Excellent... go forth and prosper.

If I were to RP that out, where would I post it, exactly? In lesson four, perhaps? I think starting a whole new thread may not be ideal, since you've just been raised (congrats, by the way!) and lesson four will be my final Novice req.

Considering it's homework for Lesson three, I'd keep it there... but that's just my opinion.

Thanks for the congrats, and a preemptive backatcha for the impending Acceptedhood.

Finished!

Talina found her working in a small study alcove, deep in the Tower Library. She had four different books open, each one by a different author trying to explain how the nations fragmented after Artur Hawkwing died. Each theory seemed like a partial explanation, while none seemed to explain the entire situation. To Gera’s thinking, the only thing that could unite the theories to explain the thoroughness and duration of the collapse was a unifying direction that oversaw the entire collapse. Most scholars disregarded that possibility because the collapse lasted several centuries, but they did not account for the extended lifespan of a channeler. If an Aes Sedai, or Light forbid, a Dreadlord chose to intervene they could easily orchestrate the entire collapse.

When Gera looked up and saw the Mistress of Novices standing there, she quickly got to her feet and curtsied to the appropriate degree. Ever since that rather thorough punishment for rudeness to a Sitter, Gera had respected the old biddy... even while she longed for the day when she would be her equal.

“Gera Mondwin, it is time. You are called to be tested for the Shawl and ring. Are you ready?” There was just a hint of a challenge in her tone, as if she expected the older Accepted to fail, to ask for more time.

“Yes, Talina Sedai, I am ready.” She put steel in her voice, respectful steel.

“Then follow me.” The Mistress lead Gera deep into the Tower, along a similar path to the one she took a few years prior for her test to be raised Accepted.

Inside the large room, Gera saw seven sisters waiting for them, all wearing their shawls proclaiming their ajahs.

“Attend,” Talina’s word seemed to fill the chamber as the Aes Sedai formed a ring around the Mistress of Novices and Gera. “You come in ignorance, Gera Mondwin. How would you depart?”

“In knowledge of myself,” was the only acceptable reply.

“For what reason have you been summoned here?”

“To be tried.”

“For what reason should you be tried?”

“So that I may learn whether I am worthy.” Gera knew that she was worthy of the shawl. She had to be. If she failed now, she would simply be an old spy mistress cast out into the world by the Tower. It was either succeed here, or relegate herself to a life of faded joys, her failure overshadowing everything else. She was worthy.

“For what would you be found worthy?”

“To wear the shawl.” Gera knew that hers would bear a blue fringe. At the word, Gera began disrobing, as she knew she must. Let the sisters in the room see her over-round flesh. She had lived her years.

“Therefore I will instruct you. You will see this sign upon the ground.” Talina spoke, even as Gera stripped. She channeled, and a silver, six pointed star appeared in the air. As Gera nodded, she felt another woman channeling behind her, and a weave of spirit settled into the back of her head. It felt much like Healing. “Remember what must be remembered.”

“When you see that sign, you will go to it immediately, at a steady pace, neither hurrying nor hanging back, and only then may you embrace the Power. The weaving required must begin immediately, and you may not leave that sign until it is completed.”

“Remember what must be remembered.” That voice coming from behind was a minor irritation, but Gera ignored the irritation and focused on the instructions.

“When the weave is complete, you will see that sign again, marking the way you must go, again at a steady pace, without hesitation.”

“Remember what must be remembered.”

“One hundred times will you weave, in the order you have been given and in perfect composure.”

“Remember what must be remembered.” Gera felt those words had been etched onto each inch of her skull. She would not forget, the instructions or the words.

Moving without signal, the seven sisters walked to the ter’angreal and knelt at its base. The pattern they wove of the power was incredible, and Gera felt a small bit of joy at the skill they obviously had. A task well performed was always a joyful thing. As the Power flowed into the ter’angreal, it began to rotate, slowly, colors flashing across the opening... faster and faster it moved, until suddenly the opening went solid white.

That was her cue. Gathering her dignity, despite her nudity, Gera entered the ring.

She was standing before the Amyrlin Seat, wearing her banded dress, all around Sitters glared. For some reason, they were deadly angry at her, and nothing she could do would change that. A quiet voice spoke behind her ear, “Remember...”

Scanning the room, Gera found the six pointed star and walked toward it. A part of her heard the Sitters anger rising, but the more dominant part simply kept walking to the star. When she arrived, she began the appropriate weave. When it was finished, a blue coin appeared in the air where she had been weaving. Suddenly the Sitters stopped speaking, and Gera turned to walk toward the shining star.

When her foot touched it, she found herself wading through hip-deep mud. She had never been in such a place, but she knew she hated it. There was a six pointed star to her left, so she walked toward it. With each step, she felt new disgusting things touch her, crawl on her, or attach themselves to her body. At the star, which was carved into a tree trunk, Gera wove the mandatory weave... and when it snapped into existence, she sighed. Had she made a mistake, she would have received a painful shock, which would only be made worse by the mud surrounding her.

The next star was higher up in the tree, so she hoisted herself out of the mud and climbed for it.

As her hand touched it, she found herself covered in mud in the middle of a ballroom. All around her were her friends, allies, and enemies. They were all dressed for a standard Cairhienin ball, but there she was wearing nothing but a thick layer of mud. In the center of the room, tiles described the six pointed star.

Gathering her courage and the shreds of her dignity, Gera walked to the center of the room, ignoring the stares and snickers of the crowd. No one said anything to her directly, but she burned with the shame of walking in front of their stares. As she neared the star, their snickers and stares erupted into full laughter, and Gera’s shame burned brighter on her cheeks. She kept walking though, slowly and evenly.

At the star, she wove, holding back tears.

It went on. Each circumstance was worse than the last. There were some with physical pain, but Gera ignored those easily, so they stopped coming. It was as if someone noticed that the shameful scenarios caused her the most distress. In fact, during the 76th weave, she found herself in a bawdy dance hall, surrounded by girls and women wearing dresses so revealing that their cleavage ended a hand above where the slit in the skirts started.

With each new scene, Gera forgot the details of why she was there and how, but a part of her remembered the shame. The weight of the shame kept growing. With each scene, her blush deepened, and it became harder to keep her composure. Shame was growing close to breaking her.

The calm she wore on her face was a thin, brittle shell, but she still looked calm. She wasn’t sure why, but every part of her being was focused on maintaining her calm expression and steady pace. The shame and pain from each of the previous tortuous scenes had her wanting to weep, but she refused. She would not give up.

The 84th weave came and went, with stinging nettles lashed across her back. The 96th involved walking through her son’s bedroom... while he bled to death. As soon as she reached the star and began that weave, she wove what little healing she was able to... but it was not enough. 97, 98, and 99 passed with simply variations on embarrassing situations in front of large crowds. Apparently, seeing her son die in front of her was enough to inure her to the shame.

Weave number 100 created a fountain of sparks while Gera pulled a carriage by her own strength. Having a driver whipping her on added insult to injury... and yet more injury on top of the insult. Somehow, she managed to walk forward at a steady pace, despite pulling the carriage behind her. Gera suspected it might have been sheer willpower at that point.

Once she finished the final weave and stepped onto the final six pointed star, the world around her vanished in a blinding light and she was back in the bowels of the Tower, surrounded by the seven Aes Sedai and Talina Sedai. The memories of the 100 different scenes suddenly crashed down on her, and Gera burst into tears. She cried in a way she hadn’t since she was a child. The Aes Sedai clustered around her, hugging and offering her their sympathy. One Healed her, without asking, but Gera was grateful anyway. Though physical pain was not their favorite in her tests, they still had used it.

With a clap, Talina called the sisters back to attention. “Sisters, do you agree that Gera Mondwin, Accepted of the White Tower, has passed her test to prove her worthiness to wear our shawl and call us sisters?”

Each of the women nodded, some more quickly than others, until the last held still. She was the Red sister, a bitter old thing, if Gera guessed properly. The Cairhienin woman knew she had blushed and that she’d nearly been broken, but she’d kept the appearance of calmness throughout the test. And the appearance was all that mattered, at least that is what they were taught. You could be a quivering wreck inside, so long as you kept your face neutral and your pace steady. An Aes Sedai must always be poised and ready to handle whatever situation came before her. It was much like playing Daes Dae’mar... just you were always surrounded by enemies and could never relax.

It would be a hard life... but it would be hers. She had earned it. She had worked hard for years and passed this horrid test. It was a formality, waiting for the Red’s vote. The others had all agreed, but still every vote must be counted.

Finally, she nodded, and Gera knew she would be Aes Sedai.

The rest of the evening was a blur. Talina lead her back to her rooms, where a meal waited for her, and she was instructed to pray and meditate on her new life. After eating the meal, Gera decided to meditate by closing her eyes and laying down peacefully.

Hours later, a knock interrupted her meditations, and she climbed off her bed.

Outside her door was a group of Sisters, the Green, Blue, Yellow and Grey from the previous night’s testing. Silently, they formed a ring around Gera, and then all five began walking. The path was the same as it was the night before, but the room was markedly more full this morning. Inside were the Sitters of all seven Ajahs, the Keeper, and the most powerful woman in the world... the Amyrlin Seat. Despite having stood in front of her for judgment in both her tests, Gera had never actually met the woman. Today, the Amyrlin would welcome her home as one of her Aes Sedai.

Passing through the ring, Gera moved to the Keeper and the Amyrlin. Words were spoken, but she didn’t remember them. Then it was time to take the oaths. Taking up the rod, held on a pillow by the Keeper, Gera channeled Spirit into the appropriate end.

“Under the Light and by my hope of rebirth and salvation, I Gera Mondwin swear to speak no word that is not true. Under the Light and by my hope of rebirth and salvation, I Gera Mondwin swear to make no weapon by which one man may kill another. Under the Light and by my hope of rebirth and salvation, I Gera Mondwin swear never to use the One Power as a weapon, except against Darkfriends or Shadowspawn, or in the last defense of my life, the life of another sister, or the life of my warder.”

With each clause, each phrase, Gera felt an invisible layer of power tighten down on her. She was truly bound now. After she set the Oath Rod down on its pillow, the Amyrlin and Keeper left, quietly. Looking at the groups of Sitters, Gera sighed. Now, to make another life changing decision.

Really, there was only one choice for her. None of the others fit her properly, though the Grey and Red came close. She would be a Blue.

As soon as the other Sitters recognized her intent, they dispersed, leaving Gera alone with the Blue Sitters, and one other sister. Gera recognized her as a rather recently raised woman. Smiling, Gera knelt in front of the women.

“I seek to join the Blue Ajah. May I be admitted?”

True story about covering a decade in a handful of posts... it's crazy making! :D Also, you can choose to RP out the Library time if you want, or not. If you don't RP it, please do mention the time in your reply to the Final lesson.

And the final lesson has been posted!

http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/56749-daes-daemar-lesson-4/

Accepted Interview mailed!

Teaching a class finished!

The answers the girls had given in the last class pleased Gera, as had the conversations she had had with the girls in the Library about their essays. They were starting to think like players of the Game, not just girls from a variety of backgrounds. Today, she would make them think again.

Once they were all in the room, she began just as she had the previous lesson. “Today’s situational question is different. You find yourself as the Advisor to a young Queen of Andor who took the throne unexpectedly when her mother choked to death on fish bones. Her death is not entirely accepted as being accidental. The girl is only 14, and her mother was young herself, so the girl is far from ready to rule. The Amyrlin has directed you to do all you can to protect the power of the throne, especially from the grasping hands of the girl’s father and from the High Seat of the House that most strongly opposed her mother. How would you go about fulfilling the Amyrlin’s direction? Again, please describe your initial actions, the possible reactions of other players, and then your next moves.”

Gera sat down to think through the situation herself. As with any situation in the Game, there was no single right answer... just possibilities and actions. Moves, counter moves, and yet more moves. The Game only concerns success and failure, and each player achieves those in different ways. Of course, some moves will achieve success more often, while others will fail more frequently.

When the girls were ready, Gera began calling on them at random.

OOC: Please write out your novice’s thoughts about the question, and then write about how she was selected to speak in front of the class and give her response to the situation.

“Accepted Gera, would it be possible for me to hand in my essay here after dinner? Or wherever may suit you?”

Gera did not let a frown show, but she was definitely displeased. This was Aurianne, a novice with some strong potential, especially considering how well she thought out her answer to Gera's hypothetical situation.

"Yes, Aurianne, you may turn it in after Dinner, but meet me in the Library. There, I want you to show me your essay and any extra texts you used for the assignment. If you did not use any additional texts, we will discuss the nation you selected in more detail." Gera nodded to the girl, and waited for her to curtsy and leave as was appropriate.

A few of the other girls hadn't finished their essays either, and Gera gave them the same instructions. It would be a small group meeting in the Library, but hopefully it would be helpful to all of the students. After the class had emptied, Gera went to the Library and reserved a small study room that would fit all the novices who were going to meet her there.

Her afternoon class went by quickly. It was an advanced class in weaving Air and Water together, one only open to Accepted, and the weaves came easily to Gera. Most women were stronger in Air and Water than the other elements, and in this Gera was normal... though that thought galled her. By the time it was done, she was worn out. While channeling was natural, it took a lot out of a woman. She ate her dinner quickly, but neatly, chatting with another Cairhienin Accepted, mostly about nothing... but also sharing stories about conflicts they'd either been a part of or witnessed in the Game. It was a pleasure to speak with another woman from her home country... even if the girl had been too young to really play the Game.

After dinner, Gera made her way to the Library to wait for the novices. If they were late, or had another excuse she would have to assign them a punishment. Rather more punishment than spending their evening with her in the Library.

After they had worked out a plan to figure out what was wrong with Gera's lackadaisical novices, Gera had gone and gathered her own texts to study. It was pleasant sitting next to someone, even if they were studying entirely different topics. For one of her private lessons, Gera had been assigned the tedious task of sifting through the lists of Amyrlins looking for patterns. The sister was one of the Blues, the Ajah Gera hoped to find herself in shortly, but the task seemed almost like something a Brown would assign. After a few hours of studying, reading, and taking notes, Gera was beginning to wish for a break.

Conveniently, one arrived at that moment.

Two novices scurried into the Accepted Gallery again, the same two from earlier, this time they seemed to be looking for someone... apparently, those someones were Gera and Leala, because the girls approached them, and curtsied properly. Then the more brazen of the two spoke in rapid fire.

"Accepted Gera, Accepted Leala. Novice Caillean and myself were wondering, we were wondering if we could wash your dresses for you this evening. We were already having to do our laundry tonight, and we noticed how busy you both seem, and we wanted to help! Can we do this small task for you both?"

The girls seemed rather excited about the prospect of doing more laundry... perhaps they hoped to get on Gera and Leala's good sides. Both of the Accepted were beginning to have reputations among the novices. Gera for being strict and noticing everything, and Leala for being perfectly logical, and expecting the same from her students. There were worse reputations to have. Another Accepted was known through the Novice Gallery as "Smelly Ellie." Ellie simply enjoyed the more physical aspects of life... but her time in the Tower stables and the Warders Yard definitely left their mark on her. Gera shuddered at the thought of being so universally disrespected.

"I don't know about Leala, but I would definitely appreciate the help, girls. My thanks." Gera smiled politely, "I'll be right back with my dresses."

The benefit of studying in the Gallery was that her room was just a few yards away. Hanging from a pair of pegs were her currently dirty dresses, which she neatly folded after making sure she hadn't left anything in them. Taking them back out into the Gallery, she handed them to Aliena.

"I will be going to a lesson with Natalia Sedai this evening, so when you are done, if you could bring them back to my room and set them on my bed, I would be most appreciative." Her crisp Cairhienin accent made her sound more harsh than she intended, so she did her best to warm her words with a smile.

Myrenna! I didn't realize Gera had made that negative of an impact!

 

Haha, she didn't, really. I just decided to make Auriane go Wide-Eyed-Bumpkin --> Problematic, Grumpy and/or Hormonal, Know-it-all Teenager --> Maturing Young Lady.

 

Even though at this point she's not really a teenager anymore, it does seem to me that women in the Tower seem to "grow up" perhaps more slowly than women outside it (and she's naïve anyway), haha. She's going to have a big revelation when she's raised to Accepted, which I'm really excited to write.

 

Still haven't decided what sort of Aes Sedai she'll be.

Ah, well that makes sense. Transformations are important. *knowing nod*

Also, here is the 3rd class! http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/56692-daes-daemar-lesson-3/

Sitting at her desk, Gera sipped at her water while the girls filed into the room. A few looked tired, perhaps from staying up late to finish the essay for this class. When it was time, she straightened at the desk, and waited a heartbeat while they realized she wanted their attention.

“Today, girls, I will not be lecturing. Instead, you will each get to describe how you would play in a given situation.”

A few of the girls looked panicked, while others looked intrigued.

“Please take notes on the situation. I will give you a few minutes to think and write out your solutions. I will check what you write against what you say in front of the class, to make sure you are not improving your response based on what the other girls say.”

Standing, Gera walked to the middle of the chalkboard and faced the class.

“You are an Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah who was invited to visit the home of the second most powerful family in Cairhien. Your invitation did not specify if you were invited to stay with the family or if you must find your own lodgings in the city. The invitation was made public knowledge via a leak in your host’s House.” Pausing, Gera looked at the girls who were all scratching away at their papers. “Now, in your response, please indicate how you will respond to the invitation. Will you find your own lodging or assume you are welcomed to stay with the family? How will you react to the fact that all the nobles, even the King, know that you are coming? Does the fact that you are of the Red Ajah come into play? What else would you do? Please describe both your initial actions, possible responses from other players, and your next moves.”

Gera watched while the girls wrote their answers. When they were completed, she called on them one by one to present their answers to the class.

OOC: Please write out your novice’s thoughts about the question, and then write about how she was selected to speak in front of the class and give her response to the situation. Also, please note if you turned in an essay. If you do turn in an essay, life’s good... if you don’t, Gera will give you a punishment.

I know this is a FL board, but I'm inserting myself... take care of yourself and your family. I hope you and your family find peace.

Hehe... Elin needs a headache or two! She's much too collected. Gotta do something to ruffle her feathers.

"It sounds as though they're feeling over-worked from their other duties. Novices usually enjoy taking classes about the One Power. Which weaves are you using? Would you like me to observe the class the next time you teach it? Perhaps if I saw their attitudes, I could give some advice."

Gera thought for a moment... teaching a class of novices was much different than teaching an informant or a spy. There, the person wanted to succeed to earn your respect and their pay... her the novices don't really receive anything directly from the Accepted. Being tired and overworked in other areas might well affect how they perform for her.

"I was teaching them both the freezing weave and the whirlpool weave. Rather dramatic weaves that should get their attention, no?"

As she spoke, Gera noticed two novices scurrying through the Accepted's Gallery. There was no rule against their presence here, but they weren't exactly welcomed either. It was probably the fastest path to their next class. She kept speaking, though, knowing even if they heard her they wouldn't understand the entire context.

"I almost asked them to dye my dress Blue..." she paused, thinking about how that could have gone wrong. "Just to show them a practical application of the weave, you see. Then I thought better of it. I'd have to explain to the stewards why my banded dress suddenly only showed five bands!" She chuckled to herself. Most likely, had she asked them to dye her dress, she'd be sent to work bleaching it clean again. "Maybe if you observe, you can give me some ideas on how to spark them back to attention."

OOC: I've definitely been in similar conversations. And You novices! Feel free to play out your conversation, but I wanted to give you a chance to actually overhear the comment about dying the dress.

I am going to hop on joining this class, I PROMISE! I am a little behind with some other things and I have both this and the Saidar class I am working on, but I will be there. I am planning on having this class be her second class, so her second year in the tower. So yeah!

Shouldn't be any problem with that! Ama can confirm, but I think as long as you reply to all the posts and make the word count, you should be fine.

If your novice has any questions, I'll make sure Gera answers them.

First post done!

http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/56591-pranked/

Gera sighed as the last of her students left the classroom. Each and every one of them expected her to hold their hands and walk them through the weaves one by one. She was teaching a class in advanced weaves of Water, so it shouldn't be that difficult for most of the girls. Rubbing her back, Gera gathered her materials and walked back to the Accepted's Galleries. They weren't as full as they could be, but there were still young women relaxing and enjoying each other's company.

As she opened the door to her room, Gera saw an Accepted she wanted to speak with, so she quickly put everything she was carrying in its proper place. The habits of a lifetime die hard... in her previous life, that particular habit had saved her life multiple times.

Back out in the Gallery, she saw Leala sitting in a comfortable plush chair near a window reading. Gera walked with purpose, not quite the glide of a full sister, to the other Accepted.

"May I join you?" At the other woman's nod, Gera sat across from her in a second plush chair. "I would like your opinion, Leala. Over the last few months, the girls in my classes have seemed to do less work than ever before. They expect me to take them step by step, showing them where to lay each thread of the Power... it wasn't like this before. Have the girls changed? Have I? Am I expecting them to work too much?"

Gera respected the other Accepted's opinion, especially because before she had been raised, Gera had observed her interactions in the Tower. The girl had potential.

Gera Mondwin

~Accepted

Lesson #2 is posted! http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/56590-dae-daemar-lesson-2/

Also, Myrenna! I didn't realize Gera had made that negative of an impact!

Standing at the front of the classroom, Gera wrote on the chalkboard.

1. 1. 1. Cairhien
      2. Andor
      3. Borderlands
      4. Tear, Mayene, Illian
      5. The far westlands

She had broken down the nations into the five categories that made the most sense to her. Another player might break them down differently, but Gera could only teach what she knew, and she only knew what she’d been taught.

When the girls arrived, Gera welcomed them all in. Once everyone was seated, she motioned to the board. “These are the five sections of today’s lesson. Please take notes throughout the lesson.”

Pausing for a deep breath, Gera turned back to the class. “Cairhien is the nation I am most familiar with, and we discussed it fairly thoroughly yesterday. As I said before, everyone plays a variation of the Game. Each and every person in the nation plays at some level. Even if all they do is sell information to another player, they are still playing the Game. A large part of the Cairhienin mentality is that each person must find their own level. Obviously, it would be difficult for a beggar or a street merchant to play the Game against the King or one of the high nobles, but that beggar could easily play against other beggars... buying information about them, paying other street people to harass them. By the same token, most nobles don’t bother playing against those too far below their social level. On the one hand, there isn’t much they have in common, so playing doesn’t make sense, and on the other hand, if the noble should lose to a player from a much lower social class, it would shame them. Their loss would be socially devastating. The Game is a fact of life there, and if you lose too frequently, you will lose allies. Merchants will avoid you so that better players don’t think they are allied with you. Eventually, you and your House will be penniless and unwelcome in all but the least desirable of circumstances.”

“So, are there any questions about Cairhien?” After waiting for questions, Gera continued.

“Andor is an interesting beast. By its mere proximity to Cairhien, their nobles and upper class peasants must be at least familiar with the Game. Most of the nobles think they can play as well as any Cairhienin, but they are missing the simple fact that the Cairhienin all live the Game, breathe the Game. Andorans only play when they think it is necessary... usually when playing with other nobles, the Queen, or visiting Cairhienin. There are, of course, exceptions to the rule. Some Andorans play the Game as skillfully as any Cairhienin. Due to the many wars between Cairhien and Andor over the centuries since Hawkwing reigned, there exists significant intermingling between the nobles along both sides of the border.”

“And we have Andor. Questions?”

“The Borderlands... Saldaea, Kandor, Arafel, Shienar, and until recently Malkier. The nations further to the West play the Game the least, while those closer to the Spine of the World play a bit more due to their proximity to Cairhien. Truly, the closer a nation is to Cairhien, the more they have to play the Game themselves.” It made her grin, just a bit, to think how her home nation affected the world around them. “The rulers of the nations all play the Game to some degree, but in the Borderlands, it is seen as a necessary evil for their national leaders, not as a regular pass time or an expected behavior of the noble class.”

“I realize that was a brief comment on the Borderlands, but their involvement with Daes Dae’mar is infrequent. Are there any questions?”

“Next, the South... Tear, Illian, and Mayene. Of the three, Illian is the least involved with Daes Dae’mar. There are of course minor Games between the Council of Nine and the Assembly, and between those bodies and the King. Tear, like Andor, plays Daes Dae’mar due to its interactions with Cairhien. Its nobles are vicious in their Games with each other, and quash any peasants or merchants who try to play the Game with them. In Tear, only the nobles are allowed the freedom one needs to be a true Player. Of course, people from the lower classes can serve as informants or minor merchants of information. To the East of Tear is the small city-state of Mayene. It has no significant army or navy, and survives Tear’s frequent efforts to absorb it by playing the Game against Tear. It is a point of national pride to out do a tairen. The First of Mayene frequently must play the Game against all of Tairen High Lords and many of the Lords of the Land. But here, as in most other nations, the Game is limited to the nobility and merchants who deal with outsiders.”

“Questions? Good...”

“Now, lastly, we shall discuss the nations of the West. The nations most active in the Game are Ghealdan, Altara and Murandy, all of which have weak monarchies. Their nobles are always scheming to either supplant the current monarch or to better their own position. They play the Game, but not with the skill that one finds in Cairhien. Amadicia, as a nation itself, barely plays the Game at all. The reason for that is that their nobility and monarchy have very little real power. The true power in Amadicia is the Children of the Light. Their ranks are rife with amateur players of the Game. Few have traditional training in the Game, but their structure encourages playing Daes Dae’mar to advance in the ranks. Their Lord Captains and the Lord Captain Commander are frequently excellent players. Further to the west, we find Tarabon and Arad Doman. The Taraboners rarely play the Game, leaving it to their nobility. The King and Panarch, when they work together use the Game to control the lesser nobility; and when they work against each other use the Game to attack each other. The Domani, have an interesting variant on the Game. Their nobles barely play the Game, instead it is their Merchants who play. In fact, their monarch is selected by the Council of Merchants, who scheme against each other as much as any Cairhienin noble. Their merchants all use the Game, but frequently inject it with sensuality and flirtations. It is a remarkably successful strategy, and I do suggest studying it from a local, if you ever get the chance. With powders, inflections, and a few motions, Domani women are able to melt opposition and dominate trade deals.”

Walking to the desk at the front of the room, Gera took a sip from the glass of water she kept there.

“Well, that is all the material I intended to cover. Do you have any questions? For our next class, please prepare an essay of five hundred words describing in your own words how one of the nations we discussed uses the Great Game. You may do extra research in the Library if you want, but it is not required.”

OOC: For your replies, write what your character thinks about the different variations on the Game, ask any questions she might have.

I also have a Dedicated in BT that is going to bond an AS once he reaches Asha'man. Just need to finish his reqs.

Well, when you're looking for this Dedicated, shoot me a message. I've got a Red sister who could handle a Bond or two.

This first question came from a girl who could have fit in well in many of the central countries, but Gera would put her money on either western Andor or perhaps southern Ghealdan. Her accent wasn't thick or indicative either.

“I have one please. How did Daes Dae’mar start? Is it really necessary? I mean it seems people should just be straightforward and not play games idly with people’s lives. I just don’t understand.”

"It is good to recognize when we have met our limits. Hopefully after this class is through, you will better understand the hows of the Great Game. As for when it began... well, the Game has existed as we know it at least since the fall of the Ten Nations. People surely played in similar manners before that, though they might not have called it the Great Game. A point to note is that we know that Aes Sedai in the Age of Legends played at the Great Game among themselves, in what they called the ever shifting sea of ajah." Gera smiled. "People have played the Great Game for as long as they have striven against each other."

Pacing around the front of the room, Gera thought for a moment. "Now, is the Great Game necessary... that is indeed a large question. I admit, I am biased. My life has been centered around the Game, so I cannot imagine a world without it. Removing myself, though, I believe I must still say that yes, the Game is necessary."

She paused, thinking of the proper words to explain her opinion.

"Yes, people could be straightforward and not play with other peoples' lives, but that would limit people to a certain level of interaction. In a village, there is very little need for Daes Dae'mar... of course, you could scheme to manipulate the other women to follow your lead, using the skills of the Game to suppress resistance... but that is needlessly complex. If you are merely wise and reasonable, they will follow you anyway. However, if you are a Lady whose lands must compete with those of other Lords, of other nations, the Game is necessary to ensure the survival and profitability of your lands and people. The Game is merely one tool by which those with power exercise their power. As initiates of the Tower, we must preserve the image and power of the Tower itself. If we squander the Tower's influence, soon we will not have any influence when we seek to guide the world toward the proper paths."

"Does that make more sense, Caillean?"

I like it! You don't have to worry about Gera's reqs, though... as soon as the class is done, she'll have all her reqs in line to be raised.

I offered up Gera as the butt of the prank, and I think Leala offered herself too. One dress would need Blue Dye the other Bleach.

As for punishments... well, I think the only appropriate punishment would be to be sent to work in the Tower Laundries for a month! See how the pranksters like dying and bleaching then!

OOC: This RP is set about 90 20 years before the current Timeline. It is a solo RP, and begins Elin’s discovery of her Talent. Edited for minor changes to bring up to a more modern time.

IC:

It was dusty in the store rooms, and not the pleasant kind of dusty one finds in a bakery, where the dust is mostly flour. Here is was simply a lack of presence. Wherever people spend time, the place takes on a feel... conversely, where people are not allowed, where people refuse to go... there is an absence. The storerooms were such a place.

It had been seventy years since she was raised to the Shawl, almost eighty-five since she left that small village in Amadicia. Over the years, she had gained a reputation as level headed, and several of the women who had served as Highest had recognized her for it. Now there was a new woman in the position, one who wanted to utilize that Elin. No, she wasn’t abnormally strong, but she was truly gifted with weaves of Spirit. Somehow, the Highest heard of this, and set Elin a task. It was rarely pleasant to be given a task by the Highest, but this one wasn’t looking to be all that bad.

Recently, the Yellow Ajah had been winning support among the other Ajahs, not just in the Hall, but for their efforts in the world. The Highest was working to find a way to counter the Yellow’s influence by raising the profile of the Red. That was why Elin was down here in the storerooms. Her strength in Spirit, the Highest hoped, would help the ter’angreal in the Tower’s keeping speak to her. Yes, it was dangerous, but she had worn the shawl long enough to be trusted with such a task.

The ter’angreal were so varied it was hard to imagine that they all were objects of the Power. Sitting there, staring at a small statue of a woman fighting against a driving wind, a golden mask, and a bell without a clapper, Elin began to think that their makers must have been either mad or artists... which were often the same thing. These three ter’angreal were all known to be connected to Spirit, and their effects had already been studied.

By examining these known ter’angreal, Elin hoped to get a feel for what a Spirit focused ter’angreal felt like.

It wasn’t doing her much good.

They all had a “feel” to them, much the same “feel” that all ter’angreal had. Everything in this room had the same feel. Sitting in the room was like sitting in the middle of an apiary, the constant buzzing grating on her nerves.

She was beginning to develop a headache from it.

With a sigh, Elin rose out of the chair and began to walk down the aisle of shelves. Item after item caught her eye, but after further examination, none seemed worth the effort of actually taking off the shelf. Rings, bowls, statues, knives, books, birds... they all sat there, waiting to be explained. Unfortunately, Elin was sure that she did not have the Talent of detecting the purpose of ter’angreal.

As her head pounded, Elin decided that today was done. She had worked enough for the day.

She climbed the floors of the Tower, leaving behind the basements, and stopped at the kitchen long enough to pull aside a novice. The girl bobbed a quick curtsy, and looked obviously torn between listening to the Aes Sedai and finishing her assigned task. The Kitchen Cooks could be merciless if a novice ruined a dish due to poor attention or lollygagging. Elin gave the girl her dinner order, including a hearty soup, some ham, roasted potatoes, and a small salad. Headaches from One Power related activities needed to be countered with either strong support with nutrients or Healing.

Back in her room, Elin brushed her black hair as she stared out her window over the city. The ogier had designed the city to be seen from every angle. From above, it seemed to flow and welcome the eye. Elin always found it soothing to look over the city, letting her eyes wander from one graceful building to the next soaring edifice. Her first years with the shawl on her shoulders had been spent learning the traditions of her Ajah. Once she had the shawl, sisters began to tell her an old saying that Accepted never hear... “When you join an Ajah you have as much to learn as your first four years in the Tower.”

After she’d learnt all there was to learn from her sisters and the Highest, Elin’s feet began to itch. She spent some time traveling around Caemlyn, Cairhien, and even Illian, before she gathered her courage and did what she’d been hoping to do for some time. She put away her shawl, hid her Great Serpent ring, and road up into Amadicia, back to her home village. By that time, she had been away from home for more than twenty years, but her village was much the same as it had been when she left.

The old miller, the one who had labeled her brother tainted by the One Power, had died. His mill sat empty, and Elin felt a strong satisfaction knowing that in the end, he had not won. One new addition was an inn, where she stayed the night. On the next day, she sought out her family’s bakery.

There were children working there... children who looked painfully like her brothers... little girls who looked much like Elin had years ago. Of course, as she stood there, the children giggled and blushed, and an elderly woman came out from the back room. Her iron gray hair hung in waves, just like Elin’s did. It was her mother.

They stood there, staring at each other for a long moment, both knowing who the other was. Then, Elin felt a pain in her chest as her mother put on a mask.

“Good morning, my Lady, how may we serve you?”

Elin bought a small set of sweet buns and left. Her mother knew she was alive, knew that she had made something of herself. She knew that her family thrived after she left. It was enough.

As she brushed her hair and remembered those painful memories, Elin came back to herself when the novice knocked on her door. At her call, the novice opened the door and brought her tray in. After eating, Elin laid down and thought long thoughts about the way her mother had aged, and how it would be decades yet before Elin even had a single gray hair.

The next morning, she dressed in a simple black dress, and for the first time in many years, she put on a small bonnet. This one wasn’t very traditional, it lacked the deep front that hid a woman’s face, but it reminded her of where she came from. If anyone asked, she would say she was dressing so plainly to avoid getting her better clothing dusty.

After a quick breakfast of fruit, stewed in milk and honey, Elin went back to the storeroom.

She knew that a weave of Air, Earth and Water could suppress all the dust... but there were so many ter’angreal that could accidentally be activated by a stray flow of the Power. Today, she didn’t bother with the known ter’angreal. It hadn’t helped before, it wouldn’t help today. As she worked, lifting items off their shelves, manipulating them, turning them, the room grew hot and stuff, and her head began to itch under the bonnet she had decided to wear on a maudlin whim.

After four hours of itching at her scalp through the material and mounds of hair, Elin finally ripped it off her head.

“It’s the past... my past, but still the past. Wearing a bonnet today won’t change the fact that I left Amadicia far behind.” Her voice echoed in the mostly empty room.

It took her another hour to get sick of having her hair hanging about loose down her back. Her pride wouldn’t let her put the bonnet back on, and she didn’t have anything at hand to hold her hair back. Something on the shelf caught her eye. It was eye level, but at the back of a shelf. Like every other item in the room, it wore a small tag that gave its details.

Hair Caul; metallic from unknown source material; serves unknown purpose.

Whatever purpose its creator had intended, Elin needed a caul. She piled her hair into a neat coil, and slipped the caul on over it. It seemed right. The metal net kept her hair off her shoulders, but didn’t trap the heat on her scalp like the bonnet had. Though, that didn’t entirely explain the coolness she now felt.

Hours later, nothing had leapt out at her, declaring its purpose. It frustrated her. A lot. She hadn’t failed at anything in some time. Another novice took her dinner order this time, and when she went to her room, Elin simply reclined in a chair waiting for her food to be brought. After she ate, she slipped out of her dress and directly into bed. She could brush her hair in the morning.

As she sank into sleep, something felt different. Not enough to keep her awake, but enough that her mind kept running even as she sank into sleep.

She knew she wasn’t awake yet... but she found herself aware. She was sitting in her room, wearing her favorite dress and that caul from the ter’angreal storeroom. The sky outside was an odd mix of midday blue, but with visible stars. It was disconcerting.

Her room was well lit... despite the odd external lighting and the fact that none of her lamps were burning.

Standing, Elin walked around her room, then out into the Red Ajah halls. It felt like there were eyes boring into the small of her back, no matter where she went. She visited the rooms of women she knew, some she liked, other she barely stood because of their shared Ajah. Eventually, she even visited the Highest’s rooms. There were no other people here. She did do a little rifling through papers, confirming a few ideas she had about her sisters. Though, letters seemed to appear and disappear with an alarming frequency. Books were more stable... even personal journals.

Elin wandered the halls of the Tower, exploring different rooms... places she hadn’t visited since she was an Accepted... places she still wasn’t allowed to go. It was exillerating.

Suddenly the world was shaking... and her eyes sprang open.

Standing over her was a wide eyed novice and one of her least favorite sisters.

“Good morning, Airen. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Elin did her best to put a few inches of frost on every surface in the room.

“This girl said she came to bring you your breakfast, per the instructions you left with the kitchen, but she found you still asleep. She tried to wake you, but could not. She came into the hallway, and almost ran into me. I of course came to see if I could be of any assistance.” Airen’s voice was just as icy. “You see, Child, with some deep sleepers, you just need to shake them hard enough.”

On that line, the other Red left, and Elin dismissed the novice. What happened to her? Where had she gone? The only logical conclusion was that the silvery caul she still wore had caused whatever happened. She kept it on, though... she hadn’t come to any harm, so why take it off?

She spent weeks working in the storerooms, but nothing else caught her eye. For the same weeks, Elin explored this new world. After a trip to the Library to confirm her growing suspicion, Elin had a name for her new world. Tel’aran’rhiod. The unseen world. The world of dreams. Aes Sedai had studied it before, so it wasn’t brand new... but no one recently had explored this world. Her discoveries would be hers alone, for now.

It took a small procedure to get approval to keep the silver caul, but the Tower was lenient with ter’angreal that seemed insignificant. She, of course, had to promise to report her discoveries to share with the Tower... but the promise was carefully worded to exclude a deadline for that report.

Elin knew the Highest wasn’t pleased that she hadn’t discovered anything monumental. Someone else would have to do something to elevate the Red Ajah. Elin knew that if she revealed her explorations in the World of Dreams, the Red would gain significant prestige, but she didn’t want to share it just yet. If she told the Highest, it wouldn’t be her explorations anymore. The Highest would have the caul taken from her, and the Red Ajah would explore the world of Dreams. Elin might be allowed to visit, but older sisters, women who had paid their dues and earned the Highest’s favor would be given that honor.

For now, the caul was hers. The World of Dreams was hers.