Observe the Burn (Part 1)
Cassandra Sedai, Written by Toma
Posted on Thu, Jul 8, 2010 22:34 pm
Cassandra looked around the room, taking in all the different Novices and what they looked like and how they acted. Fire was not an “easy” element to start with because of the ease with which it could injure, but from what she had learned from Candance Sedai, most of these Novices had very little experience with the Power beyond their Embracing or Seizing lessons. Well no use regretting what cannot be changed… Asha’men Scott had arrived a few minutes before, the picture of one of the Dragon’s men. He seemed be lost in thought and whatever he was thinking about was a million leagues away. She had some information on him and he seemed to be cut out to be a teacher. He was knowledgeable and had been a scholar before becoming an Asha’men. The rumor was that he was not very good with the sword at his hip as well, but as long as he could train the male Novices, she did not care how good he was with a sword.
I suppose I should get started here… “Alright, Novices. Pay attention. I am Cassandra Sedai and this is Asha’men Scott. I am certain you all are aware of the differences between saidar and saidin. Those differences are the reason there are the two of us. I will be demonstrating for the females while Asha’men Scott will be demonstrating for the males. This is a lesson in the channeling of the element of Fire. The lesson shall span a few weeks to ensure that you have learned what is needed to safely channel the element. If you can not channel the Power at will, meaning you have not completed your Embracing or Seizing lesson to your teacher’s satisfaction, you should leave now. Channeling at all is too dangerous if you cannot control the Power running through you.” She waited a moment to see if anyone would leave. None did.
“Very well. I have heard that a number of you are rather new to channeling, so I will state this warning that any of the longer tenured Novices can confirm. This is a lesson on one element of the five that make up the One Power. Each element has uses and drawbacks and if misused, all can be deadly, even channeled by a Novice for the first time. As I am certain your past teachers have informed you, most people that channel without the guidance and wisdom of a teacher close by die from the experience while still learning control or cause dangerous situations to occur around them that severely injure themselves or others. For this purpose, these lessons have lecture portions that do not involve channeling except in the abstract sense of how something is approached. That said, these lessons also have practical portions where channeling is required. During either portion of the lesson, you are not to even attempt to Embrace or Seize without our express permission. Asha’men Scott and myself are here to help you learn but also to protect you from harm if we can. If you try to channel without our approval, you can cause a problem that can result in serious injury or death to yourself or your fellow classmates.”
“Moving on, as I said, this is a lesson on the element of Fire. Can anyone give me an example of what they believe Fire can be used for? For the purposes of time, you are not required to curtsy or bow before speaking to us for the duration of this lesson. Yes, you in the front. Stand up and state your name and what your example is.”
A male Novice stood and made as if to bow slightly before saying, “Umm… I suppose a campfire could be made with Fire, Aes Sedai?” He quickly sat in his seat again after speaking.
“Yes, a campfire can be made with Fire. And what was your name, Novice?”
“Oh, uhh… Marc, Aes Sedai.”
“Very good, Marc. Does anyone else have an example? Yes, you over there.”
A female stood this time and stated, “My name is Angeline Aes Sedai and I believe that Fire can be used to warm things without causing them to be consumed.”
“Yes, Angeline. Fire can be used to warm things as well. You may sit.”
Cassandra looked at the Novices again after these two answers and saw most of them looking bored. They probably think this is boring… Of course Fire would be able to create fire and warmth…
“Now you may believe all of this common knowledge as well as common sense. You have all see mundane fire and know that it can give off light, warm other objects and burn materials. However, that is not the limit of the uses of Power wrought Fire. While I am certain you have seen a campfire melt ice, and I am certain you have all heard that intense forge fire melts, or at least softens metal, I would guess you are not aware that Fire can also extinguish flame and cool objects when used properly. Channeling Fire mixed with Earth creates an intense weave that can pierce most materials in an instant without warming the substance. The weaves used for Healing also involve amounts of Fire as well as the other elements. Now enough of the lecture for now. We will be teaching you a bit of how to handle Fire properly now.”
Cassandra and Scott each approached the table containing the split wood and took a piece each.
“Now, just to ensure you are all paying attention to this part, what is this?” The Novices all chorused, “A piece of wood, Aes Sedai.” and Cassandra continued. “Correct. These pieces of wood will be your first trainers for using Fire. We will begin by doing something rather simple, causing wood to burn. After we show you the correct weaving, you will all attempt to recreate the weave on your own pieces of wood under our direct supervision. This may take some time, but Fire is a unique element. It is the element most directly related to destruction and injury. We want to ensure that you each appreciate the power of channeling Fire and the dangers of its misuse before we will allow you a limited amount of freedom to channel on your own in the classroom. In this situation, most teachers would ask you to light candles, however, if you can light a block of wood, you should be able to light a candle without issue. Now, women pay attention to me, men to Asha’men Scott.”
Cassandra Embraced almost without thinking and separated a fat flow of Fire from the stream of Power. She could not feel it but she knew that Asha’men Scott had done the same.
“We both are holding Fire right now. Notice how it looks. Most channelers see it as a bright orange thread that seems to pulse with vibrant life. When you hold it, many describe the feeling as if the Fire is a bit jumpy, alive or that it vibrates. The elements can be channeled in thin flows up to very thick ones. The size of the flow is related to the strength of the effect. We are holding thick flows so that they can be seen but as is the case, a little Fire can go a long way.”
She separated a small bit of the Power from the large one and wove it through the piece of wood she held. The weave was a fairly loose one that had two strings of Fire trailing out of opposite ends of it and looked a fair bit like she had just laid thin strands of Fire around one end of the wood. Satisfied, she took the two trailing ends and with a tug, the weave tightened and fell into a neat cage of Fire that sunk into the wood briefly before the wood caught fire and began burning merrily.
“I know that was a bit quick, so I will repeat that a few times. Make room at the front for others to see children.” Cassandra waited a moment for the Novices to rearrange themselves before repeating the weave a few more times with different Novices watching from the front row.
On the other side of the room, the Male Novices were gathered around the Asha’men. His voice was gentle and he sounded concerned for the men there. “Before I start this lesson, I just want to tell you boys that the Black Tower is always open to you. We don’t do lessons like this though… its more like we do everything with the Power to ensure we are strong and used to using the Power. No? No one is interested… Oh well. The Dragon likes the White Tower so I suppose you know what you are doing. On to this lesson then. I don’t know what she is saying over there and it really doesn’t matter. Watch me as I show you how to use Fire.”
If the women could see what the Asma’men was doing, they’d probably be very confused. Instead of laying strings of Fire around one end of the wood, the Asha’men grabbed a fair thread of Fire and quickly started ramming it through the wood. The force pushed the strand out the other side and he immediately grabbed it and attacked the end of the wood from a different angle. After he had done this about ten times, he stopped and looked at the Novices.
“Alright, pay attention to this.” he said as he grabbed the two ends that were the beginning and end of the weave. He pulled quickly with a smooth motion, the Fire dissapeared without a trace, and the wood burst into flames rather violently before calming down to a dull burn.
“The placement of the thread doesn’t really matter as much as the fact that it is well spread throughout the wood, or whatever you want to burn. The force of the tug at the end is the force of the ignition. Pull hard enough with enough piercings and you can make a pretty good explosion… Of course adding Air makes it leagues easier to make an explosion but I’m not supposed to show you anything that is not exclusively Fire. Alright, Seize the Power and watch me do it again. Follow along if you think you can but don’t try the pull at the end until I check you out to make sure you have it right. Like your Aes Sedai said, Fire is dangerous. Untrained channelers can cause serious injury to themselves and others by misweaving something.”
Cassandra looked at the Novices in front of her and said, “Alright. Now who among you believes they can do this? No need to be hesitant. You will all need to do this eventually to my satisfaction. I will also assist you if you desire it, but ultimately, this is something you must do alone. Only the Novice who is actively trying to set the wood on fire should be holding the Power for this exercise at this point. All others are welcome to watch to assist your own eventual attempts.”
OOC: Alright channeling time! I would like another 500 words for this part. If you need ideas for what to do, write what your Novice is thinking, what Fire looks like to you, how it feels when you channel it. If it is in character, push to the front and volunteer to go first.
If Fire is weak for you, feel free to have trouble with this lesson. If you would rather work with a smaller piece of wood, such as a bit of kindling, express this in your post and Cassandra (for the women) will frown slightly at you then flip out one of her knives and carve a smaller chunk out of a piece of wood for you. She has a serious demeanour, but she is still nice. If you use a thinner piece of wood, you can still pass the lesson.
If you are a man and have weakness issues with Fire, Scott will shrug, say something about you needing to be able to work with what you are given then channel a quick weave to split a block of wood into a smaller chuck. After you get the small piece to work, he will give you a full sized piece and tell you to do it again with the larger piece. He has an expectation that all of you (men) should be able to set fire to wood easily and so expects you to use the large piece of wood. He comes across as nice and laid back without caring as much about the rules in the Tower but he can be a jerk if you can’t do what he thinks you should be able to do.
In reply to Flames of the Power[show]/[hide]
The Bell was just tolling Dinner as Cassandra entered Sofia’s apartments. Sofia was the Head of the Green Ajah but of course no one outside of the Ajah knew that fact. Sofia was a rather short woman compared to Cassandra and about five times the age, not that it showed. They were Aes Sedai after all and prone to live centuries. Cassandra curtsied slightly to the woman before sitting at the table. The same Novice that had summoned her was apparently going to serve them as well. After they had eaten and had their tea prepared to their liking, they dismissed the Novice with their dishes and began to talk. Sofia began, “So how is your training with Gideon Gaidin going Cassandra? I don’t understand why you insist on learning physical fighting skills... We are Aes Sedai, we do not need to know such things, even though you are a member of the Green. We have Warders to provide physical might and fighting if needed.” “Respectfully Captain-General, I protected myself for years before coming to the Tower. I do not need a Gaidin as of yet and am doing just fine on my own.” Cassandra replied. “Oh, you aren’t fooling anyone. Just Bond Gideon and be done with it. Everyone sees the way you two “practice” physical fighting skills, unless you next mean to try to convince me he is teaching you wrestling as well? Honestly, Cassandra you two are not youths. However, that is not why I asked you here. It seems we have a bit of a shortage of Accepted available to teach lessons and Candance has asked for a few Aes Sedai to teach Novice lessons until the Accepted situation is resolved. I have told her that you would be happy to take a lesson on. You haven’t done anything in the past month outside the Tower and instead insist on filling your days practicing some martial skills with Gideon. The Master at Arms has mentioned that Gideon has not been pulling his weight as a Gaidin either and so he will be teaching classes as well. In any event, it is not as if you will be missing anything important if you teach Novices channeling instead of going to the Training Grounds for a few days.” “Teach... Novices Sofia? Is that really all you can come up with? It seems like a rather flimsy excuse to keep me away from training physical fighting skills.” Sofia rolled her eyes and commented offhandedly, “So that is what the young are calling it now?” She gave a short bark of a laugh before continuing, “Call it whatever you want, if Gideon was Bonded to you, he would have evenings free, would not have to teach classes unless he requested it from the Master at Arms, and could move into the Tower, into your apartments if you so desired, to be your Warder. You could get all the training you could want from him in that situation, in the privacy of your quarters. So. There are no issues? Good. I will inform Candance you will start a lesson tomorrow morning. I believe she said it should be about the element of Fire. Also, there will be an Asha’man there to teach the men... Scott I believe his name is...” Cassandra wanted nothing more than to protest further about teaching Novices and her relationship with Gideon, but knew it would mean nothing. When Sofia got an idea in her head, she got it done to her liking and woe to any that tried to oppose her. Grumbling all the way, she excused herself to prepare for the lesson she’d be teaching the next day. As she walked, her mind wandered to Gideon and what Sofia had said. She wasn’t sure about it but decided that it was high time some action was taken. Cassandra walked to the entrance of the Green Quarters and grabbed a stray Novice. “Go to the Training Yards and find Gideon Gaidin. Tell him that Cassandra Sedai expects to see him, cleaned up mind you, in her apartments for Supper tonight at the tolling of the Bell. What is you name? Ann? Very well, Ann. You will be serving Gideon Gaidin and myself Supper tonight. Here is a note stating such in case anyone questions you.” Cassandra watched the Novice scurry away with a small smile on her face. You have no idea what you are getting into Gideon. I will get you back for all those throws and bruises you’ve given me...
Cassandra posted a message on the Lesson Board for Novices to meet for her class in one of the larger classrooms even though she did not expect to fill half of it. This lesson had to do with Fire and she wanted the extra space in case something went amiss. It was a Novice class and she wanted to be prepared for anything. She arrived at the room a few minutes before anyone began to show up and stood silently at the front of the class with a small grimace. She had not taken Healing for her bruises from the previous day, so she was in a small amount of pain. She could deal with it but the important part was that they were significant enough for Gideon, in his new role as her Warder, to feel. That alone made it worth while. Cassandra smiled slightly as she thought about him and found a small amount of humor in the fact that she could tell he was still asleep back in her apartments. Soon enough, the Novices began to enter and move to seats around the room.
OOC: Alright, Novice Fire Lesson time! As always, an intro followed by three parts. Follow the rules posted on the site in terms of your posts and feel free to do a bit of role playing as I like to read stories. As you can see from my post, I can get into writing. There is no need to post as much as I did for your Introduction, but if you want to do so, feel free. Just remember, there is no prize for posting more than anyone else, unless you count that pain in your wrists... That said, I would appreciate it if you could write 500 words at a minimum for your introduction. I plan to be posting the first part of the lesson in about a week. For planning and descriptive purposes, here are some helpful descriptions. Cassandra is Saldaean and is about 5’4” tall. She is thin and has dark hair. She has achieved agelessness. As you can find out from above, she is a member of the Green, likes the idea of physical weaponry and shows it by wearing two daggers, one on each hip. She is also rather serious and no nonsense. She is wearing a dark green dress that has an average neckline. Asha’man Scott is Andorian, middle age, and balding with thin blond hair and is a bit portly. He is a full Asha’man and so wears the black uniform with both the silver sword and enameled Dragon on his collar. He has a sword on his hip and no facial hair. He is a about 6'0 tall. Also, he is not yet in the classroom but will be arriving shortly. Feel free to write in his arrival a few minutes after you have arrived if you want to do so. He will not be late though so if you are going to write in arriving right on time or a bit late, he will already be in the classroom. He is quiet, looks serious and is well groomed when he enters the room. The room is a large one with two doors on one wall that lead from the Tower proper. There is one wall at a ninety degree angle to this first wall and the remaining wall is curved to join the other two (picture a wedge from a circle). The curved wall has large windows in it, and the sun is shining in with a few clouds in the sky. Cassandra is standing at about the halfway point of the curved wall with her arms folded. There are two large tables flanking her which a number of medium sized metal pots on one and a pile of split wood on the other. On the floor are two very large basins that contain water.
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Replies to Observe the Burn (Part 1)
- A Small Success — Novice Cerawyn Bandevin, Fri, Jul 30, 2010 22:42 pm
- A Heated Chance — Asha'men Scott (NPC), Sat, Jul 17, 2010 22:06 pm
