Kyle was almost taken aback when the officer said he had joined for the food, but as the man continued his conversation, Kyle wondered if he was saying a joke.  Kyle assumed the man to be confident as he was willing to joke around members of the Hand of the Light.

"What is important is you understand and accept who you are.  Who you really are. And once you know for certain - to never let anyone change it, no matter who they are or what they do."

Kyle puzzled over this for a minute, and for the first time in his life, Kyle wondered who he really was.  He spent a significant portion of his life trying to just survive.  He didn't come here for the food, although that was a welcome bonus.  He came here because of the ideals of the Children of the Light and their beliefs on the Tar Valon witches.  He finally found a place he could call home, but who was he?

"If I may ask, sir, how do you know who you really are?" Kyle asked, a sense of seriousness coming into his voice.  Hopefully the man wouldn't take offense to his question, but Kyle had only just become a man in the last year.  How was he supposed to know who he was?

Daeim nodded his assent at the plan.

"Very well thought out.  You're keeping things in reserves.  You chose to attack, using the element of surprise and assume that there are more shadow spawn than you see.  You are thinking ahead, and that is a sign of a good commander.  Always prepare for as many scenarios as possible, and always have some back up plans ready."

Daiem scratched his chin and looked reluctantly at the stack of paper work on his desk, a noticeable frown coming on his face.

"As I'm sure you've discovered, another duty of an officer is filling out loads of paper work - requisition forms, reports and the like.  I have quite a bit to do, so I'll consider our lesson done for today.  Report back here after lunch tomorrow and we'll go through a few more scenarios.  I'm sure you also have other duties to attend to."

Daiem shook the man's hand and gave him a salute, "You are dismissed, have a good rest of your day and may the Light shine on you."

Daiem watched as the Hundredman left.  He knew that Ackley Carnel had a good head on his shoulders and would do alright, and Daiem thought about taking him on his next run into the Borderlands for live practice.

Weapon score raised to 7 for helping train Amahn Luthgar.

Posted - I'll post your Anointation thread this weekend!

I'm sure it would count for at least one - depending on the length, I'd be willing to potentially count it as two.

Great guys! I wanted to get some of you guys RPing together as well.

Thanks - fixed!

Hey that sounds good...he posted already, so feel free to join in there.

Lo sounds good...just let me get my eyes of the light character going.

Ok am I leading this or is someone else taking care of it?

Daiem had kept the judgemental look going on too long, and the point was he was too friendly to keep it going on any longer.  His face finally broke out in a smile and he chuckled a bit.

"Exactly," Daiem said allowing the tension in his body to relax. "Sometimes we are so concerned with the external problem that we neglect to see our own internal assets.  I purposely put you in a hopeless situation and withheld information to show you that exact thing.  It is an important thing to know.  Even if you don't have time to plan a battle, finding out what you have can mean the difference between victory of defeat."

Daiem paused a bit to let that sink in before continuing, "Another good lesson to keep in mind is that any battle plan, no matter how strong, will likely fall apart as soon as the first arrow flies.  As a commander, you need to be will to flexible and willing to change according to the circumstances.  I believe that you already know this.  You wouldn't have gotten this far in the ranks without realizing this, but it never hurts to revisit that."

Daiem allowed the smile to disappear.  The next point he wanted to make always brought back memories of fallen comrades in arms and he was always saw the face of his predecessor when bringing it up.  "Another thing to remember is that in war, casualities are going to happen on both sides.  Expecting to come out of a battle with zero casualites is hopeful, but very unlikely.  The soldiers you have worked with for many years and care about might die on the field.  As a commander, you need to be prepared to deal with that and keep yourself from becoming emotionally compromised on the field of battle.  There will be time to mourn them later, but while the battle forges on, you need to remained focused on that so as little soldiers as possible join that fate."

Daiem stopped for a moment, and bowed his head, silently remembering those who had fallen before raising his head and allowing his smile to return. "On that note, make an effort to know you troops.  I can see that you and your Bannerman get along well."

Daiem knew it was his duty to bring up the issue he had seen in the Hundredman's office earlier, but wasn't sure how to. "In regards to the broken rule, I understand more than you think.  As a younger soldier, I also engaged in such practices, however, as a commander, you need to set the good example for your troops.  I'll overlook it this time, but understand next time, the consequences will be severe."

Daeim sighed, "With the unpleasantries aside, what I was saying before is that getting to know your troops is a great way to build trust.  They will trust that whatever orders you give them are given to best protect them as well as bringing about our cause.  Their morale will be higher, and they will fight better.  Do you understand?"

The Hundredman nodded his understanding and Daiem removed several of the shadowspawn models decreasing their ranks to one fist of a hundred trollocs.  "Let's try a more fair situation.  You are charged with gathering information on trolloc armies that are spotted near the blight."

Daiem pulled out another map of the Borderlands and placed the fist of trollocs north of Arafel and placed the Children's soldiers in between the the trollocs and the country.  "You spy a fist of trollocs near the blight.  They are heading east and do not notice you.  What do you do?"

Lol...the npc lord captain gets replaced eh.

Oh I don't know, maybe Ackley would like to challenge Daiem to a trial under the light sometime.

Why? Lol.

well then maybe Krono can help you out with getting your Hand of the Light character sorted. He's sort of the new boss here anyway.

Sort of? I am the new boss here...my name is green!

Kathleen - send me a PM sometime about what you want to do and we'll get somethings worked out

alright cool we can do that. would it count as the one rp i need before my anointing as well or just WS?

It would count as your req.

Kathleen - we need to get your character going to...where are you at and what can we do for ya.

I could - I'm planning on making a higher level character as well, but I kid of want my recruit Kyle to participate in this one as well - learning under a better fighter than him.

Orientation is completed - you have a choice RP that you can do and then your Anointation then you'll officially be in the Hand of the Light.

Given that Sherper's Character is a Hundredman, he'll have essentially up to an army at his disposal so that would work out.  I'd be willing to write some Darkfriends, but don't have a darkfriend character - if that's ok, I'll be up for it.

Daeim listened to Ackley's decisions and he had to say he was quite impressed.  Daeim had purposely put the new Hundredman in an impossible situation, not to make him fail, but to help him realize that sometimes you will make decisions that will inevitibly get some of your men killed.  It was an important lesson to learn early.

However, the plan was well thought out, even within a few moments.  It might even have a slight chance at success, however,   Daeim stood, glancing at the models placed on the board.  Daeim had a few things he wanted to bring up.  Little did Ackley know, that he had also kept some of the models aside, for the exact purpose of showing him that often there are resources right in front of you that you cannot see.

"It's a sound strategy.  You are in a very hopeless situation and you have a plan that may possibly work. A few things on your strategy," Daeim said pulling out a few more models and placing them above Arad Doman. "In order to get to Arad Doman, the shadowspawn will have to travel through Saldea.  The Saldeans will not have shadowspawn going through their lands unchecked.  So another question - would you continue with your strategy and wait for shadowspawn to break through, or would you ride to support Saldea?"

"Also," Daiem continued placing a few lesser equipped models on Arad Doman. "What about the Arad Doman militias and armies, will you utilize those.  I purposely kept these models to myself.  Why do you think I did that? What do you think I'm also trying to teach you here?"

Roudal continued his speech.

"Well, I only have one more thing to cover, and that is the leadership structure within the Children. If you are to make it through your training successfully, you will need to know who to defer to, and when."

"The Children are led by the Lord Captain Commander. He is the absolute leader of us all, and handles the day-to-day running of the Children. If you are ever called to his presence, remember that no swords are allowed while you are near him. One unfortunate Child was called to serve the Lord Captain Commander supper one evening, about a week after he had taken his vows. He forgot the rule against wearing a sword, and he spent a week under the careful questioning of the Hand of the Light before they determined that he had made a mistake and was not an assassin sent by the Tar Valon witches."

The recruits looked at each other nervously, no doubt imagining themselves in the same position if they put a foot wrong. Roudal stifled a smile-- my, but it was easy to put the fear into the new ones.

"The Hand of the Light is led by the High Inquisitor. He is responsible for all of the Children in the Hand, and is a step below the Lord Captain Commander himself. You would be wise to give him a wide berth, as he brooks no nonsense in the ranks. Under the High Inquisitor, the Inquisitors are the 3rd Tier of officers, the Arbiters are the 2nd Tier, and Seekers are the name for the newest Children to join the Hand."

"The Army of the Light is led by the Lords Captain, of which there are 13. Each Lord Captain commands around a Legion of soldiers for the Light. There are many intermediate ranks, but the main ones you should know are the Captains, which are the 3rd Tier of officers, the Hundredman, which are the 2nd Tier, and the basic soldiers in the Army are simply known as Child."

"The Eyes of the Light are commanded by the Spymaster. His identity is only known to the Lord Captain Commander, but the Spymaster controls the actions of the Eyes completely, through the use of intermediaries, coded notes and messages. Under the Spymaster, the Spies are the 3rd Tier of officers, Rangers comprise the 2nd Tier, and new Children of the Eyes are known as Scouts."

Roudal paused a moment, wiping his brow with a handkerchief before continuing.  "The Council of the Anointed is a group of our top leaders, who meet on occasion to decide policy or major issues for the Children. They are made of the Lord Captain Commander, the 13 Lords Captain, and the High Inquisitor."

"That concludes your orientation into the Children. I have arranged for supper to be served to you all in the Kitchens, over there," he said, pointing towards a low whitewashed building to their East.  "After your dinner, someone will assign you temporary sleeping quarters. If anyone has an questions on what I have covered, please feel free to ask me now; I will linger here for a few minutes before heading to supper myself. Otherwise, go in the Light."

Weapon Score Raised to 3 for training with Damon

http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/79370-back-in-the-yard-training-thread-ota/

Roudal waited patiently for a few minutes as the new recruits reflected on what he'd said and talked quietly among themselves. He was pleased when none left.  This might be a good group.

"It is good that you have decided to remain. Remember, at any point during your recruitment period, you may leave of your free will. But once you have taken our vows, you belong to us, heart and soul." He nodded for emphasis, hoping to drive the point home. Nothing was more tragic than when a new Child had to be hanged for desertion mere weeks after taking his vows.

"Now that we have spoken of the history of this great organization, I will now give you an introduction into our ranks and divisions. The Children of the Light are divided into three major areas, each with a different focus and aim. Depending on your skills, you can choose to join any of these divisions that suits you best. While you may be 'guided' towards one or another by your advisors, we believe in free will and will not force you into a job that you feel unsuited for."

"The three divisions of the Children are the Army of the Light, the Hand of the Light, and the Eyes of the Light." Roudal ticked the divisions off with his fingers as he spoke.

"Now, the most well known of these three is the Army of the Light. It is our main military force, and contains the largest amount of our members. It is likely that many of you will find your way into the Army of Light. The entire Army is mounted, so you will learn to ride if you cannot already do so. Like most armies, we have units of lancers, swordsmen, bowmen and crossbowmen. If you enter the Army, you will be trained in one of these weapons. There are also many other duties for those in the Army. If you are a blacksmith, a cook, or a builder, then the Army is for you. Your skills will be put to good use in supporting our fighting regiments. If you perform well, you will advance in the ranks, perhaps to become a Hundredman, or even a Lord Captain someday."

Roudal noted that some of the Recruits sat up taller and traded small smiles with their friends as he talked of the Army. It was naturally the way of things; most men liked the glory of being in a fighting force. He pointed to the Dome of Truth behind them, and the recruits turned to look as he began to speak again.

"The Dome of Truth is the home of the Hand of the Light. They are known derisively in the world as our 'Questioners', but you would be wise to not use that term here. They call themselves 'The Hand that digs out Truth', and that should give you some idea of what they do. Their role is one of law and order, crime and punishment-- bringing Light where ever there is Shadow. Whenever someone is accused of a crime, their interrogations and investigations inevitably lead to the truth of the matter. When there is a dispute between two parties, they are often asked to arbitrate the issue. They are the closest thing we have to the original order of priests of The Light, and they can sometimes be found teaching the unenlightened about the words of Lothair Mantelar. Many of the uneducated fear them, but those who understand know that you only have to fear the Hand of the Light if you have something to hide. If you have an inquiring mind, a desire to help restore order, or a wish to bring justice to wrongdoers, then the path of the Hand is for you. If you excel at your duties, you may rise to be an Arbiter or even an Inquisitor during your career."

The group seemed more hushed during this section of his lecture, and with good reason. Roudal knew the rumors about the 'Questioners' were often unsavory, and would likely put off all but the most dedicated from joining.  Roudal also noticed the Andoran perk up a bit at the mention of the Hand of the Light.

"Finally, our third division is also our most unheralded. The Eyes of the Light is, for lack of a better term, our spies. They serve as scouts for our Army, and as a conduit of vital operational information to us. Due to their nature, not much of their division is revealed to outsiders, even within the ranks of the Children. If you take this path, you will learn of stealth and secrecy, politics and intrigue, disguise and deception. Our agents are stationed in all countries, providing us with intelligence that the Council of the Anointed uses to determine missions and policy for the entire organization. You will find a wide range of Children in their Ranks, though they are unlikely to let you know they are a member of the Eyes. You cannot mark them by insignia or any other device, as they appear to be like any other Child, while their true nature is a closely guarded secret. A wide range of people are found in their ranks, from former nobles to former thieves. If you have a capacity for politics, woodscraft, or making friends of strangers easily, then the Eyes of the Light is for you. If you do your duty exceptionally, you may find yourself promoted to be a Ranger or even a Spy."

Roudal paused, gauging the sun in the sky. It was near supper time, and these Recruits would undoubtedly be hungry soon. He turned back to the group assembled before him. "I have only one part of my lecture left, on the leadership of the Children."

Daeim pulled out a few models used to represent enemy and friendly troops.  Setting up several near the blight, and some near Arad Doman, Daeim began to speak.

"You have been charged with the defense of Arad Doman.  Word has reached you of shadow spawn coming out of the Blight to attack the city.  What do you do?"

Daeim let the hundredman consider some things before reminding him of a few things.  "Keep in mind what you plan to do with civilians.  Do you evacuate them, or leave them in the city? You also have many different types of troops - archers, infantry, and cavalry.  How are you going to utilize each groups strengths to minimize friendly casualties."

He pushed the friendly models towards the hundredman.  "Set them where you will - you're in charge here.  Let me know why you think that would work to your best advantage."

While waiting for the recruits to return, Roudal went to the kitchens to warn them of the arrival of a bunch of new recruits after grabbing his copy of The Way of Light.

The recruits were standing around the pavilion, and one grabbed Roudal's attention. A short Andoran with dusty brown hair held in braids with leather straps.  He stood almost at attention.  It looked like that one would be a fine member of the Children.

. 

Roudal cleared his voice and lightly stroked his forked beard. "Welcome, to the Fortress of Light. As new recruits for the Children, this period of training is to help you determine your future with us-- if you will have one at all, that is. You see, we don't just take anyone into our ranks. We must be sure that you are truly dedicated to spreading our message."

He reached out and rested his hand upon the copy of Mantelar's book, laying on the table before him. "Some of you may know a little of the history of the Children, how and why we formed, and what we do. But most of what you have heard is probably not true, or only part of the story. So, let me give you a basic introduction."

"The inception of the Children of the Light dates back to the Hundred Years War, in which all lands fought for control of what remained of Artur Hawkwing’s empire. During that time, roughly 1020 FY, there was an order of priests from Amadacia, known simply as The Light. The knowledge of much of the order’s workings has since faded into history, but some is known about them. They were all pacifists, believing in silent meditation and prayers to the Creator above all else. They did not allow outsiders to enter their cloister, known as the Dome of Truth, and what they needed, they provided from within their own walls, becoming a small community unto themselves."

"Lothair Mantelar, a vocal young member of the group, started preaching that the order of priests should become more active in the current troubles. He believed that by spreading the message of peace instead of shutting themselves off in the Dome of Truth, the priests could make a difference in the war. He believed that another Trolloc war would come, and the nations divided as they were would fall one by one unless something was done to unite them. The older priests condemned Mantelar for his liberal thinking and were irate that a youngling would put himself forward as more wise than those members who had served for many years. The eldest among the priests wanted a reckoning, and the High Priest of the Light himself ruled on Mantelar’s case, banishing the boy from the Dome of Truth."  Roudal gestured to the Dome sitting in the distance behind the Recruits, who turned to look before returning their attention to him.

He continued, "And so Mantelar left the Dome and Amadicia, but he was not alone. Many of the younger members of the parish, those known to be in agreement with Mantelar’s liberal views, followed the banished priest out into a war torn world. The group traveled northward, stoping often to preach to the crowds of war-ravaged cities and encampments of refugees, and teach the people about the value of peace. In some places Mantelar’s message was accepted, but for the most part the priests were chased from town to town, sometimes even being forced to flee from angry mobs intent on killing them. There was little peace for the weary travelers, and much bloodshed. Over half of the men that left with Mantelar died on the journey north, and those that lived were aged tremendously by the struggle."

"A year later, Mantelar and the remainder of his group arrived in Andor, where instead of being chased off, they were welcomed by the Monarch. Queen Ishara ruled Andor at that time, and was widely known for her desire for peace. She accepted the men in to her homeland, and allowed them to preach behind the safety of Andoran guards. The priests became known as the Children of the Light, as they were literally young men cast out from The Light. In time, the priests became a powerful entity. Led by Mantelar, the group preached all throughout Andor. At that time, Mantelar also began to write a book based on the virtues put forward by the priests of The Light, adding to it the beliefs he held." Roudal held up the copy of The Way of the Light, before continuing on with his story.

"Though the priests were safe in Andor, Lothair believed that his true calling was to preach around the world. For this reason, Lothair and a now expanded group of priests, proudly calling themselves the Children, left the relative safety of Andor, and traveled east. The group planned to march from Caemlyn to Tar Valon, stopping to preach peace at every small hamlet they entered. At all stops, Lothair would speak to the people that had inevitably gathered to hear him preach, he also added a small segment to his book at each stop. He developed a following unmatched by any one of his era, and the Children of the Light grew. Because of the expanded size of the Children, they could not go anywhere peacefully. The large numbers attracted bands of warriors as a midden drew flies, and the Children’s trek to Tar Valon was streaked with blood. At first the priests had refused to commit acts of violence, but as they traveled and lost more and more men, they became less reserved."

"Eventually, the Children did reach Tar Valon, and by then they were being followed by one of the largest armies to gather since the death of Hawkwing. The army of Cairhein was neither small, nor particularly pleased by Lothair’s passage through their land, and they followed the Children to the island of Tar Valon. At that time, because of the war, there was only one bridge remaining into the city and many Aes Sedai guarded it. The Aes Sedai refused Lothair entrance into the city, claiming that he was stirring up dissension in the world. As a result of this act, Lothair and most of the Children of the Light were killed as the Cairheinen assaulted them from behind and trapped them with their backs to the river. It is from this act, and many others over the course of history-- that we know the Aes Sedai to be Darkfriends, because who else would let innocent men preaching for the Light be slaughtered like animals?"  At this point, Roudal paused for effect, noting the reactions of the men in front of him. Some appeared surprised, others angry or dismayed. Many did not know of the deceptions of the women of Tar Valon.

After giving a moment for the message to sink in, Roudal continued, "Some Children managed to escape, one being Lothair’s servant Arslan, who carried with him a copy of Lothair’s book. Arslan and the remainder of the Children returned to Andor, where they once again received shelter. Arslan took Lothair’s book, The Way of the Light, and released it to the masses, bringing new interest to the Children of the Light. Over the following years the Children grew and expanded, culminating in an organization that was a full-fledged military unit by the year FY 1111.This time around, the Children were warriors first, peacemakers second. They retook the Dome of Truth, long abandoned by the failed priests of The Light, and built a mighty Fortress around it. That is the Fortress of Light which you see today."

"Above all, they hated Darkfriends and other servants of the Shadow. They also hated Aes Sedai, and preached against them, blaming the Aes Sedai for the death of their founder, and claiming that such an act against peaceful missionaries named them as Darkfriends. After all, was it not the Aes Sedai who also Broke the World? For a few decades more, the Children worked hand-in-hand with the nation of Andor, with designs on bringing peace to the rest of the world, but the alliance was not destined to be permanent. Betrayal by the Queen led to bad blood between the fledgling military group and the great nation-- a disconnect that still has not been resolved to this day."

Setting the book down again, Roudal concluded this part of his lecture. "All this time, the Children have remained true to the original message of Lothair, despite our methods changing since his time. We are dedicated to bringing Truth and Light to the world, by defeating the Shadow wherever we encounter it. Our goal is simple -- we know that some day, the Last Battle will come, and if humankind is to survive, the nations of the world must be united under the Light to face it."

He pointed at the recruits, his voice growing firm. "You, you recruits-- YOU are the ones who will be responsible for carrying out that mission in the years to come. If your heart does not accept the message, or you feel yourself to be too weak to carry out your duty-- go, now. If anyone desires to leave, you may do so at any time during your basic training with no fear of persecution. But once you have taken your Oaths, you are ours-- for life. Anyone who deserts their post after taking up the mantle of a Child is dealt with harshly-- the penalty for desertion is death."

Roudal surveyed the faces of the crowd of recruits, looking for any sign of weakness, although it was impossible to tell for sure who would break and who would stand true. "I will pause now for a few minutes while you think on what I have said. Any who wish to leave, turn your armor back in to the Quartermaster before you go. You can get a hot meal from the kitchens, but then you must leave the Fortress."

He sat down in the chair behind the table with a heaving sigh, slightly out of breath from his long monologue. He wondered if any would leave this time. Sometimes there were none, other times, half the class would leave. Only time would tell.