Hey, finally got my post done and put up.  Sorry for all these delays, just got out of college and got my first job, but now things have stabilized.  I promise my future posts won't have such a long wait in between.

Ah, nothing like a fort in the middle of winter.  Drafts?  sure.  Sudden areas of cold?  definitely.  But there were also a great many warm areas, as well as places with food for soldiers who couldn't make it to the mess hall.  One could go to and seek warmth anywhere within, and possibly a bite to eat too.  Any port in a storm, and any fort in a snowstorm.

Gevin smiled and made short friendly conversations with the guards he passed on his way to the mess hall.  Their responses were guarded, but at least they were willing to respond.  That gave him a place to start.  The words of Gevin's old master echoed in his mind: Always gauge the mood of your audience before you start.  Use them to determine what you'll perform.  He may not have completed his training as a gleeman, but he still knew a lot about entertaining others.  But better yet, he saw little evidence of full supply wagons able to move quickly in this weather, so the fact that this fort was fully supplied and none of the guards seemed stressed or underfed meant someone was helping them out - like an Asha'man who could move across any distance in a blink of an eye.

He found his way to the mess hall with the aid of a few soldiers pointing the way.  Not many people here at this time, it seemed.  For that matter, what time of day was it anyway?  The skies weren't clear enough to tell by sunlight alone.  Well, no matter.  Soldiers needed to eat, and they knew what that time would be.  He'd just have to wait here, and warm up for showtime.  In the meantime though he walked over to where the kitchen was, conversing with the chefs – who kept a wooden spoon on hand and watched him for any filching, apparently the soldiers here had quite an appetite – and spoke with them for a time, asking questions about their work, what they were preparing, could he sample a bit… no?  alright then, but surely they could share something about any other visitors to the fort besides himself.

The head cook grew silent at that, then turned and got everyone back to work without another word to the Lugarder.  But that was the last nail in the coffin for Gevin, they were here today.  Finally, he’d be able to speak with someone who could help him learn to control this… ability of his.  Assuming they didn't kill him outright, one never knew what could happen with potential madmen - after all, here he was coming to learn how to channel rather than hiding someplace where this ability couldn't hurt anyone.

Gevin found a well lit corner in the mess hall and sat on top of one of the tables, drawing out a number of brightly colored balls and juggling them to warm his limbs up.  First it was a simple pattern of three, then four, then five, then swapping out the balls for different colors without missing a single beat.  Always advertise your presence before you get to the good stuff.  The few guards present in the mess hall now would spread the word, and by the time they came for meals he'd be ready to start performing for real.  “Gather round, gather round, I bring tales from afar with news for all!  Great deeds in the works my friends, by young and old, man and woman, come hear their stories when the feast is served!”

The soldiers present noted him, some of them even smiling a bit and heading out to tell others.  Gevin continued to juggle the balls, shifting them to one hand as he prepared other items for the show – perfectly balanced throwing knives, a small jar of lantern oil for the flaming displays, drawing up specific stories by memory, all the things that had been drilled into him over these last couple years.  Despite having been separated from his master just a couple months ago, Gevin had picked up a few tricks in his travels that the old man hadn’t quite been willing to teach yet because he was inexperienced as an entertainer.  Well, time to see how good he’d gotten.  Let the hour approach, he’d be ready for a fine performance – and then a long talk with the Asha’man who were probably up in the lookout or map room, places where he’d never be allowed to go as a stranger.

The stage was set, all he had to do now was wait and perform.

This one kills me.  I play Werewolf instead of Mafia, and nothing quite beats a game where there is no wolf and people don't realize what's happening until they're down to the last few survivors.  Is it even possible to have a Mafia game where there's no mafia and people just lynch each other unknowingly?

Just watched... Finding Nemo.. for the first time ever.

I was kinda disappointed to be honest. Not as good as I heard it was but it kept the kids I was babysitting quiet for a couple hours so all in all it did the job. I give it a 5/10

You should probably lower that to a 4 or a 3.5, as its message was completely lost and kids across the world clamored to have clownfish and blue tang pets after watching it.  More stealing fish from their natural habitats to appease the clamoring parent-purses.

As for me, just watched Frozen with family last night.  Watching it with a full surround system is really something else compared to just watching it on a monitor.

Garbage Pail Kids.  Easily.  It was painful in every way imaginable.

Welcome to have you.  And now that I've gone to a full month past when I wanted to post, here is yet one more attempt to set a deadline for myself to get back to posting .  Sorry for the delay Kaelin.

Hey, sorry for the silence in the rp section.  Last semester of college hits like a brick from the very start, it's been a pain keeping up with the classwork and senior project.  I've gotten the workload under control now, so I should have a new post up within a week.

Just went back and replayed Shadow of the Colossus.  Forgot how great that game is.

Just realized I never asked.  Is the DR rp turn-based, or does it just flow as appropriate for what's happening with the characters?

Four weeks.  Four long weeks of hiking, riding, earning a bed at inns by using what gleeman skills he had learned from his old mentor, and here Gevin was headed up to northern Andor following another probably-useless lead.  He had been searching for weeks since his recovery from that strange sickness, trying to find them, but he had never been lucky enough to be in a town at the same time as those recruiters.  All he ended up with each time was rumors of holes in the air, of those men showing up and taking anyone who volunteered to join the Dragon Reborn's cause then vanishing as if they never were.  And those were the tame bits, stories about the Asha'man spread like wildfire even in these frigid conditions.

According to his sources in Caemlyn, in the last week or so men in black coats had been purchasing supplies and sending them through those strange portals, and one of them mentioned a place called Oldwater.  A little more digging revealed the place to be a fortress on the northern border, useless before the Shadowspawn had begun moving south but now it probably served as a very important lookout point to watch for anything coming southward.  Unlike the other stories he’d chased, at least this one had a decent reason for Asha’man to be there, so now it was a simple horse ride and a roll of the dice.

As his horse wove her way through the snowdrifts toward a fort that neither of them could see, Gevin tried to imagine what life would be like after he joined up with the Asha’man.  Dangerous, obviously, what with saidin being tainted and them being the Dragon’s personal soldiers, but there had to be more to it than that.  Daily life, training, would it be like some army drill sergeant or perhaps more like his gleeman training?  “Well, however it works out it’s got to be warmer than this eh Tessa?”  The horse whickered in response but kept plodding forward.  “Oh what I wouldn’t give for a nice hot cup of tea right now, a nice thick wool blanket, a pipe filled to the brim with tabac- wait, is it getting warmer?”  He pulled Tessa to a stop as he looked around, trying to find the source of the sudden burst of warmth, but even as he stopped it was blown away by a strong wind.  Bloody ashes, I did it again…  Gevin shuddered and urged his horse forward again.  He really hoped the Asha’man would be there this time, these random moments of channeling were starting to scare him.

A voice called out from the snow, “Halt!  Stay where you are.”  Gevin stopped Tessa again as he was surrounded by a group of soldiers in Andoran armor.  “Alright, who are you and what are you doing out here?”

Finally!  He must have made it to Oldwater!  With a great big smile he stood up on top of his horse and gave them his best theatric bow.  “The name is Gevin Dallor, sir, glee-well, gleeman in training anyway.  I’ve been traveling through this snowstorm for a while and was hoping you would allow me to stay at your outpost until it passes.  I’ll happily entertain you and your men in exchange for room and board, and perhaps some extra feed for my horse here.”

The guardsman was sighing before Gevin was even halfway done.  “Just what we need, another mouth to feed.  Fine, you can stay until the snowstorm passes, but if you try anything you’ll be on the end of my sword in seconds.  Understand?”

“Of course sir, of course, these are dangerous times after all.  Now then, which way to the nearest fire?”  By the time the patrol brought Gevin into Oldwater with them he already had several of them laughing, and as he stabled Tessa he smiled at his horse.  “Well, we’ve arrived old girl. You get yourself warmed up while I see if our friends are here.”

Hey, are we still planning to do get this RP going?

Question related to balefire. This is mainly a hypothetical question, and it's really just to use in a "Werewolf" game on another forum.

 

Let there be 4 people - A, B, C and D. 

 

The idea - B wishes to kill A. B shoots an arrow but C jumps in front of A and takes the arrow. C is injured and A survives.

 

Should D balefire C so that C did not exist prior to the jump, would A then be affected by arrow?

It depends on when C was balefire'd and the strength of D's channeling.  The stronger the balefire, the farther back time is affected.  If D's balefire is weak enough that it only affects time by a second or two, A would probably still be safe.  On the other hand, if D's went back by a minute or so, then A would probably be calling out "Message for you sir!"  as he drops dead from the arrow.

http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/85380-approved-bt-bio-for-gevin-dallor-cced-by-the-band/

Gevin's entry into the RP is pretty flexible, so go with whatever you prefer to bring him in.

 

They point out several times in the series that only someone who can channel or learn to channel is capable of using an a'dam, therefore Tuon is capable of learning to channel.  

 

Just a little later in that scene Mat flat-out tells her that the ability to train damane proves she can learn channeling, at which point she states that she chooses not to learn so it doesn't matter whether she is capable of it or not.

 

 

Yes of course, she is a learner and we all are very clear on how the a'dam works. How close Tuon is to "stepping over the edge" and whether the a'dam would hold her yet have been debated for years here at DM. Not sure how that relates to my response however?

 

Oh!  I misunderstood your question.  The answer is given to us twice within the series.  First, when Nyneave infiltrates Falme to rescue Egwene, and then a second time when she captures Moghedien during Rand's fight with Rahvin.  When someone who is capable of channeling - or learning to channel, like a sul'dam - is wearing the control end of the a'dam, they can visualize sensations that are felt by whoever is on the receiving end.  Nyneave usually imagined striking someone with an invisible lash, or brushing them with nettles.  The sul'dam often used the image of physical blows from a very strong man, putting more "force" behind it if they were especially displeased.  Or they can use the impression of being on fire, causing the receiver to experience extreme pain just as if their skin was actually being burned off but without any lasting injury.

It doesn't have to just be painful sensations either.  Imagine someone's mouth being filled with the foulest concoction imaginable (such as Nyneave's "cure" for liars), or the feel of someone's hand on their shoulder as a subtle reminder to do or not do something, or imagining a pleasant sensation like touching silk or a warm breeze.  And none of it requires any sort of channeling, just a good visualization and some creativity as to what the controller wants the receiver to feel.

The a'dam is also used to bring pain or pleasure in other ways.  A simple complement or "good job" will flood the receiver with pleasure, especially if the compliment is because they followed an order given through the a'dam.  Disobeying an order results in almost unbearable torture, like when Egwene wanted to bash her trainer over the head with a water pitcher and then couldn't touch it without going through excruciating pain because she was told to never wield a weapon.  And something like an affectionate pat on the head from a sul'dam can also have a heightened effect on the damane as well.  

A'dam provide a nearly infinite means of both punishment and reward without causing true physical harm, resulting in damane who either accept the training so completely they forget any life without an a'dam on or they spend years in misery and pain before being completely, utterly broken.  So for all we know Tuon could have just given Joline the impression of someone pinching her bottom, or gone with an Ogier-strength punch to the gut, or any number of other things, all without even being able to sense Saidar.

Just a quick update, my OP scores are set so I'm ready to go whenever we can get the people together for it.

 

 

How you think Tuon gave to Joline a pain through the a'dam or here was something other?

 

"If you think that you can," she began, then cut off abruptly, her mouth going tight. An angry light shone in her eyes. 

"You see, the a'dam can be used to punish, though that is seldom done." 

 

 

I'm not sure I understand the question. That is one of the functions of the a'dam and Tuon as we know trains damane.

 

They point out several times in the series that only someone who can channel or learn to channel is capable of using an a'dam, therefore Tuon is capable of learning to channel.  

Just a little later in that scene Mat flat-out tells her that the ability to train damane proves she can learn channeling, at which point she states that she chooses not to learn so it doesn't matter whether she is capable of it or not.

Black-eyed devil!  Stop putting words in my mouth!  lol. 

Careful how you speak to a Storm leader, Grimm.  You may find a little something in your wine sooner rather than later. 

My character bio just got CC'd, so once I get my OP scores Gevin Dallor will be set to go as an incoming channeler.  Count me in if we can get enough people.

I heard a quote from Robert Jordan that the Pattern broadcast the battle in Falme up in the clouds on purpose so that the one true dragon would be accepted.

 

If the Pattern can just do that kind of thing by itself. Why does it even need Ta'veren? Why can't it just strike the Forsaken down dead? Why can't it kill the Shadow's forces. Why does it need to use anyone if it can cause such a grandiose event to happen that defies all the laws of magic set up by this series' universe?

First off, it wasn't JUST the pattern broadcasting the battle.  That fight in the sky would not have happened without the Horn of Valere being blown.  If a golden horn can bring back the lost heroes who are tied to the Pattern to be reborn time and again, I think it can go a little farther and project an illusion of the most important part of that fight in the skies.  Plus the Pattern was declaring Rand to be the true Dragon Reborn, so it makes sense that the true champion would be shown for all to see while all the False Dragons are struck by lightning without being outright killed.

Second, the Wheel and the Pattern are both aspects of the Creator, who in the very first book spoke to Rand saying "I can take no part.  Only the Chosen One can do what must be done, if he will."  All the Pattern does - all it can do, really - is guide people and events, making use of what is available to set up the potential for victory against the Shadow and its allies.  It can't strike directly, it can't kill anyone, it can't stop people from becoming Darkfriends, and it certainly can't fight the Dark One on its own.  Ta'veren are a tool for the Pattern to focus on, making it easier to guide the world into favorable conditions for the coming fights against the Shadow.  Without them it couldn't guide people and events to the degree needed in order to just survive each Last Battle over the centuries, let alone win them outright.

However, as I said to you in posts above, the Pattern does NOT force anyone's hand or make them do anything they wouldn't normally do.  All the choices belong to the people whose lives are at stake.  The events still center around people with free will.  Rand could have destroyed the world from the top of Dragonmount if he so chose, rather than going to the Last Battle.  Mat could have chosen to abandon multiple groups of soldiers during the fights against Couladin and gone his merry way, leaving them to get slaughtered while he went off to live whatever life he wanted.  Perrin could have ignored the Ta'veren pullings from Rand's very presence and stayed in the Two Rivers, overseeing his home and doing what he could to protect it.  If any of those events happened, the Last Battle would have been lost completely because one of the three central pillars wasn't there when they would be needed most.

Was it ever officially announced who it was that killed Asmodean?

 

Or, in the case of the map Perrin needed for that attack, the odds of someone having that map were incredibly unlikely but not impossible, so fortune twisted in his favor and it turned out that someone did have it after all.

See this is my issue. Did the Pattern give him that map months before Perrin met him to set up the meeting where he gave Perrin the map? Or did he get it by coincidence and the pattern guided Perrin to him?

 

See, probability alteration like this doesn't work when it comes to things that had to have been going on MONTHS or YEARS in advance. Or did the Pattern warp reality to give him the map then gave everyone memories of the Banner General receiving it?

 

Except it does work like this months or years in advance where the Pattern is concerned, even decades or centuries.  It wove Rand's birth on the slopes of Dagonmount.  The Aiel going from the Way of the Leaf to being the fiercest warriors on the continent.  King Laman cutting down Avendoraldera.  The Aiel crossing the wall, an Aes Sedai telling Rand's mother to join them because of one of her visions, Tam getting separated from his force and finding them on the mountain before Rand could die from the cold as a newborn.  Rand being raised in the remnants of Manetheren, gaining their many positive traits and growing into a *relatively* mature young man before Moirane ever found them.  If the Pattern can set up that many coincidences in just a few decades, imagine what it could do across the centuries since the Breaking.  Or just as easily in the few short years since the Seanchan have landed on this continent.

In the case of Perrin's map, I worded my last post poorly.  Here you have a Seanchan general who has been mapping local areas.  The pattern didn't alter fortune so that the guy had the map, it altered fortune for Perrin so that the guy who owned that map was part of the Seanchan group Perrin made contact with.  Essentially, the Pattern brought Perrin the one person he needed most - someone with quality information about their surroundings - at a time when he would need that person to plan the attack.  The Pattern alters chance, not reality, and it makes full use of what's available.

That Banner General could just as easily been leading a different war party, hunting for more marath'damane in a different location; if that had happened then the map would never have been used, Perrin's attack would have either failed or had far higher casualties, and any number of other things would have gone wrong from lack of information.  Just as easily, the officer could have died in an earlier battle; one stray arrow, or a Power-wrought explosion, and there would never have been a map created in the first place; or even just scouting a different area and mapping that instead.  A million ways that could have gone wrong, but the Pattern brought both the Banner General, and that map, to Perrin alive and intact.

with what weave (or weave combination) did Rand destroy the male Choedan Kal?

And from what material/materials were both Choedan Kal made?

There was no distinct weave that Rand used.  He funneled pure saidin back into the male Choedan Kal, creating a feedback loop that overloaded and destroyed the sa'angreal itself.  Both statues were probably formed from stone and some sort of crystal initially, but when an object is turned into an angreal it becomes like cuendullar from then on and its original material becomes irrelevant.

Question about Ta'vereness.

 

Okay, so a  character becomes Ta'veren when the pattern needs them to become Ta'veren. From what I can gather Ta'veren-ness has an area of effect. Now, people who are Ta'veren have coincidental stuff just happen to befall them. A recent example I can think of is that Seanchan Banner General just happening to have the world's greatest map of the exact area Perrin was going to attack. Now, did the Pattern contrive to give that guy the map in the first place? Or did Ta'vereness guide Perrin to the guy who had the map? Where do you draw the lines between "Actual coincidences/Ta'verenness guiding people into genguine coincidences/The Pattern planning this out months in advance"?

You're kinda hitting the mark, but not quite.  When someone is Ta'veren, they're essentially a focal point in the Pattern's weavings.  Sometimes it only amounts to unusual events, such as what happened with the towns Rand traveled through on his way to Tear - the mass weddings, a major well drying up, children falling from great heights only to get back up unscathed, etc.  In other cases the Pattern brings a Ta'veren what they need most, even if the person in question doesn't know they need it yet - Mat meeting Noal Charin while trying to escape the Seanchan, only to have the guy be vital to one of his plans in a later novel; Faile being dragged into Perrin's activities after a chance meeting on a ship, and look how much help she turned around to give him.  

And in simpler cases, people around a Ta'veren say/do things they wouldn't have said in any other situation due to the twisting chance in a Ta'veren's presence.  When Rand was on the ship with the Sea Folk hashing out the bargain for ships to move people, food and equipment, the woman in charge of the Bargain said out of nowhere "May I be strung up by my ankles if I do not make a fair Bargain" or something along those lines.  She had a very small chance of saying it, but because that chance existed in the first place Rand's Ta'veren twisting pulled it out of her, to her surprise and to his.  Or, in the case of the map Perrin needed for that attack, the odds of someone having that map were incredibly unlikely but not impossible, so fortune twisted in his favor and it turned out that someone did have it after all.  Think of it in terms of Mat's incredible luck, but on a more subtle level.

Excluding the miasma ("bubbles of evil") leaking across the Pattern, when a Ta'veren is around, the Wheel itself tends to weave in favor of that person.  Not always, but enough that you can't really call anything that happens to/around them "mere coincidence".