Character Name: Elin Hawes

Current Position/Status: Young Sister

Bio Link:

1) Your Handle: Phelix

2) Your Character's full name: I had a couple that I'm not really feeling connected to anymore (Gera, a Blue sister, Elin a Novice heading to the Red, and Themis a Grey Sitter)

3) Your Character's Type and Level (New or Returning: Trainee/Warder; Novice/Accepted/Aes Sedai - Traditional or Salidar): I'd like to build a new PC to play, is that possible?

4) Do you have see/have access to post on the RP IC boards? Yes

5) Do you see/have access to post on the Tar Valon OOC sub boards? I can see the Red, Blue, and Grey Boards still, the novice class boards

The lady's casual offer of every comfort her estate could offer almost made Gera break her composure. If not for decades of playing the Great Game in Cairhien and her more recent years in the Tower, she might have let a wry smile show. Their journey had been worse than most, what with the attacks and their lost baggage. When they returned to the Tower she would be more than a bit shamed to explain to the First Selector what had befallen their expedition.

"Thank you, Lady Camiline," Gera let a small, serene smile show. "Our journey was momentous at times, but we arrived with little harm done. The Tower thanks you for your generosity, though. I am sure our escorts will enjoy the chance to rest."

Pausing, Gera thought about how best to bring up how dangerous the roads were. Even here in Murandy, local nobility was expected to ensure the safety of the roads within the borders of the land they claimed.

"I imagine that the troubles we had are part of the larger problem that lead you to seek out the Tower's assistance. As well as your neighbor, of course."

While a small part of her mind focused on keeping her Aes Sedai serenity and not reflecting the weather conditions or the exertions of their journey, the rest of the Blue's mind was observing the lady and those she had brought out to meet their party. Though, a third, tiny part was dedicated to watching Visar and Kathleen. The former was less predictable because his Aes Sedai was not present, and so needed to be watched... while the latter would likely carry tales about how Gera performed out in the World... even if she didn't do so in an official capacity. Gera had learned that the women of the Tower liked their gossip as much, if not more, than the nobles they manipulated.

Setting those thoughts aside, Gera waited for the noblewoman's reactions, and hoped that Kathleen would maintain the public facade of unity that sisters on a joint mission.

-Gera Mondwin

Aes Sedai of the Blue

It was days like this that Elin did not regret being in the Tower. Most days, she longed to be on the road, traveling about, searching out young women to send to the Tower... and young men to be sent for a different reason. Today, however, was different. Today, she found herself standing amidst a horde of soldiers and warders, as well as a few of her sisters. Across the field were yet more of her sisters... though, for today, those women were her enemies. The rules of engagement for today forbade her from attacking them, which was foolish in her opinion. Yes, the primary purpose of today's battle was to prepare the Tower Guard for battling damane and perhaps asha'man, and eventually Dreadlords in the Last Battle... but at the same time, they had to find it discouraging that their Aes Sedai would only be defending and not returning attacking salvos.

She politely nodded, and made some small talk, with the other sisters on this side of the field. They were mostly Reds, along with sisters from many of the smaller Ajahs. Though, their opposition was primarily made up of Green sisters. Today's battle would play out in a physical representation of many battles in the Hall and the Tower as a whole. It made Elin grin with a bit of grim satisfaction.

Elin looked up and saw the woman who lead the Tower's military forces go riding by. It unnerved Elin, just a bit, to see a woman in such a physical role. To her mind, women could be leaders, but what sense did it make to swing a sword when there were stronger and faster men who could do the same thing. If a woman wants to be a General, a Noble, a Queen, Elin wouldn't bat an eyelash... but seeing women with swords and armor strapped on made her think. They would, of course, fulfill their roles excellently... else they wouldn't be the cream of the Tower Guard. Perhaps Elin needed to reconsider her preconceptions.

The battle line began to form, and Elin took her place behind a knot of soldiers. The men and women on the line were spaced out in small clumps with breaks, to reduce the damage that could be done by an explosion under their feet. That open space gave Elin an idea.

Embracing the source, Elin quickly spun Spirit, Fire, Water, and Air, into several illusions. She tied each one to one of the soldiers' armor. Where that soldier went, an illusory soldier would follow. With just a few weaves, she doubled the number of targets in her area. Her sisters across the field would not be able to tell which soldiers were real and which figments of the Power.

Several of the soldiers jumped and startled when they noticed the illusory soldiers beside them, but then settled quickly. They knew Aes Sedai could do many things.

Elin sighed with a bit of satisfaction. The battle had yet to begin, but she had already begun defending her soldiers. When the flares went up, the soldiers launched into battle. For now, all Elin could do was wait to see what the Aes Sedai opposite her would do.

Hmmm... well, Devon, I've got two Aes Sedai I'd like to have play with you all.

My Red is Elin, and I think she'd be good defending the Warders from Battle Weaves. I've also got a Gray that I haven't used yet, and I think she'd be good to enforce the rules. Maybe she catches an attacker using weaves that have been decreed too violent for the exercise, or a defender channeling to attack.

You know, the more I think about this, the more I think it might just be hilarious to have the Greens do the attacking, and the Reds the defending ... lol

 

Any Grays want to negotiate this while the Yellows mend the resultant broken heads?

I don't know, Elgee... do you think Esther would be up to negotiate this deal?

I think I could get Elin and Themis worked in... Elin defending the Warders, and Themis observing to make sure no one violates the rules of the encounter.

Rashi,

Here is the Gray Report... let me know if I'm missing anything. It's my first go at this process!

Gray Ajah - March Report

1) Total: 5 Members, 6 characters (that would be Active + Inactive]

New: 1 Members, 1 characters: Phelix as Themis (see Active list)

Active: 4 Members, 4 characters

Character: Lailyn Konaris

Handle: Jagen Sedai

Last RP: ???

Character: Alicatia Sunoma

Handle: Matalina

Last RP: This Month

Character: Esther Tremaine

Handle: Elgee

Last RP: ???

Character: Themis do'Modron a'Rhiannon (NSW HoA)

Handle: Phelix

Last RP: Haven’t yet used her... she’s still shiny and new.

Inactive (not RPed in past 3 months): 1 Members, 2 characters

full handle - full character name (last time RPed as that character)

Character: Lavinya Morganen

Handle: Lavinya

Last RP: ???

Character: Pia Tovisen

Handle: Lavinya

Last RP: ???

MiA (not RPed in past 12 months - bio needs reapproval): [amount] Members, [amount] characters

full handle - full character name (last time RPed as that character)

2) RP's done by Ajah characters during March

There were no purely Gray Ajah RPs this month. Matalina did RP as Alicatia, but in her role as a Black sister, not as a Gray. I haven’t yet RP’d with Themis, but plan to get her out and about shortly.

3) Problems, ideas, etc

Problems... well, I just took over this month from Jaegan, who transitioned out because of time commitments, so I don’t know how active she plans on being in the future as a player/character. I also believe Matalina plays Alicatia primarily as a Black sister. This leaves me with two active Grays. I think the solution... or at least a step in the right direction, is to get Themis and Esther out on the boards where Novices and Accepted can see them as Gray sisters. It will help with our numbers, I think.

Another minor problem is knowing when certain players last played. For the two inactives, I am fairly certain they haven’t played since we moved to DM 8, but I can’t tell you when they played last before that. I figure I will leave that as their mark and move them to MiA when the DM 8 anniversary hits.

I was debating offering Elin up to mess with the Warders... but if the Greenies got in under control...

Gera sat her horse well, as anyone of a certain station in Cairhien must, and as all Aes Sedai must... it still took some thought to remind herself that she was not just a Cairhienin now, but also an Aes Sedai. Her old life was gone, but it had formed the better part of 50 years of habits. One didn't up and become a new woman just because of a few years in the Tower. She had her shawl safely packed away, its crisp blue fringe still a source of pride. She was one of the first of a new type of Aes Sedai, and the fact that she had gained her shawl spoke to her hard work and the fitness of all women like her. Not long ago, the Tower had capped the age a woman could enter as a Novice at 18. No matter her potential, no matter if she were a wilder... no woman older than 18 was technically allowed to enroll. Some few slipped by with a white lie... or an outright lie... but they were rare. A few years past, the Hall had decided that with the Last Battle approaching, they must capture all the talent they could, so the Novice books were opened. The older women were called "Salidar Novices" not because they came from Salidar, a small town in Amadicia... but for some reason known only to the Hall and a few sisters higher in the ranks, like Talina Sedai, the Mistress of Novices.

This journey was a test... both of her personal skill as a sister, but also of the idea of older novices. If she failed, it would reflect poorly on all of the older initiates. If she succeeded, it would show that they were just as competent as women taught young.

Of course, their journey hadn't been easy. They had been attacked twice, losing pack horses with many of the supplies needed for this mission. Their spare clothing, some of their money, much of their food stores, and more, were now enriching some foolish bandit. Gera and Kathleen had used the Power to fend off the worst of the attacks, but there was only so much one could do when one's life was not directly in danger. It was a frustrating limit placed on them by the Oath Rod.

As Gera mused on their journey, she saw Visar Falmien approaching. The Warder was the leader of their guard, and he fulfilled the duties admirably, but he was still an enigma to Gera. She knew that he was Bonded to a Green... Rasheta... but she had stayed behind in the Tower, while Kathleen now acted as if she comanded Visar. Gera doubted the man's bond had been passed... someone would have mentioned it, even if only in passing gossip. He was quite useful... perhaps he had asked Rasheta to allow him to explore working with other Aes Sedai. It might be worth persuing to see if he would consider allowing his bond to be passed to another sister. Gera still had not found a man who met her requirements for a Warder. Visar seemed to match them well.

When he was close enough, Visar began his report without bowing. Here, alone in the countryside, that would be acceptable, but Gera hoped he would be more polite when they had others with them. Perhaps she should mention that to Kathleen.

"Greetings, Aes Sedai. I scouted the road ahead: clear in all directions. I met with a rider from Lady Arman as well and told him to send word of our arrival. She should be expecting us by sundown if we quicken our pace."

"Excellent, Visar," Gera nodded to the Warder. "Set the pace. It would not do to keep the Lady waiting any longer." There was a touch of irony in Gera's words. The situation they had been sent to deal with shouldn't require a single Aes Sedai, let alone two, but because of the nature of Murandian land disputes and the number of bandits and sell swords around, this minor conflict had the potential to flare, bringing the whole region into conflict. If the Tower didn't involve itself, some ambitious Andoran Lordling might decide to cross the border with his army to "assist in settling the dispute" while also extending his own holdings, and the Andoran Border, deep into Murandy.

So many nobles this far west thought their motives were obscured behind their pretty words. Few ever matched wits with a skilled player of the Game, and those that had likely didn't even realize they had been played.

As the sun began to lower in the west, the land around them began to show signs of farming and being cultivated, rather than wilderness. The lady's mansion was revealed as they came around a bend in the road. It was a rather large building, obviously built to be both a home and a fortification. In a nation where civil wars are more common than not, it pays to build with an eye to defense. Standing at the steps of the home were a row of servants, ready to take their horses, as well as the Lady herself and her household.

While she rode up the pathway, Gera scanned the waiting faces. Yes, the Lady kept up a strong facade... but there was something hidden there. Oddly enough, the Lady's daughter also wore the signs of someone hiding a secret. It might be useful to put some pressure on the girl... to see what developed.

Gera Mondwin

Aes Sedai

Blue Ajah

Razzum frazzum dream trap and the timeline. *pouts*

Elgee's right. Themis can't RP with novices. At least not as a Sitter or Head.

Go ahead Kat... everyone should get a chance to RP with you.

OOC: Amadine, m’dear, we all wanted to say thank you for all the hard work you’ve been doing as the MoNster for so many unruly novices and Accepted. You’re a real gem, and you should hear about it every so often. So, this silly RP is a bit out of character... but it’s meant for you.

IC: Elin sat out in the garden, her novice whites neatly tucked to avoid grass stains, and let the sun’s warmth soak into her. It was a lovely, early spring day, and Elin had nothing to do with herself. She was near the end of her studies as a novice, she was sure. She could weave the Power just as well as many Accepted, and she knew that she had learned most of the novice courses being taught this year. Perhaps it would be her time soon to be tested for the banded dress.

Thinking about the process that went into earning that dress lead Elin to think about the woman who would walk her through it. Valeri Sedai had been almost more of a mother to Elin than her own mother had been. She held Elin when the novice had to cry out her frustrations, and she forced Elin to live up to the standards the Tower set when Elin needed a bit of steel put into her spine. These years in the Tower would not have been what they were without Valeri.

How to show that though? It wouldn’t be appropriate to just walk up and tell her that... Valeri filled that role for every novice in the Tower. Then it hit her. She could bake!

Before coming to the Tower, she had been one daughter in a family of bakers... she had recipes stuffed in her brains to cover any goodie she could imagine. Thinking about it, though, Elin realized the best option would be a pie. Something with a tender, flaky crust that would be perfect served cold. Elin doubted she could bake something and sneak it into Valeri’s office while still hot.

That was it. Her plan was set. Tonight, after the kitchens closed down, she would sneak in and bake an apple pie for the Mistress of Novices.

After waiting for the halls to grow quiet, Elin slipped out her door. Of course, other doors sprang open immediately, but Elin shushed them. “I’m just going to do something nice for Valeri Sedai.”

That seemed to do the trick, as the other girls closed their doors and let her go on her way.

The kitchen was immense. It had to be, to feed the entire Tower, but Elin felt a bit overwhelmed as she debated where to get started. Her mother had always told her to take each task in small chunks to make the bigger parts fall into line, so Elin began by gathering the ingredients she would need.

Spices, flour, water, fat, apples, sugar, starch, and more... then she gathered the tools she would need. Bowls, a pie pan, a rolling pin, and the knives.

Then she got to work. Peeling, coring, and slicing the apples into neat pieces that would cook evenly, then sprinkling them with spices, starch, sugar, and a titch of acid from a lemon. After stirring it all together, Elin let the mixture sit while she considered the dough.

The flour and spices mixed well, and then she kneaded in the fat and a bit of water. Forcing the mixture into a paste, then folding it over and over itself until it began to form layers. After measuring it for the pan, she cut the dough in two, and formed one piece into the pan, making sure to poke small holes all across its bottom to avoid bubbling.

She set it in the oven to bake, letting the bottom crust get a head start on the rest of the pie. After it was ready, she pulled it out and poured in the apple mixture. The juice from the lemon and apples had mixed with the sugar and starch to make a sweet syrup, and she made sure to spread that over the rest of the apples. She mounded the fruit high, making a hill of fruit in the pie pan. Once the fruit was tightly packed, Elin laid the remaining crust over the pie and began fusing the edges together using her fingers. She turned the edges into a lovely braid that looked almost like the embroidered vines on the shawls worn by full sisters.

At the center of the pie’s crust, on top of the hill of fruit, Elin placed a cut-out piece of dough in the shape of the Flame of Tar Valon. Using a small knife, Elin cut out small pieces of dough in the shape of leaves, all leading away from the central Flame. Taking the dough she’d just cut away, Elin made it into small vines to join the leaves.

This pie was all about Aes Sedai, the fact that Valeri was helping them all get there.

While the pie baked, Elin allowed herself a small nap... but when the scent of cinnamon tickled her nose, Elin woke herself, knowing the pie was done. It came out perfectly, the slices of apple just visible through the cut out leaves. Elin let it rest, sitting on the counter, while she cleaned up her mess, washing her dishes, and doing her best to erase any trace of her impromptu baking.

Then she carried her illicit pastry up the stairs, hoping there weren’t any owlish Browns out and about. There was one close call as she came around a corner just in time to see a shawl passing around the other side of the hallway, leaving Elin alone. She waited just a heartbeat to make sure the sister didn’t come back.

When she arrived at Valeri’s office, Elin stretched out her senses to see if there were any wards on the door. There was one... but it seemed like it was designed to alert someone inside if there were guests outside the door. If that were the case, then anyone inside already knew Elin was here, so there was no use hiding. Carefully, Elin opened the door and slid inside. There wasn’t anyone inside.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Elin set the pie in the center of the desk... and realized she couldn’t just leave the pie without explanation. No one just ate food that was left for them... especially not the Mistress of Novices... who knows what foolish novice might try to Prank Valeri?

Taking a piece of thick paper, Elin wrote out in the blockiest letters she could: Valeri Sedai, this pie is a small token of thanks for all you do.

Hoping that was enough to disguise her role in this pie fiasco, Elin quickly snuck back to her room knowing that she still smelled of cinnamon and baked apples.

The next morning, the breakfast tables were abuzz. Valeri hadn’t been angry... she had asked around, and several of the novices were wondering who had done such an odd thing. Elin hoped the others would follow her cue and make something nice to show Valeri how much they appreciated her.

*smacks forehead*

That's what I get for copying and pasting when I'm sleepy...

*goes to edit*

Hello there, daughter. *haughty*

(If the Highest can get away with being equal to the Amyrlin, so can the Head Clerk! )

lol... execution by Amyrlin.

We wouldn't want the Admins going spare, now would we?

The board you requested should work lovely.

I've got a shiny new Gray sister who is a Sitter (and secretly Head of the Gray Ajah)... and I haven't played with her yet. I'd love to take her out for a spin... are there any sisters, Accepted, or Novices around who want to play with a sister?

It could be anything as basic as Themis (pronounced Teh-mis) encountering your character in the gardens and they chat... or maybe (if you're a novice or Accepted) you approach Themis to ask about the Ajah, or a treaty that your novice has some interest in, or anything really.

For the novices, I'm sure we could write it out long enough that it counts as a req for Novice Life (4 posts of 250 words each min.)

So, any biters?

So, I was thinking about a major flap that could occur in our Tower... something that would merit a division like this.

Perhaps it could be tied to the other major inter-ajah RPs right now, bonding Asha'man and the Ajah Heads finding each other. Perhaps there's some sour grapes among the Ajahs about the Reds bonding Asha'man without consulting the rest of the Tower, adding in the idea that the Amyrlin raised from their Ajah was in on it... perhaps the Blue, Gray, White, and Brown come together to decide that the Reds have been doing too much without the rest of the Tower. Maybe there's the suggestion of deposing Shevarra... it wouldn't have to pass, but a motion like that in the Hall would offend a lot of people, inflaming tensions, and making everything all kinds of unpleasant.

Thoughts?

So, with all the shifting among Ajah Heads... this is still happening, right?

I have no problem with Themis being found out by the others.

Hello Grays!

So, we are supposed to report how active we are as an Ajah to the higher ups, and to make it easy on all of us, I'd like to set up a process where we all post our RPs using the same format in the same thread. This thread!

Here is the format I'd like us all to use:

DM Handle - Character Name

[RP Title]

[link to your RP]

Timeline: Main Timeline/Retro (approximately how many years in the past?)

Content: Brief summary of your RP, the plotline and characters involved.

Gray Traditions and Customs

Election of Sitters

• Sitters are elected by a process where sisters nominate their peers. The Ajah debates until only two or three sisters are agreed upon by consensus, then the Ajah votes by secret ballot, the winner takes the seat in the Hall.

Petitioning the Ajah for membership

• A sister who wishes to join the Gray Ajah will be accepted after swearing her oaths, but upon arriving in the Ajah’s quarters, she will be put on trial for her past actions. Any lies, pranks she got away with, or crimes she committed before joining the Ajah will be brought against her. She can call witnesses to help her mount a defense. One Sitter will serve as the prosecutor for her trial, while a senior sister will serve as her Advocate/Defender. The Head Clerk will judge the trial. (This is a Dragonmount only tradition, and is not found in the books.)

Who is who:

Head of the Ajah/Sitter: Themis do'Modron a'Rhiannon (NSW played by Phelix) Bio

Sitter: Ziya Asunawa (NSW) Bio

Sitter: Freja Peyrodin (NSW) Bio

Currently, both Ziya and Freja are vacant and free to play with. If you would like to use them for an RP with your character please ask me for permission first. If you would like to RP as either of the Sitters, you do also need to ask for permission. In both cases I will ask for an RP outline showing where and why you want to use the Sitters, and if you are asking to play as the Sitter, I will want to know how long you intend to fill that role.

Here is a link to the Wiki with a list of Gray Ajah bios. You can look at other ideas and concepts other Grays have had in the past, or see if there are NSWs you would like to play with. Check with me before using any character other than your own. You will most likely not get permission to use another PC, but could get permission to use an NSW.

Welcome to your new home in the Tower! The Gray Ajah welcomes all sisters, but we tend to Aes Sedai who feel a passion for the Law. There are the obvious Grays who love nothing more than sitting down with a legal tome and reading through the codes, but there are also less obvious Grays who enjoy roving around the countryside helping local judiciaries to enforce the laws of that region. Just because you are a Gray sister, does not mean you are trapped in the Tower, only to be sent out when nations need to negotiate their boundaries.

Being Gray means exactly what you want it to mean, and not a whisper more or less.

-Phelix

This is a link to our page on the White Tower's main website. There is some more information there, as well as links to all the other useful information you might need while playing in the White Tower.

Character: Lailyn Konaris

Handle: Jagen Sedai

Position: sister

Age: 209

Email: drowelfmorwen@yahoo.com

Character: Alicatia Sunoma

Handle: Matalina

Position: Sister

Age: 54

Email: matalina@gmail.com

Character: Esther Tremaine

Handle: Elgee

Position: Sister

Age: 30

Email: lg_curepipe@yahoo.com

Character: Lavinya Morganen

Handle: Lavinya

Position: Aes Sedai

Age: 90+

Email: lavinyasedai@gmail.com

Character: Pia Tovisen

Handle: Lavinya

Position: sister

Age: 220+

Email: lavinyasedai@gmail.com

Character: Themis do'Modron a'Rhiannon

Handle: NSW - Phelix

Position: Head of the Ajah

Age: 170

Email:

1. Gray Ajah Info post with links, etc. Done? (Could add more...)
2. One list of current members Done
3. Create list of Gray traditions Done
4. Create list of Gray Codes (Yes, I'm stealing this from you Elgee!)
5. Create list of RP ideas
6. Plan how to get a Gray NSW (?) sister to the Dragon (Excellent idea Jagen!)

That's it for now... if you have other ideas, feel free to add them here or PM me.

Hello my Grays!

Welcome to the Gray Ajah Board! My name is Phelix, and I will be your Head Clerk for the foreseeable future.

Some goals I have for the Ajah:

1. Recruitment! We now have three or four active members, and I'd like to find another two or three.
2. Ajah activities- As the Gray we should be out and about doing things. We're not always seen as one of the sexy Ajahs, like the Greens or the Reds, but it can be fun to be a Gray! Let's show the Accepted and Novices out there that they could find a good time in the Gray Halls.
3. Increase Inter-Div with the Freelanders- The Gray Ajah is the natural Ajah for monarchs to ask for advisors from. It's also the Ajah that provides judges and lawyers to the world, as well as negotiators. Let's get out there and play with the rest of the world.
4. Other ideas?

I know those goals are fairly vague and nebulous, but let's work on making them happen.

If there's ever anything you need from me, feel free to shoot me a PM. I've got that set to automatically notify me via email, and if I'm free I'll respond right away. If I'm not free, I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Thanks all!

Phelix