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Post by Laena Pyre on Jul 27, 2019 18:52:21 GMT 1
[Chronologically, this happens shortly after 'Mutual Condolances', and before 'Mending Fences'.] Laena had agreed to discreetly look into the Cordwayner maester for him. The man was likely in some way complicit in the (likely) murder of Lord Ilyn. If he could be turned, he would be a powerful ally for Ser Roland's fight for his late brother's seat. So, she needed to find out what tied him to Lady Maegelle, and how strong those ties were. But at the moment, she didn't even know the man's *name*. And were Lady Maegelle to hear that she was asking around after the man, he likely wouldn't live long. So, someone else would do so in her place. Someone who wouldn't raise any alarms. An inquisitive young man, perhaps... Complicity - Deception (Disguise): 6d6k4 19Complicity - Knowledge (Streetwise) -1D - TN12: 6d6k3 14 1 DoS |
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Post by Father on Jul 28, 2019 1:02:20 GMT 1
Maester Albar have served at Hammerhaal for the past seven years, replacing old maester Osfryd whom Roland no doubt could remember from his childhood. He speaks with a Stormlander accent the boy hears, though little else of note is revealed. He sounds like a typical scholar with little to distinguish himself from other maesters. A boy might conclude that unless maester Osfryd had passed on any knowledge before he died or Lord Ilyn had confided in him, Albar would like as not be as much in the dark concerning the issue of parentage as anyone else. Did he examine the body of Lord Ilyn to determine the cause of death? It is possible, expected perhaps, but many a maester had contented himself with simply determining that the body before him was truly dead, and not merely appearing to be so.
Tenure, region: 1d22 7 1d10 2 |
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jul 31, 2019 20:13:46 GMT 1
Complicity - Deception (Disguise): 6d6k4 15Complicity - Stealth (Blend In): 5d6k3+4 18'Lady Helicent' was by no means remarkable. Small, meek, and young. The kind of lady no-one would pay any mind to, unless she were walking around dark alleys. But in the vast, sprawling campsite, with limited lines of sight, she was easy to overlook. The guards around the Cordwayner camp had their eyes open for *threats*, and it was clear she was anything but, particularly since she was making no effort to sneak by them. Clearly, she just was based in a nearby camp. So Lady Helicent watched, and Lady Helicent waited. Hoping that Maester Albar was the kind of man who'd leave the Cordwayner camp to grab a drink after a hard day's work.
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Post by Father on Jul 31, 2019 21:05:16 GMT 1
Maester Albar does venture out of camp, "Lady Helicent" follows as he goes to the market, sadly, he passes by the alehouses, instead he visits with a herbalist from King's Landing, one who carries concoctions that one of "Lady Helicent's" other names might be quite interested in acquiring. The maester does not really buy anything interesting, picking up new stock of items that usually needs regular replenishment. She might try the "just happens to bump into him"-trick.
Luck TN 9 (simple failure=some other errand): 2d6 6 |
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Post by Laena Pyre on Aug 4, 2019 12:07:21 GMT 1
Lady Helicent doesn't like the idea of an 'accidental' approach - it relies too much on the good nature of the man approached, and she knew full well how rare that was. However, it was the best idea she had right now, and at least it only carried a low risk.
She considered bringing herself to the edge of tears before intercepting him - they were a powerful weapon - but it didn't match with the story she had, and she couldn't come up with a solid replacement plan in the time she had that would suit tears.
With his shopping, it was trivial to get ahead of him, and start walking towards him after he left one of the shops, her expression lost in pensive thought. But when she gets close to him, his shiny chain attracts her attention, and after a moment's focus, her face brightens and she clasps her hands together reflexively in joy. "Ah! Pardon me, Maester. Sorry to disturb you, I know a man of your important duties would always be busy, but could I have a bit of your time, please? I need access to the great knowledge and wisdom only the Citadel can provide."
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Post by Father on Aug 5, 2019 9:07:01 GMT 1
Albar is somewhat surprised by those words, there weren't many who were that enthusiastic about anything. In his mind he hopes it's no more than a silly wager in need of settlement so he can be done with. Outwardly, he is more friendly, he does have time to her the lady out at least.
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Post by Laena Pyre on Aug 9, 2019 8:14:13 GMT 1
"Thank you." She guides them to the edge of the street, so they aren't blocking movement. "I have a younger sister. Precocious thing, and a touch morbid after - well, that's neither here nor there. The point is that she enjoys making me look foolish. She's recently begun taunting me about this poison she allegedly read about recently - I wish to be clear, I by no means think she either *has* any of this poison or would actually use it if she did, it's just to show that I have no response to her.
"So, this poison allegedly gives a person the *appearance* of death, while actually they are fully aware, just paralysed. The idea being that the victim slowly suffocates in their tomb." She holds up a hand. "Yes, morbid and unladylike to dwell on these things, I know. She's .. odd. We're working on it.
"So, anyway, she's been taunting me with this idea. That I could be hit by the effects while on the stairs, fall down them, and it would look like I'd tripped and broken my fool neck or something. And that our maester wouldn't be able to tell.
"Now, I can't approach our maester about this. He's ... ah, preoccupied. And prickly. He'd see it as questioning his capabilities or something, get all defensive. And I need the truth, else my sister will make me look twice the fool.
"All of that is just the prelude to this question, and I ask you please for honesty - I won't think any less of you regardless of the answer. 'If you, as maester of a house, were presented with a body - say, mine - and were told it had - for example - tripped down some stairs and broken her neck, what tests would you do on me?' I don't mind if you gloss over any grisly or gross bits."
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Post by Father on Aug 9, 2019 18:03:07 GMT 1
Maester Albar would check for a pulse and a breath, listening to the mouth, check the thumb, wrist and throat, pinch the shoulder and other places where a dead body would not react to a disturbance like a living person would. He have heard of the existence of certain substances that might slow breath and heartbeat to make the victim appear dead, although he cannot remember having read any account of such a thing being tested at The Citadel like most toxins known to the maesters are. On rats, of course, not men. As far as he is aware, any such poison would make her heart and breath stop, and that would spell death, not a sleep looking like it. There are ailments that might make pulse and breath difficult to detect, but not enough to fool a maester with a silver link. And if one have no such on hand? That might well be the reason why the custom of holding a vigil is kept, as much honoring the dead as ensuring that they are not mistakenly deemed to be so.
Education TN 15: 6d6k4 19 |
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Post by Laena Pyre on Aug 9, 2019 18:48:12 GMT 1
Lady Helicent listens attentively and silently, nodding when appropriate. Her look of concentration easily masked her assessment of the maester's emotional state. If he were complicit after the fact, surely the discussion of subject matter adjacent to his guilt would stir up uncomfortable memories. Complicity - Awareness (Empathy): 5d6k4 14However, she notes that he says absolutely nothing of confirming that she had actually broken her neck in the example given. If there was no guilt visible, then it was all too likely that in the unfortunate case of Lord Ilyn, he did not think to check the cause of death, either. [IC response will wait, as a maester's time is limited, and I don't want to out-stay my welcome.] |
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Post by Father on Aug 11, 2019 0:14:00 GMT 1
His answer does seem lead by Helicent's vivid descriptions of her sister's teasing, though it appears that a maester will not necessarily question an account of how someone died, the priority being to establish if there remains life and whether it requires saving.
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Post by Laena Pyre on Aug 11, 2019 10:07:28 GMT 1
Laena conceals her disappointment, while Helicent smiles brightly and curtseys deeply towards the maester. "Check mouth, thumb, wrist, and throat; pinch shoulder and similar reflexive spots; and the poison likely doesn't even exist as described." She repeats a summary back, clearly to help her memorise the information. "Got it! You're incredible, thank you!"
"I know you're a busy man, so I won't take up any more of your time. Thanks again!" And unless he moves to stop her, Helicent departs with a small spring in her step. Laena meanwhile has already begun drafting a note to Ser Roland to inform him that her idea didn't pan out.
[And unless you wish for him to stop my departure, I think that's /scene]
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Post by Father on Aug 11, 2019 15:55:10 GMT 1
[/scene]
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