A Gray Ajah funeral tradition

[Arette]

Vera and I discussed of a potential Gray Ajah RP that Annais could be involved in and she told me of this old RP idea Aurelie and Brenda cooked up. It never was used due to RL issues and Russ protesting but this is such a cool RP that we should try to do it now :)

 

Me and Brenda were chatting last summer about a Gray funeral. This idea came about before I decided to kill Dawn off and this was about a very ancient Gray who had lived secluded for the last years. An ancient who had earned the respect of her fellow Sisters and whose service would be very beautiful. We had the whole burning of the body on a wooden raft with flowers and such on the lake near Tar Valon figured out. But maybe that's a bit dramatic and we need something more joyous?

 

Wow!! That sounds lovely! I've never RPed a funeral before, and certainly not something so extravagent. It might be dramatic, but perhaps she was a really famed Gray Sister, who'd constantly worked for preserving the peace until she decided to stay secluded. However, if it is a woman who earned her respect because of how knowledgeable she was and her intelligence as a person, then we could think up something more joyous as you put it.

 

What about, we have a ritual where the Ajah joins in a kind of shared dream. This would be a ritual to bond the Ajah and share a dangerous experience without ever being in harm's way. Kind of like the soft version of Greens going to battle together.

 

We could take an herbal tea and sit in a circle in a calm candle lit hall and wait for the dream to start. The input of each Sister would alter the dream and make it the same for all involved. Maybe the Blacks in our Ajah would fear their exposure but nobody would believe what they saw/heard because it was an experience to frighten them and make everyone step up to be more than they thought they could be.

 

In the joint dream, everyone would lose their touch of Saidar and would need to cope in their own way. Maybe the Blacks involvement could lead to a Trolloc appearing, or maybe the Grays would just all be sobbing like babies. ;) Their own fear can be greatly overexagerated in this shared dream. (mental note to check with Russ about approval)

 

Vera commented that we might also have a Dreamwalker disturb the ritual and if we were to do so, maybe Nyssa could come and visit us? If I'm not mistaken, she had Dreamwalker abilities and otherwise we can just scare ourselves terribly. With the number of Blackies in our Ajah that should not be a problem. The rule would be that even if it got real bad, everyone would believe it was a dream once it was over. So the Blacks involved would be completely 'safe' for their identity.

 

Russ' protest

 

It's a lovely idea, but I'm not sure how well the concept of a shared dream would work. Aside from Dreamwalkers (and any use of a ter'angreal), we don't really have any control over going in and out of Tel'Aran'Rhiod, and certainly not as much as we'd need to all be able to meet up in one place and affect things.

 

I'm not saying that we definitely can't do it - we just need to come up with a way of making it work. We'd probably have to have Accepted, or something, standing with each person in the circle, to wake us all up either after a set time, or if anything appeared to be going too far wrong. We should remember that ICly, Aes Sedai really don't know very much about T'A'R, apart from those blessed with the Dreamwalking talent, and even they find out stuff by trial and error, because we don't have the benefit of Aiel Wise One training like Egwene did in the books.

 

 

The biggest problem seems to me to be getting to T'A'R and staying there for long enough time to see some visions. I think that the Gray Ajah could have a recipe for how to produce this kind of a herbal concotion that allows them to enter T'A'R for short duration. Since none of the Sisters present can control the Dreamworld, likely they all would picture themselves to be exactly where they are in real world too.

 

And of course since everyone will be drugged, the visions they see would be quite interesting... because the rational mind is not very much in control maybe they would be able to summon pale shadows of their visions for all Sisters to see.

 

But that is just my view on how it might work. What do you think? Do you like the idea itself?

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

 

 

Foxtail, Marisin, Kaf and a "special" herb that would encourage the entering of the Dream World would work. :)

 

Sounds like a good idea, ladies. All I ask is that you make it plausable. ^_^

[silhouette]

perhaps it wouldn't be the dreamworld perse, but a shared dream? Dreamwalkers can pull people into their own dream, which they've shaped to be a certain way so that the people present can experience something. If we had one guiding sister offering to open her dream to the rest, they can experience the life of said elder gray though the dream of one 'vessel'.

[ashara]

I really like Brenda's suggestion. In fact, I really like her idea to, since it was her and Lie's idea, right? :D Who would the guiding Sister be though?

[Arette]

I suggest Phaeadra or one of Brenda's characters :) Firstly because it was their idea originally and secondly because they rock! *hugs* Not that you others don't. Gray Ajah is so full of talent that it is no wonder that we have swelled *proud beam*

[silhouette]

If we place this a good 25 years before the main timeline, Nyssa could even host it, being the natural dreamwalker that she is ;)

 

She could even just be the dream-vessel, letting one of the older gray's dictate the dream.

[Arette]

Yes! I vote for Nyssa being present :)

[ashara]

As do I. :)

[Guest Celes]

As do I! I'm sorry I was not around much these past weeks, but I am definately trying to get back in the game. :) Phaedra is not a Dreamwalker and since Nyssa is, that sounds like a brilliant plan! Phaedra will be there though, to watch over her Sisters. :D

 

Will we also consider the funeral of an ancient Gray? We do not need to keep it just for Grays, anyone who 'knew' the old Gray could join in. We could set it in winter time and let the cold add to the gloom?

[ashara]

There's only one problem with continuing this RP...Brenda informed us that she can't be active until December, so these plans would have to hold off till then, unless we create a NPC Dreamwalker, or something? :? We could definitely start the funeral. :) It could be an open RP, plus other Ajahs could learn more about what we're about.

 

Also, something else I've picked up on is that there are a few Novices around who are pretty interested in the Grays. Should we concoct some sort of N/A trip with the Grays?

[Guest Celes]

Of course! I love the idea of a Gray trip!

 

How about a trip of a week or so to one of the bigger cities, they spend time in an inn and get taught a bout the local culture, food and perhaps haggle a bit at market? Also, a dinner to end the trip at a Lord's house? With some customs, some diplomacy?

 

The older Grays especially have many great contacts that would allow the Gray to enter their home with a few guests to taste the life of lordship?

 

 

[Arette]

That sounds like a cool plan, Lie :) I definately want to join with Annais.

 

But maybe as a contrast to getting the taste of life as a noble, the Grays could crash a wedding party of commoners or attend local market and competitions or something like that in at least one country. The nobles are just one of the three social classes after all.

[Guest Celes]

You're absolutely right!

 

What if, one of the Grays say for example Ava disagrees with the novices and Accepted visting this noble lord for a lunch and hearing all about his richess and his good food, good music and great stories. She decides to take them into town end of that afternoon and they strand in that wedding party in one of the inns. She then decides to convince the other Grays to stay and give the children a taste of both worlds?

 

Does not have to be Ava, but it's easier to add a name when brainstorming. ;)

And come to think of it, it fitst her character to go against the set programme of the Gray trip and convince the others to follow her example!

[Arette]

That sounds really good to me, Lie :) It is always good to have clearly one character to drive the events and Ava doing it works well.

[TaeaDawn]

Hey ladies! Just crashing the Ajah boards and saw this.  I love the funeral  and the travel ideas.  If you need the help of your friendly rp coord type person, let me know!

[Guest Celes]

I'm sorry I am in and out on these plans, I'm still active but my inspiration is bottom dwelling. :(

 

Perhaps we can set up a sign up? Or do we want to add some details for the trip first? And who in the Grays is joining in, we can sure use some Gray Sister input on this RP! :D

[Arette]

Lets just wing it ;) We are cool like that and can pull it off. I can start the sign ups tomorrow if no one else is quicker than me.

 

Annais at least is joining.

[ashara]

Hi girls. :) I recently PM'd three Novices who said they were interested in the Gray Ajah, in a thread that Sial/Siemba had started in the Secret Whisper Hole, asking if they'd be interesting in joining a trip. :) I'm about to post in the secret whisper hole welcoming all Accepted/Soon to be banded ladies. :)

 

Is anyone else wishing to join the trip, among the Sisters?

[Arette]

*slaps herself* Damn it, it was me who was keeping us waiting :( I am so sorry for not getting this started even though I promised.

 

But with Mrija in charge, something will actually happen now. I'm confident that you will poke me into the right direction when the RP starts.