Goldengrove, House Rowan

[Poach]

Here reside House Rowan of Goldengrove.

Wealth: 60,000

Resource: Fruit

Levy: Large - 5000
Levy Bonuses: +5% Fruit, +5% Grains (Inf only), +20% buildings

Levy

Total = 6,465 2,860 Light Inf 1,300 Heavy Inf 650 Polearms 650 Archers 690 Light Cavalry 315 Heavy Cavalry

Levies of minor houses

lands sworn to House Rowan: Ivy Hall, Smithyton, Coldmoat, Standfast (Very Small - 500 men x4) Levies: (2000 men total) 800 Light Inf 200 Heavy Inf 200 Polearms 400 Archers 200 Light Cavalry 200 Heavy Cavalry

[Wheatley]

Frederick Frey, his son Harald, his brother Bruce and a friendly lot of retainers finally finished riding straight across the valuable crops of the central farmlands of the Reach and Riverlands. Frederick looked upon Goldengrove in the horizon and saw that it was good. He ordered his son to lift the banners. Harald did so with grace as the stick rose highly into the air, not before long, Bruce noticed that the banner was missing. The party stopped, searched in despair for it and resolved to using a cape instead. It strained on Harald's thin arms.

[Honors Bastion]

A lone rider appeared before the gates of Goldengrove. As he approaches the gates, the rider says “I am Ser Tristifer Hightower. I have come on behalf of Lord Garlan Hightower of Oldtown. I come with a proposal for Lord Rowan.”

[Poach]

[ooc: General post for both]

​The guards of the castle saw the party approaching, and the banners were established to be noble banners. The gates were opened, and the party shown to Lord Rowan's great hall, where he sat eating a meal. He offered the visitor a seat, wine, and food if they were hungry, while their men were shown to the barracks for a similar, albeit of somewhat lower quality, offer.

[Wheatley]

Oh you Reachmen, why couldn't I have been born here? Wine, sweet fruits, sweet women... Is what Frederick thought as he chewed down the peaches. He praised his own decision for coming here. Lord Rowan, I am the recently appointed lord of house Frey. This is my son Harald, Greetings, Harald said nonchalantly, and this is my brother Bruce, Good Afternoon to you my lord of the Reach, I... Frederick interrupted his vile blabber with, Bruce just shut your mouth for now... So now that I have made the introductions I would like to present a offer to you Lord Rowan, a trade route between our keeps.

[Poach]

"The Riverlands trades in Grain, we need Grain," replied Lord Rowen, "I accept this proposal. Would you like wine, food?"

As the agreement was hammered out, a scribe scribbled away the details to be later written up into a serious legal contract, while servants brought forth food and good wine.

[Honors Bastion]

Ser Tristifer enters the hall and takes a seat, although he declines any food though he does have a glass of wine. “My Lord Rowan, I am Ser Tristifer Hightower. My father has sent me here to establish a trade route with Goldengrove Oldtown has lost contact with our trade route with the Boltons of the Dreadfort and my father has decided to replace our lost trade with a fellow Reachmen. Why let an outsider profit from Oldtown’s trade when I a fellow Reachmen can. Do you accept Lord Rowan?”

[Wheatley]

Oh yes! Wine and food would be most appreciated. Frederick made a big deal out of the matter of what was normal courtesies when visiting other lords, his years of isolation with his dimwit father is to thank for that. Father... There was the other thing as well? Yes! The marriage proposal. Frederick stared at the bastards with the expression of "I was easing into that," until he sighed and turned to face Lord Rowan with a disappointed look.The marriage proposal is a bit out of the blue, I know, but it comes to my mind that I want to do it while they are still young. I have a daughter, fairly beautiful, nine-and-ten years of age. She is very devoted to the Seven which is why I thought one of your Reach lords might enjoy having her.

[Poach]

HB:

"This arrangement sounds fantastic," said Lord Rowan, who was thinking trade with a town the size of Oldtown might bring substantial wealth to his door, "This would be an excellent arrangement."

The conversion back to the Seven had improved Lord Rowan's disposition to the Hightowers: a follower of the Seven himself, he had been watching with some concern the spread of the Red Faith. He hoped the Hightowers returning to the fold would slow the uptake of this foreign religion, and perhaps calm some of his more militant fellow Seven worshippers.

* * *

Wheatley:

Rowan considered the proposal. Having an ally in the Freys could be useful should the religious difficulties in the Reach boil over into conflict, and the Freys themselves were Lords of power and influence in the Riverlands, itself a powerful region of the Seven Kingdoms.

"I have a single unwed son," replied Lord Rowan "My heir, and I would be honoured to see him wed to a Frey Lady."

[Honors Bastion]

Ser Tristifer smiled and said “Thank you Lord Rowan. That is excellent news. My father had feared that us Hightowers would not be so well received ever since we converted to R’hllor and then reconverted back to the Seven.” Tristifer waited for a response before continuing.

[Wheatley]

What? Bruce said, surprised that an ancient and noble house like the Rowans would marry their heir to a Frey? Frederick whiffed away Bruce's dumb expression and smiled whilst speaking, Excellent. So, the wedding can be held in a month, yes?

[Poach]

HB:

"Yes, that had many in the Reach worried, and I must admit I was concerned, too. I consider myself a devout man of the Seven, but also a noble man, chivalric and honourable. Unlike some I am not so eager to shed the blood of fellow Reachmen in the name of any particular God, but I cannot truthfully say that I greet the Red Faith spreading in Westeros with open arms. The unrest it has brought to our realm threatens kinslaying." said Rowan carefully. He knew the Hightowers had once followed the Red Faith, and converted back for reasons of peace: they may not be wholly happy returning to the fold, even if it made Rowan happy. First and foremost they were fellow men of the Reach, that must be remembered, even if they were somewhat misguided fellows.

* * *
Wheatley:

"Absolutely," said Rowan happily, "You do yourself little justice, my friends! The Freys are a fine family, and I understand you to be Lords of importance in your native Riverlands. I shall prepare the wedding."

[Wheatley]

Finally a man who sees further than the lineage of another but rather the value of the man, responded Harald in a bored voice. Frederick smacked the back of Harald's head for his foolishness and continued, Good, If we may stay the night we can be on our way on the morrow and we'll return in a moon's turn with your son's bride. Words could not describe his feeling of success. His mother had always warned him that everyone in the realm were envious of the Freys for their wealth, power and low-birth. But maybe that was only the Riverlands.

[Honors Bastion]

Tristifer smiled and said “I am glad to hear this Lord Rowan. My family made a mistake when our spirits were weak. My father survived the second sack of King’s Landing and he had to experience all the horrors that came from that siege. He saw men being burned alive, innocent women and children being murdered before his very eyes by those who claim to have the Seven’s support. These kinds of sights and sounds could have weakened any man’s resolve Lord Rowan.”

[Poach]

"Alas, yes." conceded Rowan, "The second sack left me in a crisis of faith as well. If the Seven condoned such atrocity, could they be revered? Was this Shepherd the voice of the Seven, though, he would not have been shattered outside the walls of the city by the first army loyal to the King that arrived. Just as the Seven intervene on the side of the just in trials by combat, they must do so in battle. The righteous prevail, and the Faith Militant were vanquished. The Shepherd was a false prophet. Had he succeeded where he failed, can you imagine the bloodshed to follow? All the faithful would flock to him, and waged war on everyone else."

[Honors Bastion]

Tristifer nodded and said “You are of course Lord Rowan but these words of wisdom of yours are not first things that you seek in times of despair. No, much worse things tend to come to your mind when your Faith leaves you. For my father, my mother and my elder brother, that worse thought was the voice of the Red God R’hllor. I will make my leave Lord Rowan. Thank you for your hospitality and the trade agreement. You can always consider House Hightower a friend and ally Lord Rowan. We are Reachmen first and foremost after all. Good day.”

[Honors Bastion]

A letter arrives from Highgarden and is addressed to Lord Colmar Rowan.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Lord Rowan,

I am proud to inform you that once the matter with the Greyjoys have been settled, you shall be named the Regent of the Reach. It was a touch task trying to convinve Lady Alerie of your worth and loyalty but in the end she small my wisdom. Congratulations Lord Rowan and now it is time to end this mess once and for all. For the Reach. For House Tyrell.

Signed,

Lord Garlan Hightower, the Voice of Oldtown, Lord of the Port, Lord of the Hightower, Defender of the Citadel, Beacon of the South

and

Ser Tristifer Hightower, Castellan of Highgarden

[Honors Bastion]

A raven arrives for Lord Rowan

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Lord Rowan,

Lord Arryn seems very non-committal to this whole affair. Our Lord Hand may have a rebellion on his hands in the Vale right now and so far refuses to send his fleet to support us against the Greyjoys. As a result, it appears that we will need to look for a peaceful solution to sort out this mess. As soon as I leave King’s Landing, I will make my way to Goldengrove and we can talk there.

Signed,

Lord Garlan Hightower, the Voice of Oldtown, Lord of the Port, Lord of the Hightower, Defender of the Citadel, Beacon of the South

-----------
A few weeks after the arrival of this letter, Lord Garlan Hightower arrives fresh from King’s Landing and he requests an audience with Lord Rowan.

[Poach]

He is shown into the keep where Lord Rowan awaits him. A table is laid out with wine and food, and a seat is there for Hightower, while Rowan sits already.

"Your news was troubling," said Colmar, ​"We cannot sail against the Iron Islands and win. The Lannisters claim to have already apprehended the assassin and may have already executed him, but their stated intent to burn him will disguise the corpse. I suspect they lie, or cover up for, the Greyjoys."

[Honors Bastion]

Garlan nodded and said “This whole situation is becoming messier and messier as time passes. Both the Greyjoys ad Lannisters have been very quiet since this whole affair has started, with only the news that they apparently captured the assassin reaching the ears of the realm. No doubt they are preparing for war, either training more men and hiring sellswords to reinforce them. And the fact that the assassin may have committed all of these acts on his own volition only complicates matters.”

Lord Garlan grasped his temple for a few moments before he said “We must deal with this whole affair peacefully, whether it is with honor or treachery. Our best option is to arrange a meeting of the lords, a meeting where we can safely discuss and remedy this matter without resulting in bloodshed. What is your viewpoint Lord Rowan?”