"Will ye be binding me fast while you call for the Watch? No?" Eb grit her teeth at the combination of the Illianer's drama, sarcasm and disregard for her actions against those smaller than herself. The woman snorted and moved for her spear, head down. Eb closed the distance between them with two quick steps, snapping a hand to the shaft of the weapon as it was snatched into the air. At the same time, the force in the taller woman diminished - at least, she didn't try to stab anyone, or barge her way past. "I'd prefer we all just got on with things ourselves, actually," Eb growled, moving the spear aside with carefully schooled 'reasonable force' so that she could reach the water that Ashar Dovinhald had offered her. Whilst doing so, she silently cursed the years of reprimands from the High Council In her mind. "If we're not fighting with more than words?" she shrugged, raising her eyebrows in invitation. "Back to business." She turned her dark gaze back to Dovinhald, wondering if that really was his name. "I was hoping to know how much money, exactly." "And I'm ... good with security," she said, meaning it as both a comment on the proposed plan and a response to his question of skill. "Also with rolling with the dice however they land," she grinned wryly. "...As long as you aren't looking for someone who's good with archery, or gateways." she amended, and her face twisted into a grimace.

With one eyebrow half-raised, Eb shook her head at Uno and held back a scowl at Kai's apology. She turned to the deep-breathing Illianer woman, took in the twisted old scar on her face, the clear muscle tone of her hands and the fresh bruising around the broken knuckle. She didn't doubt the man who'd been at the receiving end of the woman's fist might've deserved whatever damage had come his way. But any marks on Uno's arm, however faint, were a different story. She caught and held the younger woman's eyes with her own. She flicked her unsheathed daggers once around her thumbs and slid them back into place under her sleeves. "The boy," she pointed out, voice low, "didn't yelp twice at your hands for nothing."

"For the love of ever-blasting Light and..." Eb rolled her eyes and entertained the idea of simply leaving the grounds of the Riposte then and there, not for the first time since the Tarabonner's notice had been pinned up on the board. Her growl ground itself into a grimace. She stayed where she was, leaning against the East wall of the room at a point where she could blend in somewhat with the scenery, arms hidden in the slight flares of dark cotton sleeves folded over her dark leather vest, watching events unfold in and around the purple booth. Twenty years ago, when she was the age of those at the long table, that grimace would've been a definite scowl. But she'd managed to learn a thing or two since then, apparently - despite the fact she didn't feel much older. And the grimace was 'an ... improvement, of sorts' that she'd mostly managed to keep. Bloody babies. Ok. So she was definitely older in comparison to those at the table. Lessons in mature civility fled. She scowled. But she switched from casual lean to careful attention. Kai was still standing. Eb slipped her right arm out of its folded pose, checking with a slide of her fingers to her chest that the hidden medallion still sat in place under her shirt. She shifted her weight slowly forwards, away from the wall, noting in silence that Uno managed to duck around her through the space she'd left. Without a breath of wind from his movements, and for once successfully avoiding a give-away glance her way. Good. She flexed her wrists as she moved toward the booth, feeling the hilts of the belted daggers under her sleeves. She likely wouldn't stop the boy - Light knew that it was usually not her style to even try, and she had a vested interest in observing the actions and outcomes here - but if Kai and the Illianer woman were going to fight, outside was definitely the better option. She had further business here today and couldn't afford for the room to be closed due to damage. Not to mention the difficulty it might cause Kai's fathers, and therefore Kai. She folded her arms again as she neared the end of the table. She stood a short distance away from the corner on the Illianer's side, ensuring everyone still had a clear path to leave if required. She looked momentarily at the silver mark the woman had placed next to Kai's cup. "What defines 'fortune'?" she asked outright. "And just how far are you planning to go with this..." she let her voice carry the meaning as she shifted her coal-black gaze upward, past Kai's bright green one, towards the Tarraboner's face, "... trip up North?"

Approved and moved!

Hi @Gengac and Welcome to DM! @HeavyHalfMoonBlade nailed it, despite his modesty! We have areas to join in/create stories based in the Wheel of Time universe (and in our version of the world 'after' the books), as well as other areas where you can play any other game you feel could convert ok to text (e.g. forum based D&D). Feel free to send me a DM / sign up if any of that sounds up your alley- it's a great bunch of people joining in at the moment!

.. Light Only Knows .. ►▼◄ "Perhaps." Calia answered Elessar's two questions at once. The hard truth of that one word landed like a boulder in front of them and left a bad taste in her mouth. The sparrows and finches hushed their chattering above. She clenched her jaw and returned her steely blue gaze briefly to the field and road beyond. Still empty. She scanned every opening in the softly-rustling canopy above them. Nothing but sky. Why were the birds going quiet, all at once? The light might have been fading in intensity, but it was definitely not yet dark. Her eyes flicked back to the field - dry grass. Taller patches nodding gently in the slight wind. No erratic movements or oddly crushed or stationary areas - other than where Stormbreaker and the bay mare had trampled. The road - void of people, carts and carriages. As far as the eye could see in both directions. Dust swirls, tumbling across the packed dirt here and there in the sections visible beyond the patches of longer field grass. Elessar had said he had no idea who the attacker - or attackers - might be. That in itself gave her some information - he would have sensed if Shadowspawn were involved. Reluctantly, Cal released her connection to saidar. She felt the current of it slip back towards its source, leaving her less anchored on solid ground, as it always did when she separated herself from its flow. Her skin prickled. There were no more arrows. No flares of heat or warning on the circlet around her neck - she gritted her teeth with increased pressure, smothering self-annoyance that reared hard again at that thought. Nothing out of the ordinary, now. As far as she could tell. But she felt trapped. And there was a foreboding sense of Shadows growing darker; longer. No matter how much Light remained. A flurry of movement and chaotic sound broke the silence in the trees above Elessar and herself. Saidar flooded back to Calia's command immediately, her head instinctively whirling and eyes locking on the origin of the sound, the bond informing her of her gaidin's response. A storm of fawn, brown, cream and grey whipped around and past her and her Warder in a violent rush of wind. Tiny feathered torpedoes were erupting from the branches in every direction, aiming directly towards a shadowy patch of leaves close by. In a cacophony of flapping wings and angry-sounding cheeps, the cloud of birds converged, and began swooping and stabbing and dive-bombing the shadowy patch with such force and aggression that feathers and leaves alike started shearing away and tumbling toward the ground. Most of the feathers were colours she had seen rushing by. But one was much larger, and a glossy, if now much-tattered, midnight-black. Calia tensed, saidar at the ready as a raspy rattling sound joined the frey, then a series of clicks and grating yelps followed by a sudden loud, hoarse CAWW! A shadow eXpLoDeD! upward from the branch, black wings clutching at the air and a vicious dark beak flinging finches and sparrows away as it lurched away from the trees and towards the open space above the field. The finches and sparrows were not giving up. They dove and tore en masse at the invader's dark feathers, soft underbelly and eyes. The larger bird struggled on, wing tips occasionally forced to scrape against leaf matter and debris on the ground with the weight of the assault against it. It was almost, almost clear of the trees. Calia began to weave a net of Air, Fire and Spirit, the stone truth she'd uttered earlier settling in the very pit of her stomach. She couldn't be sure, but she felt she knew. With a burst of speed, the bird from the shadows shot upward from the treeline, wheeling sharply to the side to throw the last sparrow from its back. Large, hooked talons stretched towards the soft fawn fluff, found their mark. And squeezed. Little beady eyes lost their spark, and the ball of fluff went limp. Calia saw it all in great detail, thanks to the clarity of saidar. Including the very moment when the arrow-tip tore through both birds. She watched, dropping her weave but maintaining her embrace of saidar. The two birds, light and dark pinned fast together in death, fell from the sky. Calia scanned the field and road again, to no avail. Light only knew where the arrows had come from. Or why. Or whether her suspicions were right about the crow. Her warning ward remained untriggered; the circlet remained neutral in temperature at her neck. She turned to her gaidin, catching his gaze once again. Had the Shadow been aware of their mission? Tracking their every move? Had they been betrayed? And how, or by whom? How much more vileness might have already spread? "Perhaps," she repeated, her heart hardening against the fears it was true. She wished she had a cup full of apple-ale to at least wash the bitter taste of that terrible fact out of her mouth before she had to start to really chew. Light knew, she would have wished for a jug of ale rather than just a cup, but an Aes Sedai had no right to simply try and slosh away these types of thoughts and concerns - not even in her own mind. No matter how much she abhorred what she had little choice but to find herself thinking. Besides, if what they suspected had occurred...? Not enough ale existed in the entire world to even slightly drown out that threat of darkness from one's mind. Because Light knew, as surely they all knew the Wheel was turning, that it didn't really matter what they did - such harsh truths and inevitable realities would never really stay buried entirely out of reach, or properly locked down. ▀▄

.. Living Memory, Waking Dreams .. ►▼◄ Fire crackled through the logs in the hearth. Flames rose towards the stone mantle and the red banner proudly pinned in place above it. Light and warmth spread through the open heart of the common-room, diffusing chill draughts and defying the darkness of the night outside. The cloth of the red banner rippled, constantly caught in the competing swirls of warm updraft and chill, sneaking wind ceaselessly tugging at its hems. As light from the flames danced brighter through the room, the White Lion that gave the inn its name stood rampant on the wavering field of red, battling tirelessly against each of the remaining shadows... Calia sat, sipping her post-dinner tea at a table set off to the side of the crowded common room. Settling back in her chair, she crossed her ankles neatly under the dark green silk of her new 'skirts' and thanked the Light again for the day she'd first befriended Nona Allande. The woman was undoubtedly the country's greatest seamstress, and she could still work magic with her silk and threads better than Calia could combine Air and Water in a weave. That she also still had as sharp an eye for spotting trends in rumour, politics and general mood as well as fashion, and gathered Caemlyn gossip with quick wit, good ears and a gentle tongue that kept people talking was an added bonus. The information she'd passed to Calia that afternoon had not made a lot of sense, but the Sedai had learned to take note of what the seamstress offered during her collections over the years - the woman's intuition and ability to check and combine trickles of information from more than one angle on any subject had kept her abreast and prepared for 'sudden' winds of change several times. Including the preparations that fool of a Cairhienian King had made over a decade ago, to seat himself on a throne made of Avendoraldera. Today Nona had spoken of new, reportedly dramatic movements on the seas to the South, and though Calia couldn't yet piece together what the stream of information indicated, she was keeping it in mind. Times were changing; the Wheel was turning towards things both old and new - that much she was sure of. Cal turned her attention slowly away from the fireplace and the flag of her homeland to studying the gaidin opposite her once again. She smiled to herself at the variety of expressions crossing Elessar's features in time with the Gleeman's tale. She had heard the story on offer many times, many years ago, and though she wasn't paying the Gleeman close attention - the room was too busy and her mind was too distracted with the events of the day - she followed along enough to know that the man was leading the crowd exceptionally well, and she was glad that they could lose themselves so completely in such delight for a while. She had decided, no matter how frightening or bleak the prospects of their mission might prove, watching Elessar's face light up with the joy of such a performance, and feeling the sparks of emotion he shared freely through the bond when watching such talent was simply further evidence of the importance of the Light side of life while the Wheel turned on and on. These moments of fleeting, yet somehow preserved and shared joy and wonder were what they were all fighting for, after all. To that end, Cal was glad to have Elessar by her side. The man shared her passions, both for the fight against the Dark, and for reveling in the Light. And she intended to try and ensure they got as much of the latter whilst they could. It was always touching to see the warrior making the most of life's treasurable moments, and sometimes, like tonight, when he was rapt in the delights of history and performance, it gave her the chance to feel the old stories as if they were new. She'd known this evening's entertainment would be a treat for Elessar the instant the two of them had returned from errands to find customers already filling up the common room. But now, the White Lion was as busy as she'd ever seen it, and she was doubly glad to have ensured that the innkeeper had reserved them a table such as this - one where they could be both entertained by Gleeman, and keep an easy eye over the whole room. Whatever troubles might be brewing further South, there were advantages to being Aes Sedai in Andor still, she reasoned. She surveyed the room again, her gaze sweeping the over-full benches and tables, the bustling staff winding their ways between patrons to deposit a meal here, an ale there. Like each scan of the room before, nothing seemed too out of the ordinary. 'Packed like the apple press - with occupants just as green or rosy and ready for ale!' The thought tumbled through her mind in her Da's old, cheery voice, as clearly as if he stood next to her - as if a century of time had not passed since she'd last heard those words from him for real. And so it was. Calia took another sip of tea, blue eyes sparkling a little, the tilt of the cup hiding the way the left corner of her mouth quirked up around the rim in a mischievous grin. At this point of the Gleeman's tale, that grin would have seemed especially unusual on the face of an otherwise poised and relaxed-looking Aes Sedai. She let the smile grow nonetheless, cherishing the memory while it lingered. How many times had she and Kaylan heard that saying of Da's and just known the end of the night would be a later one than usual, but with a larger collection of tips and slipped-out coins? She wouldn't have been able to count them all, even if it hadn't been so long ago! But so it had been, and so it was ... and would-be now, she knew. She watched as a buxom serving maid with ginger-coloured hair winked at a ruddy-faced, and aptly apple-shaped patron who had just slid her an extra silver penny, not for the first time. Calia didn't worry for the girl - she'd seen her easily escape a closed grip around her wrist with a simple movement of the arm as she'd set down a customer's third jug of ale earlier in the evening, all while smiling and laughing as if she'd meant no more than to put the jug in place; the girl knew what she was doing. The man, on the other hand, seemed completely oblivious to the danger his senses and pockets were in. From everything Cal had already observed, the maid could have been herself or Kaylan a century ago. Even as she watched the crowd, the weight of their mission heavy in her thoughts and clutching at her heart, it was harder than it should have been to keep her focus to the inn she actually occupied, rather than the one she had conjured up in memories of Four Kings. And harder still to keep the image of the man she'd glimpsed in the markets earlier out of her mind. ● The cold northern winds blew fresh, tussling the cloaks and coats of the marketplace crowds with gusto. Vendors called their wares in voices that were getting used to being blown about and lost amongst the tables, as easily as falling leaves and gusts of wind. Calia had caught Elessar glancing at a scruffy young boy of about twelve, blundering his way through the throng of people toward their general direction. She'd smiled to herself as her gaidin watched the boy pass and then shifted his attention back to the crowd ahead. She didn't think the urchin would have dared to try and slip a hand into either of their pockets - or try anything worse - but she appreciated her gaidin watching their backs. And then as they crossed to the central plaza, an ale cart being drawn by a single large horse up ahead caught her eye. There was something about the great height of that horse in this town, the shape of the spokes on those wheels... the barrels in the tray of the cart... The driver turned to look behind him at a stately carriage that was being drawn by four black horses in his direction. Calia's breath caught in her throat and her heart drummed several quickened, dancing beats in her chest. The beard. The bushy brows and merry eyes - And then the driver of the ale-cart turned his head back to encourage the placid-looking beast in front of him further down the road. Cal's mind caught up and calculated everything back to a more logical reality; leaving her with simply the memories of the bushy brows and merry eyes she'd known, intertwining with glimpses of sand-coloured hair peeking out from under the back of a cap as drove away, her heart quietly yearning after him, for even the slightest glimpse of the face she'd almost thought she'd seen. ● The crowd at the White Lion erupted in applause. Tankards clanged on tables and benches scraped back across the wooden floor as the patrons stood and cheered, Calia and Elessar clapping and standing along with them. Cal grinned at the expression on Elessar's face, and the buzz she felt through the bond. Just past him, she saw a young boy of about five, bouncing energetically at his father's side, staring wide-eyed and utterly captivated at the bowing Gleeman who was making dramatic, multi-coloured flourishes with the tail of his cape. The father of the boy chuckled and patted a hand on the bouncing shoulder. Behind them, the ginger-haired server tumbled expertly into the side of the standing apple-man. Light, she loved Caemlyn. This, Calia thought with a smile as she watched the boy bounce some more, the father tousle the boy's hair affectionately and the serving girl set herself to rights with a quick curtsey and a grin. Tomorrow Elessar and herself would leave with the dawn of a new day and travel in the hopes of stopping Shadows and nightmares - they'd travel together towards pieces of her past, backwards along the path that had led her to this very spot... And this, she thought as Elessar caught her smile and the Gleeman started flinging merry notes around the room on a flute so that the patrons could dance - This was what living was for. What becoming Aes Sedai and serving in the Battle Ajah was for - for the moments and memories that would continue to light up minds, fill hearts and nurture even the oldest, wildest and youngest of dreams. ▀▄

Wwwwhhhheeee!!!!! HAPPY B'DAY!!!!

Welcome to the RP Kaylee! Heavy, I like it! And I see no issues with the last name 🙂 Is there a plan to have it play into her long term goals?? *Stamps* Welcome to the RP This Character is Approved! @HeavyHalfMoonBlade You are welcome to start your own Development thread, Wanted Ad/Request, and Write to your heart's content!

Elessar finished his tale with an expression of fond amusement settling over his face and creeping through the bond. Calia laughed quietly, blue eyes sparkling with joy. "That's a delightful story, Elessar!" It was heartwarming to see her gaidin so relaxed in his pleasant memories of this city, and the obviously charming character he'd found in old Celter. She was impressed with the amount of detail in his recall, too. "I've always loved Caemlyn," she sighed, "Ever since I was a little girl out on my first adventure!" She toyed idly with the tiny winged charm on the bracelet at her wrist, a smile still alight on her ageless face. "The way the Inner City and the New City stand out and shine like a crown on the hills... I thought it was like a magical royal realm from all of the Gleemen's tales, the first time I saw it. Truth be told, I still think the same each and every time I see the white wall and towers coming into view!" "There's just... something about this place, isn't there? The way the Ancient City and New City stand apart and yet together, the changes in the architecture, and the way things, over the years, continue to intertwine!" Cal picked up her teacup and saucer from the table in front of her, and settled back into her chair holding them neatly in her lap. "It's easy to believe in ancient myths and magic here." She let the words settle softly into the silence around the two of them, and then she leaned forward, still smiling, the charm on her wrist now dancing subtly on it's simple chain. "Especially after you've managed to catch a dragon-animal near the palace before you've even learned you can channel!" She grinned at the memory, at such words passing the lips of a three-oaths-sworn Aes Sedai, and at the expression that lit on Elessar's face. "It's true!" She took a sip of tea and grinned in false bewilderment towards him, gesturing at the ring on her finger, "I let the poor creature go, so obviously I haven't any proof, but you know I cannot lie! "Events became a bit of a tight-lipped secret, actually, but I think I'll share... "It was my fifth name-day, the first time I visited this city," she began, "and I was so very full of wonder being here. I was with my father and my brothers. Da was here, as usual, to collect supplies and new ales for the inn. Shem and Joesh came with him, as usual, to see how much help and mischief they could get up to all at once. And, as they told me in no uncertain terms on the journey here in the back of the cart, to teach me to do the same - and, as they told me later, when we dared to scamper for adventures in a crossing run while Da spoke with Merchant Mas - to protect me from everything scary and dangerous in a big city - even dragons, 'just like big brother's should'! "I laughed at them, but of course I was pleased. I was here to see The Palace. And, as everyone knows at that age, castles like that are where Dragons often like to hide... so brave big brothers being with me in the cart were an obvious bonus." "I tell you Elessar, Da had promised me we could see the Palace as close as we could get, as soon as he'd finished his work - and for five-year-old me, that took forever. But I was on my best behaviour. And I loved everything I saw! The people! The bustle! The buildings! The shining walls and the flags! I couldn't stop gaping at it all! My brothers even teased me about the risk of catching flies!" she chuckled, enjoying the memory before bringing the tea to her lips for another drink. "Finally, finally it was time to go and see the Palace. Up and up the streets we rolled, me straining over the front of the wagon as far as I could go without falling out, trying to see everything all at once. "We reached the outer wall of the palace. It was magnificent. Everything about it awed me, the shining stone, the sheer size of it, the divine smells floating over the wall from the gardens. It was as magical as I had ever dreamed it. I imagined, right then and there, all manner of amazing and perfect instances that must surely happen in such a place! "And then, I heard it! "Dragon!" Joesh called, pointing up towards some blue in the sky over the wall. "And, there it was! Obviously far off in the distance, because it looked very small and I knew dragons were really, really big - but there it was! I even thought I saw a hint of green flash for just a second. "I gaped, the boys grinned and laughed and pointed at the winged creature shining in the air. Even Da chuckled to see it. I turned to him as he did so, probably as wide-eyed and open-mouthed as he'd ever seen me, but I can still see the look on his face as looked at me in that moment. It was marvelous. Absolutely incredible! "I turned back quickly towards where I'd last seen the dragon - and - ended up catching it in my open mouth! "Light, after I'd been saved - as promised, by the closest brother - from choking on it, I learned that what I'd seen was actually a beautiful, shiny-winged, sparkling green dragon-fly, adventuring over the wrong side of the garden wall! While the two of us recovered from the shock of it all, I remember watching those tiny gossamer wings, and that magical, shiny-green-scaled body, and thinking I'd still never seen anything so beautiful in all my life! "Though, truthfully, that was the moment I believe, that I first learned how much I love adventures - as well as to gape a good deal more subtly, and maybe even when I learned that there are times where it's just worth keeping my mouth shut for a little while! Cal winked at her warder as she took another sip of tea. "... perhaps." She set the empty cup and saucer back down on the table with a smile, the charm at her wrist fluttering to and fro in a small flash of silver, and the tiniest, brightest little sparkle of green. ▀▄

I'm flummoxed by the Oath Rod / trying to envision how that all pans out... but... Love, Love LOVE the Arches for all idea!!

WELCOME (back) TO THE ROLEPLAY TO JOSANDA!

@Quibby 's Mehrin actually springs to mind for this... Quib? Bring him baaaacckkkkfromthe'dead'

Ooooh Here I think the closest we have is Jägerbomb - shot of jägermeister in an energy drink!

Right? A builder/stonemason for one! OTOH my poor BotRH fighter character is going to be at such a loss!

I actually really like the idea of highlighting the skill differences between things like offense/defense vs. strategy etc. but agree making it another 'official' number might be a deterrent. Maybe the concepts could be worked into a general 'WS advice/considerations' post in the library? As for the rest of the WS discussion, I'm still very hesitant to see things stay rigid or demanding for players at this stage - I honestly would prefer removing the restrictions on new characters/players to have a high weapons/OP score - and allow this straight off the bat based solely on the character's backstory and willingness to get active and RP. (For me the focus and fun/ 'play' in rp has always been about the writing scenarios themselves, not the task of leveling a character up through requirements - and as much as I ❤️ DM RP, 'dragging' chars through 'requirements' has, often, almost 'killed' enjoyment for me, so I very much understand how this might be a deterrent/people might hate starting there). So, maybe we could we make it that, at least in these early stages, 'working' up the ranks is optional for X number of characters per player, and like with OP, players can have higher starting WS for their new characters if they want, but with other 'requirements', like: - character backstory must match the chosen score; - character must be well-rounded, not a 'godder'/'Mary Sue' ?

Ok, so you explained the first... but what is the bold??

I was wondering along the same lines after the mention of the channelers building without such constraints... Perhaps in general they might have adopted a 'stronger' more 'futuristic'/utilitarian type aesthetic without the Ogier involved to make it so beautiful/nature-inspired?

WELCOME TO THE ROLEPLAY @Matalina! This Character is Approved! * You are welcome to start your own Development thread, Wanted Ad/Request, and Write to your heart's content! *And I'm super excited to see a link to Nox and Mer here!!

Looking awesome - and I'm liking hearing about tools and things I never knew existed!! Wayfarer's point about how quickly non-taint-affected male channelers working with the Dragon's Peace in place could build strikes home/true for me too - and now I'm imagining all the fun a player could have with a male channeler in this new world...

'How many years has it been since I first saw Caemlyn?' Calia wondered as her nation's shining capital came into view, bright against the clouds that had blanketed the sky from early dawn. 'One hundred? A little more?' 'Definitely more,' she thought with the twist of a smile, gazing ahead intently at the sparkling white stone walls of the Inner City. The glittering domes and towers that crowned the hill tugged at her heartstrings, as they always did, drawing her mind back to that earliest core memory, that first adventure into the city with her father and brothers... "Happy name-day, and in you get, little Cali-scamp!" her Da's beard had tickled her cheek as he'd swung her up to kiss her forehead and set her gently into the back of the empty ale wagon. Joesh and Shem waited in their usual places near the front, mirror images of each other rugged up under the large, green, woolen blanket Ma's Ma had spun the year before, blue eyes wide, their breath making little clouds in the morning air in front of them as they waited for her. Grinning from ear-to-ear at her arrival, they opened up the blanket and welcomed her into the warmth of its folds. Joesh ruffled the top of her head for good measure as she wriggled excitedly into place between them, ecstatic to finally be old enough to tag along... It had seemed to take forever and a day to reach the great city, but before she knew it, she was kneeling on the bench seat and staring wide-eyed at that city landscape that shone like nothing she'd seen before, and like everything she'd ever heard in the gleemen's tales - the gleaming white wall and towers shining crisp and majestic in the cold, mid-morning blue of the pre-Winter sky. "You're going to catch flies if you keep your mouth wide open like that, lil' Cal!" Shem had joked at her gaping - but she didn't care, and she didn't stop to hide her awe! She had never seen anything so beautiful! Until, of course, the name-day gift her father presented her with from the markets there later that day... Absently, Calia toyed with the small silver charm at her wrist, the twist of a smile spreading properly over her lips now, her blue eyes sparkling in her ageless face. 'Yes, a hundred years and then a few,' she thought, '- and I doubt I'll ever forget!' ● Stormbreaker whinnied and pranced as he finally stepped onto the cobbled streets of the capital, and Cal's dappled grey followed suit moments later with a dance and a whinny of her own. Calia smiled and spared a grin for Elessar, who was in the middle of giving his stallion an affectionate pat. She couldn't help but share the horses' exuberance - Caemlyn was a city of vibrant energy and bustling streets, of blended human and Ogier craftsmanship and a tapestry of people, traditions and histories that always drew her in - the resplendent White Lion waving on flags of red here and there, and the Royal Palace shining above them all. ● The 'White Lion' stood where it always had, a short distance past a central city plaza bustling with a mix of people, fountains and monuments. Calia watched in appreciation as Elessar handled both of their bags, and the large innkeeper who had a smile that nearly matched his wide girth. Her gaidin handled all of the tasks with the easy grace of a seasoned traveller and warrior, and for that, Calia was grateful. She was tired. Their 'adventure' was serious enough that neither Elessar nor herself had wanted to slow down for those first couple of days, but the gravity of the situation sat in Calia's belly like sour stomped grapes, and had kept her mind racing at night. She didn't know if it was exhilaration of a new mission or the gravity of the task itself that had kept her awake, but she knew they had to find the seal first. They had to. The first thing Calia did on arrival to her rooms was to strip off her travel clothes and send them for cleaning. The second was to soak her own skin in a blessedly hot tub. The third was to take a nap. She awoke to the long-ago familiar seeping of bustling, busy, dinner-time common room sounds up through the floorboards and grinned, remembering the many, many evenings her and Kaylan had waited for just that level of noise to make their entries into the Common Room of Da's Inn and wreak their mischief. Smothering her grin, she checked her hair in the looking glass, dressed herself appropriately, as befit an Aes Sedai, in a green silk blouse and breeches, and headed downstairs to eat dinner with her gaidin. Calia watched Elessar's face as he ate his steak, potatoes, vegetables and gravy. She wondered at the tweak to the corners of his mouth at times, trying to decipher if he was thinking a current thought, retrieving a memory or enjoying the Gleeman's tale, as she was. She smiled to herself as she finished up the last of her meal, and enjoyed their comfortable silence for a while before talking some about the trip from Tar Valon. Despite the travel weariness upon her, and the gravity of the task ahead, Calia enjoyed discussing these thoughts with her Warder. For a moment she wondered if they would spend part of their stay here talking about the rest of their plans forward. Would they pass through Four Kings? Did she want to go? How much did Elessar know - or want to know - about her past? The thoughts floated by idly in her mind. And then, as she watched her Gaidin's face light up attentively as the Gleeman spun a tale of the Lost Prince, her own thoughts slipped into the Legends and Fairytales of the 'Ballad of the Lost Prince' too - Light willing, they would have plenty of time to talk about anything and everything tomorrow and over the next couple of days; for now though, she was simply glad to have her bonded, enjoying Life, by her side. ▀▄

I'll have a look and think over the next few days - catching up after being away camping all weekend!

As in, only threads marked (closed) are closed?

I still like the idea that maybe Shai'tan threw out a 'gift' of the True Power as a last stand before being sealed away. Perhaps it only touched a percentage of babies in utero; perhaps it was stored in limited extents within various random objects/places around the world, and transferred to whoever touched that object/travelled to that place next. Perhaps there is also a big well of it somewhere that when found, people will seek out. Perhaps it is always recognisable for what it is, or maybe something happens that means 25 years (or shortly after) is the starting point for the new 'taint' to start taking effect en mass... Plenty of opportunity there for fun play and development and various plots that would be appropriate for many subgroups - traditional channelers vs 'new ones', people trying to develop a 'cleanse'/be 'cured'... people going mad and causing havoc, Wolfkin scenting them out, the non-channeling military/watch group needing special ter'angreal to be 'safe'...

And, not really sure where to put this, but gamifying with challenges/badges still works with things like And I'm wondering if we could extend that to include actual content events/challenges that earn reward badges or general acclaim based on staff-set writing prompts/games/challenges/... E.g. [] Use [X] word in your post. [] Match/Snap! Start a post with at least one noun/verb/adjective that matches one in the last sentence of the post before (or matches word set by that player) [] Alliteration / Simile/ Metaphor Competitions - Best one of [X] created in comp/challenge time wins. []...