MOD PLOT ↠ BLAZING LIKE STAR-SHINE

[faderifting]

WHO: All characters signed up to participate in the Battle of Ghislain
WHAT: The Inquisition faces off against the armies of Corypheus
WHEN: Covers most of the day on 11.28 (forward-dated)
WHERE: The Fields of Ghislain, Orlais
NOTES: This is Post #1, covering the battle itself and the retreat. It contains top-levels for each of the teams and an open prompt for the retreat. The OOC post with more information/explanation is HERE. If you're not sure which team your character is on, there's a LIST. POST #2 covers the aftermath of the battle.

Scouts accurately report the enemy's movements: after a slight slow-down believed to indicate that word reached the of the Allies' sudden appearance in their path, they have elected to remain on-course, and arrive almost precisely when and where they were expected. By sunset the night before they are making camp just over the rise to the northeast, easily visible from the hill, and as night falls their fires can be seen winking along the horizon, a close-packed glow.

The mood in the camp is tense, openly jittery rather than the tightly-wound nerves of the past month, but with a sense almost of relief that after so much preparation and so many weeks of anticipation, the day has finally arrived. Some corners of the camp, particularly the greener recruits and the Antivan veterans, are raucous around their campfires, singing and drinking, playful brawls breaking out, but commanders are strict about the wine rations, and even those who choose to take the edge of this way make an early night of it. A scattered handful of men attempt to quietly slip away during the night, mostly Orlesian conscripts, but a few Inquisition agents as well. Some succeed, but others are caught and imprisoned--the Inquisition's few held to be returned to Skyhold where it can be determined if they are traitors or merely cowards, the Orlesians only as long as it takes to find a tree and an audience to watch them hang and spread the cautionary tale.

It is expected that the enemy, hoping to make up for its surprise at finding the Allies prepared for their arrival, will attempt to catch them off-guard by attacking before dawn instead of waiting, as is traditional, for first light. They are all roused from their beds to form up in the dim grey as quietly as possible, moving into formation in the wet grass, a heavy morning fog lingering on the field ahead. It's cool and raw, the air still. But the ground moves: the shudder and rumble of hooves striking earth, felt before it is heard. The Orlesians raise their pikes, the front line braces, and it begins.

---

TEAMS 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • RETREAT
Team members can break off into smaller groups within their top-level prompts—it doesn’t need to be one 13-character thread—and the retreat is an open free-for-all.

Comments

i just realized this isn't retreat-thread..... oh well. antivan fire grenade works, napalm is napalm

[tofindthesun]

Legolas moves like he's expecting himself to be more mobile than he actually is, a sort of fluidity stopped by rocks in a riverbed. It's a little frustrating and he'd never admit it but he almost fell over trying to move too fast the first few times.

He gets a moment to feel vindicated about everyone else being just as equally crablegged before the reason why hits him over the head and he's sober again. He'll give the mabari a passing pat on the head, though. That's important.

"Would that we had such time, there are so many to pursue." He leans against a tree, just slightly out of breath. Garahel may be keeping guard but Legolas is no less alert, never putting his bow away and hands straying near his quiver every so often. "I am not much accustomed to battles of thunder and ice... Or of fires in so small a bottle."

He gestures to the burn for that. Vengeance was got, in the end, which only helps the pain a little.

[circleprodigy]

"You will adapt, in time. Unfortunately, pain and injury can be excellent motivators in that regard." From her satchel, she withdraws a bottle of lyrium and downs it quickly, needing the replenishment in order to help her teammate. Feeling the lyrium spread within her, she relaxes and sharpens her focus. Blue light envelopes him, the healing magic not discriminating as to location. It won't completely negate one injury, but provide some mending for all.

"Try moving your feet now and tell me how they feel. If you need more healing, I can provide it in a moment."

[tofindthesun]

"It is not something I would like to be familiar with." Resigned. But he isn't complaining so much as lamenting the prospect of it. The explosion in Rohan had been surprise enough-- and this had been arguably far worse.

The sensation of being healed is new and strange, he hasn't been injured enough to need it as yet. After an initial jump, he's mostly trying hard not to scratch the itchy cut-healing feeling on his foot.

"Mobile enough, Warden. You have my gratitude," is his assessment after a bit of shuffling from foot to foot. The burnt one is still tender, but a little more bearable now than it was before. Testing it against a tree tells him climbing might still be an issue though, if the grimace is any indication. "I will survive, I think. If there are others to see to, I would not delay you further."

[circleprodigy]

Inessa nods in sympathy, but focuses the bulk of her attention on healing rather than emotional comfort. There will be time for that after the battle, and she refuses to contemplate any other outcome. She nods with a small smile, straightening.

"You have not; this is partly why I'm here, after all. But if we're to win this, we'd better get moving. Our enemy won't remain still and wait for us to reach them, after all."