Vanq

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Game of Thrones - A Song of Ice and Fire

Gulltown Keep
Sini and Vanq Collab
“Ser Baelor Manderly. Reports say he spent a week at Quiet Isle in penitence before sailing on to Gulltown.” Jasper eyed his uncle carefully. They had met the man in the city’s sept, Jasper praying for guidance on choosing a wife, Gilwood ministering to any who entered. The gods had certainly wanted them to meet, and both men had been duly impressed by the knight and those in his company. As with all things though, they had needed to learn more rather than make a rash decision.

“An unusual name for the North, even for the Manderlys.”

“Baelor the Blessed, the only king we’ve had who has recognized the sin born into their blood. This Baelor was the seventh son, aptly born and named it seems. Surely, it is a sign, uncle. But I will not do this without your blessing that the gods have orchestrated this.”

“Seventy-seven knights total. I do not think he plays at a grand jape. We will pray to the Crone for guidance…”

Several hours later, the lord of the Eyrie sent word to Baelor’s camp that he should dine with them that evening. It was not so quiet as Lord Jasper had originally promised, the tourney’s competitions would begin the next day, but he needed an answer ahead of the festivities. The gods seemed to indicate that Baelor was destined for great things, and Jasper would need a holy sword arm in the coming struggle.

Baelor appeared in a coat of mail with a plain white surcoat. He even slept in it. The pious knight was welcomed by some men-at-arms in the colours of Arryn and Grafton who claimed to have heard of him. Shortly after, a chamberlain ushered him through brick corridors, his boots thumping over flagstones until he was presented to Lord Jasper Arryn of the Vale… a boy of only sixteen years old, but playing at being a man. At least, that was what they said about the youth. Nevertheless, Baelor disagreed. They had spoken for a short while, when he had come calling in Gulltown’s sept. Jasper’s uncle, Gilwood, had been the clergyman in presence and so it had been he who had placed the Seven’s blessing on his forehead with sacred oil. Ser Baelor made a quick bow, adhering to protocol and expressed his thanks for the invitation. “You wished to see me, your lordships,” he said, clearing his throat.

It was a simple, although hearty, meal Jasper had had prepared and brought to the small dining chamber. It was not the face of youthful arrogance he wore, but that of genuine curiosity and interest. All that he had learned of Baelor pointed to the fact that he was quite unique. “Yes, please be seated with us.” The lord gestured to the chair opposite Septon Gilwood, and next to himself. Simple clothes and the same humble demeanor that he had had at the sept. Jasper was just eight years his junior, but looking at the lines on the knight’s face made the lord feel younger still. He knew the talk of the Vale and visitors alike. He had been a boy-lord for all of his reign up until recently. Gods willing, they would be shown the error of their beliefs.

“Tell me, Ser Baelor, and speak frankly - we will have it no other way - how do you find Westeros these days? White Harbor surely brings news from the rest of the realms. What are your thoughts on these seven kingdoms?” Cool and steady, he sought an answer that could not be easy for many to answer, at least for those who cared more for political maneuverings than truth and reality.

“I find it ever harder to find the light. It seems that with every passing day the Seven shine less and less on the faithful,” he spoke assuredly, unflinching. Ser Baelor was not confined by the trappings of lordship or power. He was his own man, devoted to the one true faith, his sword and shield sworn to uphold what was right.

“Heresy grows from idleness and poisons the mind. Now, brother kills brother and eludes justice in the house of kings. Not for the first time, my Lord Jasper. A bastard sits on the Small Council, a man who also slew his own brother and two of his sons. Brother fornicates with sister, and have done so for generations. I consider that an abomination and offense to the Seven. How can we be surprised that the fruit of their incest is rotten to the core?” Baelor sighed deeply and collected his thoughts. In other company, this would have been deemed the purest of treason. “It seems malice is rewarded, debauchery encouraged. I pray, but seldom answers come. Verily, I feel tested.”

Ser Baelor Manderly clenched his fist as he continued his monologue, his mail sleeve rattling. “And yet, I hope. Not all who stumble or fall have lost their way. I try to show them, bring them into the loving embrace of the Seven, deliver them from evil…” The young Northern knight smiled apologetically. “My apologies, I did not mean to go on about it.”

Lord Jasper and Septon Gilwood shared a long look, they shared the same thoughts so frequently that no words needed to pass between them. The silent agreement reached between them, both sets of eyes returned to the knight. “There is no need to apologize, ser.” It was the septon who spoke, his words weighty, sonorous. “There are times where surely you must have felt very alone, with those beliefs. Do not feel alone any longer.”

Jasper leaned forward, eager and with the fire burning in his eyes again. “I am sending an army to Andalos, Ser Baelor. The gods have shown their favor on the expedition, and should we honor them on their holy ground, I believe...I know, that we can set Westeros to rights again. The Faith will be cleansed and pure once more, lords and ladies and kings will have no choice but to submit wholeheartedly to the Seven.” He searched his companion’s face, “You are too right, the kingdoms are a disgrace to gods and man and too few see it. Too many generations have strayed from the gods and their teachings, we must atone for our sins and the sins of our fathers. Andalos was lost, but we will find it once more and rebuild it, with a great sept to honor our makers.”

The septon spoke up again, giving Jasper time to allow the fire to cool. “We have prayed, and the answer was that you are called to play a role in this. Will you answer that call?”

It was as if a ray of light suddenly enveloped him and pierced his very being, illuminating his tormented soul. These two righteous men had taken up the Sevens cause, and had the means and position to further it considerably. Ser Baelor dropped to his knees, mouth agape, his coat of mail jingling. Practically prostrating himself, he clasped his gloved hands together and nodded. “A cause as just as this…,” the Manderly knight muttered, searching for words. “I will, as will the rest of the Seventy-Seven. We have been looking for something as worthy. So yes,” he said filled with fervour. “Bless me, Septon Gilwood, and my sword is yours.”

Chairs scraped on the hard ground as both men rose from their seats. Lord Jasper clasped his hand to the knight’s shoulder. “Thank you Ser Baelor, there cannot be a more honorable and righteous man to be at the vanguard of this most holy endeavor. You will receive this blessing first, and all your men as well. You will be anointed as Captain of the Swords of the Seven.”

Septon Gilwood pulled a small vial of holy oil from his robes. “May the father guide in finding justice in an unjust world. May the love of the Mother shine through you to those in need of compassion. May the Warrior lend strength to your sword arm and lead you to victory. May the Maiden keep you pure and chaste. May the Smith give you strength of mind and body to see this work done. May the Crone impart her wisdom, that your path is clear no matter the haze.” Gilwood paused for just a moment, his finger that was dipped in oil resting still on the knight’s forehead. “And may the Stranger say ‘not today’ and keep hidden from you the unknown and death.”

The aged septon took a step back. “Rise Ser Baelor, Captain of the Swords of the Seven. May the gods shine on you and all you do.”

Ser Baelor blinked his eyes and basked in holiness, when he rose to his feet he saw the world anew. There was so much work to be done, for the Seven had chosen him to be their tool. “We will all carry the light of the Faith.” His sense of destiny satisfied, Baelor humbly bowed before the Lord of the Vale and Septon Gilwood. “May the Seven never find me wanting.”

“Come, sit again, and eat. When we finish our meal, you will lead us to your men so that they may be anointed as well.” Jasper clasped the knight’s shoulder once more and returned to his seat. The meal of leeks, beans, and simple rabbit meat seemed all the more heavenly. “I will announce our plans for all of Westeros at the tourney’s end, and I will have you by my side.”

Magic in RP's?

Cadvin said
Honestly, I would just make it clear that you don't expect magic to be too powerful. Don't accept anyone that you think is taking it too far, and if someone does something out of line give them a talking to and make them retcon their post. It's a much more surefire solution than imposing restrictions on the magic system itself, because it's almost always easier to find a loophole than to plug them.

On the few times I've had magic play a part in an rp, this is pretty much what I've done. "Use common sense." If there's an issue with me feeling that the magic used is overpowered would be dealt with in a pm to the person.

I've had 2 games I've gm'd that dealt with magic.

One was meant to be an over the top exploration of a fantasy world. You played regular people thrown into a fantasy setting, essentially waking up to find that all of the sudden you're in a "video game" fantasy world. Firebomb spells that could wipe out a village? Sure, why not. It was meant to be (darkly) funny more than anything else.

The other game was more on the serious side of things. Magic was rare and not well understood. Anyone born with magic only had 1 talent (as I called it), 1 specific thing they could do, and it could be just about anything barring time-space manipulation (I just find that doesn't work well in rp'ing). With each magic ability though, came an innate repercussion to the user. One char, for example, was able to alter memories of another person. However, each time she did so, she lost a memory of her own. Sometimes big important stuff, other times something insignificant. That was the balance.

Slice of Life/Realistic thread?

Nation and Table top are different style of play, not just a genre difference, hence them getting their own division (as by their nature they do not so easily fit into the free/cas/adv divisions that RPG uses). Slice of Life can easily be classified as one of those depending on the gm's posting requirements.

Vampire: The Masquerade. Dance of the Damned

Present and working on a collab with Zach.

Game of Thrones - A Song of Ice and Fire

Sini did.

Getting an RP off the ground.

I'm a fan of HeySeuss' int check/ooc structure.
Check it out.

Game of Thrones - A Song of Ice and Fire

Tourney Results
Feel free to post other happenings and interactions before focusing on the tourney itself, if it suits you to introduce your chars to Gulltown. But the results are listed below for when you're ready to use them.

Squire's Events

Joust
Alric Sarwyck (Gowi): to be knighted
Melee
Raymund Storm (Babbysama): to be knighted

Knight's Events

Joust
Rory Reyne (Ethanjory): First Place, suit of armor, destrier, 1000 gold dragons & the honor of naming the queen of love and beauty
Gazébor the Reckless (Flagg): Second Place, 750 gold dragons
Jonas Sarwyck (Gowi): Third Place, 400 gold dragons

Melee
Otho Bracken (Sini): First Place, weapon, 1000 gold dragons
Baelor Manderly (Sini): Second Place, 750 gold dragons
Oswald Brune (Cold): Third Place, 400 gold dragons

Injured List
Lyonel "the Laughing Storm" Baratheon (Babbysama): in the joust
Addam Frey (Sini): in the melee
Steffon Frey (Sini): in the squire's melee
Rory Reyne (Ethanjory): in the melee

General Recap of the Rest

Good showings, bested many men
Jhavek Hill (Gowi), joust
Franklyn Frey (Sini), joust
Addam Frey (Sini), joust
Gerold "the Laughing Lion" Lannister (Zach), joust

Fair Showings
Gazébor the Reckless of the Tyrell Court (Flagg), melee
Raymund Storm (Babbysama), squire's joust

Mediocre Showings, bested lesser men
Oswald Brune (Cold), joust
Lyonel "the Laughing Storm" Baratheon (Babbysama), melee
Baelor Manderly (Sini), joust
Franklyn Frey (Sini), melee
Steffon Frey (Sini), squire's joust
Gerold "the Laughing Lion" Lannister (Zach), melee

Poor Showings
Jonas Sarwyck (Gowi), melee
Jhavek Hill (Gowi), melee
Alric Sarwyck (Gowi), squire's melee
Otho Bracken (Sini), joust
Daeron "the Drunk" Targaryen (Joytex), joust

Game of Thrones - A Song of Ice and Fire

Gulltown was always a bustling city, nothing that could compare to King's Landing, or Lannisport, but it was the only city the Vale could claim. From the port, the fertile valleys of the Vale sent their produce and wares to the rest of the seven kingdoms and received in kind what they lacked. Ships always filled the harbor, most from Westerosi origin, but Essosi ships were still allowed entry. Luxuries from the free cities still found a welcoming market, gold didn't favor Andal blood over the heathens, not yet.

But with Spring finally come and the celebrations for Lord Jasper in full swing, the city overflowed. Camps had been set up outside of the city, tents of all colors and sizes dotted the landscape to house those members of the houses not high enough to warrant rooms in the city. It was alive with more activity than had been seen in many years, and coin flowed into the markets and smiths, to the whorehouses Jasper had not been able to shut down, to the tailors and seamstresses. It was a grand tourney that could not have been held anywhere else in the Vale. The Eyrie had just been reopened for the season, the winter having been spent at the Gates of the Moon. But, it's location was not welcoming to the amount of outsiders who now flocked to the realm. Only Gulltown would do, and so far it had proved a most welcoming city to its visitors.

Inside the Grafton's keep, away from the influx of peers and underlings, Lord Jasper had taken up residence in Lord Grafton's rooms, so generously donated to him for the duration of his stay. The rooms had the feel of each of the seven kingdoms and of the cities of Pentos. The pious lord could not appreciate the beauty in things made by heathens and had had them removed from his sight. There was much to do, even with the tourney and feasts a few days off. Most attendees had arrived already, but stragglers, hopeful hedgeknights and sellswords, still poured in. Details of that nature had been left to a steward to oversee, Jasper's instructions had been clear enough regarding those matters.

The time was drawing near, and today, it was a matter that only he and his septon Uncle knew of that required his attention. The door to the study opened but the young lord's eyes remained on the sheets of parchment.

"You have sent Danwell away, I hear. He caused some commotion in his departure, my lord."

Jasper glanced up to see Septon Gilwood, grandfatherly in appearance, but a harder man than any Jasper had known. The older man came to rest in a seat near the desk, his eyes only flicking briefly to the parchments on it, before continuing to the stained glass windows behind his grandnephew. "Words, rumors, are spreading already, so I must assume it was a completely necessary order."

Youthful and arrogant, his lips pressed together, trying to determine if his mentor was being reproachful. It did not happen often, and for good reason, but from time to time even Gilwood forgot his place. "I sent him to the Bloody Gate. It is unfortunate he should miss the tourney, but he is of better use guarding those gates. It is quite an honor to bestowed the duty, something it appears many have forgotten." He leaned back, blonde hair catching the colored light that streamed in. House Lannister might have had hair the color of beaten gold, but the strong Andal blood of the Arryns often produced flaxen hair. Much preferable in Jasper's opinion. A broad young man, he was an imposing figure already at the age of six and ten, and the maester seemed to think he had another growth period before he would be physically mature. "More to the point, my uncle has proven himself to be most unsupportive of our plans." Jasper was still rankled that the man had wed Marsella to a Tully against his wishes. Had there not be a betrothal in place, he could have overruled the act of insolence. "I could not allow him the chance to interfere, not now." He picked up the sheets that he had been reading for the fourth time since receiving them. "We have our answer, uncle. We will announce our intentions at the final feast."

Septon Gilwood looked back to his young nephew, arm outstretched to receive the papers. He knew what they most hold, but wanted to read them for himself regardless. Much work had gone into this deal, much prayer and fasting to make sure that the Seven approved of their actions. And now, it seemed it had all come together. The contract was long, the negotiations had been arduous at times and many conditions and clauses had needed to be added before both sides were content with the outcome.

It took some time for the old septon to read through everything, and then read it again. The time passed in utter silence between the two. They had a comfortable relationship with each other, loved each other though few outsiders would identify it as such. Jasper was closer to the man than any other of his family, no matter how that seemed to pain his mother. Silence did not disturb the men, there was no need to fill the air with idle words.

"Pentos?" Gilwood spoke at last, choosing his first question carefully. There were many terms he would want to discuss at length, but this seemed the safest to begin with. His eyes were questioning, hard and honest as always.

"It is a heathen city full of debauchery. The gods will favor us, and the city will provide the gold needed to do what we must. The free company will have their share of it as payment, the rest for us to pay our own men and to go to the building of a great Sept. We will take the city easily, uncle, and the other cities will tremble before they think to act out against us." Fire lit up his pale blue eyes, his muscles flexed at the thought of being there to plunder the unholy city. "We will lay waste to it, and move on to ancient Andalos. Repent and convert, or suffer our holy vengeance."

"As the Seven have ordained, so we must act." The septon replied simply. His nephew was blessed by the gods and not one to act without having received a sign and assurance. "Let us discuss the rest of these terms so that I may understand them fully."

The sun had set by the time the two men finished deliberating over every detail. Septon Gilwood excused himself to the Sept that he might give service to the faithful. Jasper remained behind, the many tasks of the day not yet finished. By the tourney's end he needed to have gathered an army of the faithful, a call to arms would be sent out for those who had been unable to attend. Let the Westerori Faith in King's Landing and Oldtown be weary of his actions. They could not easily come out against him, for he did it in their name and the name of the gods, for now at least. Come the future, when he could return to pass judgement on the hypocrites and scoundrels who had infested the clergy, they would fear him, they would answer for their sins.

And yet, somehow more pressing, was the need of a wife. He could not allow Leonella to inherit, woman and wed. Nor was he fond of Danwell standing to inherit should the Stranger take him, everything would be undone. He needed a wife by tourney's end and a babe in her belly before he could leave for Essos. Jasper looked down at the other letters on his desk, many of them invitations to dine with the various lords of the realm who had daughters of suitable age. He had gone through their lineages and had narrowed his options down to just a handful. He would need to pray on it, to seek guidance from the Crone, the Maiden, to know who would be blessed to be his wife.

Game of Thrones - A Song of Ice and Fire

I've gotten submissions from most people regarding the tourney. If you have any edits or submissions to make, please have them to me by today, say 12 hours from now.
Thanks!