"An empire built on blood and fire. The Valyrians reaped the seed they had sown.”- Tyrion Lannister
Valyria has fallen. Once known for its soaring topless towers, mastery of magic, glorious wealth, fantastic dragons and command of an empire stretching from Slavers Bay acrossthe continent of Essos to Dragonstone in the west, Valyria is gone. Annihilated in the great cataclysm known as the Doom it and the very peninsular it sat upon have been shattered by raging fires, and devoured by the sea itself all in a single day and night. With its destruction the world slunk into chaos, the Century of Blood has begun. With Valyria's fall all from the once broken Ghiscari of Slavers Bay, to the proud Free Cities and watchful Targaryen's in the west now all eye one another for control of its divided empire. Indeed even now in Volantis the Tigers roar for blood and proclaim Volantis the oldest of the Free Cities a New Valyria and march their armies west to subjugate the other Free Cities to achieve this goal.
Meanwhile on Dragonstone the Targaryen's perhaps the last true Valyrians with their Dragons face two divergent paths. To the east lies Essos, and their ancient destroyed homeland of Valyria indeed they alone possess the power of dragons and bring about Volantis reckoning and proclaim a New Valyria themselves. But there is another option...Westeros the great western continent with its proud feudal traditions and Seven Kingdoms lay equally divided and only a dragon's wing beat away. These Seven Kingdoms could prove as glorious a conquest as that of Essos and more importantly offer the Targaryen's fame that might even overshadow that of Valyria.
However while the Volantenes and Free Cities march to war and the Targaryen's gaze drifts between Westeros and Essos, the Seven Kingdoms too are readying for war. After all they are many and vying whether they be the great Andal Kingdoms of the Stormlands, Vale, Westerlands and Reach guided by the Seven to the hard Kingdoms of the North and Iron Isles with their gods of salt and weirwood or the fiery Princes of Dorne all must choose whether they shall be devoured or devour. For as one so said "when you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground." The choice is yours....
OOC: Greetings one and all to yet another GOT inspired RP to grace NationStates servers! As those diehard GOT fans such as myself have probably noticed this RP is set during the Bleeding Years shortly after the Doom that consumed Valyria and well the years leading up to Aegons Conquest of the Seven Kingdoms. Anywho I truly hope you'll enjoy the efforts of myself, Photana and the other IoN nations that help build this RP, so without further adieu may I present Ublia's GRRM inspired RP , A Song of Fire and Ice: A Throne of Blood and Fire!
Rules:
-I am OP my word is law.
-No God-modding/Meta-gaming. Even dragons can't save your 100 man force heading up against 10,000.
-Everyone dies. Many of the main characters in Game of Thrones die. There should be no exception here. And if your character dies, there is no need to quit, you still have a family that no doubt will want to avenge his death!
-Magic is very limited. Expect only certain characters to perform magical feats, and not everyone can learn.
-Dragons can be killed. It is very difficult, but it is possible for a significantly large host or skilled swordsman to slay one of these great beasts.
-Dragons have to be tamed. Once dragons reach breeding age, they will go feral, meaning that it is up to someone to either tame or slay the mighty beast, but expect this to be a difficult task, especially if you don't chain up your dragon.
-Characters age. No character in the Game of Thrones universe stays the same age, and characters in this RP should not stay static.
-Word takes time to travel. The GoT world has no internet, no phones, and the fastest word can travel is either on the wing of a raven or the back of a horse. As such, if the Wall comes under attack, don't expect Dorne to be there anytime soon.
-People take time to travel. Similar to above, the GoT world has no cars/planes, so armies' and characters' journeys should take a few days at least.
-The seasons are not the same. In the GoT world, summers last for years, and the winters are better described as mini-ice ages, so be ready to prepare when you hear the words "Winter is coming."
-Finally do note as OP I have the right to add and or remove new or old rules as I see fit.
APP
- Code: Select all
[b]Nation APP:[/b]
[b]Nation Name: [/b]
[b]Sigil:[/b] (pictures would be helpful)
[b]Banner:[/b] (pictures would be helpful)
[b]Ruler(s):[/b]
[b]Capital:[/b]
[b]Dominant Culture:[/b]
[b]Minor Culture(s):[/b]
[b]State Religion:[/b]
[b]Military Force: (check the wiki for Westeros)[/b]
[b]History:[/b]
[b]RP Example:[/b]
- Code: Select all
[b]House APP:[/b]
[b]House Name:[/b]
[b]Sigil:[/b] (pictures would be helpful)
[b]Head of House:[/b] (please include age, personality and appearance)
[b]House Members:[/b] (please include age, personality and appearance)
[b]House Seat:[/b]
[b]Houses's Faith:[/b]
[b]Military Forces: (Again within reason)[/b]
[b]Sworn Houses:[/b]
[b]RP Example: [/b]
Nobility Ranking System: Seeing as this is Game of Thrones here's the tiers of status in the world of Westeros nobility. Oh to add please use the wiki to look up the noble houses available for being played.
King/Prince: You are the top of the food chain or at least one of Westeros seven ruling Kings these include The North, Westerlands, Iron Islands, Stormlands, Trident, Reach and Dorne.
Lord Paramount: As your all more then well aware Aegon divided up the Seven Kingdoms after his conquest, and thus there came to be seven Lord Paramounts who lorded over their regions in service to the Iron Throne. This title though more or less can only come to be once someone conquers the Seven Kingdoms....
Lord: Powerful lords ruling over large treks of territory within each of the Seven Kingdoms, your families names range from Bolton to Hightower and are the vassals of the Kings at this time until one unites the Seven Kingdoms. And your lands may be as glorious as those of Hightower in Oldtown or as meagre as Sarwyck of the Westerlands.
Ser: Ranging from the owner of a small holdfast sworn to a Lord with a few men at arms to a lowly wandering hedge knight wearing all your worldly possessions on your person. In short you are the bedrock of the noble system of Westeros bound by paths sworn to the gods old and new.
Court Positions: Basically we'll be basing the positions of each Westerosi court mostly around those we see at the time of the War of the Five Kingdoms. With this position you are above your fellow vassals in prestige and ability, at least in the eyes of your King...
Hand of the King: The Kings second in command. (Due to unification not occurring they'll be known as Castellan for now)
Master of Coin - Head of the Treasury and finances of the kingdom.
Grand Maester - head adviser on matters of lore and wisdom
Master of Laws - Oversees the Laws & Justice system for the Kingdom.
Master of Whisperers - The spymaster, and the head of intelligence.
Master of Ships - Oversees the navy.
(Regarding the Kingsguard once the Seven Kingdoms are united only then can such an organization be formed, thank you.)
Essos Political Stations:
Triarch: One of three elected officials in Volantis elected by the people for a year long term, they come from the Tiger and Elephant factions.
High Magister: Head of the Magisters within Free Cities like Pentos, Lys, etc. they effectively run their city state.
Masters: The Ghiscari leaders are the ruling slaver lords known as Great Masters, Wise Masters, Good Masters, and rule from the tall pyramids which dominate the cities of Slavers Bay.
Sealord: The ruler of Braavos, he is elected by the Braavosi people and is practically absolute. They say when the Sealord dies the knives come out and the streets of Braavos run red with blood until a new Sealord is elected.
Family: Family is the most important thing in Westeros and Essos. If you have a family name, you are someone of note, if not, you are commoner like the rest, and will more than likely be ignored. So, how does one build a family?
Well, obviously, a family needs members. A noble family usually begins with the marriage of a Lord and Lady of two other houses. The Lord and Lady then have children, who take the family name and the male members continue the dynasty and inherit lands, while the female members - outside of Dorne or certain parts of Essos - are married off to secure alliances and lands.
Another point that needs addressing is the subject of Bastards. Bastards are any child born out of wedlock, and they take the surname of where they are born. The Bastard surnames are:
North - Snow
Riverlands - Rivers
Vale - Stone
Reach - Flowers
Westerlands - Hill
Iron Islands - Pyke
Dorne - Sand
Stormlands - Storm
Crownlands - Waters
A bastard may inherit if the father has no other trueborn children nor any other likely kin to follow him. Additionally, a bastard can inherit if he is legitimized by a royal decree. It is unclear whether a legitimized bastard would be placed in the succession according to birth order, or would be placed at the end, after the trueborn children.
Culture:Please see here for information regarding culture in GRRM's A Song of Fire and Ice.
Religion: here are the major faiths of Essos and Westeros for more minor faiths please use this wiki.
The Faith of the Seven is the principal religion of the Seven Kingdoms. It is little-practiced beyond its borders. The Faith of the Seven is dominant in the south of Westeros. The only regions where it is not the majority religion are the North, where worship of the Old Gods of the Forest remains strong, and on the Iron Islands, where the local religion of the Drowned God is most widespread. There are many exceptions in all three areas, however.
The Faith holds that there is one god who has seven faces or aspects: the Father, the Mother, the Maiden, the Crone, the Warrior, the Smith, and the Stranger. Each aspect represents one part of life or existence.
The Father: represents divine justice, and judges the souls of the dead.
The Mother: represents mercy, peace, fertility, and childbirth. She is sometimes referred to as "the strength of women".
The Maiden: represents purity, love, and beauty.
The Crone: represents wisdom and foresight. She is represented carrying a lantern.
The Warrior: represents strength and courage in battle.
The Smith: represents creation and craftsmanship.
The Stranger: The Stranger represents death and the unknown. It is rarely prayed to.
The Old Gods of the Forest are a collection of innumerable and unnamed spirits of nature, which are worshipped by many people of the North and small numbers elsewhere in Westeros. It is the old religion of Westeros, supplanted by the Faith of the Seven which was brought to the continent by the Andals and is now the dominant faith of the continent. Though the two religions have coexisted for more than six thousand years, there is still tension between the most devout adherents of the two faiths.
The Drowned God is the deity worshiped on the Iron Islands. Together with the North, where the worship of the Old Gods of the Forest remains strong, the Iron Islands is one of the few regions in Westeros not abiding by the main religion of the Seven Kingdoms, the Faith of the Seven.The belief system of the Drowned God justifies the ironborn way of life of piracy and raiding. Followers of the Drowned God believe he brought flame from the sea and that he created the ironborn to reave, raid, and pillage. Much of the religion centers around maritime skills and seafaring ability. It is not simply praiseworthy to kill enemies in battle, it is considered a pious act. A youth in the Iron Islands is not considered a man until he has killed his first enemy. The religion also encourages paying the "iron price" instead of the "gold price" -- that is, it is better not to pay or treat for possessions, but to take them by force from the hands of dead enemies.
R'hllor, alternatively known as the Lord of Light, and the Red God, is a deity widely worshiped in the continent of Essos. The Lord of Light has been described as a "fire god" and its clergy "fire priests", as worship of the Lord of Light centers around fire and light. It is the majority religion in several of the Free Cities, and extends to Asshai in the distant east. Worship of the Lord of Light is almost unheard of in Westeros. The religion of the Lord of Light is centered on belief in the existence of a single, all-powerful god. R'hllor is the god of fire, which provides light, heat, and life, and struggles against darkness, cold, and death, represented by an opposing deity, the Great Other.
The Great Stallion ("vezhof") is a horse god revered as the deity of the Dothraki religion, mirroring the importance of these creatures in Dothraki culture. The religious beliefs of the Dothraki are complex, as there is little division in Dothraki society between what in other cultures might be called "religion" and "custom". The Dothraki religion is fundamentally monotheistic, worshiping the Great Stallion, and it would be incorrect to describe it as polytheistic. However, the Dothraki also acknowledge the existence of other supernatural beings or spirits. Dothraki religious beliefs are best described as "henotheism" - the belief in and worship of a single deity (the Great Stallion), but accepting the existence of other deities who may or may not be worshipped. These other deities may only have power in specific localities. For example, the Dothraki do not revere or worship the Great Shepherd, which is worshipped by the Lhazareen who live beyond the southern border of the Dothraki Sea. However, they do not deny that the Great Shepherd may exist, they just think its power is only strongest in Lhazar, and even then, that the Great Stallion is assuredly a stronger god than the Great Shepherd, in all times and places.
Dragons, magic and all that fun stuff: Yes well seeing as this RP is set when the Targaryens have dragons we've reached a compromise. Basically the Targs are split in two each possessing one fully grown dragon. Now while dragons can be useful that aren't invincible if your armies hugely outnumbered like 100 to one they can make a dent but its ultimately tactics that wins battles. To add there are five dragon eggs in the Targaryen's possession and can be sold to various houses through dowry's, gifts and or marriages with the Targs. Moving on when dragon eggs hatch (it takes a while) they aren't automatically going to bow to your will and thus have to be trained, meaning you risk getting roasted...moving on dragons can be killed, through well as demonstrated in the Dance of Dragons (the Targaryen civil war) dragons can kill dragons. To add stealth and surprise can be used to sneak up and kill them. Or you can use a hell of a lot of arrows, catapults, and men, etc to take one down. ANywho you get the juist they aren't invincible, and while useful don't think they're get out of jail free card.
Now onto magic. As OP I will be allowing magic to be used, however it has to be preapproved by me or the co-OP got it? Anywho have fun!
Player List:
Photana: Dragonstone. House Targaryen of Westeros
Florys: Dreadfort. House Bolton
Acroticus: Dothraki Khalesar
Slarvainian: The Crossing. Frey
Ublia: Kingdom of the Rock. House Lannister
Kherkov: The Kingdom of Isles and Rivers. House Greyjoy
Phalnia: The Kingdom of the North. House Stark
Carathon: The Kingdom of the Vale. House Arryn
New Panti: The Night's Watch
