[Kill Otis] I don't think sparing the life of some blood thirsty maniac to do any good, there are some moments where you can't be merciful or it will just backfire and kill you.
True, but I would like to test if maybe Ellena can get saved with anyone actually dying in the mix, yeah its a long shot but still I'm holding out hope.
Marak
Before he approached the hatch, Marak looked around, to make sure that he was alone. He couldn't have Otis catching him right now, … morethat would be rather hard to explain. With a smirk, he noticed that the strange farmer would have some explaining to do as well.
As he reached the hatch, he knelt down and quickly spotted a sturdy slide bolt attached to it. By now, the smell that came out of it was enough to make Marak cringe. Despite this feeling, he still noticed how odd it was that someone would use a slide bolt attached to the outside. Such a thing meant no protection at all. It almost seemed as if he tried to keep something down there.
Carefully, Marak removed the bolt and grabbed the handles on each side of the hatch, as he slowly pulled it open. It creaked, but Marak did not stop. The smell that came out of it was nauseating and for a moment, he had to turn away from the open hole in the ground.
“Let's see what you hide do… [view original content]
Well, this is the option I would have placed my bets on, though I am surprised that it ended up as a relatively close voting. Personally, I would have voted to kill Otis, though my opinion is certainly influenced by the knowledge of what would have happened if you would have spared him. Basically, sparing Otis would have been a mistake here. Sometimes, killing a defeated enemy causes further problems down the line (see Butterfly), but this time it would have actually prevented problems. As you have seen, Otis is a highly unstable guy, to say the least. Without spoiling anything, sparing his life would have later given him the opportunity to escape from Marak and Noelle and to take Ellena with him. I'll tell you more details about that when I write down the alternative choices at the end of the chapter. For now, let's just say that sparing Otis would have had huge consequences and most of them entirely negative.
The next part is going to be out later today. It will, after a long time, feature the return of Raenna, whose next part is explicitely set after this Marak part, which is also the reason for her long absence. The last time we saw her, she and her group, consisting of Terroma, Davith, the Northern sellswords Brandon and Ando, as well as the Ghiscari slavers Abbas and Bakr, made camp, after Raenna decided that Terroma needed rest. They bonded a bit over a long talk and a drink, though unfortunately, the peaceful atmosphere was disturbed by a discovery Abbas made. He found tracks that led him to believe that Marak and Noelle are nearby. He, Raenna and Brandon decided to check these tracks out.
Currently, it also looks as if this part might have room for a second PoV, which would be Drent. He already received a recap the last time I closed the voting, so if you're unsure what happened in his last part, check it above. Also, if you haven't yet read TheFurryOne's awesome part about the backstory of his character Lupin Frostborn, go check that one out as well, because it is awesome. You can find it hidden underneath a spoiler tag, just above Marak's part.
I forget, how did Terroma and Raenna meet Abbas and Bakr? Weren't they working for the Burned Man and up and left when things went down hill? When did they meet Raenna and crew?
The Voting is closed!
Marak is going to kill Otis
Well, this is the option I would have placed my bets on, though I am surprised that … moreit ended up as a relatively close voting. Personally, I would have voted to kill Otis, though my opinion is certainly influenced by the knowledge of what would have happened if you would have spared him. Basically, sparing Otis would have been a mistake here. Sometimes, killing a defeated enemy causes further problems down the line (see Butterfly), but this time it would have actually prevented problems. As you have seen, Otis is a highly unstable guy, to say the least. Without spoiling anything, sparing his life would have later given him the opportunity to escape from Marak and Noelle and to take Ellena with him. I'll tell you more details about that when I write down the alternative choices at the end of the chapter. For now, let's just say that sparing Otis would have had huge consequences and most of… [view original content]
It happened off-screen between the chapters and they only received a brief mention at the end of chapter 6 to establish their relationship with Terroma, with whom they had several previous encounters during his active years. Even though they never really got along, there has been an unspecified moment in their past during which Terroma helped them, so now they owe him. And while Terroma does not particularly like them, he knows about their usefulness. He also knows they are in Oldtown, so when he learned of Ellena's abduction, he decided to contact them and to call in the favour they owe him. And you are right, they have previously been working for the Burned Man. However, Terroma's request came at the same time when the whole organisation started to crumble at the end of Chapter 6, so they gladly decided to leave Oldtown before things would get too heated for them.
I forget, how did Terroma and Raenna meet Abbas and Bakr? Weren't they working for the Burned Man and up and left when things went down hill? When did they meet Raenna and crew?
“There”, Abbas said quietly, as he knelt down. Though the light beneath the trees was dim in the late hours of the evening, he had staunchly opposed the use of a torch, a move Raenna begrudgingly had to agree on with him. They couldn't allow their enemies to spot them, even if it made tracking them slightly harder.
“What do you have?”, Raenna asked, as she walked up to him. Carefully, the Ghiscari moved his hands across the ground. “Three people”, he answered. “This one here was very light” As he spoke, Brandon caught up to him as well. Though he shared Raenna's distrust of the slaver, he thankfully held back on any animosity, safe for a noticeably icy glare whenever he looked into the man's direction. “The girl?”, he asked.
Abbas glanced at him and a smug smirk formed on his face. He knew they needed him. Raenna knew the basics of reading tracks and she had no doubts that the Northerner was skilled at hunting, but neither of the had genuine experience with hunting for humans. “I doubt it”, he stated. “Look closely, wolf. The footsteps are too large for a child. Aside from that, they lead the others”
He shook his head. “No, I think the girl was carried by this one”, he continued and pointed at another set of tracks. For Raenna, they looked almost the same. Abbas noticed her expression and raised an eyebrow. “They are deeper”, he explained. “This person was far heavier and I believe they were carrying something... or someone”
“And there's a third one”, Brandon stated and Abbas gave him a quick nod. “Not a very hard track to follow”, he smirked. “This one is obviously not used to be outside very often. His steps are clumsy, he leaves deep tracks despite his light weight. I believe they belong to the Maester that accompanies them”
“So we got the Red Priestess leading them, her fighter carrying the girl and the Maester just trotting behind”, Raenna summarized, as they continued to follow the trail. “Quite an odd combination we're hunting there”
“I've had better”, Abbas revealed. “Once, I was chasing down a group of Brindled Men, who had escaped from the fighting pits of Meereen. Out in the planes, they were helpless, but some of the lucky bastards made their ways to the verdant forests of Yi Ti and that's when they turned the tables on us” He chuckled thinly. “I've never before been in a situation where suddenly, I became the hunted”, he said with excitement. “I've never felt so alive...”
Finally, he noticed the disgust on Raenna's face and Brandon's cold glare. “No one cares for your hunting stories, Ghiscari”, he growled. “I'd rather focus on the people we hunt right now than to hear about the people you've hunted before”
Abbas' thin smile faded. “Right”, he said. “Well, these tracks aren't too old. In fact, I'd say our prey has to be pretty close” Slowly, he continued down the path, while Raenna and Brandon followed next to each other, both keeping an eye on the slaver.
It wasn't long until they actually saw something. Through the increasing darkness, Raenna saw the distant flickering of fire. Abbas raised his hand and she saw Brandon narrowing his eyes. He and the Ghiscari exchanged a short nod, before they split, each of them approaching the fire from a different side. This left Raenna to sneak closer down the direct way.
In complete silence, they approached the fire from three different directions, through an underbrush that steadily grew lighter the closer they got. The fire itself was located on a small clearing. While it was silent at first, Raenna soon heard something. Paws, something making its way through the underbrush at the other side of the clearing. A long growl and then, the weak, hoarsy voice of a man. “No!”, he screamed. “Oh gods, no! No! Go! Anyone, help!”
Quickly, Raenna exchanged a glance with Brandon, who gave her a nod, before she charged. To her right, she heard Abbas cursing in his guttural language, before he joined in as well. Though Raenna was faster than the two men and arrived at the clearing first.
Immediately, she spotted the source of the screams. On the ground, tied to a tree in front of the fire, lay a thin, old man, wearing grey robes. His hands were apparently tied behind the tree and with his boots, he tried to fight off a grey wolf. Through the light provided by the fire, Raenna was able to see several other pairs of yellow eyes staring at her.
The wolf saw her approaching and let go of the old man. It jumped back, snarling at her, with an almost starving look in its eyes. Positioning herself between the animal and the man, she pointed her dagger at it, trying to scare it away. “Go!”, she barked. “Shoo!”
To her right, Abbas stepped out of the underbrush, firmy holding an arakh in his hands, while Brandon, holding a longsword, made his presence known to her left. The wolf on the clearing let out a quick bark, followed by a growl, which was reciprocated by the animals in the darkness behind it. The fire reflected in their eyes and Raenna counted at least half a dozen. Then, they attacked.
Their boldness took Raenna by surprise, if only for a second. They were not afraid of the fire and not afraid of the people, they attacked with a viciousness she had never seen in an animal before. The first wolf jumped at her and though she had readied herself for it, the force was still enough to push her to the ground. It snapped at her, though she managed to hold it away from her throat, as she pushed her dagger deep into its neck.
Before she was able to push the dead animal off her, a second wolf charged at her from the left. She groaned, as she tried to lift the surprisingly heavy wolf off her chest, staring at the one that had nearly reached her. Just as she was able to see the rage in its eyes, Abbas had reached it. The arakh in his hands moved almost faster than she was able to see it, slicing across the wolf's side and causing it to fall to the ground, whimpering. With a cruel look on his face, the Ghiscari finished it off, before he helped Raenna back to her feet. “You're welcome”, he simply said.
Brandon's angry howl caused her to look at him. A wolf had jumped at him and bitten down into his arm, though he was strong enough to remain standing. With a growl, he pushed his longword into the animal's throat, before slicing down, completely disembowelling it. Removing it from his arm, he glared at another one, that was just charging towards him. As it jumped at him, he quickly kicked it right in the snout, sending it flying backwards, only to finish it off by decapitating it once it reached the ground.
Standing between Abbas and Brandon, Raenna focussed on the last wolf on the clearing, a small and slim animal, though she noticed a few more behind it. Nothing she couldn't deal with. “So”, she hissed, while she glared at the wolf. To her surprise, she could swear the animal glared back. “What's it going to be? You want to die like the rest of your pack? Then come on!”
For a second, the wolf seemed to consider its options, before a long, deep howl echoed through the forest. The sound was strange, unlike anything Raenna had ever heard from a wolf and it sent a chill down her spine and her only relief was that it came from the distance, unlikely to break through the underbrush anytime soon.
“Direwolf”, Brandon gasped. “But... here?” To Raenna's relief, the small wolf on the clearing immediately turned around as it heard the howl and trotted back to the forest, where it met up with the rest of its surviving pack, quickly vanishing into the darkness and leaving them unharmed. She walked up to the Northerner and took a look at his arm. “You alright?”, she asked and he gave her a nod. With the hint of a grin, he presented his bracers. “It failed to get through the leather”, he assured her.
“Well...”, Abbas said with a smile. “I never expected to be attacked by wolves. What a fascinating experience” Raenna glanced at him with gratitude, before she focussed onto the old man on the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Brandon, still holding his sword and carefully looking around. Then, she knelt down, to cut the rope around the old man's hands. As she did so, her eyes fell upon the dark, silvery chain around his neck, shimmering in the light of the fire. Valyrian Steel.
“You're the Maester!”, she gasped and he gave her a nod, as he rubbed his aching wrists. “Wulvren, Archmaester of Magic, at your service”, he introduced himself. “You have my gratitude. These beasts were bolder than any I've ever seen”
“The Maester”, Abbas mumbled, after having spotted the chain as well. He walked up on them, crouching down next to him and giving him a thin, fake smile, while the old man narrowed his eyes. “Have you been looking for me?”, he asked, before he realized what they were talking about. “Oh! You... you are... I know you! The... the woman that is half a dragon. Then there's an old man. And I believe she said something about a wolf as well”
Brandon frowned and it was Raenna who spoke. “She?”, she asked and he gave her a nod. “The Red Priestess”, he revealed. “Noelle” It was the first time Raenna actually heard the name of the woman they had been chasing through half of the Reach. “Noelle...”, she repeated, before she glared at him. “Then you know why we're here. Where is Noelle? More importantly, where's Ellena?” She grabbed him by the chain and pulled him closer, while she glared at him. “And don't you dare lying to me”
The Maester sighed and looked ever thinner as he did so. “Violence won't be necessary”, he claimed. “If you know about me, then you must think I am involved in all of this, which is, frankly, quite untrue” He gulped, as he saw Abbas' thin smile and Brandon's cold frown. “I was trying to stop her madness”, he claimed and put a hand onto his chest. “That's why I went with her. To convince her to stop. I... I know that there is good in Noelle and I hoped to make her see it”
Raenna looked into his eyes, before she gave him a nod and let go of his chain. Immediately, the Archmaester sank back into the grass, groaning in discomfort. “Where are they now?”, she asked and he shrugged, as he leant onto his pointy elbows. “I don't know”, he said glumly. “A few hours ago, I attempted to free the girl, this Ellena” A frown flashed across his face. “Noelle plans to trade her for the girl she wants to burn”
“I know”, Raenna confirmed. “That's why we're going to kill her” Wulvren gulped. “It's a shame”, he mumble. “Noelle has been a good friend, many years ago. I thought I could save her, but after the events of today, I'm no longer sure” He looked up, with a grim expression on his face. “Her so-called god means more to her than the people around her”, he stated. “And I know she must be stopped. Just... whatever you do, don't make her suffer”
Raenna shook her head. “I don't intend to”, she answered, before she reached down to help him back to his feet. He was a head taller than her, but even thinner, looking pale and obviously in pain as he stood. “That blasted monster of hers, this Marak”, he muttered. “I think he broke one of my ribs”
“The red-haired sellsword?”, Raenna asked and he gave her a nod. “After you freed the girl, what happened?” Wulvren lent against the tree and sighed, which sent a shiver through his frail body. “She ran, with admirable speed”, he said with a grim smile. “I think she was faster than Noelle's dog, but he followed closely, after nearly crushing my windpipe in his rage. Noelle remained behind, to deal with me”
“So she left you for the wolves?”, Abbas interjected and the Archmaester shook his head. “She only tied me up. I don't think she knew about the wolves. She even left a fire and promised me to return once this would be dealt with”, he answered and gulped. “I'm honestly surprised she even let me live” He looked up and Raenna saw the pain on his face. “I helped her in locating the girl, before I knew what she was up to. I gave her supplies, I supported her and I did not try enough to stop her. In a way, I suppose that makes me guilty of whatever is going to happen”, he admitted and Raenna tensed up at this confession. “When I faced her, I was ready to meet the Seven, or any other god out there. I still am”
For a moment, Raenna glanced down at her dagger. What she saw in his eyes was genuine guilt, a streak she encountered not often enough. She shook her head and put her dagger away. “The gods have to wait, old man”, she answered calmly. “You're free to go, after you tell me where they went”
Wulvren gave her a stern nod. “Down there”, he said as he pointed towards the forest. “I don't know what happened to any of them afterwards. Maybe the girl escaped, maybe they caught her again” His head hung low and he shook it. “I should have done more. I wish I had realized earlier that Noelle is lost. Perhaps I could have stopped her”
“You helped Ellena when it mattered”, Raenna said, to cheer him up. She wasn't too sure why she did it, though she felt he deserved it. The Maester had done a mistake earlier, but freeing the girl despite the problems he had to face, that was more decency and bravery than most men showed in a lifetime. “So... where are you going next?”
Wulvren clenched his teeth. “Back to Oldtown”, he answered. “I have recent studies to finish. Then...” He looked up and his eyes widened. “Noelle told me many things about the future”, he answered. “Most made no sense to me, safe for one. She mentioned a war. She mentioned a king, the one true king, whom she sees as the chosen champion of her god”
Abbas chuckled at this, though Wulvren didn't even glance at him. “I don't care for her god, but I have reason to believe that the king she speaks about is indeed going to be a great one”, he continued. “That means there's a war coming, unlike anything any of us has ever seen. A war to unite Westeros under one king” He straightened his back and all of a sudden seemed a lot less frail. “I'm done working for Noelle, or any other member of her crazy sect”, he growled. “But I believe this king could need an advisor”
Raenna gave him a nod, as he walked past her, towards the small path she had come from, the path back to Oldtown. She was not entirely sure what to think of his tale, but he seemed confident enough to make it slightly unsettling. “I wish you the best of luck then. I hope you'll find your king”, she answered and momentarily smirked. “Did Noelle mention the name of this king?” Wulvren stopped, almost at the edge of the clearing, before he gave her a nod. “Indeed”, he answered, before he stepped through the underbrush and out of sight. “His name is Aegon Targaryen”
With these words, he was gone, leaving a genuinely stunned Raenna behind. Targaryen... it brought back memories, horrible memories she'd rather suppress. The name had meant fear for her, at least during her childhood. It was hard to shed this fear, especially as she did not know if it was still necessary or not. Aegon's father, it was impossible for her to even think of him as her uncle, he would have killed her if he'd only knew about her existence, just like he did with every other other Targaryen bastard he came across. She did not know how his son thought about this, but she had no intentions of ever finding out.
“Targaryen”, Abbas spat, with a wide grin of disbelief, as he stared at the spot through which the Archmaester had entered the underbrush. “Whatever the hell is wrong with that man” He only then noticed Brandon's dark frown. “What is it, wolf?”, he asked. “You don't believe him, do you?” Brandon sighed. “I don't believe he lied”, he responded and Raenna noticed barely hidden concern in his voice. “I have information that matches with what he just said”
Abbas' smile faded as he noticed how serious Brandon was about this and Raenna tensed up as well. “You know it?”, she asked and he shook his head. “I heard rumours”, he revealed. “Mullendore mentioned something like this and he sounded concerned about it” He clenched his fists. “And if there is one good thing I can say about him, then it's that he doesn't get concerned about nothing”
“So, you're telling me that Aegon the Dragonlord plans to invade Westeros?”, Raenna asked, trying to hide her nervousness. Brandon shrugged. “I'm telling you I have heard rumours that support Archmaester Wulvren's claims. I didn't pay too much attention to them, but now that Wulvren confirmed them... it would be too much of a coincidence”, he said, before he noticed the look on her face. “Are you alright?”
Raenna shook her head. “It's complicated”, she answered. “Let's just say, Aegon is not the kind of person I'd like to meet” Brandon smirked. “Same here”, he answered, before his frown returned. “After this is done and your girl is safe, I'll have to return home. My family has to learn about these rumours, especially my brother”
“Your brother”, Raenna mumbled. “You keep mentioning him. What's so special about him?” Brandon sighed, though before he was able to answer, Abbas narrowed his eyes. He audibly started to sniff around and Raenna gave him a confused look. “Abbas?”, she asked and he looked at her. “Do you smell this?”, he asked in return.
Now, Brandon's eyes widened and Raenna noticed it as well. It was a sharp, distinct smell, something she knew well. Abbas looked up and pointed at something in the distance, above the trees. As Raenna looked closely, she saw it too, the source of the smell. Barely visible in the nightly sky was grey smoke. Something was burning in the distance.
“The priestess”, Abbas remarked and Raenna gave him a nod. “If we hurry, we might still be able to catch her” He started to move, but stopped as he noticed that Brandon wasn't following. More than that, the Northerner put a hand onto Raenna's shoulder, urging her to stop as well.
“I'd advice against this”, he said sternly. “After everything I've heard about the sellsword that protects the priestess, this Marak, I'd say he is incredibly dangerous. Facing him alone is a foolish risk” He calmly looked from Raenna to Abbas. “We should return to the others and return in greater force. With Ando and Bakr, our chances against this man are far better”
“You think he's better than all three of us?”, Abbas asked, his voice barely hiding a streak of amusement. With a glare, Brandon shook his head. “He's not better than all three of us. But facing him now could result in casualties”, he clarified. “I'm the last person to chicken out of a fight, Ghiscari, but against this man, we should take preparations. Surely you've heard of the word while you were on your hunts”
“Yes, I know about preparations”, Abbas growled. “But I also know that sometimes, you have to take a risk to be successful. And you can trust me, I'm better than you, Snow. Right now, we may still have a chance to catch up to them, but if we return to the others first, they get a chance to escape”
“I know”, Brandon said, as he and the slaver glared at each other. He was half a head taller than Abbas and his frame was twice as muscular, but the Ghiscari had a fierce look in his eyes that allowed him to hold his own against him quite well. “But just catching up to them does not guarantee our success. We need backup if we want to make it out there not only successful, but without any losses. Aren't you supposed to be the hunter here?”
Just as Abbas opened his mouth, obviously to say something that would make things even more tensed, Raenna cut him off. “Guys!”, she hissed sharply and they focussed back on her, before momentarily glancing and taking a step away from each other. “Of course”, Brandon said. “This is your decision and you know our positions now. So, which option would you like to take?”
[Inspect the fire immediately][Return to the camp and gather the others]
Raenna
“There”, Abbas said quietly, as he knelt down. Though the light beneath the trees was dim in the late hours of the evening, he had… more staunchly opposed the use of a torch, a move Raenna begrudgingly had to agree on with him. They couldn't allow their enemies to spot them, even if it made tracking them slightly harder.
“What do you have?”, Raenna asked, as she walked up to him. Carefully, the Ghiscari moved his hands across the ground. “Three people”, he answered. “This one here was very light” As he spoke, Brandon caught up to him as well. Though he shared Raenna's distrust of the slaver, he thankfully held back on any animosity, safe for a noticeably icy glare whenever he looked into the man's direction. “The girl?”, he asked.
Abbas glanced at him and a smug smirk formed on his face. He knew they needed him. Raenna knew the basics of reading tracks and she had no doubts that the Northerner was skilled at hunting, but neither of … [view original content]
How long has it been from since the wolf fight and Marak's last part? I'm trying to think of it timeline wise.
With the wolf fight, do you mean Raenna's little fight with them or the events of Richard's storyline? Regardless, both happened on the same day. Actually, they both happened at roughly the same time. The howl Raenna heard was the same howl the beast exclaimed at the end of Richard's storyline. Marak's last part meanwhile happened slightly before this one, a little over half an hour.
The wolf pack must be huge. Absolutely huge. Much bigger than the ones we have in rap life.
Yes, it is. I'm not sure how I can show it, so I think I should just say it: Originally, this has been more than one wolf pack. The entire region always had a relatively high population of wolves and the beast, being stronger, smarter and more ruthless than an ordinary wolf, basically managed to unite them and it is also related to the other atypical behaviour that has been seen in this chapter.
I think the fire is Otis' house been burnt. Maybe. I don't know what else it could be.
This is very likely. I forgot to mention it in the part itself, the smoke comes from the same location where, according to Wulvren, Ellena had run off to, which means the direction where Otis' house is located. And considering that Noelle's religion is known for burning the dead instead of burying them, it is indeed a highly possible conclusion. Raenna's next part will come relatively soon and will reveal the truth about this.
[Inspect the fire immediately]
Inspecting does not mean attacking.
Hm.
How long has it been from since the wolf fight and Marak's l… moreast part? I'm trying to think of it timeline wise.
The wolf pack must be huge. Absolutely huge. Much bigger than the ones we have in real life.
I think the fire is Otis' house been burnt. Maybe. I don't know what else it could be.
[Inspect the fire immediately] Got to witness the burning of Otis and Rachel. Abbas and Brandon can take down Marak I think, because he is a little wounded in the arm right now. I wonder who Brandon's brother is, maybe someone important . Maybe a possible new North POV?
Raenna
“There”, Abbas said quietly, as he knelt down. Though the light beneath the trees was dim in the late hours of the evening, he had… more staunchly opposed the use of a torch, a move Raenna begrudgingly had to agree on with him. They couldn't allow their enemies to spot them, even if it made tracking them slightly harder.
“What do you have?”, Raenna asked, as she walked up to him. Carefully, the Ghiscari moved his hands across the ground. “Three people”, he answered. “This one here was very light” As he spoke, Brandon caught up to him as well. Though he shared Raenna's distrust of the slaver, he thankfully held back on any animosity, safe for a noticeably icy glare whenever he looked into the man's direction. “The girl?”, he asked.
Abbas glanced at him and a smug smirk formed on his face. He knew they needed him. Raenna knew the basics of reading tracks and she had no doubts that the Northerner was skilled at hunting, but neither of … [view original content]
Abbas and Brandon can take down Marak I think, because he is a little wounded in the arm right now
Indeed, Marak is wounded, but he still effortlessly wiped the floor with Otis. He's still extremely dangerous, that much should be obvious. Brandon himself doesn't doubt that they will take him down, he only doubts they will do it without casualties.
I wonder who Brandon's brother is, maybe someone important . Maybe a possible new North POV?
Quite a good guess. I can tease that, aside from one existing PoV from the south travelling North, there will be a completely new Northern PoV in Book 2 and it will be a character whom we have either seen or heard of in Book 1.
[Inspect the fire immediately] Got to witness the burning of Otis and Rachel. Abbas and Brandon can take down Marak I think, because he is a… more little wounded in the arm right now. I wonder who Brandon's brother is, maybe someone important . Maybe a possible new North POV?
As said, Marak is injured now, so he shouldn't be too hard to beat (for three experienced fighters). But damn, something big is going to happen with these wolves soon, I can feel it! Btw, I really hope Wulvren meets Aegon one day, he'd make a great addittion to Team Targaryen
Raenna
“There”, Abbas said quietly, as he knelt down. Though the light beneath the trees was dim in the late hours of the evening, he had… more staunchly opposed the use of a torch, a move Raenna begrudgingly had to agree on with him. They couldn't allow their enemies to spot them, even if it made tracking them slightly harder.
“What do you have?”, Raenna asked, as she walked up to him. Carefully, the Ghiscari moved his hands across the ground. “Three people”, he answered. “This one here was very light” As he spoke, Brandon caught up to him as well. Though he shared Raenna's distrust of the slaver, he thankfully held back on any animosity, safe for a noticeably icy glare whenever he looked into the man's direction. “The girl?”, he asked.
Abbas glanced at him and a smug smirk formed on his face. He knew they needed him. Raenna knew the basics of reading tracks and she had no doubts that the Northerner was skilled at hunting, but neither of … [view original content]
[Inspect the fire immediately]
As said, Marak is injured now, so he shouldn't be too hard to beat (for three experienced fighters). But d… moreamn, something big is going to happen with these wolves soon, I can feel it! Btw, I really hope Wulvren meets Aegon one day, he'd make a great addittion to Team Targaryen
Someone we already know? I bet is going to be a big surprise . But I am also pretty hyped to have a Wizard on Team Targaryen's side. Shooting off magic missiles and fireballs, assuming he rolls high enough.
Abbas and Brandon can take down Marak I think, because he is a little wounded in the arm right now
Indeed, Marak is wounded, but he … morestill effortlessly wiped the floor with Otis. He's still extremely dangerous, that much should be obvious. Brandon himself doesn't doubt that they will take him down, he only doubts they will do it without casualties.
I wonder who Brandon's brother is, maybe someone important . Maybe a possible new North POV?
Quite a good guess. I can tease that, aside from one existing PoV from the south travelling North, there will be a completely new Northern PoV in Book 2 and it will be a character whom we have either seen or heard of in Book 1.
Raenna
“There”, Abbas said quietly, as he knelt down. Though the light beneath the trees was dim in the late hours of the evening, he had… more staunchly opposed the use of a torch, a move Raenna begrudgingly had to agree on with him. They couldn't allow their enemies to spot them, even if it made tracking them slightly harder.
“What do you have?”, Raenna asked, as she walked up to him. Carefully, the Ghiscari moved his hands across the ground. “Three people”, he answered. “This one here was very light” As he spoke, Brandon caught up to him as well. Though he shared Raenna's distrust of the slaver, he thankfully held back on any animosity, safe for a noticeably icy glare whenever he looked into the man's direction. “The girl?”, he asked.
Abbas glanced at him and a smug smirk formed on his face. He knew they needed him. Raenna knew the basics of reading tracks and she had no doubts that the Northerner was skilled at hunting, but neither of … [view original content]
[Inspect the fire immediately] Let's take these murderers down! Ellena needs our help and going in now, insures that we catch up to them, there's too much unknown with returning to camp.
So this upcoming fight with Marak, would it have resulted differerently if Raenna brought someone else? I don't remember the exact choice but I think Raenna was able to bring someone else.
Raenna
“There”, Abbas said quietly, as he knelt down. Though the light beneath the trees was dim in the late hours of the evening, he had… more staunchly opposed the use of a torch, a move Raenna begrudgingly had to agree on with him. They couldn't allow their enemies to spot them, even if it made tracking them slightly harder.
“What do you have?”, Raenna asked, as she walked up to him. Carefully, the Ghiscari moved his hands across the ground. “Three people”, he answered. “This one here was very light” As he spoke, Brandon caught up to him as well. Though he shared Raenna's distrust of the slaver, he thankfully held back on any animosity, safe for a noticeably icy glare whenever he looked into the man's direction. “The girl?”, he asked.
Abbas glanced at him and a smug smirk formed on his face. He knew they needed him. Raenna knew the basics of reading tracks and she had no doubts that the Northerner was skilled at hunting, but neither of … [view original content]
Unfortunately, I can't yet tell you what is going to happen in the fight with Marak, if it even happens at all. The outcome of this fight is mostly going to be determined by your choices in this chapter and in the ones before though, that's all I can reveal for now. However, at least this current part would have changed if Raenna would have brought someone else. You are right, she had to choose between Brandon, Ando, Davith and Bakr. While Ando and Davith would have mostly provided alternative dialogue, but still a largely similar choice at the end, picking Bakr would have changed a lot about the current choice. He and Abbas would inspect the fire for sure and not even bother with Raenna's opinion, which would mean that she wouldn't have gotten the chance to decide differently. Instead, she could have followed them, or she could have returned to the camp, to quickly gather some reinforcements.
[Inspect the fire immediately] Let's take these murderers down! Ellena needs our help and going in now, insures that we catch up to them, th… moreere's too much unknown with returning to camp.
So this upcoming fight with Marak, would it have resulted differerently if Raenna brought someone else? I don't remember the exact choice but I think Raenna was able to bring someone else.
Unfortunately, I can't yet tell you what is going to happen in the fight with Marak, if it even happens at all. The outcome of this fight is… more mostly going to be determined by your choices in this chapter and in the ones before though, that's all I can reveal for now. However, at least this current part would have changed if Raenna would have brought someone else. You are right, she had to choose between Brandon, Ando, Davith and Bakr. While Ando and Davith would have mostly provided alternative dialogue, but still a largely similar choice at the end, picking Bakr would have changed a lot about the current choice. He and Abbas would inspect the fire for sure and not even bother with Raenna's opinion, which would mean that she wouldn't have gotten the chance to decide differently. Instead, she could have followed them, or she could have returned to the camp, to quickly gather some reinforcements.
Yes, it is someone you already know about, though I still think the character should be a surprise. Or I hope so at least As for Wulvren, he's not that kind of a wizard. No matter his rolls, he's never going to shoot a magic missile or a fireball. Instead he... eh, he's actually kind of useless for a wizard. He knows a lot about theoretical magic though, so I guess he's comparable to a real life maths teacher.
Someone we already know? I bet is going to be a big surprise . But I am also pretty hyped to have a Wizard on Team Targaryen's side. Shooting off magic missiles and fireballs, assuming he rolls high enough.
That is most likely going to be up to your choices. If you want Marak to live, choose carefully. Though honestly, the same goes for any other character involved in all of this.
I'm totally okay with Marak dying, because it would be an epic end to his storyline. But I kinda hope they let him live so he can get away and stay unknown for a chapter or two only to show up as dead to reveal the next new threat that will come after the Wolf storyline is up. However I am not going to risk the lives of Abbas or Brandon to save him though.
But what about the natural twenty! Think of all the fireballs and magic missiles he could be launching from atop his on mystical griffon. In all seriousness though I knew he was just some crummy physicist, but it will be cool to see him advising Aegon on all the mystical ways of the force and DI-ing Aegon's low rolls.
Yes, it is someone you already know about, though I still think the character should be a surprise. Or I hope so at least As for Wulvren, h… moree's not that kind of a wizard. No matter his rolls, he's never going to shoot a magic missile or a fireball. Instead he... eh, he's actually kind of useless for a wizard. He knows a lot about theoretical magic though, so I guess he's comparable to a real life maths teacher.
I'm totally okay with Marak dying, because it would be an epic end to his storyline. But I kinda hope they let him live so he can get away a… morend stay unknown for a chapter or two only to show up as dead to reveal the next new threat that will come after the Wolf storyline is up. However I am not going to risk the lives of Abbas or Brandon to save him though.
I wouldn't go that far as to call Marak a good guy. He's not specifically evil, but even in his best moments, he is morally ambigous. Keep in mind that he is an unrepentant kinslayer and outright told Noelle that he has no problem with killing a child. There are many things even he is disgusted at and he generally is an honestly cheerful guy as long as you stay on his good side, so I wouldn't call him evil either, but out of the PoV's, he is certainly the one with the most questionable morals.
I wouldn't go that far as to call Marak a good guy. He's not specifically evil, but even in his best moments, he is morally ambigous. Keep i… moren mind that he is an unrepentant kinslayer and outright told Noelle that he has no problem with killing a child. There are many things even he is disgusted at and he generally is an honestly cheerful guy as long as you stay on his good side, so I wouldn't call him evil either, but out of the PoV's, he is certainly the one with the most questionable morals.
Of course, the natural twenty theoretically allows any role to succeed. That could work if he'd have taken levels as a spellcaster, though unfortunately he's merely a high-level scholar and therefore can't even roll on any spell. On a positive side, this means he perfectly knows the rules, so once Aegon multiclasses into a king, his advice could help to explain how to be a proper powergamer. And never forget that this crummy physicist nearly killed the Moggy with his good rolls.
But what about the natural twenty! Think of all the fireballs and magic missiles he could be launching from atop his on mystical griffon. In… more all seriousness though I knew he was just some crummy physicist, but it will be cool to see him advising Aegon on all the mystical ways of the force and DI-ing Aegon's low rolls.
We should have a single part where Wulvren is somehow in some sort of danger, and there are twenty choices and one of them is the twenty. Have that natural twenty happen to save the day with a Pyroblast or some sort of magic super spell which impresses Aegon enough to take him own as the wizard of his party. There is the leader: Aegon, the Warrior: Orys, one of the sisters was a hunter daredevil, and the other could be a healer. Wulvren can be there to round out their seven kingdom beating party to rule them all.
Of course, the natural twenty theoretically allows any role to succeed. That could work if he'd have taken levels as a spellcaster, though u… morenfortunately he's merely a high-level scholar and therefore can't even roll on any spell. On a positive side, this means he perfectly knows the rules, so once Aegon multiclasses into a king, his advice could help to explain how to be a proper powergamer. And never forget that this crummy physicist nearly killed the Moggy with his good rolls.
I just want everyone to die, just some sooner than others. Because everyone is going to die eventually, but I am just trying to make their story more interesting and by the time their time runs up they either die as an Martyr for the story or as a tool to advance the plot. Plus I don't want people to have an anticlimactic ending, especially a character who has been in the show for quite some time, and have it be anticlimactic. If there is a choice where Raenna has to save one of the guys, or go strait for the kill, I'd definitely go for the kill because I want to make Raenna a badass who will further he needs, such as saving Ellena and impresses Pappy Terroma, instead of the overdone character who won't let their friends die and will sacrifice the mission. Because then the memory of the death of an ally will always be on her conscious and she will have repercussions throughout the story which in my opinion will make for an more interesting plot.
Well bounden with full respect for you as a friend, i can tell you i disagree wholeheartedly with nearly all of that. Killing of characters for me is a horrible choice. There are so any reasons why NOT to in my mind.
1) It damages the characters morality which most of the time means they will start to be written as evil ad become more unlikable.
2) It could lead to the death of a character submitted and i have my own issues with that.
3) It makes characters feel disposable and pointless, and damages the story for many readers.
4) It ruins several plots Liquid might have months on.
I can't even continue because my head is so filled with why this is a bad thing. Suffice to say that i will tell you openly as a friend that i will go out of my way to stop what you suggested from happening. In my ideal ending for Forum NO CHARACTERS DIE, and i fully mean that as ridiculous and childish as it might sound in the context of this story. Considering I'm normally in the minority this is unlikely but i will do my best to try.
Again nothing against you, you are awesome. But this is jus how i feel.
I just want everyone to die, just some sooner than others. Because everyone is going to die eventually, but I am just trying to make their s… moretory more interesting and by the time their time runs up they either die as an Martyr for the story or as a tool to advance the plot. Plus I don't want people to have an anticlimactic ending, especially a character who has been in the show for quite some time, and have it be anticlimactic. If there is a choice where Raenna has to save one of the guys, or go strait for the kill, I'd definitely go for the kill because I want to make Raenna a badass who will further he needs, such as saving Ellena and impresses Pappy Terroma, instead of the overdone character who won't let their friends die and will sacrifice the mission. Because then the memory of the death of an ally will always be on her conscious and she will have repercussions throughout the story which in my opinion will make for an more interesting plot.
Raenna
“There”, Abbas said quietly, as he knelt down. Though the light beneath the trees was dim in the late hours of the evening, he had… more staunchly opposed the use of a torch, a move Raenna begrudgingly had to agree on with him. They couldn't allow their enemies to spot them, even if it made tracking them slightly harder.
“What do you have?”, Raenna asked, as she walked up to him. Carefully, the Ghiscari moved his hands across the ground. “Three people”, he answered. “This one here was very light” As he spoke, Brandon caught up to him as well. Though he shared Raenna's distrust of the slaver, he thankfully held back on any animosity, safe for a noticeably icy glare whenever he looked into the man's direction. “The girl?”, he asked.
Abbas glanced at him and a smug smirk formed on his face. He knew they needed him. Raenna knew the basics of reading tracks and she had no doubts that the Northerner was skilled at hunting, but neither of … [view original content]
Oh I definitely hold no beef against you for your own personal opinions. I can see why you won't want people to die and let them all live in a happy world. But I think a happy world with no death and all the heroes win is kinda boring. Life is filled with death and misfortune, and I don't think life in FOT should be different. I have already come to terms with the mortality of my own characters, and for some I'm really curious to see how they are going to go and what impacts they'll leave after they are dead. Plus the character's morality is in my opinion there to be broken. It gives them something to do with it by either trying to slowly repair it, or just fall deeper into the pit of darkness. And just because someone isn't a good guy doesn't mean they are unlikable. Marak and Butterfly are some great characters and I totally love how they are being portrayed. They aren't just in the dark side of evil, but a shade of gray. Sure Butterfly is a darker shade of grey, but he has some good as shown when he took care of Kersea's little sister Briar, and you know, didn't do to her like he does to other little kids. And because a character dies doesn't exactly mean that it will ruin a plot. I believe Liquid has a plan for every choice he has given us, and wouldn't give us a choice if he didn't know where he was going to go if we chose the one he didn't expect. But all of this is my own personal opinion and it could be completely wrong for all I know.
Well bounden with full respect for you as a friend, i can tell you i disagree wholeheartedly with nearly all of that. Killing of characters … morefor me is a horrible choice. There are so any reasons why NOT to in my mind.
1) It damages the characters morality which most of the time means they will start to be written as evil ad become more unlikable.
2) It could lead to the death of a character submitted and i have my own issues with that.
3) It makes characters feel disposable and pointless, and damages the story for many readers.
4) It ruins several plots Liquid might have months on.
I can't even continue because my head is so filled with why this is a bad thing. Suffice to say that i will tell you openly as a friend that i will go out of my way to stop what you suggested from happening. In my ideal ending for Forum NO CHARACTERS DIE, and i fully mean that as ridiculous and childish as it might sound in the context of this story. … [view original content]
Thank you for understanding . And please don't take me to mean that everything should be happy and smiles and all the characters should basically stop all evil permanently. That is 100% not the story i want to this to be. Let there be massacres and torture and tons and tons of hatred and ambiguity from the characters. I LOVE moraly grey characters. However i feel like a character killing is too much of an extreme and its just a bad choice in my eyes. I once again see the best ending one where the highest possible number of characters live. Some characters like Kersea have been stated by Liquid to have a more positive conclusion if they aim for more positive morality. I my opinion many characters should strive for that.
Oh I definitely hold no beef against you for your own personal opinions. I can see why you won't want people to die and let them all live in… more a happy world. But I think a happy world with no death and all the heroes win is kinda boring. Life is filled with death and misfortune, and I don't think life in FOT should be different. I have already come to terms with the mortality of my own characters, and for some I'm really curious to see how they are going to go and what impacts they'll leave after they are dead. Plus the character's morality is in my opinion there to be broken. It gives them something to do with it by either trying to slowly repair it, or just fall deeper into the pit of darkness. And just because someone isn't a good guy doesn't mean they are unlikable. Marak and Butterfly are some great characters and I totally love how they are being portrayed. They aren't just in the dark side of evil, but a shade of gray. Sure Butterfly is … [view original content]
Hm, this is an interesting idea. Picking the good option there would be a perfect simulation of the feeling to roll a natural 20. 19 options would lead to Wulvren's death, but the twentieth would result in something epic happening. Probably something like divine intervention, or him throwing actual fireballs at his foes, somehow. That would obviously result in him becoming the primary spellcaster of Aegon's party. So far, this would indeed be missing. They have too many fighters to succeed in a typical campaign. Orys is a warrior, the same goes for Visenya and arguably, for Aegon and Rhaenys as well. Though especially Rhaenys has put too many points in Charisma to be useful, so I guess Wulvren could indeed fill an important role.
Though if they need a genuine magic-user, there is also Noelle, who is a level 13 cleric of R'hllor. She'd certainly interested in taking such a position as well.
We should have a single part where Wulvren is somehow in some sort of danger, and there are twenty choices and one of them is the twenty. Ha… moreve that natural twenty happen to save the day with a Pyroblast or some sort of magic super spell which impresses Aegon enough to take him own as the wizard of his party. There is the leader: Aegon, the Warrior: Orys, one of the sisters was a hunter daredevil, and the other could be a healer. Wulvren can be there to round out their seven kingdom beating party to rule them all.
1) It damages the characters morality which most of the time means they will start to be written as evil ad become more unlikable.
Unlikable, maybe, though not necessarily evil. There are many perfectly understandable reasons for a character to kill another character, be it vengeance, justice, self-defence, mercy or the wish to protect others and I don't think that a character with good reasons automatically becomes unlikeable or evil for killing someone. In fact, some of the more moral characters in the story have no problems with killing for the right reasons.
2) It could lead to the death of a character submitted and i have my own issues with that.
That is a concern I can fully emphasize with. Then again, sometimes killing the right characters can result in your favourites to survive. For example, and this is an entirely hypothetical scenario, let's say there is a choice to kill Torvin or not and if he gets spared, he ends up brutally killing your character Edward. It all goes down to evaluating every situation individually, I believe.
3) It makes characters feel disposable and pointless, and damages the story for many readers.
This is one of my concerns and something I try to prevent, by trying to show as much of a characters personality as possible before killing them off, if I even kill them off at all. Many of the currently living characters have good chances to survive the entire story. Though I think I haven't always succeeded at making no character feel disposable and pointless. The one I feel the worst about is Jarek, the sellsword from Jaron's and Ellena's storylines in Chapter 5 and 6, since he actually had a backstory I barely touched upon.
4) It ruins several plots Liquid might have months on.
I can confirm that if it ruins a plot I have planned, I won't offer the choice, so don't be afraid about this. Some options will force me to alter my plans, but after several close calls that would have almost resulted in some of my favourite plans to get scrapped, I have wisely decided to be a bit more careful with the choices I give. If I offer the chance for a character to die, then they can die without the storyline taking a massive hit.
In many cases, it won't even ruin that much, as I have general outlines for several plots and continue to develop the one that was chosen, without feeling as if anything got ruined.
In my ideal ending for Forum NO CHARACTERS DIE, and i fully mean that as ridiculous and childish as it might sound in the context of this story.
This is unfortunately impossible, since sometimes saving a character means dooming another (like in the situation with Carley and Doug in TWD Season 1), but there will be plenty of deaths that can be avoided, that much I can promise
Well bounden with full respect for you as a friend, i can tell you i disagree wholeheartedly with nearly all of that. Killing of characters … morefor me is a horrible choice. There are so any reasons why NOT to in my mind.
1) It damages the characters morality which most of the time means they will start to be written as evil ad become more unlikable.
2) It could lead to the death of a character submitted and i have my own issues with that.
3) It makes characters feel disposable and pointless, and damages the story for many readers.
4) It ruins several plots Liquid might have months on.
I can't even continue because my head is so filled with why this is a bad thing. Suffice to say that i will tell you openly as a friend that i will go out of my way to stop what you suggested from happening. In my ideal ending for Forum NO CHARACTERS DIE, and i fully mean that as ridiculous and childish as it might sound in the context of this story. … [view original content]
I know. But imagine for example Garthon keeps getting a 'kill' option over and over and over and keep killing people for less and less important reasons. He would become morally bankrupt and that couldn't lead to a good thing.
Ok, you make a fair point but one of the two dies in either scenario. If someone is going to die regardless then of course the choice is clear. I'm talking more about a 'kill this guy' choice.
Good. That gives me relief .
Yeah I'm glad you managed to get around it. Stuff like that could kill awesome plans you have.
Well, lets be honest they probably won't be . If there is anything i have learned from voting is that the voters here prefer killing even with all its negatives. You mentioned that Butterfly was a bad kill and he would have helped a lot and no one has ever shown any remorse for it. People like Woulfius would be killed without a second though quickly. And as you know i have had very little if any success at my quest to get the mercy vote passed. What am i even supposed to argue then? Oh Wolfius might be a psycotic, murderous, monster with no humanity but you should let him live because it is the moral thing to do. As if anyone would take the argument seriously. I actually felt terrible in the Otis vote, what was i supposed to say? It made me feel like i was horrible person even thinking of arguments.
Infact i dread the possibility of some future votes where i will have to openly beg the voters to agree with me like the old days (eventhough that worked only once because the character willing to kill mine was also mine [The dark angels spin off]). Do you remember how desperate for votes i was back then? Well i normally decided to bring random people to vote in my favor because i felt so hopeless . I really don't want to go back to that.
1) It damages the characters morality which most of the time means they will start to be written as evil ad become more unlikable.
U… morenlikable, maybe, though not necessarily evil. There are many perfectly understandable reasons for a character to kill another character, be it vengeance, justice, self-defence, mercy or the wish to protect others and I don't think that a character with good reasons automatically becomes unlikeable or evil for killing someone. In fact, some of the more moral characters in the story have no problems with killing for the right reasons.
2) It could lead to the death of a character submitted and i have my own issues with that.
That is a concern I can fully emphasize with. Then again, sometimes killing the right characters can result in your favourites to survive. For example, and this is an entirely hypothetical scenario, let's say there is a choice to kill Torvin or not and if he gets spared, he… [view original content]
Raenna
“There”, Abbas said quietly, as he knelt down. Though the light beneath the trees was dim in the late hours of the evening, he had… more staunchly opposed the use of a torch, a move Raenna begrudgingly had to agree on with him. They couldn't allow their enemies to spot them, even if it made tracking them slightly harder.
“What do you have?”, Raenna asked, as she walked up to him. Carefully, the Ghiscari moved his hands across the ground. “Three people”, he answered. “This one here was very light” As he spoke, Brandon caught up to him as well. Though he shared Raenna's distrust of the slaver, he thankfully held back on any animosity, safe for a noticeably icy glare whenever he looked into the man's direction. “The girl?”, he asked.
Abbas glanced at him and a smug smirk formed on his face. He knew they needed him. Raenna knew the basics of reading tracks and she had no doubts that the Northerner was skilled at hunting, but neither of … [view original content]
This was not the most active voting, but I think the outcome is clearly in favour of the first option. Personally, I probably would have taken the option to return to the camp and gather reinforcements, but this is a perfectly fine option as well. I already know what it is going to change. Raenna is going to have two more parts in this chapter, one of which will be the chapter finale, so there's something pretty big coming up for her and the characters around her. In fact, I can't wait to write this part, which is why I'm going to try and close the voting earlier in the coming parts. I'm sorry for everyone who had no time to vote yet, but I think you'll get your chance to catch up very soon.
The next part will be the finale of Kersea's storyline in this chapter. Meaning, it'll be dark and twisted and oh man, I can't wait to finish this one. The last time we saw her, she once again resisted Clayton's wishes, this time by quickly killing his archnemesis Rayden, whom Clayton wanted to torture in truly horrifying ways. Clayton... did not take it kindly. Similarly, Alysanne had a strong reaction to it, though it wasn't exactly negative. She ended up realizing how different Kersea is from herself and this brought up some surprisingly deep thoughts about her own nature. Ultimately, Kersea was called outside by Clayton, though she decided to properly continue her talk with Alysanne first, therefore letting him wait for a while longer.
This next part is most likely be done today. Right now, it looks like Kersea is going to be the only PoV in it and I know for sure that it won't include a choice at the end. Interpret that information as you like.
And now, I have something else, something decidedly more beautiful than the grim outlook to Kersea's next part. A very awesome reader, who prefers to remain anonymous this time, gave me a beautiful present today and I think I should share it with you. Here are covers, like, actual book covers, for all three planned books of Forum of Thrones. That's right, this will also include a tiny glimpse to the planned future of FoT and the next two books. I hope you enjoy
Here we got the one you already know, the sigil of House Raylan, the main image of Book 1, which can, in a different version, also be seen in the main post.
Here's the cover for Book 2. I think you can guess which family is going to get some massively increased importance in the events of Book 2, even though they won't be the only focus. My own version of the House Reyne sigil is soon going to be a part of the main post, once I announce the titles for the three chapters of Act 1 (which are very lovely titles, by the way)
Then there is the very first glimpse at Book 3. The sigil itself is canon to the Ice and Fire Books and I have created these house words several months ago, when I decided on an overall theme for Book 3 (just like how 'We Write History' and 'All For Our Pride' can be seen as mottos for Book 1 and 2 respectively). Save to say, it contains some pretty heavy foreshadowing.
And finally, here are all three of them together. It truly warms my heart to see them like this.
All in all, this is wonderful and the reader who created these truly made my day. Actually, I'm feeling almost too happy to write Kersea's dark next part now At the same time, I feel inspired and this means, I will probably write faster than usual. Thank you, awesome person who created these!
Comments
But it will backfire on Marak and Noelle, which would help Terroma and Raenna save Ellena.
True, but I would like to test if maybe Ellena can get saved with anyone actually dying in the mix, yeah its a long shot but still I'm holding out hope.
[Spare his Life]
The Voting is closed!
Marak is going to kill Otis
Well, this is the option I would have placed my bets on, though I am surprised that it ended up as a relatively close voting. Personally, I would have voted to kill Otis, though my opinion is certainly influenced by the knowledge of what would have happened if you would have spared him. Basically, sparing Otis would have been a mistake here. Sometimes, killing a defeated enemy causes further problems down the line (see Butterfly), but this time it would have actually prevented problems. As you have seen, Otis is a highly unstable guy, to say the least. Without spoiling anything, sparing his life would have later given him the opportunity to escape from Marak and Noelle and to take Ellena with him. I'll tell you more details about that when I write down the alternative choices at the end of the chapter. For now, let's just say that sparing Otis would have had huge consequences and most of them entirely negative.
The next part is going to be out later today. It will, after a long time, feature the return of Raenna, whose next part is explicitely set after this Marak part, which is also the reason for her long absence. The last time we saw her, she and her group, consisting of Terroma, Davith, the Northern sellswords Brandon and Ando, as well as the Ghiscari slavers Abbas and Bakr, made camp, after Raenna decided that Terroma needed rest. They bonded a bit over a long talk and a drink, though unfortunately, the peaceful atmosphere was disturbed by a discovery Abbas made. He found tracks that led him to believe that Marak and Noelle are nearby. He, Raenna and Brandon decided to check these tracks out.
Currently, it also looks as if this part might have room for a second PoV, which would be Drent. He already received a recap the last time I closed the voting, so if you're unsure what happened in his last part, check it above. Also, if you haven't yet read TheFurryOne's awesome part about the backstory of his character Lupin Frostborn, go check that one out as well, because it is awesome. You can find it hidden underneath a spoiler tag, just above Marak's part.
I forget, how did Terroma and Raenna meet Abbas and Bakr? Weren't they working for the Burned Man and up and left when things went down hill? When did they meet Raenna and crew?
It happened off-screen between the chapters and they only received a brief mention at the end of chapter 6 to establish their relationship with Terroma, with whom they had several previous encounters during his active years. Even though they never really got along, there has been an unspecified moment in their past during which Terroma helped them, so now they owe him. And while Terroma does not particularly like them, he knows about their usefulness. He also knows they are in Oldtown, so when he learned of Ellena's abduction, he decided to contact them and to call in the favour they owe him. And you are right, they have previously been working for the Burned Man. However, Terroma's request came at the same time when the whole organisation started to crumble at the end of Chapter 6, so they gladly decided to leave Oldtown before things would get too heated for them.
Raenna
“There”, Abbas said quietly, as he knelt down. Though the light beneath the trees was dim in the late hours of the evening, he had staunchly opposed the use of a torch, a move Raenna begrudgingly had to agree on with him. They couldn't allow their enemies to spot them, even if it made tracking them slightly harder.
“What do you have?”, Raenna asked, as she walked up to him. Carefully, the Ghiscari moved his hands across the ground. “Three people”, he answered. “This one here was very light” As he spoke, Brandon caught up to him as well. Though he shared Raenna's distrust of the slaver, he thankfully held back on any animosity, safe for a noticeably icy glare whenever he looked into the man's direction. “The girl?”, he asked.
Abbas glanced at him and a smug smirk formed on his face. He knew they needed him. Raenna knew the basics of reading tracks and she had no doubts that the Northerner was skilled at hunting, but neither of the had genuine experience with hunting for humans. “I doubt it”, he stated. “Look closely, wolf. The footsteps are too large for a child. Aside from that, they lead the others”
He shook his head. “No, I think the girl was carried by this one”, he continued and pointed at another set of tracks. For Raenna, they looked almost the same. Abbas noticed her expression and raised an eyebrow. “They are deeper”, he explained. “This person was far heavier and I believe they were carrying something... or someone”
“And there's a third one”, Brandon stated and Abbas gave him a quick nod. “Not a very hard track to follow”, he smirked. “This one is obviously not used to be outside very often. His steps are clumsy, he leaves deep tracks despite his light weight. I believe they belong to the Maester that accompanies them”
“So we got the Red Priestess leading them, her fighter carrying the girl and the Maester just trotting behind”, Raenna summarized, as they continued to follow the trail. “Quite an odd combination we're hunting there”
“I've had better”, Abbas revealed. “Once, I was chasing down a group of Brindled Men, who had escaped from the fighting pits of Meereen. Out in the planes, they were helpless, but some of the lucky bastards made their ways to the verdant forests of Yi Ti and that's when they turned the tables on us” He chuckled thinly. “I've never before been in a situation where suddenly, I became the hunted”, he said with excitement. “I've never felt so alive...”
Finally, he noticed the disgust on Raenna's face and Brandon's cold glare. “No one cares for your hunting stories, Ghiscari”, he growled. “I'd rather focus on the people we hunt right now than to hear about the people you've hunted before”
Abbas' thin smile faded. “Right”, he said. “Well, these tracks aren't too old. In fact, I'd say our prey has to be pretty close” Slowly, he continued down the path, while Raenna and Brandon followed next to each other, both keeping an eye on the slaver.
It wasn't long until they actually saw something. Through the increasing darkness, Raenna saw the distant flickering of fire. Abbas raised his hand and she saw Brandon narrowing his eyes. He and the Ghiscari exchanged a short nod, before they split, each of them approaching the fire from a different side. This left Raenna to sneak closer down the direct way.
In complete silence, they approached the fire from three different directions, through an underbrush that steadily grew lighter the closer they got. The fire itself was located on a small clearing. While it was silent at first, Raenna soon heard something. Paws, something making its way through the underbrush at the other side of the clearing. A long growl and then, the weak, hoarsy voice of a man. “No!”, he screamed. “Oh gods, no! No! Go! Anyone, help!”
Quickly, Raenna exchanged a glance with Brandon, who gave her a nod, before she charged. To her right, she heard Abbas cursing in his guttural language, before he joined in as well. Though Raenna was faster than the two men and arrived at the clearing first.
Immediately, she spotted the source of the screams. On the ground, tied to a tree in front of the fire, lay a thin, old man, wearing grey robes. His hands were apparently tied behind the tree and with his boots, he tried to fight off a grey wolf. Through the light provided by the fire, Raenna was able to see several other pairs of yellow eyes staring at her.
The wolf saw her approaching and let go of the old man. It jumped back, snarling at her, with an almost starving look in its eyes. Positioning herself between the animal and the man, she pointed her dagger at it, trying to scare it away. “Go!”, she barked. “Shoo!”
To her right, Abbas stepped out of the underbrush, firmy holding an arakh in his hands, while Brandon, holding a longsword, made his presence known to her left. The wolf on the clearing let out a quick bark, followed by a growl, which was reciprocated by the animals in the darkness behind it. The fire reflected in their eyes and Raenna counted at least half a dozen. Then, they attacked.
Their boldness took Raenna by surprise, if only for a second. They were not afraid of the fire and not afraid of the people, they attacked with a viciousness she had never seen in an animal before. The first wolf jumped at her and though she had readied herself for it, the force was still enough to push her to the ground. It snapped at her, though she managed to hold it away from her throat, as she pushed her dagger deep into its neck.
Before she was able to push the dead animal off her, a second wolf charged at her from the left. She groaned, as she tried to lift the surprisingly heavy wolf off her chest, staring at the one that had nearly reached her. Just as she was able to see the rage in its eyes, Abbas had reached it. The arakh in his hands moved almost faster than she was able to see it, slicing across the wolf's side and causing it to fall to the ground, whimpering. With a cruel look on his face, the Ghiscari finished it off, before he helped Raenna back to her feet. “You're welcome”, he simply said.
Brandon's angry howl caused her to look at him. A wolf had jumped at him and bitten down into his arm, though he was strong enough to remain standing. With a growl, he pushed his longword into the animal's throat, before slicing down, completely disembowelling it. Removing it from his arm, he glared at another one, that was just charging towards him. As it jumped at him, he quickly kicked it right in the snout, sending it flying backwards, only to finish it off by decapitating it once it reached the ground.
Standing between Abbas and Brandon, Raenna focussed on the last wolf on the clearing, a small and slim animal, though she noticed a few more behind it. Nothing she couldn't deal with. “So”, she hissed, while she glared at the wolf. To her surprise, she could swear the animal glared back. “What's it going to be? You want to die like the rest of your pack? Then come on!”
For a second, the wolf seemed to consider its options, before a long, deep howl echoed through the forest. The sound was strange, unlike anything Raenna had ever heard from a wolf and it sent a chill down her spine and her only relief was that it came from the distance, unlikely to break through the underbrush anytime soon.
“Direwolf”, Brandon gasped. “But... here?” To Raenna's relief, the small wolf on the clearing immediately turned around as it heard the howl and trotted back to the forest, where it met up with the rest of its surviving pack, quickly vanishing into the darkness and leaving them unharmed. She walked up to the Northerner and took a look at his arm. “You alright?”, she asked and he gave her a nod. With the hint of a grin, he presented his bracers. “It failed to get through the leather”, he assured her.
“Well...”, Abbas said with a smile. “I never expected to be attacked by wolves. What a fascinating experience” Raenna glanced at him with gratitude, before she focussed onto the old man on the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Brandon, still holding his sword and carefully looking around. Then, she knelt down, to cut the rope around the old man's hands. As she did so, her eyes fell upon the dark, silvery chain around his neck, shimmering in the light of the fire. Valyrian Steel.
“You're the Maester!”, she gasped and he gave her a nod, as he rubbed his aching wrists. “Wulvren, Archmaester of Magic, at your service”, he introduced himself. “You have my gratitude. These beasts were bolder than any I've ever seen”
“The Maester”, Abbas mumbled, after having spotted the chain as well. He walked up on them, crouching down next to him and giving him a thin, fake smile, while the old man narrowed his eyes. “Have you been looking for me?”, he asked, before he realized what they were talking about. “Oh! You... you are... I know you! The... the woman that is half a dragon. Then there's an old man. And I believe she said something about a wolf as well”
Brandon frowned and it was Raenna who spoke. “She?”, she asked and he gave her a nod. “The Red Priestess”, he revealed. “Noelle” It was the first time Raenna actually heard the name of the woman they had been chasing through half of the Reach. “Noelle...”, she repeated, before she glared at him. “Then you know why we're here. Where is Noelle? More importantly, where's Ellena?” She grabbed him by the chain and pulled him closer, while she glared at him. “And don't you dare lying to me”
The Maester sighed and looked ever thinner as he did so. “Violence won't be necessary”, he claimed. “If you know about me, then you must think I am involved in all of this, which is, frankly, quite untrue” He gulped, as he saw Abbas' thin smile and Brandon's cold frown. “I was trying to stop her madness”, he claimed and put a hand onto his chest. “That's why I went with her. To convince her to stop. I... I know that there is good in Noelle and I hoped to make her see it”
Raenna looked into his eyes, before she gave him a nod and let go of his chain. Immediately, the Archmaester sank back into the grass, groaning in discomfort. “Where are they now?”, she asked and he shrugged, as he leant onto his pointy elbows. “I don't know”, he said glumly. “A few hours ago, I attempted to free the girl, this Ellena” A frown flashed across his face. “Noelle plans to trade her for the girl she wants to burn”
“I know”, Raenna confirmed. “That's why we're going to kill her” Wulvren gulped. “It's a shame”, he mumble. “Noelle has been a good friend, many years ago. I thought I could save her, but after the events of today, I'm no longer sure” He looked up, with a grim expression on his face. “Her so-called god means more to her than the people around her”, he stated. “And I know she must be stopped. Just... whatever you do, don't make her suffer”
Raenna shook her head. “I don't intend to”, she answered, before she reached down to help him back to his feet. He was a head taller than her, but even thinner, looking pale and obviously in pain as he stood. “That blasted monster of hers, this Marak”, he muttered. “I think he broke one of my ribs”
“The red-haired sellsword?”, Raenna asked and he gave her a nod. “After you freed the girl, what happened?” Wulvren lent against the tree and sighed, which sent a shiver through his frail body. “She ran, with admirable speed”, he said with a grim smile. “I think she was faster than Noelle's dog, but he followed closely, after nearly crushing my windpipe in his rage. Noelle remained behind, to deal with me”
“So she left you for the wolves?”, Abbas interjected and the Archmaester shook his head. “She only tied me up. I don't think she knew about the wolves. She even left a fire and promised me to return once this would be dealt with”, he answered and gulped. “I'm honestly surprised she even let me live” He looked up and Raenna saw the pain on his face. “I helped her in locating the girl, before I knew what she was up to. I gave her supplies, I supported her and I did not try enough to stop her. In a way, I suppose that makes me guilty of whatever is going to happen”, he admitted and Raenna tensed up at this confession. “When I faced her, I was ready to meet the Seven, or any other god out there. I still am”
For a moment, Raenna glanced down at her dagger. What she saw in his eyes was genuine guilt, a streak she encountered not often enough. She shook her head and put her dagger away. “The gods have to wait, old man”, she answered calmly. “You're free to go, after you tell me where they went”
Wulvren gave her a stern nod. “Down there”, he said as he pointed towards the forest. “I don't know what happened to any of them afterwards. Maybe the girl escaped, maybe they caught her again” His head hung low and he shook it. “I should have done more. I wish I had realized earlier that Noelle is lost. Perhaps I could have stopped her”
“You helped Ellena when it mattered”, Raenna said, to cheer him up. She wasn't too sure why she did it, though she felt he deserved it. The Maester had done a mistake earlier, but freeing the girl despite the problems he had to face, that was more decency and bravery than most men showed in a lifetime. “So... where are you going next?”
Wulvren clenched his teeth. “Back to Oldtown”, he answered. “I have recent studies to finish. Then...” He looked up and his eyes widened. “Noelle told me many things about the future”, he answered. “Most made no sense to me, safe for one. She mentioned a war. She mentioned a king, the one true king, whom she sees as the chosen champion of her god”
Abbas chuckled at this, though Wulvren didn't even glance at him. “I don't care for her god, but I have reason to believe that the king she speaks about is indeed going to be a great one”, he continued. “That means there's a war coming, unlike anything any of us has ever seen. A war to unite Westeros under one king” He straightened his back and all of a sudden seemed a lot less frail. “I'm done working for Noelle, or any other member of her crazy sect”, he growled. “But I believe this king could need an advisor”
Raenna gave him a nod, as he walked past her, towards the small path she had come from, the path back to Oldtown. She was not entirely sure what to think of his tale, but he seemed confident enough to make it slightly unsettling. “I wish you the best of luck then. I hope you'll find your king”, she answered and momentarily smirked. “Did Noelle mention the name of this king?” Wulvren stopped, almost at the edge of the clearing, before he gave her a nod. “Indeed”, he answered, before he stepped through the underbrush and out of sight. “His name is Aegon Targaryen”
With these words, he was gone, leaving a genuinely stunned Raenna behind. Targaryen... it brought back memories, horrible memories she'd rather suppress. The name had meant fear for her, at least during her childhood. It was hard to shed this fear, especially as she did not know if it was still necessary or not. Aegon's father, it was impossible for her to even think of him as her uncle, he would have killed her if he'd only knew about her existence, just like he did with every other other Targaryen bastard he came across. She did not know how his son thought about this, but she had no intentions of ever finding out.
“Targaryen”, Abbas spat, with a wide grin of disbelief, as he stared at the spot through which the Archmaester had entered the underbrush. “Whatever the hell is wrong with that man” He only then noticed Brandon's dark frown. “What is it, wolf?”, he asked. “You don't believe him, do you?” Brandon sighed. “I don't believe he lied”, he responded and Raenna noticed barely hidden concern in his voice. “I have information that matches with what he just said”
Abbas' smile faded as he noticed how serious Brandon was about this and Raenna tensed up as well. “You know it?”, she asked and he shook his head. “I heard rumours”, he revealed. “Mullendore mentioned something like this and he sounded concerned about it” He clenched his fists. “And if there is one good thing I can say about him, then it's that he doesn't get concerned about nothing”
“So, you're telling me that Aegon the Dragonlord plans to invade Westeros?”, Raenna asked, trying to hide her nervousness. Brandon shrugged. “I'm telling you I have heard rumours that support Archmaester Wulvren's claims. I didn't pay too much attention to them, but now that Wulvren confirmed them... it would be too much of a coincidence”, he said, before he noticed the look on her face. “Are you alright?”
Raenna shook her head. “It's complicated”, she answered. “Let's just say, Aegon is not the kind of person I'd like to meet” Brandon smirked. “Same here”, he answered, before his frown returned. “After this is done and your girl is safe, I'll have to return home. My family has to learn about these rumours, especially my brother”
“Your brother”, Raenna mumbled. “You keep mentioning him. What's so special about him?” Brandon sighed, though before he was able to answer, Abbas narrowed his eyes. He audibly started to sniff around and Raenna gave him a confused look. “Abbas?”, she asked and he looked at her. “Do you smell this?”, he asked in return.
Now, Brandon's eyes widened and Raenna noticed it as well. It was a sharp, distinct smell, something she knew well. Abbas looked up and pointed at something in the distance, above the trees. As Raenna looked closely, she saw it too, the source of the smell. Barely visible in the nightly sky was grey smoke. Something was burning in the distance.
“The priestess”, Abbas remarked and Raenna gave him a nod. “If we hurry, we might still be able to catch her” He started to move, but stopped as he noticed that Brandon wasn't following. More than that, the Northerner put a hand onto Raenna's shoulder, urging her to stop as well.
“I'd advice against this”, he said sternly. “After everything I've heard about the sellsword that protects the priestess, this Marak, I'd say he is incredibly dangerous. Facing him alone is a foolish risk” He calmly looked from Raenna to Abbas. “We should return to the others and return in greater force. With Ando and Bakr, our chances against this man are far better”
“You think he's better than all three of us?”, Abbas asked, his voice barely hiding a streak of amusement. With a glare, Brandon shook his head. “He's not better than all three of us. But facing him now could result in casualties”, he clarified. “I'm the last person to chicken out of a fight, Ghiscari, but against this man, we should take preparations. Surely you've heard of the word while you were on your hunts”
“Yes, I know about preparations”, Abbas growled. “But I also know that sometimes, you have to take a risk to be successful. And you can trust me, I'm better than you, Snow. Right now, we may still have a chance to catch up to them, but if we return to the others first, they get a chance to escape”
“I know”, Brandon said, as he and the slaver glared at each other. He was half a head taller than Abbas and his frame was twice as muscular, but the Ghiscari had a fierce look in his eyes that allowed him to hold his own against him quite well. “But just catching up to them does not guarantee our success. We need backup if we want to make it out there not only successful, but without any losses. Aren't you supposed to be the hunter here?”
Just as Abbas opened his mouth, obviously to say something that would make things even more tensed, Raenna cut him off. “Guys!”, she hissed sharply and they focussed back on her, before momentarily glancing and taking a step away from each other. “Of course”, Brandon said. “This is your decision and you know our positions now. So, which option would you like to take?”
[Inspect the fire immediately] [Return to the camp and gather the others]
[Inspect the fire immediately]
Inspecting does not mean attacking.
Hm.
How long has it been from since the wolf fight and Marak's last part? I'm trying to think of it timeline wise.
The wolf pack must be huge. Absolutely huge. Much bigger than the ones we have in real life.
I think the fire is Otis' house been burnt. Maybe. I don't know what else it could be.
With the wolf fight, do you mean Raenna's little fight with them or the events of Richard's storyline? Regardless, both happened on the same day. Actually, they both happened at roughly the same time. The howl Raenna heard was the same howl the beast exclaimed at the end of Richard's storyline. Marak's last part meanwhile happened slightly before this one, a little over half an hour.
Yes, it is. I'm not sure how I can show it, so I think I should just say it: Originally, this has been more than one wolf pack. The entire region always had a relatively high population of wolves and the beast, being stronger, smarter and more ruthless than an ordinary wolf, basically managed to unite them and it is also related to the other atypical behaviour that has been seen in this chapter.
This is very likely. I forgot to mention it in the part itself, the smoke comes from the same location where, according to Wulvren, Ellena had run off to, which means the direction where Otis' house is located. And considering that Noelle's religion is known for burning the dead instead of burying them, it is indeed a highly possible conclusion. Raenna's next part will come relatively soon and will reveal the truth about this.
[Inspect the fire immediately] Got to witness the burning of Otis and Rachel. Abbas and Brandon can take down Marak I think, because he is a little wounded in the arm right now. I wonder who Brandon's brother is, maybe someone important
. Maybe a possible new North POV?
Indeed, Marak is wounded, but he still effortlessly wiped the floor with Otis. He's still extremely dangerous, that much should be obvious. Brandon himself doesn't doubt that they will take him down, he only doubts they will do it without casualties.
Quite a good guess. I can tease that, aside from one existing PoV from the south travelling North, there will be a completely new Northern PoV in Book 2 and it will be a character whom we have either seen or heard of in Book 1.
[Inspect the fire immediately]
As said, Marak is injured now, so he shouldn't be too hard to beat (for three experienced fighters). But damn, something big is going to happen with these wolves soon, I can feel it! Btw, I really hope Wulvren meets Aegon one day, he'd make a great addittion to Team Targaryen
For the TARG-TEAM
Someone we already know? I bet is going to be a big surprise
. But I am also pretty hyped to have a Wizard on Team Targaryen's side. Shooting off magic missiles and fireballs, assuming he rolls high enough.
[Inspect the fire immediately] Too curious not to go there right away.
But Mathea. Curiosity killed the cat!!!
[Inspect the fire immediately] Let's take these murderers down! Ellena needs our help and going in now, insures that we catch up to them, there's too much unknown with returning to camp.
So this upcoming fight with Marak, would it have resulted differerently if Raenna brought someone else? I don't remember the exact choice but I think Raenna was able to bring someone else.
Unfortunately, I can't yet tell you what is going to happen in the fight with Marak, if it even happens at all. The outcome of this fight is mostly going to be determined by your choices in this chapter and in the ones before though, that's all I can reveal for now. However, at least this current part would have changed if Raenna would have brought someone else. You are right, she had to choose between Brandon, Ando, Davith and Bakr. While Ando and Davith would have mostly provided alternative dialogue, but still a largely similar choice at the end, picking Bakr would have changed a lot about the current choice. He and Abbas would inspect the fire for sure and not even bother with Raenna's opinion, which would mean that she wouldn't have gotten the chance to decide differently. Instead, she could have followed them, or she could have returned to the camp, to quickly gather some reinforcements.
Ohh this is going to be big. I hope Marak doesn't die.
Yes, it is someone you already know about, though I still think the character should be a surprise. Or I hope so at least
As for Wulvren, he's not that kind of a wizard. No matter his rolls, he's never going to shoot a magic missile or a fireball. Instead he... eh, he's actually kind of useless for a wizard. He knows a lot about theoretical magic though, so I guess he's comparable to a real life maths teacher.
That is most likely going to be up to your choices. If you want Marak to live, choose carefully. Though honestly, the same goes for any other character involved in all of this.
[Inspect the fire immediately]
[Return to the camp and gather the others]
I think Marak and Noelle already have their plates full, and could use a little rest.
I'm totally okay with Marak dying, because it would be an epic end to his storyline. But I kinda hope they let him live so he can get away and stay unknown for a chapter or two only to show up as dead to reveal the next new threat that will come after the Wolf storyline is up. However I am not going to risk the lives of Abbas or Brandon to save him though.
But what about the natural twenty! Think of all the fireballs and magic missiles he could be launching from atop his on mystical griffon. In all seriousness though I knew he was just some crummy physicist, but it will be cool to see him advising Aegon on all the mystical ways of the force and DI-ing Aegon's low rolls.
So you want Marak to either die now....or later.
How am i supposed to argue to spare evil people when you want the good guys to die too?
I wouldn't go that far as to call Marak a good guy. He's not specifically evil, but even in his best moments, he is morally ambigous. Keep in mind that he is an unrepentant kinslayer and outright told Noelle that he has no problem with killing a child. There are many things even he is disgusted at and he generally is an honestly cheerful guy as long as you stay on his good side, so I wouldn't call him evil either, but out of the PoV's, he is certainly the one with the most questionable morals.
Still, this is one of the reasons mercy for evil characters is scarece here.
Of course, the natural twenty theoretically allows any role to succeed. That could work if he'd have taken levels as a spellcaster, though unfortunately he's merely a high-level scholar and therefore can't even roll on any spell. On a positive side, this means he perfectly knows the rules, so once Aegon multiclasses into a king, his advice could help to explain how to be a proper powergamer. And never forget that this crummy physicist nearly killed the Moggy with his good rolls.
We should have a single part where Wulvren is somehow in some sort of danger, and there are twenty choices and one of them is the twenty. Have that natural twenty happen to save the day with a Pyroblast or some sort of magic super spell which impresses Aegon enough to take him own as the wizard of his party. There is the leader: Aegon, the Warrior: Orys, one of the sisters was a hunter daredevil, and the other could be a healer. Wulvren can be there to round out their seven kingdom beating party to rule them all.
I just want everyone to die, just some sooner than others. Because everyone is going to die eventually, but I am just trying to make their story more interesting and by the time their time runs up they either die as an Martyr for the story or as a tool to advance the plot. Plus I don't want people to have an anticlimactic ending, especially a character who has been in the show for quite some time, and have it be anticlimactic. If there is a choice where Raenna has to save one of the guys, or go strait for the kill, I'd definitely go for the kill because I want to make Raenna a badass who will further he needs, such as saving Ellena and impresses Pappy Terroma, instead of the overdone character who won't let their friends die and will sacrifice the mission. Because then the memory of the death of an ally will always be on her conscious and she will have repercussions throughout the story which in my opinion will make for an more interesting plot.
Well bounden with full respect for you as a friend, i can tell you i disagree wholeheartedly with nearly all of that. Killing of characters for me is a horrible choice. There are so any reasons why NOT to in my mind.
1) It damages the characters morality which most of the time means they will start to be written as evil ad become more unlikable.
2) It could lead to the death of a character submitted and i have my own issues with that.
3) It makes characters feel disposable and pointless, and damages the story for many readers.
4) It ruins several plots Liquid might have months on.
I can't even continue because my head is so filled with why this is a bad thing. Suffice to say that i will tell you openly as a friend that i will go out of my way to stop what you suggested from happening. In my ideal ending for Forum NO CHARACTERS DIE, and i fully mean that as ridiculous and childish as it might sound in the context of this story. Considering I'm normally in the minority this is unlikely but i will do my best to try.
Again nothing against you, you are awesome. But this is jus how i feel.
[Return to the camp and gather the others]
Oh I definitely hold no beef against you for your own personal opinions. I can see why you won't want people to die and let them all live in a happy world. But I think a happy world with no death and all the heroes win is kinda boring. Life is filled with death and misfortune, and I don't think life in FOT should be different. I have already come to terms with the mortality of my own characters, and for some I'm really curious to see how they are going to go and what impacts they'll leave after they are dead. Plus the character's morality is in my opinion there to be broken. It gives them something to do with it by either trying to slowly repair it, or just fall deeper into the pit of darkness. And just because someone isn't a good guy doesn't mean they are unlikable. Marak and Butterfly are some great characters and I totally love how they are being portrayed. They aren't just in the dark side of evil, but a shade of gray. Sure Butterfly is a darker shade of grey, but he has some good as shown when he took care of Kersea's little sister Briar, and you know, didn't do to her like he does to other little kids. And because a character dies doesn't exactly mean that it will ruin a plot. I believe Liquid has a plan for every choice he has given us, and wouldn't give us a choice if he didn't know where he was going to go if we chose the one he didn't expect. But all of this is my own personal opinion and it could be completely wrong for all I know.
Thank you for understanding
. And please don't take me to mean that everything should be happy and smiles and all the characters should basically stop all evil permanently. That is 100% not the story i want to this to be. Let there be massacres and torture and tons and tons of hatred and ambiguity from the characters. I LOVE moraly grey characters. However i feel like a character killing is too much of an extreme and its just a bad choice in my eyes. I once again see the best ending one where the highest possible number of characters live. Some characters like Kersea have been stated by Liquid to have a more positive conclusion if they aim for more positive morality. I my opinion many characters should strive for that.
Hm, this is an interesting idea. Picking the good option there would be a perfect simulation of the feeling to roll a natural 20. 19 options would lead to Wulvren's death, but the twentieth would result in something epic happening. Probably something like divine intervention, or him throwing actual fireballs at his foes, somehow. That would obviously result in him becoming the primary spellcaster of Aegon's party. So far, this would indeed be missing. They have too many fighters to succeed in a typical campaign. Orys is a warrior, the same goes for Visenya and arguably, for Aegon and Rhaenys as well. Though especially Rhaenys has put too many points in Charisma to be useful, so I guess Wulvren could indeed fill an important role.
Though if they need a genuine magic-user, there is also Noelle, who is a level 13 cleric of R'hllor. She'd certainly interested in taking such a position as well.
Unlikable, maybe, though not necessarily evil. There are many perfectly understandable reasons for a character to kill another character, be it vengeance, justice, self-defence, mercy or the wish to protect others and I don't think that a character with good reasons automatically becomes unlikeable or evil for killing someone. In fact, some of the more moral characters in the story have no problems with killing for the right reasons.
That is a concern I can fully emphasize with. Then again, sometimes killing the right characters can result in your favourites to survive. For example, and this is an entirely hypothetical scenario, let's say there is a choice to kill Torvin or not and if he gets spared, he ends up brutally killing your character Edward. It all goes down to evaluating every situation individually, I believe.
This is one of my concerns and something I try to prevent, by trying to show as much of a characters personality as possible before killing them off, if I even kill them off at all. Many of the currently living characters have good chances to survive the entire story. Though I think I haven't always succeeded at making no character feel disposable and pointless. The one I feel the worst about is Jarek, the sellsword from Jaron's and Ellena's storylines in Chapter 5 and 6, since he actually had a backstory I barely touched upon.
I can confirm that if it ruins a plot I have planned, I won't offer the choice, so don't be afraid about this. Some options will force me to alter my plans, but after several close calls that would have almost resulted in some of my favourite plans to get scrapped, I have wisely decided to be a bit more careful with the choices I give. If I offer the chance for a character to die, then they can die without the storyline taking a massive hit.
In many cases, it won't even ruin that much, as I have general outlines for several plots and continue to develop the one that was chosen, without feeling as if anything got ruined.
This is unfortunately impossible, since sometimes saving a character means dooming another (like in the situation with Carley and Doug in TWD Season 1), but there will be plenty of deaths that can be avoided, that much I can promise
I know. But imagine for example Garthon keeps getting a 'kill' option over and over and over and keep killing people for less and less important reasons. He would become morally bankrupt and that couldn't lead to a good thing.
Ok, you make a fair point but one of the two dies in either scenario. If someone is going to die regardless then of course the choice is clear. I'm talking more about a 'kill this guy' choice.
Good. That gives me relief
.
Yeah I'm glad you managed to get around it. Stuff like that could kill awesome plans you have.
Well, lets be honest they probably won't be
. If there is anything i have learned from voting is that the voters here prefer killing even with all its negatives. You mentioned that Butterfly was a bad kill and he would have helped a lot and no one has ever shown any remorse for it. People like Woulfius would be killed without a second though quickly. And as you know i have had very little if any success at my quest to get the mercy vote passed. What am i even supposed to argue then? Oh Wolfius might be a psycotic, murderous, monster with no humanity but you should let him live because it is the moral thing to do. As if anyone would take the argument seriously. I actually felt terrible in the Otis vote, what was i supposed to say? It made me feel like i was horrible person even thinking of arguments.
Infact i dread the possibility of some future votes where i will have to openly beg the voters to agree with me like the old days (eventhough that worked only once because the character willing to kill mine was also mine [The dark angels spin off]). Do you remember how desperate for votes i was back then? Well i normally decided to bring random people to vote in my favor because i felt so hopeless
. I really don't want to go back to that.
[Inspect the fire immediately]
The Voting is closed!
Raenna is going to inspect the fire immediately
This was not the most active voting, but I think the outcome is clearly in favour of the first option. Personally, I probably would have taken the option to return to the camp and gather reinforcements, but this is a perfectly fine option as well. I already know what it is going to change. Raenna is going to have two more parts in this chapter, one of which will be the chapter finale, so there's something pretty big coming up for her and the characters around her. In fact, I can't wait to write this part, which is why I'm going to try and close the voting earlier in the coming parts. I'm sorry for everyone who had no time to vote yet, but I think you'll get your chance to catch up very soon.
The next part will be the finale of Kersea's storyline in this chapter. Meaning, it'll be dark and twisted and oh man, I can't wait to finish this one. The last time we saw her, she once again resisted Clayton's wishes, this time by quickly killing his archnemesis Rayden, whom Clayton wanted to torture in truly horrifying ways. Clayton... did not take it kindly. Similarly, Alysanne had a strong reaction to it, though it wasn't exactly negative. She ended up realizing how different Kersea is from herself and this brought up some surprisingly deep thoughts about her own nature. Ultimately, Kersea was called outside by Clayton, though she decided to properly continue her talk with Alysanne first, therefore letting him wait for a while longer.
This next part is most likely be done today. Right now, it looks like Kersea is going to be the only PoV in it and I know for sure that it won't include a choice at the end. Interpret that information as you like.
And now, I have something else, something decidedly more beautiful than the grim outlook to Kersea's next part. A very awesome reader, who prefers to remain anonymous this time, gave me a beautiful present today and I think I should share it with you. Here are covers, like, actual book covers, for all three planned books of Forum of Thrones. That's right, this will also include a tiny glimpse to the planned future of FoT and the next two books. I hope you enjoy
Here we got the one you already know, the sigil of House Raylan, the main image of Book 1, which can, in a different version, also be seen in the main post.
Here's the cover for Book 2. I think you can guess which family is going to get some massively increased importance in the events of Book 2, even though they won't be the only focus. My own version of the House Reyne sigil is soon going to be a part of the main post, once I announce the titles for the three chapters of Act 1 (which are very lovely titles, by the way)
Then there is the very first glimpse at Book 3. The sigil itself is canon to the Ice and Fire Books and I have created these house words several months ago, when I decided on an overall theme for Book 3 (just like how 'We Write History' and 'All For Our Pride' can be seen as mottos for Book 1 and 2 respectively). Save to say, it contains some pretty heavy foreshadowing.
And finally, here are all three of them together. It truly warms my heart to see them like this.
All in all, this is wonderful and the reader who created these truly made my day. Actually, I'm feeling almost too happy to write Kersea's dark next part now
At the same time, I feel inspired and this means, I will probably write faster than usual. Thank you, awesome person who created these!