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As An Eagle Flies (A House Arryn Quest)

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Okay, who do you think will be Aerys' Small Council?

Ser Gerold is likely to remain Lord Commander, but beyond that I can see at least three candidates for Hand.
 
Magoose said:
Reward: Aerys has ascended his rightful with no problems. He has stated to the realm he is only having a private coronation, with his family and the High Septon, so that he may mourn his father in private.
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So no Jaehaerys survival rolls? Is it a good thing or a bad thing that Aerys ascended this soon?
 
taovkool said:
So no Jaehaerys survival rolls? Is it a good thing or a bad thing that Aerys ascended this soon?
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Jaehaerys had to get a 90 or above to survive, and it would go up by one every region report... So no, there was really no way for him to survive, especially because he died a year after the war ended in canon.

As for Aerys... he's young and ambitious, with a wife he loves and adores, who can keep his head on his shoulders most of the time and can assemble quite a small council.

So I think he can do well.
 
Im not happy about the city charter it makes no sense, it should have been given to house Arryn to choose were it would be placed.
 
Count Sinner said:
Im not happy about the city charter it makes no sense, it should have been given to house Arryn to choose were it would be placed.
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The fingers were the most natural place to put this port.

It's more of a military port then a true trading port, even though it can also function like one as well. The fingers, a very defensible position on the coastline with high cliffs and safe harbors, is key in that matter of defensibility, and ability to react quickly to anywhere in the Vale.

And Jon chose who got to be the new man in charge of the city as well.

So we made our cake and ate it too in this entire deal.
 
Some random kinght(who isn't even a lord in the first place!) being given a city charter because some vague reasons and one dice roll just handwaving all the complaints and politicking that should come with it is dumb. I think this severely underestimates how big a deal a city charter is in Westeros. There's no way you give that to a knight, there's like what a grand total of five actual cities in Westeros? giving whats potentially the sixth major city in Westeros to not even a lord seems totally loony. Like there's generous and then there's irrationally generous there's just no way an old wise lord would give a city to a a brave knight no matter how brave. Its like in the original TL Selmy kills the Blackfyre and is given a city? come on.
 
Given the new legal codes of the Westerlands I feel that Tywin becoming Master of Laws is only a matter of time.

Is Pycelle still Grand Maester?
 
kobo said:
Some random kinght(who isn't even a lord in the first place!) being given a city charter because some vague reasons and one dice roll just handwaving all the complaints and politicking that should come with it is dumb. I think this severely underestimates how big a deal a city charter is in Westeros. There's no way you give that to a knight, there's like what a grand total of five actual cities in Westeros? giving whats potentially the sixth major city in Westeros to not even a lord seems totally loony. Like there's generous and then there's irrationally generous there's just no way an old wise lord would give a city to a a brave knight no matter how brave. Its like in the original TL Selmy kills the Blackfyre and is given a city? come on.
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Considering that this "random knight" was one of the people who saved Jon aryans heir I think that he is going to be rewarded (Bronn was a fought well at blackwater and he was granted a castle). And it makes sense to give it to new blood. Granting the charter to any of our current vassals would have accusations of favoritism heaped upon them and breed resentment in the vale. Also did Selmy was a Kingsguard when he killed the blackfire so he could not be given lands
 
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kobo said:
Some random kinght(who isn't even a lord in the first place!) being given a city charter because some vague reasons and one dice roll just handwaving all the complaints and politicking that should come with it is dumb.
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I'm sorry what?

Tormo earned becoming a lord, that much is without question.

Now, you can argue that this reward is far too much for someone like Tormo, a landed knight who just rose to prominence in the last two years. But the same could be said for quite a few people in history... Looking at you Napoleon. The time a situation may be different, but people acting upon the chances they get are not.

And Tormo definitely acted upon his chances.

Tormo saved Arstan's life, something that should not be taken lightly, especially with a man like Jon, who adores and protects his son to the point of not trying to allow him to fight.

Tormo is and was a hero in the war, with a reputation. He fought in several key battles and has become friends and allies with several, very important people in Westerosi politics, including the Lord Commander of the Kings guard, Blackfish, many of the Vale Lords, Our Dad and us.

There is a practical element in Jon's choice.

Jon, instead of risking starting feuds between his lords on who he chooses to take the charter... decided it would be better to make a new noble house of the Vale, rather than potentially start a generations-long blood feud between his other houses, and destroy the Vale.

Yes, he risks the balance of power being shifted and make his lords hate him for a while, but that may be worth the wealth that that city will provide, and the power projection that it will bring to the Vale.

Finally, Jon, being a human being clouded by the same biases, judgments, and failings like everyone else.

He might not see the full picture for a hundred years from now, he can only see the choice in front of him.

He is allowed to make emotional choices, based on sentimentality, based on friendship and comradery from a war that has just been fought and the need to repay a debt he believes he cannot possibly repay.

To put it bluntly, he is human, and that's what ASOAIF really is in the end.

Humans making choices. and living with the consequences of those choices.
Zulfy said:
Who hates our guts? Some Blackfyre remnant?
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A lot of people hate our dad for his 007 escapades in Bravvos and during the war.

A lot of people.
 
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kobo said:
Some random kinght(who isn't even a lord in the first place!) being given a city charter because some vague reasons and one dice roll just handwaving all the complaints and politicking that should come with it is dumb. I think this severely underestimates how big a deal a city charter is in Westeros. There's no way you give that to a knight, there's like what a grand total of five actual cities in Westeros? giving whats potentially the sixth major city in Westeros to not even a lord seems totally loony. Like there's generous and then there's irrationally generous there's just no way an old wise lord would give a city to a a brave knight no matter how brave. Its like in the original TL Selmy kills the Blackfyre and is given a city? come on.
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Kobo does have a point. In the 12th century Holy Roman Empire city charter is one of those things that the lords constantly fight over. There's bound to be a shit load of competition to get it and those can get downright vicious. Not to mention the risk of the lord becoming a more powerful vassal made the Emperor ever wary of passing on a city charter.

I honestly don't know how big of a deal a city charter is in Westeros but judging by the quote that
Lord Harroway's Town said:
The river kings of old refused charters which would have allowed towns like Fairmarket, Saltpans, and Harroway to expand and potentially become cities
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I can make a guess that they were a rather big deal. While I can buy Jon giving it to a sufficiently talented administrator, a newcomer knight suddenly getting one should have drawn a substantial amount of ire from the lords of the Vale.
 
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taovkool said:
I can make a guess that they were a rather big deal. While I can buy Jon giving it to a sufficiently talented administrator, a newcomer knight suddenly getting one should have drawn a substantial amount of ire from the lords of the Vale.
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i shall say this again:

Jon is being... sentimental and believes he owes Tormo a debt he cannot repay, for saving his son's life. Something I again say, should not be taken lightly.

He's making a choice based on his emotions, and how best to prevent bloodshed in the Vale, which also affecting his choice of who to give the future city to.

He won't show favoritism to his vassals and instead brings up a knightly house to prominence as a compromise, and a way to at least keep a hand on the situation.

So he chose a man who was both a Hero to the Vale and the realm and a friend to quite a few of his bannerman. Tormo Balish.

And Tormo is not incompetent, he's just not Tywin levels of administrative Genius. So he won't get the city up under budget and ahead of schedule, but he won't squander the money and make the city not happen. Especially Since Jon is heavily investing in the cities development with his War spoils, and has quite a bit of weight from property owned in the city's plans.

Plus, with the way the realm is going, cities might be getting quite a few charters all over the realm so that we might have a merchant class growing in a few decades.
 
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Magoose said:
Until it inevitably leads to chaos, because greed, anger and... potential daddy/sibling issues are a thing.
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That is a given. It doesn't have to be suicidal levels of chaos, though, and even if things go to hell eventually your descendants can still be just fine. When there were no more Merovingians, there were Karlings. When there were no more Karlings, there were... pretty much every other descendant noble house. Just with the serial numbers filed off and a new name because pretty much everyone is a damn Karling after a certain point.

Westeros is more stable, thankfully, due to the fact that its traditions don't really allow for what players of strategy games call 'border gore': Where lands and titles get traded around or divided due to inheritance, leaving the map a tattered gerrymander'd mess where everybody has a claim on everything and you barely know who you are working for much less have reason for loyalty. That sort of bullshit ends poorly.

The Vale is the Vale is the Vale. Thank fucking god.

That avoids 70% of the problems Europe ever had to deal with. The fact that the Faith isn't prone to religious schism, and thus doesn't feel inclined to constant reactionary measures, takes care of another 15%.
Magoose said:
A little question:

Since our youth is finally done: What do you think of the quest so far?

is it good? Bad? Average?

Are there things you like? Things you dislike?

Things I can do better? You know that sort of thing.
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It was a little faster than I'd like. Childhood felt extremely rushed. With the earlier half this made sense because, really, children are mostly bustled around based on the whims of adults. Later on we arguably would have had enough agency to warrant a little bit more of a slow down, a few more scenes where we get to make choices... or at least build off of previous ones. Most of our experiences are a barely remembered smear.

Just from a character piece standpoint, its hard to picture what an average hour is like... say... sitting in the same room with Tywin Lannister. It a scene we might be told happens but which is never really painted. The same for things that would have had a lot of significance for our character, like being captive with our life on the line, which may have been resolved but which should still have had personal implications. A few paragraphs of exchange with a guard who is surprised that we can speak his language, his being selected specifically because he can't speak Westerosi common, would have made things a little bit more real for us.

We certainly didn't need a step by step for the entire war, or all of childhood, or whatever. But character pieces are important for immersion.

The best thing in this game is that you told the stations of canon to go screw themselves to death with a cheese grater, even without our character's involvement. Tytos Lannister's calling in his debts due to a couple good rolls of the dice being the best example case. NPCs have free will outside of the control of yourself and any narrative you are trying to weave and that is so damn refreshing.
 
Modus_Tollens said:
ust from a character piece standpoint, its hard to picture what an average hour is like... say... sitting in the same room with Tywin Lannister. It a scene we might be told happens but which is never really painted. The same for things that would have had a lot of significance for our character, like being captive with our life on the line, which may have been resolved but which should still have had personal implications. A few paragraphs of exchange with a guard who is surprised that we can speak his language, his being selected specifically because he can't speak Westerosi common, would have made things a little bit more real for us.

We certainly didn't need a step by step for the entire war, or all of childhood, or whatever. But character pieces are important for immersion
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Okay so a few more character introspections, maybe longer updates for more details... I can do that, but update times may be slowed.
Modus_Tollens said:
The best thing in this game is that you told the stations of canon to go screw themselves to death with a cheese grater, even without our character's involvement. Tytos Lannister's calling in his debts due to a couple good rolls of the dice being the best example case. NPCs have free will outside of the control of yourself and any narrative you are trying to weave and that is so damn refreshing
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I wanted Westeros to be a living, breathing world, where we may have affected it slightly by our existence, but it's how people change and grow because of our existence and the events after it, which is something I really love to do.

People don't stay on the beaten path because they need to by way of canon.

They alter their course, change their direction and in a sense, become new people in the process.

Tormo got a lordship because he served Jon Arryn well in the war in one life.

He gained a city and even greater political power for saving our life in another.

A different yet similar outcome, that is still compliment to some form of canon.

And that is just one example.
 
If we spend much time at home?

We should probably do a small amount of surveying for the new city, since the idea of the city is settled upon but none of the details set. We see through the eyes of a damn falcon, a creature with vision something like eight times better than the theoretical human ideal, and which could probably go twenty thousand feet up without sweating it.

It will be even more important if we make a move on the Mountain Clansmen because we will probably be the only person who has drawn a map of the place in the history of mankind.
Magoose said:
Okay so a few more character introspections, maybe longer updates for more details... I can do that, but update times may be slowed.
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At some point the audience will start filling in the details if you can give an outline.

No author has to be as fast updating as Destiny or as freakishly longwinded as Alcoholism.
Magoose said:
Tormo got a lordship because he served Jon Arryn well in the war in one life.

He gained a city and even greater political power for saving our life in another.
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The only reason I have an issue with that is that its going to be several lifetimes before the resulting 'city' is of sufficient population to require the charter. But dad has the viewpoint that Vale history is thousands of years old and that it still has thousands of years to go, several lifetimes being barely worth worrying about.
 
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Modus_Tollens said:
If we spend much time at home?
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I mean, you can totally choose to stay at the Eyrie and help Jon Govern the Vale for a bit. Or you can spend time with Uncle Yohn at Runestone or chill with your bro Marq in Gulltown, or help Tormo build his city. The Vale is yours after all, and it can be quite fruitful for you to do that.

Or you can pull a Blackfish and travel with Rhaella, and a company of soldiers across the realm as a tourney knight, and try to earn honor, glory and money that way. You can certianly go off on adventures that may make you even more famous then you currently are.

Traveling the world is an option, but one I do not recommend. Westeros is your duty, and going gallivanting off on foreign adventures is a way to miss very important news.

Or you can travel the Seven kingdoms, visiting the great wonders of the world, like the Wall, or the Hightower, and the great keeps of the regions.

I'm going to give you a lot of choice, hopefully you all will be able to debate and enjoy said choices.

Modus_Tollens said:
The only reason I have an issue with that is that its going to be several lifetimes before the resulting 'city' is of sufficient population to require the charter. But dad has the viewpoint that Vale history is thousands of years old and that it still has thousands of years to go, several lifetimes being barely worth worrying about.
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That may be true, but Once the city is established, the charter will be needed. and Jon wanted a reward for his service during the war, and having a charter given to him now, so he can hold onto it in his back pocket for the future can also lead to potential check mating on future kings who might see a city like Fingerton as a threat to their power.
 
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At Home: The Old Falcon
  • Sidestory
    • At Home: The Old Falcon

    (Jon POV)

    It was times like these that made you long for the steady peace of the Eyrie. Long had you missed the great fortress on the mountain, the home of your family, and your ancient and powerful line.

    It was quite fortuitous that you had learned of Rhaella pregnancy, from the rumor's of the column, that had circulated.

    Rhaella was no surprise to you. She was a young girl and… well Arstan and Rhaella never really tried to hide their sexual adventures once they began the long march up the East road to the Eyrie.

    Every night in their tent, they proceeded to pored and touch and fuck each other without a care in the world. Making up for all the time they lost due to the War.

    It reminded you of Jeyne and you before… before she died.

    You were sure the rumors would spread of your son and his lady wife lacking shame to at least attempt to hide their activities from others, but you did not mind it. They were both married, and they had been separated from each other for a long time. Far too long, if you wager a guess.

    You did not hide your glee at the thought of being a grandfather. No, not when longed for that very news since you arrived back home and the two disappeared in the celebrations at Gulltown.

    You had long given up hope to ever having another child again, your… impotence notwithstanding, you were an older man, not as young and virile as you were in your youth. And Rowena was over six and thirty, having already lost three children in her previous marriage, before her husband had divorced her, leaving her destitute and without a home or a husband for safety.

    She had wished to go to the Faith, but you had requested that she did not, offering your hand… out of both guilt and loneliness.

    You wanted some happiness for the remainder of your days on this world, and Rowena deserved better than to be blamed for not being able to bring children into this world, deemed a failure in the eyes of gods and men.

    You didn't love her… not immediately, but the companionship that you both had, and the pain of similar suffering, allowed you to bond in ways you didn't think another woman would be able to do.

    She wasn't just your wife, she was your friend. Someone you trusted that was not just bound to you by faith and marriage. And you thought that would be enough.

    Rowena's pregnancy was a complete surprise to everyone, especially you.

    That very news always made you weep with joy.

    The gods were done taking things away from you… Now they seemed to be giving you the things you have always wanted.

    A family.

    And that would be enough for you. That was well worth the cane, and the pain you feel every day in your side and your leg.

    It would always be worth it.

    AN: Or Jon reacting to having his family grow.
     
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