North Noble House Scenario

[devilish]

You are Robert Maulin Lord of House Maulin, a small but prestigious house in the North whose fiercely loyal to the Starks. Throughout the ages, House Maulin had enjoyed a degree of autonomy due to their knowledge about healing. Despite being sworn to the Bolton Kings, the Maulins were given permission to serve other houses as well and there was a time when nearly all houses in the North + the wall had a Maulin serving as a healer. Their role diminished in time due to the arrival of Maesters, but they are still very popular among both noblemen and smallfolk who still seek their knowledge regularly.  Maester Luwin was a frequent visitor to Castle Maulin and your healing knowledge was instrumental in curing Lady Arya Stark from high fever.

When the Stark became Kings of Winters they demanded the Maulins to be sworn directly to them. That caused enmity between the Starks and the Boltons with the latter feeling, that they were stripped, from a Lordship that was theirs. The Maulins kept their head down and served everyone as they always did, even though that was not always easy. Few years ago, your old uncle who served as a healer in some villages close to the Dreadfort went missing. Three days after his flayed body was found in the woods. Lord Ned pushed you to make an official complaint but you refused. The Maulins were there to serve and they wouldn’t be able to so at the Dreadfort if they threw baseless accusations at Roose and his ilk.

The past few years there were difficult though. Your eldest son died during the red wedding and your second son is hostage at CR. Lord Jamie Lannister is willing to send him back but you cannot afford to pay his ransom.  

Lord Bolton was stopped by other Lords not to strip you from all lands and titles but he did made your life miserable. Your third son had been taken away as his ward and you had to promise to marry off your only daughter to a Frey bastard.  That demon seems to have more lives than a cat. He was able to defeat both Stannis and Jon Snow in separate wars. Jon was able to escape in the wolfswood were he still engaging in guerrilla warfare. Stannis was captured alive by Ramsey Bolton who ordered your third son to prove his loyalty towards the Bolton by flaying him alive.

There was some hope that Sansa was still alive in LF custody. Rumours said that she would be able to bring the knights of the vale to the rescue. Unfortunately any plans failed when young Lord Robin died. Harold Harydyng stormed the Eyrie few hours later with the backing of Royce and LF barely made it to Harrenhal alive. On a more positive note, the Bolton seems to relent in punishing your family. Some lands were returned and Roose even invited you for dinner, an event that you manage to return from safely.  During the event Roose confessed that he was too hard on you and he’ll make amends by sending your son back very soon, he will increase your lands and he’ll intercede with Jamie on your behalf to reduce the ransom significantly. All he’s asking from you is to be loyal and neutral .That event brought some positivity in your life as you were able to see a pregnant ‘Farya’, ending any concerns you had that Ramsey was able to get his hands on the real deal.

Things were bound to change few months later. It all started at the Ides of March when a courier arrived with news from Jon Snow.  He told you that he was slowly building a small force who can one day challenge the Boltons. Unfortunately his camp was ravaged by high fever and he himself is very sick He remembers how you cured Arya and is requesting that you send him a cure. Such option is low risk.

A week later a raven arrived from Harrenhal with a letter signed by Wyman Manderly. The Manderlys had sealed an alliance between Danny, LF some of the Riverland Lords and House Manderly. Soon enough an army will land at White Harbor with Danny and Sansa. They are requesting that you visit some powerful Lords who are known for not liking Roose and persuade them to join the war. The risk of being caught is quite high, your third son will probably die, your lands will be taken and the smallfolk will struggle. However, in exchange Lord Manderly is willing to give your family asylum, he’ll pay for your son’s ransom and if things go well, Sansa had promised you the Dreadfort and a better match for your daughter.

That night you could barely sleep so you decide to spend the night at a tavern drinking wine. Suddenly a beautiful woman sits near you. She removes her cap and you’ll notice that she’s Catelyn Tully. Before you can even react, her face changes again and she reveals herself to be Arya Stark. You take her at your castle, making sure no one sees you and ask her what’s going on. She tells that she’s aware of Jon’s and Sansa’s plan but both plans are flawed. The former simply does not have enough men to cause any trouble and his guerrilla warfare is only contributing in taken men away from the cause. Sansa on the other hand is a puppet, who will handle over Winterfell to her husband Tyrion. She proposes to you a third way.

a-    Don’t help JS. He’ll probably die and he will take his cause with him to the grave
b-    Do what Sansa told you. However, make the Northern Lords aware that things could change very quickly and so called friends may quickly become enemies

Her plan will be to kidnap Sansa and take her place. Once Winterfell is won, she will order LF’s and Tyrion’s arrest. The latter will be shipped off to KL in exchange of all hostages taken during the red wedding. LF and Sansa will be sent to the Vale. The former will answer for his crime while the latter will be married off to Harrold in exchange of support from the Vale in invading KL. When told that Sansa has more claim to Winterfell then her, she smiled only to tell you that the Bran Stark is safe and sound and will honour your efforts by giving you everything that Sansa promised and more. In matter of fact, if you agree with the plan, Arya will rescue your third son from Roose Bolton and she’ll kill Ramsey Snow. 

What would you choose?
 

[Tralalala]

The whole thing sounds like the plot of a b movie or a video game. And dosen't make much sense,starks become kings of winter long before they had any authority over the boltons. But whatever i'll play along,try to poison the dragons,send medicine that will kill all of Jon Snow's army and followers Reveal the plot to Roose and give counsel.

[Protagoras]

First, why would Ned need me to make a formal complaint? My uncle is found flayed in the woods - I expect the Starks to dispense justice without me holding their hand for moral support. And why exactly am I fiercly loyal? The Starks have stolen us from the Boltons, my family now pays for it and they want us to take more initiative? Get your ass of that chair, you lazy bastard and start doing your job as overlord! We have served and bled for you and the North. We demand protection from the situation that YOU, the Starks, placed us in!

And why is the Boltons punishing us exactly? We served them loyally until the Starks took us away from them. Blame them. At least Roose seem to understand that he was mistaken. Good, neutrality is all we Maulins want. To be left alone after this disaster of a war.

I am also questioning Jon Snows letter and wonder why a lord commander of the nights watch has any business enforcing his will over the Boltons as well as other houses. I am willing to give him a cure, but only if he stay at the watch where he belongs. Indeed, I have heard rumors about walkers, unnatural beings in the North from some wildling scum I executed recently and I do wonder if Jon Snow should focus on that enemy instead of weakening the North with his assaults on our Lord Paramount. And those wildings spoke of him as their leader almost - I hope Jon Snow is well aware that if he is involved in sending down wildlings south, then he should be justly executed. In fact, who is in that army he attacked with since both wildlings as well as black brothers are forbidden south of the wall? I am curious about Jon Snows response.

As for the alliance, I am wondering why I - a neutral lord should do the recruiting? Shouldn´t those actually inside said alliance do that? Yet, Dreadfort is a grand reward but not sufficient since it will cost me two sons (No way the crown will accept ransoms from northern rebels). I state my neutral case and repeat that we Maulins are here to serve the North - not special interests. But we might reconsider later, depending on rewards of course, in order to "reduce hostlities". But the idea that we should sacrifice ourself, our land and our smallfolk who look for us for support in order for the Starks to thrive is ludicrus.Again, why am I fiercly loyal? At best, I am willing to negotiate about a later entry when the risk is less. In return, I demand that they pay my sons ransom now, before the war starts and that we can discuss rewards and war when he has been returned to me.

And Arya make me realize one thing - we are over our heads. I tell her that I see little reason to risk my land and smallfolk on some promises a stranger gives me. In general, I will lay very low in the coming conflict, doing nothing and swear loyalty to the winner. My family has suffered enough. If the Starks win, they will by default help me with revenge, Ramsey and the marriage by simply killing those individuals off. If the Boltons win, then I have not painted a big, fat target on myself.

[Universal Sword Donor]

Kill everyone and start over.