Post by The Smith on Apr 11, 2008 13:24:58 GMT -5
Ser Vortimer Rivers stood in front of his two protégés. He had been teaching them for several weeks now the art of seamanship and the art of naval combat. The Prince and his cousin were seated in Prince Avery's crowded captain's quarters on the flagship ‘Fury’, reading and discussing naval strategy with the Lord High Admiral while looking over a map of the Blackwater Bay. Just days before, the ten ships from Driftmark had joined with the forty ships from Dragonstone and were now patrolling the Gullet, the narrow entry to Blackwater Bay that Dragonstone bestrode as well as conducting naval manoueveres around the islands of Dragonstone, Driftmark and nearly as far up as Claw Island.
Prince Avery had received a message from his mother that he had been confirmed Prince of Dragonstone, but with the number of vassal lords sworn to Dragonstone reduced. Prince Avery had opened the message in front of his cousin and captains. Avery’s lips had thinned as he had read his mother’s message, but that had been the only sign of his displeasure. Still he had said nothing beyond a short explanation to his captains and his family. They had shown more outrage than he had. From then Avery had been a driven man, busying himself with learning all he could about his island, inspecting the fortifications and endearing himself to the local population of Dragonstone and then across to Driftmark, where the process was repeated. The smallfolk of both islands had been impressed with their young prince and his popularity was immense. Avery had heard there were shafts and secret stairs leading from the citadel to the heart of the Dragonmont and now he found out for himself, spending hours with trusted retainers on Dragonstone discovering them, leanrning their tricks and then with a few trusted retainers in tow, seeking to further conceal their entrances.
Avery had ordered the fleet out every day in naval manouevres, sailing between Driftmark and Dragonstone. In the evenings he had spent hours training in a variety of weapons with his captains. And at night, he sat in his chair brooding over the Painted Table of Westeros The painted table was more than fifty feet long, perhaps half that wide at its widest, but less than four feet across at its narrowest. It was shaped after the land of Westeros, its surface painted with the Seven Kingdoms as they then were; rivers, mountains, castles, cities, lakes, and forests were all marked. Avery’s chair was raised up and sitting precisely where Dragonstone would have been off the coast of Westeros.
Meanwhile when they were sailing Ser Vortimer was pleased to regale the two young cousins with his tales and experience. At night by candlelight Prince Avery took the opportunity to read up on his naval strategy, with the two young cousins often acting out naval battles on the table and with Ser Vortimer looking on approvingly and giving advice about naval strategy. Then they would practice what they had learnt the night before with the warships the next day. Privately Ser Vortimer thought that while Avery was the keener of the two to soak in all that he could learn, the fifteen year old Rhaegar Velaryon, the aptly nicknamed Lord of Tydes, seemed to be living up to the Velaryon name. There was no doubt that young Rhaegar was more of a natural at seacraft, no doubt because of his seafaring Velaryon ancestry. He had more skills to begin with and seemed to pick up the nuances of seamanship, naval strategy and what to do in naval combat far more quickly than Avery. However Avery excelled at the handling of weaponry.
Ser Vortimer was tiring easily these days and it was late. He took his leave of the two young lords and retired to his bunk. He mused that young Rhaegar might make a worthy replacement for him one of these days for when the time came to give up the sea.
Results:
Avery Baratheon improves to "Apprentice" in Naval Combat.
Avery Baratheon improves to "Novice" in Seamanship.
Rhaegar Velaryon improves to "Expert" in Naval Combat.
Rhaegar Velaryon improves to "Noteworthy" in Seamanship.
Avery Baratheon's popularity rises in Dragonstone and Driftmark.
Avery Baratheon learns the secrets of the Dragonstone Citadel and the Dragonmont.
Prince Avery had received a message from his mother that he had been confirmed Prince of Dragonstone, but with the number of vassal lords sworn to Dragonstone reduced. Prince Avery had opened the message in front of his cousin and captains. Avery’s lips had thinned as he had read his mother’s message, but that had been the only sign of his displeasure. Still he had said nothing beyond a short explanation to his captains and his family. They had shown more outrage than he had. From then Avery had been a driven man, busying himself with learning all he could about his island, inspecting the fortifications and endearing himself to the local population of Dragonstone and then across to Driftmark, where the process was repeated. The smallfolk of both islands had been impressed with their young prince and his popularity was immense. Avery had heard there were shafts and secret stairs leading from the citadel to the heart of the Dragonmont and now he found out for himself, spending hours with trusted retainers on Dragonstone discovering them, leanrning their tricks and then with a few trusted retainers in tow, seeking to further conceal their entrances.
Avery had ordered the fleet out every day in naval manouevres, sailing between Driftmark and Dragonstone. In the evenings he had spent hours training in a variety of weapons with his captains. And at night, he sat in his chair brooding over the Painted Table of Westeros The painted table was more than fifty feet long, perhaps half that wide at its widest, but less than four feet across at its narrowest. It was shaped after the land of Westeros, its surface painted with the Seven Kingdoms as they then were; rivers, mountains, castles, cities, lakes, and forests were all marked. Avery’s chair was raised up and sitting precisely where Dragonstone would have been off the coast of Westeros.
Meanwhile when they were sailing Ser Vortimer was pleased to regale the two young cousins with his tales and experience. At night by candlelight Prince Avery took the opportunity to read up on his naval strategy, with the two young cousins often acting out naval battles on the table and with Ser Vortimer looking on approvingly and giving advice about naval strategy. Then they would practice what they had learnt the night before with the warships the next day. Privately Ser Vortimer thought that while Avery was the keener of the two to soak in all that he could learn, the fifteen year old Rhaegar Velaryon, the aptly nicknamed Lord of Tydes, seemed to be living up to the Velaryon name. There was no doubt that young Rhaegar was more of a natural at seacraft, no doubt because of his seafaring Velaryon ancestry. He had more skills to begin with and seemed to pick up the nuances of seamanship, naval strategy and what to do in naval combat far more quickly than Avery. However Avery excelled at the handling of weaponry.
Ser Vortimer was tiring easily these days and it was late. He took his leave of the two young lords and retired to his bunk. He mused that young Rhaegar might make a worthy replacement for him one of these days for when the time came to give up the sea.
Results:
Avery Baratheon improves to "Apprentice" in Naval Combat.
Avery Baratheon improves to "Novice" in Seamanship.
Rhaegar Velaryon improves to "Expert" in Naval Combat.
Rhaegar Velaryon improves to "Noteworthy" in Seamanship.
Avery Baratheon's popularity rises in Dragonstone and Driftmark.
Avery Baratheon learns the secrets of the Dragonstone Citadel and the Dragonmont.