********************************************************************** Hi, This is Ken Kofman, sending out yet another _As The Wheel Turns_ posting. I suppose I should put some sort of copyright notice on this, so here goes: Copyright, Ken Kofman (c) 1994. All rights reserved except for those that Tor and Robert Jordan deserve, and except that anyone who wants to copy this material may do so, so long it remains unaltered, including this notice, and so long as no fees of any kind are charged for its use. In other words, enjoy it, show it to all your friends, be inspired to run your own game, but since I'm not making any money off of this, you shouldn't either. I hope I did that right. Anyway, KenK ken@ictv.com ********************************************************************** The Nine Rods of Dominion One to come and one to go One above and one below One a friend and one a foe One to hide and one to know. Creation Nine Rods rule over all Eight Ajah preserve and fall Seven Ages of the Wheel Six Bound to serve the dead Five Flows create the Weave Four Peoples born to live Three Supports of all the worlds Two Powers never to be whole One Dragon on the winds of Time. Summary of Session 2 of _As the Wheel Turns_ 30-6-94 And so, it happened as the Aes Sedai Kareina had Foretold. With words of steel did Elaida Sedai of the Red Ajah bind Suldan into the service of Randy Carter, and Suldan did obey with alacrity, for few dare the fiery wrath of Elaida Sedai. Tsari, too, an experience warrior who had accompanied Kareina Sedai until she met her doom, he too threw in his lot with Randy Carter from beyond this world, from that Mirror of the Wheel called Earth, or America by some. For he had originally come to this place by Kareina Sedai's word and command, and so would he continue, for the echo of her words endured in his mind, even if she herself were no more. And even Jennifer, having finished sharing loud words with Elaida Sedai said little, but gave over the ancient tome _The Nine Rods of Dominion_ into Randy Carter's hands to do with it as she will. Selene also did ask permission to join with Randy Carter on her journey, for Selene felt a bond of companionship with her fellow travellers, and had developed a deep bond of friendship with Kareina Sedai. She did not claim ability at arms or with the Power, but she claimed a small amount of knowledge learned in the great libraries of Cairhien. She spoke deprecatingly of her abilities, yet even a minor scholar from Cairhien could draw on vast amounts of lore, perhaps even useful knowledge, though certainly less than a full Aes Sedai, trained in the White Tower of Tar Valon. Then did Randy Carter look upon the world anew, and she did not like that which she saw, for the eyes of all were upon her in expectation, waiting upon the grave decisions bequeathed to her by Kareina Sedai of the Green Ajah, as promised by one who can never lie, even in death. Randy Carter opened the book, and began to read, soon losing herself amidst a new world of knowledge, a wondrous world of a different time, if not a different place. Elaida Sedai left her guidance in the margins, allowing Randy Carter and those who read with her to traverse a sea of knowledge more vast than even a great scholar could encompass in a month of diligent effort. Randy Carter looked up from the wondrous tome, to find the day nearly gone in what surely seemed the blink of an eye. No work of Power this, or of Talents beyond this day and Age, but only the magic of knowledge, magic that the Brown Ajah holds as dear as saidar itself. Those few hours were but a glimpse into that other world, yet much was learned about the Rods of Dominion, that they had great power, that they could control all aspects of this world and worlds beyond, the great and the small, perhaps even the Creator himself. It is said that the Nine Rods were disbursed among the nations near the time of the Breaking, and that one was preserved, perhaps even used in storied Manetheren, now lost. So did Elaida Sedai believe, and the great and ancient tome did lend that theory verisimilitudinous credibility. Of many great and wondrous things did that book contain within its bindings, too many to mention. Yet one particular wonder took hold of Randy Carter and brought her forth from idle contemplation of what to do given that a person must do something, for there was a personal account of a journey to a fabulous city, a city of dream, a city that the people of Earth call unknown Kadath. The account was short, yet was it in accord with the very first pages of a book written on the world of Earth. Both accounts contained the selfsame words, save only in a few instances where there were differences. And so, Randy Carter read, until the sun had set far below the horizon and there was no more light to be had. Only then did she set the book aside, and think about sleep. Close to her did she keep the ter'angreal, last parting gift of Kareina Sedai, for it was the greatest wish of Randy Carter to Dream to visit tel'aran'rhiod, the world of Dreams, and know it for truth. And to set eyes on the fabled city of Unknown Kadath was as much as she had ever hoped from life. Yet even as Randy Carter prepared to sleep and dream, did Tsari grimly stand watch that no enemy or agent of the Dark One could approach the camp unawares. Selene also remained awake, and allowed Tsari to engage her in idle conversation about the stars. For the unimaginable beauty of Selene did captivate Tsari, as it does all men, and her kind manner and gentle voice. According to legend, Selene said, women and men did sail among the stars above, and marvelled at the sort of wondrous people who could do such wondrous deeds. Yet Tsari was less impressed, for he did not find reason to travel amongst the stars, when neither he nor Selene knew their purpose or use. But surely, if he could, he would gift the stars to Selene. Selene graciously acknowledged the compliment, and thereupon took to her blankets. So it was, after some time that Randy Carter fall into a deep slumber and deeper Dream, and found herself in her home city of Montreal, a great city beyond any on this world, with underground passages traversed by the great Metro, taking people from place to place, almost like the Ways, before they fell into the dark madness of Machin Shin. And the traversals of the Metro did follow a map, and before this map did Randy Carter stand, and know herself in Dream, in tel'aran'rhiod for certain. Yet there was a greater wonder still, for the map of the Metro did include amongst its many destinations the fabled city of Unknown Kadath. Randy Carter studied the map, until she understood the twistings and turnings of the path she must travel, and then set forth upon her journey, with the myriad people returning to their homes from work, for in the city of Montreal, many people travelled the Metro on wondrous trains as we might walk along a dusty road. Four of these trains did Randy Carter need to traverse before her destination was attained, for each train a Line, binding many places to a single train. Three Transfers must Randy Carter undertake at the places where two or more Lines did cojoin. Thus did Randy Carter embark upon her journey. On the first train did she co-mingle with her fellow denizens of Montreal, crowded cheek to jowl upon this train, slowly emerging at their respective destinations until Randy Carter also forsook this train, one that she had taken often, for another. And on this second train did Randy Carter also meet with people of Montreal, but as the train travelled onward did the people leave, giving way to solitude amidst parts of Montreal that Randy Carter would not visit in the normal course of events. But Randy Carter was fixed upon her ultimate goal, and would not be denied. Yet solitude too did not long hold sway, for foul Trollocs, creatures of the Dark One and not of Montreal did enter the car in which Randy Carter travelled. Then did Randy Carter know fear, for the Trollocs did not heed her words, nor did they answer her plaintive speech asking what they wanted, for Trollocs want only one thing, to kill, and this they desire above all else, though at times they can be turned from this desire through a show of force, intimidation, or the prospect of eating those they did kill. Randy Carter did cringe against the wall, as a Trolloc toyed with its meal, tearing filthy claws through Randy Carter's overcoat and through her skin. Yet Randy Carter did not die. For Suldan did come rushing forward from parts unknown to protect her even in Dream. Coming from behind did he slay one of the three loathsome Trollocs, thrusting his sword into its very heart. Only a glimmer of intelligence do Trollocs retain, yet surely enough to turn and face the noble Suldan before they too fell before his skill. Then did Randy Carter gain once again her composure, and raised saidar, to strike down the Trollocs as she had seen Kareina Sedai of the Green Ajah do more than one time. But Randy Carter had forsaken her training, and powerful though she was, lacked the skill needed to wield and control saidar, weaving it into Flows powerful enough to do as she wished. Yet still she did something, weaving Flows of Air to distract and harass the Trollocs, allowing Suldan to dispatch them in a brilliant execution of The Tax Collector Reaps the Harvest, a maneuver used only in training. Randy Carter mustered forth whatever skills she had to Heal Suldan of the wounds he took in her service, for Kareina Sedai had trained her in weaving Healing flows, and she had even saved the Aes Sedai' life. But herself, she could not Heal, and thus did she accept Suldan's ministrations, for he knew how to treat wounds such as these, if not as well as an Aes Sedai. Exhausted from her efforts, Randy Carter stepped through the next transfer, under the faithful protection of Suldan. And this third train was ancient, as the people of Earth reckon such things, a lumbering, smoking thing called a steam locomotive, trailing behind it equally ancient cars in which people can travel. Yet even as Randy Carter and Suldan sat down, and the ancient train began to travel on its Line, also known as Tracks, did the very benches rise up to assail the valiant Suldan and the weary Randy Carter, still undeterred from her ultimate goal, of unknown Kadath. For these benches were not benches at all, but the infinitely mutable and horribly foul Shoggoths, not so fearsome as the Myrdraal, but terrible in their own way, for the human eye verily slides away from their terrible visage and unspeakable horror, ever shifting in cold perturbations and queasy transformations. Slowly did the Shoggoths rise, no longer bound by blasphemous power, to avenge themselves on all that lived, and still did Randy Carter and Suldan live. In abject terror did Suldan throw himself to the rear, for unlike Randy Carter, he had not read of such things, yet even she was gripped in a vise of primordial terror. In desperation did Randy Carter surrender to the sweetness of saidar that she may draw upon its Power to do what she can against the Shoggoths, against the fading of hope itself, even as a Shoggoth seized Suldan from behind and began to tear off his fingers, slowly, one by one, even as he screamed in mad agony. Had Randy Carter known how to transport herself from this place, surely she would have done so, yet lacking this knowledge did she remain. Weaving Flows of Fire, she immersed one of the Shoggoths in terrible flames. Once Kareina Sedai had summoned lightnings, and balls of incandescent heat, and had even showed how to wrap even the mightiest in Flows of unyielding Air, yet Randy Carter had not yielded to the sweet temptation of saidar for many a week, much less train her skills. Yet these flames of desperation were more than enough to kill a man, if not a Shoggoth, which, grabbing her in its howling pain battered her against the wall and began to set into her, even as its companion literally tore Suldan in twain, and even as Randy Carter lost consciousness and returned to the waking world. Suldan slept soundly amongst his blankets. Selene, Tsari, all were asleep, save Randy Carter awake, though feeling faint and dizzy, and blankets soaking in spilt blood.