The Docks

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

The docks of Oldtown.  Many ships hailing from a hundred different ports are found here on a daily basis.

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

It was rare for Septon Titus of the Most Devout to visit the docks as he rarely travelled anywhere other than Highgarden. Today, though, he was a man on a mission. After all, duty came before his dislike of the noisy, bustling area.  Follwing Septon Urich's directions, he headed towards the sixth pier, looking for a ship with purple sails.

[The Forgotten God]

He sees a half dozen, flying the Archon's colors, unmistakeable even in the crowded harbor. Sailors make foul jokes and women flaunt their sinful curves as he marches through, a half dozen Warrior's Sons affording him protection. As he approaches, a purple bearded man points a crossbow at his party. "Who the hell are ye?" He asked gruffly. "This ain't for Westerosi folk, not these ships."

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

Titus felt a quiver of fear. He was not accustomed to having weapons pointed at him.

"I'm Septon Titus, of the Most Devout. I would like to speak to the leader of your group, if I may. I will be happy to buy him a drink in compensation for his time."

[The Forgotten God]

"Need more than that," he said, but a man shouted and he stood down. "The Magister will see you," he said, disappointed. Titus saw a man and woman wave him aboard a ship, their hair dyed a strange orangish gold, and they wear matching red garments.

"Most Devout," the woman said, misusing his title, "it is so nice to meet. I am Allyrian, and this is my consort Vaya. How may we...assist you today?" She asked. "My Westerosi is not so good...forgive me."

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

"No forgiveness is needed,! he said.  "I heard that you were visiting the city and wanted to make your acquaintance.  A..friend of mine tells me that you have been speaking with the High Septon."

[The Forgotten God]

"It sounds like you have been following us," she said. "I do not think that is what friends do. Does the High Septon not want us to talk to him?" She asked innocently. Vaya seems uninterested in the talk, his fingers walking up his wife's legs. Titus smells something burning below deck, like a strong incense. "But your acquaintance will be good, yes. You are quite highborn, yes? Good man to know."

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

He smiled "My brother is the King is the Reach." He let that sink in for a moment. "I apologise if I have caused offence, but the High Septon is a very busy man, and it would please me to offer my services if there is anything you need. I am aware that your people have different gods, of course, yet that is no barrier to friendship between your land and mine."

[The Forgotten God]

"Ah yes, yes, the crown and the sept, separate but...together," her language skills failed her. "Much as the Seven are one, yes?" She noticed his smirk. "Does being noble make one more holy?"

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

"Some might say so, but it simply means that a nobleman is better educated about the gods. We may read the Seven Pointed Star, whereas most of the smallfolk are lucky if they can write their names." He shrugged. "We have a holy brethren, the Poor Fellows, which is made up mostly of the lowborn, and most of them are devout. A man does not devote his life to the gods without cause, my lady."

He paused. "Nevertheless, I wish to offer my friendship and support, if you will take it."

[The Forgotten God]

Gaya said something to his wife and she nodded and then asked. "Do your gods exist only in words, then? She asked. "Our gods do not care if they can be read about. They desire only to be obeyed." She leaned in. "But Tyrosh appreciates your...friendship. I shall tell the Archon myself of your hospitality."

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

"I'm glad to hear it. As for our gods, well, the Seven Pointed Star is the great book of the Faith. It tells of old heroes who devoted to the gods and honoured by them in turn. It also includes prayers and songs, that sort of thing. It is a holy text."

[The Forgotten God]

"Hm," she said, skeptical. "Very well, then," she said. "Alas my business here is with the practitioners of the Faith, not the Faith itself. That makes me a heretic I am sure." She tapped her fingers together. "So does your portfolio include trade?"

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

"Mine does not, though some of my brethren are involved in trade. The Faith must pay for food and other items, just like anyone else, and someone must make the arrangements," he answered.

[The Forgotten God]

"I thought so. I will be heading to Highgarden soon," she said, "so a friendly word would be appreciated." Titus saw them loading their ships with plain stones.

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

Though Titus was disappointed not to have learned more, he pushed the matter to the back of his mind.  "Please do not hesitate to call upon me in the future if the need arises.  In the meantime, I have duties elsewhere and must bid you both farewell."

[The Forgotten God]

The two rose and shook his hand. "Thank you, Most Devout. We look forward to renewing our acquaintance soon."

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

Titus bowed and departed.

[Lady Alyssa Hightower]

/////////

Alyssa heads to the dock manager to take control of the situation.

"I am ordering some of Oldtowns smaller ferrying ships to police the waters ways, escorting ships and holding ones up to keep the traffic flowing and collisions down. We want no more crashes, that helps no one." She said to the man who was there.

"I was other transports to take men on them to assess the cargo on board ships and any that no not need to dock in the main harbour and can have their goods ferried from ship to shore are to be offered this at no extra cost." Since the goods would be stopping here and not going on to Lannisport, she imagined they'd make the money back in increased revenue.

"To make extra room I shall order several of the warships to leave the docks, to increase the space available for the traders and have them police the waters to deal with any extra threat from piracy this mess may have caused."

She looked at the dock manager again, "Any questions?"

[The Forgotten God]

The middle aged bureaucrat shook his head as he stood at attention. "No my lady," he said. "I'll see it done inmediately. I've got every available worker on overtime right now trying to unload ships as fast as they can." He looked upriver. "The luxury boats for the richer families have the closest access to the city," he added, hinting but not stating an efficient but tremendously unpopular idea.

[Lady Alyssa Hightower]

"The luxury boats are not a priority right now, have them moved to allow the trade ships to enter, if anyone complains, remind them that trade is what makes them rich in the first place. If they really insist on keeping their yachts there and not moving them, inform them that due to the crisis, their docking fee will increase ten fold. If they refuse, direct them to me, and I will deal with them."

She thought for a moment.

"Tell all leaving ships, to take off to the west, and circle around the Arbor, that should prevent so much of the traffic trying to go both ways through the straights. I will write to Lord Redwyne and inform him of this so he his not surprised."

[The Forgotten God]

The harbor master nodded. "As you say, my lady," he said. "Excellent ideas. We shall clear these docks immediately."

[Lady Alyssa Hightower]

"Let me know if you have any trouble." She said, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Any resources you need, say the word"

"Also can you point me in the directions of some ships you know have been through the Stepstones recently, ideally some of our own?"

[The Forgotten God]

Edmund nodded. "The Pearl of Bandallon," he said. "Dock five. Came from Tyrosh not two days ago, I'm quite sure of it. Captain is an old salt named Stannis. You'll like him," he promised.

[Lady Alyssa Hightower]

"Lovely, thank you," she gave him a beautiful smile and headed to dock five. She took in the vessel before she appriached.

[The Forgotten God]

The Pearl is a large merchant vessel, fat hulled and deep, crewed by eighty men who had never touched a sword, reliant on a convoy or proper bribes to avoid trouble as it plied the waters of the continent. A young crewman saw Alyssa approach with her guards and he called for the captain. Stannis of the Pearl is a tall and leathery old sea dog, eyes stamped with the crow's feet of a man who squinted from the bright lights of the sea for decades. He looked about. "My lady," he said, "is there some trouble here I should know about?"

[Lady Alyssa Hightower]

"Nothing at all," Alyssa said, opening her hands by her side as a peaceful gesture, "I merely wished to ask you some questions relating to your travels through the stepstones."

[The Forgotten God]

The grizzled captain nodded, a strange little reptile coiled around his neck. "It was uneventful this time, thank the gods," he said, "but I can bring my logbook if you'd like. The pirates are getting overly bold but a few Dornish ships did a sweep right as we entered," he said, "which flushed them farther east, for a few days at least."

[Lady Alyssa Hightower]

"Doyou know of the fortifications on any of the islands there?" She asked, nodding at his suggestion of looking at the log.

[The Forgotten God]

He nodded. "Any smart captain would," he said, offering to let her sit on deck while his men got the ledger. "And I'm smart, I promise. Not like you of course, but I know where to go and where not to. Torturer's Deep, now, that's the real treasure. It's run by some goofy dragon's castoff and run like a real army, but fortunately it's off to the east so I never have to see it again. Thick walls, catapults every hundred fifty feet, and a harbor where they can hit every spot with some sort of weapon if you invade."

He nodded again. "But the one we worry about is Red Rock. Two feuding pirate kings were killed by their son and daughter who wed and united the fleets," he said. "They're the ones who harass us the most, two dozen ships or so. The west castle on the island is near abandoned now, maybe some scouts to watch for merchant shipping or the like, but the east one....well, it is like any castle here. Curtain wall, boiling pitch, a double gate, but they don't have anyone who knows real siege war, or at least they didn't last I heard. The island's damned useless, nearly; scorpions and lizards and criminals have ruined what the Dornish-like weather did not."