Advanced One Power
Written by Leanna Sedai. (former member)
[Board Intro/Signup Message]
[Lesson One]
[Lesson Two]
[Lesson Three]
[Lesson Four]
[Lesson Five]
[Final]
[Return to the Archive]
Sign up here!
Welcome!
Please state your full name, rank, email and Ajah Aspiration if you have one. Thank you!
In the Light,
Leanna Sedai
Lesson One: The Five Elements
Upon entering the room you immediately curtsy to the small Aes Sedai who stands at the front of the room. Despite her petite size, she dominates the room. She wears a grey-fringed shawl in a style you do not recognize. It must be quite old if they do not make that style anymore. Her long dark curls hang loosely down her back, with one that continually strays in her dark blue eyes. She is definitely from Cairhien with her pale skin and dark hair. She glides gracefully through the room, quickly learning everyone's name before class begins. The sounds that roll off her tongue surprise you because they sound like a thick Tairen accent. Such an odd combination - Cairhien and Tairen!
Before you can decipher the meaning of that combination your attention is drawn back to the front of the room, where the Aes Sedai stands. Her commanding tone silenced all your thoughts as well as the whispers of the others.
"Good day, children." she began. "This is a class that will teach you many complex weaves that requires channeling several different threads at once. This will be much more thorough than your introduction to the One Power class. Learning the weaves will be difficult, and you may not be able to complete each weave I teach you. You will learn your strengths and weaknesses as well as those around you."
Her sharp, blue eyes suddenly meet yours and you suddenly feel very small. Her eyes look old, despite the smooth features of her face. Then you recall her name - Leanna Sedai. Or wasn't Lelianna? Wasn't she retired? Again your thoughts dissipate as she continues on.
"We will begin with simple review. I will name a few weaves and I will watch you perform them. I need to see what level you are channeling at and your ability to weave multiple threads before we move on to the more complicated weaves.
"First, I want to see you move this stack of books from one end of the table to the other." she gestured to a stack that contained five thin books. "You should carry them on at least two separate weaves. If you can do more than two, I will be impressed."
"Second, you will use Water to move the wine from cup to cup. Again, I expect to see at least two cups of liquid moving at once." She gestured to a second table that stood close to the windows.
"Third, I want to see you use Earth to polish the daggers hanging on the wall behind me."
"Fourth, I want to see you create several small flames of fire."
"For Spirit, you must find two partners and shield them to best of your ability."
She had scrawled her list on a board that hung just to the right of the daggers to prompt her students' memory. Facing the students, her blue eyes scanned the Accepted and Novices. Her eyes land on you. "You, begin."
Lesson Two: Simple Combinations Part I
When you arrive to class today, you notice the tables are gone, as well as the daggers that had been hanging on the wall. Leanna Sedai is no where to be found, but most of the other Novices and Accepted have taken their seats. Today, the seats were arranged in a semi-circle, with no desks. You take your own seat and spend a few minutes observing the others. Your observation doesn't last long, as Leanna Sedai soon appears in the doorway. For some reason, she was the last to arrive today.
She entered the room gracefully, without her grey shawl today. Most of her hair is pulled up and decorated with a few precious stones. As she makes her way to the front, the Novices and Accepted stand and curtsy, so you follow the cue.
"Be seated," she said, and waited for everyone to get settled. It didn't take long; no one spoke.
"I am well pleased with your accomplishments from last time. Today, we will move on to more complicated weaves. The first weave requires Air and Spirit. It allows you to eavesdrop on other people."
She embraced saidar, and you watch as she pulled out various threads of Air and Spirit. She interlaced them and sent them through the wall behind her. After a moment, she released the weave, then repeated it. She did it a third time as well.
Her blue eyes scan the room and fall on you. "You, begin." she instructs.
***
"Good work," she praised with a sincere voice after the last Novice attempted the weave. "We have two more weaves to learn today, and we will practice those in the channeling yard. Come."
She glided out of the room, without so much as a glance behind her. The others leap to their feet to follow, and so do you. Down the hallways and down the spiraling staircase you all scamper, until you reach the great doors that lead to the channeling yard outside. Leanna Sedai guides everyone to a small river that ran along the outer edge and had everyone stand a few feet away.
"Next we learn how to conjure a current in this stream. It requires Water and Spirit. Watch carefully." she instructed as the glow of saidar appeared around her.
Thin strands of Water and Spirit stretched out into the water, intertwining with each other. A few ripples appeared in the water, and then separate strands of Air reached to the opposite shore, plucked a flower and let it drop in the water. The flower swirled around and took off with the current Leanna Sedai had created.
"You want to use thin strands to cause a rather weak current. We want each girl to be able to change the current from its original course."
Leanna Sedai met each girl eye to eye to see that she was paying attention and understood. Then her eyes fell on you. "You, begin." she said.
***
After each girl had attempted to change the current in the stream, Leanna Sedai had them gather in the center of the channeling yard. You follow the group, finding yourself somehow in the front by the time the Aes Sedai began speaking.
"Next we learn how to raise a fog using Air and Water. The thickness of the fog and how long it lasts depends on the thickness of your individual strands and how tightly you weave them together. I am going to make an extremely weak fog, then you will spread out across the channeling yard and practice doing it yourself."
Leanna Sedai pulled thin threads of Water and Air and made loops and tied knots and intertwined them together in loose webs. A thin fog began to rise in a circle around Leanna Sedai. She released the weave, but it took a few moments before the fog began to fade.
"Spread out and begin," she instructed.
***
Shaking your head, you watch as Leanna channels, dispelling a rather thick fog made by a tiny Novice. So tiny, in fact, that she was smaller than Leanna Sedai. Once the fog was gone, Leanna Sedai gathered everyone together again. "That was excellent work for today. We will work on more simple combinaion weaves next time as well."
Lesson Three: Simple Combinations Part II
Leanna Sedai is present as you enter the class. Several Novices and Accepted enter behind you. Everyone gives a deep curtsy before taking a seat in the semicircle of chairs. Leanna Sedai has her back to the class as she draws on the board. At the top it says, "Folded Light."
When she finishes, she turns to the class, dusting off her hands. She launched into a lecture concerning the Wheel and how each person is a thread in the Great Pattern. She went on to explain how the One Power could be used to manipulate those threads, often referring to the diagram on the board.
"We can manipulate the world around us and create a shield that envelopes you and prevents you from being seen. Watch carefully how I use Air and Fire to accomplish this." she instructed.
Strong threads of Air laced themselves around strands of Fire and suddenly, Leanna Sedai was gone. She had vanished! A few Novices squeaked while some Accepted simply smiled at the little trick. After a moment, Leanna reappeared, the weave gone.
A trace of a smile appeared on Leanna's face, but its gone so fast you're not sure if it was really there in the first place. Her blue eyes fall upon you and she instructs you to begin practice.
***
"Excellent," she praises. "Now, follow." Again, she quickly exits the room, and the others leap to follow. You join the parade down the halls and down the stairs until you find yourself back in the channeling yard. A table is set up with many long and thick sticks. Several straw-built men are scattered around the yard on posts.
Leanna Sedai picks up a stick and swings it around as if she held a sword in her hand. "Most Aes Sedai do not carry many weapons on them. Yet, you can find yourself in quite a fix without one sometimes. A stick alone will do little damage against your enemy. When your life is in danger - you can use the One Power to help defend yourself by creating a wand of Fire. This requires Earth and Fire. She wrapped thick flows of Earth around the stick, then covered it with a web of fire. Flames burst to life, but the stick did not burn. Leanna took a swing at one of the straw men, and it burst into flames.
Using Water, she quickly put out the fire on the straw man, and doused the flame on her stick. She laid it back down and turned to address her students.
"Pair up. One of you will be prepared to douse the flames with Water while the other practices. Begin."
Lesson Four: Complex Combinations Part I
As you arrive, you notice a sign posted to the door. It seems Leanna had decided everyone should meet in the channeling yard. Quickly, you turn and rush down the hall and down the staircase. You rush out into the channeling yard to see most of the class already gathered around Leanna Sedai in the far corner. You scurry across the yard to join the group. Leanna Sedai was just beginning.
"We are moving on to some more complex weaves. These weaves may not come so easily to you, no matter how powerful you are. They are intricate weavings and they will take practice to produce the desired effect. We will use the exact same threads for todays weaves, Air, Spirit and Fire."
Leanna began directing each of the students, until they stood in a circle around her. "The first weave we will learn, is called Mirror of Mists."
All three threads appeared at once, and they broke off into smaller threads, weaving nets. The nets wrapped around Leanna Sedai and she began to tie them together with thick, strong cords. To any ordinary onlooker, it would have appeared that Leanna was suddenly taller and her voice would be heard as deep and strong. "Sometimes intimidation is the only answer."
Then she released the weave and instructed the students to begin trying. She meandered through the group, correcting mistakes in the weaves and nodding approval now and then.
She gathered everyone around her again, and you find yourself in the front of the group. She has picked two small flowers with a yellow centers and white petals. She places it atop a large rock. "As an Aes Sedai you will often have items that you wish to protect and keep secret. One way to protect these items is by warding it with a Fire Trap weave. There are two ways you can do this." Leanna began to weave small tiny threads interlaced all together and had it settle over one flower. Then she repeated the weave, except there were several notable differences as she wove Spirit. They threads were thicker and meshed closer together, and closer to the flower.
Leanna instructed one girl to reach out her hands and try to take the flowers. "No worries, I made it so weak you should barely feel anything. Watch closely, everyone."
Hesitantly, the girl reached out for the first flower. She snatched her hands back quickly and gave a small jump as a small burst of flame appeared and began burning the flower.
The girl reached out for the second flower and the same burst of flame appeared, but this time, the flower remained untouched.
"Find two objects and practice these weaves. Do not set each other's weaves off though. Some of you might make them too strong and I do not want to send for a Yellow." A new sense of sterness came over her voice and the girls nodded quickly and meekly.
Leanna kept a close eye on everyone to ensure that no injuries took place. Ondce everyone had made several attempts, she called everyone to gather around her again. "There is one more weave we will learn today. It is the ward against Shadowspawn. This weave is extremely important and vital to your safety when you venture outside these walls."
Leanna paused, and you wonder what she's thinking at that moment. Her face was blank, but you suddenly had a very bad feeling that maybe the weave once had to be used inside the Tower walls. You shiver at the thought, but Leanna Sedai has begun to weave.
Thick threads make a circle all around where Leanna Sedai stands, interlacing into an intricate web. She pulls them together, makes loops and ties tight knots. There was nothing to see, except the weave itself. "There mustn't be any Shadowspawn in the area where you weave, nor will any Shadowspawn be able to pass the area in which you weave."
She instructed them to begin practice and she moved from Novice to Accepted and so on, watching each girl perform her weave.
"Excellent work. Tomorrow, meet at the front gates."
Lesson Five: Complex Combinations Part II
Thankful for the early notification from the previous class, you know to head straight to the front gates of the Grey Tower. As you descend the great steps you can already see several Novices and Accepted gathered around. Leanna Sedai is speaking to one of the Gaidin on guard duty, and a disheveled soldier is holding the leashes to several large dogs. Curious, you quicken your pace and arrive just as the gates begin to open.
Leanna Sedai motions you to follow and everyone, include the Soldier with the dogs, head out. She gathers everyone around in a circle once the gates are in the far distance. "Today, we are going to learn a weave called, False Trail. There are many times when you might encounter trollocs, Whitecloaks or some other menace and you need to escape. It is rather difficult to cover one's trail when on the go. This weave will create a false trail that leads away from you, hopefully buying you more time for your escape. It requires Earth, Air and Spirit. The stronger you make this weave, the further away the false trail will extend. Watch carefully."
Leanna took her time making the weave, so everyone could get a good view. Air and Spirit were intertwined with each other and wrapped up inside a net of Earth. The weaves shot across the hillside and vanished. Leanna repeated the weave a second and third time for all to see.
"Now, you will be given thirty seconds to run as fast as you can in any direction. After thirty seconds, the dogs will be released to chase and find you. Allude the dogs using the False Trail and meet back at the front gate. I will be waiting for you there."
***
When you arrive back at the front gate you notice a dejected, miserable looking Novice standing before Leanna Sedai. Her head bowed low and crimson flooded her cheeks. Leanna Sedai sounded unusually harsh and stern and your ears prick up at catching the words, "running away." Suddenly, the novice takes off running inside the Tower.
Leanna Sedai turns her attention to the rest of the Novices and Accepted. The sterness on her face did not fade away. Instead, thick threads of Air, Fire and Water begin lacing and looping into a dome. Too late, you realize this dome is settling over you. Leanna Sedai began speaking, "This weave is called Dome of Silence. It . . ." then suddenly her voice is cut off. You look around, and see the others listening attentively. Leanna Sedai's mouth moves, but no sound comes out. You shout out, but no one seems to notice you.
Suddenly, Leanna is looking directly at you. The weaves vanish as she releases them. Looking directly at you, she says, "Repeat the weave."
After the last Novice and Accepted completed their weaves, Leanna spoke again. "You all did excellent. Meet here again, next time. Be prepared for a final test."
Final Test
Write a 150-300 word fanfic in which you use three or more weaves that you have learned in this class. The setting can be in the future if you like or you can RP receiving an assignment from Leanna Sedai at the front gates.
Important writing tips - have a beginning, a plot, complications/obstacles (which are overcome by your weaves) and an ending where everything is resolved.
|
|
