Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8? Ser Leonard Constantine of course. Who else...ah yes Edward Anturion, he's a good one. Lucas I suppose, Drent, eh, sure, Vaasrand, man that guy is cool. John, Samantha, Argella (I guess?), Arthur, Willfred? Abbas, Bakr. Heck let's throw in Leo Hill, Durren Stallhart, and Cleaver Clint Volmark. Oh and Federico Snow.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
In no particular order, Clayton, Wolfius, Lyria, Rodrik Stone, Sherryl, Maron Mullendore, Bear, crazy Alysanne, I think I got them all.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
I liked Lyria's. It was short and to the point. Good ending, good ending indeed. Drent's was fun. Kersea's was too. Sadie's and Lucas's were enjoyable. I liked most of them.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
Maya, because one, she did some idiotic things in there, and two, well, it just felt...so disjoined. It's very strange as most of your writing isn't like that. I also thought Jenna's was kind of eh, even though it had some real cool moments.
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
Definitely Kersea's part in the lighthouse. It was one of the story's finest moments thus far. Really awesome. Lyria's last part and Jarow's last stand, Montclair's, Federico's, and Torvin's demises were also real memorable.
Is there anything you disliked?
Maya seemed to be real forced in this chapter. Perhaps she should have just been scrapped this chapter altogether. I also kind of didn't like being right on my predictions so much, not your fault, because it felt obvious. Then again, a lot of the stuff had been hinted at and didn't come out of left field like, say, Butterfly is Maron Mullendore. Additionally, I found that this chapter may have had too much action and individual fights. It kind of lost some of its unique luster. I think more fights along the lines of an actual battle with just random people, say the Battle of the Bastards, would be a welcome change, as it would be intense but allow for plenty of death. Maybe even a part that doesn't have a POV, just an eagle eyed point of few looking down on it.
Jeez this seemed long. I still loved the chapter though, one of my favorites!
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
Besides what I recommended earlier, I am excited to see the other characters that we haven't seen for several months now. I'm also waiting for Donnel Selwyn, who I hope will make the Reach great again. I am hoping that Chapter 9 will feature someone getting heavily drunk and either dying of alcohol poisoning (a very serious issue) or start rambling on about the war. I'd also like to see Petyr Vyrwel's fancy wardrobe. And some awkward dialogue. That's always good.
It's done. My god, it's finally done, after hours of writing. This has to be the most intense and emotional writing session I have ever done… more and one of the few I genuinely had to interrupt due to being so damn emotional over it. As a result, it is seriously late right now. Still, I hope I managed to provide you with the big finale I promised you and that I managed to end this chapter with the bang it deserved. I'm going to head to my much deserved rest now, right after giving you a couple of questions
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
Is there anything you disliked?
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
Okay so, RIP Torvin. It was quite emotional, I felt bad. Man Anturion is making it hard to like him. Still, I do. Another one of our first chapter POV's gone. Ah well, a shame. Garthon watches his brother close his eyes and drift away...
I am really glad I managed to create such an emotional scene. Anturion is indeed making it hard to like him, though I am glad you do. For all his shitty traits, I don't consider him the worst ever and it's nice to see that some even like him, despite his actions. But yeah, for now he killed one of the longest living characters in the story and he surely has earned a new enemy in Garthon. So, this should be interesting to see what's coming out of it
Ah yes, Sadie. Jeez, a poor decision was made. Durren Stallhart that beast. Walrus tusks. That's something unique. Not my first choice of battle armor, but I'll take it.
Indeed, Sadie's part was the result of a couple of bad decisions, some of which you could have changed, some of which Sadie made all by herself. She never stood the tiniest fragment of a chance against Durren and actually got, for a certain value of the word, lucky that she got to keep her life, which is more than everyone else who fought against this man during the raid, minus Leo who is a badass in his own right. And yeah, the tusks are a design decision I'm really happy with. I had to imagine how cool it would look, so I gave it to him. And as seen, he is even able to put them to good use, they are not only for show.
Ah Lucas, I was so right. So very correct. My theory concerning the actions of Maron Mullendore and Petyr Vyrwel were very accurate. Man Lucas is screwed.
Indeed, I remember that you have brought up such a theory a while ago and I liked it a lot, because I already knew that you're correct. I don't know if you've been the only one to have this theory, but if I remember correctly, you have been the first to mention it. And yeah, Lucas is in a seriously bad situation. Of course, he might not be entirely screwed, as his friends and allies will have a say in this as well, but the Mullendore/Vyrwel alliance is a powerful one and they'll do their utmost to get rid of the threat that Lucas poses. The same goes for Leonard, though he is in the marginally better position that he's not captured yet.
Wow.
I will edit my thoughts in tomorrow.
All I will say my theory was correct. I'm so proud of myself.
EDIT:
Okay so, RIP … moreTorvin. It was quite emotional, I felt bad. Man Anturion is making it hard to like him. Still, I do. Another one of our first chapter POV's gone. Ah well, a shame. Garthon watches his brother close his eyes and drift away...
Ah yes, Sadie. Jeez, a poor decision was made. Durren Stallhart that beast. Walrus tusks. That's something unique. Not my first choice of battle armor, but I'll take it.
Ah Lucas, I was so right. So very correct. My theory concerning the actions of Maron Mullendore and Petyr Vyrwel were very accurate. Man Lucas is screwed.
Well, not a bad guess. After all, Edrick and co. are in the Riverlands during this scene, so them meeting Ironborn isn't too far out there. Though at the same time, it must be something unusual, given Darreth's reaction.
A good question indeed. I thought Leonard would be smarter than this. Stubbornness can be bad. He better not survive a battle to die some cruddy death.
Aye, he is smart, but at the same time, he is one of the most stubborn people ever. He has a reason to still be in the castle and it's likely this reason is related to Lucas. But at the same time, he knows just how dangerous this will be and he certainly won't just throw his life away in something he sees as absolutely hopeless, so there's likely more to this.
“What's it?”, Edrick said, as Darreth stopped his horse in front of them. The young man looked concerned, an expression he hadn't shown so f… morear, which made it all the more unsettling. He and Dante exchanged a nervous glance, which proved to him that this behaviour was indeed not typical for Darreth. The squire took a moment to pull himself together. “I'm afraid we have a problem”, he said, pointing down the road. “You won't believe what I've seen down there”
I have a feeling it may relate to ironborn.
Saerya raised an eyebrow. “You'd do that for a man you barely know?”, she said, the hint of mockery in her voice. Jenna gave her a nod without hesitation. “I'm not looking away this time”, she stated. Before Saerya was able to answer, heavy footsteps from the corridor claimed her attention. Both women moved to the door and as Jenna put her head through, she held her breath. “Oh no...”, she mumbled, as she spotted none other than Leo… [view original content]
What a fitting finale for such an intense, action-packed, and emotional chapter. RIP Torvin, I knew one of the Breakers were doomed for death this part and it seemed to be that Torvin was the one that bit the dust. One of the oldest and most awesome POVs, he will definitely be missed. Now, fuck Edward completely. He has now become one of my most hated and disliked characters and I hope he dies a painful, torturous death. Just makes me wonder how bad his brother that you mentioned is gonna be...
Ah, I can assure you that I already miss Torvin. I enjoyed writing him immensely and his actions in this part showed to me just why I enjoyed him so much for the past chapters. At the very least, this will leave a mark on Garthon, who should receive some serious growth as a character now. I believe, given Torvin's almost suicidal tendencies and actual yearning to die in this battle, that his death was inevitable. It was a bit like the Alysanne situation, whom I just couldn't have spared, as it would have been a disservice to the character to take away this central tragic element. And Edward, well, I love how opinion on him are so heavily divided. You hate him, others kinda like him, it's great For now, he even got away with his actions, but as I said, he has some new enemies now. On top of that, he is a smart man and he already realizes the game that's being played in Raylansfair now, he realizes it more than even you readers do at this point. There is a central thought he has figured out in this finale and you will learn about it soon enough
Sadie's part was insane. I usually NEVER get queasy or anything when it comes to gore, but for some reason I did feel a bit uneasy reading the part where her hand was sliced off. The way you wrote it and the way it was described was very well done, great job Liquid. Poor Dan, he was a good guy and I was starting to like him. He did not deserve that death. Baelor's death also sucked too, even though we didn't really get to know too much about him. Fuck Stallhart! I'm really curious to see how Sadie's storyline kicks off in the next chapter.
Ah, yes, yes, this was a bit painful to write. I have hesitated to go through with this detail, but I consider it a central part of Sadie's character development, so it unfortunately had to be. But it's good that it didn't sit lightly with you. I usually don't go too far into the gory details and like to let your imagination do the job, but I feel like it was important to actually show her feelings and reactions in that moment. Glad to see that Dan left an impression on you as well, though I am a bit sad that I had to kill off Baelor. If the other option would have won, he actually would have survived and I would have been able to show more about him, but ah, the votes have spoken.
As for Lucas, I'm also very anxious to see his new storyline next chapter. Mullendore has finally reappeared and I still hate him. I'm pretty concerned as to what's going to happen there now.
I can understand your feelings there. I don't want to go too much into the detail here, as it will be a main storyline of Chapter 9, but I can confirm that being anxious about this storyline is not a bad thing
As for the questions, trying to not be as biased:
Oh, let me be clear, be as biased as you want! As someone who is hardly ever not baised, I fully approve biased answers
I gotta say, a lot of characters shined this chapter, excluding POVs. I'm definitely gonna forget or miss a lot. I've always liked Hjalgar but he's growing on me a lot now, especially after he had that badass scene where he killed Cleaver Clint and saved Garthon. I liked Hackor too, it is a shame that he died. Argella remains one of my top favorites. I still like Alysanne despite her dying. Man, what a tragic character. Same with Jax, I've always enjoyed him and as I started to like him more he died, which always sucks.
I am actually really happy to hear this about Jax. He is a character whom I have hoped to give this memorable death, especially as I feel that I could have done more with him in the past. So, it is really nice to see that he managed to gain a spot among your favourites in this chapter. Same goes for the other big deaths of this chapter, like Alysanne and Hackor, though I know many liked Alysanne already before this chapter happened. Ah, so many characters whom I will miss.
This is pretty easy for me. Just the obvious villains. Clayton definitely is still here, especially after he got away. Edward can now happily join my asshole list as well. I really hope he just dies, but in a painful way. Cleaver Clint, fuck him. Mullendore, yes. Sherryl, fuck you too.
Haha, that is no surprise. I try to make some of these villains really hateable. I mean, they are villains after all. Clayton is among these hateable pieces of shit, even though, to be fair, he did get some sort of a punishment in this chapter, by getting his arm cut off. This is going to be an even worse handicap than the one Sadie had to suffer and his career is basically over. So, he managed to survive, but he surely wishes it wouldn't have been.
Ah, I enjoyed a lot of POVs this chapter. Torvin and Garthon's were great. I knew from the beginning of the chapter that they would be good and they delivered. Kersea's storyline remains high on the list as well. I guess you can techincally add Raenna onto there too. Drent had a very enjoyable storyline to read. I have to agree that this was probably Alys's best chapter so far. I didn't enjoy it was much as the ones I previously listed but I was still invested into her storyline.
Great to hear that Torvin and Garthon lived up to your expectations. I admit that their side was underrepresented in this battle, but as the only two Ironborn PoV's, they just had far more enemies than allies among our cast. Also glad to see Raenna there, considering that she only had a short storyline and was mostly a part of Kersea's parts. And well, it is a huge surprise to me to see Alys' storyline, which has not been planned even nearly as long as the other ones, to be so well-received. Gives me hope that I can give something exciting for some of the other PoV's who had less to do occasionally, such as Maya or Ilish. Actually, knowing my plans, I know there will be more for them
Do I have to pick one? I can't. I'm just gonna name them all. Hjalgar killed Cleaver Clint, the fight and explosion at the lighthouse, the fight with Rodrik at the tavern, Emphryus fighting all of the Ironborn raiders, Ellena confronting and escaping Abbas, and a lot more. Just a great, high intensity chapter overall.
Haha, naming all is a perfectly viable thing to do as well. These moments you mention there are among the ones I have enjoyed to write the most and some of them have been fully intended to be big highlights of this chapter. That said, this chapter had far more action than the usual chapter and therefore with far more of these highlight moments than usual, so I am happy to see that there are so many that stuck with you!
Hmmm, I don't really know. I think everything has been fine so far. The one tiny thing that I'd like to point out is the fact of occasionally having to wait quite some time for a new part of a certain storyline to be released. Of course, this is pretty much completely out of control as there are plenty of POVs that have their storylines and they obviously need to get their parts in. Other than that really, really tiny thing, this story remains phenomenal. Keep it up Liquid, I'm looking forward to next chapter a lot
Yeah, I know that problem. It is, of course, nothing I can actually do something about, given the number of PoV's, which is absolutely needed to show the number of characters I have received. I have hoped it would be better in this chapter, given how close every PoV is to each other, but then again, I only took two PoV's out of the equation, which didn't really make things that much slimmer. So, I really can't do anything against it, I'm sorry. But as you know, sooner or later all of your favourite PoV's will be back, as long as they are still alive, so there's always something to look forward for
Holy shit, what a finale! Sorry for taking a few days to reply, I was actually in the midst of replying yesterday but it was late at night s… moreo I fell asleep, lmao. What a fitting finale for such an intense, action-packed, and emotional chapter. RIP Torvin, I knew one of the Breakers were doomed for death this part and it seemed to be that Torvin was the one that bit the dust. One of the oldest and most awesome POVs, he will definitely be missed. Now, fuck Edward completely. He has now become one of my most hated and disliked characters and I hope he dies a painful, torturous death. Just makes me wonder how bad his brother that you mentioned is gonna be...
Sadie's part was insane. I usually NEVER get queasy or anything when it comes to gore, but for some reason I did feel a bit uneasy reading the part where her hand was sliced off. The way you wrote it and the way it was described was very well done, great job Liquid. Poor Dan, he was a good… [view original content]
Ser Leonard Constantine of course. Who else...ah yes Edward Anturion, he's a good one. Lucas I suppose, Drent, eh, sure, Vaasrand, man that guy is cool. John, Samantha, Argella (I guess?), Arthur, Willfred? Abbas, Bakr. Heck let's throw in Leo Hill, Durren Stallhart, and Cleaver Clint Volmark. Oh and Federico Snow.
One thing I am super happy about is not to see the usual suspects, such as Lucas, Leonard or Argella there, but also some of those that others have mentioned to dislike. Vaasrand sticks out, or John, or Edward, as well as some whom nobody else has mentioned, such as Leo, Abbas and Bakr or even Cleaver. Really glad to see that there's such a broad number of characters you enjoyed, not only necessarily the ones that everyone seems to have enjoyed.
In no particular order, Clayton, Wolfius, Lyria, Rodrik Stone, Sherryl, Maron Mullendore, Bear, crazy Alysanne, I think I got them all.
I think this must be the first time you have not mentioned Kersea or Jenna among your least favourites. Glad to see they have advanced to the stage of sort of neutral. Other than that, no surprises, though I think this'll be the last time you mention Lyria and Alysanne for this answer
I liked Lyria's. It was short and to the point. Good ending, good ending indeed. Drent's was fun. Kersea's was too. Sadie's and Lucas's were enjoyable. I liked most of them.
At first I was really surprised to see Lyria so high up on your list, though come to think of it, it makes sense Still, glad that you enjoyed her storyline for once, I hope I managed to give her a good finale for her storyline, even if it sometimes did lack in terms of excitement.
Maya, because one, she did some idiotic things in there, and two, well, it just felt...so disjoined. It's very strange as most of your writing isn't like that. I also thought Jenna's was kind of eh, even though it had some real cool moments.
Yeah, I fully know what you mean. I myself wasn't happy with Maya in this chapter, though I'll get to it below why her storyline was more or less necessary. If I remember correctly, you enjoyed some of her past chapters, so I hope you'll enjoy her again in the future!
Maya seemed to be real forced in this chapter. Perhaps she should have just been scrapped this chapter altogether. I also kind of didn't like being right on my predictions so much, not your fault, because it felt obvious. Then again, a lot of the stuff had been hinted at and didn't come out of left field like, say, Butterfly is Maron Mullendore. Additionally, I found that this chapter may have had too much action and individual fights. It kind of lost some of its unique luster. I think more fights along the lines of an actual battle with just random people, say the Battle of the Bastards, would be a welcome change, as it would be intense but allow for plenty of death. Maybe even a part that doesn't have a POV, just an eagle eyed point of few looking down on it.
With Maya, the reason why I couldn't have scrapped her storyline is that two important things happened. First, Rodrik escaped, which was absolutely crucial for Samantha's storyline. Second, Irving returned and by saving Maya's, he won her trust again, meaning he'll be part of her team once more, which will be important in the future. The problem there is, I originally planned for her Chapter 7 storyline to be scrapped and for her parts to all be moved to Chapter 8, which would have likely made for a more well-received storyline. I made the mistake of pushing some of her parts forwards, which resulted in two largely forgettable chapters for her. And well, you are a very attentive reader and I love to hint at stuff, so it is obvious that you figure some stuff out way before I decide to fully reveal it. Actually, the Butterfly twist has been hinted at as well, but it has been the only time I've tried to be really subtle with my hints, so none of you caught up to it. If you want to, I can give you a list of fully deliberate foreshadowing in Chapter 3 and 4 for the true identity of Butterfly As for the action, you'll be pleased to hear that this chapter will be, for a long time, the most action-packed of its kind. I can't always have monumental battles going on, even if it will be far from the last. I understand what you mean though. A part without a PoV? Hm, intriguing, really, though I am not entirely sure if I'm up for that. We'll see, as I will certainly keep the suggestion in mind!
Besides what I recommended earlier, I am excited to see the other characters that we haven't seen for several months now. I'm also waiting for Donnel Selwyn, who I hope will make the Reach great again. I am hoping that Chapter 9 will feature someone getting heavily drunk and either dying of alcohol poisoning (a very serious issue) or start rambling on about the war. I'd also like to see Petyr Vyrwel's fancy wardrobe. And some awkward dialogue. That's always good.
Donnel Selwyn is going to make the Reach great again! It's going to be so great, it'll be tremendous. Nobody makes the Reach greater than Donnel Selwyn, he's such a great man, so talented, he's a ratings machine. Failing FAKE NEWS Liquid is not going to feature him in Chapter 9 though and waits until Book 2 to introduce him. Sad!
As for the other things you mention, those are some unusual hopes Alcohol poisoning might not be involved, but many people will get seriously drunk. War ramblings might be included and Petyr's fancy wardrobe is more or less a given, considering that he has to represent his house in Raylansfair now. Awkward dialogue could also happen, I always like those scenes. We'll see
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8? Ser Leonard Constantine of course. Who else...ah yes Edward Anturion, he's a good one. Luca… mores I suppose, Drent, eh, sure, Vaasrand, man that guy is cool. John, Samantha, Argella (I guess?), Arthur, Willfred? Abbas, Bakr. Heck let's throw in Leo Hill, Durren Stallhart, and Cleaver Clint Volmark. Oh and Federico Snow.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
In no particular order, Clayton, Wolfius, Lyria, Rodrik Stone, Sherryl, Maron Mullendore, Bear, crazy Alysanne, I think I got them all.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
I liked Lyria's. It was short and to the point. Good ending, good ending indeed. Drent's was fun. Kersea's was too. Sadie's and Lucas's were enjoyable. I liked most of them.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
Maya, because one, she did some idiotic things in there, and two, well, it just felt...so disjoined. … [view original content]
Oh, this week really hasn't been kind to you then Sorry for that! I knew Torvin would be missed and I can only imagine how much I'll miss him in the future. But well, I am happy you still enjoyed this chapter! Chapter 9 should start in the next week and it won't be too long, so Book 2 is already on the horizon. There should be more to look forward there
I can't catch a break this week. First, four of my favorite characters die at the end of Wishsong of Shannara, then two of my favorite chara… morecters die at the end of 1633, and finally, Torvin dies at the end of this. On a different note, excellent job with this chapter Liquid!
I have currently put the work on the wiki on hold, I am afraid, as I focus on the TvTropes page. This one should be ready in a couple of days and should serve as a sort of mini-wiki. After that, I shall resume my work on the wiki, more excited than ever and I will finally finish it, hopefully by the time Chapter 9 ends. I can't wait to share it with you!
Yes indeed! The alternative choices should be out either today or tomorrow, whereas the What If stuff should follow a day later. The next chapter meanwhile should start around next weekend, likely on Friday
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8? Harris.. And I dare say that I would've put him on this list ever since the prologue. I just really loved the man. Fantastic character. Kudos to.. you(, right?) for making him. Also, talking about Harris, I see quite some similarities between him and Edward Anturion. Both of them are willing to do, frankly, anything for (what they believe) the right cause. So while Harris is but pieces all over the fucking reach, Anturion is kind of taking his place, and I'm happy to see a similar character!
Other then that, I kinda liked Faendal Snow in this chapter, Farengar was kind of a good guy, and he deserved better. Although Fart Smell was basically the unluckiest character (by our votings), he still showed his loyalty in the end, and I respect and admire that.
Another couple of characters that never disappoints is of course, Leonard, Lucas, Argella, Drent, Jax (Nighty, night), Hackor, John-crew, Ironbros and Bakr (to some extent Abbas as well. After everything, I still kind of like the beast)
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8? I would like to kind of split this one. Firstly, there is the obvious ones that you hate. Y'know, Clayton, Rodrik, Mullendore (I would also add Alysanne, the bitch, to that). But then there is this whole other category, which is characters I find kind of uninteresting. Luckily, Liquid, I think I only have one at the moment. That one is Sasha. I don't have anything against her, I just don't care for her. I wouldn't shed a tear for her.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8? Never in my life did I think that I would name Kersea to be one of my favourites. But I can't not mention it. The fight in the lighthouse, the explosion. Also, Harris obviously helped, also the death of Alysanne helped I think.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8? I'll just go with the majority, and say Maya. Not because I disliked the parts, they were rather alright. They just happened so early on that I almost forgot she existed, and totally forgot what happened.
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8? Without a doubt the lighthouse parts. They were an absolute delight to read, all of them.
Is there anything you disliked? There is one thing I noticed when I read everything through in last year and have continued reading in to this year. Namely, I feel like there is a tiny bit to many times that our PoVs are in danger, but yet survives because they magically finds a way to flee or someone pops by last second. But otherwise it's great. Also, I don't mean to sound like a douche. But as I told Agent in aNA, giving criticism will make me, or you in this case, better authors.
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9? Apart from that above, keep up the great fucking work Liquid. As stated before, take it easy. The story is amazing, the tropes are great, the wikia looks fantastic so far. Keep up the great work, and I can't wait for the Alternate Choices, the 'What If's...' and of course, where this book will come to an end for our beloved, and less beloved Point of Views.
It's done. My god, it's finally done, after hours of writing. This has to be the most intense and emotional writing session I have ever done… more and one of the few I genuinely had to interrupt due to being so damn emotional over it. As a result, it is seriously late right now. Still, I hope I managed to provide you with the big finale I promised you and that I managed to end this chapter with the bang it deserved. I'm going to head to my much deserved rest now, right after giving you a couple of questions
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
Is there anything you disliked?
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
Harris.. And I dare say that I would've put him on this list ever since the prologue. I just really loved the man. Fantastic character. Kudos to.. you(, right?) for making him. Also, talking about Harris, I see quite some similarities between him and Edward Anturion. Both of them are willing to do, frankly, anything for (what they believe) the right cause. So while Harris is but pieces all over the fucking reach, Anturion is kind of taking his place, and I'm happy to see a similar character!
Other then that, I kinda liked Faendal Snow in this chapter, Farengar was kind of a good guy, and he deserved better. Although Fart Smell was basically the unluckiest character (by our votings), he still showed his loyalty in the end, and I respect and admire that.
Another couple of characters that never disappoints is of course, Leonard, Lucas, Argella, Drent, Jax (Nighty, night), Hackor, John-crew, Ironbros and Bakr (to some extent Abbas as well. After everything, I still kind of like the beast)
Ah, I am really, really glad that you enjoyed Harris so much! He was always planned to be this ambiguous guy, whom I wanted to have mixed opinions on, so it is great to see that, where some really hated him, you and others grew to like him, a lot in your case. That said, make no mistake with Edward. It should be said that his motivations couldn't be more different than Harris'. Whereas Harris' yearning for power was selfless and motivated by him severely overestimating his own importance and seeing himself as the only man possible to save Raylansfair (a bit like Stannis in these regards), Edward's motivations are inherently selfish and not motivated out of a desire to help others. They are both complex characters, but their ideals and causes couldn't be more different. Still, I am glad you enjoy him as well, as there will be a lot more of him in Book 2
I would like to kind of split this one. Firstly, there is the obvious ones that you hate. Y'know, Clayton, Rodrik, Mullendore (I would also add Alysanne, the bitch, to that). But then there is this whole other category, which is characters I find kind of uninteresting. Luckily, Liquid, I think I only have one at the moment. That one is Sasha. I don't have anything against her, I just don't care for her. I wouldn't shed a tear for her.
So, Sasha is the only one you don't care for? That is actually pretty amazing, I was always afraid there would be a great number of characters no one really cares for. At the same time, I am a bit curious why Sasha in particular has suddenly received such a negative reception, as I previously considered her to be one of the characters that receive a mixed-to-positive reception and considering that she has been basically knocked out for a majority of this chapter.
Never in my life did I think that I would name Kersea to be one of my favourites. But I can't not mention it. The fight in the lighthouse, the explosion. Also, Harris obviously helped, also the death of Alysanne helped I think.
Haha, I have the fleeting suspicion that she'll be mentioned in this question more often with the things I have planned for her in the future. Maybe not in the next chapter, on account of likely not having a storyline of her own there, but now that she is free of Clayton, I can develop her future parts into a seriously exciting direction. Prepare for big things coming up there
I'll just go with the majority, and say Maya. Not because I disliked the parts, they were rather alright. They just happened so early on that I almost forgot she existed, and totally forgot what happened.
Yeah, I think that's another problem with Maya's storyline, it ended earlier than the others. The problem is, her part with Rodrik, which ended up as her final one in this chapter, obviously had to happen before Samantha's part and me being unable to find the room for her (arguably irrelevant) third part in this chapter kind of added to this. All in all, not a storyline I am happy with in this chapter.
There is one thing I noticed when I read everything through in last year and have continued reading in to this year. Namely, I feel like there is a tiny bit to many times that our PoVs are in danger, but yet survives because they magically finds a way to flee or someone pops by last second. But otherwise it's great. Also, I don't mean to sound like a douche. But as I told Agent in aNA, giving criticism will make me, or you in this case, better authors.
Ah, trust me, I get what you mean. The thing is, that's where you can see that I don't like killing off characters. I put them into such situations to make it all the more shocking if someone actually ends up dead. I mean, how many have honestly expected Marak to die at the end of Chapter 7, or Terroma? I hold back exactly because of the fact that if I wouldn't hold back, every chapter would be like this one in terms of body count, which would cheapen the overall impact of these deaths. Another factor is that I dislike killing off undeveloped characters. Book 1 was in many ways a build-up book. When Book 2 starts, every single character that survived Book 1 will be fair game, as I consider them sufficiently developed. Maybe some smaller characters like Lawsen or Christian Thomas will get a bit more protection until you actually got to know them, but as a general rule of thumb, I can promise that such situations will be far more lethal now that I have a big cast I have developed well enough
Apart from that above, keep up the great fucking work Liquid. As stated before, take it easy. The story is amazing, the tropes are great, the wikia looks fantastic so far. Keep up the great work, and I can't wait for the Alternate Choices, the 'What If's...' and of course, where this book will come to an end for our beloved, and less beloved Point of Views.
This is great to hear! I will finish the alternative choices later today, so that's something to look forward for already. The TvTropes page also makes good progress and if I continue my current speed, it will be done by the time Chapter 9 starts at the end of this week, even if the character tropes can be a real pain to find and write down The wiki meanwhile, ah, I will have to put a lot of work into this, but I am pretty sure I will manage to do this in the near future, once the Tropes page is out of my mind.
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8? Harris.. And I dare say that I would've put him on this list ever since the prologue. I jus… moret really loved the man. Fantastic character. Kudos to.. you(, right?) for making him. Also, talking about Harris, I see quite some similarities between him and Edward Anturion. Both of them are willing to do, frankly, anything for (what they believe) the right cause. So while Harris is but pieces all over the fucking reach, Anturion is kind of taking his place, and I'm happy to see a similar character!
Other then that, I kinda liked Faendal Snow in this chapter, Farengar was kind of a good guy, and he deserved better. Although Fart Smell was basically the unluckiest character (by our votings), he still showed his loyalty in the end, and I respect and admire that.
Another couple of characters that never disappoints is of course, Leonard, Lucas, Argella, Drent, Jax (Nighty, night), Hackor, John-crew, Iro… [view original content]
Ah, I am really, really glad that you enjoyed Harris so much! He was always planned to be this ambiguous guy, whom I wanted to have mixed opinions on, so it is great to see that, where some really hated him, you and others grew to like him, a lot in your case. That said, make no mistake with Edward. It should be said that his motivations couldn't be more different than Harris'. Whereas Harris' yearning for power was selfless and motivated by him severely overestimating his own importance and seeing himself as the only man possible to save Raylansfair (a bit like Stannis in these regards), Edward's motivations are inherently selfish and not motivated out of a desire to help others. They are both complex characters, but their ideals and causes couldn't be more different. Still, I am glad you enjoy him as well, as there will be a lot more of him in Book 2
Yeah, out of the two, Harris definitely is the good guy. And as I've seen that there are major differences, I can at the same time see some similarities in the ways they act. But Harris was definitely a better guy. I phrased myself a bit clumsy, sorry for that.
So, Sasha is the only one you don't care for? That is actually pretty amazing, I was always afraid there would be a great number of characters no one really cares for. At the same time, I am a bit curious why Sasha in particular has suddenly received such a negative reception, as I previously considered her to be one of the characters that receive a mixed-to-positive reception and considering that she has been basically knocked out for a majority of this chapter.
Well, hehe. Firstly, there are characters, like for example Carma that I didn't really care for before. But we haven't seen a lot of her. Ed I liked in the beginning but then he turned out to be a bigger coward than the penguin (who just loves to escape, don't he?), and I just hope for him to redeem himself. Sasha we've seen a whole lot, and I really doesn't care for her, sorry. I never done these before, but I'm confident to that I would put Sasha here in earlier once as well. Me and she, we haven't clicked at all, that's for sure. Maybe she has something more to show, otherwise, I'm just gonna hope for her to sacrifice herself for Sammy ASAP. I feel horrible.
Ah, trust me, I get what you mean. The thing is, that's where you can see that I don't like killing off characters. I put them into such situations to make it all the more shocking if someone actually ends up dead. I mean, how many have honestly expected Marak to die at the end of Chapter 7, or Terroma? I hold back exactly because of the fact that if I wouldn't hold back, every chapter would be like this one in terms of body count, which would cheapen the overall impact of these deaths. Another factor is that I dislike killing off undeveloped characters. Book 1 was in many ways a build-up book. When Book 2 starts, every single character that survived Book 1 will be fair game, as I consider them sufficiently developed. Maybe some smaller characters like Lawsen or Christian Thomas will get a bit more protection until you actually got to know them, but as a general rule of thumb, I can promise that such situations will be far more lethal now that I have a big cast I have developed well enough
I totally get that! And I'm happy that we will have a bit more deadly fights in the future, as you have proven in this chapter, you're doing better in the bodycount.
This is great to hear! I will finish the alternative choices later today, so that's something to look forward for already. The TvTropes page also makes good progress and if I continue my current speed, it will be done by the time Chapter 9 starts at the end of this week, even if the character tropes can be a real pain to find and write down The wiki meanwhile, ah, I will have to put a lot of work into this, but I am pretty sure I will manage to do this in the near future, once the Tropes page is out of my mind.
That's good to hear! (Just noticed we started our paragraph almost the same, so I change that slightly ) I look forward to the AC very much.
Harris.. And I dare say that I would've put him on this list ever since the prologue. I just really loved the man. Fantastic character. Kudo… mores to.. you(, right?) for making him. Also, talking about Harris, I see quite some similarities between him and Edward Anturion. Both of them are willing to do, frankly, anything for (what they believe) the right cause. So while Harris is but pieces all over the fucking reach, Anturion is kind of taking his place, and I'm happy to see a similar character!
Other then that, I kinda liked Faendal Snow in this chapter, Farengar was kind of a good guy, and he deserved better. Although Fart Smell was basically the unluckiest character (by our votings), he still showed his loyalty in the end, and I respect and admire that.
Another couple of characters that never disappoints is of course, Leonard, Lucas, Argella, Drent, Jax (Nighty, night), Hackor, John-crew, Ironbros and Bakr (to some extent Abbas as well. … [view original content]
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Definitely the regulars of Leonard, Torivn, Garthon, and Raenaa. Dresfel and Durren were a badass. Anturion and Carvin were really interesting and cool. Jax had a badass death scene. The other Leonard was darn nifty too. Abbas and Bakr had me on the edge several times. I'm going to miss I'lian:( May Harris rest in peace. Audrey had few scenes, but she held of those raiders as well as any other fighter. Hackor went out like a champ. Oh, and whoever that one guardsman, what was his name? Frodo Snowdo? Eh, whoever he was, he was quite the surprise cool character. Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
I don't feel like Volmark did too much to be truly considered as a really bad guy. He was a little lack luster. Vaasrand still reminds me so much of Geralt, and it cringes so much. Good character, yet I just don't like how I think of him as Geralt instead of Vaasrand. What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
Arthur's storyline was really amazing. On the hunt for Wolfius. Also, Jenna's was really interesting to me, despite the fact that we decided to save those snot nosed kids. Kersea had a great storyline throughout the entire chapter. The Leonard assassination and lighthouse was a great end to many great characters. Alys' was equally good, much spook, much scare. What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
All the storylines were great. You did such a great job this chapter. What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
A have a tie, either between the Alys' escape from the haunted catacombs or the last few moments of Hackor. When he was fighting to get to the castle, killing Ironborn all along the way. And when he is looking over Aditha, regretting all the time he missed to tell her how much he loved her. Then when he sacrifices himself. Ahh, such a heart breaker. So great. I really liked it. Is there anything you disliked?
I thought you did a really great job this chapter. I really enjoyed. The only real, yet minor, complaint is that at the last few parts in the chapter, there were a unusual amount of typos. I know you were probably just trying to get the chapter finished, so it isn't that big of a deal. That and THE DARN CHOICE WHERE WE SAVED THOSE SNOT NOSED KIDS. I think that family is now on my kill list. Gonna get them one day. Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
Just keep on doing what you're doing. The story is so great and I'm enjoying every bit of it. Just make sure you keep carving out some you time for all the pleasures of life outside of Westeros.
It's done. My god, it's finally done, after hours of writing. This has to be the most intense and emotional writing session I have ever done… more and one of the few I genuinely had to interrupt due to being so damn emotional over it. As a result, it is seriously late right now. Still, I hope I managed to provide you with the big finale I promised you and that I managed to end this chapter with the bang it deserved. I'm going to head to my much deserved rest now, right after giving you a couple of questions
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
Is there anything you disliked?
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
As promised, here are the alternative choices at last. Sorry for keeping you waiting a little longer, but this shouldn't change anything about my plans for the start of the next chapter In the beginning, I have included a number of choices that have been made at the end of last chapter, which have solely influenced this chapter, such as Arthur's choice from the finale and others.
Alternative Choices: Chapter VII
Sadie:
[Help Dan]
This one would have opened up the chance for Sadie's chapter to end on a much more uplifting note, as it would have started a storyline in which Sadie and Dan basically just try to survive. How much the ending would have differed from the one you got would have been up to your choices however. Depending on the following choices on how Sadie and Dan are supposed to overcome the problems I would have thrown in their way, it could have ended similarly, or highly different. Ultimately, your choices would have been able to decide how many hands and how many friends Sadie has left at the end of the chapter. The full details haven't been planned out in too much detail, but around the midway point of this alternative Chapter 8 storyline, you could have decided upon Dan's survival, whereas a later decision could have pitted Sadie against Durren Stallhart or not, resulting either in the loss of her hand or her escaping unharmed.
Marak:
[Spare Otis' life]
This option would have allowed Otis to not only survive the scene in his house at the end of Chapter 7, it also would have opened up a way for him to survive the chapter. He would have outright managed to escape in the Chapter 8 finale, taking Ellena as his prisoner with him. Much of her storyline in Chapter 8 would have revolved around escaping him, which would have eventually succeeded, though she would have had to brutally and deliberately kill him for this to happen. This storyline however would have also let to Ando's survival, who would have been wounded by Otis in the Chapter 7 finale and therefore unable to face Abbas in this chapter. Instead, he would have escaped the city with Brandon and Briar.
Arthur:
[Go after Valarr]
This option would have sort of mixed Arthur's storyline with Ilish. He would have caught up to Valarr and Wolfius and would have been able to help the former against the latter, driving him off in the process, though the presence of Kreep would have prevented him from taking Wolfius down. Valarr would have received a wound, but not as bad as the one he got in the actual story now. Arthur would have then focussed on getting Valarr to safety, until he would have met Ilish and Ryler, at which point he would have teamed up with Ryler, leaving Ilish to bring Valarr to safety. In this route, Arthur wouldn't have met Mathea, who would have made her way through the city on her own, which would have resulted in her being largely absent from this chapter.
[Go after Daemion]
In this choice, Arthur would have participated in the fighting at the docks of Raylansfair. Part of the first part of this chapter would have therefore been told from his and not from Garthon's PoV. You would have seen a bit more of Daemion in this route, which would have built up his character a bit more before this chapter. Other than that, Arthur would have eventually stumbled upon Mathea during the city guard retreat, which would have combined the storylines.
[Go after Hackor]
This choice would have changed a serious lot and was one of the biggest choices that would have influenced this chapter and beyond. Depending on your choices as Arthur, Hackor could have survived this chapter without Jenna having to give up on saving Aditha. Arthur would have been a great asset for them, helping Hackor wherever he can, eventually even outright winning his father's respect, even if Hackor would have been very angry about his son ignoring his orders, at least initially. All in all, this would have opened up a way for a happy ending for the Nathamer family in this chapter, even if Hackor's wounds would have still forced him to resign from his post as the commander of the city guard early in Book 2, after which he would have taken upon an old mentor kind of a role for the characters in Raylansfair. But more about that in the 'What if's' in Book 2!
Raenna:
[Kill Noelle]
Actually, this choice wouldn't have changed much in this chapter. Raenna would have asked Noelle for her final words. The priestess would have accepted her fate and would have calmly told Raenna her final prophecy. Instead of kicking her unconscious, Raenna would have killed her in return. Nothing else would have changed, save for some minor dialogue in Ellena's storyline, but this choice would have tremendously affected future chapters.
And now, as promised, the alternative choices for this chapter!
Alternative Choices: Chapter VIII
Garthon I:
[Leave Rell to die]
If this option would have won, not much would have changed for Garthon's following parts, although his next one would have been a bit shorter, as the bit about him carrying Rell wouldn't have been written. Rell would have perished on the battlefield in the following, which would have made him the first casualty of Chapter 8. It wouldn't have influenced much about Chapter 8, but now that he survived, Rell is going to have a role in the events to come.
Raenna I:
[Bury Terroma]
If this choice would have been chosen, Raenna would have arrived in Raylansfair too late to prevent Kersea from shooting Lucas. Kersea's own nervousness and unwillingness to go through with killing him would have caused her to miss a killing shot, merely wounding Lucas in the process. Darren would have pursued him, although he would have fallen for a trick she would have used to escape and would have been left at her mercy. In this case, you would have gotten the choice to kill him, however, it would have been an unambiguous and deliberate choice you would have had to make, so I somewhat doubt it would have won. After either killing Darren or leaving him behind, wounded and unable to follow her, Kersea would have encountered Raenna. Notably, in this route, she would have believed that she actually killed Lucas and not just wounded him, which would have made her feel even worse and guilty than she already does.
Lucas I:
[Stay silent]
In this case, Lucas wouldn't have brought up the possibility that Harris could fight alongside the city guard. This could have potentially changed a lot of stuff, though it would have depended on further choices. Lord Tyrell would have eventually decided to set Harris free in either way, but Willfred would have gotten the chance to stop him from leaving the castle. If this later option would have been chosen, this would have caused the lighthouse fight to go down completely differently. Alysanne and Harris would have both survived the chapter, even though Raenna would have still fallen down. Clayton would have died in a seriously brutal way, as he would have tried to kill Kersea, which would have prompted Alysanne to absolutely butcher him. His death would have actually been so painful that even Kersea would have gained some pity for him. However, Alysanne wouldn't have survived Chapter 9, as she would have suffered eventually lethal wounds in her fight with Clayton. As for Lucas, he would have avoided his confrontation with Harris, which would have been good for Darren, who wouldn't have been critically wounded. Eventually though, the continuous Ironborn attacks would have forced both knights to retreat, resulting in the storyline you got in Lucas' final part in this chapter.
Jenna I:
[Ask Saerya to come with you]
Another big one, this option would have given Saerya a strong role in this chapter, although at the cost of some development for Jenna, who would have not been forced to make a difficult decision on her own, therefore depriving her of some character development. However, on the positive note, this would have opened up a way for Hackor to survive, as Saerya's presence would have meant that Jenna wouldn't have been forced to decide between him and Aditha. His wounds would have been crippling though and he wouldn't have been able to resume his post as the commander of the city guard. Forced into early retirement, he would have become a mentor for the next guard commander.
Sadie I:
[Join Edward]
This choice would have meant a different chapter for Sadie, though the end would have remained largely the same. It is one of the choices that would have saved Baelor. Without her advice, Blane would have left Baelor's men, though the soldiers would have narrowly defeated their enemy. Sadie would have fought against the Ironborn in the city, resulting in her confronting Durren Stallhart during the final stage of the raid, which would have ended with her losing her hand and Dan being killed in the attempt to save her.
Richard I:
[Leave Hal and run after Alan]
This choice would have meant that Hal's fate would have been unknown for a while. However, despite being left behind, Hal would have managed to hide from the Ironborn, who would have focussed on the fleeing Richard instead of searching through the house. He would have been revealed to be alive in Chapter 9 and he would have had a serious grudge against Richard. By extension, Nora would have had the same grudge and she would have called Richard out on this, especially as she helped him in Chapter 3. Richard would have caught up with Alan and the two would have escaped, after being saved by Jarow at the cost of his own life.
Torvin I:
[Attack the southern gate]
This would have meant an easier chapter for Lucas and co., as they wouldn't have had to fight the Ironborn. It also would have meant that Torvin wouldn't have received his heavy wound from his collision with Harris' horse. Instead, he would have fought against Leonard and the Stormlanders, which would have meant that part of his storyline would have been told through Drent's PoV. In there, Torvin would have fought in a duel with Leonard and would have ultimately forced the Stormlanders to retreat earlier, resulting in a larger role for Bear in this chapter. Drent wouldn't have been able to meet up with Shortwood or Gordar and instead would have focussed entirely on surviving alongside the other Stormlanders. However, it wouldn't have changed anything about Montclair's death, who would have died during the Stormlander retreat, shot by an unknown archer.
John I:
[Forbid Jaro to join you]
If this option would have won, Jaro would have remained behind at the tavern instead of joining John. The big change there would have been that he would have taken the lethal strike meant for I'lian, resulting in his death instead of his brothers. I'lian wouldn't have found out the truth about Bear in this case, leaving this detail a mystery for now. In fact, John would have never even faced Bear at the end of the chapter, since he and Temari wouldn't have split up.
Ilish I:
[Escape with Taenora and Philip]
This would have opened up an alternative storyline for Ilish, in which she would have been able to get to know the members of Taenora's group a bit better. Now, I will be forced to wait until Book 2 to properly introduce and develop some of them. Other than that, she wouldn't have joined Ryler's quest to hunt for Wolfius and she wouldn't have been there to help Valarr, which would have resulted in him bleeding out from his wounds, his corpse to be found by Arthur in the next chapter. Ilish's storyline wouldn't have been too action-packed, but it would have given me the chance to introduce some characters for a change instead of just killing off in this chapter.
Lucas II:
[Leave Darren behind]
If this option would have won, Darren's screentime in this chapter would have been severely reduced. He would have fought at the castle gates, though he would have been heavily wounded, with Emphryus saving his life during Jenna's final part in this chapter. Lucas would have been forced to fight without the additional help of Darren, but this would have left him free to go after Harris later on, unless you would have chosen for him to continue leading the men at the eastern gate.
Kersea I:
[Keep it a secret]
By now telling Leonard about the wildfire, you wouldn't have changed much. Leonard himself, would have been more confused and outright shocked when the explosion would have happened later in the chapter and he wouldn't have sent a message to Lucas and Harris. Instead, Harris would have come up with the plan to seize the wildfire by himself, but he wouldn't have expected any resistance, which would have made his fight a bit harder. This wouldn't have changed the outcome though.
Drent I:
[Advice Finalfantasy to accompany you]
This choice would have given Fhtagn Cthulhu a chance to survive the chapter. Instead of staying at the castle and dying, he would have left his post to find Saerya, resulting in his survival. However, the death of almost the entire rest of the castle guard would have weighed heavily on him, resulting in him becoming a much darker character from Chapter 9 onwards, developing a fierce hatred towards the Ironborn.
Alys I:
[Refuse to give him a sample of your blood]
This choice would have honestly surprised Edward and would have seriously pissed him off at the same time. He would have shown his true colours a bit earlier, when he would have forced her to give him enough blood to ensure his own safety, which would have disillusioned Alys and to a certain extent Alisa and Carvin when it comes to him.
Willfred I:
[Side with the guard]
By siding with the guard over Mathea, Willfred would have achieved something important, namely that Mathea would have been forcibly kept at the castle. This would have had good consequences in the short term, but very bad ones in the long term. In the short term, Mathea would have healed a number of wounded, including potentially Hackor, if Jenna would have saved him. However, she would have reacted terribly at being forced to remain at the castle and would have blamed the guards for keeping her there, thinking that she might have been able to save Lyria and Urid otherwise. This would have led to her leaving Raylansfair in Chapter 9, to become part of another storyline.
Maya I:
[Decline Orys' offer]
This choice would have had big consequences for Maya, but none for Samantha. Orys would have taken Rodrik back to the castle, but would have walked into his trap as well, resulting in Rodrik's escape. Maya meanwhile would have been forced to fight alongside Daemion and the city guard for the freedom of Gregar and Keat, which would have likely resulted in a more exciting storyline for her, during which she would have fought the Ironborn directly, which would have also given more screentime to Daemion. Irving would have saved her life during this route as well, resulting in her forgiving him and accepting him back into the group.
Arthur I:
[Let her leave on her own]
Well... I never thought that choice had any chance at winning, so I haven't put too much planning into it Arthur's storyline would have been significantly shorter, but he would have theoretically been able to get some additional moments with his father, so that's a plus. However, Mathea would have been left to defend herself, resulting in her either not appearing for the remainder of the chapter (but encountering Ryler and Rosalie offscreen) or being featured in Ilish's storyline, if she would have decided to leave Valarr.
Sadie II:
[Advice Blane to focus on the mission]
Ironically, leaving Baelor to fight for himself would have been the better option for him. By saving his life, you actually doomed him to fight with Durren Stallhart later on, resulting in his death. If Sadie wouldn't have adviced Blane to support the soldiers, Baelor would have still won, but too late to do anything against the Ironborn, who would have been driven off solely by Leo's sellswords, under heavy losses (including Dan's life and Sadie's ability to tie a shoelace). Baelor would have seen the sellswords leaving and would have developed a grudge towards them and Sadie, resulting in him becoming quite the problem for them in the next chapter and certainly ending any hope Sadie could have had about getting his help.
Garthon II:
[Leave]
By not turning against Cleaver Clint here, Garthon would have missed a fight scene I am pretty proud with, so I am happy this hasn't won However, more importantly, Clint would have survived the chapter in that case. That's right, he would have survived and retreated with the other Ironborn, returning to Harrenhal, where he would have put himself into the role of a victorious warrior, becoming quite the problem for Kyra in her storyline in Book 2. Ultimately, he wouldn't have survived Book 2, but he could have lived for quite some chapters into it, likely finding his end somewhere in the mid-Book 2.
Lyria I:
[Stay quiet]
Lyria's final choice in this chapter would have mostly meant that she wouldn't have encountered the looters, therefore making things even more hopeless for her when the real wolf would come knocking. However, the looters would have posed a minor threat to Arthur and Ryler in their eventual team-up, as minor antagonists. Ryler would have killed one of them, causing the others to flee in terror, but they wouldn't have been more than a nuisance in general.
By giving Edward more blood, he would have appeared as a more heroic character for longer, selflessly giving the Ironborn protection from the spells below the archive. Eventually, they would have stuck with him for longer, resulting in a larger role for Wilbur. Edward would have seemed more polite and nice in this route and Alys would have still fully trusted him by the time Chapter 9 would have started.
Samantha I:
[Defend the ground floor]
By focussing on the ground floor, Samantha would have fought alongside the tavern patrons and would have shared some scenes with the Marigold family, which would have meant more for them. In the fight, Davith would have been wounded and Rodrik would have knocked Samantha down, dragging her upstairs to kill her friends. I'lian would have gotten in his way and died, but Lenrianda would have wisely kept away from the fight, therefore surviving the chapter. Sasha would have still managed to kill Rodrik, but Samantha would have had a role in this, by struggling and fighting against him until she would have gotten a clear shot with the crossbow.
Jenna II:
[Help Aditha and Hackor]
Ultimately, this choice alone wouldn't have been enough to save Hackor's life, but it could have helped, if certain other alternative choices would have been taken. It would have given Hackor more time, making it less obvious that he would die from his wounds in Jenna's third part. If saved, he would have been in slightly better shape in Chapter 9, though if this would have been the only choice in his favour you would have taken, he would have still perished. On the downside, the fates of Carma and her children would have been unclear for some time, though eventually, it would have turned out that Carma and Mickaela would have survived, whereas Farrell would have died when an Ironborn would have cut him down without a second thought. This would have permanently given Carma an intense hatred of Jenna.
Ilish II:
[Accompany Ryler]
By leaving Valarr behind, Ilish would have missed an opportunity to win a friend among the guards. Valarr would have survived on his own, but he would have been seriously pissed and become a problem for her and for the entire tavern by proxy. Ilish would have bonded more strongly with Ryler and she also would have encountered Arthur and Mathea, therefore being more involved in their storyline, but ultimately not being of much help.
Maya II:
[Stop Keat]
This would have affected Maya's planned third part, the one that got scrapped. Maya would have succeeded at keeping Keat close, though Aldrik would have gone lost in the city and much of Chapter 9 would have been dedicated to finding him, with Keat's help. With the choice you picked, Aldrik remains at Maya's side, but Keat will be gone, likely for good.
Lucas III:
[Chase after Harris]
In doing so, Lucas would have left Darren to die, which would have been what would have happened. Darren wouldn't have bled out, but he would have still been at the gate when Torvin would have returned later in the chapter, resulting in his execution at the hands of the Ironborn. Lucas would have followed Harris, but he would have been too late to change anything about the outcome of the lighthouse fight. Instead, Kersea would have stumbled into him in her third part, as she was making her way down the lighthouse after getting wounded by Clayton. She would have basically fallen into his arms, causing him to be the one to save her instead of Richard. She would have then taken Darren's role as the person he would have carried in the chapter finale and Leonard would have helped her instead of Darren up the final road to the castle, therefore repaying her a bit of what he feels he owes her for saving his life earlier. Kersea would have then started Chapter 9 in the castle among the other wounded and not in Richard's farmhouse.
Drent II:
[Follow Shortwood]
This would have opened up a different storyline for Drent, in which he would have learned more about Shortwood and would have become friends with him, sort of. They would have saved a couple of citizens from the Ironborn, resulting in Shortwood gaining a lot of respect for Drent. However, Montclair would have been highly displeased at this and if would have criticized his decision. Ultimately, Drent would have regrouped with the soldiers when they were preparing to retreat at last, taking away some of the talk with Montclair and Argella, but giving a larger and more important role to Shortwood.
Kersea II:
[Try to kill Clayton]
This choice would have caused the death of Clayton. With just one arm, he would have been outclassed by the unwounded Kersea, who would have killed him, though he still would have put up a good fight, wounding her in the process. Raenna would have fallen down the tower, with Kersea being too late to save her, but Clayton wouldn't have managed to blow up the lighthouse, meaning that Mullendore and Vyrwel would have received a metric shitton of Wildfire for their plans. You can decide for yourself if that would have been worth the satisfaction to kill a crippled man. I myself think you chose wisely by trying to save Raenna instead.
Torvin II:
[Chase down the fleeing guards]
Torvin would have followed the guards, killing a number of them and even managing to wound Daemion, who would have been saved by his men though. It wouldn't have changed anything about his death though, but the surroundings would have been different, with Edward and Garthon encountering him in a small alleyway instead of the central town square.
Arthur II:
[Hold her back]
By holding Mathea back, Arthur would have missed a chance to meet and team up with Ryler, who would have continued on his own before Arthur and Mathea would have arrived at his former position. Only seeing the aftermath of his fight, they would have thought of him as some monster, possibly Wolfius, which would have made both even more wary. Eventually, Ryler would have continued his hunt alone, whereas Arthur and Mathea would have found Mathea's house after he had already left.
Willfred II:
[Take the soldiers with you]
In doing so, you would have taken away a serious line of defense for the smallfolk. Tallian would have remained behind all by himself and he would have actually died in this route in Jenna's third part, fighting without his men and being cut down as he turned to flee. The Ironborn would have broken through, killing Fastandfurious Seven and Tallian, before turning towards Hackor, whom they would have cut down. They would have tried to take Aditha and Jenna, temporarily succeeding at the former, but failing at the latter, who would have been saved by Emphryus. The rest of the part would have proceeded normally. There also wouldn't have been a fight between Willfred and Carvin/Edward, as Edward would have used his charme to talk himself out of this situation, although at the cost of his relic, which Willfred would have demaned in order to let him go.
Alys III:
[Leave with Wilbur]
By leaving with Wilbur, Alys would have ended up getting to know him a bit better, resulting in them beginning to form a bit of a friendship. She wouldn't have been attacked by the illusions and would have generally survived the chapter in a much better shape, although Edward would have been very displeased by her just leaving him, resulting in him cooling off even further around her.
Samantha II:
[Kill Rodrik]
By not leaving Rodrik to Nymeria, Samantha would have made her even more disheartened, giving her the feeling that she couldn't have even done that for her best friend. Samantha would have killed Rodrik quickly, which would have been approved by Davith. All in all, Nymeria would have highly disapproved of this and would have become more distant from Samantha and the others in Chapter 9.
Janae I:
[Allow Behara to go down with you]
Interestingly, this would have been a good option for Behara. When Abbas and Bakr would have arrived, Janae would have told her to run and without a weapon to fight, she would have followed this order, resulting in her not almost killing Abbas and him not having any reason to take her, so he would have even allowed her to escape. This would have had severe consequences for Chapter 9 and Book 2, so prepare for more of this to be revealed in future 'What If's'.
Sadie III:
[Help Baelor]
Helping Baelor would have been a good option for him, because it would have ensured his survival. Though heavily wounded, Baelor would have made it to Chapter 9, even if his wounds would have prevented him from being much of a help for now. Sadie would have still lost her hand, as she would have fought against Durren and Dan would have still been killed trying to save her, but the chapter finale would have been one death lighter.
Jenna III:
[Take Hackor with you]
All on its own, this choice wouldn't have been enough to save Hackor. It would have been a key choice if other options would have been taken earlier, but with the way the story unfolded, his death was already a certainty by the time I gave you this choice. If he would have been taken by Jenna, he would have lived to Chapter 9, where he would have had a scene with his children before passing away. Both of them actually, as Aditha would have survived in either way. However, if she would have been left behind, she would have been taken by the Ironborn and raped several times, resulting in her becoming an even darker and more traumatized character. So, it would have added an additional layer of tragedy to the situation. Hackor would have been able to confess his love to her, but she would have been too far gone to actually accept it, resulting in her leaving him instead of staying with him until he would have taken his last breath. It also would have affected her behaviour throughout the entirety of Book 2, especially after another twist in a later chapter would have happened. This other twist is still going to happen, but her reaction will be completely different now.
Ellena I:
[Continue to run down the street]
This choice would have resulted in Ellena getting captured by Abbas, who would have knocked her out and taken her to Oldtown. There, she would have had the chance to escape in Chapter 9, though this would have been quite difficult to achieve. It is more likely that she would have remained a prisoner until the early Book 2, where she would have escaped from Abbas for sure.
[Turn around and run past Abbas]
In contrast, this would have worked splendidly well. Abbas wouldn't have expected such a gutsy move, so he would have been unable to capture her and she would have run past him and the surprised Bakr, before losing them by running through the alleyways near the gate. She still wouldn't have managed to catch up with Brandon and Briar in time though.
Drent III:
[Advice Argella to continue the fight]
This was exactly what Argella wanted to hear. By doing so, Drent would have won her friendship even more, as he would have supported her in this difficult decision. Argella would have overruled Jax's advice and would have continued the fight at the gate, resulting in more heavy casualties. Eventually however, a mysterious archer would have ruined the day, by shooting Jax, who got between arrow and princess. This would have prompted Argella to sound the retreat herself, finally realizing that he was right. She also would have blamed herself even stronger for his death, seeing it as a direct result of her poor choice.
[Tell her to make her own decision]
A mixture between the two choices and arguably the best one, winning Argella's approval and resulting in the better outcome of the Stormlanders retreating to the castle. Left to make her own decision, Argella's concern for her soldiers would have won over her lust for battle and she would have ordered the retreat, resulting in exactly the storyline you got in Drent's fourth part.
Arthur III:
[Stay with Mathea and Rosalie]
I am still a bit baffled that this choice actually lost, given how much sense it made when I thought of it. Ah well, let's just say that staying with Mathea and Rosalie would have had a good influence on their relationship and Mathea would have seen Arthur as a reliable friend afterwards. Now, well, now he basically left her and a heavily traumatized girl in a burning city filled with raiders to go on a wild goose chase with a guy he just met. We'll see what further consequence there will be down the line there. I bet it won't be a good one
Ellena II:
[Search the area for Brandon and Briar]
Another choice that would have affected the next chapter, though I guess I can tell you the strongest consequence already: Ellena still wouldn't have found Brandon and Briar. Their whereabouts would have been revealed later on, but at that point, they weren't near the city gate anymore. Chapter 9 will give us an update on them and on Brandon's reason for leaving.
Willfred III:
[Follow the men]
If this option would have been taken, Willfred would have actually appeared in Torvin's final part, though he would have been too late to stop Edward and Carvin from leaving, as the arriving Vyrwel cavalry would have stopped him from getting any closer to them. It wouldn't have been more than a cameo though and this was not a choice with very huge consequences, that much I can tell you.
John II:
[Go to the tavern first]
This however is a very huge choice. One thing I can say is, neither option would have changed the outcome. Janae and Behara would have still been taken by Abbas and Bakr, I'lian would have still been dead. However, this choice was also a choice between Temari and Jaro. One of them had to wait before getting told the dark news. In the option that won, Jaro is the one that got the short end of the choice, in the other route, it would have been Temari. Both are going to be devastated by their loss, but the one that has lost the choice here also has to think that they might have been able to change anything if John had decided differently. So, this choice will majorly affect the opinion they have on their leader.
Definitely the regulars of Leonard, Torivn, Garthon, and Raenaa. Dresfel and Durren were a badass. Anturion and Carvin were really interesting and cool. Jax had a badass death scene. The other Leonard was darn nifty too. Abbas and Bakr had me on the edge several times. I'm going to miss I'lian:( May Harris rest in peace. Audrey had few scenes, but she held of those raiders as well as any other fighter. Hackor went out like a champ. Oh, and whoever that one guardsman, what was his name? Frodo Snowdo? Eh, whoever he was, he was quite the surprise cool character.
Ah, another few characters I haven't expected to make it into anyone's favourite lists this chapter. I'lian, Carvin, Audrey, even though I could have expected the latter one from you. And well, she did indeed do a cool thin in this chapter, even if I feel it kinda got overshadowed by some of the other things in this chapter. I am glad she managed to leave an impression in this chapter
I don't feel like Volmark did too much to be truly considered as a really bad guy. He was a little lack luster. Vaasrand still reminds me so much of Geralt, and it cringes so much. Good character, yet I just don't like how I think of him as Geralt instead of Vaasrand.
Ah, good old Cleaver Clint. Well, he indeed didn't get much of a chance to do anything truly villainous on-screen, though I figured his reputation should suffice, especially considering that he was never intended to be more than a secondary antagonist for Garthon. That's why I didn't feel the need to give him much depth, though I still found him refreshing for once. Just this truly nasty bastard, whom you actually managed to stop before he got a chance to do his worst.
Arthur's storyline was really amazing. On the hunt for Wolfius. Also, Jenna's was really interesting to me, despite the fact that we decided to save those snot nosed kids. Kersea had a great storyline throughout the entire chapter. The Leonard assassination and lighthouse was a great end to many great characters. Alys' was equally good, much spook, much scare.
I am glad you liked Arthur's storyline there. He was never planned to be the main focus of this chapter and some of his strongest scenes will follow in the next one instead, but it's nice to see he still did not disappoint. By contrast, Jenna and Kersea were meant to be big players in this chapter and it is good to see you enjoyed their storylines this time
A have a tie, either between the Alys' escape from the haunted catacombs or the last few moments of Hackor. When he was fighting to get to the castle, killing Ironborn all along the way. And when he is looking over Aditha, regretting all the time he missed to tell her how much he loved her. Then when he sacrifices himself. Ahh, such a heart breaker. So great. I really liked it.
Trust me, Hackor's final moments really got me emotional while writing It would have gotten even more heartbreaking if he would have gotten this final moments with his children, so for our hearts, its probably a good thing he died as he did. It was one of these scenes that will be stuck in my mind for a long time to come and well, Hackor certainly won't be forgotten in the story either.
I thought you did a really great job this chapter. I really enjoyed. The only real, yet minor, complaint is that at the last few parts in the chapter, there were a unusual amount of typos. I know you were probably just trying to get the chapter finished, so it isn't that big of a deal. That and THE DARN CHOICE WHERE WE SAVED THOSE SNOT NOSED KIDS. I think that family is now on my kill list. Gonna get them one day.
Ah, I haven't been aware of this, to be honest. I think it's not just because I wanted to get this chapter finished (which, trust me, I wanted, because of how awesome my plans for Chapter 9 and beyond are), but also because my keyboard is slowly dying and I really need to get a new one. Some of the buttons, especially the E and D button aren't working properly anymore. Sometimes, I push them, but don't get the according letter. Sometimes, I notice it and push them again with success, sometimes I don't. I hope those are the errors you meant. And ah, I can see how you are not particularly fond of the Strad's there Well, your opinion on one of them might improve in Chapter 9, that's all I can say there.
Just keep on doing what you're doing. The story is so great and I'm enjoying every bit of it. Just make sure you keep carving out some you time for all the pleasures of life outside of Westeros.
Oh trust me, I will Actually, I am almost afraid I spend too much time with pleasures away from FoT recently. My purse would enjoy less frequent trips to the pub, as I am sure would my liver, but well, now that I am a student again, I feel like I have to act the part Though be assured, this story is still the free time activity that is the dearest to my heart, so I don't intend on slowing down anytime soon.
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Definitely the regulars of Leonard, Torivn, Garthon, and Raenaa. Dresfel and Durren were a… more badass. Anturion and Carvin were really interesting and cool. Jax had a badass death scene. The other Leonard was darn nifty too. Abbas and Bakr had me on the edge several times. I'm going to miss I'lian:( May Harris rest in peace. Audrey had few scenes, but she held of those raiders as well as any other fighter. Hackor went out like a champ. Oh, and whoever that one guardsman, what was his name? Frodo Snowdo? Eh, whoever he was, he was quite the surprise cool character.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
I don't feel like Volmark did too much to be truly considered as a really bad guy. He was a little lack luster. Vaasrand still reminds me so much of Geralt, and it cringes so much. Good character, yet I just don't like how I think of him as Geralt instead of Vaasrand.
What were yo… [view original content]
I am still a bit baffled that this choice actually lost, given how much sense it made when I thought of it. Ah well, let's just say that staying with Mathea and Rosalie would have had a good influence on their relationship and Mathea would have seen Arthur as a reliable friend afterwards. Now, well, now he basically left her and a heavily traumatized girl in a burning city filled with raiders to go on a wild goose chase with a guy he just met. We'll see what further consequence there will be down the line there. I bet it won't be a good one
I guess he just lost his last shipping opportunity as well with this one.
Alys II:
[Give him more blood]
By giving Edward more blood, he would have appeared as a more heroic character for longer, selflessly g… moreiving the Ironborn protection from the spells below the archive. Eventually, they would have stuck with him for longer, resulting in a larger role for Wilbur. Edward would have seemed more polite and nice in this route and Alys would have still fully trusted him by the time Chapter 9 would have started.
Samantha I:
[Defend the ground floor]
By focussing on the ground floor, Samantha would have fought alongside the tavern patrons and would have shared some scenes with the Marigold family, which would have meant more for them. In the fight, Davith would have been wounded and Rodrik would have knocked Samantha down, dragging her upstairs to kill her friends. I'lian would have gotten in his way and died, but Lenrianda would have wisely kept away from the fight, therefore surviving the chapter. Sash… [view original content]
This one would have opened up the chance for Sadie's chapter to end on a much more uplifting note, as it would have started a storyline in which Sadie and Dan basically just try to survive. How much the ending would have differed from the one you got would have been up to your choices however. Depending on the following choices on how Sadie and Dan are supposed to overcome the problems I would have thrown in their way, it could have ended similarly, or highly different. Ultimately, your choices would have been able to decide how many hands and how many friends Sadie has left at the end of the chapter. The full details haven't been planned out in too much detail, but around the midway point of this alternative Chapter 8 storyline, you could have decided upon Dan's survival, whereas a later decision could have pitted Sadie against Durren Stallhart or not, resulting either in the loss of her hand or her escaping unharmed.
It will be weird but I like much more the choice that won
[Go after Hackor]
[Ask Saerya to come with you]
[Side with the guard]
[Take Hackor with you]
Oh well,we do everything in our power to let Hackor die
Ilish I:
[Escape with Taenora and Philip]
This would have opened up an alternative storyline for Ilish, in which she would have been able to get to know the members of Taenora's group a bit better. Now, I will be forced to wait until Book 2 to properly introduce and develop some of them. Other than that, she wouldn't have joined Ryler's quest to hunt for Wolfius and she wouldn't have been there to help Valarr, which would have resulted in him bleeding out from his wounds, his corpse to be found by Arthur in the next chapter. Ilish's storyline wouldn't have been too action-packed, but it would have given me the chance to introduce some characters for a change instead of just killing off in this chapter.
Don't worry Liquid,I like much more the choice that won since I believe that introduce so many new characters during the raid would have make them overshadowed by the much bigger and important event.
Drent I:
[Advice Finalfantasy to accompany you]
This choice would have given Fhtagn Cthulhu a chance to survive the chapter. Instead of staying at the castle and dying, he would have left his post to find Saerya, resulting in his survival. However, the death of almost the entire rest of the castle guard would have weighed heavily on him, resulting in him becoming a much darker character from Chapter 9 onwards, developing a fierce hatred towards the Ironborn.
I'm happy that the other choice won,Federico was a character that really shine at his last moments.
Maya II:
[Stop Keat]
This would have affected Maya's planned third part, the one that got scrapped. Maya would have succeeded at keeping Keat close, though Aldrik would have gone lost in the city and much of Chapter 9 would have been dedicated to finding him, with Keat's help. With the choice you picked, Aldrik remains at Maya's side, but Keat will be gone, likely for good.
Keat will be best friend with Dimitri
Arthur III:
[Stay with Mathea and Rosalie]
I am still a bit baffled that this choice actually lost, given how much sense it made when I thought of it. Ah well, let's just say that staying with Mathea and Rosalie would have had a good influence on their relationship and Mathea would have seen Arthur as a reliable friend afterwards. Now, well, now he basically left her and a heavily traumatized girl in a burning city filled with raiders to go on a wild goose chase with a guy he just met. We'll see what further consequence there will be down the line there. I bet it won't be a good one
...fuck
John II:
[Go to the tavern first]
This however is a very huge choice. One thing I can say is, neither option would have changed the outcome. Janae and Behara would have still been taken by Abbas and Bakr, I'lian would have still been dead. However, this choice was also a choice between Temari and Jaro. One of them had to wait before getting told the dark news. In the option that won, Jaro is the one that got the short end of the choice, in the other route, it would have been Temari. Both are going to be devastated by their loss, but the one that has lost the choice here also has to think that they might have been able to change anything if John had decided differently. So, this choice will majorly affect the opinion they have on their leader.
Oh well,we can't always please everybody (and i like that we will have some interesting internal conflict between The Gutters)
Alys II:
[Give him more blood]
By giving Edward more blood, he would have appeared as a more heroic character for longer, selflessly g… moreiving the Ironborn protection from the spells below the archive. Eventually, they would have stuck with him for longer, resulting in a larger role for Wilbur. Edward would have seemed more polite and nice in this route and Alys would have still fully trusted him by the time Chapter 9 would have started.
Samantha I:
[Defend the ground floor]
By focussing on the ground floor, Samantha would have fought alongside the tavern patrons and would have shared some scenes with the Marigold family, which would have meant more for them. In the fight, Davith would have been wounded and Rodrik would have knocked Samantha down, dragging her upstairs to kill her friends. I'lian would have gotten in his way and died, but Lenrianda would have wisely kept away from the fight, therefore surviving the chapter. Sash… [view original content]
Liquid? I have a question (that you've probably been asked many times before), if I may...
What process do you go through in writing for this? This is probably the biggest interactive fanfiction I've ever seen, and your post releases seem very consistent. Are there any tips you could recommend for interactive fiction writers- in forums or otherwise?
Don't worry about it! I'm looking forward to the TvTropes
However, just a quick thing I wanted to tell you. I was bored a few hours ago and decided to google one of the FoT characters into google, and the links to the character profiles are actually the first result. It takes me to the wiki, I believe. I know it's unfinished, or is it the TvTropes? Sorry, I really have no idea what a TvTropes exactly looks like, nor the difference between that and a wiki. Just wanted to let you know
I have currently put the work on the wiki on hold, I am afraid, as I focus on the TvTropes page. This one should be ready in a couple of day… mores and should serve as a sort of mini-wiki. After that, I shall resume my work on the wiki, more excited than ever and I will finally finish it, hopefully by the time Chapter 9 ends. I can't wait to share it with you!
Hi! This is an interesting question and one I'm not asked as often as you may think. In any way, it's one I'm happy to answer in detail
So, one thing that I consider to be the most important thing while writing a story of such length is finding the time and the motivation to consistently write updates. I usually release 2-3 parts each week and after doing this for over 2 years now, I'm having a lot of routine with it. This helps with staying motivated, which is by far the most essential thing, considering the length of the story. Writing interactive fiction is not something that's done quickly and most of the successful stories here in the forum run for years. I myself need about 6 to 8 hours for each part, depending on how fast I write. Another thing that helps me is having a lovely audience that directly reacts to each part. This helps me with getting through the writing for less exciting parts, knowing that I have this motivated group of readers that look forward for these regular updates. I simply love reading their thoughts, their opinions, the positive stuff, the negative stuff, I love reading the characters they have submitted and look forward for the characters they will submit in the future and it's safe to say that this story wouldn't be even nearly as big and enjoyable for me if it wouldn't be for all of these people who find joy in my writing. I believe that constant updates are essential in keeping the readers invested. That said, it's not all there is to a successful story and I know enough stories here in the forum who don't have such frequent updates but who still have loyal readers and whom I myself am highly invested in regardless of the number of updates. That is where the character submission comes into play, since, in my opinion, being able to become part of the storyline through the characters I create and seeing them interacting with the characters others have created in the storyline the author of the story has created is an incredibly fun thing for me that keeps m invested in stories for years even if they don't get a new part each week. Frequent updates help with the success of a story though and they also give you more routine with writing the parts, to the points where writing frequent updates simply feels natural. The routine you get there is also further helping you with developing your skills as a writer, which is always a nice bonus. That said, I consider motivation and creativity to be more important than skill, because skill is something every writer acquires at some point, if they only write enough. The worst thing you can do is to doubt your own writing, to have this feeling of not being as good as you want it to be. Just write, have fun, don't think too much about delivering something of perfect quality and I can assure you, your audience will enjoy reading it
Another thing that is important is to plan ahead, at least roughly. If you wish to write a story, first you should sit down and think of a general outline on where you want to take it. This doesn't have to include details, but at least a rough concept is important. Right now, I am in the process of starting Chapter 9 of the story, the final one of the first book of three planned (which means that a lot of the story is still to be written in the coming years). I have a general outline for Chapter 9 planned and had most of these plans for a long time now, which allowed me to build up a lot of the plot points that will be important in the coming parts. This makes both, reading and writing, far more rewarding, since things simply make sense from the way the story has been built up. At the same time, I think it is also important not to plan in too much detail. I have general plot points planned and scenes I wish to show there, but I don't have everything planned out 100%, which gives me a bit of freedom to write spontaneously, which is helping a lot with keeping me motivated for some parts. Spontaneous writing is often the most fun writing, as I can be more freely about the stuff I want to show, as long as it still fits with future plans I have for the characters involved into these spontaneous scene. So, it's not a bad thing to improvise at times, as long as you have a general idea on where you wish to take the storyline. I could give you some concrete examples of this, though I don't know how much of this story you have read, so it possibly wouldn't make much sense to give you examples if you don't know anything about them in the context.
Finally, another thing I consider important is to have a topic you're passionate and knowledgeable about. It's probably self-explanatory, but there's no sense in writing about something you don't want to write about. I love the Ice and Fire books, the Game of Thrones series and the Telltale game, so I'm having a lot of fun with writing a story set in the same world, with multiple connections to the backstory that is mentioned in the source material. I'm soon starting to write about the War of Conquest era, which I consider to be a perfect topic, as it gives me a lot to work with, while still allowing me to be creative on my own. There are other topics I couldn't write such a long story about and some I couldn't write anything about. This is especially important if you write original fiction, which also requires a lot more planning ahead to create a story set in a world you feel happy with writing about. In general, writing fan fiction is easier than writing original fiction.
I hope that answers your question at least roughly. If there is anything else you wish to know, or anything else I may help you with, then feel free to ask at any time, either here in the thread of via PM.
Liquid? I have a question (that you've probably been asked many times before), if I may...
What process do you go through in writing for … morethis? This is probably the biggest interactive fanfiction I've ever seen, and your post releases seem very consistent. Are there any tips you could recommend for interactive fiction writers- in forums or otherwise?
Ah, I'm pretty sure that must be the wiki. Well, thing is that the wiki exists, it is a site that can be found via google and those who are super curious can already check it out, even if it is in a very early stage. Some of the stuff, like the background and the general colour scheme, as well as the layout of the articles are already in a final state, but a lot of the articles currently lack text, which is something I'll have to write after I finished the Tv Tropes page. For now, I just don't feel confident enough with sharing it until I have done the majority of the work. So, while I can't prevent anyone from getting a sneak peek already, I'd appreciate it if you could give it a chance once it's done
If you're curious about Tv Tropes in general, this is the TvTropes page for the Game of Thrones series, to give you an example of a well-done page with multiple sub-pages. The FoT page can be found through Tv Tropes as well and it is in a significantly more complete state than the wiki (I'd say about 80% of the work is done), though I won't share a concrete link until it is done later this week.
Don't worry about it! I'm looking forward to the TvTropes
However, just a quick thing I wanted to tell you. I was bored a few hours ago … moreand decided to google one of the FoT characters into google, and the links to the character profiles are actually the first result. It takes me to the wiki, I believe. I know it's unfinished, or is it the TvTropes? Sorry, I really have no idea what a TvTropes exactly looks like, nor the difference between that and a wiki. Just wanted to let you know
It will be weird but I like much more the choice that won
Well, the choice that won will lead to far more interesting consequences for Sadie down the road and I am glad you picked this option, as I chose this route for her for good reason, to set her apart from the other characters in a pretty massive way. I have the feeling it'll make Sadie's storyline far more interesting than otherwise.
Oh well,we do everything in our power to let Hackor die
Pretty amazing, isn't it? You somehow chose the worst set of choices for his survival. While I am ultimately glad Aditha got saved, I would have liked to write more Hackor, so that is something I am not too happy about.
Don't worry Liquid,I like much more the choice that won since I believe that introduce so many new characters during the raid would have make them overshadowed by the much bigger and important event.
That is an interesting thought, one I haven't had so far, but one I completely agree with. I think you're right. And on the good side, now I got their introductions all planned out for Book 2 and they should be pretty fun, definitely more memorable than anything I could have pulled off in this chapter
Keat will be best friend with Dimitri
Hehe, I can confirm that it won't be that long until we're going to see Keat again. In fact, his role in Book 2 will be strongly expanded upon, as you're going to see by then
...fuck
Indeed, indeed. I can only guess that some misinterpreted the choice and thought that it would mean working with Ryler in general and not immediately, as I thought that the negative consequences would be obvious. Ah well, it wasn't a completely disastrous choice, such as the one where Arthur almost set Wolfius free, but nonetheless not the best on you could have made.
Oh well,we can't always please everybody (and i like that we will have some interesting internal conflict between The Gutters)
True, true. And someone would have been displeased either way, now it's Jaro, otherwise it would have been Temari. With Janae and Behara gone, I'lian dead and the man who is responsible for the death of Samantha's family nearby, there will be heavy tensions between the Gutters in Chapter 9, something which should be interesting and important.
Sadie:
[Help Dan]
This one would have opened up the chance for Sadie's chapter to end on a much more uplifting note, as it wou… moreld have started a storyline in which Sadie and Dan basically just try to survive. How much the ending would have differed from the one you got would have been up to your choices however. Depending on the following choices on how Sadie and Dan are supposed to overcome the problems I would have thrown in their way, it could have ended similarly, or highly different. Ultimately, your choices would have been able to decide how many hands and how many friends Sadie has left at the end of the chapter. The full details haven't been planned out in too much detail, but around the midway point of this alternative Chapter 8 storyline, you could have decided upon Dan's survival, whereas a later decision could have pitted Sadie against Durren Stallhart or not, resulting either in the loss of her hand or her escaping u… [view original content]
Well, that is quite possible. It's not the first time Arthur screwed up on that end (remember the Wolfius choice in the early Chapter 6) and I think it should be clear that Mathea won't appreciate being left alone in this situation.
Arthur III:
[Stay with Mathea and Rosalie]
I am still a bit baffled that this choice actually lost, given how much sense it ma… morede when I thought of it. Ah well, let's just say that staying with Mathea and Rosalie would have had a good influence on their relationship and Mathea would have seen Arthur as a reliable friend afterwards. Now, well, now he basically left her and a heavily traumatized girl in a burning city filled with raiders to go on a wild goose chase with a guy he just met. We'll see what further consequence there will be down the line there. I bet it won't be a good one
I guess he just lost his last shipping opportunity as well with this one.
Thank you so much for the response! I was expecting maybe a paragraph the next day, but you gave a detailed response just a few hours later! I'm thinking about doing some more online writing in the future- I've done some projects, but it's a bit tricky finding the right place to put them. In any case, I'd love to be a better writer- it's not something I'm great at now, but I'm usually good at writing consistently. I'm looking forward to becoming more of a participant in this story!
Hi! This is an interesting question and one I'm not asked as often as you may think. In any way, it's one I'm happy to answer in detail
… moreSo, one thing that I consider to be the most important thing while writing a story of such length is finding the time and the motivation to consistently write updates. I usually release 2-3 parts each week and after doing this for over 2 years now, I'm having a lot of routine with it. This helps with staying motivated, which is by far the most essential thing, considering the length of the story. Writing interactive fiction is not something that's done quickly and most of the successful stories here in the forum run for years. I myself need about 6 to 8 hours for each part, depending on how fast I write. Another thing that helps me is having a lovely audience that directly reacts to each part. This helps me with getting through the writing for less exciting parts, knowing that I have this motivated group … [view original content]
Indeed, I remember that you have brought up such a theory a while ago and I liked it a lot, because I already knew that you're correct. I don't know if you've been the only one to have this theory, but if I remember correctly, you have been the first to mention it. And yeah, Lucas is in a seriously bad situation. Of course, he might not be entirely screwed, as his friends and allies will have a say in this as well, but the Mullendore/Vyrwel alliance is a powerful one and they'll do their utmost to get rid of the threat that Lucas poses. The same goes for Leonard, though he is in the marginally better position that he's not captured yet.
Late response, sorry. Maybe that trial by combat will happen, eh? I'm glad I was right because it felt like a big jigsaw puzzle that I was connecting with. We'll see if my other ideas turn out to accurate as well.
Okay so, RIP Torvin. It was quite emotional, I felt bad. Man Anturion is making it hard to like him. Still, I do. Another one of our first c… morehapter POV's gone. Ah well, a shame. Garthon watches his brother close his eyes and drift away...
I am really glad I managed to create such an emotional scene. Anturion is indeed making it hard to like him, though I am glad you do. For all his shitty traits, I don't consider him the worst ever and it's nice to see that some even like him, despite his actions. But yeah, for now he killed one of the longest living characters in the story and he surely has earned a new enemy in Garthon. So, this should be interesting to see what's coming out of it
Ah yes, Sadie. Jeez, a poor decision was made. Durren Stallhart that beast. Walrus tusks. That's something unique. Not my first choice of battle armor, but I'll take it.
Indeed, Sadie's part was the result of a couple of bad decisions, some o… [view original content]
One thing I am super happy about is not to see the usual suspects, such as Lucas, Leonard or Argella there, but also some of those that others have mentioned to dislike. Vaasrand sticks out, or John, or Edward, as well as some whom nobody else has mentioned, such as Leo, Abbas and Bakr or even Cleaver. Really glad to see that there's such a broad number of characters you enjoyed, not only necessarily the ones that everyone seems to have enjoyed.
I'm a man of taste, and variety is the spice of life.
I think this must be the first time you have not mentioned Kersea or Jenna among your least favourites. Glad to see they have advanced to the stage of sort of neutral. Other than that, no surprises, though I think this'll be the last time you mention Lyria and Alysanne for this answer
Hey hey I'm not complaining. But I'm also kind of annoyed that I got rid of Kersea and Jenna, since Jenna may still have a reason to be there. Maybe she'll screw up again and I can go back to hating her.
Donnel Selwyn is going to make the Reach great again! It's going to be so great, it'll be tremendous. Nobody makes the Reach greater than Donnel Selwyn, he's such a great man, so talented, he's a ratings machine. Failing FAKE NEWS Liquid is not going to feature him in Chapter 9 though and waits until Book 2 to introduce him. Sad!
I know I must wait, and wait I will, by once it's going to be huge and beautiful.
As for the other things you mention, those are some unusual hopes Alcohol poisoning might not be involved, but many people will get seriously drunk. War ramblings might be included and Petyr's fancy wardrobe is more or less a given, considering that he has to represent his house in Raylansfair now. Awkward dialogue could also happen, I always like those scenes. We'll see
To be honest it occurred to me that someone in one of these stories should have died from a death that normally only the modern age fears. It be a nice anti-climatic death, especially for a one-armed man or his one-eyed former partner. Good to hear the other stuff, but I especially hope the awkward dialogue involves any of the following: naked, bloody, angry, drunk, confused, sad, or tired people. Those are always the best.
Ser Leonard Constantine of course. Who else...ah yes Edward Anturion, he's a good one. Lucas I suppose, Drent, eh, sure, Vaasrand, man that … moreguy is cool. John, Samantha, Argella (I guess?), Arthur, Willfred? Abbas, Bakr. Heck let's throw in Leo Hill, Durren Stallhart, and Cleaver Clint Volmark. Oh and Federico Snow.
One thing I am super happy about is not to see the usual suspects, such as Lucas, Leonard or Argella there, but also some of those that others have mentioned to dislike. Vaasrand sticks out, or John, or Edward, as well as some whom nobody else has mentioned, such as Leo, Abbas and Bakr or even Cleaver. Really glad to see that there's such a broad number of characters you enjoyed, not only necessarily the ones that everyone seems to have enjoyed.
In no particular order, Clayton, Wolfius, Lyria, Rodrik Stone, Sherryl, Maron Mullendore, Bear, crazy Alysanne, I think I got them all.
I think this must be the first … [view original content]
Oh, let me be clear, be as biased as you want! As someone who is hardly ever not baised, I fully approve biased answers
Alright then, I will take this into account for the next set of questions when the next chapter ends I just don't wanna solely focus on my characters rather than other great characters in the story.
Yeah, I know that problem. It is, of course, nothing I can actually do something about, given the number of PoV's, which is absolutely needed to show the number of characters I have received. I have hoped it would be better in this chapter, given how close every PoV is to each other, but then again, I only took two PoV's out of the equation, which didn't really make things that much slimmer. So, I really can't do anything against it, I'm sorry. But as you know, sooner or later all of your favourite PoV's will be back, as long as they are still alive, so there's always something to look forward for
Hey, don't worry about it. As I said, it was a very minor nitpick and I was just pointing it out rather than criticizing, really. I am aware that it is practically impossible to fix such a problem like then when other POVs need to get their parts and storylines in. It wasn't that much of a problem this chapter, so it is definitely improving. And you're right, as long as the POVs will be back sooner or later, there really is nothing to complain about
What a fitting finale for such an intense, action-packed, and emotional chapter. RIP Torvin, I knew one of the Breakers were doomed for deat… moreh this part and it seemed to be that Torvin was the one that bit the dust. One of the oldest and most awesome POVs, he will definitely be missed. Now, fuck Edward completely. He has now become one of my most hated and disliked characters and I hope he dies a painful, torturous death. Just makes me wonder how bad his brother that you mentioned is gonna be...
Ah, I can assure you that I already miss Torvin. I enjoyed writing him immensely and his actions in this part showed to me just why I enjoyed him so much for the past chapters. At the very least, this will leave a mark on Garthon, who should receive some serious growth as a character now. I believe, given Torvin's almost suicidal tendencies and actual yearning to die in this battle, that his death was inevitable. It was a bit like the Alysanne … [view original content]
A trial by combat would be an interesting idea, yes. Lucas is surely not in the best physical condition, so Mullendore and Petyr have realistic chances at winning if they choose the right combatant to face him. And well, considering that Mullendore has access to some of the most deadly characters in this story... well, a trial by combat is indeed something they could consider, even if it comes at the risk that he somehow ends up surviving as a free man.
Indeed, I remember that you have brought up such a theory a while ago and I liked it a lot, because I already knew that you're correct. I do… moren't know if you've been the only one to have this theory, but if I remember correctly, you have been the first to mention it. And yeah, Lucas is in a seriously bad situation. Of course, he might not be entirely screwed, as his friends and allies will have a say in this as well, but the Mullendore/Vyrwel alliance is a powerful one and they'll do their utmost to get rid of the threat that Lucas poses. The same goes for Leonard, though he is in the marginally better position that he's not captured yet.
Late response, sorry. Maybe that trial by combat will happen, eh? I'm glad I was right because it felt like a big jigsaw puzzle that I was connecting with. We'll see if my other ideas turn out to accurate as well.
Hey hey I'm not complaining. But I'm also kind of annoyed that I got rid of Kersea and Jenna, since Jenna may still have a reason to be there. Maybe she'll screw up again and I can go back to hating her.
Well... I wouldn't exactly count on it, though I wouldn't see it as impossible that you're going to find a new reason to hate one of them, or both. It might come down to the choices that will come up for them in the future. Both have gone through quite some development and are actually still just at the beginning of this development, especially in Jenna's case, so your coming choices might determine a lot about how you're going to see them in the future.
To be honest it occurred to me that someone in one of these stories should have died from a death that normally only the modern age fears. It be a nice anti-climatic death, especially for a one-armed man or his one-eyed former partner. Good to hear the other stuff, but I especially hope the awkward dialogue involves any of the following: naked, bloody, angry, drunk, confused, sad, or tired people. Those are always the best.
Hm, it's true, someone should die from such a thing, though at the same time, how many characters died from such normal accidents in the show? That would feel a bit anticlimatic at the same time, though maybe Book 2 or 3 hold some potential for this to happen. I haven't exactly planned anything about it, but it is not something I would exclude by default. If my plans go there, it can very well happen. And well, awkward dialogue is almost always going to include some of the types of people you mentioned there, so I believe your wish will be granted
One thing I am super happy about is not to see the usual suspects, such as Lucas, Leonard or Argella there, but also some of those that othe… morers have mentioned to dislike. Vaasrand sticks out, or John, or Edward, as well as some whom nobody else has mentioned, such as Leo, Abbas and Bakr or even Cleaver. Really glad to see that there's such a broad number of characters you enjoyed, not only necessarily the ones that everyone seems to have enjoyed.
I'm a man of taste, and variety is the spice of life.
I think this must be the first time you have not mentioned Kersea or Jenna among your least favourites. Glad to see they have advanced to the stage of sort of neutral. Other than that, no surprises, though I think this'll be the last time you mention Lyria and Alysanne for this answer
Hey hey I'm not complaining. But I'm also kind of annoyed that I got rid of Kersea and Jenna, since Jenna may still have a reason to be there. … [view original content]
Alright then, I will take this into account for the next set of questions when the next chapter ends I just don't wanna solely focus on my characters rather than other great characters in the story.
Haha, I can understand that, I surely can. I myself try not to be too biased, with mixed results, but well, in the end I think it would be a shame not to mention my own characters if I enjoy them, given that I obviously have the deepest connection to them. So, I mention them, but always try to mention the best in others as well, I think that's the best way I can do this. You decide if I succeed, or if I come across as shamelessly biased
Hey, don't worry about it. As I said, it was a very minor nitpick and I was just pointing it out rather than criticizing, really. I am aware that it is practically impossible to fix such a problem like then when other POVs need to get their parts and storylines in. It wasn't that much of a problem this chapter, so it is definitely improving. And you're right, as long as the POVs will be back sooner or later, there really is nothing to complain about
Ah, it's good to hear that I already improved on that end. It is something I take very seriously, because I know the wait for some storylines can be dreadfully long. I mean, some storylines can obviously keep you entertained despite the waiting, but this is very much a problem for the smaller storylines, who might fail to stick with you for several weeks. That's why I even started with the recap thing, which I consider absolutely mandatory, but it obviously isn't enough. But well, not much I can do about it, it's a necessary drawback of having so many PoV's. But I'll try my best to find some way to make the wait less long, maybe by planning ahead more clearly, especially about the order of PoV's I wish to write about. As long as things stay enjoyable in general, I'm happy though
Oh, let me be clear, be as biased as you want! As someone who is hardly ever not baised, I fully approve biased answers
Alright the… moren, I will take this into account for the next set of questions when the next chapter ends I just don't wanna solely focus on my characters rather than other great characters in the story.
Yeah, I know that problem. It is, of course, nothing I can actually do something about, given the number of PoV's, which is absolutely needed to show the number of characters I have received. I have hoped it would be better in this chapter, given how close every PoV is to each other, but then again, I only took two PoV's out of the equation, which didn't really make things that much slimmer. So, I really can't do anything against it, I'm sorry. But as you know, sooner or later all of your favourite PoV's will be back, as long as they are still alive, so there's always something to look forward for
Hey, do… [view original content]
Ah, glad I was able to answer your question! Well, if you wish to write something and put it online somewhere, I'd like to give it a read. Here in the forums, the Forum Games section might be the best place for original fiction and fanfiction to non-Telltale related work, whereas fanfiction to one of the properties Telltale has made a game of can be posted in the respective sections, as far as I know. Other than that, I have heard that fanfiction.net and Wattpad are rather popular. Also, you are very welcome to join this story of course! I have seen you've already submitted a character. Thanks a lot for her, she's great and I certainly will be able to work with her However, I'm also having a question about her, which I'm going to send you a PM about in a few minutes.
Thank you so much for the response! I was expecting maybe a paragraph the next day, but you gave a detailed response just a few hours later!… more I'm thinking about doing some more online writing in the future- I've done some projects, but it's a bit tricky finding the right place to put them. In any case, I'd love to be a better writer- it's not something I'm great at now, but I'm usually good at writing consistently. I'm looking forward to becoming more of a participant in this story!
Ah, glad I was able to answer your question! Well, if you wish to write something and put it online somewhere, I'd like to give it a read. H… moreere in the forums, the Forum Games section might be the best place for original fiction and fanfiction to non-Telltale related work, whereas fanfiction to one of the properties Telltale has made a game of can be posted in the respective sections, as far as I know. Other than that, I have heard that fanfiction.net and Wattpad are rather popular. Also, you are very welcome to join this story of course! I have seen you've already submitted a character. Thanks a lot for her, she's great and I certainly will be able to work with her However, I'm also having a question about her, which I'm going to send you a PM about in a few minutes.
Wow. They are so amazing, all of them. Although... Rosalie looks so happy there, and judging by this chapter, she shouldn't be that happy, right?
I'm Sorry
They all are amazing though. I wish I could draw as good as you. I think Liquid can emphasize on that. My drawings are hysterically bad. My favourite, except the portrait, is Rosalie without a question. Helenys is also great, lookin' like a real bloody badass.
Haha We actually talked about this with Liquid before I made these, and came to the conclusion that I should draw Rosalie from before her traumatic experience.
Wow. They are so amazing, all of them. Although... Rosalie looks so happy there, and judging by this chapter, she shouldn't be that happy, r… moreight?
I'm Sorry
They all are amazing though. I wish I could draw as good as you. I think Liquid can emphasize on that. My drawings are hysterically bad. My favourite, except the portrait, is Rosalie without a question. Helenys is also great, lookin' like a real bloody badass.
Wow. Just wow, these are awesome! I mean, they always are, but I truly think you did some of your finest drawings here. I was looking forward for all of them and safe to say, you absolutely nailed it! Now, I think we got my favourite right to the beginning. Helenys is just great, my favourite from this set and probably one of my Top 10 favourites in general. She does look just exactly as I have imagined her to look, which is awesome. I'd say Helenys is one of the most visually unique characters in the story and your drawing brought this up quite nicely. Aren meanwhile has a more standard appearance, yet you nonetheless, somehow, managed to give him a really unique vibe, which I love a lot. In comparison, I guess it was easier to give Ryler some feature to stand out He is great and one of the guys I am happy to work more with in the future. You hit just the right mixture between eery and badass with him. Then we got poor Rosalie, happy times Rosalie. I must say, I believe it was the right decision to draw her from back before all this shit happened in her life, since well, this has been an important part of her personality and even now, she's not a completely different person all of a sudden, even though Wolfius' actions will have left their scars. Your drawing made me excited to show more of her in the next chapter, or maybe in Book 2. Finally, there is Taenora, the only one of these characters who won't become a mainstay in the Raylansfair storyline, but nonetheless one I have enjoyed to write and will enjoy to write and whose drawing I like a serious lot. You captured her perfectly, in fact just exactly as I have imagined her to look. Ah, this whole set made me hyped for a group of characters that will really gain importance in the coming parts. Absolutely fantastic job, as always. So, thank you very much
And Kersea, ah... This gotta be one of my favourite of the FoT portraits. I always had a soft spot for Kersea since your drawing from ages ago and I already knew it was the right decision not to kill her off in this chapter, but this only made my belief stronger that I truly did the right thing when I changed my plans for her. This makes me all the more excited for her in the coming chapters. Now I gotta do that wonderful portrait justice by bringing out my A-game for her parts
Oh god, this killed me As Wildling said, we had a brief talk about this and we both came quickly to the conclusion that a drawing of Rosalie as she used to be could be better for now, especially as I haven't fully explored how this experience has changed her. Maybe there could be an updated drawing of her in the future, but for now, I think I enjoy her like this, especially considering that this is a mood we won't see her in for a while now, if ever again. A reminder of what has been, so to say.
Wow. They are so amazing, all of them. Although... Rosalie looks so happy there, and judging by this chapter, she shouldn't be that happy, r… moreight?
I'm Sorry
They all are amazing though. I wish I could draw as good as you. I think Liquid can emphasize on that. My drawings are hysterically bad. My favourite, except the portrait, is Rosalie without a question. Helenys is also great, lookin' like a real bloody badass.
This one would have opened up the chance for Sadie's chapter to end on a much more uplifting note, as it would have started a storyline in which Sadie and Dan basically just try to survive. How much the ending would have differed from the one you got would have been up to your choices however. Depending on the following choices on how Sadie and Dan are supposed to overcome the problems I would have thrown in their way, it could have ended similarly, or highly different. Ultimately, your choices would have been able to decide how many hands and how many friends Sadie has left at the end of the chapter. The full details haven't been planned out in too much detail, but around the midway point of this alternative Chapter 8 storyline, you could have decided upon Dan's survival, whereas a later decision could have pitted Sadie against Durren Stallhart or not, resulting either in the loss of her hand or her escaping unharmed.
Ah Dan I would have saved you. Oh well, RIP.
[Spare Otis' life]
This option would have allowed Otis to not only survive the scene in his house at the end of Chapter 7, it also would have opened up a way for him to survive the chapter. He would have outright managed to escape in the Chapter 8 finale, taking Ellena as his prisoner with him. Much of her storyline in Chapter 8 would have revolved around escaping him, which would have eventually succeeded, though she would have had to brutally and deliberately kill him for this to happen. This storyline however would have also let to Ando's survival, who would have been wounded by Otis in the Chapter 7 finale and therefore unable to face Abbas in this chapter. Instead, he would have escaped the city with Brandon and Briar.
Man, I wish I could have seen that. Oh Otis, you would have lived on in the hearts' of men.
[Go after Valarr]
This option would have sort of mixed Arthur's storyline with Ilish. He would have caught up to Valarr and Wolfius and would have been able to help the former against the latter, driving him off in the process, though the presence of Kreep would have prevented him from taking Wolfius down. Valarr would have received a wound, but not as bad as the one he got in the actual story now. Arthur would have then focussed on getting Valarr to safety, until he would have met Ilish and Ryler, at which point he would have teamed up with Ryler, leaving Ilish to bring Valarr to safety. In this route, Arthur wouldn't have met Mathea, who would have made her way through the city on her own, which would have resulted in her being largely absent from this chapter.**
That would have been better I suppose. Would Lyria still be dog chow?
[Leave Hal and run after Alan]
This choice would have meant that Hal's fate would have been unknown for a while. However, despite being left behind, Hal would have managed to hide from the Ironborn, who would have focussed on the fleeing Richard instead of searching through the house. He would have been revealed to be alive in Chapter 9 and he would have had a serious grudge against Richard. By extension, Nora would have had the same grudge and she would have called Richard out on this, especially as she helped him in Chapter 3. Richard would have caught up with Alan and the two would have escaped, after being saved by Jarow at the cost of his own life.
Eh, my theory was correct but it seems that the choice got was a little better. Oh well.
[Attack the southern gate]
This would have meant an easier chapter for Lucas and co., as they wouldn't have had to fight the Ironborn. It also would have meant that Torvin wouldn't have received his heavy wound from his collision with Harris' horse. Instead, he would have fought against Leonard and the Stormlanders, which would have meant that part of his storyline would have been told through Drent's PoV. In there, Torvin would have fought in a duel with Leonard and would have ultimately forced the Stormlanders to retreat earlier, resulting in a larger role for Bear in this chapter. Drent wouldn't have been able to meet up with Shortwood or Gordar and instead would have focussed entirely on surviving alongside the other Stormlanders. However, it wouldn't have changed anything about Montclair's death, who would have died during the Stormlander retreat, shot by an unknown archer.
Ooo Leonard beating him would have be wonderful to see. Ah well, I guess what we got was better?
[Advice Finalfantasy to accompany you]
This choice would have given Fhtagn Cthulhu a chance to survive the chapter. Instead of staying at the castle and dying, he would have left his post to find Saerya, resulting in his survival. However, the death of almost the entire rest of the castle guard would have weighed heavily on him, resulting in him becoming a much darker character from Chapter 9 onwards, developing a fierce hatred towards the Ironborn.
Ah well, RIP. Saerya probably would have dumped his sorry ass anyway.
[Leave]
By not turning against Cleaver Clint here, Garthon would have missed a fight scene I am pretty proud with, so I am happy this hasn't won However, more importantly, Clint would have survived the chapter in that case. That's right, he would have survived and retreated with the other Ironborn, returning to Harrenhal, where he would have put himself into the role of a victorious warrior, becoming quite the problem for Kyra in her storyline in Book 2. Ultimately, he wouldn't have survived Book 2, but he could have lived for quite some chapters into it, likely finding his end somewhere in the mid-Book 2.
As promised, here are the alternative choices at last. Sorry for keeping you waiting a little longer, but this shouldn't change anything abo… moreut my plans for the start of the next chapter In the beginning, I have included a number of choices that have been made at the end of last chapter, which have solely influenced this chapter, such as Arthur's choice from the finale and others.
Alternative Choices: Chapter VII
Sadie:
[Help Dan]
This one would have opened up the chance for Sadie's chapter to end on a much more uplifting note, as it would have started a storyline in which Sadie and Dan basically just try to survive. How much the ending would have differed from the one you got would have been up to your choices however. Depending on the following choices on how Sadie and Dan are supposed to overcome the problems I would have thrown in their way, it could have ended similarly, or highly different. Ultimately, your choices would h… [view original content]
Comments
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8? Ser Leonard Constantine of course. Who else...ah yes Edward Anturion, he's a good one. Lucas I suppose, Drent, eh, sure, Vaasrand, man that guy is cool. John, Samantha, Argella (I guess?), Arthur, Willfred? Abbas, Bakr. Heck let's throw in Leo Hill, Durren Stallhart, and Cleaver Clint Volmark. Oh and Federico Snow.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
In no particular order, Clayton, Wolfius, Lyria, Rodrik Stone, Sherryl, Maron Mullendore, Bear, crazy Alysanne, I think I got them all.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
I liked Lyria's. It was short and to the point. Good ending, good ending indeed. Drent's was fun. Kersea's was too. Sadie's and Lucas's were enjoyable. I liked most of them.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
Maya, because one, she did some idiotic things in there, and two, well, it just felt...so disjoined. It's very strange as most of your writing isn't like that. I also thought Jenna's was kind of eh, even though it had some real cool moments.
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
Definitely Kersea's part in the lighthouse. It was one of the story's finest moments thus far. Really awesome. Lyria's last part and Jarow's last stand, Montclair's, Federico's, and Torvin's demises were also real memorable.
Is there anything you disliked?
Maya seemed to be real forced in this chapter. Perhaps she should have just been scrapped this chapter altogether. I also kind of didn't like being right on my predictions so much, not your fault, because it felt obvious. Then again, a lot of the stuff had been hinted at and didn't come out of left field like, say, Butterfly is Maron Mullendore. Additionally, I found that this chapter may have had too much action and individual fights. It kind of lost some of its unique luster. I think more fights along the lines of an actual battle with just random people, say the Battle of the Bastards, would be a welcome change, as it would be intense but allow for plenty of death. Maybe even a part that doesn't have a POV, just an eagle eyed point of few looking down on it.
Jeez this seemed long. I still loved the chapter though, one of my favorites!
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
Besides what I recommended earlier, I am excited to see the other characters that we haven't seen for several months now. I'm also waiting for Donnel Selwyn, who I hope will make the Reach great again. I am hoping that Chapter 9 will feature someone getting heavily drunk and either dying of alcohol poisoning (a very serious issue) or start rambling on about the war. I'd also like to see Petyr Vyrwel's fancy wardrobe. And some awkward dialogue. That's always good.
Also, I forgot to ask this yesterday. How is the wiki going? I've been really eager to see what it's looking like for a while
I am really glad I managed to create such an emotional scene. Anturion is indeed making it hard to like him, though I am glad you do. For all his shitty traits, I don't consider him the worst ever and it's nice to see that some even like him, despite his actions. But yeah, for now he killed one of the longest living characters in the story and he surely has earned a new enemy in Garthon. So, this should be interesting to see what's coming out of it
Indeed, Sadie's part was the result of a couple of bad decisions, some of which you could have changed, some of which Sadie made all by herself. She never stood the tiniest fragment of a chance against Durren and actually got, for a certain value of the word, lucky that she got to keep her life, which is more than everyone else who fought against this man during the raid, minus Leo who is a badass in his own right. And yeah, the tusks are a design decision I'm really happy with. I had to imagine how cool it would look, so I gave it to him. And as seen, he is even able to put them to good use, they are not only for show.
Indeed, I remember that you have brought up such a theory a while ago and I liked it a lot, because I already knew that you're correct. I don't know if you've been the only one to have this theory, but if I remember correctly, you have been the first to mention it. And yeah, Lucas is in a seriously bad situation. Of course, he might not be entirely screwed, as his friends and allies will have a say in this as well, but the Mullendore/Vyrwel alliance is a powerful one and they'll do their utmost to get rid of the threat that Lucas poses. The same goes for Leonard, though he is in the marginally better position that he's not captured yet.
Well, not a bad guess. After all, Edrick and co. are in the Riverlands during this scene, so them meeting Ironborn isn't too far out there. Though at the same time, it must be something unusual, given Darreth's reaction.
Aye, he is smart, but at the same time, he is one of the most stubborn people ever. He has a reason to still be in the castle and it's likely this reason is related to Lucas. But at the same time, he knows just how dangerous this will be and he certainly won't just throw his life away in something he sees as absolutely hopeless, so there's likely more to this.
Ah, I can assure you that I already miss Torvin. I enjoyed writing him immensely and his actions in this part showed to me just why I enjoyed him so much for the past chapters. At the very least, this will leave a mark on Garthon, who should receive some serious growth as a character now. I believe, given Torvin's almost suicidal tendencies and actual yearning to die in this battle, that his death was inevitable. It was a bit like the Alysanne situation, whom I just couldn't have spared, as it would have been a disservice to the character to take away this central tragic element. And Edward, well, I love how opinion on him are so heavily divided. You hate him, others kinda like him, it's great
For now, he even got away with his actions, but as I said, he has some new enemies now. On top of that, he is a smart man and he already realizes the game that's being played in Raylansfair now, he realizes it more than even you readers do at this point. There is a central thought he has figured out in this finale and you will learn about it soon enough 
Ah, yes, yes, this was a bit painful to write. I have hesitated to go through with this detail, but I consider it a central part of Sadie's character development, so it unfortunately had to be. But it's good that it didn't sit lightly with you. I usually don't go too far into the gory details and like to let your imagination do the job, but I feel like it was important to actually show her feelings and reactions in that moment. Glad to see that Dan left an impression on you as well, though I am a bit sad that I had to kill off Baelor. If the other option would have won, he actually would have survived and I would have been able to show more about him, but ah, the votes have spoken.
I can understand your feelings there. I don't want to go too much into the detail here, as it will be a main storyline of Chapter 9, but I can confirm that being anxious about this storyline is not a bad thing
Oh, let me be clear, be as biased as you want! As someone who is hardly ever not baised, I fully approve biased answers
I am actually really happy to hear this about Jax. He is a character whom I have hoped to give this memorable death, especially as I feel that I could have done more with him in the past. So, it is really nice to see that he managed to gain a spot among your favourites in this chapter. Same goes for the other big deaths of this chapter, like Alysanne and Hackor, though I know many liked Alysanne already before this chapter happened. Ah, so many characters whom I will miss.
Haha, that is no surprise. I try to make some of these villains really hateable. I mean, they are villains after all. Clayton is among these hateable pieces of shit, even though, to be fair, he did get some sort of a punishment in this chapter, by getting his arm cut off. This is going to be an even worse handicap than the one Sadie had to suffer and his career is basically over. So, he managed to survive, but he surely wishes it wouldn't have been.
Great to hear that Torvin and Garthon lived up to your expectations. I admit that their side was underrepresented in this battle, but as the only two Ironborn PoV's, they just had far more enemies than allies among our cast. Also glad to see Raenna there, considering that she only had a short storyline and was mostly a part of Kersea's parts. And well, it is a huge surprise to me to see Alys' storyline, which has not been planned even nearly as long as the other ones, to be so well-received. Gives me hope that I can give something exciting for some of the other PoV's who had less to do occasionally, such as Maya or Ilish. Actually, knowing my plans, I know there will be more for them
Haha, naming all is a perfectly viable thing to do as well. These moments you mention there are among the ones I have enjoyed to write the most and some of them have been fully intended to be big highlights of this chapter. That said, this chapter had far more action than the usual chapter and therefore with far more of these highlight moments than usual, so I am happy to see that there are so many that stuck with you!
Yeah, I know that problem. It is, of course, nothing I can actually do something about, given the number of PoV's, which is absolutely needed to show the number of characters I have received. I have hoped it would be better in this chapter, given how close every PoV is to each other, but then again, I only took two PoV's out of the equation, which didn't really make things that much slimmer. So, I really can't do anything against it, I'm sorry. But as you know, sooner or later all of your favourite PoV's will be back, as long as they are still alive, so there's always something to look forward for
One thing I am super happy about is not to see the usual suspects, such as Lucas, Leonard or Argella there, but also some of those that others have mentioned to dislike. Vaasrand sticks out, or John, or Edward, as well as some whom nobody else has mentioned, such as Leo, Abbas and Bakr or even Cleaver. Really glad to see that there's such a broad number of characters you enjoyed, not only necessarily the ones that everyone seems to have enjoyed.
I think this must be the first time you have not mentioned Kersea or Jenna among your least favourites. Glad to see they have advanced to the stage of sort of neutral. Other than that, no surprises, though I think this'll be the last time you mention Lyria and Alysanne for this answer
At first I was really surprised to see Lyria so high up on your list, though come to think of it, it makes sense
Still, glad that you enjoyed her storyline for once, I hope I managed to give her a good finale for her storyline, even if it sometimes did lack in terms of excitement.
Yeah, I fully know what you mean. I myself wasn't happy with Maya in this chapter, though I'll get to it below why her storyline was more or less necessary. If I remember correctly, you enjoyed some of her past chapters, so I hope you'll enjoy her again in the future!
With Maya, the reason why I couldn't have scrapped her storyline is that two important things happened. First, Rodrik escaped, which was absolutely crucial for Samantha's storyline. Second, Irving returned and by saving Maya's, he won her trust again, meaning he'll be part of her team once more, which will be important in the future. The problem there is, I originally planned for her Chapter 7 storyline to be scrapped and for her parts to all be moved to Chapter 8, which would have likely made for a more well-received storyline. I made the mistake of pushing some of her parts forwards, which resulted in two largely forgettable chapters for her. And well, you are a very attentive reader and I love to hint at stuff, so it is obvious that you figure some stuff out way before I decide to fully reveal it. Actually, the Butterfly twist has been hinted at as well, but it has been the only time I've tried to be really subtle with my hints, so none of you caught up to it. If you want to, I can give you a list of fully deliberate foreshadowing in Chapter 3 and 4 for the true identity of Butterfly
As for the action, you'll be pleased to hear that this chapter will be, for a long time, the most action-packed of its kind. I can't always have monumental battles going on, even if it will be far from the last. I understand what you mean though. A part without a PoV? Hm, intriguing, really, though I am not entirely sure if I'm up for that. We'll see, as I will certainly keep the suggestion in mind!
Donnel Selwyn is going to make the Reach great again! It's going to be so great, it'll be tremendous. Nobody makes the Reach greater than Donnel Selwyn, he's such a great man, so talented, he's a ratings machine. Failing FAKE NEWS Liquid is not going to feature him in Chapter 9 though and waits until Book 2 to introduce him. Sad!
As for the other things you mention, those are some unusual hopes
Alcohol poisoning might not be involved, but many people will get seriously drunk. War ramblings might be included and Petyr's fancy wardrobe is more or less a given, considering that he has to represent his house in Raylansfair now. Awkward dialogue could also happen, I always like those scenes. We'll see 
Oh, this week really hasn't been kind to you then
Sorry for that! I knew Torvin would be missed and I can only imagine how much I'll miss him in the future. But well, I am happy you still enjoyed this chapter! Chapter 9 should start in the next week and it won't be too long, so Book 2 is already on the horizon. There should be more to look forward there 
I have currently put the work on the wiki on hold, I am afraid, as I focus on the TvTropes page. This one should be ready in a couple of days and should serve as a sort of mini-wiki. After that, I shall resume my work on the wiki, more excited than ever and I will finally finish it, hopefully by the time Chapter 9 ends. I can't wait to share it with you!
I apologize for my own curiosity but I want to ask: we will have the alternative choices section of this chapter?
Yes indeed! The alternative choices should be out either today or tomorrow, whereas the What If stuff should follow a day later. The next chapter meanwhile should start around next weekend, likely on Friday
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8? Harris.. And I dare say that I would've put him on this list ever since the prologue. I just really loved the man. Fantastic character. Kudos to.. you(, right?) for making him. Also, talking about Harris, I see quite some similarities between him and Edward Anturion. Both of them are willing to do, frankly, anything for (what they believe) the right cause. So while Harris is but pieces all over the fucking reach, Anturion is kind of taking his place, and I'm happy to see a similar character!
Other then that, I kinda liked Faendal Snow in this chapter, Farengar was kind of a good guy, and he deserved better. Although Fart Smell was basically the unluckiest character (by our votings), he still showed his loyalty in the end, and I respect and admire that.
Another couple of characters that never disappoints is of course, Leonard, Lucas, Argella, Drent, Jax (Nighty, night), Hackor, John-crew, Ironbros and Bakr (to some extent Abbas as well. After everything, I still kind of like the beast)
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8? I would like to kind of split this one. Firstly, there is the obvious ones that you hate. Y'know, Clayton, Rodrik, Mullendore (I would also add Alysanne, the bitch, to that). But then there is this whole other category, which is characters I find kind of uninteresting. Luckily, Liquid, I think I only have one at the moment. That one is Sasha. I don't have anything against her, I just don't care for her. I wouldn't shed a tear for her.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8? Never in my life did I think that I would name Kersea to be one of my favourites. But I can't not mention it. The fight in the lighthouse, the explosion. Also, Harris obviously helped, also the death of Alysanne helped I think.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8? I'll just go with the majority, and say Maya. Not because I disliked the parts, they were rather alright. They just happened so early on that I almost forgot she existed, and totally forgot what happened.
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8? Without a doubt the lighthouse parts. They were an absolute delight to read, all of them.
Is there anything you disliked? There is one thing I noticed when I read everything through in last year and have continued reading in to this year. Namely, I feel like there is a tiny bit to many times that our PoVs are in danger, but yet survives because they magically finds a way to flee or someone pops by last second. But otherwise it's great. Also, I don't mean to sound like a douche. But as I told Agent in aNA, giving criticism will make me, or you in this case, better authors.
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9? Apart from that above, keep up the great fucking work Liquid. As stated before, take it easy. The story is amazing, the tropes are great, the wikia looks fantastic so far. Keep up the great work, and I can't wait for the Alternate Choices, the 'What If's...' and of course, where this book will come to an end for our beloved, and less beloved Point of Views.
Ah, I am really, really glad that you enjoyed Harris so much! He was always planned to be this ambiguous guy, whom I wanted to have mixed opinions on, so it is great to see that, where some really hated him, you and others grew to like him, a lot in your case. That said, make no mistake with Edward. It should be said that his motivations couldn't be more different than Harris'. Whereas Harris' yearning for power was selfless and motivated by him severely overestimating his own importance and seeing himself as the only man possible to save Raylansfair (a bit like Stannis in these regards), Edward's motivations are inherently selfish and not motivated out of a desire to help others. They are both complex characters, but their ideals and causes couldn't be more different. Still, I am glad you enjoy him as well, as there will be a lot more of him in Book 2
So, Sasha is the only one you don't care for? That is actually pretty amazing, I was always afraid there would be a great number of characters no one really cares for. At the same time, I am a bit curious why Sasha in particular has suddenly received such a negative reception, as I previously considered her to be one of the characters that receive a mixed-to-positive reception and considering that she has been basically knocked out for a majority of this chapter.
Haha, I have the fleeting suspicion that she'll be mentioned in this question more often with the things I have planned for her in the future. Maybe not in the next chapter, on account of likely not having a storyline of her own there, but now that she is free of Clayton, I can develop her future parts into a seriously exciting direction. Prepare for big things coming up there
Yeah, I think that's another problem with Maya's storyline, it ended earlier than the others. The problem is, her part with Rodrik, which ended up as her final one in this chapter, obviously had to happen before Samantha's part and me being unable to find the room for her (arguably irrelevant) third part in this chapter kind of added to this. All in all, not a storyline I am happy with in this chapter.
Ah, trust me, I get what you mean. The thing is, that's where you can see that I don't like killing off characters. I put them into such situations to make it all the more shocking if someone actually ends up dead. I mean, how many have honestly expected Marak to die at the end of Chapter 7, or Terroma? I hold back exactly because of the fact that if I wouldn't hold back, every chapter would be like this one in terms of body count, which would cheapen the overall impact of these deaths. Another factor is that I dislike killing off undeveloped characters. Book 1 was in many ways a build-up book. When Book 2 starts, every single character that survived Book 1 will be fair game, as I consider them sufficiently developed. Maybe some smaller characters like Lawsen or Christian Thomas will get a bit more protection until you actually got to know them, but as a general rule of thumb, I can promise that such situations will be far more lethal now that I have a big cast I have developed well enough
This is great to hear! I will finish the alternative choices later today, so that's something to look forward for already. The TvTropes page also makes good progress and if I continue my current speed, it will be done by the time Chapter 9 starts at the end of this week, even if the character tropes can be a real pain to find and write down
The wiki meanwhile, ah, I will have to put a lot of work into this, but I am pretty sure I will manage to do this in the near future, once the Tropes page is out of my mind.
Yeah, out of the two, Harris definitely is the good guy. And as I've seen that there are major differences, I can at the same time see some similarities in the ways they act. But Harris was definitely a better guy. I phrased myself a bit clumsy, sorry for that.
Well, hehe. Firstly, there are characters, like for example Carma that I didn't really care for before. But we haven't seen a lot of her. Ed I liked in the beginning but then he turned out to be a bigger coward than the penguin (who just loves to escape, don't he?), and I just hope for him to redeem himself. Sasha we've seen a whole lot, and I really doesn't care for her, sorry. I never done these before, but I'm confident to that I would put Sasha here in earlier once as well. Me and she, we haven't clicked at all, that's for sure. Maybe she has something more to show, otherwise, I'm just gonna hope for her to sacrifice herself for Sammy ASAP.
I feel horrible.
I totally get that! And I'm happy that we will have a bit more deadly fights in the future, as you have proven in this chapter, you're doing better in the bodycount.
That's good to hear! (Just noticed we started our paragraph almost the same, so I change that slightly
) I look forward to the AC very much. 
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Definitely the regulars of Leonard, Torivn, Garthon, and Raenaa. Dresfel and Durren were a badass. Anturion and Carvin were really interesting and cool. Jax had a badass death scene. The other Leonard was darn nifty too. Abbas and Bakr had me on the edge several times. I'm going to miss I'lian:( May Harris rest in peace. Audrey had few scenes, but she held of those raiders as well as any other fighter. Hackor went out like a champ. Oh, and whoever that one guardsman, what was his name? Frodo Snowdo? Eh, whoever he was, he was quite the surprise cool character.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
I don't feel like Volmark did too much to be truly considered as a really bad guy. He was a little lack luster. Vaasrand still reminds me so much of Geralt, and it cringes so much. Good character, yet I just don't like how I think of him as Geralt instead of Vaasrand.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
Arthur's storyline was really amazing. On the hunt for Wolfius. Also, Jenna's was really interesting to me, despite the fact that we decided to save those snot nosed kids. Kersea had a great storyline throughout the entire chapter. The Leonard assassination and lighthouse was a great end to many great characters. Alys' was equally good, much spook, much scare.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
All the storylines were great. You did such a great job this chapter.
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
A have a tie, either between the Alys' escape from the haunted catacombs or the last few moments of Hackor. When he was fighting to get to the castle, killing Ironborn all along the way. And when he is looking over Aditha, regretting all the time he missed to tell her how much he loved her. Then when he sacrifices himself. Ahh, such a heart breaker. So great. I really liked it.
Is there anything you disliked?
I thought you did a really great job this chapter. I really enjoyed. The only real, yet minor, complaint is that at the last few parts in the chapter, there were a unusual amount of typos. I know you were probably just trying to get the chapter finished, so it isn't that big of a deal. That and THE DARN CHOICE WHERE WE SAVED THOSE SNOT NOSED KIDS. I think that family is now on my kill list. Gonna get them one day.
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
Just keep on doing what you're doing. The story is so great and I'm enjoying every bit of it. Just make sure you keep carving out some you time for all the pleasures of life outside of Westeros.
As promised, here are the alternative choices at last. Sorry for keeping you waiting a little longer, but this shouldn't change anything about my plans for the start of the next chapter
In the beginning, I have included a number of choices that have been made at the end of last chapter, which have solely influenced this chapter, such as Arthur's choice from the finale and others.
Alternative Choices: Chapter VII
Sadie:
[Help Dan]
This one would have opened up the chance for Sadie's chapter to end on a much more uplifting note, as it would have started a storyline in which Sadie and Dan basically just try to survive. How much the ending would have differed from the one you got would have been up to your choices however. Depending on the following choices on how Sadie and Dan are supposed to overcome the problems I would have thrown in their way, it could have ended similarly, or highly different. Ultimately, your choices would have been able to decide how many hands and how many friends Sadie has left at the end of the chapter. The full details haven't been planned out in too much detail, but around the midway point of this alternative Chapter 8 storyline, you could have decided upon Dan's survival, whereas a later decision could have pitted Sadie against Durren Stallhart or not, resulting either in the loss of her hand or her escaping unharmed.
Marak:
[Spare Otis' life]
This option would have allowed Otis to not only survive the scene in his house at the end of Chapter 7, it also would have opened up a way for him to survive the chapter. He would have outright managed to escape in the Chapter 8 finale, taking Ellena as his prisoner with him. Much of her storyline in Chapter 8 would have revolved around escaping him, which would have eventually succeeded, though she would have had to brutally and deliberately kill him for this to happen. This storyline however would have also let to Ando's survival, who would have been wounded by Otis in the Chapter 7 finale and therefore unable to face Abbas in this chapter. Instead, he would have escaped the city with Brandon and Briar.
Arthur:
[Go after Valarr]
This option would have sort of mixed Arthur's storyline with Ilish. He would have caught up to Valarr and Wolfius and would have been able to help the former against the latter, driving him off in the process, though the presence of Kreep would have prevented him from taking Wolfius down. Valarr would have received a wound, but not as bad as the one he got in the actual story now. Arthur would have then focussed on getting Valarr to safety, until he would have met Ilish and Ryler, at which point he would have teamed up with Ryler, leaving Ilish to bring Valarr to safety. In this route, Arthur wouldn't have met Mathea, who would have made her way through the city on her own, which would have resulted in her being largely absent from this chapter.
[Go after Daemion]
In this choice, Arthur would have participated in the fighting at the docks of Raylansfair. Part of the first part of this chapter would have therefore been told from his and not from Garthon's PoV. You would have seen a bit more of Daemion in this route, which would have built up his character a bit more before this chapter. Other than that, Arthur would have eventually stumbled upon Mathea during the city guard retreat, which would have combined the storylines.
[Go after Hackor]
This choice would have changed a serious lot and was one of the biggest choices that would have influenced this chapter and beyond. Depending on your choices as Arthur, Hackor could have survived this chapter without Jenna having to give up on saving Aditha. Arthur would have been a great asset for them, helping Hackor wherever he can, eventually even outright winning his father's respect, even if Hackor would have been very angry about his son ignoring his orders, at least initially. All in all, this would have opened up a way for a happy ending for the Nathamer family in this chapter, even if Hackor's wounds would have still forced him to resign from his post as the commander of the city guard early in Book 2, after which he would have taken upon an old mentor kind of a role for the characters in Raylansfair. But more about that in the 'What if's' in Book 2!
Raenna:
[Kill Noelle]
Actually, this choice wouldn't have changed much in this chapter. Raenna would have asked Noelle for her final words. The priestess would have accepted her fate and would have calmly told Raenna her final prophecy. Instead of kicking her unconscious, Raenna would have killed her in return. Nothing else would have changed, save for some minor dialogue in Ellena's storyline, but this choice would have tremendously affected future chapters.
And now, as promised, the alternative choices for this chapter!
Alternative Choices: Chapter VIII
Garthon I:
[Leave Rell to die]
If this option would have won, not much would have changed for Garthon's following parts, although his next one would have been a bit shorter, as the bit about him carrying Rell wouldn't have been written. Rell would have perished on the battlefield in the following, which would have made him the first casualty of Chapter 8. It wouldn't have influenced much about Chapter 8, but now that he survived, Rell is going to have a role in the events to come.
Raenna I:
[Bury Terroma]
If this choice would have been chosen, Raenna would have arrived in Raylansfair too late to prevent Kersea from shooting Lucas. Kersea's own nervousness and unwillingness to go through with killing him would have caused her to miss a killing shot, merely wounding Lucas in the process. Darren would have pursued him, although he would have fallen for a trick she would have used to escape and would have been left at her mercy. In this case, you would have gotten the choice to kill him, however, it would have been an unambiguous and deliberate choice you would have had to make, so I somewhat doubt it would have won. After either killing Darren or leaving him behind, wounded and unable to follow her, Kersea would have encountered Raenna. Notably, in this route, she would have believed that she actually killed Lucas and not just wounded him, which would have made her feel even worse and guilty than she already does.
Lucas I:
[Stay silent]
In this case, Lucas wouldn't have brought up the possibility that Harris could fight alongside the city guard. This could have potentially changed a lot of stuff, though it would have depended on further choices. Lord Tyrell would have eventually decided to set Harris free in either way, but Willfred would have gotten the chance to stop him from leaving the castle. If this later option would have been chosen, this would have caused the lighthouse fight to go down completely differently. Alysanne and Harris would have both survived the chapter, even though Raenna would have still fallen down. Clayton would have died in a seriously brutal way, as he would have tried to kill Kersea, which would have prompted Alysanne to absolutely butcher him. His death would have actually been so painful that even Kersea would have gained some pity for him. However, Alysanne wouldn't have survived Chapter 9, as she would have suffered eventually lethal wounds in her fight with Clayton. As for Lucas, he would have avoided his confrontation with Harris, which would have been good for Darren, who wouldn't have been critically wounded. Eventually though, the continuous Ironborn attacks would have forced both knights to retreat, resulting in the storyline you got in Lucas' final part in this chapter.
Jenna I:
[Ask Saerya to come with you]
Another big one, this option would have given Saerya a strong role in this chapter, although at the cost of some development for Jenna, who would have not been forced to make a difficult decision on her own, therefore depriving her of some character development. However, on the positive note, this would have opened up a way for Hackor to survive, as Saerya's presence would have meant that Jenna wouldn't have been forced to decide between him and Aditha. His wounds would have been crippling though and he wouldn't have been able to resume his post as the commander of the city guard. Forced into early retirement, he would have become a mentor for the next guard commander.
Sadie I:
[Join Edward]
This choice would have meant a different chapter for Sadie, though the end would have remained largely the same. It is one of the choices that would have saved Baelor. Without her advice, Blane would have left Baelor's men, though the soldiers would have narrowly defeated their enemy. Sadie would have fought against the Ironborn in the city, resulting in her confronting Durren Stallhart during the final stage of the raid, which would have ended with her losing her hand and Dan being killed in the attempt to save her.
Richard I:
[Leave Hal and run after Alan]
This choice would have meant that Hal's fate would have been unknown for a while. However, despite being left behind, Hal would have managed to hide from the Ironborn, who would have focussed on the fleeing Richard instead of searching through the house. He would have been revealed to be alive in Chapter 9 and he would have had a serious grudge against Richard. By extension, Nora would have had the same grudge and she would have called Richard out on this, especially as she helped him in Chapter 3. Richard would have caught up with Alan and the two would have escaped, after being saved by Jarow at the cost of his own life.
Torvin I:
[Attack the southern gate]
This would have meant an easier chapter for Lucas and co., as they wouldn't have had to fight the Ironborn. It also would have meant that Torvin wouldn't have received his heavy wound from his collision with Harris' horse. Instead, he would have fought against Leonard and the Stormlanders, which would have meant that part of his storyline would have been told through Drent's PoV. In there, Torvin would have fought in a duel with Leonard and would have ultimately forced the Stormlanders to retreat earlier, resulting in a larger role for Bear in this chapter. Drent wouldn't have been able to meet up with Shortwood or Gordar and instead would have focussed entirely on surviving alongside the other Stormlanders. However, it wouldn't have changed anything about Montclair's death, who would have died during the Stormlander retreat, shot by an unknown archer.
John I:
[Forbid Jaro to join you]
If this option would have won, Jaro would have remained behind at the tavern instead of joining John. The big change there would have been that he would have taken the lethal strike meant for I'lian, resulting in his death instead of his brothers. I'lian wouldn't have found out the truth about Bear in this case, leaving this detail a mystery for now. In fact, John would have never even faced Bear at the end of the chapter, since he and Temari wouldn't have split up.
Ilish I:
[Escape with Taenora and Philip]
This would have opened up an alternative storyline for Ilish, in which she would have been able to get to know the members of Taenora's group a bit better. Now, I will be forced to wait until Book 2 to properly introduce and develop some of them. Other than that, she wouldn't have joined Ryler's quest to hunt for Wolfius and she wouldn't have been there to help Valarr, which would have resulted in him bleeding out from his wounds, his corpse to be found by Arthur in the next chapter. Ilish's storyline wouldn't have been too action-packed, but it would have given me the chance to introduce some characters for a change instead of just killing off in this chapter.
Lucas II:
[Leave Darren behind]
If this option would have won, Darren's screentime in this chapter would have been severely reduced. He would have fought at the castle gates, though he would have been heavily wounded, with Emphryus saving his life during Jenna's final part in this chapter. Lucas would have been forced to fight without the additional help of Darren, but this would have left him free to go after Harris later on, unless you would have chosen for him to continue leading the men at the eastern gate.
Kersea I:
[Keep it a secret]
By now telling Leonard about the wildfire, you wouldn't have changed much. Leonard himself, would have been more confused and outright shocked when the explosion would have happened later in the chapter and he wouldn't have sent a message to Lucas and Harris. Instead, Harris would have come up with the plan to seize the wildfire by himself, but he wouldn't have expected any resistance, which would have made his fight a bit harder. This wouldn't have changed the outcome though.
Drent I:
[Advice Finalfantasy to accompany you]
This choice would have given Fhtagn Cthulhu a chance to survive the chapter. Instead of staying at the castle and dying, he would have left his post to find Saerya, resulting in his survival. However, the death of almost the entire rest of the castle guard would have weighed heavily on him, resulting in him becoming a much darker character from Chapter 9 onwards, developing a fierce hatred towards the Ironborn.
Alys I:
[Refuse to give him a sample of your blood]
This choice would have honestly surprised Edward and would have seriously pissed him off at the same time. He would have shown his true colours a bit earlier, when he would have forced her to give him enough blood to ensure his own safety, which would have disillusioned Alys and to a certain extent Alisa and Carvin when it comes to him.
Willfred I:
[Side with the guard]
By siding with the guard over Mathea, Willfred would have achieved something important, namely that Mathea would have been forcibly kept at the castle. This would have had good consequences in the short term, but very bad ones in the long term. In the short term, Mathea would have healed a number of wounded, including potentially Hackor, if Jenna would have saved him. However, she would have reacted terribly at being forced to remain at the castle and would have blamed the guards for keeping her there, thinking that she might have been able to save Lyria and Urid otherwise. This would have led to her leaving Raylansfair in Chapter 9, to become part of another storyline.
Maya I:
[Decline Orys' offer]
This choice would have had big consequences for Maya, but none for Samantha. Orys would have taken Rodrik back to the castle, but would have walked into his trap as well, resulting in Rodrik's escape. Maya meanwhile would have been forced to fight alongside Daemion and the city guard for the freedom of Gregar and Keat, which would have likely resulted in a more exciting storyline for her, during which she would have fought the Ironborn directly, which would have also given more screentime to Daemion. Irving would have saved her life during this route as well, resulting in her forgiving him and accepting him back into the group.
Arthur I:
[Let her leave on her own]
Well... I never thought that choice had any chance at winning, so I haven't put too much planning into it
Arthur's storyline would have been significantly shorter, but he would have theoretically been able to get some additional moments with his father, so that's a plus. However, Mathea would have been left to defend herself, resulting in her either not appearing for the remainder of the chapter (but encountering Ryler and Rosalie offscreen) or being featured in Ilish's storyline, if she would have decided to leave Valarr.
Sadie II:
[Advice Blane to focus on the mission]
Ironically, leaving Baelor to fight for himself would have been the better option for him. By saving his life, you actually doomed him to fight with Durren Stallhart later on, resulting in his death. If Sadie wouldn't have adviced Blane to support the soldiers, Baelor would have still won, but too late to do anything against the Ironborn, who would have been driven off solely by Leo's sellswords, under heavy losses (including Dan's life and Sadie's ability to tie a shoelace). Baelor would have seen the sellswords leaving and would have developed a grudge towards them and Sadie, resulting in him becoming quite the problem for them in the next chapter and certainly ending any hope Sadie could have had about getting his help.
Garthon II:
[Leave]
By not turning against Cleaver Clint here, Garthon would have missed a fight scene I am pretty proud with, so I am happy this hasn't won
However, more importantly, Clint would have survived the chapter in that case. That's right, he would have survived and retreated with the other Ironborn, returning to Harrenhal, where he would have put himself into the role of a victorious warrior, becoming quite the problem for Kyra in her storyline in Book 2. Ultimately, he wouldn't have survived Book 2, but he could have lived for quite some chapters into it, likely finding his end somewhere in the mid-Book 2.
Lyria I:
[Stay quiet]
Lyria's final choice in this chapter would have mostly meant that she wouldn't have encountered the looters, therefore making things even more hopeless for her when the real wolf would come knocking. However, the looters would have posed a minor threat to Arthur and Ryler in their eventual team-up, as minor antagonists. Ryler would have killed one of them, causing the others to flee in terror, but they wouldn't have been more than a nuisance in general.
Alys II:
[Give him more blood]
By giving Edward more blood, he would have appeared as a more heroic character for longer, selflessly giving the Ironborn protection from the spells below the archive. Eventually, they would have stuck with him for longer, resulting in a larger role for Wilbur. Edward would have seemed more polite and nice in this route and Alys would have still fully trusted him by the time Chapter 9 would have started.
Samantha I:
[Defend the ground floor]
By focussing on the ground floor, Samantha would have fought alongside the tavern patrons and would have shared some scenes with the Marigold family, which would have meant more for them. In the fight, Davith would have been wounded and Rodrik would have knocked Samantha down, dragging her upstairs to kill her friends. I'lian would have gotten in his way and died, but Lenrianda would have wisely kept away from the fight, therefore surviving the chapter. Sasha would have still managed to kill Rodrik, but Samantha would have had a role in this, by struggling and fighting against him until she would have gotten a clear shot with the crossbow.
Jenna II:
[Help Aditha and Hackor]
Ultimately, this choice alone wouldn't have been enough to save Hackor's life, but it could have helped, if certain other alternative choices would have been taken. It would have given Hackor more time, making it less obvious that he would die from his wounds in Jenna's third part. If saved, he would have been in slightly better shape in Chapter 9, though if this would have been the only choice in his favour you would have taken, he would have still perished. On the downside, the fates of Carma and her children would have been unclear for some time, though eventually, it would have turned out that Carma and Mickaela would have survived, whereas Farrell would have died when an Ironborn would have cut him down without a second thought. This would have permanently given Carma an intense hatred of Jenna.
Ilish II:
[Accompany Ryler]
By leaving Valarr behind, Ilish would have missed an opportunity to win a friend among the guards. Valarr would have survived on his own, but he would have been seriously pissed and become a problem for her and for the entire tavern by proxy. Ilish would have bonded more strongly with Ryler and she also would have encountered Arthur and Mathea, therefore being more involved in their storyline, but ultimately not being of much help.
Maya II:
[Stop Keat]
This would have affected Maya's planned third part, the one that got scrapped. Maya would have succeeded at keeping Keat close, though Aldrik would have gone lost in the city and much of Chapter 9 would have been dedicated to finding him, with Keat's help. With the choice you picked, Aldrik remains at Maya's side, but Keat will be gone, likely for good.
Lucas III:
[Chase after Harris]
In doing so, Lucas would have left Darren to die, which would have been what would have happened. Darren wouldn't have bled out, but he would have still been at the gate when Torvin would have returned later in the chapter, resulting in his execution at the hands of the Ironborn. Lucas would have followed Harris, but he would have been too late to change anything about the outcome of the lighthouse fight. Instead, Kersea would have stumbled into him in her third part, as she was making her way down the lighthouse after getting wounded by Clayton. She would have basically fallen into his arms, causing him to be the one to save her instead of Richard. She would have then taken Darren's role as the person he would have carried in the chapter finale and Leonard would have helped her instead of Darren up the final road to the castle, therefore repaying her a bit of what he feels he owes her for saving his life earlier. Kersea would have then started Chapter 9 in the castle among the other wounded and not in Richard's farmhouse.
Drent II:
[Follow Shortwood]
This would have opened up a different storyline for Drent, in which he would have learned more about Shortwood and would have become friends with him, sort of. They would have saved a couple of citizens from the Ironborn, resulting in Shortwood gaining a lot of respect for Drent. However, Montclair would have been highly displeased at this and if would have criticized his decision. Ultimately, Drent would have regrouped with the soldiers when they were preparing to retreat at last, taking away some of the talk with Montclair and Argella, but giving a larger and more important role to Shortwood.
Kersea II:
[Try to kill Clayton]
This choice would have caused the death of Clayton. With just one arm, he would have been outclassed by the unwounded Kersea, who would have killed him, though he still would have put up a good fight, wounding her in the process. Raenna would have fallen down the tower, with Kersea being too late to save her, but Clayton wouldn't have managed to blow up the lighthouse, meaning that Mullendore and Vyrwel would have received a metric shitton of Wildfire for their plans. You can decide for yourself if that would have been worth the satisfaction to kill a crippled man. I myself think you chose wisely by trying to save Raenna instead.
Torvin II:
[Chase down the fleeing guards]
Torvin would have followed the guards, killing a number of them and even managing to wound Daemion, who would have been saved by his men though. It wouldn't have changed anything about his death though, but the surroundings would have been different, with Edward and Garthon encountering him in a small alleyway instead of the central town square.
Arthur II:
[Hold her back]
By holding Mathea back, Arthur would have missed a chance to meet and team up with Ryler, who would have continued on his own before Arthur and Mathea would have arrived at his former position. Only seeing the aftermath of his fight, they would have thought of him as some monster, possibly Wolfius, which would have made both even more wary. Eventually, Ryler would have continued his hunt alone, whereas Arthur and Mathea would have found Mathea's house after he had already left.
Willfred II:
[Take the soldiers with you]
In doing so, you would have taken away a serious line of defense for the smallfolk. Tallian would have remained behind all by himself and he would have actually died in this route in Jenna's third part, fighting without his men and being cut down as he turned to flee. The Ironborn would have broken through, killing Fastandfurious Seven and Tallian, before turning towards Hackor, whom they would have cut down. They would have tried to take Aditha and Jenna, temporarily succeeding at the former, but failing at the latter, who would have been saved by Emphryus. The rest of the part would have proceeded normally. There also wouldn't have been a fight between Willfred and Carvin/Edward, as Edward would have used his charme to talk himself out of this situation, although at the cost of his relic, which Willfred would have demaned in order to let him go.
Alys III:
[Leave with Wilbur]
By leaving with Wilbur, Alys would have ended up getting to know him a bit better, resulting in them beginning to form a bit of a friendship. She wouldn't have been attacked by the illusions and would have generally survived the chapter in a much better shape, although Edward would have been very displeased by her just leaving him, resulting in him cooling off even further around her.
Samantha II:
[Kill Rodrik]
By not leaving Rodrik to Nymeria, Samantha would have made her even more disheartened, giving her the feeling that she couldn't have even done that for her best friend. Samantha would have killed Rodrik quickly, which would have been approved by Davith. All in all, Nymeria would have highly disapproved of this and would have become more distant from Samantha and the others in Chapter 9.
Janae I:
[Allow Behara to go down with you]
Interestingly, this would have been a good option for Behara. When Abbas and Bakr would have arrived, Janae would have told her to run and without a weapon to fight, she would have followed this order, resulting in her not almost killing Abbas and him not having any reason to take her, so he would have even allowed her to escape. This would have had severe consequences for Chapter 9 and Book 2, so prepare for more of this to be revealed in future 'What If's'.
Sadie III:
[Help Baelor]
Helping Baelor would have been a good option for him, because it would have ensured his survival. Though heavily wounded, Baelor would have made it to Chapter 9, even if his wounds would have prevented him from being much of a help for now. Sadie would have still lost her hand, as she would have fought against Durren and Dan would have still been killed trying to save her, but the chapter finale would have been one death lighter.
Jenna III:
[Take Hackor with you]
All on its own, this choice wouldn't have been enough to save Hackor. It would have been a key choice if other options would have been taken earlier, but with the way the story unfolded, his death was already a certainty by the time I gave you this choice. If he would have been taken by Jenna, he would have lived to Chapter 9, where he would have had a scene with his children before passing away. Both of them actually, as Aditha would have survived in either way. However, if she would have been left behind, she would have been taken by the Ironborn and raped several times, resulting in her becoming an even darker and more traumatized character. So, it would have added an additional layer of tragedy to the situation. Hackor would have been able to confess his love to her, but she would have been too far gone to actually accept it, resulting in her leaving him instead of staying with him until he would have taken his last breath. It also would have affected her behaviour throughout the entirety of Book 2, especially after another twist in a later chapter would have happened. This other twist is still going to happen, but her reaction will be completely different now.
Ellena I:
[Continue to run down the street]
This choice would have resulted in Ellena getting captured by Abbas, who would have knocked her out and taken her to Oldtown. There, she would have had the chance to escape in Chapter 9, though this would have been quite difficult to achieve. It is more likely that she would have remained a prisoner until the early Book 2, where she would have escaped from Abbas for sure.
[Turn around and run past Abbas]
In contrast, this would have worked splendidly well. Abbas wouldn't have expected such a gutsy move, so he would have been unable to capture her and she would have run past him and the surprised Bakr, before losing them by running through the alleyways near the gate. She still wouldn't have managed to catch up with Brandon and Briar in time though.
Drent III:
[Advice Argella to continue the fight]
This was exactly what Argella wanted to hear. By doing so, Drent would have won her friendship even more, as he would have supported her in this difficult decision. Argella would have overruled Jax's advice and would have continued the fight at the gate, resulting in more heavy casualties. Eventually however, a mysterious archer would have ruined the day, by shooting Jax, who got between arrow and princess. This would have prompted Argella to sound the retreat herself, finally realizing that he was right. She also would have blamed herself even stronger for his death, seeing it as a direct result of her poor choice.
[Tell her to make her own decision]
A mixture between the two choices and arguably the best one, winning Argella's approval and resulting in the better outcome of the Stormlanders retreating to the castle. Left to make her own decision, Argella's concern for her soldiers would have won over her lust for battle and she would have ordered the retreat, resulting in exactly the storyline you got in Drent's fourth part.
Arthur III:
[Stay with Mathea and Rosalie]
I am still a bit baffled that this choice actually lost, given how much sense it made when I thought of it. Ah well, let's just say that staying with Mathea and Rosalie would have had a good influence on their relationship and Mathea would have seen Arthur as a reliable friend afterwards. Now, well, now he basically left her and a heavily traumatized girl in a burning city filled with raiders to go on a wild goose chase with a guy he just met. We'll see what further consequence there will be down the line there. I bet it won't be a good one
Ellena II:
[Search the area for Brandon and Briar]
Another choice that would have affected the next chapter, though I guess I can tell you the strongest consequence already: Ellena still wouldn't have found Brandon and Briar. Their whereabouts would have been revealed later on, but at that point, they weren't near the city gate anymore. Chapter 9 will give us an update on them and on Brandon's reason for leaving.
Willfred III:
[Follow the men]
If this option would have been taken, Willfred would have actually appeared in Torvin's final part, though he would have been too late to stop Edward and Carvin from leaving, as the arriving Vyrwel cavalry would have stopped him from getting any closer to them. It wouldn't have been more than a cameo though and this was not a choice with very huge consequences, that much I can tell you.
John II:
[Go to the tavern first]
This however is a very huge choice. One thing I can say is, neither option would have changed the outcome. Janae and Behara would have still been taken by Abbas and Bakr, I'lian would have still been dead. However, this choice was also a choice between Temari and Jaro. One of them had to wait before getting told the dark news. In the option that won, Jaro is the one that got the short end of the choice, in the other route, it would have been Temari. Both are going to be devastated by their loss, but the one that has lost the choice here also has to think that they might have been able to change anything if John had decided differently. So, this choice will majorly affect the opinion they have on their leader.
Ah, another few characters I haven't expected to make it into anyone's favourite lists this chapter. I'lian, Carvin, Audrey, even though I could have expected the latter one from you. And well, she did indeed do a cool thin in this chapter, even if I feel it kinda got overshadowed by some of the other things in this chapter. I am glad she managed to leave an impression in this chapter
Ah, good old Cleaver Clint. Well, he indeed didn't get much of a chance to do anything truly villainous on-screen, though I figured his reputation should suffice, especially considering that he was never intended to be more than a secondary antagonist for Garthon. That's why I didn't feel the need to give him much depth, though I still found him refreshing for once. Just this truly nasty bastard, whom you actually managed to stop before he got a chance to do his worst.
I am glad you liked Arthur's storyline there. He was never planned to be the main focus of this chapter and some of his strongest scenes will follow in the next one instead, but it's nice to see he still did not disappoint. By contrast, Jenna and Kersea were meant to be big players in this chapter and it is good to see you enjoyed their storylines this time
Trust me, Hackor's final moments really got me emotional while writing
It would have gotten even more heartbreaking if he would have gotten this final moments with his children, so for our hearts, its probably a good thing he died as he did. It was one of these scenes that will be stuck in my mind for a long time to come and well, Hackor certainly won't be forgotten in the story either.
Ah, I haven't been aware of this, to be honest. I think it's not just because I wanted to get this chapter finished (which, trust me, I wanted, because of how awesome my plans for Chapter 9 and beyond are), but also because my keyboard is slowly dying and I really need to get a new one. Some of the buttons, especially the E and D button aren't working properly anymore. Sometimes, I push them, but don't get the according letter. Sometimes, I notice it and push them again with success, sometimes I don't. I hope those are the errors you meant. And ah, I can see how you are not particularly fond of the Strad's there
Well, your opinion on one of them might improve in Chapter 9, that's all I can say there.
Oh trust me, I will
Actually, I am almost afraid I spend too much time with pleasures away from FoT recently. My purse would enjoy less frequent trips to the pub, as I am sure would my liver, but well, now that I am a student again, I feel like I have to act the part 
Though be assured, this story is still the free time activity that is the dearest to my heart, so I don't intend on slowing down anytime soon.
I guess he just lost his last shipping opportunity as well with this one.
It will be weird but I like much more the choice that won
Oh well,we do everything in our power to let Hackor die
Don't worry Liquid,I like much more the choice that won since I believe that introduce so many new characters during the raid would have make them overshadowed by the much bigger and important event.
I'm happy that the other choice won,Federico was a character that really shine at his last moments.
Keat will be best friend with Dimitri
...fuck
Oh well,we can't always please everybody (and i like that we will have some interesting internal conflict between The Gutters)
Liquid? I have a question (that you've probably been asked many times before), if I may...
What process do you go through in writing for this? This is probably the biggest interactive fanfiction I've ever seen, and your post releases seem very consistent. Are there any tips you could recommend for interactive fiction writers- in forums or otherwise?
Don't worry about it! I'm looking forward to the TvTropes
However, just a quick thing I wanted to tell you. I was bored a few hours ago and decided to google one of the FoT characters into google, and the links to the character profiles are actually the first result. It takes me to the wiki, I believe. I know it's unfinished, or is it the TvTropes? Sorry, I really have no idea what a TvTropes exactly looks like, nor the difference between that and a wiki. Just wanted to let you know
Hi! This is an interesting question and one I'm not asked as often as you may think. In any way, it's one I'm happy to answer in detail
So, one thing that I consider to be the most important thing while writing a story of such length is finding the time and the motivation to consistently write updates. I usually release 2-3 parts each week and after doing this for over 2 years now, I'm having a lot of routine with it. This helps with staying motivated, which is by far the most essential thing, considering the length of the story. Writing interactive fiction is not something that's done quickly and most of the successful stories here in the forum run for years. I myself need about 6 to 8 hours for each part, depending on how fast I write. Another thing that helps me is having a lovely audience that directly reacts to each part. This helps me with getting through the writing for less exciting parts, knowing that I have this motivated group of readers that look forward for these regular updates. I simply love reading their thoughts, their opinions, the positive stuff, the negative stuff, I love reading the characters they have submitted and look forward for the characters they will submit in the future and it's safe to say that this story wouldn't be even nearly as big and enjoyable for me if it wouldn't be for all of these people who find joy in my writing. I believe that constant updates are essential in keeping the readers invested. That said, it's not all there is to a successful story and I know enough stories here in the forum who don't have such frequent updates but who still have loyal readers and whom I myself am highly invested in regardless of the number of updates. That is where the character submission comes into play, since, in my opinion, being able to become part of the storyline through the characters I create and seeing them interacting with the characters others have created in the storyline the author of the story has created is an incredibly fun thing for me that keeps m invested in stories for years even if they don't get a new part each week. Frequent updates help with the success of a story though and they also give you more routine with writing the parts, to the points where writing frequent updates simply feels natural. The routine you get there is also further helping you with developing your skills as a writer, which is always a nice bonus. That said, I consider motivation and creativity to be more important than skill, because skill is something every writer acquires at some point, if they only write enough. The worst thing you can do is to doubt your own writing, to have this feeling of not being as good as you want it to be. Just write, have fun, don't think too much about delivering something of perfect quality and I can assure you, your audience will enjoy reading it
Another thing that is important is to plan ahead, at least roughly. If you wish to write a story, first you should sit down and think of a general outline on where you want to take it. This doesn't have to include details, but at least a rough concept is important. Right now, I am in the process of starting Chapter 9 of the story, the final one of the first book of three planned (which means that a lot of the story is still to be written in the coming years). I have a general outline for Chapter 9 planned and had most of these plans for a long time now, which allowed me to build up a lot of the plot points that will be important in the coming parts. This makes both, reading and writing, far more rewarding, since things simply make sense from the way the story has been built up. At the same time, I think it is also important not to plan in too much detail. I have general plot points planned and scenes I wish to show there, but I don't have everything planned out 100%, which gives me a bit of freedom to write spontaneously, which is helping a lot with keeping me motivated for some parts. Spontaneous writing is often the most fun writing, as I can be more freely about the stuff I want to show, as long as it still fits with future plans I have for the characters involved into these spontaneous scene. So, it's not a bad thing to improvise at times, as long as you have a general idea on where you wish to take the storyline. I could give you some concrete examples of this, though I don't know how much of this story you have read, so it possibly wouldn't make much sense to give you examples if you don't know anything about them in the context.
Finally, another thing I consider important is to have a topic you're passionate and knowledgeable about. It's probably self-explanatory, but there's no sense in writing about something you don't want to write about. I love the Ice and Fire books, the Game of Thrones series and the Telltale game, so I'm having a lot of fun with writing a story set in the same world, with multiple connections to the backstory that is mentioned in the source material. I'm soon starting to write about the War of Conquest era, which I consider to be a perfect topic, as it gives me a lot to work with, while still allowing me to be creative on my own. There are other topics I couldn't write such a long story about and some I couldn't write anything about. This is especially important if you write original fiction, which also requires a lot more planning ahead to create a story set in a world you feel happy with writing about. In general, writing fan fiction is easier than writing original fiction.
I hope that answers your question at least roughly. If there is anything else you wish to know, or anything else I may help you with, then feel free to ask at any time, either here in the thread of via PM.
Ah, I'm pretty sure that must be the wiki. Well, thing is that the wiki exists, it is a site that can be found via google and those who are super curious can already check it out, even if it is in a very early stage. Some of the stuff, like the background and the general colour scheme, as well as the layout of the articles are already in a final state, but a lot of the articles currently lack text, which is something I'll have to write after I finished the Tv Tropes page. For now, I just don't feel confident enough with sharing it until I have done the majority of the work. So, while I can't prevent anyone from getting a sneak peek already, I'd appreciate it if you could give it a chance once it's done
If you're curious about Tv Tropes in general, this is the TvTropes page for the Game of Thrones series, to give you an example of a well-done page with multiple sub-pages. The FoT page can be found through Tv Tropes as well and it is in a significantly more complete state than the wiki (I'd say about 80% of the work is done), though I won't share a concrete link until it is done later this week.
Well, the choice that won will lead to far more interesting consequences for Sadie down the road and I am glad you picked this option, as I chose this route for her for good reason, to set her apart from the other characters in a pretty massive way. I have the feeling it'll make Sadie's storyline far more interesting than otherwise.
Pretty amazing, isn't it? You somehow chose the worst set of choices for his survival. While I am ultimately glad Aditha got saved, I would have liked to write more Hackor, so that is something I am not too happy about.
That is an interesting thought, one I haven't had so far, but one I completely agree with. I think you're right. And on the good side, now I got their introductions all planned out for Book 2 and they should be pretty fun, definitely more memorable than anything I could have pulled off in this chapter
Hehe, I can confirm that it won't be that long until we're going to see Keat again. In fact, his role in Book 2 will be strongly expanded upon, as you're going to see by then
Indeed, indeed. I can only guess that some misinterpreted the choice and thought that it would mean working with Ryler in general and not immediately, as I thought that the negative consequences would be obvious. Ah well, it wasn't a completely disastrous choice, such as the one where Arthur almost set Wolfius free, but nonetheless not the best on you could have made.
True, true. And someone would have been displeased either way, now it's Jaro, otherwise it would have been Temari. With Janae and Behara gone, I'lian dead and the man who is responsible for the death of Samantha's family nearby, there will be heavy tensions between the Gutters in Chapter 9, something which should be interesting and important.
Well, that is quite possible. It's not the first time Arthur screwed up on that end (remember the Wolfius choice in the early Chapter 6) and I think it should be clear that Mathea won't appreciate being left alone in this situation.
Thank you so much for the response! I was expecting maybe a paragraph the next day, but you gave a detailed response just a few hours later! I'm thinking about doing some more online writing in the future- I've done some projects, but it's a bit tricky finding the right place to put them. In any case, I'd love to be a better writer- it's not something I'm great at now, but I'm usually good at writing consistently. I'm looking forward to becoming more of a participant in this story!
Late response, sorry. Maybe that trial by combat will happen, eh? I'm glad I was right because it felt like a big jigsaw puzzle that I was connecting with. We'll see if my other ideas turn out to accurate as well.
I'm a man of taste, and variety is the spice of life.
Hey hey I'm not complaining. But I'm also kind of annoyed that I got rid of Kersea and Jenna, since Jenna may still have a reason to be there. Maybe she'll screw up again and I can go back to hating her.
I know I must wait, and wait I will, by once it's going to be huge and beautiful.
To be honest it occurred to me that someone in one of these stories should have died from a death that normally only the modern age fears. It be a nice anti-climatic death, especially for a one-armed man or his one-eyed former partner. Good to hear the other stuff, but I especially hope the awkward dialogue involves any of the following: naked, bloody, angry, drunk, confused, sad, or tired people. Those are always the best.
Alright then, I will take this into account for the next set of questions when the next chapter ends
I just don't wanna solely focus on my characters rather than other great characters in the story.
Hey, don't worry about it. As I said, it was a very minor nitpick and I was just pointing it out rather than criticizing, really. I am aware that it is practically impossible to fix such a problem like then when other POVs need to get their parts and storylines in. It wasn't that much of a problem this chapter, so it is definitely improving. And you're right, as long as the POVs will be back sooner or later, there really is nothing to complain about
A trial by combat would be an interesting idea, yes. Lucas is surely not in the best physical condition, so Mullendore and Petyr have realistic chances at winning if they choose the right combatant to face him. And well, considering that Mullendore has access to some of the most deadly characters in this story... well, a trial by combat is indeed something they could consider, even if it comes at the risk that he somehow ends up surviving as a free man.
Well... I wouldn't exactly count on it, though I wouldn't see it as impossible that you're going to find a new reason to hate one of them, or both. It might come down to the choices that will come up for them in the future. Both have gone through quite some development and are actually still just at the beginning of this development, especially in Jenna's case, so your coming choices might determine a lot about how you're going to see them in the future.
Hm, it's true, someone should die from such a thing, though at the same time, how many characters died from such normal accidents in the show? That would feel a bit anticlimatic at the same time, though maybe Book 2 or 3 hold some potential for this to happen. I haven't exactly planned anything about it, but it is not something I would exclude by default. If my plans go there, it can very well happen. And well, awkward dialogue is almost always going to include some of the types of people you mentioned there, so I believe your wish will be granted
Haha, I can understand that, I surely can. I myself try not to be too biased, with mixed results, but well, in the end I think it would be a shame not to mention my own characters if I enjoy them, given that I obviously have the deepest connection to them. So, I mention them, but always try to mention the best in others as well, I think that's the best way I can do this. You decide if I succeed, or if I come across as shamelessly biased
Ah, it's good to hear that I already improved on that end. It is something I take very seriously, because I know the wait for some storylines can be dreadfully long. I mean, some storylines can obviously keep you entertained despite the waiting, but this is very much a problem for the smaller storylines, who might fail to stick with you for several weeks. That's why I even started with the recap thing, which I consider absolutely mandatory, but it obviously isn't enough. But well, not much I can do about it, it's a necessary drawback of having so many PoV's. But I'll try my best to find some way to make the wait less long, maybe by planning ahead more clearly, especially about the order of PoV's I wish to write about. As long as things stay enjoyable in general, I'm happy though
Ah, glad I was able to answer your question! Well, if you wish to write something and put it online somewhere, I'd like to give it a read. Here in the forums, the Forum Games section might be the best place for original fiction and fanfiction to non-Telltale related work, whereas fanfiction to one of the properties Telltale has made a game of can be posted in the respective sections, as far as I know. Other than that, I have heard that fanfiction.net and Wattpad are rather popular. Also, you are very welcome to join this story of course! I have seen you've already submitted a character. Thanks a lot for her, she's great and I certainly will be able to work with her
However, I'm also having a question about her, which I'm going to send you a PM about in a few minutes.
I'm glad you like her! ^^;
Ask away.
Hey everybody! I'm just here to drop the newest set of drawings before Chapter 9 begins
Including another portrait, this time Kersea.
Wow. They are so amazing, all of them. Although... Rosalie looks so happy there, and judging by this chapter, she shouldn't be that happy, right?
I'm Sorry
They all are amazing though. I wish I could draw as good as you. I think Liquid can emphasize on that. My drawings are hysterically bad.
My favourite, except the portrait, is Rosalie without a question. Helenys is also great, lookin' like a real bloody badass.
Haha
We actually talked about this with Liquid before I made these, and came to the conclusion that I should draw Rosalie from before her traumatic experience.
Wow. Just wow, these are awesome! I mean, they always are, but I truly think you did some of your finest drawings here. I was looking forward for all of them and safe to say, you absolutely nailed it! Now, I think we got my favourite right to the beginning. Helenys is just great, my favourite from this set and probably one of my Top 10 favourites in general. She does look just exactly as I have imagined her to look, which is awesome. I'd say Helenys is one of the most visually unique characters in the story and your drawing brought this up quite nicely. Aren meanwhile has a more standard appearance, yet you nonetheless, somehow, managed to give him a really unique vibe, which I love a lot. In comparison, I guess it was easier to give Ryler some feature to stand out
He is great and one of the guys I am happy to work more with in the future. You hit just the right mixture between eery and badass with him. Then we got poor Rosalie, happy times Rosalie. I must say, I believe it was the right decision to draw her from back before all this shit happened in her life, since well, this has been an important part of her personality and even now, she's not a completely different person all of a sudden, even though Wolfius' actions will have left their scars. Your drawing made me excited to show more of her in the next chapter, or maybe in Book 2. Finally, there is Taenora, the only one of these characters who won't become a mainstay in the Raylansfair storyline, but nonetheless one I have enjoyed to write and will enjoy to write and whose drawing I like a serious lot. You captured her perfectly, in fact just exactly as I have imagined her to look. Ah, this whole set made me hyped for a group of characters that will really gain importance in the coming parts. Absolutely fantastic job, as always. So, thank you very much 
And Kersea, ah... This gotta be one of my favourite of the FoT portraits. I always had a soft spot for Kersea since your drawing from ages ago and I already knew it was the right decision not to kill her off in this chapter, but this only made my belief stronger that I truly did the right thing when I changed my plans for her. This makes me all the more excited for her in the coming chapters. Now I gotta do that wonderful portrait justice by bringing out my A-game for her parts
Oh god, this killed me
As Wildling said, we had a brief talk about this and we both came quickly to the conclusion that a drawing of Rosalie as she used to be could be better for now, especially as I haven't fully explored how this experience has changed her. Maybe there could be an updated drawing of her in the future, but for now, I think I enjoy her like this, especially considering that this is a mood we won't see her in for a while now, if ever again. A reminder of what has been, so to say.
Ah Dan I would have saved you. Oh well, RIP.
Man, I wish I could have seen that. Oh Otis, you would have lived on in the hearts' of men.
That would have been better I suppose. Would Lyria still be dog chow?
Eh, my theory was correct but it seems that the choice got was a little better. Oh well.
Ooo Leonard beating him would have be wonderful to see. Ah well, I guess what we got was better?
Ah well, RIP. Saerya probably would have dumped his sorry ass anyway.
Ah man I wish that was the case.