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You're the Head of a Noble House - North Edition IV


James Steller

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Imagine you're the Lord of a Noble House in the North (assume it's been around for as long as the others). Your wife passed away two years ago, leaving you with four children. You also have a bastard son, and a daughter from a previous marriage.

Winter has come and gone, but the North is in crisis. Moat Cailin is under siege by a large army of stormlanders and their riverlord allies. King Edwyn Stark, the Spring King, has hastily mustered an army and is marching south to aid the crannogmen currently defending Moat Cailin and the Neck.

Your fighting days are long behind you, but you have sent your 19 year old heir, your 20 year old bastard son, and half your forces to join King Edwyn.

However, a message comes to you from your cousin, serving House Whitehill, that the Boltons are plotting to rise up while Edwyn is preoccupied at Moat Cailin. You cannot know if your cousin is telling the truth or if he is helping his Bolton overlords stir suspicion among the other houses and then pleading self defence when they are preemptively attacked. Moreover, any lords who use the rest of their forces to march against the Boltons may have their undefended homes ransacked by Bolton raiders sent ahead in secret. But staying home might allow the Boltons the advantage of the first move. You must quickly and wisely decide how to respond to this message.

Meanwhile, you have been approached by Lord Hornwood to wed his younger sister to your heir. She is fully ten years older than he, and has already been married and had a child (her husband, the lord of a small knightly house serving House Manderly, died of a fall while hunting and their child died of a fever after six months). Now her husband's brother has assumed lordship and is already married, leaving the Hornwood woman with little choice but to hope for another marriage. Despite this, she is still beautiful, she is still fertile, and Hornwood also offers to take your youngest son, an 11 year old, as a ward. At the same time, Lord Locke's daughter is offered, with the promise of your bastard being taken in as a master of arms. A third offer comes from the minor House Shale and their pretty 16 year old daughter. They are only two generations old, having been raised up by the Starks themselves for loyal service in war, so they are poor but directly serve the Starks at Winterfell.

At the same time, Lord Mormont offers his only child, a 15 year old daughter to your 17 year old second son. You have met her before, and while she is homely, she is also young, healthy, and robust. Lord Mormont mentions that the grandchildren must carry on the maternal house name. Meanwhile, an envoy from House Condon, a minor house in service to the Cerwyns, also offers for your second son to marry their heir, a 16 year old girl. Although prettier, she is also poorer, but the Condons are close with the Cerwyns who live close to Winterfell.

At the same time, your 16 year old third son, always a very unruly and wild boy, has been charged with rape of a blacksmith's daughter. A delegation of small folk have come to you requesting an audience. They explain that your son forced himself on the girl and ravaged her. Your son denies it, saying she led him on and was disappointed that he only wanted her for some brief pleasure. It is his word against hers, and it is too soon to tell whether she is pregnant or not.

Your youngest son, the 11 year old, needs to be fostered. As mentioned above, House Hornwood will take your boy if you agree to the marriage arrangement they offer. At the same time, House Flint of Widow's Watch offers to take the boy in, if you take in their own young sons as wards. Some days ago, House Bolton also offered to take him in, and eventually marry him to their only daughter, which further adds to your confusion of the secret message you just got. Will they hold your boy hostage? Or is their offer genuine?

Your legitimate daughter has recently suffered a tragedy. She was engaged to the young heir to House Glover, but the 15 year old was recently killed while fighting Ironborn reavers and the new heir will not come of age for another nine years. This leaves her without prospects and few marriage proposals. Only two have come: one from the newly widowed Lord Umber, and another from the second son to House Karstark. Umber is a full grown and highly respected warrior, but he is also hot tempered and some think him dull-witted. The Karstark boy seems to be an honourable lad, but he is a second son. Also, if the Boltons do rebel, both these houses will be on the front lines against them. But that also means the Karstark boy might become heir after all. 

Finally, there is the matter of your bastard son. He is currently fighting alongside your heir, whom he loves as a brother. As mentioned before, you have been given an offer to send him to Lord Locke after the fight to become a master of arms. But you have also been told that Clan Forrester will have him wed to their youngest daughter and serve as a guard in Ironrath should he agree to take their name as his own. Meanwhile he has repeatedly hinted that he would like to be legitimized as your son, even if he inherits nothing, as he values your love and recognition for him more than any kind of inheritance. This would anger your eldest daughter, though, who never forgave you for cheating on your mother with a miller's daughter. Also, both your dead wives' families, Flint and Karstark, would see the boy's legitimization as an insult and will likely withdraw their prior offers.

How do you run this household?

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Wow. Okay, off we go...

First off, I'm not going to rush off and attack the Boltons, even if they are marshalling their forces for an attack. What I will do is send a raven to King Edwyn, and give him the message my cousin sent me. I'll let him decide what to do from there, and I put special guard over my lands while I await further instructions.

Honestly I see no problem with marrying my heir to Lord Hornwood's sister. She's a mature, intelligent woman, she's apparently still gorgeous, and she's experienced in bed, which I'm sure will provide for a far more exciting wedding night for my son. I also send my youngest boy to Hornwood as Lord Hornwood promised. A new link to a powerful House.

My second son will be married to the Mormont girl. They're further away from Winterfell but they're a well respected noble house. My son would be grateful for the opportunity to marry into House Mormont and be father to the future Mormont lord.

As to my third son, I will show him what a cold Northern lord must be capable of. I will disown him, and send him to the Wall. A father loves his sons, but a lord has responsibilities to protect the smallfolk. And regardless of whether it was rape or not, I shouldn't have to deal with such a scandalous situation at all. And given that the third son has apparently been like this all his life, I have no choice but to punish him properly. As for the blacksmith's daughter, I'll offer her family compensation now, and if a child is born, I will give my heir instruction that even after I die, the babe shall be given some education, and will either be squired to one of my soldiers if it's a boy, or if it's a girl, she'll be given a dowry for her eventual wedding.

My bastard son sounds like a good lad to have. And if he's truly willing to renounce his status as my heir, and if he fights honourably for the Starks, I will request the king to legitimize him. He will not inherit the lordship but he will always be my son, and he will marry better than if he were a Snow.

And if my loving my illegitimate child apparently offends the Karstarks and the Flints, I will accept their resentment. I don't need their offers anyway. My daughter will get to be Lady Umber, and if he falls in battle with the Boltons, she'll be able to raise their heir on her own and command Last Hearth and all its lands until her son grows up.

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My House is loyal to the Starks to a fault, and will always follow their lead.

My children first:

My heir will marry Lord Shale's daughter, hopefully tieing my house that much closer to the Starks.

 

My second son will marry the Mormont's daughter, even though he will have to take the Mormont name, my son will for all intents and purposes be a major Lord, serving the Starks. This is the most you can hope for in regards to a second son.

 

My third son gives me no reason to believe that he is telling the truth and I can not afford to anger my people. I send my son to the Night's Watch but make a deal with the small folk that I will pay for any child that results if they do not speak of this, and they agree that my son joined the Night's Watch voluntarily and with honor and not as a criminal. His departure for the Wall will be held back until both my sons have returned from their battles in case I lose both of my older sons.

 

I don't trust the Boltons and never will, and would never send my son to them, for marriage or any other reason. I agree with House Flint and welcome his sons and try to grow a strong bond with them. I send my youngest son to Lord Flint to be fostered there.

 

My daughter, I marry to Lord Umber. If the Boltons are about to revolt I want a respected warrior (with lands in peril) on my side closely tied to me and my family.

 

My bastard son, I unfortunately can not legitimize in my household as it would hurt my House, but after serving in battle for the King, I will petition the King to legitimize him with a new name and try to make him a minor Lord that serves as a bannerman to our house.

 

As far as the Boltons:

I forward the information I received to the King and to the Umbers (now my future son-in-law), I commit half of the remaining forces I have to wait for the Umbers' move. The Umbers will know the Boltons better than I will and he is a noted warrior and the perfect man to lead the battle. I send my 17 year old son to lead my forces and ask Lord Umber to watch over my son (his brother-in-law).

 

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I say coz is in for a bit of interrogation, cousins are outside of kinslaying or every murder would be kinslaying among nobility, besides he doesn't have to die, just share everything he knows, then I prepare the defenses accordingly, it really isn't much of the difference, keeping my land well defended is priority either way no matter the whims of Kings of the North, but I dislike being manipulated. In any case we are in for a bit of loot, picked number of my soldiers will don Bolton colors and plunder whatever I see fit, leaving only carefully select number of witnesses. But it doesn't stop there, other part of the picked group will don colors of some other house I hate or want to posses their land and they will pillage Bolton lands.

I propose to Hornwood that I will marry his sister, and he will consent seeing he is not having many options. It gives me a nice play for the Hornwood lands if say my "Bolton" men happen to stumble upon said Lord Hornwood

I marry my son to the Locke's daughter, and bastard goes, he is well provided for with that position and I just got myself some serious fifth column with my in-laws. As a bonus I don't have to watch bastard's tearful looks about legitimization. 

Second son will marry Condon heir, no son of mine will bear other name but ours, lands are more useful anyway then Bear Island, which besides being far out of way is also shithole.

I side with my third son and rip out  the tongue of the blacksmith's daughter for lying, if my son is guilty it should weigh on his conscience so he doesn't make it a habit, if there is a child it can be brought to court.

Forth son I send to the Boltons in what is stroke of the strategic genius. Fucking Boltons would risk too much by harming him for my refusal to join them, knowing full well I they do, they will have another powerful enemy, and when Starks come to fight the Boltons I just go and plea "Please, noble king you can't make me fight the Boltons they have my son, they will surely flay him or worse" and the best of all is he can't refuse me or I might consider joining Boltons. Starks also have my son, but they should be more reluctant to torture them to death and warrior with his army is far worse hostage then eleven years old boy.

My daughter will be wed to Karstark even thought he is not the heir. But alas, war is hell and Karstark heir might as well meet the fate of the poor Lord Hornwood, killed by the rebellious Boltons who somehow happened to know time and route of his return from the certain wedding ceremony.

So I have managed to out-Bolton the Boltons. Stayed out of the civil war, which even if it wasn't planned I escalated, got bunch of lands and allies on either side and kept safe a nice chunk of my army which will be useful in post-war period with new balance of force. If war happens to be especially prolonged and brutal, maybe winner won't be able to handle the another rebellion which will bring the change on the Throne of the North in the way of the House Whatever-we-are-called, and all it can cost me is one son, of which I have several (and apparatus to make more) while simultaneously lacking any crowns.

 

 

 

 

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This was the one of the betters you made James, congratulations and keep up the good work.

I just love when you can make a major power play while staying in the logical confines in the scenario, also it is more fun when you have to think hard to do that.

May I suggest mixing IV series with some more Essos, to name my favorites Lys, Volantis and Qaarth.

 

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May I suggest mixing IV series with some more Essos, to name my favorites Lys, Volantis and Qaarth.

 

I tend to work my way through the Westeros regions first, as they're easier, more popular, and more fun, but I'll get to Essos eventually.

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I'll send a raven to Lord Edwyn, writing him all I know. Then I will do as he commands me, the only thing a loyal bannermen can do. However, awaiting his response I would still send out scouts and make sure my remaining army is combat ready.

My heir would marry the Shale girl, only to establish a better relationship with the Stark which will hopefully create a better future for my house in terms of reputation, influence and richness.

The second son will wed Lady Condon. After her fathers death I'll try to make it a cadet branch of my house. I will not give up the familyname for a Mormont. 

I send my third son to the Wall, but before he reaches it he'll be killed by "bandits". I somehow see him stir it up at the Wall, breaking his vows and coming to kill his father and siblings for his doomed life of celibacy. I'll hang the bandits afterwards because I don't like loose ends and it will be justice for my boy.

As for the pregnant girl, I'll convince her father to have us take care of her while unbeknownst to them she will have a miscarriage due some sort of plant/potion.

I'll send my youngest to House Bolton to have him fostered there. But only after the war and if the Bolton rebellion isn't true. If it is I'll help Lord Edwyn destroy the Boltons and try marry the daughter myself. He should grant me this request because it was me who told him of the upcoming Bolton betrayal. 

My daughter will be wed to Lord Umber. And may she give him a dozen sons and daughters. It will be an alliance that would benefit the house.

As for the bastard, I will ask the king to legitimize him. I don't need the Flint or Karstarks, perhaps I could even marry my son off to an heir of minor house in the North.

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Imagine you're the Lord of a Noble House in the North (assume it's been around for as long as the others). Your wife passed away two years ago, leaving you with four children. You also have a bastard son, and a daughter from a previous marriage.

Winter has come and gone, but the North is in crisis. Moat Cailin is under siege by a large army of stormlanders and their riverlord allies. King Edwyn Stark, the Spring King, has hastily mustered an army and is marching south to aid the crannogmen currently defending Moat Cailin and the Neck.

Your fighting days are long behind you, but you have sent your 19 year old heir, your 20 year old bastard son, and half your forces to join King Edwyn.

However, a message comes to you from your cousin, serving House Whitehill, that the Boltons are plotting to rise up while Edwyn is preoccupied at Moat Cailin. You cannot know if your cousin is telling the truth or if he is helping his Bolton overlords stir suspicion among the other houses and then pleading self defence when they are preemptively attacked. Moreover, any lords who use the rest of their forces to march against the Boltons may have their undefended homes ransacked by Bolton raiders sent ahead in secret. But staying home might allow the Boltons the advantage of the first move. You must quickly and wisely decide how to respond to this message.

Meanwhile, you have been approached by Lord Hornwood to wed his younger sister to your heir. She is fully ten years older than he, and has already been married and had a child (her husband, the lord of a small knightly house serving House Manderly, died of a fall while hunting and their child died of a fever after six months). Now her husband's brother has assumed lordship and is already married, leaving the Hornwood woman with little choice but to hope for another marriage. Despite this, she is still beautiful, she is still fertile, and Hornwood also offers to take your youngest son, an 11 year old, as a ward. At the same time, Lord Locke's daughter is offered, with the promise of your bastard being taken in as a master of arms. A third offer comes from the minor House Shale and their pretty 16 year old daughter. They are only two generations old, having been raised up by the Starks themselves for loyal service in war, so they are poor but directly serve the Starks at Winterfell.

At the same time, Lord Mormont offers his only child, a 15 year old daughter to your 17 year old second son. You have met her before, and while she is homely, she is also young, healthy, and robust. Lord Mormont mentions that the grandchildren must carry on the maternal house name. Meanwhile, an envoy from House Condon, a minor house in service to the Cerwyns, also offers for your second son to marry their heir, a 16 year old girl. Although prettier, she is also poorer, but the Condons are close with the Cerwyns who live close to Winterfell.

At the same time, your 16 year old third son, always a very unruly and wild boy, has been charged with rape of a blacksmith's daughter. A delegation of small folk have come to you requesting an audience. They explain that your son forced himself on the girl and ravaged her. Your son denies it, saying she led him on and was disappointed that he only wanted her for some brief pleasure. It is his word against hers, and it is too soon to tell whether she is pregnant or not.

Your youngest son, the 11 year old, needs to be fostered. As mentioned above, House Hornwood will take your boy if you agree to the marriage arrangement they offer. At the same time, House Flint of Widow's Watch offers to take the boy in, if you take in their own young sons as wards. Some days ago, House Bolton also offered to take him in, and eventually marry him to their only daughter, which further adds to your confusion of the secret message you just got. Will they hold your boy hostage? Or is their offer genuine?

Your legitimate daughter has recently suffered a tragedy. She was engaged to the young heir to House Glover, but the 15 year old was recently killed while fighting Ironborn reavers and the new heir will not come of age for another nine years. This leaves her without prospects and few marriage proposals. Only two have come: one from the newly widowed Lord Umber, and another from the second son to House Karstark. Umber is a full grown and highly respected warrior, but he is also hot tempered and some think him dull-witted. The Karstark boy seems to be an honourable lad, but he is a second son. Also, if the Boltons do rebel, both these houses will be on the front lines against them. But that also means the Karstark boy might become heir after all. 

Finally, there is the matter of your bastard son. He is currently fighting alongside your heir, whom he loves as a brother. As mentioned before, you have been given an offer to send him to Lord Locke after the fight to become a master of arms. But you have also been told that Clan Forrester will have him wed to their youngest daughter and serve as a guard in Ironrath should he agree to take their name as his own. Meanwhile he has repeatedly hinted that he would like to be legitimized as your son, even if he inherits nothing, as he values your love and recognition for him more than any kind of inheritance. This would anger your eldest daughter, though, who never forgave you for cheating on your mother with a miller's daughter. Also, both your dead wives' families, Flint and Karstark, would see the boy's legitimization as an insult and will likely withdraw their prior offers.

How do you run this household?

Wow. big scenario.

I make sure that my other half of my forces are ready to march to defend Winterfell, if need be. As in any war, information is key here, so I send out a few good, true men to scout the situation, each carrying ravens. They are not to engage, or even wear my colours, but they are to gather information on the disposition of the Bolton forces, and report back. Sending my second son with a small retiune to Winterfell to chat with the castellan might be a good idea, but i'm not going to mention this specific threat, just discuss the way the war is going with whoever is in charge.

Taking up Lord Locke on his offer lets my heir marry a girl who won't dominate him, and gives my bastard a useful occupation. I ask if House Shale will let me marry thier daughter, as it will raise the esteem of thier house, and tie my house a little closer to thiers.

Marry my second son to the Mormont girl, as it lets them carry on thier line, and I have sons to spare, it would seem, plus ties my family to another house in the North.

Pay compensation to the girl and her family, and offer to take in any child that has resulted. My wild and unruly son I can quietly ship off to the Free Cities for a bit, until things are quieter. I would also suggest the possiblilty of the Night's Watch as a future career, but not insist on it yet.

I'd wait on the youngest son until the war is over, then if the Boltons have proven true, send him over there, with requests that they allow him to frequently see my cousin. Otherwise the ward exchange with Flints seem like a fair enough deal.

wait until the end of hostilities for my daughter, as new candidates may become availaible, as well as confirming whether or not the Karstark boy will inherit. If needs be, I can always marry her to a loyal knight who has distinguished imself in battle.

I can't legitimize the bastard, but make sure that he knows he is appreciated as my son, and valued as a member of my family

 

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I say coz is in for a bit of interrogation, cousins are outside of kinslaying or every murder would be kinslaying among nobility, besides he doesn't have to die, just share everything he knows, then I prepare the defenses accordingly, it really isn't much of the difference  

 

It's a big assumption to make, this idea that you can somehow abduct your cousin from his home at House Whitehill and torture him for info without anyone missing him or asking questions.

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It's a big assumption to make, this idea that you can somehow abduct your cousin from his home at House Whitehill and torture him for info without anyone missing him or asking questions.

Man, my bad, I somehow interpreted the passage as in he came to deliver me the message, I now see that is not the case.  

In any case it is not vital to my course of actions and I am sure that coming across someone to interrogate will not be so hard. I can even call up my coz on unrelated matter and then interrogate him.

 

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As treacherous as the Boltons historically are, I do have to wonder at this. How trustworthy is my cousin? If he is an honorable man, then I must alert the Starks that there may be treachery afoot. But I can’t do it without drawing undue suspicion to them. For all I know, my cousin might be mistaken or the message might be forged. Still, the Boltons tend to do this every so often.

 

My heir will marry the Hornwood sister, provided he doesn’t die in war. With the Hornwoods bordering the Boltons, it would be good to have eyes on the skinners at all times, especially if I send my youngest to foster there. I do, however, thank the other lords for their offers graciously.

 

My second son marries the Mormont girl. It is an old and well-respected House and I will not allow it to go extinct. Plus it will bind us to Bear Island.

 

My third son goes to the Wall. If I am to rule over the smallfolk, I must show that nobility must abide by the same laws. I tell my son that he can go with honor by volunteering himself, or he will be sent in chains. His choice. If the girl is pregnant, I will give her a little bit of money each year, with the assurance that once her babe comes of age, he will be taken in as a household knight if he is male or be given a healthy dowry for marriage if she’s female.

 

I give my youngest son to the Boltons. I shouldn’t give them any notion that I suspect them, and denying their offer would raise red flags (my son being able to marry the only daughter of the second greatest Northern house, and I don’t take that offer?). As treacherous as the Boltons may be, there is a possibility that they could be genuine. Not to mention that every time the Boltons have rebelled, they have bent the knee in the end, and if history teaches me anything, if House Stark wins out, the Boltons will defer and will not give any reason to be extinguished. If they killed hostages like my son, the Starks would likely exterminate them all for it.

 

I give my daughter to the Karstark boy. He may be a second son, but as you say, firstborns die all the time.

 

I tell my bastard son that he will forever be my blood and I will love him for it, and his trueborn brother feels the same way. But to protect the interests of the family, he must not bear my name, not because of personal shame but because other Houses do not understand. I tell him that there is great opportunity for him, and I suggest that he perhaps go to the Forresters. There, he will have a name and all that comes with it. I also tell him that because of the potential treachery in the North, we need all the allies we can get our hands on. But he is my son, and I tell him that he was a better boy than his rapist brother was.

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 Id warn the Starks about the imminent attack and ask the King if I should lead my forces to battle. Scouts will be sent on Bolton land to spy for any movement of troops etc

Children

a-Id sympathise with Lord Hornwood however I'll make it obvious I cant have my first born marry someone so old. Having said that I will tell him that Id refuse to send him home empty handed. Considering that his aim is to have someone of noble birth impregnating his sister than Id offer him my second son instead in the hope of sealing an alliance Having said that Id also ask him to back me in war if needs me

b-Id also sympathise with Lord Mormont however I tell him that my second son is already promised. Once again Id refuse to send him home without at least a counter offer Id offer him my fourth son on a matriarchal marriage. 4 years is hardly a big difference between the two and the boy should be able to be old enough to produce heirs in 2-3 years time. Once again Id expect him to back me into war if needs be

c- Id receive the smallfolk in my halls and I will try to understand what happens. I expect the girl to live within my halls to see if she's pregnant, with a chaperone if needed. If she is indeed pregnant than Id have my third son married to her and Id fork out a great dowry. If not than Id expect proof from them or else Ill charge them for lying. At this point if Lord Mormont refuses my previous deals Id offer them my third son.

d-Id cuddle my daughter dear, allowing both Lords to court her without making any commitments. If the King ask me to prepare for an imminent attack from the Boltons than Id share this information with Lord Umber and Lord Karstark hinting them a share of the glory if we're successful. Meanwhile Id ask Lord Hornwood and Lord Mormont to honour their promise (if they accept my proposals). If Lord Karstark's first son dies than Id have his second son marry my daughter. If the war ends, Lord Karstark first son is still alive, there's no better option and Lord Umber is still alive than can have her

If the Boltons attack and I manage to beat them than Ill make sure Lord Bolton dies and as compensation for my unwavering loyalty Id ask the King to give his go ahead to have my first born marry Lady Bolton. After all who can better lead the Dreadfort than a loyal subject who stood alongside his king when he needed the most and was able to convince so many strong families to join their banners to battle? If the Bolton attack never occur Id suggest Lord Bolton to have my first born marry his daughter. Since he's already a young man who had already bled in war than he doesn't need to squire for the Boltons. 

Therefore

1st son - hopefully promised to Lord Bolton's daughter (squire not necessary)
2nd son - married to Lady Hornwood
3rd son - free for now or married to the smallfolk girl
4th son - married to Lord Mormont daughter (matriarchal)
daughter - Karstark's heir or Lord Umber

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Hoo boy. Lots to digest in this one.

First of all, I send word to Edwyn Stark. Given that its the Boltons, I assume the worst and plan accordingly. I prepare my remaining forces for possible attacks and attempt to collect intelligence on the Boltons via scouts.

As for my children and marriages, obviously, my youngest son's not going to the Boltons under these circumstances. I'll take the Flints up on their offer. My heir will marry the girl from House Shale. It wouldn't hurt to create ties with a house so close to the Starks. My second son will marry the Mormont girl. I don't want to see that house go extinct if I can help it and it's another strong connection that will come in handy if the Boltons do attack. My daughter will be Lady Umber. The Karstark's second son could indeed become the heir, but he also could remain a second son and my daughter can do better than that.

My third son gets a first class ticket to the Wall. I will financially compensate the girl and her family for my son's behavior and I will offer to take in any child that may result from it. I instruct my heir to keep watch over his potential niece or nephew in the event of my death.

That just leaves my bastard. I pull him aside and tell him that while he is my son by blood and I love him, I cannot legitimize him. The Forrester offer is about the best that can happen for a bastard. It may not be my name, but it's a name.

 

 

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Heh, well it's one of my favourite regions of Westeros, I wanted to indulge myself and make it as interesting as possible.

I love these. What would be kind of cool is if you the either declared a winner or gave us the answers.

Like, did the Boltons attack? Did the Karstarks' second son become the heir? What was the best choices?

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I love these. What would be kind of cool is if you the either declared a winner or gave us the answers.

Like, did the Boltons attack? Did the Karstarks' second son become the heir? What was the best choices?

Well I don't want to push my luck with these hypothetical scenarios and have them banished to the forum games section. Besides, it wasn't about winning or losing to me, it was always fascinating to see people's answers to see what their values or interests were. I mean I could say which answer I liked most but that's just my own opinion. I prefer being objective with your answers. 

As to what happens? I hadn't thought so far, otherwise I'd need to write a timeline for ever answer given. And given how long it takes GRRM to write just one timeline, I'll respectfully decline, ha ha.

On a more serious note, I really appreciate your interest in these scenarios. Thank you very much!

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Imagine you're the Lord of a Noble House in the North (assume it's been around for as long as the others). Your wife passed away two years ago, leaving you with four children. You also have a bastard son, and a daughter from a previous marriage.

Winter has come and gone, but the North is in crisis. Moat Cailin is under siege by a large army of stormlanders and their riverlord allies. King Edwyn Stark, the Spring King, has hastily mustered an army and is marching south to aid the crannogmen currently defending Moat Cailin and the Neck.

Your fighting days are long behind you, but you have sent your 19 year old heir, your 20 year old bastard son, and half your forces to join King Edwyn.

However, a message comes to you from your cousin, serving House Whitehill, that the Boltons are plotting to rise up while Edwyn is preoccupied at Moat Cailin. You cannot know if your cousin is telling the truth or if he is helping his Bolton overlords stir suspicion among the other houses and then pleading self defence when they are preemptively attacked. Moreover, any lords who use the rest of their forces to march against the Boltons may have their undefended homes ransacked by Bolton raiders sent ahead in secret. But staying home might allow the Boltons the advantage of the first move. You must quickly and wisely decide how to respond to this message.

Meanwhile, you have been approached by Lord Hornwood to wed his younger sister to your heir. She is fully ten years older than he, and has already been married and had a child (her husband, the lord of a small knightly house serving House Manderly, died of a fall while hunting and their child died of a fever after six months). Now her husband's brother has assumed lordship and is already married, leaving the Hornwood woman with little choice but to hope for another marriage. Despite this, she is still beautiful, she is still fertile, and Hornwood also offers to take your youngest son, an 11 year old, as a ward. At the same time, Lord Locke's daughter is offered, with the promise of your bastard being taken in as a master of arms. A third offer comes from the minor House Shale and their pretty 16 year old daughter. They are only two generations old, having been raised up by the Starks themselves for loyal service in war, so they are poor but directly serve the Starks at Winterfell.

At the same time, Lord Mormont offers his only child, a 15 year old daughter to your 17 year old second son. You have met her before, and while she is homely, she is also young, healthy, and robust. Lord Mormont mentions that the grandchildren must carry on the maternal house name. Meanwhile, an envoy from House Condon, a minor house in service to the Cerwyns, also offers for your second son to marry their heir, a 16 year old girl. Although prettier, she is also poorer, but the Condons are close with the Cerwyns who live close to Winterfell.

At the same time, your 16 year old third son, always a very unruly and wild boy, has been charged with rape of a blacksmith's daughter. A delegation of small folk have come to you requesting an audience. They explain that your son forced himself on the girl and ravaged her. Your son denies it, saying she led him on and was disappointed that he only wanted her for some brief pleasure. It is his word against hers, and it is too soon to tell whether she is pregnant or not.

Your youngest son, the 11 year old, needs to be fostered. As mentioned above, House Hornwood will take your boy if you agree to the marriage arrangement they offer. At the same time, House Flint of Widow's Watch offers to take the boy in, if you take in their own young sons as wards. Some days ago, House Bolton also offered to take him in, and eventually marry him to their only daughter, which further adds to your confusion of the secret message you just got. Will they hold your boy hostage? Or is their offer genuine?

Your legitimate daughter has recently suffered a tragedy. She was engaged to the young heir to House Glover, but the 15 year old was recently killed while fighting Ironborn reavers and the new heir will not come of age for another nine years. This leaves her without prospects and few marriage proposals. Only two have come: one from the newly widowed Lord Umber, and another from the second son to House Karstark. Umber is a full grown and highly respected warrior, but he is also hot tempered and some think him dull-witted. The Karstark boy seems to be an honourable lad, but he is a second son. Also, if the Boltons do rebel, both these houses will be on the front lines against them. But that also means the Karstark boy might become heir after all. 

Finally, there is the matter of your bastard son. He is currently fighting alongside your heir, whom he loves as a brother. As mentioned before, you have been given an offer to send him to Lord Locke after the fight to become a master of arms. But you have also been told that Clan Forrester will have him wed to their youngest daughter and serve as a guard in Ironrath should he agree to take their name as his own. Meanwhile he has repeatedly hinted that he would like to be legitimized as your son, even if he inherits nothing, as he values your love and recognition for him more than any kind of inheritance. This would anger your eldest daughter, though, who never forgave you for cheating on your mother with a miller's daughter. Also, both your dead wives' families, Flint and Karstark, would see the boy's legitimization as an insult and will likely withdraw their prior offers.

How do you run this household?

I send word to King Edwyn of my suspicions. I prepare my remaining men to defend my borders. Should Lord Bolton attack my land, my allies, or Winterfell I'll have my army engage his. 

I politely tell Lord Hornwood that I want to marry my heir to someone closer to his own age and offer myself as a husband to his sister if it is agreeable to him. Having Lord Hornwood as a brother-in-law will be an asset and with the Stormlanders/Riverlords to the south, the Ironborn to the west, and now the Boltons scheming, a few more heirs might be needed. If Lord Hornwood dies in battle I'll claim the Hornwood lands in my wife's name

I marry my oldest son to Lord Locke's daughter with the assurance that House Locke will come to my aid if Bolton's cause trouble.

My second son will marry the future Lady Mormont and take her name. My name will be passed on through my heir anyway and I'll be able to count on the Mormonts to aid me against the Boltons if necessary.

I hold off on judging my third son until after the war is over. If Lord Bolton rebels, I'll make sure he doesn't survive the war and, with King Edwyn's blessing, I'll marry my son to the new Lady Bolton and take over the Dreadfort. The blacksmith and his daughter can either be bribed into silence or killed by "bandits". If Lord Bolton stays loyal, I'll send my son to the wall either willing or in chains after the war and take the potential child in as a member of my household. 

I send my youngest son to Lord Flint of Widow's Watch and take their sons as wards. This will bring Lord Flint into the alliance and I'd rather fight the Others single-handed than put my son's life in Lord Bolton's hands. 

My daughter will marry Lord Umber. Having the Umbers on your side in a war is always a good thing and I'll take a assured lordship for my grandkids over a possible one.

I'll assure my bastard that I love and cherish him but we can't afford to anger Lord Flint and Karstark with a legitimization, nor do I want to alienate my daughter. I suggest that if he wants a name and arms to marry Lord Forrester's daughter. 

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