For the Tower Guard thing, she knows that I am not actually going to join the White Tower and has told me that my WS score increase from 5 to 6 could be a RP of my choosing from the Electives - of which I have chosen Evaluation and already started the RP. Instead of the Tower Guard Ceremoney (WS 6 to 7), I will have to replace that with another elective, and I will be selecting Bruising Time and of course I am hoping to have someone play this NPC or TTPC character I create - or perhaps I could entice someone else to create this TTPC to be my bane for a while and their RPs with me as this TTPC could count toward their WS increases or something equally rewarding.

My entrance into the Warder DR has been approved by both my DL for the Black Tower and Eqwina for the Warders. And I have also received special permission from the board RP Admin WhiteWolf to increase my WS above the normal allowed for channelers as well.

So I am covered on the permission end, but perhaps I could entice you somehow to work with me in creating the TTPC, please and thank you, because I do what him/her to be played by someone else, but I will make a few references to them in other RPs where the TTPC may not actually be present - like in the trail I suggest and such.

I have been plotting out my future RPs here in the Warder DR, and I hit upon a sweet idea. I would like to have an NPC or TTPC created and available to be ran by other players to act as my characters nemesis. The reason for this is because I want to select some RPs where my character is pitted against this NPC with a WS that is always a bit higher than mine and he does not like me. So I will take a beating from him (Bruising), take a flogging for lying about who I was when I entered the WT and am discovered to be from the BT (In Trouble), I will be dosed with fork root and given over to "a shadowy figure" by this NPC (Betrayal), have to defend myself in a trail when people from my hometown arrive in Tar Valon to get my tried for murder - informed of my presence by this NPC (Cunning), and he will also be used in two rounds of my Blademaster Ceremony. In the first round of the Blademaster Ceremony, this NPC will be one of the 5 and will refuse to allow me to pass. Then, Vykor will challenge him to a duel to the death or they will meet outside of Tar Valon and throw down and will finally be killed by Vykor.

Anyway, I have put a lot of thought into this and think it will be pretty awesome. So, if it is okey to make this guy, what kind of stuff will be necessary? A bio and a general outline of how my interactions will form Vykor's journey from WS6 thru 15?

Thanks!

Welcome back.

Personally, I am not truly a member of the Ward DR, being a member of the Black Tower, but I am working here with the fine folks of the Warders to do some interdivision RP and increase my character Vykor's WS.

I recently returned from a two year LoA, so I know how things can get.

If you are interested in RPing with me sometime, let me know and we can work something out!

Sure! :D Ed's WS is high enough to "evaluate" him, I guess. :)

Cool. I started a new topic to do just that - http://forums.dragonmount.com/index.php/topic,44529.0.html

Vykor stepped out in the training yards just as the sun was brightening the sky. It would be a beautiful day is the coolness remained and the skies overhead maintained their unblemished blue color. He had been told to report to the Training yard for his evaluation before he would be allowed to train further...something about his placement in classes or something.

Today he wore a somber, dark green wool coat, buttoned to the neck and with silver embroidery of waves upon the cuffs, hem, and neck. As all his coats did, the garment buttoned on the side. His sword and satchel, the straps of both made of good leather, crossed over his chest. Black trousers with the legs tucked into black suede boots that came to his knees completed picture.

There were a few other early risers already in the yard, but he did not know who it was exactly he was waiting for, so he just made sure he was visible and watched the other men practicing the forms.

He had yet to see much of anything of the city, having only had time to settle into his rooms last night and check on his horse in the stables before he locked himself into his room. He had also pulled the bed over in front of the door as well, to make sure that no one could enter, before he wove a Gateway to take him to the Boarderlands to check in with an informant. His hunt for those Light-cursed Darkfriends may have no official support any longer, since all trace of them had disappeared over a year ago, he Vykor would be kicked before he stopped his hunt.

The information gained had been nothing substantial, so when he returned three hours later with the hour well past the middle of night, he regreated the energy and time stent Traveling there and back. That and the headache he had from the strain of making those weaves left him unable to sleep for a good while afterwards.

But now, here he was, and as bright eyed as possible after swilling almost a pot of the darkest, strongest tea he could find.

Perhaps my next trip will have to be into Seanchan lands to get some of their kaf, he thought idly as he waited.

Hey U4ea, if we have no takers, then perhaps we could do some sparing as the Evaluation. I would have no problem doing that.

“You there!” Vykor heard a voice call out and turned to look for its source. A black-coated man with both Dragon and Silver Sword upon his collar was making his way around the back of the formation. The fellow’s eyes were upon him which made the younger man realize that he was perhaps the only Dedicated not in the assembled formation.

“You too good to fall in with everyone else, Dedicated?” came the fellow’s sneering remark as he drew closer.

“No, sir,” he replied with a salute. “The Lord Dragon gave me leave to return to the Black Tower for a time to…rest. I only just arrived and have not been assigned to a file, so I did not want to break ranks, Asha’man.”

“Well, you look rested enough for now, what with you cooling your heels while others are working. Fall into the front rank and follow along with the training or I will take you in hand personally if you need some more coddling.”

With a direct order he could very well not disobey unless he wanted to set about flashing the paper the Dragon Reborn had given him, Vykor saluted again and moved with alacrity while the ranks were reforming into the battle line.

As he took hold of saidin, the raging torrent of fire and ice that raged within like a storm seeking to shatter the world, he was at the same time filled with life that was the sweetest joy he had ever known. The struggle with it was now exhilarating because while fighting to hold and control saidin a man knew he was alive. He was not the fifth man, but wove an air shield none-the-less before readying himself to begin his combat weaves. Another Dedicated and a Soldier were situated upon his left and right respectively and both held the Power as well, though if they were holding as much as they could, Vykor was the stronger by a good margin. With this in mind, he extended the weave of his shield to cover both of these men as well.

“You two,” he said looking to the men on either side of him, “focus your weaves in on churning the ground with Earth. I will take care of the flames.” He had met few with his own powerful affinity for Fire, and as much as it made painful memories of his friend surge to the surface of his thoughts, he did not allow him to wallow in that pain. As they came, he fed them into the Flame within the Void. As he wove the flows of pure Fire, he only barely registered the bitter taste of ashes upon his tongue while his thoughts hovered in the stillness of his mind and awaiting the command to unleash hell.

“NOW!” came the order, made into a booming command by use of the One Power.

Without hesitation, Vykor let the flows he had held in check surge forth into a wall of pure flames that burned white hot with the power of his talent. He kept the wall low, no more than chest high, but was able to weave the conflagration into a line that stretched for well over twenty paces to either side of his position. He felt that he could go further, but kept it in check.

The men as his side and back set the very earth to roiling with their destructive weaves, sending whole sections of the training ground to buck, explode, and churn while his wall of fire crept forward in time with their arch of destruction. He was sure that the dirt his weave touched would be seared to molten glass and the stone of the fake Trollocs turn to slag as well.

As he channeled, he was mindful of keeping his shield of air in front of himself and the two men on his flanks, but maintaining the two separate weaves was not as hard as it used to be and he was sure he could manage at least another at the same time if necessary.

I will be wrapping up my intro RP into the Warders Training with Eqwina soon and would like to know who would like to help me with my elective RP I will need to advance from WS 5 to 6. I was told I would not need to do the "Final Steps" because I am interdivisional, but that its replacement would be an elective.

I would like to do a RP that is a mix of Evaluation and teaching Intermediate Forms.

So if anyone would like to spend some time on my training, I would appreciate it!

“Well, as for staying. I doubt that the White Tower would really want one such as I…fool that I am, of course,” Vykor said with a slightly sardonic smile. The wench was cheeky that was for sure, but would more than likely soil herself if she knew she was signing up a man that could channel. He did not know if she was trying to elicit a rise out of him, but he would not hook himself upon her barbed comments so she could see how he danced upon her line.

“As for the rules, I will follow the rules as well as possible, upon that you have my troth. I seek only to learn and am used to a hard discipline from my instructors.” Light but that was the truth. Training in the Black Tower was hard enough to kill or burnout those who could not take it, so he doubted that this could be much harder than that, even if they worked with live steel everyday.

“I have been given a letter of introduction from my uncle if you require and have coin to pay to the training I receive as well as for lodging and such. Will I be allowed to take rooms on the ground or will I have to seek shelter at a local establishment? I have to trouble bunking down in a barracks, but would not want to put other whom will be pledging to the White Tower out of a place.” 

All of my posts are written out on these little message boxes, though I do copy/paste them into Word to do a quick spellcheck, but except for that they are all first draft as it were.

As for me writing out my novel longhand, it is more common for first time writers working on their first book, or at least that is what I have found from talking to people. But most of the professional authors don't do it this way. Kevin J. Anderson dictates his scenes into a recorder when he goes on walks and then has someone type them, or so I've read in his blog. And I believe Stephen King and RA Slavator both wrote out their first novels longhand as well.

His eyes slid around the room, observing and locking in the details. An organized woman from the looks of things, and not an Aes Sedai if she wore a sword at her waist.

"A fool...maybe, but I was actually kicked in the face by a horse as a boy, Mistress," Vykor replied coolly. She was obviously trying to bait him into something, or so he assumed, but he maintained his calm. As he takes a seat, he takes the sword and scabbard from his back and leans it against the arm of the chair he sits in. He knew that he should at least try and present a bit more of a facade of a country lord come to the grand city, but meeting upon meeting with her, he found that his pride would not allow him to scratch gravel. He was who he was, even if he was lying about the details a bit.

"Well, I have learned what I can from those I have met and of course from my uncle who fought in the Aiel War. With the rewards won from those times he has been able to secure some lands in the Black Hills under his banner and I believe he would like to bring order to more of that region so long abandoned by lawful rule. As such, he has sent me here to see if training with the Warders will enable me to return to help protect what he has wrought." The truth, in part.

His uncle had fought in the wars and come home with coin enough to help the family’s struggling farm and even expanding upon it over the years. He also remembered many conversations between his father, uncle, and grandfather about the poor condition the lands were in, what with each village having to see to their own protection from roving bandits and the like. And he would of course use the training to protect what his uncle and family had build by being there with the Lord Dragon, fighting in the Last Battle with the One Power and sword in hand.

"Hey ya. Goodman al'Tem!"

Vykor heard someone call the name he had given the gate guards and looked around. He had been absorbed in watching the passing throngs of people and scratching Nihthelm's ears as the great black beast nuzzled him to try and find where he was keeping the little sugar cubes he so loved.

"Looks like it is time for the show, boy-oh," he murmured to the horse and took up his reins and walked over to the gate. As soon as he drew near, one of the guards pointed him out to another. The one he spoke to stepped forward and said, "You’re looking to meet with the Mistress of Trainees?" Vykor only had time to open his mouth before the other fellow continued. "Well then, come along." and set off at a brisk walk.

As Vykor crossed the gates and set foot into the fabled grounds of the White Tower, he half thought that alarms or some kind of warning would begin to trumpet the presence of a man that could channel and that the Sisters of the Red Ajah would boil out of the White Tower like fire ants after someone had kicked their hive. It did not happen of course, but he could not help the feeling even when it encroached upon the awe he felt at seeing the Shining Tower his close.

I wonder if the Black Tower will ever compare? he thought idly. 

He set aside awe and worry and hurried to keep pace with the guard. It was only a short time later that he was instructed to leave his horse and gear with a groom that came to lead Nihthelm away and he was left with the option of protesting or running after the guard once more. He did leave the great black horse, though he did not run after the other fellow...well not really. It was more of a really fast walk to catch up to the man.

Doors and corridors passed in a blur, but he did not see many other people in the hallways they passed by or though except for a few men and woman in servants livery. And then the fellow was rapping upon a door smartly. He waited for the length of a breath and then opened the door and stepped aside to allow Vykor to enter.

And enter he did and upon seeing the woman sitting behind the desk he made the best leg he could and said, "I am Vykor al'Tem, mistress. I was told that I would need to speak with the Mistress of Trainees if I was to train at the White Tower with the Warders."

Hunting Darkfriends is what I do before breakfast...lol.

It is kind of funny because when I was new, my character got pulled into a hunt for DFs in the Black Tower.

Anyway, I am totally psyched and already to go.

Here we are with my arrival - <a href="http://forums.dragonmount.com/index.php/topic,44203.0.html">Black Stain In The Tower</a>

With a sign of relief, Vykor released the weave that held together the Gateway he had used to cross the thousand or more leagues from Tear to within a days ride from the shining walls of Tar Valon. Never before had he ever thougth to actually Travel to the seat of Aes Sedia power, especially since he had learned that he could wield the male half of the One Power, but here he was and more than ready to get underway.

Weaving the gateway was always difficult for him, though the M'Hael had said he was more than powerful enough. It was a complex bit of weaving though and not something he could do without his full attention. Normally he would have just Skimmed, but Nihthelm, his leggy Tairen stallion as black as the shadows he was named for, did not like the place between realities. So he Traveled and put up with the headache he knew he would feel once he exited the Void and released saidin. He did so once he knew that the calm of the Void was not only contained to the center of the Flame.

"Nothing to do but get the work done," he murmured to himself, a favorite saying of his grandfathers when the man would find someone sitting about with a task half done. He missed home...but fed those feelings of longing into the Flame of the Void and mounted. With luck, he could meet up with the road in an hour or so and make it to the cities gates before night fell.

He rode easily, coming upon the road as he had expected, but once on the hard-packed surface, he let Nihthelm quickened his step to a quick canter while he reviewed his story.

It was a good bit of fiction, a mix of truth and shadings of half truths that he had put together over the last couple of weeks. No one would ask if he could channel, or he assumed they would not think that an Asha'man would have the stones enough to knock on the door of the Aes Sedia and ask to be let in, but it was best to plan for the improbable in case your opponent was wilier then you expected.

He had everything he needed - Letters from "friends" and a journal of his supposed travels, cloths of good material and a fine cut, several purses of coin and letters of credit to draw upon more if needed all packed into his saddle bag along with the rest of the gear and tools a man might need when traveling. Tucked into a pocket of his high necked coat - dark blue wool with embroidery of the moon phases marching up both arms done up in light blue and white thread - was another letter for the people at the White Tower to gain him admittance to train with their Warders. And finally, his ever-present, worn leather satchel and sword worn across his back in the Shienaran style. Those were the important items. Everything else could be made or purchased again.

The road he sped along was empty and he made good time, so it was that he found himself riding into one of the bridge towns before he knew it. The Tar Valon Road, at least as it was called in Caemlyn though he supposed it had to be called something else this close to the White Tower, cut through the small town and led him straight to one of the lacey bridges that connected the small island that was Tar Valon to the rest of the world.

Guards manned the bridges and a short line of people and animals were queued up to await the guards approval to cross. No one else was riding, so Vykor dropped off his mounts back and waited along with everyone else. People passed the guards with ease, the men on duty were not shirking their duty and looked over each person or group with a keen eye, but they knew that only a fool would willingly set foot in Tar Valon with a desire to make trouble.

"What's your name a purpose in entering Tar Valon today, goodman?" one of the guards asked Vykor when it was finally his turn.

"Vykor al'Tem," he stated, "I have traveled here to seek training with the Warders, if it pleases the Light." He was a little surprised when his response did not even make the guard quirk an eyebrow in interest. Perhaps seeking such training was not as uncommon occurrence as he thought it would be.

"Head to the White Tower and make your supplication at the gate, Goodman al'Tem. Cause no problems and you are welcome in Tar Valon." The fellow then waved at him to move long, already turning his attention to those folks behind Vykor.

Finding the White Tower was no a problem as it was the highest landmark for miles around after the smoking peak of Dragonmount, and could be seen shining above every other structure in the city. He looked around and tried to not let his awe show through too much, but the Ogier -crafted buildings were more than simple structures. Each as a piece of art wrought from stone and pleasing to the eye.

The press of people in the streets was not all that heavy and everyone flowed easily long in the traffic, so it was with a good hour or so before dusk that he arrived at the gates of the White Tower. More guards there listened to him and he was allowed to wait to the side of the gates while someone called the Mistress of Trainees was informed of his desire.

He was used to waiting. Crops and wool do not spring up to harvest overnight, grandfather always said and so he cooled his heels and waited to see where he would be allowed to take his next step.

Thanks for the wonderful support everyone! I really want to make a living as a writer, but have honestly only been at it for less than two years when it is all said and done and have next to no kind of formal writing training. But then again, a lot of writers start out this way so maybe I will make some of my own success yet.

Most of the novel I am writing now is still in longhand - yeap hand written!, but David Eddids always wrote his manuscripes out longhand too from what I have read about the man. I have some stuff typed and edited a bit, but it is not really finished material. I think it is pretty god though. If you are interested, I could post the doc of my first three or so chapters up somewhere so you could download and read it if you had the desire?

Let me know.

Cool. I think maybe I did not have it all actually straight in my head, but this is not just a short process and I will actually be just like all the others here in all the steps I need to take, so I do not think we need to exactly block out anyone, as the RPs (of which there will me many) can be open or closed as needed for the various requirements.

Anyway, I will get to my arrival this afternoon and this thread can be used to mock my efforts or for me to offer up questions or advice :)

I will post my arrival in Tar Valon, but whom is the Mistress of Trainees? Is that still Ginae Auvriani (played by Ursana), and if so, do I need to put the thread Attention Ursana?

Alright, now for some planning and questions.

To begin with, who is signing up for this RP, or should we keep it realitively open? If we have people sign up, then I would ask that they make their desire to participate known here and we can get a list together.

Second...where do I post my arrival? I think I should come through Tar Valon first, obviously, or can all the arrival and travel to the actual training yard take place in the The Warders Yard section of the IC board?

I do not know how you guys do these things for the interdivisional RP to increase a WS, so I will be more than willing to work with someone to go over them. As I said before, I will come in with a WS of 5, and according to http://digitalglitch.org/drpsw/index.php?title=Warder_Advancment - I should do the Final Steps, but that seems a bit cheap so I would like to do at least two other requirements from that list before advancing, but of course I will take direction for you fellers because this is your house.

Oh come how. I ride the lightning and spit in the face of death every morning...and apparently I also kick puppies though I actually said that I wanted to get this puppy kicking...so please, do your worst!

:P

Cool - I am excited that other people are actually taking an interest in this and now I also hope it can live up to the hype :)

No, no publisher or agent yet. I will have to save the hunt for either until I have the manuscript polished enough so that it shines.

As for what it is about...well, the story revolves around four main characters. Phnor is a grizzled former champion and an Arma of the Sword Rings (arma means weapon and is like a blademaster of the highest order). He wants the Seven Gods of the Unity (major religion) to pay for his wife and baby daughter dying and will do anything to see that it happens before he dies. Then there is Princess Alycia. She has been promised to Prince Davoren of Valdesmere and believes that the wedding between their two countries would lead to disaster to her homeland, but no one else sees it the way she does. So she ran away from home in order to somehow uncover the truth or to at least find a way to stop the wedding without causing a war. With her comes Blayn, a magius and her sworn protector. Blayn is completely besotten with Alycia though he knows that she does not see it. He has listened to her and the reasoning she has put forth for why the marriage should not happen, and while he believes in her, he follows more because he wants to save her and hopes that she will see how deep his love runs. Finally, there is Prince Davoren. The Crown Prince of Valdesmere leads the hunt to bring Alycia home and her kidnappers (they assume Phnor and Blayn) to justice. Prince Davoren is not only a royal though, but also what I am loosely calling the "blessed" of the Unity - a high ranking priest that is greatly empowered by the Seven. He is honor bound to bring his future wife home, but he burns to exact revenge upon Phnor for killing his beloved swordsmaster years ago.

So we have love, revenge, grief, and duty all mixed into the pot driving these characters, but there are deeper currents that they do not even know about. They are riding to the Poisoned Lands to find answers, but it might turn out that they only discover more deadly questions...

Now there is obviously more going on than this, but I think this is a good distillation of the general plot and feel to the story.

And as for cameos...I had a friend agree to allow me to use something like his name in another story I wrote, but then he just complained and whined when he finally read the story and discovered that Onurb (that’s Bruno spelled backwards) ended up being captured and beaten to death by my rather emo assassin that I wrote for a different setting...

Cool. I will post up some ideas and also Vykor's entrance into the region tomorrow. Then we can work out some of the training details and get this puppy kicking!

Hey all.

I just thought I would share with you all my bubbling excitement from my RL. As some of you may or may not know, I have been away for a bit, working on..well work and life and all that, but I have also been working on writing my first novel. Well, it is not finished yet, but I am just about across the 100,000 word count and closing in on completing the first draft of it before my birthday in August.

I have a ways to go still, something like another 30-40,000 words or so I think, but I have been making some great progress and thought I would share.

:)

I can't wait!!  ;D

Awesome! At lease someone is as excited about this idea as I am.

Anyway, just for the general edification for everyone else, here is the general outline/purpose/timeline that I have sent to the respective division heads for this RP.

----

Interdivision RP: Black Tower and Warder Div.

Vykor Temmer: Becoming the weapon.

Purpose: The purpose of this RP will be for Vykor to train with the Warders of the White Tower, operating under the guise of his just being an ex-mercenary until after the time that the bonding of the White and Black Towers comes about. At that time, he will then reveil to people that he is in fact a male channeler.

Goal: To become the Black Tower Blademaster. When I first began to train at the Black Tower, the highest weapon master was Asha’man Ander with a WS of 16 followed by the M’Hael Dalinarius Traachanshield with a WS of 15. I have requested special permission to attempt to RP and gain a WS rank over the norm for those in the Black Tower in order to teach the weapons training classes for Soldier and Dedicated. I do this not in an attempt to power game, but from a desire to improve the quality of role play and the training opportunities that are offered.

Time Line: This will be a semi-retroactive RP that will take place before I posted return to the Black Tower and also before the Bonding. I would suggest at least six months for the opening of the RP, with notice given to those who take part that this is the case. The RP will continue after the Bonding and after Vykor has revealed his deception, or if not outright deception, then an omission of the truth of his connection to the Black Tower. 

---

I would like to ask who will be willing to take part in this RP with me so we can begin a bit of planning and OOC talk before we kick it off with my official arrival.

To start out, I will have a WS of 5, but any and everyone who is interested in taking part I encourage to take part, be you a Warder, civi, or whatever.

Thanks!

Hey everyone! Just thought I would say HI that that my character, Vykor Temmer, will soon be arriving to train with the Warders. He will not be using the OP and will not announce that he is from the Black Tower until later.

I am super psyched to get started and have received permission from my DL and the Warder DL. I have also sent them my bio and a proposed timeline and such because I need to retro this RP a bit with my arrival back at the Black Tower to give a bit of an explaination for why I have been away for so long.

Anyway, like I said, I am super excited and hope that you will all give me  hand and be willing to take part in this RP with me.

Thanks!