Game of Thrones Background Guide Table of Contents Letter from the Chair Letter from the Crisis Director Committee Logistics Introduction to the Committee Introduction to House Stark Introduction to House Lannister Introduction to House Targaryen Questions to Consider Resources to Use Resources Used Dossiers Appendix Staff of the Committee Chair Azanta Thakur Vice Chair Victoria Lopez Crisis Director Sam Lyons Assistant Crisis Director Ariana Thorpe Under Secretary General Jane Gallagher Taylor Cowser, Secretary General Neha Iyer, Director General Letter from the Chair Dear Delegates, On behalf of our committee, I want to extend a warm welcome to you all to BosMUN XIX. I am so excited that you will be a part of this committee and I expect us all to have a dramatic — yet fantastic — weekend. We have a lot of exciting things in store, so get ready, binge the show, and bring your game face. My name is Azanta Thakur and I will be your Chair for the conference weekend. I’m a senior at Boston University studying Public Health and Environmental Analysis & Policy. This is my fourth BosMUN and I’m really looking forward to my final MUN conference. I’ve held every role in BosMUN; from the Secretariat, to the Dais, to the Crisis Room — I hold this conference very near and dear to my heart. For me, doing my last committee on the greatest TV show of all time was the perfect way to go out with a bang. You have been given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to conclude this series the way you want. This is why we have decided to begin after the events of Season 6. This background guide will serve as exactly that: background for those of you who have not watched the show, whether that is recently or at all. However, I strongly recommend that you watch the show up to at least Season 6 before the committee begins if you have not already, and possibly Seasons 7 & 8 for inspiration. It is your best resource for the conference — even before this background guide. You may use information and details from the books, but this is not required. While I’ve provided a summary and background, I still strongly recommend watching Seasons 1-6 before the start of committee. It is your best resource, even before this background guide. This background guide is also a bit unconventional. Because the characters and their lives are so intertwined in the Game of Thrones universe, while writing this background guide, I found it difficult to write two about two different topics and not be too repetitive. Instead, each House is described with a timeline of events from Seasons 1 to 6. Each House ends where Season 6 ends; your next steps will be to decide what to do next as a part of Cersei’s council. The Dais will be representing Cersei Lannister during committee, with the delegates acting as Cersei’s advisors, deliberating on how to deal with the impending arrival of the Targaryen fleet. I want to see your most creative ideas, thoughts, and directives. This weekend is your pearl, so make the most of it! If you have any questions, I encourage you to reach out to me at [email protected]. Warmly, Azanta Thakur Letter from the Crisis Director Dear Delegates, Welcome to Game of Thrones at BosMUN XIX. Your Dias has been hard at work for the past few months getting ready for committee and we are so excited for a weekend of murder, intrigue, and war. This committee is exciting because you will have the opportunity to do what David Benioff and D.B Weiss could not, write a satisfying ending to the most epic TV show of our generation. Please note that we are starting at the end of Season 6 with Daenerys’s imminent arrival in Westeros. Delegates looking to be successful would be advised to take their own direction and not replicate the events of Seasons 7 and 8, especially 8. As a CD I value creativity. The beauty of crisis is the ability to shape the arc of committee through your backroom actions, and this weekend I am hoping the direction of committee will be delegate driven. You should feel empowered to draw from any narrative arc from the show or books or come up with your own. Please keep in mind the resources you have access to when formulating your plans. Personally I am more interested in soft power focused arcs than straight military but I will go for anything as long as it is well executed. Good luck! Sam Lyons Committee Logistics Debate This committee will be functioning in a perpetual moderated caucus. The topic of the moderated caucus, as well as any alternate caucuses and procedures, will be determined by the body. Voting on procedural matters will require a simple majority, while voting on substantive issues will require a plurality. All delegates’ votes will count the same. The chair will oversee all dilatory matters, including voting procedures, directives, and any other procedural votes. The Crisis Room, as detailed below, will be directing debate in the form of crises, presented to the committee as they arise. The chair retains the right at all times to use chair’s discretion, especially if debate has stagnated. As any other MUN committee, be respectful of other delegates in any form of communication. Documents Our committee will use four different types of documents. The first is a Directive, a document that orders the committee to take an official, concrete action. If we were in a regular MUN committee, this would be akin to a resolution, but more direct, less formal, and should be written and passed much more often than in a General Assembly. The next type of document is a Press Release, a document that outlines a public statement or message that the committee wishes to express. Committee Logistics It may be from the committee as a whole or from a specific delegate. It may be addressed to a specific news agency, the Small Council, the Dais, or just a general press release to show to the committee and citizenry. The third document, a Communiqué, is an official communication to another organization or individual. It can be sent to another delegate. It may also be sent to another individual or organization not represented in the simulation, which will then be played out by the Crisis Room. The aforementioned three documents must be sent to the Chair and passed by a plurality of the committee. The final document type is than an Individual Action Order. Delegates should use this to secretly order something that is fully within their purview and would not require committee-wide approval in your character’s Dossier. Individual Action Orders should be sent to the Crisis room, and may or may not be approved at the discretion of the Crisis team. You may not, however, send an individual communiqué to a member of any other committee. Crisis Room At BosMUN, we strive to offer an opportunity for every delegate to shape their simulated world, and so we will make the best possible attempt to implement Individual Action Orders. When sending a note to the Crisis Room, however, delegates must be creative in who they address it to, and remain within the realistic purview of their character’s power. Committee Logistics Please remember to sign all notes legibly. Bear in mind that the Crisis Room will be incredibly hectic and busy all throughout the conference. While they will be fully available to you throughout BosMUN, please do not send frivolous or unimportant notes and do not expect the Crisis Room to respond immediately to your every request. Be respectful of the Crisis room and they will be more likely to help you out. Awards Criteria Delegates are encouraged to promote the best possible solutions to the committee’s substantive problems. Awards will be specifically be given to the individuals who shape the debate and results of the committee the most throughout the conference. In other words, those who best influence the content of the committee’s proceedings will be considered for awards. This may be accomplished through all means available, including utilization of the Crisis Room, speaking, writing, and caucusing. The opinions of the Crisis Director, Vice Chair, and Crisis Staff will play heavily into the Chair’s awards decisions. Therefore, please be respectful at all times to both delegates and staff, so that everyone can get the best experience possible. Attendance to all committee sessions and prompt submission of a position paper are required to be considered for awards. Introduction to the Committee Welcome to Westeros, post Season 6. The committee will act as a series of meetings presided over by Queen of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, Cersei Lannister between strategic members of the Small Council, various officials, representatives of the Seven Kingdoms, and trusted advisors. The timing and prior events will be confirmed by the Crisis Room prior to the start of committee before the commencement of debate in order to account for the rapid crisis updates and the progress made by the committee. The committee must maintain flexibility in the face of challenges at all times. Your Queen demands your silence, honor, and creativity. In order to defeat the Targaryen army, the committee must be willing to sacrifice all to preserve and protect Westeros from the Mad King’s heir. As shapers and participators of Westeros’ path towards war, you are tasked with determining the best routes and roads in setting Westeros up to be strong in the face of conflict, as well as any internal backlash that may come throughout this weekend.