Ryland points in direction of the increasing blight. "The blight is stronger in the direction of you home Merdrith Aes Sedai."
"Is there cause to arm ourselves master Ryland?" Chen asks, obviously unaccustomed to the blight.
"Two hours, one out, one back. Since they are likely to squander one of them arguing in any case, and I do not know how far it is to her village. If there is nothing else, I will be off. The sooner this is over, the better."
Ryland looks at the ogier as he draws his father's father's sword. "Yes.
merdrith swallows hard, as if steeling herself.
that is not good, Ryland. i hope nothing bad has happened to them or the location...she says, but ends as if unsure of what to expect.
Zira looks at the way everyone is reacting, and scoffs. You all are foolish, believing in children's tales.
Analin watches Zira pull a leaf off one of the diseased trees without a word. When Ryland spoke, she looked to the southeast. "The Blight is heavier south of here?" She shakes her head. "That is... strange."
Landa emerges from the trees near Analin. His color shifting cloak making him appear to be a floating head, he speaks quietly to Analin.
A bit more caution from the likes of everyone here. i dont need you calling down some local brigands onto our location because someone doesnt know how to keep his tongue still. Landa glares at Kodokura.
Chen also holds his sword at the ready. He breathes in quitely.
two hours it is fia says with finality. turning, she steps back through the door into the forest, and quietly runs up to the group.
we have two hours to be back, otherwise the group inside will come looking for us.fia explains to the group.
Everyone nods in understanding. Chen, ryland, and Kodokura check their swords, yet only chen and ryland actually unsheathing them. Landa pulls up the hood of his cloak and fades into the surrounding foliage, disappearing from sight like a shade from a scary story.
Leading the way, merdrith, now with a determination look set upon her face, leads the way down the path. Zira falls in step beside her, keeping near the front as befitting her Lessor Blood status.
Traveling along the game trail, the signs of the Blight upon the local area begin to grow. Trees 20 yards back begin to appear hale next to those 20 yards ahead, which ooze a putrid fluid which collects in puddles at the roots of the trees. bones litter the ground near these puddles, indicating wildlife attempting to drink this liquid and dying instantly.
the intensity of this Blight continues to grow for another 100 yards until it finally appears to stop gaining intensity, instead it remains the same. Just like the Blight up north Ryland mummers quietly, stepping over a rotted tree that has recently fallen over.
With her Distant eye in effect, Analin begins to sweep the area ahead above the tree tops. Yet, her distant searching is causing her to stumble. Alathea reaches out and offers assistance, helping Analin keep her step.
30 minutes pass of walking along a trail that slowly begins to grow in usage. There is recent sign of multiple footsteps of many creatures passing through this area. Wolf paw prints, goat hoofs, three toes common to birds of prey, yet all are too large for these animals.
Everyone gathers around this spot and gazes intently upon the telltale sign. Everyone all look up with understanding upon their faces, with the exception of Zira and Chen.
Trollocs. landa says stepping into sight, giving word to the groups unvoiced thoughts.
You said that your house was not to far from here, Merdrith Sedai? Landa asks respectfully to Merdrith. She nods.
I am sorry. but it looks like trollocs have taken it over and converted it into a fort of some sort. It is crudely made, but still a fort none the less.
Analin refocuses her gaze through the distant eye. up ahead, roughly 100 yards distant, she sees a large clearing in the woods, and the small whisps of smoke from cooling cook fires.
From off in the distance behind you, along the path you came, you suddenly hear the blaring of a horn.
A half hour passes uneventfully, allowing you to begin to read the books in your laps. as the half hour progresses, your mind begins to play tricks on you, as the sound of leaves and needles rustling begins to provide a white noise to your reading.
Suddenly, the noise of a horn interrupts your concentration. It is incredibly loud, as if just outside the door.
Your shock is magnified as you see a full sized trolloc with a pig snout standing before you in the doorway, looking in, a large horn hanging in its hand. behind it, other Trollocs walk past, the shuffling of their feet upon the floor mimicing the noise you heard earlier.
Fia returns to the group in the forest, silent until she is among them. "It is not one I would recommend, but if you are still set on this course of action, we have two hours until the others expect to see us return to the portal. If we do not, they will expect the worse and act accordingly. Two hours. If we are to do this, then I suggest we make the most of that time."
"More lightblinded Trollocs?" Chen asks. He had just fought his first the previous day otherwise he would have laughed at the thought.
"Aes Sedai, we should purge this shadow from the land." He sounds resolute and is a frightful apparition in his black armor, towering taller even than Trollocs.
Keelix draws his great blade and positions himself so that he can strike at a Trolloc when it is at its most confined coming through the doorway.
Ryvin leaps to her feet - and addresses the Trolloc in its own language of snarls and growls:
"In the name of the master, you have seen NOTHING and will CONTINUE to see nothing! You will obey, unless you prefer for the master to use your bones as soup-stock while you yet draw breath. Is that understood? You and all of your companions HAVE SEEN NOTHING. Now go! Leave! Your performance and capacity to obey without question is being judged."
Without removing her guiding hand from Analin's arm, Alathea draws deeply on saidar, filling herself with as much of the One Power as she can through the sa'angreal she wears. "Fiallain is right. If we are to strike, let us do so quickly and thoroughly, yes?"
Analin, her attention still on her Distant Eye, nods. "Perhaps there is some explanation in that fort for why the Blight has spread so far south. Let me look over the place first."
"Some at least are out patrolling. That horn blast came from the direction we just came. They may have caught our scent and know we are here. Do you see anything Analin Sedai?"
The trolloc appears to be just as a shocked at seeing you three as it is seeing a door in a tree.
Amorial, thinking quickly, leaps to his feet and begins to sing a sorrowful song of death and destruction to the trolloc.
Other trollocs that are walking past stop and listen to the dirge, and their faces take on a fearful look.
Ryvin, seizing upon an opportunity, steps forward and begins to yowl at the trolloc in its native tongue. It, and the others around it, begin to shrink back from the angry woman.
the all walk back and stumble into the larger group of trollocs, causing some to fall.
They all begin to argue amongst themselves until finally the one that blew the horn points and shouts дверь
the larger group looks at the the door and stares at the dark doorway.
pushing the weave to its absolute limit, you get about halfway between you and the fort. you quickly can see that there are numerous black clumps that you think are trollocs, and you see that the forts walls are little more than trees chopped down and piled up in some areas. in other areas the trees have been processed into a pallisade of sorts.
the trail runs through the one of the corners, leaving the fort open to attack from the two directions. but a large number of trollocs are gathered in these areas making attacks difficult.
Of the house, there is little left, just a roof and a wall. the other walls appear to have been ripped down.
the open area of the fort has numerous black blobs that you assume are trollocs, and the occasional tent.
Zira, still trying to grasp the idea that these people are serious about the myths, these trollocs, walks up to chen and touches him lightly upon the arm.
What do you need from me, Chen? she asks the large ogier.
Ryvin holds up a hand - and a blade of midnight flame swirls itself out of thin air, falling into her palm. A single bird, a raven or a crow woven out of blue flame, blazes at the crossguards as she points the weapon at the Trollocs.
"YOU SAW NOTHING! You have your orders! Begone and forget this place, forget what you saw, speak to NO ONE of it, or else the master will tie the end of all your guts around a single tree and make you walk to your deaths! BEGONE!"
Looking down at the woman near his waist, Chen says, "Stay out of the way, protect yourself and stay near me. If you can channel, you could try to help the Aes Sedai." he looks uncertain at the last part of that request, but the rest is clear enough. He could kill all that came near so long as she didn't seek to put herself in harm's way.
Sword in hand, Chen dons his great helmet the black insectoid monstrosity sliding into place, latching to his steel mask.
"Plan of attack?" he asks aloud to everyone.
Analin frowns. "There are many trollocs between here and the fort. The forts walls are little more than trees chopped down and piled up in some areas, but in other areas the trees have been processed into a palisade of sorts."
"The trail runs through one of the corners of the fort, leaving it open to attack from the two directions. A large number of trollocs are gathered in those areas to defend against assault. Of the house, there is little left, just a roof and a wall. The other walls appear to have been ripped down. I see many trollocs inside the fort, and the occasional tent."
"I can see more if we get closer, assuming the trollocs leave us unmolested for long enough for me to look again."
there are no trollocs near us at the moment, Lady. I do believe that we could sneak closer, as this foliage is rather thick and limits visibility to about 50 feet at best, 20 feet at worst. landa says
Analin nods at Landa. "Get us as close as you can get us without sending up an alarm, Landa."
the trollocs stare at the darken hole, and visibly jump when a commanding voice emits from the dark hole.
All of them leap to their feet, roar in their own language, and flee in the direction they were heading.
Landa nods to Analin. As you wish, my lady. Master chen, perhaps you should stay behind? your size and armor does not work well with stealth.
Follow me please. Landa says, removing his cloak so you can see his form, and like a ghost, glides into the wooded forest, weaving in and out amongst the trees.
Wordlessly, Fiallain follows the warder about 15 feet behind and 10 to his right.
"Well," Ryvin says as she slowly relaxes. "That worked better than I'd expected."
Turning to the others, Ryvin smiles a little.
"Sure, we could've gone toe-to-toe with them, but I figured it might be best to have the whole group together for a big battle."
Ryvin's small smile widens into a genuine grin.
"Learned it at the White Tower. I used to want to be in the Brown Ajah, if you can believe it! One of the Brown Sisters taught me Trolloc along with the Old Tongue. 'Knowledge of import for the victory of the Light comes to us from many sources'."
Chen nods at Landa and leans against a great tree if he can find one not rotting. His sword is still drawn and he looks prepared to guard the flank.
Ryland moves with the others/
Stealth:
Alathea looks between Analin and Chen. "Should one of us--one who can use the One Power--stay behind?" she asks Analin. "I do not like leaving Chen alone, yes?" To Chen, she adds, "I do not doubt your ability with that sword, but I would guess that even you can only do so much alone."
"According to what Alathea said, it should be doable. Best go find her and get her to explain how, eh?" Ryvin says, winking.
RHoekk stands up and lays his book upon the floor. If our companions are in danger, we must make haste he says, checking his spears and unlimbering his deadly bow.
zira speaks up. I shall stay with him. while i am not a great warrior like him, i am no stranger to weilding a sword, although... for the briefest moment, her eyes dart to merdrith, and zira rubs at her wrist.
merdrith perses her lips. if we are to go, then let's go she says, snapping her dress and moving to follow landa and Ryland into the overgrowth.
Wordlessly, Fiallain follows the warder about 15 feet behind and 10 to his right.
[dice=Stealth]1d20+17
[dice=Perception]1d20+18
"If we're going, let's go," Ryvin says. "I'll warn you, though; I'm not so stealthy. Then again, I'm good at causing big explosions."
The Ebou Dari grins wolfishly...
Amorial grabs the book Rhoekk dropped just in case we need it later.
He draws his axe of the One Power, ready to go to the grim task.
Keelix draws his bow, and slips through the door into the forest with a smile over his shoulder at the others.
Alathea watches the others creep towards the trolloc camp. To her companions, she whispers, "I do not intend to leave them to face a battle on their own, yes? It may be sensible to stay here so you do not give their position away before they are ready, but once the fighting starts, we will have no more need of stealth. Once the fighting starts, we will follow as quickly as we can, yes?"
zira nods. a sound plan. I wish i wasnt so exposed at this time though. If only i had one of my a'dams. bah, no matter. bending down, she picks up a large stick that has a nasty looking knot at the end of it. She swings it a few times, getting a feel for it.
Landa leads the rest of you all closer to the fort. he stops you just at the edge of the woodline where trees have been torn from the ground and dragged to the fort another 200 yards away.
at various intervals you see large black soot remnants of large tree stumps.
If it was night time, we could get closer, perhaps even into those trees that make up their wall, but not in the day time. Look! Landa points up into the sky, and you see several crows flying about.
looking through the gaze that the distant eye provides, you have gained a more clearer picture of the fort. you can easily count that about 30 trollocs are stationed at the trail intersection of the fort, and you count another 20 trollocs patrol the outskirts of the fort.
inside, another 50 trollocs gather around the old house ruin. they all appear to be lifting their weapons and gesturing rapidly, as if cheering.
from the darkness of the overhang, you quickly count 10 trollocs emerge. but these trollocs are not your usual trolloc. they appear to be trollocs of some importance due to their heavy armor, their larger weapons, and a sort of symbol upon their chest. One of them appears to say something, and the crowd shakes their weapons in the air once more and then sheathes them.
A long pause as none of the trollocs move, until finally as one, they drop to a knee, including the unique trollocs. From under the roofline, this Trolloc with a visibile deformity upon its back steps out into the light. but, as you watch, you realize that this trolloc isnt deformed, it is simply hunched over. It stands its self upright, and you see it tower over the other trollocs. easily half again as tall as a trolloc, you denote a fluidity to its movements from the way it glides forward on its feet to walk amongst the trollocs, and a strength that would easily rival that of Chen as you see that it is wearing some of the heaviest armor you have ever seen. Out from its back you see not the hilt of a sword, but instead 5 spear shafts, and a small buckler. Small to it, more like a large shield for a man.
You easily pick up the trail of the trollocs, as they make no attempt at hiding themselves.
from off in the distance to the northeast, you hear the bugle of a horn, followed by one to the south of your location, and then a third from the west (for those close to the fort, to the east to those from the room).
Alathea looks askance at Zira. "I can protect you as well as any of your sul'dam might, yes?"
zira just looks at alathea, a bemused look upon her face. doubtful. you are too free with it. you need to be guided on how and what and where to utilize it. only a fully trained sul'dam knows how to properly utilize a damane. and you are certainly no sul'dam.