[Driftmark] A Stricken Sea Snake

[Reader]

Lord Corlys Velaryon lies stricken in his seat at High Tide on Driftmark. All the riches and treasures the Sea Snake brought back from his voyages cannot protect him from the strange sudden fever that has ravaged him and confined him to bed. A cruel fate, to be struck down by illness when Corlys had moved his house's seat from it's previous cramped, damp seat at Driftmark that seemed a haven for disease. Corlys has reached his eightieth decade by now and is a thin, weak looking thing in his sickbed, but his eyes still occasionally flash with determination through his fever, and his Valyrian white hair is still thick and youthful looking, testifying to the vigour that once saw him conquer countless seas.

House Velaryon is deluged with visiting maesters, mystics and mages, all claiming to posses the cure to the Lord of the Tides' illness, and even High Tide's vast towers cannot house them all, forcing House Velaryon to turn away many and more.

All the while, many scheme to maneuver themselves to succeed Lord Velaryon, for while the Sea Snake has plentiful nephews and grandchildren, he leaves no son to inherit should he perish. High Tide's treasures, the fruit of the Sea Snake's great voyages to Essos and beyond are a grand prize, and great prizes create strange bedfellows...

Mechanics

1) Status (Breeding/Reputation) TN 12, TN 15 for Green Houses
- Succeeding in this roll is required to progress in this event.
- If this roll is failed, a favour with House Velaryon, the royal family or a high status maester may be sacrificed to allow further progress as they vouch for you.
- Characters who succeed on this roll may assist the subsequent rollls.

2) Healing (Diagnose) TN 15
- +5 to TN if absent as specified in core rules (due to failing previous roll/participating in another event).
- As normal with Diagnose: +1D to your subsequent healing test per additional DoS on this test, up to a limit equal to your dice in Diagnosis. [You may pass this bonus to another character, if desired]

3) Healing (Treat Ailment) TN 18

Consequences
- Highest healing roll: +1 glory, major favour from House Velaryon, +1 Green/Black score.
- Pass all three rolls: +1 glory.
- If nobody succeeds at the healing rolls fail Lord Velaryon will perish.
- The characters may choose to hamper Lord Velaryon's recovery instead of aiding it, adding +3 to the Healing (treat ailment) test but risking discovery if the Healing (Diagnose) roll from another character succeeds.
- Various narrative/political complication depending on who saves Lord Velaryon, or if he indeed perishes.

[Septon Arlyn]

Will be participating in all three. Have some off season stuff still pending though

[Daveth Coldbrook]

[url=Stricken Sea Snake - Status (Breeding) TN12][/url]: 5d6k3 15
[url=Stricken Sea Snake - Healing (Diagnose) TN15][/url]: 5d6k4+1 19
Spending a DP to turn BD to TD for +1, taking it to 20 2 DoS
With Miracle worker, gives +2D +2B
[url=Stricken Sea Snake - Healing (Ailment) TN18 +2D+2B+1][/url]: 8d6k6+1 17
Wow. Just ... wow. Over 95% chance of success, and I fail. Well, in for a penny and all that. Spend DP to turn BD to TD, giving +1. Taking it to 18. Pass.

+1 Glory, and Lord Velaryon survives, so long as nobody successfully hampers his recovery.

Narration will follow, depending on if I get the highest score.

[Septon Arlyn]

[url=Status reputation TN 15 Sea Snake sickness][/url]: 4d6k3 13

Spend the favor from House Velaryon

Diagnosis
[url=Healing Diagnose Valeryon Sea Snake TN 156d][/url]: 6d6k4+1 21

2 DOS + 1 D to following test

Treat Ailment

[url=treat ailment stricken sea snake][/url]: 5d6 13 + 1 = 14


(wow, those are some terrible roles, reader, does lucky/pious refresh for this event?, if so I would like to use Pious for my reputation and lucky for treat ailment)

[Septon Arlyn]

[url=Lucky stricken sea snake healing test][/url]: 5d6+1 19

Lucky roll, barely beating Daveth by one

[Reader]

[OOC: closes on Friday in case anyone wants to chip in an assist/come in and start burning destiny etc.]

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Corrine, with Maester Ronnel and Lady Ellie in tow, arrives at Driftmark, drawn by news of Lord Velaryon's ill health, and offering support &
assistance. Though almost at the end of her pregnancy, Corrine is attentive and compassionate towards Lord Velaryon, his family, and his staff. She helps Maester Ronnel in his ministrations, and attempts to keep everyone's spirits up.

However, her ability to help is suddenly curtailed by labour. After a long and difficult day, with Ronnel called away from Lord Velaryon to attend to his liege lady, twin boys are born. The younger of the two almost perishes during the birth, and Lady Corrine is rendered bedridden for some time, the process having exhausted her physically, her health suffering for it. In the current circumstances, no ravens can be spared to send word to her husband, so she and Ronnel find themselves somewhat stranded on Driftmark until Corrine recovers, or Lord Velaryon improves or passes away.

[url=Status (Breeding)][/url]: 7d6k6 18

[url=Healing (Diagnose) - Corrine assisting][/url]: 5d6+1 13
[url=DP spend for 1B][/url]: 1d6 2

[Septon Arlyn]

Septon Arlyn attempts to enter the castle of driftmark. beautiful island. And the journey by ship was pleasant enough. I'm glad no truely rough weather occurred though. Septon Arlyn looks up at the tall three pronged tridents of the sea gaurd and notices there sharp disapproval of his arrival at the gates.

"
State your name and business!"
Challenges the guardsmen at the top of the gate house.

"
I am Septon Arlyn of House Dulver. I come hoping to aid in Lord Valerion's illness."
Declares Septon Arlyn.

"
What business does a man of the Faith have in trying to treat our Lord?"
A rat faced man sneered. "
More apt to try and poison him for the greens I say. Nothing this old fat man could do that our own Maester hasn't tried him' self."
The man hacks up some phlegm and spits the lob at the Septon.

"
I am a officer of the Faith and I do say!"
Begins Septon Arlyn in indignation.

"
Wait, Septon Arlyn, your that bloke whom saved what's his name from being a cripple right? At Lord Redwain's tournament. Let him though."
Commands the man who spoke first.

"
But why? He is not but a green slob."
Comments rat face.

"
The declaration states all skilled healer's be summoned. He has proven his worth with a broken leg, let's see how he does with a cough."
Finished the first man.

The portcullis creeked upwards and heavy wooden door was opened from the main gate, just barely large enough for the Septon to squeeze through.

maybe I should not have had so many meat pies at Lord Redwain's tournament. thinks Septon Arlyn to himself wistfully.

[Septon Arlyn]

As Septon Arlyn entered the room the first thing he noted was the darkness. The room was stuffy, with thick woodsmoke enveloping all the healers. Slight weak coughs came from the giant four poster bed. Linens and drapes where heavy on the walls, a clear evidence of the Sea Snakes opulent wealth. Septon Arlyn entered and covered his mouth with the sleeve of his robe, thankful for the small amount of relief of cloth between his face and the rank smell coming from the Sea Snakes bed. Gods what a mess. Septon Arlyn approaches the bed, giving difference demanded of the Sea Snakes station, even if the man himself appeared to be withering before his eyes.

"
My Lord,"
begins Septon Arlyn, bowing deeply, "
It is with humble grace that I ask of you...."


The Sea Snake raises his arms slightly to wave the Septons greeting off. "
Enough talk, what are you doing here Septon"


Septon Arlyn's voice quite for a moment.

"
Well speak up,"
the Sea snakes words were soft, a slight wheeze escaped his lips, but his steely gaze did not give the image of a man on the cusp of death."


"
My Lord, you need to rise, you need to rise and leave this place."
responds Septon Arlyn

"
Are you crazy you fool?"
exhales an exasperated Maester. Lord Corlys Velaryon does not say anything, but his look gives the impression that he feels the same as the Maester.

"
Septon, I can barely raise my hand off this bed, how do you expect me to walk outside."
intones Lord Velaryon.

"
With the help of the gods, and a few good men"
Septon Arlyn looks at the sickly Lord,"
Lord I believe you have developed a corruption from the indoors, you must return to the air outside, taste the briny air, and have that help purge the corruption from your lungs."
Septon Arlyn turns seriously to the Masters.

"
I have been saying the same thing"
mutters a Mystic under his breath.

"
Yes you have,"
hisses Lord Valeyon, "
And I've told you I can not. for it is too painful."


"
Maybe if we offered milk of the poppy?"
another Maester offered.

[Reader]

The cure was beyond Daveth and the Septon, at least individually.

Daveth proved able to right Lord Velaryon's breathing, but only temporarily - each time his recuperation was off.

The Septon knew why - milk of the poppy depressed the Sea Snake's breathing, lessening the pain but prolonging the infection. Still the infection persisted, until the Seven spoke to the Septon, telling him that the grand Valyrian tapestries that adorned Driftmark were unholy in their eyes, and that a fully recovery was impossible until they were removed.

The household's staff initially proved reluctant - why should some green tinged Septon order them about? Daveth, sympathetic to the Septon's much albeit placing more weight on the risk of spores than the Septon's faith spoke with the authority of a lord, or at least a Black heir, and in time the guardsmen followed Daveth's orders.

Guardsmen shrugged wearily as they dragged the heavy, mouldy old tapestries away. In time, Lord Velaryon's infection followed the tapestries out of Driftmark.

With grim Northern honour, Daveth felt oblidged to credit the Septon, despite the natural inclination in Westeros to praise the man of better rank and birth. For a moment at least, the kingdom was united and greater than the sum of its parts.

[Reader]

+1 glory to Daveth and Septon Arlyn. A minor favour to House Velaryon for both.
No increase in green or black score.

[Septon Arlyn]

Septon Arlyn spent much of the rest of his time in prayer at the Sept. as he knelt down before the altar he lights a tallow candle and makes a sign on the seven over this heart as the Septon begins to smell the wax melting. Gods be good. The last thing we need for for Lord Valerion to die. For that would surely send reman into a deeper chaos then it is already leading to. It is bad enough thought to think of losing the king. If the snake where to pass and his nephews and neices where to try push their claim?

Septon Arlyn shudders as of a sudden chill had blown down from the lands of always winter.

The Septon looks up to the idol if the mother, then to the Father. please mother, let the king reaffirm who is to be his heir, let him forget this foolishness of his daughter being placed before Aegon. For if where to be so then how many husband's of wives would then claim that there wife's seat is their own. How many small folk would die in the battles to come. Think of the dragons, oh lord. Think of the destruction that one careless prince caused. Vhagar consumed those men without hesitation. What would happen if they where to fight arms. Hundreds if not thousands would die, charred to blackened bones.

The image from the Septon's nightmare appeared again. The dead heir, the burning ships. The feeling of falling down the gullet...

Septon Arlyn is finally broken from his concentration as the last of the candle sputters against the liquid wax. The Septon lights another candle from the dying of the flames, just as he does so he sees a green flame fighting against the black soot. Something happens, and the room is plunged into darkness. A trick of the light? An impurity in the candle? Or a vision from the gods? Septon Arlyn has no choice but to swallow hard, and feel his way towards the door, cold floor slapping against his sandaled feet like a slow lonely applause add the Septon fumbles in the dark towards where he thinks the door should be.

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