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| A Call to a Grand Council | |
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| Topic Started: Oct 3 2008, 10:09 PM (283 Views) | |
| The White Bull | Oct 3 2008, 10:09 PM Post #1 |
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The White Bull sat in his tent outside of Sunspear. The siege was underway and his scouts were confident that they had the army inside well outnumbered. They were also confident that help from Yronwood, or elsewhere, would not be able to come until the battle was completed. That being said he knew that taking the enemy capital could be a long and drawn out affair and very costly in terms of gold and men. Archmaester Edric had put the idea in his head and he could see no reason why it was not worth a shot. There was little to lose and much bloodshed could be saved. "Send the letters Edric," he commanded. "Your grace, I have letters for Lord Manderly, Lord Cenedil, Lord Vandelay and Lord Black." "Do you really believe that we need to invite that wretch Black?" "I do your grace. In order to legitimize this council all of the Lords must be invited to participate." "So it must be then. Send two riders seperately to each in case one is lost. Send them under banners of truce on our fastest horses. The sooner we are able to complete this the better." Each of the eight letters was the same and each read as follows: "Westeros has seen too much bloodshed, too many towns burned, too many small folk tormented. We can continue at this until only one of us survives, or we can do what is best for our land and attempt to resolve our problems through diplomacy. Each of you is invited to join me, or to send an envoy who speaks for you to Tumbleton. This is currently nuetral territory andI have no plan to change that. I will have a large tent set up in the main field. I will grant guest rights and the rights of envoys to all who attend. As I hope you know from my reputation I am a man of my word. Westeros bleeds and it is time we put this war to an end. The council will commence on the 6th. I hope to see you or your representatives there as the wieght of Westeros hangs in the balance. Gerold Hightower" |
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| Cenedil | Oct 4 2008, 05:27 PM Post #2 |
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Cenedil sat in his office pouring over battle plans. He was supposed to have support on its way, but if it would make it in time was yet to be seen. Suddenly the doors flew open and Havlan strode in with a man where the Bull's colors. Standing up from his desk Cenedil asked, “And who is this?” Havlan stopped before pushing a hand slowly towards the ground indicating Cenedil needed to relax. When Cenedil’s shoulders began to relax Havlan said, “This is a messenger from the White Bull, my Lord.” With that Havlan tossed the sealed message on to the desk. When he finished reading the message Cenedil sat down and run a hand through his hair. “I take it that another message was sent with this one?” Cenedil asked, and in response, Havlan sheepishly pull out an already opened message. “I see,” Cenedil replied, “I don’t have to explain it and you have thought about it more that I; what do you think?” “I think we that we don’t have any choice, my lord.” “At least I know you can still think,” Cenedil replied before leaning back in his chair, “Very well, dismissed.” He watched as his head warlord saluted and walked away and began writing. The message reads: I’ll agree that I am tired of this petty war, and I will attend the meeting. In attendance with will be my bodyguards, Havlan Tyndall, Reman Hollis, Victarion Harroway, and Harin Sand. We will have Ser Willas Flowers in tow. He has been given the best treatment available for a injury sustained in battle, and is currently recovering in a lord’s guest room. You will be able to converse with him, but he will stay under our care unless an agreement decides otherwise. ~Lord Cenedil Ertulcien |
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| Turncloak | Oct 4 2008, 06:57 PM Post #3 |
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Lord Hightower wished to hold council…could it be? But then, Lord Petyr always saw him as a merciful lord, something his bother would call soft. But was he ready? After all this death and tragedy? Was he willing to face the Knights without his sword? Oh he hoped so. If he could nit, then he was no better than the Blacks, his brother or any of them. He was supposed to be the voice of reason. I must, he thought. I must do it to end this madness. Perhaps to heal the realm…we must stop bleeding it. Yes…he grinned. This was for the realm. Later that night he found himself in the study, where he had sat down, quill in hand facing the piece of parchment. Dipping the quill in ink, he commenced to write out the reply to the White Bull’s request. To Lord Hightower, Your recent letter about this council upsets me. We have spent months at war Lord Hightower, and you wish to throw our victories and defeats away, for what? My brother would call your mercy weakness. But I ser am a different man, and I have seen past that and have seen the truth of it. If I say I am fighting for unity and peace by means of war, then I am no better than the Knights. Expect to see me in two days time; I have made plans to leave tonight to get there in time. With me will be some of my kinsmen including my half-brother, still recovering from the battle at Saltpans, and the lords that make up my council. Lord Petyr Maderly |
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| Athidoc | Oct 6 2008, 05:35 PM Post #4 |
Lord of Harrenhal
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Lord Reven Vandelay sat in the room he was using in the single tower overlooking Saltpans. It had belonged to the Direwolf, once. Then to the northmen. Now it was his. A knock sounded at the door. "Enter," replied Reven. The door swung open, and there stood Grouthe. Reven jumped to his feet. "You're back." The man, Reven's Second, nodded, leaning against the door frame. "The battle. Lord Harroway's. Did we...?" "Win? Indeed," was the reply. "But only barely. The southerners know how to fight, that much is evident." "The northmen too..." Reven said, bowing his head. Suddenly he looked up, his demeanor much more cheerful, unusually so. "But we won. Both battles! The war is progressing well." "Have you been locked in this room for days?" replied Grouthe, sharing none of the young Lord's enthusiasm. "There is news. Much news." "Speak, then," said Reven, taking his seat again, looking surly once more. "The Bull's forces at the Eyrie have retaken the Bloody Gate from the Ironborn. And the northmen have held at East Bridge. Black's forces are crushed." "Damn," muttered Reven. "We must-" "There is more," interrupted Grouthe. Reven narrowed his eyes, unused to such disrespect. This was Grouthe, however, his lifelong friend. The only man who could get away with it. "The Southrons approach the capital from the south. The men of Deep Den have elected to make a stand. Their numbers...are few. They will be no more than a fly gnawing at the Bull's hide." "But...the force at King's Landing! Have they-" "King's Landing will fall. There is no doubt." "Then there is hope yet. Let's-" "There is more, I am afraid. The most dire news of all." "You-you are joking. After all that..." Grouthe merely shook his head before continuing: "Sunspear is besieged. Lord Cenedil has sent for aid." Reven took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. So much, so fast. After a series of victories, it had seemed they were unstoppable. But now... "He shall have it." said Reven slowly. "Send everything we can spare. Send tell to the Ironmen, if they haven't recieved word already. The Arryns must hold. Sunspear cannot fall." Reven rose to his feet. "There is much to be done. Come, quickly-" "One last thing," said Grouthe, reaching into a pouch on his belt. He drew out a letter and slowly offered it to Reven. The young lord took it, eying it as one would a serpent. The seal. It was... "The mark of the Bull," said Grouthe. Reven did not reply, instead opening the letter slowly and cautiously as if fearing it would explode. He read it through quickly, then once again more thoroughly. Its meaning was clear. The lord of Oldtown wished to gather all the Lords. To seek an end to the conflict. An end to the bloodshed. Reven gave the letter to Grouthe. Thoughts spun through his head as he waited for his comrade to finish. Grouthe had no response, no words of input or advice. All he said was, "Well, Lord?" Reven turned to his table and grabbed a quill and parchment, writing the following: Is this true, then, Lord of Oldtown? That you seek an end to the war? My heart screams for me to refuse, to continue this fight to the bitter end. But my mind sings a different tune. A good general seeks any available avenue towards victory. But a good lord seeks every path towards peace. I have decided which road I will take. I will attend this council and work to the greatest extent of my ability to bring peace to a shattered land. And I pray that the gods will open the eyes of the others, that we may end this conflict before it ends us. -Lord Reven Vandelay |
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| Chugman | Oct 6 2008, 08:32 PM Post #5 |
House of Black
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Lord Robert Black sat in his father's chair. It held an empty sense of new power. Holding a heavy crown of rock and salt he began to think if he should wear it like his father did, His thoughts did not last long before his sister broke the silence. "Brother we have a letter" Taking the letter and reading it over, Robert then called a maester and had him write out a letter to Lord Hightower. I will come to this meeting. War teaches lessons to men. I was taught the lesson of how painful loss can be. I have lost my father and now know how the sons of the men i have killed must feel. How ever i come knowing that the Black Family has killed your people at Crakenhall and the Bloody Gate. We will not apologize for that but we are willing to compensate for those actions. With luck the land can be brought to peace. -King of the Riverlands and the Iron isles, Robert Black |
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| The White Bull | Oct 7 2008, 07:25 AM Post #6 |
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When the representatives had arrived, The White Bull got up from his seat next to the Arch Maester and moved to the front of the room. He had been working on what he would say here for months, and realized that now was the best time to say it, before Westeros had been bled dry. "It is good of you all to come. I am glad to see that representatives from all factions, other than the Ironborn, have come as the fate of Westeros hangs in the balance. Many of you will find what I have to say difficult, and I expect your initial reactions to be negative, but I ask you to think this proposal over well and to choose the words in your responses carefully. Our country has bled for too long, and it is time to put it to a stop. Lord Cenedil, your capital is surrounded, and there is a good chance it will fall. You brought this upon yourself , breaking our non-aggression pact, and we will make you pay if necessary. That being said, you have proven yourself a worthy foe. This war has seen no atrocities committed at your hands and there is still much of Dorne left for you to tame. I would prefer to have you on my side than to continue to fight against you. Lord Vandelay, troops from my alliance march on Lord Harroway’s Town and Saltpans. One if not both will most likely fall this week. You won a close victory over my forces recently and cost me one of my best Generals, his Valyrian blade is being returned to Horn Hill with his body. But it is folly for you to think you can hold the Riverlands much longer. This war has torn through Dorne and the Rivelands, but the Reach and it’s bounty have remained almost untouched. You can not survive this war of attrition, as each weak our alliance grows stronger than yours. If Lord Cenedil or Lord Black were to fail than all would certainly be lost for your people. Lord Manderly, you have been an excellent ally and friend. I hope that you will agree to what I propose as initially you may not like it. Once you think it over however, I believe you will see how it significantly benefits both you and your people. Here is what I propose. Lord Cenedil, all of Dorne will be yours. I will withdraw my troops from Sunspear, and move them across the Dornish Marches into the Reach. You will have free reign to conquer the western half of Dorne, which is not currently under your control. You will swear fealty to me and to the realm and will be appointed Warden of the South. All of your sons will attend the Citadel or Citadel war college, and the rule of Dorne after you pass will no longer be hereditary. For that matter all Lordships and the position of King itself will no longer be hereditary. The appointments will be for life, but upon death or resignation the replacement will be selected by the Maesters of the Citadel. You may ask what I am giving you that is not already yours, and I would tell you this. I am giving you your life, a quarter of Westeros to govern and rule, and the opportunity to save your people the misery they will face as the war continues to rage in Dorne. Lord Vandelay, my offer to you is similar and one that might come as unexpected to you. In return for your fealty to myself and the realm you will be granted the Riverlands and the lands surrounding and including Casterly Rock and will be appointed as my Warden of the West. In addition to this you will become the Hand of the King, and next in line for the throne should I die or resign. Your appointment would still have to be confirmed by the Maesters of the Citadel, but from what I have seen you have the makings of an excellent King. My son Luther, understands this and accepts it. Do not believe that he will not also put himself in the running for the Kingship when it should open, but he believes as do I that the King should be the most able man in the Kingdom, not the one with the best bloodline. The war has ravaged the Riverlands for too long, and if you do not agree to this treaty, there is no end to this violence in sight. It best for you, your people and Westeros, so I ask you to strongly consider accepting the treaty. Lord Manderly, I hope that I have not offended you by not offering you the position of Hand. Believe me when I tell you that I have good reason for this, and that I have even more important plans for you. I wish to return the Eyrie to you and give you control of the Mountains and the Vale as my Warden of the East. That is the easy part. The difficult part involves your homeland. The North has grown wild and there is much that is not yet under your control. I wish to make you Warden of the North as well, and I want you to take back the land from the wildings and brigands that currently control it. I put my faith in you and the Blood of the First Men, for if the North is not retaken then our kingdom will never be safe. Like the others your sons will foster at the Citadel where they will get to know and learn from each other, and where they will meet the other elite sons and daughters our great land has to offer. When I say elite, I mean so in ability, not in blood. For again under my rule, the laws of bloodlines will be no longer. I leave the words for Lord Black till the end as the words I have for him are the most difficult. Unfortunately I see no other way in which Westeros can effectively move forward into a new and peaceful era. Lord Balck, you must leave Westeros taking all of the Iron Born with you, or you will be crushed and Riverun razed to the ground. Your ways do not mix with ours, and are unacceptable in our land. The horrors you committed at the Bloody Gate will forever last in my mind, and if a long boat is seen within miles of our shores, I swear to you I will sail for the Iron Islands and your people will become extinct. You have two weeks to gather your people and begin the journey west. I swear to you, that if you are late, justice will be dealt. I know that I have said a lot here, and I’m sure this is not what many of you came here expecting. You are all protected by guest rights, so no one should fear for their lives now or until after they have returned. I would like to hear what you all have to say. What you think of a united Westeros, ruled by the most able men in the land. One where our people can feel safe, and where no one is doomed to serfdom tantamount to slavery solely because of who their parents are. What say you to a strong and unified Westeros?" |
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| Athidoc | Oct 7 2008, 07:48 AM Post #7 |
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Lord of Harrenhal
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Reven's head spun at the offer. He had expected to be forced to forfeit rule of the Riverlands, and maybe even Harrenhal itself, but this...Warden of the West? Hand of the King? And possibly even next in line for the Throne? He had known the Lord of Oldtown to be an honorable man, that was why he had risked coming to this gathering in person. But for the man to so easily forgive such grudges, and so soon? Truly this was wisdom. But then came the proclamation of the fate of the Ironborn, his staunch allies. He wanted to accept the southrons' offer without condition, but he could not abandon those who had stood by him for so long. And so he spoke: "Your offer to me is gracious beyond imagining, Lord. I thank you for the opportunity, and would gladly pledge loyalty to your cause...but I cannot forget the men of the Iron Isles who bled and died for me. The Blacks have stood by my side and it is my turn to stand by theirs. "When this war began I was a petty boy, covetous of my father's position. But now that I have attained it I envy him not for a minute. I can see now what could have driven a man to such madness, but fortunately the gods have preserved me from such a fate. I have not been spared everything, however. I have seen carnage. I have seen destruction. I have seen death. Of the young, of the old, of men from all corners of this land. "These sights did not drive me mad, but they have changed me. "I know now that the way I chose was not the way. Forgiveness and mercy. That is the road we must take. "So I ask you, if you and I can forgive one another, and put the past behind us, and move forward into an age of peace...can the same chance not be extended to the Blacks? Can they not be given the opportunity to redeem themselves? "I am not suggesting they be cleared of charges without condition. They should be made to forfeit land, and offer funds from their treasury to repair damages they may have caused. But they should be allowed to remain in Westeros, and join the rest of us in working towards peace." |
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| The White Bull | Oct 7 2008, 03:53 PM Post #8 |
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“Lord Vandelay I understand your concerns, and loyalty is a very important attribute for a King. So is flexibility and I will think some more on the subject of Lord Black and the Iron Born. That being said the most important attribute in a king is understanding what is best for his people.” The White Bull approached a large table on which was outlined a map of all of Westeros, he waved the representatives from all sides to join him at the table. This was not unexpected, he though to himself. One of the traits I like most about Vandelay is his loyalty. Although I thought his practicality had overridden it with the timely death of his father. “The reason that I have invited you all here is that you are educated men, capable of reason. Let us go through a few facts before you finalize your decisions and with that the fate of your people. First let us look at income, for gold is the fuel which drives the engines of war, and without it no army can last for long. Currently the Knights of the Trident extract 2900 Golden Dragons from their territories, while Lord Manderly and myself are able to extract 3600. Over time this will allow us to maintain and grow a larger and more powerful army than the Knights and the longer the timeframe we look at the larger our advantage grows. Next let us look at untapped resources, those lands which have still yet to swear fealty to any of us. Lord Vandelay, assuming that you will hold Saltpans, your alliance has 3 territories under your control which can be brought into your care with out directly confronting Lord Manderly and myself. (Maidenpool, Duskendale and Rosby). On the other hand Lord Manderly and myself have 21 territories that we could add to our alliance without directly confronting you, and that is assuming that you hold Saltpans. (Mistwood, Ashford, Sharpoint, The Crag, Oldstone as well as the rest of the Vale and almost the entire North.) We already have more land and our potential to grow and increase is much larger than yours. In the middle there are 8 territories whether in Dorne or surrounding Kings Landing which both alliances have an equal opportunity to take. But even if you were to take these all, we still have far more potential for growth than does your alliance. Next let us look to the safety of our capitals. Lord Cenedil’s capital is under siege, and from what I can tell it has at best a 50/50 chance of surviving. If that capital goes then you must admit that the war is as good as over. Harrenhal is but two cities away from my forces at Deep Den, and by the end of the week Lord Manderly’s forces could be within one town of Lord Black’s capital at Riverrun. White Harbor on the other hand is at least two cities from any of your troops and at the end of the week may well be three. Oldtown is also at the very least 3 towns from any of your forces and the only one who could attack it, Lord Black, has no troops. As I expressed before if you look at the current battles it is the Riverlands and Dorne which suffer. These are the ones torn apart, while the Reach, the North and the Vale have yet to experience the horrors of this war. You are in a battle that you can not win, and one which will make your lands and your people suffer immensely. I have offered more than many might say any of you, other than Lord Manderly, deserve, because I love this land and its people. And I see great promise in two of you outside of my alliance. Lord Manderly already knows how much I respect him. You would think of doing all of this damage to your people and this country to defend a despicable man, a man who rapes this country with the ways of the iron born. This man with the gall to call himself a king in your presence, this butcher of the bloody gate. I advise you all to think on this, for the story will be told far and wide, and your people will know that they have been given a chance at peace. A chance to live in a new way, were all of them have a chance at greatness. You will deny this to them, you will cause them this pain, over a man who does not deserve to live. I will think on whether his people can remain, but if this treaty is to be signed, Lord Black and all of his kin must leave this land forever. Think on this my lords, for as I have laid out above, this is a war you can not win. I have given you the opportunity to be part of greatness, part of a Westeros that will be far better for our children and all of it’s people. Do not give up this opportunity to protect a man, who is being given a gift of exile, when instead he should hang for all to see as the epitome of what was wrong with the old Westeros.” The White Bull left the giant table and returned to his seat. “Speak now if you will, Lord Vandelay, Lord Cenedil, Lord Manderly, and yes even you Lord Black and tell me why what I have said is not so.” |
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| Chugman | Oct 7 2008, 05:10 PM Post #9 |
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House of Black
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"White Bull" Robert Black said with Surprisingly no anger." I understand your anger, But my people are willing to drop the old ways of war for your peace." Walking over to the table calmly" The Iron isles have longed for freedom form the main land but i know with out it our people will not last." "For this reason i will lay my Crown at your feet for peace, I know my people are different form yours and our acts in this war have been horrible but we did what we must because we were lost in the old ways." Pulling out the salt and rock crown form a bag on his side and laying it in front of the White Bull."No man form the main land has been given this crown. This i give to you, Also i promise i and my people will rebuild CrakenHall and the Bloody gate." "This next proposal might be hard for you to accept but i will offer it all the same." Gesturing to the river lands" My sister has commited no act of war on your people and often spoke against those brutal actions. She needs to be wed and i offer her hand to your son. So in turn your line will own the Riverlands, and the Houses of Black and White mend the bad blood between them, when i leave for Pyke. I know as long as i stay you will be reminded of the Bloody Gate. I will leave as soon as i am done rebuilding the Bloody Gate and Crakenhall. These are my offers for peace." With that Robert takes a step back leaving the Crown on the table for the white bull to decide. |
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| Cenedil | Oct 7 2008, 07:18 PM Post #10 |
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Cenedil sat at his seat at the table calmly digesting all that the others had said. Though he had originally hoped to bring all of his major generals; he was not able to due to Hightower’s persistence that the siege should continue. The only one he had decided to bring in the end was Ser Harin Sand who had received his knighthood after the victory at God's Grace. The man was an appropriate choice since it would leave the Men of the Vale and Sunspear a representative each. Once everyone from his alliance was finished speaking Cenedil weighed his words carefully and began, “First of all Lord Hightower, thank you for calling this counsel together. As for the siege at Sunspear, I hold you personally responsible for all deaths that occur there. I pleaded that you would hold the attack until we saw how this council ended and still you persisted. This will make Sunspear resentful of your rule over them and leave me and Sir Harin here a fine mess to clean up. “That being said, I will accept the position as Warden of the South, but I have a request that is extremely important to me. I wish to be returned my seat at Longbow Hall. I can hold the title if you wish, but if you will allow me to return, lordship of Sunspear will go to its captain of the guard, Sir Harin Sand.” Cenedil paused there to hear Sir Harin Sand quietly suck in his breath. None of these plans had been discussed Harin and they would no doubt come as a surprise to the captain of the guard. “That is assuming Sir or Lord Harin has no objection.” The man stiffened his tall, authoritative figure before saying, “No objections my Lord.” “Good, that leads me to another issue with these rules. I don’t like the Maesters having full control of the leaders. They are supposed to be non-partisan, but humans are vulnerable to corruption. I believe that the Warden for the region should select the new Lord; if we are getting rid of the inheritance system. For replacing Wardens, I think the Lords of a region should nominate some men, and the King decides. Finally for king, I think that the Maesters should select the potential Kings and the Wardens decide. All of these are just my opinion of course.” Cenedil paused a moment for the words to sink in before continuing, “I know these words don’t sound delivered in the best way politically, but my city is under attack and my people are dying. This petty war would be over if you didn’t turn you back on me when I asked for aid against the Scourge of the Sand. As for breaking the non-aggression pact, I have but one thing to say. You broke it first. “If it was not for good Lord Black my situation would be much worse. Sir Harin here and Victarion Harroway both repelled attacks from some of your best troops with his forces and they are to be commended. I can’t turn my back to allies when they didn’t turn it to me. I ask simply that you accept Lord Black’s request and try to move toward a more peaceful Westeros. “Finally, there is the situation of Sir Willias Flowers. In his duel with Victarion Harroway he received a bad gash on his back and lost his sword arm. He is currently outside the room with five of my escorts, and though his injuries were terrible at first, he is recovering. If I am granted my seat at Longbow Hall you shall have him back, but if not he will remain with me, and I assure you he will receive the best treatment.” Edited by Cenedil, Oct 8 2008, 04:10 PM.
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2:59 AM Nov 24
