So... handmaidens. How do they work ingame?

[Ed Mike]

I don't quite get it, sorry if it is very obvious. I end up no having any in 99% of my playthroughs.
I have to find a female relative of my wife, who is not much younger or older than her, have enough of the same traits to be liked by wifey, is unmarried and has to be someone who would accept an invitation to my court?
And if my character is female... does that change the requirements to have a handmaiden?
Also, are unlanded characters with honorary titles such as handmaidens protected against the "died of weak health" cleansing waves that go through court?

P.s.: I'm kind of surprised that lorewise every lady has at least one lady in waiting, giving the requirements. hehe

 

[xrogaan]

Daughters, nieces, kinwomen, sisters... I personally only managed to have khandmaidens once, was the daughters but they went away with marriage.

 

[daisha]

Lorewise GRRM can pull a random dynasty member out of nowhere because we're mostly talking about insanely old dynasties with documented lineages in his universe. In the AGOT mod you just get "line of so and so" for hundreds or thousands of years at a time and most branches are not tracked. The requirement should probably be relaxed in the mod.

 

[Deaghaidh]

Imho, the qualification should simply be unmarried women who aren't lowborn.

Alternately you could have it be a sort of female version of Squire. A way for notable ladies to take young relatives and wards under their wing as it were.

 

[daisha]

Imho, the qualification should simply be unmarried women who aren't lowborn.

Alternately you could have it be a sort of female version of Squire. A way for notable ladies to take young relatives and wards under their wing as it were.

I would say unmarried women of your culture who ARE lowborn, and they should become of your dynasty (kinswoman) when you name them handmaiden ("oh look we were playing around the hall of records and found this totally unfabricated documentation that she's a stark!") Really that's not totally satisfactory either imo, related dynasts should be eligible (i.e. karstarks for starks), but that's a lot of crap to code, and you'd have to account for new cadet dynasties, too... and that's a hell of a lot of work for very little.

 

[Deaghaidh]

I would say unmarried women of your culture who ARE lowborn, and they should become of your dynasty (kinswoman) when you name them handmaiden ("oh look we were playing around the hall of records and found this totally unfabricated documentation that she's a stark!") Really that's not totally satisfactory either imo, related dynasts should be eligible (i.e. karstarks for starks), but that's a lot of crap to code, and you'd have to account for new cadet dynasties, too... and that's a hell of a lot of work for very little.

IDK, seems like there's no need for them to be relatives. I know Joanna Lannister was one for Rhaella Targaryean, and they weren't related.

For that matter maybe the non-lowborn requirement isn't necessary. Danys handmaidens weren't of particularly notable birth. Who Irri and Jirri's parents are isn't mentioned, and Doreah was an actual slave. Maybe any unmarried woman?

 

[Ed Mike]

I do recall Cersei having lady Merryweather, Margaery having Mira Forrester and Margaery's mother (a Hightower, I think) keeping a Branfield for what I recall. Also, I'm not sure, but I think lady Rohanne Webber employed lady Helicent Uffering, the sister of her deceased husband (so for game mechanics, not a relative anymore).
Unless I'm wrong on all acounts, there certainly is no necessity for blood relations in lore.

 

[Mogsam_]

It is the female version of being a squire. It's a chance to be groomed by a great lady and find a good husband etc. The only requirement should be unmarried, but perhaps allow younger girls to be one, so 11+ or something. CK2 doesn't encourage you to leave young ladies unmarried afterall.