What happens to the slaves at the end? Nothing? Or do they go down with the ship?
No obvious happy ending brought on by magic or freeing slaves? For shame! This play is a little depressing for a festival! /jk
The Sealord should be okay with this, right? He did ask us to hold back on the propaganda involving him for a while there. Or do you think he's close enough to war for it not to matter now? I thought there might be a month or two left before war was due to break out explicitly.
1. They weren't on any of the ships. The whole thing blows up before anyone got around to picking them up in Slavers Bay.
2. This is a proper tragedy, you philistine. This is art! And true art is angsty!
3. Originally I just wanted to write "pick some well known Braavosi play", but then I had this story pop into my head while going for a smoke an hour ago. My idea is still that this is an old and well known Braavosi play, so something that nobody would see as propaganda. Our part would just be updating the Stepstones Pirate to a Ghiscari Slaver-Pirate. You know. Changed times and such.
Relax, I was asking for hypothetical purposes. I wanted to see to what degree we could push the heresy of the Sorcerer's Deep sect of the Faith of the Seven, and a Heart Tree in the sept would pretty much be the ultimate heresy for them as far as I can tell, so I was using that as the reference point.
Speculation and hypotheticals does not mean I want to do this.
The offer of thirty-thousand marks paid in Westerosi coin acquired through your various trading companies goes over as well as you would have imagined with the Lord of the Crossing. "Heh... what good is Tywin Lannister shitting gold if it all flows down the roads and rivers and right into the sea?"
"An accurate simile, if not one I have much of a desire to linger upon," you reply, not bothering to hide a wince at the particular twist of expression.
Lost 30,000 IM
Walder makes a vaguely apologetic wave before moving on. "Speaking of Lannisters, you don't have any plan for Tywin's sister Genna, do you?"
"Genna Frey is entirely safe from the consequences of her brother's butchery unless she should happen to make an enemy of me through her own deeds," you explain, having neither the political reason nor any wish to hunt down every bit of Lannister blood in Westeros to extinction. There will be blood enough simply from breaking House Lannister's power. "Keep a careful eye on her and her children. The bonds of family are more in blood than names."
"I wasn't born yesterday," Walder replies with a hint of his usual peevishness showing through his good mood.
"And I did not make it this far by discounting threats," you reply mildly.
"Good to see caution in the young," the Lord of the Crossing allows, sweetening his tone until it is more akin to old wine than vinegar. As much as you appreciate the help you can well see why most of those assigned to Sorcerer's Deep had smiled at the prospect, however much trepidation they would feel at the prospect of traveling by sorcery to an island of mages.
After explaining to the old lord that the mages you sent to the Lads can bless his fields and counseling him not to waste his coin on arms and armor of steel, you walk into the circle of young Freys with a smile. "Does anyone have any ideas on how to smuggle you all out?" you ask, as much a test as the blood-tinted scroll was.
Most of the boys shrug, though Perwyn at least seems to be dutifully trying to figure it out.
"Well, er... it has to be something different for all of us, spread out over a few days, maybe a week," Marianne Vance is the first to reply. "Something that may look like a coincidence, but one that could happen."
"Indeed," you reply. By the time you get them all talking you realize one thing that should perhaps have been obvious from the start, the Twins breed decent instincts for an inquisitor's duties, not that you are in any hurry to take on any of Lord Walder's kin there.
***
Back home the festival goes on with the melee only two days off finishing and the lists for the arcane competition filling up with all manner of contestants, from the expected Scholarum-trained mages to Westerosi hedge witches, Essosi sorcerers, even one young man from Volantis here with Zherys' blessing to uphold the honor of the Mysterium.
The note from the High Speaker explains that he does not expect his unofficial envoy to win, only make a good showing and return with news of the wonders of Sorcerer's Deep, all the better to make opening the gates to you more palatable to the pride of his fellows.
The Large and the Bold:
Sandor vs Leto
Andar Royce vs Oberyn Martell
Yellow Maggot vs Ser Benjicot Brown
Scarbrand vs Black Walder Frey
Chun Ting Lo vs Stone Giant Warrior
Medium and Smaller:
Valaena vs Bonifer Hasty
Thoros vs Mors 'Crowfood' Umber
Quick Steps vs Ser Criston Storm
Asha Greyjoy vs Ser Karl Terrick
Shara Rogare vs Belos the Bold (Legion Captain)
One mage whom you meet near the bustling tourney grounds, however, you did not expect. Melisandre of Asshai has spent the past five days locked away with various priests, seeming to hardly notice there was a celebration around her, yet here she is looking over the scene with a faint smile on her lips. "Do you think I could win?" she asks innocently.
"My lady, you would be as an archer with a warbow beside children practicing with bent willow branches," you snort. "Why are you actually here?"
"I was looking for you. I have not been able to find any priest of these 'Old Gods', though their power is everywhere. The best I was able to manage was a horned warrior blessed by them, but descriptions of how their touch makes him feel are a poor substitute for a proper theological discussion."
"Their theology is rather sparse," you answer cautiously, going on to recount the six commandments of the Old Gods in one long breath. "Six things do the Old Gods abhor: oathbreaking, kinslaying, slavery, incest, the defilement of guest right, and the destruction of their sacred heart trees."
The priestess is so taken aback by your answer it is writ clear upon her face for all the world for a moment.
"Surely there must be some repository of lore. This Isle of the Faces in Westeros where their hermit priests dwell perhaps?"
The obvious solution comes to mind and is just as quickly discarded. You do not trust the red-robed priestess anywhere near enough to reveal Bloodraven to her, yet perhaps you should speak to the Last Greenseer about her quest for answers.
What do you suggest to Melisandre?
[] Write in
OOC: Mel did briefly consider joining the mage competition for the glory of R'hllor, but in the end she decided she did not want that sort of notoriety.
[X] Introduce her to Softstrider. (after explaining the situation and the need for some secrecy to Softstrider beforehand)
-[X] Other then that, meditation before a Heart Tree would be her best bet. She would be able to directly commune with the Old Gods that way and they are somewhat more chatty at the Philosophers Tree then elsewhere. If that is too close to prayer for her taste, you fully understand, but you wanted to mention the option. The Old Gods don't take prayer at all, so from your perspective it would be no act of apostasy to speak with them in that way.
Well cant she talk to Bloodraven through trees? Then again that could be seen by the Others so maybe not. We cant bring her there because security hazard. Why did she have to start with the Old Gods again?
[X] Tell her that the Old Gods don't have a priesthood and thus no physical repository of lore. Even the Green Men of the Isle of Faces are only guardians of a sacred place. Think Fiery Hand, not Flamekeepers.
-[X] Her best chance to gain the lore she seeks would be the same way the Old Gods faithful do it. Meditating before a Heart Tree and trying to commune with them that way. It's not prayer, the Old Gods neither want, nor appreciate that anyway, but you understand if that would be skirting the line a bit much in her opinion. If she wants to try it, they are a bit more chatty at the Philosophers Tree then elsewhere.
-[X] She could also talk to a Lotus Leshy, who kinda serve as kinda priests in some kind of way in SD. (And warn the Leshies beforehand to keep their petals shut about certain people sitting in certain trees.)
-[X] As a last resort, recommend her some books about the faith in the library.
Man is it bad that I'm liking the Freys? Just loving the talks we are having with them. Walder Prime and Viserys talking with each other just been a delight.
Man is it bad that I'm liking the Freys? Just loving the talks we are having with them. Walder Prime and Viserys talking with each other just been a delight.
I keep telling you. We are far too much alike the sort of Walder Frey and Roose Bolton to discount them as allies out of hand. They are pragmatic people with very few scruples and a healthy amount of self-interest. All it needs is to convince them that our way is a good way for them, and they will be our staunchest supporters.
