[D9 EM]Allegations[Closed]

[Theomore Tullison]

Having received a friendly warning, Theomore decides to act quickly, taking Raff with him to the castle while most are still asleep, the fewer eyes, the better chance of controlling the narrative afterwards, one way or the other.

"
I understand, my lord, that there has been levied accusations against a man in service to house Tullison."
Theomore goes straight to the point, expectantly waiting for what exavtly Raff had been accused of.

[Reader]

"
Ah, Ser Theomore. Good of you to attend so promptly,"
it is Ser Fredryk Vance who greets Theomore, rather than Lord Tully. He strokes his moustache thoughtfully.

"
There appears to have been irregularities at the equestrian games. Lord Fossoway's folly wasn't the display of chivalrous behaviour that the knightly oaf would hope."


He nods in a self-satisfied fashion.

"
Shows what happens what you put a damnable amateur in charge of events rather than an expert - the joust proceeded without being marred by underhand tactics under my watchful eye."


Ser Fredryk shakes his head ruefully at the shambles that had almost unhorsed Lord Bracken and set him against Lord Tully's other guests.

He gestures for his men to bring forward a manacled figure - Raff! He is bruised from a brief scuffle but not seriously injured.

"
The one is a Tullison man spotted interfering with Lord Bracken's saddle, seemingly intent on setting Lord Tully's guest against one another. Little shit wouldn't talk under question."


"
I know he's not your responsibility, but we've known each other for some time. I'd sooner not sour things between Tully and Tullison, given the blood links between your houses."


To Raff's credit, he does not look up in hope and betray his true master, his eyes remaining fixed downward and meek.

"
Your name has value in the Riverlands Ser Theomore - will you speak up for this man and pay recompense to Lord Tully and Lord Bracken? I can ease things with the Beast of Bracken - he is not a man you would want wroth at House Tullison."


[OOC: Minor Scandal, -2 influence, -1 with a simple intrigue against TN (12), plus a 5GD fine and a few strokes with a birch for Raff.

Lord Bracken moves to Dislike with House Tullison, but 2 DoS means he remains at indifferent.]

[Theomore Tullison]

"
Spotted by whom, if I may so ask, ser?"
Theomore would need all the tricks he knew to paddle out of this one, though the situation was not entirely unsalvagable, nobody had interrupted Lord Haig before riding off, as a start. And Raff knew how to be careful, that he had been arrested just now was also an interesting point to explore. "
Because this does not sound quite right to my ears."

[Reader]

"
Goodman Fielder, a stout fellow and true. He has no quarrel with House Tullison and seeks none, but feared the Father's justice if he did not speak up."


Ser Fredryk moves his head so only Theomore can see his expression and roll his eyes, his expression in marked contrast with his approving tone.

"
He is a godly man."

[Theomore Tullison]

"
And is he present to bear witness, ser?"
Theomore folds his arms across his chest. "
I cannot remember seing Rafford during the equestrian competition, and I think I would have, since he was supposed to be somewhere else."

[Reader]

"
Aye, he's testified to myself and Lord Tully. Not all men have the sense to know what to see and not to see."


"
He swears he saw this "
Rafford"
character, and as I said he was no cause to bicker with a noble house."


"
Tell me Ser - will you vouch for this man? Things will go better for him if a knight speaks in his favour."

[Theomore Tullison]

"
I would like to hear the testimony myself, ser"
Theomore says sternly. "
Rafford is a man I know to be honorable and true, with no such inclination as to sabotage Lord Haig's saddle."


"
And I have difficulty believing the words of a man who's face and voice are strangers to me over a man I know, and I do not see any signs of guilt on my nephew's man, do you, ser?"

[Reader]

After a reasonable interval, Ser Fredryk Vance is able to produce Goodman Fielder.

He is a plain looking man with brown hair and a full beard, a carpenter by trade. He bows respectfully to Ser Theomore and Ser Fredryk, before plainly recounting the facts as he observed them. He has a keen eye and recounts events truly.

"
May I have my leave Sers? I must be getting back to my family, it's a fair walk back."


He smiles, attempting to be friendly, but seems unable to dispel the tension in the room.

[Theomore Tullison]

A keen eye, is it? Sounds almost too accurate. "
I have a question...did anyone tell you what to look out for?"
This he wanted to know, who knew what sort of others might be playing this game? Theomore looks at the man sternly.

[Reader]

"
It weren't that we were looking for specific Ser fo much as extra vigilant for the unfamiliar. I know all of House Tully's men well, been comin' 'ere for year."


Goodman Fielder's eyes are cast downwards, respectfully, but his tone is steady.

"
As I said to Ser Fredryk Vance, one of the guardsmen gave me a small payment in thanks for being a good citizen, but that was after the fact, by the Seven. I acted as the Father would want, without thought for reward."


Ser Fredryk Vance shrugs at this.

[Theomore Tullison]

At the mention of knowing all the Tully men, Theomore's interest piques up..had anyone said anything about men in Tully garb? He wants to ask, but that was rather overt. "
Are you saying, master Fielder, that you saw Rafford here, pretending to be a man of House Tully?"
, good thing the prince had made him play this game, over and over. When I come back, I will want to hear what has happened while I was gone, but I want you to try and trick me into believing falsehoods. Then I will tell you which tricks failed, and where you failed. And before I am going to knight you, the part where you tell me where I was fooled shall take longer time. And the prince knew how to make the game harder and harder for him, thinking on the fly came rather naturally.

[Reader]

"
No Ser, I swear I did not say that to Ser Fredryk Vance and I'm not claiming that to you now."


He looks down at his feet.

"
Only meant that I knew who was supposed to be various places and who weren't. Lad seemed to be interfering with the horses, and while the boy seemed quiet and harmless at the time, after seeing Lord Bracken's struggles with the saddle and hearing his anger, I had to come forward Ser."


[OOC: apologies to hurry you along Ser Theomore, but in wrap-up mode, so the simple intrigue from the start of the thread and a PM on any special information your after will help us wrap this up. ]

[Theomore Tullison]

"
Aside from squires and pages serving the riders, you mean?"
Theomore gives him a quizzical look. "
What I find highly curious, master Fielder, is that I was there, too, I believe I would have noticed Rafford's presence, especially when I had tasked him to find my squire and accompany him to sell the spoils hard-earned against Ser Lyonel Darry's band of zealots. Eustace is a good lad, but young enough that people might try to rip him off on his own."
At this Raff mutters something about him saying this and the shitheads...oh, no, not Ser Fredryk, certainly, but those others that just laughed at him and called him a liar, since this Fielder person was such a fine upstanding citizen that never would speak untruths... Eustace was almost a man now, if a bit boyish in the face, and also rather fond of Theomore's sort of games, and a good liar. Main reason to have him as a squire since he knighted his last noble one not too long ago. Of course, he'd have to ask his squire a suspiciously leading question if Ser Fredryk really wanted to put the tale to the test, and that might be rather telling, but Theomore is willing to take that risk, most likely, Ser Fredryk does not feel like dragging this out any further. "
I would assume that Eustace would have told me if Rafford did not meet him as I said he would......"
Theomore pauses, time to bring the scene to it's conclusion.

"
I believe you are honest, master Fielder, but I also believe that you are mistaken, or do I really need to send for my squire to settle this?"
Theomore pretends to grow rather impatient, as if he felt he had wasted enough time sorting out something that to his mind, was very much an issue made on false grounds.

"
Let us not waste anyone's time anymore, ser. I can have words with my squire, and if I do not like the ones I hear, I shall drag Rafford to the stockade myself."


[url=Deception-Bluff w/assist][/url]: 5d6k4+4 + 2 BoA bonus 22 Equals 3 DoS.

[Sponsored content]