Gold and Steel Session 8

#GoldSteel
	-->|	YOU (antoine) have joined #GoldSTeel
	-->|	Draven (Red@32CD0857.8B3879FF.E89C825B.IP) has joined #GoldSTeel
	=-=	Staffen is now known as Mercer
	-->|	Ralond (Humblemonk@sux-836BF836.rochester.res.rr.com) has joined #GoldSTeel
	antoine	The men crouch by the river side, tired and restless as a few shouts are heard from the keep. Apart from that only the sound of rushing water interrupts the silence of night. The darkened village in the shadow of Hearts Home is hiding House Kestra's forces and yourself but you will have to make a dash for the gates if you want to take the castle.
	Ralond	takes a sip from his flask
	Jaros	whispers
	Jaros	"Lord Kestra, steps on the portcullis."
	Jaros	"From the guardhouse!"
	Mercer	"Must be Draven." The Lord sniffs. "Jaros, with me. Ryker, get up there with the Arryn men, stay in the back and make sure they don't break."
	Ralond	looks at mercer
	Mercer	looks to Draven. "You, however... I want you in there too. Start shooting arrows the instant you spot Corbray men."
	Ralond	"what about me?"
	Mercer	*Ralond
	antoine	You hear the rattle of chains and the clanking and shrieking or rusted metal as the portcullis slowly rises.
	Ryker	"My lord, my place is with our infantry, but I will go as ordered"
	Ryker	pushes forward through the Kestran soldiers to join Arryn's men.
	Mercer	raises his hand, and motions for the opened gate. He sucks in air, and then cries out, "Charge!"
	Jaros	charges
	Jaros	pauses
	antoine	The men rise and rush forwards, there are a few arrows fired but the darkness and the infantry's shields hold the paltry resistance at bay.
	Ralond	moves in with the men
	Jaros	charges
	antoine	Markas looks to Mercer, "Where should I go once I am in the castle father?"
	Ralond	attempts to take a swig of ale during the charge
	antoine	As you reach the gate you see inside a paltry force of hastily gathered infantry, not more than half a proper unit holding the ground just inside the gate.
	Mercer	grabs his helm by one of the long wings branching from its crown. "With me, son." He puts the helm over his head and fastens it. "I want you to watch me, and see how it is you must lead your men. We will charge in by the cover of the First Infantry."
	Mercer	spurs his horse forwards. "Come, boy! To war and victory!"
	antoine	The Infantry cut the men to bloody ribbons before they break and run to the halls, inside the courtyard is a mess of screaming small folk and scattered soldiers running for their lives or trying to fall back to form a proper resistance.
	antoine	A single knight appears from the stables, a hastily strapped on breastplate covering his chest as his puts his heels to the destrier he rides. "DIE YOU BASTARDS!" he levels a lance at Ryker.
	Ryker	takes notice of the Corbray knight taunting the invading footmen. He locks eyes with him and decides to take on his challenge, but approaches with caution because the reach of the knight's lance.
	antoine	A pair more appear behind him a moment later, their shields feature a pair of white falcons on a azure field, a sanguine lance on a ermine field bordered a sable and the leader's shows a per Pile field of argent and tawny, faded golden coins painted to have them spilling down the center.
	Ryker	unsheaths his Valyrian steel longsword and prepares for combat.
	=-=	antoine has changed the topic to “Ralond, Ryker, Jars, Kights”
	antoine	The second group of John Arryn
	antoine	Arryn's men scatter in the face of them, preferring to go after the archers on the battlements.
	Ralond	lets fly two arrows at one of the knights
	antoine	They thud into the man with the faclon shield, piercing his shield and pinning it to his arm. The other sticks out of his thigh but he grits through the pain.
	Jaros	rushes one of the knights to the side of Ryker
	Jaros	moves to the side of Ryker, ready to confront the kinnugget
	Mercer	keeps behind his own footmen. "Kill any man who bears a weapon against you! Spare those who surrender, but put the rest to the sword!"
	antoine	The wounded knight's lance is contemptuously avoided by Jaros while Ryker is hit in the arm by the coin knight, the lance glances off the finely crafted full plate armour covering the hedge knight, the last knight charges through John Arryn's men in his haste to get at Ralond.
	=-=	antoine has changed the topic to “Ralond, Ryker, Jaros, dog, Knights”
	Jaros	"Shall we, Ryker?"
	Ralond	notices the knight charging towards him and fires two arrows
	Ryker	takes a glacing strike from the knight's far reaching lance. He then bats the unwieldy weapon away and takes a vicious hack where the knight's breastplate was loose from hasty preparation. The knight screams in pain as he is wounded.
	Jaros	skips forward, slashing along the coin knight's right arm, slashing through the mail causing coins to scatter along the floor.
	antoine	Ralond's yapping little hound rushes in and bites the legs of the charing destrier before it is kicked into a nearby inner wall, leaving it limp by the base of the worn stone.
	Ralond	cries out to Argos
	antoine	The two knights fighting Ryker and Jaros drop their lances which make wooden thudding noises as they plonk down on the ground. They thrash wildly with their longswords but the skilled Kestra sworn swords move around the awkwardly positioned knights. The charging falcon knight aims his lance towards Ralond's chest but suddenly the destrier trips and throws the rider he careens overhead into...
	antoine	...the partially raised portcullis, a rusted and bent spike impaling him through the chest, a foot of steel appearing out his back.
	Ralond	cheers at the sight of the knight
	Ralond	takes aim at the knights that jaros and ryker are fighting
	Ralond	fires one arrow at each knight
	antoine	The coin knight takes an arrow to the bridge of his nose, instantly killing him while the one bearing the lance covered shield has a shaft of an arrow protrude from his chest bypassing his armour completely and sending him from the saddle, the pair of destriers whiny and rear up as their riders die.
	antoine	John Arryn's men have secured the courtyard and the immediate battlements, rounding up the slow and weak who did not flee further into the castle.
	Ralond	walks over to the knights corpses and cuts one of their ears off
	Ralond	remembering Argos, rushes over to check on his dog
	Mercer	brings his destrier to a trot, coming forward into the courtyard. "Fine work!" he calls out. "Fine work! We are one step closer to justice!"
	antoine	The brave, some would say insane, hound opens its eyes, heavy gashes along its side leave it whimpering in pain.
	Ralond	yelps in excitement seeing his dog alive
	Ryker	sees the wounded knight infront of him finished off by an arrow. Slightly frusterated in not being able deal the killing blow mutters "bows are for cowards". He is now looking for Lord Mercer as the courtyard is secured as the Corbray soldiers retreat.
	Mercer	"Captains," Mercer calls to the crowd, "report."
	Ralond	tells Argos to stay and then gets up and heads over to Jaros
	Ralond	takes a swig of ale and then offers it to Jaros
	antoine	Man-at-arms Wryn Oglot comes forward, "We have secured some the battlements, the courtyard and some smallfolk mi'lord."
	|<--	Jaros has left irc.thisisnotatrueending.com (Quit: )
	antoine	The men hold their ground, unsure about charging into the castle now that the initial impetuous of the fight has left them.
	Mercer	looks up to the keep. "How many Corbrays did you spot retreating inside?"
	antoine	"Not many, a scattered bunch. It depends on how many he had inside already but we should outnumber them one, two, three, four, five!" as he counts on one hand "to one." he uses the other hand to finish the calculation.
	Mercer	nods. "Very good. We aren't finished yet. Get the men ready to move." The Lord looks back to the gatehouse. "Have someone get that damned knight off the portcullis, then close the gates back up. I want no escapees."
	-->|	Anselm (Staffen@sux-E7982F2.sub-75-225-10.myvzw.com) has joined #GoldSTeel
	|<--	Mercer has left irc.thisisnotatrueending.com (Ping timeout)
	antoine	"Alright you sods come ere' lets take the 'gallant' knight down", they heave him off but his armour gets caught and shears his body in half as the weight shifts, the loops of his intestines pool on the ground, the wet flop announcing the two halves of the body that soon follow it.
	antoine	They drag them outside before calling up the arryn's men, "Alright, let 'er down."
	Ralond	walks over , bends down and tears off one of the knights ears
	antoine	The portcullis rattles as it flies down to the ground once more. The impact throws off bits of rust onto the muddy ground.
	Anselm	shakes his head in mild disgust, otherwise unaffected. "Ryker, Ralond, up front with the First Infantry. I want half Arryn's men watching the prisoners, the other half watching the rear."
	Ralond	nods and heads over to the first infantry
	antoine	Arryn's men take their positions, happy to not be sent into the castle to fight.
	Ryker	keeps his sword unsheathed to inspire fear into any Corbray men looking on. His cloak sways as he moves with purpose to the front of the 1st infantry.
	Anselm	"Forward!" Mercer calls, trotting along the side of his infantry. "Take the side entrance, weapons ready! March!"
	=-=	Anselm is now known as Mercer
	Mercer	(oops.)
	antoine	The men form up and cover their area of responsibility before the tide slowly moves through the smaller doors one or two men at a time depending on their respective girth.
	Ralond	(needs some lotr orc warhorns right now)
	Mercer	"Come, Markas." The Lord follows his men in.
	antoine	The men split off into groups to scour the nearby halls for enemy, they find a few ambushers who are quickly overcome.
	antoine	Under of the direction of Mercer and Ryker the men come upon the main hall, Wryn whispers back, "Jack says there are thirty men, half archers, half halberds watching the main entrance. We can take them from the rear mi'lord" he grins from ear to ear.
	Mercer	nods. "Good, good. Split up the force, half and half of mine and the Arryn men from the front, half and half from the rear. As always, any man who yields is spared. No mercy for those who fight."
	antoine	The men rush out, "Whitemane, Whitemane!" they surround the pitiful number of men easily. They throw down their weapons in short order.
	Mercer	slowly comes forward on his mount. "Is this it, then?"
	antoine	"The Lord isn't here, he must be deeper in the castle"
	Mercer	nods. "We will root him out them. Jeremy, Markas, Ralond, Talons, with me."
	Ryker	"aye Lord"
	Ralond	nods
	Mercer	glares back at Ralond. "You, you only shoot when I order it. No killing out of term."
	Ralond	frowns "fine."
	Mercer	draws his sword. "Under way, then."
	<--|	Ralond has left #GoldSTeel
	antoine	You head through the halls, the Talons scaring off any small folk you come across. Like a tide of mice escaping a ship they run before you in fear. You soon hear the clash of steel deeper in the castle.
	Mercer	"Be on your guard," Mercer warns.
	antoine	You come upon a scene of mutinous guardsmen attacking each other, one of them using his bare hands to try and strangle Lord Corbray.
	Mercer	"Draven!" Lord Kestra shouts.
	antoine	The guardsmen manage to down two of Draven's friends, cleaving off limbs with halberds.
	Mercer	"Ready shields, be mindful of your targets! Ryker at spearhead!"
	Draven	"Busy m'lord!" Draven shouts while defending himself.
	antoine	A knight swings a greatsword at Draven in looping arcs.
	=-=	antoine has changed the topic to “Draven, Ryker, Talons, Good guys, Markas, badguys.”
	=-=	antoine has changed the topic to “Draven, Ryker, Talons, Good guys, Markas, badguys, Mercer.”
	Draven	ineffectivly attempts to fight both Corbray and the knight.
	antoine	The Talons make short work of the remaining guards, forcing the two mutinous men to throw down their weapons beside the dead loyal guards.
	antoine	Markas runs in with his short sword, he swings is wildly, hamstringing the Lord and bringing him to his knees.
	antoine	it wildly*
	Mercer	slowly steps forward, observing the Lord Corbray's demise with some amusement.
	Ryker	charges into the knight fighting an exhausted Draven. The knight is off guard on the flank as his sword arm is hacked clean off by the Valyrian blade and mortally wounded as the blade continued into his torso.
	Draven	unleashes a powerful flurry of blows in an attempt to break all of Corbray's bones.
	antoine	The old man's bones crack and snap, gruesome sounds as his thigh femur has a compound fracture and his skull caves in from the final heavy jab.
	antoine	his femur*
	Mercer	nods slowly, sheathing his blade. "Well, Goodman Draven, well-done. I trust you had fun?"
	Draven	"Indeed."
	Draven	"I can only hope to have this much fun in the future!"
	Ryker	"It's a surprise this house managed to stand this long, the mountain men put up a better fight"
	Draven	"Now that I think about it. Do you want the Maester's head as well?"
	Mercer	taps his finger against his mouth. "Let's pay him a visit, yes."
	antoine	Arryn and Kestra men have taken full control of the castle, every hall and door is protected by a man.