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The Heir of the Dragon: A Rhaenyra Targaryen Quest

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[X] [Rhea] [Romantic] Tell her she should follow her heart.

Voting in large part for the biggest competitor to the Stark match because I don't want to have to fuck around with the Northern succession if we don't have to. Rhea's heart may force us to anyway, but I'd feel rather better about that than about having chosen that path—and it's a small risk anyway. It doesn't seem like Rhea actually desires dullard Benjen very much.

[X] [Shadowcat] Write-in : Cregan Stark (Subject To QM's Approval)

I'm OK with keeping the pelt for ourselves, but since that's the winning option by a good way I might as well toss a vote to a write-in I originated. Being cool dragon-auntie has its charms, and quite frankly I don't think furs really match our aesthetic. We're more about scales.
 
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[X] [Rhea] The Stark

It'll be a matrilineal marriage so the kids will be Royce's likely raised in the Faith of the Seven which will hurt any usurpation goals the Father-in-law will have, if he does with his line becoming Lords eventually, since the ones who would inherit after him would be too "Southron". A name can be changed easily but beliefs and values are a harder thing to switch.

Plus his description is giving HIMBO energy and that's as anti-Daemon as you can get, I think.

[X] [Shadowcat] Keep for yourself.

I just think Rhaenyra'd look cool in it.
 
Our own claim to royalty is only shielded from the chronic mysoginy of the setting by being Vyserys' legitimate heir (the warrior princess element helps that along too). Something to keep in mind should Bennard attempts to usurp Cregan's claim - if Rhea chooses Benjen we should try convincing her to prevent her husband from helping his dad.

Whether that succeeds or not, we should openly back Cregan's claim. Backing Bennard would backfire hard on our own claim for the Iron Throne.

[X] [Rhea] [Romantic] Tell her she should follow her heart.

[X] [Shadowcat] Keep for yourself.

Thought abt giving the pelt to Alicent...but that might give too much heat on Nyra and her. Shame.
 
Teen Spirit said:
This has been a constant point in all canons that Rhaenyra doesn't view her half siblings as family save for Helaena because she's a cinnamon bun
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Okay.
Annatar said:
That's not even that weird in real life. Theres loads of people with half-siblings that don't consider them actual siblings, and that's not even accounting for the trauma attached to her relationship with her father and why exactly she has half-siblings to begin with.
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Not a thing I can fit in my world view, but I won't make a fuss about it.
Zimmerwald1915 said:
EDIT: oh, and whatever natural proclivities Rhaenyra has, of course.
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Apparently it's just her characterization, which, well, fair enough.

Also, just to get ahead of things, a reminder that we need to get on with doing something, anything to establish Redfort as a confidant we want on the city watch rather than a favor to Jeyne, or the entire point of bringing him along is entirely moot.
 
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Randino Treviani said:
Also, just to get ahead of things, a reminder that we need to get on with doing something, anything to establish Redfort as a confidant we want on the city watch rather than a favor to Jeyne, or the entire point of bringing him along is entirely moot.
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Apparently Rhea thinks Steffon's thick as two short planks, which was not the impression I got of him during the Vale knights interlude—but maybe he comes off better in group settings where he doesn't have to carry half a conversation than he does one on one?

Makes the prospect of conversing with him rather a chore, though.
 
Zimmerwald1915 said:
Apparently Rhea thinks Steffon's thick as two short planks, which was not the impression I got of him during the Vale knights interlude—but maybe he comes off better in group settings where he doesn't have to carry half a conversation than he does one on one?

Makes the prospect of conversing with him rather a chore, though.
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Maybe he's just pining for her and utterly incapable of thinking when she's around. God knows that I've been there. :V
 
[X] [Rhea] [Romantic] Tell her she should follow her heart.
[X] [Shadowcat] Keep for yourself.
[X] [Shadowcat] Give it to Your Father as a Gift
[X] [Shadowcat] Write-in : Cregan Stark (Subject To QM's Approval)
 
Regency said:
Our own claim to royalty is only shielded from the chronic mysoginy of the setting by being Vyserys' legitimate heir (the warrior princess element helps that along too). Something to keep in mind should Bennard attempts to usurp Cregan's claim - if Rhea chooses Benjen we should try convincing her to prevent her husband from helping his dad.

Whether that succeeds or not, we should openly back Cregan's claim. Backing Bennard would backfire hard on our own claim for the Iron Throne.
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I don't really think this is true? The norms of "who the kings says is his heir is the legitimate heir and should inherit" and "the king's firstborn son is his legitimate heir and should inherit" are both cultural norms (and potentially laws) which exist in the same cultural context as that misogyny.

That breaking down into something closer to the underlying truth or "whoever has the strength to take the throne has the strength to take the throne" is… not good for stability long term, but it's not specifically any more disadvantageous to us then anyone else and quite possibly advantageous relative to the rest of the nobility, since we're the one with the strength.
 
Zimmerwald1915 said:
Apparently Rhea thinks Steffon's thick as two short planks, which was not the impression I got of him during the Vale knights interlude—but maybe he comes off better in group settings where he doesn't have to carry half a conversation than he does one on one?

Makes the prospect of conversing with him rather a chore, though.
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All the more reason to do it rather than potentially recommend a man lacking the intellect to command the guard. Better to confirm for ourselves.
 
Lord of Sturgia said:
I'm with you, the Twins seems like a good place to catch up on some things we've been putting off
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Nah, we're totally gonna get action-crunched again. We need to talk to Gwayne about Alicent (Rhea basically confirmed what we already knew: that he's wise to us), we need to talk to Forrest to evaluate him as a marriage option, we need to involve Alicent in at least one of the foregoing conversations, there will be the usual venue-limited Action. . .
 
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Zimmerwald1915 said:
Nah, we're totally gonna get action-crunched again. We need to talk to Gwayne about Alicent (Rhea basically confirmed what we already knew: that he's wise to us), we need to talk to Forrest to evaluate him as a marriage option, we need to involve Alicent in at least one of the foregoing conversations, there will be the usual venue-limited Action. . .
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We could perhaps cover Steffon when we are at Pyke or perhaps Blackhaven?
 
[X] [Rhea] [Romantic] Tell her she should follow her heart.

Really do not care for meddling with the North's politics after having established a good reputation with them already.

[X] [Shadowcat] Keep for yourself.

We killed it, we keep it. Simple enough for a hunting trophy.
 
[X] [Rhea] [Romantic] Tell her she should follow her heart.
[X] [Rhea] [Romantic] Suggest Maybe she doesn't have to marry, at least not yet, she does have plenty of cousins after all. Maybe she should consider other interests instead.

Jefardi said:
Apology gift for the stress. Also souvenir.
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Trouble is, Dad's stressed out that Rhaenyra is in danger, and her killing some kind of mutant arctic man-eating tiger at night, while on foot and with only Rhea Royce and a wounded guy for backup is probably going to push his blood pressure in the wrong direction...

[X] [Shadowcat] Keep for yourself.
[X] [Shadowcat] Give to Alicent as a Gift.
 
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Susano said:
The heat of battle is not exactly the place you look how well dressed your enemy is, though.
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It actually is. Many medieval chronicles recount how the sight of lots of gleaming armor and weapons was scary, often quite intimidating for the enemy. Because if you can see gleams on the enemy's equipment, that's the axe some big strong guy is going to come over and try to murder you with right there, plus also the 30 pounds of metal he's wearing on his body to make it very difficult for you to do unto him first. And if he and his thousand nearest friends are dressed like that... well, sometimes people would run away before even reaching melee contact, rather than deal with that sight.

The Greek aristocracy (and the Romans, emulating them) would sculpt their bronze breastplates to look all ripped and muscular for related reasons- purely aesthetic, arguably even a bit counterproductive since it makes creases for weapons to get caught in, but the look was part of acting the role of a mighty warrior for both your friends and your enemies, so it was the done thing. Likewise, everyone from Aztec knights to Polish hussars would do all kinds of fancy decoration on their military kit. Display can have a real effect on both friendly and enemy morale, and showing up to the battle dressed to kill can give you just that little extra tactical advantage in this kind of warfare.

If the knight looming in front of you on the battlefield is wearing the skin of a fucking snow-tiger they killed with a fucking sword, you are abruptly reminded that they killed a snow-tiger with a sword. I don't know about you, what with you being named all thunder-godlike and all. But I'm not liking my odds against the person who did that. :p
 
We should cover steffon sooner rather than later. People are paying attention and I doubt it's been missed that 3 stops later we've spent little time at all with the man. Alicent has been a focus and crucial story element of every turn. Some distance would actually be helpful after the tourney.
 
Zimmerwald1915 said:
Nah, we're totally gonna get action-crunched again. We need to talk to Gwayne about Alicent (Rhea basically confirmed what we already knew: that he's wise to us), we need to talk to Forrest to evaluate him as a marriage option, we need to involve Alicent in at least one of the foregoing conversations, there will be the usual venue-limited Action. . .
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we still need to practice poetry😭

can we, idk, gaze at the stark beauty of winter from the top of the wall while we're there? get some practice scribling in a notebook or smthg?
 
I still dont know why people asked to bring him along because it just stretched the action economy more, He genuinely does not matter, we are going to plop him on the watch and forget abt him! who cares if it lookslike we're rewarding political allies! its feudalism thats the entire point of the system, I doubt people didnt see the writing on the wall of i being a political favor when we put Gwayne on the watch!
 
[X] [Rhea] [Romantic] Tell her she should follow her heart.


[X] [Shadowcat] Write-in : Cregan Stark (Subject To QM's Approval)
 
To the guys saying we'll cause problems if we give the pelt to King-Dad do have a potential point, BUT:

He's going to learn about the incident and become upset anyway, so I figure we might as well use the present to control the narrative a bit.(After the fact of my initial vote at least).
 
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