Post by The Light on Nov 12, 2012 14:44:36 GMT -5
Gerold walked through the cold morning fog, his boots clomping on the hard wood of the docks. He breathed heavily. Getting up this early was not a habit of his, but it was an important task he had today. A man strode out of the mists, a cap sliding out of the haze first, than a smile.
“Lord Hightower. A pleasure.”
Gerold nodded his head tersely. “Indeed. Thank you for agreeing to this early meeting.”
The man laughed. “Early? This isn’t early. I get up at this hour every day. You’ll see these docks fill up with fishermen pretty soon, and both of us have things to do. Let’s not take too long with this.”
Gerold smiled. “Agreed. Now, you know why I summoned you I assume?”
“Of course. War is on the horizon, Ironborn are roaming the seas. You don’t want to be seen preparing for war, but you want to be ready all the same. Have no fear Coldeye. I won’t rat you out to The Master of Whisperers.” He winked. “Of course, arming a fleet cannot be done entirely in secret.”
“Actually I just wanted to get to know our warships. I have no experience at all with Naval Warfare, and I may need to defend The Hightower some time in the near future. I also want to make sure that we don’t get blockaded. Trade is one of the best ways to keep a city fed, and Oldtown has large demands in supplies.” Gerold started to pace down the dock.
The man nodded, then nonchalantly pulled out a thin dagger and threw it up in the air. It hung in the fog for a moment, frozen in time for a split second before tumbling down into his hand. He repeated the motion again, then again, his deft fingers tossing and catching with practiced ease.
“Our navy is not incredibly large, though it is a reasonable size for a large port city such as Oldtown, and your lack of participation in the recent war has left it mostly untouched. Nevertheless, The Reach’s strength at sea relies on willing cooperation with The Arbor. Without them, we only have a hundred ships outfitted for battle, and none of them extremely experienced.”
Gerold nodded. “Could you tell me about blockading?”
The man trudged down the docks, waving at a fisherman as they passed him. “If a competent naval commander with a sizable fleet, such as Jerron Greyjoy or The Lord of The Arbor, were to destroy our ships at sea, then yes, they could blockade us. Shutting down this port would not only prevent us from getting food and other necessary supplies, But Also Hurt The Rest Of Westeros Also. Oldtown is a large and important port. A lengthy blockade could cause major problems.”
“What types of goods do we get for The Rest Of Westeros?”
The man pulled out a notebook and took some notes on the ship in front of them. “All kinds. We get goods from The Free Cities, The Rest Of Essos, even all the way from Slaver’s Bay, from cities like Meeren, and Yunkai.”
“Hm. Could you show me through the warships? I have some questions about their maneuverability.”
“Certainly. Right This way, My Lord Hightower.”
The man outlined the fine details of Oldtown’s Fleet, and its ships, from tillers to captains to ballistae. Gerold wrote down as many notes as he could. He would review them later. After hours had passed, they went to The Shipmaster’s Office, where they discussed the various economical powers that Gerold could command, with the control of his port. By the time Gerold returned to The Hightower, it was The Afternoon, and both his one eye and his writing hand were sore from all of the notes he had taken. Nevertheless, the day had been rather useful. He smiled, and looked at the view from his balcony, breathing in the cold air.
Gerold Hightower gains Warfare (Naval) Beginner.
Gerold gains Knowledge (Trade) Beginner.
“Lord Hightower. A pleasure.”
Gerold nodded his head tersely. “Indeed. Thank you for agreeing to this early meeting.”
The man laughed. “Early? This isn’t early. I get up at this hour every day. You’ll see these docks fill up with fishermen pretty soon, and both of us have things to do. Let’s not take too long with this.”
Gerold smiled. “Agreed. Now, you know why I summoned you I assume?”
“Of course. War is on the horizon, Ironborn are roaming the seas. You don’t want to be seen preparing for war, but you want to be ready all the same. Have no fear Coldeye. I won’t rat you out to The Master of Whisperers.” He winked. “Of course, arming a fleet cannot be done entirely in secret.”
“Actually I just wanted to get to know our warships. I have no experience at all with Naval Warfare, and I may need to defend The Hightower some time in the near future. I also want to make sure that we don’t get blockaded. Trade is one of the best ways to keep a city fed, and Oldtown has large demands in supplies.” Gerold started to pace down the dock.
The man nodded, then nonchalantly pulled out a thin dagger and threw it up in the air. It hung in the fog for a moment, frozen in time for a split second before tumbling down into his hand. He repeated the motion again, then again, his deft fingers tossing and catching with practiced ease.
“Our navy is not incredibly large, though it is a reasonable size for a large port city such as Oldtown, and your lack of participation in the recent war has left it mostly untouched. Nevertheless, The Reach’s strength at sea relies on willing cooperation with The Arbor. Without them, we only have a hundred ships outfitted for battle, and none of them extremely experienced.”
Gerold nodded. “Could you tell me about blockading?”
The man trudged down the docks, waving at a fisherman as they passed him. “If a competent naval commander with a sizable fleet, such as Jerron Greyjoy or The Lord of The Arbor, were to destroy our ships at sea, then yes, they could blockade us. Shutting down this port would not only prevent us from getting food and other necessary supplies, But Also Hurt The Rest Of Westeros Also. Oldtown is a large and important port. A lengthy blockade could cause major problems.”
“What types of goods do we get for The Rest Of Westeros?”
The man pulled out a notebook and took some notes on the ship in front of them. “All kinds. We get goods from The Free Cities, The Rest Of Essos, even all the way from Slaver’s Bay, from cities like Meeren, and Yunkai.”
“Hm. Could you show me through the warships? I have some questions about their maneuverability.”
“Certainly. Right This way, My Lord Hightower.”
The man outlined the fine details of Oldtown’s Fleet, and its ships, from tillers to captains to ballistae. Gerold wrote down as many notes as he could. He would review them later. After hours had passed, they went to The Shipmaster’s Office, where they discussed the various economical powers that Gerold could command, with the control of his port. By the time Gerold returned to The Hightower, it was The Afternoon, and both his one eye and his writing hand were sore from all of the notes he had taken. Nevertheless, the day had been rather useful. He smiled, and looked at the view from his balcony, breathing in the cold air.
Gerold Hightower gains Warfare (Naval) Beginner.
Gerold gains Knowledge (Trade) Beginner.