Day 4, Month IX - Year 285AC ~ Mid-Afternoon

The tension in your neck, the strain in your eyes, the racing of your heart, your mind whirling from seeing the man sat upon your seat, your father’s seat, the Malroy’s seat, Ser Jaime Lannister. Kingsguard. Kingslayer. About him were men of the Westerlands. Houses you did not recognize, banners and coat of arms that were beyond your scope of knowledge but what was the most telling were your people. An uneasy was about the face of every servant and guard here, a remembered response to the Sack of Steadhold, not mere hours after King’s Landing had fallen at the hands of Lord Tywin Lannister’s army. Maester Benjin, Horsemaster Gawen, Captain Jonos Strouman had all survived to tell you of the horrors of the Sack, that their perpetrators had killed your last brother, Pastorm, and your crippled father Vamos. They had remembered the names, the sigils. And so too did you know. Lord Dresden Drox sat to his side, a man that reminded you of Lord Randyll Tarly in appearance, an older man who was nothing if not a warrior, he regards you plaintively, the look of indifference an affront to the justice that he deserved for ordering the Sack, for leading those men, for killing your family. Why had he come. Your calls to the Crown were for their aid, not that of the Westermen. Was this some cruel joke, a ploy by the Queen to save face now that the Red Bastard had fallen out of good graces? Wildfire rose into your eyes as they burrowed into Ser Jaime’s own, but they reflected nothing more than an easy cocksure grin and a smugness you hated with all of your being.

The Great Hall had gone quiet when Ser Jaime had spoken. They waited for you to speak but instead you only stared. Godscrown sat upon your hip still, the Valyrian steel sword of House Langward, beside your own bastard sword. Perhaps it would not take much to grant you revenge...

“Father!”

Your body laxes, mind singularly focused upon the voice you had missed for so long. Eyes search and you see coming from behind the high table your son. That goofy lopsided smile of missing teeth and joy plastered upon his face. For a moment you thought you could cry to see him again, but perhaps the weeks had taken all of your tears from you as you could only smile in return and offer your arms out to the boy as he ran towards you. He broke all laws of conduct, the men that occupied your halls whispered and passed looks as you embraced your son as if you had never thought to see him again, and they could all be damned to the Seven Hells for all you cared at the moment. Dontos and Lady Alexes Chelsted appear after him, Dontos wears a strained frown but at the same time you can see a relief upon his face. Victus looks up to you and you ruffle his hair before returning to look at Ser Jaime. Mind cleared and focused.

“My apologies Ser,” you draw out, waving your free arm in an almost mocking manner of a bow, “I had been delayed. The death of my cousin, Ser Wesley Hayford, required my immediate attentions.”

Ser Jaime looks passively at you, his eyes thrown between yourself and Victus. It was an odd look, far less cutting and smug than you had ever seen from the man.

“I am informed by my bannerman, Ser Mason Flowers, that the ‘bandits’ upon my, and Lady Alexes’, borders have not been dispersed. Was that not the purpose of this… Peacekeeping force Ser?”

The Lannister stands to his full length, his white plate clinks against the stone tile of your Great Hall as he descends from the high table, a flourish of his white cloak drawing the silence of the assembled once more as he comes to regard you fully. He stands at a nose with you, of similar build as well, his hand rests upon the pommel of his sword as he takes a deep breath and an equally long sigh with eyes cast to the side as he speaks again, “No my Lord. It was not.”

You can feel the wildfire in your eyes begin to flame again.

“As it happens Lord Malroy I find my time here as wasted as you likely find it unpleasant,” he pulls a scroll from his belt and hands it to you, his regard for it lackadaisical but spiteful all the same, “My orders were to remain, as the Hand so eloquently puts it, a ‘bulwark against those outlaws that may deem to break the King’s Peace’ and until such time as they do, as in cross into your lands, I am to remain here. Seven above help us both should they never disperse themselves.”

Your eyes can the scroll, a true and proper declaration by the Crown. Signed by the King himself. Likely in some drunken haze. But why send a Lannister, and a number of Westermen to boot. Would the Gold Cloaks have not sufficed? You look at Ser Jaime again, his eyes had remained cast to the side, picking at a nail before he regards you halfway, and notes the range of emotions upon your face, and turns on heel as he responds, walking towards the high table once more.

“The Queen, in her wisdom, thought it best to foster good health and relations with those of the Crownlands,” he says, arms spread out, a nod to the Westermen that yet still occupied your halls, he continues, “Particularly those that had been wronged so egregiously in the past,” he stops, leaning on the high table where Lord Dresden continues to look at you with little regard, though turns his head to Ser Jaime when he points his finger at him and clicks his tongue, “Lord Drox, a true and leal servant of my father for some years. A veteran of the War of the Ninepenny Kings, of the Reyne-Tarbeck Rebellion. Seven, he served justly during Robert's Rebellion, as all of the Westerlands did. Is this not true my Lord?”

He inclines his head sharply, “You honor me Ser-”

But his words are cut off when Ser Jaime slams his fist against the oak table, “And yet you disobeyed him! My father who had been so good to you in the past. Having forgotten past transgressions against his House. Ruining the victory, honour, and glory that Ser Tygon Reynold had won by lifting the Siege that almost killed this hold. Now they regard their former Saviour with as much disdain as they do you. But countless times I have heard the stories of your victories during this Sack, of the open rebellion that forced you to put the rabid man down, of your valour. Your honour. Your glory. So much so you forced the young Lady of this House out, so distraught she must have been by the sick depravities of your mind, about a newborn no less. I need not a trial to determine your guilt, for you’ve told me it all yourself before. You disobeyed a direct order to secure the castle and the Malroy Heir. That no more needless blood be shed. But instead we now have this mess. And worse yet, you did it all with that stupid, gormless look upon your face.”

Ser Jaime flings his arm out, regarding the entirety of your great hall. Many are silent, shocked by the sudden outburst of the Kingsguard. Your mind is a turmoil of confusion and anger.

“A man, loyal to the Crown, but who cannot trust it in Lord Malroy,” he says, eyes affixed upon the man whose face betrayed no more emotion that you could tell, yet his knuckles turnt white from where they gripped the table. Sweat beginning to form on his brow, “And I. But a good and leal servant of our beloved Queen, forced to dole out justice upon her behalf. Upon my father’s behalf.”

“Justice..?” Lord Drox manages out.

“Justice,” he repeats, turning away from him and beginning to walk away and past you, a look of ease upon his face as he passed and snapped his fingers, “Guards. Escort Lord Drox to the yard.”

The Great Hall goes into an uproar, you can barely spin your head enough to catch the responses from them all. Two heavily armed and armoured Lannister guards appear behind Lord Drox, swords drawn and held to the nape of his neck. He stands, arms raised, confusion having broken his facade. His sons are being held back by several other Lannister guards, your Uncle and Lady Alexes looked as shocked and confused as you and several of the other Westermen up in arms and anger while others sit without a word.

“Come Lord Malroy,” Ser Jaime throws at you, waving a hand, and you find your body moving upon its own, along with the rest of the crowd as they follow Ser Jaime and the Lord Drox to your yard on the side of the castle. Many stop upon the stairs, and you leave off Victus at the foot with your Uncle as you follow the Kingsguard out a step further. He kicks away at several blocks before finding one he likes and pointing to it, drawing his sword with a turn away. Lord Drox is kicked to his knees, a boot plants his head against the block of wood. His face had turned to terror now, of the imminency of death being so suddenly close. Ser Jaime regards you again, a brow arched as he pricks at the edge of his bleed and being satisfied with the edge, “I would offer you the honors yourself Lord Malroy but I am afraid this is a matter of the Westerlands and I would be remiss if I did not see it through myself, you’d be surprised by how many unruly Lords squabble and squall beneath my Lord-Father. Let us say I owe you.”

The crowd has fallen silent, Lord Drox had begun to struggle but for the most part it had been taken out of him when one of the Lannister guards planted a boot in his ribs, and placed his head upon the block once more, it having gone red with anger and tears.

“Have you any final words? An apology mayhaps?” Ser Jaime asks resting his blade upon the neck of Lord Drox.

He manages to spit upon his boots, an act Ser Jaime regards with little more than passing disdain, before he speaks, “Dishonorable. Fucking. Kingsla-”

Ser Jaime’s sword strikes true, taking Lord Drox’s head in one fell swoop. The crowd gasps slightly but are mostly in a stunned silence. Ser Jaime for his part walks away from the slumped body of Lord Drox, cleaning his blade on a brown rag and stopping to place a hand upon your shoulder and whispering, “Let it never be said a Lannister does not pay his debts.”

He leaves off with a pat, as if it was some friendly favor he had just done for you, and you stand confused. Perplexed. Perhaps robbed? What was this grand showing for? You could not place the emotion. Nor reasons what had just occurred. Lord Drox’s body has slumped to the ground, the Lannister guards walking away after Ser Jaime. Two men in regalia not unlike his own, his sons, close on the body, the younger of the two openly weeping, while the other stares at the white cloak with steely eyed hatred. Your hand is occupied by your son’s own, bringing you back to the world. His face was somber now. But he knew your emotions all too well. You allowed him to lead the way, back into Steadhold, back into your home.

---

Day 5, Month IX - Year 285AC ~ Early Morning

You had awoken in a cold sweat. The nights had not been kind to you since the Trial. Wesley’s face still haunted your sleep, his final words, the light as it escaped from his eyes all as vivid as the day it had happened. Splashing water upon your face brought you little reprieve from the bags that had begun to form under your eyes, those of stress and lack of sleep, you think staring back at the polished metal before leaving off with a frustrated grunt. The castle yet slept, a few of the servants regarded you with solemn nods as you walked past, a few of the younger girls in whispers and giggles, half naked as you were having disregarded your shirt for how warm it had been, your bow and arrows strapped upon your back. You needed to clear your mind, find a peace in your own home. Climbing the Dragon’s Roost you are led to Steadhold’s roof where your makeshift target yard remained. Thankfully someone had been seeing to it, and it wasn’t half the mess you had expected, but a couple of the targets had fallen over all the same. You go about the minor labor with half a grunt. The injury upon your shoulder had healed mostly, but it still caused your hand to go number at times, Benjin said it would perhaps forever be that way or go away with time, he could not say which, but you just added it to the growing list of damage sustained over your years.

For a moment you pause, watching as the sun crested the horizon and creeps over Steadhold. The hamlet beneath your walls had begun to grow still, the Sept had reached completion and its tolling bells marked the morning for many of the denizens of your hold. Yet a number still remained in squalor. The burnt out remnants of the Port and market Districts were a poor home for the Princewood refugees, the tent city a tattered mess of brown cloth and mud. A growing number had taken to begging in the streets about the Sept, and try as they might your guards could not disperse them, nor could Septon Tytos manage to feed and cloth them all. The sun line breaks the Blackwater Rush and shines upon the Outer Ring, the Blackbridge, Blackbridge Tower, and the foundations of Mason’s Blackrose Hearth and new wall on the other side of the bank all tirelessly being worked upon by a mixture of indentured criminals, dornish stone masons, and Rolf Harling’s own workforce. It warmed your heart to see Mason’s holdings, occupied by your long time friend, a man so loyal that even in the face of death he did not blame you for your actions. It had been a long time coming you think, he deserved the happiness here, with Lady Elionwy, with his child along the way.

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Turning slightly to the east you look out towards Hayford, far beyond your Violet Plains. Lady Cassana would be soon to give birth. You hoped for a son. That Wesley’s legacy might be passed on through him and House Hayford rebuild. Obella, the night you had been together, had suggested allowing her spies into Hayford, so they could watch Lord Winston and assure all was well. A passing thought, but perhaps one with wisdom, even if it would deny you the ability to spy on your enemies instead. You shake the idle thoughts loose, and turn instead to your targets. Stringing your bow in an easy measure you pull, holding your form for a moment long to remember you tiny little details before letting loose with practiced ease and punishing the target that had fallen with an arrow squarely in the center. You smile slightly, continuing along for the morning until your arms had fallen numb and your mind at ease.

It had occurred to you that you had spent so much time and effort on martial pursuits but that Steadhold still needed her Lord, to rule well and provide for her. Perhaps focusing your talents elsewhere so that when peace finally came you would be in a better position than half ruined and worn by war, not to mention the cases you are soon to bring against the Langwards for reparations and against the Red Bastard to bring down the hammer of justice upon him, would be ideal. Though at the same time you knew more war was yet to come and you needed to be on your best, these ‘bandits’ would not sit idly by for long, not to mention the Blounts and the Red Bastard yet still stood, particularly if the madness of Lord Linden Langward extended to his brother Ser Lestor as the rumors would have you believe. You sigh deeply, drinking deeply from a basin of water that a servant had fetched you, mulling the thoughts hunched over upon a stool, watching your lands and her people.

Spending Lord Brynden Malroy’s Experience

Experience: 48

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15t70f-uSAGgm9tFSADoJfgfhcQwaAHKMSEVeTTIhkho/edit?usp=sharing

Please refer to the attached picture for how you may spend your EXP and the above spreadsheet for Brynden’s current stats. Floor is open for suggestions, I’ll hold a vote if need be.

Gaining a Drawback & Destiny Point:

Haunted, you feel haunted. Due to Brynden’s recent Trial by Seven, the murder of his cousin, meeting the man that ordered the murder of his father and younger brother, seeing his sister scarred, and various other incredibly traumatic experiences. By gaining the Haunted Drawback, you will experience these things more often, as well as the other drawbacks included in the attached picture. But will also receive a Destiny Point in return to be burnt, spent, used however it is desire and is essentially your get out of jail free card should bad end happen. At present you have 0 Destiny Points. You’ll only have this option now. So:

>Gain the Haunted Drawback & Destiny Point
>Do not

Well. I can't say I expected that.

That's a big OP

>>3558274
>Gain the Haunted Drawback & Destiny Point
Makes his character deeper too

Wait. What. Jaime what. WHAT. I do not trust that at all. What!

>>3558274
>Get haunted drawback and destiny point.

>>3558274
>Persuade +1D
>Notice +1B

Remember how Brynden was basically a Robert that managed to pull himself back together rather than fall further apart?
>Gain the Haunted Drawback & Destiny Point

>>3558274
>>Do not
Awareness 30xp
Bargain 10 xp

Haunted also adds memory bonus dice to fighting test results. Worth mentioning.

>>3558274
>Gain the Haunted Drawback & Destiny Point

Persuasion for 30. Memory for 10. Might as well make the drawback useful

>>3558274
>do not
>Improve Persuasion
>Save 18exp

>>3558297
We dont have Memory dice and we're not going to buy any

>>3558274
Persuasion for 30xp, Empathy for 10xp.

>>3558281
>for you

>>3558303
No, but people should understand the pros and cons of the drawback.

Okay so it looks like a yay on gaining Haunted and the Destiny Point. Sounds good. Add some more depth to Brynden, guess the world is finally catching up to him.

Think I'll do a vote for Persuasion vs Awareness. And then we can do a vote for using the other 10. So:

Ability:

>Persuasion
>Awareness

>>3558274
>Gain the Haunted Drawback & Destiny Point
>Persuade for 30 xp
>Notice for 10

>>3558321
>>3558321
>>Persuasion

Actually rather than improving an ability, we could take:
+2B in Convince. (4D +3B)
+1B in Empathy (3D-1D +1B)
+1B in Notice. (3D-1D+1B

>>3558321
Yay to all

Glad to see you again dad!

>>3558321
>Awareness

>>3558321
>Persuasion

>>3558325
No thanks, we'd be better off saving for another Ability

>>3558321
>Persuasion

>>3558321
>Persuasion

>>3558321
>Persuasion

>>3558321
>>Persuasion

Alright, strong showing for Persuasion. Really want those reparations I see.

Anyway, so we have 18 EXP left to spend. That's enough for 1 specialty or we can just bank it for later. Do a little vote on what I see.

Specialty:
>Notice
>Memory
>Bargain
>Empathy
>Convince
>Bank it

>>3558362
>>Memory

>>3558362
>>Empathy
I can see the most important awareness rolls being for assessing when someone is likely to fuck us over, or working out what someone wants. We're screwed for DC12 though.

>>3558362
>Notice

Damn good writing The Father. We stormed in there ready to heroically face off against the fucking Lannisters to try to stop them from burning out house down again... then come face to face with the fucker who burned it... only for Jaime to kill him for us.
And all through that execution I felt like I was standing in the room looking at it, frozen and flabbergasted, unable to process what the fuck the Kingslayer was doing and what his game was.
Seriously though, what the fck is his game? Did the queen tell him to do that? Why would that bitch ever do that? That doesn't compute. Tywin? Maybe I guess.
>Bank it or >Notice, either is fine

please do not waste 10 xp on a useless specialty just for a +1 to Fighting the first round of combat. That's seriously a waste.

>>3558362
>>Notice

>>3558377
This anon has the right of it... I was what the fucking for the entire scene... Excellently written

>>3558362
>>Notice

>>3558377
My guess is they see the writing on the wall and want to patch things up with us, seeing as we are about to cut out our ancestral land from the hands of all bastards red or not .

>>3558362
>Empathy
I don't know the system well enough but >>3558370 makes a compelling argument

>>3558377
>please do not waste 10 xp on a useless specialty just for a +1 to Fighting the first round of combat. That's seriously a waste.
Memory isn't useless, half the problems we walk into are anons forgetting the miniscule hints that Father leaves well in advance. Like Isis telling us a Chyttering Knight was allied to Redward.

>>3558387
That was just one knight and not the whole house. The dude wanted our uncles wife

>>3558383
Literally impossible. That requires queen cersei to not be a cunt to us. Tywin might maybe order it but that sounds really low-percentage. Literally no one but Varys has ever tried to do something nice for us before that was higher than us on the social ladder (looking at you Jon "My hands Are Tied" Arryn)

>>3558362
>>Empathy

Maybe Drox fucked up with something different, but was framed as 'justice' to hide whatever it is?

>>3558390
Yep, and maybe I'm just not paying close enough attention, but when debating which domain to get, I completely blanked out that A Chyttering Knight just got killed in the Trial of the Seven.

Sorry, minor hiccup with my internet. Anyway, calling it now. Notice by a single vote.

So writing now. Glad you all enjoyed that, was hoping I'd get that confused wtf response.

>>3558391
My guess is her father, I mean who else can easily call a westerman here and sentence him to death.

>>3558395

Cersei does have a long and storied history of elevating cronies and then having them be horribly murdered. But once again this involves the queen. cersei. in a non-antagonistic role towards us. That's as likely as the Others being killed by a flying gremlin.

>>3558405
It might just be her tying up loose ends? Royce lost the support of the Crown maybe others are going down with the ship? So self preservation rather than helping us directly?

>>3558405
So what's your call then, this is clearly a move trying to improve our relations with the lions bo reason to kill a lord in front of his sons other wise. My guess is they papa lion is stepping in and unfucking his daughters fuck ups.

>>“A man, loyal to the Crown, but who cannot trust it in Lord Malroy,”

That sounds like Varys or Jon Arryn's words, but neither of them give Jaime marching orders. And Arryn going out of his way to do something on our behalf is almost as unlikely as the Queen doing it. I'd believe Varys would but the Kingslayer definetly doesn't take orders from him and it's not his MO in the first place. The most likely explanation is Tywin punishing Drox for a different fuckup, probably Royce-related, and trying to get a twofer in making us not hate the Lannisters as if that would fucking happen. My position right now is "stunned gaping silence and confusion"

well I didn't expect that
as I said last thread I feel that brynden "I swear I'm not just a essosi sellsword" malroy would be more likely than most to give the kingslayer a chance to not be his reputation. Others pointed out he was still a lannister. It seems that papa lion has decided that his daughter is dumb and it would be best to at the very least not be on the top of our kill list. I wouldn't say that we or Brynden should be truly placated by this gesture but patience is a virtue. First revenge on redfuck, then we fully rebuilt our strength, maybe even dominate the crownlands.
Revenge is a dish best served cold, with a nice side dish of gravy flambe

>>3558415
Idk the Hand seemed pretty cool with Brynden back when we stood before the throne.

>>3558423

My-hands-are-tied-Arryn is cool with us but has a habit of being very tight-fisted when it comes to spending political capital on actually DOING anything.

>>3558415
>That sounds like Varys or Jon Arryn's words, but neither of them give Jaime marching orders. And Arryn going out of his way to do something on our behalf is almost as unlikely as the Queen doing it. I'd believe Varys would but the Kingslayer definetly doesn't take orders from him and it's not his MO in the first place. The most likely explanation is Tywin punishing Drox for a different fuckup, probably Royce-related, and trying to get a twofer in making us not hate the Lannisters as if that would fucking happen. My position right now is "stunned gaping silence and confusion"

That makes sense, plus Tywin can probably summise we aren't Robert's biggest fans, so maybe would prefer to buy us to favour Lannister over Baratheon.

>>3558432
Even the Tywin hypothesis seems low-percentage, it's just more likely than the other suspects.

>>3558431
When we see Arryn, the first thing we should do is ask after Giselle. Just to see his exasperated face.

>>3558405
Maybe she is disappointed with the Red bastard performance and with our star rising she is cutting her losses with him. She might even be incline to get us on her side because we have shown ourselves to be far more competent on war and on court than she expected and would be more useful than the red bastard could be to her.

I wonder what our namesake thinks about us and whats going on
probably he doesn't care but I still wonder
maybe he's jealous of our bow skills

What thfuck happend now

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>>3558447
He's probably just happy we're not loyal to Baratheons or Lannister.

>>3558383

My Guess is: We Breed Golden Horses. Gold is one of their House colours, and Lannisters want everything to match their paintwork. They want to be able to buy prestigious Golden Horses to ride. Which is fair enough.

I don't think we'll ever be friends with Papa Lion, but I'm okay with moving to a neutral/trading stance whereby they can show off their obscene wealth by buying from us.

Steadhold and her people needed you the most, at some point you’d need to put down the sword, the bow, and step off your horse onto your father’s seat in full. Yes war was still to come, and you did not doubt more over the years, but your family’s lands, their people, their homes need you focus at the moment. There was trade to be had, allies to make, and reparations to be had. Looking to the north you regard plains beyond your stretch of the Princewood. The Honeyrun you were told, and to the west more of the Princewood, all Langward land, hardly more than a blurry green in the distance but things you had set your mind upon when this was done. If your House could lose so much after the Rebellion, surely, you stood to gain after your neighbors had failed to start a war with you. Still, your mind felt clouded, the past year had not been kind and when idle thoughts began to creep they stayed longer than they had before. Wesley’s face had been common in your dreams, but worst still you remembered Isis’ scars, the bitten back pain because she did not wish to put it upon you, and just yesterday the man that killed your father, your last brother. But he was dead. Dead and off to be buried with the younger Drox son. Something about that all felt so very wrong. To execute a Lord before his children. Under such circumstances, with hardly a trial. Either the Seven had seen fit to bless you, or the machinations of the West and the Queen had managed to converge upon your Household. You could not say for certain but it was something you might wish to ask Obella to keep her ear to the ground on, perhaps tap her resources in King’s Landing. You shake idle thoughts, more than once and stand to your full length. The day was but halfway over by now and you had much to do and many to see. But most of all, you had a feast to attend.

---

Day 5, Month IX - Year 285AC ~ Evening

It was not a grand affair. Nor the happy event you had dreamed of upon your return home. The seat to your right remained barren, missing the mischievous smiles and flirtations of your wife. Without her court the House felt lonely and cold, and even more so spartan and warlike than it had upon your return. You did not she had managed to make herself busy while you were away, new tapestries of your House’s insignia hung from the rafters, the stained glass window had been fixed, the old cracked windows cleaned and replaced, it looked like a home again. No thanks to those that resided here however. Your frustration with the Westermen yet still grew, they had been here for two weeks by now and had almost eaten through the bulk of your stores, the servants had been harassed to no end coupled with fear of a repeat of the Rebellion it left many on edge constantly, and Gawen was at his last straw attempting to deal with the amount of feed and tack that was necessary to care for the horse he had almost thrown a fit when you brought home another 40 with men and squires attached.

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But for now you grinned and you bore it, though you doubted your molars would hold up to much more grinding if another man asked you the price of a horse.

Upon the high table with you sat six others. Ser Dontos Malroy, Lady Alexes Chelsted, and the little Lord Rodner Chelsted to your right beyond Obella’s seat. While Ser Jaime Lannister, Ser Mason Flowers, and a Ser Tygon Reynold sat to your left, Ser Jaime the most immediate. You didn’t doubt more than a few would take offense to a ‘bastard’ being sat between a member of the Kingsguard and whomever this Reynold was but you cared little, he was your bannerman, the only one at that, and thus deserved his seat. The political battle that was the seating arrangements of your great hall was nightmare enough, at one point you simply left it be, without Obella you were hopeless at it. The only reason this Ser Reynold had been placed upon your high table was at Ser Jaime’s insistence, so called the Savior of Steadhold, a title you had not heard before and sat poorly with your stomach when you noticed the personal arms he bore. Quartered with that of the Reynolds was that of the silver and blue lion of the Lantells. Likely a better idea to keep your distance than deal with a man whose pride had been hurt by some dishonorable cunt of a cousin dying by your hand.

The first course began to be served with little fanfare, a meal of chicken liver and fennel mousse served upon crispy bread with slices of apple and roasted nuts accompanied by wine from the Riverlands you could not remember the name of but were desperate for the taste of to break some tension in the room. It was quiet, awkward even, people spoke and made marry but for the most part they kept to themselves. Pockets of your Household and of the Westermen doing little more than staring at one another from across the way. Music was playing softly in the background but no one would go to dance. This was more a mess hall of soldiers, having made camp in an empty keep than it was a feast and you detested it. Still though, you did note about the other members of the Westerland force. A Banefort, another Reynold it would seem, the new Lord of House Drox, and House Plumm. You had very little doubt that you could call any of them friend, and perhaps you didn’t even wish to make friends here but the tension that hung upon the air could be cut with a knife as easily as one through warm butter.

Would you like to speak to anyone?
>Yay, attempt to break the tension somehow
>Neigh, let it linger, make sure they did not feel welcome

>If yay, who?

>>3558509
>yay, jamie
if we have anything its panache
the man who would make a joke about the kingslayer at the steps to the throne, in public in front of the queen is not gonna be afraid of the kingslayer in person.
not sure what we would talk about but I'm sure we'll think of something

>>3558509

>Yay

And since we're sat right next to him and he's technically the most important person in this room, let's talk to the bloody Kingslayer himself.

>>3558509
>>Yay, attempt to break the tension somehow
>Jamie
Lovely fucking weather we're having

>Yay Ser Dontos

>>3558509
>>Yay, attempt to break the tension somehow
Ask Ser Jamie about the Kingswood Brotherhood.

>>3558525
I want to compare Twenty Good Men Stories!

>>3558509
>>If yay, who?
Ser Jimmy the Sisterfucker.

>>3558525

And do it this way.

>>3558509
>>3558509
>Yay, attempt to break the tension somehow

>>3558509

Is that third son of Drox that swore his sword to Mason here?

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>>3558447
Now we just have to lose an eye and we'll be just like him.
Hell considering >>3558274 the haunting, I'd say Brynden was already a demon.

>>3558525
>>3558527
Y'know Ser Jamie, I'd be really interested about hearing about the Kingswood Brotherhood. I fought bandits in the woods too. Got set on fire. Good times.

>>3558525
There's actually a good Malroy related Kingswood Brotherhood related story Jaime can tell, so that sounds good.

>>3558539
Ser Drover Drox? Yeah he's around with his eldest brother, new Lord Donnel Drox.

Anyway, looks like we want to talk to Jaime, any other subjects in particular you want to ask him about?

>>3558490
>They want to be able to buy prestigious Golden Horses to ride.
We had to rebuild our herds when we got home iirc, so I wouldn't be surprised if they already made off with a bunch.

Wouldn't surprise me if they just can't rear them like a Malroy can, though.

>>3558553
>any other subjects
Grill him on how treason and murder became his favourite hobbies.

>>3558549
fukkin kek I forgot about that part.

>>3558456
>>3558546
clearly he used his powers to help us win the bow contest
>>3558553
ask him about barristan the bold and the old kingsguard, then see if we can get him to compare them to the new kingsguard

>>3558553
If we are to break the tension let's ask something nice, ask him about the Ser Arthur Dayne and Ser Gerold Hightower.

>>3558553
>There's actually a good Malroy related Kingswood Brotherhood related story Jaime can tell, so that sounds good.

I'd like to segway from this to getting Jamie and his men on board to go hunting for "bandits" if there's support for it and we can persuade Jamie.

>>3558576
>Ser Gerold Hightower.
Maybe not mention Hightowers since Gerion killed Wesley.

>>3558553
>Malroy related Kingswood Brotherhood
Really? Smiling Knight always interested me. Did The White Fawn brand one of us?

>>3558553
>Anyway, looks like we want to talk to Jaime, any other subjects in particular you want to ask him about?
Keep it light and happy. Fighting Bandits (I love killing "bandits", Winning Tourneys, Don't mention Aerys, Tywin or anything that's going to get us a pissed off Lannister and his army hanging around.

>>3558566
About fighting bandits and bringing them to heel. Maybe about if he’s as good with a bow as he is with a blade.

What in the literal fuck just happened? I am absolutely dying to know the actual reason Jaime just got rid of Drox. I don't believe for a second it was because he committed a "crime" during the war. At least not the crime of sacking Steadhold.

>>3558644

Drox definetly got himself put on the Lannister shit-list for SOMETHING. Was Drox a member of the Redward brain-trust?

>>3558648
I'm thinking he got on Tywin's "Reyne-y Day" list for something. That comment about Tywins bannermen squabbling makes it seem like he fucked up recently. Plus, if he's bragged about it before then people certainly know what he did. Justice doesn't take 2 years to find a Lord in Westeros, not from Tywin Lannister anyways

>>3558654
That makes sense but also doesn't explain how this loops back around to a horrible trap for us. There's no possible way that a good thing like this would just fall into our lap: clearly some sort of keikaku is going on that ends in Steadhold burning to the ground

>>3558654
This had to be done with Tywin's approval since it was his Bannerman. But the display itself feels like the Queen, specially with Jaime doing the deed.

>>3558663
Or Tywin is trying to clean the bad blood between us for some reason.

Having had taken a jab at the Kingslayer once already you feel there is little to less to fear regarding the man, as he was simply that, a man. A man who wore white and served a King and Queen you regarded as having little care for you besides the horses you kept, but a man all the same. You knew Dontos hated him though. For everything that he represented, broken vows, treason against his King, a Targaryen King at that, a place upon a prestigious order that he did not deserve, that Dontos would have served with more honor. Your Uncle had hardly said a word since you had arrived home barring a simple embrace and a long glance at Godscrown upon your hip. He had looked to you with fury at that moment and said you would speak of it later, but later yet to come and you had begun to fear it, your Uncle’s wroth was pinpoint and focused, if it was anything like the day in the yard you knew you’d be sorer for it. But all the same you disliked the quiet here, you would not be celebrating a joyous occasion, not until these ‘bandits’ were dealt with and the Westermen gone and your wife returned but at least you could relax in your own Seven forsaken castle. The man was a warrior, perhaps talks of such things could ease both sides.

“Ser Jaime,” you start, getting an uninterested sideways glance in response, he had propped himself up on his elbow, fingering at the food lightly, eyes and mind clearly somewhere else despite the occasion looks of disgust that the Drox sent him. You clear your throat and continue, “I am told you participated in the sussing out and subsequent defeat of the Kingswood Brotherhood some years ago. Do you think our current outlaws may be related?”

“As a squire yes. And no, I do not. They have no support of the smallfolk, and build engines of war is Lord Plumm’s scouts are to be believed, not hallmarks of bandits. Doubtful they are anything other than what you assume them to be,” he says simply, before sniffling slightly and pulling himself up fully, “In fact… I believe that was the first time I met your family Lord Malroy.”

You give him a queer look, having little and less knowledge of the times you had been away from Westeros.

He searches the air slightly attempting to pull a name, “A younger brother perhaps? He looked much as you had when you had returned from Essos and decided it best to piss upon my sister’s lap.”

You recall having dyed your hair then, black like other Malroys, Donold had been ruddy brown of eye and hair, meanwhile your youngest brother, Pastorm had black hair and the green eyes of your family, you blurt out his name in surprise, “Pastorm? He was there?”

“Ah yes that was the name. Another squire of the time. I believe the Knight he had been serving had volunteered to take the fight to the bastards among the others. And lost his life for it,” he chuckles slightly, “Your brother had fought well, and stood vigil over that Knight’s body until the battle was done. So battered and bruised. He had a sad look to him.”

He often did you recalled. Even as a youth Pastorm was of the quiet blood, solemn of look and eye. Isis had once wrote you how he had taken up the harp and half the Ladies of Steadhold had fallen in love with the ‘broken boy’. You had been told he was Knighted you believed but not much else, it had proven to difficult to remain in contact the further east you had gone.

“He received a Knighthood after it had been done. By the same man who gave me my own. Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning. I would say it had been an honor but I hardly knew the man.”

And now he was dead by the man you just executed, you think to yourself. But not voice such things. The second course had begun to be served. A cold coup of sorts, of tomatoes, corn, dornish peppers, horseradish, all pulped to a smooth consistency with Essossi olive oil, a small salad of greens and oil from the peppers sat upon the top along with a dusting of egg yolks cured in dill and lemon salt. It went down easily in the warmth of the summer, a surprisingly chilled dish considering.

Ser Jaime again picks at his food, taking a single spoonful before placing it down and looking outwards again to nowhere in particular before speaking, “Tell me Lord Malroy do these ‘bandits’ seem the same as those you routed from the Princewood?”

You had caught the double meaning quite clearly, hardly missing a beat, as in fact they were exactly like them, less Essossi sellswords you imagined, the Bright Banners were never ones for taking massive losses and sticking around, but no doubt their Captain still served Lestor, “Yes Ser, I would believe so.”

“Hm,” he responds softly before turning to you, a lock of hair falling from place as he spoke in a hushed tone, “Then perhaps my sister was right to send me. Oh how you should have heard the King hollow and froth, took everything the Lord Hand to prevent him from marching himself. It was only by her recommendation that I lead the forces after all, Ser Barristan Selmy had thought to do it himself, but had little cause to argue with the woman that wished to ‘make amends’ with the Malroys. For whatever reason. Tell me Lord Malroy, about these Princewood bandits. As little as I enjoy sitting here doing nothing, they are my orders, but I would know our enemy.”

You eye Ser Jaime curiously, but begin into a light and abbreviated version of what had occurred in the Princewood. Leaving out details of whom you captured specifically, who exactly you freed from captivity, and what they told you precisely, having no reason to trust the Lannister beyond his word regarding your plans for the Red Bastard. But rather did go into a lengthy discussion regarding your daring infiltration of the encampment, of your twenty good men and their heroics that night. For his part Ser Jaime is not engrossed, but he certainly looks less disengaged than he had prior and at least the room is warming some. You discuss the finer points of their strategy with him and what their plans seemingly were before your intervention. More than once he stops, considers and then asks for you to continue. If the man was thinking of anything in particular, he was not going to make you privy to it, but it was better than the tense silence of before.

He speaks briefly before returning to his thoughts, “I will send Lord Philip’s scouts out under cover of night tonight. The Lord insists that they act by daylight in unfamiliar territory but I am quite tired of the game. Perhaps they will be more brazen by pale moonlight.”

The third course is served, whole yellow perch poached in brown butter, rosemary, and garlic, seasoned with peppercorns and cayenne from Dorne, upon a bed of asparagus, fiddlehead ferns, and fingerling potatoes all soft and tender from the roast. The servants open another cask of wine, a Reach gold this time, and you take it happily. Ser Jaime is lost to his thoughts, and your high table is a mixture of food and assorted items in place of proper markers. As aloof and careless as he seemed regarding your house he did seem bound and determined to learn of the enemies upon your borders and be done with them, likely through combat and quickly. A thought you yourself much liked as well. You were playing with a spoon that had acted as the God’s Eye River when the clatter of a plate striking the ground, the gasp of a woman, and the screeching of several benches against stone bring your attention back to the great hall. You see Ser Lucas, still bruised, though looking better with the month of healing, standing in his livery of red and blue, his hand upon the dirk at his side and Lady Racheal Conklyn grabbing his wrist and fury written about his face. She is begging him to sit but he wrenches free of her, and drawing close into the face of a young man that bears the badge of House Reynold. The youth looks at him with just as much anger, nose to nose and for a moment you swear they are ready to fight.

Ser Lucas’ voice draws out in a hissing hatred, “Watch your bloody fucking tongue boy before I cut it from your Seven damned mouth.”

The youth narrows his eyes, his hands clenched firmly, one holding a goblet of dripping wine, the other free with knuckles turnt to white.

The Westermen and your own are immediately on edge again. The silent tension resuming as the two Knights death stare one another. Some look to you for resolution, others ready for their own blade.

What do you do?
>Expel them both from the Great Hall
>Expel the Reynold Knight only
>Expel Ser Lucas only
>Nothing, let it play out

Two guesses on who this angry shit is.

>>3558676
>Tell them both to calm the fuck down
"By all the gods there will be NO MORE BLOOD spilled in this hall! You will both act as proper guests and SIT. DOWN."
Tyrus you angry fucker lol

>>Nothing, let it play out
>>3558668
>and decided it best to piss upon my sister’s lap
That's a strange turn of phrase

>>3558676

No one fucking insults Lucas in front of us. Tell the westerlander that he had better not dare draw steel in our own hall but we'd be glad to settle this on our friend's behalf non-lethally. Tourney swords in the yard.

>>3558676
>Expel the Reynold Knight only

If it is Tyrus, he's got to go. Can't afford any pot smashing and letting our talk with the kingslayer to go to shit.

>>3558676
>>Expel the Reynold Knight only

>>3558676
>If you too cannot be civil together you can leave the great hall. Only warning for either of you. I'll not have more blood spilled in this hall. Either act as proper guests of leave.
>If either of you draw steel or throw a fist you'll regret it.
>This is everyone's one warning.

>>3558684
Go with this, woe to the man who breaks guest right on our house. Wait, was Lord Drox our guest at the time? That might be their game.

>>3558703
Oh shit. If he was a guest of our hall, we would have been honor bound to protect him no?

>>3558676
>Address Lucas and tell him gently and firmly to sit down. Then mention guest right, look directly at the Westerman and reiterate will subtle menace there will be no violence under your roof. Suggest the Westertman find a seat at the other end of the hall.

Yo can we talk about this food. Shit dad Id eat everything so far

>>3558707
We hadn't fed the Drox lord yet, so guest right wouldn't have applied.

>>3558714
We didn't, but Obella did...

Alright I can work with the write ins.

Please roll a 5D6+2 (Persuasion 5D + 2 Blood of Valyria) for Persuasion(Intimidate).

>>3558689
>>and decided it best to piss upon my sister’s lap
Let it go for now, but if Jamie mentions this again, we should point out we were considerably upset after finding out our entire immediate family have been brutally murdered and he himself just killed a man for the affront.

Rolled 1, 1, 4, 1, 2 + 2 = 11 (5d6 + 2)

>>3558726

Rolled 2, 1, 4, 3, 2 + 2 = 14 (5d6 + 2)

>>3558726

Rolled 4, 3, 1, 2, 6 + 2 = 18 (5d6 + 2)

>>3558726

Rolled 5, 5, 2, 4, 5 + 2 = 23 (5d6 + 2)

>>3558726
WILD FIYAAAAAAAAA

>>3558733
>>3558734
>>3558737
11,14,18

That 11 killed me. Writing.

>>3558714
>>3558707

That's kind of a stretch. He was executed by a Kingsguard without any of our input: literally not our fault. There are people who might hold it against us that he died in our house but not because of guest right

>>3558716
Jamie also broke guest right by killing in our house so that doesn't really work.

>>3558738
Too late...

>>3558739
I'm sorry dad. I'm not very intimidating.
>>3558737
Thank you for not sucking, anon

>>3558733
>>3558734
>>3558737
>>3558738

While the fact that that amazing 23 came too late is shitty, I appreciate the ramp up of increasing rolls into WILDFIRE

Was the last thread archived?

>>3558846
>Was the last thread archived?
Yep. Here you go.
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=house+malroy

>>3558846
Seems so

>really like house fortune and managing rolls
>really like fighting rolls
>also really like the story and 'downtime'
This is just a really good quest. I wish they all were like this one.

DC: 15
Rolls: 11,14,18
Success, one degree.

Ser Tygon Reynold is the first to have acted you realize, the boiling anger in your gut finally reaching and catching ablaze in your eyes, following soon after you stood. The, you assume, elder brother gets between the two, his words hushed but his hand upon his brother’s chest firm, the other grasping the goblet and taking it away from him in short order. Lucas paces back and looks at you, the anger on his face cowed by your own anger and a quick flick of your head brings him up to the high table. You lean down, eyes strained and upon your own hushed tone speak to Lucas, “What in the Seven bloody Hells Lucas?”

He looks back at the Reynold Knight, “Little shit doesn’t know a damned thing about what he’s talking about Brynden. Before my own wife, heavy with child and delicate enough as it is. Has the audacity to speak of the honour of the Lan-”

He pauses, having received a quirked eyebrow from Ser Jaime as he spoke and thought better of it.

“Is that all Ser?” you hiss out, your gaze level with his own which he breaks for want of avoiding your wildfire.

“I… Fucking Hells yes my Lord,” he grumbles, removing his hand from the dirk upon his hip.

“I need not remind you of guest right Ser Lucas,” you say, standing to full length again, “Or any,” you say louder, gaining the attention of the Reynold brothers who still argued in hushed tones below you, “There will be no more blood spilled upon these stones. Keep you anger. You prejudices, do with them as you will but upon my lands within my home you will keep your tongues and hold your blades, is this understood? If you cannot do this then find yourself elsewhere.”

“Yes my Lord,” Lucas repeats with a sheepish bow of his head before turning back to look at the younger Reynold.

His face was red and pinched with anger and his brother’s words did little to hold him back. He throws his arms up in the air in frustration and muscles his way from the great hall. Grabbing a small flagon of wine along his way and pushing off the hand of one of your guards who offers to escort him to his room, retorting with a near shouted, “I know the bloody fucking way, keep your ‘ands off me.”

For his part Ser Tygon looks dejected, left standing alone upon the lower dias, carefully he places the goblet upon Lady Racheal’s table and speaks to her briefly, an apology you believe before turning on heel to resume his place, head held high still and not bothering to acknowledge the glare of Lucas as the two pass by one another.

You slump back into your seat and the night resumes, music playing softly and voices again collecting in the hall. Ser Jaime turns to you slightly with a look of amusement upon his lips, “Lord Malroy has anyone ever told you that you and my father are remarkably similar?”

You give the Kingsguard a queer look and he chuckles.

“Not in upbringing to be certain. But in the way you would handle things. There is a certain methodical way about you Lord Malroy, your tales of war are well planned and detailed. Meanwhile those about you have a respect perhaps not born of fear, but one that can be reminded with a quick reminder of how fearsome you could be. Seven, had it been my father in your place I’ve little doubt he would disassemble his enemies just as you seem to have,” he tuts slightly and drinks from his goblet, “Just be sure to not fall into the same trappings as the man.”

A strange compliment to be certain, perhaps a backhanded one depending upon Ser Jaime’s opinion of Lord Tywin, though you ill liked being compared to a man who ordered the death of children and then kept their killers about.

The rest of the night continues along peacefully enough, thank the Seven. Your stores only had room for two more courses before you were sure to break the bank and dipping into winter stores, something you were trying to avoid for the betterment of your people. Though luckily the suckling pig smoked in apple and hickory wood and basted with honey and duck’s fat served with fresh cranberry bread, barleywine, and cauliflower bathed in bacon grease and creamy white cheddar had left most of your guests satisfied, you preferred to still give an outward appearance of being stable, lest one of these men say otherwise to those less trusted, particularly Ser Jaime. The man’s manner left you disconcerted, and his truer intentions even more so. But you were thankful for the reprieve by night’s end, making your way to your room to find your two squires asleep already and your son equally knocked out upon a couch that Obella liked to lounge upon with Lorelei at her tit. You find a pair of wineskins and chuckle to yourself, remembering your first time. Armen Hunt had taken little time to come out of his shell, in stark contrast to Arron Qorgyle, but they both served well enough, and the competition was healthy among the boys, and you were lucky to find they both got along famously with your son. If tonight’s activities were any indiciation at least. You crawl into bed quietly, hopeful for sleep unplagued by darker memories.

---

Day 6, Month IX - Year 285AC ~ Mid-Morning

You had hardly slept, awoken at one point in a mild panic and going for the now long gone braid of Isis hair. You had calmed yourself with a short walk and another goblet of wine but sleep hardly came any quicker. And now you found yourself in front of your uncle, sleep deprived and hungover as he berated you with an anger you had not seen in some time.

His plate clatters as he swings his arm pointing at Godscrown upon your mantle, “WITH HIS OWN SWORD BRYNDEN! DO YOU NOT THINK BEFORE YOU ACT! SEVEN SAVE US NEPHEW!”

“Uncle, it was in the heat of the moment and Wesley had-”

“Do not deign to justify your actions to me Brynden,” he says slamming his fists down on the table you were resting your elbow on to prop up your head, “I could not be anymore clear to you the code of Knighthood, of chivalry, of honor in the Reach. I told you, countless times to watch your actions while you were there! And this is how you return!?”

You sit in silence, boiling underneath.

“I am not some weak willed craven who cowers at your eyes Brynden Malroy, remember who my brother was my sister,” he snaps back at you the moment he sees your rage, “What you did crests far beyond ignoble, to the point of disgusting dishonor. Seven be good Brynden and then you bring it home, a gruesome trophy of war. Even you are not fool enough to understand the history that goes with such a sword, the lineage, the very identity of a House.”

Won by the deaths of our family, you respond in your own mind, I should just keep the bloody thing. Melt it down to but base metal, their history be damned.

He pinches his brow, furious and frustrated, “You are not some sellsword playing at Lord BRYNDEN MALROY!” he yells in your face, “I had thought you better than this by now!”

Your eyes drip wildfire, anger and disdain not for your uncle but for what he argued for, the Langwards did not deserve this blade anymore than they deserved their lands you had reasoned.

The Black Knight of Steadhold throws his arms up and walks to the window, looking out over the yard, he rasps his fingers along the pane, “Have you nothing to say for yourself?”

“What would you have me do Uncle,” you respond slowly, your tone biting and unhappy.

He turns, leaning against the sill with crossed arms, “Return it Brynden. Do it with honor, and swallow your stupid pride for such a damnable moment and see the larger picture. The Lord Hand will surely be happier and more reasonable to other demands, such as Wards or Lands, things far more important that a hunk of metal in preventing war. The Reach are good allies to have. The Tyrells, Tarlys, Rowans, all good, loyal, and honorable men. They allowed your trial for Lord Linden was a craven of a man that seeked asylum when his hubris caught up to him. But they will not accept you acting in such a way, fighting alongside Prince Oberyn, and then stealing a family’s inheritance for your petty reasons. No, not all, not ever.”

You thumb one of your eyes, scratching the sleep from it before slumping back, “Can I not ransom the thing back? Your honorable Lords and Ladies do it for their children all the bloody time, why not a sword.”

Your uncle’s brow furrows deeply, “It will not have the same effect nephew. The Reach will find it distasteful but no more so than fighting alongside the dornish. If you think as the sellsword in matters of coin only than do not expect to make friends of it but find yourself rich and alone. But do as you will. So long as the blade is returned and we are done of this.”

Your uncle’s chest heaves with anger, attempting to catch his breath as he hardly looks at you now, eyes laid upon the yard where the Westermen drill and condition. House Chelsted’s army was five hundred strong and made up the bulk of what was here now beside your own. Something you were thankful now without the Hayfords to call upon. Your fingers dance upon the table, in idle thought, still seething with your own anger. Something needed to be done with the blade, but what.

How to deal with the Godscrown Situation:

>Option A
Just keep the blade, it was yours by right of conquest. The Reach be damned, your uncle be damned you’d take everything from the Langwards, piece by bloody piece. Surely there would be those that would try to take it back, you’d fight for it, war for it, attempt to kill you in any way possible until there were none left to do so. And no doubt Lord Arryn would be angry as well, perhaps refusing your other demands for reparations. But damn it, come hell or high water this sword was yours.
Notes: Very Negative Reputation, -1 Reparation Demand, +3 difficulty to all Ward related tests, Gain Godscrown w/ no tests
>Option B
You could just as well demand the blade in reparations. It belonged in the hand of a Valyrian not a madman’s child. You would come to trial with reason and cause for why the blade was more than a trophy of war, but rather a larger part of reparations, surely Saul Cromwell could help you. It was honorable in its own way, people lose titles, lands, children in war, why not a sword? It would be legal, and owned by a better man, and those that questioned you could be damned for all you cared.
Notes: Negative Reputation, No Demands Lost, No Difficulty modifiers, Gain Godscrown on DC24 (subject to severe negative modifiers based upon argument, dispositions, and actions prior)
>Option C
Ransom the blade back to the Langwards, if you knew anything about the world it was that the desperate will often do anything to get back what they lost. The sword was nothing more than metal to you, that of your homeland, but that was history. Long and forgotten. If you could leverage the blade as a part of your reparations returning it in return for more you certainly would. Call it the actions of a sellsword all you wanted Uncle, but it gained you more to be frugal than it did to be honorable.
Notes: Neutral Reputation, +1 Reparation Demands, -3 difficulty to one test
>Option D
Take your uncle’s council. Even in times like this where anger boiled freely and lack of sleep clouded your mind you could see his words were true. The fog of war blinded you at the moment, it was an ill decided thing, worst still in the Reach before allies and now with the blade upon your mantle. If it was returned with honour the Reach would be more likely to forget and keep trade and alliance, and the Lord Hand would likely be more amiable as well. Even if it meant swallowing your pride and being humble for a moment.
Notes: Very Positive Reputation, No Reparations Lost or Gained, -6 difficulty to one test
>Option E
Something else? Please specify.

Please do not you are not beholden strictly to the exact wording of each of these options, if you can find a little wiggle room and still get the desired outcome you can suggest it and we'll see if it works. Please ask any and all questions if you are unsure of what exactly any of these might entail or of the benefits of any.

>>3558890
>your tales of war are well planned and detailed
...we did tell him the story how how we performed a suicidally dangerous raid in-person, right? And that other time three assassins burst into the room just as we were nutting inside a mysterious spymistress in a back alley whorehouse? Or the other myraid times we were basically Sterling Archer?

>>3558900
>Option D
Making friends with the Reach is good (winter is coming, after all), the -6 is good and staying friendly with Dontos is good.

Keeping it should obviously be a no-go, and I think the rep boost and higher DC negative from option D is better than option C

>>3558900
Could we hold off on returning it until the new lord Swears king's peace? (and hopefully has to swallow us taking everything else he's got of worth?)

>>3558900
>Option D

Dontos knows what hes talking about. Lands, titles and everything else is more important than the sword. Plus if we are worried about the heritage of a weapon, we're getting a dragonbone bow soon enough.

>>3558900
>>Option D
>Take your uncle’s council. Even in times like this where anger boiled freely and lack of sleep clouded your mind you could see his words were true. The fog of war blinded you at the moment, it was an ill decided thing, worst still in the Reach before allies and now with the blade upon your mantle. If it was returned with honour the Reach would be more likely to forget and keep trade and alliance, and the Lord Hand would likely be more amiable as well. Even if it meant swallowing your pride and being humble for a moment.
>Notes: Very Positive Reputation, No Reparations Lost or Gained, -6 difficulty to one test

We should give it back, publically to the Langward son, without prompting. Telling him we wish an end to the emnity between our houses. He'll always hate us, and might spit the dummy out, but we're playing to the crowd, not the new Lord Langward.

>>3558908
Loved the scene with the brothers by the way. Reading that he grabbed the wine I was half expecting a guard to get bottled.

>>3558906
That definitely can be arranged. This whole thing won't happen until after the 'bandits' are dealt with so your trial for demands and reparations will come then. This is mostly so we have a game plan.

>>3558902
Brynden has a tendency to look at past victories with a bit of bias. Yeah sure it was probably ill conceived on the moment ideas but they worked. And now, since he won, he can detail it up all he wants. Yep he definitely planned all of that with methodical and meticulous detail. Yes sir.

>>3558900
>>Option D

>>3558915
Same. Fucking Tyrus, angry little shit

We should also tell Dontos that we should have brought him with us, and it was a mistake to leave him behind. Be concilitory. He's put up with a lot from us. Hurts nothing to let him know he's valued.

>>3558902
>Or the other myraid times we were basically Sterling Archer?
We really, really are.

>>3558851
>>3558852

Thanks! Just wanted to make sure.

>Option D

I have some very pointed words for the little shit when we give it back though. We're not going to beg forgiveness, we did it because we wanted that last thing that fuck Langward ever saw was me taking everything from him. They can have it back now that we've finished with them.

>>3558920
Huh, I had seen us telling it more in a "So no shit there we were in the middle of the night" sort of Shoggy style of retelling.

>>3558920
Also could we frame it as we lost our self due to familial grief?
That his treacherous serpent of a father and the men who backed him clearly had this set up ahead of time (our brother in law's crippling, using them going after Goldsong as a proof, coupled with Hightower deliberately killing Ambrose in the melee) and how his men did not accept a yield (quelon's death), attacked from behind (hightower killing Wesley) and in gnereal acted more like bandit scum than true knights, and in our rage and pain we forgot ourself for a moment and killed the treacherous, assassin using snake instead of affording him the courtesy he deserved?


In short can we goad the little shit into making a faux pas while we seem conciliatory?

>>3558926
We even have a swarthy love interest who is a spy, whom we also have a daughter with. The resemblance is uncanny

File: revengeandgold.jpg (18 KB, 292x297)

18 KB JPG

>>3558926

>>3558900
>Option D

>>3558920
Oh also can we write an apology letter to the Daynes? They no doubt heard about this, and thus the death of Obella's handmaiden. They also know we lied to them. Can we apologize for that and say we wanted to nail the bastard who commissioned her death to the fucking wall, and our wife in her knowledge advised we make sure no one would come to kill our witness before due time? Also let them know while she got a "clean" death her time in our dungeons was most painful and disfiguring?

>>3558900
>>Option D

>>3558900
>Option C

>>3558938
The wifey is taking care of that.

>>3558928
It depends upon who Brynden is talking to. Plays up the honor and glory of it with Lord Tarly. The high stakes action that you had a 100% control of from the start with Jaime. SO HERE I AM WHORE ON MY DICK BOW IN MY HAND IN MYR, to assorted friends. Brynden's a good storyteller.

>>3558933
I... Huh. Huh. ...huh. Well then. I didn't notice it, but HERE WE ARE.

>>3558923
Dontos would like to hear that even if he believes otherwise. So I'll throw that in to help him calm down.

>>3558915
He was real close to it.

>>3558931
You might be able to. It can fit within the frame of option D, though is more option C-ish in nature. Goading him would be in very poor taste considering the circumstances and how you're trying to come off as the good party in this.

>>3558938
Might not do much for Gerold Dayne's opinion on the matter but it isn't going to hurt unless you botch the roll. Obella's mother would appreciate it more likely.

>>3558900
>Option D
As much as I'd like to fuck with this house, we can gain more by giving this one up. Like a second banner house.

>>3558938
I like this but would rather not lay the blame on Obella, we're the Lord we're responsible for the decisions.

Anyway, looks like a solid Option D response. Which I mean is very telling of the sort of man that Brynden was grown into being. I honestly doubt that if this was at the beginning of the quest that Brynden wouldn't be keeping the sword and telling the Langwards to pound sand.

Anyway. House Fortunes is next and it is a god damn dozy. So I am going to take a break to stretch and eat real quick and then we're going to get into it. Hope everyone is enjoying so far. I feel like I swept the rug out from everyone with the opening scene and ever since no one knows what to do with Jaime and it's hilarious.

>>3558980
>Hope everyone is enjoying so far
Yes sirree. Enjoy dinner.

>>3558956
>Dontos would like to hear that even if he believes otherwise. So I'll throw that in to help him calm down.

Cool, I always think Dontos is a good check against our tendancy to get excited and go full WILDFIRE! Plus if we had taken him, and Oberyn then we probably could have saved poor WEsley.

>>3558993
but then the bandits likely woulda hit already.

>>3558956
Without wanting to pry, can we also ask Dontos how things are going with the Lady Chelsted? If he's sufficently calm. Want to check the state of that alliance.

>>3558933
>>3558956
>>3558934
We are also a really good rider/driver

Does anyone remember who Armen Hunt is? I can't find him in the dramatis personnae in the House History & Household. I'm assuming he's a squire.

File: archer.jpg (27 KB, 480x325)

27 KB JPG

>>3559021
>swarthy love interest
>baby girl
>super good shot
>good at "driving/riding"
>no concept of his own mortality
>RAMPAGE
>philanderer

We really are Sterling Archer, the worlds most dangerous spy.

Can we get a Goldsong update before the night is out?

>>3558956
>>3558980

I'm voting for option D but no way in hell am I apologizing. You can have it back but we're not sorry. We wanted the bastard to suffer.

>>3559030
Can someone photoshop that into silver Valyrian hair so we can use that as our photo from now on?

You sigh and pull yourself up, half dressed and disheveled and cross the room to Dontos, where you can see the turmoil in his stormy grey eyes. The tears that wetted the corner you. The immense pain and blame he had taken upon himself. You draw your uncle into an embrace, pinched and pointed by the onyx plate as you were and he bangs his head against your shoulder.

“You counsel is wise and appreciated Uncle,” you state, “It will be done as you said, with honour. Even if I must swallow my pride a moment longer than desires. But all the sooner I will not let them forget.”

“Promise me nephew,” he responds simply.

“I promise Uncle.”

He sighs, pulling away slightly to rest his hand upon your head and touch his forehead to your own.

“You should have been there Dontos,” you admit, “I needed you and I was a fool to have not brought you. If I had perhaps… Wesley…”

“What is done is done Brynden,” Dontos responds, “We cannot bring the dead back with what ifs and should haves. And had I not been here, then what of Blacksaithe, of Steadhold? Lady Obella only had Ser Mason at her side. Lady Alexes myself. Perhaps it would have emboldened these ‘bandits’ further. We cannot say for certain.”

“And yet.”

“And yet you will be haunted by his memory,” Dontos finishes for you, “That is our curse and our burden nephew. I care with me my own regrets, for your sister. Your mother. Had I not abandoned my post...” he trails off and you allow the silence to hang. The words your uncle spoke were true, you knew them to be. But you could not forget so easily. Not so soon.

Your uncle breaks and stiffens, composing himself again as the Black Knight only could. You laugh to yourself and slump back into a chair regarding him, marriage had been agreeable to him you find. Sure, it was not to his preferences, but Lady Alexes did seem to care for appearance and your Uncle looked more immaculate than he ever had before.

“How does your marriage find you Uncle,” you ask in jest, allowing a light smile to play upon your lips.

He fixes you with a level gaze, bringing his hand to his face again, “The Lady Alexes is… A good woman,” he says simply, “A she-devil in disguise that is relentless in her requests and matters of needs in regards to maintaining appearance at court but a good woman. We are lucky to have her upon our side.”

“And there she remains?” you ask remembering Lady Chelsted’s more than open dislike for the type of man you were upon your arrival.

“So long as it is to her benefit I would believe so nephew,” Dontos says after a moment, “She finds your flighting about for war or conquest or battle here and there to be troublesome. No doubt would prefer you stay at home and focus upon your lands and her people rather than it. But you are a Malroy, of the wild blood, I tell her. But the loss of her younger brother has shaken the woman, even if she will not show it. And you will do as is your nature. But I would counsel to appeal to her more restrained nature sooner rather than later. Or offer something to help our Houses bind together further. Lest she grow tired of war before the time of dealing with Royce begins.”

You mull the thought a moment and nod silently several times, “Thank you uncle,” you say simply and the man responds in kind before leaving off to drill his own men in the yard. He begged you take a moment to see Ser Raymun’s sons before they left for Blacksaithe with him again. It would surely do them well to here your condolences for the loss of their father. His eldest Ser Jaromir, was a Knight recently made and looking to prove himself. Perhaps you could find place for him here, your uncle suggested. Your mind found itself upon the piles of paper and ledgers Ashby had left in your room for you, details and money related items to go over prior to dealing with the House’s incomes this month. It had honestly bored you halfway to death trying to read through the thickness of it, and thankfully it lulled you sleep for a moment before your meeting, a dark deep sleep undisturbed by the Seven’s blessing.

---

Day 6, Month IX - Year 285AC ~ Mid-Afternoon

It was not your great hall, it was cramped and overly warm in fact, and you wonder how your father ever held Small Council in his solar. The Great Hall had remained occupied by the Westermen and there was little to do in regards to expelling them. So instead you crammed your small council, or what there was of it into your unfurnished and unwelcoming solar and took counsel here instead. Master-of-Horse Gawen, Acolyte Ashby, Ser Mason Flowers, Lady Elionwy of Myr, and Illiad attended you; Obella, Saul Cromwell, and Captain Jonos still in King’s Landing. Ashby was far more spry and of his wits than Benjin had been in his advanced age and had done you the duty of organizing the day’s subjects into convenient dossiers, of which there were several. Including three separate letters; one from Obella, another from Saul and the last with the seal of House Hayford and nothing else. But first there was a matter of what incomes you could expect from the coming month.

You lean forward in your chair, fingers interlaced and nod for Ashby to begin.

Please roll 9D6+4 (5D Status + 3D Holdings +1B Bannerhouse + 2 Head of House + 2 Blood of Valyria)

Notes:
>Here is the House’s Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ok_UzOYKm6XyIPb4Gs6xNyiL3IPXCl1CFBS9CBpAC4g/edit?usp=sharing
>See attached picture for what rolls mean and what gains or losses they confer, as well as conversions for resources, and glory.
>I’ve decided I’m just going to stick with Highest of Three on this, regardless of the outcome or if a better roll is beneath it. I feel that’s the most fair with how I do things.
>We’re going back to base rules for House Fortunes Gains and Losses. I definitely made things way too easy earlier in the quest by doubling them.
>Glory is now going to function as intended in game. Brynden’s Archery Contest victory was an outlier and should remain treated as such as, again, it too made things too easy.
>This is an odd month so you do not need to pay the Bank of Bays any debt. But you will need to next month. Keep that in mind when spending Wealth.
>We’re going to roll for House Fortunes, see what sort of bonus that will confer, if at all, and then we’re going to deep delve into all of the matters that the House needs to address prior to assigning that bonus. So basically we’ll buy stuff at the end and see all of the House’s needs laid out and new mechanics we have to work with to get extra gains prior to executing on anything. I’ll also be doing some refreshers on stuff we need to get done.
>I completely redid how trade works. Because holy fuck was it broken prior. You still have some reasonable bonuses due to your current slate of holdings, but toned down so the difficulty is still there somewhat. On the flip side, the new Food & Trade system, which we will be going over, will make things easier as well.

File: HouseFortunes.png (481 KB, 1202x1110)

481 KB PNG

>>3559086
>attached picture

I'm very good at this QMing thing.

Rolled 1, 1, 2, 6, 6, 1, 3, 2, 5 + 4 = 31 (9d6 + 4)

>>3559086

Rolled 6, 5, 5, 6, 4, 3, 6, 5, 5 + 4 = 49 (9d6 + 4)

>>3559086
>inb4 people bitching about the nerfs

Rolled 1, 2, 5, 1, 3, 4, 1, 5, 3 + 4 = 29 (9d6 + 4)

>>3559086

>>3559091
30
>>3559092
46
>>3559093
28

...
>46
Bruh.

Alright Boon it is.

>>3559086

>>3559097
*thunk of huge Malroy balls hitting the table reverberates through the hall*

File: 1535251955383.gif (3.55 MB, 275x206)

3.55 MB GIF

>>3559092

>>3559086

Rolls: 30,46,28
Result: Boon (+1D6 to one resource OR +1D3 to two resources)

“My Lord, the month has been good to us, exceptionally so in fact. Despite the occupation of the Westerland peacekeeping force the people’s spirits are in good health with Lady Obella’s work and the Sept being open to the public, the harvest remains strong albeit lagging, and trade is otherwise good though remains lacking.”

“A matter of interest then,” you say in response and the young Acolyte nods to the folders containing the numerous papers of trade, incomes, and food supplies.

“As there are several others,” Ashby continues, “Master Gawen requested conversation regarding his lack of hands about the stables and how it may affect our growth. Ser Mason that of the military at present and events in the coming month. Not to mention the letters from your Lady-Wife and Master Saul. And Master Illiad has taken it upon himself to come to preliminary terms with potential trade offers in matters of food.”

“Well as of others, Lord,” Illiad finishes with a smile. The new position as Master-of-Commerce has helped him find place again and your old friend was grateful for it. His brother being safe and finding good wages was a bonus. Not to mention he was easily the most skilled tradesmen in the House, far outstripping yourself even. Better to let him build trade about the Crownlands and keep in contact with Ventys of Myr in the Dyre Den Caravanserai as he was his man.

“I would be remiss to remind my Lord, as Maester benjin has instructed me to do so that we have several pressing needs as well,” Ashby chimes, “The Port(10 Wealth needs Small Town) and Market(10 Wealth needs Small Town) Districts remain in ruin and our hold on the situation is tenuous at best with the refugees.”

“Can’t get any of the beggars to disperse either,” Mason adds, “Septon Tytos is doing his best to accommodate but I worry the Sept will be overrun. We need to begin building new homes and the Small Town (10 Lands) beneath Steadhold’s walls before anything else. I am certain if we can handle this food shortage we will have more time but without work people will turn to crime and lawlessness within the Outer Ring we cannot abide.”

Ashby nods and then turns to you again, “Which would you like to speak of first my Lord?”

>Matters of Trade with Illiad
>Matters of Horse with Gawen
>Matters of Military, Events, and Favours with Mason
>Obella’s Letter
>Saul’s Letter

>>3559126
>>Matters of Trade with Illiad

>>3559126

>Read the letters first

>>3559126
>>Obella’s Letter
>>Saul’s Letter

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>3559130
Odds
>>3559137
Evens

I don't have all night and I plan to get through this section.

We should probably get +1d3 to Lands and Power. We need to get working on Lands so we can buy a Small Town: We should spend our Glory point on a Land as well. We can buy the rest of our way to 10 Lands with reparations money.

>>3559137
>>3559144
>>3559145
Alright letters it is. These are both longer sections so I'm going to end up doing them right after one another. Not sure why people thought they could be done together. We'll do Obella's first.

I am late. I am late!

>>3558644
>>3558648
>>3558654
>>3558663
>>3558664
>>3558666
Do you think Tywin is making a play for Godscrown here? I don't think Brynden would go that route, especially since we've already decided on a course of action.
Still, its a mystery...

>>3559166
Why would Tywin want some sword? It's just a piece of metal you can kill someone with.

>>3559170
Because the Lannister's lost their ancestral sword? His whole motivation for taking Ice?

although I really don't think that's his play.

Tapping at your chin a moment you note the old growth is back in full, you’d need a trim whenever you went to King’s Landing to escort Obella back home. Look the proper Lord again, or at least one with a bit of style. Deciding it best to read some, hopefully good news from your wife, you pick at her letter first, and wave off the rest of your small council to chat amongst themselves as you read it to yourself.

“My Beloved,

I hope this letter finds you in good health and mood. I know it must be difficult to deal with the Westerlanders and the Kingslayer, it will not truly feel of home again until their stink is washed from Steadhold’s stone. I find myself missing you more with every day. I wish to be home with you and our daughter so we can be the family you have dreamt of, that I promised you. Lorelei is of good health, bouncy and bubbly as always, I know she too misses her father and I promise her with every day she will see him again soon.

[You blush slightly and chuckle to yourself as the letter devolves into a long paragraph of rather graphic descriptions regarding what she is going to do to you the next time she sees you. Mostly involving her silks and some limbs tied up before you get back to the meat of the letter on the next page.]

Before I go any further please do find this letter meets only your eyes.

Master Rickard Wence is a good sort. Your family is lucky to have him and his family about. I would be lying if I did not say he has come on a touch strongly regarding rebuilding the Malroy Villa (2-4 Wealth). Though I do suppose it has been nearly two years now. I would say perhaps it best to be done soon, love. So the children might have a place and I may too use it for our other purposes.

The basis of the network is done and I have placed spies about as you have ordered Brynden. King’s Landing is dangerous with both the Spider and my Prince’s networks, I am able to call upon certain assets with his permission, so I would not say we should prioritize placing any new cells there. The Langward lands have been chaos since the death of their Lord, and my spies have found it easy to slip into place and infiltrate the House on the whole. The new Lord Langward will not so much as cough without us knowing of it.

Otherwise I have two more cells that you may place as you deem fit love. I would be so bold as to make several recommendations though? The most obvious is that of the Royce Waters’ lands, his having done dark for so long concerns me greatly, and we need to know what he is doing before we can proceed any further. Also that of the Crackclaw Point. Those Lords are prickly and loyal to the bone and while they may appear to be allies we cannot always be certain of their intentions. I would think it better to know if they plan to drag us to war with the Celtigars before we are made aware of such. There are also the Celtigars as well, though Lord Ardrian wants little and less to do with you now I have no doubt he still has plans for his own expansion and good, even if ill conceived, the Lords of the Point may also appreciate a fair warning on if he plans to launch ship so they can defend themselves properly. On the other side of the coin there are the Hayfords, with Wesley’s death and Lord Winston’s grief we are unlikely to hear from them again. I know you care deeply for your cousin’s child, and if we were able to place spies there it is likely we could keep on eye on the child and her mother’s help or step in if something had gone amiss. I could make a case for the Blounts, or Velaryons as well but I doubt they hold as much interest to you love. So simply write back and I will see it done.

With Fondest, Loving Regards
-Lady Obella Qorgyle, Lady of Steadhold.”[/i]

You look up briefly, to assure no one had been attention to you as you read the letter. The Spy Network was mostly kept secret to anyone not necessarily on a need to know basis. Given how dangerous the activity could be if found out. You think for a moment on the idea, you could also use some eyes in House Chyttering, see what they are up to now that Ser Cyrus was dead and where they were leaning in this soon to be chaos or even the Thornes. Hells, you could send one to the Reach or across the Narrow Sea to keep an eye on Tychano Osten if need be. So many options, but you were sure that Obella would handle it well. You pull a piece of parchment and begin to write a simple response.

Where to place the other two (2) Spy Cells?
Please pick two.
>House Redward of Bolthole Hall
>House Celtigar of Claw Isle
>House Brune of Dyre Den (aka Crackclaw Point)
>House Hayford of Hayford
>House Chyttering of Chyttering Brook
>House Thorne of the Rayonet
>The Reach (Specify)
>Myr (Magister Tychano Osten’s Estates)
>Other? (Specify)

Notes:
>Obella has already placed a Cell in the Langward Domain and gains a free Cell from her Connections Benefit in King's Landing.
>It will take 1 month for each Cell to establish and require Obella to roll a Status(Steward) test DC:9 to do so.
>Obella will be able to roll for Connections once each Cell is established and feed you information from there.
>More information regarding the Spy Network can be found in OOSP, pg 25-26.

>>3559201
>>House Redward of Bolthole Hall

>>House Chyttering of Chyttering Brook

>>3559201
>House Redward of Bolthole Hall

He's our principal enemy and he has gone quiet. That is NOT good.


>Myr (Magister Tychano Osten’s Estates)
and this asshole is gunning for us and funding redfuck, In fact if we get the spies in good position on both we could get cassus beli to free sis easily..

>>3559201
>>House Redward of Bolthole Hall
>>House Hayford of Hayford

>>3559201
Fucking finally!
>House Redfuck of Deadman Hall
>Myr

I have a question, can Spy Cells be moved if we no longer have need of them?

>>3559229
>I have a question, can Spy Cells be moved if we no longer have need of them?

Yes, outside of Obella's one in King's Landing it'll just take a month and another Status(Steward) test with DC 9 for her to move them.

I'll leave this until 930PM EST, so 5 minutes. If no more votes we'll assume Redward and Myr.

>>3559201
>>House Redward of Bolthole Hall
>House Brune of Dyre Den (aka Crackclaw Point)

>>3559213
why chyttering?

>>3559223
hayford I can understand

>>3559263
why?


we need to have our assets placed strategically, and known enemies are more useful than about anything else, other than maybe hayford to make sure the family thrives.

>>3559201
>House Redward of Bolthole Hall
>House Hayford of Hayford

>House Redward of Bolthole Hall
>Myr

Allies are less likely to try and immediately kill us. We can move the cells to Hayford and Crackclaw point afterwards

The letter is simple and to the point, while you wished to spend some time on lavish wordy poetry for your Lady-love it was hardly the time. You would ravish her when you saw her next instead, “The Red Bastard and Magister Tychano Osten in Myr.” You say and are satisfied with the decision and thankful that Obella had managed to get her network up and running so quickly. You give Ashby a short flick of your pointer and middle finger and he sits up to hand you your seal and wax. You push the letter to him and give the young Acolyte a pointed look, “No one handles this but you, understood?”

“Yes my Lord,” he squeaks out, pushing it hurriedly into his robes for safe keeping.

As your Council continues their idle chatter you reach for Master Saul Cromwell’s letter, it was certainly good to have the interim Master-of-Law on retainer you think opening the thing to find an incredibly length and wordy letter of at least five pages regarding a case he was putting together for you.

Lord Brynden Malroy,

I have come to understand the case against Lord Linden Langward has been decided in your favour in a Trial by Seven. While I do mourn for those lost, I have found myself quick at work on an action plan once things are settled in your lands, and these so called bandits are dealt with. The Crown has lost a Lord, and often times in cases such as these many others, those who think themselves wronged or damaged by the offending party will come to the Crown to demand reparations and incomes lost due to war, strife, suffering, etc. Having spoken to the Lord Hand at length on the topic we have decided you are chiefly among them and will have first say in anything you may want. I will say I greatly encourage you to return to the Valyrian Steel Sword, Godscrown to the new young in ceremony and under a banner of peace. So that the King and Lord Hand look more favourably upon your case. That being said, I do believe I have the power to grant you four items of worth, should your arguments prove sufficient and acceptable to the Crown. Below I have detailed each and what will be expected of you should you desire such-”

At this point you hand the letter off to Ashby, the dense legalise being beyond your scope of knowledge and understanding. The Acoylte scribbles furiously at a piece of parchment for a good ten minutes before reading over the entire letter again for a second and third pass eventually sitting it down with a look of contemplation upon his face.

“My Lord this is a great boon for your House,” he says simply, “No doubt it will require much work on your end to handle and reign in properly but I believe with the coming time of peace you will be able to manage it. Though I do worry for our incomes and food stores.”

You wave him on, having gained the rest of the Council’s attention for the matter at hand.

“Well first there is the matter of your return of the swo-”

“It will be done, with ceremony and pomp,” you state flatly and he continues on with a brisk nod.

“In that case my Lord you can expect at most four boons granted to the House as reparations. Among them are Wealth, such arms and armour, food, luxury goods and coin. Lands, the Langward’s own leagues of land directly to your north, of the Princewood specifically. The Honeyrun is one of food production. And the Northern Princewood is that of luxury goods. Both do have their downsides, namely larger population and lawlessness. There is also the matter of a title historically bestowed upon the Lord of Langward, the Lord Marshal of the Southron God’s Eye River, a prestigious and ancient thing from the days of the Hoare Kings that you would have cause to claim should you claim those lands and given your current location. And lastly and most importantly is that of wards, in polite terms.”

“Hostages more like,” Mason says in less than.

“Um… Yes Ser Mason. Wards, as I said. Linden Langward left behind three child, Lucos, his heir, Landon his second born, and Cersei his youngest and only daughter. I’ve written quick a synopsis of each for you to see here my Lord so you may better determine your decision, if you wished to at all acquire one. And I’m sure you and your Lady-Wife would have many opinions on the matter as well.”

You take the piece of parchment from Ashby and though he parsed it down significantly it was still quite a read. Deciding it best to have these decisions done now so that Master Saul could put together his best case you delve in.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FmgoY7_y8J_Bzv6mdXkno-JcvksKxK8eBDQ_REP2BeQ/edit?usp=sharing

Which four (4) Demands would you like to make?

[u]Wealth[/u]
>Wealth 5
>Wealth 10

[u]Lands[/u]
>Option A: The Honeyrun
Or
>Option B: The Northern Princewood

[u]Titles[/u]
>Lord Marshal of the Southron God’s Eye River

[u]Wards[/u]
>Lucos Langward
>Landon Langward
>Cersei Langward

[u]Other[/u]
>Please Specify

Notes:
>The give back Godscrown choice has already been made, thus netting you a -6 to any one (1) test’s DC of the above choices.
>You may double up on Wealth and Ward options but not Lands
>This trial will not occur for at least another two (2) months. Once the bandits are done, and other decisions are made.
>For Other, I will come up with a reasonable gain and DC depending upon the write in, unless it is unobtainable.
>Each Demand has its related ability test and DC necessary to gain it within the document.

>>3559331
>>3559342
Man I am really bad at using commands today besides bold.

>>3559342
>>Wealth 5
>Option A: The Honeyrun
>Wealth 10
>Lord Marshal of the Southron God’s Eye River

>>3559342
could we get an option to limit their military or forcibly disband some of it (assuming anything survives us)
Preliminary set up would be
>Wealth 10
>Option A: The Honeyrun
>Lord Marshal of the Southron God’s Eye River
>Landon Langward


the wealth and land are a lock, but the rest is open to work with.

>>3559342
>Lord Marshal of the Southron God’s Eye River
>Option A: The Honeyrun
>Wealth 5
>Landon Langward

>>3559342
>Wealth 10
>The Honeyrun
>Lord Marshal of the Southron God's Eye River (Use -6 from Godscrown)
>Wealth 10

Honestly I think we should just take more cashmoney over the Ward. We need it to rebuild Steadhold.

>>3559362
>>3559354

My dudes the XP we invested in Persuade gives us a literally 99% chance to hit DC 15 for 10 wealth.

>>3559342
>>Wealth 10
>Option A: The Honeyrun
>Lord Marshal of the Southron God’s Eye River
>Landon Langward

>>3559367
>>3559342
Your right I switch to
>Lord Marshal of the Southron God’s Eye River
>Option A: The Honeyrun
>Wealth 10
>Landon Langward

>>3559364
>Wealth 5 twice

Not how that works. You can pick up both Wealth 5 and Wealth 10 to "double up" but not either one twice.

>>3559342
>Wealth 10
>Option A: The Honeyrun
>Lord Marshal of the Southron God’s Eye River
>Wealth 10

>>3559374

Oh sorry. In that case change me to
>Lord Marshal of the Southron God’s Eye River (Godscrown Bonus)
>Option A: The Honeyrun
>Wealth 10
>Landon Langward

with Wealth 5 instead if Landon kicks it in the fight

>>3559374
ooooh, disregard my wealth 5 then

Alright so it looks like a fairly strong showing for:

>10 Wealth
>Option A - The Honeyrun
>Lord Marshal of the Southron God's Eye River
>Landon Langward

Which is what I expected given past responses.

>>3559361
You'd be effectively disarming it if you decided to take Superior arms and armour in your Wealth raiding. By taking their food production and lands and ruining their economy they will effectively be limited by their lack of supplies to feed or trade for food to field an army. So this will be a passive bonus.

Anyway next we're going to do Trade Deals with Illiad.

Please roll 5D6+4 (5D Status + 2 Head of House + 2 Blood of Valyria) for Brynden's Status(Stewardship).

Rolled 3, 2, 4, 5, 6 + 4 = 24 (5d6 + 4)

>>3559408

Rolled 1, 1, 5, 2, 1 + 4 = 14 (5d6 + 4)

>>3559408

Rolled 2, 3, 4, 1, 3 + 4 = 17 (5d6 + 4)

>>3559408

Rolled 4, 4, 4, 2, 1 + 4 = 19 (5d6 + 4)

>>3559408

>>3559408
>5D6+4

>>3559414
>>3559415
>>3559419
24,14,17

Good batch, thank you. Writing.

>>3559342
>Wealth 10
>Wealth 5
>Option A: The Honeyrun
>Lord Marshal of the Southron God’s Eye River

>>3559431
Question dad: Will all this timber we have piling up be useful in rebuilding the Town?

So what we need to spend our newfound wealth on.

Rebuil the town.

Restore the Manse

Get Cecilia a dowry to marry a knight so Dorian can be taken care of.

>>3559567
Manse
have agents look onto getting a LP for Cecillia

and put the rest into land for the town.

You know, it's possible Tywin ordered that guy dead because he heard about the sword and wants to make us an offer for it. He's been trying to get his mitts on one for a while, right? It'd make sense to play nice.

Just a thought.

>>3559593
Tywin can get fucked

>>3559567
>>3559575

I feel like the Port/Market takes priority over the Manse, we only have 10 months to attain 10 Lands plus 20 Wealth for the complete restoration alongside not counting other expenses we'll inevitably have. Winter is Coming and we need to get ourselves ready. We need reserves of 1000 Food to get through the upcoming Winter next year... we currently have 16.

>>3559596
You're not wrong. It just seems like every time we promise Dontos something it's not really in our best interests.

>>3559593
It's heavy-handed and dramatic enough to be Cersi's idea. Maybe she'd rather be friends with the winning side and has developed a distaste for the red bastard's crudity. I can't imagine that his complaints to her have been particularly eloquent or endearing. She's probably sick of him.

>>3559607
Well, it's possible that she had a raven from daddy dearest telling her to play nice, and she chose to do it in the most theatrical and murderous way possible. You're right that it seems like her.

>>3559607
>>3559612

Queen Bitch doing something nice for us is literally unthinkable. There's no possible way that's the explanation.

Status(Stewardship) Test
DCs: 15, 18, 21
Rolls: 24,14,17
Success, two degrees.
Success, one degree.
Success, one degree.

As the finer points of these reparations are hammered out by your council you pick at the Hayford letter and open it tentatively. There were no pleasantries, no honorifics, nor goodbyes, merely a simple state from Lord Winston’s steward.


To whom it may concern,

Effective as of Month IX of the Year 285AC House Hayford has canceled any and all trade agreements with Lord Malroy of Steadhold. Rickon will return to you shortly. House Hayford has no further interest in continued or future trade with House Malroy.

Regards,
-Manwell Claviger, Steward of Hayford


You slump back and float the letter onto the desk pinching the bridge of your nose. Well now you had no active trade for your horses. You had a good deal ready for the direct market or to arm your men with better horses or mounted some of the less mobile ones in due time but without a market for your horses you were due for a decline.

“Lord?” Illiad asks and you brush the letter closer for him to read for the moment that Ashby draws your attention.

“Tell Master Saul my intentions are to take as much wealth as possible, The Honeyrun to the northeast, his title for the Southron God’s Eye River, and let us attempt to take Landon as a ward.”

Mason grunts, “We’ll need to retrieve him from the field first. If rumour stands true of his being with Ser Lestor within one of those camps.”

“And I’d fear for his life with the Westermen about,” you respond shortly, “Make sure our men are on the lookout for the lad. I’m sure someone will be able to describe the boy. Ashby write to Oldtower if necessary. We need to find him, he is the best and easiest option to cow the Langwards into submission after this is done.”

Mason nods solemnly, Elionwy writing a note for him later in her ledger.

“Lord?” Illiad asks again and you wave him on, he smiles pleasantly, and opens the ledger with the notes regarding his activities in the past month in find trade, “Lord will note several avenues of trade to be had.”

You scan the page and a small smile creeps upon your lips as Illiad continues speaking.

“Of many, Lord, I was able to come to tentative terms with three. With potential changes for others of current status. To begin with Lord. House Stokeworth desires trade of short term and little stake, three coursers for six foods for six months. A short deal to regather Lord’s stores, hm?

Next, House Cressey seeks an immediate trade, forty coursers for fifty foods. A quick and easy transaction, though would leave the Lord with little trading capital until next month.

Last, and of most impression. The King’s Master-of-Horse has been able to breed Lord’s horses true. Those few left of once proud lineage, sold, or ruined,” you watch Gawen shudder with anger at the mention and hold your hand out to calm the man so that Illiad may continue, “The Master requests a trade, likely of the Arryn Hand’s doing, of a historical proportion. Five of your superior coursers per month for ten foods and either two jewels, or five processed irons for the next three years. To bind House and King, I am told. A good deal, no?”

“But also one that is likely to sour the potential trade with the Tyrells, milord,” Gawen says gruffly, flopping his own letter upon the desk, “Arrived before you did milord. I took the liberties of looking it over. They want more than we produce at present, and only the best as well.”

“And what is that Gawen?” you ask.

“At least two coursers with extraordinary lineages, of the rare blood line. And some ten of the superior golden warhorse heard.”

“So we’d need to nearly double our output?” you ask somewhat dejected, “How? With what funds?”

“Well milord, if I may be so bold as to suggest it,” Gawen continues, “But my boys, the farriers, groomsmen could all use a hand, the stables are rebuilt aye, but I need more lads, more supplies and I could have our stocks doubled in little time I’d ‘magine.”

Ashby ruffles himself up as Bejin often did to interject, “We’ve hardly the space my Lord. Already the House struggles to retain so many craftsmen, masters, and their aids. I fear enough would possibly cause us to lose someone for fear of lacking a wage.”

Your face screws up, and Gawen grumbles to himself, “‘Gardless milord. We should be seeing to our herds for when the Tyrells come. I’d recommend we shift focus to less horses, but better of quality, at least for that of the Valyrian herds, aye I would. Build a small stock for the Tyrell to see and be ready for what they want., mhm.”

“On topic of horse, Lord,” Illiad interjects, “The Brune of Dyre Den has been speaking to Ventys quite frequently of trade of horseflesh.”

“And what do they want Illiad?” you ask.

“Ermmm…” he pauses trying to parse the words in the common tongue, “Not horse of war or have lineage. But rather that of work and labour Lord.”

“Leave it to a Point Lord to want stots,” Gawen grumbles, “We can do it milord. Just need the coin, though I’d rather see it put to my lads before we spend it on new horse stock. The strain might be much for us now milord. If you’ll excuse me saying.”

“Ah yes stot!” Illiad responds excitedly to the disdainful displeasure of your elder Master-of-Horse, “Stot for stone he says, Lord. To help Lord rebuild wall?”

“That stone would be invaluable Brynden,” Mason says, “It would cut the time it took to rebuild by at least ten, maybe twenty percent.”

“Not to mention your own projects Mason,” you add and the man gaps slightly before nodding.

You mull the thoughts for a moment as everyone else chatters, and come upon the thought from Dontos a moment, “Illiad, reach out to Lady Chelsted while she stays here. My Uncle would recommend we perhaps begin to strength our alliance with trade.”

“Hmm… As Lord wishes,” Illiad responds, taking a note in Myrish, “What would Lord say to build strong trade to the Longwaters?”

“It would depend upon what they wanted Illiad.”

“...food, Lord.”

You stiffen and tap your fingers on the desk, you did need to maintain good graces with the Longwaters particularly if you wanted to ask such a mounmentus favour of Lady Sareya Vollion soon. You could potentially do it now, build up a stock with the trade with House Cressey to keep your people fed. Deal with the Stokeworths for six months and by then you would have the Honeyrun you reason and hopefully trade with either the Crown or the Tyrells. You pause a moment longer to consider the potential trade deals and other matters of horse and inventory.

>>3559619
Oh gods I could do better than that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5P63qGTm_g

Please refer to the follow document for all trade related activity:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zAcWLAiRBnJFyFkcoNrL3xaDKu6uIlsqZmp1_KOLwUo/edit?usp=sharing

Potential Trade Deals:

A: House Stokeworth of Stokeworth
>Goods - 3 Common Coursers : 6 Food
>Term - 6 Months
>Start & End - Month IX, 285AC to Month III, 286AC

B: House Cressey
>Goods - 40 Common Courser : 50 Food
>Term - Immediate
>Start & End - One Time

Notes:
>It is possible to do both of these right now. Illiad already did the Bargain rolls and used Brynden’s Status roll to entice the potential buyers.
>Taking the House Stokeworth deal will give you a +4 Food Production per month.
>Meanwhile taking the Cressey deal will give you a considerable store to sit on.

Potential Long Term Lucrative Trade Deals:

A: House Baratheon of King’s Landing
>Goods: 5 Superior Coursers : 10 Food & 2 Extraordinary Jewels OR 5 Superior Processed Iron
>Term - 3 Years
>Start & End - Month IX, 285AC to Month IX, 288AC

B: House Tyrell of Highgarden
>Goods: 10 Superior Coursers & 2 Extraordinary Valyrian Coursers : ???
>Term - ???
>Start & End - ???

Notes:
>At present you can immediately start the trade with the Baratheon’s, might it will very likely disrupt your maximum trade with the Tyrells.
>You won’t know what the Tyrells will potentially offer until the Willas comes to visit. Who knows how long the offer from the Baratheons will be on the table.

Potential Upgraded Trade Deals:

House Longwaters of Long Isle
>Goods: 8 Food : 4 Superior Processed Iron
>Term - 3 Years
>Start & End - Month IX, 284AC to Month IX, 287AC

Notes:
>Doing this and the above House Stokeworth deal will put your monthly food production at 0.
>You’d essentially be doubling both sides of this deal. It is possible to do this while taking only one of the other deals, taking both, or strictly speaking taking none though your monthly food production would fall to -6.
>This would net positive reputation with the Longwaters ahead of your favor asking

Gawen’s Recommendations:

Superior Valyrian Gold Courser Production:
>Shift from 5 Superior to 1 Extraordinary per month, to build stockpile
>Do not, maintaining the 5 Superior per month.

Notes:
>Gawen’s requests for more help essentially amounts to him asking for the Master-of-Horse Personage Wealth Holding, which will run you 5 Wealth. This will confer a -1 cost to purchasing all Cavalry units and also double your production of all of your horses (i.e. 20 Common Coursers, 10 Superior Gold Coursers, 10 Superior Valyrian Coursers/2 Extraordinary Valyrian Courser) thus meeting the Tyrells initial needs.
>In order to get this you will need to raise your Influence to 50, currently 42, to access another slot for a Personage Wealth Holding.
>The Horse Husbandry > Work Horse Herd would cost you 5 Wealth to purchase. And would provide you with 5 Superior Stots per month. The Stone you would receive in trade would help both your own building projects and Masons by -10% to -20% depending upon how the vote goes.

I know this is a lot of information. All very new information. Please ask questions. Please don’t feel stupid. I know it’s confusing if you don’t care for crunch that much and that’s okay if you don’t, especially when it’s homebrewed stuff like this. I’m going to open up a vote but also leave us up for as much Q&A as necessary. Alright?

Anyway, vote:

Potential Trade Deals:
>A - House Stokeworth
>B - House Cressey
>C - Both

Potential Long Term Trade Deals:
>A - House Baratheon
>B - House Tyrell
>C - Neither for now

Current Trade Deals
Effectively double your trade with House Longwaters?
>Yay
>Neigh

Gawen’s Recommendation
>Gawen - Focus on Quality over Quantity (1 Extraordinary Valyrian Gold Courser per month)
>Current - Focus on Quantity over Quality (5 Superior Valyrian Gold Courser per month)

>>3559636
Father. You are flooding us with a lot of information all at once

>>3559453
Yes. You can trade 40 Common Unprocessed Lumber for 1 Lands or 1 Wealth.

>>3559643
Do we know anyone who can process that lumber for us? I imagine that would help us get the Lands for a Small Town more efficiently than a raw Wealth to Lands 2:1 conversion.

>>3559619
It wouldn't be the first time she's done mental gymnastics to acquire questionable allies. Hearing about us continuously winning and deciding to pick the winning side is what a wannabe plotter would do. She thinks very highly of her ability to plot despite her typically heavy-handed results. She likes to compare herself to her father too. I wouldn't be surprised if she is even more interested in siding with us if Jamie returns and makes a comment similar to what he made to us.

Potential Trade Deals:
>C - Both

Potential Long Term Trade Deals:
>B - House Tyrell

Current Trade Deals
Effectively double your trade with House Longwaters?
>Yay

Gawen’s Recommendation
>Gawen - Focus on Quality over Quantity (1 Extraordinary Valyrian Gold Courser per month)

>>3559636
>Master-of-Horse Personage Wealth Holding, which will run you 5 Wealth
I don't really understand how the mechanics all work, but we're getting some new plains which seems like it ought to be good for raising more horses. How much would a second herd cost us, and would that permit us to triple rather than double our output, and meet both deals?

>>3559636
A lot to take in to be sure, but I honestly think the work horse herd may be worth it for that delicious stone. I'm not sure if that would take away our slot for Master of Horse though?

anyway

>C - Both
>B - House Tyrell
>Yay
>Gawen - Focus on Quality over Quantity (1 Extraordinary Valyrian Gold Courser per month)

>>3559657
>>3559652
>>3559636
I am just gonna agree with these two

>>3559633

40:50 Coursers to Food is not a good price, no deal. We live right next door to the Reach which has a x6 modifier on Food production and we ourselves have a domain with an x4 multiplier and soon to have one with an x2. I wouldn't trade 1 Common Goods for anything less than 2 Food considering that we could certainly get a trade that good from the Turkey guy at Longtable.

We really need Food of our own but Longwaters is offering such a good price AND they would like us more for the deal.

Current Trade Deals
Effectively double your trade with House Longwaters?
>Yay

Potential Long Term Trade Deals:
>A - House Baratheon

That Baratheon deal is really fucking good, we should take that deal now and double our horse production ASAP and scramble to try to produce enough for the Tyrells (will require some haggling but I think we can manage it)

>Potential Trade Deals:
>A - House Stokeworth

>>3559633
>Potential Trade Deals:
>>A - House Stokeworth

>Potential Long Term Trade Deals:
>>A - House Baratheon

>Current Trade Deals
>Effectively double your trade with House Longwaters?
>>Yay

>Gawen’s Recommendation
>>Gawen - Focus on Quality over Quantity (1 Extraordinary Valyrian Gold Courser per month)

>>3559636
>>3559657
I'm changing my house Tyrell vote to
>Baratheon

sorry dad

>>3559646
Well if you did you'd like have to pay them to do it. So you'd probably be down a Wealth, but return with 40 Superior Processed Lumber, which would net you 2 Lands. So I suppose the idea works, you just need to find someone to do it.

>>3559638
I am incredibly aware. I was hoping to have done this part earlier but the interest wasn't there so now we're here. Hopefully people ask questions.

>>3559653
Well currently the new Plains already has a Wealth Estate Holding on it, an Apiary. Which produces food. But you are able to tear that down and build another Horse Husbandry Holding for 10 Wealth instead. But then you'd need to invest in the other upgrades as well, the >Rare Blood Line >War Horse Herds for 5 a pop and at that point I don't know if it'd be worth it? But you would have effectively doubled your output (quadrupled with Master-of-Horse) so yes you could reach both. But far down the line.

>>3559657
>I'm not sure if that would take away our slot for Master of Horse though?
It would not, Master of Horse is a Personage Wealth Holding, while Work Horse Herd is an Improvement Wealth Holding. Very different.

>>3559661
Its not meant to be a particularly great deal. Just something to stockpile on. Good eye though. We're learning.

>>3559643
>https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zAcWLAiRBnJFyFkcoNrL3xaDKu6uIlsqZmp1_KOLwUo/edit?usp=sharing
Will we be able meet the end terms of the leather deal?


we have 9 months of leather left for it.
Math hammering this, we need 8 more influence, 7 more lands, and a whopping 34-36 more wealth to meet all we need to get.


We can conceivably get that influence now, with our boon, But if we get that title we get +5 influence off that would that give us a d3 gain too or no? Regardless it might be a good idea to wait until we either get or fail to get the title.

Lands we have absolutely no chance of getting this month, without blowing most our lumber. However if we DO spend our boon on it and max it? we can start the small town now.

Wealth is just a beast. If we used it on that we'd get enough for the workhorse herd or enough to fix the manor and make Obella's life easier. The rest will have to wait.


>>3559657
Anh master of horse is new while horse herds would be an upgrade

>>3559653
Cost 15 more wealth and that assumes it has a spare estate holding slot for us to use with the abbey and apiary.


>>3559661
even with master of horse literally not possible

best output we'd get is 10 superior coursers with master of horse, and so unless honeyrun has a free estate slot and we have the 20 some odd wealth needed to make a second herd? can only afford one or the other. Tyrells want double output of the superior normal ones and the kickass golden ones that are uber good.

>>3559670

>Well if you did you'd like have to pay them to do it. So you'd probably be down a Wealth, but return with 40 Superior Processed Lumber, which would net you 2 Lands. So I suppose the idea works, you just need to find someone to do it.
That's exactly what I was hoping for: We're trading 1 Lands (40 unprocessed lumber) and 1 Wealth for 2 Lands, which is a 1:1 Wealth:Lands conversion ratio which is much better than the 2:1 we'd get for rawdogging it at the open market.

>>Its not meant to be a particularly great deal. Just something to stockpile on. Good eye though. We're learning.
I finally get a chance to use my Economics degree!

>>3559636
Potential Trade Deals:
>>A - House Stokeworth

Potential Long Term Trade Deals:
>C - Neither for now
We need to know more about the Tyrell deal before making a decision.

Effectively double your trade with House Longwaters?
>Yay

Gawen’s Recommendation
>Gawen - Focus on Quality over Quantity (1 Extraordinary Valyrian Gold Courser per month)

Getting the Master-of-Horse Personage Wealth Holding should be a priority.