Counterintelligence: 1d100+10+19 = ?? 1d100+?? = ???
The Storm Watchers have been quiet. The Ironborn have been dealt with. You would think that means you don't have any spies to worry about. You would think wrong. You have two brand-new sources of trouble or potential trouble, although Snow catches them both very quickly. Unfortunately, he isn't quite able to determine how hostile they are to you.
The first spy he catches is an odd man. One of his men in Wintertown found him asking questions about you and speaking with the acolytes, although they seemed quite uncomfortable with him. As soon as Snow's man began speaking with him, they all left. And from the report, you can understand why. The mysterious stranger was unhealthily pale, as bald as an egg, and apparently had "eyes like a snake." He was also discreetly followed after leaving the tavern and found trying to watch and then sneak into the press house. On his corpse a bone-white amulet was found. Looking at it feels…strange. If the powers of the Old Gods are heard as a song, this is a soothing silence, but no matter how peaceful it makes you feel it is still unnerving.
The second spy is no man, but a fey who was singing songs outside Wintertown, using his intensely melodic voice to lure people to him. Despite the stories you remember hearing, he did nothing truly terrible to them. He did again ask questions, although he seemed more interested in how you felt about the Old Gods…and how they felt about you. He was most disappointed to hear that they favor you. He did not die but was persuaded to travel elsewhere. Snow is beginning to grow concerned by the increasing numbers of fey and their attitudes and has been spending some of his free time investigating.
One-time free Intrigue action.
Rumor Mill (The North/Beyond-The-Wall)
The Preacher's Prayers: The mysterious preacher has appeared once more in his long white cloak, rumor and mystery swirling about him like the winter storms. His sermons grow more dramatic as he speaks of death, leading his growing following in prayers for the fallen, kin and strangers both. Though smallfolk seem fond of him, he has given no sign of ambition or aspiration, merely appearing and disappearing seemingly at will to preach all throughout the Barrowlands. When he vanishes, Green Men start to gather there, tending to the heart trees and leading prayers of their own, prayers of life and gratitude for it.
-According to Snow: At this point, I would ordinarily decide this preacher is a fairly low priority – a Green Man with unusual views perhaps, or a worshipper of some Essosi god making a halfway decent impression. But he has given a few followers gifts. Gifts of amulets as white as bone, just like the one found on the man who was investigating the press house. And some of them seem to grant odd powers to those who wear them.
Red Cloaks, Red Caps: The forest clans have suffered greatly this season. While the southern clans are involved in a complex dispute with House Tallhart that no one seems to understand, the northern clans and House Forrester are being hunted by figures in red caps and red cloaks with cruel curved knives. Bands of armsmen, the Wardens, and fey are all fighting desperately against these menaces. Tales tell of bloody assassinations in the hearts of castles, of godswoods coming alive to protect supplicants from the red-capped figures, of stout and cunning peasants invoking the power of iron and stabbing fiercely even as their blood was drained to wet the caps of the horrors.
The Ice King's Wrath: Rumor filters down from the Frostfangs of a band of giants or beastmen stealing the wife or daughter (a few more lurid tales claiming it's both at once) of the fierce Ice King, who has extended his rule over much of the Frostfangs. Though it is doubtful he claims more than a thousand followers that makes him mighty indeed among the wildlings even aside from his powers. It is said that upon hearing this, he walked into the heart of a mountain and forged a sword of ice, vowing to quench it in the blood of those who have wronged him. Some say he has bound himself thus before a heart tree, others say he has bound the heart tree in chains of ice to grant him greater power.
-According to Snow: It was his daughter, and it was beastmen. At least that's what my sources say. I also heard she simply left and intends to forge her own kingdom somewhere in the lands beyond the wall.
The Blood of the Bear: The Old Gods reached out their hand to bless House Mormont as in days of old, granting them the strength they will need to fight off the Ironborn who still bedevil their shores. Lady Lyanna Mormont was the first among them to receive their gift, gaining the ability to turn into a bear and savage strength even when she is in human form. Berserkers in their hide cloaks have also gained in number, leading boarding actions on galleys, often sinking the ships of the Iron Fleet, while on the shores stout fortifications are defended by determined crofters. Those Ironborn brave enough to head through the forests of the island to the keep fall to cunning hunters and skilled trappers. Slowly, ever so slowly, the Ironborn decide to find other targets.
Forest Feuds: The feuds in the southern Wolfswood continue and continue to escalate. House Tallhart is threatening to call their banners if their rights are not respected, House Glover is threatening to do the same in response, Lord Reed's brothers have shown up with retinues of crannogmen to try and keep the peace, and the Fair Folk are seemingly carving out their own demesnes, occasionally including a hamlet within their borders. Hollow hills and thorn mazes form in the forest, circles of stone and mushrooms rise from the earth, and all the while lords and masters squabble over who owns what section of the forest.
-According to Snow: I have managed to somewhat rectify my lack of knowledge. At least enough that I can confirm some fey are being used to pass messages among the various nobles involved. And it seems that they are…interfering with them somehow. How exactly they are doing so, I am not certain. The letters are never opened.
Rumor Mill (The South)
Peace on the Rivers: It seems that a sort of peace has come to the Riverlands at long last. Between the fey, the Horned Men, the Faith Militant, and the riverlords, Black Harren has at least been stalemated enough that he has withdrawn his forces to a few castles, including Wayfarer's Rest and Harrenhal and ceased raiding. Entire swathes of the Riverlands have been depopulated, but the lords are determined to hold what they have and continue to prepare their forces, many gathering weirwood bows and blessed blades and distributing them to their armsmen. More heart trees are planted and carved, fey pacts are made under the light of the full moon. When Harren bestirs himself again, he will bleed. The solemn vow is whispered in a thousand places high and low.
-According to Snow: The lords are all united behind their "Justman" king, sure enough, but the various other factions aren't too happy with each other. It's all the Regency Council can do to keep another war from starting. And if that happens, you can all but guarantee Harren will take advantage.
The Beasts of the Heights: A swarm of white-furred beastmen struck savagely out of the mountains, sweeping down into farmsteads that have long since ceased to fear the peaks. Gray trees grew out of the ruined remnants and the horde grew, until a force was rallied to push them back in a series of bloody battles. The trees were burned, the farmsteads rebuilt, but once more a threat from the mountains troubles the Vale of Arryn, while several septons have proclaimed this the fault of the demon trees. Things nearly exploded into a riot in Gulltown after the clansmen confronted some of those septons, but Grafton armsmen intervened in time.
-According to Rivers: We are hunting where this started. And we will stop it.
More Beasts: Another group of beasts came down from the mountain, but these were not feared but welcomed. Great griffons, fierce and noble, flew into the Vale on a southern wind, landing in distant places and claiming them as nests. Some bold knights have sought to gain them as mounts. A few have succeeded, before flying to the Eyrie where they swore themselves to guard their young king with their lives.
Reavers Retreat: Despite the savage invocations of the Drowned Men, the reavers refuse to return to the North unless the Iron Fleet moves as one. From the Seastone Chair, Vickon Greyjoy refuses to allow this, and so the Ironborn sail elsewhere, almost retaking the Shield Islands and devastating Crakehall three times before searching for richer passages. Some have begun sailing west across the Sunset Sea…
Reavers Ruined: They returned. They did not return alive, however. Some washed up on dead, tied to pieces of lightning scarred driftwood that once made up proud longboats. Some returned still rowing along despite being skeletons. Some returned as stranger and more terrible things, creatures of inhuman hunger with mouths that opened wide enough to swallow reavers in full armor. All know now that to sail west is to sail to your death.
The Rebel of the West: Discontent continues to simmer as Crakehall is raided again and again despite the best efforts of the Blessed and the Redeemed, while the remaining rebels somehow managed to steal a dozen ships from the Farman fleet and used them to run down a few escaping longboats, returning thralls and salt-wives to their grateful families. When these families tried to provide further aid to their rescuers, King Lorren's men appeared and ran them down, hauling off those who survived in chains. He has threatened to make an example of House Crakehall if they do not correct their errors. No one knows what he means by this. No one wants to know.
-According to Snow: Hugh Hill, the leader of the rebels, is a cold, cold bastard. He tipped off one of the King's men deliberately so that King Lorren would find out and arrest the smallfolk. Then he sent singers out and about to make sure everyone knew how terrible the king was, and he finds more steel and more hands to wield it for his cause. And yet he has to know he will lose. The hills are being scoured, and the area he has to operate in is slowly being reduced…
The Lannisport Traders: Wealth flows into Lannisport as many traders decide to avoid Oldtown as rumors continue to swirl about the fey-haunted city. The preachers of the Golden Sept are extremely eager to make sure everyone knows that this is because of the benevolence of the Seven and that they should be thanked appropriately. Gold and silver flow into the septon's coffers.
-According to Snow: We aren't the only ones trying to influence the election of the High Septon. Some of the coin is going to motherhouses and alms for the poor. Some is going to the Starry Sept to encourage the Faith to elect a hardliner…
The Elections of the Faith: Oldtown sees new members of the Most Devout flowing in from nearly every kingdom. Two make their way out of the wartorn Riverlands, three come from the Vale, a full five come from Dorne bringing tales of lords abandoning the Seven in favor of the beast-gods of the Rhyonar. More come from the Stormlands as well, bringing their own stories of accommodation with the first gods of the First Men. One even comes from Crackclaw Point.
-According to Snow: Despite the best efforts of the Westerlands, the Most Devout seem more interested in getting along with other faiths. It seems we don't need to worry about a crusade for quite some time…
The New Market: As more fey gather, they have opened up a market square of sorts, one that is strangely hard to find. Sometime you must walk an arch three times while whistling. Sometime you must walk backward down a certain alley. Sometimes you simply arrive there even though you don't wish to go there. Plenty of urchins have made good coin guiding more respectable sorts to and from the Goblin Market, where one can buy dreams for sand from a distant shore and a hollow stone that lets you see through glamor with a song and fine silk for a year's memories. Rumors persist of another, darker market beneath the Starry Sept where even stranger things can be bought for dangerous prices…
@Cgce, I will add an action or two to that effect. And on the royal command: the action will continue, but extremely slowly since the storm destroyed pretty much all the material for the forts, and to replace it the houses will pay for it out of their own coffers. Which are much smaller than yours. If you give them more coin it will speed up somewhat.
