Game of Thrones - Recruitment closed [NC Human]

[ererruz]

When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground.

Cersei Lanister, A Game of Thrones

Song of Ice, Fire and Desire

The starting year: 294 AL, 4 years before the events of A Song of Ice and Fire

What I want to do is play a Song of Ice and Fire game in its full glory, with brutal combat, deadly battles and wide-ranging political intrigues and schemes of power hungry noble houses of Westeros. The game will be plot-based with some sexual content, a lot of the latter will be dependent on the players and their actions. Since this is ASoAF, expect to see things such as incest, non-con, bondage, etc. When it comes to player characters, however, all sexual scenes will be talked about before they happen, so that no one is forced to do anything they would never feel comfortable with. I’d like to note that this is an LGBT-friendly game even if the setting is not particularly warm or good to such characters.

We will be using A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying Game published by Green Ronin, with its excellent rules for (lethal) combat, warfare and intrigues. If you are not familiar with this system, that’s fine. I will explain the basics and I can go through the character creation in detail with you, or, even better, just send me the character concept and I will create a character sheet mechanically myself and then explain what it all means to you. We will also follow the House creation mechanics as well, so that we get a new noble house of our own that will be at the centre of the game (I might decide on some aspects so that the plot I’ve planned is plausible, but most will still lie in players’ domain).

Players will all be members, be it through blood or not, of House Greystark, a banner house sworn to House Stark, located in the south of the North, just by the border with the Riverlands. I envisioned the players’ house as a cadet branch of House Stark, now a separate one, similar to House Karstark. Although House Greystark is canon, the only information we get about it in the books is that theu used to be a cadet branch of House Stark and that they stood on the wrong side of the Bolton rebellion against the King in the North and thus are extinct. So I thought, why not change it a little bit and instead of them being extinct, let's have their power diminished, but the line still alive. And so we could flesh the whole Greystark family out together. Their history, their ancestors, their current members, in all their glory and with all their dark secrets.

Every player creates his or her main character who must be somehow connected to House Greystark. There are some roles that must be taken by players, and others that are merely suggestions what kind of characters are most welcome. Apart from the main character, every player creates a set of additional secondary characters: two characters who are members or retainers of the house as well as one character for each other House we create (i.e. houses of the bride, a rival house, bannermen).

This way, by the end of character (and house) creation, we will have created few separate houses that could and will be used in the game. I am going with this method as it allows players more creativity and I hope that it will make interactions between the player house and these other noble houses all the more personal, interesting and entertaining.

Players will not play all those characters they helped to create. They will serve the role of House NPCs who may be used by all players if a given scene calls for it, although they’ll most often be used by the Storyteller.

Main characters should be between 16 and 40 years old, but secondary characters can be of any age.

Players will also help in the creation and fleshing out of the House. Everyone will roll to determine an additional historical event that took place in the history of the House... and then will describe that event (with my and other players’ help). Additionally, everyone has a d6 to add to the House’s starting resources that will allow us to better describe the house itself, but this part will be explained later on once I post all the House creation rules.

I’m looking for 4-6 passionate players with decent writing skills and great imagination. No knowledge of the rule set is required. Familiarity with the setting is advisable – the TV series is enough, as would be reading up on Wikipedia (but beware of spoilers there! You’ve been warned). Players won't be picked on a first come first served basis. I will choose players based on their character concepts, their character backstories and how they’d interact with other characters I’ll choose.

As was stated before, all characters will be members (or retainers) of House Greystark. The current lord of House Greystark is Lewys Greystark, a 40-something years old man twice married and twice widowed, a fighter and leader of men.

Roles which need to be filled:

• Heir of House Greystark, the firstborn son of lord Lewys Greystark;
  
• Bride and would-be wife of the Heir of House Greystark; daughter of lord Aeron Tullison;
  
• Lord Lewys Greystark’s younger brother (Heir's uncle);

The game will start with a wedding of two PCs (the heir and the bride).

Players are welcome to apply for other roles, such as (but not limited to):

• Lord Lewys Greystark’s children from his second marriage (I envisioned at least one elder son and twins, but I’m open to suggestions; any of those can be NPCs);
  
• Lord Lewys Greystark’s bastard son;
  
• Anyone somehow connected to the House who’s in truth the King Robert’s bastard (does not necessarily need to be filled, but would prefer if it was)
  
• Maester;
  
• Septon/Septa;
  
• Red Priest (the only character who can have more than a touch of magic; if anyone is interested in playing a Red Priest, they will have to discuss it in detail with me via PM);
  
• Captain of the Guard;
  
• Sworn Sword/Hedge Knight/Anointed Knight;
  
• Ward (of a rival house?);
  
• Foster son (perhaps lord Lewys’s nephew?);
  
• Squire;
  
• Prostitute;
  
• Many others...

When it comes to the age of lord Lewys's children, we need to work together here as all the ages will have to be co-ordinated. I imagined him being 40, that would make his first-born 21 years old and his younger children 16-19.

Character application

Name:
House:
Role:
Age:
Gender:
Sexual orientation:
Occupation:
Goal:
Motivation:
Virtue:
Vice:
Appearance: (please find a picture of a real actor or actress, no to manga, anime, comic books, animation series etc. characters)
Skin:
Hair:
Eye colour:
Height:
Weight:
Background:
Family:
Friends and allies:
Rivals and enemies:
ONs and OFFs:
Secrets: (to be seen by GM only)

Secondary characters

Name:
House:
Age:
Gender:
Occupation:
Appearance: (please find a picture of a real actor or actress, no to manga, anime, comic books, animation series etc. characters)
Description:
Plot ideas:

As to how the system works... this should help as it explains most aspects of the game quite well.

House rules

Language:
Different languages are not new abilities bought separately, instead, every language is a specialty. Additionally, all characters gain a number of specialty dice equal to their Language ability at the start to distribute between languages their characters know as they see fit (i.e. a character with Language 3 =-gains 3B to spend on languages; such a character could use all three dice to speak the Common tongue fluently and be literate, or could instead use 2B to be fluent but illiterate in the Common tongue, but also know some basic Low Valyrian, the language of the Free Cities, etc.)
Progressive advancement:
When spending XP after character creation, improving high abilities costs more; instead of 30 XP for an increase of 1, the number of XP needed to increase an ability depends on the level of said ability; for 2 -> 50; 3 -> 10; 4 -> 30; 5 -> 50; 6 -> 70; 7 -> 90
Heavy armour:
Apart from heavy armour bonuses as normal, heavy armour (Bulk 3) reduces the number of degrees of success caused by the opponent's attack by 1 (to a minimum of 1), thus ensuring greater protection against all kinds of enemies
Equipment cost:
We're using the pricing and rules from this document.

Character creation

As normal, with a couple of exceptions:

• The first-born son gets the Heir quality for free.
  
• Greystarks can choose either Blood of the First Men or Blood of Andals (depending whether they've taken after their Northern or Southern ancestors).
• Greystarks can take Greensight and the Animal cohort/Warg/etc. chain of qualities if they wish.
  
• The bride can have the Blood of Valyria quality as well as Greensight (changed into Valyrian visions) if her players wishes as her grandmother was a
• Targaryen (although the dragon blood here is very thin).
  
• The red priest should discuss their choice of qualities with me as I have a couple of homebrewed ones ready for use.
  
• Every character gets one Heritage or Fate quality for free (or a different quality if it'd fit the character more; please, discuss this with me first).
  
• Status of the first-born son should be 5, the other members of the family can go as high as 4. Characters not related to the House can go as high as 3 (except other noble characters who, depending on circumstances, could be Status 4).

House Greystark

Realm: the North
Liege lord: Lord of Winterfell, lord Eddard Stark
Heraldry: (must include Grey)
Motto: (something with Winter? Stark’s cadet branch after all)
Age: Andal Invasion
Known history:

House Greystark is an extinct minor house of the North, a cadet branch of House Stark of Winterfell. Their seat was the Wolf's Den, a fortress located in what eventually became White Harbor.

They were the most successfull of several offshoot branches of House Stark who arose in the area over the centuries. They reigned for 500 years until they made the mistake of joining House Bolton's rebellion against the King in the North, which was crushed by Karlon Stark.

That's basically what's established in the novels about House Greystark. We're changing the fact that they were exterminated, instead their power greatly diminished after the rebellion, but one Greystark was spared and their line was allowed to continue. The rebellion itself happened about 1000 years ago, that makes Greystarks about 1500 years old, which is... very old. Wolf's Den (now: White Harbour) was lost by them, but they could have retained a smaller castle instead. What would you want to name it then?

(House's attributes to be determined)

Defence:
Influence:
Lands:
Law:
Population:
Power:
Wealth:

Family tree so far

Ancestors:

• Lord Rickon Greystark, the Founder

Other members:

• Lord Arthur Greystark [230-282]: Lord Lewys’s father; died during Robert’s Rebellion
  
• Edric Greystark [253-267]: Lord Lewys’s eldest brother; wound by a wild boar while hunting, the wound festered and he died
  
• Lewyn Greystark [254-254]: Lord Lewys’s twin brother; died couple of weeks after his birth
  
• Lady Arwyn Tullison of House Greystark [260-282]: Lord Lewys’s only sister; married Aeric Tullison; died during Robert’s Rebellion
  
• Lady Ceridwen Greystark of House Ashwood [254-273]: Lord Lewys’s first wife whom he married in 272; died in childbirth
  
• Lady Elyane Greystark of House Tullison [259-282]: Lord Lewys’s second wife whom he married in 274; died during Robert’s Rebellion

Current members:

• Lady Maiev Greystark of House Reed [234]: Lord Lewys’s mother
  
• Lord Lewys Greystark [254]: the current Lord Greystark
  
• PLAYER CHARACTER Greystark [~268]: Lord Lewys’s younger brother
  
• PLAYER CHARACTER Greystark [~273]: Lord Lewys’s firstborn son and heir
  
• PLAYER CHARACTER Tullison [~276]: Lord Lewys’s heir’s fiancée, bride and soon to be wife
  
• PLAYER CHARACTER Greystark [~275]: Lord Lewys’s second son
  
• PLAYER CHARACTER(S) Greystark [~276-7]: Lord Lewys’s twins [sons? daughters? son and daughter?]
  
• PLAYER CHARACTER Tullison [~277]: Lord Lewys’s foster son, lady Arwyn and ser Aeric’s son
  
• PLAYER CHARACTER Snow [~275]: Lord Lewys’s bastard son

Whenever I state "PLAYER CHARACTER", it means the role is open to a player character, not that it necessarily needs to be a player character.

Interest check

the Heir (Juggtacular)
the Bride  (SydneyDrew20)
Lowell Greystark, Lord Lewys’s second son (lockepicke)
the Red Priest (Orange Marmalade)
the Maester (Question Mark)

[Orange Marmalade]

I think this may very be what pulls me out of my hiatus :)

Expressing interest in the role of Red Priest - concept of being the Lord's younger brother who went off and err.. joined the clergy.  >:) More to come shortly.

[Lockepick]

Hello! Just voicing my interested in playing the Heir's younger half-brother (PLAYER CHARACTER Greystark [~275]: Lord Lewys’s second son).

I'm looking to play somebody heavily invested in subterfuge/intrigue, but ultimately supports the Heir. Somebody who does the dirty deeds the Heir can't do -- potentially whether the Heir wants them done or not. Plan on working closely for the Heir if they'll let me!

I'll try to jam out a full character sheet over the weekend!

[Question Mark]

Staking my claim for Maester.  I'd do more than a cursory post if I wasn't typing on my phone, but suffice it to say I'm very impressed and interested.  I'll whip something up tonight tomorrow.

[Question Mark]

Sorry for the double post, but I wanted to ask a few questions now that I have a minute.

First off, I have zero experience with the ASoIaF RPG.  I'm not naive to system games -- I'm quite fond of 3.5 and Pathfinder -- but I didn't even know this existed until I read the OP.

So, 1.) Can anyone point me to an online core rule book, character sheet, database, etc.?  I'd like to be as autonomous as possible when making my character (which is just as fun as playing her, in my humble opinion).

2.) For rolls, are we doing them on our own and informing you of the results or using E's built in dice bot?

3.) What kind of freedom do I have when choosing the links of my character's Maester's chain?

4.) Do we use the same character application form for secondary characters as we do for main characters?  What kind of level of detail do you want for secondary characters?

5.) What are your rules regarding canon outside of House Greystark?  To clarify, I'm not asking if we can contradict canon, but are we allowed to expand on areas that have not been established?  For example, creating a new discipline studied by Maesters that has not been stated in the novels.

6.) I'm guessing character death is a very real and likely possibility.  Are there going to be "rocks fall, everyone dies" situations, or is character death something that will be discussed OOC prior to the deed?

7.) Building on that, are we allowed more than one main character?  If our main character dies, can we make another or take over a secondary?

8.) Am I asking too many questions?

9.) Not a question, but I noted that the game starts with a wedding.  Given the Red and Purple, as well as a certain harpy, I don't take this as the best of omens.

[ererruz]

Sorry for the double post, but I wanted to ask a few questions now that I have a minute.

First off, I have zero experience with the ASoIaF RPG.  I'm not naive to system games -- I'm quite fond of 3.5 and Pathfinder -- but I didn't even know this existed until I read the OP.

DnD and Pathfinder are completely different. ASoIaF is actually a very simple system... which works. It doesn't have the scope or range of possibilities and levels that DnD and PF have, but it works for the better, considering the setting. ASoIaF RPG is based on d6 system of rolling many d6 dice and then keeping certain amount of them, adding them together and beating difficulty levels. If you want more explanation, please read this review. It goes through most features of the system: character creation, battle and intrigue system.

So, 1.) Can anyone point me to an online core rule book, character sheet, database, etc.?  I'd like to be as autonomous as possible when making my character (which is just as fun as playing her, in my humble opinion).

There's no ASoIaF SRD, sadly. But I think it's available on Scribd.

2.) For rolls, are we doing them on our own and informing you of the results or using E's built in dice bot?

We'll be making all rolls online. I don't mind either E's built in dice bot, nor other sites. Personally I prefer the Invisible Castle. Sometimes, I will post for players as well, if that'd help moving the story along (such as Awareness tests, or Endurance etc.), because I find stopping in the middle of a post to ask players to roll initiative, or perception skill, etc., can easily kill a PBF game.

3.) What kind of freedom do I have when choosing the links of my character's Maester's chain?

You can choose pretty much any links you'd like. There are some things I would recommend the Maester to know and that's healing and perhaps the knowledge of how to handle ravens. These are just expected of you as a Maester. Anything else, you're free to choose. Mechanically, you'll get a Maester benefit (kind of like d20 feats) for free if you qualify for it, that is, have Cunning 3 and have taken two Knowledge Focus benefits in two areas of knowledge. The game lists things such as: Alchemy, Architecture, Astronomy, Geography, Heraldry, History and Legends, Magic, Nature, Religion, Underworld, but I'm open to suggestions as well. The number of Knowledge Focuses does not have to equal your number of links, of course, since some things, such as Healing, are covered with abilities etc.

4.) Do we use the same character application form for secondary characters as we do for main characters?  What kind of level of detail do you want for secondary characters?

Good point! Secondary characters don't have to be as detailed as primary ones and I will add a simpler version of character application for them.

5.) What are your rules regarding canon outside of House Greystark?  To clarify, I'm not asking if we can contradict canon, but are we allowed to expand on areas that have not been established?  For example, creating a new discipline studied by Maesters that has not been stated in the novels.

As long as it'd expanding the canon, not changing it, I'm fine with it. The Grandmaster Pycelle was described as having links forged of platinum, copper, brass, bronze, lead, steel, tin, silver, black iron, red gold, electrum, and yellow gold; but I think the only confirmed metals so far are black iron for ravenry, bronze for astronomy, copper for history, yellow gold for economics, iron for warcraft, pale steel for smithing, silver for medicine and Valyrian steel for magic.

6.) I'm guessing character death is a very real and likely possibility.  Are there going to be "rocks fall, everyone dies" situations, or is character death something that will be discussed OOC prior to the deed?

Death will be possible, it's A Song of Ice and Fire after all. The system has a resource called 'Destiny points' that each character has. They can be spent (temporarily) or burned (lost permanently) to achieve certain things or grant bonuses, but the main and most important thing that they can be used for, if burned, is avoiding death. Basically, if a player burns a destiny point in this manner, they work out with the GM how the character survives. Basically, as long as players have destiny points, they are safe from the Grim Reaper.

7.) Building on that, are we allowed more than one main character?  If our main character dies, can we make another or take over a secondary?

If the primary character does die, then yes, I'd allow the player to create a new character, or take over a secondary of his choice (not necessarily the one he created, if he wanted a different one).

8.) Am I asking too many questions?

Nah, I'm happy to answer them  :-)

[Juggtacular]

I'd like to stake a claim for the heir if possible? This looks like a lot of fun.

[ererruz]

I'd like to stake a claim for the heir if possible? This looks like a lot of fun.

Sure! Just send me your idea for him when you have the time and we'll discuss it :)

[Juggtacular]

Cool! I'll get started on a concept now, but it'll probably be later tonight or sometime tomorrow before I can send it in. I get busy on weekends usually.

[Question Mark]

Thanks for the thorough response ere, I'll whip something up later today.

Breaks out his scintillating dice.

It's been far too long since I've been able to roll.

[SydneyDrew20]

I would like to join in as well! :)

[ererruz]

I would like to join in as well! :)

Great! What kind of character would you like to play? We're still looking for the Bride without whom I'd rather not start, but if that's against your concept, I'll think of something :)

[SydneyDrew20]

I can play the Bride, I don't mind. I don't play chaaracters older than 30, so maybe she could be a young girl, about 19 or 20, entering her first marriage.

[ererruz]

I can play the Bride, I don't mind. I don't play chaaracters older than 30, so maybe she could be a young girl, about 19 or 20, entering her first marriage.

That sounds perfect for this actually. Since most Westerosi nobles marry as young as possible, that is what I wanted the Bride to be as well. I'll send you a PM shortly with few things I have ready about her House and her family. The rest will be up to you (and other players, if they'd like to participate as well).

[SydneyDrew20]

Okie dokie! :)

[Juggtacular]

I also planned on the heir being young. 21 at the oldest I think.

[Lockepick]

Lowell Greystark, Lord Lewys’s second son

Name: Lowell Greystark, Lord Lewys’s second son
House: Greystark
Role: Schemer/Rogue
Age: 17, Born in 277AL.
Gender: Male
Sexual orientation: Closeted Homosexual
Occupation: Noble, Secondborn Son
Goal: Create a political powerbase for his 'generation' of Greystarks.
Motivation: Duty
Virtue: Devoted
Vice: Ambitious
Appearance:
- One would assume Lowell takes after his mother more than the hulking brute that his his father's line. Lowell is more trim and lithe than hulking, packed quick muscles giving his torso a nice 'V' shape. A beard that goes down along his jaw line and frames mouth creates the illusion that he's older than he is, while the slightly unkempt nature of it makes him look of lower birth than he is. His hair is a dark brown, and his eyes are a bright blue, with a gold ring on the outside edge of the iris.
Note: Has the 'Attractive' Quality.
Skin: Fair
Hair: Brown
Eye colour: Blue, with gold rings.
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 140lbs
Background:
- At five years old, Lowell's Mother, Lady Elyane Greystark of House Tulliso, was killed during Robert's Rebellion.
- At eight years old, while accompanying his Father and Older Brother on a hunting trip, a combination of the cold and exposure to a toxic plant, made him sick. He was afflicted with blindness, fatigue, and seizures that should have killed him. It took him weeks to recover, but his physicians say he'll never be fully cured. His vision has been permanently weakened, visible by the golden rings around the iris of his eye.  It will only get worse as he ages, until he is totally blind. His Father sees the illness as a permanent mark of his weakness, even if Lowell should have died, and caused a rift between them. To this day, Lowell seems to be aloof and flighty when it comes to his Father; not seeming to let his Lord Father's opinion burden him.
- At thirteen years old, the Citadel sent word to the House that the seasons were changing. A white raven brought the message, and on it's way back a poacher attempted to shoot the bird out of the sky. Lowell found the bird first, and after extorting a fee to stay silent about the hunter's attempt, he brought the raven home to help nurse it to health. The white raven made a full recovery, and Lowell fully expected the bird to return to the Citadel. The bird stayed with Lowell, and he has since named it 'Pearl.'
Family: Greystarks/Tullisons
Friends and allies:
- Lady Maiev Greystark of House Reed, Lowell's Paternal Grandmother: Robert's Rebellion cost the Greystarks dearly. Lowell lost his Mother, but Maiev lost a husband, a daughter, and a daughter-in-law, at the end of having already lost so many others. Lowell was always on rocky terms with his Father, and most of the rest of the family saw him as the 'child of the second wife,' versus just being a child. The tragedy made Maiev cherish what family was still living, and Lowell embraced being accepted as a family member without context. As Maiev grew more unstable and mad, Lowell was willing to help keep her comfortable and give her company. He doesn't put much weight into her 'prophecy,' but she's seen through his attempts to placate her too many times for him to even play along.
- Tytos Greenfinger, lowborn Alchemist: Tytos owns a small alchemy shop in the seedier parts of town. He used his skills mostly to brew intoxicants, hallucinogens, and snake-oil. Lowell saw his skill, and his dedication as to not get drunk off his own stash, and invested in Tytos' shop. Over the years, his equipment has become more advanced and his clientele has become larger. While he still specializes in tonics to help and haze; Tytos' influence has also got him into creating poisons of a more directly harmful nature. This gives Lowell access to poisons, as well as giving him an ear to the ground on who else is buying them.
Rivals and enemies:
- In Process: A gay noble from an enemy house. Lowell and him occasionally have sex, as there isn't many other options for secret gays. The sex is a power struggle, and the two constantly try to gain something to use against the other to justify 'sleeping with the enemy;' though any real success would cost them being able to meet up again... House to be determined.
ONs and OFFs: Same as Player, link in signature gives more details. The tl;dr though: ONs = Masculine powerful men that take charge, prefer being on the bottom. Love playing up pretty much any kind of taboo decadence; OFFs = Ladies. Scat. Vomit.
Secrets: Will send to GM via PM

[Question Mark]

Name: Maester Owell
House: Greystark
Role: Expert (Maester)
Age: 36 (Middle Age)
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Occupation: Maester
Wealth: 67 stags and 25 coppers

Goal: Knowledge (Astronomy), Security (Greystarks)
Motivation: Stability
Virtue: Humble
Vice: Cowardly



Appearance: Tall, scrawny, almost emaciated.  A long, narrow face with a tall forehead, dark eyes, and shoulder length black hair.  He prefers loose fitting robes, and his chain is smaller than the average Maester's.  He looks young for his age. [[I know you said real life photo, but this seemed like a high quality painting, and finding a RL Maester who is neither Luwin nor Aemon is quite difficult.  Let me know if you want me to change it.]]
Skin: Pale
Hair: Black, shoulder length.  No beard.
Eye Color: Hazel
Height: 195 cm
Weight: 70 kg

Background: Maester Owell was born Owell Rolfson on the northern end of the isle Greenstone, off the coast of the Stormlands.  His father had been a carpenter, his mother a maid at the local inn in their small village.  When he was five, Owell's mother stabbed his father to death during an argument.  After she was hanged, a hedge knight brought Owell south to a sept in the town of Greenstone.  Here he resided for the next eleven years, earning his keep by cleaning the sept, collecting donations, repairing torn robes, and other minor duties.  In return, the septons fed and clothed him and, most importantly, taught him to read and write.  Inspired by a volume on the stars written by a long dead Maester, Owell left Greenstone at the age of 16 to join the Citadel.

His studies progressed quickly, and Owell forged his first link (bronze, for astronomy) when he was 18.  While he was ultimately interested in observing the stars and planets, Owell felt a need to earn the rank of Maester.  Without a chain of his own, he wondered, would anyone take his ideas seriously?  Over the next four years, Owell moved from one subject to another, forging links for ravenlore, lenscrafting, warcraft, healing, anatomy, alchemy, weatherlore, and history.  However, Owell grew bored before he could finish his chain, and returned to astronomical pursuits, three links short.

When he was 22, Owell began observing the motion of the stars, wondering if they moved from year to year.  The Archmaester of astronomy, Vaellyn, had stated that they did not, but Owell had recently learned of another observatory in Norvos that was twice as old as the one in Oldtown.  Perhaps they're measurements, contrasted with the Citadel's, could reveal the answer.  Curious, Owell stayed in Norvos for two years, poring over their observatory's precise records of star positions, and discovered that the stars had indeed drifted slightly over the centuries.  Triumphant, he returned to Oldtown and presented his evidence, inadvertently shaming the prideful Archmaester Vaellyn.  Out of spite, he granted Owell three additional bronze links and made him a full Maester.  Unaware that Vaellyn was only doing this to deny him access to an observatory, Owell happily accepted and was promptly forced to accept an assignment to Greyhold.

Although this would make his research much more difficult, Owell resolved to fulfill his duties as best he could.  He would not be a burden upon the Greystarks.  Shortly after arriving in 283 AL, Owell proved himself when he cured Erik Greystark of a persistent cough that had nearly killed the boy.  As a reward, Lord Lewys allowed Owell to convert part of the rookery into a makeshift observatory and granted him free reign to pursue his scholarly interests, so long as he always placed his duties as a Maester first.  Owell happily agreed, and has faithfully served House Greystark since.

Family: Being a Maester, Owell forsook his family name when he forged his chain.  He is currently serving the House Greystark.

Friends and Allies: Maesters Cristoff and Codwell, who share his fascination with telescopy and astronomy.  The three men frequently exchange their research, discoveries, and lengthy arguments via ravens.  In addition, Maester Owell's calm and friendly, albeit withdrawn, demeanor has earned him several friends amongst House Greystark, such as Lord Lewys' youngest daughter Elise, who frequently helps him in his makeshift observatory in the rookery.  While many look down their nose at a nobly born girl engaging in what are considered the pursuits of a Maester, he finds the intelligent and quick-minded Elise to be an invaluable assistant.
Rivals and Enemies: Being a quiet and gentle man, Maester Owell has made very few enemies.  However, an academic dispute in Oldtown pitted his evidence against the theories of the Archmaester Vaellyn, the stargazer known for his sharp tongue.  After years of study, he had demonstrated that the stars had moved from their locations in the sky over the past four hundred years, contradicting Vaellyn's theory that they were immobile.  Although the matter was not considered important by many members of the Citadel, Archmaester Vaellyn took it as a personal insult to his pride.  The issue escalated quickly and precipitated with Maester Owell being assigned to Greyhold to deny him access to the Citadel's observatory.


Secondary Characters

Name: Elise Greystark
House: Greystark
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Occupation: Nobleborn daughter
Appearance: In progress
Description: Lord Lewys' youngest daughter, Elise was born 16 years ago.  As a young girl, Elise was naturally curious and excitable.  She possessed a love for the outdoors, alongside a predisposition to engaging in unladylike activities, such as scuffing her knees, falling out of trees, and whacking her twin brother Erik with branches in mock duels.  As she grew, Elise reluctantly demurred to the cultural and societal norms of Westeros.  By her thirteenth birthday, Elise was engaged in the expected activities of a nobly born girl, from stitching to memorizing family lineages.  While appearing to be the model example of a young woman, she had not lost her curiosity, and often pursued scholarly interests in private.  Elise proved to be very intelligent, and she hoped to one day become the first female Maester, although she readily acknowledged how unlikely such a feat would be.  Shortly after Maester Owell arrived at Greyhold, Elise realized he was far more accepting of her curiosity than the previous Maester, and began to follow him around, prying him with questions.  Seeing potential in her, Maester Owell allowed her to help him in his makeshift observatory.  Such a relationship has been the subject of many hushed whispers in the dark corners of Greyhold, something Elise seems oblivious of.
Plot Ideas: Some kind of conflict deriving from her friendship with Maester Owell, whether it be concerning her unusual interest in the life of a Maester or an accusation of their association being something more than just a friendship.


Name: Erik Greystark
House: Greystark
Age: 16
Gender: Male
Occupation: Nobleborn son
Appearance: In progress
Description: Where Elise is endlessly inquisitive and content to read all day, Erik is loud and ambitious, your typical nobly born son dreaming of winning fame on the battlefield.  He has been trained by the Master-at-Arms, and possesses moderate skill with a sword, although he is an excellent jouster.  Erik has been growing increasingly restless of late.  He recently started a fight with a stableboy (which he won), and appears to be a bit too eager to hack at his friends with a wooden sword during training.  Ultimately, Erik cares not about politics or issues of inheritance, but instead wants to prove himself as a great warrior.  He dreams of joining a tourney as a masked knight and unhorsing the great champions, ripping the fabric off his shield to reveal the device of House Greystark.  He looks up to Lord Lewys a great deal, and has begun to despise Maester Owell, who he sees as a doddering fool corrupting his twin sister with dusty books and dented telescopes.  In a bit of an OOC comment, I see Erik as a male version of Sansa: he embraces the archetypical male role in society, but is ultimately completely naive to the realities of the world.
Plot Ideas: He starts a fight to prove himself and gets in over his head, resulting in someone dying or being crippled.

[someinheritthewealth]

Can I play twin females from House Arryn from the Eyerie or is that not possible?

[SydneyDrew20]

(IN PROGRESS)
Name: Alyssin "Aly" Tullison
House: Tullison
Role: Future Bride to the Heir of Greystark, Leynir Greystark
Age: 18
Gender: Female
Sexual orientation: Heterosexual
Occupation: Future bride, lady, part-time archer
Goal: Power (Marriage to House Greystark), to come to love her husband eventually (Heir of House Greystark), to be more than just someone else's wife and the mother of her husband's children
Motivation: Stability, power, love
Virtue: Is a good listener, genuinely wants to come to love her lord husband, caring and doting.
Vice: Often resorts to manipulation to achieve her goals, her often sarcastic streak can come off as being mean sometimes, has little patience
Appearance:

Skin: Pale
Hair: Light to golden blonde
Eye colour: Light purple eyes due to the Targaryen blood in her veins. Apart from her grandmother, they are the only ones that have the so-called Targaryen eyes in her family.
Height: She's of average height (Around 1.60 m to 1.70 m)
Weight: Around 50-60 kilos
Background:
Alyssin is the first born child of Lady Alleria Piper and her Lord Husband Aeron Tullison. Despite being a woman, Alyssin was given preference  by her father most of the times due to the fact that the sooner she got married, the sooner they would acquire more power. With her father's preferential treatment came his drunken laments over the fact that she'd been born a girl and not a boy. She has a good relationship with her father but being exposed to his drinking and drunken delusions made her careful when it came to being around him yet Alyssin remains incredibly close to her father still consults with him in matters that are of his interest and on her decisions.

Being the first born and being the one who was getting the power didn't make the relationship with her younger brother easier, but his father concluded that the best solution to keep them together was to present them with an activity they could both share and indulge in: archery. Edric and Alyssin are skilled archers and learned to bond over this activity. It's also thank to Archery that Alyssin built a closer and stronger bond with the males in her family rather than with her mother, who has always resented the fact that she gets along better with Aeron than his own wife. Her mother is a jealous, piteful woman that often tries to compete with Alyssin over things that concern, though the girl often doesn't care and just ignores her mother and the "advice" she tries to give.
Family: Alleria Piper (Mother), Aeron Tullison (Father), Edric Tullison (Brother), Leynir Greystark (Future Husband)
Friends and allies: Leynir Greystark, Aeron Tullison, Edric Tullison (more to come)
Rivals and enemies: Alleria Piper
ONs and OFFs: https://elliquiy.com/forums/onsoffs.php?u=52064
Secrets: (to be seen by GM only)

[ererruz]

Question Mark, I enjoyed reading your application and it's really well-done. I'm responding only to a couple of minor points that could be adjusted, or clarified. The rest is perfect.

[[I know you said real life photo, but this seemed like a high quality painting, and finding a RL Maester who is neither Luwin nor Aemon is quite difficult.  Let me know if you want me to change it.]]

I'd still prefer a real life photo, as all the other players use one and your Maester's would feel out of place among them. Also, focus on the face - clothes are not important, everyone can just use their creativity to see Maester's outfit :)

Owell moved from one subject to another, forging links for ravenlore, lenscrafting, economics, warcraft, healing, architecture, anatomy, agriculture, alchemy, weatherlore, mining, and history.

Just a quick note - you don't have to forge links in all areas of expertise to become a maester. A couple of them would be enough and there are many maesters who haven't forged some of the links you mentioned. This is more of a clarification point than a call for alteration. I just wanted to note thisl, but you might be aware of it and decided for him to study all those anyway?

Shortly after arriving in 283 AL, Owell proved himself when he cured Erik Greystark of a persistent cough that had nearly killed the boy.

I like the date, considering the fact it's when Robert's Rebellion finished, I can easily imagine the old Maester dying of old age during that time and the Greystarks not being able to 'commission' a new one after the rebellion had ended.

Secondary characters

I greatly enjoyed your take on on the youngest children of the family. I like what you did with Elise. She's different than most Westerosi girls, but not in an obvious and cliché way. She's neither a naive, typical noble daughter of 16, nor is she a tomboy with a sword, and I like that she's neither of those. As for Erik, I am surprised a little bit, because he is very close to what I had in mind for one of the lord's sons anyway. It is a bit like my idea taken a step further, but I like it. I can definitely see him in the family and you've given me an idea for a story hook already!

Can I play twin females from House Arryn from the Eyerie or is that not possible?

I would prefer if every player played one character and if you were to play a twin, the other one would either have to be played by another player, or would be an NPC. Also, at the moment the game starts, the Arryns are already kind of a dying house with only Jon Arryn, Hand of the King and Warden of the East, his lady wife and their sickly son, left alive. I wouldn't want to change canon here, especially due to Arryns' importance in the setting. You could play someone from a house from the Vale of Arryn, allied with House Arryn, if you wanted -- as long as it'd be plausible for the character to be somehow tied to House Greystark as well.

As you know, I enjoyed the character and I'm giving it a thumbs up!

(IN PROGRESS)
Name: Alyssin "Aly" Tullison

I like what I'm seeing so far and hope to see more soon  :-)

[Question Mark]

Alright, I'll edit Owell's profile when I get home.

Also, thanks for the feedback.  I have a feeling this is going to be good, so I want to be sure I bring my A game.

On a side note, I wonder what's going to happen at or soon after this wedding.  Anyone have any ideas?

[someinheritthewealth]

Anyone willing to rp female twin may be slightly incestrous the two. I am not sure of how they come into play, but I am open to whoever willing to take the second twin and with GM. Also apoolgies for delay in reply been confined to my tablet made it harder to type up the responses I needed too.

[Orange Marmalade]

Got some more stuff to flesh out - but here's the Lord's younger brother and Red Priest.

Name: Tybolt Greystark, Lord Arthur's youngest son

House: Greystark
Role: Fighter
Age: 29
Gender: Male
Sexual orientation: Openly Bisexual
Occupation: Noble, aspiring priest, pampered younger son
Goal: Spread R'hllor's word, and have fun doing it - and Fame
Motivation: Excellence
Virtue: Pious
Vice: Ambitious
Appearance:
Tybolt is extremely well kept for a Northerner, looking much more like he belongs in the big cities rather than in the rough North. He moves with an amazing amount of grace and is always light on his feet, and while he's usually jovial and easy going there's a hint of danger behind it all.

His clothing varies between high end noble garb with padded armors to blood red robes of R'hllor's priesthood.

He keeps his head shaved smooth with a manicured short beard to accentuate his jawline. This combined with his tanned skin from a decade in the free cities give him a decidedly exotic look when compared to his other family members.

Skin: Well tanned
Hair: Dark Brown
Eye colour: Blue
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 180lbs
Background:
Tybolt was the youngest child of Lady Maiev Greystark and Lord Arthur Greystark. As such, and after one of the twins that came nearly 10 years before him died during childbirth, his childhood was fairly pampered. With 2 elder brothers it was obvious that Tybolt would never inherit unless true tragedy struck. Unfortunately one of his older brothers died only a couple years after Tybolt's birth. That still left him with sister older by 5 years and his brother Lewys older by 11.

Robert's Rebellion was devastating. Tybolt lost his farther, sister and sister-inlaw, along with numerous other friends and family as the war raged. Through it all Tybolt felt largely useless, never having given much effort towards warcraft or swordplay due to his position and pampering in the family. His only defining moment during the war was that, purely through luck, he managed to slay Randall Wisent's firstborn son. After the dust settled, Tybolt helped to make sure their House was in order and then promptly left, wandering for some time before making his way to Braavos and the Free Cities to both clear his mind and to remain safe from revenge.

He spent the last decade in the Free Cities, learning the language and culture. It was there where he learned to fight, using his natural grace and speed, something that called to him far more than the styles used back home. It was also there that he found a new religion, that of R'hllor, Lightbringer. The truths espoused by R'hllor's priests seem to hit far closer to home than the styles back in the North or other parts of the 7 kingdoms, and Tybolt soon found himself drawn into their studies, eventually beginning the process of entering the order himself.

But now, his family has called. There's a wedding to take place, and Tybolt wouldn't miss it for the world.

Family:
Lord Lewys Greystark - Older brother
Lady Maiv Greystark - Mother
Lowell Greystark - Nephew

Friends and allies:
To be filled in soon

Rivals and enemies:
To be filled in soon

ONs and OFFs: Mostly anything goes aside from bathroom play and extreme pain, check if you're unsure.

[ererruz]

Sounds good, Orange! We might need to change some people's age once I have everyone's characters to make sure they all work well together, but apart from that, sounds good.

I'd like everyone to send me a PM with your expectations for adult content in this game. What are your ONs & OFFs (if you  haven't filled that out; and please, link your ONs&OFFs thread if it's not in your role play preferences or your signature), what is your character's sexual experience, are they sexually open or believe in monogamy and sex only within marriage? What kind of encounters would you like to see as a player? Would you like your character to find a sexual partner, or maybe go to a brothel? How about romance? Westeros is a place where equality between sexes hasn't been achieved, but it doesn't mean that a female character can't enjoy adult content as well apart from the arranged marriage. If they want, they could try their hand at intrigue to keep their relationship secret, etc. Men do have it easier, as even those married are usually forgiven indiscretion, be it with mistresses or whores. While maesters are not supposed to enjoy carnal pleasures and have taken vows of celibacy, they don't have to abide by them, if they can keep that a secret as well. This is why I'd like to know what kind of encounters you'd like to see for your characters? You can  also send me some character concepts as to what kind of NPCs you'd like to engage in sexual scenes (including any pictures etc. that I can then make into a character).

One more question to everyone who hasn't sent me their full character. How much time do you think you'll need to finish working on them?

I was working on a coat-of-arms of House Greystark and came up with this. It's kind of a cross between House Stark and House Greystark - a wolf and a sun. And I wanted to add some red for bloodied past of the Greystarks. (And I also happen to like the combination of grey and red.)

I also updated Greystark (and Tullison) family tree.