Rise And Fall: A Game Of Thrones OOC

[MMGiru]

I don't know that I have the requisite competence for Advanced, but I'd like to join up. I'll probably be a while before I write up any character.

My thoughts on the aesthetics:

- For the narwhal's in-universe name, I support 'seahorn', and posit 'tourney-whale'. Abbreviation *Hyphen optional.
- I'd think 'The tides stop for none' is the obvious shortening of the motto, although I feel 'The tide stops for none' flows better. Regardless, cutting 'the' could also help.
- I like Rustwater for a name, and Hailstone for a keep, but I think Mistrust should be used somewhere. A port town or a famous ship, maybe? Something historical that makes one wary of that bit of coast.

[OiHarkin]

I agree that Mistrust works better as something like a geographic feature or something else rather than the overall name - Mistrust Cove, perhaps?

[Dredigan]

That sounds cool Harkin, also I had an idea but I wanted to get your permission before I put this in my bio. I forget exactly how the battle for kings landing went, but assuming there were ships there would it be okay to say that the lord gave me command of a ship to see if his heir actually had any competence when leading, and at the battle he actually did okay?

[OiHarkin]

Do you mean the Sack of King's Landing during Robert's Rebellion? As I understand it there was basically no naval element to that conflict, just infantrymen and treachery.

[Dredigan]

Okay well you said we weren't strictly following the canon, so what if it was just a raiding party during the rebellion that was ravaging the coast to cut off Targaryen supply lines? I would even go for commanding the houses reserves or vanguard during the sack. I just wanted to put something in the bio to show that he has some experience or he will look like the most useless son ever.

[Supernova]

It would be better if he had experience in the more recent Greyjoy Rebellion, which has plenty of naval elements to it too

[Dredigan]

Well I thought that this took place during the rebellion but if that's not the case then I'm perfectly fine with that.

[KrazyWolf]

Well I thought that this took place during the rebellion but if that's not the case then I'm perfectly fine with that.

This RP's set 10 years after Robert's Rebellion and 4 years after the Greyjoy Rebellion

[OiHarkin]

One of the tweaks I've made to canon is that there's a second Greyjoy rebellion stirring much sooner than in the books, since you guys wanted to have some bad blood there; I've rewritten the first post to reflect that.

[KrazyWolf]

I'm posting my CS now, assuming that the choice of Rustwater and Hailshore as the House and stronghold names have been confirmed. I can always update it if this is not the case. Here goes :

Steel your veins and crack your oars men! This is no river folly!

Name: Marden Rustwater

Gender: Male

Age: 37

Appearance: Marden is a lean, muscular man, standing at 6'3. He has a windswept head of jet black hair flecked with the odd grey. This mounts a typically Northern granite face defined by a sharp and jagged nose. Faded scars etch his cheeks and sharp jawline, though the latter are hidden beneath a black wiry beard that spreads down to his throat. His slightly jutting brow adorned by thick eyebrows give him a stern countenance and shade eyes of a dark green that are stark against his practically grey complexion and so appear to shine as if piercing into the beholder's soul. His ruggedness and presence make him reasonably attractive though his sternness counterbalances it. Despite this, Marden's smile cracks through his asperity: a wide grin baring a set of yellowing but relatively aligned teeth. When enraged however, the sternness takes on a far more fearsome appearance; the pupils becoming alarmingly dilated which give him the appearance of a blood-frenzied shark. A noteable facet of Marden's is the little finger of his left hand was sliced in half during battle.
Marden's typical garment consists of mid-shin length black boots, a cloak clasped at the shoulder bearing Rustwater's coat of arms, a dark leather doublet over a plain white linen shirt, and a pair of dark breeches. When at battle, Marden retains the cloak but dons lobstered steel armour composed of breastplate decorated by coat of arms, backplate, rerebraces, vambraces, gauntlets gorget, greaves, sabatons, barbute helmet with a short spiralled horn like a narwhal's tusk, and a large two-headed axe called Bonecleaver strapped by a leather sash around his back.
Aboard his warship, Marden wears similar battle attire but replaces the greaves and sabatons for breeches and boots and switches the other armour for a lightweight brigandine emblazoned with the Rustwater coat of arms. His axe he keeps by his side or gives to an attendant if he is needed elsewhere on the vessel.

Family Position: Lord's brother

Line of Succession: 2 (will update whenever a new character emerges with greater claim ie. sons & grandsons of the lord)

Role: Commander of the Rustwater Fleet

Edge: Firmness

Flaw: Heart

Secret: Yes

Personality: Marden knows how to separate his home life from his work life and so has developed two contrasting personas. The homely Marden is his natural self, a jovial witty soul who loves nothing better than to be feasting and drinking with his friends and family. Once in his cups, Marden is the life and soul of the party, known to sing loudly and dance on the tables, much to others' amusement.
On business however, Marden puts on a stern front and delivers justice with an iron fist to smugglers, pirates and wildlings found under his jurisdiction in the Blazewater Bay and further out in the Sunset Sea. He is strict on regimen and keeps his sailors in top form by conducting frequent drills and sparring sessions. His underlings are rewarded for their deeds though, with extra coin for outstanding performance and special dining subsidised by Marden's own hand. He values his men and follows the policy that he should treat them with as much respect as they should him.
If one of his family or friends were held at ransom however, cracks would likely appear in Marden's facade, stemming from a fervent loyalty, and he would do anything to procure their safety.

Backstory: Marden was born the second son to Lord Rustwater in the midst of The War of the Ninepenny Kings. His childhood was spent sitting in court listening to his father's judgments and in the practice yard sparring with his elder brother Borund, wards and army and naval recruits. Duels with Borund were the most challenging and more often than not end in bruises when Marden was overwhelmed by his brother's anger-fueled power. In his infancy the sparring was done with a wooden sword and shield but as he grew to mid-adolescence Marden took up the axe as his weapon of choice, brandishing it against sparring partners and pirates alike.
Being the second son, Marden's father saw fit to train him in the ways of the sea so that one day he could assume the role of Commander of the Rustwater Fleet . He started by scrubbing decks and climbed the ranks to become captain of his own longship, Viridian Tide. He dreamed of one day commanding the fleet's flagship Ocean Tusk, a huge longship with a great narwhal prow. It's construction was commissioned by his uncle Aarick, the current Fleet Commander, and a man who had a huge sway over Marden's development as a naval commander, a figure of great respect and reputation all along the western coast. Aarick took Marden under his wing and treated him like a son; his true son lost at sea several years before.
At the age of 17, Marden was betrothed to Elsa Mallister, daughter of Jason Mallister, Lord of Seagard, to bolster relations and strengthen the west coast against potential future invasions by the Ironborn. He gracefully accepted and within a year the two were wed. The next year she birthed his first child, Richard. A strong family man, Marden grew to love his arranged wife quickly and raised his son lovingly and instilled in him the qualities of a knight and nobleman.
At 23, Marden took part in the Tourney at Harrenhal where he became acquainted with Robert Baratheon, falling to his warhammer in the melee. Afterwards they laughed and japed about it, and drank all night long along with Borund and the three Stark brothers. It was the next day he heard of his father's death to a heart attack and journeyed immediately back to Hailshore with Borund and Brandon Stark for Borund's coronation. His ascension to the throne gave rise to Marden's promotion to 'Lieutenant Commander of the Fleet', a title of honour rather than function, but Marden embraced the role and asserted himself as a strong and decisive leader.
The next year war ensued in the south under the figurehead of Robert Baratheon, Marden's friend. He urged his brother to rise up to the Targaryen tyranny too and so a force was assembled, riding under the Stark banner. Marden was assigned by Robert to Storm's End to assist his brother Stannis in his plans to lay siege to Dragonstone. When Storm's End was besieged by the Tyrells, Marden nearly starved waiting for aid and sent Davos Seaworth numerous messages with the details of the siege defence for him to navigate around in providing food under the black of night. Following the success of the plot, their rescue by Eddard Stark, and the subsequent siege of Dragonstone; Marden was offered a knighthood by Robert but he declined, saying it was a ceremony concerning the Seven Gods and it would be heretical to accept. This occurence has become the stuff of ardent gossip in Hailshore, many commoners whispering that it was a cover-up for a variety of outlandish conspiracies.
Three years later, the Greyjoy Rebellion erupted in the south which tested the bond between the Mallister and Rustwater Houses when Seagard came under siege.
The full immensity of Rustwater's fleet rained down on the Ironborn as they assaulted House Mallister's seat, cutting off their escape route. The combined force of Rustwaters', Stannis' and Paxter Redwynes' fleets obliterated the Iron Fleet; the Rustwater fleet pivotal to subduing the main body of Harlaw ships whilst the core of the assault rose to siege Pyke and the two Wyks. During the battle however, Ocean Tusk was raided and sunk, taking Commander Aarick Rustwater down with it.
In the wake of the battle, Marden's wife birthed a girl called Ivy and the Baratheons rewarded the Rustwaters for their loyalty and support by constructing them a new flagship under Marden's instructions. Inspired by the power of Stannis' triple-decked war galley Fury, Marden ordered a similar ship constructed but with the same name as its predecessor and a likeness of the original Ocean Tusk's narwhal prow.
From that point on, Marden was appointed Commander of the Rustwater Fleet and achieved his childhood ambition of captaining Ocean Tusk. The fleet has not engaged an enemy since the Greyjoy Rebellion. So far.