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The Heir of the Dragon: A Rhaenyra Targaryen Quest

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Alicent is never going to be Hand of the Queen regardless. The realm is far too sexist and it also puts far too much scrutiny on her. I doubt she'd even want it in the first place. We'd be better off with Gwayne if we want to further appease the Hightowers. If not, the Strongs are a decent choice for loyal and capable allies.

For that matter - I don't think Alicent is our go to person for reaching out to the commoners, and frankly it's not helpful to her. Going Crone gives better reason to be close to Rhaenyra and her children and provides a direct vector for Hightower influence on the royal family to entice Otto.
 
[X] Plan: We need to talk.
[X] [Monastery] The Order of the Crone. Close to Oldtown and renowned for teaching not only topics of the Faith

A mix of stressing talks and LOTS of destressing Is a Must

Alicent Will catch less attention at the Order of the Crone, and there she Will learns things that Will make her a quasi-mother for our future children
 
It's not like Alicent is uneducated to begin with nor does going to the Stalwart monastery stop her from learning more subjects later. The perspective of the average person and lived experience is not something she can learn just by studying it.
 
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[X] [Monastery] The House of the Stalwart Maiden. An order that emphasizes teaching others and caring for the poor.
[X] Plan: We're Really In It Now
 
I plan to stick Alicent on the Small Council, but she wouldn't be Hand. She will be one of those advisors without porfolio.
 
Really don't understand the appeal of doing both talks with Otto at the same time. Not only is it dropping a lot at once, but the Daemon talk could potentially risk how amenable he is to sending off his daughter to become a nun.

Same with the Stalwart Maiden being the hardest sell. It's easily the least prestigious and farthest from Otto's eyes. Sending her to become the female version of a 'Begging Brother' is a tough ask when compared to essentially sending her to university.

Way too much focus on Alicent doing a "backpack through Europe" arc as if she wouldn't be able to work with and help smallfolk in King's Landing no matter the Sept.
 
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True Alicent doesn't need to be hand to be important people will notice that Rhaenyra puts weight on her word. Rhaenys might be a good hand depending on how things shake out and she's unlikely to care about the gay thing.
 
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Alpaca27 said:
Same with the Stalwart Maiden being the hardest sell. It's easily the least prestigious and farthest from Otto's eyes. Sending her to become the female version of a 'Begging Brother' is a tough ask when compared to essentially sending her to university.
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It's a big ask but she has the political leverage to pull it off. Otto knows Rhaenyra is going to ask him for something and his a bit twitchy because he doesn't know what it could possibly be. Also house Hightower now has a more positive view of Rhaenyra and they would see Alicent being sent to a particular monastery to become Rhaenyras spiritual advisors as a good price for such a an important position in the Royal Toll Authority.
 
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Temes1066 said:
I don't think that is true we are giving Otto ammunition to use againist Daemon, in their war over the king.
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I feel like that's an optimistic way of looking at how the conversation will go. He can barely use the info more than Rhaenyra and he's learning that it was low-key her fault because she went behind both Viserys' and his backs to tell Daemon in the first place.
 
Alpaca27 said:
How would the Crone not be better for grooming Alicent to become Hand? It's explicitly the one that teaches a broad range of topics and skills, not focusing as much on the Faith.
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First it is not about grooming her skill to be a hand. Imo as a Hightower, Alicent will always have great access to learning wherever she goes.

Second it is not that Crone is not suited to help her be a great Hand but that Crone pathway to be a Hand is less clear. As ComiTurtle observe, Crone is probably the most traditional of the three. Alicent then may adopt technique and role of traditional Septa Tutor Advisor in her conduct limiting her advancement and notoriety in court based on that role.

Whereas Stalwart Maiden focused in teaching others, travelling, and helping the poor. In such diverse environment she will be more unconventional and assertive in facing her future duty helping her to be more noticed in court therefore growing her influence there.
 
I really don't think it's a good idea to tell Otto we went behind his back and got Daemon to kill off his pawn, however unintentionally. I mean, it might not be ruinous... but it's a far more stressful option than some of the others.

I'm fully behind confessing to someone if we don't straight up go to Orwyle to clear the air, but imo it should not be Otto.
 
Agreed we don't have enough to do anything to Daemon so telling Otto after asking about Alicent is just digging Rhaenyra into a hole for no reason. Otto may hate Daemon but what is he going to do with that information other then keep hating him. He couldn't even get Vizzy to listen to him about changing treatments much less accuse Daemon of the murder of 6 masters.
 
Parzival95 said:
For that matter - I don't think Alicent is our go to person for reaching out to the commoners, and frankly it's not helpful to her. Going Crone gives better reason to be close to Rhaenyra and her children and provides a direct vector for Hightower influence on the royal family to entice Otto.
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Why do you think its not helpful for Alicent? The ostensible role she will hold is as a spiritual advisor to Rhaenyra and her actually being capable of doing by providing us a perspective on the commoners that she'd enjoy teaching seems like it'd be perfect for her view on duty.
 
Also Alicent is kinda of a nerd so she's pretty well educated even for a noble lady. The Crone monastery would be more advanced learning that she likely wouldn't end up teaching Rhaenyra's kid anyways as they are likely to have many teachers not just Alicent herself. Plus being the nerd she is I doubt she'd stop learning no matter where she goes. Maybe she can even drop by the Crone monastery later and network she's have enough experience traveling a that point it wouldn't be an issue.
 
[X] [Monastery] The House of the Stalwart Maiden. An order that emphasizes teaching others and caring for the poor.

I like this option, mainly because I'm a bleeding heart. :p

[X] Plan: We're Really In It Now

Best of the leading plans imo.

Edit: This is good as well.

[X] Plan: Nice And Slow
[X] Plan: We're Really In It Now, Alicent
 
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[X] Plan: Nice And Slow
-[X] [Conversation] Speak with Otto Hightower
--[X] Speak With Otto About Alicent
-[X] [Conversation] Speak With Queen Johanna Westerling
-[X] [Conversation] Speak with Alicent Hightower
-[X] [Action] Study Valyrian History with your Father
-[X] [Action] Sneak out and Explore the City
-[X] [Action] Harp Practice

Made a new plan since most of the existing ones don't do everything I hope for. This is, as the name implies, a calmer turn plan: no poking the Orwyle matter except for a possible confession to Alicent, both of the blue actions (and, unfortunately, one red because I do want to find out what the Queen wants with us, and we'll be leaving for a while next turn), and a bonding action with Viserys in the wake of a turbulent year. Plus, finally, a sidequest!!!

I am somewhat unsure if the study history action should instead go into investigating Aenys's death, but part of the reason I included it was to help with Father's own Stress... maybe next turn lol.

Obligatory approval vote for my next favorite plan:
[X] Plan: We're Really In It Now, Alicent
[X] Plan: Our Closest Confidants
[X] [Monastery] The Order of the Crone. Close to Oldtown and renowned for teaching not only topics of the Faith.
 
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Also the vow if the Stalwart monastery has no vow of chastity just that they can't have children. Which I'm guessing the other two do have vows of chastity and I'm not sure Alicent would break that vow after all she did say she was going to take her vows seriously.
 
Quetzalcoatl said:
Also the vow if the Stalwart monastery has no vow of chastity just that they can't have children. Which I'm guessing the other two do have vows of chastity and I'm not sure Alicent would break that vow after all she did say she was going to take her vows seriously.
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Explicitly all of the options just have a vow to not have children, and not a chastity vow.
 
Quetzalcoatl said:
Also the vow if the Stalwart monastery has no vow of chastity just that they can't have children. Which I'm guessing the other two do have vows of chastity and I'm not sure Alicent would break that vow after all she did say she was going to take her vows seriously.
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The entire reason they were brought up was because none of them have a chastity vow.

Also I'm not really focused on making her a better tutor if she goes to the Order of the Crone. We see how helpful things like learning Coin and Law have been for Rhaenyra.

I want that for Alicent too. We've already benefitted from Alicent's diligent mind by getting extra AP.

If we do end up giving her a role like leading a Sept in KL, or hiring and running our household staff, or just being an unofficial Hand, the Crone teaches the advanced skills necessary for her to excel.

She might even pick up some Maester skills, which means we'd be getting a two for one! Nun Alicent and NURSE Alicent, it's just too peak to pass up.
 
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[X] Plan: We're Really In It Now

[X] [Monastery] The Order of the Crone. Close to Oldtown and renowned for teaching not only topics of the Faith.
 
The reason I prefer a more delicate approach are two fold. For one, we don't know what plans Otto has for Alicent. This is a huge thing he'd be agreeing to. It may not be settled in a single conversation, and confronting Otto, having him say he'll think about it, would cast a sour note over the whole escape. Better just talk to Gwayne and ask him to handle it while we are gone, and finalize the arrangement by our return, by which point Otto would have actually gotten enough use out of our political favor to fully appreciate it's benefits.

As for Orwyle, the man is terrified, and what are we going to tell him? That we broke our oath and it's daemon he has worry about instead? Daemon who is far more unpredictable, cruel, and who may linger in Kings landing after we leave and potentially ask questions about Viserys's health after we leave? Handling this so abruptly and then running off for half a year leaves so many ways for this to go wrong and have us coming back to a mess. It's rushed and I'll thought out. trying to brute force a matter which requires finesse by hitting it fast enough.

I think given we now have a strong indication Viserys's mood effects his recovery, it would be wise to interact with him before we leave for half a year, especially given Johanna's pregnancy and it's endangered state. Johanna herself should certainly be spoken too as well.

I also think going out on the town while it's no doubt full of rumors and speculation about who murdered the maester's will only stress Rhaenyra out further. Just not a good time for it. Instead, let's get away, and focus on something less recently terrible, by flying to Harrenhal.

Lasts, some harp practice for stress release, but we don't need to much stress release, because we can dedicate the most of turn 18 to it.

[X] Plan a More Delicate Approach.
-[X] [Conversation] Speak with Viserys
--[X] Talk about anything else (About what you two have achieved and what the future will bring)
-[X] [Conversation] Speak with Gwayne Hightower
-[X] [Conversation] Speak With Queen Johanna Westerling
-[X] [Conversation] Speak with Isembard Arryn
-[X] [Action] Harp Practice
-[X] [Action] Fly to Harrenhal
-[X] [No Cost Action] Design Personal Heraldry

[X] Plan a More Delicate Approach Extra Hightower.
-[X] [Conversation] Speak with Viserys
--[X] Talk about anything else (About what you two have achieved and what the future will bring)
-[X] [Conversation] Speak with Gwayne Hightower
-[X] [Conversation] Speak With Queen Johanna Westerling
-[X] [Conversation] Speak with Martyn Hightower
-[X] [Action] Harp Practice
-[X] [Action] Fly to Harrenhal
-[X] [No Cost Action] Design Personal Heraldry

So, two plans, since speaking to either member of authority in the RTA seems wise.
 
Zimmerwald1915 said:
This is a particularly important perspective to provide to our Rhaenyra, who is quite out of touch to the point where she hasn't even snuck out into King's Landing since the quest began.
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Honestly yeah, I do remember doing a bit of a take at Rhaenyra thunking about how much Kings landing is her home..girl have you seen it at all recently?

Randino Treviani said:
I also think going out on the town while it's no doubt full of rumors and speculation about who murdered the maester's will only stress Rhaenyra out further. Just not a good time for it. Instead, let's get away, and focus on something less recently terrible, by flying to Harrenhal.
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I have no idea how the hell Rhaenyra going off to Harrenhal chasing prophecy is supposed to help with stress. Sure if you wanna dive into spooky magic thats a reason, but theres no way in hell its gonna be a net stress reducer. Also yeah considering turns so far no way is 18 gonna be a nice chill time with nothing else pressing on her.
 
A_Somebody said:
I have no idea how the hell Rhaenyra going off to Harrenhal chasing prophecy is supposed to help with stress. Sure if you wanna dive into spooky magic thats a reason, but theres no way in hell its gonna be a net stress reducer. Also yeah considering turns so far no way is 18 gonna be a nice chill time with nothing else pressing on her.
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I argued for focusing on something less recently terrible, as an argument against doing something I believe liable to backfire and stress her out further. I didn't say it would lower stress, and argued that we didn't need to prioritize stress management since that was half the point of the trip coming up turn 18.
 
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