The Uncrowned Heir: An Aerea Targaryen Quest

Voting closed. You are one step closer to being Maegor with teats
A depressed Maegora with a love for horses and the smallfolk, it seems.
Also, funny how nearly everyone wanted the Crown.

The sea you were crossing was rather active with ships. Volantis was just to the northeast, the largest city in the world, at least west of the Bones, that massive mountain range separating the Dothraki Grass Sea from Yi Ti. Her ships were prowling all over the waves here, undaunted by the proximity of Valyria. None would ever dare get too close, of course, but the sea lanes were well known and well chartered here, so there was little risk of that.

Some distance to your right would be the coast of the Disputed Land, that constant battlefield between Volantis and the Three Daughters. You knew that with your current course you would soon fly over the Stepstones, rocky and mostly barren islands, valuable only for their location that guarded the entrance to the Narrow Sea – so valuable in fact that they had never been settled, as all powers would rather ensure unclaimed islands rather than let them fall to anyone else. Even the Freehold had not made the attempt, wary of Dorne and the Stormlands uniting against their efforts, or their own Free Cities turning against them.

And once you were in the Narrow Sea, you would have to decide where to go. Your first instinct was to go straight back to King's Landing, the city taken from you... only, you didn't feel that loss as keenly anymore. Not after your time in the wilderness. There was much more freedom on horseback in the endless plains to the east, or on dragonback in the air, then you could ever find in the city. You had cherished the freedom you had a stable girl, but you had found even greater ones.

So you could also go to Dragonstone. You hated that place, and you were anxious about the fact that you would find your mother there... but maybe landing a safe distance from the Red Keep would not be so a bad idea – a consideration you would not even have dreamed of before your journey. But you had had a lot of time for thinking, and it was possible that the King, your uncle, would soon be your rival.

Maybe. Perhaps. It all depended.

...it all depended on what you wanted, really. On what you would do once you returned. You had to come to a decision about that, and that soon.

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What are Aerea's goals?
(Pick 4 goals. At least 1 needs to be political, and at least 1 needs to be personal)
(several goals can give you the same trait. Just to be clear, that does not stack)

And as a quick reminder: You can attempt any of the things listed as goals here, without picking them as character-mechanical goals. If you want to do X, but don't like the trait that comes with Goal X, or if Goal X becomes incompatible for you, well, Aerea can still go for it outside of listed goals. Though that would then also come without the boni from fulfilling goals.

Political Goals

[] [Political Goal] The Iron Throne
The Volantene elephant in the hall. Your rights are better than Jaehaerys', and you have Balerion now. You could make an attempt at the throne, or at least plan one for later. If you want that.
-Gain Trait: Ambitious – It is not enough for you to have a comfortable, good life. You want more. You want to be more. This can manifest in any number of ways, but you do seek power and a place in the annals of history, and at least a part of your mind will always be tuned towards seeing things in that light.
Incompatible with Serve the Realm and Create Your Own Realm

[] [Political Goal] Serve the Realm
When you left Dragonstone, Jaehaerys seemed to be well regarded by everyone. A young King, but a very hopeful one. Even at this young age he had settled the argument with the Faith, which everyone was agreeing was an exceptional move. You doubted things had changed much in your absence. So what if he had the worse rights? Restoring the proper order of succession would most likely still require a war, a destructive war fought with dragons. You could still attain high status and do something important as King Jaehaerys' agent. This would be better for the Realm, and it would further the glory of House Targaryen.
-Gain Trait: Selfless – You want to serve a higher goal than just yourself. It doesn't need to be something abstract or far away, like the Seven or high virtues, though it can be that as well. But more immediately, rather than your own glory and well-being you want to contribute to the well-being of the Realm and the glory of House Targaryen as a whole.
Incompatible with Iron Throne and Create Your Own Realm

[] [Political Goal] Transform the Realm
Aegon the Conqueror took most of Westeros for his realm, but he mostly left it at that. Kings surrendered to him or his sisters, and then kept their realms, just with a lesser title and a new overlord. And Maegor, of course, was mostly busy with fighting the Faith and failing to get a son. The Realm as it is, right now, is ruled by a Targaryen, but it has not been shaped by Targaryens. You are unsure what that would look like, what changes that would entail, but you want yourself to be the one who does the shaping, either as Queen or as Hand or as something else.
-Gain Trait: Detail-Minded – You are not content with just the status symbols and titles of ruling. You want the details of administration, of the realm, of its subjects and taxes and roads and agricultural yield. Nobody can escape by saying the right words of homage to you – you want the substance. And if you can't invest time into that, you will get restless.
Incompatible with Create Your Own Realm

[] [Political Goal] Improve the lives of the smallfolk
For years, you had mingled with commoners – servants and stable boys and their families. In a way, you are much more accustomed to them than nobility, and you relish the time you spent with your commoner friends. So in all that you are doing... shouldn't you consider their lot? Your grandmother who had hid you in the stables, ever only considered politics, and your mother was ever only interested in her favourites. Nobody seemed to really pay attention to the smallfolk. Maybe you should.
-(you already have a trait for that)

[] [Political Goal] Conquest
The blood of Aegon the Conqueror flows in you, and beyond that the blood of the noble families of the Valyrian Freehold who conquered half of Essos in their time. As a true-blooded Valyrian dragon lady, this is what you were born to do. Dorne killed your great-grandmother and still holds out as an independent principality, and beyond the Narrow Sea, the Free Cities are all squabbling with each other, surrounded by huge amounts of unclaimed land. You could be a Queen, a Hand, a general, or even the founder of your own realm... but what matters to you is that history books will note you as a great conqueror.
-Gain Trait: Ambitious

[] [Political Goal] Create Your Own Realm
Why not? Let Jaehaerys have Westeros if they all love him so there. You have seen the empty wilderness of Essos, and even the dreaded Dothraki fled on their swift horses when Balerion took flight. You could crush the khalasars and resettle the Sarnorian cities with their people. But even much closer to civilization there was much in the way of unsettled lands. You could ally with the particularly pious houses and resettle Andalos, or ally with Dorne and resettle the Rhoyne. Or you could take over one or more of the Free Cities, divided and territorially small as they were. Balerion conquered Westeros already; there is more he can do.
-Gain Trait: Ambitious
Incompatible with Iron Throne, Serve the Realm, Transform the Realm

Personal Goals

[] [Personal Goal] Freedom
You might want to rule. Or maybe not. But what you're really sick of is others telling you what to do. Even if were to become Queen there would still be expectations – marriage, rituals, etiquette and so on. Some of it, of course, you would have to play by, lest you be considered outright insane. Following etiquette is just polite consideration for the most part, for example. But you do want the ability to reject any of it if you so desire. And that not just covertly, politely hidden from the wider world. Frankly, you want to do what you want, and to hell with society. What need do you have for society if you have a dragon?
-Lose Trait: Wilful
-Gain Trait: Defiant – You are not just loud about not doing what others expect you to do. You relish in defying their expectations and rejecting obedience.

[] [Personal Goal] Martial Prowess
Targaryen warrior women are nothing new. There was Visenya, and even your great-grandmother Rhaenys was in her own way. She even fell in war. But you are already something else as is. You are now higher grown than any woman you ever saw in King's Landing, and your arms are firm and muscled... and that with little training. You are sure you could improve on that. You could be the greatest warrior woman Westeros had ever seen... and maybe one of the greatest, period.
-Gain Trait: Physical – you like to exert yourself physically. Training and sweating and challenging yourself is your idea of fun, and you wouldn't want to go too long without it.
Incompatible with Higher Mysteries due to to conflicting Traits (you can still train both Prowess and Sorcery, though, of course)

[] [Personal Goal] Higher Mysteries
You are coming back from Valyria with a changed mind. You aren't learned in the higher mysteries, but they just... make sense to you now. You are eager to get your hands on material from which you could actually learn them. You are quite certain you could be one of the greatest scholars of the arcane arts in centuries, if you do it right. For now, though, you need to learn about how this whole sorcery business works in the first place.
-Gain Trait: Bookworm – you love books and you love reading. And what is more, the more obscure or older a book, the better. Gaining a genuine book from Qarth or Yi Ti, or finding a scroll from a thousand years ago are things that will genuinely excite you beyond measure, and in the meantime you will simply read what you have – certainly works on the Higher Mysteries, but also on history or statecraft or even the stories and fables of the common folk.
Incompatible with Martial Prowess due to to conflicting Traits (you can still train both Prowess and Sorcery, though, of course)

[] [Personal Goal] Reconcile with your Mother
Rhaena Targaryen never really registered as 'Mother' to you. Worse, you blame years of being lonely and quasi-locked up on Dragonstone on her. She took you out of King's Landing where you were happy and had friends, and put you on that damp island. For that, you detest her... and yet, your journey has put many things in a new perspective. Flying along the coast of the Shivering Sea, cold and miserable, you often didn't know if you would make it. All alone in the Grass Sea, surrounded by enemies. And finally, facing accursed Valyria by yourself. It seems to you now even dragons need a pack. Even dragons need something to return to. Maybe you will never be as close to Rhaena as to a mother. But without family at all, people just seem to be adrift in the world. That makes it worthwhile to at least attempt a reconciliation.
-Gain Trait: Loyal to Blood – family members can be your enemy. You can quarrel with them and even fight them. But the blood you share always demands at least consideration. Even at the eve of battle, attempts must be made to find a peace, and you will only enter battle against family members with great sorrow.
Incompatible with Revenge

[] [Personal Goal] Start a family
You never really had much of a family. Your father dead, your mother away in the west, your sister in the motherhouse of the Faith in Oldtown, and your grandmother hiding you in the stables. You had many friends there, company, adults looking after you – it was a happy time, and you didn't miss family. But still, you never really had it, either. Besides, Rhaella was in the motherhouse of the Starry Sept in Oldtown, either already a Septa or about to become one. Officially she would then not even be a Targaryen anymore, and wouldn't continue the line of Aegon the Uncrowned. So this would fall to you. You couldn't let Jaehaerys have the last laugh of being the only one to continue your house. You wanted to have a proper family for yourself, and you want to continue your Targaryen lineage.
-Gain Trait: Loyal to Blood
Incompatible with Revenge

[] [Personal Goal] Revenge
You were wronged. That is the short and the long of it. You were wronged by your uncle, your grandmother, your mother. You ended up in a miserable exile, even though by rights you should sit the Iron Throne. You could try to come to terms with that fact, you could try to build up something new... but it wouldn't change facts: You were wronged. That doesn't necessarily mean you want to kill those responsible or hurt them... but at the very least they have to regret what they have done to you.
-Gain Trait: Vengeful – You are not irascable and you can see past small disgressions. But in case of major wrongdoings against yourself, you know no other response but to seek vengeance for them. Once a certain limit is crossed, pure forgiveness is no longer an option. You're still able to consider proportionality, but you inflexibly must have retribution.
Incompatible with Reconcile with your Mother and Start a family

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Well, whatever you would choose in your renewed life, it would begin so. In the distance, you could already make out the first distant outcroppings of the Stepstones, single rocks in the sea that heralded the coming of the larger islands. Which, actually, put another thing to mind: Where to even go?

You really itched to go back to King's Landing. Even if the life and hustle of the big city didn't hold the same allure it once did, all your old friends surely still lived there. People you hadn't seen for years. Reconnecting would be difficult, but you really did want to try. It would be so easy, too – just return, and get lost in the pleasantries of the city.

...but what about Balerion? Balerion had been through this whole ordeal as well. He didn't look it, but he needed rest as well. Rest he would best get on Dragonstone. And besides, maybe there was wisdom not flying straight into the heart of Jaehaerys' power. Dragonstone was close to King's Landing, but still an island and everyone not a dragonrider had to take a ship to there.

Of course, the problem with Dragonstone was the prospect of having to confront your mother. You feared you wouldn't really know what to say, and judging by what happened before you flew off the island, you two would probably just resort to shouting again. The thought alone of having to deal with Rhaena Targaryen made you somewhat uncomfortable.

So a prudent but nerve-wrecking choice or an easy but potentially dangerous one. Or... hm. You were unsure, so you supposed you might as well consider other alternatives.

You did have one more family member after all. Your sister Rhaella was in the motherhouse attached to the Starry Sept in Oldtown – a large city, but comfortably far away from both King's Landing and Dragonstone, and seeing Rhaella would be taken as reason enough by most people for why you would land back in Westeros there of all places. And while you yourself had somewhat bad memories of Oldtown, too, and never had much interest in the Faith... well, you knew one reason you had to hide in the Red Keep's stables was that many in the Faith would have preferred you on the throne, too. For one thing, you didn't have any brothers.

And if you were really considering out there options... hm. You didn't want to go to any of the Free Cities. Cities didn't hold the same attraction anymore as they once did, and you didn't speak the local languages. Maybe you would go there eventually, but not now. For now you needed to at least settle matters in Westeros, in what way ever. But even in Westeros, there was yet another out there option to land.

The main reason you had been hidden in the stables were the machinations and intrigues of Rogar Baratheon, the Lord Paramount of the Stormlands. The second husband of your grandmother Alyssa Targaryen, nee Velaryon, and the first and foremost supporter when Jaehaerys had made his claim to the usurper Maegor's throne. Jaeaherys' first Hand of the King, dismissed by his own wife, the Queen Regent, when he began to rue his support for Jaehaerys. You hadn't quite understood the intricacies back then, and even now you didn't really know the details. Nobody had really told you. But as you had matured it hadn't been too difficul to add up one and one: He had wanted to put you on the throne.

As a puppet, no doubt, a child queen he could control... but still... he had been the only one bold enough to challenge Maegor. The one bold enough to make the first step. Maybe that could be what you needed right now. You could at least talk to him. And if it didn't work out, well, Storm's End was more or less on the way to King's Landing, and only a short detour on the way to Dragonstone anyway. It might be worth of try... but really, it would be a bit of a longshot.

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Where will Aerea first land in Westeros again?
Pick 1. Landings will affect stress level. Currently, after your journey but looking forwards to a successful end, you start with 10 Stress

[] [Landing] King's Landing
The obvious choice. Meet old friends. Maybe face Jaehaerys heads on, or play nice with him at least for the moment being. And the city might give you the most options to do something about him, or about any other issue. But there is danger there as well – off Baleron's back, you aren't exactly invincible anymore. You doubt Alysanne, who had visited you on Dragonstone and promised you to get you off it, or her husband would resort to violence or subterfuge as first answer. They are still family. But you are sure they will watch your every step.
-10 Stress

[] [Landing] Dragonstone
The safer choice. Land on Dragonstone, within reach of King's Landing but surrounded by water, to prepare. Send word to Jaehaerys, instead of sending yourself. See what support you could gain, if you are so inclined. But on the other hand... Dragonstone will still be as dreary as it had been before. You may find loyal supporters there, but your options could also be more limited. And worse, this is also most likely where your mother will be. You are not looking forwards to seeing her.
+10 Stress

[] [Landing] Oldtown
The alternative choice. Land in Oldtown, go see your sister Rhaella... and gauge the reactions of House Oldtower and the Faith. And while you're at it, see if you can use your name to bully the Citadel into letting you see their more... obscure books. Communication with King's Landing would be considerably more difficult, though, and Balerion would take longer to rest – in fact, the route over the Dornish Mountain, where it would not be safe to land often, would further exhaust you and him.
All physical actions in the starting round will be rolled at a disadvantage.
Negated by the Enduring feat.

[] [Landing] Storm's End
The out there choice. Land in Storm's End, to, well, in truth, to conspire with Lord Rogar Baratheon. Or try to, anyway.
Requires Iron Throne as a chosen goal

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I tried making this issue by issue voting, as it's just two issues, but ehhh, again with the incompatibilities and dependencies... sorry, but plan-voting here, too