The Fight For The Cub

[Andrethegiant]

Beryl Mayfool
The other men turn their backs to you, to continue the dicing. However the young squire, most of his money already lost, agrees. He leaves the circle to come over to you. "So whoever manages to swill an ale swiftest wins, all right"?

Spoiler: OOC

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DC 15 endurance test to beat the drunkard at the first chug.

Roanne Scales
You continue to see the ladys curious interaction, she hovers her hand over her pouch where you know the note is several times.

Tommen Storm
"The Lady Celitgar is well regarded. She has Targaryen blood from her grandfathers side. Just like her lord husband charitable and with a kind heart!" At this the same retainer interjects again. "The Lady Celtigar is still alive, if she came with her son to this tournament is uncertain." With a nod he starts conversing again with the old man, who started to slip into a quite fascinating thought on whether the Celtigar line was primarily First blood or Andal, apparently there was speculation over a lot of intermixing on the claw isles.

Casyr Scales
The Lady accepts having two bodyguards for the young lord trailing them. She rides easily in the saddle with a slovenly grace. "It was too hot in there, this dress is not tailored for comfort." She confides in you. "But I suppose you need to know why I sought your favour?" She ensures your retainers are an appropriate distance behind before proceeding: "I suppose it is apparent that lord Whent has spend much gold to give this tournament the appropriate grandeur, but an appropriate question for you, young Casyr would be why. I have found for myself that my family is in grave danger. Dark plots are forming, and to stop these plots to entangle my family a young knight: Ser Jaimie Lannister, son of the hand himself, will need to be hindered from participating in the tilt. If he gets unscathed through the melee it may shake our kingdom to it's core." She looks at you: "A house like yours with a strenous hold of law at the best of time would be better off with peace, so your lands may prosper under your sharp gaze. But for that to happen I will need you to make this young knight withdraw from the tilt."

[Ameraaaaaa]

Spoiler: dice roll

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On discord rolled a 21. So i win the drinking contest.

The men drank. And drank. They kept drinking till the shouldn't drink any more... then they drank again!

While the squire was struggling to keep his liquor in beryl was singing drinking songs in a incredibly slured voice.

Eventually the squire vomited and beryl patted him on the back saying "there there. Not everyone can drink like the man bear that is beryl. That should be my nickname. Man bear. Because I'm a man with the power and endurance of a bear."

[Gareth3]

Tommen's attention drifts as the maesters' conversation goes beyond his knowledge of history, and he notices Casyr is missing. "Excuse me a moment." He walks across the room to Roanne. "Where's Casyr?"

[Batcathat]

At first annoyed at the question for distracting her from spying on the spiderlings, Tommen's words sank in as Roanne's gaze spun across the room, not seeing her son anywhere. She took Tommen by the arm and gently pulled him out of hearing range of the likely lady Estemont. Whatever game she was playing, it was better not to provide her any game pieces.

"I do not know." Her eyes narrowed as she met Tommen's gaze. "Do we have reason to worry?"

[Gareth3]

Tommen looks around and visibly relaxes. "Two of our retainers are gone too. I doubt all three were kidnapped without us noticing. So he's probably just having a private conversation somewhere and was smart enough to take bodyguards." It would be even smarter to actually tell someone where you're going, boy. He notices Amyra close by. "My Lady, did the Lord say where he was going?"

[Wymmerdann]

Casyr held his reins loosely in one hand, comfortable in his finery for now. He considered the lady’s words carefully, wincing slightly as she mentioned the relative instability of his own lands, which was not untrue, but wounded him nonetheless. He wondered at here words regarding Lord Whent. Where had this fortune come from?

Finally, he replied, “The risks and costs of such a venture are clear - all men have heard the rains of castamere and of the fate of houses Reyne, Tarbeck, and Darklyn” Casyr observed. “But the purpose and benefit remain unclear. Injure a young knight such that he cannot tilt? It could be done. But why? To bring stability and avoid war? I do not see how that follows. Paint this picture for me in finer strokes, please, for I cannot see the shape of it.”

“I am new to court and hidden dealings,” Casyr admitted, “but I know that a house’s security lies in its strong relationship with its liege and its family alliances. If your family is in peril, then it strikes me that public bonds are a surer means of safety. Appear strong, and the hand that readies to strike you may be stayed. But such things cannot be won with masks and in secret, he smiled, a little sadly, “approach my family openly and they can deal honestly and in good faith. If such public acts cannot be done, then I suppose some other means might be needed, but what you have suggested seems dangerous beyond measure. What does it truly achieve for your family and mine?”

(OOC- does he have a rough sense of her age, region of origin, or other details from awareness or status checks so far? Could another be done?)

[Andrethegiant]

Beryl Mayfol
The young squire suitably drunk gives his congratulation. After several attempts you understand his message: "I have the whole week off, look forward to drinking with you later". But as soon as he has been understood he retches and excuses himself to the latrines.

Casyr Scales
She sighs in exhasperation, clearly uncomfortable with speaking plainly: "We could both see that the king is... Unwell. Lord Lannister acts as hand of the king. And now, just as the kings condition deteriorates we see the hands son knighted at a remarkably young age, by a knight of the kingsguard. And just as the seven protectors of the king is reduced to six members. And now a tournament is being held, an excellent place for a young lancer to prove to the kingdom that he could take up the seventh place." Clearly not used to connect the dots for others the woman looks at you with great expectations.

Spoiler: ooc

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Age: from her riding and manners not an old woman, but fully grown and likely several years Casyrs senior. The biggest hint to her heritage is her purple eyes, eyes Casyr himself mirror. Her speech would suggest that she's from the eastern side of westeros, either east in the riverlands, the crownlands or the stormlands.

[Ameraaaaaa]

Beryl heads back to the other knights and declares "well I'm ****faced. But at least i ain't a loser." Then laughs heartily.

[Harmony]

Amyra Vaith

"I'm afraid not, but he seemed to have absconded with some of our guard with the lady he was speaking too." Amira suppressed the smirk. Their Lord may be a bit to young for such adventures, and this recklessness might be benefiting for someone without his responsibilities. But it was not her place to teach these things. He was her Lord, and she had been given more than many other Lords had given her. She would allow this. "I'm not entirely to sure if she had a chaperon with her..." In Dorne, that would have been normal, but here in the north, some might see that the wrong way, and it could hurt his reputation. "Perhaps if you would want to check up on him?" she asked Tommen.

[Batcathat]

Roanne did not know whether to be relieved or upset by Lady Vaith's words and more a moment she buried her masked face in her hands and sighed. "Lord Casyr should know better than to go gallivanting with mysterious ladies." She nodded at Amyra's suggestion. "Yes, perhaps you should go find him, Tommen. I would accompany you, but perhaps it is not a..." She sighed again. "...situation where a young lord would wish to be come upon by his mother."

[Gareth3]

Tommen winces as Amyra describes where Casyr went, then reluctantly nods as he realises he is the most appropriate person to look for the young Lord. "Yes, my Lady."
Tommen questions both the Scales retainers and the Whent servants about where Casyr could have gone, specifically, and then searches outside for signs of them.

Spoiler: OOC

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Persuasion to get more information out of the servants:(3d6)[14]
Awareness to search the surroundings, using information from the servants:(2d6)[5]

[Leonard Van Rin]

Ethelstan was surprised by the offer to join the servants on their littleÂ… thing. He hesitated for a moment, sure he could go with this servant but he should be by CasyrÂ’s side in case someone decided to turn the young lordÂ’s insides into his outsides. Then again they were in a space where such a thing would be foolish, but the king wasnÂ’t mentally well so if he decided to have Casyr humiliated things could go south. STOP, his own mind bashed him for over thinking all of this.

After all, whenever the young lord needs him he shall call for him and judging by the conversation heÂ’s having with the noblewoman he is not welcome at this time. Thus he took the offer of the servant, cause in the end he doesnÂ’t fit among the high society, with his surname not helping his case either (his adoptive father be damned for giving him the surname given to Iron Island bastards). He would begin to follow her to wherever this servant party was taking place.

Meanwhile his mind drifted to the goals which he could achieve during this tourney. He wasnÂ’t a jouster, but he was decent in melee. So he at least knew where he would excel. As for goals, well he would attempt to achieve whatever his lord might desire but he had one of his own. And that was to win the favor of a lady. Sure the daughters of big houses wouldnÂ’t even look in his direction but those of smaller houses might potentially accept his attempts at romance. He wanted to laugh at his own thoughts. Such a stupid goal… But so typical for him.

[Wymmerdann]

Casyr shrugged. “Ser Jaime is heir to Casterly Rock, and heirs are not usually candidates for the Kingsguard.” He paused, trying his best to see by the light of the lady’s words. “It would be a rift between House Targaryen and Lannister, an offence by the crown to Lord Tywin.” He grappled with the enormity of it, even as he struggled to see how it would impact his own house. Conflict and war between the great houses could be a terrible thing, but earning the personal enmity of Tywin Lannister by targeting his son in the melee seemed a more direct risk to House Scales.

“In good faith, if you must rely on a mask, then I can neither accept nor reject what you ask”, he finally replied, trying to affect a seriousness despite his indecision and the feeling that he needed to speak with those older and wiser before saying more. “But should I decide that this course is necessary, I shall signal my house’s involvement by wearing a silver chain adorned with the seven pointed star”.

As their horses wound their way through the grounds, he tried to lighten the mood, “your eyes bear the mark of ancient Valyria, my lady, does it come to you from your mother or father’s line?”

[Andrethegiant]

Amyra and Tommen
As you talk to servants it's apparent Casyr made quite the impression. You are easily able to find servants who shows you the way to the stables. Happily you do not stumble upon the young lord in the hay, but instead you are told he left on horseback. Perhaps him and the lady is looking for somewhere more private?

Ethelstan
Unlike the large clean hallways lord Whent has shown the underbelly of his castle is filled with narrow, snaking hallways the servants may use. There is a musty smell here, a reminder of how long the castle has stood empty. Following the steady traffic of servants you find where they have secreted away- in an old library the servants have brought cheap beer in plenty. Although the room is filled and the air is stuffy this is a far more relaxed place to stay: away from the gaze of the mad king.

Casyr
"It would be an offence by the crown. Absurd someone would say. Only a mad king would do such a thing." The lady has a slight glint in her eyes as she tries for levity. "Consider it with your councilors, no sign is needed. Have your ment on the same team in the in the melee and I can guarantee opportunities will arise. You are not the only house who seeks peace in the realm." She sounds confident in her answer.

During your conversation the ladys swift pace has led you from the fields you rode on and down by a large lake. In the middle of the lake is a small island. The lady points to it. "Long before the blood of valyria came to these shores this was a place of worship. Now it is considered haunted, a place of worship now named the Isle of Faces. Ever since the andal invasion this has been a feared place. Both of our blood, Casyr, is new to these shores. These woods have roots from before the blood of Aegon ever reached these shores. We are not as deeprooted as these forests, we may be swept away. I worry less who my parents are, and more about who my children will be." Her fingers run lightly over the back of your hands as she stops her horse to look out.

[Batcathat]

As Tommen and lady Vaith left, Roanne tried to push her son from her mind and turned back to the spiderlings and their mysterious web. It seemed unlikely she would be able to learn more from observation alone and with many people masked, picking up the thread later could be a challenge.

The people involved were unlikely to reveal anything if question, especially as Roanne knew far too little to even ask the right questions. So how to change that? Normally, knowledge was her currency of choice. With enough time, there were few people – whether man or woman, rich or poor, strong or weak – who could not be persuaded, threatened or fooled by the right piece of information. But time was short and it might be wise to offer a less sophisticated currency.

Looking between the women the likely lady Estemont seemed connected to, Roanne tried to find the poorest looking one.

Spoiler: OOC

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Awareness (Notice): (4d6b3)[10] to find poorest looking of the women in question.

[Gareth3]

Tommen waits until the servants are gone before groaning in frustration. "Left on horseback, great. They could be anywhere by now."

He pauses, thinking it over. Casyr is no idiot, he wouldn't just leave on a long trip and abandon them. So they must be relatively close, somewhere too far to walk comfortably but within an hour or so by horse, round-trip. Not just a random stretch of road, either, that's hardly romantic.

Tommen chooses the most mild-mannered of the Scales horses and saddles it, still pondering the question as he awkwardly climbs on and rides out onto the road. Which way, then?

Spoiler: OOC

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What's a location too far to walk to, but a reasonable distance on horseback for Casyr and the woman to have ridden to? Knowledge 4, Education 2, Knowledge Focus (Geography) (6d6)[20]

[Andrethegiant]

Roanne
With several servants bustling about Roanne soon sees an older, more haggard servant. Moving with the painful slowness of age she would be an easy prey to corner.

Tommen
There would be hard for Tommen to pick out one likely place. The Isle of faces would be the most famed place, but if this is like Roanne feared, two young nobles for a private evening, then every empty field could be their chosen destination.

[Batcathat]

Roanne walked casually through the crowd, eventually ending up behind the older servant as if by chance. Rather than looking at the servant, she kept her eyes on the king and spoke with a slightly huskier voice than normal, barely above a whisper so that no one else should hear.

"I know you are part of it", she said with more confidence than she felt. "Tell me everything and walk away with a golden dragon." No need to haggle. If the servant could be bought at all, a dragon should do it and even if it did nothing but satisfy Roanne's curiosity, it would be well spent. "If you do not, well..." She let her voice trail off.

[Gareth3]

Tommen smiles as he remembers. The Isle of Faces! Not exactly romantic, but interesting, a conversation starter. Casyr's never seen it, it's an obvious place to go sightseeing.

Tommen works out which road leads to the lake and hesitantly pulls the reins toward it. The horse responds better than he expected, turning and trotting down the road as if it had made the journey before.

[Wymmerdann]

Casyr nodded in understanding and a little awe at the GodÂ’s Eye. Part of him wanted to offer words of reassurance, or perhaps to charm or court this lady.

Instead, he found himself overcome by the moment and sat astride his mount, letting the cool night air sweep over him. Who was he to deal with the fate of the heirs of the great houses and the throne itself? A lord, true, but also a boy of five and ten. To maintain that fleeting image of the young lord, full of confidence and certainty, he kept the silence drawn around him like a cloak, hoping the lady would draw from it a more positive inference than he was otherwise capable of imparting in that moment.

[Harmony]

Amyra Vaith

Having followed Tommen and mostly kept to herself, Amyra had waved another two of her retinue to her, asking them if they had any knowledge where the young Lord had said he would be going. Not knowing much about this cold northern land, she instead choose to follow Tommen, her horse none to pleased about being taken away from heat and food to go out in the middle of the night.

[Batcathat]

Spoiler: Roll for the action above

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Deception (Bluff): (6d6b4)[18]

[Andrethegiant]

Roanne Scales
The woman gasps, if from the promises you make or the implied threats is hard to tell. "They told me to dress this way and give this letter, what more would my lady care to know?" Although the servant keeps her voice low the way she turns to face you directly seems indiscrete. From the eagerness in her eyes and the carelessness in how she faces you it seems likely she is telling the truth.

Casyr Scales
"Remember, this is our survival" her light touch on your arm and whisper in your ear seems well practiced. Without another word she gallops off into the night, leaving you looking out at the waterfront.

Tommen and Amyra
The ride down to the lake is uneventful.

Spoiler: OOC EVERYONE

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Tomorrow will see the maesters conclave and the first round of the melee, before another feast will be held in the evening.

[Batcathat]

"Very good. Almost there", Roanne said, her eyes still on the king and acting as if the servant did not exist. "Who told you?"

[Gareth3]

When Tommen reaches the shore of the lake he is surprised to see Casyr on horseback with his retainers, but no sign of any woman. Did something go wrong?
"Good evening, my Lord. I did my best to find out about House Celtigar." He summarises what the maesters said. "Not much, I know, but it may help you. Even just as a topic for small talk with the Lord."

[Andrethegiant]

Roanne Scales
"I don't know" the woman collects herself for a moment before adding, "a masked woman, short, that's all I got. She paid well for a simple task."

[Batcathat]

"Very well", Roanne said, looking towards the other side of the room. "Describe her mask to me – or point it out – and you will once more be highly paid for a simple task."

[Andrethegiant]

Roanne
"the antlered one" she gasps. "Tall, but stout." You get enough of a description to remember the one from earlier.

[Batcathat]

"Good", Roanne said, as she pulled one golden dragon from a coin purse sown into her dress and pressed it into the servant's hand, briefly grasping it with her own. "If you are lying to me, I will find out and you will regret it." She let go of the hand and started walking away. "Thank you for your help."

She walked back into the crowd, on the lookout for antlers.

Spoiler: OOC

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One dragon deducted from the my sheet in the OOC thread (though not the version in the first post, as I can't edit that one).

[Andrethegiant]

Roanne
The woman looks in awe as you hand her the coin, before she composes herself and hide it from view.

Spoiler: OOC

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Players feel free to plan out day 2, Tentative opener coming this saturday.