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Post by Ser Donnel Blackbriar on Jul 29, 2018 19:27:46 GMT 1
The noise of the great hall hits ser Donnel like a wall. Young lordlings roam around in flocks, and ladies not deserving of the title shrieks their false laughters.
Ser Donnel cranes his neck, and uses his tall stature to scout for familiar faces. Consequently he is unable to see the things in front if him, and stumbles over another gentleman.
Ser Donnel hurriedly grabs the other man to ensure he does not fall, before exclaiming: "My pardon Ser, I am very sorry!"
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Post by Alliser on Jul 29, 2018 22:16:22 GMT 1
Lord Alliser was making his way from the arm wrestling tables, nursing his sore arm, when he is jostled by well made man behind him, Oh isn't this cute, some knight seeking to add more embarrassment onto Lord Alliser. Lord Alliser feels the man's rough hands help steady himself, or maybe not? Lord Alliser turned around and stares up at Ser Donnel as Ser Donnel was apologizing to Alliser, oh my. Lord Alliser quickly reviews the tall mans form, "Ser Donnel, your apology is heartily accepted." Lord Alliser reaches out his and up towards Ser Donnel, "Lord Alliser, Your reputation proceeds you." As that of your hotheaded son. But who am I to judge a father based upon the actions of his son. "I am glad to hear that you more then live up to said reputation."
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Post by Ser Donnel Blackbriar on Jul 30, 2018 10:44:40 GMT 1
"Of course! Lord Allister Levalle, I believe I have met your brother previously." Ser Donnel smiles, indicating a pleasant meeting.
"The hall is crowded tonight! I must say that providing accomodations to such a large gathering is quite the feat!" Looking to the less martially bent character, Ser Donnel asks curiously: "Will you be attending the jousting tomorrow? I seem to remember your son Ser Imry beeing quite the avid rider? I suppose it is the nature of fathers to see our own success in that of our children?"
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Post by Alliser on Jul 30, 2018 15:43:08 GMT 1
Lord Alliser gives a warm smile up towards Set Donnell, "it truly has been a while since I've seen so many knights in one place." Malyk could have organized it better, but perhaps they were not wanting to have do much structure? "Imry does have a good seat, that's for sure. Much better then my own."
But I didn't leave my wife waiting when it was time to go to get her favor either. Lord Alliser face is troubled for a second, then he soldiers on, " but i will be competing in the tournament, not that i expect to make it very far, who is your favorite to win the tournament overall," Lord Alliser pauses, "besides yourself if course"
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Post by Ser Donnel Blackbriar on Jul 30, 2018 15:59:34 GMT 1
Ser Donnel laughs amiably: "Besides myself off course!" He considers for a moment. "Baelor has impressed thus far, and given the... situation we find ourself in, I would think he would be doubly motivated to win this!"
"Have you scouted out anybody in particular? I believe a lord who observes can often see more than those participating can! Especially when combined with certain wits?"
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Post by Alliser on Jul 30, 2018 21:03:27 GMT 1
Lord Alliser smiles at the suggestion of wits, then gestures over to the table where Ser Roland Redwyne had just slammed down yet another knights hand onto the wooden table. "I would say that redtusk might have a better shot then average this year. While Lord Tyrell is always a favorite, I feel that Ser Aegor might like to see a supporter take the wreath of flowers to crown someone who supports their cause, and Ser Roland could be the man to do it." Unspoken was the undercurrent of the rumor out of the riverlands about Daveth, "However I believe that one of the great competitions was watch will be between Ser Aegor and his half-brothers. Rage and recklessness can be a powerful tool, although I must admit that such tools are often better in the melee, whereas on the list field I feel horsemanship is a better judge of success. After all, it does not matter how well you strike if you end up with your ass in the dust." There was a slight undertone of resentment and humility in Lord Allisers words, likely having to due with his own injury from all those tournaments ago.
"And yes I agree without about Baelor having the drive, I wonder if his drive might be opposed in equal measure by those who are disagreeable to his... mother." Lord Alliser would not call out the fact that he was dornish, "I imagine a great number of Reachmen would be happy to see Baelor defeated, not to mention more then a few of his cousins."
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Post by Ser Donnel Blackbriar on Jul 31, 2018 19:39:19 GMT 1
"Ser Aegors rivalry will be interesting to watch indeed, but I must say that Aegor has never seemed to be as proficient with his lance as he is with his sword. And given the rate him and his brothers throws down gauntlets, I suspect they will struggle to stay in the joust for long. In the melee it will be another matter completely of course!"
"A great many reachlords would like to have nothing but sunny days and sweetmeats, I suspect that a man of experience will know better?" Ser Donnel inquires with the same guile as a charging ox.
At the implicit remarks of Dornish heritage, Ser Donnel remembers the poisoning of Lord Jon, and remembers further how Allister had been close to the former hand of the king, and now also former living. Clearing his throat uncomfortably Ser Donnel asks: "The murder yesterday came as a shock to us all, but I seem to remember that you were close to Lord Jon? I must offer my condolences!"
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Post by Alliser on Jul 31, 2018 20:14:59 GMT 1
"While true that many Lords prefer their sweetmeats" Lord Alliser patted his own form, "my own expedience included. However the reach also hosts houses such as your own, the Blackbairs, with gallant knights such as the companions that make maidens swoon." And sons that would rather see another failed foray into the marches then peace between the reach and the marches. "We also have the most plentiful knights and tournaments in the realm as well. So while the northmen might be hardy, you will not find near as many men skilled with a lance anywhere else in the seven kingdoms as you will find amongst the flowers of the reach. Given that, I would say that just through the economy of scale we have the best knights in the seven kingdoms." Well maybe the most skilled, if not the best. But in the end does not the man who survive get the right the story?
"As for the Lord Jon, it truly is a shame. Especially with his child being so young." I wonder who it was that killed him. I must admit that it would be good to find this out, even if only for my own knowledge. Alliser appraises Ser Donnel, then leans in towards the knight and Lord Allisers voice grew more conspiratorial, "I do not know if you are one to keep up on the rumors, but do you think the motive could have been revenge? Or do you think it is more likely to do with who sits on the iron throne?"
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Post by Ser Donnel Blackbriar on Aug 1, 2018 20:14:38 GMT 1
Deliberating swiftly, the effort of thinking visible on his face he opinionates: "I would say the flowers of the reach has some doughty competition, from the Stormlands, the riverlands and the westerlands all! We might have the numbers, and a lot mord good knights are found here, but the large houses of the other lands still have knights among the elite, because they have the wealth to let their sons focus only on jousting from their conception. So in numbers of truly great knights, I would think the numbers are about the same!"
"If numbers counted for quality in jousting there would no need for knights outside of the six large houses." Ser Donnel argues.
"I would say that if I sought revenge on someone, I would be the one to put the blade through that persons heart! Not a poisoning you cannot see!"
Ser Donnel then returns the question: "What do you think?"
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Post by Alliser on Aug 1, 2018 22:03:25 GMT 1
Alliser nods towards the big Knight, "you are correct again Ser! Money is very helpful in ensuring Knight's are properly trained, but so is the leadership of the house." The dark clad Lord gestures towards the older Knight, "and not necessarily who is the Lord. The companions are well known for their skill and chivalry. In thanks large part to leadership of strong knights like yourself." The smaller goateed man is sounding out the bearded knights impressions on knights leading, as opposed to birthright, a small test of where house blackbairs military leader might lean in the coming conflict.
The middle aged Lord lowers his voice, "I would doubt that it was a man of good standing who would commit a man to death in such a way. But the dornish, eunuchs, and women are known to use such weapons. It would not surprise me if the Dornish do get blamed. But they seem an unlikely suspect to me. But how about yourself? Do you agree with your son's assessment?" Lord Alliser was genuine in his curiosity about the knights opinion of the matter, so presses him gently so as not to cause an abrupt end to the conversation.
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Post by Ser Donnel Blackbriar on Aug 2, 2018 11:52:24 GMT 1
Ser Donnel is not someone adverse to flattery, and being named a strong knight visibly have an impact on him. "Aye the companions are well run, but the discipline of the forces would be meaningless if wealth was not provided. The lord is a vital cog, regardless of who he sets to lead. I think that delegation of tasks is where a great lord truly shines, it takes courage to see that others may be better suited to do something!"
Ser Donnel reddens at the mention of his son, but stays otherwise calm as he replies: "I cannot know what grounds my son puts out the accusation under, but from what I know I would say it is unlikely. Why kill somebody with poisons if you know you will get blamed? If you wish to do a covert act, using sonething unexpected would be the best way. Lord Jon spent considerable time before death, which created quite the scene, whomever killed him wanted to create a scene, and knew the dornish would be blamed... Snakes walks among ourselves, to think differently would be a folly indeed!" Ser Donnel seems convinced of the Dornish innocence, but does not name any more likely candidates himself."
"Let us hope the heroics of Ser Roland will provide a way to get closer to the truth! Have you had the chance to meet him yet? He is quite the knight!"
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Post by Alliser on Aug 2, 2018 19:39:30 GMT 1
Alliser nods at the knights assessment of Dornish guilt, It is as much as I thought so myself. I will have to ask Regyn if he found out anything in his searches. The poison must have come from somewhere. Perhaps if we could discover what type of poison it is it would help point to who the culprit really is.
"I have not met Ser Ronald, but I have heard of him. He is one of the knights of house starling correct? I have heard nothing but positive things about them, one of the shining examples of what knighthood should be." The man was clearly impressed by the companions reputation, and maybe even a little jealous of their discipline as well. "Your words are strong praise as well. I saw how you approached the Hightowers and offered your lance over the offenses given. I wish I had the skill of arms to not make a mockery of the solemn proceedings." He did sound wistful when speaking of fighting for honor, but if it was for the glory and prestige or honor and faith was not clear.
"I also heard that Ser Ronald showed great restraint, managing to capture some of the vagabonds instead of killing them all outright. I know some men, when faced with overwhelming numbers, choose instead to end the lives of those who are apposing them rather then seek prisoners. Knocking a man unconscious in a fight is a difficult skill to master." Lord Alliser was clearly impressed by what he had heard thus far about Ser Ronald. "Have you had an opportunity to speak with him further? To get more of a sense of the man?"
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Post by Ser Donnel Blackbriar on Aug 4, 2018 0:13:49 GMT 1
"I met him, and I believe so should you. He is a good lad, seems both pious and strong of arms." Those two compliments together was the aspiration of any Blackbriar male as well, and were not granted lightly. "He mastered restraint, let us just hope his efforts brings the family closer to closure."
"I offered my lance, for it is the way for me to pay my respects. Just like the warrior is different from the smith, so it is with you and I. The seven gave us different skills to hone to honor them, and although I do not know you overly well, I know that you have your own areas where you are plenty more skilled than me!" Ser Donnel seems to appreciate the compliment.
"The mind is a weapon in it self, if it is sharp, can your wits divulge information a mere knight might have missed?" Ser Donnel seems curious as to what goes on around him, although he is not skilled enough to figure much out himself.
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Post by Alliser on Aug 5, 2018 1:41:30 GMT 1
Alliser nods, "Indeed there is much that can be learned by being attentive, and the Gods have blessed me with keen eyes. But even so in the swirl of chaos things can be missed. Court is more like a melee then a joust, and just as a commander can not be expected to know everything, it is negligent to not have others keep an eye on things as well. For things that a commander might miss, paying attention to the 7 men in front of him, would end up knocking out his team if he did not listen to the man on the far left of the line shout of the warning of a column charge." The lord understood the basics of strategy, but was using it more as a comparison for the more martially minded knight.
"But even small sticks, when banded together, form a hardened shaft. It is why friends are helpful when navigating the intricacies of court, and you should never feel ashamed of asking for aid from an ally." Lord Alliser strokes his goatee, then decides to share some information with the knight in an effort to gain some goodwill.
Lord Alliser leans in and lowers his voice"I know that the bloods gained a significant advantage with the death of Lord Jon Hightower. He was strongly leaning towards supporting the Blackfyres, and with his loss comes the loss of an above average commander. However bastards are base in nature, and with the rumors about Daven, perhaps that bitter bastard is seeking to consolidate power as well." Lord Alliser cleared his throat, "but I was at the festivities, and I could not make out who slipped the poison into his cup. I also did not hear what the type of poison was either. I know that some Maesters study such things, and with the mass of Maesters we have at the tournament I would think that at least one would have the experience to help generate a lead as to where the poison had come from" Lord Alliser sighs, then leans back away from the big knight, "However, it would be troublesome for me to have my Maester approach, as that would lead to questions about my interest in such things. Questions that, due to my reputation, would not be particularly friendly or well received." The brown eyes of the lord brighten, "But you, Ser, you are a shining example of chivalry. There would be few who would question you if a knight such as yourself were to take it upon your oath to the seven to investigate such matters."
Alliser opens his hands with a flourish, taking on a aggrandizing tone, "I can see it now, Mummers would sing songs about the Great Ser Donnel, and his valiant quest to discover who murdered Lord Jon." Lord Alliser looks back up at Ser Donnel, and gives him a warm smile. "Imagine how much the Seven would look favorably upon your actions, in seeking out the murderers of one of their Lords. It simply sounds like a tale waiting to be written." The Lord had a tone of sincerity that was hard to mistake about the idea of Ser Donnel leading an inquisition into the death of Lord Jon as one to be written down about, although his motives for sending Ser Donnel on the quest are less understood.
Lord Alliser is quite curious about who killed Lord Jon, and is willing to assist Donnel if he does take the bait. However Alliser does not want to be the one spearheading the investigation, and would prefer to keep his presence as a peripheral as possible.
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Post by Ser Donnel Blackbriar on Aug 5, 2018 13:06:21 GMT 1
"Aye, we can do less alone than together. A lesson many young men struggle to learn."
"Looking for the type of poison! Indeed." Ser Donnel is embarrassed he had not thought about that himself. "I will talk to Maester Perwyn on the morrow, as the maester of house Hightower, he should know his share!"
"I would think our contribution will be minor, given how many will endevour to help." Ser Donnel claps Allisters shoulder: "But indeed, us doing a minor part may expedite things! What will you look into tomorrow, while I find the maester?"
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