Harrenhal

[loremaster]

Goldfinger raised his quill to gain their attention. "Actually, if I may address that issue, Lord Grafton...?"

[House Dustin]

"Yes, please, Lord Frey. Speak freely."

[loremaster]

"Well, it is clear we are dealing with two seperate forces with two seperate agendas. Andry seeks power and will fight until he loses because he has already crossed the line. The Dornish on the other hand will only fght if they believe Andry can win. If Andry is dead and Emelia can no longer marry him, then their cause is immediately lost."

He stood up and began making markings upon their map. "All we need to do is isolate King's Landing. Not necessarily lay siege, but isolate it from communications with the outside world. We place as many archers as we can there," he began dotting out hills and other spots to the sdouth of King's Landing, "Who will be responsible for shooting down any ravens Andry will send outside and vice versa. At the same time, we slip a small fleet near Tarth to burn ships that might be carrying messages to Storm's End or Sunspear. We'll break their ability to relay any orders or information about the situation in King's Landing."

Then he directed his pen to the Kingswood. "Storm's End will be simpler, because these woods have always made travel through the Stormlands difficult. If they don't recieve word, they'll be quick to write it off as banditry or poor navigation. Then we send a rider in Baratheon livery to them, informing them that King's Landing has fallen and Andry has failed. If we add that the Mander and Far Reach have combined forces with us, they will probably beg to surrender to us. Without Andry and Rodrick, they have nothing worth fighting for."

"All of this will require... Oh, three dozen of our best archers and four ships to cut down schooners. They won't send anything more when they have Ironmen breathing down their neck. Meanwhile we can direct the majority of our forces to taking the passes. Once the Dornish are pacified and cut off, we can siege King's Landing at our leisure."

He sat back down. "As you said before, Lord Grafton... superior information and communications."

[House Dustin]

Lord Grafton stroked his chin. "Hmm, an interesting plan. I would offer that it's possible Dorne no longer fights just if they think Andry can win. As it is we have already raided and raped on the Dornish coast, that can steel a man's heart and make him seek vengeance."

He paused for a moment, thinking. "Another potential flaw in such a plan is your use of subterfuge in the dressing of a rider in Baratheon livery. He's not likely to be mistaken for a Baratheon man as he would be going to Storm's End where he would be recognized a fraud by other Baratheon men. Finally, the downing of ravens and sinking of smugglers is a tenuous thing, and your plan demands perfection in this regard."

Grafton looks about the men in the room, "Lord Frey's plan, like all, has merits and weaknesses. What commentary do you men have?"

[House Dustin]

Lord Jon Royce suddenly pounded the table angrily. "A craven's plan! The Dornish have not yet joined the traitor in King's Landing! Andry is weak and we can take him now." Jon was near to shouting, "I say we go to King's Landing and punch Andry in the fucking mouth, and then when the traitor is dead we can march down the Kingsroad and put his Dornish dogs down in the dirt-- if they are not already unmanned by Andry's death!"

[loremaster]

"We are not Ironmen, we are the true king's agents. If the Dornish want to address their grievances against the actions of Lord Harlaw, then they will be attended to by the Small Counsel after the war is over. They will understand that. As for the ravens and ships, it requires perfection, but not the impossible or even particularly extreme diffiulty."

"I do not know how many men Gulltown has, but I command roughly five thousand and I would be hard-pressed to recognize most of them in their freetime. Andry commands far more than that. I hardly find lack of recognition to be an issue."

[House Dustin]

Grafton looked Frey in the eyes sternly. "I am the Lord Marshall of the Vale, and I know more of the men's faces in my command than I suspect one as green to war as you would think possible. In either case, you don't send just any man as a messenger with news of that sort, for him to be believable he must also be recognizable."

His tone softened, "Also, it was the evaluation of your plan by others rather than the defense of it by you that I sought. Your plan has merits and may work, and obviously you believe in it, but there are many men here, wise and experienced, and I would have their opinions."

[loremaster]

Walder rested his chin on his fist, as placid as the God's Eye. "I meant no disrespect to your authority or experience, I simply wanted to lay out the plan as carefully as possible before we make a decision on it. Your recognizeable rider can be produced, have no fear. And now I will return to my job." He began scribbling again.

[House Dustin]

Grafton nodded. "Thank you, Lord Frey."

[Horas]

To Lord Blackwood, "Do you know what strength Lord Tyrell will be able to gather in the Mander? I do not share your confidence that burning and raiding will dissuade the Dornish host so easily. Those are the consequences of war, and if the Dornishmen are made of such weak stuff, then perhaps we shouldn't consider them a threat at all."

Warren turns to Grafton first. "They may be able to weather out raids on coastal villages. But if Yronwood falls? Starfall? Sunspear itself? The Dornish must return to defend their homes eventually, or they will have no homes to return to."

Warren frowns at Walder's plan. "That seems... implausible. You can't fool a commander as seasoned as Quentin Fowler with such deceptions."

[loremaster]

He shrugged. "Even if we don't fool them into surrendering, they'll still be deaf, dumb, and blind."

[Horas]

Warren shrugs. "I can see nothing wrong with that."

[House Dustin]

Suddenly a page knocks and enters. He brings a letter to Dominic Grafton who reads it. A thin smile appears on the old general's face. "Gentlemen, our tactical problems have just become somewhat simpler. The Far Reach has declared for the King and his Regent. Lord Irwyn awaits our orders and is at command of 20,000 men. If there are no objections I will order him to force march immediately to just south of the Blackwater." He squinted as he stared at the map laid out on the table. "Our own army will begin its march on King's Landing immediately. When we near King's Landing our army will divide with 20,000 continuing to the west around King's Landing to join with the forces of the Far Reach." Dominic looked at Lord Blackwood. "The only remaining problem I can see is that the Riverlands are left exposed, and the intentions of the Westerlands and the North are still unknown. Shall we divert any forces to defend the Riverlands?"

[melon]

Lord Dominic Grafton

I Tallahar Tyrell have taken command of the Mander forces as this Raven arrives at Harrenhal for you I will be marching to Bitterbridge. At this site they force of the Reach will combine. With myself in command victory is certain. We will then march south of the Blackwater and hold the Dornish from linking with Andry's Forces. To Victory and the glory of King Rickon Baratheon.

Lord Tallahar Tyrell the Dawn Raider, Defender of the Rose, Lord of Dawnrose Keep.

[Horas]

"Allow me to leave a portion of my forces here to garrison important castles in the Riverlands and deter any aggressors," Warren says. "With that security, I will be glad to march and bring the fight to them."