The Mountains of the Moon

**Poach** · July 18, 2015, 11:31 AM

Forces

Arryn

Mountain Clans

The expedition gathered at the Gates of the Moon to begin with, some eight hundred men in total with the bulk coming from House Grafton but joined by a contingent from House Arryn, commanded by the young Ser Virgil, son of Lord Lucian Arryn.

The Wildling guides hired from the far north were proving their worth already, with the huntsmen brought from the countryside around Gulltown already making great strides in their ability to track and hunt animals in deep snow. A new art for the men of the south, finding food in anything up to waist-high snow was daily living for the tribes north of the Wall, and as such they were masters at it.

"We should aim for the territories of the Black Ears or Moon Brothers," said Caron to Virgil and Edric, "They've always been among the weaker clans. Breaking their ability to resist advances from rival clans into their territory shouldn't be too great a task."

**Pontifex Maximus** · July 18, 2015, 04:03 PM

One hundred and one shields bearing the sigil of House Arryn arrived at camp, the knights shrouded by long, light blue cloaks and white shrouds that covered their face and mouth for warmth. The winds of the valleys had stirred up, sending white powder flying into their faces. Winter was harsh in the mountains, and the weather showed no signs of breaking. Seven hells, I hope this wasn't a mistake. Already Virgil had tested a myth hitherto he had considered completely fictional, but his sword was in fact stuck, frozen in its sheath. His gloved hands had made his swordplay clumsy enough as it is, but he spotted some faint orange glow in the distance, and glancing at the windswpet flags, he knew he had found the Grafton encampment at last.

**Poach** · July 20, 2015, 06:49 AM

The Arryn group arrived in the camp and were greeted to the welcome sight of several large slabs of meat being roasted over a fire. The Wildling guides were already proving their worth, teaching the Grafton huntsmen how to find various types of hibernating animal, as well as find and trap smaller critters like rabbits.

Virgil entered the tent he was told he'd find Lord Grafton in, and was greeted by him as he entered the heavy tent.

"Metal sticks to metal," said one of the Wildlings, the leader of the small group of guides, as he pointed to Virgil's sword sheath, which had a metal ring around the rim in keeping with most sheaths, "Get it covered in cloth or something."

Indeed, inspecting the sword that hung around Grafton's waist showed that he had shielded any exposed metal on it to prevent his sword blade contacting with it.

"I'm glad you're here, Ser Virgil," [/i]said Caron as the young Arryn man shed some layers now that he was out of the wind and beside a fire,[/i] "We've been successful in finding one of the clans a few valleys over. Like any sensible native of these mountains they're hunkered down and waiting out the winter: big, semi-permanent tents, bunched up around a cliff-face for protection from the wind and big piles of logs for burning at night. They should be easy targets, they'll never expect Arryn men to be hitting them in their own village."

**Pontifex Maximus** · July 21, 2015, 07:49 AM

Virgil plopped down by the fire, glad for its warmth. "The element of surprise will work to our advantage indeed. As might fire." He mused. "Certainly heavy tents would be more waterproof than fireproof. It would be an easy way to flush them out." His heavily armored men began clumsily trying to kindle their own small fired for cooking and heat.

**Poach** · July 21, 2015, 02:49 PM

"We're prepared to strike at nightfall," said Caron, "This will give your men some hours to prepare. Their warriors will be asleep by then, and we've identified a path over the valleys that will bring us to the village."

[OOC: How do we proceed?]

**Oakshield** · July 22, 2015, 09:40 AM

Ooc. I hate to be ignored: doesn't the clansmen have a chance to see the smoke of the camp? Do you realy think it is easy to light a fire on a thick wet tend in a temperature below zero? That is stuff from the series not from the book. I do not think it would work. It would just alert the vilage.