With the death of Duke Arn there was some debate among the local chapter of the Academy of War if the War Games should even go on. Shouldn't they just let things rest? But no, this is the OATHLANDS. Honor is in their blood, and they promised that they would hold these war games. Thus it is that a group of about twenty, led by Tesha, Richard, and Arik have climbed up into a small mountain pass almost a day's ride (yes, horses) away from the central city.

Leaving the horses at the base of the shale field they move further onto it. Somewhere above and beyond the enemy awaits. The objective of this war game is simple. Whoever has control of this shale field at the end is declared the winner.

At some point, Richard was going to want to see how well he worked together with Tesha, all things considered. Carrying his large mace with him, and the physician's bag at his side, it seems that the Wyrmguard has a double duty as both warrior and medic. As they approach the shale field, he gives a brief frown. "They have the high ground. And we have no archers. This will not be easy." he murmurs to himself.

Arik pads along looking somewhat out of place... It's not his painfully pale complexion with a bit of a red-hue from the sun or the oodles of coppery hair in both formidable beard and hip length hair going down his back. No it's the fact he is clunking around in full plate armor and it's not yet winter and the armor is fiery red! Still he at least seems to be conditioned for it as he rumbles, "As long as we have shields we can approach."

Tesha gives a look to her brother in law and there's a chuckle, "You're going to roll down the hill and cause a lovely distraction in that armor." she murmurs to him. The face guard on her sallet is up, and matches the crimson of his. Then there's a look across to Richard and she gives him a bit of a nod, "We'll be fine, really." she tells him. She's not going to be fighting, she's going to be directing probably...maybe?

Arik checked command + war at difficulty 20, rolling 20 higher. Arik rolled a critical!

Tesha checked command + war at difficulty 20, rolling 15 higher.

Richard checked command + war at difficulty 20, rolling 15 lower.

From out of nowhere, or at least, it seems that way and arrow comes arching downwards to plant a few feet in front of Arik in his nice shiny armor. The arrows have been changed. No pointy tips this one, but instead a ball of chalk. It puffs up from where it hits the ground. The assault has begun. An obvious choice would be to look at where the arrow flew from as a hint to where the enemy is, but maybe the enemy is being tricksy.

"Just make sure that my armor finds a good cause when I'm 'dead', Tesha." Richard responds, distracted by her in her armor for a moment before the first fall of arrows rains down on them - which means he has /no idea/ from where the arrows came from as he tries to find some type of cover. "Anyone see that?!"

Arik looks down at the chalky arrow poofs up at his feet and then looks up, instinctively, to follow the path of the arrow while shouting to the soldiers (as a northern Lord but in-law!) "Form up on Lady Tesha, four front, four right and four left... The rest on Lord Wyrmguard." he definitely knows Richard's name, they introduced themselves, he's kept calling him Lord Wyrmguard the whooooole time though.

Tesha gives a look over to Richard and there's a bit of a head shake, "We'll strap it to Atramentous." she tells him with a soft chuckle. Then she's seeing an arrow smack down in front of Arik. There's a look up and then to the others before she moves her own little group. "Yes, we saw. Don't get hit." she murmurs to Richard.

Arik checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 42 higher.

Tesha checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 4 higher.

Tesha checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 24 higher.

Richard checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 1 lower.

A few more arrows rain down, this time actually connecting. One of the men heading to join Richard's command is grazed in on his arm, leaving a chalky line and taking away his use of that arm.

With the next volley of arrows falling among them, one of Richard's men gets hit and starts to curse about the whole thing. "It's just a small wound, but you can't use that arm for the rest of the night." Even if the Lord 'treats' it, he knows that as he turns his attention to trying to figure out where those arrows are coming from. And failing. Miserably. This is not a way to impress Tesha, Richard.

"Fast march up the cliffside, they're in front of that there cave." Arik calls out as he draws his dueling sword (not frostfang) and points the frosted steel blade up at the smudge of black that signifies the cave and right at the soldiers in front of it. The path is difficult to make out so he leads the way, blade upraised to try and deflect the chalky arrows as he urges the soldiers and noble duo onward with him. "No time to plan when they have the drop on us, press forward!"

Tesha sort of flattens herself against the rock cover that they have, her hand coming up to close the visor on her helm. "Should one of us try the path?" she asks Arik. She does give Richard a sign of they're fine with her hand, then she goes back to speaking with her brother-in-law. And then he's giving orders and she listens to what he says. Up she tries to go.

Richard checked intellect + medicine at difficulty 20, rolling 27 higher.

Arik checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 20, rolling 31 higher.

Richard checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 20, rolling 1 lower.

Tesha checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 20, rolling 5 lower.

The guy with the arm chalk flexes his arm. "You know, I bet you patched this up good enough I could use it to climb or something." This is the downside of moderated war games. People can decide WHATEVER THEY WANT.

The orders to press forward are heeded and they all run forward leaving Richard and Tesha behind and undefended. Thankfully Arik and his men seem to be outrunning the ability of those on the ledge to reload after their volley falls wild about the running troops.

There's a frown at the man bragging about the patch job. "You'll keep acting like you can't use it, or I'll break it myself." And there's a feeling that Richard won't use chalk for it. As he finds himself further and further behind as Tesha is as well, he frowns. "Form up with Lady Telmar, make a defensive line!" And protect her. He's frowning as he makes his way over towards her side. "Not hit are you?" he asks her quickly as he switches from his medical bag back to his mace.

Richard checked command + leadership at difficulty 20, rolling 5 lower.

Arik is not a perceptive man, especially not in plate armor where turning around is a chore. Thus does he continue to ford the path to the archers at as fast a pace as he can manage safely. He can heard the soldiers behind him, so it's all probably okay. "Every archer downed is a round of drink at the Telmarch." he offers an incentive to beat some poeple up.

Tesha shoots Richard a look, that wasn't nice! But she keeps the thought to herself. "I'm fine, not hit." she waves her hand at that. And who knew if they were going to listen. She wasn't a warrior, she was here for...well...why was she here?! She keeps her focus between Richard and Arik and there's a sigh, "I can't run in armor like that." she mutters to herself.

Oh heck to the ~yes~ on that. No one is listening to Richard's commands with Arik's promise out there. Arik's soldiers raise up a cheer as they race up towards the cliff and swarm up and over the side. Four soldiers get hit dead on with the arrows, proving Arik's tactics to be costly, if effective. Over the edge they go and it's now a pitched battle within the cave. Swords versus bows in an enclosed space.

Tesha and Richard continue to lag behind, the shale having been disturbed by the charge. It's loose and they're often sliding back as quickly as going forward.

Richard checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 11 higher.

Picking his away along the rocks, it's probably a miracle that Richard hasn't slipped. He keeps close to Tesha, so that they can assist each other as needed as they try to pick their way along as Arik leads the beer brigade on it's charge.

Arik checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 20, rolling 30 higher.

Tesha checked perception + survival at difficulty 20, rolling 6 lower.

There is a pause as Arik lets the Oathlanders crest the ledge before him, but then he's up and over with a mighty roar of *aaaaaaaaaaaaah* as he bears down on the archers. A clear tactical move to intimidate them... also he's bright red so you have to be scary or be hit. Once he's among them though it doesn't take very long for him to begin putting pressure (non-lethally) on the would-be ambushers.

"Richard, they will probably need your healing skills. I'm fine, really. Go." Tesha states to that. She was guessing that things were alright given it's a moderated thing. She would be fine! "Men and women with arrows and swords, Lady just getting scraped with the shale, you know which one needs your assistance more." she states. Then she jumps when she hears Arik's roar, "He's already up there mangling people." she points out.

For a moment, it looks like Richard is about to agree with Tesha, though he points out. "Your injuries are real." he says to her, before he's starting to turn away. His eyes widen for a moment. "Tesha, Arik, to our rear!" he calls out, his voice rising in alert as he makes note of something.. that has started to take up position down below them.

Arik and his soldiers are up there on the ledge celebrating their victory. It's then that it becomes clear that whatever is happening at the rear is NOT a part of this particular war games. Seeing that they've been spotted the enemies draw VERY real swords and charge at Tesha and Richard to attack them. No blunting, this is real injury time.

Tesha wields wings of twilight oathlands steel longblade with twisted flames handle.

Richard wields Searing Light.

Tesha checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 20, rolling 7 lower.

Richard checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 20, rolling 37 higher.

As he's the first one to notice the attack from the rear, Richard grabs his mace. "Lord Halfshav!" he calls out in warning as he turns his attention to the incoming attack. And the moment he realizes the weapons are rear - perhaps much to Tesha's chagrin, he's moving to protect her from the attack as he's willing to take the hint as he drives his mace against the head of the first person that's charging in.

Tesha looks a bit miffed when Richard isn't listening to her, but she doesn't have time to let that bother her. There's something that is coming from the back and there's a bit of a moment she looks over things, then she's drawing twilight, "Fear no enemy, that's what Arn would be saying right about now, right?" she asks the wind. She swings wide with her sword, because a large Wyrmguard lord steps in. This is going to be fun! And she doesn't scream for Arik just yet.

...Yet.

Norwood GM Roll checked dex(3) + mediumwpn(3) at difficulty 20, rolling 3 higher.

Norwood GM Roll checked dex(3) + mediumwpn(3) at difficulty 20, rolling 18 higher.

Arik doesn't seem to hear the shouts over the celebration of 'his men' though really they're Oathlanders and he's just that distant half a shav relation. There's good cheer and he even offers a hand to one of the archers he knocked down. Oblivious to any real peril at the moment. Lots of woo free drinks being called out from the ridge.

Tesha says in Celestial cant, "Blame Arik!"

The sword wielding group comes in quickly. Richard is able to get in on some of the action, and two of the men are distracted by him. The other three however? They go straight for Tesha. She is disarmed quickly and one of them grabs her. Boldly she is tossed over a shoulder and then they retreat, leaving Richard to deal with their two men, and Arik and his soldiers celebrating. It's all good. Everyone is finnneeeee.

It's not fine, at all. As Richard finally gets the two men down, he grabs one of them. There is going to be a talking to. A severe one. Because there's going to be conversation to be have. And information to be gathered. He's mad. Furious. But killing the kidnappers won't get him the information they're gonna need to find Tesha, as he can only scream out his frustrations as he has no chance to catch up to her abductors.

Was that a scream of anger and the clang of real swords? Arik walks over to the edge and looks down just in time to see Tesha enacting a potato sack as she is kidnapped. There is a kind of blank expression on his face as those frosty grey eyes shift from her disappearing kidnappors to Richard and the two remaining. He doesn't really say anything a bag of silver is given to one of the officers, probably to pay for drinks as he heads down the ridge letting the men have their moment. There is no way they'd get down in time anyway.