Bardwyn Doggett's Drinking Contest

[Bunny-Rabbit]

Bardwyn Doggett has decided to pick only the strongest and toughest to compete on the defense team in the pageant. So he could think of only one way to find those men; Drinking Contest. Any who wish to compete for a spot on the defensive team may come to this room off the feast hall. Last ten men standing win.

[Bunny-Rabbit]

Ser Bardwyn Doggett, Castellan of Casterly Rock, and his second Ser Xavier Hill prepare the room for the entrants.

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

Ser Felwick Gower, Master-at-Arms of Storm's End, and reckoned the tallest and strongest man in the Stormlands, thinks himself a likely candidate. While he is famous for his axe, he is perhaps even more famous for his prodigious drinking horn, half as tall as many men.

[The Smith]

The Greatbear, Jonas Mormont, and his motley crew of northmen will partake in this contest. The Greatbear is known as the giant of the north, standing a hand taller than seven feet.

[serdonaltyrell]

Ser Timmet & Ser Bennet Grimm, flush from his success at the archery range, is eager to celebrate and show how arbor-men hold their liquor.
Ser Yorel Serry, a renowned drunkard in the Reach, also joins in the search of free ale

[Deleted]

Ser Robert Royce, who can hold his drink better than most men, enters the contest.

[Teirney Lannister]

Alyssa nodded vivaciously in agreement, saying, “Then I think we will head in that direction. I haven’t been drunk for so long. You should join me for the fun of it, if nothing else. Perhaps we can coerce Ser Jast and Lady Aerie in joining us as well.” She gestured discreetly to Aerie as they walked to the drinking contest. “She likes to pretend that she isn’t much of a drinker, but you should see her after she’s had a few goblets. Poor thing, I would hate to see what would happen to her then if I was not with her to make sure some drunk didn’t carry her off.” She shook her head sympathetically, like that was some sort of terrible disadvantage in life.

Aerie did not hear the jibe against her and simply snorted at Ser Jast’s response. “Really?” she said in mock surprise. “It’s so hard to believe such a cheerful, tranquil person such as yourself would turn murderously violent when drunk,” she grinned dryly. “Perhaps I should set you on Kennos then. At least then your wrath would be inflicted in someone who well deserved it. I’d skewer him myself, but he thinks me a child who fancies herself as a magical dragon-slayer feared by knights all across Westeros.” There was a tinge of bitterness in that. “He’s such a pleasant fellow. More charming than even you.” She growled angrily in reminiscence. “Hmmm, Seaworth’s ship? Do you think it was burned by people offended by his supposed Baratheon friends? The list of wrong-doings seems to be mounting by the second. The guards here must be rather inept or sleeping to let so much occur without finding even one of the culprits. Next we’ll be finding shriveled lords.” She grimaced apologetically at Ser Hill and added, “It doesn’t help that the nobles seem oblivious and uncaring about the whole sordid affair.”

[Bunny-Rabbit]

Xavier smiled, "If you partake I will also. It would seem discourteous to allow you to drink alone." Laughing a little he goes on under his breath, "The highborn think that nothing that affects the low will affect them. I have seen that lead them down quite the drunken trail." He pours out two drinks handing one to Alyssa.

"If you have a problem with this Kennos, take care of it yourself. I won't fix your problems for you." Ser Jast takes another swig from his flask. "Aye it was burned because he was involved the fool stags. The nobles here don't care because all of them would like to see all the stags burned from the face of the earth. It reminds everyone of a bad past. Every one in that room is an oath breaker and that is the truth."

[Teirney Lannister]

Alyssa nodded knowingly, giggling a little at the closely guarded memories it woke of Aerie’s little drunken mishaps; the girl refused to acknowledge their existence and went temporarily deaf when the subject was brought teasingly up. “That’s true,” she agreed grinning, taking the goblet from Ser Hill eagerly, “but she likes to think herself a heavy-drinking tavern tough impervious to the intoxication of alcohol when she’s not in noble company, to show off to the men or something silly like that, but when there’s lordlings around she pretends as if she has no greater aversion than for drink. It’s bullshit, if you ask me, but what do I know?” She tipped her glass into her mouth with a few long swallows, and proffered some to Aerie, who looked rather distracted with something.

“What?” Aerie demanding, looking irritated with Alyssa. She took a cup from the woman and, rolling it through her small hands, looked back to Ser Jast. “You are ever the helpful gentleman,” she remarked wryly, but looked on. “A pity to burn down an entire ship…but there’s something off about that Edmure fellow. But nothing to kill him for,” she added. “After all, we all pick our sides, and who’s to say which one of us is right or wrong? I don’t have anything personal against the Baratheons, so I have no reason to see them dead until they do me a personal wrong. I think that is the case with everybody, but they dislike admitting it to themselves. Loyalty.” She snorted. “What is that? Pledging yourself to some fool and pretending to worship the very ground on which he walk. They are all traitors in the end, seeking self-preservation like the rest of us. The only matter is with whom it lies most securely.” She looked up at him for a moment, as if just realizing what she was saying. Alyssa was peering at her curiously as well. “But I would rather you not tell anyone that,” she said, flushing, berating herself for speaking such foolish thoughts out loud.

[Bunny-Rabbit]

"I think you know quite a lot." Seeing her hand of her goblet he feches her another one. "We little ones who actually do all the work, know a great deal more the our 'masters' think. For example," He points at Ser Bardwyn up front drinking hard with other competitors, "Bardwyn faced a horde of stag men on the Day. With only Jast, Lord Baldwin, I and a handful of other defenders. Ser Doggett charged the enemy, almost by himself, a dozen times. Yet that brave warrior turns pale and screams with fear at the sight of a rat. No one likes rats, but it astonshies me every time I see him leap onto the furniture." He drinks deeply of his mead.

Vikter Jast looked at the Aerie and crooked an eyebrow, "Well you should wish harm to the Baratheons; as long as your last name is Blackwood they will be wishing harm on you. That choice was made for you." He tosses his flask between his hands a moment before continuing, "As to Loyalty its what our whole system is based on. With out loyalty no Lord Paramounts would answer the king, no minor lords would answer their Lord Paramount, no knight would answer their lord. When the Lord's sided with the Targaryens they cracked the system. They all want everyone to forget about that. Once things like that become common there could be rebellions all up and down the land. Fire and War like never seen before. Thats why there is shame, they know what they did was wrong and dangerous. And I will not tell anyone what you said. I usually don't talk this much." Jast takes a deep drink like his throat is sore.

[Teirney Lannister]

Alyssa took the second glass from him and laughed uproariously. “A rat?” she squealed in disbelief, tilting some of her glass’ contents into her mouth. “Men are always different behind their armor. Their think with their balls and fight like there’s no death, but take off those shiny plates and they might as well be standing naked in front of a dragon they just pissed off. I think I need to introduce this Ser Bardwyn to a very special friend I found in the kitchens,” she added, looking over to him guzzling alcohol. “There hasn’t been any proper fun around here for one to stay sane. Sifting through dog bits yesterday wasn’t exactly my idea of fun.” She snorted. “Those lordlings don’t know half as much as they think. They plot and scheme behind their little laughs, but they shit and die the same way as they rest of us. But they like to think they don’t shit at all, though, so I don’t think they take that into account.” She drained the remaining of her mug, tossing it to the ground.

Aerie was watching Ser Jast carefully, brow furrowed in thought. “Blackwood. The name has not done anything for me. Sometimes, I think I would be better off without it. I still hold no grudge against them. These power struggles were before my time. I was too busy learning to sip my tea when the world descended into turmoil. If the Baratheons wish to swallow the Blackwoods at this very moment, I will pledge my sword against them and tear them down without question, but since that is not the case, I will hold judgment on them. Yes, yes, all the strategists will think me tactically insane and shun me from their scheming circles, but fuck them. They’re all full of shit anyways. Their loyalty is bullshit. The Lannisters are loyal to whoever is victorious, and the rest cling to those who will benefit their greedy cause better. The Baratheon men definately reminded them of the result of their primal instincts. It’s too bad your fire and war would be the result of people pulling away from loyalty. I feel as if fire and war is already descending upon us while we stand waiting, oblivious. But whatever. I’m just a kid. It’s not as if anyone turns to me for permission for anything. I just sit on my ass and wave to the commoners.” She frowned angrily, her fist tightening on her goblet as she swallowed it down.

[Bunny-Rabbit]

Xavier laughs as he gets two more mugs of mead and hands one to Alyssa, "Around here they know they shit. They just think they shit gold. You are right about the plotting though. Always they try and figure which way to turn, always trying to get s sense of the wind. They lick their fingers and instead of holding them out to the wind, they stick them up their asses." He laughed loudly at the image in his head. When he stopped Xavier asked, "Why did yours make you dig through dog bits? I was surprised how popular the Kennels became after such a crime." Eyeing Alyssa up and down he continued, "Wasn't all bad luck though."

Jast listened to Aerie's rant and his lips crooked just a little, "You complain of no one asking your permission. You feel slighted because no one takes you seriously. You can not expect these things to be given to you. You have to take them. All power and respect in this world is taken. While you complain about your hurt feelings the others rule over you because you have given away your power. They don't listen because you have never made them listen. If you want them to ask your permission before every move, make them." Looking around he continues, "You should be careful what you say though, even those with no love of Blackwoods would be shocked by what you said."

[Teirney Lannister]

Alyssa shook her head and laughed guiltily, tilting her head in Aerie’s direction to see if she had overheard, but the girl seemed to be slipping into her dour mood once more was squeezing her mug like it had done her a personal wrong. Alyssa frowned in concern, but turned back to Xavier, if only a little more sober. “She was expecting to find some clue to answer for the murder, more or less. No doubt she thought the guards incompetent in their occupation and wanted to sort things out for herself. Obviously she learned nothing, as that’s hardly her area of expertise. She should stick to her sword and horses. She knows them better than most people, perhaps the latter better than anyone else. But…she wants to be a part of something. It’s not just outright arrogance with her. She wants be the next Nymeria, and the fact that everyone is expecting the opposite stings her. So she wants to do everything and be better at it than anyone else, and when she fails…she gets angry. She wanted to be in the thick of things yesterday. She set me on you so I could later supplement her inadequacies with your information, but of course, she refuses to see it like that.” She took another worried glance at the girl, and rocked back on her heels, letting out a laugh when Ser Hill made his final statement. “I’ll admit, I’m known to make searching skewered corpses a fun family activity. I should have warned you.” She laughed into her goblet, smiling rakishly, though her eyes remained flecked with unease.

Aerie frowned, crossing her arms with an affronted sniff. “I am not whining about my hurt feelings!” she said indignantly, scowling. “Who said anything about hurt feelings?” She snatched up another cup from the table and stared into its contents with mulish resolve. She exhaled heavily and looked up from the cup. “I want a lot of things, but they are all things I should not have. I haven’t really had an opportunity to assert myself anywhere; I haven’t been home for a couple of years, and I’ve been roaming Westeros for quite a while, becoming familiar with my horse and sword, not involving myself in anything political. I plan to change that now. That’s why I came to this ridiculous feast…I’m not going to bow and simper for anyone anymore, not like when I have fourteen and running around trying to hide from the underhanded, political world I was born into so I could swing around my sword in the gardens. I’m going to have both things this time. However, I think my big mouth is making for a poor start. Fortunately everyone here is too drunk to comprehend human speech, however, so I’m safe for the time being.”

[Bunny-Rabbit]

Xavier returns a rakish smile, his eyes, though, are calm and confident, "You must remind me to never attend a family event of yours. That sounds particularly ghoulish." Hill drinks from his mug, "I did not meant to talk about your friend so much." He nods toward Aerie, "I always hate it when others treat me like an appendage of Ser Bardwyn. How have you been enjoying the festivities so far? It has recently become much more enjoyable to me."

Vikter Jast snorted, "I would be careful about what you say in these halls, Lord Piers has a way of hearing the unhearable. In one sentence you say you will not 'bow and simper' and in the next you worry your 'big mouth' will offend. For all the practice you may have put into your sword, you have no fire. Politics is only battle with different weapons. You must enter the field of battle knowing you will win. With out that fire defeat is certain." Jast rubs at an itch on his nose.

[Teirney Lannister]

Alyssa drowned her drink and nodded in agreement. “It is. You don’t want to know the details.” Her eyes twinkled with sly mischief, blond curls bouncing happily about her shoulders. She was reaching for her third cup when he continued in a more somber tone. “I was not offended,” she said, waving away his comment. “You were right in many ways. I know the feeling, when people treat you as if you are some sort of inferior extension for some lordling, unworthy of too much notice but suddenly valuable when they need someone to do their ‘dirty laundry’.” It was one of the most honest things she had said all day. “The activities had been somewhat lacking, but I share your current satisfaction.” Her face tilted into a crooked smile. “I was rather disappointed when I couldn’t participate in the archery, but drinking is almost as enjoyable. I had better win something after this,” she added searching for those who would judge the varying levels of drunkness. “Aerie, you will not get anywhere if you’re only on your second cup! Where’s your spirit? What happened to when we were at Storm’s End, and you suddenly decided you could—“ Her teeth clicked shut with a grin when Aerie’s face turned murderous and she looked about to leap on Alyssa and clap a hand across her mouth.

When her was satisfied with Alyssa’s bid at silence, Aerie turned back to her conversation stiffly, her face slightly flushed. The occurrence revived some of her humor, however. “I was cursing my big mouth, because spitting your intensions everywhere is a poor start to political supremacy, unless you want them to be known or you are lying.” Her eyes suddenly began to blaze with an unidentifiable emotion and she buried her face into her cup. “But,” she resumed when she resurfaced, her face neutral but her eyes now brimming with humor, “is it really the same man saying I have no fire who told my ‘betrothed’ that I was too spicy for him?” She quirked an eyebrow at him dryly, swishing the contents of her mug merrily. “You will find I am nearly as dour as you when I haven’t slept enough and am not in the best of moods. My ‘fire’ is feeling rather damp at the moment.” She considered her next words thoughtfully. “Perhaps I don’t plan to win? Or win in the way most people wish to. Never mind that now. I would not like your Lord Piers to be listening in on my words.” She smiled complacently, resuming the cheerful swishing of her mug.