House Graben

House Graben

We Stand Fast

Status:	Minor
Seat:	Irongarde
Current Lord:	None
Current Lady:	Isalaine Graben
Realm:	Stormlands
Heir:	XXX Graben
Liege:	Lord Gulian Swann
Cadet Branch:	None
Vassals:	House Wachstrom
Founder:	Ser Graben of the Andals
Founded:	Andal Invasion
House Traits
Defense:	45
Influence:	31
Lands:	31
Law:	32
Population:	12
Power:	43
Wealth:	22

One of the oldest of the Marchwater Vale Houses, House Graben traces its lineage back to a knightly founder who helped seize the Stormlands from the First Men during the original Andal Invasion. Rewarded with guardianship over the pass from the Boneway into the river valley, the Graben have watched and guarded that pass ever since.

Domains

• House Fortune: -1 Law; +2 Mine, +2 Trading Inn; Wealth increases gain +1.

Irongarde Hills

The single passage from the Boneway into the Marchwater Vale, the Irongarde Hills have been the lands of House Graben for many generations. Steep, rolling hills with plenty of shale and chalk, but precious little verdancy, the domain's estates are all generally involved in either sheepherding or the House's mining operations. There are XXX (X) estates in this domain. (Lands: Hills; Road; 12 points)

• Irongarde: Small Castle. The ancestral seat of House Graben, Irongarde is a fairly sizeable structure, its foundations built on ancient First Men construction. Irongarde stands tall atop a hill with a sheer cliff-face facing the Boneway as it descends out of the Dornish Marches, providing a tremendously defensible control over the road. (Defense: 30)
  • Irongarde Bowmen: Veteran Archers. The archers of Irongarde are well-respected for their skill and training - to say nothing of their ability to rain a literal hail of arrows down on those poor unfortunates enough who would use the Boneway as an avenue of invasion. (Power: 8 points)
  • The Ironhooves: Veteran Cavalry. Clad in chain with distinctive iron helms, the Ironhooves are a troop of strong and well-trained cavalrymen. Generally speaking, at any given time, half the Ironhooves are in Irongarde proper, with the other half split off into two five-man patrols across the rest of the Graben lands. (Power: 10 points)
• The Iron Mines of House Graben: Mine (Basic). The hills of Irongarde have produced precious iron ore for generations. There are even a few mines that are wholly played out on the lands, gaping empty holes in the land. The majority of them, however, are still producing, with the Graben smallfolk of the domain mainly making their livings toiling in the earth. (Wealth: 10 points)

Wayman's Rest

A rolling plains between where the Boneway ends and the Marchwater itself, Wayman's Rest is named for a large Graben-owned trading inn that has been there for generations. Over time, a hamlet has grown up around it, which has taken on the name of the inn itself. (Lands: Plains; Hamlet, River, Grasslands; 19 points)

• Kraymun's Tower: Tower. Built by a Graben lord several generations ago when raiders were coming out of the hills. Rather than depending on the inn for fortifying defensive troops, Lord Kraymun built a tower on the edges of the then-village. That place has since grown to encompass the hill upon which the Tower stands. (Defense: 10 points)
  • The Graycloaks: Trained Garrison. In their distinctive stone grey cloaks edged in purple and leather caps, the garrison that protects Wayman's Rest are armed with shields and maces. (Power: 5 points)
• Wayman's Rest Inn: Trading Inn. The oldest structure in Wayman's Rest - indeed, the very source of the name - the Inn is a strongly fortified structure from its days when it sat alone along a trader's route, its services often including defending merchant caravans from bandits and the like. Though those days are long past, the inn is still very prosperous and well-frequented. With a large taproom and a surplus of stables with rented storage, rooms both common and private and one of the best cooks in Wayman's Rest, it seems that it will remain that way for a long time. (Wealth: 10 points)

Helmport

Though Helmport is the domain of House Swann, the marriage of Isalaine to Lord Waltyr came with a doweried townhouse for House Graben.

• The Dowry House: Townhouse. A several-story, quite luxurious affair built in a U-shape around an open courtyard, the Dowry House is where members of House Graben stay when they are in Helmport, generally speaking. (Wealth: 2 points)

Members of the House

• Lady Isalaine Graben: X. Dowager Lady of the House. (32 years)
• Lord XXX Graben: X. Lord of the House. (16 years)
• XXX Graben: The oldest daughter of House Graben, and the oldest of XXX and Isalaine's children. XXX is a Lady's Maid at the court of Storm's End. (19 years)
• Alysa Graben: Daughter (14). (14 years)
• Lyle Graben:' Heir of the House. Son (7). (7 years)
• Brice Willum: Ward of the House. A son of House Willum of the Reach.

Retainers of the House

• Ser Ulwyck Mace: Master at Arms. X
• Ser XXX: Castellan.
• Malthias Storm: Master of the Hunt. A bastard with a tragic past and a young blonde daughter, the somewhat-grim Master of the Hunt has quite a way with animals, be they horses, hounds or even a maester's ravens.
• Lucias of Helmport: Steward. The son of a knight in the service of House Swann and a wealthy merchant's daughter, Lucias spent much of his childhood avoiding his father's fighting lessons and following his grandfather around on business. Though the young man is passable with a blade, he is quite skilled with numbers and finances. He was suggested to Lord Graben by Lord Gulian Swann, and thus far has proven himself quite skilled in managing the House's affairs.

Banner Houses

• House Wachstrom: Minor House. A House with an impressive fleet of river-going warships, House Wachstrom owes its allegiance to House Graben.

History

• Glory: (Part of Andal Invasion)
• Invasion: (House Swann returning to the Marchwater Vale with a host of First Men)
• Ascent: (Marriage into House Caron)
• Glory: X
• Scandal: X
• Victory: Against House Willum in the Seige of Storm's End

Recent History

• AL XXX: X
• AL XXX: X
• AL XXX: X
• AL XXX: X
• AL 295: Malthias Storm is taken on as a groom at SEATNAME. He quickly demonstrates ample skill with animals, including Maester Tygett's ravens. Rather than subject the aged maester to marching up and down stairs to reach the rookery constantly, Malthias is assigned to help tend to them when necessary, for which the old half-blind scholar is grateful.
  • Later that year, the quite old Maester Tygett finally succumbs to his old age and passes away at the ripe age of 92. Rather than find the coin to get another Maester for the House, Lord Waltyr appoints Lucias as his Steward, and extends Malthias' duties to continuing to tend to the rookery until the House can acquire a new Maester.
• AL 296: Lord Waltyr Graben is on a hunt when he and his retainers are killed by a pack of rogue wolves when camping. Most of the men get out alive (though injured), but Lord Waltyr and Gilwood, the old Master of the Hunt, are killed. XXX becomes the new Lord Graben at age XX, and Malthias is made the new Master of the Hunt.
• AL 297: Chronicle Begins