You are Aerea Targaryen, Heir of Aegon the Uncrowned.
Your uncle Jaehaerys sits the Iron Throne, later to be hailed the greatest of all Targaryen kings. But he was just Aegon the Uncrowned's brother. A daughter comes before a brother.
Your mother, Rhaena, took you away from King's Landing's bustling life to dreary Dragonstone. You escaped on Balerion, the Conqueror's dragon. In canon, you died. Here, you return hale and healthy.
An embittered teenage girl, returning with the biggest, meaning dragon in the world.
This is a story of a teenage girl. A teenage girl whose right were stolen, who was furious with the world and with her mother in particular... and who now is coming back on the largest, oldest, strongest dragon of the world. An embittered teenage girl riding a weapon of mass destruction, to set things right again... or just to win her freedom.
Now, different to the other Targaryen quests currently running, you are not free to pick her background. You are Aerea Targaryen, and history happened as it did until that fateful day you claimed Balerion, and the Black Dread flew off with you, more under his own control than you. Well, okay, let's add two years to your age, at least. But more importantly, different to canon, both you and Balerion return hale and healthy. Better even, as the almost two year journey has netted you experiences and treasures.
And that is where SV comes in.
Chargen will be two posts. For now, it will be where Aerea has been on her travels, and what skills, bonuses and treasures she gains as a consequence. And then we will see to her future goals and how she returns.
Due to this chargen allowing for a multitude of different options, please keep in mind to plan-vote.
You are Aerea Targaryen, and all around you are the ruins and smoke of Valyria. You have been away for two years. Much has happened, but now finally Balerion is at rest. He found what he wanted, and you can return. It is time. As you made the arduous climb onto the back of the Black Dread, high as a castle wall, you reflect on how you got here.
Born the first (...well, officially...) child of Aegon Targaryen, the heir of King Aenys, you were named heir during the reign of the usurper, Aenys' half-brother Maegor the Cruel. He was toppled, and during the regency years that followed, you were put into the Red Keep's stables, hair dyed brown like a Westerosi girl and in commoner clothes. This was to avoid becoming a political tool for the enemies of the new king, your uncle Jaehaerys – but to you those were the happiest years of your life.
By right, you should sit the throne. Your mother, Rhaena, has told you so often enough. You are the firstborn of King Aenys' firstborn. Male primogeniture rules the land, but even by Andal and First Men right, a daughter comes before a brother. The daughter of Aegon the Uncrowned, firstborn of Aenys, should have come before Aegon's brother.
Not that you were you on good terms with Rhaena when you left. She had been abducted by Maegor and forced to marry him, but even after he had been toppled she hadn't come back to you. Instead, she had shown up one day, years later – and as your not even teenage self had seen it, she had abducted you and imprisoned you on Dragonstone, a dreary castle on a damp island, with no girls your age around, no singers, no splendour and no freedom, either, because you had been forbidden from mingling with the common folk as well.
Jaehaerys, your uncle, stole the crown from you by having heirs of his own, but Rhaena, your mother, stole the city from you: King's Landing with its bustling life and laughter, with the court and singers and fools and merriment. Both rankled, but you had felt the loss of the latter far more keenly. Dragonstone was a terrible place. You hated it. At the end, you had only communicated with your mother by way of shouting.
But even when you were just 14, you had known your way out: Dragons. Your mother had even encouraged you to claim one of the semi-wild dragons on the island. What she hadn't expected was that you would pick the oldest, meanest and biggest of them: Balerion, the Black Dread, dragon of Aegon the Conqueror – and of Maegor the Cruel. The dragon that had killed your father, not that you had ever really met him.
And what you hadn't expected was that as soon as Balerion had a rider, he would take off, and fly away from Dragonstone. Not towards King's Landing, not towards any place in Westeros, but just away.
Aerea's Starting Position
Aerea will start with an 1 in all skills (see post below for skills), with the exception of Dragonflight: That starting value is 6, due to two years of mostly riding Balerion.
For reference, feats are abilities not represented by just the skills, whereas traits are character traits that define Aerea's personality, and Factors are external factors with which you have to content. Specializations treat you as being 1 or 2 categories higher (case by case) in the particular skill in that specific area. For Advantages and Disadvantages, see how skills work.
Due to Aerea's time in the Red Keep's stable and the contact with the commoners there, and due to her wilfulness nature during childhood she starts with certain traits:
Unceremonious – you do not expect courtesies or special respect from the smallfolk, and you know their ways. Generally, you drive around them.
Urbanite - You loved the bustling and diverse life of King's Landing. You probably would feel right at home in Braavos or Oldtown as well. As long as it isn't some backwater castle or dreary village.
Horse Girl – you love horses, and can relax around them. You also would dislike seeing them hurt.
Wilful – You will object, loudly, if you feel your freedom is being taken away.
And now...
Where did Balerion take you during your journey? (Pick two places – or only one place if that choice is Lys)
(mind what place choices are compatible – Balerion is not zig-zagging around so much that Aerea can end up on both Skagos and the Summer Islands)
[]Skagos
For some reason, Balerion seemed to make a run for the wall, even appearing over one of the Nightwatch's forts... only to hesitate then, and fly away again. Exhausted from the ordeal, he sought rest on Skagos, that island of ill repute. Immediately, its people came running to you. They encountered you with reverence, for the Starks were detested here, and any family who had beaten them was hence well liked. Up here, they were impoverished and had not much to offer, but they were keeping ancient secrets – and the ways to keep them secret.
+1 Intrigue
Gain Feat: Unicorn Riding. You learn how to ride unicorns
Gain Factor: Notorious (Your stay on Skagos will become known, and the island has a very ill repute. Some people will have a worse reaction towards you. This is a trait that can appear multiple times for different reasons)
Gain: Unicorns (upon your return to Dragonstone you will see Skagos has sent you four unicorns as gift)
-compatible with Shivering Sea, Andalos and Northern Free Cities
[]Shivering Sea
Balerion flew over the Shivering Sea or its coast, living off all sorts of maritime life – including even kraken and smaller leviathans. For you, it was a bit more miserable experience, as it was cold and windy and you didn't land very often, but you have never and likely will never be able to fly as freely as here.
+1 Dragonflight
Gain Feat: Enduring (you can deal far better with lack of subsistence or shelter, and especially lack of sleep. Multi-day flights are no problem for either you or Balerion)
-compatible with Skagos, Andalos, Northern Free Cities and Grass Sea
[]Andalos
You ended up in the holy land of the Faith of the Seven, the original home of the Andals. The Andal invasion emptied the land millennia ago, and Northern counter-raids basically depopulated it for good. The Valyrians tried resettling it at their height, but more half-hearted than one would expect, only for the Century of Blood to destroy all those efforts again as well. It is an empty land where you lay low... but even though you were never particularly close to the Faith of the Seven, and maybe still aren't, you almost found some sort of religious peace here. Something that even only deepened when you stumbled across a wayshrine, and found there a sapphire in the form of a seven-rayed star. Could this have been one of the jewels in the fabled crown of Hugor of the Hill?
+1 Leadership
Gain Feat: Inner Balance (you take less stress in situations where you do take stress)
Gain Trait: Averse to Sorcery (you will look at sorcery as 'unnatural', potentially even as the reason for Valyria's downfall, and you will gain Stress if you have to tolerate to overtly 'unnatural' sorcery around you. Dragons and visions do not fall under this. A Targaryen is allowed some double standards.)
Gain: Majorly important relic of the Faith of the Seven.
-compatible with: Skagos, Shivering Sea, Northern Free Cities, Grass Sea and Selhoru/Volaena
Incompatible with any kind of active sorcery.
[]Northern Free Cities
You ended up in the wilderness between Braavos, Lorath, Norvos and Qohor – still a wilderness by the standards of those cities or even the Westerosi countryside, but not totally empty of people. While widely scattered, you found shepherds and merchant caravans and even whalers from Ib here – a whole array of different peoples, all with strange ways of life you learned after some rough interlingual communication, and with whom all you could barter for basic goods, in order to sustain yourself.
+1 Diplomacy
+1 Learning
Gain Disadvantage: On Learning rolls for higher fields of learning, temporarily, until you can devote at least some time to them – this is to represent that your learning bonus all came from contact with lower classes.
Gain Feat: Polyglot (Knows several foreign languages, can learn them more easily)
-compatible with Skagos, Shivering Sea, Andalos, Grass Sea, Sehlhoru/Volaena and Mantarys
[]Grass Sea
You ended up in the western reaches of the Dothraki Grass Sea, at the southern end of what once was the Kingdom of Sarnor. You were not far away from the Forest of Qohor, and yet you had no human contact here. Balerion nested in one of the ruined cities, and eventually the Dothraki became aware of him – and from that moment on, you had little choice but to defend that ruin. Fortunately, Balerion made that rather easy, but you picked up some tricks that way, and the life of subsisting on hunted meat toughened you. You even managed to take over and train on some of the Dothraki horses - that meshed well with your already existing love for horses from your time at the Red Keep's stables.
+1 Warcraft
+1 Prowess
Gain Major Advantage: On Prowess rolls for riding horses.
Gain Specialization: On Prowess rolls for hunting and survival. Lose Trait: Urbanite
Gain Trait: Nature Loving (Aerea gains an appreciation for the wilderness. She will be able to reduce stress in wild nature, and will begin to feel 'imprisoned' if she stays in large buildings or settlements for too long)
-compatible with Shivering Sea, Northern Free Cities, Andalos, Selhoru/Volaena and Mantarys
[]Selhoru/Volaena
There is a certain irony that the descendants of the Rhoynar would take care of a Valyrian princess. In the swamps of the Selhoru and Volaena rivers, northeast of Volantis, a remnant population of Rhoynar has survived, living not too dissimilar to the crannogmen of Westeros. You joined them for a time, while Balerion fed himself off the animals of the swamp. They taught you a bit of their way of life, and you proved a true prodigy at their healing arts.
+1 Diplomacy
+1 Learning
Gain Specialization: On rolling Learning for the purpose of healing.
Gain Advantage: On rolling Learning for the purpose of healing.
Gain Trait: Compassionate (Aerea will feel the need to help where she can. She will not necessarily go out of her way to help, but if she can help or is directly appealed to, denying help will cause her stress)
-compatible with Northern Free Cities, Andalos, Grass Sea, Mantarys and Summer Islands
[]Mantarys
You ended up almost in Valyria... in the Lands of the Long Summer. For some reason, Balerion landed close to Mantarys, the City of Monsters. Danger lurks in both city and wilderness here, where the people are often ill-formed and twisted... but this is the first time in over a century they saw a real dragon lady. One with silver hair and purple eyes and free of blemish. People envy you, they resent you... but they still listen. You seem to have a sort of authority over them.
+2 Leadership Lose Trait: Unceremonious
Gain Factor: Contacts [Mantarys] (if you can enable the logistics, Mantarys will heed call for aid to some extent. Also if for some gods-forsaken reason you end up doing something in the Land of Monsters, yeah, you'll have support)
Gain Factor: Notorious
-compatible with Northern Free Cities, Grass Sea, Selhoru/Volaena and Summer Islands
[]Lys
While Balerion fed off the Summer Sea, you yourself ended up in Lys. Hidden away by Magisters, you lived in a gilded cage for a while, until you could flee again off a returned Balerion.
+2 diplomacy
+2 Intrigue
+1 learning
-2 dragonflight
Gain Factor: Notorious (people will accuse you of having been in Lysene brothels. And maybe you have, truth be told)
Gain Factor: Enemies [Lys] (a good part of the ruling class saw you as their golden ticket to influence Westeros. Your flight has several of them seriously pissed off as you, especially as Balerion was not exactly gentle in his escape)
-incompatible with any other choice – if you pick Lys, this is your only stay.
[]Summer Islands
You ended up in the tropical paradise of the Summer Isles. At first, the inhabitants, after a century of raids by slavers, reacted to you with hostility. Their arrows couldn't harm Balerion, but you needed to fly really high to avoid them – the islanders' redwood bows granted them a reach that surprised you. This all only changed once Balerion had burned a slave raiding party. After that, you became the Summer Islanders' best friend.
+1 Diplomacy
Gain Specialization: On Prowess rolls for the purpose of using bow and arrow.
Gain Trait: Lustful (You enjoy the pleasures of the flesh, for ill or good)
Gain Feat: Inner Balance (you take less stress in situations where you do take stress – some of that Summer Islander mentality, less fearful than Westerosi smallfolk and less rigid than Westerosi nobility, has rubbed off on you)
Gain Factor: Contacts [Summer Islands, one time favour] (if you can enable the logistics, the Summer Islands will heed a call for aid to some extent – but not forever. One time for sure, and then it at least isn't certain anymore)
Gain a rare Redwood Bow
-compatible with Selhoru/Volaena and Mantarys
All that time, Balerion seemed restless – as if he was searching for something, but did not know what. Finally, one day, he slipped out of your control again – heading straight towards one place in particular. And as you saw smoke rising from the sea in front of you, you realized what place it was: Doomed Valyria, or rather, its ruins.
You can't say where exactly you landed. The destroyed capital? Or the ruin of some other city? All that haze in the air and the destruction wrought on the land made it basically impossible to distinguish directions here. All buildings here have crumbled. You can make out some of it – a collapsed dome here, a fallen tower there, and just rubble all over.
But it is not the only thing that you find here. Buried here are some real treasures.
Valyrian Treasures (pick 2, of which at most one may give you a skill boost)
[]Valyrian Steel
You find a hidden cabinet with weaponry of Valyrian steel
+1 Prowess
Gain: Two Valyrian Swords (one-handed), six daggers of Valyrian Steel.
[]Glass Candles
Surrounded by fire and smoke here, once you have dug them up, they seem to burn or stop burning almost as if on their own. It is unnerving.
+1 Sorcery, but only if you choose Sorcery as a Valyrian boon
Gain: 6 glass candles.
[]Knowledge
Hidden away in what may once have been a metal box for safekeeping, you find a treasure trove of surviving documents in High Valyrian, which you can read. Some family obviously tried to preserve their legal claims for after the doom. Foolish, but it is giving you a great insight into how Valyrian society worked.
+1 Learning
+1 Administration,
Gain Feat: Valyrian Legalist (you have enough knowledge of Valyrian law to bring forth arguments for your legitimacy. You are not an expert by any means, but that is the thing – nobody is on Valyrian law these days, so who could refute you?)
Gain: Several sheets of Valyrian writing (surely priced as historical documents by maesters and others)
[]A Crown
Valyria was no monarchy. As a "Freehold", it was an oligarchic republic of about two dozen dragonrider families. Still, certain offices came with insignia of power. As such, the headband of Valyrian steel you found may be more comparable to the pin that denotes the Hand's office than a monarch's crown... but as far as you know, no other of those insignia survived the fall of Valyria. Even the Conqueror's crown was fashioned afterwards. As well, Balerion really seems to like the crown.
Gain: Valyrian Steel Headband (potentially a boost to legitimacy if you can sell it right, and it seems to have some effect on dragons. If nothing else, there is only one other Valyrian steel crown in the whole world)
Incompatible with A Horn
[]A Horn
You have heard legends of those horns – literal dragon horns, banded in gold and valyrian steel. They can be bound to someone by some means, and when they are sounded, all dragons hearing the call will obey the horn's master... though whoever sounded the horn will die. Not that you would know right now how to even do that binding process. But you are pretty sure the horn you found is one of those legendary objects.
Gain: Dragon Horn, as described above.
Incompatibe with A Crown
[]Precious Stones
In one palace ruin, you find endless amounts of precious stones scattered on the ground – rubies and emeralds and sapphires and even diamonds. This represents enough money for one big construction project, or to bribe a major house, or for several smaller projects or several smaller ones or even to hire some sellsword companies at once (if you can bring them to Westeros).
Gain: Funds
Not all was well here, of course. Just keeping yourself fed was nearly impossible. You subsided on malformed fish and some gardens in strange niches that have escaped the destruction and gone wild over the century in between – but the omnipresent ash and smoke restricted that growth to small patches of land. Enough to feed you, but even that not well.
And more than that, the very air you were breathing was noxious. You have the feeling it did something to you... or maybe it was a lingering after-effect of the Doom, who could say. Something changed inside you.
Valyrian Boon (pick 1. You can take a second boon if you also take 2 curses)
[]Prowess
Your muscles grow. Despite the relative scarcity of food, you grow. Considerably beyond what an adolescent girl would normally grow.
+2 Prowess
Gain Advantage: On Prowess rolls for pure physical strength
Incompatible with the Frail curse.
[]Agility
Your movements become smoother. Maybe unnaturally smooth at times. And you seem to just thrive in the shadows
+1 Intrigue
Gain Specialization: On Intrigue rolls for the purpose of sneaking, silence and not being seen. (Specializations do not stack; this does not stack with the Specialization gained in the Frail Curse)
Gain Major Advantage: On Intrigue rolls for the purpose of sneaking, silence and not being seen.
[]Sorcery
Your mind... shifts. Things fall in place. You can almost, but only almost, perceive a... *pattern* to the Doom around you. And if you were to go on to read certain texts that have been plaguing maesters and learned men for you, you might also be able to make more sense of those.
+2 Sorcery
Incompatible with Andalos. This is the only place in chargen where you can unlock sorcery.
[]Mental Clarity
Your mind turns away from all the supernatural stuff around you... and yet you find that it still all makes sense. Kind of. Maybe with some more learning.
You make easier gains in Learning and Administration, and might also get bonuses in gaining Warcraft, depending on the situation.
Incompatible with Possession and the Distracted curse.
[]Possession
There is a voice inside your mind. It doesn't speak often. You only really hear it in your dreams. But it knows. It knows a great deal about statemanscraft.
+2 Administration
+2 Warcraft
Gain Curse: Possessed (This comes with side effects. You literally have a ghost inside you. He cannot take over without your consent, but he can be an additional source of stress. On the other hand, he may also be able to advize you, however indirectly.)
Incompatible with Andalos and with Mental Clarity
[]Visions
You start having dragon dreams. Most of the time, they do not tell you the future, though. What you see is the past, or perhaps the present, but always significant events for you. You know how your mother reacted to your departure, and you have seen how your grandmother dismissed her own husband as Hand when he proposed getting you on the throne, for example. You might see what your enemies are up to, too.
To be honest, you are kinda anxious about those changes. This is Accursed Valyria, fallen to a magical disaster like no other the world has ever seen. For all the good effects you are experiencing, you still feel... cursed.
Valyrian Curse (pick 1. Pick 2 if you have picked 2 boons. Each of those counts as a Curse, so I won't list that separately for every option)
[]Bloodlust
There is a hunger inside you. And you have at least an inkling of what can satisfy it: Blood. You want to see it spilled... and even more so if it is Valyrian blood.
Will accumulate stress if going too long without causing some violent bloodshedding. Bloodshed against Valyrians and dragons will stave off the accumulation for longer.
If you unlock sorcery, you will be able to gain advantages to sorcery rolls with sacrifices.
Incompatible with the Inner Balance trait
[]Frail
You become lean and gaunt. You tire easily, and are exhausted quickly. You aren't exactly unhealthy per se, but you can't exert yourself too much. It almost appears as if you are... fading.
All Prowess gains in chargen are negated, all future prowess gains will be more difficult.
Gain Specialization: On Intrigue rolls for the purpose of sneaking (Specializations do not stack; this does not stack with the Specialization gained in the Agility Boon)
Incompatible with the Prowess boon, with Wrathful and with Restless.
[]Restless
You cannot stay at one place for too long. You feel the grass is always greener on the other side, and that you have so much more to achieve, to gain. King's Landing has a special place in your heart, so you will always be able to *return* to there, but even there you won't be able to stay for too long.
Incompatible with Frail and with the Inner Balance trait
May not be taken if you choose to take two curses.
[]Nocturnal
You become paler than any Targaryen ever has. Within weeks of your arrival back home, you will get problems with sunlight. You can be out at day, but it is frankly irritating, especially to your eyes, and you get sunburn ridiculously easily. Plus, it is difficult to even *get* you to be awake at day. No matter how hard you try, your natural sleeping patterns will always shift back to nocturnal.
May not be taken if you choose to take two curses.
[]Bleeding
You develop a non-hereditary form of haemophilia – a mild enough case that your life is not threatened after every accident, but even so: You bruise easily, and injuries you take in battle or after major accidents are very difficult to heal.
[]Wrathful
You don't actually crave violence... but you are easily provoked, and in difficult situations your first instinct is to lash out.
Possible to lock you out of decisions completely in certain situations.
Incompatible with Frail and the Inner Balance trait.
[]Scales
Dragon-like scales grow on part of your body. People will find you repulsive, and smallfolk and nobility alike might openly talk about a curse.
Disadvantage to Diplomacy rolls in most cases of direct meetings, but considerably harder to harm.
[]Melancholic
You are moody and often depressed. Often times, you just cannot be bothered to do things.
The GM rolls a Melancholy roll every round. On a 1 on a d6, you lose one action.
[]Distracted
You find it harder to focus. You just cannot keep your thoughts straight.
It is more difficult for you to raise Learning and Administration, and it might also be more difficult to raise Warcraft, depending on the situation.
Gain Disadvantage: On Intrigue rolls for the purpose of sneaking or staying silent.
Gain Disadvantage: On Learning rolls for the purpose of crafts or other fine manual labour.
Incompatible with Mental Clarity and the Agility Boon.
May not be taken if you choose to take two curses.
Well, this now is all behind you. You are in the air again, on Balerion, the near full moon above you. And he is flying straight northwest, towards Westeros. Soon, you will be back. Back together with your mother, with your uncle on the throne, with the bustling life of King's Landing, hopefully.
...you hadn't thought about all that for a while. You need to come to terms with what you would actually do once you're back. Well, you have a whole long flight to think deeply about that. For now, you at least know you are.
The sea you were crossing was rather active with ships. Volantis was just to the northeast, the largest city in the world, at least west of the Bones, that massive mountain range separating the Dothraki Grass Sea from Yi Ti. Her ships were prowling all over the waves here, undaunted by the proximity of Valyria. None would ever dare get too close, of course, but the sea lanes were well known and well chartered here, so there was little risk of that.
Some distance to your right would be the coast of the Disputed Land, that constant battlefield between Volantis and the Three Daughters. You knew that with your current course you would soon fly over the Stepstones, rocky and mostly barren islands, valuable only for their location that guarded the entrance to the Narrow Sea – so valuable in fact that they had never been settled, as all powers would rather ensure unclaimed islands rather than let them fall to anyone else. Even the Freehold had not made the attempt, wary of Dorne and the Stormlands uniting against their efforts, or their own Free Cities turning against them.
And once you were in the Narrow Sea, you would have to decide where to go. Your first instinct was to go straight back to King's Landing, the city taken from you... only, you didn't feel that loss as keenly anymore. Not after your time in the wilderness. There was much more freedom on horseback in the endless plains to the east, or on dragonback in the air, then you could ever find in the city. You had cherished the freedom you had a stable girl, but you had found even greater ones.
So you could also go to Dragonstone. You hated that place, and you were anxious about the fact that you would find your mother there... but maybe landing a safe distance from the Red Keep would not be so a bad idea – a consideration you would not even have dreamed of before your journey. But you had had a lot of time for thinking, and it was possible that the King, your uncle, would soon be your rival.
Maybe. Perhaps. It all depended.
...it all depended on what you wanted, really. On what you would do once you returned. You had to come to a decision about that, and that soon.
What are Aerea's goals? (Pick 4 goals. At least 1 needs to be political, and at least 1 needs to be personal)
(several goals can give you the same trait. Just to be clear, that does not stack)
And as a quick reminder: You can attempt any of the things listed as goals here, without picking them as character-mechanical goals. If you want to do X, but don't like the trait that comes with Goal X, or if Goal X becomes incompatible for you, well, Aerea can still go for it outside of listed goals. Though that would then also come without the boni from fulfilling goals.
Political Goals
[] [Political Goal] The Iron Throne
The Volantene elephant in the hall. Your rights are better than Jaehaerys', and you have Balerion now. You could make an attempt at the throne, or at least plan one for later. If you want that.
-Gain Trait: Ambitious – It is not enough for you to have a comfortable, good life. You want more. You want to be more. This can manifest in any number of ways, but you do seek power and a place in the annals of history, and at least a part of your mind will always be tuned towards seeing things in that light.
Incompatible with Serve the Realm and Create Your Own Realm
[] [Political Goal] Serve the Realm
When you left Dragonstone, Jaehaerys seemed to be well regarded by everyone. A young King, but a very hopeful one. Even at this young age he had settled the argument with the Faith, which everyone was agreeing was an exceptional move. You doubted things had changed much in your absence. So what if he had the worse rights? Restoring the proper order of succession would most likely still require a war, a destructive war fought with dragons. You could still attain high status and do something important as King Jaehaerys' agent. This would be better for the Realm, and it would further the glory of House Targaryen.
-Gain Trait: Selfless – You want to serve a higher goal than just yourself. It doesn't need to be something abstract or far away, like the Seven or high virtues, though it can be that as well. But more immediately, rather than your own glory and well-being you want to contribute to the well-being of the Realm and the glory of House Targaryen as a whole.
Incompatible with Iron Throne and Create Your Own Realm
[] [Political Goal] Transform the Realm
Aegon the Conqueror took most of Westeros for his realm, but he mostly left it at that. Kings surrendered to him or his sisters, and then kept their realms, just with a lesser title and a new overlord. And Maegor, of course, was mostly busy with fighting the Faith and failing to get a son. The Realm as it is, right now, is ruled by a Targaryen, but it has not been shaped by Targaryens. You are unsure what that would look like, what changes that would entail, but you want yourself to be the one who does the shaping, either as Queen or as Hand or as something else.
-Gain Trait: Detail-Minded – You are not content with just the status symbols and titles of ruling. You want the details of administration, of the realm, of its subjects and taxes and roads and agricultural yield. Nobody can escape by saying the right words of homage to you – you want the substance. And if you can't invest time into that, you will get restless.
Incompatible with Create Your Own Realm
[] [Political Goal] Improve the lives of the smallfolk
For years, you had mingled with commoners – servants and stable boys and their families. In a way, you are much more accustomed to them than nobility, and you relish the time you spent with your commoner friends. So in all that you are doing... shouldn't you consider their lot? Your grandmother who had hid you in the stables, ever only considered politics, and your mother was ever only interested in her favourites. Nobody seemed to really pay attention to the smallfolk. Maybe you should.
-(you already have a trait for that)
[] [Political Goal] Conquest
The blood of Aegon the Conqueror flows in you, and beyond that the blood of the noble families of the Valyrian Freehold who conquered half of Essos in their time. As a true-blooded Valyrian dragon lady, this is what you were born to do. Dorne killed your great-grandmother and still holds out as an independent principality, and beyond the Narrow Sea, the Free Cities are all squabbling with each other, surrounded by huge amounts of unclaimed land. You could be a Queen, a Hand, a general, or even the founder of your own realm... but what matters to you is that history books will note you as a great conqueror.
-Gain Trait: Ambitious
[] [Political Goal] Create Your Own Realm
Why not? Let Jaehaerys have Westeros if they all love him so there. You have seen the empty wilderness of Essos, and even the dreaded Dothraki fled on their swift horses when Balerion took flight. You could crush the khalasars and resettle the Sarnorian cities with their people. But even much closer to civilization there was much in the way of unsettled lands. You could ally with the particularly pious houses and resettle Andalos, or ally with Dorne and resettle the Rhoyne. Or you could take over one or more of the Free Cities, divided and territorially small as they were. Balerion conquered Westeros already; there is more he can do.
-Gain Trait: Ambitious
Incompatible with Iron Throne, Serve the Realm, Transform the Realm
Personal Goals
[] [Personal Goal] Freedom
You might want to rule. Or maybe not. But what you're really sick of is others telling you what to do. Even if were to become Queen there would still be expectations – marriage, rituals, etiquette and so on. Some of it, of course, you would have to play by, lest you be considered outright insane. Following etiquette is just polite consideration for the most part, for example. But you do want the ability to reject any of it if you so desire. And that not just covertly, politely hidden from the wider world. Frankly, you want to do what you want, and to hell with society. What need do you have for society if you have a dragon?
-Lose Trait: Wilful
-Gain Trait: Defiant – You are not just loud about not doing what others expect you to do. You relish in defying their expectations and rejecting obedience.
[] [Personal Goal] Martial Prowess
Targaryen warrior women are nothing new. There was Visenya, and even your great-grandmother Rhaenys was in her own way. She even fell in war. But you are already something else as is. You are now higher grown than any woman you ever saw in King's Landing, and your arms are firm and muscled... and that with little training. You are sure you could improve on that. You could be the greatest warrior woman Westeros had ever seen... and maybe one of the greatest, period.
-Gain Trait: Physical – you like to exert yourself physically. Training and sweating and challenging yourself is your idea of fun, and you wouldn't want to go too long without it.
Incompatible with Higher Mysteries due to to conflicting Traits (you can still train both Prowess and Sorcery, though, of course)
[] [Personal Goal] Higher Mysteries
You are coming back from Valyria with a changed mind. You aren't learned in the higher mysteries, but they just... make sense to you now. You are eager to get your hands on material from which you could actually learn them. You are quite certain you could be one of the greatest scholars of the arcane arts in centuries, if you do it right. For now, though, you need to learn about how this whole sorcery business works in the first place.
-Gain Trait: Bookworm – you love books and you love reading. And what is more, the more obscure or older a book, the better. Gaining a genuine book from Qarth or Yi Ti, or finding a scroll from a thousand years ago are things that will genuinely excite you beyond measure, and in the meantime you will simply read what you have – certainly works on the Higher Mysteries, but also on history or statecraft or even the stories and fables of the common folk.
Incompatible with Martial Prowess due to to conflicting Traits (you can still train both Prowess and Sorcery, though, of course)
[] [Personal Goal] Reconcile with your Mother
Rhaena Targaryen never really registered as 'Mother' to you. Worse, you blame years of being lonely and quasi-locked up on Dragonstone on her. She took you out of King's Landing where you were happy and had friends, and put you on that damp island. For that, you detest her... and yet, your journey has put many things in a new perspective. Flying along the coast of the Shivering Sea, cold and miserable, you often didn't know if you would make it. All alone in the Grass Sea, surrounded by enemies. And finally, facing accursed Valyria by yourself. It seems to you now even dragons need a pack. Even dragons need something to return to. Maybe you will never be as close to Rhaena as to a mother. But without family at all, people just seem to be adrift in the world. That makes it worthwhile to at least attempt a reconciliation.
-Gain Trait: Loyal to Blood – family members can be your enemy. You can quarrel with them and even fight them. But the blood you share always demands at least consideration. Even at the eve of battle, attempts must be made to find a peace, and you will only enter battle against family members with great sorrow.
Incompatible with Revenge
[] [Personal Goal] Start a family
You never really had much of a family. Your father dead, your mother away in the west, your sister in the motherhouse of the Faith in Oldtown, and your grandmother hiding you in the stables. You had many friends there, company, adults looking after you – it was a happy time, and you didn't miss family. But still, you never really had it, either. Besides, Rhaella was in the motherhouse of the Starry Sept in Oldtown, either already a Septa or about to become one. Officially she would then not even be a Targaryen anymore, and wouldn't continue the line of Aegon the Uncrowned. So this would fall to you. You couldn't let Jaehaerys have the last laugh of being the only one to continue your house. You wanted to have a proper family for yourself, and you want to continue your Targaryen lineage.
-Gain Trait: Loyal to Blood
Incompatible with Revenge
[] [Personal Goal] Revenge
You were wronged. That is the short and the long of it. You were wronged by your uncle, your grandmother, your mother. You ended up in a miserable exile, even though by rights you should sit the Iron Throne. You could try to come to terms with that fact, you could try to build up something new... but it wouldn't change facts: You were wronged. That doesn't necessarily mean you want to kill those responsible or hurt them... but at the very least they have to regret what they have done to you.
-Gain Trait: Vengeful – You are not irascable and you can see past small disgressions. But in case of major wrongdoings against yourself, you know no other response but to seek vengeance for them. Once a certain limit is crossed, pure forgiveness is no longer an option. You're still able to consider proportionality, but you inflexibly must have retribution.
Incompatible with Reconcile with your Mother and Start a family
Well, whatever you would choose in your renewed life, it would begin so. In the distance, you could already make out the first distant outcroppings of the Stepstones, single rocks in the sea that heralded the coming of the larger islands. Which, actually, put another thing to mind: Where to even go?
You really itched to go back to King's Landing. Even if the life and hustle of the big city didn't hold the same allure it once did, all your old friends surely still lived there. People you hadn't seen for years. Reconnecting would be difficult, but you really did want to try. It would be so easy, too – just return, and get lost in the pleasantries of the city.
...but what about Balerion? Balerion had been through this whole ordeal as well. He didn't look it, but he needed rest as well. Rest he would best get on Dragonstone. And besides, maybe there was wisdom not flying straight into the heart of Jaehaerys' power. Dragonstone was close to King's Landing, but still an island and everyone not a dragonrider had to take a ship to there.
Of course, the problem with Dragonstone was the prospect of having to confront your mother. You feared you wouldn't really know what to say, and judging by what happened before you flew off the island, you two would probably just resort to shouting again. The thought alone of having to deal with Rhaena Targaryen made you somewhat uncomfortable.
So a prudent but nerve-wrecking choice or an easy but potentially dangerous one. Or... hm. You were unsure, so you supposed you might as well consider other alternatives.
You did have one more family member after all. Your sister Rhaella was in the motherhouse attached to the Starry Sept in Oldtown – a large city, but comfortably far away from both King's Landing and Dragonstone, and seeing Rhaella would be taken as reason enough by most people for why you would land back in Westeros there of all places. And while you yourself had somewhat bad memories of Oldtown, too, and never had much interest in the Faith... well, you knew one reason you had to hide in the Red Keep's stables was that many in the Faith would have preferred you on the throne, too. For one thing, you didn't have any brothers.
And if you were really considering out there options... hm. You didn't want to go to any of the Free Cities. Cities didn't hold the same attraction anymore as they once did, and you didn't speak the local languages. Maybe you would go there eventually, but not now. For now you needed to at least settle matters in Westeros, in what way ever. But even in Westeros, there was yet another out there option to land.
The main reason you had been hidden in the stables were the machinations and intrigues of Rogar Baratheon, the Lord Paramount of the Stormlands. The second husband of your grandmother Alyssa Targaryen, nee Velaryon, and the first and foremost supporter when Jaehaerys had made his claim to the usurper Maegor's throne. Jaeaherys' first Hand of the King, dismissed by his own wife, the Queen Regent, when he began to rue his support for Jaehaerys. You hadn't quite understood the intricacies back then, and even now you didn't really know the details. Nobody had really told you. But as you had matured it hadn't been too difficul to add up one and one: He had wanted to put you on the throne.
As a puppet, no doubt, a child queen he could control... but still... he had been the only one bold enough to challenge Maegor. The one bold enough to make the first step. Maybe that could be what you needed right now. You could at least talk to him. And if it didn't work out, well, Storm's End was more or less on the way to King's Landing, and only a short detour on the way to Dragonstone anyway. It might be worth of try... but really, it would be a bit of a longshot.
Where will Aerea first land in Westeros again? Pick 1. Landings will affect stress level. Currently, after your journey but looking forwards to a successful end, you start with 10 Stress
[] [Landing] King's Landing
The obvious choice. Meet old friends. Maybe face Jaehaerys heads on, or play nice with him at least for the moment being. And the city might give you the most options to do something about him, or about any other issue. But there is danger there as well – off Baleron's back, you aren't exactly invincible anymore. You doubt Alysanne, who had visited you on Dragonstone and promised you to get you off it, or her husband would resort to violence or subterfuge as first answer. They are still family. But you are sure they will watch your every step. -10 Stress
[] [Landing] Dragonstone
The safer choice. Land on Dragonstone, within reach of King's Landing but surrounded by water, to prepare. Send word to Jaehaerys, instead of sending yourself. See what support you could gain, if you are so inclined. But on the other hand... Dragonstone will still be as dreary as it had been before. You may find loyal supporters there, but your options could also be more limited. And worse, this is also most likely where your mother will be. You are not looking forwards to seeing her. +10 Stress
[] [Landing] Oldtown
The alternative choice. Land in Oldtown, go see your sister Rhaella... and gauge the reactions of House Oldtower and the Faith. And while you're at it, see if you can use your name to bully the Citadel into letting you see their more... obscure books. Communication with King's Landing would be considerably more difficult, though, and Balerion would take longer to rest – in fact, the route over the Dornish Mountain, where it would not be safe to land often, would further exhaust you and him. All physical actions in the starting round will be rolled at a disadvantage.
Negated by the Enduring feat.
[] [Landing] Storm's End
The out there choice. Land in Storm's End, to, well, in truth, to conspire with Lord Rogar Baratheon. Or try to, anyway.
Requires Iron Throne as a chosen goal
I tried making this issue by issue voting, as it's just two issues, but ehhh, again with the incompatibilities and dependencies... sorry, but plan-voting here, too
The last leg of your journey back to Westeros proved to be arduous. Nobody would believe yet another dragon sighting in the air west of Valyria, but the Narrow Sea was the busiest sea in the whole Known World. If several ships were corroborating sightings of a gigantic black dragon, word would get out not only to Braavos and Pentos and Tyrosh, but also to King's Landing. Jaehaerys would be given ample warning in that case.
Which is why you had decided to fly as high as possible. Even then, it was probably impossible to avoid sightings at all, especially on clear days, but single sightings would make merely for rumours, which would take longer to reach the Red Keep. But consequently, you were flying in the miserable cold again, without landing.
You could never have imagined that you would one day be glad to see that miserable rock with grass that was Dragonstone from the distance.
Having made a small curve, you were coming in from the northeast, as far away from Dragonstone's land side as possible. Balerion became notably more lively when you two first spotted the island, and even more so as he came ever closer to Dragonmont, the central volcano of the island. With the castle on the southwest side, you had to fly over the volcano and most of the island in general. It was still as dreary as you remembered it, just rocks and grass and single farmsteads, with all true villages being on the coast, and you already thought to smell the odour of sulfur so typical for the island. But at least it was dry land, and right now you weren't asking for much more.
Dragonstone castle itself was a wonder of architecture. Objectively you could recognize that as a fact, though having lived there for some years you considered that doing more bad than good. Built out of fused black stone as the Valyrians had been able to produce, it had been given the form of a coiling dragon – the thick outer walls were in fact one giant dragon sculpture, with the mouth of its outward looking face being the gate, and the arching tail end leading to Aegon's Garden, the closest equivalent the castle had to a godswood. And it was by no means the only dragon shape to be found on the castle. The large tower at Dragonstone's seaside was literally watching out over the ocean, being formed like a rising dragon doing so, and one could find statues of dragons or ther things shaped like them all over the place.
All of it made out of fused black stone. All now a completely lost art, and nowhere were its products still so artful as here.
You had always hated it. It was a marvel to behold when just visiting, but living around the shrieking faces of monsters day in day was a serious mood dampener. Even several of mother's women had said so as well. But this was in fact the seat of House Targaryen. Even with the King residing in the Red Keep, Dragonstone was the soul and heart of the House, where dragons were raised and the ashes of dead members were returned to. It was a place of immense symbolic value.
It was, of course, completely impossible to hide the arrival of a dragon. By the time you descended towards the castle, you could see people had already assembled in the great courtyard, inside the middle walls but just outside the inner walls. It was the only place in the castle a dragon as large as Balerion could land. There were many people just gawking – you imagined that most simple servants had come to watch as well. But within that outer ring of people you could see some figures in finer clothing, surrounded by mens-at-arm. As you came closer you counted about 30 dignitaries and guards, and then you realized the one or two dozen archers on the walls, too – all with drawn bows, heads following your approach.
Fortunately, nobody was stupid enough to challenge your approach. There was only one black dragon of this immense size in the world, and people knew whom it belong to. But you supposed you couldn't fault them for being careful. You had been away for nearly two years after all.
So Balerion could land in a nearly completely emptied courtyard, the people in it all squeezing themselves to the surrounding walls as well as possible. Only when Balerion's giant wings weren't flapping anymore did some of them come forward. However, you didn't even regard them. What was on your mind was a feeling, a sensation you caught from Balerion through your shared link. Balerion was exhausted, and wanted to rest. He was back home, and different to you, he loved it here. He wanted to rest at the Dragonmont, frolic over its slopes, catch some beasts and some fish by itself.
You could certainly understand that, though at least part of you did want to keep him close. There was no telling how things would turn out here. You were... there was no denying it, after two years of absence you were nervous, and you did not know what would expect you. Might you still have need of a dragon closer nearby?
Do you let Balerion roam Dragonstone Island?
[] [Balerion]Yes, let him rest and recover
[] [Balerion] No, keep him close to the castle
Either way, for now people were getting far too close to let him safely (for them) take flight again anyway. As soon as his wings had stopped to flap, even while he was still folding them on his back, you began the not entirely uncomplicated descent from his massive body, along his neck and shoulder. Since Balerion had not worn riding gear when you had claimed him and he had simply flown off, this was an exercise pretty akin to cliff climbing. It was a good thing your body had become so well trained in your absence.
The dignitaries and the guards approached you with hurried step but still warily. You could see their faces being full of surprise. You recognized some of them, though not all. What appeared to be the Maester (not Maester Anselm), strangely enough) and knight with Valyrian features had eyes large as plates. You supposed your looks would indeed be shocking to them – maybe even frightening.
There was the issue of your sheer height. You knew you had grown but... Last time you had seen knights, you had looked up into all of their faces, and that was just normality. Now, you could see at least the front top of all their heads. As the people came closer came closer you realized with quite some surprise on your own side that you were larger than any of them.
But there was also the matter of what you were wearing. When you had climbed atop Balerion for the first time, what you had worn had basically been outdoors clothes for a noble boy. You had worn dresses usually, but for that occession you had just chosen what seemed most practical in order to approach dragons on Dragonmont's slopes, and your mother really hadn't cared all too much about social etiquette in those matters. That clothing had hold during your miserable time above the Shivering Sea, but it had eventually gone quite threadbare. Instead, you had helped yourself to looted Dothraki clothes in the Grass Sea. Including furs. Lots and lots of ill-fitting, only roughly processed furs to keep you warm during your high-up dragon flights.
So you wore brown leather trousers, a broad leather vest in the same colour, and then a whole array of black and brown furs fitted to your body. And since you had found little in the way of bags on your journey, you were wearing all your treasures on your person – two swords in badly damaged metal scabbards on your belt, plus knives without sheath, and a crown on your head.
And then of course, there was Balerion himself. As you were going down his wings, the Black Dread had its scaly neck raised, and was now looking at the people below him, in front of you. Several of the guards were not even watching you, but were looking up in sheer terror.
Considering all that, you hoped people would even still recognize you. You hadn't even thought about it before, but you were basically appearing like some barbarian horselord in front of them, and with a dragon to scare them all half to death. Not like you really had held a choice in that matter, and it would probably have been worse King's Landing.
Out of the assembled men, one stepped forward soon after your feet had touched the ground. His seagreen tunic with the silver seahorse made it clear what house he belonged to, though features weren't fully Valyrian anymore: He sported some of the finest silver hair you had ever seen, not silver-blond as so often, but indeed pure silver-white... but there was no lilac or purple in his eyes anymore, "just" blue.
He had been castellan already before you had left. Even while your mother had lived here, she had not really cared to actually govern the fief. Instead, she had installed this man as castellan – Ser Daerys Velaryon. As you had later learned through gossip among her favourites, the older brother of her very first favourite, Larissa Velaryon.
"Princess... welcome back to Dragonstone." Daerys bowed his upper body.
"It is..." you coughed. Huh. It had been a long time since you had spoken at all. Some more coughing that had the men look concerned. "My, ah, apologies. It is good to be back, Ser Daerys."
There was, after all, much to do.
...though the question was, how much of that did you want to tell them? These were your mother's men, but Rhaena had always been a distant ruler, not mingling with her servants or soldiers or even officials much at all. And the castle's previous lord had been much loved – King Jaehaerys during his minority and the regency years.
The Westerosi sense of loyalty dictated that any one of them should be loyal to their direct liege first and foremost, and that that sense of loyalty should also extend to the liege's family members. And after Elissa Farman's betrayal, your mother had all but purged Dragonstone and installed new faces, many of them the brothers of her favourites, just like Daerys had been as well.
But Jaehaerys was well loved, and if nothing else... even if you kept everything behind closed doors, the risk of a servant hearing could never be fully eliminated (though of course, contrary to some common conceptions, nearly all servants were not in fact spies). It would be helpful if you could openly discuss your plans with your mother's men, though. If nothing else, you needed guidance. You had no knowledge in politics and had missed all news from Westeros the last two years.
Your aim is to eventually raise a claim to the throne, either now or later. Are you open about that intention with your mother's men, at least behind closed doors?
[] [Intention] Yes
[] [Intention] No
Though something more urgent was on your mind for now anyway. "What about my mother, Ser Daerys? Has she taken ill?"
The Velaryon looked a bit uncomfortable. "After your departure... Princess.." He sighed. "The last years have not been kind to her. Your royal mother has taken to travelling the realm, and reports indicate that for now she resides on Greenstone."
You... blinked. "Greenstone?" As bad as Dragonstone was, if there was one castle in all of Westeros which was most associated with the word 'damp', it would have been the island seat of House Estermont. "That seems a curious place to end up on."
"My niece married the Estermont heir, now the Lord of Greenstone, and my sister has since moved there as well," Ser Daerys explained.
"...ah." That would explain it. Behind you, above you, you could hear the sound of exhaled air, almost as if Balerion were snorting. Your mother was visiting her first flame... though she never went back to former favourites. This was odd.
Still, you were strangely relieved that you wouldn't have to face your mother after all. At least not for now. Of course maybe that just meant you would be all the more anxious later.
-5 Stress
"Are you...well, Princess?" It was the Maester who had spoken up. He was a lot younger than old Maester Culliper, younger even than Culliper's replacment Maester Anselm who had last held the office when you had left, a man in his thirties with unassuming face and even more unassuming short-cut brown hair. He was coming forward as if wanting to inspect you, and to his credit, he seemed to value your wellbeing more than his safety, as he apparently ignored the house-high (tower-high at the neck) dragon behind you entirely.
You waved him off gently. "I am fine, truly. A lot has happened to me, obvious, but I do not feel ill and I am not injured, thank the Seven."
The Maester nodded. "Then I shall send a raven to Greenstone forthwith. Your royal mother will want to know of your arrival. The one good news after all the hardship of the past two years."
"Wait!" You tell the Maester, who had already turned to go. He turned his head back to you, awaiting what you had to say. "About the ravens..."
Maybe it was wiser that nobody should know of your arrival just yet. Or maybe it was best if you already raised the issue of your better claims right now. It might be a bit premature, but in the end such a conflict would probably come down to dragons and you had Balerion after all.
Do you want Ravens to be sent out at all at this point?
To King's Landing
[] [King's Landing] Let the Maester send a raven
[] [King's Landing] Send a raven yourself to King Jaehaerys, raising your better rights to the throne
[] [King's Landing] Order that no raven be sent to King's Landings
(yes, you can do that, you are the heir of the fief holder)
To Greenstone
[] [Greenstone] Let the Maester send a raven
[] [Greenstone] Pen a letter yourself, announcing your return in your own words
[] [Greenstone] Pen a letter yourself, telling your Mother that issues need to be discussed
[] [Greenstone] Order that no raven be sent to Greenstone
To elsewhere
[] [Elsewhere] Do not send ravens elsewhere
[] [Elsewhere] Send ravens to the houses of Blackwater Bay, inviting them to come to Dragonstone
[] [Elsewhere] Let the Maester send ravens far and wide to announce your return and the better claims to the throne you have
[] [Elsewhere] Explicitly order that no ravens be sent out elsewhere
The Maester nodded at your instructions.
"Best let us get inside all the same, Princess," Ser Daerys suggested. "Your old room has been kept unused. I shall send servants to bring you proper garments and prepare a bath and meal, and to find a safe place for..." He hesitated slightly, apparently unsure what to call so much Valyrian steel. "...your valuables."
You nodded. There was much to be done, but a bath and a meal sounded just about fantastic right now. And after everyone either followed you inside, you could hear Balerion's wing flapping in some distance behind you.
This vote is issue by issue voting. No plan votes. Write-ins are per se allowed, but need to be approved by me.
Finding more proper garments, as Ser Daerys had promised, had turned out to be more difficult than imagined. The matter of fact was that there was no other woman of six feet in Dragonstone, or probably anywhere nearby. There simply was no fitting dress, period. They had looked, they had discussed options to modify dresses, but ultimately, for now, there was little alternative to wearing a tunic and trousers, like a knight or noble son would.
After a year in a Dothraki vest you didn't greatly mind. And you quite liked the symbolism of you wearing a black heraldic tabard with the three-headed dragon on it. Every member of House Targaryen was entitled to that coat of arms, of course, but it was maybe a good idea to remember people that you were a Targaryen – after all, you intended to become the Targaryen.
But that was probably some ways off. For now, it was odd enough just to be back in your old room. It had never truly felt like home, more like a prison, surrounded by drab black stone. Returned to your old room, you felt... lesser. Like you were that small girl from two years ago again, with nowhere to turn to. And yet, at the same time, after the ash and desolation of Valyria, it also provided a feeling of safety.
You didn't like that 'safety' and 'feeling lesser' were so connected emotionally.
At least you basically had a tower for yourself. Dragonstone was a large castle, large enough for Balerion to land in, and yet it had relatively few people. It seemed that was just the Valyrian style: They had built everything too big, as architecture was also always a sign of status. More so than practicality, their buildings were raised to impress. And thus it happened that only you and one or two servants lived in the Windwyrm, a tower at Dragonstone's landside, facing Dragonmont. Like everything here it had the shape of a dragon: In this case, a rising dragon with raised snout, as if screaming defiance into the air.
Yeah, yeah. You supposed it was very fitting and all that.
Both of your swords now hung at the wall, next to the numerous small tapestries meant to hide the black rock. From afar, they were indistinguishable from normal swords. They had none of the colour effect some Valyrian swords showed, and their pommels and guards were not ornamented. Only up close could one see the intricate rippled patterns in the steel itself. The crown was in a locked chest, the Dothraki garb somewhere in a wardrobe, and of the knives, you were carrying two in your belt.
The fruits of a two years journey. Well, at least in material terms.
There was a reason you were feeling so moody. Ser Daerys had explained to you what had happened since your departure. It seemed that had been the last straw for your mother. After what her husband had done here... she hadn't returned once since. Instead, she had taken Dreamfyre and travelled all over the realm, purportedly to, well, try and find you. Though rumours said what she actually had sought most was solitude.
From what Ser Daerys told you, though he only knew of most of it third or fourth hand, too, it almost appeared to you your mother was a broken woman. And while you never got along with her... you couldn't deny feeling at least a pang of guilt at your own role at it, tiny as it might have been compared to Androw Farman's.
In her absence, Ser Daerys had tried to run the place as best as he could. On the one hand, this wasn't so difficult. By itself, the island would be a pretty calm, even boring fief with a stable food source in the form of fishing. Unfortunately, on the other hand, it also was the ancestral seat of House Targaryen, which meant Ser Daerys' main problem had been unwanted attention from King's Landing. As several messages by raven showed, Jaehaerys and Alysanne had been worried about their sister, and had always hoped she would return to her fief.
Most other officials at the castle were relatively new, installed either after Elissa Farman's betrayal or after her brother's murders. Two old faces had remained: There was Roland Brune, the Senechall, and as such in charge of all the servants and all the reserves of food and wine and the like. While the main line of the Brunes were petty lords on Cracklaw Point, the House was a clan or even almost a whole tribe unto itself, and Roland came from a very distant cadet line indeed. As the jovial man freely admitted, so distant that he was barely noble at all anymore. Which of course, left the question how Roland could afford all the expensive rings on his fingers, but there never had been a report of any food or wine or anything else having gone missing.
The other oldtimer was Septon Merten, a native of Dragonstone. This was actually fairly common: The people of the islands nominally were adherents of the Faith, but they also always had been more... familiar with certain Targaryen traditions. It just caused less trouble if your castle septon came from the island where your house was revered as basically demigods. Even so, Rhaena had always ignored him, and so had you. You hadn't really wanted anything to do with the Faith anymore after Oldtown.
Naturally you knew little about the newcomers. You had seen them for some weeks, and you remember the broad red-and-blue beard of Dremo Tigaris, the then new master-at-arms, a former braavo from Tyrosh, but you could say little else about the man. And Alester Staunton, the new commander of the garrison, was a younger son of the Lord of Rook's Rest and a brother of one of the women killed in the poisonings. He had appeared rather stiff and distant to you back before you had left.
The other two you hadn't even seen yet: After Master Cuppert's death, his assistant Lambert had taken over, but it seemed his inability to recognize the poisonings around him had been a black mark against him, and now a Maester Adryan, a young man with unassuming face and brown hair held the position. And finally, the newest arrival was the captain of the Dreamer Maid now anchored here instead of Driftmark – Ser Laenon Velaryon, an older brother of the murdered Lianna Velaryon. You knew nothing about him safe for his fully Valyrian looks.
There was some importance to getting to know these man. You simply had no other base of operations than Dragonstone. Those men weren't important or high-ranking by any means, but you needed their backing at least initially. However, also you couldn't reveal your intentions just yet. Even though those were your mother's men, Jaehaerys was too well liked for you to risk anything before first having assessed those people. You were still pondering on how to best approach them, lazily looking out of your room's window, when you saw something in the distance. Something improbably large in the sky, a bright medium blue against the backdrop of dark clouds.
Then you heard shouting. Others had seen it as well. Dreamfyre was returning to Dragonstone. For the first time in almost two years, Rhaena Targaryen would come to see her fief. Would come to see you.
You couldn't quite remember, but you must have had gone (or run?) to the courtyard outside the castle's inner walls. The same one where Balerion landed. Now his smaller, younger nephew had landed here. Dreamfyre's scales were a shining blue, providing colourful backdrop to Rhaena's descent from her – which was much mnore graceful than yours had been, as Dreamfyre was wearing riding gear while Balerion hadn't. Your mother was down on the ground in no time.
...and then froze. She had spotted you. It seemed you were easy to spot in a crowd now.
The reunion between mother and daughter was distant. You were sure people would spread that fact far and wide. Rhaena had seemed certain in her movements the one moment, and now completely dumbfounded the next one. And you never had any idea how to approach after everything that had happened to begin with. The problem was, once again, that this woman in front of you never had really emotionally registred as "mother" to you.
And yet, it seemed everyone else was waiting for one of you two to say anything. Nobody spoke, and everyone watched. And to be fair, you were the highest ranking person of the crowd that had gathered. Even just per etiquette it would fall to you to greet your mother. You breathed out.
"Welcome back home... Mother." Only the slightest bit of hesitation.
"It almost seems like I should be the one saying that," Rhaena answered. Her tone was ambiguous. It wasn't a reproach, but it wasn't exactly warm, either. Just a statement of fact.
You just shook your head. "I'm not sure it ever was my home before." Maybe unwise to say, but that had always been a sore point with you. "But now after returning..." You left the words trailing in the air.
Rhaena nodded. "Let us talk in private then. Dreamfyre will be eager to go up and explore his island again, anyway."
True enough, after you two had gotten going, and the crowd had dispersed, the dragon was taking flight again. You noticed how Rhaena was constantly glancing sideways at you, like she couldn't believe what she was seeing. But she remained quiet as she guided you towards the Stone Drum, Dragonstone's central tower.
Trying to fill the air, you offered, "Won't you require some rest after your ride?"
This broke Rhaena's sternly calm face for a second. She did not quite scoffed, but it was more amused than insulted. "That, too, seems like something I should be the one asking. But no. I did not spent too much time on Dreamfyre, as I accepted House Penrose's hospitality at the Parchments the night. And I haven't seen you in two years. Rest can wait."
You nodded, uncertainly. Inside the Stone Drumm, you realized you were going towards the Chamber of the Painted Table. A round room, it was named for its central element that filled it out nearly completely – the Painted Table, a table carved in the shape of Westeros, with all its rivers, towns and roads painted on it. With quick and almost abrasive hand gestures, Rhaena shooed all servants away.
Only once she was sure they had gone did she exclaim: "What happened to you?" The change in tone was as massive as it was instantaneous.
And how did one even answer such a question? "A... lot," you tried. You breathed out again. "Balerion... he seemed to have a will of his own. I just wanted a dragon. I didn't mean to..." You shook your head. "I never quite learned what it was he wanted, but I could feel he really needed it. He... returned. I have been to Valyria."
Rhaena's upper body backed off, as if hit. "That place is cursed."
You nodded. You couldn't disagree. "But I came back."
Rhaena paused, as if needing to order her thoughts. "Nobody has returned from Valyria since the Doom. You are the first, do you realize that? Entire armies have vanished going there, multiple times. More than one dragonrider tried to go there, too, and never returned."
You hadn't realized that. You had just been glad you had survived all your travails. Seeing it like that... part of you immediately wondered what that could do to your reputation.
"It was... a long journey," you finally just said.
You waited for an answer, but none came. An awkward silence fall on the room. Then Rhaena nodded. "I would assume so." Her voice was suddenly colder, more distant again. "But apparently, that is not why you wrote me. You said there were matters to be discussed."
You were taken aback by that. Rhaena never had been warm in the conversation, but now her tone had been nothing but business. "Well, ah..." Not quite sure how to work with the sudden change of topic, you finally said. "I had just been wondering. Your brother sits the Iron Throne for, well, I was gone two years they say, so for eight years now? And in all that time, you have never raised the issue of your rights. Or of mine."
"You are away for two years, and that is the 'issue' you want to discuss?" Rhaena asked increduously. Then her face darkened. "I see." Another awkward pause followed, as she no doubt realized what your question meant. "What should I have done?" she finally began to answer it. "I was Maegor's captive. And as far as everyone knew, so were you. I was in no position to argue. I had to just win my and your freedom. By the time..." She stopped. "I did think about it. But by then, it was a done deal, and Jaehaerys, the little brother who had hidden behind my legs as a boy, had sat the Iron Throne for years already."
You couldn't quite help it. You scoffed. "So instead, you took me to Dragonstone."
Rhaena looked away. That surprised you. "Is that what you think?" Her tone was low and dark now. "That I should have raised the issue of your rights?"
"I only realized it after the fact, but you were in a position to," you answered. "That's why I was in those stables, wasn't it? People did want to crown me."
"And now you think I should have supported them," Rhaena stated. Again her tone was difficult to decypher. It was very matter-of-factly. But it hadn't been a question, in any case.
"People flocked to Jaehaerys because they thought Maegor an usurper," you answered. "They saw Jaehaerys as a restoration of the proper line of succession. But that isn't quite true, is it? By the law of the lands we rule, the best claim is mine. A daughter comes before a brother."
Now it was Rhaena scoffing, or maybe it was a dark chuckle. Something in between. "So that is where your journey has led to. All the years here, you just wanted to go back to King's Landing. You wanted the freedom you once enjoyed. Now it seems that isn't enough for you anymore."
You hesitated. This was crucial, and you were realizing you hadn't behaved the best during the conversation. Maybe you should have been warmer, but you were never really good at pretending. Still, you could at least put some thought into this.
"That depends," you finally said. "I have Balerion. He already conquered Westeros before. You can't deny I now have the means to claim my rights by force, if I so desire. But I have nothing else. No troops, no castle, no leal vassals, not even just people I could use as emissaries. If I am to do this... then I need your support, Mother."
Rhaena smiled now, but it was utterly sardonic smile. "And of course, you need Dreamfyre."
There seemed to be something behind that statement, but it was very hard to tell what. And you were in no position to try and deny the blindingly obvious. You did need your mother's support, so you had little choice than to be fully honest. Thus, you just nodded.
"You do realize what you are speaking about is war," Rhaena continued. "Another internal war to split the realm asunder, just as Maegor's wars did. I think you'll find there is little appetite for that among the lords. And you're asking me to go against my own brother and sister. If need be, to fight them dragon against dragon, just as your father and Maegor had battled above God's Eye."
Your face hardened. "There is a way to avoid that. My claim is better. Jaehaerys could simply step down!"
At that, Rhaena laughed incredulously. "He won't, and you fully well know that."
"I do, but the point remains. If it comes to war, it is on him. For having stolen my rights!" you insisted.
Another bout of silence fell on the Chamber of the Painted Table. "You are not far wrong," Rhaena finally said, again all matter-of-factly. "Your right is better. But you can't lay the whole blame on Jaehaerys. If he steps down, there won't be war. He won't. And if you just walked away, there would be no war, either. You, apparently, won't. Both of you would steer a course towards war."
Rhaena walked along the Painted Table, until her eyes fell on one place in particular. Following her gaze, you realized she was looking at the Riverlands.
"I have no appetite for war myself," she finally said. "Our... your rights are better, but... do you really want to do this?"
This was bad. You realized that your mother was on the edge. It seemed she was at least open to the idea, but she was far from convinced. She might not support you after all, in which case you indeed would only have Balerion.
What do you say to convince your mother?
[] [Rhaena] "If you wanted nothing more for me then a simple life you could also just have left me in King's Landing."
Guilt-trip her, basically.
[] [Rhaena] "Don't tell me you were always comfortable with this arrangement. You have felt slighted, too."
Appeal to the commonality of your situations and her resentments that have formed over the years.
[] [Rhaena] "Jaehaerys is no Maegor by a long shot, but tell me... what would my father have done?"
Appeal to the rights of Aegon's family line, now sidelined by another family line, and his heritage.
[] [Rhaena] "And you? Do you want to be stuck here on Dragonstone forever?"
Appeal to Rhaena's own personal ambition and self-interest.
Don't worry – I will say right now all of those will work, after a fashion. But they will have a large effect on your relation with Rhaena. They might also decide how far Rhaena is willing to go, and her actions in the future.
Over the following weeks, lord from the Blackwater Bay would arrive at Dragonstone – Sunglass, Celtigar, Darklyn, Staunton, Bar Emmon, Brune, Bywater, Chyttering, Wendwater, Harte, Hardy... nearly all of them very small Houses, and Rhaena was telling you (mostly rather curtly), many of them among Maegor's last followers before he had finally been found dead upon the Iron Throne.
The only house of any importance in the area were the Velaryons – but their importance surpassed even that of Lords Paramount. Ser Daerys was notably dismissive about the main line of his house, but he could explain to you that Lord Daemon, Jaehaerys' maternal uncle and your grand-uncle, had been Hand of the King to Jaeharys. He even had given up the position of Master of Ships for that, resulting in the the first time that a non-Velaryon had taken over that position. And yet he had given it all up weeks after your depature from Dragonstone, after his sister Alyssa had died, King Aenys' Queen Dowager.
His stated reason was that after that death he wished to spend time with his family, but Ser Daerys didn't believe it. Rumours said Lord Daemon had been feuding with the new Master of Ships, a Redwyne, and Jaehaerys had not much heeded his advice as Hand. The tragic death of his sister might just have been a good opportunity to retreat from the capital with honour intact.
True to fashion, Lord Daemon and his family arrived with a convoy of seven ships, manned with fourteen knights and quite a lot of men-at-arms. Clearly, he felt the need to show his importance to King Jaehaerys' sister – who, as far as everyone was concerned, had been the one inviting them. His rich garments and dignified stature made him appear elegant even as he had just entered his sixties.
Unsurprisingly, you were the centre of attention. There had been talks with your mother of you hiding away and watching the talks from the shadows, revealing yourself as needed. But that had been deemed impractical. The servants and garrison of Dragonstone had already seen you, and they would talk with the servants and entourages of the arriving lords. You could hide your intentions, but your presence was less hideable. An arrival on dragonback made that impossible, if nothing else.
And even if was not the fact that the firstborn daughter of Aegon the Uncrowned had returned, your sheer stature alone would draw attention. You heard whispers, or they were told you afterwards, speaking about the combination of brutish height and graceful lilac eyes, of your feminine hair, falling down to nearly your hips by now and well groomed since your arrival back and the sword you had on your belt most of the time. You wore dresses, hastily produced to your size, to important occasions, but otherwise walked the castle dressed like a knight.
Rhaena tried her best to keep the lords from mingling, so she and you could appeal to them separately, without having to reveal too much of your intentions. Unfortunately, your mother herself had never been the most diplomatic person. She talked with the lords, she hinted and made allusions, but she could only tell so much. Fortunately, some strategies were relatively obvious.
For example, she assured Lords Bar Emmon and Chyttering that she would always have his back, as he was a true ally to the Targaryen family. Both had been among the host of lesser lords Maegor had assembled for his last stand, both had quickly fled, and both had then been among the first people to seek audience with Jaehaerys while he was on Dragonstone. They were either fearful or opportunistic, and as such people one could work with.
Rhaena was a good deal colder to the Lords Darklyn and Staunton, the staunchest of Maegor's loyalists. She couldn't bring herself to speak positively about the usurper, but House Darklyn controlled Duskendale, the second port city at Blackwater Bay behind King's Landing, and thus was a good deal more important than most of the other Houses represented here. Thus, she did remind them several times how Jaehaerys (or rather Rogar Baratheon as Hand of the King and de facto regent, but in Jaehaerys' name and with his consent) had thrown them into the black cells and diminished their domains.
With pious Lords Sunglass and Wendwater she joked (well, "joked") about how all this Doctrine of Exceptionalism issue would have been moot with her daughters, as they never had a brother to begin with. And speaking with Edwell Celtigar, whose domains were small but his House rich and politically well connected, she asked how his daughters, often maligned in the capital, were doing and made dismissive comments about Rego Draz, his (in truth far more competent) replacement as Master of Coin.
All of them were receptive to her probing advances, up to a degree. But that was not the same as actually going against Jaehaerys when the time came. Besides, what the lords were mostly interested in was you. Rhaena had rebuffed them coldly before, but you were at best someone with an obvious claim to the throne, even if you weren't yet overt about it, or at minimum a curiousity. As your mother had said, nobody had come back from Valyria before.
Clearly, you needed to get involved in the talks more. But as Rhaena advised you, some of the lords here did not much like others. It might be best to focus efforts on one or two of them.
On which lords do you focus?
You can pick any number of options, including all four. However, the more you spread out, the more diluted the effects get, and you also need to be aware of what combinations would be more appropriate than others.
[] [Lords] Focus on the opportunistic Lords Bar Emmon and Chyttering
[] [Lords] Focus on Lords Darklyn and Staunton, the last Maegor loyalists
[] [Lords] Focus on pious Lords Sunglass and Wendwater
[] [Lords] Focus on rich Lord Celtigar, who feels slighted
The Velaryons were a special case. Despite the small size of their domain, due to wealth and political importance they were the second house of the Realm. That they needed special attention had been obvious from the start.
Yet, Lord Daemon, your grand-uncle, remained aloof and didn't say much. Some people said that was just his nature, or at least his style of politics: He had said few and even less of it decisive during his tenure of Hand of the King, too. But it did mean neither Rhaena nor you had any good idea on how to approach him. Rhaena could appeal to the centuries of bonds between their houses, or how the Velaryons are the natural maritime house of Westeros, or speak about her mother, his sister... it made no difference. Lord Daemon showed little reaction either way.
Rhaena did manage to have him stay on Dragonstone for an extended period of time, at least. After all, she and you were family of his, and whether his withdrawal from King's Landing had truly been about those matters or not, it seemed he was a family man at heart. While his eldest son Corwyn was serving as Castellan of Driftmark in his absence, he had even brought his wife along, hailing from Lysene nobility but long since so Westerosified that she had even converted to the Faith, and his two younger sons Jorgen and Victor, plus his youngest daughter Alara. Though of course, "younger" was relative: Even Alara, the youngest, was a year older than you. Jorgen in turn had brought wife and single child along, while Victor and Alara seemed unmarried.
All of them sported the typical Valyrian features. And most of them were talkative and as warm as one could expect from nobility. Only Lord Daemon wasn't. Which continued to be a problem...
Of course, it shouldn't be thought that the Lords were present on Dragonstone all the time (with the exception of the especially honoured guest Lord Daemon Velaryon), nor should it be thought they were all there at the same time. As the first quarter of the year 56 passed by, they came and went and some of those with the shortest travelling times even came more than once. At times, nobody save Lord Daemon was there, and even when half a dozen of them were present, their presence didn't fill out the whole day.
And while you hoped to change that soon, you didn't have much in the way of obligations to fill your time right now. You held no office and were charged with no task; your only real (self-imposed) duty was making nice with your lordly guests. This meant, you had a lot of time for other activities.
Round 1 Actions and Conversations
First Quarter, 56 AC
Season: Summer
Each Turn will normally represent about one quarter year. As a note, I will not go with sub-seasons here. Weather can still vary by a fair bit, but for the full Westeros experience, seasons are in fact multi-year.
Select two actions and two conversations, or one action and three conversations. You can also select three actions and one conversation, but that will slightly rise your Stress level. If you take three actions and one of them is to rest, you will still reduce Stress overall, but at a lower gain. Conversations with the visiting Lords do not fall under this mechanic but are separate as part of choices above.
Conversations
[] Speak with Rhaena Targaryen
You didn't start off on a good footing with your mother. She is supporting you, but your talks so far have been rather cold and basically all of it has been focused on your future plans. There has been no real talk about what happened to you except the mere factual basics, and no talk at all about what has happened to her. You aren't really looking forward to breaching more emotionally fraught topics with your mother, but the coldness of your current conversations is somewhat unnerving, too. (Stress gain will diminish over time [/E: I.e., the more often the option is taken)
[] Speak with Lord Daemon Velaryon
No two ways around it: If you want to succeed in your ambitions, you will probably need the Velaryons. If nothing else, you are currently on an island, and they control all the warships in area, even if Manfryd Redwyne is the current royal Master of Ships. So far, Daemon has commented little and committed to nothing. This needs to be changed. You know you are just as bad at friendly conversations as your mother, but maybe he will find you interesting.
[] Speak with Ser Daerys Velaryon
The castellan of Dragonstone is probably more familiar with the castle and fief by now than anyone else, including the nominal owner of the fief. He can tell you all your need about your current base of operations and also how many resources you would have available if conflict were to break out. He might also be able to tell you more about Lord Daemon, though technically he is more distantly related to him than you.
[] Speak with Maester Adryan
You don't know the new Maester, but he seems very competent in what he is doing, despite his, for a Maester, young age. He is the only one here who could maybe make some sense of your adventures, and even if it is only offering you facts he learned from his books.
[] Speak with Alara Velaryon
You are of an age with Lord Daemon's youngest daughter. Nobody would bat an eye about you talking to your grand-cousin, and it might be the most direct link to the evasive Master of Driftmark. On the other hand, you couldn't fail to notice that Alara is a bit of an airhead – humourous, curious, but easily distracted and a bit clumsy. Maybe not the person a father would entrust with knowledge of his plans.
[] Speak with Ser Victor Velaryon
Lord Daemon's youngest son is six years your senior. It might be more difficult to strike up a conversation here, and since he is unmarried it could also get tongues wagging. His personality also just doesn't seem as open as Alara's... but, to be blunt, as a son he might have been told more about his father's plan than his sister has.
[] Speak with Septon Merten
The 'Doctrine of Exceptionalism' which everyone was regarding as Jaehaerys' political masterwork had already been established shortly before your flight from Dragonstone, though you had never paid it much heed. Now, it might actually become a political consideration for you. You have no brothers, after all; you could win support on an anti-Doctrine stance. But first you should probably better understand what it even is.
[] Speak with Dremo Tigaris
You do not know the castle's Tyroshi master-at-arms, but he seems like the logical choice to talk to regarding the treasure of Valyrian steel you found. You know Valyrian steel swords are basically priceless, as none who have them are willing to part with them at any price, but you know only vaguely what makes them so good. You also need to figure out a way to train their use. Dremo could help with both.
[] Talk to Roland Brune
You are not sure what you would talk to Dragonstone's Senechall in specific, but he did always seem a lot more open and friendly than some of the other officials in the castle. He is also one of the few 'oldtimers' around, so at least you know him and are familiar with him. Talking with Dragonstone and the ongoing events with him might thus prove more productive, though on the other hand he may not be as involved in matters as others.
[] Speak with servants
You probably can't hide who you are (how many six feet women are currently in the castle?), but you are fairly certain that you can still put servants at ease by apeparing as, well, basically one of them. You know their customs, their way of life and their language. And it happens not infrequently that Lords speak in the presence of their servants as if they weren't even there. On the other hand, of course, servants also tend towards rumour-mongering and engrossing themselves in sordid tales with no basis in reality.
Actions
[] Observe Lord Daemon Velaryon
The Lord of the Tides is a wexing enigma. You could talk to others about him, and maybe you do, but you could also just keep him under observation yourself. Dragonstone is a castle full of dark corners and dragon-shaped niches, after all. Ever since your growth spurt, hiding does not come as easily to you anymore, but on the other hand, this is Dragonstone, your mother's castle: You wouldn't really need to justify your presence in any part of it to anyone, if caught.
[] Train
You have grown considerably since your return, and you feel like you could be stronger than most men you're meeting – but that is just raw physical strength. Nobody has ever taught you how to actually wield swords. It would maybe be a waste to let it stay like that. You don't know Dremo Tigaris, but maybe people from the Free Cities would also be less squeamish about teaching a woman, too.
[] Learn
You just returned from a confusing flight half around the known world. You can go talk to Maester Adryan to make sense of it, but you can also learn more about the world from him. Your basic knowledge of things is woefully lacking – even just basic teaching suffered a fair bit due to your time in the stables. You are sure any Maester would be eager to correct that.
[] Visit Dragonstone's library
Books! You love books. And for such a damp and dreary castle, Dragonstone has a large and rich library, probably not surprising considering the Valyrian origins of its House. Instead of entrusting your education to Maester Adryan, you can also simply take a deep dive yourself. You could choose what you are learning yourself, and go directly to the source. It would be more unorganized, but it could also be more fun. Besides, there may be some works in there with a knowledge that a Maester would not necessarily teach to a noble woman.
-[] ...and read whatever book you come across.
-[] ...and specifically search for books about the Higher Mysteries (You need to choose one sub-option)
[] Learn more about Dragonstone's administration
Dragonstone does not have an orderly line of succession. So far, it has been mostly handed out as an apanage to junior members of the Targaryen dynasty. (The heir to the throne becoming the 'Prince of Dragonstone' was only institutionalized during Jaehaerys' reign). Maybe Jaehaerys would give it out to one of his children after Rhaena's death, if he is still king then. Even so, it is fair to see you as the heir presumptive of Dragonstone, and as such nobody would object or even be surprised if you involved yourself more with how Dragonstone is run. Ser Daerys Velaryon, the Castellan, and Roland Brune, the Senechall, would introduce you to the finances of the island and what they are doing with them. Not only would this give you a better picture of your base of operations, you would also learn quite a bit about how running a fief even works.
[] Inspect Dragonstone's garrison
This would raise more eyebrows, coming from a young woman, but it would still be accepted. You can learn about Dragonstone's strength at land, at sea, and as a fortress, and in the process probably also learn something about battles are fought in general. As well, Ser Alester Staunton might have some information about his father, the Lord of Rook's Rest, one of the visiting lords. Will also count as a conversation with Ser Alester without taking up a conversation spot.
[] Explore the Castle
You had done so already as a child. After all, it was not like you had much else to do, and for the first few months or so the castle itself at least had been fascinating. But even then you hadn't made many contacts among its people, and a lot could have changed since then.
[] Go out to the fishing village
Your mother had always forbidden that, but now she was not really in much of a position to do that anymore. With how empty and stern Castle Dragonstone had always been, with no people your age around, you had yearned back then to go to the fishing village that lay downslope from the castle. It was there that all the lords arrived on their ships, too. Surely the townsfolk had a lot to say about that, and even if not, it might do you some good to go among the smallfolk again.
-[]Go in disguise
You will stand out either way, but your reputation may not have made it to the castle just yet due to the general secrecy involved in your return. And people might talk freer then.
[] Fly on Balerion
You'll let him rest for now.
[] Relax
You have come back from a years long journey, and you need all your wits about you in dealing with the lords of Blackwater Bay. There is no reason to additionally stress yourself. Take it slow, see to it that you get new garments, read some lighter literature, bathe, sleep... You have enough other stuff going on as is.
