Gold and Steel Session 5

#GoldSteel
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	Jaros	!dm9001 critfail
	=-=	Staffen is now known as Mercer
	antoine	Lord Mercer leads the two hundred men down the goat path, evading Corbray patrols as the men march in single file, hushed voices and the shuffle of undergrowth is all that can be heard as you flank the three hundred Corbray men.
	=-=	antoine has changed the topic to “Mercer, Corbray, Ryker, Waynwood, Jaros”
	Ryker	"Listen up men, I want a tight formation while we advance"
	=-=	antoine has changed the topic to “Mercer, Corbray, Ryker, Markas, Waynwood, Jaros”
	antoine	Waynwood's men move around the rocky outcrop to the North. The enemy has formed up two infantry units and a group of archers facing south that are now surrounded.
	Mercer	has his stocky destrier trot backwards a few paces. "We shall see how Corbray responds to this..."
	antoine	Those archers reverse on the spot to bring the ambushers into their sight.
	Ryker	continues to advance the men under his command, but not at a pace uncomfortable for armoured men
	antoine	Ryker and Markas bring forward the southern infantry units in a general advance, snaking their way through the trees to approach the enemy camp.
	antoine	You hear the shouts for movement from Waynwood but he is unable to spur his men any further.
	Mercer	looks to one of the Talons. "Signal to the Archers. Have them fire onto the enemy's own marksmen."
	antoine	A Talon blows a horn in several short bursts and soon after a hail of arrows falls amongst the enemy archers who duck for cover instead of holding their ground.
	Mercer	"For pity's sake, Ser Waynwood." The Lord Kestra looks to one of his guards. "On my order, Waynwood's men shall advance at a sprinter's pace."
	antoine	As Lord Mercer urges Waynwood's men onwards you see the knight waving his arms at the enemy archer and some shouts are heard. Not long after the enemy archer loose their arrows at Kestra's 2st Infantry
	antoine	1st*
	antoine	The 1st infantry raise their shields as the archers further up the mountain send scythes of arrows into their ranks but they hold well enough, with armsman Wryn cursing the archer for cravens and fool.
	antoine	John Arryn's men led by Markas finally manage to catch up to Ryker's men.
	antoine	Waynwood's men continue to flounder near the rear of the enemy.
	Ryker	Ryker yells for the men to continue to advance, some of the men lose gut, others are getting caught on tree limbs. Luckily Markus rises to his fathers expectations and gets the men to sally forth.
	Mercer	"1st Infantry, advance on the enemy!"
	Mercer	looks to the Talons again. "I want the archers hitting that infantry block on the east."
	antoine	The ram's horn blows once more and the screams of wounded men and the clatter of arrows against rock are heard throughout the forest.
	=-=	antoine has changed the topic to “Mercer, Corbray, Markas,Ryker, Waynwood, Jaros”
	antoine	The 2nd Infantry, led by Jaros and Wryn charge up the mountain, bringing down some of the archers but not having enough momentum to send them fleeing.
	antoine	Corbray sends his infantry forward to intercept Ryker's veterans but achieve little against the hedge knight men.
	antoine	Ser Morton takes his men south around the rocky outcropping, out of sight of the main battle.
	Jaros	As the archers continue to try to hold back the infantry, jaros slips into their ranks striking left and right as they try to desperately maintain themselves
	Mercer	"Infantry needs to keep hammering those archers!"
	Ryker	's men shrug off the initial charge from the enemy force that saw an opportunity to attack while they were bogged in the woods. Ryker moves forward and cleaves down four men, the last one being maimed before the first fell to the ground. His men inspired by the sight of their leader in combat, completely overwhelm the enemy while inflicting heavy casualties upon the disorganized
	Ryker	retreat.
	antoine	Jaros and his men continue to wail on the enemy archers, leaving them bloody and reeling as steel flashes left and right.
	antoine	The second enemy infantry unit charges forth to hit Ryker's men, these far more battle hardened men actually manage to check the rampage of the hedge knight and his men.
	antoine	Unable to convince John arryns men to follow him instead of Waynwood, Markas charges off to join Ryker.
	[ERROR]	Connection to irc://irc.thisisnotatrueending.com/ (irc://irc.thisisnotatrueending.com/) reset. [Help]
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	=-=	Topic for #GoldSteel is “Mercer, Corbray, Markas,Ryker, Waynwood, Jaros”
	=-=	Topic for #GoldSteel was set by antoine on Wednesday, February 08, 2012 9:35:59 AM
	Jaros	Jaros continues wading through the archers, leaving crumpled men in his wake
	antoine	The last of the Corbray men scatter as the trap falls into place and the water dancer becomes the number one distributor of archer body parts in the Vale.
	Ryker	yells "The Whore-Lord???? I'm no Ser, and after this you'll have no head !" Then engages the enemy knight in single combat, the knight in polished silver armour parried the first couple blows from Ryker's longsword, but as he became aware that he was incredibly outmatched he began to shake as a fear overcame him. Ryker performed a counter riposte from one of the Ser's feeble attacks that
	Ryker	struck so hard at the poorly attacked bracer plate and cut the mans forearm clean off. The knight's sparkling, never before used sword fell to the ground with the rest of him arm. The man fell to the ground screaming hysterically, Ryker laughed as he watched the rest of his men kill the others foolish to stay and watch. He decided to leave the man to bleed out in his blood soaked silks.
	Mercer	leans over. "Have someone see if they can't recover the commander. I want to know what the Corbrays were doing out here..."
	antoine	As you walk amidst the bodies the men butcher the last of the enemy that did not flee, it was a hard fight but the Corbrays' men were scattered to the winds and are running down the mountain back to Heart's Home.
	Mercer	trots along atop his horse with Talons at each of his flanks, looking over the bodies for any sign of his foe. "The men did well on this sortie," he muses, to nobody in particular. "When we get back, I'll want an extra ration of ale doled out for everyone."
	antoine	The men are looting bodies as Lord Mercer approaches a knight screams in pain as his stump pumps out blood and a barber surgeon come veteran in your 1st infantry tries to staunch the bleeding.
	antoine	approaches. A knight*
	Mercer	narrows his eyes. "Lyn Corbray," he mutters under his breath. He cranes his head forwards, widens his eyes in feigned concern and frowns down at the knight. "It looks painful, friend."
	antoine	The knight merely writhes in pain on the ground, unable to respond.
	Mercer	"You know, I could make your death quick. Painless. But if you have any vague ability left in you to speak, lad, you must give me something in return..."
	Mercer	"I want to know why you decided to assault my lands. Do this for me, and I'll let my men grant you a swift death. If not, you'll be stripped of your armor, and left to bleed. No honorable burial, as fitting a lawbreaker."
	antoine	He spits through his open helm at you, "Whore-Lord. You drive the mountain men down on our small folk. You-argh- sell your men to the highest bidder." He grits his teeth gasping in pain, "You are no better than a two-bit mercenary and your piss on your once proud heritage."
	antoine	you piss*
	Mercer	looks away, flattens out his expression, and nods in mocking concession. "Very well. Idiot as you are, I will keep my word to you." The Lord Kestra looks to Ryker. "Well then. You dealt the mortal blow. Would you care to finish the job, Jeremy?"
	Mercer	eyes the glinting sword resting in the dirt.
	Ryker	"With pleasure, milord"
	Jaros	turns away from the dying man, and says
	Jaros	"If truely their concern was for the small people, perhaps they would combat the mountain men instead of us"
	Ryker	picks up the knight's fallen sword, cracking a grin at the arm with lifeless fingers near it. With his other arm he rolls the exhausted man over and drags him forward by his neck and lets him fall on a log with his head slumping down
	Ryker	"On your command, milord"
	Mercer	slowly nods.
	antoine	The man splutters out a cough of blood on the ground beside the log as the chestplate slams into the log
	Jaros	"Lord Mercer, something over here you perhaps should see."
	Ryker	rather carelessly whirls the knight's own sword up once and cleanly cuts his head from his body.
	Mercer	snorts, scowling as he turns his mount about. "Boy-lover. Lady Forlorn is yours, 'Ser' Ryker, though I think you'll want to rename it, maybe get a new pommel."
	Mercer	"What is it, Goodman Tofel?" Kestra asks, looking to the sworn sword now.
	Jaros	"A man here, who seems vaguely familiar. Over here if you please."
	Ryker	"Milord..my Gods...this is Valyrian Steel....?...never in my life did I think I'd look upon it"
	Mercer	clops along atop his horse, and peers down at the corpse.
	Jaros	"And he was carrying these"
	Jaros	Jaros tosses up a Braavosi coin
	Jaros	to the lord
	Jaros	"It would seem something is afoot
	Jaros	"
	Mercer	catches the coin, and inspects it.
	Mercer	"Fascinating. I wasn't aware you minted in iron in Braavos."
	Jaros	"Unimportant. I should speak with you later, my lord. ...it seems that my past is threatening to catch up with me."
	Mercer	"Very well. As of now, though, we need to double back." He looks to the Talons. "Have the men set up to rest here, and send squads back to gather sufficient supplies from Whitemane for a week's march. We need to pay a visit to Lord Corbray."
	Mercer	sets his horse to a trot, searching out Ser Waynwood.
	antoine	The men, having gathered all the copper and silver they can carry ready themselves into a camp of sorts. Ser Waynwood is marching his troops up the mountain when Lord Mercer catches up to him.
	Mercer	"Leaving so soon, Ser Waynwood?" Kestra smiles to the knight, the falling sun.
	Mercer	*falling sun's glare causing him to squint.
	antoine	"The Warden will want to hear of this Lord Kestra, I may return with many more men soon enough."
	Mercer	"Of what? That I defended my lands from a ruthless invasion by some lesser pig? Did you even stoop to hear why it is that half-wit Corbray attacked?"
	Mercer	"Or, is that pole you call a title lodged so far up your arse you can't even bend the ear?"
	antoine	Ser Morton hisses at you through clenched teeth, "Ser Lyn was well loved in the Vale. His death will upset many Lords. As will the looting and summary execution of his body. I pray your son will never to lose a battle for when he does I think he can expect the same mercy."
	Ryker	"He started it, I finished it"
	Ryker	"What has changed here?"
	Mercer	"Ser Lyn will be returned to his ancestral lands," Lord Kestra assures the knight, "this I assure you of. But now, justice needs to be done for this vile transgression."
	antoine	Ser Morton's eyes narrow, "If you ever are at tourney Ser, look for my shield and we will see if you have the stomach for battle on equal ground.", turning to Lord Mercer he adds, "I will see that the King's justice is done my Lord. Of that you can be assured."
	antoine	The men on foot close enough to hear have uneasy looks on their faces as the exchange continues.
	Jaros	"The invaders repulsed, and you're offended that Ser Lyn chose his own death? Better hear in battle than by the king's headsman."
	Jaros	here*
	Ryker	""Ser" Morton, I have already expressed my opinion of tournaments to you, though if you theaten my lord again...well just ask Lyn about my ability...hmm,pity he no longer has a head"
	Ryker	threaten*
	Mercer	lowers his face, glaring up at Waynwood with darkened, deep-seated eyes. "The Bravo is right. And you, Ser Waynwood - you march your men off, but you do not understand the first of what has happened here today."
	antoine	"I would have, if you had not denied the King and his Hand the chance to pass judgement."
	Mercer	gestures to Ryker. "I cannot help that he decided to go into battle headfirst. I cannot help that my man is superior to anything my foes can muster. Is war played out waged equally inept forces in your imagination?"
	antoine	"And was is 'war' when you took Ser Lyn's head? Or merely murder and thievery?" he asks as he looks at Ryker's new sword.
	antoine	was this*
	antoine	His hand starts to stray towards his sword as he rides, as if considering his next move.
	Mercer	laughs, the sound sharp with a sardonic edge. "I ordered his death as a mercy. It was that or he die on the way to the maester. But Lady Forlorn remains as punishment for the disrespectful -- no, the treasonous -- act of attacking me."
	Ryker	"I think it stopped being "his" sword when he feebly tried to strike me and I cut his arm from his body" "No thievery here, just a pretty sword found after a decisive victory"
	antoine	"As I recall, you ordered the 'first' volley Lord Mercer." his incredulity starting to show as the differing views of the battle are revealed.
	Jaros	"One does not bring 300 men into a lord's lands for plesantries, Waynewood."
	Ryker	"Hah, like your assessment of battle can be trusted? This was no tournament"
	Mercer	"Wrong. A hail of arrows came down against Goodman Jaros from the Corbray archers as he searched the woods. That was not an attack against mountain man attackers - that was an attempt to slay a patrol."
	Mercer	points an armored finger - the metal ring-joins are ended off with a sharp, pointed claw-like cover over the tip of his finger, like a talon. "You, as a Knight of the Vale, are sworn to uphold order. By heading off with your men now when I must take an answer for these crimes, you break your vows. Leave, then, boy. Cry away all you please, but I am in the right. And when next you
	Mercer	come grovelling covetously to my castle, may very easily expect no hospitality at all from me."
	antoine	Morton snorts in derision, "So your water dancer says, am I to believe the word of a foreigner now?", he turns with a look of disgust as he replies to Jaros, "You know not the ways of Westeros, a show of force when meaning to parlay prevents you from looking weak."
	antoine	"I will uphold the order of the Vale, preventing John Arryn's men from being used to start your war. I was warned about you Lord and I will not betray my Warden."
	Jaros	"A show of force unannounced? It is more likely the blade in the dark than the blade presented in the light. Westeros may be odd, but I assure you Braavos is no backwords place. Since your own pretenses were just about as honest."
	Mercer	smiles, corpselike and sinister. "Then listen well to the warnings. You cannot hope to outdo me the instant you invoke my fury. You will leave now, Waynwood. Ride far ahead of your men. Speak no further word of insult to my sworn men, my loyal men, or you can expect great retribution for your grievances."
	antoine	The knight sneers, "If I resist you will cut down these men and prove me to be right, but you will just blame the Corbrays and no justice will be found. So be it, you will see me soon enough Ser." He looks at Ryker at the end before he digs his spurs into the side of his horse and gallops off ahead. Leaving you with his two hundred men.