The Lonely Lioness - Cersei Lannister Quest
- Thread starter Azel
- Start date
- Mature
- Location
- Arcadia
What is one more complication? Cersei is near the nadir, in any case. Everything but vengeance is irrelevant.
Last edited:
What a pity. We would be sending her to the gods that she loves so much.
- Location
- Lake Wobegon
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
I still don't think it would be a terrible idea to ally with her. All the moreso now that it'd be a straightforwardly anti-Tyrell arrangement rather than trying to play the two forces off against each other -- and since we've voted not to bother with the High Septon anymore.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
You all have a burning skeleton hanging around you like a stand and laughing in your ear, I'm not sure survival is something Cersei is much concerned about at this point.
Last edited:
Chimeraguard
We do deserve to exist.
One of the more amusing parts of this quest was seeing people talk about Cersei arresting Shay and handing her over to Qyburn when they learned she was in King's Landing.
And then learning from Azel that Cersei lacked the power to have Shay arrested and handed over to Qyburn in her own city.
Also like, Questers griping about how they want to kill Shay (who tbh probably helped you more than she hurt you given that she was one of the figures organizing food shipments so King's Landing didn't starve) when it was their own prior decisions to empower the Faith (the exact same mistake that canon Cersei made) that helped Shay's powerbase grow so much in the first place.
Oh, and the utter confusion of "Why does the rest of the Faith want the High Septon fired?" And no one seeming to recognize that he's a well known corrupt glutton and pet of the Lannisters, same as canon. So a better question would be "why would the rest of the Faith ever not want him fired?"
And then learning from Azel that Cersei lacked the power to have Shay arrested and handed over to Qyburn in her own city.
Also like, Questers griping about how they want to kill Shay (who tbh probably helped you more than she hurt you given that she was one of the figures organizing food shipments so King's Landing didn't starve) when it was their own prior decisions to empower the Faith (the exact same mistake that canon Cersei made) that helped Shay's powerbase grow so much in the first place.
Oh, and the utter confusion of "Why does the rest of the Faith want the High Septon fired?" And no one seeming to recognize that he's a well known corrupt glutton and pet of the Lannisters, same as canon. So a better question would be "why would the rest of the Faith ever not want him fired?"
Last edited:
I knew the High Septon was corrupt; I just didn't think it was that obvious, and assumed that he had enough power and influence to cover it up. Clearly, that did not work out. In retrospect, we really should done more to cull the power of the Most Devout. I think I did suggest more forceful actions before, but people weren't interested.
Well, there's still time to fix that error! The sheep has stumbled into the den of the lioness. There will never be a better time for us to devour her. And of course, the same goes in reverse. Regardless of what the zealot claims, she has clearly come to the capital to bring about our ultimate downfall. Only one of us can live to see the dawn.
Kufufu
Adequate at best
- Location
- What's it to ya?
Empowering the faith wasn't a mistake, empowering the faith and then basically leaving it alone afterward was.
We crafted an allied power and then left it alone, causing us to lose an allied power.
Not to sound confrontational, but what exactly are you proposing that we do?
I actually do have the workings of a plan, but I'm keeping it secret until the next turn. Can't let Shay know what's coming. Let's just say for now, it involves deliberately throwing King's Landing into chaos.
Last edited:
You mean the thing you've been shouting to the heavens we'll do for the past two weeks or so? Just trying to burn everything down to try to spite everyone when really we're mostly just spiting ourselves?
The plan doesn't involve literally burning, though burning would certainly help it progress.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
...King's landing is already in chaos? Between the Queen of Thorns and Shay, Cersei has almost no power in the City or even in the Red Keep. Two Armies are barreling towards King's Landing. There's a ghost hanging around Cersei and Azei expressly noted that the last vote was just what Cersei is telling others, in reality, and I quote "She has people to murder and she's expecting to go down with them". Things are about as a chaotic as they come.
I tried my best as Shay to help King's Landing tbh, with the sheer amount of treasures I spent to feed the people. It was quite the political goal to get rid of the High Septon but the Most Devout are quite needy allies.
But I can't blame Cersei for showing a disliking to Shay, after all Shay Water's real name is Shay Baratheon.
But I can't blame Cersei for showing a disliking to Shay, after all Shay Water's real name is Shay Baratheon.
Chimeraguard
We do deserve to exist.
Unironically, Shay's probably a significant part of the reason Cersei survived this long simply because her shipments were instrumental in keeping King's Landing fed. The only reason Shay and Cersei are opposed at all is because she doesn't like the massively corrupt High Septon that you've been refusing to dismiss for some reason despite it being clear since around Turn 3 that no one liked him. Even Cersei herself didn't like him!
You're talking about trying to murder one of the people who played a major part in keeping you alive. Which well...is very Cersei, I'll admit.
You're talking about trying to murder one of the people who played a major part in keeping you alive. Which well...is very Cersei, I'll admit.
Last edited:
the food would have done more but my Merchant allies that I asked to transport the food for me was making a profit off the food I brought, kinda annoying considering I brought the food and gave them the Seven Wardens to protect the road but they made a hefty profit anyway... Merchants am I right? Lol
- Location
- Lake Wobegon
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Not a single quester voted to try and maintain a working relationship with the High Septon, and to the extent Olenna keeps him on the Small Council, the millstone he represents becomes her problem. If Shay still wants an alliance (for whatever reason, what value it gets her at this point is negligible at best and negative at worst), there are fewer obstacles at this point than there were before.
Chimeraguard
We do deserve to exist.
I mean, you have been maintaining a working relationship with the High Septon because you never took the Free Action to get rid of him, and never undid that prior decision that gave him a seat at the Small Council in the first place.
So all anyone else sees is Cersei having elevated the openly corrupt guy despite literally everyone else in the Faith hating him for being openly corrupt.
Like, Shay and others in the Faith asked Cersei to get rid of the guy. Repeatedly. Even as they continued to organize food shipments to feed King's Landing. And the Quest just...never did so, despite how it would have cost them nothing and gained them a great deal of support from the Faith.
Last edited:
- Location
- Lake Wobegon
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
I was referring specifically to the last vote.
Interlude - Allegiance
- Location
- Germany
Interlude - Allegiance
The Red Keep seemed ominous as it was lit up by the setting sun. She had come her for salvation. To lessen the damage her foolish husband had done to his family. But it was all for naught. Peace was not returning to the realm and kneeling before the Iron Throne meant little when the one who had sat on it that day was now herself an outcast at court. They certainly still pretended as if Queen Regent Cersei was the one to give the orders, but everyone with eyes and ears knew that the Queen of Thorns holding court in the gardens was where the real power now lay.
An arrangement that, for Alyssa Velaryon at lest, was impossible to arrange herself with. Even if it meant to do what her husband had done and to throw her lot in with a doomed cause. Watching from the Pride of Driftmark, she saw that very cause standing on the stone quay of the Red Keep, waiting for a rowboat. At least Cersei seemed aware of how things were shifting. She had asked for a meeting, not demanded the Lady of Driftmarks presence. She was not even bringing guards though, which was a curious move. A sign of trust maybe? It was not as if mattered. There was still some power left to the Lady of the Tides. Nowhere more so than on her flagship.
Not much later, they were sat at the map table. She and Rykker on one side, Cersei and her maester on the other. Up close, the chance in the powerless queen compared to the last time Alyssa had seen here was startling. For once, she seemed full of energy. Not the slowly unraveling woman she had been getting used to. Her green eyes seemed to almost shine. Though seeing her lips was worrisome. Cersei had stopped even trying to hide the blue.
She even smirked when noticing Alyssa staring. "Thank you for having me, Lady Velaryon," she began while the servant brought some water for everyone. "It has been a while since we talked."
"It is always a pleasure to host you, my queen," she replied with a hopefully straight face. There was not much love lost between the two of them. "I must admit though that I have a great many things to organize, so we have will have to skip the courtly niceties for once."
"Ordering and administrating the fleet, you see. Recruiting enough sailors and rowers for the new ships," Rykker added from the side.
There was something else he had not added and Cerseis grin was enough to know that she had heard. "Of course. Integrating with the Redwyne fleet certainly also is time consuming. I've never had to command a ship, so I don't know much about these things, but given how long it takes for you to heed Olennas orders, it must a complex matter."
Renfred looked over to Alyssa and they silently debated what to say. They had not entered this room unprepared after all, though they had not found a final agreement on what to say. Now it was time for one of them to concede and it was Lord Rykker who dipped his head. The lady of Driftmark turned back to Cersei. "There is still no clear successor to Paxter Redwyne as commander of the fleet, making it difficult to organize things."
"Spare me the nonsense, Alyssa. We both know neither of you wants to kneel before the Tyrells." Cersei replied at once and with a confidence that made it clear she knew that to be a fact. But from where? They had not even talked between each other about it. Rykker had expressed some doubts and Alyssa herself was considering things and had yet to say any of it out loud. The only thing they had agreed on was to stall while the power struggle in Kings Landing played out.
"My queen," Renfred began while Lady Velaryon was still puzzling over this. "Do you accuse us of... treason?" He stumbled over the last word, likely because it was so ill fitting. The Queen of Thorns had no sway over the fleets. Admitting to obey her orders was more asking to treason than to refuse them.
Cersei ignored him though and addressed the Lady of the Tides once more. "I could entertain the idea of Rykker accepting the loss of the few ships he holds sway over, but you? Without its fleet, Driftmark is just an almost barren rock in the sea. And the Redwyne fleet has time and time again lost against pirates. You would not risk what is left of your houses power and influence for nothing in return."
Alyssa grabbed the pitcher of water in between them and helped herself to a cup to stall. She was not entirely right. There was still the egg. But unlike Monford, she did not expect that long-shot to actually work out for them. "You make it sound as if you had something to offer." Left unsaid was that she doubted Cersei had anything left. Maybe the other egg, though it would not buy her much.
"Troops," Cersei replied simply. "Edmure Tullys force has nowhere to go and he brought some of the Gold Cloaks under his command. He remains loyal to me. And with my writ, we can even bring Dragonstone under our control. Olenna might even appreciate it if I exile myself."
"Not exactly a great army," Renfred noted carefully, though he did not hide his interest well. "We won't be fighting off a Tyrell or Lannister assault on Duskendale that way."
"Duskendale withstood the Seven Kingdoms for half a year," the queen replied to him, but her eyes were still resting solely on Alyssa. "We do not need to fight either Olenna or my father on an open field. They have much more urgent problems. We will be fine if we just gather enough men to make it too costly to assault us."
"So, you want our ships to help you flee to Dragonstone. Nothing else?" The lady Velaryon had to admit to herself that it was tempting. Once the deal was through, Cersei had little power. But they would still have those men to defend Duskendale and Driftmark.
For the first time, Qyburn stirred on his chair. It was easy to forget about him when he just listened. Just a harmless old man. Except that Alyssa knew full well that even the gaolers had become afraid of the Black Cells ever since he made his home in them. He pulled a parchment from a belt pouch and handed it to her. "There are a few materials that we would need procured. The Alchemists Guild requires them to fulfill an order from the queen."
She glanced over the list. Some expensive items were on it, though nothing that was all that hard to acquire in the Free Cities. But the mention of the pyromancers had her worried none the less. "Taken the moniker of Mad Queen as an invitation?"
That seemed to have been hitting a nerve as Cerseis facade of polite amusement was gone in an instant. Her stare turned piercing and Alyssa could almost hear the faint laughter of someone she had dearly wished to forget. "I will make sure that Olenna will not bother us. That is all you need to know."
Alyssa Velaryon had the feeling she might regret it, but what other options did she have left? She just had to make sure that her ships were far away when Cersei played at being Aerys the second. "I can arrange these materials, maester Qyburn." She wondered if this what her husband had felt when he struck that fateful deal with Aukar Brightfyre. Now she could only hope that history would not repeat itself.
AN: Targ stuff is taking a while. One more interlude I think to set the stage for the grand finale.
- Location
- Arcadia
Hm, the ingredients are not to make wildfire, and there are plenty of caches placed everywhere.
What could Cersei need the pyromancers to make for the grand finale?
What could Cersei need the pyromancers to make for the grand finale?
Nando
they, them
MORE Wildfire, of course. You know the old adage, "if you don't succeed using fire, try again with MORE fire."
I think the implication is more wildfire, though I would certainly welcome more innovations from the Alchemist's guild.
By the way, what are we doing with Tarly's army and Joffrey? Are we going to transport them to Dragonstone or are we telling them to stay put fof the time being?
Ah, fuck. Just terrible timing.