Noble House Scenario - Iron Islands

[James Steller]

Imagine that you are the head of a Noble House on Blacktyde in the Iron Islands (assume it's been around as long as the others). You have been bannermen to House Blacktyde for as long as can be remembered, and you have all been ruled by House Hoare for almost as long. Your rock wife died of a fall from her horse, and your youngest two children drowned of an illness, leaving you with your two surviving children: Sigvard (17), Celsa (16), and Torvi (12).

But the Hoares are no longer on the Iron Islands. King Harwyn, known as the Hardhand, conquered the Riverlands, and crowned himself King of the Isles and Rivers. However, he spent the rest of his rule keeping the riverlords in their place.

Now it is his son, Halleck, struggling to rule his new territory from Fairmarket. And it is clear that he is not the man his father was. In the last five years, his assault upon the Vale ended in disaster, and the Storm Kings won a victory over Halleck's forces when he attempted to expand his empire into the Stormlands.

In the wake of this defeat by the Storm King, several houses in the Riverlands have taken it as a sign to rebel against the Hoares. King Halleck raised a royal command to rally his bannermen to the Riverlands, but many of those still on the Iron Islands are reluctant to do so, given King Halleck's faltering reputation and their divided opinions on owning land rather than simply raiding it.

Lord Kauko Blacktyde is no supporter of King Halleck; he hosts a large number of Drowned Men at Blacktyde Castle, despite King Halleck's outspoken disgust for the Old Way, and his banning of Drowned Men in his court. Lord Blacktyde has privately confided in you that he is planning to raid the Reach instead of sailing to the Riverlands to help in what seems to be a lost cause. If you go raiding, you can hardly be blamed for having missed the message when it arrived at your homes.

There is a problem with this arrangement. Your uncle and nephew had sailed to Westeros for a piece of land in the Riverlands. Now word has reached you that their heads were found hanging from a tree outside Fairmarket with fish stuffed into their mouths. You have not seen your relatives for over a decade, but blood and insult calls for blood, and your King demands more swords. Your bereaved aunt is also in the throes of grief, seeking vengeance for her child and husband.

In the meantime, you are clashing with your eldest son. Sigvard converted to the Seven at a young age, and he frequently clashes with the Drowned Men who live under your protection. Much to your own fury, he much prefers fishing to fighting. However, on the other hand, he is very well liked amongst your smallfolk, as well as by the other lords of the Iron Islands who worship the Seven (few as they may be). Much to your surprise, Halleck's own cousin, Harald Hoare, has suggested that Sigvard wed his daughter when she comes of age next year. You yourself had been talking to Lord Harlaw about his daughter marrying Sigvard, but you know Lord Harlaw hates the Andal faith as much as you do.

By contrast, Celsa is getting no marriage offers, though she is the child who makes you most proud. She worships the Drowned God, follows the Old Way, and even serves as a warrior on one of your ships. She has been eager to go raiding with Lord Blacktyde, but today you have discovered that this is because she is having an affair with Lord Blacktyde's youngest son, Torstein.

While all this is happening, Torvi is being courted by several lordlings. Ser Hal Gardane, the head of a knightly house on Orkmont serving the Hoares, has suggested that his heir could marry Torvi when she comes of age. Another offer comes from Lord Gunnar Tawney for his youngest son, newly a captain of his own ship, though you have heard that Tawney's son is a drunk.

At the same Lord Meldred Thorhall, head of a minor house serving House Greyjoy, has just lost his wife in childbirth, along with his first child, and is now seeking a new wife. He is interested in Celsa, though you know that Celsa will resist any marriage offer. All the same, Lord Thorhall will be joining Lord Blacktyde's raid, and a rejection will cause trouble, especially if Celsa's lover (and possibly future husband) is also part of the raid.

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.

[Canon Claude]

So basically I'm either going down the path of the Drowned God or the Andal Faith. Frankly, even though my king served the Andal god, my direct overlord, the one who I see every day, is a man of the Drowned God. This is a situation I need to get on top of.

I disinherit my eldest son. I tell him that no Andal worshipper will take my place, but he is welcome to own land and go fishing. Perhaps he'll prefer not having all those lordly responsibilities. He doesn't seem to have the stomach for them. This might cause people to withdraw their wedding offers, but so be it. He can find a wife among the smallfolk he loves so much.

Celsa is my new heir. I want her to rule my house, so I reject Lord Thorhall's request. At the same time, I tell Lord Blacktyde that his son has deflowered my daughter and heir. Since he is a younger son, he can wed her and take my family name. The wedding can be done quickly before the raid.

I'll marry Torvi either to Lord Thorhall, as long as he can wait a few years.

Finally, I'll go on the raid instead of to the Riverlands. My uncle and nephew made their choice to go against the Old Way with King Halleck, and look what it got them. I won't have any part in their fate.

 

[Equilibrium]

I go on the raid, no one can fault me for following Lord Blacktyde, as for the uncle and cousin, well I can't go chasing phantom assassins in the war torn Riverlands for some estranged kin.

Sigvard on the other hand will marry the Hoare girl, alliance with the royal cousins is a great way to improve one's standing when current king's rule is in tethers.

Torvi marries Ser Gardane's son, he is the heir after all, and not a drunk.

Celsa is free to marry Torstein if he will have her, Thorhall will have to suck it up if the young Blacktyde is the perspective groom.

[Floki of the Ironborn]

First thing's first. I'm clearly a man who follows the Old Way, and the Andal Hoare King is having a terrible time in a place which we've never meant to settle and rule. We do not sow.

But while the Hoares rule the Iron Islands, we shall not rebel. And my uncle and nephew must be avenged. I will send my son, Sigvard, with a part of my forces to find the killers of my kin and sacrifice their loved ones to the Drowned God while they watch. This will no doubt be a difficult campaign, and I do not expect my son to survive. In fact, I will send my most trusted lieutenant with a special order that the seas could be stormy, and even the most experience fisherman could be washed overboard.

My daughter will stay behind to manage my lands and prove her worth as my heir. Lord Blacktyde will also marry his younger son to her if he has any sense of honour.

After that, he and I will join Lord Thorhall and go raiding, as we Ironborn were meant to do. And no weak king, false gods, or anything will ever stop us from being what we are.

[Romaine3]

First thing first, I gather up all of my best men and women and proceed to get ridiculously drunk. When I come to alone on my bedroom floor, I realize that before I start worrying about all of the issues I'm involved in, I need to worry about myself first. So I get up off of the floor and call for my maester. When he arrives, we discuss whom among the other nobility that I would call a brother in arms has an attractive daughter of marrying age. I really don't care if she comes from a house that will raise my status, I want loyalty above all else. So we discuss the battles I've been in & the men who I fought side by side with. Did I save anyone from certain death? Before that question is answered, I see my son Sigvard walk by.

I jump to my feet and call him over before he can walk out the door to go do whatever the hell it is he does all day. I dismiss the Maester, but not before telling him to discreetly look into potential candidates regarding the conversation we just had. He scrurries off, and Sigvard comes sauntering over. I approach my son, and realize that he is no longer a boy, and he has grown tall enough to look at me now eye to eye. So I say to Sigvard, "Son, although you have adopted the faith of those weakling land loving fools, your veins flow with my blood, IRON BLOOD!" I see that I have his full attention now and continue on to say, "You are a man grown now and can do as you wish without my permission. However, if you choose to continue a life as a simple fisherman, what do you think is going to happen when my time on this rock has passed and another captain decides that he likes the look of this place and leads his ships to our shore? Are you going to give up what is yours without a fight?" Sigvard replies, "No father." I say, "Well son, you have spent a lot of your time fishing alone. So who will stand by your side and fight?" Seeing that he is at a loss for words I continue, "I'm gathering my men up as we speak. After I grab a bite to eat, I'm going down to the docks to inspect the ships. When everything is ready, I'm setting sail to do what Ironmen do! Reaving, plundering, killing, and f*cking! Are you going to sit here and fish and sing the songs of that sissy faith of yours, or is my SON going to finally join his father and prove his blood is Iron, just like mine?"

[James Steller]

1 hour ago, Romaine3 said:

First thing first, I gather up all of my best men and women and proceed to get ridiculously drunk. When I come to alone on my bedroom floor, I realize that before I start worrying about all of the issues I'm involved in, I need to worry about myself first. So I get up off of the floor and call for my maester. When he arrives, we discuss whom among the other nobility that I would call a brother in arms has an attractive daughter of marrying age. I really don't care if she comes from a house that will raise my status, I want loyalty above all else. So we discuss the battles I've been in & the men who I fought side by side with. Did I save anyone from certain death? Before that question is answered, I see my son Sigvard walk by.

I jump to my feet and call him over before he can walk out the door to go do whatever the hell it is he does all day. I dismiss the Maester, but not before telling him to discreetly look into potential candidates regarding the conversation we just had. He scrurries off, and Sigvard comes sauntering over. I approach my son, and realize that he is no longer a boy, and he has grown tall enough to look at me now eye to eye. So I say to Sigvard, "Son, although you have adopted the faith of those weakling land loving fools, your veins flow with my blood, IRON BLOOD!" I see that I have his full attention now and continue on to say, "You are a man grown now and can do as you wish without my permission. However, if you choose to continue a life as a simple fisherman, what do you think is going to happen when my time on this rock has passed and another captain decides that he likes the look of this place and leads his ships to our shore? Are you going to give up what is yours without a fight?" Sigvard replies, "No father." I say, "Well son, you have spent a lot of your time fishing alone. So who will stand by your side and fight?" Seeing that he is at a loss for words I continue, "I'm gathering my men up as we speak. After I grab a bite to eat, I'm going down to the docks to inspect the ships. When everything is ready, I'm setting sail to do what Ironmen do! Reaving, plundering, killing, and f*cking! Are you going to sit here and fish and sing the songs of that sissy faith of yours, or is my SON going to finally join his father and prove his blood is Iron, just like mine?"

Very touching answer.

[Romaine3]

2 minutes ago, James Steller said:

Very touching answer.

Thank you!

I'm not sure if anything has been resolved by my answer, but I was just trying to briefly exercise his POV. Had I not really been hungry and cut myself off, I might still be typing lol!

[Universal Sword Donor]

I'd flood everything and start over on Fair Isle

[1000th Lord Commander]

I am iron born, I go raiding. I send Sigvald to the Riverlands, under threat of disinheritance, and let him carve out a fortune there. Win or lose, I disinherit him anyway, and name Celsa my heir.

Lord Blacktyde will have his youngest son marry Celsa. They can stay at my keep and learn something about ruling.

Tovi can marry Ser Gardane.

[Aemond's Eye]

An eye for an eye, a son for a son. (Well, uncle and cousin.) I'm going to the Riverlands to Fairmarket to exact vengeance. Lord Blacktyde may be displeased, but the manner in which my kinsmen were murdered cannot go unanswered; to do nothing not only causes problems at home with my aunt, it makes me look weak. 

It's possible that my liege lord may seek to exact some petty revenge on me for aiding Halleck, but whilst we are in the Riverlands I will permit my men to raid and plunder. I'm betting on Halleck turning a blind eye due to my coming to his aid, and will pass on some of my loot to Lord Blacktyde as a token of my friendship. 

Just in case that isn't enough to spare me my lord's wrath, I'll betroth my heir to the Hoare cousin's heir. I'll also suggest that Sigvard lives as a guest of Harald in the meantime, allowing him and his betrothed to get to know each other. I don't have any concerns about his Andal faith, as the Hoares presumably already know about this.

Torvi will be betrothed to the Gardane heir. I'm aware this will look like I'm intentionally manoeuvring my family closer to the Hoares politically - closer than I am to my own liege lord, at least - but my daughter shan't be promised to a young captain who already has the reputation of a drunkard. Sod only knows how bad he'll be when she comes of age.

Wedding Celsa to Lord Thorhall would possibly go some way to repairing any damage or perceived slight to House Blacktyde. I'll instead offer her to Lord Blacktyde, and promise Torstein a captaincy on one of my ships if the proposal is accepted. Depending on how things go with Sigvard, the progeny of this marriage may end up inheriting my lands, so there would need to be an agreement that, should Sigvard die before producing an heir, Celsa's children will take my name. (A 'Harry The Heir' situation.) 

Edit: I'm on mobile view and thought this was in the Games section like another of the OP's similar threads I'd looked at earlier. Apologies for bumping this.