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In the nearby fields surrounding New Reindi, castle a cloaked figure crept carefully under cover of night towards the castle's main gate. No novice of stealth, this figure moved along slowly using small boulders, brush and the few stands of trees in concert with the surrounding darkness to conceal his advance on the castle. Once he was still a little ways off he stopped and pushed back his cloak to draw out a fine horn-bow and an arrow that was wrapped carefully with a message. Drawing the bow taught the sounds of the night were joined by the twang of a bowstring and the whir of an arrow speeding towards its intended target. There was a thud as the arrow hit home on the castle gate landing about head hight from the ground. There was a moment of silence, then the voices of guards talking from on the battlements, meanwhile the cloaked figure slunk back into the shadows and away from the castle.
After a while the postern door opened in the main gate and a squad of soldiers, some with lanterns filed out and proceeded to examine the grounds around the gate. The light from their lanterns soon revealed the arrow and the message wrapped around it. One soldier, probably a sergeant as he was slightly better dressed and armoured than the rest pulled the arrow out of the door with as jerk and untied the twine that kept the message wrapped to the arrow.
“Here, hold that lantern where I can see this message better,” he said gruffly to one of his subordinates. After a long pause the man let out a long breath, unaware that he had started to hold his breath and grit his teeth less than half way through reading message. Abruptly the man turned and banged on the porstern door to be reopened. “Lord will want to see this... and quickly. He's not going to like being woken up at this hour...” Then the postern door swung back open and the faint chime of mail faded along with the soldiers as they made their way back into the castle.
To Lord of New Reindi castle, this was the message that would be delivered.
To the lord of New Reindi Castle,
By the need of my people and my duty to them, I must declare your castle forfeit to the Warriors of the First Age. Consider this an official declaration of war according to the laws of Chivalry. While we would avoid bloodshed we are more than prepared to take the castle by force if necessary. Here are our terms.
If you hand over the castle to us you may leave with your full garrison, your arms, and any goods you wish to take with you. Your forces will be given safe passage through our lines and where you go from there will be up to you.
You have two days to respond before we assault in full force. Within the next two days parley will be granted if you request it. May whatever God you pray too guide your decision and thus deprive the carrion birds and worms their feast. We wait your choice.
Thalion Menelvagor
Finnian Tiercel
Radsvid Gathol
Warriors of the First Age -
At dawn scouts departed from New Reindi castle to seek the truth of this message. It would not be difficult to find the encamped army many hundreds strong, a host preparing weapons and siege equipment to sweep down on the castle. They would be ready in two days time, would the garrison of New Reindi?
-Credit to Thalion Menelvagor for this roleplay
The night after the message laden arrow thudded into Reindi Castle's gates, Lord Anders sent a rider out to the army sprawled across the fields between the castle and the forest. The rider brought word that Anders wished to have audience with the leaders of the Warriors of the First Age in his hall.
Having no cause to suspect treachery from the lord of a peaceful keep, Finnian and Thalion shortly went forth. Their dwarf friend Radsvid they towed behind in a straw filled cart. The night before, some of the Edain in the encampment had challenged him to a drinking game; their combined count of downed tankards versus his alone. Radsvid out drank the lot of them in proper dwarf fashion and gained quite a few coins off of the half dozen men who had challenged him, but the morning the embassy set out he had a terrible pain in the head as a consequence, so he lay in the straw filled cart as the embassy made their way to the castle, groaning at every bump.
Anders welcomed the Triumvirate to his hall and offered to them food and wine (the latter Radsvid did not decline despite his condition). Then they set them selves to the matter at hand. Straight away, Anders sternly spoke saying that while he sympathized with the needs of those before him, the castle would be stalwartly defended in the case of attack. He then divulged that he had many friends coming to aid in the defense of the castle and how the force outside the castle would be shortly outnumbered if they did not take the castle speedily. Finnian swiftly stood and declared (quite foolishly) that there was yet a force even larger than the one at hand that would come if summoned. For a tense moment it seemed that diplomacy would not win the day, but then the diplomat summoned forth his wit and understanding. Thalion beckoned Finnian to take seat again, and then inquired of Anders a number of things regarding his operations and interests of the castle. Within a short time of Thalion and Anders discussing the matter tensions were eased and it was soon found that both parties had not so dissimilar interests. Then Anders rose, and with a brightened expression, proposed a course of action that would benefit both parties.
The plan was happily agreed upon, Radsvid mumbled something about trade and coins being good, and then finally passed out, and then Anders brought forth one last matter. Many free lance warriors had already gathered and were expecting a battle. As such it would be a great shame to deprive them of such as they had come from many places far and wide in search of a worthy battle. Here diplomat and dwarf faltered (or rather snored in the case of the latter), but Finnian soon proposed a sollution.
"I have heard it said that the Warriors of the First Age, and my self in particular are to be considered "nerds". What tongue this term is from I do not yet know, but I have come to glean it's understanding and find it not at all repulsive. It is also said that one of the "nerdiest" activities practiced is the act of Live Action Role Playing. I am not at all adverse to this activity, so I say we re-equip our armies with duct tape enshrouded weapons of a harmless nature and stage the greatest LARP battle this land has ever seen!
To those who "TLDR"-
There will be a battle for the primary cause of XP FOR NA. You are welcome!
