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Post by Laena Pyre on Apr 25, 2022 21:35:12 GMT 1
[I'm assuming when you say 'Leygood', you mean 'Appleton'? Else I think I've really misunderstood something and will likely need to edit.]
"Hmm." Laena idly sucks in and lightly bites her upper lip. "Fair point, and applies tenfold to me, for the reasons I previously stated. You know, I may not have been able to persuade you to do it, but I think between us, we've persuaded *myself* not to. The risks are much, much too great. I have children of my own I need to look out for."
She sucks in a deep breath. "Sooo, I need to ask a personal favour. Nothing too onerous, but it would mean a lot to me. I spoke with the young lady before this - I didn't go into any details about the plan, I just asked her, if she had the choice, would she choose death or dishonour. Now, she's not going to get the choice. And, for all that I promised nothing except that I'd try, I just know she'll have gotten her hopes up. If I try and tell her it's not happening, I'll do it wrong, and she'll start crying, then I'll start crying - you know how emotional we women are. What we really need is a calm, logical, intelligent man to go to her and rationally explain to her that, much as you wish otherwise, the risks of the plan are just too great for you to go along with it." she gives an apologetic smile. "That's all, but it would mean a lot to me. A man as wise as you would surely have no problem giving bad news in as palatable a manner as possible." It was her last card she was willing and able to play - it was one thing to not save the woman when she was more of an abstract idea in your head. But when she was sobbing and pitiful right in front of your eyes? You would have to have a heart of steel. Maybe he did have one. But it was as good a plan as she could come up with.
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Post by Father on May 4, 2022 12:37:58 GMT 1
Hmm, let's try some skill challenges to guide how well that works. Awareness (Empathy) TN 9 Cunning (Taunt) TN 12 Deception (Act) TN 12
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Post by Laena Pyre on May 4, 2022 18:32:18 GMT 1
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Post by Father on May 15, 2022 10:56:20 GMT 1
The maester, when finally put on the spot, squirms.
What follows is long silence, then reluctant assent, it would seem the maester would prefer one discomfort over the other, but there is no great enthusiasm for saving her life.
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Post by Laena Pyre on May 29, 2022 17:42:07 GMT 1
[Some time later...]
If one must roll the dice, 'tis best they were loaded. Laena muses, as she chances across a couple of people in conversation. Diverting to approach them, she greets them with a small curtsey. "Ser Roland Redwyne, Sister." She greets Ysilla more informally. "Pray forgive the interruption, but I have information I thought you might be interested in." Addressed more towards Redtusk, but not ignoring her sister. "I have just been with the maester, to get the prognosis of my cousin. Given how you knighted him, I thought the matter might be of interest to you. He is in a poppy-coma for the night. If he still breathes come morning, he will likely continue to do so, but that is far from certain. If you have words to say to The Father regarding him, tonight would be a good time." Her face is a careful mask, not quite fully concealing a mix of distress and worry. "Still, I imagine that you have a measure of pride that the man you knighted never hesitated nor faltered, until his body gave him no choice, even against such a powerful opponent. Such courage is rare." Leaving it ambiguous as to if she meant Lord Walgrave, Ser Normyn, or both.
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Post by Father on Jul 3, 2022 13:28:58 GMT 1
"Knighted too early to understand the difference between bravery and folly perhaps?" Redtusk sighs, he approves of sorts, the way a parent might both be proud and scared. "It is brave and noble to sacrifice oneself for another, but when a cause is lost, true bravery is to then recognize that the honor of a knight demands of him to protect himself and others from further harm by yielding to the victor."
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jul 9, 2022 18:09:31 GMT 1
Laena inclines her head. "A lesson, perhaps, he might take in should he still breathe come the morn, should it come from you." She blinks briefly as a thought comes to her. "I wonder if he somehow kn-" to herself, before shaking her head. "No." Though clearly not entirely convinced of her conclusion, whatever it may be. While clearly still thinking, her eyes fall on her sister. After a moment's hesitation, she turns back to Redtusk. "Actually, good Ser, would you mind if I stole my sister away for a bit?" Hoping she'd done enough to bait his curiosity, without arousing suspicion.
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Post by Father on Jul 19, 2022 16:23:52 GMT 1
"I doubt it would be wise to think myself the owner of a dragon, and thus, there can be no theft, I think" Redtusk does seem to like his little quips.
But it might seem that Laena's tricks are perhaps a little too subtle to catch his attention.
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jul 25, 2022 16:06:09 GMT 1
Mentally rolling her eyes that a bait she'd have considered overly blatant by the time her age reached double digits had seemingly passed the man by entirely, Laena does her best to adapt. Lacking a hammer with the word 'clue' to hit him over the head with, she opts for something only mildly subtler. Giving Redtusk a smile and polite curtsey in parting, she drops a conspiratory arm over her sister's shoulders, and begins talking excitedly with her while only a few steps away. Not loudly, but at that distance, Redtusk would have to be actively trying in order to not hear.
Since she absolutely has to hook his interest in her first words, while they're still close, Laena cuts right to the heart of the matter. "As I said, I was just visiting Ser Robyn. And while I was there, the maester received a very interesting message. While I had to do some inference, so I could be wrong, I consider it likely that our poor, doomed Lady Wenda...is pregnant!" She gives Ysilla the opportunity to feign surprise, and hopefully set up her response while Redtusk can still listen in while assuaging his conscience that he's doing nothing wrong.
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Post by Father on Aug 1, 2022 18:37:08 GMT 1
"That means they can't kill her, right?" Ysilla's response is perfect, precisely the naive and idealistic view of the world and childish sense of justice. The way the world might be if not for all the people in power preferred justice to be a tool to keep themselves on top rather than to make things fair and working for the greater good. Ysilla deception: 6D6.HIGH(4) = [6, 4, 3, 6, 2, 6] = 22
That should suffice.
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Post by Laena Pyre on Aug 5, 2022 21:22:19 GMT 1
Laena sighs and sadly shakes her head. "In a world where men lived up to the ideals they espoused, certainly. But we do not live in that world. Knights who would boldly charge an entire army quail and quake in terror at the mere thought of causing Lord Oakheart perturbment. With Ser Robyn in a poppy-coma, I fear there will be no man willing to defend this babe. Such is the difference between what I call 'performative courage' - a showy, yet ultimately hollow facsimilie; and 'true courage'. Only the greatest and bravest of men have that." She considered adding 'handsomest' as well, but doesn't want to lay it on *too* thick. The man is not a *complete* dullard, after all. "Now come," gently pulling Ysilla with her, "all ladies like us are permitted to do at a time like this is pray, so let us pray to the Mother and the Warrior that one with True Courage is yet among us, should my deduction prove true."
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Post by Father on Sept 10, 2022 20:28:41 GMT 1
"If prayers worked, Ser Robyn would have won" Ysilla snorts with petulance. "And who cares what we are permitted to do? We are dragons! If we do not like the rules, we reject them and make our own!"
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Post by Laena Pyre on Sept 18, 2022 5:49:33 GMT 1
Laena gives a small, affectionate sigh. "Sadly, I think by this point, men are wise to the ploy of a mute mystery knight acting as one of them. Lord Oakheart is generally a straightford man, but he's no fool.
"Making our own rules is all well and good, but they need to be made in a way that they can be made to stick. I seem to recall you tried to defend your own honour a while back, and were firmly denied. Under these circumstances, I see no way for the outcome to be any different. Maybe there is a way, but it would take something truly brilliant. And, speaking personally, I've found most brilliant things enter my head when I'm on my knees, so I'm going to pray at one of the rest areas just inside the garden maze, since the chapel is occupied, and it should be private and peaceful there. Now, you can join me, or you can vent your frustration by using your bow to shoot out the nose-hairs of a sketch of Lord Oakheart's head. Either way, that poor babe's fate is down to Gods and Men, now. Let us hope they are up to the task."
[Hopefully that's enough. Let me know if any rolls required (I imagine I'd be Assisting Ysilla's roll). But anyway, Laena will head off to the place she mentioned to pray, because this plan has so many places it could go wrong, some divine assistance would not go amiss.]
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Post by Father on Sept 24, 2022 17:20:18 GMT 1
Mmm, may job my memory a little, since it seems a little unclear to me from Laena's IC act what she is aiming for.
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Post by Laena Pyre on Sept 24, 2022 19:35:36 GMT 1
[Basically, the core of it was this part here: "[...]Knights who would boldly charge an entire army quail and quake in terror at the mere thought of causing Lord Oakheart perturbment. With Ser Robyn in a poppy-coma, I fear there will be no man willing to defend this babe. Such is the difference between what I call 'performative courage' - a showy, yet ultimately hollow facsimilie; and 'true courage'. Only the greatest and bravest of men have that." She considered adding 'handsomest' as well, but doesn't want to lay it on *too* thick. The man is not a *complete* dullard, after all. Basically saying 'you're not truly brave unless you're willing to upset someone politically powerful to do what is right - simply charging into battle against inferior opponents is not enough', hoping to nudge his pride that I and other women are likely to think less of him if he doesn't step up in that circumstance. (Now, if he decides that he wants to take advantage of knowing I will be alone in a secluded location to maybe provide something (he considers) 'brilliant' to enter my head, Laena will not internally be surprised, but her words at the end were not a hidden seduction.)]
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