Gryff's garrison has a lot of references to animals and dogs:
"He's mine. A dog to be sure, but my dog." - Gryff regarding Duncan
"Stay in the mud... like a dog!" - Gryff
"The dogs still whimper when he walks past the kennels." - Gwyn regarding Gryff
"I'm not going to be the bone they throw that howling dog." - Elaena regarding Gryff
"Rodrik, tell your dog to obey his new master." - Gryff regarding Ortengryn
"Or what's left after we fed it to the dogs." - Harys regarding Asher
Harys's unused line for episode 6: "Come on, pup!" which I reused here.
I believe it's all to do with how the garrison (and Gryff in particular) are viewed as nothing more than animals. Because they're so desperate to overpower everyone in Ironrath, they refer to them as animals and try to control them as such.
It's part of why I matched up Harys and Josera. Harys treats people like dogs and was the adopted son of a kennel master, so dogs have always been a big part of his life. Josera, meanwhile, is a warg and animals have been a big part of his life. So it's the two animal guys going up against each other.
Okay, it seems to me that the evil twin has... A thing for laughing maniacally when defeating his foes. &, you know, just a thing for evil laughter in general. I like how this became his quirk of sorts in the au. This Harys keeps the same asshole-ish charisma he possessed in the game, which makes him really stand out.
Ngl, I used to think him breaking those news would be handled a bit... Differently. Certainly thought there'd be Gryff nearby to witness it, but hey, that can still happen. Well... Only if neither of them gets killed soon.... Nvm, that ain't happening, ignorance is kind & that'd be the first kindness the fourthborn has received in a while, so that's for the best xD
I do have a feeling, that one of my predictions has a chance of coming true right now. Beskha stabbing Harys in the back (Elissa-style, yo) seems like something that can happen. It'd be a shame if she killed him right away though, because I am hyped for the direct revelation of his betrayal to Gryff. Maybe an epic fight instead, with something interrupting it in the end? Don't know, but I strongly believe a battle between them will occur at some point. She certainly wants that revenge for Asher & like hell she's missing the chance. Probably will still be the one to end him, I have no hope for his survival... Just for him lasting a tad longer, for the reason mentioned above.
Lately I'm getting strong shipping vibes for Ashara & Josera, I wonder if that's intentional or not... Not gonna judge, but I am quite worried for the well-being of the growly teddy bear warg. He has strangely grown on me in the au. Btw, for a person who has spent a month in a cage, Ashara looks like a damn supermodel. Or did Gryff allow them to take baths there? Jeez, hopefully it didn't happen right in the courtyard, for the whole garrison to see o_o
I love it how I theorize stuff about what's gonna happen so much, that I start believing in it — & then something completely different happens in the au, making plot twists even more surprising. It's even more interesting this way. Although Harys's status is unknown, I doubt this has killed him (where's his helmet, btw? could've made those hits far less impactful & painful). Therefore, my predictions about his fight with Beskha & confrontation with Gryff are still alive & kicking. & I love how you used Josera's warging skills, bc honestly, all this magic stuff deserves attention & place in the plot. So happy you're putting all the details to good use.
Tomorrow's the duel some of you have probably been waiting on for a while.
I don't think it means switching POVs, so, I guess, Gared & Gryff are on the way?.. Waiting for the next post is gonna be tough with this one. Tfw I honestly don't know whom I root for & just want everyone to survive... Well, same as most times, but my two literal sons trying to kill each other undoubtedly will be hard to watch.
Yeah, it's loosely based on a chapter in the books where someone tried to warg into another human who reacted madly and went into a frenzy before expelling them from their mind.
So basically, Josera warged Harys, Harys went berserk and panicked but Josera withdrew after the first hit from Ashara.
Gryff's fighting style isn't that good compared to Gared's. Gared fought and survived the Freys, Whitehills, Wildlings, and the White Walkers. Gryff on the other hand barely fights. He didn't fight when he ambushed Rodrik and Asher, and when he faced Rodrik/Asher in battle he sucked. In my opinion Gryff's survival rate against Gared is really low. But then again you never know.
I wouldn't exactly say Gryff sucked when fighting Rodrik/Asher. With Rodrik he did perform a rather swell move with that small dagger of his; I believe, his problem was that he got cocky in the end, that was more of tactical mistake. In Asher's version, well, tbh, I'll never stop believing Gryff actually outmached him in terms of skill. Asher won by pure luck (or, the way I as a player see this, because plot demanded it), Gryff was an utter fury storm, while remaining collected enough not to do anything stupid, like in Rod's verse. Asher only really overpowered him quickly in the scenario, where Ludd was poisoned. It was also so bc the plot required it, but witnessing his father's death probably had a toll on him too. So, I'd say Gryff's a good fighter. Not as great as Rodrik, but at least equal to Asher, or even better at times.
Gryff's fighting style isn't that good compared to Gared's. Gared fought and survived the Freys, Whitehills, Wildlings, and the White Walker… mores. Gryff on the other hand barely fights. He didn't fight when he ambushed Rodrik and Asher, and when he faced Rodrik/Asher in battle he sucked. In my opinion Gryff's survival rate against Gared is really low. But then again you never know.
The images do look dynamic — again, both because you're great with the models & postures & because characters are very alive. Seriously, today's post hit me with all sorts of unexpected feelings. Gared offering Gryff to surrender & keep his life... It's just, oh my god, oh sweet jesus :— ; Gared, why are you so pure. It never had a chance, but it did fill me with joy. You see, in the game timeline, Gryff had a chance of surrendering, the way I see it. Not immediately, of course — rather only when realizing that there's no other way. Now, however, there is that Torrhen factor. At this point, as we all can see, Gryff's driven by pure fear of failing & being punished by him again. That fear may (or may not) be even stronger than the fear of dying. Something outstanding needs to happen to save Gryff, because now there's really no way out for him, stuck between a rock and a hard place. I don't want to believe he'll die. I really don't. But I have less & less faith left. Now he's more likely to do something even Gared won't forgive than ever. I have that very, very bad feeling telling me this. Something horrible is on the way (forgive me for dramatizing... as you can imagine, I'm v worried right now).
I wouldn't exactly say Gryff sucked when fighting Rodrik/Asher. With Rodrik he did perform a rather swell move with that small dagger of his… more; I believe, his problem was that he got cocky in the end, that was more of tactical mistake. In Asher's version, well, tbh, I'll never stop believing Gryff actually outmached him in terms of skill. Asher won by pure luck (or, the way I as a player see this, because plot demanded it), Gryff was an utter fury storm, while remaining collected enough not to do anything stupid, like in Rod's verse. Asher only really overpowered him quickly in the scenario, where Ludd was poisoned. It was also so bc the plot required it, but witnessing his father's death probably had a toll on him too. So, I'd say Gryff's a good fighter. Not as great as Rodrik, but at least equal to Asher, or even better at times.
The problem is I don't think anyone besides Beskha actually has a proper 'fighting style' in the game. A lot of animations are reused and actions depend on the setting a character is fighting in. The only character I do think has a fighting style is Beskha because she has unique animations for dual wielding, and something that bothers me is that Asher in particular picks up the greatsword in Episode 6 like he's been using one all his life, when he shouldn't be as good with it as Rodrik or Gregor who seemed to have used them more often.
I wouldn't say it's a significant goal I have, but in the AU I kind of want to give characters a more unique fighting style. After Season 1 Gared's become more reliant on his environment and isn't afraid to fight dirty even if he is fairly honourable as a person. We've seen that Torrhen has more experience dual wielding than fighting with a greatsword as he passed up the latter to use two swords instead.
Gryff's fighting style isn't that good compared to Gared's. Gared fought and survived the Freys, Whitehills, Wildlings, and the White Walker… mores. Gryff on the other hand barely fights. He didn't fight when he ambushed Rodrik and Asher, and when he faced Rodrik/Asher in battle he sucked. In my opinion Gryff's survival rate against Gared is really low. But then again you never know.
Oh come Gared, just look at all the blood in your hair. That's never gonna wash out...
Seriously though, Gared's facial expressions are absolutely golden. Hehe, Ima just stare at them for a while...
Here we go again. Another Whitehill that thinks we're gonna give a fuck about his so called friends. Mate, we're fighting a war, we ain't got time for this. Also he's making the same mistake Gared did. Someone is gonna shank him from behind. Probably Finn or Tom.
Man, Gryff seems rather passionate about that head collection of his. Never missing a chance to get himself a new one. And Durstan's basically acting like Derrock Crowl 2.0 here... Which makes me feel like he's gonna end the same way his predecessor did D: In fact, I didn't recognize him right away, maybe because he looks kinda generic among other Whitehill men, there was certainly another dude there, looking like him. Makes it sadder that he mentioned Grenn, their brotp was the best (RIP Grenn, btw, don't think I'm unaffected by my other son's death) :— ; On the other hand, seems a bit hypocritical of him to accuse Gared of killing their men after leaving them there & fleeing himself. Yeah, it was kinda necessary to warn Gryff about the coming attackers, but still.
Also, I wonder what is the safe place Gryff left for? I thought "safety" meant Ironrath, but he seems to be heading in the courtyard, towards the battle. Out to hunt for more heads, is he now?.. Wouldn't be surprised. This man does everything in his power to get himself killed & finally shatter my already battered heart. Mark my words, he'll do it to me one day. Just y'all watch.
I think the command to have Durstan bring him Gared's head was more of a spur-of-the-moment comment which he made while flustered - I'd say it was just the same as saying 'make sure he dies'... but maybe Gryff's been so set on heads that it's just become habit.
In fact, I didn't recognize him right away, maybe because he looks kinda generic among other Whitehill men, there was certainly another dude there, looking like him.
I find that Remus Ashwood and Durstan look somewhat alike, but I didn't realise until after Durstan's first scene so it was too late to change his appearance significantly. That said, I did scar him up a bit more to make him stand out at least a bit:
Also, I wonder what is the safe place Gryff left for? I thought "safety" meant Ironrath, but he seems to be heading in the courtyard, towards the battle.
At this point he's just running around like a headless chicken hoping to get away. He already thinks everything's ruined so where he'll go now pretty much depends on the immediate decisions he makes after Durstan tells him to flee.
Man, Gryff seems rather passionate about that head collection of his. Never missing a chance to get himself a new one. And Durstan's basical… morely acting like Derrock Crowl 2.0 here... Which makes me feel like he's gonna end the same way his predecessor did D: In fact, I didn't recognize him right away, maybe because he looks kinda generic among other Whitehill men, there was certainly another dude there, looking like him. Makes it sadder that he mentioned Grenn, their brotp was the best (RIP Grenn, btw, don't think I'm unaffected by my other son's death) :— ; On the other hand, seems a bit hypocritical of him to accuse Gared of killing their men after leaving them there & fleeing himself. Yeah, it was kinda necessary to warn Gryff about the coming attackers, but still.
Also, I wonder what is the safe place Gryff left for? I thought "safety" meant Ironrath, but he seems to be heading in the courtyard, towards the battle. Out to hunt for mo… [view original content]
Hmm, ok, Badger, this is irrelevant to current au's part (well, partially so, cuz Elsera's warriors are around), but I've been looking through old posts & came up with a little something. Remember saying that we have already seen the Skelly/Bonehead hollow, but not in the original game? The wiki says he was a watcher before dying. Is there a chance that Skelly is actually Eyron Forrester's resurrected corpse, since the latter died defending the North Grove? Just my theory, but I'm curious whether it could possibly be true or not.
Just wondering, did the Forresters have an Elite Guard before the War of the 5 Kings, Because given that the Whitehills and the Glenmores had one, shouldn't the Forresters maybe have had one as well??
I never imagined they did - the Glenmore Elite Guard seems to be a major staple of their house while the Whitehill one is a new fixture formed when Torrhen became lord. Before that, the Whitehill Elite were just warriors Torrhen kept a close eye on.
Just wondering, did the Forresters have an Elite Guard before the War of the 5 Kings, Because given that the Whitehills and the Glenmores had one, shouldn't the Forresters maybe have had one as well??
Hmm, ok, Badger, this is irrelevant to current au's part (well, partially so, cuz Elsera's warriors are around), but I've been looking throu… moregh old posts & came up with a little something. Remember saying that we have already seen the Skelly/Bonehead hollow, but not in the original game? The wiki says he was a watcher before dying. Is there a chance that Skelly is actually Eyron Forrester's resurrected corpse, since the latter died defending the North Grove? Just my theory, but I'm curious whether it could possibly be true or not.
It would be epic if Rodrik formed an Elite Guard of slave warriors Asher brought to the Westeros. I imagined Amaya in some kind of northern-assasin style of armour and Beast in heavy armor. Ahh, game wasted such a potential. It would be even more epic if Asher was a leader of them but we all know what happened in the game if we saved Rodrik.
I never imagined they did - the Glenmore Elite Guard seems to be a major staple of their house while the Whitehill one is a new fixture formed when Torrhen became lord. Before that, the Whitehill Elite were just warriors Torrhen kept a close eye on.
Comments
Gryff's garrison has a lot of references to animals and dogs:
I believe it's all to do with how the garrison (and Gryff in particular) are viewed as nothing more than animals. Because they're so desperate to overpower everyone in Ironrath, they refer to them as animals and try to control them as such.
It's part of why I matched up Harys and Josera. Harys treats people like dogs and was the adopted son of a kennel master, so dogs have always been a big part of his life. Josera, meanwhile, is a warg and animals have been a big part of his life. So it's the two animal guys going up against each other.
Okay, it seems to me that the evil twin has... A thing for laughing maniacally when defeating his foes. &, you know, just a thing for evil laughter in general. I like how this became his quirk of sorts in the au. This Harys keeps the same asshole-ish charisma he possessed in the game, which makes him really stand out.
Ngl, I used to think him breaking those news would be handled a bit... Differently. Certainly thought there'd be Gryff nearby to witness it, but hey, that can still happen. Well... Only if neither of them gets killed soon.... Nvm, that ain't happening, ignorance is kind & that'd be the first kindness the fourthborn has received in a while, so that's for the best xD
I do have a feeling, that one of my predictions has a chance of coming true right now. Beskha stabbing Harys in the back (Elissa-style, yo) seems like something that can happen. It'd be a shame if she killed him right away though, because I am hyped for the direct revelation of his betrayal to Gryff. Maybe an epic fight instead, with something interrupting it in the end? Don't know, but I strongly believe a battle between them will occur at some point. She certainly wants that revenge for Asher & like hell she's missing the chance. Probably will still be the one to end him, I have no hope for his survival... Just for him lasting a tad longer, for the reason mentioned above.
Part 3.96
Tomorrow's the duel some of you have probably been waiting on for a while.
Whoa. What did Josera do?
Warged into Harys, I think? Well, just tried to, not gaining control fully, but enough to stop him from murdering him.
Lately I'm getting strong shipping vibes for Ashara & Josera, I wonder if that's intentional or not... Not gonna judge, but I am quite worried for the well-being of the growly teddy bear warg. He has strangely grown on me in the au. Btw, for a person who has spent a month in a cage, Ashara looks like a damn supermodel. Or did Gryff allow them to take baths there? Jeez, hopefully it didn't happen right in the courtyard, for the whole garrison to see o_o
I love it how I theorize stuff about what's gonna happen so much, that I start believing in it — & then something completely different happens in the au, making plot twists even more surprising. It's even more interesting this way. Although Harys's status is unknown, I doubt this has killed him (where's his helmet, btw? could've made those hits far less impactful & painful). Therefore, my predictions about his fight with Beskha & confrontation with Gryff are still alive & kicking. & I love how you used Josera's warging skills, bc honestly, all this magic stuff deserves attention & place in the plot. So happy you're putting all the details to good use.
I don't think it means switching POVs, so, I guess, Gared & Gryff are on the way?.. Waiting for the next post is gonna be tough with this one. Tfw I honestly don't know whom I root for & just want everyone to survive... Well, same as most times, but my two literal sons trying to kill each other undoubtedly will be hard to watch.
Yeah, it's loosely based on a chapter in the books where someone tried to warg into another human who reacted madly and went into a frenzy before expelling them from their mind.
So basically, Josera warged Harys, Harys went berserk and panicked but Josera withdrew after the first hit from Ashara.
I LOVE HER!
Part 3.97
It's so hard making still images look dynamic, you guys have no idea.
don't worry, it is dynamic to me.
Good to know : D
The time has finally come. Iron from ice!
Gared vs Gryff
Gryff's fighting style isn't that good compared to Gared's. Gared fought and survived the Freys, Whitehills, Wildlings, and the White Walkers. Gryff on the other hand barely fights. He didn't fight when he ambushed Rodrik and Asher, and when he faced Rodrik/Asher in battle he sucked. In my opinion Gryff's survival rate against Gared is really low. But then again you never know.
I wouldn't exactly say Gryff sucked when fighting Rodrik/Asher. With Rodrik he did perform a rather swell move with that small dagger of his; I believe, his problem was that he got cocky in the end, that was more of tactical mistake. In Asher's version, well, tbh, I'll never stop believing Gryff actually outmached him in terms of skill. Asher won by pure luck (or, the way I as a player see this, because plot demanded it), Gryff was an utter fury storm, while remaining collected enough not to do anything stupid, like in Rod's verse. Asher only really overpowered him quickly in the scenario, where Ludd was poisoned. It was also so bc the plot required it, but witnessing his father's death probably had a toll on him too. So, I'd say Gryff's a good fighter. Not as great as Rodrik, but at least equal to Asher, or even better at times.
The images do look dynamic — again, both because you're great with the models & postures & because characters are very alive. Seriously, today's post hit me with all sorts of unexpected feelings. Gared offering Gryff to surrender & keep his life... It's just, oh my god, oh sweet jesus :— ; Gared, why are you so pure. It never had a chance, but it did fill me with joy. You see, in the game timeline, Gryff had a chance of surrendering, the way I see it. Not immediately, of course — rather only when realizing that there's no other way. Now, however, there is that Torrhen factor. At this point, as we all can see, Gryff's driven by pure fear of failing & being punished by him again. That fear may (or may not) be even stronger than the fear of dying. Something outstanding needs to happen to save Gryff, because now there's really no way out for him, stuck between a rock and a hard place. I don't want to believe he'll die. I really don't. But I have less & less faith left. Now he's more likely to do something even Gared won't forgive than ever. I have that very, very bad feeling telling me this. Something horrible is on the way (forgive me for dramatizing... as you can imagine, I'm v worried right now).
Given how the game shows it (which I don't like), Rodrik has the same skill as Asher does.
The problem is I don't think anyone besides Beskha actually has a proper 'fighting style' in the game. A lot of animations are reused and actions depend on the setting a character is fighting in. The only character I do think has a fighting style is Beskha because she has unique animations for dual wielding, and something that bothers me is that Asher in particular picks up the greatsword in Episode 6 like he's been using one all his life, when he shouldn't be as good with it as Rodrik or Gregor who seemed to have used them more often.
I wouldn't say it's a significant goal I have, but in the AU I kind of want to give characters a more unique fighting style. After Season 1 Gared's become more reliant on his environment and isn't afraid to fight dirty even if he is fairly honourable as a person. We've seen that Torrhen has more experience dual wielding than fighting with a greatsword as he passed up the latter to use two swords instead.
Part 3.98
Oh come Gared, just look at all the blood in your hair. That's never gonna wash out...
Seriously though, Gared's facial expressions are absolutely golden. Hehe, Ima just stare at them for a while...
I'm gonna make this my new avatar
Get him, Gared! Kick his arse!
Niceeeeee!
Part 3.99
Watch yo back.
Spear through the leg! He's no Rodrik, he says XD
Dammit. Gared just doesn't have any luck with his leg, does he?
Aw, goddammit! That cheating bastard.
That's two times that leg of Gared's got stabbed.
this is the same leg that got hurt in the episode 1 of the game?
...Gared, mate... Like seriously, we need to chat man. Like, what the fuck was that?
...
I feel emotionally hurt and it doesn't help that I've been laughing for five minutes straight so...
Badger, you hurt me, I am hurt.
It's the other one. So now he has two gammy legs.
Here we go again. Another Whitehill that thinks we're gonna give a fuck about his so called friends. Mate, we're fighting a war, we ain't got time for this. Also he's making the same mistake Gared did. Someone is gonna shank him from behind. Probably Finn or Tom.
Man, Gryff seems rather passionate about that head collection of his. Never missing a chance to get himself a new one. And Durstan's basically acting like Derrock Crowl 2.0 here... Which makes me feel like he's gonna end the same way his predecessor did D: In fact, I didn't recognize him right away, maybe because he looks kinda generic among other Whitehill men, there was certainly another dude there, looking like him. Makes it sadder that he mentioned Grenn, their brotp was the best (RIP Grenn, btw, don't think I'm unaffected by my other son's death) :— ; On the other hand, seems a bit hypocritical of him to accuse Gared of killing their men after leaving them there & fleeing himself. Yeah, it was kinda necessary to warn Gryff about the coming attackers, but still.
Also, I wonder what is the safe place Gryff left for? I thought "safety" meant Ironrath, but he seems to be heading in the courtyard, towards the battle. Out to hunt for more heads, is he now?.. Wouldn't be surprised. This man does everything in his power to get himself killed & finally shatter my already battered heart. Mark my words, he'll do it to me one day. Just y'all watch.
I think the command to have Durstan bring him Gared's head was more of a spur-of-the-moment comment which he made while flustered - I'd say it was just the same as saying 'make sure he dies'... but maybe Gryff's been so set on heads that it's just become habit.
I find that Remus Ashwood and Durstan look somewhat alike, but I didn't realise until after Durstan's first scene so it was too late to change his appearance significantly. That said, I did scar him up a bit more to make him stand out at least a bit:
At this point he's just running around like a headless chicken hoping to get away. He already thinks everything's ruined so where he'll go now pretty much depends on the immediate decisions he makes after Durstan tells him to flee.
Hmm, ok, Badger, this is irrelevant to current au's part (well, partially so, cuz Elsera's warriors are around), but I've been looking through old posts & came up with a little something. Remember saying that we have already seen the Skelly/Bonehead hollow, but not in the original game? The wiki says he was a watcher before dying. Is there a chance that Skelly is actually Eyron Forrester's resurrected corpse, since the latter died defending the North Grove? Just my theory, but I'm curious whether it could possibly be true or not.
poor Gared
Just wondering, did the Forresters have an Elite Guard before the War of the 5 Kings, Because given that the Whitehills and the Glenmores had one, shouldn't the Forresters maybe have had one as well??
Part 3.100
Blood magic: not even once.
Also this is the first (and last) part to break 100 posts : O
I never imagined they did - the Glenmore Elite Guard seems to be a major staple of their house while the Whitehill one is a new fixture formed when Torrhen became lord. Before that, the Whitehill Elite were just warriors Torrhen kept a close eye on.
M-m-m-maybe.
It would be epic if Rodrik formed an Elite Guard of slave warriors Asher brought to the Westeros. I imagined Amaya in some kind of northern-assasin style of armour and Beast in heavy armor. Ahh, game wasted such a potential. It would be even more epic if Asher was a leader of them but we all know what happened in the game if we saved Rodrik.
What is happening to Elsera?