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

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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.

After the first shot, Kas puts his bow down and draws his daggers instead. There was no point in loosing another arrow when everyone was fighting - he was getting good, but not good enough to want to risk shooting one of his allies.

Instead he goes in to distract, sinking his daggers into gaps of armor and then moving on, hobbling the templars rather than killing them. Meanwhile, he casts a glance now and then towards the mages to make sure nobody had trouble with a lock.

Taking a deep breath, Araceli moves to work on the next lock, opening a pouch at her waist with some of the potions brought from Skyhold thanks to Adelaide. She's only done this in battle once or twice but with so many people needing help, she'll take the chance to do it.

She sings. It's a song of courage, not the longest of songs when there's work to be done but being a bard has its uses on the battlefield as well.

(Everyone can tell her it's weird later if they want, she knows how it works and that they'll fight better for hearing it.)

Ellana has never heard a bard sing like this before, but even though it's unusual at this time and place, it does bolster her. Suddenly she doesn't feel quite so afraid, and she can lend her strength to the mages if they need it. As each is freed and healed, Ellana stands ready to help them keep their balance if they need it. They look so weak and disoriented.

"Once the path is clear, we're getting out of here." Meaning once the Templars are no longer in the way.

James was not wasting a moment, not a single breath, as he swung in low to take on another templar. They were all focused on him and Jim, which was good as James put on his full-onslaught of their defences, slamming them back into the walls with his shield, coming around strong with his sword.

All of this done in near low, almost inaudible growls, as he only made noise to distract them away from the rest.

Kirk didn't have a lot of room to be checking to see if the prisoners were clear. He was having a hard enough time keeping the attention of his particular Templar without also losing his own head. He was certainly not warrior trained by any means, but he had his own unique style, which for the moment seemed to be working in keeping him alive, and he liked it that way. He danced in and back, using the staff to strike at what open points he could, wanting to get a chance to knock off a help, get to the tender nerves between neck and shoulder and put the other to sleep. Which was... probably a long shot, but barring that he was simply hoping to keep him occupied.

"Now now, don't be rude, I'm your dance partner!"

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The Annulment at Dairsmuid

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