Campaign of the Month: December 2020

House Jasper

Rescue Mission:Part 3

Ser Darron swiftly steps in and assist me with getting up the steep cliff to where the action is. And the action is not far behind. We find Thomas and Darron manages to disguise himself with the clothes of a dead Ironborn. Hearing commotion, we travel through the forest until a ramshackle building erupts with Ironborn soldiers. Fearing for Thomas, and fueled by the rage of his kidnapping, I charge at one of the men repeatedly, and after taking a sword to the leg sink my teeth into the man’s jugular, blood spurting everywhere, and the man crumples to the ground. I turn, hearing Thomas, and sprint past him, hoping to get his attention-he follows suit, but when I head towards the cliff and leap into the water, I don’t hear a splash behind me.

Nervously I pace back and forth on the beach, the silence deafening. When Thomas never comes, I slink back towards the rocks under the bridge, and sneak through to find a few of my comrades surrounded by Ironborn. All I can do is leap towards the nearest leather clad man and hope my jowels successfully find themselves around the right artery…

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15
JUL/2021
A Search for Treasure
Avoid Certain Death

So our lordling has decided we are to “Rescue” Dolins (dead) and Thomas (good as dead) from the Ironborn. Just great, a fight against insurmountable odds AND A trip on the open Seas. With us as good as dead I might as well make provisions for myself. This pirate base will have a season’s worth of booty, and I cannot imagine my companions making anything less than a ruckus. That should provide the perfect diversion for me to steal the treasure, and leave this forsaken island alive. I will miss these friends, but with as much wealth as the Ironborn should have… I am sure I can buy new ones.

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16
JUN/2021
Rescue Mission:Part 2

We make a quick plan for me as August to run ahead as scout, and I hand my stiletto over to Isabella. “I hope it serves you well..I would like it back when you return” I tell her with a soft smile and a hand on her shoulder.
We land on the island but quickly see it is less a single island and more a cluster of cliffed plateaus surrounded by beach, and the fires are well above our heads. I run ahead, and hear familiar voices of the encampment when Thomas had been held, and try to indicate to the group what direction to head. Carsen scales the wall, and I try to find a way to follow him up, but only find beach, cliff and sea. Perhaps a strong climber can assist me…

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27
MAY/2021
Rescue Mission:Part 1

Once we’ve set out to sea, as night falls, we approach an island with fire burning. As House Jasper debates what to do, I quickly offer to warg into the nearby raven and scope out the island before the House approaches. My offer is accepted graciously and I take wing towards the island.
Sure enough, it isn’t long before I see men in soft leather, and hear murmurings of the “iron price”. I’m confident the island has been temporarily inhabited by the Iron Born, and see a structure boarded up near the fires. After listening for some time, I hear what seems to be a delivery of food to a young boy. My heart leaps-it sounds like Thomas!! I squeeze through the board but see only darkness, and squawk into the room. “Hey, how did you get it here?” the young boy responds. Now I know it is Thomas, and I am overjoyed we’ve found my dear, brave friend. I nuzzle up to him, hoping to communicate to him that it’s me, Summer, and he is not alone.
After leaving the structure, I warg back into Summer, and tell everyone what I’ve seen. We make plans to land on the island, and rescue Thomas. I’ll be heading ashore in August, and can’t wait to see the look on Thomas’ face when he sees his furry friend.

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13
MAY/2021
A House Riff

With everyone back at the Rambis, we gather for a meeting. Ser Carsen immediately launches into a plan to go find the Valyrian steel sword, and I cannot hold in my shock. “Surely we’re going to find Dolins and Thomas, right?!” A tense silence hangs over the room as everyone hesitates. The maester suggests a plan involving a ransom, but I argue, perhaps foolishly, that that could take weeks. “If any of you were captured by the Iron Borne, Ser Dolins would have been the loudest and most insistent that we go and rescue any of you! I can’t believe you’re going to let him and Thomas suffer!” Ser Carsen scoffs at my idea of a rescue, and in disgust with this knight, I shove away from the table and leave the room, hearing Gregoriy following close behind.

I learn later that wise Lord Theodore made the final decision that we are, in fact, going on a rescue mission to Pyke. Thank the gods we have such a noble, generous and intelligent leader at our helm!!

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29
APR/2021
Where's Thomas?

In the morning, I wake up to an eerily quiet ship. August and I head to the top deck and after a sniff around, notice that Thomas seems to be missing. “Thomas! Thomas!!” I shout into the wind, to no response.
Heading back down I find the maester, “Maester, have you seen Thomas lately?” He shakes his head no, and I hop on Kusa to follow August’s track. He brings me straight to the castle, where I’m greeted by a sheepish guard and another who runs away at the sight of me, bringing back Ser Aaron. “I imagine this is your doing?” he asks me. He sees my confusion and explains their Iron Born prisoner escaped when one of his sentries fell asleep on duty. I put two and two together and and ask August to track again. He takes off like a rocket down the shoreline, and Kusa and I run towards him, Ser Aaron’s shouting fading into the background.
We ride half a day out to the edge of the peninsula where August circles and whimpers. I look to the sky and find a raven, and warg in to it, circle a bit until I see a row boat. I approach and see a very sad and scared Thomas and the Iron Born rowing out at sea. I dive bomb his eyes, but barely make a scratch, and hope that Thomas knows it’s me and that I’ve seen him.
I zoom back to the ship and tell the maester everything. He thinks out loud how unlike him it would be of Thomas to sneak into the castle, but I think to myself that that sounds exactly like Thomas. I bet he heard how frustrated we were with how poorly the interrogation went and wanted to save the day! Maester Thad suggests I try to find them again and see where they’re going.
After a night a day and another night, I come up empty handed. Ashamed I return to the ship with nothing to show for my efforts, except a heart full of fear for my poor friend.

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8
APR/2021
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Last commented on:
Apr 29, 2021
To no avail

I ride back to the ship as fast as I can and approach shouting for the maester to mount his ride straight away and head back to Ser Aaron and the Iron Born prisoner. But returning with Thad has little impact on the task at hand. The man remains stubborn and despicable, and more importantly, unyielding. What’s worse, is that Ser Aaron insists the man will be executed in the morning. After our multiple failed attempts to get information from him, we give up and head back to the ship in hopes of finding the rest of House Jasper.

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1
APR/2021
Shouldering New Responsibilties

The wise maester has given me my very first task! With August all healed up, I am directed to ride Kusa to deliver a message from the maester to a nearby house in need of his talents. Upon arrival, I am greeted by a guard who responds with surprise when I share my identity. “Are you from that ship?” I nod with pride-you bet I am from House Jasper! He explains that an iron born washed ashore a few days ago and the knight of the house, Ser Aaron, has him in captivity, and allows me to enter to small castle for both tasks.
I deliver the message to Ser Aaron, and he is quite kind to me, clearly understanding the importance of the opportunity to interrogate the man. In a barred pit below, after drizzling a little horse urine on him, I ask where Ser Dolins has been taken, but to no avail. His brusqueness rattles me, and I think to myself that a responsible representative would notify the upper echelons of the house right away of this matter. Ser Aaron urges me to ride quickly however, as the guard is fed up with their prisoner and wants to put the man’s head on a spike straight away.

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25
MAR/2021
Ser Darron's Journal 23

Ho! Ho! I’ve cracked that Ezzelina.

She thinks she’s so subtle – talking about her vague “business affairs” – but she’s dropped one-too-many hints on Ol’ Darron and I’ve figured out exactly what kind of “business” she’s running.

It’s clear now why she has no shortage of coin..
Why she prowles the lawless reaches of Dorn…
Why she’s constantly sizing up the Jasper men….

She’s obviously trying to recruit a company of sellswords!

Now, judging by how she carries herself this doesn’t seem to be her first tourney – so to speak – and my hunch is she’s had men before. Perhaps thousands by the look of her coin purse.

Free companies are a rarity in Westeros, so she must’ve sailed from Essos. They probably got into trouble over there, or else in the stepstones same as us. Now she’s raising some new band to settle a score or find new riches.

But, will I accept? Imagine it.. The legendary Ser Darron, Sword of Snownook, Officer in EZ Company! Slaying any foe that dares resist. I’ll have one horse for me and two more for my gold. The smallfolk would certainly write songs about me then!

Hmm. I do owe a great debt to Ronnel. I wish he paid me better…

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11
MAR/2021
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Last commented on:
Mar 18, 2021
A Most Generous Gift

While August is being healed I tend to the left behind horses. One morning I walk down to the stalls to find Thomas flanked by two girls about his age. He introduces his new friend as Arianne and Silva, and they giggle when I ask them where they’re from. “Why, here, of course!!”. Silva says she lives in the castle but expresses envy of Arianne who lives at someplace called the water gardens. I can’t stop from staring as I realize I am in the company of Dornish nobility!! I curtsy deeply, and tell them House Jasper is honored to have them on board the Rambis.

We chat a little longer, when Silva mentions her family’s sand steeds. She senses my curiosity, and agrees to take me to the stables. The four of us walk to the castle, and I’m overwhelmed when I see the magnificent creatures held in the stalls Silva spoke of. They are like no horse I’ve ever seen and I go to reach towards one when a man bolts up when he sees me. “Who are you!! What are you doing here?!” he demands. I look to Silva, who greets the man pleasantly, and I see him relax. He allows me to pet the sand steeds and tells me all about their unique nature. I can’t help but nuzzle and admire them, they are the most beautiful horses I’ve ever seen.

The stable master shares that he heard a rumor of one of our horses passing away, and I nod solemnly. At this, he mentions that he’s spoken to others at the castle about their surplus of stallions, and offers to sell me one. My heart leaps-a sand steed of my own?! But it quickly sinks when he says that he would have to sell them for 8 gold dragons. He reassures me in my disappointment, and encourages me to discuss the sale with one of Jasper representatives, but I can’t imagine why, with all House Jasper has going on, they would ever spend 8 whole gold dragons on their stable hand.

I return to the Rambis kicking rocks, but am startled to run into the maester who kindly asks me what’s wrong. I burst open, spilling my emotions and frustrations about being a peasant and missing out on such a wonderful opportunity to bring a precious sand steed back to the Fingers. My hands clasp over my mouth as I realize what I’ve said to a man of such respect and high position, and quickly apologize for burdening him with my troubles, but Maester Thad smiles. He asks me about the possibilty of using the stallion for animal husbandry and improving our stables stock, and asks if in exchange for the 8 gold dragons I would provide assistance to him in his work. I fall to his feet in gratitude and praise, and he makes me promise to give the horse a good name. When he places the 8 gold dragons in my hands, I run as fast as I can to the stables without stopping for anything other than to trip over my own too-excited feet.

Upon arrival, the master training chuckles at my enthusiasm and gives me the pick of 3 different stallions. The one I had been petting previously, the color of the midnight sky, is available, and I do a little dance when I hand over the 8 gold dragons from the generous maester for my new prize. I fly back to the Rambis on him, hands outstretched, drinking in the salty sea air as we gallop over the sand.

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11
MAR/2021
1 comment
Last commented on:
Mar 17, 2021