(D3, Early Afternoon) Speeches in the Great Hall

[Reader]

Speeches in the Great Hall

Although King Viserys I is absent, the Tullys have prepared a feast fit for royalty.

A seven course meal awaits Riverrun's honoured guests in the hall, with simpler meat, soup and bread for the hedge knights, servants and commoners beyond the great hall.

A vegetable broth with generous chucks of chicken welcomes guests to the feast and warms them up for the rest of the meal.

Freshwater trout, baked in a herb crust is the centrepiece of the meal, but this is supplemented by further fish, red meat and game from the hunters' endeavours.

The food is accompanied by beer's from Riverrun's own brewery, as well as summerwine from the Riverlands to showcase the bounty of House Tully's vassals.

Participants: As many characters as like may be present, but only one member per house may give a speech. If you can't agree on who will speak, Status (reputation) determines who has precedence.

Challenges:

Persuasion (any) against TN (15) [to target Princess Rhaenyra's Black faction] or TN (18) [to target Queen Alicent's Green faction] - this is the “targeted” faction. [Difficulty reduced by 3 if choosing a friendly option from the consequences section – please note this with your roll.

Consequences:

Success = 1 glory
The speech maker with the highest roll (not degrees of success) earns 1 additional glory.

Additionally, a succesfful speech maker can choose to:
Raise the targeted faction's score by 1. [Friendly]
Improve the targeted faction's disposition towards their house by one step. [Friendly]
Lower the other faction's score by one (if a suitable speciality is rolled against the targeted faction's TN).
Lower a faction's disposition towards a house by one step (if incite is rolled against the targeted factions TN).
Seduce – may be used, but requires you to name a specific member of either faction. With at least two degrees of success this can be carried out subtlety, otherwise it will be obvious to many in attendance. Whether there is success or failure, this may lead to hilarious complications.

[Yoren longshore]

Yoren is not here to speak, but instead to listen. That is quite apparent from the way he sits at the table, with a sheet of parchment where he scribbles in a tongue foreign to Westeros at the words of different lords. At the sight of Daveth Coldbrook he blows his paper carefully dry before he excuses himself to the lords at his table as he makes his way over.
"
Daveth, nice seeing you here, are you here to speak or may I occupy some of your time?"


Before Daveth gets time to answer Yoren touches Daveths shoulder gently: "
What is praised more highly than valyrian steel, and stronger too, but is also so fragile that words may ruin it. The thing cannot be treasured alone, and you need someones help to carry it."

Yoren looks hesitantly at Daveth: "
Do you know this riddle?"

[Daveth Coldbrook]

Daveth is distracted from his mental rehearsals by Yoren's approach, but he stills his irritation when he sees who it is.

After Yoren has given his riddle, Daveth pauses for a few seconds, eyes flickering in thought before he gives a small half-smile of satisfaction. "
I do. Unfortunately, right now, I have to deal with something heavier than a mountain, binding tighter than the strongest chains, yet more important than the richest treasures. I'll come find you later, if I can?"
His tone leaves room to push if Yoren feels the matter urgent enough.

[Yoren longshore]

Yoren smiles: "
I'll wait for you, take your time. I will be sitting at the table over there until then."

He points at the table he was sitting at earlier, before he nods and leaves back to his notes.
he'll probably come over to have a chat when he is done with his speech Yoren thinks to himself, as he reflects on the riddle.

[Theomore Tullison]

Never one to let anyone waltz in and steal the show, Theomore knows that being early usually means one has everyone's attention. Less so after two dozen speeches, most going over the same theme. All the nobles desired to know was who one supports. Some might actually wonder what Theomore was going to do now, as he usually did something completely different than what one would expect, well at least what one would expect from anyone else.

"
My Queen, My Princess, My Prince"
he begins, starting with the queen as is custom, but the warmth of his tone towards the latter two are slightly more than what courtesy demands. "
My lords and ladies, I have been given the privilege of boring you with some words on behalf of Mountain's Reach this afternoon, as such a grand occasion calls for, and for certain it would be most unkind not to complement our fabulous host for this grand gathering and for this wonderful bounty showing that the Riverlands are the finest of places to be...."
some praises must be told, and a couple of jokes too, which Theomore does deliver with his usual sense of flair and bravado. "
...lastly I would propose three toasts, one for House Tully...another for our royal guests... and finally for the ladies, and while I would be hard pressed to name one that might rival the beauty of the realm's delight"
Theomore gives a respectful bow to the princess "
The ladies of the Riverlands can match anything the rest of the realm has to offer."
Theomore takes a pause between each toast, allowing his words to sink in, steering the build up of it all. Openly declaring the princess to be the most beautiful of all, while proceeding to put all the riverlanders above the queen was sure to please those he had a desire to please. "
So my dear ladies..."
his gaze travels across several of their faces, Sofia Blackwood, Gwyneth and Corrine Marsten, the princess of course, skipping the queen rather swiftly.

It comes to rest upon Floreta Frey.. "
I drink to you"
..and stays fixed upon the eyes of Floreta Frey as he empties his cup.

[url=Friendly Black option-seduction][/url]: 6d6k4 [url=Blood of Andals-reroll][/url]: 1d6 [url=Glory for +1b][/url]: 1d6 5 18 2 DoS

+1 glory
Black disposition improved towards House Tullison
Subtly achieving hilarious complications......

[Ser Fendrel Bartheld]

Among the many noblemen, eager to be heard by the Queen or by the Princess, or maybe even by anyone, stood Ser Fendrel Bartheld coming from Hart House. He listened attentively to what had been said, he paid attention to how it was being said, but most of all, he focused on what he would be saying. There was no doubt in his own mind who he would support - not after his bold and unexpected gift offered to the Targaryen princess, although there was some confusion among many courtiers who still claimed that he could not possibly be as bold as to publicly speak on her behalf. And they would be - partially - right. He would not speak publicly on her behalf, he would subtly suggest who has Barthelds' support and who the rightful party in their (or maybe just Fendrel's) eyes is. But he couldn't just start from there, now could he?

Like many others before him, he first addressed the royal family, said his praises of them and only then did he continue with a compliment about the hosting party, the Tullys. His remark that this feast was even grander than what House Bartheld usually organises was met with many smiles, but it did what it was supposed to - to relax the audience so that they are more likely to listen to the rest of his speech. He then went on to describe what a great honour was bestowed upon everyone in the great hall - to find themselves sitting among living legends. He recalled the greatest moments of the Targaryen dynasty, always emphasizing the importance of Blood of Old Valyria and Fire of the dragons. He never said a bad word about the Queen, Greens or anyone else, and to an unfocused listener it could have seemed neutral. But to those who cared to really listen, the intent was clear.

[url=Persuasion (Charm)][/url]: 6d6k4+2 15 (1 DoS) = Friendly Black;
+1 Glory;
Blacks' disposition towards House Bartheld improved.

[Gwyneth Drakeson]

Gwyn has stood before the applause has even properly died down for Fendrel, applauding for him as she does.

"
Well, I don't know if I can add much to what he said,"
she says with that warm confidential smile that encouraged everyone to feel that she was letting them in on a private joke. "
I've never had a deft touch with words, nor a firm grasp of politics. Instead, I want to mention something near and dear to all of our hearts."


"
Treasure."


"
It's all around us right now, and no I'm not talking about the gold in the...by now considerably lighter by the looks of things...coffers of our hosts and peers."
She grinned at her little jest, but only for a moment as she strolled over to where the Houses of Kriegar and Lyras were seated. "
The smallfolk look to the banner Houses,"
said Gwyn. "
And the banners to the Houses. Then we to the Great Houses, and they to the Iron Throne itself. These threads weave a web of loyalty and courage, of duty and cooperation, that extends to every man, woman and child in the Seven Kingdoms. From smallest to greatest. And at the center of that web is the treasure."


Gwyn's eyes were focused off on something far away as she even reached out, as if to pluck that treasure from the air.

"
Like a precious gem or crystal, perfect in its beauty, but so fragile. Civilization itself. The light of our culture. Sitting here, basking in the generosity of House Tully, and in the august presence of our Queen, Prince, and Princess, we can all feel it keenly, I think."


She paced back up to where she'd been sitting, though didn't yet take her seat.

"
It is only the best inside us that holds us together. Here, sharing a meal with all of you, laughing with you, speaking with you, contesting with you...sometimes."
Another wry grin, and a chuckle. "
...well, we don't have to agree on every particular, after all. Even old traditions were new once, and what we take for granted was bold and daring in ages past. But we agree that the treasure is worth enduring any disagreement to preserve, and if it's broken for one it's broken for all. That's the gift the Targaryens have brought us, the gift that the Tullys have reminded us of in inviting us here to this beautiful land, and this amazing wine...which I should probably slow down on."


"
We are the Seven Kingdoms, but one people. One king. One treasure that surpasses all others, resting in all of our hands."


Gwyn lifted her goblet to the head table.

"
Thank you, Lord Tully, for showing us just how deep, and precious that fellowship is."


As she took a drink, her eyes met the Lord Paramount's, and the Princess'...making her toast to them. A sharp eye might have noticed that she didn't quite look at the Queen however...

And then she sat...her speech concluded.

[url=Giving a speech, Persuasion (Charm);
targeting princess, raising disposition towards House Marsten][/url]: 6d6k4 19

[url=Hotness reroll of a 1][/url]: 1d6 4

Total: 20, 2 DoS, +1 glory, + disposition from Blacks to Marsten

[Daveth Coldbrook]

(OOC: Thought I'd posted in here - clearly I'd misremembered. I blame being sick Thursday. Hopefully not too late!

Unfortunately, my inspiration banks are empty at the moment. IC speech will be edited in.)

[url=Increasing Princess's Disposition (12)][/url]: 4d6 18
2 DoS, +1 Glory. Woo!

[Reader]

[OOC: Thanks for the polite nudge Gwyn!

Theomore: +1 Glory
Fendrel: +1 Glory
Gwyn: +2 Glory - winner!
Daveth: +1 Glory

Please mark this in your personal forum with a link to this thread.

Everyone - think you all went for the disposition - please mark this in your house resouces thread]

[Sponsored content]