Noble House Scenario - Vale

[James Steller]

Imagine that you're the 35 year old second son-turned de facto head of a noble house in the Vale (assume that it's an Andal house that's been around as long as the others). Your ancestors fought alongside the man who would become the first King Arryn of the Vale and Mountains. Now your house has grown in stature on rich lands that were once held by First Men.

However, war has come to the Vale! The King of Isles and Rivers, Halleck Hoare, recently invaded the Vale with a large force of Ironborn and rivermen. King Ortis Arryn called his bannermen and sent a part of them to reinforce the Bloody Gate. Your elderly father sent you and your older brother in his stead with the best of your bannermen to aid King Ortis, along with your eldest sons. The battle lasted over a day, with great bloodshed, but the Hoare king's forces finally prevailed, and you led the survivors back to the Gates of the Moon. Arriving, you find that King Ortis Arryn has called his banners to the castle, even as you report that King Halleck prepares to march on the Gates of the Moon.

Both your brother and your eldest son died during the taking of the Bloody Gate. Your brother's own eldest son, a 16 year old boy named Jeral, is badly wounded, but was brought to the Gates of the Moon. Your second son, a 13 year old boy named Kendral, is alive and well, squiring for Ser Walter "Whorehound" Templeton, the Knight of Ninestars.

One night, a raven comes to the Gates of the v Moon from your home; your father has been killed by mountain clans while hunting. That leaves you as the only living adult male of your house, so until your elder brother's second son comes of age, you are the acting head of the family.

The raven has brought more bad news: with the death of your father, and the departure of many fighting men, the mountain clans have launched a massive raid against your territories, swearing to avenge their ancestors with the Andal blood of your people. This means that your brother's family and yours are at risk. This includes:
-your mother, 53-year old Sora
-your sister-in-law, 38-year old Aly
-your pregnant wife, 36-year old Lannis
-your nephew, 13-year old Turak
-your daughter, 11-year old Iva
-your niece, 9-year old Myrelle
-your youngest son, 10 year old Hugo

All of them are in direct risk of being killed by the raiders, who are said to be cutting a bloody path straight for your castle. The maester who wrote the message begs for reinforcements to drive away the raiders as soon as you can. Reading the letter in privacy, you are hesitant, as you will have to leave your son behind at the Gates of the Moon if you choose to go back. You worry for your family, but in the back of your mind, a selfish thought arises. Your house has a rivalry with House Grafton and House Belmore, both of whose lords are currently in the Gates of the Moon. If you abandon the siege to protect your lands, lords Belmore and Grafton will certainly spread lies of your cowardice. Also, if your brother's family is killed, then you will be the undisputed head of your house, and your sons will continue your line. However, this would put many deaths on your conscience, including your nephew Jeral, whom you will have to kill with your own hands and thus become a kinslayer. It also means you put your mother, your wife and half your children at dreadful risk.

But even as you study this letter, you have other things on your mind.

Just a moment ago, Lord Eamon Royce, his household knights, and three of his four sons rode to the Gates of the Moon, ahead of the rest of their bannermen. Lord Royce declares that he will take the battle to the Hoares and retake the Bloody Gate, insisting that numbers will not matter in the narrow passageway to the Gates of the Moon. As King Ortis was wounded while providing a rearguard for the Bloody Gate's retreating survivors, and his sons are mere children, there is nobody with authority to approve or deny Lord Royce his plan. You know that should this attack prove successful, it will be a tale of great songs and glory, but you cannot take part in the counter-attack and also ride back in time to save your family from the clans. Also, you do not know if this counter-attack will be successful, or a death-trap. You now have three choices: stay in the castle with your King and await his orders, go on a very risky counter-charge against the enemy and possibly die, or go back to your home and save your extended family and smallfolk.

Also, an hour before Lord Royce or the letter arrived, Ser Walter Templeton approached you about engaging your brother's daughter, Myrelle, to his young son, Dobraine. He is a good master for your son, and an honourable fighter, but you are fully aware that he has at least a dozen bastards whelped on women, including a cousin of your sister-in-law. Refusing him will be seen as an insult, while you know how Aly will react to her daughter getting married to Ser Walter the Whorehound (that is, if they both survive the attack of the clans).

What do you do?

 

Note to administrators: This is purely a hypothetical scenario, not a game. It's meant to illicit thought and discussion rather than awarding a win or loss.

[Floki of the Ironborn]

Hm... be an honourable man and lose my reputation and power, or be a kinslayer and lose my family. That's a really good conflict.

And the best part is that there is no black-and-white answer to solve all the problems.

So here's what I do. I find Ser Walter Whorehound and tell him that he's welcome to marry Myrelle to Dobraine if he can go save her. I say that I must be with my King, as ordered, but with a lure like that, I imagine Ser Walter can go lead the Templeton knights to their rescue. This way he earns the respect of my family by saving them, I get credit for sending help back without abandoning the big fight, and a new bond is forged.

In the meantime, I leave Jeral alone. He might die of his wounds, he might not. that means Turak will inherit, or if he's dead, my sons will inherit. But I won't be a kinslayer. Plus, if he did die by foul play, I'd be the first suspect. Best to be innocent of the matter with an alibi.

Since my family will be saved, and Jeral will inherit the titles, I might as well ride to glory and make my name with Lord Royce. I'm assuming I'll get to die charging into a horde of Ironborn while screaming "DEATH" with Howard Shore's music ringing in my ears. I die a hero to my family, and a noble warrior to the last.

[TMIFairy]

Great ideas, Floki!

[Canon Claude]

Thing is, my family probably won't be harmed during the assault, unless the clans somehow learned how to build siege equipment. But my smallfolk will be in serious trouble, and my bannermen will want to go home and save their families. 

I go to the King and over-exaggerate the wildling threat to justify my going out to fight. I tell him Lord Royce has just arrived, so I can go and confront the wildling threat. I'll point out that I'm volunteering for a dishonourable job compared to fighting the Hoare king, and I've already lost much family in defence of the Vale, so he will let me go back and save my lands from the clansmen.

I publicly tell the Whorehound that I am more than happy to arrange the marriage, but I am only the acting head. Myrelle's older brother is technically the head of the family so he'll need to be persuaded of the deal. This way, I have no guilt to bear if something happens to my nephew where he dies of his wounds, who am I to assume something malicious happened?

I give Lord Royce my best wishes on his attack, and I head out to go and save my smallfolk.

[James Steller]

13 hours ago, TMIFairy said:

Great ideas, Floki!

What about you, TMI? What would you do?

[Adam Yozza]

Interesting situation, I'll answer tomorrow when I have a little more time.

[The Mountain That Flies]

This may the most militarized version of these yet, and is very well done.

I'd be tempted to just say Floki's answer is the best, as it really covers all bases well. I will offer that Royce's plan isn't actually a terrible one, as you would have a decent chance of at least retreating successfully even if it doesn't work. The Ironborn do not strike as the quickest attackers going uphill and on tight ground. If he dies taking down a lot of them and you make it back, there's a power/influence void you could fill in the Vale (assuming you fought well). Given how many young members of your family there are, that's quite advantageous.

[James Steller]

40 minutes ago, The Mountain That Flies said:

This may the most militarized version of these yet, and is very well done.

Haha, well, I wanted to create a scenario where the Vale's incredible defences were actually put to the test.

Also, there's a new Crownlands scenario I posted earlier if you're interested in that too.

[Canon Claude]

2 hours ago, James Steller said:

Haha, well, I wanted to create a scenario where the Vale's incredible defences were actually put to the test.

Also, there's a new Crownlands scenario I posted earlier if you're interested in that too.

This one is better than the crownlands one, no offense.

[Adam Yozza]

So Floki's idea makes a lot of sense. I'd accept Lord Templeton's offer on the condition that he loan me a strong contingent of knights and freeriders to protect my lands with and his son's new betrothed with. I'd send the men Templeton gave men back to defend my lands with about half of my own heavy horse, giving the command to a knight or guardsmen I know I can trust with such an important job. I reckon even a few hundred knights could send the clansmen running, depending on how high their numbers are.

I don't kill Jeral. If he lives then he has my loyalty once he recovers and if he dies then his brother has it instead. Royce's plan has it's merit's. As he says, numbers don't really matter in such the pass and the Ironborn aren't really known for the prowess on land. So I'd throw my support behind that plan, leading my house's forces myself. If Jaral and I both live, then I swear my sword into his service. If Jeral dies and I live, then I loyally and dutifully serve as Turak's regent until he comes of age. If I die, regardless of what happens to Jeral, then I die with honour.

[John Doe]

It's a very good setup and I think Floki has the best solution, but I'll try a different one: 

 

I trust my family to the castle's defenses, the Mountain Clans are good raiders, but they won't take a castle by storm and a siege doesn't seem likely either. Instead I take the risk, march with the Royces and take my Maester (if he's even there and not back home) with me, leaving my nephew either in the care of amateurs, or in the care of Maesters of houses that hate me. Maybe that will lead to his death, maybe not, but chances are good that he won't make it. 

Meanwhile, I accept the Templeton offer, but if he has any soldiers with him they are to march with me and Lord Royce. 

[Canon Claude]

Gotta say I'm surprised there aren't more people going for the treacherous route. In Westeros it's usually the best way to go.

[Adam Yozza]

3 hours ago, Canon Claude said:

Gotta say I'm surprised there aren't more people going for the treacherous route. In Westeros it's usually the best way to go.

Maybe so, but my personal nature is winning out over objective knowledge that being a selfish ahole is the way to go.

[TMIFairy]

On 10.08.2017 at 4:36 AM, James Steller said:

 

I will go with the Evil!Younger Brother trope.

1 - I suffocate my eldest nephew with a pillow. "Jeral died during the night from his wounds, poor chap. So young ..."

2 - knowing that the mountain pass where Blood Gate is located is a bottleneck, I go back home.

3 - I give Tural the "Samwell Tarly Ultimatum" - the Wall or a "hunting accident". I swear on the heads of my children that I will take good care of his mother and sister. She is no threat and I am not that evil. If she wishes to join a Motherhouse I will provide her with a lavish dowry.

4 - First you say - Ser Walter Templeton approached you about engaging your brother's daughter, Myrelle, to his young son, Dobraine. Then you have Ser Walter Templeton himself as the prosective groom. In line with my other actions - I accept. I then work on the girl, dropping heavy hints at what a miserable marriage it would be. And that I could simply not turn out the Whorehound's offer. I point to her venue of escape out of the marriage - becoming a Septa.

[1000th Lord Commander]

Love these, haven't been on the forums due to a arrival in my own house, so will have to chase the others up.

If I've been my usual cautious self, my keep will have strong defences, so my family should be safe enough for the time being. If not, I have enough to start over. I can't kill my nephew, but I gather a small guard to take him back home. Maybe he will be ok, or maybe they will reinforce the castle, or at least distract the raiders.

I promise to wed my niece to Donal, I need Ser Templeton on my side. A betrothal can be broken later if need be. I press Ser Templeton for a swift resolution to my son's squiring, as I will need him elsewhere, or at least out of harms way.

I join Lord Royce on his counter charge. He actually has a point about the bottleneck, and the sooner we settle matters at the gate, the better. But I command the rearguard, just in case

[James Steller]

2 hours ago, 1000th Lord Commander said:

Love these, haven't been on the forums due to a arrival in my own house, so will have to chase the others up.

 

Welcome back! So far there's also a Crownlands and Dorne scenario. Westerlands will be coming up at some point when I have the time.