Winter is Coming ( An OOC Thread )

[Noon_Shadow]

Character approval submission

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Name: Ser Jakram Mallister (shortened to "Jak" by those who know him)
Age: 28 years
Height: 6'0
Weight: 190 pounds
Title: Heir to the Lord of Seagard, the seat of House Mallister.

Family:
Father: Lord Horace Mallister of Seagard (ailing)
Mother: Lady Jenise Mallister (Formerly of Martell)
Sister: Elia Mallister, age 24
Brother: Connor Mallister, age 20
Son: Edmure Rivers, age 9 (his only acknowledged bastard)

History:

House Mallister is sworn to House Tully, the Great House of the Riverlands. Jak's father was born to a lesser branch of the Mallisters, never expected to ascend to the seat of Seagard. The War of Conquest proved to be extremely bloody for the Mallisters, as they found themselves fighting to help House Tully reclaim its seat at Riverrun, while likewise being forced to fight against raiders from the Iron Isles. Thus, a large portion of the House was wiped out, and Horace fought hard to claim Seagard for his own. Having taken the title for himself and his heirs, he satisfied the only ambitions he'd ever entertained.

Jakram is much, more ambitious. As a boy, he'd been a ward of House Arryn, briefly, until his father claim the seat of Seagard, when he'd been returned to his father to raise as an heir. He's distinguished himself as a great lancer in the kingdom, with many success at tourneys, and most recently having unhorsed Sir Gareth of the Kingsguard in a tournament at King's Landing, making off with the extremely generous purse. He's also claimed victories at Harrenhall, HighGarden, and Lannisport.

While his prowess with the lance and sword are known, his cleverness is underestimated. For instance, he'd desired the wife of one of his father's loyal armsmen. He'd managed to provoke him into a duel while drunk, then slain him and told both his father and his widow that it had been an honorable combat. He'd consoled the widow, taking his pleasure in her, and had been content to forget about her entirely until the bitch had gotten pregnant. To shut her up, he'd agreed to acknowledge the bastard, and he'd sent him to Rivverrun to be trained as a member of his liege's household guard. He has a sharp political mind, and he intends to see himself established as the Lord of Rivverun...or maybe even further. He's already managed to quietly gain favor among a significant portion of House Tully's sworn houses.

When a raven arrived from Winterfell, proclaiming the fall of the Wall and an invasion by a race thought extinct, he sees his opportunity. His father also saw the need to send forces to Winterfell's aid, but was too ill to leave Seagard. Jak had stepped forward to lead an army up the Neck, riding gloriously to answer the call of the Warden of the North. His force involves an even mix of those who are loyal to the Tullys, and those who are quietly more loyal to himself. He intends to make sure the former never return the Riverlands.

Retinue:

Connor Mallister, age 20:Connor lacks certain gifts of his brother. He never had the same ease wielding sword or lance. He doesn't have the strength of arm. He also knows he lacks the quick wit and easy intellect. He prefers sailing to horses. One thing he does have that his brother lacks is loyalty. He's fiercely loyal to his family, his Lord, and to the Throne. It's unknown what may happen if he's forced to chose between them..

When word of the Others invading the kingdom, his brother persuaded him that House Mallister and the Riverlands should not be seen as lacking enthusiasm to fight the kingdom's enemies. As a result, he accompanied his brother on the ride to Winterfell, joining him in a fight against the Others.

Ander Piper, age 12: Ander was born a fourth son to the Pipers of Pinkmaiden castle. Ambitious as Jakram is, he agreed to take young Ander as his squire, gaining the favor of the Lord Piper, an important House in the Riverlands. He's begun teaching Ander the use of the longsword and shield. Ander is fiercely loyal, in the way of boys around their idols.

Podram Frey, age 27: In the past Frey's have been quite plentiful, making their line of succession rather complicated. In short, Podram is seventh in line of succession to be Lord of the Crossing. Podram, called "Po" for short, is a close friend of Jak. They've fought together, and trained together. In Po, Jak has a kindred spirit, devious and ambitious.

Ser Rygar Cross, age 50: Head of the household knights of Mallister, Rygar Cross is fiercely loyal to the house. He's a bit concerned by the blind ambition he sees in Jakram, but he obeys as the head of the household, with his father Horace sometimes delirious. With both sons riding to the Northlands, he's been named castellan of Seagard.

 

[Mister J]

((Soru, you said you might create a character from House Martell. I had thoughts that Jak's mother might be a Martell, therefore making my character a distant cousin of yours. Jak's sister, Elia, is clearly named for the murdered wife of Rhaegar))

That's fine by me. I'm working on the bio currently. Should be done by tomorrow.

 

[Light Ice]

I'm totally onboard with this-I'm definitely going to create a character. It seems you're setting it after the scope of the events in the so-far published books. Should we just try to use the world of Westeros and ignore the actual events? Maybe I'm just concerned about having a unified backstory, and it may not be that important. But a big part of what makesA Song of Ice and Fire compelling is the political climate, and I'd like this thread to have some of the same elements-it's going to need a Littlefinger or a Tywin Lannister type who is ruthless, cunning, and ambitious. That's probably going to be the type of character I write.

Should we just avoid referencing events from the main storyline of the series, or should we let that be a part of our character back stories?

I've taken care to avoid direct mention of the series characters and plots and encourage the rest of our writers to do the same. It is my intention to steal from the world that has been presented to us and to allow us, as writers, to do with it as we will.

Just a couple things for all of you to consider:

1. This story is taking place (at least to start) in Winterfell for several reasons.
- It makes good sense for us all to be gathered where the war is happening.
- I will be playing the part of Game Master, as it were, and condensing you all will make it easier on me when it comes to impacting all of our characters in our posts.
- It is much cooler than King's Landing. Literally. I really like the frozen tundra/snowy forest setting as a general rule.

2. Shy is no longer interested in joining us here. We are short a female character. I will be assigning bonus points to the individual who recruits a talented, capable, and well-mannered female counterpart. I will assign double bonus points if she takes on the guise of a vicious, ruthless, and promiscuous female character.

3. Thanks for joining us, Noon. I'm glad to have you with us.

 

[Katamari Roller]

(working on something else)

 

[Light Ice]

Obscure Insanity and DarkWarrioress will be joining us.

 

[Katamari Roller]

I´m working on a Lady Arryn. Hopefully that won´t interfere with their plans, and I can keep it true-to-setting.

 

[Noon_Shadow]

I´m working on a Lady Arryn. Hopefully that won´t interfere with their plans, and I can keep it true-to-setting.

Hopefully she won't be as nutty as Lysa Arryn. shudders.

 

[Mister J]

Hopefully she won't be as nutty as Lysa Arryn. shudders.

I liked Littlefinger's remedy for that.

 

[Noon_Shadow]

I liked Littlefinger's remedy for that.

A shame so many of the events in this story will center around Winterfell. I'd like to shove an NPC out the Moon Door.

 

[Katamari Roller]

I assume this will be sane enough...





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Name: Linia Arryn
Age: 23 years
Height: 6'0
Weight: 167 pounds
Title: Lady of the Eyrie (seat of House Arryn), Lady paramount of the Vale and Warden of the East.

Family:
Father: Lord Jon Arryn, Defender of the Vale (deceased)
Mother: Lady Lysa Tully (deceased)
Sister: Lavigne, age 5
Sister: Mirra, age 5

History:

Whoever does not know of the Arryns, does not know anything about the Seven Kingdoms. One of the noblest houses, with a pedigree that reaches back to the first invaders of Westeros, the Andals, the Arryns live in the Eyrie. The Eyrie is an unassailable series of castles built on the Mountains of the Moon. The impossibility of assaulting this fortress has no doubt contributed to their survival until these days. Their motto, "As high as honour", is not completely metaphorical.

The recent history of the house has been quite worthy of praise. Although its fortress has allowed the house to remain neutral in most affairs, the Arryns did not allow those under his protection to be assassinated most vilely by the late King Aerys Targaryen. The sovereign´s insanity was met with the Arryns´ sense of honour, and it was this act that began the Robert´s Rebellion and shaped the present and near-future of the Seven Kingdoms. The Arryns are strong and have many allies thanks to their military strength, their willingness to put themselves at risk for them, and their sensible style of ruling. House Arryn lands are ruled as well as they could possibly hope to be. Unfortunately, two events have put their current strength to a test.

First, the arrival of the Others. It is hoped that at the council to be held in Winterfell, the noble houses of the Seven Kingdoms will come together to lend their aid to the Starks in beating back this supernatural enemy. Although there are still those that think this a very strange conspiracy headed by the Starks, the Arryns are willing to lend an ear to an old friend.

Second, and most grievous to them, the House currently has no ruling male. Jon Arryn died of a strange illness not three months ago, and his wife followed him shortly thereafter, disappearing through the Moon Door and into the valley below. Apparently, a bard she was having a relationship with was the culprit, and soon met his end the same way Lady Lysa did. Now, the ruler of House Arryn is their oldest daughter, Lady Linia. A tall, proud and cool-headed woman of which little is known except her stern but beautiful visage and her obvious willingness to take up the mantle of Lady of the Vale, and her energy in wearing it. Of course, since the death of her parents, Lady Linia has been assailed with marriage proposals, but the Arryns have always had the privilege of choosing when and who to marry with, given their power both political and military. It was expected that Lady Linia would not concern herself with matters beyond the Vale as she consolidated her position as the new head of the House, but she left the Vale with a hundred knights three days after receiving the Starks´ letter of invitation. This hasty reply to the Starks´ invitation has been considered a clear sign that Lady Linia may be planning to find a husband at the council in Winterfell, but those that know of her independent and strong character are not so sure and think that perhaps it is her younger sisters she intends to find a partner for. The answer, however, will have to wait until the council itself takes place...



Retinue:

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Sir Robrann Moore(left): Robrann is a recently ordained knight, eager to serve and skilled with sword and lance. The firstborn of his late father, he is now head of Moore House, but he is not interested in ruling, a responsibility he has left in the hands of his mother, Ella, and his younger brother, Elbrann, until he returns to the Vale. He accompanies Lady Linia not only because of his orders, but to find out if his father acquitted himself well in the battlefield, and to bury him. The idea that his father may have died a coward or an incompetent commander mortifies him, for if this is so, then how can he expect to be any better than him?


Master Swordsman Jorick, "The Storm Knight"(right): Sir Jorick Templeton is the youngest sibling of his family, descendants of the legendary Knight of Ninestars. Being the third brother (but by no means young anymore, being roughly thirty-seven years old), he has little hope of becoming head of his house, much less now he has found out that his father survived the battle against the Others. He never had any illusions about it before, anyway, so instead he dedicated himself to obtaining glory on the battlefield, a different way of leaving his mark upon the Vale. And that he did. He became an accomplished knight during the Robert´s Rebellion, personally slaying multiple knights and nobles in some of the greatest battles of the war. His greatest feat was leading the assault on Gulltown and slaying Lord Grafton, a noble of the Vale that refused to aid his Lord against the Targaryens. Taking the coastal town allowed Robert Baratheon to sail to Storm´s End, relieving it from siege. Since then, Sir Jorick has been called "The Storm Knight".

Nowadays, Sir Jorick trains and commands the knights of the Vale, making them a fearsome force. He is among the deadliest swordsmen in the Seven Kingdoms, and most who know of his deeds will not be surprised if he is offered the position of Kingsguard some day.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

http://darkwarrioress.bravehost.com/Teagan.jpg

Name: Lady Teagan Tyrell
Age: 23
Height: 5’ 7"
Weight: 125 lbs
Eyes: Mossy green
Additional Titles: Guardian of the Reach; Lady of Highgarden

Family:
Father: Lord Segrin Tyrell (deceased)
Mother: Lady Annice Tyrell (deceased)
Husband: Lord Sandrin Tyrell (deceased)​

History:

Her mother and father were killed in an assassination plot and while it had never been proven who was responsible, Teagan had her own ideas on the matter. Years later, her husband was killed in a fight with the Dornishmen of the South. This was a frequent ongoing battle. Every time her Lord Sandrin rode out, she was never sure if she would see him again. Until one day, they carried his bloody body home.

Her parents holdings came to her husband at the time of their death and upon Sandrin’s own death, since he had no male heir or family, the combined holdings came to his wife, Teagan. Considering such holdings, Teagan was strongly encouraged to marry again and indeed, her husband lay in the ground, barely cold, when suitors made themselves known. She sent them all away. The unfortunate few who refused to take no for answer, fled, missing a piece of their own body. For some, if they were lucky, it was just a fingertip, other’s a piece of their ear was removed. At every turn, Teagan refused to marry again, determined with the help of those loyal to the House of Tyrell and her wealth, to remain single… for now. She had high ambitions and a married woman could hardly achieve them through just means.

She was a woman born and bred before her time. She was educated for one, beyond the womanly arts, though she knew those well enough. No one could find fault with her demeanor as the Lady of the Castle.

She was trained in the art of combat and could wield a sword when she needed to. To hold her possessions, the land and maintain the position of overlord of the Reach, she knew she had to show strength and command.

Intelligent, rich, and comely, men may have had their eyes on her wealth, but those eyes strayed to her form as well. She wasn’t afraid of using her body to achieve what she needed to. In fact, she relished it.

With the strongest Houses vying for the Throne, she knew her wealth would be an asset to any who needed funding. Ruthless she would be if called for. Whatever it took, whatever was needed, she would do to become the woman who sits at the side of the man who would be King.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Damn.. let me redo this.. *goes to contemplate* My apologies.. I didn't see Katamari Roller's post before I uploaded. What houses are still unspoken for?

 

[Light Ice]

Damn.. let me redo this.. *goes to contemplate* My apologies.. I didn't see Katamari Roller's post before I uploaded. What houses are still unspoken for?

I should have noticed her post as well, and failed to, so my apologies to you.

The House Tully has not been represented. A few characters here have been created without cannonical houses, but player-made ones. I'm not against that at all, either.

PS. That picture you were using for your character is gorgeous.

 

[Noon_Shadow]

Damn.. let me redo this.. *goes to contemplate* My apologies.. I didn't see Katamari Roller's post before I uploaded. What houses are still unspoken for?

Though it wouldn't necessarily be wrong to have multiple characters from the same house, I'm pretty sure that we don't have a Baratheon yet, and they probably do need to be represented.

 

[Noon_Shadow]

I should have noticed her post as well, and failed to, so my apologies to you.

The House Tully has not been represented. A few characters here have been created without cannonical houses, but player-made ones. I'm not against that at all, either.

PS. That picture you were using for your character is gorgeous.

Or that. I would appreciate a Tully being involved, given my character's aspirations, and the fact that his house is sworn to the Tully's.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Or that. I would appreciate a Tully being involved, given my character's aspirations, and the fact that his house is sworn to the Tully's.

Now to find something on the House of Tully? I'll gladly switch her to wherever is needed the most. I'm easy, just not cheap.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

I should have noticed her post as well, and failed to, so my apologies to you.

The House Tully has not been represented. A few characters here have been created without cannonical houses, but player-made ones. I'm not against that at all, either.

PS. That picture you were using for your character is gorgeous.

Thank you LI. The moment I saw her, I knew she was the image I wanted.

 

[Light Ice]

Now to find something on the House of Tully? I'll gladly switch her to wherever is needed the most. I'm easy, just not cheap.

I'm both cheap and easy. It almost makes up for my cantankerous nature. Almost.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Or that. I would appreciate a Tully being involved, given my character's aspirations, and the fact that his house is sworn to the Tully's.

Okay.. I didn't see the representative for the House of Tyrell, which seems to suit her I think. If I screwed up again, will someone just shoot me, please?

 

[Katamari Roller]

My first idea for a character was a Baratheon, but then I thought, shit, I have to make a character who rules over the Seven Kingdoms while having to push away anyone tryng to usurp her throne. To hell with that noise.

Also, there is no reason not to include brothers and sisters of a house, as well as particularly powerful knights, I suppose.

 

[Noon_Shadow]

My first idea for a character was a Baratheon, but then I thought, shit, I have to make a character who rules over the Seven Kingdoms while having to push away anyone tryng to usurp her throne. To hell with that noise.

Also, there is no reason not to include brothers and sisters of a house, as well as particularly powerful knights, I suppose.

I had the same thought, actually. Basically, we've got two character bios yet to post, and it's totally wide open for whatever character they want to create (though Soru has already said he's creating a Martell). We could easily have 20 different characters in this thread, but it would get unwieldy.

Regardless, everyone should have a thought about creating NPCs at some point, if only so we have some characters to kill off in true Martin style. I'm really getting excited about this thread. Hopefully it stays active.

Also, something else-so we're saying Baratheon is the ruling House at the time of this story? I re-read LI's opening post and he doesn't really signify. Or are we saying the Targaryens came back to claim the Iron Throne?

 

[Katamari Roller]

LI said the game would start after the "war", and that it had been at least a generation ago since the last King Targaryen died. I assumed that meant that the Baratheons are currently on the throne, and that King Robert is dead.

 

[Light Ice]

I suppose that I should clarify.

The Targaryans, while present in the distant, have yet to reclaim their throne. The House Baratheon held the seat of power but will see it vacated upon the King's death in my very first post.

Soru, credit him for brilliance, came up with the idea that the throne was recently made vacant and that we begin the story from the fresh conclusion and victory in the North. The King, killed in battle, had no heirs. The result is a vacuum that represents a sudden opportunity for Houses of all ilk to cement their power.

Some, the most ambitious, might attempt to claim backing for the Throne itself. Others, such as those disgraced in recent years, might simply seek to correctly gamble their support on the proper candidate and increase their standings within the realm (and their holdings).

Those most likely in the worst of positions?

- The Houses once devoted to House Targaryen. With the Targaryen's absent from the realm, in hiding, and the thrown recently vacated they would be the subject to intense scrutiny and suspicion. They may be wealthy. They might see opportunity but they will also find it most difficult to maneuver without extreme scrutiny being paid to every action or conversation.

- House Baratheon. Without an heir they find themselves desperate to retain the power that they had held and without a means by which to do it. The other Great Houses will almost certainly look entirely past the House Baratheon. That, alone, will be difficult for them to overcome. The greatest concern, however, is that the throne falls to those with Targaryen sympathies. The backlash against the House Baratheon could be crippling, perhaps crushing, to their cause.

 

[swordandsandle]

One question; are we to RP out trip to Winterfell, or will we began when we arrive?

 

[Katamari Roller]

Also, how is the situation with the Others, exactly? You said the war was won against them, in what sense? They have been beaten back and now are on the defensive, they´ve been obliterated, what? And what about their weaknesses, does everybode use obsidian weapons or...?