Dengorin follows as well, for he does not know where he could otherwise go.
Fiallain also follows, moving swiftly.
hustling down to the left of the main doors, Ryvin easily finds the severants stairs that run up and down the Hall. It is very narrow, yet wide enough for 2 people to cross at shoulder width. The stairs switch back and forth every 10 steps with a landing to turn on. Thousands of years of steps have worn grooves into the landing platforms, and some steps show states of worn and repair. A bright colored flat stone rests above a worn down millenia old step below.
"Let's go as far as we can. If we get ahead of Chen, we can set up an ambush."
Rhoekk looks at the wall a minute, planning his assent; then, adjusting the balance of his gear, he'll get a running start and run the first few feet up the wall to catch a handhold on one of the repaired patches. From there, he pulls himself up, and makes his way to the top of the wall quickly.
When he nears the top, he moves slowly, making sure not to startle any guard that might be standing up there, though with the commotion, their likely to be looking inside the wall, and not without. Waiting for the guards to look away or for a moment of distraction, he fixes his rope and hook to the top of the wall and tosses it back down for the others. Giving them all a look, he flashes a wink at the guards still on the bridge, hoping that they're too stunned to say anything.
That done, he's over the other side onto the nearest rooftop. After that he is sliding down to the street racing after the others (unless it looks like he could move faster by rooftop).
Hard Ground: Any surface that doesn't hold footprints at all, such as bare rock or an indoor floor. Most streambeds fall into this category, since any footprints left behind are obscured or washed away. The creature leaves only traces (scuff marks or displaced pebbles).
Table: Base Survival DC's to Track by Ground Condition
Surface Survival DC
Very soft ground 5
Soft ground 10
Firm ground 15
Hard ground 20
Argrand blinks at Rhoekk and takes the rope in his hand once it is thrown back over the wall, "No wonder they beat us so badly". He mutters as he begins to Climb over the wall.
Keelix sprints along behind Ryvin, his longer legs easily able to keep pace with her. Periodically he samples the air, scenting for anyone he knows.
Dengorin sprints up 3 flights as well, keeping pace. Having determined they are looking for the Ogier, he keeps an eye out for large, heavily armored warriors.
racing up the three flights of stairs, everyone pours out into a small antechamber. Ryvin takes one look around, spots the door, and sees the door that she needs.
Rushing up to the door, she throws it open and heads down a long dark corridor.
Slowing, she pauses at what appears to be an end of sorts. Pushing her hand out, she splits the wall as the illusion breaks. What looked like a wall is instead a heavy tapestry. She pushes the fabric to the side allowing light to fall in.
Beyond her is a scene of carnage. bodies litter the floor.
But no Chen.
SHock and anger erupt from behind rhoekk as he leaps from the wall and falls from rooftop to the ground.
The passing of people within the hard roadway makes it difficult for him to figure out who is what and where, but suddenly he spots a familiar scrap caused by Ryland's boot heel. Barely a needle in size, it picks up a regular pattern leading down the street.
to the large White tower at the end.
How the... the captain of the guard that spoke to the group stands in awe with Angrand.
Suddenly, the movement of Angrand grasping a rope prompts the captain and his men to action.
Halt, sir the captain orders, unsheathing his sword.
I have no wish to detain you, but i will if i must. he says.
angrand, brace yourself! Alathea screams loudly.
An invisible force grabs around Angrands body and hurls him high up into the air.
His arc flies up and over the wall, and out of sight of alathea.
And as suddenly as he has found himself lifted up into the air, Angrand finds himself falling 60 feet to the rooftops below.
A strange pulling sensation begins to pull him from his unconscious state.
At first, he ignores it. but there it is again. Stronger, persistent.
PAIN!
It hurts now, he cannot ignore it, but he feels heavy, lethargic.
Pain again. where is it? his whole body hurts. No, not anymore. And this pain is going away too.
but not all the way.
A second sharper pain floods his mind, and his eyes fly open!
He immediately closes them from the bright light!
Squinting, he pierces the light and shapes and colors emerge. Blackness with bouts of brown and gray.
He blinks again, and shapes resolve into finer detail.
Brown and gray fur. snorting. shuffling.
A flash of reflected light.
His eyes fall upon it. a mirror? no, a knife.
It flashes again and he feels the Pain again.
His eyes burst open.
Trollocs!
two of them!
Snatchign his hand back he sees that he is missing two fingers. But not bleeding.
Looking from hand to Trollocs, he makes a fist and punches.
His fist goes through the face of the one in gray fur. blood and brain tissue explode from ears and eye sockets from the impact.
His uninjured hand stuck, he reaches across and grabs the other trolloc by the neck who squeals and gurgles as its throat is crushed.
a shove and a heave, his hands free.
Where am i? he wonders, looking around at this strange environment.
"Blood and ashes," Ryvin whispers at the scene of carnage. Reflexively, she embraces saidar and holds it fast. "Back into the passage and up the stairs! I've no idea how recent this is, but we need to get ahead of him!"
"We need to ignore him and go straight to the Amyrlin's chambers to find the Dragon!"
"Chen may know where Vala is. She might not be your top priority, but she's a friend. Not to mention a pregnant woman in enemy territory. We have a duty."
Rhoekk continues to chase the pattern of heel marks through the city.
Argrand screams at the sudden lift "Ohhhhh shiiiiiiii...."
His voice is down out by the distance covered. As he begins falling towards the roof he gathers his wits and thinks of a solution.
Dengorin is shocked by the carnage, reminded of his time as a Trolloc captive. Looking about he turns and says, "Do we truly be wanting to meet him while he is in this blood rage? Perhaps the Dragon Reborn do be the more important than the Ogier? What if he do no recognize us as friend, and sees us as enemies?"
Ryland runs behind the others.
Analin nods at Dengorin. "I agree entirely. Keep up the stairs."
"Vala," Ryvin sighs. Then she shakes her head and draws her sword. "Fine. Up. Let's get the Dragon, but then we head back down, try to find Vala and stop Chen. Every Aes Sedai and Warder he kills is one who can't fight at Tarmon Gaidon for the Light."
"Yes. Valla." Fia states dryly. The Aiel woman presses ahead of the others, taking advantage of her long legs and quicker gate to reach the top of each of the stairs' landings and poke her head into the floor's hallway to listen.
Dengorin sprints up the stairs behind the speedy Aiel woman, who quickly outpaces him with less effort. Truly, this do give support to those who do say that the Aiel were not defeated, but merely chose not to continue attacking us.
Ryland points upwards. "Better to get ahead of him if we know where he is going."
"His destination is unimportant. The Dragon is what we need to focus on." When Fia stops at the next floor, Analin ignores her and keeps walking up the stairs toward the Amyrlin's chambers.
channeling quickly, angrand makes a narrow ramp of ice and ungraciously slides down it on his butt. He speed is high so as he leaves his impromptu slide, he ends up rolling for several feet as it dumps him out onto the hard cobblestone road.
fia doesnt hear any sound of fighting on these floors.
Argrand stands up doing his best I meant to do that pose and runs for the Tower.
Dengorin follows those who know where they are going, continuing to race up the stairs.
Fia continues to run, and to check at the floor landings for any tell tale sounds of carnage.
[dice=Perception, floor "6"]1d20+18[/dice]
[dice=Perception floor "7"]]1d20+18[/dice]
[dice=Perception floor "8"]]1d20+18[/dice]
Picking up vestiges of conversations, of a mad ogier, a giant, or monster on the loose in the Tower, Rhoekk asks a simple, "Where?!" at a few junctures, getting ever close to the sounds of violence. If it is a monster, he would have to judge what to do; a distraction was tolerable, as these were those that had made this world's Dragon their enemy. However, if non-combatants were at risk, he might feel obligated to try and save them. However, if it was the only giant he happened to know was in Tar Valon... that would require an entirely different decision. However, first he needed the answer to that question. Moving up the stairs, he kept an eye out for his comrades, all while drawing closer to the ravening beast.
Ryvin slows down and pauses as needed to hear Fia's reports. Otherwise, she jogs onward, ever higher up the Tower...
Pushing it over with his shield, Chen crushes an Aes Sedai with a stone obelisk. A deafening thud rings out.
Deflecting a spear aside with his shield, he stabbed the offending guard through the chest. His sword left not stabs but gaping cavities in the bodies it felled, or brutal dismemberment.
Sending a Warder flying back end over end with a shield bash, the man landed on his Aes sedai, Chen cut them both in half with one downward slash.
His steel mask and helmet, his shield and sword, drenched in blood. He still carried his makeshift sack over his shoulder filled with young human channelers.
rushing up the stairs, everyone is getting to the point of exhaustion. Except Fia. Used to running in heat of over 100 degrees, and coldness dropping to low 20s, uphill and down, barefoot, she barely registers a sweatdrop. Racing ahead, she slips down the halls and pops her head out.
Nothing.she says, racing back and up the stairs.
she does this several more times until she hears the sounds of one on one combat on the 12th floor.
Sticking her head out, she sees chen squaring off against and older gentlemen. The man wields a blade that appears to be made of pure light.
turning, she runs down the hall and motions to everyone.
over here she says, and leads the party down the hallway.
Rhoekk, Taking a look around, hears the sounds of combat coming from up above. Hearing the Ogiers howls and battle cry, he smirks and begins to race up the long incline ramps that go around the main column of tower space in the center of the White tower.
Deflty runing and dodging between tower guard, warders, and aes sedai, he pushes on. Calls for aide and assistance assault his ears, and while the stoic individual feels for these people, he knows that he must confront the Ogier.
2nd floor, third, 5th, 8th, signs of carnage and slaughter. 9th, 10th and 11th floor, absolute destruction. body parts litter the path, with blood an inch thick coagulated into hard jelly upon the floor. keeping his balance, Rhoek leaps lightly from dry spot to dry and finally makes a long leap to the incline and begins running up it.
Rounding the last circle, rhoekk readies his spears. Hidden amongst his other "wetlander" clothing and pack, he retrieves his greatest weapons.
Getting to the 12th floor, he sees Chen squaring off against an older warrior who wields a sword of light.
he is toying with me chen thinks to himself as he swings his sword again, and again having it be deflected by the mans body and arm rings. Annoyance flips quickly through chens mind, and he changes direction and delivers a quick upward slash at the man. The man brings the sword around but is unable to block the blow, and a long large red line appears across the mans torso, from his groin up to his left shoulder. The man stiffens momentarily in pain and shock, and brings his left arm up to a spot on his chest as blood pours out of the gash.
his hand tightens on his blade, and he looks at the Deathwatch Ogier.well struck. the man says in a respectful tone.
stepping back, he lowers his hand from his wound and wraps it around the hilt, and brings the sword over his head.
Let's end this.
Ryvin draws deeply on the Source and weaves Air, slamming a wall of Hardened Air between Chen and the rest of the corridor.
Following Ryvin, panting from the exertion, Dengorin looks upon the scene - a man holding a sword of light, and the Ogier they had been looking for facing off. Cautiously drawing his sword, he interposed himself between Ryvin and the scene, seeking to protect the woman.
Fia casts her glance about - looking for Vala's presence and not finding it, before she levels her gaze and glares equally at the bladesman and the Ogier both.
Seeing the weaves as Ryvin begins to channel, the Aiel hesitates but then opens herself to embrace saidar. As the One Power fills her, she breathes a sigh of relief and joy, despite their present predicament. The way saidar had been in the other world was difficult to forget and some part of her sometimes half expected still to be assaulted by the revulsion and sickness when she touched the power. The memory was strong, like a phantom pain that lingers long after the loss of a limb.
Ryland draws the stone warder's sword from its sheath and raises it to a ready stance. "Hey you inbreeding Lomox! How about you leave the old one be!"
Argrand keeps heading towards the Tower as fast as he can go!
The slightest tinge of fear wormed its way into Chen's skull as his group appeared on the scene. He could not stop. If they interfered he would have to kill them. The choice was not his own. He could still hear the silky words of the witch whispering in his mind. Kill all who oppose you
"Leave here you fools!" he roared.
Recognizing the dangerous form the man with the sword of light adopted, Chen flowed into its counterpart.
He could barely fathom a human whose skill as a blademaster could rival his own, and this man's likely surpassed it. It was unheard of. Humans just didn't live long enough to gain the experience that he had as an Ogier.
"Where is Vala?!" Fia roars right back - not that she was likely to receive a reply given the circumstances.
"We need to go upstairs! We are wasting time!"
Chen roars back at Fia Lower level, first lower level! trapped behind a marble statue of a woman holding a fireball
"Why are you doing this?!" Ryvin growls at Chen.
The Ebou Dari flicks a glance at Fiallain and whispers: "Go get her!"