This is a Brainstorming thread. To unclutter the other threads. So if you want to brainstorm character ideas, in particular, please do that here. Remember that we haven't finished creating the house yet and we should do that before we create our characters.

I'm Sharra, the sweet and innocent but loyal and persuasive little sister of the House.

I’m Brynden, Ward from a lesser house from the Riverlands.  He will be a little too fond of gambling and low
born women.

Dragondog do you want me to roll up my birth house?

Feel free to do so. But you don't have to if you don't want to.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:12, Fri 12 June 2020.

Gyllen Cragborn, eccentric heir to the banner house and Sharra's close friend.

Gyllen Cragborn
Role: Schemer
Age:Adult
Events:? Kidnapped and Rescued
Goal: Power
Motivation: Stability
Virtue: Courageous
Vice: Ambitious

Status: 3 (10)
Will: 5  (70)
Persuasion 6 (100) Intimidate 2, Persuade 3
Awareness 3 (10) Empathy 1
Deception   3 (10)
Knowledge 3 (10)
Animal Handling: 3 (10)
Agility:3(10)
Fighting:3(10)
Survival:3 (10)
Warfare:3 (10)
Healing 1 (+50)


Benefits: Heir, Animal Cohort, Dutiful

Destiny points: 4

Drawbacks: Disturbing Habit, Haunted, Nemesis

ID: 8
Composure: 15

CD: 8
Health: 6

Open to ideas, thoughts and possible suggestions and character connections
This message was last edited by the player at 13:44, Sun 14 June 2020.

In reply to Orange (msg # 6):

Who did the rescuing? Perhaps our heroic uncle was involved? That could be a character connection.

Perhaps, but I also don't want him to have too much attributed to him. Stealing too much of the spotlight as it were. How long ago was it to have happened?

Ten to fifteen years ago. I am eighteen now, so in my early childhood. I am fine with either of people taking the credit for the rescue. It would make for interesting relationship.But I agree that this being someone less famous, maybe with lesser stature than Gyllen would make for more interesting story.
Green our character connection I see from us being the same age and me spending some years at your castle afterwards. For both safety reasons (my nemesis is still around) and to learn the highborn ways better.

In reply to Orange (msg # 9):

Oh, yes! Living at our castle for some years would give time for us to become close friends. I like that connection.

Hi all,

I'd like some input into why I might be a Ward of Silverswift.

I rolled up the basics for House Quintaine.  It looks to be a small but ancient who has been wracked with scandal in recent years.  A part of the most recent scandal would be the reason of me being a ward.

defence 13
influence 11
lands 21
Law 20
Population 17
Power 28
Wealth 29

Heraldry is

Gules Chevronel over Argent

Gauntlet clenched in a fist.

Motto. Protect, serve, progress.

History most recent to founding. (I rolled up 6 events)

Scandal
Scandal
Villain
Ascent
Doomed
Victory

So the heraldry would be a gauntlet clenched in a fist on a background with a narrow red chevron on silver?

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 12):

Pretty much.

How about a land dispute?

If your house has been mired in scandal recently, you might have been sent to us to keep you clear of it?

The ancestor : Selwyn.

Aka -  Selwyn the Swift, Selwyn the Silver, Selwyn the Bold, Selwyn the Night Raider, Selwyn Silvercloak

Overcame the First Men’s military advantage of mountain terrain knowledge by leading a series of night raids against them where they were no more adept at seeing in the dark terrain than Selwyn’s own men. Wore a cloak of bright silver to reflect the moonlight and help orient his troops. Other commanders soon began weaving silver thread into their own cloaks to imitate his success.


Similar naming conventions among the Houses of the Vale :

Coldwater, Breakstone, Redfort, Upcliff.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:05, Tue 16 June 2020.

In reply to Purple (msg # 16):

I dig this story, and Selwyn Sylvayn has a pretty noble ring to it.

More on the topic of personal characters, do folks think plate mail is worth 15 gold dragon investment, or is it more show than function?

I'm not sure how our Narrator will play the NPCs, plate armor is not just difficult to get through but its also a warrior's symbol and no dirty peasant is gonna mess with you. Heck I'd even say that some mercenaries will prefer to choose a different target.

Maybe I'll save it for special occasions and jousting (where one is almost guaranteed to take a hit), and have something easier to move in for actual combat.

Given we have to spend at least half our starting money and it seems like anything under 210 Stags (1 gold dragon) is covered by our improved living expenses, no harm in splurging a bit on arms and armor.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:28, Thu 18 June 2020.

I would say get the armor, although I'm about as much of a non-combat expert as one can be.

I meant to ask our Narrator, since I have quite a bit of money... could I get a castle forged weapon? I could have been to King's Landing and bought one.

Superior weapons (ie: castle forged) are just double the price of the normal weapon according to the errata. Now Extraordinary weapons don't get any mention, which I assume is attributed to their rarity as they get likened to you Valyrian steel.  But still, I am curious what it would take to get a weapon of that quality.

Gold, Gray is correct. Castle forged weapons have twice the cost of normal weapons.

Gray, all extraordinary weapons are forged of Valyrian steel. Priceless by definition. And the only way to get such a weapon is by getting the Heirloom Benefit, which only Heads of Houses and Heirs can get.

Gray, plate armor is the armor favored by knights and lords. And most of them don't wear it on a daily basis. They only wear it when the situation warrants. Such as wars and tourneys. So if you find, or have found, yourself in those situations, then plate armor could be very useful and expected.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:57, Thu 18 June 2020.

Could always steal someone's... or kill them for it. Win it in a gamble? There are other ways to acquire one, I'm sure. That quality just starts you with one.

Of course. But you were talking about price and that's the only listed price to get it.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 06:35, Thu 18 June 2020.

Should I get the Heirloom benefit so our family can have our own valarian steel weapon? I was anyway thinking what I should do for my benefits...

If you take Heir, you can take Heirloom. Purple, as the Head of House, can do the same. As can Orange, if she takes Heir for her character.

So much Valyrian steel. O_O

Yeah, but just because they can take it, doesn't mean that they will. Though if all do, that would be a large concentration of Valyrian steel in one place.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:05, Thu 18 June 2020.

I have decided that my father (Jonos Quintaine) had the been causing scandal by trying to seduce the noble ladies of the Riverland and occasionally succeeding.  After bedding a much more powerful bannerman's wife my father was forced to 'take the black' and my uncle (Raymund Quintaine) was made head of the house.  I was sent away from the Riverlands in hope that people would forget the scandal and that I would grow to be a useful member of society.

This should make for some interesting dynamics for Brynden.  May be distrusted a little from both sides.  I can't see myself welcome back in my fathers old house for some time.

 I thought wards were more like... political hostages? Thus why it is treated as a drawback rather than a benefit.

I can still have the mechanical effect of the draw back. I would a rival for rule of my home house, as I was once the heir.  I would also would be treated with suspicion as the son of a disgraced house.

The history I rolled for the house had the last two historical events as scandal. So I have tried to incorporate that into the reason I am a ward.

I am open to suggestions, this was just best idea I could come with. If people have a better idea I would love to hear it.

Yeah, Ward is a drawback. In the rules, they give two options. Either two houses exchange wards as part of a nonaggression pact or one house takes a ward from the other house after defeating them so that the defeated house don't get any bad ideas.

A person can also be fostered by another house. These are not wards.

This is the difference between Theon Greyjoy growing up with the Starks (Ward) and Ned Stark and Robert Baratheon growing up with the Arryns (fostered).


Your case seems more like the home house not wanting you back, so they send you away. Which begs the question, why would another house receive you? Fosterage is generally with allies, who wouldn't mind. But wards are with the "enemy."
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:59, Thu 18 June 2020.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 33):

I'm pretty sure wards and fosterage are the same thing in Westeros; the fostered person is ward.

I was thinking it was someone like Hoster Tully’s order that I be sent to away to raised elsewhere.   There is an alliance between the Vale and the Riverlands. Given this house is lower on the pecking order in the Vale may have convinced to take me on.  It might be instead of being a ward I am a squire.  Works with the backstory and is possibly a better reason to be in another house.

Eddard Stark was fostered by Jon Arryn, but he wasn't a Ward, the way Theon Greyjoy was.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:25, Thu 18 June 2020.

From Wiki of Ice and Fire: The custom of fosterage is common among the nobility of Westeros. It is seen as a way of establishing friendships and alliances.[1] For example, Lord Jon Arryn became a second father to his two foster children, Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon, during the years they were fostered by Arryn at the Eyrie.[2] Additionally, fosterage is seen as a means of education.[1] For example, boys can be fostered out as squires, training for knighthood.[3] Most commonly the fostered child is male,[1] although it is not unheard of for females to be fostered. The fostered child can be trueborn or bastard born.[4] Hostages may be fostered; for example, Theon Greyjoy.[5] In the Free City of Norvos, children are usually not fostered out.[6][7]

So yes, terms are somewhat interchangeable.

I just checked that too Orange! And it seems that they use the term interchangeably.

I haven't done that. When you are a hostage, I have called that a ward. When it's voluntary, I have called that fosterage. You only get the Ward drawback when you are a hostage.

I think being fostered just means the child is cared for and given an education. My takeaway is that you can be fostered as a ward, but being fostered doesn't make you a ward.

Yes, both those who are willingly fostered and hostages are referred to as "fostered".

So what are your thoughts on being a squire?  Is there a knight I could be squire for in the group?

As we have been using the terms differently, let me ask a clarifying question. Is it your intention that your character has the Ward drawback?

No I am scrapping the idea of being a ward.  As I can't see a decent reason for my to a ward in the agreed definition.

I am asking what are people's thoughts of me being a squire to someone.

I think there might be a few opportunities to squire for one of the characters. I will let them speak up definitively.

The reason why I was asking, in addition to understanding if we were talking about the same thing, was that even though your story doesn't exactly match the description in the rules, I can allow you to take the Ward drawback. If that is still what you want.

In regards to knights and squires, you'd have to ask the other players or be the squire of an NPC knight.

 I am thinking of playing a knight and didn't have any locked in thoughts about squires yet.

How old do you want your character to be?

About 14-15.  I think that is classified as young adult.

Okay, so they were born during or just after the rebellion. That works just fine. Would they still be part of the scandalous Riverlands house? That would probably mean House Sylvayn was fostering you, since most children who are to squire, start as pages around the age of 7 or so and become squires around 10 (though some go straight to squiring).

I think I will keep the scandalous Riverland house.  So this would mean I’ve been fostered longer than I had originally thought but that’s ok.

In reply to Silver (msg # 50):

Sounds good! Can't have too many childhood compatriots.

Out of curiosity, is it uncommon or frowned upon for knights to have more than one squire?

For me, I wouldn't have a problem with a knight having more than one squire.

I can't recall anyone explicitly having more than one or it explicitly being stated that you cannot have more than one in the TV series.

Neat, good to know.  I think Silver and I have come to an agreement as far as their character being a squire (and former page) to mine.

  So one of the events I rolled for Corwyn's backstory was that he was present at a significant tournament as a young adult. My kneejerk thought was perhaps he had competed at the Tourney at Harrenhal, but I also considered that maybe House Sylvayn had its own great tourney that drew knights and the like to our mighty castle. Alternatively, there could have been significant tournaments elsewhere in the Kingdoms.

  What do you all think? What tournament was Corwyn at and what made it so significant?

In reply to Gray (msg # 55):

Hmmmm... maybe you met the young Robert Baratheon? He used to live in the Vale and probably competed here.

  Ah, perhaps!  I forgot briefly about Robert and Eddard having fostered at the Eyrie.

In reply to Gray (msg # 57):

King Robert seems like he'd care more about his old tournament buddies than high nobles.

I suppose Corwyn is around the same age as the two of them, this is an interesting line of thought.