faderift | The Annulment at Dairsmuid

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The Annulment at Dairsmuid

WHO: Araceli Bonaventura, Korrin Ataash, Malcolm Reynolds, The Outsider, Aleron Darton, Kas, Anders, Malcolm Reed, James Norrington, Ellana Ashara, James Kirk; Rivaini npcs
WHAT: The Annulment at Dairsmuid; arriving at Rivain to meet with Araceli and her mage contacts that requested aid from Templars hunting them down. When Araceli goes to bring the group to her contacts, they're informed that the Templars have abducted the mages forcing the team to return to the Circle at Dairsmuid to rescue them and kill the Templars responsible
WHEN: 15th-20th Solace
WHERE: Rivain; Dairsmuid
NOTES: OOC posts here and here, sending crystal announcement; violence, discussions of annulment, probably going to need warnings for language; I'll edit as I go, if people can bring things to my attention, I would appreciate it
Starters will all be below, subjects in headers

We of the Dairsmuid Circle wait now, behind barricades. I have sent word to our brother and sister mages of this outrage. When they break through, we will not die alone.

—Final journal entry of First Enchanter Rivella, slain in Dairsmuid, 9:40 Dragon

Contents;
Arrival at Dairsmuid
Meeting the Mage Contacts
Team Dungeon Crashers
Team Templar Crushers
Aftermath of the Rescue
Timestamp; Dairsmuid Adventures
Epilogue

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The Circle at Dairsmuid still stands though the fighting has left many scars, misery and despair as likely to choke as the ash and dust. Araceli leads one group that splits away after recon work, heading down the steps as carefully as they can.

There are several mages bound in chains, all of them look exhausted and drained, more women than men with only three Templars in attendance. Two are clad in the heavy armour of knights though the armour is dirty and stained from their journey to capture the mages, and poorly kept. The third figure is dressed in lighter garb, a cruel man with an even more cruel smile.

He's trying to draw them into a discussion about just how much magebane it might take to actually start killing them off, and if it'll be different with the Seers, their laughter echoing off the walls.

If you want to do some recon work, feel free to start this thread using the blurb and build from it, let me know what extra npc details you need!

It's up to you how to handle any injuries you'll pick up, and if everyone fights or if some of them try to pick the locks and start getting the mages out of the firing line!]

No more arguing, no more boasting or childishness. Kas is all business now, checking his bow and his daggers to make sure everything was good. This time he was not going to have a fucking episode. He was going to go in there, do his job and open locks just live Zevran had told him.

He was going to be a valuable member of this team and prove his nightmares wrong.

"How many more do you think there are?" He whispers, low and slowly to avoid being heard. "If we kill them, the noise might draw more. I'm fairly sure I can take one of them down with an arrow, but the other two might scream..."

He leans against a wall and holds a hand up, letting it glow green as he tries to get a sense of numbers. The answer is always vague when using creation magic like this, but he's trained it. One needs to be able to cast creation without looking - tossing barriers around a party while facing a dragon requires it and he's dealt with three.

"Not many. Three or four walking around, not heavily injured. The ones against the walls are all hurt. If anyone can cast Sleep, that could help keep an alarm from being raised."

James tied his sheath down to the side, to keep it from clanking. He listened carefully while Anders put up his spell, his expression quietly intent as he picked up a few voices.

Laughing. They were laughing.

Something in James's green eyes hardened.

"The ones against the wall will be the mages." He whispers quietly, "We need to focus our efforts on the three in the center. I can handle all of them long enough for you to free the mages, but I have no doubt I am going to need assist dispatching them once you get them free and clear."

His mouth twitched. "Which means, if at least one person would be as so kind as to come back, I would appreciate it."

Curls bound back into one dark braid wrapped around her head, Araceli allows the others to take the lead on this grateful for a few moments where she can follow in all honesty. Her rapiers are loose enough to be drawn quickly when they need to move, gripped just tight enough to keep them silent as she comes to a halt behind James.

"If they're locked up, I have plenty of lockpicks." One hand taps her ears then her throat; lockpick jewellery is a boon to a thief and it's certainly going to help them now. Turning her attention to James, she nods to him since she's more than willing to fight. "I can be light on my feet and give you back-up, my blades are perfect for finding the gaps in armour rather than hacking through it."

"I can't pick locks," Ellana whispers, "But I want to help get the mages free so I can be close to protect them. I just need to be able to cast, so those fighting the Templars will have to keep their focus, so they don't purge my magic." Since joining the Inquisition, Ellana has engaged in plenty of dangerous situations, but a cold fear is creeping over her at the thought of being trapped in a small area with Templars who can take away her ability to defend herself. She's going in regardless, because her fear is nothing compared to what the Rivaini mages are feeling.

"If you'll loan me a lockpick, Araceli, I can pick." He's trained with Zevran but not had cause to use the skill on the field before. That he can use it to help mages feels rather good.

Ellana gets a glance after that. He'd suggested... No matter. There's a lot going on and it's easy to miss something that's been said. "Can you cast sleep? They won't be able to purge our magic at all if you can. And we'll have more ability to focus on helping the mages."

She gives him a flat look in return. If it's as easy as her putting them to sleep, she wouldn't be so terrified, now would she?

"No, I can't cast Sleep."

"All right." So at least they know they're not working with that as a possibility. He pays no heed to the look she gives him; there's no time for that. People are suffering. Mages are suffering.

"When we're ready, if someone wants to give a countdown, I'll cast paralysis on my way over to the prisoners. I can catch the one furthest from the door or closest, whichever helps the most, just let me know. That should buy you some more time to subdue them without an alarm being raised."

Kirk is quite as he listens, letting those more accustomed to such situations with such men speak first. It is interesting how Anders susses out how many there are and discuss specific spells, which is not something he's used to, but at it's core this is a rescue mission. And he knew how to handle rescue missions. He turned over in his head what he could do, what would be an aid and what would be a hinderance.

"Will the templars have armor?" he asked softly. He had never told anyone he could do this, but now might be a good time to bring it up. "If they don't, if the area where shoulder and neck meet is exposed - I do have a way to put them to sleep if they are close enough, but I can only do it one at a time."

The Vulcan Pinch. He had made Spock teach it to him in return for his acting the proper patient on a very bad week. It was really all about apply just the right amount of pressure to certain nerves located there, and so long as the people were human, those spots should be the same. He wasn't always one hundred percent successful, but hopefully when it mattered he could make it work that way. If nothing else, he knew how to knock someone out with a blow to the temple.

"On the whole, though, we need to get them away from the captors," he murmured, glancing to James and Kas. "It would be better if at least two of us drew their fire so to speak. If putting them to sleep doesn't work, we'll need to risk possibly drawing more attention."

"The criminals will assuredly have armor - whether or not you can strike them at the neck depends on whether or not they are wearing their helmets or not. The helmet will cover their head and neck, as well as their face." James states, his eyes glinting once more.

He looks over at Kas, "Do you think you can get behind them, push them towards me to let the others get to the mages?"

The teen makes sure his own lockpicks are in easy reach in case he has to back Araceli up, and then looks up at James. "I stick out too much if I try to move in the mage group, so I doubt that. What if I shoot one of them and draw them towards us that way?"

It wouldn't be as effective, but it was something.

Anders listens to them all, glancing at James' correction and saying nothing for now. It's... rather nice to be able to focus on the circumstances currently going on and not have Justice pushing to get sidetracked.

"So we rush. I'll toss up a barrier around us and then glyph the furthest in, Ellana, Araceli, and I go for the mages as Kas shoots a--an enemy." Norrington will be covering his back. There's no need to antagonize him and tempt him to 'slip up' by saying Templar.

"The James duo goes for the enemies, we unlock, Araceli backs up the fighters, and we hope that they're down fast enough they don't pull others. Does that sound about right?"

Kirk glanced between everyone, then back to James. Seemed like he would be working with him the most, and unfortunately he had the idea he would need James to do a good portion of the work. He had his staff and his knife, but he wasn't a fully trained fighter like the templars and James were - or anyone else here. He had self-defense, and it would have to do. Just... be more aggressive than usual, he supposed.

People were counting on them. He didn't have time to quibble with himself or doubt. They would do what needed doing.

"Leave anyone without helmets to me," he said with a nod - supposing, of course, he could get in close, but he would make it happen.

As the others talk, Araceli silently takes apart the earrings without looking to pass one set over to Anders without a sound, glancing behind just to make sure no one is going to come flank them.

"If we're settled, we go." Her voice is quiet but decisive, slipping another small blade from her pocket into her belt so it's easy to reach should she need it. "I've been living with these people, what they suffered getting out of here the first time. There are throwing knives at the back of my belt to throw or to stab, grab one if you need them in the fight, I trust all of you. Whatever happens? Thank you, all of you for coming here, for helping these people. You cannot imagine how desperate they have been." Anders probably knows, Ellana might too but the rest? The sooner they do this as the group upstairs hopefully make it through their battle? The better.

Ellana nods, ready to go. This is going to be difficult to see, knowing the mages have suffered since being dragged back, but she can't think of revenge or lashing out at those who hurt these innocent people. She has to focus on getting the mages free and away from this place. Hopefully she doesn't get caught up in the fighting, but if all else fails and her magic is purged, her staff has a blade at the end, and Araceli has extra knives.

"Then call it, Anders. Tell us the moment to go." Since he's the one who will be kicking things off here.

James nodded his head at Kas, "That would be best - and yes, Anders. Let us be off."

A nod to Araceli, a twisted little smile. He's not entirely sure how grateful they were for his help, but here he was. His blade is out, and he knows he needs none of his abilities here. However, he does take a moment to close his eyes and pray quietly under his breath, looking for the Maker's strength.

He looks around the group one more time and then nods.

"Counting down from five, I barrier at one and we move at zero." Anders holds up his hand, palm out, all five fingers up, and starts dropping them down. A green glow surrounds the group before the last finger is folded. As soon as they're all down he's moving to the side and casting paralysis on the far Templar, praying to a maker who never listens that this group doesn't leave him hanging.

Kirk clenched his staff, looking at the green glow about himself and dismissing it. Time to ask questions later. He blew out a breath, bunched his thighs - and darted out. He got his first good view of the enemy Templars for the first time, mind whirring furiously as he adjusted the basics of his course.

Mostly he needed one of them to come in close to him. He wasn't a range fighter, not without his phaser, so he had to rely on his staff and hand-to-hand. Hopefully he got the one without a helmet...

For once he kept any smart comments behind his teeth as he swung, needing their attention. Focus on the blonde with the big stick, not the people sneaking behind your back, right? Distract and knock out if he could and back James up. That was what he was here for, and damn if he wouldn't give his all for it.

Aiming, he takes a breath and centers himself, remembering all his training. He keeps his eyes open and exhales, letting the arrow fly.

...it hits one of the less armored 'templars' right in the throat, and he falls over with a gurgling wheeze. The rest of them raw their weapons, looking ready to fight.

"Now!" The teen says, drawing another arrow from his quiver.

James wasted no time - the moment after the arrow struck he was on the others from the front, his shield swinging around to send one of the templars into the wall, and a quick shield bash to the other's face to throw him off balance, and back to where Jim was waiting, with his lack of helm.

He didn't call attention to the others, just hoped they were smart enough to run to the prisoners and not draw the attention away from those attacking as he yelled, "Die, traitors!"

Never before has Araceli missed her pistols quite so keenly. Reloading takes time but she knows exactly how much damage a shot can do, along with the noise and the confusion it would cause, especially here. At least she's been in this scenario before in Emprise du Lion, cages and Red Templars in the driving snow rather than this but she moves for the mages closest to the fighting.

Her hands never shake. Somewhere she's proud that no matter what, she was taught well enough that she's spared that ever being a problem.

"Stay with me," she murmurs to the mage she's freeing, a young man with eyes wide from terror. "We're here, nothing more will happen to you."

Ellana moves quickly along the wall, trying to stay out of the view of the Templars. Once she's at Araceli's side, she lays a barrier over the mages to protect them from any of the enemy who might notice and break away from the main fight to finish what they started. Since she can't pick locks, Ellana stands guard, eyes darting around to take in the scene and prepare to defend the mages.

"It's going to be all right," she says gently, hands clenched around her staff and knuckles white.

Well, James' battle call was telling, but he didn't have time to think to hard on it. Right now he had the job of distracting and surviving, and Kirk never did anything half-assed. Not this important.

He got his bearings and rushed in, whirling the staff to try and unbalance the templars while they still had that moment of surprise working for them. He focused on the one who seemed to have the least amount of armor - he would have a better chance against them, and he wasn't holding back, unafraid to bring in strikes with elbows, knees, and heels like his self defense training had taught him.

Everyone came in alongside him. He hadn't doubted them, but he can't stop doubting his life's value in the eyes of others or the value of mage lives when it comes to Templars and Seekers. With a mixture of relief and tension, Anders kneels in front of the first mage and gets right to work on her chains.

"We'll get you out of here. And I'll teach you how to lockpick after this if you'd like." He's been locked up. Having this skill years ago would have done wonders for him. At least they can take the tools they need now, and forge lives of their own.

As soon as he has her freed he's dealing with the worst of her wounds; he needs to pay a little attention to the fight behind them but he also doesn't want to lose a single one of their mages.

"I'm not going to fully heal you yet, but I'm getting the most severe. I need to make sure everyone's stable." The mage nods, and Anders places his hand over hers for a brief moment before he's moving on to the next captive.

The Annulment at Dairsmuid

team dungeon crashers;

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