I think the best thing to do is take all your soldier characters and lump them into the Fields of Fire. That should solve a lot of your prob… morelems.
Trust me, soldiers aren't even close to be the biggest group of submitted characters, so that doesn't solve any of my problems. But there will be some situations where potentially a lot of characters can die, not only soldiers, so I hope that this will suffice.
Wall, Northern, or Dornish POV, maybe even Essos
Yes, yes, yes and yes. There will be a Wall PoV (though the wall won't be a major location in the story) as well as two planned Dorne PoV's in Book 2. A North PoV will start in Chapter 3 of this Act, albeit the North won't be a major location until Book 2, where another PoV character who will be in the south in Book 1 will travel up there. At the beginning of Book 2, several PoV's will travel to Essos and I have early plans to show the cities of Lys, Volantis and Yunkai in… [view original content]
Trust me, soldiers aren't even close to be the biggest group of submitted characters, so that doesn't solve any of my problems. But there will be some situations where potentially a lot of characters can die, not only soldiers, so I hope that this will suffice.
Fields of Fire confirmed.
Also, mercenaries can be potentially used for this as well.
where another PoV character who will be in the south in Book 1 will travel up there
I'm just going to eliminate a couple of people.
Richard, Jenna, Alan, John, Temari, Behara, Harris, Quent basically everyone who is a smallfolk or a lord. And everyone in the Riverlands, the Stormlands, I guess the Iron Islands, and Lannister town. So that leaves us with your knightly types in the Reach.
As the Urban Knights Lucas and Leonard have demonstrated, some characters are meant for traveling. I have suspicion who this could be, but I think I might keep it to myself.
I think the best thing to do is take all your soldier characters and lump them into the Fields of Fire. That should solve a lot of your prob… morelems.
Trust me, soldiers aren't even close to be the biggest group of submitted characters, so that doesn't solve any of my problems. But there will be some situations where potentially a lot of characters can die, not only soldiers, so I hope that this will suffice.
Wall, Northern, or Dornish POV, maybe even Essos
Yes, yes, yes and yes. There will be a Wall PoV (though the wall won't be a major location in the story) as well as two planned Dorne PoV's in Book 2. A North PoV will start in Chapter 3 of this Act, albeit the North won't be a major location until Book 2, where another PoV character who will be in the south in Book 1 will travel up there. At the beginning of Book 2, several PoV's will travel to Essos and I have early plans to show the cities of Lys, Volantis and Yunkai in… [view original content]
Trust me, soldiers aren't even close to be the biggest group of submitted characters, so that doesn't solve any of my problems. But there wi… morell be some situations where potentially a lot of characters can die, not only soldiers, so I hope that this will suffice.
Fields of Fire confirmed.
Also, mercenaries can be potentially used for this as well.
where another PoV character who will be in the south in Book 1 will travel up there
I'm just going to eliminate a couple of people.
Richard, Jenna, Alan, John, Temari, Behara, Harris, Quent basically everyone who is a smallfolk or a lord. And everyone in the Riverlands, the Stormlands, I guess the Iron Islands, and Lannister town. So that leaves us with your knightly types in the Reach.
As the Urban Knights Lucas and Leonard have demonstrated, some characters are meant for traveling. I have suspicion who this could be, but I think I might keep it to myself.
Trust me, soldiers aren't even close to be the biggest group of submitted characters, so that doesn't solve any of my problems. But there wi… morell be some situations where potentially a lot of characters can die, not only soldiers, so I hope that this will suffice.
Fields of Fire confirmed.
Also, mercenaries can be potentially used for this as well.
where another PoV character who will be in the south in Book 1 will travel up there
I'm just going to eliminate a couple of people.
Richard, Jenna, Alan, John, Temari, Behara, Harris, Quent basically everyone who is a smallfolk or a lord. And everyone in the Riverlands, the Stormlands, I guess the Iron Islands, and Lannister town. So that leaves us with your knightly types in the Reach.
As the Urban Knights Lucas and Leonard have demonstrated, some characters are meant for traveling. I have suspicion who this could be, but I think I might keep it to myself.
The next Drent part will show us all why an unfortunate choice of words can sometimes cause some, well, let's call it minor problems.
Also, a quick note to the guy who submitted the character of Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka: At least you tried, dude. Unfortunately for you, what I lack in knowledge about painters, I more than compensate for with my knowledge about orkish warbosses of the 41st millenium. The unfortunate thing here is, since the last 4 characters had been nothing more than troll characters I am quite unsure if this character was meant as a troll character (which starts to get seriously annoying), or if this character was meant to be a real character who just happens to be named after the Prophet of the Waaagh!, since his personality, backstory, appearance and the other stuff is quite well-done and would fit into the story very well. That means, if the creator if this character reads this and intended him to be a real character, I'd be happy if you could contact me, so we can think about a new name that has nothing to do with the Beast of Armageddon.
About 2/3rd of the next part are written and I am certain that I'm going to finish it later today.
Today I have a new shout-out for you, for a story set in a very unique setting. The story hasn't started yet, but I am very excited for it and in fact will spend the next hour or so to create my characters. What makes this specific story so special is that it is set in the world of the RPG that stole a few hundred hours of my life and I'm not even mad about it, the RPG that recently and very infamously implemented a pretty unfair system to pay for mods, the RPG in which a certain occupation group consists entirely of former adventurers with severe knee injuries, the RPG in which, as I can only guess, someone stole your sweetroll.
Naturally I am talking about Skyrim. The writer of The Forum Scrolls is @SuperChocoLatte, which means this story is going to be worth every reader it can get. Perhaps you are interested in reading an interactive story set in Skyrim, I mean, who wouldn't. I know I am hyped for this story. If you are hyped too, or at least interested, you should click on this link!
I'm heavily working on it right now. Had to rewrite a few paragraphs, but it's not as bad as last time. I guess it will be done somewhere in the next four hours. Technically that isn't today anymore in most parts of Europe, but it's still today in forum time, so I guess that counts.
The next Drent part will show us all why an unfortunate choice of words can sometimes cause some, well, let's call it minor problems.
Shit.
Also, a quick note to the guy who submitted the character of Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka: At least you tried, dude. Unfortunately for you, what I lack in knowledge about painters, I more than compensate for with my knowledge about orkish warbosses of the 41st millenium. The unfortunate thing here is, since the last 4 characters had been nothing more than troll characters I am quite unsure if this character was meant as a troll character (which starts to get seriously annoying), or if this character was meant to be a real character who just happens to be named after the Prophet of the Waaagh!, since his personality, backstory, appearance and the other stuff is quite well-done and would fit into the story very well. That means, if the creator if this character reads this and intended him to be a real character, I'd be happy if you could contact me, so we can think about a new name that has nothing to do with the Beast of Armageddon.
The Voting is closed!
Drent will train with Sergeant Montclair
Jaron will allow Martin to beat Robb up
The next Drent part will sho… morew us all why an unfortunate choice of words can sometimes cause some, well, let's call it minor problems.
Also, a quick note to the guy who submitted the character of Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka: At least you tried, dude. Unfortunately for you, what I lack in knowledge about painters, I more than compensate for with my knowledge about orkish warbosses of the 41st millenium. The unfortunate thing here is, since the last 4 characters had been nothing more than troll characters I am quite unsure if this character was meant as a troll character (which starts to get seriously annoying), or if this character was meant to be a real character who just happens to be named after the Prophet of the Waaagh!, since his personality, backstory, appearance and the other stuff is quite well-done and would fit into the s… [view original content]
About ten, but the last four submitted characters had been troll characters, three of them not even well made or entertaining (though I have to give some kudos for Ross Bob). It turned out that Ghazghkull is indeed not a troll character though, he just happens to be unfortunately named. The name got changed and now he is accepted.
The next Drent part will show us all why an unfortunate choice of words can sometimes cause some, well, let's call it minor problems.
… more Shit.
Also, a quick note to the guy who submitted the character of Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka: At least you tried, dude. Unfortunately for you, what I lack in knowledge about painters, I more than compensate for with my knowledge about orkish warbosses of the 41st millenium. The unfortunate thing here is, since the last 4 characters had been nothing more than troll characters I am quite unsure if this character was meant as a troll character (which starts to get seriously annoying), or if this character was meant to be a real character who just happens to be named after the Prophet of the Waaagh!, since his personality, backstory, appearance and the other stuff is quite well-done and would fit into the story very well. That means, if the creator if this character reads this and intended him to be … [view original content]
About ten, but the last four submitted characters had been troll characters, three of them not even well made or entertaining (though I have… more to give some kudos for Ross Bob). It turned out that Ghazghkull is indeed not a troll character though, he just happens to be unfortunately named. The name got changed and now he is accepted.
The Ghiscari stayed true to their word, just as Ellena stayed true to her's. As she was walking down the streets of Oldtown with Abbas and Bakr, she couldn't help but grin as she remembered the look on the faces of Samuel and Jaylon as they were forced to leave the ship. Of course, Samuel had sworn to return, with more men and without mercy, but that wasn't her immediate problem at the moment. Even though she tried to deny it, Ellena was nervous. She really didn't look forward to meet this Burned Man. Currently they were walking through one of Oldtown's richer parts, the buildings consisting entirely of large mansions.
“So, Ellena, I guess you must be nervous”, Bakr said with a friendly smile. “There's no need to be! The Burned Man is a real sweetheart when you get to know him” Ellena raised her eyebrows as she heard this and slightly shook her head. “If he's such a sweetheart, why does he call himself 'Burned Man' and works with slavers?”, she asked with suspicion in her voice.
Bakr opened his mouth in protest, but was cut off by Abbas. “Forget it, Bakr. That girl is obviously more clever than you. Which is not very hard, as I must add”, he said and eyed Ellena carefully. While Bakr seemed to be genuinely friendly, with his wide smile and his attempts to make her feel better, Abbas had never smiled at her during their way through Oldtown and he hadn't even talked to her with any kindness. Ellena was wary around Ghiscari as a whole. The first law of Braavos prohibited slavery and no official from Slaver's Bay was allowed access to the city. The few Ghiscari who had dealings in Braavos traded exclusively in goods from the lands beyond Slaver's Bay. Even though he hadn't admited to it, Abbas was a slaver. Everything about him marked him as a man who loved taking away the freedom of others. While she had a hard time disliking Bakr, she immediately despised Abbas. And he made no secret out of the fact that he wasn't her friend either.
“Yes, girl, Bakr and I are slavers. But currently we aren't enslaving anyone. Instead we are working for the Burned Man, using our skills in tracking people. And occasionally we sell him a few slaves”, he said and his mouth formed a wicked smile. This last sentence caught Ellena off guard and she immediately stopped walking. “The Burned Man is a slaver too?”, she asked and gave both of them an angry look. “You haven't told me that!”
Abbas shook his head. “Let me speak, girl!”, he hissed. “The Burned Man buys slaves, but he is not a slaver. He buys them, then he sets them free and employs them. He mainly buys children, because their undying loyalty is easy to win”
Ellena was still unsure if she should continue walking. So, this Burned Man wasn't a slaver. Still the way Abbas pronounced the word 'employs' gave her an uneasy feeling. She had heard about these people. They were in every large city in the known world. Not even Braavos was safe from them. The orphanage where she had lived the worst months of her life had a man like this too, who was employing the children, who paid them terribly low money and forced them to do horrible tasks. But he could also protect her friends from Butterflies wrath. She didn't like it, but at least he was technically no slaver. She started to continue walking and for the first time she saw a cold, yet pleased smile on Abbas' face.
“Why is he called 'Burned Man'?”, she asked and a cruel streak formed around Abbas' mouth. “Because that's exactly what he is. A burned man. When Butterflies men call him 'cripple', they aren't that far away from the truth” This answer didn't satisfy her curiosity at all. “But why is he a burned man?”, she asked again.
“Because he did something that deserved punishment”, Abbas answered. “I don't know much about him, but more than others, mainly because I witnessed his punishment. Most of Yunkai's wise masters witnessed it. The Burned Man wasn't born a slave, but through circumstances I don't care for he was enslaved and sold to Master Razdal zo Yunzak, a man known for his exceptional cruelty. But still, what the Burned Man did must have been pretty severe, or else Master Razdal would have just crucified him”
He paused for a moment and his wicked smile returned. “It was thirteen years ago, I was young and foolish at the time. And I admit, I had nightmares from hearing his screams”, he explained. “Master Razdal bound the Burned Man to an iron pole, four iron poles actually, one for each limb, as if he was intending to quarter him. But that would have been merciful compared to what he did” His cruel smile got wider and Ellena could almost see a fire burning in the slaver's eyes. “He tied the Burned Man up eight feet above the ground and put large iron braziers under each of his limbs. And then, Master Razdal started a fire”
Bakr cleared his throat and gave Abbas a stern look. “My friend, do you really think this is a story you should tell a child?”, he asked. Abbas shook his head. “No. But she asked”, he answered and looked at Ellena. “Try not to imagine the sight and the sound and especially not the smell, this foul stench of burning flesh, mixed with bloodcurdling screams, the sight of a man flinching in pain as the flames were burning just high enough to cook his arms and legs without actually burning them. And don't try to imagine how much worse it was when the flame underneath his left arm burned higher than intended, high enough to burn through the ropes. His left forearm landed in the fire and by the time he managed to pull it out of the fire it was burned black like charcoal. For two days they kept the fire burning, most of the time they kept him awake by hitting him in the face. After they were done with him, he wasn't even able to walk without excruciating pain anymore. And Razdal, the ever cruel and cunning Master Razdal denied him the mercy of death. Instead, he set him free and threw him out into the streets, where he was supposed to live the few days he had left in unbearable pain”
As Abbas looked at Ellena with his dark eyes, his smile widened. “You are pale, little girl. Do you regret asking?”, he said with a mocking tone in his voice. Ellena quickly shook her head and suppressed the urge to throw up. A vivid imagination was a blessing and a curse at the same time. “As cruel as it was, it sent a message. Master Razdal made them watch, all of his slaves and most of the Wise Masters took their chances and forced their property to watch too. Up to this day, Razdal zo Yunzak has the most devoted slaves in Yunkai”, Abbas explained and in this moment Ellena hated him, for the hint of joy in his eyes, for the casual tone in his voice.
“Why isn't he dead?”, she asked. “The Burned Man, I mean. You said he was supposed to die. How could he survive this?” Abbas shrugged. “I don't know. I assume it was partially determination. When they removed him from the poles, I took a closer look to this man, this burned man, crippled for life. And what I saw in his eyes scared me. The fire consumed him, but he refused to break. And so it changed him. And he refused to die”, he explained.
Bakr slightly shook his head. “Yes, the Burned Man is determined”, he said. “But wounds like that... he wasn't able to walk or to grab things and his agony was severe enough to still trouble him up to this day, thirteen years later” He paused for a moment and grabbed the golden horseshoe he was wearing on a chain around his neck, gently stroking it for a moment. “I grew up among savages from the great grasslands. And they have cruel ways to punish those who wronged them. Still, victims of their torture usually die from far less. I think he had help. Without help, he would have died”
Abbas gave him a slight nod. “Yes, I've thought the same. Sure, she was a child at the time, five years old, but she always had a certain sort of cunning inside of her”, he answered and looked at Ellena. “We're talking about Harpy, the Burned Man's handmaiden, second-in-command, adopted daughter, occasional honey trap, whatever he needs”
Bakr gave her a wide smile. “Oh, you're going to love Harpy and she's going to love you. She adores clever little girls”, he promised her. Abbas shook his head. “I wouldn't be too sure about that”, he growled and pointed at a house to their right. “But enough of that. We are here, at last”
The house was huge, even larger than her father's house in Braavos. Four stories, surrounded by a small wall, large wooden gates, windows out of the finest glass. “That's the Burned Man's house?”, Ellena asked slightly surprised. Abbas gave her a nod. “One of his allies from out of town had the kindness to buy it and to give it to him whenever he needs a more luxurious hideout. The Burned Mansion, quite literally”, he said and chuckled. Ellena gave him a short glare. “I see why nobody in Braavos likes to trade with you”, she said. “Being around you is poisonous for a girl's humour” The look on Abbas face was worth every scary story he told her on the way and she couldn't resist to imitate one of his smug smiles.
They approached the mansion, Abbas to her right and Bakr to her left like an unwanted honour guard. As they reached the large door that lead inside, Abbas knocked and exchanged a short look with Bakr. After a moment, the door was opened. A young woman, perhaps only a few years older than Ellena, stood in the door. She had the comely facial features of a Ghiscari woman, albeit paired with the lighter skin people from the Free Cities sometimes displayed, paired with dark reddish-brown hair a bit lighter than the hair of Abbas' and Bakr's beards. A sly smile played around the corners of her mouth.
“Abbas, Bakr!”, she greeted them. “I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you, but that would be a lie. Come on, step inside, but wipe your feet. I don't want to have any Yunkish dirt in this house” The room behind her was lavishly decorated and the heavy use of gold and silk would have been enough to make a Pentoshi nobleman green with envy. The woman looked at Ellena and her smile got a bit more friendly. “And I see they brought a guest. What's your name?”
Ellena gave her a suspicious look. “Ellena Terys”, she answered. “I'm here to talk to the Burned Man” This gave her an approving look from the woman. “A girl knows what she wants, right? You're very decisive, I like that”, she said and took a short bow. “My name is Harpy, I am the Burned Man's closest associate”
“By the gods, are you drunken mylady? Perhaps you've enjoyed the time with your bastard knight too much”, Abbas interjected, which caused Harpy to look up and narrow her eyes. “I'm not drunken”, she insisted. “And he is not my bastard knight!” Her voice gained a bit of sharpness as she spoke, but as she looked at Ellena again her face softened. “So, you know who killed Butterflies men, right?”, she asked. Ellena gave her a short nod and Harpy put a hand on her shoulder. “Come on then, the Burned Man would like to speak with you”, she explained and started to walk deeper into the mansion.
“Keep your gaze focused, Harpy”, Abbas shouted as he and Bakr remained in the entrance. “Or else he'll notice” Ellena noticed the subtle anger on Harpy's face, but as the woman turned around, she looked calm and collected. “Thank you for the advice, Abbas. Why don't you and that other dolt go back to your ship, we'll call on you when we need you” She turned around again and continued walking, Ellena noticed that her hands where clenched. “I hope they weren't bothering you too much”, she said and Ellena shook her head. “I guess I was bothering them a bit more”, she answered. Harpy gave her a short nod. “Good. Abbas likes to tell scary stories to little girls. But he wasn't scaring you, right?”, she answered. Ellena shook her head again and Harpy stopped in front of a large door.
“We're here. Listen, the Burned Man's appearance might frighten you...”, she started to say, but Ellena cut her off, shaking Harpy's hands off her shoulders. “I know. His arms and legs are horribly burned. Abbas told me the story in great detail. I guess he enjoyed it”, she explained. Harpy slightly shook her head and Ellena noticed a sad look in her dark eyes. “It's a good thing that he doesn't know half of it”, she answered. “But he got the basics right. Still, the Burned Man's appearance tends to frighten children who've never met him before”
Ellena gave her a slight smile. “I'm not easily scared. After all I survived a walk with Abbas without having to change my pants. That guy has something about him...”, she said and shivered exaggeratedly. Harpy reciprocated the smile. “That's truly impressive. Abbas might be a bit more scary than the Burned Man, I have to give him that”, she answered and walked towards the door. “Anyways, it's time to meet the Burned Man. Don't want to keep him waiting”
She opened the door, revealing a small, tastefully furnished room behind it. The furniture was dark, a heavy wooden desk was standing in the middle of the room. And it was uncomfortably warm and stuffy. Two huge men with dark amber skin were standing behind the desk, their skin colour giving them away as Dothraki. Between them sat a man who was shorter than Ellena thought, perhaps roughly at her height. He had pale skin and short dark-brown hair, as well as bright blue eyes. All in all he was looking quite ordinary, albeit she had to admit that his facial features could be seen as handsome. She looked at his hands and gulped. Abbas hadn't lied to her regarding the extent of his burns. She had no medical knowledge, but knew that it must have been a small wonder that he was even able to keep most of his left hand.
Harpy gave him a soft smile of deep affection. “Abbas and Bakr returned from their job”, she said. “And they have brought a guest with them. This is Ellena. Ellena, this is the Burned Man”, she introduced them. “Go on, Ellena. Take a step closer, you are safe here”
Ellena took a step closer towards the man in front of her. She wasn't afraid of him, not at all. The Burned Man was simply a crippled old man, from what she saw he shouldn't even be able to grab things with his burned hands. She wasn't afraid of him. The Dothraki behind him on the other hand... “Welcome, Ellena”, the Burned Man said with a deep baritone voice. “I am glad you decided to seek my help. Please, sit down. We have a lot to talk about” As he said that he smiled a warm and fatherly smile. “I apologize for the heat in here. There are days where cold air causes me pain and I'm afraid today is a day like this. But if you want something cold to drink, we have cooled...”, he explained but Ellena cut him off by shaking her head. “I'm not thirsty”, she answered.
The Burned Man gave her an understanding nod. “I know you have heard about me. Abbas never misses an opportunity to tell everyone what a monster I am”, he said. “And, to get that out of the way, most of what he says is true” The way he said this sent shivers down Ellena's spine. “When compared to Manfred Hightower, or the High Septon, I fully admit that I must look like a monster. I raise children into a life of crime. I have no problems in silencing my enemies. But the people I am up against... they cross lines even I would never dare to cross”
He paused for a moment and Ellena saw an understanding look in his eyes. “I see...”, he mumbled. “You already know what I'm talking about, right?” He looked at Harpy, who was standing slightly behind her. The young woman gently stroked Ellena's shoulders. “Fang and Longbow arrived at the ship before me and Martin were able to get there”, she explained. “Jaron escaped by a lucky chance. And I guess Abbas and Bakr did something useful for once”
Ellena shook her head. “I... I stabbed the man named Jaylon in the leg. And there was a third man. I...”, she stuttered and the sudden realization of what she had done caused her to look at her hands in shock. “I killed him”, she mumbled. She was taught not to fear death. Nobody in Braavos feared death. Still... the thought almost made her sick. “If it would be okay, I think I would like something to drink now”
Harpy stopped stroking her shoulders and moved towards the door. “I'm right back”, she said softly. And then they were alone, Ellena, the Burned Man and his Dothraki bloodhounds. The Burned Man looked... pleased? It was hard to tell. “That must have been hard”, he finally said. “But I assure you, this man deserved it. You did something brave and you should be proud of it. You saved yourself” He smiled. “And I thought I have to send Abbas and Bakr to save you”, he chuckled. “I'll add that to the things I've been wrong with”
His smile faded. “But enough of that. You are here for something very specific, right?”, he stated and she gave him a nod. “Yes. This man, Samuel Harrington, he vowed to return, he killed one of my friends and I'm afraid he will kill them all should he return”, she explained. “I want protection. And in return I will tell you what I know about that night in the alleyway”
The Burned Man nodded affirmatively. “The Fang of Shadows is capable of killing all your friends, I can assure you that. But he is just a man. I can protect your friends. And your deal seems to be quite fair. Then let me ask my first question. Who killed Butterflies men?”, he asked and looked her straight in the eye with a stern gaze.
Ellena let out a sigh. “His name is Terroma”, she said and noticed a slight shift in the Burned Man's face. Just for a moment he seemed to be a bit wary. “About fifty years old. Wears his hair to a short ponytail. His teeth are crooked and rotten, as if he has some kind of disease”, she added to see how the Burned Man would react. As she mentioned Terroma's teeth, she saw him gulping. “Thank you for telling me about this, Ellena”, the Burned Man answered carefully. “He sounds like a very special person if he is able to take on three Solvers at his age” He stopped for a moment and closed his eyes. “I won't lie to you, Ellena. I never lie if the truth is a viable option. If Terroma is who I think he is, he is one of the most dangerous men in this city”
This didn't came as a surprise for Ellena. She had seen what he was able to do. The three men in the alleyway stood no chance. But the Burned Man seemed to know more. “Who is he?”, she asked. “Tell me more about him!” Her curiosity finally got the better of her, but it was mixed with disappointment as the Burned Man shook his head. “You like him, it is clear to see. I see the same look in Harpy's eyes when she talks about me. I don't want to destroy your illusion like I destroyed hers. Keep seeing him the way you do. Kids your age need someone to look up to”
He paused for a moment and closed his eyes. “You know where to find him, right?”, he asked and Ellena gave him a short nod. “Good...”, he answered. “There is something you could do for me. A small request. I leave it up to you, completely. I will protect your friends regardless, if only to stop one of Butterflies vile plans. But if you want to help me in return, I have something you could be interested in”
He let out a sigh. “I want you to bring Terroma a letter. If he is the man I think he is, he will be highly interested in it's content. It could be important for me and for him likewise. But I want you to know that it could also be dangerous for you. Butterflies men might be on his trail already. And while I think he is in no danger from them, the same does not apply to you” He seemed to force himself to smile at her, his smile reminded Ellena of Terroma. “But like I said, I leave it up to you. Would you bring him a letter from me?”
[Agree to bring Terroma the letter][Decline to bring Terroma the letter]
Ellena
The Ghiscari stayed true to their word, just as Ellena stayed true to her's. As she was walking down the streets of Oldtown with A… morebbas and Bakr, she couldn't help but grin as she remembered the look on the faces of Samuel and Jaylon as they were forced to leave the ship. Of course, Samuel had sworn to return, with more men and without mercy, but that wasn't her immediate problem at the moment. Even though she tried to deny it, Ellena was nervous. She really didn't look forward to meet this Burned Man. Currently they were walking through one of Oldtown's richer parts, the buildings consisting entirely of large mansions.
“So, Ellena, I guess you must be nervous”, Bakr said with a friendly smile. “There's no need to be! The Burned Man is a real sweetheart when you get to know him” Ellena raised her eyebrows as she heard this and slightly shook her head. “If he's such a sweetheart, why does he call himself 'Burned Man' and works with… [view original content]
Ellena
The Ghiscari stayed true to their word, just as Ellena stayed true to her's. As she was walking down the streets of Oldtown with A… morebbas and Bakr, she couldn't help but grin as she remembered the look on the faces of Samuel and Jaylon as they were forced to leave the ship. Of course, Samuel had sworn to return, with more men and without mercy, but that wasn't her immediate problem at the moment. Even though she tried to deny it, Ellena was nervous. She really didn't look forward to meet this Burned Man. Currently they were walking through one of Oldtown's richer parts, the buildings consisting entirely of large mansions.
“So, Ellena, I guess you must be nervous”, Bakr said with a friendly smile. “There's no need to be! The Burned Man is a real sweetheart when you get to know him” Ellena raised her eyebrows as she heard this and slightly shook her head. “If he's such a sweetheart, why does he call himself 'Burned Man' and works with… [view original content]
Ellena
The Ghiscari stayed true to their word, just as Ellena stayed true to her's. As she was walking down the streets of Oldtown with A… morebbas and Bakr, she couldn't help but grin as she remembered the look on the faces of Samuel and Jaylon as they were forced to leave the ship. Of course, Samuel had sworn to return, with more men and without mercy, but that wasn't her immediate problem at the moment. Even though she tried to deny it, Ellena was nervous. She really didn't look forward to meet this Burned Man. Currently they were walking through one of Oldtown's richer parts, the buildings consisting entirely of large mansions.
“So, Ellena, I guess you must be nervous”, Bakr said with a friendly smile. “There's no need to be! The Burned Man is a real sweetheart when you get to know him” Ellena raised her eyebrows as she heard this and slightly shook her head. “If he's such a sweetheart, why does he call himself 'Burned Man' and works with… [view original content]
Ellena
The Ghiscari stayed true to their word, just as Ellena stayed true to her's. As she was walking down the streets of Oldtown with A… morebbas and Bakr, she couldn't help but grin as she remembered the look on the faces of Samuel and Jaylon as they were forced to leave the ship. Of course, Samuel had sworn to return, with more men and without mercy, but that wasn't her immediate problem at the moment. Even though she tried to deny it, Ellena was nervous. She really didn't look forward to meet this Burned Man. Currently they were walking through one of Oldtown's richer parts, the buildings consisting entirely of large mansions.
“So, Ellena, I guess you must be nervous”, Bakr said with a friendly smile. “There's no need to be! The Burned Man is a real sweetheart when you get to know him” Ellena raised her eyebrows as she heard this and slightly shook her head. “If he's such a sweetheart, why does he call himself 'Burned Man' and works with… [view original content]
Ellena
The Ghiscari stayed true to their word, just as Ellena stayed true to her's. As she was walking down the streets of Oldtown with A… morebbas and Bakr, she couldn't help but grin as she remembered the look on the faces of Samuel and Jaylon as they were forced to leave the ship. Of course, Samuel had sworn to return, with more men and without mercy, but that wasn't her immediate problem at the moment. Even though she tried to deny it, Ellena was nervous. She really didn't look forward to meet this Burned Man. Currently they were walking through one of Oldtown's richer parts, the buildings consisting entirely of large mansions.
“So, Ellena, I guess you must be nervous”, Bakr said with a friendly smile. “There's no need to be! The Burned Man is a real sweetheart when you get to know him” Ellena raised her eyebrows as she heard this and slightly shook her head. “If he's such a sweetheart, why does he call himself 'Burned Man' and works with… [view original content]
Ellena
The Ghiscari stayed true to their word, just as Ellena stayed true to her's. As she was walking down the streets of Oldtown with A… morebbas and Bakr, she couldn't help but grin as she remembered the look on the faces of Samuel and Jaylon as they were forced to leave the ship. Of course, Samuel had sworn to return, with more men and without mercy, but that wasn't her immediate problem at the moment. Even though she tried to deny it, Ellena was nervous. She really didn't look forward to meet this Burned Man. Currently they were walking through one of Oldtown's richer parts, the buildings consisting entirely of large mansions.
“So, Ellena, I guess you must be nervous”, Bakr said with a friendly smile. “There's no need to be! The Burned Man is a real sweetheart when you get to know him” Ellena raised her eyebrows as she heard this and slightly shook her head. “If he's such a sweetheart, why does he call himself 'Burned Man' and works with… [view original content]
Ellena
The Ghiscari stayed true to their word, just as Ellena stayed true to her's. As she was walking down the streets of Oldtown with A… morebbas and Bakr, she couldn't help but grin as she remembered the look on the faces of Samuel and Jaylon as they were forced to leave the ship. Of course, Samuel had sworn to return, with more men and without mercy, but that wasn't her immediate problem at the moment. Even though she tried to deny it, Ellena was nervous. She really didn't look forward to meet this Burned Man. Currently they were walking through one of Oldtown's richer parts, the buildings consisting entirely of large mansions.
“So, Ellena, I guess you must be nervous”, Bakr said with a friendly smile. “There's no need to be! The Burned Man is a real sweetheart when you get to know him” Ellena raised her eyebrows as she heard this and slightly shook her head. “If he's such a sweetheart, why does he call himself 'Burned Man' and works with… [view original content]
Ellena
The Ghiscari stayed true to their word, just as Ellena stayed true to her's. As she was walking down the streets of Oldtown with A… morebbas and Bakr, she couldn't help but grin as she remembered the look on the faces of Samuel and Jaylon as they were forced to leave the ship. Of course, Samuel had sworn to return, with more men and without mercy, but that wasn't her immediate problem at the moment. Even though she tried to deny it, Ellena was nervous. She really didn't look forward to meet this Burned Man. Currently they were walking through one of Oldtown's richer parts, the buildings consisting entirely of large mansions.
“So, Ellena, I guess you must be nervous”, Bakr said with a friendly smile. “There's no need to be! The Burned Man is a real sweetheart when you get to know him” Ellena raised her eyebrows as she heard this and slightly shook her head. “If he's such a sweetheart, why does he call himself 'Burned Man' and works with… [view original content]
Ellena
The Ghiscari stayed true to their word, just as Ellena stayed true to her's. As she was walking down the streets of Oldtown with A… morebbas and Bakr, she couldn't help but grin as she remembered the look on the faces of Samuel and Jaylon as they were forced to leave the ship. Of course, Samuel had sworn to return, with more men and without mercy, but that wasn't her immediate problem at the moment. Even though she tried to deny it, Ellena was nervous. She really didn't look forward to meet this Burned Man. Currently they were walking through one of Oldtown's richer parts, the buildings consisting entirely of large mansions.
“So, Ellena, I guess you must be nervous”, Bakr said with a friendly smile. “There's no need to be! The Burned Man is a real sweetheart when you get to know him” Ellena raised her eyebrows as she heard this and slightly shook her head. “If he's such a sweetheart, why does he call himself 'Burned Man' and works with… [view original content]
Ellena
The Ghiscari stayed true to their word, just as Ellena stayed true to her's. As she was walking down the streets of Oldtown with A… morebbas and Bakr, she couldn't help but grin as she remembered the look on the faces of Samuel and Jaylon as they were forced to leave the ship. Of course, Samuel had sworn to return, with more men and without mercy, but that wasn't her immediate problem at the moment. Even though she tried to deny it, Ellena was nervous. She really didn't look forward to meet this Burned Man. Currently they were walking through one of Oldtown's richer parts, the buildings consisting entirely of large mansions.
“So, Ellena, I guess you must be nervous”, Bakr said with a friendly smile. “There's no need to be! The Burned Man is a real sweetheart when you get to know him” Ellena raised her eyebrows as she heard this and slightly shook her head. “If he's such a sweetheart, why does he call himself 'Burned Man' and works with… [view original content]
Ellena
The Ghiscari stayed true to their word, just as Ellena stayed true to her's. As she was walking down the streets of Oldtown with A… morebbas and Bakr, she couldn't help but grin as she remembered the look on the faces of Samuel and Jaylon as they were forced to leave the ship. Of course, Samuel had sworn to return, with more men and without mercy, but that wasn't her immediate problem at the moment. Even though she tried to deny it, Ellena was nervous. She really didn't look forward to meet this Burned Man. Currently they were walking through one of Oldtown's richer parts, the buildings consisting entirely of large mansions.
“So, Ellena, I guess you must be nervous”, Bakr said with a friendly smile. “There's no need to be! The Burned Man is a real sweetheart when you get to know him” Ellena raised her eyebrows as she heard this and slightly shook her head. “If he's such a sweetheart, why does he call himself 'Burned Man' and works with… [view original content]
Ellena
The Ghiscari stayed true to their word, just as Ellena stayed true to her's. As she was walking down the streets of Oldtown with A… morebbas and Bakr, she couldn't help but grin as she remembered the look on the faces of Samuel and Jaylon as they were forced to leave the ship. Of course, Samuel had sworn to return, with more men and without mercy, but that wasn't her immediate problem at the moment. Even though she tried to deny it, Ellena was nervous. She really didn't look forward to meet this Burned Man. Currently they were walking through one of Oldtown's richer parts, the buildings consisting entirely of large mansions.
“So, Ellena, I guess you must be nervous”, Bakr said with a friendly smile. “There's no need to be! The Burned Man is a real sweetheart when you get to know him” Ellena raised her eyebrows as she heard this and slightly shook her head. “If he's such a sweetheart, why does he call himself 'Burned Man' and works with… [view original content]
Ellena
The Ghiscari stayed true to their word, just as Ellena stayed true to her's. As she was walking down the streets of Oldtown with A… morebbas and Bakr, she couldn't help but grin as she remembered the look on the faces of Samuel and Jaylon as they were forced to leave the ship. Of course, Samuel had sworn to return, with more men and without mercy, but that wasn't her immediate problem at the moment. Even though she tried to deny it, Ellena was nervous. She really didn't look forward to meet this Burned Man. Currently they were walking through one of Oldtown's richer parts, the buildings consisting entirely of large mansions.
“So, Ellena, I guess you must be nervous”, Bakr said with a friendly smile. “There's no need to be! The Burned Man is a real sweetheart when you get to know him” Ellena raised her eyebrows as she heard this and slightly shook her head. “If he's such a sweetheart, why does he call himself 'Burned Man' and works with… [view original content]
The Voting is still open! There's a little problem and this is an announcement of sorts!
For some reason, I currently don't have internet on my PC. I'm writing this from my phone, which works just fine somehow. Presumably it's a problem with my PC and I hope to have it fixed by tomorrow. A good friend will come over and will have a look at it. However, if it is something serious it might take me a bit longer until I have internet on my PC again, probably until the end of the coming week or even longer. In the meantime I will leave the voting open because it doesn't make sense to close it unless I have the new part almost finished. Speaking of, the new part is about halfway written. It will feature a Garthon PoV and a Kersea PoV. Should this internet problem take a little longer to solve, I will continue writing parts on my PC, so that I can post them more quickly once I have internet again. I'm still hoping to finish this chapter by the end of the month. Until I have internet on my PC again, I will be online with my phone and probably not much less than usual (albeit writing responses is a pain in the ass), so I'm here to keep you updated! I hope to be able to post the next part soon
Ellena
The Ghiscari stayed true to their word, just as Ellena stayed true to her's. As she was walking down the streets of Oldtown with A… morebbas and Bakr, she couldn't help but grin as she remembered the look on the faces of Samuel and Jaylon as they were forced to leave the ship. Of course, Samuel had sworn to return, with more men and without mercy, but that wasn't her immediate problem at the moment. Even though she tried to deny it, Ellena was nervous. She really didn't look forward to meet this Burned Man. Currently they were walking through one of Oldtown's richer parts, the buildings consisting entirely of large mansions.
“So, Ellena, I guess you must be nervous”, Bakr said with a friendly smile. “There's no need to be! The Burned Man is a real sweetheart when you get to know him” Ellena raised her eyebrows as she heard this and slightly shook her head. “If he's such a sweetheart, why does he call himself 'Burned Man' and works with… [view original content]
The Voting is still open! There's a little problem and this is an announcement of sorts!
For some reason, I currently don't have internet… more on my PC. I'm writing this from my phone, which works just fine somehow. Presumably it's a problem with my PC and I hope to have it fixed by tomorrow. A good friend will come over and will have a look at it. However, if it is something serious it might take me a bit longer until I have internet on my PC again, probably until the end of the coming week or even longer. In the meantime I will leave the voting open because it doesn't make sense to close it unless I have the new part almost finished. Speaking of, the new part is about halfway written. It will feature a Garthon PoV and a Kersea PoV. Should this internet problem take a little longer to solve, I will continue writing parts on my PC, so that I can post them more quickly once I have internet again. I'm still hoping to finish this chapter by the en… [view original content]
Ellena
The Ghiscari stayed true to their word, just as Ellena stayed true to her's. As she was walking down the streets of Oldtown with A… morebbas and Bakr, she couldn't help but grin as she remembered the look on the faces of Samuel and Jaylon as they were forced to leave the ship. Of course, Samuel had sworn to return, with more men and without mercy, but that wasn't her immediate problem at the moment. Even though she tried to deny it, Ellena was nervous. She really didn't look forward to meet this Burned Man. Currently they were walking through one of Oldtown's richer parts, the buildings consisting entirely of large mansions.
“So, Ellena, I guess you must be nervous”, Bakr said with a friendly smile. “There's no need to be! The Burned Man is a real sweetheart when you get to know him” Ellena raised her eyebrows as she heard this and slightly shook her head. “If he's such a sweetheart, why does he call himself 'Burned Man' and works with… [view original content]
Ellena
The Ghiscari stayed true to their word, just as Ellena stayed true to her's. As she was walking down the streets of Oldtown with A… morebbas and Bakr, she couldn't help but grin as she remembered the look on the faces of Samuel and Jaylon as they were forced to leave the ship. Of course, Samuel had sworn to return, with more men and without mercy, but that wasn't her immediate problem at the moment. Even though she tried to deny it, Ellena was nervous. She really didn't look forward to meet this Burned Man. Currently they were walking through one of Oldtown's richer parts, the buildings consisting entirely of large mansions.
“So, Ellena, I guess you must be nervous”, Bakr said with a friendly smile. “There's no need to be! The Burned Man is a real sweetheart when you get to know him” Ellena raised her eyebrows as she heard this and slightly shook her head. “If he's such a sweetheart, why does he call himself 'Burned Man' and works with… [view original content]
The Voting is still open! There's a little problem and this is an announcement of sorts!
For some reason, I currently don't have internet… more on my PC. I'm writing this from my phone, which works just fine somehow. Presumably it's a problem with my PC and I hope to have it fixed by tomorrow. A good friend will come over and will have a look at it. However, if it is something serious it might take me a bit longer until I have internet on my PC again, probably until the end of the coming week or even longer. In the meantime I will leave the voting open because it doesn't make sense to close it unless I have the new part almost finished. Speaking of, the new part is about halfway written. It will feature a Garthon PoV and a Kersea PoV. Should this internet problem take a little longer to solve, I will continue writing parts on my PC, so that I can post them more quickly once I have internet again. I'm still hoping to finish this chapter by the en… [view original content]
Ellena will agree to bring Terroma a letter from the Burned Man
Geoor was right when he assumed that the internet cable failed me. I, Liquid of House ChicagoTed, sentenced it to die. I'm writing this on my phone, but I will buy a new cable right now. Before I will go home again to finally post the new part however, I will visit my family and won't be back until later today. But the new part will be up before I go to sleep. On another note, a second part is already almost written and will be out in two days, after a bit of voting.
And now I have a shout-out for a new and exciting story. As you know, I have a special thing for Hunger Games stories and I am not the only one, seeing how there are many well-written stories about this topic available here in the forum. The person who wrote the very first Hunger Games fanfiction here in this forum, #TeamSarah, @1594548, has started his new story, about a very interesting new topic, namely about Lost. If you don't know Lost, you have probably lived under a rock in the years 2004-2010. It's this show about a group of people who survive a plane crash and strand on a remote island in the pacific, filled with unexpected plot twists and turns. It's like something made from M. Night ShyawarmalamaLaBeouf, with the difference that it's actually good. And since TeamSarah's Hunger Games story was already amazing, I am sure that this Lost story will be amazing too. If you want to join, click on this link, it will lead you to the story (What a twist!)
Comments
I heard soldiers and characters from Braavos
send in all the mercenary's
NO. HE HAS LIKE 20643102
65005620
016
54574+949156063
mercernaries. Please no more
yea and 90% of them are mine=)
Fields of Fire confirmed.
Also, mercenaries can be potentially used for this as well.
I'm just going to eliminate a couple of people.
Richard, Jenna, Alan, John, Temari, Behara, Harris, Quent basically everyone who is a smallfolk or a lord. And everyone in the Riverlands, the Stormlands, I guess the Iron Islands, and Lannister town. So that leaves us with your knightly types in the Reach.
As the Urban Knights Lucas and Leonard have demonstrated, some characters are meant for traveling. I have suspicion who this could be, but I think I might keep it to myself.
It´s Lucien Frostborn he is talking baout. TheFurryone Sumbitted him i think
Leonard and Lucas go on a road trip across Westeros and possibly Essos. A world wide tour? They could for a band!
When the story is done, we need a spin-off about this. No joke.
I can imagine them in every tavern:
"We can here to kick ass and drink beer, and you're all outta beer."
The Voting is closed!
Drent will train with Sergeant Montclair
Jaron will allow Martin to beat Robb up
The next Drent part will show us all why an unfortunate choice of words can sometimes cause some, well, let's call it minor problems.
Also, a quick note to the guy who submitted the character of Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka: At least you tried, dude. Unfortunately for you, what I lack in knowledge about painters, I more than compensate for with my knowledge about orkish warbosses of the 41st millenium. The unfortunate thing here is, since the last 4 characters had been nothing more than troll characters I am quite unsure if this character was meant as a troll character (which starts to get seriously annoying), or if this character was meant to be a real character who just happens to be named after the Prophet of the Waaagh!, since his personality, backstory, appearance and the other stuff is quite well-done and would fit into the story very well. That means, if the creator if this character reads this and intended him to be a real character, I'd be happy if you could contact me, so we can think about a new name that has nothing to do with the Beast of Armageddon.
About 2/3rd of the next part are written and I am certain that I'm going to finish it later today.
Today I have a new shout-out for you, for a story set in a very unique setting. The story hasn't started yet, but I am very excited for it and in fact will spend the next hour or so to create my characters. What makes this specific story so special is that it is set in the world of the RPG that stole a few hundred hours of my life and I'm not even mad about it, the RPG that recently and very infamously implemented a pretty unfair system to pay for mods, the RPG in which a certain occupation group consists entirely of former adventurers with severe knee injuries, the RPG in which, as I can only guess, someone stole your sweetroll.
Naturally I am talking about Skyrim. The writer of The Forum Scrolls is @SuperChocoLatte, which means this story is going to be worth every reader it can get. Perhaps you are interested in reading an interactive story set in Skyrim, I mean, who wouldn't. I know I am hyped for this story. If you are hyped too, or at least interested, you should click on this link!
What we say when it's late night and we don't see the next part on forum of thrones?Not today.
I'm heavily working on it right now. Had to rewrite a few paragraphs, but it's not as bad as last time. I guess it will be done somewhere in the next four hours. Technically that isn't today anymore in most parts of Europe, but it's still today in forum time, so I guess that counts.
Shit.
Warhammer 40k? I read some stuff about it.
How many troll characters have you gotten anyhow?
He posts at like midnight.
Tis the philosophy of Liquid.
About ten, but the last four submitted characters had been troll characters, three of them not even well made or entertaining (though I have to give some kudos for Ross Bob). It turned out that Ghazghkull is indeed not a troll character though, he just happens to be unfortunately named. The name got changed and now he is accepted.
Really?
This is kind of awkward. XD
Ellena
The Ghiscari stayed true to their word, just as Ellena stayed true to her's. As she was walking down the streets of Oldtown with Abbas and Bakr, she couldn't help but grin as she remembered the look on the faces of Samuel and Jaylon as they were forced to leave the ship. Of course, Samuel had sworn to return, with more men and without mercy, but that wasn't her immediate problem at the moment. Even though she tried to deny it, Ellena was nervous. She really didn't look forward to meet this Burned Man. Currently they were walking through one of Oldtown's richer parts, the buildings consisting entirely of large mansions.
“So, Ellena, I guess you must be nervous”, Bakr said with a friendly smile. “There's no need to be! The Burned Man is a real sweetheart when you get to know him” Ellena raised her eyebrows as she heard this and slightly shook her head. “If he's such a sweetheart, why does he call himself 'Burned Man' and works with slavers?”, she asked with suspicion in her voice.
Bakr opened his mouth in protest, but was cut off by Abbas. “Forget it, Bakr. That girl is obviously more clever than you. Which is not very hard, as I must add”, he said and eyed Ellena carefully. While Bakr seemed to be genuinely friendly, with his wide smile and his attempts to make her feel better, Abbas had never smiled at her during their way through Oldtown and he hadn't even talked to her with any kindness. Ellena was wary around Ghiscari as a whole. The first law of Braavos prohibited slavery and no official from Slaver's Bay was allowed access to the city. The few Ghiscari who had dealings in Braavos traded exclusively in goods from the lands beyond Slaver's Bay. Even though he hadn't admited to it, Abbas was a slaver. Everything about him marked him as a man who loved taking away the freedom of others. While she had a hard time disliking Bakr, she immediately despised Abbas. And he made no secret out of the fact that he wasn't her friend either.
“Yes, girl, Bakr and I are slavers. But currently we aren't enslaving anyone. Instead we are working for the Burned Man, using our skills in tracking people. And occasionally we sell him a few slaves”, he said and his mouth formed a wicked smile. This last sentence caught Ellena off guard and she immediately stopped walking. “The Burned Man is a slaver too?”, she asked and gave both of them an angry look. “You haven't told me that!”
Abbas shook his head. “Let me speak, girl!”, he hissed. “The Burned Man buys slaves, but he is not a slaver. He buys them, then he sets them free and employs them. He mainly buys children, because their undying loyalty is easy to win”
Ellena was still unsure if she should continue walking. So, this Burned Man wasn't a slaver. Still the way Abbas pronounced the word 'employs' gave her an uneasy feeling. She had heard about these people. They were in every large city in the known world. Not even Braavos was safe from them. The orphanage where she had lived the worst months of her life had a man like this too, who was employing the children, who paid them terribly low money and forced them to do horrible tasks. But he could also protect her friends from Butterflies wrath. She didn't like it, but at least he was technically no slaver. She started to continue walking and for the first time she saw a cold, yet pleased smile on Abbas' face.
“Why is he called 'Burned Man'?”, she asked and a cruel streak formed around Abbas' mouth. “Because that's exactly what he is. A burned man. When Butterflies men call him 'cripple', they aren't that far away from the truth” This answer didn't satisfy her curiosity at all. “But why is he a burned man?”, she asked again.
“Because he did something that deserved punishment”, Abbas answered. “I don't know much about him, but more than others, mainly because I witnessed his punishment. Most of Yunkai's wise masters witnessed it. The Burned Man wasn't born a slave, but through circumstances I don't care for he was enslaved and sold to Master Razdal zo Yunzak, a man known for his exceptional cruelty. But still, what the Burned Man did must have been pretty severe, or else Master Razdal would have just crucified him”
He paused for a moment and his wicked smile returned. “It was thirteen years ago, I was young and foolish at the time. And I admit, I had nightmares from hearing his screams”, he explained. “Master Razdal bound the Burned Man to an iron pole, four iron poles actually, one for each limb, as if he was intending to quarter him. But that would have been merciful compared to what he did” His cruel smile got wider and Ellena could almost see a fire burning in the slaver's eyes. “He tied the Burned Man up eight feet above the ground and put large iron braziers under each of his limbs. And then, Master Razdal started a fire”
Bakr cleared his throat and gave Abbas a stern look. “My friend, do you really think this is a story you should tell a child?”, he asked. Abbas shook his head. “No. But she asked”, he answered and looked at Ellena. “Try not to imagine the sight and the sound and especially not the smell, this foul stench of burning flesh, mixed with bloodcurdling screams, the sight of a man flinching in pain as the flames were burning just high enough to cook his arms and legs without actually burning them. And don't try to imagine how much worse it was when the flame underneath his left arm burned higher than intended, high enough to burn through the ropes. His left forearm landed in the fire and by the time he managed to pull it out of the fire it was burned black like charcoal. For two days they kept the fire burning, most of the time they kept him awake by hitting him in the face. After they were done with him, he wasn't even able to walk without excruciating pain anymore. And Razdal, the ever cruel and cunning Master Razdal denied him the mercy of death. Instead, he set him free and threw him out into the streets, where he was supposed to live the few days he had left in unbearable pain”
As Abbas looked at Ellena with his dark eyes, his smile widened. “You are pale, little girl. Do you regret asking?”, he said with a mocking tone in his voice. Ellena quickly shook her head and suppressed the urge to throw up. A vivid imagination was a blessing and a curse at the same time. “As cruel as it was, it sent a message. Master Razdal made them watch, all of his slaves and most of the Wise Masters took their chances and forced their property to watch too. Up to this day, Razdal zo Yunzak has the most devoted slaves in Yunkai”, Abbas explained and in this moment Ellena hated him, for the hint of joy in his eyes, for the casual tone in his voice.
“Why isn't he dead?”, she asked. “The Burned Man, I mean. You said he was supposed to die. How could he survive this?” Abbas shrugged. “I don't know. I assume it was partially determination. When they removed him from the poles, I took a closer look to this man, this burned man, crippled for life. And what I saw in his eyes scared me. The fire consumed him, but he refused to break. And so it changed him. And he refused to die”, he explained.
Bakr slightly shook his head. “Yes, the Burned Man is determined”, he said. “But wounds like that... he wasn't able to walk or to grab things and his agony was severe enough to still trouble him up to this day, thirteen years later” He paused for a moment and grabbed the golden horseshoe he was wearing on a chain around his neck, gently stroking it for a moment. “I grew up among savages from the great grasslands. And they have cruel ways to punish those who wronged them. Still, victims of their torture usually die from far less. I think he had help. Without help, he would have died”
Abbas gave him a slight nod. “Yes, I've thought the same. Sure, she was a child at the time, five years old, but she always had a certain sort of cunning inside of her”, he answered and looked at Ellena. “We're talking about Harpy, the Burned Man's handmaiden, second-in-command, adopted daughter, occasional honey trap, whatever he needs”
Bakr gave her a wide smile. “Oh, you're going to love Harpy and she's going to love you. She adores clever little girls”, he promised her. Abbas shook his head. “I wouldn't be too sure about that”, he growled and pointed at a house to their right. “But enough of that. We are here, at last”
The house was huge, even larger than her father's house in Braavos. Four stories, surrounded by a small wall, large wooden gates, windows out of the finest glass. “That's the Burned Man's house?”, Ellena asked slightly surprised. Abbas gave her a nod. “One of his allies from out of town had the kindness to buy it and to give it to him whenever he needs a more luxurious hideout. The Burned Mansion, quite literally”, he said and chuckled. Ellena gave him a short glare. “I see why nobody in Braavos likes to trade with you”, she said. “Being around you is poisonous for a girl's humour” The look on Abbas face was worth every scary story he told her on the way and she couldn't resist to imitate one of his smug smiles.
They approached the mansion, Abbas to her right and Bakr to her left like an unwanted honour guard. As they reached the large door that lead inside, Abbas knocked and exchanged a short look with Bakr. After a moment, the door was opened. A young woman, perhaps only a few years older than Ellena, stood in the door. She had the comely facial features of a Ghiscari woman, albeit paired with the lighter skin people from the Free Cities sometimes displayed, paired with dark reddish-brown hair a bit lighter than the hair of Abbas' and Bakr's beards. A sly smile played around the corners of her mouth.
“Abbas, Bakr!”, she greeted them. “I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you, but that would be a lie. Come on, step inside, but wipe your feet. I don't want to have any Yunkish dirt in this house” The room behind her was lavishly decorated and the heavy use of gold and silk would have been enough to make a Pentoshi nobleman green with envy. The woman looked at Ellena and her smile got a bit more friendly. “And I see they brought a guest. What's your name?”
Ellena gave her a suspicious look. “Ellena Terys”, she answered. “I'm here to talk to the Burned Man” This gave her an approving look from the woman. “A girl knows what she wants, right? You're very decisive, I like that”, she said and took a short bow. “My name is Harpy, I am the Burned Man's closest associate”
“By the gods, are you drunken mylady? Perhaps you've enjoyed the time with your bastard knight too much”, Abbas interjected, which caused Harpy to look up and narrow her eyes. “I'm not drunken”, she insisted. “And he is not my bastard knight!” Her voice gained a bit of sharpness as she spoke, but as she looked at Ellena again her face softened. “So, you know who killed Butterflies men, right?”, she asked. Ellena gave her a short nod and Harpy put a hand on her shoulder. “Come on then, the Burned Man would like to speak with you”, she explained and started to walk deeper into the mansion.
“Keep your gaze focused, Harpy”, Abbas shouted as he and Bakr remained in the entrance. “Or else he'll notice” Ellena noticed the subtle anger on Harpy's face, but as the woman turned around, she looked calm and collected. “Thank you for the advice, Abbas. Why don't you and that other dolt go back to your ship, we'll call on you when we need you” She turned around again and continued walking, Ellena noticed that her hands where clenched. “I hope they weren't bothering you too much”, she said and Ellena shook her head. “I guess I was bothering them a bit more”, she answered. Harpy gave her a short nod. “Good. Abbas likes to tell scary stories to little girls. But he wasn't scaring you, right?”, she answered. Ellena shook her head again and Harpy stopped in front of a large door.
“We're here. Listen, the Burned Man's appearance might frighten you...”, she started to say, but Ellena cut her off, shaking Harpy's hands off her shoulders. “I know. His arms and legs are horribly burned. Abbas told me the story in great detail. I guess he enjoyed it”, she explained. Harpy slightly shook her head and Ellena noticed a sad look in her dark eyes. “It's a good thing that he doesn't know half of it”, she answered. “But he got the basics right. Still, the Burned Man's appearance tends to frighten children who've never met him before”
Ellena gave her a slight smile. “I'm not easily scared. After all I survived a walk with Abbas without having to change my pants. That guy has something about him...”, she said and shivered exaggeratedly. Harpy reciprocated the smile. “That's truly impressive. Abbas might be a bit more scary than the Burned Man, I have to give him that”, she answered and walked towards the door. “Anyways, it's time to meet the Burned Man. Don't want to keep him waiting”
She opened the door, revealing a small, tastefully furnished room behind it. The furniture was dark, a heavy wooden desk was standing in the middle of the room. And it was uncomfortably warm and stuffy. Two huge men with dark amber skin were standing behind the desk, their skin colour giving them away as Dothraki. Between them sat a man who was shorter than Ellena thought, perhaps roughly at her height. He had pale skin and short dark-brown hair, as well as bright blue eyes. All in all he was looking quite ordinary, albeit she had to admit that his facial features could be seen as handsome. She looked at his hands and gulped. Abbas hadn't lied to her regarding the extent of his burns. She had no medical knowledge, but knew that it must have been a small wonder that he was even able to keep most of his left hand.
Harpy gave him a soft smile of deep affection. “Abbas and Bakr returned from their job”, she said. “And they have brought a guest with them. This is Ellena. Ellena, this is the Burned Man”, she introduced them. “Go on, Ellena. Take a step closer, you are safe here”
Ellena took a step closer towards the man in front of her. She wasn't afraid of him, not at all. The Burned Man was simply a crippled old man, from what she saw he shouldn't even be able to grab things with his burned hands. She wasn't afraid of him. The Dothraki behind him on the other hand... “Welcome, Ellena”, the Burned Man said with a deep baritone voice. “I am glad you decided to seek my help. Please, sit down. We have a lot to talk about” As he said that he smiled a warm and fatherly smile. “I apologize for the heat in here. There are days where cold air causes me pain and I'm afraid today is a day like this. But if you want something cold to drink, we have cooled...”, he explained but Ellena cut him off by shaking her head. “I'm not thirsty”, she answered.
The Burned Man gave her an understanding nod. “I know you have heard about me. Abbas never misses an opportunity to tell everyone what a monster I am”, he said. “And, to get that out of the way, most of what he says is true” The way he said this sent shivers down Ellena's spine. “When compared to Manfred Hightower, or the High Septon, I fully admit that I must look like a monster. I raise children into a life of crime. I have no problems in silencing my enemies. But the people I am up against... they cross lines even I would never dare to cross”
He paused for a moment and Ellena saw an understanding look in his eyes. “I see...”, he mumbled. “You already know what I'm talking about, right?” He looked at Harpy, who was standing slightly behind her. The young woman gently stroked Ellena's shoulders. “Fang and Longbow arrived at the ship before me and Martin were able to get there”, she explained. “Jaron escaped by a lucky chance. And I guess Abbas and Bakr did something useful for once”
Ellena shook her head. “I... I stabbed the man named Jaylon in the leg. And there was a third man. I...”, she stuttered and the sudden realization of what she had done caused her to look at her hands in shock. “I killed him”, she mumbled. She was taught not to fear death. Nobody in Braavos feared death. Still... the thought almost made her sick. “If it would be okay, I think I would like something to drink now”
Harpy stopped stroking her shoulders and moved towards the door. “I'm right back”, she said softly. And then they were alone, Ellena, the Burned Man and his Dothraki bloodhounds. The Burned Man looked... pleased? It was hard to tell. “That must have been hard”, he finally said. “But I assure you, this man deserved it. You did something brave and you should be proud of it. You saved yourself” He smiled. “And I thought I have to send Abbas and Bakr to save you”, he chuckled. “I'll add that to the things I've been wrong with”
His smile faded. “But enough of that. You are here for something very specific, right?”, he stated and she gave him a nod. “Yes. This man, Samuel Harrington, he vowed to return, he killed one of my friends and I'm afraid he will kill them all should he return”, she explained. “I want protection. And in return I will tell you what I know about that night in the alleyway”
The Burned Man nodded affirmatively. “The Fang of Shadows is capable of killing all your friends, I can assure you that. But he is just a man. I can protect your friends. And your deal seems to be quite fair. Then let me ask my first question. Who killed Butterflies men?”, he asked and looked her straight in the eye with a stern gaze.
Ellena let out a sigh. “His name is Terroma”, she said and noticed a slight shift in the Burned Man's face. Just for a moment he seemed to be a bit wary. “About fifty years old. Wears his hair to a short ponytail. His teeth are crooked and rotten, as if he has some kind of disease”, she added to see how the Burned Man would react. As she mentioned Terroma's teeth, she saw him gulping. “Thank you for telling me about this, Ellena”, the Burned Man answered carefully. “He sounds like a very special person if he is able to take on three Solvers at his age” He stopped for a moment and closed his eyes. “I won't lie to you, Ellena. I never lie if the truth is a viable option. If Terroma is who I think he is, he is one of the most dangerous men in this city”
This didn't came as a surprise for Ellena. She had seen what he was able to do. The three men in the alleyway stood no chance. But the Burned Man seemed to know more. “Who is he?”, she asked. “Tell me more about him!” Her curiosity finally got the better of her, but it was mixed with disappointment as the Burned Man shook his head. “You like him, it is clear to see. I see the same look in Harpy's eyes when she talks about me. I don't want to destroy your illusion like I destroyed hers. Keep seeing him the way you do. Kids your age need someone to look up to”
He paused for a moment and closed his eyes. “You know where to find him, right?”, he asked and Ellena gave him a short nod. “Good...”, he answered. “There is something you could do for me. A small request. I leave it up to you, completely. I will protect your friends regardless, if only to stop one of Butterflies vile plans. But if you want to help me in return, I have something you could be interested in”
He let out a sigh. “I want you to bring Terroma a letter. If he is the man I think he is, he will be highly interested in it's content. It could be important for me and for him likewise. But I want you to know that it could also be dangerous for you. Butterflies men might be on his trail already. And while I think he is in no danger from them, the same does not apply to you” He seemed to force himself to smile at her, his smile reminded Ellena of Terroma. “But like I said, I leave it up to you. Would you bring him a letter from me?”
[Agree to bring Terroma the letter] [Decline to bring Terroma the letter]
(Decline to bring Terroma the letter)
[Decline to bring Terroma the letter] I'm very anti-burned man.
[Agree to bring Terroma the letter]
Great seeing the line, "He is not my bastard knight!"
[Decline to bring Terroma the letter] never
Awesome Chapter!
[Agree to bring Terroma the letter]
[Agree to bring Terroma the letter]
[Agree to bring Terroma the letter]
[decline to bring terroma the letter]
[Agree to bring Terroma the letter]
[Decline to bring Terroma the letter]
[Agree to bring Terroma the letter]
{Agree to bring the letter}
[Agree to bring Terroma the letter]
[Agree to bring Terroma the letter]
[Agree to bring Terroma the letter]
[Agree to bring Terroma the letter]
[Agree to bring Terroma the letter]
[Agree to bring Terroma the letter]
The Voting is still open! There's a little problem and this is an announcement of sorts!
For some reason, I currently don't have internet on my PC. I'm writing this from my phone, which works just fine somehow. Presumably it's a problem with my PC and I hope to have it fixed by tomorrow. A good friend will come over and will have a look at it. However, if it is something serious it might take me a bit longer until I have internet on my PC again, probably until the end of the coming week or even longer. In the meantime I will leave the voting open because it doesn't make sense to close it unless I have the new part almost finished. Speaking of, the new part is about halfway written. It will feature a Garthon PoV and a Kersea PoV. Should this internet problem take a little longer to solve, I will continue writing parts on my PC, so that I can post them more quickly once I have internet again. I'm still hoping to finish this chapter by the end of the month. Until I have internet on my PC again, I will be online with my phone and probably not much less than usual (albeit writing responses is a pain in the ass), so I'm here to keep you updated! I hope to be able to post the next part soon
[Agree to bring Terroma the letter]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfiQYRn7fBg
[Agree to bring Terroma the letter]
Great chapter! Sorry it took me so long to read...
[Agree to bring Terroma the letter]
The internet cable has failed you.Cut it's head off.
I'm back and the voting is closed!
Ellena will agree to bring Terroma a letter from the Burned Man
Geoor was right when he assumed that the internet cable failed me. I, Liquid of House ChicagoTed, sentenced it to die. I'm writing this on my phone, but I will buy a new cable right now. Before I will go home again to finally post the new part however, I will visit my family and won't be back until later today. But the new part will be up before I go to sleep. On another note, a second part is already almost written and will be out in two days, after a bit of voting.
And now I have a shout-out for a new and exciting story. As you know, I have a special thing for Hunger Games stories and I am not the only one, seeing how there are many well-written stories about this topic available here in the forum. The person who wrote the very first Hunger Games fanfiction here in this forum, #TeamSarah, @1594548, has started his new story, about a very interesting new topic, namely about Lost. If you don't know Lost, you have probably lived under a rock in the years 2004-2010. It's this show about a group of people who survive a plane crash and strand on a remote island in the pacific, filled with unexpected plot twists and turns. It's like something made from M. Night ShyawarmalamaLaBeouf, with the difference that it's actually good. And since TeamSarah's Hunger Games story was already amazing, I am sure that this Lost story will be amazing too. If you want to join, click on this link, it will lead you to the story (What a twist!)