Novices of the White Tower IC - Part 1

[The_Snark]

Following someone down a city street is interestingly different from stalking them through the wilderness. It's not possible to stay hidden from every angle, and with so many people there usually are watchers. The trick, then, is to not only stay hidden from her quarry, but to do it in a manner that doesn't seem suspicious to any onlookers. She keeps half an eye on the passers-by as she goes, both to make sure she hasn't attracted attention and to get a better feel for the dress customs here. Quality of clothing is one of the few wetlander social signals that's intuitive to her.

She makes a note of the doorway and keeps walking, looking to see if she can circle around the building. Maybe if she's very lucky there will be a window she can listen in at.

[An Amy]

Lilleah

The novice shakes her head and promptly reaches up as the lingering headache remains and pierces her demeanor for a moment. Recovering, she responds, "No... Well, I've been on river boats. Nothing like a seafolk ship. I've never seen the sea."

While speaking, she casts a curious glance at Ella, who spoken softly to Elinar Sedai and now is being asked by Ryla Sedai for private audience. The young girl cannot imagine what it could be but she is determined to ask Ella about it later. What was it? Oh... she tried listening earlier but it didn't work. Now, she kind of has to know.

[dmarks]

The Novices

Spoiler

Show

Nothing to add, but I'm looking forward to Cirelyn becoming an instructor and getting all the Novices to channel whilst on a boat!

Hala

Hala notices that the quality of clothing here is poor, with clothes showing signs of age, yet they are darned time and again by careful hands: these people have not given up.

She scans the area and notices a small side passage next to the building and she pads down it stealthily. Though this side has no windows she can just see a small extension jutting out behind the building. With practised ease Hala scales it and creeps along looking in at the first floor. From the looks of things, the whole upper floor is given over to a sitting room with a small hearth, where four figures are sat. But before Hala takes any note of them, she sees the walls of the room: walls crammed with books. These must be worth a fortune!

The rest of the building however is not, and the creaky window easily lets out the sound of their conversation:

"We had a good attendance today, but I was hoping for more. If we want our message to be heard we'll have to get the word out further. How's that going Thera?" This the voice of the orator from before.

"Have patience, Jerold, these things take time. I've made some more of those leaflets that we had before, and I've enlisted some of the volunteers to spread the word in the other quarters, but there aren't many takers. They're afraid." A woman's voice, business-like but not without warmth.

"Our's is not a cause that can wait," orator again, Jerold. "The winter is still not gone, and it's nearly Springfest! "We should speak to the Aes Sedai!" This is met with raucous shouting, but the orator soldiered on. "Now I know what you're thinking, but we have to use our heads. The Last Battle comes, and whether you trust them or not, their One Power will be the key. I know we hoped to spread the word amongst the people, but we must try to persuade the Sisters: they have the ear of Kings and power to topple mountains!"

The others mutter about this: it seems even their leader cannot persuade them to go to the Tower. The group does not appear to have come to a conclusion when another man enters the room. Hala can't make him out from where she is watching, but hears him deliver a quick message. "My father would like you to know that the food is ready for tomorrow. You will have plenty of incentives for people to come and hear you then."

The group rises and follows the young man out, leaving Hala alone on her little roof.


Nicaene

Nicaene didn't have to search far to find a man selling small baked loaves of bread, spicily seasoned. She parted with a few coppers for one and sat eating it whilst she considered the woman's words. The baker seems keen to talk though, and soon her reverie is disrupted. "Were you here for the prophets? Expecting trouble?" He asked, eyeing up her weapons and armour.

[Anyr]

Nicaene glanced down at her armoured form. She did cut a rather conspicuous figure. That's why she'd left the stealth to Hala. Between mouthfuls of bread, she did her best to put the vendor at ease.

"Just being cautious. I got stabbed by some thieves yesterday. It reminded me of an important lesson: Trouble doesn't care whether you're ready for it. That orator was saying something similar, wasn't he? About being prepared for the worst?"

[The_Snark]

Better than she could have hoped for - not only is there a spot to listen in, her quarry is actually talking about matters of interest. Careless of them. Then again, she gets the sense that they don't think they need to hide. Hala is no great judge of people, but as far as she can tell these people really believe their message. Not necessarily a good thing; an honest fool is often more troublesome than a simple crook. At least the crook knows when to cut and run. And nobody complains if you end up hitting them.

For a moment she considers breaking in, but decides against. She's found what she came for, and more. Time to go back to... ah. Hala makes a note to remember to set a rendezvous before separating, next time. No harm this time, she'll check the square and then return to the Tower grounds if Nicaene isn't there, but it's a beginner mistake and she ought to know better. (She can almost feel the butt of a spear in her ribs, a common reprimand from the older Maidens if they caught you forgetting the basics.)

She drops noiselessly off the roof, pausing a minute to peer more closely at the faded sign before making her way back to where she last saw Nicaene.

[Ifni]

Cirelyn

Cirelyn looks taken aback for a moment at Nesta's enthusiasm, but then slowly smiles. "I was just going to use it as an example, but if we could find a boat here... we may be far from the sea, but the Erinin should be swift and changeable enough for practice." Her tone turns a little wistful. "And it would be lovely to go out on the water again. Nesta, do you know where we could get a boat?"

She has to pause for a moment when Lilleah says she's never seen the sea. Oh, it makes perfect sense intellectually, a girl growing up in Tar Valon would say the same, but... still. All through her childhood, the sea was the world - the land only a succession of narrow strips of markets and trading-posts, and even there the scent and sound of the sea was ever-present, despite the ground still and dead beneath her feet. Coming to Tar Valon, seeing the land on all sides, being surrounded by forests and meadows, the winds dry and absent of salt - that had been strange enough. But that most of her fellow novices are shorebound in mind as well as body, with no experience to even hint at how it feels to balance on a soarer's deck and see nothing but bright dancing water and the cloud-streaked dome of the sky above, stretching out to infinity - it shouldn't be any surprise, but somehow it still is.

"Anyway, Lilleah, what I was going to say was that growing up on a ship was good training for channeling in a couple of ways. One is that ships are complicated - when a storm's coming in, or just when the winds are high, there's a long list of things that need to get done, and as a crewhand you have to learn to just do your own job and trust everyone else to do theirs. It doesn't matter if the swell's starting to get high so the deck's sloping up and down under your feet, and the people wrestling the sail down are swearing at each other, and the captain's - well, anyway, the point is you get good at paying just enough attention to duck if the boom's about to swing over your way, but focusing all the rest of your attention on your task."

Cirelyn looks at the shorter Atha'an Miere novice. "Nesta, you must have had the same experiences, no? So for you, it might just be a matter of learning to apply the same skills to channeling. And Lilleah, maybe, er..." She stalls for a moment, trying to think of what analogous situations might apply to a Cairhienin girl. "If, um, at parties or something, you had to concentrate on your current conversation, and tune out everything else? Same idea - it's a general skill, you get better at it by practicing. So to get better at focusing while using the Power, you should practice channeling in the presence of distractions - we could do that on a boat, like Nesta suggested, but other ways should work as well."

Cirelyn stops for a moment, and then adds more slowly, "As well, the Power's always seemed like the sea to me, even though the Aes Sedai tell us to think about sunlight, or streams, or breezes. When you're drawing a lot of it, there are waves and currents and gusts of wind, and the deck can shift under your feet at any time. There's no point fighting those changes; instead you need to ride them, not letting them fluster you or distract you from what you're trying to do. I guess... learning to channel in the presence of external distractions gives you practice for keeping your flows untangled when the distractions come from saidar itself." She shrugs, a little uncomfortably, and demurs, "That's just what I think, though. We could ask one of the Accepted, too."

[An Amy]

Lilleah

The young novice thinks about Cirelyn's words and the apt description of what it is like to focus on the One Power. She doesn't fully understand the metaphor made with river and the flows despite two years of trying. When she was just by herself, well... with her family, she would focus in on the One Power, as she knows it now, like a conversation. Just as Cirelyn said so. It made sense to her then, and while she's tried very hard to think of it how the accepted and full sisters speak to her about it and try to train her, especially those with her block, she still feels the conversation is something better. It's just now it's a conversation in a ball room. The One Power is someone speaking to her and she has to be focused on that voice alone. And not just that but to feel the words as she used to and to steer the conversation but otherwise just let the speaker continue and to listen to its story and sometimes be swept away by the words.

That's it then. She's struggled all these two years with how the sisters wanted her to do things. She's progressed... somewhat. Okay, she's progressed considerably in that time, but not like how she felt she could have. Not how some people also thought she would have. With their disappointment so subtle it would have been missed by anyone not trained for daes dae'mar. And so it is settled. She will make the effort to do as she once did. Just for a little bit... see how far she could get maybe... on her own. Or with Cirelyn giving example of... being on a boat.

"Distracted from saidar itself," she repeats as if it is a great revelation. "I think that's it. It's like speaking with the One Power and hearing its words and stories and then another voice form the same speaker coming in, muddying up the conversation. You have to make toes and ears out of both voices or three voices while putting together the hidden meaning. I think... well, I'm not sure about a boat. I don't think we'd be allowed. Ha... though we could ask. I don't see it hurting. Maybe there's another way to provide distractions. Running through town trying not to lose the person we're chasing like yesterday when I- well, uh... okay, bad example."

[dmarks]

The Novices

The Novices hang on Cirelyn's words and lunch passes quickly as the natter away. Yet even after the lunch hall empties and the Novices should have been collected, still no one has come. The conversation dissipates after a while, as the group takes note. Why has their teacher not sent for them?

Nicaene

"You were stabbed yesterday? And you're not in a sick bed?!" The street vendor seems taken aback by Nicaene's casual words, but after his initial shock decides it must have been a joke: "Oh haha, very droll. Yeah, well those prophets are talking about bad times, but bad times seem to be coming for us, just like you said, whether you're ready or not. Did you hear that all the fish at the Northern market were rotten? Fresh caught that day but everyone single one of them stank like nobodies business."

As Nicaene chats to the vendor, she feels the sensation of being watched, and turns round just in time to see Hala ghosting up to her.

Hala

Hala peers at the sign: it's either a book or a portrait, something rectangular, but it's very faded. A library? An inn?

Chastising herself for not planning ahead, she hastens back to the square and spies Nicaene talking with a street vendor.

[An Amy]

Lilleah

Looking around while speaking about boats and distractions, the others are obviously aware of how alone they are. How no one has come to fetch them. Where was an accepted to take them to Lornelle Sedai? Or another novice? She was having such a pleasant time listening to Cirelyn's examples and trying to match them to something she was both familiar with and something that was obtainable for them in Tar Valon. A ship, while wonderful and familiar with the tow Atha'an Miere novices, is definitely something a novice can't just walk up and ask to borrow for their own training with the One Power. There's also the rule on channeling for novices without explicit direction to do so from an accepted or full sister.

"Should we... go find someone? An accepted or perhaps another sister to ask what they think we should do. I'm not sure where we're supposed to go, else I think we should head there. Does anyone know Lornelle Sedai's Ajah? I say we go find someone. I would hate to have been expected and keep a full sister waiting on us."

[Anyr]

Even in Tar Valon, the One Power was still far from a familiar sight. Nicaene felt privileged to be in such close contact with it. An ordinary soldier who'd been stabbed would need much time to recover; Assuming they survived at all. Yet here she was, walking around good as new. Aes Sedai were truly wondrous. Nicaene was about to ask the vendor more about those fish he'd mentioned; When she felt a familiar presence behind her. Not wanting to attract any more attention than she already had, she said her goodbyes to the man. Soon, she and Hala were in a suitably secluded side street.

"Well? Any luck?"

[The_Snark]

Hala nods. "They did not go far. South until the building that looks like a bird taking flight, then west about three hundred paces, then down a little side alley on the right. There's a sign out front, too old and faded to read. None of the buildings there are Ogier-built, I don't know if that means anything."

"I listened to them for a little while - they left a window cracked open, very sloppy - and got two of their names, Jerold and Thera. Tomorrow they plan to bring food to the square, to draw more people to listen. I think they believe whatever it is that they're preaching. They did not speak as though it was only a tool." She pauses, frowning, before continuing. "One of them wanted to go to the White Tower, to try to persuade the sisters of their cause. The others did not. I... do not think they like Aes Sedai."

She watched Nicaene's reaction carefully. There's something off about the way most wetlanders treat Aes Sedai, something she can't quite put her finger on. At first she'd thought they played the part of Wise Ones among the wetlanders, advising chiefs and crossing clan borders to mediate. But people here seem afraid of them - not just respectful, but actually frightened. They avoided the Tower, and feared to approach sisters in the street. Hala could understand that, she'd been afraid herself when she first arrived. Aes Sedai could hurl lightning, sunder the earth, and bring men back from the brink of death; the Wise Ones were only human. (Not that you'd ever say that to their faces, if you know what's good for you.)

But... she's an outsider. These people are afraid of their own Aes Sedai. That can't be right.

[Anyr]

Nicaene raised an eyebrow. This wasn't the news she'd been expecting.

"They're sincere? That's a surprise. I was sure that they were just using Tarmon Gai'don as an excuse. Hmm, that makes our job more complicated. Now we can't just expose their scheme to the masses.

For my part, I got a tip about one of the group's backers. But we can't follow up on it until tomorrow. So in the meantime, maybe we should question the local guards next?"

Hala had done well. She was quite handy to have around. Better still, she'd yet to insult or mock Nicaene once. Maybe that behaviour was reserved for casual outings. Nicaene belatedly realised that she should be giving out some positive reinforcement.

"Good work, by the way. You've been very helpful."

[Ifni]

Cirelyn

Being the center of attention is a new and rather disquieting experience for Cirelyn, so she tries to turn the focus of the conversation away from herself wherever possible. It's interesting to hear how the other novices perceive the Power. Lilleah thinking of it as a conversation seems very strange and sideways; saidar has never seemed so... personal... to her. When she reaches to embrace it, it's like dipping a hand into the ocean; the Source itself is great enough that the mind can't comprehend it fully, even as the eye cannot encompass the sea.

But these musings are truncated when Lilleah points out the obvious, that they're supposed to be at class and don't have directions. "I'll see if I can find an Accepted," Cirelyn offers. "At least one person should stay here, though, in case whoever's meant to guide us is just late."

Lornelle Sedai, Lornelle Sedai... she tries to remember if she's encountered that sister before, as she moves to the entrance of the dining hall and pushes the door open.

Spoiler

Show

I'm guessing it's a Knowledge(Local) or similar check here? Here is Cirelyn's untrained Int roll: (1d20+3)[8]

[An Amy]

Lilleah

The young novice nods in agreement, "I'll move to the corridor at least. Anyone passing may not look into the dining hall just to see... Oh, Laras. She may know as well."

Looking back at the other novices, she asks, "Can someone ask Laras where we might find Lornelle Sedai?" Then she continues to the corridor to hopefully wave over a passing accepted or Aes Sedai, quickly steadying herself for the polite respect she is expected to hold toward those stations.

As both she and Cirelyn proceed out of the dining hall, she cautions the atha'an miere novcie. It's more out of habit than a statement to the older novice's wisdom. "Don't wander too far. If one of us finds the answer before you return, we'll need to get to you in a timely manner... uh, you know, just to... well, you know."

[The_Snark]

The praise earns Nicaene a raised eyebrow. "Naturally." Hala may be following the other woman's lead here, because she doesn't know the first thing about wetlander crime and how they handle it, but that doesn't put Nicaene above her. Have to find some way to remind her of that.

... but not just now, because they actually do have a job. "If you think it will help. We are doing their jobs for them, will they not resent that?"

[Anyr]

"Why would they resent it? We'd be making their lives easier. And besides, they've already had plenty of time to solve this...problem...themselves."

Nicaene stopped. An unpleasant notion had just crossed her mind. The informant had spoke of a powerful backer: Someone with influence over the guard. If that was true, then what guards beyond the Tower could she really trust? Any officers she met could potentially be compromised. Nicaene didn't like casting aspersions on her fellow soldiers like this. The vast majority of them were probably honest, hard-working citizens. But what if she happened to place her trust in one that wasn't honest? That possibility was enough to change Nicaene's mind.

"On second thoughts, let's leave the guard out of this. The troublemakers might have some friends there. Let's rely only on ourselves for now. Follow me."

There was still plenty of time to investigate. Nicaene's next stop would be the Northern market. She wanted to check whether that rumour about the fish was true. Perhaps someone had been spreading false information to rile up the masses. Nicaene led the way with growing confidence. At first, she'd been worried about Hala's attitude. But the Aiel woman seemed perfectly fine with being a subordinate. Maybe their relationship was improving!

[protheuz]

Boats Ella shivers, thinking on the men she met at the docks... Not a good place to be.

-------------

Ella replies "I'll stay here just in case" while thinking "bloody ashes. If even Aes Sedai get late..."

She looks around the room for someone still around that might know what ajah Lornelle Sedai is.

[dmarks]

The Novices

Lilleah steps out into the hall but can't catch sight of anyone passing. Now that lunch is past, there is little reason for anyone to be in this area except the kitchen staff. Then it hits her: how many times had she heard Nicaene complaining about the way Caster had chastised her. Lornelle was bonded to the master at arms of the trainees. And what was it the trainees said, it was unusual that a man like him was bonded to a Brown sister?

The others for their part can't recall this sister. Perhaps she is a recluse?

Hala and Nicaene

Taking charge Nicaene heads slightly south towards the Great Fish Market. You'd been there already today and found nothing amiss, but now that you knew what to look for maybe things would be different. Sure enough, though there are no prophets here, you both detect that maybe the people are not as enthusiastic as they should be. Many stalls are already closing up, and it is not even midday.

You approach one such woman who already had her stall half packed away, who looks haggard and exhausted.

[Anyr]

Nicaene acted as if she were just passing through. The place certainly seemed a bit gloomy. Still, a bad market day didn't exactly herald the end of all things. Maybe the rumours had just exaggerated a mundane truth. Nicaene paused beside one particularly beleaguered vendor. She gave the woman a look of genuine sympathy.

"Rough day?"

[An Amy]

Lilleah

"I just remembered," she says as she re-enters the dining hall and speaks up so the other novices can hear. "Caster, the trainee master at arms, is warder to Lornelle Sedai. The trainees remarked on how odd that is because she's a brown sister. If we head to the... uh, library or the Brown Ajah quarters, we surely will be able to find someone that will know where she is. She's supposed to be a bit of a recluse, so it may not be surprising that no one's come to fetch us."

[protheuz]

"So It's better if we go together. If she is not on their quarters, we should search for Caster after.. Maybe he is easier to find..." says Ella moving towards the brown ajahs zone in the tower.

[dmarks]

Novices

Ella leads the group up to the Brown quarters, and the rest of the girls with them follow along, including Eve, Emmea and Sara. The Novices have now learned the location of each of the quarters, but it's still a rare occurrence that sees them enter.

They reach the entrance without incident and find nobody about, luckily the Brown sisters have gone so far to put names on the doors, and you find Lornelle's without too much trouble.

Spoiler: Those without a block, or who can pass a composure roll

Show

You sense channeling in the room.

Hala and Nicaene

The woman grimaces in response: "I'm sorry, you've come too late if you wanted to buy anything. There's less to go around these days. You could probably find something at the other stalls, but it's only dregs now."

[jamieth]

"Of course, let's go seek for her", Nesta nods, operating on the principle that if you're not sure if either of the options will lead to being punished, it's best to pick the same for everyone.

As the group stands near Lornelle Sedai's door, she notices the power of Saidar coming from within, but pays no mind to that - surely a full Sister has all the right to channel in her own chambers... or whereever else, for that matter. So, she knocks at the door, "Lornelle Sedai? Please excuse me..."

[An Amy]

Lilleah

The younger novice defers somewhat naturally to those older than her, as is typical of more court-bound social systems. Despite two years in the tower, Lilleah is not used to being looked up to due to being stronger in the power. Sure, she is. And many people have told her time and time again. But she is no more skilled or... experienced. Unlike some of the others, the title child is accurate. She follows Ella as the others do, trying to hold back the temptation to bring up Ella's private meetings with sisters. Now is not the time nor is the company appropriate for such a line of questions.

Entering the Brown Ajah quarters, Lilleah feels feels the elating feeling of knowledge from all around. There's something alluring about all this knowledge and the searching for knowledge. Even if just to know.

She waits patiently behind Nesta as the seafolk novice knocks on the Brown Sister's door.

[Anyr]

Nicaene feigned disappointment in the lack of merchandise. It had been ages since she'd actually bought her own food; Besides the odd snack. The Tower provided for all her needs. Seeing this merchant's misery reminded Nicaene of how lucky she was. Nicaene worked every day to repay the Aes Sedai for all they'd given her.

"I'm already too late? That's unexpected. Do you normally close this early?"

[Ifni]

Cirelyn stays behind a moment in the dining hall to tell one of the kitchen women where they've gone. She's not particularly surprised to be met with a raised eyebrow and a look that says And you're telling me this... why?, but if Lornelle Sedai's messenger turns up five minutes after they've left, at least she'll be able to say she tried.

Afterward, she picks up her white skirts - cumbersome things, even after four years in the Tower - and runs to catch up with the others. She slows to a more sedate walk as she enters the Brown Ajah quarters, and studies her surroundings with interest. Browns can be terribly inquisitive at times, but if they're not curious about you specifically, she finds them more comfortable to be around than full sisters from some of the other Ajahs. And what they know is fascinating.

She rejoins the others just as Nesta knocks on the door.

Spoiler

Show

Composure to overcome block: (1d20+8)[28].

EDIT: ... dicebot. That is not the roll for which I wanted you to save up natural 20s.

Cirelyn is in the mood to channel, I guess

[protheuz]

Ella focus her senses as she is waitin for the door to open. She hated to wait... But since she was in the tower, she had a lot of practice of that.
Waiting, cleaning, scrubbing, chores... But it was worth it. The one power was worth it all.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Take 20 on listen to try to hear what is happening in the room.
Can she sense the amount of chaneling being made?

[dmarks]

Novices

Despite your knock, the door remains closed, and no response issues from inside. The channelling continues unabated. But when Ella leans close to listen she hears something quite strange: or to be more precise, she doesn't hear anything at all. There is total silence in the room beyond that door.

Spoiler

Show

For any with Circle of Silence or who can pass a Knowledge (The One Power) DC 10 check you recognise that there must be a ward inside keeping out all noise.

Hala and Nicaene

"Not normally no. But there have been fewer and fewer fish turning up int he nets recently. Ever since that incident a few days back. I've never seen the like of it. Everyone's fish, on all the stands, just rotten. Something in the water I've heard, but this has never happened in my lifetime!" The woman is clearly shaken as she recalls the events.

[An Amy]

Lilleah

The youngest of the novices tilts her head to the side slightly. There is channeling coming from the room, which also sets to rest the inner fear that somehow she'd been stilled and just didn't know it yet. Good, she can sense channeling. Embracing the one power was still something beyond her at the moment... but it wouldn't always be. She hoped.

Still, she could sense channeling within. And, given that there were no sounds... "It's a hushing," she states. "A weave, a ward against sounds. The Aes Sedai call it a circle of silence. Someone inside doesn't want anyone to hear what's going on..."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Composure to sense channeling (1d20+5)[12]

[Anyr]

So, it was true. The news made even Nicaene feel a bit uneasy. No wonder the doomsayers were so popular. With material like this to work with, even an average orator could stoke the fires of paranoia. She bid the vendor a sympathetic farewell, and walked onwards. She once again found herself with time to spare. What next?

"I wonder whether it's worth investigating the source of that fish blight. It might be part of some larger plan; Or it might just be a coincidence that's being exploited. What do you think?"