Also, just to be clear in case people are unsure on this: if you are responding to an event, you and whoever else show up have full control over what happens. The GMs aren't going to do back and forth posts, we will only post again for the event at the end when it's time to wrap it up (if dragging on), or to give a recap of sorts through in-universe sources.
The idea is that we set the scene, and you guys carry it out. The post is written in a way to set the tone and to give a sense of how bad guys might operate, and from there we trust you to continue it. We'll only step in if we feel it's necessary.
So, don't feel like you need to wait for responses from us. If you want, you can ask here if other players are planning on entering the event so you know if you're free to continue or not. But, overall, you guys get to direct the narrative, and the GMs will incorporate what happens, including any negative repercussions, into the overall story.
We want events to flow smoothly and productively.
I presumed this but thanks for clarity.
Gwen only whacking one of the goons was more to lead into to anyone else hopping into the heist than a fear of defining anything about it.
For those that might want to hop on in I was planning on the truck carrying a secure delivery between Oscorp facilities, something to give Gwen more than a bit of pause.
đˇ"If we have to be haunted, we should befriend our ghosts. We should welcome them in, and let them make a home with us. Just because we're ghost stories, that doesn't mean we're over. Legends never die." đˇ
Lower Manhattan Financial District
âThis is going to be a real issue.â The sight of the glimmering lights of the city were often a comfort to Gwen, but at the moment were doing a rather poor job of it. Perched among the outer stonework of Trinity Church, she took another bite of her dinner, a bagel absolutely smothered in cream cheese and smoked salmon, as she also flicked through the contents of her own wallet.
It was fortunate since becoming Spider-Woman back home that sheâd opted to start carrying cash, useful for those in costume purchases, and that whatever differences between home and this âversionâ of New York the dollars were similar enough to pass. That had found her a room in a hotel that was not quite a complete dive, and a few days worth of meals. The bagel hadnât exactly been an efficient use of her funds, but if sheâd been entirely able to ignore that particular temptation sheâd probably not have had such a falling out with her old dance teacher.
âWhoever said nothing tastes as good as skinny feels has definitely not had a good pizza.â She snorted in amused contempt to herself as she stood, the last of the bagel consumed in a single impressive bite before she pulled down the pushed up half of her mask. The wonders of Van Dyne technology allowed her to stow her wallet within her suit without any change to the silhouette, so while she might be increasingly poor, she was at least not suffering from a lack of aerodynamics. The more obvious technological miracle of the suit also revealed itself as the colours shifted, changing away from a camouflaged tone alike with the stonework behind her, to her usual scheme of white and pink, highlighted with lines of cyan.
Most of her now hidden wallet was full of items that were of no use to her now. Bank cards to accounts that didnât exist and ID for a woman that by the consideration of the city she inhabited had died years before. Both of these things were hurdles sheâd need to get over, hopefully without causing greater ill in the process.
Thoughts of her own predicament were suddenly banished by a cascade of nearby noise, the series of explosions and following gunfire reaching her easily even above the din of the city. She was moving before she really thought about it. This wasnât her New York, not her people, but years of vigilante habit dies hard. She cast a web out, pinwheeling her around the next corner as she leap from the roof of the church, momentum carrying her with escalating speed. It was a luxury in a strange way, the call to action pushing aside thoughts to her own situation.
She was close by, that was good news, for even as she caught her first glimpse of the scene it was clear the assailants were efficient. They werenât firing anymore, but she had no doubt that would change if anyone was to impose on their scene. Thankfully they didnât have direct control of any hostages, that would complicate things. She swung high, throwing herself up into the air where she would blur into the night sky, the figure of a single person impossible to pick out among the glare of a thousand city lights.
Gwen allowed the momentum to lift her as high as possible above the now stricken armoured truck before she began to plummet towards the overturned vehicle. It is only at the last moment that twin webs fire out from her wrists, slowing her momentum down to the side of the vehicle so that she lands with a dextrous crouch atop the truck with a soft clang rather than a catastrophic impact.
âReckon you guys could help a girl out? Iâm in need of a cash infusion myself.â She broke their professional silence with her words, revealing her presence all at the same time. They were quick to wheel around to her, those two guards previously watching the perimeter. She had little doubt she had surprised them, coming down from above as she had, but to their credit they hardly let this slow them, firearms moving around to bring her into aim with a following burst of gunfire.
She was faster though, zipping out of the way at a pace that turned her into a white blur. One of the gunmen moved too quickly, but the other she managed to lace with a web immediately, pulling him to the ground and along with her own sweep, the impact of the landing enough to stun someone without the benefit of spider-granted superpowers. She truly hoped that would include these guys, professional spider-murderers would be very difficult to deal with.
âI hope you guys are movie buffs, or you might not get this, but Whatâs in the Box!?â Gwen asked with theatric dramatics, swinging back around the truck to avoid the cascade of secondary fire, driving her momentarily away from being able to land a blow on another of the gunmen. âYou can tell me or I can start guessing? I assure you that will be more annoying.â
With a few years of the superhero life under her belt, this version of Gwen Stacy was just hitting her strider as her dimensions one and only Spider-Woman. She navigated those awkward early years with all the disputes with her friends and family and daring escapades that many versions of Peter Parker also share. For a moment it might look like she'd even finally began to move past the grief and shame of her best friend's death, in her personal life she was several years into college and as the hero Spiderwoman she was truly starting to make a difference. Then everything went wrong. Harry Osborne returned to New York, aligning with both NYPD Captain Frank Castle and the new Kingpin, Matt Murdock, in their shared aim to bring an end to Spider-Woman. New York became a conflict zone of increasingly extreme proportions as the trio expended their great reserves of resources and ambition in their aim, culminating in a plot that began to pull the very fabric of their reality apart. In her efforts to prevent disaster, Gwen Stacy has ended up stranded in another dimension, but with little but hurtful memories to return to and in the interest of protecting her embattled father, Gwen is in little rush to return home, instead lost in the present of this new reality.
C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S:
With a more grown up Spider-man present in the game, I thought it would be interesting to play a Spider-Gwen who's also further along in her story than she's usually portrayed both in wider media and her own comics. Rather than a fresh superhero before being thrust into interdimensional threats, her displacement is a result of conflicts directly tied to her journey as Spider-woman. Rather than a High School senior or first year college student, she's made it through half a decade of Spidering, starting to just about get a handle on the usual Spiderperson issues of being chased by the law and balancing her personal life before being displaced. She's not entirely upset about her situation, however, seeing her separation from her friends and family as a neccesary evil to keep them safe from the increasingly hostile reality of her home. The stories I want to tell are the consequences of a well meaning Spider-Gwen unmoored from her reality, yet still wishing to do good, as well as the struggles of living in a reality where you don't legally exist, at least not among the living. I want to deal with the very early process of this, rather than start her mostly on the way to making a new home.
C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:
Spider-Woman, or Ghost Spider as she will style herself in this new reality, shares the generic abilities of Spider-people, although as with any of those she puts her own spin on her approach. A ballet dancer through high school and a musician beyond that she exhibits a style which is athletic and graceful in a rhythmic sense. Her webshooters and suit are gifts from her dimensions Janet Van Dyne and so provide a few more unique abilities, the formers able to recharge overtime without the need for her to create her own webfluid, and the later able to shift colour at her will, alongside extendable glider wings from beneath her arms when required.
Captain Stacy: Now retired, George Stacy is Gwen's father and only parent following the death of her mother. Previously in charge of the taskforce put together to catch Spider-Woman, George was eventually dismissed in favour of Frank Castle. His relationship with Gwen was strained by their differences but close in bond, until in the passing moments of Gwen's time within her own dimension she admitted her identity to her father. She never saw her father again before her final confrontation with Harry, but the fall out of the reveal no doubt contributes to her lack of desire to seek a way home.
Peter Parker: Her best friend in High School and her greatest failure, during Gwen's early years as Spider-Woman she fought with the Lizard, who turned out to be Peter. The later did not survive and she's carried the guilt with her.
The Mary Janes: Gwen's band and her longest last friends. Gwen's secret identity and life as Spider-woman created a great deal of conflict between herself and her other bandmates during the later years of High School, but the maturity of the following years lead to a greater degree of balance. While she may miss them, she now sees her absence as a way to protect them from what Harry may be willing to do to hurt her, as he narrowed in on her identity.
Janet Van Dyne: Retired hero and role model to Spider-Woman, Janet took a chance on a young woman caught between self aggrandisement and doing some real good in the city of New York. The tech required for Gwen to be Spider-woman was Van Dyne make and Janet is the only person back home for Gwen who has any idea of what has happened to both Spider-woman and Gwen Stacy.
No Way Home: The trio of Harry Osborne, Frank Castle and Matt Murdock united in their desire to rid New York of Spider-woman, for very different reasons. Frank Castle, the obsessed police captain who blamed her for a series of embarrassing failures for the PDNY put aside his differences to unite with the new Kingpin, Frank Castle, who had once hoped to recruit Spider-woman to his cause. The final member, Harry Osborne, spent years away from New York training to take vengeance on the hero he blamed for his best friend's death, combined with the vast resources of OsCorp. Originally a private agreement, this triumvirate eventually became a public force in New York, wielding increasingly large political power to achieve their end. Harry's eventual plan, involving the use of a Super-Collider to punch through to realities where living, and superpowered, Peter Parker's may reside, is the plot which resulted in Gwen being stranded in this reality. Gwen has little idea of what now occurs back home, but the Trio continue to exert influence across that alternate New York.
Make The Most Of It: Gwen hasn't been in this version of New York to establish her own identity or true rivals, but already the whispers of a new crimefighter herald her presence on the scene. She's starting small, but once she's sure her presence isn't about to cause any sort of dimensional collapse, she's going to come out swinging.
S A M P L E P O S T:
âOw Ow OwâŚâŚHey EmmJayâ
It wasnât every day you had your face bashed up against a scaled up LED version of your best friendâs face, plus a decade or so, while trying to fight a slightly wrong version of one of your longest running enemies. Not every day, but definitely this day.
Gwen only had a moment to give her greetings to the large advertisement of her frontwomanâs face before she was bouncing away from it, propelled by the force of the impact. It was an embarrassing hit, even with spider sense to warn her, sheâd been rather distracted by the revelation her roommate of days gone past was apparently now a movie star. Still, radioactive spider enhanced endurance meant that sheâd recovered before she struck the ground, pirouetting through the air to land in a crouch.
âYour movements are fluid, a dancer then, that is new.â The voice carried over the sound of the city all around them as a gust of rushing wind brought the Vulture down close by. Not her Vulture, but definitely still âaâ Vulture.â
âYeah well, these glutes didnât come out of the Spider too.â Gwen snapped back as she was already moving, a handstand spring forward as winged villain landed, launching over his head as he did so. Two strands of webs fired out from his hands, momentary linking the Vultureâs suit by wing tips to ground. The strands held for long enough for her to complete her landing with a kick to the back of the manâs head, sending him sprawling forwards. âI can recommend a work out plan, because even for you, you look like you might need a bit of a health check, Adrian.â It was true enough. âHerâ Adrian might have literally had red eyes, but this one looked like heâd aged his whole life all again at once.
The Vulture was quick to recover though, the momentum of their fall turning into their own roll, before launching into the air in a spear tackle towards her. âNew, but just as annoying.â He snarled with grim purpose.
âWell, I wouldn't want to disappoint.â She was already aware of the presence of an alternate âherâ in an established hero donning the spider motif, Gwen presumed this was what the Vulture referred to as she dove to the side, the motion turning into a forward roll as she spun back onto her feet, just in time to launch another pair of strands to add to her building web binding the Vulture to the ground. It was already beginning to prevent him from lifting off in full, just a little longer and she could probably wrap this up.
There was a frustration to his movement and actions which suggested more than just her wit getting under his skin, he seemed surprised at the effectiveness of the webbing. Perhaps a different formula, some things would have to be different in this place, no matter how it still looked like her city.
âI donât know how you know himâŚ.but Iâll make you regret this.â The wizened Vulture snapped, lunging out for her once more. This time she slipped under him, two further lashings of web now to his ankles as she did, an incoming trip as she swung out the other end and the Vulture crashed forwards.
âWould you believe me if I said weâre entirely unrelated?â
The muffled sound from beneath the collapsed form of the Vulture certainly sounded like it was closer to a negative.
âFair enough I supposeâŚWellâŚyou sit there. Iâm sure someoneâs noticed this by now.â It would be hard to consider otherwise, Gwen had been swinging around the city, getting her bearings, when the Vulture had struck, possibly confusing her for âthis placeâ counterpart from a distance. A very public mid air crash sending her spiraling into a neon glowing advertisement was hardly a subtle start to a brawl. She didnât have the best relationship with the PDNY back home, she somewhat doubted her ability to explain her situation to law enforcement here either. âStay in school, Adrian!â She called out before zipping away, well before the ubiquitous sirens of New Yrok drew closer.
Sheâd already decided she needed to find a way to rent these Jackpot films.
The only issue was she doubted her credit card was interdimensional.
While actively doing multiverse plots is well outside the scope of this game, we never explicitly said "no multiverse characters," and from your app it looks like that isn't going to be a main plot focus for Gwen. As long as it's understood that the interdimensional stuff is just how she got here rather than the main thing she's doing, I think it'll pass muster.
Yeah absolutely, the point is that she's stranded and not connected to the usual multiversal plots. I thought her reacting to the differences in the timeline would still be interesting but other then that the dimensional stuff is the vector for how she's here and I'd like to avoid it coming up beyond her internal dialogue.
Detached Gwen from her 'here to recruit you to an interdimensional war' introduction that's usual for her among a few other changes I feel work for the rp. Hope this works as an idea.
With a few years of the superhero life under her belt, this version of Gwen Stacy was just hitting her strider as her dimensions one and only Spider-Woman. She navigated those awkward early years with all the disputes with her friends and family and daring escapades that many versions of Peter Parker also share. For a moment it might look like she'd even finally began to move past the grief and shame of her best friend's death, in her personal life she was several years into college and as the hero Spiderwoman she was truly starting to make a difference. Then everything went wrong. Harry Osborne returned to New York, aligning with both NYPD Captain Frank Castle and the new Kingpin, Matt Murdock, in their shared aim to bring an end to Spider-Woman. New York became a conflict zone of increasingly extreme proportions as the trio expended their great reserves of resources and ambition in their aim, culminating in a plot that began to pull the very fabric of their reality apart. In her efforts to prevent disaster, Gwen Stacy has ended up stranded in another dimension, but with little but hurtful memories to return to and in the interest of protecting her embattled father, Gwen is in little rush to return home, instead lost in the present of this new reality.
C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S:
With a more grown up Spider-man present in the game, I thought it would be interesting to play a Spider-Gwen who's also further along in her story than she's usually portrayed both in wider media and her own comics. Rather than a fresh superhero before being thrust into interdimensional threats, her displacement is a result of conflicts directly tied to her journey as Spider-woman. Rather than a High School senior or first year college student, she's made it through half a decade of Spidering, starting to just about get a handle on the usual Spiderperson issues of being chased by the law and balancing her personal life before being displaced. She's not entirely upset about her situation, however, seeing her separation from her friends and family as a neccesary evil to keep them safe from the increasingly hostile reality of her home. The stories I want to tell are the consequences of a well meaning Spider-Gwen unmoored from her reality, yet still wishing to do good, as well as the struggles of living in a reality where you don't legally exist, at least not among the living. I want to deal with the very early process of this, rather than start her mostly on the way to making a new home.
C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:
Spider-Woman, or Ghost Spider as she will style herself in this new reality, shares the generic abilities of Spider-people, although as with any of those she puts her own spin on her approach. A ballet dancer through high school and a musician beyond that she exhibits a style which is athletic and graceful in a rhythmic sense. Her webshooters and suit are gifts from her dimensions Janet Van Dyne and so provide a few more unique abilities, the formers able to recharge overtime without the need for her to create her own webfluid, and the later able to shift colour at her will, alongside extendable glider wings from beneath her arms when required.
Captain Stacy: Now retired, George Stacy is Gwen's father and only parent following the death of her mother. Previously in charge of the taskforce put together to catch Spider-Woman, George was eventually dismissed in favour of Frank Castle. His relationship with Gwen was strained by their differences but close in bond, until in the passing moments of Gwen's time within her own dimension she admitted her identity to her father. She never saw her father again before her final confrontation with Harry, but the fall out of the reveal no doubt contributes to her lack of desire to seek a way home.
Peter Parker: Her best friend in High School and her greatest failure, during Gwen's early years as Spider-Woman she fought with the Lizard, who turned out to be Peter. The later did not survive and she's carried the guilt with her.
The Mary Janes: Gwen's band and her longest last friends. Gwen's secret identity and life as Spider-woman created a great deal of conflict between herself and her other bandmates during the later years of High School, but the maturity of the following years lead to a greater degree of balance. While she may miss them, she now sees her absence as a way to protect them from what Harry may be willing to do to hurt her, as he narrowed in on her identity.
Janet Van Dyne: Retired hero and role model to Spider-Woman, Janet took a chance on a young woman caught between self aggrandisement and doing some real good in the city of New York. The tech required for Gwen to be Spider-woman was Van Dyne make and Janet is the only person back home for Gwen who has any idea of what has happened to both Spider-woman and Gwen Stacy.
No Way Home: The trio of Harry Osborne, Frank Castle and Matt Murdock united in their desire to rid New York of Spider-woman, for very different reasons. Frank Castle, the obsessed police captain who blamed her for a series of embarrassing failures for the PDNY put aside his differences to unite with the new Kingpin, Frank Castle, who had once hoped to recruit Spider-woman to his cause. The final member, Harry Osborne, spent years away from New York training to take vengeance on the hero he blamed for his best friend's death, combined with the vast resources of OsCorp. Originally a private agreement, this triumvirate eventually became a public force in New York, wielding increasingly large political power to achieve their end. Harry's eventual plan, involving the use of a Super-Collider to punch through to realities where living, and superpowered, Peter Parker's may reside, is the plot which resulted in Gwen being stranded in this reality. Gwen has little idea of what now occurs back home, but the Trio continue to exert influence across that alternate New York.
Make The Most Of It: Gwen hasn't been in this version of New York to establish her own identity or true rivals, but already the whispers of a new crimefighter herald her presence on the scene. She's starting small, but once she's sure her presence isn't about to cause any sort of dimensional collapse, she's going to come out swinging.
S A M P L E P O S T:
âOw Ow OwâŚâŚHey EmmJayâ
It wasnât every day you had your face bashed up against a scaled up LED version of your best friendâs face, plus a decade or so, while trying to fight a slightly wrong version of one of your longest running enemies. Not every day, but definitely this day.
Gwen only had a moment to give her greetings to the large advertisement of her frontwomanâs face before she was bouncing away from it, propelled by the force of the impact. It was an embarrassing hit, even with spider sense to warn her, sheâd been rather distracted by the revelation her roommate of days gone past was apparently now a movie star. Still, radioactive spider enhanced endurance meant that sheâd recovered before she struck the ground, pirouetting through the air to land in a crouch.
âYour movements are fluid, a dancer then, that is new.â The voice carried over the sound of the city all around them as a gust of rushing wind brought the Vulture down close by. Not her Vulture, but definitely still âaâ Vulture.â
âYeah well, these glutes didnât come out of the Spider too.â Gwen snapped back as she was already moving, a handstand spring forward as winged villain landed, launching over his head as he did so. Two strands of webs fired out from his hands, momentary linking the Vultureâs suit by wing tips to ground. The strands held for long enough for her to complete her landing with a kick to the back of the manâs head, sending him sprawling forwards. âI can recommend a work out plan, because even for you, you look like you might need a bit of a health check, Adrian.â It was true enough. âHerâ Adrian might have literally had red eyes, but this one looked like heâd aged his whole life all again at once.
The Vulture was quick to recover though, the momentum of their fall turning into their own roll, before launching into the air in a spear tackle towards her. âNew, but just as annoying.â He snarled with grim purpose.
âWell, I wouldn't want to disappoint.â She was already aware of the presence of an alternate âherâ in an established hero donning the spider motif, Gwen presumed this was what the Vulture referred to as she dove to the side, the motion turning into a forward roll as she spun back onto her feet, just in time to launch another pair of strands to add to her building web binding the Vulture to the ground. It was already beginning to prevent him from lifting off in full, just a little longer and she could probably wrap this up.
There was a frustration to his movement and actions which suggested more than just her wit getting under his skin, he seemed surprised at the effectiveness of the webbing. Perhaps a different formula, some things would have to be different in this place, no matter how it still looked like her city.
âI donât know how you know himâŚ.but Iâll make you regret this.â The wizened Vulture snapped, lunging out for her once more. This time she slipped under him, two further lashings of web now to his ankles as she did, an incoming trip as she swung out the other end and the Vulture crashed forwards.
âWould you believe me if I said weâre entirely unrelated?â
The muffled sound from beneath the collapsed form of the Vulture certainly sounded like it was closer to a negative.
âFair enough I supposeâŚWellâŚyou sit there. Iâm sure someoneâs noticed this by now.â It would be hard to consider otherwise, Gwen had been swinging around the city, getting her bearings, when the Vulture had struck, possibly confusing her for âthis placeâ counterpart from a distance. A very public mid air crash sending her spiraling into a neon glowing advertisement was hardly a subtle start to a brawl. She didnât have the best relationship with the PDNY back home, she somewhat doubted her ability to explain her situation to law enforcement here either. âStay in school, Adrian!â She called out before zipping away, well before the ubiquitous sirens of New Yrok drew closer.
Sheâd already decided she needed to find a way to rent these Jackpot films.
The only issue was she doubted her credit card was interdimensional.
Currently toying around a few ideas. With a not-just-starting Spiderman I was thinking one of Miles/SpiderGwen/Cindy might be fun, although I've also had She-Hulk on the brain a lot after reading the more recent Daredevil run.
Tough times, will try and narrow down before I write four whole sheets in an effort to decide and post one.
âI still believe I should be commanding this effort, my Lord Hand.â
The words stirred the small party from their view across the port as the royal fleet was sitting at dock, a rare enough thing at any occasion for it to be gathered so, least of all in preparation for an aggressive landing. The scope of it was vast, and even somewhat removed by distance, the noise was almost enough to drown out the words.
It was a good enough thing they did not, for it would not do to miss the words of a King, even one that could be considered a friend by some of the present company. Few songs would be written about the stature of King Jaehaerys II, and none of them kind, but those who judged things purely on how tall or broad a man stood had little enough sense, at least to Tywinâs mind. The young Lannister knew well the perils of an uninspiring liege in physical stature, but unlike his Lord father, there was a passion and fire behind the purple eyes of the Targaryen which belied his weaker physical nature.
âNone who know you, your grace, question your dedication.â The rumble of Ormund Baratheon cleared the distant din of the shipworks with ease, a manner that was both affable and authoritative, even when addressing the King. âBut our foes are pirates and rogues, to send our King himself would be to legitimise them in the eyes of friends and foes alike.â It was true enough, although a political answer. All those present could see the contrast between King and Hand, something that no amount of Targaryen intensity could equal. The Hand was a warrior born, the King might not survive the crossing should he take ill as he had often before.
âPerhaps you are right, still, I do not treasure this feeling, of sending my brave lords and sers to die in my place, on foreign soil.â The Kingâs gaze swept away from the Hand to the full group, the lords and knights who commanded positions of prestige among the invading force. Three of House Lannister were present, Tywin and his brother, one a newly made knight, the other a young and promsing squire, as well as their uncle. Ser Jason Lannister was an able warrior, unlike his own brother, and Tywin at last felt some pride in a living family connection as the Lions of Casterly Rock bowed to their King.
âMy father fought often in the Westerlands, Sers, much to his struggle, but he spoke well of you Ser Jason, and I am told your Knighting was a worthy achievement, Ser Tywin.â The Kingâs words were measured, but there was a hint of a smile to them. âMy Son is keen to renew your acquaintance.â
âI am sure his keenness leans more towards the battles to come, your grace, but I am pleased to hear.â Tywin kept his head dipped as the Kingâs words seemed to focus most on him, before eventually dipping out of the brow to speak. âMy Cousin speaks only dear things of the Princess.â
âDo make sure to speak with them before you depart, Ser Tywin, or I will not hear the end of it, you are certainly missed at court.â A slight, rare, laugh left the Kingâs lips, echoed in a greater rumble from the Lord Baratheon. Tywin didnât quite share their outburst of mirth, but he was pleased enough to smile, dipping his head one further time before stepping backwards to allow the greater lords to continue their discussions.
âIt seems strange to see those ships as allies.â Kevan had moved to watch the ships again as Tywin stepped towards him, his own eyes now drifting across the rows and rows of Ironborn ships currently at dock.
âI doubt such ships have docked in this port in any number before, strange times indeed.â Tywin mused quietly, although without shame, should the Ironbron have drawn closer.
âMayhaps that is why Lord Ormund suggests the King remain home, in case this is some Greyjoy plot to cast the royal house into the Sea.â Kevan spoken with some degree of good humour, but it was not entirely a joke.
âPerhaps, but theyâre unlikely to manage that with the whole host, we outnumber them, even if it is their ships.â Still, Tywinâs hand remained close to his swordbelt. It was indeed unusual for such a wide array of Ironborn ships to be at dock in a mainlander city without their deeds being nefarious.
âOur father could have sent more of our own fleet.â Kevan posed the idea, his hands leaning forwards on the stone demi-wall before them, as the first of the vessels began casting out, intended to range ahead of the main fleet as scout ships. The suggestion brought a snort of contempt from Tywin, but clearly not from disagreement.
âNo doubt some trader suggested that it would cost his burghers too much in having to pay for their own protection for the course of the war, then that was the end of that.â Tywin sighed, before clapping a hand to the shoulder of his younger brother. âEnough thoughts of home for now, let us find whatever Ironbron has the good fortune of carrying the Lions of the West to battle, eh?â
The Step Stones
The journey had not been a hard one, the Royal fleet, mostly Greyjoy vessels joined with portions of the Crownlander houses who maintained fleets of their own, before rendezvousing with a smaller fleet from Dorne, mostly vessels from the Free Cities hired to carry the Spears of Dorne to battle. By the standards of a Westerosi armada it had ended up being fully representative of the varied nation the Targaryenâs ruled, a sight rare throughout the centuries long rule of the dynasty.
The majority of the fleet had moved to land forces on Sunstone, the second largest of the Stepstones where some of the last holdouts against the rule of the Band of Nine remained, pirate lords tied closely to the Dornish mainland willing to allow the Westerosi to land without contest. Then, the tip of the spear, comprising of the greater Crownlander warships and the largest of Ironborn longships had pressed on.
The tiny island of Dwarfstone sat in the straight between Sunstone and Bloodstone, a dominating pirate fortress had sat atop it for many an age, the ownership and state of the fortifications varying as commonly as the tides. If the forces of the King did not move to take the castle before long, it would allow the Band of Nine to strike south at the landing points on Sunstone with impunity. Thus the first bloody fighting of the war had to be forced early.
The young men of greater blood among the first attack force had taken at least passably well to the trials of sea travel, and so their acquaintances had formed, or reformed in some cases, with ease over the weeks of travel. Now Tywin stood near the prow of the Longship, Drowned Manâs Fury, alongside two men of close enough age, if highly distinct nature.
âNone of us will die this day, good friends, I have seen it.â Aerys Targaryen spoke with the easy good humour of a young man who was simultaneously in jest, but also entirely convinced of what they spoke. He was the most slender of the three figures, but not by much, a far cry from his spindly father, he was instead lean and wellbuilt, clad in armour that was fine but not ostentatious, to not draw too much attention to who he may be in such a brutal plan of attack.
âWe are fortunate then, that a Targaryen dreamer has never been wrong, that you are all so well known for your level heads.â Steffon Baratheonâs voice was already nearing the deep depth of his lord father, but had some way to go. Powerfully built, he could be mistaken for a much older man, the fuzz of adolescent facial hair already burgeoning into a bear many older men would be envious of. His tone was exceedingly familiar for one addressing the crown prince, but the words brought a laugh from the Prince, and a grin form Tywin the moment before his face disappeared beneath the helm he was strapping on.
âLets worry less about dreams and more about their ballista.â Tywinâs metallic voice echoed from his helm, pausing to grip arms with both young men. âFight well.â
âMay you both, I am sure the Lord Hand will keep me boringly safe.â Aerys replied, although without any harshness to either. âDeath to the Usurpers.â
âDeath to the Usurpers.â Both men echoed back to their Prince.
It was time enough, as the first ships of the Westerosi fleet slipped into the bay before the fortress of Dwarfstone, and suddenly the air was full with the thrum of battle.
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