Re: Awesome moments in Dragons Dance

[Reader]

Lots of people have put in a lot of hard work on Blackbuckle (Samurel, Nathaniel, Arlyn), but flagging Daveth as he and Jorah uncovered the most clues and have some extra physical evidence.

I enjoyed the speech too, which helps.

Well done on all the hard work (if you've got the right man).

Will be flagging Nathaniel's reaction in the game discussion thread, as I've raised the Maester issue with a few people and the impact on Westeros's social fabric (has some Green/Black impact: the Greens control the citadel geographically but there are many Black maesters too).

"
Five."
Daveth says, quietly, but firmly. "
Blackbuckle will be healed in five months. I've already discovered, and applied, the counter-agent, alongside Maester Leopold, the Drakeson's maester. I just needed word of that to not leak out until we were ready to move against those responsible.

"
Now, we are."


Daveth stands, and steps forward. "
The poison is called 'Glass candle tears'. In more ways than one, it should have all been destroyed in the doom of Valyria. To the best of my knowledge, it can no longer be made. To say that this poison is obscure is an understatement. Even the knowledge of it is limited to the most scholarly of persons. Or"
with a sad smile and a shrug "
the luckiest, I suppose. Even so, to discover some would be either a stroke of unimaginable fortune, or the result of dedicated scholarly work to trace where some might have ended up after all these years.

"
In short, everything we have uncovered indicates it was a scholarly mind that was behind this attack.

"
It indicates that it was most likely a maester.

"
We have evidence that strongly implicates one of them in particular, but I wish to save that for afterwards, so as to not bias you prematurely. What I wish to do now is demonstrate to you all a simple test that will indicate if someone has been handling Glass candle tears. I will need a volunteer. Someone who has not touched the water at Blackbuckle, so I may demonstrate a negative result first. Then I will get them to handle - carefully - a small sample of the poison, and re-test. The same test will then show a positive result, albeit a weak one. Be warned, that as a result of this test, they will have some marks on their hands that will take a few months to wear off.

"
Once I am done demonstrating the test, Loreia will bring in the two maesters, who we invited under the deception that we will require their expert testimony, and we will perform the test on both of them. While I cannot say for certain, I am hopeful that one will show a positive reaction, and one a negative, clearly proving that one is innocent, and one is guilty. Regardless, I will then display my evidence which led me to the conclusion I currently hold.

"
I am a cautious man, and a maester is an important part of any noble house deemed worthy of having one. I do not wish to make any formal accusations without the backing of at least a majority of my fellow investigators against such a man.

"
So, the test volunteer. Ser Markus,"
he looks towards the Marsten knight. "
I have heard nothing but good things about you, and I believe that none would accuse us of conspiring together to fix the result of this test. If your Lord and Lady, and yourself, be willing, I would have you for my volunteer, so all may have faith in its veracity."

[Baelon Drakeson]

[url=Known Unknowns][/url]
An excellent (and concise!) job of capturing the feel of Blackbuckle.

The best line:
"
The eyes that might have seen what they were looking for there were all sitting comfortably in the bellies of ravens by now."


I'm not sure I would would think of having been eaten as 'comfortable'... but the juxtaposition drives the horror home.

[Reader]

[url=Known Unknowns][/url]
An excellent (and concise!) job of capturing the feel of Blackbuckle.

The best line:
"
The eyes that might have seen what they were looking for there were all sitting comfortably in the bellies of ravens by now."


I'm not sure I would would think of having been eaten as 'comfortable'... but the juxtaposition drives the horror home.

Indeed, well flagged. This is another excellent Blackbuckle post driving home the horrors of war. But what horrors drove someone to commit the atrocity? Things are rarely simple in war.

[As a side note, Gwyn's post is another example of a moderate length post but with excellent imagery and turns of phrase]

[Loreia]

The eyes are most likely no longer inside anything by now.

[Septon Arlyn]

Or they still are as the ravens died from ingesting the poison

[Gwyneth Drakeson]

Oh fish. It's all about imagery, okay?

(^_^)

Thanks for the mention!

[Reader]

I knew this was coming, but it's still pretty awesome given the discussion about appropriate punishments:

Daveth response is cool and distant. "
Given the public confession, House Coldbrook wishes to see if there is support among the investigators for the death penalty for the poisoning at Blackbuckle.

"
And for the method, I wish for something a little more ... poetic than normal."
he taps the vial meaningfully. "
He receives a dose of this, and House Blackwood proves their condemnation of Arran's act by confining him, and ensuring that he lives through the full course of the poison, just as his victims did."


Maybe then those new nightmares will stop.

[Nathaniel Mason]

Making Arryn survive his own poison is a good start.

[Septon Arlyn]

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Just putting this here because its Awesome! Great work reader.

[Reader]

[url:1hay0e83]http:
//dragonsdance.
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Just putting this here because its Awesome! Great work reader.

Cheers!

Thank Corrine and Athelstan/Ereth mainly. They did the hard work, I just allocated them appropriately.

The (giant) Ser Myles portrait was perfect, exactly how I saw him.

I'll aim to add some of the small council and various other important lords too.

[Marq Mooton]

viewtopic.php?p=62823#p62823

[Reader]

Thanks for flagging that Marq.

Nice to show the players can do a variety of tones. The source material is not without moments of levity.

Quietly awesome stuff from Daveth, as he (and various other actions, including by Yoren previously) help head-off my showstopping event for D6.

viewtopic.php?f=191&
t=2231&
start=10#p63201

I've rewritten my D6 event partially already as it's looking like people will pull together and make a difference here, not that I want to jinx you guys. Hard work means you're likely to be playing heroic, effective peacekeepers rather than brutally putting down a revolution/riot, depending on how bad things had got. Have a good idea of how to tweak my event further depending on your combined efforts.

If so, very proud of everyone, lots of actions had a mechanical impact on the wealth needed, as did various rumour/roleplay actions in even uncovering the problem (Peace score from peacemakers contributed to this, as did Yoren's rumour work, Ser Jorah/Ser Kevan assisting the holy brothers at the Sept, Luecian's hunting, Nathaniel's reconstruction efforts at Blackbuckle, Daveth's aid efforts with Wylla the Weaver. House Dulver's indiscriminate slaughter of raiders was IC but pushed the dial a little the other way).

[Reader]

Loreia often appears here for feats of martial prowess or for acts of heroic bravery that won her the "
Warrior's Shieldmaiden"
nickname, in Prince Daemon's propaganda.

This is a different tone, helped reinforce the setting.

viewtopic.php?f=191&
t=2227

Overcast, the day's first light brings with it the shadows of rain clouds overhead.

Farmers' work in the fields are rewarded by the Smith.

The Mother's grace balms the dryness of days past with Spring's clemency, embracing the realm's defenders with the coolness of the air in thanks for doing all they could to save Her children.

In reflection over the night's trials against good sers defending the realm, the Warrior's thunder is silent, his victory against oathbreakers and blackguards assured by those who'd sworn to be His sword.

The upset balance has been restored and tempers - most of them - have lost their errant fire, much to the Crone's satisfaction.

The skies darken from time to time, raining light and heavy;
the Father's justice done in part, but not complete until the guilty have stood before the rest of the people to be judged in His sight.

A rainbow in the sky signifies the Maiden's delight and Her relief that the darkness has passed, but She saves Her song in advance, looking ahead towards the troubles that have yet to pass. The work of the realm's defenders remains in labor.

All the while, the Old Gods chant to the sound of the falling droplets - each one representing the hearts of the people They know, have known, and will know.

Stepping into the courtyard to her first task for the day, Loreia leans back and lifts her face to the heavens, eyes closed, while Badger stands just inside the door. "
The wildfire, the ashes, the blood. Wash it all away,"
she prays absently. "
Come on boy, it's only water."


The air already smells of worms.

Similarly, Corrine's post above it helps capture the stress the young woman is feeling. Amusing interplay between Ben and Ellie too, and nice to see our Septon make good use of an appropriate scene for him.

[Loreia]

I'm just noticing the irony in thanking the gods for the rain one second, and in the next second telling my dog it's nothing. The part about the worms is a wink and a nod.

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

viewtopic.php?f=193&
t=2229

I love everything about this thread. It's beautiful and romantic. I think it's really important to see these kinds of interactions. They may not be action-packed, but character development is an important purpose. Interactions like these are what gives us things to care about and invest in, beyond our abstract objectives.

[Nathaniel Mason]

Thanks. I am enjoying it very much. I think it's a very rare dynamic.

They both have very strong personalities. I think they are both trying to come to some sort of understanding of being equals in the relationship when they are clearly not equals in station. I think they are in love with one another, which seems to be a completely new concept for both of them. I think they deeply lust for one another, but have no real jealousy for one another in that regard. Their relationship does not feature any of the possessiveness that most similar relationships seem to demand.

While clever, I don't think Nathan is nearly as clever as he thinks he is.

While bold, I don't think the insecurities Jon goes out of his way to hide are the weaknesses he thinks they are.

[Reader]

http://dragonsdance.forumatic.com/viewtopic.php?f=193&
t=2229

I love everything about this thread. It's beautiful and romantic. I think it's really important to see these kinds of interactions. They may not be action-packed, but character development is an important purpose. Interactions like these are what gives us things to care about and invest in, beyond our abstract objectives.

Thanks Corrine (and Nathaniel for participating!). I wish there were two of me so I could do more similar scenes. Getting a chance with Aemond and Nathaniel, hoping to show some of Adham, Forrest and Ironrod's character over the weekend in direct scenes or event responses.

A bit more private hesitation for Jon tonight/over the weekend: why is seeking one kind of glory praiseworthy and another potentially grasping etc.

[Septon Arlyn]

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The Septon disapproves of this action. But holy cow is that quite a visual

[Theomore Tullison]

Now...to see what Theomore's conscience has to say about it.

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

There goes any chance of Corrine ever co-operating with Theomore.

[Reader]

Cackle.

Character development point and Jaime style redemption or the beginning of the true descent? And what will Prince Daemon think? Like the note about the cloak. :;
):

Tune in for story 3 and the offseason.

[Reader]

viewtopic.php?f=177&
t=2237&
start=20

- Whole thread is good, but this page has my favourite bits (because I'm in it less?).

I like the scenes with PCs debating the justice/injustice of what you lot have done in battle valley. Lots of elements here that don't have obvious answers and let us learn something about the PCs and hint at backgrounds and motivations. Feel like it could have been a dialogue in a (depressing) play.

[Septon Arlyn]

I greatly enjoyed that thread as well :-) it let me in at some of the acceptance backstory without having to just exposition at all. I also greatly enjoyed that Nathan was the advocate for harsher punishment against those who attacked us at 3 while the Septon was advocating for mercy.

I like that it shows that just because you have the same political affiliations doesn't necessarily mean that you see eye to eye on every other situation. Pun intended :-)

[Reader]

I greatly enjoyed that thread as well :-) it let me in at some of the acceptance backstory without having to just exposition at all. I also greatly enjoyed that Nathan was the advocate for harsher punishment against those who attacked us at 3 while the Septon was advocating for mercy.

I like that it shows that just because you have the same political affiliations doesn't necessarily mean that you see eye to eye on every other situation. Pun intended :-)

Indeed, much better to drip that kind of thing than info-dump it, and having a skilled sparring partner with an opposed point of view makes for a good scene.

Proud of the players for not making their factions monolithic and playing true to their personalities: both sides have internal disputes and loyalties to houses, family and ideologies that go beyond simple Green/Black. Marstens/Drakesons did a good job in a similar previously flagged scene.

[Septon Arlyn]

That's why I haven't Tennessee to enjoy all of my scene with Nathan. Is very eloquent about the way that he does things :-)

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