What Can One Grey Warden Do?

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WHO: Hercules, Jamie, Kain, Rachette, Alistair, Kaidan, Bethany, Dorian, Anders, and Nathaniel.
WHAT: The ambush and capture of Lord Livius Erimond
WHEN: Drakonis 4
WHERE: The Western Approach
NOTES: Info on this post. Feel free to start your own mingle threads for the journey there and back. Warning for violence.

It doesn't really rain here. The skies are blue and the sun is glaring, the sands shifting only when a merciful breeze blazes through, which isn't often. It's hardest on Team D, which has no shade or shelter. The other two teams are tucked away in the shadows, impossible to see as Erimond's party enters the gorge.

They had seen the demons from afar, Nathaniel peering through a spyglass. There are eight of them, each bound to a mage, and Nathaniel has chosen to continue with the plan, though he has urged everyone not to try to fight, only to push through with the plan as-is and get out. They are all very much outnumbered, but all they need to do is take one man.

So stay hydrated and move quickly, team. Anything can happen in the next few minutes.

[OOC: I will tag into each team thread as the action reaches each team. Feel free to mingle on team threads before then and react to the action in other threads. Also, please start your own threads for travel mingling, if you want that sort of thing. This will keep everything organized for everyone's AC purposes.]

Comments

TEAM D

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Hercules, Jamie, Kain, and Rachette: Distract the enemy long enough for the snatch to be made.

TEAM S

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Alistair and Nathaniel: Secure the target.

TEAM C

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Kaidan, Bethany, and Dorian: Covering fire for the retreat.

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The party of mages and demons pauses halfway down the gorge, Erimond at the head. He is too far away for his expression to be read, but he is clearly hesitant, while giving the body language of someone trying to appear impervious.

"Who goes there?" he demands loudly.

Re: TEAM C

[sunshinethroughgrey]

Bethany was far in the rear, with Kaidan and Dorian, and without thinking about it, she leaned back and started to go through her calming exercises as she whispered to the other two.

"Bad time to ask, but ... specialties?"

[liberalum]

This sort of seems like the kind of question that might have been best asked on the week long journey out into seemingly endless desert, and the arch look Dorian gives Bethany over his barer shoulder says as much, although a twinge upwards at the corner of his mouth dulls sharpness. His attention settles back on the slow collision of Erimond and his band of mages on their as yet unknown trap. A flash of chaos, and then the extraction, and then--

"Fear," he says, very quietly, poised and watchful as a hunting cat undercover, save for one slap of a hand to his arm to strike away a hopping insect. "Fear, and storm and fire elemental magics. And necromancy, but I don't plan on trifling with the natural order of things today."

[sistertohermen]

The demons sure seemed like a particular hitch in the plan. Not that she was incredibly fond of retreating and coming up with a new plan only to let their target get away, but this was starting to look more and more suicidal. She glanced askance at Herc. Damn Grey Wardens, on both sides.

"Just a couple of toll collectors." She'd arrived at Skyhold with her mismatched armor from the Carta and felt it prudent to don it again, stripping herself of any Inquisition trappings. It helped make her look the bandit part (not that it was hard for her anyway). But these chuckleheads really needed to move closer and trigger some of the traps.

[byblow]

Outside of business and low-key heckling, Alistair has never had much to say to Nathaniel. At the moment, business has already been discussed, and heckling would be too inappropriate even for him, so he's been quiet, crouched in the shadows cast by rocky outcrops, sword stuck in the sand for balance. He doesn't move. But even without moving, the way he tenses up when they hear Erimond call out to the distraction team is detectable.

[foodsofmypeople]

Kaidan knew of Bethany, but not so much the other mage. A mage heavy group like this would worry him normally, if he didn't have his big stick with him. "Hitting things, generally," he said with a grin at Bethany. "I fight as a warrior. But if pushed, force magic. I'll leave the casting to you folks if I can help it."

At least it was warmer here than up in the mountains. Too warm some might say, but it felt more natural to him. He was leaning back against a rock, his eyes narrowed against the sun, but while it seemed like he was relaxing, he was ready to move on a moment's notice.

[sunshinethroughgrey]

Bethany gave them both a sheepish smile, with a tiny shrug. She'd been heavily distracted with their trip out here, personal and other reasons. Brown eyes narrowed thoughtfully, as she leaned over to look over the dune again.

"Well, I am an elemental and force mage ... so the best way to handle this would be for me to put down some frost spells, and Dorian perhaps ... some fire and electricity? Then Kaidan can hit them with his stick if we need to."

[liberalum]

"I'm going to cast horror," Dorian asserts, brushing aside strategy without looking, coolly confident in his own ability and what he thinks would work best against a Tevinter mage and his handpicked outfit. "In the first instance. They'll make for easier targets, perhaps disrupt whatever thrall they have over their pet demons, if we're lucky. And then 'some fire', certainly."

He glances back at Kaidan, a little doubtful. "Be it on your head if you really wish to go running at them. I'd rather not immediately waste my mana casting a barrier so you can hit eight ranged fighters with a stick."

[dragoon_pride]

The sun is beating down harshly as the enemies approach. When Kain wanted something to take him out of Skyhold, and give him a good challenge, he'd not expected demons. Mages, yes, that was all part of the deal... but are they about to get in over their heads? Not that he's about to let that stop him, though. If anything it's probably about time he found out what it's like to face these creatures head on.

Kain readies his lance, going straight to a threatening posture. Time to get on with the distraction. He smirks a little, some brashness coming out... playing a bandit isn't too hard for him. "And if you want to cross... there's a price to be paid."

[wontforgetyou]

If it weren't for the unrelenting sun, Jamie might almost have enjoyed the waiting. Being somewhere where it's warm makes for a nice change after cold, cold, more cold and Emprise Du Lion. By the time Erimond and the mages arrive, any enjoyment there might have been in being here is long gone, making him more than a bit keen to get on with things. First things first, though.

Unlike the others, he doesn't say anything. Not everyone should talk, and he's willing to play the part of the silent one for now. Instead, he shifts into readiness, hand gripping his sword just a little bit tighter as his own smirk plays across his face, letting his body language show that they mean business even if he doesn't plan on saying so. From there, well, he'll see what to do next.

[twelvelabours]

Herc follows along, slowly cutting an arc through the air with this sword, Striker Eureka twisting in his hand. The shield has coarse, twisted metal on it, and for the sake of this mission its been splattered with deep red and black paint, grey warden uniform turned in for a messy, rag tag collection of armour thats mis-matched and battered. His hair and the back of his neck are wet with sweat, and his mouth curves into a cocky smile.

"See this guy here? That's Grunt. He's not too fussed either way. Likes it when he gets to take souvenirs." He's talking about Jamie, by the way - didn't talk, gets to be the weird guy, for the sake of this little pantomime. "Working on a real nice necklace made of teeth for his ma." With a grin, that last part.

"We'll take thirty silver, and those weapons of yours. Nice and easy."

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Erimond squints dubiously. Then, slowly, he smiles. Cocky bandits think they can best a team of Grey Wardens and a hoard of demons? He's a man who enjoys putting people in their place, especially if there's no chance they will turn the tide on him. He sneers and turns around.

"Bring me their teeth when you're finished," he directs the Wardens, and walks behind their lines.

The Warden mages obey immediately. Two of them surge forth, fire in their hands, and are promptly knocked back by one of the traps exploding. Shrapnel flies everywhere, bloodying the first two mages and causing the rest to step back in one breathless moment of hesitation. Either they will pull back at the first sign of a real fight, or they will double their efforts.

[sistertohermen]

Anyone who pulls back at a fight they clearly underestimated is hardly a fool, but Rachette expects a little more from supposed Grey Wardens. (And their demon thralls. Or were the mages the thralls in this case?) She's in a ready position even before the traps are triggered, just in case none of them work.

"Could've made this easy," she calls to them with a wicked grin, spinning her bladed weapons once in her hands, ready to go. "Now we'll just have to take you for all you've got."

[dragoon_pride]

He watches the enemy closely the whole time... He didn't think it would take long before the battle erupted. Though he knows the most important objective here is to keep them occupied in any way they can, draw this out for as long as possible. He stays still and silent as he watches the mages start to advance and then as they first hit the traps. Only then does he speak up, after Rachette.

"What's the matter? Made a misstep?" He can't help but add the mockery.

Kain's also ready, glancing at the others to be sure of likewise... he'll spring forth to attack the moment they all do.

[wontforgetyou]

One of these years, Jamie really needs to ask someone what the deal is with this whole teeth business. Being baffled over something isn't exactly a new thing for him, however, and he opts to just roll with it for now, grinning unpleasantly at the mages as he shifts his grip on his weapon. Like the others, he's wearing a rag-tag collection of armor, but he's been especially careful to make sure that the tell-tale glowing green of his shard has been covered as well. He's not sure what sort of reaction that would bring, and the last thing he wants them to do is cotton on to what's going on too soon and bail.

Given their reaction to the traps, though, he's starting to wonder if they're not considering doing that anyway, but if they can goad them into a fight maybe they'll decide to stick around. Accordingly, when the others start taunting, he sneers - and shifts forward and over to the side, letting them get a better look at the derisive expression on his face. If it looks like they're going to bolt, he's ready to move in an attempt to cut them off properly, but otherwise, like Kain, he's ready and waiting on the signal to attack. Should that come, he's ready to jump in wherever he needs to.

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Nathaniel lets Alistair keep an eye on proceedings. He is busying himself readying the drugged dart, careful not to touch the substance himself. Their differences they may have, but Nathaniel trusts Alistair to have his back in a fight.

Erimond appears now behind the main horde, arms folded, clearly ready to remain there until the threat is taken care of. Nathaniel loads the dart into a device that looks a bit like a tiny crossbow, slowly enough that the click cannot be heard over the sounds coming from the east.

Three more mages and five demons surge toward the staged distraction, and Nathaniel raises the device, loosing the dart toward Erimond. It sticks straight in the magister's exposed neck. Erimond does not seem to even notice it at first, the needle is so small. Nathaniel nods to Alistair, signaling him to go forth.

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Erimond appears behind the main horde, arms folding, face frowning. He is clearly displeased by this tiny bump in the road. His eyes cast about, scanning the area for threats.

[foodsofmypeople]

"I can cast my own barrier, don't worry," Kaidan replied cheerfully. Honestly, if a lone Grey Warden couldn't take care of himself, he was in the wrong job. "But horror sounds fair. Anything that draws attention away, and confuses." He'd use anything to get a result, after all. Dorian's confidence was cute, really. Demons would be a far more interesting challenge, especially under the hands of Wardens. He didn't really want to fight his colleagues, his friends, but what choice would they have?

He scanned about, looking for anything that would signal an attack. Catching sight of something, he got to his feet, his staff in his hand quickly.

[twelvelabours]

"Come on, then!" Herc yells as the first onslaught falls to the traps. He didn't miss Rachette's look, earlier - this is going to be tough - but this is what they do, what he does. They fight against stupid odds, sometimes, and he did whatever he had to in order to keep his people safe. And keeping people safe is part of this whole equation, isn't it? Why they're out here getting sunstroke, and why the Grey Wardens even exist at all. Things have gotten twisted up along the way, though. He never thought he'd be raising a blade against his fellow Wardens.

The first Warden he meets earns a facefull of shield, knocking hard into his jaw and knocking him unconscious. He'd sooner that then killing them, but not everything can go so idealistically as that. His foot meets the gut of another, two charging him at once as he batters into the front line, and Striker Eureka meets flesh and bone.

"We can strip 'em bare after," he roars, an order for when all is done, determined to keep this convincing. He even holds back from letting flame dance along his blade, just in case someone has heard of his sword, gets suspicious. This has to work. They have to cover the others - and if they can take down that smarmy little shit, well. He'll be all the happier for it.

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The taunting alone made Erimond briefly suspicious. Then, Hercules gave his order. Erimond scoffs. Clearly, these bandits don't see what they are up against.

Three of the mages step forward, not quite so far as to trigger the next set of traps. They have learned. One sends lightning straight for Herc while the other two begin to cast area-wide fire spells. Nobody seems to regard the two fallen mages save for the demons who were bound to them. They, along with three others, move toward the team--two rage demons, one terror, and two wraiths. The wraiths keep their distance, flinging spells at the dummies. The fear demon vanishes under a pool of green magic; the rage demons float toward Jamie and Rachette, hunched and ready for battle.

[sistertohermen]

To be honest, she hadn't expected Herc to just jump right in and start sweeping the floor with mages. Maybe she should start expecting Wardens to do crazy shit like that.

She knows very little about magic. No point in it, as a dwarf. Everyone involved needs lyrium, which the Carta is willing to smuggle out of the mines for their own profit, and she knows she's got a leg up in some natural resistance. The demons are new...but she's fought some darkspawn before, and they were just as ugly.

Maybe they'll be just as easy to take down. (No. Keep busy. They're not necessarily here to kill everyone. Focus.) The one that vanished concerns her, but they've got gooey lava demons coming at them, and she doesn't hesitate to dash by, rogueish lightness to her feet, and go for a cut to its side, angling behind it to dive both blades into its back. Hopefully the rifter knows how to hold his own.

[dragoon_pride]

When it comes to fighting mages, there are a couple of things that are universal no matter what world you’re in. One is that spells are nasty and often times explosive, so Kain knows to watch out and keep on guard when the fire spells start to get flung around. The other is that mages are weak to physical attacks… that is, if you can get close enough to take them on. Time to start doing that.

Taking care not to do anything weird and draw suspicion, he avoids using any of his specialized dragoon abilities for once. For all intents and purposes, he’s a warrior class fighter at the moment. Not that this is a problem at all, he can definitely hold his own in regular ground combat. So, Kain quickly picks a target and then charges in toward the nearest mage with his weapon slicing through the air toward them. He’s a fierce combatant, not holding back anything as he starts stabbing his way into the midst of the battle. He can definitely keep this up for as long as they need to… and in a way he’s looked forward to finally getting to go up against an enemy like this.