Game of Thrones: the Mafia Game (Rules, Roles, and Houses) [Work In Progress]

[Remiel]

The Mafia Game

   "In a room sit three great men: a king, a priest, and a rich man with his gold.
Between them stands a sellsword, a little man of common birth and no great mind.
Each of the great ones bids him slay the other two.
‘Do it’ says the king, ‘for I am your lawful ruler.’
‘Do it’ says the priest, ‘for I command you in the names of the gods.’
‘Do it’ says the rich man, ‘and all this gold shall be yours.’
So tell me-who lives and who dies?”

--Lord Varys, Master of Whisperers

It has been 296 years since Aegon's Landing.  King Robert of the House Baratheon sits atop the Iron Throne in Westeros, supported by the great Houses Stark and Lannister.   Some call him a usurper--it was only thirteen years ago that he raised his banners in rebellion against the rightful king, Aerys II of the House Targaryen, and slew the crown prince Rhaegar during the Battle of the Trident.  Despite claiming fealty to the Mad King, Tywin Lannister betrayed his liege, aiding the rebels and sending his men to butcher the princess, Elia Martell, and her children.    With the line of House Targaryen utterly extinguished, the victory of Robert Baratheon I was complete and total.

Or was it?

Whispers have spread that Viserys Targaryen, the third of his name and younger brother of Rhaegar, is alive and well in the Free Cities, having been smuggled out of King's Landing along with his younger sister Daenerys by a loyal knight.  The blood of the Dragon yet lives! 

Sensing the threat, King Robert has summoned the bannermen of the great Houses to the capital, King's Landing, where, it is hoped, the allies of the last Targaryen, his mortal enemy, will be revealed and eliminated once and for all, thus cementing his reign and initiating a new era of peace and prosperity for all Westeros.

But the great Houses have agendas of their own, and are only too willing to scheme and conspire to take advantage of the chaos for their own ends...




Game of Thrones: A Mafia Game is set in the world of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series.  It takes place just prior to the events chronicled in the book A Game of Thrones.

This is not a typical roleplay as you might be used to; this will be a Mafia game, a game of scheming and plotting in which players will work at cross purposes. 

If you are not familiar with Mafia games, the basic premise is that an ignorant majority--the "good guys"--must try, through the process of suspicion and logical deduction, to rid themselves of a minority--the "bad guys"--who know of each others' presences, and who must use deception to blend in with the good guys while picking them off, one by one.   For additional information, Saffron has an excellent primer here.   The "good guys" are not completely helpless, however; usually, some of them have special roles that will help them in their fight against the bad guys.

In this game, the Targaryen loyalists represent the "bad guys"; they will be hiding amongst the "good guys".    That is, in public, they will appear to be simple Stark, Lannister, Tyrell, or Martell bannermen (a bannerman is a minor noble who is sworn to another, larger House's banner); but privately, they will conspire with the other Targaryens to erode away Robert the Usurper's support.  Their ultimate goal in the game is to equal or outnumber all other non-Targaryen players left surviving in the game.  If this happens, King Robert will be overthrown, and Viserys Targaryen will rightfully return to the Iron Throne.  The "good guys" are everyone else; if they eliminate all the Targaryen loyalists from the game, Viserys is banished from Westeros forever and King Robert's rule is assured.

However, in this particular game, there will be an additional twist: while the great Houses are, of course, hoping to root out and eliminate the Targaryen sympathizers, they are also eager to take advantage of the chaos to further their own political agendas.    Although Houses Stark and Lannister, for example, are sworn to King Robert, they have no love for each other, and a Lannister would dearly love to see a few less Starks in King's Landing.  If the Targaryen loyalists achieve their goals, of course, Viserys is reinstated and everyone loses.  If, however, the Targaryens are all eliminated, whichever House has the most surviving members will win the game.

Rules

Houses

Map of Westeros

Roles

Sequence of Events

[Remiel]

Rules

• First, and most important, you do NOT have to be familiar with the Game of Thrones setting in order to play.   This is a Mafia game first, and a Game of Thrones game second.  If you have no knowledge of the books or TV show, you can get just as much out of this game as a Song of Fire and Ice fan.  If you are familiar with Mafia games, all you have to know is that there are five Houses--Baratheon, Stark, Lannister, Tyrell, and Martell--who are the "good guys", and an exiled House--Targaryen--who are the "bad guys".
• The game will run the course of several weeks (approximately 8-10 weeks).  If you express interest, please commit yourself to staying active for the duration of the game or until you are eliminated.   "Staying Active" does not mean that you will have to write epic-length posts (unless, of course, you wish to do so).  Rather, it means that you will have to vote at least once a week, and be prepared to communicate once to several times a day in PMs with other players.
• Each "round" will consist of a "day" event and a "night" event.  In the "day" event, all players must cast their votes for whom they would like to see exiled to the Wall.  Whomever has the most votes will be eliminated from the main game (but not from the secondary game--stay tuned!)  After the vote is concluded, the "night" event occurs, in which the Targaryen group will decide whom to assassinate.  All those who have special roles may use them during the "night" event as well.
• The "round"--including day event and night event--will take about a week and a half.  The night event will take a maximum of 72 hours; the day vote will last a maximum of a week.  Time limits will be posted in advance and will be strictly enforced.  If you do not participate during the alloted time period, your vote or action will be lost.
• I understand that life happens, and that you are sometimes not able to check in due to circumstances beyond your control.  However, the game cannot be held up for one person, and I believe that one week is a reasonable amount of time to be able to log in.  Character posts are, while encouraged, only for flavour and are entirely optional.  All I ask of you is a simple "I vote for x."
• Please read this and this if you have never played a Mafia game before.  Saffron has done an excellent job of delineating the rules as applies to Mafia games in general and I see no need to repeat them all here.  However, I believe that I should stress the following:
  
  
  • The game decides your alignment, not your real-life friendships. Based on the answers in your questionnaire, you will be assigned to a House.  Your loyalty is to that House, not to players in other Houses you may be friends with outside the game. 
  • Mafia games are games of lies and deception. Expect to be lied to and deceived, and perhaps even betrayed.  Don't take it personally, especially if you are eliminated early.  Be very careful whom you decide to trust.
  • If you are exiled to the Wall or killed by an assassin, you are out of the main game. If this happens, you can no longer post in the main thread.  Please don't talk about the game in the OOC thread, or with any other player still in the game.  However, you are not out completely!  You will still have a chance to fight for (or against) Westeros!
  • When you vote, please do so in bold to make it easier for me to keep track of. 
  • You can add as much color (In Character) text as you like with your vote, but it is entirely optional. The important thing is that I know whom you're voting for.  See above.
  • Plotting, scheming, and general skullduggery is encouraged.  In the Game of Thrones, there can be only one winner.  Work with your fellow members of your House to advance your goals.  I do ask that you CC or BCC me (Remiel) on your PMs, because, like Saffron, I like to be entertained.  :D
  • Don't vote to eliminate someone because you may not like them. Rather, the person whom you vote for should be the person who is the greatest danger to your success in meeting your goals.
  • Most importantly, have fun.  At the end of the day, that's what Mafia games are all about, and I will try my best to ensure that everyone is having fun.

[Remiel]

Houses

House Name: Baratheon
Coat of Arms: A black stag, crowned, upon a field of gold
Seat: Storm's End
Words: Ours is the Fury
Notable Members: 
- Robert Baratheon I, King of Westeros, Lord of the Andals, the Rhoynar and First Men
- Stannis Baratheon (brother of Robert), Lord of Dragonstone and Master of Ships
- Renly Baratheon (brother of Robert), Lord of Storm's End and Master of Laws
Characteristics:
Members of House Baratheon tend to be tall and powerfully built, with black hair and blue eyes, as well as strong, square jawlines.  They are deeply passionate lovers and fighters, and are well known for their mercurial tempers.
History:
The youngest of the Great Houses, born during the Wars of Conquest.  Its founder, Orys Baratheon, was rumored to be Aegon the Dragon's bastard brother.  Orys rose through the ranks to become one of Aegon's fiercest commanders.  When he defeated and slew Argilac the Arrogant, the last Storm King, Aegon rewarded him with Argilac's castle, lands, and daughter.  Orys took the girl to bride, and adopted the banner, honors, and words of her line. 

Robert's Rebellion (or the War of the Usurper) began when the Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen kidnapped Lyanna Stark, whom Robert had fallen in love with.  News of the kidnapping led Lyanna's brother and father to go to King's Landing, demanding justice.  However, both were executed by the Mad King, Aerys II Targaryen, who demanded the heads of both Robert Baratheon and Eddard Stark.  Houses Arryn, Baratheon, and Stark rose up in rebellion, rallying the lords of the North and the Stormlands.

In the Battle of the Trident, Robert personally slew Prince Rhaegar, and declared victory.  But before Robert's allies could reach King's Landing, Tywin Lannister sacked King's Landing and his son, Jaime, a member of the Kingsguard, slew the Targaryen king himself.  Tywin sent his men Ser Amory Lorch and Gregor Clegane after the Mad King's wife and children, and they were killed in particularly barbaric fashion.   

Robert's claim to the throne is based on right of descent from Aegon V.  In an effort to bring stability to the kingdom, Robert agreed to marry Cersei Lannister, the daughter of Tywin, thus cementing the Lannister and Baratheon Houses by marriage.  He possesses less fondness for his wife, however, than he does for Eddard Stark, his lifelong friend and chief ally.

Any claims that a number of Robert's bastards exist and are growing up in King's Landing are lies and falsehoods.

House Name: Stark
Coat of Arms: A grey direwolf upon an ice-white field
Seat: Winterfell
Words: Winter is Coming
Notable Members: 
- Eddard "Ned" Stark, Warden of the North and Lord of Winterfell
- Lady Catelyn, formerly Tully, of the house Tully (wife of Eddard)
Characteristics:
Members of House Stark tend to be lean of build and long of face, with dark brown hair and grey eyes.  They uphold a rigid and unyielding sense of honor, although are perhaps a bit fatalistic (as is evident in their words).
History:
The Starks trace their descent from Brandon the Builder and the ancient Kings of Winter.  For thousands of years, they ruled from Winterfell as Kings in the North, until Torrhen Stark, the King Who Knelt, chose to swear fealty to Aegon the Dragon rather than give battle. 

Eddard Stark was fostered by Lord Jon Arryn at the Eyrie from the age of eight, alongside Robert Baratheon.  Ned befriended Robert and came to consider Lord Arryn a second father. Following the alleged abduction of his sister Lyanna Stark by the Targaryen prince Rhaegar, Ned's father Rickard and his brother Brandon were executed at the command of King Aerys II, who further demanded that Jon Arryn send him the heads of his wards. Jon Arryn refused and instead launched a rebellion.

After calling his banners, Ned marched to join Robert's warring in the south, arriving in time to turn the tide at the Battle of the Bells. Afterward, he went to Riverrun to marry Catelyn Tully, who had been betrothed to his brother Brandon before his death. 

The rebels won their decisive victory in the Battle of the Trident, in which Robert killed Prince Rhaegar Targaryen in single combat. Because Robert had been wounded by Rhaegar, it fell on Eddard to pursue the remnants of Aerys' armies to King's Landing. When he arrived there, Lord Tywin Lannister's force had already sacked the city. Eddard had developed contempt for House Lannister during the rebellion, as Lord Tywin had remained neutral for the longest time in an apparent attempt to join the winning side in the end. Eddard's contempt increased when he learned that Lord Tywin had conquered the city by treachery and that his men had killed Prince Rhaegar's wife and children in the most brutal manner. In addition, Lannister flags were flying over the Red Keep when Eddard arrived there and, as he rode into the throne room to claim the crown for Robert, he found King Aerys' body at the steps leading to the Iron Throne, on which the king's killer, Ser Jaime Lannister, was sitting. All of that increased Eddard's suspicions about the ambitions of the Lannisters. He felt that the way in which the conquest of King's Landing had been conducted dishonored Robert's cause. He was disappointed that Robert, when he arrived in the city, didn't share his moral outrage and in particular defended the murder of Rhaegar's children. He also ignored Eddard's counsel that Ser Jaime should be made to join the Night's Watch for breaking his oath as a knight of the Kingsguard to protect the King. Their disagreements about these issues created a temporary rift between Eddard and Robert that not even Jon Arryn was able to breach.

House Name: Lannister
Coat of Arms: A golden lion upon a crimson field
Seat: Casterly Rock
Words: Hear Me Roar!
Notable Members: 
- Tywin Lannister, Warden of the West and Lord of Casterly Rock
- Cersei Lannister, Queen of Westeros, wife of King Robert I (daughter of Tywin)
- Ser Jaime Lannister, called the Kingslayer, member of the Kingsguard (son of Tywin)
Characteristics:
Members of House Lannister tend to have blond hair and be unusually tall and handsome.  Their unofficial words are A Lannister Always Pays His Debts, which is both a guarantee and a threat.
History:
The Lannisters are the blood of Andal adventurers who carved out a mighty kingdom in the western hills and valleys of Westeros.  Through the female line they boast of descent from Lann the Clever, the legendary trickster of the Age of Heroes.  The gold of Casterly Rock and the Golden Tooth has made them the wealthiest of the Great Houses. 

During Robert's Rebellion, the Lannisters stayed neutral for the majority of the war.  Only after the defeat of Prince Rhaegar at the Trident did Lord Tywin bestir himself to join Robert Baratheon against the Targaryen dynasty, perpetrating the Sack of King's Landing when the Lannister loyalist Grand Maester Pycelle suggested the gates be opened.  There Ser Jaime Lannister, still a Kingsguard, slew Aerys II, the last crowned Targaryen king.  Meanwhile, Tywin's knights killed the rest of the Targaryens in the capitol, including Rhaegar's wife, Elia Martell, and her two infant children, in order to prove their commitment to Robert's cause.   Afterwards, Tywin's daughter Cersei was wed to King Robert.  This marriage and the increasing amount of gold Robert owes Tywin have only increased Lannister power, a fact which has not gone unnoticed by the Starks.

House Name: Tyrell
Coat of Arms: A golden rose on a grass-green field
Seat: Highgarden
Words: Growing Strong
Notable Members: 
- Mace Tyrell, Warden of the South and Lord of Highgarden
- Ser Loras Tyrell, also called the Knight of Flowers (youngest son of Mace)
- Lady Olenna, called the Queen of Thorns (mother of Mace)
Characteristics:
Members of House Tyrell tend to have curly brown hair and brown or golden eyes.  The male members of the family are loyal to a fault, while the female members are particularly cunning.
History:
The Tyrells rose to power as stewards to the Kings of the Reach, whose domain included the fertile plains of the southwest from the Dornish marches and Blackwater Rush to the shores of the Sunset Sea.  Through the female line, they claim descent from Garth Greenhand, gardener king of the First Men, who wore a crown of vines and flowers and made the land bloom.  When King Mern, last of the old line, perished on the Field of Fire, his steward Harlen Tyrell surrendered Highgarden to Aegon Targaryen, pledging fealty.  Aegon granted him the castle and dominion over the Reach.

During the War of the Usurper (also known as Robert's Rebellion), House Tyrell stayed loyal to King Aerys II Targaryen, the Mad King. Lord Mace Tyrell's forces achieved victory against Robert Baratheon at the Battle of Ashford, dealing the future king his only defeat of the war at the cost of Ser Quentin Tyrell's life. Mace likes to take credit for the success, but it was the van under command of Lord Randyll Tarly that put Robert to flight. Mace went on to besiege Robert's brother Stannis at Storm's End, but bent the knee after the Targaryens were all but wiped out in the Sack of King's Landing. Robert Baratheon, king by conquest, forgave them and accepted them as sworn vassals.

A large, wealthy house, the wealth of House Tyrell is only surpassed among the Great Houses by House Lannister, and the Tyrells can field the greatest armies. Additionally, if they call the fleets of their bannermen the Redwynes, the lords of the Shield Islands, and the coastal lords, they can command a navy that equals if not surpasses the royal fleet.

House Name: Martell
Coat of Arms: A red sun pierced by a golden spear
Seat: Sunspear
Words: Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken
Notable Members: 
- Doran Martell, Prince of Dorne and Lord of Sunspear
- Oberyn Martell, known as the Red Viper, father of a number of bastard daughters known as the Sand Snakes. (brother of Doran)
- Elia Martell, wed to Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, slain during the Sack of King's Landing (sister of Doran and Oberyn, now deceased)
Characteristics:
Members of House Martell are typical Dornishmen, with dark eyes, dark hair in ringlets, and olive skin.  They have a reputation (some deserved, others less so) for hot-bloodedness and sexual licentiousness.
History:
Nymeria, the warrior queen of the Rhoyne, brought her ten thousand ships to land in Dorne, the southernmost of the Seven Kingdoms, and took Lord Mors Martell to husband.  With her help, he vanquished his rivals to rule all Dorne.  The Rhoynar influence remains strong.  Thus Dornish rulers style themselves "Prince" rather than "King." Under Dornish law, lands and titles pass to the eldest child, not the eldest male.  Dorne, alone of the Seven Kingdoms, was never conquered by Aegon the Dragon.  It was not permanently joined to the realm until two hundred years later, and then by marriage and treaty, not the sword.  Peaceable King Daeron II succeeded where the warriors had failed by wedding the Dornish princess Myriah and giving his own sister in marriage to the reigning Prince of Dorne.

House Martell has long kept neutral in the affairs of Westeros.  While Prince Doran Martell (who suffers from terrible gout) is a patient, even-tempered man, his brother Oberyn is feisty and hot-blooded.  Oberyn has nurtured a deep hatred of the Lannisters since they were young.  When Oberyn and his sister Elia were 15 and 16, they travelled together from Dorne to Casterly Rock, meeting potential suitors and marriage alliances, culminating in a visit to Joanna Lannister to fulfill their mother's wishes that their children would marry. When they arrived, Joanna had just died giving birth, and Lord Tywin Lannister slighted them shamefully, ignoring them for a few weeks before offering Elia the dwarf baby Tyrion, a further slight.  Instead, Princess Elia Martell was wed to Rhaegar Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone, a slight to Tywin who had hoped to marry Cersei to Rhaegar.

Childbirth was hard on Elia, and her first two children left her very weak.  When Rhaegar won the Tourney at Harrenhal, he named Lyanna Stark the queen of love and beauty, not Elia. A year later the Prince ran off with Lyanna, sparking Robert's Rebellion. The Martells were unhappy with Rhaegar's betrayal of Elia, but they supported Aerys II's bid to retain the throne since the Mad King held Elia and her children hostage in the Red Keep.  House Martell provided a quarter of the royal troops at the Battle of the Trident. The Martells lost many soldiers there, including Prince Lewyn Martell of the Kingsguard. When King's Landing fell, Princess Elia and her children were brutally murdered during the Sack of King's Landing by two Lannister knights, Gregor Clegane and Amory Lorch.  Though House Martell swore fealty to King Robert Baratheon after the war, they have harbored anger and resentment towards the Lannisters ever since (now even higher in power due to Cersei's queenhood) and have adopted a mostly isolationist policy ever since, not mixing with the other great houses unless totally necessary, preferring to deal with the Free Cities.

House Name: Targaryen
Coat of Arms: a three-headed dragon, red on black, the three heads representing Aegon the Conqueror and his sisters.
Seat: (formerly) Dragonstone
Words: Fire and Blood
Notable Members: 
- King Aerys II, the Mad King (now deceased)
- Prince Rhaegar (eldest son of Aerys, now deceased)
- Viserys (youngest son of Aerys, smuggled out during the sack of King's Landing and rumored to be hiding in the Free Cities)
Characteristics:
Full-blooded members of House Targaryen have silvery-white hair and violet eyes.  This is commonly attributed to possessing the "blood of the dragon"; however, in reality, it is probably the result of generations of inbreeding.
History:
The Targaryens are the blood of the dragon, descended from the high lords of the ancient Freehold of Valyria, their heritage proclaimed in a striking (some say inhuman beauty), with lilac or indigo or violet eyes and hair of silver-gold or platinum white.

Aegon the Dragon's ancestors escaped the Doom of Valyria and the chaos and slaughter that followed to settle on Dragonstone, a rocky island in the narrow sea.  It was from there that Aegon and his sisters Visenya and Rhaenys sailed to conquer the Seven Kingdoms.  To preserve the royal blood and keep it pure, House Targaryen has often followed the Valyrian custom of wedding brother to sister.  Aegon himself took both his sisters to wife, and fathered sons on each.

Aided by his able Hand, Lord Tywin Lannister, King Aerys II began his reign with promise, but became paranoid and increasingly mad over time.  His heir, Prince Rhaegar, resolved to be a better monarch and set forth to prove himself.  Aerys chose Tywin's heir, Ser Jaime, for his Kingsguard, robbing Tywin of his heir and provoking him to resignation because the King had also rejected Tywin's proposal of a marriage between Rhaegar and Jaime's twin sister, Cersei Lannister.  Also during the Tourney at Harrenhal, Prince Rhaegar offended both Robert Baratheon and the Martells of Dorne by naming Robert's betrothed, Lyanna Stark, as Queen of Love and Beauty rather than his own wife, Princess Elia Martell.

Shortly after the tourney, Prince Rhaegar ran off with Lyanna Stark, abducting her. When Lyanna's brother and father protested, Aerys had them killed, thus prompting Robert Baratheon and Eddard Stark to raise their banners in rebellion.  Rhaegar took command of the royal troops, leading them to defeat in the Battle of the Trident, where he was killed by Robert Baratheon.  Prince Viserys and the pregnant Queen Rhaella fled to Dragonstone.  Perfidious Lannisters killed Aerys, Elia, Rhaenys, and the infant Aegon in King's Landing. On Dragonstone, Rhaella died giving birth to Princess Daenerys, who was spirited to the Free Cities along with Viserys by the loyal Ser Willem Darry. Robert Baratheon was crowned king in King's Landing, partially due to his having a Targaryen grandmother.

[Remiel]

Map of Westeros

[Remiel]

The Small Council

The Small Council is an elite cadre of ministers who advise the king on matters of policy.  In this game, the Small Council will comprise the Special Roles that are available for auction.  They are:

Hand of the King

The Hand of the King is the king's chief advisor and executor of his command in the Seven Kingdoms. Duties of the Hand include commanding the king's armies, drafting laws, dispensing justice, and generally managing the day-to-day running of the kingdom. The Hand may act on the king's behalf when he is indisposed, and sit the Iron Throne while doing so. The Hand also sits on the small council and will run the council if the king is not present.

In this game, the Hand of the King will have, as the King's trusted right hand, the ability to break any tie in voting, or call voting to a close before the deadline.  In the case of the latter ability, once the Hand has signaled an end to the day phase voting, all players will have roughly 48 hours to get their votes in.  Players who do not vote will lose the opportunity.   The Hand cannot use both abilities on the same turn: that is, he or she cannot call voting to a close prematurely AND vote to break a tie.  In the case of a deadlock, no one will be sent to the Wall.  Using this ability will not reveal the Hand of the King's identity.  In other Mafia games, this role is analogous to the Sheriff (or village elder).

Master of Coin

The Master of Coin's duties include keeping account of the receipts and expenditures from the royal treasury, receiving reports from royal officials, supervising the collection of taxes and custom duties, borrowing money, managing the royal treasury and supervising the three royal mints. The master of coin oversees a large number of offices including the four Keepers of the Keys, the King's Counter, the King's Scales, the officers in charge of mints, harbormasters, tax farmers, customs sergeants, wool factors, toll collectors, pursers and wine factors.

In this game, the Master of Coin will have, through judicious bribery, the ability to save one person (including themself), guilty or innocent, from being exiled to the Wall.  He or she may only use this ability once during the game.  Using this ability will not reveal the Master of Coin's identity.  In other Mafia games, this role is analogous to the Priest.

Commander of the Kingsguard

The Kingsguard, also known poetically as the 'White Swords' or 'White Cloaks', are the royal bodyguards of the Iron Throne. Supposedly the finest knights in the Seven Kingdoms, they are sworn to protect their king and the royal family with their own lives, to obey his commands, and to keep his secrets. They are sworn for life and are forbidden from owning land, taking a wife, or fathering children.

In this game, the Commander of the Kingsguard will have the ability to protect one person (including themself) from being assassinated by the Targaryens.   He or she may use this ability every turn during the night phase, and there is no restriction on who may be protected.    Using this ability will not reveal the Commander of the Kingsguard's identity.  In other Mafia games, this role is analogous to the Guardian.

Grand Maester of the Citadel

The maesters are scholars, scientists, learned advisors to the nobility, and occasionally pseudo-religious researchers in the occult.   The maesters, like the brothers of the Night's Watch, are considered to be servants of Westeros and all its people and in theory have no political allegiance. After finishing his course of study, a maester is assigned to a castle, keep or other holding, and is loyal to the people of that place as a mentor, healer and adviser, regardless of changes in control of that holding. To this end a man who earns his chain is stripped of his family name and from that time on is known only by his title and first name. In practice some maesters hold over old allegiances and loyalties.    As a symbol of their duty, they typically wear chains around their necks, each link forged from a different metal symbolizing a different area of expertise.  The Grand Maester is considered the senior member of the Order and serves as its representative to the King.   

In this game, the Grand Maester will have the ability to save one person (including themself) from the brink of death after they have been assassinated by the Targaryens,  thus returning that person to the game.  The Grand Maester may only use this ability once.   Using this ability will not reveal the Grand Maester's identity.   In other Mafia games, this role is analogous to the Doctor.

Master of Whisperers

The Master of Whisperers is the king's spymaster and is a member of the small council in King's Landing.  He is charged with getting intelligence from the Red Keep, King's Landing, around the Seven Kingdoms, across the Narrow Sea and other places.   It is said that the Master of Whisperers has eyes and ears everywhere.

In this game, the Master of Whisperers will pick, each round,  one rival House (excluding the Targaryens).  He or she will then, for the duration of one round, be able to see all PM correspondence issuing from all members of that House, thus learning their secrets and plans.   The Master of Whisperers may use this ability every round during the night phase.   The ability takes effect once the subsequent day phase has begun, and ends once voting is closed.   The Master of Whisperers has total discretion over with whom, if any, he or she wishes to share this information.   This role concept is based on that of the Seer, although the actual ability is quite different.

[Remiel]

The Game

The Game of Thrones will require 25 players,  five per each House: Baratheon, Stark, Lannister, Martell, Tyrell.    Each House will thus have five members, one of whom will be a secret Targaryen loyalist.    No one will know who the Targaryen loyalists are, except for the other Targaryens.   There will be five Targaryens total, each one masquerading as a member of the other Houses (in other words, there will be a Targaryen hiding amongst House Baratheon, one amongst House Stark, and so on). 

The players will be assigned into Houses Baratheon, Stark, Lannister, Martell, or Tyrell depending upon their answers to a questionnaire.  Once all the players have been sorted equally, the Targaryen loyalists will be chosen randomly, one from each House.   Once all the players have been assigned a House (and the Targaryens chosen!) the game begins. 

1. Electing House Leaders

First, each House must choose a leader.  The position of House leader is largely ceremonial; they are responsible mostly for coordinating their group's strategy and keeping their members on task.  However, the leader has one very important duty, which will be mentioned shortly.

All five members of the House must vote, in Private Messages amongst themselves, on whom they would like to be leader.  (AS A REMINDER, PLEASE COPY THE GM, REMIEL, ON ALL PMs RELATING TO THIS GAME.) You can not vote for yourself.  In the case of a tie, there will be a run-off vote between the two candidates with the most votes.

The position of House Leader will not be publicly known.  Only each House (including, of course, the Targaryen traitor) will know who their leader is.   It is entirely possible that the Targaryen could be elected the House Leader; this is fine. 

2. First Round Auction

Unlike other Mafia games, in which the special roles are randomly assigned, this game will be unique in that the roles will be bid upon, auction-style.   There are five roles possible, each conferring with it a unique special ability.   Each House must decide which role(s) it desires the most. 

The leaders of each House must then bid on the role it desires in the following fashion.  Each House has a total of 6 coins, representing its connections, resources, and political capital.  These coins can be allocated towards any role, in any combination it wants.  For example, it could have all 6 coins allocated toward Commander of the Kingsguard;  or it could have 3 coins bid on Master of Coin, 2 on Grand Maester, and 1 on Hand of the King.   How the coins are to be allocated is up to the House leader, but it is advisable to discuss the decision with the other members of the House.

Once the House leaders have decided how they want to allocate their coins, they must PM me with the decision. 

After I have the allocations from all five houses, the roles will be assigned based on who bid the most for each position.  The highest bid takes the role for their House; all other bids for that role are wasted. 

For example,  let's say that House Lannister bids 4 coins for Hand of the King, House Tyrell bids 2, House Baratheon bids 3, and House Stark bids 6.   In this case, the role of Hand of the King goes to House Stark.

If there is a tie, then the role goes to whoever has the highest precedence in Robert Baratheon's esteem.  These are listed in descending order: Baratheon, Stark, Lannister, Martell, Tyrell.     If you win one tie based on this precedence, you cannot win any subsequent ties.  (For example, let's say Stark and Martell both bid 3 on Hand of the King, and 2 on Master of Coin. As Stark has precedence over Martell, Stark wins Hand of the King, but Martell then wins Master of Coin.)    You can, however, win a tie for your first choice and still outbid everyone else for your second choice.

This proceeds for all five roles.  Using this method, it is possible for some Houses to have multiple special roles, while other Houses have none.  Remember, though, that power is a double-edged sword; while it might confer a tactical advantage, having a special role might put a target on your House's back.

The assignment of the special roles will be public knowledge, but only the House assignment.  (For example, I would say something like: Hand of the King goes to Baratheon, Master of Coin goes to Stark, Commander of the Kingsguard goes to Lannister, and Master of Whisperers and Grand Maester both go to Martell -- in this example Tyrell wins nothing.)

Each House leader must then decide which, of the other four members, they will assign the special role(s).  They cannot take the role(s) themselves.  Only the House leader and the person(s) acquiring the special role(s) will be privy to this knowledge.   The same person cannot have multiple roles.

2. First Round Role Selection: Alternative

Unlike other Mafia games, in which the special roles are randomly assigned, the special roles will be chosen, round-robin style.    House Baratheon, as King Robert's seat of power, gets first pick of the Small Council.  House Stark then picks from the four remaining, and then House Lannister and finally Martell, leaving House Tyrell, as losers of the war, with the last choice.    In this method, each House will receive one special role--one seat on the Small Council.

The assignment of the special roles will be public knowledge, but only the House assignment.  (For example, I would say something like: Hand of the King goes to Baratheon, Master of Coin goes to Stark, Commander of the Kingsguard goes to Lannister,  Master of Whisperers goes to Martell, and Grand Maester goes to Tyrell.)

Each House leader must then decide which, of the other four members, they will assign the special role(s).  They cannot take the role(s) themselves.  Only the House leader and the person(s) acquiring the special role(s) will be privy to this knowledge.   The same person cannot have multiple roles.

3. Day Phase (Recurring)

Once all special roles have been assigned to individuals, the real action begins.   I will post in the IC thread a snippet from King Robert, demanding the aid of Westeros' noble bannermen in helping him find the traitorous Targaryens.    This marks the official beginning of the day phase.  Any PM conversations happening during the Day Phase are at risk of being overheard by the Master of Whisperers (another reason why all PM conversations must be copied to the GM).

Each player in the game must then post, during the indicated time period, their vote for whom they think is a Targaryen.  This post can be as long or as short as you want, but the important thing is to clearly indicate another player.   Please indicate the name in bold, so there can be no doubt what you mean.  A vote means that you suspect that person of being a Targaryen loyalist.

Whomever has the most votes at the end of the day phase will be exiled to the Wall (unless saved by the Master of Coin).  If there is a tie, the tie may be broken by the Hand of the King if he/she is able and willing to use that ability; otherwise, no one is sent to the Wall.    Any players eliminated in this way will have their true allegiance and any special roles publicly revealed.

If you are exiled to the Wall, it means you are eliminated from the main game.  You are no longer allowed to post in the IC thread, and you are no longer involved in any PM plotting.  However, you're not out of the game entirely!  You're now a Brother or Sister of the Night's Watch, and the fate of Westeros is in your hands!

The day phase will last, ideally, until every player has had a chance to vote; however, a time limit may be implemented if necessary.   Additionally, if the Hand of the King calls for a vote close, an announcement will be put up in the IC thread.  From the time of the announcement, all players will have 48 hours to get their votes in.   If you do not vote during this time your vote will not be counted.

If you know you are not going to have access to Elliquiy, you may designate in advance a fellow member of your House to vote for you.  Both the person whom you designate and myself needs to be aware that they will vote on your behalf, or you may announce this in public.  The designee must then make it clear, when it comes time to vote, that he/she is voting for you as well as for themself.  Be aware that the person who you may be trusting to vote for you could be a treacherous Targaryen!

After the results of the vote are tallied, and either someone is Exiled to the Wall, saved by the Master of Coin, or a stalemate is announced, the day phase ends, and the night phase begins.  Any PM conversations happening after this point are safe from the Master of Whisperers.

4. Night Phase (Recurring)

During the night phase, most of Westeros sleeps.   The Targaryens must deliberate (obviously in private) and decide whom they wish to assassinate.  Unlike the other Houses, the Targaryens do not have a leader.   The target is either picked by consensus, or voted for if necessary.  If they cannot decide upon a target within a reasonable time period, they waste their opportunity. 

Also, the Commander of the Kingsguard must independently tell the GM, via PM, whom he or she wishes to protect during the Night phase.

If the same person that is targeted by the Targaryens is protected by the Commander of the Kingsguard, that person is saved.  No one will know who the would-be target was, only that no murders happened during the night.  The target will have no knowledge of the attempt, but the Commander will be informed that he/she successfully blocked the attack.

If the target is not protected by the Commander, the Grand Maester will be informed.  The Grand Maester, if he/she has not already done so, may decide to save the target.  In this case the the target will be informed that he or she was targeted but then subsequently saved by a mysterious benefactor. 

If the target is neither protected by the Commander, nor saved by the Grand Maester, he/she is successfully assassinated. 

If you are assassinated, it means you are eliminated from the main game.  You are no longer allowed to post in the IC thread, and you are no longer involved in any PM plotting.  However, you're not out of the game entirely!  You're now reanimated as a mysterious Other, a White Walker! The fate of Westeros is in your hands!

An announcement will be made in the IC thread when the night phase ends.   If a player is assassinated by the Targaryens, they will have their true allegiance and any special roles publicly revealed.  The day phase for the next round will then begin.

Victory Conditions

Play progresses, alternating between night and day phases, until one of two conditions are met.

If, at any time, the remaining Targaryens equal or outnumber the other survivors, the Targaryens win the game.  Robert the Usurper is dethroned, and Viserys III becomes king of all Westeros. 

If the last surviving Targaryen loyalist is exiled to the Wall, whichever House contains the most surviving members wins the game.  King Robert remains on the Iron throne, and the winning House rises to glory.   If there is a tie, then an uneasy truce reigns among the Houses with the most members, while the smaller Houses dwindle and fade from  history.