House Wisent

Arms and Words of House Wisent

To Find A Way, or Make One

Realm: The North
Liege: Lord Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell
Lord: Lord Josian Wisent, Lord of Wisenwood (age 38)
Lady: Lady Elizabel, Lady of Wisenwood (age 34)
Heir: Ayrant Wisent, Josian's younger brother (age 30)
Other Scions: Josian and Elizabel's children: Kaila (age 15), Cimbre (age 12), Dania (age 9)
Seat: Wisenwood, at the southeastern edge of the Wolfswood
Age: Established, in the time of Aegon's Conquest

Members of the House

• Lord Josian Wisent: Lord of the House, and older brother to Ayrant. Has only daughters for children, and thus no proper heir. Josian is a woodsman and hunter born, and has a number of friends among other Houses in the area with whom he goes on hunting trips. He can be quite unpleasant when drunk, but is generally likeable enough. (Age 38)
• Lady Elizabel Wisent: Josian's wife, and mother of his three daughters. Originally of the Harclay clan of the mountains, Elizabel was called the "Moon's Beauty" among those clans for her poise and attractiveness. She is still very much the fierce mountain woman, and very much her husband's equal. (Age 35)
• Ayrant Wisent: The Heir of House Wisent, and Josian's younger brother. He was recently called back to Westeros after an extended time in Braavos as the result of a scandal and banishment by his father.
• Kaila Wisent: The oldest daughter of the House, Kaila is 15. She is a great deal like her mother, and spends a few months every year with her favorite aunt Mara Harclay with the mountain Harclays. As such, she's a capable hunter, much to Josian's ire. He wants her to be a proper young lady, in order to attract a husband. (Age 15)
• Cimbre Wisent: The middle daughter Cimbre is a sweet young girl of 12, with a head for fairy tales and other stories. She is still very attached to Nanna, and frequently moons after Garwyn. (Age 12)
• Dania Wisent: The youngest daughter at age 6, Dania is just old enough to get into trouble, frequently sneaking away from the household to mix with the crofters and smallfolk. (Age 6)

Retainers of the House

Wisenwood Retainers

• Nanna Snow: A bastard-born woman of the mountain clans, Nanna is an old woman with a great deal of herbal lore. She is rustic and illiterate, but with a head full of songs, stories and folklore from the mountain-folk. She serves the Wisents as nanny. (Age 68)
• Carenzo Itaro: Ayrant's Braavosi manservant. Carenzo's mother was Westerosi, and he's always been curious to see what it was like. (Age 25)
• Daenar Harclay: A strong warrior and the Castellan of Wisenwood Tower, Daenar is Lady Elizabel's cousin some twelve years her senior. He is a rough, great-bearded warrior of the mountain clans. (Age 46)
• Ser Ormun Ironsmith: A fourth son of House Ironsmith, Ironsmith is a knight and Master-at-Arms for Wisenwood, and has command of the garrison and infantry. He squired under Lord Waldren, the father of the current Lord and Heir. He and Lord Josian are the best of friends. (Age 42)
• Ser Ryfe of Barrowton: A hedge knight infamous for being something of a drunkard, Ser Ryfe was the knight Ser Garwyn used to squire for. The man, quite old now, has a small house in Wisenwood Town, though he is of course always welcome at the hearth of Wisenwood Tower. He is the former Castellan of Wisenwood. (Age 62)

Palewood Retainers

• Ser Tarmon the Archer: A hedge-knight from the Wolfswood, Ser Tarmon is both the castellan of Palewood, and the commander of the Wisent Wise. (Age 35)
• Tobin the Wise: One of the Wisent Wise, Tobin is an experienced old hunter who serves as the Master-of-the-Hunt for House Wisent. He can usually be found at the Palewood Tower. (Age 49)
• Braedyn Hill: The Wisent kennelmaster, Braedyn is a grizzled old veteran missing one eye. He loves the House's mastiffs, and they he. The Wisent kennels are found at the Palewood Tower. (Age 47)

Traits

• Defense: 28 (20 Invested; 8 Free)
• Influence: 41 (40 Invested; 1 Free)
• Lands: 53 (53 Invested)
• Law: 11 (House Fortunes Roll: -5)
• Population: 23 (House Fortunes Roll: +1)
• Power: 37 (37 Invested; 0 Free)
• Wealth: 19 (15 Invested; 4 Free; House Fortunes Roll: +3 due to Maester, +(2d6-6) due to Godswood)

Defense

House Wisent maintains two fortifications in its domain: the ancient Wisenwood Tower, and the newer Pale Tower.

• Wisenwood Tower: A small tower originally built along the Kingroad where it met the Wolfswood south of Castle Cerwyn, Wisenwood is a very strong and respectable tower-keep now surrounded by the small town of Wisenwood.
• Pale Tower: Built in the time of Maegris Wisent, the Pale Tower is built all of weirwood that retains its gleaming white color to this day. Though the Pale Tower had sinister origins, it is now a favored hunting lodge for the family, situated in the deeps of the Wolfswood as it is. A small hamlet, Palewood, has grown up around the tower there.

Influence

Aside from its Lord Josian Wisent and his Lady Elizabel, the Wisent family consists of their three daughters Kaila (10 pts - eldest girl), Cimbre (5 pts - second girl) and Dania (5 pts - third girl). The family has also recently sent for its estranged uncle, Josian's younger brother Ayrant Wisent. (20 pts - male heir).

Land

House Wisent has good lands.

• Wisenwood: A small town built up around Wisenwood Tower, Wisenwood is less than an hour's travel from the Kingsroad. (Plains; Road, Small Town; 30 pts)
• Palewood: A small hamlet made up primarily of foresters and woodland crofters, grown up around the Pale Tower. (Hills; Lightly Wooded, River, Hamlet; 23 pts)

Power

The military forces House Wisent can call upon are as follows:

• House Blackhorn: A banner house from deeper within the Wolfswood. (20 pts)
• Trained Infantry: The footsoldiers of House Wisent are usually garrisoned in Wisenwood. (7 pts)
• Trained Garrison: Wisenwood maintains a garrison of peacekeeper forces. (5 pts.)
• Trained Guerillas: The tradition of the Wisent Wise, forest-men skilled in fighting from treetops in defense of Maegris' Pale Tower continues into the modern day. These days, they aren't bandits and wildlings, but the woods-wise men and women of the Palewood hamlet sworn to help defend their home. (5 pts)

Wealth

House Wisent's investments include:

• Maester Tolbric Storm: Lord Josian, recognizing the limitations of his own governing skills, sent to the Citadel requesting the assistance of a maester. (10 pts; +3 to House Fortunes roll)
• The Weeping Gardens of Wisenwood: An extensive set of gardens grown up around the Godswood of Wisenwood. (5 pts; +[2d6-6] to House Fortunes rolls)

History

• Glory: +6 Def, +3 Infl, +1 Law, +3 Pow
• Favor: +3 Inf, +3 Lands, +4 Law, +2 Pow
• Villain: +3 Inf, +6 Pow, -1 Law, -6 Pop
• Victory: +5 Def, +6 Infl, +5 Pow
• Conquest: -5 Def, +3 Infl, +6 Lands, -5 Law, +2 Pop, +1 Wealth
• Madness: -3 Def, -6 Infl, -1 Lands, -2 Pop, -3 Wealth

Lords of House Wisent

• Torrhen's Bull (exact years unknown)
• Tauryn Wisent (exact year of lordship unknown; died 72 AL)
• Maelryn Wisent (72 - 79 AL)
• Torrhen Wisent (79 - 99 AL)
• Josiah Wisent (99 - 123 AL)
• Kromyn Wisent (123 - 150 AL)
• Ayrant Wisent (150 - 195 AL)
• Maegris Wisent (195 - 202 AL)
• Korvan Wisent (202 - 214 AL)
• Tauryn Wisent (214 - 245 AL)
• Krovan Wisent (245 - 267 AL)
• Waldren Wisent (267 - 288 AL)
• Josian Wisent (288 - 293 AL; Current Lord)

Founding

The Age of Aegon's Conquest (circa 3 - 5 AL)
House legends speak of Torrhen's Bull, a powerfully built warrior who served Torrhen Stark, the last King of the North. After the devastation brought to the North by Aegon's Conquest, Torrhen raised many of his most valiant fighters to positions of nobility, in accordance with Andal and Targaryen tradition. Though many so named were already clans sworn to the Kings of Winter, Torrhen's Bull and his family were elevated to a position of honor as House Wisent. (Glory Founding; +6 Defense, +3 Influence, +1 Law, +3 Power)

The Wolf's Favor

187 AL
House Wisent demonstrated their loyalty and strength in battle against the Ironmen, who plagued the coasts of the North all during the Targaryen reign of Daeron II. When they began to range far into the mainland, scouring through the Barrowlands, House Wisent were among those who answered the Stark call to arms. When Lord Ayrant Wisent's son Maegris was captured and tortured by the Ironmen, he gathered his allies and led the attack on the Ironman emplacement, a captured keep in the Barrowlands. Against all odds, the Northmen were victorious and very fortunate - the keep was hosting a gathering of Ironmen leaders planning their next move, the majority of whom were slain. For this act of bravery, House Wisent was greatly honored by House Stark, including receiving as a gift a longsword of Valyrian steel named Steelhorn. (Favor; +3 Influence, +3 Lands, +4 Law, +2 Power)

Maegris the Mad

195 - 202 AL
House Wisent remembers this time as perhaps its darkest time. The son of Ayrant Wisent, young Maegris, never fully recovered from his time among the Ironmen. This worsened after the death of Lord Ayrant, and Lord Maegris became actively cruel and paranoid. Sure that the agents of Ironmen were everywhere, he undertook drastic measures to protect his lands, pressing peasantry into military forces and forcing those who remained to build fortifications. His fervency served him well for years, however - other Houses never saw the depredations upon his smallfolk. They only saw his military force and power growing, and honored him for his efforts. In the end, however, Maegris recruited bandits and wildlings as his personal military forces, leaving them to run amuck and prey on his smallfolk while he hid in his Palewood Tower, a monstrosity built almost entirely of cut down weirwoods. (Villain; +3 Influence, +6 Power, -1 Law, -6 Population)

A Return to Honor

202 AL
Eventually, however, Maegris' madness threatened to destroy House Wisent. He banished his younger brother, Korvan, accusing him of conspiring against him, and shut himself up in his Palewood Tower. Finally, Korvan could no longer sit idly by while his elder brother destroyed the House, and he gathered a force and marched on him. The war - still known in the Barrowlands as the War of Bulls - devastated Wisent lands. In the end, however, Maegris leapt to his death from Palewood Tower, screaming at his brother's forces in impotent rage. Lord Korvan's boon companion, Ser Taenis Blackhorn was given lands and a lordship for his part in putting down the monster Maegris. (Victory: +5 Defense, +6 Influence, +5 Power)

Rivalry

200 - 246 AL
The full extent of Maegris' madness was best shown in the lesson of Ser Rogar Balinger of House Balinger. Ser Rogar was a knight sworn to House Wisent, until Maegris' paranoid convinced him that the man was trying to poison him. In the dead of night, Maegris ordered some of his wildlings to burst into the man's quarters and capture him. He was lashed to a pole in front of Palewood Tower and then burnt alive after nearly a week of winter exposure. From that day, House Balinger swore oaths of enmity against House Wisent. Even the defeat of Maegris did not convince them to back down. Finally, after two generations of antagonism and petty vendetta-seeking, the conflict boiled into full-blown war. In the end, House Balinger was defeated and its lord forced to take the black. His wife and their children (including the heir) escaped, however, disappearing to places unknown. (Conquest: -5 Defenses, +3 Influence, +6 Lands, -5 Law, +2 Population, +1 Wealth)

Blood Will Tell

281 - 288 AL
Most recently, the taint of madness has once again struck House Wisent, leaving some to wonder if the whole bloodline is somehow cursed. With the death of his beloved Lady Cimbria in 281 AL, Lord Waldren slowly began to lose touch with reality. For several years, he saw enemies where there were none, and even sometimes believed that his wife was still alive. House Wisent's holdings suffered, most especially after a deeply embarrassing attendance as a guest at a wedding in House Cerwyn left most of the Northern Houses aware of Lord Waldren's instability. There are some who feel that Waldren's death in 288 was a mercy to the House. (Madness: -3 Defense, -6 Influence, -1 Lands, -2 Population, -3 Wealth)

Recent History

255 - 294 AL

• 255 AL: Waldren Wisent weds Cimbria Tallhart
• 256 AL: Cimbria gives birth to their first child, Josian.
• 264 AL: Cimbria gives birth to their second child, Ayrant.
• 266 AL: Cimbria miscarries and falls ill, rendering her infertile.
• 267 AL: Lord Krovan dies of a flux; Waldren becomes Lord Wisent.
• 277 AL: Josian is wed to Elizabel Harclay. She is accompanied to Wisenwood by Nanna Snow and Daenar Harclay.
• 279 AL: Elizabel gives birth to their first child, Kaila.
• 281 AL: Lady Cimbria falls while riding her horse, and is accidentally trampled by the spooked horse, killing her.
• 282 AL: Elizabel gives birth to their second child, Cimbre. A scandal erupts when Ayrant Wisent (then 18) is accused of raping Serise Dustin of House Dustin; it is considered resolved when Lord Waldren banishes Ayrant. Lord Waldren's sanity begins slipping.
• 284 AL: Garwyn Blackhorn is fostered at Wisenwood.
• 287 AL: Lord Waldren embarrasses House Wisent with his insanity at a wedding hosted by House Cerwyn.
• 288 AL: Lord Waldren dies of a summer fever. Josian becomes Lord Wisent. Elizabel gives birth to their third child, Dania. Garwyn Blackhorn becomes the squire of Ser Ryfe of Barrowton.
• 292 AL: When Ser Ryfe of Barrowton is too drunk to compete in a tourney, his squire Garwyn Blackhorn dons his armor and rides in his place, expecting to take a fall and slink off the field. Instead, he wins, felling a knight of House Whitehill. Lord Josian rewards the young man for his bravery by knighting him.
• 293 AL: Kaila is betrothed to Orthian Tallhart. Lord Josian sends a letter to his brother in Braavos, designating him as Heir to House Wisent and asking him to return.
• 294 AL: Current Year

Wisenwood Tower

Wisenwood Tower

Ground Floor

• Cellars: The cellars are half-buried, and remain quite cool year round. As such, they often house sleeping servants at night during the warmer months. The walls here are stocked with drink, bags of root vegetables and plenty of cured meats, much of it hunted by the lord.

First Floor

• Kitchens & Main Hall: This grand chamber is - in the old style of such fortifications - both preparation and dining hall. The family rarely dines here, however, save when there are guests. As such, the servants have most of the run of this area. With its grand hearths, it is often quite warm, and as such serves as the bedding-down place for many servants at night.

Second Floor

• Solar: A warm, pleasant room with ample natural lighting, the Solar is where the family is usually found. The lord's desk is kept near the entrance, with seating for the house's women to do their embroidery and other household work beside the hearth. The southern portion of the chamber has a fair-sized table where the family take their meals.

Third Floor

• Heir's Chambers: X
• Daughters' Chambers: The household's daughters share a room and a large curtained bed here. Nanna Snow also sleeps here, in a smaller bed shoved off into one of the corners.
• Maester's Chambers: House Wisent has prepared one of its few chambers for the sole use of their new maester, outfitting it with a decent bed with thick coverlets and furs, a desk and shelves for the books and other possessions he brings with him.

Fourth Floor

• Garret: The garret has been turned into the Lord and Lady's chambers, and the nursery (though there are no younglings in it now). The chambers are always kept locked, as the household's moneychest can be found here.

Roof

• Rookery: The southeastern tower, originally basically unused, has been refurbished to act as a basic rookery for the ravens that House Wisent's new maester is bringing with him.

Palewood Tower

Palewood Tower

A squat tower in the dim recesses of the nearby Wolfswood, the Palewood Tower has something of a sinister origins. It earned its name for the ample use of cut weirwood that XXX the Mad cut down and put to use in the tower's building, and to this day they retain their bleached, bone-like appearance. Despite these unsavory origins, Palewood Tower sees ample use by House Wisent as a hunting lodge.

Ground Floor

• Cellars: The cellars here are staged, and kept well-stocked with the spoils of many a hunting expedition.

First Floor

• Lower Hall: A hall with ample seating for armsmen, hunters and other men-at-arms, the lower hall is intended for entertaining the retinues of any guests. When it is not in such service, the servants are permitted to use it for their own purposes. More than a few of the locals have also gotten permission from Lord Wisent to hold wedding feasts and other large celebrations, as well; indeed, the lord usually contributes a large haunch of venison or boar to the feast as his gift.

Second Floor

• Great Hall: The gathering spot for members of the House and their guests. The Great Hall doesn't often see use. The Great Hall has a single, massive table, with seats at its upper end, and benches along the rest of it, and its walls are hung with generations of hunting trophies.
• Kitchens: Thanks to the frequent hunting successes of Lord Wisent, the kitchens here are amply prepared to cook very large haunches and cuts of meat, indeed, up to and including roasting entire boar.

Roof Floor

• Bedroom Garret: Kept in ready condition for any of the House who might arrive, this bedroom is richly appointed, with a curtained bed and comfortable seats beside the large fireplace, over which usually hangs Lord Wisent's most recently-stuffed trophy.
• Caphouses: When a noble is in residence, the caphouses serve as sleeping chambers for their guests, or retinue if there are no guests. They have several beds apiece, though they are usually bare, waiting to be made when the servants receive word of visitors.