[Closed RP] Consolidating Power

[Barry Goldwater]

The Ormellen residence is a large manse visible from several miles away, a large black and white building adorned with golden statues, enclosed by a great bronze fence and a vast garden featuring many exotic plants and stone fountains, and actually enhanced by the massive Red Temple to R'hollor sitting on the hill opposite to it, their contrasting colors making both stand out against each other's backdrop. Mail-clad guards wearing the Ormellen colors of black, white and blue march to and fro along the fence and inside the great courtyard, occasionally waving their spears and shields threateningly at unwelcome passers-by or stopping to boast about their exploits (real, exaggerated or made up) at comely ladies.

(OOC: Closed to Rose)

[Xion]

A small group of at least fifteen men escorting two cloaked figures arrive at the Ormellian Manor. Among the guard are all thirteen of Rhaenys's Black Guard, named so for the black armor they have adorned themselves in contrast the Westeros Kingsguard, and consist of Targaryen loyalists who fought in the breakout from King's Landing and have since served as Rhaenys's personal guard, selected for their loyalty to House Targaryen and skill in combat. Rhaenys occassionally looks around from behind the mask she wears to cover her appearence while Prince Maegor, her younger brother wears the attire of sellsword under the cloak to keep with his disguise of being a Tyrosh sellsword.

[Barry Goldwater]

The gate guard, a tall middle-aged man with a weathered face whose only hand is tightly gripping a spear, smacks the butt of his weapon into the ground and cries out,

"Stop right there! Do you have any business with the Master today?"

[Xion]

Maegor walks forward, while Rhaenys remains behind several of the Blackguard. "Hailm good ser. We were invited here by Prince Ormellen to discuss a agreement between our two houses..this is his address, correct?" He shows the guard the piece of paper Eladon gave Rhaenys.

[Barry Goldwater]

The gate guard looked long and hard at the paper, then nods.

"That is correct. Prince Eladon has informed us that we were to expect certain guests, and to escort them to his solar immediately. Of course, I can't do that if you still have your arms on you..." He whistles for another pair of guards. "Your weapons, fair lady? And good sers?"

[Xion]

Several guards had over spears and short swords, while the Blackguard hand over a variety of weapons. Rhaenys leaves two daggers that have slight curves to them, and Maegor has a single blade. The group then wait to be led into the Manor.

[Barry Goldwater]

"Indeed? I am glad to hear that nothing has befallen you nor your companions. Come in, there is much I've to tell you."

All but two guards, standing on the right and left of the door, depart, and Prince Eladon heads inside the solar. Maps of Lys, the Free Cities and the Disputed Lands are strewn here and there, with the Free Cities of Pentos, Myr and Tyrosh circled in blue and Lys in red. A painting of a man who appears much like Eladon, but older, gaunter and with a harsher expression, imperiously glares down on everyone who passes through the door. And lastly, a cyvasse table sits to the side, though in addition to the usual ten pieces there are pieces shaped like a flower, a stag, a leaping trout, an eagle, a snake, a direwolf, a squid and a three-headed dragon...

[Xion]

"Of course.." Rhaenys removes her hood and so does Maegor, while the Blackguard and several other guards follow Rhaenys. She then stares over the maps. "Interesting..has the situation between Lys and Tyrosh that we spoke of before worsen due to the Fists?"

[Barry Goldwater]

"Unfortunately, yes. There have been several border clashes on the Disputed Lands already, and both the Fists and the Tyroshi government are pointing their fingers at the other while insisting that they're not to blame. The Fists have recently gone so far as to demand reparations for the deaths of six of our soldiers in such a skirmish...R'hollor knows they were probably sent to their doom by the Fists, looking for some cause for war," Eladon grumbles.

"We must move quickly. If war breaks out between our cities before we Palms manage to seize power, it will allow the Fists to rally the masses around them and brand us Palms as seditious allies of the Tyroshi, seeking to undermine Lyseni unity in this crisis or something along those lines. At present, we have only three targets to knock down..."

Eladon points to three cyvasse pieces - a spearman, a heavy horseman and an elephant. "First there's the Captain of the Lys City Guard, Tregar Sathmantes. He's widely known to be in the Fists' pocket, but only because he's thick enough to swallow their propaganda...I think that if we can show him how the Fists are running this place into the ground, some undeniable proof that they're corrupt beyond redemption, along the lines of their raping the daughters of Palm-affiliated princes or actively orchestrating the war with Tyrosh or stealing from the city treasury, he'll turn cloak. Aside from him, there are the captains of the Ragged Standards and the Second Sons, Ronnel Rivers and Ben Plumm. Both have contracts with the Fists, but being actual sellswords they can be turned aside more easily, I'd imagine. Once these three are gone, their forces won't be present to save the Fists once we Palms spring our little surprise for them..."

[Xion]

"Hm..indeed..as once Tyrosh denies the reparations demanded by the Fists, as they probably will, then that will justify the Fist's story of Tyrosh killing their men and denying it, causing war. Yes, time is slipping away..we probably have until the Tyrosh reply to their demand arrives, most likely with a refusal to pay for their warmongering." She stares at the three pieces. "Yes, that could work..and if it does not, perhaps use that against him to get him replaced, stating he did nothing to resolve these issues of corruption as his position should. The Sellswords will be far easier, just either have to promise them a more lucrative offer than what the Fists are.."

[Barry Goldwater]

"Exactly. I am not certain whether Sathmantes will value his personal honor - he is, in some way I suppose you could say, like those knights of yours back on Westeros, or at least the version we hear about in fairytales - over his duty to his paymasters, but there is no better time to test him than now."

"As for the sellsword captains. I can deal with one at this time, but my commitments and the fact that I have to keep the more...excitable, shall we say, Palms from initiating a riot ahead of schedule, on a tight leash means that I will not have the time to book appointments for the second captain."

"So, who will you be going after first, Captain Sathmantes or one of the sellsword captains?...and in the case it's the latter, which will you approach first, Ronnel Rivers of the Ragged Standards or Ben Plumm of the Second Sons?"

[Xion]

"Going for any of three would be rather risky, espicially Sathmantes, if I fail to convince him..he could just simply arrest me and deliver me to the Fists...perhaps I should take some precautions. But how many men are part of the Guard, compared to the Mercenaries? Also, what do you know of the Captains, if anything?"

[Barry Goldwater]

"Hmm, you are correct...Captain Sathmantes isn't known for being reckless or flamboyantly bold, quite the opposite really. You should scrounge up some solid evidence before seeing him, that way he'll really have no reason to lock you up once you do meet him face-to-face."

"The captains...let's see. Rivers is a pretty hotheaded fellow and he loves fighting...getting him to stand down shouldn't be that hard if you can convince him to fight a duel with one of your allies, and smack him down. He respects brute strength more than anything, so that would be the cheapest plan to get him out of the way if you ask me. As for the other...Plumm is scum, it's plain as day, he's Ser 'There are old sellswords and bold sellswords but there are no old, bold Sellswords' after all. He'll kill - he has killed babies without a second thought, as long as the money's right, but he's also a coward of the worst degree...if money doesn't get him off our backs, then if you can somehow convince him that even his twelve thousand thugs can't stand up to the wrath of the Lyseni people, he'll still back off like the maggot he truly is."

[Xion]

"Hm..sound easy enough to deal with the mercenaries..but for the captain, do we have any hard evidence I can present, or shall I start searching?"

[Barry Goldwater]

"I'd advise starting to search. Let's see, where could one start with this...well, there's Salladhor Maar. Bald bastard with a hooked nose and eyes like ice, oh and he's huge too, you can't miss him. Comes from Qohor, and decorates his manse like he's still living there. He frequents the temple of our Love Goddess, but you can find his manse on the other side of the city, in the Fists' Square." Eladon practically spits the next few sentences. "They say he's been 'praying' with the boys and girls of Palm nobility, especially those sworn to R'hollor, and that he eats them when he's done 'playing' so the City Guard can't find evidence of any of this. 'Course, him and his friends in the Fists deny it all. If you could prove those allegations...well, let's just say Captain Sathmantes doesn't take kindly to cannibals, child murderers and rapists, much less someone who's all three at once, or anyone who protects them."

[Barry Goldwater]

Later...

It is time for Rhaenys to execute her plan, whatever it is. As Eladon mentioned earlier, her major objectives are the city's Red Temple, the offices of the City Watch, and the headquarters of the Second Sons and Ragged Standards. She may choose to visit these targets in any order.

[Xion]

"Come, Davos. I know this Temple may be foreign to us, but we can't go the guards without some form of evidence." Davos nods, and the group of seven Blackguard and Rhaenys, all in disguises to ensure they don't attract much attention. "Besides..could be useful to learn more about the religion here, may help further on when dealing with other Free Cities.."

[Barry Goldwater]

The Red Temple is a truly massive structure, built with the offerings of the tens of thousands of R'hllor worshipers in Lys. Great roaring flames burn day and night on either side of the massive front doors, priests and priestesses in blood-red robes move with an unearthly grace here and there, and the Slaves of R'hollor and temple prostitutes can be seen milling about aimlessly. Overhead, more torches and hanging braziers burn brightly, and a great central tower with the biggest flame in the city burning ever-bright at its peak rises from further within the temple complex like a great burning lance.

Crowds of worshipers are moving into the building, some obviously wealthy, others - not so much. Among them however, Rhaenys can spot a bald man with a hooked nose, so obese that he has to be carried towards the temple in a gilded litter by a number of ragged servants, garbed in many bright colors and flanked by a standard-bearer - in other words, a man who matches the description of Maar given to her by Eladon...

[Xion]

Rhaenys and her group attempt to blend into the crowd going into the Temple, while observing and following the man that appears to be Maar.

[Barry Goldwater]

The man and his servants head deeper and deeper into the structure, past winding hallways and stairs and great blazing torches. As they go further into the temple, Rhaenys and company find it ever harder to keep up with Maar in the labyrinthine halls and looping staircases, until they entirely lose track of him around one corner that led directly to a four-way intersection deep in the structure. There are few Red Priests, Priestesses and temple guards here, and in any case it may not be the greatest idea to ask them for directions...