|
Post by Trystane Sand on Jun 23, 2019 0:17:03 GMT 1
Happens sometime after this - greatbastards.boards.net/post/24273/threadEdited title following the conclusion. Mwop mwop.
Laena's command was clear - kill Eoric Applehouse in the melee. But why leave it that late and that much to chance, Trystane thinks to himself. If it fails, he just needs to escape and not be traced back to it, and then try for a more direct approach in the melee. That's a lot of big ifs. But no turning back now. Justice will be done, even if it means getting one's hands dirty. I promised.He is no expert in stealth or disguise, but he reasons that at least some attempt to be concealed and discreet is better than nothing. He decides on a quiet night-time visitation, with the added backup of poisoned weapons. He has a stash of money from his winnings at Ashford Meadows that should help to hire accomplices and buy the necessary compounds. Everything about his knightly values and what Ser Owyn taught him screams at him not to throw his soul and potentially his life away, but it is too late to shake his grim determination to his task. Then there comes the dilemma of whether to attempt to misdirect investigation by making the deed look like there was some other motivation, or to send a clear message. There is nothing more Trystane would like than to cut the ugly blackguard's head off and stick it on a spike, but upon thinking it through, it quickly seems clear that doing so, while satisfying in the moment, would very much undermine his promise to avoid bringing unwanted attention down onto House Starkwood. And so he cobbles together a disguise and tries to seek out the sort of people who can and will assist a murder competently for coin. In his search, he specifically hones in on the angle of bringing justice to an unjust man, hoping to find the sort of person, or persons, who either already dislike Ser Eoric himself, or who have a similar desire to correct the failures of the gods' judgement. DA - Deception (Disguise): 3d6k3 12DA - Knowledge (Streetwise): 3d6k3 10DA - Persuasion (Convince) +Att +Char: 5d6ro1k4+1 16
|
|
|
Post by Father on Jun 24, 2019 15:25:57 GMT 1
Ser Eoric may be ugly, but seasoned, strong and good with a sword, there are hedge knights that may be up for making the attempt, strength in numbers could prevail, but this would assume that the little foulmouth can be caught alone. Not all that likely as he did not come here alone from Blackbriar lands.
A better option might be to deal with the well-connected, like House Levalle, Ser Eustace Daverhyl and his brothers were half-Rhoynish and as such could serve as bait if so inclined, Lord Durwell could probably arrange such a thing, but who knows if he would be so inclined? The Black Bat of Harrenhaal had not arisen to claim his moniker on account of all his good deeds. There may be others, ill tempered knights that could be tricked and taunted into action.
|
|
|
Post by Trystane Sand on Jun 24, 2019 20:06:44 GMT 1
Trystane learns what he can, and retreats somewhere safe to consider his options. This required some wine. After all, the brain, like so many parts of the body, always run more smoothly when appropriately lubricated. He sits and sips while he contemplates his next step.
Hmm. It could be useful to get the Daverhyls thinking I like them. Might make it easier to get close to them when it becomes needful. And an excuse to talk to Lord Durwell would not be unwelcome...
Ugh, but he'd have no reason to get involved. This is beyond a petty concern to someone with his ambitions. Let's keep those in reserve for now. Best not to jump into things. We want to get this right first time...
Some covert observation is needed, over the course of a few nights. See what time he visits the latrines at night, or if he ever goes somewhere that is poorly guarded. Get Quentyn to help...
If there is a clear and consistent opportunity, then hire the hedge knights and jump the fucker. If not, then perhaps someone bigger and more brutish than him could be convinced of some insult on Eoric's part. Then they could take care of the rest. Only if that fails should you start actually asking powerful people for help. You want to avoid owing a favour to someone who knows your murderous intent.
By the time he reaches the bottom of the cup, his mind is primed with several plans and contingencies, and he sets about preparing a clandestine night-time scouting endeavour.
What rolls would you like for this kind of observation? I'm expecting it will be Stealth-based and probably have multiple stages.
|
|
|
Post by Father on Jun 25, 2019 16:50:38 GMT 1
Such hedge knights and other men of ill repute as Trystane does find could be hired to do the deed outside of the melee, taken by surprise and numbers, his chances would be slimmer. Many options, bar fight, slit throat in bed, ambushed on his way back from the tavern.
With the rolls made, options: You can get yourself a group of Hedge Knights, not very subtle, but should get the job done if nobody interferes. They want a Dragon each, half up front. #of Hedge Knights: 1d3+2 4Alternatively, you can recruit some of the local ruffians, considerably more subtle, but if they fail in taking him by surprise, they'll probably won't have much chance at all. They want 10 Moons each, half up front.
|
|
|
Post by Trystane Sand on Jun 26, 2019 0:22:06 GMT 1
Is both an option? Having the ruffians as the first stage, with the hedge knights hidden nearby to wade in if need be? On the understanding that they'd still get paid whether they were needed or not, as long as the end result is the target dead.
|
|
|
Post by Father on Jun 26, 2019 14:44:26 GMT 1
Mmm, no.
|
|
|
Post by Trystane Sand on Jun 27, 2019 0:03:11 GMT 1
I'm leaning toward hiring the 4 hedge knights, though I've never plotted a murder before so I'm not feeling terribly sure of myself OOC. Regarding the catching him by surprise/potential interference, is that down to random roll?
|
|
|
Post by Father on Jun 27, 2019 8:46:12 GMT 1
They'd be making tests for it.
Also, this is in The Reach?
|
|
|
Post by Trystane Sand on Jun 28, 2019 1:37:24 GMT 1
Laena gives the order at the tail end of Kingsbridge, the day after Lysette's wedding, so this can be at any convenient point after that. Is there anything that this information changes about the situation that I ought to know before proceeding? I'm conscious that it's already potentially going to change some timeline stuff further along, so I don't want to cause any more disruption than is necessary.
|
|
|
Post by Father on Jun 28, 2019 19:29:24 GMT 1
Well, I assumed it was at Whitewalls with the TN's, you'll need a bit of a gathering to hope to find people of such inclinations and not having to pay them a lot to walk all the way to Blackbriar lands. After Kingsbridge (tourney format doesn't attract much in the way of hedge knights, and the place doesn't have a thriving criminal underworld) Whitewalls is the first occurrence likely to find Eoric and men of ill repute in one place.
|
|
|
Post by Trystane Sand on Jun 29, 2019 0:56:23 GMT 1
Taking the discussion to private forum so as not to clog the thread.
|
|
|
Post by Trystane Sand on Jul 3, 2019 1:22:34 GMT 1
4 'orrible hedge knights it is. Local ruffians can be plan B. Do I need to do any more rolls?
Had he not done so well in the lists, Trystane would be wincing at the amount of money he was surreptitiously handing over to these four men. As it was though, it felt a small price to pay for Eoric's smug, overripe potato of a face to be still and silent forever.
Under the guise of a scruffy ruffian in a dark cowl, sent by a nameless but wealthy master, he hides as many of his defining features as he can (including an eyepatch over his left eye to conceal the telltale patch of violet), scrapes the polish off his voice, and meets with his would-be co-conspirators in the sort of place Ser Trystane wouldn't go unless he was paid to.
"Keep an eye on him at the tavern, make sure he gets drunk, and spring him when he goes out into the dark to piss or to stagger back to his tent. Even better if it's the former. Both hands occupied means he won't get to his sword as quick. Try to get him alone, or as close to it as you can. We want as few witnesses as possible, and minimum interference. Don't say anything to him, it'll just give him warning. Act casual until you're on him. Mess and pain are fine, just try to keep it quiet. Raising an alarm isn't in anyone's interests. Other than that, the master hasn't got a preference for exactly how you go about the deed. I assume it goes without saying that the other half of your payment depends heavily upon your discretion."
|
|
|
Post by Father on Jul 4, 2019 19:14:26 GMT 1
As much as Trystane might have wished for it, his goons does not take their prey unawares, he was about to take a piss when he notices four shits following him with their maces drawn for a fight. "So which one of you fuckers wants to die first?!" He draws his sword and sobers up fast enough to pick out one to make a swing at, opening him up from neck to groin, the other three nearly does him in with their maces, with blood welling from his brow and obstructing his view, but he withstands their push towards the wall where he would have been slaughtered for sure, he keeps his footing and with two quick strokes he levels the odds alongside with another two men, facing an even match his remaining assailant decides to turn tail and run. "Get back here shitfaced cunt!" In the dark, all weaselly cowards are Dornishmen. Eoric starts lumbering after, but exhausted from the ordeal and bleeding heavily, he looses sight of the man, remembering why he came out, he staggers over to his fallen foes and urinates on the face of the first one, or at least that's where he aims. Having done the deed, he makes back inside for another drink, something good and strong. Not very stealthy.: 2d6 8 Critically failing. Initiative Eoric, Hedge Knights: 3d6 16 4#3d6 12 10 7 5Ugly one first. Draw sword, move (fatigue for lesser), cautious attack, LBF I (-2b): 5d6k3+1 16 2 DoS for 10-1=4 damage to #1, he dies. HK 2 Knockdown: 4d6k3 11 Nuh-uh Hedge Knight 2 Reckless: 7d6k5 22 2 DoS for 8-1=7 damage Hedge Knight 3 Knockdown: 4d6k3 12 Nope Hedge Knight 3 Reckless: 7d6k5 22 2 DoS for 8-1=7 damage Hedge Knight 4 Knockdown: 4d6k3 13 no Reckless attack: 7d6k5 28 3 DoS for 12-1=9 damage Reckless, divided vs #2 then #3: 4d6k2-1 11 5d6k3-1 14 2 DoS for 10-1=9 and 3 DoS for 15-1=14, two dead assailants. Hedge Knight RUNS!: 10#3d6 12 14 13 11 13 12 8 10 12 8Eoric runs after: 10#4d6k3-3 12 14 9 12 11 9 13 13 13 11Since pray wins ties, Hedge Knight gets away.
|
|
|
Post by Trystane Sand on Jul 5, 2019 1:24:02 GMT 1
Yikes! Fucking fuck. I didn't realise they were 2D bad at Stealth. That went about the worst it possibly could. Is there enough time before the melee to arrange plan B? Buy poison for blades and hire local ruffians to give him a bedtime visit?
|
|
|
Post by Father on Jul 5, 2019 9:13:23 GMT 1
While there's time to hire another group, the first attempt has put them on the alert so sneaking up on him will be something only crazy one's would try now. He'd probably be done for if he rolled last for initiative.
|
|