhists who try to achieve nirvana use meditation.

 

Homework:

 

Do as I have described above and tell me how it went, do it for 10-20minutes.

 

You’ll discover that this is not easy and requires a certain degree of mental discipline. If you feel something is wrong or inaccurate tell me in your post

 

The Final

 

He, he welcome to the final! * dramatic tune*. Below you’ll find options on what you can do, do only ONE. Good Luck

 

1-Write a “daydream”, this more of a story but go on, take the challenge

 

2-Visualize a painting in your mind and describe it

 

3-Why do you think people in our society rushes from one destination to the other?

 

4-A friend or family member comes to you and is stressed about something, what would you do to make the person relax?

 

Remember that I base the grades on the effort you put into it and not the outcome, you can solve the above questions in any way you like but remember the lessons/

 

 

 

[Amadine]

Lesson 1

 

Andor and Caemlyn

 

Suu was a little nervous about teaching her first class, but she hoped it would be a fun one for all the Novices sitting in the room.

As she walked in, the Novices looked at her, and started talking among themselves. She wasnít wearing the normal white Acceptedís dress. Instead she wore a red wool dress, one that she had borrowed from an Aes Sedai.

 

She stood at the front of the class, and silenced the girls. ìWelcome everyone! My name is Suu Nalemar, and I am an Accepted, even though I donít look like it today!î She grinned at all of them, feeling more at ease now that sheíd started. ìIn this class, youíre going to learn a little about customs and costumes of various nations in our World. Iím sure that there are many of you whoís first journey was from your home town to the White Tower.î

 

Some of the Novices nodded to themselves. Suu continued, ìToday Iím going to talk about Andor, and Caemlyn. Andor is the largest nation, and also one of the oldest. Andorís boundaries extend from the River Erinin to the Mountains of Mist.

The capital city is Caemlyn, which is one of the more beautiful cities in the land, aside from Tar Valon of course. The city has two sections, the New City, built a thousand years ago, and the Inner City, built with the help of Ogier stonemasons. But now onto our main topic: styles of clothing!î

 

Suu stopped, to gather her thoughts, then continued, ìMost Andorans are fair-skinned with blue eyes and blond hair, but dark hair and eyes are not uncommon.

The dresses that women wear are similar to mine. Dresses with square-cut necks, showing little if any cleavage, and fitted sleeves.î She held out her arms, to emphasize her point. ìThe dresses are sometimes embroidered with flowers and leaves, and are worn belted at the waist. Highborn ladiesí dresses are usually made of silk, using metallic threads for the embroidery and belt. Commonersí dresses are made of wool, usually with higher necklines and with an apron.î Suu grabbed her apron off the desk and tied it around her waist.

 

ìMen wear trousers and shirts with a coat over top. The coat is made with turned-back cuffs and an upstanding collar. Again, among the Highborn, the material is silk or brocade, with metallic threads and common men wear strong stout wool. A cloak is used by both men and women when needed.î

 

ìYour homework now is simply to write up a few notes. Feel free to add anything else that you happen to know about Andor, to share with the rest of the class.

 

 

 

Lesson 2

 

Cairhien

 

Suu walked into the classroom feeling happy and a little light-headed. She was definitely starting to enjoy teaching. Again, she wasnít wearing the banded white Accepted dress. She was feeling much freer without it. Instead, she had on a dark blue dress with a few bright stripes across the chest.

 

ìGood day everyone. Today we will be talking about Cairhien, a very interesting nation. So letís begin!

Cairhien has been an independent nation only since the end of the War of the Hundred Years. Cairhienís boundaries lie from the River Erinin to the Spine of the World. At one time, Cairhien merchants were granted the right to travel the Silk Path from the Jangai Pass through the Aiel Waste. That right was lost with the Aiel War, sparked when the king of Cairhien cut down Avendoraldera, a gift from the Aiel.î

 

Suu smiled at the Novices, ìBut enough history. Letís go on to the more important things.

Cairhienís capital city is also called Cairhien, and it laid out in a precise grid, with every street meeting at a right angle. The layout of the city mirrors the nature of the people who live there. Cairhienin nobles desire control and order, yet they thrive on subtle political manoeuvring. It is called Daes Daeímar, or the Game of Houses. Every noble is involved in the Game from birth, learning the art of misdirection and subtlety. As result, every aspect of their dress, behaviour and even the architecture is carefully ordered.î

 

ìCairhienin are shorter and more pale-skinned than the Andorans we learned about last class. They have dark hair, and they wear darker colours of clothing. All the clothing has narrow horizontal slashes of colour across the chest and body, and dark ivory lace at the throat and wrists. The number of slashes indicates rank, and the colour indicates the House. Ladies have their hair in elaborate towers of curls, and the dresses are much the same as in Andor, except that the skirts are very wide, supported with hoops and the material is finer. Men wear their hair long, with flat or bell-shaped velvet caps.î

 

ìThe lower classes are very different though. Free from the Great Game, they often approach the extremes of flamboyance. Their clothing is very colourful. Bright skirts and shirts with coats and shawls of equally bright, often clashing colours are common.î

 

ìSo, there you have a little bit of information about Cairhien. Please take a couple notes on Cairhien and the Cairhienin.

 

 

 

 

Lesson 3

 

Altara

 

As the class settled in front of her, Suu thought about the different customs of the many nations. Today she would be talking about a nation quite unlike Andor.

 

ìGood day, class! The nation Iíll be talking about today is a little different from Andor and Cairhien. This nation is Altara. Altara faces the Sea of Storms, wedged between Illian and Amadicia. The capital city is Ebou Dar. Ebou Dar is on the River Eldar and on one side are palaces and the homes and shops off the upper and middle classes. The other side is known as the Rahad, home to the lower class.î

 

Suu grimaced as she talked of the Rahad. Sheíd heard many various stories around the palace in Caemlyn about street fighting and the like.

 

ìNow on to fashions. Most Altarans are recognizable for their dark hair, dark eyes, and olive complexion, and those from Ebou Dar are recognized by their very distinctive clothing.

Womenís dresses are often pale in colour with snug bodices and full skirts over bright petticoats. Commoners gather the skirt above one knee to reveal the brightly coloured petticoats beneath, while noblewomen wear it raised in the front. The necklines of commoners are cut very narrow and deep, while for nobles the bodice has a round or oval cutout, allowing those with marriage knives to show them off, and those without to show they are available.î

 

ìThe marriage knife is a very significant item for an Altaran woman,î Suu picked up a knife off the desk. It was of brass, with coloured glass stones in it. ìThis is a commonersí marriage knife. It is worn hanging hilt-down from a choker around a womanís neck. The knife tells a lot about the wearer. A white sheath means the woman is widowed, and wonít remarry. A blue sheath means she will consider offers. The beads set into the knife represent children, white for sons, red for daughters. Women who are engaged to be married wear a choker, to show that they have been promised a knife.î

 

ìEbou Dari men wear long, elaborate vests, often in bright colours. They are worn alone, or over pale shirts with wide sleeves. Sometimes the wealthy will add a decorative silk coat slung about the shoulders, much too small to actually wear. This ìcapeî is held with a chain of silver or gold strung between the narrow lapels.î

 

ìBoth men and women wear curved daggers through their belts or sashes.î

 

Suu smiled. ìFor homework Iíd just like you to take notes on Ebou Dar, the clothing, and the marriage knife. See you next class!î

 

 

 

Lesson 4

 

Tarabon

 

Suu walked into class today in her normal Acceptedís dress. She wasnít about to wear the styles of Tarabon!

 

ìToday you will be learning about Tarabon, a country far to the west, on the Aryth Ocean. As something a little different, I asked Taya Sedai, of the Green Ajah to come talk to you about Tarabon, her home country.î

 

She motioned for Taya Sedai, who was standing by the door, to come over. Taya was garbed in a gown of thin silk, with a veil across her face. Suu didnít know how she could talk without chewing on the silly thing.

 

ìThank you, Suu,î started Taya, trying not to grin too widely. She couldnít remember the last time she had donned her native garbÖbut she felt strangely at home in the filmy fabrics, despite having told herself for so many years that she detested it all so. She wasted no more time, launching right into it. ìGreetings, children! I am here to talk to you about Tarabon, my beautiful homeland.î She hoped they picked up on the sarcasm. ìTarabon lies on the Aryth Ocean, and has three peninsulas ñ the Verana, Maseta and Calpene. The capital city, Tanchico, occupies the high hills, which populate the area surrounding Tanchico Bay. The city lies on the mouth of the River Andahar. This can be good for trade, but can also be considered a danger since enemy vessels have access to the city. Thatís why we fortified the mouth of the river on either bank.î She winked in her typical Green manner, and the continued, beginning to pace a bit.

 

ìTarabon is ruled jointly by the King and Panarch ñ both of whom are elected by the Assembly of Lords. Both heads have equal authority, yet perform different tasks. The Panarch collects taxes, customs and duties, so that all the lords can have nice big parties and eat lots of fatty foods. The Panarch has other duties too, however, perhaps so that she can feel more worthwhile. She controls the Civil Watch, and oversees the lower courts. The Panarch has a personal guard named the Panarchís Legion, who are very useful in fending off assassination attempts.î Taya heard gasps of shock from around the room, and when she looked at Eladari, the young womanís hair seemed to stand on end. Taya didnít let it phase her. She had always believed in brutal honesty, even if it meant being blasphemous too, and she had lost all love for the system in Tarabon a long time ago. ìOn the other hand the Kingís duty is to spend the collected revenue in an appropriate manner, like I told you, on feasts and other things like pretty pictures and nice shiny golden armour ñ which heíll probably never use in his life because he can barely sit a horse, let alone wield a sword in armour.î Taya barely missed a beat. ìThe King controls the army, and oversees the High Court ñ oh, lucky him.î No one could have missed that sarcasm. ìHe too has a personal guard ñ the Kingís Life Guard ñ to ensure that he lives to reign long and prosperously ñ at least, for himself and his lordling lap dogs.î Taya realised she was getting dangerously outrageous here, but no matter how she tried, she couldnít make herself care. ìThe Assembly of Lordsí only main duty is to elect the King and the Panarch. Oh, and they have to eat too ñ otherwise, where would all that food go?î

 

ìNow for the fashions of Tarabon. In Tarabon it is considered impolite to completely reveal oneís face, except when eating or drinking. As a result, both men and women wear a transparent veil, like this one,î she touched the veil across her face. ìIt probably looks uncomfortable, but itís really quite fine. Besides, we learn as children how to wear these without suffocating. I suppose it is an art, really.î She shrugged and moved on. ìAlthough Noblewomen veil their faces, they do not always believe in hiding their figures. Most wear clinging gowns like the one Iím wearing. It is made of thin silk and can be quite revealing.î Watching her Aes Sedai friend, Eladari could almost see her blushing, but she knew that Taya would never show it. Taya banished all thoughts of Eos and hurried on. ìAll Taraboner women are known for wearing their hair in thin braids. All women, that is, besides those like me, who have been away so long they forget what the point was in the first place.î She patted her braids experimentally, because she hadnít worn them in so long. She admitted it did feel rather nice, but she vowed she would remove them as soon as she was done here. ìTaraboner men dress in baggy white pants and coats decorated with scrollwork embroidery on the shoulders. Loose-fitting shirts with embroidered chests are worn under the coats. Men often have thick moustaches under their veils, but do not usually wear beards. They wear dark cylindrical caps on their thick, dark hair. Often they look like fools, but some of the cuter ones can pull it off really well.î

 

ìSo,î Taya said finally, sighing and tugging on a braid absent-mindedly. ìThere you have a little insight into Tarabon.î And that was it.

 

Stepping forward, Suu thanked Taya Sedai for coming. Taya nodded and grinned in reply.

 

ìFor homework, please take some notes on the geography, the hierarchy, and the fashions of Tarabon.î

 

 

 

Lesson 5

 

Tear

 

Suu was pleased at how well her class was doing. They seemed interested in what they were learning. She knew it would be useful for them in the future, when they travelled as Aes Sedai. Her outfit today was in the commoner style, with high hems and such.

 

"Our lesson today is about Tear, a nation that lies just east of Illian, and contains the greatest port on the Sea of Storms. The port is in the capital city, also called Tear, and is located well above the mouth of the River Erinin, and is guarded by the ancient fortress known as the Stone of Tear. The port is protected by the winding waterways known as the Fingers of the Dragon, which only the Tairens know how to navigate.î

 

ìOne very important point about Tear, if you ever find yourself travelling there, is that all channeling has been outlawed in Tear. Aes Sedai are tolerated, but only so long as they donít actually channel. So, you must be very, very careful.î

 

ìBut enough of that,î Suu smiled, to lessen the tension, ìThe city of Tear is designed like many of the others of told you about. The inner city is protected by high walls of grey stone. The finer houses and palaces are found inside the walls, and all the streets are paved with stones. Outside the walls is the port district called the Maule, and the warehouse district called the Chalm. Both contain inns and shops that cater to the sailors. The streets are unpaved, and always deep with mud. To deal with the mud, anyone wishing to walk through the outer city must go barefoot or wear a special raised shoe called a clog.î

 

Suu lifted a small shoe-sized wooden platform off the desk, and attached it to her shoe, to show how it was used.

 

ìAnd this leads us to fashion! Tairen fashion is a little unique compared to other nations, because unlike the other nations, the dress of the nobles is very different from that of commoners, no doubt in an attempt to further the unique Tairen belief that commoners are actually lesser beings.

Tairen lords wear colourful coats of padded silks and brocades with puffy sleeves, sometimes coloured in stripes. Their breeches are tight to show a well-muscled leg to best advantage, and are often brightly coloured. In contrast, common men wear baggy breeches, usually tied at the ankle, and held up by a brightly coloured sash. Some wear coats, but unlike the lord'í theirs are long and dark, fitting tightly to the wearerís arms and chest, then becoming wider below the waist. Sometimes shoes or boots are worn, but more often bare feet or clogs, the elevated shoes are preferred. Most common men wear cloth caps that hang to one side of their face, or wide straw hats.î

 

ìNoble ladies of Tear wear long dresses with necklines cut to bare shoulders and even considerable bosom. Silk is, of course, the material of preference and the dresses often have lace ruffs and a tiny matching cap. Tairen widows wear white, though some have been known to don the colour while their dying husband is still alive. No lady is ever without her tiny porcelain bottle of smelling salts.

Common women cannot afford silk, or the long dresses that would be ruined in the mud of the Maule. Their dresses have chin-high collars, and ankle-high hems. The dresses often have pale-coloured aprons, usually in a combination of two or three of progressively larger size. Each smaller than the one beneath! Hats are dyed to match the aprons, with wide brims.î

 

ìAnd that is Tairen fashion! I know this was a long lesson, but Iíd like you to take a few notes on the city and the fashion.î

 

 

 

Lesson 6

 

For once, since she had arrived here, she was able to wear the clothing of her nation, and it felt strangly familliar and comfortable. The light clingy purple fabric drapped over her body, almost getting a few startes from the students. Suu held back a smirk, and soon started the lesson.

 

"This is our last actual lesson. Unfortunately, Iím not able to teach you about every single nation in our world, but if there is enough interest, I might just do a second class! I will not be testing you on the material today, as, although it is nessicary for you to be familiar with the customs of our land, I fell that it is more of a treat to teach you about where i come from then to test you on it. But you are still required to take notes as it might come in handy." She winked at them and then continued.

 

"Arad Doman is another one of the nations that dispise Aes Sedai, and much like the Tear-ians, they would much rather throw them out then deal with them." Suu paused and then continued, "Arad Doman is located near the west shore, other wise known as the Aryth Ocean and Bandar Eban stands as the capitol. Although i have not been there myself, i have been told that it is very lovely."

 

"Most Domani are tall and willowy, with coppery skin and dark hair. My skin has lightened substantually being in the tower many years, and it isn't all that uncommonto see a Domani with pale skin." She then cleared her throat and then continued. "Much like my own outfit, Domani women dresses are made of thin, clingy cloth. They are barely opaque folds of cloth tied cloth with a narrow belt, see?" She half twirled around, showing off the belt itself, and then continued, "Most Domani men, especially of Noble blood, wear close-trimmed beards and long leather vests. Other men wear long, thin moustaches and earrings, as well as often a choker or bracelet of precious metals. Sometimes the men might wear their hair below their shoulders or even a mustache. You can always tell whether it was the woman that ruled the house or not." She winked and got a chuckle out of her students. "That ends out lesson for today. At the bottom of your notes i wish for you to think of different ways that Domani Woman use paint. I didn't use any examples today, so you will have to research yourself." She heard a groan and smiled. "And all the better for you to become more familiar with our library. Sleep well, and i shall see you tomorrow for the final." And with that she dismissed the class with a smile.

 

 

 

 

Final

 

Suu walked into class today feeling elated. It was the last class, the test for the novices. She sincerely hoped that theyíd enjoyed the class.

 

Today she was wearing a pale green dress with a snug bodice with an oval cutout. The skirt was full, and gathered up in the front to show off brightly coloured petticoats. She had large hoop earrings on, and a large gold choker around her neck. A curved dagger was tucked into her belt.

 

ìAs you all know, today is the test. The first part of the test is to answer some questions.î

 

She handed out a sheet of paper with some simple questions.

 

Questions:

 

1. What nation is one of the largest and oldest?

2. Which nation is ruled jointly by a king and a Panarch?

3. What is the capital city of Altara?

4. What is the most common fabric used by nobles?

5. Where is channeling outlawed?

6. What does a white sheath mean on a marriage knife in Ebou Dar?

7. What do noble ladies carry with them in Tear?

8. What are clogs?

9. What do Taraboners wear across their faces except when eating and drinking?

10. What is Daes Daeímar?

11. In which nation are dresses with square-cut necks, tight sleeves, and belted waists found?

12. What do the stripes on Cairhienin nobles outfits symbolise?

13. Where do men wear long, elaborate and colourful vests?

14. What is the Maule?

15. How do Taraboner women wear their hair?

 

After the girls had looked over the questions, Suu spoke up again.

 

ìFor the second part of the test, I would like you to tell me:

- which nation my outfit is from

- any important aspects of the culture of this nation or city

- any important aspects of the costume. If you can, also mention whether my outfit would be worn by nobles or commoners. Good luck! Iím sure youíll all do great.î

 

OOC: Please e-mail me your answers:

 

**Class Originally written by Eladari Sedai (Accepted at the time), Lesson 6 Written by me.

 

 

 

[Amadine]

Etiquette 101

 

by Deanne al Moiran

 

Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3, Lesson 4

 

 

 

Lesson 1

 

How to walk the walk.

 

Deanne made her way to the front of the classroom, which had been cleared of all desks for today’s lesson, careful to keep her posture straight and tall. It wouldn’t do to start her class on etiquette slouching about the place. She remembered when she had been educated in the proper graces of Aes Sedai. She had been little more than a bumpkin, still picking the hay from her hair and now look at her, teaching the very things that had seemed so alien to her once.

 

Speaking in a clear voice she began. “Good morning class, as you well know this is a class on etiquette. Now we will be learning over a term of five lessons. We will be studying and adopting the basic mannerisms of a true lady. Today’s class will be on learning to glide across the floor with grace and poise. Like so…” Deanne demonstrated the well-practiced glide she had been taught as a Novice. “Look easy? Well it isn’t as simple as it looks, like all good skills it only looks effortless after a great deal of practice.” The class took this in, she noticed with an amused smile that some even took notes. “Now I’ll explain how this glide is achieved. Firstly you put each foot in front of the other in a straight line. This will cause your hips to sway, which you do not want. Try to minimise the movement of your hips, tensing up your behind helps.” A few girls giggled, Deanne remembered doing the same herself, but it really did help. “When you have the movements correct it’s just a matter of practicing and you’ll be gliding about with the best of them.” She demonstrated again for good measure, walking up and down the length of the classroom.

 

“Now I want you to form up into four lines and practice walking. When you think that you have it, keep going because practice does indeed make perfect.” She nodded at the first four girls to begin.

 

She kept them at it, offering pointers where she thought it necessary, smiling encouragement where it was needed, for almost an hour. Clapping her hands sharply to get everyone’s attention she called in a loud clear voice. “Alright ladies, that’s it for today. Now I would encourage you to practice walking like that at all times, but I won’t demand it of you. The next lesson will be on speech. After today I will have set aside a half an hour period before class for all those who wish to go over things that have already been learned. Alright, you may leave ladies.”

 

She watched them file out, some had taken her advice and were sauntering past her and out the door.

 

OOC-Just RP the lesson, no homework for today although if you want you can RP practicing

 

Back to the top

 

Lesson 2

 

Talking the Talk

 

Deanne stood at the front of the class waiting for the stragglers to bob a curtsy and find a seat. “Good morning ladies, as you may have remembered today’s lesson is on speech. We will cover modulation, gesticulation and vocabulary.” Some of the girls nodded and reached for their notebooks, others merely waited for her to continue. When she was sure that everyone was ready she went on.

 

“Firstly we will work on voice modulation. Now you should keep your volume at a nice reasonable level. You should be able to be heard without raising your voice. Keep your tempo even and for goodness sake enunciate the words. All right, now I want you to work on that to start with. Say anything you like but say it clearly, concisely and evenly. Breathy whispers, loud bawdy joke telling, muttering and mumbling are not acceptable for Aes Sedai.” She winced a little as everyone began talking at once. Some could have been heard beyond the gates of Tar Valon as they raised their voices to compete with the sudden jabbering; the person sitting next to them couldn’t have heard others; still others talked into their chest self consciously. And then there were the few gems that spoke like queens, firmly and clearly. Walking around the class she stopped at each desk giving them pointers, sometimes stopping them in mid sentence repeatedly until she was satisfied with their progress. Making her way back to the front of the classroom she held her hands up in a request for silence.

 

“Very good ladies, now we will work on gestures. Now you don’t want to gesture wildly.” She demonstrated this and looked a great deal like a person trying to achieve flight. “Remember remaining motionless is sometimes more emphatic than any gesture. If you feel you must gesture keep your movements understated and flowing. Disjointed movements promote agitation and nothing should appear to ruffle Aes Sedai calm.” She drove those last words home.

 

“Alright now I want you to turn to the girl beside and demonstrate speech with gestures.” Most had it very quickly some were a little confused and she suggested that they might wish to join her before the next class for personalised tutoring.

 

“Lastly I would like to work on your vocabulary. Now Aes Sedai are the most educated women in the world, but this will mean very little to others if you still sound like a fisherman. Obviously you shouldn’t cuss, you may feel like growling ‘Blood and bloody ashes’ at times but do try to refrain, at least in earshot of anyone.” Deanne pulled a bundle of papers from her desk and passed them to a girl in the front row. “If you could take one piece of paper and pass the rest on…” She waited until everyone had a sheet of paper before her. “As you may have noticed there is a sentence written on the paper before you. Your homework is to convert that sentence into ‘proper’ speech and demonstrate it to me with any gestures you feel it needs and correct voice modulation. Everyone understand?”

 

The girls nodded and Deanne smiled. “Good. Well that’s all for today’s lesson. Remember I’m here for half an hour before class to help anyone who needs it. Good day ladies.” She watched them file out.

 

OOC: OK make up a sentence, something like ‘Them there clouds look mighty bad for sailing even for an old sea dog such as meself.’ And convert it into ‘proper speech’ Like: ‘The weather seems ominous for sailing even for such an experienced seafarer such as I’ And then RP performing it in front of me.

 

Back to the Top

 

Lesson 3

 

Dining with Style

 

Deanne stood in the classroom finishing off with the student who had come to her before class for more personalised tutoring and waiting for the rest of her students to arrive. When everyone was there she pronounced in a clear voice. “Today’s lesson will be held in the dining hall. If you would all rise from your seats and follow me...” Turning, Deanne picked up her belongings and walked out the door, confident that her students would follow.

 

When she reached the dining rooms she ran her eye over her class to make sure there were no stragglers before pulling open the doors with a flourish, revealing a fully set table with two hovering servants. All in all it was an impressive sight, a banquet just for them.

 

“Now if you look you’ll notice a place card with your name above one of the plates around the table. If you could take your places now, we’ll begin the lesson.” She waited till everyone was seated before taking her place at the head of the table.

 

“As you may have guessed, today’s lesson is on dining etiquette. This is perhaps the most important lesson I will give. No one will ever forget if you eat like a pig at a trough. Now cutlery is easy to manage if you just remember to work your way from the outside in. The only exception to this is the dessert spoon, which may be found above your plate rather than beside it. Keep your back straight, your posture must be excellent, remember you are a representative of the White Tower and as such everything about you should reflect near perfection.” She looked about the table, looking sternly at one Novice she shook her head. “Elbows remain off the table at all times.” She watched as the girl blushed prettily and quickly took her elbows down.

 

Deanne kept a sharp eye on the girls as they ate, pouncing on any lapses in concentration. By the time drinks were served the girls were looking harried to say the least but most of them needed only to be told once. Clearing her throat quietly but pointedly to get their attention Deanne continued the lesson. “Now, as you can see drinks have been served. Before you reach for your glass please observe.” Deanne took her glass by the body, not touching the stem; her pinkie finger was raised daintily. “Pick up your glass as I am doing.” Deanne’s eyes swept across the table asessingly and stopped on another Novice’s hand. “Your palm should not make contact with the glass, ladies. Not at all. Also remember that this is the same way to hold a cup or mug, except of course that you hold a cup by it’s handle not its body.” Nodding encouragingly as the girl adjusted her grip on the glass.

 

As they finished up the meal, Deanne used the small bowl of water beside her dish to wash her fingers. She noted that the girls emulated her and smiled warmly at them. They were all doing so well. She would make Aes Sedai of them yet.

 

Back to the Top

 

Lesson 4

 

Final

 

Deanne settled a flutter of nerves as she walked into the classroom. Today was the final and she felt anxious for the girls. They had all done so well. Not one of them was as they had been when she had begun her tutoring. And now she would test their knowledge. She would try to ruffle they’re calm and deliberately trip them up. But she knew it must be done, better to have it done by someone who would teach rather than someone who would destroy their tenuous reputation with one swipe. Taking a deep breath she took her place at the front of the class.

 

“Good morning Ladies. As you may or may not have heard today’s lesson is in fact a final. It’s crunch time girls, time to put all you have learnt into practice. You may have noticed the small table with a tea set on it in the back of the room and a small folded pieces of paper in the jar on my desk.” She waited for the girls to nod before continuing on. “On those folded scraps of paper are conversation topics. And I will be sitting at the tea table. When I call your name you will rise from your seat walk graciously to the table, sit, serve tea and discuss your topic with me.”

 

OOC: Ok now I’ll give a few of examples of topics and you are free to use them if you wish or if you’re dying to talk about something else by all means talk about it.

 

Topics: Weather-of course this one is obvious but it’s a valid choice.

Fashion-Again fairly obvious, but try telling me in a tactful way that my outfit is distasteful.

Economy- Perhaps you could explain to me why trading with a neighbouring village that I detest is really a good idea.

Politics- Hmmm…you can give me any stance you want on this one. (I’m not really up to date on WoT politics, yes I know shame on me…)

 

Alright that’s about all I can think of at the moment. Oh and don’t forget to include email addies so I can mail you you’re grades

 

 

[Amadine]

Forsaken

 

by Taya Gille

 

Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3, Lesson 4, Lesson 5, Lesson 6, Final

 

 

 

Lesson 1

 

 

 

Introduction and Lanfear.

 

OOC: Hey-lo everyone!!! Welcome to my Forsaken class. This is intended to be fun in reality, but in IC it’s meant to give you a little more background on the Thrilling Thirteen than you’ve probably had in your lives, to let you know what you (may be) dealing with in the future. Hope you enjoy it. *smile*

 

IC:

Taya got to the classroom a few minutes early, remembering the last two times she had taught this class. She had always felt nervous, but this time she felt not a twinge. She loved teaching this class, and felt like it was what she was meant to do when there was nothing more important on the agenda. When all the students had gathered, she stood up and moved to the front of the room.

 

“Good afternoon ladies,” she began, giving the nervous - and some not so nervous - faces a warm ssmile. “I know you are looking nervous because of what we are going to discuss here today – but I feel that it is very important that we, as members of the White Tower community, know as much about this and related subjects as we can. In this day and Age, I believe we can never know too much. That is why I have chosen to teach this class. It's great to see you all here.”

 

“First I will explain how the class will be structured. We will be handling two Forsaken per lesson, to fit into our schedules, except for today’s lesson, which will be dedicated firstly to a brief introduction to the topic, and then devoted entirely to the Forsaken Lanfear. I am certain we could go on forever discussing the Forsaken, but we do have a schedule to adhere to.” She smiled.

 

“First I would like to talk about the purpose of this class. I will start by saying that in the past, I have found that knowledge often brings a lessening of fear. It is a terrible thing to be faced with some danger you know nothing about. Therefore, what I hope to achieve in this class is a lessening, no matter how insubstantial, of the fear you all undoubtedly feel towards the Forsaken. I intend that by the last lesson you will know far more about what you – and humanity as a whole – are dealing with when it comes to these particular individuals.”

 

OOC:

 

To begin I would like to read this brief dictionary definition for the Forsaken, which you will find in almost any book on the Forsaken in our library.

 

Thirteen powerful Aes Sedai, men and women both, who went over to the Shadow during the Age of Legends and were trapped in the sealing of the Bore into the Dark One’s prison.

 

You have all undoutbtedly heard of this group, known all over the world as the Forsaken. These thirteen men and women were the best of the best (the cream of the crop, if you will). But originally they were all comparatively ordinary people.

 

It is almost certain that, in recruiting them for his purposes, the Dark One encouraged all the Dreadlords to engage in petty squabbles with one another. By the end of the War of Power only the fittest were left standing: these few are known today as the Forsaken, though they call themselves the Chosen. Although many details of their lives and origins have been lost through time, a surprising amount survives. It does differ from individual to individual, of course.

 

Now, you might think the Forsaken are a big evil group united against the forces of the Light, and couldn't be blamed for that. But this description is not wholly accurate, as several sources reveal. According to Maryas din Shalom din Cembrian, “the Forsaken schemed against one another with almost as much fervour as they schemed for the Shadow’s conquest.” They were not, therefore, a united entity. To Lanfear, Sammael could have been as much an enemy as you or I.

 

Now on to the individuals themselves. The Forsaken were, in alphabetical order: Aginor, Asmodean, Balthamel, Be’lal, Demandred, Graendal, Ishamael, Lanfear, Mesaana, Moghedien, Rahvin, Sammael and Semirhage. Today we will begin with perhaps the best known female of the group: Lanfear.

 

Lanfear.

 

Lanfear, perhaps the best known of any of the Forsaken, was the only one of the group who chose her own name. Lanfear translates from the Old Tongue as “Daughter of the Night”. Lanfear was the most powerful of the female Forsaken, and possibly the most powerful of all besides Ishamael. Described as “tall and lithe with pale skin and flowing midnight tresses”, Lanfear was known as the most beautiful of all the Forsaken; some presume to suggest that she may have been one of the most beautiful people in her Age or any other.

 

In the Age of Legends she was known better as Mierin Eronaile, an Aes Sedai whose achievements were relatively unremarkable by comparison with her fellow Forsaken. Despite this she was respected by her colleagues at the Collam Daan, where she worked in the field of magical research. During this research she was among those who sensed a new source of power – in the Bore – which it appeared both men and women could access. She and a party of others were responsible for drilling the hole in the Bore, and despite what you may think historians claim that she was undoubtedly as surprised as any at what lay within.

 

Lanfear’s domain was the World of Dreams (Tel’aran’rhiod) and people’s ordinary dreams. It was in these dreams, during the Age of Legends, where Lanfear did her worst damage in the Dark One’s name, guiding a number of operations that turned people against established authority, creating mass riots. The sources credit her with winning several battles for the Shadow by these means.

 

Various pieces of evidence suggest that she was not among the first to pledge their souls to the Shadow. Furthermore, it is believed that her involvement with the Dragon, Lews Therin Telamon (an involvement which unquestionably existed) was linked with her decision to make the changeover.

 

Thanks, that’s it for Lesson 1. Now for HOMEWORK!!! Ya-hoo!

 

Either in note form or long hand:

Write a brief account of the life of Lanfear during the Age of Legends, and tell me about her greatest strengths and possible weakness – including her Talent(s) if she had any.

 

Note:

1. NO CUTTING AND PASTING FROM The World of Robert Jordan’s ‘The Wheel of Time’, because THAT’S CHEATING. *g*

2. The way I mark is: if you’ve posted something that’s more than 5 lines long, on every lesson, you will pass. Okay? *g*.

3. That deadline I mentioned above is: 3.32 am (Perth, Western Australia time) on the 6th of February.

4. Nothing more. *G*

 

Back to the top

 

Lesson 2

 

 

 

IC: Taya walked into class briskly, ready for another session.

 

The students filtered in slowly and when all were in their seats, she stood up and cleared her throat. “Afternoon,” she said, smiling at everyone. “Are you all ready for another dose?” There was laughter, both nervous and expectant, but she smiled to try and put the girls at ease. “Right, today we are focusing on two very important historical figures: Graendal and Mesaana, two of the female Forsaken. We’ll begin with the former.”

 

OOC:

 

Graendal

 

Graendal is known to be the most flashy and decadent of all the Forsaken. A beautiful woman (if not so beautiful as Lanfear) she was known in the AOL as Kamarile Maradim Nindar, and was a noted ascetic who shunned all luxury and detested any person who refused to do the same to a satisfactory degree. In spite of these unsavoury qualities she was famed and loved around the world, for her renowned knowledge of mental health. She made it her duty to cure those mental illnesses which could not be touched by the One Power and Healing. She is known as possibly the best at subtle manipulations of the human mind who ever lived.

 

Kamarile Maradim is believed to have been the second of those who would one day be known as the Forsaken to pledge her soul to the Dark One. A few years before she did so, she had undergone a fundamental personality overhaul, becoming exceedingly preoccupied with those things which brought her pleasure. She now wore garments which were designed simply to enhance her physicality.

 

Many historians suggest that Kamarile’s announcement that her loyalties lay with the Dark One was what began the War of the Shadow (also called the War of Power) in earnest. During this time she “proved to be [a valuable asset for the Dark One; she demonstrated that she was] adept at intrigue, and made use of her skills and knowledge of the mind to further the Dark One’s cause.” Her special knowledge of the mind allowed her to carry out important work for the Dark One. Jenivra esen Melamis quotes one of the old sources as saying: “Graendal conquered territories [for the Dark One] as surely as any of the Shadow’s generals, but her battlegrounds were her enemies’ minds.”

 

Now onto Mesaana.

 

Mesaana

 

In the Age of Legends she was known as Saine Tarasind, and was mediocre at best in every aspect of her life. Of average height and appearance, she had wanted to become a successful researcher in the employment of the Collam Daan, and spent her younger years striving for that goal. When the board labelled her “unsuited for research”, and she was denied a position amongst their ranks, her dreams – and her loyalties to the Light – were shattered. She was stuck in the lowly position of teacher, and it must have seemed to her that the Dark One offered a better deal all round.

 

She held several field commands during the War of Power, and proved herself to be no more than adequate in this area. Yet, as Maryas din Shalom din Cembrian said, “in governorship of conquered territories...she blossomed.”

 

Saine Tarasind had been a teacher – and as Mesaana she resumed this position, but with a horrifying twist. She was responsible for the educational institutions in which young children were corrupted against the Light, raised as children of the Shadow and encouraged to reap harm upon their neighbours and families. She also instructed them to destroy museums, libraries, and research facilities, anything that could be harmful to the Dark One’s cause. During the second half of the war these children and adolescents often went so far as to carry out executions, sometimes using “courts” which consisted of nothing but children. During the Breaking the male Aes Sedai were not the only ones to reap destruction upon the earth – the descendants of these children did almost as much damage, and were known thereafter as, appropriately, “Mesaana’s Children.”

 

Okay, that’s it for today! You know the drill: here’s the homework!

 

Either in note form or long hand:

Write a brief account of the lives of Graendal and Mesaana during the Age of Legends, and tell me about their greatest strengths and possible weakness – including their Talent(s) if they had any.

 

Back to the Top

 

Lesson 3

 

 

 

IC: Taya crawled into the classroom – well, that was a slight exaggeration, she actually did walk, but she wanted to crawl…right back into bed. She would kill Tania and Mierin for giving her all that wine the night before – hadn’t they learned what happened when Taya had too much alcohol? Disaster, that was what. It had never been different, and never would be.

 

The students filed in slowly, and it seemed Taya was not the only one who had been…active…the night before. Some of them could hardly keep their eyes open.

 

“First up, Moghedien,” she muttered, trying and failing to get the same enthusiasm into her voice that she usually managed.

 

Right, OOC:

 

Moghedien

 

Moghedien, or Lillen Moiral as she was known in the Age of Legends, has been described as a “natural-born skulker”. This explains why she is often best known as the Spider, because of her tendency to hide in the shadows and wait until her prey was caught in the web of its own account. During the Age of Legends Lillen Moiral was an “advisor for investments”, although we have not yet found a source which properly explains the nature of this position. We do know, however, that she was cautioned several times for behaviour that bordered on the unethical and unlawful.

 

Unlike many of her counterparts, Moghedien dedicated her soul to the Shadow rather early on, years before the War of Power broke out. She was able to keep the truth of the matter hidden until several years into the War; up until her true nature was revealed she acted as a spy, holding a position high in the ranks around Lews Therin Telamon. She was known to be directly responsible for several major disasters in the first years of the War.

 

Despite her seemingly cowardly nature, which has in the past earned her much scorn and disdain, those who laughed at Moghedien usually lived to regret it – and, according to one source, most did not live at all. It was said that she could remember a slight until the Wheel stopped turning, and those who made her their enemies remained on her hit list for all of eternity.

 

No one knows how her secret alliance to the Shadow was discovered, but it is known that she was very lucky to escape with her life at the time of discovery. The price of her survival was high: it cost several thousand lives, and often those who were killed had no direct links to Moghedien or the attempts to detain and hold her. In other words, they were casualties of war.

 

It is certain that Moghedien was in charge of a very complex sabotage and intelligence network, and many people claim that no general of the Shadow surpassed her in their death tallies (although many may well have equalled her). Like Lanfear, Moghedien’s strength lay in her excessive knowledge of Tel’aran’rhiod, the World of Dreams. In fact, her skill in this area surpassed Lanfear’s, even if Lanfear did claim it as her own realm of which she was the sovereign. Despite this fact, Moghedien never dared to confront Lanfear outside of Tel’aran’rhiod, where she would not have stood a chance.

 

Ah, now for a real treat – this is the part that will give you nightmares, if you’re a normal person.

 

Semirhage

 

Although each of the Forsaken have histories to make you shiver, the tale of Semirhage is one of the more disturbing in this regard. As Graendal had been the unrivalled healer of the mind, so Semirhage, or Nemene Damendar Boann as she was known in the Age of Legends, was unsurpassed in the craft of physical healing. Also like Graendal, her skills brought her world-wide recognition, and she was much sought after. Of course, there was more than meets the eye to this scenario: as one history scholar put it, “in addition to being a Restorer, [Nemene Damendar] was also a sadist.”

 

Although many of her patients (who suffered just a little more than they should have when in her care) were grateful enough at having their lives in tact that they did not feel the need to reveal their experiences, others were more of a danger to Nemene Damendar. These others would undergoe dreadful ordeals, being slowly tortured, often to death; if they did not yield so easily, then Nemene would dispose of them afterwards.

 

When the Hall of Servants discovered her perversion, Nemene was faced with two options: to be bound against enjoying the pleasure of others’ pain, or to be cut off from the One Power and become an outcast for the rest of her days. Neither option particularly appealed to her, and so she became one of the first to journey to Shayol Ghul and submit to the Dark One.

 

She too was a valuable asset to the Dark One during the War of Power; she worked wonders (insert grimacing countenance here) with those members of the Hall of the Tower who were held in captivity. She made every one of those who fell into her hands swear allegience to the Great Lord of the Dark after seemingly neverending and abhorrent tortures, and as many historians note, few who took the oaths in this manner ever recanted them. Those who did, and who recovered from Semirhage’s attentions to any considerable degree, lived in constant fear of being her prisoner again.

 

Her remarkable nature, even amongst the Forsaken, can be seen in the example of several governorships which she held during the War of Power – at several captured cities, in fact, she went so far as to force the inhabitants to cooperate in torturing each other to death. One historian points out that, despite the abhorrence of these crimes, they were in no way equalled by other acts attributable to Semirhage. She apparently claimed that there were no limits to how far a person could be pushed under torture, unless they took the easy way out and died.

 

She turned countless soldiers against their former comrades, winning many battles for the Dark One this way. While there were many others working under her command, when it came to Aes Sedai she preferred to take care of them herself. She was in charge of rooting out traitors, and it was said that special measures had to be taken to prevent prisoners – be they Darkfriend or other – from committing suicide upon hearing that they would be given into her hands.

 

Hmmm, wasn't that pleasant? See you next time! Oh, and here’s the stuff (thought I’d forgotten did ya?):

 

Either in note form or long hand:

Write a brief account of the lives of Moghedien and Semirhage during the Age of Legends, and tell me about their greatest strengths and possible weakness – including their Talent(s) if they had any.

 

Back to the Top

 

Lesson 4

 

IC: Taya practically skipped into class, barely remembering how she had felt the last time, before she remembered that Aes Sedai did not skip. But she was too happy today to let thoughts like that spoil her mood. She grinned at the girls sitting at the desks, and realised suddenly that she had been the last to arrive. Oops. I hope no one tells…

 

“Hello!” she exclaimed, and flashed everyone a huge grin. “It’s so nice and sunny outside. Such a lovely day to talk about Aginor, don’t you think?” Lots of the girls laughed, and she was glad that she managed to bring humour to such a dreadful subject of discussion. Sometimes laughing made it easier…

 

OOC:

 

Aginor

 

Aginor was the second-most powerful of the male Forsaken, his strength almost equalling that of both Ishamael and Lews Therin Telamon. During the Age of Legends he was called Ishar Morrad Chuain, and was one of the foremost biological scientists of his Age. If we trust the sources available, we can conclude that he was unequalled in this particular field. When told by numerous others that he might as well give it up since there was nothing left to discover, he took it badly.

 

He was had up several times for “unauthorised [experimentation] on animals” *shudders*, despite the fact that his research was supposed to be confined to plant life – a sign of bad things to come.

 

Ishar Morrad was one of the first to forsake his former loyalties and turn to the Shadow (some estimate that the changeover occurred some time during the first three decades of the Collapse). Under his new command, he began work on horrifying projects, the results of which still plague humankind today: he was the manufacturer of Shadowspawn, those creatures which have been described as “living constructions designed to serve the Shadow.” These include, as you may well know, Trollocs, Draghkar, Gholam and the Jumara. These latter two are not heard of nowadays.

 

I was thinking of covering Shadowspawn in more detail in a separate class later on, but someone has done it for me already, which is coolness. Anyway, for now we just need to know that the Trollocs were known to have been created before war broke out, since they appeared in great droves during its first days. Apparently the prospect of free reign in the field of biological science, where Ishar Morrad could carry out the research he wanted, was the main reason he chose to devote himself to the Shadow and become Aginor.

 

Now onto an equally interesting (in a really awful way) character…

 

Asmodean

 

Apparently this guy was a bit of a spunk, but not my type I’m afraid. His name was Joar Addam Nessosin originally, and he was a renowned composer before the War of the Shadow broke out. He has been described as a child prodigy, and his skill encompassed a wide range of instruments – at least nine at current count. Despite this phenomenal skill, and the countless predictions that he would shoot to stardom in adulthood, he never joined the ranks of the “best of his Age”, as it were. His reasons for turning to the Shadow, which are reliably reported, make his tale quite a sad one, if you can bring yourselves to sympathise for a moment.

 

*Pauses and grimaces* No, that is the wrong word. Not sympathise. Pity. You see, his main motivation in pledging the Dark One his soul was to gain immortality, so that he would have forever to reach his goals. It really is quite tragic that someone could be so crestfallen, so completely shattered, that they would be driven to committ such an abhorrent crime as turning to the Shadow.

 

Apparently Asmodean held no field commands during the War, although he did govern over some conquered territories, and is believed to have taken part in several battles on a lesser scale. I feel that, in some ways, Asmodean is the counterpart to Semirhage, whom we have already studied. His crimes were probably the least terrible out of all the Forsaken, although you must know that this is not saying much. As Myrelle Josaine Veronigas wrote, “all the Forsaken did such things as allow Mesaana’s mobs of children free reign…and make men, women and children available rations for Trolloc garrisons.”

 

There is one atrocity which has been attributed to Asmodean alone, although many scholars choose to overlook it because there were so few victims by comparison. It is recorded that Asmodean took out a personal vendetta against all artists (including painters, writers, and dancers), maiming them (usually by blinding) and rendering them forever unable to work their craft. It has been noted by a few that these actions were particularly chilling because of the utter lack of torture administered – the entire purpose was to rob the world of the magic of the most talented artists, to ruin their lives and break their hearts forever.

 

Nice bloke, huh? Well, now you get to gush about him in your homework. *g*

 

Either in note form or long hand:

Write a brief account of the lives of Aginor and Asmodean during the Age of Legends (1 para).

What were their greatest strengths; and possible weaknesses? (In the One Power and in other areas of their lives) (1 para)

Name their Talents (if they had any) – no detail required.

 

 

Back to the Top

 

Lesson 5

 

T

 

IC: Taya had arrived early again, as she had on the first lesson. She thought she might be getting the hang of this teaching thing, as long as no one took her humour the wrong way. Sometimes it struck her that joking about the Forsaken was just asking for bad luck, but she never let herself be intimidated by such thoughts.

 

She watched as the students hastened in, and wondered at how some of them seemed so eager for the class to begin. Maybe it was just eagerness for it to end, but she was glad they seemed so enthusiastic. This was an important subject, and she hoped they were absorbing something from it, at least.

 

When everyone had filed in she walked around to sit on the desk, as was habit now, and slid her papers from the desk. “Greetings girls,” she began. “Today, first up, we have Balthamel, followed closely by Be’lal. Everybody ready?”

 

OOC:

 

Balthamel

 

Balthamel, known originally as Eval Ramman, was an historian whose speciality lay in the study of vanished cultures. He might have made a good Brown - I’m sorry! I should not have said that. *takes a moment to compose herself*. Aaaanyway… *Ahem* As with any ambitious man or woman in the Age of Legends, Eval Ramman sought the coveted third name - and missed out by quite a long shot. Not only was his work not distinguished enough, but he reportedly had a temper which he could often not control. It was even said he was very nearly bound with the Power from doing harm on several occasions.

 

He was another spunk, according to the sources, at least physically. In all other areas, of course, he was quite nauseating. Despite his obvious affinity with women, and his important position in a higher-learning institution in M’Jinn, he seemed to have friends in very low places - he liked to visit taverns that could only be described as hang-outs for the dregs of the dregs, and was surprisingly friendly with “lower” forms of life, the most dangerous criminals. It has been noted that it was perhaps his strength with the Power, and this alone, which let him hang onto his post. His arrogance can be seen in his one and only reason for turning to the Shadow: to live forever and never to age. He was not one of the first to make the journey.

 

It is impossible to discern exactly what Balthamel did during the War of Power. It is certain that he never held a field command, but as for other areas, such as heading an intelligence network similar to Moghedien’s, and serving as a governor, there is no hard evidence. We can be certain of one other thing - he was involved in several atrocities, including the setting-up of camps in which human beings were bred as food for the Trollocs. Lovely, isn’t it?

 

Now, let us move on... But don't start thanking me yet. *evil laughter*

 

Be’lal

 

Be’lal has been known as the Netweaver, due to his mastery of the art that Rahvin so favoured - that of manipulation. Other titles incluude the Envious, and the name by which he went in the Age of Legends, Duram Laddel Cham. He was an advocate who represented people in court, and the only thing that tells us he was brilliant at his profession is that he had a third name.

 

Otherwise, we know even less about Be’lal than we do about Rahvin. Some sources do suggest that he shared Sammael’s hatred, and a burning envy of his own, for Lews Therin. Also similarly to Sammael, he left a position as a leader in the fight against the Shadow to join his previous enemies. He was a more dangerous enemy of Lews Therin’s army than both Sammael and Rahvin combined: he possessed both their greatest assets and the ability to utilise them for his own and the Dark One’s benefit.

 

It was during the Collapse (we do not know precisely when) that he turned to the Shadow. He held several field commands and proved himself “a more than adequate if not outstanding, general,” and governed at least one conquered region. His crimes against humanity were on a par with any of the Forsaken, besides perhaps Semirhage, and some fragmentary evidence suggests that he was involved in the razing of the Hall of Servants just days before the Bore was sealed again.

 

Cool, that’s it for this lesson. Once again, here’s the stuff.

 

Either in note form or long hand:

Write a brief account of the lives of Balthamel and Be’lal during the Age of Legends, and tell me about their greatest strengths and possible weakness - including their Talent(s) if they had any.

 

Back to the Top

 

Lesson 6

 

IC: As soon as the students had seated themselves Taya moved around to the front of the desk and started handing the tin of brownies around. “No, they are not Sabine’s special recipe, so don’t even ask!” She grinned before remembering that Sabine was no longer an Accepted, and was in fact the Mistress of Novices who should be accorded respect. Oops! They certainly were an experience to remember, though Taya thought fondly, thinking she might go and ask Sabine for some more of those cookies some time.

 

“Right, once you’ve finished that first one, put the rest aside for a moment. We’re going to begin today with Demandred.”

 

OOC:

 

Demandred

 

Demandred shared an intense hatred of Lews Therin Telamon with Sammael, yet his hatred actually surpassed Sammael’s, if you hadn’t thought it possible. Many scholars note, in addition, that Demandred had far less to be angry about. In a satirical poem on this man, an anonymous poet maintained that “almost” seemed to be the story of Demandred’s life. He was almost as handsome as Lews Therin, and almost as honoured and as influential. He had been born one day after Lews Therin, and from that day spent years “almost” equalling the Dragon’s achievements. The poet points out that, if not for Lews Therin, Demandred could quite possibly have been the most influential, honoured, cherished and well-known man of his Age.

 

He held high public office, wrote influential books on a great variety of subjects, but guess what? Lews Therin held higher offices, and wrote more influential books on a wider range of subjects. It must have been very frustrating to always be one or two steps behind! But it was a mark of his character - or lack thereof - that the man known as Barid Bel Medar felt the need to dedicate his soul to the Shadow in order to exact revenge for always coming second.

 

During the beginning of the war Barid Bel was quickly established as one of the finest generals on the scene; he was described as having “strategic vision and tactical flair.” Here, finally, was a place where he could hope to better his one true rival. Lews Therin was, after all, an overcautious fool on the battle field, far inferior intellectually to Barid Bel. Imagine Barid’s horror, and no little anger, when Lews Therin was appointed the battle commander over him! From that moment on, with every honour Lews Therin bestowed upon him, Barid Bel’s hatred grew and festered, until one day, when he came to the conclusion that the battle was hopeless with Lews Therin in charge, he abandoned the Light and fled into the Shadow, hoping to gain his revenge on Lews Therin from the opposing side.

 

Despite his obvious character flaws, the army opposing the Shadow missed Barid Bel’s skills and prowess terribly, particularly when they were faced with it themselves. Demandred, as he was now called, was as successful for the Shadow as he had been for the opposition. Some sources indicate that he did not get along well with the other Forsaken, and as often as not he was competing against them as well as against Lews Therin. The poor man was utterly consumed by his rage…*trails off grimacing* Again, there I go, using the wrong words. He was a disgusting creature, abhorrent to lay one’s eyes upon, but again I feel a slight amount of pity, along with my absolute horror, at how his life turned out. He was even reportd to have captured two entire cities and fed them to the Trollocs (these included men, women and children, mind) just because they had apparently slighted him in the old days of Barid Bel Medar.

 

*Sighs* Girls, aren’t you at least a little happy that you are living in these times and not those? I know I am.

 

All right, now onto Ishamael.

 

Ishamael

 

Ishamael (“Betrayer of Hope” in the Old Tongue), the foremost of those who formed the high council of the Shadow’s forces (the Forsaken), is also known by other names: Ba’alzamon, Heart of the Dark, and Soul of the Shadow. In the Age of Legends he was Elan Morin Tedronai, the man who would become, according to popular belief, the most powerful of the Forsaken, equalled by none but the Dragon, Lews Therin Telamon himself.

 

Elan Morin Tedronai was perhaps the foremost philosopher of his time. He published various books which, while usually too arcane for the tastes of the general public, were highly popular and influential amongst artists and philosophers. None of these books surive, and many believe this is something to be thankful for. However, some fragments of his writings (probably letters) are still preserved. These date to a time when he had already gone over to the Shadow.

 

It is undisputed that Elan Morin Tedronai was one of the very first (perhaps even the first) to go over to the Shadow. When he, a well-known and respected figure all over, announced the truth, the world - already rocked by famine, plague and massive rioting - was further traumatised.

 

It is apparent that, when the Forsaken were trapped in the Bore, Ishamael was the only one not truly confined. The writer Aran son of Malan son of Senar (born circa 50 AB) quoted certain Aes Sedai, whom he apparently trusted implicitly, as having written of possible sightings and / or encounters with Ishamael in certain areas after the Bore had been sealed. If not for Aran’s great reputation for absolute honesty, these stories might have been dismissed as ridiculous. Besides, other evidence supports Aran’s theory - such as recent interviews with Darkfriends who claim to have been visited with instructions by Ishamael long before any other Forsaken.

 

Right, that’s it, and here’s the homework y’know. Just a bit on Demmy and Ishy for us, eh?:

 

Either in note form or long hand:

Write a brief account of the lives of Demandred and Ishamael during the Age of Legends, and tell me about their greatest strengths and possible weakness - including their Talent(s) if they had any.

 

Back to the Top

 

Final

 

Rahvin and Sammael.

 

Just a note: Yay!!! We're done! Well almost...since this is the last lesson, could you all please include your e-mail addies with your homework so I can send you your grades when I’m done marking. Or else you can just e-mail me (taya_gille@dragonmount.com) now in advance. Thanks and well done all of you!

 

IC: Taya shared her smile around the class when all the girls were finally gathered. “Well!” she announced. “This is it. This is the last class. I hope you’ve all enjoyed yourselves - well, I couldn’t really expect that, although those brownies were nice…” She trailed off, shaking her head. “Sometimes I think I should have chosen Brown.” She grinned again to show she was joking, and glanced at Leonora meaningfully.

 

“Anyway, I think we may have achieved our purpose in this class: to get to know the horrid men and women whom we have all grown up calling the Forsaken a little more intimately. I know it has not always been pleasant - but imagine what it must have been like for the people who were actually there.”

 

She smiled solemnly and announced: “Now. Rahvin.”

 

OOC:

 

Rahvin

 

This will probably be the shortest discussion of all, since nothing is known of the man named Ared Mosinel, who would later become Rahvin, before the Collapse. Indeed, nothing much is known of him after it either. We do know with surefire certainty that his one overriding desire was for power - this explains why he turned to the Dark One’s forces, where he made use of his affinity for Compulsion in order to stay in control of every situation.

 

If Rahvin were alive today, (but we all know he isn’t, of course!) his favoured place of residence would be Cairhien, where he could revel in the art that is Daes Dae’mar. He was a tall dark man of large build, rather handsome despite the touches of gray in his hair.

 

He was another of the Forsaken whose battle commandment could be called “fair” at best, but he was well suited to work in the political and diplomatic areas, where his skills blossomed. He seemed to revel in the subtle victory, and was credited with causing several regions surrendering to the Shadow when there had been no apparent invasion. He was a harsh administrator over the regions he governed, though he often demonstrated a tendency toward lack of detail.

 

He had two noted weaknesses - “his love of sycophancy and his fondness for women,” according to Maryas din Shalom din Cembrian. If you felt the need to work near him… *shivers*…you could pretty much assure yourself a place by flattering him and…well, abiding his presence in the boudoir. But bewarned, if you were to become closely involved with him, you would leave only when and if he grew bored of you.

 

However, I doubt if any of us will be faced with that problem in the near future. Okay, well, we’ve got one to go. Sammael. Let’s get on with it.

 

Sammael

 

This man was another world-renowned figure during the Age of Legends. As Tel Janin Aellinsar he was a famous sportsman, and even the world champion at an event that has been described as “a sort of bloodless competition with swords”. Remarkably he was reportedly a friend of Lews Therin Telamon, although the closeness of this friendship is still bitterly contended among scholars. During the first years of the War of the Shadow he proved himself highly skilled in the non-sporting arena - as one of the best-known and high-ranking generals of his Age. His talents were crucial for those battling the Shadow army; he shone most brilliantly in the area of defence.

 

In the fourth year of the war, in a shockingly sudden move, Tel Janin went over to the Shadow. Apparently he was struck by the idea, of a sudden, that the battle was hopeless and he might as well join the winning side while he still had the chance (he was not a risk-taker, after all, preferring like Moghedien to advance only when he was assured of victory). This sudden change of mind is paralleled by his sudden newborn hatred of Lews Therin, who had been given the command which Sammael felt was rightfully his. And he had a new reminder of Lew Therin - a scar which the man had given him, and which he was determined to wear as a “badge of hatred and vengeance” until the day Lews Therin was defeated at his feet.

 

Sammael was opposite to Rahvin, in that he hated political intrigue. Indeed, you would not find him by Rahvin’s side in Cairhien, we can be assured of that. He was far better suited to action in warfare than to politics and / or governorships, and this was, after all, where he excelled. Now, here you are permitted to shudder again, because Sammael did not make a particularly nice ruler at all. The citizens of territories under his rule suffered, to a substantially greater degree than elsewhere, from plague, famine and other disease. His was an absent-minded cruelty, as most historians agree.

 

In sickening contrast, the soldiers (both human - if you could call them that - and Shadowspawn) under his command were well cared for, in order that they did not break down on him. He had plans to carry out, and he could not do so without a functional army at his fingertips. Yet the citizens were fortunate beside the prisoners of war who, if they were not fed to the Trollocs first (which the majority of them were), were starved slowly to death. It is recorded in several sources that, on one occasion, upon being informed that the prisoners needed double their rations to have any hope of survival, Sammael promptly ordered that half the prison population be executed.

 

IC:

Taya breathed in deeply, and moved away from the table. She shrugged and smiled. “Well, that’s it. It’s over. I hope I’ve made the Forsaken an interesting subject.” She sighed and shuddered - no one looked surprised. “In these times, you never know when you’re going to walk around the corner into one of these characters.”

 

She managed an encouraging smile before setting the homework.

 

OOC: First off, you have until the 6th of Feb to complete all the lessons, that's why I posted this pretty soon after the last one. Good luck ladies! Now...

 

Homework!!! Yay!!! No, stop dancing for joy, you have work to do! *g* It’s the usual gals. Just answer these questions about good ole Rahv and Sammy for me. *g*

 

Either in note form or long hand:

Write a brief account of the lives of Rahvin and Sammael during the Age of Legends, and tell me about their greatest strengths and possible weakness - including their Talent(s) if they had any.

 

 

And, for your final… EAT COOKIES!!! *G* This final can be posted at the end (or beginning, or middle, s’up to you) of your homework for this post.

 

 

[Amadine]

Geography

 

by Alecia Taranin

 

Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3, Lesson 4, Lesson 5, Final

 

 

 

Lesson 1

 

Alecia was sitting on the desk with a cup of punch and an apple when the class walked in. She smiled at them as they sat down.

“Okay class, welcome to your first Geography lesson. Firstly I’m going to give you an idea of the things we’ll be doing throughout this class. It will consist of five lessons and a final test at the end. I can’t tell you what the final is because it’s a SECRET.” She looked around at the class.

“Before I go over the plan for the five lessons, you can all come up and get something to drink.”

She pointed to the bowl of punch next to her. The class one by one filled up glasses and returned to their seats.

“Okay, today, in lesson one, we will be learning about the whole world in general. Places on the main continent, like the Aiel waste, Shara, and maybe the blight. We will also learn about the continent of Seanchan, and a little about the third continent, know as the Land of Madmen.”

She could see that some of the class frowned at the mention of some of those places, but that was good. It meant she would definitely be teaching them something.

“The rest of the classes will be about the lands on the main continent, and in the Second lesson we will cover Illian and Tear. These places have a long rivalry, and we will be hopefully learning something about that.”

“In the third lesson we’ll look at Andor, and especially at Caemlyn, which was where I lived for part of my life.”

“Lesson four will be about the borderlands, places like Shienar and Saldaea.”

“The fifth lesson will be about Cairhein, the city and it’s traditions, festivals and rulers.”

Alecia smiled and sipped her punch.

“Okay lets get started. Remember to take notes.” Alecia brought out a large map of the world. “This,” she said pointing to the map, “ Is what is know as the main continent. This is the continent containing our lands. The part with our lands in it is bordered in, by the Sea of Storms in the south, the Aryth Ocean in the west, the Spine of the world to the east, and the Mountains of Dhoom to the north.”

Alecia looked to the class to make sure they were following. “To the east of the Spine of the world is the Aiel waste, which is a very dry and barren land. As you know, this is where the Aiel live. Further to the east is the Great Rift, a large split in the ground, that separates the Aiel waste from the land of Shara. Very little is know of Shara, of the land or the people.”

“The continent of Seanchan lies to the west, across the Aryth Ocean. Although we know of it’s existence, not much is know about Seanchan. We know about the people, but the continent remains unmapped.”

“At the top and bottom of the map, you see the Northern and Southern Icecaps. These places are polar regions, much too cold for exploration. It is not known whether there is land under the ice, of if they are just made of ice.”

“ A part of both Seanchan and the main continent is taken up by the Blight. This is the Dark Ones land, and is full of evil.”

“The third main continent lies south across the Sea of Storms. It is know only as the Land of Madmen, and was discovered by the Sea Folk, who tell terrible tales of it. It is full of volcanoes, and there are regular earthquakes and storms.”

“As you can see, we know little of other continents. The loss of technology from the Age of Legends, and the breaking has meant we now know very little about the world in which we live. This is why we will be sticking to the lands of the main continent for the other lessons.”

Alecia folded the map up again. “Okay, now for the homework. Well, it’s not really homework, I just want to see the notes you’ve been making for this lesson. If you hand them into me on your way out, you are now dismissed.” She smiled. “ Oh, and if anyone has any questions…”

 

(Okay, for homework RP taking the notes in the class. If you’ve got any questions about this class just RP asking them as well.)

 

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Lesson 2

 

The class was already seated as Alecia walked in carrying a pile of maps. “Hello everyone.”

The class murmured a few hellos.

“Alright. Today we are going to be learning about Tear and Illian. Firstly who here is from either of those places. I’m not trying to start a fight or anything so don’t be scared to put your hands up. Remember your all part of the Tower now.”

A few girls put their hands up.

“Okay, well I was actually born in Tear, although we left when I was still young.”

The next part might be difficult to talk about with both people from Illian and Tear in the class.

“As you all know, there has long been rivalry between Illian and Tear. Today, we’re going to learn about both places, starting with Illian.” Alecia brought out another map. “Illian is in the Sea of Storms, bordering Altara and Murandy. Illian is ruled by three parties. Firstly the King of Illian. Then there is the council of lords, called the Council of nine, who advise him. The third party is the Assemblage, who are chosen from Illians merchants and ship owners. Obviously this can make any decisions become confusing, as each party usually wants it a different way, but this is supposed to prevent tyranny.”

“The city of Illian is a major seaport, and also produces a lot of manufactured goods, especially leather. Illian has a large fleet of fishing ships, which provide enough food to feed Illian and to export to other countries. There is a lot of ship building in Illian also.”

Alecia pointed to the map once again. “Tear is situated just east of Illian, and also has a great port.

There is no one ruler of Tear, but instead a council known as the High Lords of Tear rule from the Stone of Tear, a fortress situated in the city of Tear. The Stone of Tear was built using the One Power, shortly after the breaking. The Stone has been attacked countless times, but has never fallen. It is said that only the Dragon Reborn will be able to do that. And why would he want to? Well in the chamber know as the Heart of the Stone, is the sword Callandor, known as the sword that is not a sword. It is actually a great sa’angreal, which can only be used by male channelers.” Alecia shuddered at the thought. “There are many objects of the power hidden within the Stone, and this may be because of the Tairens hate and fear of Aes Sedai and the One Power. On the same subject, channelling is outlawed in Tear, although unlike Amadicia Aes Sedai can stay there as long as they do not channel. Girls that are found to have the ability are immediately sent here, to Tar Valon.”

“Now Tear and Illian have had a long a bloody history of war between them. The two countries hate each other, and are always ready to go to war with each other, even though before there has never been a clear victor.”

Alecia put the map down. “Okay class, for your homework I want you to tell me why Tear and Illian despise each other so much. I want at least one reason from everyone. I don’t mind if it’s right or not, just an idea you have. Oh, and girls from either country? I don’t want to see reasons such as because Tairens are dung pickers.” She smiled so they all knew it was a joke. She didn’t want to start a fight in the second class!

 

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Lesson 3

 

Alecia wandered into the classroom carrying a plate of cakes, which she placed on a table. “Okay help yourselves, I missed lunch.” She smiled, bringing cakes for the class, they must think she was trying to bribe them!

“Anyway,” she said once everyone had a cake. “in today’s lesson we’ll be learning about the country of Andor.” She took out another map and pointed to Andor. “Andor is situated in almost the middle of our lands. It is also the largest nation in the land, and one of the oldest. One tradition of Andor, is that only a Queen may sit upon the Lion Throne, the country is never ruled by a King. This is because no royal sons actually survived the War of the Hundred Years, but now it is law. The eldest daughter is the one who will become Queen next, and is called the Daughter-Heir. She is always sent here, to the Tower to study, and then ascends the throne if her mother retires or dies. When there is no surviving daughter, the throne is given to the nearest blood relative. But this is often not simple, and there are sometimes wars between the houses, know as the Andoran Wars of Succession. So far there have been three of these wars.”

“Andor is a large and also very wealthy country, which reaches from the River Erinin to the Mountains of Mist, although a decreasing population has meant the queen can no longer exercise her control in some areas. Andor’s success is mainly due to it’s army, primarily made up of the Queen’s Guard.”

The capital city, Caemlyn is made up of two sections, the New City, which was built well under 2000 years ago, and the Inner City, much of which was built by Ogier stonemasons. The Royal Palace for one. Caemlyn also has an excellent library, although it is ranked far below our own one here in the Tower.”

“Another of Andor’s well known towns is Whitebridge, named that because of the bridge spanning the River Arinelle. The bridge is believed to date back to the Age of Legends, and it is the only bridge over the river south of Maradon in Saldaea. Because of this the town flourishes on trade.”

A girl in the class put up her hand. Alecia nodded to her. “Up, Accepted, what is that area there?”

Alecia looked at the map for a moment. “Oh, that is known as the Two Rivers. You don’t really need to know about that place. It is very cut off and rural, and it is unlikely anything interesting will ever happen there!” She laughed. Must be a very boring place to live.

“So anyway, that is basically all about Andor. Now for your homework. I want you to write me at least a paragraph on Caemlyn. You can write about the Inner City, the New City, the Royal Palace and so on. I do not mind what it is about as long as it is to do with Caemlyn. Why, it can be the local fashions if you wish!!”

 

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Lesson 4

 

Alecia was already sat down looking at a map as the class walked in. She greeted them as the sat down, then she got up and held the map up for them.

“Hello class. Today we’re going to learn about this area here,” she pointed to the map, “known as the Borderlands. These are nations of warriors, who regularly fight Shadowspawn to keep the world safer. There are four nations, and those are what we are going to learn about. They are Shienar, Kandor, Arafel and Saldaea. There was once a fifth nation, Malkier, but that is gone now, taken by the blight.”

“The first nation we will leard about is Shienar. It is in the far northeast, next to the mountains of Dhoom and the Spine of the World. Their warriors are called lancers, because of the fighting lances that they carry. They can be easily recognised because of the way they wear their hair in a topknot, with their heads partially shaved around it. Every major Shienaran town is designed to also act as a fortress. Shienar is ruled by King Easar of House Togita from the capital city of Fal Moran.”

“Arafel lies just to the west of Shienar. Most Arafellin have pale skin, and appear to have large eyes. The men wear their hair in two long braids, usually with silver bells on the ends. Arafellin warriors always wear two swords, both strapped to their backs, and are capable of using both at once. The nation is ruled by King Paitar Nachiman, whose sister is an Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah.”

“Kardor lies between the nations of Arafel and Saldaea. There is a lot of trade in Kandor, and it has a highly respected guild of merchants. Though it’s nearness to the Blight means it cannot be a center of commerce, the merchants bring back much wealth. Kandori men have diistictive forked beards, and most Kandori usually wear an earing. The current ruler of Kandor is Queen Ethenielle Cosau Noramaga.” Alecia would have said that was a bit of a mouthful, bit didn’t want to offend anyone.

“The last nation, Saldaea, is the largest of the borderland nations. It stretches from the World’s End to the River Arinelle and the northern edge of the Black Hills. It covers more area than Arafel and Shienar combined. It’s ruler is Queen Tenovia. The Saldaean have the finest light cavalry in the world. In Saldaea, war is somewhat a family event. The women accompany the men on military campaigns, and even though girls are not taught sword skills, they are often very good at them. Saldaea has a strong economy, and it has good trade in furs, fine woods, and ice peppers. These goods are often shipped to far off places such as Mayene or Tear, where they fetch a good price.”

“Alright, it’s your favourite time, homework time. Today, for homework, I want you to right a short account of what you think might have happened if the Borderlands were not there. I mean if those countries simply did not exist. How far do you think the Blight would have progressed? Or would other nations have taken on the duty of fighting the Shadow?”

 

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Lesson 5

 

“Okay everyone.” Said Alecia once the class had settled down. “Today we’re going to learn about Cairhein. Firstly, I’d like to know how many of you come from Cairhien?”

A few girls put their hands up.

“Okay good. Well as you know, Cairhien is situated here.” She pointed to a map. “Near the Spine of the world. Cairhien first became an independent nation during the War of the Hundred Years. In 566 NE, the Aiel, gave Cairhienin merchants access to the Silk Path, from the Jangai Pass to the Aiel Waste. When they did this, they also gave the King of Cairhien a gift, Avendoraldera, a sapling from the tree of life. But King Laman Damodred destroyed the gift, in order to make a throne. This act caused the Aiel War of 976-978 NE. The Aiel stormed the city, burning it, and leaving only the libraries untouched, and also taking away Cairhien’s right to use the Silk Path.”

“One of the most important about Cairhien is Daes Dae’mar, or the Game of Houses. This is basically using hidden meanings, political intrigue and the art of misconception to gain power and status. In Cairhein, nothing is ever as it seems, everything has a deeper meaning. Although a main part of Cairheins culture, Daes Dae’mar is thought to have been responsible for most of the disasters in Cairheins history. For example, the Aiel War was a result of King Laman’s attempt to play the game.”

Alecia picked up another map. “This is the city of Cairhien, the capital. As you can see from the map, Cairhein is laid out in a grid pattern. The River Alguenya flows along one side on the city. “

“Inside the city walls, the Topless Towers of Cairhien stand unfinished, surrounded by scaffolding. These were destroyed in the Aiel war, and were said to be a wonder of the world before it. In the center of the city lies the Sun Palace. The Sun Palace is placed precisely, and every detail of it is exact and precisely placed.”

“Now, one of the festivals of Cairhien is the Feast of Lights. This is when all the social barriers between commoners and nobles are broken down, by two days of wild parties. One important part of the festival is that any woman may kiss any man, and any man any woman. Because of this it is common to see nobles and commoners…together,” Alecia blushed, “and this also makes up for the way they have had to use etiquette all year. There are a lot of people who walk around in state of undress, with some noble women going bare to the waist under their cloaks…and some commoners abandoning and kind of clothing above waist except for their hair!” Alecia blushed once again. What kind of an example was she setting to the class! “At the end of the festival, everyone goes back to normal and the class barriers are brought back, with no acknowledgment that anything did occur over the past two days.” Alecia grinned.

She rolled up the map, placed it on the desk and turned back to the class.

“Okay, for your homework, I want you to write me a paragraph on Cairhien, as you did on Caemlyn. Maybe one of it’s festivals, it’s fashion, something about the city or maybe just an interesting fact.”

 

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Final

 

"Okay,” Said Alecia as she faced the class for the last time, “this is it, the final.” She looked around. “This is what I want you to do. I want you to write a short account about a visit to one of the places we’ve talked about in these lessons. It doesn’t have to be long, just what you saw, the things you may have done. It can be IC or OOC (although I don’t actually see how it would work OOC *g*) Use what I’ve talked about in these lessons, and make it interesting! =)

 

 

[Amadine]

Healing Herbs

 

by Shannadin

 

Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3, Lesson 4, Final

 

 

 

Lesson 1

 

Shannadin hurried to the classroom, although she wasn’t late, with a basket of herbs in her hands. She entered the empty classroom and smiled at the girls as they began to sit down at their desks.

 

“Hello girls. As you all know, this class will teach you all about herbs but before we begin, I would like to give you all a better idea of what you will learn. I will be taking you all into the Ogier Grove where we will examine different types of healing herbs, what they can do and how to prepare them. I will also have examples of other herbs that do not grow around here and, hopefully by the end of the classes you’ll all be better prepared to heal if ever you are unable to do so by channeling. I will now be handing out each of you a small diary in which you can take notes on what we did each class, which will be your homework,” she said, taking a sip of water before asking one of the girls in the front row to hand out the leather bound journals.

 

“Today we will start by learning about a few plants that I have brought with me but tomorrow we will be in the Ogier Grove so I would like you all to bring a good pair of hiking boots and a sandwich. Please also take a pair of pants and a water bottle,” she told them, pointing at the pants and bottles at the front of the class, “before you go today.”

 

Shannadin stood up and walked around in front of her des, picking up a funnel-shaped yellowish flower with a purple center. She pointed out to the class it’s leaves were a dull pale green with spikey edges and it had a strong narcotic odor.

 

“This plant is henbane. You must never eat these for they are very poisonous but if you boil it, let it cool and then soak a cloth in it, it will stop muscle spasms, calm the person and will most likely make the person go to sleep. This method of preparing herbs is called making a poultice. Now, these stems are called snowberry stems,” she said, putting down the henbane before holding up the stems for the girls to see, “They come from a small bush covered with white berries that stay on, even after all of the leaves have fallen off. Now, you would boil these to make a sort of tea which is very good for curing a stomach ache. Sweet rush also does this but I don’t have any her to show, although I can tell you that it resembles iris. Sweet rush is also good for soothing burns and if one chews it, it will help toothaches. Be careful, though, if you give it to a pregnant woman because it may cause her to lose the baby.”

 

Shannadin looked around the class to make sure they were all paying attention while she took a sip of water. She then carefully held up a few tall, showy yellow flowers which, in her opinion, bore a striking resemblance to asters.

 

“For our last plant today, elecampane. This plant grows in fields or open areas and I’d like you all to pay close attention to it’s large oval leaves. I’ll pass them around and I think you’ll notice that the leaves have an almost downy underneath. The roots are smooth and solid and must be cut into small pieces. Take about as much as will fit in the palm of your hand, boil it down in a small bowl of water and, once it has cooled, drink 2 cups a day. This will help bring up phlegm and bring on sweating, which are both good for someone with lung disease who’s having trouble breathing or spitting up blood.” She said, handing the plants to one of the Novices so that they could be passed around.

 

“For homework, I would like to see that you have taken notes in your diary and make sure that you are ready for a hike next class. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask,” she said smiling.

 

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Lesson 2

 

Shannadin headed out to the front gates, backpack ready, and, once everyone was there, led them out to the Ogier Grove. Walking along, she kept her eyes open and finally stopped the class in front of a willow tree.

 

“Willow bark tea is excellent for relieving pain and getting rid of a fever. And these,” she explained, gently fingering some tall, wand-like, slim-stemmed flowers with very bright colours that were growing close by the tree, “are hollyhock. Remove the roots and make it into a poultice to promote healing of cuts, big or small, and reduce any swelling or inflammation. Iris roots also do the same thing. Hollyhocks can also soothe irritations, scrapes and scratches and, if it is made into a tea, it will help a sore throat tremendously; I know that for a fact.”

 

Shannadin cut off a few of the roots and moved on, pointing next at some yellow flowers off to her right.

 

“We’re lucky to have found these,” she told them as they gathered around to get a better look, “They’re called horsemint flowers. You would dry them and, should the need arise, wet some in your hand and place the paste on a burn. They will soothe the pain and draw out the heat and are even strong enough to work wonders on scalds. Oh! And these plants are sweet rush,” she told the Novices and Accepteds, hurrying over to where she had spotted them. They were growing by a small pond and she pulled one out of the ground to show it’s roots, “Make the roots into a wash by boiling them down in a bowl of water and you’ll have yourself an excellent remedy for burns.”

 

The class picnicked by the pond for half an hour before they continued on. One of the girls at the back of the class suddenly cried out and Shannadin hurried to see what was the matter. The Novice had a small scratch on her ankle, which had come from some yellow blossoms which were sticking out on the path.

 

“These are yellow-spined thistle blossoms and must be boiled and once they are cool, they make and excellent wash for skin sores, burns or, ironically enough, small cuts! Will you be alright dear?” she asked the girl, who smiled and nodded, “That’s good. I’ll make sure that’s healed when we get back.”

 

Pointing at some ferns as they walked along, Shannadin told the class how they could be a good burn ointment, “It’s called horse-tail fern and, oddly enough, you must use it’s ashes mixed with fat on the burn. Another good way to treat burns is dry hyssop flowers, golden-rod flowers and cone flowers. Powder them together in equal parts, which must be wetted when needed to make a poultice for on the burn but, since so many different plants are needed to make this mixture, you’d need to have a supply already with you.”

 

As the class turned back, Shannadin paid closer attention to the trees and stopped when she found a balsamgum tree. “Boil the leaves and some bark in a small amount of water and this makes an excellent antiseptic solution. Now, before we go all the way back I’d like you all to look at this plant,” she showed them, “It is called datura and can be either very good or very dangerous, depending on how much you use in the tea. It can be a very affective anesthetic, painkiller, soporific or sedative but it can also be a very powerful and dangerous drug.”

 

Once they were back at the White Tower, Shannadin told the tired looking Novices and Accepteds that she would once again be checking over their diaries the next day.

 

OOC: Please describe what you did this morning to prepare and then take notes in your ‘diaries’:o)

 

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Lesson 3

 

The sun cast it’s morning light over the assembled girls in front of the Ogier Grove as they waited for the few stragglers. The birds sang merrily, a sweet good morning to the world.

 

Shannadin kept a sharp eye out as she led the class deep within the Grove, it’s cool shade a relief from the sun. Finally she found what she’d been looking for; a marshy area off to the side of the path. Walking carefully around, she gave a satisfied nod before beginning, “These purple berries are called pokeweed. The roots are wonderful for people with rheumatism and the bark of this tree,” she said, walking over, “It’s cherry bark and, when made into a tea, which I’m afraid does not taste very good, would help someone with a cough.”

 

After the girls had taken a good look, Shannadin moved them along until she found some reddish flowers. Squatting down, she uprooted one and showed the class before putting it in her bag. “The ragged leaves of Antelope Sage must be boiled in a bowl of water and then drunk to help people with arthritis. The roots can also be boiled and, by drinking one bowl a day, you are protecting yourself from getting pregnant (OOC: Like being on the pill). Next class we will be talking more about plants that affect having a baby,” she said over her shoulder, pushing some branches out of her way as she led them on.

 

Walking along, Shannadin remembered the walks she had taken with her mother to do just his; collect and discuss herbs. She was brought out of her small reverie when a balsam tree caught her eye.

 

“The inner bark of balsam can be made into a poultice and will help someone who is having difficulties breathing. And, if you’d all look over her,” she said, trudging over to a bush of black berries, “These boiled with maidenhair, it’s a plant, not someone’s hair,” she explained at their disgusted looks, “makes a tea that helps cure and heal minor colds. I think we’ll stop her for lunch and you can all have blackberries for dessert,” she added, smiling as she sat down to eat.

 

After they’d all finished up, Shannadin led them deeper into the Grove, making mental notes of plants she would need to talk about in her next class.

 

“This plant is called yarrow and you use it’s leaves to make a tea. Breathing the steam helps clear plugged noses and soothe sore throats. It can also be made into a poultice that soothes pain such as aching muscles or even sore chests from too much coughing.”

 

The girls continued onward for a while before Shannadin looked up at the sky and realized the sun had started to set. An owl perched high in a tree hooted eerily as their hurrying shadows lengthened. Just as they neared the edge of the Grove, Shannadin stopped them one last time.

 

“This is called burdock and this,” she said, squatting to point the plants out, “is startchwart. Their roots can both be made into teas that ease difficult breathing and are excellent for serious coughs or even just minor ones.” She explained as they left and made their way back to the tower.

 

“Please make sure you’ve taken good notes in you diaries and I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

 

OOC: Please describe what you did today and what is written in your diaries.

 

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Lesson 4

 

“Hello girls,” Shannadin said once they were all gathered at the front doors, “Today we’ll be learning about some different herbs that affect pregnancy and childbirth. I hope you all remembered a lunch and your notebooks,” she said as she looked around.

 

Once they were in the Ogier Grove, the Accepted led her Novice students determinedly along, knowing she had a lot of things to cover. The first plant she pointed out had long narrow leaves and small greenish flowers.

 

“These are wormseed flowers and you use the leaves and flowers to make a bitter tasting tea that will encourage the flow of milk in a nursing mother. It will also help relieve the painful cramps of a uterus contracting back to it’s normal shape right after childbirth. These,” she continued, motioning them to gather around some rye grass whose seeds had violet black discolourations and smelled terribly of rotten fish, “are called ergot. It’s simply rye grass that has gone bad. This herb can start labor and quicken it for a woman but if it is administered too early, it will make her lose the baby as well as cause severe cramps, vomiting and sometimes death. It also helps push out old blood and shrink organs back to normal,” she said, laughing at some of the disgusted looks this got.

 

After trudging on for a few more minutes, Shannadin showed the class some mistletoe and explained that it could make a woman lose a baby, as could tansy. Both plants should be boiled and a cup must be drunk.

 

“These are chrysanthemum flowers, which also get rid of babies if given early enough,” Shannadin told the girls as they passed some by.

 

“Can you all see how this golden thread has grown around all of the surrounding plants and how they all look weak? That’s why it’s called strangle weed as well,” Shannadin explained, showeing them a yellow vine with tiny flowers and leaves.

 

“To prepare this herb, dry the vine, crush some in the palm of your hand and then boil it in water until the decoction is the colour of ripe hay. By taking 2 swallows a day, you will prevent getting pregnant. Golden thread can also be made into a poultice good for stings and bites,” she said before moving on.

 

As they walked on, the girls noticed several plants they had talked about before, much to Shannadin’s pleasure.

 

She finally called them to a stop under a big shady willow tree and, after they’d eaten their sandwiches, she pulled some brownies out of her bag so that they could all have some dessert.

 

After cleaning up, Shannadin started to lead them back to the tower, although she took a different root.

 

Some long stalks were growing out of a cluster of leaves near the ground with small flowers clinging close to the top. Shannadin identified these as Rattlesnake plants and explained that a pregnant woman should wash and chew the roots to prevent miscarriage. She also explained that they like moisture, which explained why they were growing so close to a nearby pond.

 

Walking along, enjoying the fresh air, Shannadin next pointed out some yams, although not a regular type that one would eat with dinner, “These yams should be cut into chunks then boiled down and mashed into a thick paste. Let the paste dry if you want to preserve it and simply add water to return it to it’s original pasty state. You eat this, I know that sounds gross, and it will prevent conception from occurring,” she told the girls.

 

Nearing the edge of the Grove, Shannadin told them about another type of yam that could be made into a decoction to relieve the pain of childbirth.

 

“Your homework is to write in your diaries and study for the final tomorrow.” Smiling she watched them go inside, a little sad this was the last class she would teach them.

 

OOC: Please write about what you did during this class:o)

 

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Final

 

Shannadin entered the classroom with a large basket of herbs in one arm and a stack of papers in the other. After handing the papers out, she explained what was to happen.

 

“First I would like you to fill out the questions on the paper and then I will be doing two things. First I will be telling you something that is ‘wrong’ with me and you are to tell me at least 2 things I could do to heal it. Then I will be showing you 5 herbs which you must identify and explain how they can be used. You may now begin the written part. The numbers beside the questions tell how many points each is worth.”

 

A Describe how to make each of the following:

1. A tea (1)

2. A poultice (2)

3. A wash (2)

 

B Describe the functions of each of the following and, if possible, how to prepare them:

1. Wormseed (2)

2. Ergot (4)

3. Sweet rush (3)

4. Golden thread (2)

5. Inner bark of balsam (1)

 

When Shannadin noticed that the girls were finished the written part, she told them that for the first situation, she had a burn on her leg. The second situation she was having trouble breathing and was coughing quite a bit.

 

Shannadin then picked up a plant with a long stalk growing out of a cluster of leaves with small flowers clinging near the top. The second plant that she showed the class was roots attached to some leaves with purple berries. She next showed them tall, wandlike, slim stemmed plants with bright flowers and for the last plant, funnel-shaped yellowish flowers with purple in the middle. Their leaves were dull pale green with spikey edges.

 

“I’ve really enjoyed teaching this class and I really hope you all learned something from it!” She said, feeling sad that it was over and she smiled warmly at them all.

 

OOC: Please e-mail me your answers at Shannadin@dragonmount.com!

 

 

[Amadine]

Lesson 1

Arie hurried to the classroom, although she wasnít late, with a basket of herbs in her hands. She entered the empty classroom and smiled at the girls as they began to sit down at their desks.

"Hello children. As you all know, this class will teach you all about herbs but before we begin, I would like to give you all a better idea of what you will learn. I will be taking you all into the Ogier Grove where we will examine different types of healing herbs, what they can do and how to prepare them. I will also have examples of other herbs that do not grow around here and, hopefully by the end of the classes youíll all be better prepared to heal if ever you are unable to do so by channeling. I will now be handing out each of you a small diary in which you can take notes on what we did each class, which will be your homework", she said, taking a sip of tea before asking one of the girls in the front row to hand out the leather bound journals.

 

"Today we will start by learning about a few plants that I have brought with me but tomorrow we will be in the Ogier Grove so I would like you all to bring a good pair of hiking boots and a sandwich. Please also take a pair of pants and a water bottle", she told them, pointing at the pants and bottles at the front of the class, "before you go today."

Arie stood up and walked around in front of her desk, picking up a funnel-shaped yellowish flower with a purple center. She pointed out to the class itís leaves were a dull pale green with spikey edges and it had a strong narcotic odor.

 

"This plant is henbane. You must never eat these for they are very poisonous but if you boil it, let it cool and then soak a cloth in it, it will stop muscle spasms, calm the person and will most likely make the person go to sleep. This method of preparing herbs is called making a poultice. Now, these stems are called snowberry stems," she said, putting down the henbane before holding up the stems for the girls to see, "They come from a small bush covered with white berries that stay on, even after all of the leaves have fallen off. Now, you would boil these to make a sort of tea which is very good for curing a stomach ache. Sweet rush also does this but I donít have any her to show, although I can tell you that it resembles iris. Sweet rush is also good for soothing burns and if one chews it, it will help toothaches. Be careful, though, if you give it to a pregnant woman because it may cause her to lose the baby."

 

Arie looked around the class to make sure they were all paying attention while she took a sip of tea. She then carefully held up a few tall, showy yellow flowers which, in her opinion, bore a striking resemblance to asters. "For our last plant today, elecampane. This plant grows in fields or open areas and Iíd like you all to pay close attention to itís large oval leaves. Iíll pass them around and I think youíll notice that the leaves have an almost downy underneath. The roots are smooth and solid and must be cut into small pieces. Take about as much as will fit in the palm of your hand, boil it down in a small bowl of water and, once it has cooled, drink 2 cups a day. This will help bring up phlegm and bring on sweating, which are both good for someone with lung disease whoís having trouble breathing or spitting up blood." She said, handing the plants to one of the Novices so that they could be passed around.

 

"For homework, I would like to see that you have taken notes in your diary and make sure that you are ready for a hike next class. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask," she said smiling.

 

Lesson 2

 

Arie headed out to the front gates, backpack ready, and, once everyone was there, led them out to the Ogier Grove. Walking along, she kept her eyes open and finally stopped the class in front of a willow tree.

"Willow bark tea is excellent for relieving pain and getting rid of a fever. And these," she explained, gently fingering some tall, wand-like, slim-stemmed flowers with very bright colours that were growing close by the tree, "are hollyhock. Remove the roots and make it into a poultice to promote healing of cuts, big or small, and reduce any swelling or inflammation. Iris roots also do the same thing. Hollyhocks can also soothe irritations, scrapes and scratches and, if it is made into a tea, it will help a sore throat tremendously; I know that for a fact."

Arie then cut off a few of the roots and moved on, pointing next at some yellow flowers off to her right. "Weíre lucky to have found these," she told them as they gathered around to get a better look, "Theyíre called horsemint flowers. You would dry them and, should the need arise, wet some in your hand and place the paste on a burn. They will soothe the pain and draw out the heat and are even strong enough to work wonders on scalds. Oh! And these plants are sweet rush," she told the Novices and Accepteds, hurrying over to where she had spotted them. They were growing by a small pond and she pulled one out of the ground to show itís roots, "Make the roots into a wash by boiling them down in a bowl of water and youíll have yourself an excellent remedy for burns."

 

The class picnicked by the pond for half an hour before they continued on. One of the girls at the back of the class suddenly cried out and Arie hurried to see what was the matter. The Novice had a small scratch on her ankle, which had come from some yellow blossoms which were sticking out on the path. "These are yellow-spined thistle blossoms and must be boiled and once they are cool, they make and excellent wash for skin sores, burns or, ironically enough, small cuts! Will you be alright dear?" she asked the girl, who smiled and nodded, "Thatís good. Iíll make sure thatís healed when we get back."

Pointing at some ferns as they walked along, Arie told the class how they could be a good burn ointment, "Itís called horse-tail fern and, oddly enough, you must use itís ashes mixed with fat on the burn. Another good way to treat burns is dry hyssop flowers, golden-rod flowers and cone flowers. Powder them together in equal parts, which must be wetted when needed to make a poultice for on the burn but, since so many different plants are needed to make this mixture, youíd need to have a supply already with you."

 

As the class turned back, Arie paid closer attention to the trees and stopped when she found a balsamgum tree. "Boil the leaves and some bark in a small amount of water and this makes an excellent antiseptic solution. Now, before we go all the way back Iíd like you all to look at this plant,î she showed them, ìIt is called datura and can be either very good or very dangerous, depending on how much you use in the tea. It can be a very affective anesthetic, painkiller, soporific or sedative but it can also be a very powerful and dangerous drug."

Once they were back at the White Tower, Arie told the tired looking Novices and Accepteds that she would once again be checking over their diaries the next day.

 

OOC: Please describe what you did this morning to prepare and then take notes in your ëdiariesí ^-^

 

 

 

Lesson 3

The sun cast itís morning light over the assembled girls in front of the Ogier Grove as they waited for the few stragglers. The birds sang merrily, a sweet good morning to the world.

Arie kept a sharp eye out as she led the class deep within the Grove, itís cool shade a relief from the sun. Finally she found what sheíd been looking for; a marshy area off to the side of the path. Walking carefully around, she gave a satisfied nod before beginning, "These purple berries are called pokeweed. The roots are wonderful for people with rheumatism and the bark of this tree," she said, walking over, "Itís cherry bark and, when made into a tea, which Iím afraid does not taste very good, would help someone with a cough."

After the girls had taken a good look, Arie moved them along until she found some reddish flowers. Squatting down, she uprooted one and showed the class before putting it in her bag. "The ragged leaves of Antelope Sage must be boiled in a bowl of water and then drunk to help people with arthritis. The roots can also be boiled and, by drinking one bowl a day, you are protecting yourself from getting pregnant (OOC: Like being on the pill). Next class we will be talking more about plants that affect having a baby," she said over her shoulder, pushing some branches out of her way as she led them on.

Walking along, Arie remembered the walks she had taken with her mother to do just his; collect and discuss herbs. She was brought out of her small reverie when a balsam tree caught her eye.

 

"The inner bark of balsam can be made into a poultice and will help someone who is having difficulties breathing. And, if youíd all look over her," she said, trudging over to a bush of black berries, "These boiled with maidenhair, itís a plant, not someoneís hair," she explained at their disgusted looks, "makes a tea that helps cure and heal minor colds. I think weíll stop her for lunch and you can all have blackberries for dessert," she added, smiling as she sat down to eat.

After theyíd all finished up, Arie led them deeper into the Grove, making mental notes of plants she would need to talk about in her next class. "This plant is called yarrow and you use itís leaves to make a tea. Breathing the steam helps clear plugged noses and soothe sore throats. It can also be made into a poultice that soothes pain such as aching muscles or even sore chests from too much coughing."

 

The girls continued onward for a while before Arie looked up at the sky and realized the sun had started to set. An owl perched high in a tree hooted eerily as their hurrying shadows lengthened. Just as they neared the edge of the Grove, Arie stopped them one last time.

"This is called burdock and this," she said, squatting to point the plants out, "is startchwart. Their roots can both be made into teas that ease difficult breathing and are excellent for serious coughs or even just minor ones." She explained as they left and made their way back to the tower. "Please make sure youíve taken good notes in you diaries and Iíll see you all tomorrow."

OOC: Please describe what you did today and what is written in your diaries.

 

 

 

Lesson 4

"Hello children," Arie said once they were all gathered at the front doors, "Today weíll be learning about some different herbs that affect pregnancy and childbirth. I hope you all remembered a lunch and your notebooks," she said as she looked around.

Once they were in the Ogier Grove, the Accepted led her Novice students determinedly along, knowing she had a lot of things to cover. The first plant she pointed out had long narrow leaves and small greenish flowers.

"These are wormseed flowers and you use the leaves and flowers to make a bitter tasting tea that will encourage the flow of milk in a nursing mother. It will also help relieve the painful cramps of a uterus contracting back to itís normal shape right after childbirth. These," she continued, motioning them to gather around some rye grass whose seeds had violet black discolourations and smelled terribly of rotten fish, "are called ergot. Itís simply rye grass that has gone bad. This herb can start labor and quicken it for a woman but if it is administered too early, it will make her lose the baby as well as cause severe cramps, vomiting and sometimes death. It also helps push out old blood and shrink organs back to normal," she said, laughing at some of the disgusted looks this got.

After trudging on for a few more minutes, Arie showed the class some mistletoe and explained that it could make a woman lose a baby, as could tansy. Both plants should be boiled and a cup must be drunk.

"These are chrysanthemum flowers, which also get rid of babies if given early enough," Arie told the girls as they passed some by. "Can you all see how this golden thread has grown around all of the surrounding plants and how they all look weak? Thatís why itís called strangle weed as well," Arie explained, showeing them a yellow vine with tiny flowers and leaves.

 

"To prepare this herb, dry the vine, crush some in the palm of your hand and then boil it in water until the decoction is the colour of ripe hay. By taking 2 swallows a day, you will prevent getting pregnant. Golden thread can also be made into a poultice good for stings and bites," she said before moving on. As they walked on, the girls noticed several plants they had talked about before, much to Arieís pleasure.

She finally called them to a stop under a big shady willow tree and, after theyíd eaten their sandwiches, she pulled some brownies out of her bag so that they could all have some dessert.

After cleaning up, Arie started to lead them back to the tower, although she took a different root.

 

Some long stalks were growing out of a cluster of leaves near the ground with small flowers clinging close to the top. Arie identified these as Rattlesnake plants and explained that a pregnant woman should wash and chew the roots to prevent miscarriage. She also explained that they like moisture, which explained why they were growing so close to a nearby pond.

Walking along, enjoying the fresh air, Arie next pointed out some yams, although not a regular type that one would eat with dinner, "These yams should be cut into chunks then boiled down and mashed into a thick paste. Let the paste dry if you want to preserve it and simply add water to return it to itís original pasty state. You eat this, I know that sounds gross, and it will prevent conception from occurring," she told the girls.

Nearing the edge of the Grove,Arie told them about another type of yam that could be made into a decoction to relieve the pain of childbirth.

 

 

"Your homework is to write in your diaries and study for the final tomorrow." Smiling she watched them go inside, a little sad this was the last class she would teach them.

 

OOC: Please write about what you did during this class.

 

 

 

Final

Arie entered the classroom with a large basket of herbs in one arm and a stack of papers in the other. After handing the papers out, she explained what was to happen.

"First I would like you to fill out the questions on the paper and then I will be doing two things. First I will be telling you something that is ëwrongí with me and you are to tell me at least 2 things I could do to heal it. Then I will be showing you 5 herbs which you must identify and explain how they can be used. You may now begin the written part. The numbers beside the questions tell how many points each is worth."

 

A Describe how to make each of the following:

1. A tea (1)

2. A poultice (2)

3. A wash (2)

 

B Describe the functions of each of the following and, if possible, how to prepare them:

1. Wormseed (2)

2. Ergot (4)

3. Sweet rush (3)

4. Golden thread (2)

5. Inner bark of balsam (1)

 

When Arie noticed that the girls were finished the written part, she told them that for the first situation, she had a burn on her leg. The second situation she was having trouble breathing and was coughing quite a bit. Arie then picked up a plant with a long stalk growing out of a cluster of leaves with small flowers clinging near the top. The second plant that she showed the class was roots attached to some leaves with purple berries. She next showed them tall, wandlike, slim stemmed plants with bright flowers and for the last plant, funnel-shaped yellowish flowers with purple in the middle. Their leaves were dull pale green with spikey edges.

 

"Iíve really enjoyed teaching this class and I really hope you all learned something from it!" She said, feeling sad that it was over and she smiled warmly at them all.

 

 

 

[Amadine]

History of Aes Sedai

 

by Arette Nenatiar

 

Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3, Lesson 4, Lesson 5, Lesson 6, Final

 

 

 

Lesson 1

 

Arette had arrived to class twenty minutes before the lesson´s beginning to revise her notes. She was glad that every girl was in time, because she was a bit nervous even she had taught this class before. She hoped her students didn´t see it, though. "Good morning everyone. I´m Accepted Arette Nenatiar and I´ll be teaching you for the following fourteen days. We will have lessons every other day and after the seventh, and the last lesson, you have seven days to get all your homeworks and final done. Print the deadline, the nineteenth day of Adar (OOC: 3.5.2001), to your minds. Today´s subject is the Age of Legends." She looked at every girl and saw nine interested faces.

 

"We have very little absolutely reliable knowledge aboat the Age of Legends. Documents dating from before the Breaking haven´t been found and we have to trust to sources from the first century after the Breaking when the writers may have had access to surviving documents. Almost all documents predating the War of Hundred years are at least copies of copies and the scribes may have made mistakes. Most older books and manuscripts were written on Old tongue which is very difficult to translate. Also the Trolloc wars and the War of the Hundred years destroyed very much documents."

 

"One absolutely certain thing is that no wars raged in Age of Legends because all the reasons to conflicts had been eliminated. There was no povertry or financial inequality and due to optimal harvesting and distribution, no one was starving. Status was more important than material good and the greatest honor was achieved by serving the community. Aes Sedai had the greatest potential to serve, so they were the most respected people. The word Aes Sedai means servants of all."

 

"But Aes Sedai of that Age rarely followed vocations that had anything to do with One Power. When someone was needed to help in some task, she was summoned from her other career to form a link by the Hall of Servants. Hall of Servants, Aes Sedai´s central organization, had branches in every city and village. The leader of Aes Sedai was called First Among Servants and she or he was chosed for lifetime."

 

"Person could live 200 years thanks to Aes Sedai healers called Restorers, and Aes Sedai could live 700 years. One Power was also used to Travel, to optimize crops and control the weather. All the angreals, sa´angreals and ter´angreals were created in Age of Legends by co-operation of men and women. Every channeler was found due to worldwide testing system and sent to special school for training." After her long speech Arette took a deep breath and looked at her students. Some looked little disappointed. She smiled at them again.

 

"I now that you would love to hear more, but our time is over today and I didn´t want to make your first lesson too hard. I could speak aboat this subject for years and still leave something out. If you want to learn more aboat the Age of Legends, I strongly suggest you to take Sabine Sedai´s class. But here´s your homework: compare the White Tower and the Hall of Servants. You´re dismissed."

After the girls had walked out of the classroom, she sat down and congratulated herself. She had done pretty well.

 

 

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Lesson 2

 

When it was time for the second lesson, Arette smiled at girls who had seated themselves. " It´s nice to see you all here today. The subject of our lesson is the Collapse, the War of Power and the Breaking of the World. But before we begin, I must remind those people who haven´t given their homework essay to me yet that we don´t have much time. I know you are all busy, but the more you postpone doing homeworks, the more they pile. And eventually you are in deep...ehem...swamp." Arette sounded serious, but her last words made her grin. She hadn´t thought to say swamp first.

 

"But back to the business. Aes Sedai in Age of Legends dreamed of power that both men and women could draw from. Research group thought they had found a source of such power and bored through the pattern. By doing that, they released the Dark One from his prison. The Bore was too small that the Shepherd of Night could escape but big enough for him to touch the world. His touch changed humans base motivations and long lost bad feelings surfaced. Years that followed the Drilling, saw darkfriends becoming organized and trying to release the Dark One from his prison. Even some Aes Sedai were drawn to his ranks by promises of power and immortality. They were called the Dreadlords."

 

"Trollocks and other shadowspawns were created and thievery, murder and wars began to appear with increasing frequency. The fabric of society began to unravel. This chaotic time lasted for almost hundred years and was called the Collapse. People turned to Aes Sedai for help. First Among Servants was then Lews Therin Telamon, who became the leader of ogier and human army. Both sides used One Power as a weapon. The worst weave ever created was called balefire and thank the Light it has been long forgotten. Balefire was liquid white-hot fire which destroyed everything it touched to nonexistence. But it did more than just destroyed; it actually burned threads from the Pattern. If a balefire destroyed a person, all he had done vanished. Worst was that everything that had been done because of those vanished actions also no longer had been done. When entire cities were destroyed with balefire, the Pattern itself began to unravel. Realizing this, both sides agreed to stop using this horrible weapon."

 

"The war of Shadow lasted ten years. On the last year Shadow was almost winning. The Dragon wanted to seal the Prison, but an Aes Sedai called Latra Posae Decume opposed him. She thought his plan was too risky and got every significant woman Aes Sedai to agree not to take part into Dragon´t plan. Lews Therin resolved to carry out his plan without the women. With the Hundred Companions (actually there was 113 of them) he struck to Shayol Ghul and prisoned the Heartbane and the Forsaken with the seven cuendillar seals. The Dark One´s countersrtoke tainted the saidin and 68 remaining Companions went mad immediately. The Taint trapped the minds of the surviving Companions into twisted dreams of madness and saidin gave them the power to make those dreams reality. Geologic fabric changed, social structure vanished and the civilization fell to the most primitive nomadic levels."

 

"The most important find since the Breaking was a fragmentary history of the War of the Shadow. It was discovered in Chachin in a dusty storage room. The Tower´s library is privileged to have a copy of it and I have brought it to you today. I´d like you all to read it through after you have heard your homework." (OOC: check the following URL. http://www.tor.com/shayol.html)

 

"You can choose from two subjects. First one is this: Did Latra Posae Decume do the right decision? If the woman had helped, would the prison be complete and the saidin clean or would the saidar be also tainted?

And here´s the second option: The male channelers seeked safe haven from Steddings where they couldn´t channel and were free from taint. Did that prolong the Breaking and intensify it or did it lessen the disaster by spreading the damage over a greater time?

Just tell me your thoughts and write at least 250 words. Now you are free to go doing your homeworks"

 

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Lesson 3

 

Arette walked to the classroom and smiled happily to girls who were already at their seats. She knew that her class was elective and she was surprised how dedicated girls were. "Today we are talking aboat nicer subject; The Ten Nations. As you all remember from last lesson, the states didn´t exist and world´s face had totally changed. Due to chaotic times, the first calendar was actually adopted some hundred years after the death of the last male Aes Sedai which officially ended the Breaking. Calendar is known as Toman Calendar after it´s creator Toma dur Ahmid. It used the delineation AB (After the Breaking) and began with year 1 AB. Calendar´s starting point was arbitrarily assigned."

 

"No Aes Sedai from Age of Legends survived the Collapse because in the first century AB there were already lost Talents and Skills. The central organization had shattered but smaller groups became permanent and later formed Ajahs. Circa 200 AB was written a dictionary which defined Ajahs as "a sisterhood of Aes Sedai" when it had earlier been "an informal and temporary group of people gathered together for a common purpose or goal, or by a common set of beliefs".

In 47 AB, the Aes Sedai decided to build a new city as a center of their power. One document names twelwe women and mentions several others sitting for their ajah in that conference. Tar Valon´s constructions began in 98 AB. Then the name White Tower was already in use for the planned central structure and Elisane Tishar had held title Amyrlin Seat for several years. She had seven advisors whose names are found from the fragment I mentioned earlier."

 

"Roughly between 50 AB and 100 AB was carried out a campaign against women pretending to be Aes Sedai. In year 77 AB Lideine Rajan and her followers *Vandaie Mees, *Meecha Wottah and *Rintrau Cri (*those three names have been made up) were stilled. Lideine had represented her ajah in the conference which started the building of Tar Valon. After their stilling, the rest of Lideine´s supporters submitted themselves and *three (*the Guide mentions only one) other rebellion ajahs kneeled to the Amyrlin. Their heads Mailaine Harvole, *Nemaira Eldros and *Catlynde Artein were stilled as examples. All of those three had been ajah heads in the conference. (*The Guide mentions the names of all three, but only Mailaine kneeled, the others merged into Tower peacefully) In 202 AB Tar Valon was ready. It was the first major city built after the Breaking."

 

"The Compact of Ten Nations was formed in 209 AB. Aes Sedai Queen Mabriam en Shareed of Aramelle was the driving force behind the compact (she was ta´veren). Naturally White Tower played a very large role.

I´ll show you now three maps which you can compare. There you can see the Ten Nations, the nations after Trolloc Wars and today´s nations. (OOC: Check page http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hill ... frame.htm, go to World section and move in the horizontal plane from the time to an other and you´ll see the borders moving)

 

"In 212 AB the legendary Green Aes Sedai Caraighan Maconar was born. She dragged a False Dragon alone to the White Tower for gentling after he had killed her two Warders. Also is told that she once single-handedly ended an revolution. One of her warders was Lord Mangore Kiramin, sword-bard of Aramaelle and translator of the Karaethon Cycle." Arette smiled at girls. Some of them sitted straighter after they had heard word green. "This isn´t really crucial information, but I would like you to remember one of the Tower´s greatest heroines.

 

Approximately 150 years after the founding of Tar Valon was the Year of the Four Amyrlins. There were two rival Halls in Tar Valon and four Amyrlins. That´s aboat all I could find aboat the subject, but this year you must remember. It´s a frightening example showing that even the White Tower could fall apart form inside. At the moment that would be untenable for the world. In 335 AB Raolin Darksbane declared himself the Dragon Reborn. A year later, he was taken to White Tower and gentled. It could have been him who Caraighan dragged to Tower, because she was alive and well at that time. Hundred and sixtyone years old Caraighan Maconar died in 373 AB."

 

"Approximately 425 AB Aes Sedai gave up on finding the way to stop the male channelers going crazy. We do not know what methods they used or what happened that made them stop trying. Fifty years later the Waygate, which are commonly believed to be indestructible, was destroyed in the Blight by 13 linked Aes Sedai with help of sa´angreal." Arette kept a little break to clear her thoughts. "Everything I´ve told to you today is just pieces. But I´m greatful that we know even that much. The Trolloc Wars, which is our next lesson´s subject, destroyed enormously knowledge. Now I´ll shortly gather up the time of Ten Nations so you can get a picture of it as a whole.

The Compact of Ten Nations lasted almost 800 years and protected all it´s members against shadowspawns. Culture and social graces bloomed. There were still memories of the Age of Legends and hopes that the glory could be rebuilt."

 

"For homework I´d like you to write an essay which has at least 250 words. The subject is this: Should the Aes Sedai have continued their work on trying to find a cure to male channelers madness. If they would have continued, what kinds of methods they should have used? Use your imagination. There is no right answer to this question. The lesson is over."

 

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Lesson 4

 

Arette came early to the class and read through her notes. When her students had slided into their places, she began the lesson. "It´s really good to see you all again. Today I´ll tell you aboat the Trolloc Wars. About thousand years After the Breaking, trollocs suddenly roared south out of the Blight in large numbers. They were commanded by Dreadlords - or we should rather say Dreadladies because almost everyone of them was women who could channel." She looked up and saw everyone looking at her expectantly.

"Now I´ll read you a true story which reflects well the fear and distress of those times", Arette announced while opening an old book from the right page. "Some nations fell to trollocs but some fell from within. Such was Aridhol. In a twilight of despair, when it seemed the Father of Lies must surely conquer, the man called Mordeth came to the court of Balwen Mayel Ironhand. Before Mordeth had been long in the city he had Balwen´s ear, and soon he was second only to the king. Mordeth whispered poison in Balwen´s ear, and Aridhol began to change. Aridhol drew in on itself, hardened. It was said that some would rather see Trollocs come than the men of Aridhol. The victory of the Light is all. That was the battlecry Mordeth gave to them, and men of Aridhol shouted it while their deeds abandoded the Light."

Arette looked up from the book, closed it and started to talk out of her memory. "The story is too long to be tell in full and only fragments are known. How King of Manetheren, Thorin al Toren al Ban, send his son Caar to win Aridhol back to the Second Covenant, and how Balwen sat his throne, a withered shell with the light of madness in his eyes, laughing while Mordeth smiled at his side and ordered the deaths of of Caar and the embassy as Friends of the Dark. How prince Caar came to be called Caar One-Hand. How he escaped the dungeons of Aridhol and fled alone to the Borderlands with Mordeth´s unnatural assasins at his heels. How there he in 1175 AB met Rhea, who did not know who he was, and married her, and set the skein in in the Pattern that led to his death at her hands, and hers by her own hand before his tomb, and the fall of Aleth-loriel. How the armies of Manetheren came in 1175 AB Aridhol to avenge Caar and found the gates of Aridhol torn down, no living thing inside the walls but something worse than death. No enemy had come to Aridhol but Aridhol. Suspicion and hate had given birth to something that fed on what created it, something locked in in the bedrock on which the city stood. Mashadar waits still, hungering. Men spoke of Aridhol no more. They named it Shadar Logoth, the Place Where the Shadow Waits, or more simply, Shadow´s Wait."

 

Arette took a deep breath and turned to her students. She smiled at them and said: "You have listened very carefully and try to survive this lesson too. I wont speak for long and you´ll get a prize after lesson." Every girl pulled herself together and she continued. "Each nation of the Compact was at the mercy of its allies for support against the threat. They helped each others but sometimes the help was too late due to each nation having its own separate army. The best example of this is the destruction of Manetheren. In 1251 AB after the Battle of Bekkar, the army of Manetheren heard that shadospawns were attacking at their home. Men marched day and night to defend their home. Ten days they stood tall until they realized that no help was coming. Men began to buy time with their own lives to help the citizens to escape. When the king Aemon died, queen Eldrene who was Aes Sedai, felt it through their bond. She reached out to Source and destroyed the army of shadowspawns, herself and the city of Manetheren. Amyrlin Tetsuan who betrayed the Mountain Home for jealousy of Ellisande´s strenght in Power was deposed and stilled. Rashima Kerenmosa from the Green Ajah was raised to her place. Rashima began a succesful career of leading the Tower armies against the Shadown´s forces. So succesful was she that she earned the sobriquet "The Soldier Amyrlin". Among her many victories the most notable were Kaisin Pass, the Sorelle Step, Larapelle, Tel Norwin and Maighande."

 

"In year 1290 After the Breaking was fourth trolloc attempt to take Tar Valon. It didn´t succeed. Circa 1300 After the Breaking Yurian Stonebow proclaimed himself Dragon Reborn. And then after three hundred years of fighting, the trollocs were defeated at the battle of Maighande. Rashima and her five Warders all died at Maighande; discovered amidst the corpses of countless trollocs and fades and at least nine Dreadlords. In 1308 AB the threat from Yurian Stonebow ended when he was gentled. The last trollocs retreated back to the Blight circa 1350 AB, which officially ended the Trolloc Wars."

 

Arette was silent for a while and then continued in warm voice "Thank you for your patience. I understand that this much history at one time can numb you, but because you have chosen these lessons by yourselves, I expect that you go them through with an honour. Now the prize that I promised; I wont give you any homework today. You are dismissed."

 

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Lesson 5

 

Arette walked to the class with many little papers in her hands. She wanted to try new remembering system. Girls were already at their seats so she began.

"Hello everyone. Today we are talking aboat the reign of the High King Artur Hawkwing. (OOC: and if any of you writes his name Arthur, I´ll do something horrible At the end of the Trolloc Wars so many records had been lost that no one knew the exact year under the old system. A new calendar proposed by Tiam of Gazar, was established to date from end of the Trolloc Wars to celebrate the freedom from the trolloc threat. It recorded each year as a Free Year (FY). The Gazaran Calendar gained wide acceptance within twenty years from the war´s end. The first Free Year is believed to be one thousand three hundred fiftieth year After the Breaking."

"Since the wars, the Blight had spread out drom the Mountains of Doom though it was still smaller than at present. Only five nations survived from Trolloc Wars but within fifty years from the war, new nations began to emerge. Old nations had internal weaknesses and new nations struggled establish firm borders. Only Tar Valon and White Tower remained whole and gained lands and influence. At some point between the Trolloc Wars and the War of the Hundred Years the Three Oaths were taken to use.

For eight hundred years there was no greater wars than border conflicts until ta´veren Artur Paendrag Tanreall, prince of Shandalle was born in 912 FY. When he was twenty five years old, he married lady Amaline Tagora who he loved very much. Everyone should read the love poems he wrote to Amaline. Artur rose to his position as High King because of False Dragon Guaire Amalasan."

"He declared himself two years after Artur´s marriage. In four years he conquered eleven of thirty one nations. In 942 FY Shandalle had sent armies against him for two years. Artur was the general of troops and had never lost a battle to Amalasan. He was called at this time Hawkwing. This was also the year when his wife Amaline bore him twins, Amira and Modair.

In 943 FY he beated Amalasan completely in the battle of Endersole or better known as Jolvaine Pass. Paendrag took his army near Tar Valon and gave Amalasan to the Tower. Men from Khodomar and Esandara tried to free him. Their attack came as a total surprise to Tower which had to ask Hawkwings´s help. And of course he won the battle. While Artur was at Tar Valon, the armies of three nations attacked at Shandalle. When he arrived home, he fought the armies back and soon held half of those three countries. The year 943 FY is called the First Year of High King´s rule."

"In next year the White Tower led the negotiations between Artur and his enemies. The twenty years after the First Year of the High King´s rule are called Consolidation. Within these years the Tower didn´t openly oppose the High King but sent Aes Sedai advisors to every ruler who fought against him. Despite of all this, Artur made "a peace" with Tower and accepted an Aes Sedai advisor, Chowin Tsao of Green Ajah, in 954. Amaline certainly had something to do with this. She had seeked training from the White Tower and even she couldn´t channel, she was very friendly toward the Aes Sedai.

 

Artur´s son Modair died in battle in 959 FY and two years later Amalisa and their three remaining children died into poison. That began the Black Years when Artur sealed himself from human emotions. From 962 to 967 the Tower and the High King had temporary break for some reason. In FY 963 Artur was undisputed ruler of every mile from the Spine of the World to the Aryth Ocean. A year later the High King began the near desastrous invasion of Aiel Waste. In his way back there, he met Tamika and fell in love. Next year he married her and that ended the Years of Silent Rage. In 967 Artur accepted once more an Aes Sedai counsilor, Tamika bored Luthair Paendrag Mondwin and later at least three children more. The second of their two daughters was called Laiwynde.

In 968 or 969 either Amyrlin Bonwhin Meraighdin refused to receive Tamika or Tamika refused a summons to Bonwhin. The latter is unlikely because at this period even the High King himself would have gone. And yet would Bonwhin have refused audience to the Queen of the World? Unless the rumours of Tamika being renegade Aes Sedai were true. Though her being Aes Sedai doesn´t square with her young age. She was nearly thirty years younger than the High King and was circa twenty seven at this time."

"In Free Year 973 Jaelwin Moerad came to court. He hated Aes Sedai and he and Tamika didn´t like each others. In next year he was already one of the High King´s closest advisors. By year 974 Hawkwing was making wide use of Aes Sedai throughout his empire until the autumn. In autumn he dismissed all Aes Sedai holding posts after he became convinced that the White Tower was using him to increase its own power - there is no doubt that Moerad was behind that thought. A year later he put a price on the head of any Aes Sedai who wouldn´t renounce White Tower and began the siege of Tar Valon. Several sources say that Paendrag discovered prooves that the Tower had been behind some some or all of the revolts he had faced. Though by then he must have been dealing with White Tower long enough for such machinations to come as no real surprises.

Some sources say that the High King discovered that Bonwhin herself had been involved in the deaths of Amaline and their children. In year 987 Tamika died.

"When Artur was seventy four years old, the trollocs invaded from the Blight again. One year later their invasion was crushed in battle of Talidar. In 992 FY thousands of ships full of people sailed into Aryth Ocean under the command of Artur´s son, Luthair Paendrag Mondwin. In the same year, the Red Amyrlin Bonwhin was stilled and deposed because she had almost destroyed the Tower with her attempt to rule the world through the High King. Deane Aryman from Blue Ajah was raised to her place.

 

A year later an other party which was lead by High King´s daughter, landed into Shara, the land beyond the Aiel Waste. In 994 FY Sea Folk saw their ships burning and the same year the High King died at the age of eighty two. He could have lived longer if he would have accepted a help of Aes Sedai healer."

Arette had been so fascinated of history that she hadn´t kept breaks. Now she looked at her students who had done well regardless her long monologue. She grinned a bit baffled. "I´m sorry I spoke for so long. I know the years are boring but you did fine. We´re almost done; I´ll just summarise the whole lesson and give you your homework."

 

"Despite that the Tower didn´t love the High King, common people did. After the Consolidation, his reign was the most peaceful time of our Age. A maiden could have ridden with a bag of gold from the Aryth Ocean to the Spine of the World without fearing robbers." Arette was silent for a moment. "But now I´ll give you your homework. I want you to analyse the relations of the Tower and the High King and the reasons of their breach

 

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Lesson 6

 

Arette went straight to the business after she had counted that everyone was at her seat. "This is our second last lesson and it will deal the War of the Hundred Years and the New Era. After High King´s death Souran Maravaile, his general, continued the siege of Tar Valon. He stopped the siege because his wife Ishara, the first queen of Andor, knew that she would need the support of Tower to hold Andor through the coming wars. She sent her first daughter to be trained in the Tower - a tradition which has continued since.

 

Some honour though must be given to Deane Aryman, the Amyrlin who was raised to her position after Bonwhin. She met Maravaile and made serious attempts to undo the damage Bonwhin had done. To say something more aboat Deane, she had to have seemed the best possible choice as a successor to deposed Amyrlin in the greatest crise the Tower had faced. She was over ninety years as Amyrlin and managed to restore the prestige of the Tower. She was believed to be convincing the warring nobles to accept the leadership of Tower and thus restoring unity to the land when she died in a fall from her horse."

 

"In twenty years after Hawkwing´s death, three person became pretty close to seize the whole of his empire. They were Marithelle Camaelaine, Norodim Nosakawa and Elfraed Guitama. Jalwin Moerad adviced all of them and he didn´t seem to age. This could support a wild theory to according which Moerad was really Ishamael, who was drawn back from the Prison on a regular cycle.

 

The chaotic times bred The Children of Light. The organization founded in Free Year 1021 by Lothair Mantelar was originally just preaching against Darkfriends. Over ninety years they evolved the military structure they have today.

The last years of the war saw only two significant High King or Queen candidates. From Free Year 1077 Esmara Getares who was defeated by Queen Telaisien of Andor and from Free Year 1107 Narasim Bhuran."

 

"Approximately 1117 FY the fighting ceased. Eighteen years later the Farede Calender was devised by Urin din Ubai Soaring Gull, a Sea Folk scholar. The Farede Calendar began its dating from arbitrarily decided end of the War of the Hundred Years. Urin din Jubai´s calendar was promulgated by and named after Farede, the first Panarch of Tarabon, as part of his attempt to make Tanchico the intellectual center of the known world. By 50 NE the Farede Calendar was in general use.

The New Era has been mostly peaceful time. Naturally there has been border conflicts - most notably between Illian and Tear or Andor and Cairhien or Tear and Cairhien or Arad Doman and Tarabon - but all those have been wars of two natiions. Every nation of our days and ten others - which are now known only by historians - existed.

In 509 NE Cairhien was given right to cross the Aiel Waste to Shara. The silk that was traded from there is the base of Cairhien´s wealth.

In 526 NE Corianin Nedeal, the last Dreamer of the White Tower died. Fourty years later the Aiel gave Avendoralderan to Cairhiens as a sign of their compact. Circa 600 NE the last Hunt for the Horn was declared in Illian, Warder´s bond was passed for another for the last time and Almoth, Caralain, Goaban, Hardan, Irenvelle, Kintara, Mar Haddon, Maredo and Mosara had faded away."

 

"From the Chronicles of the Tower can be found the name of the last stilled Aes Sedai. The stilling of T´lossa Claudso (*name made up) happened in 859 NE, but the reason is unkown. Ninety six years later Malkier was overran by trollocs. The Blight swallowed Malkier two years after the tragedy.

In 965 NE the notorious Laman Damodred became king of Cairhien. On the same year Cairhien declared a war to Andor. Fighting lasted three years and peace was sealed by marriage of Daughter-heir of Andor and Laman´s nephew. The couple had been married five years when Tigraine Damodred vanished - a year after her brother´s disapperance.

The death of old, now childless queen Mondrellen in 972 NE launched the Third War of Andoran Succession. A year later Morgase Trakand took the throne of Andor. She married Tigraine´s widower and made clear that he was not and never could be co-ruler. When rumours of this landed to Cairhien, nobles began to plot against King Laman, who was known of his desire to see his nephew as the king of Andor. King Laman hatched his own schemes to counter theirs and cut down Avendoraldera to make a throne which could be never duplicated.

In 976 NE the Aiel crossed the Spine of the World , the Dragonwall, the only time they have ever done so. They ravaged through Cairhien, destroyed every army sent against them, burned the city of Cairhien itself and fought their way to Tar Valon. The last battle, the last that counted, was fought outside the Shining Walls, in the shadow of of Dragonmount. In three days and three nights of fighting, the Aiel were turned back. Or rather they turned back, for they had done what they came to do, which was to kill King Laman of Cairhien, for his sin against the Tree."

 

"The War lasted two years. Only four Aiel clan of thirteen fell upon us, and their defeating needed every nation´s united forces and even Whitecloaks. Who knows how different things would be if all thirteen clans would have joined the war or if the Aiel wouldn´t have turned back after killing Laman. We should thank the Light that everything happened as it did. One good thing I must say of the Aiel though. When they burned the city of Cairhien, they deliberately spared the Library. For some reason they respect the books very much." Arette smiled when she thought barbarian Aiels with books in their hands. "This was a sad lesson, but I hope you all found it interesting. Now I´ll give you a homework which has nothing to do with the Aiel War. I want you to compare the following important Aes Sedai and their meaning for the world: Latra Posae Decume, Mabriam en Shareed, Rashima Kerenmosa and Deane Aryman. Thank you everyone and I´ll see you tomorrow in the signs of Final."

 

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Final

 

Arette came to class carrying a big plate of brownies and a can of cold cocoa drink. She putted them to the table and smiled to her students. "Today is the last lesson of this class. I hope you all have had good time. I assure you that our final test isn´t difficult. But before I give you the task, I´ll try to ease the tension. You all know in broad way what has happened in past twenty years, so I won´t concentrate to that part. Prppably more unknown area to you are the events in the Tower. I give you every information I have. It is little deficient though, because I, as only an Accepted, can´t study the Chronicles."

 

"Our dear Mother, Kathana Justitia Traevalear, was raised to Amyrlin Seat from Brown Ajah after Sierin Vayu in 984 NE. She chose Chissa Zeramene, the Head of the White Ajah, to be her first Keeper. She died in an accident while studying a dream ter´angreal, and her successor was Serafelle Ismene al´Corniere, the Head of the Brown Ajah. She was extremely old when she passed away and Reile Tarkene, the Head of the Grey Ajah, took her place."

 

"The current Mistress of Novices, Sabine Ross of Brown Ajah, was raised to her position righ before I came to the Tower. I´m now thirty three years old and I was eighteen when my name was enrolled to the Novice book, so count yourselves how long she has held her position.

Her predecessor, Phrygiana Agricola Parrish from Grey ajah, disappered mysteriously without saying a word. She hasn´t been found from nowhere. She is an embarrasment to the Tower so officially she doesn´t exist. I heard wild rumours when I arrived that she had had horrible fights with the Amyrlin Seat and that was the reason she left. Before Phrygiana our MoNster was the current Head of the Yellow Ajah, Soraya Tarkanah. She left the post when she was named the Head. Her predeseccor was Serinia Latar from Grey ajah and before her the whip was held by Alosha Dammon of Grey ajah also. Alosha Sedai was forced to retire from her position and leave to retreat after she made an extremely stupid prank."

 

"The next in rank after the Amyrlin and Keeper are the Sitters. Each Ajah has three and usually they are at least seventy years old and the wisest and most skillful women found among their ranks. Of course every Ajah has their own way to choose their representatives and I´ll read you now what the Head of the Green Ajah, Lanfir Leah Marithsen, said aboat their criterias. Green Sitters are chosen for activity, enthusiasm, sense of duty and dedication. I assume that you all know who are your aspiring Ajah´s Head and Sitters, but if you want to know what changes there has recently been, ask me after our lesson."

 

"What I now tell you, I´d like you all to remember. There is an unwritten tradition that most Aes Sedai don´t even think aboat. This tradition defines how respected and influental you are. I assume that you all can recognize whether the other novices or Accepted have the spark or not. When you are raised to full sister, you will be able to tell how powerful that other one is and maybe even how strong she will be if she hasn´t reached her full potential. When you realize that someone has greater strenght in One Power, you treat her as your superior. Because you all can´t recognize the levels of strenght yet, I´ll tell you who are the five most powerful woman in the White Tower. The highest in Power stands Soraya Tarkanah, the Head of the Yellow Ajah. Closely after her comes Lanfir Leah Marithsen, the Head of the Green Ajah and Lasir Highura Ca´Ras, White sister. Almost as powerful as Lasir is Jhaenara Kendahl, Blue sister. The fifth is Karana Majin, the Head of the Brown Ajah.

But of course the Amyrlin Seat, the Keeper, Sitters and Ajah Heads are highest in rank regardless of their strenght."

 

"Next subject touches closely your Final. In the past ten years seven False Dragons have declared themselves. In 995 NE Gorin Rogad was burnt alive in Illian; he coudn´t channel thank the Light. Between years 996 NE and 998 NE two False Dragons spread destruction; one in Kandor and other in Arad Doman. Neither one could channel but those countries have reasons to remember their names. In 997 NE Logain Ablar declared himself in Ghealdan and Mazrim Taim in Saldaea and both of them can channel. We all should remember name Mazrim Taim: he is the head of the Asha´man. There is a False Dragon currently on the South. The man's name is Quorin and he can channel. Sisters are already sent to deal with him.

The reason why I brought this subject up is that there has never been more than one false Dragon in a generation since the Breaking and now there have been seven in past ten years. The Pattern demands a Dragon because the Pattern weaves toward Tarmon Gai´don. The Pattern does not demand demand a Dragon, but the one true Dragon. Until he proclaims himself, the Pattern will continue to throw up false Dragons, but after his proclamation there will be no others. If one of those men would be the one, there would be no others. I believe that the day of the Dragon reborn´s prclamation is close and we should all prepare for it. Thus I want you all to write an final essay where you tell how would you deal with the Asha´man and other male channelers if you were the one to decide the Tower´s stand. Use argumentations you have learned in our lessons and make your owns. The other task is to tell me your honest opinion aboat this class so I can make it better. Thank you everyone for choosing the History of Aes Sedai Class."

 

 

 

[Amadine]

Intermediate Saidar

 

by Lauralina Desaine

 

Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3, Lesson 4, Lesson 5, Final

 

 

 

Lesson 1

 

Lauralina sat at her desk and waited for her class to file in. Once everyone had arrived and

been seated, she began.

“Welcome to Intermediate Saidar. None of you know me and I don't know you since I have been in retirement for several years. I am Lauralina Sedai and I have taught this class for many many years. I think it is wonderful and you should have a good time. We will be learning a lot of tough weaves in this

class, so get lots of sleep each night,” She grinned, “You’ll need it." There was a brief break while Laura asked the names of each student and filed them into her memory. It was about time she started learning their names again and perhaps picking up some possible Whites. "In today’s class we

will be starting out simple, we are going to learn how to do a globe of light. Globe of light

is just a large sphere of light that is used to illuminate the room. Observe.” Lauralina

embraced the source, and explained as she worked. “To do this weave, you need air, and

fire.” Laura picked out these threads and wove them carefully together to form the shape

of a large glowing ball in front of her. “Notice how I only use a touch of air and mostly

fire wove together just so,” she wove them together until she had the solid form of it in

front of her. She herself had a little trouble with fire, but she concentrated hard on getting

it right, if the students thought there teacher was having trouble, they would doubt there

own ability. She let them study the finished product for a moment. They looked as if the

understood, the weave seemed fairly simple to her, even with so much fire, but she

thought some of the newer Novices might have trouble controlling and separating the fire

thread. She released the source and looked at all her students. “Next we will do some

Voice Manipulation. First I will show you how to make your voice louder.” Laura

embraced the source and wove air into a funnel shape, so when she spoke next, her voice

boomed, “Did everyone see that?” They all jumped back in surprise and nodded. “Now to

make it higher.” She took air again and a bit of spirit, and she wove it to be like a net in

front of her face. When she spoke, her voice was high pitched “Next is low” She took the

same threads as before, and wove them thicker and with more spirit. Her voice came out

low this time. “And finally, to change it completely.” Laura took the same threads again

and this time some water and even more spirit. “That’s it,” her voice sounded so much like

the MON that they jumped back again, even though they were expecting it. “Now I want

you all to practice all of it and the globe of Light until you get it right. I’ll be coming

around if anyone needs help.” Lauralina sat back to watch and wait to see how well they

did.

 

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Lesson 2

 

Lauralina smiled at her students as they came into class. She had got to know each one a

little more personally during there last class together. When everyone was there, she

started the lesson, today’s lesson would be one of the funnest ones.

“Hello everyone. In today’s class, we will be learning elemental control. To do

this, we will be going out to the tower garden. Everyone behave themselves,” she warned,

“Or there are plenty of pots that need scrubbing. Understood?” She arched an eyebrow at

everyone. They seemed to get her point. “Then come,” she stood and walked towards the

door.

 

She led all of the students through the tower halls and out into the garden. She first took

everyone over to the big pond in the middle of the garden. “First we will learn control of

water. Not surprisingly, this involves the water thread, spirit and sometimes a bit of air,

depending on what you want to do with the water. First I will make a little whirlpool.

watch.” Lauralina took the water thread and wove it around a section of water in the

center of the pond. Then, using a touch of spirit and air, she pushed it in a circular motion,

causing a swirling mini whirlpool. “Now I will do another simple weave to create waves.”

Lauralina took water, spirit, and air again, weaving water around a section of the water

and using air to get it moving like miniature waves.

 

Laura took the class over to a flower patch next. “Now I will show you how to grow

flowers,” she told them. “This is a difficult weave because you have to be very delicate

and precise, using only a trickle of the power. Also, there is earth and fire involved,

something lot’s of you will have trouble with.” She embraced the source and took a very

thin strand of earth as well as a bit of water and spirit and the tiniest touch of fire

possible. Reaching into the ground, with spirit, she found a dormant seed. Using spirit to

awaken it, and earth to part a path for it, she watered it and used a trickle of fire for

warmth and life. She sped up the growing process, and the plant popped up out of the

ground, blooming as it did. She released the source. It was difficult using such fine

threads.

 

Next she led the class over to a large Maple tree. “Now I will show you control of wind.

Watch carefully,” she told them. She embraced the source and channeled a great deal of

air and some water. It was fairly easy, because of her ease with air and water, but it was

very intricately woven together. She summoned strength and whooshed some leaves off

the tree in a great gust of wind. She released saidar and explained to them, “It takes quite

a bit of strength to make strong winds, when you practice, do not make it any stronger

then I just did,” she warned them.

 

“The final weave we will do is a rain cloud. First you take some air and water, and weave

it like so to form the cloud.” She showed them as she worked, weaving the threads

together in a mound. “Then you take more water, and add it in to fill the cloud, so it will

rain naturally. Today we had to weave our own clouds, because it is nice out, but you can

just do step two first on real clouds, too. You have to be very careful with this weave, as

forcing rain will affect the weather of this area and others for a long time. This weave

should NOT be used on a large scale, as results could be devastating.” She thought they

would get the point, they seemed to understand.

 

“Now. I want you all to get into small groups and travel to each station. Practice each

weave at least until you get the hang of it. Make only small clouds, please.” Lauralina

watched them group up, and stood in the gardens center, waiting to see who needed help.

 

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Lesson 3

 

Lauralina watched her class file into the room. Some of them looked very tired, the work

they had done in the garden had been hard and some were still wearied. She began.

 

“Today we will be learning a little bit of what you could call healing. We will be

learning how to erase fatigue. It is a useful skill to have, so everyone pay attention. I will

demonstrate quickly on one of you. It will only happen once if I can help it, so watch

closely the first time.” Laura smiled out of the corner of her mouth, “Then we will all be

practicing on eachother. I warn you, you take the fatigue out of a person and draw it into

yourself, so you will all be tired after this if you are not already.” Lauralina beckoned for

one of the most tired looking students, and she demonstrated on them. Embracing the

source, Laura took mostly spirit and a bit of water and air and reached inside and all over

the girls body. Then she drew all of the tiredness from each muscle and the strain on

every part of her, drawing it out of the girl and into herself. She released the source. The

girl seemed great, but Lauralina was tired. She stood up. She asked everyone to pair up

with someone and decide who was the more tired of the two. The alert person would then

practice the weave on the tired person; making them tired and the other person fine. They

were then to switch roles and keep doing so over and over until they both had the weave

down. “From channeling so much,” Laura explained, “You will all be tired by the end of

this anyway, but I will erase the fatigue of whoever ends up with the tired end of the

deal.” Then she just sat back to watch them practice.

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Lesson 4

 

Lauralina sat at her desk and watched her class come in and be seated. They all looked

rested today. That was good, because they would need it for today. She began the lesson.

“Today we will be practicing wards. We will do three kinds, hearing wards,

warning wards, and dream wards.” She stood up and walked to the middle of the room.

 

“The first is the hearing ward, used to stop anyone from hearing what is being said inside

your weave. It is done like so,” Laura embraced saidar to show them. She took mostly air

and a bit of spirit and began to weave them around a Novice sitting near the front. She

instructed the woman to try and talk once the weave was in place. When she had wove

many of the threads tightly together, the woman inside’s lips were moving, and she

looked like she was shouting, but no sound could be heard. Laura dropped the weave.

 

“Next we will do a warning ward, or a ward that alarms you of someone who walks

through it.” Lauralina made weaves like a net the suspended in the air, out of air, a great

deal of spirit, and earth. “When someone walks through this,” She explained, “I will feel it.

Can I have a volunteer?” She asked. A few hands went up and she picked one girl.

“Weave the ward I just showed you,” Laura instructed. The girl did it, after a try or two to

get it right. Laura told the girl to look away, and she waited a minute and then walked

through the weave. The girl gave a start when she felt it and turned around. Laura smiled.

“ I want you to get in groups and practice hearing and warning wards, and then we will do

dream wards.” Lauralina watched the students try the weaves. A lot of them had some

trouble getting the weaves tight enough to stop all the sound, and with weaving the earth

in the warning ward. Most of them pretty well had it though, by the end. Well enough to

move on, anyway. She gathered them back around her.

 

“Now I will show you how to do dream wards,” She told them. “With dream wards, no

one will be able to enter your dreams in Tel’aran’ rhoid. Because you are sleeping, this

weave has to be done with spirit,” she continued in a lecturing tone, “Because, as you may

already know, spirit is the only element you can channel while asleep. Watch.” Laura took

several large threads of spirit and wove them around her own form just so as she had been

taught once. “Remember,” she warned them, “ You are not allowed to ward your dreams

until you are raised to full Aes Sedai, as you are not permitted to channel unsupervised. I

want you to get back into your groups and practice the dream wards. Then if you want

to practice other ones you didn’t quite get, go ahead.” Lauralina relaxed in her chair and

watched her students.

 

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Lesson 5

 

Lauralina watched the class members that she now knew well file into the usual old classroom. She jumped to her feet and began immediately.

 

“Today, we will learn cutting flows. This is a weave that counters and cuts through another channelers weaves. It isn’t that hard to do, but you need strength, depending on the power and strength of the weave you are countering. I need a volunteer.” Several hands shot up around the room, and she chose one girl to come forward.

 

“Now,” She told the girl, “Weave a wind, like you learned how to do the other day, at me. Watch what I do class.” The girl whipped up a wind and sent it at Laura and Laura embraced the source, and, taking spirit, she wove a wall that cut right through the wind weave and blocked it. The girl tried to weave it again, and again Laura cut through the flows and they evaporated. She turned to the class. “Practice as we just did in groups.”

 

She watched them assemble and practice. “I will be here for a few minutes after class if anyone wants to stay and practice any of the other weaves we learned; remember, next class is the final test.” She smiled brightly at them. Many looked less the enthusiastic.

 

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Final

 

Lauralina was at the classroom bright and early on the day of the final test. The class all arrived, and she told them.

 

“Okay, let’s keep this simple. I want everyone to come up to me individually, and show me each weave that can be done by themselves and in the classroom; which is Globe of Light, hearing, warning, and dream wards, and cutting flows.”

 

“I will be your partner when needed. I will also get you to weave wind, but the rest of the elemental control will not be on the test, because you will not need to know it as much. As you wait your turn as well as after, you can practice. At the end when you are all tired, I will get everyone to quickly erase only a very small amount of fatigue from eachother. Who wants to start?” Laura waited for the brave soul.

 

 

[Amadine]

Arie set down the book that she was reading. Looking ot the window she sighed. It was time for her Intro to Saidar class and she wanted to be early for the first class for once. It was the second time that she had taught this class. The old Teacher, Bhanta Sedai, had traveled away fromt he Tower and no one wanted to fill in the position, so she had stepped forward. She straightened up her dress checking for wrinkles and such then fixed her hair then fully looked at herself in her mirror and winced * Light! Iím just not a morning person * She then looked at her clock and gasped in surprise. *Iím constantly late for this class* she thought as she ran out of her study to get to class. When she got there her new Novices were there with anticipation written all over their faces. She drew a deep breath then started to speak.

 

"Greetings, Novices. I am Arie Sedai, of the Green Ajah. I will be your instructor. Before we get started I have a few rules that MUST be adhered to. No one, I repeat NO ONE, is to touch the Source, or Light forbid, channel, without supervision. I DO NOT care if you have already started channeling. That will stop today. Anyone found violating this rule will be sent to the Mistress of Novicesí office for a suitable punishment. And I know that suitable means extremely harsh." She gave all the novices an icy stare to make sure the point hit home. She knew the troubles of touching the source and touching it too much, and being burned out. There were Aes Sedais that did such things and have not been the same since. Looking out the Window she smiled, "But since it IS such a wonderful day out, i want out to get into lines of two and follow me." And with that, Arie headed out the door and then outside into the sun. Passing the Warders Yard, and then onto her garden in the far corner. Pulling out a key she swung the gate open and motions for each Novice to take a seat in a circle. She then Continued from where she had left off.

 

"None of you has the discipline to control the amount of Saidar you touch and attempt to channel. The feeling is so immense and addictive that you might be tempted to take in more than you can safely handle. This could result in a myriad of bad consequences, among them hurting or killing others, hurting or killing yourself, or even worse yet, Stilling yourself. An Aes Sedai or Accepted there with you can moderate the amount you attempt to handle, and ensure that your flows donít go out of control. This is for your safety, and the safety of your fellow novices. Punishment will be harsh for violators of this rule."

 

"If right now you are saying to yourself, sheís just trying to scare us. Youíre right. I am. Any one of you who isnít scared is a fool and since I do not tolerate fools very well Iíd advise you leave this instant.î Arie saw the scared looks on their faces and knew it was not only the warning they were afraid of but of her as well. Her ice blue eyes sparkled with mischief but she kept a stern look on her face. ìNow with that said let us move on, hmmm? Control will come, and you will be comfortable with the Power, and it will come when you need it. Someday. But that takes years and years of effort and discipline, which will start in this course and continue, tell you are raised to an Aes Sedai. Now on to the lesson.î

 

"The first thing you need to do, before anything else, is learn how to embrace the Source in preparation for channeling it. You must surrender yourself utterly to its power and place yourself within it. Only by surrendering can you embrace it. We have a novice exercise that we do at this point. I want all of you to close your eyes." Arie looked around the circle until everyone had done so.

 

"Now, clear your mind of all thoughts but a single rosebud. Picture it as clearly as if you were holding it in your hand. Once you have the image firmly in your mind, begin to picture the sun on the rose, warming it. The rose begins to open to the sun, yearning for its warmth and light." Arie walked slowly around the garden as she spoke those words, words that had helped her and countless other novices touch the source for the first time. She got a thrill seeing some of them become enveloped in the glow for a second before it winked out. She smiled as she felt pride in her students.

She continued talking to them about the rose and sun for a few more minutes, until she was sure everyone had at least touched the Source once. "You all will be happy to know that every last one of you touched the source for the first time. Exciting isnít it?î Arie held back her smile at the girlsí surprised and happy expressions. ìNow, I want you to sit here for the next hour and work on this exercise, imagining the rose and the sun until it comes just a bit easier."

 

 

After the designated hour and she had helped all the girls in one way or another she walked the break in the circle where she had stood at the begining of the lecture. ìYour final assignment for todayís class is to go to the library and find information on at least one novice or accepted that has burnt themselves out. This paper will be handed in at the beginning of the next class tomorrow. May the Light be with you girls! I assure you tomorrowís lesson will be harder then todayís. Now off with you Iím sure you all have chores or other classes to do. See you tomorrow.î She gave them a smile and watched as they paired up as they left her the garden talking.

 

OOC: Okay for the assignment I gave you. Use your imagination and if you have toÖ. make up some stuff. Don't forget to RP your thoughts to this class, and how your character/novice touches Sadair for the First time! Have Fun!!

 

 

 

Looking at the clock for a second time, Arie sighed. Late again. She picked up her notes for today and headed off to class to find everyone there.

 

"Morning, Novices. I hope you are ready to work hard today. First I would like you all to place your essays from yesterday on my desk.î She waited until the last girl had given her their essay. "Okay, Like last week, we are Going to the Gardens. You will find this lesson much more easier in a more serine enviroment, then here in the classroom."

 

While they were making their way out of the Tower Arie briefly went over her notes she made on the girls then put them away knowing which ones to pay closer attention to. When they reached the secluded area she always sat aside for her classes, she asked all her students to take a seat on the benches she had the gardeners bring over, then she began the lesson. "Today we move on to control. You must be able to control everything you do in life and that includes the Source since from now on it well be a very big part to it. The technique we call Pushing and Pulling is the next thing you must learn. The objective is to touch the Source, and hold it, but hold it as far away from you as you can without releasing it. This will teach you discipline and help you to back off from the Source before you reach a level you canít control. This will also help you when it comes time to learn linking but that lesson is for another class."

 

"Now close your eyes. I want you to picture your rosebud again. Once the light of the sun has hit it and it has opened, just hold yourselves there." Bhanta watched as the glow of Saidar winked into being around all the girls. When finally they were all holding it, she continued.

 

"Now, picture a cloud slowly covering the sun. As the light from the sun is diminished on the flower, so should your hold on the Source. Push it away from you, while still maintaining contact. As the sun still provides heat behind the cloud, let the Source just barely trickle into you. To pull it back into you fully again, imagine the cloud drifting away from the sun, and the full light and heat back on the rosebud. Do not do that too quickly, as snapping it back can hurt." Arie had made sure to have the gardeners but the benches together to form a circle so that she could see all the girlsí faces. Many were concentrating while others seem like they were having a hard time. While still others did not seem to be pushing away the source at all. This angered her. "You may take a break for a moment.î She said coldly waiting.

 

She saw all the girls open their eyes and look at her expectantly. ìNow I have noticed some of you are not listening when I say to push the Source away from you and that I will not tolerate. Other Aes Sedai know when you are holding the Source for any reason and if you are just holding it to feel the joy of it, which is addictive, that means you are weak of mind. If you cannot struggle against it then you donít need to learn how to control it because in the end you will Still yourself or worse be burned out. Is that what you want?î Arie watched as some of the girlsí faces went pale at the different consequences. ìGood you understand now. Now close your eyes and concentrate."

 

She made them do this for most of the class until she decided all of them were making an effort to push the source away. Satisfied she instructed them to rest for a bit. ìNow for the next part of the class. Now in order to weave you must know what the elements are. Iím sure you all now what they are but just in case, they are Air, Water, Fire, Earth, and Spirit. Now Iím going to show you which threads are which.î Arie then embraced the Source and wove all five threads together into a thick thread like she had seen her old Intro teacher do long ago. ìNow can anyone tell me which thread is which?î One girl raised her hand and Arie told her to answer. ìAir is Blue, Water is Green, Spirit is White, Fire is Red and Earth is Brown." ìGood I see you have been studying hmm. Well now I want all of you, one at a time mind you, to come up and work with me to pick out the different threads. All of you will have problems doing this at first, especially at Fire and Earth, but if you work hard you it will get easier. Now while you are all waiting your turn I expect you all to continue to work at Pushing and Pulling the Source. If you wish you are all allowed to walk around this part of the garden but I expect you to be practicing. If I donít think you are, well I advise you not to make me think this. Now who will be first to work with the elements with me?

 

After They were Done, she dimissed them for the day.

 

OOC: For more info on the five powers, go to the Five Powers page. OK! Post doing all the things I just talked about, and each of you needs to stand next to me and separate the threads. Be realistic! Youíre only novices! Here is the link for the 5 powers page - web.cetlink.net/~serra/

The link should work, if it doesn't.. then i'll find another page with Links.

 

 

 

Arie walked into a deserted classroom with the different items she would use today in the class. She had come early because she had not really decided on how she was going to teach about Air and Water. She decided then and there to use the same techniques her old Intro teacher used. She set up her things as the girls filed into the class.

 

"Hello, Class. Today, I want to start with individual elemental threads but before I go on I would like to say that anyone who is having any problems with any lessons we have done is welcome to come talk to me when you have time. I will work with you until you get it or until I get tired of you.î She smiled then and gave the class a wink. ìAlright now that I have said that lets move on shall we? Today we are going to learn a few weaves that use Air and Water.î She saw some of the girls brighten about the lesson, ìDo not get too excited girls I expect you to be careful since you have not had much if any real experience at weaving. I expect all of you to watch carefully and go slow so that you can get the hang of it.î

 

Arie Sedai then turned to her desk and pulled a handkerchief. She then she dipped it into the bowl she had placed on the desk earlier. When it came out of the bowl, it was dripping wet. She held it over the bowl and embraced Saidar.

 

Weaving pure Water, she slowly drained the water in the handkerchief back into the bowl. When she was done, she held it out for all to see. She saw some of the girlsí amazement and could not help but smile. ìNow you watched that I used a pure weave of Water to drain this right?î All the novicesí nodded almost in unison. She then decided to move on to the next demonstration. She went to stand behind her desk, with the bowl in front of her. Still holding the Source she used a small weave of water and began to make the water in the bowl swirl, faster and faster. She had to concentrate a little more then usual since she was not all that great with Water. She made the waterspout rise up higher than her head, which caused all the water in the bowl to be encompassed in the waterspout. Wanting the class to know this she lifted the bowl and showed the class it was empty.

 

While she channeled the water back into the bowl again she cautioned the class. "Now that took enormous control and I donít expect any of you to be able to do it perfectly but I do want you to try when the time comes. But that time is not now. Next, we're going to move on to Air. Now for this next demonstration I need two volunteers.î She chose the two most eager novices and asked them to stand and walk near her desk. Still embracing Saidar continued talking about Air. When she felt the girls were getting tired of standing there, she snared them in flows of the Air, which snaked out and wrapped around each girl. They were slowly lifted up. She stopped lifting them with Air when they got to close to the ceiling. The rest of the class sat in stunned silence while the two volunteers looked like they would faint. She kept her face serious trying really hard not to laugh at the two girls. She then started to wave them around in the air before she began speaking again.

 

"Air can be pretty handy when you are trying to protect yourself as you will see here." Arie then let the two girls down let them loose from the threads only to wrap both of them up in another weave of Air. Both girls struggled against the bonds but were totally immobile. "As you can see they cannot move now." She then released the two girls who seemed to run to their seats when she was done.

 

"Not only can Air be used to protect but it can be used to attack or damage as well," Arie added. She turned, chose an empty desk and sent it flying across the room. It seemed like it would hit the wall before she stopped it then floated it back to its original position.

 

"Air and Water are the two elements that are also used in weather control. Should any of you develop the Talent of Cloud Dancing, those would most likely be your strongest elements. You will all learn some small amount of weather control, at a later time when you are capable of it."

 

"These are the two elements that women are usually more proficient in than men. Spirit is shared equally among the genders."

 

HW: I want each of you to post drying the hankie, making the water swirl, lifting SMALL objects like books and quills, and moving those small objects about the room.

 

After that: go to web.cetlink.net/~serra and read the info on the five elements. I want you to then list me some of the weaves off the pages for Water and Air. If this link doens't work, let me know. There are MANY links for waeve on the Net, just use a search engine, if your up to it! ^^

 

 

 

Arie Sedai walked into the class today ready to teach. She had been very happy at how far many of the girls were progressing and she knew that all of them had a good grasp on the importance of caution and control. She sat down the things she had brought with her and sat to wait for the girls to file in to the class. As she waited she thought back on how much they needed these girls. The time was fast approaching when Aes Sedai of all ajahs would be need to fight and the more they had the better.

 

 

"Hello girls, Today will most likely be one of the hardest days for you since you have been at the Tower. At the end of this lesson you will be so tired that you will not want to left a figure to do anything.î She saw some of the novices looked concerned. ìBut do not worry I have asked that you be excused from all chores today so that you can rest. This will not happen again so take advantage hmm.î She smiled.

 

"Today, I will teach you weaves of Fire and Earth. Traditionally, these elements are strongest in male channelers, and very difficult for female channelers to master. Many women mistakenly think that these elements are stronger which of course is not true. Men are typically stronger then women which is common knowledge but women are much more skilled then men in the One Power remember that if nothing else. There is nothing written that says a women can not learn to use Fire and Earth just that they will not be very strong as a man with it.î Arie watched the novicesí expressions before she went on. "My Intro to Saidar teacher told us ìThere is no rock so strong that water and wind cannot wear it away, no fire so fierce that water cannot quench it or wind snuff it out.î Remember that it may come in handy someday."

 

"With that said letís begin. Earth can be used for helping crops to grow, finding mineral and ore deposits, detecting fault linesÖ. And for destructive purposes. It also is used to search the earth for other things such as unstable areas that can be used to your advantage. Everything can be buried under Earth but you can also use it as defense by creating a wall to block an enemyís path. Fire can be used to make fire, for camping and warmth, or light. Never draw the heat from a fire into yourself to extinguish it!! Instead, use a dome of air to seal it off, or water to douse it out."

 

She then turned to the rocks she had but onto her desk. She picked up one to show to the class and embraced Saidar. ìNow all these rocks have a small fault line in them. If you nudge it right with a strand of Earth it will split in half. But make sure it is a small nudge or it can explode.î She watched as alarm appeared on some of the novicesí faces. Arie could not help it she laughed outright. ìI was joking it will not explode it just will not split correctly.î She then used a small bit of Earth and concentrated on nudging the fault in the rock. Surprisingly she was able to split it clean in half with out too much difficultly.

 

Next she picked up a small candle, ìNow with this you will just try and light the candle.î She placed it in a thick holder. "Now watch carefully. You do not need to use a large thread of Fire. You take a tiny strand of Fire, wrap it around the wick until it touches itself again, and the wick should ignite. As soon it ignites you can stop the flow."

 

"These will be all today, but for each of you waiting your turn, I want you to spend time separating Fire and Earth out while you embrace Saidar. This will be hard, but the more you practice, the more easy it will become, eventually."

 

OK: Each of you must break the rock and light the candle. Or try to.

I want you to list at least one creative use of EITHER Fire or Earth that I did not mention.

 

 

 

Arie sighed as she came into class late. She saw all her class there and felt a little sad as always when the last class was upon her. She was sure she would miss her charges. She decided she would give them another trip to the Gardens and that they would also have a small party after everyone was done with their final.

 

She sat at her desk looking over the girls. She hoped all of them would grow stronger in the One Power and would be a big help to the Tower one day. She could feel herself getting teary eyed even though this was not the first class she had seen go, realizing this she knocked it off and started class.

 

"Good Morning students. I can see some of you are excited today. Well I have to admit this lesson is going to be short today since you have a final but it is the easiest. The lesson for today is the element of Spirit." "Spirit is widely used to bind other weaves together and it also can make a weave stronger and to last longer. Spirit is used in Healing weaves mainly and with other weaves that affect the physical body. The element is widely misunderstood since most people think it is not very useful on itís own. It is also been used for mind control such as Compulsion, or Milking the Tears that will not be taught in this class or by any Aes Sedai in the Tower since these weaves destroy a personís free will. Spirit is also used in the Bonding of a Warder and Aes Sedai. It is a physical weave that settles upon your body, linking you to a Warder. It is also used for wards but a ward that uses only Spirit is one that protects your dreams since Spirit is the only element you can use while you are asleep.î Arie watched the classís reaction to some of the things Spirit was used for before she moved on.

 

"Now for all you aspiring Reds and Greens in here listen well. Spirit is a main element in Shielding. You will learn more about Shielding later, but suffice it to say it is a skill that you would be behooved to learn well. Male channelers are becoming a big problem now, and knowing how to shield and do it well could be your last and best hope against one that will go mad."

 

"Now the final thing Spirit can be used for is Severing. There are many names for this such as, Stilling or Gentling. This is the act of permanently removing the ability to channel from a person. It is not like being burned out burned out which can be done accidentally or as a conscious decision, this done for punishment or by force. Later today, you will also learn the names of every Sedai that has been Stilled for crimes."

 

Arie saw the faces of the novices pale and she knew that she hated talking about Stilling more then the next Aes Sedai but it had to be taught. ìWell now that I have talked about all that you all have an exam to take but first you must write your essay on a sister that has been Stilled at the tower. Once we have all completed that then we will move on to the weave section of the exam.î

 

After all the papers has been handed in Arie rose from her seat and began to talk to the Novices again.

 

"That concludes the class on Introduction to Saidar and the five powers. It is time now to take your final exam but before we do that Iím taking you back out to the Gardens. Iím sure none of you have seen the place I have picked out so come on out of your seats.îArie ushered all the girls out of the class and down into the Gardens. She had seats set up to face the huge Statue of Rashima Kerenmosa. ìNow this is Rashima Kerenmosa. She was of the Green Ajah and she led the White Tower attack in the Trolloc Wars so many years ago. She gave up her life for the Tower.î She looked over the girls and saw interest in their eyes. * Light Iím getting off the subject again. I swear I should have been a Brown * ìNow back to the class. Now for your actual test, you all are going to show me what you have learned. After everyone is done as you can see I have brought brownies and pudding for everyone as well as refreshments but you cannot have any until all of you are done. Now who wants to go first??î Arie smiles at them to make them feel a little more comfortable about it. She knew they were nervous but the sooner they did this the better.

 

A brave girl raised her hand and Arie beckoned her forward. "This is what you each must do. Embrace the Source, push Saidar away and pull it back, and using what you know of the powers, I want you to make a glowing light ball that does not go away too quickly. Think what could be used to do that for a moment. You may begin when ready."

 

OOC-It was fun teaching all of you. Make sure you have done all the lessons!! If you would like to know what your grade is please email me at kawaii_sa@hotmail.com. ((Arette? How do i grade the girls? ^-^"))

 

 

 

 

[Amadine]

Old Tongue

 

by Natasshha

 

Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3

 

 

 

Lesson 1

 

“Calichniye class in this class we are going to learn a little of the old tongue. It is a language rarely spoken even by Nobles who often claim to speak it.

 

But it is expected and sometimes necessary for an Aes Sedai to have some understanding of this language. I suggest learning the old tongue even if for no other reason then to be able to read many of the great books in our very own libraries.

 

Although many have been translated by our beloved Browns not all have and you do lose something of the true meaning in the translation so it is better to read for yourself. Am I not correct?” Nat smiled at the girls who had gathered for her class.

 

“The old tongue is an extremely difficult language to grasp and I do not expect anyone to be fluent by the end of this class only to have gleaned an interest in learning more.” Accepted Natasshha paused for a moment before going on.

 

“The old tongue sentence structure is assumed to follow one rule,*predicate-verb-subject*, but in no way should you ever assume that this is set in stone.

 

Like most languages it is varied and full of inconsistency. It also is a lost language which means there are very few who speak it fluently, even among our learned Browns there is much controversy as to how much of the language is still intact today.”

 

Natasshha took a moment to pour a glass of cold water from a pitcher she had on her desk, each desk in the class had a similar pitcher and glass in case the students found themselves suffering from thirst. With all the talking they would be doing it was a very real threat.

 

“Sa souvraya niende misain ye!”

 

I am lost in my own mind, Accepted Natasshha translated with a quick smile, I nearly forgot, if you look on your desks you will find an Old Tongue Dictionary , Take special care of these books because they are yours for the duration of this class and I expect them back in better condition then I gave them, understand!”

 

Nat grinned to take the bite from her words.

 

She was an easy going person and although she did not take to the role of ‘Teacher’ easily she was looking forward to this class. “I would like you all to glance through your Dictionary and choose three phrases that appeal to you. Copy them down and pass them to the front when you are finished. Do not forget to also write the translation next to it. Natasshha took her seat at the front of the class, watching as the young women began their task.

 

OLD TONGUE DICTIONARY

 

Back to the top

 

Lesson 2

 

Natasshha smiled and greeted each of her students as they entered. She had been extremely pleased with the results from their last class. Many of the girls had taken an interest in the Old Tongue Dictionary and had spent much time pouring over the books. She hoped they would enjoy today’s class just as much.

 

Once everyone had taken her seat Nat began.

 

“Today I would like you to find the meaning for these words and tell me how time has changed thier meaning if at all. For example could we all find the word ajah in our dictionaries? Would someone please volunteer to read the meaning?”

 

Accepted Natasshha waited while books where opened and pages turned. She chose a girl seated near the back, her hand shyly raised, “Yes please stand and read.”

 

 

“It refers to an informal or temporary group of people gathered together for a common purpose or goal, or by a common set of beliefs.” The girl seemed somewhat surprised by the meaning, glancing around nervously.

 

 

Natasshha gave her a reassuring smile, “That is correct. In the past Aes Sedai did not belong to any particular Ajah at all but only came together forming an ajah only when the need warranted. For example, two or three sisters may have gathered together to form an Angreal or perhaps to help with a particularly difficult weave that called for a great amount of power. In those days, before the taint, it was not unthinkable for a man to be involved in such a group. That would be unheard of today. See how the meaning has been altered through time and change?”

 

Now here is the list of words i want you to look up: Tar Valon, Aes Sedai, Jenn aiel

M'Hael, Gaidin, Ajah

Ooc: ok look up these words and write down there meanings as well as how, if at all they differ in their use today.

 

Back to the Top

 

Lesson 3

 

“Today we will be moving the class outside,” Accepted Natasshha smiled as she led the way out into the luxurious gardens of the Tower to where a picnic awaited the small class. Natasshha smiled at the Cook who had taken the time to prepare the picnic, knowing that Accepted Natasshha had planned to teach the final class in the gardens. “Ninte calichniye no domashita.” Accepted Nat smiled, thanking the woman for her efforts.

 

“I would like for you all to enjoy this feast we have here and speak among yourselves, pair up and practice the old tongue if you like because I will be testing you before you leave here. Reverting to the old tongue, Nat spoke to her students.

 

 

“Kodome calichniye ga ni Aes Sedai hei,” sighing softly she gestured around the garden, indicating her words referred to the setting.

 

“Dovie'andi se tovya sagain.” Nat said indicating that the test had finally begun. “What did I say?” OOC: hint, check under phrases. I want the meaning for each of the three phrases Nat spoke using the old tongue.

 

 

[Amadine]

One Power

 

by Julannah Damodred

 

Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3, Lesson 4

 

 

 

Lesson 1

 

Julannah Damodred walked into the classroom, smiling at the sunshine streaming in through the windows. She loved early mornings. It seemed, however, that her students did not. She knew it was hard to have classes all day, but she was sure that this was a class that students would enjoy. Almost all the girls were there, and Julannah smiled at that. She liked punctuality in girls. She put down her satchel and took out her lecture material.

 

“Good morning. I am Julannah Sedai for any of you who do not know me.” She put on a welcoming smile. “The class I am teaching will teach you about the One Power. I know that some of you are brand new to the tower and not really sure what all the fuss over one power is.” At that she smiled also. Most these girls would think they knew what the one power was, but she knew that this class would teach them everything they didn’t know and more.

 

“I hope when you leave this class that you have a better understanding of what you will be living with for the rest of your lives.”

 

Julannah grabbed the stack of paper she had set down on her desk and gave them to the nearest girl to hand out. She treasured lecture material- it was very important that her students took notes during the class. When she saw that everyone had the material, she began.

 

“I suggest that you all take very good notes, for there might be a surprise exam along with your final for this class. You will also not have much homework in this class as I will be lecturing on most of the stuff.” She smiled at them as she saw the relief wash over their faces at her statement about the homework.

 

Putting on her best lecturing voice she began. “The one power comes from the True Source, the driving force of creation, and the force the Creator made to turn the Wheel of Time. In that there are two separate powers: they are Saidar and Saidin.” She watched as they all scribbled on their papers.

 

“Saidin is the male half and Saidar is the female half. They work against and at the same time together to provide force. We know from our history that Saidin is tainted. Some have even compared it to feeling water with a slick of oil on it. Saidar is the only one that can be used safely. Channeling the source cannot be forced for a woman; they will just lose hold of it. To control the power a woman must lose herself to it.” She walked back to the front of the class and sat on the edge of the desk.

 

“For a woman to touch Saidar she must surrender to it, but for a male touching Saidin he must fight it to try to control it. You have heard that touching Saidar is like an embrace, but some have said that touching Saidin is like a war without mercy.” Julannah watched the emotions play over the novices’ faces.

 

“Now there are five powers that we work with, and they are Air, Water, Spirit, Fire and Earth. Women are stronger in Air and Water while men are stronger in Fire and Earth, with Spirit both about the same.” Getting down from the desk she started walking around the room as she talked.

 

“Channeling can be compared to a waterwheel driven by a river, with the channelers the waterwheel and the True Source the river, and it can not be used up. Only a few can learn to touch the True Source and channel the One Power. There are even fewer that are born with the ability to touch the True Source, whether they wish for it or not. Even they require training to fully use their gift.”

 

“Even the simplest matters and uses of the One Power are dangerous to the untrained. If a channeler tries to take in more than she can safely handle she can burn herself out or even kill herself. I have heard that the first is way worse than the latter.” Julannah watched as their faces paled a little at this piece of information. She felt this was very important for them to learn, it was always painful her to watch what happened to the girls that this had happened to.

 

 

“It is even a risk to use the power too often and too freely. The sensation you feel when you embrace Saidar is wonderful and like nothing you have ever felt until then, it is also very addicting. You might also try to take in more than you can handle. On that point though, the more you touch the True Source the easier it becomes to do. In the beginning a channeler cannot handle much power, but as you train the amount you can handle increases. Many girls have to study at the tower for months before they can do something as minor as make a light flicker in a stone.”

 

Seeing that the girls were all taking very good notes and that the time had run away from her again. Julannah decided to dismiss the class for the day. “That will be all for today. I will see you tomorrow early.” She watched as they all filled out of the room, deep in thought.

 

 

OOC: Ok girls, I want to see excellent notes taken- not just two scribbles.

 

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Lesson 2

 

Julannah stood at the door as the class started to enter and handed each girl a paper as they walked past. She was eager to get started with the lesson for the day as they had a lot to cover. Once they were all seated she walked to the front of the room and began.

 

“Let’s get started shall we.” She said with a smile. “Yesterday we learned about channeling and we will learn more about it today. A channeler can only tell if somebody is channeling if they are in the vicinity. Even only channeling a trickle, somebody else who can channel can tell at one hundred paces. A trained Aes Sedai will sense the ability to channel in one able to touch the True Source. It is difficult to tell if they are really young, that is why you will not see anybody younger than twelve at the tower. You will all remember that you were tested when you entered the tower, this was done to test your potential” Julannah said.

 

“Channeling will also fatigue the channeler. The fatigue from channeling is like nothing else you have felt. No amount of healing can help it when it is severe. Channeling when you are tired or ill can cause you to burn out if not kill you. Channeling Saidar for an hour can tire a person who has had a full night’s sleep.” Julannah smiled and took a seat on the stool she had placed in front of the desk.

 

“We will now talk about Shielding. A fully trained sister cannot be shielded by one person, the stronger she is the more sister it would take. When a person is shielded they can still feel the source, just not touch it. Now cutting somebody off from a link is much more difficult than is they were note touching the source.”

 

Once you have a weave set it is fairly easy to maintain the weave with very little effort. As you grow and learn more you will be able to perform up to the weaves at once. In order to perform a weave on something you must see it first, you cannot identify flows of the Power without seeing them. When you work a weave around yourself it takes special care since you can see the flows clearly. For a channeler to use the True Source, one must have complete control over ones emotions. If a channeler enters an Ogier Stedding they cannot grasp the source and it will often times give them the shakes.”

 

“Channeling will also help protect you from the Dark One’s creatures. It is also a weakness though as it can be used to force you to the Dark One.” Julannah could see that they were getting a little tired and decided to end the lesson a little short to day. “I will be dismissing class early today and will see you for class bright and early in the morning.” She smiled as they prepared to leave.

 

OOC: I again want to see that you have been taking notes.

 

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Lesson 3

 

Julannah watched as the girls filled in and took their seats, immediately taking out their notepads and pens, ready to get started. Smiling she rose from behind the desk where she had been going over her notes and gave them all a big smile.

 

“Good morning girls, I can see you all are ready to get started. Today we will be talking about the agelessness that Aes Sedai get from working with the One Power. You all know that women that work with the One Power are not touched by time as normal women. It is always hard to tell an Aes Sedai true age. For some will look older and others younger even if they are the same age. There is one rule to always remember, Never ask an Aes Sedai her age. This is considered a big no no. Women who channel now days don’t live near as long as women who channeled in the Age of Legends.”

 

Julannah took a drink of her water and continued with the class. “If a women is stilled she will lose around fifteen years give and take a little from her appearance. You also do not acquire it right away; it will usually start from five to ten years after you have been raised to the shawl. Unless you have been at the tower for a long time, then it may come sooner.” She cleared her throat and moved on to the linking part. “Women channelers may also link with each other to have draw more of the power. It is very tiring for all the Aes Sedai’s involved. You will also notice that when they link the glows you see around them also merge and become one. In order to link you must open yourself to it, you open to Saidar and hold it just as you are feeling the embrace of it. Most will find this relatively easy and the Aes Sedai in charge will join with you to bring you into the whole.” Stepping from the desk she started walking around the room as she spoke.

 

“When you are linked you can feel the emotions of the others as if they were you own. Linking will make some girls seem funny the first time. Even though there is one leading the link everybody will be weary after words. The power of women when they are linked could easily stop a stamped of bulls. Once you are used to linking it can be done very quickly. Only the women in charge of the link can break it. “

 

“Now we will discuss a part that I do not like to much, but it is vital for you all to know, we will talk about stilling. When a women is stilled she can still sense the One Power, she just cannot touch it. Most women that are stilled only live a few years afterward before they lose the will to live. It has been said that one way to live past this is to find something in life as much as you want the One Power. It takes twelve sisters and the Amyrlin to still another sister. Once she is stilled she is no longer bound by the three oaths.” She watched as the emotions flew over the girls’ faces and was feeling the same way. She always hated this part of the class.

 

Smiling she turned back to the class. “We are done with today’s class. I suggest that you study your notes and tomorrow will be the final. I look forward to seeing you all then.” Walking to the desk she started stuffing things back in her satchel before leaving the classroom.

 

OOC: Please write a nice chunky paragraph about your thoughts on Stilling, IC.

 

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Lesson 4

 

OOC: You will have to email me the answers to the exam, at wtmistressofclasses@hotmail.com. I do not want to see any post under this one.

There is are bonus marks to people who get a perfect score in this exam!

 

Good Luck Girls!

 

True/False

 

1. The One Power comes from the True Source?

2. Saidin is the female half?

3. Even the simplest matters with the One Power are dangerous to the untrained?

4. The source can be used up?

5. When you hold Saidin it is like a warm embrace?

6. When you hold Saidar you have to fight to control it?

7. A person can never draw too much of the One Power?

8. Channeling the source cannot be forced on a woman?

9. Saidin is tainted by the Dark One?

10. You can yield large amounts on the One Power when you first learn how to use it?

 

Short Answers

 

1. What are the five powers and who is stronger in what?

2. How many people are able to Channel?

3. What happens after you practice with the One Power?

4. How close do two channelers have to be to sense each other?

5. What to you have to do to determine a girls power and at what age is it two early to do this?

6. Describe the tiredness that comes from channeling?

7. Describe what you have to do to see the weaves that you do?

8. How is channeling a protection and weakness from the Dark One?

9. What do you have to have control over to use the One Power?

10. Can you use the One Power in an Ogier Stedding? And what usually happens when you are in one?

 

 

Multiple Choice

 

1. Using the One Power when linked makes you?

A. Happy

B. Lazy

C. Tired

 

2. How many women are in control of the link?

A. 5

B. 2

C. 1

 

3. The glows around the Aes Sedai when they link.

A. Merge

B. Separate

C. Stay the same

 

 

Essay

 

I want a 200-word essay written either on the Agelessness of Aes Sedai or the Stilling of one. You must include all the details we have discussed in class as well as some of your ideas on it.

 

 

[Amadine]

Philosophy

 

by Ebony

 

Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3, Lesson 4, Lesson 5

 

 

 

Lesson 1

 

Philsophies of Life

 

People adapt their view of life based on the stance they take with life in general or with specific incidents. There are many widely-used philosophies of life, and I have listed and discussed 3 of them here.

 

"This Too Shall Pass"

Also related to this is the ability to ask oneself "What will this matter in a week? Month? Year?" Everything, no matter how big it seems at the moment, will pass. Humans, especially me, have a rather short memory. What is immediate can seem to have a big effect, but it soon wears off as new things come up. I really wish people at DM could remember and follow this one. This is not to say that we shouldn't deal with things, but generally not panicking is a good idea. Time lessens all wounds, and brings new joys. If things aren't so great at the moment, remember, it will pass.

 

"That Which Doesn't Kill Me Makes Me Stronger"

With this comes the ability to find the positive in every situation. No matter how bad things might seem, there is something to be learned from everything. Everything that happens in your life adds to who you are and leads you to the present moment. I would not trade anything that happened to me, the good or the bad. I have learned much. Mistakes are made, but I will (hopefully) learn from them to be a wiser person. Obstacles in life are challenges to learn and grow from. You are a stronger person in the end.

 

"Given the Ubiquity of Suffering, I am Blessed"

Also known as "There is always someone worse off than you." It's easy to feel miserable at the little things that happen. But there is so much to be thankful for. People all around have to deal with things the same as you, and oftentimes much worse. This does not, however, lessen the validity of feeling bad because of small things. People will react in different ways to the same things, depending on what they have had to deal with in their life. The intention is not to feel bad about it, but just to keep in mind that maybe it's not so aweful as you thought.

 

 

Assignment:

Think about any difficult situation, small or large, that you have just been through. (This can be failing a class, losing a stuffed animal, whatever). Which philosophy of life did you use to get through it? Describe how it helped you and how it changed your thoughts. It does not have to be one of the above ones; those are only a very few of the possible ways of looking at a situation. You might have used more than one, but just focus on one way of thinking. If you didn't handle it well, didn't use a philosophy of life to help yourself through it, then which one would have helped, and how? How would you handle it better next time?

 

 

For your journal:

Keep track of how you think about situations, positively and/or negatively. Try to use the philosophies of life listed above to put a different spin on situations.

 

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Lesson 2

 

Life Is A Choice

 

There is a choice for every single thing you do, for every reaction you make. People often fall into the trap of thinking they have no choice. There is no such thing as "no choice", only very difficult choices. There is a way out of every situation, there is always an option B. It's just that sometimes the price is too high to make, or even really consider. But never forget the fact that it exists. The knowledge that you made a choice is often enough to change a whole perspective. It turns thinking like a victim into being in charge of your life.

 

In everything you do, figure out first what the price is you will have to pay for your choice. Then you have to decide whether or not you want to pay that price. Guess what? That means you have to think. It means you have to really think about everything you do. This way you will not be caught unawares when life demands a higher price of you than you are willing to pay.

 

An example from DM: the choice to have more than one character. Writing for a role-play character can be a rewarding experience. It can be fun. It can create friendships and opportunities. It can let you delve deeply and learn more about yourself. But, there is a price. It takes time, and commitment. If you plan to RP with other people, which I believe everyone who RPs does, then you have a responsibility to these people to keep up and do what you promised to. You take on a character knowing that you will be expected to take classes, and fulfill duties. Those who did not consider the price are the ones who become indignant about the amount of work they have to do. The choice comes with the full package, and one who is fully informed and makes a concious decision is much better prepared to handle it.

 

 

Assignment:

What are some recent choices you have had to make? List and describe at least two, one big one, one not-so-obvious little one. Outline the price you had to pay for it, and tell whether or not you expected to pay that price.

 

 

For your journal:

Note down choices and prices in your life, and whether or not you were previously aware of them.

 

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Lesson 3

 

The Secret is Balance

 

With anything in life, the key is in balance. The extremes are rarely healthy, though it can be easiest. The problem is that to attain balance two things are needed: thought and work.

 

First and foremost a lot of thought is required. You have to weigh the issue at hand, and determine how much of each side would be the best - for you. No one can tell you what is best, any rule of thumb for the general is not to be used. You need to think it through yourself, it's the only way you can be sure it's right, the only way you can put yourself behind it and stand up for it.

 

Then, once you have figured out what is needed, what you need to do, you need to do it. That takes constant work. It is not an easy thing to sit in the middle of two extremes.

 

In everything you do you must find the balance. You must be flexible and able to change, you must be constantly re-evaluating and re-adjusting, and you must always, always think about what you are doing. Find the balance and you will be at peace. There is no right or wrong, but always grey.

 

 

Assignment:

Why are extremes in thinking unhealthy? Consider ONE possible situation from the ones given below, and write, in your own opinion, why the extreme on each side is not a good way to think.

a. Planning is paramount vs. live life for the moment.

b. Independence vs. dependence.

c. Money is all-important vs. money isn't important at all.

 

 

For your journal:

Keep track of instances you see in which balance is either present or needed, whether in your own life or in those you see around you.

 

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Lesson 4

 

Socrates

 

Socrates was a Greek who basically started the idea of philosophy. He said "An unexamined life is not worth living." He spent his entire life wandering around, talking to people. That's it. Questioning people about how they lived, why they did what they did, and trying to get them to think about their lives. Some would say that was a noble thing to do. Some would say it was stupid. Regardless, he believed fully in what he was doing.

 

He invented what today is still known as the "Socratic Method". Instead of trying to convince people by using examples and such, the Socratic Method uses questions to get the other person to probe into the issue themselves. He hoped to be able to show people how to figure it out themselves, by stating he was ignorant and questioning the others' opinions and beliefs with skepticism, making them explain it, think it through and come to their own conclusions. An more in-depth explanation is given at the webpage:

http://www.str.org/free/studies/socratic.htm

 

Sadly, when the Greek civilization declined in times of war, Socrates, being different, a free-thinker, was seen as a threat and sentenced to death by poison hemlock. His sentence, itself, shows how illogical people can be. He was convicted of being atheistic - believing in no gods - as well as inventing new gods. This very obvious error in thinking wasn't addressed, and Socrates died, not wishing to escape. He believed in following the rules, and he believed in the Athens government of rule by the people - democracy. He would not go against what he had held his entire life, even after his faith betrayed him.

 

There have been many philosophers after him. Many have been put persecuted or put to death for believing what we now hold to be true, such as "The sun is the center of the solar system and the Earth revolves around it, instead of the other way around."

 

 

Assignment:

Why is Socrates' quote "An unexamined life is not worth living" such a pivitol idea? Give it some thought. See if you can come up with an idea or two. Use the questions below to help you.

What is an "unexamined life"? What is an "examined life"? How might one go about doing that?

What determines worth? What makes something "worthy" or "unworthy"?

 

 

For your journal:

Try to use the Socratic Method. Write down if you notice others using it, and if you yourself do. Try to say if it helped or not.

 

 

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Lesson 5

 

Philosophical Questions

 

For the last class I want you to visit a webpage and mull over the questions on the first half ("Philosophical Questions"). Choose at least 4 of those questions and answer them here. (PLEASE include the questions in your post!)

 

http://home.hiwaay.net/~hmwkhelp/Philosophy.html

 

In your journal I would like you to end with just a note on how you found the class to be, and what you learned. You have until Feb 11 to e-mail me the journal at You do not have to send me anything you don't wish to share, of course. The journal will not bring down your mark, but I may use it to bump up your grade... if that's not enough incentive, I don't know what is. ^_~

 

You will be emailed your mark after you've emailed me the journal.