- Location
- barking
wow, it must be hell for the zealot wondering why the these bastards are getting murder beasts and what they plans are since in the eyes of the seven bastards are evil
The Game of Crusading Thrones, Self-Insert Edition (GoT CK2)
- Thread starter notbirdofprey
- Start date
- Fantasy
palebow
has no clue what he is doing
- Location
- the god-damned moon
there zealots double standers are there thing
Magic in the North
In general, magic is divided into two types: Gifted magic, which is innate to an individual, and ritual magic, which typically invokes some more powerful being such as the Old Gods to do something. It can be used to empower someone with a gift, albeit temporarily unless a great cost is paid. Gifted magic is usually fairly safe except for the obvious dangers – getting burned by an angry bonded dragon, accidentally getting stuck in a warged creature, etc.
Magic of the Old Gods.
Magic of the Old Gods tends to be associated with nature in some form or another. Wargs are the most common manifestation of the Gift. Rituals are often required to be performed before weirwoods or specially prepared standing stones. Runes can also be used to activate rituals with long-lasting effects. Self-sacrifice is greatly preferred for rituals where blood or valuables or suffering are required.
Magic of the Dragons
Little is known of the dragons, for they stayed far from the lands of the Children and the Greendream, but there works are known to involve much fire and blood. They are mighty and potent, warpers of flesh and creators of many artifacts of great power. The path of their magic is perilous, with many tests by the Fourteen for those who would study their rituals.
Magic of the Fey
The Fey are kin to the Old Gods, as they are kin to all magic, but the ties are far closer between the Greendream and the Courts. As such, the eyes of a heart tree are mightier ward against the fey than the blessed stone of a sept or the dragonstone temples of the Fourteen. The fey are a tricksome folk, fond of illusion and deception, yet unable to lie except beneath a roof of starstone. Each Court has tenets they are bound to, and changing Court is a near-complete unmaking of all a fey is. Though swift where the Old Gods and other faiths of the First Men are forgotten, they are cautious in the presence of old allies and foes. Each fey has a Name which is key to their power. Careful making of a pact will bind fey to service more loyal and steadfast than that of any man.
Magic of the Drowned God
Wrought of a broken, half-dead and all mad god, the Drowned God is a foe of the Old Gods. By bloody iron are its gifts given and rites enacted, by slaughter and reaving its power grows and life and sanity eroded away like rock before the endless crashing of waves. Sight of waters it gives to its chosen, and the endless strength and endurance of the sea, although all gifts come with a warping of the flesh and twisting of the mind. Its champions can summon fierce beasts of the sea to battle alongside them at great and grievous cost.
Magic of the Seven
The Seven would not call their blessings magic, for they despise it, but that is what it is in the end. Each of the Seven offers different gifts and answers different rites, "persuading" others of the glory of the Seven, healing wounds, strengthening armor and weapons, enforcing hierarchy, sundering chains…for every commandment of the Seven there is a rite and blessing, though the cost is often too great for all but their chosen champions.
Magic of the Old Gods.
Magic of the Old Gods tends to be associated with nature in some form or another. Wargs are the most common manifestation of the Gift. Rituals are often required to be performed before weirwoods or specially prepared standing stones. Runes can also be used to activate rituals with long-lasting effects. Self-sacrifice is greatly preferred for rituals where blood or valuables or suffering are required.
The Blessing of Strength – Those with the blessing of strength are far stronger than their frames would suggest. It can also manifest an incredible speed or agility, although this is much rarer.
The Blessing of Skill – Coming in many forms, those with the blessing of skill are innately gifted with ability, typically regarding animals (hunting, stealth, tracking), plants (growing, identifying, healing), or more rarely skill with rituals and runes.
The Blessing of Wit – Those blessed with wit can be keen of eye or ear, or find themselves able to confuse the wits and senses of others. A rare few can inspire or dampen courage through song and boast.
The Blessing of Sight – Greensight is a most uncommon gift, but allows glimpses of potential futures through strange, symbolic, and often confusing dreams.
The Blessing of Shaping –Those who can shape can most commonly manipulate plants, earth, or stone. Much rarer is the ability to shape air or water. Making it shift or change properties is most common. Being able to shift themselves through it is far rarer, and often carries restrictions and dangers. Rarest of all is the ability to form creatures of wood or vines or earth to serve their will.
The Blessing of Shifting – Those who can shift can shift themselves into animals in one form or another. Warging is the most common manifestation of this by far, but taking on aspects of a beast or even transforming into it is also possible. The Red Gift is a unique manifestation of this.
The Blessing of Life – Those who can heal wounds or worsen them with but a touch are the most common form of this gift. Rarely, some can transmit poison to others, although this is generally not a subtle thing. Rarest of all is those who can cure or cause disease.
The Blessing of Skill – Coming in many forms, those with the blessing of skill are innately gifted with ability, typically regarding animals (hunting, stealth, tracking), plants (growing, identifying, healing), or more rarely skill with rituals and runes.
The Blessing of Wit – Those blessed with wit can be keen of eye or ear, or find themselves able to confuse the wits and senses of others. A rare few can inspire or dampen courage through song and boast.
The Blessing of Sight – Greensight is a most uncommon gift, but allows glimpses of potential futures through strange, symbolic, and often confusing dreams.
The Blessing of Shaping –Those who can shape can most commonly manipulate plants, earth, or stone. Much rarer is the ability to shape air or water. Making it shift or change properties is most common. Being able to shift themselves through it is far rarer, and often carries restrictions and dangers. Rarest of all is the ability to form creatures of wood or vines or earth to serve their will.
The Blessing of Shifting – Those who can shift can shift themselves into animals in one form or another. Warging is the most common manifestation of this by far, but taking on aspects of a beast or even transforming into it is also possible. The Red Gift is a unique manifestation of this.
The Blessing of Life – Those who can heal wounds or worsen them with but a touch are the most common form of this gift. Rarely, some can transmit poison to others, although this is generally not a subtle thing. Rarest of all is those who can cure or cause disease.
Red Water of Earth: Difficulty: Simple. Power: Minor. Price: Domestic animal slain before a weirwood with shedding blood. The blood from the sacrifice is spread across a field. Effect: Increase to growth of plants touched by blood, increased robustness of plants touched by blood.
The Sacred Wood: Difficulty: Complicated. Power: Moderate. Price: Several hours of nonstop chanting. Effect: A single tree grows rapidly for several days.
Life Bloom: Difficulty: Extraordinary. Power: Potent. Price: Blood of the faithful, willingly shed and an intricate and varying chant which must change based off factors which are different for each individual. Effect: Plants the caster focuses on suddenly grow in seconds what would ordinarily take years, and then collapse dead and lifeless, all vitality drained, often turning to dust.
Thousand Foes Rite: Difficulty: Arduous. Power: Strong. Price: Powdered weirwood must be prepared with rare herbs and the blood of one with the Blessing of Wit while a chant is maintained for several hours. Effect: If the dust is used within a day of preparation, a great wind will scatter it into the eyes of the foe, and they will see two where there is one, a hundred where there is ten, five thousand where there is a hundred.
The Sacred Arrow-Working: Difficulty: Arduous. Power: Strong. Price: A long chant must be kept up while several arrows are carved from weirwood before a heart tree. One must be soaked in the blood of a brave man who willingly endures the wound, which will split open again once the arrow is fired. Effect: The arrows will be left alone for a night. At dawn, one arrow will be left, thrice as long as an ordinary one, lined with blood-red runes. This arrow will have unnatural grace in flight, slicing through the air with incredible accuracy and striking with great force and power.
Rite of the Given Sacrifice: Difficulty: Arduous. Power: Strong. Price: A wielder of magic foreign to the Greendream or an object empowered by the same must be slain or utterly destroyed before a heart tree, sundered, burned to ash, the ash mixed with sap and then buried or scattered on running water. Effect: The power invested is consumed by the Old Gods, who will give a boon as suits their desires. This boon is often stronger in one already favored by them.
Rite of the Warding Gift: Difficulty: Extraordinary. Power: Potent. Price: Blood of the faithful, freely given. Blood of the noble, willingly sacrificed. Blood of the innocent, gladly offered. All must be mixed with weirwood sap before a heart tree and used in the making of the talisman, which will help its bearer resist the effect of magic. Those already skilled in the ways of the Old Gods can use them to defy or dispel the powers of others.
Red Blessing of Earth: Difficulty: Simple. Power: Moderate. Price: Domestic animal slain before a weirwood with blood spilled into a bowl made of wet clay. The blood is spread across a field. Effect: Significant increase to growth of plants touched by blood, increased robustness of plants touched by blood.
The Blessed Threshold: Difficulty: Complicated. Power: Moderate. Price: A threshold must not be crossed for three days and three nights while a line of powdered weirwood and certain herbs is spread across it. Effect: The threshold is able to resist hostile supernatural beings such as dangerous fey with strength proportionate to the amount of people behind the threshold, how close they are, and the time since the rite.
The Invocation of the Eagle: Difficulty: Arduous. Power: Moderate. Price: A great eagle must be hunted by the one who performs the ritual. They must tear open its belly and feast on its guts and then its eyes before a heart tree, then weave the feathers into a garment they cannot remove for twelve days. Effect: For twelve times twelve days, their vision will be unnaturally sharp and unusually keen.
The Skycall Rite: Difficulty: Arduous. Power: Strong. Price: The one who performs the ritual must climb to the very top of a heart tree and cast their blood into the sky, doing this thrice each at dawn, dusk, high noon, and midnight. Effect: A large number of birds will come to the heart tree and answer the commands of the one who performed the ritual for twelve times twelve days. Note: using any eagles for the Invocation of the Eagle would be a bad idea.
The Beastbane Spear: Difficulty: Complicated. Power: Moderate. Price: A spear made of weirwood with an obsidian tip must be brought before a heart tree along with a captured beastmen or a piece of one of their grey trees. The spear must be used to destroy it, then the remains burned and the ashes spread across water. Then the one who would wield the spear must shed blood upon it. Effect: The spear becomes attuned to the wielder, allowing them to use it with greater skill. It also gains great strength and lethality when used against beastmen.
The Sundering of the Drowned: Difficulty: Extraordinary. Power: Potent. Price: The blood of servants of the Drowned Ones and servants of the Old Gods mingled with certain herbs drunk by the one who will perform a ritual. They will enter a dream where they must fend off the temptations of the Drowned Ones or perish. Effect: As long as they are in the dream, the magic of servants of the Drowned Ones will not heed their will, failing or backfiring or acting unpredictably. Called creatures will turn against their masters. Mutations will tear themselves away from those who bear them or simply cease functioning.
The Making of Feywine: Difficulty: Complicated. Power: Moderate. Price: Certain herbs and a drop of blood from one of the fey must be mixed together with honey and wine before a weirwood on the night of the full or new moon. If the wine is then drunk, the drinker will then find themselves drawn into the Land Between, and for a night and a day they may speak to the fey there without fear of immediate harm.
The Beastling's Blessing: Difficulty: Simple. Power: Moderate: Price: A wild beast is slain before a weirwood and part of its flesh is burned. The one who burns it will gain some benefit appropriate to the animal and part. For example, burning an eagle's eyes will give one keen sight, burning an owl's will give one night vision. This benefit will never last more than a week.
The Ancient Pact: Difficulty: Extraordinary. Power: Potent. Price: Knowledge of the Name of one of the Fey, which will be torn from your mind as the Old Gods use the power of the Greendream to call the Fey into your service for twelve years in exchange for a bargain they shall make with the Fey. It will be fair and freely given that it will be likely the fey will serve to the best of its ability.
The Sacred Wood: Difficulty: Complicated. Power: Moderate. Price: Several hours of nonstop chanting. Effect: A single tree grows rapidly for several days.
Life Bloom: Difficulty: Extraordinary. Power: Potent. Price: Blood of the faithful, willingly shed and an intricate and varying chant which must change based off factors which are different for each individual. Effect: Plants the caster focuses on suddenly grow in seconds what would ordinarily take years, and then collapse dead and lifeless, all vitality drained, often turning to dust.
Thousand Foes Rite: Difficulty: Arduous. Power: Strong. Price: Powdered weirwood must be prepared with rare herbs and the blood of one with the Blessing of Wit while a chant is maintained for several hours. Effect: If the dust is used within a day of preparation, a great wind will scatter it into the eyes of the foe, and they will see two where there is one, a hundred where there is ten, five thousand where there is a hundred.
The Sacred Arrow-Working: Difficulty: Arduous. Power: Strong. Price: A long chant must be kept up while several arrows are carved from weirwood before a heart tree. One must be soaked in the blood of a brave man who willingly endures the wound, which will split open again once the arrow is fired. Effect: The arrows will be left alone for a night. At dawn, one arrow will be left, thrice as long as an ordinary one, lined with blood-red runes. This arrow will have unnatural grace in flight, slicing through the air with incredible accuracy and striking with great force and power.
Rite of the Given Sacrifice: Difficulty: Arduous. Power: Strong. Price: A wielder of magic foreign to the Greendream or an object empowered by the same must be slain or utterly destroyed before a heart tree, sundered, burned to ash, the ash mixed with sap and then buried or scattered on running water. Effect: The power invested is consumed by the Old Gods, who will give a boon as suits their desires. This boon is often stronger in one already favored by them.
Rite of the Warding Gift: Difficulty: Extraordinary. Power: Potent. Price: Blood of the faithful, freely given. Blood of the noble, willingly sacrificed. Blood of the innocent, gladly offered. All must be mixed with weirwood sap before a heart tree and used in the making of the talisman, which will help its bearer resist the effect of magic. Those already skilled in the ways of the Old Gods can use them to defy or dispel the powers of others.
Red Blessing of Earth: Difficulty: Simple. Power: Moderate. Price: Domestic animal slain before a weirwood with blood spilled into a bowl made of wet clay. The blood is spread across a field. Effect: Significant increase to growth of plants touched by blood, increased robustness of plants touched by blood.
The Blessed Threshold: Difficulty: Complicated. Power: Moderate. Price: A threshold must not be crossed for three days and three nights while a line of powdered weirwood and certain herbs is spread across it. Effect: The threshold is able to resist hostile supernatural beings such as dangerous fey with strength proportionate to the amount of people behind the threshold, how close they are, and the time since the rite.
The Invocation of the Eagle: Difficulty: Arduous. Power: Moderate. Price: A great eagle must be hunted by the one who performs the ritual. They must tear open its belly and feast on its guts and then its eyes before a heart tree, then weave the feathers into a garment they cannot remove for twelve days. Effect: For twelve times twelve days, their vision will be unnaturally sharp and unusually keen.
The Skycall Rite: Difficulty: Arduous. Power: Strong. Price: The one who performs the ritual must climb to the very top of a heart tree and cast their blood into the sky, doing this thrice each at dawn, dusk, high noon, and midnight. Effect: A large number of birds will come to the heart tree and answer the commands of the one who performed the ritual for twelve times twelve days. Note: using any eagles for the Invocation of the Eagle would be a bad idea.
The Beastbane Spear: Difficulty: Complicated. Power: Moderate. Price: A spear made of weirwood with an obsidian tip must be brought before a heart tree along with a captured beastmen or a piece of one of their grey trees. The spear must be used to destroy it, then the remains burned and the ashes spread across water. Then the one who would wield the spear must shed blood upon it. Effect: The spear becomes attuned to the wielder, allowing them to use it with greater skill. It also gains great strength and lethality when used against beastmen.
The Sundering of the Drowned: Difficulty: Extraordinary. Power: Potent. Price: The blood of servants of the Drowned Ones and servants of the Old Gods mingled with certain herbs drunk by the one who will perform a ritual. They will enter a dream where they must fend off the temptations of the Drowned Ones or perish. Effect: As long as they are in the dream, the magic of servants of the Drowned Ones will not heed their will, failing or backfiring or acting unpredictably. Called creatures will turn against their masters. Mutations will tear themselves away from those who bear them or simply cease functioning.
The Making of Feywine: Difficulty: Complicated. Power: Moderate. Price: Certain herbs and a drop of blood from one of the fey must be mixed together with honey and wine before a weirwood on the night of the full or new moon. If the wine is then drunk, the drinker will then find themselves drawn into the Land Between, and for a night and a day they may speak to the fey there without fear of immediate harm.
The Beastling's Blessing: Difficulty: Simple. Power: Moderate: Price: A wild beast is slain before a weirwood and part of its flesh is burned. The one who burns it will gain some benefit appropriate to the animal and part. For example, burning an eagle's eyes will give one keen sight, burning an owl's will give one night vision. This benefit will never last more than a week.
The Ancient Pact: Difficulty: Extraordinary. Power: Potent. Price: Knowledge of the Name of one of the Fey, which will be torn from your mind as the Old Gods use the power of the Greendream to call the Fey into your service for twelve years in exchange for a bargain they shall make with the Fey. It will be fair and freely given that it will be likely the fey will serve to the best of its ability.
Magic of the Dragons
Little is known of the dragons, for they stayed far from the lands of the Children and the Greendream, but there works are known to involve much fire and blood. They are mighty and potent, warpers of flesh and creators of many artifacts of great power. The path of their magic is perilous, with many tests by the Fourteen for those who would study their rituals.
Magic of the Fey
The Fey are kin to the Old Gods, as they are kin to all magic, but the ties are far closer between the Greendream and the Courts. As such, the eyes of a heart tree are mightier ward against the fey than the blessed stone of a sept or the dragonstone temples of the Fourteen. The fey are a tricksome folk, fond of illusion and deception, yet unable to lie except beneath a roof of starstone. Each Court has tenets they are bound to, and changing Court is a near-complete unmaking of all a fey is. Though swift where the Old Gods and other faiths of the First Men are forgotten, they are cautious in the presence of old allies and foes. Each fey has a Name which is key to their power. Careful making of a pact will bind fey to service more loyal and steadfast than that of any man.
Pact of the Red Fey: Difficulty: Complicated. Power: Potent. Price: The pact-maker must find a troupe of redcaps, a band of the Wild Hunters, or a gang of Night Singers, convince them not to kill him, and then offer them blood to soak their caps, mighty foes and trophies, or screams of terror in the night. They will serve until there is nothing to slay, and give fair warning should they choose to leave.
Pact of the Green Fey: Difficulty: Complicated. Power: Potent. Price: The pact-maker must find a dryad, a troll, or a school of merfolk, convince them he means no harm, and then offer them a sheltered grove, a bridge to set their toll for, or clean water and rocks to sun themselves. They will serve as long as the pact is kept.
The Binding Pact: Difficulty: Complicated. Power: Potent. Price: The pact-maker must hang a living person in the middle of a circle of standing stones, with candle and harp song and mirror to distract the summoned Sidhe from the insult of being put in debt. Twine wrapped around their finger bones will set the duration of service.
The Song Pact: Difficulty: Extraordinary. Power: Potent. Price: A song must be sung before a Sidhe, a fine song they have never heard before. If it pleases them, they will enter the singer's service for a year and a day.
Pact of the Green Fey: Difficulty: Complicated. Power: Potent. Price: The pact-maker must find a dryad, a troll, or a school of merfolk, convince them he means no harm, and then offer them a sheltered grove, a bridge to set their toll for, or clean water and rocks to sun themselves. They will serve as long as the pact is kept.
The Binding Pact: Difficulty: Complicated. Power: Potent. Price: The pact-maker must hang a living person in the middle of a circle of standing stones, with candle and harp song and mirror to distract the summoned Sidhe from the insult of being put in debt. Twine wrapped around their finger bones will set the duration of service.
The Song Pact: Difficulty: Extraordinary. Power: Potent. Price: A song must be sung before a Sidhe, a fine song they have never heard before. If it pleases them, they will enter the singer's service for a year and a day.
Magic of the Drowned God
Wrought of a broken, half-dead and all mad god, the Drowned God is a foe of the Old Gods. By bloody iron are its gifts given and rites enacted, by slaughter and reaving its power grows and life and sanity eroded away like rock before the endless crashing of waves. Sight of waters it gives to its chosen, and the endless strength and endurance of the sea, although all gifts come with a warping of the flesh and twisting of the mind. Its champions can summon fierce beasts of the sea to battle alongside them at great and grievous cost.
Magic of the Seven
The Seven would not call their blessings magic, for they despise it, but that is what it is in the end. Each of the Seven offers different gifts and answers different rites, "persuading" others of the glory of the Seven, healing wounds, strengthening armor and weapons, enforcing hierarchy, sundering chains…for every commandment of the Seven there is a rite and blessing, though the cost is often too great for all but their chosen champions.
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Turn 18
Short Fall, Long Autumn, Year 108 AD
Eddard and Edwyle are both growing more eager about their desire to be married, and both are getting a little irritated when you tease them. You don't understand…they used to love it when they are younger. Jeyne seems more sympathetic to you now at least…you suppose the fact that you are faced with the prospect of them being separated is beginning to sink in through your skulls. Fortunately, you are distracted by the sheer volume of work needed to finish the many preparations for winter. Although the stocks of food are greater than you can remember, you are still inclined to caution, especially if you need to send men or supplies to the western houses to help protect them from the increasingly savage reavings or to repair the damage. Bear Island could certainly benefit from your aid, although they need supplies more than food at the moment. However, you have other concerns as well. Winter could make many projects far more difficult…or at least more expensive, and your income is liable to drop to some extent as well.
Countering that unfortunate news are two thoughts. With the formation of the carpenter's guild, barrels and furniture and wooden trinkets will be added to the trade goods sold in Wintertown and then taken to White Harbor to be shipped southwards or bought by peddlers and sold in castles and holdfasts and hamlets across the North. And that means more gold going into your coffers. Second, going into debt or delaying payment is far more common in long winters, and while it certainly won't make you popular, it will not be as widely condemned as it might have been.
You peer out the window, where the wind is howling and snow blowing. There will be a foot or two on the ground by the time it stops, but in your solar you are as warm as warm can be. Glancing down at your direwolf, who you really ought to name…Sentry or Warden might work…who seems even warmer than you thanks to his thick coat, you decide that you have done enough for the moment. A couple hours of petitions and then some time in the yard or the library might serve you well. And letting Eddard look over the papers will be good practice for when he rules. Passing by his room, you expect more sullen resentment, but instead he flashes you a smile before practically running off to do the tasks you set for him. Odd
(+1 Free Action)
[] Issue Command (Power Bloc): Give a command to those under your command, spending gold and favors to ensure that they will do so without dragging their feet. Even with the best of wills, failure is still possible of course. Time: Varies. Cost: Varies. DC: Varies. Reward: Varies. Please @ me when doing this action, which is a free action that can be done as many times as you want. Possible resources to spend include gold, Influence, upkeep, the services of your advisor (actions), and special resources. The difficulty will vary based off power, opinion, what the actual command is, and how much you spend.
Military: Brandon is the Champion of Winter and a skilled commander of soldiers. He has gotten scarily stealthy. Brandon Cassel isn't quite as good, but he fills in the gaps well enough. (Choose 1)
[] Build a Fleet (Location): Ironborn and slavers threaten your coasts, and you have gone long enough without a fleet. Order one of your vassals to begin constructing ships, and offer gold and workers to see it done. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 3000 gold. DC: 45. Reward: A new fleet, ??
[] Extra Forts: There are several forts of varying size and quality on your western coast now, along with any previously existing holdfasts. Brandon thinks that they could use more to better ensure that the villages there are protected, especially since some of the more vulnerable ones are either in what is technically your lands or in the lands of your petty vassals. Send some masons and carpenters out to build wooden and rough stone holdfasts near villages which don't have them. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 1000 gold. DC: 35. Reward: More fortifications along the western coast, ??
[] Wardens of the Road: The beastmen probably aren't a significant threat anymore. Most of the Wardens have had minimal encounters, and there have been no reports of beastmen attacks from any of your subjects, new or old. Have some of them patrol the roads around the Wolfswood and help deal with any bandits of other threats instead. Time: 1 season. Cost: 150 gold. DC: 30. Reward: Potential increase to trade income
[] Guard Training: Brandon has replaced all the dead or severely wounded guardsmen by now, or at least selected men who will serve as adequate replacements after their training is done. With some of his spare time, he could train other men to a similar standard for other houses. And naturally, he will encourage those men to remember their loyalties to Winterfell should the unthinkable happen…Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 150 gold. DC: 45. Reward: Other houses gain small number of men trained and equipped equivalent to Winterfell guard, vassal loyalty increased.
[] The Royal Order: The Wolfswood Wardens proved to be a substantial boon, hunting bandits across your lands and those of House Glover and Tallhart. Even with their limited numbers, the benefits were immense. Brandon envisions an order of men dedicated to patrolling and protecting your loyal subjects all across the North, all sworn directly to House Stark and the King of Winter. It would be an incredibly expensive proposition, in influence to found and persuade your vassals to accept this massive increase in royal authority, and in gold to upkeep and provide for. You would need to find and equip a vast amount of men, pay them…but having such a force would be incredibly useful, for a variety of reasons, especially if you burned your brain and remembered what the best armies in history did. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 900 gold. DC: 70. Reward: Influence Interludes
[] Improve the Wardens: The Wolfsguard does not quite have the strength or heavy equipment of the Winterfell Guard. Adding a small force of heavily trained and well armored men to their ranks would be a substantial force multiplier. It might be a bit upsetting to some of your vassals however – creating such a force implies that you think they will need them, and not everyone knows about your plans for the Ironborn. Time: 1 season. Cost: 800 gold, vassal approval, medium upkeep increase. DC: 40. Reward: Force roughly equivalent to Winterfell Guard added to the Wardens
[] Expand the Guard: Alternately, you could directly expand the Winterfell Guard. Increasing their size will upset your vassals less, since the cost will be borne entirely by you, and having the entire under your direct command is a comfort as well. If you increase the size of the guard anymore after this, you will likely need to build new barracks for them though. Time: 1 season. Cost: 800 gold, chance of vassal approval, high upkeep increase. DC: 45. Reward: Winterfell Guard increased in size.
[] Review Levies: It has been some time since Brandon had the opportunity to ride your immediate lands and make sure that the levies are in order and ready to come when called, and he has never done so for the newly expanded Wintertown. Have him take a few guards and make sure the sergeants are doing their jobs and that there aren't any villages or hamlets slacking on the number they will send. Time: 2 season. Cost: 250 gold. DC: 40. Reward: Levy readiness improved, ??
[] Fortify the Moat: Moat Cailin is quite possibly the strongest castle in the North, at least when it comes to attacking from the south. Ironborn have tried to attack it from sailing up the Fever River though, and they will certainly attempt it again should they become aware of your preparations. So Brandon wants to build some fortifications to help prevent that. The crannogmen won't like it, so you will have to do some soothing, but the benefits will be substantial. He has been consulting Maester Brynden and drawn up plans for your approval: an immense naval chain, two fortified towers to protect it, more watchtowers…Time: 3 seasons. Cost: 1600 gold, 1 Influence. DC: 45. Reward: Fever River heavily fortified. Locked 1 Season
[] Train the Scouts: Brandon and the Ghost-folk are incredibly stealthy. It seems likely that this has something to do with those cloaks you see sometimes, but it's also at least partly mundane skill. Have them show this to your Scouts and make them even stealthier. Time: 1 season. Cost: 150 gold. DC: 55. Reward: Winterfell Scouts better trained, more recruits.
[] Gifted Warriors: There are nearly a thousand wargs in Wintertown, and more scattered about your lands. There are a few hundred men and women blessed with incredible strength, albeit not to the level of the Mormont berserkers. There are people who can heal with a touch, people who can steal the courage of their foes with a song…the blessings of the Old Gods are many and mighty. Brandon intends to organize some of the Gifted into a force to be reckoned with upon the battlefield, or possibly in the more strategic sense. He has filled papers with possible uses for wargs alone – everything from delivering messages to using armored bulls as living battering rams. Time: 3 seasons. Cost: 600 gold, upkeep. DC: 55. Reward: Some sort of Gifted force attached to Winterfell guard. Type will be determined by dice rolls.
Diplomacy: Jeyne has become icily civil with you once more and has not come to your rooms in some time. Of late, she alternates between one of the newer septwoods and the sept itself. (Choose 2)
[] Speak to Kings (Kingdom): There are other kings to the south of you. Perhaps you should open up talks with one of them. Though all of them are Andals and ironborn, you doubt any of them would outright refuse you…Time: 1 season. Cost: 50 gold. DC: 50. Reward: Positive diplomatic contact.
[] Speak with Vassals (Region): Most of your direct vassals are loyal and trustworthy, but it's good to keep an eye on them all the same. And if any of them have trouble, you might be able to help. Time: 1 season. Cost: 50 gold. DC: 30. Reward: Vassal relations boosted, aware of problems
[] Throw a Feast: Ordinarily, you would not throw a feast this close to winter, but given the state of the stores you are willing. It will be grander than normal, serving as an enormous statement of your power and wealth, and it will make a very solid impression on your vassals and allow you an opportunity to politick and persuade and make a few subtle deals on one matter or another. Time: 1 season. Cost: 1750 gold, Surplus goes down one level. DC: 25. Reward: 2d6 Influence, chance of increased vassal opinion
[] Play Nice: Write some letters, send a gift or two, make some minor arrangements and deals with some of your vassals. The political game is not one most would associate with Northmen, but it is played, even if it very different than it is south of the Neck. Time: 1 season. Cost: 300 gold. DC: 55. Reward: 1d4-1 Influence, small chance of increased vassal opinion
[] Sell Supplies: While House Mormont will also certainly recover on their own easily enough, you have an excess of food and plenty of timber. Sell it to them for a reasonable price, making a tidy profit. It will brook you no resentment, but no great favor either. Fortunately the docks at Torrhen's Lake are good enough to handle the carracks needed for sending them what they need. Time: 1 season. Cost: 500 gold. DC: 25. Reward: 1200 gold.
[] Give Supplies: While House Mormont will also certainly recover on their own easily enough, you have an excess of food and plenty of timber. Give it freely, don't even charge for transportation. It will certainly make an impression and remind your bannermen that it is more than steel and oaths made at swordpoint that sees House Stark the royal house. And thanks to the new docks on Torrhen's Lake, it will be relatively simple to load the carracks needed for sending them the necessary supplies. Time: 1 season. Cost: 500 gold. DC: 25. Reward: 1d3+1 Influence, increased Mormont opinion, chance of increased vassal opinion.
[] Speak to Giants: The giants are gathering, and apparently amenable to listening to the smaller folk. In six months or so, travel beyond the Wall will be impossible, so you will take advantage of this while you can and send a representative north in the hopes of securing some manner of aid, an alliance, or possibly settlers. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 300 gold. DC: 65. Reward: Friendly contact with giants.
[] Show Favor(House): There are many ways for a king to show his favor to his bannermen. Positions can be given, tithes restructured, minor aid offered. And of course, there are always gifts – a horse from the royal stables or a Winterfell hound would be highly prized even by the greatest houses of the North. Even simple praise would see some hold their heads higher and answer your call prompter. If you have need of a particular House's aid, showing your favor to them may make persuading them far easier, especially if you are not blatantly obvious about your reasons for doing so. If you are extremely skillful in showing your favor, you may even inspire others to strive higher in hopes of earning similar rewards. Time: 1 season. Cost: 100 gold, 1 Influence. DC: 25/50/75. Reward: House opinion boost, 1d2-1 Influence/Large house opinion boost , 1d2+1 Influence/Large house opinion boost, general vassal opinion boost, 1d4+1 Influence.
Stewardship: The Poole's have always served the Starks. You can remember your father telling him that as a boy. Jaime Poole has continued that tradition, and ably. (Choose 0)
[] Improve Roads (Basic): The roads in Winterfell are little more than mud tracks, and you can quite literally drown in them after a spring thaw. It will take extensive time and lots of gold to make them proper roads, but there's plenty of room for improvement. Time: 1 season. Cost: 500 gold. DC: 40. Reward: Better (but not good) roads around Winterfell.
[] Cattle Ranching: There are lots of cows now on your land. There's lots of land without any people. Put the two together to begin expanding your cattle herds and selling the meat and leather and milk. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 200 gold. DC: 30. Reward: New options unlocked, increase to trade.
[] From Wool To Yarn: You have arranged for a sheep farming business that is doing well enough, but you want to improve it. Selling yarn is much more valuable than selling raw wool. Hire some more workers and have them scour and card the raw wool and make it into yarn to sell. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 300 gold. DC: 55. Reward: Increase to trade.
[] Setting Standards: You have designed your standard weight and measure system and found semi-logical reasons for them. Now comes the difficult part: getting others to use them. While everyone can see the benefit, deciding who needs to change tends to be troublesome. Fortunately, you are the king and can simply order people to use your system, although that's only really practical in Wintertown thanks to the Snowcloaks and your civil service being so efficient. Arrange a meeting with the not-quite guildmasters and the head of the smith's guild, give your orders to the King's Men in Wintertown who run the bureaucracy, and have the standard system spread across Wintertown and some of the immediate neighborhood. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 300 gold. DC: 55. Reward: Standard weights and measures system used in Wintertown and surrounding areas. Note: may cause temporary issues with trade.
[] Mines (Difficult): It will be expensive in blood, in time, in labor, in coin. Perhaps it is foolish, perhaps not. But all the most valuable ores are on the highest peaks, and you need the income these mines will provide. Time: 5 seasons. Cost: 1800 gold. DC: 70. Reward: Major new income source.
[] Expand the Surveys: The mountains clans have heard about the wealth you found in the mountains. Now they spend what time they can spare searching for ores and gems in their land. Hire the prospectors again and have them search through the rest of the mountains. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 300 gold. DC: 45. Reward: Knowledge of resources in the rest of the mountains.
[] New Mills: Build more water wheels and set them up with grindstones. Free up livestock and grind grain faster. Poole gets quite the gleam in his eye when he talks about all the things he could do with more waterwheels. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 400 gold. DC: 30. Reward: Increase to farming income.
[] Other Artisans: The forges are already bringing in wealth, and the amount will certainly grow. But people need more than iron and steel. They need houses and furniture and carts and all manner of things. Some will come naturally, but more will come if you encourage them some. Time: 1 season. Cost: 300 gold. DC: Special. Reward: Increase to trade, increased chance of guilds forming.
[] Forest for the Trees: Axyl the Chief (so-called to distinguish him from the other four Axyls in his clan) told Brandon all about how wonderful red yew was for bows. Unfortunately, there isn't that much of it in the Wolfswood, but there are quite a few men who know how to coax trees to grow. Time: 3 seasons. Cost: 500 gold. DC: 40. Reward: More red yew, new options unlocked. Locked 1 Seasons.
[] The Wolf's Walls: One of the best ways to distinguish an actual town from a collection of houses and shops is the presence of walls. Only chartered towns may have them, and while your town lacks them it will never quite be seen properly. They also serve the twin functions of defense and helping keep order. Time: 3 seasons. Cost: 800 gold. DC: 25. Reward: Wintertown gets good walls.
[] New Farm Tools: Begin paying artisans to create seed drills, and arrange for them to be used by some of the farmers around Wintertown. Given the season, they probably won't see much use, and you don't have the industry to make very many, but it will be a start. Time: 1 season. Cost: 750 gold. DC: 40. Reward: Small increase to farming income, will increase in later turns. Small increase to food surplus.
[] Establish Shipyards (Location): Before building a fleet, you need to establish the groundwork. Barrowton has docks, but they are not particularly large. All Bear Island has are a few piers for fishing boats, and the same is true for Torrhen's Lake. White Harbor is really the only place in the North with the facilities to construct large ships. It's time to change that. Begin constructing docks, gathering timber and rope and tar, and establishing all the things you will need to build and service a powerful fleet. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 750 gold. DC: 50. Reward: Cost reduction for shipbuilding, improved results and the chance of success for shipbuilding actions, possible increase to trade. Locked 1 Season
[] Improve Roads (Advanced): Use the concrete and hard labor to build Roman roads all around Winterfell and Wintertown, greatly facilitating trade and increasing the speed of travel all throughout your domain. Costly, but certainly worth it. Time: 5 seasons. Cost: 1700 gold, upkeep. DC: 50. Reward: Really good roads all through your lands, increase to trade.
[] Another Survey: Finding everyone with the Gift in the North is probably impossible for many years. Finding everyone in Winterfell, Wintertown, and the immediate surroundings? Thanks to your civil service, it will be almost effortless. Take a survey and find everyone with some form of the Gift and try and get an idea of how many people there are with magic in your immediate surroundings. Time: 1 season. Cost: 200 gold. DC: 30. Reward: Survey of all magic-users in the immediate area, idea of how many there are in the North, partial list of types of magic in the North.
[] More Logging Camps: When logging camps were first set up, nearly a dozen sites were surveyed, but only a few were selected in the end. There simply wasn't enough gold to build all the shelters and purchase all the tools needed. Fortunately, this means that with some more gold more logging camps can be established in very little time. Really, the only preparation required will be building shelters and then the woodsmen can get to cutting trees and sending them back to Wintertown. Time: 1 season. Cost: 300 gold. DC: 25. Reward: One-time income, increase to logging income, increase to trade.
[] Water and Steel: Construct waterwheels by the Royal Forges, and link them to enormous hammers, allowing the metal to be beaten with greater force and more regularity than is humanly possible. Most likely the main use will be for helping to process ore for the smelters and for producing more wrought iron. It will not revolutionize smithing, but it will make iron cheaper and increase the amount of good quality metal in the North, and neither is a bad thing. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 200 gold. DC: 30. Reward: Increase to trade income, increase to farming income.
Learning: Maester Brynden is an old man who has served your family for many years. And he's not a bad man, for someone born south of the Neck. You gather he's something unusual among the knights of the mind as well, but he's heartened by word from Archmaester Wyllym. (Choose 2)
[] Request Books: The Citadel library is vast, and the Winterfell library tiny. Maester Brynden wants to get some books from the Citadel. One of the inner towers is largely empty, and he thinks it will be perfect for the beginnings of a library. Time: 1 season. Cost: 400 gold. DC: 35. Expanded library in Winterfell, bonus to some learning actions.
[] Copy Books: Create some copies of books for the Citadel. They will pay you a good price for it, but they will also be trying to figure out how you do it, and saying yes risks your monopoly. Saying no will get their attention as well though. Time: 1 season. Cost: 25 gold. DC: 35. Reward: Increased attention from the Citadel, one-time income.
[] What about Wind?: Water can be harnessed in a variety of ways, but the wind has power too. Could it be harnessed to spin millstones or saw trees into usable lumber? It will be a difficult process, but between a couple theories discussed in some of the newly copied books and the aid of the acolytes, Maester Brynden thinks he has good odds of developing something useful. Time: 3 seasons. Cost: 600 gold. DC: 60. Reward: Windmills. New actions unlocked
[] Improving Rivers: Not all rivers are suitable to place waterwheels on. Some don't have the necessary current to drive a wheel, some don't have a steep enough drop, some are simply to narrow. There are beasts which can shape the water to their needs – most prominently beavers, which are admittedly rare through much of the North. But if they can do it, surely men can as well? Time: 3 seasons. Cost: 600 gold. DC: 65. Reward: Dams, weirs, and mill ponds. New actions unlocked.
[] The Giant Tongue: From what reports you have heard, the tongue these giants speak is not quite the Old Tongue, and it is certainly not the Common Tongue either. For that matter, what are their customs, their titles, their values? Scan through some of the older books, speak with some of the wildlings in the Wolfswood, try and come up with something better than blind guesswork. Time: 1 season. Cost: 150 gold. DC: 55. Reward: +20 to Speak to Giants
[] Valyrian Steel Link: Have Archmaester Wyllym send you some trustworthy acolytes with a Valyrian steel link or two to help make sense of all these new magic and study some of the examples of more hostile magic such as the skin you found on the sea. Time: 1 season. Cost: 300 gold. DC: 70. Reward: New actions unlocked, bonus to some Piety and Learning actions, further attention from Citadel.
Piety: Frost is extremely strange. He's so quiet you often don't notice him until he speaks, and you have never seen any hint of his skin or his eyes. The sense of weight around his has grown stronger ever since the Oath-swearing at the Nightfort. He seems to have bitten off a bit more than he can chew. (Choose 0)
[] More Field Rites: A few new (or old) rituals have been (re-)discovered and are being taught to those who are capable. In time you will see your fields growing more fertile, and weirwoods growing from saplings to mighty trees ready to be carved in a matter of weeks. You suspect there is more to be learned though. Time: 4 seasons. Cost: 100 gold. DC: 70. Reward: New magic unlocked.
[] Rites of the Wild: The First Men and the Children of the Forest learned much from each other once the Pact was sworn, but much has been forgotten. Frost and his brethren will begin to seek the rites of the wood and waters and attempt to recreate them. Time: 4 seasons. Cost: 50 gold. DC: 75. Reward: New magic unlocked
[] Rites of the Flesh: The First Men and the Children of the Forest learned much from each other once the Pact was sworn, but much has been forgotten. Frost and his brethren will begin to seek the rites of the man, woman, and child and attempt to recreate them. Time: 4 seasons. Cost: 50 gold. DC: 75. Reward: New magic unlocked
[] Rites of Battle: The First Men and the Children of the Forest learned much from each other once the Pact was sworn, but much has been forgotten. Frost and his brethren will begin to seek the rites of the battle-luck and blood-fury and attempt to recreate them. Time: 4 seasons. Cost: 50 gold. DC: 75. Reward: New magic unlocked. Locked 2 Seasons
[] The Red Gift: In the blood of the Red Kings there is power, power which lies closest to the surface in all the old bloodlines except for yours. Mighty and terrible were the Red Kings of the Age of Heroes, able to take on the skill and aspect of whatever skin they wore. Allow Frost to try and reawaken these powers in Cregan Bolton. Time: 1 season. Cost: 125 gold. DC: 55. Reward: The Red Gift reawakens in Cregan Bolton.
[] The Gift of Might: The Umbers were kings once as well, and their blood is ancient as the Bolton's. It is said that the hill that Last Hearth rests on was lifted up and thrown to its current location by one of their many powerful warlords in a fit of rage. Send Frost north to awaken these powers in Lord Umber and his sons. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 200 gold. DC: 55. Reward: The Giant's Strength reawakens in Lord Umber and his sons.
[] Blood of the Bear: House Mormont were never kings, and they have been conquered many times. Umber blood runs in their veins, as does the salty blood of Ironborn. Nevertheless, they have their own gift. Some could call bears to their side, some could become them. Have Frost try and awaken this in Lyanna Mormont. Time: 1 season. Cost: 150 gold. DC: 55. Reward: The Gift of the Bear-kin reawakens in Lyanna Mormont.
[] The Barrow Seeking: Whatever Frost has learned from his consultations has filled him with a thirst for more knowledge. He wants to examine the runes in Winterfell, he wants to visit Oldstones and Runestone and Storm's Ends and Casterly Rock…but most of all he wants to enter the Great Barrow, and he wants you to accompany him. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 150 gold. DC: Special. Reward: Interludes, ??
[] Take Account: Frost has no idea how many blessings were awakened, or what kind exactly, or where they all are. Try and get an idea, at least enough to narrow down the numbers a bit and get a guess on what sort of types there are out there. Fortunately, people with sudden magic tend to go to the Green Men. Time: 3 seasons. Cost: 200 gold. DC: 65. Reward: a better idea of how many people have gifts, list of types of gift. Locked 1 Season
Intrigue: Snow is in many ways the total opposite of Rivers. Calm where he is excitable, nondescript where he is distinctive. You can't imagine Snow having any of his predecessor's escapades, although he is most definitely equally competent. He's actually rather terrifying, especially with Janna and the Huntsmen helping him with the more physical side of things. (Choose 2)
[] From Valley to Peak: Snow knows almost everything that happens in the Vale. There are still a few exceptions, however. Send Snow back to the Vale and have him fill in the last few gaps in his network. Time: 4 seasons. Cost: 800 gold. DC: 65. Reward: Advanced Spy Network (The Vale)
[] Even Deeper Secrets: Snow has people in every house in the North. He has people in every town and city too. But you want more. If your lords meet, you want to know. If anything happens, you want to know. Time: 3 seasons. Cost: 600 gold. DC: 55. Reward: Spy Network (The North).
[] Further Afield (Kingdom): You have ways of hearing what happens in the immediate south, but now you find yourself concerned with what's happening even further away. Pick a kingdom or nation and let Snow get to work. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 100 gold. DC: Varies. Reward: Rumor mill for the chosen location.
[] Deeper Rivers Part 3: Every time you hear new information about the Ironborn in the Riverlands, it's something disturbing. Still, you need to get as much advanced warning as possible. There's almost nothing left for Snow to try and co-opt, but he can try and solidify his network at least a little. Time: 3 seasons. Cost: 800 gold. DC: 85. Reward: Advanced Spy Network (The Riverlands).
[] In the West, Part 2: You are almost as reluctant to send people to the Westerlands as you are to the Riverlands, but you want word if King Lorren starts planning a crusade or something equally significant happens. Finding where these monsters are coming from would also be nice. Get greater coverage of events both in the Rock, Lannisport, and in lesser castles as well. Time: 3 seasons. Cost: 800 gold. DC: 55. Reward: Spy Network (The Westerlands)
[] Harrenhal: The network in Harrenhal has been devastated by Harren's sudden assault on it and by the sheer slaughter he has wreaked in and around his accursed castle. Some say even the very stones are whispering to him, identifying traitors, and that blood drips from the walls instead of dew. You are uncertain just how true that is…but you need to find out. Having advanced warning of anything he is planning could mean the difference between victory and defeat. Fortunately, you have some fairly expendable agents to send south. The Hunters are best at killing, but some could handle spying. Especially since the castle is half empty, meaning they have plenty of space to hide. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 200 gold. DC: 70. Reward: Get another spy in Harrenhal, information.
[] Kill Someone (Target): Name your target and spend the necessary amount on supplies, and give both to Janna. They will die, although it's unlikely to be subtle. And if they are caught, there will be retaliation. Best be careful. Time: Varies. Cost: Varies: DC: Varies. Reward: A corpse. Please @ me when you use this action so I can give you the numbers.
[] What's going on in Essos?: You have been hearing reports from Essos every so often, but nothing credible. Have Snow collect rumors and sailor's tales and try and spin them together into something coherent and at least a little accurate, although it will be vague as well. Time: 1 season. Cost: 25 gold. DC: 65. Reward: Mostly accurate but very general description of what's going on in Essos.
Personal: There's always plenty to do when it comes to being a king. Even outside of your official duties, you can make decrees and issue commands. Of course, you can also spend time with your family, help an advisor, or try and explain some of your knowledge to your advisors. (Choose 2)
[] Uplift ____: You recall an invention or system, and try to figure out how it worked well enough that someone else can make it a reality. Time: 1 season. Cost: 0. DC: Varies. Reward: New action unlocked
[] Propose Fostering/Betrothal: It's a simple matter for you to agree to the proposals you received about fostering and betrothals, either in whole or in part. Time: 1 season. Cost: None. DC: Varies. Reward: Betrothal and/or Fostering(s) arranged
[] Warging Practice: There are very few things you can't do when it comes to warging. There is one challenge you have left to face. It will not be easy, you can be certain of that, even though it is a simple progression of your splitting yourself between your direwolf and yourself. You will split yourself between multiple animals at once. Time: 1 season. Cost: 0. DC: 85. Reward: You get more skilled at warging.
[] Beast Bonding: Go riding in the Wolfswood and find a worthy beast to bond with. You aren't entirely certain what the side effects would be. Time: 1 season. Cost: 0. DC: Special. Reward: You get some sort of beast bond, possible side effects.
[] The God's Eyes: While you can open the God's Eyes more or less at will now, it can be difficult to keep them open, especially in places full of magic like Winterfell. You also suspect you are missing a great deal of nuance when you look at people or more complicated items like your crown, which just looks like plain metal. Or that skin, which makes you shudder whenever you think of it. Further practice could also extend how long you can use this gift. Time: 1 season. Cost: 0. DC: 70. Reward: Greater control and skill with the God's Eyes, more information about the skin.
[] Speak to an Advisor: You want to know more about the people you work with. Time: 1 season. Cost: 0. DC: 50. Reward: Gain knowledge of an advisor, improved opinion.
[] Family Time: Your sons are less than pleased with each other and with you. Your wife is unhappy with you, and you suspect her tolerance of magic is being tested, especially when you can sometimes see her emotions. Try to mend fences, reconcile your sons, and reassure your wife. Bend all your diplomatic skills to doing so. Time: 1 season. Cost: 0. DC: 50. Reward: You feel better, your family feels better.
[] What's Going On?: It's a little odd for your sons to be upset with you for so long, especially since you have apologized, even if you haven't been able to completely make it up to them. They are nearly grown men, and that might be it, or perhaps there's something else you don't know about going on. Seek them out for an open, honest conversation…perhaps holding it in the godswood might be a good idea…and get to the root of what is going on and fix it. Bend all your diplomatic skills and fatherly love to it. Time: 1 season. Cost: 0. DC: 45. Reward: Repair your relationship with Eddard and Edwyle.
Economy:
Treasury: 6165 gold
Income: 1105 gold (taxes) + 1250 gold (trade) + 650 gold (farming) + 100 gold (fur) + 25 gold (wool) + 420 gold (mines) + 100 gold (paper) + 50 gold (logging)
Expenditures: -20 gold (signal towers), -10 gold (stables), -10 gold (scouts), - 75 gold (various tariff/tax reductions for houses), -15 gold (Snowcloaks), -500 gold(Kingly things), - 10 gold (civil service), - 25 gold (Wardens)
Net Income: 3555 gold
Food Supply: High- surplus
Attitudes and Power Blocs
State of the Realm
@kelgar04 , choose between +5 to the next Intrigue action in the Riverlands or +5 to the next Riverlands event roll.
Eddard and Edwyle are both growing more eager about their desire to be married, and both are getting a little irritated when you tease them. You don't understand…they used to love it when they are younger. Jeyne seems more sympathetic to you now at least…you suppose the fact that you are faced with the prospect of them being separated is beginning to sink in through your skulls. Fortunately, you are distracted by the sheer volume of work needed to finish the many preparations for winter. Although the stocks of food are greater than you can remember, you are still inclined to caution, especially if you need to send men or supplies to the western houses to help protect them from the increasingly savage reavings or to repair the damage. Bear Island could certainly benefit from your aid, although they need supplies more than food at the moment. However, you have other concerns as well. Winter could make many projects far more difficult…or at least more expensive, and your income is liable to drop to some extent as well.
Countering that unfortunate news are two thoughts. With the formation of the carpenter's guild, barrels and furniture and wooden trinkets will be added to the trade goods sold in Wintertown and then taken to White Harbor to be shipped southwards or bought by peddlers and sold in castles and holdfasts and hamlets across the North. And that means more gold going into your coffers. Second, going into debt or delaying payment is far more common in long winters, and while it certainly won't make you popular, it will not be as widely condemned as it might have been.
You peer out the window, where the wind is howling and snow blowing. There will be a foot or two on the ground by the time it stops, but in your solar you are as warm as warm can be. Glancing down at your direwolf, who you really ought to name…Sentry or Warden might work…who seems even warmer than you thanks to his thick coat, you decide that you have done enough for the moment. A couple hours of petitions and then some time in the yard or the library might serve you well. And letting Eddard look over the papers will be good practice for when he rules. Passing by his room, you expect more sullen resentment, but instead he flashes you a smile before practically running off to do the tasks you set for him. Odd
(+1 Free Action)
[] Issue Command (Power Bloc): Give a command to those under your command, spending gold and favors to ensure that they will do so without dragging their feet. Even with the best of wills, failure is still possible of course. Time: Varies. Cost: Varies. DC: Varies. Reward: Varies. Please @ me when doing this action, which is a free action that can be done as many times as you want. Possible resources to spend include gold, Influence, upkeep, the services of your advisor (actions), and special resources. The difficulty will vary based off power, opinion, what the actual command is, and how much you spend.
Military: Brandon is the Champion of Winter and a skilled commander of soldiers. He has gotten scarily stealthy. Brandon Cassel isn't quite as good, but he fills in the gaps well enough. (Choose 1)
[] Build a Fleet (Location): Ironborn and slavers threaten your coasts, and you have gone long enough without a fleet. Order one of your vassals to begin constructing ships, and offer gold and workers to see it done. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 3000 gold. DC: 45. Reward: A new fleet, ??
[] Extra Forts: There are several forts of varying size and quality on your western coast now, along with any previously existing holdfasts. Brandon thinks that they could use more to better ensure that the villages there are protected, especially since some of the more vulnerable ones are either in what is technically your lands or in the lands of your petty vassals. Send some masons and carpenters out to build wooden and rough stone holdfasts near villages which don't have them. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 1000 gold. DC: 35. Reward: More fortifications along the western coast, ??
[] Wardens of the Road: The beastmen probably aren't a significant threat anymore. Most of the Wardens have had minimal encounters, and there have been no reports of beastmen attacks from any of your subjects, new or old. Have some of them patrol the roads around the Wolfswood and help deal with any bandits of other threats instead. Time: 1 season. Cost: 150 gold. DC: 30. Reward: Potential increase to trade income
[] Guard Training: Brandon has replaced all the dead or severely wounded guardsmen by now, or at least selected men who will serve as adequate replacements after their training is done. With some of his spare time, he could train other men to a similar standard for other houses. And naturally, he will encourage those men to remember their loyalties to Winterfell should the unthinkable happen…Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 150 gold. DC: 45. Reward: Other houses gain small number of men trained and equipped equivalent to Winterfell guard, vassal loyalty increased.
[] The Royal Order: The Wolfswood Wardens proved to be a substantial boon, hunting bandits across your lands and those of House Glover and Tallhart. Even with their limited numbers, the benefits were immense. Brandon envisions an order of men dedicated to patrolling and protecting your loyal subjects all across the North, all sworn directly to House Stark and the King of Winter. It would be an incredibly expensive proposition, in influence to found and persuade your vassals to accept this massive increase in royal authority, and in gold to upkeep and provide for. You would need to find and equip a vast amount of men, pay them…but having such a force would be incredibly useful, for a variety of reasons, especially if you burned your brain and remembered what the best armies in history did. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 900 gold. DC: 70. Reward: Influence Interludes
[] Improve the Wardens: The Wolfsguard does not quite have the strength or heavy equipment of the Winterfell Guard. Adding a small force of heavily trained and well armored men to their ranks would be a substantial force multiplier. It might be a bit upsetting to some of your vassals however – creating such a force implies that you think they will need them, and not everyone knows about your plans for the Ironborn. Time: 1 season. Cost: 800 gold, vassal approval, medium upkeep increase. DC: 40. Reward: Force roughly equivalent to Winterfell Guard added to the Wardens
[] Expand the Guard: Alternately, you could directly expand the Winterfell Guard. Increasing their size will upset your vassals less, since the cost will be borne entirely by you, and having the entire under your direct command is a comfort as well. If you increase the size of the guard anymore after this, you will likely need to build new barracks for them though. Time: 1 season. Cost: 800 gold, chance of vassal approval, high upkeep increase. DC: 45. Reward: Winterfell Guard increased in size.
[] Review Levies: It has been some time since Brandon had the opportunity to ride your immediate lands and make sure that the levies are in order and ready to come when called, and he has never done so for the newly expanded Wintertown. Have him take a few guards and make sure the sergeants are doing their jobs and that there aren't any villages or hamlets slacking on the number they will send. Time: 2 season. Cost: 250 gold. DC: 40. Reward: Levy readiness improved, ??
[] Fortify the Moat: Moat Cailin is quite possibly the strongest castle in the North, at least when it comes to attacking from the south. Ironborn have tried to attack it from sailing up the Fever River though, and they will certainly attempt it again should they become aware of your preparations. So Brandon wants to build some fortifications to help prevent that. The crannogmen won't like it, so you will have to do some soothing, but the benefits will be substantial. He has been consulting Maester Brynden and drawn up plans for your approval: an immense naval chain, two fortified towers to protect it, more watchtowers…Time: 3 seasons. Cost: 1600 gold, 1 Influence. DC: 45. Reward: Fever River heavily fortified. Locked 1 Season
[] Train the Scouts: Brandon and the Ghost-folk are incredibly stealthy. It seems likely that this has something to do with those cloaks you see sometimes, but it's also at least partly mundane skill. Have them show this to your Scouts and make them even stealthier. Time: 1 season. Cost: 150 gold. DC: 55. Reward: Winterfell Scouts better trained, more recruits.
[] Gifted Warriors: There are nearly a thousand wargs in Wintertown, and more scattered about your lands. There are a few hundred men and women blessed with incredible strength, albeit not to the level of the Mormont berserkers. There are people who can heal with a touch, people who can steal the courage of their foes with a song…the blessings of the Old Gods are many and mighty. Brandon intends to organize some of the Gifted into a force to be reckoned with upon the battlefield, or possibly in the more strategic sense. He has filled papers with possible uses for wargs alone – everything from delivering messages to using armored bulls as living battering rams. Time: 3 seasons. Cost: 600 gold, upkeep. DC: 55. Reward: Some sort of Gifted force attached to Winterfell guard. Type will be determined by dice rolls.
Diplomacy: Jeyne has become icily civil with you once more and has not come to your rooms in some time. Of late, she alternates between one of the newer septwoods and the sept itself. (Choose 2)
[] Speak to Kings (Kingdom): There are other kings to the south of you. Perhaps you should open up talks with one of them. Though all of them are Andals and ironborn, you doubt any of them would outright refuse you…Time: 1 season. Cost: 50 gold. DC: 50. Reward: Positive diplomatic contact.
[] Speak with Vassals (Region): Most of your direct vassals are loyal and trustworthy, but it's good to keep an eye on them all the same. And if any of them have trouble, you might be able to help. Time: 1 season. Cost: 50 gold. DC: 30. Reward: Vassal relations boosted, aware of problems
[] Throw a Feast: Ordinarily, you would not throw a feast this close to winter, but given the state of the stores you are willing. It will be grander than normal, serving as an enormous statement of your power and wealth, and it will make a very solid impression on your vassals and allow you an opportunity to politick and persuade and make a few subtle deals on one matter or another. Time: 1 season. Cost: 1750 gold, Surplus goes down one level. DC: 25. Reward: 2d6 Influence, chance of increased vassal opinion
[] Play Nice: Write some letters, send a gift or two, make some minor arrangements and deals with some of your vassals. The political game is not one most would associate with Northmen, but it is played, even if it very different than it is south of the Neck. Time: 1 season. Cost: 300 gold. DC: 55. Reward: 1d4-1 Influence, small chance of increased vassal opinion
[] Sell Supplies: While House Mormont will also certainly recover on their own easily enough, you have an excess of food and plenty of timber. Sell it to them for a reasonable price, making a tidy profit. It will brook you no resentment, but no great favor either. Fortunately the docks at Torrhen's Lake are good enough to handle the carracks needed for sending them what they need. Time: 1 season. Cost: 500 gold. DC: 25. Reward: 1200 gold.
[] Give Supplies: While House Mormont will also certainly recover on their own easily enough, you have an excess of food and plenty of timber. Give it freely, don't even charge for transportation. It will certainly make an impression and remind your bannermen that it is more than steel and oaths made at swordpoint that sees House Stark the royal house. And thanks to the new docks on Torrhen's Lake, it will be relatively simple to load the carracks needed for sending them the necessary supplies. Time: 1 season. Cost: 500 gold. DC: 25. Reward: 1d3+1 Influence, increased Mormont opinion, chance of increased vassal opinion.
[] Speak to Giants: The giants are gathering, and apparently amenable to listening to the smaller folk. In six months or so, travel beyond the Wall will be impossible, so you will take advantage of this while you can and send a representative north in the hopes of securing some manner of aid, an alliance, or possibly settlers. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 300 gold. DC: 65. Reward: Friendly contact with giants.
[] Show Favor(House): There are many ways for a king to show his favor to his bannermen. Positions can be given, tithes restructured, minor aid offered. And of course, there are always gifts – a horse from the royal stables or a Winterfell hound would be highly prized even by the greatest houses of the North. Even simple praise would see some hold their heads higher and answer your call prompter. If you have need of a particular House's aid, showing your favor to them may make persuading them far easier, especially if you are not blatantly obvious about your reasons for doing so. If you are extremely skillful in showing your favor, you may even inspire others to strive higher in hopes of earning similar rewards. Time: 1 season. Cost: 100 gold, 1 Influence. DC: 25/50/75. Reward: House opinion boost, 1d2-1 Influence/Large house opinion boost , 1d2+1 Influence/Large house opinion boost, general vassal opinion boost, 1d4+1 Influence.
Stewardship: The Poole's have always served the Starks. You can remember your father telling him that as a boy. Jaime Poole has continued that tradition, and ably. (Choose 0)
[] Improve Roads (Basic): The roads in Winterfell are little more than mud tracks, and you can quite literally drown in them after a spring thaw. It will take extensive time and lots of gold to make them proper roads, but there's plenty of room for improvement. Time: 1 season. Cost: 500 gold. DC: 40. Reward: Better (but not good) roads around Winterfell.
[] Cattle Ranching: There are lots of cows now on your land. There's lots of land without any people. Put the two together to begin expanding your cattle herds and selling the meat and leather and milk. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 200 gold. DC: 30. Reward: New options unlocked, increase to trade.
[] From Wool To Yarn: You have arranged for a sheep farming business that is doing well enough, but you want to improve it. Selling yarn is much more valuable than selling raw wool. Hire some more workers and have them scour and card the raw wool and make it into yarn to sell. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 300 gold. DC: 55. Reward: Increase to trade.
[] Setting Standards: You have designed your standard weight and measure system and found semi-logical reasons for them. Now comes the difficult part: getting others to use them. While everyone can see the benefit, deciding who needs to change tends to be troublesome. Fortunately, you are the king and can simply order people to use your system, although that's only really practical in Wintertown thanks to the Snowcloaks and your civil service being so efficient. Arrange a meeting with the not-quite guildmasters and the head of the smith's guild, give your orders to the King's Men in Wintertown who run the bureaucracy, and have the standard system spread across Wintertown and some of the immediate neighborhood. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 300 gold. DC: 55. Reward: Standard weights and measures system used in Wintertown and surrounding areas. Note: may cause temporary issues with trade.
[] Mines (Difficult): It will be expensive in blood, in time, in labor, in coin. Perhaps it is foolish, perhaps not. But all the most valuable ores are on the highest peaks, and you need the income these mines will provide. Time: 5 seasons. Cost: 1800 gold. DC: 70. Reward: Major new income source.
[] Expand the Surveys: The mountains clans have heard about the wealth you found in the mountains. Now they spend what time they can spare searching for ores and gems in their land. Hire the prospectors again and have them search through the rest of the mountains. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 300 gold. DC: 45. Reward: Knowledge of resources in the rest of the mountains.
[] New Mills: Build more water wheels and set them up with grindstones. Free up livestock and grind grain faster. Poole gets quite the gleam in his eye when he talks about all the things he could do with more waterwheels. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 400 gold. DC: 30. Reward: Increase to farming income.
[] Other Artisans: The forges are already bringing in wealth, and the amount will certainly grow. But people need more than iron and steel. They need houses and furniture and carts and all manner of things. Some will come naturally, but more will come if you encourage them some. Time: 1 season. Cost: 300 gold. DC: Special. Reward: Increase to trade, increased chance of guilds forming.
[] Forest for the Trees: Axyl the Chief (so-called to distinguish him from the other four Axyls in his clan) told Brandon all about how wonderful red yew was for bows. Unfortunately, there isn't that much of it in the Wolfswood, but there are quite a few men who know how to coax trees to grow. Time: 3 seasons. Cost: 500 gold. DC: 40. Reward: More red yew, new options unlocked. Locked 1 Seasons.
[] The Wolf's Walls: One of the best ways to distinguish an actual town from a collection of houses and shops is the presence of walls. Only chartered towns may have them, and while your town lacks them it will never quite be seen properly. They also serve the twin functions of defense and helping keep order. Time: 3 seasons. Cost: 800 gold. DC: 25. Reward: Wintertown gets good walls.
[] New Farm Tools: Begin paying artisans to create seed drills, and arrange for them to be used by some of the farmers around Wintertown. Given the season, they probably won't see much use, and you don't have the industry to make very many, but it will be a start. Time: 1 season. Cost: 750 gold. DC: 40. Reward: Small increase to farming income, will increase in later turns. Small increase to food surplus.
[] Establish Shipyards (Location): Before building a fleet, you need to establish the groundwork. Barrowton has docks, but they are not particularly large. All Bear Island has are a few piers for fishing boats, and the same is true for Torrhen's Lake. White Harbor is really the only place in the North with the facilities to construct large ships. It's time to change that. Begin constructing docks, gathering timber and rope and tar, and establishing all the things you will need to build and service a powerful fleet. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 750 gold. DC: 50. Reward: Cost reduction for shipbuilding, improved results and the chance of success for shipbuilding actions, possible increase to trade. Locked 1 Season
[] Improve Roads (Advanced): Use the concrete and hard labor to build Roman roads all around Winterfell and Wintertown, greatly facilitating trade and increasing the speed of travel all throughout your domain. Costly, but certainly worth it. Time: 5 seasons. Cost: 1700 gold, upkeep. DC: 50. Reward: Really good roads all through your lands, increase to trade.
[] Another Survey: Finding everyone with the Gift in the North is probably impossible for many years. Finding everyone in Winterfell, Wintertown, and the immediate surroundings? Thanks to your civil service, it will be almost effortless. Take a survey and find everyone with some form of the Gift and try and get an idea of how many people there are with magic in your immediate surroundings. Time: 1 season. Cost: 200 gold. DC: 30. Reward: Survey of all magic-users in the immediate area, idea of how many there are in the North, partial list of types of magic in the North.
[] More Logging Camps: When logging camps were first set up, nearly a dozen sites were surveyed, but only a few were selected in the end. There simply wasn't enough gold to build all the shelters and purchase all the tools needed. Fortunately, this means that with some more gold more logging camps can be established in very little time. Really, the only preparation required will be building shelters and then the woodsmen can get to cutting trees and sending them back to Wintertown. Time: 1 season. Cost: 300 gold. DC: 25. Reward: One-time income, increase to logging income, increase to trade.
[] Water and Steel: Construct waterwheels by the Royal Forges, and link them to enormous hammers, allowing the metal to be beaten with greater force and more regularity than is humanly possible. Most likely the main use will be for helping to process ore for the smelters and for producing more wrought iron. It will not revolutionize smithing, but it will make iron cheaper and increase the amount of good quality metal in the North, and neither is a bad thing. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 200 gold. DC: 30. Reward: Increase to trade income, increase to farming income.
Learning: Maester Brynden is an old man who has served your family for many years. And he's not a bad man, for someone born south of the Neck. You gather he's something unusual among the knights of the mind as well, but he's heartened by word from Archmaester Wyllym. (Choose 2)
[] Request Books: The Citadel library is vast, and the Winterfell library tiny. Maester Brynden wants to get some books from the Citadel. One of the inner towers is largely empty, and he thinks it will be perfect for the beginnings of a library. Time: 1 season. Cost: 400 gold. DC: 35. Expanded library in Winterfell, bonus to some learning actions.
[] Copy Books: Create some copies of books for the Citadel. They will pay you a good price for it, but they will also be trying to figure out how you do it, and saying yes risks your monopoly. Saying no will get their attention as well though. Time: 1 season. Cost: 25 gold. DC: 35. Reward: Increased attention from the Citadel, one-time income.
[] What about Wind?: Water can be harnessed in a variety of ways, but the wind has power too. Could it be harnessed to spin millstones or saw trees into usable lumber? It will be a difficult process, but between a couple theories discussed in some of the newly copied books and the aid of the acolytes, Maester Brynden thinks he has good odds of developing something useful. Time: 3 seasons. Cost: 600 gold. DC: 60. Reward: Windmills. New actions unlocked
[] Improving Rivers: Not all rivers are suitable to place waterwheels on. Some don't have the necessary current to drive a wheel, some don't have a steep enough drop, some are simply to narrow. There are beasts which can shape the water to their needs – most prominently beavers, which are admittedly rare through much of the North. But if they can do it, surely men can as well? Time: 3 seasons. Cost: 600 gold. DC: 65. Reward: Dams, weirs, and mill ponds. New actions unlocked.
[] The Giant Tongue: From what reports you have heard, the tongue these giants speak is not quite the Old Tongue, and it is certainly not the Common Tongue either. For that matter, what are their customs, their titles, their values? Scan through some of the older books, speak with some of the wildlings in the Wolfswood, try and come up with something better than blind guesswork. Time: 1 season. Cost: 150 gold. DC: 55. Reward: +20 to Speak to Giants
[] Valyrian Steel Link: Have Archmaester Wyllym send you some trustworthy acolytes with a Valyrian steel link or two to help make sense of all these new magic and study some of the examples of more hostile magic such as the skin you found on the sea. Time: 1 season. Cost: 300 gold. DC: 70. Reward: New actions unlocked, bonus to some Piety and Learning actions, further attention from Citadel.
Piety: Frost is extremely strange. He's so quiet you often don't notice him until he speaks, and you have never seen any hint of his skin or his eyes. The sense of weight around his has grown stronger ever since the Oath-swearing at the Nightfort. He seems to have bitten off a bit more than he can chew. (Choose 0)
[] More Field Rites: A few new (or old) rituals have been (re-)discovered and are being taught to those who are capable. In time you will see your fields growing more fertile, and weirwoods growing from saplings to mighty trees ready to be carved in a matter of weeks. You suspect there is more to be learned though. Time: 4 seasons. Cost: 100 gold. DC: 70. Reward: New magic unlocked.
[] Rites of the Wild: The First Men and the Children of the Forest learned much from each other once the Pact was sworn, but much has been forgotten. Frost and his brethren will begin to seek the rites of the wood and waters and attempt to recreate them. Time: 4 seasons. Cost: 50 gold. DC: 75. Reward: New magic unlocked
[] Rites of the Flesh: The First Men and the Children of the Forest learned much from each other once the Pact was sworn, but much has been forgotten. Frost and his brethren will begin to seek the rites of the man, woman, and child and attempt to recreate them. Time: 4 seasons. Cost: 50 gold. DC: 75. Reward: New magic unlocked
[] Rites of Battle: The First Men and the Children of the Forest learned much from each other once the Pact was sworn, but much has been forgotten. Frost and his brethren will begin to seek the rites of the battle-luck and blood-fury and attempt to recreate them. Time: 4 seasons. Cost: 50 gold. DC: 75. Reward: New magic unlocked. Locked 2 Seasons
[] The Red Gift: In the blood of the Red Kings there is power, power which lies closest to the surface in all the old bloodlines except for yours. Mighty and terrible were the Red Kings of the Age of Heroes, able to take on the skill and aspect of whatever skin they wore. Allow Frost to try and reawaken these powers in Cregan Bolton. Time: 1 season. Cost: 125 gold. DC: 55. Reward: The Red Gift reawakens in Cregan Bolton.
[] The Gift of Might: The Umbers were kings once as well, and their blood is ancient as the Bolton's. It is said that the hill that Last Hearth rests on was lifted up and thrown to its current location by one of their many powerful warlords in a fit of rage. Send Frost north to awaken these powers in Lord Umber and his sons. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 200 gold. DC: 55. Reward: The Giant's Strength reawakens in Lord Umber and his sons.
[] Blood of the Bear: House Mormont were never kings, and they have been conquered many times. Umber blood runs in their veins, as does the salty blood of Ironborn. Nevertheless, they have their own gift. Some could call bears to their side, some could become them. Have Frost try and awaken this in Lyanna Mormont. Time: 1 season. Cost: 150 gold. DC: 55. Reward: The Gift of the Bear-kin reawakens in Lyanna Mormont.
[] The Barrow Seeking: Whatever Frost has learned from his consultations has filled him with a thirst for more knowledge. He wants to examine the runes in Winterfell, he wants to visit Oldstones and Runestone and Storm's Ends and Casterly Rock…but most of all he wants to enter the Great Barrow, and he wants you to accompany him. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 150 gold. DC: Special. Reward: Interludes, ??
[] Take Account: Frost has no idea how many blessings were awakened, or what kind exactly, or where they all are. Try and get an idea, at least enough to narrow down the numbers a bit and get a guess on what sort of types there are out there. Fortunately, people with sudden magic tend to go to the Green Men. Time: 3 seasons. Cost: 200 gold. DC: 65. Reward: a better idea of how many people have gifts, list of types of gift. Locked 1 Season
Intrigue: Snow is in many ways the total opposite of Rivers. Calm where he is excitable, nondescript where he is distinctive. You can't imagine Snow having any of his predecessor's escapades, although he is most definitely equally competent. He's actually rather terrifying, especially with Janna and the Huntsmen helping him with the more physical side of things. (Choose 2)
[] From Valley to Peak: Snow knows almost everything that happens in the Vale. There are still a few exceptions, however. Send Snow back to the Vale and have him fill in the last few gaps in his network. Time: 4 seasons. Cost: 800 gold. DC: 65. Reward: Advanced Spy Network (The Vale)
[] Even Deeper Secrets: Snow has people in every house in the North. He has people in every town and city too. But you want more. If your lords meet, you want to know. If anything happens, you want to know. Time: 3 seasons. Cost: 600 gold. DC: 55. Reward: Spy Network (The North).
[] Further Afield (Kingdom): You have ways of hearing what happens in the immediate south, but now you find yourself concerned with what's happening even further away. Pick a kingdom or nation and let Snow get to work. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 100 gold. DC: Varies. Reward: Rumor mill for the chosen location.
[] Deeper Rivers Part 3: Every time you hear new information about the Ironborn in the Riverlands, it's something disturbing. Still, you need to get as much advanced warning as possible. There's almost nothing left for Snow to try and co-opt, but he can try and solidify his network at least a little. Time: 3 seasons. Cost: 800 gold. DC: 85. Reward: Advanced Spy Network (The Riverlands).
[] In the West, Part 2: You are almost as reluctant to send people to the Westerlands as you are to the Riverlands, but you want word if King Lorren starts planning a crusade or something equally significant happens. Finding where these monsters are coming from would also be nice. Get greater coverage of events both in the Rock, Lannisport, and in lesser castles as well. Time: 3 seasons. Cost: 800 gold. DC: 55. Reward: Spy Network (The Westerlands)
[] Harrenhal: The network in Harrenhal has been devastated by Harren's sudden assault on it and by the sheer slaughter he has wreaked in and around his accursed castle. Some say even the very stones are whispering to him, identifying traitors, and that blood drips from the walls instead of dew. You are uncertain just how true that is…but you need to find out. Having advanced warning of anything he is planning could mean the difference between victory and defeat. Fortunately, you have some fairly expendable agents to send south. The Hunters are best at killing, but some could handle spying. Especially since the castle is half empty, meaning they have plenty of space to hide. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 200 gold. DC: 70. Reward: Get another spy in Harrenhal, information.
[] Kill Someone (Target): Name your target and spend the necessary amount on supplies, and give both to Janna. They will die, although it's unlikely to be subtle. And if they are caught, there will be retaliation. Best be careful. Time: Varies. Cost: Varies: DC: Varies. Reward: A corpse. Please @ me when you use this action so I can give you the numbers.
[] What's going on in Essos?: You have been hearing reports from Essos every so often, but nothing credible. Have Snow collect rumors and sailor's tales and try and spin them together into something coherent and at least a little accurate, although it will be vague as well. Time: 1 season. Cost: 25 gold. DC: 65. Reward: Mostly accurate but very general description of what's going on in Essos.
Personal: There's always plenty to do when it comes to being a king. Even outside of your official duties, you can make decrees and issue commands. Of course, you can also spend time with your family, help an advisor, or try and explain some of your knowledge to your advisors. (Choose 2)
[] Uplift ____: You recall an invention or system, and try to figure out how it worked well enough that someone else can make it a reality. Time: 1 season. Cost: 0. DC: Varies. Reward: New action unlocked
[] Propose Fostering/Betrothal: It's a simple matter for you to agree to the proposals you received about fostering and betrothals, either in whole or in part. Time: 1 season. Cost: None. DC: Varies. Reward: Betrothal and/or Fostering(s) arranged
[] Warging Practice: There are very few things you can't do when it comes to warging. There is one challenge you have left to face. It will not be easy, you can be certain of that, even though it is a simple progression of your splitting yourself between your direwolf and yourself. You will split yourself between multiple animals at once. Time: 1 season. Cost: 0. DC: 85. Reward: You get more skilled at warging.
[] Beast Bonding: Go riding in the Wolfswood and find a worthy beast to bond with. You aren't entirely certain what the side effects would be. Time: 1 season. Cost: 0. DC: Special. Reward: You get some sort of beast bond, possible side effects.
[] The God's Eyes: While you can open the God's Eyes more or less at will now, it can be difficult to keep them open, especially in places full of magic like Winterfell. You also suspect you are missing a great deal of nuance when you look at people or more complicated items like your crown, which just looks like plain metal. Or that skin, which makes you shudder whenever you think of it. Further practice could also extend how long you can use this gift. Time: 1 season. Cost: 0. DC: 70. Reward: Greater control and skill with the God's Eyes, more information about the skin.
[] Speak to an Advisor: You want to know more about the people you work with. Time: 1 season. Cost: 0. DC: 50. Reward: Gain knowledge of an advisor, improved opinion.
[] Family Time: Your sons are less than pleased with each other and with you. Your wife is unhappy with you, and you suspect her tolerance of magic is being tested, especially when you can sometimes see her emotions. Try to mend fences, reconcile your sons, and reassure your wife. Bend all your diplomatic skills to doing so. Time: 1 season. Cost: 0. DC: 50. Reward: You feel better, your family feels better.
[] What's Going On?: It's a little odd for your sons to be upset with you for so long, especially since you have apologized, even if you haven't been able to completely make it up to them. They are nearly grown men, and that might be it, or perhaps there's something else you don't know about going on. Seek them out for an open, honest conversation…perhaps holding it in the godswood might be a good idea…and get to the root of what is going on and fix it. Bend all your diplomatic skills and fatherly love to it. Time: 1 season. Cost: 0. DC: 45. Reward: Repair your relationship with Eddard and Edwyle.
Economy:
Treasury: 6165 gold
Income: 1105 gold (taxes) + 1250 gold (trade) + 650 gold (farming) + 100 gold (fur) + 25 gold (wool) + 420 gold (mines) + 100 gold (paper) + 50 gold (logging)
Expenditures: -20 gold (signal towers), -10 gold (stables), -10 gold (scouts), - 75 gold (various tariff/tax reductions for houses), -15 gold (Snowcloaks), -500 gold(Kingly things), - 10 gold (civil service), - 25 gold (Wardens)
Net Income: 3555 gold
Food Supply: High- surplus
Attitudes and Power Blocs
State of the Realm
@kelgar04 , choose between +5 to the next Intrigue action in the Riverlands or +5 to the next Riverlands event roll.
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- Location
- barking
I think talking to the giants is a good pick thoughts?
- Location
- UK
So give supplies to Mormont + Talk to giants + learn giant language are fairly important I would say...
We can always use more vassal rep and we have cash to spare for this. Giants should be dealt with sooner rather than later as well
We can always use more vassal rep and we have cash to spare for this. Giants should be dealt with sooner rather than later as well
- Location
- Germany
Dunno if talking to the Giants is as important as other actions right now through. Worth considering but it certainly isn't up there on the list of things we should be focusing on imo.
Targeting the Hoare's however with the Kill action is something we should probaly discuss. Wherever to target Harren himself or his sons is what I'm not sure on.
Targeting the Hoare's however with the Kill action is something we should probaly discuss. Wherever to target Harren himself or his sons is what I'm not sure on.
- Location
- UK
[X] Plan Giants and Dragons
1 Military Action
-[X] Extra Forts: There are several forts of varying size and quality on your western coast now, along with any previously existing holdfasts. Brandon thinks that they could use more to better ensure that the villages there are protected, especially since some of the more vulnerable ones are either in what is technically your lands or in the lands of your petty vassals. Send some masons and carpenters out to build wooden and rough stone holdfasts near villages which don't have them. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 1000 gold. DC: 35. Reward: More fortifications along the western coast, ??
2 Diplomacy Actions + 1 Free Action
-[X] Speak to Kings (Dragonstone): There are other kings to the south of you. Perhaps you should open up talks with one of them. Though all of them are Andals and ironborn, you doubt any of them would outright refuse you…Time: 1 season. Cost: 50 gold. DC: 50. Reward: Positive diplomatic contact.
-[X] Give Supplies: While House Mormont will also certainly recover on their own easily enough, you have an excess of food and plenty of timber. Give it freely, don't even charge for transportation. It will certainly make an impression and remind your bannermen that it is more than steel and oaths made at swordpoint that sees House Stark the royal house. And thanks to the new docks on Torrhen's Lake, it will be relatively simple to load the carracks needed for sending them the necessary supplies. Time: 1 season. Cost: 500 gold. DC: 25. Reward: 1d3+1 Influence, increased Mormont opinion, chance of increased vassal opinion.
-[X] Speak to Giants: The giants are gathering, and apparently amenable to listening to the smaller folk. In six months or so, travel beyond the Wall will be impossible, so you will take advantage of this while you can and send a representative north in the hopes of securing some manner of aid, an alliance, or possibly settlers. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 300 gold. DC: 65. Reward: Friendly contact with giants.
0 Stewardship Actions
2 Learning Actions
-[X] Request Books: The Citadel library is vast, and the Winterfell library tiny. Maester Brynden wants to get some books from the Citadel. One of the inner towers is largely empty, and he thinks it will be perfect for the beginnings of a library. Time: 1 season. Cost: 400 gold. DC: 35. Expanded library in Winterfell, bonus to some learning actions.
-[X] The Giant Tongue: From what reports you have heard, the tongue these giants speak is not quite the Old Tongue, and it is certainly not the Common Tongue either. For that matter, what are their customs, their titles, their values? Scan through some of the older books, speak with some of the wildlings in the Wolfswood, try and come up with something better than blind guesswork. Time: 1 season. Cost: 150 gold. DC: 55. Reward: +20 to Speak to Giants
2 Intrigue Actions
-[X] In the West, Part 2: You are almost as reluctant to send people to the Westerlands as you are to the Riverlands, but you want word if King Lorren starts planning a crusade or something equally significant happens. Finding where these monsters are coming from would also be nice. Get greater coverage of events both in the Rock, Lannisport, and in lesser castles as well. Time: 3 seasons. Cost: 800 gold. DC: 55. Reward: Spy Network (The Westerlands)
-[X] What's going on in Essos?: You have been hearing reports from Essos every so often, but nothing credible. Have Snow collect rumors and sailor's tales and try and spin them together into something coherent and at least a little accurate, although it will be vague as well. Time: 1 season. Cost: 25 gold. DC: 65. Reward: Mostly accurate but very general description of what's going on in Essos.
2 Personal Actions
-[X] Family Time: Your sons are less than pleased with each other and with you. Your wife is unhappy with you, and you suspect her tolerance of magic is being tested, especially when you can sometimes see her emotions. Try to mend fences, reconcile your sons, and reassure your wife. Bend all your diplomatic skills to doing so. Time: 1 season. Cost: 0. DC: 50. Reward: You feel better, your family feels better.
--[X] Double Down
-[X] What's Going On?: It's a little odd for your sons to be upset with you for so long, especially since you have apologized, even if you haven't been able to completely make it up to them. They are nearly grown men, and that might be it, or perhaps there's something else you don't know about going on. Seek them out for an open, honest conversation…perhaps holding it in the godswood might be a good idea…and get to the root of what is going on and fix it. Bend all your diplomatic skills and fatherly love to it. Time: 1 season. Cost: 0. DC: 45. Reward: Repair your relationship with Eddard and Edwyle.
Costs: 3225 Gold
@notbirdofprey Just to confirm, "Dragonstone" is a valid option for the Speak to Kings action, and so are the individual Free Cities like Braavos etc., right? Technically Aegon isn't a king yet, but I just wanted to make sure in case it was locked out for some reason. In addition, how exactly do we negotiate trade agreements? Does that require taking the "Speak to Kings" action again, or something like that?
Edit: Also, any thoughts from anyone on where the +20 bonus should go?
Edit 2: Have decided to put it on Family Time to try and sort out this blasted mess we're in.
1 Military Action
-[X] Extra Forts: There are several forts of varying size and quality on your western coast now, along with any previously existing holdfasts. Brandon thinks that they could use more to better ensure that the villages there are protected, especially since some of the more vulnerable ones are either in what is technically your lands or in the lands of your petty vassals. Send some masons and carpenters out to build wooden and rough stone holdfasts near villages which don't have them. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 1000 gold. DC: 35. Reward: More fortifications along the western coast, ??
2 Diplomacy Actions + 1 Free Action
-[X] Speak to Kings (Dragonstone): There are other kings to the south of you. Perhaps you should open up talks with one of them. Though all of them are Andals and ironborn, you doubt any of them would outright refuse you…Time: 1 season. Cost: 50 gold. DC: 50. Reward: Positive diplomatic contact.
-[X] Give Supplies: While House Mormont will also certainly recover on their own easily enough, you have an excess of food and plenty of timber. Give it freely, don't even charge for transportation. It will certainly make an impression and remind your bannermen that it is more than steel and oaths made at swordpoint that sees House Stark the royal house. And thanks to the new docks on Torrhen's Lake, it will be relatively simple to load the carracks needed for sending them the necessary supplies. Time: 1 season. Cost: 500 gold. DC: 25. Reward: 1d3+1 Influence, increased Mormont opinion, chance of increased vassal opinion.
-[X] Speak to Giants: The giants are gathering, and apparently amenable to listening to the smaller folk. In six months or so, travel beyond the Wall will be impossible, so you will take advantage of this while you can and send a representative north in the hopes of securing some manner of aid, an alliance, or possibly settlers. Time: 2 seasons. Cost: 300 gold. DC: 65. Reward: Friendly contact with giants.
0 Stewardship Actions
2 Learning Actions
-[X] Request Books: The Citadel library is vast, and the Winterfell library tiny. Maester Brynden wants to get some books from the Citadel. One of the inner towers is largely empty, and he thinks it will be perfect for the beginnings of a library. Time: 1 season. Cost: 400 gold. DC: 35. Expanded library in Winterfell, bonus to some learning actions.
-[X] The Giant Tongue: From what reports you have heard, the tongue these giants speak is not quite the Old Tongue, and it is certainly not the Common Tongue either. For that matter, what are their customs, their titles, their values? Scan through some of the older books, speak with some of the wildlings in the Wolfswood, try and come up with something better than blind guesswork. Time: 1 season. Cost: 150 gold. DC: 55. Reward: +20 to Speak to Giants
2 Intrigue Actions
-[X] In the West, Part 2: You are almost as reluctant to send people to the Westerlands as you are to the Riverlands, but you want word if King Lorren starts planning a crusade or something equally significant happens. Finding where these monsters are coming from would also be nice. Get greater coverage of events both in the Rock, Lannisport, and in lesser castles as well. Time: 3 seasons. Cost: 800 gold. DC: 55. Reward: Spy Network (The Westerlands)
-[X] What's going on in Essos?: You have been hearing reports from Essos every so often, but nothing credible. Have Snow collect rumors and sailor's tales and try and spin them together into something coherent and at least a little accurate, although it will be vague as well. Time: 1 season. Cost: 25 gold. DC: 65. Reward: Mostly accurate but very general description of what's going on in Essos.
2 Personal Actions
-[X] Family Time: Your sons are less than pleased with each other and with you. Your wife is unhappy with you, and you suspect her tolerance of magic is being tested, especially when you can sometimes see her emotions. Try to mend fences, reconcile your sons, and reassure your wife. Bend all your diplomatic skills to doing so. Time: 1 season. Cost: 0. DC: 50. Reward: You feel better, your family feels better.
--[X] Double Down
-[X] What's Going On?: It's a little odd for your sons to be upset with you for so long, especially since you have apologized, even if you haven't been able to completely make it up to them. They are nearly grown men, and that might be it, or perhaps there's something else you don't know about going on. Seek them out for an open, honest conversation…perhaps holding it in the godswood might be a good idea…and get to the root of what is going on and fix it. Bend all your diplomatic skills and fatherly love to it. Time: 1 season. Cost: 0. DC: 45. Reward: Repair your relationship with Eddard and Edwyle.
Costs: 3225 Gold
@notbirdofprey Just to confirm, "Dragonstone" is a valid option for the Speak to Kings action, and so are the individual Free Cities like Braavos etc., right? Technically Aegon isn't a king yet, but I just wanted to make sure in case it was locked out for some reason. In addition, how exactly do we negotiate trade agreements? Does that require taking the "Speak to Kings" action again, or something like that?
Edit: Also, any thoughts from anyone on where the +20 bonus should go?
Edit 2: Have decided to put it on Family Time to try and sort out this blasted mess we're in.
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Yes, Dragonstone and the Free Cities are valid targets.
And as for further negotiations... I will add something for that.
And as for further negotiations... I will add something for that.
- Location
- Reno Nv
[X] Plan Giants and Dragons
- Location
- ?????????
[X] Plan Giants and Dragons
There isn't anything here I can disagree with. I would do uplift but that can wait till next turn.
There isn't anything here I can disagree with. I would do uplift but that can wait till next turn.
- Location
- barking
[X] Plan Giants and Dragons
while I would rather an action against Harren this has most of what I am looking for
while I would rather an action against Harren this has most of what I am looking for
- Location
- ?????????
Personal action. Either family time or son time...because it is ridiculous that this is happening.
- Location
- UK
For intrigue would we possible for us to assassinate Harren? Or at least send in more spies?
Otherwise, I'm fine with this overall.
[X] Plan Giants and Dragons
Otherwise, I'm fine with this overall.
[X] Plan Giants and Dragons
- Location
- United States
[X] Plan Giants and Dragons
I agree with @One Autumn Leaf the fact that this is happening is just getting ridiculous.
I agree with @One Autumn Leaf the fact that this is happening is just getting ridiculous.
- Location
- UK
@notbirdofprey Can you say how hard it would be to assassinate King Harren or King Loren?
King Harren: At least 90, probably higher. You aren't certain.
King Loren: 70 or 80.
Keep in mind though, using murder as a tool has consequences.
King Loren: 70 or 80.
Keep in mind though, using murder as a tool has consequences.
- Location
- Reno Nv
The plan is pretty good, we need that infrastructure and get our vessels on point.
- Location
- United States
If we kill Harren I can see us losing any reason to attack the Iron Islands. Inversely if we kill Loren it could cause a cascade effect in which we see the Westerlands destabilizing and multiple peasant crusades forming. While they weren't effective in our own history. They still caused a whole lot a trouble for the Byzantines, so I would really rather not deal with them. Well not until we can train up our Huntsmen into a truly effective fighting force. Maybe have them train by killing the Wildlings and Beastmen north of the Wall. That way they gain practice, and we have a giant wall between us and the people that already want to kill us.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Plan Giants and Dragons
I'm not wild about drawing the Targaryen's attentions, but otherwise I'm good with this plan. Personally, I'd rather see if we can get the Reach into this proto-Westerosi League we've got forming against Harren (which could also be turned against Aegon if he gets his William I on) but I'm not drafting a whole other plan over one disagreement.
I'm not wild about drawing the Targaryen's attentions, but otherwise I'm good with this plan. Personally, I'd rather see if we can get the Reach into this proto-Westerosi League we've got forming against Harren (which could also be turned against Aegon if he gets his William I on) but I'm not drafting a whole other plan over one disagreement.
Here I disagree; given how fucked the Riverlands & Harrenhal have become, I have no confidence that assassinating him would neutralise the threat. Meanwhile, turning the Westerlands into a fractious mess benefits us and removes a dangerous enemy & unifying figure. I'm not saying we should off Loren right now, but it would make more sense to me to off him than anyone else (save perhaps Aegon, but that high-risk high-reward ratio is waaaay too high for me to consider the option)
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- Location
- UK
Well, my aim with the Targaryens is to figure out what their intentions are, and hopefully establish good relations. We want to know when they'll invade after all, and we also want to make sure that they'd rather work with us than against us.
I do want us to make contact with the Reach and Dorne next, but I feel like Aegon is the ticking time bomb here, and we want to know where he stands. If we can tell whether the conquest is imminent or not, then that means we can plan for it better, such as deciding to rush gunpowder and so on.
The ideal thing would probably be if we could get Loren to start a crusade against Harren, with the intent of getting them to waste their strength fighting each other, before we and our allies move in and wipe them both out. That would make things far easier for everyone involved, and would also allow the Reach (if they're friendly) and the Stormlands to be involved more directly as well.
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- Pronouns
- She/Her
Oooh. I like this. @notbirdofprey -- would it be possible to try our hands at some disinformation to encourage negative feelings towards Harren in the Westerlands? Or, better yet, get hands on some of that armor and do a false-flag op against Loren? So even if it fails to kill him, it succeeds in making Harren & the Ironborn scapegoats?
Yes, but it will be difficult with your current spy network in the Westerlands.
And as for getting the armor...that will be a military action.
And as for getting the armor...that will be a military action.
- Location
- alphen aan den rijn
[X] Plan Giants and Dragons
sounds fine to me
sounds fine to me