WAIT, WHAT!? Ysilla is the Dorne PoV!? Now that's an amazing surprise, from what you had been saying I would never imagine that she'd be the one Man, I already said during Meria's Interlude that you had portrayed Ysilla perfectly and seeing more of her, I can be totally sure, that you indeed made her everything I imagined Having her as a PoV will definitely be a joy, and from this part I can already say that's she's off to a great start
Aye, she is I'll clue you in on a secret here, she's the big change I was teasing in my comments after the Dorne Interlude and in our PM. She was absolutely not intended to be the original Dorne PoV, as you can probably guess by her having been submitted when you joined about two months ago, but the storyline being in the making for longer. For the longest time, I had another, currently unintroduced character in mind and I actually had this thought until sleeping over the Dorne Interlude. You can see the exact moment my plans changed if you read back, because some of them have been made with the fullest intention of sticking to these old plans, until I slept over them for a night. I believe the chain of thoughts I had was something along the lines of "Oh man, this Ysilla character is fun to write. Hey, she's actually better than my planned PoV character. I wonder how the storyline would be from her PoV. Wait, she's actually perfect for that storyline... well, who's going to stop me? The fanfiction police?" And voila, we had Miss Sand as the new Dorne PoV, with the old Dorne PoV becoming a major character in her storyline, kind of a case of switched roles. There is also going to be another Dorne PoV in Chapter 4, these plans have remained. Of course, I stuck to my claim that it would be an entirely new PoV, not seen in the Interlude, because I knew this would be quite the surprise. And well, it worked and this makes me happy, as well as the fact that her first part seems to have been to your liking. Ysilla should have a very cool storyline and one I look forward to write for sure, so I hope you'll enjoy what's in store for her
Now things are already pretty bad if some of the Sandstorm are already in the shadow city, they definitely are going to be a big threat. To make things worse, the bulk of the ones inside the city seems to be around the place where Theodan is... boy, things really did begin on a blazing (heh) pace. I can hardly wait for when Ysilla finds Theodan, I'm just hoping nothing bad happens to any of them in the meantime. Fingers crossed*
Aye, things are certainly very bad. The Shadow City is one of Dorne's most well-defended cities, but at the same time, it is a city and it's not too hard to get into there, looking like a civilian. The fact that they dare to attack the Shadow City though shows they must not be messed with. And at least this one has been close to the brothel Theodan is spending his time at right now. The pace shouldn't slow down in this chapter, that much I have planned, even if some exposition will follow as well, to give you an idea where Ysilla's storyline will head to, the larger goal of her (which has also been the larger goal of the original PoV).
WAIT, WHAT!? Ysilla is the Dorne PoV!? Now that's an amazing surprise, from what you had been saying I would never imagine that she'd be the… more one Man, I already said during Meria's Interlude that you had portrayed Ysilla perfectly and seeing more of her, I can be totally sure, that you indeed made her everything I imagined Having her as a PoV will definitely be a joy, and from this part I can already say that's she's off to a great start
Now things are already pretty bad if some of the Sandstorm are already in the shadow city, they definitely are going to be a big threat. To make things worse, the bulk of the ones inside the city seems to be around the place where Theodan is... boy, things really did begin on a blazing (heh) pace. I can hardly wait for when Ysilla finds Theodan, I'm just hoping nothing bad happens to any of them in the meantime. Fingers crossed*
[Throw your spear at him] Even if he's just a kid, he's a pretty dangerou… [view original content]
Gotta be safe here and I think Ysilla has it in her to still throw that spear if she needs to but if she does she is weaponless more or less and there could be more of the Sandstorm around to cause trouble! Hopefully a females touch will get through to the boy and convince him that he's being manipulated into being a martyr.
You bring up a viable point there. Ysilla has seen one of them, but the sergeant assumes there might be several around, so throwing the spear would leave her immediately weaponless. Of course, she might also be able to get through this guy, who is actually little more than a scared, misguided kid. Him freaking out at being wounded should show that he is anything but the suicide bomber the Sandstorm wants him to be.
Very good part Liquid! I like how you captured the partisan tactics and wrote them into how someone fighting against that might be feeling. Never knowing what's going to happen next and even afraid to confront one for fear of blowing up.
Thank you, I am glad you enjoyed it! The fight against the Sandstorm is something nobody in Westeros has any experience with, because the kind of tactics they use are more akin to modern real life terrorists, so this is legitimately terrifying for the dornish. I tried to show this feeling and it is definitely going to be a major part in the Sandstorm-related parts of the storyline in the future
[Try and talk him down]
Gotta be safe here and I think Ysilla has it in her to still throw that spear if she needs to but if she does she… more is weaponless more or less and there could be more of the Sandstorm around to cause trouble! Hopefully a females touch will get through to the boy and convince him that he's being manipulated into being a martyr.
Very good part Liquid! I like how you captured the partisan tactics and wrote them into how someone fighting against that might be feeling. Never knowing what's going to happen next and even afraid to confront one for fear of blowing up.
Let's make Ysilla a violent, cold character, so I can like her. All these conflicted warriors, they must be ridden of, one way or another. This will be a good example of "the tip of the spear" for Dorne.
Hehe, I can assure you, Ysilla has a certain talent for violence, otherwise she wouldn't have picked up the spear instead of reading a book as her father wanted her to. At the same time, she definitely is not stone cold, at least not at this point. She's also only 19 years old, so her character can definitely be formed in one way or the other.
So the Taliban here has a funder eh? Saudi Arabia? Bin Laden? Seriously though, it sounds like it's Iraq or Afghanistan in Dorne. Suicide bombers in a desert city. Also kind of like Rogue One.
Aye, I took them as inspiration. The Sandstorm has been submitted by a reader, alongside several other characters for the Dorne storyline (including the second Dorne PoV) and together, we came up with something super unsettling for them, to make them similar to real life terrorists. Obviously, suicide bombers are among the most terrifying tactics a guerilla force can use in our military history and now imagine them in a setting that has no idea of the concept and where the term suicide bomber doesn't even exist. As a result, expect the whole ISIS handbook to come into play for them, minus the religious indoctrination. Come to think of it, the Sandstorm is probably not going to be as bad as ISIS, but violent attacks on civilians, suicide bombings and beheadings are kind of their thing.
You see, I'd assume that some like Mullendore, Vyrwel, or Oakheart would be funding them. After all, Reach lords are at least moderately wealthy (with some super-rich like the Redwynes and of course Selwyns). Those three would have some motivation, supporting expanding their influence, get some Dornish lords on their side. The wildfire detail though. That is very interesting. If Mullendore and co. had wildfire, they wouldn't have needed what was in the lighthouse.
Well, the question is, would these three truly have an interest in overthrowing House Martell? The Gardeners and Martell's are enemies, so it's sort of an enemy of my enemy situation with them. But Lords of the Reach in general, they have an interest in this and might look favourably upon the Sandstorm. It's also right that Mullendore and co. just lost a huge stash of Wildfire. However, we'll eventually see who funds them. All I can confirm is that yes, the suspicions the Master of Law (kind of the guy in charge of the Sandstorm task force) has about someone funding them is correct.
Ah yes, Dryland. Good ol' King Lucifer Dryland. Heheheheh.
Aye, it was a coincidence that he got a mention here as well after we just spoke about him. It was actually meant to be a bit of a reference to WildlingKing's story on the topic of Nymeria Martell's war, where Lucifer Dryland is actually an important character. Though the Lucifer mentions in my story might be quite few in the end, on account of him having no living family anymore and his house being completely extinct and slowly being forgotten, replaced by nearby houses such as, well, the Uller's Other former kings of Dorne, most importantly the Manwoody and Yronwood kings of that time, might receive more mentions somewhere in the more distant future. But the name certainly grows on me the more I use it
[Throw your spear at him] Let's make Ysilla a violent, cold character, so I can like her. All these conflicted warriors, they must be ridden… more of, one way or another. This will be a good example of "the tip of the spear" for Dorne.
“Aye, and that's what they have been for the longest time. But recently, they grew stronger, dramatically so”, the older guard explained. “I believe Master Jordayne and Captain Razek both believe in someone to fund them, a person of power and wealth. Their equipment is too good to be their own. I mean, not too long ago, they have been little more than a tribe of bandits, but now? Now they are more than a menace, a constant threat for every good man in Dorne”
By now, Ysilla felt quite an uneasy feeling. “I knew they took out a patrol at the Planky Town”, she spoke. “But... how are they doing it?” The older guardsman gulped. “Wildfire”, he revealed. “Whomever funds them supplies them with small vials of Wi… [view original content]
301 now! At least to my counting. There's no guarantee that I might be off on a couple parts, as I have lost some parts in last year, when my computer broke. I just say this is part number 301 now and I cannot possibly be too far off.
Heheh, your vacation is ruined, and now you must write! Muahahahah.
Noooo, not writing! I beg you, anything but that! Nobody hates writing more than I do. Really, I'd do anything! Anything but writing!
Seriously that stinks. 7000+ kilometers? Jeez. I thought my vacation was long.
6650 actually, I calculated them again, though that is a very rough estimation and it could have been well north of 7000. Ah well, it's next year then, unless something happens to cancel that one as well. I am really having mixed feelings there, but well, nothing I can do about it
Oh yeah, uh, Garthon. Hm. Wonder how he's doing. Kinda forgot about him.
Well, he put the last 2 months to good use. After his companions healed from their injuries, he is currently travelling through the Riverlands, together with Hjalgar, Rell, Tedyn and their guide, the elusive Christian Thomas. They are actually in the Riverlands already and his next part should begin on a pretty strong note very soon
300 parts, woohoo!
Heheh, your vacation is ruined, and now you must write! Muahahahah.
Seriously that stinks. 7000+ kilometers? Jeez. I thought my vacation was long.
Oh yeah, uh, Garthon. Hm. Wonder how he's doing. Kinda forgot about him.
[Try to talk him down] While it is risky indeed, maybe she can talk the boy down, that way she won't be defenseless.
Nice nod to Nymeria's War, since you also mentioned the failure of House Toland to crown themselves.
A small mistake here "All but the last still have their ancestors ruling over their old lands, now as vassals of House Martell" its actually descendants not ancestors.
And another here "I leave Princess Nymeria to deal with Yronwood, or Wyl or Manwoody", Meria is descendant of Nymeria.
Ysilla
In stark contrast to the turmoil the castle of Sunspear was in, the Shadow City at its feet was almost tranquil in the burning mid… moreday sun. It did little to ease Ysilla Sand's concerns for her brother, as she stepped out of the castle gates, rushing down the large staircase that led to the city below.
Two of Captain Razek's guards were following her, a fact that came as an annoyance for her. At best, they would merely slow her down. At worst, they might even outright hinder her. It was not that she was not grateful that Princess Meria cared enough for her brother's well-being to give her some help. It was just that Ysilla felt more than capable of doing it on her own. After all, she had a suspicion where her brother could be found.
Hurrying down the steps, she quickly found herself in the Shadow City itself. And the name was not the slightest bit misleading. Located on the west side of the castle, it was a dusty, crowded maze, … [view original content]
[Throw your spear at him]
Though he is young but he is dangerous.Talking with him could give him a chance to kill Ysillia.Throwing the spear will also make Ysillia a Badass person
Ysilla
In stark contrast to the turmoil the castle of Sunspear was in, the Shadow City at its feet was almost tranquil in the burning mid… moreday sun. It did little to ease Ysilla Sand's concerns for her brother, as she stepped out of the castle gates, rushing down the large staircase that led to the city below.
Two of Captain Razek's guards were following her, a fact that came as an annoyance for her. At best, they would merely slow her down. At worst, they might even outright hinder her. It was not that she was not grateful that Princess Meria cared enough for her brother's well-being to give her some help. It was just that Ysilla felt more than capable of doing it on her own. After all, she had a suspicion where her brother could be found.
Hurrying down the steps, she quickly found herself in the Shadow City itself. And the name was not the slightest bit misleading. Located on the west side of the castle, it was a dusty, crowded maze, … [view original content]
Ysilla
In stark contrast to the turmoil the castle of Sunspear was in, the Shadow City at its feet was almost tranquil in the burning mid… moreday sun. It did little to ease Ysilla Sand's concerns for her brother, as she stepped out of the castle gates, rushing down the large staircase that led to the city below.
Two of Captain Razek's guards were following her, a fact that came as an annoyance for her. At best, they would merely slow her down. At worst, they might even outright hinder her. It was not that she was not grateful that Princess Meria cared enough for her brother's well-being to give her some help. It was just that Ysilla felt more than capable of doing it on her own. After all, she had a suspicion where her brother could be found.
Hurrying down the steps, she quickly found herself in the Shadow City itself. And the name was not the slightest bit misleading. Located on the west side of the castle, it was a dusty, crowded maze, … [view original content]
Ysilla
In stark contrast to the turmoil the castle of Sunspear was in, the Shadow City at its feet was almost tranquil in the burning mid… moreday sun. It did little to ease Ysilla Sand's concerns for her brother, as she stepped out of the castle gates, rushing down the large staircase that led to the city below.
Two of Captain Razek's guards were following her, a fact that came as an annoyance for her. At best, they would merely slow her down. At worst, they might even outright hinder her. It was not that she was not grateful that Princess Meria cared enough for her brother's well-being to give her some help. It was just that Ysilla felt more than capable of doing it on her own. After all, she had a suspicion where her brother could be found.
Hurrying down the steps, she quickly found herself in the Shadow City itself. And the name was not the slightest bit misleading. Located on the west side of the castle, it was a dusty, crowded maze, … [view original content]
Nice nod to Nymeria's War, since you also mentioned the failure of House Toland to crown themselves.
Hehe, a failure it has been indeed. I mean, Donovar Toland has been king for what, a fortnight? A month? Can't have been much longer. But it's still a detail that is remembered by historians, such as the Maester of Godsgrace. I like to imagine that Ysilla has been told the entire and detailed history of Nymeria's War as part of her education, which amazingly means that now there is a character in the story that knows more than I do XD That being said, she likely did not care to memorize most of the details, so it's already impressive she managed to remember House Toland's failed power grab. She really doesn't know what she's missing there
A small mistake here "All but the last still have their ancestors ruling over their old lands, now as vassals of House Martell" its actually descendants not ancestors.
And another here "I leave Princess Nymeria to deal with Yronwood, or Wyl or Manwoody", Meria is descendant of Nymeria.
Aaah, this is my bad. You are absolutely right of course. I should really read over my own writing more carefully, but I just have not seen these. That's what I got attentive readers for, so thanks a lot
[Try to talk him down] While it is risky indeed, maybe she can talk the boy down, that way she won't be defenseless.
Nice nod to Nymeria'… mores War, since you also mentioned the failure of House Toland to crown themselves.
A small mistake here "All but the last still have their ancestors ruling over their old lands, now as vassals of House Martell" its actually descendants not ancestors.
And another here "I leave Princess Nymeria to deal with Yronwood, or Wyl or Manwoody", Meria is descendant of Nymeria.
Man, the tactics and determination of the Sandstorm require some serious fanaticism from its warriors. Does this Cage Bridger worship some god that promises paradise for martyrs, or is he truly charismatic enough to convince everyone that the Martell's are bad for Dorne?
[Throw your spear at him] Almost forgot to vote Anyway, I think this boy is a lost cause. Better to get rid of all the fanatic terrorist we get our hands to.
I loved the nods to Nymeria's War, and it's awesome to see how this war still affects the political climate of Dorne after 700 years Personally, I still suspect it's the Yronwood's who fund the Sandstorm. That said, I think there is no real loyalty between them. Once the Targs attack, Lord Yronwood will side with Meria, whereas this Bridger will help Aegon.
Overall, this was a great way to bring Dorne into the story!
Ysilla
In stark contrast to the turmoil the castle of Sunspear was in, the Shadow City at its feet was almost tranquil in the burning mid… moreday sun. It did little to ease Ysilla Sand's concerns for her brother, as she stepped out of the castle gates, rushing down the large staircase that led to the city below.
Two of Captain Razek's guards were following her, a fact that came as an annoyance for her. At best, they would merely slow her down. At worst, they might even outright hinder her. It was not that she was not grateful that Princess Meria cared enough for her brother's well-being to give her some help. It was just that Ysilla felt more than capable of doing it on her own. After all, she had a suspicion where her brother could be found.
Hurrying down the steps, she quickly found herself in the Shadow City itself. And the name was not the slightest bit misleading. Located on the west side of the castle, it was a dusty, crowded maze, … [view original content]
Ysilla
In stark contrast to the turmoil the castle of Sunspear was in, the Shadow City at its feet was almost tranquil in the burning mid… moreday sun. It did little to ease Ysilla Sand's concerns for her brother, as she stepped out of the castle gates, rushing down the large staircase that led to the city below.
Two of Captain Razek's guards were following her, a fact that came as an annoyance for her. At best, they would merely slow her down. At worst, they might even outright hinder her. It was not that she was not grateful that Princess Meria cared enough for her brother's well-being to give her some help. It was just that Ysilla felt more than capable of doing it on her own. After all, she had a suspicion where her brother could be found.
Hurrying down the steps, she quickly found herself in the Shadow City itself. And the name was not the slightest bit misleading. Located on the west side of the castle, it was a dusty, crowded maze, … [view original content]
Ysilla
In stark contrast to the turmoil the castle of Sunspear was in, the Shadow City at its feet was almost tranquil in the burning mid… moreday sun. It did little to ease Ysilla Sand's concerns for her brother, as she stepped out of the castle gates, rushing down the large staircase that led to the city below.
Two of Captain Razek's guards were following her, a fact that came as an annoyance for her. At best, they would merely slow her down. At worst, they might even outright hinder her. It was not that she was not grateful that Princess Meria cared enough for her brother's well-being to give her some help. It was just that Ysilla felt more than capable of doing it on her own. After all, she had a suspicion where her brother could be found.
Hurrying down the steps, she quickly found herself in the Shadow City itself. And the name was not the slightest bit misleading. Located on the west side of the castle, it was a dusty, crowded maze, … [view original content]
Ysilla
In stark contrast to the turmoil the castle of Sunspear was in, the Shadow City at its feet was almost tranquil in the burning mid… moreday sun. It did little to ease Ysilla Sand's concerns for her brother, as she stepped out of the castle gates, rushing down the large staircase that led to the city below.
Two of Captain Razek's guards were following her, a fact that came as an annoyance for her. At best, they would merely slow her down. At worst, they might even outright hinder her. It was not that she was not grateful that Princess Meria cared enough for her brother's well-being to give her some help. It was just that Ysilla felt more than capable of doing it on her own. After all, she had a suspicion where her brother could be found.
Hurrying down the steps, she quickly found herself in the Shadow City itself. And the name was not the slightest bit misleading. Located on the west side of the castle, it was a dusty, crowded maze, … [view original content]
Man, the tactics and determination of the Sandstorm require some serious fanaticism from its warriors. Does this Cage Bridger worship some god that promises paradise for martyrs, or is he truly charismatic enough to convince everyone that the Martell's are bad for Dorne?
Well, he recruits mostly truly desperate people. There might be a slight religious component involved, on account of the Martell's and the rhoyinish customs they introduced, are certainly not a house particularly strong in the Faith of the Seven. From what we can see so far, a lot of brainwashing is involved and the promise of paradise for martyrs on account of championing for the faith works well, though it is not the only thing he promises them for sure. The one we have seen here is a fanatic, but others might be different, more akin to south american guerillas in their motivation and mentality.
I loved the nods to Nymeria's War, and it's awesome to see how this war still affects the political climate of Dorne after 700 years Personally, I still suspect it's the Yronwood's who fund the Sandstorm. That said, I think there is no real loyalty between them. Once the Targs attack, Lord Yronwood will side with Meria, whereas this Bridger will help Aegon.
Hehe, well, I hope it won't remain the sole nod. I mean, I obviously do not know what is going to happen later on, so full references might be hard for now, but I play the long game with Dorne, so maybe more can follow once NW has gone on for longer. And yes, Nymeria's war definitely still affects the political climate of Dorne at that time. I mean, I don't know where you plan on leaving Nymeria's status with the formerly royal houses of Dorne, whom will be her allies and whom will follow her only begrudgingly, but I doubt they will all be happy with the way things are going to end. So, we're talking about really old grudges here, especially with the Yronwood's. They and their bannermen would likely not be too sad about the Sandstorm winning, so they are on top of Landon Jordayne's list of potential subjects. But well, no matter whom the mysterious benefactor of the Sandstorm is, there is unlikely to be any true fondness between them.
Man, the tactics and determination of the Sandstorm require some serious fanaticism from its warriors. Does this Cage Bridger worship some g… moreod that promises paradise for martyrs, or is he truly charismatic enough to convince everyone that the Martell's are bad for Dorne?
[Throw your spear at him] Almost forgot to vote Anyway, I think this boy is a lost cause. Better to get rid of all the fanatic terrorist we get our hands to.
I loved the nods to Nymeria's War, and it's awesome to see how this war still affects the political climate of Dorne after 700 years Personally, I still suspect it's the Yronwood's who fund the Sandstorm. That said, I think there is no real loyalty between them. Once the Targs attack, Lord Yronwood will side with Meria, whereas this Bridger will help Aegon.
Overall, this was a great way to bring Dorne into the story!
I have sons of the harpy feelings coming back . ^^
Aye, I believe I see the connection. While they have been less of a conscious inspiration, there are definitely heavy similarities. And just like the Sons of the Harpy, the Sandstorm is basically confirmed to have a powerful benefactor, else they would have never gotten that strong.
Also about the character i submitted few days ago , i'll pm you something i tought about doing and i'm sure you'll enjoy .
I'll send it to you in couple of days maybe more, depends when i'll finish it and when i'll be back .
Alright, that sounds great! Send me a message whenever it works best for you, I'm looking forward for it
[Try to talk him down]
I have sons of the harpy feelings coming back . ^^
Also about the character i submitted few days ago , i'll pm … moreyou something i tought about doing and i'm sure you'll enjoy .
I'll send it to you in couple of days maybe more, depends when i'll finish it and when i'll be back .
There might be a slight religious component involved, on account of the Martell's and the rhoyinish customs they introduced, are certainly not a house particularly strong in the Faith of the Seven. From what we can see so far, a lot of brainwashing is involved and the promise of paradise for martyrs on account of championing for the faith works well, though it is not the only thing he promises them for sure. The one we have seen here is a fanatic, but others might be different, more akin to south american guerillas in their motivation and mentality.
Man, the tactics and determination of the Sandstorm require some serious fanaticism from its warriors. Does this Cage Bridger worship some g… moreod that promises paradise for martyrs, or is he truly charismatic enough to convince everyone that the Martell's are bad for Dorne?
Well, he recruits mostly truly desperate people. There might be a slight religious component involved, on account of the Martell's and the rhoyinish customs they introduced, are certainly not a house particularly strong in the Faith of the Seven. From what we can see so far, a lot of brainwashing is involved and the promise of paradise for martyrs on account of championing for the faith works well, though it is not the only thing he promises them for sure. The one we have seen here is a fanatic, but others might be different, more akin to south american guerillas in their motivation and mentality.
I loved the nods to Nymeria's War, and it's awesome to see how th… [view original content]
Oh god, I can't say I have seen this coming. Being an internet person, I should have seen it coming and I feel slightly stupid for not noticing it before. Well, tradition must be honoured, the rude Sandstorm now has their official hymn assigned to them. And it is probably the most horrible part about the entire organisation
Hm, definitely a very good theory! Without confirming or denying it, I can reveal that there are indeed certain ruthless elements among Aegon's inner circle, people who would be quite willing to work with a group as brutal as the Sandstorm if it gives them or House Targaryen a benefit. If Aegon or his sisters themselves are behind this, or would even deem it necessary, we'll definitely see in time
[Throw your spear at him]
Edit: Seeing as the Sandstorm has wildfire and is seeking to overthrow the Martells, I suspect they might be funded by the Targaryens, who do have an interest to destabilize Dorne so they may invade more easily.
Aha, so religion is at least one talking point this Bridger guy is using to recruit these desperate people, but it probably isn't his main one. I feel like there is more of a poor vs. rich narrative going on, even if the suicide attacks kind of reek more of a religious cause. I mean, people rarely are ready to blow themselves up for a social cause, but rather a divine one. What I wonder though is how much does the man himself believe in whatever his cause is? Is he a zealot who believes 100% what he preaches, or merely an opportunist using these desperate people for his own power grab? Probably something in-between.
And I'll try my best to offer interesting material for you to pull refences from
Man, the tactics and determination of the Sandstorm require some serious fanaticism from its warriors. Does this Cage Bridger worship some g… moreod that promises paradise for martyrs, or is he truly charismatic enough to convince everyone that the Martell's are bad for Dorne?
Well, he recruits mostly truly desperate people. There might be a slight religious component involved, on account of the Martell's and the rhoyinish customs they introduced, are certainly not a house particularly strong in the Faith of the Seven. From what we can see so far, a lot of brainwashing is involved and the promise of paradise for martyrs on account of championing for the faith works well, though it is not the only thing he promises them for sure. The one we have seen here is a fanatic, but others might be different, more akin to south american guerillas in their motivation and mentality.
I loved the nods to Nymeria's War, and it's awesome to see how th… [view original content]
Ysilla
In stark contrast to the turmoil the castle of Sunspear was in, the Shadow City at its feet was almost tranquil in the burning mid… moreday sun. It did little to ease Ysilla Sand's concerns for her brother, as she stepped out of the castle gates, rushing down the large staircase that led to the city below.
Two of Captain Razek's guards were following her, a fact that came as an annoyance for her. At best, they would merely slow her down. At worst, they might even outright hinder her. It was not that she was not grateful that Princess Meria cared enough for her brother's well-being to give her some help. It was just that Ysilla felt more than capable of doing it on her own. After all, she had a suspicion where her brother could be found.
Hurrying down the steps, she quickly found herself in the Shadow City itself. And the name was not the slightest bit misleading. Located on the west side of the castle, it was a dusty, crowded maze, … [view original content]
Aha, so religion is at least one talking point this Bridger guy is using to recruit these desperate people, but it probably isn't his main one. I feel like there is more of a poor vs. rich narrative going on, even if the suicide attacks kind of reek more of a religious cause. I mean, people rarely are ready to blow themselves up for a social cause, but rather a divine one. What I wonder though is how much does the man himself believe in whatever his cause is? Is he a zealot who believes 100% what he preaches, or merely an opportunist using these desperate people for his own power grab? Probably something in-between.
Indeed, religion is one point, but not the strongest one, since House Martell, while holding some elements a true fanatic would see as heresy, are still following the Faith of the Seven, even if their interpretation is less rigid than others. Social elements however play a big role. Obviously, there will be parts of Dorne that will be in a worse shape than they have been before Nymeria's conquest, parts where people now suffer under the defeat of their rulers and their loss of relevance. Or those elements that can be found in any kingdom, that are unhappy with the way they are ruled, or just plain unhappy with any kind of rule. Cage Bridger is giving them a common cause, a common enemy, he is leading them, radicalizing them and through his benefactor, he is actually giving them an opportunity to harm House Martell in a way they could have never done on their own. Apparently, his methods are powerful enough to inspire outright suicide attacks. How he himself stands to his words remains to be seen, but just like many leaders of fanatical groups, the truth is likely complicated.
And I'll try my best to offer interesting material for you to pull refences from
No doubt there will be more than enough to choose from later on I mean, the thing is that I can sort of only truly reference events I know for sure are over, without more twists being planned. And well, in case of House Toland, I very much am sure that, no matter what will happen, their power grab is over and they won't ever manage to rule over themselves, at least not for longer than the few weeks Donovar managed to achieve. At the same time, I cannot say for sure who is going to lead them in the future and how they will feel about this, so I cannot go into more detail on their history after Nymeria's War. But well, once something as definite as the position of House Toland happens, or maybe the defeat of one of the dornish kings, I might find a way to reference how the dornish see this event 700 years later. Least I can do
Aha, so religion is at least one talking point this Bridger guy is using to recruit these desperate people, but it probably isn't his main o… morene. I feel like there is more of a poor vs. rich narrative going on, even if the suicide attacks kind of reek more of a religious cause. I mean, people rarely are ready to blow themselves up for a social cause, but rather a divine one. What I wonder though is how much does the man himself believe in whatever his cause is? Is he a zealot who believes 100% what he preaches, or merely an opportunist using these desperate people for his own power grab? Probably something in-between.
And I'll try my best to offer interesting material for you to pull refences from
Hehe, what can I say... you do have quite a talent for this That's like, the second time in a month, or the third maybe? It's perfect and I love it, as this will definitely help a lot with some things I have in mind
There might be a slight religious component involved, on account of the Martell's and the rhoyinish customs they introduced, are certainly n… moreot a house particularly strong in the Faith of the Seven. From what we can see so far, a lot of brainwashing is involved and the promise of paradise for martyrs on account of championing for the faith works well, though it is not the only thing he promises them for sure. The one we have seen here is a fanatic, but others might be different, more akin to south american guerillas in their motivation and mentality.
-pulls collar in awkwardness-
Hi, I have once again questions for you smart people on here. At what age are handmaidens normally recruited? And at what age are maesters normally finished with their studys and send to a house?
Thank you for your help!
Oh god, I can't say I have seen this coming. Being an internet person, I should have seen it coming and I feel slightly stupid for not notic… moreing it before. Well, tradition must be honoured, the rude Sandstorm now has their official hymn assigned to them. And it is probably the most horrible part about the entire organisation
For the handmaidens, a wild guess would be 14-16 years old, considering that people in ASOIAF universe grow up psychologically faster than in ours and some girls even get married at this age. Handmaidens certainly start serving before they are married.
As for the maesters, I'd say early 20s. They must learn a lot of things and it would certainly take time. Plus, the scholars in one of the books' prologue POV were like 18-20?
Hi, I have once again questions for you smart people on here. At what age are handmaidens normally recruited? And at what age are maesters normally finished with their studys and send to a house?
Thank you for your help!
For the handmaidens, a wild guess would be 14-16 years old, considering that people in ASOIAF universe grow up psychologically faster than i… moren ours and some girls even get married at this age. Handmaidens certainly start serving before they are married.
As for the maesters, I'd say early 20s. They must learn a lot of things and it would certainly take time. Plus, the scholars in one of the books' prologue POV were like 18-20?
It would be hilarious if Forum of Thrones was a show like GOT and that song would be a theme for the band and play whenever they appear on the screen.
dududududud intensifies
The still they got there looks like it could be Dorne too.
It's pretty awesome. I'm listening on my Turtle Beaches, and it's fantastic. Sounds foreign yet familiar, with the violins chilling sound yet the bang of the percussion.
InKennyWeTrust is right, these ages are generally a good guess. Handmaidens often start their duties when they are young and I cannot think of an example of an older handmaiden. My guess would be that they start to take on other duties as they become older, so I'd say a typical handmaiden is in her early teens when she starts her duties, all the way up to her thirties.
With a Maester, I guess it kind of depends when they pick up their studies. Most Maesters come from noble houses and are sent to study at the Citadel when they are young, so that they finish their studies when they are grown men. There are some examples of pretty young Maesters in the novels, so I guess some pick up their duties for a lord in their early twenties already.
Hi, I have once again questions for you smart people on here. At what age are handmaidens normally recruited? And at what age are maesters normally finished with their studys and send to a house?
Thank you for your help!
Just a friendly reminder that DIMITRI THE WISE will RETURN and that "it won't be that long until we will see him again" (as of January 4, 2017 during Chapter 8).
Well... not "that long" means quite something different in FoT terms than it does in general. If I say it will take a long time until we see someone again, I mean Book 3 material. That being said, when it comes to Dimitri, my plans are constantly changing. I really cannot say when we will see him again, only that we will. I don't intend to let the little you saw be the last of him
Just a friendly reminder that DIMITRI THE WISE will RETURN and that "it won't be that long until we will see him again" (as of January 4, 2017 during Chapter 8).
https://telltale.com/community/discussion/comment/2681400/#Comment_2681400
Ysilla
In stark contrast to the turmoil the castle of Sunspear was in, the Shadow City at its feet was almost tranquil in the burning mid… moreday sun. It did little to ease Ysilla Sand's concerns for her brother, as she stepped out of the castle gates, rushing down the large staircase that led to the city below.
Two of Captain Razek's guards were following her, a fact that came as an annoyance for her. At best, they would merely slow her down. At worst, they might even outright hinder her. It was not that she was not grateful that Princess Meria cared enough for her brother's well-being to give her some help. It was just that Ysilla felt more than capable of doing it on her own. After all, she had a suspicion where her brother could be found.
Hurrying down the steps, she quickly found herself in the Shadow City itself. And the name was not the slightest bit misleading. Located on the west side of the castle, it was a dusty, crowded maze, … [view original content]
Well, once again, you seem to prefer the safer option here. I cannot blame you. I mean, negotiating with terrorists is not what I'd deem a wise choice. At the same time, considering Ysilla's first part, you can probably guess that there wouldn't have been any danger for her life here. Her storyline is definitely not going to end after a single part. So, as a result this choice also decides a bit on Ysilla's mindset when it comes to dealing with such people. The Sandstorm, that much you will see, is a massive threat for Dorne and the next chapters will delve deeper into it. There's also the other Dorne PoV, who will debut in Chapter 4 and whose storyline will even feature the Sandstorm as a main threat. Ysilla meanwhile, she'll have another destiny, as this chapter will eventually reveal to you.
The next part is going to be out later today! It was originally meant to be the start for Kyra's storyline, but since my vacation is cancelled, I decided it will be better suited for Garthon to start here. Then will be Jaron and then we'll see Kyra, followed likely by Willfred and another PoV. So much for my next plans But anyways, last time we have seen Garthon was after the battle. The only Ironborn that are confirmed to have survived the raid are, aside from the small group that chose to try their luck with Anturion, exactly four, namely Garthon, Hjalgar, Rell Vessels and Tedyn Bullister, even if the latter is technically a Riverlander. Garthon had been named as their leader by Hjagar, which is sort of true due to the deaths of Torvin and Cleaver Clint, as well as the retreat of Edward Anturion. Garthon was visited by Mullendore, who revealed his true allegiance to him. It turned out, he and Petyr, as well as Lord Oakheart, are part of a conspiracy to overthrow House Gardener's rule and hand the Reach to Harren Hoare. He wanted to update Harren on his progress, so he chose Garthon and his surviving men to travel to Harrenhal and deliver a letter. For this task, he also gave them the aid of a guide, a certain Christian Thomas, whom you might remember from Chapter 4 and 5 a veeery long time ago. The next part will be set two months later, as Garthon and his group have already entered the Riverlands again, about a fortnight before planning their arrival to Harrenhal. It will already set the tone for Garthon's storyline in this chapter and feature a certain game changer for him
I am afraid I also must speak about something that has come to my attention, something that was equal parts surprising and worrying to me when stumbling upon it by chance yesterday. Gee, I hope I am not taking things too far here, but well, here we go. First of all, I want to make clear that this only concerns one particular reader, whom is definitely none of the FoT regulars, but since I don't know the exact identity of this reader, I have to make this little statement of mine public and explain my anger. Some of you here are probably familiar with badgershite's Season Two AU, a sort of fan art/fanfiction hybrid continuation of Telltale's Game of Thrones, which can be found on his tumblr blog. I have found out about it a while ago and was silently following it, greatly enjoying his work. So, you can probably imagine how I felt when some anonymous person mentioned FoT on his blog (in a positive way, as I must admit), paired with a couple insults towards badgershite. This was topped by said person claiming to be me, saying he or she is the writer of FoT. And well, reading all that made me quite angry yesterday, as you can hopefully understand. I am very sure this anonymous person is nobody I have ever interacted with on here, judging by their truly bad manners, but this makes it only harder to single out whom it could have been in particular. Neither do I actually want to single out anyone or make their identity public. I just want to make it clear that I am not okay with what happened there. I have a lot of respect for the hard work and passion badgershite put into his AU, as I have for every content creator, and having someone trying to troll and insult him in my name, with my name, that puts a bad light onto me, onto the story and the entire readership, as maybe some actually assumed this person to be legit with their claims until I tried to clarify that this is not the case. It might be nothing, I might be overly concerned here, but I take this very seriously and felt the need to distance myself from this particular person as much as possible. I hope he or she is going to read this, to realize that, while their initial intentions were probably not even all that malicious and while I appreciate their passion for my work, they haven't done me a favour with this, quite the contrary. So, mysterious anonymous reader, I don't know who you are, so nothing I can do about it, but I hope you realize you have been way out of line yesterday. I believe an apology towards badgershite would be appropriate, but you have to decide for yourself on that.
Now that this is uncomfortable stuff out of the way, I shall get back to what I'm actually good at, which is writing. Expect the next part to be out today
Damn. Weird guy with that Badgershite buisness. I just gotta express my love towards that S2 AU. It's one of my favourite stories here on the forums, and I am super impressed and has great respect of his work. I was very sad when it ended some time ago, but it was super amazing.
But yeah, that's pretty weird to take someones identity to spread a little hate and love. Sadly that just becomes more common on the internet, doesn't it?
The Voting is closed!
Ysilla is going to throw her spear at the boy
Well, once again, you seem to prefer the safer option here. I cann… moreot blame you. I mean, negotiating with terrorists is not what I'd deem a wise choice. At the same time, considering Ysilla's first part, you can probably guess that there wouldn't have been any danger for her life here. Her storyline is definitely not going to end after a single part. So, as a result this choice also decides a bit on Ysilla's mindset when it comes to dealing with such people. The Sandstorm, that much you will see, is a massive threat for Dorne and the next chapters will delve deeper into it. There's also the other Dorne PoV, who will debut in Chapter 4 and whose storyline will even feature the Sandstorm as a main threat. Ysilla meanwhile, she'll have another destiny, as this chapter will eventually reveal to you.
The next part is going to be out later today! It was originally meant to … [view original content]
Aye, it seems badgershite has to deal with these people more often than anyone should. I had some trolls as well, but at least with them, there was a way to deal with it.
Sadly, it seems that person has not taken my words to heart and has actually continued impersonating me on that blog, even after I clarified things. Never thought I'd ever say that about a person that apparently has read and sort of enjoyed my story, but that particular guy is a legit bastard. Apparently, I have misjudged his intentions, because it's clear he's not a fan of my work, but merely some immature troll. Not sure what he is trying to achieve, but I am not only disappointed in whomever that is, by now I am angry. I'd already be more than annoyed if he'd try to do it by himself, but the fact that he's trying to use my username for that takes things too far. Anyways, I have made sure to protect my identity on tumblr now by making an account (fucking hell that this step actually had to be taken, but here you have liquidchicagoted.tumblr.com), so hopefully that'll settle it for good. Maybe I'll even make something with that account once I find the time, I always wanted to make the story more known.
Damn. Weird guy with that Badgershite buisness. I just gotta express my love towards that S2 AU. It's one of my favourite stories here on th… moree forums, and I am super impressed and has great respect of his work. I was very sad when it ended some time ago, but it was super amazing.
But yeah, that's pretty weird to take someones identity to spread a little hate and love. Sadly that just becomes more common on the internet, doesn't it?
Comments
Aye, she is
I'll clue you in on a secret here, she's the big change I was teasing in my comments after the Dorne Interlude and in our PM. She was absolutely not intended to be the original Dorne PoV, as you can probably guess by her having been submitted when you joined about two months ago, but the storyline being in the making for longer. For the longest time, I had another, currently unintroduced character in mind and I actually had this thought until sleeping over the Dorne Interlude. You can see the exact moment my plans changed if you read back, because some of them have been made with the fullest intention of sticking to these old plans, until I slept over them for a night. I believe the chain of thoughts I had was something along the lines of "Oh man, this Ysilla character is fun to write. Hey, she's actually better than my planned PoV character. I wonder how the storyline would be from her PoV. Wait, she's actually perfect for that storyline... well, who's going to stop me? The fanfiction police?" And voila, we had Miss Sand as the new Dorne PoV, with the old Dorne PoV becoming a major character in her storyline, kind of a case of switched roles. There is also going to be another Dorne PoV in Chapter 4, these plans have remained. Of course, I stuck to my claim that it would be an entirely new PoV, not seen in the Interlude, because I knew this would be quite the surprise. And well, it worked and this makes me happy, as well as the fact that her first part seems to have been to your liking. Ysilla should have a very cool storyline and one I look forward to write for sure, so I hope you'll enjoy what's in store for her 
Aye, things are certainly very bad. The Shadow City is one of Dorne's most well-defended cities, but at the same time, it is a city and it's not too hard to get into there, looking like a civilian. The fact that they dare to attack the Shadow City though shows they must not be messed with. And at least this one has been close to the brothel Theodan is spending his time at right now. The pace shouldn't slow down in this chapter, that much I have planned, even if some exposition will follow as well, to give you an idea where Ysilla's storyline will head to, the larger goal of her (which has also been the larger goal of the original PoV).
You bring up a viable point there. Ysilla has seen one of them, but the sergeant assumes there might be several around, so throwing the spear would leave her immediately weaponless. Of course, she might also be able to get through this guy, who is actually little more than a scared, misguided kid. Him freaking out at being wounded should show that he is anything but the suicide bomber the Sandstorm wants him to be.
Thank you, I am glad you enjoyed it! The fight against the Sandstorm is something nobody in Westeros has any experience with, because the kind of tactics they use are more akin to modern real life terrorists, so this is legitimately terrifying for the dornish. I tried to show this feeling and it is definitely going to be a major part in the Sandstorm-related parts of the storyline in the future
Hehe, I can assure you, Ysilla has a certain talent for violence, otherwise she wouldn't have picked up the spear instead of reading a book as her father wanted her to. At the same time, she definitely is not stone cold, at least not at this point. She's also only 19 years old, so her character can definitely be formed in one way or the other.
Aye, I took them as inspiration. The Sandstorm has been submitted by a reader, alongside several other characters for the Dorne storyline (including the second Dorne PoV) and together, we came up with something super unsettling for them, to make them similar to real life terrorists. Obviously, suicide bombers are among the most terrifying tactics a guerilla force can use in our military history and now imagine them in a setting that has no idea of the concept and where the term suicide bomber doesn't even exist. As a result, expect the whole ISIS handbook to come into play for them, minus the religious indoctrination. Come to think of it, the Sandstorm is probably not going to be as bad as ISIS, but violent attacks on civilians, suicide bombings and beheadings are kind of their thing.
Well, the question is, would these three truly have an interest in overthrowing House Martell? The Gardeners and Martell's are enemies, so it's sort of an enemy of my enemy situation with them. But Lords of the Reach in general, they have an interest in this and might look favourably upon the Sandstorm. It's also right that Mullendore and co. just lost a huge stash of Wildfire. However, we'll eventually see who funds them. All I can confirm is that yes, the suspicions the Master of Law (kind of the guy in charge of the Sandstorm task force) has about someone funding them is correct.
Aye, it was a coincidence that he got a mention here as well after we just spoke about him. It was actually meant to be a bit of a reference to WildlingKing's story on the topic of Nymeria Martell's war, where Lucifer Dryland is actually an important character. Though the Lucifer mentions in my story might be quite few in the end, on account of him having no living family anymore and his house being completely extinct and slowly being forgotten, replaced by nearby houses such as, well, the Uller's
Other former kings of Dorne, most importantly the Manwoody and Yronwood kings of that time, might receive more mentions somewhere in the more distant future. But the name certainly grows on me the more I use it 
301 now! At least to my counting. There's no guarantee that I might be off on a couple parts, as I have lost some parts in last year, when my computer broke. I just say this is part number 301 now and I cannot possibly be too far off.
Noooo, not writing! I beg you, anything but that! Nobody hates writing more than I do. Really, I'd do anything! Anything but writing!
6650 actually, I calculated them again, though that is a very rough estimation and it could have been well north of 7000. Ah well, it's next year then, unless something happens to cancel that one as well. I am really having mixed feelings there, but well, nothing I can do about it
Well, he put the last 2 months to good use. After his companions healed from their injuries, he is currently travelling through the Riverlands, together with Hjalgar, Rell, Tedyn and their guide, the elusive Christian Thomas. They are actually in the Riverlands already and his next part should begin on a pretty strong note very soon
[Try to talk him down] While it is risky indeed, maybe she can talk the boy down, that way she won't be defenseless.
Nice nod to Nymeria's War, since you also mentioned the failure of House Toland to crown themselves.
A small mistake here "All but the last still have their ancestors ruling over their old lands, now as vassals of House Martell" its actually descendants not ancestors.
And another here "I leave Princess Nymeria to deal with Yronwood, or Wyl or Manwoody", Meria is descendant of Nymeria.
[Throw your spear at him]
Though he is young but he is dangerous.Talking with him could give him a chance to kill Ysillia.Throwing the spear will also make Ysillia a Badass person
[Throw your spear at him]
[Throw your spear at him]
Hehe, a failure it has been indeed. I mean, Donovar Toland has been king for what, a fortnight? A month? Can't have been much longer. But it's still a detail that is remembered by historians, such as the Maester of Godsgrace. I like to imagine that Ysilla has been told the entire and detailed history of Nymeria's War as part of her education, which amazingly means that now there is a character in the story that knows more than I do XD That being said, she likely did not care to memorize most of the details, so it's already impressive she managed to remember House Toland's failed power grab. She really doesn't know what she's missing there
Aaah, this is my bad. You are absolutely right of course. I should really read over my own writing more carefully, but I just have not seen these. That's what I got attentive readers for, so thanks a lot
Man, the tactics and determination of the Sandstorm require some serious fanaticism from its warriors. Does this Cage Bridger worship some god that promises paradise for martyrs, or is he truly charismatic enough to convince everyone that the Martell's are bad for Dorne?
[Throw your spear at him] Almost forgot to vote
Anyway, I think this boy is a lost cause. Better to get rid of all the fanatic terrorist we get our hands to.
I loved the nods to Nymeria's War, and it's awesome to see how this war still affects the political climate of Dorne after 700 years
Personally, I still suspect it's the Yronwood's who fund the Sandstorm. That said, I think there is no real loyalty between them. Once the Targs attack, Lord Yronwood will side with Meria, whereas this Bridger will help Aegon.
Overall, this was a great way to bring Dorne into the story!
[Try to talk him down]
[Try to talk him down]
I have sons of the harpy feelings coming back . ^^
Also about the character i submitted few days ago , i'll pm you something i tought about doing and i'm sure you'll enjoy .
I'll send it to you in couple of days maybe more, depends when i'll finish it and when i'll be back .
[Try to talk him down]
Whenever I see "The Sandstorm" in your chapters, a certain tune starts playing in my mind... Song name, anybody?
Well, he recruits mostly truly desperate people. There might be a slight religious component involved, on account of the Martell's and the rhoyinish customs they introduced, are certainly not a house particularly strong in the Faith of the Seven. From what we can see so far, a lot of brainwashing is involved and the promise of paradise for martyrs on account of championing for the faith works well, though it is not the only thing he promises them for sure. The one we have seen here is a fanatic, but others might be different, more akin to south american guerillas in their motivation and mentality.
Hehe, well, I hope it won't remain the sole nod. I mean, I obviously do not know what is going to happen later on, so full references might be hard for now, but I play the long game with Dorne, so maybe more can follow once NW has gone on for longer. And yes, Nymeria's war definitely still affects the political climate of Dorne at that time. I mean, I don't know where you plan on leaving Nymeria's status with the formerly royal houses of Dorne, whom will be her allies and whom will follow her only begrudgingly, but I doubt they will all be happy with the way things are going to end. So, we're talking about really old grudges here, especially with the Yronwood's. They and their bannermen would likely not be too sad about the Sandstorm winning, so they are on top of Landon Jordayne's list of potential subjects. But well, no matter whom the mysterious benefactor of the Sandstorm is, there is unlikely to be any true fondness between them.
Aye, I believe I see the connection. While they have been less of a conscious inspiration, there are definitely heavy similarities. And just like the Sons of the Harpy, the Sandstorm is basically confirmed to have a powerful benefactor, else they would have never gotten that strong.
Alright, that sounds great! Send me a message whenever it works best for you, I'm looking forward for it
-pulls collar in awkwardness-
Oh god, I can't say I have seen this coming. Being an internet person, I should have seen it coming and I feel slightly stupid for not noticing it before. Well, tradition must be honoured, the rude Sandstorm now has their official hymn assigned to them. And it is probably the most horrible part about the entire organisation
Hm, definitely a very good theory! Without confirming or denying it, I can reveal that there are indeed certain ruthless elements among Aegon's inner circle, people who would be quite willing to work with a group as brutal as the Sandstorm if it gives them or House Targaryen a benefit. If Aegon or his sisters themselves are behind this, or would even deem it necessary, we'll definitely see in time
Aha, so religion is at least one talking point this Bridger guy is using to recruit these desperate people, but it probably isn't his main one. I feel like there is more of a poor vs. rich narrative going on, even if the suicide attacks kind of reek more of a religious cause. I mean, people rarely are ready to blow themselves up for a social cause, but rather a divine one. What I wonder though is how much does the man himself believe in whatever his cause is? Is he a zealot who believes 100% what he preaches, or merely an opportunist using these desperate people for his own power grab? Probably something in-between.
And I'll try my best to offer interesting material for you to pull refences from
[Try to talk him down] Taking Prisoners
Indeed, religion is one point, but not the strongest one, since House Martell, while holding some elements a true fanatic would see as heresy, are still following the Faith of the Seven, even if their interpretation is less rigid than others. Social elements however play a big role. Obviously, there will be parts of Dorne that will be in a worse shape than they have been before Nymeria's conquest, parts where people now suffer under the defeat of their rulers and their loss of relevance. Or those elements that can be found in any kingdom, that are unhappy with the way they are ruled, or just plain unhappy with any kind of rule. Cage Bridger is giving them a common cause, a common enemy, he is leading them, radicalizing them and through his benefactor, he is actually giving them an opportunity to harm House Martell in a way they could have never done on their own. Apparently, his methods are powerful enough to inspire outright suicide attacks. How he himself stands to his words remains to be seen, but just like many leaders of fanatical groups, the truth is likely complicated.
No doubt there will be more than enough to choose from later on
I mean, the thing is that I can sort of only truly reference events I know for sure are over, without more twists being planned. And well, in case of House Toland, I very much am sure that, no matter what will happen, their power grab is over and they won't ever manage to rule over themselves, at least not for longer than the few weeks Donovar managed to achieve. At the same time, I cannot say for sure who is going to lead them in the future and how they will feel about this, so I cannot go into more detail on their history after Nymeria's War. But well, once something as definite as the position of House Toland happens, or maybe the defeat of one of the dornish kings, I might find a way to reference how the dornish see this event 700 years later. Least I can do 
Hehe, what can I say... you do have quite a talent for this
That's like, the second time in a month, or the third maybe? It's perfect and I love it, as this will definitely help a lot with some things I have in mind 
[Throw your spear at him]
Can't say I feel too much remorse for him. Besides, I'd like to see more ruthless POV characters.
Hi, I have once again questions for you smart people on here. At what age are handmaidens normally recruited? And at what age are maesters normally finished with their studys and send to a house?
Thank you for your help!
It would be hilarious if Forum of Thrones was a show like GOT and that song would be a theme for the band and play whenever they appear on the screen.
dududududud intensifies
For the handmaidens, a wild guess would be 14-16 years old, considering that people in ASOIAF universe grow up psychologically faster than in ours and some girls even get married at this age. Handmaidens certainly start serving before they are married.
As for the maesters, I'd say early 20s. They must learn a lot of things and it would certainly take time. Plus, the scholars in one of the books' prologue POV were like 18-20?
Thanks alot!
[Throw your spear at him]
Ah, you're welcome. Not sure if I'm completely right though.
I'd love to hear an orchestral version of Sandstorm
Fear not, for your wish has been granted. Behold the official and surprisingly badass Sandstorm theme song. It's canon now
The still they got there looks like it could be Dorne too.
It's pretty awesome. I'm listening on my Turtle Beaches, and it's fantastic. Sounds foreign yet familiar, with the violins chilling sound yet the bang of the percussion.
InKennyWeTrust is right, these ages are generally a good guess. Handmaidens often start their duties when they are young and I cannot think of an example of an older handmaiden. My guess would be that they start to take on other duties as they become older, so I'd say a typical handmaiden is in her early teens when she starts her duties, all the way up to her thirties.
With a Maester, I guess it kind of depends when they pick up their studies. Most Maesters come from noble houses and are sent to study at the Citadel when they are young, so that they finish their studies when they are grown men. There are some examples of pretty young Maesters in the novels, so I guess some pick up their duties for a lord in their early twenties already.
Holy shit, that's epic
Ah, should've guessed someone has already done it 
And it actually is kind of chaotic and powerful, which would make it a perfect theme for a band of terrorists
Just a friendly reminder that DIMITRI THE WISE will RETURN and that "it won't be that long until we will see him again" (as of January 4, 2017 during Chapter 8).
https://telltale.com/community/discussion/comment/2681400/#Comment_2681400
Well... not "that long" means quite something different in FoT terms than it does in general. If I say it will take a long time until we see someone again, I mean Book 3 material. That being said, when it comes to Dimitri, my plans are constantly changing. I really cannot say when we will see him again, only that we will. I don't intend to let the little you saw be the last of him
[Try to talk him down] Risky considering how unwilling he is to listen to reason but I think it's important to at least try to avoid bloodshed.
I really like Ysilla!
The Voting is closed!
Ysilla is going to throw her spear at the boy
Well, once again, you seem to prefer the safer option here. I cannot blame you. I mean, negotiating with terrorists is not what I'd deem a wise choice. At the same time, considering Ysilla's first part, you can probably guess that there wouldn't have been any danger for her life here. Her storyline is definitely not going to end after a single part. So, as a result this choice also decides a bit on Ysilla's mindset when it comes to dealing with such people. The Sandstorm, that much you will see, is a massive threat for Dorne and the next chapters will delve deeper into it. There's also the other Dorne PoV, who will debut in Chapter 4 and whose storyline will even feature the Sandstorm as a main threat. Ysilla meanwhile, she'll have another destiny, as this chapter will eventually reveal to you.
The next part is going to be out later today! It was originally meant to be the start for Kyra's storyline, but since my vacation is cancelled, I decided it will be better suited for Garthon to start here. Then will be Jaron and then we'll see Kyra, followed likely by Willfred and another PoV. So much for my next plans
But anyways, last time we have seen Garthon was after the battle. The only Ironborn that are confirmed to have survived the raid are, aside from the small group that chose to try their luck with Anturion, exactly four, namely Garthon, Hjalgar, Rell Vessels and Tedyn Bullister, even if the latter is technically a Riverlander. Garthon had been named as their leader by Hjagar, which is sort of true due to the deaths of Torvin and Cleaver Clint, as well as the retreat of Edward Anturion. Garthon was visited by Mullendore, who revealed his true allegiance to him. It turned out, he and Petyr, as well as Lord Oakheart, are part of a conspiracy to overthrow House Gardener's rule and hand the Reach to Harren Hoare. He wanted to update Harren on his progress, so he chose Garthon and his surviving men to travel to Harrenhal and deliver a letter. For this task, he also gave them the aid of a guide, a certain Christian Thomas, whom you might remember from Chapter 4 and 5 a veeery long time ago. The next part will be set two months later, as Garthon and his group have already entered the Riverlands again, about a fortnight before planning their arrival to Harrenhal. It will already set the tone for Garthon's storyline in this chapter and feature a certain game changer for him 
I am afraid I also must speak about something that has come to my attention, something that was equal parts surprising and worrying to me when stumbling upon it by chance yesterday. Gee, I hope I am not taking things too far here, but well, here we go. First of all, I want to make clear that this only concerns one particular reader, whom is definitely none of the FoT regulars, but since I don't know the exact identity of this reader, I have to make this little statement of mine public and explain my anger. Some of you here are probably familiar with badgershite's Season Two AU, a sort of fan art/fanfiction hybrid continuation of Telltale's Game of Thrones, which can be found on his tumblr blog. I have found out about it a while ago and was silently following it, greatly enjoying his work. So, you can probably imagine how I felt when some anonymous person mentioned FoT on his blog (in a positive way, as I must admit), paired with a couple insults towards badgershite. This was topped by said person claiming to be me, saying he or she is the writer of FoT. And well, reading all that made me quite angry yesterday, as you can hopefully understand. I am very sure this anonymous person is nobody I have ever interacted with on here, judging by their truly bad manners, but this makes it only harder to single out whom it could have been in particular. Neither do I actually want to single out anyone or make their identity public. I just want to make it clear that I am not okay with what happened there. I have a lot of respect for the hard work and passion badgershite put into his AU, as I have for every content creator, and having someone trying to troll and insult him in my name, with my name, that puts a bad light onto me, onto the story and the entire readership, as maybe some actually assumed this person to be legit with their claims until I tried to clarify that this is not the case. It might be nothing, I might be overly concerned here, but I take this very seriously and felt the need to distance myself from this particular person as much as possible. I hope he or she is going to read this, to realize that, while their initial intentions were probably not even all that malicious and while I appreciate their passion for my work, they haven't done me a favour with this, quite the contrary. So, mysterious anonymous reader, I don't know who you are, so nothing I can do about it, but I hope you realize you have been way out of line yesterday. I believe an apology towards badgershite would be appropriate, but you have to decide for yourself on that.
Now that this is uncomfortable stuff out of the way, I shall get back to what I'm actually good at, which is writing. Expect the next part to be out today
Damn. Weird guy with that Badgershite buisness. I just gotta express my love towards that S2 AU. It's one of my favourite stories here on the forums, and I am super impressed and has great respect of his work. I was very sad when it ended some time ago, but it was super amazing.
But yeah, that's pretty weird to take someones identity to spread a little hate and love. Sadly that just becomes more common on the internet, doesn't it?
Aye, it seems badgershite has to deal with these people more often than anyone should. I had some trolls as well, but at least with them, there was a way to deal with it.
Sadly, it seems that person has not taken my words to heart and has actually continued impersonating me on that blog, even after I clarified things. Never thought I'd ever say that about a person that apparently has read and sort of enjoyed my story, but that particular guy is a legit bastard. Apparently, I have misjudged his intentions, because it's clear he's not a fan of my work, but merely some immature troll. Not sure what he is trying to achieve, but I am not only disappointed in whomever that is, by now I am angry. I'd already be more than annoyed if he'd try to do it by himself, but the fact that he's trying to use my username for that takes things too far. Anyways, I have made sure to protect my identity on tumblr now by making an account (fucking hell that this step actually had to be taken, but here you have liquidchicagoted.tumblr.com), so hopefully that'll settle it for good. Maybe I'll even make something with that account once I find the time, I always wanted to make the story more known.