Class Log - Weather and Its Effects on the World

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Sarinda
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Class Log - Weather and Its Effects on the World

Post by Sarinda » Wed May 04, 2022 1:06 am

In the Classroom
A board of black slate hangs on the wall near the door, suggesting this
room is used as a classroom. The room is plain and windowless and has
enough place to seat thirty students. A dais with a desk sits at the front
of the room, where the Aes Sedai or Accepted teaching the class can sit.
[ obvious exits: W ]
Zone: White Tower Upper Floors
Door west: door
Robinn Sena the Wearied Novice is standing here.
Faith the Tower Accepted is resting here.
Talasia Nelaan, Aes Sedai is standing here.
Coshe Neofedd, Tower Accepted is standing here.
Ruby the Tower Accepted is standing here.
Mariah the Tower Accepted is standing here.
A warder stands nearby, calm yet poised to leap into battle.
A haughty young woman strides by practicing Aes Sedai serenity.

Sarinda walks up to the black slate and begins to make a few notes on the board.

Talasia crosses her arms and watches intently.

Talasia closes the door.

Robinn sits at a desk, her notebook and pen ready, a small smudge of ink on her cheek.

The door is opened from the other side.

Liia has arrived from the west.

Liia closes the door.

Coshe stands up from her desk.

Sarinda curtseys before Liia.

Coshe curtseys before Liia.

Ruby curtseys before Liia.

Robinn stands.

Faith stops resting, and clambers on her feet.

Robinn curtseys before Liia.

Sarinda says 'I think that is everyone!'

Faith curtseys before Liia.

Talasia greets Liia with a light kiss on her cheek.

Coshe sits gracefully at the desk and lightly inks her quill.

Mariah uncorks a bottle filled with black ink and puts it squarely on the desk in front of her.

Robinn resumes her seat.

Liia takes a position toward the back of the room, observing with a cool eye.

Liia greets Talasia with a light kiss on her cheek.

Sarinda says 'Thank you all for joining me today. This class is a culmination of an extensive research project that is near to my heart, and I am excited to share this knowledge with you.'

Sarinda says 'If it pleases the Light, go ahead and eat and drink now, and then please refrain from doing so again until we are finished so as to minimize distractions.'

Sarinda says 'Before we begin, I wish to thank my mentor Talasia Sedai for supporting me with this project. I also wish to thank all of you who have offered so much of your time and aid with my data collection.'

Talasia gives a small smile.

Sarinda says 'In particular, I am grateful for Kavia, Prya, Sauin, Pandora, Tolza Sedai, and Liia Sedai for collecting data with me or helping me to generate ideas to test that contributed to my findings.'

Sarinda says 'I know many of the ladies here have helped in some way, so I thank you all for your assistance.'

Sarinda smiles warmly.

Liia head in greeting to Sarinda.

Liia smiles happily.

Sarinda smiles, then turns to a table in the room and picks up several large stacks of documents. 'If it pleases the Light, here is a copy of my research report as a reference during our class today.'

Ruby smiles happily.

Sarinda hands out a copy of her report to each of you. (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fq6 ... sp=sharing)

Coshe looks at the copy and places it beside her stack of papers to reference.

Mariah holds up the piece of paper in front of her, carefully reviewing it.

Sarinda says 'I have also left a copy in the White Tower library for future reference and posterity's sake. (viewtopic.php?f=104&t=16318)'

Sarinda says 'Today, I will be focusing primarily on summarizing my findings and leading discussions about how to apply this information. If anyone has questions about my methodology, please speak with me after class or send me a mail.'

Sarinda says 'First, if it pleases the Light, we will discuss the basics of studying the weather and understanding weather patterns.'

Sarinda says 'Why should any of us care about the weather? Why might this topic be relevant to women of the Tower?'

Sarinda says 'If it pleases the Light, feel free to jump in with your answers, no need to raise your hand. I enjoy a more collaborative discussion.'

Coshe nods in agreement.

Sarinda says 'Anyone?'

Mariah says 'The weather dictates when certain weaves are more or less effective than other times.'

Coshe says 'The weather can affect the weaves we weave'

Ruby says 'The state of the weather can influence our weaves rather significantly, no?'

Sarinda nods in agreement.

Sarinda flashes a playful grin.

Coshe smiles happily.

Sarinda says 'So, we have consensus that our ability to weave the One Power is influenced by temperature. This is very true, and something I'll touch on later.'

Sarinda says 'If it pleases the Light, I hope to also raise awareness about some of the more mundane and nuanced ways that weather affects our lives, not just through the use of the Power.'

Sarinda says 'The weather has a significant impact on a variety of systems, including both mundane skills and weaves of the One Power. Although this class may not be exhaustive, I will try to touch on as many of these effects as I can.'

Sarinda says 'I will pause after each section to leave room for questions and discussion, but if you need me to clarify something confusing, please feel free to stop me as we go along.'

Ruby drinks water from a leather water flask.

Ruby drinks water from a leather water flask.

Sarinda says 'Now, did anyone happen to look at the weather conditions before coming inside?'

Coshe taps her quill on her lip thinking.

Sarinda flashes a playful grin.

Coshe shakes her head slowly indicating no.

Sarinda looks down at her notes.

Mariah says 'I did not see what weather it was outside of the well.'

Sarinda quotes, 'The temperature is about 0 degrees. The sky is cloudy, and a severely strong wind comes from the south.'

Tolza has arrived from the west.

Tolza closes the door.

Sarinda curtseys before Tolz.

Robinn curtseys before Tolza.

Talasia greets Tolza with a light kiss on her cheek.

Coshe curtseys before Tolza.

Sarinda nods in agreement.

Ruby curtseys before Tolza.

Liia greets Tolza with a light kiss on her cheek.

Tolza says 'Excuse my tardiness. '

Tolza greets Liia with a light kiss on her cheek.

Sarinda says 'As I was saying...'The temperature is about 0 degrees. The sky is cloudy, and a severely strong wind comes from the south.''

Tolza greets Talasia with a light kiss on her cheek.

Coshe sits down at her desk, smoothing out her dress and picks up her quill again.

Sarinda says 'Let's review each component of the weather one at a time. '

Sarinda says 'The temperature can range from 0 to 95 degrees in 5 degree increments. However, the minimum and maximum temperature range for a given zone is more constrained than this and will depend on its climate type, as I will discuss.'

Sarinda says 'Next, we look to the sky to see the weather condition, which is dependent on the local temperature. The skies can be cloudless, cloudy, rainy, lit by flashes of lightning, lightly snowing, or snowing heavily.'

Sarinda says 'Light and heavy snowfall are only observed between 0-30 degrees, while rain and lightning storms are only possible between 30-95 degrees.'

Sarinda says 'At exactly 30 degrees, precipitation can fluctuate by the hour between rain and light snowfall, or between heavy snowfall and lightning, and such changes may not catch your eye. You have to manually check the skies to notice the transition.'

Sarinda says 'Next, we have the wind speed, or wind force. In increasing order of strength, this can be: calm, mild, breezy, fair, strong, severely strong, gale force, and hurricane force.'

Sarinda says 'I have also observed "temperate winds" down near Mayene and the Haddon Mirk when hurricane winds had been recently present. This name seems ill fitting to me, so I am not sure what to make of it.'

Mariah nods in agreement, then detaches herself from Robinn's desk and returns to her own.

Sarinda says 'Liia Sedai suggested that perhaps it was the 'eye of the storm' passing over, an eerie stillness between hurricane winds.'

Sarinda shrugs.

Ruby ponders life, the universe, and everything.

Liia chuckles politely.

Sarinda says 'Finally, we have the wind direction. In all of my travels and research, I have only ever observed the wind to blow from the north or the south, seemingly randomly.'

Coshe nods slowly while taking notes.

Sarinda pauses and looks around the room. 'If it pleases the Light, does anyone have any questions so far?'

Coshe says 'have you noticed temperate winds in any other location?'

Sarinda says 'Not yet. I have only observed them the two times.'

Coshe nods slowly to herself.

Sarinda says 'It could be random chance that they were both times in the south. Or perhaps not.'

Sarinda frowns.

Sarinda says 'Any other questions about the basics of terminology when looking at the weather?'

Liia shakes her head.

Ruby shakes her head.

Coshe shakes her head.

Sarinda flips a page in her notes and says, 'Very well, let's move on. Next we will review seasonal patterns and climate variations.'

Sarinda says 'A season refers to the common sets of weather patterns across a longer period of time, usually three or four months.'

Sarinda says 'My studies have confirmed that the year can be divided into four different seasons. Two of these, spring and fall, are functionally equivalent with regards to observed weather, and differ only based on which seasons precede and follow them.'

Mariah shakes her head.

Sarinda says 'The Farede calendar was adopted after the War of the Hundred Years. It is comprised of 13 months, each with 28 days lasting 24 hours, for a total of 364 days.'

Sarinda says 'Spring includes the first three months of the calendar year: Taisham, Jumara, and Saban.'

Sarinda says 'Summer includes the fourth through sixth months: Aine, Adar, and Saven.'

Liia looks at Faith.

Sarinda says 'Fall consists of the seventh through ninth months: Amadaine, Tammaz, and Maigdhal.'

Sarinda says 'Right now, it is the 25th day of the month of Maigdhal, so we are in autumn currently.'

Sarinda says 'Finally, winter is the longest season, comprised of the final four months of the year: Choren, Shaldine, Nesan, and Danu.'

Robinn looks at Liia.

Sarinda says 'Now, if seasons are like one's mood, then climates are like one's personality. A region's climate is defined as its predictable variations in weather patterns, including temperature and precipitation.'

Sarinda says 'To my knowledge there are at least five distinct climates: temperate, desert, tropical, polar, and the Blight.'

Sarinda says 'Tar Valon is an example of a region with a temperate climate. In spring and fall, the air is naturally cool at 0 degrees with cloudless or cloudy skies. The temperature cannot exceed 45 degrees, even by Weaving the Winds. Winter is the same, but with light or heavy snowfall.'

Sarinda says 'In contrast, the summer months have cloudless or cloudy skies, but with naturally warmer temperatures around 50 degrees. The maximum temperature goes as high as 90 degrees if you Weave the Winds to make it hotter.'

Sarinda says 'Based on these descriptions, can anyone name other areas of the world with a temperate climate?'

Liia looks from face to face expectantly.

Coshe says 'Perhaps Andor?'

Sarinda nods at Coshe.

Robinn says 'Cairhien as well'

Robinn shakes her head.

Sarinda says 'Yes! Most of Andor seems to have a temperate climate. Some of the Two Rivers starts to differ depending on how far west you go.'

Mariah taps her pencil on her cheek.

Mariah says 'What about the Two Rivers?'

Coshe says 'Murandy? and possibly Far Medding as well?'

Sarinda says 'Murandy and Far Madding appear to be the southernmost parts where temperate climates reside. I haven't mapped the border there between temperate and climate, but it might be a little south of Jehannah, closer to the Illian road.'

Coshe nods slowly as she takes notes.

Sarinda says 'Emond's Field and most of the villages around it are temperate as well.'

Sarinda says 'In the Borderlands, it is worth pointing out that Fal Dara and the dusty road west and northwest are temperate.'

Mariah quickly smothers her smile of satisfaction.

Sarinda says 'This includes the Borderlands North and Borderlands West of Fal Dara, and all the way up to the Dark Forest north of the trolloc encampment there.'

Mariah raises her hand.

Sarinda says 'Next, desert regions are known as dry, typically arid regions with little precipitation for most of the year. Their temperatures are very stable across all four seasons. However, their temperatures vary drastically between daytime, from 6 am to 7 pm, and nighttime, from 8 pm to 5 am.'

Sarinda says 'Oh, yes Mariah?'

Mariah says 'A quick question, brought on by your mention of Fal Dara's weather. Do cities typically contain the same weather pattern as the zones surrounding it?'

Sarinda thinks really hard.

Sarinda says 'Generally, that seems to be true. Cairhien might be different. The city itself is temperate, but as soon as you get into the Spine of the World, that is a desert region.'

Sarinda says 'In desert regions, the daytime air is hot at 80 degrees with a minimum of 80 and a maximum of 90. But at night, the air is naturally 45 degrees, with a maximum of 45 and a minimum as low as 0 degrees.'

Sarinda says 'The only seasonal variation in desert regions is that in place of naturally occurring snowfall, they have a rainy winter season, with rain observed consistently during the months from Choren to Danu.'

Mariah nods in agreement.

Sarinda says 'Other than the Spine of the World, as I already mentioned, what are some well known locations with a desert climate?'

Tolza says 'Shara'

Coshe says 'That would be areas with very little precipitation , perhaps.... Tarwin’s Gap?'

Coshe says 'and of course the Aiel waste'

Sarinda says 'I will come back to the Termool, or the Waterless Sands, and the Sharan border in just a bit. Surprisingly, it does not have a desert climate.'

Sarinda nods at Coshe.

The door is opened from the other side.

Vianca has arrived from the west.

Vianca closes the door.

Sarinda smiles happily.

Vianca curtseys gracefully.

Sarinda says 'The Aiel Waste, and all the way into it to the east such as Cold Rock's Hold, as well as Tarwin's Gap are indeed desert regions.'

Vianca curtseys before Tolza.

Vianca curtseys before Liia.

Liia inclines her head in greeting to Vianca.

Vianca curtseys before Talasia.

Coshe nods to herself and takes down notes.

Sarinda says 'I have also noted that the Decayed Forest, including where Commander Ragan and his patrol make their stand, and the Blighted Stedding, are all desert regions.'

Ruby ponders life, the universe, and everything.

Sarinda says 'Maradon, the capital of Saldaea, and most of the region east of there is desert as well.'

Mariah sketches a few harsh lines and a squigly, prickly plant next to the desert temperature range.

Coshe raises her eyebrow in surprise and takes down that note.

Sarinda says 'And the other important zone in the Borderlands is the winding road east and northeast of Fal Dara, stretching all the way from 2n 4e of Malkier Gate, up to all south and all west of the Gap.'

Sarinda says 'So heading west and north from Fal Dara will find temperate weather, but heading east and north will find a desert climate.'

Sarinda says 'The tropical climate is characterized by warm weather all year round that never includes snowfall, even during the winter season. Across all four seasons, these regions have a minimum temperature of 50 and a maximum temperature of 90. They are naturally cloudless or cloudy in every season except winter, which has heavy and constant rainfall with occasional ightning storms.'

Coshe says 'Would you say that the evidence points to the Blight causing that desert region? Or something else?'

Sarinda says 'Hmm. It does seem that the Blight border has a profound impact on the weather.'

Sarinda says 'I think if the Father of Storms did not have his hand on the lands, that traveling farther north would make it cooler, not hotter.'

Coshe nods slowly tapping her quill in her ink well.

Mariah raises her hand again.

Sarinda says 'Yes, Mariah?'

Sarinda smiles warmly.

Mariah says 'How does one tell what type of climate the area is? Such as desert, temperate, etc? Is it in a command, or only by knowing the zone and the temperature pattern?'

Sarinda smiles warmly.

Sarinda says 'As I'm sure the Whites could appreciate, I came to the conclusion through a matter of inductive reasoning.'

Liia grins at Sarinda.

Sarinda says 'I went around and studied different places, then began Weaving the Winds in different regions to see how much I could strain the weather.'

Sarinda says 'If it pleases the Light, can I come back to your question in a moment?'

Sarinda says 'Once we have covered all five climate types I've discovered.'

Mariah quietly defers.

Sarinda says 'Interestingly, there appear to be at least two subtypes or variations of the tropical climate. In Illian, the temperature is cooler around 55 degrees. In Tear and Mayene, however, it is much warmer at a balmy 85 degrees year round.'

Sarinda says 'Fourth, there is a polar climate that is limited to only one small region of the world that I have discovered so far: in the Mountains of Mist and the smaller snowy mountains surrounding it. This region can be accessed by traveling west through the valley located between Taren Ferry and Deven Ride in the Two Rivers.'

Sarinda says 'Like temperature regions, this area is 0 degrees with cloudy or cloudless weather in spring and fall, and 0 degrees with lightly or heavily snowing skies in the winter. However, even in the summer, the air is naturally only 0 degrees and cloudy or cloudless.'

Coshe shivers to herself.

Sarinda says 'The maximum temperature is also 40 degrees compared to 45 in temperate regions, and as a result, there is a permanent layer of snow covering the mountainside. This allows for unique flora and fauna to live here, including snow leopards that have adapted camouflage for the snowy environment.'

Sarinda says 'Has anyone been to this region before? Or is anyone familiar with another area of the world that exhibits this type of climate?'

Sarinda says 'Liia Sedai, you were the one who gave me the idea to look over there, I think.'

Liia nods at Sarinda.

Coshe shakes her head indicating 'no'

Sarinda says 'Finally, north of the Borderlands and into the heart of the lands currently claimed by the Father of Storms, the Blight has a unique climate that is oppressively hot. Temperatures here are a minimum of 90 and a maximum of 95 all year round. The skies are cloudy or cloudless, except for winter, which is consistently rainy with occasional cloudy skies.'

Sarinda says 'Beware if you travel too far north, for the oppressive heat and the Father of Storms' grip on the land will drain you of your movement energy and even your very life force.'

Sarinda says 'Interestingly, as Tolza Sedai already hinted at, there is one other place in the world with this exact same climate.'

Sarinda says 'The Termool, or the Waterless Sands, is a dangerous and expansive desert located at the far southern tip of the Aiel Waste. It is said to be so dry and barren that even Aiel will not travel there.'

Sarinda says 'So, Mariah, your question.'

Sarinda says 'I simply studied a variety of regions around the world at various times of day and across all four seasons, until I saw consistent patterns.'

Sarinda says 'And then once I realized that you can only adjust the maximum temperature so much using the Change Weather weave, that helped to clearly delineate different climate types.'

Sarinda says 'So for example, if I see that the area is 0 degrees even in the summer, and I cannot make it warmer than 40 degrees, that would differentiate a polar region from a temperate one.'

Sarinda says 'In contrast, if the temperature drops down to 0 degrees during spring, fall, or winter, that cannot be a desert or tropical region.'

Mariah says 'That makes sense. A slight shame, but makes sense.'

Mariah says 'Thank you for answering my question.'

Sarinda says 'That was one of the first things that surprised me, that you cannot simply change the temperature all the way from 0 to 95 or back.'

Mariah nods along with the class.

Sarinda says 'But because the minimum and maximum temperature ranges were unique for each type of climate, you should theoretically be able to figure it out from that alone.'

Sarinda says 'With the exception being a temperate zone and a tropical zone during the summer months.'

Sarinda says 'If it pleases the Light, there is one final important thing I wish to discuss regarding natural weather conditions and climates.'

Coshe takes note and retaps her quill in her ink well.

Sarinda says 'There is an unusual and sudden shift in the weather any time there is a ripple in the Pattern (reboot or crash). When this occurs, the temperature will become suddenly warmer, typically consistent with the zone's maximum temperature, and the skies will be rainy or lit by lightning. It can take several days for the temperature to fully return to normal.'

Sarinda says 'This class should run right up to the daily ripple in the Pattern, so you could see it for yourself if you are interested.'

Liia strokes her chin thoughtfully.

Sarinda says 'If it pleases the Light, does anyone have anything else they wish to ask or discuss so far?'

Ruby says 'That's an interesting anomaly.'

Sarinda nods in agreement.

Coshe shakes her head indicating 'No'

Sarinda says 'Yes, and before I realized it, it very much confused me with my study of the seasons.'

Liia says 'Incredibly useful fact to know.'

Sarinda says 'I noted this on page 4 of my full report.'

Sarinda nods in agreement.

Sarinda says 'There is more nuance to it and ways to take advantage of this, as well, for those frequently awake at that time.'

Coshe nods in agreement.

Sarinda says 'Which I will turn to shortly.'

Sarinda says 'Now that we have covered the basics on seasons and climates, I would like to turn our attention to the various systems that are influenced by the weather and that can be utilized to your advantage, if you understand them.'

Sarinda says 'First, I would like to turn our attention to creating local lightning storms, which is a requirement to complete the Call Lightning weave. If it pleases the Light, information and figures on this topic begin on page 11 of my report.'

Sarinda says 'Based on my calculations using data I have collected to date, I have not yet found any meaningful differences across seasons or climates with regards to how easily one can create lightning storms.'

Coshe flips to page 11.

Sarinda says 'It takes a single use of the Change Weather weave to summon clouds from a cloudless sky, and one more to make it rain if it is already cloudy. These conditions occur without fail.'

Sarinda says 'On average, it takes about 3.55 weaves of Change Weather to make lightning. However, across more than one hundred trials, I have found that these data are very skewed towards low numbers. The most common number of weaves required is 1, and on 75% of my trials, I could create lightning within 5 weaves.'

Sarinda says 'This is represented visually on Figure 4 of my report.'

Sarinda smiles warmly.

Sarinda says 'For those who are visual learners.'

Sarinda winks suggestively at Robinn.

Liia flips through her notes and nods.

Sarinda says 'The process of creating lightning appears to be based on random chance with a predictable distribution of chance. However, there have been a few trials on which I have Woven the Winds repeatedly for a full hour (tick) with no success, with no clear indication why it was not working.'

Coshe smiles happily.

Sarinda draws down her thin eyebrows into a frown.

Sarinda says 'For this reason, if you have woven repeatedly in the hour with no success, take a short rest and try again once the hour has passed. '

Sarinda says 'Once you have successfully filled the sky with flashes of lightning, the storm will usually only last for a brief time, about 2.30 hours (ticks) on average. However, I was excited to learn from my research that there is indeed a seasonal difference in how long lightning lasts.'

Sarinda says 'Specifically, the duration of lightning averaged across trials from spring, summer, and fall was approximately 1.74 hours. Across 9 trials from winter that I have now completed, the average duration in winter is 12.67 hours.'

Sarinda says 'My longest trial to date was an incredible 35 ticks, although I did have to pause twice during this to warm up the air because the lightning has transitioned to a blizzard.'

Sarinda pauses in her lecture for emphasis.

Coshe says 'Interesting'

Sarinda says 'This dramatic discrepancy is visually depicted in Figure 5 of my report. As you can see, lightning is particularly easy to sustain for long periods of time in the winter.'

Sarinda says 'Because there is natural precipitation in the winter in every known climate of the world, my theory is that lightning is only one step away from the zone's native weather condition of rain or lightly snowing, and thus it is less probable for the lightning to end than when the natural conditions are cloudy or cloudless.'

Sarinda says 'If it pleases the Light, how do you all think that we, as channelers of the Tower, could best apply this knowledge?'

Liia looks at Sarinda.

Talasia says 'We make zing in winter and light up the male channelers.'

Coshe says 'Depending on the season, the weave call lightning may not be viable to defend oneself... or may be extremely viable'

Sarinda grins at Talasia.

Ruby grins evilly.

Tolza nods at Talasia.

Coshe covers a smile with her hands.

Sarinda says 'If it pleases the Light, there is a disadvantage to Weaving the Winds to form lightning in winter: You need to warm it up to cross the threshold of 30 degrees, or more consistently, 35 degrees.'

Sarinda says 'However, after the daily ripple in the Pattern, the temperature is naturally higher, usually 45 or 80 degrees in the Borderlands depending on which climate is there.'

Sarinda says 'There was a point a few weeks ago at which I created Lightning while at the commander patrol (commy) on the winding road, and then used it to defend myself against superior numbers.'

Sarinda says 'I also used it once in the winter near Tarendrelle against the damane Ahri and her sul'dam, because I anticipated she would be outside the village and I took the time to warm up the air first.'

Sarinda says 'If it pleases the Light, I have also noticed that many trollocs fear the lightning and will retreat northward if they see the flashes begin.'

Faith nods in agreement.

Sarinda says 'But if you start Weaving the Winds to make a blizzard, and then gradually make it warmer...They might not even notice until it's too late.'

Coshe nods slowly.

Ruby nods in agreement.

Robinn grins evilly.

Sarinda says 'Personally, I recommend Call Lightning and storms for any outdoor combat against common enemies (mobs or smobs), especially for women who do not have strength in Fire for Fireball or Flame Strike.'

Sarinda says 'I'll speak more on that later.'

Sarinda says 'Next, if it pleases the Light, I would like to transition to discussion about the impact of weather on tracking.'

Sarinda says 'Tracks are visible to anyone with a keen eye and training, although hunters are particularly skilled at observing and following these quickly. Tracking can be used to check movement through choke points in a zone, which helps to monitor enemy movement.'

Sarinda says 'Tracks appear to have two key components: the track condition, which indicates visibility of the traces left behind, and track age, which indicates how long has passed since the tracks were made. '

Sarinda says 'Track condition appears to be influenced by the total weight and encumbrance of a creature, the Ranger Sneak skill, and, as I will discuss shortly, heavy snowfall. Track condition can be obvious, clear, (blank), faint, and extremely faint. There may be others I have missed. '

Sarinda says 'For example, in cloudy weather, my horse's tracks will remain obvious for 17 hours (ticks) and clear for an additional 31 hours, before it becomes "some three day-old tracks of a ridden mount." Lighter creatures will progress from obvious to clear and so on at a faster rate.'

Sarinda says 'With regards to track age, if we refer to the hour (tick) during which tracks are made as hour 0, then tracks are fresh from hours 0-1, recent from hours 2-3, fairly recent from hours 4-11, almost day-old from hours 12-23, day-old from hours 24-47, and three day-old beginning at 48 hours.'

Coshe whispers to herself... "stop feeding clip clop extra apples...."

Sarinda laughs heartily, shaking with mirth.

Sarinda winks suggestively at Coshe.

Sarinda says 'Actually determining which set of tracks is the newest takes practice and can be quite confusing. Tracks appear to first be grouped based on the quality of the track condition, such as obvious and then clear. '

Sarinda says 'Next, they seem to be grouped by creature, with lighter creatures such as rabbits or foxes falling farther down the list, and larger creatures such as horses and elk near the top. This suggests that tracks are sorted by total creature weight, including carried gear.'

Sarinda says 'Finally, for multiple tracks with the same quality and from the same creature, tracks are listed in descending order of age from newest to oldest.'

Sarinda says 'My testing indicated that there is no observable difference in track appearance between cloudy, rainy, and, surprisingly, lightly snowing weather. Although attempting to track in lightly snowing weather will warn the user that "It's difficult to read old tracks in the snow", I have not observed this to be the case in lightly snowing conditions.'

Sarinda says 'Tracks are dramatically impacted, however, when it is snowing heavily. However, it only applies to tracks that are formed when it is already snowing heavily. Tracks formed before the heavy snow began will degrade at the baseline rate.'

Sarinda says 'When it is snowing heavily, tracks will degrade rapidly and fully disappear anywhere from 1 to 3 hours (ticks) after moving. In many cases, the tracks will simply be gone at the start of the next hour after being formed. At most, they will fade from "obvious fresh" to "fresh" to "extremely faint recent" before vanishing.'

Sarinda says 'It is very important to note that creatures who are Beaten or Critically injured will leave bloody tracks, which are unaffected by snow and will age and decay at the same speed. Humans will only leave bloody tracks if they are on their own feet, not if they are riding a horse. It is also impossible to leave tracks on the water, such as a river.'

Sarinda says 'If it pleases the Light, what are some potential applications of this knowledge in a combat situation when you are on the defensive and being chased?'

Sarinda says 'And I do apologize if I'm moving fairly quickly, but I want to make sure we finish in the next 20 minutes.'

Ruby says 'If you're carrying something unnecessarily heavy, such as a canoe (and you're not on water), it would help to drop it in order to lighten your tracks.'

Mariah says 'If you make a snow storm happen, you can slip away more easiely.'

Sarinda nods at Ruby.

Sarinda says 'That's something I actually mean to test, Ruby. I'll be curious to see how much of an impact it makes.'

Sarinda nods at Mariah.

Sarinda says 'From my preliminary testing, I think that it takes the same number of weaves to worsen the weather from lightly snowing to snowing heavily as it does from rainy to lightning.'

Sarinda says 'So in theory, it will take 1-5 weaves in most scenarios.'

Sarinda says 'But it might not hurt to flee to a random room, weave 2-3 times, and if you do form heavy snowfall, move a rapid distance just before the hour (tick) ends.'

Coshe scribbles further notes down.

Sarinda says 'You also could instead keep that canoe or raft, and hop onto water, then find another horse and keep moving.'

Ruby nods in agreement.

Sarinda says 'And what about if you are on the offensive and attempting to chase a quarry?'

Coshe says 'the fatter trollocs are at the top of the list when chasing them'

Coshe snickers softly.

Sarinda grins evilly.

Sarinda says 'Especially the ones in heavy gear.'

Sarinda says 'And because they are on their feet, it will be easier to find their bloody tracks.'

Coshe nods slowly.

Sarinda says 'Also, it is worth remembering that although it takes about 3-4 weaves to move from lightly snowing to heavily snowing, it only takes 1 weave guaranteed to go in the reverse direction.'

Sarinda says 'Are there any other questions about tracking before we continue?'

Coshe shakes her head no

Liia shakes her head.

Sarinda flips the page in her notebook and nods.

Sarinda says 'Next, if it pleases the Light, I wish to briefly discuss the impact of temperature on how quickly one becomes thirsty.'

Sarinda says 'You may have noticed at times in your travels that occasionally in hot areas, you feel parched from the oppressive heat and become thirsty more quickly. I conducted some studies to test precisely when this occurs, and also how much the temperature affects thirst.'

Sarinda says 'With minimal to moderate training in the Survival skill (Levels 0-4), I discovered from my field research that in a region where it is between 0 degrees and 75 degrees, it will take approximately 24 hours (ticks) before you overtly notice that you are thirsty.'

Sarinda says 'This amount of time rapidly falls above 75 degrees. For example, beginning at 80 degrees, you will become thirsty in approximately 14 hours. At 85 degrees, it will take about 8-9 hours.'

Sarinda says 'At 90 degrees or above, your body will feel incredibly parched from the heat, and at 95 degrees, you can become thirsty in as few as 6-8 hours.'

Sarinda says 'In contrast, hunger does not appear to be affected by temperature and onsets after approximately 24 hours even in hot regions like the Blight or the Termool.'

Sarinda says 'Higher training in the Survival skill will drastically slow this process. At level 5, the time before one becomes hungry or thirsty is double the usual rate. At level 6, it is three times the normal rate. And at level 7, one takes four times as long to become hungry or thirsty, and may take as long as 4 days (96 hours) to become thirsty.'

Sarinda says 'If it pleases the Light, for the average channeler who intends to travel into the Blight, I would recommend aiming for Survival level 5-6, or 7 if you spend a great deal of time there and are using a 2-handed weapon with no training in Shield Parry.'

Sarinda says 'Otherwise, you will find that you need to carry excess weight in water to stay hydrated, or leave combat repeatedly for water.'

Sarinda says 'Are there any other questions about weather and thirst before we continue?'

Vianca shakes her head.

Sarinda says 'Ah, ironic that I just became thirsty as I asked.'

Faith shakes her head.

Talasia says 'alternatively, I know of one sedai that mastered with nothing more than 2 pracs in aweapon, with a shield. saves pracs.'

Sarinda flashes a playful grin.

Sarinda whistles appreciatively.

Ruby ponders life, the universe, and everything.

Sarinda says 'Who was that, Talasia Sedai?'

Ruby says 'Now that's quite a feat!'

Liia says 'I personally only have 50% weapon practiced'

Sarinda chuckles politely.

Sarinda says 'Fascinating.'

Ruby ponders life, the universe, and everything.

Sarinda shrugs.

Liia says 'I do it to afford level 7 survival'

Sarinda says 'The more you know!'

Sarinda nods in agreement.

Ruby says 'I had never even considered the possibility. I'll have to think on that.'

Sarinda says 'For our final section, we will discuss weaves of the One Power that require specific weather conditions, are influenced by the weather, or are thematically related to the weather. I will first review non-damaging or utility weaves, and then I will discuss damaging weaves.'

Sarinda says 'The Talent for changing the weather is known among my people, the Atha'an Miere, as Weaving the Winds. The shorebound refer to it as Cloud Dancing, and it is one of the more common Talents in this Age. How many of you have training in the Change Weather weave?'

Coshe shakes her head No

Ruby shakes her head.

Talasia says 'most of my weaves are concentrated on doing damage'

Sarinda sniffs sadly. *SNIFF*

Sarinda chuckles politely.

Sarinda says 'Well, I would argue that this one enhances your ability to do damage, Aes Sedai.'

Sarinda says 'Change Weather requires 2 flows of Air and 3 flows of Water. It costs 7 SPs to form the flows over 10 pulses, and it can be woven while engaged in combat. When you form the flows, you must decide whether to make the weather hotter, colder, better, or worse.'

Sarinda says 'The primary effect of this weave is obvious, and we already discussed some of the nuances regarding creation of lightning. However, there are a few interesting quirks of the weave that I have discovered.'

Sarinda says 'If you attempt Change Weather while indoors, you will not be able to see the effect of your flows on the weather, but it will still impact the immediate zone.'

Liia grins at Sarinda.

Sarinda says 'In addition, if you repeatedly weave Change Weather to make the weather worse, there is a chance that the area will gradually become hotter and, counterintuitively, the wind speed will die down. Conversely, Change Weather to make conditions better will gradually lower the local temperature and make the wind speed stronger. This is the only way I know to intentionally
manipulate the wind.'

Talasia says 'that's why I have all weather types covered.'

Talasia nods to herself, she must need reassurance.

Sarinda nods in agreement.

Sarinda says 'The next weave on our list is Create Fog. The weave to create fog similarly requires 2 flows of Air and 3 flows of Water. It also costs 7 SPs to form the flows over 10 pulses, and can also be woven while engaged in combat. Unlike regular weather conditions, each use of Create Fog will cumulatively add to seven distinct levels of fog in the entire zone.'

Sarinda says 'Once created, each level of fog will dissipate at the start of the hour (tick), and I am not aware of any way to speed or slow this process. Once the maximum level is reached, "the fog is so thick you can't see a damned thing!", all individuals have their offensive bonus (OB) and parry bonus (PB) reduced by 20%, and their dodge bonus (DB) by 10%.'

Talasia says 'I also have Accepteds to change weather for me.'

Talasia gives a small smile.

Sarinda falls down laughing.

Coshe snickers softly.

Sarinda says 'On page 19 of my report, I have compiled an extensive list of every action I know that can and cannot be completed successfully in full fog. If it pleases the Light, please review it, and then I would like to know if anything there surprises you.'

Liia nods at Talasia.

Sarinda says 'I, for one, was intrigued to discover that you can weave, even against a specific target, but you cannot bash, even against someone whom you are engaged in combat with.'

Coshe says 'and kick very interesting indeed'

Sarinda nods in agreement.

Coshe says 'would lead to a large tactical advantage.'

Ruby eats a plate of vegetables in tangy sauce.

Sarinda says 'The catch being, of course, that you cannot attack them by name to try and keep them from running.'

Sarinda frowns.

Coshe nods in agreement.

Liia strokes her chin thoughtfully.

Sarinda says 'So most enemies will flee the zone when they see fog forming. For this reason, I think of it as a defensive weave primarily.'

Liia says 'Although they won't know you're there if you decide to sneak in and weave'

Sarinda nods at Liia.

Sarinda says 'True.'

Coshe nods slowly.

Sarinda says 'Next, the Hurricane weave requires 6 flows of air and 15 SPs. It forms over 15 pulses, which can be used while in combat. The weave will create a violent storm that lifts creatures into the air and throws them randomly into other places in the area. This can include onto water, which can cause you to drown if you are not carrying a raft or canoe.'

Sarinda says 'Unlike the Sonic Boom weave, which will not affect members in a group that you lead, Hurricane will affect everyone in the room except the channeler, including your own horse. However, it does not damage or engage you in combat.'

Sarinda says 'Because the weave does not require a target and can be completed while engaged in combat, one particularly effective strategy when being attacked is to flee off and immediately begin weaving. This is most effective for channelers who wear dodge equipment so you are not interrupted in combat.'

Sarinda says 'I think Hurricane is particularly effective when used defensively to scatter or confuse your foes. For example, if the enemy has set up blocks at choke points between you and a city gate, you can Hurricane them to make your way inside safely. '

Coshe nods slowly.

Sarinda says 'There are a few offensive weaves that are influenced by the weather. Of note, Earthquake, Flame Strike, and Sonic Boom appear entirely independent of the weather, which makes them effective in all regions of the world.'

Sarinda says 'Call Lightning is the most powerful damaging weave known in this Age. It requires 3 flows of Air, 1 flow of Fire, and 2 flows of water. It needs 12 SPs and 10 pulses to form the flows, which can be woven in combat and between combat rounds if timed right.'

Sarinda says 'Call Lightning is not affected by temperature, but it can only be woven when the skies are lit by flashes of lightning, which requires 30 degrees or warmer as we previously discussed.'

Sarinda says 'I have not been able to locate verified data on Call Lightning's damage, so if it pleases the Light, I have started collecting my own data. Across early trials, it averages 75.72 damage with an observed minimum of 60 and maximum of 102. I expect the actual range to be larger.'

Sarinda says 'Next, Fireball requires 7 flows of Fire, and it takes 15 SPs and 13 pulses to weave. Fireball is one of the most popular offensive weaves for channelers who fight in the Borderlands and the Blight because its damage is maximized in hot, dry conditions.'

Sarinda says 'Liia Sedai located a report in the Eighth Depository that has calculated data on the various offensive weaves, which I have partially copied into my report in Table 3.'

Sarinda says 'From this table, we see that rainy or snowy weather mildly lessens Fireball damage, about 4 points of damage per weave on average. '

Sarinda says 'Temperature has a more dramatic effect, lowering its maximum average damage by as much as 30-40 damage. For this reason, the optimal conditions for Fireball are cloudless or cloudy skies and 40 degrees or warmer. '

Liia nods to herself, she must need reassurance.

Sarinda says 'Hailstorm requires 1 flow of Air and 4 flows of Water, and it costs 10 SPs to form over 9 pulses, the same as Flame Strike. Interestingly, the observable effect makes it impossible to tell actually formed the flows, making it popular among some male channelers.'

Sarinda says 'From the table in my report, we see that its average damage in ideal temperature is 30 points, which surprisingly is sustained at 75 degrees or cooler. It drops off noticeably at 80 degrees or warmer. '

Sarinda says 'If it pleases the Light, I think Hailstorm is underutilized. Because there are so few Fire weaves, unless a channeler plans to frequently travel into the Blight to fight Shadowspawn, I think Hailstorm is a viable alternative to Flame Strike that is more efficient for most practice setups.'

Talasia says 'During the wars with Dragonsworn, many of them used Hammer of Air to hide which were channelers and which weren't.'

Sarinda nods at Talasia.

Sarinda draws down her thin eyebrows into a frown.

Sarinda says 'Hammer of Air is another fast weave with unique benefits and costs. It requires 4 flows of Air to form, and it costs 12 SPs over 9 pulses to weave. It similarly does not reveal who actually channeled the flows.'

Sarinda says 'The weave's normal message is "You stumble beneath the crushing force of the air around you!" However, there is a random chance that it will instead say "A massive blast of air buffets you, knocking you off balance." This will interrupt any actions that occur over time, including weaving, bashing, and even fleeing.'

Sarinda says 'Compared to Flame Strike and Hailstorm, this weave's damage is inefficient. However, it can be woven in rooms where flows of Fire and Water cannot be formed, such as the oasis on the winding road northeast of Fal Dara.'

Sarinda says 'Temperature does not appear to have any impact on Hammer of Air's damage. There is a chance that the massive blast of air occurs more when high wind speeds are present, but I have not tested this yet.'

Sarinda says 'Finally, Ice Spikes is the most commonly practiced damage weave by members of the Tower and wilders alike. It requires 3 flows of Air and 3 flows of Water. Like Fireball, it costs 15 SPs and 13 pulses to form the weave.'

Sarinda says 'I have not observed any effect of snowfall on this weave's damage, but its maximum damage can only be obtained at 55 degrees or lower. At 60 degrees the ice will begin to melt, lowering its damage, and the damage falls dramatically at 70 degrees or warmer.'

Sarinda says 'Putting this all together, this means that Ice Spikes, Fireball, and Hailstorm share an overlapping optimal temperature range between 40 and 55 degrees.'

Sarinda says 'I apologize again for going quickly near the end.'

Sarinda says 'This covers all of the content I had prepared. I would like to spend the last few minutes opening the floor for general questions and discussion about what we have covered today.'

Sarinda says 'And if anyone wants to discuss further after the daily ripple in the Pattern, I would be glad to do so.'

Coshe shuffles her papers into her bag and stands up.

Coshe says 'Thank you Sarinda, the information has been great.'

Coshe curtseys before Liia.

Vianca thanks Sarinda heartily.

Coshe curtseys before Tolza.

Tolza says 'Very well presented Sarinda.'

Ruby says 'Thank you so much, Sarinda. It was very helpful'

Coshe curtseys before Talasia.

Liia says 'Excellent work Accapted.'

Coshe opens the door.

Coshe leaves west.

Faith says 'Well done Sarinda. I'm sure you will make an excellent Brown.'

Ruby chuckles politely.

Talasia grins mischievously.

Liia says 'It's interesting to see that you have more to research as well.'

Sarinda chuckles politely.

Vianca curtseys before Liia.

Vianca curtseys before Tolza.

Liia inclines her head in greeting to Vianca.

Vianca curtseys before Talasia.

Vianca waves.

Liia
Posts: 151
Joined: Sun Sep 06, 2015 1:34 pm

Re: Class Log - Weather and Its Effects on the World

Post by Liia » Fri May 06, 2022 4:02 pm

Great work Sarinda!

I'm glad I was able to attend.

Sarinda
Posts: 687
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2022 3:10 pm
Location: Kalamazoo, MI

Re: Class Log - Weather and Its Effects on the World

Post by Sarinda » Mon Oct 24, 2022 8:17 am

Due to changes in the seasons and weather, the information in this class is now outdated as of today. If I have the opportunity to update my data, I will lead this class again in the future.

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