Oldtown, Seat of House Hightower
Oldtown, the Beacon of the South and Seat of House Hightower
Description of Oldtown with Map
The city of Oldtown is the second largest city in Westeros, second only in size and in wealth to Westeros’ capital city of King’s Landing. However, unlike King’s Landing, Oldtown is not affected by the squalor and filth of the capital city and Oldtown does not have vast areas devoted to the poor like the Flea Bottom. The city is filled with a myriad of winding alleys and passages ways of the many different buildings, homes, and apartments of its inhabitants. The city is ruled by House Hightower, the most influential and powerful family amongst all of the Reach’s lords.
The city sits upon the mouth of the Honeywine River and is actually split into two sections by the river, with the large Aegon’s Crossing Bridge connecting the halves together, with a smaller bridge to the North.The Honeywine River gives the city of Oldtown an inexhaustible source of fresh water, allowing Oldtown and its surrounding countryside to prosper. The city’s location at the mouth of the Honeywine River gives Oldtown a magnificent harbor that is one of the busiest, if not the busiest harbors in all of Westeros. The harbor is quite large with many wharves on both sides of the Honeywine. The harbor is protected by a great chain that can be raised and lowered to allow access into the harbor. Any ships that try to pass through the chain would be shattered and their hulls broken. It serves as a viable defense mechanism for the city.
Between the two harbors is a very large island. Dubbed Battle Island, and on it is the largest building in all of Westeros at 800 feet tall, the Hightower, the ancient lighthouse and fortified keep of the ruling House. Situated on its own island, the Hightower is quite secure and there is only one way on or off the island through the great bridge connecting to it, though there is a small dockyard where many Hightower warships rest.
To the North of Aegon’s Crossing Bridge, there are a series of islands that together make up the Citadel, which is home to the Maesters, the keepers of knowledge and learning in Westeros. There are bridges which give access to the Citadel and they are protected and fortified. Petirioners who wish to see the maesters can only enter through the main bridge on the Eastern side.
Oldtown was once the home to the Faith of the Seven and as such, the city is filled with dozens of shrines, septs, and other religious structures.(See Map) the most important Sept, the Starry Sept, was the former home of the Seven Faiths. The city of Oldtown even houses a small shrine to the Essosi Red God R’hllor near the city’s Merchant Square, which serves the religious needs of the many sailors from Essos.
Oldtown is protected by strong walls and stout towers and the city has large force of City Watchmen to aid in its defense. Throughout the city, the barracks of the City Watch highlight the security of the city. In the Northern section of Western half of Oldtown lays the Hightower Military Complex which houses the military forces of House Hightower.
Hightower Background House Hightower are considered one of the most loyal and powerful houses within the Reach. They are well-known being one of the oldest families too as once, the Hightowers ruled a kingdom during the time of First Men, the Old Gods and an era when the Reach was still under many petty Kings. It is said that during the reign of one of their legendary kings, Uthor of the High Tower, contracted Bran the Builder or his son to build a fifth tower of stone, setting the foundations for the Citadel. Even when they bent the knee through marriage to House Gardener, the Hightowers remained ever-loyal and vigilant of the seas to the South. To this day, their titles are grand and many; every succeeding Lord of House Hightower takes up not only the Lordship of Hightower, but also the Lord of the Tower, Lord of the Port, Voice of Oldtown, Defender of the Citadel and Beacon of the South. Their powerful walls make them a formidable foe, but also a target for Dornish and Ironborn raiders. Despite this, their grand walls have ensured the Hightowers have turn more to trading and commerce than war, ensuring that their power has grown with every successive generation, as more coin flows into its ports and enriches the city. Among these riches gained would be the Valyrian steel sword, Vigilance, which became a family heirloom of House Hightower, passed down from Father to Son.
Their greatest achievement was offering great patronage to the Faith of the Seven, which was brought by the Andal adventurers, and thus gained the right to house the great Starry Sept, the seat of the Faith of the Seven, the home of the High Septon and the gathering area of the Most Devout. This has led to close connections between the Hightowers and the Faith; even a few Hightowers have become High Septon themselves due to this close proximity. The Starry Sept was even built by a Hightower, a certain Lord Triston, in honor of his mentor, a Septon by the name of Robeson. In a ways, Oldtown is not only seen as a powerful economic center within the Reach, but also a very holy city due to the presence of the Most Devout and the High Septon. A great number of pilgrims flock to see the Starry Sept yearly in hopes of gazing upon the High Septon and receiving blessings from the Seven themselves.
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The reign of Garth X, also known as 'Greybeard,' ended in great disaster, not only for House Gardener, but many others suffered the consequences of Garth X's rule. To the North, the Westerlands marched their armies and invaded the green and fertile lands of the Reach. From the West came the hardy Stormlanders who also aimed to take prosperity and fair maids from the Reach. Yet the greatest detriment was the Dornish Invasion to the South. As one King struck at the heart of the Reach, besieging and sacking Highgarden, another Dornish King broke away and struck at Oldtown, besieging its mighty stone walls. As Highgarden burned and Garth was executed by the Dornish, Oldtown was siege and precious lives were lost. Shortly before the war, Garlan the Old died of age in his bed. He would be succeeded by Gerold Hightower, his eldest son, known as 'Strong Tower' for his tall stature and knightly reputation. Gerold would die in the initiate engagements of the Siege of Oldtown. Gerold had no children at that time as his betrothed and him were waiting for the war to end. The first son of Garlan was then succeeded by Gerold's brother, Desmond, another notable and great knight of House Hightower. Desmond was known as the Gallant and would lead the besieged Oldtown up until the time of Highgarden's sack. In a last ditch effort, the Dornish soldiers attempted to take Oldtown in hopes of sacking it, but failed. Humfrey Hightower died along with those who fought bravely to defend their home from the Dornish invaders. With no hope in sight, the Dornish King retired his weary forces and retreated into the Red Mountains.
With the death of Garlan's eldest sons, Gerold and Desmond, the Lordship of Oldtown would fall upon his third and final son, Arthor Hightower, known as the 'Little Tower.' Arthor was a man of no great talents compared to his older brothers. Although he was trained in the knightly code of the Reach, Little Tower was not destined to one day rule. In fact, Garlan the Old hoped that his youngest son would become a Septon one day and maybe become the High Septon. Due to this hope, Little Tower was educated by a Septon in the laws of the Faith, its history and codes, making Arthor a rather pious and devoted follower of the Seven. He was good at writing and an avid reader, spending much time in the Citadel's library as a young boy and having a Maester as his mentor. Yet many at the court of Oldtown knew of Arthor as a timid and inexperience man; he was no knight, no great soldier, his confidence was lacking and he shuddered at violence and anger. He was given nicknames such as the Timid and the Flinching, such nicknames that mocked the very surname and history of Hightower. Yet Arthor still managed to gain an advantageous marriage with House Beesbury and was known to have consummate the marriage, although some Lords wondered if the Little Tower was on the bottom or top of the affair. His wife was far more confidence and strong-willed than Arthor, making many at the court hope for strong offspring or perhaps the wife's traits rub off onto the Little Tower.
Members of House Hightower
The Family Tree of House Hightower
Garlan 'the Old Lord' - Deceased as of 3,997 AH, ruled for 40 years as Lord Hightower, married Lady Costayne
- Gerold 'the Strong Tower' - Knight of the Tower, Firstborn son of Garlan and Lord of Oldtown. Deceased as of 4,000 AH at the beginning of the siege of Oldtown
- Desmond 'the Gallant' - Knight of the Tower, Secondborn son of Garlan and Lord of Oldtown. Deceased as of 4,002 AH during the siege of Oldtown
- Arthur 'the Little Tower' - Knight of the Tower, Thirdborn son of Garlan and Lord of Oldtown. Married to Lady Beesbury.
- Maegelle Hightower - Lady of the Tower, Firstborn daughter of Garlan and Lady of Oldtown. Unmarried. Born 3,984 AH (Age: 20)
- Elizabel Hightower - Lady of the Tower, Secondborn daughter of Garlan and Lady of Oldtown. Unmarried. Born 3,990 AH (Age: 14)
Arthor Hightower, High Lord of the Honeywine and Lord of Oldtown
Name: Arthor Hightower, the Little Tower
Age: 25 (born 3,980 AH)
Title(s): High Lord of Oldtown, Lord of the Tower and the Port, Voice of Oldtown, Defender of the Citadel and Beacon of the South
Parentage: Garlan 'the Old' of House Hightower and Lady Costayne
Wife: Lady Adianna of House Beesbury
Children: 2 Children (1 boy and 1 girl)
Traits (7 points):
+1 Battle - Having survived the turmoil of the recent Dornish incursion into the Reach and the resulting siege of Oldtown, Arthor gained a little experience in battle when he was forced to draw his sword and take down a Dornish intruder, preventing them from killing a woman and her child. It was said, though, that after killing him, the Little Tower fainted at the sight of the blood...
+3 Wealth (+15%) - The port of Oldtown and its commerce have been cultivated over many generations of Hightower Lords with interested merchants from across Westeros. It has ensured great wealth was upon the lap of House Hightower which has been used to only further improve and expand the commercial venues of Oldtown.
+5 Duel (+4 from VS bonus; Vigilance) - Arthor was trained in the ways of Reachman chivalry and knighthood, but could never truly grasp it as a boy and teenager. Yet, despite this, his father still granted him a knighthood in the hopes that it would instill some talents upon his third son. When he succeeded his brother, Desmond the Gallant, Arthor inherited the family heirloom, Vigilance, a beautiful Valyrian steel sword. Although it was said, at his ascension ceremony to the seat of Oldtown and High Lordship, a retainer was ensured that Vigilance was handled well and not dropped...
+2 Survival - Surviving a Dornish incursion that sacked Highgarden, killed Garth Greybeard and two of your brothers would teach anyone a thing or two about surviving. Even if its a timid man like Arthor.
+1 Charisma (Hightower Bonus) - Being one of the most influential houses of the Reach has its perks when it comes to diplomacy and charisma when speaking.
Oldtown Regional Bonuses
- The City Watch of Oldtown: The city is defended and policed by a garrison of 2,500 men (divided into 1,500 Light Infantry, 500 Heavy Infantry and 500 Archers), which the owner does not need to pay upkeep for. These help protect against spying and assassination rolls in the city, and also are used in defense battles. -2 to spying, assassination and escape rolls for foes in the city, plus 2,500 extra troops in siege defense.
- Bustling Port: Oldtown is the second largest port in all of the Seven Kingdoms, second only to King's Landing itself. Traders from all corners of the known world come here to sell and buy wares, granting the owner one additional trade route.
- The Hightower and Battle Island: Originally just a lighthouse built to guide ships coming from the Whispering Sound, the Hightower slowly became a powerful fortress in it's own right on its own personal island at the center of Oldtown's bay on Battle Island as the city of Oldtown grew around it. If the city of Oldtown falls to a siege, the Hightower will act as a holdfast with a +2 siege bonus.
- Oldtown: The city is one of the largest in all of Westeros having developed and grown over a period of more than 4,000 years at the very least. The size of the city has allowed it to garrison an additional 200% of its levy. Requires at least 1,000 men to defend or a -1 siege defense modifier is applied.
- A city of Influence: Home to one of Westeros' most influential families and one of the Seven's most important of Septs, the owners of Oldtown are granted with +1 charisma.
Oldtown Trade Summary
Trade Resourece (House Trading with): Resource Effect
- Fruits - +600 Land Levy, +1 to any rolls to convince an AI character to do something (Includes calling your vassals to war) (Own Resource)
- Gold - +10% income
- Grains - +1,200 Land Levies (+1 from Oldtown Bonus)
- Grains - +1,200 Land Levies (+1 from Free Trade Edict)
- Restricted (Merchant Trade Route)
House Hightower Military
Retainers of Lord Arthor
- Seasoned Sellsword: +1 Land Battles and Rearguard.
- Siege Engineer: Allows construction of advanced siege equipment and build siege weapons.
- Headhunter: +2 Capture.
- Orator: +1 Charisma.
- Ranger: +1 Scout and Pathfinder.
Oldtown City Watch: 2,500 Men
500 Oldtown City Watch Men at Arms (500 from regional bonuses)
500 Oldtown City Watch Bowmen (500 from regional bonuses)
1,500 Oldtown City Watchmen (1,500 from regional bonuses)
Oldtown Land Levy
Basic Levy: 7,500 Points
Levy Modifiers: 6,000 Points
Total Levies: 5,750 men, 13,500 Points (6,000 Points Unused)
750 Heavy Infantry
1,875 Light Infantry
1,000 Polearm Infantry
1,125 Archers
750 Light Cavalry
250 Heavy Cavalry
Hightower Professional Soldiers
The Knights of the Honeywine
Reachmen Lancers - 200 men
Reachmen Lancers - 200 men
Hightower Naval Forces
Basic Naval Levies: 51 ships, 1,500 points
23 Levy Ships (230 points)
15 Dromonds (450 points)
8 Heavy Galleys (400 points)
4 Reachmen War Galley (320 points)
1 Grand Warships (100 points)
Additional Naval Levy Points:
Levy Warships:
Professional Warships:
Total Warships:
House Hightower Vassal Information
House Costayne of Three Towers: ---------------
House Beesbury of Honeyholt: ---------------
House Mullendore of the Uplands: ---------------
House Bulwer of Blackcrown: ---------------
House Cuy of Sunflower Hall: ---------------
House Blackbar of Bandallon: ---------------
Vassal Levies for Three Towers, Uplands, and Bandalon (1,500 Points)
150 Heavy Infantry
375 Light Infantry
200 Polearm Infantry
225 Archers
150 Light Cavalry
50 Heavy Cavalry
Total: 1,150 men
Vassal Levies for Sunhouse, Blackcrown, and Honeyholt (500 Points)
50 Heavy Infantry
125 Light Infantry
66 Polearm Infantry
75 Archers
60 Light Cavalry
17 Heavy Cavalry
Total: 383 men
Total Vassal Forces: 4,599 (6,000 Points)
600 Heavy Infantry
1,500 Light Infantry
798 Polearm Infantry
900 Archers
630 Light Cavalry
201 Heavy Cavalry
Naval Forces - 4 Coastal Provinces (Bandallon, Blackcrown, Three Towers, and Sun Flower Hall (Sun House))
Total Warships per Province: 51 ships, 1,500 points
23 Levy Ships (230 points)
15 Dromonds (450 points)
8 Heavy Galleys (400 points)
4 Reachmen War Galley (320 points)
1 Grand Warships (100 points)
Total Vassal Fleet: 204 ships, 6,000 points
92 Levy Ships (920 points)
60 Dromonds (1,800 points)
32 Heavy Galleys (1,600 points)
16 Reachmen War Galleys (1,280 points)
4 Grand Warships (400 points)
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Originally Posted by Alexandrine
