The Cost of Loyalty: An Interactive Story! (Ongoing)
Hi everyone. This is going to be an interactive story based on the story of the Branfields during Robert's Robellion. It'll be a pretty straight forward story, mostly featuring a siege on House Branfield's keep. Loyalty is a big theme in the story as the Branfields fight for survival. The story will feature characters from House Branfield as well as Houses Forrester, Whitehill, Degore, Glenmore and more! The main two POV's will be Malcolm Branfield and Gregor Forrester. Ultimately you know how the story will end but I'm still excited nonetheless and I hope you are too! A couple things I need to Clarify: This is my very first attempt at writing an interactive story. It may be a success, it may be a complete disaster, but who cares! Worst thing that can happen is you don't like it. Another thing is that I had a lot of help from @DillonDex, he convinced me to do the story and helped me out with couple other stuff and I greatly appreciate his help.
Now let's talk about characters. I'll be accepting submissions but you'll have to PM them to me. A few things I need to clarify, I will not be accepting characters from Houses Branfield, Forrester, Whitehill, Degore or Glenmore, only characters loyal to them. I will however accept characters from other Houses mentioned in the game such as the Warricks or the Greysons.
Know that I reserve the right to refuse your character.
Here's the kind of character description I'd like to recieve:
- Name:
- Age:
- Appearance:
- Allegiance: (Who your character is loyal to, Forrester, Whitehill etc)
- Personality:
- Backstory:
- Status/Occupation: (Specify whether your character is Noble, Peasant, Squire or Soldier)
Know that your character does not have to be related to the war, they can be a Sellsword, Innkeeper etc... I greatly recommend submitting good as well as bad characters, every good story needs some bad guys.
Characters:
Waiting to be introduced: Francis Wood, Dom, Linnea Aldwin,
Alive: Malcolm Branfield, Samuel Branfield, Gregor Forrester, Duncan Tuttle, Thorren Forrester, Damien Branfield, Talia Branfield, Lucina Darrow, Lucas Branfield, Preston Branfield, Thermund, Ludd Whitehill, Larion Shiel, Royland Degore, Eamon Glenmore, Elissa Branfield, Ser Marcos Trant, Dustin 'Dusty' Sand, Simon Oakheart, Davith Forrester, Ammett Warrick, Bryce Warrick, Kevan Snow, Tom Wolfson, Jacob Branfield, Alise, Sibas, Kiran Flowers, Nathaniel Darklyn, Marcus Forrester, Nesa Vynen, Lorgan, Walter Whitehill, Braeden Snow, Gregory Fuller, Sara Davin, Kayden Davin, Bethany Davin, Mayson,
Dead/Unknown:
Chapters:
Chapter 1-Alliances. (Ongoing)
Chapter 2-Strike where it Hurts.
Chapter 3-Retribution.
Chapter 4-Honor and Duty.
Chapter 5-Treason and Mourning.
Chapter 6-Loyalty.
Chapter 7-In Arms to the End.
Comments
I'm excited for Chapter 1!
I'm writing the prologue right now
I'd like to see what direction this story will take. Count me in! Always wanted some more details about the Branfields in the game.
Where will you put the seat of House Branfield?
Somewhere in the North Eastern part of the reach. I haven't marked an exact spot on the map.
Prologue
Malcolm
"Let's have a party, boys!" Malcolm heard as he was forced from his peaceful sleep and responded with a groan. "Not this shit again..." Malcolm Branfield, a hedge knight that foolishly thought it would be a good idea to spend the night in a damn tavern. Malcolm hated waking up early, he couldn't stand it. Malcolm was determined to go back to sleep, that was when he heard the old man that owned the tavern, "Get the fuck out!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. It was then that Malcolm realized his cursed morality would interfere with his peaceful sleep. Malcolm reluctantly climbed from his bed and grabbed his sword. He didn't bother putting on his armor as he was convinced whatever rabble was down there, was no threat to him. Malcolm walked downstairs and kept his sword sheathed in the hope that he could resolve this without bloodshed. Malcolm saw the distressed face of the old man turn into relief when he became aware of Malcolm's presense. "Ser Malcolm, Ser Malcolm please!". Malcolm groaned, making no attempt to hide how annoyed he was. The old man gestured to a group of well armored men sitting at a table, Malcolm noticed the men were incredibly loud. "These savages refuse to pay, they grope my daughters and they cannot be reasoned with, I want them gone!" Malcolm raised an eyebrow "What exactly do you expect me to do?". "Kill them! Or kick them out, I don't care, just make them disappear!" Malcolm eyed the group and what appeared to be their leader. He was a muscular man with a greatsword, he had dark hair and a beard, he looked like a real brute. Malcolm had no doubt that he could take him easily. Malcolm approached the man "Excuse me?" the brute ignored him and Malcolm became frustrated "I'm talking to you!" he shouted. The brute turned and was visibly annoyed "What?" he spat at Malcolm. "You're not welcome here anymore, you need to leave" Malcolm responded sternly. The brute laughed "How do you see me leaving?" Malcolm glared daggers at the brute "On your feet, or on a corpse cart" the brute was not ammused by Malcolm's threat and rised from his seat revealing himself to be much taller than Malcolm. "Shit, you did not look that intimidating from the other side of the room" Malcolm gulped. The brute growled as he drew his greatsword and took a swing at Malcolm. Malcolm jumped back and drew his sword "Corpse cart it is" the brute growled again "You think you can kill me? You don't even have armor!" Malcolm smirked "I'd be concerned if there was a chance of you hitting me". The brute charged Malcolm and Malcolm easily dodged his strike "leave him! He's mine" the brute shouted to his men. Malcolm studied the brutes armor, it was good armor, Malcolm couldn't see an opening, he had to aim for his head. The brute took another swing and Malcolm dodged it, and hit him in the back, the armor prrotected him but dazed him. Malcolm took the opportunity to barge him into a nearby table, the brute tripped over and Malcolm thrust his sword from the back of his head and straight through his mouth. Malcolm picked his sword back up and glared at the two men who were with the brute and Malcolm simply asked "feet or corpse cart?" the men got the message and ran. "Thank you Ser Malcolm, a thousand blessings upon you" Malcolm heard the old man's praise as he sheathed his sword. Then Malcolm heard a sterner voice "You're too cocky" Malcolm chuckled as he turned to greet the voice "What you call cocky, I call an accurate assessment of my skills" Malcolm saw the man and gasped, he had short blonde hair and a pair of green eyes "Samuel!" Malcolm charged forward to hug his brother Samuel laughed, "Yes brother it's me, now please get off me, you're covered in blood." Malcolm laughed, his older brother always managed to make light of everything "What are you doing here?" Samuel's expression changed to a stern one "You're family needs you Malcolm, I've come to bring you home" Malcolm grew concerned "Has something happened?" "Has something happened" Samuel mocked him "You speak as though you don't know there's a war on." Samuel sighed "Save your questions, I'll answer them on the way home, pack your things, I've two horses outside and we're leaving" Malcolm's eyes widened "But--" "Now Malcolm!" Samuel ordered.
Gregor.
"Give me another!" Gregor, the heir of House Forrester shouted as he finished another mug of ale. "You've had enough, m'lord, I told you to take it easy" Duncan, Gregor's best friend said. "And I told you to stop calling me 'm'lord, my name is Gregor and why can't you just let me have some fun!" he laughed and Duncan could barely hold back a smile "Because I know you m'l-- Gregor... you're trying to drink your problems with your father away" Gregor put down his mug and frowned. Duncan sighed "You can trust me Gregor, we're friends." Gregor nodded "It's just, my father is determined to start another damn war with the Whitehills and any talk of piece angers him" Duncan nodded "Your father's seen a lot of war, and your two Houses history has a lot of it, I imagine all he sees when he sees a Whitehill is an enemy". Gregor nodded "I understand but we don't have to be enemies, we--" "GREGOR!" Gregor gasped "shit" when his father charged in, Thorren Forrester, lord of Ironrath always put a room to silence. "You don't think he'll be able to tell I'm drunk do you?" Duncan laughed "Oh he'll definitely be able to tell." "GREGOR! NOW!" "Yes father!" Gregor quickly followed his father outside. Thorren studied Gregor as he tried to stand straight to hide how drunk he was "You're fucking drunk, aren't you?" Thorren accused his son and Gregor simply nodded, Thorren always knew when Gregor lied. Thorren sighed "Forget it, we have something important to discuss." Thorren walked towards Ironrath's gate "Is something wrong?" Gregor asked. "Yes" Thorren confirmed. "I've been instructed to lead a force against an enemy House but I'm needed at the Trident. So you'll go in my place." Gregor smiled, he finally had a chance to prove himself "I won't fail you--" "It's the Branfields, son" Gregor's eyes widened, his thoughts went to his recent wife Elissa "but that's--" "I'm perfectly aware it's your wife's family boy, but orders are orders" Thorren interrupted Gregor again. "But that's not the problem" Thorren sighed "You're to work alongside several other Northern Houses to destroy the Branfields, the Glenmores, the Degores and... the Whitehills" Thorren looked disgusted by the thought of Forresters fighting alongside Whitehills. Gregor was interested by the idea but kept his thoughts to himself. "Let's be clear about this son, you're to ally for now but never forget that they're our enemies, the Whitehills are not to be trusted." "Of course father" Gregor nodded and Thorren seemed pleased "I agreed to meet them all here, you'll greet them and discuss your plans for the battle" Gregor nodded once again. "I'll be taking majority of our soldiers but your new allies should make up for that." Thorren climbed to his horse "Farewell my son" "farewell father" Father and son bid eachother farewell when suddenly Thorren stopped "One more thing, every Branfield has to die, orders are to completely eradicate them." Gregor gulped, dark days are coming his way.
Well, it was worth the wait! And I love the parallels between Asher and Malcolm, that are developing already. The Gregor section in particular was also pleasant surprise - it'll be interesting to see what he was like before becoming lord... and how his altercation with the Branfield's pan out.
So, yeah, great start!
This is going to make up for an interesting dynamic between the Forresters, Degores, Glenmores and Whitehills. Also I can't wait to meet the Degores especially since we've only gotten to known one in the game.
Oh hell yes, you're writing a story! This is amazing and I'm really interested into the topic of it. Thinking about it, a story about the Branfield's during Robert's Rebellion is a fascinating topic and I'm looking forward for what you'll make with it. Count me in, count me in so much
As for this part, it was a really nice introduction. I'm already loving Malcolm and I think I'm really going to enjoy his storyline a lot XD I feel like he could have been used more in the game, so I am happy to see parts from his PoV in your story. Gregor was great as well, it's interesting to see this younger version of him. Only thing I was surprised about is the mention of Elissa. I might be wrong here and it has been some time since I last played the game, but wasn't Elissa married to Gregor after the Rebellion? I might very well be wrong here of course and it doesn't bother me too much, but I think that's what I've heard.
As for your writing itself, it is great! I especially like the dialogue, that feels quite lively. Only thing I'd suggest would be to include some paragraphs in the parts, that would make things more pleasant on the eye. Again, it doesn't bother me too much, but it would certainly make it easier to keep focussed while reading, especially during the dialogue. I think, the dialogue coul profit the most from paragraphs, as it would also make it more clear who is speaking. But well, that is only minor. Every other aspect of your writing is highly enjoyable!
Anyways, I am excited to see where you're going to take this story! I'll soon try to get in contact with you about submitting a character
YESSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YOU'VE MADE ONE!!!!!
100% going to join. Do you prefer pms or or just posting it here?
PMs please
Oh wow, My face lit up when I realized you had commented. Glad to see you here
As for Elissa, I thought the same originally but when I was looking up stuff to see what I knew about House Branfield, the codex said she was married during the rebellion and that she felt conflicted between her loyalty to her family and to her husband.
Good advice about the paragraphs, I appreciate it and keep it in mind
Hey guys, it would be superb, if someone could show me how to edit the thread.
Until the forums are fully fixed again, you can only use a workaround. To be precise, you have to open a direct link to the page where you can edit the thread. In your case, it should be this link, which is only going to work for you as the creator of the thread:
https://telltale.com/community/post/editdiscussion/108440
Already following, will think of some character and will send you later.
And I'm glad to be here, I'm sure this is going to be amazing!
Ah, I see, that is interesting. I have made some research of my own yesterday and found weirdly conflicting sources. The GoT wiki says she was married to Gregor before the rebellion and that she was conflicted about where her loyalties should lie, while the Telltale GoT wiki says she married him in the aftermath of the rebellion and that she saw herself as a prisoner at Ironrath until she grew to love Gregor. I currently don't have the game installed though I'd say the codex can be safely considered the definitive canon. Both versions offer interesting possibilities. I'm curious, do you plan to show her in the story?
Happy to be of service! It should be more easy on the eyes with the paragraphs, less distracting, so that it'll be easier to fully focus on your writing!
Yeah I did notice the conflicting stuff about Elissa, the website and the game says two different things.
I don't want to get your hopes up so let me clarify that Royland is the only Degore I have planned at the moment. Sorry to disappoint
I started to write Degore and then saw this message... I will rewrite then. Too bad, it was becoming nice character
Thanks for that Liquid, you the man!
ARGH! I'm sorry. You may have missed it but in the actual thread description, I said I wouldn't be accepting characters that are actual members of the main families in the story.
So originally I did say I wouldn't be accepting members from Houses Degore, Glenmore, Forrester and Branfield.
If you really, really, REALLY feel the need to submit a character from those families, PM me first asking if it's okay and I might make an exception. Don't get your hopes up though.
That is also true... well, my bad then, I simply erased that information after reading it from my head , dunno even why. I guess I have too much on my mind not to record it properly and excitation of new story got me.
Edit: and my message got magically cut after a smiley from my phone which did not even display, where I mentioned I will postpone my submission for next week or so because I have busy weekend in front. :-)
It's cool. If you really want to use the character pm me what you have. Either I make an exception and accept the character or we'll have to make a couple changes.
I already closed file without saving. :-( I will think of something new, don't worry.
if it works on phone, use ClipDiary
I do have a couple appearances planned for Elissa but she isn't a major character. The Branfields will mention her a few times.
Branfield could be south of Cornfield along one of 3 likely lines on this map
http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Cornfield
Also, unless it is stated that they are from the Reach I would think the late joiners to the Rebellion, House Lannister's Westerlands would fit better for their location, close to the Reach though. Why? Because the Tyrells were pro-Targaryen loyalist since the start and still never lost any lands or titles, neither do I think any of their vassals did. Meanwhile, Lannisters sided with Robert in the rebellion later, and the Lannisters are known in history to remove titles, lands, lives of vassal dynasties which go against them. As such, I believe House Branfield was just as the nearby Reachmen noble houses supporting the Iron Throne against the rebels at start, and they were left alone by the Lannisters until they joined the rebel side, once this happened suddenly the Branfields became traitors inside the Westerlands due to their loyalty to the Iron Throne, as such they suffered the same consequences as so many other Westerland houses did against the Lannisters.
This is my theory, why I believe it isn't a dynasty in the Reach, but a family located somewhere close to the Reach inside the Westerlands.
Based on this, I marked 3 locations as likely in the Westerlands, near the Reach with an X, from left to right, from most likely to least likely location.
The more Branfields the better no? Considering we know only one survives it ensures a lot of deaths.
Nonetheless I still think it will make for a good set-up! More screen time with Royland works fine by me. I'm curious to know this but does Royland already have his scars by the time Robert's Rebellion starts?
He has a couple, but not all, he's still young.
It could be in the crownlands for the same reason. Since it isn't known yet the location of their seat can be almost anywhere you want.
In a way, but I've already thought up arcs for the Branfields and adding more forces me to find a way to squeeze them in somewhere.
True, even the Crownlands could fit better, because then they would be directly under the rule of the King, which is at start a Targaryen then Robert Baratheon and he could just as well strip them of land and title, unlike House Tyrell's Reach
Still, I find the Westerlands the most plausible location, because in the South of it you find Cornfield, Greenfield, Sarsfield, nearby also Inchfield (Inchfield is situated on the border between the Reach ,Westerlands & Riverlands)
edit: although the canon Inchfield location seems to be wrong, as there is no border where the Reach, Westerlands, and Riverlands have common borders, it is probably supposed to be the Crownlands instead Riverlands in the description
OK. Gotta ask you a few questions first.
Wow do you know your GOT lore. Good job man
.
considering that I made most of the coat of arms around that location for the ck2 GoT mod I had some research time spent on it
Still, good job.
Thanks, but in the end it's up to @AgentZ46 to decide the location.
Yes I know, I also ended up saying no to some ideas you had for my story. But the clear effort you put into this deserves appreciation.