Gold and Steel Session 4

#GoldSteel
	-->|	YOU (antoine) have joined #GoldSteel
	=-=	Staffen is now known as Mercer
	=-=	Red is now known as Draven
	antoine	The dawn of a new day sends shafts of light into your rooms through windows and arrow slits. The morning hustle of the castle waking can be heard, stable boys feeding the horses while the blacksmith's hammer sings a rythmic beat. There has been no trouble since yesterdays attempt on Lord Mercer's life, John Arryn's men have been kept confined to one area while Ser Morton Maynwood was...
	antoine	...confined to an identical tower to the Talon's own quarters. The assassin remains alive but wounded in the dungeons below.
	Mercer	rises and takes his morning glass of tea before dressing in his house's black and red. He exits his chambers to break his fast in the dining hall, sending a Talon to wake Ser Waynwood and have him eat among the Kestras... and their most trusted servants.
	Jaros	rises, and prepares for the day
	antoine	The hall is prepared, with a sedate fire heating the cold stone to take the edge off the nightly chill still hanging in the air. Ser Waynwood is brought in by the Talons, his mood is somewhat grim as he sits he makes his courtesies, "Good morning Lord Mercer and good morning goodmen and women of his court."
	Mercer	nods as he sits. "May the morrow bring you good tidings, my guest. I trust you slept well in the night?"
	antoine	"Well enough my Lord."
	Mercer	cracks a smile. "Ah, good, as did I -- at least, well enough for a man who is apparently wanted dead."
	antoine	"Is that what occurred? I heard shouting and a guard came to check on me but no one has explain what exactly happened my Lord."
	antoine	explained*
	Mercer	sits back in his seat. His smirk has brought his face a more sinister appearance, pressing his cheeks back and giving him the look of a drying corpse. "Ah, one of my servants apparently saw fit to try to poison me. He did a poor job of it, and was found out by Goodman Jaros here," he gestures to the Bravo.
	Jaros	bows slightly
	Mercer	"And when I bid him drink the drink he tried to stab me. But my men are too quick for the likes of lowling assassins."
	Draven	walks into the dining hall and takes a seat at the table. "Morning Lord."
	antoine	"I see, good that you had you man so close at hand."
	Mercer	nods to Draven, and holds up his glass of water. "I wonder if next they'll send a Faceless Man?" He sips from the drink. "Or perhaps they've already poisoned my morning drink and this'll be my last?"
	antoine	"Free city riff raff, I am sure you would be fine with one of their own protecting you." he inclines his head towards Jaros.
	Mercer	opts to ignore that comment. "Now, Ser Waynwood, I would put your men to use today. I always have need to make sure my lands are clear, especially after the activity of the last few months"
	antoine	"That is why the Warden of the East sent me where my Lord."
	antoine	sent me my Lord*
	Mercer	"Yes, yes," the Lord Kestra casts a leering glance at the knight before he knifes a strip of bacon. "This isn't in doubt."
	antoine	The knight shifts in his seat uncomfortably while slowly picking through his food. Taking small bits or particular foods before waiting a moment and then eating them proper.
	antoine	while he slowly*
	Draven	begins eating, half listening to the exchange.
	Jaros	moves to the table, and sits beginning to eat
	Mercer	"Now, we'll take my 2nd Infantrymen with, and I'll leave a hundred of your soldiers behind to help guard the lands immediately surrounding Whitemane. My personal guard and my goodmen-sellswords will ride in assistance, of course."
	antoine	The fire begins to take shape now, roaring as the servants finish wafting air into it. They take their leave, cleaning up and replacing dishes as needed. The knight nods, "As you wish my Lord, what part of the forest should we take these two hundred men?"
	Mercer	"We'll be looking into the northwest on today's ride. The mountain men have been cleared away to the east."
	antoine	"May I be excused to ready my men?" asks the knight.
	Mercer	"Ah," the Lord stands. "I ought to come with you, I suppose. I wouldn't want to be outdone by my guests in this endeavor!"
	Draven	"May I be excused as well? I have some buisness to take care of."
	Mercer	nods to Draven. "You may, Goodman. But yes, let us go, Ser Waynwood."
	Draven	leaves the dining hall.
	antoine	The knight rises and heads to his men's quarters.
	Mercer	follows after, bidding a couple of Talons follow.
	antoine	The men stay close at hand, not wishing for a repeat of yesterday. The men are rising, breaking their fast on bread and a thick broth cooked up by the castle's kitchens. It smells of onions and the chunks of sheep meat bob up and down in the men's bowls. Gerald Elon, 2nd Infantry's leader stands at attention as you enter. "Good morning my Lord."
	Jaros	leaves the dining hall to follow
	Mercer	"Good morning to you, Captain Elon." Lord Kestra bows his head and looks over the gathering of men. "I'd have the 2nd Infantry ready to leave on the hour. Let them finish their meal, then pack up and we'll be under way."
	antoine	"Of course Lord Mercer." he gives a quick bow.
	Mercer	heads out to the center of the courtyard, seeking out his sworn sword.
	Ryker	strides into the courtyard, armoured. He is still looking a bit groggy from the previous evening, and is rather salty in manner.
	Mercer	"Jeremy," Mercer calls. "Where were you when we broke fast this morning? Sleeping in?"
	antoine	Markas has seen fit to emerge with sword upon hip. Striding purposefully towards his father from across the yard.
	Ryker	"Aye, I figured I'd celebrate my luck with an excess of wine in not gulping down the poisoned glass" "I'm just glad my lord had the sense to question before drinking"
	Mercer	laughs, and turns to his son. "Markas, lad," the Lord Kestra calls. "You seem excited to go for a run."
	antoine	"The men say you are heading out today father."
	Mercer	"And indeed I am. Interested in coming along, son?"
	antoine	"Of course, I will have my courser saddled at once!"
	Ryker	"Killing a few mountainmen will help me get my mind off the events of last evening"
	Mercer	nods, and moves to follow after. "Might as well get my own horse ready!"
	Ryker	heads off to the stables to prepare his Palfrey
	antoine	As you approach the stables you hear someone behind the structure threatening, "Talk or Die."
	Jaros	is alerted, rushes to the stable
	Mercer	warily rests a hand on his longsword, suddenly regretting that he hadn't put on his armor yet that morning.
	Mercer	"Who goes?" Mercer calls out.
	Jaros	"What transpires here?"
	antoine	Draven appears from behind the stables, dragging a man behind in a chokehold.
	Mercer	nearly jumps. "Draven! The blazes are you doing?"
	Jaros	pauses, staring at the captive man
	Draven	"This man was trying to hire me as an inside man. For what your guess is as good as mine."
	Mercer	glares down at the mysterious man.
	Mercer	"Who are you, stranger? You're unknown to me, and you look definitely foreign to these lands."
	antoine	"A messenger, no more, no less my Lord."
	Mercer	grunts.
	Mercer	"Tell me where, then," Kestra orders. "Or I'll have you pulled between two horses going opposite directions."
	Mercer	*where-from
	antoine	"Tyrosh my Lord."
	Mercer	"Tyrosh? Interesting. Tell me, what color beard hired you, then?"
	antoine	"Red, with green tips my Lord."
	Mercer	pulls his head back and laughs, hard.
	Mercer	looks to one of the Talons. "Take Goodman Draven down to the dungeons with this fellow. Have the 'messenger' gagged, that he may speak no further evil. Draven"
	Mercer	"Draven is free to come back up once the man is put away."
	Draven	"My pleasure."
	Draven	begins dragging the man off to the dungeons.
	antoine	A Talon detaches from the group and follows
	antoine	With that incident settled the 2nd Infantry and the John Arryn's men led by Ser Morton form up in the courtyard.
	Mercer	sighs. "Something's astir in the Vale. Murderers, and nothing but."
	antoine	and John*
	Mercer	shakes his head, adjusting the position of his belt before looking to his son. "You'll do well to remember this, son. Someday you'll be Lord, and you'll have to deal with these madmen."
	Ryker	"All these false cloaks make me appreciate the boldness of the mountainmen" "Standing in the field with an axe in hand, as vicious as you like"
	Mercer	leaves to get his armor on, leaving an order to saddle his destrier.
	antoine	Markas nods gravely to his father before chuckling at Ryker's statement. The stable boys bring forth your horses, saddled and fed.
	Mercer	returns soon enough, fully-covered in almost over-decorated plate. The breastplate is sharply-angled, with the Kestra eagleheads plated in gold, with ruby eyes. Jet gems stud the silver-lined metal. His pauldrons are no less ridiculous, being fashioned into the heads of eagles as well.
	Mercer	mounts his horse, and guides the animal out to the infantrymen gathering at the gates. "Men! We go out on patrol! Make ready!"
	antoine	Your men raise their shields in salute and prepare to move out on your command.
	Ryker	mounts up, clad in his finely crafted armour, and sets on to inspect the infantry
	Mercer	turns Toffel around towards the gates, backing the horse up to clear the way for the men. "Open the gates! Ready! March!"
	antoine	The Portcullis clanks up to its full height and the men begin marching in place to get their timing right for when they move out.
	Mercer	stands by and motions for the men to move out. He stands by, watching them exit, while he waits behind for the rest of his sworn men to join him.
	antoine	Your forces and Ser Morton's march out to the North West, past the town and towards the river that runs all the way from the mountains to the fingers. The forest surrounds you by midday but you soon hear the sound of men in the distance and the smell of cooked food on the wind.
	Mercer	orders smaller groups of men dispatched into the woods to search for mountain clansmen.
	antoine	Elon sends a few small groups out around the flanks to the right and left
	Jaros	joins one of the groups
	Jaros	4d6+6 awareness
	antoine	After a while you hear a loud crack to your right in the distance
	Mercer	"What the blazes was that? A goatherder?"
	antoine	Jaros soon emerges with a few of the scouts, puffing and panting
	Mercer	"The blazes happened to you?"
	Jaros	"Lord Mercer! Three hundred Valemen, archers and infantry! And I very much doubt their intentions are honerable. We lost a few hands while retreating."
	Jaros	"An accursed dry branch drew their attention."
	Mercer	curls his lip. "How dare they? Tell me! Who attacks my land?"
	Jaros	"I am very much unfamiliar with the banner. It was three black birds with red apples in their talons, on a white field."
	Mercer	narrows his eyes. "Corbray..."
	Mercer	grumbles, and looks to Waynwood. "You didn't, of course, know this, did you?"
	antoine	"Corbrays may share a common connection with my house through a stark bloodline but I did not know of this."
	Ryker	makes ready regardless of the alignment of the other army
	antoine	Your men move out of column formation and into the wider battle stance.
	Mercer	looks back to one of the Talons. "Run back to Whitemane, and alert Captain Corbin to be on guard. We have invaders. Have him send out the other one-hundred men that Ser Waynwood brought with, as well as the archers. Let's see how the replacements work."
	Mercer	turns his horse around to the men. "We won't be going to field here, men! We will push forwards! Follow!"
	antoine	The man bows swiftly before running up the slope slowly, his scale armour slowing him down.
	Mercer	quickly realizes his mistake. Somewhat red in the face, looks to Markas. "Boy, hurry and catch him. You run home and alert them, alright?"
	Mercer	looks to Ryker. "Follow him home, will you? The two of you deploy for combat once the men are brought out."
	antoine	Markas nods, happy with an important role for once.
	Ryker	"aye, my lord, he will kept safe and we'll be back in force"
	Mercer	nods. Once the two are off, he spurs his horse ahead, aiming for a certain goat trail around to his enemy's rear...