Mariah's Collection of Old Letters

A forum to leave your non-sensitive roleplay logs, stories and other roleplay contributions that deal with Tar Valon affairs.
Mariah
Posts: 40
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2018 8:45 pm

Mariah's Collection of Old Letters

Post by Mariah » Sat Aug 06, 2022 7:17 pm

Mariah opens the lid of the wooden chest at the foot of her bed, inside it are various personal belongings and what she needs for her training. Moving aside the more recent binder containing copies of Treaties and Laws that she scribed from the Library, she gets out several envelopes yellowed with age and from being at the bottom of the chest for so long. She stares at the envelopes, considering the woman, no girl, she was at the time she penned some of them. The now dulled ink has lost any sparkle from the sands that were used to dry the letters, but instead are instilled with the memorial of a bygone system.

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OOC: When I first active in the White Tower, 2009-2012, an Initiate had to mail the Hall of the Sitters a letter to let them know you met the requirements and why you thought you were ready for advancement. The letters did not have to be very long, but I enjoyed using them to chronicle my life. Looking at them now, 10-12 years later, they act as a sort of biography for me. I will post them in in below posts.

Mariah
Posts: 40
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2018 8:45 pm

Re: Mariah's Collection of Old Letters

Post by Mariah » Sat Aug 06, 2022 7:20 pm

Mariah's Letter asking to advance from Fledgling Novice to Wearied Novice:

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To the Hall of Sitters,

Esteemed Sitters of the Hall, Most Honorable Aes Sedai of the White Tower, Ladies of Virtue, Wardens of Tar Valon, Maker of Queens, Wielders of the One Power, Servants of All. It is my humble pleasure to write this missive to you all and report my status since joining the White Tower as your charge. It is no secret that I come from a privileged life style, a Paendrag of Mayene from House Mashera. Despite the connotations that nobly born have it easy and take matters for granted, I am a dedicated individual with a strong sense of duty. It is with the same etiquette learned in the dynamic Mayene Court that has helped me adjust to a new life in the White Tower, accepting the various customs associated. Similarly, my tutors as a young girl have prepared me well for the Novice classes in History, Geography, the Old Tongue, as well as a strong proficiency in reading, writing, and figuring. Although I bring to the class a store of previous knowledge it does not conceit me into complacency. As a matter of fact, I have had to un-learn a few of the ‘facts’ previously learned, mostly in relation to Tairen History involving a few exploits of the High Lords.

Learning from Accepteds Azur and Yhsabel has afforded me a new appreciation for the activities a Novice participates in on a day-to-day basis. Included in this understanding are field trips to appropriate locations to help put criminals to justice. On one such trip I displayed my responsibility to the Tower by acting as a proper ambassador. I believe that Gloria of the Lion Warden was impressed with the prompt assistance I provided and the quickness with how I adapted into the group environment. During this trip I became friends with two young men, Shirro and Prentice, beginning their carriers in Cairhien and Far Madding respectively, in addition to meeting a few other Lion Warden that accompanied Gloria. I continued the budding friendship with Shirro and Prentice by assisting each when they needed help. In return they each help me learn something, too. From Shirro I am beginning to grow an understanding of horse breeds and how to distinguish which horses are better than others.

I have been able to adjust well to many aspects of the Tower thanks to Accepted Yhsabel’s teaching, but there have been some stumbling points. Being unable to purchase niceties with an allowance has been difficult, for my personal comforts have never been tested more than a tight corset or strangely spiced dishes. I have been able to ask Mistress Kennira for extra blankets on very cold nights, and I have found that as long as my basic needs are satisfied I am able to cope well. Not exactly the situation I would prefer to be in, but I have learned that that is just the way life is in the Tower. A corollary of this lesson is that I do not take anything out of the Novice Chest that Accepted Dian takes care of. I have asked, and there is no rule against my ability to use private funds to buy equipment for myself. Because I am more well off financially than some of the other Novices, this is one thing I can do to help contribute to the atmosphere, including giving Accepted Dian items she can distribute.

My request for additional responsibility stems from desire to enroll in more strenuous classes and for the ability to explore more of the One Power under supervision. Although the courses I am enrolled in currently as a Fledgling Novice are informative and educational, I believe I am ready for more. A couple times I have discussed various topics like distance-restricted status weaves and herb location/uses with Novice Cameo. Though I admit Cameo is more adept at pulling relevant facts out of text, I contribute by considering the topic from various angles. At one point Cameo agreed not to disregard the use of the poisonous Belladona berries when I pointed out that I had been drinking it in increasing doses as a little girl. She saw right away that this could be a benefit to Mayeners whose army is rumored to put the poison on their blades. Building a tolerance would be essential to a population that has such close exposure to the poison, not to mention the reports of Tairen High Lords poisoning Mayener Nobles with extract from the berry. I have always had the ability to multitask when studying, whether it involved a book or a dagger, and am confident that I can handle additional tasks.

It is my hope that this letter finds you all well and that the letter reflects well on myself and the teachings of the White Tower. Although my learning here was unexpected I am dedicated to perform as I should. I have a mixture of thrill and shock when I think of how different my life has been the last few weeks and at how quickly it has passed. There is no other way I would want it. Thank you for seeing that this is where I was needed most and accepting me into training as a Novice.

Yours in the Light,
Mariah sur Paendrag Mashera

OOC:
I have posted my biography, history, the log of my induction, and some other stories on my thread in the White Tower Introductions Forum on the Temp Forums in case you wanted to know more about my character or experiences.

http://wotmud.freeforums.org/mariah-sur ... t8929.html

Mariah
Posts: 40
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2018 8:45 pm

Re: Mariah's Collection of Old Letters

Post by Mariah » Sat Aug 06, 2022 7:21 pm

Wearied Novice Mariah asked to face her fears and become Journey Accepted:

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To the Hall of Sitters,

Esteemed Sitters of the Hall, Most Honorable Aes Sedai of the White Tower, Ladies of Virtue, Wardens of Tar Valon, Maker of Queens, Wielders of the One Power, Servants of All…

[…the platitudes continue…]

I vividly recall the time surrounding my coming-of-age. Having heard stories from my sisters and the girls from other Noble Houses of Mayene, I longed to be grown-up and experience my First Blood. With it came the privileges bestowed upon Mayene noble daughters including the right to attend Court season. I longed and wanted and tried to will it to come sooner but nothing I did seemed to get me a single day closer. When the day finally arrived it caught me completely off-guard. I had spoken to midwives and heard the bragging of my sisters, but nothing prepared me for not being in control of part of my body. Due to how abruptly it came on I just sat in bed, speechless and shocked before crying out to my family. My mother came to comfort me and calmed me into acceptance. Afterwards she gave me a beautiful necklace that I still wear to celebrate my womanhood.

I tell you this because of how analogous my coming-of-age is to my life in the White Tower. In the life of a girl who one day aspires to be an Aes Sedai she must first go through the Arches to become Accepted. With fair parts of excitement and anxiety this day is looked forward to by all Novices, it is a testament to her worth. She should not hide from that day nor be afraid of its coming, but yet embrace it as we are taught to do with Saidar. The day that I am chosen to walk through the Arches is not mine to make except by presenting myself as a worthy candidate through hard work. However, I write this letter to request that my current status be reviewed.

I have lain awake many nights lately trying to decide if I was ready for the next commitment. I kept thinking of the precepts that Accepted must adhere too and initiated my education to cover those areas. After careful consideration I decided that one of the core knowledge-base of Accepted is Tower policy, law, culture, history, and land. The policy and law came from edicts passed down by the Hall and taught by Accepted while history had its own set of classes. White Tower culture eluded me as foreign for the beginning years in my white dress. But coming from the courts of Mayene where interactions changed fluidly based on who possessed the influence, I showed my dynamic nature and adopted the mannerisms where appropriate. Although I learned the floor plan of the White Tower and Tar Valon quickly by running various errands, the land outside the Shining Walls took me longer to become familiar with. Never having been much of an explorer, this task took me the longest. I can now travel through these grounds with reasonable certainly. I expanded my knowledge of other cities and the routes to each so that I could carry out tasks when asked to represent the White Tower at these locations.

Concurrently with learning the lay of the land I focused on my knowledge and control of the One Power. I have committed a few of the more basic weave Element Requirements to memory because I have been told that Novices often ask Accepted about certain weaves. During my training with Sheriam Sedai I have learned that the element of fire is my weakest, though I have learned alternate weaves where appropriate to compensate with my strengths.

Throughout my enrollment in the Tower I have strived to stay current with commitment to my studies. Although I have not turned them all in, I have completed a good portion of them in my notebook, including some for the Brown Ajah that will not be graded because I missed the deadline. The tasks for the White Ajah were the closest to games that I have seen given as assignment in the Tower. I have continued to pursue my personal academic advancement along with the tasks set to me as a Novice.

I also wish to highlight a few of my positive attributes. As a Novice I have taken the initiative to obtain crystal lightsticks and supply them to the Gaidin who protect the Tower. So far I have equipped Strike Gaidin, Zsavoc Gaidin, and I believe Javier Gaidin was the third. Additionally I have in my possession another lightstick that I plan to deliver to a member of the Shienaran Lancers. I had heard that Lord Kark had asked Jenda Sedai for closer interaction between the Tower girls and the Lancers, and I felt supplying them with lightsticks would help achieve their goals. Similarly I have put the whitebridge hillmen to justice and given their useful mirrored lanterns to the Tar Valon barrel while placing some prepared food and drink around the barrel as well. I believe every little bit helps to build an image of a positive and helpful White Tower.

Personally I have grown through listening to the lessons and lectures of the Accepted and Aes Sedai above me. Particularly Accepteds Yhsabel, Azur, Ana, and Arsinoe. Their teaching along with friendships with Novices Cameo and Verathia have helped me adjust to life in the Tower and allowed me to realize how I can be productive in the White Tower society. Although we are set as equals in the Tower, our experiences and skills of our past help mold us. Through my past tutelage I have developed strong skills in horseback riding, defending myself with a dagger, a fairly fluent access of the Old Tongue, and sewing. I use these to aid my fellow Novice’s deficiencies as well as using these skills to build up and learn related skills such as swimming and the use of the dagger as an offensive weapon.

I believe I have a healthy understanding of what it means to be Accepted and am ready for the tasks that will accompany the responsibility. I have achieved the goals I have set for myself and am looking forward to setting new ones that I can not work towards until I am Accepted. I sincerely hope that my dedication, sincerity, maturity, and intelligence have been shown during my time as a Novice. And I hope that I have shown enough worth to be given the chance to face the Arch Test. Thank you.

Yours in the Light,
Novice Mariah

Mariah
Posts: 40
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2018 8:45 pm

Re: Mariah's Collection of Old Letters

Post by Mariah » Sat Aug 06, 2022 7:22 pm

Journey Accepted Mariah sends a letter to the Hall of the Sitters, asking to be reviewed for advancement to Tower Accepted.

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A piece of paper has been folded neatly into three equal sections and tied loosely with a ribbon. Inside, the script is in a flowing cursive that shows a dedication to detail. The thin black letters shine as the candle light reflects off of fine grain of white sand that was used to dry the ink.

To the Hall of the Sitters,

Esteemed Sitters of the Hall, I thank you for taking the time to read this letter that I send. It has been quite a while since I was first put into Novice Whites, effectively starting my Tower career. From that time to this I have grown much, building on the girl I once was. There comes a time in one’s life where we must sit down and think of the future and our place within it. Lately I have been doing just that. I appreciate my place as a Journey Accepted and would not want to hasten any potential advancement before I have completed what I need to learn in this stage. However, I think that I am ready for more focused study within the White Tower, and so I humbly make a request to be considered for advancement.

Although the words are bold, I did not make this decision lightly. While I arrived at the Tower with some more classical training and education than others, I was at a distinct disadvantage on how to handle the culture of the White Tower. While my time adapting at Court allowed me to adjust without many mishaps, the process was a slow one. Because of this early self-realization I made myself goals that I needed to complete before moving on to the next stage of my training in the Tower. Initially these goals were simple; including exploring the surrounding land, making a map of my new home the Tower, and meeting my fellow clan-mates. But eventually evolved into goals like learning a new fighting style (stabbing), finding new hunting spots I have never been before (black lizards), helping fighters prepare for battle (giving crystal lightsticks to Gaidin and Shienaran Lancers when Madin was asking for more White Tower support up there) and getting involved in more smob groups.

One of my more recent goals has been to focus on my teaching persona. A large part of an Accepted’s role is to teach Novices and other Accepted what we have learned before them. While every Accepted to get to the point I am now must teach a class, I have endeavored to go a bit further. As part of my focus on teaching, I have completed three outlines (Strengthening Diplomatic Relations, Introduction to Diplomacy, and the Three Oaths) which I have submitted to the Brown Ajah during the call for outlines, and plan to submit them to the Hall and teach them one at a time. To date I have taught one of those classes and have another submitted before the Hall of the Sitters. In addition to the formally approved classes, I have taught a number of spontaneous classes including one on generic weaves, one on the Travel plus Locate weaves, one on status weaves, and one of the Three Oaths.

Another of my goals has been to complete more assignments for the different Ajahs. I have completed all of the Ajah Tasks for the White Ajah and was commended by Plyva Sedai for the effort I showed above what was required. Additionally, I have been spending my time making sure than I complete the Ajah quests of the Gray, Blue, and Brown Ajahs; the only Ajahs with quests I have permission to complete. I plan to continue my exposure with the Ajahs by entering into lessons with their Aes Sedai.

In addition to typical academics, I have been trying to get more involved in fighting. While I do get to help out in fights, my main contribution seems to be offering support or spamming and blocking. In the recent days I have exhibited this trait when Boboliosie attempts to raid the White Tower. I find an area with mob support that he is likely to use and spam for him. This has happened three times, and twice my blocking has kept him contained enough where he perished to a mob or PC. Even though I have been in the losing end of several fights, I have been very successful in defending myself and getting away to safety. However, even with these successes I hope to make increased fighting proficiency a goal of mine for the future.

I hope that this letter finds you all well and that this letter answers sufficiently any questions about my past or actions in the White Tower. I believe I am a goal-driven girl who is ready for advancement into a role where I may focus my studies beyond the general Journey Accepted scope. I hope that you find that I reflect well on the White Tower and am worthy of the additional duties. Thank you for your time and your considerations.

In the Light,
Journey Accepted Mariah sur Paendrag Mashera

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