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The Ariadelle Vice Captain
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 Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 11:34 pm
DragonstoneDragonstone is an island that guards the entrance to Blackwater Bay and the sea approaches to King's Landing, off the east coast of Westeros. It is also the name of the castle that stands upon it. It is the ancestral home of House Targaryen. At the time the series begins, it is held for King Robert Baratheon by his brother, Lord Stannis. The Chamber of the Painted Table is inside the castle. The castle was built using valyrian stonemasonry techniques, long since lost. Dragonstone is a volcanic island located a couple of hundred miles north-east of King's Landing. The island has a small port and a large castle on it, built by the Targaryens some 500 years ago, when they settled Dragonstone as a trading outpost of the great Valyrian Freehold. When Valyria was destroyed in the cataclysm known as the Doom a century later, Dragonstone was the largest Valyrian stronghold to survive intact. The Targaryens refused to help the colony-states along the west coast of Essos maintain Valyrian rule. They would later become the Free Cities. The Targaryens instead invaded and subdued Westeros. They built a new capital at King's Landing, whilst Dragonstone became the primary holding of the King's heir (who was also named 'Prince of Dragonstone'). After the deposing of King Aerys II Targaryen, Robert Baratheon appointed his brother Stannis as Lord of Dragonstone until his own son, Joffrey, became old enough for the office. This has caused a rift between the brothers, as Stannis feels that he should rightfully be commanding the ancestral Baratheon castle of Storm's End instead of their youngest brother, Lord Renly. Dragonstone is the home port of part of the Royal Fleet. In addition, Dragonstone commands the loyalty of a number of smaller houses located on surrounding islands in the Narrow Sea and on nearby parts of the coastal mainland. Dragonstone is a cold, drafty and harsh place. Lord Stannis and his family usually prefers to spend as much time as possible at court away from the island, but have recently returned to Dragonstone to attend to business there just before the start of the series. 
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Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 3:59 pm
Stannis Baratheon was a hard man, respected by many but not well liked. He was fair in his judgements but still carried out the law. Now he was King, one of four now trying to rule the Seven Kingdoms. And just to make things all the better some girl had made off with one of his ships and by all accounts had gone straight to Pentos.
This could not be born. It would not be born.
Still he had to few of his own men to spare to send after a single ship. Though he disliked putting his faith in common pirates he had a reputation to up hold. And so this young tall Iron man knelt before him, dressed in a dark green cloak and wearing a mail hauberk.
"I want my ship back," he said coldly. "And I want the thief brought to justice."
"As you would will it your majesty," the Iron man replied with some amusement. "One chase across a whole nother continent doesn't sound to difficult."
"Enough of your prattle Pyke," he snapped. "Get to your ship and get after her."
Andrew Pyke raised his head and smiled.
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Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 7:21 pm
The sound of sea water slapping against the rocks and the scent of salt in the air was welcome as Andrew made his way back to his ship humming to himself. His ship, the Dragonrend had once been a proud long ship in the Iron Fleet until in raid two year prior when they had essentially deserted the main Fleet. Over those two years the number of Ironmen aboard had steadily dropped forcing Andrew to restock his crew with any sorry sod willing to wield a brand for money.
"Make us ready to sail," he ordered his second. "We've got a wench running to Pentos to catch!"
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Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 10:07 pm
♋◇♋ x Melisandre the Red Priestess x ♋◇♋   "Death by fire is the purest death."Melisandre stood by the hearth in her room at Dragonstone. A large fire burned within it and she watched the flames intently. There was a certain beauty to fire, the way it danced in the wind and could fill the eye with wonder. The warmth comforted her, even though her faith kept her just as warm even in the coldest of places. But best of all was that fire was completely dependable. It would always supply warmth and light; that was its nature. Truth could also be sought within the flames to those willing to see it. Melisandre had seen many things within them that had come to pass. Some would argue that her visions were false or that she was merely lucky. No, that was never the case. Her visions were always true; it was merely the interpretation that could go wrong. Her visions could get quite cryptic, which led to false assumptions. She tried her best to understand all that the Lord of Light let her see, but sometimes it was not possible.
A gust of wind blew through an open window and fanned the flames in the hearth. She watched as they burned even brighter. With a slight wave of her hand, the flames moved against the wind and then swayed back and forth. Her powers were growing stronger with each passing day. Soon she would not even need the powders she used to enhance her fire magic. She knew little of why her magic was suddenly stronger, but she could not complain. A smile crossed her face at the thought of the power she would soon wield.
The flames grew higher as the wind picked up, blowing at the hem of Melisandre’s dress. Her red eyes reflected the fire within them as she continued to watch it burn brighter. She could feel the heat tickling her skin, as though fire ran through her veins. She was one with the fire, just as she was with R’hllor, the Lord of Light. With a triumphant shout, Melisandre threw back her hands. The flames burst from the hearth and spread along the nearby wall. The Baratheon banners hanging next to the fireplace were consumed in mere seconds, drifting to the floor to form a pile of ash. She beckoned the flames closer and watched with delight as they seemed to jump from the wall and float through the air. The ruby on her golden choker glowed bright red as the flames spun around her. The blaze kissed her skin, yet she did not burn. Fire would never harm her, for they were one.
With another shout, Melisandre forced her hands back down to her sides. The flames that licked at her skin jumped from her and flew back into the fireplace. They exploded against the logs within the hearth and soon resumed burning like a normal fire. Only the ash remained of the banners and scorch marks along the stone walls and floor showed what had just occurred. Melisandre was completely unscathed.
A wave of exhaustion took Melisandre as she collapsed to her knees. She struggled to catch her breath and kept gasping for air. She knelt on the floor for a few minutes before she felt strong enough to rise. Her body ached from head to toe, strained by her display of magic. She was indeed getting more powerful, but she was still constrained in what she could do. It would be awhile before she could wield great magic. For now, she would limit herself until she was strong enough."The night is dark and full of terrors, but the fire burns them all away."  
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Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 3:52 pm
Stannis was no all but alone in his throne room save a few trusted bodyguards. He was the right heir to the Seven Kingdoms, not that abomination Joffery. And who chose to be loyal to the right Sovereign? None but a few lords who happen to be a mere stones throw away from him. The North and Riverlands had turned rebel, the Lannisters were outright traitors, the Martells sided with his brother Renly against him long with many of the Stormlords.
He fumed with silent rage at this thought. Did they not know their right King when he called? He would have the Lannisters burned on the pyre for their treachery. He would see all of his enemies burn, the people would know him as their lord when he crushed his foes beneath him. Then he would take his place in the Red Keep and rule as he was meant to.
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Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 7:29 pm
♋◇♋ x Melisandre the Red Priestess x ♋◇♋ "Death by fire is the purest death."Melisandre hobbled across the stone ramparts of Dragonstone, her body still weak from earlier. Wielding her fire magic had consumed her strength for now. She looked up at the stormy sky, lightning flashing and thunder rumbling off in the distance. Rain fell freely from the sky, but the droplets evaporated as soon as they touched her skin. It seemed that she had changed in more than one way.
As Melisandre made her way along the wall, she eyed each flaming brazier she passed. The flames illuminated the many dragon statues that dotted the castle. Each statue cast a menacing shadow that made it seem as though the island was alive with dragons. She ignored these, since shadows were servants of fire. Without fire, they would not exist. Instead, she ran her hand through each of the flames. A normal person would find their hand burned to crisp, but Melisandre merely felt a warm tingle. As her hand left each fire, the flames bent to follow her. Soon they all leaned towards her, even though the wind constantly changed directions. Fire bent to no-one but the Lord of Light and his faithful servants.
After she had made her way around the entire outer rim, receiving reverent bows from the guards on duty, Melisandre worked her way back to her room. She was still tired and needed rest. She would not go to Stannis yet; she would make him come to her first."The night is dark and full of terrors, but the fire burns them all away."
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 10:58 am
How long he had been trapped on this bar of dirt and rock, staring at the crashing waves he did not know. Days? Months? Years? An Age? All that existed were the crashing of waves of the unforgiving sea and the growing sails of the approaching ship.
Davos Seaworth had barely survived the battle of Blackwater, having been thrown from his ship in the fiery wreck of Stannis's fleet. He'd been cast out to sea and by some miracle had washed up on this rock.
He cursed the Red Woman, no doubt the flames had been some trick of hers to punish him for trying to turn for advising Stannis against her. Now he was trapped on this bar of rock awaiting his fate. If he stayed he would die of thirst or starvation. If he caught the ships attention he might die much sooner.
'You want me to have a God?' He remembered once saying to his son. 'Fine. King Stannis is my God.'
That settled it for him. The Red Priestess had killed his sons upon Blackwater as sure as the flames. But she would not take his King's life. Not while he could still stand.
"Help!" He called out. "Help me! Help me!"
He wasn't sure if they had heard him but they had surely seen him on the rock. They came closer and lowered a small boat which hurried its way over to him. He wished he still had his old finger tips but they had been lost in the sea. As they drew near they called out to him demanding to know who he was.
"I..." His throat was dry from thirst and lack of use. "I was in the Battle. I was . . . a captain, a . . . a knight, I was a knight."
They asked him what kind he had served and he answered them.
"Stannis. Gods be good, I serve King Stannis."
"Aye," said the man in the boat, "and so do we."
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 11:16 am
Stannis's frustration with his fortunes had at last driven him to seek her. He disliked it but he had no real choice in the matter. His forces were in ruins, only a tenth of the strength he had attacked King's landing with had escaped to rejoin him at Dragonstone. The nobles of his court were turning into the same bunch of flatterers and lairs that had plagued Roberts small council. His trusted Onion Knight, faithful Davos, had been lost in the fury of the battle forcing him to name his wife Selyse's uncle Alestar Florent as his hand.
The Red Priestess had to answer him.
The guards bowed to him as he passed them, but he ignored them. His left hand rested on the hilt to sword Light Bringer.
"Melisandre," he growled as he approached her. "I have barely three thousand men, less than thirty ships, and I want answers."
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 6:41 pm
♋◇♋ x Melisandre the Red Priestess x ♋◇♋ "Death by fire is the purest death."Melisandre sat in a chair cushioned with red velvet facing the empty hearth. The fire had burned out while she had been walking around the castle. She would have started a new fire, but her powers granted her control over fire and not the ability to create it yet. Her lips curled up into a smile when she heard Stannis burst into the room. He had arrived as expected, although a bit earlier than she would have liked. She still felt weary, but that would not prevent her from serving Stannis, Azor Ahai reborn.
Melisandre slowly rose from her seat and turned to face Stannis. She gracefully stepped closer to him with a smug look on her face. It was time to impart some wisdom for her king. "Everyone so desperately seeks answers, yet they never linger on the question. The question is just as important as the answer." She paced around the room, letting Stannis' eyes follow her. "In this case, the question is why you failed to take King's Landing."
Melisandre's red eyes focused intently on Stannis' face. She let her confidence show completely on her face. She would speak only the truth to him, but she still had to convince him that it was the truth. "You did not fail to take King's Landing, since you still live. You will return to claim your rightful throne in time."
After moving closer to the empty fireplace, Melisandre made sure that her back was to Stannis and that she was blocking his view from what she was about to do. With a flourish of her hand, she inconspicuously tossed a small ball of explosive powder into the hearth. It burst on impact and immediately lit a fire. It gave the appearance that she had started the fire with her own magic, since she was not yet strong enough to do it herself. When the blaze was burning steadily in the fireplace, she turned back to Stannis and said, "If you seek answers, then you must seek it within the flames. You may find the truth there.""The night is dark and full of terrors, but the fire burns them all away."
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Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2012 6:17 am
Stannis's scowl did not recede. Melisandre's words carried truth but they still reminded him all to much of the whisperings of Varys, Baleish and the rest of Robert's small Council. Flattery and half truth's all of it.
Still his options were rather limited. He seated himself into a rather humble wooden and stared into the flames, crackling red and golden upon blackened ashes.
Come then Lord of Light, he thought grimly. Give me the answers I seek if I am truly your chosen one.
He watched the flames rise and dance as Melisandre spoke words in her native speech which he could not understand. But as she did so Stannis felt his gaze become fixed on the flames, unable to drawn away. He was entranced, transfixed by the fire, as never before as though he was seeing it the substance for the first time in all its majesty and fury.
And in those flames he saw shapes of things, shadows he could not make out. Then he saw two things clearly. Rough islands of harsh lands with a fearsome people, the Iron Islands. Then he saw the high prow and many oars of one of the Ironborns great long ships. No... not one but many. A great number of mighty long ships, the whole of the Iron fleet.
But it was not the Kraken of Greyjoy that flew upon their masts or was painted upon their sails but the red heart of R'hllor, the Lord of Light, with the Baratheon Stag at its center. His coat of arms.
Then as sudden is the enchantment had come it was gone. He was once more in the small room with Melisandre. He was panting and sweating heavily yet he had not moved and the room was not overly warm or stifling. He looked to the Red Priestess who smiled.
"What did I just see?" He asked.
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Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2012 3:24 pm
♋◇♋ x Melisandre the Red Priestess x ♋◇♋ "Death by fire is the purest death."The bright flames burning in the hearth reflected off Melisandre's red eyes as her lips curled up into a smile. "You saw only what R'hllor wanted you to see. No more; no less."
Melisandre glanced into the fire, hoping to see more. Just as Stannis had looked into the flames for answers, so had she. She had seen a ruined fort that faced a large swamp to the south. A kraken banner hung from the ramparts, flowing in the wind above a tattered banner of a direwolf. The kraken banner burst into flames as she gazed upon it and the direwolf one started to mend itself. Then she saw a man, one who was faceless and without features, as though he were a dummy or not really a man at all. A gash had spread across his neck and blood started to pour freely. He remained standing still as his blood flowed from his body. A light shone from his chest and soon flames burst forth, as though his heart had caught fire. Melisandre had pondered over the vision briefly and believed she understood what R'hllor wanted her to do.
Pacing around the room, Melisandre said, "You wish to claim the heart of the realm, but you cannot take it so easy. To strike at the heart, you must first command the head. If you control The Neck, the head will turn whichever way you want." She turned towards Stannis, a smug look on her face, and looked him straight in the eyes. She hoped that he understood the deeper meaning behind her words: that to take King's Landing, he must win over the Northmen by taking Moat Cailin from the Ironmen."The night is dark and full of terrors, but the fire burns them all away."
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Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 7:10 am
When Davos at last arrived upon the shores of Dragonstone he was sick with chill and exhaustion. All his body told him to do was find somewhere quiet and sleep. His mind and heart however told him to go on. His King had need of him.
There was no fan fare to great him upon his return nor had he expected one. He was presumed dead and the nobles had never been fond of him due to his common birth. In Stannis's eyes he was landed knight and a loyal vassal but to the rest he would always be a smuggler.
He gathered what news he could from those few he trusted not to alert Melisandre, namely the pirate Salladhor Saan. The news he gave him was not good. All of his sons who were of age had died upon Blackwater, but his third youngest, Devan, was still alive and Stannis squire. Most of Stannis's fleet had been lost upon Blackwater save those of Salladhor Saan which had been to far back to be caught in the deadly trap. Worse still Stannis had now barely three thousand men at his disposal out of a force of thirty thousand that had attacked Kings Landing.
Many of those lords who had been captured had defected to the Lannisters out right forsaking Stannis's cause. Stannis himself had not left the castle and was constantly with the Melisandre now, staring into flames or something. Lord Alester Florent, the queen's uncle was serving as the hand of the King and was governing in Stannis's stead.
Davos knew he had to break the Red Priestess's hold on Stannis or she would lead his King into ruin. He was but one man though, with one borrowed dagger.
It will have to do, he thought dismally as he made his way to the castle.
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Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 5:31 pm
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 10:48 am
Melisandre's announcement broke Stannis from his trance like state. Davos Seaworth lived? His trusted Onion Knight had somehow escaped from Blackwater? Perhaps this was a sign, a sign of the Lord of Light's approval and support of him. He was not yet defeated.
Years before in Robert's Rebellion, Stannis had held Storm's End against vastly superior forces. Food had run low and with it morale and hope. Then in the dead of night had sailed in the Davos with a hold full of onions. Now like then Davos had come out of the vast array of dooms and despair that had surrounded him. Once more Davos' arrival gave him renewed confidence.
He rose to his feet at and went to the door. His guards bowed as he emerged from the sweltering room.
"Sir Seaworth returns," he said. "Bring him to me at once."
The Guards bowed and hurried to their duties.
Stannis then turned back the flames and closed the door behind him. Melisandre sat in her chair watching with some bemusement.
"I am starting to believe you be right after all," he said. "The Lord of Light delivers back to me my most faithful servant, this war is not over yet." He resumed his seat by the flames, his mind once again working upon stratagems, battle plans, and politics.
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Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2012 7:50 pm
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