you could have given your brother a few years of peace and maybe he would have died 
The Line of Rhaegar - AGoT AAR
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Well, Rhaegar IS MIA in Asshai...
I loved the dialogue between the brothers, and in particular their toast.
Great AAR!! Although some of the dialogue between Rhaegar and his enemies was, at times, a bit corny. I suppose there's no way to avoid that when you are playing a villain like Rhaegar and have to deal with the AI's silliness.
Yeah, I have a slight attraction to corny dialogue.
Moreover, Halys has at least 60 000 (probably closer to 100 000) allied troops in close proximity to the Crownlands, plus about another five thousand on his own, whatever petty lords can be convinced to ditch Jon, and any faction troops that may or may not pop up. If Halys and his allies AI can crush the Crownland troops and rally together, they should in theory be able to destroy the other armies piece by piece. But I don't have much faith in AI. I really wasn't expecting the Greyjoys to pick a side, but the current Lord Paramount actually has a 60+ relationship with Jon - that's how amazing he is.
you could have given your brother a few years of peace and maybe he would have died
Where's the fun in that?
For some reason I get the feeling that Halys is actually the good guy.... So I have decided to cheer for him from now on. :mellow:
I really have nothing to say to that. Personally I don't believe either is in the right/the good guy here. However, I'm rooting for Jon by virtue of him being a demigod in terms of stats.
A very minor lord aligned with King Jon, though I played as Halys for a little bit so he could get his troops off Dragonstone.
I've finished the Brotherswar, which took surprisingly less time than I expected. The first part of the war proper should be up in a few days.
Chapter XVIII: The Brotherswar, Part One
I leaned over the black stone railing, looking at my forces. My measly levy: a mere three thousand men, and a fleet large enough to carry more than twice that number. Dragonstone was ever poor. Was it sentimentality that had prolonged the tradition of granting Dragonstone to the Targaryen heir-apparent, or was there a deeper, underlying message? "You may come after, but I rule now." Oh, yes, the wisdom of not keeping all one's eggs in a single basket is readily apparent, but, for a second basket, Dragonstone was an ugly one. And, it seems, no longer a safe one. I fingered the letter that had flown in yesterday. The Greyjoys sailed for my brother - no, half-brother, a king-to-be must always be exact in such things - and with that declaration, spelled the doom of Dragonstone.
The door creaked open, and I turned to see my mother stride through it. She'd taken to wearing the furs and colors of her House, having gradually lost interest in the old Targaryen-colored garments she used to wear. Too many painful memories, I supposed. I moved to greet my mother.
She acknowledged my greeting and spoke. "Halys, there are some men here to see you. They claim that they are leal servants." Abruptly, she embraced me, and wouldn't let go for a long time. At last, I pried her loose. Her eyes were stained with tears.
"Don't die." She spoke through choking sobs. I replied with none of my usual glibness. "I won't, mother." She smiled sadly. "This is such a silly war Halys. Such a silly war." I nodded. A few seconds passed. "Mother, it is not safe for you here. I've made arrangements for you to go to Winterfell." Mother bristled with anger at that. She'd always preferred to be independent. I cut her off before she could speak. "Dragonstone will fall. It is an inevitability. It is not safe for you here, and if you're captured Jon will use you as a hostage, regardless of his personal feelings towards you. You're heading to Winterfell. It's going to take months for my uncle to muster his bannermen, and I know you haven't seen him in years."
Mother looked at me with eyes that were half sad and half proud. I spoke softly. "Now, let us go and greet these 'leal men.'"
A few minutes of walking brought us to a chamber where four men sat, evidently the leaders of the band that proclaimed their loyalty to me. I strode in and spoke.
"Well sirs, what brings you here?"
One of the four spoke up. "We have come here at the urging of the Seven."
I turned to look at that man. "Indeed? Pray, continue."
He inclined his head and continued. "Many of us among the Faith Militant were split in our decision. The High Septon, blessed may he be, held to no one side, but bid us to choose as our consciences dictated. So it was that Seven Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy of us hired passage to this humble island, and so now offer you our fealty and pledge to you our swords, King Halys the First."
I stared at the men in mute shock. I had not expected this turn of events. At last, I pried open my mouth. "I humbly and gratefully accept your service. Regretfully, it appears that you are stranded on this 'humble island' at the moment. My ships are necessary to bring my levies to the Riverlands, and thus will be predisposed for weeks at the least. When they return, however, you may use them, and serve me most honorably."
The four nodded, and all save one spoke. "As Your Grace commands."
The one who remained silent wore all black.
___________________________________
“Wine, lord Galladon?” The man nodded gratefully and accepted the outstretched cup. I continued speaking. “Now, elaborate if you please on why you were captured so quickly by my brother Halys.”
Galladon Tarth, the Evenstar’s heir, sipped from his cup and sighed before responding. “My father commanded me and nine hundred men to lay siege to Driftmark. We were not expecting enemies; why would we? Weeks had passed before our ships had even come into sight of Driftmark; it should’ve been greatly undermanned. We weren’t expecting a force of almost eight thousand men.”
I nodded, not entirely sympathizing with him. “Yes, these eight thousand. Could you explain who they were? They could not have been my brother’s bannermen from Dragonstone; it’s too barren to support a levy of eight thousand.” Galladon shook his head. “I know not, Your Grace. Mercenaries, perhaps?” Galladon shrugged. “I only know for sure that your brother did not accompany this force, for I did not see him once.” I was intrigued. “Really? Then where is he?”
The small talk persisted for a few moments more, until a breathless messenger ran into the tent, closely followed by Lord Commander Horpe. I motioned for the messenger to catch his breath, and patiently awaited him.
Swallowing and panting, the messenger eventually spoke. “Your Grace, an – an army has been sighted flying your brother’s banner. It is – an immense host, at least forty five thousand strong the last I saw of them. The Vale – Denys Arryn’s forces were smashed outside Edgerton Keep. I was commanded then to deliver this message to you. It is likely by now that nothing remains of the Vale’s troops.”
I turned to the Lord Commander. “Muster the troops immediately. We must withdraw into the Stormlands if we can, before this host falls upon us and destroys us.” Seven Hells! Halys was supposed to be the disorganized one in this war, not me!
_____________________________________
The battle of Woodmere occurred a week after that. Halys’s host, now swelled to enormous proportions and consisting of over sixty thousand men, met Jon’s host of twenty thousand and utterly annihilated it. Only a costly maneuver saw Lord Jon and a few dozen men escape the battle, and they swiftly returned to King’s Landing, securing the city.
Halys’s great host splintered after the battle of Woodmere, spreading out to ensure their total dominance of the Crownlands. A splinter force fell upon the city a few days later. King’s Landing was under siege.
_________________________________
Excuse the necrAARmancy.
I leaned over the black stone railing, looking at my forces. My measly levy: a mere three thousand men, and a fleet large enough to carry more than twice that number. Dragonstone was ever poor. Was it sentimentality that had prolonged the tradition of granting Dragonstone to the Targaryen heir-apparent, or was there a deeper, underlying message? "You may come after, but I rule now." Oh, yes, the wisdom of not keeping all one's eggs in a single basket is readily apparent, but, for a second basket, Dragonstone was an ugly one. And, it seems, no longer a safe one. I fingered the letter that had flown in yesterday. The Greyjoys sailed for my brother - no, half-brother, a king-to-be must always be exact in such things - and with that declaration, spelled the doom of Dragonstone.
The door creaked open, and I turned to see my mother stride through it. She'd taken to wearing the furs and colors of her House, having gradually lost interest in the old Targaryen-colored garments she used to wear. Too many painful memories, I supposed. I moved to greet my mother.
She acknowledged my greeting and spoke. "Halys, there are some men here to see you. They claim that they are leal servants." Abruptly, she embraced me, and wouldn't let go for a long time. At last, I pried her loose. Her eyes were stained with tears.
"Don't die." She spoke through choking sobs. I replied with none of my usual glibness. "I won't, mother." She smiled sadly. "This is such a silly war Halys. Such a silly war." I nodded. A few seconds passed. "Mother, it is not safe for you here. I've made arrangements for you to go to Winterfell." Mother bristled with anger at that. She'd always preferred to be independent. I cut her off before she could speak. "Dragonstone will fall. It is an inevitability. It is not safe for you here, and if you're captured Jon will use you as a hostage, regardless of his personal feelings towards you. You're heading to Winterfell. It's going to take months for my uncle to muster his bannermen, and I know you haven't seen him in years."
Mother looked at me with eyes that were half sad and half proud. I spoke softly. "Now, let us go and greet these 'leal men.'"
A few minutes of walking brought us to a chamber where four men sat, evidently the leaders of the band that proclaimed their loyalty to me. I strode in and spoke.
"Well sirs, what brings you here?"
One of the four spoke up. "We have come here at the urging of the Seven."
I turned to look at that man. "Indeed? Pray, continue."
He inclined his head and continued. "Many of us among the Faith Militant were split in our decision. The High Septon, blessed may he be, held to no one side, but bid us to choose as our consciences dictated. So it was that Seven Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy of us hired passage to this humble island, and so now offer you our fealty and pledge to you our swords, King Halys the First."
I stared at the men in mute shock. I had not expected this turn of events. At last, I pried open my mouth. "I humbly and gratefully accept your service. Regretfully, it appears that you are stranded on this 'humble island' at the moment. My ships are necessary to bring my levies to the Riverlands, and thus will be predisposed for weeks at the least. When they return, however, you may use them, and serve me most honorably."
The four nodded, and all save one spoke. "As Your Grace commands."
The one who remained silent wore all black.
___________________________________
“Wine, lord Galladon?” The man nodded gratefully and accepted the outstretched cup. I continued speaking. “Now, elaborate if you please on why you were captured so quickly by my brother Halys.”
Galladon Tarth, the Evenstar’s heir, sipped from his cup and sighed before responding. “My father commanded me and nine hundred men to lay siege to Driftmark. We were not expecting enemies; why would we? Weeks had passed before our ships had even come into sight of Driftmark; it should’ve been greatly undermanned. We weren’t expecting a force of almost eight thousand men.”
I nodded, not entirely sympathizing with him. “Yes, these eight thousand. Could you explain who they were? They could not have been my brother’s bannermen from Dragonstone; it’s too barren to support a levy of eight thousand.” Galladon shook his head. “I know not, Your Grace. Mercenaries, perhaps?” Galladon shrugged. “I only know for sure that your brother did not accompany this force, for I did not see him once.” I was intrigued. “Really? Then where is he?”
The small talk persisted for a few moments more, until a breathless messenger ran into the tent, closely followed by Lord Commander Horpe. I motioned for the messenger to catch his breath, and patiently awaited him.
Swallowing and panting, the messenger eventually spoke. “Your Grace, an – an army has been sighted flying your brother’s banner. It is – an immense host, at least forty five thousand strong the last I saw of them. The Vale – Denys Arryn’s forces were smashed outside Edgerton Keep. I was commanded then to deliver this message to you. It is likely by now that nothing remains of the Vale’s troops.”
I turned to the Lord Commander. “Muster the troops immediately. We must withdraw into the Stormlands if we can, before this host falls upon us and destroys us.” Seven Hells! Halys was supposed to be the disorganized one in this war, not me!
_____________________________________
The battle of Woodmere occurred a week after that. Halys’s host, now swelled to enormous proportions and consisting of over sixty thousand men, met Jon’s host of twenty thousand and utterly annihilated it. Only a costly maneuver saw Lord Jon and a few dozen men escape the battle, and they swiftly returned to King’s Landing, securing the city.
Halys’s great host splintered after the battle of Woodmere, spreading out to ensure their total dominance of the Crownlands. A splinter force fell upon the city a few days later. King’s Landing was under siege.
_________________________________
Excuse the necrAARmancy.
Well, I have to admit I was rather confused when I saw this newly updated. Fear not though, for the confusion soon turned to happiness!
Glad that this AAR returned.
I remember that last time I wrote on this thread I told you how I wanted Halys to win.
After giving Jon's traits another look I don't understand why I said so, but then I looked over at Halys, and I remembered. . . Its that glorious beard.
Glad that this AAR returned.
I remember that last time I wrote on this thread I told you how I wanted Halys to win.
After giving Jon's traits another look I don't understand why I said so, but then I looked over at Halys, and I remembered. . . Its that glorious beard.
Yay! You're back!!
I first thought it was a sad fan asking "is this dead?" but the sight of a new chapter to this splendid AAR fills my heart with joy <3
I first thought it was a sad fan asking "is this dead?" but the sight of a new chapter to this splendid AAR fills my heart with joy <3
A combination of laziness and writer's block. Participating in the Seven Kingdoms multiplayer group has resparked interest for me.
He's also a dead ringer for Robb Stark. That's not prophetic or anything.
ditto.
Yay! You're back!!
I first thought it was a sad fan asking "is this dead?" but the sight of a new chapter to this splendid AAR fills my heart with joy <3
Unfortunately, I have a lot of stuff on my plate, so the release schedule is going to be longer. The tentative date for the next part is this Wednesday, and I'm estimating another 2 weeks until I'm completely done writing.
I didn't notice this before - glad to see it's up and alive once more!
Stirring characterization and thoroughly enjoyed; I took the liberty of nominating you as the next Character Writer of the Week!
Stirring characterization and thoroughly enjoyed; I took the liberty of nominating you as the next Character Writer of the Week!