A popular contemporary theory about our world is the concept of ley lines, or the metaphysical relationships that exist between the earth and every object and creature within it. There are four known weaves of the One Power that intersect with ley lines: Locate Object, Locate Life, Travel, and Gate. Although several scholars have previously explored the nuances of interactions between these weaves and ley lines, this class will focus on sharing exciting findings from novel research spearheaded by Liia Sedai, as well as the public reveal of a valuable reference tool, including an interactive and accurate world map with suggested Locate targets for every known zone of the world.
Class Objectives:
(1) Basic review of the Locate Object, Locate Life, Travel, and Gate weaves.
(2) Locate training levels and implications for understanding distances between zones.
(3) A coordinate plane system for mapping the known world.
(4) Calculating precise distances between zones and implications for weaving.
(5) How to use a new and interactive map tool, with applied examples.
POV: Amarea
Class attendees: Liia, Chloro, Maddy, Melosa, Isela, Tisese, Ryder
Notes:
So far as I know, no one has yet been rewarded for participation. Processed using the RP-lizer, and edited to remove spam unrelated to the class (e.g., eating/drinking).
References:
(1) Script for tabular Locate formatting for Mudlet: https://forums.wotmud.info/viewtopic.php?f=109&t=16534
(2) Liia Sedai's Travel distance map: https://pasteboard.co/y9KuAQTGpC1Z.png
(3) Liia Sedai's perfected ley line interactive map: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
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
A plate of tasty looking pork steams here.
A plate of tasty looking pork steams here.
A plate of tasty looking pork steams here.
A plate of tasty looking pork steams here.
A plate of tasty looking pork steams here.
A plate of tasty looking pork steams here.
A plate of tasty looking pork steams here.
A plate of tasty looking pork steams here.
A plate of tasty looking pork steams here.
A plate of tasty looking pork steams here.
A plate of tasty looking pork steams here.
A plate of tasty looking pork steams here.
A plate of tasty looking pork steams here. [2]
Lady Chloro Arovni is standing here.
A young girl in a plain white dress stands here.
Melosa Beshar, Journey Accepted is standing here.
Isela Adelwhin, Tower Accepted is standing here.
Tisese the Wearied Novice is standing here.
Maddy the Wearied Novice is standing here.
A young girl in a plain white dress stands here.
A haughty young woman strides by practicing Aes Sedai serenity.
The door is opened from the other side.
Liia has arrived from the west.
Liia closes the door.
Amarea curtseys before Liia.
Isela curtseys before Liia.
Melosa curtseys before Liia.
Liia glides in.
Amarea smiles at Liia.
Liia smiles happily.
Melosa starts to hum but catches herself.
Maddy smiles happily.
Amarea says 'I think I will wait just a minute more, but I am guessing that everyone who can make it is already here.'
Maddy curtseys gracefully.
Melosa says 'Amarea, I am afraid that I have a class to instruct just before Prime so I will have to head off in an hour.'
Chloro greets Liia with a light kiss on her cheek.
Amarea says 'While we wait, I've prepared some plates of food and set them here on a desk for anyone who needs a snack to hold them over.'
Amarea nods in agreement.
Tisese curtseys before Liia.
Maddy stands and swiftly walks over to the table to grab a plate to bring back to her desk
Amarea says 'Good evenin' everyone, and welcome to my class. I am so glad that you were able to make it.'
Amarea says 'For those of you who might not know me, my name is Amarea Helsen, Accepted and apprentice to the Brown Ajah under the mentorship of Liia Sedai.'
Amarea smiles at Liia.
The door is opened from the other side.
Liia inclines her head approvingly.
Ryder has arrived from the west.
A Tower guard has arrived from the west.
Ryder closes the door.
Ryder bows deeply.
Chloro inclines her head in greeting to Ryder.
Melosa inclines her head in greeting to Ryder.
Amarea says 'Before we begin, I would like to take a few minutes to review some requests for classroom etiquette. First, please take a minute and eat and drink as much as you need to until you are full. You're welcome to keep eatin' during the class, but please do try to keep it limited if you can, to reduce distractions and the like while we talk.'
Ryder nods in agreement.
Amarea smiles as the continues, ‘Second, I think that I learn better when teachers make the lesson interactive, and more like a conversation than a lecture. So, please feel free to jump in with questions as we go, and I’ll do my best to address them in turn so you can follow along better.”
Chloro takes a position in the back of the room where she could easily observe any day dreamers while keeping her focus on the initiate teaching.
Amarea says 'Finally, I wish to take a moment and personally offer my aknowledgments for the people whose work informed the class that I am about to lead.'
Tisese looks at Ryder.
Amarea says 'First, and foremost, I thank Liia Sedai, whose research was the cornerstone of this class, and without whom the ley line map being published today would not be possible. Although I have independently verified her cartography techniques, this is her research project, and I am grateful for the opportunity she gave me to contribute to it.'
Amarea inclines her head in greeting to Liia.
Ryder looks at Tisese.
Liia smiles at Amarea.
Amarea says 'Second, I wish to thank an Accepted by the name of Thuvia. Although I have never met her, her previous research methods and findings sparked Liia Sedai's own research on cartography and inspired my interest in field research more broadly.'
Maddy pulls out her notebook and pen from her pack firmly placing them on the desk in front of her.
Amarea says 'I have a great deal of respect for all those who dedicate so much time to scholarly work, especially the kind with such meaningful application to future initiates of the Tower, and hope to emulate her as I continue in my own studies.'
Tisese sits at a desk in the second row and pulls out her pad and quill, ready to take notes and learn.
Tisese sits down.
Amarea says 'Third, a sincere thank you to Ashlynn Sedai, whose expert knowledge of the Blight and the northern Borderlands helped me to more quickly and efficiently identify Locate targets for those zones. I was admittedly less familiar with many of those areas, and her contributions helped guide me as I later explored those regions.'
Amarea turns to the black slate on the wall and picks up a piece of chalk, writing the word 'Outline' in capital letters.
Amarea says 'Now, on to the actual lesson. First, we will begin with a review of basic terminology pertainin' to the subject, as well as an overview of four relevant weaves: Locate Object, Locate Life, Travel, and Gate.'
Amarea quickly jots down the phrase, 'Terminology and Review.'
Amarea continues, 'Next, I’ll review the relationship between trainin' in these weaves and their potency with regards to distance. This principle is
critical for understanding and applying the advanced cartography concepts we will learn today, and we will review a figure that illustrates this
principle.'
Maddy jots the headlines boldly in her notebook.
Amarea writes as she speaks, 'Weave Training and Potency.'
Melosa leans forward with great interest, listening to the class.
Isela tilts her head in thought, studying the chalkboard.
Amarea continues in her Lugarder accent, 'With that concept explained, we will then review a process for creatin' a coordinate plane representation of the entire Westlands, from Thakan'dar all the way to the Sea of Storms, and a systematic process for determinin' the exact positions of the ley lines connectin' each of these zones.'
Amarea writes on the board next, 'Coordinate Plane System.'
Amarea grins broadly to the audience as she continues, 'The next part, my favorite section of the lesson, will be reviewing Liia Sedai's comprehensive ley line map, including a mathematical theorem for calculating the exact amount of weave training needed to correctly reach an intended target zone. This will include applied examples, and conclude with time for questions and answers.'
Tisese dips her quill in the ink and starts to take some notes on her pad.
Amarea adds the final bullet point on the slate board, 'Ley Line Map and Applications.'
Amarea says 'I am hoping the class will be done in about an hour and a half, and before the daily ripple in the Pattern at the latest, so I will try to
keep us moving on time.'
Amarea sets down the chalk, frowning at the trace amounts on her hands, and then gently rubs it off on her skirt before turning back to the classroom audience. 'Before I move on to the first agenda item, does anyone have any questions about the scope of the class, or additional topics they were hoping I'll address tonight?'
Amarea pauses, looking to see if anyone has any questions.
Isela gives a small shake of her head.
Amarea nods in agreement.
Amarea says 'Very well. Let's begin, then.'
Amarea's smile is reflected in the eager tone of her voice as she begins, 'Cartography is defined as the skill or practice of drawing maps. An expertly crafted map communicates important and accurate spatial information about a place, and there are three core facets to creating a meaningful map: Science, aesthetics, and technique.'
Amarea says 'By science, we mean the logical, systematic process of exhaustively analyzing a subject or place, including the mathematical calculations required to frame a subject in a spatial field.'
Amarea says 'Aesthetics, in turn, refers to the art of the mapmaking process, of finding creative and effective ways of visually representing the map to make it more pleasant and easier to comprehend at a glance. Maps that are more visually pleasing are often more memorable and functional.'
Amarea says 'And third, technique can describe the various decisions for what information the map conveys and how it is encoded, including both what the map shows and what it hides, such as through the use of symbolism and map legends.'
Amarea says 'The other key concept I wish to explain is that of ley lines. I'm far from the first Accepted to teach a class that touches on this subject. Would anyone like to try to explain what they think a ley line is, and how it relates to Locating and Traveling?'
Chloro takes note of the day dreaming novice.
Amarea looks around the room for a volunteer.
Liia grins at Chloro.
Melosa glances at the Guardsmen standing at the back of the chamber.
Maddy says 'I am sorry I do not know what they are.'
Isela offers 'A ley line is a line "as the crow flies" between two points.'
Isela tilts her head, thinking.
Amarea nods at Isela. 'That is a simple but effective summary of one perspective on what a ley line might be, yes. Essentially, a line connecting two places or structures.'
Isela says 'So, as it pertains to Locating, the ley line would tell you how regions are aligned.'
Maddy jots Ley Lines in her notebook, then smiles happily at Accepted Isela
Amarea explains, 'A ley line can be thought of as a symbolic representation of the connection between two objects, including its direction, orientation, and magnitude or distance. However, many scholars in our world believe that ley lines reflect a metaphysical connection between the earth and every object or creature within it.'
Isela frowns in thought at that.
Melosa clears her throat, drawing attention.
Amarea says 'Melosa, did you want to add a comment?'
Melosa says 'A question'
Amarea nods in agreement.
Maddy looks at Accepted Melosa in anticipation.
Melosa says 'Are the maps we often use, aligned with this coordinate plane system and the ley lines?'
Melosa stumbles over the name of the author, 'weislukkkk'
Amarea says 'A good question. I think that the maps some of us have seen, such as that posted on a communication board in the novice and Accepted quarters, indicates *some* of the most common ley lines between some of the best known regions of the world.'
Amarea says 'Whether ley lines are purely geographical or more than that is debateable. Some posit that ley lines carry energy or spiritual connections between two places or things. I would argue, instead, that ley lines are a reflection of the Pattern of the Age, known more simply as the Pattern, and that significant events in the world or changes influenced on the pattern by ta'veren may disrupt these ley lines.'
Amarea smiles knowingly and comments, 'I am personally intrigued by the concept that significant events, or threads in the Pattern, might influence the very positioning of the Pattern itself, and this is a subject I intend to explore further. But more to come on that another day.'
Melosa nods slowly and Amarea presses on.
Amarea says 'For just one brief example, the Dragonsworn base currently Locates as if it were located in the heart of the Misty Mountains, but
geographically, it is located much farther south, a bit east-southeast of Amadicia.'
Maddy looks a bit perplexed as she continues to write her notes.
Isela raises her hand.
Amarea says 'So although ley lines do generally follow a purely geographical representation of the world (OOC: Mudlet map for example), I make a
distinction here when referring to the relationships between places, objects, and creatures as we sense them using the Locate weave or reach them using the Travel or Gate weaves.'
Amarea says 'Isela?'
Isela says 'I've recently been near the Dragonsworn base, and geographically I'd call it east-southeast of the Two Rivers as opposed to Amadicia. Is
that what you meant?'
Maddy nods slowly tapping her chin thoughtfully.
Isela clarifies 'It's southeast of Deven Ride.'
Amarea says 'Yes, I meant to say by Deven Ride, thank you.'
Liia interjects.
Liia says 'However, while the forest is southeast, the base itself (when you're in the courtyard) is actually very far northwest!'
Amarea nods in agreement.
Amarea says 'Yes, and that distinction specifically is when Locating things within and from that zone, which is the point I was trying to make.'
Amarea holds her hands palm down in front of her, placing one atop the other. 'They are like parallel planes, overlapping but not quite perfectly. But perhaps that is something I can explain better another day, once I have researched it further.'
Amarea says 'Moving on, then to the weaves that interact with ley lines. As previously noted, these include Locate Object, Locate Life, Travel, and Gate.'
Amarea says 'How many women here have training in the Locate Object or Locate Life weaves, and what level of training do you have in each, precisely?'
Liia raises her hand. 'Object and life, both to 95%.'
Isela murmurs '93% Locate Object'
Melosa says 'Locate Object 92%'
Amarea nods in agreement.
Amarea says 'I have discovered during my time in the Tower that I seem to have a Talent for weaves that interact with the ley lines. I have training in both Locate weaves to 99%, myself.'
Maddy says 'Locate Object Life and I have practiced Traveling around the City.'
Amarea says 'The Locate Object weave requires four threads of Earth, and two each of Air and Spirit. In contrast, the Locate Life draws more predominantly on Water, including only two threads of Earth, Air, and Spirit, but four threads of Water. Both require 12 points of saidar and 15 'pulses' of time to form the flows.'
Amarea continues, 'When you successfully form the flows, you will feel the weave reach out to the world around you, and depending on how common the target is, you will gain awareness of up to 25 different objects or creatures that match the description of what you searched for. For each target, you will also discover a 15-character "earthcode" that can be used to Travel to that target's destination.'
Amarea says 'In addition to the earthcode, you will sense the direction and distance to the target. The target may be in the cardinal directions -- north, east, south, or west -- or the ordinal directions: northeast, southeast, southwest, or northwest. The distance is either here in your zone, an
adjacent zone, far away, very far away, or extremely far away.'
Amarea says 'Interestingly, there are several theories as to how the targets might be grouped, but one that I think has the strongest support is that the results for target objects or creatures are grouped based on the precise room where they are located. We see this especially with two items worn by the same target, such as two jeweled wristcuffs or two different rings on the same person, which will be grouped in order when you sense your results.'
Isela nods in recognition.
Amarea says 'There is a variation on a way to form the flows (OOC: Mudlet script) that can lightly modify how one perceives the results, which looks like this. Novices, if you need me to demonstrate several times later to help you get the weave right, catch me after class.'
Amarea feels the flows of saidar coursing through her body.
Amarea takes a breath and demonstrates, deftly channeling threads of Earth, Air, and Spirit to form the flows for the Locate Object weave. The completed weave projects out from her, suddenly splitting as it reaches out and connects to the various rings worn in the room, including her own Great Serpent ring (https://forums.wotmud.info/viewtopic.php?f=109&t=16534).
channel 'locate object' ring
You begin to weave the appropriate flows...
-=+**+=- -=+*
Ok.
Code: Select all
TARGET TRAVEL AREA STATIONING
ring of silver qulopadsaopaast EFSW carried by a human
ring of silver qulbeadsaopaast EFSW carried by a human
gold ring delicately carved... qulrtiulizfeliq VFSW carried by a human
gold ring delicately carved... qulqryflxzfeast VFSW carried by a human
emerald ring qulcedrxearduli VFSW carried by a human
emerald ring qulmvuqrynulwuj VFS carried by a human
emerald ring knenulrsawujsde HERE carried by a human
emerald ring vxzcedrsazfeoae HERE carried by a human
emerald ring knertibeawujmvu HERE carried by a human
emerald ring vxzcedrsafmusde HERE carried by a human
emerald ring qulrtibeafmusde HERE carried by a human
emerald ring vxzcedbeafmuoae HERE carried by a human
great serpent ring knenulrsawujoae HERE carried by a human
great serpent ring nsenulbeapidoae HERE carried by a human
great serpent ring nsenulopapidbok HERE carried by a human
gold ring delicately carved... vxzcedbeafmuoae HERE carried by a human
gold ring delicately carved... nsecedbeawujsde HERE carried by a human
gold ring delicately carved... knertithgwujbok HERE carried by a human
gold ring qulnulrsazfebok HERE carried by a human
gold ring knertiopazfeoae HERE carried by a human
gold ring nsenulopawujoae HERE carried by a human
gold ring knertiopazfesde HERE carried by a human
gold ring qulcedbeapidmvu HERE carried by a human
gold ring knertirsafmubok HERE carried by a human
beautifully worked great se... qulrtithgwujsde HERE carried by a human
25 results.
Amarea says 'For example, one of the Aes Sedai here is wearing a beautifully worked Great Serpent ring, and I believe she is also wearing a gold ring on her other hand.'
Chloro arches an eyebrow wondering if the Accepted would like to test that theory.
Amarea looks to the two Aes Sedai, arching an eyebrow with a curious expression.
Liia stops using a gold ring.
Liia stops using a gold ring.
Liia slides a gold ring on to her right ring finger.
Liia slides a gold ring on to her left ring finger.
Chloro stops using a beautifully worked great serpent ring.
Chloro stops using a gold ring delicately carved with ivy.
Chloro slides a gold ring delicately carved with ivy on to her right ring finger.
Chloro slides a beautifully worked great serpent ring on to her left ring finger.
Amarea says 'Hmm. It is possible my variation on the weave is changing the precise order of how the rings are displaying. Fascinating.'
Amarea pauses to jot down a few notes in her notebook in the margin, nodding to herself.
channel 'locate object' ring
You begin to weave the appropriate flows...
-=+**+=- -=+*
a gold ring delicately carved with ivy - [nalnsengurtipli] - somewhere very far south of here, carried by a human.
a gold ring delicately carved with ivy - [dabqulngunulpli] - somewhere very far south of here, carried by a human.
a ring of silver - [qulbeakaersaast] - somewhere extremely far southwest of here, carried by a human.
a ring of silver - [vxzthgastopaast] - somewhere extremely far southwest of here, carried by a human.
a great serpent ring - [qulcedrsafmumvu] - somewhere around here, carried by a human.
a gold ring - [knecedthgpidsde] - somewhere around here, carried by a human.
a gold ring - [kneqryrsapidoae] - somewhere around here, carried by a human.
an emerald ring - [qulnulbeawujbok] - somewhere around here, carried by a human.
a gold ring - [kneqryopawujmvu] - somewhere around here, carried by a human.
an emerald ring - [qulcedthgzfemvu] - somewhere around here, carried by a human.
a great serpent ring - [nsecedbeazfesde] - somewhere around here, carried by a human.
an emerald ring - [kneqryopafmusde] - somewhere around here, carried by a human.
an emerald ring - [knecedopazfeoae] - somewhere around here, carried by a human.
a gold ring delicately carved with ivy - [knecedbeawujmvu] - somewhere around here, carried by a human.
a gold ring delicately carved with ivy - [qulrtirsazfesde] - somewhere around here, carried by a human.
a beautifully worked great serpent ring - [vxzcedopazfebok] - somewhere around here, carried by a human.
a gold ring delicately carved with ivy - [vxzrtibeazfeoae] - somewhere around here, carried by a human.
a gold ring - [vxzqryrsapidbok] - somewhere around here, carried by a human.
a gold ring - [knenulopawujsde] - somewhere around here, carried by a human.
a great serpent ring - [kneqryopapidoae] - somewhere around here, carried by a human.
a gold ring - [qulrtibeafmuoae] - somewhere around here, carried by a human.
an emerald ring - [vxzrtiuavnyanya] - somewhere very far southwest of here, carried by a human.
an emerald ring - [knebokrtirtiuav] - somewhere very far south of here, carried by a human.
an emerald ring - [kneoaertiqryuav] - somewhere very far south of here, carried by a human.
a great serpent ring - [liqoaethgdabkne] - somewhere around here, carried by a human.
Amarea says 'Ah, yes, it displays differently when I weave it the normal way, showing the beautifully worked Great Serpent ring immediately adjacent in results to a gold ring delicately carved with ivy.'
Amarea nods thoughtfully.
Amarea says 'Something to study in greater detail another time.'
Amarea nods and smiles, pausing only for a moment before releasing the weave and allowing the halo of saidar to vanish from around her.
Amarea says 'Next, we come to the Travel weave. How many of you are trained in this weave, and to what degree?'
Maddy swiflty dabs her pen and continues with her note taking.
Isela gives a small shake of her head.
Amarea says 'Anyone?'
Maddy says 'Yes I am '
Melosa looks slightly abashed 'I am weak at Earth like most females...'
Amarea says 'I think I heard Maddy mention it, yes.'
Amarea nods at Maddy.
Amarea smiles at Melosa.
Amarea says 'You obviously have great strengths and affinities that lie elsewhere, Melosa. I am barely strong enough in Fire to light a candle.'
Maddy says 'I have practiced it Superbly '
Amarea says 'Since its rediscovery from the Age of Legends, the Talent for Traveling has been shown to be fairly common among Tower-trained women. However, even with the Talent, many women opt against dedicating so many study sessions on it, as it requires seven threads of Earth and two of Spirit. The weave also requires 25 points of saidar and 20 pulses of time to weave, similar to the full time it takes to swing your staff twice in combat.'
Amarea says 'When Traveling, the channeler typically forms a gateway by intensely focusing on an earthcode. The code serves as a complex mnemonic and symbolic representation of a target's exact location, and the weave attaches itself to the ley line connecting your current room and the destination. When these two points connect, the channeler is instantaneously transported along with her belongings, leaving a trace disturbance in the Pattern that other channelers can sense where she once stood.'
Melosa thinks she swings her stave a little faster than that...
Maddy beams a smile at Melosa.
Amarea says 'Of course, because of the complexity of the codes, forming the flows correctly requires intense concentration, and the success rate of the weave is drastically lower if the channeler is flushed with the heat of battle (OOC: has NOQUIT status). A rough estimate of success in these conditions is about one-third of attempts, although I have not studied it extensively.'
Amarea says 'Because of how the weaves are formed, earthcodes can be shared with other channelers. One can also "Travel follow" (OOC: "channel 'travel' follow") to harness that residue in the Pattern and attempt to traverse the same ley line. However, if one lacks the same level of training in Traveling as the channeler who left the residue, this can lead the following channeler to Travel to a random location.'
Amarea says 'Finally, that brings us to the Gate weave. Do both of the Aes Sedai here study this weave? And if so, what level of training do you have in it?'
Liia nods at Amarea.
Liia says '95%'
Amarea nods in agreement.
Chloro shakes her head but offers some wisdom.
Chloro says 'I do not always practice it like my sisters, but when i do, to decrease the margin of error, it take it to 99%.'
Amarea beams a broad smile from ear to ear.
Amarea nods at Chloro.
Amarea says 'Gating is a more complex, but potentially more useful, variaton to the Travel weave. This version also requires seven threads of Earth but four of Spirit. The weave is also more taxing, and requires 40 points of saidar and 50 pulses of time.'
Amarea says 'When the flows are formed without any specific location in mind, the channeler will memorize their current room, generating a "gate code" that is unique to the woman who created it. When forming the flows with one of these gate codes, she can instead tap into the ley lines again, but this time creating an open gateway that remains open for 1-3 hours (ticks).'
Amarea frowns, 'However, it may collapse early if too many people ungrouped from the channeler attempt to enter. This includes horses or pets that are led along while dismounted, unless they are also in the channeler's group.'
Amarea says 'Due to the resonance in the Pattern, the weave temporarily leaves the channeler open to backlash. If she maintains her connection to the Source, or releases the Source but embraces it again within the hour (tick), the channeler will have her energy in saidar sapped for every creature that enters or exits the gateway.'
Amarea says 'Unlike the Travel weave, the gate codes a channeler memorizes will remain active indefinitely, but due to the traumatic nature of having a near-death experience, these codes will no longer function correctly under most circumstances (OOC: after a death that results in XP loss, such as mob or PK rip, but not DTs or emote damage).'
Amarea smiles excitedly, 'Interestingly, channelers can also "Gate follow" (OOC: "channel 'gate' follow") to harness the residues from another Travel or Gate weave, and then tap into those same ley lines to create a new gateway to the same destination.
Melosa says 'Could you not also follow with Travel?'
Maddy nods at Melosa.
Amarea says 'Yes, you could Travel-follow or Gate-follow interchangeably.'
Melosa says 'I have little training in this so the complexities evade me.'
Amarea says 'But because generally more channelers typically have Travel than Gate, or because an Aes Sedai might not have a gate code for a desired location that can otherwise be reached by Traveling, the ability to Gate-follow is arguably more useful.'
Amarea says 'Another interesting quirk of the Gate weave is that, at least while it is open, the gateway itself is Locateable using the Locate Object weave.'
Isela taps a single finger to her lips as she ponders Amarea's teachings.
Amarea pauses from her lecture, looking around the room. 'Does anyone have any questions before we transition to our next class topic?'
Maddy shifts in her seat slightly adjusting her posture.
Maddy shakes her head.
Amarea smiles and explains, 'This next topic on weave training and potency for tapping into ley lines is critical for establishing a systematic process for mapping the ley lines. Essentially, my goal for the next part of the class is to walk through a step by step process to recreate the map that we will be discussing tonight.'
Amarea says 'Common knowledge and observation of the Locate weave results shows that higher training in these weaves allows you to sense items or creatures that are farther away from you. For example, many channelers have observed that at 90% or higher training in the Locate weaves, at least in certain locations you can start to sense things extremely far away, such as between Caemlyn and Illian.'
Amarea says 'A similar way to confirm this relationship is to pause during your training sessions with Sheriam Sedai, or if you were to gradually practice the Locate weaves between days spent out in the woods chopping down evergreen pine trees for the local lumberjack. The number of results you can reveal at 80%, for example, is markedly higher than what you can find at 60%.'
Amarea says 'A similar principle is observed with regards to the Travel weave, and specifically with regards to the Travel weave relative to your training in the Locate weaves. Many classes available in the Tower library archives have discussed this relationship. Can anyone share the requirement for percent training in Travel relative to the Locate weaves to ensure that one does not mistakenly Travel to a random location?'
Maddy says 'I believe Travel needs to be higher than either of the locates.'
Amarea says 'There has been some contention on this topic, but based on the arithmetic I will review in a short while, I posit that the percentage of Travel must be higher or at least equal to the same level of training in your relevant Locate weave.'
Amarea says 'To my knowledge, it is not possible to mis-Travel by attempting to Travel to any room that you can also Locate, with the exception of rooms that will *always* result in a mis-Travel, such as certain rooms on water that might be Locateable but not open to Traveling.'
Amarea says 'As long as your Travel percentage training is identical or higher, that is.'
Isela nods thoughtfully.
Maddy jots down the points in her notebook.
Amarea says 'This property of the relationship between level of training in the Locate weaves and the magnitude of distance when sensing items establishes a foundation for mapping distances between zones. If we hold the training percentage constant, and assume that zones have a measurable and constant distance apart, we can calculate or plot those distances by repeatedly Locating zones from different directions.'
Amarea says 'We refer to this process as triangulation, or creating multiple reference points to study how the observed relationship between locations may change in predictable ways when additional reference points are compared.'
Amarea says 'Similarly, we can test the same Locate targets with gradually increasing levels of training to study this relationship between training
percentage and Locate distance. One way to find the relative distance between two zones and the general percentage needed to reach it is to practice a small amount, and then keep practicing until the target zone is discoverable using a known object or creature in that zone.'
Amarea turns to the slate board and begins to draw an eight-point star, and places arrows at the end of each line. 'This principle is best demonstrated when you are Locating objects that are in the cardinal directions: north, east, south, or west.'
Amarea says 'Through this practice of triangulation, specifically only moving in the cardinal directions in areas such as Andor where there are numerous zones along a straight line, we can demonstrate that the following ranges are true.'
Amarea says 'If a result is 'here', that means it is in the exact same zone as you are. Some zones may occupy the exact same space on a ley line, such as the city of Tar Valon, the White Tower lower floors, and the White Tower upper floors.'
Amarea says 'Plus you have the zones to the northeast and southeast. These are all distinct, but occupy the same spatial node on a ley line connecting here and another zone.'
Maddy slowly nods as she continues to write
Liia smiles expectantly.
Amarea says 'Due north, east, south, and west, for example, are all adjacent to ours.'
Amarea pauses to explain more clearly.
Amarea says 'It is important to note, however, that zones that show as 'north' for example may actually be 2 zones away.'
Amarea says 'So "adjacent" really means 1-2 zones away, not just immediately adjacent.'
Isela nods, eyes intent.
Amarea says 'If you sense a target far away, that zone is between 3 and 5 zone away. If it is very far away, that is between 6 and 8 zones away.'
Maddy looks up from her notes and nods at Accepted Amarea.
Amarea says 'And finally, if a zone is extremely far away in a cardinal direction, that means it is 9 zones away.'
Isela raises a hand.
Amarea says 'The map becomes more convoluted when you start to include the ordinal directions, but the process of mapping it does not change. If you systematically triangulate zones from multiple different directions, the zones can be combined on a spatial map like this:
https://pasteboard.co/y9KuAQTGpC1Z.png'
Amarea says 'Yes, Isela?'
Isela says 'I think you just answered it, actually.'
Amarea beams a broad smile from ear to ear.
Maddy beams a smile at Isela.
Amarea says 'Can others see this diagram?'
Maddy says 'I can see it.'
Liia says 'Accepted, can you paste a copy of the picture into Discord directly, into the documents portion of the Tower channel?'
Amarea nods in agreement.
Amarea says 'Done.'
Liia nods in agreement.
Melosa whispers to you, 'I have to leave for that class.'
Melosa stands up and smoothens her skirts.
Amarea walks down the aisles between the desks as she looks down at the other women studying the diagram. 'I greatly admire this picture. It is so simple, yet complex, all at once, as many beautiful patterns in the natural world. This may not seem like much, but it is the product of Liia Sedai's labor of love, and a process I have independently corroborated through my own studies.
Amarea nods in agreement.
Amarea waves goodbye to Melosa.
Melosa curtseys before Chloro.
Melosa curtseys before Liia.
Melosa opens the door.
Melosa leaves west. <<
The door closes quietly.
Maddy says 'I must say the map makes things much more clear to me, thank you.'
Isela nods at Maddy.
Amarea says 'At this point, we have established that the direction and distance of the ley line between us and a target zone can be measured in a stable, predictable way, and we can study it in a two-dimensional plane.'
Amarea smiles and says excitedly, 'And thus, we can move on to the most critical part of the class: Explaining how to then translate this into accurately, precisely mapping the known world.'
Amarea says 'Our first step in translating a world map into a coordinate plane system is to identify what is known as the origin. This is the reference point that will be marked as (0,0) on our plane. This number represents a 2-axis, or two-dimensional, spatial representation of the world. The first number is our east-west dimension, and the second is our north-south representation.'
Amarea says 'Accepted Thuvia conducted similar research in the past, and at the time, she notated Whitebridge to be her reference point for the origin. In many ways, Whitebridge is roughly centrally located in the Westlands, roughly halfway between Bandar Eban in Arad Doman, and the easternmost parts of the Aiel Waste.'
Amarea says 'So, Liia Sedai and I agreed that Whitebridge serves as a convenient origin, in part because it allows us to test whether Liia Sedai's map correlates perfectly, or not, with Thuvia's map.'
Liia smiles happily.
Amarea says 'Second, starting from the origin, you must Locate every zone and begin plotting relative directions and estimated distances. From
Whitebridge, Four Kings is far east, for example, as is Caemlyn, including the Inner City and Outer City.'
Amarea says 'Third, you must then triangulate by Locating these zones from multiple other locations that are nearby, including positions in both ordinal and cardinal directions. This will allow you to determine the relative angle of the positioning of the ley lines in comparison to each other.'
Amarea says 'For example, from the Black Hills, Four Kings is far south, whereas Caemlyn is now far southeast.'
Isela murmurs 'Interesting.'
Amarea says 'As you gather more data to distinguish these relationships after triangulating, you then can update the map with more clarity and precision, to better understand where the precise boundaries are between cardinal and ordinal directions, such as north versus northeast, as well as categorical differences in distances, such as far away versus very far away.'
Maddy furrows her brows as she writes in her book quickly before looking up at the board again.
Amarea says 'Finally, you must expand the map in each direction beyond the origin, until you reach the edge of the known world, and repeat until you have covered every known zone. Cross-referencing data points that are in range of each other will allow you to begin to narrow down possible locations for each zone.'
Amarea turns away from her drawing on the slate board and says, 'Let me give a more applied example to simplify the process.'
Amarea says 'If we use Whitebridge as our origin, if we Locate something or someone on the Caemlyn Road East of Whitebridge, that target will show as "east" of the city.'
Amarea says 'As we discussed a few minutes ago, "east" is an adjacent zone, so really it could be 1 or 2 zones away. So that means this zone could eitherbe represented on a coordinate plane as (1,0) or (2,0), but we cannot confirm one over the other.'
Amarea says 'However, if if we then travel to Caemlyn Road West of Whitebridge, the zone immediately west of the city by horse, you will find that you will still Locate a target in the Caemlyn Road East of Whitebridge as "east" of you. That means we have now confirmed that the zone is (1,0), because if we were in fact 3 zones west of the target zone, that would show as "very far east."'
Amarea pauses, looking around to check for signs of confusion. 'Does this example make sense?'
Ryder says 'I must depart.'
Ryder bows deeply.
Ryder opens the door.
Amarea nods at Ryder.
Ryder leaves west. <<
A Tower guard leaves west. <<
The door closes quietly.
Isela nods.
Amarea says 'So, with all of this in mind, if you spend weeks upon weeks and months upon months of exhaustively triangulating every zone relative to each other and the origin, as Liia Sedai has diligently done...'
Amarea grins at Liia.
Liia chuckles politely.
Liia says 'Quite literally'
Amarea says 'I present to you a map of the entire Westlands, as such: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing'
Amarea walks around the room, handing out copies of the map.
Isela's eyes widen excitedly.
Amarea says 'OOC: From what I have seen, at least for now, you will want to save a copy of the master version to your own Google Drive to have the ability to edit the map. This is what will make the map interactive for you.'
Amarea says 'Please tell us right away if you are not able to see this map correctly, or if it is not displaying properly.'
Maddy smiles slowly as she writes down the location of this map for future reference.
Amarea says 'Can I see a show of hands that it is displaying for you correctly, and that you have been able to save a copy locally?'
Maddy raises hand
Isela raises her hand.
Amarea says 'If you did it correctly, you should be able to type in the box next to 'Current Zone' and begin to write a name of a zone, and it will start to list all zones that match that name. You can then select one to highlight it.'
Isela reads over the map, exclaiming 'This is incredible work.'
Liia smiles happily.
Amarea says 'You also should be able to enter your precise percentage of training in the Locate or Travel weave, and it will interactively change the radius around the target zone accordingly to show what you can reach.'
Amarea says 'Through an ingenuous weave of Earth and Spirit invented by Liia Sedai, this map will interactively adapt to the ink of your pen as you write down the various zone names and training percentages.'
Liia grins at Amarea.
Amarea says 'Now, my personal contribution to the project is Located in the three boxes below, where it lists targets for Locate Object, Locate Life, and names of common criminals (smobs).'
Amarea says 'With the exception of several zones that were outside of my travel restrictions as an Accepted, I systematically visited every zone in the world to find targets that were as selective as possible for both Locate weaves, as well as any smobs that are located in that specific zone.'
Amarea says 'Targets that have parentheses around them, such as "(blue) pine" for the Black Hills, indicate that you should use the word that is not surrounded by parentheses but that the result you are looking for matches that full phrase. "Pine", for example, is better than "blue" for this
particular zone.'
Isela nods, her eyes still glued to the map.
Amarea says 'Now, for the final piece of the puzzle and the last point of instruction I wish to make before we go over a few practice examples, is a bit of arithmetic.'
Amarea says 'Now that we have established a comprehensive world map using a coordinate plane system, you can identify the distance between your current location and a target zone by drawing a triangle with a certain distance in the X and Y axes. The ley line, then, is represented as the hypotenuse of that triangle connecting you and the target zone.'
Amarea says 'What Liia Sedai and I both discovered independently is a rather creative application of the Geometic Theorem of Pith do Gorr a'Rian (OOC: Pythagorean theorem).'
Amarea grins playfully.
Isela chuckles politely.
Amarea says 'That is to say, that the *exact* amount of training needed in Locate, Travel, or Gate weaves to reach the intended zone can be calculated by using this theorem to mathematically calculate the precise length of that ley line, and then multiply it by a factor of 10. The minimum percentage of training needed to reach that zone must thus be equal to or higher to that percentage, by rounding up to the next integer.'
Isela tilts her head in thought. 'Can you give an example using the math?'
Amarea nods in agreement.
Amarea says 'For example, Whitebridge is marked as (0,0) on this map, and Tar Valon and the White Tower is located at (6,5). Can anyone tell me, using this mathematical equation, what the exact distance of the ley line is connecting these zones?'
Amarea murmurs as an aside with a small grin, 'A pity Amilesa couldn't make it, or a White sister.'
Liia grins at Amarea.
Isela frowns, remembering her lack of schooling. '7.81?'
Amarea nods excitedly. 'Yes, Isela! Exactly.'
Liia claps excitedly for Isela.
Amarea says 'So, the precise training needed to reach that zone is equal to 7.81 times 10, or 78.1. Because we cannot round down, someone with 78% Locate training will not be able to reach the zone, but someone with 79% will.'
Isela's eyes suddenly widen as she realizes the implications.
Amarea says 'You can actually test this yourself, by typing in 78% in the training box, and then typing in 79%.'
Amarea says 'In doing so, you'll see that at 79%, Whitebridge is suddenly visible at very far southwest of here.'
Amarea says 'Now, in the interest of time, as I know we are running a little past time and coming up soon on the daily ripple in the Pattern, I have a few applied practice questions to test your ability to use this map.'
Amarea says 'Question 1: A creature known as a gholam resides along with the demented Dreadlord in the Still Forest. What are some ideal targets using Locate Object and Locate Life for that zone?'
Amarea says 'Please chime in whenever you think you know the answer, in the interest of time.'
Maddy says 'chest'
Isela says 'A hunter's horn or canoe, according to the map.'
Amarea nods at Isela.
Isela says 'Ogier, barbarian, or "rabid" trolloc as well.'
Amarea says 'The chest in that zone is not Locateable, because most of the rooms inside are non-Locateable.'
Maddy nods in agreement.
Amarea says 'But a good guess!'
Amarea nods at Isela.
Amarea says 'Question 2: You Locate a Trolloc carrying extremely far north (EFN) of Tar Valon. When you Locate from Fal Dara, you sense the same Trolloc far northeast (FNE). You have 95% in the Locate weave you used. What zone is he in?'
Amarea says 'This question demonstrates the concept of triangulation, so as a hint, you may need to check multiple locations.'
Isela says 'Deception Pass?'
Amarea nods in agreement.
Amarea grins at Isela.
Amarea says 'Question 3: Which stedding has a valid Locate Life target but not using Locate Object?'
Chloro nods in respect to Amarea and smiles at Liia before departing the classroom.
Chloro opens the door.
Chloro leaves west. <<
The door closes quietly.
Isela looks up from the map, saying 'Stedding Shangtai.'
Amarea grins.
Amarea says 'Isela, you are a very quick learner!'
Amarea chuckles politely.
Isela says 'This thing is great.'
Amarea says 'Finally, Question 4: Assuming you have 99% training in Travel, what is the fewest number of gateways needed to Travel from the Dark Fortress to the Windbiters Finger South?'
Maddy says 'Shangtai has scorpion'
Amarea nods at Maddy.
Isela says 'I'll let Maddy get this one.'
Isela winks at Maddy.
Maddy beams a smile at Isela.
Amarea says 'I will be back after the daily ripple (reboot) for anyone who wishes to chat further. I apologize we did not get to question and answer yet.'
(Brief intermission for reboot.)
Maddy smiles happily.
Amarea smiles happily.
Amarea says 'Finally, Question 4: Assuming you have 99% training in Travel, what is the fewest number of gateways needed to Travel from the Dark Fortress to the Windbiters Finger South?'
Amarea says 'That was the puzzle just before we ran out of time.'
Amarea says 'As a hint, you can type in the name of the zone to center on it on the map, and set your training to 99%'
Maddy says 'i have done that but I can't see it so I will need to take this away and play with it.'
Amarea nods in agreement.
Amarea says 'Basically, the trick is to type in the first zone, then look for the zones that are extremely far away, and then set your zone on the map to that new location.'
Amarea says 'Then repeat that, gradually moving south and slightly west, always picking the farthest zone you can.'
Amarea says 'If you do it that way, you will find that you can reach the target destination with only four movements.'
Amarea says 'For example, you could Travel from the Dark Fortress to the Saldaean Farmlands, then Baerlon, then the Mountains of Mist, and then finally the Windbiter's Finger South.'
Liia says 'And don't forget, to be able to make edits, you'll need to make your own copy of the tool (save the file under your own google drive)'
Maddy says 'Thank you I will play with this interactive map on my own time.'
Amarea nods in agreement.
Amarea says 'I know we went over time, but do you have any lingering questions?'
Amarea says 'If not, you are free to go.'
Maddy smiles happily.
Maddy says 'I most certainly will when I have more time with the map'
Amarea nods in agreement.
Amarea says 'Please feel free to reach out to me anytime, Maddy, and I'd be glad to help.'
Maddy says 'Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into this class, Liia Sedai and Accepted Amarea, I have much new information to ponder.'
Amarea beams a broad smile from ear to ear.
Liia smiles happily.
Amarea says 'That is, and always has been, my goal. Thank you so much for staying and participating!'
Liia says 'I know it could get a bit technical at times'
Liia chuckles politely.
Amarea grins playfully.
Amarea says 'Go get some rest, Maddy, you've earned it.'
Amarea says 'The Light favor you, and keep you safe.'