Instantly, tears welled up in Kersea's eyes. “No...”, she gasped. “No!” She felt Clayton removing the pressure from her neck, as he put away… more his sword. “Oh, this is incredible”, he chuckled, as he gave Alysanne a nod. “Don't worry, I won't kill your precious little friend. Leaving her alive like this is so much more satisfying. Oh, if only Terroma could be here to see it...”
Sluggishly, Kersea got back onto her feet, as Alysanne approached her, with a hopeful, innocent smile on her face. “Puppy”, she said, as Kersea tensed up. “It's done. She won't get between us ever again” Her smile widened, as she spread her arms.
“What have you done?”, Kersea asked in a monotone voice, her eyes set onto the spot where Alysanne had just pushed her best friend out of the window. And Raenna was her best friend, had been. Her hesitation to fight had proven it once again. Her best friend, gone in an instant. “What have you done?”, she repeated.
A conf… [view original content]
Well, this was a deadly part, eh? I was so bummed when Alysanne pushed Raenna out the window, so obviously I'm very happy that she survived after all, and I don't want to take any chances here. Can't say I'm too sad for Harris, but at least he was helpful in the end. And Alysanne, I must say that she is probably one of the most tragic characters of the story, but I think this was a fitting end for her.
Instantly, tears welled up in Kersea's eyes. “No...”, she gasped. “No!” She felt Clayton removing the pressure from her neck, as he put away… more his sword. “Oh, this is incredible”, he chuckled, as he gave Alysanne a nod. “Don't worry, I won't kill your precious little friend. Leaving her alive like this is so much more satisfying. Oh, if only Terroma could be here to see it...”
Sluggishly, Kersea got back onto her feet, as Alysanne approached her, with a hopeful, innocent smile on her face. “Puppy”, she said, as Kersea tensed up. “It's done. She won't get between us ever again” Her smile widened, as she spread her arms.
“What have you done?”, Kersea asked in a monotone voice, her eyes set onto the spot where Alysanne had just pushed her best friend out of the window. And Raenna was her best friend, had been. Her hesitation to fight had proven it once again. Her best friend, gone in an instant. “What have you done?”, she repeated.
A conf… [view original content]
I think this is the only correct choice in here. I don't think Clayton will just stand and watch, when Kersea is trying to save Raenna. I know it seems wrong, but what if Clayton simply just fall on her and then all 3 of then will fall down? If he have strength to scream, he have strength to act in rage, in which he clearly is.
As for part... huh. Did not think that 2 characters will die. I feel sorry for Alysanne though, because she did what she thought is correct and followed her heart in it till the end - sacrificing herself. As crazy and psychotic she was, she found a part of human behavior in herself because of Kersea and some kind of friendship. Harris? Well, honestly I don't feel sorry for his death, especially after his last appearance and what he did.
Instantly, tears welled up in Kersea's eyes. “No...”, she gasped. “No!” She felt Clayton removing the pressure from her neck, as he put away… more his sword. “Oh, this is incredible”, he chuckled, as he gave Alysanne a nod. “Don't worry, I won't kill your precious little friend. Leaving her alive like this is so much more satisfying. Oh, if only Terroma could be here to see it...”
Sluggishly, Kersea got back onto her feet, as Alysanne approached her, with a hopeful, innocent smile on her face. “Puppy”, she said, as Kersea tensed up. “It's done. She won't get between us ever again” Her smile widened, as she spread her arms.
“What have you done?”, Kersea asked in a monotone voice, her eyes set onto the spot where Alysanne had just pushed her best friend out of the window. And Raenna was her best friend, had been. Her hesitation to fight had proven it once again. Her best friend, gone in an instant. “What have you done?”, she repeated.
A conf… [view original content]
[Try to save Raenna] She'' probably gonna go otherwise. And I really don't want to lose another good character.
I really felt like this scene was a bit like s2 e5 of twdg. And I also got the governor vibe with 'Liar.'. But that was just great. Fantastic bloody work on this one, Liquid.
Instantly, tears welled up in Kersea's eyes. “No...”, she gasped. “No!” She felt Clayton removing the pressure from her neck, as he put away… more his sword. “Oh, this is incredible”, he chuckled, as he gave Alysanne a nod. “Don't worry, I won't kill your precious little friend. Leaving her alive like this is so much more satisfying. Oh, if only Terroma could be here to see it...”
Sluggishly, Kersea got back onto her feet, as Alysanne approached her, with a hopeful, innocent smile on her face. “Puppy”, she said, as Kersea tensed up. “It's done. She won't get between us ever again” Her smile widened, as she spread her arms.
“What have you done?”, Kersea asked in a monotone voice, her eyes set onto the spot where Alysanne had just pushed her best friend out of the window. And Raenna was her best friend, had been. Her hesitation to fight had proven it once again. Her best friend, gone in an instant. “What have you done?”, she repeated.
A conf… [view original content]
Instantly, tears welled up in Kersea's eyes. “No...”, she gasped. “No!” She felt Clayton removing the pressure from her neck, as he put away… more his sword. “Oh, this is incredible”, he chuckled, as he gave Alysanne a nod. “Don't worry, I won't kill your precious little friend. Leaving her alive like this is so much more satisfying. Oh, if only Terroma could be here to see it...”
Sluggishly, Kersea got back onto her feet, as Alysanne approached her, with a hopeful, innocent smile on her face. “Puppy”, she said, as Kersea tensed up. “It's done. She won't get between us ever again” Her smile widened, as she spread her arms.
“What have you done?”, Kersea asked in a monotone voice, her eyes set onto the spot where Alysanne had just pushed her best friend out of the window. And Raenna was her best friend, had been. Her hesitation to fight had proven it once again. Her best friend, gone in an instant. “What have you done?”, she repeated.
A conf… [view original content]
Instantly, tears welled up in Kersea's eyes. “No...”, she gasped. “No!” She felt Clayton removing the pressure from her neck, as he put away… more his sword. “Oh, this is incredible”, he chuckled, as he gave Alysanne a nod. “Don't worry, I won't kill your precious little friend. Leaving her alive like this is so much more satisfying. Oh, if only Terroma could be here to see it...”
Sluggishly, Kersea got back onto her feet, as Alysanne approached her, with a hopeful, innocent smile on her face. “Puppy”, she said, as Kersea tensed up. “It's done. She won't get between us ever again” Her smile widened, as she spread her arms.
“What have you done?”, Kersea asked in a monotone voice, her eyes set onto the spot where Alysanne had just pushed her best friend out of the window. And Raenna was her best friend, had been. Her hesitation to fight had proven it once again. Her best friend, gone in an instant. “What have you done?”, she repeated.
A conf… [view original content]
Oh man we made the right choice. Now that one psycho is dead, we can kill another and let another one die.
Not sure if I'd call Raenna a psycho here. She is by far the most stable of the assassins and one of the more stable characters in general, not counting her relatively short temper, which is a trait that runs in the family. And there wasn't even that much that could have been changed about this part. The deaths of Harris and Alysanne have been planned for a while now, even though a very specific set of choices could have seen both of them living for longer for a little bit.
Harris you have redeemed yourself in my eyes. Ah. Death leads to redemption. Sadly Lucas did not pursue you. If he did, maybe we get to save you and kill Kersea. At least Raenna may die. That's good.
Well, that was one thing I was curious about, if Harris' actions here would redeem himself in some eyes. Unfortunately, there was no way to save him here. His death was planned ever since I first thought of this part, although he originally wouldn't have been killed by Kersea, but mortally wounded by Clayton, which would have led to him bleeding out in Kersea's next part. Ultimately, I changed it to give Clayton a dose of karma and Harris a more badass death. You may remember Noelle's prophecy towards Raenna from the beginning of the chapter:
“A long road comes to an end, a book will be closed. She will kill the knight, one way or the other”
Of course, Noelle could have been wrong another time, but the knight she saw Kersea killing has always been Harris. If Lucas would have followed them, he would have arrived too late to affect anything in this fight and even then, it is highly questionable if he would have saved Harris after the shit he pulled in his last part. Instead, he would have arrived in Kersea's next part. Since Kersea is definitely not on Clayton's side and since Lucas is way more reasonable than Harris and would have actually seen how Kersea could be a useful ally, he wouldn't have even harmed her. It would have been Harris whom he probably would have killed, if given the chance. That said, I hope you are aware that Harris' survival would have posed a considerable threat to the knights of Raylansfair, because he had every intention of going through with his plan of banishing them or killing them if they would refuse. For the seemingly greater good, yes, but he would have certainly went through with this plan.
Yes, yes. There's nothing better than when your least favorite characters die or get horribly injured.
Heh, I know what you mean. Though I did not enjoy killing off these two, who have been in the story for a seriously long time, I can understand your feeling. And well, I had the fleeting suspicion that you'd enjoy this part at the very least, considering that it put a lot of your lesser or least favourite characters in a deathmatch against each other.
[Try to kill Clayton]
Oh man we made the right choice. Now that one psycho is dead, we can kill another and let another one die.
Harri… mores you have redeemed yourself in my eyes. Ah. Death leads to redemption. Sadly Lucas did not pursue you. If he did, maybe we get to save you and kill Kersea. At least Raenna may die. That's good.
Yes, yes. There's nothing better than when your least favorite characters die or get horribly injured.
Good, good. Good writing. Good death.
Agh! What the fuuuuck! Why did you kill of Harris?? I loved the man. And if I am not entirely wrong, he was the character that's been with us the longest that is, sorry was, still alive, right? So I will cheer for him in this new year.
Yeah, Harris is one of the biggest deaths in this chapter, the only character still alive from the prologue. Unfortunately, his death was a logical consequence of some of his less desirable character traits. He attacked Kersea, even if she posed no threat to him, which is a result of the breakdown he suffered after the countless things that went bad in his recent months, which left him unable to see things in anything but black and white, with him as one of the few that are truly white.
And now, I didn't really like Kersea before. But I will forever hate her now.
Hm, it's not as if she had that much of a choice there. Harris left her with no choice but to defend herself, so I'd say this is more a case of self defence, even if the act itself happened in the attempt to save Alysanne's life. Kersea didn't really want to kill him, but there was no way she would have let herself be killed by him now.
There is kind of one instance that bugged me a bit. Why didn't Harris just cut Alysannes throat the first time. It would've taken a second, and since Clay still attacked Kersea first, I didn't really get it. But hey, the heat of the moment, right?
Mostly heat of the moment, but also a matter of instinct. Harris knew that Alysanne would be out for a while with the wound he gave her, as she was completely stunned with pain. Actually, it was only her friendship for Kersea that even motivated her enough to attack him at the end of this part, since the pain was still so severe that every step was almost too much for her. So, he knew she wasn't a threat anymore and he instinctively knew that Clayton was the far bigger threat. He also did not know that Clayton would mostly focus on Kersea, so he moved to the next target immediately.
Oh, and happy new year to you guys. Let's hope that 2017 will give us a lot of joy with this story and every other fantastic story, but also for everything happening in the world in general. And don't forget to cheer for Harris. Cheers!
Agh! What the fuuuuck! Why did you kill of Harris?? I loved the man. And if I am not entirely wrong, he was the character that's been with u… mores the longest that is, sorry was, still alive, right? So I will cheer for him in this new year. Finally Alysannes gone though, and Raenna lived, yaay. And now, I didn't really like Kersea before. But I will forever hate her now.
There is kind of one instance that bugged me a bit. Why didn't Harris just cut Alysannes throat the first time. It would've taken a second, and since Clay still attacked Kersea first, I didn't really get it. But hey, the heat of the moment, right?
It was a lovely part. Truly amazing.
[Try to save Raenna] Imma just let Clay live for just a while longer. Also, I don't want Raenna to lose her grip of the fucking ledge.
EDIT: Oh, and happy new year to you guys. Let's hope that 2017 will give us a lot of joy with this story and every other fantastic story, but also for ever… [view original content]
Wow, I am at a lost for words here. That was an great chapter to end the year with.
Ah, I am so glad to hear this! Originally, this was planned to be the anniversary part, but I decided I'd rather end the year with a bang instead. Seems like it was the right decision
At first, I was willing to let Alysanne go free, but after she attacked Raenna, I knew that she would never be able to live a normal life. Luckily, we weren't left with the choice on her, cause she be dead.
Yes, this was something Kersea had to realize as well. In the end, not everyone can be redeemed, even if Alysanne came close to have her mentality changed. But she was so broken that any attempt at a normal life would have been a farce. When she attacked Raenna, Kersea knew this as well. Doesn't mean that Alysanne wasn't her friend anymore, as her reaction to her death proved, but even if they both would have survived here, she wouldn't have felt safe taking her to Briar. Alysanne made it very clear, she doesn't like to share.
Harris on the otherhand, went out like a champ. Everyone here are murders and he was definitely in the right. But dang, he is actually dead. Hopefully Lucas won't spoil his memory by portraying his evil deeds. Because Harris only wanted to do what was right for the city and be it's hero.
Yes, yes he undoubtedly went out like a champ. I thought, if I kill off the longest living character of the story, I better give him a memorable death in which he gets to show off just how much of a fighter he is. That said, Lucas will definitely portray his evil deeds. Good intentions or not, Harris did plenty of terrible things and his final words towards Lucas ultimately more or less implied that he would plan on murdering him, Leonard and Darren, since it is so unlikely they would accept his offer of leaving the city peacefully. At the very best, he had largely heroic intentions, but he still did so many bad things and since many of his decisions have been manipulated by Sherryl, he even caused more harm than good. He wanted nothing more than to be Raylansfair's hero, but his tragedy is that he ended up as anything but, without even realizing it to its full extent. His final actions definitely helped the city by taking out two big threats (or at the very least Clayton, since Alysanne on her own lacks the agenda to be a threat), but they are the only of his actions that truly and fully benefitted Raylansfair. It shouldn't come as a surprise that Lucas, just like Leonard and Darren are going to reveal all of his actions, which is going to permanently tarnish his once good name.
And thank god we finally took Clayton down a peg. Even if he escapes, he won't be assassinating anyone soon. But I don't think he is going to run. If anything, he is going to try and stop Kersea from saving Raenna.
Yeah, Clayton won't run now. He is wounded, heavily so, and he basically will only try to take Kersea with him, to deny her the only chance to break free from the life he forced her into. But even if he would survive, the loss of his arm definitely means that his career is over. He is still not to be underestimated with the left hand, but a one-armed man can't be an assassin.
[Try to save Raenna] Wow, I am at a lost for words here. That was an great chapter to end the year with. Harris, a pawn to the end, but at l… moreeast he was able to rid the world of two dangerous people. At first, I was willing to let Alysanne go free, but after she attacked Raenna, I knew that she would never be able to live a normal life. Luckily, we weren't left with the choice on her, cause she be dead. Harris on the otherhand, went out like a champ. Everyone here are murders and he was definitely in the right. But dang, he is actually dead. Hopefully Lucas won't spoil his memory by portraying his evil deeds. Because Harris only wanted to do what was right for the city and be it's hero. And thank god we finally took Clayton down a peg. Even if he escapes, he won't be assassinating anyone soon. But I don't think he is going to run. If anything, he is going to try and stop Kersea from saving Raenna. Good for Raenna for helping Kersea out, shame that all she got from it was less earlobe and more scary window hangings.
Yeah, at this point Clayton is definitely no match for Wolfius. At his prime, he would have put up a good fight even against the direwolf, but now, not so much. And he is on Wolfius' list after betraying him. So is Kersea, actually.
I really felt like this scene was a bit like s2 e5 of twdg. And I also got the governor vibe with 'Liar.'. But that was just great. Fantastic bloody work on this one, Liquid.
I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed this part! I was a bit nervous about all of your reactions, but the overwhelmingly positive feedback has been highly reassuring. And I can confirm that the governor scene was what flashed through my mind when I wrote this. And it is a fitting comparison, since the governor, like Alysanne, was truly too far gone for reasoning. Raenna noticed this and sadly, so did Kersea.
Amazing! Pure amazement.
R.I.P Harris.
R.I.P Alysanne.
[Try to save Raenna] She'' probably gonna go otherwise. And I really don't w… moreant to lose another good character.
I really felt like this scene was a bit like s2 e5 of twdg. And I also got the governor vibe with 'Liar.'. But that was just great. Fantastic bloody work on this one, Liquid.
Well, this was a deadly part, eh? I was so bummed when Alysanne pushed Raenna out the window, so obviously I'm very happy that she survived after all, and I don't want to take any chances here.
Yes, one of the most deadly parts in the chapter, even if there will be two future parts that will have an even higher death toll in this chapter. It's far from over. But true, Raenna survived for now, even if she definitely will need help, or else she's going to have a highly unpleasant fall down into the sea.
And Alysanne, I must say that she is probably one of the most tragic characters of the story, but I think this was a fitting end for her.
I agree, this was what I wanted to portray. Alysanne is more tragic than truly evil, a horribly broken person who is trapped by her own damaged mind. As this part showed, if she would have wanted to leave, Clayton couldn't have possibly stopped her. Kersea was prevented from having a normal life through outside forces, namely Clayton and Mullendore, but the only one that ever prevented Alysanne from having this normal life is Alysanne herself. Her friendship with Kersea made things only more tragic, because it made her realize this fact.
[Try to save Raenna]
Well, this was a deadly part, eh? I was so bummed when Alysanne pushed Raenna out the window, so obviously I'm very … morehappy that she survived after all, and I don't want to take any chances here. Can't say I'm too sad for Harris, but at least he was helpful in the end. And Alysanne, I must say that she is probably one of the most tragic characters of the story, but I think this was a fitting end for her.
Great part overall!
She was your favourite as well? Oh man, sorry for killing her off, I really don't like killing someone's favourite character even when it is inevitable I never thought that people would actually like her, but between you and Agent, it seems she received a surprising amount of positive feedback. That said, regarding the choice, it is likely that taking down Clayton will take more than 10 seconds. Of course, Kersea is in prime condition unlike him, so she has a very good chance, but it will be a hard fight regardless, because Clayton has nothing to lose anymore.
[Try to kill Clayton]
R.I.P Alysanne. You were my favorite. But in regards to the choice, we have to end Clayton here and now, or he will… more for sure escape again, and go on to cause a lot more death and chaos. Raenna can hold on to the ledge for 10 more seconds, and if she can't, well then I guess she can keep Alysanne company in the afterlife.
I think this is the only correct choice in here. I don't think Clayton will just stand and watch, when Kersea is trying to save Raenna. I know it seems wrong, but what if Clayton simply just fall on her and then all 3 of then will fall down? If he have strength to scream, he have strength to act in rage, in which he clearly is.
Not a bad point you got there! Of course, Clayton could somehow find the strength to walk up to her while she has her back turned on him. It is just as possible that he will simply collapse from losing so much blood, but it is a risk. That said, so is not saving Raenna, because she clings to that ledge just barely.
As for part... huh. Did not think that 2 characters will die. I feel sorry for Alysanne though, because she did what she thought is correct and followed her heart in it till the end - sacrificing herself. As crazy and psychotic she was, she found a part of human behavior in herself because of Kersea and some kind of friendship. Harris? Well, honestly I don't feel sorry for his death, especially after his last appearance and what he did.
It is amazing how differently the reaction to these two characters is. In my opinion, Alysanne deserves pity, yet so does Harris actually, because they are not too differently. He also did what he thought is correct and followed his heart to the end, with every intent of sacrificing himself for the good of Raylansfair if necessary. Alysanne though is probably even more of a tragic character, because unlike Harris, she never had a choice in her life.
[Try to kill Clayton]
I think this is the only correct choice in here. I don't think Clayton will just stand and watch, when Kersea is tr… moreying to save Raenna. I know it seems wrong, but what if Clayton simply just fall on her and then all 3 of then will fall down? If he have strength to scream, he have strength to act in rage, in which he clearly is.
As for part... huh. Did not think that 2 characters will die. I feel sorry for Alysanne though, because she did what she thought is correct and followed her heart in it till the end - sacrificing herself. As crazy and psychotic she was, she found a part of human behavior in herself because of Kersea and some kind of friendship. Harris? Well, honestly I don't feel sorry for his death, especially after his last appearance and what he did.
Unfortunately, I had to cut it, since the last Drent part has been so long. Instead, I decided to move it as the first part of the next year, together with Arthur's next PoV. I could have written it instead of this, but I really wanted to end the year with a big part, so I think this was for the better. But you and the others who are looking forward for Torvin, be assured he will make his return in the very next part
Oh, he definitely is. He's a prime example of a man that only got more experienced with age. His armour definitely helped, because whereas Clayton and Alysanne were more or less down after getting their first hit, Harris actually took several blows from them and Alysanne needed to make a sneak attack to just wound him. He was an absolute monster in combat in his youth and he has more experience than Clayton and Alysanne combined, which I definitely wanted to show. That said, if he would have survived, he wouldn't have been able to fight like that for much longer. He was in his fifties at the time of his death and he did start to feel his age, so a few years from now, he would have been an easy target for just one of the assassins.
Well it certenly was a big part and it is ok that it was moved i was just looking forward to his part since he got injured a fuw parts back if i remeber right.
Unfortunately, I had to cut it, since the last Drent part has been so long. Instead, I decided to move it as the first part of the next year… more, together with Arthur's next PoV. I could have written it instead of this, but I really wanted to end the year with a big part, so I think this was for the better. But you and the others who are looking forward for Torvin, be assured he will make his return in the very next part
Even if he got a few hits from clayton and reanna ( I think I always mix the names up) it was still verry impressiv feat to do he must have bin one of the best swordfighters in the story hasn't he ? Are there better fighters than him in the story?
Oh, he definitely is. He's a prime example of a man that only got more experienced with age. His armour definitely helped, because whereas C… morelayton and Alysanne were more or less down after getting their first hit, Harris actually took several blows from them and Alysanne needed to make a sneak attack to just wound him. He was an absolute monster in combat in his youth and he has more experience than Clayton and Alysanne combined, which I definitely wanted to show. That said, if he would have survived, he wouldn't have been able to fight like that for much longer. He was in his fifties at the time of his death and he did start to feel his age, so a few years from now, he would have been an easy target for just one of the assassins.
The ones Harris fought against have been Clayton an Alysanne. Raenna was the one that got thrown out of the window by Alysanne in this part. But yes, this was mant to be very impressive, to show just how good he actually is. I wouldn't say that he is the best fighter in the story, but he definitely was among the best. Characters like the Tom, Orys Baratheon or Daghan Oxus as well as a couple of other ones would be able to defeat him through skill and physically stronger characters like the Moggy or Cleaver Clint might be able to overpower him through brute force, since his armour won't fully protect him against their attacks. The armour was what gave him this severe advantage over his opponents, because while they had to dodge and parry, he could just take the hits without having to fear any wounds, while fully focussing on his own attacks.
Even if he got a few hits from clayton and reanna ( I think I always mix the names up) it was still verry impressiv feat to do he must have bin one of the best swordfighters in the story hasn't he ? Are there better fighters than him in the story?
You remember correctly, Torvin has been pretty badly wounded in Lucas' last part, when he was rammed by Harris' horse. The only reason he's even still alive is that the horse didn't hit him at full speed, but even then, his ribs are broken on top of a couple of other nasty wounds. We're going to see more of his condition in his next part.
Well it certenly was a big part and it is ok that it was moved i was just looking forward to his part since he got injured a fuw parts back if i remeber right.
Haha, it was a fitting end for her though, and the death was really well handled, so it's all good. But man, after this chapter, Kersea will be royally fucked up either way, I can't see her come out the other end of all this and still be emotionally unscathed. Dark Kersea should be entertaining though.
She was your favourite as well? Oh man, sorry for killing her off, I really don't like killing someone's favourite character even when it is… more inevitable I never thought that people would actually like her, but between you and Agent, it seems she received a surprising amount of positive feedback. That said, regarding the choice, it is likely that taking down Clayton will take more than 10 seconds. Of course, Kersea is in prime condition unlike him, so she has a very good chance, but it will be a hard fight regardless, because Clayton has nothing to lose anymore.
Not sure if I'd call Raenna a psycho here. She is by far the most stable of the assassins and one of the more stable characters in general, not counting her relatively short temper, which is a trait that runs in the family. And there wasn't even that much that could have been changed about this part. The deaths of Harris and Alysanne have been planned for a while now, even though a very specific set of choices could have seen both of them living for longer for a little bit.
I was kind of exaggerating but you're right. If I had to have a "favorite" one it would be her. Well, I have no remorse for Alysanne. That girl had something wrong with her head (and heart). Good thing death cures those sorts of problems.
Well, that was one thing I was curious about, if Harris' actions here would redeem himself in some eyes. Unfortunately, there was no way to save him here. His death was planned ever since I first thought of this part, although he originally wouldn't have been killed by Kersea, but mortally wounded by Clayton, which would have led to him bleeding out in Kersea's next part. Ultimately, I changed it to give Clayton a dose of karma and Harris a more badass death. You may remember Noelle's prophecy towards Raenna from the beginning of the chapter:
“A long road comes to an end, a book will be closed. She will kill the knight, one way or the other”
Of course, Noelle could have been wrong another time, but the knight she saw Kersea killing has always been Harris. If Lucas would have followed them, he would have arrived too late to affect anything in this fight and even then, it is highly questionable if he would have saved Harris after the shit he pulled in his last part. Instead, he would have arrived in Kersea's next part. Since Kersea is definitely not on Clayton's side and since Lucas is way more reasonable than Harris and would have actually seen how Kersea could be a useful ally, he wouldn't have even harmed her. It would have been Harris whom he probably would have killed, if given the chance. That said, I hope you are aware that Harris' survival would have posed a considerable threat to the knights of Raylansfair, because he had every intention of going through with his plan of banishing them or killing them if they would refuse. For the seemingly greater good, yes, but he would have certainly went through with this plan.
That's interesting. Because unless Lucas got him out of jail he probably wouldn't have gotten out? Well, that's an interesting tidbit indeed. His death was pretty damn good, pretty worth it. I kind of envisioned him as Harys was which is always a nice thing to think. Yeah, Lucas's actions if that were the case make sense. Might have effected whatever the aftermath of the choice we have here. The thing about the banishment, well, I think Leonard at least would have left, probably gotten a better job (one with a wall). But he never did that fully, so, I can't exactly be on the same level of hate.
Heh, I know what you mean. Though I did not enjoy killing off these two, who have been in the story for a seriously long time, I can understand your feeling. And well, I had the fleeting suspicion that you'd enjoy this part at the very least, considering that it put a lot of your lesser or least favourite characters in a deathmatch against each other.
Oh yeah. I had a grin like Bruce the Shark when I saw what was going to happen. On the topic of characters that have been in the story for a seriously long time, the list from Chapter 1 is just thinning out steadily. How much of this chapter is left? I get the feeling that that list may get a bit smaller. But as we approach the future, Donnel Selwyn draws nearer, so, I'll weather it.
Oh man we made the right choice. Now that one psycho is dead, we can kill another and let another one die.
Not sure if I'd call Raen… morena a psycho here. She is by far the most stable of the assassins and one of the more stable characters in general, not counting her relatively short temper, which is a trait that runs in the family. And there wasn't even that much that could have been changed about this part. The deaths of Harris and Alysanne have been planned for a while now, even though a very specific set of choices could have seen both of them living for longer for a little bit.
Harris you have redeemed yourself in my eyes. Ah. Death leads to redemption. Sadly Lucas did not pursue you. If he did, maybe we get to save you and kill Kersea. At least Raenna may die. That's good.
Well, that was one thing I was curious about, if Harris' actions here would redeem himself in some eyes. Unfortunately, there was no way to save him… [view original content]
That was pretty insane. I expected Harris to get butchered easily.
It appears many underestimated Harris. I realized I gave his skills a bit too little build-up, save for his fight with Torvin, where he easily overpowered him (even though he had two tons of horse for help), though I hope it still made sense that he went down in such a badass way.
So liquid out of all the fighters in this story, who is the very best user submitted one?
Hm, I am almost sure you have asked such a similar question before. It is hard to answer. At a certain level of skill, the differences become less severe. Jaime Lannister could probably defeat Barristan Selmy, but that doesn't mean that Jaime is clearly the better fighter. Of course, there are legendary badasses like Arthur Dayne in the source material, but FoT doesn't have anyone quite like him. The characters I keep mentioning in such situations are probably very high up there. The Tom, Daghan, Emphryus and the likes of these. Alysanne was also a beast and the only thing that took her down were her own wounds she suffered before, otherwise she would have been a match for Harris in his armour.
That was pretty insane. I expected Harris to get butchered easily.
[Try to kill Clayton]
So liquid out of all the fighters in this story, who is the very best user submitted one?
Ah, good, good. Though with Kersea, she is actually on her way to recover from all that Clayton put her through. After resisting these temptations for so long, it is unlikely she'll just snap into them now that he is as good as gone from her life, even if it'll never truly go away. But there will be heavy scars from all of this. You are right, she won't be emotionally unscathed from this, not in the slightest, even if I am not sure if the result would truly be Dark Kersea. One thing is clear though, she's lightyears away from being the complete opposite. A certain shade of grey is what she has been and a slightly lighter shade of it is the absolute best she can hope for for the time being.
Haha, it was a fitting end for her though, and the death was really well handled, so it's all good. But man, after this chapter, Kersea will… more be royally fucked up either way, I can't see her come out the other end of all this and still be emotionally unscathed. Dark Kersea should be entertaining though.
I was kind of exaggerating but you're right. If I had to have a "favorite" one it would be her. Well, I have no remorse for Alysanne. That girl had something wrong with her head (and heart). Good thing death cures those sorts of problems.
Oh yes, Alysanne clearly had serious issues. Her death obviously put an end to these, though I'd still say she has been mor a victim of her own messed-up life. Suffering through the things she went through (most of which have only been implied) are bound to leave her like she has been in the story. Raenna had a completely different life, which makes her such a different, more well-adjusted person. The same applies to Kersea, but years of emotional abuse from Clayton's side have affected her as well.
That's interesting. Because unless Lucas got him out of jail he probably wouldn't have gotten out? Well, that's an interesting tidbit indeed. His death was pretty damn good, pretty worth it. I kind of envisioned him as Harys was which is always a nice thing to think. Yeah, Lucas's actions if that were the case make sense. Might have effected whatever the aftermath of the choice we have here. The thing about the banishment, well, I think Leonard at least would have left, probably gotten a better job (one with a wall). But he never did that fully, so, I can't exactly be on the same level of hate.
Well, there would have been other choices that would have led to Harris' temporary freedom in this chapter. Among other things, Willfred would have gotten an additional choice. He would have only survived if you would have strictly decided against freeing him whenever the choice came up. In this case however, his death wouldn't have been as powerful. He would have ultimately been hanged for murder, unceremoniously. And well, Lucas' arrival would have changed something, though it wouldn't have decided about additional deaths or survival. He would have arrived too late for anything like that. That said, I must say I doubt Leonard would have taken the banishment. Out of all the knights, he is the least likely to leave, in my opinion. He would have stayed and he would have fought, no matter the outcome. Lucas could have easily left with Argella, while Darren has left before, so this wouldn't have been that difficult for them (even if they potentially still would have decided to stay, especially in Darren's case), but Leonard's loyalty would have been a serious problem there.
Oh yeah. I had a grin like Bruce the Shark when I saw what was going to happen. On the topic of characters that have been in the story for a seriously long time, the list from Chapter 1 is just thinning out steadily. How much of this chapter is left? I get the feeling that that list may get a bit smaller. But as we approach the future, Donnel Selwyn draws nearer, so, I'll weather it.
That's true, the older characters are dying rather quickly these days. There's still Lucas and Leonard, Jenna and Richard, Rosalie and Wolfius in Raylansfair, Torvin and Garthon, as well as Harren and Edmyn Tully from the Harrenhal storyline, Jaron and Harpy in Oldtown and Noelle. It remains to be seen if all of these make it through Book 1. This chapter will definitely continue to claim characters, although we are about 3/4th through with it.
Not sure if I'd call Raenna a psycho here. She is by far the most stable of the assassins and one of the more stable characters in general, … morenot counting her relatively short temper, which is a trait that runs in the family. And there wasn't even that much that could have been changed about this part. The deaths of Harris and Alysanne have been planned for a while now, even though a very specific set of choices could have seen both of them living for longer for a little bit.
I was kind of exaggerating but you're right. If I had to have a "favorite" one it would be her. Well, I have no remorse for Alysanne. That girl had something wrong with her head (and heart). Good thing death cures those sorts of problems.
Well, that was one thing I was curious about, if Harris' actions here would redeem himself in some eyes. Unfortunately, there was no way to save him here. His death was planned ever since I first thought of this part, althou… [view original content]
... Holy shit. What a part. I stated at the end of last chapter that Alysanne was one of my favorite characters, so it really is sad to see her go. RIP. Same with Harris. He was a character who had equally good and bad qualities, but he went out like a badass. RIP to him as well.
[Try to kill Clayton] As for the choice, I was really torn. I also stated how I've grown to like Raenna, but then again, fuck Clayton. As much as I would like to save Raenna, I feel like she can hold on for a bit longer. I want Clayton gone, and this is probably going to be our best chance to get rid of him.
Instantly, tears welled up in Kersea's eyes. “No...”, she gasped. “No!” She felt Clayton removing the pressure from her neck, as he put away… more his sword. “Oh, this is incredible”, he chuckled, as he gave Alysanne a nod. “Don't worry, I won't kill your precious little friend. Leaving her alive like this is so much more satisfying. Oh, if only Terroma could be here to see it...”
Sluggishly, Kersea got back onto her feet, as Alysanne approached her, with a hopeful, innocent smile on her face. “Puppy”, she said, as Kersea tensed up. “It's done. She won't get between us ever again” Her smile widened, as she spread her arms.
“What have you done?”, Kersea asked in a monotone voice, her eyes set onto the spot where Alysanne had just pushed her best friend out of the window. And Raenna was her best friend, had been. Her hesitation to fight had proven it once again. Her best friend, gone in an instant. “What have you done?”, she repeated.
A conf… [view original content]
... Holy shit. What a part. I stated at the end of last chapter that Alysanne was one of my favorite characters, so it really is sad to see her go. RIP.
Yes, I remember that she was one of your favourites as well, even if I have momentarily forgotten about it. It's surprising to see such a large number of readers who actually like Alysanne, but not unwelcome. I am glad that a character like her ended up so popular, while at the same time firmly remaining among the least favourites of others. It's this sort of mixed reception that makes me believe that I succeeded in creating a complex character at the very least. That said, I am sorry for killing off one of your favourites. It was inevitable and something I worry about every time I kill off a character.
Same with Harris. He was a character who had equally good and bad qualities, but he went out like a badass. RIP to him as well.
That's another thing I am happy about, to see that I indeed managed to give Harris the badass death he undoubtedly deserved. He was a strong character and just having him wither away at the wall, or hanging him for his crimes would have felt like a disservice to him.
I want Clayton gone, and this is probably going to be our best chance to get rid of him.
Undeniably, yes, this is your best chance to get rid of him, that much should be clear. He is heavily wounded, bleeding out, his rage and his wound make him clumsy, he is very weak, while Kersea is barely wounded at all. It's just the question if Raenna will truly manage to hold on for longer and if you are willing to risk it.
... Holy shit. What a part. I stated at the end of last chapter that Alysanne was one of my favorite characters, so it really is sad to see … moreher go. RIP. Same with Harris. He was a character who had equally good and bad qualities, but he went out like a badass. RIP to him as well.
[Try to kill Clayton] As for the choice, I was really torn. I also stated how I've grown to like Raenna, but then again, fuck Clayton. As much as I would like to save Raenna, I feel like she can hold on for a bit longer. I want Clayton gone, and this is probably going to be our best chance to get rid of him.
Yes, I remember that she was one of your favourites as well, even if I have momentarily forgotten about it. It's surprising to see such a large number of readers who actually like Alysanne, but not unwelcome. I am glad that a character like her ended up so popular, while at the same time firmly remaining among the least favourites of others. It's this sort of mixed reception that makes me believe that I succeeded in creating a complex character at the very least. That said, I am sorry for killing off one of your favourites. It was inevitable and something I worry about every time I kill off a character.
Indeed, I could tell that she was another love or hate character. I happened to be one of those who loved her. I believed you succeeded greatly on writing her character. But I must say, there is absolutely no need to apologize for killing her off. It's Game of Thrones, and obviously all characters can't live. Many must die. If anything, her death makes me appreciate the story more. Keep up the great work Liquid
That's another thing I am happy about, to see that I indeed managed to give Harris the badass death he undoubtedly deserved. He was a strong character and just having him wither away at the wall, or hanging him for his crimes would have felt like a disservice to him.
Oh, I agree. Harris has been quite a major character and his death was definitely extremely fitting. Although there were lots of things that I didn't like about him, he will still be missed.
Undeniably, yes, this is your best chance to get rid of him, that much should be clear. He is heavily wounded, bleeding out, his rage and his wound make him clumsy, he is very weak, while Kersea is barely wounded at all. It's just the question if Raenna will truly manage to hold on for longer and if you are willing to risk it.
Man, this choice is just really really hard. One of the hardest choices so far, for me. I really hope Raenne will be able to, because I like her as well. But man... it's Clayton we have the chance to kill. I despise this guy, as everyone else should. He needs to go. And I feel like trying to kill him definitely fits the bigger picture here.
... Holy shit. What a part. I stated at the end of last chapter that Alysanne was one of my favorite characters, so it really is sad to see … moreher go. RIP.
Yes, I remember that she was one of your favourites as well, even if I have momentarily forgotten about it. It's surprising to see such a large number of readers who actually like Alysanne, but not unwelcome. I am glad that a character like her ended up so popular, while at the same time firmly remaining among the least favourites of others. It's this sort of mixed reception that makes me believe that I succeeded in creating a complex character at the very least. That said, I am sorry for killing off one of your favourites. It was inevitable and something I worry about every time I kill off a character.
Same with Harris. He was a character who had equally good and bad qualities, but he went out like a badass. RIP to him as well.
That's another thing I am happy about, to … [view original content]
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! WHY!? I am so upset right now.
[Try to save Raenna] Saving a life is more important than ending one. Kersea done well in staying in the light so far, if she lets her best friend die to kill Clayton then it was all for nothing.
EDIT: I seriously can't get over the fact that Alysanne is dead now. I'm really upset about this. I'm convinced that she was my favorite.
Instantly, tears welled up in Kersea's eyes. “No...”, she gasped. “No!” She felt Clayton removing the pressure from her neck, as he put away… more his sword. “Oh, this is incredible”, he chuckled, as he gave Alysanne a nod. “Don't worry, I won't kill your precious little friend. Leaving her alive like this is so much more satisfying. Oh, if only Terroma could be here to see it...”
Sluggishly, Kersea got back onto her feet, as Alysanne approached her, with a hopeful, innocent smile on her face. “Puppy”, she said, as Kersea tensed up. “It's done. She won't get between us ever again” Her smile widened, as she spread her arms.
“What have you done?”, Kersea asked in a monotone voice, her eyes set onto the spot where Alysanne had just pushed her best friend out of the window. And Raenna was her best friend, had been. Her hesitation to fight had proven it once again. Her best friend, gone in an instant. “What have you done?”, she repeated.
A conf… [view original content]
Instantly, tears welled up in Kersea's eyes. “No...”, she gasped. “No!” She felt Clayton removing the pressure from her neck, as he put away… more his sword. “Oh, this is incredible”, he chuckled, as he gave Alysanne a nod. “Don't worry, I won't kill your precious little friend. Leaving her alive like this is so much more satisfying. Oh, if only Terroma could be here to see it...”
Sluggishly, Kersea got back onto her feet, as Alysanne approached her, with a hopeful, innocent smile on her face. “Puppy”, she said, as Kersea tensed up. “It's done. She won't get between us ever again” Her smile widened, as she spread her arms.
“What have you done?”, Kersea asked in a monotone voice, her eyes set onto the spot where Alysanne had just pushed her best friend out of the window. And Raenna was her best friend, had been. Her hesitation to fight had proven it once again. Her best friend, gone in an instant. “What have you done?”, she repeated.
A conf… [view original content]
I'm so sorry I know she was your favourite, which made writing this scene particularly hard. In fact, I even pushed this part back, as it originally was planned to be written about two weeks ago, because I really wanted to get it right and to give both, Harris and Alysanne, the important final scene they deserved. Unfortunately, Alysanne was always planned to be among the characters who would not survive the story. To me, it felt like the only logical consequence for such a damaged character. Alysanne's inability to live a normal life, as evidenced by her attacking Raenna, left me with no other conclusion for her. Though I can promise that her death won't be for nothing, it will have a massive effect on Kersea and even on Raenna.
That said, I do know how you feel. I hate losing my favourite characters and I that's why I absolutely hate killing someone else's favourite character, though it really felt like the only possible option from a narrative standpoint in this particular situation, the natural conclusion of every aspect of Alysanne's personality. Speaking of, I don't know if I have ever outright stated it, but I think I should thank you for the way you liked Alysanne. It was this early enthusiasm that actually influenced her character in a massive way, because before I noticed this, I have planned for her to be a far more villainous character, with less redeeming traits. I'm glad I ended up scrapping this earlier idea and I believe this is my favourite example on how these stories can be interactive even beyond mere choices. Which, of course, made it only harder for me to go through with killing Alysanne, but I felt like everything else would have ended up as a bad idea and a disservice to a character that always has been tragic and self-destructive. Still, I hope you can forgive me!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! WHY!? I am so upset right now.
[Try to save Raenna] Saving a life is more important than ending one. Kersea done… more well in staying in the light so far, if she lets her best friend die to kill Clayton then it was all for nothing.
EDIT: I seriously can't get over the fact that Alysanne is dead now. I'm really upset about this. I'm convinced that she was my favorite.
Well, I am not entirely sure how much of it has been hinted at in the story, but I believe Alysanne herself mentioned her parents once. Thing is, her parents are majorly responsible for everything that happened in her life. When she was very young, barely more than a toddler, her parents apparently sold her into slavery, or at least that's what she's been led to believe. She was raised in the fighting pits of Astapor, treated more like a caged animal than a human being. Whenever she made friends, or formed any positive connection to others, she was forced to fight them to the death shortly afterwards. This went on until she was in her teens, where she was sold again, this time to one of the Free Cities, where she gained her freedom. By then, she already was, as you can imagine, extremely screwed up. She had a couple of roughly positive relationships in her life, but most people she encountered taught her that there is absolutely no other way for a person than to be amoral, violent and opportunistic. This was the reason she was so fascinated by Kersea, who was anything but the way she believes people to be. Unfortunately, by the time they actually became friends, Alysanne had suffered through over two decades of such a life and especially her childhood and early teens massively influenced her in her worldview and arguably led to her having such a twisted development. This included the fact that she had almost no emotional growth in her life and though she had the mind and body of a grown woman, her emotional range has been as volatile as a preteen. The few positive things she had in life actually made it only worse, because they gave her just enough to make her realize that her worldview is flawed and that she is a highly damaged person. That said, with truly good psychological treatment, the kind that is just not available in Westerosi society, she could have potentially somewhat recovered from this trauma. So... yeah, I hope that explains why she acted in such a way.
You know what? I'm gonna lash out and brutally kill off your characters in the Cost of Loyalty (kidding)
Man, I don't think this story has ever hit me this hard. It's what I get for getting more attached to more complex characters. I'm legitimately considering making a fanfiction dedicated to Alysanne right now. XD
I'm so sorry I know she was your favourite, which made writing this scene particularly hard. In fact, I even pushed this part back, as it o… moreriginally was planned to be written about two weeks ago, because I really wanted to get it right and to give both, Harris and Alysanne, the important final scene they deserved. Unfortunately, Alysanne was always planned to be among the characters who would not survive the story. To me, it felt like the only logical consequence for such a damaged character. Alysanne's inability to live a normal life, as evidenced by her attacking Raenna, left me with no other conclusion for her. Though I can promise that her death won't be for nothing, it will have a massive effect on Kersea and even on Raenna.
That said, I do know how you feel. I hate losing my favourite characters and I that's why I absolutely hate killing someone else's favourite character, though it really felt like the only possible option from a n… [view original content]
You know what? I'm gonna lash out and brutally kill off your characters in the Cost of Loyalty (kidding)
Well, this is one of the moments where I have to thank Telltale's web team for including Emoticons, because this one perfectly describes my feelings while reading this sentence:
Not pictured: The relief I felt while reading the part in brackets, though this one comes close:
Man, I don't think this story has ever hit me this hard. It's what I get for getting more attached to more complex characters. I'm legitimately considering making a fanfiction dedicated to Alysanne right now. XD
Hm, I am kind of flattered that I managed to cause such strong emotions with my writing. I can absolutly assure you though, I don't plan on killing off all of the complex characters. And well, if you wish to write an Alysanne fanfiction, I'd find that pretty amazing! If you want to go through with that idea and need anything for it, like her character submission or stuff like that, then let me know!
You know what? I'm gonna lash out and brutally kill off your characters in the Cost of Loyalty (kidding)
Man, I don't think this story h… moreas ever hit me this hard. It's what I get for getting more attached to more complex characters. I'm legitimately considering making a fanfiction dedicated to Alysanne right now. XD
This was a very active voting, something that makes me very happy. And considering how big of a part this was, I am also glad I managed to cause the reaction I've been aiming for. Safe to say, this part will change a lot for many people, especially due to the death of Harris. As for the choice, you chose the option I have expected, but it was way closer than I thought, which pleases me. I knew, on paper this sounds like a hard choice, but I wasn't sure if you'd consider it to be such a hard choice. After all, Raenna is a fairly well-liked PoV as far as I know, so I expected you to try and save her even over taking the chance to kill that complete bastard Clayton. The fact that there have been strong arguments in favour of killing him makes me pretty happy. That said, there's still going to be a twist in this storyline, a really big twist. Kersea will have one more part in this chapter, in the near future. As for the chapter itself, it is also nearing its end, with most of the PoV's having only one additional part. However, I am afraid to reveal that in terms of body count, we have barely reached a third of the chapter
The next part will, coincidentally, feature two of the PoV's who have more than one part left. However, both of them only had one part in this chapter as well. They are Torvin and Arthur, whom I have announced before, but whose parts I had to cut in favour of longer parts for other PoV's. I have recently given recaps for both, so here are really short recaps just in case you're no longer sure where we left them off: Torvin is at the gates, wounded after his fight with Harris and currently gathering his men for another attack. Arthur has left his post to make sure that Mathea won't have to make her way through the city on her own, while she seeks to save Lyria, Urid and Rosalie. I am hoping to finish this part today, but a lot of writing is still left, so I might not manage to do it.
Regardless of that, there will be new things to read, namely the next part of the Vaasrand mini-series by @Arrodor! I hope you enjoy it
Comments
[Try to kill Clayton]
[Try to save Raenna]
Well, this was a deadly part, eh? I was so bummed when Alysanne pushed Raenna out the window, so obviously I'm very happy that she survived after all, and I don't want to take any chances here. Can't say I'm too sad for Harris, but at least he was helpful in the end. And Alysanne, I must say that she is probably one of the most tragic characters of the story, but I think this was a fitting end for her.
Great part overall!
[Try to kill Clayton]
I think this is the only correct choice in here. I don't think Clayton will just stand and watch, when Kersea is trying to save Raenna. I know it seems wrong, but what if Clayton simply just fall on her and then all 3 of then will fall down? If he have strength to scream, he have strength to act in rage, in which he clearly is.
As for part... huh. Did not think that 2 characters will die. I feel sorry for Alysanne though, because she did what she thought is correct and followed her heart in it till the end - sacrificing herself. As crazy and psychotic she was, she found a part of human behavior in herself because of Kersea and some kind of friendship. Harris? Well, honestly I don't feel sorry for his death, especially after his last appearance and what he did.
What about the torvin part?
[Try to save Raenna]
I'd rather leave Clayton alive as more dog food for Wolfius.
Amazing! Pure amazement.
R.I.P Harris.
R.I.P Alysanne.
[Try to save Raenna] She'' probably gonna go otherwise. And I really don't want to lose another good character.
I really felt like this scene was a bit like s2 e5 of twdg. And I also got the governor vibe with 'Liar.'. But that was just great. Fantastic bloody work on this one, Liquid.
[Try to save Raenna]
[Try to save Raenna]
I really did not expect that Harris is such a beast in sword fihgting
Not sure if I'd call Raenna a psycho here. She is by far the most stable of the assassins and one of the more stable characters in general, not counting her relatively short temper, which is a trait that runs in the family. And there wasn't even that much that could have been changed about this part. The deaths of Harris and Alysanne have been planned for a while now, even though a very specific set of choices could have seen both of them living for longer for a little bit.
Well, that was one thing I was curious about, if Harris' actions here would redeem himself in some eyes. Unfortunately, there was no way to save him here. His death was planned ever since I first thought of this part, although he originally wouldn't have been killed by Kersea, but mortally wounded by Clayton, which would have led to him bleeding out in Kersea's next part. Ultimately, I changed it to give Clayton a dose of karma and Harris a more badass death. You may remember Noelle's prophecy towards Raenna from the beginning of the chapter:
Of course, Noelle could have been wrong another time, but the knight she saw Kersea killing has always been Harris. If Lucas would have followed them, he would have arrived too late to affect anything in this fight and even then, it is highly questionable if he would have saved Harris after the shit he pulled in his last part. Instead, he would have arrived in Kersea's next part. Since Kersea is definitely not on Clayton's side and since Lucas is way more reasonable than Harris and would have actually seen how Kersea could be a useful ally, he wouldn't have even harmed her. It would have been Harris whom he probably would have killed, if given the chance. That said, I hope you are aware that Harris' survival would have posed a considerable threat to the knights of Raylansfair, because he had every intention of going through with his plan of banishing them or killing them if they would refuse. For the seemingly greater good, yes, but he would have certainly went through with this plan.
Heh, I know what you mean. Though I did not enjoy killing off these two, who have been in the story for a seriously long time, I can understand your feeling. And well, I had the fleeting suspicion that you'd enjoy this part at the very least, considering that it put a lot of your lesser or least favourite characters in a deathmatch against each other.
Yeah, Harris is one of the biggest deaths in this chapter, the only character still alive from the prologue. Unfortunately, his death was a logical consequence of some of his less desirable character traits. He attacked Kersea, even if she posed no threat to him, which is a result of the breakdown he suffered after the countless things that went bad in his recent months, which left him unable to see things in anything but black and white, with him as one of the few that are truly white.
Hm, it's not as if she had that much of a choice there. Harris left her with no choice but to defend herself, so I'd say this is more a case of self defence, even if the act itself happened in the attempt to save Alysanne's life. Kersea didn't really want to kill him, but there was no way she would have let herself be killed by him now.
Mostly heat of the moment, but also a matter of instinct. Harris knew that Alysanne would be out for a while with the wound he gave her, as she was completely stunned with pain. Actually, it was only her friendship for Kersea that even motivated her enough to attack him at the end of this part, since the pain was still so severe that every step was almost too much for her. So, he knew she wasn't a threat anymore and he instinctively knew that Clayton was the far bigger threat. He also did not know that Clayton would mostly focus on Kersea, so he moved to the next target immediately.
Amen to that! A Happy New Year to you as well
Ah, I am so glad to hear this! Originally, this was planned to be the anniversary part, but I decided I'd rather end the year with a bang instead. Seems like it was the right decision
Yes, this was something Kersea had to realize as well. In the end, not everyone can be redeemed, even if Alysanne came close to have her mentality changed. But she was so broken that any attempt at a normal life would have been a farce. When she attacked Raenna, Kersea knew this as well. Doesn't mean that Alysanne wasn't her friend anymore, as her reaction to her death proved, but even if they both would have survived here, she wouldn't have felt safe taking her to Briar. Alysanne made it very clear, she doesn't like to share.
Yes, yes he undoubtedly went out like a champ. I thought, if I kill off the longest living character of the story, I better give him a memorable death in which he gets to show off just how much of a fighter he is. That said, Lucas will definitely portray his evil deeds. Good intentions or not, Harris did plenty of terrible things and his final words towards Lucas ultimately more or less implied that he would plan on murdering him, Leonard and Darren, since it is so unlikely they would accept his offer of leaving the city peacefully. At the very best, he had largely heroic intentions, but he still did so many bad things and since many of his decisions have been manipulated by Sherryl, he even caused more harm than good. He wanted nothing more than to be Raylansfair's hero, but his tragedy is that he ended up as anything but, without even realizing it to its full extent. His final actions definitely helped the city by taking out two big threats (or at the very least Clayton, since Alysanne on her own lacks the agenda to be a threat), but they are the only of his actions that truly and fully benefitted Raylansfair. It shouldn't come as a surprise that Lucas, just like Leonard and Darren are going to reveal all of his actions, which is going to permanently tarnish his once good name.
Yeah, Clayton won't run now. He is wounded, heavily so, and he basically will only try to take Kersea with him, to deny her the only chance to break free from the life he forced her into. But even if he would survive, the loss of his arm definitely means that his career is over. He is still not to be underestimated with the left hand, but a one-armed man can't be an assassin.
Yeah, at this point Clayton is definitely no match for Wolfius. At his prime, he would have put up a good fight even against the direwolf, but now, not so much. And he is on Wolfius' list after betraying him. So is Kersea, actually.
I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed this part! I was a bit nervous about all of your reactions, but the overwhelmingly positive feedback has been highly reassuring. And I can confirm that the governor scene was what flashed through my mind when I wrote this. And it is a fitting comparison, since the governor, like Alysanne, was truly too far gone for reasoning. Raenna noticed this and sadly, so did Kersea.
Yes, one of the most deadly parts in the chapter, even if there will be two future parts that will have an even higher death toll in this chapter. It's far from over. But true, Raenna survived for now, even if she definitely will need help, or else she's going to have a highly unpleasant fall down into the sea.
I agree, this was what I wanted to portray. Alysanne is more tragic than truly evil, a horribly broken person who is trapped by her own damaged mind. As this part showed, if she would have wanted to leave, Clayton couldn't have possibly stopped her. Kersea was prevented from having a normal life through outside forces, namely Clayton and Mullendore, but the only one that ever prevented Alysanne from having this normal life is Alysanne herself. Her friendship with Kersea made things only more tragic, because it made her realize this fact.
She was your favourite as well? Oh man, sorry for killing her off, I really don't like killing someone's favourite character even when it is inevitable
I never thought that people would actually like her, but between you and Agent, it seems she received a surprising amount of positive feedback. That said, regarding the choice, it is likely that taking down Clayton will take more than 10 seconds. Of course, Kersea is in prime condition unlike him, so she has a very good chance, but it will be a hard fight regardless, because Clayton has nothing to lose anymore.
Not a bad point you got there! Of course, Clayton could somehow find the strength to walk up to her while she has her back turned on him. It is just as possible that he will simply collapse from losing so much blood, but it is a risk. That said, so is not saving Raenna, because she clings to that ledge just barely.
It is amazing how differently the reaction to these two characters is. In my opinion, Alysanne deserves pity, yet so does Harris actually, because they are not too differently. He also did what he thought is correct and followed his heart to the end, with every intent of sacrificing himself for the good of Raylansfair if necessary. Alysanne though is probably even more of a tragic character, because unlike Harris, she never had a choice in her life.
Unfortunately, I had to cut it, since the last Drent part has been so long. Instead, I decided to move it as the first part of the next year, together with Arthur's next PoV. I could have written it instead of this, but I really wanted to end the year with a big part, so I think this was for the better. But you and the others who are looking forward for Torvin, be assured he will make his return in the very next part
Oh, he definitely is. He's a prime example of a man that only got more experienced with age. His armour definitely helped, because whereas Clayton and Alysanne were more or less down after getting their first hit, Harris actually took several blows from them and Alysanne needed to make a sneak attack to just wound him. He was an absolute monster in combat in his youth and he has more experience than Clayton and Alysanne combined, which I definitely wanted to show. That said, if he would have survived, he wouldn't have been able to fight like that for much longer. He was in his fifties at the time of his death and he did start to feel his age, so a few years from now, he would have been an easy target for just one of the assassins.
Well it certenly was a big part and it is ok that it was moved i was just looking forward to his part since he got injured a fuw parts back if i remeber right.
Even if he got a few hits from clayton and reanna ( I think I always mix the names up) it was still verry impressiv feat to do he must have bin one of the best swordfighters in the story hasn't he ? Are there better fighters than him in the story?
The ones Harris fought against have been Clayton an Alysanne. Raenna was the one that got thrown out of the window by Alysanne in this part. But yes, this was mant to be very impressive, to show just how good he actually is. I wouldn't say that he is the best fighter in the story, but he definitely was among the best. Characters like the Tom, Orys Baratheon or Daghan Oxus as well as a couple of other ones would be able to defeat him through skill and physically stronger characters like the Moggy or Cleaver Clint might be able to overpower him through brute force, since his armour won't fully protect him against their attacks. The armour was what gave him this severe advantage over his opponents, because while they had to dodge and parry, he could just take the hits without having to fear any wounds, while fully focussing on his own attacks.
You remember correctly, Torvin has been pretty badly wounded in Lucas' last part, when he was rammed by Harris' horse. The only reason he's even still alive is that the horse didn't hit him at full speed, but even then, his ribs are broken on top of a couple of other nasty wounds. We're going to see more of his condition in his next part.
That was pretty insane. I expected Harris to get butchered easily.
[Try to kill Clayton]
So liquid out of all the fighters in this story, who is the very best user submitted one?
Haha, it was a fitting end for her though, and the death was really well handled, so it's all good. But man, after this chapter, Kersea will be royally fucked up either way, I can't see her come out the other end of all this and still be emotionally unscathed. Dark Kersea should be entertaining though.
I was kind of exaggerating but you're right. If I had to have a "favorite" one it would be her. Well, I have no remorse for Alysanne. That girl had something wrong with her head (and heart). Good thing death cures those sorts of problems.
That's interesting. Because unless Lucas got him out of jail he probably wouldn't have gotten out? Well, that's an interesting tidbit indeed. His death was pretty damn good, pretty worth it. I kind of envisioned him as Harys was which is always a nice thing to think. Yeah, Lucas's actions if that were the case make sense. Might have effected whatever the aftermath of the choice we have here. The thing about the banishment, well, I think Leonard at least would have left, probably gotten a better job (one with a wall). But he never did that fully, so, I can't exactly be on the same level of hate.
Oh yeah. I had a grin like Bruce the Shark when I saw what was going to happen. On the topic of characters that have been in the story for a seriously long time, the list from Chapter 1 is just thinning out steadily. How much of this chapter is left? I get the feeling that that list may get a bit smaller. But as we approach the future, Donnel Selwyn draws nearer, so, I'll weather it.
It appears many underestimated Harris. I realized I gave his skills a bit too little build-up, save for his fight with Torvin, where he easily overpowered him (even though he had two tons of horse for help), though I hope it still made sense that he went down in such a badass way.
Hm, I am almost sure you have asked such a similar question before. It is hard to answer. At a certain level of skill, the differences become less severe. Jaime Lannister could probably defeat Barristan Selmy, but that doesn't mean that Jaime is clearly the better fighter. Of course, there are legendary badasses like Arthur Dayne in the source material, but FoT doesn't have anyone quite like him. The characters I keep mentioning in such situations are probably very high up there. The Tom, Daghan, Emphryus and the likes of these. Alysanne was also a beast and the only thing that took her down were her own wounds she suffered before, otherwise she would have been a match for Harris in his armour.
Ah, good, good. Though with Kersea, she is actually on her way to recover from all that Clayton put her through. After resisting these temptations for so long, it is unlikely she'll just snap into them now that he is as good as gone from her life, even if it'll never truly go away. But there will be heavy scars from all of this. You are right, she won't be emotionally unscathed from this, not in the slightest, even if I am not sure if the result would truly be Dark Kersea. One thing is clear though, she's lightyears away from being the complete opposite. A certain shade of grey is what she has been and a slightly lighter shade of it is the absolute best she can hope for for the time being.
Oh yes, Alysanne clearly had serious issues. Her death obviously put an end to these, though I'd still say she has been mor a victim of her own messed-up life. Suffering through the things she went through (most of which have only been implied) are bound to leave her like she has been in the story. Raenna had a completely different life, which makes her such a different, more well-adjusted person. The same applies to Kersea, but years of emotional abuse from Clayton's side have affected her as well.
Well, there would have been other choices that would have led to Harris' temporary freedom in this chapter. Among other things, Willfred would have gotten an additional choice. He would have only survived if you would have strictly decided against freeing him whenever the choice came up. In this case however, his death wouldn't have been as powerful. He would have ultimately been hanged for murder, unceremoniously. And well, Lucas' arrival would have changed something, though it wouldn't have decided about additional deaths or survival. He would have arrived too late for anything like that. That said, I must say I doubt Leonard would have taken the banishment. Out of all the knights, he is the least likely to leave, in my opinion. He would have stayed and he would have fought, no matter the outcome. Lucas could have easily left with Argella, while Darren has left before, so this wouldn't have been that difficult for them (even if they potentially still would have decided to stay, especially in Darren's case), but Leonard's loyalty would have been a serious problem there.
That's true, the older characters are dying rather quickly these days. There's still Lucas and Leonard, Jenna and Richard, Rosalie and Wolfius in Raylansfair, Torvin and Garthon, as well as Harren and Edmyn Tully from the Harrenhal storyline, Jaron and Harpy in Oldtown and Noelle. It remains to be seen if all of these make it through Book 1. This chapter will definitely continue to claim characters, although we are about 3/4th through with it.
... Holy shit. What a part. I stated at the end of last chapter that Alysanne was one of my favorite characters, so it really is sad to see her go. RIP. Same with Harris. He was a character who had equally good and bad qualities, but he went out like a badass. RIP to him as well.
[Try to kill Clayton] As for the choice, I was really torn. I also stated how I've grown to like Raenna, but then again, fuck Clayton. As much as I would like to save Raenna, I feel like she can hold on for a bit longer. I want Clayton gone, and this is probably going to be our best chance to get rid of him.
Yes, I remember that she was one of your favourites as well, even if I have momentarily forgotten about it. It's surprising to see such a large number of readers who actually like Alysanne, but not unwelcome. I am glad that a character like her ended up so popular, while at the same time firmly remaining among the least favourites of others. It's this sort of mixed reception that makes me believe that I succeeded in creating a complex character at the very least. That said, I am sorry for killing off one of your favourites. It was inevitable and something I worry about every time I kill off a character.
That's another thing I am happy about, to see that I indeed managed to give Harris the badass death he undoubtedly deserved. He was a strong character and just having him wither away at the wall, or hanging him for his crimes would have felt like a disservice to him.
Undeniably, yes, this is your best chance to get rid of him, that much should be clear. He is heavily wounded, bleeding out, his rage and his wound make him clumsy, he is very weak, while Kersea is barely wounded at all. It's just the question if Raenna will truly manage to hold on for longer and if you are willing to risk it.
What exactly happened to Alysanne to make her this way?
Indeed, I could tell that she was another love or hate character. I happened to be one of those who loved her. I believed you succeeded greatly on writing her character. But I must say, there is absolutely no need to apologize for killing her off. It's Game of Thrones, and obviously all characters can't live. Many must die. If anything, her death makes me appreciate the story more. Keep up the great work Liquid
Oh, I agree. Harris has been quite a major character and his death was definitely extremely fitting. Although there were lots of things that I didn't like about him, he will still be missed.
Man, this choice is just really really hard. One of the hardest choices so far, for me. I really hope Raenne will be able to, because I like her as well. But man... it's Clayton we have the chance to kill. I despise this guy, as everyone else should. He needs to go. And I feel like trying to kill him definitely fits the bigger picture here.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! WHY!? I am so upset right now.
[Try to save Raenna] Saving a life is more important than ending one. Kersea done well in staying in the light so far, if she lets her best friend die to kill Clayton then it was all for nothing.
EDIT: I seriously can't get over the fact that Alysanne is dead now. I'm really upset about this. I'm convinced that she was my favorite.
Seven hells, it has to be the hardest choice in the story so far. I wanted to kill Clayton at first but after some thinking I decided the opposite.
[Try to save Raenna]
I'm so sorry
I know she was your favourite, which made writing this scene particularly hard. In fact, I even pushed this part back, as it originally was planned to be written about two weeks ago, because I really wanted to get it right and to give both, Harris and Alysanne, the important final scene they deserved. Unfortunately, Alysanne was always planned to be among the characters who would not survive the story. To me, it felt like the only logical consequence for such a damaged character. Alysanne's inability to live a normal life, as evidenced by her attacking Raenna, left me with no other conclusion for her. Though I can promise that her death won't be for nothing, it will have a massive effect on Kersea and even on Raenna.
That said, I do know how you feel. I hate losing my favourite characters and I that's why I absolutely hate killing someone else's favourite character, though it really felt like the only possible option from a narrative standpoint in this particular situation, the natural conclusion of every aspect of Alysanne's personality. Speaking of, I don't know if I have ever outright stated it, but I think I should thank you for the way you liked Alysanne. It was this early enthusiasm that actually influenced her character in a massive way, because before I noticed this, I have planned for her to be a far more villainous character, with less redeeming traits. I'm glad I ended up scrapping this earlier idea and I believe this is my favourite example on how these stories can be interactive even beyond mere choices. Which, of course, made it only harder for me to go through with killing Alysanne, but I felt like everything else would have ended up as a bad idea and a disservice to a character that always has been tragic and self-destructive. Still, I hope you can forgive me!
Well, I am not entirely sure how much of it has been hinted at in the story, but I believe Alysanne herself mentioned her parents once. Thing is, her parents are majorly responsible for everything that happened in her life. When she was very young, barely more than a toddler, her parents apparently sold her into slavery, or at least that's what she's been led to believe. She was raised in the fighting pits of Astapor, treated more like a caged animal than a human being. Whenever she made friends, or formed any positive connection to others, she was forced to fight them to the death shortly afterwards. This went on until she was in her teens, where she was sold again, this time to one of the Free Cities, where she gained her freedom. By then, she already was, as you can imagine, extremely screwed up. She had a couple of roughly positive relationships in her life, but most people she encountered taught her that there is absolutely no other way for a person than to be amoral, violent and opportunistic. This was the reason she was so fascinated by Kersea, who was anything but the way she believes people to be. Unfortunately, by the time they actually became friends, Alysanne had suffered through over two decades of such a life and especially her childhood and early teens massively influenced her in her worldview and arguably led to her having such a twisted development. This included the fact that she had almost no emotional growth in her life and though she had the mind and body of a grown woman, her emotional range has been as volatile as a preteen. The few positive things she had in life actually made it only worse, because they gave her just enough to make her realize that her worldview is flawed and that she is a highly damaged person. That said, with truly good psychological treatment, the kind that is just not available in Westerosi society, she could have potentially somewhat recovered from this trauma. So... yeah, I hope that explains why she acted in such a way.
You know what? I'm gonna lash out and brutally kill off your characters in the Cost of Loyalty
(kidding)
Man, I don't think this story has ever hit me this hard. It's what I get for getting more attached to more complex characters. I'm legitimately considering making a fanfiction dedicated to Alysanne right now. XD
Well, this is one of the moments where I have to thank Telltale's web team for including Emoticons, because this one perfectly describes my feelings while reading this sentence:
Not pictured: The relief I felt while reading the part in brackets, though this one comes close:
Hm, I am kind of flattered that I managed to cause such strong emotions with my writing. I can absolutly assure you though, I don't plan on killing off all of the complex characters. And well, if you wish to write an Alysanne fanfiction, I'd find that pretty amazing! If you want to go through with that idea and need anything for it, like her character submission or stuff like that, then let me know!
The Voting is closed!
Kersea is going to try to save Raenna
This was a very active voting, something that makes me very happy. And considering how big of a part this was, I am also glad I managed to cause the reaction I've been aiming for. Safe to say, this part will change a lot for many people, especially due to the death of Harris. As for the choice, you chose the option I have expected, but it was way closer than I thought, which pleases me. I knew, on paper this sounds like a hard choice, but I wasn't sure if you'd consider it to be such a hard choice. After all, Raenna is a fairly well-liked PoV as far as I know, so I expected you to try and save her even over taking the chance to kill that complete bastard Clayton. The fact that there have been strong arguments in favour of killing him makes me pretty happy. That said, there's still going to be a twist in this storyline, a really big twist. Kersea will have one more part in this chapter, in the near future. As for the chapter itself, it is also nearing its end, with most of the PoV's having only one additional part. However, I am afraid to reveal that in terms of body count, we have barely reached a third of the chapter
The next part will, coincidentally, feature two of the PoV's who have more than one part left. However, both of them only had one part in this chapter as well. They are Torvin and Arthur, whom I have announced before, but whose parts I had to cut in favour of longer parts for other PoV's. I have recently given recaps for both, so here are really short recaps just in case you're no longer sure where we left them off: Torvin is at the gates, wounded after his fight with Harris and currently gathering his men for another attack. Arthur has left his post to make sure that Mathea won't have to make her way through the city on her own, while she seeks to save Lyria, Urid and Rosalie. I am hoping to finish this part today, but a lot of writing is still left, so I might not manage to do it.
Regardless of that, there will be new things to read, namely the next part of the Vaasrand mini-series by @Arrodor! I hope you enjoy it