Post by The Stranger on Jun 11, 2008 19:49:28 GMT -5
Hello. I’ve been thinking of a way to introduce my character into some more significant aspects of the LoW story, get him into more dialogue rather than focusing on his actions, and I think my timing in joining was perfect. I think there’s a lot of potential to advance my character as a result of the wedding, and right now he’s cooking up a little scheme. This scheme will require me to play an NPC city guardsmen for a bit, and will take one hefty feat of acting to pull it all off. However, if he’s successful, it will cause a good deal of short-term chaos and piss a lot of people off, so I thought it best to present it to the Admin team for your approval and an assessment of its feasibility. I'd prefer for as few people to know about it as possible, though, because I think everyone will have fun with it 
Here’s the gist of what Aldrys wants to do. Through a series of Scenarios and in-game actions, he’s going to hone up on his skills a little bit and put together a plan on the last days leading up to the wedding. At some point, I’m going to introduce a City Guardsman NPC named Addellard, who will seem to be a thorn in Aldrys’ side each night.
I sort of came into this idea this morning and wrote it all down during lecture, but here’s a quick look at what the two characters would “say” on the day of the wedding. Sorry if it’s too descriptive, I can make it less so for the final versions if this goes through. I kind of like writing what characters are thinking and doing, it makes a better picture in my mind.
(OOC: All the guards’ dialogue in here will likely be up to ya’ll, I just put in one example of how it might go. Also, I haven’t read ASoIaF in a while, a problem I’m rectifying, so I may get some terminology wrong)
Addellard was angry. He was angry most days, but today he was especially angry. Like a fine stew, all the little bits and pieces of different annoyances had simmered and mixed into a delicious rage. He almost enjoyed the feeling.
He ran at a dead sprint, his armor clinking, his spear wobbling just a bit with the up and down motion of his stride. "More fucking guards." His teeth clenched, so angry he forgot to breathe for a moment and had to pant a few paces to keep his chest from clenching. "The entire damned garrison turned out, and they want more fucking guards."
He reached the entrance of the Great Sept. Four gold cloaks (OOC: or however many you want) in heavy armor with steel spears stood guard. "HALT!" All four spears were brought level at him, bringing Addellard to a dead stop.
"Put the spears away, brothers, I have no time for this." He breathed deeply, slowly, recovering as quickly as possible.
"You will identify yourself!" The spears remained steady at his chest.
Addellard tore off his helmet, his hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. "I am Addellard, and I have been ordered to stand guard at the wedding."
"You lie! We were all sent out this morning, we've been guarding all day with no shift change."
"Yes, and I have just been turned OUT of my bed after guarding the bloody-fucking Mud Gate till dawn, told to RUN to the bloody-fucking wedding and take my bloody-fucking post IMMEDIATELY or I'd face the King's Justice by sundown!" Addellard shook with rage, wanting so badly to strike them for their idiocy.
The guards looked at each other, unsure. "Who ordered you here, Addellard?"
"The fucking Lannisters, that's who! One of their whelps brought word that some noblewoman demanded more guards at the wedding!"
The guards still looked unsure, but... "Damned Westerlanders treat us all like shit. The sooner they all leave, the better. Get inside and take post, brother."
Addellard rammed his helmet back over his head, composing himself before entering lest he be executed for not guarding prettily enough. More guards, he thought. With idiots like them guarding, the king and queen won't last till sundown.
______________________
Aldrys' smile severed his face. He could see everyone, every single person. He had the perfect vantage point. Oh, how hard it had been to sneak in, to get to this one particular spot, the one spot where no guards were posted. He could see the lords and ladies, many decked out in riches even on this pious day.
A sparkling light caught his eye, and he saw where Lady Aranya stood speaking to some lord, her diamond glittering and shining in the light. He was well hidden, no one would see him until it was time. He smiled. Everything fit, everything worked, he would succeed. He was happy. It would be a wonderfully fun day.
_________________________
Addellard stood at the entrance to the wedding hall as though carved from stone, but his eyes never stopped moving. The wedding ceremony was well underway. He allowed himself to grin just a little at the sight of the new queen as she was crowned, his disgust for the Lannisters and their people forgotten for a moment. Whatever she had been before, she was his queen now. As the king and queen walked down the aisle hand-in-hand, his eyes resumed their questing, searching for anything. The newlyweds were flanked with Kingsguards and gold cloaks, but those guards were facing forward, their eyes locked at the end of the hall in a ceremonial procession.
If there was anything to see, Addellard would be the one to see it.
________________________
Aldrys knew it was almost time. Soon, in mere moments, he would have his chance. Soon, oh so soon. He could see the queen walking down the aisle. He didn't smile, but he wanted to so badly. The suffering of a little girl. Who could resist it? The perfect spectacle, the ultimate performance. Who could deny the tragedy, the horror such a thing could invoke? Who would think even a moment about jewelry when that girl's voice cried out?
It was time to reveal himself.
(OOC: Everything he says here will make sense by the wedding day, don’t worry.)
________________________
Addellard's head twisted up, his gaze caught by something. Where? Where had it been? He looked all over the walls, the ceiling, the windows. He'd seen something, something that didn't look right. He squinted, focusing on one of the giant windows. (OOC: I don’t know what the architecture of the Great Sept is, but I’m guessing there are windows)
His jaw dropped. The newlyweds and their guards were not ten feet away, and he could see the queen through a slight gap in the guards. The king was well protected from the angle, but the queen...
________________________
Aldrys saw his chance. The guards had parted just a bit behind the queen. Now. It had to be now...
________________________
"NO!" Addellard dropped his spear and burst forward, his muscles screaming from their earlier fatigue, but he was a strong man, and a fast man. The queen was five feet away, just a couple of steps, but he felt so slow. The escort had no time to react apart from turning their heads to face him just as he pushed two out of the way and leapt at the queen, twisting sideways to cover as much of her as possible. He jerked, spinning around and tackling the princess. He landed atop her, his chest against her face and his cloak billowing out above her, but he managed to keep his arms under himself so he didn't crush her. The young king and guards fell in all directions, shouts and screams rose from the guests.
Moments later he was pulled from atop the queen and thrown to the floor face up, a dozen spear and sword tips pressed against him. It was only then that everyone saw the steel crossbow bolt stuck in his right shoulder, blood beginning to darken his gold cloak. There was a red ribbon tied to the bolt (OOC: I read about that in the Rumours section. Is it still a viable rumour? I can change this if not, and I think it will work just as well.)
One hand had been wrapped up at his side in his cloak, but Addellard raised the other and with what breath he had left gasped, "The window..."
Everyone looked down at him, not quite understanding what was going on. Addellard drew in a breath, gasping from the pain, and shouted, "HE WAS IN THE WINDOW!"
________________________
Aldrys was happy. It was enough. Cries went out among the knights and nobles. Guards poured around the King and Queen and shielded them from sight. Everyone shouted at everyone else to find the assassin. But they wouldn't. They couldn't. They hadn't found him yet, and that meant he'd already won.
________________________
Addellard sat up looking around, dazed. No one was bothering with him now, every concern was for the newlyweds, which redeemed the guards a bit in his eyes. He got to his knees and looked up through the guards. Straight into the queen’s eyes. "Are you hurt?"
She shook her head. He sighed with relief, amazed the girl could hear him in the din. Her hair was messed up, her dress covered in what was presumably Addellard's blood, her crown had been knocked off somewhere, and tears covered her cheeks. She still looked beautiful, a perfect little queen. He smiled at her. And then he scowled. He was angry again. Very angry. Struggling, he pulled the bolt out of his shoulder, gasping. The tip glistened beautifully with his blood.
With a bowed head and a shaking hand he set the bolt at her feet, a grim trophy. "I will kill him. For you, I will kill him." He leapt up, grabbed his spear from the floor, and burst through the crowd out of the hall, trying to untangle his hand from his cloak as he ran, not knowing where he was going, but wanting more than anything to kill someone.
________________________
Aldrys ran alongside a flock of hysterical noblewomen. Panic was setting in. Guards, knights, lords, ladies, septas, everyone was in confusion, everyone searching, searching so hard. For the man who stood right next to them. No one noticed him. He looked like so many others, how could they pick him out as an outsider? There was no way. Everything was perfect.
Then he saw Lady Aranya a little ways ahead of him, surrounded by guards. She was shouting, trying to restore some sort of order but looked about ready to stave in the heads of the panicked nobles. And now…
_______________________
Addellard ran towards Aranya Royce, his spear in one hand and his cloak bunched up and pressed against his shoulder with the other. It was becoming hard to hold onto the spear.
“Lady Aranya! Have they seen him? Have they found the assassin?”
_______________________
Presumably, at this point Aranya will say something to the effect of “No.”
_______________________
“Why is everyone searching in here?! The assassin will be outside by now!” He sprinted to the entrance, out into the sunlight, and began his hunt.
______________________
////////Much, much later that day.
Aldrys sat in his alcove between the rooftops, softly humming a joyful song. He had eaten half a loaf of bread since escaping the wedding, drunk as much water as he could and poured bucket of it over his head once he’d removed his clothes, and now sat enjoying the cool evening. Well, mostly enjoying.
He winced as he dabbed at his shoulder with a wet cloth. The bolt hadn’t gone deep, he’d merely pressed it in enough to draw blood and stick a bit, but it still hurt and would take time to heal. Around him lay an assortment of items and clothing: a spear, a breastplate with an area on the right shoulder broken off, a blood-stained uniform. And on top of the bloody gold cloak in which it had been wrapped, gently sparkling with the light of the setting sun, was a crown.
Addellard had been a perfect guard. Even the greatest of knights would have been honored to be hit by that bolt. Aldrys was half surprised to be alive; he’d expected to be run through by the guards immediately. Probably the only thing that saved him was their concern for the queen’s safety first and his death second. He still felt a little shaken, but happy. Happier than he’d been in a long time. It had been a wonderful performance. He wouldn’t be surprised if people sang songs about the mysterious gold cloaked guard that had saved the queen from assassination, only to disappear without a trace. His plan was finished.
And then his grin faded. He stopped humming. He looked up. Finished.
He felt distinctly un-happy now. He stared at the crown and started humming a quiet, sad tune.
And that’s it! So, to me, there are basically two major concerns here. One, can he get past the guards at the entrance? Two, can he grab the crown and hide it in his cloak? I’m not sure on the first one, but as for the second, I have no doubt that a cloaked man leaping onto a princess, landing on top of her, and quickly wrapping her crown in his cloak and stabbing himself in a confused dog-pile wouldn’t be that hard for the guy. There will be more than enough chaos going on for him to *easily* get the crown off her head, everyone will be too freaked out to worry about a stupid crown, and those who *do* notice the queen doesn't have her crown will simply think it was knocked away. Aldrys is relying on the huge presence of the guards to create a dog-pile so no one will see what he’s doing.
Well, that’s my idea, tell me what you think. Sorry it’s a bit long, but I felt you needed to see exactly how I think it should be played. I’ve re-read it a couple times, and everything works with the two viewpoints from one character. Thanks, bye!
Here’s the gist of what Aldrys wants to do. Through a series of Scenarios and in-game actions, he’s going to hone up on his skills a little bit and put together a plan on the last days leading up to the wedding. At some point, I’m going to introduce a City Guardsman NPC named Addellard, who will seem to be a thorn in Aldrys’ side each night.
I sort of came into this idea this morning and wrote it all down during lecture, but here’s a quick look at what the two characters would “say” on the day of the wedding. Sorry if it’s too descriptive, I can make it less so for the final versions if this goes through. I kind of like writing what characters are thinking and doing, it makes a better picture in my mind.
(OOC: All the guards’ dialogue in here will likely be up to ya’ll, I just put in one example of how it might go. Also, I haven’t read ASoIaF in a while, a problem I’m rectifying, so I may get some terminology wrong)
Addellard was angry. He was angry most days, but today he was especially angry. Like a fine stew, all the little bits and pieces of different annoyances had simmered and mixed into a delicious rage. He almost enjoyed the feeling.
He ran at a dead sprint, his armor clinking, his spear wobbling just a bit with the up and down motion of his stride. "More fucking guards." His teeth clenched, so angry he forgot to breathe for a moment and had to pant a few paces to keep his chest from clenching. "The entire damned garrison turned out, and they want more fucking guards."
He reached the entrance of the Great Sept. Four gold cloaks (OOC: or however many you want) in heavy armor with steel spears stood guard. "HALT!" All four spears were brought level at him, bringing Addellard to a dead stop.
"Put the spears away, brothers, I have no time for this." He breathed deeply, slowly, recovering as quickly as possible.
"You will identify yourself!" The spears remained steady at his chest.
Addellard tore off his helmet, his hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. "I am Addellard, and I have been ordered to stand guard at the wedding."
"You lie! We were all sent out this morning, we've been guarding all day with no shift change."
"Yes, and I have just been turned OUT of my bed after guarding the bloody-fucking Mud Gate till dawn, told to RUN to the bloody-fucking wedding and take my bloody-fucking post IMMEDIATELY or I'd face the King's Justice by sundown!" Addellard shook with rage, wanting so badly to strike them for their idiocy.
The guards looked at each other, unsure. "Who ordered you here, Addellard?"
"The fucking Lannisters, that's who! One of their whelps brought word that some noblewoman demanded more guards at the wedding!"
The guards still looked unsure, but... "Damned Westerlanders treat us all like shit. The sooner they all leave, the better. Get inside and take post, brother."
Addellard rammed his helmet back over his head, composing himself before entering lest he be executed for not guarding prettily enough. More guards, he thought. With idiots like them guarding, the king and queen won't last till sundown.
______________________
Aldrys' smile severed his face. He could see everyone, every single person. He had the perfect vantage point. Oh, how hard it had been to sneak in, to get to this one particular spot, the one spot where no guards were posted. He could see the lords and ladies, many decked out in riches even on this pious day.
A sparkling light caught his eye, and he saw where Lady Aranya stood speaking to some lord, her diamond glittering and shining in the light. He was well hidden, no one would see him until it was time. He smiled. Everything fit, everything worked, he would succeed. He was happy. It would be a wonderfully fun day.
_________________________
Addellard stood at the entrance to the wedding hall as though carved from stone, but his eyes never stopped moving. The wedding ceremony was well underway. He allowed himself to grin just a little at the sight of the new queen as she was crowned, his disgust for the Lannisters and their people forgotten for a moment. Whatever she had been before, she was his queen now. As the king and queen walked down the aisle hand-in-hand, his eyes resumed their questing, searching for anything. The newlyweds were flanked with Kingsguards and gold cloaks, but those guards were facing forward, their eyes locked at the end of the hall in a ceremonial procession.
If there was anything to see, Addellard would be the one to see it.
________________________
Aldrys knew it was almost time. Soon, in mere moments, he would have his chance. Soon, oh so soon. He could see the queen walking down the aisle. He didn't smile, but he wanted to so badly. The suffering of a little girl. Who could resist it? The perfect spectacle, the ultimate performance. Who could deny the tragedy, the horror such a thing could invoke? Who would think even a moment about jewelry when that girl's voice cried out?
It was time to reveal himself.
(OOC: Everything he says here will make sense by the wedding day, don’t worry.)
________________________
Addellard's head twisted up, his gaze caught by something. Where? Where had it been? He looked all over the walls, the ceiling, the windows. He'd seen something, something that didn't look right. He squinted, focusing on one of the giant windows. (OOC: I don’t know what the architecture of the Great Sept is, but I’m guessing there are windows)
His jaw dropped. The newlyweds and their guards were not ten feet away, and he could see the queen through a slight gap in the guards. The king was well protected from the angle, but the queen...
________________________
Aldrys saw his chance. The guards had parted just a bit behind the queen. Now. It had to be now...
________________________
"NO!" Addellard dropped his spear and burst forward, his muscles screaming from their earlier fatigue, but he was a strong man, and a fast man. The queen was five feet away, just a couple of steps, but he felt so slow. The escort had no time to react apart from turning their heads to face him just as he pushed two out of the way and leapt at the queen, twisting sideways to cover as much of her as possible. He jerked, spinning around and tackling the princess. He landed atop her, his chest against her face and his cloak billowing out above her, but he managed to keep his arms under himself so he didn't crush her. The young king and guards fell in all directions, shouts and screams rose from the guests.
Moments later he was pulled from atop the queen and thrown to the floor face up, a dozen spear and sword tips pressed against him. It was only then that everyone saw the steel crossbow bolt stuck in his right shoulder, blood beginning to darken his gold cloak. There was a red ribbon tied to the bolt (OOC: I read about that in the Rumours section. Is it still a viable rumour? I can change this if not, and I think it will work just as well.)
One hand had been wrapped up at his side in his cloak, but Addellard raised the other and with what breath he had left gasped, "The window..."
Everyone looked down at him, not quite understanding what was going on. Addellard drew in a breath, gasping from the pain, and shouted, "HE WAS IN THE WINDOW!"
________________________
Aldrys was happy. It was enough. Cries went out among the knights and nobles. Guards poured around the King and Queen and shielded them from sight. Everyone shouted at everyone else to find the assassin. But they wouldn't. They couldn't. They hadn't found him yet, and that meant he'd already won.
________________________
Addellard sat up looking around, dazed. No one was bothering with him now, every concern was for the newlyweds, which redeemed the guards a bit in his eyes. He got to his knees and looked up through the guards. Straight into the queen’s eyes. "Are you hurt?"
She shook her head. He sighed with relief, amazed the girl could hear him in the din. Her hair was messed up, her dress covered in what was presumably Addellard's blood, her crown had been knocked off somewhere, and tears covered her cheeks. She still looked beautiful, a perfect little queen. He smiled at her. And then he scowled. He was angry again. Very angry. Struggling, he pulled the bolt out of his shoulder, gasping. The tip glistened beautifully with his blood.
With a bowed head and a shaking hand he set the bolt at her feet, a grim trophy. "I will kill him. For you, I will kill him." He leapt up, grabbed his spear from the floor, and burst through the crowd out of the hall, trying to untangle his hand from his cloak as he ran, not knowing where he was going, but wanting more than anything to kill someone.
________________________
Aldrys ran alongside a flock of hysterical noblewomen. Panic was setting in. Guards, knights, lords, ladies, septas, everyone was in confusion, everyone searching, searching so hard. For the man who stood right next to them. No one noticed him. He looked like so many others, how could they pick him out as an outsider? There was no way. Everything was perfect.
Then he saw Lady Aranya a little ways ahead of him, surrounded by guards. She was shouting, trying to restore some sort of order but looked about ready to stave in the heads of the panicked nobles. And now…
_______________________
Addellard ran towards Aranya Royce, his spear in one hand and his cloak bunched up and pressed against his shoulder with the other. It was becoming hard to hold onto the spear.
“Lady Aranya! Have they seen him? Have they found the assassin?”
_______________________
Presumably, at this point Aranya will say something to the effect of “No.”
_______________________
“Why is everyone searching in here?! The assassin will be outside by now!” He sprinted to the entrance, out into the sunlight, and began his hunt.
______________________
////////Much, much later that day.
Aldrys sat in his alcove between the rooftops, softly humming a joyful song. He had eaten half a loaf of bread since escaping the wedding, drunk as much water as he could and poured bucket of it over his head once he’d removed his clothes, and now sat enjoying the cool evening. Well, mostly enjoying.
He winced as he dabbed at his shoulder with a wet cloth. The bolt hadn’t gone deep, he’d merely pressed it in enough to draw blood and stick a bit, but it still hurt and would take time to heal. Around him lay an assortment of items and clothing: a spear, a breastplate with an area on the right shoulder broken off, a blood-stained uniform. And on top of the bloody gold cloak in which it had been wrapped, gently sparkling with the light of the setting sun, was a crown.
Addellard had been a perfect guard. Even the greatest of knights would have been honored to be hit by that bolt. Aldrys was half surprised to be alive; he’d expected to be run through by the guards immediately. Probably the only thing that saved him was their concern for the queen’s safety first and his death second. He still felt a little shaken, but happy. Happier than he’d been in a long time. It had been a wonderful performance. He wouldn’t be surprised if people sang songs about the mysterious gold cloaked guard that had saved the queen from assassination, only to disappear without a trace. His plan was finished.
And then his grin faded. He stopped humming. He looked up. Finished.
He felt distinctly un-happy now. He stared at the crown and started humming a quiet, sad tune.
And that’s it! So, to me, there are basically two major concerns here. One, can he get past the guards at the entrance? Two, can he grab the crown and hide it in his cloak? I’m not sure on the first one, but as for the second, I have no doubt that a cloaked man leaping onto a princess, landing on top of her, and quickly wrapping her crown in his cloak and stabbing himself in a confused dog-pile wouldn’t be that hard for the guy. There will be more than enough chaos going on for him to *easily* get the crown off her head, everyone will be too freaked out to worry about a stupid crown, and those who *do* notice the queen doesn't have her crown will simply think it was knocked away. Aldrys is relying on the huge presence of the guards to create a dog-pile so no one will see what he’s doing.
Well, that’s my idea, tell me what you think. Sorry it’s a bit long, but I felt you needed to see exactly how I think it should be played. I’ve re-read it a couple times, and everything works with the two viewpoints from one character. Thanks, bye!
