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Post by Amelia Royce on Apr 25, 2015 20:19:42 GMT -5
The western host marching into the Stormlands to deal with the Vulture King.
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Post by Amelia Royce on Apr 25, 2015 20:20:06 GMT -5
Prince Benjen sent a message to the commanders to come to his tent.
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Post by The Forgotten God on Apr 25, 2015 20:29:00 GMT -5
It is a polyglot force comprising Prince Benjen and King Brynden's army; fifteen thousand Reachmen who until recently were prisoners, eight thousand Westermen, two thousand northmen still under Lord Cley Bolton, and a fair amount of mercenaries serving under different sellsword captains. Altogether is is thirty thousand men or a bit less, all marching to put an end to 'Prince' Jonarth the Vulture.
While the Reachmens' morale is understandably low, hostages and the new and brutal policies emplaced on them by the new ruler of the Reachlands has kept dissent to a minimum. Victory remains the surest way to raise spirits, and as the party advances to the east from Horn Hill, signs of the ravages of the outlaw lord can be seen everywhere. Noblewomen have vanished or remain behind, bastards in their bellies or murdered, the few knights who hadn't died or been captives in the Reach's uprising being slaughtered. Vultures feast on the dead smallfolk, and even Melysa Ashford, born Stark, has been moved to the Roost. It is a clear and direct challenge to the unity of the army.
Four days east of Horn Hill, at a river not even marked on a map, a messenger arrives in the Vulture's new colors, brown and black with a purple star falling in the upper corner. He says he has a message for the leaders of the great army.
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Post by Amelia Royce on Apr 25, 2015 20:36:57 GMT -5
Prince Benjen bids the messenger come to the tent, where he had... just called the meeting.
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Post by The Forgotten God on Apr 25, 2015 20:42:17 GMT -5
The messenger is small and slim, and looks a bit sheepish around the great lords. He turns to the two royals. "Your...Graces, the Prince Consort of Dorne and the Marches, Jonarth Baratheon, orders your army to explain its presence in his lands. He desires no conflict with the West, or the north, and seeks merely to impose order upon the rebellious and criminalized lands surrounding his own demesne. His wife the princess Ellaria orders that a cessation of hostilities be issued, effective immediately."
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Post by Lord Lyonel Vikary on Apr 25, 2015 20:42:44 GMT -5
Ser Lyonel Vikary's valor at Highgarden and the subsequent battle at Green Fields that had seen the Reach crushed, had won him the notice of several of the high ranking lords of the West. As a result Lyonel had been placed in command of a unit of Heavy Cavalry in the western host. He was surprised but also pleased when he was included in the list of commanders to be summoned to Benjen Stark's tent. He entered the tent as part of King Brynden's entourage.
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Post by Amelia Royce on Apr 25, 2015 20:49:10 GMT -5
The messenger is small and slim, and looks a bit sheepish around the great lords. He turns to the two royals. "Your...Graces, the Prince Consort of Dorne and the Marches, Jonarth Baratheon, orders your army to explain its presence in his lands. He desires no conflict with the West, or the north, and seeks merely to impose order upon the rebellious and criminalized lands surrounding his own demesne. His wife the princess Ellaria orders that a cessation of hostilities be issued, effective immediately." "The shit she does," Benjen responded, in no mood to deal with bullshit diplomacy. "If Jonarth Storm didn't seek war with us then he shouldn't have allied with Bryce Dayne. You can tell your master that we've come to take the lands he calls his own and that we're going to take his head too."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Apr 25, 2015 20:54:10 GMT -5
The messenger shrugged. "The prince and princess said that would be your likely response. If you're set on war, my prince, then we welcome you to our lands, and assure you you shall receive the same treatment as eight millenia of invaders to the Dornish Marches have received." He swiftly leaves. Brynden chuckles.
"Easiest negotiation to sit through of all time."
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Post by Amelia Royce on Apr 25, 2015 20:59:01 GMT -5
"Hardly a negotiation at all," Benjen said, frowning as the messenger left. "We need to start raiding their villages and bring terror to their lands. Valiant and honourable warfare has its place but this isn't it." He turns to those assembled.
"Who here thinks they can lead a few raids? Burn a few villages?"
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Post by The Forgotten God on Apr 25, 2015 21:00:47 GMT -5
Brynden nods, though he appears to dislike the idea. He had executed his own sister though so who knows. "Spare the children under twelve, at least," he says. "We aren't Bryce Dayne, not yet."
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Post by Lord Lyonel Vikary on Apr 25, 2015 21:05:34 GMT -5
Lyonel smirked at Brynden's comment and nodded approvingly at the Stark prince's response. The moment, this Vulture king allied with Dayne, war was inevitable. He wondered if he was doing the sensible thing, but raised his hand.
"If my lord King Brynden is willing, I will be happy to lead a raiding force into the marches." He said.
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Post by Amelia Royce on Apr 25, 2015 21:16:13 GMT -5
Benjen turned and studied the man for a moment, finding the man's face... familiar. He sort of looked like that loudmouthed Ironborn. Huh.
"Good man," He said, walking over to him, looking at his sigil. "Vikary, no? Time to show the Vulture King that he's fucking with the wrong people."
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Post by Lord Lyonel Vikary on Apr 25, 2015 21:23:22 GMT -5
Lyonel nodded in affirmation. He looked at the map spread out on the table. "Where do you suggest my lord? Yronwood and the Boneway perhaps. Or maybe further west?"
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Post by Amelia Royce on Apr 25, 2015 21:33:37 GMT -5
"The region around Nightsong," Benjen said, tapping the map. "I want Jonarth to feel the pain close to home. We'll need the castle eventually but that can wait." He looked around. "I need scouts to ride north, towards Summerhall. We need to know where Frances took his host."
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Post by Lord Lyonel Vikary on Apr 25, 2015 21:49:16 GMT -5
Lyonel nodded. He thought for a moment.
"Five hundred men on horses should be enough to do both a bit of damage and yet move quickly enough. There'll be no engagements with forces of any size, but we'll let them know we're there. We can raid Summerhall as well if we move in a circle to the north. The Faith still occupy it as far as I'm aware. I know they supported the rebellion, but do they oppose Dayne as well?"
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