[Author's note: For this assignment, we had to choose a fictional location that was not very well described and add more detail to it. I chose "The Ways" from Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series.]

The Ways, a mystical region in THE WHEEL OF TIME by Robert Jordan. During the Time of Madness, the male Aes Sedai began to destroy the world as they became driven mad from the taint of saidin, the male half of the True Source. By imprisoning the Dark One, they had caused saidin to become corrupted. To those who had not suffered from the madness, the Ogier offered their stedding as a sanctuary. In a stedding, they were protected fromt he taint of the Dark One, but they were also cut off from the True Source. Eventually the male Aes Sedai could no longer stand the isolation, and they started to leave, one by one, hoping that the taint was gone, but it was not. Before the male Aes Sedai left, they gave the Ways as a gift to the Ogier in thanks for the hospitality. Unfortunately, the men who created the Ways were corrupted by The Dark One, and during the War of the Hundred Years, the Ways began to deteriorate into something evil. However, before this occurred, the Ways was a remarkable place, full of life and beauty. In the Ways, time and distances are unusual. Different paths lead to different places and how long it takes depends on the path taken. Enter a Waygate, walk for a day, and you may depart through another Waygate several hundred miles from where you started. The Ways themselves are separate from the rest of the world. Changes in the landform of the regular world does not affect the Ways.

An entrance to the Ways consists of an intricately worked stone slab, called a Waygate. The greyish stonework is covered by thick swirls of leaves and vines, which almost seem to be alive. Intricately carved flowers can also be seen as well, so carefully worked that they seem to be real also. The trefoil leaf, Avendesora, of the fabled Tree of Life, stands out from the underbrush at the center of the stonework. A small depression in the shape of the trefoil leaf lies just beneath it, almost hidden the sinuous vines and leaves. The Waygate is opened by taking the Avendesora leaf and placing it in the mold. Upon inserting the leaf, the entire wall seems to come alive. A tinge of color spreads through the entire rock, causing the colorless grey rock to take on a grassy green color. The leaves flutter as if some unknown breeze is blowing them, and the flowers bloom in a variety of colors. The Waygate then splits down the middle, and the two halves open outward to reveal a flawless mirror-like surface. A sudden warmth is felt as one walks through the reflective surface into the Ways.

A smooth, narrow stone path marked with a solid white line down the center leads off into the distance as one enters the Ways. Viewed from the inside, the Waygate itself is a thin, white stone slab. While open, the Waygate is perfectly transparent, and shows what lies on the other side. While closed, it resembles exactly the elaborate stonework outside, complete with the trefoil Avendesora leaf. A Waygate can be locked by placing both Avendesora leaves on the same side. The Waygate rests in the center of a circular, grassy field. The field is relatively small, perhaps only fifteen paces across. The tall grass sways back and forth as the wind blows across the surface. A nondescript stone balustrade has been built along the edges of the field. The sun shines brightly overhead, bringing light and warmth to the area. The stone path leads to the first Island, on which the first Guiding can be found. Other stone ramps and bridges can be seen overhead and below, running endlessly to the horizon. Every now and then, a glimpse of another Island can be seen in the distance, treetops covering the lush surface.

The stony path ends abruptly as it reaches the Island, a grassy expanse sparsely covered with trees. The Island itself is circular and quite large, approximately two hundred paces in diameter. The soft ground slopes gently upward on all sides to the center of the Island where the Guiding is found. The Guiding is constructed from a tall slab of white stone about a foot in thickness. Silver cursive Ogier script dances across the the entire rock, resembling the twisting vines on the Waygate. This majestic writing provides directions to other Waygates, indicating the paths to take. A warm breeze blows ever so gently across the grassy glade, the aroma of wildflowers in the air. Birds can be heard singing their lovely melodies high above in the treetops. Honeybees dart from flower to flower, collecting their pollen. Occassionally, a butterfly can be seen fluttering amidst the patches of wildflowers. Different types of trees dot the landscape, providing a wide diversity in flora. A majestic redwood rises high into the air, towering over the Guiding. A weeping willow provides an ideal shady resting spot out of the direct rays of the sun, shining from high above. Fruit trees of every kind encircle the Island, providing delicious fresh fruit ripe enough for eating.

Arching stone bridges and sloping ramps lead away from the Island on the perimeter. The bridges extend straight ahead, as far as the eye can see. The ramps spiral both upward and downward, like corkscrews, twisting and turning around and around. These lead to other Islands, and in turn, to other Waygates which lead to the physical world. At the entrance to each of these bridges and ramps stands a small signpost, carved from stone, with one line of Ogier script inscribed on it. Between the exits, an elaborate, chest-high marble balustrade has been built. Leafy vines and delicately carved flowers have been etched into the marble all over the balustrade, giving the stone a life of its own. Other ramps and bridges are scattered in space all around the Island, both high above and far below. Another circular Island can be seen in the distance, with stone paths emanating from it like spokes in a wheel. Occassionally, on select Islands, a stone path marked by a white line will run off from the Island, leading back to a Waygate.

(Robert Jordan, The Eye of the World, New York, 1990; Robert Jordan, The Great Hunt, New York, 1990; Robert Jordan, The Dragon Reborn, New York, 1991; Robert Jordan, The Shadow Rising, New York, 1992)