A Sword Without a Hilt: A Song of Ice and Fire/D&D 3.5 Crossover

[DragonParadox]

The Power of Knowledge ​

Eleventh Day of the Twelfth Month 289 AC

It is time and past time that you get a better understanding of the intricacies of Gorthos' organization, its scope, its power and its wealth. the basic rules you know already: a fifth of any major score goes to the guild, don't stab other members in good standing in the back don't make waves with the other gangs or the Sealord's Guard (making waves with the watch is expected but there's a "soft" limit on that too).

There are three gangs in Braavos splitting he territory of the less affluent areas of the city, their influence waning and waxing with the fluctuating fortunes of the Braavosi:

Ol' Gorthos' Crew: You make up for the slim pickings of Drowned Town and the parts of the Ragman's Harbor directly abutting it with your plentiful manpower obtained from among the desperate inhabitants of those same areas. In temperament Gorthos is the archetypal old and very much not bold rogue. He favors caution both in attack and defense and has build a reputation of cold calculation whether it be in coin or lives.

The Snakes: Lead by Yarhan Forked-Tongue the snakes have a reputation for casual use of poison, whether it be slipped in the wine-cup or coated upon a blade. They have suspected contacts with the Sorrowful Men though some say Yarhan himself started those rumors to make himself appear more fearsome. Much of their income comes from gambling dens and moneylenders though the latter seem to be in daresay for some reason none have been able to divine...

The Crimson Fellowship or The Reds: They are lead by a self-styled prince of crime with a propensity to ape the nobility (whether in mockery or in earnest none are certain). The Novosi, "Lord" Bern claims to be the last scion of an ancient noble line. As an actual almost-last scion of an ancient noble line you doubt this greatly. The Reds get most of their income from a combination of extorting the business owners in their territories and gambling and prostitution. However they are famous or infamous for occasionally doing high risk jobs for the prestige as much as for the coin.

Numerous other gangs make their home in Braavos splitting off, merging braking and rallying but none have the wealth, the manpower or the stability of the ruling Triad.

Most of your efforts however are directed towards discovering just how the income and the responsibilities in Gorthos's organization are set up. The dynamics are quite unexpected. Just under Gorthos are Yohn and Lysandre, sometimes lovers always allies. The combination of Yohn's thugs and Lysandre's steady income stream and information make for a fearsome match. You are now very glad you did not take Ser Richard's suggestion to kill Yohn. Not only would it have weakened the strong arm of the guild in the midst of open combat it would have lead to a veritable feeding-frenzy until a new pecking order could be established.

Relor is next in power, being responsible for gambling as well as money-lending. By temperament he is more inclined towards the former than the latter so the guild's money-lending is far more modest than that of either of its major rivals. Len is the weakest of the major players. The massive income fluctuations of his areas of responsibility (begging, pick-pocketing and other sneak theft) being very much to his detriment. There are hints that he is far from content with the status quo.

The expansion is going steady but sure as is the habit of the Old Man, grinding down his rivals and crushing or co-opting minor gangs. The influx of cash from the Lembro affair allowing Yohn to put good weapons in the hands of his many underlings. Ser Richard is also not to be underestimated, a knight's training and skill reaping a bloody harvest among the ranks of the enemy.

OOC: This is why it is a good idea to get information first before following the advice of a knight (who's first instinct is always to kill impediments). That is another bullet dodged.

 

[DragonParadox]

By the Light of the Wyrd-Fyre​

Twelfth Day of the Twelfth Month 289 AC

For the next two days you intend obtain whatever insight Velen has on the nature of magic while also helping Lya with her spell-work in the time the phoenix is unavailable. The attic is lit by the flames of the chalice as you sit in a corner while Lya paces and just generally moves constantly. Learning to cast magic without gestures would be very hard for her, you think with a small smile at her energy.

The magic lessons go well Lya has learned all but one of the spells of petty magic through dogged determination and prodigious use of parchment.

+77 Progress made for Lya basic spell work (cantrips)

The more theoretical work also continues apace. Her theories are growing ever more refined.

"... so you see there must be some hidden memetic competent to magic that is being imprinted on you as you sleep." she sounds very exited at sharing her finds, speaking faster and faster "Ooh how I wish you had asked what's-her-mane, Vee about how she gets her magic." Lya cuts herself off. "Anyway what you get naturally I can get by reading a properly prepared medium, that can be a scroll a carved inscription, a book. But since I do it consciously I have more control of the magic forms..." She looks at you uncertainly.

It takes you a moment to realize she is afraid you will take this supposed advantage amiss, perhaps being jealous. Honestly that could not be further from your mind. The idea of having to re-learn the same thing over and over and over to get magic sends a chill up your spine. You smile encouragingly and complement her work.

"So patterns," she continues back to haply explaining her idea "it should be possible for either me or maybe you to cast spells directly from a written pattern and have the randomizing effect happen to the written medium itself not the memory of the mage."

The implications of that are immense, your main limitation is the number of spells you can cast before resting. If she can find a way around that. "That is the best news I heard ever, figure out how to do that and teach me and you won't owe me anything. No, more than that I'll owe you."

"You mean that?" the girl asks still flushed from the excitement of her lecture. "I..." she hesitates "I'm really glad I can help."

You wonder at what she almost said but do not press.

The actual conversations with the phoenix are equally enlightening in a number of ways.

"I have been bound to this object for years beyond count I have forgotten much of what I once knew and have become less," Velen silently speaks to both of you. "Some things I yet remember though, the basic shape of existence beyond this world, from those planes folded within, echoing the building blocks of this world: Earth, Air, Water and Fire to those enveloping without."

"Like the Infinite Abys..." you say a memory coming to light. "The place the tana'ri come from."

"Yes, young magus," Velen answers solemnly. "Though that foul place would not have been the first example I would have used. Where the Inner Planes are forged of matter unwound into it's component states the Outer Planes are woven of the stuff of ideas: Law and Chaos, Good and Evil battle on those far realms even as they do battle within every mortal soul."

"And the denizens of these planes can be called forth?" Lya asked torn between curiosity and disquiet.

"Indeed they can," Velen confirms her suspicion "And when they are called they can do nothing that is not in concordance with the concepts that gave them birth."

"That is horrifying..." Lya said looking very disturbed. Her next words surprise you "A thinking mind shackled like that. I mean it is scary that demons exist and want to hurt everyone but just the idea of spirits that do not get to choose at all... that is worse somehow, even if some of them are forced to be good, by some bizarre universal standard."

Lya it seems does not think quite like other people, which is fair enough she like you is a mage. You like that about her, magic and twisty thoughts both. Speaking of magic...

"What about mortal magic what do you know about that?" you ask the fiery bird

"Mortals are not of themselves magical but over the ages they have been touched by those that were and the power lingered like kindling awaiting a spark."

"And now that spark has come?" You grow slightly inpatient with his circuitous answers.

"No mere spark this..." the phoenix replies, concern evident in his mind-voice. "A great blaze has been lit. Great deeds shall be done for good or ill and the world shall be made anew."

"What about Gods, you said something about them to Vee. Are they real?" You hate the slight thread of uncertainty in your voice.

"I know of some gods long, long ago that were definitly real, though not all the beings mortals worshiped were true" Velen replies. Then less certainly "I would have said that powers such as the girl in the marsh demonstrated would be proof of true gods existing but young Vee said she called no gods and she was without guile..."

"Well one thing's for sure you're not trying to convert me to the worship of some Phoenix God, you admitted ignorance," you reply in jest, relived by the ambiguous answer.

Lya giggles looking faintly scandalized.

"So you are willing to teach us more of these planes and perhaps of the elder gods you remember?" you ask returning to a more business like tone.

"Of course I am bound to serve though I thank you for the courtesy of asking," Velen replies. "One more thing I have noticed that you have made precious little use of my abilities save healing. The chalice's powers of divination are not perfect but they could greatly aid you in navigating you through life."

"And making cold fire too," Lya pipes in "We could make hundreds of magical lamps in a year."

How often do you wish employ Augury:

[] Write in

How many items invested with Continual Flame do you wish to create

[] Write-in

OOC: A bit more Lya characterization, some of her theoretical work explained, some stuff about the planes and a reminder that you are leaving valuable abilities unused, because NPC's have ideas and agency too.

 

[DragonParadox]

Playing the Odds ​

Fourteenth Day of the Twelfth Month 289 AC

You approach the Lorathi one evening as he takes his ease by the fire. On hearing your request he looks approving: "It's a rare thing for one so young to be concerned with sustainable profit. Most young people and some not-so-young are too prone to gamble their coin on risky ventures."

"Pardon but are not all ventures risky to a degree?" You interject "The world is full of peril and some of it is beyond the skill of humankind to measure."

Menel smiles tilting his head in thought "You sound like Tor, trying to get people to acknowledge the unknowable aspects of the world."

That is not a connection you want forming in the man's mind. You quickly backtrack: "I would not know about such mysteries but for sure no man can know the weather for one, and is not shipping the city's lifeblood?"

"Indeed not but here's the secret," he begins in a lecturing tone, "place ten little bets, no a score instead of one large one. Unpredictable misfortune will even out and, if you chose well, you will have a tidy profit to show for it."

"Alas good ser,"you say wryly "I do not much know a good choice from a bad one."

"That can be solved easily enough if you are willing to perform the most unlikely of acts and listen to the wisdom of age unprompted." Menel says looking deadly serious before revealing it to be gently self-deprecation by adding "At least I think it is wisdom but fools have been known to think so too on occasion."

You smile at his dry wit and say: "Well then consider this my first gamble ser though I must say from where I stand it looks quite slanted in my favor" A complement never hurt.

The Lorathi indeed looks pleased by this. He asks: "Now young Corlys am I to assume that you are interested in trading and far off places, perhaps planing to take to the sea yourself one day?"

"Very much so ser," you reply happy to get to the meat of the discussion

"Well then I can suggest a few mercantile endeavors where there are shares yet to buy."

How do you invest:

[] Trading voyage to Lorath (write in sum):

Max investment: 120 Iron marks
Chance of success 85%
Profit on success: x1.3
Time: 1 Month

[] Trading voyage to Lys(write in sum):

Max investment: 130 Iron marks
Chance of success 80%
Profit on success: x1.5
Time: 1 Month

[] Trading voyage to Lannisport (write in sum):

Max investment: 160 Iron marks
Chance of success 75%
Profit on success: x1.8
Time: 2 Months

[] Trading voyage to Mereen (write in sum):

Max investment: 200 Iron marks
Chance of success 65%
Profit on success: x2.7
Time: 2 Months

[] Trading voyage to Zametar (write in sum):

Max investment: 300 Iron marks
Chance of success 50%
Profit on success: x5
Time: 3 Months

[] Trading voyage to Yi Ti (write in sum):

Max investment: 350 Iron marks
Chance of success 20%
Profit on success: x10
Time: 5 Months

OOC: All investments have a minimum sum of 25 Iron marks to show that you are serious.

 

[DragonParadox]

The Dragon Princess​

Seventeenth Day of the Twelfth Month 289 AC

Dany is generally doing quite well at first glance. Her lessons are continuing apace with Themar declaring her able to read and write most simple texts, though slowly. She has a sharp and inquisitive mind and a tendency to fill her free time with more study above and beyond what is asked of her. She is laboriously trying to read through Fires of the Freehold in spite of the complex vocabulary and uneven script meant for a much older audience.

Ser Richard also has nothing but words of praise, and no little puzzlement. Dany apparently complains less about training that any page he has ever trained throwing herself into even the most repetitive and painful exercises with a will. According to the knight Dany does not have any particular affinity for combat but she could out-stubborn a mule and uses that to full effect in sparing.

+67 Progress on Dany self-defense

When asked Serena replied that "the little lady never makes problems unless you step on that prickly pride of hers ." You deem not an altogether bad trait for a Princess of the Blood. On the other hand you are aware of the reasons why courts usually have many children of the nobility around, to allow the young royals to develop in the company of their peers. Dany does not have peers and here it is showing. She is perhaps a touch too much the miniature gown-up but you are at a loss as to how one persuades a child to have more fun. The last thing you want to do is give her the impression that she is not living up to some strange standard of normality. Not only would it he hypocritical but she might take it the wrong way and think you are disappointed in her, which could not be farther from the truth.

You tried going to Lya for advice but she just shrugged, she has no experience with little girls other than having once been one herself. In fact Lya considers Dany's single-minded focus somewhat endearing and occasionally involves her in her work when she needs and observer for something . You get the feeling this happens more often than Lya strictly needs any help which is fine by you. The budding mage is a female friend of a sort and if she is not strictly highborn, she possesses a far more rare gift that of magic which Dany will herself most probably share one day.

Fro tomorrow you wish to arrange another outing with Dany herself not being at all shy with the suggestion in addition to demanding Lya's presence as well to which the older girl gladly agreed:

[] A play at the Blue Lantern

[] A tour of the Titan

[] A visit to the Sept Beyond the Sea

[] Write in

OOC: Yes the Braavosi give tours of the Titan in times of peace, both for the money it brings in and to cement the idea of the Titan's invulnerability.

 

[DragonParadox]

The Lord of Oldstones​

Eighteenth Day of the Twelfth Month 289 AC

For long ages the smalfolk of the Riverlands had claimed the stones of the old seat of House Mud to build their houses, their barn and their septs. That last might be called the final insult and indignity to the man lying interred within the crumbling ruin who's name had been forgotten, being called merely Oldstones by thieving peasants and morbidly curious nobles alike.

Strangely enough the only intact structure among the waist-high weeds was the sepulcher that held the remains of the last great King of the Rivers and Hills, the Hammer of Justice, he who, 'tis said, had won ninety-nine battles and lost the one hundredth when seven Andal lords rode against him in the name of their Seven Gods. In centuries past long before the coming of the dragons it was whispered that great king had passed from life but not quite from the world. For such was his wrath at the manner of his death and the ruin of his kingdom that could not or would not join the secret gods of earth and tree. In time those legends to passed into silence for none lived who cared to remember them once the faith of the Seven-who-are-One had taken root.

Softly, silently, unheard and unsensed by any of the simple folk who dwelt near the moldering ruins of the seat of House Mudd power returned to the land, a fey wind from the north. The twisted ancient trees on the lower slopes of the hill began to groan and creak though the night air was still. As the midnight hour grew closer and closer the birds fled from their roosts and small woodland creatures scurried through the underbrush gripped by a nameless fear.

The light of the gibbous sickly moon fell on the ancient worn tomb of Tristifer Mudd Fourth of his Name. In the pale illumination the smooth features of the ancient effigy grew ever more pronounced, the hammer seemed once more adorned with its long lost runes, a full crown could again be seen upon the king's brow and his expression, no longer smothered by the ravages of time, showed a terrible wrath.

The ground began to shake as in the darkness of the tomb skeletal fingers grasped the ancient weirwood haft of his legendary hammer.

On dark wings a raven flew above the tomb in a shadow deeper than night. Har Ne the words of the Old Tongue were whispered into the night by the power of he who rode the bird's form, not yet. The fallen lord descended again into slumber, unable to resist the power in the words. Not into the darkness of near-oblivion did he fall but into fitful shadowy dream of grey forms and half-glimpsed shapes. Slowly but surely thoughts of vengeance and wrath congealed in the unliving mind resting under stone.

When he sun finally showed itself even the light of dawn seemed frayed as it fell over the old moldering stones. No animals or birds returned to the woods under the ruined keep.

OOC: The Riverlands just dodged a close encounter of the undead kind due to Bloodraven critting on his roll to keep a lid on things. Can anyone guess what kind of undead old Tristifer will eventually rise as?

 

[DragonParadox]

Farces​

Eighteenth Day of the Twelfth Month 289 AC

The play was about a doomed romance in long lost Chroyane between two youths of long feuding houses. The garments and backdrops are colorful evoking a sense of wonder lost and the performances were more colorful yet a sense of the farcical hiding just under the surface of the tragic romance. Dany looks flushed and excited her eyes jumping all over the hall from the stage to the other spectators of all classes. Sometimes you forget how sheltered she has been in many ways, how many experiences she has not yet had. Of course these are not quite the experiences she might have had had fate been less cruel just as is the case for you. Would you trade your magic for a prince's silks? the thought comes unbidden. The instinctive answer to that question fills you with guilt. You did not ask for this to be your life but you did profit by it.

You are thankful for the interruption of Dany asking you to clarify the identity of one of the background characters that is played by the same actor as another who had "died" several scenes ago. She looks faintly disappointed that the play does not include magic that brings back the dead.

As the play ends Dany declares: "You know the thing with the not-really poison and then the real poison at the end was really, really stupid. I know I'm supposed to feel sorry for them but their plan was just so silly. Am I er... weird?" she asks sounding a bit uncertain.

"No of course not, you are just too clever to let stuff like that be." you reply reassuringly

"You also understood a part of the play that most people never get," Lya adds. "It's supposed to be about the folly of youth, about the terrible irrational yearning of first love."

"Oh," Dany replies looking thoughtful "Well if I try to el.. ela.. er... run away from home with a boy to get married I'm going to make sure to think things through better."

You are caught between amusement and consternation at his particular statement not really sure how to reply. Ah well, you suppose, or at least hope, you have a least ten years to figure it out.

***​

Nineteenth Day of the Twelfth Month 289 AC

Fate it seems has a sense of whimsy. The investigation you must do to aid Gorthos' man inside the watch is to discover how and why a scion of the local nobility was poisoned. The irony is you recognize the name. His face was one of the masks you wore when getting money from the money-lenders of the Snakes. So you are in the odd position of having to investigate a murder you set in motion yourself. The reason the investigation is so important is because Petyr Kenib, the victim as the heir to a wealthy and respected family, though he was not himself particularly respectable.

With his death the family fortune should pass to an infant heir on his father's passing though many other relatives are preparing to press their claim to the family fortune, as "guardians" to the child heir. Reading between the lines you very much doubt the boy will live to see his majority. The situation is uncomfortably familiar to you and you feel no small amount of guilt for helping set it in motion.

How will you approach the investigation:

[] Pragmatically, you can't make yourself responsible for every budding tragedy in Braavos

[] Responsibly, try to get the best possible outcome for the young heir

OOC: Unintended consequences, ahoy.

 

[DragonParadox]

The House of Kenib​

Twentieth Day of the Twelfth Month 289 AC

You decide that considering your role in bringing about this situation it would behoove you to try and help the boy. After all how many times did you wish for someone to swoop into your life and make things better. With a bit of luck this young Braavosi will have just that push of unasked for help.

The situation that awaits you is quite murky. the current patriarch of House Kenib is and elderly man, said to be savvy when it comes to the business but manifestly less so when it comes to guaranteeing his legacy. He remarried late in life to a woman of marginally acceptable birth and great beauty. He begat upon her a boy Vim who can currently count two years. Things would be easier for the child if his mother really was the grasping gold-digger her detractors paint her as. However you have also heard that she married for love (or perhaps just security) and is completely out of her depth when dealing with the machinations of the wealthy and powerful. It is with no little appreciation for the irony of the situation that you realize you would prefer the former be true.

Of the vultures waiting in the wings three are most dangerous.

Medhis Kenib is a cousin to the heir in question. He is of an age with the dead and generally unlamented Petyr and according to your sources he participates in the sorts of sordid and unpleasant revelry that made you select Petyr's face for your scheme to begin with. One would think this would make him less likely to be selected as guardian but apparently the man is skilled at hiding his taste for unrestrained and sadistic revelry from his social peers.

Lenna Auris, the child's aunt is said to be a excellent hostess but much more importantly has a keen eye for business. She is the very image of propriety, which is to say she was far from overjoyed at her brother's remarriage. However they have since reconciled. You very much doubt she is reconciled with the boy's survival past his use.

Zelys Kenib is perhaps the worst sort of vulture, a political one, he has a high function within Braavos' arcane government, the Procurer of Sweetwater. To your connections however he is simply "Sweets" a right ruthless son of a bitch that makes stone cold killers bleach. On several occasions he has used his position to drive people off their properties by cutting off the water to all fountains in the area "for repairs." To no one's surprise the repairs manifested only after the locals sold their proprieties off to his associates. Unlike the others he has no particular reason to wish the boy dead but as he has shown a complete absence of scruples simple greed may be enough.

What do you do now:

[] Interview the mother (write in approach)

[] Interview Medhis (write in approach)

[] Interview Lenna (write in approach)

[] Interview Zelys (write in approach)

[] Track down the moneylender you used, capture him and obtain information regarding the murder from him

[] Write in

OOC: This one is going to be a lot more hands off on my end because it is not a straightforward investigation. It is going to be up to Viserys's wits (that is your ideas) to figure this out.

 

[DragonParadox]

A Mystery Solved, a Task Unfulfilled​

Twenty-First Day of the Twelfth Month 289 AC

It is quite terrifying how effective your magic is against the unwary. Your target, one of the Snakes' most successful money-lenders is fooled into thinking you one of his confederates and then charmed to follow you into a secluded location with only one guard. You would commend the man for his caution but it is not nearly enough. The guard enters the abandoned warehouse you lured them into first and is quickly slayn by ser Richard. The money-lender himself was also relatively easy to run down, being corpulent and far from swift.

He is no more resilient of will than he is of body The news he gave you is far from the one you wished to hear. He did indeed order the death of Petyr of his own initiative. He names the person who poured the poison readily enough too, a tavern maid at one of his more usual haunts. The reason she was willing to do the deed gives you pause.

According to your rather pitifully begging source the girl was one of Petyr's many victims among the serving staff of taverns he frequented. Considering what you know about him being barred from numerous brothels for his sadistic tastes you can well believe he forced himself upon women too lowborn and poor to voice meaningful complaint.

So here you are in the unenviable position of being tasked with solving the murder of a man who's character fills you with revulsion and who's murderer strikes a sympathetic figure.

Your thoughts are interrupted by Ser Richard clearing his throat and looking at the prisoner meaningfully. As it happens this is not a difficult decision. The money-lender now at your mercy has long boasted of his ruthlessness, having once kidnapped a man's daughter and sent him notes attached to her bloody fingers. You do not feel the slightest bit conflicted in ordering Ser Richard to kill him and dump his body in the canal. You are thankful again for the petty magic that allows you to swiftly clean blood-splatter. Decapitations can be very messy.

His pockets yield only a modest sum but you can certainly make better use of the coin than the fish.

Gain 2 Iron marks 4 Iron Haf-marks

You now have the information needed to complete your original assignment but the mission you took upon yourself looks as daunting as ever. What do you do:

[] Write in

OOC: Disguise Self + Charm Person + Bluff 12 is a terrifying combination especially against people who do not know enough to be wary of magic.

 

[DragonParadox]

Limitations and Loyalty​

Twenty-Third Day of the Twelfth Month 289 AC

You weave half a hundred plans each more difficult and dangerous than the last. None are good enough to stand up to scrutiny. It all comes down to power, or rather the lack of it. In the shadows you are strong but in the light of law and beneath the scrutinizing gaze of society you are weak and insignificant. Though this realization gnaws at you it cannot be denied. You cannot kill all the vultures who gather around the young heir of the House of Kenib any more than you can take ship to Westeros and and kill by stealth all the rebellious lords and their kin.

Still you refuse to do nothing, a thought comes to you disquieting but much easier to enact than more palpable solutions, persuade the mother to flee into exile. With a heavy heart you set about to do just that.

You don the shroud of shadows you found a two months ago and shift your seeming to that of a stern old man with piercing grey eyes and Iron grey hair. Salysa Kenib is remarkably easy to find alone in the company of her son, perhaps she finds the press of servants stiffing coming as she does from a poorer, simpler background. It is in the gardens of Gelenei the Lord of Harmony that you make your performance. You wait for the child to run ahead, as children are wont to do and then you emerge into their path. As Salysa is focused solely of her son you whisper the spell of charm. Her mind succumbs easily enough.

You approach schooling your expression into one of great concern: "The child is in grave peril, " you announce without preamble. The mother looks shocked, fearful perhaps without the magic ensnaring her reason she would have been angry or dismissive.

"W...What do you mean?" she asks tremendously

"I have seen it," you declare. You take out a mirror from within your cloak and will it to float above your palm at the same time making the mystic mark upon it flare into visibility. Salysa looks shocked while her son looks at you in wide-eyed wonder.

"There are no children in Asshai for 'tis a fell place unfit for young life. This has lead me to value them all the more."

The fear calms but the mother still looks confused. "Then what do you mean your... Wisdom" She visibly struggles with what one honorific one would use for a maegi.

"I have seen that with his father's death he will be taken from your embrace and after a few grey years spent in fear one who should guard the child will spill his lifeblood for base gain."

Not fear but terror marks her features now

"Worry not, the future is not in stone set, flee. Take the child far away and he will live, he will grow, one day he will return to reclaim his birthright." The words taste like ashes in your mouth.

"I.. I will. Thank you, I don't know how I could ever repay..."

"No payment do I ask for this, preventing dark deeds is a balm to the soul..." you sigh in very real sadness

***​

Twenty-Fifth Day of the Twelfth Month 289 AC

You hear the news that Lady Kenib and her son have fled to parts unknown. Her husband died the same day, some say of a broken heart though the more cynical suggest poison. As you stare sightlessly out of the attic windows you wonder if you did the right thing, whether yous should have done more. Did your half-hearted efforts do more harm than good?

It is so that Lya finds you.

"You know the Warden of the Young at the temple used to say that a burden shared is a burned halved." she says softly as she joins you by the small window. "I did not agree with a lot of her advice but that makes a lot of sense."

You take up her implicit offer and explain your worries and frustrations.

After you finish Lya is still and thoughtful for a moment then replies:

"There are limits in all things. You may be a mage but you are not a god... or a king."

"How you...?" you ask too startled to think of dissembling

"I haven't told anyone," she responds hurriedly. "Your secret's safe I would never let Dany or you get hurt because of me."

"I believe you," you respond. It is nothing more than the truth, she has been nothing but pleasant and kind to you and even now she revealed her knowledge in an effort to comfort you.

Still you must know how she discovered your secret least those less of less kindly intentions come to the same conclusion. You ask again:

"How did you figure out who we were?"

She smiles ruefully: "From where I'm standing it is sort of obvious. You have dragon dreams, a trait most well recorded in the Targaryens, in fact it is how er... you escaped the Doom. You speak with a Westerosi accent and have a Westerosi knight as your retainer. Both you and your sister are the right ages and match the descriptions of two Westerosi royals that vanished mere weeks before you walked into the temple that day."

When she puts it like that you are a bit upset at yourself for not realizing she had all the pieces.

"Thanks for keeping the secret," you reply still feeling a bit uncertain. "There aren't a lot of people I can trust with things being as they are."

"Do you want to talk about it, what it is like?" she asks coming a bit closer. Her presence feels... comforting.

Before you know it you find yourself confessing the fears and uncertainties you have never spoken aloud to any but Ser Darry: about caring for Dany about the weight of the crown you no longer hold but can still feel pressing upon you. You recollect about your childhood always looking over your shoulder for the Usurper's killers. You even tell her about the fateful day your magic awoke when you thought you had lost everything.

Without preamble Lya hugs you. You do not remember when you were last comforted like that,perhaps by your mother a few months before the end.

"You must have thought I was such a whiner..." Lya said her voice think with emotion as the hug ended and she moves away. " There I was complaining about being bored about not meaning enough."

"Never that," you hurry to reassure her "I was just happy I met someone else like me."

"Well alright then," she replies trying get her emotions under control. "No more mopping then, you did what you could and more then most would have bothered doing." she finished.

It is a command you have a surprisingly easy time following. It's nice to know there is someone you can be weak in front of who will not think less of you for it.

***​

Twenty-Sixth Day of the Twelfth Month 289 AC

The time has come to make a decision about the other part of the case:

[] Present the tavern maid as the murderer and end the affair

[] Try to find out who killed Artonis Kenib and then pin the other murder on them too

OOC: Well this has grown a lot larger than I thought it would. I rolled to see if Lya would notice you mopping, she did and one thing lead to another and that happened.

 

[DragonParadox]

A Schemer's Folly​

Twenty-Sixth Day of the Twelfth Month 289 AC

The simplest way to investigate a murder or indeed any crime is to make people think you have the authority to do so legally, granted there is a small risk others may figure out something is amiss if they manage to put together the fact that and unknown servant of the public good did the job, but the odds of that happening. The watchman who's job you are doing will most likely assume Gorthos has set another under his sway to the task, Gorthos may well believe you simply impersonated a watchman or bribed one such.

In fact to propagate the ruse your you adopt an disguise with passing resemblance to ser Richard, thus providing a nice safe mundane explanation for your actions to cursory investigation. Of course simply interviewing the servants at the house would open your particular investigative techniques to far too many prying eyes so you spend several days memorizing the patterns of the household to see when you can speak to various servants alone.

***​

Twenty-Ninth Day of the Twelfth Month 289 AC

For the first two days of your observation and magically aided interviewing you get no results but then to day you hit upon what you have been looking for, a kitchen maid that admits Lenna used to send special spices for the kitchen for months. Only one day after Lady Kenib and her son fled the spices (which Artonis supposedly enjoyed) vanished even though your informant swears there was quite a lot of them left. The girl wanders if this might have contributed in to the master's death of "heartache." Being far more knowledgeable about poison than the girl and well as less of a romantic you immediately recall that there are poisons that when used properly only do their work when the victim stops ingesting them, thus making for a very insidious and hard to trace killer.

A few trip to several disreputable apothecaries later confirms your suspicion there is a herb that can cause a death like Artonis which can moreover be easily disguised by spicy cooking. This however feels like a rush job. In the usual run of things the "spices" would have been allowed to run out a particularly oily Ghyscari tells you in confidence under the effect of Charm.

Most likely Lenna feared that with the boy gone Artonis would settle his wealth on someone else far more inconvenient to remove than an infant.

***​

Thirtieth Day of the Twelfth Month 289 AC

The final piece of the puzzle falls in place when you discover through your continuing interviews with the servants that a new kitchen maid had been hired by the head chef who had Lenna's express recommendation. It is a simple enough thing to interrogate her without letting her see your face. Though the experience leaves you feeling quite unsettled she crumples quickly under harsh questioning. Your suspicions prove correct. Lenna did bribe her to remove the "spices" at once after getting access to the kitchen. You are grimly amused at how greed can be the undoing a clever long term plan.

You send an urchin to find the watchmen who should have solved this crime. Once he arrives he is quite overwhelmed by the wealth of evidence you present including the girl you have under guard the name of the other who remembered when the poison was brought in as well as the name of the poison itself according to two sources (you make sure to verify the information). He says it will be trivial to indict her of the son's death with so much solid evidence that she killed the father.

***​

Thirty-First Day of the Twelfth Month 289 AC

On the last day of the year the city rumor mill s buzzing about a respected matron being arrested an grounds of poisoning. You have to give Gorthos' pet watchmen credit for speed if not competence.

The Old Man himself is quite pleased with your performance giving you a welcome monetary reward and far less welcome toast of Merin's "best" wine.

Gain 100 Iron Marks

Completed quest: Investigative Rogue. Gain 500 XP
Bonus objective complete: Keep the infant heir from the grasp of improper guardians. Gain 150 XP

Alignment shifts 10 points to Good now True Neutral 55/60

Your reputation as some sort of investigative wonder continues to grow. You hear from ser Richard that some of the members of the Guild have come to call you "the Bloodhound."

OOC: That update had a nat 100 and a 93 in it. Otherwise you would have had some more break points for votes but as is you breazed through the investigation. Next up is the Rumor Mill.