A Play of Steel and Powder (ASOIAF NG)
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User Total Wade Garrett 1 Mina 3 Ceslas 5 -
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A Play of Steel and Powder
(Inspired by @Sidheach)
It is two hundred and fifty-one years after Aegon's Landing. One hundred and twenty years ago the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons came to an end. It ended as a victory for the supporters of Queen with Aegon the Usurper's supporters routed and humiliated. Even the Ironborn, who managed to use the civil war to carve out a small kingdom in the Riverlands, were eventually forced to surrender their ill-gotten gains with many of the Red Kraken's supporters fleeing to Essos. In addition, the Martells, who tried to use the Dance to advance their interests by invading the Stormlands, were forced to submit to the Targaryens to regain their land from the Yronwoods. Queen Rhaenyra had won, completely and utterly.
Unfortunately, many of her supporters would have cause to regret their choice of monarch. Rhaenyra and her sons would prove to be tyrants. They tried to strip power from the Lords Paramount through an overbearing Charter, imprisoned the dragonseed Brea Greywings and forced her to flee the Realm, used the Faith as a source of funds, and generally insulted and belittled the lords who had helped give them power.
Two dissenters, Oscar Tully and Alzbet Chamaaq were so incensed they decided to leave and the Realm and find work as sellswords. Desperate to flee as far from Rhaenyra as they could they found work under the ambitious and energetic Princess Zhonto Toq. Eager for glory, she led a campaign that resulted in the unification of the Summer Islands for the first time in millennia resulting in the creation of the Summer Empire. The new Empress gave the amazonian Alzbet and her husband Cayle Fisher a sizable fief of islands, which became known as the Bastion, the home of the Empire's best soldiers. The swashbuckling Tully was rewarded with the lands in Southyros he had explored for the Throne, a vast land that became known as Zhon, in honor of the Empress.
As this was going on, Rhaenyra became incensed by the continued existence of the Red Kraken's followers in Essos, who had managed to form a formidable sellsword force: the Iron Company. Sending a force of dragonriders and sellswords she expected to wipe them from face of Essos. They failed. The valiant archers of the Iron Company and Qohor fought them off and humiliated Rhaenyra. Seeking to avenge this humiliation, Rhaenyra tried to prop up the Triarchy as it faced a slave revolt and a Volantaene invasion, only to unite Essos in hatred of her family as Prince Joffrey burned the Old Blood of Volantis. In response the Essosi would assassinate all dragonriders in Essos and unite to defend themselves at Qohor's behest, electing Qohor's Prelate as the head of a united Freehold, one that would serve and honor all the states within it.
The stress took its toll on Rhaenyra and she died after a launching a futile attack on the new power. Crown Prince Jaceraeys had already died of the Winter Fever and his sole heir was a blind boy, who was too easily assassinated. Prince Lucerys tried to seize the Throne despite the decree of a Great Council a few years ago on the succession, and while the Stormlands supported him, the North, the Riverlands, the Vale, and the Westerlands opposed him and cast him down. Many of his supporters sought to continue the war by other means by backing a puppet High-Septon Lucerys appointed after killing the old one and in response the Riverlands, Valemen, and the Hightowers lead a military campaign around the Realm, purging all dissent. By the end, it was clear that a coalition of the Targaryens, Tullys, Starks, Arryns, and Lannisters ruled the Realm and under Good Queen Visenya, the realm began to do what it could to heal from the excesses of Rhaenyra's reign.
Meanwhile, the Freehold was not idle. A band of sellswords, a Qohorik force known as the Black Blades, managed to drive the Dothraki from the ruins of Essaria and the Freehold poured in resources to rebuild Valyria's Youngest Daughter. Numerous battles would occur between the Freehold and the Dothraki and they would be at a stalemate until a Qohorik engineer discovered a Yi-Ti invention: gunpowder. The cannon and handgonnes he designed would prove effective when used in mass quantities against the Dothraki and in the small clashes that occurred between the various states of the Freehold. When Westrosi sellswords discovered it when serving under Pentos, they brought it back to Westeros, where it attracted varying degrees of interest from the various lords, especially as the ruling coalition, after decades of successful rule, seemed to be falling apart.
The Starks were the first to go, withdrawn into isolation by their obsession with the Old Gods. But the real blow came when the Taint struck. For some unknown reason, a few Targaryens and dragons in every generation were being born deformed. Viewed by many as divine punishment, whispers began to spread that the main line of House Targaryen needed to be purged. This has recently come to a head with the deaths of the Untainted King Kendrick and his heir, along with the ascension the Tainted Prince Maelys. His intended bride, Rhaenys Targaryen, fled from him to Casterly Rock where she married the young and ambitious Lord Logan Lannister. He crowned Rhaenys as soon as they were married and has vowed to remove King Maelys from the Iron Throne in the name of the new Queen Rhaenys.
Westeros is not the only land with succession problems. In the Freehold the old Emperor is dead and various candidates vie for the Throne, bickering over the issue of whether the Free hold should be centralized to form a new Empire. In the midst of all this, the Summer Empire, focused for too long on internal affairs, is casting its eyes across the world once again and pondering the merits of exploration and intervening into these quarrels.
The Game of Thrones is being played across the world and who knows who will live to see the end...
(Inspired by @Sidheach)
It is two hundred and fifty-one years after Aegon's Landing. One hundred and twenty years ago the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons came to an end. It ended as a victory for the supporters of Queen with Aegon the Usurper's supporters routed and humiliated. Even the Ironborn, who managed to use the civil war to carve out a small kingdom in the Riverlands, were eventually forced to surrender their ill-gotten gains with many of the Red Kraken's supporters fleeing to Essos. In addition, the Martells, who tried to use the Dance to advance their interests by invading the Stormlands, were forced to submit to the Targaryens to regain their land from the Yronwoods. Queen Rhaenyra had won, completely and utterly.
Unfortunately, many of her supporters would have cause to regret their choice of monarch. Rhaenyra and her sons would prove to be tyrants. They tried to strip power from the Lords Paramount through an overbearing Charter, imprisoned the dragonseed Brea Greywings and forced her to flee the Realm, used the Faith as a source of funds, and generally insulted and belittled the lords who had helped give them power.
Two dissenters, Oscar Tully and Alzbet Chamaaq were so incensed they decided to leave and the Realm and find work as sellswords. Desperate to flee as far from Rhaenyra as they could they found work under the ambitious and energetic Princess Zhonto Toq. Eager for glory, she led a campaign that resulted in the unification of the Summer Islands for the first time in millennia resulting in the creation of the Summer Empire. The new Empress gave the amazonian Alzbet and her husband Cayle Fisher a sizable fief of islands, which became known as the Bastion, the home of the Empire's best soldiers. The swashbuckling Tully was rewarded with the lands in Southyros he had explored for the Throne, a vast land that became known as Zhon, in honor of the Empress.
As this was going on, Rhaenyra became incensed by the continued existence of the Red Kraken's followers in Essos, who had managed to form a formidable sellsword force: the Iron Company. Sending a force of dragonriders and sellswords she expected to wipe them from face of Essos. They failed. The valiant archers of the Iron Company and Qohor fought them off and humiliated Rhaenyra. Seeking to avenge this humiliation, Rhaenyra tried to prop up the Triarchy as it faced a slave revolt and a Volantaene invasion, only to unite Essos in hatred of her family as Prince Joffrey burned the Old Blood of Volantis. In response the Essosi would assassinate all dragonriders in Essos and unite to defend themselves at Qohor's behest, electing Qohor's Prelate as the head of a united Freehold, one that would serve and honor all the states within it.
The stress took its toll on Rhaenyra and she died after a launching a futile attack on the new power. Crown Prince Jaceraeys had already died of the Winter Fever and his sole heir was a blind boy, who was too easily assassinated. Prince Lucerys tried to seize the Throne despite the decree of a Great Council a few years ago on the succession, and while the Stormlands supported him, the North, the Riverlands, the Vale, and the Westerlands opposed him and cast him down. Many of his supporters sought to continue the war by other means by backing a puppet High-Septon Lucerys appointed after killing the old one and in response the Riverlands, Valemen, and the Hightowers lead a military campaign around the Realm, purging all dissent. By the end, it was clear that a coalition of the Targaryens, Tullys, Starks, Arryns, and Lannisters ruled the Realm and under Good Queen Visenya, the realm began to do what it could to heal from the excesses of Rhaenyra's reign.
Meanwhile, the Freehold was not idle. A band of sellswords, a Qohorik force known as the Black Blades, managed to drive the Dothraki from the ruins of Essaria and the Freehold poured in resources to rebuild Valyria's Youngest Daughter. Numerous battles would occur between the Freehold and the Dothraki and they would be at a stalemate until a Qohorik engineer discovered a Yi-Ti invention: gunpowder. The cannon and handgonnes he designed would prove effective when used in mass quantities against the Dothraki and in the small clashes that occurred between the various states of the Freehold. When Westrosi sellswords discovered it when serving under Pentos, they brought it back to Westeros, where it attracted varying degrees of interest from the various lords, especially as the ruling coalition, after decades of successful rule, seemed to be falling apart.
The Starks were the first to go, withdrawn into isolation by their obsession with the Old Gods. But the real blow came when the Taint struck. For some unknown reason, a few Targaryens and dragons in every generation were being born deformed. Viewed by many as divine punishment, whispers began to spread that the main line of House Targaryen needed to be purged. This has recently come to a head with the deaths of the Untainted King Kendrick and his heir, along with the ascension the Tainted Prince Maelys. His intended bride, Rhaenys Targaryen, fled from him to Casterly Rock where she married the young and ambitious Lord Logan Lannister. He crowned Rhaenys as soon as they were married and has vowed to remove King Maelys from the Iron Throne in the name of the new Queen Rhaenys.
Westeros is not the only land with succession problems. In the Freehold the old Emperor is dead and various candidates vie for the Throne, bickering over the issue of whether the Free hold should be centralized to form a new Empire. In the midst of all this, the Summer Empire, focused for too long on internal affairs, is casting its eyes across the world once again and pondering the merits of exploration and intervening into these quarrels.
The Game of Thrones is being played across the world and who knows who will live to see the end...
Welcome to Steel and Powder, your one stop shop for ASOIAF, warfare, drama, and guns. Extending the events of a previous game that encompassed the Dance of Dragons and the decade following, we begin in the year 251 AL. Arquebuses, bombards, grenades and rockets figure more and more heavily in to the tactics of the time as warring city states and lords seek dominance or survival. The tools of combat may be changing, but the character of the world, the players, and the stakes remain as grim and high as ever. Thanks to @Sidheach for the idea for this, @Texan for soldiering on in Dance, and to all the players we hope to see coming back!
Westeros Mod: @Mina
Essos Mod: @Ceslas
Exploration Mod: @Wade Garrett
Westeros Mod: @Mina
Essos Mod: @Ceslas
Exploration Mod: @Wade Garrett
Rules:
1. Turns will run at a ratio of one week realtime to one year game time, switching over after Sunday updates by the mods. The intended schedule is as follows: Monday, start of turn. Friday, deadline for plans. Sunday, mod update. This may be adjusted due to player consensus and/or the discretion of the mod team.
2. Roleplay is highly encouraged, but not a requirement for the game. We ask that you're mindful of time-space, do not abuse TARDISes, wormholes or any other reality altering methods to violate causality however. Any events that occur in RP are canon, so be mindful and understand that retcons will not be allowed lightly.
3. Any protest to mod updates, or player actions should be directed to the mods in a civil manner. Lighting the OOC on fire will be looked at askance, and we will do our best to reach an amicable arrangement or give explanation privately. It should be understood that sometime things happen as a result of espionage or other means that cannot be revealed. Sometimes things just happen.
4. Magic, gunpowder and development are at higher levels in this game than several of the others. However scrutiny is still high. This is a dark, low fantasy setting with shades of magic and alien powers in the shadows. Magic is a mighty tool and weapon, but there is a risk inherent with it and any players who dabble should be prepared for this.
6. Every action has a reaction, and that goes double in the Game of Thrones. NPCs are not lapdogs, unless their personality is such, and while they are likely less duplicitous than PCs there will be breaking points and values they uphold. Your actions have consequences, and those will be felt.
7. If you do not post in the IC thread for a week the Mod reserves the right to vacate your claim and hand it to someone else. You have been warned.
1. Turns will run at a ratio of one week realtime to one year game time, switching over after Sunday updates by the mods. The intended schedule is as follows: Monday, start of turn. Friday, deadline for plans. Sunday, mod update. This may be adjusted due to player consensus and/or the discretion of the mod team.
2. Roleplay is highly encouraged, but not a requirement for the game. We ask that you're mindful of time-space, do not abuse TARDISes, wormholes or any other reality altering methods to violate causality however. Any events that occur in RP are canon, so be mindful and understand that retcons will not be allowed lightly.
3. Any protest to mod updates, or player actions should be directed to the mods in a civil manner. Lighting the OOC on fire will be looked at askance, and we will do our best to reach an amicable arrangement or give explanation privately. It should be understood that sometime things happen as a result of espionage or other means that cannot be revealed. Sometimes things just happen.
4. Magic, gunpowder and development are at higher levels in this game than several of the others. However scrutiny is still high. This is a dark, low fantasy setting with shades of magic and alien powers in the shadows. Magic is a mighty tool and weapon, but there is a risk inherent with it and any players who dabble should be prepared for this.
6. Every action has a reaction, and that goes double in the Game of Thrones. NPCs are not lapdogs, unless their personality is such, and while they are likely less duplicitous than PCs there will be breaking points and values they uphold. Your actions have consequences, and those will be felt.
7. If you do not post in the IC thread for a week the Mod reserves the right to vacate your claim and hand it to someone else. You have been warned.
Last edited:
Claims
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Claims
Pick three per usual, preference given to those listed below but most factions are on the table (within reason)
House Arryn - @ByzantineCaesar
House Baratheon - @Altzek
House Celtigar - @Deathwing
House Hightower - @Tyrell
House Lannister - @kızıl sultan
House Martell - @comradepitrovsky
House Redwyne - @kızıl sultan
House Targaryen of King's Landing - @Wade Garrett
House Tarly - @Dovahsith
House Tully of the Riverlands - @Ceslas
House Stark - @EliudFS1
House Storm-cloaked - @Sidheach
House Umber -
The Faith - @Mrmastro
Braavos - @Ironanvil1
Essaria - @Brightflame
Laketown - @CommandoHowizter
Lys - @Deathwing
Pentos - @Texan
Qohor - @Atomicwalrus
Volantis - @EmperorCasey
House Qo of Jhala - @Theravis
Westeros
Essos
Elsewhere
Pick three per usual, preference given to those listed below but most factions are on the table (within reason)
House Arryn - @ByzantineCaesar
House Celtigar - @Deathwing
House Hightower - @Tyrell
House Martell - @comradepitrovsky
House Redwyne - @kızıl sultan
House Targaryen of King's Landing - @Wade Garrett
House Tarly - @Dovahsith
House Tully of the Riverlands - @Ceslas
House Stark - @EliudFS1
House Storm-cloaked - @Sidheach
House Umber -
The Faith - @Mrmastro
Braavos - @Ironanvil1
Essaria - @Brightflame
Laketown - @CommandoHowizter
Lys - @Deathwing
Pentos - @Texan
Qohor - @Atomicwalrus
Volantis - @EmperorCasey
House Qo of Jhala - @Theravis
Westeros
The Crownlands, "The Setting Sun, The Cursed Kings"
The events of the Dance of Dragons severely weakened the power of the Conqueror's descendants, wars at home and abroad reaping a bloody harvest of dragons and dragonriders alike, with Targaryens ultimately forced to share power with the Houses of Tully, Arryn, Lannister, and Stark in the face of House Velaryon's attempt to usurp the Iron Throne.
The cracks in this alliance were already appearing during the reign of Good Queen Visenya, and they have only widened since, as the Lannisters and Arryns viewed for pre-eminence and the Starks retreated into the farthest north.
And then there was the Taint. Its source varied depending on the telling and the teller...the vengeance of the Valyrian gods for the burning of the Old Blood, a dying curse from the blood stained lips of the last High King of Dorne, the Seven's displeasure, the consequences of wedding brother to sister-but the effects were undeniable. Infants and hatchling dragons alike were born with fearful deformities, more in every generation.
The most afflicted were kept out of view, given to the Faith or the Night's Watch and some say smothered in their cradles, never allowed close to Iron Throne itself...until now.
King Kendrick Targaryen and his oldest son, Prince Maeglin, were all but free of the Taint, but both were carried away by the Winter Fever, leading to crowning the nineteen-year old Maelys Targaryen, a razor-fanged, leather-skinned creature.
King Maelys Targaryen, First of His Name
The new King's advisers attempted to wed him to his cousin Rhaenys, in hopes of shoring up his hold on the Iron Throne, but this backfired horrifically. After a week with her betrothed, Rhaenys disappeared from her chambers at King's Landing, only to reappear as the wife of Lord Logan Lannister of Casterly Rock, who swiftly announced his intentions to overthrow the Gods' cursed monstrosity and crown his new bride Queen of the Andals, Rhoynar, and the First Men.
"Queen" Rhaenys Lannister
And so once again war has come to the Seven Kingdoms. Thanks to the efforts of the Alchemists Guild, the Targaryen army are as technologically advanced as any, ...but their numbers are few. If the House wishes to survive, it must renew old alliances and forge new ones. But will any take up the cause of a family so hated by gods and men?
8,000 Infantry
4,000 Knights
100 War Galleys, 75 Dromonds, 75 Carracks
50 Bombards, 5 Grand Bombards (Balerion, Aegon, Rhaenys, Caraxes, The Realm's Delight)
4 dragons
-Jonquil
-Acerbus
-Starfall
-Dalton
The dragon Dalton, ridden by King Maelys
House Celtigar
1500 foot
200 horse
1 Carrack, 5 Galleys, 20 longships
The events of the Dance of Dragons severely weakened the power of the Conqueror's descendants, wars at home and abroad reaping a bloody harvest of dragons and dragonriders alike, with Targaryens ultimately forced to share power with the Houses of Tully, Arryn, Lannister, and Stark in the face of House Velaryon's attempt to usurp the Iron Throne.
The cracks in this alliance were already appearing during the reign of Good Queen Visenya, and they have only widened since, as the Lannisters and Arryns viewed for pre-eminence and the Starks retreated into the farthest north.
And then there was the Taint. Its source varied depending on the telling and the teller...the vengeance of the Valyrian gods for the burning of the Old Blood, a dying curse from the blood stained lips of the last High King of Dorne, the Seven's displeasure, the consequences of wedding brother to sister-but the effects were undeniable. Infants and hatchling dragons alike were born with fearful deformities, more in every generation.
The most afflicted were kept out of view, given to the Faith or the Night's Watch and some say smothered in their cradles, never allowed close to Iron Throne itself...until now.
King Kendrick Targaryen and his oldest son, Prince Maeglin, were all but free of the Taint, but both were carried away by the Winter Fever, leading to crowning the nineteen-year old Maelys Targaryen, a razor-fanged, leather-skinned creature.
King Maelys Targaryen, First of His Name
The new King's advisers attempted to wed him to his cousin Rhaenys, in hopes of shoring up his hold on the Iron Throne, but this backfired horrifically. After a week with her betrothed, Rhaenys disappeared from her chambers at King's Landing, only to reappear as the wife of Lord Logan Lannister of Casterly Rock, who swiftly announced his intentions to overthrow the Gods' cursed monstrosity and crown his new bride Queen of the Andals, Rhoynar, and the First Men.
"Queen" Rhaenys Lannister
And so once again war has come to the Seven Kingdoms. Thanks to the efforts of the Alchemists Guild, the Targaryen army are as technologically advanced as any, ...but their numbers are few. If the House wishes to survive, it must renew old alliances and forge new ones. But will any take up the cause of a family so hated by gods and men?
8,000 Infantry
4,000 Knights
100 War Galleys, 75 Dromonds, 75 Carracks
50 Bombards, 5 Grand Bombards (Balerion, Aegon, Rhaenys, Caraxes, The Realm's Delight)
4 dragons
-Jonquil
-Acerbus
-Starfall
-Dalton
The dragon Dalton, ridden by King Maelys
House Celtigar
1500 foot
200 horse
1 Carrack, 5 Galleys, 20 longships
Dorne, "The Coy Dusky Maid"
Dorne has had a full history since the Dance. Furious at being maimed during the Martells' ill-fated attack on the Seven Kingdoms during the final moments of the Dance Lord Morys Yronwood seized Sunspear and proclaimed himself High-King of Dorne. The Targaryens offered to stabilize his position if he bent the knee to them and he refused. Thus the Targaryens invaded to restore the exiled Martells to the throne. But the slaughter Morys brought to the Rhoynar House was so great that in the end an aged former septon had to become Prince. He died a few years into his reign and his infant son had a regency council govern for him. With no clear authority in Dorne the Houses could do as they pleased and House Fowler did far more than it should by encouraging Prince Lucerys to seize the throne and to prop up a an Anti-Septon after killing the previous High Septon.
The schism this caused angered the Faith as well as the pious houses in the Riverlands, the Vale, and the Reach and, after all attempts at reconciliation proved fruitless, they set out to destroy all who would defy the Most Devout. The Riverlands schismatics were quickly subdued thanks to a plot by Ser Aesmund Salt and the united armies were slowly but surely tracking down the heretics in the Reach and the Stormlands. Sensing an opportunity, Lord Dayne, one of the key figures in the Regency Council, declared himself the Defender of the Faith and arrested numerous nobles and Septons that he claimed were heretics. That many of these supposed heretics were House Dayne's political opponents did not escape the notice of many observers but, unwilling to fight in Dorne at the end of very strained supply lines, the Armies of the Most Devout stated that this was proof that Dorne had purified itself and thus the Dornish escaped most of the travails of the Scourging, with House Dayne gaining a large amount of influence in subsequent years, which it has retained to this day, along with the material reward of the lands of the exiled House Fowler.
Because of the light nature of Dayne's purge, Dorne is well-known as a hotbed of religious tolerance and many different faiths can be found here, including worshipers of the Rhoynar Gods, R'hllor, the Summer Gods, Trios, The Pale Lady, and even a few die-hard schismatics practicing in secret. Also, given that the Crown is on the other side of the feuding Marshals of the Reach and the perpetually fuming Stormlanders, the Iron Throne has limited authority in Dorne. It is said that it honors the Triarchs of Volantis, who have married members of the Old Blood to the Rhoynar, more than it does the Targaryens and a common fear of the other Great Houses is that Dorne will request admission to the Freehold, a fear the Martells have occasionally used to extort concessions out of King's Landing when desired. This fear is only exacerbated by the Martells' desire to build a modern Essossi army, with small arsenals in Sunspear and Sunshield ( the new name for House Yronwood's seat) churning out arquebuses and cannons. With the new civil war erupting many wonder what the Martells will do. Will they try to influence the Iron Throne? Or will they try to serve another?
Military:
3,000 Riders
7,000 Infantry
5,000 Reserves
60 Leather guns, 10 Bombards
Navy: 30 War Galleys
Dorne has had a full history since the Dance. Furious at being maimed during the Martells' ill-fated attack on the Seven Kingdoms during the final moments of the Dance Lord Morys Yronwood seized Sunspear and proclaimed himself High-King of Dorne. The Targaryens offered to stabilize his position if he bent the knee to them and he refused. Thus the Targaryens invaded to restore the exiled Martells to the throne. But the slaughter Morys brought to the Rhoynar House was so great that in the end an aged former septon had to become Prince. He died a few years into his reign and his infant son had a regency council govern for him. With no clear authority in Dorne the Houses could do as they pleased and House Fowler did far more than it should by encouraging Prince Lucerys to seize the throne and to prop up a an Anti-Septon after killing the previous High Septon.
The schism this caused angered the Faith as well as the pious houses in the Riverlands, the Vale, and the Reach and, after all attempts at reconciliation proved fruitless, they set out to destroy all who would defy the Most Devout. The Riverlands schismatics were quickly subdued thanks to a plot by Ser Aesmund Salt and the united armies were slowly but surely tracking down the heretics in the Reach and the Stormlands. Sensing an opportunity, Lord Dayne, one of the key figures in the Regency Council, declared himself the Defender of the Faith and arrested numerous nobles and Septons that he claimed were heretics. That many of these supposed heretics were House Dayne's political opponents did not escape the notice of many observers but, unwilling to fight in Dorne at the end of very strained supply lines, the Armies of the Most Devout stated that this was proof that Dorne had purified itself and thus the Dornish escaped most of the travails of the Scourging, with House Dayne gaining a large amount of influence in subsequent years, which it has retained to this day, along with the material reward of the lands of the exiled House Fowler.
Because of the light nature of Dayne's purge, Dorne is well-known as a hotbed of religious tolerance and many different faiths can be found here, including worshipers of the Rhoynar Gods, R'hllor, the Summer Gods, Trios, The Pale Lady, and even a few die-hard schismatics practicing in secret. Also, given that the Crown is on the other side of the feuding Marshals of the Reach and the perpetually fuming Stormlanders, the Iron Throne has limited authority in Dorne. It is said that it honors the Triarchs of Volantis, who have married members of the Old Blood to the Rhoynar, more than it does the Targaryens and a common fear of the other Great Houses is that Dorne will request admission to the Freehold, a fear the Martells have occasionally used to extort concessions out of King's Landing when desired. This fear is only exacerbated by the Martells' desire to build a modern Essossi army, with small arsenals in Sunspear and Sunshield ( the new name for House Yronwood's seat) churning out arquebuses and cannons. With the new civil war erupting many wonder what the Martells will do. Will they try to influence the Iron Throne? Or will they try to serve another?
Military:
3,000 Riders
7,000 Infantry
5,000 Reserves
60 Leather guns, 10 Bombards
Navy: 30 War Galleys
The Iron Islands, "The Stormbringers"
Denied but not defeated, Veron Storm-cloaked used the peace after Dalton's Rebellion to centralize power and reform the Ironborn. Through skill and coercion he managed to break the power of his lords and become the only real power in the Iron Islands. As time has passed Veron's reforms have changed the Ironborn. Trade is viewed as an acceptable path to wealth and power and Iornborn traders ply the waters from Barrowtown to Qarth. The Iron Fleet has turned from a mass of longboats into a disciplined navy, one that is experimenting with cannons, both imported from Qohor and forged by the skilled craftsmen of the isles. And yet, many in the Isles secretly fear that the Ironborn are destined to lag behind the other powers. Without land and bases the Ironborn will never be able to match the other powers in the world and thus they will fade into irrelevance. The new civil war is seen by many as a chance to correct this downward slide but where Paramount Vickon Greyjoy will strike remains unknown.
Military
15,000 Infantry
10,000 Reserves
5 Bombards
Navy: 300 (100 Longboats, 75 War Galleys, 75 Dromonds, 50 Carracks)
Denied but not defeated, Veron Storm-cloaked used the peace after Dalton's Rebellion to centralize power and reform the Ironborn. Through skill and coercion he managed to break the power of his lords and become the only real power in the Iron Islands. As time has passed Veron's reforms have changed the Ironborn. Trade is viewed as an acceptable path to wealth and power and Iornborn traders ply the waters from Barrowtown to Qarth. The Iron Fleet has turned from a mass of longboats into a disciplined navy, one that is experimenting with cannons, both imported from Qohor and forged by the skilled craftsmen of the isles. And yet, many in the Isles secretly fear that the Ironborn are destined to lag behind the other powers. Without land and bases the Ironborn will never be able to match the other powers in the world and thus they will fade into irrelevance. The new civil war is seen by many as a chance to correct this downward slide but where Paramount Vickon Greyjoy will strike remains unknown.
Military
15,000 Infantry
10,000 Reserves
5 Bombards
Navy: 300 (100 Longboats, 75 War Galleys, 75 Dromonds, 50 Carracks)
The North, "The Mighty Warriors of the Old Gods"
The Starks sought to improve themselves after their performance in the Dance. And they succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. Exploring and settling the lands Beyond the Wall led to the rediscovery of the Children of the Forest, their integration into the North, and the ability to train small sets of Wargs. Meanwhile they also set to work building a navy for the first time since Brandon the Burner and developed an interest in commerce that that would later culminate in their founding the Bank of the Seven Kingdoms. However their mysticism gave them Ironwood flagships and the best scouts in the world, it had a price. In the years since the Second Dance the North has isolated itself from the rest of world, only interacting with it through the Bank. This has cut them off from the technologies coming the East and many fear the North is woefully behind the rest of the world, though its magic makes up some of the difference. As civil war looms many wonder if the Northmen will once again ride south to aid House Targaryen or if they will let the Southrons war amongst themselves as long as it does not disturb the Lord of Winter.
Military:
5,000 Horse
25,000 Foot
10,000 Reserves
30 Wargs
Navy: 100 (30 Dromonds, 30 War Galleys, 30 Longships, 10 Ironwood Carracks)
House Umber
500 Thanes
500 Light Cavalry
3,000 Infantry
The Starks sought to improve themselves after their performance in the Dance. And they succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. Exploring and settling the lands Beyond the Wall led to the rediscovery of the Children of the Forest, their integration into the North, and the ability to train small sets of Wargs. Meanwhile they also set to work building a navy for the first time since Brandon the Burner and developed an interest in commerce that that would later culminate in their founding the Bank of the Seven Kingdoms. However their mysticism gave them Ironwood flagships and the best scouts in the world, it had a price. In the years since the Second Dance the North has isolated itself from the rest of world, only interacting with it through the Bank. This has cut them off from the technologies coming the East and many fear the North is woefully behind the rest of the world, though its magic makes up some of the difference. As civil war looms many wonder if the Northmen will once again ride south to aid House Targaryen or if they will let the Southrons war amongst themselves as long as it does not disturb the Lord of Winter.
Military:
5,000 Horse
25,000 Foot
10,000 Reserves
30 Wargs
Navy: 100 (30 Dromonds, 30 War Galleys, 30 Longships, 10 Ironwood Carracks)
House Umber
500 Thanes
500 Light Cavalry
3,000 Infantry
The Reach, "A Country at War"
If the West was humbled by the Dance, the Reach was broken. Highgarden, the heart of centralized power in the Reach, was destroyed during the Dance after Lord Loras's Tyrell's ruinious decision to joint the Greens and gather refugees there. This was followed by Queen Rhaenyra raising Lord Lyonel as a useless puppet and "Mad Meros" refusing to continue the reconstruction of Highgarden, instead setting up a castle that was dubbed Newgarden. By the time of the Second Dance and the Scouring, House Tyrell did not exercise anything more than nominal authority over its bannermen. Left to their own devices, some of the more prominent vassals decided to bind the nearby bannermen to themselves rather to Highgarden and a century of schemes and skirmishes later one Lord Paramountcy is divided between the Tyrells and five Marshals of the Reach: the Rowans, the Footlys, the Tarlys, the Hightowers, and the Redwynes.
House Rowan
Dominating the northwestern corner of the Reach, the Rowans subsumed the fumbling Oakhearts to carve out a slice of the Reach after forging a formidable alliance with House Lannister. Conscious of that debt, it is likely that Lady Ellery will join arms with the West in the wars to come.
Military:
4,000 Knights
7,000 Infantry
10 Bombards
House Footly
Spared the most destructive fighting during the Dance, Tumbleton has become a prominent city in the northern Reach and House Footly has used its wealth to expand southward, using diplomacy and guile to make the Merryweathers, Caswells, and Meadowses part of their dominion. House Footly's closeness to the Corwnlands has bred much its unwavering loyalty into them and Lord Donal will almost certainly stand by the Targaryens in days to come.
Military:
4,000 Knights
7,000 Infantry
30 Bombards
House Tarly
The Tarlys, ever among the best fighters in the Reach, have carved out a petty kingdom in the eastern Reach, reaching as far north as Ashford. Now, however, they must turn south, and prepare to face the Hightowers if they decide to use the upcoming civil war drive north. Lord Roland Tarly is a very skilled knight but he is a traditionalist who does not think much of the new cannons and guns employed in other parts of Westeros. Politically, he is best described as anti-Hightower. If the Hightowers are on one side he will end up on the other.
Military:
5,000 Knights
8,000 Infantry
30 Leather guns, 5 Bombards
House Hightower
House Hightower was devastated during the Dance. Oldtown was sacked and the Starry Sept and the Citadel along with it. The High Septon was moved to King's Landing, the Citadel received a competitor in the house of Wisdom, the Hightowers' bannermen were granted independence, and the Hightower heiress was married Prince Viserys with the intention of breeding the Hightowers into extinction. But fate is never certain in politics.
Prince Viserys, thanks in part to his tutelage by Lord Elmo was a capable ruler of Oldtown, restoring much of its wealth once he recognized the problems besetting the city. Furthermore, after the Second Dance, Prince Viserys decided to strengthen his power base by placing the former Hightower bannermen under his direct control with Royal backing. With this the Targaryen-Hightowers regained much of their old authority but nobody realized the full implications of this until Viserys's grandson, Lord Daemon, seeking to distinguish himself from the the main Targaryen branch, revived the Hightower name an coat of arms. In effect, House Hightower was prospering as if the Dance had never happened.
Now, thanks to a strategic marriage with House Florent, Prince Daemon's own grandson, Lord Haegon, is planning the conquest of the Reach. Against him stand the valiant armies of House Tarly, which Lord Haegon is hoping to beat with the small number of guns and cannon he has recently produced from his arsenal in Oldtown. At the moment, Lord Haegon is deciding which side he should back in the upcoming civil war to justify his conquests. But he won't wait long. Once one side seems to have an advantage he will join it and one way or another ht e fate of the Reach will be decided.
Military:
5,000 Knights
8,000 Infantry
20 bombards, 2 grand bombards (The Sea Lion, Prince Viserys)
Navy: 50 War Galleys
House Redwyne
The Arbor has always stood apart from the conflicts on the mainland. House Redwyne's interest in the conflicts in the Reach has always been mercenary, lending their fleets to whichever side will offer them more. Now under the leadership of Lady Olenna the Redwynes must pick sides in an even-greater conflict. Thank to Royal FUnds used to maintain their navy the House leans towards the Targaryens but Lady Olenna refuses to commit the navy to a conflict it cannot win. So for now the Redwynes watch and wait.
Military:
2,000 Infantry
30 Leather guns
Navy: 150 (75 War Galleys, 50 Dromonds, 25 Carracks)
House Tyrell
Finally, the Tyrells float adrift in this sea of blood only really having the support of the Fossaways and the Shield Islands these days. Lord Luthor Tyrell seeks neutrality but he has hinted he would side with whichever power offers to rebuild Highgarden and thus help the Tyrells regain their power. Naturally, any power that power does this openly would draw the ire of the others but a lot can happen behind closed doors...
Military:
5,000 Knights
8,000 Infantry
20 Leather guns, 15 Bombards, 1 Grand Bombard (The Flower of the Garden)
Navy: 30 War Galleys
If the West was humbled by the Dance, the Reach was broken. Highgarden, the heart of centralized power in the Reach, was destroyed during the Dance after Lord Loras's Tyrell's ruinious decision to joint the Greens and gather refugees there. This was followed by Queen Rhaenyra raising Lord Lyonel as a useless puppet and "Mad Meros" refusing to continue the reconstruction of Highgarden, instead setting up a castle that was dubbed Newgarden. By the time of the Second Dance and the Scouring, House Tyrell did not exercise anything more than nominal authority over its bannermen. Left to their own devices, some of the more prominent vassals decided to bind the nearby bannermen to themselves rather to Highgarden and a century of schemes and skirmishes later one Lord Paramountcy is divided between the Tyrells and five Marshals of the Reach: the Rowans, the Footlys, the Tarlys, the Hightowers, and the Redwynes.
House Rowan
Dominating the northwestern corner of the Reach, the Rowans subsumed the fumbling Oakhearts to carve out a slice of the Reach after forging a formidable alliance with House Lannister. Conscious of that debt, it is likely that Lady Ellery will join arms with the West in the wars to come.
Military:
4,000 Knights
7,000 Infantry
10 Bombards
House Footly
Spared the most destructive fighting during the Dance, Tumbleton has become a prominent city in the northern Reach and House Footly has used its wealth to expand southward, using diplomacy and guile to make the Merryweathers, Caswells, and Meadowses part of their dominion. House Footly's closeness to the Corwnlands has bred much its unwavering loyalty into them and Lord Donal will almost certainly stand by the Targaryens in days to come.
Military:
4,000 Knights
7,000 Infantry
30 Bombards
House Tarly
The Tarlys, ever among the best fighters in the Reach, have carved out a petty kingdom in the eastern Reach, reaching as far north as Ashford. Now, however, they must turn south, and prepare to face the Hightowers if they decide to use the upcoming civil war drive north. Lord Roland Tarly is a very skilled knight but he is a traditionalist who does not think much of the new cannons and guns employed in other parts of Westeros. Politically, he is best described as anti-Hightower. If the Hightowers are on one side he will end up on the other.
Military:
5,000 Knights
8,000 Infantry
30 Leather guns, 5 Bombards
House Hightower
House Hightower was devastated during the Dance. Oldtown was sacked and the Starry Sept and the Citadel along with it. The High Septon was moved to King's Landing, the Citadel received a competitor in the house of Wisdom, the Hightowers' bannermen were granted independence, and the Hightower heiress was married Prince Viserys with the intention of breeding the Hightowers into extinction. But fate is never certain in politics.
Prince Viserys, thanks in part to his tutelage by Lord Elmo was a capable ruler of Oldtown, restoring much of its wealth once he recognized the problems besetting the city. Furthermore, after the Second Dance, Prince Viserys decided to strengthen his power base by placing the former Hightower bannermen under his direct control with Royal backing. With this the Targaryen-Hightowers regained much of their old authority but nobody realized the full implications of this until Viserys's grandson, Lord Daemon, seeking to distinguish himself from the the main Targaryen branch, revived the Hightower name an coat of arms. In effect, House Hightower was prospering as if the Dance had never happened.
Now, thanks to a strategic marriage with House Florent, Prince Daemon's own grandson, Lord Haegon, is planning the conquest of the Reach. Against him stand the valiant armies of House Tarly, which Lord Haegon is hoping to beat with the small number of guns and cannon he has recently produced from his arsenal in Oldtown. At the moment, Lord Haegon is deciding which side he should back in the upcoming civil war to justify his conquests. But he won't wait long. Once one side seems to have an advantage he will join it and one way or another ht e fate of the Reach will be decided.
Military:
5,000 Knights
8,000 Infantry
20 bombards, 2 grand bombards (The Sea Lion, Prince Viserys)
Navy: 50 War Galleys
House Redwyne
The Arbor has always stood apart from the conflicts on the mainland. House Redwyne's interest in the conflicts in the Reach has always been mercenary, lending their fleets to whichever side will offer them more. Now under the leadership of Lady Olenna the Redwynes must pick sides in an even-greater conflict. Thank to Royal FUnds used to maintain their navy the House leans towards the Targaryens but Lady Olenna refuses to commit the navy to a conflict it cannot win. So for now the Redwynes watch and wait.
Military:
2,000 Infantry
30 Leather guns
Navy: 150 (75 War Galleys, 50 Dromonds, 25 Carracks)
House Tyrell
Finally, the Tyrells float adrift in this sea of blood only really having the support of the Fossaways and the Shield Islands these days. Lord Luthor Tyrell seeks neutrality but he has hinted he would side with whichever power offers to rebuild Highgarden and thus help the Tyrells regain their power. Naturally, any power that power does this openly would draw the ire of the others but a lot can happen behind closed doors...
Military:
5,000 Knights
8,000 Infantry
20 Leather guns, 15 Bombards, 1 Grand Bombard (The Flower of the Garden)
Navy: 30 War Galleys
The Riverlands, "Lord Elmo's Legacy"
Rebuilt by Lord Elmo Tully after the Rape of the Riverlands by Dalton and Veron Greyjoy, the Riverlands has gained much since its near-destruction. The knights of the Order of the Trident lead the cavalry of the Riverlands. The rangers lurk in the shadows to protect the Tullys from all hidden threats. House Blackwood rules Stone Hedge while House Mallister rules Harrenhal. Castles now watch the Golden Tooth and the Bloody Gate. Fairmarket has become a city. And most importantly, a canal runs from the Blue Fork to Ironman's Bay, permitting riverboats to cross Westeros and bringing much wealth to the Riverlands and to House Tully. The increased trade has made the Tullys well-attuned to the changes in the world and while they lack the metallurgical skills of the Ironborn and the Westerlands or the Eastern focus of the Dornish the Riverlands is not far behind them in learning the new ways of war coming out of Qohor and Essaria. However, for all these advantages the main weakness of the Riverlands remains: it is surrounded by potential enemies. The alliance system created by Lord Elmo has broken down and now the Riverlands must choose whether to support the Royal Family in King's Landing or the ascendant Lannisters. This is only complicated by the Queen Dowager being a Tully, but one who has a strained relationship with the new king and fled to Riverrun when war was declared. The newly anointed Lord Edmure is a young man who, while bright, does not believe he can handle the challenges of his position, not when they involve a decision that may result in the loss of everything the Rivermen have accomplished. In order to resolve this dilemma Lord Edmure is listening to anyone who may seek to give him advice, no matter how unorthodox the source.
Military:
10,700 Horse (10,000 Knights + 700 Knights of the Order)
30,700 Foot (30,000 Infantrymen + 700 Rangers)
10,000 Reserves
45 Bombards
Navy: 100 (25 Mallister Carracks, 10 Mooton War Galleys, 65 Tully Riverboats)
Rebuilt by Lord Elmo Tully after the Rape of the Riverlands by Dalton and Veron Greyjoy, the Riverlands has gained much since its near-destruction. The knights of the Order of the Trident lead the cavalry of the Riverlands. The rangers lurk in the shadows to protect the Tullys from all hidden threats. House Blackwood rules Stone Hedge while House Mallister rules Harrenhal. Castles now watch the Golden Tooth and the Bloody Gate. Fairmarket has become a city. And most importantly, a canal runs from the Blue Fork to Ironman's Bay, permitting riverboats to cross Westeros and bringing much wealth to the Riverlands and to House Tully. The increased trade has made the Tullys well-attuned to the changes in the world and while they lack the metallurgical skills of the Ironborn and the Westerlands or the Eastern focus of the Dornish the Riverlands is not far behind them in learning the new ways of war coming out of Qohor and Essaria. However, for all these advantages the main weakness of the Riverlands remains: it is surrounded by potential enemies. The alliance system created by Lord Elmo has broken down and now the Riverlands must choose whether to support the Royal Family in King's Landing or the ascendant Lannisters. This is only complicated by the Queen Dowager being a Tully, but one who has a strained relationship with the new king and fled to Riverrun when war was declared. The newly anointed Lord Edmure is a young man who, while bright, does not believe he can handle the challenges of his position, not when they involve a decision that may result in the loss of everything the Rivermen have accomplished. In order to resolve this dilemma Lord Edmure is listening to anyone who may seek to give him advice, no matter how unorthodox the source.
Military:
10,700 Horse (10,000 Knights + 700 Knights of the Order)
30,700 Foot (30,000 Infantrymen + 700 Rangers)
10,000 Reserves
45 Bombards
Navy: 100 (25 Mallister Carracks, 10 Mooton War Galleys, 65 Tully Riverboats)
The Stormlands, "The Fury"
Although victorious in the Dance the battles won by Lord Borros Baratheon would prove to be the last good thing that happened to the Stormlands. Losing Lord Borros in battle and his heiress to the Winter Fever, House Baratheon lost all interest in managing the Stormlands and permitted all acts from its subjects. Rabble-rousing preachers backed by charlatan sorcerers roamed the countryside, demanding an end to the spiritual authority of the Faith and High Septon. Thanks to the unofficial support they enjoyed from Lady Baratheon, these men were not suppressed and their teachings were eventually turned into the Stormlands Rite, a separate rite in communion with the Faith in the Great Sept in King's Landing. This would lead to the development of a faction in the Faith that sought to uplift the common man at all costs and spurned the authority of Lords and Kings when they oppressed the people.
The division between the Stormlands and Westeros became more acute when many Stormlords backed the Lord Dowager Lucerys Velrayon in his mad bid for the Throne during the Second Dance. Their treason was bad enough but when they backed the Anti-Septon propped up by Lucerys it was the last straw. During the Scouring, Faith Militant, Hightower, Riverlander and Vale troops invaded the Stormlands, hanging any Septon and any Lord who refused to accept the authority of the Most Devout. While the Stormlands Rite was permitted to exist its Septons were reviewed with suspicion from now on and lords of the Stormlands watched as all the power and patronage of the Iron Throne was given to the northern Lords while the Stormlands was passed over. This hardened the hearts of the Stormlanders and for years they have waited for the lands to the north to fall into disarray. Now the time for retribution is at hand. While the Stormlands lacks the guns and cannons of the more advanced Houses, its forces are fierce and have waited for far too long for this opportunity...
Military:
6,000 Knights
14,000 Infantry
10,000 Reserves
Although victorious in the Dance the battles won by Lord Borros Baratheon would prove to be the last good thing that happened to the Stormlands. Losing Lord Borros in battle and his heiress to the Winter Fever, House Baratheon lost all interest in managing the Stormlands and permitted all acts from its subjects. Rabble-rousing preachers backed by charlatan sorcerers roamed the countryside, demanding an end to the spiritual authority of the Faith and High Septon. Thanks to the unofficial support they enjoyed from Lady Baratheon, these men were not suppressed and their teachings were eventually turned into the Stormlands Rite, a separate rite in communion with the Faith in the Great Sept in King's Landing. This would lead to the development of a faction in the Faith that sought to uplift the common man at all costs and spurned the authority of Lords and Kings when they oppressed the people.
The division between the Stormlands and Westeros became more acute when many Stormlords backed the Lord Dowager Lucerys Velrayon in his mad bid for the Throne during the Second Dance. Their treason was bad enough but when they backed the Anti-Septon propped up by Lucerys it was the last straw. During the Scouring, Faith Militant, Hightower, Riverlander and Vale troops invaded the Stormlands, hanging any Septon and any Lord who refused to accept the authority of the Most Devout. While the Stormlands Rite was permitted to exist its Septons were reviewed with suspicion from now on and lords of the Stormlands watched as all the power and patronage of the Iron Throne was given to the northern Lords while the Stormlands was passed over. This hardened the hearts of the Stormlanders and for years they have waited for the lands to the north to fall into disarray. Now the time for retribution is at hand. While the Stormlands lacks the guns and cannons of the more advanced Houses, its forces are fierce and have waited for far too long for this opportunity...
Military:
6,000 Knights
14,000 Infantry
10,000 Reserves
The Vale, "The True Andals"
Isolating themselves after perceived ingratitude for their efforts in the Dance, the Valemen developed an elitist culture that portrayed themselves as the true practitioners of chivalry and the finest knights in the world. Exterminating the Mountain Clans, the Valemen unveiled their cavalry to the world when they helped end the Second Dance with their thunderous charges and aggressive attacks on rebel positions. Ever since then they have been entrenched in the Royal Government, using it to promote their interests against their more numerous peers. And many believe that to maintain that power the Knights of the Vale will ride for King Maelys and Lady Eleanor Arryn as the Targaryens face off against the Lannister Rebellion. But will they succeed? The Valemen have placed their hopes in their cavalry and resent the very idea of adopting the new weapons pioneered abroad. When the Knights ride again, will it be to their glory... or their extinction?
Military:
10,000 Horse
18,000 Foot
10,000 Reserves
Navy: 30 (30 Grafton War Galleys)
Isolating themselves after perceived ingratitude for their efforts in the Dance, the Valemen developed an elitist culture that portrayed themselves as the true practitioners of chivalry and the finest knights in the world. Exterminating the Mountain Clans, the Valemen unveiled their cavalry to the world when they helped end the Second Dance with their thunderous charges and aggressive attacks on rebel positions. Ever since then they have been entrenched in the Royal Government, using it to promote their interests against their more numerous peers. And many believe that to maintain that power the Knights of the Vale will ride for King Maelys and Lady Eleanor Arryn as the Targaryens face off against the Lannister Rebellion. But will they succeed? The Valemen have placed their hopes in their cavalry and resent the very idea of adopting the new weapons pioneered abroad. When the Knights ride again, will it be to their glory... or their extinction?
Military:
10,000 Horse
18,000 Foot
10,000 Reserves
Navy: 30 (30 Grafton War Galleys)
The Westerlands, "The Roaring Lion"
Humbled by a revolt during the Dance, the defeated Lord Jason Lannister vowed that no power, within or without would ever be able to challenge Lannister power again. For the remainder of his life he obsessed with building a professional Lannister army that would answer only to Casterly Rock. This efforts was dismantled after his death due to the expense but the memory has lived on. Militarism is high in the Westerlands and every Lord of Casterly Rock has done his best to ensure his troops are the most disciplined and most advanced in Westeros, doing everything they can to have the smiths of the West produce the guns and cannon now popular in Essos. They have also sought to expand their power over the Westerlands. Through strategic marriages and threats of force the Lords of the Rock now have more authority over the West than they have at any time since Aegon's conquest. And now it will be put to the test. Whether it be for ambition or romance, Lord Logan Lannister has married and crowned Queen Rhaenys Targaryen and is now leading his armies east to show the world that discipline and firepower can defeat any foe, even a dragon. Will he succeed or will he be burned to ashes?
Military
10,000 Knights
30,000 Infantry
10,000 Reserves
60 Bombards, 3 Grand Bombards (Lann's Roar, Pretty Jeyne, Thunderer)
Navy: 100 War Galleys
Humbled by a revolt during the Dance, the defeated Lord Jason Lannister vowed that no power, within or without would ever be able to challenge Lannister power again. For the remainder of his life he obsessed with building a professional Lannister army that would answer only to Casterly Rock. This efforts was dismantled after his death due to the expense but the memory has lived on. Militarism is high in the Westerlands and every Lord of Casterly Rock has done his best to ensure his troops are the most disciplined and most advanced in Westeros, doing everything they can to have the smiths of the West produce the guns and cannon now popular in Essos. They have also sought to expand their power over the Westerlands. Through strategic marriages and threats of force the Lords of the Rock now have more authority over the West than they have at any time since Aegon's conquest. And now it will be put to the test. Whether it be for ambition or romance, Lord Logan Lannister has married and crowned Queen Rhaenys Targaryen and is now leading his armies east to show the world that discipline and firepower can defeat any foe, even a dragon. Will he succeed or will he be burned to ashes?
Military
10,000 Knights
30,000 Infantry
10,000 Reserves
60 Bombards, 3 Grand Bombards (Lann's Roar, Pretty Jeyne, Thunderer)
Navy: 100 War Galleys
Faith of the Seven, The Bright and Shining Star
Members of the Mother's Hand defending a Comforter of the Iron Islands
The Faith has risen to heights undreamed of in the days when Rhaenrya Targaryen's armies burned the Starry Sept and dragged the Most Devout to King's Landing during the Dance of Dragons. Now the Seven's word is preached from the Wall to the Summer Islands in the South, from Sar Mell in the east to the westernmost of the Iron Isles, and the weapons of the Faith's Militant Orders defend the faithful's bodies just as the teachings of its clergy steel their souls.
Yet prosperity can prove more of a trial than adversity. In 250, the Faith has become divided into three factions. The Shepherds seek to expand the Faith's temporal power, dealing in gold and steel to avoid any repeat of the Black Queen's attempts to bring the Faith under her control, or House Velaryon's appointment of its own High Septon. The Wanderers blend the theology of the old Stormlands Rite with new philosophies from Sanctuary and Braavos, standing for the smallfolk and the slave. And the faction known as the Devoutseeks ancient lore and learning while trying to curb the excesses of their fellows.
As strife and upheaval overtake the Seven Kingdoms and the Freehold, it remains to be seen if the Faith will weather the storms of this new age or be swept away by them.
1400 Poor Fellows (light infantry)
1400 Warriors Sons (heavy cavalry)
1400 Mother's Hand (all female heavy infantry)
1400 Hounds of the Seven (mixed archers and light infantry)
1400 Maiden's Tears (all female light cavalry)
1400 Warforged (engineers and siege experts)
75 longships of the Priory of St. Cathbad
10 wyverns (all males, granted by an agreement with Volantis)
Members of the Mother's Hand defending a Comforter of the Iron Islands
The Faith has risen to heights undreamed of in the days when Rhaenrya Targaryen's armies burned the Starry Sept and dragged the Most Devout to King's Landing during the Dance of Dragons. Now the Seven's word is preached from the Wall to the Summer Islands in the South, from Sar Mell in the east to the westernmost of the Iron Isles, and the weapons of the Faith's Militant Orders defend the faithful's bodies just as the teachings of its clergy steel their souls.
Yet prosperity can prove more of a trial than adversity. In 250, the Faith has become divided into three factions. The Shepherds seek to expand the Faith's temporal power, dealing in gold and steel to avoid any repeat of the Black Queen's attempts to bring the Faith under her control, or House Velaryon's appointment of its own High Septon. The Wanderers blend the theology of the old Stormlands Rite with new philosophies from Sanctuary and Braavos, standing for the smallfolk and the slave. And the faction known as the Devoutseeks ancient lore and learning while trying to curb the excesses of their fellows.
As strife and upheaval overtake the Seven Kingdoms and the Freehold, it remains to be seen if the Faith will weather the storms of this new age or be swept away by them.
1400 Poor Fellows (light infantry)
1400 Warriors Sons (heavy cavalry)
1400 Mother's Hand (all female heavy infantry)
1400 Hounds of the Seven (mixed archers and light infantry)
1400 Maiden's Tears (all female light cavalry)
1400 Warforged (engineers and siege experts)
75 longships of the Priory of St. Cathbad
10 wyverns (all males, granted by an agreement with Volantis)
Essos
FREEHOLD SECUNDUS
A typical meeting of the Freehold Senate
If the old Valyrian Freehold perished in fire, the successor state that emerged during the Dance of Dragons was born in blood. A series of conflicts ignited and exploited by adventurous members of House Targaryen and their Ironborn vassals saw the warring city states rally together under the aegis of Qohor and Volantis, signing a pact of mutual defense and sealing it in the blood of five Targaryen dragon riders at the now infamous "Senate of Knives".
While many expected this alliance to swiftly dissolve into bickering, an attempted invasion by the Iron Throne and a massive Dothraki incursion forced the Free Cities to set aside their differences and cooperate with one another, a practice that has continued for a hundred years. (Albeit with countless intrigues and conspiracies, periodic border skirmishes and numerous assassinations, in the finest Essosi tradition).
But now the Freehold faces new challenges. For most of its existence, power has been held by the Senate, a collection of Magisters, priests, merchant princes, and other notables appointed by the Freehold's member states, with the "Emperor" a figurehead responsible for chairing their discussion and debate.
But many have come to feel that a single capable ruler would be far better suited to manage the challenges the Freehold faces than the oftentimes self interested squabbling of the Senators, a belief that the reign ofEmperor Maekar Aatgnis of Essaria has done nothing to dimimish.
In the wake of the Emperor's latest victories over the Dothraki, the Senate and the Freehold as a whole are split into two parties:
The Imperials: Led by the Emperor Maekar, the Imperials represent those citizens of the Freehold who favour tearing down the boundaries between the Free Cities and unifying the Freehold in more than just name. Made up of bureaucrats, officers, and second sons, the Imperials are those who have benefited from the Freehold the most, those men who would never have risen high if the Freehold had not been there to offer them new paths for advancement. Returning fresh from their victories in Essaria, where the Great Khal Drogo was slain after attempting to push the Dothraki Sea west once more, it is the Imperials who are now in the ascendancy to the dismay of their peers.
The Freemen: the traditional aristocracy of the Free Cities, the Old Bloods and the Princes, the Merchants and the Cheesemongers, the Freemen stand opposed to the Imperials. Wary of any attempts to impede their authority, the Freemen have long opposed any efforts to extend the Emperor's authority and have for much of the past century succeeded in that task. With the Imperials' ascendancy in the wake of the victories in Essaria, which have made the Emperor a popular man, there are now fears that the next Emperor might well try to push his agenda in spite of their objections and thus many have begun to plot and collude to deny him the opportunity to do so no matter who might hold the throne, or the harm it might do to the Freehold.
A typical meeting of the Freehold Senate
If the old Valyrian Freehold perished in fire, the successor state that emerged during the Dance of Dragons was born in blood. A series of conflicts ignited and exploited by adventurous members of House Targaryen and their Ironborn vassals saw the warring city states rally together under the aegis of Qohor and Volantis, signing a pact of mutual defense and sealing it in the blood of five Targaryen dragon riders at the now infamous "Senate of Knives".
While many expected this alliance to swiftly dissolve into bickering, an attempted invasion by the Iron Throne and a massive Dothraki incursion forced the Free Cities to set aside their differences and cooperate with one another, a practice that has continued for a hundred years. (Albeit with countless intrigues and conspiracies, periodic border skirmishes and numerous assassinations, in the finest Essosi tradition).
But now the Freehold faces new challenges. For most of its existence, power has been held by the Senate, a collection of Magisters, priests, merchant princes, and other notables appointed by the Freehold's member states, with the "Emperor" a figurehead responsible for chairing their discussion and debate.
But many have come to feel that a single capable ruler would be far better suited to manage the challenges the Freehold faces than the oftentimes self interested squabbling of the Senators, a belief that the reign ofEmperor Maekar Aatgnis of Essaria has done nothing to dimimish.
In the wake of the Emperor's latest victories over the Dothraki, the Senate and the Freehold as a whole are split into two parties:
The Imperials: Led by the Emperor Maekar, the Imperials represent those citizens of the Freehold who favour tearing down the boundaries between the Free Cities and unifying the Freehold in more than just name. Made up of bureaucrats, officers, and second sons, the Imperials are those who have benefited from the Freehold the most, those men who would never have risen high if the Freehold had not been there to offer them new paths for advancement. Returning fresh from their victories in Essaria, where the Great Khal Drogo was slain after attempting to push the Dothraki Sea west once more, it is the Imperials who are now in the ascendancy to the dismay of their peers.
The Freemen: the traditional aristocracy of the Free Cities, the Old Bloods and the Princes, the Merchants and the Cheesemongers, the Freemen stand opposed to the Imperials. Wary of any attempts to impede their authority, the Freemen have long opposed any efforts to extend the Emperor's authority and have for much of the past century succeeded in that task. With the Imperials' ascendancy in the wake of the victories in Essaria, which have made the Emperor a popular man, there are now fears that the next Emperor might well try to push his agenda in spite of their objections and thus many have begun to plot and collude to deny him the opportunity to do so no matter who might hold the throne, or the harm it might do to the Freehold.
Braavos, The Bastard Child, the Sea Whore
Despite their contributions in the war against the Seven Kingdoms, the City of A Thousand Sails has remained apart from the Freehold proper, the memory of Old Valyria's excesses still lingering in the descendants of her slaves.
This does not mean they are lacking in influence or authority in Essos. The Sealord and the Iron Bank hold a great deal (some say too much) influence over Tyrosh, and the former rebels of Sanctuary are far more favorably inclined to towards the Braavosi than they are their former masters to the east. Backroom deals and finely worded documents have allowed the Iron Bank to operate within the Freehold, while Braavosi merchants enjoy favorable tariffs that give them an edge over many of their competitors. With a new Sealord and a growing rift in the Freehold, it may be time for the bastard child to lay Valyria low once again.
Military:
15,000 infantry
Navy:
370 War galleys, 100 Dromonds, 30 Carracks, 50 Galleases
Despite their contributions in the war against the Seven Kingdoms, the City of A Thousand Sails has remained apart from the Freehold proper, the memory of Old Valyria's excesses still lingering in the descendants of her slaves.
This does not mean they are lacking in influence or authority in Essos. The Sealord and the Iron Bank hold a great deal (some say too much) influence over Tyrosh, and the former rebels of Sanctuary are far more favorably inclined to towards the Braavosi than they are their former masters to the east. Backroom deals and finely worded documents have allowed the Iron Bank to operate within the Freehold, while Braavosi merchants enjoy favorable tariffs that give them an edge over many of their competitors. With a new Sealord and a growing rift in the Freehold, it may be time for the bastard child to lay Valyria low once again.
Military:
15,000 infantry
Navy:
370 War galleys, 100 Dromonds, 30 Carracks, 50 Galleases
Essaria, "The Reborn Daughter"
Lost to the Dothraki during the Century of Blood and retaken by sellswords at the start of the 150s Essaria has had a bloody history ever since its refounding. The Dothraki, sensing the rebuilt city was a direct threat to their authority, mounted attack after attack against the young Daughter, only to be beaten back by the vigilance and valor of the soldiers of the Freehold. As these attacks continued they bred innovation in the Freehold and eventually a Qohorik engineer was able find a way to propel shot by igniting a Yi-Ti explosive in an iron barrel. This was the first cannon and it has changed the course of war forever. Using massed batteries of cannon and smaller variants that were streamlined into what are now called arquebuses, the Men of the Freehold were able to frighten the Dothraki's horses and shatter the khalasars that were sent against Essaria. The last battle against the Dothraki resulted in the complete destruction of one of the largest khalasars seen since the Century of Blood and the death of the most able khal in a century: Khal Drogo. With Essaria temporarily secure, the Reborn Daugther can turn her attention tot he recent death of the Emperor and the new election for the position. Prince Aemon Aatgnis, a descendant of the sellsword captain who retook Essarai, believe his military record, youth, and charm, make him a prime candidate. If elected it is believed that he will try to centralize the Freehold to push back the Frontier and end the Dothraki, a stance that has given some cities pause...
Military:
8,000 Infantry
2,000 Cavalry
Lost to the Dothraki during the Century of Blood and retaken by sellswords at the start of the 150s Essaria has had a bloody history ever since its refounding. The Dothraki, sensing the rebuilt city was a direct threat to their authority, mounted attack after attack against the young Daughter, only to be beaten back by the vigilance and valor of the soldiers of the Freehold. As these attacks continued they bred innovation in the Freehold and eventually a Qohorik engineer was able find a way to propel shot by igniting a Yi-Ti explosive in an iron barrel. This was the first cannon and it has changed the course of war forever. Using massed batteries of cannon and smaller variants that were streamlined into what are now called arquebuses, the Men of the Freehold were able to frighten the Dothraki's horses and shatter the khalasars that were sent against Essaria. The last battle against the Dothraki resulted in the complete destruction of one of the largest khalasars seen since the Century of Blood and the death of the most able khal in a century: Khal Drogo. With Essaria temporarily secure, the Reborn Daugther can turn her attention tot he recent death of the Emperor and the new election for the position. Prince Aemon Aatgnis, a descendant of the sellsword captain who retook Essarai, believe his military record, youth, and charm, make him a prime candidate. If elected it is believed that he will try to centralize the Freehold to push back the Frontier and end the Dothraki, a stance that has given some cities pause...
Military:
8,000 Infantry
2,000 Cavalry
Laketown, the Children of the Kraken
Descendants of the bastard children of Dalton Greyjoy, forced into exile by their wicked uncle, the Ironborn of Laketown are an oddity within the Freehold for obvious reasons. Settling upon the Darkwash Lake and the northern shore of Qohor, the Ironborn of Laketown are a force unto themselves that have for over a century served Qohor in war and in peace. Ruled by a Greyjoy King, who still claims the Iron Isles as his birthright, the Ironborn of Laketown and their many warriors remain loyal to the Imperials in the hopes of running wild once more and enjoying the siren call of the Old Ways as was done in years gone by.
Military:
8000 reavers
130 Longships
Descendants of the bastard children of Dalton Greyjoy, forced into exile by their wicked uncle, the Ironborn of Laketown are an oddity within the Freehold for obvious reasons. Settling upon the Darkwash Lake and the northern shore of Qohor, the Ironborn of Laketown are a force unto themselves that have for over a century served Qohor in war and in peace. Ruled by a Greyjoy King, who still claims the Iron Isles as his birthright, the Ironborn of Laketown and their many warriors remain loyal to the Imperials in the hopes of running wild once more and enjoying the siren call of the Old Ways as was done in years gone by.
Military:
8000 reavers
130 Longships
Lorath, the Mazemakers, the Divided Land
Nowhere are the tensions dividing the Freehold felt more keenly than in the city of Lorath. Missionaries of the Faith and emissaries of the Valyrian Freehold have brought new ways of thinking about and doing things to the isolated islands, and in 250 the once quiet land is torn between those who follow the old ways, and those who wish for a city to reach out and seize a city's destiny.
Riots and assassinations are a regular occurence, and sellswords have become a common sight in the city's winding streets.
3700 Peacewardens
100 Men of the Streets
100 Men of the Harvest
100 Fishermen
20 war galleys
Various sellswords and sellsails in the employ of various priests, magisters, and noble families
Nowhere are the tensions dividing the Freehold felt more keenly than in the city of Lorath. Missionaries of the Faith and emissaries of the Valyrian Freehold have brought new ways of thinking about and doing things to the isolated islands, and in 250 the once quiet land is torn between those who follow the old ways, and those who wish for a city to reach out and seize a city's destiny.
Riots and assassinations are a regular occurence, and sellswords have become a common sight in the city's winding streets.
3700 Peacewardens
100 Men of the Streets
100 Men of the Harvest
100 Fishermen
20 war galleys
Various sellswords and sellsails in the employ of various priests, magisters, and noble families
Lys, "The Lovely, The Bride of Volantis"
Brought into union with Volantis during the wars of the Freehold's formation, Lyss has reaped great profit from this joining, with many Lysseni counted among the Old Blood, and even a Triarch or two hailing from the City of Sighs. So strong is the bond between the two that Lyss has even been granted its own wyvern riders...although now as ever, its preferred weapons are the poisons of its alchemists and the night legendary skills of its courtesans.
Still, even the most pleasant partnerships must come to an end, and as tensions between Imperial and Freemen rock Essos, it may well be that Lys will choose to walk its own path.
Military:
4000 Legionnaires
10 Wyverns (All male, provided by Volantis)
Navy:
70 War galleys, 10 Dromonds
Brought into union with Volantis during the wars of the Freehold's formation, Lyss has reaped great profit from this joining, with many Lysseni counted among the Old Blood, and even a Triarch or two hailing from the City of Sighs. So strong is the bond between the two that Lyss has even been granted its own wyvern riders...although now as ever, its preferred weapons are the poisons of its alchemists and the night legendary skills of its courtesans.
Still, even the most pleasant partnerships must come to an end, and as tensions between Imperial and Freemen rock Essos, it may well be that Lys will choose to walk its own path.
Military:
4000 Legionnaires
10 Wyverns (All male, provided by Volantis)
Navy:
70 War galleys, 10 Dromonds
Myr, "The Old Man of the Freehold"
Myr is a power that looks backwards, fondly recalling its glorious past as one of the Three Daughters and the days when sellswords and warlords thronged to purchase its crossbows. Its guildsmen construct ever more elaborate variations of the city's signature weapon, in furious competition with the blackpowder guilds of Qohor and Tyrosh, with the wealth its glass and lacemakers provide giving the city's Magisters ample coin to indulge such fancies.
Military:
6000 Legionnaires
Navy:
40 War Galleys, 40 Dromonds
Myr is a power that looks backwards, fondly recalling its glorious past as one of the Three Daughters and the days when sellswords and warlords thronged to purchase its crossbows. Its guildsmen construct ever more elaborate variations of the city's signature weapon, in furious competition with the blackpowder guilds of Qohor and Tyrosh, with the wealth its glass and lacemakers provide giving the city's Magisters ample coin to indulge such fancies.
Military:
6000 Legionnaires
Navy:
40 War Galleys, 40 Dromonds
Myrwater, the Red Sword of the Freehold
The Canton of Myrwater was founded by Legate Zokan of Tyrosh, an ambitious general in who carved out his own fiefdom from the carcass of the Three Daughters. A dictatorship ruled by a hereditary warrior class, the Canton allows no religion save the worship of R'hllor in its lands. In the century following the Freeholds formation, its armies have become infamous for their use of wildfire (which they have developed in new and terrifying ways with the aid of the Red Temple) and the numbers, skill and ferocity of their wyvern riders, descendants of those who chose following Zokan over kneeling to Volantis.
Military:
9000 Legionnaires
23 Wyverns
Navy:
30 War galleys
The Canton of Myrwater was founded by Legate Zokan of Tyrosh, an ambitious general in who carved out his own fiefdom from the carcass of the Three Daughters. A dictatorship ruled by a hereditary warrior class, the Canton allows no religion save the worship of R'hllor in its lands. In the century following the Freeholds formation, its armies have become infamous for their use of wildfire (which they have developed in new and terrifying ways with the aid of the Red Temple) and the numbers, skill and ferocity of their wyvern riders, descendants of those who chose following Zokan over kneeling to Volantis.
Military:
9000 Legionnaires
23 Wyverns
Navy:
30 War galleys
Norvos, Axe of the Nameless One
The city of the Bearded Priests remains one of the most belligerent and quick to take offense of the Freehold states, continual border wars with Pentos over Hugor's Hill and Ibb over the Axe ensuring that the killing edge of its warrior priests and priestesses remains sharp. For all that, its martial renown is inferior to that of Qohor, a fact that galls the Bearded Ones a great deal.
Military:
6000 Infantry
4000 Bearded axemen
Military:
40 War galleys
The city of the Bearded Priests remains one of the most belligerent and quick to take offense of the Freehold states, continual border wars with Pentos over Hugor's Hill and Ibb over the Axe ensuring that the killing edge of its warrior priests and priestesses remains sharp. For all that, its martial renown is inferior to that of Qohor, a fact that galls the Bearded Ones a great deal.
Military:
6000 Infantry
4000 Bearded axemen
Military:
40 War galleys
Pentos, "The Freehold's Wayward Son"
One of the last Free Cities to join the Freehold, and that under duress, in 250 Pentos has far more in common with the Seven Kingdoms to its east than its fellow free cities. The groundwork laid by Prince Allyrio saw his son and grandson succeed him as ruler, while the missionary work of the Faith of the Seven has made their creed the dominant one within Pentos' borders. Pentos can even boast a branch of the Citadel of Maesters within its walls. The city state's embrace of the ways of the Andals means that slavery is rare in its territory, and they are one (if not the only) Freehold state to field heavy cavalry modeled after Westerosi knights. Initially the "cheese knights" were sneered at, but they proved their worth in the First and Second Wars of the Hill against Norvos, and even as new methods of killing overtake the battlefield the Prince's Lancers remain a formidable force.
Military:
8000 Infantry
1000 Heavy cavalry
Navy:
60 War Galleys, 5 Dromonds, 5 Carracks
One of the last Free Cities to join the Freehold, and that under duress, in 250 Pentos has far more in common with the Seven Kingdoms to its east than its fellow free cities. The groundwork laid by Prince Allyrio saw his son and grandson succeed him as ruler, while the missionary work of the Faith of the Seven has made their creed the dominant one within Pentos' borders. Pentos can even boast a branch of the Citadel of Maesters within its walls. The city state's embrace of the ways of the Andals means that slavery is rare in its territory, and they are one (if not the only) Freehold state to field heavy cavalry modeled after Westerosi knights. Initially the "cheese knights" were sneered at, but they proved their worth in the First and Second Wars of the Hill against Norvos, and even as new methods of killing overtake the battlefield the Prince's Lancers remain a formidable force.
Military:
8000 Infantry
1000 Heavy cavalry
Navy:
60 War Galleys, 5 Dromonds, 5 Carracks
Qohor, the Freehold's Firstborn
Volantis may be the most powerful of the Freehold States, Tyrosh the wealthiest, and Norvos, Sanctuary and Myrwater the most bellicose, yet it is the Child of the Black Goat that sent dragon lords and Dothraki alike fleeing from its walls in defeat. Qohor's reputation for invincibility has only been enhanced by the gonnes and cannon its forge temples have begun to produce in even greater number, flame belching engines of destruction that can lay knights, wyverns, giants, and dragons low with a single blast.
Military:
2000 Unsullied
2000 Dragonslayer crossbowmen
3000 Infantry
3000 Light Cavalry
Navy:
40 War Galleys
Volantis may be the most powerful of the Freehold States, Tyrosh the wealthiest, and Norvos, Sanctuary and Myrwater the most bellicose, yet it is the Child of the Black Goat that sent dragon lords and Dothraki alike fleeing from its walls in defeat. Qohor's reputation for invincibility has only been enhanced by the gonnes and cannon its forge temples have begun to produce in even greater number, flame belching engines of destruction that can lay knights, wyverns, giants, and dragons low with a single blast.
Military:
2000 Unsullied
2000 Dragonslayer crossbowmen
3000 Infantry
3000 Light Cavalry
Navy:
40 War Galleys
Sanctuary, the Freehold's Wild Dog, the City of Masks
The so called "Free State" was founded by the slaves who rebelled against the Three Daughters in the Years of War. Sanctuary has gained a reputation for unpredictability and savagery among its fellow Freeholders, in large part due to their long running feud with the Canton to their north, although in truth only Volantis can claim any degree of friendship with them, due to the aid it provided them to weaken Myr, Tyrosh, and Lys. The city is famed for the skill of its scouts, skirmishers, and trackers (who often serve as auxiliaries in the Volantine Legions), for its virulent hatred of slavery, and for its citizens horror of appearing in public with their faces uncovered.
Military:
7000 Infantry
Navy:
50 War Galleys, 10 Dromonds, 20 Galeasses
The so called "Free State" was founded by the slaves who rebelled against the Three Daughters in the Years of War. Sanctuary has gained a reputation for unpredictability and savagery among its fellow Freeholders, in large part due to their long running feud with the Canton to their north, although in truth only Volantis can claim any degree of friendship with them, due to the aid it provided them to weaken Myr, Tyrosh, and Lys. The city is famed for the skill of its scouts, skirmishers, and trackers (who often serve as auxiliaries in the Volantine Legions), for its virulent hatred of slavery, and for its citizens horror of appearing in public with their faces uncovered.
Military:
7000 Infantry
Navy:
50 War Galleys, 10 Dromonds, 20 Galeasses
Tyrosh, The Coy Blue Maid
One hundred years after its sack by the Ironborn during the Years of Fire, Tyrosh once again stands proud. Its artisans guilds supply handgonnes and cannon to half the armies in the known world, and if their quality is inferior to the creations of the Forge Lords of Qohor, most find the Tyroshi far easier to deal with than the notoriously prickly and zealous Qohorik. The city also enjoys a special relationship with Braavos, which came to their aid (some say "conquered") them after the Great Reaving. And so the city maintains a delicate balance between its friend to the north and its neighbors, careful to never promise too much to one or the other. As a consequence of its closeness to Braavos, slavery has been banned in its holdings, but most agree the apprentice system practiced by the Great Guilds has little to distinguish itself from service under the whip in the time of the Three Daughters.
Military:
5000 Legionnaires
Navy:
60 War Galleys, 15 Dromonds, 25 Galleasses
One hundred years after its sack by the Ironborn during the Years of Fire, Tyrosh once again stands proud. Its artisans guilds supply handgonnes and cannon to half the armies in the known world, and if their quality is inferior to the creations of the Forge Lords of Qohor, most find the Tyroshi far easier to deal with than the notoriously prickly and zealous Qohorik. The city also enjoys a special relationship with Braavos, which came to their aid (some say "conquered") them after the Great Reaving. And so the city maintains a delicate balance between its friend to the north and its neighbors, careful to never promise too much to one or the other. As a consequence of its closeness to Braavos, slavery has been banned in its holdings, but most agree the apprentice system practiced by the Great Guilds has little to distinguish itself from service under the whip in the time of the Three Daughters.
Military:
5000 Legionnaires
Navy:
60 War Galleys, 15 Dromonds, 25 Galleasses
Volantis, The First Daughter, the Crown Jewel of the Freehold
Volantis has waxed powerful and prosperous with the creation of the Freehold and the ascension of the Vhossar dynasty as hereditary "First Triarchs". Claiming Lyss, Sanctuary, and the Black Isle of Gossgossos as client states and vassals, its army, navy, and coffers have never been larger. Many consider the First Daughter to be the backbone of the Freehold...yet of late there is a growing coolness between the new Emperor and the Old Blood, as Aatgnis' proposed reforms would undercut the power and autonomy Volantis enjoys under the present state of affairs.
Military:
10,000 Tiger Cloaks
5000 Heavy Cavalry
2500 Old Guard
Navy:
300 War Galleys, 100 Dromonds, 90 Carracks, 10 Galeasses
Volantis has waxed powerful and prosperous with the creation of the Freehold and the ascension of the Vhossar dynasty as hereditary "First Triarchs". Claiming Lyss, Sanctuary, and the Black Isle of Gossgossos as client states and vassals, its army, navy, and coffers have never been larger. Many consider the First Daughter to be the backbone of the Freehold...yet of late there is a growing coolness between the new Emperor and the Old Blood, as Aatgnis' proposed reforms would undercut the power and autonomy Volantis enjoys under the present state of affairs.
Military:
10,000 Tiger Cloaks
5000 Heavy Cavalry
2500 Old Guard
Navy:
300 War Galleys, 100 Dromonds, 90 Carracks, 10 Galeasses
Elsewhere
The Summer Empire, The Poisoned Paradise
Fully united midway through the reign of Princess Zhonto and Prince Katlego, the joint house continued on under the name Qo in honor of the ancestral claim to the islands that had descended from Xanda Qo, liberator of their lands. The cadet branch endowed with Omboru and the Isle of Birds continued under the Toq line, while Walano passed to relatives of the prince consort after his father's death. Thus, through careful marriages and diplomacy the House of Qo maintained the union of its disparate princedoms.
While few of Zhonto's predecessors matched her energy and ambition, the progress made in her rule was maintained as great fleets crossed the Summer Sea and wealth flowed in to the Prince's coffers. The southern islands, every unruly, required several punitive wars over the years to remove the bad blood and to this day remain under the watchful eye of Ebonhead.
Now Prince Salla Qo sits uneasy on the throne. His daughter and only heir, Princess Chaso pushes for another age of exploration, while in the north Koj's ambitions are stoked by the development of new weapons and ships. A recent trade dispute resulted in the transfer of Stone Head from the Bastion to them along with the long standing Volantene trading port. While the priesthood on Walano decries the use of Essosi firearms it seems only a matter of time before the choice mist be made between goldenheart and gunpowder.
Military
100 Dragonguard
500 Wyvernguard
1000 Warriors
10,000 Red Archers
Navy:
200 Swan ships (escorts), 250 Tiger ships
Fully united midway through the reign of Princess Zhonto and Prince Katlego, the joint house continued on under the name Qo in honor of the ancestral claim to the islands that had descended from Xanda Qo, liberator of their lands. The cadet branch endowed with Omboru and the Isle of Birds continued under the Toq line, while Walano passed to relatives of the prince consort after his father's death. Thus, through careful marriages and diplomacy the House of Qo maintained the union of its disparate princedoms.
While few of Zhonto's predecessors matched her energy and ambition, the progress made in her rule was maintained as great fleets crossed the Summer Sea and wealth flowed in to the Prince's coffers. The southern islands, every unruly, required several punitive wars over the years to remove the bad blood and to this day remain under the watchful eye of Ebonhead.
Now Prince Salla Qo sits uneasy on the throne. His daughter and only heir, Princess Chaso pushes for another age of exploration, while in the north Koj's ambitions are stoked by the development of new weapons and ships. A recent trade dispute resulted in the transfer of Stone Head from the Bastion to them along with the long standing Volantene trading port. While the priesthood on Walano decries the use of Essosi firearms it seems only a matter of time before the choice mist be made between goldenheart and gunpowder.
Military
100 Dragonguard
500 Wyvernguard
1000 Warriors
10,000 Red Archers
Navy:
200 Swan ships (escorts), 250 Tiger ships
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The World, Rolls, and Tech
- Pronouns
- She/Her
The Known World
Mechanics
Taken from Dragonfall, modified from A Fledgling Throne
Conception Roll:
1-45: You don't conceive.
46-100: You conceive.
Modifiers:
Fathers Age 50+: -5
Fathers Age 60+: -10
Fathers Age 70+: -20
Mothers Age 35-40: - 10
Mothers Age 40-45: - 20
Mothers Age 45-50: - 30
Mothers Age 50+: - 100
Table 1: Pregnancy Success
1-15 something went wrong (Roll on table 5)
16-90 Single Birth.
90-100 roll on Table 4 Multiple Birth
Modifiers:
Mothers Age 35-40: - 10
Mothers Age 40-45: - 20
Mothers Age 45-50: - 30
Table 3: Multiple Birth
1-90 non identical twins
91-97 identical twins
98-100 triplets
Table 4 Gender
1-50 Male
51-100 female.
Table 5 Something has gone Wrong.
1-2 Mother and Child Die in Child Birth
3-4 Simple
5-6 Deaf
6-7 Blind
8-9 Blind
10-19 Sickly infant (dies shortly after birth)
20-50 Stillbirth
50-60 Miscarriage late
61-100 Miscarriage early
Modifiers:
Mothers Age 35-40: - 5
Mothers Age 40-45: - 10
Mothers Age 45-50: - 15
What does the little Tike Look Like?
Eyes
1-45 Mother
46-85 Father
86-100 Recessive Gene takes hold (looks like neither, resembles extended family member)
Hair
1-45 Mother
46-85 Father
86-100 Recessive Gene takes hold (looks like neither, resembles extended family member)
Skin
1-45 Mother
46-85 Father
86-100 Recessive Gene takes hold (looks like neither, resembles extended family member)
Features
1-45 Mother
46-85 Father
86-100 Recessive Gene takes hold (looks like neither, resembles extended family member)
If a woman or man have failed to conceive 3 attempts in a row and/or a woman has failed to deliver a living child 3 years in a row, roll on the Reproductive health table.
Reproductive Health Table:
1-30 Barren
31-60 reproduction problems (add a -10 modifier to all pregnancy rolls, roll again on this table if you fail to reproduce twice more)
61-100 unlucky (you are just unlucky, roll again on this table if you fail to reproduce twice more)
Conception Roll:
1-45: You don't conceive.
46-100: You conceive.
Modifiers:
Fathers Age 50+: -5
Fathers Age 60+: -10
Fathers Age 70+: -20
Mothers Age 35-40: - 10
Mothers Age 40-45: - 20
Mothers Age 45-50: - 30
Mothers Age 50+: - 100
Table 1: Pregnancy Success
1-15 something went wrong (Roll on table 5)
16-90 Single Birth.
90-100 roll on Table 4 Multiple Birth
Modifiers:
Mothers Age 35-40: - 10
Mothers Age 40-45: - 20
Mothers Age 45-50: - 30
Table 3: Multiple Birth
1-90 non identical twins
91-97 identical twins
98-100 triplets
Table 4 Gender
1-50 Male
51-100 female.
Table 5 Something has gone Wrong.
1-2 Mother and Child Die in Child Birth
3-4 Simple
5-6 Deaf
6-7 Blind
8-9 Blind
10-19 Sickly infant (dies shortly after birth)
20-50 Stillbirth
50-60 Miscarriage late
61-100 Miscarriage early
Modifiers:
Mothers Age 35-40: - 5
Mothers Age 40-45: - 10
Mothers Age 45-50: - 15
What does the little Tike Look Like?
Eyes
1-45 Mother
46-85 Father
86-100 Recessive Gene takes hold (looks like neither, resembles extended family member)
Hair
1-45 Mother
46-85 Father
86-100 Recessive Gene takes hold (looks like neither, resembles extended family member)
Skin
1-45 Mother
46-85 Father
86-100 Recessive Gene takes hold (looks like neither, resembles extended family member)
Features
1-45 Mother
46-85 Father
86-100 Recessive Gene takes hold (looks like neither, resembles extended family member)
If a woman or man have failed to conceive 3 attempts in a row and/or a woman has failed to deliver a living child 3 years in a row, roll on the Reproductive health table.
Reproductive Health Table:
1-30 Barren
31-60 reproduction problems (add a -10 modifier to all pregnancy rolls, roll again on this table if you fail to reproduce twice more)
61-100 unlucky (you are just unlucky, roll again on this table if you fail to reproduce twice more)
House Targaryen
All family bear at least some mark of it, be it pallor, odd features, hemophilia, etc.
1 in 5 chance of more serious blight
The Crownlands
The blood of Old Valyria runs in many veins, carrying with it whatever curse has descended upon that lineage in these lands
1 in 10 chance of more serious blight
House Baratheon, Arryn, and Martell
The blood is there. It is fairly rare, but from time to time old ties show through
1 in 20 chance of more serious blight
Taint
1-3 Twisted, mishapen, and ill-omened but otherwise relatively healthy
4-6 Lame, roll 1d3 and apply Blind, Deaf, or Simple. Physical deformity is very pronounced
7-8 Hideously malformed, dwarfism, animalistic features, roll 1d3 twice and apply both effects
9-10 Stillborn. Barely recognizable as human.
All family bear at least some mark of it, be it pallor, odd features, hemophilia, etc.
1 in 5 chance of more serious blight
The Crownlands
The blood of Old Valyria runs in many veins, carrying with it whatever curse has descended upon that lineage in these lands
1 in 10 chance of more serious blight
House Baratheon, Arryn, and Martell
The blood is there. It is fairly rare, but from time to time old ties show through
1 in 20 chance of more serious blight
Taint
1-3 Twisted, mishapen, and ill-omened but otherwise relatively healthy
4-6 Lame, roll 1d3 and apply Blind, Deaf, or Simple. Physical deformity is very pronounced
7-8 Hideously malformed, dwarfism, animalistic features, roll 1d3 twice and apply both effects
9-10 Stillborn. Barely recognizable as human.
Technology
Guns:
Matchlock arquebuses are standard fare in most armies now, though still in limited number compared to older weapons. Some who have devoted more time to their development possess improvements upon the rough baseline, but these are few and far between.
Qohor: Higher quality arms
Westerlands: Revolvers
Cannons:
Split generally in to two categories, bombards serve as the primary siege gun of the day. Typically built up with hoops of iron hammered together and taking stone balls of varying weights. Even 'light' guns run very heavy and require carts and well trained crews to manage them as they have a tendency to burst if loaded incorrectly or fired to frequently. Their larger cousins, the grand bombards, function both as superheavy siege guns with greater range for the projectile weight, and status symbols. A lord or prince can count them among his most prized possessions and the sheer cost of fabrication, maintenance, and transport serve as proof of the owner's puissance.
On the edges of these classifications are naval guns and the far lesser leather guns. Most war galleys and oared warships carry heavier cannon at the prow, one or two pointed forward for the initial shock of the charge. Carracks, modified cogs and the like can ship lighter guns on deck, but are limited by the higher freeboard and the additional roll induced by so much weight that far above the waterline. Leather guns are some principalities answer to the realities of their situation. Not all lands have roads that can manage the full weight of a bombard laden siege train, nor the traditions that favor large stationary battle lines. Developed by Dornish siege engineers faced with the challenges of the desert and rough landscape of their country, these guns tend to overheat rapidly, but are light and easily handled unlike their heavy counterparts.
Qohor: Highest quality cannon
Westerlands: Modified projectiles
Dorne: Leather cannons
Grenades
Fashioned from clay jars and cast iron, these heavy hand projectiles serve to deliver explosive death at short ranges. While limited in their power, some have worked to improve the wider lethality of the weapons or add their own deadly payloads.
Qohor: Fragmentation-type
Myrwater, Crownlands: Wildfire
Rockets
Originally used for fireworks in Yi Ti and parts unknown around the Jade Sea, these quickly gained popularity in warfare. Using long poles with a paper or parchment wrapped charge at the end, they are most effective over distances of several hundred meters and explode with great noise and fury in a manner very similar to grenades.
Myrwater, Crownlands: Wildfire
Westerlands: Fragmentation
Iron Islands: Iron-cased
Ships
With galleys, dromonds and carracks now carrying guns as a rule, new designs are beginning to come in to use as the technology is explored. Galleasses, long a favorite of corsairs in the Stepstones but never considered viable as vessels of war have been modified at the Arsenal of Braavos. They carry a heavy broadside as well as oars and sails for a fusion of old and new.
Braavos: Galleass
Summer Islands: Tiger Ships, Swan ships
The North: Ironwood Carracks
Guns:
Matchlock arquebuses are standard fare in most armies now, though still in limited number compared to older weapons. Some who have devoted more time to their development possess improvements upon the rough baseline, but these are few and far between.
Qohor: Higher quality arms
Westerlands: Revolvers
Cannons:
Split generally in to two categories, bombards serve as the primary siege gun of the day. Typically built up with hoops of iron hammered together and taking stone balls of varying weights. Even 'light' guns run very heavy and require carts and well trained crews to manage them as they have a tendency to burst if loaded incorrectly or fired to frequently. Their larger cousins, the grand bombards, function both as superheavy siege guns with greater range for the projectile weight, and status symbols. A lord or prince can count them among his most prized possessions and the sheer cost of fabrication, maintenance, and transport serve as proof of the owner's puissance.
On the edges of these classifications are naval guns and the far lesser leather guns. Most war galleys and oared warships carry heavier cannon at the prow, one or two pointed forward for the initial shock of the charge. Carracks, modified cogs and the like can ship lighter guns on deck, but are limited by the higher freeboard and the additional roll induced by so much weight that far above the waterline. Leather guns are some principalities answer to the realities of their situation. Not all lands have roads that can manage the full weight of a bombard laden siege train, nor the traditions that favor large stationary battle lines. Developed by Dornish siege engineers faced with the challenges of the desert and rough landscape of their country, these guns tend to overheat rapidly, but are light and easily handled unlike their heavy counterparts.
Qohor: Highest quality cannon
Westerlands: Modified projectiles
Dorne: Leather cannons
Grenades
Fashioned from clay jars and cast iron, these heavy hand projectiles serve to deliver explosive death at short ranges. While limited in their power, some have worked to improve the wider lethality of the weapons or add their own deadly payloads.
Qohor: Fragmentation-type
Myrwater, Crownlands: Wildfire
Rockets
Originally used for fireworks in Yi Ti and parts unknown around the Jade Sea, these quickly gained popularity in warfare. Using long poles with a paper or parchment wrapped charge at the end, they are most effective over distances of several hundred meters and explode with great noise and fury in a manner very similar to grenades.
Myrwater, Crownlands: Wildfire
Westerlands: Fragmentation
Iron Islands: Iron-cased
Ships
With galleys, dromonds and carracks now carrying guns as a rule, new designs are beginning to come in to use as the technology is explored. Galleasses, long a favorite of corsairs in the Stepstones but never considered viable as vessels of war have been modified at the Arsenal of Braavos. They carry a heavy broadside as well as oars and sails for a fusion of old and new.
Braavos: Galleass
Summer Islands: Tiger Ships, Swan ships
The North: Ironwood Carracks
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Something on the periphery that won't lose land if things go badly for you.
- Location
- Luton Airport
Hmm, might be interested in playing Braavos.
That depends on the other mods but in my opinion, the Dothraki have been kicked out and some of the Masters are considering the merits of Essosi and Yi-Ti guns. Nothing much has come of it though.
- Location
- US East Coast
I was more looking for recommendations then a general idea, but thank you nevertheless.
I won't recommend anything until we have a better understanding of who is interested in what.
- Location
- Italy
I didn't play the thing, you'll have to tell me a bit more. Did the Dothraki go on a conquering spree?
You were reading it as I recall. In any event the Dothraki conquered Slaver's Bay for a time but they eventually collapsed into infighting and were driven out by the Masters.
- Location
- Italy
I wasn't there, really.
What are guns like?
Are they arquebuses or muskets already?
Arquebuses.
- Location
- Italy
Ah, so gunpowder's a recent introduction.
I know I will be returning to the Tullys, Wade will be taking the Targaryens, Eliud will be leading the Starks, and Sid will be taking the Stormcloaks. Everything else is up for grabs.
Wade Garrett
Just trying to do the right thing
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
Oh, for propriety's sake: House Targaryen of King's Landing.
- Location
- Canada
New Ghis
Astapor
Qarth
Astapor
Qarth
Please take something in Westeros or the Freehold.
- Location
- Canada
Oh, alright.
- Pronouns
- She/Her