Consolidating Power

[Xion]

ooc : Just starting some rp for the potential Silverhill succession dispute. Anyone can play a retainer or one of the men sought out by the retainers if they want, or within reason bring a character into this.(I'd ask you pm me first before posting)

In a small audience chamber located off from the Great Hall of the keep, a woman and several men sit around a table with a map of the Silver Hills sprawled out on it. "Lord Desmond will be heading to Casterly Rock in two months time at the earliest, or whenever his frailty allows him to attempt to the journey in the worst case scenario. If we do nothing, then by tradition and law my idiot of a brother shall inherit Silverhill and likely punish those of you who have supported me, while I shall have to flee to Crakehall or further beyond." "Or just let me duel him to the death for the right to inherit Silverhill as your champion." the largest of the men states, a greatsword in it's sheath leaning next to his chair. The elderly man with a chain of four links shakes his head. "I think our lady does not intend to use violence unless it is our only option." "Precisely, Maester. I intend to discredit and raise doubts over his ability if he would become lord, perhaps even throw in a bit of treasonous thoughts to make myself appear a more suitable candidate." Lord Myatt appears nervous over Emphyria's statement, stuttering a bit more than usual as he spoke. "Isn't..that dishonorable? Do you think your brother, if he was in your po.." "Yes, he would. Or if he thought he could get away with it, attempt to ambush and kill myself and my retainers while proclaiming it to be bandits..although that requires a modicum of intelligence Elwood lacks."

"It is simple, we shall send some of the few retainers I have to seek out a scribe willing to forge a series of documents for pay, I am thinking 10,000 dragons and then hire men to pose as bandits and patrolling Silverhill men to make it appear at least someone in the court is taking action..which may win over my father and his hesitancy to deviate from the laws and traditions of the Westerlands." "Very..cunning. I like it. Even if I don't get to smash the brains of your brother out from his head." Victor smiles evilly while gripping his sword's hilt. Another man gets up to salute the others. "I shall relay the orders to men sympathetic to our cause in your father's retinue as well. Ser Marbrand probably could help with that." the man next to the Captain of the Guards nods. "Go, then. If any patrol or individual finds the scribe we are looking for, send word to me with all possible haste." The two men bow and leave to carry out their tasks.

Lord Myatt drinks from his goblet heavily, some wine dripping down onto his doublet. "So, what will I get out of this." "Your cousin's position at court and I shall marry one of my children to yours." Emphyria states without hesitation, having decided on that from the day she convinced the Lord to align with her in opposition to Lord Turnberry favoring her brother due to his unmarried status and fondness for one of his daughters, including rumors that she had given birth to bastard twins sired by her brother that were kept in Redbramble. Lord Myatt gulps down another large portion of his wine before nodding, pleased to know he would become far more influential in Silverhill than his family ever have. Emphyria turns to Galbart again. "Galbart..I thought of something you can do. Keep my father in some degree of pain so he thinks he is incapable of traveling to Casterly Rock until we have finished ruining my brother." "That is against what we Maesters are supposed to do!" he shouts back, agitated. "I never said kill him or seriously harm him. Just do not give him as effective potions so he keeps doubting whether or not he can travel." the Maester remains silent for some time, grumbling, before bowing and leaving. "He may betray us?" "Go find Ser Regenard, Victor. He can keep an eye on Galbart for us.." she then gets up. "I suppose we are done for now. If I even doubt either of you have betrayed me, I shall make sure you and your family regret it. Same goes for those who have already left." Lord Myatt nervously nods before running out, muttering about requiring more wine to calm his nerves(and thinking of drunking himself into a stupor to forget the threat against him), while Victor embraces his wife and heads off towards the barracks. Emphyria, being the last remaining one in the room picks up a glass of imported Tyroshi wine and then departs to attend court, noticing multiple courtiers heading towards the Great Hall past her.

[Xion]

Several weeks later, the search that supporters of Emphyria was calling futile along with complaints from the Maester about his 'part' in all this, being forced along with his alteration of the potions for Lord Desmond by Ser Regenard and several other men who always had one of their number watching him as to ensure his silence. A knight returned during a rainstorm bringing news of a ex-thief residing in Silverton who once forged documents for bandits and other criminals in the Riverlands, but one day was nearly caught by a Tully knight and fled southwards before eventually finding his way to the Silver Hills. "Good work, it seems we found our man.." "A criminal? Are you sure he is.." "We have evidence enough to execute him, the documents he creates if of a poor quality will be used against him..nobody will believe him when he says a knight of the court hired him as it would be our word against his....if he succeeds, we shall let him..escape." "How merciful of you, dear." Crakehall laughs. "Or kill him, I don't really care as his part in my plan would be done and arranging his silence would be relatively easy due to his rumored past. Now we wait for Ser Marbrand to return.."

Several days after discovering the man, a group of twenty riders storm into Silverton around midnight on a cloudy night, soaking several nearby watchmen as they went through a puddle without stopping, then divided up to search for the man, only going off the fact he apparently had a tattoo of a raven on his arm. Emphyria, Victor, and Lyn deal with the guards who quickly scurry off to their patrols, not wishing to invite the wrath of Silverhill upon them for failing to do their duties. The search takes until daybreak, when a half-asleep man was rather unceremoniously awoken by Ser Victor barging into his house followed by ten other men. "Who the hell are you? I've done nothing wrong!" "Oh, but you have...Kenneth of Saltpans." Emphyria states as she walks through the door and Kenneth's face grows pale. "You Cox's retainers..damn you people don't give up.." "Wrong, we have nothing to do with the Riverlands nor are we interested in seeing you hang for your deeds there...but fail this task I am going to assign you and you will hang. Refuse and you die here, a victim of a robbery by a man who has long since left Silverton." Kenneth looks around nervously before nodding. "Good. Now listen carefully.." a knight closed the door as Kenneth led Emphyria, Lyn, and Victor(who had a dagger pointed at the man) to his workshop, listening to the lady's task..

[Honors Bastion]

Success Roll:

1 - 5 = very successful
6 - 15 = only partial successful
16 - 20 = complete failure.

Rolled a 4, the forgeries prove to be very successful.

[Xion]

Through painstakingly difficult work and several days of being watched by several knights Emphyria assigned to ensure the man carried out his job and then was..suitably rewarded, Kenneth managed to create four very realistic documents. The first was an order signed by Elwood, who is Lord Desmond's marshal ordering patrols to be lessened around Silverton and Myatt for reasons of a personal slight against his honor that never occurred, with Lord Myatt lined up to testify at Casterly Rock against it as an attempt by Elwood to attack him for supporting Lady Emphyria. The second document is a letter to Lord Turnberry mentioning a plot to kill Lord Desmond and the rest of his siblings as to secure Silverhill as "only the beginning" of his rise to power. The third was another letter to Turnberry hinting at possible Targaryen loyalties and includes more details to the plot, from where Turnberry's men should strike at Silverhill while Elwood's men strike from within the castle at his enemies. Silverton would be the target, with Elwood promising to 'take care' of the Captain of the Town Watch before Turnberry's men arrived. He also promises Turnberry the Lordship of Myatt. The final document is dated several months in advance, a response of Marshal Elwood to reports of banditry stating to 'abandon the smallfolk' and torch the forests to root out the bandits.

Emphyria returns on the sixth day of work to review the final copies, having prepared reports along with Lord Myatt and Galbard to coincide with the forged documents' content. She smiles evilly as she finishes reading the last one. "These are better than I expected." "Thank you, I pride myself on my work..does our deal still stand?" "Yes. 2,000 dragons as payment..and you shall leave for Essos immediately." Several of her men bring in the chest with the payment inside. "Of course." Kenneth picks up a dragon placed on the top of a small mound, as if inviting someone to pick it up and bites it to test if it was real. "There's been a slight change of plans..I can't risk you feeling that you can extort money out of me for your silence...so.." The man's eyes widen as he realizes what has happened before attempting to scream, then eventually falling backwards, smashing his head on his worktable and laying on the ground, bleeding out and dying from poison put onto the coin by Galbart at Emphyria's order. "Wreck the place, and find a coin to replace that one, I don't like wasting money, even if it serves a good purpose." Her men spend several hours wrecking the furniture and items, especially the forgery tools while Emphyria leaves with her documents. Several hours later, the guards would arrive after being tipped off to a robbery by Ser Marbrand, finding the now very dead body of Kenneth with several stab wounds from a dagger on top of his head wound and the poison. The guards would launch an investigation, but even if they did find any connection to Emphyria and her men, it would easily be suppressed at her father's court.
--
Several weeks later, Emphyria and Ser Marbrand sit on horses looking at a group of men from the rural villages of Silverhill her knights rounded up. "They'll suffice. Train them and send them to Myatt as we planned." "Of course, my lady. Will Myatt release the raven when I contact him?" "He will, if we have no delays that hinder our plan. With these documents and the ones we've written up..along with the "bandits" we shall release on Myatt, I think Elwood's candidacy is all but ruined." Ser Lyn laughs while Emphyria looks up at the moon rising in the east. "Any other orders, my lady?" "None for now. Keep an eye on Elwood, I feel while his group is planning to use the law as their sole reasoning to why he should be heir, if they ever catch wind of our plan...it may turn bloody." Ser Marbrand nods and shouts for the men to follow him, with Emphyria beginning the ride back to the Serrett's mountaintop castle.

[Xion]

"Galbart, good news." Emphyria states in a complete insincere sing-song tone as she walks into the Maester's quarters trailed by Ser Lyn. "What do you want, my lady? I'm preparing the potions.." "You can return to giving my father the full amount of medicine. We've completed our preparations." Galbart smiles for a moment about being able to fully heal his lord, but then looks skeptical. "Documents." "Acquired. Statements supporting them have been written by the necessary persons." "Bandits." "Hired and trained, ordered off to Myatt by the end of the year." "Elwood?" "Doesn't suspect anything. Although he did rant off to me about making my husband and I leave 'his' castle once he becomes lord." "Will I be needed for anything, my lady?" She shakes her head. "Your only task is to make sure my father is well enough to make the journey to the rock within the month." "Of course." The knight and lady leave, to which the Maester sighs with relief. "Too late to turn back now, but it may be for the better..Elwood is just a warrior, Silverhill will suffer if he was to come to rule, while she could at least keep the prosperity it enjoys under Lord Desmond.."
----
ooc : small interlude about the other side.

"The law is indeed on our side, Elwood...and you think your half-sister is just going to drop her claim to Silverhill?" "Yes, Lord Flement. Then your daughter and I shall marry, and rule Silverhill..after expelling any of my sister's supporters." "Roughly half the court, and this is presuming she does not call to arms her supporters to kill you." Elwood nods, before wrapping his arm around the young woman next to him, Lord Turnberry's daughter. Lord Flement sighs. "Very well..I suppose hard decisions must be made to secure your rule, my lord. But what about Myatt?" "Ser Kevan will be granted the lordship, while his cousin or brother, whatever that traitor Benedict is to him will be sent to the Wall." Flement nods, before downing half his goblet of wine while the two younger nobled whisper to each other, and his daughter giggles on occasion. He looks over at one of the paintings on the wall. "Why does this all sound familiar to me..? Probably history repeating itself for some reason."