EDIT: I'm having a hard time remembering Dacey and Jon. Mind giving me a quick reminder? Christian too. I remember that he's their guide but not much else.
Ah, they all had their last appearance around the same time, in the early Chapter 5, which was in mid-2015, so over 2 years ago. I really need to get the wiki working for such minor characters XD Dacey and Jon, as well as a third guy named Jared, have first been seen in Chapter 3. Back then, Garthon and George (one of Tully's soldiers, who was killed by Anturion in the failed attempt on Harren's life) travelled to Maidenpool to get poison and a weapon to kill Harren Hoare. They stumbled upon one of Harren's agents, the Riverlander turncoat Velmont Redloon, who had his suspicions against three travelers in the same wayside inn, the abovementioned trio of Jon, Dacey and Jared, correctly recognizing Jon as Jon the Harper, high-ranking member of the Sons of the Trident. He told Garthon about these suspicions in hope to gain an ally to get intel on them, though instead, Garthon decided to genuinely ally with them. Jon recognized Garthon for his worth and helped him out despite their differing origins and together they travelled to Maidenpool and then back to Harrenhal, where the three rebels left again. During this journey, George developed a bit of a crush on Dacey, who, out of the trio, was notably the one with the most outspoken hatred against the Ironborn and towards the end of their journey, it even seemed she began to reciprocate it a bit. Christian meanwhile, well, so far there hasn't been much more than him being the guide to Garthon and Hjalgar. He previously appeared in the late Chapter 4/early Chapter 5, when he saved Maya and Irving from Rodrik Stone's men, after they had been spying on the Second Sons. After leading them to Raylansfair (and briefly giving his opinion on the first victim of the beast in Arthur's first PoV part), he disappeared from the story, until Mullendore chose him to lead the Ironborn back to Harrenhal.
[Call out for Dacey] No way! We can't just let Hjalgar die without even trying to save him. He's a good guy who's only crime was to be born … morean Ironborn. Well that and attempted regicidee, but still.
EDIT: I'm having a hard time remembering Dacey and Jon. Mind giving me a quick reminder? Christian too. I remember that he's their guide but not much else.
Yeah, ain't much of a surprise here. Garthon is one to care for his friends (sometimes exclusively so) and if you would have chosen to remain silent, it wouldn't have been a result of him not caring, but merely him not daring to speak out with a knife to his throat and the definite order to remain silent. At the same time, Deywn just decided to execute one of his prisoners without a clear order from his superior, it remains to be seen if he dares to execute a second one as well, especially one that claims to be as important as Garthon. So, Garthon's chances to save Hjalgar are not too bad, even if he is now relying on a girl who has an established hatred against his kind, and not an unfounded one. We'll see how things will go in Garthon's next part.
The next part in general will go to Jaron though. I have been thinking about Ellena for a bit, but decided against it, saving her for a full-length part soon. I really want to get the next Jaron part going, even if I am not sure if I can give him a full-length part. I am at a point in his part where I might decide to give him a vote and include a second PoV, which would most likely come from Jenna. So, last time we saw Jaron, he was in a pretty bad place, having no clue on how to follow Abbas and Harpy, wasting his time with violent bar fights to get coin, endangering himself quite seriously. It was thanks to Ayden, probably his last friend in Oldtown, that he gained a new lead: Despite the high opinion and gratitude people have for the Burned Man and the surprising lack of looting done to his mansion and hideouts, two men have recently entered the mansion. Suspecting more than common thieves, Jaron was proven right when he encountered none other than John Gutten and Temari Keys, perhaps the most important allies he could get in his current situation. Though off for a rocky start when Temari held a knife to Jaron's throat, John offered to patch things up and start an alliance between them, which Jaron accepted with a handshake manly handshake of epic team-upiness. I did a fair bit of writing over the weekend, but was busy yesterday, so some polishing of Jaron's part is necessary still and, of course, either a direct continuation or the inclusion of Jenna's second part, in which she and Saerya will further her training and get to meet two interesting new characters.
While a slight fragment of doubt remained on wether or not he could trust these people, Jaron had to admit, he had worst first meetings. Martin came to mind, the initial dislike he had harboured for a man who would eventually turn into a friend worth trusting.
“Alright”, he said, grabbing the hand of John Gutten. “We shall be in this together” The man looked at him, his handshake firm and strong, his one eye filled with relief. “I'm glad you see things this way”, he replied. “Seems like we can help each other out here” He pointed past him and the other man, Temari, stepped aside, leaving the path to the hallway open.
Understanding the wink, Jaron walked out and John followed. “It's a nice building”, he brought up. “Earlier when searching it, we found a wine cellar most exquisite. How come no one loots it?” Jaron shrugged. “For the man that used to live here”, he said. “This city remembers still. They won't forever, but for the time being, they are thankful for what he tried to do”
John raised an eyebrow. “And you?”, he asked. “How do you stand to this... Burned Man? Do you like him?” Jaron gulped, staring at the floor in front of him, as they entered the entrance hall, where Temari stepped past him to crash onto one of the lavish couches. “I killed him”, he admitted.
“Boy, I've been in this for long enough to know that one does not exclude the other”, John brought up. “You can kill someone for many reasons and we all have to kill someone we like at some point in our lives, all of us that have chosen this path” He smirked as he sat down in one of the armchairs, placing his feet on the small table. Earlier, Jaron would have narrowed his eyes at this, if only because he knew how much Harpy disapproved of such things, but now, now he was only glad to have found someone who could help him.
His smirk turning into a grin, John leant back into the chair, crossing his arms behind his head. “But that is beyond the point, I believe”, he spoke. “It's a story you got to share with me some time, over a mug of ale and a hot stew” With this, his grin faded and he leant forwards, his arms resting on his knees now, as he looked at Jaron with a single, intensely glaring eye.
The hedge knight gulped, as he instinctively sat down in one of the free armchairs, looking from John, to Temari. The younger man was lying on the couch, yet always cautious and mustering him carefully. However, there was nothing threatening in his behaviour now, something Jaron was quite glad about.
“For now, I would like to know more about our common enemy”, John said. “You said their names are Abbas and Bakr, is that right?” Jaron gave him a nod, though one thing gained his curiosity. “You don't even know their names?”, he asked, to which John sighed. “The friend of a friend helped us out over the last weeks”, he explained. “She found out that two men, Ghiscari most likely, have been seen on the road to Oldtown, having two women with them that fit the description of Janae and Behara”
“Well, Abbas and Bakr it is”, Jaron said. “They used to work for the Burned Man and I, well, worked along them for some time even” He looked up, noting the frosty expression on Temari's face, whereas John showed more genuine curiosity. “Abbas is the brains of the group”, he continued. “I have no doubt that he was behind this all. Bakr is little more than his muscle. Huge and stronger than all three of us combined, but still a simple man” His mouth twitched, as he tensed up. “Not a bad one either, at least that's what I thought so far”
“If he's involved in this, even just as that other man's muscle, he's a dead man”, Temari hissed coldly, to which John nodded decisively. “Unlike that Abbas whoreson, I don't intend to make prisoners when catching up with him and his crony”, he agreed. “I suppose that is not a problem for you?” Jaron narrowed his eyes, before shaking his head. “I feel the same”, he confirmed.
“Splendid”, John said. “So, this Abbas, can you tell me anything about him?” Jaron had to think about this for a moment. He had worked alongside Abbas for weeks, but what did he actually knew about him? It was preciously little, as he had to admit. “He's cunning, ruthless, greedy”, he spoke. “Come to think of it, someone should have seen this coming”
John chuckled dryly. “He's a fucking Ghiscari, what were you expecting?”, he barked. “So, that's all? You know his family name, for example?” Jaron clenched his fists, realizing that he didn't even knew about this. Al-Yunkari, it was a description, not a name. And so he shook his head. “Would it change anything?”, he asked.
To this, John gave him a nod. “Quite a lot actually”, he replied. “I remembered, I have heard the name before. Abbas... it would be a motivation. Janae used to be a slave, you know. When she escaped, she killed her former master, Tarzak zo Prezn” He shrugged. “Well, cut his throat after I put a knife into his spine, anyways. She probably just made it quicker for him”, he added. “But well, Tarzak had one son, a boy named Abbas. Not older than Janae and she actually spoke fondly of him. Gentle, where Tarzak was cruel. An artist, a painter, not a master”
“Doesn't sound like the same man”, Jaron brought up and John looked away, staring at the ground with an expression that had grown thoughtful. “Anger can change a man”, he said. “Too much hatred can be a poison” He looked up again. “It would add a motive. Nothing is more terrible than an enemy with a grudge”
“Dothraki”, Temari interjected. “They might be even more terrifying” He smiled lazily, though coldly as John shot him a sharp glare. “What I mean is, it does not matter. Nothing of this does. We know whom it is. We travel to Yunkai, we find him and I'll pull off every inch of his skin, salt his screaming remains and burn him alive”
“That... is uncomfortably graphic, Tem”, John stated calmly. “And I disagree. It is important what we do here. Learning more on our enemy” He sighed. “This morning, we had nothing but a man from Slaver's Bay. Now we have a name, a likely destination, maybe even a motive. Getting a picture of your enemy, that matters”, he explained. “Though I agree that I'll make him suffer if he does as much as lay a single fucking finger on them”
With this chilling statement, he looked at Jaron, who had clenched his fists. He wanted Abbas dead, yes, but even then, there was little more than a thin, powerless voice inside him that wanted the slaver to suffer. A quick death, preferably in combat. He had been weak once. He wouldn't allow it again. But right now, in the presence of these people, he found it to be wiser to just nod. He was not in any position to question his choice of allies.
“And it will be easier said than done”, John added. “Yunkai, that is the other end of the world. Abbas has a headstart, he has made the journey more often than any of us and if he's as smart as you say, he knows he has reason to hurry. They are probably across the Narrow Sea already. Maybe in Lys, or the mainland already” He looked around, from Jaron to Temari. “One thing is for sure, we can't do that alone”, he brought up, before fixing his gaze on Jaron. “Do you know anyone who might help?”
The first that came to mind was Ayden, but it was a terrible thought, one Jaron quickly tried to forget about. Even if he would be ready to help, which was not very likely, the fact that his wife-to-be was two thirds through her pregnancy meant that Jaron couldn't even ask him. Never. Ayden had done enough, yet at the same time, he was the last person in Oldtown Jaron was willing to trust...
Aside from one. The realization hit him without warning, even if it felt like a logical conclusion. “There might be one”, he mumbled. “A man called Samuel Harrington. Ever heard of him?” Temari shook his head “Can't say I have”, he said, though John's eye widened and he leant forwards, his expression somewhere between surprise and intrigue.
“Even met the man”, he admitted. “Fang of Shadows. I doubt he remembers me though. We've been on opposite sites that day. A quick run for Blacksails, raiding a warehouse belonging to Butterfly and bringing the good stuff to the harbour” He sighed. “Things went well until we met Harrington. Got into a brutal fight, his men against Blacksails'”, he explained. “I fought him and he matched me blow for blow. My equal, I thought, until I realized he was better. Younger, faster, fiercer... I would have died if not for Janae”
“No hard feelings, I hope?”, Jaron asked and John laughed, a genuine, heartfelt laughter. “Boy, you're as fresh as you look”, he stated. “It's been business. It's all business. I don't hold grudges against men like him, just like I know, he holds no grudges against me either... at least I hope so. Intriguing that you know such a man. Seems like there's more in you than I thought, Ser Bastard”
“There is but one problem”, Jaron admitted. “He has been caught two months ago, by the city guard. Long story short, he should be free now, but I have no idea where to find him. If he's still in the city, he hasn't contacted me. Nor have I heard rumours. Wherever he is, he keeps a low profile these days”
“That man will be an asset”, John stated. “Means we need to find him, I'll let you do the convincing. Any clue who could help us?” Jaron thought about his question. Once more, Ayden was the first that came to mind. Reliable, trustworthy, humble, a man that knew the city. Though he hesitated to bring him up, knowing that he would prefer to have his friend involved in this a little as possible. Another, more unpleasant option was to ask the ones that were supposed to know. Commander Farris Flowers and his guardsmen were no friends of his, but they were in charge of the city, they had kept Samuel locked up in a cell for a whole month. Maybe they had a lead. Maybe they were even willing to share it, though Jaron had to admit, he was wary of the cost.
[Ask Ayden for help][Ask the city guard for help]
Jenna
“Well... you could come around in two days”, Jenna offered and quickly, a sweet smile found its way to Saerya's face, even before she had finished her sentence. “We'll be all there. Father, our guests, some more, everyone who means something, at my father's farm”
“Oh, that would be wonderful!”, Saerya chirped, pulling Jenna into a hug. She placed her hands on her shoulders, looking her deep in the eye. “You will not regret this, I guarantee it. With my talents and the manpower your little alliance brings... well, we might have a fighting chance if we stand together”
If she had any doubts, they were dispelled by how sincere Saerya sounded and Jenna found herself reciprocating the other woman's smile. “That's what I was hoping”, she admitted. “I... I just want what's best for the city” Saerya gave her a nod. “As do I”, she claimed. “I think a bit bigger though. The best for Raylansfair is if it helps the one true king. It can't do that with the current people in charge” Her smile faded. “And from what I heard, they must be stopped regardless”
She opened her mouth to say something else, but the sound of horns being blown cut her off. Quickly, she jumped up, rushing to the window, from which she was able to overlook the entire courtyard. “Oh...”, she mumbled. “Now, that is quite something. Sweet, get over here!”
Jenna followed the order, stepping next to her, to look out of the stained glass and onto the courtyard below. The gates were opened, and a cart was driven through it. Two men sat there, wearing plain, brown robes, with hoods to protect themselves from the cold winds that plagues the roads these days. Yet, the chain around the neck of one of the men clearly showed her whom this was.
“Come on”, Saerya said, already having crossed half of the room. “The new Maester awaits” She raised a finger as Jenna came closer. “Remember, we know nothing of this man. He might be like every other maester, a bookish bore, too narrow-minded to be of any help. He might be one of Vyrwel's pets. Or maybe he is a good one, someone that could help if we play our cards right”
A possible ally... that was something Jenna hadn't even thought about so far! Her heart began to beat faster, as she hurried after Saerya, realizing that this meeting could very well be highly important, essential even. First impressions counted after all, so the fear of screwing up once more, it was rising inside her.
The two women had left the servant's quarters, the first to do so. However, they weren't the first in general. Lord Petyr stood there, tall, bright and handsome, one arm on the shoulder of his daughter, the sweet girl named Edith, perhaps the only new member at court Jenna was not the slightest bit afraid of. To his side stood his personal guard, Hugo Farnham, as well as the other new household knight. Ser Ian Shortwood was an enigma to her, even to Saerya, which was reason enough to be wary of him, for all the kindness he was showing.
A bit separated from them stood the final remaining knight Jenna was willing to trust in this castle. Ser Darren Tallwood had taken months to recover from his wound during the raid, the one that was given to him by the late Lord Harris. Even now, he was limping, unable to fight in active combat anytime soon, yet he was making a formidable master-at-arms, almost as much as Ilhan.
He stood behind the ugly brute that was Maron Mullendore. Sturdy was a kind way of describing him, chubby perhaps a bit more mean-spirited, though if Jenna had learned anything form Leonard's tale, then that this man was not to be mocked. He was dangerous and it was perhaps due to her knowledge that she was deathly afraid of him, even now, as he had to use a cane to support his damaged leg, a sturdy, plain thing that was likely to be just as useful to bash someone's head in. Though almost even more terrifying was the man next to him, the masked murderer known as the Tom. She had seen what he was capable of, how he butchered Lucas. The fact that this killer was still accepted in Raylansfair was all the proof she needed that Leonard was telling the truth.
And there was Carma Strad... just seeing her caused a sharp sting of pain, of regret, to flash through Jenna's chest. Losing her husband, almost losing her baby just weeks later, it has taken a toll on her. Still a beauty to match even Saerya's, she had cut her hair though. What was once flowing down her back in soft golden locks was now cut off at jaw-level and she wasn't smiling anymore. A bitter look was on her face, one of pain and loss. Not even the additional benefits that came with being the new housekeeper could help her through this. And she was blaming Jenna's father. While this didn't mean she was blaming her as well, the two had barely spoken since the raid. She wondered, maybe this was how Lady Halla used to be. A sweet, wonderful woman, broken by a cruel fate.
The cart had stopped and the two men descended from it. Approaching Lord Petyr, they removed their hoods almost in unison, revealing faces younger than Jenna expected. The Maester was perhaps half as old as Eaton, if at all, only the hint of fine wrinkles on his face showing that he had passed the forty. A short, brown beard covered his face and his hair fell down to his neck. Clad in brown, he had his hands covered in form-fitting black gloves. She had to admit, he was handsome and well-built and she could already see some of the servant girls swooning over him. Not her though, she had herself in perfect control, oh yes, she had...
The other man was a more curious sight, one that claimed her full attention. Barely a man, he was likely not older than her. A bit shorter than the Maester, he was also more on the lean side, with a long, thin face. A defining feature about him was his unusual hair though, dyed bright blue. She could see it was dyed, as he clearly hadn't kept up with it in a while, blonde roots clearly visible, as it fell to roughly the same length as that of the Maester he was accompanying.
“Maester!”, Lord Petyr exclaimed, taking a step towards him. Edith kept up with him and similarly, Hugo and Ian followed, as Maron Mullendore and the Tom remained behind. The lord spread his arms and with a friendly smile, that really brought out the handsome features of his face, the Maester accepted a brief hug, though he kept the lord away a slight bit.
“Eddard”, he introduced himself. “Maester Eddard from the Citadel. As detailed in my letter, I have been sent here with best wishes from Archmaester Quent. He hopes I will be to your full satisfaction, doing my duty just as faithful as my predecessor” He put a hand onto his chest, bowing slightly, which caused his chain to rattle. “Lord Vyrwel, it is a pleasure to meet you”
“Maester Eddard, I welcome you in Raylanfair”, the lord replied, before he gently pushed his daughter forwards. “First you should meet my daughter, Edith” The girl looked up, shyly and wide-eyed. With a gulp, she extended her hand. “M... Maester”, she greeted him and Eddard smiled at her. “Hello, Edith”, he said. “I am glad to make your acquaintance”
His gaze moved across the crowd, as did the one of his blue-haired apprentice. Whereas the young man noticed Jenna and smirked at her, or probably at Saerya, Eddard's gaze fixed on Petyr's right-hand man. “Excuse me, mylord, but is this Ser Maron Mullendore?”, he asked, still the same friendly smile on his face.
Maron gave him a quick nod, as a bow was likely still too difficult for him in his state. “Good eyes, Maester”, he complimented him. “Have we met before?” Eddard shook his head. “I'm afraid not, but tales of your victory is told in all Oldtown. The city misses you, after your leadership saw the end of the Burned Man and Butterfly”
The blue-haired man quickly moved his head away from Jenna and Saerya and towards Petyr and Maron. Eddard glanced at him. “Ah, and this is...”, he began, though cockily, the young man cut him off. “You can call me Saltmouth”, he said, to which Petyr raised an eyebrow.
Eddard sighed. “What he means to say is, his name is Vali Flowers, bastard son of Lord Hoster Hewett and my apprentice”, he stated, his voice a bit sharper now. “Though I can assure you, the nickname is very fitting, if nothing that is suited for ears as young as Lady Edith's” His sharp expression switched to a smile in an instant. “I would be very glad to tell the tale over a mug of mead in the long winter months”
“An offer I shall accept, Maester!”, Lord Petyr exclaimed. “Come now. Enter my hall, enter my service. We shall talk about formalities inside, the servants have prepared a small meal for you. Surely, the journey has left you hungry”
“It sure has”, the odd man named Saltmouth, or Vali, brought up, cutting off even his maester, who gave him a sharp glare. “Vali, you shall take care of our belongings first. I am sure there will be quarters for you and me, so make sure the important bits don't remain on the cart for too long”
“Join us in the Great Hall once you are done, young man. One of the servants shall help you”, Petyr offered and looked at Carma. The new housekeeper gave him a nod and her order came sharply. “You over there, Jenna, Saerya!”, she barked. “One of you goes with Maester Eddard's assistant, now!”
Jenna and Saerya exchanged a quick glance, though out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the smirk on Vali's face, or Saltmouth's face, or whatever. His appearance, odd behaviour and the unusual nickname confused her as much as they gained her curiosity. The other woman raised an eyebrow at her apparent confusion. “You can go if you want to”, Saerya offered. “Gives me time to... prepare something. Or maybe you don't want to go?”
[Ask Ayden for help] I don't think the city guard will know much of Samuel's whereabouts, and while Jaron doesn't like involving Ayden, he could know something, and once they get the info, they could leave him alone so he can take care of his family.
[Help Vali] It could be a good idea to get to know this character, and if its a potential ally, or an enemy. Eddard and Vali, two men from very different backgrounds and origins. Eddard seems like a cool guy, and doesn't seem aware of Mullendore's secrets.
Jaron
While a slight fragment of doubt remained on wether or not he could trust these people, Jaron had to admit, he had worst first meet… moreings. Martin came to mind, the initial dislike he had harboured for a man who would eventually turn into a friend worth trusting.
“Alright”, he said, grabbing the hand of John Gutten. “We shall be in this together” The man looked at him, his handshake firm and strong, his one eye filled with relief. “I'm glad you see things this way”, he replied. “Seems like we can help each other out here” He pointed past him and the other man, Temari, stepped aside, leaving the path to the hallway open.
Understanding the wink, Jaron walked out and John followed. “It's a nice building”, he brought up. “Earlier when searching it, we found a wine cellar most exquisite. How come no one loots it?” Jaron shrugged. “For the man that used to live here”, he said. “This city remembers still. They won't forever, but for the … [view original content]
Jaron
While a slight fragment of doubt remained on wether or not he could trust these people, Jaron had to admit, he had worst first meet… moreings. Martin came to mind, the initial dislike he had harboured for a man who would eventually turn into a friend worth trusting.
“Alright”, he said, grabbing the hand of John Gutten. “We shall be in this together” The man looked at him, his handshake firm and strong, his one eye filled with relief. “I'm glad you see things this way”, he replied. “Seems like we can help each other out here” He pointed past him and the other man, Temari, stepped aside, leaving the path to the hallway open.
Understanding the wink, Jaron walked out and John followed. “It's a nice building”, he brought up. “Earlier when searching it, we found a wine cellar most exquisite. How come no one loots it?” Jaron shrugged. “For the man that used to live here”, he said. “This city remembers still. They won't forever, but for the … [view original content]
Jaron
While a slight fragment of doubt remained on wether or not he could trust these people, Jaron had to admit, he had worst first meet… moreings. Martin came to mind, the initial dislike he had harboured for a man who would eventually turn into a friend worth trusting.
“Alright”, he said, grabbing the hand of John Gutten. “We shall be in this together” The man looked at him, his handshake firm and strong, his one eye filled with relief. “I'm glad you see things this way”, he replied. “Seems like we can help each other out here” He pointed past him and the other man, Temari, stepped aside, leaving the path to the hallway open.
Understanding the wink, Jaron walked out and John followed. “It's a nice building”, he brought up. “Earlier when searching it, we found a wine cellar most exquisite. How come no one loots it?” Jaron shrugged. “For the man that used to live here”, he said. “This city remembers still. They won't forever, but for the … [view original content]
[Ask the city guard for help] It seems to me the choice that can lead to a result (Since the guards are the last people that see Samuel and maybe know where his brother is)
[Help Vali]
RT:
It seems that Jaron (and the Gutters) has decide to obtain a fourth member for their quest,I'm curious to see how that will go (expecially since Samuel has decide to not even meet Jaroñ after a month that he is free)
Last Jenna part was quite interesting since we know now all the most important members of Raylainsfair castle (congratulations to Darren and Carma for their promotion!)
The two new characters seems really interesting!A handsome maester (the fact that Quent suggest him make the man not a Mullendore ally...maybe) and his weird apprentice with weird blue hair and a weird nickname
Jaron
While a slight fragment of doubt remained on wether or not he could trust these people, Jaron had to admit, he had worst first meet… moreings. Martin came to mind, the initial dislike he had harboured for a man who would eventually turn into a friend worth trusting.
“Alright”, he said, grabbing the hand of John Gutten. “We shall be in this together” The man looked at him, his handshake firm and strong, his one eye filled with relief. “I'm glad you see things this way”, he replied. “Seems like we can help each other out here” He pointed past him and the other man, Temari, stepped aside, leaving the path to the hallway open.
Understanding the wink, Jaron walked out and John followed. “It's a nice building”, he brought up. “Earlier when searching it, we found a wine cellar most exquisite. How come no one loots it?” Jaron shrugged. “For the man that used to live here”, he said. “This city remembers still. They won't forever, but for the … [view original content]
[Ask Ayden for help] I'm not sure how much Ayden is going to be able to help Jaron on his search, but it gives the two one last chance to say goodbye. This may very well be the last time Jaron will ever see his good friend, so hopefully he can share a meal him and his wifey before he goes on his chase across the world after his love.
[Help Vali] My boy Vali! As rude as ever! I can't wait to see how he is to Jenna and how his first impression of his new home is. I wonder if he is going to keep up with his dyes or let them grow out. Not that much dyes in Raylainsfair I bet, so it may be difficult. Carma seems a lot angrier. Barking orders at her once compatriots. I still don't like her, but I don't want her falling into the route of Lady Halla. However, it would certainly be a interesting character arc to see her become the thing she once hated.
Jaron
While a slight fragment of doubt remained on wether or not he could trust these people, Jaron had to admit, he had worst first meet… moreings. Martin came to mind, the initial dislike he had harboured for a man who would eventually turn into a friend worth trusting.
“Alright”, he said, grabbing the hand of John Gutten. “We shall be in this together” The man looked at him, his handshake firm and strong, his one eye filled with relief. “I'm glad you see things this way”, he replied. “Seems like we can help each other out here” He pointed past him and the other man, Temari, stepped aside, leaving the path to the hallway open.
Understanding the wink, Jaron walked out and John followed. “It's a nice building”, he brought up. “Earlier when searching it, we found a wine cellar most exquisite. How come no one loots it?” Jaron shrugged. “For the man that used to live here”, he said. “This city remembers still. They won't forever, but for the … [view original content]
[Ask the city guard for help] Yeah, it's a bit of a risk, considering Jaron's not-so-good history with Farris, but I feel like the city guard would have a better idea about where exactly Samuel is. And besides, I really don't want to bring any harm to Ayden now that things seem to be going well for him and Taria. Anyway, I'm really enjoying this team-up so far, looking forward to their journey to Slaver's Bay!
[Help Vali] I'm just interested to learn more about this strange guy
Jaron
While a slight fragment of doubt remained on wether or not he could trust these people, Jaron had to admit, he had worst first meet… moreings. Martin came to mind, the initial dislike he had harboured for a man who would eventually turn into a friend worth trusting.
“Alright”, he said, grabbing the hand of John Gutten. “We shall be in this together” The man looked at him, his handshake firm and strong, his one eye filled with relief. “I'm glad you see things this way”, he replied. “Seems like we can help each other out here” He pointed past him and the other man, Temari, stepped aside, leaving the path to the hallway open.
Understanding the wink, Jaron walked out and John followed. “It's a nice building”, he brought up. “Earlier when searching it, we found a wine cellar most exquisite. How come no one loots it?” Jaron shrugged. “For the man that used to live here”, he said. “This city remembers still. They won't forever, but for the … [view original content]
Hmmm I’m starting to like this new Flower already. He seems like he could be of some help. Oh, and we got a new housekeeper Lady Hall... errherrmm I mean Carma! I hope her and Jenna are able to rekindle their friendship even after all that’s happened.
Jaron
While a slight fragment of doubt remained on wether or not he could trust these people, Jaron had to admit, he had worst first meet… moreings. Martin came to mind, the initial dislike he had harboured for a man who would eventually turn into a friend worth trusting.
“Alright”, he said, grabbing the hand of John Gutten. “We shall be in this together” The man looked at him, his handshake firm and strong, his one eye filled with relief. “I'm glad you see things this way”, he replied. “Seems like we can help each other out here” He pointed past him and the other man, Temari, stepped aside, leaving the path to the hallway open.
Understanding the wink, Jaron walked out and John followed. “It's a nice building”, he brought up. “Earlier when searching it, we found a wine cellar most exquisite. How come no one loots it?” Jaron shrugged. “For the man that used to live here”, he said. “This city remembers still. They won't forever, but for the … [view original content]
It seems that Jaron (and the Gutters) has decide to obtain a fourth member for their quest,I'm curious to see how that will go (expecially since Samuel has decide to not even meet Jaroñ after a month that he is free)
Aye, finding some more help is pretty much mandatory. Neither of the three is a bad fighter by any means (even Jaron, who might be the most average of this particular trio, has shown some impressive feats come to think of it), but their task is to pretty much chase after two slavers and confront them on their home turf. Samuel will be the heavy cavalry for them, they are unlikely to find a better ally, if he can be found and convinced that is. And neither are done all that easily. I can also confirm, there will be other potential allies coming in the future, most of them actually not yet introduced, depending on your choices and their involvement (or lack of it) will affect the outcome this rescue mission for the better or worse.
Last Jenna part was quite interesting since we know now all the most important members of Raylainsfair castle (congratulations to Darren and Carma for their promotion!)
Well, technically Darren has been master-at-arms in Book 1 already, Harris put him into that position to try and control him, which did not really work out all that well. Petyr saw no reason to remove him, even if Hugo had his eyes on the same position. The one that got a promotion is Ian Shortwood though, who has been accepted into the household during the timeskip.
The two new characters seems really interesting!A handsome maester (the fact that Quent suggest him make the man not a Mullendore ally...maybe) and his weird apprentice with weird blue hair and a weird nickname
Aye, interesting they are and I am glad I was able to finally introduce them! Eddard and Vali were originally meant to be introduced in Jenna's first part, but the thing is, I wrote it while visiting my grandfather and I had no access to the character list there, so I was unable to describe them properly (and would have forgotten crucial details, such as Eddard's gloves or Vali's blue hair as a result). This caused me to split the parts in half and introduce them at this point.
[Ask the city guard for help] It seems to me the choice that can lead to a result (Since the guards are the last people that see Samuel and … moremaybe know where his brother is)
[Help Vali]
RT:
* It seems that Jaron (and the Gutters) has decide to obtain a fourth member for their quest,I'm curious to see how that will go (expecially since Samuel has decide to not even meet Jaroñ after a month that he is free)
* Last Jenna part was quite interesting since we know now all the most important members of Raylainsfair castle (congratulations to Darren and Carma for their promotion!)
* The two new characters seems really interesting!A handsome maester (the fact that Quent suggest him make the man not a Mullendore ally...maybe) and his weird apprentice with weird blue hair and a weird nickname
I'm not sure how much Ayden is going to be able to help Jaron on his search, but it gives the two one last chance to say goodbye. This may very well be the last time Jaron will ever see his good friend, so hopefully he can share a meal him and his wifey before he goes on his chase across the world after his love.
Well, it is likely that Jaron will say his goodbyes even if he does not ask for his help here. They might not be bff's, but can be considered friends by now and Jaron is not one to leave without saying a word. However, this choice will affect Ayden in some capacity, at least when it comes to how much he will be involved in the storyline of this chapter.
My boy Vali! As rude as ever! I can't wait to see how he is to Jenna and how his first impression of his new home is. I wonder if he is going to keep up with his dyes or let them grow out. Not that much dyes in Raylainsfair I bet, so it may be difficult.
Ah, glad you enjoyed this little introduction to him. I can promise, he will be heavily involved in Jenna's storyline in this chapter and will also have a crucial role for another PoV (which will answer a question you had a while ago). Dyes though... not too easy getting them in a city such as Raylansfair, but at the same time, things are looking up with Petyr in charge. He might be able to keep this habit up.
Carma seems a lot angrier. Barking orders at her once compatriots. I still don't like her, but I don't want her falling into the route of Lady Halla. However, it would certainly be a interesting character arc to see her become the thing she once hated.
Well, she is a lot angrier, this I can confirm. That's what happens when her husband gets killed, her baby gets seriously ill (during the timeskip, though he got saved by Mathea) and she is left alone with three children. Not even the benefits that come with her new position are able to cheer her up in any way and she likely at least understands how Halla got this way. After all, the former housekeeper had a similar history, with her lover, Trystane Raylan, being killed by Harren Hoare's father and her suffering a miscarriage after learning these news, all before she turned eighteen. Stuff like that is guaranteed to mess someone up, just like Carma's situation is messing her up right now.
[Ask Ayden for help] I'm not sure how much Ayden is going to be able to help Jaron on his search, but it gives the two one last chance to sa… morey goodbye. This may very well be the last time Jaron will ever see his good friend, so hopefully he can share a meal him and his wifey before he goes on his chase across the world after his love.
[Help Vali] My boy Vali! As rude as ever! I can't wait to see how he is to Jenna and how his first impression of his new home is. I wonder if he is going to keep up with his dyes or let them grow out. Not that much dyes in Raylainsfair I bet, so it may be difficult. Carma seems a lot angrier. Barking orders at her once compatriots. I still don't like her, but I don't want her falling into the route of Lady Halla. However, it would certainly be a interesting character arc to see her become the thing she once hated.
Very glad to hear you like Vali! He's a colourful character, this I can say, and not only because of his odd looks and even odder (but veeery fitting) nickname. Help or not, he will be a big presence in the thing to come. Lady Carma meanwhile, well, she's not blaming Jenna for Richard's mistakes (and even blaming Richard is not the fairest thing to do, given that Urid basically volunteered to help) and not hating her, but she is not interested in any friendship right now. To put things into perspective, she has pushed Saerya away just as well. Both women let her, Jenna because she is still way too shy to even try and console someone who grieves with such bitterness, whereas Saerya's reasons for not spending more time with Carma are a bit more complex.
[Help Vali]
Hmmm I’m starting to like this new Flower already. He seems like he could be of some help. Oh, and we got a new housekeeper L… moready Hall... errherrmm I mean Carma! I hope her and Jenna are able to rekindle their friendship even after all that’s happened.
Ayden's story is too happy for the asoiaf universe, time to mess it up.
Hehe, this just caused me to think, is there an actual example for a happy story in ASOIAF? Hot Pie in the show might count. Yeah, come to think of it, Hot Pie is the only example I have for this. At the same time, it can't be all just bleak, right? Well, it very certainly could, but I hope at least some of the storylines will end well, in books, show and FoT. I can promise though, this likely won't be the last you have seen of Ayden, so we'll see if he gets a good ending.
I just realized, the glitch is actually older than this meme and I am not sure how to feel about this... Maybe it'll get fixed one day, I'm not sure if that is hopefully naive or naively hopeful.
I just realized, the glitch is actually older than this meme and I am not sure how to feel about this... Maybe it'll get fixed one day, I'm not sure if that is hopefully naive or naively hopeful.
Sorry for not being active, incredibly sick and busy with a lot of work on my hands.
[Ask Ayden for help] Don't think meeting Commander Farris will be a good idea. Jaron did try to kill his best friend, so it is likely Farris will condemn Jaron for such an action. I look at this choice as an opportunity to get more screen time. Besides, Ayden will offer a lot of useful information since he is a mercenary. I'm actually surprised Jaron wants Samuel on his team, and if this goes well everyone gets what he wants and become bros for life. Interested to see what happened to Samuel after all this time. Now we need Samuel Puffer on this and we will have ourselves a grade A squad.
[Let Saerya do it] I do not trust Vali. He seems he has his own agenda planned for Raylansfair.
P.S: Seriously, fuck this interface. It is glitched so far up the ass.
Jaron
While a slight fragment of doubt remained on wether or not he could trust these people, Jaron had to admit, he had worst first meet… moreings. Martin came to mind, the initial dislike he had harboured for a man who would eventually turn into a friend worth trusting.
“Alright”, he said, grabbing the hand of John Gutten. “We shall be in this together” The man looked at him, his handshake firm and strong, his one eye filled with relief. “I'm glad you see things this way”, he replied. “Seems like we can help each other out here” He pointed past him and the other man, Temari, stepped aside, leaving the path to the hallway open.
Understanding the wink, Jaron walked out and John followed. “It's a nice building”, he brought up. “Earlier when searching it, we found a wine cellar most exquisite. How come no one loots it?” Jaron shrugged. “For the man that used to live here”, he said. “This city remembers still. They won't forever, but for the … [view original content]
Hehe, this just caused me to think, is there an actual example for a happy story in ASOIAF?
Well in ASOIAF itself there are a few, but there's way more in Westeros history, even surprisingly a few kings. For example Jaehaerys l lived an amazingly happy life, had an incredibly happy marriage with only two recorded fights, made peace with his enemies and ruled till he was incredibly old. Daerion II not only had a incredibly successful reign, but he made peace with Dorne. And going back a few hundred years a certain man named Orys also had a decent life...........
Ayden's story is too happy for the asoiaf universe, time to mess it up.
Hehe, this just caused me to think, is there an actual examp… morele for a happy story in ASOIAF? Hot Pie in the show might count. Yeah, come to think of it, Hot Pie is the only example I have for this. At the same time, it can't be all just bleak, right? Well, it very certainly could, but I hope at least some of the storylines will end well, in books, show and FoT. I can promise though, this likely won't be the last you have seen of Ayden, so we'll see if he gets a good ending.
Well, not that great lives, I mean, Jaehaerys I outlived several of his children (10 out of his 13!) and his wife, and while he did bring peace and stably to the realm, he could have not foreseen his new Hand Otto Hightower and his daughter Allicent Hightower, would unknowingly push the kingdom into the Dance of Dragons.
Daeron II had a relatively good life, except his father was a total douche bag (Aegon IV) and his mother died trying to give birth to another child. While he dealt pretty efficiently with the rebellion of his half-brother Daemon Blackfyre, he would lose his son Baelor in a tournament accident, killed by his own brother Maekar no less. And then he would die in the plague of the Great Spring Sickness.
Hehe, this just caused me to think, is there an actual example for a happy story in ASOIAF?
Well in ASOIAF itself there are a few, but th… moreere's way more in Westeros history, even surprisingly a few kings. For example Jaehaerys l lived an amazingly happy life, had an incredibly happy marriage with only two recorded fights, made peace with his enemies and ruled till he was incredibly old. Daerion II not only had a incredibly successful reign, but he made peace with Dorne. And going back a few hundred years a certain man named Orys also had a decent life...........
Sorry for not being active, incredibly sick and busy with a lot of work on my hands.
Oh man, that sounds real stressful. I'm sorry to hear things still look that way for you, hopefully it won't take much longer until it starts to get better for you.
Now we need Samuel Puffer on this and we will have ourselves a grade A squad.
And perhaps some of the J characters as well. Having Jaron interacting with Joran and Juran and Jaro, that would be a perfect addition to Samuel and Samuel In all seriousness though, I can confirm that while I have something planned for Samuel Puffer, I won't torment myself by putting him into the same storyline as Mr. Harrington. But the squad shall grow with all matters of colourful characters.
P.S: Seriously, fuck this interface. It is glitched so far up the ass.
Yeah, I don't know what they were thinking with the current version of the forums. It is supposed to be a temporary thing, alright, but seriously, why even make them that way in the first place? I can get behind previous builds, but the current one is so filled with glitches (looking at my feed in disappointment) that it shouldn't have been implemented in the first place. Ah, who knows what they eventually plan to do. After the trainwreck that is the current build, things can actually only get better, I hope. I mean, they can't possibly make it worse, right? Right now, I feel like a guy who stands atop a high building during a thunderstorm, wearing only metal armour and screaming "Fuck every god that ever existed", that's how hard I'm tempting fate right now.
Sorry for not being active, incredibly sick and busy with a lot of work on my hands.
[Ask Ayden for help] Don't think meeting Commander F… morearris will be a good idea. Jaron did try to kill his best friend, so it is likely Farris will condemn Jaron for such an action. I look at this choice as an opportunity to get more screen time. Besides, Ayden will offer a lot of useful information since he is a mercenary. I'm actually surprised Jaron wants Samuel on his team, and if this goes well everyone gets what he wants and become bros for life. Interested to see what happened to Samuel after all this time. Now we need Samuel Puffer on this and we will have ourselves a grade A squad.
[Let Saerya do it] I do not trust Vali. He seems he has his own agenda planned for Raylansfair.
P.S: Seriously, fuck this interface. It is glitched so far up the ass.
As it has been said by Edinosaur above, Jahaerys had far from an easy live. He lived a relatively good one and in fact, I am a fan of happy endings for characters that deserve it, but the path to that was pretty hard for him and he ultimately had to work hard to earn it. I mean, he outlived two brothers, both killed by his own uncle, Maegor. His great-aunt had a hand in the murder of his father, he spent most of his early live opposing his uncle and only Maegor's surprising death, or suicide, prevented the realm from falling into a civil war, with Maegor having one serious trump card in Balerion, so things could have easily ended much worse for him. He outlived many of his children and his beloved wife before eventually succumbing to old age. But I guess he ultimately might count as someone who had a good live after overcoming serious opposition in his early years. And I'd say just because a characters story doesn't end in a Red Wedding-like tragedy doesn't mean they had a happy, good life. There's more to it, as Jahaerys' difficulties show. Taking FoT's Ayden, he was captured and tortured by the Solvers, only narrowly avoiding such treatment by the Sphynx. We'll see if he ultimately gets what you'd consider a happy end, at least for his time in the story.
Hehe, this just caused me to think, is there an actual example for a happy story in ASOIAF?
Well in ASOIAF itself there are a few, but th… moreere's way more in Westeros history, even surprisingly a few kings. For example Jaehaerys l lived an amazingly happy life, had an incredibly happy marriage with only two recorded fights, made peace with his enemies and ruled till he was incredibly old. Daerion II not only had a incredibly successful reign, but he made peace with Dorne. And going back a few hundred years a certain man named Orys also had a decent life...........
Dang it... Now I need another example..............Uh..........OK, OK Viserys I. He has an incredibly peaceful reign where nobody fought in an effort to remain on his good side. Sometimes there would be small arguments, but everything worked out during his life and he died peacefully in his sleep.
A-And.... and uhhhh.....Mushroom, the court Jester. He got to experience a happy life during several violent reigns, might have even had sex with several women in the royal family. His tales and accounts also became immortalized and troll modern maester historians to this very day.
And there's also.......Aerys II......he spent his whole life reading books.
And uhhhhh umm.................Shiera Seastar, she was one of the great bastards that lived peacefully. She also had sex with several people without any negatives to herself. And even though she caused several men to ruin their lives and sometimes violently kill each other, she seemed to really enjoy that too so from her perspective its happy......actually if we go that route there's SEVERAL examples of that.
As it has been said by Edinosaur above, Jahaerys had far from an easy live. He lived a relatively good one and in fact, I am a fan of happy … moreendings for characters that deserve it, but the path to that was pretty hard for him and he ultimately had to work hard to earn it. I mean, he outlived two brothers, both killed by his own uncle, Maegor. His great-aunt had a hand in the murder of his father, he spent most of his early live opposing his uncle and only Maegor's surprising death, or suicide, prevented the realm from falling into a civil war, with Maegor having one serious trump card in Balerion, so things could have easily ended much worse for him. He outlived many of his children and his beloved wife before eventually succumbing to old age. But I guess he ultimately might count as someone who had a good live after overcoming serious opposition in his early years. And I'd say just because a characters story doesn't end in a Red Wedding-like … [view original content]
Well comparatively they're pretty great lives. I mean Aenys I ,Viserys II, Maegor I, Aegon The Conqueror and even Aegon IV had pretty awful lives despite everything they managed to do.
Well, not that great lives, I mean, Jaehaerys I outlived several of his children (10 out of his 13!) and his wife, and while he did bring pe… moreace and stably to the realm, he could have not foreseen his new Hand Otto Hightower and his daughter Allicent Hightower, would unknowingly push the kingdom into the Dance of Dragons.
Daeron II had a relatively good life, except his father was a total douche bag (Aegon IV) and his mother died trying to give birth to another child. While he dealt pretty efficiently with the rebellion of his half-brother Daemon Blackfyre, he would lose his son Baelor in a tournament accident, killed by his own brother Maekar no less. And then he would die in the plague of the Great Spring Sickness.
Jaron
While a slight fragment of doubt remained on wether or not he could trust these people, Jaron had to admit, he had worst first meet… moreings. Martin came to mind, the initial dislike he had harboured for a man who would eventually turn into a friend worth trusting.
“Alright”, he said, grabbing the hand of John Gutten. “We shall be in this together” The man looked at him, his handshake firm and strong, his one eye filled with relief. “I'm glad you see things this way”, he replied. “Seems like we can help each other out here” He pointed past him and the other man, Temari, stepped aside, leaving the path to the hallway open.
Understanding the wink, Jaron walked out and John followed. “It's a nice building”, he brought up. “Earlier when searching it, we found a wine cellar most exquisite. How come no one loots it?” Jaron shrugged. “For the man that used to live here”, he said. “This city remembers still. They won't forever, but for the … [view original content]
Double post, eh, here's a little thought: Saerya seems very happy about knowing this meeting. I got a feeling there's gonna be some sort of mole or sting operation and a bunch of people are going to be arrested.
Jaron
While a slight fragment of doubt remained on wether or not he could trust these people, Jaron had to admit, he had worst first meet… moreings. Martin came to mind, the initial dislike he had harboured for a man who would eventually turn into a friend worth trusting.
“Alright”, he said, grabbing the hand of John Gutten. “We shall be in this together” The man looked at him, his handshake firm and strong, his one eye filled with relief. “I'm glad you see things this way”, he replied. “Seems like we can help each other out here” He pointed past him and the other man, Temari, stepped aside, leaving the path to the hallway open.
Understanding the wink, Jaron walked out and John followed. “It's a nice building”, he brought up. “Earlier when searching it, we found a wine cellar most exquisite. How come no one loots it?” Jaron shrugged. “For the man that used to live here”, he said. “This city remembers still. They won't forever, but for the … [view original content]
While not many Targ's had particularly happy endings, a few previous kings had good lives. Several Gardener Kings for example had long or prosperous reigns, House Justman in its day ruled the Riverlands peacefully (until House Hoare happened), and surprisingly, Torgon Greyiron is mentioned to had a long and relatively peaceful reign.
Dang it... Now I need another example..............Uh..........OK, OK Viserys I. He has an incredibly peaceful reign where nobody fought in … morean effort to remain on his good side. Sometimes there would be small arguments, but everything worked out during his life and he died peacefully in his sleep.
A-And.... and uhhhh.....Mushroom, the court Jester. He got to experience a happy life during several violent reigns, might have even had sex with several women in the royal family. His tales and accounts also became immortalized and troll modern maester historians to this very day.
And there's also.......Aerys II......he spent his whole life reading books.
And uhhhhh umm.................Shiera Seastar, she was one of the great bastards that lived peacefully. She also had sex with several people without any negatives to herself. And even though she caused several men to ruin their lives and sometimes violently kill each other, she seemed to … [view original content]
Yeah that too, but I was looking for more concrete, modern examples. If you want me to go that route I could name Garth Greenhand who basically lived like a literal god or Lann the Clever who somehow went from nobody to ruler of one of the richest houses in the world and lived to an insane old age, The Storm King successfully defying the storm gods or even Brann the builder who somehow built a gigantic wall during his lifetime. Heck I could even name Lodos, since it could be argued he actually was being completely honest and just left to have an argument that might still be going this day.
While not many Targ's had particularly happy endings, a few previous kings had good lives. Several Gardener Kings for example had long or pr… moreosperous reigns, House Justman in its day ruled the Riverlands peacefully (until House Hoare happened), and surprisingly, Torgon Greyiron is mentioned to had a long and relatively peaceful reign.
Well, a more concrete example is Garth VII Gardener: he became king at age 14, countered a Dornish invasion, and ruled for what was called the Golden Reign, before passing away peacefully as an old man, his mind still sound. During 80 years Reachmen could live and die without having to go to war.
Yeah that too, but I was looking for more concrete, modern examples. If you want me to go that route I could name Garth Greenhand who basica… morelly lived like a literal god or Lann the Clever who somehow went from nobody to ruler of one of the richest houses in the world and lived to an insane old age, The Storm King successfully defying the storm gods or even Brann the builder who somehow built a gigantic wall during his lifetime. Heck I could even name Lodos, since it could be argued he actually was being completely honest and just left to have an argument that might still be going this day.
Well, a more concrete example is Garth VII Gardener: he became king at age 14, countered a Dornish invasion, and ruled for what was called t… morehe Golden Reign, before passing away peacefully as an old man, his mind still sound. During 80 years Reachmen could live and die without having to go to war.
[Ask the city guard for help] Though Ayden is the obvious choice, more trustworthy and possibly even more reliable, he deserves better. It's simply not wise and I daresay irresponsible for him to get involved in this with a child on the way. He barely survived the last time he worked with Jaron. Let's just let him enjoy his life.
[Help Vali] Saerya implied she had something to do so let's her do that. Plus Vali is around Jenna's age so it's likely that he'd find Jenna more reliable. It's also a good chance to find out what kind of person the Maester and whether he could be a potential ally. Plus I kinda find Saltmouth interesting, I think I'll like him.
BTW I've sent you another PM. Not sure if you got it.
Jaron
While a slight fragment of doubt remained on wether or not he could trust these people, Jaron had to admit, he had worst first meet… moreings. Martin came to mind, the initial dislike he had harboured for a man who would eventually turn into a friend worth trusting.
“Alright”, he said, grabbing the hand of John Gutten. “We shall be in this together” The man looked at him, his handshake firm and strong, his one eye filled with relief. “I'm glad you see things this way”, he replied. “Seems like we can help each other out here” He pointed past him and the other man, Temari, stepped aside, leaving the path to the hallway open.
Understanding the wink, Jaron walked out and John followed. “It's a nice building”, he brought up. “Earlier when searching it, we found a wine cellar most exquisite. How come no one loots it?” Jaron shrugged. “For the man that used to live here”, he said. “This city remembers still. They won't forever, but for the … [view original content]
Heheheheheh. Heheheheh. Perhaps it is time to finally get that character submitted. For now, I shall keep my eye on this one...
Aye, that would be a character I could use, so if you want to, go ahead whenever it works best It should be noted, there is of course no family relation between them, with Vali being Lord Hewett's bastard son, but they know each other, this I think is only logical. I can also confirm, there would be an opening to show the character in the story.
[Ask the city guard for help] Eh, what the heck?
[Let Saerya do it] Why not? Jenna's lazy. Let her be lazy.
his name is Vali Flower… mores, bastard son of Lord Hoster Hewett and my apprentice
Lord Hoster Hewett
Hewett
Heheheheheh. Heheheheh. Perhaps it is time to finally get that character submitted. For now, I shall keep my eye on this one...
Hm, she is indeed quite happy about this circumstance. And while I can't confirm that a betrayal is on her mind right now, her ultimate loyalty is, unlike Jenna's or Richard's, only to House Targaryen, not to Raylansfair. This means, she is willing to do quite a couple things that might not be in favour of her current allies, even if she certainly prefers working with someone as reliable as Jenna over someon such as Mullendore, who is exclusively out for his own goals, who also happen to clash with hers. Though being cautious has rarely been a bad thing, so I can understand your mistrust at Saerya's enthusiasm.
Double post, eh, here's a little thought: Saerya seems very happy about knowing this meeting. I got a feeling there's gonna be some sort of mole or sting operation and a bunch of people are going to be arrested.
Plus Vali is around Jenna's age so it's likely that he'd find Jenna more reliable.
Ah, here it seems I should clarify, Saerya isn't all that much older than Jenna actually. She's 23, Jenna is a couple weeks before her 20th birthday. Vali is a bit younger than Jenna though, so the age difference between him and Saerya is a bit bigger.
BTW I've sent you another PM. Not sure if you got it.
I am afraid I have not, at least not until now. I checked our PM just now and saw it, seems new notifications drowned it before I was able to reply to it. Don't worry, I'll try to answer later today
[Ask the city guard for help] Though Ayden is the obvious choice, more trustworthy and possibly even more reliable, he deserves better. It's… more simply not wise and I daresay irresponsible for him to get involved in this with a child on the way. He barely survived the last time he worked with Jaron. Let's just let him enjoy his life.
[Help Vali] Saerya implied she had something to do so let's her do that. Plus Vali is around Jenna's age so it's likely that he'd find Jenna more reliable. It's also a good chance to find out what kind of person the Maester and whether he could be a potential ally. Plus I kinda find Saltmouth interesting, I think I'll like him.
BTW I've sent you another PM. Not sure if you got it.
Aegon IV actually had a great live, now that I think about it. He is probably the one person in Westerosi history that had the most undeserved good life ever. I mean, he was a horrible excuse for a human being through and through and his death was fittingly gruesome, but the life up until then was probably one of the best, from his own twisted standpoint. Focussed solely on the selfish pursuit of his own pleasure, he has been a hedonistic glutton who was able to pretty much do whatever he wanted, have whomever he wanted, kill whomever he wanted and having to fear absolutely zero consequences. His clear lack of morality also means I doubt he ever felt guilt. So, his life must have been heaven for the guy, up until his final weeks. In comparison, the second worst Targaryen king of them all, Maegor (who at least was strong and determined enough to crush the Faith Militant), had probably the worst live of the Targaryen kings, come to think of it.
Well comparatively they're pretty great lives. I mean Aenys I ,Viserys II, Maegor I, Aegon The Conqueror and even Aegon IV had pretty awful lives despite everything they managed to do.
Well, sure they exist, I never doubted it Among the literal billions of people who lived in Westeros in ten thousand years or more, there had to be a great number who lived ultimately good lives. I mean, generally ASOIAF is aimed at realism and how realistic is it that absolutely everyone is miserable and has their live ending prematurely and in some kind of tragedy? I'd consider it highly unlikely that everything ends dark and horrible, there have to be some unambiguously happy endings as well. It's just, since the books are not finished yet, we don't know which of the characters there get to have a relatively decent ending. I doubt GRRM ends up slaughtering, crippling or otherwise breaking just about every single one of his characters in the next two books. Similarly, I believe the show is heading to a similar path for several characters, as I really can't see anything but a happy ending for characters such as Tyrion. Westerosi history has to be full of such examples and FoT will also have a decent number of them.
Though the examples brought up might not completely count, simply due to a lack of information. A good king doesn't make for a happy life. Viserys II was a great king and an even better hand, but his private life seems to have been way less happy, with his beloved wife leaving him and him growing stern and probably a bit bitter as a result. We don't know if Garth VII had a happy life, we just know he was a great, wise king, so for all that matters, he could have been trapped in a loveless marriage, suffering from chronic pain, outliving several of his beloved children or similar things and considering he was succeeded by a great-grandson means he very likely did outlive several children and grandchildren.
Plus Vali is around Jenna's age so it's likely that he'd find Jenna more reliable.
Ah, here it seems I should clarify, Saerya isn't … moreall that much older than Jenna actually. She's 23, Jenna is a couple weeks before her 20th birthday. Vali is a bit younger than Jenna though, so the age difference between him and Saerya is a bit bigger.
BTW I've sent you another PM. Not sure if you got it.
I am afraid I have not, at least not until now. I checked our PM just now and saw it, seems new notifications drowned it before I was able to reply to it. Don't worry, I'll try to answer later today
I well yeah but despite that, i think that his life was pretty awful. He hated his brother and sister, knew they loved each other, hated his heir and died a death so gruesome maesters describe it as Illogical, with various worms already eating his incredibly decayed and sickly flesh.
Aegon IV actually had a great live, now that I think about it. He is probably the one person in Westerosi history that had the most undeserv… moreed good life ever. I mean, he was a horrible excuse for a human being through and through and his death was fittingly gruesome, but the life up until then was probably one of the best, from his own twisted standpoint. Focussed solely on the selfish pursuit of his own pleasure, he has been a hedonistic glutton who was able to pretty much do whatever he wanted, have whomever he wanted, kill whomever he wanted and having to fear absolutely zero consequences. His clear lack of morality also means I doubt he ever felt guilt. So, his life must have been heaven for the guy, up until his final weeks. In comparison, the second worst Targaryen king of them all, Maegor (who at least was strong and determined enough to crush the Faith Militant), had probably the worst live of the Targaryen kings, come to think of it.
Viserys II was a great king and an even better hand, but his private life seems to have been way less happy, with his beloved wife leaving him and him growing stern and probably a bit bitter as a result.
Let's not forget his increasingly psychotic son, who may have actually poisoned him.
I mean, generally ASOIAF is aimed at realism and how realistic is it that absolutely everyone is miserable and has their live ending prematurely and in some kind of tragedy?
All being said I honestly thought of that while I was reading all this info. My dear god ASOIAF can be unrealistically pessimistic with it characters. Most have awful lives or lead to awful lives or cause awful lives to be lived. Kings are poisoned constantly, the realm is repeated chaos, its kind of incredible rebellion took this long. When discussing 'Fire and Blood', George stated he would only briefly cover Jaeherys I reign, and I can hope but smile when I think that its because it was so optimistic.
That being said, as you stated, it likely that many will get a happy-ish endings at least on the show, which has admittedly deviated a lot from the books but still, I doubt it will all be miserable.
Well, sure they exist, I never doubted it Among the literal billions of people who lived in Westeros in ten thousand years or more, there h… moread to be a great number who lived ultimately good lives. I mean, generally ASOIAF is aimed at realism and how realistic is it that absolutely everyone is miserable and has their live ending prematurely and in some kind of tragedy? I'd consider it highly unlikely that everything ends dark and horrible, there have to be some unambiguously happy endings as well. It's just, since the books are not finished yet, we don't know which of the characters there get to have a relatively decent ending. I doubt GRRM ends up slaughtering, crippling or otherwise breaking just about every single one of his characters in the next two books. Similarly, I believe the show is heading to a similar path for several characters, as I really can't see anything but a happy ending for characters such as Tyrion. Westerosi history has… [view original content]
Yes, I managed to see it. Well, it's not in my feed anymore of course, but it is in my browser history, meaning I can get back to it. I'll try to do that tomorrow, no worries. In general, it is surprisingly rare that I miss a PM, so if it takes me more than a day to answer, don't worry, I have a rather good overview. In general, the longer the message, the longer I need to answer, but I mostly manage it. That being said, whenever you fear I might not see your message, it is totally legit and I appreciate when you ask if I received it, either here or through a PM.
Comments
Ah, they all had their last appearance around the same time, in the early Chapter 5, which was in mid-2015, so over 2 years ago. I really need to get the wiki working for such minor characters XD Dacey and Jon, as well as a third guy named Jared, have first been seen in Chapter 3. Back then, Garthon and George (one of Tully's soldiers, who was killed by Anturion in the failed attempt on Harren's life) travelled to Maidenpool to get poison and a weapon to kill Harren Hoare. They stumbled upon one of Harren's agents, the Riverlander turncoat Velmont Redloon, who had his suspicions against three travelers in the same wayside inn, the abovementioned trio of Jon, Dacey and Jared, correctly recognizing Jon as Jon the Harper, high-ranking member of the Sons of the Trident. He told Garthon about these suspicions in hope to gain an ally to get intel on them, though instead, Garthon decided to genuinely ally with them. Jon recognized Garthon for his worth and helped him out despite their differing origins and together they travelled to Maidenpool and then back to Harrenhal, where the three rebels left again. During this journey, George developed a bit of a crush on Dacey, who, out of the trio, was notably the one with the most outspoken hatred against the Ironborn and towards the end of their journey, it even seemed she began to reciprocate it a bit. Christian meanwhile, well, so far there hasn't been much more than him being the guide to Garthon and Hjalgar. He previously appeared in the late Chapter 4/early Chapter 5, when he saved Maya and Irving from Rodrik Stone's men, after they had been spying on the Second Sons. After leading them to Raylansfair (and briefly giving his opinion on the first victim of the beast in Arthur's first PoV part), he disappeared from the story, until Mullendore chose him to lead the Ironborn back to Harrenhal.
The Voting is closed!
Garthon is going to call out for Dacey
Yeah, ain't much of a surprise here. Garthon is one to care for his friends (sometimes exclusively so) and if you would have chosen to remain silent, it wouldn't have been a result of him not caring, but merely him not daring to speak out with a knife to his throat and the definite order to remain silent. At the same time, Deywn just decided to execute one of his prisoners without a clear order from his superior, it remains to be seen if he dares to execute a second one as well, especially one that claims to be as important as Garthon. So, Garthon's chances to save Hjalgar are not too bad, even if he is now relying on a girl who has an established hatred against his kind, and not an unfounded one. We'll see how things will go in Garthon's next part.
The next part in general will go to Jaron though. I have been thinking about Ellena for a bit, but decided against it, saving her for a full-length part soon. I really want to get the next Jaron part going, even if I am not sure if I can give him a full-length part. I am at a point in his part where I might decide to give him a vote and include a second PoV, which would most likely come from Jenna. So, last time we saw Jaron, he was in a pretty bad place, having no clue on how to follow Abbas and Harpy, wasting his time with violent bar fights to get coin, endangering himself quite seriously. It was thanks to Ayden, probably his last friend in Oldtown, that he gained a new lead: Despite the high opinion and gratitude people have for the Burned Man and the surprising lack of looting done to his mansion and hideouts, two men have recently entered the mansion. Suspecting more than common thieves, Jaron was proven right when he encountered none other than John Gutten and Temari Keys, perhaps the most important allies he could get in his current situation. Though off for a rocky start when Temari held a knife to Jaron's throat, John offered to patch things up and start an alliance between them, which Jaron accepted with a handshake manly handshake of epic team-upiness. I did a fair bit of writing over the weekend, but was busy yesterday, so some polishing of Jaron's part is necessary still and, of course, either a direct continuation or the inclusion of Jenna's second part, in which she and Saerya will further her training and get to meet two interesting new characters.
Jaron
While a slight fragment of doubt remained on wether or not he could trust these people, Jaron had to admit, he had worst first meetings. Martin came to mind, the initial dislike he had harboured for a man who would eventually turn into a friend worth trusting.
“Alright”, he said, grabbing the hand of John Gutten. “We shall be in this together” The man looked at him, his handshake firm and strong, his one eye filled with relief. “I'm glad you see things this way”, he replied. “Seems like we can help each other out here” He pointed past him and the other man, Temari, stepped aside, leaving the path to the hallway open.
Understanding the wink, Jaron walked out and John followed. “It's a nice building”, he brought up. “Earlier when searching it, we found a wine cellar most exquisite. How come no one loots it?” Jaron shrugged. “For the man that used to live here”, he said. “This city remembers still. They won't forever, but for the time being, they are thankful for what he tried to do”
John raised an eyebrow. “And you?”, he asked. “How do you stand to this... Burned Man? Do you like him?” Jaron gulped, staring at the floor in front of him, as they entered the entrance hall, where Temari stepped past him to crash onto one of the lavish couches. “I killed him”, he admitted.
“Boy, I've been in this for long enough to know that one does not exclude the other”, John brought up. “You can kill someone for many reasons and we all have to kill someone we like at some point in our lives, all of us that have chosen this path” He smirked as he sat down in one of the armchairs, placing his feet on the small table. Earlier, Jaron would have narrowed his eyes at this, if only because he knew how much Harpy disapproved of such things, but now, now he was only glad to have found someone who could help him.
His smirk turning into a grin, John leant back into the chair, crossing his arms behind his head. “But that is beyond the point, I believe”, he spoke. “It's a story you got to share with me some time, over a mug of ale and a hot stew” With this, his grin faded and he leant forwards, his arms resting on his knees now, as he looked at Jaron with a single, intensely glaring eye.
The hedge knight gulped, as he instinctively sat down in one of the free armchairs, looking from John, to Temari. The younger man was lying on the couch, yet always cautious and mustering him carefully. However, there was nothing threatening in his behaviour now, something Jaron was quite glad about.
“For now, I would like to know more about our common enemy”, John said. “You said their names are Abbas and Bakr, is that right?” Jaron gave him a nod, though one thing gained his curiosity. “You don't even know their names?”, he asked, to which John sighed. “The friend of a friend helped us out over the last weeks”, he explained. “She found out that two men, Ghiscari most likely, have been seen on the road to Oldtown, having two women with them that fit the description of Janae and Behara”
“Well, Abbas and Bakr it is”, Jaron said. “They used to work for the Burned Man and I, well, worked along them for some time even” He looked up, noting the frosty expression on Temari's face, whereas John showed more genuine curiosity. “Abbas is the brains of the group”, he continued. “I have no doubt that he was behind this all. Bakr is little more than his muscle. Huge and stronger than all three of us combined, but still a simple man” His mouth twitched, as he tensed up. “Not a bad one either, at least that's what I thought so far”
“If he's involved in this, even just as that other man's muscle, he's a dead man”, Temari hissed coldly, to which John nodded decisively. “Unlike that Abbas whoreson, I don't intend to make prisoners when catching up with him and his crony”, he agreed. “I suppose that is not a problem for you?” Jaron narrowed his eyes, before shaking his head. “I feel the same”, he confirmed.
“Splendid”, John said. “So, this Abbas, can you tell me anything about him?” Jaron had to think about this for a moment. He had worked alongside Abbas for weeks, but what did he actually knew about him? It was preciously little, as he had to admit. “He's cunning, ruthless, greedy”, he spoke. “Come to think of it, someone should have seen this coming”
John chuckled dryly. “He's a fucking Ghiscari, what were you expecting?”, he barked. “So, that's all? You know his family name, for example?” Jaron clenched his fists, realizing that he didn't even knew about this. Al-Yunkari, it was a description, not a name. And so he shook his head. “Would it change anything?”, he asked.
To this, John gave him a nod. “Quite a lot actually”, he replied. “I remembered, I have heard the name before. Abbas... it would be a motivation. Janae used to be a slave, you know. When she escaped, she killed her former master, Tarzak zo Prezn” He shrugged. “Well, cut his throat after I put a knife into his spine, anyways. She probably just made it quicker for him”, he added. “But well, Tarzak had one son, a boy named Abbas. Not older than Janae and she actually spoke fondly of him. Gentle, where Tarzak was cruel. An artist, a painter, not a master”
“Doesn't sound like the same man”, Jaron brought up and John looked away, staring at the ground with an expression that had grown thoughtful. “Anger can change a man”, he said. “Too much hatred can be a poison” He looked up again. “It would add a motive. Nothing is more terrible than an enemy with a grudge”
“Dothraki”, Temari interjected. “They might be even more terrifying” He smiled lazily, though coldly as John shot him a sharp glare. “What I mean is, it does not matter. Nothing of this does. We know whom it is. We travel to Yunkai, we find him and I'll pull off every inch of his skin, salt his screaming remains and burn him alive”
“That... is uncomfortably graphic, Tem”, John stated calmly. “And I disagree. It is important what we do here. Learning more on our enemy” He sighed. “This morning, we had nothing but a man from Slaver's Bay. Now we have a name, a likely destination, maybe even a motive. Getting a picture of your enemy, that matters”, he explained. “Though I agree that I'll make him suffer if he does as much as lay a single fucking finger on them”
With this chilling statement, he looked at Jaron, who had clenched his fists. He wanted Abbas dead, yes, but even then, there was little more than a thin, powerless voice inside him that wanted the slaver to suffer. A quick death, preferably in combat. He had been weak once. He wouldn't allow it again. But right now, in the presence of these people, he found it to be wiser to just nod. He was not in any position to question his choice of allies.
“And it will be easier said than done”, John added. “Yunkai, that is the other end of the world. Abbas has a headstart, he has made the journey more often than any of us and if he's as smart as you say, he knows he has reason to hurry. They are probably across the Narrow Sea already. Maybe in Lys, or the mainland already” He looked around, from Jaron to Temari. “One thing is for sure, we can't do that alone”, he brought up, before fixing his gaze on Jaron. “Do you know anyone who might help?”
The first that came to mind was Ayden, but it was a terrible thought, one Jaron quickly tried to forget about. Even if he would be ready to help, which was not very likely, the fact that his wife-to-be was two thirds through her pregnancy meant that Jaron couldn't even ask him. Never. Ayden had done enough, yet at the same time, he was the last person in Oldtown Jaron was willing to trust...
Aside from one. The realization hit him without warning, even if it felt like a logical conclusion. “There might be one”, he mumbled. “A man called Samuel Harrington. Ever heard of him?” Temari shook his head “Can't say I have”, he said, though John's eye widened and he leant forwards, his expression somewhere between surprise and intrigue.
“Even met the man”, he admitted. “Fang of Shadows. I doubt he remembers me though. We've been on opposite sites that day. A quick run for Blacksails, raiding a warehouse belonging to Butterfly and bringing the good stuff to the harbour” He sighed. “Things went well until we met Harrington. Got into a brutal fight, his men against Blacksails'”, he explained. “I fought him and he matched me blow for blow. My equal, I thought, until I realized he was better. Younger, faster, fiercer... I would have died if not for Janae”
“No hard feelings, I hope?”, Jaron asked and John laughed, a genuine, heartfelt laughter. “Boy, you're as fresh as you look”, he stated. “It's been business. It's all business. I don't hold grudges against men like him, just like I know, he holds no grudges against me either... at least I hope so. Intriguing that you know such a man. Seems like there's more in you than I thought, Ser Bastard”
“There is but one problem”, Jaron admitted. “He has been caught two months ago, by the city guard. Long story short, he should be free now, but I have no idea where to find him. If he's still in the city, he hasn't contacted me. Nor have I heard rumours. Wherever he is, he keeps a low profile these days”
“That man will be an asset”, John stated. “Means we need to find him, I'll let you do the convincing. Any clue who could help us?” Jaron thought about his question. Once more, Ayden was the first that came to mind. Reliable, trustworthy, humble, a man that knew the city. Though he hesitated to bring him up, knowing that he would prefer to have his friend involved in this a little as possible. Another, more unpleasant option was to ask the ones that were supposed to know. Commander Farris Flowers and his guardsmen were no friends of his, but they were in charge of the city, they had kept Samuel locked up in a cell for a whole month. Maybe they had a lead. Maybe they were even willing to share it, though Jaron had to admit, he was wary of the cost.
[Ask Ayden for help] [Ask the city guard for help]
Jenna
“Well... you could come around in two days”, Jenna offered and quickly, a sweet smile found its way to Saerya's face, even before she had finished her sentence. “We'll be all there. Father, our guests, some more, everyone who means something, at my father's farm”
“Oh, that would be wonderful!”, Saerya chirped, pulling Jenna into a hug. She placed her hands on her shoulders, looking her deep in the eye. “You will not regret this, I guarantee it. With my talents and the manpower your little alliance brings... well, we might have a fighting chance if we stand together”
If she had any doubts, they were dispelled by how sincere Saerya sounded and Jenna found herself reciprocating the other woman's smile. “That's what I was hoping”, she admitted. “I... I just want what's best for the city” Saerya gave her a nod. “As do I”, she claimed. “I think a bit bigger though. The best for Raylansfair is if it helps the one true king. It can't do that with the current people in charge” Her smile faded. “And from what I heard, they must be stopped regardless”
She opened her mouth to say something else, but the sound of horns being blown cut her off. Quickly, she jumped up, rushing to the window, from which she was able to overlook the entire courtyard. “Oh...”, she mumbled. “Now, that is quite something. Sweet, get over here!”
Jenna followed the order, stepping next to her, to look out of the stained glass and onto the courtyard below. The gates were opened, and a cart was driven through it. Two men sat there, wearing plain, brown robes, with hoods to protect themselves from the cold winds that plagues the roads these days. Yet, the chain around the neck of one of the men clearly showed her whom this was.
“Come on”, Saerya said, already having crossed half of the room. “The new Maester awaits” She raised a finger as Jenna came closer. “Remember, we know nothing of this man. He might be like every other maester, a bookish bore, too narrow-minded to be of any help. He might be one of Vyrwel's pets. Or maybe he is a good one, someone that could help if we play our cards right”
A possible ally... that was something Jenna hadn't even thought about so far! Her heart began to beat faster, as she hurried after Saerya, realizing that this meeting could very well be highly important, essential even. First impressions counted after all, so the fear of screwing up once more, it was rising inside her.
The two women had left the servant's quarters, the first to do so. However, they weren't the first in general. Lord Petyr stood there, tall, bright and handsome, one arm on the shoulder of his daughter, the sweet girl named Edith, perhaps the only new member at court Jenna was not the slightest bit afraid of. To his side stood his personal guard, Hugo Farnham, as well as the other new household knight. Ser Ian Shortwood was an enigma to her, even to Saerya, which was reason enough to be wary of him, for all the kindness he was showing.
A bit separated from them stood the final remaining knight Jenna was willing to trust in this castle. Ser Darren Tallwood had taken months to recover from his wound during the raid, the one that was given to him by the late Lord Harris. Even now, he was limping, unable to fight in active combat anytime soon, yet he was making a formidable master-at-arms, almost as much as Ilhan.
He stood behind the ugly brute that was Maron Mullendore. Sturdy was a kind way of describing him, chubby perhaps a bit more mean-spirited, though if Jenna had learned anything form Leonard's tale, then that this man was not to be mocked. He was dangerous and it was perhaps due to her knowledge that she was deathly afraid of him, even now, as he had to use a cane to support his damaged leg, a sturdy, plain thing that was likely to be just as useful to bash someone's head in. Though almost even more terrifying was the man next to him, the masked murderer known as the Tom. She had seen what he was capable of, how he butchered Lucas. The fact that this killer was still accepted in Raylansfair was all the proof she needed that Leonard was telling the truth.
And there was Carma Strad... just seeing her caused a sharp sting of pain, of regret, to flash through Jenna's chest. Losing her husband, almost losing her baby just weeks later, it has taken a toll on her. Still a beauty to match even Saerya's, she had cut her hair though. What was once flowing down her back in soft golden locks was now cut off at jaw-level and she wasn't smiling anymore. A bitter look was on her face, one of pain and loss. Not even the additional benefits that came with being the new housekeeper could help her through this. And she was blaming Jenna's father. While this didn't mean she was blaming her as well, the two had barely spoken since the raid. She wondered, maybe this was how Lady Halla used to be. A sweet, wonderful woman, broken by a cruel fate.
The cart had stopped and the two men descended from it. Approaching Lord Petyr, they removed their hoods almost in unison, revealing faces younger than Jenna expected. The Maester was perhaps half as old as Eaton, if at all, only the hint of fine wrinkles on his face showing that he had passed the forty. A short, brown beard covered his face and his hair fell down to his neck. Clad in brown, he had his hands covered in form-fitting black gloves. She had to admit, he was handsome and well-built and she could already see some of the servant girls swooning over him. Not her though, she had herself in perfect control, oh yes, she had...
The other man was a more curious sight, one that claimed her full attention. Barely a man, he was likely not older than her. A bit shorter than the Maester, he was also more on the lean side, with a long, thin face. A defining feature about him was his unusual hair though, dyed bright blue. She could see it was dyed, as he clearly hadn't kept up with it in a while, blonde roots clearly visible, as it fell to roughly the same length as that of the Maester he was accompanying.
“Maester!”, Lord Petyr exclaimed, taking a step towards him. Edith kept up with him and similarly, Hugo and Ian followed, as Maron Mullendore and the Tom remained behind. The lord spread his arms and with a friendly smile, that really brought out the handsome features of his face, the Maester accepted a brief hug, though he kept the lord away a slight bit.
“Eddard”, he introduced himself. “Maester Eddard from the Citadel. As detailed in my letter, I have been sent here with best wishes from Archmaester Quent. He hopes I will be to your full satisfaction, doing my duty just as faithful as my predecessor” He put a hand onto his chest, bowing slightly, which caused his chain to rattle. “Lord Vyrwel, it is a pleasure to meet you”
“Maester Eddard, I welcome you in Raylanfair”, the lord replied, before he gently pushed his daughter forwards. “First you should meet my daughter, Edith” The girl looked up, shyly and wide-eyed. With a gulp, she extended her hand. “M... Maester”, she greeted him and Eddard smiled at her. “Hello, Edith”, he said. “I am glad to make your acquaintance”
His gaze moved across the crowd, as did the one of his blue-haired apprentice. Whereas the young man noticed Jenna and smirked at her, or probably at Saerya, Eddard's gaze fixed on Petyr's right-hand man. “Excuse me, mylord, but is this Ser Maron Mullendore?”, he asked, still the same friendly smile on his face.
Maron gave him a quick nod, as a bow was likely still too difficult for him in his state. “Good eyes, Maester”, he complimented him. “Have we met before?” Eddard shook his head. “I'm afraid not, but tales of your victory is told in all Oldtown. The city misses you, after your leadership saw the end of the Burned Man and Butterfly”
The blue-haired man quickly moved his head away from Jenna and Saerya and towards Petyr and Maron. Eddard glanced at him. “Ah, and this is...”, he began, though cockily, the young man cut him off. “You can call me Saltmouth”, he said, to which Petyr raised an eyebrow.
Eddard sighed. “What he means to say is, his name is Vali Flowers, bastard son of Lord Hoster Hewett and my apprentice”, he stated, his voice a bit sharper now. “Though I can assure you, the nickname is very fitting, if nothing that is suited for ears as young as Lady Edith's” His sharp expression switched to a smile in an instant. “I would be very glad to tell the tale over a mug of mead in the long winter months”
“An offer I shall accept, Maester!”, Lord Petyr exclaimed. “Come now. Enter my hall, enter my service. We shall talk about formalities inside, the servants have prepared a small meal for you. Surely, the journey has left you hungry”
“It sure has”, the odd man named Saltmouth, or Vali, brought up, cutting off even his maester, who gave him a sharp glare. “Vali, you shall take care of our belongings first. I am sure there will be quarters for you and me, so make sure the important bits don't remain on the cart for too long”
“Join us in the Great Hall once you are done, young man. One of the servants shall help you”, Petyr offered and looked at Carma. The new housekeeper gave him a nod and her order came sharply. “You over there, Jenna, Saerya!”, she barked. “One of you goes with Maester Eddard's assistant, now!”
Jenna and Saerya exchanged a quick glance, though out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the smirk on Vali's face, or Saltmouth's face, or whatever. His appearance, odd behaviour and the unusual nickname confused her as much as they gained her curiosity. The other woman raised an eyebrow at her apparent confusion. “You can go if you want to”, Saerya offered. “Gives me time to... prepare something. Or maybe you don't want to go?”
[Help Vali] [Let Saerya do it]
[Ask Ayden for help] I don't think the city guard will know much of Samuel's whereabouts, and while Jaron doesn't like involving Ayden, he could know something, and once they get the info, they could leave him alone so he can take care of his family.
[Help Vali] It could be a good idea to get to know this character, and if its a potential ally, or an enemy. Eddard and Vali, two men from very different backgrounds and origins. Eddard seems like a cool guy, and doesn't seem aware of Mullendore's secrets.
[Ask Ayden for help]
[Help Vali]
[Ask Ayden for help]
How much can a city guard help?
[Help Vali]
[Ask the city guard for help] It seems to me the choice that can lead to a result (Since the guards are the last people that see Samuel and maybe know where his brother is)
[Help Vali]
RT:
[Ask Ayden for help] I'm not sure how much Ayden is going to be able to help Jaron on his search, but it gives the two one last chance to say goodbye. This may very well be the last time Jaron will ever see his good friend, so hopefully he can share a meal him and his wifey before he goes on his chase across the world after his love.
[Help Vali] My boy Vali! As rude as ever! I can't wait to see how he is to Jenna and how his first impression of his new home is. I wonder if he is going to keep up with his dyes or let them grow out. Not that much dyes in Raylainsfair I bet, so it may be difficult. Carma seems a lot angrier. Barking orders at her once compatriots. I still don't like her, but I don't want her falling into the route of Lady Halla. However, it would certainly be a interesting character arc to see her become the thing she once hated.
[Ask Ayden for help]
Ayden's story is too happy for the asoiaf universe, time to mess it up.
[Help Vali]
[Ask the city guard for help] Yeah, it's a bit of a risk, considering Jaron's not-so-good history with Farris, but I feel like the city guard would have a better idea about where exactly Samuel is. And besides, I really don't want to bring any harm to Ayden now that things seem to be going well for him and Taria. Anyway, I'm really enjoying this team-up so far, looking forward to their journey to Slaver's Bay!
[Help Vali] I'm just interested to learn more about this strange guy
[Help Vali]
Hmmm I’m starting to like this new Flower already. He seems like he could be of some help. Oh, and we got a new housekeeper Lady Hall... errherrmm I mean Carma! I hope her and Jenna are able to rekindle their friendship even after all that’s happened.
Aye, finding some more help is pretty much mandatory. Neither of the three is a bad fighter by any means (even Jaron, who might be the most average of this particular trio, has shown some impressive feats come to think of it), but their task is to pretty much chase after two slavers and confront them on their home turf. Samuel will be the heavy cavalry for them, they are unlikely to find a better ally, if he can be found and convinced that is. And neither are done all that easily. I can also confirm, there will be other potential allies coming in the future, most of them actually not yet introduced, depending on your choices and their involvement (or lack of it) will affect the outcome this rescue mission for the better or worse.
Well, technically Darren has been master-at-arms in Book 1 already, Harris put him into that position to try and control him, which did not really work out all that well. Petyr saw no reason to remove him, even if Hugo had his eyes on the same position. The one that got a promotion is Ian Shortwood though, who has been accepted into the household during the timeskip.
Aye, interesting they are and I am glad I was able to finally introduce them! Eddard and Vali were originally meant to be introduced in Jenna's first part, but the thing is, I wrote it while visiting my grandfather and I had no access to the character list there, so I was unable to describe them properly (and would have forgotten crucial details, such as Eddard's gloves or Vali's blue hair as a result). This caused me to split the parts in half and introduce them at this point.
Well, it is likely that Jaron will say his goodbyes even if he does not ask for his help here. They might not be bff's, but can be considered friends by now and Jaron is not one to leave without saying a word. However, this choice will affect Ayden in some capacity, at least when it comes to how much he will be involved in the storyline of this chapter.
Ah, glad you enjoyed this little introduction to him. I can promise, he will be heavily involved in Jenna's storyline in this chapter and will also have a crucial role for another PoV (which will answer a question you had a while ago). Dyes though... not too easy getting them in a city such as Raylansfair, but at the same time, things are looking up with Petyr in charge. He might be able to keep this habit up.
Well, she is a lot angrier, this I can confirm. That's what happens when her husband gets killed, her baby gets seriously ill (during the timeskip, though he got saved by Mathea) and she is left alone with three children. Not even the benefits that come with her new position are able to cheer her up in any way and she likely at least understands how Halla got this way. After all, the former housekeeper had a similar history, with her lover, Trystane Raylan, being killed by Harren Hoare's father and her suffering a miscarriage after learning these news, all before she turned eighteen. Stuff like that is guaranteed to mess someone up, just like Carma's situation is messing her up right now.
Very glad to hear you like Vali! He's a colourful character, this I can say, and not only because of his odd looks and even odder (but veeery fitting) nickname. Help or not, he will be a big presence in the thing to come. Lady Carma meanwhile, well, she's not blaming Jenna for Richard's mistakes (and even blaming Richard is not the fairest thing to do, given that Urid basically volunteered to help) and not hating her, but she is not interested in any friendship right now. To put things into perspective, she has pushed Saerya away just as well. Both women let her, Jenna because she is still way too shy to even try and console someone who grieves with such bitterness, whereas Saerya's reasons for not spending more time with Carma are a bit more complex.
Hehe, this just caused me to think, is there an actual example for a happy story in ASOIAF? Hot Pie in the show might count. Yeah, come to think of it, Hot Pie is the only example I have for this. At the same time, it can't be all just bleak, right? Well, it very certainly could, but I hope at least some of the storylines will end well, in books, show and FoT. I can promise though, this likely won't be the last you have seen of Ayden, so we'll see if he gets a good ending.
I just realized, the glitch is actually older than this meme and I am not sure how to feel about this... Maybe it'll get fixed one day, I'm not sure if that is hopefully naive or naively hopeful.
Yeah,
Much a fan of PiKOTRO too
Sorry for not being active, incredibly sick and busy with a lot of work on my hands.
[Ask Ayden for help] Don't think meeting Commander Farris will be a good idea. Jaron did try to kill his best friend, so it is likely Farris will condemn Jaron for such an action. I look at this choice as an opportunity to get more screen time. Besides, Ayden will offer a lot of useful information since he is a mercenary. I'm actually surprised Jaron wants Samuel on his team, and if this goes well everyone gets what he wants and become bros for life. Interested to see what happened to Samuel after all this time. Now we need Samuel Puffer on this and we will have ourselves a grade A squad.
[Let Saerya do it] I do not trust Vali. He seems he has his own agenda planned for Raylansfair.
P.S: Seriously, fuck this interface. It is glitched so far up the ass.
Hehe, this just caused me to think, is there an actual example for a happy story in ASOIAF?
Well in ASOIAF itself there are a few, but there's way more in Westeros history, even surprisingly a few kings. For example Jaehaerys l lived an amazingly happy life, had an incredibly happy marriage with only two recorded fights, made peace with his enemies and ruled till he was incredibly old. Daerion II not only had a incredibly successful reign, but he made peace with Dorne. And going back a few hundred years a certain man named Orys also had a decent life...........
Well, not that great lives, I mean, Jaehaerys I outlived several of his children (10 out of his 13!) and his wife, and while he did bring peace and stably to the realm, he could have not foreseen his new Hand Otto Hightower and his daughter Allicent Hightower, would unknowingly push the kingdom into the Dance of Dragons.
Daeron II had a relatively good life, except his father was a total douche bag (Aegon IV) and his mother died trying to give birth to another child. While he dealt pretty efficiently with the rebellion of his half-brother Daemon Blackfyre, he would lose his son Baelor in a tournament accident, killed by his own brother Maekar no less. And then he would die in the plague of the Great Spring Sickness.
Oh man, that sounds real stressful. I'm sorry to hear things still look that way for you, hopefully it won't take much longer until it starts to get better for you.
And perhaps some of the J characters as well. Having Jaron interacting with Joran and Juran and Jaro, that would be a perfect addition to Samuel and Samuel
In all seriousness though, I can confirm that while I have something planned for Samuel Puffer, I won't torment myself by putting him into the same storyline as Mr. Harrington. But the squad shall grow with all matters of colourful characters.
Yeah, I don't know what they were thinking with the current version of the forums. It is supposed to be a temporary thing, alright, but seriously, why even make them that way in the first place? I can get behind previous builds, but the current one is so filled with glitches (looking at my feed in disappointment) that it shouldn't have been implemented in the first place. Ah, who knows what they eventually plan to do. After the trainwreck that is the current build, things can actually only get better, I hope. I mean, they can't possibly make it worse, right? Right now, I feel like a guy who stands atop a high building during a thunderstorm, wearing only metal armour and screaming "Fuck every god that ever existed", that's how hard I'm tempting fate right now.
As it has been said by Edinosaur above, Jahaerys had far from an easy live. He lived a relatively good one and in fact, I am a fan of happy endings for characters that deserve it, but the path to that was pretty hard for him and he ultimately had to work hard to earn it. I mean, he outlived two brothers, both killed by his own uncle, Maegor. His great-aunt had a hand in the murder of his father, he spent most of his early live opposing his uncle and only Maegor's surprising death, or suicide, prevented the realm from falling into a civil war, with Maegor having one serious trump card in Balerion, so things could have easily ended much worse for him. He outlived many of his children and his beloved wife before eventually succumbing to old age. But I guess he ultimately might count as someone who had a good live after overcoming serious opposition in his early years. And I'd say just because a characters story doesn't end in a Red Wedding-like tragedy doesn't mean they had a happy, good life. There's more to it, as Jahaerys' difficulties show. Taking FoT's Ayden, he was captured and tortured by the Solvers, only narrowly avoiding such treatment by the Sphynx. We'll see if he ultimately gets what you'd consider a happy end, at least for his time in the story.
Dang it... Now I need another example..............Uh..........OK, OK Viserys I. He has an incredibly peaceful reign where nobody fought in an effort to remain on his good side. Sometimes there would be small arguments, but everything worked out during his life and he died peacefully in his sleep.
A-And.... and uhhhh.....Mushroom, the court Jester. He got to experience a happy life during several violent reigns, might have even had sex with several women in the royal family. His tales and accounts also became immortalized and troll modern maester historians to this very day.
And there's also.......Aerys II......he spent his whole life reading books.
And uhhhhh umm.................Shiera Seastar, she was one of the great bastards that lived peacefully. She also had sex with several people without any negatives to herself. And even though she caused several men to ruin their lives and sometimes violently kill each other, she seemed to really enjoy that too so from her perspective its happy......actually if we go that route there's SEVERAL examples of that.
Well comparatively they're pretty great lives. I mean Aenys I ,Viserys II, Maegor I, Aegon The Conqueror and even Aegon IV had pretty awful lives despite everything they managed to do.
[Ask the city guard for help] Eh, what the heck?
[Let Saerya do it] Why not? Jenna's lazy. Let her be lazy.
Heheheheheh. Heheheheh. Perhaps it is time to finally get that character submitted. For now, I shall keep my eye on this one...
Double post, eh, here's a little thought: Saerya seems very happy about knowing this meeting. I got a feeling there's gonna be some sort of mole or sting operation and a bunch of people are going to be arrested.
While not many Targ's had particularly happy endings, a few previous kings had good lives. Several Gardener Kings for example had long or prosperous reigns, House Justman in its day ruled the Riverlands peacefully (until House Hoare happened), and surprisingly, Torgon Greyiron is mentioned to had a long and relatively peaceful reign.
Yeah that too, but I was looking for more concrete, modern examples. If you want me to go that route I could name Garth Greenhand who basically lived like a literal god or Lann the Clever who somehow went from nobody to ruler of one of the richest houses in the world and lived to an insane old age, The Storm King successfully defying the storm gods or even Brann the builder who somehow built a gigantic wall during his lifetime. Heck I could even name Lodos, since it could be argued he actually was being completely honest and just left to have an argument that might still be going this day.
Well, a more concrete example is Garth VII Gardener: he became king at age 14, countered a Dornish invasion, and ruled for what was called the Golden Reign, before passing away peacefully as an old man, his mind still sound. During 80 years Reachmen could live and die without having to go to war.
YOU SEE LIQUID! THEY EXIST!!!......................................I mean.......good example............one of many........
[Ask the city guard for help] Though Ayden is the obvious choice, more trustworthy and possibly even more reliable, he deserves better. It's simply not wise and I daresay irresponsible for him to get involved in this with a child on the way. He barely survived the last time he worked with Jaron. Let's just let him enjoy his life.
[Help Vali] Saerya implied she had something to do so let's her do that. Plus Vali is around Jenna's age so it's likely that he'd find Jenna more reliable. It's also a good chance to find out what kind of person the Maester and whether he could be a potential ally. Plus I kinda find Saltmouth interesting, I think I'll like him.
BTW I've sent you another PM. Not sure if you got it.
Aye, that would be a character I could use, so if you want to, go ahead whenever it works best
It should be noted, there is of course no family relation between them, with Vali being Lord Hewett's bastard son, but they know each other, this I think is only logical. I can also confirm, there would be an opening to show the character in the story.
Hm, she is indeed quite happy about this circumstance. And while I can't confirm that a betrayal is on her mind right now, her ultimate loyalty is, unlike Jenna's or Richard's, only to House Targaryen, not to Raylansfair. This means, she is willing to do quite a couple things that might not be in favour of her current allies, even if she certainly prefers working with someone as reliable as Jenna over someon such as Mullendore, who is exclusively out for his own goals, who also happen to clash with hers. Though being cautious has rarely been a bad thing, so I can understand your mistrust at Saerya's enthusiasm.
Ah, here it seems I should clarify, Saerya isn't all that much older than Jenna actually. She's 23, Jenna is a couple weeks before her 20th birthday. Vali is a bit younger than Jenna though, so the age difference between him and Saerya is a bit bigger.
I am afraid I have not, at least not until now. I checked our PM just now and saw it, seems new notifications drowned it before I was able to reply to it. Don't worry, I'll try to answer later today
Aegon IV actually had a great live, now that I think about it. He is probably the one person in Westerosi history that had the most undeserved good life ever. I mean, he was a horrible excuse for a human being through and through and his death was fittingly gruesome, but the life up until then was probably one of the best, from his own twisted standpoint. Focussed solely on the selfish pursuit of his own pleasure, he has been a hedonistic glutton who was able to pretty much do whatever he wanted, have whomever he wanted, kill whomever he wanted and having to fear absolutely zero consequences. His clear lack of morality also means I doubt he ever felt guilt. So, his life must have been heaven for the guy, up until his final weeks. In comparison, the second worst Targaryen king of them all, Maegor (who at least was strong and determined enough to crush the Faith Militant), had probably the worst live of the Targaryen kings, come to think of it.
Well, sure they exist, I never doubted it
Among the literal billions of people who lived in Westeros in ten thousand years or more, there had to be a great number who lived ultimately good lives. I mean, generally ASOIAF is aimed at realism and how realistic is it that absolutely everyone is miserable and has their live ending prematurely and in some kind of tragedy? I'd consider it highly unlikely that everything ends dark and horrible, there have to be some unambiguously happy endings as well. It's just, since the books are not finished yet, we don't know which of the characters there get to have a relatively decent ending. I doubt GRRM ends up slaughtering, crippling or otherwise breaking just about every single one of his characters in the next two books. Similarly, I believe the show is heading to a similar path for several characters, as I really can't see anything but a happy ending for characters such as Tyrion. Westerosi history has to be full of such examples and FoT will also have a decent number of them.
Though the examples brought up might not completely count, simply due to a lack of information. A good king doesn't make for a happy life. Viserys II was a great king and an even better hand, but his private life seems to have been way less happy, with his beloved wife leaving him and him growing stern and probably a bit bitter as a result. We don't know if Garth VII had a happy life, we just know he was a great, wise king, so for all that matters, he could have been trapped in a loveless marriage, suffering from chronic pain, outliving several of his beloved children or similar things and considering he was succeeded by a great-grandson means he very likely did outlive several children and grandchildren.
Is my PM still there?
I well yeah but despite that, i think that his life was pretty awful. He hated his brother and sister, knew they loved each other, hated his heir and died a death so gruesome maesters describe it as Illogical, with various worms already eating his incredibly decayed and sickly flesh.
Viserys II was a great king and an even better hand, but his private life seems to have been way less happy, with his beloved wife leaving him and him growing stern and probably a bit bitter as a result.
Let's not forget his increasingly psychotic son, who may have actually poisoned him.
I mean, generally ASOIAF is aimed at realism and how realistic is it that absolutely everyone is miserable and has their live ending prematurely and in some kind of tragedy?
All being said I honestly thought of that while I was reading all this info. My dear god ASOIAF can be unrealistically pessimistic with it characters. Most have awful lives or lead to awful lives or cause awful lives to be lived. Kings are poisoned constantly, the realm is repeated chaos, its kind of incredible rebellion took this long. When discussing 'Fire and Blood', George stated he would only briefly cover Jaeherys I reign, and I can hope but smile when I think that its because it was so optimistic.
That being said, as you stated, it likely that many will get a happy-ish endings at least on the show, which has admittedly deviated a lot from the books but still, I doubt it will all be miserable.
Yes, I managed to see it. Well, it's not in my feed anymore of course, but it is in my browser history, meaning I can get back to it. I'll try to do that tomorrow, no worries. In general, it is surprisingly rare that I miss a PM, so if it takes me more than a day to answer, don't worry, I have a rather good overview. In general, the longer the message, the longer I need to answer, but I mostly manage it. That being said, whenever you fear I might not see your message, it is totally legit and I appreciate when you ask if I received it, either here or through a PM.