Man, this part had some great character moments for Arthur, and I also think he and Edonia make a good team. Also learning more details about both Sherryl's and Edonia's backstories was interesting.
[Follow the blood] I am intrigued by the bootprints I admit. However, I feel like following the blood is the priority here, as it should lead us to where Sherryl went first, where we could find more clues, if not the bitch herself. Also, it's possible that the bootprints aren't even connected to the case.
Arthur
Perhaps out of respect for her position, Nora had been given a room of her own, instead of being confined to the large hall that w… moreas used to contain all those that had been wounded during the raid. It wasn't a very large room, though it came with a window for fresh air and a bed that seemed to offer at least some comfort.
Nora was lying on it, her shoulder heavily bandaged and from the look on her face, it was clear that she was in pain. Weakly, she opened her eyes as Arthur and Edonia entered the room and she seemed to recognize him quickly. Though she remained mostly quiet, a short groan was uttered, a greeting of sorts.
“Captain Nora”, Arthur said, giving her a nod as he approached the bed. She managed a slight smile. “Nathamer”, she greeted him. “Glad you're still alive. Did your father sent you?” Instantly, Arthur's relaxed expression turned into a frown, a look that was enough for her to know what was going on. The smile… [view original content]
[Follow the blood] It's good to see Arthur back in action torturing himself again. And he even busted up his shoulder. Oh, it is good to see his tragic daddy issues. And we learned a bit about Sheryl, Aditha, and Tariel's past, and that Aditha betrayed her own friends. Really interesting and it'll be cool to see Aditha interacting with either of them to see how Aditha thinks about her actions. Edonia had a cool backstory. This Buddy Cop adventure is going pretty good so far. Go after the blood is more likely to lead to results. We spend a lot of time mourning and talking to Nora to likely follow the uninjured archer who's tracks will be unreliable. Really great part!
Arthur
Perhaps out of respect for her position, Nora had been given a room of her own, instead of being confined to the large hall that w… moreas used to contain all those that had been wounded during the raid. It wasn't a very large room, though it came with a window for fresh air and a bed that seemed to offer at least some comfort.
Nora was lying on it, her shoulder heavily bandaged and from the look on her face, it was clear that she was in pain. Weakly, she opened her eyes as Arthur and Edonia entered the room and she seemed to recognize him quickly. Though she remained mostly quiet, a short groan was uttered, a greeting of sorts.
“Captain Nora”, Arthur said, giving her a nod as he approached the bed. She managed a slight smile. “Nathamer”, she greeted him. “Glad you're still alive. Did your father sent you?” Instantly, Arthur's relaxed expression turned into a frown, a look that was enough for her to know what was going on. The smile… [view original content]
I'm going with [Follow the blood] since it seems like the sure way to get results, but I'm very curious about the bootprints as well... And the fact that the bow was left behind is pretty strange too.
Arthur
Perhaps out of respect for her position, Nora had been given a room of her own, instead of being confined to the large hall that w… moreas used to contain all those that had been wounded during the raid. It wasn't a very large room, though it came with a window for fresh air and a bed that seemed to offer at least some comfort.
Nora was lying on it, her shoulder heavily bandaged and from the look on her face, it was clear that she was in pain. Weakly, she opened her eyes as Arthur and Edonia entered the room and she seemed to recognize him quickly. Though she remained mostly quiet, a short groan was uttered, a greeting of sorts.
“Captain Nora”, Arthur said, giving her a nod as he approached the bed. She managed a slight smile. “Nathamer”, she greeted him. “Glad you're still alive. Did your father sent you?” Instantly, Arthur's relaxed expression turned into a frown, a look that was enough for her to know what was going on. The smile… [view original content]
Arthur
Perhaps out of respect for her position, Nora had been given a room of her own, instead of being confined to the large hall that w… moreas used to contain all those that had been wounded during the raid. It wasn't a very large room, though it came with a window for fresh air and a bed that seemed to offer at least some comfort.
Nora was lying on it, her shoulder heavily bandaged and from the look on her face, it was clear that she was in pain. Weakly, she opened her eyes as Arthur and Edonia entered the room and she seemed to recognize him quickly. Though she remained mostly quiet, a short groan was uttered, a greeting of sorts.
“Captain Nora”, Arthur said, giving her a nod as he approached the bed. She managed a slight smile. “Nathamer”, she greeted him. “Glad you're still alive. Did your father sent you?” Instantly, Arthur's relaxed expression turned into a frown, a look that was enough for her to know what was going on. The smile… [view original content]
Arthur
Perhaps out of respect for her position, Nora had been given a room of her own, instead of being confined to the large hall that w… moreas used to contain all those that had been wounded during the raid. It wasn't a very large room, though it came with a window for fresh air and a bed that seemed to offer at least some comfort.
Nora was lying on it, her shoulder heavily bandaged and from the look on her face, it was clear that she was in pain. Weakly, she opened her eyes as Arthur and Edonia entered the room and she seemed to recognize him quickly. Though she remained mostly quiet, a short groan was uttered, a greeting of sorts.
“Captain Nora”, Arthur said, giving her a nod as he approached the bed. She managed a slight smile. “Nathamer”, she greeted him. “Glad you're still alive. Did your father sent you?” Instantly, Arthur's relaxed expression turned into a frown, a look that was enough for her to know what was going on. The smile… [view original content]
Following the bootprints, unless they are Wolfius's and Kreep's, which you know, actually might make sense and be the case, is a waste. The blood will surely lead us to some more helpful information. The prints are not guaranteed to.
Arthur
Perhaps out of respect for her position, Nora had been given a room of her own, instead of being confined to the large hall that w… moreas used to contain all those that had been wounded during the raid. It wasn't a very large room, though it came with a window for fresh air and a bed that seemed to offer at least some comfort.
Nora was lying on it, her shoulder heavily bandaged and from the look on her face, it was clear that she was in pain. Weakly, she opened her eyes as Arthur and Edonia entered the room and she seemed to recognize him quickly. Though she remained mostly quiet, a short groan was uttered, a greeting of sorts.
“Captain Nora”, Arthur said, giving her a nod as he approached the bed. She managed a slight smile. “Nathamer”, she greeted him. “Glad you're still alive. Did your father sent you?” Instantly, Arthur's relaxed expression turned into a frown, a look that was enough for her to know what was going on. The smile… [view original content]
Arthur
Perhaps out of respect for her position, Nora had been given a room of her own, instead of being confined to the large hall that w… moreas used to contain all those that had been wounded during the raid. It wasn't a very large room, though it came with a window for fresh air and a bed that seemed to offer at least some comfort.
Nora was lying on it, her shoulder heavily bandaged and from the look on her face, it was clear that she was in pain. Weakly, she opened her eyes as Arthur and Edonia entered the room and she seemed to recognize him quickly. Though she remained mostly quiet, a short groan was uttered, a greeting of sorts.
“Captain Nora”, Arthur said, giving her a nod as he approached the bed. She managed a slight smile. “Nathamer”, she greeted him. “Glad you're still alive. Did your father sent you?” Instantly, Arthur's relaxed expression turned into a frown, a look that was enough for her to know what was going on. The smile… [view original content]
Arthur
Perhaps out of respect for her position, Nora had been given a room of her own, instead of being confined to the large hall that w… moreas used to contain all those that had been wounded during the raid. It wasn't a very large room, though it came with a window for fresh air and a bed that seemed to offer at least some comfort.
Nora was lying on it, her shoulder heavily bandaged and from the look on her face, it was clear that she was in pain. Weakly, she opened her eyes as Arthur and Edonia entered the room and she seemed to recognize him quickly. Though she remained mostly quiet, a short groan was uttered, a greeting of sorts.
“Captain Nora”, Arthur said, giving her a nod as he approached the bed. She managed a slight smile. “Nathamer”, she greeted him. “Glad you're still alive. Did your father sent you?” Instantly, Arthur's relaxed expression turned into a frown, a look that was enough for her to know what was going on. The smile… [view original content]
Arthur
Perhaps out of respect for her position, Nora had been given a room of her own, instead of being confined to the large hall that w… moreas used to contain all those that had been wounded during the raid. It wasn't a very large room, though it came with a window for fresh air and a bed that seemed to offer at least some comfort.
Nora was lying on it, her shoulder heavily bandaged and from the look on her face, it was clear that she was in pain. Weakly, she opened her eyes as Arthur and Edonia entered the room and she seemed to recognize him quickly. Though she remained mostly quiet, a short groan was uttered, a greeting of sorts.
“Captain Nora”, Arthur said, giving her a nod as he approached the bed. She managed a slight smile. “Nathamer”, she greeted him. “Glad you're still alive. Did your father sent you?” Instantly, Arthur's relaxed expression turned into a frown, a look that was enough for her to know what was going on. The smile… [view original content]
Follow the blood] I was really torn while deciding. I was thinking bootprints because they seem fresh and likely to lead somewhere and whoever Edonia shot might already be gone. But I keep thinking that we need to focus on the task at hand. The bootprints might not even be related.
I love these two together! I can't stop myself from grinning when Arthur crushes on Edonia. ^_^
Arthur
Perhaps out of respect for her position, Nora had been given a room of her own, instead of being confined to the large hall that w… moreas used to contain all those that had been wounded during the raid. It wasn't a very large room, though it came with a window for fresh air and a bed that seemed to offer at least some comfort.
Nora was lying on it, her shoulder heavily bandaged and from the look on her face, it was clear that she was in pain. Weakly, she opened her eyes as Arthur and Edonia entered the room and she seemed to recognize him quickly. Though she remained mostly quiet, a short groan was uttered, a greeting of sorts.
“Captain Nora”, Arthur said, giving her a nod as he approached the bed. She managed a slight smile. “Nathamer”, she greeted him. “Glad you're still alive. Did your father sent you?” Instantly, Arthur's relaxed expression turned into a frown, a look that was enough for her to know what was going on. The smile… [view original content]
Man, this part had some great character moments for Arthur, and I also think he and Edonia make a good team. Also learning more details about both Sherryl's and Edonia's backstories was interesting.
Always glad you enjoyed it! I surely love building up Arthur's character here. I feel like I did less with him than with some of the other PoV's in the past chapters, but I have reached a point of great development for him at last Same goes for Edonia, although the character I surely loved to show a bit more about is Sherryl, especially as this part showed what might have been the first glimpse of a redeeming trait of her, her sticking with Tariel after she was so heavily blamed for things out of her control, even at the cost of her own standing in the city. Even Aditha, undoubtedly a way less crappy person, decided to leave her friend during that situation, that's how badly things have been back then. At the same time, this might paint Sherryl's later betrayal of Tariel in a way harsher light.
Man, this part had some great character moments for Arthur, and I also think he and Edonia make a good team. Also learning more details abou… moret both Sherryl's and Edonia's backstories was interesting.
[Follow the blood] I am intrigued by the bootprints I admit. However, I feel like following the blood is the priority here, as it should lead us to where Sherryl went first, where we could find more clues, if not the bitch herself. Also, it's possible that the bootprints aren't even connected to the case.
It's good to see Arthur back in action torturing himself again. And he even busted up his shoulder. Oh, it is good to see his tragic daddy issues.
Aye, a bit of physical pain to counterbalance all the mental shit he is going through at the moment. Arthur is really at a low point in his life, having lost his father and even worse, the respect he had for his father and the morals he upheld. All of this will leave their marks and change him as a person, that much is for sure. This path has also just begun, so I cannot wait to show this later development
And we learned a bit about Sheryl, Aditha, and Tariel's past, and that Aditha betrayed her own friends. Really interesting and it'll be cool to see Aditha interacting with either of them to see how Aditha thinks about her actions.
Ah, it was a pretty crappy thing to do, yet at the same time, it was the reasonable thing to do from Aditha's perspective. Everyone has to decide for themselves on how far they would go for their friends and Aditha decided that she would not basically ruin her own life for Tariel. We haven't yet learned about her own thoughts on the matter, but from her brief interaction with Tariel in Chapter 6, it's clear that she at least continues to publically blame her former friend. And well, we might learn more about her true feelings on this later on, if she truly means what she said to Tariel, or if she is merely making sure that she won't share her fate.
Edonia had a cool backstory. This Buddy Cop adventure is going pretty good so far.
I am glad you enjoyed her backstory! Edonia is a character I have just loved to write so far, mostly because she is way more positive as a person than many of the other characters, who are in some way broody, cynical or downright broken. That said, she's not without tragedy in her life as this part has shown. I truly hope you will continue to enjoy her in the future
[Follow the blood] It's good to see Arthur back in action torturing himself again. And he even busted up his shoulder. Oh, it is good to see… more his tragic daddy issues. And we learned a bit about Sheryl, Aditha, and Tariel's past, and that Aditha betrayed her own friends. Really interesting and it'll be cool to see Aditha interacting with either of them to see how Aditha thinks about her actions. Edonia had a cool backstory. This Buddy Cop adventure is going pretty good so far. Go after the blood is more likely to lead to results. We spend a lot of time mourning and talking to Nora to likely follow the uninjured archer who's tracks will be unreliable. Really great part!
I was really torn while deciding. I was thinking bootprints because they seem fresh and likely to lead somewhere and whoever Edonia shot might already be gone. But I keep thinking that we need to focus on the task at hand. The bootprints might not even be related.
Though I of course cannot comment on wether or not the bootprints are actually relevant to the case (and it is certainly not unthinkable that they are entirely unrelated), I can confirm this, they are fresh, more than the blood, which has already started to dry. It is more than possible to catch up to the person who left these bootprints, whereas the bleeding person could already be gone.
I love these two together! I can't stop myself from grinning when Arthur crushes on Edonia. ^_^
Ah, it makes me happy to see them so well-received. Arthur and Edonia were a team-up I have come up with relatively recently (meaning in the last few months), but one I wouldn't want to miss anymore. Arthur is indeed crushing on her, though then again, it's not the first time that happens to him. In any way, it makes for highly enjoyable moments to write and it actually made me reconsider some later things to come down the road
Follow the blood] I was really torn while deciding. I was thinking bootprints because they seem fresh and likely to lead somewhere and whoev… moreer Edonia shot might already be gone. But I keep thinking that we need to focus on the task at hand. The bootprints might not even be related.
I love these two together! I can't stop myself from grinning when Arthur crushes on Edonia. ^_^
And the fact that the bow was left behind is pretty strange too.
This is indeed one of the strangest details there. This bow is the same one that appeared earlier in the story, made out of Goldenheart and having gotten into Sherryl's possession through means currently unknown. This Goldenheart is rumoured to make the best bows in the known world and it is incredibly rare outside of the Summer Isles due to the export being outlawed. This means someone paid more than just a small fortune and took a considerable risk in obtaining it. It's probably worth more than the entire house it was left in. Arthur doesn't know this detail of course and Edonia has but a fleeting suspicion of its true value, but the fact that the archer left it behind is a very strange thing.
I'm going with [Follow the blood] since it seems like the sure way to get results, but I'm very curious about the bootprints as well... And the fact that the bow was left behind is pretty strange too.
Ah, I kind of expected this. After all, finding the archer might be a key to find Sherryl, whereas the bootprints could be entirely unrelated. It is clear that something bloody happened when Edonia shot at the archer, so it is reasonable to assume that the blood will lead to more answers. And what can I say, you will learn about this very soon, in what is probably going to be Arthur's final part for this chapter. I surely cannot wait to write it, as it is among the key parts of Chapter 9, as well as one of the few I have planned far in advance. Probably way over a year for the scene I wish to show there. Ah, I better get to write more quickly, because I hope to reach this part in the very near future!
It goes without saying that I am back My weekend has been incredible and I am still a bit blown away by the size of the event, even if I didn't got to see as many bands as I hoped to. That said, the ones I watched were simply incredible. From Five Finger Death Punch to Sum 41 to the german punk bands Broilers and Die Toten Hosen, I had a blast seeing them performing live. Then there was System of a Down, delivering a performance that was downright intimidating in its magnitude. Somehow, they ended up playing every single song I wanted them to play over the course of less than two hours, even songs like Lost in Hollywood and Aerials, which I surely did not expect to be a part of their live performances. I was utterly amazed by that. The only thing that was less than great was how Friday ended. Due to hints to a severe terrorist threat, the festival had to be cut short on Friday, leading to me missing out on Rammstein. Later on, it turned out that the police simply overreacted and that there has never been concrete plans for an attack. That said, I am nonetheless extremely happy, if extremely exhausted at the same time due to the utter nightmare that was leaving a small town in rural germany (with the infrastructure you'd expect from such a place) when 80000 people had the same idea.
As a result, the next part will probably not be ready today, as I am just getting started. I currently plan it to feature a PoV for Ilish and a second one as well, although I have several possbilities for this second one and will probably decide pretty spontaneously once I get there. Willfred is a possibility, as is John. Since Ilish is confirmed for the next part, I'll give you a short recap on her latest misadventures. After surviving the raid thanks to help from Vaasrand of Lys, she resumed her work at the tavern. However, her boss Audrey got badly wounded during the attack, leading to an even more stressed relationship between Audrey's daughter and niece, Megur and Daisy. While at work, Ilish met Vaasrand again and stopped for a chat, during which it turned out that he knew more about her brother Carvin, who left her years ago. He revealed to her that he met the some time ago, shortly after he had joined the Second Sons, who worked with Nain Anturion, Edward's highly feared brother. Intrigued by these news and the possibility that she might be able to reunite with her sibling caused Ilish to stay and ask him for more stories, despite being aware of growing troubles between Megur and Daisy at the same time. The next part will start exactly where her last one ended and I hope to finish it tomorrow
Leaving Daisy and Megur to themselves gave Ilish a sour taste, yet she focussed on Vaasrand nonetheless. The thought of having a shot at finding Carvin, it filled her with excitement, enough to drown out the worry for her friends' well-being. She leant forwards, giving Vaasrand a stern look. “If you know anything else, you have to tell me”, she urged him. “This Vaes Khadokh, why is it such a bad place?”
Vaasrand subtly raised an eyebrow, the only sign of emotion on his calm face. It was slight annoyance at her curiosity, yet he nonetheless gave her a nod. Afterwards, he glanced towards Axell, who shrugged. “Sure, I can wait”, the farmer said. “Actually, I think we might even be able to
To this, Ilish gave him a curious look, as she realized how odd it was for the farmer to meet up with the hunter. Axell sat down next to her, as Vaasrand cleared his throat. “I offered to tell him some of my secrets”, he replied. “As payment for saving my life” He sighed. “And indeed, I think we can combine this a bit”, he mumbled, as he looked at Axell. “You ready to learn a bit about the world?”
With visible excitement, the farmer nodded and Vaasrand leant back. “There is a reason why I try to avoid Vaes Khadokh on my travels”, he began to explain. “Though it hasn't always been that bad. Just a few decades ago, it was a city, a genuine kingdom, one of several that have risen since the Doom came upon Valyria. Back then, it was known as Essaria”
“What happened?”, Ilish asked and Vaasrand gave her a quick, disgruntled look, before turning towards the window. As he looked through the stained glass, he suddenly seemed distant, almost lost in memories. “It wasn't a particularly great kingdom, but a stable one and reasonably wealthy”, he explained. “In the absence of the Valyrian hegemony on the continent, a new power rose, one that was instinctively drawn towards to the riches Essaria offered” Slowly, he clenched his fists. “Dothraki”
The word itself already filled Ilish with excitement, though the dark tone of Vaasrand's voice told her that she should probably feel dread instead. It meant danger, thrill, the opportunity Ilish had been looking for, the thing she yearned for the most in her life.
“They feared the dragons, but with them gone, the Khal's tormented the continent without mercy”, Vaasrand explained. “Essaria was the latest of countless cities pillaged, the last kingdom to fall during a century of blood. So terrible was the bloodshed that the once proud Essaria became known as Vaes Khadokh, the City of Corpses. The royal family was slaughtered back then, though in their frenzy, the Dothraki failed to kill the youngest generation, the children” He shook his head. “It would have been better for us all if they would have wiped that cursed bloodline out back then”
Ilish glanced at Axell, noticing that the young man was listening eagerly. His enthusiasm mirrored her own, it was the familiar yearning for a world beyond their reach. As grisly as Vaasrand's tale was, it was exactly what she wanted to hear.
“Two children. Maybe three, depending on who tells the story. The only thing they all get right is that the eldest child was a son, somewhere in his teens at the time. This boy was Nain Anturion”, the hunter continued. “After the Dothraki lost to the Three Thousand of Qohor, their tireless advance got slowed down for the first time. Nain used this opportunity to gather his allies, to reclaim his birthright. Back then he was charismatic, a leader and not quite the raving lunatic he is today, so it was easy for him to gain companions during his campaign”
“And Vaes Khadokh became Essaria again?”, Axell asked, to which Vaasrand shook his head. “It was perhaps the first time Nain displayed the traits he is known for today, when he decided to keep the name”, he answered. “He became King of Vaes Khadokh, god over a city of corpses”
“God...”, Ilish mumbled. “Is anyone actually worshipping him?” For a second, a slightly amused look formed on Vaasrand's face. “Nobody in their right mind, as much as he'd like to”, he answered and as quick as it came, the light-heartedness was gone once more. “That said, he wouldn't be the strangest god to be worshipped. Right now he is nothing but a mad king, though in decades, this truth might fade into myth if he plays his cards right”
Ilish and Axell exchanged another look and this time, Ilish felt uneasiness. This Nain, she already knew that he wasn't someone she wanted to encounter. And if Carvin had started to work for him... She gulped, as she realized just what exactly this implied. It had been years since she last saw her brother, but the Carvin she knew, he would have never worked for such a man.
“He rebuilt Vaes Khadokh, but instead of the hining kingdom his ancestors had been proud of, his legacy was one of blood and pain. A tyrant, obsessed with power, with delusions of his own immortality”, Vaasrand mumbled. “The pinnacle of human cruelty. No beast I have ever hunted had such a methodical, senseless violence in its nature than Nain Anturion”
“And my brother is working for him...”, Ilish muttered, to which Vaasrand shrugged. “I don't know”, he admitted. “I have met a man by the name of Carvin Granver years ago and he bore the colours of the Second Sons, but that's about all I know for sure. Maybe he has left the company since then”
Ilish shook her head. “I met one of the Second Sons not long ago”, she told him. “He informed me about Carvin's affiliation with the Sons, but he died before he could tell me more. What you told me... his involvement with Anturion, that's new for me”
His gaze was stern, yet not entirely cold and in his eyes, Ilish saw a compassion she hadn't expected from a man like him. “Girl, I want to prevent you from making a very costly mistake”, he explained. “Vaes Khadokh is a city of nightmares. The only thing you'll find there is death”
“But why?”, Ilish growled. “What is it that makes this city so terrible? It is still a kingdom, is it not?” Vaasrand nodded. “Aye, but one shaped by its king. Nain's rule is a harsh one and this breeds harsh people, attracting even worse. It's a city of scoundrels, killers, dark mages, escaped criminals and worse. Oldtown is a beauty compared to it”
“Never been there either, so it's not as if I can compare”, Ilish sighed. “But I believe you that this city is a bad place” Vaasrand nodded. “The darkest I have ever been to. There is no beast to terrorize the smallfolk, no dark magic, no ancient curse to plague the countryside, just man. Seeing what our kind is capable of, it was a numbing experience”
There was honesty in his voice and compassion. Ilish believed him and there was a part of her that didn't want to go there, didn't want to meet this god king, the small part of her that was actually content with her life here in Raylansfair, as uneventful as it was. But could she really miss out on this opportunity? Was it even an opportunity? Suddenly, her thoughts went back to Alexander. He could have told her. He probably would have, if only he would have lived for longer. She would have had clarity with him.
“Still, it might be my only hope to find my brother”, she whispered. This desire to find Carvin, it was strange, even for her. After all, he abandoned her, after taking away what was left of her old life. They hadn't parted on good term. Who's to say that he would even want to see her again? But that was not the point. He was family and if anything, her recent brush with death showed Ilish how important that was.
Axell uncomfortably cleared his throat. “I... think Vaasrand has a point”, he said. “I want to learn more about the world, but I have seen what comes out of simple folk trying to play hero” He clenched his fists. “Roman and Than would still be alive if they would have followed that advice”
Vaasrand nodded slightly. “I know you want to find your brother, but this is one of the moments where you gotta listen to experience”, he urged her. “Whatever you hope to find in Vaes Khadokh, it's not worth your life”
In frustration, Ilish rolled her eyes. She was close to getting an actual lead on her brother's whereabouts, so close. Could she truly back down now? Following Carvin, wherever he was right now, it felt like the right thing to do. The first time in many years that Ilish felt like she truly knew what to do with her life. Surely, it was dangerous, but if anything, the raid proved to her that she was always in danger, even at a place she called home. “And what do you want me to do then?”, she asked.
“Stay”, Vaasrand told her. “Give up on whatever foolish thing you plan there. Vaes Khadokh is not for the likes of you” His gaze got sterner, deeper. “I saved your life during the raid. Though I haven't done it for payment, the least you can do is to promise me not to chase after your phantom of a brother”
[Promise him that you won't travel to Vaes Khadokh][Don't promise him anything]
John
On his own, John wandered across the courtyard of the castle. He had separated from Aylard after the former innkeeper expressed his desire to have a talk with Lucas. As much as John wanted to make sure that the boy was alright, this one was more important. Lucas would find a way, he would always find a way. Right now, what mattered was that Janae would get the help she needed. And Behara... the thought of either of them being in the hands of Ironborn or worse, they tore him apart.
Daghan had to help. He'd bring him to that girl, the sly one and she'd find a way. The Targaryen knight was owing him that much at the very least. He had to help. Luckily, he wasn't even all that far away and John spotted him quickly. Wearing his armour, he was not exactly hard to find of course.
What was more surprising was the fact that there were more people with him. Daghan himself was walking behind an odd pair, accompanying them from a distance. The one to draw his attention first was a young woman. Her attire clearly marked her as nobility, while the colours she wore clearly marked her as something more than that. Considering her beauty, John couldn't care less for how odd it was that a Stormlander noblewoman was chatting with a Targaryen knight.
This knight was a man he had met before, if only briefly. Gordar Celtigar, one of Baratheon's companions, was walking there, right next to who could be none other than the princess of the Stormlands. His face was stern, yet attentive, as he focussed on the road in front of him, nodding occasionally. The princess meanwhile spoke in a muffled tone, making it unable for John to understand a word of what she said. All he knew was that he recognized the uncomfortable, almost regretful look on her face.
Daghan spotted him from far away and a frown formed on his face. He put a hand onto Celtigar's shoulder, whispering something in his ear, as the group stopped. While the golden-haired knight instantly looked over to John, the princess remained calm, successfully ignoring the intruding sellsword and not even giving him a single look.
After excusing himself, Daghan turned away from the pair. While Celtigar looked after him once again, the princess continued to speak. Turning her back on John, she continued to walk and the knight had to hurry to keep up with her. Whatever it was she was saying, it was clear to John that there was a lot of anger on Celtigar's face, yet also surprise and confusion.
“John fucking Gutten”, Daghan said, mustering a slight smirk. “Before you ask, no I will not introduce you. That girl's not only completely insufferable, she's also half your age, give or take a few years” His smirk turned into a brief grin, as he patted John on the shoulder, finally noticing the man's frown.
“That's not what I'm here for, Daghan”, John replied sternly and the knight raised an eyebrow. “What happened?”, he instantly growled. He put a hand onto John's shoulder, as he softly pushed him towards one of the corners of the courtyard, away from curious eyes that would surely watch them in the centre.
“It's about Janae”, John finally replied as they had reached a less open spot of the courtyard, between the stables and a corpse cart. “And about Behara. They went missing during the raid” Daghan took a deep breath, as his eyes subtly widened. “Seven...”, he mumbled. “Are they...”
“Missing”, John cut him off with a growl. “They are not dead, I know it” Daghan sighed, though John couldn't tell if it was out of relief or disbelief. “Very well”, he said in a stressed tone. “And I assume you require my help to find them?”
John shook his head. “Not yours”, he clarified. “But I was hoping you could bring me to that woman you've been with earlier, the pretty one. She seems like the kind that can find out some stuff out of my reach” Daghan raised an eyebrow. “Saerya?”, he asked. “Now, she's a crafty one. I doubt she knows anything yet, but of there is anyone in this entire city that can find out where your friends have been taken, it's her”
“So... can you bring me to her?”, John asked and Daghan gulped. “I was supposed to accompany Ser Gordar during his talk with the Storm Princess”, he muttered. “But fuck it. Janae has been a good help. So have you and if anything, you have earned my support. I doubt Gordar would disapprove, it seems he's handling the situation quite well” He turned to a larger building, giving John a sign to follow him. “Saerya got a room at the servant's quarters”, he explained. “I'll bring you to her”
As they walked over the courtyard, John looked over to the princess and the knight. “What's that about?”, he whispered as soon as they were far enough for the pair not to hear them. Daghan chuckled thinly. “You wouldn't believe it”, he replied. “The haughty little girl actually comes to apologize. Gordar's cousin, a dear friend of mine, he died due to wounds he suffered when delivering a simple message to Storm's End. I haven't thought that girl to be capable of feeling guilt, but here she is, legitimately apologizing to Gordar”
John raised an eyebrow. “Is he going to accept it?”, he asked and Daghan shook his head. “Not that easily”, he replied. “She's got a silver tongue, but Gordar does not forgive without reason. She'll have to convince him” As he said these words, he entered the large building, apparently the servant's quarters.
Quickly, the large knight led John through the corridors of the dimly lit building. More than once, their loud presence caused a servant to glance at them through half-opened doors, though most of these got slammed shut as they recognized the two broad-shouldered men as warriors. It would have been amusing under any other circumstance, but right now, the worry was eating John up.
Finally, Daghan came to a stop in front of one of the doors. He listened shortly and a smile formed on his face. His hand moved to the door, heavily knocking onto the wood. “Saerya!”, he growled. “Saerya, open the door. I know you're in there”
From inside, John heard muffled talk, though as soon as Daghan announced his presence, one of the voices uttered a heartfelt curse. Quick footsteps rushed to the door, opening it only a tiny bit. Through the gap, John saw the stunning brunette he had met during the final stages of the raid. Saerya, as Daghan had called her.
“You oaf!”, she barked at the bald knight, with enough passion to actually cause Daghan to flinch. “Just go ahead, blare our connection out to the entire castle to hear!” She shook her head in frustration as her glance fell upon John. “And you even brought your new friend... wonderful” Her tone made it clear that this meeting was anything but wonderful for her.
“Sorry”, Daghan replied with a slight grin. “But this is urgent. John needs your help” Saerya rolled her eyes in frustration. “Does he?”, she muttered, to which Daghan merely raised both eyebrows. “You got company in there?”, he asked in return. “Please, tell me it's not your guard”
For a second, a sober, pained expression flashed across Saerya's face, a tiny moment of weakness in what was otherwise a perfectly serene mask, the one that symbolized that she had everything under control. If anything, the way she clenched her hands into the wood of the door and doorframe made it clear that she was anything but.
“Oh, be damned...”, she mumbled, as she pushed the door open completely, revealing two other figures. One of them, a girl, was sitting on the bed. She was a bit younger than Saerya, though merely a handful of years at most. Thin and visibly timid she avoided his glare, though not before John saw the hint of a scar on the right side of her face, covered by plain, brown hair. Though pretty, this visible lack of confidence was off-putting for John.
The second person was someone he knew, someone he actually hoped to never see again. His smug grin was gone, yet his presence remained the same, as Leonard Constantine gave him a nod for a greeting, a gesture that was far more subdued than anything he had shown before Oldtown, back when John met him and Lucas at the Hammered Harp.
“Daghan and companion, these are Jenna Harking and Leonard Constantine”, Saerya introduced the two and John nodded. “I know the knight”, he growled, as Leonard crossed his arms behind his back. “A pleasure, sellsword”, he replied in a tone that made it clear that this was anything but a pleasure for him.
“What's he doing here?”, he hissed and Leonard raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing here?”, he answered, no less hostile. Saerya sighed, rolling her dark blue eyes. “Behave, boys”, she urged them. “Though I'd like to know the same thing. Daghan, this is highly irregular”
This time, Daghan nodded in agreement. “It is”, he confirmed. “But John has earned my trust and he seriously needs your help. It's about two of his friends that went missing during the raid” Saerya clenched her fists, as she finally stepped away from the door. “Come in”, she hissed in a tone that instantly made John follow the order. “Tell me what this is about”
“As Daghan said, it's about two of my friends, Janae and Behara”, John explained, as Daghan closed the door behind him. He noticed the subtle reaction from Leonard that proved that this knight remembered the girl he had gotten in a fight over. Though not quite to blame for it, John still felt some resentment over how badly he had beaten Temari down.
“Missing?”, the woman asked and John nodded. “Not dead”, he insisted. “I'd know that much. Someone took her, maybe the Ironborn, maybe others. But I am just one man. I don't have your methods to find out more about the truth”
Saerya nodded. “So you came to me”, she said. “Clever. Real clever. Bringing your friend Daghan with you, knowing fully well that I cannot refuse his pleas” A smile formed on John's face. “So, you are going to help me?”, he asked.
This time, Saerya shook her head. “Not right now”, she disagreed. “I have a vast network of spies and if we're lucky, one of them will be able to give you a trail to follow. But right now, there is another matter I have to deal with”
Instinctively, John glanced at Leonard, to which the woman smiled joylessly. “Correct”, she complimented him. “It's a knightly matter. Not to bother you two with details, but Leonard here has to leave the castle. Things have gotten heated with the arrival of our 'saviours' and I don't want to leave him and his knowledge to them”
“So, you're proposing a deal?”, John asked and Saerya smiled. “Your help for mine. That way, we both get something out of this. Jenna here already came up with a bit of a plan, but maybe your presence will give us additional ways to smuggle Leonard out of the castle” She leant forwards. “That is, if you feel up for a bit of a risk”
[Promise him that you won't travel to Vaes Khadokh] Why should Illish ever go towards the literal City of Corpses? She may be quick witted, but why risk her own well being for a brother that left her. Sure, go try to find him, but don't put yourself in mortal harm by going to murderer central ruled by the evil tyrant who is actively searching for this scary evil package that the Rock now has.
[Agree to help Saerya] Win win situation. Leonard gets to safety and John gets help finding Janae and Behara. What could go wrong besides for the chance of potentially getting caught.
Ilish
Leaving Daisy and Megur to themselves gave Ilish a sour taste, yet she focussed on Vaasrand nonetheless. The thought of having a sh… moreot at finding Carvin, it filled her with excitement, enough to drown out the worry for her friends' well-being. She leant forwards, giving Vaasrand a stern look. “If you know anything else, you have to tell me”, she urged him. “This Vaes Khadokh, why is it such a bad place?”
Vaasrand subtly raised an eyebrow, the only sign of emotion on his calm face. It was slight annoyance at her curiosity, yet he nonetheless gave her a nod. Afterwards, he glanced towards Axell, who shrugged. “Sure, I can wait”, the farmer said. “Actually, I think we might even be able to
To this, Ilish gave him a curious look, as she realized how odd it was for the farmer to meet up with the hunter. Axell sat down next to her, as Vaasrand cleared his throat. “I offered to tell him some of my secrets”, he replied. “As payment for … [view original content]
[Promise him that you won't travel to Vaes Khadokh]
Oh Ilish no.
[Agree to help Saerya] Help Leonard is good. Very good.
The second person was someone he knew, someone he actually hoped to never see again. His smug grin was gone, yet his presence remained the same, as Leonard Constantine gave him a nod for a greeting, a gesture that was far more subdued than anything he had shown before Oldtown, back when John met him and Lucas at the Hammered Harp.
Never see such beauty? How dare he.
He noticed the subtle reaction from Leonard that proved that this knight remembered the girl he had gotten in a fight over. Though not quite to blame for it, John still felt some resentment over how badly he had beaten Temari down.
Hehe I remember to. Leonard kicked his ass. Such simpler times. Far less people wanted to kill our friend.
Ilish
Leaving Daisy and Megur to themselves gave Ilish a sour taste, yet she focussed on Vaasrand nonetheless. The thought of having a sh… moreot at finding Carvin, it filled her with excitement, enough to drown out the worry for her friends' well-being. She leant forwards, giving Vaasrand a stern look. “If you know anything else, you have to tell me”, she urged him. “This Vaes Khadokh, why is it such a bad place?”
Vaasrand subtly raised an eyebrow, the only sign of emotion on his calm face. It was slight annoyance at her curiosity, yet he nonetheless gave her a nod. Afterwards, he glanced towards Axell, who shrugged. “Sure, I can wait”, the farmer said. “Actually, I think we might even be able to
To this, Ilish gave him a curious look, as she realized how odd it was for the farmer to meet up with the hunter. Axell sat down next to her, as Vaasrand cleared his throat. “I offered to tell him some of my secrets”, he replied. “As payment for … [view original content]
Ilish
Leaving Daisy and Megur to themselves gave Ilish a sour taste, yet she focussed on Vaasrand nonetheless. The thought of having a sh… moreot at finding Carvin, it filled her with excitement, enough to drown out the worry for her friends' well-being. She leant forwards, giving Vaasrand a stern look. “If you know anything else, you have to tell me”, she urged him. “This Vaes Khadokh, why is it such a bad place?”
Vaasrand subtly raised an eyebrow, the only sign of emotion on his calm face. It was slight annoyance at her curiosity, yet he nonetheless gave her a nod. Afterwards, he glanced towards Axell, who shrugged. “Sure, I can wait”, the farmer said. “Actually, I think we might even be able to
To this, Ilish gave him a curious look, as she realized how odd it was for the farmer to meet up with the hunter. Axell sat down next to her, as Vaasrand cleared his throat. “I offered to tell him some of my secrets”, he replied. “As payment for … [view original content]
[Promise him that you won't travel to Vaes Khadokh]
Illish won't be able to handle Vaes Khadokh, Axell is right about smallfolk playing heroes. Best not to do it, if you don't have the skills to back it up.
[Don't promise him anything] Well, clearly this option isn't going to win, but I just think Ilish has no reason to make such promises to Vaasrand. And if I'm being honest, I'd rather see Ilish doing something dangerous than... well, just staying in Raylansfair. Who knows, perhaps she could actually find her brother if she tried. Anyway, while I knew the basics about Essaria/Vaes Khadokh, it was nice to get more information on its current state from Vaasrand, as well as to the background of Anturion's.
[Agree to help Saerya] Sure, we'll help her, she'll help us, fair deal.
Ilish
Leaving Daisy and Megur to themselves gave Ilish a sour taste, yet she focussed on Vaasrand nonetheless. The thought of having a sh… moreot at finding Carvin, it filled her with excitement, enough to drown out the worry for her friends' well-being. She leant forwards, giving Vaasrand a stern look. “If you know anything else, you have to tell me”, she urged him. “This Vaes Khadokh, why is it such a bad place?”
Vaasrand subtly raised an eyebrow, the only sign of emotion on his calm face. It was slight annoyance at her curiosity, yet he nonetheless gave her a nod. Afterwards, he glanced towards Axell, who shrugged. “Sure, I can wait”, the farmer said. “Actually, I think we might even be able to
To this, Ilish gave him a curious look, as she realized how odd it was for the farmer to meet up with the hunter. Axell sat down next to her, as Vaasrand cleared his throat. “I offered to tell him some of my secrets”, he replied. “As payment for … [view original content]
Hehe, it's safe to say that these two are never going to be friends. While he is not outright hating Leonard as some of the other characters do, they started on a seriously wrong foot. That said, Leonard himself is fairly neutral towards John. Right now, he's basically taking whatever help he can get.
Hehe I remember to. Leonard kicked his ass. Such simpler times. Far less people wanted to kill our friend.
Yeah, much simpler. Even John would actually prefer these times over the mess he finds himself in right now. That was before Butterfly even, before Petyr or the Ironborn raid. Actually, back then nobody legitimatly wanted to kill Leonard, he just has this talent of getting involved in a mess that wan't his to begin with. So far, he still fares well, but things won't get any easier anytime soon.
[Promise him that you won't travel to Vaes Khadokh]
Oh Ilish no.
[Agree to help Saerya] Help Leonard is good. Very good.
The sec… moreond person was someone he knew, someone he actually hoped to never see again. His smug grin was gone, yet his presence remained the same, as Leonard Constantine gave him a nod for a greeting, a gesture that was far more subdued than anything he had shown before Oldtown, back when John met him and Lucas at the Hammered Harp.
Never see such beauty? How dare he.
He noticed the subtle reaction from Leonard that proved that this knight remembered the girl he had gotten in a fight over. Though not quite to blame for it, John still felt some resentment over how badly he had beaten Temari down.
Hehe I remember to. Leonard kicked his ass. Such simpler times. Far less people wanted to kill our friend.
Like said, its pretty much a win/win situation, I don't see a reason not to accept her deal here.
Ah, that is probably something I haven't brought up properly. Basically, the main downside to Saerya's plan here is that it might end up being seriously dangerous for John, given that he would go against Mullendore by helping Saerya and Leonard. It's also the thing that I know some readers don't fully trust Saerya and her intentions, so assisting her migh not be desirable for everyone.
[Promise him that you won't travel to Vaes Khadokh] Nothing good can come out of a simple lone girl chasing ghosts in the City of Corpses.
… more [Agree to help Saerya] Like said, its pretty much a win/win situation, I don't see a reason not to accept her deal here.
Well, clearly this option isn't going to win, but I just think Ilish has no reason to make such promises to Vaasrand. And if I'm being honest, I'd rather see Ilish doing something dangerous than... well, just staying in Raylansfair. Who knows, perhaps she could actually find her brother if she tried. Anyway, while I knew the basics about Essaria/Vaes Khadokh, it was nice to get more information on its current state from Vaasrand, as well as to the background of Anturion's.
There is one thing I can safely confirm here. No matter which option is going to be chosen, Ilish's Book 2 storyline is going to be one of my favourites. Her Book 1 storyline had some parts I wasn't quite happy with, but Book 2 is where she's really going to earn her role as a PoV character, by getting involved into one of the stories larger mysteries, affecting several PoV's, introducing her to new and amazing characters (one or two of which you know quite well ) and generally giving her more to do. I'd say Ilish' storyline is going to be the one that will undergo the most dramatic increase of importance in the chapters to come, regardless of wether or not she actually travel to Vaes Khadokh.
[Don't promise him anything] Well, clearly this option isn't going to win, but I just think Ilish has no reason to make such promises to Vaa… moresrand. And if I'm being honest, I'd rather see Ilish doing something dangerous than... well, just staying in Raylansfair. Who knows, perhaps she could actually find her brother if she tried. Anyway, while I knew the basics about Essaria/Vaes Khadokh, it was nice to get more information on its current state from Vaasrand, as well as to the background of Anturion's.
[Agree to help Saerya] Sure, we'll help her, she'll help us, fair deal.
[Promise him that you won't travel to Vaes Khadokh]
Illish won't be able to handle Vaes Khadokh, Axell is right about smallfolk playing h… moreeroes. Best not to do it, if you don't have the skills to back it up.
[Refuse to help Saerya]
I don't like Leonard, so nahhhh.
Ilish
Leaving Daisy and Megur to themselves gave Ilish a sour taste, yet she focussed on Vaasrand nonetheless. The thought of having a sh… moreot at finding Carvin, it filled her with excitement, enough to drown out the worry for her friends' well-being. She leant forwards, giving Vaasrand a stern look. “If you know anything else, you have to tell me”, she urged him. “This Vaes Khadokh, why is it such a bad place?”
Vaasrand subtly raised an eyebrow, the only sign of emotion on his calm face. It was slight annoyance at her curiosity, yet he nonetheless gave her a nod. Afterwards, he glanced towards Axell, who shrugged. “Sure, I can wait”, the farmer said. “Actually, I think we might even be able to
To this, Ilish gave him a curious look, as she realized how odd it was for the farmer to meet up with the hunter. Axell sat down next to her, as Vaasrand cleared his throat. “I offered to tell him some of my secrets”, he replied. “As payment for … [view original content]
Ilish
Leaving Daisy and Megur to themselves gave Ilish a sour taste, yet she focussed on Vaasrand nonetheless. The thought of having a sh… moreot at finding Carvin, it filled her with excitement, enough to drown out the worry for her friends' well-being. She leant forwards, giving Vaasrand a stern look. “If you know anything else, you have to tell me”, she urged him. “This Vaes Khadokh, why is it such a bad place?”
Vaasrand subtly raised an eyebrow, the only sign of emotion on his calm face. It was slight annoyance at her curiosity, yet he nonetheless gave her a nod. Afterwards, he glanced towards Axell, who shrugged. “Sure, I can wait”, the farmer said. “Actually, I think we might even be able to
To this, Ilish gave him a curious look, as she realized how odd it was for the farmer to meet up with the hunter. Axell sat down next to her, as Vaasrand cleared his throat. “I offered to tell him some of my secrets”, he replied. “As payment for … [view original content]
Ilish
Leaving Daisy and Megur to themselves gave Ilish a sour taste, yet she focussed on Vaasrand nonetheless. The thought of having a sh… moreot at finding Carvin, it filled her with excitement, enough to drown out the worry for her friends' well-being. She leant forwards, giving Vaasrand a stern look. “If you know anything else, you have to tell me”, she urged him. “This Vaes Khadokh, why is it such a bad place?”
Vaasrand subtly raised an eyebrow, the only sign of emotion on his calm face. It was slight annoyance at her curiosity, yet he nonetheless gave her a nod. Afterwards, he glanced towards Axell, who shrugged. “Sure, I can wait”, the farmer said. “Actually, I think we might even be able to
To this, Ilish gave him a curious look, as she realized how odd it was for the farmer to meet up with the hunter. Axell sat down next to her, as Vaasrand cleared his throat. “I offered to tell him some of my secrets”, he replied. “As payment for … [view original content]
Well you've got me hyped for Ilish's Book 2 storyline now, that's for sure! And there are a couple possibilites that come to mind with your little tease of new characters (that I'm familiar with) who'll be introduced in her storyline. The possibility that I see as pretty likely would be a couple badass sellswords, whom Ilish could perhaps meet in Dorne, if she heads there to search for her brother. The other possibility though... well, let's just say it could be a bit more dangerous for Ilish
Well, clearly this option isn't going to win, but I just think Ilish has no reason to make such promises to Vaasrand. And if I'm being hones… moret, I'd rather see Ilish doing something dangerous than... well, just staying in Raylansfair. Who knows, perhaps she could actually find her brother if she tried. Anyway, while I knew the basics about Essaria/Vaes Khadokh, it was nice to get more information on its current state from Vaasrand, as well as to the background of Anturion's.
There is one thing I can safely confirm here. No matter which option is going to be chosen, Ilish's Book 2 storyline is going to be one of my favourites. Her Book 1 storyline had some parts I wasn't quite happy with, but Book 2 is where she's really going to earn her role as a PoV character, by getting involved into one of the stories larger mysteries, affecting several PoV's, introducing her to new and amazing characters (one or two of which you know quite well ) a… [view original content]
Ilish
Leaving Daisy and Megur to themselves gave Ilish a sour taste, yet she focussed on Vaasrand nonetheless. The thought of having a sh… moreot at finding Carvin, it filled her with excitement, enough to drown out the worry for her friends' well-being. She leant forwards, giving Vaasrand a stern look. “If you know anything else, you have to tell me”, she urged him. “This Vaes Khadokh, why is it such a bad place?”
Vaasrand subtly raised an eyebrow, the only sign of emotion on his calm face. It was slight annoyance at her curiosity, yet he nonetheless gave her a nod. Afterwards, he glanced towards Axell, who shrugged. “Sure, I can wait”, the farmer said. “Actually, I think we might even be able to
To this, Ilish gave him a curious look, as she realized how odd it was for the farmer to meet up with the hunter. Axell sat down next to her, as Vaasrand cleared his throat. “I offered to tell him some of my secrets”, he replied. “As payment for … [view original content]
“Sure, I can wait”, the farmer said. “Actually, I think we might even be able to
To this, Ilish gave him a curious look,
It seems that part of Axell dialogue is missing
About the choices:
[Promise him that you won't travel to Vaes Khadokh] [Agree to help Saerya]
PS:sorry but even this time I have to apologize to the thousands of fellow readers that wait together with the new parts my own Random Thoughts about it,however you have nothing to fear because next time the RT will come back!
Ilish
Leaving Daisy and Megur to themselves gave Ilish a sour taste, yet she focussed on Vaasrand nonetheless. The thought of having a sh… moreot at finding Carvin, it filled her with excitement, enough to drown out the worry for her friends' well-being. She leant forwards, giving Vaasrand a stern look. “If you know anything else, you have to tell me”, she urged him. “This Vaes Khadokh, why is it such a bad place?”
Vaasrand subtly raised an eyebrow, the only sign of emotion on his calm face. It was slight annoyance at her curiosity, yet he nonetheless gave her a nod. Afterwards, he glanced towards Axell, who shrugged. “Sure, I can wait”, the farmer said. “Actually, I think we might even be able to
To this, Ilish gave him a curious look, as she realized how odd it was for the farmer to meet up with the hunter. Axell sat down next to her, as Vaasrand cleared his throat. “I offered to tell him some of my secrets”, he replied. “As payment for … [view original content]
I haven't even noticed that, but you are right. Originally, Axell was meant to say "Actually, I think we might even be able to combine this".
Fun fact, I had the feeling that something was missing somewhere, but haven't found it until now, despite a reread. Thanks for pointing it out!
PS:sorry but even this time I have to apologize to the thousands of fellow readers that wait together with the new parts my own Random Thoughts about it,however you have nothing to fear because next time the RT will come back!
Ah, no problem. Your random thoughts are always highly appreciated, but when you don't have the time or means for them, then that's that, totally fine. The next part should be a very important one though and one that might not feature a choice, so I am glad they will be back for that
“Sure, I can wait”, the farmer said. “Actually, I think we might even be able to
To this, Ilish gave him a curious look,
It s… moreeems that part of Axell dialogue is missing
About the choices:
[Promise him that you won't travel to Vaes Khadokh]
[Agree to help Saerya]
PS:sorry but even this time I have to apologize to the thousands of fellow readers that wait together with the new parts my own Random Thoughts about it,however you have nothing to fear because next time the RT will come back!
Ilish
Leaving Daisy and Megur to themselves gave Ilish a sour taste, yet she focussed on Vaasrand nonetheless. The thought of having a sh… moreot at finding Carvin, it filled her with excitement, enough to drown out the worry for her friends' well-being. She leant forwards, giving Vaasrand a stern look. “If you know anything else, you have to tell me”, she urged him. “This Vaes Khadokh, why is it such a bad place?”
Vaasrand subtly raised an eyebrow, the only sign of emotion on his calm face. It was slight annoyance at her curiosity, yet he nonetheless gave her a nod. Afterwards, he glanced towards Axell, who shrugged. “Sure, I can wait”, the farmer said. “Actually, I think we might even be able to
To this, Ilish gave him a curious look, as she realized how odd it was for the farmer to meet up with the hunter. Axell sat down next to her, as Vaasrand cleared his throat. “I offered to tell him some of my secrets”, he replied. “As payment for … [view original content]
So I was catching up and before I could vote I decided to relive an old hobby. Namely looking at the huge name wall and trying to predict things about the characters just by their name. Then I saw this guy.....
Ragnar the Red
......................................
Ok so just to recap, in this story we have:
Several historical figures who took part in the war of Roses.
Allegories for the current U.S President and members of his family.
Deranged torturers who like to wear cat masks.
Geralt of Lys
'Not Left Handed' Montoya and his gang of people with animal acronyms.................oh and the guy who killed his father is there too.
...............and now a character from Elder Scrolls Skyrim..........
.........................................................................................................
................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................
..........Why did you say no to Ser JarJar of Binks again?
Several historical figures who took part in the war of Roses.
Wait, is there an actual historical figure submitted? I know the War of Roses included the houses Lancaster and York, of which we have exactly one character submitted each and I am pretty sure that neither is based on any historical figure. Of course, I could actually see a guy named Edward Lancaster having lived once, on account of everyone and their mothers being names Edward back in these days. If there is a character submitted that shares more than just a relatively common last name with a historical figure, I would like to know that
Allegories for the current U.S President and members of his family.
Pretty funny allegories that somehow aren't even all that out of place, as I must add. That said, I admit that I only accepted the Selwyn family because I know that InGen can submit good characters, so I trusted him with creating characters that are three-dimensional and well-written despite being based on rather controversial real-life figures. And well, having read their submissions, I was not disappointed and actually enjoy the challenge of doing them justice despite my severe personal dislike of the people they are based on. Given the plans I have been able to make so far, I actually look forward for this family very much, which is something I myself am amazed about
Deranged torturers who like to wear cat masks.
Who might be more colourful than the typical character, but other than that, they aren't even references all that much. Well, I requested a costume reference for the Tom, as I had recently watched Legend of Korra and enjoyed Amon's menacing look so much Other than that, the Alley Cats fit perfectly into the sort of atmosphere I wanted to build up with the Oldtown parts, by showing that the city is so horrible that these people have a legit place in it. Book 2 might hold unexpected character development for one of them a well
Geralt of Lys
Aye, probably the only complete reference in this list. Vaasrand is based heavily on Geralt, something that has been noted before. Actually, even other references, such as the Selwyn family, have traits that make them different from those they are based on. Vaasrand is not a bad character though (just like how Geralt is an awesome character) and through additional work his creator has put into him, he is going to become a character in his own right in Book 2. You might say he is going to take a... vaastly different path. I'm sorry.
'Not Left Handed' Montoya and his gang of people with animal acronyms.................oh and the guy who killed his father is there too.
And the guy who killed his father was submitted by.... In their original form, Montoya is the only one who is a bit of a reference, whereas the others are completely original as far as I know (husmusen is free to correct me if he reads this), so that is nothing I am too concerned about. They are a bit like the Alley Cats in (mostly) less sociopathic, merely very colourful characters whom I am sure will gain some fans in Book 2.
...............and now a character from Elder Scrolls Skyrim..........
Yah, that is something I was really not sure about. I blame my lack of experience and confidence back then, as I was not willing to force a change of name back then onto any submitted character, as long as nobody would submit a character named Mike Rotch (Oh, wait, that happened). Today, I would probably request a change of name, but chances are that his creator is no longer reading the story. As such, I will probably merely call him Ragnar in the story proper once he appears (though on the really tiny chance that his creator is reading this, you can send me a PM if you're not okay with that). Other than the name, Ragnar is a character of his own right. He is a wildling and I guess the creator just wanted to make a wildling character but had no idea on how to name them, so he went with a badass Skyrim name. And in comparison to other wildling names, Ragnar doesn't actually sound out of place. Now is probably a good place to admit that two of my all-time favourite characters I ever submitted are also named after Elder Scrolls characters (Online in this case), though that is simply because I like the names so much and still have fond memories of the characters I got them from. Nothing wrong with that I guess, as long as the character itself is not a carbon copy Ragnar is a character completely in his own right and naturally, I haven't taken even a single personality trait from my inspiration despite their names.
..........Why did you say no to Ser JarJar of Binks again?
Well, I had to draw the line somewhere, right? Or else FoT would be full of Jar-Jar's, Mike's and Bob Ross's. Generally, joke characters are not accepted, not even in the slightest, but characters that are meant to be legit characters that someone put work into and wishes to send to me, these are accepted and will be used to my best ability, even if they hold some references to real life or pop culture stuff. That is the line I draw. The one exception is when someone made a legit character whom he based on a person I don't wish to give any spotlight in the story. Best example for that, which really happened, was when one former reader submitted a character based completely on a semi-famous british sex offender, down to his name. The sex offender in question is generally a piece of shit, but even worse, he is still alive and probably could (and would) have taken legal action at having his name used in this context if he, by any chance, would have stumbled across this, as this would have been more than a simple reference. Safe to say, when I found this out, I instantly deleted the character from the list and have taken it upon myself to do 'background checks' for the characters I receive.
So I was catching up and before I could vote I decided to relive an old hobby. Namely looking at the huge name wall and trying to predict th… moreings about the characters just by their name. Then I saw this guy.....
Ragnar the Red
......................................
Ok so just to recap, in this story we have:
Several historical figures who took part in the war of Roses.
Allegories for the current U.S President and members of his family.
Deranged torturers who like to wear cat masks.
Geralt of Lys
'Not Left Handed' Montoya and his gang of people with animal acronyms.................oh and the guy who killed his father is there too.
...............and now a character from Elder Scrolls Skyrim..........
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… [view original content]
[Wait, is there an actual historical figure submitted? I know the War of Roses included the houses Lancaster and York, of which we have exactly one character submitted each and I am pretty sure that neither is based on any historical figure. Of course, I could actually see a guy named Edward Lancaster having lived once, on account of everyone and their mothers being names Edward back in these days. If there is a character submitted that shares more than just a relatively common last name with a historical figure, I would like to know that]
Oh you are gonna love this. Edward Lancaster was the son of King Henry VI and Margaret Anjou, who was an infamous power hungry manipulator known for being ruthless. After the war had 'ended' (Barely started) with the Duke of York 'winning' (Aka Stealing the victory of his only ally, the Earl of Warwick, by swooping in at the last second and pretending he hadn't been in hiding) Edward was basically her only hope for power since her husband was incompetent, weak willed and went in two mental breakdowns that lasted several months we he lost, so Edward was basically her only hope of ruling. She had to go to the King of Scotland to get an Army to support her claim. She even managed to kill both the Duke and his second eldest son in battle and infamously put their heads on pikes for display. She even found her husband again, who had escaped combat during the battle, making her the best claimant for the throne. The problem was everyone knew she was greedy and corrupt that little Edward was a sadistic sociopath who his mother could barely control. The people didn't want that so they resisted and went to the dukes other son who was also named Edward. As you probably guessed Margaret is the main inspiration for Cersei (and incredibly, also possibly the one used for Margery. Seems GRM thought she was more interesting as two different people)........which of course means that Edward is the main inspiration for Joffrey.
On a side note if you would like to hear more about the War and how it relates to GOT here you go:
[Pretty funny allegories that somehow aren't even all that out of place, as I must add. That said, I admit that I only accepted the Selwyn family because I know that InGen can submit good characters, so I trusted him with creating characters that are three-dimensional and well-written despite being based on rather controversial real-life figures. And well, having read their submissions, I was not disappointed and actually enjoy the challenge of doing them justice despite my severe personal dislike of the people they are based on. Given the plans I have been able to make so far, I actually look forward for this family very much, which is something I myself am amazed about]
Yeah, I hope they are. Lack of dimensionality is the problem with most allegories and parody characters. Which is ironic since they should be easier to develop than completely fictional characters. For example regardless of how many different studies and how many psychologists have studied a persons behavior and personality and regardless of what Ingen himself wanted for the character, I can tell you without a single doubt that several people would unleash their full hate or love for him instantly and as noticeably as possible. Its even easier with a currently extremely controversial figure like Trump, since many people will also feel like the writer and support their decision to make him one note. I mean there are people that have and can write Caligula or Vlad Tepes as multi layered and complex despite the fact both were incredibly evil people, but its mostly because they were long, long dead. It takes a highly skilled writer to completely remove himself from biased, especially when the individual the portray is deeply disliked by them, currently alive and in the public eye.
But that being said I feel you are a fantastic writer and no doubt everyone here, you know the dozens of guys who read you WEEKLY, feel like this too. So ill consider this a challenge you can live up with. And like we discussed before, if done well, it can be extremely interesting to see how Trumps ideals work in a world that has in ways already followed through with them. Who knows, maybe the character will be enjoyable and entertaining despite what people think of the person he is based on?
[Who might be more colourful than the typical character, but other than that, they aren't even references all that much. Well, I requested a costume reference for the Tom, as I had recently watched Legend of Korra and enjoyed Amon's menacing look so much Other than that, the Alley Cats fit perfectly into the sort of atmosphere I wanted to build up with the Oldtown parts, by showing that the city is so horrible that these people have a legit place in it. Book 2 might hold unexpected character development for one of them a well]
At first they were a bit odd to me, but I grew to love them. They were cool and scary and sometimes I got a really cool Jason vibe from them. They ended up being something to look forward to. What can I say, for some completely bizzare reason I TEND to like bad guys. I really really wonder where this comes from.
[Aye, probably the only complete reference in this list. Vaasrand is based heavily on Geralt, something that has been noted before. Actually, even other references, such as the Selwyn family, have traits that make them different from those they are based on. Vaasrand is not a bad character though (just like how Geralt is an awesome character) and through additional work his creator has put into him, he is going to become a character in his own right in Book 2. You might say he is going to take a... vaastly different path. I'm sorry.]
To be honest I don't mind it at all. Its actually a really cool since Witcher is basically the videogame/eastern Europe novel series game of thrones, if it had a set protagonist(s). Difference being that GOT is about humans and Witcher is about monsters of all kinds. That being said its cool that Vaasrand witll earn his of character. That pun was beautiful.
[And the guy who killed his father was submitted by.... In their original form, Montoya is the only one who is a bit of a reference, whereas the others are completely original as far as I know (husmusen is free to correct me if he reads this), so that is nothing I am too concerned about. They are a bit like the Alley Cats in (mostly) less sociopathic, merely very colourful characters whom I am sure will gain some fans in Book 2.]
....an anonymous but charming individual. Seriously included my own guy the for two reasons. One, he fit the category that I was trying to establish. And two, he cemented the fact that this was a joke in good fun and I was in no way criticizing these characters or their creators. I really wonder at this point if Montoya will have ANYTHING in common with the character he's based on besides the slight things I added with Rugen. Meanwhile anything like the alley cats is welcomed.
[Yah, that is something I was really not sure about. I blame my lack of experience and confidence back then, as I was not willing to force a change of name back then onto any submitted character, as long as nobody would submit a character named Mike Rotch (Oh, wait, that happened). Today, I would probably request a change of name, but chances are that his creator is no longer reading the story. As such, I will probably merely call him Ragnar in the story proper once he appears (though on the really tiny chance that his creator is reading this, you can send me a PM if you're not okay with that). Other than the name, Ragnar is a character of his own right. He is a wildling and I guess the creator just wanted to make a wildling character but had no idea on how to name them, so he went with a badass Skyrim name. And in comparison to other wildling names, Ragnar doesn't actually sound out of place. Now is probably a good place to admit that two of my all-time favourite characters I ever submitted are also named after Elder Scrolls characters (Online in this case), though that is simply because I like the names so much and still have fond memories of the characters I got them from. Nothing wrong with that I guess, as long as the character itself is not a carbon copy Ragnar is a character completely in his own right and naturally, I haven't taken even a single personality trait from my inspiration despite their names.]
You know Ragnar began this whole thing and I must admit he keeps surprising me. First when I glance it thought I had found the fame wildling and or Ironborn Ragnar Lothbrok therefore making this a quasi crossover au between Vikings/GOT/Witcher and Prices Bride, ak the best thing ever. Then I was disappointed by his originality....till I realized he was based on the Skyrim character, who was himself probably based on the Ragnar Lothbrok of legends. Now if finding out this was a character you felt insecure about altering. The Metal Gear Exclamation point expresses my emotions well. It would only get better if the creator is actually here and he joins this conversation.
[Well, I had to draw the line somewhere, right? Or else FoT would be full of Jar-Jar's, Mike's and Bob Ross's. Generally, joke characters are not accepted, not even in the slightest, but characters that are meant to be legit characters that someone put work into and wishes to send to me, these are accepted and will be used to my best ability, even if they hold some references to real life or pop culture stuff. That is the line I draw. The one exception is when someone made a legit character whom he based on a person I don't wish to give any spotlight in the story. Best example for that, which really happened, was when one former reader submitted a character based completely on a semi-famous british sex offender, down to his name. The sex offender in question is generally a piece of shit, but even worse, he is still alive and probably could (and would) have taken legal action at having his name used in this context if he, by any chance, would have stumbled across this, as this would have been more than a simple reference. Safe to say, when I found this out, I instantly deleted the character from the list and have taken it upon myself to do 'background checks' for the characters I receive.]
Welp there goes half of my characters. . But seriously I am conflicted here I love FOT, but seeing a joke character apocalypse infect the world and all the normal characters might be the most hilarious thing I have thought of in a while. Just imagine how they wold react as all these insane, reality bending people show up to crash their perception of reality. And wow, what a story. Now I wonder if Lord Charles Manson and innkeeper Ted Bundy were once attempted submissions. Either way my post was worth it even if just for this.
Several historical figures who took part in the war of Roses.
Wait, is there an actual historical figure submitted? I know the War o… moref Roses included the houses Lancaster and York, of which we have exactly one character submitted each and I am pretty sure that neither is based on any historical figure. Of course, I could actually see a guy named Edward Lancaster having lived once, on account of everyone and their mothers being names Edward back in these days. If there is a character submitted that shares more than just a relatively common last name with a historical figure, I would like to know that
Allegories for the current U.S President and members of his family.
Pretty funny allegories that somehow aren't even all that out of place, as I must add. That said, I admit that I only accepted the Selwyn family because I know that InGen can submit good characters, so I trusted him with creating characters that are three-dim… [view original content]
[Don't promise him anything] Illish clearly wants to go and promising not to is just lying to herself. If the choices are search for Carvin or do nothing, I'll happily pick Carvin. Sadly this choice looks like it won't win.
[Agree to help Saerya] NOBODY REFUSES SAERYA!!! In all seriousness it seems counter productive to come all this way just to say no.
Just in case anyone forgot, let me remind you that I LOVE SAERYA!
Ilish
Leaving Daisy and Megur to themselves gave Ilish a sour taste, yet she focussed on Vaasrand nonetheless. The thought of having a sh… moreot at finding Carvin, it filled her with excitement, enough to drown out the worry for her friends' well-being. She leant forwards, giving Vaasrand a stern look. “If you know anything else, you have to tell me”, she urged him. “This Vaes Khadokh, why is it such a bad place?”
Vaasrand subtly raised an eyebrow, the only sign of emotion on his calm face. It was slight annoyance at her curiosity, yet he nonetheless gave her a nod. Afterwards, he glanced towards Axell, who shrugged. “Sure, I can wait”, the farmer said. “Actually, I think we might even be able to
To this, Ilish gave him a curious look, as she realized how odd it was for the farmer to meet up with the hunter. Axell sat down next to her, as Vaasrand cleared his throat. “I offered to tell him some of my secrets”, he replied. “As payment for … [view original content]
Comments
Man, this part had some great character moments for Arthur, and I also think he and Edonia make a good team. Also learning more details about both Sherryl's and Edonia's backstories was interesting.
[Follow the blood] I am intrigued by the bootprints I admit. However, I feel like following the blood is the priority here, as it should lead us to where Sherryl went first, where we could find more clues, if not the bitch herself. Also, it's possible that the bootprints aren't even connected to the case.
[Follow the blood] It's good to see Arthur back in action torturing himself again. And he even busted up his shoulder. Oh, it is good to see his tragic daddy issues. And we learned a bit about Sheryl, Aditha, and Tariel's past, and that Aditha betrayed her own friends. Really interesting and it'll be cool to see Aditha interacting with either of them to see how Aditha thinks about her actions. Edonia had a cool backstory. This Buddy Cop adventure is going pretty good so far. Go after the blood is more likely to lead to results. We spend a lot of time mourning and talking to Nora to likely follow the uninjured archer who's tracks will be unreliable. Really great part!
I'm going with [Follow the blood] since it seems like the sure way to get results, but I'm very curious about the bootprints as well... And the fact that the bow was left behind is pretty strange too.
[Follow the bootprints]
[Follow the bootprints]
I really want to catch the archer. The blood is obvious, but might just be a red herring.
[Follow the bootprints]
[Follow the blood]
[Follow the blood]
Following the bootprints, unless they are Wolfius's and Kreep's, which you know, actually might make sense and be the case, is a waste. The blood will surely lead us to some more helpful information. The prints are not guaranteed to.
[Follow the bootprints]
[Follow the blood]
[Follow the blood]
Follow the blood] I was really torn while deciding. I was thinking bootprints because they seem fresh and likely to lead somewhere and whoever Edonia shot might already be gone. But I keep thinking that we need to focus on the task at hand. The bootprints might not even be related.
I love these two together! I can't stop myself from grinning when Arthur crushes on Edonia. ^_^
Always glad you enjoyed it! I surely love building up Arthur's character here. I feel like I did less with him than with some of the other PoV's in the past chapters, but I have reached a point of great development for him at last
Same goes for Edonia, although the character I surely loved to show a bit more about is Sherryl, especially as this part showed what might have been the first glimpse of a redeeming trait of her, her sticking with Tariel after she was so heavily blamed for things out of her control, even at the cost of her own standing in the city. Even Aditha, undoubtedly a way less crappy person, decided to leave her friend during that situation, that's how badly things have been back then. At the same time, this might paint Sherryl's later betrayal of Tariel in a way harsher light.
Aye, a bit of physical pain to counterbalance all the mental shit he is going through at the moment. Arthur is really at a low point in his life, having lost his father and even worse, the respect he had for his father and the morals he upheld. All of this will leave their marks and change him as a person, that much is for sure. This path has also just begun, so I cannot wait to show this later development
Ah, it was a pretty crappy thing to do, yet at the same time, it was the reasonable thing to do from Aditha's perspective. Everyone has to decide for themselves on how far they would go for their friends and Aditha decided that she would not basically ruin her own life for Tariel. We haven't yet learned about her own thoughts on the matter, but from her brief interaction with Tariel in Chapter 6, it's clear that she at least continues to publically blame her former friend. And well, we might learn more about her true feelings on this later on, if she truly means what she said to Tariel, or if she is merely making sure that she won't share her fate.
I am glad you enjoyed her backstory! Edonia is a character I have just loved to write so far, mostly because she is way more positive as a person than many of the other characters, who are in some way broody, cynical or downright broken. That said, she's not without tragedy in her life as this part has shown. I truly hope you will continue to enjoy her in the future
Though I of course cannot comment on wether or not the bootprints are actually relevant to the case (and it is certainly not unthinkable that they are entirely unrelated), I can confirm this, they are fresh, more than the blood, which has already started to dry. It is more than possible to catch up to the person who left these bootprints, whereas the bleeding person could already be gone.
Ah, it makes me happy to see them so well-received. Arthur and Edonia were a team-up I have come up with relatively recently (meaning in the last few months), but one I wouldn't want to miss anymore. Arthur is indeed crushing on her, though then again, it's not the first time that happens to him. In any way, it makes for highly enjoyable moments to write and it actually made me reconsider some later things to come down the road
This is indeed one of the strangest details there. This bow is the same one that appeared earlier in the story, made out of Goldenheart and having gotten into Sherryl's possession through means currently unknown. This Goldenheart is rumoured to make the best bows in the known world and it is incredibly rare outside of the Summer Isles due to the export being outlawed. This means someone paid more than just a small fortune and took a considerable risk in obtaining it. It's probably worth more than the entire house it was left in. Arthur doesn't know this detail of course and Edonia has but a fleeting suspicion of its true value, but the fact that the archer left it behind is a very strange thing.
The Voting is closed!
Arthur is going to follow the blood
Ah, I kind of expected this. After all, finding the archer might be a key to find Sherryl, whereas the bootprints could be entirely unrelated. It is clear that something bloody happened when Edonia shot at the archer, so it is reasonable to assume that the blood will lead to more answers. And what can I say, you will learn about this very soon, in what is probably going to be Arthur's final part for this chapter. I surely cannot wait to write it, as it is among the key parts of Chapter 9, as well as one of the few I have planned far in advance. Probably way over a year for the scene I wish to show there. Ah, I better get to write more quickly, because I hope to reach this part in the very near future!
It goes without saying that I am back
My weekend has been incredible and I am still a bit blown away by the size of the event, even if I didn't got to see as many bands as I hoped to. That said, the ones I watched were simply incredible. From Five Finger Death Punch to Sum 41 to the german punk bands Broilers and Die Toten Hosen, I had a blast seeing them performing live. Then there was System of a Down, delivering a performance that was downright intimidating in its magnitude. Somehow, they ended up playing every single song I wanted them to play over the course of less than two hours, even songs like Lost in Hollywood and Aerials, which I surely did not expect to be a part of their live performances. I was utterly amazed by that. The only thing that was less than great was how Friday ended. Due to hints to a severe terrorist threat, the festival had to be cut short on Friday, leading to me missing out on Rammstein. Later on, it turned out that the police simply overreacted and that there has never been concrete plans for an attack. That said, I am nonetheless extremely happy, if extremely exhausted at the same time due to the utter nightmare that was leaving a small town in rural germany (with the infrastructure you'd expect from such a place) when 80000 people had the same idea.
As a result, the next part will probably not be ready today, as I am just getting started. I currently plan it to feature a PoV for Ilish and a second one as well, although I have several possbilities for this second one and will probably decide pretty spontaneously once I get there. Willfred is a possibility, as is John. Since Ilish is confirmed for the next part, I'll give you a short recap on her latest misadventures. After surviving the raid thanks to help from Vaasrand of Lys, she resumed her work at the tavern. However, her boss Audrey got badly wounded during the attack, leading to an even more stressed relationship between Audrey's daughter and niece, Megur and Daisy. While at work, Ilish met Vaasrand again and stopped for a chat, during which it turned out that he knew more about her brother Carvin, who left her years ago. He revealed to her that he met the some time ago, shortly after he had joined the Second Sons, who worked with Nain Anturion, Edward's highly feared brother. Intrigued by these news and the possibility that she might be able to reunite with her sibling caused Ilish to stay and ask him for more stories, despite being aware of growing troubles between Megur and Daisy at the same time. The next part will start exactly where her last one ended and I hope to finish it tomorrow
Ilish
Leaving Daisy and Megur to themselves gave Ilish a sour taste, yet she focussed on Vaasrand nonetheless. The thought of having a shot at finding Carvin, it filled her with excitement, enough to drown out the worry for her friends' well-being. She leant forwards, giving Vaasrand a stern look. “If you know anything else, you have to tell me”, she urged him. “This Vaes Khadokh, why is it such a bad place?”
Vaasrand subtly raised an eyebrow, the only sign of emotion on his calm face. It was slight annoyance at her curiosity, yet he nonetheless gave her a nod. Afterwards, he glanced towards Axell, who shrugged. “Sure, I can wait”, the farmer said. “Actually, I think we might even be able to
To this, Ilish gave him a curious look, as she realized how odd it was for the farmer to meet up with the hunter. Axell sat down next to her, as Vaasrand cleared his throat. “I offered to tell him some of my secrets”, he replied. “As payment for saving my life” He sighed. “And indeed, I think we can combine this a bit”, he mumbled, as he looked at Axell. “You ready to learn a bit about the world?”
With visible excitement, the farmer nodded and Vaasrand leant back. “There is a reason why I try to avoid Vaes Khadokh on my travels”, he began to explain. “Though it hasn't always been that bad. Just a few decades ago, it was a city, a genuine kingdom, one of several that have risen since the Doom came upon Valyria. Back then, it was known as Essaria”
“What happened?”, Ilish asked and Vaasrand gave her a quick, disgruntled look, before turning towards the window. As he looked through the stained glass, he suddenly seemed distant, almost lost in memories. “It wasn't a particularly great kingdom, but a stable one and reasonably wealthy”, he explained. “In the absence of the Valyrian hegemony on the continent, a new power rose, one that was instinctively drawn towards to the riches Essaria offered” Slowly, he clenched his fists. “Dothraki”
The word itself already filled Ilish with excitement, though the dark tone of Vaasrand's voice told her that she should probably feel dread instead. It meant danger, thrill, the opportunity Ilish had been looking for, the thing she yearned for the most in her life.
“They feared the dragons, but with them gone, the Khal's tormented the continent without mercy”, Vaasrand explained. “Essaria was the latest of countless cities pillaged, the last kingdom to fall during a century of blood. So terrible was the bloodshed that the once proud Essaria became known as Vaes Khadokh, the City of Corpses. The royal family was slaughtered back then, though in their frenzy, the Dothraki failed to kill the youngest generation, the children” He shook his head. “It would have been better for us all if they would have wiped that cursed bloodline out back then”
Ilish glanced at Axell, noticing that the young man was listening eagerly. His enthusiasm mirrored her own, it was the familiar yearning for a world beyond their reach. As grisly as Vaasrand's tale was, it was exactly what she wanted to hear.
“Two children. Maybe three, depending on who tells the story. The only thing they all get right is that the eldest child was a son, somewhere in his teens at the time. This boy was Nain Anturion”, the hunter continued. “After the Dothraki lost to the Three Thousand of Qohor, their tireless advance got slowed down for the first time. Nain used this opportunity to gather his allies, to reclaim his birthright. Back then he was charismatic, a leader and not quite the raving lunatic he is today, so it was easy for him to gain companions during his campaign”
“And Vaes Khadokh became Essaria again?”, Axell asked, to which Vaasrand shook his head. “It was perhaps the first time Nain displayed the traits he is known for today, when he decided to keep the name”, he answered. “He became King of Vaes Khadokh, god over a city of corpses”
“God...”, Ilish mumbled. “Is anyone actually worshipping him?” For a second, a slightly amused look formed on Vaasrand's face. “Nobody in their right mind, as much as he'd like to”, he answered and as quick as it came, the light-heartedness was gone once more. “That said, he wouldn't be the strangest god to be worshipped. Right now he is nothing but a mad king, though in decades, this truth might fade into myth if he plays his cards right”
Ilish and Axell exchanged another look and this time, Ilish felt uneasiness. This Nain, she already knew that he wasn't someone she wanted to encounter. And if Carvin had started to work for him... She gulped, as she realized just what exactly this implied. It had been years since she last saw her brother, but the Carvin she knew, he would have never worked for such a man.
“He rebuilt Vaes Khadokh, but instead of the hining kingdom his ancestors had been proud of, his legacy was one of blood and pain. A tyrant, obsessed with power, with delusions of his own immortality”, Vaasrand mumbled. “The pinnacle of human cruelty. No beast I have ever hunted had such a methodical, senseless violence in its nature than Nain Anturion”
“And my brother is working for him...”, Ilish muttered, to which Vaasrand shrugged. “I don't know”, he admitted. “I have met a man by the name of Carvin Granver years ago and he bore the colours of the Second Sons, but that's about all I know for sure. Maybe he has left the company since then”
Ilish shook her head. “I met one of the Second Sons not long ago”, she told him. “He informed me about Carvin's affiliation with the Sons, but he died before he could tell me more. What you told me... his involvement with Anturion, that's new for me”
His gaze was stern, yet not entirely cold and in his eyes, Ilish saw a compassion she hadn't expected from a man like him. “Girl, I want to prevent you from making a very costly mistake”, he explained. “Vaes Khadokh is a city of nightmares. The only thing you'll find there is death”
“But why?”, Ilish growled. “What is it that makes this city so terrible? It is still a kingdom, is it not?” Vaasrand nodded. “Aye, but one shaped by its king. Nain's rule is a harsh one and this breeds harsh people, attracting even worse. It's a city of scoundrels, killers, dark mages, escaped criminals and worse. Oldtown is a beauty compared to it”
“Never been there either, so it's not as if I can compare”, Ilish sighed. “But I believe you that this city is a bad place” Vaasrand nodded. “The darkest I have ever been to. There is no beast to terrorize the smallfolk, no dark magic, no ancient curse to plague the countryside, just man. Seeing what our kind is capable of, it was a numbing experience”
There was honesty in his voice and compassion. Ilish believed him and there was a part of her that didn't want to go there, didn't want to meet this god king, the small part of her that was actually content with her life here in Raylansfair, as uneventful as it was. But could she really miss out on this opportunity? Was it even an opportunity? Suddenly, her thoughts went back to Alexander. He could have told her. He probably would have, if only he would have lived for longer. She would have had clarity with him.
“Still, it might be my only hope to find my brother”, she whispered. This desire to find Carvin, it was strange, even for her. After all, he abandoned her, after taking away what was left of her old life. They hadn't parted on good term. Who's to say that he would even want to see her again? But that was not the point. He was family and if anything, her recent brush with death showed Ilish how important that was.
Axell uncomfortably cleared his throat. “I... think Vaasrand has a point”, he said. “I want to learn more about the world, but I have seen what comes out of simple folk trying to play hero” He clenched his fists. “Roman and Than would still be alive if they would have followed that advice”
Vaasrand nodded slightly. “I know you want to find your brother, but this is one of the moments where you gotta listen to experience”, he urged her. “Whatever you hope to find in Vaes Khadokh, it's not worth your life”
In frustration, Ilish rolled her eyes. She was close to getting an actual lead on her brother's whereabouts, so close. Could she truly back down now? Following Carvin, wherever he was right now, it felt like the right thing to do. The first time in many years that Ilish felt like she truly knew what to do with her life. Surely, it was dangerous, but if anything, the raid proved to her that she was always in danger, even at a place she called home. “And what do you want me to do then?”, she asked.
“Stay”, Vaasrand told her. “Give up on whatever foolish thing you plan there. Vaes Khadokh is not for the likes of you” His gaze got sterner, deeper. “I saved your life during the raid. Though I haven't done it for payment, the least you can do is to promise me not to chase after your phantom of a brother”
[Promise him that you won't travel to Vaes Khadokh] [Don't promise him anything]
John
On his own, John wandered across the courtyard of the castle. He had separated from Aylard after the former innkeeper expressed his desire to have a talk with Lucas. As much as John wanted to make sure that the boy was alright, this one was more important. Lucas would find a way, he would always find a way. Right now, what mattered was that Janae would get the help she needed. And Behara... the thought of either of them being in the hands of Ironborn or worse, they tore him apart.
Daghan had to help. He'd bring him to that girl, the sly one and she'd find a way. The Targaryen knight was owing him that much at the very least. He had to help. Luckily, he wasn't even all that far away and John spotted him quickly. Wearing his armour, he was not exactly hard to find of course.
What was more surprising was the fact that there were more people with him. Daghan himself was walking behind an odd pair, accompanying them from a distance. The one to draw his attention first was a young woman. Her attire clearly marked her as nobility, while the colours she wore clearly marked her as something more than that. Considering her beauty, John couldn't care less for how odd it was that a Stormlander noblewoman was chatting with a Targaryen knight.
This knight was a man he had met before, if only briefly. Gordar Celtigar, one of Baratheon's companions, was walking there, right next to who could be none other than the princess of the Stormlands. His face was stern, yet attentive, as he focussed on the road in front of him, nodding occasionally. The princess meanwhile spoke in a muffled tone, making it unable for John to understand a word of what she said. All he knew was that he recognized the uncomfortable, almost regretful look on her face.
Daghan spotted him from far away and a frown formed on his face. He put a hand onto Celtigar's shoulder, whispering something in his ear, as the group stopped. While the golden-haired knight instantly looked over to John, the princess remained calm, successfully ignoring the intruding sellsword and not even giving him a single look.
After excusing himself, Daghan turned away from the pair. While Celtigar looked after him once again, the princess continued to speak. Turning her back on John, she continued to walk and the knight had to hurry to keep up with her. Whatever it was she was saying, it was clear to John that there was a lot of anger on Celtigar's face, yet also surprise and confusion.
“John fucking Gutten”, Daghan said, mustering a slight smirk. “Before you ask, no I will not introduce you. That girl's not only completely insufferable, she's also half your age, give or take a few years” His smirk turned into a brief grin, as he patted John on the shoulder, finally noticing the man's frown.
“That's not what I'm here for, Daghan”, John replied sternly and the knight raised an eyebrow. “What happened?”, he instantly growled. He put a hand onto John's shoulder, as he softly pushed him towards one of the corners of the courtyard, away from curious eyes that would surely watch them in the centre.
“It's about Janae”, John finally replied as they had reached a less open spot of the courtyard, between the stables and a corpse cart. “And about Behara. They went missing during the raid” Daghan took a deep breath, as his eyes subtly widened. “Seven...”, he mumbled. “Are they...”
“Missing”, John cut him off with a growl. “They are not dead, I know it” Daghan sighed, though John couldn't tell if it was out of relief or disbelief. “Very well”, he said in a stressed tone. “And I assume you require my help to find them?”
John shook his head. “Not yours”, he clarified. “But I was hoping you could bring me to that woman you've been with earlier, the pretty one. She seems like the kind that can find out some stuff out of my reach” Daghan raised an eyebrow. “Saerya?”, he asked. “Now, she's a crafty one. I doubt she knows anything yet, but of there is anyone in this entire city that can find out where your friends have been taken, it's her”
“So... can you bring me to her?”, John asked and Daghan gulped. “I was supposed to accompany Ser Gordar during his talk with the Storm Princess”, he muttered. “But fuck it. Janae has been a good help. So have you and if anything, you have earned my support. I doubt Gordar would disapprove, it seems he's handling the situation quite well” He turned to a larger building, giving John a sign to follow him. “Saerya got a room at the servant's quarters”, he explained. “I'll bring you to her”
As they walked over the courtyard, John looked over to the princess and the knight. “What's that about?”, he whispered as soon as they were far enough for the pair not to hear them. Daghan chuckled thinly. “You wouldn't believe it”, he replied. “The haughty little girl actually comes to apologize. Gordar's cousin, a dear friend of mine, he died due to wounds he suffered when delivering a simple message to Storm's End. I haven't thought that girl to be capable of feeling guilt, but here she is, legitimately apologizing to Gordar”
John raised an eyebrow. “Is he going to accept it?”, he asked and Daghan shook his head. “Not that easily”, he replied. “She's got a silver tongue, but Gordar does not forgive without reason. She'll have to convince him” As he said these words, he entered the large building, apparently the servant's quarters.
Quickly, the large knight led John through the corridors of the dimly lit building. More than once, their loud presence caused a servant to glance at them through half-opened doors, though most of these got slammed shut as they recognized the two broad-shouldered men as warriors. It would have been amusing under any other circumstance, but right now, the worry was eating John up.
Finally, Daghan came to a stop in front of one of the doors. He listened shortly and a smile formed on his face. His hand moved to the door, heavily knocking onto the wood. “Saerya!”, he growled. “Saerya, open the door. I know you're in there”
From inside, John heard muffled talk, though as soon as Daghan announced his presence, one of the voices uttered a heartfelt curse. Quick footsteps rushed to the door, opening it only a tiny bit. Through the gap, John saw the stunning brunette he had met during the final stages of the raid. Saerya, as Daghan had called her.
“You oaf!”, she barked at the bald knight, with enough passion to actually cause Daghan to flinch. “Just go ahead, blare our connection out to the entire castle to hear!” She shook her head in frustration as her glance fell upon John. “And you even brought your new friend... wonderful” Her tone made it clear that this meeting was anything but wonderful for her.
“Sorry”, Daghan replied with a slight grin. “But this is urgent. John needs your help” Saerya rolled her eyes in frustration. “Does he?”, she muttered, to which Daghan merely raised both eyebrows. “You got company in there?”, he asked in return. “Please, tell me it's not your guard”
For a second, a sober, pained expression flashed across Saerya's face, a tiny moment of weakness in what was otherwise a perfectly serene mask, the one that symbolized that she had everything under control. If anything, the way she clenched her hands into the wood of the door and doorframe made it clear that she was anything but.
“Oh, be damned...”, she mumbled, as she pushed the door open completely, revealing two other figures. One of them, a girl, was sitting on the bed. She was a bit younger than Saerya, though merely a handful of years at most. Thin and visibly timid she avoided his glare, though not before John saw the hint of a scar on the right side of her face, covered by plain, brown hair. Though pretty, this visible lack of confidence was off-putting for John.
The second person was someone he knew, someone he actually hoped to never see again. His smug grin was gone, yet his presence remained the same, as Leonard Constantine gave him a nod for a greeting, a gesture that was far more subdued than anything he had shown before Oldtown, back when John met him and Lucas at the Hammered Harp.
“Daghan and companion, these are Jenna Harking and Leonard Constantine”, Saerya introduced the two and John nodded. “I know the knight”, he growled, as Leonard crossed his arms behind his back. “A pleasure, sellsword”, he replied in a tone that made it clear that this was anything but a pleasure for him.
“What's he doing here?”, he hissed and Leonard raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing here?”, he answered, no less hostile. Saerya sighed, rolling her dark blue eyes. “Behave, boys”, she urged them. “Though I'd like to know the same thing. Daghan, this is highly irregular”
This time, Daghan nodded in agreement. “It is”, he confirmed. “But John has earned my trust and he seriously needs your help. It's about two of his friends that went missing during the raid” Saerya clenched her fists, as she finally stepped away from the door. “Come in”, she hissed in a tone that instantly made John follow the order. “Tell me what this is about”
“As Daghan said, it's about two of my friends, Janae and Behara”, John explained, as Daghan closed the door behind him. He noticed the subtle reaction from Leonard that proved that this knight remembered the girl he had gotten in a fight over. Though not quite to blame for it, John still felt some resentment over how badly he had beaten Temari down.
“Missing?”, the woman asked and John nodded. “Not dead”, he insisted. “I'd know that much. Someone took her, maybe the Ironborn, maybe others. But I am just one man. I don't have your methods to find out more about the truth”
Saerya nodded. “So you came to me”, she said. “Clever. Real clever. Bringing your friend Daghan with you, knowing fully well that I cannot refuse his pleas” A smile formed on John's face. “So, you are going to help me?”, he asked.
This time, Saerya shook her head. “Not right now”, she disagreed. “I have a vast network of spies and if we're lucky, one of them will be able to give you a trail to follow. But right now, there is another matter I have to deal with”
Instinctively, John glanced at Leonard, to which the woman smiled joylessly. “Correct”, she complimented him. “It's a knightly matter. Not to bother you two with details, but Leonard here has to leave the castle. Things have gotten heated with the arrival of our 'saviours' and I don't want to leave him and his knowledge to them”
“So, you're proposing a deal?”, John asked and Saerya smiled. “Your help for mine. That way, we both get something out of this. Jenna here already came up with a bit of a plan, but maybe your presence will give us additional ways to smuggle Leonard out of the castle” She leant forwards. “That is, if you feel up for a bit of a risk”
[Agree to help Saerya] [Refuse to help Saerya]
[Promise him that you won't travel to Vaes Khadokh] Why should Illish ever go towards the literal City of Corpses? She may be quick witted, but why risk her own well being for a brother that left her. Sure, go try to find him, but don't put yourself in mortal harm by going to murderer central ruled by the evil tyrant who is actively searching for this scary evil package that the Rock now has.
[Agree to help Saerya] Win win situation. Leonard gets to safety and John gets help finding Janae and Behara. What could go wrong besides for the chance of potentially getting caught.
[Promise him that you won't travel to Vaes Khadokh]
Oh Ilish no.
[Agree to help Saerya] Help Leonard is good. Very good.
Never see such beauty? How dare he.
Hehe I remember to. Leonard kicked his ass. Such simpler times. Far less people wanted to kill our friend.
[Promise him that you won't travel to Vaes Khadokh] Nothing good can come out of a simple lone girl chasing ghosts in the City of Corpses.
[Agree to help Saerya] Like said, its pretty much a win/win situation, I don't see a reason not to accept her deal here.
[Promise him that you won't travel to Vaes Khadokh]
Illish won't be able to handle Vaes Khadokh, Axell is right about smallfolk playing heroes. Best not to do it, if you don't have the skills to back it up.
[Refuse to help Saerya]
I don't like Leonard, so nahhhh.
[Don't promise him anything] Well, clearly this option isn't going to win, but I just think Ilish has no reason to make such promises to Vaasrand. And if I'm being honest, I'd rather see Ilish doing something dangerous than... well, just staying in Raylansfair. Who knows, perhaps she could actually find her brother if she tried. Anyway, while I knew the basics about Essaria/Vaes Khadokh, it was nice to get more information on its current state from Vaasrand, as well as to the background of Anturion's.
[Agree to help Saerya] Sure, we'll help her, she'll help us, fair deal.
Hehe, it's safe to say that these two are never going to be friends. While he is not outright hating Leonard as some of the other characters do, they started on a seriously wrong foot. That said, Leonard himself is fairly neutral towards John. Right now, he's basically taking whatever help he can get.
Yeah, much simpler. Even John would actually prefer these times over the mess he finds himself in right now. That was before Butterfly even, before Petyr or the Ironborn raid. Actually, back then nobody legitimatly wanted to kill Leonard, he just has this talent of getting involved in a mess that wan't his to begin with. So far, he still fares well, but things won't get any easier anytime soon.
Ah, that is probably something I haven't brought up properly. Basically, the main downside to Saerya's plan here is that it might end up being seriously dangerous for John, given that he would go against Mullendore by helping Saerya and Leonard. It's also the thing that I know some readers don't fully trust Saerya and her intentions, so assisting her migh not be desirable for everyone.
There is one thing I can safely confirm here. No matter which option is going to be chosen, Ilish's Book 2 storyline is going to be one of my favourites. Her Book 1 storyline had some parts I wasn't quite happy with, but Book 2 is where she's really going to earn her role as a PoV character, by getting involved into one of the stories larger mysteries, affecting several PoV's, introducing her to new and amazing characters (one or two of which you know quite well
) and generally giving her more to do. I'd say Ilish' storyline is going to be the one that will undergo the most dramatic increase of importance in the chapters to come, regardless of wether or not she actually travel to Vaes Khadokh.
[Promise him that you won't travel to Vaes Khadokh]
[Agree to help Saerya]
(Agree to help Saerya)
[Promise him that you won't travel to Vaes Khadokh]
[Agree to help Saerya]
[Promise him that you won't travel to Vaes Khadokh] nope thank you
[Agree to help Saerya]
Well you've got me hyped for Ilish's Book 2 storyline now, that's for sure!
And there are a couple possibilites that come to mind with your little tease of new characters (that I'm familiar with) who'll be introduced in her storyline. The possibility that I see as pretty likely would be a couple badass sellswords, whom Ilish could perhaps meet in Dorne, if she heads there to search for her brother. The other possibility though... well, let's just say it could be a bit more dangerous for Ilish 
[Don't promise him anything]
[Agree to help Saerya]
It seems that part of Axell dialogue is missing
About the choices:
[Promise him that you won't travel to Vaes Khadokh]
[Agree to help Saerya]
PS:sorry but even this time I have to apologize to the thousands of fellow readers that wait together with the new parts my own Random Thoughts about it,however you have nothing to fear because next time the RT will come back!
I haven't even noticed that, but you are right. Originally, Axell was meant to say "Actually, I think we might even be able to combine this".
Fun fact, I had the feeling that something was missing somewhere, but haven't found it until now, despite a reread. Thanks for pointing it out!
Ah, no problem. Your random thoughts are always highly appreciated, but when you don't have the time or means for them, then that's that, totally fine. The next part should be a very important one though and one that might not feature a choice, so I am glad they will be back for that
[Don't promise him anything]
[Agree to help Saerya]
So I was catching up and before I could vote I decided to relive an old hobby. Namely looking at the huge name wall and trying to predict things about the characters just by their name. Then I saw this guy.....
Ragnar the Red
......................................
Ok so just to recap, in this story we have:
Several historical figures who took part in the war of Roses.
Allegories for the current U.S President and members of his family.
Deranged torturers who like to wear cat masks.
Geralt of Lys
'Not Left Handed' Montoya and his gang of people with animal acronyms.................oh and the guy who killed his father is there too.
...............and now a character from Elder Scrolls Skyrim..........
.........................................................................................................
................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................
..........Why did you say no to Ser JarJar of Binks again?
Wait, is there an actual historical figure submitted? I know the War of Roses included the houses Lancaster and York, of which we have exactly one character submitted each and I am pretty sure that neither is based on any historical figure. Of course, I could actually see a guy named Edward Lancaster having lived once, on account of everyone and their mothers being names Edward back in these days. If there is a character submitted that shares more than just a relatively common last name with a historical figure, I would like to know that
Pretty funny allegories that somehow aren't even all that out of place, as I must add. That said, I admit that I only accepted the Selwyn family because I know that InGen can submit good characters, so I trusted him with creating characters that are three-dimensional and well-written despite being based on rather controversial real-life figures. And well, having read their submissions, I was not disappointed and actually enjoy the challenge of doing them justice despite my severe personal dislike of the people they are based on. Given the plans I have been able to make so far, I actually look forward for this family very much, which is something I myself am amazed about
Who might be more colourful than the typical character, but other than that, they aren't even references all that much. Well, I requested a costume reference for the Tom, as I had recently watched Legend of Korra and enjoyed Amon's menacing look so much
Other than that, the Alley Cats fit perfectly into the sort of atmosphere I wanted to build up with the Oldtown parts, by showing that the city is so horrible that these people have a legit place in it. Book 2 might hold unexpected character development for one of them a well 
Aye, probably the only complete reference in this list. Vaasrand is based heavily on Geralt, something that has been noted before. Actually, even other references, such as the Selwyn family, have traits that make them different from those they are based on. Vaasrand is not a bad character though (just like how Geralt is an awesome character) and through additional work his creator has put into him, he is going to become a character in his own right in Book 2. You might say he is going to take a... vaastly different path. I'm sorry.
And the guy who killed his father was submitted by....
In their original form, Montoya is the only one who is a bit of a reference, whereas the others are completely original as far as I know (husmusen is free to correct me if he reads this), so that is nothing I am too concerned about. They are a bit like the Alley Cats in (mostly) less sociopathic, merely very colourful characters whom I am sure will gain some fans in Book 2.
Yah, that is something I was really not sure about. I blame my lack of experience and confidence back then, as I was not willing to force a change of name back then onto any submitted character, as long as nobody would submit a character named Mike Rotch (Oh, wait, that happened). Today, I would probably request a change of name, but chances are that his creator is no longer reading the story. As such, I will probably merely call him Ragnar in the story proper once he appears (though on the really tiny chance that his creator is reading this, you can send me a PM if you're not okay with that). Other than the name, Ragnar is a character of his own right. He is a wildling and I guess the creator just wanted to make a wildling character but had no idea on how to name them, so he went with a badass Skyrim name. And in comparison to other wildling names, Ragnar doesn't actually sound out of place. Now is probably a good place to admit that two of my all-time favourite characters I ever submitted are also named after Elder Scrolls characters (Online in this case), though that is simply because I like the names so much and still have fond memories of the characters I got them from. Nothing wrong with that I guess, as long as the character itself is not a carbon copy
Ragnar is a character completely in his own right and naturally, I haven't taken even a single personality trait from my inspiration despite their names.
Well, I had to draw the line somewhere, right? Or else FoT would be full of Jar-Jar's, Mike's and Bob Ross's. Generally, joke characters are not accepted, not even in the slightest, but characters that are meant to be legit characters that someone put work into and wishes to send to me, these are accepted and will be used to my best ability, even if they hold some references to real life or pop culture stuff. That is the line I draw. The one exception is when someone made a legit character whom he based on a person I don't wish to give any spotlight in the story. Best example for that, which really happened, was when one former reader submitted a character based completely on a semi-famous british sex offender, down to his name. The sex offender in question is generally a piece of shit, but even worse, he is still alive and probably could (and would) have taken legal action at having his name used in this context if he, by any chance, would have stumbled across this, as this would have been more than a simple reference. Safe to say, when I found this out, I instantly deleted the character from the list and have taken it upon myself to do 'background checks' for the characters I receive.
[Wait, is there an actual historical figure submitted? I know the War of Roses included the houses Lancaster and York, of which we have exactly one character submitted each and I am pretty sure that neither is based on any historical figure. Of course, I could actually see a guy named Edward Lancaster having lived once, on account of everyone and their mothers being names Edward back in these days. If there is a character submitted that shares more than just a relatively common last name with a historical figure, I would like to know that]
Oh you are gonna love this. Edward Lancaster was the son of King Henry VI and Margaret Anjou, who was an infamous power hungry manipulator known for being ruthless. After the war had 'ended' (Barely started) with the Duke of York 'winning' (Aka Stealing the victory of his only ally, the Earl of Warwick, by swooping in at the last second and pretending he hadn't been in hiding) Edward was basically her only hope for power since her husband was incompetent, weak willed and went in two mental breakdowns that lasted several months we he lost, so Edward was basically her only hope of ruling. She had to go to the King of Scotland to get an Army to support her claim. She even managed to kill both the Duke and his second eldest son in battle and infamously put their heads on pikes for display. She even found her husband again, who had escaped combat during the battle, making her the best claimant for the throne. The problem was everyone knew she was greedy and corrupt that little Edward was a sadistic sociopath who his mother could barely control. The people didn't want that so they resisted and went to the dukes other son who was also named Edward. As you probably guessed Margaret is the main inspiration for Cersei (and incredibly, also possibly the one used for Margery. Seems GRM thought she was more interesting as two different people)........which of course means that Edward is the main inspiration for Joffrey.
On a side note if you would like to hear more about the War and how it relates to GOT here you go:
A short but detailed look at the war, what caused it, its major players and of course who won: Feature History: The War Of Roses
And here is a comparison between the Wars major players and the GOT characters they inspired: The Wars That Inspired Game Of Thrones
[Pretty funny allegories that somehow aren't even all that out of place, as I must add. That said, I admit that I only accepted the Selwyn family because I know that InGen can submit good characters, so I trusted him with creating characters that are three-dimensional and well-written despite being based on rather controversial real-life figures. And well, having read their submissions, I was not disappointed and actually enjoy the challenge of doing them justice despite my severe personal dislike of the people they are based on. Given the plans I have been able to make so far, I actually look forward for this family very much, which is something I myself am amazed about]
Yeah, I hope they are. Lack of dimensionality is the problem with most allegories and parody characters. Which is ironic since they should be easier to develop than completely fictional characters. For example regardless of how many different studies and how many psychologists have studied a persons behavior and personality and regardless of what Ingen himself wanted for the character, I can tell you without a single doubt that several people would unleash their full hate or love for him instantly and as noticeably as possible. Its even easier with a currently extremely controversial figure like Trump, since many people will also feel like the writer and support their decision to make him one note. I mean there are people that have and can write Caligula or Vlad Tepes as multi layered and complex despite the fact both were incredibly evil people, but its mostly because they were long, long dead. It takes a highly skilled writer to completely remove himself from biased, especially when the individual the portray is deeply disliked by them, currently alive and in the public eye.
But that being said I feel you are a fantastic writer and no doubt everyone here, you know the dozens of guys who read you WEEKLY, feel like this too. So ill consider this a challenge you can live up with. And like we discussed before, if done well, it can be extremely interesting to see how Trumps ideals work in a world that has in ways already followed through with them. Who knows, maybe the character will be enjoyable and entertaining despite what people think of the person he is based on?
[Who might be more colourful than the typical character, but other than that, they aren't even references all that much. Well, I requested a costume reference for the Tom, as I had recently watched Legend of Korra and enjoyed Amon's menacing look so much Other than that, the Alley Cats fit perfectly into the sort of atmosphere I wanted to build up with the Oldtown parts, by showing that the city is so horrible that these people have a legit place in it. Book 2 might hold unexpected character development for one of them a well]
At first they were a bit odd to me, but I grew to love them. They were cool and scary and sometimes I got a really cool Jason vibe from them. They ended up being something to look forward to. What can I say, for some completely bizzare reason I TEND to like bad guys. I really really wonder where this comes from.
[Aye, probably the only complete reference in this list. Vaasrand is based heavily on Geralt, something that has been noted before. Actually, even other references, such as the Selwyn family, have traits that make them different from those they are based on. Vaasrand is not a bad character though (just like how Geralt is an awesome character) and through additional work his creator has put into him, he is going to become a character in his own right in Book 2. You might say he is going to take a... vaastly different path. I'm sorry.]
To be honest I don't mind it at all. Its actually a really cool since Witcher is basically the videogame/eastern Europe novel series game of thrones, if it had a set protagonist(s). Difference being that GOT is about humans and Witcher is about monsters of all kinds. That being said its cool that Vaasrand witll earn his of character. That pun was beautiful.
[And the guy who killed his father was submitted by.... In their original form, Montoya is the only one who is a bit of a reference, whereas the others are completely original as far as I know (husmusen is free to correct me if he reads this), so that is nothing I am too concerned about. They are a bit like the Alley Cats in (mostly) less sociopathic, merely very colourful characters whom I am sure will gain some fans in Book 2.]
....an anonymous but charming individual. Seriously included my own guy the for two reasons. One, he fit the category that I was trying to establish. And two, he cemented the fact that this was a joke in good fun and I was in no way criticizing these characters or their creators. I really wonder at this point if Montoya will have ANYTHING in common with the character he's based on besides the slight things I added with Rugen. Meanwhile anything like the alley cats is welcomed.
[Yah, that is something I was really not sure about. I blame my lack of experience and confidence back then, as I was not willing to force a change of name back then onto any submitted character, as long as nobody would submit a character named Mike Rotch (Oh, wait, that happened). Today, I would probably request a change of name, but chances are that his creator is no longer reading the story. As such, I will probably merely call him Ragnar in the story proper once he appears (though on the really tiny chance that his creator is reading this, you can send me a PM if you're not okay with that). Other than the name, Ragnar is a character of his own right. He is a wildling and I guess the creator just wanted to make a wildling character but had no idea on how to name them, so he went with a badass Skyrim name. And in comparison to other wildling names, Ragnar doesn't actually sound out of place. Now is probably a good place to admit that two of my all-time favourite characters I ever submitted are also named after Elder Scrolls characters (Online in this case), though that is simply because I like the names so much and still have fond memories of the characters I got them from. Nothing wrong with that I guess, as long as the character itself is not a carbon copy Ragnar is a character completely in his own right and naturally, I haven't taken even a single personality trait from my inspiration despite their names.]
You know Ragnar began this whole thing and I must admit he keeps surprising me. First when I glance it thought I had found the fame wildling and or Ironborn Ragnar Lothbrok therefore making this a quasi crossover au between Vikings/GOT/Witcher and Prices Bride, ak the best thing ever. Then I was disappointed by his originality....till I realized he was based on the Skyrim character, who was himself probably based on the Ragnar Lothbrok of legends. Now if finding out this was a character you felt insecure about altering. The Metal Gear Exclamation point expresses my emotions well. It would only get better if the creator is actually here and he joins this conversation.
[Well, I had to draw the line somewhere, right? Or else FoT would be full of Jar-Jar's, Mike's and Bob Ross's. Generally, joke characters are not accepted, not even in the slightest, but characters that are meant to be legit characters that someone put work into and wishes to send to me, these are accepted and will be used to my best ability, even if they hold some references to real life or pop culture stuff. That is the line I draw. The one exception is when someone made a legit character whom he based on a person I don't wish to give any spotlight in the story. Best example for that, which really happened, was when one former reader submitted a character based completely on a semi-famous british sex offender, down to his name. The sex offender in question is generally a piece of shit, but even worse, he is still alive and probably could (and would) have taken legal action at having his name used in this context if he, by any chance, would have stumbled across this, as this would have been more than a simple reference. Safe to say, when I found this out, I instantly deleted the character from the list and have taken it upon myself to do 'background checks' for the characters I receive.]
Welp there goes half of my characters.
. But seriously I am conflicted here I love FOT, but seeing a joke character apocalypse infect the world and all the normal characters might be the most hilarious thing I have thought of in a while. Just imagine how they wold react as all these insane, reality bending people show up to crash their perception of reality. And wow, what a story. Now I wonder if Lord Charles Manson and innkeeper Ted Bundy were once attempted submissions. Either way my post was worth it even if just for this.
[Don't promise him anything] Illish clearly wants to go and promising not to is just lying to herself. If the choices are search for Carvin or do nothing, I'll happily pick Carvin. Sadly this choice looks like it won't win.
[Agree to help Saerya] NOBODY REFUSES SAERYA!!! In all seriousness it seems counter productive to come all this way just to say no.
Just in case anyone forgot, let me remind you that I LOVE SAERYA!