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Post by Robyn Stark on Jul 15, 2015 1:40:12 GMT -5
"And its own course... Is the one you're going to put it on?" She said, laughing back at him, "you see the paradox there, I hope?"
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Meereen
Jul 15, 2015 1:51:28 GMT -5
Post by The Forgotten God on Jul 15, 2015 1:51:28 GMT -5
Vhagus shrugged. "I will not live forever. If I break the chain, when I am gone man shall be free to do its own will." He eyed her. "I suspect they will run back to their gods anyway. Old habits die hard." He swirled a finger in the water. "Do you htink the world works well as it is? Tens of thousands dying in war every year? Women less fortunate than yourself raped, their children's heads bashed in, exiled from their villages for opening their mouths to receive their conqueror's seed?" He shook his head. "Seems cynical to me."
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Post by Robyn Stark on Jul 15, 2015 1:55:19 GMT -5
"What a charming image," Robyn said, raising an eyebrow, "I do not think it works well, but in a way, is this not already the life people gave chosen for themselves? Over the years, this is what we've already come to?"
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Meereen
Jul 15, 2015 2:05:34 GMT -5
Post by The Forgotten God on Jul 15, 2015 2:05:34 GMT -5
"Perhaps," Vhagus admitted. "But I think we can do better given a second chance. And fear not, I will almost surely fail. The world is reluctant for the scale of change I wish to bring." He shrugs. "But it stops me from being bored, which is my other primary goal." He stands. "What would you do if you had my power?"
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Post by Robyn Stark on Jul 15, 2015 5:27:18 GMT -5
"Let me tell you a fairly boring story. After bryce Dayne burnt kings landing, now we arrived a few days after he left, and people had already started to rebuild, really admirable after what they went through. What they suffered. I had never lost my home, never had the roof ripped from above my head, but I sympathised with them, even though they were not my own people, so I helped them rebuild their houses by helping thatch some roofs. Not a huge contribution, but still doing something, and while I was doing it, this kingsland nobleman told me it was inappropriate for me to get down in the mud and help the people, especially for a princess. I disagreed, I could not just stand there and watch as people who had lost everything struggled even more when I could lend any kind of aid. "
She paused for a second. "If I had your power, I would use it to bring up the common people, help them rebuild after the devastation we nobles cause. Peasants don't start many wars. After all, I know there's more to ruling than your people being happy, but giving them a better life or the best life I could, I think that's a good goal. "
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Meereen
Jul 15, 2015 11:00:42 GMT -5
Post by The Forgotten God on Jul 15, 2015 11:00:42 GMT -5
Vhagus doesn't seem bored at all by the story. "One day, when all of you have beaten me at last, after loss and blood and fire," he said, "what will you do with me then, as my sorcery is expended and my armies are ash?" He smiled a bit. "I suspect I will be killed for my sins. If you give the power to the common people, dig them from poverty and into power, do you think they will forget all the wars they have bled in, all the children slain for your benefit?" He shakes his head. "Keeping peasants poor is how to keep them contained in those lands, Robyn. They do not serve any of you for love. They serve for fear. And your worst nightmare should be that one day they are not afraid anymore."
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Meereen
Jul 15, 2015 12:56:08 GMT -5
Post by Robyn Stark on Jul 15, 2015 12:56:08 GMT -5
"Fortunately I do not think that the decision with what to do with you will be left up to me, but yes, you will likely have to die. You reap what you sow" She grinned, "It would almost be a shame, after all, you were write about interesting people being in short supply, and you are borderline interesting."
"As for peasants, I completely disagree, we may have ordered them and gave them orders, but the people did not fight through fear of us, they fought for themselves. it's their home, their lives, and they were being threatened, I would like to think if they needed to be called on again to fight to stop a evil sorceror coming in and threatening their way of life, they'd take up arms again, if their children died. If fear is what is keeping them loyal though, the reverse must always be true, people have a breaking point, and what will you do when you have beaten the people down so much the all decide they have had enough and overthrow you?"
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Meereen
Jul 15, 2015 13:09:30 GMT -5
Post by The Forgotten God on Jul 15, 2015 13:09:30 GMT -5
"You tell me Lord Stark and your brother recruited fifty thousand volunteers to fight against lord Tyrell?" Vhagus shook his head. "You are smarter than that. If a man won't go to war for his lord he gets the rope and the tree. If a man of mine refuses to go to war he goes to somewhere else where he can try finding peace. Perhaps you should ask my subjects how they view my rule instead of my enemies. It is to your agenda to paint me as the great villain of the world, but no one who has ruled can claim clean hands." He clenched a fist, and opening it revealed a tiny greenish flame. He tossed it up and down. "Go to Mantarys one day, or any of my other cities that your allies say I have destroyed. See how they are. I care nothing for gold or how people live, so long as order is maintained."
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Meereen
Jul 15, 2015 13:25:45 GMT -5
Post by Robyn Stark on Jul 15, 2015 13:25:45 GMT -5
"I am not saying they recruited volunteers who took up arms out of undying love and loyalty, but I am saying that there has to be more than fear to make people leave their homes and take up arms," she replied, knowing they were likely not going to agree, "The motivations of your people can be vastly different to ours, and while I concede that fear will play a big part in it, do I just think it is fear of Lord Kalvin and Benjen? No I do not think it is just that, I have more faith in the people of the Northern Kingdom than that, and if that makes me stupid, I am happy to be so."
She watched the fireball in his hand and her eyes moved up and down with it, "Perhaps I will go to Mantarys and see what's become of it, but keeping order in one city and ordering a whole world of different people are very different things. What about Dragonstone? You acted pretty horribly there from what I heard, without any kind of order?"
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Meereen
Jul 15, 2015 13:33:09 GMT -5
Post by The Forgotten God on Jul 15, 2015 13:33:09 GMT -5
"King Derek chose Volantis's offer over mine. That made us enemies. I am an utter monster to my enemies. I burned his keep, took his sister, then slaughtered her would be rescuers," he said airily. "and then I gave her back, when asked. Such a touching entreaty it was, from a man who I cannot claim to understand." He tossed her the ball, and it is cool and has the consistency of a wet sponge. "My empire is half agin the size of Westeros," he said, "please visit any city there."
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Meereen
Jul 15, 2015 13:41:58 GMT -5
Post by Robyn Stark on Jul 15, 2015 13:41:58 GMT -5
"Princess Naomi," Robyn said, nodding, "The woman my brother tried to sell me for... then jilted, chapter two in our near miss star crossed romance." She caught the fireball on instinct more than anything, and just about managed to not drop it in the time she realised it was not really hot. "She was really over sensitive, I jokingly mentioned that her family had really good senses of humour, and she called me a cunt and said I was mocking her pain."
"I will visit them all, and judge each one.. I have a very critical eye" she smirked back and threw the fireball into the water.
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Meereen
Jul 15, 2015 13:50:17 GMT -5
Post by The Forgotten God on Jul 15, 2015 13:50:17 GMT -5
Vhagus chuckled. "Some people may be too sensitive for the cruel world we live in. She didn't think her champions fighting each other to the death for her life was funny either." He watched as the flame popped and fizzed in the pool. "You are cruel to your enemies too."
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Meereen
Jul 15, 2015 13:53:32 GMT -5
Post by Robyn Stark on Jul 15, 2015 13:53:32 GMT -5
"How does it work if they're fighting eachother? I mean, that sounds like a win win for her?" Robyn shrugged and looked at the fizzling.
"Cruel me? What have I done that makes you think me cruel?" She asked laughing softly.
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Meereen
Jul 15, 2015 14:03:37 GMT -5
Post by The Forgotten God on Jul 15, 2015 14:03:37 GMT -5
"have you ever killed someone who didn't deserve to die?" Vhagus was quiet a moment.
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Meereen
Jul 15, 2015 14:11:57 GMT -5
Post by Robyn Stark on Jul 15, 2015 14:11:57 GMT -5
"Yes.. but they weren't my enemy, so I guess that makes me.... just cruel?" Robyn said after a pause.
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