More on Tar Valon

Beyond Dominia: 3rd War Mill Planning Board: More on Tar Valon

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By Super Autumn Gaeanewt on Sunday, July 01, 2001 - 07:16 pm:

In Tar Valon there is a school called the yemedaca (academy spelled backwards plus an e). It is a free school for anybody, but it specializes in tutors for those with the gift. The reason being, if one with the gift got out into the world, untrained or with a dracolord amulet, if they turned evil, then the world could be in deep danger. The gift, I realize I haven't explained very well I suppose. Several manifestations are a random foretelling, extreme lucky streaks, extreme luck in area's that are not so random, such as betting on horse racing, and most important, the ability to will something to happen. The abilities have different strengths for different people, but just because one is strong in something, doesn't mean they are strong in another. For example, Autumn Gaeanewt is considered the strongest in the gift currently, but has simply average luck, and is simply bad at betting on horses, yet he can will most kings and queens not of the gift to do things that they wouldn't normally do. The gift never wills things that would never happen, only things that might. The rarer it would happen, the harder it is to will. For example, Autumn Gaeanewt could easily will a lightning bolt to hit a tree during a thunderstorm (usually, that is, for you can only do one thing with the gift at a time, and only one thing per day, but it doesn't always happen. It merely heightens the chances greatly.) But to make it happen in a cloudless sky would be nearly impossible. This makes the gift important, but is almost never used, just in case you might be attacked later on in the day. More later.


By Super Autumn Gaeanewt on Sunday, July 01, 2001 - 07:49 pm:

The tel'aran'rhiod is the most important structure in Tar Valon. It is the fountain in the center of the city, that the yemedaca is built around. Its magical waters have the power to meld two stones together as if they were one, and has the power to reduce aging to a stand still, to one with the gift. Also, the yemedaca is a great building, almost as large as the five towers that are the corners of the pentagonal walls of the city. The yemedaca is not built completely filled in however, as there is a vast courtyard in its center to house the tel'aran'rhiod. This courtyard is built in a perfect circle, 60 paces in diameter, to the nearest fingerwidth, and then some. the fountain itself was once crude loosefitting stone, but the powers of the fountain melded it together as one, and it now has been sculpted to be beautiful and ornate. The five towers on the walls are one each red, white, black, green, and blue. The towers are all identical in appearance, except for their color. The most important tower however, is the white, where meetings of the council are held, and students of the gift sleep. They are all of a single stone from many using the water. The Green tower is from Jadestone, the Red from Garnet, the black from Opal, the blue from Turquoise, and the white of the purest Tarzenite, which is only found in the hills near Tar Valon. Each tower is 200 paces tall, and 60 in diameter. They are the grandest buildings one would ever see, for they are built with the help of the gift, and the most powerful mages of the time, including Urza. The walls of Tar Valon are strengthened with steel, more steel than currently in any other city combined, and are also made from stone. No body has ever held Tar Valon under siege and won, because of the pureblood Aelfins, and the strength of their gift. The gift is becoming more and more rare, and currently Tar Valon is starting to search for those with it. They think they may have found a place where it runs strong, but it is not certain. Strangely enough, this place is simply a town, not a city, and a small one at that, yet there are more people there with it then there are in all of the yemadaca. The current number of students the great school has is currently 137, and 130 more are coming immediately, and the town has simply been scanned, not searched thouroughly). The cities defenses are updated often, for that is what many of the great schools pupils are devoted to, but they are not developing as quickly as the Soldevis, which is one of the reasons they are currently asking for a peace treaty. Another is that it has been rumored that the Soldevi have a high percentage of gifted. That's all for now, more later.


By Burn, the Keeper of the Flame (Fereno) on Sunday, July 01, 2001 - 08:04 pm:

you said that tar valon has more steel then any other city, i beg to differ. the dwarves of course created steel(or found it) so tar valon would be number 2, but thats still amazing. And the dwarven kingdom of Khalud-Kuzir has a peace offer on the table, they have the strongest and maybe the most advanced weapons/military in the area, and would benefit greatly from the trade (same goest to spyre).


By Super Autumn Gaeanewt on Sunday, July 01, 2001 - 11:42 pm:

Tar Valon has walls that are made of steel forged by the finest of the dwarven steelsmiths. Tar Valon is important not so much for its army, as for its contribution for advancement. The dwarves realized this, so they decided to protect the city with all the steel they could find (for a cost of course). Tar Valon traded much Springwater and money for it, so it is almost equal actually. The city is ancient yet modern in a sense. The city itself was founded nearly 6000 years ago, but the walls were only made 1000 years ago. The steel that Tar Valons walls took to make was a 2000 year stock. So, as I said Tar Valon has a large amount of steel, as much as any dwarven city, but not even close to as much as the dwarves have combined. Also, I accept your treaty, but I do need some opposition. Therefore, the next person to offer me peace becomes an enemy instead, trying to stop the precious water from being traded, and if they dare, attacking the city itself.


By Super Autumn Gaeanewt on Monday, July 02, 2001 - 12:16 am:

The final four of the five towers each have a specific purpose. Here, I will detail that. The pupils of the school work in one of their choice once they have been deemed educated enough.
The Red Tower- This tower is devoted to making things of war. Mainly defensive, but there is always a new offensive weapon being developed. The most recent one of importance is the desertship. It is a horseless carriage, but instead of wheels, it has a belt of rubber. This was recently invented in the Green Tower, as it comes from a tree. It has amazing properties that we are just now discovering. We share this secret with our alies, in exchange for theirs. Back to the desertship. It has arrowslits to shoot out of, but its true power is in its firetube. It is a small tube, that when you hit a piece of flint with a hammer, it hits an explosive powder that when it explodes, it projects a small rubber ball that when it hits, it explodes propelling phlegm contagious with the black plague everywhere. As you can see this is a powerfull weapon. We found a way to store the plague in our Black tower, which I will explain next.
The Black Tower- It studies diseases, and ways to cure them. We have a new invention that allows us to see things larger than they were before. We call it the magnescope. It allows us to see what medicines do without giving a person the disease. This way, we show very fast progress in this area. It also helps the red tower in storing diseases to use as weapons.
The Green tower- The Green tower discovers ways to use nature for our benefit. It has discovered that rubber comes from a tree, that many plants have medical uses we never dreamed of(with help from the black tower), and has discovered many plants that are poisonous.
Finally, the blue tower
The blue tower- uses artifice to help improve our daily lives. It is years behind the Soldevi, but it does do some things that the soldevi haven't. We now have some horseless carraiges in the city. Not very efficient, but they work.
That's all for now. More later.


By Burn, the Keeper of the Flame (Fereno) on Monday, July 02, 2001 - 09:28 am:

well, im sure theres a few dwarves hammerin away in the red tower8)


By Super Autumn Gaeanewt on Friday, July 06, 2001 - 01:30 am:

There are a few things I have to note. Tar Valon is now changed to Tel Varon. Now more about the city itself. Tarzenite is a rare stone, only found outside of the city, but it has many interesting magical properties. One is that it is completely resistant to magic. If I cast a magical lightning bolt on a piece of it, it won't do anything. But if I am using it as a shield, it also protects me. If Tel Varon was ever to fight a war against some one who relies heavily on Magic, it would probably win, because it's soldiers wouldn't be affected. Another is that it can't be broken. If I melt it, it can be cast like iron, but it will never break in battle. These make it one of the most important discoveries ever made. It is one of the most heavily traded items Tel Varon has, next to the water. That's all for now. Later.


By Super Autumn Gaeanewt on Sunday, July 08, 2001 - 01:29 am:

I'm starting to get bored so here goes.

As the guard walked in, Telipi woke up. It was kind of hard to stay asleep with the guard stomping like that. The guard, Telipi didn't know his name, boomed "Get up now. You are needed.", then when Telipi didn't, he yelled again, "Get up before I have to whip you."
"If you did, you would be hanged for high treason." said Autumn Gaeanewt, Keeper of the truth and ruler of Tel Varon. "It is illegal to so much as touch one of the gift. You would be actually harming them." He had slithered in unnoticed. Telipi had never actually seen Autumn Gaeanewt, but he knew it must be him. The 5 colors of his cloak marked him so, and he radiated command. "You are needed however, so please come."
Telipi nodded and started to get dressed. The guard had exited, so Telipi decided that he might as well figure out why exactly he was needed. "Why me? And why now, couldn't it have waited until the break of dawn at least? It must be 2 in the morning."
Autumn Gaeanewt glided to the bed, glided didn't quite describe it. It was almost like a snake, slithering, without so much as a hint of movement anywhere besides the legs. All the Aelfin did so, but this was different. He was more so. "You are the best. You haven't been told so, yet you are. We were so startled that a genius of your capacity could come from the humans." Telipi had always known he was smart, but he had never had any one besides his mother tell him so. He had always thought that it was just his mother gloating over him.
"Then why now? Couldn't it have waited until morning?"
"We are under attack. Kaidel has sent an army, and they have a new weapon. We need you to help find its weakness."
Telipi felt like laughing. The Kaidel! Anything they made would have to have many weak points. Unless they had help... "What is it? Weapons are my specialty."
"That's why we came to you. It isn't magical that we can see, yet it does seem so. It is a ship. An armored ship. Primitive in its shape and structure, yet not even our most powerful weapon could pierce it, not even a dent! We need you to make a weapon to use against it. We haven't much time, for it will be here by dawn. Please help us, or it will be the end of Tel Varon."
Telipi had finished dressing. "Take me to the red tower, where I shall work as I never worked before!"
This will be continued later.


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