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You are Tristan Haeliathas and you are awfully close to dozing off in the swaying litter you share with your wife. It doesn’t help that the weather here is absolutely lovely. The cold of Westeros didn’t suit you one bit. It’s the trade currents, you’re sure of it. The warm winds and waves from the Summer Sea waft up past Lys on their way to clash with the southerly winds of the Shivering Sea. The Stormlands bear the brunt of those mixings, you’re told, while Lys clearly benefits the most. It’s fitting in a way that this city built on the sins of other lands would flourish even by the unfortunate weather of its neighbors.

You do note that Aemelia is far from relaxed herself. She’s awfully pale and has been sick for days. Try as she might to hide it, you share a bed, and the ship isn’t the largest of its make. The swaying of the carried litter hardly seems to be doing her any favors, but she insisted that she would not be seen walking.

“Eat,” you hold out one of the oranges you’d snagged at the docks while the others were fretting over baggage. You were very pleased that the vendor understood your demand for the fruits in the Lysene tongue… or it may have been just that the tangy fruits were his only goods… you’re working on it. Aemelia shakes her head at the intrusive orange and continues to gaze out to the bustling city beyond. You just hold it closer until she gives in.

“I could make you a tonic for your sickness,” you suggest to her.

“I am fine,” she insists, far from the first time. “I need only to bathe and then rest in a real bed. If I truly need for a tonic, then I need not look far in this city.”

“What do you mean you need not look far? I’m right next to you,” you frown.

She gives your hand a soothing rub. “I know you are. It is just that the alchemists of Lys… they are quite skilled. The best.”

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>>4711506
Now that rankles. “And I’m not?” you demand.

“Are you truly? I just thought it a sort of hobby for you…” she says before stifling a wince, either from an abrupt shift in the litter or from her truly outrageous error. “Tristan? Oh, really now,” she sighs as you take to staring out into the streets rather than paying her more notice.

“I’d wager a good lot of those would appreciate my skills,” you mutter as you look upon the throngs of slaves and lesser freedmen going about whatever errands they’ve been set upon. You’ve heard it said there are five slaves for every freedman in this city. From what you’ve seen so far, that may just be underselling it. Not that you’re looking to take a moral high ground on the matter. You yourself own… five slaves?

“Do they have names?” you abruptly ask Aemelia.

“Who?” she answers as she wipes the juice from her lips.

“The slaves. The ones your father gave us,” you say. Two of them are mere prentice boys somewhere around seven to eleven in age… it’s hard to be sure. The other three are men grown, but they might well be more docile than the boys. Their flat faces, dark skin, and peculiar golden eyes mark them for Naathi, a people so peaceful that they forgo eating meats. A great mark in their favor from you, though you’d imagine they’d be useless if it ever came to a boarding.

“Zacarias is not my father,” she protests.

“Well, he called himself your father at the wedding feast and I don’t recall anyone else gifting me anything… or is it anyone? I know they’re property or what have you, but that’s awfully confusing in speech. Either way, it seemed like a proper dowry to me if a bit on the cheap side,” you say.

“My father was an anointed knight. Zacarias can buy all he wishes but he cannot buy me,” Aemelia seethes. You think it might be a poor time to mention noting him knuckle deep in Lady Aelesendra beneath the table at the feast… but then she did question your talents as a healer…

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>>4711509
“They might well be wed by Lysene traditions,” you begin to goad.

“No. He will want to make a spectacle out of it here. He is one of the more powerful magisters at present and has remained unwed for so long,” she says.

“Right… but do they have names or not?” you circle back around to the slaves.

“I would assume so. I have not asked. I do seem to recall you calling the young ones boy. Both of them,” Aemelia says.

“In their tongue no less,” you proudly add. “They both responded to it.”

But Aemelia still seems distracted by her tenuous ties to this magister and Lady Aelesendra past that. She’d spoken a bit more about her family upon the ship. Her mother seems to treat her closer to a young sister than as a daughter. It’s an odd notion that you struggle to relate to, but your wife seems to think it has much to do with how her father mostly left Aemelia to be raised by tutors. He and the Lady Aelesendra hated each other and were hardly ever in the same room. As he was Lady Aelesendra’s lover even before she wed, you’d assume this volatile magister had something to do with all of that. Your wife seems to think he’s dangerous and he might well be, but does that truly deter you from associating with him?

>You’d rather avoid House Orthos if at all possible. Powerful or not, Magister Zacarias Orthos is too unstable. In your experience, unstable mixtures can lead to disasters. [Alchemist]
>It’s not your strength, but you’d like to take a stab at walking the rope of keeping the man just at arm’s length rather than truly reconciling Aemelia with him or risking his anger. He seems to be willing to go to lengths to impress your wife and you see the value in that… to a point. [Rogue]
>You’d like to try to mend Aemelia’s estranged relationships. You think it might be best for her all around, even if she doesn’t know it yet. [Healer]
>Something else.

>>4711514
>>You’d rather avoid House Orthos if at all possible. Powerful or not, Magister Zacarias Orthos is too unstable. In your experience, unstable mixtures can lead to disasters. [Alchemist]

>>4711514
>>You’d rather avoid House Orthos if at all possible. Powerful or not, Magister Zacarias Orthos is too unstable. In your experience, unstable mixtures can lead to disasters. [Alchemist]

Boggs, glad to be sticking with Tristan as the primary

>>4711514
>You’d rather avoid House Orthos if at all possible. Powerful or not, Magister Zacarias Orthos is too unstable. In your experience, unstable mixtures can lead to disasters. [Alchemist]

>>4711514
>It’s not your strength, but you’d like to take a stab at walking the rope of keeping the man just at arm’s length rather than truly reconciling Aemelia with him or risking his anger. He seems to be willing to go to lengths to impress your wife and you see the value in that… to a point. [Rogue]

>>4711514
>>It’s not your strength, but you’d like to take a stab at walking the rope of keeping the man just at arm’s length rather than truly reconciling Aemelia with him or risking his anger. He seems to be willing to go to lengths to impress your wife and you see the value in that… to a point. [Rogue]

>>4711720
>>4711795
You're playing with fire, bros. And Tristan is no firefighter. He'll mog us socially and take a turd on our face.

>>4711798
Our failures haven't really fucked us irredeemably yet so I'm willing to give it a try at least.

>>4711514
>You’d rather avoid House Orthos if at all possible. Powerful or not, Magister Zacarias Orthos is too unstable. In your experience, unstable mixtures can lead to disasters. [Alchemist]

>>4711514

>You’d rather avoid House Orthos if at all possible. Powerful or not, Magister Zacarias Orthos is too unstable. In your experience, unstable mixtures can lead to disasters. [Alchemist]

>>4711514
>It’s not your strength, but you’d like to take a stab at walking the rope of keeping the man just at arm’s length rather than truly reconciling Aemelia with him or risking his anger. He seems to be willing to go to lengths to impress your wife and you see the value in that… to a point. [Rogue]

>>4711567
>Boggs, glad to be sticking with Tristan as the primary
Likewise!

>>4711514
>You’d rather avoid House Orthos if at all possible. Powerful or not, Magister Zacarias Orthos is too unstable. In your experience, unstable mixtures can lead to disasters. [Alchemist]
We have neither the social nor the political capital to turn any deal our way with that man and prevent him from exploiting us.

>>4711509
If alchemy is only a hobby for Tristan, what is Tristan's vocation then in her opinion?
Lets acquire exotic ingredients, mix some stuff, learn something cool in the process!

>>4711567
>>4712824
Same. He's fun to write.

>>4712824
>If alchemy is only a hobby for Tristan, what is Tristan's vocation then in her opinion?

Good question. I should probably delve into that IC. The short answer would be that she doesn't see them as having true vocations at all.

Could I get a few rolls for the next post?

>1 roll of 5d6 for Cunning
>1 roll of 5d6 for Empathy to get a better read on Aemelia's family
>1 roll of 3d6 for Charm for your introduction (+1b for at least making some bastardized attempt at their language)

Rolled 6, 5, 2, 2, 5 = 20 (5d6)

>>4713099
Oh no!

Rolled 6, 6, 4, 5, 2 = 23 (5d6)

>>4713099

Rolled 5, 6, 5 = 16 (3d6)

>>4713099
please please please roll high

>>4713101
>>4713128
based

>>4713101
This was actually supposed to be a Healing roll instead of Cunning, but the dice were still correct (4D+1b).

>18 vs DC 15. Regular success

>>4713128
21 vs DC 16. Great success

>>4713131
>11 vs DC 11. Regular success.

Surprisingly high rolls. Didn't expect to see a pass on that last one.

>>4713138
holy shit for once, we didn't completely fuck up a social encounter.

>>4713187
We also charmed the uncle after messing up the alchemy roll on the wines.

>>4713192
that was mostly saved by Aemelia from what i remember,

>>4713208
It was a bit of both. The bubbly wine would've never been suggested without her, but Tristan did have a surprising pass on a Charm roll after failing that Knowledge test. It prevented Lord Cuy from ending the meeting right there and just generally sulking for the rest of the tourney arc.

I'm working on the post... slowly. It may not be ready until the morning. Multitasking a bit.

>>4713262
Hey Boggs, trying to get a quest going myself, but it's still in the early stages. Would you mind if I message you on Twitter and run some things by you, if you have the time available for that? In the near future.

>>4713663
Go for it. I like bouncing ideas around.

Next post should be up in the early afternoon. I'll still have another post up tonight.

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You consider your wife’s consternation over Magister Orthos and his apparent desire for closer ties with her. The more you consider Aemelia’s own opinions of the man, the more you feel obliged to stand by your initial assessment. He’s volatile. It’s as simple as that. You might’ve found it amusing if it weren’t for the simple fact that he could likely ruin you on a whim. His fixation on the former Clawwaters is a touch troubling as well. You tell her as much as she nods along. But there was one detail…

“What was that bit about a panther? Back with the bankers?” you ask Aemelia as the litter passes beneath some gateway to another district.

“Hmm? You mean what Zacarias said? Pantera is a goddess. She takes the form of a bright-eyed cat woman with six breasts… though he said he dreamt of her with black eyes. I have never heard of the like,” she says.

“Do you think he might’ve made it up?” you ask. “He is a bit obsessed.”

“I suppose it is possible, but he seemed rather serious. There could be all sorts of readings of such an omen… discovering some sort of secret, stealing something precious from him…” she muses.

“Like your mother?” you suggest.

“Or his life. I may like that better,” she turns on her side and rests on her elbow while considering you more carefully. “Or he may believe I stole something from him once before.”

“Did you?” you ask her.

“I thought so once…” she regards the canopy instead of looking to you. “Your cousin was only half off the mark. I was nearly wed here once, but the betrothal fell through. Zacarias and my mother had the notion, not my father. The man they picked for me was looking for me to behave more as a Lysene betrothed would…”

“Your father, Ser Hector… where was he in all of this?” you ask, a bit surprised at the thought of him allowing this in the slightest. The rather menacing Clawwater knight your wife gets her darker features from used to glare at you for giving her so much as a look during the old contraband meets you’d attended at their middleman’s manse.

“Sailing as he often was. He would see the Arbor wine moved between here and the Reach. He used to allow my mother and I to winter in Lys for my health. All of this happened last winter… I confessed the scheme to Father when he made port. The cretin they wanted for me was growing bold and Mother and Zacarias laughed it off. Father did not take it well at all,” she says.

“I’m more surprised he didn’t kill anyone,” you comment.

“That came later. He settled for beating Mother and sending us back to Oldtown. What I did not know was that she was with child. She birthed my sister a moon or two early. The babe did not live out the week,” Aemelia says.

“Sorry…” you wince. That’s not entirely uncommon for a woman on the older side of maternity, but under those circumstances…

>>4714081
“This is why I dislike speaking of it,” Aemelia explains, but she ultimately sighs and continues anyway. “I blamed myself. Had I simply given in to that cretin they wanted for me, my sister may have been born here, healthy. I wanted to die… it was some time later I heard the maids talking of it. The beautiful babe with her bright blue eyes and silver hair.”

“Huh. I don’t suppose you know of your father’s line?” you slowly ask.

“I do. Our roots go back some five hundred years to settled Ironborn. My lady grandmother was of House Blackhood in the Westerlands and could have passed for kin herself. Such a child should not be possible,” she confirms. The rest unsaid, though it’s rather obvious that the child was a bastard.

You travel in silence for a time before speaking again, letting a bark of laughter from your brother’s men break the ice. You peek your head out to look, curious if Yvetta has finally fallen on her arse off that monstrous red horse that so enjoys shitting on your deck. It’s only that Gauthier knight having a laugh with the Bronston knight over some near-nude dancing women drenched in paints and beckoning onlookers to some sort of event. Your brother doesn’t seem to share their amusement, though he makes no move to quell it either. He was rather sulky with you over the slaves. You’d hoped he’d get over it with all of the coupling he was getting on with, but it seems to be a sticking point for him.

“You know if I were a pricklier man, I might just take issue with all the feather ruffling. It’s hardly fair. I’ve treated those slaves no worse than any smallfolk. Better, really. They’re at least fed well. Some holy text calls slavery an abomination… what of it? It says the same of buggery and when’s that ever stopped the Dornish? Or what of incest? That’s abominable as well, is it not? I bet the High Septon didn’t think twice at blessing the king to stuff his royal sister,” you tell Aemelia.

“That is… something I suppose… why are you telling me this?” she asks with a bewildered look.

“Who else am I to tell? You are my wife. You have to listen,” you say.

“You are my consort,” she corrects. “Remember that. I cannot be seen to be submissive to you, in dealings or in the bedroom.”

You raise a brow at that. You won’t claim to some great breadth of knowledge on the subject, but she’s hardly taken the lead so far. Past that… “How would they even know?” you ask her.

“Slaves,” she answers.

“But if they’re not in the room… are they?”

“At times… it is hardly unusual,” she says, a bit flustered.

“You… you want to put on a show. For slaves. So they will whisper of how you are the proper mistress,” you manage to get out before you fall into laughter.

“Stop it. This is serious,” she tries. One look at her crumbling veneer of propriety only sends you into more laughter.

>>4714086
“Yes, good. Leave it to these degenerates to turn coupling into something political. Why do you give a fig what they think of you? Slaves and masters both. Why care?” you finally ask.

“It is just…” she frowns. “It is expected,” she answers rather lamely.

“Of who? Of what? What are we that we need to care? You seem to think of my talents as a mere hobby. Then what am I? Better, what are you?” you ask.

She mulls it over as your procession passes through a paved garden. At least, you think it’s a garden. It might well be the size of a forest, but the exotic plants and flowers all seem to be of some grander, intricate design. “I lost my purpose when my house died,” she finally says. “I know I would dearly like to see more of the world, but that is not a true purpose in itself…”

“You are out of sorts from a rather simple journey,” you point out.

“I have been sick many times in my life. Not once was it ever from a ship. I like being on the water,” she insists.

You think on that. The tides do seem to have a strong pull on the humours of many… but you can see the truth in her words, at least in this. Something else is at work. She only truly fell out of sorts for the last few days at sea. “Perhaps it is just your moonsickness,” you allow.

“Perhaps. What of you, Tristan? I will admit your care for my health has been flattering and this bother over the wine is mildly interesting if only for now. You have spoken of perfecting your craft, but what is it that you are truly looking to accomplish?” she asks. “I could at least help point you to the right contacts here if you are looking to do something more with these hobbies of yours.”

What are you looking to focus on right now? All of the options may come into play in some way, but which will Tristan be looking to really advance his skill in for the immediate future?

>You would like to focus on honing your skills as a healer. Aemelia’s condition has served as a reminder of how far you really have to go until you are a true master of the healing arts. This city is more famous for its poisoners, but you have heard tale that some of them are true masters at both sides of the coin of life and death. [Healer]
>You would like to further perfect your skills as a mixologist. It is an art nearly untapped in the West, yet you know the Lyseni excel in their knowledge of concoctions. [Alchemist]
>You’d like to build a broader foundation by focusing on learning more of her people, attending their gatherings and so forth to gain a better grasp on their ways. [Rogue]
>Something else.

>>4714087
>>You would like to further perfect your skills as a mixologist. It is an art nearly untapped in the West, yet you know the Lyseni excel in their knowledge of concoctions. [Alchemist]

>>4714087
>>You would like to further perfect your skills as a mixologist. It is an art nearly untapped in the West, yet you know the Lyseni excel in their knowledge of concoctions. [Alchemist]

>>4714087
>You would like to focus on honing your skills as a healer. Aemelia’s condition has served as a reminder of how far you really have to go until you are a true master of the healing arts. This city is more famous for its poisoners, but you have heard tale that some of them are true masters at both sides of the coin of life and death. [Healer]

This is the most important right now

>>4714087
>You would like to focus on honing your skills as a healer. Aemelia’s condition has served as a reminder of how far you really have to go until you are a true master of the healing arts. This city is more famous for its poisoners, but you have heard tale that some of them are true masters at both sides of the coin of life and death. [Healer]

>>4714087
>>You would like to focus on honing your skills as a healer. Aemelia’s condition has served as a reminder of how far you really have to go until you are a true master of the healing arts. This city is more famous for its poisoners, but you have heard tale that some of them are true masters at both sides of the coin of life and death. [Healer]

>>4714087
>>You would like to further perfect your skills as a mixologist. It is an art nearly untapped in the West, yet you know the Lyseni excel in their knowledge of concoctions. [Alchemist]
Think of the potential anons

>>4714227
The potential for things going wrong while we flop around with Healing 4?

>>4714087
>You would like to focus on honing your skills as a healer. Aemelia’s condition has served as a reminder of how far you really have to go until you are a true master of the healing arts. This city is more famous for its poisoners, but you have heard tale that some of them are true masters at both sides of the coin of life and death. [Healer]
For now, we focus on the immediate goal

>>4714087
>You would like to further perfect your skills as a mixologist. It is an art nearly untapped in the West, yet you know the Lyseni excel in their knowledge of concoctions. [Alchemist]
For the more immediate future, I think we should perfect the wine for the initial boost. Once the wine business is set up and running itself, in a few months, we can focus all our energies on Aemelia's condition with nothing else to distract us.

>>4714087
>You would like to further perfect your skills as a mixologist. It is an art nearly untapped in the West, yet you know the Lyseni excel in their knowledge of concoctions. [Alchemist]
Hope the wife doesn't hate us for this.

>>4714087
>>You would like to further perfect your skills as a mixologist. It is an art nearly untapped in the West, yet you know the Lyseni excel in their knowledge of concoctions. [Alchemist]

I'm just here for Essosi shenanigans. The Orlisis family from House Malroy is in Lys right?

Updoot tomorrow?

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>>4714087
>You would like to further perfect your skills as a mixologist. It is an art nearly untapped in the West, yet you know the Lyseni excel in their knowledge of concoctions. [Alchemist]
The West is a untapped market. Think of the profit.

>>4714087
>>You would like to further perfect your skills as a mixologist. It is an art nearly untapped in the West, yet you know the Lyseni excel in their knowledge of concoctions. [Alchemist]

This is the center of excellence in alchemy - if we’re gonna git gud, take advantage of this hotbed of bartending

>>4714757
Yeah, I'm hoping to have time tonight. Something unexpected came up.

>>4714717
>The Orlisis family from House Malroy is in Lys right?

And yes, they are. They're deep in the perfume trade. Brynden Malroy was a paramour of their head of house. Their bastard daughter would be 3 years old at this point, though the children of concubines aren't considered bastards here. They're just a peg down from the children of born from a legal primary husband/wife and can inherit.

>>4714087
>>You would like to focus on honing your skills as a healer. Aemelia’s condition has served as a reminder of how far you really have to go until you are a true master of the healing arts. This city is more famous for its poisoners, but you have heard tale that some of them are true masters at both sides of the coin of life and death. [Healer]

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“I’d like to improve upon my mixology… my potion making,” you add at Aemelia’s blank look.

“… here? In Lys?” she asks a bit cautiously.

“Where else? The art is nearly dead in the West. The Citadel likes their handful of tried and tested brews and nothing more. There are hedge healers with more creativity,” you say.

“Do you not see how that is a problem for you mixing with the Guild here? They are some of the greatest poisoners and healers since the Doom. You only know how to deliver babes and treat mild ailments,” she says.

“And this should deter me? I have a foundation, now I need the rest. Tears of Lys, the Strangler, more besides. All of Lysene craft. They are potions as any other and yet maesters shame themselves keeping their stocks up with gold alone. I have waited too long for true knowledge,” you tell her.

“… I could ask my grandsire for a meeting, but you should know you are playing with wildfire,” she sighs.

“Oh? Do they know how to craft it? I thought only the Guild of King’s Landing did?” you ask.

“I… how should I know? They keep their secrets close and answer to no one but their own whims. Magisters go in fear of them and for good reason,” Aemelia answers.

Your conversation comes to a halt upon reaching an ornate gate within the garden-forest. A spike-helmed guard appears to question your arrival, to which Aemelia gives her introductions and bids him clear the way. The guard stands stock still, looking upon her face intently before finally stepping aside.

“Not the friendliest…” you observe.

“Unsullied are not made to be friendly. They are made to obey,” Aemelia says.

“I’ve heard of those. Eunuchs, yes?” you say.

“Just the same. Lyseni are not fighters and sellswords are disloyal. Those of means look east for protection,” Aemelia explains.

“What of us? Terrence won’t follow us past this trip and Elias has a year at most,” you point out.

“We cannot purchase their like. They’re a magister’s privilege and only sold by the century,” she says.

“You mean your grandsire has a hundred of those lurking about?” you ask.

“I doubt it. House Morelleon’s fortunes have waned. Upon the island, they have only this retreat and another manse in the market district that my cousins manage. Magisters will make compacts with each other to buy a century of the Unsullied and then divide them from there,” she says while you help her from the litter.

Looking around, you start to wonder at your wife’s definition of waning fortunes. Nestled upon the banks of a canal overlooking green fields as lush as any of the Reach, you doubt even the Tyrells of Highgarden look out upon such a view. The structure itself could pass for some sort of temple with its tiers of marble crowned by an open pavilion and cradled by more gardens. For their part, your brother and his entourage seem to be just as impressed with the way they openly gawk at their surroundings.

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>>4716181
“This was your winter retreat?” you ask Aemelia.

“It is one of the more beautiful properties,” she admits. “It belonged to a Volantine family some three hundred years ago before my ancestors helped overthrow their rule of the city. Before that, I have heard it was the retreat of a Dragonlord, though that may just be an empty boast.”

You’re led by a pair of kowtowing slave servants through the grounds and into the enclosed building on the main terrace of the retreat. Your wife’s maternal grandparents wait within, seated at the head of a receiving room adorned with comfortable looking velvet furnishings. They’re announced in flowy Valyrian with plenty of epithets sprinkled atop. You catch perhaps one word in three and they’re not the more descriptive words, but you already know their names from speaking to Aemelia on the voyage, Magister Remos Morelleon and Lady Aelestacia Morelleon.

Her grandsire is clearly the eldest of the two and looks like he has a foot on the wrong side of the veil, though you can see a sharpness in his eyes all the same. Aemelia’s grandmother still looks rather healthy for her age. You’d say she was likely a beauty in her own youth. Aemelia takes the lead in making her own introductions.

“This is my husband and consort, Tristan of Haeliathas,” Aemelia introduces.

>Rolled 11 vs DC 11 for Charm. Success.

“Pleased to meet you,” you manage in their Valyrian tongue with an incline of your head.

“At least this one makes the attempt unlike your father. Respectable,” the magister comments from his seat. He seems pleased enough, though.

Aemelia’s grandmother is far less restrained and stands up to busy herself fussing over your wife midway through Aemelia’s brief acknowledgements of the rest of your party. Aemelia looks only mildly embarrassed for it all and can’t help her own smile. They briefly chatter away until Aemelia stops to offer up the use of the bathhouses to Terrence, Yvetta, and the rest before she says something to Magister Remos. You catch the word for “sunset.”

“If you insist,” her grandsire answers her in the common tongue while the others are ushered further inwards by servants of the house. Yvetta gets led off separately from the knights. “Aemelia tells me you are still learning the more civilized tongue,” he says to you. “You traveled with Orthos?”

“We have our own ship. He’s still in Oldtown,” you say.

“No longer. He arrived just yesterday upon his galleas with his whore in tow. Did you swim here?” Magister Remos asks.

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>>4716184
“It’s a cog, so nearly…” you start, but you’re cut off by a flurry of Valyrian between the elder couple. They’re clearly arguing over something or another. The magister keeps giving curt, short responses to an increasingly heated Lady Aelestacia. Aemelia tries to say a few words in between, but her grandmother decides to storm off with your wife’s arm still firmly in her grasp. You suppose you’ll see her later?

“What is she like?” Magister Remos tiredly asks you in his hollowed voice while you’re still gawking after the departing women.

“Who?”

“Aemelia. Haeliathas now. Who else?” he impatiently answers.

“Don’t you know?” you ask in turn.

He sighs and reaches for his wine, beckoning you to sit. A cup is poured for you by an attendant seemingly the moment your arse touches the cushion. “I know her mother is a whore to an upjumped bravo, and her father was an unthinking savage. I know my lady wife gave me three children as stupid and wanton as she is and that most of my grandchildren show little promise. I know I have seen this grandchild the least, though rumors at least have her as showing some restraint. Now what of her?”

>Rolled 21 vs DC 16 for Empathy. Great success.

You can’t help but feel a little amused despite his ornery coarseness. That might just be because you’re used to such after prenticing under half-sane maesters for so long, but it’s also because of a simple truth. If you’ve the right measure of the man, and you do, then… “she’s you with teats and better manners,” you say. You nearly add that her teats are rather small, but you decide not to press your luck.

For the first time since your arrival, a thin smile crosses his face. “Better manners than you as well, I presume. Very well, you may go make yourself more presentable.” He shoos you away and sinks back into his seat with a more contended look while you’re led away to the bathhouse.

The baths are a novel affair by your accounts, and you’re hardly alone in that. It’s arrayed in three separate pools of differing temperatures. Some of Terrence’s friends behave like children splashing each other on one end of the steaming bath. They’re out after a short while, though, off to the cold pool and on their way to catch up with your brother. You opt to soak for a while longer, nearly dozing off in the process.

When you’re finally led to your rooms, you find your wife waiting for you. “I had thought to find you here first,” she remarks while laying upon the bed with a book propped up on her knees, perilously close to opening her robe.

>>4716192
“I nearly fell asleep…” you start but trail off at the positioning of her legs. Intent on putting lie to your claims of her fertility, she had you on a rather pleasant routine of taking her in this very position for the first leg of your journey. What she lacked in stamina was well made up for in determination… but it’s been a few days now since she’s been feeling ill.

She notices your look and sets down the book. “What did you speak of?”

“He wanted my measure of you,” you say.

“And?”

“That would be telling,” you remark. She closes her legs.

“What? Waiting on your audience first?” you goad.

She lets out a huff. “You will not drop that, will you?” she complains, then narrows her eyes at your smirk. “We own one of the better harpists of the city. Some music would be nice, and I wanted to speak with her anyway. Shall I call on her?”

“Do that and I’ll need to go tell your grandsire you’re a degenerate after all,” you laugh.

“Is that what he was asking after? Small wonder after my uncles and my mother…” she muses.

You recall her speaking of her uncles at sea, that they both died in disgrace. The first died by overusing the poppy after being disinherited. Apparently, he caused a scandal after being caught playing the role of the woman in the bedroom. An oddity of their culture, they don’t seem to give much thought over buggery so long as no one of import is themselves receiving the buggering. The second died in a duel. That one is all the more suspicious. As for why, you couldn’t say. You were intent on distracting her from the talk in the one way you’ve increasingly realized you have a bit of a knack for. Your bastard’s blood, perhaps. It seems it’s time to do so again. Far be it for you to fail in your duties as a consort…

But should you be trying to get her with child at all right now? It’s been nagging at you the past few days. Aemelia may be intent on pushing on in the hopes that you’re wrong, but the odds are hardly in her favor. She may even be putting herself at needless risk carrying a child with her imbalanced humours. Maester Humbert agreed with you that it would be best for her to take a daily tea for a while before trying in earnest. Should you not convince her to do just that or is it indeed best to let her carry on with no treatment as she is?

>Convince her to take a tea to balance her humours and wait before trying for a child. That seems the safest course. [Alchemist/Healer]
>If she is comfortable with the risks, then they’re hers to take. She can make her own decision on this. [Rogue]
>Something else.

>>4716196
>>If she is comfortable with the risks, then they’re hers to take. She can make her own decision on this. [Rogue]

>>4716196
>Something else.
Ask her?

>>4716196
>>Convince her to take a tea to balance her humours and wait before trying for a child. That seems the safest course. [Alchemist/Healer]
What's the rush?

>>4716196
>>If she is comfortable with the risks, then they’re hers to take. She can make her own decision on this. [Rogue]

>>4716378
Supporting

I'm not sure what you would be asking her. You already know she prefers to go on without the tea. She's not convinced of your method. It's up to you to try to convince her or to roll with it and let her do her thing.

>>4716196
>If she is comfortable with the risks, then they’re hers to take. She can make her own decision on this. [Rogue]

>>4716196
>>Convince her to take a tea to balance her humours and wait before trying for a child. That seems the safest course. [Alchemist/Healer]

>>4716196
>If she is comfortable with the risks, then they’re hers to take. She can make her own decision on this. [Rogue]
But we'll be there with the books and the alchemical research and maybe finally a cure in the future if she's not so lucky or has already delivered a child, right?

>>4717301
I guess what I'm asking here is that we will still be working on her problem in the background, correct? And as a sidenote, should there be no pregnancy for a while, or we develop a better solution, there will still be chance to convince her to our method, right?

>>4717311
>I guess what I'm asking here is that we will still be working on her problem in the background, correct?

If the votes swing that way at some point, sure. Right now, the priority seems to be on mixology side rather than the healing side of alchemy.

>And as a sidenote, should there be no pregnancy for a while, or we develop a better solution, there will still be chance to convince her to our method, right?

It can be revisited if enough time passes or if you go out of your way to learn of a new method.

>>4716196
>>If she is comfortable with the risks, then they’re hers to take. She can make her own decision on this. [Rogue]

>>4716196
>Convince her to take a tea to balance her humours and wait before trying for a child. That seems the safest course. [Alchemist/Healer]

We'll continue tomorrow with a post earlier in the day.

Just curious while everyone is waiting, is there anything in particular that you're looking to see or do? Could be for Lys or something beyond it. I have a good number of planned possibilities, but I'm willing to work with other ideas as well.

>>4717887
Well I would suggest visiting the pleasure houses of Lys, but unfortunately this is Tristan, not Aurion. I guess ask the magister and the people on the docks about the route to Myr and whether we are likely to run into trouble near the Stepstones. And if we are, look into attaching ourselves to a convoy for safety.

Also spend some time with the magister, I guess. It looks like his house is about to die out. While you said it was common here, he can't be taking it well, no man wants his legacy to die with him. His question about our measure of Aemelia makes me think he might want to pass on the house to her.

Lastly, if we have some spending money, stock up on ingredients we can get here.

>>4717887
Would like to visit the Summer Isles some day and perhaps get one of those swanships they build. In general I would like to build and alchemist / merchant empire and flex on the old money nobles as a bastard nouveau riche.

>>4718112
>Well I would suggest visiting the pleasure houses of Lys, but unfortunately this is Tristan, not Aurion.

Actually, I had a trip to one already planned. I was looking to show that the nicer ones are more than just brothels.

>And if we are, look into attaching ourselves to a convoy for safety.

Great idea. I'll make a note of it.

>Also spend some time with the magister, I guess. It looks like his house is about to die out. While you said it was common here, he can't be taking it well, no man wants his legacy to die with him. His question about our measure of Aemelia makes me think he might want to pass on the house to her.

Her cousins might have something to say about that, but she is technically better placed than them. Only one of her uncles of the direct line had any children, but they're all the children of slaves and thus slaves themselves. Magister Remos also had a concubine (for political purposes). That line currently manages their more mercantile compound.

>>4718251
>Would like to visit the Summer Isles some day and perhaps get one of those swanships they build.
You can definitely visit there, it was even hinted at as a desire from a backstory perspective, but you'll likely need to charter a trip rather than sail there yourself because they are extremely anti-slavery.

>In general I would like to build and alchemist / merchant empire and flex on the old money nobles as a bastard nouveau riche.

I'm not going to say that's impossible, but it doesn't quite align with the character goals at present. Empire building was just never a goal for him before. The wine wasn't even his idea. His goals can still change, I said as much in the first thread with the potential flexibility of the three character traits, but I haven't seen a push for that yet. That's not to say Tristan can't build significant prestige and a legacy. The Alchemist Guild here is feared and respected even by the magisters. They don't have the wealth or the alliances that the merchant prices do, but knowledge is power.

Outside of discussion, an example that might make me revisit character traits/goals would be a greater trend towards votes like the Rogue option here >>4714087 rather than the Healer/Alchemist focus that is currently such an important part of his character. I do wonder about that vote, though. I see comments in the votes suggesting the potential and profit of Mixology over Healing. The situation with the wine is very much a one-off. You could make potions, but those aren't the sort of thing easily commercialized. They're too situational for bulk purchases and too expensive to be afforded by the lower classes. Focusing on Healing is just as profitable as the Mixology side of Alchemy. Both sides combined can be even more lucrative. The same people who can afford your potions are the ones most likely to pay you handsomely (in both coin and favor) for your Healing abilities. Charging them for both potions and technique is even better.

>>4718295
>I see comments in the votes suggesting the potential and profit of Mixology over Healing.
For me it was more about the immediate focus of our attention, as the line before the vote clearly said. I thought focusing on mixology now will allow us to have a better wine from the start, getting us more profits now, so that we can be free to refocus on areas that are not as profitable yet in the future.

>>4718324
It could help with the wine. It'll depend on whether you want to spend extra time here to learn before going back to House Cuy. By front loading the studies with the Guild, you'd be more likely to maximize your profit through less bottles lost in transit early on, but you'd be getting a later start on shipping the wine.

>>4717887
I'd like to visit Qarth. It's my favorite Essosi city.

>>4718461
Nice. I have a good amount of ideas for Qarth from brainstorming for Shryke.

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You reflect on your choices. She should listen to you on this. You know you’re not wrong. It’s safer to wait. It’s safer to set humours to rights before risking more. You tried to tell her. You did. You nearly did. Well, you swear you made some sort of suggestion waiting, but whatever you rambled just had her dig her nails into your back and whisper in no uncertain terms that you will give her your seed, now.

Reflecting is always easier after your couplings, you reflect, at least for your part. Aemelia seems more concerned with catching her breath as she lays next to you still glistening as if fresh from the steam bath with her curled and perfumed hair veiling her face. She should be catching her breadth. This is the first time you’ve ever gone twice in one evening and the first time she’s taken to riding you at that.

“My legs are still shaking. Should they be?” she asks you.

“I’m not concerned,” you tiredly tell her.

“I should like a massage… have you ever given one? I think on the morrow we shall have a full treatment. There is a pleasure house I know of that will make you never want to leave,” Aemelia decides.

“You want to go to a brothel?” you gawk at her.

“Not a place so crude as that. It is offered, but there are other pleasures to be had. Music, wine, massage,” she moans the last as you kneed at her thighs. “A moment,” she says before ringing a silver bell next to the bed.

A serving girl enters, a slave more than likely. You barely have time to make yourself decent, if tossing a blanket over your member counts as such. Aemelia doesn’t bother with all of that and continues to lay on her belly. She gives the waif some quick instructions that send her scurrying off again. “Curious,” she remarks at the girl’s departure. “They could have assigned me a dozen others like her, yet that is the one they chose.”

“How is that curious? She looks like any other Lyseni,” you say.

“If I am not mistaken, she is my cousin… after a fashion,” Aemelia replies.

“Yet she serves you here? That’s a bit off, isn’t it?” you ask.

“She is a slave as is her own mother, the harpist I mentioned before. I cannot pretend at even knowing the girl’s name. I know her only by sight,” she says.

“I hardly see how that doesn’t just make this more off,” you remark.

“Why? Because she is of my blood? She was still born of a slave. Her harpist mother truly is wonderful. Too wonderful. My mother spoke of it, that my late uncle took his pleasure of her without my grandsire’s leave. My grandsire was furious for it, but then my uncle turned up dead in an alley and that was the end of it,” she explains.

“Then why not simply free her?” you ask the obvious.

>>4718742
“A whole host of reasons, I would imagine. Freeing her outright would make the family look weak to trade partners, as if we are mewling slave lovers not fit for better company. It is just not done, at least not over claims of parentage. Perhaps if my uncle had owned her mother, then he could have freed her in his will, but she is my grandsire’s property. They could have pretended her mother was a true freed concubine before the birth… perhaps with some excuse to how moving she was in her art. Still a touch sentimental, but I should think it could be salvageable all the same. That would have been the clever play, but it could have placed this girl of questionable worth as a rival to even me, never mind my cousins. I would not put it past a few of them to have killed her in her swaddling for it,” Aemelia answers.

The waif comes back into the room holding a carafe upon a silver tray. She looks somewhere around the cusp of womanhood. Perhaps… fifteen or so? It seems this house lost their scions quite some time ago.

“Give it to him. He will do it,” Aemelia instructs her in Valyrian. “Can you play?”

“This one sings, if it pleases the mistress,” she timidly answers.

“It does,” Aemelia tells her before turning to you. “I doubt she has a word of the Common Tongue. I believe you have work to do.”

You find the carafe contains warm, scented oils rather than the wine you were hoping for. You pour some on her legs and work it in with your hands as she melts into the bed. While you’re at your work, the girl sings a Lysene song in a voice of rare beauty.

“This. This right here. Why in the Lady’s name would I ever go back West,” Aemelia sighs into her pillow. Your wife actually wipes a tear from her eye at the slow, sorrowful tone the next song takes. But your arms are getting tired, and your hands are starting to wander back to her arse more often than not. Aemelia takes note of it with a slight huff waves for the singer to stop.

“What are you called?” Aemelia asks her.

“This one is called Laelia, Mistress,” the singer answers.

“Laelia. Thank you. You may go,” Aemelia tells her. She leaves you two alone after a deep curtsey.

“Would you like me to take care of you?” your wife smiles and grasps your manhood.

“Is that why you sent her away?” you manage to ask.

>>4718750
“She is still a maid, I hope. I do not wish to be cruel to her. I think she is some sort of test. Whose, I could not say,” she muses while working her hands. “Was I to pull her into the bed? Ignore her? Treat her as an equal? Punish her in some way? I still have no notion of whether my grandsire sent her or if this was some scheme of her mother’s. Or I suppose it could have been coincidence…” she starts to speed up her ministrations. “It is so vexing. Oh. A little warning…” she admonishes when you find your release upon her.

“You think too much,” you lazily tell her.

“Coming from you… I will need another bath at this point… what do you think? What would you do if you were me?” she asks.

“The magister did seem to want to gain your measure,” you allow, “but this is an odd way to go about it. I still think you’re overthinking it. Why care what they think?”

“They in this case is mostly my grandsire and my cousins who are rivals to me whether I choose to see them that way or not. My future is at stake,” she says.

“Which cousins are these? The traders?” you ask.

“Just the same. They are just as much my grandsire’s blood as I am, though they are of a concubine’s line. My grandmother is his true wife,” she says.

“He keeps mistresses? He didn’t seem the type,” you say.

“Kept, both of them are dead now. Concubines are not mistresses. They are… I suppose you could call them lesser wives? Children by them are legitimate and may inherit. It is just that those of the main wife have the better claim, but then claims here are more at the whims of the magister or mistress…”

“Which is why they’re your rivals,” you conclude.

“Yes. There is no named heir or heiress to Morelleon. I think my grandsire likes it that way to keep us competitive. My cousins are mostly grown. Some are older than me and have been deep in what is left of the house’s trade. I would be a fool to try to wrest that from them, but this property may well be mine. I am sure that must be bothering them since I have been so long away. Yet we need at least some of their support if we are to rely on them for trade,” she says. “That is why I am so considering my image with them.”

In that case…

>You think she shouldn’t shy away from her Westerosi side. She should try to free her slave cousin. It may make her look weak, but there can advantages in being underestimated. [Healer]
>You think she should try to appear more Lysene and ignore her slave cousin. That will help in placating any of her rival cousins who take issue with her foreignness. [Alchemist]
>You think she should keep them on their toes. She should acquire her slave cousin but not free her. Leave the fools guessing as to her intentions. [Rogue]
>Something else.

>>4718754
>>You think she should keep them on their toes. She should acquire her slave cousin but not free her. Leave the fools guessing as to her intentions. [Rogue]
This will grant her some degree of protection, I think, without making Aemilia look weak. Keeping the cousins on their toes I like. At least she'll not be forced upon like her poor mother in our employ. Jesus.

>>4718780
To add, I like the aspect of not immediately bowing to whoever is testing Aemilia, nor showing lack of political acumen by trying to free the girl like they probably expect her to do.

>>4718754
>>You think she should keep them on their toes. She should acquire her slave cousin but not free her. Leave the fools guessing as to her intentions. [Rogue]

>>4718754
>>You think she should try to appear more Lysene and ignore her slave cousin. That will help in placating any of her rival cousins who take issue with her foreignness. [Alchemist]

>>4718754
>>You think she should keep them on their toes. She should acquire her slave cousin but not free her. Leave the fools guessing as to her intentions. [Rogue]

>>4718754
>You think she should keep them on their toes. She should acquire her slave cousin but not free her. Leave the fools guessing as to her intentions. [Rogue]

Update tonight?

>>4718754
>You think she should keep them on their toes. She should acquire her slave cousin but not free her. Leave the fools guessing as to her intentions. [Rogue]

>>4718754
>You think she should keep them on their toes. She should acquire her slave cousin but not free her. Leave the fools guessing as to her intentions. [Rogue]
Chaotic Neutral.

Hey Boggs, everything alright?

Rolled 41 (1d100)

nah i died

:( hope everything's alright, man. I've been praying for you for the last few months.

>>4720623
Not really. I'm dealing with some unexpected hospital stuff.

>>4723345
I appreciate it.

I'm going to need to take a break from this for a bit. It might just be a week or two if things go well. There's a little too much uncertainty on my end for me to be able to set aside the time and headspace for a quest like this. Thanks for your patience.

! Hope things get better Boggs, had no idea

So it looks like it's going to be at least another two weeks before I start seeing some normalcy in my schedule. Probably safer to call it a month, though. Baiscally, my kid was in the hospital for a scheduled procedure, we got home, then she got an infection, so we're working on that now.

I'm not totally committed to it yet, but I might run a thread with Terrence doing some tourney stuff back in the Reach in the next week or so. I'd just skip over the Lys trip from his POV and leave it vague so that no agency is affected from Tristan's arc there. This is more of a free time thing and less of a questing preference for me. Terrence's stuff is just incredibly easy for me to manage from a QMing perspective. I ran all of his parts last thread from hospital wifi whenever I was too busy or distracted to do Tristan's more intrigueish/exploratory stuff. Some of you might've noted how like half of my posts were from a different ID. But again, we'll see if I have time for it.

I also figured I'd drop this here for those of you more keen on the quest's mechanics. https://docs.google.com/document/d/185jCvmZM8AaUN40YzY9jycyE_WDe4kALRhY7hXEziZk/edit

Nothing in it is set in stone. It's a WIP for some balancing tweaks I'm looking to make to various benefits/drawbacks/weapons. I think the most significant change you'll find in it would be for the mass combat system. I got the idea to even it out a bit from player feedback regarding Elite units that I saw in both Shryke and Reynold threads. I agree that the power gap starts to get a little wanky, so this was my take on balancing things. I'm curious if anyone has any other feedback or critiques on the rules in general. We've been playing with this set of rules for years now, and I'm sure some of you have noted a thing or two that you thought could use a tweak that I might end up missing otherwise.

>>4731779
sorry for making that ded joke, forgot what was happening. i wish you the best boggs

>>4731779
Fuck dude, I'm so sorry. I hope she gets well soon. You know you don't have to run in the meantime to tide us over, right? We'll wait as long as it takes until your life gets back on track, whether it takes a month or longer.

As for the document, it's looking good. With this, the Ships supplement you designed, and Father's homebrew document, we could come up with our own full-length SIFRPG book. If I was any good with PDF editing I would edit the source document itself to expand it with these new rules. Some questions/suggestions:

1 - What is the utility of the Reach quality for weapons for characters who do not have Polearm Fighter 2 or Spear Fighter 2? The rulebook says "When armed with a Reach weapon, you can attack opponents that are not adjacent to you. You can roll a Fighting test with a Reach weapon at any opponent up to 3 yards away. However, attacking any foe inside 3 yards with a Reach weapon imposes –1D on your Fighting test." But since we are not using movement or distance rules in quests, both the pro and the con of Reach do not apply.

2 - Similarly I do not see the utility of the Vicious quality (defeated opponents die unless they burn a destiny point) because when an opponent loses in quests, whether he dies or surrenders is handled narratively and independent of mechanics. You could change it to say that the mechanic would override narrative, i.e. if you use a Vicious weapon your losing opponent would always die, but I do not see players using such a weapon due to ransoms and again, narrative reasons.

3 - Superior Quality of Armor says +1AV -1AP. Since AP itself is expressed in negative terms (for ex- AP: -2) I'm confused whether the AP is increasing or decreasing. If Common Mail Armor has AP of -3, would Superior Mail Armor have -2 or -4 AP?

>>4731887
All good, I didn't think you meant anything by it. I appreciate the well wishes.

>>4731891
>You know you don't have to run in the meantime to tide us over, right?

Yeah, this is a hobby after all. I just find that QMing is a nice outlet. Right now, I'm just looking for that sweet spot of distracting but not too distracting. As much as I might enjoy it, a quest revolving around intrigues and exploring half-charted lands and cultures just isn't it right now. Smashing lads with sticks is more my speed.

1 - Practically speaking, the main utility is just that, factoring in the -1D from fighting opponents savy with their stick weapons. I may flip that benefit from 2 to 1 so that it sees more play in Secondary Characters (who I normally allocate 1 benefit and 1 drawback). I should make a note of that additional Secondary Character rule...

2 - Yeah, Vicious is supposed to automatically result in the death of opponents. It's always been more of a negative and I think it's a major reason why anons don't often pick those weapons. Ransom shekels seem to be a highly attractive prospect. I think I'm going to add a bonus to it to make those sorts of weapons more attractive.

3 - It's reducing the Armor Penalty by 1, so the Superior Mail Armor would have -2 AP in your example. I'll clear that up. Thanks for pointing it out.

Keep it alive bump, best wishes