Post by The Smith on Oct 9, 2009 17:58:51 GMT -5
Rowan looked up from the stack of books that sat piled high on the table. Rowan had never had much interest in military strategy favoring the active skills of sword fighting and jousting to the patient turning of pages in a book and the deciphering of battle maps, but as storm clouds gathered in the South and North, Ser Marcus has insisted that the young Stormlord educate himself on some of the greater battles of the past years.
The massive book The Wars of Westeros by Maester Phineas was a good listing of the more famous battles and from there Rowan focused on some of the more interesting campaigns.
In Maester's Marcus book The Rebel's Rabble the Maester deduced that even with superior leadership and skill the Crown's army won based on the disorganization and confusion of the rebel force. He made special note of the The Battle of Rose Field, where Rowan learned the importance of numbers and choosing your battle location even if your host has superior leadership. In The Battle of Riverrun, Rowan learned the improtance of espionage and infiltration in winning a particularly challenging Siege Battle.
Maester Kenny's book, The Black Ships from the West provided a good account of the Great Western War, also know as the Basilisk Invasion. Particularly interesting to Rowan was sketches of a disected Basilisk and analysis on its Stone Changing effects. Maester Kenny shared the belief that the Basilisk Army was never completely defeated and a large contingency still lives under Casterly Rock. Particularly Interesting to Rowan was a description of the Battle of King's Landing and the Heroic stand of Lord Commander Benfry Smith and the soldiers and citizens of King's Landing. Maester Kenny hypothesized that the battle would never had to take place if Alexander Irwyn has survived his wounds at Deep Den as the Great Far Reach general would have pressed his advantage.
In Maester Coryn's Tome Doing the Impossible, the Subjugation of Dorne in under a year the author details the major steps of the Far Reach and its early allies the West and Ironborn in subjugating Dorne from the South rather then fighting in the Passes. The author argues that this victory was only possible because of the allies Naval dominance and the political mistakes of the Martell's in hamstringing Fowler's defense.
Rowan finds the chilling tail of the Battle of Hellholt and the chilling imagery of the Sands of Dorne completely red with Blood symbolic of early descriptions of Battles in the Long Winter with large splotches of winter landscape soaked in crimson.
The Crow's Coups of the Red Keep by Maester Mallik was a chilling reminder of the role the Gold Cloak's had played and the chilling tale of betrayal. Rowan disagreed with Maester Mallik's scathing critique of Pier's decision to name Benfry Smith as his replacement and argued that the Crow's coup was necessary step to preserve order. He faulted Horas Blackwood for the failure to secure other allies quickly after his successful coups which ended up ushering in one of the most deadly times for Westeros.
As Rowan finished that last paragraph he looked up to see the dawn's new day, he had been reading for the better part of the night and closed the book to head up to his room to sleep.
Results:
Rowan Improves to Expert Battle
Rowan Improves to Master Intrigue (for scenario and RP)
The massive book The Wars of Westeros by Maester Phineas was a good listing of the more famous battles and from there Rowan focused on some of the more interesting campaigns.
In Maester's Marcus book The Rebel's Rabble the Maester deduced that even with superior leadership and skill the Crown's army won based on the disorganization and confusion of the rebel force. He made special note of the The Battle of Rose Field, where Rowan learned the importance of numbers and choosing your battle location even if your host has superior leadership. In The Battle of Riverrun, Rowan learned the improtance of espionage and infiltration in winning a particularly challenging Siege Battle.
Maester Kenny's book, The Black Ships from the West provided a good account of the Great Western War, also know as the Basilisk Invasion. Particularly interesting to Rowan was sketches of a disected Basilisk and analysis on its Stone Changing effects. Maester Kenny shared the belief that the Basilisk Army was never completely defeated and a large contingency still lives under Casterly Rock. Particularly Interesting to Rowan was a description of the Battle of King's Landing and the Heroic stand of Lord Commander Benfry Smith and the soldiers and citizens of King's Landing. Maester Kenny hypothesized that the battle would never had to take place if Alexander Irwyn has survived his wounds at Deep Den as the Great Far Reach general would have pressed his advantage.
In Maester Coryn's Tome Doing the Impossible, the Subjugation of Dorne in under a year the author details the major steps of the Far Reach and its early allies the West and Ironborn in subjugating Dorne from the South rather then fighting in the Passes. The author argues that this victory was only possible because of the allies Naval dominance and the political mistakes of the Martell's in hamstringing Fowler's defense.
Rowan finds the chilling tail of the Battle of Hellholt and the chilling imagery of the Sands of Dorne completely red with Blood symbolic of early descriptions of Battles in the Long Winter with large splotches of winter landscape soaked in crimson.
The Crow's Coups of the Red Keep by Maester Mallik was a chilling reminder of the role the Gold Cloak's had played and the chilling tale of betrayal. Rowan disagreed with Maester Mallik's scathing critique of Pier's decision to name Benfry Smith as his replacement and argued that the Crow's coup was necessary step to preserve order. He faulted Horas Blackwood for the failure to secure other allies quickly after his successful coups which ended up ushering in one of the most deadly times for Westeros.
As Rowan finished that last paragraph he looked up to see the dawn's new day, he had been reading for the better part of the night and closed the book to head up to his room to sleep.
Results:
Rowan Improves to Expert Battle
Rowan Improves to Master Intrigue (for scenario and RP)