He Went East: (ASOIAF/Character/Faction/OOC/Open)

[Revlona]

Operators: Revlona, Oblivion2, and Imperialisium

Discord
IC

Aegon Targaryen, Aegon the Conqueror. He who conquered Westeros with blade and flame, his two sister-wives at his side. Except, he didn’t.The famed Painted Table of dragonstone shows not Westeros in this world, for in this world Aegon did not turn his eyes to Westeros. There would be no Iron Throne, no Burning of Harrenhal, no Field of Fire. At least not at the hands of Aegon Targaryen, for he went east.

However, his story should not concern you, great Kings, Queens, and Lord of Westeros. News of another conqueror upon that eastern continent does not alarm you, dragons or not. No, you have other things to interest you, closer events to worry you.

Harren the Black bled the Riverlands dry to complete his great hall and now sits in a good position to put down any revolt which may rise against him. The Dornish continue their raids into the Stormlands and the Reach, all while the Stormlands look greedily upon the riverlands, perhaps intent on bringing it into the fold.

Westeros is your sandbox, great Kings and Queens, loyal Lords and Ladies, all that must be seen now is how you will mold it….and who will stand in your way.



Hello and welcome to “He Went East”! In this RP you shall take the place of those fair lords and ladies of Westeros. Be they noble born king or up jumped hedge knight, they are yours! At the same time in the Far East, Aegon Targaryan conquers his new Valyria. Do not worry however, driving the plot will not be upon the players backs entirely. The OPs stand ready and willing to help anywhere and everywhere. I myself will not be taking a major character and intend to purely help drive the story by interacting through NPCs and by orchestrating the super secret behind the scenes plot stuff.

So, with that out of the way please make yourselves welcome and let us have fun!



Rules:
1.OPs word is law
2. Be respectful at all times to your fellow players and the OPs
3. While characters from Essos are allowed, they must be in Westeros. Any attempts to be in Essos will be flatly denied.
4. This RP will have PVP however it does not revolve around such. There is no “Winning”, any attempts to metagame or otherwise ruin the fun for others just to “Win” will be immediately squashed out and could result in being sent to the wall, otherwise known as being politely asked to leave.
5. Consult with both the OPs and your Opponents when it comes to warfare. Remember that total warfare isn’t really a thing. Neither is the full conquest of a large and or equal opponent. This is not to say it can’t happen, but driving for such is not to be normalised.
6. No overpowered characters, the OPs will decide what is OP and what is not.
7. Custom houses are allowed, however they will not be replacing any houses which may be considered major. This is up for interpretation by the OPs upon review of the application.
8. Anything posted short of a paragraph within the IC will not be accepted.


Character Application:
Delete all in brackets and please spoiler images

Code: Select all

NS Name:
Character name:
House:
Gender:
Age:
Immediate Family:
Description: [Image Preferred]
Personality: [If a canon character, do not copy the wiki.To show that you have an understanding of the character we ask that you put this into your own words.]
Faults:
Skills:
Weaknesses:
Bio: [At least two paragraphs. Preferably in your own words but not as necessary as the personality]


House Application:
Delete all in brackets and please spoiler images

Code: Select all

House:
Head of House:
Banner:
House Words: [Optional]
Territories:
Troop Numbers: [ https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Military_strength use this for reference, however numbers will be slightly lower within this period than during the war of the five kings.]
History:

https://quartermaester.info

[Revlona]

King Torrhen Stark - Oblivion2

King Harren Hoare - Lunas

[Revlona]

NS Name:Revlona
Character name: Petra “Petyr” Flint
House: Flint of Flints Finger
Gender: Female
Age: 20
Immediate Family:
Description: Petra
With her hair cut short to pass herself as a feminine boy.
Personality: A quick witted, happy, and genuinely fun person to be around. Petra Flint, otherwise known simply as Petyr has tried her best to forge her own path for the past few years while traveling as a hedge knights squire. In fights she is aggressive in harassing and overwhelming her opponents.
Faults: Quick temper, a natural liar, and holds a sense of superiority against the peasants and lower nobility.
Skills: Trained swordsman with high agility and endurance. Knowledge of noble ways because of upbringing. Can use a short bow but is out of practice for several years.
Weaknesses: Not very strong and with a quick temper.
Bio:
Petra “Petyr” Flint was born the 5th child and third daughter of the current Lord and Lady of Flints Finger. From the day she was born she was loud and forward, screaming her head off and making the lives of her wet nurse and tutors torture for much of her early life. Childish pranks were among these tortures. However this was not to last, her tutors noted her change to have occurred around the age of nine. She became cold and serious, calculating were she had been rash and soft spoken instead of loud.

This change came for a reason as she came to realize her due in life. It came during a childish argument turned viscous between Petra and her eldest brother. The arguments reason is unknown to us however it is known how it ended, her elder brother yelling at her that her rights were “Nothing but the birthing bed,” Petra apparently devolved into a fit of tears, the last time she was ever noted to have cried.

After that the girl repeatedly skipped her lessons in all those proper to a lady in favor of attending her brothers fights in the training yard, even attempting to join in several times though being turned away each time. This would continue for the rest of her time at Flints Finger though she became much more subtle in her methods. She found a young boy her age to fight with her with sticks, learning little in their play but helping to grow her love for the art. She also found a man at arms to teach her the short bow.

It was at the age of 16 that things took a turn for the young lady. Word came down to her from her beloved older brother, this being the second son not the heir, that their father meant to marry her off before she could object. Her betrothed already being in the way down the neck from his castle in the wolves wood. Petra acted, stealing away in the dead of night several days before her secret marriage and taking a good blade and set of armor with her.

She rode south into the Hoare controlled riverlands, meaning to make something of herself using her new sword and armor. She cut her hair short allowing her to pass herself as a boy and began to refer to herself and Petyr. She soon fell in with Ser Thomas Orison as his squire and the two of travelled together for nearly four years now, all the while keeping her true gender secret from the southron knight.

[Oblivion2]

Reserving the Kingdom of the North until such time my toddler allows me to do an App

[Revlona]

Reserving the Kingdom of the North until such time my toddler allows me to do an App

Reservation noted my good man

[Sapim]

reserved from caracter and from House. The Gold Dragon will rise again !

[Revlona]

reserved from caracter and from House. The Gold Dragon will rise again !

Ok then

[The Twelve Isles]

Looks cool to me, I'll give this a better look over when I'm home from work

[Revlona]

Looks cool to me, I'll give this a better look over when I'm home from work

Awesome!

[Audunia]

NS Name: Audunia
Character name: Jorran Roe, AKA Jorran the Unready
House: Roe
Gender: Male
Age: 24
Immediate Family: Eliza Roe(Mother), Mariya Roe (Sister) Jarad Roe(Elder Brother in the Night's Watch), Willyam (Elder Brother, deceased)
Description: Jorraen Roe
Personality: Jorran Roe is a kind soul whose unexpected accession to Lord of his house has left him self-conscious and doubtful, unsure if his decision is the correct one or even if his banners will listen to him, while his family's alignment with Harren the Black has turned much of the Riverlands against him, causing him to see enemies around every corner.
Faults: Jorran's uncompromising position will see him remain loyal to those that do not deserve it, even if it should cost him his life. His arrogance has been replaced by self-doubt, leading to him being incredibly reliant on his advisors.

Skills: Trained swordsman of high quality, experienced in the ways of the nobility, experienced commander and warrior.
Weaknesses: Aggressively stubborn and has an inability to quickly adapt to a rapidly changing situation
Bio: Jorran was born into House Roe, a relatively prosperous house that had ascended to its position due to his grandfather, Jorrel Roe, swearing fealty to the invading Hoare's of the Iron Islands. From birth, their house's position was a tenable one, though difficult, as aligning with the invaders had placed a black mark over all of the Roe's as traitors to both Durrandon and the Riverlands as a whole, with few marriage prospects arising from their Kingdom because of it.

As he aged, his father saw potential within Jorran. Jarad, his brother, had always been a difficult child and had only become increasingly unruly as he aged, while Jorran was dutiful and followed the orders of his father closely, while excelling in his classes. By the time he was 20, Jorran was an already well-established figure, ruthlessly putting bandits down and participating in a number of skirmishes with the neighbouring kingdoms, though little was expected of him due to his position as the youngest son of a relatively minor house. Admittedly, he wasn't

NS Name: Audunia
Character name: Jarad Roe, AKA Jarad the Half-Black
House: Roe
Gender: Male
Age: 32
Immediate Family: Eliza Roe(Mother), Mariya Roe (Sister) Jorran Roe(Younger brother), Willyam (Younger brother, deceased)

Description: The Half-Black himself
Personality: Jarad is almost the archetypical image of a sellsword, boastful and arrogant, an inflated sense of himself and an undeniable confidence in himself and his own abilities. At heart, he's kind and possesses a dislike of authority, particularly those that abuse that authority.
Faults: His willingness to kill
Skills:
Weaknesses:
Bio: [At least two paragraphs. Preferably in your own words but not as necessary as the personality]

[Revlona]

NS Name: Audunia
Character name: Jorran Roe, AKA Jorran the Unready
House: Roe
Gender: Male
Age: 24
Immediate Family: Eliza Roe(Mother), Mariya Roe (Sister) Jarad Roe(Elder Brother in the Night's Watch), Willyam (Elder Brother, deceased)
Description: Jorraen Roe
Personality: Jorran Roe is a kind soul whose unexpected accession to Lord of his house has left him self-conscious and doubtful, unsure if his decision is the correct one or even if his banners will listen to him, while his family's alignment with Harren the Black has turned much of the Riverlands against him, causing him to see enemies around every corner.
Faults: Jorran's uncompromising position will see him remain loyal to those that do not deserve it, even if it should cost him his life. His arrogance has been replaced by self-doubt, leading to him being incredibly reliant on his advisors.

Skills: Trained swordsman of high quality, experienced in the ways of the nobility, experienced commander and warrior.
Weaknesses: Aggressively stubborn and has an inability to quickly adapt to a rapidly changing situation
Bio: Jorran was born into House Roe, a relatively prosperous house that had ascended to its position due to his grandfather, Jorrel Roe, swearing fealty to the invading Hoare's of the Iron Islands. From birth, their house's position was a tenable one, though difficult, as aligning with the invaders had placed a black mark over all of the Roe's as traitors to both Durrandon and the Riverlands as a whole, with few marriage prospects arising from their Kingdom because of it.

As he aged, his father saw potential within Jorran. Jarad, his brother, had always been a difficult child and had only become increasingly unruly as he aged, while Jorran was dutiful and followed the orders of his father closely, while excelling in his classes. By the time he was 20, Jorran was an already well-established figure, ruthlessly putting bandits down and participating in a number of skirmishes with the neighbouring kingdoms, though little was expected of him due to his position as the youngest son of a relatively minor house. Admittedly, he wasn't

Looking good so far

[Oblivion2]

NS Name: Oblivion2
Character name: Torrhen Stark
House: Stark
Gender: Male
Age: 41
Immediate Family:

Brandon Snow - Bastard Brother, close advisor, 36, Called Wolf-Kissed

Brandon Stark - Son, Heir apparent, 19

Audrey Stark - Daughter, 17

Description:

Personality: Fierce as winter winds and coldly cunning, the King in the North sees things outside his own Kingdom as either a benefit or a hinderance to his rule. A meticulous master of state craft, Torrhen looks not to expand his borders, but to create buffers through which his enemies will have to move before attack his people. Proud and dutiful, Torrhen puts his family and his kingdom’s needs above his own, however he is known to have the prickly Stark honour.

Faults: Honourable to a fault, will see any agreement to its very end. His wife’s death in childbirth has made Torrhen protective of his children which has seen Audrey yet unbetrothed and can feel stifling to his heir, Aeron. Though less prone to rash decisions than his brother Brandon, Torrhen occasionally had a temper.

Skills: Statecraft, respectable swordsman, skilled tactician, loyal bannermen.
Weaknesses: Naval Warfare, poor grasp of spy craft.

Bio: Born to be King in the North, Torrhen was the firstborn son of Cregan Stark III. His father was an ill tempered man, taken to drink and bouts of infidelity. So burdened with the ruling of the realm and the problems too much drink can bring to a marriage, Torrhen’s parents had little time to see to the education of their son. Instead, the princeling’s youth was tended to by Maesters and Winterfell’s master of arms. Only with his bastard half brother, Brandon, was Torrhen truly a boy. The two were nearly inseparable, and despite his bastard status Brandon never seemed to resent his elder brother his position as Heir.

Torrhen’s father died as the boy became a young man, allowing the new king to vigorously tour his realm; repairing damages done by his father. Fostering new loyalties amongst the many families, and even taking a wife from House Manderly. The marriage was loving if perhaps a little distant, and Torrhen’s wife bore him two children before dying in childbirth with the third. Any of the Great King’s few smiles seemed to come less often after her death, and the King has become protective of his two remaining children, often refusing perfectly valid marriage offers for his daughter’s hand and driving his son to be more than he could ever be.

Ruling over a realm that is sometimes seen as an easy target by Pirates and raiders, Torrhen begins to see the latter years of his reign pertaining more to the protection of his realm, and the strengthening of its borders so that he might hand a strong and secure kingdom to his son.

—————————————————————————————

House: Stark
Head of House: Torrhen Stark
Banner:

House Words: Winter is Coming
Territories: The Kingdom of the North
Troop Numbers: Approximately thirty to thirty five thousand, if all bannermen are called to war. No house navy, any naval vessels would be provided by vassals.

History: One of the oldest houses in Westeros, House Stark has been the rulers of the Kingdom of the North since some of the earliest histories of men. Their stories involve clashes with Wildling hordes, the breaking of rebel northmen, and the repelling of invasions of Andals and their heathen gods from the South. Much of Stark history is shrouded by legend and myth, so it is difficult to determine what about the Starks is fact and what is fiction. Notable Kings in the North include Brandon the Builder, Brandon the Burner, Edrick ‘Snowbeard’ Stark, and Theon Stark, the Hungry Wolf.

[Revlona]

NS Name: Oblivion2
Character name: Torrhen Stark
House: Stark
Gender: Male
Age: 41
Immediate Family:

Brandon Snow - Bastard Brother, close advisor, 36

Aeron Stark - Son, Heir apparent, 19

Audrey Stark - Daughter, 17

Description:

(Image)

Personality: Fierce as winter winds and coldly cunning, the King in the North sees things outside his own Kingdom as either a benefit or a hinderance to his rule. A meticulous master of state craft, Torrhen looks not to expand his borders, but to create buffers through which his enemies will have to move before attack his people. Proud and dutiful, Torrhen puts his family and his kingdom’s needs above his own, however he is known to have the prickly Stark honour.

Faults: Honourable to a fault, will see any agreement to its very end. His wife’s death in childbirth has made Torrhen protective of his children which has seen Audrey yet unbetrothed and can feel stifling to his heir, Aeron. Though less prone to rash decisions than his brother Brandon, Torrhen occasionally had a temper.

Skills: Statecraft, respectable swordsman, skilled tactician, loyal bannermen.
Weaknesses: Naval Warfare, poor grasp of spy craft.

Bio: Born to be King in the North, Torrhen was the firstborn son of Cregan Stark III. His father was an ill tempered man, taken to drink and bouts of infidelity. So burdened with the ruling of the realm and the problems too much drink can bring to a marriage, Torrhen’s parents had little time to see to the education of their son. Instead, the princeling’s youth was tended to by Maesters and Winterfell’s master of arms. Only with his bastard half brother, Brandon, was Torrhen truly a boy. The two were nearly inseparable, and despite his bastard status Brandon never seemed to resent his elder brother his position as Heir.

Torrhen’s father died as the boy became a young man, allowing the new king to vigorously tour his realm; repairing damages done by his father. Fostering new loyalties amongst the many families, and even taking a wife from House Manderly. The marriage was loving if perhaps a little distant, and Torrhen’s wife bore him two children before dying in childbirth with the third. Any of the Great King’s few smiles seemed to come less often after her death, and the King has become protective of his two remaining children, often refusing perfectly valid marriage offers for his daughter’s hand and driving his son to be more than he could ever be.

Ruling over a realm that is sometimes seen as an easy target by Pirates and raiders, Torrhen begins to see the latter years of his reign pertaining more to the protection of his realm, and the strengthening of its borders so that he might hand a strong and secure kingdom to his son.

Looks good. Accepted!

[Revlona]

Roster updated

[Imperialisium]

Dorne is reserved for moi.

[Lunas Legion]

Reserve the Hoares.

[Revlona]

Dorne is reserved for moi.

Reserve the Hoares.

Roger that

[Lunas Legion]

NS Name: -^
Character name: Harren 'The Black' Hoare
House: Hoare
Gender: Male
Age: 68
Immediate Family:

• Alannys Blacktyde, wife (Deceased)
  His Four Sons
• Eryl Hoare (35)
• His Wife, Alys Orkwood (32)
• His Son, Harren 'The Red' Hoare (13)
• Harron Hoare (27)
• His Wife, Gwin Volmark (28)
• Harras Hoare (21)
• Hagon Hoare (17)
  His Brother
• Lord Commander Harmund Hoare, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch (62)

Description:Here.
Personality: Harren the Black is a tyrannical, cruel figure, even by the standards of the Ironborn; brutal and egotistical but also a man with a singular drive and confidence to do as he wishes, albeit with no regards for the desires of anyone but himself. Often needlessly cruel, ruling through fear of his temper and a supreme confidence in his ability to use fear and terror of himself as a weapon.
Faults: See personality, given it's basically a list of faults.
Skills: Harren is, somewhat strangely for an Ironborn, an architect without compare. Harrenhal was designed by him personally, having briefly studied in Oldtown at the Citadel for the sole purpose of learning that art. He is a skilled torturer, knowing the art well and often supervising it personally to intimidate his vassals and subjects into submission, knowing defiance only ever ends in one fate.
Weaknesses: Harren is arrogant, overconfident; he believes that he has created an everlasting legacy for his House, yet instead he has created a finely balanced house of cards in his empire, beggaring it for his singular vision of the mightiest fortress in Westeros, and perhaps even the known world.
Bio: Harren Hoare was the eldest son of Hallek Hoare, King of the Isles and Rivers. Born and raised in Fairmarket in the Riverlands, Harren's childhood was spent among ironborn warriors who raised him, as his father Hallek was often at war with one of the many neighbouring kingdoms. Harren grew into a cold, lonely, brutal figure; with no single figure to aspire to beyond his conquering ghost of a father, who always returned bloodied in defeat, and no real peers beyond his younger brother Harmund with whom he developed a fierce and violent rivalry. He first joined his father on campaign at the age of 14, marching against the Bloody Gate for a second time which was defeated with ease.

The experience taught the young Harren that no matter the army, no matter how great the commander, a simple wall, properly defended and supplied, could defeat all the armies in Westeros. Fortification would become something of an obsession of the young Harren; he briefly stayed at Storm's End while a treaty was hammered out between his father and the Storm King, and he studied the fortifications that had, supposedly, broken the very gods themselves upon its walls. Appealing to his father, he left for Oldtown and studied at the Citadel briefly to learn the arts of architecture and war in theory, but his studies were interrupted by his father's death.

Leaving the Citadel, now King of the Isles and Rivers, Harren Hoare set about his life's work; Harrenhal. His father had ruled from a modest tower house; Harren had no intention of doing such. With designs in hand, Harren began construction on his fortress. At first, workmen and supplies came easily; lords were glad to provide such for their new king's favour, but as the months and years dragged on, Harren was forced first to finance it from taxes, and then when his coffers were exhausted, raise taxes to continue his work. His lords protested; he had one arrested for his insolence, disrespect and disloyalty. More protested, so he tortured the lord he had imprisoned and hung his corpse from the ramparts of his still under-construction castle. The message was clear; the castle would be finished. Reluctant workers were whipped, and then as the workforce began to diminish, Harren began to force the peasants of the Riverlands into slavery to construct his castle. Thousands died; lords protested, and had their tongues cut out for their complaints. Some rebelled; those who rebelled were crushed by Harren's ironborn.

The castle took forty years of blood, sweat and corpses. Forty years of fear and terror inflicted on the Riverlands, as anyone could be dragged off to be forced to work on the castle or have 'special taxes' demanded of them to pay for the materials. Ancient weirwoods were cut down for lumber. In the end, however, after the deaths of thousands, after beggaring his realm, Harren's impregnable castle finally stood complete.

And Harren the Black finally smiled.

House: Hoare
Head of House: Harren Hoare
Banner:
House Words:
Territories: The Iron Islands and Riverlands.
Troop Numbers: The Hoares, when fully mobilised, can muster around 30,000 men; however, 20,000 of these are Riverland lords, knights and vassals of dubious loyalty, with the remainder hailing from the Iron Islands. The Iron Fleet numbers 50 ships, while the rest of the Iron Islands can provide 400 longships.
History: House Hoare traces its history back to Harrag Hoare, supposedly the first King chosen by kingsmoot during the Age of Heroes; the Hoares of the Age of Heroes would carve out a vast coastal empire, stretching from Bear Island and the Wolfswood to the Arbor, their power being wherever the waves of the Sunset Sea against land could be heard. Over the centuries this power would be lost, and the Hoares lost the Iron Isles to House Greyiron who abolished the kingsmoot. They allied with the Andals and through this alliance retook the Iron Islands from House Greyiron. The new Hoare kings turned away from the ways of the Ironborn of old, encouraged by their relations with the Andals, discouraging reaving and promoting trade, even bringing the Faith of the Seven to the Iron Isles.

House Lannister invaded and killed King Hagon the Heartless after he overthrew and tortured his brother, Harmund III and mother, Lelia Lannister and razed Hoare Castle, and the Hoares remained relatively peaceful for centuries after until Harwyn Hoare invaded the Riverlands a century ago, with the help the disloyal lords of the Riverlands conquering it from the Storm Kings and declaring himself King of the Isles and Rivers.

Harwyn's son Halleck spent his reign in unsuccessful wars against the surrounding kingdoms, including three attempts to force the Bloody Gate but taking over Rosby and Duskendale, but being nowhere near as successful as his father before leaving his realm to Harren Hoare, who ruled through fear and tyranny, spending his reign and focus on the construction of Harrenhal, the largest castle in Westeros and perhaps the known world.

[Revlona]

NS Name: -^
Character name: Harren 'The Black' Hoare
House: Hoare
Gender: Male
Age: 68
Immediate Family:

• Alannys Blacktyde, wife (Deceased)
  His Four Sons
• Eryl Hoare (35)
• His Wife, Alys Orkwood (32)
• His Son, Harren 'The Red' Hoare (13)
• Harron Hoare (27)
• His Wife, Gwin Volmark (28)
• Harras Hoare (21)
• Hagon Hoare (17)
  His Brother
• Lord Commander Harmund Hoare, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch (62)

Description:Here.
Personality: Harren the Black is a tyrannical, cruel figure, even by the standards of the Ironborn; brutal and egotistical but also a man with a singular drive and confidence to do as he wishes, albeit with no regards for the desires of anyone but himself. Often needlessly cruel, ruling through fear of his temper and a supreme confidence in his ability to use fear and terror of himself as a weapon.
Faults: See personality, given it's basically a list of faults.
Skills: Harren is, somewhat strangely for an Ironborn, an architect without compare. Harrenhal was designed by him personally, having briefly studied in Oldtown at the Citadel for the sole purpose of learning that art. He is a skilled torturer, knowing the art well and often supervising it personally to intimidate his vassals and subjects into submission, knowing defiance only ever ends in one fate.
Weaknesses: Harren is arrogant, overconfident; he believes that he has created an everlasting legacy for his House, yet instead he has created a finely balanced house of cards in his empire, beggaring it for his singular vision of the mightiest fortress in Westeros, and perhaps even the known world.
Bio: Harren Hoare was the eldest son of Hallek Hoare, King of the Isles and Rivers. Born and raised in Fairmarket in the Riverlands, Harren's childhood was spent among ironborn warriors who raised him, as his father Hallek was often at war with one of the many neighbouring kingdoms. Harren grew into a cold, lonely, brutal figure; with no single figure to aspire to beyond his conquering ghost of a father, who always returned bloodied in defeat, and no real peers beyond his younger brother Harmund with whom he developed a fierce and violent rivalry. He first joined his father on campaign at the age of 14, marching against the Bloody Gate for a second time which was defeated with ease.

The experience taught the young Harren that no matter the army, no matter how great the commander, a simple wall, properly defended and supplied, could defeat all the armies in Westeros. Fortification would become something of an obsession of the young Harren; he briefly stayed at Storm's End while a treaty was hammered out between his father and the Storm King, and he studied the fortifications that had, supposedly, broken the very gods themselves upon its walls. Appealing to his father, he left for Oldtown and studied at the Citadel briefly to learn the arts of architecture and war in theory, but his studies were interrupted by his father's death.

Leaving the Citadel, now King of the Isles and Rivers, Harren Hoare set about his life's work; Harrenhal. His father had ruled from a modest tower house; Harren had no intention of doing such. With designs in hand, Harren began construction on his fortress. At first, workmen and supplies came easily; lords were glad to provide such for their new king's favour, but as the months and years dragged on, Harren was forced first to finance it from taxes, and then when his coffers were exhausted, raise taxes to continue his work. His lords protested; he had one arrested for his insolence, disrespect and disloyalty. More protested, so he tortured the lord he had imprisoned and hung his corpse from the ramparts of his still under-construction castle. The message was clear; the castle would be finished. Reluctant workers were whipped, and then as the workforce began to diminish, Harren began to force the peasants of the Riverlands into slavery to construct his castle. Thousands died; lords protested, and had their tongues cut out for their complaints. Some rebelled; those who rebelled were crushed by Harren's ironborn.

The castle took forty years of blood, sweat and corpses. Forty years of fear and terror inflicted on the Riverlands, as anyone could be dragged off to be forced to work on the castle or have 'special taxes' demanded of them to pay for the materials. Ancient weirwoods were cut down for lumber. In the end, however, after the deaths of thousands, after beggaring his realm, Harren's impregnable castle finally stood complete.

And Harren the Black finally smiled.

House: Hoare
Head of House: Harren Hoare
Banner:
House Words:
Territories: The Iron Islands and Riverlands.
Troop Numbers: The Hoares, when fully mobilised, can muster around 55,000 men; however, 40,000 of these are Riverland lords, knights and vassals of dubious loyalty, with the remainder hailing from the Iron Islands. The Iron Fleet numbers seventy ships, while the rest of the Iron Islands can provide 775 longships.
History: House Hoare traces its history back to Harrag Hoare, supposedly the first King chosen by kingsmoot during the Age of Heroes; the Hoares of the Age of Heroes would carve out a vast coastal empire, stretching from Bear Island and the Wolfswood to the Arbor, their power being wherever the waves of the Sunset Sea against land could be heard. Over the centuries this power would be lost, and the Hoares lost the Iron Isles to House Greyiron who abolished the kingsmoot. They allied with the Andals and through this alliance retook the Iron Islands from House Greyiron. The new Hoare kings turned away from the ways of the Ironborn of old, encouraged by their relations with the Andals, discouraging reaving and promoting trade, even bringing the Faith of the Seven to the Iron Isles.

House Lannister invaded and killed King Hagon the Heartless after he overthrew and tortured his brother, Harmund III and mother, Lelia Lannister and razed Hoare Castle, and the Hoares remained relatively peaceful for centuries after until Harwyn Hoare invaded the Riverlands a century ago, with the help the disloyal lords of the Riverlands conquering it from the Storm Kings and declaring himself King of the Isles and Rivers.

Harwyn's son Halleck spent his reign in unsuccessful wars against the surrounding kingdoms, including three attempts to force the Bloody Gate but taking over Rosby and Duskendale, but being nowhere near as successful as his father before leaving his realm to Harren Hoare, who ruled through fear and tyranny, spending his reign and focus on the construction of Harrenhal, the largest castle in Westeros and perhaps the known world.

Looks good! Accepted o builder of forts.

[Revlona]

Roster updated

[Ormata]

HEAVY WIP
CHARACTERS IN PROGRESS
HOUSE APPLICATION COMPLETE

House: Tarhull

Head of House: Ottar Tarhull
Banner:

Brunatre, a base battled embattled azure;
a chief pointed argent;
a whale embowed spouting sable

House Words: “The Sea is Ours”
Territories: Here

Förankra-by-See, House Seat
While not the largest of cities, this port spreads out along the coast for several miles. Narrow dirt and broken cobble streets wind between oaken wattle-and-daub houses while three wide roads run the length of the city, fat and busy with trade. The city of Förankra-by-See, often called Anchor by those non-Ibbenese or Tarhull, is encircled by a singular tall wall which extends out from the sea before circling back to plunge into it. The wall is composed of massive oaks, three or four trees deep, capped by spiked battlements and arrow slits, broken by the presence of circular towers at irregular distances. The whole of the port city is encircled by a large, wide moat which is fed from the sea. Entrance to Förankra-by-See is gained by three drawbridges interspersed about the city. The largest open area of the city comprises a wide stretch of beach at which vessels are constructed; as such, it has direct access to a drawbridge and open road. The city is commanded from the Tar Keep, a low-sitting building with thick battlements and tall, thick chimneys which takes its name from a tar covering about the original exterior. A godswood is located within the walls to the western portion of the city, accounting for seven acres of space, which plays host to two Heart Trees, while to the east three ship’s masts are fixed to the ground facing the sea.
Torn-by-See, Outpost
Consisting of a large, square stone tower with bartisans located about the corners of the tower, Torn-by-See is essentially the keep and only the keep. While it does possess cellars and a dungeon, the stores are only able to provide a garrison with food and water for several months. The only entrances to the keep are a chamber gate, which is the main entrance, and a small sally port facing the east.

Culture:

Language & Naming
The Tarhulls still speak their homeland’s tongue, seeing it as both a matter of pride and a utilitarian tool to use for their own gains. With very few in the North speaking the language of Ibben, they can converse privately in public, though this reason has slowly lost favor due to the insult never being lost on whatever Northman is in question. As such, it has largely been spoken inside the community along with the languages of Westeros, though the language has experienced rapid corruption over the years compared to Ibben itself due to the influx of populations within the Tarhull cities. As a result, only the most traditional of families, those who follow in the faiths of Ibben, or those who have recently migrated to the Tarhull settlements can truly be said to speak that tongue often. Given names and surnames among the Tarhulls largely follow the same strain as the language itself, with most of these being descended from Ibben and experiencing slow corruption and dilution over the years. Names such as Atli, Jofrid, and Isi can be found among the group, at times being confused for Wildling names with variant results. For bastards, in contrast to the Northern custom of giving these the surname “Snow”, among the Tarhulls they are instead given the surname “Whaler”.

Independent Spirit
Due to their abuses under House Karstark and the circumstances which brought them to Westeros, the members of House Tarhull consider themselves to be seperate from the Northerners in many ways. While they share the appreciation for a cold climate, no Northerner sails the Shivering Sea or hunts whalers, no Northerner sails to Ibben, and no Northerner has done as they have done insofar as settling new lands. Such a spirit is only reinforced by the steady trickle of Ibbenese travelers to Förankra-by-See, spurned as they are by the Shadow Council, interested as they are in finding and taking new wealth.

Religion
While the Tarhulls share traits with the belief of the Old Gods, their religion is distinctly different. Where the Old Gods faith holds that spirits reside in every piece of nature, they hold that a piece of a vaster natural spirit, a singular spirit, resides in every place of nature. As such, while a creature may be thanked after a hunt, they do not call upon the spirit itself due to the smaller piece of that spirit being removed, and they hold only places of singular significance to be places where the spirit resides in great force. Such places might be as vast as the Shivering Sea or as man-made as the Wall, but are in any case offered up a degree of respect whenever encountered. As a result of this, Night’s Watch from the Tarhulls are often said to possess a religious fervor when defending against the Wildlings.

In their travels to Ibben, Tarhulls have developed a belief that the massive icebergs which float down from the far north are sometimes great castles of ancient, old beings. Claims have arisen that sharp, misshapen battlements peek out from the white stone, ephemeral lights in the windows, and that figures can be seen walking along the walls themselves. The largest of these is said to be the Lord in Red, a Child of the Forest who had been outcast from his green realm to sail the ocean in a castle of ice. Such beliefs are mainly prevalent among sailors and are seldom spoken to strangers, in part due to the awareness that such a belief is indeed a strange thing.

In regards to marriage, they differ little from the Old Gods faith except in the fact that they may substitute a heart tree for a ship’s mast if indeed the man and woman in question belief so strongly in the sea. Such ceremonies may also be held on a vessel at sea, the claim being that the Shivering Sea can grant witness to a marriage. Either of these variants are considered legally binding under the Tarhulls. The right to the first night is not practiced.

In terms of funeral customs, burials and burnings are not performed often compared to burials at sea. The reasoning behind this is that the lands which the Tarhulls have access to are either limited or, should they dig too far underneath for crypts, unstable and unsuitable for such uses. The Silent Sisters are not called upon for such ceremonies, with the duty of preparing the body for burial falling to the immediate family members of the dead guided by the Maester.

Manhood Ceremony
The male children of Förankra-by-See and Torn-by-See are not considered men until they have completed the same voyage as their forefathers had done before them: the journey from Ibben to Westeros. The circumstances which gave rise to this rite of passage are not well understood, though may have some origin in a challenge between a son of the Tarhulls and an older son of the Wulls, each of which were attempting to impress a Manderly girl. In any case a vessel, crewed by these aspirants and overseen by an older member to ensure they do not travel to far off course, is underway nearly every three months to complete this rite of passage.

Troop Numbers:

200 Heavy Infantry
Among the professional soldiers in the North, the Huscarls of House Tarhull are some of the best trained and motivated. Often drawn up in shield-walls, they’re notable for their stalwart nature in the face of battle, in the clamor of their many horns. The vast majority of these soldiers are some form of landowners of some amount or another, far less than anything which another House might demonstrate but respectable in their own rights. Such heavy infantry are armored with coats-of-plate over gambeson and chainmail and are equipped with a large round shield and a blade or axe. They are often armed with several barbed javelins in the traditional harpoon style of the Tarhulls. The Huscarls are notable for painting their shields with individual coat-of-arms and family insignia and are identifiable as Tarhulls by the long dragon banners they fly.
800 Skirmisher
Drawn-up in times of war and regularly trained in times of peace, the skirmishing soldiers of House Tarhull are employed in the assault and raiding of lightly defended areas and the harassment of flanks in pitched battle. More often than not intended to be in skirmishing order, ambushes are preferred to truly achieve their effects. Skirmishers are armored in a gambeson or chainmail shirt and are armed with a round shield and a half dozen javelins as well as a short blade.
100 Light Horse
Professional soldiers, the light cavalry are constantly employed and utilized for the sending of messages across the North by the Tarhulls as well as the rare instances of Wildling raids reaching down past the Wall. While they’re armed much in the same way as the Tarhull skirmishers, their possession of horses and the strong skills in riding them allow such cavalry to raid at will should the occasion call for it. In the pitched battle, the expectation is for the units to engage the supply train of the enemy force or to engage and harass light enemy levies to keep them in defensive positions, allowing for heavy infantry to roll up against them. Such cavalry are known to exchange their javelins for short hunting bows, though such instances are rare.

Fleet Numbers:

8 Karvi
15 Snekkja
32 Cog
17 Whaler
12 Koch

History:

Some centuries ago, before the Doom of Valyria, the whalers and tradesmen of the isle of Ibben plied the southern coasts and their vast eastern oceans for riches. They hunted freely and without threat, as no pirate sailed so far north and so far from home, and they traded their furs and whale fats with the slave cities for great profit. In time, such a situation naturally produced a number of wealthy families and many other families who were not so wealthy, and the latter grew to resent the former for their profits. Plans had begun to arise for their voyage away to new markets, when another party approached them on the island. The foreigner advertised that he wanted warriors, strong seafaring men who would be willing to help him claim his rightful seat. This intrigued the men on Ibben, for the foreigner also proclaimed that he would be willing to grant holdings and titles to those who supported him in the endeavor, to grant these along with the money. It was a golden opportunity, a chance to raise themselves far above the wealthy, entrenched families on Ibben, and they agreed. Nearly twenty vessels set off on the voyage to the unknown, all led by a man known only as Illugi. They braved the harsh ocean, something they had done every outing before, and by the stars would eventually come to sight land. The voyage itself was long and hard, longer than any of the captains had suspected, longer than they had told any of the crews, and talks between such captains could only be done from ship to ship, in full view of the crews. Such conditions would gradually see the captains grow distant even as their vessels sailed together, keeping their secrets and fracturing the fleet. Few captains would turn away to break their contract with the foreigner, their families already displaced and their homes already broken down into the barest necessities.

And so, the fleet continued on, sighting land after months at sea with eighteen vessels at their back. This was the island of Skagos, a dark and brooding place, and they passed by it from a good distance. The foreign prince had warned them of the island and its inhabitants, warned them that it was not their final destination, and they had listened. When the Ibbenese travelers landed, they found the man they were supposedly to help hanging from the battlements of what was allegedly his castle, the uncle he was attempting to dispose of still sitting in court, and the funds with which they were to be paid no longer in any living hands. The foreigner who had led them to the North ran with what gold he had accumulated, realizing that the venture was dead and any association to it would mean death. This caused uproar among the Ibbenese, a council of captains and clan-leaders being held upon the coast that very day. Many felt that they had been betrayed, that what was promised was no longer there and that they were better off sailing back to Ibben. Others felt that they could still make something of themselves in the new land, and Illugi led that party in the talks. He rallied them, roaring how the land in which they had come to was not as bad as Ibben, that the weather was fairer and they might grow crops, that it was still a new land and free from the stifling influences of the rich families. They began to build a small settlement on the coast there in the sight of Skagos, naming it Förankra-by-See or the Anchor by the Sea. The beginnings of this settlement were small, mainingly consisting of vessels dragged up onto the beach, with a stockade and longhouses built from the nearby forested areas.

They would soon be attacked by the nearby, newly-minted House Karstark. The House, led by the once-named Karlon Stark, struck against the foreign invaders without warning. The initial attack left many of the Ibbenese dead and injured, Illugi himself being severely wounded in the ambush, though the Ibbenese quickly organized themselves and succeeded in repulsing a second wave against them. Their use of the harpoon became evident in striking down what few cavalry Karlon Stark had at his disposal, many outright killing the steed in question, as well as finding use in decimating the Karstark champions who had tended to lead from the front lines. The resulting panic among the levied troops inspired the Ibbenese to perform a counter charge, breaking the Karstark forces into a rout. In the following weeks, several skirmishes would occur between the Ibbenese settlers and the Karstarks with the conflict ending only by a notable siege against the Ibbenese encampment, which had since then become far more entrenched, which thereby gained the notice of the Starks at Winterfell. They sent an emissary to the area, who was then shown the agreement the Ibbenese had made prior, and such legality forced the three parties to settle down for an agreement. In the following negotiations, it was agreed that Karl's Hold would be released, that the Ibbenese would be granted a parcel of land along the coast which would be subsequently taxed, that every generation a child from the Ibbenese would be sent to foster with either the Karstarks or Starks, and that their trade would likewise be taxed. It was also agreed that they would be placed under the Karstarks.

The following years would be distinctly hard for the settlers, the Karstarks taking a small delight in subjugating their former enemies. Their taxation and demands for blood money for their dead would soon outstrip any agreement made before and while these would be silenced when the Ibbenese sent a representative to Winterfell to voice their complaints. As a result, instead the Karstarks became more aggressive in their taxation, reprising against those who might be late in their payments by taking hands instead of coin. As a result, the Ibbenese would soon coalesce as a distinct, separate identity from the Northmen; they wanted little more to do with the brutalizers and betrayers of their word than to trade with them. As time passed, the distinct nature of their vessels gave rise to a name for those who lived in the foreign settlement: Tarhulls. They ranged far to the south, down to King’s Landing, and far to the north along the Free Folk coast, trading wherever they might. They sailed to the east, back to Ibben, and began a trade of whale meat and oil, of fish, directly to the northerners. This would result in the animosity of House Manderly, which had control of White Harbor at the time, though such a thing would never grow into open conflict as such a thing would bring about the Starks’ wrath.

As the years passed, the Tarhulls grew rich and capable, eclipsing the wealth of the Karstarks by their love of the sea, and began to raid the northern coast beyond the Wall as the Wildings began to grow more and more bold in their raids, their attempts to bypass the Wall. Such things, as well as their contribution of vessels for the defense of the eastern waters near Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, would lead to a strong connection between the Tarhulls and the Night’s Watch, bolstered only by the fact that the latter truly did not care for the origins of the former. The friendship would only be bolstered by the Tarhulls engaging in the trade between Eastwatch-by-the-Sea and distant Essos, cutting into the profits of those eastern flints. In time, however, the Tarhulls would cement themselves as a true House, petitioning House Stark to be their Bannermen some 50 years in the past. That petition would be granted, as would their few lands along the coast which had grown disused by House Karstark, which only served to extend the enmity of the Karstarks against the Tarhulls. Despite this hostility, they continue to serve honorably with the Starks and others, to include the northern mountain clans such as Wull.

NS Name: Ormata

Vott Tarhull (Deceased) & Luta Tarhull, née Stark (Deceased)
Leiknir Tarhull (Deceased)
Grani Tarhull (Taken the Black)
Gyda Tarhull (Deceased)
Geir Tarhull (Deceased)
Maria Tarhull, née Norrey (Deceased)
Sigvat Tarhull (Deceased)
Tofi Tarhull (Stillborn)
Asta Tarhull (Deceased)

Kari Tarhull, née Hornwood (Deceased)
Alisha Tarhull
Shela Tarhull (Deceased)
Marinah Tarhull

Drifa Tarhull, née Wull (Deceased)
Dalla Tarhull
Ottar Tarhull, 73
Milah Tarhull, née Norrey (Deceased)
Atli Tarhull, 54 (Taken the Black)
Jofrid Tarhull, 54 (Taken the Black)

Nyra Tarhull, née Flint, 81
Vott Tarhull, 43 (Heir Apparent)
Brand Tarhull, 36
Isi Tarhull, 32
Svala Tarhull, 25
Yri Tarhull, 19 (Adopted)

Herlu Tarhull
Karsi Tarhull
Osk Tarhull (Stillborn)
Authun Tarhull (Deceased)

Character Name: Ottar Tarhull
House: Tarhull
Gender: Male
Age: 74
Immediate Family:

Milah Tarhull, née Norrey (Deceased)
Atli Tarhull, 54 (Taken the Black)
Jofrid Tarhull, 54 (Taken the Black)

Nyra Tarhull, née Flint, 81
Vott Tarhull, 43, (Heir Apparent)
Brand Tarhull, 36
Isi Tarhull, 32
Svala Tarhull, 25
Yri Tarhull, 19 (Adopted)

Appearance:
Personality:
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Biography:

Born in Förankra-by-See to Geir and Drifa Tarhull, Ottar’s life as second child and first son to Drifa was unremarkable for the first few years of his life. While he was nursed by his mother, at age five the child would be sent away to Winterfell to be fostered by House Stark. He would serve as cupbearer to the King Eddard Stark, Great-Great-Grandfather to the current King Torrhen Stark, in the last few years of his rule, all the while being tutored by the Maester of Winterfell as well as being, to some degree, raised alongside the other Stark children as a lesser. While Ottar excelled in his bladework, he found the Maester’s teachings to be far more interesting and wearied the old man often. On his return to Förankra-by-See, he found himself a stranger among the traditions of his family, the language they spoke at home alien, and them treating their young son as though a mere child. He was sixteen years old, true, but he had not sailed to Ibben and, thus, had not shown himself to be a true Tarhull. Of course, he would make the journey as quickly as he could and would soon thereafter make many other journeys. He took delight in seeing different cultures, purchasing items of interest whenever they might appear.

He would, however, be seen as the errant son of the House which was not good at all considering his status as Geir’s first son. At the age of twenty, after four years of gallivanting freely, he was ordered to stay at Förankra-by-See, be married, and settle down to learn how to rule. Ottar chafed under the command, though recognized the need to do so, and took opportunities whenever they presented themselves to him. As a result, the man would lead several expeditions beyond the Wall in conjunction with the Night’s Watch and formed a very good bond with his uncle, Grani, who was in command of a contingent of the Wall. Some months into these adventures, he would be taken back yet again and would be placed into marriage with one Milah of House Norrey. The woman was by every account a traditional Norrey, self-sufficient and capable as well as seeming to be a homebody, one who would keep the fires at home burning bright. The marriage was taken seriously by both parties and soon enough Milah would be with Ottar’s child. He was overjoyed, happy by all accounts, and was more than excited to teach his own blood how to sail, how to fish, and how to whale. When the time came about, she gave birth to twin boys named Atli and Jofrid, bundles of energy who, as soon as the time came about, Ottar spirited away to begin teaching them the great joys of life. At the age of six, they hunted alongside him with javelins against elk, and at the age of ten they began to sail along the coast in a small whaleboat. Eventually, as the two boys began to reach manhood and prepared to set-off for their own voyage to Ib, Milah would die. The circumstances of such an abrupt death would lead to immense grieving, and as the body was being prepared for burial and the assorted family was coming together for the funeral ceremonies certain cloth were found among Milah’s. The vestments of a silent sister were found, as were those of a septa, and the Maester of the Tarhulls found that she had died of disease.

Geir declared the woman to be, clearly, of no faith nor respect. She had spat in the faces of gods and

NS Name: Ormata

Character Name: Nyra Tarhull, née Flint
House: Tarhull
Gender: Female
Age: 81
Immediate Family:
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NS Name: Ormata

Character Name: Vott Tarhull
House: Tarhull
Gender: Male
Age: 43
Immediate Family:
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Biography:

NS Name: Ormata

Character Name: Yri Tarhull
House: Tarhull
Gender: Female
Age: 19
Immediate Family:
Appearance:
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Biography:

[Strala]

Could I app as the Velaryons or the Celtigars?

[Revlona]

Could I app as the Velaryons or the Celtigars?

Hmm good question

Both would probably be following aegon in essos.

I’ll discuss it with the other OPs.

[Revlona]

Alright so we’ve decided that because the two mentioned houses are direct vassals of Aegon that they would have gone to essos in support of him. So sadly they cannot be apped.

[Strala]

Can I reserve house Hightower?