S01E08

## The Black Wedding

### Summary:

Brenwyn Glenbain is married to Melinsa Dyre. What should be a joyous day is interrupted by a strange attack.

## The Black Wedding

It was a lovely summer morning, Castle Highhome was warm with sunlight and the smell of mountain flowers.

A page met Lord Zandren at his breakfast, saying, "My lord, Euron of House Greyjoy has come. He wishes to speak to you in the throne room, and he demands he bring his escort of twelve armed men."

"No," said Zandren. "He can bring three."

The page left, returning shortly. "Euron says he needs no men in the throne room, but his twelve must be in the castle with him... should he need to escape."

Zandren rolled his eyes. "He can bring four."

There was a brief stand off, with Euron and his men standing in the courtyard. Rook took the opportunity to entertain them with his jokes and tricks. The grizzled sailors approved, tossing Rook silver coins.

Eventually, Euron became fed up, marching into the castle alone. He stood in the throne room, giving Zandren a contemptuous look out of his one good eye.

"My brother, Victarion Greyjoy has sailed with the Iron Fleet to Lannisport. There he will put all of the king's best ships at the bottom of the fucking bay. The war has begun, and the Iron Islands will win. I have come to call for your action."

Euron reached to his side, taking a hand axe from his belt. He threw it to the ground at Zandren's feet. "Pick up the axe and take up arms with the Eight Future Kings, or you are our enemy."

- Zandren, not wanting to commit, convinced Euron that he cannot join until the Eight Future Kings show some results. Euron accepted this, but, having failed in his mission to win Glenbain's support, needed to fight someone to restore his honour.

- Clyde volunteered to box Euron. The Iron Islander knocked Clyde out cold.

- Zholos Rha and his retinue came up the hill from Aldford. His servant, Sallus Anexor explained that Zholos was insulted that Brenwyn would be married before him. In the Free City of Volantis, the most important family member always marries first, lesser members waiting their turn. As the oldest son of a family in the Elephant Party of Volantis, Zholos is the most important man in all of The Westerlands.

- The group explained to Zholos that he is in Westeros and Westerosi etiquette has no provision for the order of weddings. Zholos Rha was unhappy, but accepted that it is his duty to honour local custom.

- Soon, bells rang to mark noon and the wedding of Brenwyn Glenbain and Melinsa Dyre. The ceremony was held in the Old Aldford Sept. The ceremony was poorly attended, with only about forty guests mostly from Houses Hammel, Sarsfield and Westerling. Branton Hill attended, but his father Lord Jarden Krey did not. Zandren's dead wife's family, House Farman of Fair Isle did not attend. No one from House Cherrane or House Dyre came. Those he came brought expensive gifts (+1 WLT).

- The ceremony went well. Torrhen discovered that someone had bored a small hole in the Sept wall and posted a guard to keep watch. Zandren successful upheld decorum and Rook made sure to keep things light, given the circumstances. Clyde found himself being asked to coordinate the servants and had no idea what he was doing.

- The wedding party then walked up the hill to Castle Highhome to enjoy the wedding feast and bedding ceremony. The attendees cheerfully tore the clothes off of Brenwyn and Melinsa, pushing them into an adjoining room to consummate while they drank and ate.

- A little while into the feast, guests noticed the sun dimming. A dense cloud of black smoke seemed to appear out of nowhere. Even Torrhen's keen eyes were struck blind in the face of this mysterious vapour. They could hear armoured figures entering the room, slitting the throats of the confused guards.

- Torrhen could hear three men climbing through the window of Brenwyn's wedding chamber. He shouldered the locked door open, hearing that two of the assailants were dragging Brenwyn away from the bed while the other began to strangle Melinsa.

- In total darkness, the group did their best to fight off the attackers, who seemed unhindered by the smoke. Zandren took a deep cut in his side.

- The smoke cleared, revealing the assailants to be men in black leather armour, their faces cut away and the wounds burned. The group dispatched the attackers without any of the group being killed. When it was obvious that the last two attackers would fail their mission, one of them killed his comrade and then himself.

- It came to light after that at the same time the wedding party had been attacked, all 100 of House Glenbain's crusaders were murdered. They fought a group of the burned men as well, leaving a dozen of their bodies.

- Examination of the burned men revealed that they were all young men from the Free Cities of the East, their faces neatly skinned off of their heads and the wounds cauterized with an open flame. When asked, Sallus Anexor reported that he has heard of such men working for the Cult of R'hllor in the East. But these warriors are a special breed reserved only for defending temples.

- More bad news came when it was reported that Maester Ethon was murdered. His body was found in the town square of Aldford, a single small blade wound in his back. No one seems to know why he was in the village and not at the wedding feast.

## Experience

- Clyde, Torrhen, Zandren and Rook received 10 XP, 2 Glory and 25 Gold Dragons

- Alon, Marcus, Minnie and Maxir received 10 XP

- Wilfred received 5 XP, 2 Glory and 25 Gold Dragons

- Brenwyn received 5 XP

## House Attributes

Defense: 43 (3 Free)

Influence: 67 (27 Free)

Lands: 29 (4 Free) (+2 from Glory)

Law: 40 (40 Free)

Population: 38 (8 Free)

Power: 59 (26 Free) (+5 from Glory)

Wealth: 52 (6 Free)

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