Military
-Knowledge is Power: 1d100+22 =31. Brandon tried to hire some poachers, thinking they would be best suited for the sort of work he had in mind, but it seems that most were more interested in stealing gold than anything else. Brandon's skill hunting and fighting did impress quite a few of them, however, and they stayed impressed all the way to the Night's Watch. After those first attempts, Brandon decided to look elsewhere for scouts. Failure, can try again.
-Levy Drills: 1d100+22 = 99. While there are poachers and thieves aplenty in the North, the vast majority of its people are stout, honest, and steadfast. Brandon is reminded of this again and again as he rides out with guardsmen, teaches blacksmiths who only ever made plows to make spears and billhooks, and leads farmers in drill. The tramp of their feet flattens the ground as they march in step and hold mock battles and sparring matches. Brandon comes home after long months of travel, a smile on his face. "It's a start." He tells you. Levy soldiers better trained.
Diplomacy
-Foster Children: 1d100+19 = 115. Second Roll: 1d100+15 = 91. You send out your ravens to the houses of the North, expecting a fairly substantial response. What you get is a veritable tide of letters, practically overwhelming poor Maester Brynden. At first, Jeyne seems overwhelmed by the sheer number of letters, but then she starts taking letters, pinning them to the wall, tying them together with string. You try and follow her explanations and logic, but there's so much you don't know, as she seems to have memorized every house in the North and every single one's complete history. After nearly a month, the tide has slowed and Jeyne presents you with a plan for who to foster at Winterfell and who to suggest (politely but firmly) should foster with who and who should definitely not ever foster with who. It makes your head hurt, but it will work. It will definitely work. Everyone wants to foster, complex but brilliant fostering scheme proposed.
-Settle the Feud: 1d100+19+20=66. House Manderly and House Hornwood both send their heirs to present their cases. You have to admit, they put a lot of effort into this. More than you really expected, considering the relatively small amount of gold at stake. You suspect both are just too proud to back down at this point which will pretty much guarantee them accepting any decision you make. Favoring either house will still upset the other, though. So you declare the matter settled, keep taxes and rates the same, order House Manderly to pay an insignificant compensation…and then approach each heir in private to appreciate their steadfast loyalty and acknowledge that your decision was not perfectly fair. But surely your lord father will understand the political necessities of such an action. "Of course, of course!" The two heirs say, sounding eerily alike. Feud resolved, no opinion loss.
Stewardship
-Cattle Ranching: 1d100+18+5 = 31. Oh yes, you have plenty of cattle. The problem is that most of your smallfolk need those cows where they are, pulling plows and providing milk for individual families. You try and purchase from several families, then you try and arrange for some local merchants to do the same. Neither approach proves successful. Failure, can try again. Costs recouped.
-Shearing Sheep: 1d100+18+5 = 72. Sheep are much less dear to your smallfolk, which you suppose makes sense. The coin you spend arranging this affair will buy them a great many clothes, and when they are not farming or drilling they can hire themselves as shepherds for more coin. Purchasing a decent stock of sheep and arranging for some competent people to take over the day to day business takes up much of the season. Locked 1 Season.
Learning
-Of Children's Tales: 1d100+20 = 115. Second Roll: 1d100+15 = 53. Maester Brynden begins looking through his library, but he sends his assistants out to speak to the smallfolk. One of them, in a ridiculous stroke of fortune, stepped on a rotten board with just enough force to break it. After pulling his leg out and treating it, they noticed that the space below the board had been used to store books. While most had rotted away, enough scraps remained legible to provide some extensive information on the foes you face: The Beastman, who were a great scourge at the very beginning of the Age of Heroes. Servants of the Wild Gods, "more savage than the most bestial Old God of River, Rock, and Sky", who feel physical pain at the sight of a chopped down tree and can covert men and beasts into more of their number. Their strength is immense, their knowledge of the wild paths incredible, their magic capable of turning friends on each other in a savage fury or filling the stoutest man's heart with raw terror. Reward: Detailed information on the Beastmen.
-Grinding Grain: With the events of the past few months, the completion of the waterwheel almost goes unnoticed. The smallfolk who live nearby realize of course, waiting in line to see their wheat ground into flour by the power of water. It proves a success, and to your amusement, Brynden's confusion, and Master Roose the miller's frustration, it also proves very popular with children, who love grabbing onto its sides as it spins around and around. +50 to farming income, new options unlocked.
Piety
-Winter's Runes: 1d100+25+5 = 46. Frost has been distracted this season. The arrival of the Beastman and the revelation of the existence of the Wild Gods seems to have disturbed him greatly. He has also been tending to the newly grown weirwoods, carving their faces and taking cuttings to plant across the land. As a result, he just hasn't gotten around to studying the runes in any particular detail. Failure, can try again.
-The Southern Clans: 1d100+25 = 92. Visiting the South was one of the things which kept Frost busy. He traveled the Neck, visited High Heart, and then vanished into the Vale. Ever since then you have received occasional messages, some assuring you he is all right and some asking that you pass them to Castle Green. Long months pass before you see him again, and he only came back to gather some weirwood cuttings before leaving again. Locked 1 Season.
Intrigue
-Beyond the Wall: 1d100+18 = 62. Keeping up with running his network in the Vale and the North keeps Rivers too busy to manage his usual spectacular successes or failures, which is good for your stress levels if nothing else. He makes a few visits with men of the Watch and even travels to Skagos, coming back with a stabbed soldier and a report of success. It will still take more time than he would like to get something up and running. Locked 1 Season.
-Deeper Rivers: 1d100+18 = 78. The trend of Rivers not doing anything too outrageous continues. He apparently spent several days drawing the ruins of Oldstones, but other than that his behavior was perfectly reasonable as he got in touch with his contacts, made a few new ones, and even met with a couple of disgruntled ironborn who would be willing to talk about goings-on in Fairmarket…for a price, of course. Locked 1 Season.
Personal
-Dealing with Direwolves: 1d100+5 = 61. You visit the wolves as they lay in the godswood one day. It is scarcely a minute before one of them, the largest, has fallen at your feet, offering its belly up for scratches. It's larger than some horses you have seen with teeth like daggers, but with you, he is like an overgrown puppy. Your entire family is rather impressed by the transformation, although Lady Stark insists that when Eddard and Edwyle go to visit they take guards. Brandon bonds second with the other male direwolf, a lithe brown creature with scarred flanks and torn ears.
It is a wonderful thing to see, you think. Starks with direwolves once more. The people of Winterfell can't help but agree, but the most wonderful thing is yet to come as the pregnant direwolf gives birth to five healthy pups. You have a direwolf. Brandon has a direwolf. There are five direwolf pups who are too young to bond.
-Family Time: 1d100 = 69. It's a wonderful thing to cross blades with your sons, and they take every opportunity to train with you, to the point it begins interfering with their lessons. Lessons you start attending, sitting in the back to make sure they attend and pay attention. Their skills slowly begin to develop with your encouragement.
Serena seems to love your direwolf. She's just become old enough to start running away from her minders, and she unerringly goes straight for you and your wolf, tugging its tail and burrowing her face into his fur. Sometimes this transitions to her sitting on her lap, sometimes she flees to avoid the nurse a little longer.
Your wife…your wife is glad enough to spend time with you suppose. You find yourself more awkward around her than you would like, which she seems to realize. And one night she visits you in her room, a frown on her face. "My husband…if you would like, you may call me Jeyne." She says, sitting on your bed. The two of you begin to talk. Then…well…a few weeks later, she tells you she is pregnant.
(Feel free to suggest names for the wolves. Also, you can now ask questions about the Beastmen and receive answers based on what's in those books you found. Lastly, I will be updating the Information threadmark tomorrow.)
