End of the Journey but not of the Adventure

DURRANDON'S POV

The glory of the Westerlands lay in its wealth, it wasn't a particularly populous region or large, nor was it a great producer of food or other essentials, being reliant on trade with its neighbors for a lot of that.

Especially after winters became a yearly event in the Known World.

But it was still indisputably the richest part of the Seven Kingdoms.

Topographically, it was somewhat unremarkable though.

There were some rolling plains in the south, towards the reach and the western coast facing the Sunset Sea, and a large forest near Crakehall.

But overwhelmingly this was a mountainous and hilly province, and beneath those hills lay gold and silver.

Not that this had always been one single region.

As the First Men moved into this area a millennia ago, they founded small fiefdoms and areas of control.

Moving into the Age of Heroes, these morphed into petty kingdoms, with the strongest and richest winning out.

And the strongest and richest of all were the Lannisters, of course, ruling as Kings of the Rock from Casterly Rock.

And they slowly expanded their kingdom further and further out into what was now the Westerlands.

This of course made the original Westernlanders First men, and they resisted the slow Andal invasion for a while, but the tide was irreversible.

And eventually, as in so many other places, outright invasion gave way to intermarriage and treaties.

One by one, the noble families of the Westernlands left behind the Old Gods, adopting the faith of the seven and the customs of the Andals.

The Lannisters were no different.

When King Gerald III Lannister died without male heirs, his son-in-law, an Andal, was declared the new King of the Rock.

And the Lannisters continued to grow, extending their borders to the south, east and north.

But although they've met resistance, they had few major setbacks.

They never overextended themselves, just kept pushing outwards, always aware of the ever-present threat of raids from the Ironborn.

The fact that it was House Lannister that gained the ascendancy in the region was of course, at least partly, due to the wealth and power they accumulated by dint of Casterly Rock being on top of hugely rich and productive seams of gold.

But it is worth pointing out that these seams of gold, as well as silver and other precious metals, extend out across the whole mountainous region of the Westerlands.

Many of the other noble houses in the region were also very rich, and on occasion, this had made other houses feel empowered enough to challenge the hegemony of the Lannisters.

A few days north of Casterly Rock, one could find the most recent evidence of this.

The history of House Reyne and their Castle, Castamere, was perhaps not surprisingly quite similar to that of the Lannisters.

At first, during the Age of Heroes, this was a simple silver and gold mine, over time that needed protecting so the Reynes built fortifications above and around their mines, a stout curtain wall and some guard towers.

A keep followed, and soon this was to all intents and purposes a modest but defendable castle.

There were a dozen or more stories like this in the Westerlands.

But as in Casterly Rock, the Reynes extended to their home underground, disused mines were adapted and extended to become living areas, halls and even a massive ballroom.

And it was Castamere, once their pride, that became their horrific end.

From records Pycelle got for me, castamere today had its curtain wall crumbled and its strong towers broken into rubble, some remarked that it seemed quiet, peaceful almost.

But that was only because any ghosts that were there were buried underground in its magnificent halls.

When the Reynes and the Tarbecks rebelled against Lannister rule and Tywin Lannister crushed them ruthlessly, it was there that they made their last stand.

The defenders hold themselves up in these underground chambers, safe they thought, behind their heavy gates.

They begged for clemency, but received none.

Tywin Lannister ordered their entrances and exits to the underground chambers to be blocked up with stone, burying the inhabitants alive.

And then, with even greater callousness, he diverted the waters from the nearby lake into those chambers, flooding them and killing everyone.

Or so everyone thought.

I wonder if I could still make some use of Castamere and Tarbeck Hall.

Regardless, although it was now peaceful, the lake was a deep blue and the ruined towers were a dramatic backdrop, making it not a place people liked to linger.

Indeed, it has been left like that to send a message: Rebellion against the Lannisters will be crushed mercilessly.

So, as Tywin's retinue headed westward, through the mountains and approaching the end of the River Road.

Although we won't be making any stops, this route allowed us to see firsthand some more of the lives of the small folk here.

There were some farms in the valleys, but mostly in this area life was quite harsh.

Castamere and Tarbeck Hall were not the only abandoned settlements.

For centuries people here have settled wherever the mining industry struck gold or silver, miners needed housing, feeding and entertaining, and soon a community built up with shops, ale houses and tradespeople.

But when a seam runs dry, the people move on.

There were countless ghost villages here that once were rich, but now lie empty.

Such a waste.

On the mountain sides around us, I saw numerous cave entrances.

I was told that the maze of tunnels and caverns beneath Casterly Rock extended all throughout this region, and perhaps even beyond.

A world out of sight of those who prefer to remain over ground, and the perfect region for me to explore during my time here.

Who knows, I might even find some interesting pathways around the kingdom.

The mountains also offered defensive security to the westerlands.

The River Road was guarded by Golden Tooth, but unlike the Bloody Gate on the Vale, which similarly guarded the Vale against invaders heading through mountains of the moon, this was not a gate physically barring access, the westerlands were too reliant on trade to do that, so a fortress set high atop a hill gazing down on the pass instead.

Pycelle informed me that although anyone could pass, an invading army would really need to secure the Golden Tooth in order to ensure safe passage.

That or risk one of the many goat tracks that crisscrossed the hills and mountains here.

Again, gotta map those passages as soon as possible.

The Gold road running back to King's Landing was guarded by Deep Den, seat of House Lydden.

And like the Golden Tooth, it was set up to allow the free flow of trade, but was defensively robust enough to hold the road if need be.

If one headed south, along the Ocean Road, keeping the Sunset Sea on their right and the mountains in the distance on their left as they journey, these mountains morphed into hills and then flatten down further into undulating lowlands.

In that direction lay Silverhill of House Serret and Clegane Hall of House Clegane.

But soon, as one approached Crakehall castle, even these hills disappear from view, behind the forest, the only real forest in the Westerlands.

And soon the names of settlements started to reflect the change in topography.

Instead of places like the Crag, Deep Den or Nunn's Deep, there were settlements called Cornfield, Old Oak and Red Lake.

These feel, and were, more rural, more pastoral.

The people here farm and fish rather than mine and smelt, taking full advantage of the fertile soil they shared with the Reachman.

Which would suit my plans for solving the food shortage, that even the Reach was struggling with, just fine.

As for Crakehall, it wasn't that much remarkable about its architecture, but its placement was interesting.

The forest expanded out behind it and in front of it was the Sunset Sea, extending endlessly into the distance.

Great for hunting grounds.

Not to mention how sturdy the people around here were, known for their natural talent for physical labor and combat.

Probably due to them being the Westerlanders with most blood ties to the First Man.

Which leads me to the Kingdom as a whole.

Some people say that Tywin was too harsh, that eradicating every member of the Reynes and Tarbecks family was not necessary.

But now there are no bannermen as loyal to their Lord as the Westerlands to him.

If any lord bridles at his authority, he has only to send a singer with a harp, and they fall back into line.

Because Tywin will not have his Lords squabble amongst themselves, like the Lords of the Riverlands, or hide in his castle, like the lords of the Vale, each of his bannermen contributed a unique skill that furthered the whole of the Westerlands.

House Clegane for example, since every Lord needs a beast from time to time.

Say anything about him, but the Mountain that Rides stroked terror into the hearts of the Lannisters' enemies and their friends.

So did his brother, Sandor, my Sworn Shield.

Next came House Payne, who provided them with loyal servants.

Ser Ilyn Payne was once captain of Tywin's household guard until the Mad King heard him boast that he ran the Seven Kingdoms, which he actually did.

The Mad King tore out Ser Ilyn's tongue, making him especially well-suited to later become the King's Justice.

Podrick Payne was another member of that house, but he was still just a kid.

House Lefford, who guarded the Golden Tooth, the eastern pass through the mountains, and the all-too-frequent chaos of the Seven Kingdoms.

House Farman, known for their hatred of the Ironborn from the Iron Islands since they are stationed off the coast of the Westerlands, providing their own fleet to aid the Lannister fleet.

House Kenning of Kayce was strategically located in a position where it could sight and send a warning of any Ironborn invasion.

House Brax had their pristine mounted cavalry to bolster the army.

House Sarsfield had renowned archers.

House Prester had great command leaders.

House Marbrand skilled Knights.

House Crakehall strong warriors.

House Plumm competent stewards.

And so on and so forth.

—————————————————————

One evening, as the hours seemed to blur together and I kept trying to find ways of putting my time into use whilst alone in my own carriage, I was suddenly visited by an unusual company.

A vagrant of humble clothes and unnoticeable gender walked inside my transportation while it was still moving, not alerting neither the coachman nor the rest of Tywin's retinue.

"Greetings, my prince." The figure wearing common clothes with many patches spoke to me, displaying a certain level of familiarity that made me curious.

I used Observe on it.

[???]

Raising an eyebrow at that, I finally understood who I was dealing with.

"I've been expecting you, please make yourself comfortable." I immediately replied, showing great amounts of hospitality. "Forgive me, but from your looks it appears that you must be tired of your journey. Can I get you anything, food? Drink?"

As the figure nodded before taking the seat facing me, I heard its ordinary voice accepting my offer. "Just a bit of water, please. Not having a body for so long made me forget what comes up every now and then. However this was the best way of having a little bit of privacy."

Smiling in a friendly manner, although completely puzzled by why it was being so secretive, I retrieved one of my stored Waterskins and handed it over.

"Much appreciated." The figure thanked me, pulling down one of the clothes covering its mouth, though I failed to understand which gender I was dealing with.

After getting my waterskin back, I finally asked. "So, not to sound rude on your visit, especially during such a monotonous journey, but would you mind if we go straight to business?"

"Not at all." The vagrant before me acknowledged, apparently surprised of how well I've been minding my words. "In case you might be wondering, I didn't come here to take your life, that's not my purpose anyway. Instead, I've come to get answers of what you've been doing in my name."

"Understandable. Although if you had just asked me before the other gods, I would've just told you." I kept my sentences strictly honest, since I didn't dare underestimate the being before me. "As for the reason, I believe the best answer would be to explain it as my way of reminding everyone that one of the few certainties in life is death. However I will not deny my bias towards dispensing punishment to those that see themselves above the law of both men and gods."

"Indeed it's an excellent answer." The disguised God told me, making me hopeful that I would easily get my way around it as well. "But I wonder if it is true."

"You are wise to doubt. For I was the very same mortal who had pleaded to be acknowledged as the champion of the New Gods, vowing to redeem others through patience and peace." I attempted to guess the Stanger's reasons and motives. "Though through wisdom I've seen that while every creature can be redeemed, some are so far along the path of evil that I have no choice but to end their lives for the greater good. Any such action has been carefully weighed and the consequences fully understood, as I've learned all the names of those whose lives I've taken."

"I'm well aware of your vows, my prince. And I don't question your decisions. I've come to understand the reason why you took this path. Why go out of your way to punish those committing crimes out of your regular jurisdiction?"

"Because I believe in responsibility." I took a more bold approach this time, slipping in a subtle use of my Bardic Inspiration to boost my oratory effectiveness. "Because I believe in the principle of restitution. That if my foes wreak ruin on the world, it is because I failed to stop them. I must help those harmed by their misdeeds. Faced with a choice of fighting my sworn foes or combating a lesser evil, I choose to eliminate the greater evil by any means necessary. Ordinary foes might, and have, won my mercy, but my sworn enemies do not, as I won't let my qualms get in the way of exterminating those that impede peace and prosperity."

The god disguised as a common drifter didn't betrayed its opinions on regards to me, instead remaining silent and immovable.

Finally tired of reflecting over my words, it stood up and dusted off its own clothes.

Walking towards the door of my carriage, it turned back to face me and said. "You are a curious being, Durrandon of House Baratheon. Sometimes your determination reminds me of the other gods before their ascension to godhood. But be sure that I will continue to watch you. And we will see if your actions match your words. Until then, you have my blessing to carry on."

Stepping out of the moving carriage, as if it was nothing out of the ordinary, I was left alone once again.

Letting out a breath that I didn't know I've been holding, I was greeted with multiple notifications.

[TITLE "PALADIN" HAS LEVELED UP!]

[DIVINE-FUELED MOVE UNLOCKED:]

**EMISSARY OF PEACE. You spend a Divine Point to augment your presence with divine power. Granting yourself a considerable bonus to charisma and persuasion for the next 10 minutes. **REBUKE THE VIOLENT. You spend a Divine Point to rebuke those who use violence. Immediately after an attacker within 10 meters of you deals damage with an attack against a creature other than you, you can harm the attacker with radiant damage equal to the damage it just dealt.

[TRAIT UNLOCKED: OATH OF VENGEANCE!]

*The Oath of Vengeance is a solemn commitment to punish those who have committed a grievous sin. When evil forces slaughter helpless villagers, when an entire people turns against the will of the gods, when a thieves' guild grows too violent and powerful, when a dragon rampages through the countryside – at times like these, paladins arise and swear an Oath of Vengeance to set right that which has gone wrong. To these paladins – sometimes called avengers or dark knights – their own purity is not as important as delivering justice.

**ABJURE ENEMY. You present your holy symbol and speak a prayer of denunciation, spending a Divine Point. Choose one creature within 20 meters of you that you can see. That creature, unless it is immune to being frightened, is frightened for 1 minute or until it takes any damage. While frightened, the creature's speed is 0. **VOW OF ENMITY. You can utter a vow of enmity against a creature you can see within 3 meters of you, spending a Divine Point. You gain considerable advantage on attacks against the creature for 1 minute or until it drops to 0 hit points or falls unconscious.

[TITLE "CLERIC" HAS LEVELED UP!]

[TRAIT UNLOCKED: TWILIGHT DOMAIN!]

*The twilit transition from light into darkness often brings calm and even joy, as the day's labors end and the hours of rest begin. The darkness can also bring terrors, but the gods of twilight guard against the horrors of the night. Clerics who serve these deities-examples of which appear on the Twilight Deities table-bring comfort to those who seek rest and protect them by venturing into the encroaching darkness to ensure that the dark is a comfort, not a terror.

[FEATURE UNLOCKED: VIGILANT BLESSING!]

*The night has taught you to be vigilant. You can see through the deepest gloom. You have darkvision out to a range of 100 meters. In that radius, you can see in dim light as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. Additionally, you can also magically share the darkvision of this feature with willing creatures you can see within 3 meters of you, up to a number of creatures equal to your cleric level. The shared darkvision lasts for 1 hour. Once you share it, you can't do so again until you finish a short rest.

[DIVINE-FUELED MOVE UNLOCKED:]

**TWILIGHT SANCTUARY. You spend a Divine Point to refresh your allies with soothing twilight. You present your holy symbol, and a sphere of twilight emanates from you. The sphere is centered on you, has a 20-meter radius, and is filled with dim light. The sphere moves with you, and it lasts for 1 minute or until you are incapacitated or die. Whenever a creature, including you, spends 6 seconds inside the sphere, you can grant that creature one of these benefits: You grant it temporary Health Points equal to a tenth of your health bar. You end one effect on it causing it to be charmed or frightened.

I never get tired of this.

So I'm officially a knight of both light and darkness, redemption and vengeance.

And a priest of peace that stays vigilant, shielding others from the terrors of the night.

The moves relying upon my Divinity Points are admittedly all very useful, but both Balm of Peace and Twilight Sanctuary are the real MVPs.

And although the Darkvision wasn't that much special now that I had my transmuted feline eyes, it still gave me a massive range upgrade and the practicality of sharing it.

That makes me excited to work more on shadows, necrotic damage and necromancy Magic.

—————————————————————

After what seemed like many weeks at the road since leaving King's Landing, Tywin's retinue finally pulled its weary way into Lannisport.

A pleasant stop after weeks trudging through hills and mountains with only goats and miners for company.

I can't begin to describe how different this scenery was to the Riverlands.

This was a proper city, bustling, proud, well-maintained and well defended too.

As our retinue passed through the city's wall, I could sight the harbor, with port guards peering out of its walls in the far distance.

These sea defenses were necessary.

I've read how Seaguard, up in the Riverlands, had an entire defence system with a warning bell tower and fleet designed specifically to protect from attacks from the Ironborn.

Lannisport was no different.

But whereas Seaguard, and other such towns down the west coast, might offer some spoils of war and glory in battle for the Ironborn, Lannisport had always been seen as a much greater price.

Its riches, its gold and abundance of people to be taken as thralls have proven just too tempting for generations of Ironborn.

To be honest, that was also one of the main reasons why I chose to become Tywin's ward.

Regardless, it was said that the Ironborn have attempted to raid here a couple of dozen times or more over the years.

Two times the city had actually been burned, partially or completely.

The third yet to happen would've occurred during the Greyjoy rebellion, as the Iron fleet would launch a surprise attack, burning the Lannister fleet at harbor.

But just like in canon, that rebellion would of course be short-lived, and Lannisport itself would end up hosting the victory tourney, which would obviously be one of the richest in history.

Though defense was still only the second most important priority for this harbor, for this was a trading port.

Although this was on the far side of Westeros from most of its trading partners, that doesn't seem to deter the traders, whose ships I could see on their way to the dock.

Braavosi, Tyroshi and other sailors from Essos were here, as well as those from closer to home.

Too tempting for me to not pay a visit as soon as possible.

Here the great trade routes from the east stop off at all of the major harbors and trading towns of Westeros.

White Harbor, Gulltown, King's Landing, Oldtown and here, in Lannisport.

For most, this was the last stop.

A last chance to sell their goods and an opportunity to reprovision before heading back eastwards around the bottom of Westeros.

Lannisport's position in this great trade route though, if you will forgive a little economic reflection, was actually more precarious than one might think.

It was a large city no doubt, but its economic advantage that brought the traders here was its gold work.

The gold work here was renowned throughout the known world, jewelry and larger items were equally sought-after.

The Goldsmith's that line the streets here get their raw materials from the mines in the caverns deep below Casterly Rock, then mold and decorate it with imported gemstones or other metals.

Suffice to say that, even though there were no Blacksmiths as skilled as Tobho Mott, it still had plenty of skilled professionals for my plans.

That said, if the gold were ever to run out or the port taxes hiked up too high, as they were briefly by Aerys II in his long-running spat with Tywin Lannister, then traders may well decide that it wasn't worth the extra fifteen hundred miles or so round trip from Oldtown.

Particularly when there were plenty of enterprising merchants willing to carry the goods along the Gold road for them, to King's Landing say, where they could easily pick them up.

But for now, the city basked in its wealth.

Magnificent trading houses and merchants' townhouses lined the well-kept broad streets.

This was a harbour town, the end of sea routes, but also the meeting point of many of the great roads in Westeros, and trade and people travel here along them too.

The Gold road to King's Landing, the River Road to Riverrun and the Ocean Road to Highgarden were all well maintained and well traveled.

And they all meet here, in the bustling squares of Lannisport.

This would certainly provide enough manpower for my projects.

The city was undoubtedly well-connected and like all cities, since this was the third largest in Westeros behind only King's Landing and Oldtown, security was visible and ever vigilant.

The city wall didn't just mark the bounds of the harbor, but curved around the side of the city inland as well, high and proud.

And the city watch seemed to be of a different class to those in similar cities.

They were well-drilled, dressed in clearly expensive armor and completely focused on their duties.

Their presence, marching up and down the streets, was supposedly to be simultaneously threatening and reassuring.

One immediately got the impression that disorder was not tolerated on the streets of Lannisport, which was a sad reminder that I wouldn't have as much to gain from my Night Raids here as I did back at the Capital city.

Besides, it wouldn't do for the 'Stranger' to appear right after my arrival.

Regardless of that, as one stepped onto the urban grounds, this city had the usual sights and smells one would expect.

Thank the Gods the guards of the City Watch weren't such killjoys as to stop everything.

The smell of stale ale hung heavy around the taverns and sailors made best use of their few hours or days ashore, with understandable enthusiasm.

Stevedores, Ships captain's, Port officials and traders shouted instructions at each other over the hubbub of the port, and fishermen hurried their haul to the mongers and inns across the city.

It was said that every city had its own unique smell, and here the oaky scent of wood smoke permeated everything, perhaps from the fires used to melt and mold the gold.

Somewhere here too, was one of the most astonishing things in this world.

A menagerie filled with wondrous animals from around the world.

Which was really neat for learning new Wild Shapes forms.

But as mighty and diverse as Lannisport was, it was impossible to talk about without mentioning the crag that loomed over it, physically and metaphorically, a mile north of here.

Casterly Rock, home of House Lannister.

It was said, though these things happened in the Age of Heroes so who could know for sure, that a millennia ago House Lannister split.

The main branch stayed in Casterly Rock, well protected from attack, but an ancient cadet branch founded Lannisport, growing slowly prosperous from the abundant fishing opportunities in the Sunset Sea.

The settlement became a town, which became a city later on. And I wanted to know more about them.

But although the Lannisters of Lannisport became and remained wealthy, it was the original Lannisters, who stayed on Casterly Rock, who became even richer.

Discovering vein after vein of pure gold to exploit.

They became the kings of the rock and then the Lords paramount of the westerlands.

And it was to the Rock that we were heading.

—————————————————————

While Tywin led me towards Casterly Rock, Tyrion was left behind to guide Sandor and the other man to where they would be staying.

I had departed from the group stating that tomorrow we would be initiating a project of mine.

As the temperature quickly dropped, hinting that Fall was about to give space to Winter, everyone shot me questioning looks about what my plans might be.

I simply informed them that Tywin had tasked me with making preparations for training some man to serve.

Poor Old Lion, I was just beginning to make use of his name without worrying about his consent.

Now, back to my tour…

To call Casterly Rock a Rock was to do it a disservice, gazing up at it it felt more like a mountain.

It was very high, allegedly three times as high as the wall, and broad and fat, six miles from end to end, sitting alone, looming out over the harbor of Lannisport and set well apart from the mountains further inland.

At dusk, legend has it, it had the shape of a lion at repose.

I suppose it does, if you squint a bit and tilt your head to one side, but what was more noteworthy I would say was how the reds and oranges of sunset played over the rock itself, imbuing it with a deep lustrous hue that matched the red and gold of the Lannister's house colors.

But as impressive as this site was, I decided to start my ascent earlier in the day to give me plenty of time to reach the summit and, just as importantly, explore the base of the Rock itself.

For Casterly Rock was not just a castle on top of a hill, it was a castle carved out of the Rock itself and deep into it.

It was riddled with caverns and tunnels and mine shafts that descend deep underground.

Which would help me deal with homesickness, recalling the secret passageways spread across the Red Keep, especially since I wouldn't have to deal with Varys and his birds noticing me.

Indeed, although Casterly Rock boasted of never having been successfully taken by enemies, one had to wonder whether it was vulnerable nonetheless to someone who knew their way through that maze of caverns.

If I recall correctly, Tywin gave Tyrion charge of all the cisterns and drains at Casterly Rock.

The Rock itself of course predates humans on Westeros, and the caves here seemed to have been used by the Children of the Forest and other wild creatures from the age of antiquity.

Indeed, there was a Weirwood tree here, and a godswood of sorts, known as the stone garden in a cave deep inside the Rock.

The tree that grew there was not huge, but it was twisted and deformed, like the one at Harrenhal.

Its roots and branches fill the cave to the extent that nothing else grows there, and one does not walk into the cave so much as clamber into it over the tangle of exposed roots.

Sadly, awakening the tree didn't give me another level on my Druid title, which I assumed would only continue to become harder to level up.

Regardless, the Lannisters did not follow the Old Gods, and it showed.

What they value instead above all was gold.

There were dozens, if not hundreds, of mine shafts here.

As one might expect, they were all guarded by a rather grim-faced Lannister Guard, ordinary people couldn't get a proper look in here with their watchful presence.

Besides, the prospect of climbing that far underground just to stare at a thin vein of gold in torchlight wasn't that worthy for most that could.

But I saw enough to know that this was a busy and efficient operation.

From these mines, the gold went for smelting and refining, before ending up in the Lannister family vaults also deep inside the Rock, or sold to the Goldsmiths and jewelers in Lannisport to keep trade flowing through the Westerlands.

But there was more.

As I worked my way around the base of the Rock, it was possible to see quite how many uses this vast crag had been put to, I passed the huge stables carved into its side and a barracks.

Looking up, there were balconies high above me sticking out of the rock face, hinting at accommodation.

I was passed by stevedores carrying goods from Lannisport bound for the storerooms in the rock and heard rumors of dungeons and even a cave once set aside for lions.

There was even a complex and exceptionally well maintained system of cisterns and drains, criss-crossing the Rock to keep everywhere clean and free from the kinds of smells you find in many similar cities and fortresses of this land.

But the most impressive cavern of all was of course the Lion's mouth.

This huge natural cave was the main entrance to Casterly Rock from both the land and sea.

There was a full working dock here, big enough to allow cogs and small galleys to unload and head back out.

Not just that, but also shipyards to repair any damaged ships that may come in and warehouses to store goods.

It was a useful reminder that Casterly Rock was independent from Lannisport.

The city might be the economic heart of the Westerlands, but the castle and the Rock were not reliant on it.

As well as the dock, the Lion's mouth was also the start of the long staircase up to the summit.

It was wide enough here for twenty horsemen to ride up it side by side, if they wished.

But I just stuck to the side and enjoyed the views as I headed up.

And there were some spectacular views out over the Sunset Sea and Lannisport, and this had the added advantage of feeling civilized and safe.

I've read that some other high places like Eyrie, The Wall and so on, felt as though they have been left deliberately wild and exposed to the elements with visitors not made welcome.

But here, it felt as though the sheer scale of the Rock was being used by the Lannisters to show off.

To show how they have conquered it, ruled it and own it.

Visitors were made to feel in awe of House Lannister, not nature.

Not that the Rock had always belonged to House Lannister of course, there was a reason why it was Casterly Rock not Lannister Rock.

The first people who discovered or exploited Casterly Rock were what it was now thought of as House Casterly.

They started mining it back in the Dawn age and soon expanded up into the Rock itself, carving out chambers and halls for themselves.

They erected a ring fort in the style of the First Men on top of the Rock, and fortified the entrances to their mines to protect their gold.

In short, they turned it from a mine into a fortress.

One that, at the time, was easily the largest and most formidable in the land, and with the gold from their mines, they became the richest family in Westeros.

Then something happened.

Or someone happened.

Lann the clever.

The original one.

The truth was that, despite the many legends, no one knew exactly what he did to get the Rock from the Casterlys, just that they disappeared from history and House Lannister (descending from Lann the clever himself) seamlessly took over ownership of the rock.

The most widespread legend was probably the most easily discountable, that Lann found a secret tunnel into the Rock, one so tight that he had to take off all his clothes and cover himself in butter to squeeze through.

But once inside, he set himself to sowing discord, he wailed like some fell beast from behind the stone walls, disappearing when people came to investigate, set traps in the dark for unwary Casterlys and turned to the family against itself with cunning artifices, like stealing from one brother and framing another.

He kept all of this up for so long that the Casterlys became convinced that the Rock was haunted, cursed or some malign force would never leave them alone as long as they stayed there.

So they left and Lann the clever emerged from the shadows to claim the Rock and all its gold for himself.

As I said, I suspect that this was a story more for the telling than the believing.

But even more mundane explanations, like that he married the daughter of the Lord of the Rock, eliminated all rivals and established a new House in his own name, even suggested that he was a man of uncommon drive and ingenuity.

But whatever the details of that change in ownership were, it happened.

And as I emerged now onto the top of the Rock, I could see the truth of what I suspected from down below.

The massive castle was more in the Rock than on it.

There were fortifications up here of course, carved from the stone itself.

There was a thick wall, watchtowers, a barbican with heavy oak gates and portcullises.

But once inside, it's clear that these were just fortifications, like the highest points on any castle.

To get to the living quarters, the kitchens or Great Hall, one must go back down underground, which gives the impression that this must be a dark forbidding place.

But it actually wasn't.

No more than any other castle.

Light streamed in through huge windows, entire sections of Rock had been carved out to create beautiful courtyards and open areas.

The difference between this and other castles was that normal castles had been created by placing stone on stone, but here new rooms were made by carving out new parts of the rock, each time going deeper, further into the rock.

And it was all decorated at great expense and with impeccable, if sometimes gaudy, taste by the Lannisters.

It was warm and homely as well as bold in its architecture.

I've already mentioned the rather curious stone garden here, and there were a couple more rooms the inquisitive visitor should definitely take time to peruse.

The Hall of Heroes was where dead Lannisters and others close to them who have died valiantly were buried.

Unlike the Winterfell crypt, which was supposed to be cold and unwelcoming, this was showy and deliberately intended to homage the greatness of those who have passed.

The armor of fallen heroes was placed prominently on display, and stories were told of bravery and nobility.

I liked it.

It was very Lannistery.

But the other place to visit was even more Lannistery.

The golden gallery.

This long hall was filled floor to ceiling with the evidences of the Lannisters wealth and power.

Heirlooms crafted from the gold mines deep beneath my feet, tapestries of victorious wars and so on, power and wealth displayed openly for all who visit to see.

Although I wasn't attached to gold, I already felt I was at home.

—————————————————————

Getting to know the rest of the Lannisters family that the show either forgot to introduce or merely didn't seem to care about fleshing out was really nice.

I was speaking of Tywin's siblings, of course.

"Welcome to Casterly Rock, my prince." An older big man with broad shoulders and a thick waist was the first to bow down to me. His short blond hair was balding and he had a close-cropped, yellow beard that follows the line of his massive jaw. "Be assured that you are in competent hands."

I nodded back in acknowledging his statement, while also wondering what he would've reacted to learning that I was the one really giving the orders around here, not his older brother.

Kevan had green eyes and fair skin. A portly man, Kevan was not exactly what most maidens would consider handsome.

Kevan Lannister was the second son of late Lord Tytos Lannister, and the most devoted to his elder brother.

Recognizing the competency of Tywin at an early age, he did his best to realize his brother's wishes, though this meant perpetually, and voluntarily, living in his shadow.

Although knighted by Lord Reyne during the War of the Ninepenny Kings, despite being a household knight and not a lord, Kevan's strategic thinking, significant retinue, and personal wealth has made him a man of significant standing.

Well traveled since his sixteenth name day, like all of his brothers, Kevan visited the Free Cities on his coming of age tour.

He had four children with his wife, Dorna Swyft: Lancel (the one that would become Robert Baratheon's squire thanks to Cersei recommendation), twin boys Martyn and Willem, and a daughter named Janei.

I had plans to introduce Lancel to my inner circle of friends, who was just a year older than me but a head shorter, while teaching him to not become the arrogant person he would've naturally become.

But his siblings were either still too young to be of any use to me or weren't even born yet, so I mainly focused on Lancel.

"My uncle Kevan would make a passably good regent if someone pressed the duty on him, but he will never reach for it. The gods shaped him to be a follower, not a leader." Tyrion told me while we were distant enough from his uncle. "Something my uncle Tyget abhorred completely."

Speaking of Tyget Lannister…

"My prince…" The third son of Tytos, a man of considerable prowess in battle, greeted me with the same level of respect his older brother did. "… rest assured that no harm will come to you under our care."

"Having heard of your competence from my mother, I believe you. And I'm grateful for that, Ser Tygett." I said while using his pride to earn his favor.

Contrary to Kevan, Tyget had a stormy relationship with his eldest brother, always feeling he was living in his shadow.

But the old Lion didn't actually want to have him feel that way.

As Hand of the King, Tywin once tried to name Tygett as the master-at-arms at the Red Keep, but the Mad King instead chose Ser Willem Darry.

Married to Darlessa Marbrand, with whom he had one son, Tyrek, who was born in the same year as Lann and Joanna.

Come to think of it, it was said that Jaime fought like Tygett but behaved like Kevan.

Canonically, Tygett Lannister would've died of pox, if I wasn't around with my healing shenanigans.

I believe he will be more than willing, and competent enough, to aid me with training and leading my Legion.

Now, for the youngest brother.

"My prince, I'm glad to see you've made safe travels." Gerion greeted me with a gente smile, immediately showing how sympathetic he really was, before placing a hand over my shoulder. "I know it must be strange to you, being away from your parents and siblings. But fear not, we're also your family. If there's anything we can do to make your stay here more pleasant, you just have to ask."

"I truly appreciate your words, granduncle." I met his sympathies with pleasantries. "I feel at home already."

Gerion was the fourth son of Tytos, and the one that most resembled him with his recklessness, being a man quick to laugh and with a gift for making others laugh.

Both Tyrion and Jaime regarded him as their favorite uncle.

Like his brothers, Kevan and Tygett, Gerion was overshadowed by their older brother, Tywin.

While Kevan built up a life at Tywin's side, and Tygett tried to be independent, Gerion mocked this "game" and made jokes.

Gerion once gifted Tyrion on his name day with the books Wonders and Wonders Made by Man by Lomas Longstrider, and often had him recite the sixteen wonders of the world.

He also taught Tyrion some tumbling tricks when he was six or seven, and praised his skills until Tywin prohibited him to behave like that.

This gave me the idea of what path to lead Tyrion into.

Even if in most fantasy worlds, dwarfs were most frequently displayed as mighty warriors and skilled blacksmiths, I personally believed that someone like Tyrion would be a perfect fit for the roguish archetypes.

Perhaps even succeeding as a bard with tremendous eloquence.

Back to Gerion…

In 288 AC (last year), Gerion had a bastard daughter named Joy Hill, whose mother was a common woman named Briony.

Needless to say that I would have them grow fonder of me through Gerion, and have him like even more by taking good care of them.

Circa 291 AC, after the Greyjoy Rebellion, Gerion would go on a quest to find House Lannister's ancestral Valyrian steel greatsword, Brightroar, and any other treasures that might have survived the Doom of Valyria.

A decade would pass after his ship, the Laughing Lion, left Lannisport, and Gerion would not have returned and no word of his survival would have reached his family.

Tywin would even send men to look for his lost brother and traced him as far as Volantis, where half his crew had deserted him because of his intent to sail into the Smoking Sea. Which forced Gerion to buy slaves to replace them.

But if Tywin succeeded in acquiring Red Rain for his house during the Greyjoy rebellion, perhaps Gerion would be more easily convinced of rethinking his risky adventure.

Then again, the proud Tygett might instead want to do it himself.

However, having Gerion guide me with better ways to build a fleet would be an acceptable substitute for not having Stannis the Mannis at my disposal.

You see, the main theme among the older generation of Lannister was simple.

The shadow Tywin casted was long and black, and each of them had to struggle to find a little sun.

Tygett tried to be his own man, but he could never match Tywin, and that just made him angrier as the years went by.

Gerion made japes. Better to mock the game than to play and lose.

But Kevan saw how things stood early on, so he made himself a place by Tywin's side.

Oh, that conclusion was also made by Genna Lannister, the third child (and only daughter) of Tytos, who was also living at Casterly Rock.

"My my, just look at you. Cersei clearly had outdone herself with you." The motherly woman greeted me with a hug. Proving that Gerion wasn't the only one of Tywin's siblings with great charisma. "Forgive me, my prince, I'm sure I'm not the first to comment about your dashing looks."

Was I just being hit on by this forty-five years old woman? While in my six year old body?

But then again, few fantasy stories depicted the weirdness of the medieval time as well as A Song of Ice and Fire, with pairings much worse in Walder Frey and his teenage wives.

I mean, she wasn't as overweight as the books described her to be. Instead, I found her rather shapely, noticeably overflowing her bodice with a relatively large bosom.

Nah, must be the days on the road away from a woman embrace.

Pia was cute and all, but she was very much still a kid.

Back to Genna Lannister…

Wed to Ser Emmon Frey, with whom she had four children: Cleos, Lyonel, Tion, and Walder Frey.

She had even briefly taken on a maternal role for Cersei, Jaime and Tyrion after the death of their mother, Lady Joanna Lannister.

The few words I was capable of exchanging with her led me to consider her a very intelligent and shrewd, loving yet sarcastic woman.

She bossed around her husband, Ser Emmon Frey, whom she clearly considered inept.

Her personality was such that she would be able to claim a place in Jaime's war council without opposition, which was obviously uncommon for a woman.

Genna was also one of the few Lannisters who recognized Tyrion's talent for political maneuvering.

And probably understood that having her eldest son serving me, the Crown Prince, would elevate their overall standing on the Frey family as a whole.

And gods forbid, a tragedy falls over the Freys with a better claim of Lordship over the Twins, it's always good to have some support to help out.

Although Genna did not approve of all Tywin did, nor enjoyed the company of the man he later became, Genna loved her brother for having been the only person to speak out against her betrothal, who even she deemed as unworthy of her.

But when Genna told Tywin that his youngest son, Tyrion, a dwarf he strongly disliked and blamed for Joanna's death, resembled him the most, Tywin grew so angry he refused to speak to Genna for half a year.

All in all, it was actually more welcoming than the family I had at the capital.

Safe for my half siblings and childhood friends, of course.

I already missed them.

—————————————————————

Let me tell you something, after my long list of dungeon delving experiences, finding my way around one's entry kind of became second nature to me.

A combination of well planned exploration and the occasional stroke of luck while looking around the castle's library.

Sadly, I had time for neither.

Instead I made use of my first Divination cantrip I managed to make out of the knowledge I got from Raventree hall.

{DETECT MAGIC Lv- 8 (87%)}

I'm sure these dungeons weren't supposed to be completed in mere hours, much less by a one-man-party, but I seized an opportunity by avoiding cleaning the first dungeon on the Red Keep.

Given the Targaryen's history of ruling all of Westeros, I wasn't that surprised by the loot I found there.

But I gotta admit my eagerness to visit Dragonstone and houses like house Velaryon to see what else I could get.

Harrenhal had its past for necromancy and Raventree its connection with divination, but Riverrun had nothing besides gold and and put me a step closer to unlocking fast travel, which was a small let down considering it was the actual home of the ruling Lords of the Riverlands.

Two out of nine major castles to go though.

Speaking of fast travel, it made me decide that one day I would break Harrenhal's curse and own the massive fortress.

Eventually repair and garrison it completely.

Sure, I was acquiring gold at a ridiculously fast pace…

Which I don't believe was meant to be the case for any regular player with my system, who wouldn't be so easily allowed inside so many castles, but I guess being born as the first born son of the King had more pros than cons.

…but Harrenhal wasn't the only project of mine that would require ludicrous amounts of money.

Which led me to…

"I'm quite sure you are leading us towards a dead end tunnel… my prince." The Lord of the Westerlands remarked while tailing right behind me.

'Silence human! Show due respect for my master!' Shadow hissed at him while perched on my shoulder, but I was the only one that could understand her.

I merely calmed her with a gentle scratch and replied to Tywin. "Don't worry, Grandfather. We shouldn't be too far away now."

The Old lion kept silent at my answer, but his doubts were clear to me.

I wasn't expecting him to know every single route around the Rock, but the entrance to my fifth Dungeon had to be somewhere he was somewhat familiar with.

Regardless, the reason I brought him with me was to make an attempt to make him loyal to me, not to discuss his lack of faith in me.

His supposedly sixth year old Grandson.

Honestly, I was neither a kid nor his direct blood relative, which was really a bummer for me.

Not that I planned to ever tell him.

By observing him further, I got to finally realize why he had taken the revelation of his children incestuos relationship so well.

Originally, in both books and series, he had his doubts of what legacy he would be leaving behind.

The recently dead, boy King Joffrey, or the even younger and meek Tommen.

Now, if you would excuse my arrogance, he had me.

Someone who was undoubtedly Robert's son, offering to give him back Jaime, his golden boy, while also having his son's bastard rule as King.

His 'bloodline' had never faced such an uplift.

Not since back when the original Lann got Casterly Rock for himself.

After that, having Tywin become somewhat obedient to my will wasn't that hard, especially with the prospect of magic to shut down his logical and analytical mindset.

That leads to my current situation, after having supper with the Lannisters living at Casterly Rock, and setting my visit to the nearby city for tomorrow, I got Tywin to follow me.

Soon enough, after seeking the trace of magical aura through the maze of tunnels inside the Rock, Tywin and I were met with a marked wall.

{SECRET ENTRANCE}

Though by the Old lion's sigh of disappointment, it appears I was the only one to see anything else besides a mere stone wall.

"You were saying…" He remarked sarcastically before becoming silent at the vibrations emanating from the wall before us.

Initially, he made a move to leave the area, fearing the rock ceiling would fall on our heads, but I stopped him.

"Wait!"

He turned his head with a raised eyebrow, and almost gasped at the silhouette of a doorway forming before us, revealing a newly formed passageway.

{YOU HAVE FOUND A PASSAGEWAY LEADING TO THIS CASTLE'S DUNGEON!}

I ignored the usual warning and turned to face my grandfather, with Shadow actually showing signs of amusement.

"I find your lack of faith in me disturbing, grandfather." I told him with a serious expression, before signaling for him to continue following me.

"Shadow, scout ahead." I ordered my familiar and she jumped off my shoulder.

'As you wish, master.'

Turning to face Lord Lannister, I immediately activated my dragon scales and equipped my Runed Bronze Armor, staggering Tywin for a moment.

Enough for me to pick up a piece of cured leather and watch as it overflowed with mana, acting as material component for one of my spells.

{MAGE ARMOR Lv-8 (78%)}

"Stay still." I told him.

{-10 MP}

As the spell engulfed both of us, as an armor of glowing arcane runes and lines spread all over his figure before turning invisible.

"What was that?" Tywin asked, puzzled.

"Something that will keep you alive if I fail to protect you." I replied before summoning a regular steel dagger out of my Inventory and pressed it against his chest, prompting the man to flinch for the second time since we met.

As the blade was about to touch him, a flash of arcane energy lit up from that point, bringing back the illuminating armor and making it visible for a moment.

Storing my spare weapon again, I told him.

"As we made our way here, I noticed you were still worried about preparing for the oncoming rebellion. But I brought you here to show what's really the main objective of my search for power."

After that, we began to make our descent down the set of stairs, the wall sealed back behind us, blocking the entrance once again.

Surprisingly enough, to both me and Tywin, was that, instead of the walls and steps being made of regular stone, it was actually all gold.

With some pillars of silver.

There were no cracks in the perfectly cut blocks, nor could I find any form of fungus life covering it.

The symbols spread all around it were finally beginning to make sense, having come up with my own pocket dimension with my Rope Trick.

From the little I could translate, we were actually traveling to an extra dimensional reality, a place that would migrate to somewhere else had the previous Lannisters carved a new path to where the entrance was found.

It was somewhat logical, given how these Dungeons weren't supposed to exist before my transmigration.

"I… I had no idea such a place actually existed." Tywin remarked astonished, having previously lost some sleep at the prospect of Casterly Rock running out of gold in a few generations.

"That reminds me." I told while turning to face him for a moment and handing him a loaded crossbow with a radiant bolt. "I will be requiring an instructor to teach me the skill of mining and cave exploration. I'm pretty sure I will be making great use of it in the future."

Tywin simply stared at the luminescent bolt and nodded. "I will have that arranged for you."

"Good." I replied before preparing him for what he should expect to find down here. "Don't panic, I will show you what type of creature I'm expecting to find down here."

Casting my trusty cantrip, Minor Illusion, I showed him the figure of the average Zombie I faced during my expeditions.

The undead moved with the usual jerky, uneven gait that all zombies did, clad in the moldering apparel it wore when put to rest and carrying the stench of decay.

"Don't tell me…" The Old lion stopped in his tracks before covering his nose. "The stench is fowl."

"It sure is." I agreed, having heard the same complaint from Rhaenys during the time I brought her with me to finally clear the Dungeon under the Red Keep.

Ah, that brought me memories.

"Keep in mind that if they aren't carrying arms, they will most certainly attempt to strike you with their dead arms, tear at your skin, if not outright stumble into you and bite a piece of you. That ammunition loaded on the crossbow I gave you is especially effective against those dunderheads."

As we moved on, and I kept preparing the usually skeptical man to face magical creatures, torches began lighting up as we passed by them.

"So after all these years, these monsters have been dwelling deep under the Rock." Tywin came to a realization.

"Indeed. Originally they would have remained sealed down here for all of eternity." I began bullshitng my way around. "Now, we are approaching the age where magic will return to this world. And soon enough, not only these undeads will be threatening mankind, but others will as well."

"The others?" Tywin worried about what my words implied. "As in…"

"Oh, the White Walkers will come out of their supposed extinction for sure. But I was referring to other types of mythological beasts and monsters."

The Lannister Lord remained silent, slowly assimilating all I was telling him.

He might not remain loyal forever, but having someone as influential as him being less skeptical about the warnings of the Night's Watch when the time comes should do wonders.

As the tunnel we were traversing began to widen up, we sighted several statues made of pure gold, with some elaborated ornaments made out of silver and numerous jewels.

No matter if the loot I got by the end of this dungeon didn't offer me a chest full of gold, I was sure that a single one of these statues would be more than enough to compensate for it.

"Do you recognize any of them?" I asked Tywin, pointing at the statues.

"I haven't seen anything like it in my entire life. But..." He mused for a moment before replying. "My best guess would be that they are the previous Lords of the extinct House Casterly."

That was strange, each Dungeon I visited had always paid homage to the ruling house of the castle on the surface.

Perhaps the Game System simply regarded the name Casterly Rock to the letter.

But still, that didn't make any sense if this Dungeon really belonged to the Casterlys, especially since they were supposed to be First Men, faithful to the Old Gods.

Perhaps the statues were so well made that Tywin didn't recognize his ancestors.

Or he didn't know all of them, which was definitely more likely to be the case.

Nonetheless…

The metallic noise coming from behind us stopped my train of thought.

As Tywin turned to observe, I told him. "Don't worry, the metal portcullis always drops after I delve deep enough inside the dungeon."

'Mostly common monsters ahead of us.' Shadow informed me with a meow, surprising Tywin. 'Oh, I've also found some bigger cats. With plenty of hair around their necks.'

"Is it actually speaking with you?" Tywin asked, having a harder time to believe that a cat could speak intelligently than he had while I told him about Undeads.

"She is. And it seems we will be fighting a few Lions." I answered his question. "Come, we are taking too long to clear this place."

As Tywin walked behind me with a luminous crossbow ready to shoot, we eventually reached the section where deep compartments were carved into the walls.

"A crypt?" Tywin questioned, hiding his unease behind his cold expression. "Are they hiding there?"

"It seems so. Be on guard but let me deal with them." I commanded.

My mental map pinpointed the hostile creatures, so when I heard rumbled noises, I headshot four Zombies clad in armor with my Eldritch Blast.

Funnily enough, the noise of crackling beams of energy seemed to be harmonious only to me, given how Tywin covered his ear.

More out of reflex, because Mage Armor shielded him against Thunder damage.

A real-world context would be getting caught in the shockwave of a large explosion, as the damage the shockwave would do would be considered thunder damage.

My cantrip was merely cacophonous.

But I digress…

Picking small stones out of my inventory, I coated it with Arcane Weapon and threw them, watching in mirth as they ricocheted back after hitting the cave's walls.

Sadly it wasn't enough to blow past all of the Zombies' chestplate, but it was enough to knock those that endured prone.

And this was all the advantage I required.

Rushing at them with my Twin Gladius lighting up with a Radiant aura, and activating Action Surge, I brutalized them with devastating precise slashes.

But still, this was taking too long.

Activating Thaumaturgy and having the entire tunnel vibrate due to an earthquake, I had all the graves beginning to burst open.

I fastened my pace, feeling free to not hold out since Tywin was heavily armed and protected.

What came next was nothing short of a slaughtering carnage, that is, if undeads could be considered as people anyway.

The last standing foe was also the strongest among them.

{ZOMBIE KNIGHT, MEDIUM UNDEAD}

{LV - 40}

POW: 54

MOB: 30

END: 48

INT: 12

STL: 15

DEF: 40*

HP: 1500

SPEED: 30 ft.

DAMAGE VULNERABILITIES: FIRE.

DAMAGE RESISTANCES: NECROTIC.

CONDITIONS IMMUNITIES: POISONED, EXHAUSTION, FRIGHTENED.

SENSES: DARKVISION 60 ft.

LANGUAGES: UNDERSTANDS COMMON BUT CANNOT SPEAK

[UNDYING MIGHT: After its first death, a zombie knight will revive at half hp. When it does so, the knight will lose its shield and begin to two-hand its greatsword.]

Though I left him for last to test the feature I got from studying Necromancy with Page.

Before the towering Zombie, covered in full plate armor, managed to cut me in half with its Greatsword, I raised my left hand while bringing my holy symbol close to my face and had a dark liquid come out of my raised palm, covering the undead before vanishing into nothing.

I called it Control Undead, which would've definitely failed against this opponent had I not made my Vow of Enmity to gain the necessary advantage.

For it to work I also needed to get very close and concentrate for a moment, hence why I left to do this after dealing with the other undead.

Noticing that my Mental map now regarded the Zombie as an ally, I grinned.

Turning to face the silent Lannister Lord, I noticed his description revealed that he now was afraid of me, though god damn the man knew how to hide it behind his usual cold expression.

"Are you done?" He asked, not skipping a beat.

"Yes." I nodded while storing my weapons. "How are you holding?"

"Wasn't expecting that." He replied, still clinging to the possibility that I could only discern if he was being truthful or not.

To make him unsure of that I simply grinned back at him. "Few men would have the stomach to deal with these creatures."

"Aren't you forgetting that one?" Tywin asked, referring to my newest pet.

"It's mine now." I told him and casted Disguise Self to make it resemble a Lannister soldier for all intents, to the Old lion's surprise. "Let's continue…"

I stopped mid sentence as the torches light were snuffed out by a gust of wind, my Familiar immediately warned me of an enemy rushing towards our location.

"Stay on guard." I commanded while sharing my Darkvison with Tywin, who was taken aback again.

Hearing a loud roar coming from the darkness, I commanded my Zombie Knight to guard Tywin.

{REANIMATED LION, LARGE UNDEAD}

{LV - 50}

POW: 51

MOB: 45

END: 39

INT: 9

STL: 30

DEF: 0

HP: 2000

SPEED: 50 ft.

DAMAGE VULNERABILITIES: FIRE.

DAMAGE RESISTANCES: NECROTIC.

CONDITIONS IMMUNITIES: POISONED, EXHAUSTION, FRIGHTENED.

SENSES: DARKVISION 120 ft.

LANGUAGES: NONE

[KEEN SMELL: The lion has an advantage on Perception that relies on smell.]

[PACK TATICS: The lion has advantage on attacks against a creature if at least one of the lion's allies is within 2 meters of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.]

Three Zombie Lions were rushing at out direction.

They were incredible, almost majestic if not for their rotting appearance.

And completely ahead of time, by my understanding I was still far away from the end of this dungeon.

The only thing preventing me from controlling these undead lions in place of my Zombie Knight was that it would be much harder to explain having it around.

Even if I hid one of them under an illusion of a regular lion it would be too inconvenient to have it follow me around.

While I reflected upon the cons of having one of them as a pet, it kept rushing with another roar before pouncing at me in a vicious attack.

I copied its strategy and met it in the air, simultaneously Raging and Wild Shaping into a Hrakkar, a breed of White Lion native to the Dothraki sea.

Even though I could easily finish it with a barrage of Eldritch Blast or a Twinned Chromatic Orb, I wanted to test how well my stats translated to my Wild Shape.

I was stronger, faster and my endurance was very high in this form, but their nature as undeads made them immune to pain and regular life preservation instincts.

I had better coordination and balance, not to mention knowing that fighting wasn't just a contest of speed and power.

While I fought the undead predators, roaring loud enough so they would focus on me, I didn't attempt to bite at their necks, like they attempted on me.

The reason a male Lion had a mane was for an extra layer of defense in fighting.

I knew how to 'box' with my claws, using and closing the distance amongst my three opponents, quite the amazing clash to watch if I may so myself.

Charging over one that went for my legs, I stomped over its head and cracked its skull, before catching another mid air attempting to pounce on my back and threw it against the far away wall with extreme force.

As the third took the opportunity to face me by standing on its hind legs, I halted its movement by caving in its rib cage with both my paws.

Immediately after I clawed its eyes out before pinning it against the nearby wall with a strong push that shook the underground tunnel we found ourselves in and broke its skull with a nasty bite.

Not as nasty as the taste it left in my mouth, that I can assure you.

Thankfully my resistance to Necrotic and poison damage translated to this form as well.

Finding that the other two had recovered already only to harass both Tywin and my Zombie Knight, I managed only to pounce over the back of the one that attempted to surprise attack me before, and quickly finished it by ignoring its fur and decapitating it with my jaw.

As I was about to aid the others, I noticed that the last undead Lion was locked in place fighting against my Zombie Knight, despite the fact that my undead had its greatsword impaling the lion's chest.

Surprisingly working as a team, I watched Tywin take his shot while the reanimated Lion was unable to move, and the radiant bolt went through its target and lit it on white flames.

Shaping back into my human form, with my Runed Bronze armor still protecting my body, I complimented my grandfather's aim before signaling for both him and my Zombie Knight to follow.

The former was finally developing a tolerance for my weird stunts fast enough to prevent him from panicking, though not to the point of having him take me lightly.

Which suited my needs for now.

Regardless, as we walked past the empty tunnel, I started to test my Zombie lackey.

Its undead nature meant that it didn't require air, food, drink, or sleep for sustenance.

And thanks to my Thaumaturgy cantrip being basically a free pass to telepathy, I could mentally issue commands to the undead Knight, which it followed to the best of its ability.

If no commands were given, it would defend itself against hostile creatures.

It could even reply with a grunting nod or just shaking its head.

Though whenever it attempted to speak, it felt as if it was screeching in either pain or anger.

Perhaps both.

Tywin was somewhat unnerved at the Undead's intelligence, but he knew better than to openly oppose me.

At least he had to see similarities between me commanding a Zombie Knight with him having the Cleganes as his beasts.

Nevertheless, the four of us proceeded ahead as I disarmed several traps that me and Shadow had identified along the way, thanks to my Observe skill, Observant and Alert perks.

"Stop." I ordered while raising my hand, prompting the three of my companions to halt their movement.

Despite his age, Tywin actually showed some semblance of appreciation for our little adventure.

Sure he didn't say anything, but he wasn't straight away complaining about this being a waste of his time.

"Another trap?" The old Lion questioned, still impressed how I dealt with the previous dart trap.

Since my Inventory window is invisible to him, it was as if the poisonous projectiles vanished right before hurting me.

"Indeed." I informed him before walking forwards. "A dangerous one."

As I threw a pebble inside the barely noticeable ring of metallic tubes embedded on the golden surface of the tunnel, and immediately after a whooshing sound was heard as flames shot out at the small rock.

Despite my heat resistance, I wasn't anywhere near the level of tanking Fire as if it was nothing.

Thankfully my Mage Armor allowed us to absorb enough damage.

Strangely enough, while ignoring most of the fire, I recalled something.

Perhaps I should continue to work on my attempt to reverse the effects of Wildfire.

After comprehending basic Alchemy and deconstructing the concept of enchantments, one discovers that, at their heart, they were actually simple fields of study that dealt with ingredient recipes and inscription patterns.

So the opposite of the process to produce Wildfire should result in something very cold and dark.

Some sort of magical liquid nitrogen equivalent that would be just as messy as the jars of the substance I had stored in my inventory.

Food for thought.

"Let's proceed." I said after making sure the trap had been completely disarmed.

Soon enough, we finally reached the end of the tunnel.

Activating the small opening in the wall before us, a passageway came to be, leading us to the Treasure Room.

The chamber itself was larger than the one under the Red Keep, but small if compared to the one under Harrenhal.

I noticed the upper silver ring lighting up a small signal to inform me I had unlocked Casterly Rock, ignoring it and the mosaic tiles on the ceiling for now, I focused on something else.

Just as I had expected, no chest could be found in the center of the Treasure Room.

But the walls were completely covered with pure blocks of gold.

It reminded me of Fort Knox's depository of gold.

But since the entire tunnel leading here was covered in gold, to say that I've struck a gold mine was a massive understatement.

And Tywin Lannister knew about it.

This simply made me want to acquire the Mining skill as soon as possible and began exploring the Westerlands.

Though I should keep in mind to watch out for the market value of gold with so much available.

"This way will lead you back to Casterly Rock." I pointed at the passage that had just appeared on the wall.

"I appreciate the adventure…" The old man bowed in respect before asking. "But would you mind telling me what will be done with all of this?"

"Since I know you have no use for it, I will be using it to fund the creation and maintenance of my forces." I replied, not leaving space for him to argue.

"Your forces… my prince?" He questioned a little confused, before correcting his tone.

"The Royal Army." I told him.

Assessing his options at the moment, Tywin nodded before making his way out of the Dungeon.

'So, where was I?' I thought to myself, facing the towering undead disguised as a human soldier.

Necromancy Magic was slowly becoming one of my favorites.

I know, I know, plenty of red flags with that statement.

Next thing you expect me to do is search for means of becoming a Lich.

Well, that was entirely a bad idea, if I disregarded the problematic ritual and things I would have to trade off.

But like always, I digress…

{SPARE THE DYING Lv- 5 (56%)}

An invaluable method of bringing allies back to life.

At least those killed in less than a minute.

Had broken a few rats and pigeons' necks attempting to stretch that window.

I know, I know, the ends shouldn't justify the methods.

But any animal I failed to bring back to life had become a meal to Shadow.

Which is supposed to be a good thing, right?

The circle of life was preserved and all.

As for my other necromancy cantrip…

{DECOMPOSE Lv- 4 (34%)}

I was still getting used to it, just practicing to wither grass with my touch for now.

But it was through it that I learned another trick similar to Control Undead, which I named Grim Harvest.

Basically the ability to reap life energy from creatures I killed, though not for killing constructs or undead.

Which sucked since most of my opponents were undeads.

But in any case, it could still be fun to have while killing people in a battlefield and alternative ways of healing were never too much if I wished to be prepared for everything.

Given that I was still having trouble raising my own undeads, I just got this new spell after performing countless tests alongside Page.

{RAY OF SICKENING FEAR Lv- 1 (0%)}

[FIRST CLASS NECROMANCY SPELL: A ray of sickening greenish energy lashes out toward a creature within range. On a hit, the target takes considerable necrotic damage, and a lingering poison damage that causes constant pain. If the creature isn't resistant to those effects, you awaken the sense of mortality on it. A construct is immune to this effect, while an undead is healed instead by it.]

CASTING TIME: 6 SECONDS

RANGE: 20 METERS

COMPONENTS: V S

DURATION: INSTANTANEOUS

What can I say, at least it wasn't completely useless.

More like a basic maddening curse I could cast upon those that opposed me.

Poison and Fear were both debilitating conditions, though unfortunately heavily resisted, if not outright immune to beings like undead.

And it never hurts to have ways of healing undead, especially if I ever hoped to raise an army of them.

Carrying on…Divination Magic.

While Necromancy had its Control Undead and Grim Harvest, Divination gave me Portent.

Let's start by calling it as my first step into greenseeing, as glimpses of the future began to press into my awareness.

Showing me glimpses of right and bad choices I will be doing in the future.

Imagine it as if Deja vu, an uncanny sensation you've already experienced something, even when you know you never have, came before that experience.

Nothing major for now, only a few unclear flashbacks of me missing my target or getting hit by an enemy.

Though I understood that the spirit of this ability was to interpret it to the best of my capabilities.

It even showed me a few realizations I was taking a while to get from my arcane studies.

Hence the reason of how I've managed to gain experience on it much faster than I did for all the other schools.

{DETECT MAGIC Lv- 8 (99%)}

This cantrip and my second class Magic Aura worked well in tandem, for while the former allowed me to know more about the mysteries of Magic, the latter helped me to hide it from those that might use it against me.

One of my long term goals, now that I had a better understand from my lessons with Mott, was to understand how Valyrian steel was made.

This certainly would pay off immensely if I had a reliable way of producing this magical metal for more than armaments.

Armor and shield were an obvious idea, but construction and mundane tools could be easily a world changing factor to introduce.

Same thing for Dragonglass and the Black Stones.

As for my other Divination cantrip…

{GUIDING ARROW Lv- 6 (77%)}

I've made great advances with it during the time I spend on the road, having set it to lead me to Casterly Rock.

At first the Guiding Arrow insisted on showing me the shortest way, past mountains and rivers with no regards to how I would be able to follow it, but with enough experience with the spell I made it find more feasible paths depending on how I was traveling.

As for the first class spell I got from it…

{GUIDANCE Lv- 1 (0%)}

[FIRST CLASS DIVINATION SPELL: You touch one willing creature. Once before the spell ends, the target can boost one of its stats of its choice for a brief moment. The spell then ends.]

CASTING TIME: 6 SECONDS

RANGE: TOUCH (One willing creature)

COMPONENTS: V S

DURATION: CONCENTRATION (Up to 1 minute)

I saw lots of potential for this one.

Especially with a party of high level companions, already bolstered by their own features and perks, that would be in need of that small push to accomplish great feats.

For now I would have to make due in boosting others' Intelligence stat while using my Teach skill on them.

—————————————————————

The Royal Army.

One of the two times Joffrey was right.

Second being his initial concern about Daenerys and her dragons, which Tywin unfortunately shut down.

I guess a broken clock is right twice a day.

Saying that Westeros needed one army instead of each lord having private armies was actually a pretty good idea.

And interesting enough, something that even Robert Baratheon agreed to, given his speech about one army united behind one leader.

Disputes would've been settled more quickly and life would've been much better for the common folk, who after all just wanted peace and a good harvest, had the Targaryens made use of their dragons before their civil war took place.

But how exactly should one make this idea into reality?

A major problem of Middle Age armies was that most commanders could only field about 2-5000 well trained men.

The rest were farmhands and other feudal tenants who had to be taken away from the land in order to fight.

They were badly trained, not very well fed and didn't have standardised weaponry.

Standing armies should change that.

A decently sized standing army could beat a much larger force of… well, rabble, simply because they would be well disciplined and carry actual weapons instead of farming tools.

If I were to offer pay, training, and food to any man across the seven kingdoms who wanted to join the Royal Army, I could quickly get myself a standing force of say, 10000.

And if I were to then pay for the upkeep of this army through the ways states normally do, then this army would, eventually, be subservient to me instead of to the other lords owners of the lands they lived in.

In the event of a civil war, some would desert obviously, but it's not unreasonable to assume that most would have married women in the capital city, and made friends with people from other places, and would be loyal to the Iron Throne instead of to the individual Kingdoms they hailed from.

The flip side of this was that standing armies were very expensive, especially to maintain during peaceful times, and they had a tendency to initiate coup attempts.

The way the best kingdoms paid for their standing armies, and ensured their loyalty, was through conquest.

A king would march to another country, loot the hell out of it, and his army would be loyal to him because they'd see him as a brother-in-arms who had shared their trial by fire.

This made them considerably less willing to fight in civil wars, like Julius and Augustus Caesar, which were the perfect example to follow, in my opinion.

Not for naught that the Roman army was remembered as one of the most effective fighting forces in my previous life's history.

In its own time, the Legions proved their strength on the battlefield time after time against all who oppose them.

But if you were like me, that raised the question, if the Roman army was so powerful, why didn't anyone simply just copy it?

To answer this question, I would first have to dissect the specimen of the Roman Legions.

This would help anyone to better comprehend what were the key features worth copying, what would be required to achieve these same features and to what extent others before me had succeeded in creating their very own imitation Legions.

Right off the bat I will admit that it's actually quite hard to find a representative specimen for the Roman army since it evolved over the course of almost a thousand years.

But with my understanding I could at least make some pretty valid general observations.

Starting from the low level analysis of the soldier, slowly zooming out to the unit analysis and finally the overall army analysis.

At the lowest level of the soldier, we could look at things like personal equipment skill and discipline.

In terms of equipment for instance, we're talking about providing gear for a primarily heavy infantry base force.

Again, its specific incarnation might vary, but for much of the Roman Army's history that meant equipping soldiers with a short stabbing sword, a throwing javelin, a large oval or rectangular shield, chainmail armor and a helmet.

Perhaps even slings, or light crossbows.

In terms of personal skill, members of the Legion were initially just former soldiers called to action as a levy.

At first they had a fairly low skill level and it would be the responsibility of the general to prepare the troops for war at the start of a campaign.

However, there was often just a brief window for such activities and most training was done on the job.

The more fighting an army did, the more skilled its troops became.

Thus, periods of prolonged high intensity campaigning could transform even the greenest of troops into battle hardened veterans, such that they might even be considered semi-professionals.

I believe having a mercenary free company on Essos in the future would be optimal for that.

However attrition and the inevitable disbanding of forces in times of peace meant that the army skills could also quickly dull when not wetted by war.

Especially since no way in the seven hells I would be risking adding them all to my party, that would just be inviting unnecessary trouble.

This problem however, changed by the end of the Republican period and into the empire when Roman Legionaries became professional soldiers.

At that time, they would be enlisted to serve careers of around 25 years that involve physical fitness, weapons training, tactical drills and more activities to ensure they kept their edge.

The historian Josephus, noted that it would not be wrong to call their drills bloodless battles, and their battles bloody drills.

As a result, the overall skill of the Roman army was raised to even higher levels and could be counted on to remain so over the generations.

Another benefit of this fact was that the army could then also begin to specialize in all sorts of skills, like engineering, siege work, logistics and more.

In terms of discipline the Roman army did not mess around.

Even early on, they employed a wide range of carrots and sticks to instill a high level of order and control.

I'm certain that both Tywin Lannister and Randyl Tarly would've been impressed.

For instance, there were rules against lying, thievery, unmanly acts and dereliction of duty.

Minor offenses might be met with lashings or a fine, while major offenses could result in execution, sometimes administered by one's own peers as would occur with the decimation.

On the other hand, soldiers could also expect to be rewarded for acts of exceptional bravery and competence.

This involved special military decorations, financial payments and promotion.

Thus discipline was quite high, among the rank-and-file Roman soldiers, especially as the army became highly professionalized in its later years.

Now that I've covered the individual level of the Roman Legion, let's zoom out to talk about the unit.

Specifically its organization and leadership.

In terms of organization, the Romans at first followed the Greek manner by arranging their forces into a rigid Phalanx, before later adopting the more flexible Maniple system in response to increased fighting in the rough terrain of Samian.

Which makes me realize how useful the Westerlands' layout will prove to be to mimic that effort.

In similar terrains, soldiers were grouped together into units of 60 men (centuries), pairs of which formed a Maniple, 10 Maniples then formed a battle line of which there were now three.

The main advantage with it was that each Maniple could function independently, giving the army as a whole much more flexibility.

This had huge benefits when it came to advancing, fighting, reinforcing, exploiting opportunities in combat and overall just widening the range of tactics available to the Legions.

When the Roman army professionalized, it would maintain this concept by joining together six centuries into a cohort of around 480 men, ten of which formed a Legion.

In this way, the smaller elements of a Legion could still operate independently while boasting more manpower than the previous Maniples, which gave the army greater tactical and strategic flexibility.

The Roman leadership structure was closely linked to the system of flexible modular units.

Basically the way this worked was that each century had a commanding officer known as a Centurion.

As centuries were grouped together, their Centurions would be ranked into a hierarchical chain of command, outranking them would be Tribunes and above them the general.

The higher levels of an army were typically members of the upper class, who joined over the course of their political careers.

The centurions on the other hand, were often military professionals who might spend decades in the army.

And possibly prime candidates for Knighthood and receiving lands to raise their own house.

Their embedment at all levels ensured that no matter who was in charge at the very top the army as a whole always had the institutional knowledge necessary to operate effectively.

Their presence on the frontlines also helped with discipline and morale.

It also meant that the flexible roman units were empowered to make their own decisions on the fly, which could ultimately turn the tide of battle.

Their opponents on the other hand were basically forced to face the chaos of war wearing a tactical straightjacket.

Now, we could finally zoom out to the overall army level, talking about matters of resources and logistics.

In terms of resources this had to do with Rome's ability to devote massive amounts of manpower and money towards its military efforts.

Such was the level of effort expended that they could often just overwhelm or outlast an opponent who might otherwise beat them in the short term.

I'm sure I could find great uses for each of the Seven Kingdoms.

Resources were after all key.

We see this really first take place during Rome's clashes with Pyrrhus of Epirus.

Pyrrhus won multiple battles, but emerged each time bloodier and bloodier, leading him to declare: "Another victory like that and I am done for!" And eventually withdrawing completely.

The same phenomenon occurred during the Punic Wars, when huge armies and fleets were raised time and again by Rome in the face of repeated devastating losses.

This ability to deploy such resources could be traced to a variety of factors, including Rome's large pool of citizens, its strong network of allies, its stable political system and it's hard to quantify cultural bullheadedness.

As the Republic turned to Empire, Rome gained even more manpower and wealth to pour into its military efforts, which made it yet more formidable.

The leveraging of resources goes hand in hand with my next topic of logistics.

At first Rome was quite inexperienced, but gradually built up its skills over the course of its foreign expeditions.

Eventually the Legions were able to operate with the whole supply chain behind them, making sure they had adequate supplies of food and equipment.

This not only allowed the army to operate at peak capacity, but also gave it the strategic capability to campaign for longer amounts of time and over greater distances than its enemies.

From everyday moments, supply lines and logistics, to how wartime affected it.

Suffice to say, Rome's massive resources coupled with an incredibly efficient logistical system provided a huge force multiplier to an army that was already incredibly powerful.

Honestly, there's a ton more to be said about all the intricacies of the Roman army, but for now that should be more than enough.

Now we can consider why others didn't just 'copy' the Roman army.

I will do so by going through each element in the same order as before.

So as a would-be copycat I'd probably start by trying to replicate the individual Roman soldier.

In terms of equipment, this should actually be fairly easy to accomplish since the type of gear the Legions carried wasn't that exceptional.

Most of their kit could be found in the other major armies of the Known World, who also fielded heavy infantry.

In fact, the Romans themselves were believed to have actually been the ones who copied from others.

For instance, the famed Gladius sword came from the Iberians, and their large rounded scutum shield came from other Italian tribes.

Over time however, Roman manufacturing developed to the point where its forces were able to turn out large quantities of high-quality gear.

This allowed a greater proportion of the Roman army to be suitably equipped, as compared to other forces.

It also allowed for the development of sophisticated novel armor sets like the Lorica Segmentata, which would be quite hard for others to copy without significant investment.

But failure to produce such items shouldn't necessarily be counted against would-be copycats.

After all, the Lorica Segmentata fell into disuse by the Romans themselves due to it's high production and maintenance costs.

And even if it hadn't, minor differences in equipment during that age wasn't a huge differentiator in the outcome of battles.

But thankfully my brief time at Lannisport showed me there wouldn't be a shortage of blacksmiths and material resources.

After my soldiers were equipped with gear comparable to the Legions, then what about matching their skill?

Well, again this shouldn't have been that difficult.

As I stated, during the Republican period, Roman troops were initially just levy soldiers with relatively little training.

As such, their individual skills could be easily matched by soldiers from other warrior societies across the Mediterranean, often the question of who was better had come down to simply who had more combat experience.

In these matters Rome didn't necessarily have the edge, as they were not a uniquely martial power.

Many of their peers in the Hellenistic, Gallic, Punic and Persian world's for instance frequently engage in warfare that produced hardened veterans who could go toe-to-toe with the Romans.

Admittedly, this equation began to change as the Roman army professionalized and raised the overall skill of its soldiers.

But that was more of a long term goal for me.

So why didn't other armies do the same?

Well, in many ways… they had.

Professional soldiers were nothing new, even for Westerosi standards, and many other nations had their own full-time soldiers, like the Persian Immortals and the Unsullied, enunch slave soldiers of Astapor, for instance.

Even so-called barbarian armies had elite troops who made up the retinue of powerful chieftains, like the Thenns beyond the Wall.

Oftentimes however, these made up just a small part of the overall army, thus to match the Romans one would have to greatly increase the amount of professionals in their army.

This would take a lot of money and power, but it could be done.

I will achieve it.

Philip II of Macedon for example, famously leveraged the vast mineral wealth of the Balkans and his own political position to reform the Macedonian army into a full-time professional force.

It was this army that then marched to victory after victory under his son, Alexander the Great.

Yet opportunities for such sweeping reforms were relatively rare, this was especially true as Rome's rise to power often came at the expense of its rivals, which meant that they were less and less able to pour in the financial and political capital necessary to keep up.

Now, let's talk about copying the Roman units organization and leadership.

This was arguably more important, since as I've said, most of the time, the quality of the rank-and-file troops was pretty comparable across different armies.

In terms of organization, we were left to ask why didn't anyone else break up the rigid Phalanx into something more flexible like the Roman Maniple.

Again, the answer was that… well… they did.

Militaries of antiquity always faced evolutionary pressures from war and had long identified the potential weaknesses in the Phalanx style of fighting.

It's for this reason that the Phalanx was often accompanied by light troops and cavalry, to cover up for its deficiencies.

During the Wars of the Diadochi for instance, changes to unit organization were seen with the increasing deployment of a new type of medium infantry, to fit between the heavy Pike Phalanxes and the light skirmishers.

These units, known as Thureophoroi, filled a similar role to the Maniples and that they could be used in a far more flexible manner on the battlefield.

But unlike the Maniples, they were never really deployed on a large scale and remained as more of a support role.

But why not?

Well, part of the answer was that the Phalanx still worked, and could prove devastating when properly supported.

Another reason was that switching your whole army over to the Maniple system would also require a switch to your command and control system.

Finally, this now brings us to the question of copying the Roman leadership.

All armies have a hierarchy of command, but the depth to which they extend into an army vary greatly in time.

Sometimes the lowest level officer controlled hundreds of men, while other times that might just control dozens.

For instance, during the Peloponnesian War, we could see that the Athenian system (Strategos> Teaxiarchos-1000 > Lochagos-100) was not as robust as the Spartan one (King > Polemarch-600 > Lochagos-150 > Pentekostyes-80 > Enomotarchos-40), which extended down to the Enomotarchos in charge of around 40 men, a group smaller than even the roman century.

This helped give the Spartans their edge when it came to tactical flexibility and discipline in battle.

Thus, we see that other armies were capable of having officers with similar command scopes to the Roman centurions.

The difference however was that the Roman Centurions had the freedom to independently move their units about.

Thus, you see how both leadership and organization were interlinked and it would require quite the overhaul for someone to copy the roman unit system.

Standing in the way would not only be the technical knowledge or resources, but also the institutional barriers of the current army model.

Oftentimes this was a reflection of the society it came from, with special roles and privileges for the nobility, which would generally not want to have their boat rocked.

Now we could finally turn to the idea of actually copying the Roman Army's resources and logistics.

At this point it's a pretty tall order to try and copy something on such a macro level.

Getting more resources in terms of manpower and money for example was far easier said than done, with only the major empires of history being able to contend with Rome in these matters.

As for logistics, that's also closely tied to the economy and infrastructure of a particular society.

Many of Rome's contemporaries already had a logistical system in place, with some being rather sophisticated and robust.

But ultimately they had no hope of competing with Rome without controlling an equivalently large amount of territory from which to draw supplies, and without control of the same Mediterranean sea lanes, with which to efficiently link these to an army.

So, where does that leave us?

Well basically, the Roman army had a lot going for it, with much on the unit and army level that was hard to replicate.

But that didn't stop some from trying, the longtime enemy of Rome, Mithridates of Pontus for instance, apparently reorganized his forces after initial confrontation with the Legions.

According to Plutarch: "He had swords forged in the Roman fashion, heavy shields welded and 120,000 footmen drilled in the Roman formation."

This was all done under the instruction of turncoat Legionaries and Centurions recruited by the general.

In this way, it appears that Mithridates had created an imitation Legion with the equipment, organization and leadership to match.

Unfortunately there were few records of this incident and little with which to judge its performance.

Ultimately however, Mithridates did lose to Rome, so it seems that the experiment was a failure.

And therein lies the problem, it was an experiment at best.

The Roman military system was successful as a package deal.

All of its elements worked together, such that its whole was greater than the sum of its parts.

Therefore just copying bits and pieces wouldn't get me the same results.

Yeah, my own Legions might look and even feel like the real thing on the training field, but it wouldn't hold up in the rigors of war without great investment and planning.

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(24/10/2021)

(30/10/2021)

(04/05/2022)

*Hope this chapter is of your liking.

Anything you wish to ask, feel free to do so.

Check out my auxiliary chapter if you still haven't.

Thanks as always for your attention and please be safe.

Any problems with my writing, just point them out and I will correct them as soon as possible.

** Allow me to recommend the YouTube channel "Invicta", it was really insightful in helping me visualize how I could follow the steps of the Roman Legion and implement it on the world George RR Martin created.