Arina barely managed to stop herself from killing the girl as she walsed in to the Lord's room. She tried to avoid using her target's name if she could help it. He was a target, nothing more. She kept silent as Alinya rambled about making a mistake, well duh, and headed downstairs. Arina knew they wouldn't be able to catch up to them while remaining unnoticed, so she went to their room to get their belongings instead. She changed back in to her normal cloths and went to pay the innkeeper. It was never a good idea to bring attention to yourself and not paying your bills was a sure way of doing that.

She found Alinya outside examining twigs and footprints. As though there was any way of distinguishing one print from the douzains of others. People came and went in a continuous stream up this road and in and out of this inn. Arina sighed inwardly and followed the girl. It was as good a place to start looking as any, she supposed and it did make sense. Tracking was much harder on water and the Lord wasn't a fool.

Reflecting on her actions when the Lord and the guard had left the room, she wondered if she couldn't have taken them both right there. The only thing that stopped her was that she could not guarantee doing it unseen. The landing was too much of a public place with drunks staggering in and out. It also would have made it quite a task to hide the bodies long enough to get away without rousing suspicion. So she had let them go.

They arrived at the docks and Arina instantly saw a commotion going on at one of the boats anchored there. Sure enough, the Lord was bullying the captain in to taking the boat out. Alinya made as to head straight for them, but Arina grabbed her by the scruf of the neck. "You managed a small thing tonight and a huge mistake. Don't go making another one." The captain started bobbing his head and Arina knew the Lord had found his transportation. She dragged Alinya to the other side of the ship, making sure they weren't seen by those on deck and gestured for her to climb up the anchor chain. There was a small rowboat attached to the side of the ship and they managed to climb inside it.

"And now we wait for the opportunity to arrive" she hissed at Alinya, who once again made as to go out to get the job done on the instant. "You need to learn patience, girl, or you'll not live a very long life! Use your head for once!"

Ok, once again real life interfered. Had to go to a family thing this evening so didn't get to do my RP as I wanted to but I'll definately get to it tomorrow or at the latest Saturday. I plan on getting up to date on all my RP's by the end of the weekend.

sorry hon, I'll get to our RP first thing tomorrow. Promise. Been partying as I found out I passed my assessment exam.

posted again. Sorry it took a while, been battling extreme pains that left me nausious these last few weeks.

Rodan listened carefully and nodded a few times. He didn't fail to hear the bitterness in Mehrin's voice as he spoke of the group he belonged to. It seemed to the boy that the man wasn't entirely honest with himself but on the other hand, he remembered his face, his smile and the eagerness in his eyes when those bandits showed up. Perhaps there was more truth in it after all. It was hard to think of this man as a stone hard killer. From everything Rodan had learned to date, stone hard killers don't went about protecting others. Especially strangers. And for what? A wagonload of goods? Something didn't quite add up but Rodan couldn't put his finger on it.

"You gave those bandits a choice to leave," Rodan muttered to himself, unaware that he spoke loudly enough to be heard, "they choose to fight instead as they choose to attack us in the first place. How does that become your responsibility. You could defend this caravan alone, but without you we'd all be dead right now. They didn't look like the sort that would be merciful to me. So what are you supposed to do? Stand aside and watch? Wouldn't that be the greater evil?" Simple folks get killed daily, his father had told him. It was one of the reasons Rodan had always wanted to be a hero. Heroes weren't simple folk. Heroes protected simple folk.

He looked at Mehrin for a while. The man stared at him hard. He was the only hero he'd ever met and the first thing he'd done was crush his childhood dreams.

"When did you become responsible for the actions of others?" Rodan asked. "Your responsibility, as you took it, was to take us safely to our destination and to teach me how to fight. I don't remember my father saying that you were responsible for everyone we met on the roads. Those thugs had a choice, they made it. We paid for it, but simple folks always pay for the choices of others more often than for their own. Do you think they would have left us alone if you hadn't been here?"

welcome back and congrats, graduate!

The First Step is the Toughest

Guild: which FL group does this RP belong to: Aiel, Seanchan, Kin, Freebooters, etc

Characters (Writers): Aphynea Shayen (Leala) + Endora Meladrin (NSW - Mystica)

Summary: What it means to be Aiel training for Leala's apprentice.

Extra info: 2nd training session to become a Wise One

Start date RP: 11/06/2012

End date RP: ongoing

Endora listened to the other Wise Ones in silence. They were discussing the newest addition to their ranks of apprentices. The girl, according to them, was flipping back and forth between the attitude of a Maiden and that of a first time mother. She was either too severe or too leniant. A common issue with new apprentices, as Endora knew all too well. While they didn't exactly include her in the conversation, she noticed some did occasionally cast an eye in her direction. Trying to read her reaction. She smiled at them and sipped her tea, content in listening for the moment. It threw some of them off guard, though the more experienced ones smiled right back, holding eye contact a while longer before continuing with the conversation. "You may be unpredictable," those smiles said, "but we know your heart." Endora didn't mind her sister Wise Ones to feel that way. In many ways, they were right and they did know her heart. For her heart belonged to her people and their survival through the trials that awaits the Aiel.

After a few hours, she shifted herself in a more upright position and announced simply that she would speak with the girl. The others instantly ceased their talk and looked at her.

"Are you sure, Endora?" one of them asked. "You already have several apprentices under your care. We do not shy from taking our share of the burden."

"I'm sure," she replied. "Besides, just because I speak to her once doesn't mean she can not learn from anyone else. I will know what I have to work with once I've spoken to her myself. You know I prefer it when apprentices have more than one teacher. It enriches them far more than hearing the same bell over and over again."

"Very well," a sturdy, rock hard looking Wise One said. "You are good with the girls, Endora. Of that, there can be no question." The others quickly agreed, as people were proned to do when Maliya spoke, and they ordered the gai'shan to dose the fire, clean up the tent and go to bed. The Wise Ones filed out one by one, seeking the warmth of their own blankets.

"Go fetch the girl." Endora ordered one of the gai'shan. Tell her to go to my tent and wait for me there.

She instantly left for her tent, disrobed and crawled under her blankets. Sleep came instantly.

The next morning, Endora awoke and found the girl standing still in front of her tent. Bleary eyed and swaying side to side, fighting to stay awake.

"Good morning, child." Endora greeted her cheerfully. "Come in here and set us some tea."

Nothing new to report on the Browns this month either.

There is an interdiv RP being planned in which my Brown will play a part, but I don't know when that will be put in action so can't really report anything on it yet.

Ruan Andradem Shoa Paendrag sat in front of her mirror while her so'jhin took the razor over her head in sure, steady moves. The Daughter of the Nine Moons looked at herself while contemplating the events and interpreting the omens she had seen. Thread with care but surety. When her head was as smooth and baren as a baby's bottom, her so'jhin powdered it after cleaning it off with a soft, warm towel. The woman didn't show any sign on her face as she reached for the veil to cover Ruan's head and face, but Ruan knew it bothered her. The veil didn't hide her face, of course. Nore did it impeed on her vision. It was made of the softest and most delicate silk in all the Empire. No, the veil was there for symbolism only. For she was Under the Veil and thus she was the High Lady Ruan, not the Daughter of the Nine Moons.

"Go see to it that the sul'dam has sufficiently consoled the damane." She said to her So'jhin. It was an unusual order, to say the least. Normally the woman would not leave Ruan's side for anything, but when her mistress spoke, the so'jhin obeyed. Ruan wanted some time alone to think. How could they have faltered so before? Surely there must be some reason behind it. She had examined the evidence, refused the requests for suicide from those in charge and instead had sent them to Seanchan to appologise to the Empress herself, may She live forever. Some said it was a harsher thing to do than allow suicide and so it was. But there could be no room for errors in this mission. Too much was at stake! The faith of the entire world rested upon their shoulders and not just that of Seanchan. Her mother, the Empress, had sent her to bring these lands back under the command of their rightfull ruler. But now so much more was going on. The Dragon Reborn had risen and the Last Battle was surely on its way. He must be made to kneel before the Crystal Throne so the Empress can use him to defeat the Dark One. Or all would be lost. Ruan's mission had become a thousand times more important than when she set out from Seandar.

Suddenly restless she left her rooms, ordering her servants to remain and await her return. It was unlike her to go anywhere without her Shadow, but Ruan wasn't exactly helpless either. She had been drilled in combat since her cradle and she was lethal with almost every weapon as well as with her hands. The palace was secure in Seanchan hands, though that didn't mean her safety was secure as well. Quite the opposit. As Heir to the Seanchan Throne, Ruan has been a target for assassins from birth. Both from her own siblings as well as from other, ambitious sources. She had to learn to outmanouver them quick and skillfully for the members of the Imperial Blood did not live long without those skills. It was, of course, the best way to ensure that only the most worthy would be named Heir to the Crystal Throne. How else was one to know if someone had the skills, the wisdom and all other assets required to lead the Empire?

Servants fell to their faces at her approach and she ignored them. It would take time for these locals to learn the proper ways but they learned the basics quickly enough. A few examples had ensured that right from the start. Ruan was not cruel and believed in proper behavior in regard to one's station. Order was of the utmost importance to insure the security of her realm. Her mother had pounded that in from the beginning. The Empress must be a source of order and stability. How Ruan was to serve the Empress, may She live forever, in these chaotic times she was as yet unsure. But serve she would.

If only there was a clear way of bringing these lands under Seanchan rule, secure the Dragon for her mother's use and stand against the evil that was spreading from the Dark. She turned the corner of another corridor while still pondering her options.

you're welcome Dwyn

Yes we do! Freelander members won 6 empies for 2011!

Alright, do whatever you feel might be best. I don't mind it being Rodan, but if you think you can do it better with another character that's fine by me too. In that case I will convert Rodan in to a PC. I like the little bugger now. lol

Yup, put it up just for you: http://www.ariyena.com/mystica%20corner/empyawards.htm

Note: this bio is the one that was submitted and used a long time ago. It may not hold any events that have been RP'd with it and I won't try to add them either since there is no way for me to find those RP's anymore (given that some may be lost in previous DM versions). I'm posting it so it is here as a background.

Appearance:

Height: 5’ 2”

Weight: 104lbs

Hair: Shaved

Eyes: Brown

Complexion: Dark

Build: Slender

From the secret journal of Ruan Andradem Shoa Paendrag:

No doubt my story will not be remembered if all things fail. That is how history goes, recorded by the winners in shades of overenthusiastic glory to paint themselves in the best light to their peers and the commons alike. I will not be remembered like that. The Ever-Victorious Army bears the name it does because it knows how to wage war. Defeats in battle are occasionally inevitable, but one must learn from the mistake and move on, improving the gaps in one’s defences so that the next time it is not there. That is how I have to operate. That is how I have had to survive thus far, and that is the reason that I, Ruan Andradem Shoa Paendrag, am the Daughter of the Nine Moons and heir to the Crystal Throne of Seanchan, and my siblings are not.

Favour is not a thing taken lightly. Policies and politics in any noble House all know this, and I have had to learn this lesson the hard way – it usually comes with a knife in the back or a fall from a high window, or some slow-acting poison. We are all schooled from birth to conspire against those we love - to our deaths, or their own. We are all encouraged to be the best examples of what Seanchan can produce. Thus I availed myself of every subject and art that was available to me so I could work to my best advantage, even those that my brothers and sisters did not. Every single piece of knowledge is power. We all grew up long before others usually do. The Court of the Nine Moons is not a place for children. My mother the Empress, might she live forever, needs to know that should anything ill befall her, the Empire is in the best of hands. To that end, we schemed and plotted amongst ourselves for both favour and survival. It is testament to my skill that I am still alive, given some of the stories from my history.

Once, I managed to foil the plot of one of my closest older sisters, one in whom I had confided when I had been scared or felt alone. Everyone has moments of weakness, yet in my youthful inexperience I did not expect such behaviour. I should have known that when I discovered her plotting my defenestration from a window that was being renovated. I managed to thwart her plot by listening carefully to what she said and what she did not say, and I managed to convince the workmen repairing the window that my sister was the one with malicious intent, and that for the good of the Seanchan Empire my sister should be the one ejected. It was a grievous accident, and I grieved along with my other siblings while secretly relieved that part of the competition had been removed. I was nine years of age, and such was my initiation into the world I would one day rule.

The Court of the Nine Moons is a mercurial place, where rank is bestowed and removed on a seeming whim. All of us strive for a higher name and to better ourselves for the good of the Empress, might she live forever. I devoted myself to my studies, sleeping lightly, and training myself with the knife and the bow and the use of the only other weapon a woman in my station would be best equipped with; my wits. I also learnt hand-to-hand combat for the rare occasions I might have been overwhelmed where I had no weapon with which to defend myself. There are few I trust, far too few, but if I give myself the luxury of trust I may as well lay down on the ground and allow everyone to walk over me. I do not let my guard down; I cannot afford to. I discovered that I had a talent for training damane and I seized the opportunity eagerly. If you but look around the kennels I keep, you will know that my damane are devoted and obedient: it does not reflect well on a person of my standing to have unruly damane, but I am not an overly harsh mistress. I am as hard as I need to be, and as a result I have some of the most proficient in the Empire.

As an obvious result of my watchfulness I do not sleep much, and this gives me ample time for me to pursue a secret pleasure. For the most part, I read or train, but there are some times that this is not enough. I have a curiosity about the world. Oh, I have been educated in all the things, including those that are supposed to be aesthetically pleasing such as flower arrangements and exotics, but I sometimes feel the constraints of a palace more dangerous than the roughest palace for all its exquisite courtesy. Take heed, I do not indulge in this regularly, but I firmly believe that to understand more of those one rules, one needs to occasionally visit the same kind of places that would be frequented by those of a lower name. I disguise myself, and evade anyone set to follow me, and head to places where I can watch dancing and revelry. I have often wondered what it means to dance. That such a thing is below my station is irrelevant: these are my thoughts and they will not be shared with anyone unless an event of some magnitude deems it necessary. For now, I watch for signs and I prepare myself for the Corenne. We will take back what is rightfully ours.

My twentieth naming day dawns, and I am proclaimed the current favourite child and the Daughter of the Nine Moons. Attempts to remove me from the position have all failed, usually backfiring and resulting in the demise of more of my siblings, yet I continue to be vigilant. The ships will sail soon. The Return will begin.

Rodan felt himself become better with every training he went through under Mehrin's instructions. The warrior's taunts had become less and less until they had vanished all together. At first Rodan hadn't noticed but ever since the incident on the road the boy had grown more attentive and alert. The first few weeks he jumped at every noise he heard then only when they met someone along their travel until finally he kept his alertness but without the jumping. He had taken to observing Mehrin's behavior and pretty soon noticed subtle changes in the man's posture and body language depending on the situation they came across. A hand on the pummel of his sword, flipping the cloak he sometimes wore back to free his path to draw, a shake of the arms to make sure the daggers hidden in the sleeves were in position. Rodan started paying attention to which sounds brought what response to the man. Pretty soon he was able to distinguish them himself, all be it not as soon as Mehrin and he wasn't always right either.

The incident at the road hadn't killed Rodan, but it killed his boyish innocence. To see a man being murdered in front of him would do that to a child. He had been forced to grow up right then and there, no more shortcuts. That became evident in his training sessions as well. Mehrin would push him ever further, demanding him to improve or get hurt. The man was ruthless in his training but Rodan no longer held it against him. He finally understood that unless he became better, he'd end up dead someday. And so Rodan began to appreciate the bruises and the shallow cuts he received from his mentor. He began to welcome the pain that never failed to accompany him while he slept. The boy receided and the beginning of a man started to emerge. What was left of their guards noticed it too, they began to treat him more as an equal and less as a child. They greeted him with respect, greatful as his warnings had saved not a few of them during the battle and they respected the fact that the boy had stood his ground and didn't freeze. If only they knew how scared he had been. How much he had wanted to hide and that only his pride had stopped him. But by then Rodan understood that a man's reputation wasn't for children's stories. It helped him survive. He supposed that's why so many crossed the line, pushing their reputation beyond the acceptable. The lines of what was and what wasn't decent blurring along the way. He had to make sure he never crossed that line. Honour was still important to him, though it had been seasoned by blood and terror now. He would do what needed done, but he prayed to the Light he'd never cross that line. The Creator grant him the wisdom to know the difference and the strength to make the right choice.

They were training again, as they did every day, and Mehrin complimented him on his defensive techniques. Pretty soon the warrior switched to offensive, which was not Rodan's strong point. They had been training on defense hard but hadn't focussed on offense much yet. Rodan's mind drifted off to when he had nursed Mehrin's wounds. It wasn't the wounds he nursed that bothered him, he'd seen blood before. No, it was the many scars on the man's body that had given him pauze. How did he survive all that without crossing that line?

"Rodan," Mehrin said, "you've been quiet these last few weeks. What's on your mind?"

Rodan put the tip of his sword on the ground and rested his hands on the pommel. He looked Mehrin straight in the eyes, no longer flinching at the sight of the hardness in them.

"How do you determine whether a fight is worth fighting?" He asked straight forward. Gone was the tone of a boy in agony, puzzlement, confusion. That tone indicated a desire to learn accompanied with an acceptance that what he might learn may not be to his liking. The first lesson Mehrin had taught him.

no, it's ok. he can be killed. It will be better for the dramatic element if it's him.

Yeah I know. It's fine, you just caught me off guard is all.

Quibby?

Alright, but I have to say that storywise it seems a bit rushed IC. They're currently in Andor, they're supposed to deliver the goods in the borderlands and return to Rodan's father. I understand someone getting killed along the way, would have been nice to have a say in it when it comes to Rodan but I can live with it (though I'll be creating another character like him because I grew fond of the character).

All you writing buffs out there, DM is having an application round for people who love WOT and writing.

Applications are up till 15 June and they are looking for two people.

You can read all the details about it here.

Good luck!

Myst

Hm, ok. I guess Rodan being taken didn't quite work out as we planned. Before I respond, what do you have in mind for the story now, so I can work towards it?

Shady business in Ebou Dar

Guild: Freebooters

Characters (Writers): Alinya (Jozan's assassin) + Arina (TTPC Assassin Mystica) + Erlin Drock (TTPC Tearen Lord - Arinth) + JoJohn (TTPC Guard to Erlin Drock - Arinth)

Summary: an assassin trainee goes on her first mission with her mentor to assassinate a Tearen Lord.

Extra info: Introduction of Jozan's assassin girl, Alinya.

Start date RP: May 2012

End date RP: ongoing

my first character, which was my Aes Sedai has some things from me. She has a great respect for nature and it's creatures and is quite analytical of people. She reads people pretty well and can see through situations.

All my characters have something of me, I suppose, but as I've been in a position where I had to create NSW characters and TPC characters I've learned to diversify more.

Those of you that play evil characters or characters with bad traits, did you find it always easy to play those? I had to get comfortable with that myself, though I must admit that there is a certain guilty pleasure of having that sort of freedom not to abide by normal standards. Which of your characters do you have the easiest/hardest time playing? The good ones or the bad ones?

who is up next? I posted last :)

Do you mold your characters after yourself or after someone you know? How do you choose which characteristics to give to what character and how much of that is 'you'?