Blue Ajah Quests

November 2005

In the gardens, a yellow-billed blue finch takes flight from a nearby tree, hurriedly flapping its small wings until it comes to rest outside a window on the upper floors of the Tower. His small head twitches up and down as if nodding, before he hops from the ledge and glides gently down through the sky. As his trilling song infects the ears, he settles on a raised, outstretched hand, and with his beak begins to trace the following words in the air.

Quest 1  NOVICES ONLY

A monument from the past. A memory kept today.

From reports I have received:
Among the open plains near the sprawling savannah and grasslands that run between two borderland cities, stand the ruins of an ancient monument. To ascertain if a city might once have stood around these magnificant pillars and liths amidst the windswept plains, I am gathering as much information as possible. Rumors tell of a black stone with white engraving. Please report its location and as much as you can learn of the stone.

(Mail the Blue Ajah with the room and any further descriptions along with a brief report of no more than 250 words. Qps based on quality.) 

A bonus for the more persistent:
Additionally, not far from this site, is a prominent bush with fruit and flowers. From its obvious signs of present upkeep, it is clear that this is a more recent type of monument.
Report the name of the person whose memory the bush honors.

(Mail the Blue Ajah the room name, description, and necessary additional information such as the name in question. This second part must be done as a second part, not on its own. 1 additional qp.)

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Quest 2  NOVICES ONLY

Truth serum
Anaiya Sedai has expressed an interest in developing a truth serum so that the Blue Ajah may conduct interrogations without relying on more intrusive techniques. We have heard that a fat, leafless plant with large white blossoms may be the key ingredient. Please find where in the Waste it grows and return a specimen to Anaiya Sedai. Additionally, although it appears that the area leads to a dead end, we have been told that there is a secret in the rock walls of the cliffs.

(Mail the Blue Ajah with a record of where the plant was found and of your turning it in to Anaiya Sedai. Please also inform us of how you found the item, any special properties it has, and any secrets you find in the room in which the plant loads. No more than ca. 250 words. Qps based on thoroughness of information.)

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Quest 3 NOVICES ONLY

A safe spot for the night.
It is said that in the ruined city where Aridhol once stood something dark took hold during the reign of King Balwen Mayel. It was once believed that no traveler could survive the night in this forsaken place without being totally consumed by the waiting shadow, Madashar. Yet, recently a report has surfaced of a safe spot in this city, where a traveler in dire straits may survive the night. Somewhere amidst the decrepit, ruined and fallen buildings lies a dwelling which is not cozy, but sound, where the feeling of contamination that pervades the rest of the city is weaker. Find this location and describe it, but, please, exercise extreme caution in you exploration.

(Mail the Blue Ajah with a description of the room, and a brief report. Rewards will be commensurate with the extent to which the following points are covered: the present-day name of the city; door-names required for entrance into the city; the room itself; any other points of interest in the city. No more than ca. 250 words.)


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Quest 4 NOVICES ONLY

Re-equipment guide
Re-equiping is a fact of life. The prepared Novice or Accepted should know how to re-equip herself.

Write up a Guide to Re-equiping based on a weapon of your choice (Staves, spears, dagger or whatever weapon you use/choose).

Each guide will be have the following three parts. You can do any one part, all three, or anything in between, but only for one weapon class.
1.For the Dodger
2.For the Combo-user
3.For the Abs Channie

We want to know where to find all necessary items to reequip in fair style. If a piece loads in a store, include price. If it loads on a smob, include how to get there and what it might take to actually do the smob. If trading is the only option to aquiring the item, tell us how to get the item needed to make such a trade.

You may write a basic guide or a deluxe guide for each style. Be sure to include: headgear,sleeves,gloves,belt,leggings,footgear, torso gear, around-the-body gear, shield, weapon for the Basic Set. Add rings,neckwear, bracelets for the Deluxe Set.

(Mail the Blue Ajah with your reports. Qps based on amount of information provided.)


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Quest 5  NOVICES & ACCEPTEDS

Getting to know you. Getting to know all about you...
The following quest is still in effect.

The Accepted must take a novice hunting to help her increase her skills and grow stronger. A minimum amount of 500,000 experience points must be gained by the Novice, and she must gain a level during this outing. [2qps]

The Novice should take this opportunity as a way to get to know the Accepted, and should find out as much about her background and history as she can. Ask questions such as - How did she come to the Tower, which Ajah(s) would she consider joining. What does she find difficult in the Tower, and which aspects of the Tower does she enjoy? (Only examples - not an exhaustive list). After the trip the Novice must write a descriptive report about the Accepted, and include the information she has discovered. The report must begin by truthfully saying how well she knew the Accepted before this trip. [2qps]

An additional 1qp each will be awarded for a pairing between girls who did not know each other socially before the trip ie no association other than greeting, curtseying, asking and answering a question etc.


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Please remember to take all the necessary precautions before setting out on those tasks that require some exploration. No part of the world is safe these days, especially if you are young and do not know the lands into which you are venturing. Gather as much information as possible beforehand and enlist the support of those who can best offer it.

And may the Light keep you safe, the Creator preserve you.
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From a nearby branch, the trills of the blue finch continue as the words fade from view.

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The dark blue ink of a professional hand stands on a folio of well-prepared, ivory vellum

To Accepted of the Shining Walls

As part of the effort to produce well-rounded young women suited to wear the shawl, the Blue Ajah will be providing tuition to Accepted in order to elucidate the role of the Ajah within the Tower and the world at large.

While participation in this programme is not mandatory for advancement nor required for assessment, the learning and experience should be of great benefit to all parties.

Interested Accepted should write a brief application to the Blue Ajah or to any Blue Sister indicating the times that your other obligations allow for private tutoring (stated in server time, EST). The initial intake for this programme will be small. In the event that there are more applications than places, those who have submitted complete applications this round will be given priority in the next round.

This course of study is primarily aimed at those Accepted who do not yet have a professed apprenticeship under any given Ajah, but We are now accepting brief applications (a few well-phrased sentences will do) on an ongoing basis as this tuition will serve in lieu of general quests for both Journey and Tower Accepted. Our system should allow for timely handling of all Accepted. However, in some periods there me be a short wait due to unforeseen circumstances. We look forward to hearing from you.

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